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// 68 - A Second Chance 
// Story: The Silver Stars 
// by David Silver 
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Silver approached her herd with uncertainty. Night picked on it quickly. "Spit it out, Silver. What's on your mind?"

Silver pawed at the ground. "Do you remember that Starlight pony?"

Twilight's expression darkened. "What about her?"

Silver wobbled a hoof. "Well I ran into h--"

Twilight grunted. "Did she hurt you?" She leaned off to the side to make sure Silver had her cutie mark. "You're safe with us."

Silver shook her head quickly. "No no! She didn't hurt me. She apologized... She isn't chasing me for that bounty anymore. She's trying to turn over a new leaf."

Twilight snorted derisively. "You didn't see her in her element. She's a foul manipulator that takes delight in controlling ponies around her. Don't listen to a word she says!" Twilight clopped a forehoof down. "She won't be happy until you give up your cutie mark willingly."

Silver frowned at the harsh words. "That's being cruel. She didn't try to take mine away. We just talked, and she was very nice."

Night reached over and tapped Silver on the head. "You have that 'save the lonely pony' expression going."

Silver shrank back a little. "She is lonely... We could save her."

Twilight flared out her wings. "Absolutely not! She locked the girls and I in a shack, for days! She's depraved, Silver."

Night softly brushed Twilight's side with a wing. "Calm down, Twilight, you're handling Silver wrong."

Silver blinked softly. "I am not a dog to be handled."

Night advanced on Silver, rubbing noses softly. "You're my adorable little pony, now listen to me."

Silver warmed in the cheeks and went quiet, looking at Night.

Night smiled softly. "Of course she deserves a chance to redeem herself, but it doesn't have to be you that babysits her. Let her show her true colors to more than just you." She raised a hoof and started stroking under Silver's chin in slow motions that made Silver's eyes slowly drift shut. "You are such a soft-hearted little mare. You can't stand the thought of someone suffering, can you?"

"Not if I can do something about it..." Silver opened her eyes again. "Is it wrong to be a friend? She needs a non-judging hoof up."

Night snorted. "I hate to bring this up, but she was the reason you had to suffer so much trying to save our foal. She deserves a swift kick."

Silver shook her head. "She wasn't physically fighting. She was just there for her talent. She can zap the cutie marks."

Twilight raised a hoof. "She knows a few battle spells. I've seen her perform an impressive energy burst and a beam. Silver, we're trying to protect you, not be mean to her."

Silver sagged softly. "I just want to do the right thing."

Night brought her wings down on Silver, cocooning her head in softness. "You are too kind, and I love that in you. Look, if you must see her at all, just bring me along, OK?"

Twilight scowled disapprovingly. "She will make you regret every inch you offer her. She should be thrown in jail, not befriended."

Silver leaned in and kissed Night, feeling old love rekindling to heady fire in her chest. The support Night lent made everything feel better. "I won't, not without you. Thank you." She turned to Twilight and pointed at her. "You're the Princess of Friendship. Don't you owe it to your title if nothing else to at least try?"

Fast, who had been oddly quiet during the exchange, spoke up. "Where is she?"

Silver tilted her head. "I don't know. She trotted off after we talked and didn't leave an address." Silver suddenly perked. "Oh, she's sending a package in the mail. Maybe it will have her address on it?"

Fast snorted softly. "I doubt it... I want to talk to her too."

Silver could see Fast was hiding something. "What do you plan to do with her?"

Fast tilted his head. "Ask her a few questions. If I don't like the answers, sock her in the jaw. She may be trying to turn a new leaf, but she hasn't apologized to us, and she has a lot to answer for."

Twilight looked disturbingly smug at Fast's answer. "Putting all this aside! How are preparations going?"

Silver shuffled. "Nervously? I'm just glad I don't have many lines to say."

Twilight nodded. "I've been through it myself. The new princess mostly smiles and waves. I received Celestia's reply. She agreed to our request, but she's already spreading word about it, so expect Ponyville to swell well beyond its usual population."

Night raised a hoof. "Have you spoken to Mayor Mare?"

"Why?"

Night chuckled softly. "This is going to make her job, and those under her, much harder for a while. Warning her would be good."

Silver perked an ear. "I just had a thought. You may be getting a bit plump for guard work, but have you considered working for the Mayor? You could help out around town hall."

Night flushed dark. "Did you just call me fat?"

Silver moved to nuzzle into Night's side. "I called you debilitatingly sexy. I'd go into details, but there's a princess watching."

Twilight started going scarlet, but defended herself. "Hey! She's my herd-sister too..."

Fast nudged Twilight. "Well then, go ahead, tell her how pretty she is."

Twilight started to freeze up, stammering wildly. "I... well... Your wings... Uh..."

Night giggled softly at Twilight's floundering and approached her. "Tell me about my eyes."

