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// 16 - A Candid Conversation 
// Story: The Silver Stars 
// by David Silver 
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Silver sat in a room. It was a small room. She was on a comfortable pillow, and across from her, barely a foot away, Cadance smiled at her. They were alone, as Silver had requested, though Silver was feeling the twitch of old shyness return.

Cadance would not accept that, and reached to gently brush her side, "You called me, Silver. What's on your mind?"

Silver took a slow breath, "I'm not sure who I am anymore."

Cadance pointed, "You are clearly Silver Stars, but what that means is up to you."

Silver frowned at that, "I don't know what's left of me, the me that came to this world a while back. I've embraced change after change, trying to find... that thing. I don't even know what it is. Am I human anymore? I suppose not entirely..."

Cadance looked Silver over from top to bottom, "I don't know much about humans, save what Twilight shared with me about her guest. You're both nice people." She lifted her shoulders, "But that is not you. You're you. You're not 'human'." She saw Silver wasn't following her and frowned delicately, "You're asking the wrong question. It isn't 'am I who I am?' because nopony is who they were before. Ask instead, 'Am I happy with what I am now' and 'What can I do to improve who I am?'"

Silver nodded slowly, "You've been far too kind for us. You have a kingdom to run..."

Cadance held up a hoof, "If you feel responsible, you can always use that spell-writing gift of yours to help the people." She caught herself and quickly added, "You are not obligated! Do it if you want, or don't, and I won't be upset." Silver rose to her hooves and stretched. Cadance took a faint peek, "I admit, I'm glad to see you're no longer... halfway between."

Silver perked an ear, "Staying both was an act of rebellion... The ponies of your kingdom have been nothing but kind, so there's no point confusing them for no reason."

Cadance offered a smile, "Good." Her nose twitched softly and she looked over Silver intently, quietly thankful Silver had no stallion in her life. She decided to leave off such discussions for when Silver was more stable and comfortable. "You will be a great asset to the kingdom, be it as a resident or more, at your choosing."

They departed the room together, and Cadance quickly clip-clopped away to royal duties. Silver turned away to get a facefull of Twilight's broad grin. She hopped away in surprise, squeaking. Twilight was dressed in her gala gown, and approached Silver with slow, measured steps, "Hello Silver," she said. Silver could have sworn she was trying to be seductive, though her voice was... far overdone. "I'm so happy to meet you here." She leaned in towards Silver, then nipped her right on the nose.

Silver went rigid, "Twilight, what are you doing?"

Twilight tilted her head, "I am setting the mood. Am I doing it right?"

Silver tilted her head back at her in the other direction, "Twilight, if you're trying to... Twilight, what are you trying to do?"

Twilight bobbed her head, "I've used your spell, and considered your words, and I agree! We should try, for both of our curiosities. You will be the mare, and I, the stallion, and," Parchment appeared beside her head, quill soon produced, "we will take rigorous notes on the entire process!"

Silver flushed softly, but soon began to laugh. Even as Twilight's face fell, Silver grabbed her, pulling Twilight close and nuzzling into her cheek, "You are too much, Twilight. I love you so much."

Twilight's ears pinned back, "I don't understand. This will be very valuable data. There's a lot of writing about what a mare knows and what a stallion knows, but basically nothing on what a stallion feels as a mare or vice versa. It'll be a whole new perspective for the field! Maybe they'll give me a medal for it... So, did I do a good job propositioning you before?"

Silver held up a hoof, "You did not. Before you approach someone who is in a herd, you must have permission of the first wife. So off we go, to Night Watch." Silver began to trot away, with a mildly-baffled Twilight following along.

"So... you agree?" she asked, "Because I really didn't want to upset you again. If you don't want to, I have other experiments we could do!"

Silver swiveled an ear back at her, "Twilight, you're pretty close to the top of ponies I'd spread my legs for."

Twilight's wings went stiff, "Stop that!"

"Telling the truth?" asked Silver, "Never."

They found Night Watch on the parapets, looking out over the city. She noticed them coming and smiled, "Hello there, Silver, Twilight. What brings you to the rooftop? Why so dressed up, Twilight?"

Twilight shuffled in place, getting incredibly awkward.

Silver decided to bring it up for her, "Night, Twilight wants to do things with me, and wants the permission of the first wife."

Night scowled at Twilight, making her shrink in place. Night approached quickly, circling around Twilight before huffing, "She's a bit of a... nerd."

Silver shrugged softly, "Exactly why I thought she'd fit in with us."

Night cracked a smile, "I can't argue that..." She poked Twilight, "But we have a stupidly bad history with nobility." She poked again, "Twilight, are you going to hurt Silver?"

Twilight shook her head, "This is for scientific advancement... And I asked permission first!"

Night quirked up a brow, "Twilight... that's common courtesy."

Silver nuzzled Night gently, "She's learning."

Night nodded, "I suppose she is." She nodded again more slowly, "Right, you two have a fun... date, or whatever? Tell me how it goes afterwards, and if I need to look at her more closely." She rose up and spread her wings, launching herself from the top of the castle easily and sailing away.

Twilight watched her go a moment, then looked back at Silver, flashing her white teeth, "OK! Now can we proceed?"

