Cadance was prepared
The night before had kept her mind in focus enough to square aware any work she had that came in during the morning, and she had gotten plenty of sleep. She also cleared the morning after of any meetings, and assigned her morning activities to ponies that could handle them.
She was equally mentally prepared.
Cadance had spent a while organizing her thoughts from Luna's personal history with Dusk, in addition to what she had gathered herself, and from Discord's and Twilight's vague warning.
In short? Dusk was a jaded genius. He thought vastly differently from the average pony due to his long life. He had been hurt by connecting with ponies before, hence his grumpy and manipulative demeanor. With that understanding, Cadance was confident that she could help him along into trusting her, and from there...
We'll see what it brings when I get to it.
At the moment, Cadance was packing a prep bag in her pocket watch. One of the few enchantments she had struggled to master because of it's convenience, and additionally at Celestia's behest, was a pocket storage spell; anchored onto a silver pocket watch she kept in her mane.
Towel, water. Quills and ink? Nah
In all honesty, the idea of gathering a bunch of likely useless supplies was more to stop her anxiety from hammering away at her mind while she waited for a message from Dusk. The sun was on it's way over the horizon.
Luckily for her, she didn't need to occupy herself for any longer. A cerulean spark flew threw the window and with a light smell of ozone, deposited a jar on the ground at her hooves.
She quickly magicked the rest of her assorted items into her watch and lifted the jar with her hooves. Like before, there was a note, there was not, however, a gem.
Heya Little Princess
I'll be there in a minute to pick you up, just finishing up a couple of things. Time got away from me for the moment.
-You know who
Great more waiting, my favorite
She took a breath. With the 'go go' speed of which her life had taken up, she had recently found herself stressing over the peace and quiet. Like she was waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. She made an attempt to calm herself down, realizing where exactly her stress was coming from helped with that.
There was a knock at her balcony window.
Silver was... floating outside the window, so she reached out with her magic and opened the window. She swooped into the room and the sound of bare hooves on crystal bounced to Cadance's ears.
"Do you not have horseshoes?" She asked
Silver kept her... empty smile, Cadance noted upon second glance, "Nah, not good for..." She took on a thoughtful look, "What's the material horns are made of?"
"Your hooves are-"
"Never mind, you get it" Silver lifted a hoof which glowed Silver's blue colour, "It makes it easier to channel without nails in my hoof."
Noted...
"I'd... be more interested in the idea of being able to cast like a unicorn if..."
"If it wasn't achieved with something that would make you sick, yeah I know."
Cadance didn't really have anything else to add,
Silver smirked, "Is that what you're wearing?"
Cadance, who was not wearing anything, asked, "Yes?"
Silver rolled her eyes, "Come on Little Princess. You need some kind of disguise, I'm not just going to tote a grumpy Alicorn around all night."
Ah, well, I didn't think of that
"Would you like me to give you a quick make over?" Silver said, holding out a hoof.
Cadance stepped forwards, "I would like it if you made me a disguise, I don't want you to mess with me please." She grabbed her hoof.
Silver dropped her mischievous look, "But of course, and now I can actually produce an illusion for you, instead of having to rely on biogenesis."
A cerulean wave passed over Cadance and it was then she noticed how Dusk's magic was a very similar colour to her own. She watched as the hoof in Silver's leg shrunk and turned green, and her eyeline fell to just above Silver's. She also lost sight of her horn at the tip of her vision.
When Silver let go, she turned to appraise herself in the mirror. She had turned green again, but instead of being a solid series of earth tones, her mane sported a deep royal purple, heavy braid with pink highlights that covered her entire forehead and fell as low as her chest, her tail had puffed out and covered her backside in a fan shape, and she now sported what looked like a pink allium as a cuitemark.
"Wow."
"I know right? Way better than what I cobbled together before, Allium."
Cadance chuckled, "My codename then?"
"If you want, all my disguises have their own names, ones I make for others aren't exempt from that rule."
"I can't help but notice the lack of wings or horn."
