//------------------------------//
// 90 - In Darkness Met 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Night trotted through the hallways of the castle, but she wasn't bound for the entrance, no... "It's about time we settled this." She moved for Luna's quarters. The guards subtly changed as she came closer. Less day guards, more night guards, until she encountered two of them standing post outside her door. She nodded to either of them. "Fair day."

"The nights are better," replied one of them.

"They always are," finished Night, completing a traditional lunar pony exchange. She smiled at her two kinsponies. "I'm here to see Luna, is she back yet? If not, I'll leave her a message."

"She's settling in a new tribe of ponies." The guard tilted his head a little. "How did she just make a new tribe out of nowhere? The writing says she took untold years to get us just right."

Night had the answer to that, and offered it without reservation. "This tribe, she found. They were already creatures of the night, but they need help. Her guidance, and our support, seeing as we already know the score of that game."

The other guard took a half-step forward. "Were you there? Please, tell us more."

Night shook her head. "They're good ponies, or have the potential to be. They'll need good neighbors... Good big brothers and sisters, which is what we, as lunar ponies, can be." She pulled out a sheet of paper and began scribbling on it busily before she folded it in three and stamped on it with her personal seal. "Please see Luna gets this as soon as she returns. Darkness protect."

"Darkness protect."

Night left the guards and was soon out of the castle, or so was her plan until a familiar green pony gave an especially loud 'psst' that failed every check for being discreet. "Hey! Night Watch! Psst!"

Night raised a brow at the green earth pony. "Hello, Surprise. I'm just going shopping, shouldn't you be resting?"

Surprise shrugged softly. "Having a soft warm place to sleep at night is great, but I got bored. It's not even night! Can I go shopping with you?" She saw Night looking hesitant and quickly offered, "I'll be super quiet! It'll be like I'm not even there!"

Night got the impression she'd be stalked comedically in the shadows if she didn't let Surprise do it in the open. "Alright, just keep your coughs to yourself."

"Roger wilco!" She smiled brilliantly. "She said I should clear right up with some good food and a nice place to sleep. Thank you soooo much for bringing me." She advanced, looking ready to hug Night.

Night danced away, her good wing flaring out. "Easy there, Surprise. I'm glad you're feeling better, but no hugs until you're all better."

Surprise stopped and gave a firm nod. "You got it!" She looked around. "So where are we going?"

Night trotted away, descending the stairs of the castle. "I have to find a watchmaker. I think I remember where one is."

"Watchmaker?" Surprise went quiet a moment before it clicked, her expression brightening. "Oh! Oh! You did what the nurse suggested! Did he already say yes?" She trotted up closer to Night's side. "That's so cute! And romantic! Did you have to talk him into it or did he just say yes?"

Night smiled despite her best of intentions. "That creampuff? Of course he said yes." She glanced away. "I can't imagine him not."

Surprise raised an ear. "Why aren't you more happy about that? Did you want him to argue about it?"

"Well, no, I mean... Maybe? A little?"

Surprise shook her head slowly. "He loves you, Night Watch, the Big L. Asking him to wear your name is like giving him a big shiny diamond and telling him to show it off. He gets to say to everypony--" She stood up tall and straight and raised a hoof to her chest. "I am Mister Silver Watch. Oh Oh! Or We are Mister and Misses Watch. I'm sure he's looking into a mirror and trying that right now." Surprise giggled with mirth, her mane showing faint signs of curls, but still limp compared to its normal state. "Wanna bet?"

Elsewhere, Silver sneezed suddenly, getting droplets of moisture all over the mirror he was looking at. Blushing, he levitated up a cloth and cleaned up his mess.

Night waved a hoof dismissively. "He wouldn't be doing that..." She trailed off, frowning thoughtfully. "Would he?"

"Hello! Do you even see the way he looks at you?" She danced up to Night's side. "This is so different from when I last met him..."

Night looked sideways at Surprise. "Ah... that dream again..." She glanced away and back quickly, curiosity overwhelming her. "What was he like, there?"

"Well he still loved you a lot, but he had so many mares to balance. Not like here. It's just you, and he puts all that love into one place. I mean, he was doing an alright job  juggling everypony, but it was getting kinda crazy." She shrugged a little. "He went on a big super important trip with Celestia once, left you, uh, dream you behind. He was super happy to get back though."

Night squinted a little. "Just how long... was this dream?"

Surprise shrugged her shoulders. "It was... my home. It was forever, I thought, until it was gone..." She glanced around suddenly. "Who's to say this whole place won't collapse the same way? Just, poof, gone... Maybe it's all somepony's dream too?"

