Through no action of his own, Luna was reached even as the great Tantabus began to tear itself free with the negative energy granted it. Just as it began to step free of the dream, it froze, and was drawn back to its creator, dwindling in stature as it went. Luna quietly absorbed her discontent and let it go, though Silver, hovering in the air, wondered fretfully if any of the emotional bomb he had thrown would interfere with things.
He glanced around the bizarre dreamscape of Ponyville. Was this an episode? It was Ponyville, being an episode was quite likely. Did he just mess up an episode? That would be pretty bad. He frowned a little and jetted straight up, emerging from the dream and landing on the giant lily pad that held all of Ponyville's dreams. It began to splinter and break, forming countless smaller pads that bobbed away on invisible currents, leaving just Luna's dream pad bobbing there, alone.
Silver tapped at the pad, and fell. He plummeted right into Luna's new dream. It was dark, peaceful, and there was Luna. She was sleeping with a gentle smile. Dreaming of sleeping? Silver smiled a little. It was good to see her peaceful, and he turned to depart, lest he interfere with it, as tempting as it was to do so.
"Silver."
He looked over his shoulder. Luna was looking at him from atop her dais. "In my dreams or in my nightmares, here you are. Why have you chosen that form?"
Silver approached Luna, turning around and taking even steps. "In my... our... dreams, this is what I ended up as, when I wasn't the female variation of it." Speaking of it was enough to summon it for a moment, a ghostly image of Silver Stars, the princess. "I was your servant."
"Did you begrudge it?" Her expression was difficult to read. She looked at him, just looked.
"No... Well, some of it, but... We make mistakes, it happens. I certainly made my share." Silver smiled, exposing his fangs. "Luna... Can we talk?"
Luna looked down suddenly. "You hate me. Of course you do. I deserve that."
Silver frowned at her words. "Luna, shut up and hug me." He offered his hooves to her. She looked startled a moment, but accepted that offer, and they were quiet, hugging gently together. "Stop it... This wall..."
"Have you never done this?"
"Oh god yes, yes I have..." Silver smiled. "I'm older than I look, remember? I've put up those walls, strong, protective, thinking I'd be happier hiding behind them."
"You will need to explain this 'god' figure you cry out to when you are distressed." She sat up. "You're a handsome lunar pony."
Silver spread his wings for her. "I'm intimidating. I know how the average pony felt about my... their kind. They face a lot of challenges."
"They do..." Luna glanced away and back to Silver. "Are you certain you're not broken?"
Silver suddenly grinned. "Of course I am. There's no way you can care for somepony this much and not be. Love is a broken thing, but it's not one I'm in a rush to fix. When you... When you bashed me, I wasn't really thinking about myself. I was worried I'd pushed too hard, too fast."
"You did."
Silver smirked. "That didn't excuse the violence, but I care about you, Luna."
"Why won't you accept Celine back?"
Silver raised a brow. "About that. How can you be sure any new creation you made would actually be Celine? She's a part of you, Luna. She's dead, and yet not. She's become you, and you've become her. Unless you can actually pluck her from the past, it will never be that Celine, because that Celine is right here." He reached out and tapped Luna on the nose. "And she's grown up into a captivating mare of a princess."
Luna seemed to grow cold a moment. "As Princess, I can't be distracted by thoughts of family. I have duties to attend. Don't you understand that?"
"You clearly don't."
Luna scowled at him. "What makes you say that?"
Silver put a hoof to his chest. "You saw me fall and caught me, then wove a tale. You were ready to claim me. You offered to make me your foal." Luna cringed at the mentioning. "Did you think I forgot that offer? You wanted this, Luna, not me. Blaming me is just another wall you're hiding behind."
Luna waved a hoof and Silver suddenly was small. He was a tiny and immature version of himself. "Would that have been so terrible?"
