Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

95 - By Morning Light

Night sprang up from her sleep, only to squint against the bright light of day.

Silver glanced over at her with a lifted ear. "Good morning. What happened to your wing?"

Her wing? Night looked back at her wing and, as if to remind her, a stab of pain went through the unbound limb. She hissed softly and slowly spread it. "It's getting better." It wasn't a lie, but it was early to have it out of its binding. "Silver, I have something a lot more important than a wing to talk to you about."

Silver turned away from the book, the slime hopping from the desk to his head without prompting. "More important than your wings? That's pretty important." He smiled gently, and it filled Night with a new fury.

"Don't humor me... I learned something vital last night." She slid down from the bed and trotted towards Silver, a frown on her face. "You didn't throw yourself off that damned roof."

Silver blinked softly. "I was... kind of there. How can you prove one way or the other?"

Night snorted derisively as she half-turned away. "There was one other pony there that was of whole body and thinking at the time. One who's been shaping and reshaping you..."

Silver crashed down to his haunches, thinking back to that fateful night. "Luna?"

Night thrust a hoof, clipping Silver on the nose. "And remember who used your so-called suicide to rip you apart and stitch the pieces together?"

Silver shook his head violently. "W-wait! Luna wouldn't..."

"She did." Night clopped a hoof down. "That's not even a question at this point. She confessed it easily."

Silver glanced up at Night, then sank to his belly. "Why?"

Night let out a slow breath. "A great question I don't have an answer to."

Silver pawed at the ground beneath himself. "Should I just hate her?"

Night quirked a little smile. "You're asking me if you should hate her? That's very Silver of you." She lowered down, though she had to lay on her side to avoid compressing her growing belly. "I think you should know the truth."

Silver nodded faintly before he met Night's eyes. "She must be hurt."

Night's smile deepened. "Called it."

"Hmm?"

Night leaned forward and met his lips. For a moment they kissed quietly before she drew back. "I knew you'd want to heal her. She throws you on a fire and starts cooking you and your first thought is why she could be that way and how to fix it. Were you always like this?"

Silver shook his head quickly. "No! No... As a human, what feels like forever ago, I would have just avoided her, I bet, avoided and been angry, quietly. I didn't like making noise as a human much, outside of selling things."

Night slid around and pressed against Silver's side with her back, laying alongside him instead of across from him. "I like this Silver. Can I marry him?"

Silver nipped at her ear with his flat teeth before nuzzling it. "We already did that, my lovely wife. So how can we approach this?"

Night perked an ear. "Well, you could go running off to Celestia. That would probably get her to back off, but shoot any chance of a more peaceful resolution out of the water."

Silver raised a hoof. "Which is why we're not doing that." He threw the leg over Night and drew her close. "Whatever happened to the whole Celine thing?"

Night frowned a little. "She wants it, desperately. I don't think she knows how to handle those emotions, but I doubt any new simulacrum she made would be your Celine, just another."

Silver flashed his teeth in a clenched grimace. "I do miss her... I..." He sat up. "It wasn't for me."

"What wasn't?" Night looked aside at her husband. "What did you just see?"

"The dream." Silver stood up slowly. "The more I think about it, the more of it fits Luna, and Celine. It was her dream and her dysfunctions more than mine. I mean, some of it..." He flushed a little. "I doubt... she..."

Night slowly rolled up to her haunches. "She said you learned how to dreamwalk in it?"

Silver nodded quickly. "And more. Don't forget the spells I have no business using at my magic level."

Night rolled her eyes. "They'd be far more impressive if you didn't collapse every time you cast them, still, you do cast them..." She leaned in and touched noses. "You could confront her there?"

Silver lifted his ears as he thought on it. "Just because I can walk doesn't mean I have power there. She can kick me out if she wants to."

"And you'll come back." Night narrowed her eyes at Silver. "Don't tell me you wouldn't." She reached up and poked the slime on Silver's head. "You could use that."

