//------------------------------//
// In Over My Head... Again. 
// Story: Trapped in the Mirror of Worlds 
// by Silver_Wing 
//------------------------------//


I spent the entire night walking the palace with Princess Luna. The two of us talked about a great many things, from my family and where I grew up, to Equestria's origins and Canterlot’s founding. 

Much to my surprise, I found out that Luna had been quite literal in her comment on having had one thousand winters to dwell on the meaning of friendships and love. Thanks to some inherent magic that Alicorns possess, both Luna and Celestia were apparently well over a thousand years old. 

I shouldn't have been as surprised by that as I was, what with all the other things magic had shown me it could do, but I was nonetheless. 

It was an enlightening night for both of us, thought I feel I learned more overall. Like the rising and setting of the sun. I had always thought the transitions of dawn and dusk to be rather abrupt since I first arrived here, and now I knew why. It turns out that the Princesses quite literally raised and lowered the sun and moon with their magic. My knowledge of the solar system and space screamed at the impossibility of that, but what choice did I have but to accept it? Impossibilities where I was from were turning into concrete facts left and right. 

It was conversations like these that made me feel like I would never truly run out of things to be amazed at in this place.


Before I had realized it, breakfast had come around and cut our night short. Luna had invited me to join her and Celestia, but by that time I had finally grown tired enough to sleep, so I thanked her for the offer but declined. I fell asleep the moment I reached my bed and didn't have any intentions of waking before dinner that night. Life however, has a way of making its own plans, as barely an hour later there was a loud knocking on my door.  


I groaned and tried to bury my head deeper into my pillow, trying desperately to ignore the incessant knocking. I heard a soft click, then the familiar creak of my door opening. I groaned again and continued to ignore it. It was rude of me to do so, but all I wanted at that moment was to stay within the sweet embrace of my bedding and let sleep cradle me for the rest of time.

I heard the door close, then tensed a little as I heard the soft clopping of hooves approach.  

"Silver?" I heard a voice call softly. 

I recognized the voice instantly. It was Sky Flare.

"Silver," she called again, "You didn't show up for our training session... You getting up?"

"...No..." I grumbled, "I was up all night and just wanna sleep..."

I heard her chuckle at me then fall silent. After a moment I felt my bed shift a little and tensed as I realized that Sky Flare was climbing into bed with me! She curled up behind me, snuggling up against the back of my neck with a soft sigh. 

My mind flashed to my old human life and I smiled into my pillow for a moment, then I recalled where I was. I wasn't sure how to react to this. Part of me wanted to leap out of bed and ask her what she thought she was doing. We were not in a relationship together, and she knew I wasn't looking for one, so why was she doing this to begin with? 

At the same time though, it was comforting beyond words to have someone curled up against me once again. The feel of someone pressed against me while I slept was one of the greatest feelings I had ever known. The warmth of their body as it rested against mine. The feel of their chest moving with every breath they took. Even the sound of their heart beating steady like a soft drum in my ears. The entire scenario was perfectly designed to make anyone feel safe and content. It was a true lullaby. 

I sighed contently and snuggled deeper into my bedding. I'd figure out why she was doing this later. For now, I was just going to enjoy this moment and think nothing of the past or the future. This is what was happening right now, and I would gladly accept this feeling for as long as it was offered to me.


I awoke to the sound of knocking on my door. I groaned and sat up slowly, not wanting to disturb Sky Flare. I smiled over at her spot on my bed and paused as I found myself to be alone. I looked around quickly, but she was gone. 'Was it a dream...?' I thought, a little disheartened, 'It felt so real though...' I felt the bed with my hoof, checking to see if the spot beside me was warm or not, but it was cool. "I guess it was just a dream..." I sighed. 

The knock came again and a stern voice called from beyond the door. "Silver Wing? Are you there?"

"Uh, yeah!" I called back, "Just a second!" I hopped off my bed and trotted over to the door. I opened it quickly and saw one of the palace guards waiting beyond. 

"The Princesses Celestia and Luna request your presence for dinner tonight." he stated.

"Oh right, the dinner," I said, "Is it that time already?"

He nodded at me and took a step back. "Do you require an escort?"

"No, I'll be fine thank you." I said.

The guard gave a polite bow and headed off to his other duties.

'Guess I slept all day,' I thought, 'Oops.' I glanced back at my bed and sighed. 'Shame... That was a really nice dream.' 


Leaving my thoughts of Sky Flare behind, I made my way to the dinner hall. The countless halls that had once felt like a never ending maze of corridors and doors were now a simple matter to navigate. So much so, I could probably find my way around blindfolded by now. As I was reminiscing on the difficulties I used to have finding my way, I voice called to me from nearby.

"Hey there Silver!" the voice said.

Glancing behind me, I caught sight of Dawn trotting up to meet me. She had a wide smile on her face, and judging by the disheveled state of her mane, I guessed she had been in bed all day too.

"Hey there yourself," I called back to her, "What's got you so excited, hmm?"

“Oh, you’ll see soon enough.” She replied with a smirk. 

