Through no action of his own, Luna was reached even as the great Tantabus began to tear itself free with the negative energy granted it. Just as it began to step free of the dream, it froze, and was drawn back to its creator, dwindling in stature as it went. Luna quietly absorbed her discontent and let it go, though Silver, hovering in the air, wondered fretfully if any of the emotional bomb he had thrown would interfere with things.
He glanced around the bizarre dreamscape of Ponyville. Was this an episode? It was Ponyville, being an episode was quite likely. Did he just mess up an episode? That would be pretty bad. He frowned a little and jetted straight up, emerging from the dream and landing on the giant lily pad that held all of Ponyville's dreams. It began to splinter and break, forming countless smaller pads that bobbed away on invisible currents, leaving just Luna's dream pad bobbing there, alone.
Silver tapped at the pad, and fell. He plummeted right into Luna's new dream. It was dark, peaceful, and there was Luna. She was sleeping with a gentle smile. Dreaming of sleeping? Silver smiled a little. It was good to see her peaceful, and he turned to depart, lest he interfere with it, as tempting as it was to do so.
"Silver."
He looked over his shoulder. Luna was looking at him from atop her dais. "In my dreams or in my nightmares, here you are. Why have you chosen that form?"
Silver approached Luna, turning around and taking even steps. "In my... our... dreams, this is what I ended up as, when I wasn't the female variation of it." Speaking of it was enough to summon it for a moment, a ghostly image of Silver Stars, the princess. "I was your servant."
"Did you begrudge it?" Her expression was difficult to read. She looked at him, just looked.
"No... Well, some of it, but... We make mistakes, it happens. I certainly made my share." Silver smiled, exposing his fangs. "Luna... Can we talk?"
Luna looked down suddenly. "You hate me. Of course you do. I deserve that."
Silver frowned at her words. "Luna, shut up and hug me." He offered his hooves to her. She looked startled a moment, but accepted that offer, and they were quiet, hugging gently together. "Stop it... This wall..."
"Have you never done this?"
"Oh god yes, yes I have..." Silver smiled. "I'm older than I look, remember? I've put up those walls, strong, protective, thinking I'd be happier hiding behind them."
"You will need to explain this 'god' figure you cry out to when you are distressed." She sat up. "You're a handsome lunar pony."
Silver spread his wings for her. "I'm intimidating. I know how the average pony felt about my... their kind. They face a lot of challenges."
"They do..." Luna glanced away and back to Silver. "Are you certain you're not broken?"
Silver suddenly grinned. "Of course I am. There's no way you can care for somepony this much and not be. Love is a broken thing, but it's not one I'm in a rush to fix. When you... When you bashed me, I wasn't really thinking about myself. I was worried I'd pushed too hard, too fast."
"You did."
Silver smirked. "That didn't excuse the violence, but I care about you, Luna."
"Why won't you accept Celine back?"
Silver raised a brow. "About that. How can you be sure any new creation you made would actually be Celine? She's a part of you, Luna. She's dead, and yet not. She's become you, and you've become her. Unless you can actually pluck her from the past, it will never be that Celine, because that Celine is right here." He reached out and tapped Luna on the nose. "And she's grown up into a captivating mare of a princess."
Luna seemed to grow cold a moment. "As Princess, I can't be distracted by thoughts of family. I have duties to attend. Don't you understand that?"
"You clearly don't."
Luna scowled at him. "What makes you say that?"
Silver put a hoof to his chest. "You saw me fall and caught me, then wove a tale. You were ready to claim me. You offered to make me your foal." Luna cringed at the mentioning. "Did you think I forgot that offer? You wanted this, Luna, not me. Blaming me is just another wall you're hiding behind."
Luna waved a hoof and Silver suddenly was small. He was a tiny and immature version of himself. "Would that have been so terrible?"
Silver snorted in the high-pitched tone of a colt. "It would have destroyed Night. It's not just about me or you. I have a wife, and she has foals. I have to see to their happiness." He reached out a little hoof. "I think you're a part of that."
Luna gave a smile, a sad smile. "But that cannot be." She leaned forward and kissed Silver's little cheek. "I forgive you, and accept your forgiveness, but that cannot be. If mine own sister has persisted this long without a lover, I will endure. Go." She looked ready to banish him, but hesitated. "Please?"
