30 - As I Planned
Celine was taken for examination after her magical exhaustion, and Silver would not be parted from her. Tumble's parents were escorted away by the thestral and school began. Tumble himself was sent to school, with instructions to wait around afterwards to be picked up, though by whom, Silver knew not. Silver went with the paramedic ponies when they arrived and soon he sat at Celine's bedside.
The doctor had said she would be fine, just a little overstressed from her magic use, and trotted off, leaving them alone together. Celine was awake and smiled at Silver, who returned the expression. "Are you OK?" he asked, "Sorry I didn't help more."
She shook her head, "You took out a stallion on your own, that's plenty." She held out a hoof and he took it in his own, sandwiching her hoof between both of his. "I'm going to take a nap, but I'm fine. You don't have to watch me sleep, go do something fun."
When she faded to sleep, Silver plopped back down and waited. Sure, he could go somewhere else. Nopony would likely yell at him for skipping school after that, but he didn't feel much like leaving Celine's presence. Minutes passed as he mused on his new life. Thinking back on it, a lot of his little speech patterns had subtly altered over time. He was not the same person he was before coming here.
Was that bad? He looked over at Celine and gave a light smile. Nah, a little change just means you're still alive. A lot of change is an adventure, right? Having little better to do, he went through the symbols he could remember, pacing through them with patient flexes of his magic until the door swung open to reveal the thestral from before.
She wasn't wearing her night guard armor and had round glasses on her snout. "Hello there," she said in a soft and friendly voice. "You awake?"
Silver sat up and nodded at her, "Yeah, thanks for helping out."
She shook her head, "Thank you for your part. Without your help, they would still be beating up that poor colt."
Looking her over, she had to be about his age. She looked like little more than a filly without the armor. "What's your name?" asked Silver curiously.
Her leathery wings unfurled, covered in a soft-looking layer of the same greyish fur that covered the rest of her, though her wings were a touch more purple. "Oh! I'm being rude." She took a moment to adjust her glasses, "I'm Night Watch." She blinked her amber eyes, slit in that odd way that bat ponies seemed to share, "And you are Silver Lining. I've heard a lot about you."
Silver nodded hesitantly, "Nice to meet you, Night." She had a sort of geeky flavor to her that amused Silver and he smiled, "Good things, I hope?"
She stepped closer, wings folding back up, "Did your dad actually make Humanway?"
Silver bobbed his head, "I ran it at Manehattan Bipedcon."
She stopped, and tilted her head, "I heard about that. They said..." She trailed off and looked him over again before snorting softly, "The mistress didn't lie."
"About?" asked Silver with a perked ear, "What's gonna happen with Tumble's parents, and Tumble?"
She gestured at Silver, "There's more to you than I can see, but I'll root it out. That's what I do." She smiled brightly. Her face framed her glasses perfectly and Silver thought she was adorable in her enthusiasm. There was no malice in her tone or posture. He could see that she had some sharper, longer, teeth that peeked out in the smile. "Tumble will get help. He's a little old for foster care, so we'll go the other way instead. I heard they'll help him get started as an adult, and talk him through his problems."
Silver nodded lightly, "That sounds good. He deserves a chance, you know, to be happy. He's not..." he wobbled a hoof, "Bad, just... broken?"
She pointed at Silver, "Like you."
Silver jerked back in surprise, "Uh..." Then he sank, "Yeah... But my broken doesn't make me hit people or try to hurt anypony." He pointed at Celine, "I'm pretty happy being her stallion, and learning more about magic."
Night looked past Silver to the slumbering Celine, then back at Silver, "I can't imagine too many would be upset with an alicorn for a partner." She flushed softly in her cheeks, "Speaking of that..."
Silver tilted his head at her, "Hmm?"
Night extended a wing, pointing it at him, "I was told to get to know you, so, if you don't mind, I'll be hanging around."
Silver shook his head slowly, "Uh, I guess that's alright? You didn't say what's going on with Tumble's parents."
Night frowned, "If Luna had her way, they would be punished severely to make an example out of them, but it is in Celestia's court that they will be judged." She sat down lightly, "If I were to guess, there's a thirty percent chance they will be made to cry and be forgiven. A forty percent chance they will be made to perform some menial task for a time, and a twenty percent chance they'll do something stupid and she'll give them something really hard to do."
Silver did quick math in his head, hooves moving as if he still had fingers to count with, "What's the other ten percent?"
Night shrugged, "Call it Discord's odds. Something crazy could happen, for their good or bad, and throw the whole thing on its ear."
