When Two Worlds Collide

Silver Mist's POV

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I had Ace pinned as he stared at me with a goofy grin on his face. I shrugged it off as if it were nothing, leaving him to stare before I backed up, allowing the stallion to get up and shake his coat clean from any grass or dirt. "C'mon silly, we have to get Vinyl and Octavia."

He nodded, trotting next to me. "Silver," he said as we neared Sugarcube Corner, "I know you told me how your father and mother died, but how did you carry on by yourself without their help in raising you?"

"I knew you were going to ask sooner or later, though I was hoping a little later than this," I replied as Octavia came into view. I turned my head towards him, giving him a reassuring smile as I said, "Remind me tomorrow night and I'll tell you, okay?"

Ace nodded as Octavia trotted up to us, glancing at him momentarily before returning her attention back to me. "Where'd you two scurry off to? Vinyl and I have been looking high and low for you. Well, mostly low since we can't fly, but you know what I mean, right dear?"

"Yeah, sorry. This dummy decided to look at the stars again so I thought I'd join him," I shivered slightly as we started trotting back towards Vinyl, who was surprisingly accompanied by the purple alicorn mare I saw Ace conversing with during the beginning of the party.

"Hello, Silver," she greeted me, holding her hoof out.

"Hi there," I replied, shaking her hoof.

"Your friend Ace here doesn't seem like much of a conversationalist," the mare pointed out before changing subject rather quickly. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. According to DJ Pon-3, you four don't have a place to stay considering the fact you just moved here, right?"

I nodded, the sudden subject change making me wonder about her. "Right. Do you know of any place we could stay? I'm sure somepony here has to have a house here considering she lived here for a while," I stated, looking at Vinyl.

"Actually, I was hoping you four could stay with me, if that's not too much to ask," Twilight said, tilting her head to the side in a questioning manner.

Well, that's nice to know this mare is welcoming, I thought as the other three nodded. "Okay, I guess. Where do you live exactly?" I asked.

"The library, but I've made it into my home as well that I share with Spike," she explained.

"Not to seem annoying and full of questions like a foal, but who is Spike?"

"My dragon assistant."

I nodded my head and she began to trot away, Vinyl following behind her. Why are we even here still? I thought as I trotted after them, Octavia slowing some so she can stand by me. "Why are you all the way back here, love?" she asked, staring at me.

"Just thinking," I told her, being sure to avoid making eye contact.

"I see," she said, squinting her eyes as if to scan me, "and what exactly are you thinking of?"

Sighing, I stopped dead in my tracks, the mare eventually stopping not too many steps in front of me. "Do you really want to know?"

She sat down, expecting a whole life story from me now, motioning with her hoof to spill. "Go on then."

I sat in front of her, nonresistant. "I just-I don't know what to do," I started as she sat there quietly listening to me. "I don't know who I am falling for. I don't know the difference between a simple friendship or something more. I don't know what I am to do about any of it. Ace tells me he thinks he may love me. Tell me, how do you think you have something that deep with someone so simple yet so complicated at the same damn time?"

"I wish I could tell you," Octavia murmured before resuming her silence.

"I mean, if you could, that'd be a lot simpler than to just let me sit here in a confused heap, right?" I muttered softly, slight anger beginning to take over.

"Silver," Octavia paused, making me look over to her, "never let anger be a way to get away from something. Ever. It'll just worsen the situation and make everything that more confusing."

I sighed, stepping forward and nuzzling her before I wrapped my forelegs around her neck, hugging her tightly before the tears I've been wanting to hold back finally burst. She sat there for a moment before holding me close, stroking my mane gently. "I dunno what I did wro-on-ong!" I sobbed, burying my face in her neck, still sobbing.

"I know. Don't stress about it, okay? Everything will work itself out, I promise," she soothed, stroking my mane. The whistling wind shook the trees close by, battering Tavi's and my coat lightly, ruffling our fur and manes slightly.

I pulled back, staring at her for a moment. "You really th-think so?" I said in between sobs, wiping my wet cheeks with the back of my foreleg.

Tavi nodded, pulling me into a hug. "Absolutely. If you can come this far without your parents, then yes. You can get anything if you just try," she whispered in my ear, causing me to remain silent this time.

"Try?" I repeated.

Yet again, the gray mare nodded. "Yes, just try. You can say you did something if you simply try. You don't have to succeed but it's best to try, right?"

I gave a small smile. "Right. Thank you," I said, my smile widening as I stood, pulling away from her slowly.

"Why are you thanking me?" Octavia asked,  standing up as well.

"For just being there for me and helping me," I told her, stretching my wings and wiping the remaining tears away.

