Silver stepped off the train, Night a few strides ahead of him. He glanced back at the large machine, filled as it was with shadowy pixies. Many of them waved out at them and Silver returned the gesture with a little wave of his own. "It's always funny..."
"What is?" Night looked back to him.
"Once you're done with this kind of thing... The wind down, it feels odd." He moved to her side. "Glad it's over, somehow sad it is all at once." Night raised a brow at him and he felt compelled to continue. "Not that I'm upset it's resolved, and it was resolved in a good way, don't get me wrong." Silver bumped up against her. "Just me being silly. Let's go report in to Princess Celestia. She should know one of her ambassadors is back in town."
Night gave his shoulder a light nip. "Once in a while, you remind me that you're much older than you look. Typical stallion, hunting for younger mares." She hesitated suddenly. "That was mean of me to say." She turned to Silver. "Now it's my turn to shove my hoof in my mouth. That didn't sound nearly so horrible until I actually said it."
Silver wrinkled his nose. "Besides, you're the mature one of us." He nuzzled gently into her cheek. "Let's go home."
Side-by-side, they strode through the busy streets of Canterlot, bound for the towering castle that was their dwelling. On the way, an excited noise drew their attention to the side moments before a mint green earth pony approached them. She had long straight hair that hung low, downcast eyes that didn't make seeing their color easy, and an equally flat tail.
With the two of them looking curiously at the new pony, there was an uneasy moment of quiet. The odd pony took a half-step forward. "Do... Do you remember me?" She fixed eyes with Night, then Silver. "I-I know we didn't talk that much..."
The voice gave it away. Silver gasped with amazement. "Pinkie? Why aren't you... pink?"
Night frowned. "We just left you on the train, and you were certainly pink."
'Pinkie' stepped away, struck silent again. She swallowed audibly before shaking her head. "She's Pinkie. I'm... I'm not. There's not room for two Pinkies." She sat down. "What I'm going to say is going to sound crazy... Please promise you'll listen before you tell me I'm a bad pony and tell me to get lost, alright?"
Silver stepped forward, only for the not-Pinkie to thrust a hoof up. "Not one step closer."
Night tilted her head. "Look, um... Not-Pinkie, we have to go report in. Why don't you stop by the embassy?"
Silver glanced aside at her, then back at Not-Pinkie. "What's your name?"
She smiled. "I don't know... I guess I must be surprising. How about Surprise?"
"Not even Surprise Pie?" asked Silver in a gently supportive tone, a little smile on his face.
"No..." Surprise looked down. "I can't talk to them anymore. They aren't my family, really. Do you recognize this?" She pulled out a sword from nowhere and set it down on the ground where both could easily view it.
Silver blinked in confusion. "Is that a katana? I didn't know they made those around here." His magic wrapped round it, lifting it up and turning it this way and that as he examined it. "Why would you have one of these?"
Surprise brightened at his recognition. "I took it from a bad man, a human..."
Silver's brows raised in unison. "Where? He could be lost, or hurt."
Surprise quickly shook her head. "He's not here... He's back where humans come from."
Silver sank to his haunches. "You were on Earth?! How the hell?!"
Surprise twitched an ear. "I always thought that was a funny name... Dirt, heh." An uneasy giggle emerged from her, only to be interrupted with a sudden coughing fit.
Night put her good wing before Silver, blocking his way. "Are you well? You don't look it, physically or otherwise."
Surprise glanced away, then back at Night. "I suppose not..." She turned her eyes to Silver. "Now the crazy part. So... You're not going to believe any of this and tell me to go away and never come back, but here we go. Twilight, that is, my Twilight, not your Twilight, she tried to reach your world, uh, another you, not you you." She put a hoof to her head. "I'm already messing this up!"
Silver's eyes widened as it became clear. "Fuck."
"Language!" Night glared at him.
Silver colored dark. "Sorry... Pinkie?"
"Surprise."
"Right, Surprise. Where you're from, originally, was I... married to Twilight?"
"Nope." She shook her head. "You were a herd." She pointed at Night. "She was in it." Her mane suddenly perked up, as if wanting to recover. "Wait, you... believe me?"
Night raised a brow high. "Is that why you were brushing Twilight off so hard? Putting together your actions and words can be very hard at times, Silver. This blasted dream world of yours..."
"I'm from there!" Surprise sat up, hope dancing in her eyes. "Am I just a dream?"
Silver shook his head. "Clearly not. You're right here. No one is calling you a dream. He turned towards the castle. "Surprise, you clearly have a story worth hearing, and I think you need a friend, maybe we should all go?"
Surprise shrank back, mane going limp again. "I'm not sure I should."
Night looked Surprise over. "Maybe she shouldn't..."
Silver felt the urge to fight Night about it, but he realized what was going on quickly and instead just nuzzled at her gently. "Whatever you say goes, my dearest. If you want to leave the sick pony here on the street..."
Night stiffened before she let out a sigh. "Of course I don't. Come on, Surprise. Let's get you looked at. It's the least we can do."
