Silver strode through the castle. Being an earth pony felt odd. He kept reaching with his magic for doors, to find he had none of that magic to work with. It was similar to when he was first cursed with the bangle on his swaying jewels, without the maddening lust. He enjoyed it, a little. It felt simple and wholesome in a way. He was strong and pure, and being yelled at.
Twilight appeared in front of him with wings fully extended. "Silver Stars! What did you do?!"
Silver smiled at Twilight. "I'm incognito, so if you could avoid calling me that, it would be nice."
Twilight put a hoof over her eyes. "Silver, look, it's very nice that you want to take Tumble out on the town, but first, your cutie mark's showing."
He looked at his flank to see the scribbles of magic still stenciled there in all their messy glory. "Second! You are an alicorn prince. Ceasing to be an alicorn is very improper, even if within your power."
A soft chuckle came from Silver, sounding more amused than concerned. "Twilight, never change. That sounds like decorum you're obssessing over."
Twilight advanced on Silver with her wings waggling, so extended they made her motions a little awkward. "We're royalty! Decorum is a part of our lives!"
Silver nuzzled into one of those fluffy wings and began to preen her, nipping and pulling the feathers straight. Twilight turned red quickly and crashed to her haunches, not expecting the sudden intimacy. He worked on them quietly a moment while he spoke in gentle tones. "The rules are made to control us alicorns, not made by alicorns. If Celestia wanted to get away, do you think she'd really not become a single tribe pony for a time? Because that sounds just like something she'd do if she got it in her head."
"M-maybe." She let out a low sigh. "Why does that feel so nice?" The only reply she got was a redoubled effort to set her feathers in order. He didn't need magic for that, just his mouth and a fierce desire to make her happy, both of which he had. He groomed and set her right, inch by inch, inhaling the sweet scents of her body and gently nipping with newly flattened teeth where the feathers or muscles beneath proved stubborn.
Twilight become more and more relaxed and turned to offer her back to his attention. "Am I still being punished?"
Silver nuzzled between her wings gently. "Are you asking if we can mate?" She colored but didn't reply. "The answer is no, for now, but I will preen you, because I love you very much." He began at her sensitive wing base and started slowly working his way towards the tips. "Do the spa girls offer preening? You look like you haven't gotten it in a little while."
"W-what? I was preened just last week," she protested even as she melted under the attention. "It wasn't this nice..." She went quiet, enjoying the attention until her wings were clean, straight, and properly pampered by her affectionate lover. "Where did you learn how to preen from?"
Silver bumped his nose against hers. "May I go have some fun?"
Twilight smiled a little. "Oh fine, don't tell me... Go, but cover that up." She pointed at his cutie mark. "Not like you'll have much use for that talent as an earth pony anyway."
Silver perked his ears. "Perish the thought. I can make spells as an earth pony just fine. I'll just have to pass them to you to cast them afterwards."
Twi rolled her eyes. "Do you even know how to write with your mouth? It's a specific skill."
He didn't, really, but he refused to let that get him down. "I'm going to be just an earth pony for a little while." He raised a hoof. "And, afterwards, I'm going to find you, tackle you, and do things we'll both enjoy." He trotted off, leaving the blushing princess behind.
"W-wait!" Silver looked over his shoulder at Twilight. "You need a new name. Mmm, Wispy Night. You look like the clouds of the night sky."
Wispy grinned. "That's a nice name, I'll take it. Maybe Wispy will have his turn before Silver gets there." He waggled his brows, then trotted off with his tail wagging.
Spike wander past with a #1 foam over his hand, paused, and looked at Wispy. "Uh, hi?"
Wispy smiled. "Hello. Where are you going to, young dragon?"
Spike tilted his head a little. "Oh, uh, hanging out with a friend of mine. Do you need any help?"
Wispy shook his head, and Spike wandered off, apparently never spotting his cutie mark. He snickered softly as he ducked into a wardrobe closet. Many of the clothes were shaped for mares, specifically an alicorn mare that he knew, but not all of them. He settled on a basic set of saddlebags that hung over his cutie mark, concealing it, but hid little else.
He emerged and began exploring around for Rough Tumble, but the stallion was nowhere in sight. Wispy decided he must have gone outside, so out he went, getting some confused looked by the guards, who didn't recall him entering, but didn't challenge him.
"Hi there!" Wispy looked up to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders had found him and were grinning hugely. "You new in town? I'm Sweetie Belle, and this is Apple Bloom and Scootaloo." The other girls offered their own greetings and waved at him and Wispy felt overwhelmed with cuteness. He surely had time for the foals.
"Hello there, girls. How can I help you?" He smiled and they picked up on his eagerness easily. They had a victim, and they shared looks with big grins.
