Silver ambled along as quickly as he could, but it was never fast enough to satisfy Him. He was always there, a few paces behind, no matter how quickly Silver ran. He would trip Silver with sudden turns or a hoop held in the air, or bars. He didn't seem to care, so long as Silver kept being challenged.
"You are a horrible pony, Meadow," gasped out Silver as he sagged against some gym equipment, panting for breath.
"Don't say that," said Meadow as he closed the distance easily, "It's for your sake. Come on, aren't you having some fun?"
Silver raised a hoof, "Not that I'll ever admit!" He smiled then, pushing off to stand again, "Just getting tired. Please, let's continue."
Meadow Leaper led Silver over to a clear area, then set down a rubbery rod about twenty feet away from him. "You need to work on your coordination, so this should help. Run up as fast as you can, grab the rod in your teeth, then run back to the starting line. The faster you can do it, the better."
Silver could recall doing a similar game as a child, "I'm guessing using magic is out."
Meadow rolled his eyes, "Do I need to answer that?"
Silver huffed, "Fine." He lowered himself a little, then broke into a sprinting gallop. He lowered his head to grab at the rod and missed it entirely. This promised to be a long day.
After several hours of limited results, Meadow led Silver to the side for refreshments. "You're doing great!"
Silver tilted his head, "I am?"
Meadow looked confused, "You can't see it? You're definitely improving. You'll come back tomorrow right?"
Silver held up a hoof, "Got an appointment, day after?"
It was agreed and they enjoyed lunch together.
Silver returned to the castle, sore, but satisfied. It was a soreness he had earned, and he tried to keep a positive outlook on it. This didn't stop him from crashing onto his bed and falling asleep almost instantly. He was awoken by being squished. He wriggled and squeaked, soon finding he was under a large furry form he affectionately knew as Fast Change. Fast slipped off of him and as he rose up, she kissed him, knocking him back to the bed as she exchanged a heated greeting with him.
Silver went a soft red, but started to return the exchange, pulling her closer before they finally parted, "Good to see you too."
Fast smiled, "I'm a rating four now."
Silver tilted his head, "Me too."
Fast frowned, then clopped her hooves, "No you silly. I'm talking about magic rating, for complexities, not raw strength. I can legally use some of my magic on other ponies, if I want, and they consent."
Silver nuzzled her, "Congratulations! Wait, what's my rating?"
Fast shook her head, "You never finished first year, so you never got one. You're not really supposed to be using any magic on other ponies until you get tested."
Silver frowned a little, "Huh, well, guess it's a good thing I'm a diplomat, but I'm curious what I'd rate."
Fast shrugged before she snuggled up with Silver, "Don't know, don't care much. It's just legalese, and I already know you're great with spells, especially the ones you make up."
Silver rolled over onto Fast on a whim, inhaling her scent and reacting to it, "Fast, is it the right time?"
Fast perked an ear back at him, squirming under him, "Maybe, but I took a suppressant."
He blinked, "You're on birth control?"
"More like conception control?" argued Fast, "But yes. I'm not ready to be a mother, and my stallion rushed out and got two mares pregnant one right after the other. Do we need more foals right now?"
Silver went through the motions, suppressed or not. Her libido was as healthy as ever, and he enjoyed his time with her, "Are you doing it for us, or yourself?"
Fast arched her back and ground against Silver in return, "Both, silly stallion. I'm... not ready, you're not either. What if... she has twins? What if we both did? Imagine... that."
Silver couldn't argue. The idea of raising a room full of little needy colts and/or fillies was an intimidating one. They enjoyed their romp together, as she seemed to put out that enticing smell, suppressed or not. Unlike the stories he had read, Fast didn't seem any more sex-crazed than she usually was... but she was already pretty high up there, so maybe she was a poor example. Still, he could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon than congratulating Fast on her achievements with hours of snuggling mixed with intense but brief bouts of coupling.
After Fast had fallen asleep, Silver departed for a walk, and ended up at Luna's quarters. He wasn't much in the mood to 'play', but he visited her anyway.
Luna was there. She was making no effort to be specifically enticing, Silver noted. She was reading a book when he came in. He trotted over to her with a smile, "Luna, I apologize for starting with business, but have you heard anything about Trixie and Rough?"
Luna perked an ear, then set the book aside. She grabbed a sheaf of papers in her magic and brought it over. Quickly scanning her eyes over it, "My contacts last saw them headed for the train. They reported they appeared to be in a hurry, and they have not been seen since."
