312 - Family Affairs
It was dark and his thoughts were past his physical form. He patrolled the dreams of the ponies, and there were so many that needed looking after. Some he comforted and others he scolded gently, but he did his best to visit them all and to hold his judgements back until proper.
It was not his usual thing, but it was a thing, and it was his, so he did it at best he could.
Something pressed against him, his physical body. He started awake with a soft equine snort. "Who?"
"Shh." Twilight. Her voice was hard to miss. "I just want to sleep here."
Silver pinned his ears back. "There is exactly one mare I share a bed with."
"And that's not me..." He could hear a soft sigh. "And I look absurd just for coming here." She had not moved. Her hooves were on his sides. "You had many, before..."
"You see me almost every night." Despite her being there, he didn't throw her clear. He was still and spoke. "You are doing quite well on your adventure."
"Thank you... But dream adventures are not the same thing." She came in closer, nuzzling his back. "Your words. They have a meaning or did, in your writing. They do when you speak... But in your dreams, they always seem just a little hollow, why is that?"
Silver peeked over his shoulder, but couldn't quite see her. "I know a dream, always. There is a line between waking and dreaming. It's hard to be 'all there' for what I can feel is a dream."
"Huh... Did Princess Luna feel that?" Her hooves were wandering slowly. "You aren't as distant as you claim. I can... Silver, I don't want to be dead either."
"Dead?" He turned an ear back at her. "What do you mean?"
"I feel like... Like we're fading in a way." There was quiet for a time, just moving hooves. Nervous hooves. "Not even in a bad way... Like I might have done... Seen the greatest days, and now I'm at my ending."
"With rainbows?"
A soft sniff, and a snotty nose pressed to his back. "With rainbows."
Silver could feel his own tension growing. Was he at his own ending? The rainbows didn't come in any great showing. But he was happy by and large. Things were working out the way he would have wanted to. "Huh..."
"Is this something you worried about?"
"Yeah, actually." He turned to face her in the dark. "I never thought I'd be at the spot that I felt... good."
"Good?" She perked an ear at him. "You feel good?"
"I feel very good, actually." He rubbed noses with her. "My house is in order. As much as it is mine, my kingdom seems good. My wife is happy, and so am I. I'm busy, in all the good ways. Drama may come later, but..."
"But?" She didn't dare touch him while being faced. "I'm really sorry. I know I didn't get permission. You must think..."
"I think you're lonely." He flicked his tongue over her nose. "And a little alarmed. For as long as I last, which seems like a long time for alicorns, I won't wander off."
"That's a long time." She shrank back. "That's a big promise."
"And it is a promise I just made." He moved a hoof under her chin, watching her intently. "And one I don't regret. I can't be your husband, but I will be there. The only person I hate!"
"What do you hate?" Twilight sat up slowly. "I want to hear that."
"I hate that our schedules are so opposite!" Silver snorted in anger. "I'd rather be awake with you. Speaking of that, you are up past your bedtime. Go to sleep."
Twilight giggled softly, but nestled all the closer. "You could put me to sleep whenever you wanted. I feel this is entirely true."
"That would be rude." He nipped one of her ears firmly. "And I try to not be that."
"To a fault." She flopped back suddenly. "Spike is my little brother."
Silver raised a brow in the dark. "Alright... What should I take from that?"
"It means I wouldn't chase him, even if he's a pretty good match." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, the power dynamic between the two of us? So unhealthy. I've done research on that, which is part of the problem." She crossed her arms with a pout. "I'm a poor match for everypony I've thought of because of that. Being princess sucks!"
Silver sat up fully on his haunches. "But not me."
"Not you." She poked him on the nose. "You don't fully respect my authority, knave." She stuck out her tongue as she said that. "You see me as the mare I was, even with the trappings of a princess. I happen to be a pony you like quite a bit, but you don't see Celestia here." She was quiet a moment, hooves tapping. "I like that."
"Enough to sneak into my bed?" Twilight only colored more. "Even if I'm married?" The coloring got worse. "I don't hate you."
"Do you even know how to hate?" Twilight raised a brow at that. "Sorry, that's an unfair question..." She slid backwards, watching him. "You like me, and I like you, but we are destined to stay apart? That really isn't fair..."
"I was terrified to get involved." Silver leaned closer. "I couldn't know when the series ended, and I didn't want to mess it up."
"Series? Oh! Human thing, yes." She raised an ear. "Easy to forget you're part human at times. You don't act like one usually. It must be odd, having that little snippet of divination. Are we past what you saw?"
