Silver felt the need to take care of a usual pressure and detoured to the bathroom, but as he did so, trying to calm himself and making a tinkling noise in the bowl, his eyes snapped up to the mirror hanging there. Looking back at him was Princess Silver Stars. The anatomy he clearly felt while doing his business was proof enough that he was quite male.
Trembling, he reached a hoof out to the mirror, and the princess' hoof reached back, touched gently with only the glass separating them.
The princess let out a slow sigh, one that the prince did not. "I am you."
"Who are you?" Prince tilted his head.
"You know the answer to that." She nodded slowly. "Neither of us asked to be here, and yet..."
"I am you? I didn't die, did I?" Prince Silver Stars drew his hoof back, looking over the princess. "Why do I keep encountering my other self?"
"I am the one whose world you were thrown into... I know you didn't ask to come here, but the longer you stayed, the more unstable my entire thread of reality became, becoming more and more frayed with every passing day." She put another hoof on the mirror. "I know that wasn't your choice. I am you, after all. We both lived that... You... You were there, holding my foals, kissing my wives... You hurt with me when my world upended itself. It's broken and dying..."
Silver paled across the snout. "Is there something I can do to help? You know I will, if I can."
"I do know that," said the princess with the ghost of a smile. "But there's so little that can be done... The damage is so great, and spread so far. Ponies are falling right out of reality itself. I'm watching the end of times, and I thought, if I could, I'd want to say goodbye to you."
Silver's eyes widened. "No! No... Please. Who's left? Is it just you?" The idea that his beloved family could already be victim was tugging painfully, even if they were a copy. They didn't deserve that end, nopony did.
She glanced back into the darkness, then returned her gaze to the prince. She lifted her pendant, shining with Twilight's magic. "This is all I have left..."
Silver felt a stab through his heart, even imagining so little remaining of his family. "This isn't right... Please. If I can save you, will you let me save you? We made a promise, both of us. We'd never die until we had no choice, and you still have a choice."
She leaned forward. "But I'm already dead. Everything I fought for... All the things I died once for, gone... What would I live for? Myself? Go back to being alone and miserable? You know that's probably brought it all crashing down. So much strain on the weave of this world, it all came unraveling around me, the sore spot, the thing that didn't belong. My thread's the only one left. The irony, eh?"
Silver put a hoof on the mirror. "You'll start over, in a friendly world, where the sun shines. We found out why this happened in the first place, and we'll fix it."
"There can't be two Silver Stars."
Prince Silver Stars clopped his hooves together slowly, thinking and frowning. "Then don't be Silver Stars. Start from the beginning, but you won't be alone." He reached out again. "I'll be your father, your mother. I am you. I won't let you just die. You deserve a life. I'll do whatever it takes to get you that chance."
She pressed her snout against her side of the glass, horn tinking against it. "Would you really? Of course you would. I know you. I am you. Would you accept me, as your child? How freakin' weird would that be, being my own child..." She smiled suddenly. "Fudge it all. I did promise, didn't I? Do you mind if I stay this way? I feel more at home as a mare."
Prince Silver Stars met her hoof and pressed his snout to hers, still separated by that glass. "I would take you in as a colt, filly, or both if that tickled your fancy."
She stuck out her tongue, licking the glass. "That's what magic is for, which I will relearn. I know just where I can go."
"Where?"
"Clear Twilight, your filly with Night Watch. This is earlier, is it not?"
"It is."
"I'll be a lunar unicorn again." Her tail swayed gently. "Yours, both of yours. I won't take her over, mind. No. I'm ending this."
"What?! You just said--"
"I will be reborn through her. This life will end, but me, my spirit, my very essence... You'll see yourself in her, and there'll be more there than your genetics."
"Don't you want to be you?"
"There's already a me, right here, and he looks quite happy." She smiled gently. "Mmmf, I have to do this now, or never. Take care of me, alright? Hold me tight and remind me I'm loved, even if it's me saying it."
Before Silver could raise further concerns, the image faded, and the mirror cracked as a wail pierced the night. Night Watch's water had broken, and she was calling him. He tunneled through space itself, appearing beside her with a flash and assisted her as he hadn't had the chance to do in the other world. He held her hoof, mopped her brow, and never left her side.
His soft words assured her she was loved and safe, and all was well. Others arrived soon. Zecora assisted and Twilight and Fast watched, but only Silver remained glued to her side, always speaking in soft droning words of love and adoration. Every time she cried, he squeezed her gently. When she bit at him, he accepted it, and kept her embraced. Together, they brought life into the world. Clear Twilight was born. It was with a bittersweet turn that he heard Night Watch granting that name to her as if destiny itself had chosen it. Perhaps it had.
