Samantha didn't seem to be returning, with or without the foals. Silver grumbled softly to himself about the idea that the mare got distracted by something scientifically intriguing and closed up the office. On the way back to his room though, a figure stepped out before him, one he knew.
Night Wing nodded at him. "I have your information."
Silver tilted his head. "The zebra was harmless, just testing the wa--"
"That's what he wanted you to think." She produced a folder with a wing from beside her barrel and handed it to him. "Take a look."
Silver flipped open the folder and browsed quickly. The Zebra was known to approach many powerful figures and took advantage of those willing to listen to his stories and sample his potions.
"He was sizing you up.' She flashed a wide smile. "Only thing keeping you out of his grasp is that you're mostly content, hmmph. Some prince, not even a crown..."
"That's changing."
Her eyes widened a little. "Oh? Did Sunbutt insist on it?"
"I was waiting for her to say it was a good --"
"You are a stallion that knows his place." She leaned forward. "Maybe that's why fate let you take this title, hm? You plan to do everything the princesses tell you to do?"
Silver didn't like the tone that Wing took, and he didn't hide it. "I'll listen so long as it makes sense, and that goes for you double." He sorted softly. "Find anything about the zebra that requires anything other than being careful?"
"No, sir." She grumbled a little her wings rustling on her back. "So tell me, why are you more worthy than me?"
"Do you want the honest answer, or the easy one?"
Night Wing fixed him with a glare before her wing opened a door to an empty room. "Let's get out of reach of curious ears, then I'll hear this 'honest' answer of yours."
They went into the small room that rated as a large closet and Silver nodded at her. "Alright, first, what I say is what I see. You annoy me, but not enough to lie to. This is the truth so far as I see it."
"Right right." She rolled a hoof boredly. "Get on with it. I don't think you know much, sir."
"Be that as it may... There is a quality that all princesses share, prince included." Silver sat up straight. "They're all growing. No matter how large and perfect some of them seem--"
"Unlike you."
"Unlike me." Silver nodded. "They're still growing. Even earning the crown requires growth and change. If you're happy with how things are, you can't ever be a princess."
"W-what? There are many things I want! I'm not perfect!"
Silver reached for her shoulder, only to have his hoof roughly shoved aside. He nodded at her. "Wanting things is not the same. You were sure Luna was perfect before you even met her. You were sure the 'old' ways were the 'best' ways."
She snorted at the very idea he proposed. "As if she isn't perfect."
"Perfect enough to like me."
Her eyes narrowed. "Trying to sell yourself?"
"The opposite." He spread his wings. "If she was perfect, why would she be even dimly interested?"
It was difficult to argue with his self-deprecating logic and she grunted with annoyance. "That's what I said--"
"So she isn't perfect." Silver nodded as if the obvious had been stated.
She produced a dagger from one of her pockets, making Silver jump back. "You're not wrong, which is the most infuriating part. She... Why do I still love her?"
Silver eyed the sharp tool. "I'll be glad to try to help, but could you put that away?"
She threw it from wing to wing casually, catching it easily. "I am sworn to serve you. This knife won't find its way into your weak male flesh."
With a soft sigh, he tried to pretend it wasn't there. "You're in love with the idea of her, of a Luna that doesn't exist." He pointed towards Luna's room. "You want to be with her? Try being with her. That doesn't mean following every rule and waiting for her to notice. Approach her, as a pony, because she is one. She doesn't really grasp what you are to her or her to you because you don't tell her."
She tucked the blade away as she advanced. "And why would you tell me any of that if you wanted her?"
Silver brought his wings forward and she didn't violently repel him this time. Like Celestia had done to him, he cradled her cheeks carefully. "If you two find love, I wouldn't dream of standing in the way."
Night Wing colored at the idea and glanced away, but she remained in his grip. "You're just saying that, Ambassador..."
"You're relieved for the day. If you want to spend the rest of it telling a certain pegasus how appreciated she is, I won't stop you."
Night backed away and snorted softly. "If you're gutted today, remember it was your command." And she vanished into the gloom of the room, leaving nothing behind.
Silver emerged from the closet and shut it behind himself with a kick of a leg. Nothing else stopped him from getting to his room, and the Night Watch that awaited him there, wearing a bright clear crystal around her neck. "I found one! Look, isn't it nice?" She turned this way and that to show off the jewel. "Go ahead and quicken it for me."