Silver thought back. "By quite a bit. I do not know what's coming next."
"Then it may as well not exist." Twilight shrugged in a grand motion of her shoulders. "Tomorrow could be anything!"
"Anything at all." Silver smiled in the dark. "But right now, still married. I have two adorable children, and a stepsister, and I care for all three of them with all my heart." He set a hoof on his chest. "I have a job, one you gave me, which I do my best to get right."
"And you have a royal intruder." Twilight tossed a leg off the bed and slid to the floor. "Who won't take a hint and leave you alone?"
"I want you to get your rest." He flopped over to peer into her eyes with his chin on the top of his bed. "I don't want you to go thinking I'm angry at you. I'm not." He quirked a smile. "My wife is doing her best to defy the odds and join us as royals."
"If that happens." Twilight inclined her head faintly. "I would welcome her. Night has done much for Equestria, quite a bit... She would deserve it." She raised her hooves to Silver's cheeks. "May I ask about your dreams?"
Silver's ears went upright, but he didn't draw away. "You saw them."
"Hearing from you works better." Twilight held Silver firmly in place. "In them, I was there. In at least one, I was far... far closer. Did you enjoy that? Did... Did you like the idea of being that close to me?"
"Unfair." He smiled despite being held captive. "I liked it a lot... I liked being with you... I savored being there when you nerded out. Nothing would have replaced listening to you. I enjoyed being subjected to your spells. It brought me joy using my magic on you. I liked it."
"Thank you." She released him and sat back. "For being honest. Your wife once told me to not break what I admired. Maybe she isn't wrong. Maybe trying to shove my nerdy snout in will only hurt things." She flipped an ear back. "Even if I can hear you saying 'but maybe in the future' between the lines."
"It's not between the lines if you say it out loud." Silver sat up with a soft snort of denial. "But I know how you feel, now that you made me think about it."
"And it bothers you?" Twilight inclined her head. "You went through... a lot, like me, to reach where you are. That it could all be over?"
"But it's not over." He set a hoof on her forehead. "Not so long as I keep breathing, which I'm still doing. I will live my days. I will support people and maybe help them with their traumatic lives, even if mine never had another surprise twist." He raised an ear at her. "Though assuming that feels like a big, bold assumption?"
"That's me. Big... Bold." Twilight's wings fidgeted on her back. "Got me down to a tee."
"You know, I don't have to explore dreams." He leaned in with a smile. "Luna plans to sneak back, and she isn't ready to retire anyway. We could let her handle the dreamworld and she'd thank us for the chance."
Twilight blinked slowly. "Are you offering to hang out with me?"
"If you want?" He shrugged in a mild motion. "It was your idea that I pick a job. I don't care what the job is, if I'm being useful. You want a prince around when you're awake?"
"Yes!" She blushed at her outburst, covering her mouth with a hoof. "I mean, that would please me." She smiled brightly, if awkwardly. "Seriously, you're alright with that?"
"If it means we can hang out more, and you sneak in during night a lot less." He hopped off the bed and prowled towards the window. "Night will be very jealous. She will know. I will tell her. I will also tell her nothing happened and I sent you home with a better understanding."
"Oh..." Twilight fidgeted a little. "But you still want to hang out?"
"I would have called backsies if I meant it." He willed the window open to allow the cool evening air in. "I won't do sexy times with you though. I don't feel the urge much these days."
"Oh... oh?" Twilight followed after him with some obvious confusion. "Is that a part of becoming an alicorn?"
"Maybe?" He shrugged softly. "I have children and a loving wife. I can snuggle her whenever she's around." He threw a leg over Twilight when she came close enough. "I feel no urge to make sure tab A still fits in slot B. Gonna bet it does, or I could use some tricky magic to make sure of it."
Twilight colored at that. "Is... that the magic Night was implying Starswirl might have?"
Silver squinted at that, but it became a laugh. "She would say that, but she's probably not even wrong. He's a clever wizard. Bet he has a few tricks." He waved Twilight off. "But you need to sleep, and I have to finish patrolling. If you want me to swap, we have to drop Luna a hint we're ready for her to come back."
"About that." Twilight started her trek back to the entrance of the room. "You and Luna... Wasn't she a part?"
"She has her own thing. If she wants, I'm here, but I bet she's already moved on." Silver waved that off. "But I'm here. You, little miss nerd girl, do not want to be involved in the sister of your teacher like that."
