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// 130 - Destiny over Dinner 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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Silver bore the cooing form of Clear Twilight. Beside him, Night carried Morning Glory. Both had a little saddle that the little ones rode on. He couldn't help but smile as he thought of how they must look. It was simply too adorable. "Alright, so we just have to go right on in, relax, and try to approach Starlight without scaring her away. We're not here to judge her."

Night gave a little nod. "I'm not entirely comfortable with visions and dreams, but I'm here for you, and Celestia--"

"Sunny."

Night paused a moment, then shook her head. "Right, Sunny. She seems to think it's just as important, so if we're doing this, we'll do it right." She bumped lightly against Silver. "I won't mess this up."

The smiling unicorn out front perked as they approached. "Good evening! What a charming young family. Do you have a reservation?"

Silver nodded to the unicorn. "We should be under the Watches."

The unicorn lowered his eyes to the writing before him before glancing back up. "Here we are! Please, follow me." He turned and led the way into the eatery.

As they went, both spied Twilight laughing and joking with a table full of unicorns. Silver recognized them all as background ponies. Silver was sure he'd met one of them not long ago. Colgate? They didn't pay attention to one another for long and the waiter brought them to a table. "For you. We'll have foal seats brought out for you in just a moment, and your waiter will be right around to take drink orders." He dipped his head low before he scooted off back towards the door, leaving them.

Night hopped up onto the plush seat designed to be large enough for a pony to sit naturally and comfortably. Her sharp slitted eyes wandered the room, taking in the details. "Do we know what she looks like?"

Silver hopped up across from her and gently lifted Clear from his back, giving her a nuzzle before moving her towards a chair in his silvery magic. "I do. I know exactly what she looks like." Before he could set Clear down, a unicorn with a big smile approached. 

The mare set down two high chairs. "Here you are! What can I get for you today?"

Soon the foals were situated, as wriggly and eager to explore as they were. Night nodded to the waiter. "A round of water to start, and how about a sampler tray as an appetizer?"

"Oh, I love that. Sometimes that's my entire lunch." The waitress smiled that bright smile of hers and was soon gone off to fetch the order.

Silver chuckled a little. "Smooth. I would have had to study the menu a bit first." He looked around a moment, and there she was. He could see her distinctive mane rising above one of those menus, her horn also poking free. He leaned in closer and voice lowered to a whisper. "She's just over there."

Night glanced before looking away sharply. She gave a stiff nod as the waiter returned with water and Night busied herself with a few sips.

Silver looked to his wife curiously a moment. "I just noticed, you recovered from that really well. I mean, not a bit of literal babyfat on you."

Night blinked with surprise. "Do humans not do that? I paid my price. Just about a year of increasing fat, I'm not keeping that." She snorted softly and took a deeper pull of water. "Even if you do like it."

Silver felt his cheeks warm. "No! No, not like that. I'm attracted to my wife being a miracle, not my wife being fat for the sake of being fat." He reached with his magic, raising her chin. "You're a wonderful and breathtaking pony, Night."

Night smiled a little before gesturing with her head faintly. "Let's keep our senses on the objective, hmm?"

Twilight and her group suddenly rose up and began moving for the door in a giggling mass. Fortunately, she seemed absorbed in her friends and didn't notice Night or Silver in the eatery, nor did she notice the stalking Starlight who had been there with her.

With Twilight gone, Starlight slid to her hooves with a scowl. She started for the door herself, only to pause. "What are you looking at?" She was looking at Silver and Night directly.

Silver's mind went fast, the dangerous kind of fast that results in ponies slipping and falling down stairs. "I was captivated."

Starlight blinked in shock. Night did the same. Between the three of them, there was an awkward moment of silence. Starlight gave a nervous little laugh. "You're a bold one, making a move on a mare while seated ac... Are you two married?" Her eyes darted from Night to the foals and back, trying to piece together what was going on.

Night clicked out of her shock and began to move quickly on her own, trying to match her husband's dangerous mental rate. "Oh, yes, but I did promise him he could look. We were considering a herd."

Starlight's cheeks began to burn. "You're joking... You're not joking..." She approached a few steps though rather than fleeing. "Why would you be attracted to me? I don't have anything." She thrust a hoof at where Twilight was. "She took it all away from me!"