He locked eyes with the little filly, and he could feel it. The filly was filled with a spirit that would be there, like a past life or a guardian ancestor. Princess Silver Stars lived in behind Clear Twilight, but not through her directly. The little coo the filly made convinced him that both of them were happy with the arrangement, even if Silver was still unsure.
One thing he did know for certain. He loved them all. He hugged Clear and Night, then Twilight and Fast, and even Zecora. "Thank you for your help."
"For a stallion you were well behaved, to your instincts you are not enslaved. You should be proud of what you've done, the life of your filly has just begun." They shared a brief embrace, and she departed back to her borrowed room, allowing them to rest and bond. The entire family slept together with its newest member, only one of them aware of its origins.
It wasn't until morning that Silver realized he had been in the middle of something and sat up in a panic. He dashed from the room with a clatter of hooves and spread his wings. "I'll be right back!" Before anypony could ask what he would be back from, he launched from the balcony and soared for Canterlot, praying that everything hadn't exploded while he was dealing with other things. "Why does everything have to happen at the same time?"
To his surprise, when he landed at the castle, the guards didn't just let him walk by, but bowed before him, low and humbled. "What?"
"You're expected, Prince Silver Stars. Please, proceed to the throne room."
Silver nodded to each of them and trotted past into the palace. Every guard and servant he passed stopped to bow to him just as they might if Celestia were walking past, making him more confused. He reached the throne room and reached for the door, only to have it opened hastily for him by the guards standing nearby.
"Announcing Prince Silver Stars, Hero of the Land!" came the shrill cry of a pony, announcing his presence.
Seated on the thrones were a smiling Celestia and Luna, side-by-side, and sharing a hoof.
Silver smiled back at them shaking a little. "Is it over?"
Luna shook her head. "It's barely begun."
Celestia gestured to the space before her with her free forehoof. "Stand before us, Prince."
Silver strode down the carpet, ponies watching his every motion, but it wasn't with scorn or hatred or fear. He felt genuine admiration and warmth. He reached the spot Celestia had indicated and began to bow, but she cut it off with a sweep of her hoof.
Celestia rose from her throne and stepped down to be before Silver, then sank before him. "Thank you, my savior. Savior of Equestria, and the world entire. Thank you, one whom I have wronged in ways no pony should ever accept, but that you did, being who you are. Thank you, Prince Silver Stars, and may everypony be aware of that a true hero stands before me."
Luna slid off of her own throne and copied Celestia's bow immaculately. "A thank you from me as well, for rescuing my sister, and returning harmony to our land. Even when I was blind, you kept looking. I cannot be prouder to name you rightful bearer of the title of Prince of the Night." She extended a wing. "Long may we rule it, together."
Silver smiled, no, smiling was too weak. The expression he had refused to go away. It was a grin that wouldn't go away. He reached out with his leathery wing and met her feathery one, brushing against hers and nodding. "Long may we rule it, together." His gaze turned to Celestia. "You have wronged me terribly, and we need to talk, to both understand why and how, but know that I forgive." He put a hoof at his chest. "On one condition."
The court became hushed and tense, all allies turning to Celestia as she rose up. "And that is?"
Silver smiled. "I would see my foals trained by the best. When they are done learning the essentials in Ponyville, they will both learn at either of your hooves in turn, to learn the glory of sun and moon, and to fully appreciate the magic that helped form them."
Celestia drew back slightly. "You would have me mentor your foals... after that?"
"Do you refuse?"
"No... I mean, I accept your condition." She clopped the ground with a loud sound of metal on stone. "May they grow strong and well in our shared tutelage."
Luna drew her wing back as the crowd erupted into a wild cheer. "My ponies of Canterlot, let us celebrate this time of renewed peace!" The cheering redoubled and Luna led them in a procession, leading the court empty save a few guards, Celestia, and Silver.
Silver nodded at her. "We do need to speak, but I think we'll both listen to one another, perhaps for the first time."
"For the first time," agreed Celestia. "I have learned much of you from this, if there is to be a good side of it... You are unfathomably alien, but undeniably good of heart, even at your most wicked." She flashed a gentle smile. "And you do have a very wicked streak that rivals my own. Yes, we have much to discuss." She rose to her hooves. "Come. Today, we celebrate. Tonight, perhaps, we can speak."
Silver walked with her, still smiling.
His rainbow had come.
'BOUT FRICKIN TIME.
Oh, it feels like a breath of fresh air to finally see some good news and peace for Silver Stars. You can keep going if you want to, but *I* will most certainly be happy with an ending like this. :)
(but there's always the part of me that just wants a story to never end...)
