Night walked alongside Silver, when a pony approached and spoke softly to Silver. She could hear, of course. A monster claiming it was human had stopped by.
Silver nodded to the man. "Duty calls. Let me make sure they're alright and then we'll head out, alright?"
"Want me there?" Night's wings spread faintly, ready for a fight.
"That's not the signal I want to send." He kissed her nose. "They wouldn't just march over if they wanted to make trouble. I'll talk to them." He trotted off with a hopeful look.
Night sighed softly and quirked a smile. "Stupid stallion, how am I supposed to protect you..." She waited though, and kept close to that office as she could get without being obvious. Eventually Silver emerged. "How'd it go?"
Silver perked an ear. "He was like a ghost. But, he was human that needed help. He seemed nice enough, but so hurt..."
Night tilted her head. "I've seen that look, what are you planning?"
"Oh, um... I kind of promised to swap with him."
Night blinked softly. "What?"
"Just for a day!" promised Silver. "And neither of us are doing anything we wouldn't normally do with people we shouldn't. Oh, he's Surprise's stallion, to note."
She prodded him lightly. "You're testing me, aren't you?" she shook her head as she rose, ready to walk. "Well you won't get me that easily. Go, and I'll show your new friend around Canterlot."
"I'm not doing it to get you," promised Silver as they left the castle and got to hiking to the hive. "Huh, I'm suddenly reminded, you ever hear what happened to my flying tutor? Sneaking in quick flights is one thing, but I'd like to do it right."
Night turned to look at her own wings. "I could show you the rules of the air easily enough, but the difference between a lunar and a solar pegasus wing type, that's different..."
"That's a start, but I really should get that tutor."
They arrived at the hive and were allowed in past the guards with almost no resistance. They were directed to a room to wait, just to have a very skinny pony with glasses come in, adjusting his frames as he went, which made Night adjust her own in reflex. "Oh, um, am I in the right place?"
Night saw something but kept her mouth shut.
Silver leaned forward. "We're waiting for Fast Change, are you a friend of hers?"
He bobbed her head. "Oh, I know her, closer than a sister really." He gave a big grin, braces shown on his teeth. Everything about him screamed a geek of some kind.
Too much. Silver tilted his head, starting to wonder, but afraid to be rude. "Oh, friends?"
"Uh huh, she sleeps with me." He bobbed his head.
Silver blinked in surprise, then it clicked. "Oh yeah, I imagine you would sleep with yourself, barring extreme existential crisis."
He was engulfed in green flames and a unicorn with ruddy red fur was left behind, smiling. "Too thick?"
Silver nuzzled her gently, an affection eagerly returned. "Fast, we have news."
"News?" She glanced at Night, then back at Silver. "You've come to announce your marriage, haven't you..." She sounded a bit less enthused, but forced a smile.
Night shook her head. "Yes, but not to me. Fast, will you join our herd? I know we--"
Her words were silenced by a tight hug from Fast. "Tell me you're not joking. No, really, tell me. I need to know for sure."
Silver carefully pulled her back, which got him the hugs instead.
"I'm not joking," insisted Night. "But there is a catch."
Fast got a sour expression as she sat up. "Of course there is, well, what is it?"
Night pointed at Silver. "Ok, first, the herd will be me, Royal Shaman of Equestria--"
"Congratulations."
"Thank you." Night adjusted her glasses. "Prince Silver Watch, and Princesses Luna and Celestia."
Fast started and leaned in. "You bagged them both?" She erupted in an uneven laughter. "Oh sweet Ce-- That sounds wrong, um, still. Alright, but where's the catch?"
Silver answered that one. "You have to wait until after my coronation."
Fast tilted her head. "Hardly much of a catch. We'll all wait until you have the crown before we pin you to the floor, fair's fair."
Night rubbed behind her head with a hoof. "About that...?"
"Out with it," demanded Fast with a soft clop. "The suspense is killing me. I'm in, right?"
Night nodded. "You are, but Celestia asked you to join after her and Luna."
Fast's expression soured. "Fine, whatever, so he gets his crown, you grab the Royal pains, and then you grab me?"
Silver saw things going in a circle. "No. They'll join the herd first, then the crown, and then you."
Fast stuck out her tongue. "That's stupid. Do they think I'll mess up the coronation? I managed my own pretty well."
