182 - Now I Lay My Head
Silver arrived at home to the anxious faces of his wives. He smiled and moved for each, nuzzling and kissing Night Watch before he moved to Samantha.
Samantha broke the silence, "How did it go?" She had one ear quirked and a curious look in her eyes. "Did you impress everyone?"
Night tilted her head. "I'd wager he did well enough. He doesn't look like he's hurt or angry at the world."
Silver sat down facing the two of them. "Let me ask, what's the public opinion on zebras?"
Night adjusted her glasses. "There aren't enough of them around to really have a lot of opinion."
"They're like ponies, but they're not." Samantha smiled. "I wouldn't mind studying one. Why?"
Silver shook his head. "Ran into one at the party. One being at a fancy party would be a mark in their favor, I suppose, but Night Wing says he slipped me something."
Watch frowned a little. "And didn't do anything about it?"
Silver gestured at himself. "I feel fine, if tired."
Samantha suddenly lifted him with her magic, even if she could only manage a few inches before it proved to be too much. "Time for bed. We can't have our specimen being damaged."
Watch prodded Samantha. "Husband or stallion being hurt. Living things don't get 'damaged'."
"Whichever you prefer calling it." Samantha pointed at the bed. "We'll see you in the morning, and during the night, I suppose."
Silver climbed up onto his bed with a snort. Samantha had just promised to watch him sleep, and he found it endearing rather than creepy. "I'll tell you both more about it tomorrow." He surrendered to the gentle call of slumber.
The zebra stood before him with a smile. "Ah, I feared you may be the sort to stay up late. Let us speak."
Silver was dreaming. Of that he was certain. "Why are you in my dream?" He was sitting on his human bed, and the zebra was across from him.
The zebra's eyes swept across the room. "What a curious place to dream of, and so alert. I expect most to behave with more confusion at my arrival."
Silver sat up on his haunches. "I didn't know zebras had any magic."
"Ah, that is a mistake ponies often make, just because we don't have horns jutting from our brows." He frowned a little. "There is much that can be accomplished with knowledge, practice, and discipline. I'm not here to--"
"You're in my dream." Silver leaned forward over the zebra. "You're not an unwelcome guest, yet. Start with your name."
The zebra blinked in surprise. "Perhaps they will make a prince of you yet... I am Thobbee, a pleasure to meet you, Prince Silver Watch."
Silver smiled a little. "Hello, Thobee."
"Thobbee. Close, at least." Thobbee returned the smile. "I had thought I would be approaching a guileless pony, but perhaps I was wrong. Were you aware?"
Silver considered a grand lie, but those had rarely worked for him in the end. "My guard saw you slipping something into the drink."
"And she didn't stop it from reaching your lips?" He raised a brow. "It is as well I mean no harm. Let us come to the point. Twilight Sparkle's ascendence to princess was pre-ordained and written years before she was even conceived. The clever could see her coming. You, on the other hoof..." He leaned forward at Silver, looking up at him. "You are an unknown to this land. You are an unknown to fate itself."
Silver hardly liked where the conversation was headed. "Does that bother you?"
"For a disturbance, you are a gentle creature." Thobbee tapped the bed beneath him. "You are also hardly alone. A princess rises when there is need for a princess. The fact that you exist implies there was need for you, but the fact that you were not even hinted at implies this need was sudden and unexpected. Fate itself was taken by surprise, and that should worry all of us." He smiled thinly. "I came to find that reason, and I may have found it."
Silver felt his body, imagined as it might be in a dream, tense. "And what would that be?" Would this be the part where the zebra demands he leave Equestria or some other grandiose order?
"The humans." He held up a hoof and a random, but very human, face appeared above it. "They are a sudden and pervasive presence. Most are gentle, some are not. Whatever force brings them seems to prefer humans that aren't warlike, despite the opinion of a few humans I've spoken to. They say their tribe is capable of great things, both good and bad, but those I've met, yourself included, seem to be on the more positive side."
Silver felt himself relax a little. "That makes sense." It really did. Was he to a prince of humans? It was more sensible than 'friendship', as if anyone could claim dominion over such a thing. "Did you come to verify the possibility?"
"I wanted to know also what you thought of it." He raised a brow. "Just because a crown is being forced on your head doesn't mean you'll rise to the position, or treat it well. What sort of ruler of your own people will you be?"
The idea sent a chill down Silver's spine. "A kind one, I'd hope. Ultimately, I'd do what I'm already doing, being a go-between for humans and ponies to get along, and helping humans adapt to this world, with its wonders and dangers."