Night raised a brow. "I find that highly unlikely."

"You think I didn't?!" Surprise slapped a hoof over her own snout. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout like that."

Night waved it off. "You didn't quite answer the question. Did he..." She went quiet, trotting along a moment before it returned to her, or her bravery built high enough. "Was he in love, there?"

Surprise gigglesnorted as if the question were simply hilarious. "Of course he loved you. I mean, sure, he was crazy overwhelmed most of the time, but yes. For sure. Seeing you was one way I was sure it was him, even if he looked different from how I remembered him."

"Different?"

"Oh sure. I mean, he was a lunar pony mare for most of the time I met him." She waved a hoof as if reporting it had rained on a given day. "Then there was that whole princess, then prince thing... He was never boring, I'll say that for sure! But through all that, you were constant." She tilted her head a little. "Did you say he was brushing off Twilight?"

Night shook her head as she pulled ahead. "Let's focus on shopping, shall we?"

"Oh, sure."

Together they strode along the well-cobbled streets of Canterlot, stopping at a store that showed a sign made up of gears large and small. Night smiled up at the sign. "Here we are." She proceeded to the door and pushed it open. A concealed bell rang out from above.

"One moment," called out a stallion's voice from the back. "I'm in the middle of a delicate procedure. Please be patient. Feel free to look around, with your eyes only, if you don't mind."

Surprise peeked inside, then began darting from one case to the next. "Wow, look at it all!" She tapped at the glass keeping her hooves from touching one collection of watches, both mantelpieces and pocket varieties. Her eyes wandered off to the large grandfather clocks that lined one wall. "He has a watch for everything!"

Night nodded lightly as she wandered around, letting her eyes roam the selection. "I want something silver and brilliant, but with some hint of thought behind it. A diplomatic cast would be nice..."

"Roger!" Surprise began sweeping the room, looking intently for something that matched Night's desire. Coincidence, or fate, had them laying eyes on their target at almost the same moment. A fat silver watch that showed a pony with its hoof offered out, but there was nothing there.

Night bobbed her head. "It's delightful." She flashed a toothy grin. "We can have it modified each time he makes a new friend." She tapped the glass protecting it. "Changelings and umbrum, to start."

Surprise raised an ear. "What about a lunar pony? He made friends with them, best friends! What's an umbrum?"

Night shook her head. "Long story, but imagine changelings that feed on fear instead of love. They look like shadowy pixie ponies."

Surprise tilted her head at the notion. "They sound cute, and scary. Adorafrightening? Terridorable?" She giggled a little. "Still, why not lunar ponies?"

Night waved a hoof. "Just me doesn't count."

"Is he not friends with Luna anymore?"

Night raised a brow. "He is, but she isn't a lunar pony."

Surprise shrugged. "If he hasn't made enough lunar pony friends, you should introduce him to more. I bet he'd like that."

Night stiffened a little. "I'm not sure he would..."

With the sound of beads being pushed aside in a curtain, the shopkeep emerged, a thoughtful expression on his aged muzzle. "Hello there." He focused on Night and raised a brow. "I think I recognize you."

Night blinked at the older unicorn. "You do?"

"Night guard, right?"

Night deflated a little. "Once, sir." She tapped at the display case. "We want this one, right here. Can you make a modification to it?"

He looked perplexed a moment. "Oh! You must think I'm terrible. No! Not just any old night guard, no no no. You watched a warehouse for me when I was younger, caught some miscreant trying to get some of my work." He sat on his haunches, nodding. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Good thing, too. Little punk had no finesse. He was wrestling open a box so roughly..." He sighed. "You stopped him from doing more damage, but even the little time he had had me busy for weeks fixing things." He smiled then. "Still, at least it was all fixable damage. I can only imagine how bad it could have gotten."

Night thought back to her guarding days. She had watched many warehouses, but the elder unicorn's smiling face resurfaced in her memory. "Ah! I remember you. I was still a new guard at the time. It was one of my earliest big catches."

"Was it?" He smiled at her. "You took to it naturally. What are you doing these days?"

"She's a bodyguard!" chimed Surprise, bouncing a little in place. "She protects her husband."

Night didn't remember telling her that, and raised a brow at her.

The shop keep shook his head a little. "Still a guard, but protecting something clearly dear to you." He let out a little sigh as he smiled. "That's very nice. Now, what watch caught your eye?"

Night tapped at the display lightly. "I want two smaller figures added, with their hooves offered in return. One, a changeling, the other..." She began to describe a particular umbrum, General Dark Pass, in all his disconcertingly adorable shadow pixieness.

She was certain she had found the right one.