Night squirmed a little. "It's not my idea, I swear--"
She was cut off by Fast pushing her roughly against a wall. "We had a talk already. Just tell me straight. Why?"
Silver cleared his throat. "Let's not get upset. Celestia and Luna think easing you in would be better and make for less stressed out ponies than having you with everyone all at once, since having them in at all is already going to make people's heads flip."
Night pushed Fast back carefully. "We wanted you to know as soon as possible that we'd be coming for you, and that we didn't forget you. I stood up to them for you. They wanted to... I shouldn't foment trouble between herd-sisters, and that's what you and they will be, besides co-princesses. They're nervous, you can see why, right?"
"Of course I do." Fast deflated a little. "I'm a big nasty changeling. One they think they can handle, but still a changeling, so I get to wait..." She rose to her hooves. "Fine..."
Silver shook his head violently. "Please, no. We lov--"
"I can feel that coming from you." Fast turned to Night. "Not quite you. Still feel the burn of our last 'chat'?"
"Chat?" asked Silver.
Night cringed. "I deserved every syllable... Fast, we want you to be part of this. I. I want you to be part of this." She touched her own chest. "I mean that with complete sincerity."
Fast pointed at Silver. "I'm taking your stallion, two hours." She went over to the surprised Silver and hefted him up in her magic. "I'll return him when I feel like it."
Silver flared out his wings. "Hold on. I have opinions and they matter."
"Of course they do," said Fast with dripping sarcasm. "Top or bottom? Decide quickly."
Night covered her face as they left with Silver complaining the entire way in stammers. She was left alone and sighed. Fast did have a point, and it was one Night tried to not face away from. "Grandfather?"
The spectral figure appeared quickly and looked around at the empty room. "What is it? You sound upset, but I see nothing."
Night tapped her chest. "What's wrong is in here. I'm going to ask you something that will probably bother you."
"Do you want me to go?" he asked sadly. "My little--"
"No no! Goodness, no." She kissed both his cheeks and hugged him close. "Do you have any experiences with filly foolers?"
He blinked softly in confusion. "Er, well, I'm a stallion, so..."
"Colt cuddlers then, same thing." Night leaned forward a little. "Please be honest."
He shivered faintly. "When you command, I can feel it, but I assume you're asking nicely. I... I tried once, with a friend, as a foal. Happy?"
It was quite an admission. The pressure against filly foolers was less than colt cuddlers, despite being the same thing. She gently nuzzled into the right side of his face. "Thank you for sharing that. Alright, so... there's this mare..."
"You're leaving your husband for her? I expected a little mor--"
"Not that!" Night's wings flared as she adjusted her glasses. "My husband likes her fine, and we've invited her to the herd. She introduced me to the idea of filly fooling..." She blushed softly, growing worse with every word. "Good things, but we've been apart, and we've even fought, and a small part of me thinks the distance is too wide to go jumping across, even as she skips back and forth like it's barely even there."
He looked just as uncomfortable, squirming in place. "Alright, I understand that. Now... I'm a stallion, and I only married once, but we did have arguments, sometimes really bad ones. She went home once, to her parents. I thought we were through... But I let that anger cool, and I stared into her eyes, and she stared into my eyes... I won't forget that night, but we stayed married until death parted us." He cracked a little smile. "I sound terribly goofy."
"No, no..." Night leaned forward slowly. "That's... just what I needed to hear." She raised a brow behind the thick glasses. "Did you ever expect to have this conversation with your granddaughter?"
"While I was a ghost? No, this about tops the things that happened that I thought wouldn't." He smiled a little. "But I'm proud to do so. You be the best First Wife you can be, and be happy doing it, even with the rough moments." He rose to his hooves. "I know you can do it. Is there anything else?"
"No..." Night tilted her head a little. "Thank you, for coming. I meant to ask, am I keeping you away from things?"
"If I wanted to go, I'd tell you." He snorted and glared at her. "I'm too stubborn not to, even if you kept me chained at your side, because you're just as stubborn at times. I like protecting my granddaughter, even if that means giving embarrassing advice at times." He spread his wings wide and flapped, though he didn't take flight. "I do have a favor to ask though."
"Hmm? Ask." Night became curious what it might be even as she stood up too.
"Let me ride while you fly." He smiled brightly. "I haven't felt the wind pass over me or the simple pleasure of flying in general in a while. Being dead tends to do that to you." He directed a hoof at Night. "You can pick the where and how, but can I, please?"