//------------------------------// // Punching Papers and Tail Chasers // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// Lunas mind slowly and hazily drifted back to reality from her comforting slumber. Her attempts to hold onto to her sleep were futile, despite being able to control dreams, as piercing rays of sunlight shown across her face. The mare groaned and stretched, her back coming into contact with a warm fur behind her. The sudden contact gave her a bit of a jolt of panic, having not woken up in the same bed as some pony else for a long time, but it was quickly dismissed as she recalled the previous night. She rolled over to face her sleeping buddy, the wolf snoozing blissfully. They hadn't moved an inch during the night, and she was glad for it. Silver made quite a comfortable pillow. It felt like a crime to have to wake the canine, and Luna seriously considered just leaving him in the bed for the day. The only issue with that fantasy was that she wouldn't be there to share the bed with him. The day court still needed some pony to manage it, and her sister was still busy with her paper work. Amid her thoughts, a rustle came from the sheets. The wolf moved his paw up the bed and to the waist of Luna, tugging her a little closer. She relished in the snuggle, desperately wishing for the sun to go back down and for their night to begin all over again. But alas, duty calls. “Silver,” she whisper gently into his ear, “Silver, wake up.” The wolf groaned and flicked his ears down, mumbling something about obnoxious pixies. Luna couldn't help but giggle at the sight. “Come now little wolf, it's time to rise,” She gently prodded him with a hoof, until his eyes finally opened. “Do I hafta?” His have woken state was even more adorable than his sleeping one. His eyes were still half-lidded, his mouth slightly agape, and his voice seemed to be a little different from it's usual tone. Luna giggled once more, “I'm afraid so, yes. The pixies have launched an attack on the jackals, and now the time mines are going to turn blue. It simply demands out attention.” Silver blinked a few times at the scarily accurate description of his dreams, “That's the last time I ever let you into my head.” Luna snickered, “All dreams aside, we do have things to do today.” Silver sighed. Would there ever be a time where he could do what the mares asked and just lay in bed for the whole day? It seemed every time the opportunity presented itself, one of them, if not both, had something to do that day. “Fiiine,” he groaned, rolling out of the bed and on all fours, “Imma go shower real quick and grab something to eat at my place.” Luna pulled herself from the bed as well, “Very well, I shall do the same,” quickly realizing how her statement may be taken, she attempted to correct herself, “J-just not there. I-I mean, I will take my bath and eat here.... in the castle. N-not with you....” Luna sentence had become a stuttering mess, one to which Silver couldn't fight back a chuckled at; the adorableness of the flustered princess overwhelmed him. He left the room and trotted down the hall, going to the door he used to enter his home and stepped inside, finding the house unnaturally quiet. A small note on the counter explained why. Started training early today Ruppy and Onyx. P.S. Aerial is with us too. Silver felt a burst of pride in his pupils. Even though he hadn't been around to instruct them lately, they still stuck to their training regiment. Luckily, he wouldn't have to be around since their basic training was bound to take a month at the least, at least for Onyx and Aerial. Ruppys training would be completed in about a week, but she would move onto punching a tougher material so the training wouldn't really change. Figuring the least he could do was return the favor, Silver picked up a pen and scribbled onto the note where he would be for the day. The wolf finished his note and fished out a plastic container from the fridge hidden in the back of the fridge, popping it open to reveal a few large pieces of fried chicken. It wasn't often these days that he had the chance to eat meat without sickening those around him. While it's true he had the pills he needed to fulfill his protein needs, so actually eating the meat wasn't necessary, but that still didn't curb the cravings. He popped a few pieces into the microwave and pulled out a glass from the cupboard. He poured some sweet tea into it and grabbed a few napkins from the counter. A few seconds later, the microwave beeped and he popped it open, reveling in the scent. He sat down with the steaming chicken on his plate and devoured it in a moment. He was positive he looked wild while he ate, but he didn't care. It wasn't like there was any pony to see him. He quickly finished off his meaty breakfast and made for the shower. It took only ten minutes for the wolf to wash and step out. It was the drying process that took the longest. Sure, his spell quick dried him, but it could only do so much. If he used it without toweling off first, he would still be soaked. After drying and stepping out, Silver picked up a brush and