Luna roamed the halls of the castle, trying to find her wolf and mare. She checked Silvers home, but upon finding it empty, she assumed they must be elsewhere. Unless they were in the back of the mountain side, in which case searching for them would be pointless. No need to get lost out there, after all.
So she opted to search a more familiar area that they might be in; Canterlot Castle. However, the past ten minutes have proved to be rather unfruitful.
After so long of wandering, Luna eventually found herself back where she started; in front of the conference hall. Pausing in her search to let out a sigh, she considered just going back to Silvers home and waiting for them to return. That is until she noticed the guards standing watch.
“You,” she called, getting the stallions attention.
He straightened up more than he already was and saluted, “Ma'am?”
“Have you seen Princess Twilight and a wolf pass by recently?” she asked, “They would have been together.”
“Yes, Ma'am. They went down the hall and out of the window,” he answered, pointing a hoof to an opened one, “After that Ma'am, I'm not sure.”
Luna nodded her head, “Thank you. You've been very helpful.” With that, she turned and left, heading towards the spot where her herd had exited. When she reached the window, she flapped her wings and took off, hovering around the castle for a minute to search.
It wasn't until she turned around and saw two figures laying together on the roof of the home that she realized where they went. Swiftly, she dived down and landed on the roofing lightly, careful not to disturb the already upset wolf.
“Twilight?” she called out lightly.
Two lavender ears perked up and the head full of purple mane turned to face her. Twilight then looked back at the wolf for a moment, gently nuzzling his neck.
“Silver?” she said softly in his ear, “Wait right here, I'll be back in a moment. And maybe with a little surprise for you.”
The wolf didn't move. Just the same as before, his body showed no signs of response. Twilight let out a disheartened sigh before standing and walking back to Luna.
“How is he?” the midnight mare asked in a hushed tone.
Twilight shook her head, “He won't do or say anything. The only thing I could do was lead him out of the room, which even then I don't think he was actually following me. When I stopped to ask him where he wanted to go, he just kept walking and came up here. It's like he doesn't even know I exist,” another sad sigh escaped her as she hung her head, “I'm a terrible marefriend. I can't even cheer up my boyfriend when his ex decides to show her face.”
The upset alicorn then felt something lift her chin, making her look up to see Lunas smiling face, “No dear, you're not. You've stuck with him this whole time while I decided to stay behind and deal with...” Luna had to pause and force a quiver of anger down before continuing, “and even after that, I wasted time running around the castle. You're not a terrible marefriend, you're the best,” she sealed her reassurance with a deep, passionate kiss.
After it broke, Twilight simply looked down with scarlet cheeks and fiddling hooves, “Um..thank you...you're the best marefriend too...”
Luna couldn't help but giggle. A flustered Twilight was the most adorable Twilight. The older alicorn wrapped a wing around her, “Come on. Let's see if we can't cheer up our wolf.”
Together they trotted over to Silver, who still laid with his paws crossed and his head resting atop with his eyes closed. Twilight took up her spot on the right, while Luna laid on his left.
“Silver?” the lavender mare said, “Silver, Luna's here. She's worried about you; we both are.”
After a moment of silence, she looked over to Luna and shook her head. It was the lunar alicorns turn now.
“Silver,” she cooed in his ear, “Please say something...”
Another lack of response.
“Silver...I'm begging you...”
Silence...
“Something, anything...please, just let us know that you're okay...you're scarring us..”
….
Twitch
It was small. Just a simple flicker of the tip of his ear. In all honesty, neither mare even noticed it. But then....
Twitch, Twitch
Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight barely caught the motion. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, until the wolfs ears folded back.
Slowly, Silver lifted his head. His eyes opened once more, though they were directed towards the ground.
“Silver?” Luna asked hopefully.
Her wolf-friend looked down in shame, “'m sorry...I didn't mean to worry you...” he mumbled.
Both mares sat still for a moment, but then, in a flash, Luna and Twilight threw their hooves around his neck, squeezing him like he might just disappear out of nowhere.
“You idiot!” Twilight yelled into his fur, “Of course we were worried about you!”
