//------------------------------// // Twilights Compliance and To Be Silenced // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// “Dear Silver, Hey, it's been a while huh? I know it's been a long time since we last spoke, but I was hoping I could talk with you again. There are a few things we need to discuss. Most of them are business, but we do need to clear up some remaining personal issues between us. As for the business part of this letter, I should tell you now that I've been hired by Duke Little Horn of Caneighdia. I've been told he isn't very fond of you, or the Princesses of Equestria. He's asked me to find the fox called Radiance and firmly believes that you know where she is, so I'll be coming by soon to speak with you. I look forward to seeing you again. ~Love Aurora” The ponies and wolf in the room sat silent, the last echo of Silvers sigh ringing out. All but he stared at the parchment on the table, the name “Aurora” signed at the bottom. “Your ex?” Twilight asked after a while, “You mean like-” “Yes, ex-mate. Or girlfriend, whatever you want to call her,” he answered with another sigh, this time rubbing the bridge of his nose with a paw out of stress. This visit would not end well. Sure, Silver himself could handle being around her, but Star Shine on the other paw was not known for being affectionate towards her. And on top of which, he had two new marefriends. Silver knew he would never dare to stray from them, but that wouldn't keep Luna or Twilight from being uneasy around his ex. ...Maybe he should go dig a grave just in case Luna floated the paper over for a closer look, “But why is she coming now?” she asked as she began to skim it. “Apparently the Duke of Caneighdia thought it would be a good idea to hire her to find Radiance,” he explained, letting out yet another sigh. By the end of the night, he'll have passed out from lack of oxygen, “I don't know if he knew that Aurora and I know each other, but if he did, then I certainly give him props for being crafty.” “Does it bother you?” the midnight mare asked, still scanning the paper, particularly the last line. “Love Aurora? Is it possible she still has feelings for him? And what does Silver feel for her? He said he could handle her, but what does he mean by that? And what are these 'personal issues' between the two of them?” The more she thought about it, the more questions crept into her head, bringing with them unwanted and pointless worries. Opting to avoid the headache, Luna simply set the paper back on the table. “I wouldn't say it bothers me, but Aurora and I didn't exactly end on the best of notes,” he said dismally, “Harsh things were said and then we just went our separate ways. Of course that was...well, decades ago. I'm not sure how she feels about me now though, especially with all the time that's passed.” “Decades?” Ruppy spoke up, “Geez, she must be granny now.” “Uh...about that,” Silver said with a shy paw rubbing the back of his head, “I...um..kinda have this thing where I'm attracted to others stronger than myself. So, at the time, Aurora was more powerful than me and since Houndish Magic can alter your life span with the more of it you accumulate, she probably hasn't aged much, if at all.” “Oh?” Luna said with feigned hurt, “So you only love us for our alicorn power, is that it?” “No! It's just that I...I don't know,” Silvers head dropped in defeat, his ears folded back against his head, “I find it appealing for some reason. Never really knew why though,” He felt a small hoof lift his head and looked to find a pair of violet eyes staring back at him. A quick peck on the muzzle brought a small smile to his face. “Don't worry,” Twilight giggled before turning her back to him and leaning into his chest, “We know you love us, and not just for our power.” After a sudden pop and flash, and Silver found a new weight being added onto his back as a set of dark blue hooves snaked their way around his neck. “Sorry for teasing,” Luna apologized from her spot, then gave him a brief kiss on the cheek. “You're forgiven,” he smiled back. “So what are we going to do about this Aurora?” Beats pitched in, “You said she was looking for a mare named Radiance?” “Not a mare,” Silver corrected, “A fox. And if she arrives before Aurora, then I'll stall her until we can get the grimoire and her to safety. If she arrives after, we tell her the truth, that we have no idea where she's gone.” “Why not just lie?” the stallion asked. “Aurora can see Auras. She knows when you're lying. The best thing to do is distract her until we can contact Radiance and get her to somewhere safe.” “I could have Spike send a message,” Twilight offered, “He can send one to just about anypony. We can send one and tell her that Aurora is coming and to hide somewhere until we can throw her off. When is she supposed to arrive?” “That's the thing, the letter didn't say when she'd get here,” Silver explained as he looked back over the paper, “She