Twilight began to color from her neck up. "I... do not. Is that a problem?"
"I doubt it." Silver pointed to the door. "Go to sleep, and I'm not mad."
"You rarely are." Twilight began her journey away. "See you later. I'll inform Luna, so don't—"
"Don't do that." Silver perked an ear as he climbed back into position on his bed. "She'll expect word from me, if anywhere. You officially shouldn't be in the know. Let me tell her."
"Oh... alright." Twilight mostly closed the door. "Good night." With a soft click, she was gone.
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I wonder how long we will have to get into G5 before they give enough episodes to have even a partial suggestion of not just intervening history, but how the Man6 were remmebered differently than they were to create what we take to be G4?
this does kind of feel like a ending, or is just a shift to the new story return to equestria?
after all i have a feeling we the readers will have way more silver to read in time.
11205550
That is a possibility.
That was a pretty little bow to wrap things up with!
Awe love the story. Ship silver/night, luna and twilight but little less of luna then night and twilight thats just me though. Lol :P
11224287
Retirement is no security.
the last reader is stil a chance to get caught?
11224379
False security is part of a typo's toolkit.
11226429
most are content with just reading, even if they begrudge a Typo..
I think that you mean
just a little bit hollow,
11247186
Fixed, and welcome to the end. How'd you like the ride?
11247230
It had its highs and lows, as is common with roller coaster type rides. The interlocked loops that turned upside down on themselves were fun but disconcerting (i.e. the dream lives).
11247358
But you experienced them, as did Silver. A part of things.
11247365
A part that seemed to have maybe been "realer" that he initially thought upon "waking" from them.
11247540
Which is, itself, a funny thing to me, since some were quite disturbed at the 'wasted' time.
11247673
No time spent reading part of a well written story is wasted.
11253876
I never said I didn't enjoy it, though I don't remember the context of that comment.
Fun story.
11340878
You made it to the end, that makes you a special pony. Any favorite parts?
11340880
Oh sweet Celestia... I just read it ALL in a week... I liked Sam's personality, I appreciated the harem fantasy, but I loved that it fizzled out and wasn't the center point of the story.
The story and plot was great, the prose was fun to read and experience.
I just don't have any complaints.
What's the next book? There's two after this, but the descriptions don't line up with the completion of this one.
11340881
Oh dear, you missed the author's note of when to go down the winding path of The Dream Times.
11340893
As you said in one chapter, I downloaded the whole story without authors notes, so without you putting it in as a written comment, I wouldn't have gotten it.
11398554
No, I actually just hate Hockey.
I so really wanted to like this story....I really like the previous stories Clueless in Equestria and Every Cloud has a Silver Lining.
However for me the bad heavily outweigh the good
The good
-Lots of very likable characters
-Very good story ideas for the most part
-Very fun magic system
The bad
-The relationship drama. Hands down the worst thing. It is like watching you tube without add blocker. They are so frequent in the first 2/3 up until about chapter 235ish. Some make no sense, others happen with the drop of a hat and are resolved just as quick with no lasting impact.
-Twists that change likable characters into unlikable characters.
-How Nef nef's story ended
-how basically every romantic relationship Silver has other than one is ended with little to no buildup.
-chapter 237 is a time skip but the author does not link the stories that cover that gap but does link another story with the same issue.
-Fast deserved a better ending. She was one of your best characters
-the side stories after chapter 280
-it is mentioned that Luna carries silvers foal and then this thread is dropped never to come up again.
Honestly the best ending would be to stop reading at chapter 236 even though the best story bits are between 237 and 280. This is mostly due to the lack of herd drama
Sorry if this is a bit rantish but I had to get this out.
11398978
Silver is me. The good and the bad.
Perhaps one day I'll experience a satisfying relationship. That day is not today, or all these years.
So how's the ending?
11398987
the final one at chapter 312?
unsatisfying.
-Felt like one of the side characters suggested and night/silver were drifting apart somewhat and even if she ascends he will eventually be sad and alone.
-future of silvers relationships with Luna/twilight felt unfinished
11409146
Wow. Thats amazing that that works.
You are smort.
Had I been reading your stories in paper form, I'd likely have numerous cuts on my fingers from how fast I've been consuming them. Seriously, I've gotten through the start of this series to current in less than two weeks. It's been an imaginative and enjoyable ride. As such, good author, you've my thanks and congratulations for your efforts.
