//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: “Well, a lady is allowed some secrets...” // Story: The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace // by EthanClark //------------------------------// “Where do you want these crates, Ms. Gilda?” “Just slide them up the gangplank, I’ll shove ‘em in the hole later.” The dock worker gave a limp salute, his forelegs aching from moving crates of supplies onto the deck of the Tornado. Gilda gave no such signals of weariness. She hefted another, then another crate across the treacherous gangplank and onto the deck, casually ignoring the plummeting height the airship was docked at and the impressed stares from other ponies. Canterlot’s airport was bustling with creatures of all kinds. A few faces stood out to Gilda who, electing to ignore them, dropped the boxes in her claws as a larger, regal airship crossed the Tornado’s port side, glimmering with gold and a brilliant white hull as it docked up ahead. It was the fourth ship she had seen flying past since they arrived.  “Pfft, showoff.” None of the other crewponies bothered to notice Gilda’s remark, electing instead to murmur at another pony emerging from below deck. He wrapped his trembling hooves around one of the crates. A sharp grunt alerted Gilda to Silver’s struggle as she spun around and jolted to him, snatching away the crate. “Whoa, dude, easy on the supplies. You can’t be schlepping the heavy stuff in your condition.” “It’s just a box, Gilda, it’s not going to stab me,” Silver stated, unamused. “Gotta pick up some slack now that Gorn’s gone.” “Yeah, but Rarity’ll be all up in my feathers if she hears I let you break your neck like this. You’ve only been out of bandages for like, what, twenty minutes?” Silver huffed, relinquishing what little hold he had on the crate, stepping away. Gilda flagged  down one of the crewponies and tossed him the box. It was caught, with a huff, as he staggered away and down below deck. She stepped aside, close to Silver. “Dude, you’re pushing yourself too hard. Like, way too hard.” “I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to. We still need to pick up a trail if we want to find either Shield Wall or Alate.” Silver’s tone held strength, but was betrayed by a tired sigh. “We’ll find something, okay? Rarity’s the sharpest eye around, if anypony can get a clue it’s her. Why are you so grumpy?” “Do you really have to ask?” Silver shot her a glare as he walked toward the helm. “Wait, you’re riled up about that thing with Twilight,” she said, almost stomping after him. “Dude, you weren’t gonna tell her, anyway.” “You’re right, I wasn’t. You didn’t just tell her I was alive, you blew my secret identity in front of her.” Silver jabbed a weak hoof into Gilda’s chest. “You already had your mask off, and I don’t remember you fighting to hide much else. Like your cutie mark, maybe?” “She didn’t recognize me, and I was covered in bandages.” “So? We brought a murderer, a super murderer, and an army of crazy bat-ninja ponies into her house, and you never thought to at least explain why? I thought you two were friends, once.” “Yeah, we were, but that doesn’t mean you had to remind her of that!” “What? Seriously?”  Gilda’s strained voice almost reached an irritable squawk, glaring at Silver with a cocked eyebrow. Her wings flared, feathers puffing, and Silver could almost feel the heat radiating from her anger. “What is it with you? Why do you give all this lip about wanting your old life back, to the point where you’re actually ranting to yourself, only to just… not? You saw how happy Twilight was. Why won’t you do it when it’s literally that easy?” “Because they’ll be in danger. Did you forget how many ponies Alate has killed? Do you really think I can just bring everypony I love into my world and not be just a little concerned for their safety?” “She’s a damn princess, doofus! She almost stopped the fight just by telling them to stop. Shit, I almost stopped fighting.” “That doesn’t mean she would be safer knowing who I am!” Silver yelled, watching Gilda rub her temples in sheer annoyance. “Dude, holy smokes, you are not this dumb. With Tightwad back in the mix, things are way different. He’s gonna target your friends and us whether you’re alive or dead. Which, if you forgot, you almost actually died!” “I don’t care! I’m telling you, right now, don’t slip up like this again. We already lost Gorn.” “That’s not your fault! By Guto’s ass, Silver, stop trying to protect everypony.” “That’s what I