ran it through his fur. Thanks to his spell, his fur was loose and easily managed. He set the brush back in the bathroom and left the home, finding a midnight blue alicorn waiting for him. “Oh, hey. Sorry, did I keep you waiting?” Luna shook her head, “Now, I just arrived a minute ago. Come, or we'll be late.” She turned and began to walk down the hall. Silver nodded and followed after the leading mare. And so began another day of court and pointless complaining. Oh joy.... Ruppy stared at the swinging paper that hung from the tree. It was crinkled and had a small corner ripped off, but no hole in the center. “Ugh!” she groaned, “What the fuck!? Why is this so damn hard!?” Ruppy plopped on the ground in fit of frustration. After a minute, the sound of hooves gently trotting against the dirt caused the mare to look up from her pout. “Hey, what's wrong?” Aerial asked. Ruppy simply pointed a hoof to the paper. “Ohh, that. Well, keep trying. I'm sure you'll get it.” “Yeah, but that the thing. What's the point of this stupid exercise? I mean, he told me that it'll help with my punches, but I don't really need it. I've never had any problem punching some pony before. Shit, my hits break bricks.” Aerial sat down next to the pegasus, “Well, I'm sure there must be a good reason why Silver would have you do it. I remember when he first started training me, all he had me do was sit around and do pretty much nothing. I got mad after a while and called him out on it, then he explained that to control wind magic, you have to be calm and collected, otherwise you'll just hurt yourself.” “So what you're saying is that by having me punch a piece of paper, he's teaching me control?” “Well, I don't know about control,” Aerial said as she rose from her spot, “But I know it'll teach you something you didn't have before.” Ruppy remained seated, but glared up at the paper. It swayed in the breeze, mocking her failure. She could put a hole through a single sheet. How pathetic! The strange thing was, it wasn't pissing her off all that much. Sure it was frustrating, but at the same time, it intrigued her. How is that a single sheet of paper could with stand the force of a punch that could shatter stone? Ruppy rose and walked toward the dangling sheet. She circled it and examined its movement with a critical eye. Aerial noticed her new-found focus and decided it would be best to get back to her own training. Ruppy continued to circle the paper. She stopped and poked it with a hoof, causing it to move. She looked down at a rock on the ground, then paused to think. She scooped up the rock and tied a string around it, then tied the other end to the tree branch next to the paper. She continued to circle them, trying to note every little difference she could. Size, weight, mass, positioning, anything that could have been different. Although the wind was making it difficult since the paper kept turning and flipping so much. ...Wait. The paper is moving in the wind. Ruppy looked at the rock. It swayed a little, but not nearly as much as the paper. A huge grin broke out on her face. An idea formed in her head. Well, not so much an idea, but rather a feeling. She knew she found something, but now she just had figure out how to use it. Twilight flipped through her notes, studying the contents. She was in the lab beneath the library with Star Shine, going over her data and trying to make a bit more sense of it. Of course, it might help if Silver was there to test on. Name: Silver Wind Age: Unknown 128 yrs. Height: 4ft 5in Length: 5ft 6in Race: Wolf( Winged) Magic: Elemental (Wind) Day 1: Observations show that subjects magic allows for complete control over wind. He can use the wind in a variety of ways, including turning his own body into a gaseous state. Subject states that Elemental Magic is based off of the individuals own personal beliefs about the element they use. Subjects own personal belief is based around freedom, though it would seem that belief is some how different from most. How this affects his magic will have to be determined later. Test 1: Simple breeze. Length of time wind blew: 30 min. Subject states he could hold the small wind for as long as he was conscious. Speed: 5MPH Subject states that he could produce hurricane-like winds, though it would cause fatigue after about three hours. Affect: Blew around small, light objects. Ex: Leaves, paper, ect. Test 2: Different forms of wind. Gust: A wind that has no form and blows objects around. Subject can produce gusts that he claims can rip houses off the ground. Further testing may be required. Tunnel/Vortex: Subjects creates a tornado/vortex in any location he chooses. He states that he can create a tornado at a maximum range is about 5 miles from himself. The size of the vortex is unknown, and will require more testing. Blade: Subject forms the gust of wind into a edge, giving it a cutting ability. He states that he forms it based off of the shape of his wing, wrapping the wind around it and then shooting it off. He states he can cut almost any object in half, though it is doubtful. Further testing will be required. Subject