//------------------------------// // Canine Crimes and Lunas Snack Time // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// It was late evening, and the sky was turning into a mix of vibrant orange and deep purple, the moon beginning to flash it's silvery light. Ruppy and Onyx left, and Silver and Twilight were about to head back to Canterlot. “It's gotten cold,” Twilight said as she shivered. The temperature had dropped considerably since it was the beginning of fall. “Think you can make it back to the castle? We don't have to go back to Ponyville tonight, I'm sure Tia won't mind us stay at the castle,” Silver suggested as he cast her a small smile. Twilight nodded lightly and responded, “Yeah, I think I can make it,” before taking off from the roof. Silver quickly followed behind and soon caught up to the still shivering alicorn. “Are you sure you're okay?” Silver asked. “Yeah, I'll be fine.” Truth was that she wasn't. She hadn't eaten all day and had done a lot of flying. That, topped with the stress of dealing with Silver and the cold air, Twilight had begun to feel woozy and light headed. Her hooves had gone numb and her wings were beginning to feel so as well. She felt herself drop every so often, but quickly pushed herself back up, hoping Silver wouldn't noticed. She didn't want to be a burden to him. She continued to fly and drop subtly for about ten minutes, Silver never saying a word. By that point, the numbness in her hooves had begun to spread up her legs, her wings felt stiff and her cheeks stung terribly. Her head pounded and she could barley see straight, and the minutes began to slow, feeling like hours. It was then she felt something soft and warm against her stomach. At first, she was startled, but then she welcomed the feeling as it began to lift and carry her. “If you weren't feeling well, you could've just said so. I would've just got a hotel room or something instead of flying back to the castle,” Silver said. Twilight sheepishly hid her face in his fur, “Sorry, but I knew you wanted to speak with Luna, and I didn't want to hold you up, so I kept quiet.” Twilight had stopped flapping her frozen wings and wrapped her hooves around Silvers neck. Much to her disappointment, she couldn't feel Silver warmth as her hooves and cheeks were numb, but she continued to nuzzle herself into him anyway. It took a few minutes, but the feeling in her limbs gradually returned, and she noticed something odd about the back of the wolf she was riding. When she ran her hooves across his back, she could feel a large welt running down his shoulder blades, buried beneath the thick fur. “Silver, what is this?” Twilight asked as she traced a hoof over the oddity. “Huh? Oh, that's an old scar I got a while back.” “A scar? What happened?” “Black Wing happened.” “Black Wing?” Twilight cocked her head, “You mean that other wolf guard? I thought you two were friends.” “We are, but we weren't always. About eight years ago, Black Wing and I got into it pretty bad, and wound up almost killing each other. That scar is a nifty little gift from that fight.” “You almost killed each other?! What were you fighting about?!” Twilight said picking her head up. “Well, that's a really long story. Let's just say we have different viewpoints and leave it at that.” “Oh, okay...” Twilight said as her ears fell flat. She was disappointed at the open-ended story, but also a little upset with herself. She was digging into Silvers past again after only knowing him for a few days. She kept getting closer to Silver, both physically and emotionally, and she didn't know why. At first, she wanted to keep the relationship between the two of them strictly professional, but she found herself wanting to be a little more involved with Silver. Again, both physically and emotionally. Twilight knew she had feelings for him, but she wasn't sure what that meant just yet. After all, it's not like she was use to feeling this way. Of course, it was too late to change her mind now. She had already begun to dig, and since Silver was willing to share a little about his past, then maybe he would be willing to satisfy the curious pony jumping and screaming in the back of her mind and answer a few more questions. But that would have to come at a later time, because now, Twilight was beginning to feel the effects of Silvers fur. Just like the night before, her eyelids became heavy, and Silvers breathing and heartbeat set a rhythm that began to put Twilight to sleep. The warmth rushed over her once more and she felt like the body-numbing cold was just some kind of fairy tale weather, something that never really existed, and only the warmth was real. Twilight snuggled herself back into Silvers neck, more than willing to let the doziness take over. Unfortunately for her though, Silver flies much faster by himself. “We're here,” Silver said as he gently touched down onto the grass in the royal garden. Twilight creaked an eye open and looked around and sure enough, there they were, in the grounds of the castle. The sun had just set and the stars and moon illuminated the beautiful scenery. “Damn it all to Tartarus.” Silver enter in through the doors and stepped inside. The guards swiftly intercepted him, but upon seeing a half asleep Twilight on his back, they realized there was no threat. Twilight was too tired to take notice that she had just been seen being carried on a wolf's back, and so ignored the guards quite chuckles. She reluctantly stepped down off of Silvers back after instructing the guards that they would be staying for the night. The guards saluted and trotted back to their post. Silver turned to Twilight and quickly