Eyes were a safer place for Twilight, and she nodded. "Your eyes are... lovely. Your glasses really bring them out and..." She flushed dark and looked away.

Night reached for Twilight's snout with a hoof and turned back towards herself. "Speak truthfully."

Twilight nodded stiffly. "I could stare into them."

Night smiled. "Please do so more often." Conversation died for a moment as they stared into one another. 

Fast whispered in Silver's ear. "That is too adorable."

Silver vented her building passion by kissing Fast on the lips. Feeling aggressive, Silver tried to shove Fast back, and he allowed her, and soon she was on top of him, sharing a most passionate smooching.

Spike coughed softly as he entered. "Letter from the Princess." He offered the scroll to Twilight. Silver moved to separate from Fast at Spike's entrance, but Fast pulled her right back down and the smooching resumed.

Twilight unfurled the letter and read over it. "Huh, seems Princess Celestia would like to meet with us, Silver, to go over coronation details."

Silver extracted herself from Fast, slipping back onto her own hooves. "Oh, alright..." She frowned a little. "She never apologized for trashing me like that." She then sagged as she realized something out loud. "She's not really apologized for most of the things she's done."

Night nudged Silver with a hoof. "If she's ready to proceed with the crowning, this may be a good time for that to be aired out."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Maybe that's why she's calling us. It'll be good to put aside old mistakes and step into a new stage with a clean heart. Get ready to go, the meeting's in a few hours. We'll want to leave shortly. Good thing you can fly now." She trotted off to get herself ready.

Silver dashed off herself and got into her dress, an act that took significantly less time than it first did. She looked at herself in the mirror and did a slow turn before deciding she was presentable. The dangling heart crystal drew her attention and she brushed it with a hoof softly. "You'll get your chance..." She fell to musing over their encounter. She warmed as she thought about how... aggressive Starlight had been. It was flattering and a bit frightening. Was she pretty?

The vision that looked back at her was strange for a pony. She was the only lunar princess. The more subtle cues of attractiveness for a pony were still beyond her intuitive grasp. "I didn't know if I was pretty as a human. I guess some things don't change." Either way, the thought that someone thought she was attractive enough to turn away from evil for was exciting. But... She frowned and shoved away the thoughts, moving to return downstairs and face the current issues.

Twilight and Silver met in front of the castle and took off together. As they flew, a silvery bubble sprang up around Silver. Twilight tilted her head a little. "What's with the bubble?"

"Just in case..."

Twilight shook her head. "I suppose I can't blame you." She didn't shield herself.

Soon they arrived in Canterlot, soaring over the ponies going about their daily lives. They landed before the castle and moved past the guards unchallenged. Silver noticed a janitor pony shoving a newspaper along, and saw a picture of herself. She snatched the paper from the grasp of the broom with her magic. "May I?"

The janitor squinted. "Huh? Well can't say there's a law against it." He then mosied along, resuming his cleaning.

Silver flipped open the newspaper as she walked, trusting Twilight to guide her. She soon found the relevant article and scanned over it. It spoke of her joyous reformation and announced the date of her coronation. "Celestia works fast..." She read on as it went into detail about how it wasn't as bad as it first appeared, but she doubted anyone would read that far before forming an opinion. She tossed the newspaper into the next bin she spotted. "Looks like Canterlot knows to expect things."

A guard stopped the progress of the two. "The Princess is awaiting you, this way please." He lead them down a different hallway and pulled open a door before gesturing inside. Within was a fairly plain white room not that different from the one they had spent time in as a jail. Celestia was already inside it, seated before a tiny square table. Once they had stepped in with her, the door closed behind them, becoming basically invisible on the white surface.

Celestia nodded to them both gently. "Good to see you. I'm afraid we've both been drawn along in a little 'scheme' by Luna and Cadance."

Twilight approached with confusion. She settled on one of the cushions. "I don't know either of them to do anything too unreasonable. What's going on?"

Silver sat to the side, between Celestia and Twilight. "I trust Cadance. If she has an idea, it's probably well-intentioned."

Celestia canted her head at Silver. "And mine are not?"

Silver flinched back. "Can you ask that? So soon after throwing me in jail and calling me such awful things?"

Twilight huffed softly. "Well... what is the plan?"

Celestia looked between the two. "I want us to be closer."

Silver straightened a little, looking at Celestia with growing curiosity. "Closer?"

Celestia smiled. "You are close to Cadance, and Luna, and Twilight. I am the only princess you do not regard as a friend."

Twilight squirmed uncomfortably. "I say this with all due respect, but you haven't given Silver a lot of reasons to do that."

Celestia nodded softly. "And here we are. It is time to put this ugly business behind us. To begin, Silver, you are not with foal anymore, at least not in any meaningful sense. Do you wish to be male?"

Silver jerked back. "I'm a princess now, right? Is that even an option?"