Silver kissed her in greeting as his magic closed the door. "Nice to see you too."
Night wriggled her nose. "Nice to see you too, now why do you smell like that mare you hate?"
"I try not to hate anyone."
"Night Wing."
"She's hopefully off on a date with Luna."
Night Watch blinked at that. "Did you forget I have my--"
"You told me several times she was off limits."
"To you, perhaps."
Silver grunted softly. "Night... We are married. That means a certain level of basic equality. There should not be a single pony in the world one of us can see but the other can't."
Night looked shamed a moment before she recovered and snorted. "You don't like her anyway."
Silver poked Night in the chest. "Listen to yourself."
"What? You do want her now?"
"I want you to calm down."
"I am calm." Night brought down a hoof with a loud clop. "What's gotten into you?"
Night's behavior irritated him, but also worried him. "Look, Night."
"You look." She prodded him roughly in the chest. "You think you know everything!"
"That's pretty far from the truth." He inclined an ear. "I'm lucky to know anything. Night, please take a breath."
She blinked at him. "What?"
"Calm down, please. You know I love you, right?"
She glanced away and back at him a moment before licking her lips. "You heard something, didn't you?"
"I did, but this has nothing to do with that." He captured one of her ears in a sudden dart, nipping her. "What has you so worked up?"
"I..." She ducked her head a little. "I'm sorry... Look, it's... hard to explain." She poked him, though not as brutally as she had at first. "It's your fault, you realize. You made me see something."
He took her in his grasp and they flopped over together as he nuzzled along her snout and neck. "Then share that with me. I want to hear all about what you found."
She nibbled along his chin, working towards the tip. "I think I like being in charge. I like making the decisions?" She suddenly rolled on top of him. "And you don't mind being bossed around by ponies you like."
Silver blushed faintly. She wasn't entirely wrong. "What does this have to do with the crystal?"
"Oh, yes." She sat up on him. "I like being a stallion. I like..." She raised a hoof to her face. "It sounds stupid, but I like the ability to dominate in that way... To hold a pony tight, to fill them..."
He raised a brow. It wasn't as if he disliked the act of being male. "You don't have to be a stallion to do--"
"But I do." She shook her head down at him. "If I want to lead a herd, I have to be a stallion. Mares can lead a lot of other things, but herds? That's stallion only. I want a herd." She tapped him gently. "Will you join my herd?"
The idea made Silver blink in confusion. "What?"
"My herd. I want you to be the first wife of it."
"But I'm a stallion." Silver frowned a little. "I'm, by definition, a lousy pick for first wife."
"I suppose that's true... but you'll join, right?" She licked over his neck, sharp teeth pricking at his flesh. "I will protect you and control you in the gentlest way that I know you'll like..."
Whether or not he liked it, it would never work. He couldn't very well be the first prince to be dominated by his wife, er, husband, whatever. Not like that... He squirmed out from beneath her. "We have to talk." He sat up and let out a slow breath. "Being a herd, and prince, is a tricky proposition... If it came to it, would you be happy with just me?"
She blinked at the idea. "What?"
"Just me. If we got married, the traditional marriage. One to one, till death do us part. You know. Would you?" He looked her directly in the eyes, asking the impossibly heavy question.
"B-but..." The idea clearly didn't settle well with her. She had just learned the glories of freedom, of wanting to be her own stallion even. "I'm..." She glanced away and back at him, swallowing heavily. "Is that the only way? What about Fast Change?"
"If I can only have one, I would want you, Night Watch. You are my other." He held up the one lonely engagement hoof. "Will you accept just me?"
She recoiled a step, almost tripping over herself. "You were supposed to... Stop joking around. This has long stopped being even remotely funny!" She thumped his side. "Stop it! You'll be a prince, so you can do what you want, and if you want to raise a tail for me, well, to Tartarus with what others think."
who knows...
Tartarus.
Well, it appears there are some side effects of that particular spell Silver never counted on...like boosting her testosterone and aggression though it could just as well be the emotional high from the brief power trip she had.
