Silver sat in the booth of his favorite eatery, well, it was. He stared at his food for uncomfortably long moments, unable to bring himself to sample any of the meat before he rested his eyes on his companion. "So… How did I mess up?"
“You haven’t, yet.” Penny looked over the menu, pondering what to order in the back of her mind while she focused on her friend’s problem. “If you must know, you helped the love of your life gain the confidence to want to change herself as she feels she should, in a world that will likely not be very supportive of it. So what is your real problem here? Don’t you love her?”
Silver blinked at that. "Of course I do!" He folded his unfurled wings and looked around, going red as his voice lowered, "What makes you think I don't?"
“Because you are here, talking to me about it. Should we get her?” Penny waved to a waiter to get their attention.
"W-what? It's not that simple… She left me. She… left the kids, she left everything and ran off." He sagged in place.
When the waiter arrived it was obvious that things were not to be intruded on and Penny simply gestured to what she wanted. With a little bob of their head they withdrew.
“Does that sound like something Night would do? I will admit I am not as well acquainted with your betrothed as I would like, but could something else have affected her?” Penny gave a sigh. “I am so not the best pony to come to for relationship advice.”
He perked an ear at his friend. "Look, I just… Want.." He clopped the table softly as he pushed himself up. "Can we just hang out? At home I got the kids, who I love but can't talk about my stuff, and Samantha, see above."
“Of course we can. Want to just do something? Hay has Sorlie for the day. Want to go visit something? Maybe even out of the city?” Penny checked the menu again and fished out some bits to leave on the table.
"Sorlie?" He tilted his head faintly. "Jeeze, we've been out of touch. We have to fix that." He reached across the table to put a hoof on his friend's shoulder. “I shouldn't be calling you just for an emergency."
“A good nickname was important. Ensorcellee wasn’t going to grow up to find some horrible name being the easiest way to address her.” Penny leaned in to give her friend a hug. “We could always write something, been a while since we did anything like that together.”
Silver smiled a little, a pained smile perhaps, but it was genuine. "Maybe we could do that, but what would it even be about? Man… I'm about to be a prince. A damned prince! I'm supposed to write policies and things. You know, prince things."
The waiter was just bringing the hot buttered bread when they saw the pair getting up. They looked alarmed a moment before spotting the bits on the table.
“Sorry, gotta rush off, you know how it is for a prince.” Penny poked Silver in the shoulder. Turning to her friend she couldn’t help but giggle. “Well, considering there is already a prince, you might want to go and talk to Blueblood, the show may have painted him as an arse, but if there was one thing I have learned, the show gives a thin veneer of each pony.”
Silver snatched a bit of bread on the way past, his horn glowing softly as he nommed on the delicious treat. His thoughts went back to his dream, and the Blueblood he met there. "I really should, that's a really good idea." Silver strode beside Penny. "So… how do I look? I mean, you know, bigger, and all wingy?"
“You look like a pony prince, Silver.” Penny reached a hoof up to pat one wing. “You got all the bits, you got the smarts, I would totally vote for you.”
Silver snorted with amusement. "Imagine if it was democratic… How are things going with you? Please, catch me up."
“Well, I heard you caught up a little with Stick recently. Hay is so immersed in train design that I would swear she is speaking another language sometimes. Sorlie is the most adorable and wonderful thing to have happened in my life.” Penny stopped talking a moment, her expression far away and smiling. The mare sighed. “Teaching has been good for me, I think. It grounded me, got me a nice circle of friends in the school. I heard you and Fast had a meeting?” An eyebrow raised.
Silver nodded quickly, then winced, remembering Night's heated words. "If she, uh, Night that is, really went to Fast, wonder what she thinks…" Easily distracted is one way to have described Silver at that moment. "Sounds like you have everything in order."
“I have a foal who has learned that climbing is fun, I have two lovely wives, one who seems bent on bringing on the industrial revolution and the other who wants to bring about economic reform.” Penny looked at Silver as though he had just told her ‘water is wet’. “But yeah, things are going well. Should we put off a fun day and maybe get you some closure? Why don’t we visit my ‘mother in law’ and find out what Fast thinks?” The mare made air-quotes with her hooves.
Silver tilted his head a little, then a thought came to him. "Did you have the foal, or…?"
“You really are out of it. Okay, today is Silver day, we are going to visit the hive.” Penny pushed at Silver, turning them down a side street and aiming them toward the district of the city the changelings inhabited.
