• Published 28th May 2021
  • 256 Views, 3 Comments

Silver Dawn - Summer Knight



When a mysterious force attacks the Ponyville Carnival, Silverstream and Luster Dawn join forces—and hearts—to save everyone. Written for Nailah's shipping contest.

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Silver Dawn

Luster Dawn yawned, stretched, and groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She froze as she realized that she wasn't in her bedroom; in fact, she wasn't in a room at all. There was cool sand beneath her, and the smell of salt water in the air. Her face was chilly, but the rest of her was wrapped in something wonderfully warm and soft. It was like a down comforter, if a comforter could somehow warm up her heart along with her body.

Her sleepy haze began to clear, and the events of the previous day came rushing back. She remembered that, after everything they'd been through, she and Silverstream had settled in to watch the sunset together. Clearly, at some point they'd fallen asleep.

"Silverstream?" Luster whispered. She nudged the hippogriff, who murmured an indistinct protest and held her even tighter in her wing.

"Silverstream," she repeated, slightly louder.

"Mm? Where's the silver stream?" the hippogriff mumbled, then started to snore.

Sweet Sparkle, she's even adorable when she's asleep.

"Silverstream, wake up!" Luster gave her a firm shake.

"Wha? I'm awake, I'm awake!" Silverstream squawked. "What's wrong?"

Luster Dawn sighed happily and snuggled back into her side.

"Nothing's wrong, I hope," she answered. "But we've got a lot to talk about."

"Oh. Yeah." Silverstream stretched her legs out and arched her back like a cat. Several of her joints, stiff from the cold, cracked loudly as she did so. "Yeah, I guess we do." She took a deep breath. "Actually, can I go first?"

"Huh?" a surprised Luster Dawn replied. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

"Well, I..." In spite of her age, Silverstream felt like a hatchling confessing her first crush. "I, uh. I like you!" she finally said in a rush. "Like, really like you." She was blushing again, and not totally sure that her pink feathers could hide it.

Luster Dawn squealed with joy; it was a sound that the studious, serious pony was very unused to making.

"But," Silverstream stammered, "we're so... I mean, would you really be okay with—with somecreature who's so... like me?"

Luster furrowed her brow.

"Sure," she answered, slightly puzzled. "No one's going to look twice at a mixed-species relationship these days."

Warmth blossomed in Silverstream's chest—Luster Dawn was so cute when she was missing the point.

"I didn't mean my species," she said uncomfortably. She dug aimlessly at the sand with a talon and looked anywhere except at the unicorn snuggled up against her. "I meant my... y'know." She gestured at her body; at the stiff joints that popped when she moved. "My age."

Luster Dawn gave a dismissive snort.

"I'm serious!" Silverstream said.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to... okay, look," Luster replied softly, "I spent my life around alicorns, Discord, and the Pillars of Equestria—half the creatures I know are over a thousand years old." She gave Silverstream an affectionate peck on the cheek. "You're not too old for me."

Silverstream cooed happily.

"Who knows?" the unicorn added with a sly smirk, "there might be some advantages to dating someone who's... mature."

"Mature?" Silverstream gave a laugh that turned into a loud snort. "Let's not get carried away here."

"Heh. All right, shall we say... experienced?" Luster suggested. Silverstream nodded in agreement.

"For real though, I'm so glad to hear you say that," the hippogriff said. "I was worried that I was just being a cougar."

"Cougar?" Luster repeated, confused. "You're part bird, not part cat."

Silverstream hastily covered her beak to stifle a giggle.

"And you—" she tapped the end of Luster's muzzle, "—are adorable."

Luster Dawn, who still didn't get it, shrugged helplessly.

"So what about you?" Silverstream hastily changed the subject. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh. Right." Now it was Luster Dawn's turn to fidget uncomfortably. What she had to say hardly seemed appropriate now, right after dismissing Silverstream's concern about their relationship, but it was something that they both needed to consider.

"So, I've read that when two creatures share intense experiences—especially traumatic ones—that it can create the illusion of an emotional connection."

"Illusion," Silverstream repeated flatly.

"I'm not saying that what we have here isn't real!" she hastily added. "But, what if it turns out that it isn't? What if we go forward with this and realize that it's not working? What if we're not as happy together as we think we'll be?!" Luster realized that she was beginning to spiral, and shut her mouth forcefully.

"What do you think?" she asked more calmly.

"I think—" Silverstream ruffled Luster's mane, "—that you read too many books."

Luster frowned. "Okay, this time I'm serious," she said sternly.

"Right. I'm sorry." Silverstream took a breath. "Here's what I think: Whenever you start a new relationship—any new relationship—there's a chance that it won't work out. But it's worth the risk."

"But failed relationships are really hurtful, aren't they?" Luster asked.

