The door opened several minutes later, admitting the large form of Luna inside. "My dear one, why are you always at the center of such strife?"
Silver shrank a little. "I wasn't trying, I swear."
Twilight snorted softly. "Somepony has a grudge against Silver. At a guess, it's been brewing for a long time, before she ever left with Celestia."
Luna settled gently to the floor across from the other two. "I see. I am not blaming you, Silver. My words from before are true still." Her eyes darted to Twilight. "Are you aware of what she plans?"
Twilight flushed faintly. "Yes, though we haven't had a chance to discuss that yet. That can wait. We were both just foalnapped right out of the castle!"
Luna frowned softly. "A most grave event. It threatens more even than yourselves, to think dissidents can move freely, and act with impunity as they desire." She clopped a hoof gently. "Pardon my selfish words, but I will not tolerate any threat, even hollow, against my mare."
Twilight slid a hoof in front of Silver. "She is still mine first, Luna."
Luna flipped her ears back. "I'm not trying to take her from you. Twilight... She has offered herself to me in a way I still struggle to fully comprehend. I'm dizzy with joy and... I've never had this before. Please, for a little while, may I have a mare?"
Silver sat up. "Luna. I am one of your wives, but that doesn't excuse you asking Twilight without even considering me."
Luna shrank a little. "Yes, you are correct. Do you mind this?"
Silver smiled gently. "I don't, when it is wielded with love. As a possessive thing, I don't like it. I will gladly be your mare, insomuch as you are mine."
Luna's wings spread. "But I'm not! You cannot quicken me. You can't... But I can."
Silver inclined her ears forward. "A theory, may I remind. Please, calm yourself Luna. I'm willing to try this, and bear the result of our test."
Twilight wobbled a hoof. "About being foalnapped?"
Luna started upright. "Ah, yes. Twilight, tell me of what occurred."
Twilight clopped her forehooves together. "They didn't seem to want to hurt me, so much as 'educate' me about how awful Silver is and what influence she's had over me, etc. etc. etc.." She rolled her eyes lightly. "But what they didn't know is that something actually did rub off on me from Silver."
Silver perked an ear at that. "What was that?"
Twilight concentrated intently a moment before she brought a hoof up right in front of Silver's face. The faintest whiff of earth magic teased at her. "Oh, you pulled that off? I'm impressed! I was wearing the shoes before I really had it down."
Luna tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
Silver pointed across at Twilight. "She's learning how to use earth pony magic. She used it to escape."
Twilight flashed a proud grin. "I smashed their restraints and the wall next to me, and I was out. They barely had time to realise what was going on before I was already gone."
Luna frowned a little. "You used your strength then? I was not aware you had grown much in recent time." She lifted her own hoof. "I already have considerable physical strength, as befits my stature."
Silver shook her head quickly. "That kind of thinking is holding you back. You are an alicorn." Luna nodded uncertainly. "That means you have all three. Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn. The last two are obvious and easy to see, the first, more subtle."
Luna tapped Silver on the nose. "Show me. Twilight says this is your trick. Display it for me."
Silver tapped into her magic, moving it down into her hooves and letting it pool there and allowing the warmth to build before she raised it up to Luna.
The waves of foreign energy made her flick her ears back. "What is this? It could be any magic at all."
A quick glance revealed a simple plant in the corner of the room. Silver moved for it quickly and pressed her still warm hooves to it, and the plant trembled before growing upwards, gaining several inches. "Earth pony magic. Wings for pegasi. Horn for unicorns, and hooves for earth ponies."
Twilight raised a hoof. "I'll submit a full paper after investigation, but let's not get distracted. Silver, what happened to you?"
Luna nodded quickly. "Yes, I would hear your tale. You are well now, we hope?"
Silver returned to Luna and nuzzled her before settling beside Twilight. "I'm fine, now. They tried to make me think Carrot Plate was exacting a revenge scheme. They put us in the same warehouse, and had her ready to whip me as she had long ago, but it was clearly against her will. They were torturing her at every step she showed any disobedience."
Luna scowled. "They, who claim to understand the pony way? Truly no reasonable pony could believe that is justified. Carrot Plate has paid for her crimes, and was young at the time. She has become a mare since then."
Silver nodded lightly. "I was disgusted as well. Carrot Plate didn't deserve that, even at the time, I wouldn't want that on her. They had an agent there that moved to stop me from fleeing once I freed her. I barely managed to get out with both of them in terrible condition. The doctors of the castle are looking after them."
Luna suddenly rose to her hooves. "Unacceptable. We are already compromised. Come, let us ensure they are still here, then move them somewhere more secure." She led the way with the smaller alicorns following after her as they marched through the castle.
