//------------------------------// // Chapter 53: Worlds of Change // Story: Do Ponies on Earth have Magic Dreams? // by TikiBat //------------------------------// Silver spent the day much like he did any other, running through the different dreams with Scarlet, exploring the many amazing worlds that dreamers could come up with. As much as he had done this for many months now, the experience of running through different adventures each night was impossible to describe, and still always surprising to him. It was something that he had trouble describing at times, because it was really just something that you had to experience to get a feel for. Nothing in the waking world could even remotely compare to the wild disorganized nature of dreams in his eyes. Some nights were spent running off on adventures, others were spent cuddled up in some dream with Scarlet, and others were spent in the presence of Psychic Calm, who was still helping guide Silver with his dream magic.  Testing the limits and boundaries of his abilities in the dream realm was something that Silver had spent more and more time on as the days went on. In his own dream he had a limitless canvas to craft to his liking, and he took full advantage of that. The usual culmination of their adventures ended with a visit back to this place, and today was no different. Crossing into Somewhere, the two lovers laughed together as they flew around the bay and dropped down to one of the metal landings.  “Wow that was really something else wasn’t it?” Silver asked. “I feel like we haven’t had those kind of crazy dreams in a while.” “It sure was! You should have seen your face when that spider showed up!” she shouted out in between laughs, flashing him a mocking face of fear. He rolled his eyes and snickered, “Har har, laugh it up, you sure looked pretty funny when you ran from that giant python.” Scarlet’s face scrunched into a look of revulsion and disgust, “Yeah well that’s a cheap shot, you know how much I hate snakes.” “Right, well you know how much I hate spiders too but you don’t see me complaining about that now do you? Besides, that was a giant one that towered over me, anypony else would have been just as afraid if they were in my shoes…” the two paused before breaking out into another round of laughs. “So what should we do next? Meet up with Stanley and Midnight or go dream hopping some more?” “Well, we could always—“ A pony suddenly cleared her throat from behind them, "Excuse me? .... Sorry to interrupt but I need to speak with Silver for a few minutes." Silver turned towards the source of voice, annoyed that their dream was being interrupted. His eyes widened in surprise, as he noticed who it was, and it made him immediately start to question why they were there. "Oh, hello Tonya, nice to see you again… so what’s up? This isn’t your usual way of getting in touch with us.” She looked around at the twilight sky, then over to the large mountainside building that loomed over the bay, "This place is... different from the last time I visited. You made all of this?” He smiled, “You like it? I’ve been trying out something new, seeing how it all works. It’s kind of been a learning experience for me.” “Making dreams?” He shook his head, “Making dreams that stick around after I wake up,” he corrected. “Psychic says it’s like a part of my subconscious and that’s why it doesn’t go away— because it’s still asleep even when I’m awake.” “I see… well anyways I’m here because I heard word that you guys were trying to do something big out there and I wanted to see what was up. UMAD was sending us reports about the land surveys and then we found out about some ponies you’re trying to bring down?” Silver nodded his head but didn’t give an immediate response. Instead his thoughts drifted back to the doctor that had taken up residence there, and it only made him wonder more about whether things were being leaked back to the wardens, and why they’d need that information in the first place.  “Right. I’m kind of surprised you heard about that because we haven’t really told anyone yet…” Tonya seemed to hesitate slightly, but moved on. “Word travels fast between contractors and managers, you know?” “Mhmm.” Silver nodded.  “So what did you guys have in mind with all that then? Is there anything big happening out in the Oasis that we should know about? I know you guys have been doing a lot of work there and Sunset’s really looking forward to seeing how everything’s coming together.” “Well…” Silver paused, unsure of how much he should get into. “We were having some issues with the weather, and we decided to get some help with it. I think I wrote a message to her about that a month or two ago when the management there brought it up, but it kind of never went anywhere…” “Oh…” she replied. “The message about getting some help with training your weather team, right. Sorry about that, I guess we never got back to you after the first request.” He shrugged, “I’m just the bookkeeper right now, so don’t say sorry to me. That’s why we’re calling in the help, but it’s going to probably put a small dent in the funding we have.” She raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Well look, we kind of felt bad about ghosting you guys and the UMAD reps told us about you guys having to order up and design new plans because of some issue with the existing buildings. So I just wanted to extend a little olive branch and help you out if possible.” “That’s nice. You can tell Sunset that we’ve got it covered right now though. We’re just waiting to hear back from the specialists.” “Okay, but if you don’t mind me asking, which specialists are you going with? We really do want to help out, because it’s not fair to just short you like that.” Silver couldn’t place why, but Tonya seemed more interested in knowing about who they called than she did in actually