Silver looked between Night and Fast, both on the same large cushion. "I admit, I don't even know what to say." She reached for Fast, running a hoof over her chest and shoulder, "I'm just..."
Fast shuffled closer and bit Silver on the shoulder, "Stop stammering." Silver started to object but Fast took it as cue for a open-mouthed kiss. "I missed you two too," she said when she drew back, "So, go on. Tell me what's going on."
Night cleared her throat before starting, "Well! From the top, we were briefly a herd with Luna after our former stallion tried to... be foolish." She tilted her head, "She was not a bad herd-sister, though she acted more as the stallion than a sister. Being that she is royalty and older than us all combined, that was basically inevitable."
Fast frowned, "All that, and I still didn't get a chance to give her the paces... Go on."
Night nodded, "After that, Silver showed marked improvement in confidence and sprung back to, at the time, his, old self. He was attacked on the way home. He did well for himself, defeating, and crippling, an earth pony while two unicorns and a pegasus were on him. The pegasus managed to get a magic blocker on Silver, but he didn't give up. He jumped on the pegasus and bit them." Night flashed her fangs, "It scared the pegasus to death. The unicorns ran away."
Fast peered between Night and Silver, "Did she have a heart condition or something? How'd you scare her to death with a bite?"
Silver spoke up, "Apparently when Luna made me a lunar unicorn, I got the full package, which included emotion-sharing bites."
Fast tilted her head, exposing her neck. "Share something nice then," she demanded without hesitation.
Silver moved beside Fast and nuzzled her neck a moment before sinking sharp fangs into Fast. With a flow of magic through those fangs, feelings of relief and rekindling love were shared between the two, and they sank to the cushion, almost sleepy.
Fast sighed out, "That's nice... Is this how you really feel?"
Silver drew back from biting, "I, yes... but, you left. I want to throw that all aside, but it... hurt."
Night nodded softly, "I didn't... do anything foolish, but it hurt me too."
Fast rolled her ears back, "I didn't mean to hurt either of you. I was trying to help..." She took a slow breath, "I'll explain what happened in better detail, then maybe you can finish the story, since none of that explains why he is now a she, or why we're in the Crystal Empire. So, OK, being a changeling queen? Both exhausting and yet, invigorating. I was walking a tightrope the entire time. I felt like if I fell off one side, I'd be the old me, and if I fell off the other, I'd be little better than Chrysalis, maybe a bit less crazy."
Silver smiled a little, "You were always a good crazy."
Fast smiled brightly, "Thanks, so, anyway. I was helping oversee all the feeding pods and negotiate things on behalf of the changelings. Once they were basically settled, Stand In approached me. She asked why I was looking so tired, so I shared with her, and she told me to just fall over on the old side and let her and the other leaders take it from there."
Night raised a brow, "That simple? You were clearly a changeling through and through. You fed from us."
Fast shivered softly, "That... felt odd... I did a little reading around about it though. Since I never took any unwilling or faked love, the door was still open for me to 'fall' back out of it." She leaned forward a little, "The love of you two was the sweetest, fullest... Does that make me a bad pony that I was hoping every day you would come and share it with me?"
Silver shook her head quickly, "It felt great, for me at least?" She looked to Night, who nodded in agreement. "We just didn't come by often to make sure we didn't start dying with a smile." She raised a hoof and batted at Fast's heart crystal, "Never took that off either, I see."
Fast quickly nodded, "Good thing too!"
Night frowned suddenly, "You do realize there's a good thirty-five percent chance Stand In just wanted you out of the way so she could take over?"
Fast shrugged, "She can have it! I did my part, now I want what's really important to me, you two. Now tell me why we're here?"
Night raised a hoof, "Before that... were you serious?"
"About?" asked Fast.
Night rolled a hoof through the air, "About becoming the herd's stallion."
Fast nodded, "In a heartbeat. If you want me after all that? I'm sorry I hurt you both... I really thought it was... not a road I could walk back from. I cried myself to sleep so many times, but it was for the greater good, right?"
Silver leaned in and pushed nose to nose, "You were a good pony. I was... stupid, to give up so quickly."
Night joined in the nuzzle, making it a three-way exchange, "Promise us you'll never leave again, even if it's for the 'greater good', and definitely never before talking to us about it before you just throw yourself into it."
Fast flushed with renewed shame as she bobbed her head, "Never again... besides, if I'm the stallion, you two will be protecting me, from myself if you have to."
Silver looked confused, one brow cocked, "I thought stallions protected the mares?"
Fast snorted, "Some try, but us mares know the real score." She nudged Night, "Right?"
Night nodded in agreement, but said nothing.
"So," started Fast, "Come on, spill the beans already. Finish the story."
Silver continued the tale, explaining how Twilight arrived, and then their declaration that Silver should be female, and the subsequent transformation to become just that. "It felt odd, like there were things inside me that were waiting for the right connection, and they just slid into place.