Silver pointed at her, "Speaking of ears, and don't take this the wrong way, but you look... different."
Night recoiled a little, looking defensive as she frowned and curled back, "Does it bother you?"
Silver shook his head, "It's pretty cute, actually. What are you?"
Night gestured at herself, "I am a lunar pegasus. We're related to solar pegasi, obviously, but while they take after birds, we take after bats. You wouldn't call a solar pegasus a bird pony, so please never call any of us a bat pony."
Silver quickly bobbed his head, "Lunar pegasus, got it." He approached her cautiously and she allowed him, watching him with her intense amber eyes. He circled around her, "Your ears. I love those tufts."
Night blushed softly through her fur, her tufted ears spinning back on her head, "I, uh, thank you. Oh!" She turned to face him, "I was told to inform you that your herd's inclusion of Tumble was dissolved."
Silver tilted his head, "That was fast. I thought I'd have to go through some kind of process."
Night shook her head, "He has been ruled unfit of mind at the time of the vow." She waved a wing lightly, "Besides, you had no formal witnesses. If you want him back, find him after he's cleaned up."
Celine's voice came from the bed, "Silver? Who are you talking with?"
Silver was back at Celine's side in a hurry, galloping the short distance to nuzzle her hoof, "I'm right here. The lunar pegasus that saved you came to say hello."
Celine sat up in bed and looked at Night Watch with a smile, "Hello there. I was wondering when you would arrive."
"Ma'am?" said Night with uncertainty.
Celine pointed at Night, looking at Silver, "I want you to get to know her. I think you'll like her."
Silver blinked softly, then frowned, "Are you already looking for another one? Didn't we learn something from this?"
Celine settled back in the bed, "Trust me, please. I'm not nominating her, yet. Just get to know her. If you like her, great. If not, I won't say a word."
Night shook herself out, "Don't I get a say in this?" she asked, confused.
Silver smiled gently at her, "You sort of get used to this. Uh, well, being your friend seems harmless enough, if you want?"
Night looked uncertain a moment before offering a hoof, "We could play a game of Humanway, if you like? Or you could tell me how you took down that stallion?"
Silver met her hoof with his own, clopping together. "I would be delighted. I have some games at home if you like that sort of thing, uh, roleplaying that is."
Night tilted her head to the side, "Other roleplaying games? Like Dragon's Hoard or Mazes and Minotaurs?"
Silver shook his head, "It's hard to explain, but if you like those, you'll like these."
She smiled that cute smile, "Alright then. You didn't say how you took down that brute though?"
Silver summoned up his hands, "This is going to feel odd and I'll only do it for a moment so don't panic, OK?"
Night gave a slow an uncertain nod before Silver gently pinched her snout and nose closed. Night's wings unfurled instantly in alarm, but she stayed still. Just a moment later, he let go and she took a soft breath, "Never do that again, to anypony."
Silver tilted his head, "It... worked?"
Night shook her head quickly back and forth, "You could really hurt somepony, forever. Chokeholds are specifically barred from use." She poked Silver in the chest, "You might not be a guard, but if you see yourself as a good pony, you'll never choke somepony ever again."
Silver's ears pinned back as he nodded, "I won't, promise. I had to think fast! He was big enough to punch me into next Tuesday and barely even notice I was there."
Night gave a soft sigh, "It was pretty crazy. You did good for a colt your age. With a little training, you would have known other techniques to disarm the situation."
Silver pointed at her, "For a colt? How old are you?"
Night went red again, "That's beside the point! I have my cutie mark and I have my job." She displayed the magnifying glass hovering over an eight-sided die that was branded on her grey-furred flank.
Silver leaned in a little to look at it, "I get the glass. You're an investigator, right? What's with the die?"
Night shrugged, "Maybe I like roleplaying games too much."
Celine spoke up from where she lay on the bed, "Or maybe you know when to play the odds. Will you take a chance with us?"
Night Watch looked between Celine and Silver, "I said I'd be friends. Let's try that first and see where it leads us." She pointed a hoof at Celine, "You're not royalty, alicorn or not. Stop trying to order me like one."
Silver waved it off gently, "She means the best. She's a good pony, and I think you are too. I don't know where we'd be if you hadn't been there."
Night Watch waved a wing dismissively, "Just doing my job, which apparently includes watching the two of you." She reached with her snout into a small bag and pulled out an even smaller bag. She upturned it and a collection of dice fell on the floor, "You ran a game at the con, how about you play a game for once?"