"We have a little experiment we want to do, and we need an adult. Do you have time, mister...?"
"Wispy. Wispy Night."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Nice ta meet ya, Wispy. Ya have a cutie mark, right?" Wispy nodded. "Great! Ya see, ah'm being taught by Princess Twilight Sparkle herself how ta make potions."
Scootaloo pointed at Apple Bloom. "And she's really good at it!"
Sweetie Belle fluttered her lashes in a cute way. "All you have to do, sir, is try out a potion for us."
Wispy perked his ears. Compared to some of the other schemes they'd tried, this one was a lot simpler than most. "What should it do, if it works properly?" He assumed he'd get polkadotted fur or begin burping the national anthem, if the luck of the Crusaders was consistent.
"Oh, nothin'." Apple Bloom looked like she was hiding something. Her eyes went everywhere but Wispy's own.
His confidence in helping them took a hit, but he didn't want to shoot them down entirely. "Surely it has to do something, or there's no reason to drink it." He glanced off, then back at the Crusaders. "Is it something naughty? I can keep a secret as good as anypony else."
They shared looks between one another, with a mixture of uncertainty and hope.
"Well..." Apple Bloom stepped forward. "Alright, but ya gotta promise ta keep it a secret."
Wispy raised a hoof. "Scout's honor."
They weren't sure which scouts were being honored, but it sounded good enough. Apple Bloom smiled. "Ya see, my sister done needs a stallion since her plans fell through."
Wispy felt the cold grip of dread run through his body. "Is... Is that so?"
Scootaloo nodded quickly. "She was going to get this prince, but that didn't work out. Whatever happened with that anyway, Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ah don't know. They don't talk about it none, just that she ain't doin' that no more."
It suddenly struck Wispy what the potion he was offered might do. "Is that love poison?"
Apple Bloom went pale. "What? No! Ah mean..." Her head sank. "Yes..."
Wispy reached to set a hoof on her head softly, mussing her mane and trying to be clear he wasn't angry. "It's very good you care about your sister, but there are a few things wrong with this plan. She's not here. What if I fell in love with one of you three instead?"
Sweet Belle put a hoof to her head. "I knew I was forgetting something!"
Apple Bloom tilted her head up at Wispy. "What's the other thing?"
Wispy smiled. "That isn't enough? Didn't you try love poison before?"
Apple Bloom pawed at the ground. "Well, yeah, but we got the recipe better this time." She suddenly stopped. "Wait, how da ya know about that?!"
Wispy sat down on his haunches. "I've heard about you three." They looked worried. "Good things. You're all special and good ponies, with a bright future ahead. You're going to get things done, and I'm very proud to have met you today, but I don't think this is the way."
Scootaloo grinned. "You're kinda nice, Mister Night. Where are you headed to?"
Wispy looked around. Where was he headed to? He didn't really know. "I'm mostly exploring, seeing what there is to see. I never visited Ponyville before." At least, not as a normal-looking earth pony.
Sweetie Belle smiled brightly. "You haven't seen Ponyville until you've had some treats from Sugarcube Corner!" The other two quickly agreed and hopped up to their hooves, ready to lead the way. "Come on!"
Wispy was fine being led there. Maybe Rough Tumble would be there. Maybe he should have asked where the academy actually was. Too late for regrets. He trotted along behind the three fillies as they began to gab on about school and the town and everything else that came to their minds. It was a bunch of random noise, but Wispy enjoyed the company of the energetic fillies regardless, and he humored them with soft mmhmms as seemed appropriate, and little harmless questions asked when the conversation lulled.
They approached the gingerbread house that was Sugarcube Corner and Scootaloo dashed up to the door and threw it open. "Pinkie?! We have a new pony!"
"New pony?!" Pinkie burst out of the store, and Wispy sensed something immediately... off. He couldn't put a hoof on it, but something about Pinkie just felt deeply wrong, though he couldn't see anything wrong. "Hi there! Welcome to Ponyville! Do you have any strong party preferences?"
Wispy came back to the present and the grinning Pinkie Pie in front of him. "Hello Pinkie. I prefer quieter, intimate, parties over loud and crowded ones. Thank you for thinking about me."
Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively. "It's nothing. I love giving new ponies a party. And old friends, and ponies in the middle. What's your name?"
"Wispy Night," introduced Wispy as he looked over Pinkie. She was an earth pony, like he was, and he could tell she was a very physically active one, though a constant need for sweets kept her plump and soft despite it. "Nice to meet you."
Apple Bloom smiled. "He hasn't tried one of yer treats yet, Pinkie. He has ta try some!"
"Right you are!" Pinkie pointed at Apple Bloom, then began to lead the way into the store. "I hope you have a good sweet tooth!"