But Cadance could, unlike the previous transformation, still feel her wings and horn. She flared her wings as a test, and while it certainly felt like it worked, they were simply invisible.
Silver had walked up into view in the mirror next to Cadance, "They're still present, your large mane will visually block the glow of your horn if you feel the need to use it."
Cadance moved her head around, "How did you get the eye level to change?"
"It's an active transmission of a lens spell over your eyes."
Clever... I think
Cadance wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but it was pretty simple to understand given the context.
She tuned towards Silver, who spoke before she could, "Ready to go then Allium?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Cadance gave a nervous smile, "Where are we going?"
"A Canterlot nightclub named..." Silver thought, "Ze Beatz?" She said questioningly?
"What? Why a nightclub?" Cadance took a double take from the mirror to the physical Silver, "And can't you not leave the Crystal Heart's shield?"
"Celestia is asleep at the moment, and a nightclub because I've been told they're a great place to find love." Silver claimed.
Cadance's mind chugged away at trying to comprehend that statement, what came out as a response was, "I wish I understood that."
Silver half rolled her eyes, "I wish I did too Cadance."
In the next moment, a corded silver and green ring appeared to Silver's side and began to spin and grow, a sheet of raw magic filling the interior that quickly resolved into a view of a grey brick street of an alleyway.
"Shall we?" Silver said, gesturing to the now open portal.
"We shall."
It was surprisingly not disorienting at all. Cadance attributed the feeling to being like singing in the shower, except for a moment so short you might miss it. They both trotted themselves into the alleyway, and the portal closed behind them, the ring simply disappearing into nothing behind them. Cadance saw a flicker of black smoke from Silver's baby blue eyes, but it was gone in the next moment.
Cadance, decided now would be a good time to share what she had thought up, while she was waiting. "You know," Silver tilted her head, to make it clear she was listening, as she checked the alleyway for something, "Even though it's odd circumstances, I am happy to go out."
"I bet you haven't had a night to yourself in a long time."
Cadance lightly shook her head, the 'illusionary' mane flopping to her opposite shoulder. "I tend to get more than I'd like, just never enough time to go and do something fun."
"Well keep in mind that while we're here together, we don't necessarily have to spend this time together. If I'm a good excuse for you to get out of your tower, then I don't mind tagging along." Silver had walked to the edge of the alley, and gestured Cadance forwards.
"Not at all," Cadance said, "I'm out tonight to get to know you a little better. I do... actually hope we can become friends."
"Among other things." Silver monotoned
"I won't lie, yes, among other things." Cadance offered diplomatically
Silver stepped out into the street, and began trotting to the side, Cadance had to quickly get used to the odd feedback from her visual in conjunction with how long her legs actually were to keep pace without tripping.
Silver, based on her comment, took notice, "I can actually make you shorter if you want."
Cadance... at first wanted to reject the idea due to the likely dangerous magic involved, but half of her mind decided to make an argument in favor of the idea.
I mean... Why not right? Dusk is an expert, and he did something similar weeks ago, and there was no side affects at all, not even any lingering magic.
Cadance pursed her lips and shrugged, "I guess..."
Silver lifted a wing over Cadance's shoulder and drew her into lock step with the herself, Cadance in the next couple of moments felt her legs broaden and shorten. Silver helped keep her steady as her height changed, then they reset gaits, and Silver let her go.
It was distinctly easier to walk.
"Thanks." She said apprehensively
"You know, I'm not gonna lie, that doesn't really look up to my speed."
They had come up on what was clearly the night club. Across the street, maybe a block down, was a lime white structure, (like all the structures in Canterlot) with florescent lights. The low thrum of bass heavy electronic music spilled from the door and Cadance could barely hear the sounds of ponies talking as they approached.
Cadance, had also never been to a night club, only ever parties at the homes of her friends, or celebrations in the village she grew up in. "I'm genuinely curious about how you even know about night clubs."
"I have my ways."
