46. Priorities, Obligations, and Commitments
Crystal was standing out on the balcony that overlooked Canterlot. The wind was blowing in just the right manner so that had her blonde mane billowed off to the side. Princess Celestia had positioned the sun in the perfect spot to illuminate the mare’s white coat and create an ethereal appearance from behind.
Don’t get me wrong, she always looked good from behind, but this moment was special. It was the sort of moment that encouraged you to just stay in bed, watch, and hope it never ended.
This was my mare. The one that was going to stand by me even as I marched off from challenge to challenge. She was perfect.
Slowly my hooves decided it was time to get up. They took me from the comfort of bed and onto the balcony beside her. “Good morning, beautiful,” I said.
“Good morning,” she replied. “I see you didn’t take me home last night.”
“Princess Luna thought this might be better. I happened to agree.”
Crystal smiled my way. “Any day I wake up next to you is a good day. Doing so in the palace is even better.”
With a gentle bump of my shoulder against hers, I replied, “Don’t get too used to that. I don’t make much in the way of bits.”
“I know, I know,” she whispered before nuzzling her cheek to mine. “We’re getting married soon. Like really soon.”
“Less than two months,” I said.
“Yes. Are you ready?”
I nodded. “Are you?”
She giggled and shot me a coy look through her long lashes. “I’m actually more ready for our honeymoon than the wedding.”
“Yeah, me too.”
The mare shifted her hooves and headed back into the room. “Well, you’re off today. What are we going to do?”
“Anything you want, beautiful.”
Crystal laughed and waved a hoof at me. “Alright, well, breakfast together and lunch. We can linger around the palace as long as you can do so without shifting to work mode. You’re on your own this afternoon, though. I have an event.”
My ear flicked. “I thought you were going to quit that stuff?”
“Not everything. Just the things I didn’t want to do.”
“And what are you doing today that you actually want to do?”
Crystal beamed. “Having tea with Princess Luna to discuss the shower. You’re invited, of course.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, all I can say is that I’ll pick you up after. I’m going to go look at games with Runic.”
“Don’t spend all of your money on airships.”
“We’ll see. Come on, let’s go get breakfast.”
After a light breakfast, Crystal and I wandered the more tourist-y parts of the palace. I didn’t really know much about the historical significance of things, but she seemed content to just look at all the statues and tapestries and paintings. It was nice to just be together.
Princess Luna declined an invitation to join us for lunch. Or, more likely, Willowy had gone to ask her, saw she was still passed out from the Nightmare Night party, and took the opportunity to use the word ‘declined’ to my face.
That was fine. I got to have lunch with the prettiest mare in Equestria, in the nicest dining hall its capital had to offer.
“Be nice,” Crystal chided, somehow reading my mind as I stared smugly as Willowy retreated.
“I am.” I pulled out a chair for her. “I didn’t say anything. That’s being nice.”
Crystal huffed and looked like she wanted to say more, but then a server came with a bowl of strawberries and rose petals as an appetizer, and thankfully that took precedence. I needed to remember that strategy for the future. Just in case.
Three delightful courses later, we parted ways, her to go try to see Princess Luna as they planned, and me to meet up with Runic at the Crystal Delicacy as we planned. When I arrived, he was already waiting outside the door, face pressed up to the window.
“Hey! You made it!” he called without looking back. He had either invented an omniscience potion, or he saw my reflection in the glass. Both were equally likely.
I trotted to the door and pushed it open. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”
Runic shrugged as he followed. “No, I’m just happy to see you.”
“Oh. Well, me too, buddy.”
Ruby Moon smiled in our direction when we passed the counter. “Hey, fellas. I hope you’ve brought a lot of bits. A new month means new games!”
“It is funny how that always works out,” I chuckled as I wandered over to the game area of the store.
They weren’t the only thing Ruby sold, but I had never been that interested in the intricate little crystal figures her partner made. Not that they weren’t amazing. They just weren’t my thing.
Runic was already snout-deep into the Airship Armada boxes. “I need some more escorts,” he said idly.
“The six you have aren’t enough?” I asked, picking up a new card game and looking it over.
“Hush! The stallion knows what he needs,” Ruby called.
“Yeah, I know what I need!” Runic parroted.
That brought a smile to my face. Need, want, whatever. Runic had the bits. Even with all of the lawsuit settlements, he always did well.
“When are you going to bring your filly back? She’s easy to tease,” Ruby said my way.
“You may have scared her, so I’m not sure. She’s having tea with Princess Luna today though, so I think that took precedence.”
Ruby laughed and leaned against the counter. “Oh, of course. So casual! She’s having tea with the princess!”
Ah, right. That wasn’t normal. It was normal for me since I’d been around the princesses for my whole career now. After putting the box down, I shrugged. “Yeah, sorry.”