also states he can combine this with vortex, creating a whirling mass of blades. “So this is what you managed to gather?” Star Shine asked, looking over Twilights shoulder. The mare nodded and handed the wolf the journal. She had only gotten about five pages worth of data, and couldn't make much sense of it. Not only was Elemental magic foreign to her, but Silver at the time was as well. She now had a vague understanding of what Silver meant by “freedom”, or at least, his definition of it. For him, there was no such thing as right and wrong, so therefore he could do what he wanted. It was like the wind, either a cool breeze, or a hurricane. Both good and evil, and therefore it wasn't either. “Well, most of this data is right, though Silver was definitely holding out. The forms of magic he showed you were just basics of his techniques; the foundation of his own personalized style of wind magic. And you didn't even get to see his skills with blades, or even scratch the surface of his biology.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked as she went over to look back at the book, “I got his wind blades, right there.” Twilight pointed a hoof at the page where the data was written. She didn't bother pointing out Silvers physical anatomy. The wolf was right, Twilight barely knew anything about a wolfs body, much less Silvers, despite having spent so much time next to it. Star Shine skimmed through the page Twilight referred to, “I didn't mean those blades. Silver uses the Steel Wing Spell, but I'm guessing he didn't show you.” “Steel Wing Spell?” Star Shine nodded and set the book down on a table before taking a couple of steps away. She held out a wing and a purple light passed over it. When it crossed her feathers, her wing became clad in metal, sharpened on all edges, even the feathers. “The Steel Wing Spell encase our wings in metal by transforming our magic and condensing it, giving it a solid, sturdy form. I don't really use it, but Silver does. It's how he figured out how to make wind blades. Anyway, when he combines his magic with his wings, the wind blades become ten times sharper. The ones he was showing were the duller forms.” Twilight sighed and dropped her head, “And here I thought he wouldn't keep any more secrets from me.” Star Shine undid her magic and stepped a little closer to the mare, picking up on the tension of the mentioned issue, “You got pretty close to him didn't you, Princess?” Twilight looked up and nodded slowly. It didn't matter how close she was before, since now she agreed to switch, she would rarely see him. Sure, her original plan was to get closer to him in a different, more personal way, but how would she if she couldn't even talk to him. And she couldn't just show up at his house. That would make her look desperate! “It's surprising, you know,” Star Shine said as she looked back over the book, snapping Twilight from her thoughts, “I didn't think that a mare would be the one to fix him.” Twilight cocked her head, “What do you mean, 'fix him'?” Star Shine continued, “Silver was a bit different back home. I'm sure you can already tell that he has a bit of a charm to him.” Twilight nodded, blushing fiercely as she admitted having been wooed more than once by the wolf. “Well in Houndland, he never did date. Sure, he's a massive flirt, but he never once attempted a relationship, or even sex at that. He's been like that for a while now.” Twilight instinctively blew raspberries, only realizing after how rude that may make her look in the eyes of the wolf. Surprisingly, Star Shine didn't seem to mind. In fact, she laughed. “I know, it's difficult to believe. But don't get me wrong, there was a time when all he did was chase tail, and often he caught it. I remember someone told him once, 'if you chase two rabbits at once, you won't catch either', and a week later Silver proved him wrong.” Twilight let out a mad blush, and a small twinge of jealousy found its place in her heart. “I apologize, that was inappropriate of me,” Star Shine said with a bow of her head, noticing Twilights discomfort, “But there is a reason I'm telling you. Like I said, that was before Silver changed. Before Lily.” Twilight immediately forgot about the awkward image that appeared in her head and focused on the mentioned name. “Did...did you ever ask him about her?” the wolf inquired. She seemed afraid for some reason, like the subject was taboo, and to Twilight, that would have been understandable. The mare nodded, “I did. All he said was she...she killed herself.” she had to force a shudder down as she spoke the words. Suicide was not a topic Twilight ever wanted to discuss, “He didn't want to talk about it.” “I see...Well, allow me to shed some light on the brighter aspects of her. Lily was the wolf that brought some...control to Silvers life at the time, back when he still went by Saber. Before, he did what he wanted, much like he does today, but back then he didn't care who got hurt. Lily was somehow able to reign in his chaos and tame the beast to an extent. “It wasn't until after she died that Silver actually became the Silver