do!” “Well you’re starting to really suck at it!” Silver lurched forward as far as his aching muscles would allow, his teeth clenched, but relented almost as soon as he started. He turned his gaze to the deck. Gilda was still fuming, eyes twitching with every miniscule movement Silver made, before allowing herself to relax with a ragged sigh. A hesitant claw reached up, hardly catching his attention. Silver took it, limply. “I don’t want to be angry at you, Gilda, but this is serious.” “I know, dude, but… just look at you. You’re more sliced up than my first attempt at marble cake, and I can hear you frickin’ groaning from across the deck. This psycho chase is gonna ruin you and... I don’t wanna lose my friends, either.”  Silver felt along his midsection, finding every new crease of flesh just beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. Finally, he looked to Gilda. “I’ll take it easy, okay? But… let’s talk about this when we’re done. Deal?” “Sure, dude,” she sighed, pausing for a moment. “You should go talk to Rarity, too. I think she needs your help with something.” Silver gave a wistful smile and turned toward the captain’s cabin, pushing gently on the door. He was met with a room dominated by bolts of fabric, littered with tools and implements, and the unicorn in question sitting before a table of equal messiness, bathed in sunlight from the cabin’s full window. She muttered loudly to herself. Every now and then, some magically ensnared object would soar overhead toward her, plucked from the air and toyed with before being cast aside by the same power. Silver was silent as he approached. “Rarity? Gilda said you-” “Oh, goodness gracious!” Rarity lept from her chair, sending spools of thread scattering across the table, and with frantic hooves she rushed to gather up her lost supplies. Warmth returned to Silver’s face as he leaned over to rescue a few spools from the dark wooden floor. “Silver, darling, I didn’t hear you enter. Forgive me, I was lost in thought.” Rarity blushed at his chuckle as she received the spools. “Not the worst thing to happen today, for sure,” he said. “Right, I heard some of your… conversation with Gilda. Are things alright? Is it about what happened with Twilight?” “It’s fine, Rarity, we didn’t kill each other.” “Can’t imagine you’d have much fight in you, if it came to that.” “Gilda said you needed me for something,” he interrupted, ignoring the smirk on her face. “I do, actually, I need you to try these on.” From all corners of the organized chaos covering the cabin came a swarm of garments and accessories, swirling around them both in Rarity’s signature crystal-blue haze. She eyed a few before carefully arranging them around Silver. “Alright, darling, take off the shirt.” “You know, some say I’m more naked with it on.” “I’m sure every lowlife tells you that. Come now, there’ll be plenty of time for games, later. Off with it.” Slowly, Silver lifted aching forelegs and pulled the garment from him. Rarity’s eyes were graced with the expanded series of patterns etched into his flesh, far more polite than the gnarled scars along his back and midsection. He avoided her gaze. “Darling, you don’t need to be so bashful. I’ve seen it, already.” She passed a set of boots and gloves to him, firm to the touch and with some heft. “Still weirds me out, though.” Silver slowly pulled them on, wiggling his hooves deeper into them. “It’s only skin, dear, and you know what they say about book covers… oh, wonderful, they do fit.” “Pretty well, actually. I’m surprised you got it on the first try.” “Well, I am a professional, and there was plenty of time to size you up while you healed.” “‘Professionally’, of course.” “Of course, darling. I, alone, pulled four shards of glass from your body, Silver, and I hardly cherish the thought of doing it again. Okay, take them off, this one next.” Silver bared himself once more and lifted a patchwork of fabric and padding over his back, slipping his forelegs into what he could only imagine was some sort of jerkin. It sat lopsided upon him. Rarity fed the laces through each other and pulled them tight, causing Silver to silently wince, paying it no mind and continuing to fiddle with the garment. “I’m sorry Ponyville was such a disaster,” Rarity finally said. “It could’ve been a lot worse. I’m just glad Twilight is alive and the city is still standing.” “On that, we agree. Oh, of course the seam isn’t straight.” Rarity was too engulfed in the jerkin to notice Silver’s glances toward her. “But it wasn’t… entirely awful.” “Which part, dear?” Rarity’s focused hooves slowed as she removed the garment from Silver. “The part where I could hear you snoozing in the chair next to me.” “You could hear…? Oh, goodness.” “What?” Silver watched as she quickly hid her mouth with a hoof, her muzzle alight with red color.  “How unladylike of me.” “No, it was great,” he chuckled. “My snoring was ’great’?” She said, incredulously. “What? No, you weren’t snoring, Rarity, I was just happy to know you were with me.” Silver’s statement caught up to them both, now sharing the same line of red across their cheeks. She wordlessly passed him a small jacket, which he hurriedly donned, and returned to the inspection of her creations, fighting to overcome the distraction. She was failing, as was he. “Was that it? My snoozing?” “No, I just like… being with you.” His voice lowered to a whisper, drifting between them. “Should we talk about it? You know, what almost happened?” She lingered on his eyes, her hoof gently grazing his bare flesh. “Not unless you want to try again.” Their eyelids grew heavy, mouths barely hanging open as the space between them began to vanish. Their breath intermingled. “I could be convinced,” she cooed. “Dude, you’re not gonna believe who’s barking up your… oh…” Gilda’s invasion earned a sharp inhale from Rarity, wearing a shocked expression, as her piercing gaze locked onto the gryphon standing in the open door. Though Silver wore a blush as deep as Rarity’s, it was the latter’s crazed eyes Gilda slowly inched away from. “Gilda, darling,” Rarity hissed through her teeth. “We were just having a fitting for Silver’s replacement uniform. It’s a rather delicate process.” “Uuuh, yeah, I can see that, but there’s something, uh… look, I don’t know how but your ex is here.” “What?” Silver broke from Rarity’s hold on him. “Yeah, just kinda showed up. I told her you weren’t really talkative right now, but I don’t think she wants to listen to me.” Silver, as quickly as he was comfortable, walked past them both and out onto the main deck. A blanket of grey clouds covered the sky. The wind whipped Silver’s argent mane as he approached the gangplank and froze when met with the sight of two ponies looking up at him. The stallion, Berry, was familiar to him, whose hoof held a parasol over the mare beside him, gazing at Silver with even more familiar eyes. “Silver! I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I had hoped you would be available for lunch. You’re not too busy, yes?” Abby asked, slowly crossing the gangplank onto the deck. “Abby, what are you doing here?” “Inviting you to lunch, as I said. I hardly ever see you this often in a single week… Silver, you’re hurt!” Abby rushed to his side and, much to his frustration, began prodding the barely healed wounds along his side. At first he endured her affections, but another careless jab made him flinch. He pushed her away. “I’m fine, okay? Why are you here, and how did you even know we were here, at all?” “Well, a lady is allowed some secrets,” she giggled, failing to amuse Silver. “The estate’s charity work keeps me tied to the port authority, and from the looks of it I arrived at the right time. What’s happened to you? It’s as if a building fell on you.” Silver sighed, silently agreeing with her observations, and from behind him came the sound of clacking hooves. Rarity arrived, with his dark shirt in tow. “Silver, dear, you- oh! Abby, forgive me, I was giving Silver a fitting and he left his shirt behind. Here you are, dear.” Rarity passed Silver the shirt, unaware of Abby’s eyes following her. “A ‘fitting’, you say?” “Why, yes. Silver, have you told her yet?” “I was getting to it,” he said as his head popped through the loose collar. “Ponyville was a bust. We were overrun by the Night Guard, the murderer escaped, and… and he’s back. Shield Wall is alive.” Abby blinked, more than once as her gaze lost focus, her mouth agape. Then she gasped. She clutched her chest and slowly brought her eyes back to Silver’s. “I… I don’t know what to say.” “Well, neither do we. He ambushed us with the Night Guard and he’s missing, too.” “Are you alright, Abby?” Rarity asked. “I can’t imagine this is easy for you.”  