• Published 26th Mar 2015
  • 5,942 Views, 2,919 Comments

The Silver Stars - David Silver



The former human known as Silver has attempted to throw his life away, but neither Luna nor his wife, Night Watch will tolerate this. He claims it was an impulse, but they will cure him of the deep breaks even if it means reassembling him from parts.

  • ...
47
 2,919
 5,942

PreviousChapters Next
23 - Aftermath

The following day, the ponies of the city returned to their duties. The forces of darkness, apparently interested only in pain, had caused very little actual damage on their rush for those hiding in the castle.

Silver was awake, having been gently nudged along to Cadance's court, where Cadance and Shining Armor stood before about a dozen of the defenders, including Silver and Night. "You all worked very hard last night," said Cadance with a soft smile. "Some of you are barely citizens of the nation, being generously-lent guards from Equestria, or even civilians. We owe you much." She bowed forward towards the gathered ponies.

The guards seemed unsure how to react. Silver responded with a quick bow back, almost tipping over, though Meadow's lessons had paid off. Cadance looked to Silver, "Some of you have demonstrated unusual abilities. I would like you to stay behind." Her gaze turned back to the rest, "All of you, you are awarded with the Crystal Medal of Stalwartness, to commemorate your staunch stand against the forces of darkness."

Shining Armor stepped forward, horn glowing as he pulled out medals with a shielded heart and began to hang them on pony's chests. He placed them on armor where available, and on fur when not. Silver wondered how that worked, but it hung there on her bare pelt without issue or pinching. Shining Armor saluted the lot. "Dismissed, and you're all relieved of duty for the rest of the day. You've earned it."

The room emptied out, though Silver remained, and Night with her. It was down to Cadance, Shining, Silver, and Night. Cadance nodded at Silver, "We have a problem."

Silver perked an ear, "What problem is that? Are there more shadows?"

Cadance shook her head, "Simply put, your ability to weave magic spells is too potent an ability to leave free. Without even trying, you can upset the state of magic in dramatic ways by changing the way things are done too quickly." She extended a pink wing, "I have tried to shield you. Your heart is gentle and your intentions pure, but word of your actions are already spreading. Others will hear of it."

Night frowned, pawing at the ground. "Celestia and Luna?" she demanded.

Shining shook his head, "No, well, yes, of course, but more than them. Other nations will take interest, either to see if his talent extends to their own magic, or seeking to neutralize him and remove his benefit to us."

Night huffed softly, "She."

Cadance glanced at Shining before nodding, "She... The fact is unchanged. While you, alone, are not much a threat, you make any other unicorn around yourself more capable."

Silver started to shrink a little, but paused and regained her upright posture, "What do you suggest I do about it? You know I was acting in everyone's best interest."

Shining nodded quickly, "Of course, and we are very thankful..."

Cadance slipped in where he faltered, "But we are worried for you. We don't want you to be hurt."

Night extended a wing, wrapping Silver in a hug. "Alright, what do you suggest?" she repeated Silver's question with a cocked brow.

Cadance took a slow breath, "I want you to stay here, where you seem so safe and happy, but the Crystal Empire is no haven of security. You should return. I will not force you, either of you, but I do suggest it. Auntie Celestia and Luna can do much more to keep you safe from external threats."

Silver snorted softly, "So long as I roll over and present my belly to internal ones."

Cadance looked towards the ground a moment, then back up at Silver, "I will not force you, ever. You came to me in confidence, with a wounded heart. You have returned my kindness with bravery and loyalty. Our kingdom will always be open to you both. If you decide you wish to stay, we will do our best."

A soft knocking came from the closed doors of the court, then a messenger crystal pony poked his head in. He trotted up to Shining Armor, offering a floating letter. Shining accepted it with a nod and tore is open. His eyes scanned over it a moment before perking an ear, "You already have a guest."

Night blinked, adjusting her glasses, "It is incredibly unlikely somepony heard and responded that quickly."

Shining nodded in agreement, "It is an old friend of yours, Fast Change? She has arrived at the train station and is requested an audience."

Silver jerked back in surprise, though the wing around her made the movement muted, "What?! Really? Send her here!"

Night agreed quickly, "Of course!" She then paused, "Wait, is she a changeling?"

Shining and Cadance both looked alarmed. Cadance shook her head, "I should hope not!" She cringed a little, "I don't want to see those loathsome things again. Silver, you know a spell to detect changelings, please make sure."

Silver shook his head, "Even if she is a changeling, we would want to meet her. She is good-hearted."

Cadance clopped a hoof on the ground, "I will not tolerate a changeling!"

Shining stepped ahead of his wife, "You must understand... We were both very... affected, for lack of better word, by Chrysalis' actions."

Night shook her head, "Fast Change is working against Chrysalis, by providing harbor to so many changelings eager to get out from under her rule, and live productively."

Cadance raised a brow, then frowned, "Of course..."

Silver put the pieces together, speaking in hesitant tones, "Celestia never told you two, or likely anyone else."

Shining nodded stiffly, "We have little reason to doubt your words. Go and meet your friend."

Silver and Night departed, leaving the somewhat frazzled royal couple behind. As they trotted out of the castle, Night glanced at Silver, "Why do you think she came?"