Silver blinked softly, "That... sounds more appealing than I thought it would. Please, go ahead."
Night smiled as she settled into place and they began to play a game together. Silver played a human wizard, giggling internally as he tried to make it as close to his old self as possible, and ran through Night's adventure, having a good time.
Stats
Page generated in 0.028 seconds
Total duration
988 users online
424,702 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
should be don't take this the wrong way
5729303 I swear I was thinking that as I typed it, and yet, there it is. Thanks!
5729307 The mind is faster than the body so it's understandable. Happens to me sometimes.
So, now he's piking mares for his herd out of the blue?
5729369 'He'? I missed the part where Silver praised Celine on her excellent choices.
5729383
So, they are piking up mares out of the blue.
5729405 Luna, singular, picked this one before Celine was a thing.
5729307 That's okay, that happens to me when I'm speaking. My brain gets ahead of my mouth and I either skip words or get tongue tied.
There are two spaces between "Nopony" and "would."
Unless these are actually what he's thinking at that moment (in which case I'd italicize them), these should be in the past-tense. "Nah, a little change just meant that you're still alive. A lot of change was an adventure, right?"
Stop dropping your "h" there, Silver! It's "yeah."
I think she looked "like" little more than a filly without the armor.
There are two spaces between "see," and "but."
The phrase "for others to make example of" comes across as rather twisted. I'd change that to "...they would be punished severely to make an example out of them, but it is..."
Capitalize "she" there.
I'm pretty sure this first one should be "Dragon's Hoard." (Also, that second one is giving me flashbacks to that awful "Mazes and Monsters" movie, bleh!)
Capitalize "tuesday."
5729454 Caught me out I'm on my phone I will put in the fixes asap. Thankee. I did answer your question, yes?
5729416
So Luna Chose the mares (night watch and celine)They (but mostly Celine alias Luna) are piking up for his herd (witch is not weird at all) out of the blue? (but then, since Luna/Celine are choosing them this isn't out of the blue at all? ) Is this even a Herd? or just a bunch of mares, choosed to satisfy David lust/love problem/addiction? is this not weird at all that things are change too much, too quickly and he's ok with this? let's finally attest that David is dead and this 'Silver Lining' has now taken his place
5729469 If you mean my previous question of "what was that mysterious note that Luna wrote back in Chapter 23?" then yes. However, it's not intuitive that Luna's note (and her presumptive match-making) was to try and push Night Watch and Silver together. The cause (Luna's note, several chapters back) and the effect (Night's saying that she was ordered to get to know Silver in this chapter) are sufficiently distant that they don't seem to flow together naturally - it's not obvious that what Luna did then is the reason that this is happening now. Given that Luna was with Cadance when she wrote that, it's hard to fix this...I'd amend that scene to have Luna hand the note off to a guard and say something along the lines of "give this to Night Watch, immediately." Then the foreshadowing is more obvious; perhaps too much so, but at least then the connection is made.
Aside from that, this chapter feels somewhat rushed; not that it was churned out in a hurry, but that it's making a hurried effort to change things. The sudden reversal of Tumble's status, and the notification that he's being swept off-screen for a little while, makes it feel like the last two chapters have suddenly been invalidated. Indeed, the quick dismissal of his character, along with his replacement in the form of Night Watch, is comparable to a TV show where one of the actors has unexpectedly passed away and the writers are scrambling to write his character out and a new one in.
As a character, the developments here won't help Tumble's state of mind very much when he realizes that he's just lost the new family that he gained. The heavy-hoofed way he was removed would have been better served, I think, to have been characterized as something other than a good thing. If Night Watch had flatly told them that having a stallion in their herd was illegal, or that it was for everypony's own good since it'd otherwise draw down the wrath of the nobility for breaking with tradition, it would have been easier to accept. Silver's attitude of "I'm so relieved; it's for the best that he's gone" was a little too self-serving, even if he was being pushed into a relationship outside of his comfort zone. At the very least, he should admit that he's being a little selfish about not wanting Tumble there.
I'd also say that Night Watch is a less interesting character, but that can't be helped - she's making her debut in place of a character that's had several chapters' worth of development. It also doesn't help that the "thestrals" are creatures that we've only seen once in the source material, and only for a single, quick scene at that. As such, she's somewhat hard to visualize, making her even less defined. Presumably future chapters will help to round her out. She does have some good starting points, to be fair; her status as a "geek girl" is a nice touch, as is her flat-out refusal to take orders from Celine.
i love Night Watch she is going to be a fun pony to have in the story.
this chapter is really outstanding.
supper good work David Silver.
