Walking through Canterlot made me kind of nervous, which was something of a surprise. At least to me. There I was, just off on my own. Ponies were everywhere doing things. It was kind of loud and noisy. Like a battlefield. Well, sort of like a battlefield. The noises were very different.
I’d chosen not to wear my uniform. This was just me, Silent Knight, in his coat. Nothing to see here, keep walking, ponies. Nope, I’m not the guy in the newspapers. Just a normal, oversized pegasus stallion with a busted wing. Keep doing your everyday pony things.
It would have been better if I could have flown, but Winterspear had ordered me off the wing a while. Not even my slow, clumsy flying was allowed. No, I had to trot everywhere.
My trip to the Phial and Filly Alchemist Supply was largely uneventful. I kept close to the storefronts along the roads so that I wouldn’t expose too much of myself to would-be attackers. Not that there were any.
I trotted around to the side door and banged my hoof on it. I’d have started with polite knocking, but I could hear all kinds of noise spilling out before I’d gotten halfway down the alley. Most of it was the loud ping of metal on metal. Now that sounded like a battlefield and it was unnerving.
“Runic!” I shouted while slamming my hoof on the heavy door. That noise needed to stop.
There was some shuffling inside and the grating, ringing of metal ceased. The door popped open, expelling a billowing cloud of steam. It mostly went over my head, but I ducked anyway, throwing my forehooves over my face.
“Major Knight?” That wasn’t Runic’s voice.
Peeking out from between my hooves revealed the ruddy-coated Helical Gear. Slowly, I sat up. What was he doing in Runic’s shop? “Yes… nice to see you. Where is Runic?”
Helical smiled. “Nice to see you, too! Surprising actually, but nice! Runic’s inside, come on in.” He backed up a bit and called over his shoulder, “Runic, Silent Knight is here.”
“That’s not funny, Helical,” Runic called over his shoulder.
I wandered into the back of the shop. It was in even more disarray than my last visit. There were suits of armor everywhere. Each one was in a different state of completion. Most of them looked quite heavy, covering every inch of a pony’s body. Some, without a doubt, would have been impossible to fight or move in.
Runic’s back was to us and he had a vial in each forehoof, mixing them into a third one.
“He’s not joking, Runic, I’m really here.”
“Huh? Really!” Runic whipped around, his tail slamming the potion he’d been mixing straight into the wall. The glass shattered and a plume of green smoke enveloped my cousin and most of his side of the shop.
From the emerald mist, a tiny, squeaky voice exclaimed, “Yay, Silent Knight!” It was followed by a miniature Runic Phial zipping across the room to crash into my muzzle. He hugged it tightly.
“Uh…” I looked at Helical with wide eyes while I gently patted the tiny stallion on the back.
Helical blinked and shrugged. “He was working on a potion to make things lighter. I guess he got smaller, too… which is technically lighter.”
“Runic…” I trailed as I lightly poked at him. He was just slightly larger than my hoof.
“Yes?” he peeped.
“Do you know you’re tiny and simply don’t care, or have you yet to figure out the fact you’re tiny due to how excited you are?”
Runic let me go and fluttered his way up to eye level. He settled on the bridge of my nose and shrugged. With a tiny voice, he replied, “This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. I’m sure it will wear off soon.”
“I’ve really got to discuss the hazards of working here with the Ministry of Defense,” Helical muttered as he wandered off towards the back of the workshop.
“So are you home for real this time?” Runic looked at me with hopeful eyes.
“Yup. I’m going to be moving back to Canterlot, too, I think.”
A boisterous cheer that had no business coming from such a small body followed and I had to close my eyes since Runic was busy hugging them and my forehead.
“Okay, okay, I’m thrilled to see you too! I’d hug you more but I’m worried I’d crush you.” As carefully as I could, I plucked Runic up by his vest and set him on the nearest work bench.
Runic waved a hoof at me. “I’m sure I’d be fine. It really is nice to see you. Is the war over?” The stallion’s attention shifted to a shiny bit that was just sitting on the bench. He wandered over to it, stood it up and started to roll it along the smooth wood.
“It is going to be soon. They’re negotiating now. My unit was released and now I’m home.”
