Silver hopped from bubble to bubble. Every bubble had a dream. When she thought a pony, a bubble came within hopping range quickly. It was all very... interesting. Silver thought of Luna and a bubble drew close. Was Luna actually sleeping? Dreaming? Silver hopped into the bubble.
Silver landed in a wide field. She turned around to see two massive armies. On one side, ponies arranged in armor wielded weapons in their mouths or strapped to their sides. On the other, a field of griffons. Above the ponies, Luna pointed forward, resplendent with power. "Charge!"
The armies thundered together in a terrific clash as Luna directed the efforts from above. All too suddenly, Silver felt as if she were watched, and Luna appeared before her. "I did not expect you."
Silver scuttled back a few steps. "Luna! I didn't think you dreamed."
Luna waved a hoof. "Of course I do. All creatures dream, and I am no exception. I just do it less often than most." The battle behind her faded away, and they were instead in the royal gardens. It was night, and the moon hung full and heavy in the sky. "Welcome, fellow princess of the night. What brings you here?"
Silver smiled gently. "What if I just like seeing you? I haven't had the chance since our last dream lesson."
Luna tilted her head. "I can see how thoughts of marrying my sister might distract you."
Silver frowned. "Luna, wow, that was... Well, it was honest, I'll give it that, but let's be big ponies about this?"
Luna turned her head to the side. "We do not see what there is to be big about."
Silver was suddenly larger, equal in size to Luna. She threw a leg over Luna, hugging her. "I will not let you trample me this time. We are equals now."
Her wings flared out wide. "Equals?! You impertinent foal! You have not even a tenth of my experience."
Silver leaned in and kissed Luna's dark-furred cheek. "And I cherish every bit of wisdom you share, but I am your peer."
Luna warmed under the affection and looked away. "You still accept my sister over me. This is a slight I cannot easily forgive."
Silver snorted. "Did you hear how it went down? She propositioned Twilight. I was caught in the middle. I, and Night, would love to... love you again. The mistakes of the past are that, in the past. I'm bigger. I'm not a doormat."
Luna nudged Silver. "You could have fooled us."
Silver huffed. "I'm serious. There is not a single pony in our herd that would turn you away, except maybe Twilight, and that would be out of sheer awkwardness."
Luna raised a brow. "And yet?"
Silver smiled. "And yet, Celestia asked, and you have not." She paused, then frowned. "And yet, you're waiting for me to show some balls."
Luna gestured under Silver. "You don't have those."
"Says who?" Silver said while swaying to and fro.
Luna rolled her eyes. "You are adept enough at dreamsculpting so far. But you are avoiding the question."
Silver leaned in and pressed a nose to Luna's cheek. "I am not the first wife of my herd, nor its stallion. Go to Night Watch, and declare your desire, and be ready to catch her when she faints. If I were still single, I would be putting a ring on your horn right now and proclaiming we would rule the night forever."
Luna went bright red. "Would you really? I feel you are exaggerating that point... But I approve."
Silver raised a hoof. "One thing... Though I don't think you and... Fuck this is going to sound weird no matter how I phrase it. May I have a moment of indulgence?"
Luna waved a hoof. "Speak freely and I will withhold judgment this one time."
Silver nodded. "Good. The way it's shaping up, you and Celestia will be herd-mates."
Luna stiffened. "So you will not turn her away even if I do approach?"
Silver shook her head. "I don't see that happening without... complications? I don't think that's a deal breaker."
"It is not for you to decide that!"
"And yet, I just did." Silver smiled gently. "You two are already quite close. Nopony will ask you to do untoward things to one another. You won't act any differently."
Luna let out a soft sigh. "You realize... I wanted something separate from... her. I do love her, very much, but something. Something all to myself?"
Silver leaned in, rubbing noses. "We have our dreams, where none can bother us. Even if all goes belly up, we are tied more securely than ever before. Celestia is locked in the prison of her mind, while we dance through the dreamscape of all Equestria."
Luna's expression began to brighten. "This is true. Very well, faithful assistant dream warden, I will consider your words carefully. Now begone, I have a dream to complete."