Silver snorted in the high-pitched tone of a colt. "It would have destroyed Night. It's not just about me or you. I have a wife, and she has foals. I have to see to their happiness." He reached out a little hoof. "I think you're a part of that."
Luna gave a smile, a sad smile. "But that cannot be." She leaned forward and kissed Silver's little cheek. "I forgive you, and accept your forgiveness, but that cannot be. If mine own sister has persisted this long without a lover, I will endure. Go." She looked ready to banish him, but hesitated. "Please?"
Silver returned to his normal self. Just a brown unicorn. "I will." He turned away. "But you're wrong. Even your sister would be happy for your happiness. Even if not... that way, be a friend. Friends aren't against any royal code." He trotted off away from the silent Luna, and slipped from her dream.
Celestia looked across the table at the green earth pony that sat with her. "You do sound like her."
"Because I am her, mostly." She swirled her hooves in the air. "I'm another version of her. I'm not here to take anything from her though! This is her world, promise."
Celestia raised a brow. "That's a very mature stance."
Surprise threw up those hooves. "I don't think other ponies are ready to accept greenie Pinkie. Nope, I'm Surprise now. Um." She smiled up at Celestia. "Thanks, for believing me."
"Do you Pinkie Promise it is the truth?"
Surprise jerked upright at the call to do the sacred Pinkie Promise. "Of course!" She went through the motions smoothly, poking herself in the eye. "Gosh, does it need another name?"
Celestia smiled gently. "You can keep that one." She reached across and ran a hoof through Surprise's limp locks. "Now what would it take to get the bounce back into you, Surprise?"
Surprise looked a bit embarrassed about it. "I... guess I'm not as super happy as I was before. Maybe making new friends will help. It's hard though. Most ponies already know Pinkie, though it's not so bad here in Canterlot, I do know ponies up here too. How do I make friends with them when I already know them so well and they don't know me? What if hanging out with them makes me run into Pinkie? What do I even say to Pinkie?!"
"Hello," suggested Celestia. "Tell the truth. You know yourself, how would you handle it?"
Surprise clopped her forehooves while looking thoughtful about it. "You... You're right. I'm making a big deal about nothing at all! She'd probably just giggle a lot and ask me to play some games and I'd say yes and then we'd have a fun day!" She giggled, hoof covering her mouth. "Oh gosh, there I was, worrying about nothing. Of course I wouldn't be upset at another me. At least I'm not a mirror clone and I won't mess anything up."
Celestia hovered a cupcake over towards Surprise. She accepted it without words and gobbled it right down. "You'll be just fine."
Surprise bobbed her head, her hair starting to perk up around her. "I was making this a lot harder than I had to." She clopped a hoof to her forehead. "Don't you hate it when you do that?"
A smile spread over Celestia's expression. "I certainly do, but it's a feeling I can relate to. I would like to hold onto your book for a little longer, if that's alright?"
"Oh sure!" Surprise waved a hoof. "Just give it back when you're done. Oh! Have you seen Mister and Missus Watch? I've been waiting all day to hold a surprise foal party for them!"
Celestia's eyes drifted in the direction of the infirmary. "They'll be along when they're ready. Something important came up that called them away. You may want to put their cake away."
"How'd you know it was a cake?!"
She smiled gently. "You're not that different from Pinkie, Surprise."
She brought a hoof down. "This is unacceptable. Trixie will not tolerate these living conditions a moment longer."
Rough Draft perked his ears at her. "I know it's a little--"
"It's not a little anything." Trixie poked him in the chest. "Trixie has endured your slovenly cleaning habits long enough. We are going to make y--our home into something worth being jealous about." She flashed a brilliant smile. "Now, are you with Trixie, or must she throw her darling stallion out of the home while she works?"
"O-of course, dear!" He gave a nervous smile and sprung to his hooves. "Where do we start?"