Meaning, 'I'm not going to tell you'
"Kinda regretting my choices now though."
Cadance raised an eyebrow, their walk to the building still having not slowed, "Do you... not want to go in?"
"Eh, I'm committed to the idea now, it just might be a bit more effort than I thought."
They fell into silence as they approached a large grey unicorn stallion in a smart suit in front of the door.
"Evening you two, how are you doing."
Silver took the verbal initiative, "Wonderful my good sir, and yourself?" Her tone matched what Cadance remembered as "Silver's" voice. Whereas the way Silver tended to talk to her was some blend of Dusk's voice and Silver's voice, this was purely marish in nature, and definitely held the tone of a sophisticated mare.
"It's as good as any other night out here. Welcome to Ze Beatz ladies" He lifted one of his hooves and pushed the door open for the two of them, the music and lights flooding the area.
Silver nodded to the stallion, and made her way inside, Cadance gave a quick thank you, and followed after.
There was a short hallway with a single branching door that said 'employees only' that lead into the main what Cadance assumed was the main room, as she followed after Silver, the music grew louder and she felt the density of the air increase under her wings.
They must have a misting machine
The room itself was the exact description Cadance had heard about. A raised dance floor covered in glowing panels that dominated the center of the room with a DJ table at the back sitting atop a stage. Around the dance floor were numerous recessed tables and couches organized in an admittedly interesting pattern. On the wall to the right was a very colourful blinking standing bar with a two ponies operating it.
There was a staggering amount of ponies in here. Enough that Cadance's legalese focused mind reminded her that this was definitely over the maximum occupancy for this room. She saw the telltale movement of Silver having said something, but the music was so loud that Cadance didn't make it out.
"What?"
Silver leaned towards Cadance, "Where's all this music coming from?!"
Ah right, he's from several hundred years ago
"They're called speakers!" She yelled over the echoing electronic buzzing several ponies were jumping to. "They use magnets and electricity to make sound!"
Silver fully turned to look at Cadance, "Really?!"
Cadance nodded
Silver made a 'huh' face, the actual noise being blown away by the vibrations. Cadance caught the whiff of alcohol as Silver began to take several steps forward, seemingly towards nothing, a look on her face lead Cadance to believe she had yet to decide where to go. Which resolved itself shortly.
Silver made headway towards the stairs down into the seating area, Cadance followed, her attention being momentarily disrupted as she had to duck around a mare going past on rollerblades. It looked like she worked here.
She stepped down onto the platform a body length under the dance floor towards the couch and table combo Silver had claimed, as she approached Silver was in the midst of placing a burlap sack on the table.
"What's this?!" Cadance asked over the music, which was significantly louder here. Apparently the speaker system was under the stage, meaning they were in the perfect spot for it to be as loud as possible.
Silver pulled a green cloak from the bag and tossed it over the rounded couch, near the end "Marking a table for us, dibs right?"
Cadance scoffed. The juxtaposition of Dusk saying 'dibs' and other slang all night nearly had her laughing. "Where'd you learn the word dibs?"
Silver shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I can tell you're not going to come to this conclusion on your own, so I'll just let you know, I wasn't in stone for that whole time." She said, half shouting. "I came and went as I pleased every nine moons or so!"
garbled thought noises
"I can barely hear myself think in here!"
Silver smiled, "I know!? Isn't it silly!" Silver, after covering the table and couch with a pair of saddle bags and water, stood and stepped off the couch, "Drinks?"
Which of course was something else Cadance was deliberating, drinking. While she could and-
"Before you get all stick in the mud on me, I'll have you know that I chose this place in particular because they have fun liquids" Silver was stood in front of Cadance now, which made it a little bit easier to hear her.
"Why'd you say it like that?"
Silver walked past, "You'll see, just hold down the fort!" She called over her shoulder, leaving Cadance to take a seat and look around
wow
This was surreal, and honestly, it got her heart pumping a bit. Being out, doing something strange, wearing somepony else's fur? The scandal would stretch all over Equestria if she were found doing this normally. Her reputation of soft furred guidance for the Crystal Empire would be tarnished forever in the smear piece about her uncontrollable party lust.
