Night sat before Samantha. "Do you understand?"
"You attempted a social maneuver with me, while I assumed you were speaking scientifically..."
"Yes, and I'm sorry I misled you." She dipped her head towards Samantha.
Samantha tilted her head a little. "The Golden Rule states that I should accept your apology since I would want to be forgiven when I made a mistake." She quirked a smile. "I've made a few." She offered a hoof towards Night. "Did you learn from your mistake?"
Was she being patronized? Night become confused. "I... did?"
"Good!" Samantha looked pleased and lacking of malice. "I did make notes of the procedure..."
Night rolled an ear back. "Science isn't really my specialty, but there is something else we do need to discuss."
"Hm?"
Night set out the black stone between them. "It's time we rescued your mother."
Samantha broke into a wide smile. "How dreadful of me. With my recent attempts to better myself and the domestic upheaval, I had forgotten." She leaned forward. "Besides, this is not something I can do, but you can." She pointed at Night. "Have you discerned the method by which we will rescue my mother?"
"I... Yes." Samantha's speech still threw her for a loop at times. "I think... So let's start with calling her. I want you to speak to her plainly and directly. Despite her silence, I want to get to her center."
"Her center...?"
"Learn of her."
"Oh right, I can do this."
Night spread her wings as she called forth the spirit with gentle calls and waves of her hooves over the rock. A spectral human appeared with the twitching ears and wagging tail of her mentor. The spirit said little, but that was expected.
Samantha smiled at the vision of her mother. "Hello. Are you well?" The spirit shrugged. "Are you happy to see me?" The spirit nodded. "That's good. I'm glad to see you too." She tapped at her chin. "We were talking, before this happened. Are you upset that I happened?" The spirit shook her head. "What about my father?" She shook her head. "Not even a little bit?" She shook her head.
Samantha leaned to the side to face Night. "I would think she was at least a little upset. Am I misunderstanding people again?"
Night frowned a little as she considered the spirit's reactions. "Spirit, you must tell the truth. I insist on this." She felt like she was pressing against something, and she was, imposing her will upon the spectre. "Speak truly and plainly."
Samantha cracked a wide smile. "So, just a little?" Still, the spirit shook her head.
Night took ahold of the spirit and turned it around to face her. "Answer this. Are you Samantha's mother?"
The spirit shook her head.
Samantha actually looked relieved at the answer. "Oh, no wonder she's not a little upset about my father."
Night sighed softly. It was all coming together for her nicely. She had the pieces, and her mind fit them together quickly. "Nefertari put you in the rock after taking Samantha's mother out."
The spirit nodded.
"Where is Samantha's mother?"
The spirit shrugged.
Night rose to her hooves. "I need to talk to Nefertari."
"NefNe--" Samantha swallowed her statement. "She doesn't get to be NefNef until she apologizes." She reached for the stone with her magic and plucked it up. With its disturbance went the spirit attached to it, vanishing into the onyx. "I'm ready."
Night had planned to go herself. "This is more of a shaman thing..."
"You'd come with me if you could help with a scientific problem, right?" She smiled. "Because we're family."
Night put a hoof to her face. "Right... Please, let me do most of the talking." She kissed Samantha on the cheek. "She's my teacher, I'll face her."
A soft clopping came from the door and Night grunted in annoyance. She had a mentor to face! She went to the door. "Yes!" Then she saw it was Celestia and shrank back in surprise. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't know it'd be you."
Celestia entered with a nod, and Luna not far behind her. Samantha looked confused at the royal visitors. "Hello, mother."
Luna nodded at Samantha. "Hello. I have not come here to act in that regard, however."
Feeling especially wary, but trying to not act like it, Night peered at the royal sisters. "What regard did you come to act in?"
Celestia nodded at Night. "You appreciate forthrightness, so I will give that. We wish to submit ourselves to you."
Luna sucked between her teeth. "I am told you have learned a curious sort of magic... If we become herd-sisters, I will share my books with you. Some of them are from far-aw--"
"Are you bribing me?" Night raised a brow.
Samantha threw a leg over Night. "She's stating a fact."
Luna glanced between her ward and Night. "She isn't incorrect, I... was sworn to not share these books, but if we are wed, then I may do so. I confess to curiosity ab--"
"Do you two even know how to love a mare?"
Celestia blinked at the question. "Pardon?"