I shook my head and chuckled. She held an unusual air of pride about her I had not seen before. I wasn't sure what had caused it, but by her words, I'd probably be finding out come dinner. 


Dinner started of normal enough. We all said our hellos to one another and ordered our fancy. Which for me, was a heavy bowl of carrots, drizzled lightly in honey with a slice of garlic toast on the side. I had always wanted to eat healthier, but it was pain to do in my world. Not here though. Here I couldn't do anything but eat healthy. It was a good thing I liked most vegetables or I would have been in hell.

“Gods… I can’t remember the last time I had cheese like this.” Dawn sighed contentedly.

She had ordered some sort of grilled cheese sandwich. It had smelled great, but nothing beat good, garden fresh carrots.

“Seriously," she continued, "I swear you have some insanely talented chefs here.”

"Indeed," Celestia said smiling, "Canterlot is home to a great many talented Chefs."

I chuckled and downed the last of my meal. "I'm still a fan of the carrots."

"Canterlot is also home to a variety of gardens as well." Celestia chuckled back.

“Well, whatever the case may be," Dawn said, "I'm really glad to have them available like this.” She took a contented breath and pushed her plate back with a leg. “Well then, let's go ahead and get right to business then shall we?”

I glanced over at her and quirked a brow at that. 'Guess it's time to find out what's on her mind.' I thought. I caught Celestia and Luna both sit up a little more regally and turn their attention towards her as they awaited her intent.

“Ladies and gentleman...” Dawn started to say, but Celestia interrupted her softly.

“It's 'Fillies and Gentlecolts.'” she corrected with an amused smile.

“Oh.  Okay, do over!” Dawn giggled, “Fillies and Gentlecolts! I present to you, a now working magical artifact!” 

I caught the faint sound of a drumroll and looked around for the source, but I couldn't find one. 

Dawn slipped her bracelet off her leg and placed it on the table as the sound faded.

'That's the thing Celestia gave her a few weeks ago,' I thought, recognizing the object, 'The thing from up in... The Crystal Kingdom. She actually managed to fix it?' I felt a twinge of hope at that. After all, if she could fix one magical thing, it stood to reason that she'd be able to others. Namely my mirror.

“Interesting,” Celestia said thoughtfully, "I will assume that the full sum of the bits you were given was spent on this items restoration then?"

I looked curiously at Dawn at that. 'She needed money to fix it?' I thought. I had learned of the currency of this world a while ago, but somehow, I didn't think it'd cost money to fix a magical item. I just assumed magic was all that would be needed. It seems I was wrong.

“Uhm, well, I...” Dawn said hesitantly, “No...  I spent fifty bits on the necklace the gem was in. Thirty to get it changed out. And the remaining twenty was spent… Helping test it.” She paused briefly and bowed in apology, "I'm sorry. I went a bit overboard."

'Yup... She's a woman alright,' I thought, chuckling to myself, 'Spends all her money on jewelry. Then says oops.' I shook my head. 'I'd give just about anything to deal with that scenario again... God I miss home.'

"I see." Celestia said. She fell silent a moment, then spoke sternly, but softly. "I thank you for your honestly, however I am slightly disappointed. When you had asked for some bits in order to repair the bracelet, you had stated that you would return what remained. Keeping ones word is very important in Equestria. Please remember that in the future."

“I understand," Dawn said, dropping her head slightly, “Again, I'm sorry, and it was my intent.  If you like, I could find work to earn the money needed to replace what was spent?”

"That will not be necessary, Dawn," Celestia stated, a smile returning to her face, "Mistakes happen, to all of us. All we can do is learn from them and endeavor not to make the same mistakes again."

“You’re too kind.” Dawn said. She sounded rather depressed now, but she took a deep breath and attempted to continue, though with not nearly as much enthusiasm as before. “It’s now fully recharged, though for whatever reason it’s not nearly as potent as it should have been. For reasons I can’t fathom beyond possibly it being exaggerated in the past.”

“So what's it supposed to do then?” I asked, glancing from the bracelet to her.

“Well.” Dawn said thoughtfully. She smirked at me a little and her horn began to glow. The bracelet floated up into the air beside her in response and began drifting towards me. “Why don’t you give it a try? Put it on.”

I half frowned at her and picked the bracelet up with my hooves. I rolled it around and looked it over from top to bottom. It was a simple enough design. A basic bracelet, only a few inches wide. It was gold in color, with strange symbols etched into it. On its side, was a large opalescent gemstone that shimmered alluringly in the light. And around the stone, a set of star like symbols. 

'Like I'm just going to put this thing on,' I thought, 'I'm no Unicorn. With my luck, this thing'll poof me into another world even stranger than this one.' 

“Not till you tell me what it's supposed to do.” I said.

Dawn sighed at me and slumped her shoulders. “Very well then..." she said, clearly disappointed with my statement, “It lets you move things around with magic, as if you had a horn like me.  Satisfied?” 

I half flinched at the tone of her last word and frowned at her a moment. 'Why is she mad at me?' I thought, more than a little annoyed, 'I can't use magic, so why wouldn't I be cautious and want to know what it's supposed to do before I try and use it?'

