Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

50 - Seeing and Understanding

Silver walked along with Nefertari beside him. "You seem more at ease with an Anubite than most ponies," She remarked, glancing ahead to Night Watch. "Have you seen us before?"

The thought of lying came to him but passed almost as quickly. "Yes. Your people's need to prove and become stronger is very interesting."

"Is it now?" She put a paw on his head, working her strong fingers into his scalp in firm but soft rubbing. "Do you admire it?"

Silver gestured forward. "I don't mean to be rude, but I am married, and that is my wife right ahead of us." Her rubbing was not, in itself, a terrible thing, but making Night Watch upset kept him from enjoying it much.

"So young, and already you've found a partner?" She smiled. "Are all ponies so fast? Did she win you with battle?"

Thinking back on it, there was some truth to that. "Yes, but she kept me with her mind. Night?"

Night looked back and slowed to walk alongside them. "Something going on?"

Nefertari put her other hand right on Night's head, mussing up her mane and creating an instant scowl from the mare. "He was just complimenting you. He speaks highly of your combat prowess and keen mind."

Those words eased her discomfort. "I do my best, Ambassador. Why are your hands on either of us? It's not very appropriate."

Nefertari shrugged, her hands remaining on the two ponies that were her escort. "I enjoy the feel of pony fur and manes. Their body hair is stiff, but soft, different from that of my people. The way their mane always grows down the center, but they manage to tease it out, creating a full bed of hair in appearance?" She mussed Night's mane in a light ruffling. "It is, perhaps, a small form of magic."

Silver ducked under her paw-hand and erected a quick shield. Not the right kind of shield. His energy reserves depleted with a swift spike, making the world spin and the shield collapse instantly. Nefertari hissed as she drew her hand back, bloody lines across it where the shield tried to rip her apart. "So the pony has teeth?" She laughed with clear enjoyment. "I can see why Celestia chose you to guide me. A little colt of a pony, ready to stand up to me? How delicious."

Night circled around her quickly to support Silver and stop him from collapsing over. "What spell was that? Nevermind, a dream one, wasn't it?"

"A dream one?" Nefertari leaned in over Night. "The dreams hold much power and wisdom, if one knows how to look. Are you a seer of your visions, little one?"

Silver shook his head, jostling away some of the fog of the mana shock. Without answering either of them, he nuzzled into his saddlebag and pulled out a snack bar of sweetened oats and wolfed it down. Eating while mana deprived was still an amazing feeling, as the food just went right to replenishing his stock, as if he'd never eaten in the first place. The fog receded though, and the headache dimmed. He let out a soft sigh. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you alright?"

"Colt, you've filled me with questions, not ire, no, not today." She smiled, bright teeth on display. "I'll be keeping an eye out for you." She gestured at a door. "I believe this one is mine. We shall meet again, the spirits are quite clear on this." She mussled Night's mane, but did not reach for Silver's, then was gone with a thoughtful little growl.

Night scowled at her closed door, then looked back to Silver. "Speak to me, are you alright first of all?"

Silver quickly nodded, just to be cuffed lightly on the noggin. "Ow."

"That's for casting a spell like that!" Night snorted. "What were you thinking? You could have thrown her into a rage, or caused a war! You could have hurt her, if that wasn't another one of your... Luna above, just how powerful were you pretending to be in those dreams of yours that you could cast spells that lay you flat when you're awake?" She grabbed for his neck, sinking her fangs in even as she hauled him bodily down the hallway. "Come on. I'm getting you into bed."

Silver squirmed and fought, but Night's physical prowess was much greater than his, and her form was stronger. By the time she wrestled him onto his bed, he was sore, embarrassed, and yet...

Night snorted softly. "I'm not in the mood for that." She threw a blanket over him, covering his shame. "Maybe later. Now, what can you eat that'll help set you right?"

Silver smiled gently and reached out a hoof. "The company of my lovely wife?"

She gave him a hard look a moment before a sigh escaped her and she hopped up, soon snuggled up with him. They slept together, only for Silver to awaken suddenly. "I have it!"

Night awoke with a start. "What? What do you have?"

Silver hugged her close. "The missing piece, why it all felt just that tiny bit... off. Why she reacted that way, everything."

"Ambassador Nefertari?" Night squinted a little.

Silver put a hoof on her snout. "No, not her, Luna." He pulled the hoof back and tapped at his own head. "It wasn't just my dream. I wasn't just sifting through my own dysfunctions. She returned the favor. She made amends."