Thobbee thrust a hoof at Silver. "And when our luck runs dry? It is a matter of time before we see the other side of humanity. Whatever effect filters the humans will not be perfect, and we will see the darker side of your tribe. What will you do then?"
Silver hadn't really considered it before, but did then. "He or she would need to face justice, like any criminal. If they hurt others around themselves, they should be contained, then approached. With hope, talked to, calmed, and brought around."
"And if they refuse?" Thobbee rose to his full height, but he was smaller than Silver's expanded form. "What then?"
Silver imagined a disagreeable human locked away in a pony jail and frowned. Not only would that be a sad state, but any clever person would outwit the ponies eventually and exact a terrible revenge for the trip. "I'm not sure..."
"That answer is more comforting than you would think." Thobbee gave a slow nod. "I do not expect you to know the answers to these questions, so if I can pose them to you, that is good enough."
Silver looked over the striped zebra curiously. "Did you really just want to talk?"
"That's it." He smiled a little. "Where few could witness our conversation."
"Few, but not none." The door to Silver's room swung open and a familiar shape entered from outside. Luna nodded to Silver, but most of her attention was on Thobbee. "You are intruding."
Silver held up a hoof quickly. "He's alright. We're just talking."
Thobbee rose to his hooves. "Perhaps I should go. I have disturbed your dreams long enough."
"Wait! Please." Silver got to his own hooves. "Thobbee, right? It's nice to meet you, really. I want to be a positive force for this world."
Thobbee smiled at Silver. "That is my hope as well. Human in a pony's skin, live well, and help others to do the same." He faded away with a soft pop.
Luna closed the door behind her before moving to take the spot Thobbee had. "What did he want?"
Silver shook his head a little. His meeting with the zebra went far better in the waking world than the dream implied, but could mean... "Luna, have you talked with the zebra much?"
She raised a brow down at Silver. As much as he sat over the zebra, she sat over him. "Shady people. Their magic works in subtle ways, with a dash of ancestor worship and shamanism and a generous helping of advanced alchemy and herbalism. They think in complex ways and can turn on a dime if they spot an opportunity. Good allies, but opportunistic ones. I don't particularly favor them, nor do I greatly dislike them. We are told you attended a social function today. How did that go?"
Silver tilted his head. Word got around quickly. "I think it went well, overall. I didn't make much a fool out of myself and got invited to another, so I'd rate that as a success. Do you ever go to such things?"
"We should think not." Luna sighed softly. "To have myself or Celestia present would divert the entire proceeding. You are fortunate to not be as 'large' a presence, yet. That may yet change. What will you do then?"
Silver considered a moment and thought to Celestia. "I could host my own get togethers."
"You could." Luna leaned forward. "Celestia thought to do so, to bring levity with her gala, but it became a bore, and a chore. Few came to have levity, fewer still with her. Poor sister, she would dearly wish for a function where ponies had fun around her, to see her 'little ponies' smiling and making merry."
Silver held up a hoof lower to the ground. "Invite younger ponies." Luna raised a brow silently, so he continued. "Invite foals and their parents first. A bunch of foals in a room will want to play. It's their nature. Their parents will talk about their foals instead of making with royal gossip." He was about to say something else, but aborted the idea. "Heh, I was going to suggest contests."
"And why would that be bad?"
"Parents would become obsessed with their foals winning them, and that would be less fun, for the foals and the parents. No, no contests." Silver shook his head. "Just games, with no prizes, and preferably no winners, then everyone can win."
Luna gave a soft smile. "That sounds like a charming event. If you should make it, you will invite us, we hope?"
That brought another thought to Silver. "Why haven't you had children?"
Luna started at the abrupt question. "I... have. All lunar ponies are distantly related to me. Celestia as well. It's how our most prominent prince is one by blood, being Celestia's distant cousin."
That was a change. What had all that furor in the dream meant? As he puzzled over it, Luna studied him intently. "Did you think us a blushing filly, hoping for our first date?" She twitched an ear at him. "We know spells for the pursuit of an evening's distraction that would give you a permanent blush. We are not unaware of what our night is often used for."
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At least Thobbee isn't a puritan xenophobe that believed that Silver should perish because he was human as I
thoughtwas trying to peg him as oneThis statement is an oxymoron. This reminds me of participation awards in schools.
7252069 It depends on the game. Some have winners and losers, some don't. A pinata, for instance. One pony gets to smash it open, but everyone gets candy, so who did the final blow is usually forgotten, and a team effort besides.
Thobee or not Thobee, that is Zecora,
Wether tis nobler to call the parents or succumb to the pillows and water ballons of the foals.
7252088
Not rhyming was a clever disguise. Also, being male.