“That’s okay. I’ve met Princess Celestia a few times. You know I used to be a palace guard, right?”
I did vaguely know that Ruby had been in before I was. She’d gotten out, too, for whatever reason, but that happened a lot. Most ponies had several interests and sometimes they changed. “Yup! Before my time, though.”
“Are you suggesting something?” she asked, coming around the counter.
Runic picked three more boxes of Armada ships and shook his head. “He isn’t. Silent Knight would never suggest that you’re old.”
“Runic!” I barked, looking his way before holding up a hoof. “I wouldn’t, Ruby! I just meant we don’t know the same ponies.”
The mare wagged a hoof at me. “You’re lucky I like you, because those sounded like fighting words.”
“I have a rule about not fighting with other guards.”
“I see, well, I can always fight Runic,” she replied.
I shrugged. “You could, but he is squirrely. You never know what is in that vest of his… or under his hat… or who knows where.”
We both looked at Runic. He smiled. “Today, I’ve got smoke bombs, flash caps, and gluecid.”
My brow raised. “What is gluecid?”
“I got tired of carrying glue and acid, so I made a combination of both,” Runic replied proudly.
Ruby just slowly moved back behind the counter.
I asked, “So… it causes things to stick together while it burns them horribly?”
“Don’t be silly! It sticks things together and then burns them horribly. The acid is delayed.”
“Alright… and if you need to fix something, what happens if you grab the gluecid instead of the glue?”
Runic frowned. “You ruin Miley’s new bookshelf instead of assembling it like she asked, that’s what.”
“Awfully specific there, Runic.”
He sighed. “Yeah…”
☾
It was a few days later when Princess Luna stuck her head into my office. I immediately stood without even a conscious thought.
“As you were,” she said softly before coming in.
I remained standing. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
The princess smiled and settled onto my couch. “You’ve been a little busy as of late, and I was worried you were going to forget our upcoming celebration.”
“I won’t forget my own wedding shower, Princess, you have my word. I’ve just had a lot going on trying to get your portion of the palace finished. The forepony told me this morning that he anticipates meeting all of the revised deadlines.”
Her face lit up and she clapped her hooves. “That means we’ll be able to host the shower in my new throne room after all!”
Sure, my shower would take place in the seat of power for the House of the Night. Why not? That was completely normal. With a smile, I replied, “If that’s your wish.”
“It most certainly is. Why have a throne room if you can’t use it for more than business?”
My ears twitched. “Why? To conduct said business.”
She waved a hoof at me. “Don’t be a wet blanket, Silent Knight. I can’t do business all hours of the day, and I’m not subletting my throne room out to the parliament just to satisfy its supposed purpose!”
That would be a security nightmare. Of course, I knew she was kidding. “Fair enough, we’ll have the shower in the throne room. You realize you and Lady Cadence are setting my marriage up for failure, though, right? I’m just a royal guard, and my wife is rubbing hooves with princesses and other ponies of importance.”
The smile she gave me was full of mischief. “That is your problem, little stallion, not mine.”
I made sure she saw me roll my eyes. “Thank you, Princess, truly.”
“You’re most welcome.” She shifted on the couch and, when she continued, it was in a grave tone. “Now, answer two questions for me.”
The mischief was gone, so I stood to an appropriately official height and nodded. “Of course.”
“First, I’ve been looking at the results of Sunny Day’s investigation into Captain Alastair. It seems that Royal Guard Intelligence made an attempt to capture him via the gryphon authorities. They also made an effort to chase him north but lost him. At that point, he simply disappeared.”
Sunny had done a thorough job. She was an excellent officer for sure, especially now that she had her focus back. In my normal, even tone, I said, “I’m not hearing a question, Princess.”
Her brow furrowed. “How did he disappear? How can a murderer and a band of brigands elude the Nordanver gryphon authorities and our own Royal Guard Intelligence agents so easily? Do you not find that suspicious? I fear our allies were in on the plot, and that unsettles me greatly.”
Of course she’d make that assumption. It was easier to suspect gryphons than ponies. Especially when those ponies included me.
I shook my head slowly. “No, I honestly don’t believe that’s the case. Alastair did appear to be well connected in Nordanver, but it seems almost certain to me that the crown had no association with his plot. He might have had allies, though, that did not represent the king’s will.” I paused, then couldn’t stop myself from adding, “As far as Guard Intelligence goes, they relied on the gryphons too much.”
“You don’t have much faith in them?”
“I won’t speak ill of fellow guards.”
She peered at me. “Not speaking speaks volumes, you know.”
“And so it does. Perhaps Intelligence work should be left to agencies that specialize in it.”
The princess’s head tilted and then she just nodded. “I see. On to my second question, then. What are you up to?”
That was a loaded question. “Could you be more specific? I feel like my mother used a similar tactic on Winterspear and I when we were little to get us to admit to doing things.”