helping out with that problem. But figuring that this information would be safe, he shrugged. “We heard about that special weather program in Michigan and gave them a call. They can’t really help us out directly but were willing to let a few members of their weather team come out to the Oasis for a vacation.” Seemed interested in seeing how desert pegasi handle stuff, you know?” Tonya slowly nodded her head, but her scrutinizing gaze seemed to betray a different line of thought entirely. “That’s good for you guys, so who’s paying for their trip then?” “Oh we are, kind of a professional courtesy. We figured that it’d be for the—” “—Sunset will be more than happy to pay for it.” “Wait what? She would?” He asked in surprise. “You’re talking about the Michigan Weather Management Program right? That whole thing’s been generating a lot of conversation, pegasi working with human technology to control the weather? That’s a pretty big deal, what with how magic-phobic the feds are getting. I mean I’ll have to ask her to be sure, but I know she wouldn’t say no knowing who it’s for. It’s only fair after all, you guys shouldn’t have to use your construction budget for something like that after having to get it all re planned.” He paused, shaking his head, “Wait but why? What does she want in return?” “Nothing, she just wants to make sure that she’s going to get a return on her investment in the Oasis. If this is going to help you out then she’s willing to put a little more in. We’ve been trying to get in contact with them for a little while now and it just hasn’t been working out. So if they’re willing to help you out then this might just be a good enough gesture to show them that SPEC would be a good organization for them to work with.” So that was it. They were trying to get their hooks into another group and Silver and his friends would be the stepping stone to that. Something about the way that Tonya immediately jumped onto the idea didn’t sit well with him. Sure, she was a pegasus and the interest could be solely rooted in that… but it all seemed so perfectly coincidental. Maybe he was just being paranoid and skeptical, but the thought of the Oasis’ uncoordinated weather team causing more trouble kept him on the fence. The Oasis needed this visit, but their budgets were already being stretched as thin as they could be, and just a quick search of the weather program’s site gave Silver the impression that they’d probably need to invest in even more infrastructure beyond just travel expenses.  “Okay, well tell her we said thanks. I can’t imagine that she just gives anything out for free, but I’m not going to ask questions about this.” “Well she is this time,” Tonya reassured him. “Like I said, she really just wants to make sure you guys have a chance to get everything set up so she isn’t just investing her money for nothing.” “I know it’ll mean a lot to the others, so thanks a ton. Is this just what you wanted to talk about then? Or was there anything else?” “Not that I can think of,” she said, shaking her head. “Sunset was just worried about the report that came in and what it meant for her projects out here, and seeing as how that’s all cleared up, then we’re good.” “Mhmm,” Silver replied. “Take care then, and tell her we said thanks again. It really does mean a lot.” “I’ll pass that along when I wake up.” “Maybe we’ll make a trip out there too sometime,” Scarlet added. “I’m sure Sunset wouldn’t turn us away, right?” “Not at all. I’m sure there’s plenty she could show you.” Silver nodded. “We’ll keep you in the loop with what happens, and if anything else comes up too.” She nodded, “Goodbye Silver, hopefully those weather ponies can help you guys out.” She cheerfully said as she began to walk away. A moment later and she was gone, leaving the two night ponies alone once again. Scarlet was the first to break the silence, and looked over towards where the pegasus had been standing only moments before. “Alright, well I guess that was a lucky break.” “You think? I mean we’ve really been on a roll lately, it feels weird to me that Sunset’s just funding this without any questions asked though.” “Well don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, we’re lucky that she’s being so friendly and hospitable, I mean you’ve heard enough about her reputation.” “Doesn’t it seem weird to you though?” “Weird as in Sunset wanting to make a big impression on some group she’s been trying to contact? Because that seems right in character with her.” “Alright, well I guess you’re right. Wanna get back to our little adventure?” She smiled, “Gee Silver, I thought you’d never ask!” Silver had woken from his sleep not long after, and Scarlet hadn’t been far behind. Today was one of the final days of their short vacation, but Silver knew he wouldn’t be gone long. The visit from the Michigan weather team was scheduled only a few weeks away, and in that time they’d hopefully have some buildings going vertical. There was already so much happening in such a short amount of time, and he couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. After a small breakfast, the two had flown far from the town— though still close enough to see the faint lights in the distance.  The bright blanket of stars that they had grown so used to sat above them like it always did, but tonight it felt different. Silver truthfully didn’t know what it was that was pushing him towards this, but he knew that tonight was the night that he’d propose to Scarlet. Maybe it was the small step towards reconciliation that he had with his father, or maybe now was just the right time. But whatever the case was, he didn’t want to wait any longer.  