When they arrived at the infirmary, they were greeted by a mess. Papers were scattered, tables overturned, and a doctor was sprawled over the floor. The patients, however, were there, along with a familiar pony.
Nightwing looked up to them and nodded. "Situation under control."
Luna perked her ears forward. "Warlock Nightwing! What is the meaning of this?"
Nightwing extended a wing towards the fallen doctor. "Turncoat, your majesty. I've been tailing him. When he tried to give one of the patients a lethal injection, I moved to action and took care of things. I wasn't expecting you to come before I cleaned up, of course."
"Of course." Luna nodded lightly. "You know Princess Twilight Sparkle, Prince Silver Stars, yes?"
Twilight bowed respectfully. Silver advanced instead. "Nightwing! It's been such a long time."
Nightwing snorted. "Last time we talked, you had a pair of balls to your name. Are half the rumors I hear about you true?" She waved a wing towards Luna. "Besides still having the eye of Luna, blasted be her tastes."
Luna scowled. "Watch your tongue."
Silver smiled gently as she sat on her haunches. "Time hasn't changed you a bit, my old instructor."
Nightwing extended a wing sharply, placing it just under Silver's neck. "You still a four?"
"No ma'am." Silver tilted her head. "Pretty sure I'm higher than that, but, you know, I haven't tested."
Nightwing rolled her eyes. "'Course you haven't. Moment I take my eyes off a pony, they go soft. Now, about this one." She nudged the unconscious form of the pony on the ground. "I'll be taking him in for interrogation, if you don't mind, your highness?"
Twilight glanced sideways at Silver. "You were a three once?"
Nightwing barked out a laugh. "And a shoddy one at that." She hefted up the doctor and slung him over her back. "At least he was ready to improve himself, and threw himself at the strictest coach he could find."
"That being you," said Silver.
"As if there were any others." Nightwing huffed and started for the door. "Anything else, your majesties?"
Luna turned to keep Nightwing in sight. "Yes. Secure the patients as well, and see to their care. We can't trust anypony at current."
Nightwing raised a brow. "Even these two?"
Luna's brows lowered. "They are trustworthy. Silver would sooner die than turn against me, and Twilight's morals are beyond reproach."
Nightwing peered at Silver. "Is that so..."
Luna brought down a hoof with a loud clop. "I will remind it was by my hoof that she has suffered terribly, but we have both grown, as ponies. She is loyal."
Nightwing gave a slow nod. "As you say, your majesty. I just wish you'd give me another chance at him. He could use the discipline." She turned away and began to walk off. "No suitor of yours should be less than their best."
Twilight looked to Luna after Nightwing departed. "Why did she call her 'him' at the end there?"
Luna shrugged. "I know not her full thoughts, but I feel there is little malice there. Let's keep an eye on these two until she returns, then we can move somewhere more comfortable."
Silver began gathering up papers and setting them on the counter and generally cleaning up. "May as well be productive with our time."
Twilight approached the beds and looked over them. "This one. She's Carrot Plate, right? She looks awful." She looked over the frostbitten hooves and charred throat. The signs of abuse ran even deeper, with ugly scars that made fur grow irregularly. "How long was she held by them? This is terrible!"
Luna settled on the other side of the bed, looking down at the slumbering form of the unicorn. "To think, once I wished far worse things on your person. Time changes things."
Silver lifted an ear towards them. "I just want her to recover, and to talk to her. She's going to think I hate her all over again after being a part of this, even if she was the one that made it obvious she was being forced."
Twilight rolled a hoof. "It's alright to be a little angry, Silver."
Silver scowled. "At whoever hurt her? I'm very angry. At her? No. I'm scared, for her. She's going to wake up and be horrified, partially at herself. I don't want that."
Luna huffed as she straightened herself. "In this, we are in full agreement. The ones responsible will be made to pay most dearly. Not in blood, but they will wish we had." She bared her fangs, wickedly sharp for a moment before her mask of fury faded, and she returned to looking like a benevolent princess. "I won't stand for it."
Silver took a slow breath. "I want to say I'll help, but I admit, I'm afraid being involved will only escalate things wildly out of control."
Twilight cocked a brow. "You say that as if you have a choice. Wherever you go, that's where they're going to be, looking for another chance."
Luna nodded. "Which is why your privacy is, for a time, null and void. The warlocks will be assigned to monitor you at every minute of every day, until they are found and punished."
Silver shrank a little, but could think of no way to argue against the precaution. "Fine... All the better to get them caught. I mean, they have to have a reason, right? Maybe they really think they're doing the right thing."