Turning my attention back to the bracelet, I checked it over a little more, then slid it onto my left arm. It was a snug fit at first, but the bracelet itself seemed to shift and grow to better fit me. I paused and waited for something to happen now that I was wearing it, some sensation, or a magical glow of light, but nothing did. I felt a little underwhelmed. I gave it a minute, then looked to Dawn at a loss. "Do I need to do anything, or...?"

“Well," Dawn said, "Picture what you would do if you had an arm and a hand again, without moving your leg.  Just picture it, and want it to happen.  That should at least get it started, even if not perfectly.” 

She sounded like her usual self again at least, so that was good, but her instructions didn't help much. 

"Use the force Luke," I mumbled to myself, "Cause it's just that easy." I turned my attention to the empty cup before me and sighed. I focused on it. Willing it to move, or slide, or do anything besides just sit there, but nothing happened. 'Move already...' I thought, growing rather embarrassed at having everyone stare at me, 'Come on...' 

As I focused, I caught the faintest glow in the gemstone of the bracelet. It started off small, then gradually became brighter and greener as I held my focus on the cup. The cup took on the same green glow and trembled in place for a moment, before it began to rise into the air. 
I felt my heart skip a beat. 'This thing actually works!' I thought in surprise. I hadn't thought Dawn was lying when she told me what it could do, but I hadn't really believed I'd be able to use it. I was just a Pegasus after all. 

I focused on the cup, willing it to spin a little. Slowly, it began to rotate and I couldn't keep my excitement restrained any longer. "Okay, that's cool!" I said aloud. 

The moment I spoke, the magical glow surrounding the cup vanished, and it dropped back to the table with a thunk. I watched, rather embarrassed as it rolled away, finally coming to a stop as it clanked against Celestia's plate. "Whoops."

I caught a subtle chuckle from Luna and felt my face flush in embarrassment.

“It was, if I had to guess,” Dawn started to explain, catching my attention, “Probably used back when the kingdom was first made, allowing the earth ponies to move or break any giant rocks or obstacles in their way.  Supposedly there were several gifts that the three groups gave each other, and this just happened to be the one Unicorns gave to the earth ponies. I thought the records said that it could move boulders out of the way, yet I haven’t been able to move much more than about ten or so pounds of whatever with it, nor has Stalwart. I’m not sure I understand why.”

"That is most impressive, Dawn," Celestia said smiling, "And I see your history lessons are paying off quite well too. That is a very good assumption as to this items origins."

“Thank you,” Dawn said, bowing her head, “I have to admit, the librarians were very helpful in narrowing down these bits of lore, particularly Moon Dancer.  Though I'm not sure why this mark is necessarily Starswirl's.  It only worked properly when I saw one key difference in the traditional mark and kept that difference." She glanced at me and gestured to the bracelet. "Silver, would you mind allowing them to take a closer look?”

"Of course." I said, quickly slipping the bracelet from my wrist. I stared at it for a moment and sighed to myself. 'I'd never have an issue with eating again if I had something like this,' I thought, 'I'd even be able to use weaponry again...' 

Reluctantly, I placed the thing on the table and tried not dwell on the ease of life I would enjoy if I owned it. 

With a golden glow, Celestia brought the bracelet to her with her magic. She looked at it closely for a moment, then gave it to Luna who did the same.

“I know his mark well," Celestia said, "You are right, it is different.”

“Right," Dawn said rather happily, "It not only has the three stars on a spiral, it also has an outline of a star around the middle one.  I'm not entirely sure why though. Starlight was invaluable in teaching me how to make this happen, but he won't tell me how he knew at all, and just keeps deflecting my questions."

“It is interesting that Starlight would know of such things while you do not,” Luna said, “And he has shared nothing to shed light on how he came to possess this knowledge?” 

I caught a look of concern grow on her face and wondered what could be bothering her about this. Starlight was Dawn's other half, but he was always off... Somewhere. So why wouldn't he pick up things on his own?

“No.  It’s most infuriating.” Dawn said, sounding rather frustrated. “I keep asking if he knows more or if he can get us home, but he hasn’t said a word.”

As if on cue, Starlight materialized from the shadows and came before the table. “Not yet.” He said, quietly but sternly.

“Not yet?” Luna repeated. She turned her full attention to him. "Explain."

“We aren’t ready yet to have her attempt repairing the Mirror of Worlds," Starlight said, "Not even close, or so I’m told.”

“What do you mean not even close?" Dawn asked, clearly bothered by what she had just heard, "And who’s telling you this!?” 

“I want to tell you,” Starlight said, “But he tells me it’s not necessary for me to explain. I owe him a great deal for saving my life, so I will honor his request for now. He’s decent enough, if constantly cryptic.  He teaches me magic, and seems to know a lot more about this than any of the books you’ve studied.  Isn’t that enough for now?”

"Will you at least share the name of this teacher of yours?" Luna asked, though her tone seemed more like an order than an actual question.
"I can’t say I know his true name,” Starlight said, sounding slightly apologetic, “He has referred to himself as a teacher or guide for those that are lost. If it weren’t for him, I would not be here today. He kept me sane those long years in that abyss. I cannot tell you more."