Fast nodded lightly, "Maybe she wasn't wrong? Or... Wait, you skipped the part where you became all lunar-fied."
Silver rewinded the tale, "Well, after I tried to do something stupid, Luna decided to formalize the herd and give me a new purpose, so all three of us." Silver pointed at Night as she spoke, "shared blood directly, and she gave the portion of me I had given to her... I thought it was a foal, but she said it was just essence she could use later, to make me the first unicorn of the lunar tribes."
Fast tilted her head, "What if that 'essence' was female, or became so while it was all snug and warm in Luna's womb?"
Night adjusted her glasses thoughtfully, "That would... make sense. That would mean all of the lunar magic in Silver was female, and that would explain the imbalance." She clopped her hooves together, "And when you became all female, the magic fit better! Yes, that could explain it."
Silver flicked an ear, "Would this be a bad time to say I was thinking I'd want to maybe go back to being a stallion?"
Fast snorted softly, "Well then do it. You said you figured out how I do it."
Night shook her head, "Silver might be pregnant."
Fast's eyes widened, "With who?! Did you give Night some stallion bits? Did some stallion sweet talk you into it? Get to that part of the story now!"
Silver couldn't help but quirk a smile, "I missed you a lot... so, I shared the spell to add stallion bits with Twilight, and she used it, and then she was curious about the whole thing, and she wanted to experiment, like, really experiment. She took notes the entire time and asked a hundred questions, but we did it."
Fast rolled onto her back, legs kicking in the air as she laughed, "Oh sweet Celestia! You let Princess Twilight Sparkle mount you? As a science experiment?" She rolled back onto her belly, "How was she?"
Silver flushed softly, "Awkward, but eager. I... wouldn't mind her if she focused more on actually loving and less on notes."
Night nudged Silver, "She is not a member of this herd, nor do I think she ever will be. Keep your fantasies to your actual partners."
Fast gave a soft pfft, "Dreams aren't hurting anypony. I still want to rail Luna, but I guess that chance is gone. Anyway! So Twilight zapped you into a mare with Celestia and you...?"
Night sighed, "We fled the city immediately. Silver took me to the train station and we took the next one bound to the Crystal Empire. Cadance has been nothing but stupendously nice to us since we got here. We've helped out around town, getting the basic infrastructure set up for winter. There was a shadow attack, but we defended the castle alongside the guards."
Fast stuck out her tongue, "I miss all the fun things! I could have helped! I heard Cadance is a sweetheart through and through. So, we're staying here?"
Silver wobbled a hoof, "It's not that simple. The shadow seems to want to convince me to join it, and Cadance suggested we return to Equestria since my spell-making powers are going to attract the wrong kind of attention."
Fast tilted her head, "Why go there? Why not someplace else?"
Night raised a brow, "Like? I don't look forward to living with griffons."
Fast snorted, "Plenty of countries with equines in them, like Saddle Arabia. They're large and pretty. We could go to the zebras, they're exotic." She tapped a chin with a hoof, "Lots of places."
Silver looked thoughtful a moment before asking, "But will they be able to, and want to, keep us safe? I got Luna to apologize and swear to leave us be, and she implied she spoke to Celestia. I doubt Celestia will bother me so long as I stay a mare and don't hurt anyone again."
Fast rolled a hoof, "Which you just said you might want to stop doing."
Night stood up on the cushion, "Later. I say we accept Canterlot's hospitality one more time, if they will give us a house to stay in. We rest, recover, and have our foals. We can decide where we wish to be after that."
Fast looked to Night, then Silver, "I don't care much where we are, if I'm with you two. If we do go back to Canterlot, I'll probably go back to school and try to cram in more study when I'm not busy apologizing to you both in every way possible."
Silver flushed softly at Fast's suggestion, "Cadance might have a house in Canterlot? Maybe we could ask for that?"
Night nodded at Silver and hopped off the cushion, moving for the door, "An excellent idea. I'll ask her now."
Glad to see the glorious words, typos and all.
So, it was mainly Luna's fault 'he' had to become a 'she'. Lovely.
There are two spaces between "I" and "missed."
The bites are "emotion-sharing."
5830845 Fixed fast!
5830849 Okay, this felt a little better in that the three of them spent time talking and reaffirming their bonds to one another, apologizing for their mistakes and opening up about their feelings. This was important, as it's these smaller, more deliberate acts of intimacy that make the three of them a true herd, rather than however much sex they're having.
Fast as the (ersatz) stallion for the herd, though? I'm not sure how well she'll do in that role - so far, all we've been told is that the stallion approves or disapproves of the potential additions that the First Wife (Night Watch) adds, and it's hard to see Fast as ever saying "no," given her nymphomania. That said, she definitely has a place there - her levity and simple optimism bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to the group. Silver is too worrisome (even if she is better about it now) and Night is too deliberate for either of them to do what Fast does, which is to remind them to simply engage with life on its own terms, rather than to try and approach it logically or ruminate or what's gone before. Night is the mind of their herd, and Silver is the soul of it, but Fast is the heart; it's nice that the two of them don't have to live without their heart anymore.