Silver appeared with a pop atop another bubble, banished from the dream. Her landing was smooth and she quickly looked around thoughtfully. She thought of Twilight, and jumped into the bubble that drew close.
Twilight was working on a magic spell of some kind, struggling mightily. There was mocking laughter coming from nowhere, and stern instructors shook their heads disapprovingly at how long Twilight was taking.
Silver looked around before approaching the board, shrouded from sight for the time. Silver quickly spotted a few mistakes in the writing and almost went to fix them, then thought better of it. She leaned into Twilight's ear and softly whispered a hint of where to look.
"Of course!" she cried, then woke up. Silver was ejected back into the soapy void. Silver looked around and decided to try somepony new and concentrated on Lyra. A mint green bubble appeared and soon Silver was inside.
Lyra was sprawled out as hands pet over her back and belly. She moaned softly. "Yes... Just like that..." The hands held nothing back, touching her everywhere. Silver went red swiftly at the sight and began turning to depart when he heard a yelp. She turned back to see Lyra being pinched by those same hands. "I didn't mean to! Ow! Cut it out! I can't leave! I know ow! I know Bon Bon's waiting!"
Silver frowned in thought and approached Lyra. On an urge she spoke softly, keeping herself hidden. "Write her a letter."
"Anything, just stop pinching me!" She woke up, and Silver returned to the void. She felt powerfully productive and smiled with pride. Who next? An old face came to mind, and she thought of the young stallion. A new bubble approached and she entered a new dream.
Silver appeared just in time to watch her old self, Silver Lining, slap Tumble across the snout. "I hate you. Everypony hates you! Go and die already!"
Silver cringed at the image, but watched on as Tumble fell at her old hooves, sobbing before the stallion that was much larger than she ever was as a solar unicorn. "I've turned it around! I have a business! I have employees! I did everything! I fixed it!"
The dream-Silver raised a hoof as if to strike Tumble when the real Silver banished it, and Tumble's head jerked, detecting the real thing. "Huh?"
Silver smiled a little sadly. "Tumble, are you alright?"
Tumble shook his head quickly back and forth. "Nopony loves me! The one pony that saw me as... as a pony... he threw me away, then ran off. Everypony else just... they just use me..."
Silver frowned a little. Should she confess her prior identity? "Rough Tumble. What if I told you he didn't forget you?"
Tumble sat up, ear perking. "Really? There's still a chance?"
Silver winced. "Not... like that. He has a family, but he still cares about you, and wants you to be happy."
Tumble crossed his forelegs petulantly. "You're just saying that... Who are you? You don't look like Luna at all."
Silver approached Tumble slowly. "I am Silver Stars, and I am also a princess of the night. I want to help you."
Tumble cringed back. "Silver? Just..." It began to click as he noticed the same soft brown fur, the same spots... "Silver?"
Silver let out a slow sigh. "Hello Tumble. I did mean it."
Tumble rushed forward, tackling Silver to the ground. "I thought you were gone forever! Why are you a mare, and a princess?" His eyes went wide. "I knew you were special!"
Silver smiled gently. "Yeah, a lot happened... So... Are you upset?"
"At?"
Silver gestured at herself. "Female?"
Tumble tilted his head. "Why would I be?"
Silver frowned in confusion. "I thought you were a colt cuddler?"
Tumble leaned in and pressed nose-to-nose. "I thought I was too, but I'm a Silver cuddler... Nopony treated me like you treated me. Even when you didn't want me around you treated me nicer. I don't want a stallion, I want you."
Silver went rigid, mind whirring. This was going places where only pain could result. "Tumble... I meant what I said. I have a family, and it's already dangerously large, and exceptionally dramatic and political. How can I... impress that I care for you, a lot, but we aren't going to be married?"
Tumble sat on Silver's belly as he sat up. "Am I ugly?"
Silver sighed. "None of that has to do with the family I just told you about. Tumble..." She reached up, brushing a hoof over his pudgy cheeks. "You're wonderful. You have to keep looking, with confidence. The right stallion or mare will find you."
Tumble pointed at Silver. "She already did... Please don't run away again. Please..."