Silver looked up at the quivering slime then drew in a sharp gasp. "I could!" It seemed so obvious in retrospect. "I could get rid of the, what, ejection headaches and jump right back in." His vision came down from the slime to Night. "But that doesn't make this a good idea. I'd literally be storming her realm and pressing her to a corner. She'll get pissed off, to put it mildly. She'll get scared. She may do something a lot worse than kick me out."

Night rolled a hoof. "And you'll do it anyway, if I know my husband."

Silver burst into a loud laughter. "Why are you encouraging this? This is exactly the sort of thing you'd normally try to avoid."

Night raised a hoof and pressed it to Silver's nose. "It's time to fight. Luna did wrong. I know you won't hurt her, not like that, but you can corner her, scare her, and force her to look at what she's done instead of hiding it away."

Silver kissed the bottom of that hoof, nuzzling into the delicate flesh there. "What are you hoping will happen, best case scenario?"

Night quirked a smile at that even as a shudder from the nuzzle ran through her. "My fanciful dreams aren't the topic. Learn the spells you'll need, memorize them right, then face her. Give no quarter. You're not going for blood, but don't mistake that for this not being a fight." She leaned forward. "Because it is a fight, one against a vastly more powerful opponent. Your only advantages will be surprise and determination."

They met in a firm embrace, only to feel something bubbling up between them. They hopped back to find Surprise grinning widely. "Hiya! Good morning!"

Silver laughed at her sudden appearance. "You're sounding better by the day, Surprise. How are you feeling?"

Surprise waved her hooves energetically. "I feel like a million bits. Well not literally, gosh that'd be weird. What pony would want to actually feel like a big pile of coins like that? Not me! I feel like Surprise and that's good enough." She bobbed her head and fixed on Night. "What happened to your bandage?"

Night spread her wings reflexively. "I took it off." She reached out and poked Surprise in the chest. "You came from that world, didn't you?"

"What world?"

Night pointed at Silver. "The dreamworld Silver was in."

Surprise tilted her head. "As far as I can figure. It's still weird thinking about my whole world as just a dream..." She squirmed in place fitfully. "Does that make me a dream? I'm right here, wouldn't that make you all a dream?"

Silver shook his head with a kindly smile. "Relax, Pi--Surprise."

Surprise bobbed her head. "I would but I have a party to plan for a special somepony!" She bounced in place and began pronking to the door. "It's gonna be special!" She was gone before she could be argued with.

Not that Night didn't try. "Keep it small!"

Silver moved up to hug Night gently. "You know she's going to do what she wants to."

Night sighed and nudged past Silver towards the bathroom. "And I'm going to keep reminding her what I want. I know she can do something small... I just need her to not forget." The door closed behind her and water began to flow. "You have reading to do, Mr. Watch."

Silver warmed in his cheeks. "So I do, Missus Watch. Are you sure your wing's alright? You look like you're still uncomfortable at best. There's no shame in having it in a sling until it's all better."

"I don't want to."

"A sling now to fly faster later." Silver tapped at the door. "You know it's a better trade."

"Do I have to?"

Silver smiled at the closed door. "If you asked that, you already know it's happening. Enjoy your shower, then we'll visit the infirmary and get your wing taken care of."

There were some grumbles, but no further argument about it. When Night emerged, damp but clean, Silver hopped up from his book and moved to escort her.

Night shook her head as she walked. "Why can't you use your slime thing if it's so good at healing?"

Silver glanced at her. "It's patterned after me, so it doesn't know how to heal you, and neither do I. There's exactly one pony I've met that can just heal any random pony whenever she wants."

Night suddenly clopped a hoof to her face. "And we didn't ask her to fix a little wing while she was right in front of us!"

Silver slowed to a halt, then joined her in putting a hoof to his face. "That would have been smart. Too late for that now." He turned back to her and held out a hoof. "We'll do it the old-fashioned way, together."