It was exhilarating. It was fun.
Maybe this won't be so bad, plus, Dusk is bound to enjoy my company more if I actually want to be here
Cadance elected to really try to lean into the night, now that she was here at least. That was the plan, after all; have fun, make a friend.
Doesn't have to be any more complicated than that
The ceiling wasn't covered, like one of those restaurant establishments unique to the cities like Trottingham and Manehatten, the room was just so smoky and covered in flashing lights that it was likely nopony would notice. Not that anypony likely wanted too, the dancing featured jumping and shaking, mostly; ponies here seemed not to care about making an impression.
Silver returned to Cadance's view toting two... things balanced on her wings
They were stemmed glasses with a wide triangular rim shape, which wasn't the unusual part. The liquid which they roughly contained was a kaleidoscope of colours, and floated just inside the rim, functioning more like a gas than a liquid.
"They call them rainbow brain smashers" Silver said with a smile, as she slid one off her wing and onto the table for Cadance, "Oh, and remember the drink enchantment, it makes them work a little faster, so make sure you pace yourself this time."
Cadance did indeed remember, and Silver's comment confirmed something she had been mentally tossing around, "So the drinking the night I met you was a plan to get rid of me."
"Hah! Yeah..." Silver looked at nothing and smiled warmly, "Good times."
"I thought you said it wasn't a trick?" Cadance picked up her drink. There was salt sugar dotted around the rim.
"If you recall, I just re-asked you if you thought it was unreasonable." Silver took a 'sip'. Drinking from the cloud that floated in the air.
Fair enough I guess... That does sound like something Dusk would do
The drink was weird, it smelled like water vapor and chemicals, floated, and-
Lean Cadance, lean.
She tilted the glass, and took a sip.
Unlike the shots, this drink wasn't nearly as alcohol rich, it was however, spicy. Very, very spicy.
"Eghb!" She tried to cover her disgust, Cadance was not an avid enjoyer of spicy things.
Silver laughed at her from the side.
"Rainbow, I should have known."
Silver scooted next to her on the couch, her own drink balanced on her wing still. "It's not exactly a hidden feature is it Little Princess?"
Cadance rolled her eyes.
At least you didn't taste the poison in it
"How much alcohol is in this?" She yelled over the music, which had just turned to heavy beats and static guitar thrums.
"The tender said it was a fruit whisky," Silver took another sip, "It tastes like sixty percent"
"Wait, isn't that a lot?"
"Yeah, the rainbow really hides the content no? I figured you might enjoy it."
"I can't really taste it at all, I don't really have a developed palate for spicy."
Silver shrugged, and tossed back the rest of the 'rainbow brain destroyer'
Cadance decided to take her drink a little slower, it was maybe half the volume of what she had drank that night, and Silver had claimed it was just under the same alcohol content.
"So speakers? How do they work? I'm guessing some sort of magic piston?"
What?
Cadance smiled, "Speakers? Really? That's what you want to talk about?"
"Colour me intrigued, I want to know how they work, maybe make my own." Silver shrugged
Well why not right?
"They're actually fully mechanical and electrical."
Silver raised a brow
"They use a magnet and a current to shake a piece of metal sitting over the negative side extension of the magnet, that sits on a pole."
Silver nodded
"The piece is wrapped in a wire that shakes because of the magnets and in sequence with the electrical signal sent through the wire"
"and that works?" Silver said, incredulous, "You can just reverse apply the rules of the electro-magnetic field?"
"I'm not sure what that means but yes, it does work!" Cadance took another sip of her drink, and waved a hoof, trying not to cough.
"How do you know all that?"
"My roomie in college was an engineer, her name was Sunlight, it was a hobby."
"You had a roomate? Actually, I'm cashing in one of my questions here. What's your education like?"
"Questions?"
Silver opened her mouth, but before she could,
"Oh oh! No I remember, from the game!"
