Silver awoke, curled around a pillow. Her blanket was drawn up over her, where it hadn't been the night before. She smiled gently, thinking of some nervous servant trying to do right by her. "Thank you." She slowly sat up and stretched, bathed, brushed, and threw open the curtains of the room to let in the light. "Time to get back to living." There were plenty of things to be sad about, but moping around them wouldn't help a soul.
She threw herself out through the open window, wings unfolding to carry her away from the castle. On her way out of the city, she saw a lone truck making its way carefully through the streets filled with more ponies than carriages or other things. Filled with sudden curiosity and a bit of hope, she swooped down on it, landing on the roof and leaning in over the side. "Good day."
The driver jumped in surprise. "Oh! Um, hello, your majesty?"
Silver lowered a hoof to wave at him. "Hello yourself. Might I trouble you to know what company you work for, or if you're independant?"
"Tumble Tows. We'll deliver anything to any city, railway or not." He tipped his hat lightly.
Silver smiled. "That sounds nice. Next time you see your boss, tell them Princess Silver Stars wishes them the best." Without waiting for reply, she launched from the truck, ascending back to the sky. The city shrank behind her as she descended at a lazy angle towards the smaller town of Ponyville, filled with its idyllic life, and its idyllic ponies, doing their idyllic things. None of them had been caught in the wave, so far as Silver knew. What exactly had changed? Silver shook the thought from her mind and veered towards the large castle in the distance.
Towering over Ponyville, it was easy to spot for quite some distance from any side. She landed before it and trotted inside, to have a pony almost bump into her on the way out. That smile. That was a smile only one pony she knew could have. Starlight gave that amazingly confident expression, but there was no malice there. "I didn't expect you back so quickly. I was just heading out. There are a lot of ponies I have to talk to."
Silver returned the smile, though hers couldn't compete. "I had to talk to some friends of mine as well, but I'm done for now. Do you need any help?"
"I'm coming with her." Twilight trotted out beside Starlight. "I have my checklist ready and we're going to patch up all the troubles we had before in one fell swoop! Come on, we're already behind schedule." The two of them trotted off side-by-side, gabbing about who they were going to talk to first.
Silver watched them a moment, then stepped inside in time to be bowled over by an eager Night Watch. "You're back!"
She hugged Night back, squeezing her armored lover. "I am. Sorry if I scared any of you. I just had to figure out the truth, and work it out. I think I'm alright now."
Night nuzzled and hopped clear of Silver, letting her stand back up. "We're planning a bit of a picnic tomorrow with the foals and Twilight's friends. Are you up for that? I'll stay with you if you rather, or not, if you're still looking for alone time."
"No." Silver sat on her haunches. "Enough alone time. I'd be delighted to come along, with you and everyone else." She leaned forward, which was enough prompt to get Night to meet her in a brief kiss. "It's good to be back."
Night turned and began going up the stairs. "I can't say I understand fully what you're feeling right now. If you want to talk about it though, we're here for you."
As they came closer to the nursery, Fast's head popped out, with Nefertari just beside her. "There she is! I knew you'd bounce back."
Silver nodded to the both of them. "Glad to be back. Tell me nothing exploded while I was gone."
Nefertari got a wicked smirk. "The only explosions were taken care of promptly. How ponies take care of their young without fingers is beyond me. I'm told we're to attend a social event tomorrow?"
That caught Silver off guard. "Oh, you're coming too?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Silver put a hoof on the opposing foreleg. "I didn't think you'd like that kind of thing. You're welcome to, of course."
"Good." She smiled, flashing her sharp teeth. "Now, I understand you're not feeling well, as one should after feeling the wrath of the world entire, and for a crime you had no part in, hmm, the spirits are not normally so cruel. Why did they select you to vent themselves, when two perfectly good targets with more direct involvement were close by?"
Fast turned to Nefer, tilting her head. "What do you mean by that? What two targets?"
She rolled a hand. "Don't be daft. Twilight and Starlight are the ones guilty of stepping against the flow, and yet Silver bears the scars. I trust the spirits to act reasonably. Why this?"
Night pressed against Silver's side. "Maybe they wanted both of them to see what they did?"
"Possible..." Her eyes were on Silver, drilling. "Tell me how this occurred, from the start."
Being prompted to think of the series of event was enough. As Silver went back to the start, her eyes widened with realization. "My cutie mark!" They all looked a bit baffled, but Night picked up on it with a flash. She let Silver continue, "Starlight used my cutie mark to make the spell to go back in time, or to modify the spell at least. Cutie marks are destiny."