took notice of her exhausted state, “Here, why don't you go and find a snack to eat in the kitchen, then go to bed in the guest room. I'll go talk to Luna.” Twilight, too tired to give a proper answer, lazily nodded and shuffled off to the kitchen. Silver, however, made his way to Lunas personal chambers. He wondered through the dark halls until he found a door that resembled the one in the Canterlot ruins. They were tall and thin, painted different shades of dark and deep blues, and a full moon painted in the center. Silver knocked lightly, then a voice from the other side called, “Enter,” and Silver pushed the door open. The first thing he saw was a crescent moon shaped bed, the blankets still ruffled and tossed from the pony who had emerged from them a few hours ago. The room, much like the door, was painted a number of different shades of blue, and a beautiful deep sapphire rug to match. Silver looked around, but found no pony. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was another glass door on the opposite side of the room. It led out to a small balcony with a table and chair. Silver moved across the room and stepped into the cold outside. At the ledge of the balcony was where Luna was sitting, and in front of her on the stone railing was a small bowl filled with ice cream. Her midnight coat sparkled like stars in the light of the moon, and her majestic mane gently wafted and danced in the breeze. A serene silence filled the air, and only the crickets chirps and the winds singing could be heard as Silver stared in awe of the elegance and allure of the Princess of the Night. Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew him. Silver shook his head and snapped himself out of his enchantment, then moved to the alicorns side. In an in attempt to distract himself, Silver questioned, “Ice cream? On a cold night like this?” While his fur may have protected him from the cold, it didn't mean he couldn't tell the temperature. “I'm not bothered by the cold. In fact, I rather enjoy it,” Luna said as she stared at the sky, never so much as glancing at Silver. “Hmm, I don't suppose I could convince you to share a little,” Silver quirked as he moved a paw to the savory treat, only to have it smacked away by a hoof. “I do not share my ice cream, not even with my sister,” Luna scolded, finally turning to face him. Silver pulled his swatted paw away, “Well, I suppose that's one thing we have in common.” Luna turned her eyes back to the sky and huffed, “And here I thought that would be near impossible,” “Oh, you'd be surprised. Just as you don't like to share your ice cream, there are some things I don't like to share either. Like say, my memories,” Silver said flatly. Luna was silent and continued to star gaze, but at the mention of his memories, Silver noticed her ear twitched a bit. He waited for a response, but after not receiving one, he sighed and looked to the sky as well, “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset, but I'm not as mad as you think. Just tell me, why? If you wanted to know, you could've asked. You didn't need to invade my dreams, and you certainly shouldn't have shared them with some pony else. So why?” Luna continued to look away and remained silent. “Are you really going to ignore me?” Silver asked, looking toward her with disappointment, but her silence didn't break. Silver hung his head and sighed, “Fine,” He said before reaching into his bag, “I just came to drop this off anyway.” Silver placed the grimoire he'd found in the Everfree castle onto the ledge next to the ice cream bowl and turned to walk away. Luna finally looked away from the stars and peered down at the book. “He found it? Did...did he read it?” Silver had only just reached the glass door to the room when Luna spoke up, “It's because...,” she began, and Silver turned around to face her, “It's because you didn't bother to come see me...” Silver cocked his head, “What?” “You came a day late, and you visited every pony else. But me...I was forgotten...again,” Lunas head dropped and she looked at the ground in guilt, “I know it's foalish and stupid, but even after a thousand years, I still come second to my sister. Even the wolves, who are known for their love of the night, forgot the princess who brings it.” Silver could only feel pity for the mare, regardless of how foolish it may seem. “Don't be stupid. How could I forget a pony I've never even met before?” Silver said as he walked back over to Lunas side, “and as for the whole, 'wolves of the night' thing, you're right. We are known for being active during night time. So why in the world would you think I would put your sister before you?” Lunas head perked up a bit and was met with a soft smile from the canine next to her, “I didn't forget about you Luna. That's next to impossible. Even back in Houndland, you're praised. The only reason I didn't come talk to you sooner was because you were sleeping. And I've heard some stories about what happens when you get woken up early.” Luna looked away and blushed, “I only punched that stallion because he woke me up and asked a ridiculous question. And besides, it was over a year ago. Can't these ponies learn to let things go?” “Let things go? You knocked him through the castle wall!” “...Perhaps I don't quite have full control over my strength in the morning.” Silver let out a hearty chuckle. After it died down, the two went silent, looking back up at the sky. “I'll never forgot about you Luna,” Silver said after a long time, “No matter what happens, I'll always remember.” Luna felt her cheeks flush furiously. It was one of the few times any pony directly said something like