Silver flopped onto his bed, with Night crashing down beside him. He reached for her, and she let him draw her close as they began to softly snuggle. "That was insane."
She laughed softly. "Around you?"
Silver considered that a moment. "You're right, that could have been much worse. Still..." He glanced away a moment. "Twins."
She snorted and nipped his nose. "You keep saying that. Shut up and hold me a moment."
They went quiet in one another's embrace for a time before she spoke again, "I'm not sure I'm ready for twins..."
Silver lifted an ear quickly. "What can I do to help?" He rolled, putting her on top of himself. "You know I'm here for you, right?"
She smiled down at him. "I... thought I could just handle this on my own, but now there's two of them..."
Silver pointed up at her. "You need a midwife, or a doula, maybe both. There's no shame in that." He started to say something else but faltered. Saying he experienced the wonders of childbirth felt so strange. What if it wasn't entirely accurate in his dream?
"Tell me." Night prodded him in the chest. "I can see you struggling not to. Out with it."
Silver's ears fell. "Please don't think this is too odd, but I was a mare for a good part of those dreams. I've... been where you are, or at least what I imagined it to be?" He nervously laughed. "Hay, Twilight got a memory recording crystal just to replay her labor for me."
Night blinked slowly. "That..." She tilted her head. "Do they even have those? I imagine they'd be absurdly expensive."
Silver frowned then. "Well, it was Twilight? She doesn't have much money issues."
Night shrugged at that. "Right right, princess privilege." She leaned in, pressing nose to nose. "I don't know if you experienced the real thing, but... It's kind of nice, knowing my stallion understands."
Silver hugged her from below, tail swaying eagerly. "So what can I do to make this easier for you? I was serious before, we really should get you a physician and coach to help things along." He rubbed gently over her cutie mark, tracing the edges of the eight sided die displayed there beneath the magnifying glass.
She squirmed, seemingly enjoying the contact, but... "You're getting ready to leave me behind."
He blinked up at her. "Not if you don't want to be, and I doubt you do. I said when you got too large, we're both taking a vacation." He tried to sit up, only to be pushed down under two soft hooves.
"Can you tell me honestly that you want me at your side right now, as you battle Sombra?" She met eyes with him, daring him to speak something other than the truth.
He raised his hooves, holding her at the middle of her barrel. "When I thought one of our foals was being hurt, that moment hurt so much... But it still doesn't hold a candle to the idea of you thinking I don't want you around, because I do. I do so much..."
She quirked a smile. "What if I asked you to start that vacation now?"
He looked surprised at the statement. "Right this moment?"
She put a hoof on the center of his chest and trailed down. "Right this moment."
Silver swallowed audibly, a motion he noticed ponies could do without thinking. "If you want, I'd do it. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be worried for the Crystal Empire, but you come first."
She smiled slowly, displaying her fangs. "I rate higher than an entire country." She leaned in and nuzzled his throat. "You know how to compliment a mare... Come on, we have a letter to write." She hopped free of him and to the floor, quite agile despite the small bulge she clearly had. "So who is this 'she'?"
He rolled over to look at her. "His marefriend from when he was a colt. She has healing magic, a very rare talent, and she was the one that warned Celestia and Luna that Sombra had taken over."
Night tilted her head. "That shouldn't be too hard to pinpoint." She pulled out a book, holding it with two wings as she began to scribble quickly with a quill held in her mouth. "Let's get that ball rolling. The sooner we find and get her here, the sooner these ponies can know a true peace."
As she'd written, Silver slid from the bed and moved behind her, sniffing gently at her. Her scent had changed subtly. Was it the mark of his growing foals? He sat behind her and reached with his forehooves, drawing her back into himself as she wrote, and she didn't complain, so they stayed in that position, even after she folded the letter and set it aside.
A firm knocking on the door shook them from their tranquility. "Ambassador Lining, are you present?" It sounded like a guard.
Silver huffed, but released Night and turned for the door. "I'm here, what is it?"
"Shining Armor wishes to see you, sir." A letter slid in under the door. "At your earliest convenience." Clip-clopping told the pair that the guard had left.
Night rose to her hooves and retrieved the letter, opening it without hesitation and breaking the seal. "It looks valid. He wants to meet you up on the parapets." She pointed upwards. "Shall we?"
Silver nuzzled into her cheek. "At our earliest convenience. How are you feeling?"