"Amends? Look, please, more explaining." Night sat up on her haunches. "Bring me up to speed, right now."

Silver sat up across from her, nodding quickly. "I will, I swear. Alright, so, I faced a lot of things in my dreams, but Luna? She was always there, even if it was as part of me. I was a lunar unicorn. I was a lunar princess, and a prince. I always carried her with me, and I faced her directly many times. We fought, we loved, we struggled to find answers."

Night rolled a hoof. "Right, but you did have a lot of crossing with her, how does this get her side in?"

Silver leaned forward. "That was her side. She opened her soul to me, and it bled all over my dream. I don't know why... but I'm sure of it. I saw her fears, and her hopes. I saw Equestria just as she was terrified of it becoming, under Celestia's tyrannical but well-meaning grasp, smiles enforced. I saw her smaller worries of fear and prejudice against those that are her children." He licked over his lips. "It was her. She was there. That's why I saw so much that I shouldn't have had a clue about."

Night raised a brow. "Let's assume you're right. Why did she kick you out then?"

Silver tried to spread wings he didn't have, resulting in little more than a limp shrug. "I'm not sure if she realizes it or not, at least, on the surface. Some part of her... She's scared. She's great and powerful and ancient and terrified."

Night hopped from the bed. "Interesting theory, but a theory it remains. How would you even start to try to test that without getting yourself in trouble along the way? You're not marching up to her and telling her all that."

Silver clenched his jaw a moment. "She really should hear this."

Night rolled a hoof. "Not like this. Think on it for a change, and come back when you have an actual plan, alright? And it better involve me." She stomped on the floor. "I mean that. You take me with you when you approach her. I'm drawing the line there. You want us to be a thing? You take me with you."

Silver's ears pinned back at the threat. "Night... Fine, alright. If it's that important to you, but please don't make this a habit. 'Or I'll leave' should be a final argument."

"I'm glad you appreciate the gravity." She turned away. "We should get something to eat, like I suggested before. Hugs only get you so far, master magician."

Author's Note:

We meet old friends, and get new thoughts on others, hmm...

There's probably a typo involved here, but where?

Comments

[harts fire]

Silver has a interesting idea about Luna and the more I think about it he is right.

[RadicalDishonesty]

Aha. An explanation, and something interesting to boot.

Would make sense that Luna makes a dream based on things she knows, though. That seems pretty straightforward... and the idea that it betrays her subconscious anxieties is pretty solid.

[tsaukpaetra]

It is almost impossible for the weaver not to place a part of themselves when guiding the story.,, Is this why Luna has essentially avoided Silver since she threw him out? It would be very troubling indeed to learn how much knowledge he retained upon awakening...
Silver should really start practicing more. I'll bet he's back down to the Level 3 bar, isn't he?
Keep going! ;)

[Daremo]

prowess much - prowess was much
well-meaning grap - well-meaning grasp
*****

"Interesting theory, but a theory it remains.

I was going to put on my fake professor cap and comment on 'theory' vs. 'hypothesis' but by this point there is enough evidence to call Silver's explanation a working theory. Night has a demonstrably formidable mind and I must bow my head in respect.

The plot is moving forward at a steady canter now and I love the character development and seeing more of Night Watch asserting herself.

Silver seems to be enjoying it as well.

I suspect that if Night ever took it into her head to cosplay as Nightmare Moon, she would have a certain brown and silver unicorn stallion bowing fawning at her hooves.

[David Silver]

6830860 How to hint without saying, as they say... The typos were told to go, on the other hoof.

[Daremo]

6830910 - Even your silence speaks volumes, Sir Silver!

[Fireeaters]

Here is your typo!

She'd great and powerful and ancient and terrified."

*She's

[David Silver]

6830991 And into the fire you go!

[Fireeaters]

6831074

[Snow]

These chapters certainly feel short. Five minutes of content at a go, but at least there's one almost daily at least. They're like potato chips.

[DJ_Arashi_Rora]

6831714
Five minutes? You're lucky. It's like 3 if that for me..... I hate being a fast reader.

[Morphy]

"I'm glad you appreciate the gravity." She turned away. "We should get something to eat, like I suggested before. Hugs only get you so far, master magician."

Unless you're a changeling...

[Typist Gray]

Hmm, Luna's spirit presenting a hypothetical Equestria. Fascinating.