As seemed the case when anything magical came up during these dinners, I was rather lost. I thought Dawn was learning magic from just her books and school, but it turns out her other side is also learning even more magic from someone else, some teacher. And he doesn't want to tell Dawn, or any of us about him. I wanted answers, and I'm sure Dawn did too, but I had no place to press him for information at this point, so I just listened for the time being. 

Dawn shifted in her seat, seemingly at a loss as to what to say or do. 

I caught Luna and Celestia share a glance with each other and noticed the faintest shimmer of magical light creep along their horns. It was clear to me that something was bothering them, but they weren't sharing what that something was. That bothered me a little. If I knew what the problem was, I might be able to help in some way. But as it stood, I'd have to wait and ask about it later.

After a few moments of rather tense silence, Luna took a breath and returned her gaze to Starlight. "We will discuss this 'Teacher' of yours further at a later point, Starlight Dusk," She stated, "For now, let us move on to the next topic of the night." 

I frowned at that and glanced at Starlight thoughtfully. I hadn't really thought about it before now, but where exactly did he go when he wasn't here? Did he go back to that void he keeps mentioning, or somewhere else? If he was going back and forth from that void, did that mean his teacher was there? And if so, how did he wind up there in the first place? It was a rather enigmatic mystery, but one I very much wanted to figure out.

I heard Luna clear her throat and glanced to her in surprise.

"H-huh?" I stammered rather stupidly as I noticed everyone was now staring at me. 

Luna smiled for a moment, then spoke. "Your endeavors of late have begun to arouse a great deal of attention, Silver Wing," she stated, "First your defeat of Black Mane in his own class. Then your placing second in the Annual Canterlot Race while still being in Flight School. And now you are teaching an unknown style of combat to our very own Sky Flare. Do you have anything to say on this?"

My jaw dropped. I couldn't tell if I was in trouble for my actions or not. And if I had done something wrong, why didn't Luna bring it up last night while we talked!? 

I looked quickly from one pony to the next, trying to gauge the mood but I gleaned nothing. Luna's smiled had faded as she spoke, and even Celestia's ever present smile was now absent. 

"Uhh... It all just kinda happened," I said, giving an unsure shrug, "I'm not really sure how?" 

I caught Dawn snort a laugh and I half frowned at her. 'I'm telling the truth!' I thought, willing my words to reach her, 'Black Mane goaded me on to the point I had to try and deck him! And Sky Fare practically forced me into teach her to fight my way. And the race wasn't even my fault! Sky Flare entered me into it without my knowledge!' If I really was in trouble for this, I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I doubted I'd be able to keep my cool.

"Calm yourself," Luna said softly, her smile returning, "These are not bad things you have done. But we would like clarification on some matters."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me at that, and I sunk into my seat a little more. "A-alright," I said, still a little flustered, "Fire away."

"We have heard many rumors about your growing capabilities as a flier," Luna explained, "And a great many more in regards to this unique method of fighting you have brought over from your world. But rumor and fact are two very different items. Factually, we know you defeated Black Mane and are now training Sky Flare in your techniques. Other than that, we know nothing."

"Ah, well..." I said, scratching the back of my head as I chuckled, "Sky Flare was there when I kicked Black Mane's a-" I cut myself short as I realized what I about to say and quickly revised my wording. "When I defeat Black Mane. She offered to teach me how to fly better if I taught her my style in return. I hope that's alright? I didn't think it'd matter, so I never thought to check with either of you first..." 

I realized then that I probably should have. It was a foreign method of combat after all, so introducing it like I had might not have been the best idea now that I thought about it.

"That is alright," Luna said, "But we are very curious about this style of combat that you use. What is it called in your world? What is its overall effectiveness? And how is it that you can use it in our world when your form is so unlike that of your original?"

"Well... I told Sky Flare that it was a form of 'Tai Chi' but that's not quite right," I explained, "Tai Chi is a main aspect of it, but it's actually a mix of a few different styles I know. So it doesn't have a real name per say. It's just... My style." 

I always hated trying to explain this to people when they asked. It wasn't anything specific, just bits and pieces from everything I'd learned or seen in the years I've studied martial arts. In essence, it was a form of mixed martial arts, but if I ever called it that, people automatically assumed that meant grappling. I could do grappling, but why drop to the ground and get covered in dirt when a good jab or throw would do the trick with far less effort? 

"In terms of effectiveness..." I continued, "Well, like any form of fighting, it's meant to hurt people. How severely one gets hurt is up to the intent and control of the user. I will be honest and say that I could very easily kill someone with it. However, I have never been put into such a situation. Even when I was a Law Enforcement Officer. Its main use for me then, was disarming and restraining suspects. And as for how I can still use it... Well, I can't fully. You need hands for a lot of it, especially the weapon aspects. But this body is surprisingly flexible. And hooves work just as good as a closed fist any day, so it's viable enough. I could show you sometime if you'd like?"

"So you would not be against a demonstration then?" Luna asked, eying me seriously.