7315534 Fix'd!
Might take another chapter for Night Watch to figure out what Silver's already got placed before him, and each path is not sunshine and rainbows for all. And a nice redirection which just might ship that bloodthirsty thestral and Luna. I'm a little curious if the zebra will play any more parts in this story though, he seems a little too slick to just "test the waters" and leave Silver alone because one potion wasn't enough. On the other hand, if he does try it again, Silver could just as well pull a Princess Bride on him...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMz7JBRbmNo
7315546 She's ruling a country and very pregnant.
Silvers life is getting so messy again, and the Nobles havent picked up, or at least responded yet, to his coronation or announcement thereof.
interesting night has hade a taste of being a stallion and has liked it.
rustling her back - rustling on her back
repel him that time - repel him this time (this was a tricky one, I nearly let it get past me)
certain pegasus - certain alicorn(?)
like being charge - like being in charge
blink with confusion - blink in confusion
Tartus - Tartarus
*****
Typos were subtle and tricky to find today. It took three passes to tease them out of hiding. I blame the excellent story that was full of exciting plot elements and developments that kept distracting me from the hunt.
Night's behavior seems almost explicable as coming from her newly acquired knowledge of one part of what it can be like to be a stallion in a mare-dominated society, but without the context of actually living that way for a lifetime.
If I were there, I'd quietly advise Silver to also check her aetheric network to make sure that the two times he cast the spell without proper protections did not mess things up in some subtle way that remained after the physical effects dissipated. It feels like she's not being entirely rational and it would be wise to make sure there isn't an outside factor at play before helping her work it out.
In other developments - What do the zebra's potions do and how far do his manipulations reach? Is he just hawking his expensive wares, or is he exerting real control over the ponies he deals with by playing on their emotions and offering needful things?
When the yesterday's dilemma poped I couldn't think of outcome as bad as this. My take on what is going happen next (as tragic as possible)... Silver is going to submit to Night's idea... Celestia isn't going to like it... Trough Luna she is going to put Night away on charges of taking advantage of mentally handicapped... Samantha ends up in a asylum... And Silver ends up a single father for Luna to approach after dust settles... Luna will be happy with her new prince and that will be a win for Tia as happiness of her little sister is the only thing that matters for her...
Or Night is going to see the error in her judgment and will marry Silver the traditional way... We'll see tomorrow...
7315651 Typos seen to, but emotions aren't nearly as easy to manage!
Wow, well this just got interesting in a very good way! Or at least, that last part did.
The stuff with Night Wing's investigation of that zebra seemed like kind of a let-down. The entire schtick with him poisoning Silver, with Night Wing going off to investigate him, and her investigation turning up that he was apparently some kind of would-be power-player...was all suddenly ignored. I'm a bit baffled by how much that entire plot-thread was apparently being built up, only to then be brushed aside. Night Wing seemed to be saying that this zebra - who is still lacking a name - is attempting to manipulate other ponies, and Silver largely nods and ignores the matter, apparently assuaged by Night Wing's analysis that "he has a hard time with you because of how passive you are." Which would be more reassuring if he hadn't previously drugged Silver. These are not the actions of someone who uses the ambitions of others to control them, and so Silver should pay more attention to what's in that file.
Then there was the bit with Silver's psychoanalysis of Night Wing. There's not much to say here, as it seems fairly straightforward (to us, and to Silver) that Night Wing is seeing what she wants to see in Luna, and so is mistaken about everything that's she's extrapolated from that faulty presumption. It's not surprising that she sulked her way through that entire encounter, as no one likes finding out that a major worldview of theirs is wrong.
...and then we come to Silver and Night's conversation, and I have to admit that the chapter skyrocketed here, in terms of how interesting things just became. We're finally getting some much-needed insight into why Night has been acting the way she has been, which is quite simply that she's discovering a part of herself that she didn't know was there. That's entirely believable for her, as she's spent most of her life being in service to others as a guard, and even her initial relationship with Silver has her reacting to his being proactive. Now that she's finally had a taste of what it means to follow her own desires, the floodgates are open.
I use the "floodgates" metaphor because Night is pretty clearly being swept away by what she wants, which isn't surprising. You can't have pent-up desires for however long she's had them and then not expect them to hit with overwhelming force once they're finally unleashed. Having finally realized what she wants, and more over that she can potentially have what she wants, it's not unexpected that she's going over the deep end. Quite the contrary, this has been telegraphed for a while now.