"Ah..." Nefertari steepled her fingers. "She took your fate, wove it around heresy, and brought doom on you. Your destiny was tangled in that time step. It comes as no surprise now how your life was influenced so directly, or why you alone can remember the changes brought about. I'm certain Twilight remembered her past each time she changed it." She flicked open a hand, displaying her claws. "Do you want me to punish her for you? Her screams will sooth your aches."
Silver hopped back in surprise. "N-no! Please, none of that."
Nefertari snorted loudly. "You'd feel better..."
Night gave a nervous little chuckle. "Be that as it may, let's not savagely punish her after she learned her mistake. At least we understand the why of it now."
Fast shook her head. "That's terrible. Starlight really messed you up." She nudged at Silver with a hoof. "You really should be a bit more angry, even for you."
Silver tried to search her feelings. "I am a little angry... very angry... But shouting at her really won't solve anything."
Fast shrugged. "There's one thing we haven't made clear. She is not to go stealing anypony's cutie mark ever again! Especially not for crazy magic experiments."
Nefertari licked over her snout. "If you don't tell her the source of your rage, you have no one to blame when she tramples over you again save yourself. Stand up for yourself or admit you're simply there to be crushed at our whimsy."
Silver made a face at that. "Fine, fine. I'll talk to her once she comes home, and set the boundaries."
Night rolled a hoof. "Explain exactly what happened, and how it was her fault. Spare no detail. Even if you never raise your voice, she has to be made aware of the consequences of her actions."
Fast moved in and nuzzled at the scribbled cutie mark. "She shouldn't be touching your flank until she's stopped beating around the bush and asked us."
Silver stiffened a little. "Is she being that obvious?"
Night rolled her eyes. "She practically acts like she lives here. Whatever she and Twilight went through really brought them together, and now she's rushing to get everyone around her chummy too."
Nefertari chuckled softly. "She stopped pestering me after I offered to spar."
Something clicked in Silver's thoughts. "Wait, Nefer?"
"Hmm?"
"Are we married?"
She frowned at Silver sharply. "If I were not aware of your specific condition, I would consider that question grounds for quite the thrashing." She put a hand right on Silver's snout, holding it closed. "Of course we are. Why else would I care for your little brats?" She could see the shock evident in Silver's eyes and smiled. "Oh? Were the spirits kind in this? Very well. It was not my doing, but it is true. You two were there for it, were you not?"
Fast and Night both nodded with soft affirmative noises. Nefer released Silver. "See? Will you turn away from me now? Even if you were not there, some part of you welcomed me. Might it prove worthwhile to find what that was, hmm?"
Night cocked a brow. "I'm surprised you didn't notice earlier. Why else would she be here, in the nursery, helping care for them and talking with us about such private things." She let out a little sigh. "Still... Terrible. I'm sorry you're finding all these things out."
Fast grabbed Silver, hugging her tightly. "Don't be mad. She's fun, if you get past the violent parts, and she's amazing when she gets frisky. Her fingers..."
Nefer looked to Silver evenly. "I would have your opinion."
Silver shook herself, trying to come out of shock. "I... alright. I... I mean... We were more... It was very complicated." She flopped back and almost fell over. "Please let this be the last thing I find... But if they've grown to like you, then I know I will too. I'm sure this hurt you, bu--"
"I am not hurt."
Silver tilted her head. "Your wife just told you she doesn't remember marrying you, and that's alright?"
"It is the will of the spirits." She spread her hands wide. "We are low before them. Now, were it not that, I would still not be hurt. You would be."
Silver recoiled a little. "Message received." She decided Nefertari wasn't that different. Evil, unabashedly so, cruel and violent, but never unreasonable. Now her lover? "I have some awkward questions. What were we like?"
"Before, or after you became female?" Nefertari raised a brow. "You were my warrior stallion, then near death, to recover to be a gentle but firm princess." She leaned forward. "Does this other time's Silver have more warrior spirit? The spirits have been kind to me so far."
Silver waved a hoof quickly. "Sadly not. I'm still a princess, and I'd rather not fight if I don't have to."
"Their generosity does have limits..."
Silver stepped past them all, approaching her foals and smiling at each in turn. "Nefertari, are you still pregnant?"
"Of course."
That hadn't changed. "It's good it'll be born to a loving family."
Nefertari smiled, almost gently. "That it will be."