Pretty sure Zecora's the only canon Zebra we've gotten any details on, so every fanon Zebra's going to draw off of her somewhat. He doesn't seem overly Zecora to me though.
I would not mind luna giving me a permanent blush
Okay I'm loving this story but I'm just a little confused on the order... It has sequels but the story itself is still being written? I don't mind it particularly but I'd like to have it explained exactly how the stories are ordered. Or at least where exactly in the story it got bisected so I can go read the other ones hehe
Silver's final question is more revealing than it appears. Every world's Luna would have a different answer based on the world's lore. It would tell us if alicorns are immortal or just long-lived. It would give a peek into an unknown past for the Princess and early Equestrian society itself. Are alicorns gradually made sterile by becoming alicorns? Or are they just using magic to keep themselves infertile? And what of the royal consorts we sometimes hear about wistfully spoken of; are they a mortal lover from the past so when they died the Princess swore off ever loving again, or is it just not wanting to deal with the political fallout from choosing a pony because, whoever is picked, it's always the wrong one according to those not chosen. And what of their children? If what the Zebra says is true then (in this world) alicorns are only allowed to exist as needed, regardless of what kind of pony the mother and father are (ex, Twilight).
If we take a step back, it seems like Fate and the Text are not exactly working together since Text managed to throw down a Silver wildcard in whatever game they're playing. Fate may end up playing it's trap card to counter an upgraded Silver... the dreaded Bureaucratic Red Tape monster.
7252313 When Silver is given dream healing, after the suicide attempt, it diverges. Those stories, of the dreams, are complete.
I am seeing some vary interesting story ARK'S forming up in this chapter it is like Silver is reliving his dream.
super good righting DS
7252069 The point here is to suppress competitiveness, so that's appropriate. It would defeat the purpose of many other contests, yes.
A game between Fate and Text? Reminds us (to a small extent) of Crayak and the Ellimist...
Crafty little zebra, are all of you so well practiced who are in Equestria?
Keep going! ;)
7252416 I get the lack of competition so games like tag, I spy, etc. I was merely pointing out that the statement has a contradiction; if you have no winners; than all cannot also win. They are mutually exclusive concepts. Also if all are winners than none are, because to win means to imply a difference in the "winner" and other competitors.
7252678 They all won a good time by making the decision to come and play instead of the alternative of not coming or not playing.
7252685 I think they all enjoyed a good time would be more accurate, but alas this just semantics as this point.
7252678 That's completely incorrect. There are lots of games where you can win or lose that either don't have other players or where all players win or lose simultaneously.
The 'loser' you're comparing yourself to can be someone totally theoretical, or something like 'yourself under other circumstances'.
going to suggested - going to suggest
*****
What an intriguing turn of events. Thobbee seems at least cordial if not overtly friendly, given that he arranged this meeting through slight subterfuge. From the end of chapter comment I assume that his name is either from Swahili or Oromo.
Luna is particularly reserved and regal this evening as well.
SIlver's idea seems to be a good one at first blush. I'll be interested to see if it's developed later in the story.
Can we at least get an explanation at what happened to the computer just a mention_ like just a call out like I don't know 'I spot my old computer that I never use anymore sitting in the dust' because honestly wasn't it a big deal earlier in the books? I mean sure he said he doesn't use it much anymore but still, anything? But then again as I said before, it is not my write ( haha puns) to tell you what to write. Because it's fantastic already
7252700 Some examples would be nice. Games that you play against the game or an AI yes can be won or lost on your own. Show me a game where the players not competing as a team against the game itself where all the players can win as this is a group experience. If you wish to avoid competition only a game that lacks winners could work such as the examples I provided before. If the game lacks winners than you cannot say that all win as it is not winnable.
7253059
If everyone has fun playing together with friends, then everyone benefits from the game and therefore everyone 'wins'.
But as was mentioned, the difference is semantic and, ironically, semantics is often a game with no winners.
7252751 Fixed! And Oromo, which is where Zecora's name came from. It seemed proper to stay the course on the naming.
7253343 Um, could you give us the translations? Google and Bing are useless in this instance.
7253472 Zecora used to mean zebra. The new one's called youth.
7253059 Yes, in these games the players are competing against the game itself. Solitaire, Pandemic, etc. As long as they're not competing against each other, you don't have to worry as much about hypercompetetiveness.
Games like tag where you 'win' by tagging someone when you're it but no on keeps score are fine too. Everyone gets a chance to be a winner barring extremely bad luck.
7252355 Alright good to know. I'll probably just wait until you finish Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat before I go back and read the others. Would end up confusing me trying to read all of them at the same time.
7253475 Thanks.