could get her tomorrow morning or a week from now.” “Hm...” Twilight hummed, “I have an idea,” she said before turning and heading to the door. “Um, wanna let us in on that?” Ruppy called after her. Twilight giggled and turned around, “I can't. If Aurora can tell when some pony is lying, then telling all of you the plan would make it harder to keep it a secret. So, I'll keep the plan to myself and just avoid our guest until she leaves.” “Oh...right,” Ruppy said after, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Are you going to be coming back?” Luna asked, still perched atop Silvers back as Twilight opened the door, “We've missed you,” She made sure to put on her puppy dog face as she spoke. “Yes, don't worry. I'll be back in a few minutes,” the lavender mare reassured before leaving and closing the door behind her. “Well, as long as I know that,” Luna said to herself, sliding down off of Silver and standing beside him, “Then I no longer care about this little letter your ex sent. I'm quite tired and as soon as Twilight comes back, I'd like to sleep please.” Silver chuckled and wrapped her in a wing, “Well, you'll have to wait a minute. I haven't showered yet and neither has Twilight. Unless of course, you want to cuddle with a sweaty, filthy wolf and slightly less sweaty and filthy mare,” he ended his sentence by holding Luna a little tighter against his side, knowing she'd struggle in an attempt to escape. “No—thanks!” she grunted and wiggled herself free, “You two can go shower and I'll wait.” The wolf simply chuckled and pecked her cheek, “Love ya.” The alicorn merely rolled her eyes, “Yes, yes. But in case you haven't noticed, there is a stallion in the room who needs your attention as much as I,” Luna gestured a hoof to Beats on the couch. “Oh, me?” he asked as his head snapped up, “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you about Scootaloo coming to watch the training. Since I'll be joining, I'll just bring her along but I don't have anyway of getting in here.” “Oh, right. Hmm,” Silver hummed, “I suppose you could just go to the library until I can get a new key made. It should only take a day or two, and I'm sure Twilight won't mind.” “Very well,” Beats said with a shrug and rising from his spot on the couch, “I look forward to working with you all tomorrow, but I need to get home now. Scoots worries if I'm out too late.” “Bye!” the trainees called with a wave of their hooves. Just as Beats reached the door, Twilight had opened it again and came in, narrowly avoiding whacking his muzzle with it. “Oh, Beats! I'm sorry,” she apologized, “I didn't hit you did I?” “No, no. I'm fine. Just on my way out,” he said as he stepped aside for her to come in. “Oh, okay. Have a safe trip home!” she replied then went to the others. “Did you get everything sorted out?” Silver asked as the door shut behind Twilight. “More or less,” the lavender mare said as Luna stepped over to nuzzle her. “Good, because I want my wolf and mare for the whole night,” Luna paused and sniffed the purple mane, “That is, after you've showered. Both of you stink.” Twilight raised a hoof and whiffed herself, reeling her head back at the stench. Was she really that dirty? “Hmm, good point,” Twilight admitted, “Alright Silver, let's go shower. I think Luna will be grumpy if we keep her from her cuddles any longer.” Silver chuckled as he followed the lavender mare to the hall, leaving a puffy cheeked Luna behind. “Yes, I will!” she huffed after them. After a moment, the ponies in the room could hear the shower cut on. Luna simply sat back on the couch and went back to watching T.V. with the rest of the mares. That was, until Ruppy spoke up. “Ya know they're fucking in there right?” A series of slaps from face-hooves rang throughout the house. Oh Ruppy, your blunt comments are as charming as ever. The sly grin Luna had on told the pegasus she already knew. And she didn't plan on being left out~ After their “bath”, if one could call it that, the herd of three strolled out of the hall; clean and a little more tired than they were when they'd went in. The mares in the living room had all already retired, but a note on the counter caught Silvers eye. Aerial's staying the night. -Ruppy The wolf didn't care much. Aerial was welcome to stay any time she liked, though her absence on the couch made him wonder whose room she was staying in. He'd assumed she was with Ruppy, but with her having a cloud bed, he realized it might be difficult. Silver had taught the earth pony how to walk on clouds, but he wasn't sure if she could do it in her sleep. After a yawn escaped him, the wolf quickly found himself caring less about Aerials sleeping arrangements and more about his own. Shuffling off to the hall on the other side of the house, Silver made his way to his room. There, he found his mares waiting not so patiently for him. “Get over here,” Twilight demanded, pointing to a spot between herself and Luna, “We're cold and