Silver could feel her body shudder and her choking breathes as she fought back her tears. He leaned over and nuzzled her cheek, “I know, and I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to see me like that. It's...well, it's just not a side of me I like others to see. I just...” he trailed off as sigh was let out.
Luna lifted her head and turned Silvers to face her, “It's understandable why you were upset. What she said...it was beyond rude and horrible. I should have gotten rid of her sooner,” she finished and leaned in to kiss him.
After it broke, Silver let out another tired sigh and rested his head against her. He let it lay there for a long time, simply taking in the comfort of his mare-friends and the temperature outside. Winter was well on it's way, but the last few days of fall were still hanging on, allowing for the occasional cool day outside. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold either. The day was wonderful getting rid of stress and anger.
“She was the first to say it to me,” he admitted after a while. His voice carried with his words a certain degree of heart break.
Luna looked down at him, “You mean about Lily?”
Silver shook his head, “Not just that. She was the first to call me a monster.”
As the words hit her, Twilight slowly pulled her head out of his neck. She still didn't forgive herself for calling him that. Chances were that she might never. It wasn't that it was just an insult, but that it was reinforcing something he already believed himself to be. It's like if someone calls themselves unwanted, you don't agree. You tell them the opposite.
But Twilight didn't. Hell, she'd made a damn lecture out of it.
“Well, I suppose that's wrong too,” he continued, “I'd been called it before. It was only natural considering the things I've done, but it was never from someone I cared about. Someone I called a friend. Someone I loved. After she found out, she hated me. We argued, and then split up. But it wasn't until after that that I actually started believing I'm a monster. I guess--”
Silver was cut off by a sniffle. He looked over and saw Twilight with her head once again buried into his neck.
“Twilight?” he asked. The mare simply shook her head, prompting him to try again “Twilight?”
“I'm terrible....” she squeaked out.
“What are you talking about?”
Twilight no longer could hold back her tears, and was now fully crying, “I c-can't cheer you up, I c-can't put together m-my own guard and to make things worse I'm j-just as much as bitch as Aurora. I c-called you the same thing for the same reason and w-w-when I thought you might die, I was so scared t-that I would never get the c-chance to say I'm s-sorry, but even after you got better I n-never apologized. I'm a-- I'm a...”
Her ramblings were cut off by a kiss pressed against her muzzle. After a long moment, it broke, and Twilight found a pair of honey hazel eyes staring into hers, “You're a wonderful mare-friend,” Silver cooed, “And forget about what you said to me before. I know you were upset at the time, but unlike Aurora you actually listened after, and even more, you regret it. I don't think that's something she understands. You're nothing like Aurora, and don't think even for a second that I would ever hold what you said against me.”
Twilight sniffled, “But I--” she was silenced by yet another kiss.
“No buts,” he instructed before kissing her again, “No more tears,” another kiss, “And no more feeling guilty,” he finished with one longer than either before. Once it finally broke, Twilight let out a long sigh and nodded.
“Can we just forget today? I wanna go home,” Twilight pleaded.
Luna giggled, “Normally, I would happily agree, but I'm afraid the day has only just gotten started. Silver still has training to lead and you and I have our own tasks.”
Twilight sighed once more, “This sucks.”
It was then that a guard had flown out of the window. He paused and looked around, before finally spotting the three on the roof.
Flying down and landing behind them, he made himself known.
“Princess Luna, Princess Twilight,” he said, getting them to turn their heads, “Miss Radiance has just arrived. She's waiting in the conference hall.”
Luna nodded, “Thank you. You're dismissed,” and the guard flew off. She turned back to her wolf and mare, “Well, shall we?”
Both nodded and stood, flying back across the castle roof and in through the window.
“I suppose it's a bit of luck,” Luna said as they walked, “Had she showed up earlier, things would have been much more difficult.”
“True,” Twilight agreed, “It'd be hard to hide her in the castle and have Bitch Face here too.”
Both Silver and Luna stopped in their tracks and looked the lavender mare with shock and confusion. When she finally noticed they were behind her rather than at her side, Twilight turned and look in equal perplexity.
“What?” she asked.
“It's just...that was kinda mean,” Luna admitted, “We weren't really expecting it.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “If you really expect me to refer to her by her name, then you're crazy. She's lost any respect from me the moment she made Silver mad.”