Having said all of that, I'm completely unable to get inside Silver's head regarding her desires as to be male or female. I suspect that in this case, though, it's my own bias that's confusing me. Silver has been fairly straightforward about the fact that she became a "she" because she was curious and wanted to experiment; well, now the experiment seems to be coming to an end. She's lived as a mare, and having walked on the other side, seems to want to go back to how she was before. That's understandable...except for the fact that it's completely my reading into it. The story isn't telling us why Silver wants to go back; I shouldn't have to guess.
The idea that Silver is more "correct" as a female because the essence that Luna gave back to her is itself intrinsically female makes a shocking degree of sense. I never thought of that, simply because I had mentally dissociated it from actually having been a foal in any regard, but it explains very well why Twilight's experiment turned out the way it did. Of course, that throws something of a monkey wrench in the idea of Silver becoming male again, which may need to be addressed...or may not.
I say that because, insofar as Luna's plan goes, it makes more sense for Silver to be male. While Luna may have blithely shined on his being potentially forced to be female as "so you can mother the lunar unicorns, rather than father them," that's not very practical on her part. It's far, far easier for a single being to father a new race into existence than to mother it, simply because it's less work to impregnate another than it is to carry a child to term and then go through childbirth. It'd be somewhat ironic if Luna's plan had somehow lent itself to Silver adopting a feminine identity, since that'd slow down the rate by which lunar unicorns become prevalent - Luna herself wanted Silver to stud with many females, after all.
Then there's the idea that Silver is pregnant herself. In fact, that could all very well be a red herring, since there's nothing beyond the intellectual possibility of that to suggest it. If so, and if Silver is pregnant but wants to become male, I'm almost inclined to wonder if he could cash in his favor with Twilight somehow in this regard. Surely she can use her magic - or maybe ask Luna about it, since transferring the essence of an unborn child is something we've seen her do - to move it to another mare (Fast, perhaps?). Of course, one might consider using the favor to make Twilight carry any such foal herself, since she is still responsible for it (and has rather shamefully fled the problem, making it rather poetic justice).
5830924 Silver feels rather shy about throwing the 'plot' off the rails, which makes her/him asking Twilight to carry the foal exceedingly unlikely. To not be a stranger, certainly, but pushing into the lives of the mane six is a sort of thing he/she has actively avoided. They got the world to save on a regular basis and his/her involvement would only create trouble for that, or so he/she has decided, however right or wrong that is.
Then again... Well, Silver has to share more of her/his feelings, which I shouldn't really do in comments I think? I'm glad the chapters worked out well! It's nice to be back.
Gaahhh! Hinting at so many possible twists, but which one will be followed?
I swear I never can figure out the direction this series will be heading next.
5832220 Is that good or bad?
5832449 Yes!
+ It makes it more unique I believe. Kinda hard to be likened to another story when you have so many 'paths' that you can take.
- But damn it all if I don't want more immediately so I can find out exactly which of those twists you follow through with.
did I mention patience is not one of my stronger attributes?
5832624 It's amusing that one other reader said I was being horribly predictable. I just don't know which it is!
Silver looked between Night and Fast, both on the same large cushion. "I admit, I don't
even know what to say." He reached for Fast, running a hoof over her chest and shoulder, "I'm
just..."
Correction: Silver looked between Night and Fast, both on the same large cushion. "I
admit, I don't even know what to say." She reached for Fast, running a hoof over her chest
and shoulder, "I'm just..."
"The love of you two was the sweetest, fullest... Does that make me a bad pony that I
was hoping every day you would come and share with me?"
I think it would be better written like this...
"The love of you two was the sweetest, fullest... Does that make me a bad pony that I was
hoping every day you would come and share it with me?"
"It felt odd, like there were things inside me that were waiting for the right connection,
and they just slid into place.(-----
Correction: "It felt odd, like there were things inside me that were waiting for the right
connection, and they just slid into place." (-----
6526532 Typos fixed, except that last one, which I couldn't figure out your correction?
Fast's eyes widened, "With who?! Did you give Night some stallion bits? Did some stallion sweet talk you into it? Get to that part of the story now!"
Starting at 2:15 of this video.
Silver rewinded the tale, "Well, after I tried to do something stupid, Luna decided to formalize the herd and give me a new purpose, so all three of us." Silver pointed at Fast as she spoke, "shared blood directly, and she gave the portion of me I had given to her... I thought it was a foal, but she said it was just essence she could use later, to make me the first unicorn of the lunar tribes."
Fast wasn't there when Silver became a Lunar Unicorn. It was Night.
"So," started Fast, "Come on, spill the beans already. Finish the story."
Thought of this...
Finnish The Story
6527555 Fixed! No matter how old stories get, new typos arrive.