Night flashed a toothy grin. "Does that mean I get to bust something of yours to heal with me?" Silver shrank back, looking genuinely worried and Night's grin vanished. "I'm joking! Just joking." She closed the distance and the tense moment was eased with a shared embrace.

As they walked together, Night glanced aside at Silver. "Were you hurt?"

"Hmm?"

"By loved ones. That flinch... How you behaved in the past. You're used to getting pain from those you let get close to you." Night pressed against Silver's side. "I say that and I'm sending you right into a battle that likely has more pain ahead." She gave an uneasy little laugh. "I guess love is pain."

"Still worth it." Silver nuzzled at Night's neck. "Now come on, we have a nurse to see."

Night rolled her eyes. "Do you think it'll be Samantha? She's a little... too happy to see me."

Silver opened the door ahead with his magic.

"Ah! My favorite subject." Samantha hopped to her hooves and approached the door with a manic smile.

Author's Note:

If Luna was hoping Night would forget with a little sleep, that was not a very reasoned plan.

I doubt it'll be the last typo in her machinations.

Comments

[Dravkwn]

Ouch! Luna you're roasting my meaty bits and making me into stew!!!! thinks to self she must be sad, I gotta cheer her up, hopefully my tasty meatiness will do it.

[Fresnor]

So... when will Surprise and Pinkie meet?

[harts fire]

some how I am getting a feeling that Luna is terrified of her feelings.
I do not want to say more as even this may be to big of a hint.
a super good chapter DS.

[tsaukpaetra]

I mean, sure it hurts to lose loved ones, but that's just the state of being immortal. Doesn't mean you can't do good with new relationships after some proper grieving...
Keep going! ;)

[DJ_Arashi_Rora]

6982447
Hopefully never.

[Zintenka]

Dream Celestia seems to be Luna...

Imagine, a whole years of life you experienced... just... gone.
If it were any lesser person, they might develop Nihilism... but this Silver we're talking about.

I just hope that Luna gets what she wishes for, however it might turn out to have the exact opposite of what she intended.

Good intent is one of the world's most unpredictable things.

[Booster Spice]

So the first thing is to hope Luna doesnt go totally psychotic immediately,

Second, is that Samantha doesnt go all Scientific on Davids Slime.

[Daremo]

memorize them tight - memorize them right
*****
A bit of decompression after the previous heavy chapter. It's interesting seeing how Silver and Night Watch perceive the challenge and plan to face it.

I tend to lean towards not pushing for a direct confrontation, that's nearly never the way to get someone to open up, but Luna hasn't really left them with a choice if they don't want to simply walk away and let it remain unresolved... and they don't. I trust that Silver will wear Luna down gently, perhaps in the style of a particular French mustelid...

[David Silver]

6984818 What could go wrong?!

Typos addressed, parties planned, mostly, and there's adventure to be had!

[Boulder]

Yay my turn again

Surprise tilted her head. "As far as I can figure. It's still weird thinking about my whole world as just a dream..." She squired in place fitfully.

I've being turning blue holding my breath trying to find one.

Surprise bobbed her head. "I would but I have a party to plan for a special somepony!" She bounced in place and began pronking to the door

What's 'pronking'?

[David Silver]

6991817 Pronking is the bounding gait of a gazelle or other related animal. The More You Know!

[Vutava]

I feel like a million bits. Well not literally, gosh that'd be wierd.

weird

So I do, Misses Watch.

Missus

That flinch... How you behave in the past.

behaved

[David Silver]

7166275 You caused me to re-read a great line: Night rolled her eyes. "Do you think it'll be Samantha? She's a little... too happy to see me."

[Cursed Quill]

6982333
So you're saying Silver would hope Luna enjoys eating his meat.

[Crystal Treasure]

Silver slowed to a half

Stop that typo, it's getting away! xD

[David Silver]

8889854
Subject neutralized.