Silver frowned a little, "A hurry? Relatedly, where is my computer?"
Luna tapped the floor, "It was brought to the castle when you ceased to live with them. I'm afraid I know little else of their whereabouts."
Silver flopped onto his haunches, "I hope they're OK..."
Luna reached for Silver, petting over his head gently, "You look fatigued. I am going to put you to sleep."
Silver perked an ear, "Must you?"
Luna smiled, "I won't if you object."
Silver felt... good. Maybe Luna was learning. "Go ahead." The world fell away as he slipped into the dream world, falling upon Luna's cushions.
He sat up in the then-familiar darkness. "You called me back, already?"
'Your requests are boring and meek. You bore me.'
Silver's ears flopped back, "Sorry, how..."
'Enough,' wrote the writing, 'You are a waste of my time and my energy. I could be doing more interesting things than watch you slowly sort out your feeble issues. I'll just put you back where you started.'
Silver was suddenly David again, if naked and exposed.
'Besides, your family needs you. No one else in your family will work for your mother's fading grip on a house she couldn't afford. You will help her, forever.'
"B-but, my new family?" asked David.
'Not my concern. Celestia can watch them. Begone, back to Earth.'
The letters suddenly shattered as Luna stepped from the darkness, "What manner of strange dream is this?"
As the fog of dreams was lifted from David's head, he rapidly became Silver again, falling to all fours, "I'm glad to see you. I didn't realize it was a dream."
Luna frowned, "What did you think this was?"
Silver looked around, "I've been here twice before. This is where I was just before I came to Equestria."
Luna shook her head slowly, "It is similar to the astral plane. Celestia has spoken of it in private. Only beings of immense personal power can choose to enter such a place between worlds."
Silver tilted his head, "That makes sense. It asked me where I wanted to go, then sent me to Equestria."
Luna reached and ran her silver-shod hoof gently across Silver's mane, "I am glad it did, but what manner of being be this?"
Silver shrugged softly, "I asked for a name, it didn't give it. It seems... polite, most of the time. Really, it's given me everything I've asked for."
Luna raised a brow, "What did you request?"
Silver created an image of the rubber ball that once held his computer. Dreams were fun. "This, and..." He made a new image of himself standing beside Nightwing, being trained and eventually moving the rating four weight, "This."
Luna shook her head, "I do not understand. The first is truly a marvelous gift, but the second? Nightwing was already willing to train you. How was this given?"
Silver considered a moment, "Well, I didn't want to train with her, at first. I told the being that I wanted to be able to channel more magic, and he, or she, whatever, said that they'd open the path to doing so. When I woke up, I crashed right into Nightwing. I decided that was the opportunity and agreed to be trained."
Luna nodded slowly, "I am pleased to hear you are getting along with her. She is a dear friend of mine, and the thought of you two being enemies did not sit well with me. Still, your second request is quite small compared to the first. I would know the limit of this being, and if they work for good or ill."
Silver shrugged softly, "I don't know how to summon them, they summon me. They said they were bored. What should I ask for next time? I mean, I asked about becoming an alicorn and they seemed to respond as if it were possible, but difficult."
Luna's wings sharply extended, "You would be most unfitting ruler, pardon my saying."
Silver's ears wilted, "Ow, fine, be that way. You're not wrong, I don't think, but that was harsh."
Luna poked Silver on the nose, "Still, that would be an interesting test... If it can make you an immortal alicorn, then it would be a being of incalculable power."
Silver frowned a little, "Or I might just die. It opens paths, in its own words. My own hooves have to carry me. The path that leads to being like you or Celestia is certainly not an easy one. I would be surprised if it wasn't full of danger, likely lethal."
Luna raised a hoof, "And yet, the matter in which it presents itself and the ultimate result would tell us much of this." Suddenly she frowned, "Do you think it may be Discord?"
Silver tilted his head, "I don't know? He doesn't act like it's him, and I never saw him going to whole new dimensions, just all over the place on Equestria. We could ask?"
Luna nodded, "Do that. He seems warm towards you. If I were to broach the subject, he would evade me, even if he knew nothing. Now, sleep."
Silver felt the dream melt around him as it moved on to the next, and he was allowed to rest truly.
Luna departed from the dream smoothly and woke herself. She had much to speak with Celestia about and rose to do just that, leaving the slumbering form of Silver behind.