As it turns out, throwing things with your mouth is nowhere as easy as some ponies made it look. Despite Silver's best attempts, he sent the dart flying in all directions but the board, except one time when luck favored him and he struck the board almost center, but he knew it was just random chance, not any amount of skill.
The sound of hooves landing on the deck turned their attention upwards, and all three of them went to discover Bright Eyes had returned. She had a triumphant expression, and a well-dressed stallion horse stood beside her. Shei had already fled across the boat, but came around when Silver appeared and soon stood beside him instead.
Silver pointed at the stallion. "Is that the replacement captain?"
Bright shrugged. "Best I could find on short notice, but he'll keep them from killing themselves."
The stallion snorted softly. "I'll do more than that. I'm told we have a ship full of hopeful sailors with no destination or idea of where to begin. What fortune, as I have an exact plan in mind, but no boat or crew."
Celestia smiled gently. "That is fortuitous. Destiny smiles on us today." She pointed across the water to the boat docked not far from us. "There she is. You should go say hello to your new crew and make sure everything works out."
"An excellent idea, madame." He bowed to the lot of them. "It's been a pleasure, but the sea waits for no pony." And he trotted off, confident in his place in life.
Silver tilted his head. "Huh, that was fast."
Bright leaned towards him. "Why wouldn't it be? When I say I'm doing something I do it."
Shei smiled suddenly. "Except take royal vessels."
Bright glared at Shei witheringly. "That wasn't funny." Her features softened. "Permission to enjoy the sights?"
Celestia nodded. "I see no problem with that, but do be back before dark. I want everypony on board during the night."
Bright huffed. "All the good things barely start when the sun goes down! I'm not a foal..."
Celestia pointed at Bright's already-swollen midsection. "You're a mother, who should not spend the evening that way."
Bright glanced back at the rounded ribs and glared at Silver. "Why'd you have to do that? All the other mares aren't showing at all, but you lump a bowling ball in me? It's hardly fair."
Silver advanced on her, "I gave the most special mare the special treatment."
Bright flushed faintly and looked away. "Not the kind of special treatment I was hoping for..."
Silver lifted a hoof. "Be that as it may, you heard Celestia. This isn't up for debate. Be back by sundown. Tomorrow's another day."
"Aye aye." She saluted and trotted to the gangplank, departing without further word.
Shei pressed in against Silver. "Did you get into trouble while I was gone, master?"
Silver smiled gently. "Nothing Celestia couldn't rescue me from. We found someone who knows about the bracelet, and they're going to show us how to get to its other half."
Shei lifted an ear. "Will that help you, master?"
Silver bobbed his head. "It will, speaking of which, where are your parents? Should we be planning to go to them right now?"
Shei's ears fell as she shrank back. "Do we have to at all?"
Celestia moved towards the solarium as she spoke, "Your tone implies the answer is yes."
Shei let out a soft breath. "Of course, mistress. Our home is closer to Anugypt, that way." She pointed westwards. "We should go there either before we go to the capital, or after we return to the boat."
Bottom moved to sandwich Shei between himself and Silver and bumped into her. "He will be there for you, ma'am."
Silver nodded. "Bottom is right, I will be. How far is it? Can we get there in a day?"
Shei nodded slowly. "If we take a carpet, but those are very expensive, master. You don't need to go out of your way for me."
Silver waved a hoof. "It's less costly then spending time in the desert, asking to be ambushed by wild creatures or greedy bandits. I'll talk it over with Celestia, but expect to leave tomorrow, and we'll put this behind us." He trotted off towards the solarium, leaving Shei and Bottom together.
Bottom smiled at her. "He likes you a lot, ma'am."
Shei perked an ear at him. "I don't understand you. Do you love him?"
Bottom put a hoof to his chest. "With every breath."
Shei tilted her head. "Then why do you seem to be encouraging me?"
Bottom's eyes fell. "He prefers mares, ma'am. I am lucky he allows what he does, but he... he won't take me that close."
Shei leaned forward and nuzzled Bottom's snout. "That's a very mature outlook. Thank you. There's not much I can do in return. You're a stallion, and he prefers mares, as you say."
Bottom frowned with thought, shuffling in place before nodding. "Is it hard?"
"Hard?"
"Being a mare?" He circled around Shei slowly. "Is it hard?"
Shei shook her head. "I don't think so, but I haven't been a stallion to compare. Why?"