Silver nodded, "It occurred to me that I don't have a grasp of how book smart you are."
"Well I'm no Twilight Sparkle, but I did finish a degree in business."
Silver half smirked, "You. A business degree?"
Cadance smiled, "I've got a decent head for numbers, plus, in college, business degrees are pretty easy."
"Well tell me all about it."
Cadance took another sip from her drink while she thought. Lucky for her, her mouth had given up trying to taste, and the drink slid back without any issues.
"Well first off, I didn't go to any fancy schools. Even though Celestia wanted me to, I... at the time, wanted a normal fillyhood."
"How long ago was this? I also have no idea how old you are."
"Is that a question?" She cheekily tried
Silver laughed, "No, I know you're around seventy to ninety years old. You might as well finish it off for me."
"I'm eighty one, almost."
Silver threw her head in an exaggerated nod, "Ah, the old eight-oh, you look obnoxiously young for that age."
"Flatterer."
Silver rolled her eyes.
"Anyways, I went to college in Dale, in Bridlepolis" Cadance took another sip, "Nothing unique, I wasn't much of a partier, going through my midlife crisis in my twenties looking like a teenager. I just studied and made a couple of friends."
"Sounds boring and pointless, did you at least learn anything useful."
"Other than applied statistics and calculus, not really. It was enough to help me keep up with Twilight, but everything else I know was on the job learning, or taught to me by Celestia."
"Statistics?"
"The study of probability."
Silver snorted and produced a stocky bottle glass bottle of something yellow, and popped the cork off the top of it.
"What's so funny."
"The idea that probability can be studied. Things, everything that is, have a fifty percent chance of happening or not."
"That's ridiculous."
"If you say so" Silver swigged the bottle like a sailor. It was odd to watch.
You know, there might be something to that
"Explain then, the fifty percent thing."
Silver put the bottle on the table, and held up both of her hooves. "Think of it like this Allium, everything that could happen, will either happen, or not. Two options."
Cadance jumped in, "but certain things are more likely to happen than others."
Silver smiled, "Exactly my point. What is more likely, a book that writes itself spawning into existence on it's own? or a spot where exactly nothing is happening, for nothing to continue happening."
"I don't see your point."
"Life is a statistical anomaly my dear. One that you're currently living. Of course from the perspective of a living creature, certain things are more likely than other things, because your existence creates those statistical anomalies. From a non-living universal perspective, anything is as likely as anything else."
That's actually a pretty compelling argument.
Cadance nodded slowly. She was beginning to feel the light warmth from her drink. "That implies though that we'd want to measure statistics from a non-living perspective"
"In order to chart likely events with math so it could be useful, yes. Of course, you could do the same with a non-living perspective, it's just that no one has thought up the math, and published it." Silver gave her a knowing look, "You were in the debate club weren't you."
Cadance, very unwillingly, felt a blush come to her cheeks at the comment, "Celestia said it'd be good for me to learn the basic principles..."
"Celestia this and Celestia that, wasn't there anything in your education not lead by the old mare upstairs?"
"Yes... but you won't particularly like the idea..."
"Ahhhh... College romance, no?" Silver's false smile deepened, and her eyes gave a telltale sparkle, "Far be it from me to deny you the chance to talk about your special talent."
Cadance rolled her eyes, "Romance isn't my special talent."
"I am quite aware." Silver said with a more essence than Cadance was expecting.
"I dated two or three ponies in college. Nothing came of it, there's not too much more to tell." Cadance nervously took a sip of her slowly diminishing cloud in a glass.
"Surely not; you've the tendency to think, I can tell." Silver took a deeper swig. "Surely there was something you learned or did that was worth a story."
Cadance thought, and she turned towards the shaking dance floor, then back to Silver. "I learned how to dance."
"Dancing is fun." A cheshire smile from the silver pegasus
"Not anything like that," She nodded to the dance floor, "Definitely something slower."
"You're being a bit cagey about the details, something tells me there's something more to that."