tired.” Silver complied and collapsed onto the bed, rolling onto his back so he could hold each mare in an arm. Both contently nuzzled into his fur, letting sighs of comfort and relief as his warmth rushed over them. “Mhmm...I missed this...” Twilight sleepy mumbled. In the short few days they'd been apart, she'd all but forgotten the coziness of her wolf's fur. The unbelievably fluffy coat and it's snugness was like laying a cloud made out of silk on a warm summer day. The mare could swear she felt the sun's heat falling over her body. But it wasn't just the warmth she craved. No, it was the tingling feeling her stomach got when she did. Those little butterflies dancing in her tummy were the best feeling in the world. Every time she got them, she couldn't help but smile, and every time it was because of these two. This wolf. This mare. Silver chuckled, “And we missed you,” he said back, leaning down and pecking her head. His voice vibrated through his chest, giving an amazing sensation to the ears of the mares laying atop them. In that short moment, Luna had a thought. “Silver?” she asked, looking up at him with a bit of blush on her cheeks, “C-could you...um...sing for us?” The wolf looked down with a curious look on his muzzle, before a small grin found it's across his lips, “If you want.” Luna giggled and nuzzled back into his chest. The girls heard a small humming coming from his chest in a somewhat simple tone, and a few moments later... ♪♫I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around, But she takes it all for me. And I lost my faith, in my darkest days, But she makes me want to believe. They call her love, love, love, love, love... They call her love, love, love, love, love... She is love And she is all I need. ♪♫ “Oh thank you Luna!” Twilight relished in the wonderful sounds of his voice as it echoed through her heart. She'd only heard him sing twice, but both made her want to cry with a broken heart. But this time was different. His voice was sweet, filled with love, compassion and what's more, JOY! For the first time, they'd heard him sing with honest happiness and it was all because of them. They were the joy in his life, and nothing could have made them happier in return. To know that they were loved and precious to another made their hearts soar. “And you're all we need too...” Finally, they're eyes felt heavy. The struggle to keep them open had finally given out, and the two mares found themselves snoozing peacefully, their wolf following shortly after. Twilight had awoke to the same fluff she'd missed for the last few days. The hairs tickled her nose a bit, causing her scrunch up her muzzle and turn her head so that the fur didn't bother her. Now a little less than half awake, she could feel that Silver had, at some point last night, flipped onto his stomach and wrapped his wings around his mares. She scooted up a bit and pushed her head under his arm, nuzzling into his neck a little. “Silver,” she mumbled, “Cuddles...” The wolf didn't quite wake, but moved his arm down her side and pulled her closer. Unfortunately, when he went to do the same with Luna, he found her spot empty. It was this that caused him to crack an eye open. Sure enough, the midnight mare was gone. “Where's Luna?” he asked. “Dunno,” was all he got back before he heard Twilights sleeping noises come back. They were cute little snores that she made every once in a while. Lifting his head and looking at the clock, he saw that it was a little past 7:00. They could still sleep for about another hour or so until they had to get up. Or so he thought... BOOM! A muffled, thundering noise came crashing through the home, causing both Silver and Twilight to snap to attention. “What was that?” Twilight drowsily asked, but before she could get an answer, Silver was already out of the room. “Stay here!” he called back. Upon reaching the living room, he noticed his house was still in order....but his front door wasn't. The main entrance had been blown open, and Silver knew the culprit by the small tree roots that were slowly invading his home. “Damn, she came faster than I thought.” Silver quickly bolted out of the home and through the halls of Canterlot Castle. The roots had invaded the halls, covering every inch of every surface and slowly getting thicker in width as he traced them back to their source. He eventually reached the conference hall where the roots were coming from, their thickness now roughly 7 inches. The plants had completely broken the double doors and, just like the rest of the castle, covered the walls, floors and roof. “FUCKING BITCH!” Came an all too familiar voice from the room. Another root came bolting out from the door way, shooting down the hall. “This is what I was afraid of.” Silver walked into the room and saw the sight he fully expected to be there. In the center of the room was Star Shine and Aurora along with two other wolves accompanying her, the former of the two known canines controlling the invasive plants. Behind his friend was his mare, confused and distraught about what to do. Just as he walked in, Star had raised another root and was about to send it hurling at Aurora until Silver spoke up. “STAR SHINE! KNOCK IT OFF!” he barked at her. She turned her head and was about to kill the fool who dare speak to her in such a way, but when she caught sight of his unamused glare, she lowered her plant. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” he hissed as he came closer, “Did you forget where you are? Did you forget WHO THE HELL IS STANDING BEHIND YOU?!” Silver was now towering over the female wolf, who shrank back in shame. “'M sorry...” she meekly excused. “Don't apologize to me!” he shouted and pointed to Luna. Star Shine quickly scampered around and turned to face the alicorn in the room, “I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused! I let my emotions get out of control and I ended up not only damaging your home but also putting you in danger! I'm so, so sorry!” she punctuated her apology by bowing her head to the floor. “It's...um....well it's certainly not okay,” Luna admitted stepping forward, “You've made a mess of the castle and Tia will most certainly be upset with this. That is, if she can even get here to see what happened.” “Star, clean up your mess,” Silver demanded. The wolf snapped her head up, “Of course!” A bright green glow surrounded Star Shine, and then the roots quickly crawled back to her, disappearing under her spot where she sat. In a few moments, every plant in the castle that she'd made was gone. “All done, although I think there may be a few wounds on the castle...and maybe a few guards...” she confessed. Silver simply sighed, “Honestly...Now go check on the castle. Fix everything you broke.” Star Shine nodded in compliance and shuffled off through the...well, where the door used to be. As she passed Aurora, she snarled and snapped her teeth. “If I see you again, I'll kill you,” Star warned. The ex simply put on a fake smile and waved her out of the room. Silver trotted over to Luna, “I'm sorry you had to see that,” he said as lifted her hoof to inspect her for injuries. “Well, what exactly was it?” she asked as she pulled her hoof away, “All I was aware of was that Aurora had come by the castle when Ruppy came and knocked on the door, saying that a guard was asked to come find me. Then when I came here, I found the two of them staring down one another, but before I could say anything, Star Shine attacked.” “Yeah,” Silver sighed, “Star kinda hates her...well I think that might actually be an understatement. I don't think there's a word to describe what she feels for Aurora.” The alicorn cocked her head, “And why's that?” “Because I broke her best friends heart,” a voice chimed in. Luna looked behind Silver to find one of the three wolf visitors approaching, and she assumed it was Aurora, “That'll kinda piss of just about any one. Although I don't think it warrants a death sentence.” The female canine had black fur all over that became bright blue at her paws and tail, with the tips of her hair vibrant purple. She might as well have been a walking neon sign. “I agree,” Silver said as he turned to face her, “Hello again Aurora.” “Hiya,” she greeted with a wave of her paw and a friendly smile. Luna sat with an odd look on her muzzle. She seemed like a nice girl. Sure, according to Silver, they'd had a bad break up, but that doesn't mean that she's a bad wolf. So why does Star Shine hate her so much? Was there something else she was missing? It was then that a voice called from down the hall. “Silver!” Twilight yelled, “Is everything okay?!” “It's fine!” he called back, just as Twilight walked past the room, “Star Shine just had a bit of a fit.” The lavender mare strolled in, Ruppy and Onyx right behind her with their weapons strapped on, “Is that where all the roots came from? They started disappearing right after we left the house,” she walked right past the three guests and straight to Silver, never even seeming to notice their presence. “Yeah, Star can control plants and nature; it's her element. It's also how she makes all those little potions and powders of hers,” Silver explained. “And the reason why she decided to turn Canterlot Castle into a botanical garden?” Twilight continued. Silver simply gestured a paw behind her. The alicorn turned and finally took notice of Aurora and the other two. “Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Who might you be?” she asked. “I'm Aurora,” the wolf introduced, “These two are my betas. Willow and Over Look,” The two mentioned wolves bowed their heads in respect. Twilight on the other hoof sat and tried to reel in her surprise. She wasn't expecting Silvers ex to show up the day after she sent the letter. Shaking herself out of her stupor, Twilight continued speaking, “Oh right! Silver said you'd be coming some time soon. You're here to find