I stress this isn't meant to be hateful, and to highlight how much I care about this work I'll point out that since I've been lurking on Fimfiction, a bout a year before joining, and after reading over 100 entries/stories, this is my first comment. Please allow this to illustrate how enthralled I was with the series, and too, how abrupt this is/was perceived.
That said, in full disclosure and constructiveness, you lost me around chapter 297. The Twilight entanglement reads so forced and heavyhanded, that I've stopped reading. I made it to 301. It pains me that I've dropped a book so close to its end, but it's became so unpalatable that I could not bring myself to see its conclusion. To have Twilight talk/browbeat Fast Change out of the marriage and just force her way in...I've a lack of words to string together that could fully convey how odd that is. It doesn't fit either character, as you've written them, nor do the resulting attitudes from others follow form. It very much seems as though a different story is being told, or another author came in to write without reading the book.
Also, I respect that this is a self-insert work for you, that Silver is you and interacts as you might; I also fully understand that we all change over time, Lord knows I have done my share of such. However, for you to write in that Silver is asexual is more of a stretch than Willy Wonka could achieve in his taffy room. In this series, from the start, while shy I concede, Silver has jumped on every chance for sexual pleasure he's had the opportunity for within his morals. As written, if he found the person attractive and there is naught but air and opportunity separating him, he's jumped on it, having taken the initiative quite a bit. As a writer, I can understand with such a lengthy project you may have forgotten some details if not constantly rereading your progress, but, like I said earlier, it is quite jarring to come across such a chasm in the continuity.
All in all it was a ridiculously enthralling story up until my stopping point, and I commend you for your efforts. May your future works benefit from this exercise, and may you be well. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
11441071
Well, like myself, functionally ace, 40+ year old virgin who's never had a boy or girlfriend.
But curiosity is a thing. If someone I liked offered, I would likely, nervously, go right along with it and try it and hope it went well! Maybe it would.
Maybe it would not. How would I know? I live the average day not worrying much about it. Self-denial is a skill I have done pretty well, on the other hoof. It's complicated.
either way, Twilight is acting out of sadness and confusion as she enters a new life stage. One would hope it passes, but that would happen after the end of the story. Don't look down on her so harshly for having a weak moment. Being thrust onto such a high pedestal and demanded to act in such a grand way can do that to people. She's trying her best. I feel for her. So does Silver. They do nothing, I should note.
That
I feel a bit sad that it has finally come to an end. I enjoyed this story thoroughly. The ending feels a bit off-ended though. There is also a thing with Sheba, suddenly disappearing in Vanhoover. There are also other plots in progress that haven't been resolved, like Chrysalis, or Maribelle, or Fast, or Trixie, so much still unresolved, the meeting with Luna from postal service perhaps or Sombra's journey collecting Amore's remnants, the kingdom of Umbrum in the present, Twilight's friends condition, Nefertari's child grabbed by Samantha, Rough Tumble, Lyra, John Smith in Equestria Girls' universe is one I just remebered, the collab stories' plots like Billy the goat, Penny, the time travelling dude/changeling from the dream, Surprise and Charlie, Z something something and Diane, the dude with the solar panel and librarian guy, and so on and so forth(though this one is probably the collaber's(?) responsibility and maybe in their own book, but Silver's obliviousness is a bit concerning..). But, I guess you have probably moved on from this story, it has been such a long one, though I somehow managed to read the entire thing (except Beneath A Silver Sky, that was too much for my head it hurts) in one month. Like I said, thoroughly enjoyed this series, I hope for more, but don't pressure yourself, it's been a fun ride, maybe I'll finish reading Beneath A Silver Sky later when I have more emotional and mental fortitude.
11715948
Charlie has his whole story! Surprise is resolved within it. This was a deeply personal story, with me as the protagonist. That me is no longer valid. I wrote another me-story, set in G5.
- MLP Gen 5
- Slice of Life
Older, yes. Wiser, perhaps? If he had learned anything, he wouldn't be there. Offered a new chance to visit Equestria, he takes it, not understanding just how much it has changed since the first time. At least he lacks wings or a horn.Thank you for reading through this one though, tidying typos the whole way.
11715957
You're welcome, I planned on reading that next. So I guess from what you replied, this story has truly come to an end huh? It's fine I guess, though it will be great for the other threads to be resolved, I guess the spirit can really only go for so long..
11715962
This saga, including the other stories that encompass it, was millions of words. I feel no remorse at eventually calling it an end.
11718915
Oh... OK then, is me who is the dumb one here then