“Great! Although I have no idea what we’re going to do with all of this armor. Do you think mares would like armor?” The coin got a little ahead of him so he flapped his wings to catch up. Right before it rolled off the bench I set my good wing tip in front of it. “Thanks!”
I shook my head. “No, I’m pretty sure most mares aren’t going to want this armor. What would they even use it for?”
Runic turned the coin around and started rolling it the other way. “Defense against flies?”
“Awfully drastic…”
“Pillow fights?”
“Overkill…”
“Fine!” Runic huffed.
“How’re things with you and Miley?” I asked.
The coin just kept rolling but Runic missed a step. “Kind of hard. Not bad, but hard. She’s got a lot going on and I’ve put a lot of time into helping ponies. We kind of catch up every couple of weeks.”
That was a shame, but with the war ending perhaps things could go back to normal for them. “Well, keep at it.”
The coin neared the other edge of the bench so I tried to extend my ruined wing but it didn’t quite make it. Runic just kept on pushing and, when it fell, he grabbed on with all four legs and started flapping like crazy.
The bit proved too much, so both my cousin and it started to lose altitude quickly. I reached out a hoof and caught both. “Careful, Runic.”
Behind me, Helical cleared his throat. “Major, sorry to interrupt, but about your wing. I’ve actually got a little something for you. We were going to send it over, but no time like the present!”
“Oh yeah!” Runic squeaked before letting the bit go, seemingly forgetting its entire existence, and fluttering off towards Helical.
Helical picked up a case and set it on one of the only empty work benches. He opened it up and revealed a brand new brace. Even at a glance it seemed far nicer than the one I was currently wearing. It was polished, blue metal, and seemed to be a bit sleeker.
Tiny Runic landed on it, wrapped his hooves around the base, and started pumping his wings as hard as he could, trying to lift it. Perhaps he thought the outcome would be different from the bit? “It’s forty percent more effective than your model,” he peeped.
Helical added, “The design is far better. We’ve seen a decent number of ponies coming home with wing injuries, so we’ve invested a lot time in this. This and prosthetic legs. Things to make the lives of the injured a little less… uh…” His cheeks turned red. He just shrugged.
Runic was still trying to lift the brace up. Eventually, he huffed and landed flat on it. “You’ll barely know you’re wearing it, and I made it blue! I thought that would make you happy.”
It didn’t make me happy in the least… but the fact they tried so hard made it feel less awful. Carefully, I extended my good wing to Runic and smiled. “Thanks, buddy. How about you climb aboard, Helical gets me fitted, and then I’ll trot you around the lab until you’re big again?”
Helical cleared his throat as he went to my other side to start working the brace. “You might be trotting a long time.”
Runic scrambled along my wing, across my back—which tickled immensely for some reason—and climbed up my mane to perch between my ears. “Hi ho, Silent Knight, away!”
“Let me get fitted first and then we’ll go!”
“Awww….”
At least some things never changed. That was comforting.
☾
Crystal nudged me softly. “Are you sure you want to do this today? I mean, I’m sure it can wait just a little while.”
I shook my head. “A promise is a promise. Especially one that doesn’t have any conditions. The sooner this is done, the better.”
“Alright, but it’s going to be dark soon and we need to get dinner.”
“Yes, Mom,” I teased her before falling silent. Mom. She’d be so excited to see me. I hadn’t sent a letter yet, but I’d do it tomorrow. Winterspear had said she was a different pony. What did that mean exactly?
Was I a different pony? Stratus had come home a different pony. A mean pony. Everypony else was different. I guess I had to be, too. Two years was a long time. Especially for young ponies.
Crystal poked me. “Silent?”
“Hmm?”
“You wandered off,” she said softly.
I looked around. We had gone a lot further than I thought. I’d just mindlessly followed beside my wife. “Sorry, just thinking about Mom.”
“Oh, that’s good. Much better than the alternatives. Mom… I mean… your mom, Wallflower, will be thrilled.”
Mom? “Did you two spend much time together while I was gone?”
Crystal nodded. “We sure did. She’s a great mare. I’m the little princess daughter she always wanted and she’s the only mother I have who doesn’t have an agenda. She helped me a lot and I like to think I helped her, too.”
"So you're saying Winterspear isn’t a princess daughter?”