you know. He began to care more and even founded his own pack. But when she died, she changed him in another way too. She took a piece of him with her and...I don't know. It's not like he forgot how to love, but....something's just different.” “He...he loved her?” Twilight almost face-hoofed. She wasn't sure how Star Shine would take it, as it could be interpreted many ways, though jealous was what she feared most. But the wolf nodded, never giving the remark any attention, “I don't think he knew it before, but after she died, I think he figured out what he was feeling. Everyone else saw it but him. And when she passed, it broke him. There was one other girl he tried to be with, but she left him.” Twilight took notice of the sudden change in tone when Star Shine mentioned the other girl. A loathing, hateful spite was all that she could feel coming from the wolf. Whoever this girl was, Twilight would be surprised if she wasn't already dead. “Anyway, after that he never bothered to date again. He's been alone for years now. I've tried to convince him to go out and try to meet someone, but he always says he doesn't feel like dating. I don't know, maybe I'm just looking for something that isn't there.” “So, he's okay now? He's willing to at least try to start a relationship?” “I don't know. Like I said, I may just be reading to much into this. But what I do know is that you and Princess Luna are the only two females I've seen Silver express this much interest in.” “Well, it's more—wait, Luna?” Twilight had barely caught the name, and if it weren't for the Princess part added on, she probably would have ignored it. “Yes, Princess Luna has spent some...personal time with Silver as well. He didn't tell you?” “No. He didn't.” Twilight growled. Star Shine gulped at the scowl the mare made. Silver should know better than to piss off an alicorn. “Well, if it's any consolation, they didn't have sex. I know they spent some nights together, but that was all. So, um..could you put the wrench down...please? Princess?” The wrench hit the floor with a loud clank, and Twilight sighed, “I suppose I can't get mad. It's not like we're together or anything.” “So...you do have feelings for him?” The alicorn nodded. She didn't care if Star Shine knew. Something told her that shes known for a while now, “But you said he didn't want to be in a relationship, so I guess it doesn't really matter.” A heavy, disheartened sigh escaped from her. “I did say that he was broken, but I also said I could be wrong. I've never been able to get a good read on Silver, so I can't be certain. I'm sorry, I should have said that first.” Twilight shook her head, “Don't worry, it's fine. Besides, I don't think making Silver choose between me and Luna would be a good idea. It might only make things worse.” Star Shine thought for a moment and hummed, “Actually, doesn't Equestria have herds?” Twilight once again found herself blushing, “Star Shine, I can understand how you might come to that as a solution, but I'm afraid that even I am a little uncomfortable with that idea. A herd isn't a harem, where multiple mares fall for one stallion, but where every pony loves each other. That means Luna and I would have to love each other as well, and while I do think the princess is pretty, I don't think of her in that manner. And besides, if Silver won't date one mare, what makes you thinks he'll date two at once?” “Hmm, I suppose you're right. I apologize once again, I've stepped beyond my bounds. I think Silver may be rubbing off on me.” Twilight shuffled over to her books to try and occupy herself. The suggestion, while being a strange one, caused Twilights mind to wonder. Could they? She knew that both Luna and Celestia at some point in time had herds of their own, but that was ages ago. There's no way Luna would agree to that, or even Silver! Amid her page flipping, Twilight suddenly felt like it was time to get a little even with the wolf in the room for making her thoughts turn to such things, “Star Shine, you once said you and Silver were puphood friends, didn't you?” Star Shine stopped what she was doing as well and paused to think, “I don't recall ever saying...oh wait, yes I did.” “So just how long have you known Silver?” “Hmm, for about 100 years. I'm only a few years older than he is, but we met during the war when he said he was looking for immortality. He'd heard I was doing the same and asked if he could join in. Though his way going about doing it was absurd. He blasted his way into my lab and so, naturally pissed off, we fought. We almost killed each other, but in the end he ended up explaining that he wanted immortality just like me. It took a little while, but we eventually became friends.” It was a lot to take in, but Twilight managed to follow through the story. It would seem all of Silvers old friends have almost killed him in the past. But that was a discussion for another time. No, now's the time for revenge. “And in all that time, you remained just friends?” Twilight asked, a small smirk appearing on her muzzle. Star Shine didn't seem to notice, or really care in general about the