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// 54 - Ambassadorial Duties 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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The first visitors were not long in coming. Representatives of various factions in the city came with smiles, hoping to earn favor with Silver, and through him, Celestia. With her support, or so the reasoning seemed to go, they could gain access to near limitless resources.

"As you can see," explained a crystal mare, pointing at a pie chart beside herself. "If we could just get crystal berry production up, it would mean a huge net gain for the entire city! Exports alone would be massively profitable. We've run the numbers." She tapped at the pie chart. "The numbers don't lie."

Silver nodded politely as he glanced to the subtly shaking head of Night Watch. "You've given us a lot to think about. Allow me to ask, what's keeping you back right now?"

"Bits, resources, horsepower, you know..."

"I don't know." He smiled a little. "That's why I'm here. Be specific."

She looked a little confused at the nature of the question. "I don't have enough workers tending enough fields, nor are there enough guards to keep wild animals and beasts from threatening the farmers I do have. The guards of the city are just that, of the city. They don't patrol the farmlands."

Silver rolled a hoof. "Where are the ponies working right now?"

She hiked a brow. "I haven't a clue, probably being fat and lazy somewhere. They don't respond to my offers for gainful employment. Another reason we need more ponies, preferably hardworking ones, ready to farm." She snorted with a scowl. "The Princess really should do something about the shiftless population. This welfare state she's bui--"

"I'll consider it," cut off Silver with a forced smiled. "Let me go over my own numbers."

Night saw her out even as the mare tried to get in a few last words for her case, then the room was quiet again. Night returned with a nod. "This is quite a mess, to say the least."

Silver sagged a little. "It was so much simpler and direct, last time. They just had... to get together, and get things done. They needed a little magic help in the mines. Hell, defending against a horde of shadow demons is at least straightforward."

Night thrust a hoof at him. "Are you giving up?"

"What? No. I said I'd do it, I plan to get this done." Silver stomped a hoof on the floor. "I'm not running away from this, just appreciating the fact that it isn't an easy road I set myself on."

"No. No, it isn't." Night closed in, rubbing noses gently. "But we'll walk it together, right?"

Silver smiled at her. "It suddenly seems a little easier." He threw a leg over her, hugging. "I want to get out of here." She raised a brow. "No, not like that. I want to see how things are going with my own eyes. I want to visit these fields, and the mines, and hear what people are saying, actual ponies, not just the richest of the lot or the loudest of the bunch."

A soft clopping came from the door before Cadance entered with a little smile. "Sorry it took so long. Today's been a madhouse, and your coming's only seemed to shake up the hive, as it were." She closed the door behind herself with a kick. "So, Silver! It's good to see you again. Goodness, it's been, what... It feels like forever since last we met."

Silver considered that. It hadn't been that long had it? Time was hard to measure in Equestria, it felt. "A pleasure to be here, Cadance. This is Night Watch, my wife." He waved to her and she smiled proudly at the title.

"Nice to meet you." Cadance advanced on her, looking her over. "You're just what he needs."

Night twitched her ears up at the larger pink princess of a pony. "I'm sorry? I don't think I quite grasped that."

Cadance brought up her hooves, cupping Night on her cheeks. "I was... Oh nevermind that. I think you two are a lovely couple. Now, what brings you here? Not just here to see me, are you?"

Silver shook his head slowly. "No. I just thought I should, for the sake of the ponies here."

She raised a brow. "We're having our rough spots, to be certain, but nothing so dire as to require you to run across Equestria to our aid." She released Night and turned back to Silver. "Though you're wearing the title well enough, I remember the awkward pony I met before. You're hardly an ambassador, and I mean that in the kindest way."

Night scowled a bit. "I understand you are the princess of this land, but you're speaking very poorly of the official representative of Equestria. He came to help."

Cadance giggled suddenly. "Did I mention she's perfect? I love her." She shook her head slowly. "I'm serious, however. How do you plan to help?"

Silver sat up straight. "I want to go see what the real problems are, first. I want to see who's struggling where, the real ponies, not these well-connected ones." He glanced away suddenly. "I'm also worried about something."

"Such as?"

Silver rolled a hoof. "You know what the shadows are, right?"

Cadance raised a brow. "I wouldn't be a very good princess of these people without knowing. Why do you know anything about them? Researching before you arrived? Very astute of you."

Silver snorted softly. "We'll call it that, but yes, I know of them, and I'm worried they'll attack soon, within a month or two."

Cadance shook her head. "And if they did, which I certainly hope they don't, what would you do about it?"

Silver tapped at his chin. "My best. I know some spells I could share with you, that you could cast, being an alicorn."

She raised a brow. "Fascinating, but I'm not Twilight. I need more than a day to learn a spell. If you plan to share one with me, you should do that right away. What sort of spell is this? Your ball of fire?"

Night gave Silver a light nudge with a wing. "Your fireball's famous throughout the lands."

Silver flashed a smile. "While useful, no, not that. I'm not sure if I should, since I've been asked not to sprea--"

Cadance held up a hoof. "Out with it. You came all this way, not just to hold it from me. What, exactly, do you see happening? How? Details, please. I believe your sincerity, now show me the rest of it."

Silver considered his options a moment. "Fine, I don't think this is a case where things will change too much with forewarning, except maybe saving a few ponies. Again, this is later, not right away, but I had... a vision."

"A dream," added Night.

"Call it what you want." Silver frowned at her before continuing. "A field of darkness, with creatures of shadow blotting out the city for a time. You use a modified version of my fire shield to surround the castle, and we battle fiercely through the night, barely repelling them."

Cadance shook her head slowly. "That's a terrible vision, true or not." She put a hoof to her chest. "Well, go ahead. If I never have need for it, then it simply won't be used. I'm not a power hungry pony, looking for ways to conquer the world, you know that."

Silver drew out a mostly empty journal. "I'll have to write it out again. The last copy I had was thrown into a fireplace and all. Still, this is a combination spell."

"Combination?" Cadance tilted her head.

"Two ponies, in this case." Silver pointed at Cadance. "Your husband has to lend his shield talent, or it would be too hard, even for you, to hold it up all night. His shield, and you supply the fire, and the castle is kept mostly safe. Not to say there wasn't fighting, because there was, so much of it..."

Night shook her head quickly. "Silver'll work on that, but this isn't immediate, as he said. What about all these ponies and their problems?"

Cadance glanced to Night. "I admit, this is a little distracting. Dreams can be terrible things, and it's probably nothing, but the idea that it could happen... I don't want my people to suffer that, again. They've had to slave under the yoke of shadow once before, never again." She turned her gaze squarely on Silver. "Was it Sombra? Did he return?"

"Sombra!" came an excitable voice from beyond the door. As everyone in the room turned to it, the sound of clopping sounded out, receding rapidly.

Cadance put a wing over her face. "That's going to cause trouble... While I go deal with that, write out that spell, then we'll go over the current events." She rose to her hooves. "If you're certain about doing your part, there are plenty of parts to be done." She hesitated a moment. "Thank you."