The pathetic look in his eyes crushed Silver's heart and she mentally flailed, trying to think of a way past the problem. "I know you are brave and fierce, but you're not going to beat your way through Celestia and Luna to get at me."
Tumble blinked in confusion. "What? Don't joke with me, Silver. Just tell me where you are, in the real world."
The answer came without thought. "Ponyville. But it won't help!" Tumble awoke, and Silver landed on a bubble with a mild headache from the poor landing. "Fuck!"
Silversexual. Silver has an interesting love tangle. Love... Tetrahedron? Octahedron?
5921330 I think it's just a tangled ball of yarn.
5921356 Oooo... yarn. I like yarn... Her dream walking isn't going to make her love life any better. As Tumble just proved.
Isn't that what you're trying to avoid doing with Tumble?
5921330 That box of cables in my closet that takes me forever to get untangled?
5921356
Could be worse. At least ponies aren't like Alternian trolls.
Although, I think she's still managed to have quite the love n-drangle.
The entire sentence is arranged in a rather awkward manner. I'd change it like so: "On one side, ponies arranged in armor wielded weapons in their mouths or strapped to their sides."
She will withhold "judgment" this one time.
Remove the "s" from his name.
Don't capitalize "was," or "cuddler" for that matter.
There are two spaces between "to" and "beat."
5921552 The typos have been thrown into a librarian's dream, where she will eradicate them most unkindly.
O buck this is going to be awkward if / when tumble shows up.
Silver is still playing with Luna or is it Luna is playing with Silver, but now things are different they are equals now. and maybe just maybe they can get the baby over going finally.
Luna joining the herd 25% chance of that.
celestia joining the herd 65%
Twilight and Silver making a baby well that has happened. saving there foal that helped create princess Silver 80%.
ok I am sounding to much like Night Wing.
Harts Fire
5921801 Night Wing approves of your calculations.
5921583 Wow did this chapter feel like it was a long time in coming! I mean for real! We are finally, finally going back to deal with some unfinished business across the freaking board! I'll tell you what, Silver's being a dreamscape guardian felt very derivative when it was introduced, but if this is what it allows for, then I say bring on a heaping helping of it; we're finally getting to the "leftovers" portion of the meal!
The scene with Luna, for one thing, felt like the first part of a much larger conversation. The two of them have so much between them right now, so much about what happened before and what's changed since then, that this exchange was not only necessary, but inevitable. I still think that this wasn't the whole of it, that they need to sit down and really talk and close the book on their painful past once and for all before they can talk about a new future. But this was such a huge step in the right direction that it felt like a breath of fresh air.
It hadn't occurred to me, and it obviously hadn't occurred to Silver either, how jealous (and hurt) Luna would feel at the prospect of Celestia joining their herd after she had been abandoned by it. True, the herd was ancillary to what Celestia really wanted, which was Twilight, but if anything that would only make Luna feel worse; after all, Celestia would barely care that she's receiving what Luna wants most. Moreover, it was shockingly insightful of Silver to realize that Luna wanted her to say she wanted her back, rather than have to beg to be accepted - it's not like that should be that much of a surprise, coming from such a proud mare.
Of course, that would mean that both sisters would be in the same herd, which clearly left a foul taste in Luna's mouth, but it's apparently a small price to pay, and understandably so. I really, really hope that we get to see the moment when Luna goes to Night Watch and says that she wants to be part of the herd again (and that Silver invited her to come say that). Night and Luna were close, before Silver made Night choose to leave Luna, and seeing the reunion between them is sure to be a tear-jerking moment. Seeing that, when Luna tells Night how much she meant to her and how much she's missed her, and when Night reciprocates (especially since Fast's agreement is sure to be pro forma), should be one of the most beautiful scenes in this entire fic.
It was similarly overdue that we got to see Lyra again. Her fetishism aside, I'm really glad we got to see her feeling guilty about leaving her girlfriend behind. Come on Lyra, don't you miss your Bon Bon? Forget writing her a letter, take a day off and go to Ponyville for the three-day weekend! (And, for that matter, the two of you should go join Silver's herd. It's the "in" thing to do now!)
