Silver walked stiffly from the house, but her wives would not give up so easily. Twilight gestured up at the large castle above. "Why don't you talk to Celestia, at least figure out what's changed, and what hasn't?"
After Pausing to think of it, Silver nodded. "That's a good idea. I have a few letters to write too. I might be gone from their lives, and they're gone from mine, but I haven't forgotten them."
Starlight sauntered up and around Silver. "Be careful what you say. Acting like you know them will only scare them. How would you act if some pony casually claimed to be your best friend that you forgot?"
Night nodded in swift agreement. "I'm sure you want to make these contacts as quickly as possible, but please, carefully."
Silver noticed something and looked between the three of them. "I'm not especially... arguing, but why is Starlight acting like she's one of us already?"
Starlight recoiled, and the other two looked to her. "I... Well with things... We've made up. I thought..."
Silver let out a heavy sigh. "No, I didn't mean to scare you off... I'm just hurt right now, and I know that. I'm going to say some stupid things, given half a chance." She reached a hoof towards Starlight. "I'm glad this feud is over."
Starlight took a timid step forward. "Even at this price?"
Silver's hoof fell to the ground. "I need to go... Please, don't run off." She spread her wings. "I want you all to be home when I get back."
Starlight smiled. "I can't promise that. Twilight's not the only pony I need to talk to."
Twilight nodded. "I have a rather extensive itinerary planned for her."
Night snorted before she flashed her fangs. "Typical Twilight. I'll keep an eye on them, you go take care of you, and don't forget we love you."
They flew off, leaving Silver alone in the neighborhood that didn't seem quite as sparkly as the rest of the city. She hesitated to call it a slum. Ponies didn't do slums like humans could, but it was easy to see it wasn't the most ideal place to be. As she walked towards the castle, one of those ponies crossed her path. "Have a bit?"
Silver drew to a stop. "I'm afraid I didn't bring any. What do you need?"
"A bit."
Silver looked over the stallion. He was skinny, too skinny, and wore nothing but a ragged hat. "What for, I meant?"
"What's it matter? I need a bit."
Silver felt her ire raising. "If it's something I can get, I'd be happy to help, but I don't have any actual bits on me."
"What are you, some kinda princess?"
Rather than answer, she spread her wings wide and raised her head.
"Oh... You gotta have bits." He moved in close, too close.
Silver backed away, but he wouldn't stop approaching. "Personal space, please. I want to help you."
He drew a dagger suddenly. The intricacies of hammer space that ponies could draw from were far beyond Silver's knowing or understanding, but there it was. "Give it all."
Silver felt fury and sadness rise in a confusing mix. "No! Back up! I don't want to fight you. You're a victim, no--"
Her words didn't involve giving up some bits, and he lunged at her with the dagger in his mouth, catching her on the throat in a painful wound as she tried to skitter back. "Now look whaja made me do... Just gimmie the bits..."
Silver thrust out a hoof and grabbed him in a sudden silver hand, her horn glowing softly. "Enough! Stop! Use your words. I said I'd help you, just ask for something besides bits."
"What do you care?" His dagger fell from his jaws. "Nobody cares."
"That's not true!" Silver stomped a hoof, still holding the beggar in her magic grip. "Please, try me."
"F-fine... I want a hot meal, and somewhere to sleep."
"Done." She considered briefly destroying his dagger, but wondered what world he lived in, maybe he needed it? She cringed at the idea even as her wound ached. With a smaller hand, she gently picked up the dagger and offered it to the pony. "Please, never use that on a pony that isn't hurting you."
He took it from her grip and tucked it away in whatever space other ponies had. She had never mastered that trick, and still wore saddlebags at all times. She smiled at him. "I'd like to let you go, will you follow me? No more fighting?"
"Yeah, whatever..."
She did, and walked with him until they found a bed and breakfast. On her word as a princess, she had the bill for a week's rent and food while he was there sent to Celestia, and bid him farewell, though he barely paid her attention. With mixed feelings, she turned to leave, only to feel a hoof grab her on one of her wings.
"Hey, thanks..." He let her go, and walked towards the dining area.
Silver left with a little smile. On spread wings, she took flight, leaving the worn down portion of Canterlot. It didn't take long to reach better houses, then opulent ones. The city was, by and large, a prosperous place. Polite company simply didn't speak of where ponies fell through the cracks.
She arrived at the castle and landed before the guards. They both bowed to her politely. "Your highness. You're injured! Do you need help?"
Silver put a hoof to where she had been nicked. "No, I'll be fine. Do you know if Celestia is still awake? I need to speak to her."