that to her. In an attempt to distract herself, she the topic switched over to the grimoire. “So, where did you find this?” she asked, trying to change to conversation. “In your old castle, the one in the Everfree forest. It was in a hidden room, and a Shade was feeding off of it.” “Did you kill it?” “Yep,” Silver said with a nod. “Good. I'm glad it was in the room the whole time. I didn't want any pony getting their hooves on something like this,” Luna paused for a moment and thought, “Just how did you get this out of that room? I had it sealed using alicorn magic from the Elements of Harmony. It should have been impossible for anything to get in there.” Silver cracked a grin, “My Wind magic,” he said proudly, “I can get into anywhere with it. Since it allows me the greatest freedom, it lets me go where I please, regardless of what may be in my path. Whether it's a locked door or a magic seal, I can break in or out of any place.” “Hmm....” Luna hummed, staring the wolf down, “I'm not sure if I can trust you now. If you have those kinds of skills, then you're naturally a thief.” “Do you want to know the truth?” Silver asked. The expression on his face told Luna that what ever he was about to say couldn't be all bad, as the look said something like, 'It's-not-exactly-a-secret.' “Yes, please.” “You're right. I am a thief. I have a level 5 bounty on my head.” Lunas jaw dropped in awe. So much for not all bad. After all, a level 5 bounty was more than serious. There were only fifty other creatures in the entire world with that bounty, and Silver was one of them. “Yo—you're a level 5 criminal?” Luna stammered out. Silver simply nodded. “But how?! You're in the Houndland military aren't you?! They can't allow you to join their ranks with something like that on your record. They should have arrested you on the spot, or worse, killed you!” “I never said I was a part of the military. All I said was that I had a high rank in Houndland. Although, technically, since I hold that rank, I'm not actually a criminal anymore and don't have a bounty, but really, that's just a technicality. And honestly, that rank never really made much sense to me. I mean, how can you be a part of the military, and at the same time, not be? It's weird and confusing, and I don't like it. ” Lunas jaw fell off. There was only one rank she knew of that could eliminate a class 5 bounty. If what Silver was saying was true, then she was standing before a beast like none other. The wolf that stood before her was not a soldier like she had been told, but a demon. Something that could crush the grandest empires and topple the greatest kingdoms. An Army Slayer. It's the only rank in the world that can't be given by any one country's military, but must be elected by at least five others before it can be bestowed. It's because of this that the rank isn't technically affiliated with any military. The only way to earn this rank is as the name implies, to lay waste to an entire army by yourself. The rank is given and eliminates the bounty is because the rulers of the countries decided that it would be too dangerous to pursue the criminal. Lunas blood froze with fear, and for once in her life, she felt cold. “Tia knows him! She's even called him a friend. Then does she also know about this too?! Did she purposely let him enter the country because she knew, or is she oblivious to all of this!?” “D-does Tia' know?” Luna asked shakily, trying to calm her nerves. “Yep. But no pony else does. I made great efforts to make sure of that. Efforts that were almost wasted because you showed my memories to Applejack," Silver scolded. Luna pulled back in fear and looked away with guilt, “I am sorry for doing that. It-it was a mistake, and I promise I won't ever go through your memories again.” Silver smiled, “Thank you, and you're forgiven. She didn't figure it out, so no harm done really.” He looked back to the sky and his expression seemed to soften. Luna corrected her stance and stared at Silver. Despite knowing the power he held, he seemed so...humble, in this moment. Staring into the endless night sky, watching the stars dance around the moon. Looking at him, you'd never guess he was an ex-criminal, nor a monster. Luna found her shock and fear fading the longer she looked. He didn't feel threatening, although Luna knew he was, and he seemed to have a strange atmosphere to him. As if he was...content. “I suppose I should probably apologize too,” Silver said, breaking Luna out of her trance. “Apologize? For what?” Silver pointed a hoof to the book on the ledge, “I read it. It's how I knew it was yours. That room in the old castle, you weren't researching it because you found it; you were creating it.” Luna moved over to the ledge and ran a hoof over the cover. Her nerves seemed to calm, and she began to explain, “Yes. To make a grimoire, one must be in complete isolation. The creation of it requires that you pour pure emotion into it, and you must be able to focus. So I can see how you might view that as an invasi--” Luna was cut off by two large paws being wrapped around her neck. At first she panic and her heart spiked, but then calmed herself when Silver spoke, “I had no idea that was how you felt...” Silver said softly, “the cold of isolation and loneliness. You were alone for so long, and no pony ever saw your pain, much less your tears. It almost makes me hate your sister. You'd felt it so much, you made a magic out of it.” Luna began to feel her heart break. It was like when the Elements of Harmony had released her from being Nightmare Moon, and the feeling of guilt crashed over her. The wall of resolution that she had built in her