Silver gave a nod and a thoughtful frown, "We shouldn't... get together. I'm still not certain that wouldn't mess with things in odd ways."

Twilight looked baffled a moment before huffing, "We are conducting an experiment, not getting married! Let us proceed to the testing area."

And so they did. Twilight proved an awkward partner, though that also kept her going for longer. Many notes were made between them, and after several successive tests, they collapsed into one another's legs, snuggling as Twilight made lazy scribbles on her parchment.

Silver decided being female wasn't a bad experience, though felt certain Twilight wasn't the best partner for it, but she was gentle, and followed the instructions she found in a book somewhere. Twilight was entirely female again as they recovered, "I need your opinion, for the record." She held up the paper in her magic, then began to give Silver a questionnaire. How did Twilight perform in accordance to dexterity, endurance, and so on and so forth. Silver provided numbers quietly until she got to, "How likely are you to have a foal?"

Silver paled, "I... don't know?"

Twilight tilted her head, "Are you receptive or not?"

"I don't know," repeated Silver.

Twilight frowned, "How can you not know? All mares learn that from their mothers by the time they're fillies."

Silver snorted, "I was never a filly! I don't know! What should I be looking for?"

Twilight recoiled at Silver's sudden exclamation, then sat up, "It's hard to describe. You get a little warmer, and a... little wetter. Some mares get cramps, and others feel energized. It's a very personal experience. Stallions say they can smell the difference."

Silver poked Twilight in the ribs, "Did I smell like it?"

Twilight shrank a little, "I don't know! That was my first, and only, time. You smelled... good."

Silver let out a slow breath and rolled over into Twilight, biting at her chin softly, "Whatever will happen, will happen. I can think of worse foal daddies."

Twilight sprang to her hooves, "No no no no... This is not part of the experiment!" She began to hyperventilate and ran around in a circle before she looked back at Silver, "I have to go." And she did, vanishing in the lavender light.

Silver sat up, looking down at his...her potentially rebellious womb. Did she want this? It could be a big fat false alarm. She may not be in heat at all. She rolled up onto her hooves and went to go find Night... after a shower. Of all the problems Silver imagined when accepting the deal to come to this world, carrying Twilight's foal? That wasn't on the list. She emerged, clean, but still unsure. 

She found Night Watch shortly. Night had been heading back for their room, which was serendipitous. Silver smiled at Night and rushed up to touch noses.

Night rubbed gently back, "How'd it go?"

Silver flipped an ear back, "Unsure... She's awkward, but she's awkward about everything."

Night raised a hoof to point at Silver, "I called you awkward a few times."

Silver sat on her haunches, "And it's still true. Takes one to know one. Uh, I have a few female things I need to ask."

Night raised a brow, "Since you're a member of the female club, I suppose those are safe to answer... What's on your mind?"

Silver rolled a hoof, "Question the first, am I in heat?"

Night nudged Silver to her feet, then did a circle around her. Her nose went close to delicate areas and sniffed, and she was poked in the legs, barrel, and her knees. "You could be. I count half the signs." Then she frowned, "She didn't."

Silver glanced away, which was answer enough. Night shoved Silver, "You let her put a foal in you? Of all the irresponsible things!"

Silver shrank away and Night pursued, biting at Silver in painful little nips, "You're still thinking like a stallion, dangling parts or not! Making a foal from his part's easy. If you let Twilight do what we think you might have, you have years of effort to look forward to."

Silver tried for a little smile, "At least we're in it... together?"

Night flopped onto her haunches. "I suppose we are." She huffed angrily, "She'd better take responsibility if you start growing. Stupid princess, where is she?"

Silver shrugged, "Teleported away after we got to that part of the conversation."

Night bared her teeth angrily, "Already running! I'll report her to Cadance, and to the newspapers! I'll see her name smeared from here to the griffon kingdoms!"

Silver put a leg over Night's withers, rocking her, "Easy there, easy... we don't even know if anything happened yet, and if something did, we haven't given Twilight a chance to do anything right or wrong. Don't kill her preemptively."

Night's breathing slowed down as she leaned against Silver, and soon both were flopped together. Night bit into Silver's shoulder, "Look at us, two mares, two foals, no stallion. This isn't how I planned on it going."

Silver nuzzled into her quietly a moment, "We'll be fine, together. This is a fine place to raise a family, even if it's just us two. I'm going to ask a stupid question and I want you to just answer instead of judging."

Night sat up curiously, "This a human question?"

Silver bobbed her head, "Exactly! I noticed you didn't ask at any point about getting rid of the foal if there was one."

Night looked immediately confused, "You mean like giving it away for adoption? We're not homeless! We're not beggars!"

Silver wobbled a hoof, "Technically we're both of those. We just have good taste in who we beg from, but I mean even earlier than that."

Night crossed her forelegs, "You are not poisoning yourself! We're not that desperate."

Silver nodded, "Alright, that answers that question. Human science is a bit further along in that field."

Night shook her head, "I don't want to know." She rose up to her hooves and trotted around the bedroom before flopping onto her belly, looking at Silver, "We'll work this out, if there's something to be worked out."