Night gestured to herself a wing. "A mare, like me, or her." She gestured at Samantha. "Do you even know how to express physical love for them?"
"I should think so," defended Luna with a faint wrinkle of her snout before she reached to poke Night. "Would you prefer we love as mares, or perhaps one of us can be the stallion for the evening?"
Celestia had the dignity to blush at how the conversation was going. "I promise to not come between you and Silver. I understand you were first."
"First Wife," corrected Luna. "You will get to officially be over me, in this way."
Samantha twitched an ear between Luna and Night, confusion building. "If she is my mother, and she marries you, wouldn't you and Silver become my parents too?"
Celestia nodded. "This is so."
Night wasn't sure if that was good or not. Rather than lash out at Luna, she took a slow breath and willing herself to calmness as she began sifting through the pieces. Samantha loved them, but she really didn't want to be a married mare to them, she just wanted to be family, and marrying was the quickest and most direct way. "Samantha, if we adopted you would, would you be happy?"
"Would you?" Samantha perked an ear. "Luna would have to say alright, since she is my legal mother currently. I would be a great daughter, wouldn't I?"
That put that to rest. Night took another slow breath as she considered Luna and her anger and her lust and her... She had a lot of feelings for the pony that started their species. "Luna, would you be happy beneath me in any way?"
Luna dipped her head low. "I have acted like a spoiled and scared foal so many times... I perhaps do not even deserve this chance, but I swear... no more running." She smiled at Night. "As for the other half, well... between us, perhaps sometimes we can let you wear the crown and I can relax in the simple state of not being princess, with my wife."
Night looked to Celestia directly. "And you. You don't love me." She knew it as fact. Celestia respected her, but there was no love or lust. Celestia looked at her with the composed eyes of a queen.
"It's true," confessed Celestia. "Our marriage would be to bring further peace. I will stay out of the way, should you permit this. I will only share that bed when you wish it, perhaps never at all. I am not asking for a physical commitment." She smiled faintly. "We will have to, at least once, to consummate our tie, but after that..."
"You're lying." Night sat up tall. "You like the idea of a stallion closer to your size, even if he's not your ideal pony." She leaned forward a little. "He's still growing, in all the right ways, and you know he'll do anything to make his mares happy."
Celestia blushed faintly. "This is not about him..."
"Perhaps not." Night perked an ear. "There's a reason you're coming now, however. Tell it to me."
Celestia smiled gently as she spread her wings. "It will be a pleasure to have such a sharp pony close at hoof. Yes, there is a reason for this occurring now." She looked like she was considering not saying a moment, but then she did. "Silver is to be crowned soon. We will stand beside him and make it known that he is a stallion of his herd, a herd of peacekeepers and diplomats. We will stand united for the defense of Equestria, and the symbolism will be difficult to argue." She leaned towards Night, over her. "You are a peacebringer. Though you get little credit, if not for you, he would not have brought peace to the changelings or the umbrum. You are his other half, and one he values highly."
Night took a slow breath. "R-right." She glanced over and saw Samantha was grinning hopefully. She couldn't imagine Silver would say no if she put forward the idea. It was all up to her... "Let me think about it."
Luna perked her ears. "You don't refuse."
Night scowled a little. "Calm yourself. This isn't an answer... I need time." She rose to her hooves. "Give me that or the answer's clear."
"We will give you your time," promised Celestia. "Go ahead and do what you were about to do. Can we help?"
"It's a shaman's affair. Samantha, you stay with your mother."
"Wait!" Samantha hopped upright. "You promised..."
So much for that... Night waved for Samantha to come with her and they left to face Nefertari about a spirit.
Celestia and Luna left the room behind her and soon there was little left in there.
Silver was off in his office, caring for the foals and answering letters, blissfully unaware that his marriage was being decided largely without him. He would have been proud of Night.
Without knowing, he played with the foals instead. They were getting more clever by the day, and he decided it was time to graduate to some real toys. "Let's get something fun!" He trotted from the office with them hovering along with him. "Maybe some blocks, or a toy train?" What toys to get?! He wasn't exactly sure how developing brains needed to be stimulated, but he was going to try his best to find something they liked and would encourage their growth.
Morning Glory let out an excited noise as he pointed forward as if commanding his father to venture out into the city.
"Right you are." And off he went.