"Oh," she said softly.

I nodded, turning slowly. "Yeah, so, thanks," I said again. Before I could react, the mare turned my head with her hoof and leaned in, her cheeks flushing to that of a dark crimson. I stood there, staring at the mare in front of me. My eyes widened as she kissed me. What do I do? I thought, nearly panicking. My face flushed now, turning into the color of a red apple. Oh my gosh, what do I do? I continued staring at her, my heart racing as the wind blew hard enough at our manes to spike mine up a tad while moving Octavia's out of her natural style. My eyes fluttered closed on their own and I leaned in, accidentally deepening the kiss as our tongues met halfway.

Octavia pulled away, her face the darkest crimson I've seen, along with the tips of her ears. My cheeks grew hot almost immediately as I stood there, both motionless and speechless, though I knew my cheeks were a mixture of a dark blush and embarrassment. Her bow tie had come undone, now laying on the ground as the cloth around her neck seemed to have stayed put. "I-uh-it's-uh," she stuttered, staring at me with wide, purple eyes.

"It's fine," I whispered, scratching my the back of my neck with a shaky hoof. I enveloped the musicians tie in my magic and retied it for her, just centimeters from her face as I did so. "I didn't expect you to do that," I muttered as I finished tying it.

She adjusted it with her hooves and began trotting ahead of me, her face and ears still a dark red. "I didn't either, dear, but I did."

I stared at her baffled as I caught up with her by flying, landing on the ground beside her and keeping a steady trot. "Why'd you do that?" I asked. For a mare, that was pretty damn amazing! I exclaimed in my mind, nearly falling over after raising my hooves just barely off the ground, smirking as I stared at the mare but relinquishing it.

"I-I don't know," she breathed, looking down.

"Hey, I didn't say I didn't like it," I replied, looking away as my cheeks darkened again.

She looked at me as we approached the group again. "Please don't speak of this to anypony," she told me, both of our faces denying what had happened.

I nodded in agreement as Ace looked to me and then to Tavi, Vinyl obviously taking the words right out of his muzzle, "So, where'd you two fillyfooler's go?"

Octavia was clearly taken aback, staring at the DJ in disbelief. "I'll have you know that I am not a fillyfooler. I have had many coltfriends and I plan to keep it that way."

I sighed. "I'm half fillyfooler," I hung my head as the mare beside me glanced at me.

"What?" Vinyl said, confused.

"I like stallions and mares, so I'm half and half," I explained, biting my lip as I looked at Octavia from the corner of my eye. I always have been, I thought to myself.

"Well, now that that's done and over with," Twilight interrupted, changing the subject as my cheeks grew hot again, "let's get a move on. We have a long night ahead of us!" the mare then began trotting forward once more in the direction of what seemed like a large tree house.

Nodding, I followed after them, hanging back again and watching both Ace and Octavia. I know they have something towards me, I thought, staring at each of the individuals for a moment. I just have to get Tavi to admit to them and not through a kiss, I continued. Vinyl likes Ace, I know this. Ace believes he loves me. Then there's Octavia, beautiful Octavia. What does she feel towards me? Is it strong or weak? Why won't she just come out and say it? I mentally complained as my eyes idly drifted to the purple mare. She might be my gateway to getting answers, I thought, smirking deviously. Or at least helping me. With those thoughts, I caught up, trotting close to both Tavi and Ace and pondering ideas on how to get Twilight to help me. "I'm sorry," I whispered low enough so neither of them heard. We continued onward, growing closer to the tree house with every step we took. I let my mind wonder, thinking of possibilities as to why she won't admit her feelings.

*   *   *

"So, what do you guys want to do? I mean, it isn't that late," Vinyl said, spinning a bottle idly with her hoof.

"I have no idea," I said, hearing the slight snoring of Spike nearby.

Ace wasn't responding, staring out the window and looking at the stars again. I looked over to him, hanging my head briefly before turning my head to look at the mare beside me. She too wasn't paying much attention as she watched the bottle spin around until it came to a stop. "Why don't we play spin the bottle?" Vinyl suggested.

My eyes widened and so did Octavia's, both of us resting our shock-filled eyes on the DJ as our faces flushed slightly. "Wha-what? No! I-I don't wanna! I-I'm going for a walk!" I called out, quickly getting up and trotting out the door of Twilight's home. I didn't bother to close it behind me, knowing somepony would follow me sooner or later. What am I going to do? I thought, keeping my head low as I trotted down a path, not watching where I was going as my tail dragged behind me. I'm up to my plot in shit, I continued as I sat down in the middle of a field a few yards away from the path.