She raised a brow. "Think I'm already going soft?"
He shrugged softly. "I think I'm starving and was hoping you were hungry too."
Night blushed a little. "Oh, well... A little." She reached for the door handle but stopped and turned back for the letter she wrote. "Let's get this going on the way and we'll get something to nibble on." With the letter held by a wing, she smiled at Silver. "I'm not fat yet, am I?"
"You're mesmerizing." He advanced on her and nuzzled at her cheek and swiftly down to her neck and shoulder. "It makes me want to tell Shining to just wait while I properly worship my mare."
She burst into a light laughter at that, turning to face him. "You're laying it on a little thick."
"Not thick enough." With her facing him, he went lower, kissing her still-swelling belly rapidly with many little pecks. "What stands before me is a goddess, radiant and beyond definition. Even putting aside the matter of foals, you... You're my better half." He smiled gently at her, sitting up. "And you're prettier than I'll ever be."
She snorted at that and prodded him in his own belly. "Stallions aren't pretty. You're cute, and you're good enough at that." She leaned in and touched noses. "But I accept your flattery, you love-struck poet. Let's go."
They walked out of the room together, stopping by the post office to send off the letter. As they left it, Silver turned an ear to her. "Who did you send the letter to, exactly?"
"Who else? Celestia and Luna. You'd think they'd know where such a magically powerful unicorn could be. They keep track of you, don't they." She flashed her fangs. "I doubt 'Miss Heals-a-lot' isn't on their itinerary."
Silver had no argument for that. He moved to the front and led the way towards a restaurant that seemed to have the right mood about it. It was dimly lit, but each table had a bright candle that somehow kept itself from brightening the room. The music was gentle, and the food smelled good. He only noticed as he wandered up that Night hadn't leashed him, a fact he quietly rejoiced. "Table for two, please."
The crystal stallion nodded at him. "Of course, Ambassador Lining." At Silver's surprise, he smiled. "Hardly anypony here hasn't heard of you, sir. Please, come in." He took two menus under a leg, holding it against himself as he walked along on the other three easily, showing them to a more private area in the back.
Silver hopped up onto a chair, but as Night started to get hers, he wrapped it in his silver magic and slid it back out for her. Night raised a brow, but hopped up onto the chair, just for him to pull it back up against the table. "Thank you, my gentlecolt."
He smiled and they both began to browse the menu. She whistled softly as she scanned it. "It has fancy restaurant prices, for sure."
"Would you like a glass of wine to begin?" The waiter smiled at them both hopefully.
Silver glanced aside, looking at his wife's mild pudge. "No, no wine for either of us, but do you have a fruit drink?" As it turned out, they had a selection, and an order was soon on its way.
Night poked him with a wing. "You don't have to skip your drink for me, go ahead."
Silver shrugged at that. "I hardly ever drank to begin with. I won't miss it at all." He leaned over the table and she met him, smooching softly over it just in time for the waiter to return with a carafe filled with the fragrant drink.
He poured them both a glass with a smile. "I had heard she was your guard, but I was clearly misinformed."
"She is." Silver nodded.
Night flashed her fangs. "In private and public."
He seemed to adjust things in his head. "Congratulations to you both then. Have you decided what you'll have today? May I recommend the crystal berry salad toss? They're especially tart today."
Night tapped at her chin. "I apologize if this is gauche to ask, but do you have any meat dishes?" She tapped at her menu. "I figure you may have a second menu?"
The waiter flushed with embarrassment. "I'm afraid not, ma'am. Uh, I'm afraid we've never had, uh..." He looked Night over. "What, and I mean no offense, what kind of pony are you, ma'am?"
Night raised an ear. "A fair question, I suppose. I guess not many lunar pegasi had call to visit the frozen north before you all vanished." She spread her wings. "Think of us as pegasi, but we do like a bit of meat. I like the lighting in here."
Silver beamed at that. "I thought you might. It's romantic too."
The waiter looked relieved as the topic shifted. "Just the place for a happy couple, yes? Sir, have you decided?"
Silver tapped at the menu. "I'll have some of that salad you suggested as a side for the crystal corn spaghetti. Can you make spaghetti out of corn? I want to try that."
Night's ears went erect anew. "Give me that too. We'll try it together."
So they ate and drank together, enjoying the food and company.
Shining Armor would just have to wait a few hours.