The kicker is that, while this seems to mostly be about her gender identity, it also has some connection to her sexual preferences, as expressed in her statement about wanting to dominate other mares. Ironically, this goes back and reinforces one of her weaker aspects as a character, which is how easily she accepted being bisexual, all the way back when she had her first threesome with Silver and Fast Change. That said, most of this clearly seems to be about her wanting to be male. One other poster here mentioned the irony in that, as Night seems to want more authority even though Equestria is matriarchal, but I don't think there's any particular conflict there. After all, the former (e.g. Night's preferences) is with regards to sexual norms, whereas the latter is...an extremely diffuse sense of who gets to occupy sociopolitical positions of leadership.
By itself, all of this is the apex of Night's current character arc, and is pretty big on its own. But what's even more huge is Silver's reaction.
It's very rare for him not to roll over and be submissive to another pony's desires. It's unheard of for him not to do so where Night Watch is concerned. Throw in that he's actually balking for political reasons, and I admit that I was agape at how he was acting. Silver epitomizes the attitude of "love/friendship/peace comes first, everything else is a distant second," so the very idea that he's actually protesting Night's idea because of the politics involved is nothing less than astonishing.
That doesn't mean that he's not correct, of course. You can't be in a position of leadership - which is what being a prince in Equestria would mean - unless you have both the ability and the inclination to actually lead, and while you can do that while working with someone else (e.g. the other princesses), you can't do that if you're living an unequal lifestyle where someone else has power over you. Even if they tried to segregate the various aspects of their lives, with Night only "controlling" Silver in the bedroom while he calls the shots when he's "on duty" as a prince, I honestly don't think that would work. The entire point of having an intimate life-partner is that you don't segregate (the important parts of) your life from them. If Silver went along with Night's suggestion, she'd eventually be the one making his decisions as a prince for him, or at least having an undue influence on them...and worse, everypony else would eventually realize that.
I am a little surprised that Silver is throwing the monogamy question as Night, mostly because I don't think he's seriously considering going that route. Given what she just told him, forcing her to answer such an important question for purely hypothetical reasons seems a bit cruel. The more proper question would be that he doesn't think her idea is a very good one, and that while he may support her and want her to be happy, he doesn't want to go along with it, and so what should they do now?
This development has a lot of potential, because it brings up one of the most fundamental aspects of having a conflict that isn't black-and-white in nature: when two reasonable people have very different ideas about what to do, with neither of them being "wrong," per se. Let's just hope that future chapters make good on that potential instead of squandering it (such as by having one or the other of them just acquiescing to the other's desires...I'm looking at you, Silver).
7315764 The zebra did have a name, look back and ye shall see!
Silver has seen how bad things can get when one decides fuck everyone while holding that title. He will not be the source of that strife again. The dream will not come true, not that way. If he said yes, he would be accepting that path and marching towards pain and misery.
A life married to Night Watch, the one he knew, that wouldn't be so bad...
But was the Night Watch he knew ever real?
As much as anything, one supposes.
7315789
Certainly she was real. The question to me is - did he have a complete understanding of her? Certainly not. Certainly no more than she had a complete understanding of herself. Speaking only from my own experience, personal relationships are about learning about your loved ones and yourself. It seems to me that, in relationships that last over time that process never truly ends before, 'til death do us part.
What's really interesting is when one compares and contrasts the final act of the chapter with Silver's analysis of what type of pony it takes to become a princess, and we can see clearly that Night Watch and Samantha are both growing as characters along with Silver.
7315789 And just what the Tartarus has got into Night watch, she seems to be going a slight power crazy lately?
Whelp.. This is going to be depressing. I like night watch, but this is going down a dark ally. Is he going to lose his wife, either by her leaving or turning into a stallion.
The foals absence is disquieting.
Keep going! ;)
So night want silver as a cuckhold I don't like her anymore
Look, Silver, if you're so good at weaving spells together, weave together the ones that got you Celestia and Luna and all the rest, accepting each other, and the legal spell Twilight wove to make everyone accept it. Synthesize. Don't restrict yourself to material that exists.
And you keep waffling between herd and marriage, and being a doormat (esp. for NW) and having a spine. Did Luna's gambit take or not? Do you want to ███████████ or not?
7319271 that last one got me
so night just wants him for sex you really screwed nights character up i went from liking her to hating her