Silver immediately became nervous. "If she thinks I'm stalking her, that'll hardly help!" Not that he stopped himself from being bossed around by his friend. He never was good at saying no properly to mares.
“Who? Fast? Silver, I have seen that mare in action, I heard a rumor she almost got the Princess of Friendship herself. If Fast thinks you are stalking her, then she would likely be happy about it.” Penny knew one thing that was most important about relationships, and she was about to try and get it to happen with Silver.
"Oh? What? No! Not Fast, I mean, what…" Silver stammered as he was dragged along. "Look, Celestia had a talk with me, alright? I have to change some things up."
“Why?” Penny prodded the stallion every time he even made so much as a slight change to his gait. “What things could this,” she poked one wing, “possibly need you to change in this aspect?”
His wing danced a little at the touch as he looked off. "Basically, no herd. I… asked her, Night, to marry just me, and that's when she ran off."
Penny stopped dead. “Hold up. Didn’t you tell me that the herding was her idea? Also, buck Celestia if she demands that. Don’t be a prince then.”
"I've seen what happens if I do that." He frowned a little. "I want to be a good prince, which means setting a good example, and not having mares come up in court asking if they can get some of what I have, in the most delicate and proper of ways. Either way, it was originally Celine's idea, then mine, then hers. We all had… a turn."
“So this is a convenience thing? I can think of a few ways to dissuade ponies from asking… that. Damnit Silver, come on.” Once more Penny prodded the stallion to move forward. “Buck, I have not wanted to swear this much since coming here.”
"Stop poking me!" he said in perhaps too loud a voice. "I mean... Sorry." Sullenly, he marched forward towards the hive. "It's not that they'd be impossible to shake, they wouldn't be, but I'd still be a bad prince, setting bad examples."
“Bad examples? What bad example? Living how you want? Loving too much? Remember you are talking to a pony who is, well, kind of in a herd.” Penny poked her own chest as they arrived at the hive. “Is the queen in?” The last was addressed to a drone at the door.
The drone gave the mare a knowing look. “Princess Fast is in, would you like to make an appointment?” The last bit was given with a silly smile, as though this was a game the pair had played before.
Silver glanced at his friend before nodding at the drone. "We're here to see Princess Fast. Tell her Prince Watch is here to see her."
The drone was already opening the door and gesturing inwards. “We know who you are, she is cooking, I think. Try the kitchen.”
Penny smiled. “Thank you, Sands.” She offered her hoof to the guard and got a little clop back from the drone.
Silver wasn't as familiar with the guard, or any changeling that wasn't Fast, so he just nodded politely and moved past. "Thanks." Ultra Smooth. He looked down and across at Penny. "What are you hoping she'll say?"
“I have no idea. But talking is going to be your way out of this. As for what sunbutt wants you to do, are you sure she said ‘no herd’ or did she give you the choice?” Penny wasn’t quite sure where the kitchen was in the hive, but, poking her head in a few rooms, quickly found it.
Surprise looked up with, well, surprise when her old friend walked in, “Silver! Have you met Diane and Z? You haven’t, right, I know that. This is my daughter Diane, and my sister Z. Diane swears you met Charlie once, but not really, but he did know you were there…” and with a sad sigh the mare melted into awkward silence.
Night was far less enthusiastic about the meeting, going as fluffy as a startled cat as she narrowed her eyes at Silver. "What are you doing here?" With her wings spread wide and stance solid, she looked ready to battle.
“He is here because I poked, prodded and even bullied him to come here.” Penny looked back at Night. The mare spared a smile toward the other ponies present. “Sorry about this, I hope we aren’t intruding?”
“Z-978 is confused, she thought Night lost her stallion, like Z-978 and her sisters lost Charlie?” the changeling drone interjected, agitated at the conflict in facts.
Silver took a step back. "I'm not here to start any fights, promise."
Night snorted and locked eyes on Penny. "Did he marry you? You don't seem quite his type…"
“Not going to play that game, Night. Hey, I like you, I like Silver, both as friends. That is why I am here.” Penny gestured to Silver with her snout. “Did he explain anything to you, about why he suddenly brought up not herding? I had to drag it out of him...”
