//------------------------------//
// 312 - Family Affairs 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

It was dark and his thoughts were past his physical form. He patrolled the dreams of the ponies, and there were so many that needed looking after. Some he comforted and others he scolded gently, but he did his best to visit them all and to hold his judgements back until proper.

It was not his usual thing, but it was a thing, and it was his, so he did it at best he could.

Something pressed against him, his physical body. He started awake with a soft equine snort. "Who?"

"Shh." Twilight. Her voice was hard to miss. "I just want to sleep here."

Silver pinned his ears back. "There is exactly one mare I share a bed with."

"And that's not me..." He could hear a soft sigh. "And I look absurd just for coming here." She had not moved. Her hooves were on his sides. "You had many, before..."

"You see me almost every night." Despite her being there, he didn't throw her clear. He was still and spoke. "You are doing quite well on your adventure."

"Thank you... But dream adventures are not the same thing." She came in closer, nuzzling his back. "Your words. They have a meaning or did, in your writing. They do when you speak... But in your dreams, they always seem just a little hollow, why is that?"

Silver peeked over his shoulder, but couldn't quite see her. "I know a dream, always. There is a line between waking and dreaming. It's hard to be 'all there' for what I can feel is a dream."

"Huh... Did Princess Luna feel that?" Her hooves were wandering slowly. "You aren't as distant as you claim. I can... Silver, I don't want to be dead either."

"Dead?" He turned an ear back at her. "What do you mean?"

"I feel like... Like we're fading in a way." There was quiet for a time, just moving hooves. Nervous hooves. "Not even in a bad way... Like I might have done... Seen the greatest days, and now I'm at my ending."

"With rainbows?"

A soft sniff, and a snotty nose pressed to his back. "With rainbows."

Silver could feel his own tension growing. Was he at his own ending? The rainbows didn't come in any great showing. But he was happy by and large. Things were working out the way he would have wanted to. "Huh..."

"Is this something you worried about?"

"Yeah, actually." He turned to face her in the dark. "I never thought I'd be at the spot that I felt... good."

"Good?" She perked an ear at him. "You feel good?"

"I feel very good, actually." He rubbed noses with her. "My house is in order. As much as it is mine, my kingdom seems good. My wife is happy, and so am I. I'm busy, in all the good ways. Drama may come later, but..."

"But?" She didn't dare touch him while being faced. "I'm really sorry. I know I didn't get permission. You must think..."

"I think you're lonely." He flicked his tongue over her nose. "And a little alarmed. For as long as I last, which seems like a long time for alicorns, I won't wander off."

"That's a long time." She shrank back. "That's a big promise."

"And it is a promise I just made." He moved a hoof under her chin, watching her intently. "And one I don't regret. I can't be your husband, but I will be there. The only person I hate!"

"What do you hate?" Twilight sat up slowly. "I want to hear that."

"I hate that our schedules are so opposite!" Silver snorted in anger. "I'd rather be awake with you. Speaking of that, you are up past your bedtime. Go to sleep."

Twilight giggled softly, but nestled all the closer. "You could put me to sleep whenever you wanted. I feel this is entirely true."

"That would be rude." He nipped one of her ears firmly. "And I try to not be that."

"To a fault." She flopped back suddenly. "Spike is my little brother."

Silver raised a brow in the dark. "Alright... What should I take from that?"

"It means I wouldn't chase him, even if he's a pretty good match." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, the power dynamic between the two of us? So unhealthy. I've done research on that, which is part of the problem." She crossed her arms with a pout. "I'm a poor match for everypony I've thought of because of that. Being princess sucks!"

Silver sat up fully on his haunches. "But not me."

"Not you." She poked him on the nose. "You don't fully respect my authority, knave." She stuck out her tongue as she said that. "You see me as the mare I was, even with the trappings of a princess. I happen to be a pony you like quite a bit, but you don't see Celestia here." She was quiet a moment, hooves tapping. "I like that."

"Enough to sneak into my bed?" Twilight only colored more. "Even if I'm married?" The coloring got worse. "I don't hate you."

"Do you even know how to hate?" Twilight raised a brow at that. "Sorry, that's an unfair question..." She slid backwards, watching him. "You like me, and I like you, but we are destined to stay apart? That really isn't fair..."

"I was terrified to get involved." Silver leaned closer. "I couldn't know when the series ended, and I didn't want to mess it up."

"Series? Oh! Human thing, yes." She raised an ear. "Easy to forget you're part human at times. You don't act like one usually. It must be odd, having that little snippet of divination. Are we past what you saw?"

Silver thought back. "By quite a bit. I do not know what's coming next."

"Then it may as well not exist." Twilight shrugged in a grand motion of her shoulders. "Tomorrow could be anything!"