I hesitated a moment at her look. "Well, no..." I said slowly, "I can show you some of it right now if you want?"

"That will not be necessary," Luna said, a faint grin appearing on her face, "But, since you are willing, we would very much enjoy a demonstration at a later date. Perhaps you would be so kind as to spar with some of our guards? A tournament of sorts, to allow us a chance to witness this "Silver Style" in action."

I grew uneasy at that. I know I one shot Black Mane, but that was a near perfect setup. His arrogance led him to his own defeat, but trained palace guards that aren't out to prove something? I had no idea the general skill level of the fighters here. I know Sky Flare was supposed to be one of the best Pegasus fighters in Canterlot, and I could handle her easy enough. But I personally hadn't sparred with anyone else, so it was still a very gray area to build any sort of assumptions from.

"W-well..." I said, trying to hide my apprehension, "What did you have in mind? I'm not that good a fighter anymore, remember?"

"Would you be against a stacking tournament?" Luna asked, "You would face three opponents in all. One at a time to start. Then two. And if you have still come out on top, all three at once."

"Aha..." I said slowly. 

Something like that was a double edged sword in disguise. It started off easy, and got exponentially harder each time. But the difficulty didn't lie in the number of opponents, or even in the steady drain on ones stamina. The real difficulty was in the fact that you were up against the same three, who would no doubt watch your every move and try to learn your tells and tricks. My style, good as it is, would not be wholly reliable as a trump card after the first few matches. They'd get a feel for it and come up with ways to counter what they've seen. Of course this is to be expected with any style of fighting, but without my hands, I wasn't sure if I could switch things up enough to come out on top.

I sighed a little and spoke honestly. "I could do the one on ones," I said, "Maybe even the two's. But I doubt I could beat three opponents at once. Not with just my hands. Err, hooves."

"Then we would get a proper demonstration," Luna said smiling, "We would see you fight seriously come the end, and be able to get a true sense of your capabilities."

I laughed weakly at that and mentally cursed myself. 'Kinda set myself up for that one.' I thought.

“What about using the bracelet?" I heard Dawn chime in, "It’d be a good stress test for it, and would let you use weapons like you had an arm and hand again. I know it’s not quite the same, but perhaps?” 

She seemed rather eager in her offer, though hesitant. She probably didn't want to risk me breaking the thing, but still wanted to try and help even my odds. I smiled at her for the consideration. 

"Thank you for the offer Dawn, but no," I said, "It wouldn't be a proper demonstration if I didn't fight with my body. And Even if that weren't the case, I know how to pull my punches like this. With magic, I have no idea. And I won't risk someone’s safety just to win. It may make things harder for me if I only use myself as a weapon, but I won't run the risk of accidentally killing someone by swinging a magical weapon too fast or something." 

I laughed as my mind flashed with all the ways me using magic could go wrong in a fight and shook my head. "Or myself for that matter!" I added, thinking about it, "Imagine how embarrassing that'd be! Pulling a sword back to block only to knock myself out with it?" 

I laughed again, rather amused by the imagery.

“Yeah, I doubt that’d happen…" Dawn said, seemingly let down, "With practice I’m sure you could get to your old skill level again easily. It just takes a shift in how you try to do it, but it’ll have the same outcome.”

"I am inclined to agree with Silver Wing," Luna said, "The purpose of this demonstration is to gauge his styles effectiveness. Utilizing a magical artifact would tips the scales unfairly in his favor."

“Yes, because if he fights a unicorn, their magic won’t tip the scales unfairly, but a limited telekinesis spell would… That makes sense.” Dawn retorted rather sarcastically. 

I watched her tense as she clearly realized the tone she had just addressed Luna with. She looked up at her rather timidly and apologized.

"Sorry, my tone was rude," Dawn said, "I just don’t see how that would change enough.  Either way, he made his choice, and I promise to try and respect it.”

I smiled at Dawn for a moment, then something she said clicked in my mind. 

"I actually have no idea how a Unicorn fights to be honest," I said, just now coming to realize this, "I can imagine how they'd use a weapon, based off how I've seen you all eat, but that's about it." 

I had heard the Pegasai at the academy mention Unicorn fighters here and there, but I hadn't put much thought into it until now.

A slightly mischievous grin crept onto Luna's lips as she thought on my statement. "Then of the three you shall fight, one will be a Unicorn," she said, "In fact... Your opponents will each be one of the three Pony Tribes."

"So an Earth Pony, a Pegasus, and a Unicorn?" I asked.

Luna nodded, seeming quite pleased with herself. "It will be a most entertaining demonstration indeed."

"You will have to forgive my sister," Celestia chimed in, "In the old days, we used to hold tournaments like this to decide who amongst our guard would become knights and serve as our personal protectors. Such events have not been needed in these days of peace, but when they were, my sister was always very fond of them."

Luna looked away with a slight huff, evidently embarrassed by Celestia's comment.

"Well, I look forward to giving you something new then," I said, smiling at them both despite my growing lack of confidence, "Hopefully I don't lose in the first round." 