Silver felt the tension melt away a little. This was exactly where they wanted to be. "Want to tell us about it?" He gripped an unused chair and brought it into place. "Please, join us."

Starlight glanced away and back. "I'm not that kind of mare..."

Night flashed a gentle smile. "We're not that kind of pony either, please. Have a seat, tell us what has you so upset. No obligations."

After a moment of hesitation, Starlight hopped up, joining them at their table. "If you talk to 'princess' Twilight about this..."

Silver raised a hoof and made a motion over his heart. "What you tell us will never reach her ears. We're here for you."

Starlight tilted her head a little. "For some reason... I believe you." She let out an explosive sigh. "Fine, you want to hear my sob story so bad, you'll get it, but no complaining." She suddenly grabbed Silver's glass of water and swigged it down. "Now where to begin..."

Night smiled a little. "The start is always a good place."

Starlight suddenly put both of her hooves on the table. "Wait, I don't even know your names!"

Silver pointed at himself. "Silver Watch." He pointed to Night. "Night Watch." That hoof kept moving to his foals. "Morning Glory and Clear Twilight."

Starlight frowned at Clear a moment, but the foal just giggled at her. "She doesn't look much like Twilight. She's an earth pony."

Night rolled a hoof. "She doesn't own the word. Clear Twilight is named after a perfectly clear twilight evening, where the sky is so pure and empty, with not a cloud in the way of seeing."

Starlight smiled a little. "Right, of course. I'm Starlight. Starlight Glimmer. I used to have a purpose, and friends, and a home..." She looked down a little and went quiet.

Silver reached across towards Starlight and pat her shoulder. "What happened?" He knew what happened, but simply speaking of it would not work well.

Starlight scowled. "That stupid Twilight and her friends came. They destroyed the society I had worked so hard to make... Ungrateful ponies! I brought them happiness! Equality! Justice, true justice!" With every emphasized word she drove her hoof into the table, becoming more irate. Her fury abated a little as the waiter returned with their sampler tray and set it out in the middle of the table.

Night took a snatch of food and nibbled on the savory morsel a moment before she spoke, "Sounds rough. What was this 'society' you made?"

Starlight thrust a hoof at Night's flanks. "See that?"

Night glanced back. "My cutie mark?"

Starlight nodded. "More like your shackles. Your 'cutie mark' says what you have to do. It separates ponies. It says hey, you, you're better than this other pony. Hey you, you shouldn't be around this pony, you should be doing something else." She scowled a little. "What does yours mean, for instance?"

Night glanced at it again a brief moment. "It told me that I like examining things closely." Her slit eyes narrowed a little. "I'm good at figuring out the odds and seeing things from other angles."

Starlight rolled a hoof. "And I bet you had friends as a foal you don't talk to anymore."

Night opened her mouth as if ready to deny it, but a second thought reached her and she stopped. "I... actually, there is one."

"See!" Starlight clopped the table before taking a snack and chewing it angrily. "Cutie marks drive ponies apart, and keep them apart. I had a utopian society, where ponies were all equal to one another. Nopony had to be the best, or worst."

Silver set a hoof gently on one of Starlight's. "Until Twilight came."

"Exactly!" Starlight heaved for breath, but seemed to be calming down. "Exactly... Look, I shouldn't be venting with strangers like this."

Night suddenly joined in, resting a hoof on one of Starlight's. "Oh, no, you can share. It's alright. Sometimes a pony just needs somepony to talk to."

Starlight seemed to war internally with taking up that offer or fleeing. Her eyes settled on Silver's flank. "So, what about yours?"

Silver perked his ears. "Huh? Oh! Mine's about spell making."

Starlight sat up. "You make spells?"

Silver bobbed his head. "I sure do! Name any two spells and let me go."

Starlight raised a brow. "You're kidding..." She suddenly produced a spellbook from her pocket and laid it on the table. "Any two? You're just bluffing to look good in front of your mare."

Night snorted softly. "Afraid not. He doesn't show off for me like that. He should."

Silver hesitated a moment. Was that part of the act, or genuine? He decided to shake it off for the moment. "Really, pick two." He pointed to her book.

Starlight licked her lips before a calculating grin came over her face. "Well, alright then. Let me pick the perfect two to test with then..."