"They can be," Silverstream admitted, "but what else can you do? Stay alone forever so you don't get hurt? That would be worse than any breakup; at least, I think so."

Luster Dawn mulled that over for a minute.

"I think you're right," she concluded. She gave Silverstream a sunny smile. "You're really wise, you know that?"

Silverstream laugh-snorted again. "Mature and wise? Jeez, you're gonna be disappointed."

Luster's smile turned back into a concerned frown. She reached out and turned Silverstream's head to face her.

"You are!" she insisted. "You're not silly, or stupid, or any of that stuff. You helped me through one of the scariest days of my life yesterday; for all my magic and studying, I'd have been lost without you."

For once, Silverstream was at a loss for words. Hearing that kind of praise from someone as brilliant as Luster Dawn was overwhelming. She hid her face in Luster Dawn's soft coat.

"Oh, Luster," she sniffled. "You're one of the smartest creatures I've ever met. You'd have been fine without this foalish old hippogriff."

Luster Dawn held her close, and gently stroked the soft feathers on the back of her neck.

"Hey," she said earnestly, "please don't say those kinds of things about yourself. Not even as a joke." She leaned forward and kissed the top of the hippogriff's head. "I just want you to see the same brilliant, beautiful, amazing Silverstream that I see."

Silverstream made a sound—Luster couldn't tell if it was a laugh or a sob.

"Amazing? Really?" She gazed adoringly into Luster Dawn's eyes. "I amaze you?"

"Oh, gosh, yes," Luster answered. "The way you never lose your cool. The way you kept fighting, even when you were suffering so much. The way you reacted so quickly when I was in danger. You saved my life, you know that?"

"Oh. Wow," Silverstream murmured. "No one's ever said that kind of stuff about me before."

"Well, get used to it," Luster Dawn advised.

"Hah. Okay." Silverstream's laugh was a little choked. "I think I can do that."

They sat in silence for a while after that, savoring the sparkling night sky, the cool breeze, and each others' warmth.

Eventually, however, Silverstream felt that the moment was right. She met Luster's eyes for a long moment, then started to slowly tilt her head forward. Her beak parted slightly.

"Wait," Luster said. Silverstream immediately pulled back.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

Luster Dawn shook her head.

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just, you got to kiss me yesterday."

"That was a rescue breath!" Silverstream protested.

"Well, you sure looked like you were enjoying that 'rescue breath,'" Luster teased, and Silverstream couldn't deny it. She took a shaky breath. "Anyway... this time, I'd like to try it."

Try it, huh? Silverstream felt a secret thrill—she hadn't been someone's first kiss in ages.

"All right, then," she said aloud. "Whenever you're ready."

"O...okay." Luster Dawn looked deeply into her eyes, then blushed and looked down at the ground. Silverstream waited patiently—at least, she hoped it looked patient—as Luster collected herself. Finally, she looked back toward Silverstream, and this time she didn't flinch away.

Luster Dawn tilted her head back and inched closer until Silverstream could feel her warm, sweet breath across her beak. Silverstream closed her eyes and opened her beak slightly, invitingly. Luster drew in one last, shuddering breath, then accepted the invitation.

She gently pressed her lips against Silverstream's beak, and it was like Erebus's lightning shot through her, if lightning were made of fireworks and butterflies. She instinctively reached up and held Silverstream's head, pressing it a little harder into hers. The beak opened slightly, and Luster felt the very tip of a tongue against her lips. She opened them slightly, just to see what would happen, and almost gasped at the taste—a little minty, a little salty, and unfairly fresh for someone who hadn't brushed her teeth since waking up.

After a long time, Luster Dawn remembered that she needed to breathe, and she reluctantly broke contact. She sat back in the sand, her head swimming and her heart pounding, and looked up at Silverstream hopefully.

"So? How was it?"

She looked so much like a schoolfilly hoping for a good grade that Silverstream had to laugh.

"Hmm," Silverstream tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'd say... B+."

"B+?!" an outraged Luster Dawn shouted. Silverstream adopted her best "teacher" voice.

"Good effort, quick response to feedback, but—" she winked, "—your technique could use some work."

"Oh," Luster mumbled, embarrassed. "Sorry. It... it wasn't quite what I expected. With the beak and all."

Silverstream tilted Luster's head up with a gentle claw.

"Don't worry," she purred. "We'll get lots of practice."

fin

Author's Note:

Get it? Fin? Like a seapony?

Anyway, thank you for reading, and thank you to Nailah for hosting this contest! I've been away from fimfic for quite some time, and this inspired me to start writing again. Hopefully I'll see you all again on another fic!

Comments ( 3 )

Really don't know why there's so many dislikes on this, I thought it was a pretty sweet story :derpytongue2:

10865725
Thanks, glad you liked it!

I'm guessing people just saw the pairing and said WTF, but that's half the fun!

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