Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

65 - Princess of Love

Silver departed, depleted of bits, but richer in another way. He held up the shard in his magic, squinting at it with the sun behind it. "There should be two more."

Night bumped him from the side. "Slippers?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Slippers?" She raised a brow high from behind her thick glasses. "You should know better. Stop making me repeat that and show them already."

Silver sighed as his magic wrapped around the shoes from inside his pocket and he drew them free.

Her eyes were on them instantly and she reached with a wing, plucking one away. "Curious worksponyship. I imagine it was all the rage about a thousand years ago." She spun it around slowly. "Not really slippers at all. Why'd she call them that?"

He tucked away two of the shoes and kept one out that he could look at freely. "I saw them, in my dream. I had them first... Then things happened, and you ended up with them, and the rest of the suit that went with it."

"Suit?" She put the shoe down in front of herself and stepped into it. "It fits nicely, but seriously, she mentioned it was for a wedding?"

Silver considered her in the shoe and put down a shoe to step into one himself. He wore one on the right forehoof, and she on the left. "There. We're both supposed to wear them until we're married, but some people just keep wearing them."

Night colored faintly. "I like the idea, but... Look." She circled around in front of Silver. "I know I've been a little dismissive of your dream, and for good reason, but I don't want to be dismissive of you. If I didn't love the hell out of you, we wouldn't be here. What do you see in these shoes? Are they magic?"

Silver perked his ears. "The ones in my dream let me, and you, access earth pony magic."

"Earth pony... magic?" Night raised a brow. "So, what, it made the wearer stronger?"

Silver shook his head and tried to walk away, only to be reminded he was tethered with a soft tugging from his collar. "You'll think it's silly."

"Probably," confessed Night, softly reeling in her husband. "But I still want to hear." She darted in and kissed his cheek. "Out with it."

Silver pinned his ears back. "I'm glad you want to listen..."

"But it doesn't make you happy." She leaned in and nuzzled up under his chin, raising his eyes. "Just how badly are you still shaken up about this?"

"We're getting more than a little off track." He brought around the crystal. "We have one. We need three. Where would the second be hiding if someone scoured the streets already?"

Night frowned at the crystal a moment even as she threw a leg over Silver's withers. He tensed a moment, but soon relaxed into her. He loved her, and the closeness reminded him of that, and soon they were cuddling gently in the street, quiet and thoughtful. She suddenly perked. "Of course."

"Hmm?"

"Where a colt couldn't go, of course."

"Where would that be?"

Night pointed up at the castle. "Where others would tell him to go away."

Silver looked up at the same castle, tail starting to sway. "So Cadance has it then? Let's go find our crystal."

He moved to head towards the castle, but Night didn't let him go, and instead pulled him into herself. "Silver... I'm serious. We're partners, alright?" She sat down then. "I made a mistake."

"Oh?" He turned towards her. "I honestly find that hard to believe. You don't make many."

She smiled gently. "Flatterer... I said some things... I was in a very hurt place. I lost one mate, then another tried to remove himself... I was... I was really unhappy."

Silver was on her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry. I broke my promise to myself, and indirectly to you. I'm sorry for hurting you."

She returned the hug, nipping at his neck. "You're forgiven, now forgive me. I said some very hurtful things from a very hurt place."

Silver perked an ear. "Not to me you didn't."

"Not where you could hear them, at least." She sighed softly and sank then to the cobbled street. "I spent the entire time... complaining to Luna, making her bear my pains. We didn't play. It wasn't some grand honeymoon as you imagined it. I was too busy crying, raging, and throwing tantrums... All I knew was that I finally came from my shell and dared to love... And then that happened..."

Silver felt a chill run through him, his teeth clenching a moment. "I... No. No more sorries." He held out a hoof to Night. "How do I even start to make up for this?"

Night laughed softly. "I keep asking you to forgive me."