Abby failed to respond to her question, until her head snapped to Rarity, fumbling over her words as Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Just, so much has happened in such a short time. To know he’s alive is terrible news.” “Of course,” Rarity muttered. “Well, no point in dwelling over it, right? Would you like something to drink, Abby? A ship’s provisions are hardly world-class, but some delectable barley tea just arrived if-” “Actually, Rarity, I was hoping to see Silver alone.” The interruption successfully silenced Rarity, gasping silently.  “Oh… of course. Another time, then?”  Rarity shared an uneasy glance with Silver, rubbing his shoulder as she turned to leave. They watched her retreat into the captain’s cabin and, once the door was shut, the playful smile returned to Abby’s face. Silver faced her. “Not feeling very social, today?” “Hmm? Oh, no, no, Rarity can be such a joy, but I’ve come to see you. Though, you two seem to be fast friends.” “Well, I’m not so sure she’s happy about that fact, given the circumstances.” “Hmm… I think she’s very much happy about it,” she mumbled. Silver bit his tongue as it threatened to go off. He locked onto the floor and sighed before, with as much calmness as his body would muster, he continued. “Is there a reason you’re here, Abby?” “When I heard you were in town I absolutely had to drop by. Come now, Silver, you could hardly call last time a proper visit.” “Abby, Shield Wall is back,” he stated coldly. “Ponies are dead, Twilight’s castle was robbed, and the Ragged Mare is still out there.” “Well, yes, I heard about the robbery. It’s all very disturbing when you put it like that.” “When I put-... Abby, look, I appreciate you stopping by, I really do, but we’re in a tough spot right now.” “Do you need help? I still have some friends in the EUP who would be glad to assist if you needed it.” “No, no, we don’t have any leads. The Ragged Mare is gone, Shield Wall’s gone, and we lost track of the Night Guard after we fought them off.” “Maybe Auntie Celestia could help? It’ll be like that time at Saddle Lake in summer, when we got lost near Rambling Rock Ridge with my family. Do you remember?” Abby’s excitement sharply contrasted Silver’s waning patience. “Y-Yeah, I remember. Luna already said she doesn’t know how to track the Night Guard, and if Shield Wall is leading them they could be miles ahead of us, already. Look, we have a lot of work to do. Thanks for stopping by, but-” “We could work together!” She chirped, plowing through Silver’s words. “Since the attack at my home I’ve done some sleuthing of my own, and if we put our heads together I’m certain we could capture Shield Wall before the week’s end.” “Abby... how close are you to this?” The question hung in the air, numbing Abby’s words as she fumbled for a response. “C-Close, Silver?” “The Ragged Mare tried to kill you, and now you suddenly have ‘friends’ in the EUP? The port authority?” “I figured you could use my help, so yes, I’ve pulled some favors,” Abby managed to say, averting her gaze from Silver’s. “Don’t forget I’m part of the Nine Night communications, Shield Wall is my responsibility, too.” “That doesn’t mean you have to stick your neck out for me.” Silver quickly closed the distance, and Abby felt her face turn flush at his approach. “Abby, I… this is getting dangerous, really dangerous, and you’ve already been made a target.” “But that’s what you do every day, Silver, and everytime you do it I think back to the day you left on that ship and… and what he did to you.” “And I won’t let him do the same to you. So, please, stay safe and stay out of this.” Silver began to turn from Abby, unaware of the dejection creeping along her face, a sense of panic filling her chest. With each step he took her breath quickened.  “Silver, wait!” She stamped the ground with a frantic hoof, snagging his attention. “I-I… I might have heard something come out of Ponyville. It’s just a rumor, but some of the guard say there may have been another robbery. There’s a train missing… heading north.” “How’d you hear about this?” “My friends in the EUP. I hear things, sometimes.”  Her eyes locked onto Silver’s as her voice withered. There was a pause between them. Only the whistling of the high mountain breeze dared impede the silence. Abby glanced away first, brushing her ruby mane from her face. “But perhaps I should go. It’s always wonderful to see you, Silver.” She turned away. His eyes followed her down the gangplank and back into the company of Berry, shading her with the parasol as the clouds began to move away. Abby turned to look back only once before disappearing into the crowd of eager passengers of workers, leaving Silver to linger on the deck as he silently, pensively, stared into the crowd where she vanished.