Bottom shook his head quickly. "Just thinking, ma'am. Are you hungry?" He led her downstairs, and they enjoyed a meal, though she felt his eyes never left her for long. If he wasn't a colt cuddler, she would have thought he had interest in her.
Silver pushed into the solarium and found Celestia just getting into a book, an activity she aborted on his entry. "Is everything alright?"
Silver nodded at her. "We have to take care of some final things, for Aila." He paused a moment, emotions stirring at the mention of her name. "We have to see Shei's parents, and there's no better time than now. Can I rent a carpet? Er, tomorrow, not today. It's already getting later in the day."
Celestia nodded. "Of course. You know where the discretionary bits are, just be back before dark, like the others. I... hope it doesn't prove too trying a journey. Do you want me to come with you?"
Silver felt sorely tempted. Surely the presence of Celestia would smooth things over with brute force, but that didn't feel quite right when he asked what Aila would want. "I... said I would watch over her, and Shei. I have to face this." He sagged down to the floor beside Celestia. "How did I fuck this up so badly? She should still be alive. I should be worrying about how to introduce her to the others, not how to inform her parents she's dead and gone..."
Celestia pressed her slender neck alongside his own. "It's as much my own fault as anypony else, more so, I wager. It was my idea, and my spellcasting. Hate me, if it makes you feel better. I'm sorry it turned out this way."
Celestia's words sounded sincere and hurt, and her staunch defense of him just earlier the same day left him with little desire to hate or even dislike her. "I agreed to it... I promised I'd protect her, you didn't. I've never failed at something so... completely..." He set his head on the floor. "What I wouldn't do for one more chance, just one..."
Celestia bit his ear roughly, making him flinch. "The number of times I've said the same thing... Just one more day to see a treasured one, to hear their laughter, to argue that final point, to hug them tightly and swear to all the powers of harmony that I love them and always will, and know they understand. Before you tether yourself to reality itself, know this pain, this deep, horrible pain. It will become a fast friend as the years slip by..." She looked off into the distance. "One more hour... One more... One more minute. There are ponies I miss so very much... But no amount of bargaining will bring them back to me. I know that suffering, Silver. I ask again, do you want me to come with you?"
Silver glanced aside at Celestia through tear-stained eyes, trying to determine the correct course. "I... Yes. Please. I have an idea. I have those, they're often dangerous."
Celestia smiled gently. "Please, tell me about this idea." She gathered him close and they nestled together as he began to explain his plan, and the part Celestia would play in it.
Celestia nodded with approval. "We should inform Shei. We'll need her cooperation for this ruse to work. I'll speak to her later today, and we'll be ready come the morning. For now, I want you to go find something pretty, for Night Watch, and something interesting, for Twilight Sparkle, and something fun, for Fast Change."
Silver sat up, considering the words. "Yes, that's a good idea. I shouldn't come home empty-handed. I think Night Watch would prefer something martial instead of just pretty to look at. Maybe a local blade?" He rose to his hooves. "Thank you. I'll go and do that, and maybe something for my other wives..." He trotted away, spirits lifting a bit with thoughts of mementos to get nudging out morbid thoughts of the deceased.
He bound down the gangplank and set off into the city alone for the first time. He heard the flapping of wings and looked up in time to see a lunar pegasus settle on the building ahead of him. She smiled with fangs. "They weren't lying! A prince of the night! Look at your wings... your eyes!" She hopped down easily and stepped up towards him. "What is your name, your majesty?"
Silver dipped his head towards her. "Prince Silver Stars, but Silver works well enough. I'm here with Celestia."
"Of course you are!" She clopped her hooves together before circling him again. "You're quite a feast on the eyes... You were a lunar pegasus?"
Silver shook his head. "Lunar unicorn, actually."
She tilted her head. "I didn't know that existed."
Silver smiled. "It's my job to make sure it does."
She went red as the meaning came to her swiftly. "Oh! Uh..." She glanced away, then back at Silver. "You have to buy a mare a drink or three before you make that kind of proposal, your majesty."
Silver could see she was intrigued, and she hadn't run away at the mention of it... "Before we consider that, I need to buy some gifts for friends at home. Care to help me shop?"
She moved up beside him. "I'll be glad to do that, your majesty. Call me Moon Dancer, and it will be my pleasure to get to know you."
There were certainly worse ways to spend an evening, and something to be said to meeting exotic new people, and sowing wild oats. Silver eventually returned with his gifts secured, and a tale to share with Luna later.