Cadance smiled, "I had my first kiss slow dancing, that's all." It was a vague yet fond memory from a couple several full lunar cycles back.
Silver clapped, "Slow dancing ay? I figured you'd be more of a swing kinda gal."
"Swing?"
"The name is the music."
Well I guess that makes sense
"Also... Gal?" Cadance tried the word, "I've never heard that before."
Silver frowned, "Ugh, of course you haven't. Gal, girl, person, people. They're non-race specific terms."
"Non-race specific terms?"
"You wouldn't call a griffon a pony would you?"
"No?"
"So why do you say things like 'everypony' or 'mare' or 'stallion' per word? Lumping them together is way easier." Another swig, "It's also less racist."
Cadance considered. "I guess I just never thought about it."
Silver bapped Cadance on the back of the head with her wing.
"Hey, okay I get it."
She was about halfway through her drink, she wanted to ask Silver the return question, but she tried to consider how to broach the topic. She decided to go blunt, as there wasn't anything technically wrong with her question.
"How about you? Have any romance back in your day?"
Silver chuckled, "Allium, I'm older than Equestria. I have bloodlines."
"You mean..."
"I've had married several people, among of which I have had many children."
Cadance's thought process came to a screeching halt.
"Don't look so surprised, I was quite the Casanova back in my youth."
Cadance shook the complex thoughts from her head, "I just... It didn't seem like you."
"What, you think I don't want companionship?"
"No?"
"Well you'd be wrong then. Usually it was political. I did favor my children though." Silver gave Cadance a... strange once over.
"I just..."
"I'll hit you again," Silver joked, spreading a wing in Cadance's direction, "I will, don't test me."
"Fair enough I guess... do... are any of them still around?" Cadance tried, taking another sip from her drink. "Your descendants, I mean."
Silver made a weird expression, and tossed her head back momentarily, "Apparently. I really only had a couple of children that could procreate themselves; my... unique biology not really lending itself towards that in any useful way."
Not surprising.
As far as Cadance knew, Dusk was a heavily biologically modified pony. Pushed forwards by magic and science, along with his... curse. Which Cadance was still desperate to know the details of.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by Silver's side eye, "You promise not to do anything with the information?"
Not a difficult promise, "Promise"
"That Sunset girl, over the mirror, wouldn't happen to have the same colour of magic as I do, would she?"
She does, he's not saying
"I made sure this one I actually liked, Fire Dance Shimmer, could actually have a family that wasn't just me."
"You mean-"
Silver held up a hoof. "It's possible" but she smiled, "But maybe" and shrugged.
Cadance wasn't dumbstruck per say, but she was certainly surprised, Sunset Shimmer could have been a descendant of Dusk this whole time?
Is that why Celestia-
"Not by any measure that it'd be any notable relation, but she might have a bit of my blood in her, if she has my telltale colour of magic; in addition to the sir name."
"Huh," was all that Cadance could get out. "What was she like?"
"Fire Dance?"
"Yeah."
"Fire Dance was a Stallion."
Cadance blinked, "Oh."
"And he was an idiot." Silver leaned over and knocked her hoof on her head, "Total bucking dunce."
Cadance looked silly, sat there with a glass in her hoof, and Silver tapping the side of her face while she gaped like a fish.
"He was endlessly sweet though, and a powerhouse if you know what I mean." Silver said fondly at first, switching up her tone near the end.
Cadance blushed, "I- I thought you were a stallion." There was a little stuttering
"Hah!" Silver sneered, "I am nothing, other than myself." She then polished whatever was left in her bottle, and continued, "And when you get to as old as I am, I promise that the idea of 'gender' will stop mattering."
She then more sullenly said, "A lot of things stop mattering."
Cadance tentatively spread a wing and wrapped Silver in a hug, seeing that Silver may need some comfort, gazing into an empty bottle the way she was.
Silver leaned away.
"Ay, your feathers are ticklish." Silver batted at Cadance's wings with her own.