"Silver? Where are you?" I heard a stallions voice call. Oh yay, somepony came to find me. How sweet, I thought apathetically, looking over my shoulder to see Ace. "Oh, there you are," he said as he trotted over to me, sitting beside me.

"Yeah, I'm here. Why aren't you still with Tavi and Vinyl? I was only going for a walk," I told him, keeping my head low.

He sat there silent for a moment then parted his lips to speak, "I wasn't really up for a game of spin the bottle without a mare I like though."

A slight blush rose to my cheeks and I looked at him. "I have a question."

"If it's about you and Tavi, I already know you two kissed," he murmured, not even casting a glance at me.

How in the hay did he know? We were too far away from the group for one, and two, I didn't even know she was going to do it! It just happened! I thought, panicking inside but remaining calm on the outside. "How?" I whispered.

"I don't mind if you like her, Silver. It's entirely up to you who you like and such, and I'm not going to judge you for it at all," he smiled softly, turning to look at me with both a mixture of confusion and love in his eyes. "I only believed I liked you because you have been the only pony I have trusted in a very long time. The one thing I will not stand for is losing you as a friend. Therefore, I won't remain in your way of who you wish to be with. You can forget me liking you as a lover, I have given up on the fact that it could be love. Perhaps it's just a strong friendship making me believe I do love you?" Ace paused, the ending of his sentence coming out as more than a question than a statement. He took a deep breath before continuing on, slightly changing subject. "Anyways, I'd very much rather you be happy and I still have a friend over you having to worry about me and my feelings. If you'd like, you can go for Octavia. I won't be mad or dislike your decision. I'll support it even, and I promise you I won't let our friendship be lost because of it," he said in a flat yet assuring tone before standing and trotting away, leaving me there with questions being unraveled quicker than I thought was possibly within my head.

Within my gut, I had a strange feeling to call out to him, tell him to come back and let me explain, something I was really quite terrible at. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a dry, raspy noise that hadn't even sounded like, "Ace, wait!" I sighed and waited hopelessly until he was out of earshot and wet my lips before muttering, "I think I just ruined my friendship with him." I watched him trot along the path, staring at the stars. "Oh Silver, you're such an idiot," I told myself before facehoofing and spreading my wings, covering my face from the sides. I looked over my shoulder at the stallion once more, sighing in defeat and then returning my vision to the front, only to be greeted by Octavia once more. More company? Oh what joy, I thought sarcastically as she stood in front of me. "Hey," I managed with a sigh.

She sat herself in front of me. "I saw you blush when Vinyl suggested spin the bottle," she said, not bothering to keep her voice low.

"Look who's talking," I mumbled, folding my wings again.

She shook her head. "Oh well. So," she paused, looking me over, "what's wrong, dear?"

I looked up. "Nothing right now," I lied, knowing I just lost a stallion who literally poured his heart out to me less than an hour ago.

"Don't give me that," she said in a dull tone.

"I'm being serious."

"Serious my flank."

I looked around in an attempt to look at her flank, only to be met by an awaiting hoof. "Ow! What the hay?"

"Don't look at my flank, Silver," she blushed softly, looking at me with a small, nearly unnoticeable smile but then managing to keep her stern look.

"I just did. Whatcha gonna do? Hm?" I teased, sticking my tongue out.

The mare leaned in, totally missing my muzzle but instead placing her lips upon my neck, dragging her tongue upwards and causing my wings to extend outwards. I felt my cheeks and the tips of my ears redden before she pulled away and started staring at me, giggling to herself. "T-that was uncalled for!" I whined, covering my face with my hooves.

"Your reaction is hilarious! Oh my goodness, your wings pomfed as soon as I even brushed my lips against it!" Octavia burst into a fit of giggles, falling over in her fit of hysterical laughter.

"Not funny." I glared at her, preening my wings as I closed my eyes. "Why are you even out here?" I asked.

"Vinyl wanted to play spin the bottle still and kept casting seductive glances at me. I began getting uncomfortable and I booked it out of there in a heartbeat once she started using her trademark grin against me," she told me, sitting up as she fixed her mane.

I nodded in response, switching to my right wing as I retracted the other. "I see. So, Vinyl is like me?"

Octavia sat there for a moment and I opened one eye, only to see her shrug. "I'm not actually sure, but it seems like she is, huh?"

"Mhm," I replied, sitting up and resting my wing against my side again. Many long, awkward minutes passed before another question popped into the curious mind of mine. I turned my head to the quiet mare who was now rubbing her forelegs together nervously. "Octavia," I started before remaining silent again.

She looked up at me with her light purple eyes, staring at me momentarily before looking up towards the sky. "Yes?" she whispered.