I laughed, trying to pass that last comment off as a joke, but it was a very real concern for me at that moment.

"Seeing as you defeated Black Mane with one strike, I doubt you will lose so swiftly." Celestia said.

"We'll see," I said, not nearly as confident as she seemed to be, "I try not to underestimate my opponents. Especially when I've never fought them before."

"Do you have any further questions about the demonstration?" Luna asked.

I thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. 'I'd love to know how I keep getting myself into these things...' I thought, but there was no way I was going to say that out loud. 

"Not really," I said quickly, "Aside from when you're wanting it."

"Friday," Luna said with a nod, "That will provide you with four days to prepare if needed."

"Four days..." I said, feeling a little more pressure on my shoulders than I'd have liked, "Fun..." 

'That leaves me four days to figure out how a Unicorn fights, and a way to counter it... Great...' I thought, 'I know how to deal with a Pegasus easily enough, they're fast, but so am I. And an earth pony shouldn't be much different, save the fact they can't fly. But how can I deal with this Unicorn problem...'

"With that, I believe it is time for us to part for the night," Celestia said in closing, "Take these next four days to prepare Silver Wing. Your opponents, while not at the level of Black Mane, will not be picked from common stock. You will be facing some of our best trained guards."

I nodded in understanding and got to my feet. 

"Right," I said, rather lost in my own thoughts now, "Should be fun then." 

I turned at that and headed for the door. 

As I place a hoof on the stairs to go down to the lower floors, I paused as an idea struck me. I could get Dawn to help me! Sure she wasn't a trained fighter, but she could use magic well enough. All I'd need is to see how a weapon can move anyway. What sorts of ranges and speeds to expect. How hard a hit they can deliver, just the basics really. So Dawn would be perfect for that. 

I turned and looked back to the door, but Dawn hadn't come out yet. I frowned, growing rather impatient as I waited for her.

It took almost five minutes before Dawn finally left the dining hall. 

From where I stood, I had overheard Celestia and Luna speaking with her about some sort of danger when it came to learning magic and how she could keep the relic she had fixed, but I couldn't make out what they were saying with any real detail. I was curious about what they were talking about, but it'd be odd for me to walk back in to the dining hall after having already left, just to stand in on a conversation that was clearly not meant for me. I also couldn't move any closer without making it blatantly clear to the two guards standing watch outside the hall doors that I was trying to eavesdrop. It was a rather annoying wait. 

I waved at Dawn as she came out and frowned as she ignored me altogether. She was clearly lost in thought, but I needed to speak with her, sooner than later. So I waited for her to get right to me, then whistled loudly at her to get her attention. What I hadn't counted on however, was that my new equine lips didn't work quite the same as my old human ones. Instead of a sharp, precise whistle, I wound up blowing nothing more than a small puff of air at her.

Dawn jumped in surprise and let out a faint squeak, before quickly glancing over at me. “Oh Silver!" she said quickly, "You scared me good there… What’s up?"

I dropped my head and groaned, rather embarrassed by my failed attempt at a whistle. "Sorry... That was supposed to be a whistle..."

“It’s ok," she said, smiling happily at me, "Though now you’ve got me wanting to try to whistle.”

Whatever she and the Princesses had discussed after I had left had obviously rekindled that spark of cheer she had started the dinner with. I was glad for her, but I had other things on my mind than asking what they had talked about. 

"I'll be practicing alone before I try it again," I laughed, "But that'll be later. Right now I... I need your help with something."

“Oh?  What do you want help with?” Dawn asked, transparently curious.

"Well..." I sighed, trying to find the right words, "I need you to try to hit me."

“Wait, you want me to what!?” Dawn exclaimed, clearly surprised by my request.

"In this demonstration the Princesses want me to do, I'll be fighting against a Unicorn," I explained, "I know how to fight Pegasai. And an earth pony should be about the same, minus the flight. But I have no idea how a Unicorn fights with magic. You're the only Unicorn I know. So it'd be a huge help if you'd spar with me a little at some point this week. Even if it's just once."

Dawn regarded me thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled. 

“I see what you mean," she said, "I used to occasionally do swordplay myself, but that was before the medication, and as an excuse to keep in shape.  I have no idea if I’m any good though, fair warning. Will that be good enough?”

"It'll be perfect!" I said. 

I felt a wave of relief at that. I had no idea what I would have done if Dawn had said no, but now that she'd agreed, I couldn’t help but smile.

"All I need is a sense of how fast you can move a weapon around, and what sort of ranges you have," I explained, "I won't even attack you. It'll just be you trying to hit me."

"I see…" Dawn said, starting down the steps as she continued, "Well, I hope I can do you justice then. Where and when would you want me to be for your practice?"

"I'm good anytime really," I said, following after her, "When would work best for you?"

“Well, ideally after breakfast would work," Dawn said, "Stalwart’s rarely up, with the exception of this morning somehow." She paused for a moment and shook her head at some thought before continuing, "Yeah, after breakfast. Maybe half an hour to an hour after? Actually, let’s just call it ten o’clock. That work for you?”