question. “Yeah, just friends. I'll admit, there may have been a point where I found him attractive, but I realized how insufferable he was and any affection for him died in a glorious blaze. We never tried for anything more.” Twilights smirk fell. So much for revenge. Oh well. In a way, it was a good thing. At least she didn't have to compete with a puphood friend for Silver. ...wait, compete? “Am I really going to have to fight over Silver? I mean, I do want to be with him, but trying to win him over just feels a little...immature.” Much to her relief, the sound of the basement door opening pulled Twilight out of her conflict, though the voice that followed caused her some bitter-sweet joy. “Twilight!” Silver called. His paws could be heard clacking down the steps, and Twilight wasn't sure if she was happy or uneasy. “Oh, there you are,” he said as he reached the bottom. He gave the same old smile as always and as it turned out, Silver did bring her happiness, “Spike let me in. I need to talk with Star.” The mentioned wolf looked up from the records, “What's up?” “Do you have any understanding of the Equestrian Black Market, or really just any part of the underworld?” Star Shine stared at the wolf with a a cautious eye, “Why?” “I need to find Daring Doos employer and the only way to do that is to reach into the darker side of Equestria.” Star Shine shook her head, “Nonononon, I know what you're going to do, and no! I let you get away with a lot already, but this is one thing I won't let you do.” “Star look, I'm gonna do anything stupid, alright? I'm not gonna set up an op, but I do need connections.” “It doesn't matter if you set up an op or not, just showing your face will rile things up. They'll think the pack is trying to move in on their turf and that will only put the Princesses in danger. It's bad enough that you exposed us in Equestria, and doing anything in the underworld will make things messy.” Twilight could only sit and watch the two argue. She wasn't completely lost, though she didn't quite understand what was causing Star Shine so much concern. “Star, I can do this quietly. I won't even show my face, I'll have Ruppy and Onyx do the hunting. They've already been part of the other side for a while, so them coming along and asking questions shouldn't look suspicious.” Star Shine was about to argue back, but realized that her concern was already covered. The only thing she was worried about was the heads of the underworld thinking the Black Moon Pack had set it's sights on Equestria, and even had the Princesses under their control. If Ruppy and Onyx act instead of Silver, then nothing could be linked back to him, other than the two of them being his pupils, but even then, it would be hard to see the connection. But he would have to make sure that they aren't linked back to him. “Alright fine, but on one condition. You give a cover for Ruppy and Onyx. They disappeared right after you showed your face and trashed the Manehatten Slums, so they might make the connection. Find a way to cover their trail and make sure they won't connect you to them.” “Deal.” Star Shine sighed. Silver was not only the best at finding and stealing things, but also the reverse. He could hide and make anything or one disappear into thin air, much like his Evaporation spell, so covering the two mares would be simple. But even with all those skills, she still couldn't help but worry. “The Black Market varies from region to region, though your best bet would be the Las Pegasus one. Send the girls to a club called, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, Slits for Bits. The bartender is the one with all the information about exchanges and deals. But tell them to be careful, their patrons are a bit...different.” Silver nodded, “Thank you. I owe you one.” He turned and gave Twilight a quick hug, “Bye Twilight,” then scampered up the stairs before Star Shine could scold him. “That damn wolf!” Star Shine hollered. Twilight could only giggle, “Don't worry, it's fine. I've done worst to him.” Star Shine held back her frustration, taking hold of this new information. She turned and looked at Twilight with a curious eye, “Oh really? Do tell.” The alicorn didn't let this little bit of information slip by. It would seem Silver couldn't touch her, but she could touch him. “Well,” she began as a bright blush found its way to her cheeks due to recalling the previous night, “I may have gotten just a little drunk.” “Uh-huh....” Star Shine was now listening eagerly for the next events. “And I may have kinda sorta maybe tried just a little to seduce Silver.” A huge grin broke out on the wolfs face. Screw being formal for now, she needed to hear this. While she was a little upset that Silver let her get drunk, she was glad he was at least responding to a mares advances. And in all honesty, deep down inside her heart....she shipped it. She christened that ship SilverLight, and watched it sail off into Celestias glorious sunset. Then she asked the vital question, “How?” And so began a conversation so embarrassing, Cadence herself looked pale compared to Twilights cheeks.