heart over the years began to crack. “And here I am, making you feel the same way, a thousand years later,” Silver pulled his head back and moved his paws to her cheeks, which were beginning to turned red, “You'll never feel alone again, I swear it. A small stream of tears ran down her cheeks, and she planted her face into Silvers chest. She didn't sob and huff, but she was certainly crying, though not for long. After all, this was an issue Luna had delt with before, though not completely gotten over. Her resolute wall had spilled a leak, but soon enough, it was fixed again, and this time, it came with a new addition. ...Silver.... Once her silent cries stopped, she looked up to Silver. At first, she turned her red eyes away, but then look back. “Silver, you said you wouldn't let me feel lonely any more right?” Silver nodded. “Then...would you mind keeping me company for the night?” After asking, Luna immediately look back away. At first, Silver was shocked, causing Luna to be a little fearful of what idea Silver might get from her suggestion. But when his expression softened, she felt relieved as she knew Silver didn't take it the wrong way. Sure she was lonely, just not that kind of lonely. At least, not tonight anyway. “Sure. I did promise after all.” Luna smiled wide and she pulled away from Silver, “We should go back inside. I might not be bothered by the cold, but you aren't impervious to it.” “Alright then,” Silver said as he turned and went to the door. Luna began to trot behind him, only to stop halfway and turn around. She looked back and used her magic to float the half eaten bowl of ice cream and the book up next to her, then continued her trot inside. She tossed the book onto the bed and crawled into the sheets. Silver pause and looked around the room, “Hmm, no chairs. I'll just grab the one from outside,” Silver said before he turned to exit, only to be stopped by Lunas voice, “Don't be silly, we can share the bed,” Silver gave Luna a confused look. Certainly she wasn't implying that... “It's big enough for the both of us to lay on.” Yeah, she wasn't. Silver was slightly hesitant at the offer, as he wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but he had a feeling she wasn't suggesting anything. He slowly crawled on to the bed and laid down on the opposite side of her. “I thought you said you didn't share.” “I don't. At least, not my ice cream,” Luna replied as she scooped up a spoonful of the tasty treat and ate it, “and what about you? I thought you said you didn't like to share you secrets? But you didn't really seem to mind telling me about your...hmm, occupation? Shall we say.” “I don't mind telling others. I just don't like it when they go behind my back to learn my secrets. If there's something you want to know, you can always just ask, no need to be a sneaky. But if it's something too personal, you'll need to ask in private.” “Oh really? Then do you mind if I ask you some thing?” Luna said, a devious smile creeping across her face. Silver was suspicious, but said “Go ahead.” “Have you bucked my sister yet?” Silvers head dropped into the blankets, and Luna burst out laughing. “You're the second mare to ask me that,” he muffled through the sheets. “Oh really?” Luna said between laughs, “and who was the first?” “Twilight,” Luna laughed harder, “It was only because she saw me and Tia together. I told her that we were never had that kind of relationship though, which is the truth by the way.” “Well,” Luna began as she managed to catch her breathe for a moment, “I don't know about bucking, but Tia told me a certainly interesting story.” Silvers head shot up, “What did she say?!” Luna laughed once more, “Oh nothing. Just that one night while she was visiting Houndland, you forgot to dry yourself with your wind magic, and when you came out of the shower she saw your um...shall we say 'wolf-hood'” Silvers face dropped to complete despair, “Oh, I'm gonna kill that mare.” Luna continued her fit of laughter, rolling and flailing around on the sheets. After a minute, she paused for a moment and looked to Silver, “It's not like it's small. She said it was actually pretty big, though she thought it might have been fake.” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Lunas laugh continued once again. “Can we please stop talking about my...anatomy? It's very embarrassing.” Silver said throwing a blanket over his head. “Oh don't worry Silver. It's fine! Besides, you should be quite proud. My sister has not been with many stallions, though the ones she has been with have all been quite large. So for her to say that about you only means you'd have to be quite...exceptional.” “Stop it! Just stop it!” Silver whined through the sheets. Luna giggled once more, and then the room was silent once again. “So, you haven't been with my sister?” Luna asked after a while. Silver kept his head under the covers, but shook his head. “Good. Then perhaps, I can have you first. But...maybe on another night. I don't want to ruin this one.” Luna continued to watch the hiding wolf as she finished off her ice cream. When to bowl was empty and licked clean, she set it down on the night stand and scooted over to Silver. She slowly pulled the blankets off his head, revealing a snoozing wolf. At first, she was a little annoyed, but when Silver rolled over and put his head on her hooves, she found her irritation had vanished. Silver gently nuzzled into the black coat of her chest, his breathes and touch sending a tickle throughout Lunas neck. She slip a hoof out from under and gently stroked the top of his head and down his neck. “There, there, little wolf. Your princess is right here.”