"Anything at all." Silver smiled in the dark. "But right now, still married. I have two adorable children, and a stepsister, and I care for all three of them with all my heart." He set a hoof on his chest. "I have a job, one you gave me, which I do my best to get right."

"And you have a royal intruder." Twilight tossed a leg off the bed and slid to the floor. "Who won't take a hint and leave you alone?"

"I want you to get your rest." He flopped over to peer into her eyes with his chin on the top of his bed. "I don't want you to go thinking I'm angry at you. I'm not." He quirked a smile. "My wife is doing her best to defy the odds and join us as royals."

"If that happens." Twilight inclined her head faintly. "I would welcome her. Night has done much for Equestria, quite a bit... She would deserve it." She raised her hooves to Silver's cheeks. "May I ask about your dreams?"

Silver's ears went upright, but he didn't draw away. "You saw them."

"Hearing from you works better." Twilight held Silver firmly in place. "In them, I was there. In at least one, I was far... far closer. Did you enjoy that? Did... Did you like the idea of being that close to me?"

"Unfair." He smiled despite being held captive. "I liked it a lot... I liked being with you... I savored being there when you nerded out. Nothing would have replaced listening to you. I enjoyed being subjected to your spells. It brought me joy using my magic on you. I liked it."

"Thank you." She released him and sat back. "For being honest. Your wife once told me to not break what I admired. Maybe she isn't wrong. Maybe trying to shove my nerdy snout in will only hurt things." She flipped an ear back. "Even if I can hear you saying 'but maybe in the future' between the lines."

"It's not between the lines if you say it out loud." Silver sat up with a soft snort of denial. "But I know how you feel, now that you made me think about it."

"And it bothers you?" Twilight inclined her head. "You went through... a lot, like me, to reach where you are. That it could all be over?"

"But it's not over." He set a hoof on her forehead. "Not so long as I keep breathing, which I'm still doing. I will live my days. I will support people and maybe help them with their traumatic lives, even if mine never had another surprise twist." He raised an ear at her. "Though assuming that feels like a big, bold assumption?"

"That's me. Big... Bold." Twilight's wings fidgeted on her back. "Got me down to a tee."

"You know, I don't have to explore dreams." He leaned in with a smile. "Luna plans to sneak back, and she isn't ready to retire anyway. We could let her handle the dreamworld and she'd thank us for the chance."

Twilight blinked slowly. "Are you offering to hang out with me?"

"If you want?" He shrugged in a mild motion. "It was your idea that I pick a job. I don't care what the job is, if I'm being useful. You want a prince around when you're awake?"

"Yes!" She blushed at her outburst, covering her mouth with a hoof. "I mean, that would please me." She smiled brightly, if awkwardly. "Seriously, you're alright with that?"

"If it means we can hang out more, and you sneak in during night a lot less." He hopped off the bed and prowled towards the window. "Night will be very jealous. She will know. I will tell her. I will also tell  her nothing happened and I sent you home with a better understanding."

"Oh..." Twilight fidgeted a little. "But you still want to hang out?"

"I would have called backsies if I meant it." He willed the window open to allow the cool evening air in. "I won't do sexy times with you though. I don't feel the urge much these days."

"Oh... oh?" Twilight followed after him with some obvious confusion. "Is that a part of becoming an alicorn?"

"Maybe?" He shrugged softly. "I have children and a loving wife. I can snuggle her whenever she's around." He threw a leg over Twilight when she came close enough. "I feel no urge to make sure tab A still fits in slot B. Gonna bet it does, or I could use some tricky magic to make sure of it."

Twilight colored at that. "Is... that the magic Night was implying Starswirl might have?"

Silver squinted at that, but it became a laugh. "She would say that, but she's probably not even wrong. He's a clever wizard. Bet he has a few tricks." He waved Twilight off. "But you need to sleep, and I have to finish patrolling. If you want me to swap, we have to drop Luna a hint we're ready for her to come back."

"About that." Twilight started her trek back to the entrance of the room. "You and Luna... Wasn't she a part?"

"She has her own thing. If she wants, I'm here, but I bet she's already moved on." Silver waved that off. "But I'm here. You, little miss nerd girl, do not want to be involved in the sister of your teacher like that."

Twilight began to color from her neck up. "I... do not. Is that a problem?"

"I doubt it." Silver pointed to the door. "Go to sleep, and I'm not mad."

"You rarely are." Twilight began her journey away. "See you later. I'll inform Luna, so don't—"

"Don't do that." Silver perked an ear as he climbed back into position on his bed. "She'll expect word from me, if anywhere. You officially shouldn't be in the know. Let me tell her."

"Oh... alright." Twilight mostly closed the door. "Good night." With a soft click, she was gone.