"I'll check," promised one, who hurried off into the castle. The guard returned shortly with a second, who moved to guide Silver as the original retook his place at the door.
"She's in her sitting room, I'll show you the way."
Silver followed after him, though she had been to the sitting room several times. "So, how are things here?"
"We're doing well, your highness."
Silver considered trying to get him to loosen up before remembering Celestia tried that plenty of times on her own. "Very good work. Everything looks to be in order."
He seemed pleased at that, chest puffed out a little. They arrived at the door to the sitting room and he waved Silver in. "Good evening, your majesty." And he was gone to other duties.
Silver pushed the door open to see Celestia perched on a pillow, nibbling on some cake. "Celestia, I need to talk to you, about something likely very confusing." She closed the door behind herself and hurried to sit across from Celestia.
With her usual matronly smile, Celestia nodded. "Please, go on. Does it involve why you look hurt?"
Silver quickly raised her hoof to the injury. "That was just a confused pony. Ignore that, that's not the problem. I need you to tell me exactly what we did during our trip to the East."
Celestia raised a brow. "That's quite a demand."
"Please..."
"Very well. It began with a stop to Anugypt, where we made friends with two local mares in the otherwise feline city." Silver perked her ears, heart soaring at the news that they had met. "Unfortunately, one perished following a... poorly-thought our move on my part." Silver felt herself go limp. She was still dead... Then why...
"What happened to the other?"
Celestia tilted her head. "You should know that."
Silver shook her head, new tears starting to force themselves free. "Please... I'll explain everything, just tell me like I wasn't there, I beg you..."
Celestia raised a hoof. "Be at ease. I will tell you." Her magic grabbed a bag of tissues and brought it over to Silver. "Here. Now... The sister was quite upset at the passing of the other, and demanded to bury her there, in Anugypt. 'They couldn't force us to run in life, they won't in death either', I believe her words were. We never saw her after that."
Silver felt her heart pounding in her aching chest. That sounded worse, not better. The urge to beg Celestia and Starlight to try to fix it was stronger than ever, but it would never work. There would always be something broken. Time was not something to be trifled with. The only winning move was to not play at all. "A-alright, say, did we run into a black mare?"
"Hmm? I don't believe so."
Silver collapsed. It was too much. "What about a jackal?"
"Oh, many, yes."
"One you left with me?"
A new voice spoke, seated to the left of Silver and Celestia. "Me?" Nefetari leaned on the table. "Why are you collapsed like that? It does not suit you."
Silver forced herself up, and lunged for Nefertari, clutching to her tightly and dampening her fur with hotly flowing tears.
Nefer looked baffled, but accepted it. "Celestia, tell me what's happened."
"I wish I knew..."
They waited for Silver's sobbing fit and her piteous wails to pass. To Nefertari's credit, she reached around and held the weeping alicorn, gently stroking over her back until it began to fade. "Now tell us, and it had best be a cause worthy of such tears."
Silver sat up, flopping onto her haunches. "What do you know of time travel, in theory?"
Celestia snorted softly. "Something to be avoided at all costs."
Nefertari looked distant a moment. "The spirits say the universe itself grows angry when one swims against the tide of time itself. The hubris of such an act is beyond forgiveness."
Silver put a hoof on her chest. "I didn't do it... Twilight and Starlight did, and fought back there, and worked it out, and fixed most of everything, but friends of mine, dear... dear friends of mine, gone, simply... gone... The sister who stayed behind? She came with us. She adventured with us, fought with us, hurt with us. We carried her sister in a casket for months! We found her aunt, who missed her so much. Her parents were dead... She came to live with me! She was a servant, a good one, and a friend too. I don't like this past. I don't like it at all."
Celestia rolled a hoof. "And the black mare?"
"Well, I had several servants when we went to Saddle Arabia, and the king there gave me one more, to manage the others... I guess, without Shei, he didn't feel the... didn't feel the need to... She was so good, and kind, and always there..." Silver went quiet, tears rolling down her snout, making a mess of her fur. She couldn't stop crying. "Then there was Rough Tumble... Poor... amazing..."
Nefertari wiggled her fingers in the air. "Were they also from the East?"
"No, no... Right here, in Canterlot." Silver blinked away her tears, but new ones rose defiantly. "An abused colt, and a colt cuddler. He had been a strong presence in my childhood, and he kept fighting, always fighting. He made a business for himself, shipping."
Celestia raised a hoof. "I know the one. He's quite successful."
Silver felt a new pain, even at the good news. Something had gone right... "Oh god... thank you... Thank you...." She sagged back, propping herself on a foreleg, panting for breath. "I feel terrible. I didn't come to sob all over you both."