Radiance, right?” Aurora nodded, “Yes, and perhaps maybe settle some other issues as well,” she supplemented her sentence by eyeing Silver, who looked away in...anger? Well that was certainly odd. Sure, he said they had a bad break up, but was it really that bad? “Well I certainly hope that you don't have any trouble with either,” Twilight said before moving to the doorway, “I'm afraid I need to get going. I do have a schedule to keep today, so I won't be able to assist you in--” “No, I must insist that you be present for the next conversation,” The colorful wolf interrupted, “Both you and Princess Luna need to answer my questions.” Her demand was reinforced with Willow and Over Look stepping in front of Twilight, blocking her path from the exit. In a fraction of a moment however, Ruppy and Onyx disappeared and reappeared next to the wolves. In one swift movement, both canines had been brought to the floor, Ruppy's gauntlet pressing Willows head into the tile while Onyx was standing over Over Looks back with her blades pressed at her throat. “Get off of me,” Willow warned, “Or I will kill you...” The glare in his eyes made certain that his threat was not just words, but Ruppys hoof continued to press. “Kid, if someone like you could kill me, I'd have died a long time ago,” the pegasus retorted. Silver stepped forward a moment later however, before the killings could actually begin, “Alright you two,” he said lifting Ruppy off of the wolf, then Onyx, “Let's not shed any blood. It's too early for violence,” He carried them a few steps away before setting them down next to Twilight. “Think you could spare a few minutes?” Silver asked the lavender mare. She really didn't want to, at the risk of being caught lying, but Twilight didn't have much choice. It was that, or punch their way through, and while she was sure Silver could at least handle the Betas, she wasn't sure about Aurora. He did say she was once stronger than he was. Twilight let out a sigh, “Very well. I'll stay.” Aurora beamed while her Betas got to their paws, “Great! Now, first things first. Do you know where Radiance is?” Silver, Twilight and Luna all answered no. In a way, they weren't lying. None of them got a look at the address that was on the card given to Ruppy, so they really had no idea where she could have been. Aurora focused her eyes, studying the aura of each individual in the room, “Hmm,” she hummed, but then shrugged, “Alright then. Next, do you know why she was here?” Luna stepped forward, “Do you mean the last time she came to the castle?” she asked. Aurora simply nodded, “Well then it was to deliver a message from the Duke of Caneighdia.” Once again, Luna wasn't lying. Radiance was originally tasked with coming to deliver a letter. And again, Aurora studied the beings, “Hmm, either you're telling the truth, or you're all incredible liars, which for Silver I happen to know for a fact that he is.” Silver cocked his head, “That I'm telling the truth, or am an incredible liar?” “Knowing you, both,” the female canine answered simply, “Do you know why she didn't return to Caneighdia?” Silver spoke this time, “Well, I'm assuming it had to do with that little shock collar your employer stuck on her. It'd make sense for her not to return if she managed to get it off.” “And were you the one who helped her with that?” Aurora asked, now focusing solely on Silver. There was a pause in the room, and the alicorns present tried their best to mask their panic. After a long moment, the silver wolf spoke again, “Yep.” Everyone in the room went wide eyed, save for Silver who simply continued talking, “Well, technically it wasn't me, it was Black Wing that actually got the collar off, but I'm the one that offered her to have it removed.” “So you do admit to stealing the fox?” Aurora prodded, stepping closer to examine him. His aura had no changes in color or wavelength. It was as calm and collected as always. “No, I don't,” Silver said back, “I didn't steal Radiance.” “But you are hiding her,” the neon canine stated, rather than asked. The male wolf shook his head, “Nope. I still have no idea where she is. It's true I helped removed the collar, but I never kept her around or anything. When our deal was done, she left. That was all.” Aurora grunted in frustration, “That's still stealing her Silver! I know you have this whole 'absolute freedom' outlook on life, but that doesn't change the fact that you still took something that doesn't belong to you.” The accused wolfs eyes narrowed dangerously as her stepped forward, “First of all, I'm the worlds greatest thief. You shouldn't be surprised to see me steal something. Second, stealing implies that I have in my possession, something that I took from another; which I don't. Radiance is no where to be found in my home or this castle. And third,” he growled and leaned forward, a mere inch away from Auroras muzzle, “the life of a creature is not property for someone to own. I will not stand by and watch