"Sorry"
Silver stood, "No worries, I'ma go get myself another one of those weird drinks, you want something else while I'm up?"
Silver had a slight sway as she stood... It was a little concerning. Cadance was a little upset for the hasty retreat.
Silver elbowed Cadance as she stepped over her to get out of the couch, "I'm just jokin, you don't have a choice, no spicy things this time though."
And Silver was swallowed by the crowd.
Cadance looked down at her drink.
This is not at all what I expected from... Dusk, it almost feels far to good to be true. Is... well I guess are they actually opening up? Is this all it took?
It didn't feel like it.
No... something is still off. I just can't put my hoof on it. Dusk isn't a liar though, so I can take everything he-they say for the truth. It's just something else about those eyes and hollow smile.
She sniffed her drink. It made her wrinkle her face. Which subsequently made her frown. She was nearing tipsy at this point, and Dusk was apparently adamant that she keep drinking, although not pressuring her to drink at the same speed, Dusk was still bringing her another drink.
Alright then
She tipped back the rest of the rainbow cloud and swallowed it down. A few coughs and tingling later and she triumphantly placed the gross thing back down onto the long curved table.
Dusk returned to the table a moment after, this time she had two tall glasses that looked like beakers. They were filled with a sluicy silver liquid. Although Cadance was hesitant to think of them as liquids, it looked much more like the thing was full of white sand. There was, however, a curly swirly straw, which Cadance liked.
Dusk set it down on the table in front of her, and took a quick couple of flaps to hop over to return to sitting next to her.
"I have to ask." Cadance tried, almost hiccupping, "Whatever this is, before I drink it."
Silver was now sporting a proper flushed look, "It's a sweet drink, the counter filly called it a silver dream." Silver inhaled the rest of her new rainbow drink, having seemingly been drinking it on the way over. "It was their most expensive one, also apparently quite dense, lotta bang for your bit there." She said, roughly pointing at her own drink.
Cadance decided to express her concern, "You're going a bit fast, don't you think?"
Silver smiled and gave Cadance a far off look, "I'm looking to get properly thrashed tonight, give this new body a whirl."
"What does that even mean." Cadance rolled her eyes
"Well, unlike before, when I was rocking a non-corporeal form, I had to mentally disable myself while we were drinking to get a legitimate effect." Silver lifted the beaker like glass to her lips, ignoring the straw, and sucked up some of the... sand.
Cadance watched in curiousity.
"Now though" And Silver made her point by stretching her wings, "I'm proper flesh and blood, got a soul anchored and everything. It's what I used your memories for." Silver quickly and roughly gestured to Cadance's drink, "Also try that, you'll like it."
She almost accidentally levitated it, but remembered. Instead, she grabbed it between her hooves and gave the 'drink' an appraising look from the opening. It didn't look any different from up close.
"Why are you so skeptical Allium? Hmm?" Silver drank more, "It's a drink I got from over there," She pointed at the bar, "It won't hurt you, not with my spell."
Lean Cadance, you're here to have fun remember?
I am distinctly worried about my company though.
That's not how friendship works, trust isn't something a pony can earn, it has to be given.
Do I want to trust Dusk?
That was the million bit question that struck Cadance like a truck. With the glass in her hooves, she looked over to Dusk.
It isn't about Dusk, Cadance. Are you going to do this.
Am I going to do this?
Silver had an encouraging look. Cadance still had the feeling that it wasn't genuine, but did it have to be? Did it matter?
Yes. I am.
"To Tartarus with it." She tilted back the beaker, and let the sluice drain into her mouth. Something in her mind told her she had to mark her decision physically, so she decided that she was going to consume this drink in one fell swoop as proof to herself for her commitment.
Was it necessary? No, not at all.
The drink was surprisingly good, at the very least, the alcohol was had to notice behind her already burned tounge, and the rest of it was a zesty but still sweet sugary flavor.
She drained nearly a pint of it from the beaker until it was empty before slamming the beaker down onto the table.