You could end it here, but you aren't done torturing him, eh?
But..nefer...
you staid – you stayed
*****
Darn it, you nearly made me cry again. If I re-read this again I just might.
I would not feel cheated if you ended it here, but I do want to know more if you have more to tell. The energy and emotions you've stirred with this tale have not been brought to a rest quite yet.
There was a strong Neverending Story vibe going on in this chapter, not the movie as much as the actual novel by Michael Ende.
I can't think of anything more to say right now, other than - Thank you. Thank you for sharing these enthralling ideas and characters with us. Even those that have been lovingly borrowed are very much your own in as far as they are contained within the narrative you have woven.
Adding another footnote to the big family tree...
We still feel like the matter with Text remains unresolved, unless it was just the two collapsed realities?
Keep going! ;)
I am remembering 2 things #1 this is silver stars. #2 David silver is a super good author and just when things are getting really good and looking safe well hang on it is about to get rocky.
this is a exultant chapter and I will admit I was crying as night gave birth new life is just a vary happy moment.
6784430 You mean three, yes?
6784403 I never read the novel, but choose to accept this as a compliment. Typo throw into a dead reality where it belongs!
6785027
It was very much meant as a compliment!
6785020 maybe we're missing one? I'm counting the one Celestia_2 was from and Princess Stars.
6785222 Ah, you're right. I was counting 'equestria prime' but it didn't collapse, just kinda got collapsed into. For that matter, hopefully, Celestia 2's reality is looking better now, so only one truly collapsed reality.
I enjoyed it.
6788665
..Still, Luna didn't ask permission, nor did she explain anything about it save in part for afterward. So either he's misremembering, or he lied and Celestia isn't calling him on it.
6784403 Of this I can agree on :)
It did have a neverending story vibe to it. Even if you were to end it here, David, none of us would feel angry at you ;) If you were to continue, we'd still be happy with that.
Whatever you do, we're right behind ya ;)
6789591
Even moreso if anyone actually were to give the logical argument for why that entire thing is a political suicide move to refute, even for Celestia. Or it would be if the rest of the world cared.
The line of reasoning is thus:
A diplomat was removed from ambassadorial status following a suicide attempt and placed under the care of Princess Luna. Princess Luna is known to be capable of manipulating dreams, which involves entering someone's mind, to one degree or another, which means she could potentially be responsible for his state of mind in the first place. Even if not, it's entirely possible that anyone in the Equestrian government arranged for Luna to fail in her responsibilities to keep him accompanied at all times on purpose, and hire a number of ponies to remove said diplomat, one way or another. Further, even if they were unsuccessful, omission of vital information and a very in depth understanding of Silver as an individual, again from Luna, could have predicted that one way or another, one of the ponies attacking him would have died. ESPECIALLY since Luna again was giving Silver access to combat magic and lethal spells. All of this after a controversial move, such as aiding changelings.
There's probable cause, a viable method, and the capacity to incapacitate, kill, vanish, or endebt Silver several times over. Through killing in self defense, he was then judged guilty of murder and thereafter apparently had no rights, given Twilight could just walk off with him, strap him down, and do whatever barring maiming or death.
So the question THEN becomes if they did this to one ambassador, what's preventing them from doing it to another?
Equestria stands to lose all credibility with other nations.
Of course, that's if that was all reasoned out appropriately. It doesn't matter that it's (probably) not what happened, it's what looks like what happened. Of course, nobody ever actually presses this through to the logical conclusions. But if they did, the only recourse would be to put the blame solely on Luna, and throw her under the bus.
6789624 Poor Luna... Poor bus. Note, if you don't reply in the same chapter as a given topic, it won't make a notification.
6785255
It's a bit late to toss this out now, but I was going to speculate that, if Celestia and Celestia_2 managed to save Celestia_2's equestria, then provided that there is anyone left in Princess Silver Star's equestria, they could be relocated to Celestia_2's Equestria to attempt to re-populate. All moot now, of course.
6796727 You and your desire to get perfectly good endings!
6796738 - True. Admittedly I am quite immature in that regard.
I am immature in a great many regards, but especially that one.
It all just feels so rushed. I was hoping to spend more time in this world, maybe get that date with Rough, see more of the things that might have been to challenge Silver's perception of reality, but I suppose this works too.
6822652 He hadn't had his realities challenged enough so far?
whose
whom
from me
hers
We would.
6879247 Many typos fixed!
There's one! "Weave," I think.
should be “assisted”
9991769
So many fixes to do.