"Works perfectly." I said. She was willing to help, so I'd do it at any time if it meant getting at least some idea of what I was going to be up against. "Thank you very much for this." 

"It’s not a problem! Though now you’ve got me wondering if I could be a decent swordsmare,” Dawn giggled, “Probably not, I suspect I’d be better suited to focusing on magic for now.”

"Tomorrow will tell, eh?" I laughed, "Just don't hold back, alright? I'd rather get a few knocks in the head, then a false sense of your speed."

“I… will try not to," Dawn said, "I tend to take it easy at first anyway, and gradually ramp it up, but I’ll do my best.”

"That's all I ask," I said. I could still feel the relief washing over me and I sighed as I started to relax. "With that out of the way though, do you need an escort back to your room? Or you good?"

“Oh I’m good," Dawn said, "I don’t need Stalwart getting the wrong idea about us after our little talk last night!”

I quirked a brow at that. I wasn't sure if she meant she talked about me to Stalwart, or that she and Stalwart talked, but he left that one be. 

"Alright," I said, getting ready to turn down another hall, "Take care then. And thanks again."

"See you tomorrow then." Dawn said, starting to wave, then she paused. "Oh wait!"

I stopped in my tracks and looked at her concerned. 

"Before we split, where would we meet?" She asked quickly, "We didn't say that part yet!"

"Ah... Right..." I said shaking my head, "I've gotten so used to training in the forest, and I just assumed you knew about it. Though..." 

I glanced at her sides and realized a flaw in my plan. Dawn didn't have wings, and I doubted she'd want to go through what was probably a three hour hike through the woods just to fight for a while, only to have to hike back...

"I don't think you'd be able to get to the forest to easily without wings," I said, quickly coming up with a solution, "So how about behind the Palace? Near that big Hedge Maze."

"Yeah, fear of heights and all that..." Dawn sighed, "How would I get down there? I haven’t seen a Hedge Maze yet…”

"Really?" I said, rather surprised, "Guess I forget sometimes that you haven't seen Canterlot like I have. There isn't much I don't know about its layout now thanks to all the flybys." I chuckled a little then explained. "Just walk around the palace though, you'll see the maze eventually. It's big and green, and made out of a huge hedge bush."

“Holding back sarcasm.” Dawn said flatly, though an amused smirk was clear on her face. “All right, no worries. I’ll find my way there eventually. If you don’t see me, well, I’m sure you could fly around and spot me. I don’t suppose you’ve kept tallies of how many other lime green ponies there are huh?”

I chuckled as I thought about that. "There's a few," I admitted, "But I think I can tell you apart from them from just about any distance." 

I gave her a quick wink and started for the branching hall.

“Oh really?" Dawn chuckled, "I may have to test that sometime. Anyway, I'll see you then, rest well!”

"You too Dawn, good night!" I said. 

I gave a small wave with my wing and headed for my room.



I paused before the door to my room. I couldn't help but smile a little as the recollection of my dream this morning came back to me. It was such a nice dream. Sky Flare, cuddled up to me like that. I let out a heavy sigh and headed into my room, the sensations still lingering on my back.

My door had barely opened before I was met with a sight that made me freeze in both surprise and confusion. 

Ahead of me, Sky Flare was half on her belly, with her head under my bed. Her rump was sticking straight up and wiggled around as she grunted.

"S-sky!?" I gasped, at a loss for what I was seeing. 

"Welcome back," she called out, though her words were muffled by the bed above her, "You can stop staring by the way and come and help."

"I-I'm not!" I stammered, before shaking my head and turning my shock into annoyance, "Help you with what? Why are in my room!?" 

I closed the door behind me and frowned heavily at the half a pony I had before me.

With a heavy groan, Sky Flare withdrew herself from beneath my bed and frowned at me. "I lost one of my wing clips," she said, "I was checking to see if it fell off here."

"Wing clips?" I asked, "You mean your piercing’s?" I looked to the main joint of her left wing and quickly noticed the missing piece of jewelry. Since the first moment I had met her, she'd had a pair of small golden rings in her wing. It looked good on her, but the thought of punching a hole in any part of my body, especially a wing, just seemed too painful. Oddly enough though, there was no hole. 

"Piercings?" Sky Flare said, "Hay no. Are you kidding me? No Pegasus in their right mind would do something like that to their wings! These are clip on’s! They're held closed with a pair of strong little magnets."

I suddenly felt very stupid. That thought had never crossed my mind before, and I had never asked Sky Flare about them. You never asked a woman if her jewelry was real, and it was usually considered incredibly rude if you did. 

Sky Flare snorted at me and shook her head. "Just help me look for it." 

I did as I was told, and began scanning the floor of my room for her clip. We spent a good twenty minutes looking before I gave up and flopped onto my bed. I heard a soft 'tick' as my hoof struck my blankets and tensed. 

'It couldn't be...' I thought, 'If it's here, in my bed of all places... Then does that mean that dream I had this morning wasn't a dream...?'

I quickly rolled over and fished the object I had struck out, and sure enough, it was a small golden ring. I was stunned.