The beautiful unicorn snorted. “You go call her a princess and see what happens. Your sister is rough, tough, and can handle her own. I’m delicate like a flower.”
“Mmhmm. Beautiful, too.”
“Why, thank you!”
It wasn’t too much longer before we arrived at our destination: the apartment Painted Wave and Verdant Wellspring lived in. Crystal knocked softly on the door.
Barely any time passed before it opened and Verdant smiled. “Crystal Wishes! How lovely of you to visit. I was just—“ His eyes fell on me. “Silent Knight? You’re back?”
I nodded. Would he be upset that I was back and Maelstrom wasn’t? Would he judge me for leaving her behind? He had to understand orders, right?
Crystal chimed in, “The Dragoons were sent home. From what Silent tells me, they’ll likely be the first of many. News just hasn’t reached us yet.”
Verdant looked stunned. “Really? Oh, that would be so wonderful. Is that what you came to tell me? If so, that is the best news ever! Won’t you two come in?”
He seemed happy. Mostly happy. I didn’t know him well. We’d met at the wedding and maybe a few other times. Why was I so worried if he was cross with me? I should say something.
“Silent. Verd asked us in. We should go in,” Crystal said softly, motioning with a hoof.
Yes, we should go in. I should do something. Hooves, please do something! Do anything! Why aren’t you moving!
I settled my left hoof on Verdant’s chest. Wait, hooves, not that. This is not what I had in mind. Then I leaned down and lightly kissed him. Yup, that was a stallion kiss.
Crystal gasped and Verdant stared at me in shock. Finally, his lips slowly rose into a grin and he started laughing. “Oh, I see! So you found out. Good to know she still has her sense of humor. I assume this means she’s fine?”
That I eagerly confirmed with a nod.
“What in Celestia’s name, Silent Knight! Found out what! What is going on!” Crystal squealed.
Verdant waved a hoof at my wife. “You knew Painted volunteered, but she kind of did it incognito. It is a long story. Silent Knight probably figured it out and, unless I am really misreading this, she probably told him to kiss me. Now come in, you two, I have just made some tea.”
That was not the way I’d expected the encounter to go, but he got the message. I trotted past him into the apartment while Crystal just sputtered and tried to put it all together.
Eventually, she came in, too, and settled on the couch.
Verdant cleared his throat and looked over at me hopefully. “Do you really think she’ll be home soon?”
It seemed safer to talk now. He wasn’t mad. “I do. She was the last one I spoke to before I left. High morale, very positive she’d be home soon.”
The earth pony stallion went over to the kitchen where a tea kettle was sitting. He carefully picked it up and brought it over before pouring three cups. “Then it is the best news and stallion kiss I’ve gotten all day.”
My ear flicked. “How many stallion kisses today?”
Verdant grinned. “Just one, but it was the best.”
Crystal waved her forehooves in front of her. “Now hold on here. You two still haven’t sufficiently answered anything! So Painted Wave volunteered. We all know that! She was hidden, though? And now you’re kissing?”
“One kiss,” I put in.
“Right. Painted hasn’t always been Painted. In fact, that isn’t even her real name. She volunteered as the pony she used to be, not the pony she is. You’ll forgive me, Crystal, but I really think that is something you and she should talk about.
“Silent Knight seems to have figured it out, though. I highly doubt he’d kiss me otherwise considering we’ve spoken no more times than I have hooves.”
I took a cup of tea as carefully as I could and sipped at it. Tea cups were small. Made for unicorns. Not so great for earth ponies and pegasi. “I did. She slipped up and said something only Painted Wave would know.”
Crystal scooched closer to me and looped a territorial hoof around my middle. “Are you going to be kissing anypony else?”
“Yes.”
She glared. “Who!”
“Mom.”
“Oh, fine.”
“Princess Luna.”
“Hey, now…”
“Sunny, Miley, Iridescence, Winterspear, Dot, Painted Wave when she gets home, the cute mare that works the counter at SunBucks, Princess Celestia, Orchid, Azurite, not Velvet, Sunbeam, and your mother, just to mess with her.”
Crystal’s eyes narrowed so much I was certain she couldn’t see. “Who is the cute mare at SunBucks?”