as someone is enslaved,” The last sentence rang out with enough spite to make a pony sweat bullets, which was exactly what Twilight was doing. Silver glared at Aurora for a moment longer before pulling his head away, “Besides, what I did doesn't classify as stealing. I liberated her from her servitude.” Aurora rolled her eyes, “Oh, of course. How could I be so foolish?” she spat, “You know, your aura hasn't changed a bit. It's still the same bleak and dull gray it's always been. You always put a spin on things so that even when you do something wrong, you explain it like there was nothing bad about what you did. It's just like the Battle of Shepard's Hill.” Silvers eyes snapped towards her, “Shepard's Hill? And just what the hell makes you think you know a damn thing about what happened there?!” At this point, the discussion of Radiance had died, and now the two were, as Aurora put it earlier, “settling other issues.”. Twilight and Luna watched as the argument unfolded, the uneasiness settling in the pits of their stomachs as the shouting continued. “I know what happened there!” Aurora fired back, “I did plenty of research and even asked you about it! And do you know what I saw when I did!? Pride! I saw pride in your aura, Silver! Of all the atrocities you've done, that was the one thing I'd hoped you regretted, but no! You're just a monster who can't see beyond the mountains of corpses he's created!” The words rang clear through the room, particularly through Twilight. Was that how she'd sounded? Was that the look she had on her face when she argued with the wolf? Even for her, the word “monster” seemed to cut deep. Silver stood silent, his hazel eyes were now little specks in a white void, “This discussion is over,” he stated coldly before heading to the exit. Aurora snorted, “Of course! When you get called out on your bullshit, what do you do? You pout. But hey, at least I'm seeing a new color! The only time I could see your aura turn blue is when you kept crying on about that dumb bitch Lily.” …. …. Silver froze... Time froze... With that one sentence, the world had stopped. The wolf didn't even bother turning back to look at Aurora. He just stood, completely still. “I mean really,” the colorful canine continued, “You'd think after 25 years, you'd get over it. You were completely obsessed with that dead girl. You were so weak-hearted back then and you still are now!” “Sile--” Silver's words were cut off by a loud boom erupting in the room, followed by a flash of light and a black paw over his mouth. “You don't want to do that friend,” Black Wing said, now standing in front of him, “You've done well to not do such a thing for a long time now. Let's not add to your list of sins.” Silver remained silent. He stood perfectly still, not even his chest moved from his breathes, if he was still using his lungs that is. “Princess Twilight,” Black Wing called over, “Could you please take Silver elsewhere while I finish up here?” Twilight, for her part, had finally recovered from the shock of the argument. She quickly shuffled over, but slowed down once she reached her wolf. Warily stepping around his side, she sat in front of him and got a full look at the expression on his face. What is was, she could not identify. It was a mix between hatred, fear, shock and intense murderous intent. “Silver?” she asked, her tone as caring as she could make it. There was no response whatsoever. His eyes, his ears, his nose; not a single hair on his body moved at the sound of her voice. “Silver?” she tried again, this time slowly raising a hoof to brush the fur on his cheek. “Oh dear Celestia, no...” All warmth that his body held vanished. His fur was ice, numbing her hoof to the touch. It was nothing like it was before when she noticed his change in temperature. This was Silver when he was completely devoured by his darker half. And it was so wrong... The warm coat which she fell asleep with and even woke up to might as well have been a hallucination, and it was that that was so off putting. Twilight had realized that his body temperature reflected his emotional state. And if his body was as cold as his heart was... “Come on, Silver. Let's go somewhere else,” she moved her hoof down and took hold of his paw. She lightly pulled on it, and thankfully, it moved up with her hoof, “Anywhere you want to, just you and me.” Slowly, she lifted the paw from the ground, making Silver take a step forward. Then another, and another. Soon, they were out of the room. Black Wing turned and faced the rest of the group when he knew Twilight and Silver had left, “So, where were you in the discussion?” he asked as he walked forward. Aurora huffed, “You mean about Radiance, or how pathetic Silver is?” “I meant Radiance,” Black Wing clarified, “I need to get you out of here as soon as possible, if you don't mind.” Aurora rolled her eyes, “Why? Afraid one of those two might come back?” “Yes, quite,” the black wolf said with a