"Such a good stallion." She smooched him on the cheek. "Let's start with the living area. It's where we should be entertaining guests, and it should reflect well on both of us." She led the way, her magic grabbing a pail and mop and a broom along the way. "Today promises to be quite busy, but the results will be worth it, Trixie promises."
Rough followed obediently, and the two got to straightening up his house, with some elbow grease and a little helping magic to hurry it along. He nipped at her ear while passing her. "I love you."
Trixie warmed in her cheeks. "And Trixie loves you in return, good stallion, but keep working. We have much to achieve before the sun sets." They shared a little noserub and got back to the task at hoof.
He was sent with a shopping list of building supplies to complete repairs and even expand on the building in ways that Trixie envisioned a grand palace.
Rough Draft's house would be the crown jewel of their little town, at least if Trixie had a say in it.
She always did.
What a nice little bow you had.... Then you reintroduce Trixie and Rough. Not the ending I wanted but Silver is who he is and my ending would have had explosions....
Good chapter and keep up the good work!
7010812 It ended with a civil discussion between two adults. The explosions were still in for repairs, sorry!
and jet straight - and jetted straight
dias - dais
mob - mop
*****
They're not quite back to where they started so that's some progress at least. Every step forward is a step towards a resolution, hopefully mutually beneficial.
Well hello Trixie and Rough Draft! It's been ages since we've see you, and many great and powerful events have happened recently that you may be interested to learn about!
I truly enjoy the way you write for Celestia, even when it's slightly unbalanced dream Celestia.
Ah I miss Silver's pony parents. I still anticipate Trixie's reaction upon seeing Silver again with her tail. Either she'll go lecturer mode and undo it(after making him do some sort of homework as punishment) or just plain flip out at him for casting magic so recklessly.
Makes me wonder if they'll visit Silver anytime soon or vice versa.
7010956
7010870 Typos shown the door. I'm sure Trixie is overdue for a Great and Powerful cameo in Silver's life. You can't forget your parents. He thought he was safe, running a planet away, but he has new parents, and they're going to want to meet their daughter-in-law and their grandfoals!
What could be more important that finishing off the story of the Tantabus?
Why, Trixies House Cleaning of course.
The show is for later as it is so much more important than that.
Oh yeah, Silver needs to show Trixie just how much he takes after her, right?
Keep going! ;)
a vary vary good chapter it looks as if Luna and Silver may have a chance after all (I am hoping they finally get together).
time will tell all around.
And Luna looked deep into Silver's golden eyes and whispered softly, "I could never ship with a dirty OC like you."
Burn!
And look, it's a great and powerful upcoming story arc!
'breakage' maybe? Don't know just another don't sound right moments for me maybe?
7010969 Um, correct me if I'm wrong but Trix & Rough have known Night since the Celine days?
7011934 Sure, as a guard.
7011954 Oh yeah, vaguely recall now. sorry after cramming in all the silver-verse into my head over the last few weeks I've gotten a little muddled.
7011996 No harm done!
7011835 - I assumed there was a bit of poetic license at work there.
7011835
7012153 Tweaked to flow better.
Dammit Luna jesus kiss him already you don't have to be with him everyday your duties take you elsewhere I get that but in the end after a long week or day or month you would have him and night to return to and you would be loved is that not what counts?
Missus
Tantabus
Missus
Cut it out, Luna. You're just gonna go another lap.
7199257 Fixed!
That moment when you realize these two have been completely left out of the loop for who knows how long.
Yay! Trixie is back! I was missing her.
First, Luna, honey, has Celestia expressly told you that she's never had a lover, or is this an assumption born of who she is and how she's behaved over the last thousand years? Second, if she's never taken a lover, has she ever explained why to you? That's important because...
...second, what works for her isn't necessarily going to work for you. Trying to be her is just going to drive you batty. I know you know this.
7816563 Luna is pleased with bats.
Second time reading this chapter and suddenly no mention of typos....
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?
*whistles and calls for typos*
8152377 That was the typo!
8152627
they're learning!