"You have one little weakness." Chrysalis surged forward and veered upwards, crashing a knee into Fast's chin with the sound of something cracking. "You have love, and not even the right kind. Pathetic queen, your heart's taken." She came down, her hooves wreathed in the green power of stolen energy, slamming Fast out of the sky, plummeting towards the earth below.
Darting after her, Chrysalis' wings buzzed angrily. "You're no changeling. That's the source of our power, fool. You can't give it away."
Fast righted herself as she fell and jigged to the side, letting Chrysalis soar past and she flew at her, their claws and hooves meeting in a ferocious struggle. "My love... makes me stronger."
"I might believe that... if you were a pony..." Chrysalis grinned widely. "You are a queen, damn you. A pathetic queen."
Fast took a quivering breath, being forced back by Chrysalis' frightful strength, but it was her hive too. They were her people, her changelings, and even her friends, ponies that lived in the city that would be attacked if Chrysalis won. She gave a powerful shove, buying herself an instant to draw on that power. The entire city was like a dimly available meal. She was not the most beloved creature in the land, but she called in her favors.
"What are you doing?" Chrysalis scowled at her. "This city is not your hive."
"That's where you're wrong." Fast smiled her fanged smile. "You have to beat us all."
Silver nodded politely to a crystal dignitary that droned on and on about the need for additional guards. "Can't Equestria send more soldiers?" asked the mare with a raised brow. "They've only grown while we were away, have they not?"
He glanced to Night, who flipped through a clipboard. "An envoy of soldiers are due to arrive at the end of the week to assist in the defense of the city."
The dignitary clopped a hoof as she scowled at Silver. "You know I need help outside the city. I told you that! Ambassador Lining, are you taking this situation seriously?" Silver began to reply, but she leaned in, cutting him off with a snarl and invading his space. "Is it true? Is he coming?"
Silver raised a hoof, pressing her back, just for Night to finish the job with an audible growl in her throat.
The crystal pony smoothed down her dress nervously. "My apologies, but I have ponies out there, good ponies... If I should just abandon this effort and call them back, then please, for the love of the sun above, tell me."
Silver found himself wishing he still had the power to speak silently, glancing at Night and back to her. "Celestia is doing the best she can, but Princess Cadance is also a factor. She doesn't want a military state and dislikes too many soldiers." Should he tell her? The thought rattled through him. "Maybe, if you could, help fortify and stabilize the situation within the city proper, more resources could then be spent on expansion."
She gave a little smile. "You're not good at this." Silver flinched and she nodded. "Your emotions aren't that well hidden." She stood up. "I don't know why Celestia sent you, little pony."
Silver thrust a hoof out and stepped towards her. "Wait, I'm serious. Everyone's trying to get their one thing fixed. If we--"
She turned on him, shaking her head. "You don't understand. This isn't our world. That train... It frightens me every time it comes into town, and the ponies that come with it. You know so much, it's all normal to you." She put a hoof to her chest. "I know the crystal pony way, and that way isn't working."
Silver gave an uncertain nod, clearing his throat. "I understand that a little, really. I'm not originally from Equestria myself. There's a lot of differences." He sat on his haunches. "I'm not your enemy. I want this to work. I want you all to be doing what you love to do, but --"
"There's always a but." She turned away again. "My ponies are tired of buts."
Silver licked his lips. "Can we get a smaller scale farming initiative within city limits? Does any activity in the city spoil the land?"
She swiveled an ear back at him. "Why, that simply isn't done. You don't farm inside the city! That's just not--"
"Things change." Silver stood up. "Your ponies want to do what they know, they'll have to compromise. Let them farm. Let them consolidate their properties and make a communal farm, here, in the city, where they will be safe and guarded. You can always make a new, larger, farm. Later."
She half-turned back to him. "It would be little more than a garden."
"Then let their crystal berries be the largest gardens in the city." Silver smiled. "Let ponies see and smell them on the way to market, ready to spend bits on them." He glanced to Night. "Any ordinances that would prevent this?"
Night set down her clipboard and grabbed another book quickly with a wing. "There are some laws that have not been enforced since the last princess." She started scribbling on her pad dutifully, holding the quill in her mouth as her wings held the book. "I'll mark them for bringing up for Cadance for official revision next court."
A new smile spread on the crystal mare's face, a little hope. "Tell me what she says..." She slipped out without another word and Silver sank with a loud sigh.
"We'd better get that through."