It was then she felt a peck on her cheek. She looked over to find the mentioned wolf pulling away.
“Have I ever told you how adorable you are when you stick up for me?” he teased, causing the mare to blush.
“Silver,” she scolded while looking away, “Not in front of others. The public doesn't know about us.”
Luna trotted up beside them giggling, “Don't worry. The guards and staff know better than to say anything about that they see in the castle. Now come along, we don't want to keep our guest waiting.”
A short walk later, and the three found themselves in the room with the fox....and a white alicorn.
...With a very angry scowl. That damned guard from earlier didn't mention this.
The moment the three of them stepped in, Celestias eye snapped to them.
“Luna. Twilight. Silver,” she addressed, not actually greeting them, “Do you mind explaining to me why my castle is riddled with cracks and ice?”
They all paused, Luna suddenly taking in interest in anything that wasn't her sister. You know, those were some really nice drapes.
“Um...STAR SHINE!” Silver called. Suddenly, the female wolf appeared beside the trio.
“What is it?” she asked, “I still have to fix the...rest...of....” Slowly, she turned her head, noticing the fierce glare Celestia was giving her.
“Star Shine...” the white alicorn growled, “Were you responsible for the damage done to the castle?”
The wolf could only squeak in terror. It reminded Twilight of when ponies would try to question Flutter Shy. It was actually kinda cute.
Celestia stalked forward towards the group, “And the ice?”
It was then that Luna stepped between the other three and her sister, “That was me,” she admitted, “I was the one who froze over the room. Yes, I know it was foalish and stupid. No, I cannot guarantee that it won't happen again. But sister, that wolf was being, pardon my language Silver, a bitch. So if you intend on punishing Star Shine then you must punish me as well for doing the same thing for the same reason.”
Celestia, for her part, was actually surprised. She was certainly upset, but she didn't expect Luna to defend Star Shine in such a way. Yes, Luna was kind, but an act such as this was unforeseen.
The ivory mare paused and cocked a brow, “You say she was behaving inappropriately?”
“She made a remark about a part of Silvers personal life that neither of us could let pass. And so...we intimidated her,” Luna explained.
“And this remark was?”
It was here where Luna turned back at Silver, looking for his approval. Instead of receiving it, the wolf explained it himself.
“She insulted Lily,” he said in a cold tone.
Celestias curious expression was wiped away immediately, and was instead replaced with sympathy.
“Oh...I see. A foolish mistake indeed,” she concluded. The white mare then walked over to the crack in the walls made by Star Shines roots, “Star Shine. I would appreciate it if you could repair these damages.”
The wolf quickly perked up and scampered away, “Yes, Princess!”
After she'd left, all attention was turned to Celestia once more, who was moving back over to Radiance.
“Well everyone, with that out of the way” she began, “I believe this fox has gone a long way to get something for us, and I think it's about time her journey end.”
The Zodiac Tome.
It's cover was simple. Black with stars painted on it. Despite it's simplicity however, it still gave the beings in the room an unnerving sensation, Luna in particular.
This was perhaps due to it's realistic appearance. The starry sky on the book look real, as if they were staring into the night sky itself.
“Sister, I don't like this grimoire,” Luna stated, “I think we should just bury it.”
“We can't,” Celestia denied, “We still don't know what's inside. Until we do, we can't risk someone else finding, especially the one that's been hunting these books.”
The little sister sighed, “Fine. But how can we even be sure this is the same book that Daring Do had in the cave?”
It was then that Radiance stepped forward. She dug into her bag and pulled out a dirty safari hat, tossing it on the table next to the grimoire, “I think this belongs to the mare you're referring to. She's not dead, so she might come back for it, but she was still guarding the book when I went to get it.”
Silver raised a brow, “I thought you were only going to buy the book. The whole reason we sent you was to avoid another fight.”
The vixen sighed, “Well, for some reason, she was pretty intent on keeping it. I didn't argue, I just got the damn thing and left. I'm assuming it was a scheme, since she attacked me on my way back. I think her and the seller had system going where the buyer pays for the book, tries to leave the mountain and Daring mugs them and steals it back.”