He took a deep breath and looked over at Scarlet, who was fiddling around with her telescope. She really was his best friend in the whole world, and as much as ETS seemed to throw his life off course, if it hadn’t of happened then he never would have met her, and the two of them never would have been starting a family like they were now. Being a pony in a world designed for humans wasn’t easy, but the rewards it had given him were well worth the inconvenience, and he wouldn’t have traded anything in the world to go back.  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he finally spoke up.  “What is, the stars?” she asked from her vantage point.  “Everything,” he commented as he looked down at the valley below. “Really just makes you think about how small we are out here.” “I guess it does, doesn’t it?” She looked up to the stars. “So what’s on your mind then? Because you normally don’t break down into existential commentary unless you’re really thinking of a lot.” Silver smirked. “Am I really that easy to figure out?” Scarlet stifled a giggle, “Yeah, you still are.” He broke his gaze and locked eyes with her. “I’m the sappy sentimental one, aren’t I?” Scarlet couldn’t stop herself this time, and burst out into a fit of laughter. “Yeah, there’s no contest there. That’s why I love you though.” He smiled, “Is that the only thing? Because I think I’ve got a pretty winning personality too.”  “Oh believe me, there’s so much more than just that. But it’d take a long time to write it all down.” “Small world,” he laughed. “Because I feel the same way.” Scarlet trotted over to Silver and snuggled up by his side, wrapping a wing around him. “You know, I’m glad we can just spend some time together like this. We might as well make the most of it because this next week is gonna be a pain to get through.” Silver grimaced, “The ridiculous double shift stuff?” “The ridiculous double shift stuff with my coworkers,” she corrected.  “I don’t know how you can put up with that stuff and still stay sane. I would have quit a long time ago if I were in your shoes.” The mare shrugged. “It helps having something to look forward to, and getting to come home to you every day is a pretty good reason.” Silver felt his heart melt as a blush spread across his face. “You know, we won’t always have a chance to just sit back and relax like we do.” “That’s part of the magic of raising a kid, isn’t it? We’ll get through it though.” “I know we will,” Silver agreed. “It’s a lot to look forward to, and we’re going to make so many good memories.” Scarlet smiled. “That’s the part I’m most excited for.” She paused, “Think he’ll be a little demon?” “You think it’ll be a boy?” She shrugged, “I don’t really know to be honest. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?” Silver leaned into her hug and shook his head. “No, by the way. I don’t think it’ll be a demon.” “I dunno Silvie,” she started to laugh, “You know how bad night pony tempers can get. For all we know it’ll be like raising a chihuahua for the first few years.” Silver shuddered at the thought. “Let’s hope for our sake that it isn’t. That’s a lot of attitude in a small body that’ll also have wings and fangs. We don’t need to jinx ourselves here.” “My grandma had three chihuahuas that were little angels, so who knows, maybe our foal won’t be such a little demon.” “Hooves crossed,” he laughed. Neither one of them said anything for a few long moments, until Scarlet finally spoke up.  “So, time to address the elephant in the room… When are we moving out here?” Silver looked over at her, “You want to move here?” “You want me to believe that you don’t? Because I can see the look in your eyes when you tell me about what’s going to get built up here… and truth be told it would be really cool to get a whole observatory set up out here.” “What about the one back home?” Silver asked.  Scarlet brushed her mane aside and looked out over the valley again, “It’s nice, but the sky is so clear here. I don’t know what kind of things you guys are gonna do out here… but do you think it’d be hard to get an astronomy team set up?” “Hard to say,” Silver shrugged. “We’re just barely getting started here, but I don’t think it’s impossible… we just need an awesome astronomer to lead an awesome astronomy team.” Scarlet smirked, “I think I might know one. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am the best pony astronomer either of us knows.” Silver laughed, “Then you’re hired. Guess we just gotta figure out when we want to move then.” “Maybe after the foal’s been around a bit?” She offered. “Gives us some time to really think it through… and gives this place some time to grow.” Silver nodded. “It’s not a bad idea. What if we took a little trip out here every once in a while though? Just to see how things are going.” “It’s probably a good idea. You’ve got some weather ponies to greet in a few weeks too after all.” “True. So we’ll just play it by ear then, see how things go.” He paused for a second and looked off to the side. “There’s something else I wanted to talk about…” Scarlet raised an eyebrow and pulled his head over to face her, “What is it Silvie?” Silver’s heart started to beat faster and the world seemed to slow down around him as a million happy memories of the time he had spent with her came flooding back through his mind.  “I…” “What is it? Is there something wrong?” He took a deep breath. “I love you more than anything, and you’ve really made me the happiest stallion in the whole world, and I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d be without you…” he looked her deeply in the eyes. “Scarlet, will you marry me?” Scarlet seemed shocked for a moment, before she tackled Silver into a tight hug. “Oh my gosh, yes!” She cheered.  Many happy tears and a barrage of kisses followed, and the two night ponies couldn’t have been any happier. There was a lot to look forward to in their future, and they knew that whatever happened, they’d be there for each other for all of it… Art by: https://twitter.com/TheAwkwardDork