Silver settled across from her. "For being sad? For feeling betrayed? You should have been sad, and angry, and all those other things." He reached up a hoof, brushing his collar. "I fucked up, short and simple. Look, I know you don't want to herd, but you're still my firstwife." He wiggled his rump a little. "You're the boss, and that makes me happy."

She reached out and tapped him on the nose. "Stupid stallion." A smile played over her lips. "One day, things... Look, tell me, mister engagement slippers... Do you want me?"

"Almost more than life itself." He sat up tall. "Why?"

"And no one else?"

"Look, a herd wasn't even my idea!" He clopped the pavement. "It was Luna's. I mean, Celine's..."

It clicked for Night instantly. "She was... That's touching and horrifying at once, to think she knew she'd be dead and gone, and wanted you already in the embrace of another before then."

Silver leaned in and nuzzled at her. "If I only had you until I was old and grey, I'd die a happy pony."

Night smiled gently. "Stupid stallion..." She stood up with an unsure look on her expression. "We should go. That crystal won't find itself."

Silver rose after her and rubbed noses. "It'll wait a minute. What's in that wonderful head of yours?"

"Am I that transparent?" She quirked a smile. "Oh, look at us... How will we survive each other?" She nudged against him, then glanced away a moment. "I'll be... blunt then... Which would you prefer, forgetting my preference a moment."

"What do you mean? Marriage or herding?" Silver tilted his head a bit.

"Exactly, which would you prefer?"

Silver frowned. "That feels like a trap... Look, I've only had... that contact with a few ponies. Celine, Fast, and you. One's dead. One's... almost as good. I'm not looking. I'm not browsing the market. I sucked at it to start with."

Night grinned at him. "You're a liar. You can smoothtalk a mare if you want to. I've seen you do it."

He shrugged. "I never know which one to do it with. I get nervous. I... Look, that's beside the point. I love you, Night Watch. I will never be unhappy at your side."

She licked her lips. "So... you'd prefer monogamy?"

Silver recoiled lightly, an idea clicking. "Are you seeing another pony?"

"No! No..." Her tufted ears had gone bright red as she advanced past Silver, tugging him by his collar. "We should go. Let's get these shards."

Silver went with her, ears half-lowered. "It's... okay, if you're honest. Who is it?"

"Please drop it."

Silver didn't want to drop it, and grit his teeth with frustration, but did let it go. Together, they advanced back towards the castle, in pursuit of the second shard.

Author's Note:

In a lot of subtle ways, the waking world is so much more complicated than the dreamworld, if a bit less dramatic and power-showey.

Which is the typo?

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Cup, berry, berry cup, swish, swish, swoosh, swish.

Is this your card.

If so, checkmate.

Silver has to be having some real confusing times between the memories and current occurances. If theres is one and only one shard there, then Sombra is likely to have the third, as a source of power, bargaining chip, even curio?

[ClosetKnight]

6884356 its a jake from state farm joke. also, hows the wife? and why did you just bail on us?

[Daremo]

instantly ans she - instantly and she

and kisses his - and kissed his

*****

It's been building up for a long time, but the dam has finally broken, or at least somepony opened the spillway for a few moments. Lots of soul searching and insight in this chapter, and really the first hint we've seen of Night Watch's inner feelings for quite some time. It shines a light on Luna's behavior of late as well.

***silly philosophizing below this point***

Real life is always more complicated than fantasy or even a dream, and you can't always 'win' in real life and have to settle for whatever compromise you can tease out of life. But when things do come together in the best way, it's that much sweeter for all the fails and half wins that came before.

[David Silver]

6886193 Typos fixed, and I found another lurking nearby!

Silver did not 'win' in his dreams. There were some pretty crushing defeats in there, but, as you said, it was much more... blunt.

[Daremo]

6886351 - True and a poor choice of words on my part. Goes to show why I'm not making a living as a philosopher.

[harts fire]

no comments for the last to chapter's just need to think this over a bit.

[Shachza]

He didn't answer her about the magic set, and she didn't answer him about who she might be seeing on the side. They're certainly going places. Yup... places.