"Oh good, you found it!" I heard Sky Flare practically cheer. She hopped up onto my bed and took the ring from me with her mouth. 

I watched as she raised her wing joint to her mouth and used her lips to clip the ring back on.

She gave a few test flaps of her wing and smiled at me happily. "Much better," she said, "I was afraid it fell off while I was out flying somewhere. I'd have never found it then."

"W-why was it in my bed?" I asked. I frowned as I heard my voice quiver a little and took a deep breath to focus.

"I came by this morning, remember?" She said matter of factly, "You didn't want to get up, so I let you sleep." 

"So that was real!?" I burst out, all attempts to calm myself having failed.

"What do you mean real?" Sky Flare asked. She frowned heavily at me and tilted her head. "What do you think happened this morning?"

"W-well I... I..." I had no idea why this was as hard for me to get out as it was, but for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Sky Flare sighed heavily and gave me an odd smirk. "Look," she said, "I came by this morning because you never showed up for our session. You were tired, so I let you sleep in. That's all. Mmkay?" 

"So you didn't...?" I started to say, but my words trailed off. I wasn't sure why, but finding out that it really was just a dream after all made me feel rather depressed.

Sky Flare just shook her head at me and smirked in apparent amusement. "Anyway," she said, clearly trying to save me from my own embarrassment, "How'd your dinner go?"

I sighed as the topic of tonight’s dinner flashed in my mind. "Oh you know," I said, feigning a casual tone, "The Princesses have heard about me beating Black Mane and how I'm training you to fight..."

"You're not in trouble are you?" Sky Flare asked, leaning closer to me in apparent concern.

"I'd almost prefer that to be honest," I said, "They want me to give them a demonstration of my fighting style..."

"That's great though!" Sky Flare said, "It means you've caught their eye. That they see something in you!"

'I would tell you the truth about why they have any interest in me if I could Sky, I really would, but you'd probably think I was insane and never talk to me again...' I thought, rather disheartened. 

"What is it?" she asked, noticing my change in demeanor.

"They want me to fight in a stacking tournament," I explained, "Me against three ponies. An Earth Pony, a Pegasus, and a Unicorn. First in one on one matches, then two on one, and finally, all three against me at once."

"So?" Sky Flare said.

"What do you mean so?" I replied, "I'm not that good a fighter, not without my haaa...." I swallowed, trying to recover from that near slip up, "With just my hooves. They'll wind up mopping the floor with me by the end."

"Oh I doubt that," Sky Flare said, shaking her head, "I can beat just about anyone here Silver, and I can't lay a hoof on you, with a weapon or not. So how could you possibly lose to one of them?" 

"I treat every unknown opponent as my equal or better," I stated, "And I haven't fought against anyone besides you and Black Mane since I've been here, so I have no idea what to expect. And then there's the fact I have to fight a Unicorn on top of it all. Even Black Mane says that they're better fighters than Pegasai are."

Sky Flare frowned a little. "I was there when Black Mane said that to you," she said, "And he's right."

My heart dropped again at that.

"But he was talking about armed combat," she said, "Not unarmed. You've shown me countless ways of disarming an opponent. That's all you'd have to do here. Magic or not, if you take their weapon away, most of them are utterly useless. They've never had to learn to throw a kick or swing a sword the real way in their entire lives! They've been pampered by their magic since they were born, and without it, they've got nothing!"

I thought hard on her words as she spoke, and before she was even finished, I was nodding to myself. 

'She's right,' I thought, 'I do know several different ways to disarm armed opponents. And if Sky is right on the overall skill level of the rest of the ponies here, I shouldn't have much of an issue at all. If I was at home, in my world with my own body, I wouldn't hesitate to take on three opponents at once. Weapons or not.' 

I sighed heavily and shook my head at my own foolishness. 'Somewhere along the lines, losing my hands and the ability to use a sword shook my confidence in my ability to defend myself,' I realized, 'But so what if I can't use a sword? I still have my fists, and that's proven to be more than enough on countless occasions.'

"Thanks Sky," I said, smiling at her, "I guess I lost sight of myself for a bit there."

She gave me a playful knock on the head with her front hoof and hopped off my bed. 

"Just be sure not to do it again, alright?" she said, "That vest is meant to be worn by winners, not ponies who get scared at the thought of a little challenge."

I laughed at watched as she headed for my door. 

She glanced back at me from the door and chuckled at me as she left. "Good night Silver," she called softly, before the click of the door sealed her away from me. 

I heard her chuckle at me as she left and froze. It was the exact same laugh that I had heard this morning. I looked down to my bed, where I had found her wing clip and felt a smile creep onto my face.

'If it was really a dream, then how was that ring in my bed?' I thought. I sighed and laid down as I thought about how Sky Flare had reacted to my stammering earlier. She was more amused than anything, and she never did say that she left after I had gone back to seep. She only said she let me sleep. 

I laughed and rolled onto my back, a smile I could not shake plastered to my lips. I guess the truth of that 'dream' was going to have to stay a mystery for now, but I was alright with that. Dream or not, it was nice, and I would hold onto that memory for quite some time.