"Are you," I stopped myself, trying to find the right words for my next question. "Are you sure you're not a fillyfooler? Or even half of one?"

This made the mare quiet once more, directing her eyes back down to the patch of grass between us as if to hide something. "I'm not sure. I mean, I've never been with anypony-"

"You said you've been with plenty of stallions?"

"I lied."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because I've never had the time. I've either been practicing with my cello or not wanting anything to do with relationships. I just never wanted to get close with somepony because they usually all leave me for somepony else or somepony better. They forget all about that cello player who never got far in her life because she kept to herself, because she was Octavia," she paused before throwing herself at me, causing me to fall backwards. She sat up, sitting on my stomach now and stared down at me, tears threatening to fall as she spoke, "you won't leave me or forget me, right?"

I pulled her down to me, allowing her to cry into my coat. I stroked her mane much like she did mine as I wrapped my wings around her to keep the coldness of the night away. "Of course not Tavi. I could never do that," I told her, her body shivering and racking underneath my wings. I let a few moments pass so she could calm herself before I spoke again, the racking becoming less and less noticeable. "I'll always be here, I promise."

I could feel Octavia smile against my chest, my own smile following shortly after. She pulled back some and looked up at me, trust residing in those light purple eyes of hers as a few more tears slid down her cheeks. "Do you really mean that?"

I nodded, pulling her close against me once more with my wings after wiping her tears away. I hadn't bothered to check my chest to see how wet it was from her tears because honestly, I didn't care. "Absolutely. Why wouldn't I?" I asked her, stroking her mane gently.

She sighed, her breathing calming as she lay on me. "Everypony who has said something like that has left me before. I can't lose you," she paused, snuggling into me for warmth, "and I won't allow myself to."

"You'll never lose me," I assured her, wrapping my wings around the mare even more along with my forelegs. "Promise me something?" I asked, awaiting for her response before I continued on with what I was going to say.

"Mhm?" She mumbled against me, the vibrations of her throat running through my chest and shoulders, making my heart speed up and hammer against my chest nervously.

"Don't leave me."

This caused her to move back some and look at me with a concerned expression before parting her lips to speak, sincerity wrapped within them."If I left you, I'd be losing you. Something I could never cope with or bring myself to accept. Therefore, I do promise to never leave you, not even for the world." Once the words left her mouth, she snuggled against me again, humming a classical tune of which I've never bothered to learn. I should really look into it though, for her sake, I thought as she breathed against my chest, causing my fur to move some.

I smiled, kissing the top of her head gently. "Thank you," I murmured, closing my eyes as a soft breeze battered my feathers and coat. I can't lose you either Octavia, I thought, feeling the mares breathing calm and deepen as she drifted off. I just hope I'm not dragging you into anything that will harm you in any way possible. What did I do to get you to love me? What did I do to make you fall for me? I'm just another mare like you, there's not much of a difference, I continued, a small shiver coursing its way down my spine to both the coldness of the night and the thought of losing everypony close to me.

"Mmph," the mare said as she rolled over, nearly falling off of me before I enveloped her in my magic and placed her down beside me, rolling onto my side as she scooted back and pressed herself against me. I wrapped my foreleg around her torso and my wing around her body, sheltering her from the battering wind.

I smiled now, knowing I could possibly keep her out of harms way. I would do everything and anything possible just to keep you safe Tavi, along with everypony else, I thought further, tears threatening to break through my closed lids, but I forced them back down by swallowing hard, even if that means making them forget me. I sighed heavily, knowing I could never do that again to anypony close to me. I shivered, the wind blowing against my back and feathers. Perhaps it was out of fear as well for losing them. "I can't make anypony suffer for my mistakes and my emotions," I whispered aloud, making sure not to disturb the sleeping mare beside me.

Octavia shifted slightly and I held my tongue, making sure I didn't say a word until I was certain she was sleeping. She tossed again, facing me now as yet another shiver coursed its way through my body.  "I most certainly won't though. I promise to never leave anypony behind to fend for themselves. I will always be here for any of you," I finished, my voice getting quieter as I began to nod off. I promise, I thought as sleep began to take over, my dreams holding nothing but the three ponies I've adventured with this long. If I lost any of them, I'd be nothing. They're all I got now as far as it comes with friends and ponies I could possibly call family, something I haven't had for a good ten years. I opened my eyes and looked up to the starry sky, Luna's moon showering over Tavi and I with brilliant light accompanied by the stars. I fully let sleep take me now, knowing I can just try. I smiled at Octavia's advice of me just trying and I nodded off, the goofy grin still plastered on my muzzle was all I remembered before the darkness of sleep overwhelmed me.