Silver shrugged, "I really don't know. I thought she'd be busy being queen."

Night suddenly yanked Silver back as Trixie landed where Silver was a moment ago. "The great and powerful Trixie has arrived to confess her love!" Trixie approached Silver, batting her eyelashes, "Trixie simply cannot deny your ultimate magnetism."

Silver glanced around in a fit, unsure what to do, say, or even think at that moment. Night reached forward with a wing, slapping Trixie upside the head, "Hello Fast."

Trixie became Fast quickly, "Aw. Hi!" She leaped up to hug them, her original ruddy red-furred self. Fast nipped at the stunned Silver's ears, "Miss me?"

Silver nodded as senses returned to her. "I did so much."

Fast suddenly punched Silver in the barrel with a hoof, sending her to the ground, "Too much! What's this I hear you threw yourself off a roof? I thought I was bound to a smart stallion, not a stupid... mare?"

Night's wings spread in alarm, "Hey!"

Fast held up a hoof at Night, "He deserves this!" She frowned down at Silver, "You selfish jerk! Why did you do that?"

Silver staggered up to her hooves, sore from Fast's sudden attack, "I felt so... lost, and hurt. You were such an important part of myself, I couldn't imagine living with that hole for a moment. I was stupid."

Fast shoved Silver right back over, "Who said I'd be gone forever?!"

Night shook her head, "Please explain. I thought it was forever too."

Fast snorted loudly, "The changelings have leaders under the queens. I got the drones all nice and settled, then passed the reigns on to that nice leader we met, Stand In."

Silver sat up on her haunches, "Why'd you break the marriage if you planned to rejoin us anyway?"

Fast huffed a soft sigh, "Because I didn't know better? I'm a unicorn, not a changeling. It's good to be back, by the way." She approached Silver, who winced in fear, but no strike came. Fast pressed lips to lips, kissing Silver until the tension fell away. Fast drew back with a sigh, "So... why are you a mare?"

Night approached and gave Fast a chaste kiss on the cheek, "You can blame Princess Celestia for that, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. They said he, at the time, was balanced towards female, so they made the outside and inside match his net, and now he is a she."

Fast flashed a grin, "Does this mean I can be the stallion?"

Silver looked decidedly uncertain, "Uh, well... I suppose if anypony was going to be the stallion of the herd besides me, I wouldn't mind you." She stood up and shook herself out, "So... are we married again?"

Night pointed a wing back at the castle, "We should make it official, but... I feel that should wait. We should simply be together and learn one another again. Vows can wait."

Fast nodded at Night, "Right you are, smart mare. I could always trust you to have your adorable head straight."

Silver heard a voice whispering from nowhere, ~She returns to steal Night Watch from you.~

Silver glanced around as she frowned, "Anyone else hear that?"

They shook their heads, then Fast pointed, "Looks like they're setting up for something big! What are they up to?"

Night turned to where the point was, "Ah, the Crystal Fair is in a week. You're just in time."

~Just in time to take what is left of your masculinity. She will rob you of your birthright, grinning madly all the while.~

"Tell me you heard that," grumped Silver. "This isn't song magic."

As if conjured by name, Silver felt the increasingly familiar blossoming of the melodious sorcery. She rose up on hind legs abruptly, putting a hoof to an ear, asking who was speaking to her in a soft musical tone. Night and Fast replied in equally enchanting voices that they heard nothing, then started to dance away. Silver cursed internally, trying to follow them, but things faded to black instead.

Great green eyes opened in the darkness with red irises. Shadow-tainted eyes, bleeding fell magic glared at Silver as a rough voice joined the song, promising to save Silver from her traitorous wives and offering powers beyond imagining. Silver found herself singing with doubt and uncertainty. Internally, she raged. She was certain she didn't want anything to do with shadow things, but her part in the music had her playing along, singing back and forth and seeming to be slowly capitulating to the siren song of the shadow.

Silver grasped for her humanity, digging deep inside and uttering a sudden, masculine, "Fuck you!" The song magic shattered, and she fell onto her belly on the spot. With the music magic broken, Night and Fast quickly returned.

"Are you OK?" asked Fast, offering a hoof up as Night peered around.

"That was the strangest thing," said Night. "It's like I forgot a few minutes. You were beside me, then you were gone."

Silver accepted Fast's help up, nodding her head quickly, "Song magic... I broke it. Shadow... something was trying to get me to follow it. I almost did!"

Fast frowned, "Almost did? You don't strike me as the shadowy type."

Silver bobbed her head, "I know, right? But I was doing it in the song, going along with what the shadow wanted. I broke out and the whole spell broke apart."

Night adjusted her glasses a quiet moment, "I have little choice but to assume, for the moment, your theory on song magic is correct. Your breaking of the spell disrupted the usual smooth transition and stopped us from explaining away our singing."

Fast threw up a hoof, "That's a load and a half! I'm not going to be brainwashed in some kind of musical number, thanks." She threw that same hoof over Silver's withers, "Come on, let's get something to eat, then we have so much kissing to catch up on."

Author's Note:

I'm back from BABScon! And instead of sleeping like a sane person, I immediately attacked the story with words.

It may attack back with typos.

PreviousChapters Next