“I was just making sure you were listening,” I said before looping a wing around her. “I’m only going to kiss you for a while, alright?”
“Alright.”
There was a sniff across from us, drawing our attention.
Verd lightly wiped his eyes. “Sorry, I just… I still miss her. Seeing you two like this reminds me of what has been absent in my life.”
Crystal gasped and let me go. “Verd, I’m so sorry! This was extremely rude. I—”
He should his head. “No! It is beautiful. She’ll be home soon, Crystal. Then we’ll come to your house, I’ll kiss Silent, and you can cry over Painted and me.”
He’d delivered the line completely straight between sniffles, but I was pretty sure he was kidding. Crystal got up and hugged him. “Okay, that’s a deal.”
The two embraced and lingered there. I felt like a third wheel and just tried to sip my tea without being a bother. It was really nice tea. Far better than what we had over in Nordanver. I think Verdant grew his own? Either that or he’d figured out some way to improve brewing.
Verdant patted Crystal’s back. “I’m fine, honestly. Thank you. It was so kind of you two to come here and let me know. This truly is the best thing. Now I need to start getting this place ready for her again. I know the cats will be thrilled.”
Crystal nodded. “Yes, and I’ll be so glad to have my friend back.”
“Yes. Well, I think we should celebrate, right? Can we tell the group?”
My ear flicked. “I… maybe? I came back quickly. They’re negotiating now. I want to be sure we don’t get everypony’s hopes up too high, but they did release us. That is up to you two to decide how to handle. I just promised her I’d let you know.”
Verdant stroked his chin. “I see your point. I’d also feel awful keeping this from everypony.”
Crystal gasped at that. “We’d be monsters!”
Monsters for not sharing information? The bar was certainly low in the civilian world. “You would also be protecting them…” I put in.
“True…” Verdant trailed.
Crystal trotted back to the couch and settled there. “We don’t meet for another few days. Why don’t we sleep on it and decide on it then?”
That seemed reasonable.
“Yes, I think that is perfect!” Verdant replied before tapping a hoof. “So how long have you been back, Silent?”
My ears twitched. “This is my first whole day back.”
Verdant’s ears shot up. “Your first full day back and you’re here? You two need to be out seeing family and friends!”
“I promised her—”
He stood up and lightly shooed us. “Promise kept. Crystal and I can catch up in a day or two. Go and be with your loved ones. Thank you so much for coming by.”
Crystal nodded and stood. She took me by the hoof and pulled at me, too. “Thank you, Verd. I’ll see you soon. Come on, sweetie, let’s head home.”
“Goodnight, Verdant,” I put in as I was ushered out.
“Goodnight, Silent. Thank you again!”
And just like that, we were out in the street, heading for home. Crystal was holding onto me tightly. Perhaps I should kiss stallions more often if it made her this jealous. It was nice having her warm presence nearby. She smelled just right, too.
When we got to my old quarters, she started to prepare dinner. “Well, how was your first day home?”
I stretched out onto the floor. “Long. Difficult. Great. Kind of hard to believe it is going to be like this for a while.”
“Yeah… the schedule is pretty rigid but it will be good for you. You’ll get there, though, sweetie. Today was just one day. I’m sure it will get easier.”
The war never got easier, but this was undoing that. Perhaps it only got so bad and then stopped before it could get worse. That way there was a path back.
“We’ll have a nice, quiet meal, and then you and I can go cuddle.”
“Cuddling sounds nice,” I replied.
Crystal smiled over her shoulder at me. “I’m glad you feel that way. The bed was really lonely without you.”
“I know that feeling.”
She set the pan she was working with down and moved a little closer. “If you feel up to it, we could not cuddle.”
Not cuddle? She just wanted to— oh. Not cuddle. I hadn’t not cuddled in two years. That was suddenly a very exciting offer.
Without a word of warning, I stood up, trotted over to her and ducked between her fore and back hooves. Once she was centered on my back, I stood up and lifted her right off her hooves.
Crystal laughed and wiggled on either side of me. “Guess that is a yes.”
“Uh-huh,” I replied before trotting off towards our bedroom. Dinner could wait. Yes, it had just been one day. The first day. A hard day… but just like in the war, the day would always end with Crystal’s love. It was time for a little love.