Night snapped the book shut. "I have little doubt. I doubt Cadance even knows this is a law and shouldn't object to officially striking it down, considering the situation."
Silver nodded at Night. "Thanks for the help, now... About those shards. We can't sit on this. It's important."
Night tapped the book. "Amore's the one that presided while these rules were enforced. Bringing her back may jeopardize this plan."
Silver recoiled a little. "You wouldn't honestly think to leave a pony dead for political ends, I hope?"
Night shook her head. "Just encouraging you to look at the whole picture, not just one part at a time."
Silver moved for the door. "Good, besides, I doubt Cadance is giving up her position, even if Amore comes back."
Night's ears pinned back. "That could mean a civil war."
Silver froze mid-step. "Would she do that? They're both... Aren't they related?"
Night raised a brow. "According to some rumors. To have your empire snatched away by a descendant is not always easier. How certain of this are you?"
Silver nodded. "We'll talk to her. She'll owe us a little, if we're the ones that bring her back from the void she's in right now. Anything but a civil war... No, not that, if she has any care for her people. It's not like Cadance is a bad ruler."
Night followed Silver out into the hallway as they wove through the castle. "No, I don't think her odds of bringing things to that point are very high, but they're not zero either. I just want you to be ready, and aware." She nipped at his flank above his cutie mark. "You love me for my eyes, hmm?"
Silver smiled over his shoulders. "Those sharp eyes, that keen mind, and those piercing fangs of yours. There are so many good parts of you, I hardly know where to start or end. I feel... like I... oh!" He hurried, only to hear a soft click and to suddenly hit a limit, yanked back by his collar. "Urk?"
"Going outside. You know the deal." Night trotted up beside Silver. "No offense, but rules are rules."
Together, they emerged from the castle. Silver led the way, leashed or not, back to the jewelry store he had visited once before. The bejewled crystal pony within smiled radiantly. "Ah! If it..." Her eyes went to Silver's heart crystal. "Hmm? You're back, and brown, and... a stallion?"
Night cleared her throat and put a hoof before him. "Yes, we are aware of his little tricks. I presume he caused you no difficulty?"
She shook her head. "Oh, no no. He was a fine customer. I'm just not used to seeing mares return as stallions as a rule. A unicorn trick?"
Silver quirked a smile. "Yes, that is exactly what it was. Thank you, by the way. That crystal's very nice."
The salesmare glanced between them. "Why aren't you wearing the engagement slippers?"
Silver turned red quickly as Night began peering at him. The salesmare put a hoof over her snout. "Oh my. I'm so sorry! I've ruined your moment!" She turned to Night. "Please, it's my fault. I'm sure he had a perfectly romantic moment planned and everything. Oh, I'm just the worst!"
Night shook her head. "No, no, it's fine... So, slippers?"
Silver gave a nervous laugh. "We can go over that another day. I'm looking for something specific. Did anyone come in with a new bit of jewelry that looks like it may belong to a larger piece? Dark colored, I think, reddish?"
The salesmare frowned with thought before she turned abruptly. "Oh, yes, yes. One moment." She bustled into the back in a hurry.
Night slid in closer to Silver. "Slippers?" She had a brow raised high. "Slippers?"
Silver chuckled nervously. "Not the slippers you imagine. Think silver horsehoes. They're very pretty."
Night raised a brow. "When were you even attracted by 'pretty' things for the sake of being pretty?"
Silver rubbed up against her side. "Some mares are worth it."
She warmed at the compliment even as she huffed. "Pretty words from a clever stallion. Well? Show them to me."
The salesmare emerged from the back. "Here we are. A resourceful little colt wandered the streets, collecting what he could find and he sold it all to me. Most of it is useless, but some I've made into new jewelry." She set down the box. "Some just caught my eye, and here they are."
Silver hurried forward as quickly as his leash allowed, peeking into the box and starting to sift through the jewels with silvery hands.
"So, that kind of relation?" The salesmare was smiling a little, hinting with a toss of her jeweled head at Silver's leash as she looked to Night Watch. "Are such relations more common these days, to walk around through the streets?"
Night recoiled in surprise, shaking her head. "N-no! Nothing like that. This is for his safety, and by order of the Princess." She composed herself with a soft breath. "He's a magnet for trouble."
Silver saw a dark glint and plucked it out. "Here it is!" He held the shard in his glowing magic. "Do you have any others like this? Say... two more?"
"So specific?" The salesmare shook her head. "Afraid that's the only one. So, about prices..."