Silver shrugged. It sounded like a good idea. He lifted a paw, flipping the book open, but noticed something off about it. When he examined the first few pages, he noticed the remains of previous ones that had been removed.
“Great,” he sighed, “There are pages missing. Did Daring happen to tear out a couple during your scuffle?”
Radiance shook her head, “No. The book never left my bag.”
“She could have torn the pages out before you got there,” Twilight suggested.
Silver hummed, “Yeah that's possible. But why? Daring doesn't care about grimoire magic, just the prices they sell for. Maybe it was her employer and not her.”
“I don't know,” Radiance said, “The guy that sold it didn't seem like the kind of pony to be interested in using magic either. I don't think there would be much point looking into him either.”
Silver shrugged, “Meh, oh well. As long as we have the rest of the book, the pages should be useless.”
Radiance quirked a brow, “Really? Can't they still just read the pages?”
Silver shook his head, “Nope. Grimoires aren't just a collection of spells someone created. They're stories. They have the memories and experiences bond with them. The magic that binds the book and transfers the spells stays with the book, so until those pages are returned, all they're going to have is a story of someones life.”
The fox nodded, “Okay then. Since my job is done, I'm going to take my leave. You've all done me a great service by removing that collar, so if there's anything I can help you out with in the future, please let me know.”
Silver waved a paw as Radiance bowed her head, then left the room.
“I miss her already,” Silver joked. The mares simply rolled their eyes.
“But are you sure the pages can't be used without the rest of the book?” Twilight asked.
The wolf nodded, “Yeah. The magic is bound to the book. Removing them removes the magic. And without the first pages of the book, you can't read the full story and you'll wind up getting incomplete spells.”
“So,” Celestia began, “Until we can find the rest of the pages, we can't find out what the book is for?”
Silver shook his head, “No, we can still find out what the grimoire does, we just won't be able to use the spells in it. I think we should leave that up to Star though. She should have a better understanding of what the book is capable of.”
Celestia nodded, “Very well. I'll get this to her right away. The rest of you should get on with your day.”
The herd all nodded and agreed. It was almost 11:00 now, and they had tasks of their own to complete. So, Twilight went back to the library in Ponyville, Luna went to her office and Silver went home to start the training. Well, it should have started already, but Beats would be joining them today and he needed to get a feel for what the stallion could do before he could come up with a regiment.
So the wolf wandered through the home and down the mountain. He went to where Ruppy, Onyx and Aerial were training, and took notice of the sounds that echoed through the mountain side.
Crumbles and crushes were booming through one side, while the clean sound of swords slicing through the air filled the other. It made Silver happy knowing that his protegees were so diligent.
Figuring that Onyx was closer, Silver decided he would check on her first. So he trotted through the mountain paths until he reached the clearing, where he found the black mare under a tree, panting from exhaustion.
Sitting by a tree a couple of yards away was a small orange filly and Beats, the former of the two watching in awe as Onyx kicked the trunk once more, before rapidly swinging her blades.
Silver could see leaves being shredded in the blindingly fast movements of the mare, but failing to cut them all.
“You're getting better,” he complemented as he approached, the unicorn turning to face him. Her face was dripping with sweat and breathes were erratic. Looking closely, he could see the aura around the hilt of the blade dimming, a sign that she would probably pass out soon, “You should rest,” he said, taking the blades out of her telepathic grip and setting them against the tree. He then picked her up and set her down against the trunk as well.
Onyx made no moves to try and stop him. Even if she wanted to, she didn't have the energy to. Those damn blades drained everything out of her. She was surprised she could use them when she was against the Fallen Kings.
After setting Onyx down, Silver turned his attention to the two pegasi under the nearby tree, “Enjoying the show?” he asked.
The little filly excitedly nodded her head, “Yeah-huh! This is so cool! I had no idea some pony could move that fast!” she exclaimed. Her brother couldn't help but chuckle.
It was then that Scootaloo stood up and raced over to Silver, “Ya know, I never did get a good look at you,” she said as she wandered around in circles examining him, “You're really big. And why do you have wings?”
“Scoots...” Beats said in a warning tone, “It's not polite to do things like this.”