But by far, the absolutely most overdue part of this entire story was the long-awaited reintroduction of Rough Tumble. Holy freaking crap, is this an issue that needs to be dealt with once and for all, and I don't mean Silver crushing the poor guy's heart - again - and pushing him away once and for all. Tumble deserves a happy ending, and I'll tell you why:
Tumble is the real hero of this fic.
I'm not even joking right now; Silver may hog the spotlight, and may take actions that reverberate across the national and international level, but in terms of personal growth and overcoming adversity, nopony in this story has overcome more with less support than Rough Tumble. Silver may have provided a helping hoof, but Tumble is the one who did everything else.
Think about it, after being hideously abused by his parents, ignored by his friends, and abandoned by Silver, Tumble was given some sort of clearly-inadequate "social assistance," which saw him living in a crappy little apartment with what was clearly not the world's greatest roommate. Despite being completely alone, with no pony else that gave a damn about him, he still got up and faced the world each day on its own terms, working a job that let him (as crane operator) pursue his dream. How much courage did that take? How much perseverence and inner fortitude did Tumble have to summon each and every day to go out into a world that said that thought he was twisted, thought he was a freak, thought that he wasn't worthy of love, and still pursue not only a vocation, but his dream as well?
While Silver was having sex with a cavalcade of mares and whining about her misery, Tumble suffered in silence. While Silver was throwing herself off of a castle because one of her girlfriends broke up with her, Tumble never gave up even after Silver abandoned him.
When Silver casually strolled back into Tumble's life - after making a deal with the changelings that inadvertently destroyed the career Tumble had worked so hard to build - and off-hoofedly mentioned an idea for a career change, Tumble was the one who assumed the risks, both personal and financial, to start an entire new field of business. While Silver was changing her physical sex like most ponies would change their clothes, Tumble was being an entrepreneur while having terrible nightmares about feeling worthless and alone because the one he loved - the pony that was ostensibly always so moved whenever some (always conveniently female) pony was sad and lonely - had abandoned him again!
Tumble has been through so much pain and loneliness and heartache because of Silver, and has had no shoulders to cry on, and he's still giving everything he's got to finding his place in Equestria. He's never, ever given up...not even on Silver, despite the fact that Silver is blushing and flirting with everypony except him. I suspect that if Cadance could see the thread from Tumble to Silver, it would shine so brilliantly and so purely that it would move her to tears.
Tumble isn't just a hero, he's the best kind of hero: one that doesn't have magic rainbows and staunch friends, but who nevertheless faces his own personal demons, day after day, never letting them defeat him no matter how bad it gets.
And even now, he's rushing to Silver's side again, unwilling to let fear stop him from trying to be with the one he loves again, despite how often Silver has let him down in the past. I can only hope that Silver has undergone enough personal growth to give Tumble a chance, because not only has Tumble earned that and more, but it would be hideously hypocritical for Silver to deny Tumble that now. After all, Silver is encouraging Twilight to give Celestia a chance, despite how awkward that is for the lavender alicorn. Can she really do any less herself?
Moreover, Silver has very, very little reason to deny Tumble out of hoof. She's been swooning over stallions for a while now, from Flash Sentry to Shining Armor to even Fast in his male guise. Heck, she and Twilight even used that "stallion bits" spell together and rubbed against each other. So it's clearly not an issue of homophobia. Not to mention how so many of the ponies around Silver have been willing to bend their sexuality for her sake...like how Night Watch was willing to make love to Fast Change, or how Twilight was willing to be with another mare. Silver has been having a sexual playground because other mares were willing to bend their sexual preferences, and now she's not going to give Tumble the same respect, despite his being willing to change even that aspect of himself - which he's suffered terribly for - for her?
I hope Silver thinks very, very hard about what she's going to say to Tumble before he arrives. Moreover, I hope she talks it over with her herd (who are all quite clearly smarter than she is), and they help her to see that she owes Tumble this chance to court her. Her family is "political and dramatic"? Hah! Unless her family is beating the crap out of her and talking about what a deviant she is, it's cakewalk compared to Tumble's.