“It’s an intervention,” Diane nodded sagely, “I’ve had one of those, you should have jumped out a window when you had the chance…”
"I smell cupcakes," sang Fast Change as she turned the corner to practically run into Silver. "Well, I wasn't expecting beefcake, but hey, if you're offering."
Caught between two mares, Silver did as any man could do in such a situation, squeal like a girl.
“Oh no, I learned about changeling ways from Stick. First talking, then cake.” Penny looked at Fast, giving the bigger mare a grin. “Silver, you are going to tell Night everything.”
Night raised a brow. "Silver's not available. Not unless you marry him alone. Go ahead, Silver, tell us."
Silver took a shuddering breath, trying to gather himself. "C-celestia wants me to become a prince as a married stallion, or single." He glanced away, and it was enough.
Night scowled. "Or?"
Fast whistled softly. "This is heavier than I was expecting, but hey, we're all here. Night, Silver, herd or not, we're buddies, right?"
Penny breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have at least gotten the couple talking.
“What’s the big deal?” Diane shouldered her way amongst the grown-ups. “Your stallion is still alive. You know what he’s not? He’s not dead!” The filly glared at the couple accusingly, “I had to make a deal with the goat to even make my family exist! And now Charlie’s still dead! What is the problem with you stupid ponies?”
If Night didn't try to cuckhold Silver this would have never escalated this far. no matter what Celestia wanted
7324889 You enjoy that word, but who did Night do that with?
Has Daremo been here already, I don't think I spotted a single typo, but then this chapter was so immersing I could have looked over 100 of them and probably not noticed.
7324906 I said tried and she did try that with Luna did she not?
7324923 Luna was not his wife. Near as I can tell, fucking his wife is the only way to cuckold him, so Night can't cuckold herself, though others could cuckold Silver through Night?
7324931 "She's hopefully off on a date with Luna."
Night Watch blinked at that. "Did you forget I have my--"
"You told me several times she was off limits."
"To you, perhaps."
Silver grunted softly. "Night... We are married. That means a certain level of basic equality. There should not be a single pony in the world one of us can see but the other can't."
this that she can have anyone and he can't that is cuckholding
7324933 That isn't cuckolding, and people said Silver was passive. That hardly seems like the sort of conversation that fits.
7324936 So that your wife can fuck someone else but not you is not cuckholding? because she forbids silver from being with Luna and only want her to herself? is that not it?
7324939 When your wife is doing it with a dick, the definition becomes terribly muddied. The term comes from the idea that you may end up raising a child that is not yours. Night nailing Luna with her, um, extra bits, does not carry this risk. Not that she did, mind you.
7324942 Aha that's what you mean. it's mostly used now as a word to describe a wife that fucks other people and does not allow the husband to do the same. it just disturbed me that she planed on taking Luna for herself and not letting Silver have any not that Luna would likely join if she wanted that thou if I understand the story right Luna wants to join because silver is in the herd not because Night wants sex slaves xD
Silver is way too passive about all of this.
He is also doing a lot of shits that he shouldn't be doing when in a situation like this...C'mon man, where is all your common sense?
Im starting to think the only way to beat this storyline into submission is for Flutterhulk to go to town with Discordbat.
Hit it till it stops moving, then hit it till it stops being 3D, then hit it some more to get the point across.
Then hit it a couple more times just to make sure.
Dont forget, always double tap.
Hmm, chocolate soda fountain.
Best solution to this mess is to lock the doors and put an anti-teleport spell on the room. No one's leaving till everyone explains themselves.
I find it funny at how a changeling filly is putting everything into perspective for the awkward adults.
7325144 Oh yeah, Diane is having none of it. she's like, "You interrupted my cupcake party for THIS?"
uuuugh...arc...night is not being night and it makes me sad.
Intervention! It's a party in the kitchen!
Finally we trapped Night so she stops running around all stupid-like.
Keep going! ;)
7325615 And I for one can't think of a better, more apporiate place to hash this out than at the cup-cake party of a grieving displaced herd who only just buried their own stallion. Huzzah! The awkwardness has been doubled!
7325979
7326416
he rest his eyes - he rested his eyes
distracted is one way - distracted was one way
he stopped from being - he stopped himself from being
hive, but poking her head in a few rooms quickly found it. - hive but, poking her head in a few rooms, quickly found it.
What’s the big deal, - What’s the big deal?
*****
Excellent work, gentlemen, this was an amazing chapter!
*****
Heavy stuff first...