“Oh come on!” the little filly protested, “How many chances am I gonna get to talk to a wolf!? With wings!”
Her brother simply rolled his eyes, “Well could you at least be a little more polite about it?”
Scootaloo mimicked her brothers eye roll, causing Silver to let out a light laugh. Oh yeah, they were siblings.
“Well,” the wolf said, “Why do you have wings?”
“Uh, cause I'm a pegasus. Duh!” the filly said, “I was born with them.”
“Well so was I,” Silver explained, “I'm what's called an Aerial wolf. We're wolves with wings. Just like pegasi are ponies with wings.”
“So, does that mean there are wolves without wings too? What about ones with horns and magic?” she asked.
Silver lowered himself to the ground to meet the curious little fillies eyes, “Well, wolves without wings are called Prime wolves, and while we don't have wolves with horns, we do have wolves with magic. Actually, all wolves can use magic.”
“You can!?” she exclaimed, “I thought you had to have a horn to use magic, but you're telling me that you don't have to?!”
Silver chuckled once more, “Yep. There are plenty of types of magic that you can use without a horn. You just gotta find them.”
Scootaloos face lit up. She'd always been curious about magic. Sure, she still preferred having wings over a horn any day, but she could still wonder about it.
“That's so cool! Maybe I can learn a magic that can help me find my cutie mark!?” she gasped.
“I don't know about that,” Silver said, “Getting a cutie mark is something special, right? There are somethings that magic just can't do.”
The little pegasus seemed to deflate, prompting her brother to step forward, “Hey, don't worry Scoots. You'll get your cutie mark soon enough.”
“Yeah, I know,” she dejectedly responded, then shuffled off to go sit wit Onyx.
Silver raised his head and looked at the stallion sitting in front of him, “You ready to get started with your training?” the wolf asked.
Beats nodded, “Yep. Just tell me what I need to do.”
Silver pointed his head in direction leading away from the place where Onyx trains, “Follow me. You two can follow too if you wanna see him get his flank kicked. Actually, go tell Ruppy and Aerial too. I'm sure they'd find it funny.”
The words made Beats worry, while Onyx simply laughed, “Don't get started without us,” she said before standing. Scootaloo did the same and followed her to the path that lead to the cliff where the other two trained.
Silver continued to lead the stallion through the mountain side, eventually coming to a stop in a small, flat clearing surrounded by trees.
The sound of hooves on the ground and wings in the air told the two that their spectators had arrived. In a moment, Ruppy and Aerial had landed, while Onyx jumped out of the bushes with the little orange filly on her back.
“Sweet!” the pegasus mare said, “The show didn't start yet!”
“Show?” Beats asked, “Um, what's going on?”
“Allow me to explain,” Silver began, “Before I can come up with a way to improve your skills, I first need to know what you're capable of. In order to do that, combat simulation is required. So, you and I will be sparring, and if you don't manage to land a hit on me by the end of the day, I will make you sleep out here.”
Beats eyes went wide, “You can't do that!”
“Oh, but I can,” Silver said with a sly grin, “Now, if you don't want to spend the night here, I suggest you get into your stance. You only have about twelve and a half hours left until times up. It took Ruppy and Onyx about that long to hit me, so you should be fine.”
“This is insane,” Beats said with a shake of his head, but got into his stance anyway. His legs and wings spread and his body lowered to the ground. Silver did the same as he did with Ruppy and Onyx, and simply sat there.
No one moved, until...
In a flash, Beats pushed off from his spot, bolting at Silver. His planted his hind hooves in the ground and swung his left front one, the wolf leaning back and easily avoiding the blow. But then, the pegasus's body continued to turn, and his left hind leg was brought in a spinning kick.
“He's fast and surprisingly flexible.”
Silver ducked and avoided another blow, moving back to put space between them. Then he noticed something odd.
“He doesn't fight on all fours?”
The pegasus was standing on his hind legs, his wings still extended and his front hooves brought in front of him.
“I've never seen a pony fight as a bi-pedal before. I didn't think they had the balance. Unless that's what he's using his wings for.”
Once again, Beats propelled himself forward, a serious of lightning quick jabs following as soon as he reached Silver.