5729480
You appear to have casually neglected this exchange. Silver does not approve of another mare being selected, especially so quickly. All he's done in this chapter is learn her name, have an idle conversation, and then they played some pony D&D. None of this is outside of 'David's' range of actions.
5729454 All fixed!
5729530 Silver can't get a break here. He's a doormat for getting into the situation in the first place, then when given an out, he's happy to be there, especially since, just last chapter, he was at his wits end about it and throwing in the towel, but that makes him an unfeeling jerk. He has a pretty high opinion on the ability of things to be reformed in magic pony land, so if they say Tumble is being given help and care, that sounds pretty good. After all, if they can turn around Discord and Nightmare Moon, how bad can an abused young adult be? Is he being a bit selfish? Yes, perhaps, but only after offering out a branch to a drowning soul and getting yanked towards the water for his trouble. Does he hate Tumble? No. Does he love Tumble? He never did, which was another thing that bothered him about the whole situation. Why would he want to make a herd with somepony he didn't really love.
He was against it from the start, he was still against it at the end. He's been pretty consistent about it, though he's had his awkward moments of trying to put on a smiling face for Tumble.
Luna didn't send a note directly to Night Watch, she sent it to a pony who knew another pony, and eventually Night Watch was found and secured. She had a list of requirements, and likely had to look over a few lunar pegasi before picking one for this illy defined mission.
Just imagine how long she may or may not have been watching Silver, trying to figure him out. She only came out of hiding because she was told to, if the fight got bad, which it did. Her primary specialty is observation and investigation. She's a watcher. It's in her name and her cutie mark.
Phew, words. I hope I made some sense in there.
5729627 I don't disagree with your characterization - I just wish that that characterization had made it into the story, rather than the comments. Everything you wrote there should have been something that was represented in the text itself. That's exactly the sort of thing that I'm calling for when I say that more exposition is needed. That's the sort of insight, of examining why they've done what they've done, as well as how they feel about it, that should be right alongside the various hijinks that they continually get up to. Doing so would, I think, allow for a more immersive feel to the story.
5729576
there is another matter, and that's he Approved what he saw on the first look(is this the love thing/problem at work?), in this case Night Watch. He circled around her ( what is he? a pony or a lion?) and then praise the ears of some random girl he meet, just like that. Normally if a girl received a praise from some random guy in the streets that would be very uncomfortable for her, and not in a good way. by his acting as it seemed that he was choosing a piece of meat , and after that they were already talking of her joining the group ( and in this case Silver was more irritated by the fact that Celine has advanced this initiative so early that adding the girl he already spotted )
in the end is he the one who decide, even if the decision is already calculated by Luna as I said before.
But besides all of this what is really bother me is that all of this herd thing is a , lets call it 'situation', he convinced/allowed himself to have.
5729685 I think you're mischaracterizing at least part of this. Silver's circling around Night Watch isn't to evaluate her looks; it's because he's never seen a thestral before, and is curious. Likewise, Silver's annoyance is not that Celine is talking about adding a girl that he's "already spotted" - it's that she's talking about adding somepony else at all. At this point he's rapidly becoming tired of the entire "herd" idea, given the debacle with Tumble. Celine is largely the one holding out for it (due to her knowing that it's what would make him happiest).
As for not liking the herd (harem) concept...I can understand that, but it's an understandable fantasy to have, especially for a young male. Since Celine knows everything about him, and has both the desire and the ability to grant him what he wants (and she's also inherited Luna's guilt over how his life has gone so far), she's pushing for it, since she knows he'd never do so on his own. He hasn't "convinced" himself to have it, so much as she's pushing him to accept that he can have something so extravagant.
I squee'd a little. Adorable batpone with eartufts. Which likes roleplaying. And told Luna junior off. Awesome. And yeah, choke holds are tricky. Very useful, but dangerous. I remember one of my judo trainings where my opponent was wearing a gi made from not cotton but something slippery so my chokehold suddenly turned into a spine attack thingie. That was quite bad, but luckily trainer acted fast and I stopped it.
Do batpones drink blood? That may or may not be my fetish...