Penny strikes the nail on the head. Celestia never issued a decree. She set out three options, but then only gave him a choice between two of them, kind of a reverse Monty Hall dilemma. She didn't paint a particularly rosy picture of herding or remaining a bachelor, so really there is only one choice that she offers. Silver being the good-hearted and trusting pony that he is, he took her word at face value and didn't ask questions challenging the limited options laid before him. In his dismay, he seems to have assumed that there were no other paths to discover.
The anti-Celestia camp will say that she intentionally manipulated his decision. She bombarded him with information and ideas he wasn't prepared to face, set out three options, took one off the table arbitrarily and then offered him a choice between two with one painted as 'morally grey'.
The pro-Celestia camp might argue that this is a teaching opportunity. As a leader he will be faced with ponies and other creatures that will manipulate the facts or even outright lie while doing what they can to keep him off balance and disoriented, even those that he trusts the most, especially those he trusts the most. He must learn to keep his head on straight and base his decisions and actions on the best possible information and logical foundation that he can, circumstances permitting. If circumstances do not permit, then he must also learn to hit back with the same tactics in order to negotiate for time and thinking space.
In her defense, Silver asked her what she wanted before she offered.
Was she playing him? Testing him? Or was she gently teaching him that to lead means to take a deliberative approach? Silver isn't used to leading and his reflex, like most people, is to defer to authority when facing a situation for which one is unprepared. Sometimes authority is wrong or has motives other than your own. A hard lesson to learn, but perhaps the least brutal way to teach it.
*****
And on the lighter side...
Technically six.
Congratulations on your successful threesome! I hear those can be tricky to coordinate.
7324921
No I got here after all of you, thanks to the day job, but there was still a nibble or three for dinner.
7326836
Now I have to count.
1. Penny - Cares about her friend and wants what's best for him.
2. Night - Just ran off and hit on their ex, and (arguably) a grieving family because, dammit she really want's a herd.
3. Fast - Really care's about her friend, and wants what's best for herself.
4. Surprise - Really cares about her friend and really wishes this hadn't come up while she was dealing with her own family issues.
5. Z-978 - Is honestly truly confused as to what exactly is going on right now.
6. Diane - Actively resents these ponies intruding on her family right after their really horrific loss.
Yep. Count checks out. Sorry Silver, your pretty well screwed.
7326838 Usually you kick my old stallion butt getting at the typos first, (problem when the chapters only appear at 1:00 to 3:00 am here in Oz) but the little buggers were hiding in really good reading camouflage today so I tip my hat to you my lady on good spotting.
7327968 Don't worry Tolkien and C.S.Lewis both had there share too.
Possibly, yes. One of the hallmarks of maturity, let alone responsibility, is recognizing and accepting that you don't always get what you want, sometimes including living in the manner that you wish you could. "Love" isn't a universal panacea.
Needless to say, I like the ideas that these last few chapters have raised, in that Night and Silver want different things out of their relationship, and that nobody is wrong, per se, for that. It's not so much that that Silver is uncomfortable with the political ramifications of being openly submissive to his wife while being royalty (though I do think that's something important to consider), but simply from the fact that he doesn't like the new, and decidedly unequal, dynamic that Night is proposing.
With that said, I'm going to go ahead and step on a landmine...
I personally didn't care for this chapter, largely because of the collaborative aspect to it. I'm aware that that comes off as highly hypocritical on my part, as I've collaborated on chapters myself, but I believe that there's a key difference. I try to keep an awareness that this story is its own thing, and so write in a way that complements what's here; new characters that I introduce are presented purely in terms of what they do for this narrative.
By contrast, the panoply of "collab-characters" on display here don't have that same contextual fidelity. While they may move the plot forward via interacting with Silver and co., the myriad references they make to their own unrelated circumstances, events, and characters is distracting at best, confusing at worst (even Silver seems confused at some points). It might make sense for the characters to do that, but it's a burden on this story as its own thing. I like a crossover as much as anyone else, but if I'm not interested in the other story then having multiple references to what those characters have been up to serves only to get in the way of what's happening here.
I'm not trying to come down on anyone else's work, but I honestly feel like the story is stumbling over these collaborations, rather than being enhanced by them.
7326836 Fixed, belatedly!
7328136 Sorry, that was my bad.
The
WyldTypo Hunt continues!well, what had been his favorite eatery.