Silver doesn't owe Tumble her love - no one should feel obligated to be in a relationship with someone else - but she's drawn to ponies that are lonely, that are hurting, and that want her. By that token alone, she should be unable to resist such a selfless, stout-hearted stallion. He's not that mean colt that used to bully her back when Silver was just a little colt herself; he's been through the fire and the flames, and grown into so much more. It hasn't been as dramatic, but it's been just as powerful; more powerful even.
Maybe it's time for Silver, with all of her changes to her identity - sexual and otherwise - to put away that very last hang-up: her fear of something being "gay," and accept Tumble for the wonderful stallion that he is. For her own sake, and for his.
I can't believe how fast you are putting out the chapters of this story. All I can say is that I want is more and more. Keep up the good work you are doing. I am enjoying this story and look forward to the next chapter.
Dragonfox
5921356 Makes me relate it to spaghetti. Just as convoluted as a yarn ball, but with the added splash damage from the sauce getting everywhere.
5921853 Oh wow. You really hooked onto Tumble. Poor Tumble, forgotten for how many chapters? Was he even in this story? Silver's sexuality is no longer a barrier, what with her not taking the company of a stallion as a reason to panic anymore, but she wasn't lying. The herd is big. The herd has 2 alicorns and is poised to take on two more. This herd is bursting at the seams.
Silver is likely to discuss this with her herd before it becomes a huge sobbing mess in the middle of the street.
Lyra and Bon Bon have each other. They are adorable and love each other. Let's not mess with them anymore than they already have been.
5921898 I can't help myself!
5921926 I prefer to think that I'm hooked onto justice, or karma, or whatever it's called where people (and ponies) get what they deserve out of life. In that sense, I think that Tumble has been through the wringer, and deserves to be recognized in light of that.
Yes, the herd is big, and that is a complication that has to be dealt with - but it's far from the most important thing that needs to be considered. Rather, what should be given primacy is the feelings and circumstances of the various ponies in it, not whether or not the group has reached some sort of "carrying capacity." Lyra and Bon Bon wouldn't work because Lyra wasn't ever really more invested than feeding her fetish, and Bon Bon wasn't really invested at all; they'd be out of place in the herd now, and I suspect that they know that.
Tumble is a far, far different story.
5921948 Perhaps Silver will use her newfound princess powers to help this pony that has gotten so little care before. Or maybe give him a hug. He'd probably enjoy a hug.
5922008 Or both. Or more than both. I really think that if Silver were to talk to her herd about this, they'd point out to her that Tumble deserves a chance. Just like when Twilight's friends told her how awful she'd been to Silver that one time, sometimes you need an outside perspective to shed new light on the situation.
I am really enjoying this series but right now I have to wonder how long it'll be before Silver's world starts breaking down again?
Also are the royal guards incompetant in this universe? I mean Starlight Glimmer (who would be branded a terrorist in this world) has come for Silver 3 times now and the guards have only responed once (and slowly at that) even though they knew that interested parties would be trying to steal his special talent... If I was paranoid I'd accuse Starlight of being in the employ of Sunbutt and the guards letting her roam free.
5922123 Silver is not accompanied by royal guard. This maybe oughta change.
5922132
Really? I kinda assumed given that he's been promised protection so many times by the princesses and that the threats against him are real known and active, that he'd have some. I mean isnt that why he left the Crystal Empire in the first place?
PS Your Taffy Princess is awesome :)
5922191 The primary reason was to distance herself from shadow presences, and that worked. She has not been harassed by foul whispers of late.
5921938
I am not complaining. I thank you for all the hard work you are doing. a lot of the storys I am following, it take them months, to a haft a year for a chapter. sum times the story is stop all together. I know that you write story for entertainment and I am happy that you wood spend so much of your free time in doing so. So Keep up the good job you are doing.
Dragonfox
damnit tumble. but at this rate everypony will be a silver cuddler.
Remove the period.
Man seriously these last few chapters are hot. Ever thought of doing a clopfic?
8903732
I have done a few, though they often end up buried in plot. If you don't mind story competing with your plot, I can do that!