5729713 well I can understand all of that. but why push him for this harem? perhaps Celine is more guided buy her guilt that anything else. This doesn't work in reality. History lecture us that the arabic sheik possessed their own personal harem filled with beautiful wife in all ancient Mesopotamia, but the wife were neglected all day simply because the sheik didn't have the time for all of them. modern culture doesn't practice harem not because is frowned upon it ( well that too...stereotype and all that) but the major thing is the jealousy of the companion , mens can have more than one woman but a woman can't have more that one man?( our colture as species it's exposed itself as a purely patriarchal one, as the man go hunt the woman stay home. so this idea of harem ,or herd for fiction, is a stereotype that can only work for us) simply speaking, harems are't unions made by love. it can't work, and Cadence has spoke clearly that he need a 'gentle hoof' (singular), it will destroy him...or not, in the end this is David Silver fiction.
5729780 Citing that "it doesn't work in reality" is a poor standard to judge by. Equestria is extremely different in virtually every major regard, including its social customs. Harmony, friendship, love, and sharing are concepts that are far, far more strongly pronounced in Equestria than they are on Earth, to the point where they're almost forces of nature. In Equestria, a herd is definitely all about love.
Likewise, comparisons to the classic harems of antiquity aren't germane both because a herd isn't presumed to be as large, nor are they of a special political status. It's implied here that a herd is usually only slightly more than two members, and all of them have the status as spouses, albeit in a ranked order (and that ranking may not have any real force or effect).
Insofar as this fic is concerned, it's also been established that females outnumber males. Because of that, it would be unusual for there to be multiple males in a herd, as that would likely be viewed as an "unfair" accumulation of an already-limited "resource." That's why Lyra and Bon-Bon were fine with David joining their relationship, but felt odd at the idea of Rough Draft joining also.
5729780
5729799 Just to toss additional addenda, Silver/David expressed curiosity about the thestrals/lunar pegasi/bat ponies way back in the first story, but Rough Draft didn't know much about them, so he let it drop, and then they arrived at the hotel. It's not much a stretch for him to still be curious about one now. Was it a smooth introduction? Hell to the no, but when has Silver been accused of being a smooth operator?
Don't forget Ogres and Oubliettes
Celine did not give her any orders
Silver really just... is totally fine with Celine bossing everything around. I get that that's his personality but...
even if he's fine with it, he should probably understand that others definitely are not.
Or, of course, that he just doesn't want to have conflict... and this is allowing Celine a worrying amount of power in the relationship.
Like... I get it's not a normal situation that Tumble was in, and that there are scenarios where that sort of decision is okay, but her insisting that a fairly young stallion be forced into becoming the "mare" of the relationship that he has to take to escape his parents... Well that seems like she's abusing the fact that Tumble is in a super vulnerable place to build a new mindset in him that he would not normally want to have.
I'm a little confused...isn't he supposed to be in the body of a five year old? Why is he getting mixed up in relationships and herding? I mean, sure, he's thirty-five in mind, but still...doesn't that make everypony else a slight pedo? Or did a time lapse occur and I was too tired to notice it?
6195234 Exact ages are never really ironed out, nor are specific amounts of time passing ever given either.
Harem died so fast
6726927 One dies so another may live.
by whom
On one hand, while I love this story ion general, one thing about the last few chapters is really bothering me and it keeps getting worse. Celine seems like a magical construct created for Silver's wish fulfillment, and she keeps forcefully pushing him towards increasing his herd...it just seems forced and it really takes away from my overall enjoyment of the story, honestly.
Other than that, this has been awesome so far.
6834345 Does she feel forced? Good. She should.
6195234 Even pony mares in our world bear foals at an early age, what is wrong for human maturity & biology is normal for theirs.
5730180 Curiosity question: don't answer if it's out of place but does Night represent a counterpart in your own human world?
6925101 I would be a very happy horseword writer to have a Night to my Silver in the real world.
THESTRAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry i like thestrals way to much....
6955149 You've come to the right story!
Rereading this, and it turns from heartwarming to heartbreaking, knowing why Celine is so dead set on expanding the herd. It also makes Luna a fucking asshole, setting this up and agreeing to Silver's request for repatriation when it costs her NOTHING, knowing what she does about the future.
7078110 Patterns become clear in retrospect.
I hope Tumble finds a nice stallion after he gets his head on straight.
Just how young are ponies allowed to start doing that?
8034001 Talking? Roleplaying? Getting a job?
So... at worst these abusive parents, who would have worked up to murder eventually (that's how abusers always work) will get a mild slap on the wrist and learn nothing? Fucking figures. Celestia is way too forgiving.
Can't say much happens here
. When, o, when will Silver start to learn the Magic programming language?
The bird pony comparison really illustrated the point. I think I’ll take that as headcanon now.
10092971
yes, this does look like a good point.
However, it's kind of just half the story.. isn't it?
there has to be a better name for the night ponies?