nod, “I'm lucky Star Shine even considered bringing me here. If she hadn't, you'd have been a corpse by now. Although, I'm now officially the only Alpha of the Black Moon Pack that won't try to kill you on sight, but be warned,” he said gravely, “My patience can only hold out for so long.” Another eye roll, “Please. Like he'd have it in him to kill me. He can kill a soldier because he believes he's honoring them, but I'm no such thing. Besides, he wouldn't dare with the alicorns in the room.” “Oh? And why do you think that?” Black Wing asked. “He's completely smitten with the two of them. He wouldn't kill in front of them,” Aurora answer before turning to face Luna, “You should really put him down gently, I don't think his frail little heart can take much more,” she mocked. Only to regret it moments later. “Shut your mouth, you impudent little whelp...” Luna hissed as she strode by. She used her magic to summon a notepad and pencil, then scribbled something down on the paper before tearing it off and floating it to Aurora, “We asked Radiance to retrieve a grimoire from a seller in the Macintosh Hills. I don't know his specific address but this is the club that we got it from. You have your information, now leave.” Aurora took the note in her paw and examined it, “Why didn't you say anything before?” “Because before I saw you simply as a nuisance to be deceived. Now, you've completely disgusted me and if you don't leave my home in the next five minutes, I will let Ruppy and Onyx kill you.” The said mares had scowls on their face that would make even Celestias sun freeze in an instant. Onyx's blades were trembling and Ruppys hooves were cracking the tile. If Luna weren't in the room, they'd have cut loose by now. And oh, what a glorious blood bath it would be... “There's no need to be so hostile, Princess Luna. I didn't insult you after all,” Aurora said, completely ignoring the threat. Luna walked forward, her steps slow and steady. As she came closer, her eyes slowly changed from their normal sapphire blue to a crisp, cold silver. Her mane lightened and became a stunning white. “Insulted? Is that what you think you were doing? No, you did not insult me. You didn't insult Silver either. You hurt him...You hurt the wolf I love,” Her eyes bore down into the very soul of Aurora, and the temperature in the room dropped. Ice formed on walls and floor, quickly turning the conference room into a industrial sized freezer, “The only reason you're still breathing is because I wish to avoid starting a war. And even then, that's only because I know my sister would be very upset about it. Now leave, before I loose what little self-control I have left, and do not come back.” Aurora shrank back, her paws slipping on the ice and causing her to fall to the floor. She quickly got back up and trotted out the door in a quick pace, her Betas following close behind. After a moment, Luna managed to collect herself, the ice on the walls disappearing and the heat coming back to the room. “Are you sure you should have given her the address? Radiance might wind up getting captured,” Black Wing said as he stood next to the alicorn. “Yes, I know,” Luna said with a sigh, “But if she remained in my presence for much longer, I would have killed her,” She turned and faced Black Wing, “Just what are you doing here anyway?” “Star summoned me,” he repeated from earlier, “She figured Aurora might do something stupid and piss Silver off, so she called me up. I'm the only one that can talk him down. Well, the only wolf. It seems yourself and Princess Twilight can manage him now.” “Barely,” Luna said with a sigh, “I honestly thought he might kill her for a moment.” “Oh he was going to,” Black Wing assured, “In all the time I've known Silver, he's only ever made that face once before. And when he did, he created a spell he shouldn't have.” “A spell?” she asked. Black Wing nodded, “He was going to Silence her. Not that I'd blame him.” “Silence her?” “In truth, I don't know what caused Silver to loose it at the time,” Black Wing began, “But when I found him, the remains of the ones who pissed him off were splattered across the land. A large patch of the forest was crimson red, with little bits of meat and bone splintering the trees. And there in the center of the slaughter was Silver, with the exact same look on his face.” “But what did he do?” She asked. “No idea. When I asked, he just said he Silenced them, then turned and left. I'm not even sure if he remembers doing it,” the wolf admitted. Luna sighed. This was not how she wanted her morning to go, “Well, if you have no further business with me then I'm going to check on those two.” Black Wing nodded, “Okay. But Princess, please be careful. I doubt Silver would hurt you, but like I said, I've only seen him like this once before, so I can't be sure.” Luna looked back at him, “Worry not, Black Wing. We'll bring your friend back, and the smile we all love to see him with.” “I hope...”