Silver returned to his normal self. Just a brown unicorn. "I will." He turned away. "But you're wrong. Even your sister would be happy for your happiness. Even if not... that way, be a friend. Friends aren't against any royal code." He trotted off away from the silent Luna, and slipped from her dream.
Celestia looked across the table at the green earth pony that sat with her. "You do sound like her."
"Because I am her, mostly." She swirled her hooves in the air. "I'm another version of her. I'm not here to take anything from her though! This is her world, promise."
Celestia raised a brow. "That's a very mature stance."
Surprise threw up those hooves. "I don't think other ponies are ready to accept greenie Pinkie. Nope, I'm Surprise now. Um." She smiled up at Celestia. "Thanks, for believing me."
"Do you Pinkie Promise it is the truth?"
Surprise jerked upright at the call to do the sacred Pinkie Promise. "Of course!" She went through the motions smoothly, poking herself in the eye. "Gosh, does it need another name?"
Celestia smiled gently. "You can keep that one." She reached across and ran a hoof through Surprise's limp locks. "Now what would it take to get the bounce back into you, Surprise?"
Surprise looked a bit embarrassed about it. "I... guess I'm not as super happy as I was before. Maybe making new friends will help. It's hard though. Most ponies already know Pinkie, though it's not so bad here in Canterlot, I do know ponies up here too. How do I make friends with them when I already know them so well and they don't know me? What if hanging out with them makes me run into Pinkie? What do I even say to Pinkie?!"
"Hello," suggested Celestia. "Tell the truth. You know yourself, how would you handle it?"
Surprise clopped her forehooves while looking thoughtful about it. "You... You're right. I'm making a big deal about nothing at all! She'd probably just giggle a lot and ask me to play some games and I'd say yes and then we'd have a fun day!" She giggled, hoof covering her mouth. "Oh gosh, there I was, worrying about nothing. Of course I wouldn't be upset at another me. At least I'm not a mirror clone and I won't mess anything up."
Celestia hovered a cupcake over towards Surprise. She accepted it without words and gobbled it right down. "You'll be just fine."
Surprise bobbed her head, her hair starting to perk up around her. "I was making this a lot harder than I had to." She clopped a hoof to her forehead. "Don't you hate it when you do that?"
A smile spread over Celestia's expression. "I certainly do, but it's a feeling I can relate to. I would like to hold onto your book for a little longer, if that's alright?"
"Oh sure!" Surprise waved a hoof. "Just give it back when you're done. Oh! Have you seen Mister and Missus Watch? I've been waiting all day to hold a surprise foal party for them!"
Celestia's eyes drifted in the direction of the infirmary. "They'll be along when they're ready. Something important came up that called them away. You may want to put their cake away."
"How'd you know it was a cake?!"
She smiled gently. "You're not that different from Pinkie, Surprise."
She brought a hoof down. "This is unacceptable. Trixie will not tolerate these living conditions a moment longer."
Rough Draft perked his ears at her. "I know it's a little--"
"It's not a little anything." Trixie poked him in the chest. "Trixie has endured your slovenly cleaning habits long enough. We are going to make y--our home into something worth being jealous about." She flashed a brilliant smile. "Now, are you with Trixie, or must she throw her darling stallion out of the home while she works?"
"O-of course, dear!" He gave a nervous smile and sprung to his hooves. "Where do we start?"
"Such a good stallion." She smooched him on the cheek. "Let's start with the living area. It's where we should be entertaining guests, and it should reflect well on both of us." She led the way, her magic grabbing a pail and mop and a broom along the way. "Today promises to be quite busy, but the results will be worth it, Trixie promises."
Rough followed obediently, and the two got to straightening up his house, with some elbow grease and a little helping magic to hurry it along. He nipped at her ear while passing her. "I love you."
Trixie warmed in her cheeks. "And Trixie loves you in return, good stallion, but keep working. We have much to achieve before the sun sets." They shared a little noserub and got back to the task at hoof.
He was sent with a shopping list of building supplies to complete repairs and even expand on the building in ways that Trixie envisioned a grand palace.
Rough Draft's house would be the crown jewel of their little town, at least if Trixie had a say in it.
She always did.