The wolf saw through each one of the swings, easily reading the pattern. He jumped and landed behind the pegasus, once again putting distance between the two of them.
“No wonder he couldn't beat Onyx or Ruppy. His attacks are so easy to read, I might as well be looking at a pop-up book. Something else is off though. He looks...awkward. Like he's uncomfortable.”
“Alright,” Silver said, “I've got a decent feel for offense. Now let's see how your defense is.”
“Whoo!” Scootaloo cheered, “Kick his butt!”
Onyx giggled at the little filly's antics, “You know he can't beat Silver right?”
“Yeah, I kinda figured,” she said with a grin, “Which I why I want Silver to beat him up. It'll make him tough!”
What a strange little filly...
Silver disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind the stallion with his wing pulled back. He swung it forward, knocking Beats off to the side and skidding across the ground. He only slid for a moment before he was got back to his hooves, the ran back at the wolf.
“He recovered?”
Silver had no time to think, Beats was already in his face. A hoof was being brought down at the wolfs head, and Silver swung a wing to knock his legs.
Beats crashed to the ground, hitting it so hard he bounced before Silver kicked him into the air.
The stallion went flying, but again, only for a moment until he recovered. Mid spin, Beats wings shot out and he bolted back down with incredible speed. He swung when he reached Silver, and the wolf side stepped, causing the hoof to drive into the ground.
The dirt cracked and kicked up dust.
“He's a lot stronger than he looks.”
Silver spun on his front paws, turning his backs legs to the stallion still in mid punch and bucked him across the clearing. Beats flew and almost crashed into a tree. Instead of hitting it, he managed to readjust his body, and planted his hooves on the trunk before pushing back off.
“He recovered again!? And from that position!?”
Just as the pegasus reached the wolf, Silver raised his paw and smacked away Beats hoof, “That's good enough,” he said, “I think I got it.”
Beats was caught off guard, and was sent tumbling across the grass. Once he pulled himself from the dirt, he turned and looked back Silver, “What? I thought I had a full twelve hours.”
“You did, but it's not necessary,” Silver said with a wave of a paw, “I can see what you can do, I just need to find out what's holding you back,” he wandered over and circled the stallion, examining his body.
He was in good physical condition, so that wasn't an issue. And while his strikes may have been bland and simple, they were by no means amateurish. Was it a mental thing?
“Beats,” the wolf said, “How do you feel during a fight?”
The pegasus shrugged, “I dunno. It was sparring, so I wasn't really feeling anything.”
Silver shook his head, “No,no. Not the sparring session, in any fight. Do you feel like something is off?”
Beats nodded, “Yeah. It just never feels...well, I want to say entertaining but that would just be weird. It's like it's missing something, and I just can't get into the rhythm.”
Silver cocked a brow.
“Rhythm? That's not something many say when describing fights. It's true that each one has a kind of pace to it, but not many ever notice it.”
Silver leaned over and look at the cutie mark on the stallions flank. It was...strange.
It was an audio visualizer, but the way it looked, you would think it was a series of explosions. Each peak was blindingly white and varying in terms of thickness.
“Wait a minute...no way...”
Silvers face broke out into huge grin, “This...is going to be...AWESOME!!” he exclaimed, “Okay! So I've got an idea! You just stay here and keep sparring with Onyx, and keep doing it for the next few training sessions. I gotta go!”
In a flash, the wolf disappeared, leaving behind the group of confused and stunned ponies. Onyx shook herself out of her bewilderment, then set Scootaloo on the ground before walking over to Beats.
“Well, you heard the wolf,” she said as she drew her swords, “Ready for round 2?”
Back in the home, Silver was on the second floor, rummaging through one of his closets.
“No. No. No,” he mumbled to himself as he tossed various items aside, “Aha! Found you!” he pulled a small back out of a chest and jostled it, checking to see how many of the contents were inside.
“Hmm,” he hummed, “Should be enough. Oh, I really hope this works!” he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him and trotting back up to the first floor.
“And now to go find that one mare. I don't think I ever actually caught her real name, but she had a white coat and bright blue mane, and some kick ass purple shades. Oh, wait! Her stage name! What was it again?
DJ- Something?”