Surprise followed after them as they began to walk, but the conversation died. As they went, she kept looking up at them, then back at the ground, as if she hoped, but couldn't quite muster the full power of the emotion.
When they arrived at the castle, one of the guards stepped forward, eyes on Surprise. "You were told once--"
Silver thrust a hoof in front of him. "She's with us."
"Oh, sorry, Ambassador." The guard offered a salute and returned to his stoic position, allowing them past.
Night let Silver lead the way as she hung back closer to Surprise. "Why was he ready to give you the big boot?"
Surprise let out a nervous little laugh. "Ah, well... I kind of tried to get in to talk to Princess Celestia. I thought she could help, but I never really got that far... Maybe I was a little too excited at the time."
Night nodded. "Right, well, let me be horrifically blunt." She leaned towards Surprise. "He's mine. He may help you, but don't even think about getting between us, or joining us, not like that."
Surprise swallowed audibly and shook her head rapidly, and that was enough to put Night at ease for the moment. She smiled a little. "The infirmary is this way, Surprise. Silver, I'll take her to see a doctor, you go ahead and talk to Princess Celestia."
"Meet back at the room," he called back, trotting ahead deeper into the castle.
Night was good to her word, and led Surprise to the infirmary. "I don't know how you knew what little you already knew, but you can't be from a dream. That doesn't work."
Surprise drew to a halt. "That was the first time I heard it called one, a dream, I mean... I'm telling the truth, I swear." She made the patented Pinkie Swear, poking herself in the eye to seal the deal. "Your stallion looked like he knew what I was talking about."
Night scowled at her. "That's exactly what bothers me." She prodded Surprise in the chest. "I have a few questions about this dream world, and you're going to answer them." She smiled, a forced smile. "Think of it like a game..."
Elsewhere, Silver spoke to a guard, and was redirected towards one of Celestia's waiting rooms. Within was a round table with some cookies and tea already set out. He plucked up a cookie with his magic and nibbled thoughtfully while waiting. Dieting had become a lot easier as a unicorn. "Just cast your way to a slimmer form!" He said as if in a commercial, giggling as he looked himself over. He noticed his tail was still smooth and well-groomed. "Mother would kill for this spell. If it wasn't her mane style specifically, I could sell it as an arcane perm device."
"Perm device?" Celestia stepped in with a curious expression. "Welcome back, Ambassador Silver Lining." She sat down at the table across from him. "I trust all went well?"
Silver nodded at her. "Do you prefer formality? We're alone, and I haven't been conditioned to know you only as 'Your Highness', Celestia." He smiled a little. "Everything went well. The Crystal Empire is on its way to healing, and a new tribe of ponies has joined us."
Celestia's magic hovered up a cookie for her to snap in half in her teeth. "A new tribe? Tell me more, Silver." A smile spread over her regal features. "You are my eyes and ears, after all. An Ambassador is at least one part spy, you realize."
Silver tilted his head. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but I do understand. Sombra is back." Celestia stiffened at the news. "But he is on the mend. He's with Radiant Hope, and the two are on a carefully monitored adventure together, where he can learn the value of friendship. He is a tyrant king no longer."
Celestia let out a slow breath of relief before taking up a glass of tea and sipping lightly. "Do go on."
Silver gave a soft hmm of a sound. "You remember Radiant Hope then? Either way, the umbrum were not just monsters, waiting to cause horror and despair. They were ponies, much like changelings. Hunger kept in check and handled responsibly, they have much to offer ponies, and can grow past that simple base need."
Celestia raised a brow at that. "Cadance has volunteered to see to their assimilation?"
Silver shook his head. "That would be an awkward fit. No, I gave that honor to Luna. She seems quite happy with a new tribe of night dwellers to call her their Princess."
Celestia brightened, as if the sun had just risen in the room. "You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that. Lulu needed something to be a part of... Having this... Yes, you did the right thing. Thank you, Silver. Is that where she is now?"
Silver quickly nodded. "She's on a train bound for, uh, hollow something? Where the lunar pegasi are."
Celestia gave a soft tsk. "You're still slow on names, I see. No matter, I know of the town you speak. Yes, I imagine they'll get along just fine."
Silver raised a hoof. "And only one bit of bad news..." He let Celestia fix him with a concerned look before he continued. "It's time I retired, for a time. I'm taking my paternity leave, and Night her maternity leave. We'll be eagerly awaiting the arrival of our twins."
"Twins?" Celestia's smile brightened the room. "Congratulations." Her eyes slid downwards to the hoof Silver had raised. "An engagement shoe? Where's the other?"
"On Night, of course."
Celestia shook her head a little. "That would only make two. They come in sets of four, do they not? Where are the missing shoes?"
Silver pulled the other two shoes free of his pocket and set it on the table. "You're the second to notice that. The first was your sister. I..."
Celestia reached across the table. "You don't have to tell me unless you want to. Relax. I accept your notice of a leave of absence, and your stipend will continue while you support Night through her time of difficulty."
Silver smiled up at her. She was much nicer than his dreams had attempted to paint her.