Princess Luna’s eyebrow lifted. “You did things when you were little?”
“No, but Winterspear did and I’m a quick study.”
With a laugh, the alicorn just shook her head, then inclined it to look down her nose at me. “I noticed that there were some ponies at my party that weren’t on my list. Royal Guard lieutenants. I had conversations with two of them myself. What are you up to?”
Without a doubt, I kept my stoic royal guard stance and a blank face. I was not eager to have this conversation at all and certainly not right then. At the same time, I had no intention of lying to the princess.
“They’re my potential successors. I was vetting them.”
The dark alicorn’s ears shot up. “Successors? For what purpose? You told me you turned down Shining Armor’s offer.”
“I did, yes.” I guess sooner or later I’d have to come clean. I removed my helmet and set it on the desk. “Luna, I’m concerned in the event of another emergency, you’re going to risk your safety for mine. That can’t be allowed.”
“This again?” she asked, a bit of annoyance creeping into her voice. “You’re not expendable.”
“No, you’re not expendable. If I die, it’s a tragedy for my friends and family. If you die, it’s a crisis for an entire kingdom. If you die, we’re down to one alicorn, and I don’t see any new ones lying around. We’ve gotten too close, but I don’t regret that. I don’t at all. I just can’t be your House Guard commander if you’re going to try and keep me from being hurt again.”
Princess Luna stood and loomed over me. “Why must you be so frustrating? Why do you have to be so… so… stubborn when it comes to your little rules and regulations! We’re not going to get ambushed again. That was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence!” Her eyes narrowed, and she glared down at me.
I glared back. She was angry because she knew I was right. Unfortunately, being right didn’t make me feel good. It made me feel worse. It gave me the knowledge that I was doing the right thing for the right reason, but not any satisfaction or joy.
“I’m sorry. I really am, but I take your safety seriously. It is the most important job I’ll ever have. It’s the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I consider before bed. Unfortunately, I’m now a threat to that.”
She grimaced and looked away. “What will you do instead?”
“I don’t know… perhaps take over a section in the Palace Guard. Maybe even a company, if I ever make it to captain’s school. I’ll probably be close either way and, if not, I’ll still come to see you. We’ll always be friends.”
Princess Luna nodded and set a hoof on my shoulder. “I make no apology for loving you and wanting you safe, even if this is the outcome.”
“You’ll never have to apologize for loving me,” I replied, my voice cracking slightly.
She held me tightly against her and stroked the back of my head. “Just… Just give me a little longer, Silent Knight. At least until after the wedding. I’m not ready for anypony else yet. Alright?”
It took a moment to find my voice. I brushed my face against her neck, rubbing away the tears. “Of course. We can deal with it after. Just don’t get into any battles before then.”
“I’ll be careful,” she whispered.
“Okay.”
☾
Finally, finally, Princess Luna’s wing of the palace was complete. It had been behind schedule, over budget, but without any compromises. It was everything she had wanted it to be and more. It was also the largest expansion of the palace in several hundred years.
A new exterior wall had been built to accommodate the size increase. That gave the architect plenty of room to extend the palace out towards the west. With the two new towers that were included, the skyline of Canterlot had changed. But that was nothing compared to the interior.
The jewel of the expansion was Princess Luna’s throne room. It was not as large or as grand as the primary one, but there was enough seating for two hundred ponies. Despite being smaller, the grandeur and aesthetic would also leave anypony with a lingering knowledge that they had been in the presence of a princess.
It had been built with a pale white marble facade the color of the moon. In contrast, the center of the room and dais were covered in a plush blue carpet that matched the Princess’s coat.
This all did a lot to highlight the throne, which had been made from a darkly stained hardwood and blue velvet. It was also large enough for a proper alicorn. One the size of Nocturna, I’d guess. Perhaps the princess was planning long term.
Of course, I’d also gotten my new office door, for the time I would remain in that office.
“This is really impressive,” Iridescence said next to me.
“Agreed. She can really start doing the business of the realm out of here.”
“Yup.” She shot me an appraising look with her eyes just slightly narrowed. “What are you going to be doing when you leave her?”
I tried not to let my real feelings on the question show and instead shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
The mare shifted. “And when is that?”
“After the wedding. Princess Luna doesn’t want to deal with it prior to that, and I don’t see a lot of risk coming our way in the next month or so.”
“Good. Plenty of time to change your mind,” Iridescence said before patting me on the back. “Anyway, we need more guards for all this new space.”
What an obvious topic change. I didn’t want to address her remark anyway, so I let it slide. “Yeah, they’re going to spin up another section of palace guards for this wing. Maybe I’ll take that over.”
Iridescence snorted. “Oh, sure. The Palace Guard section lieutenant, who is the old House Guard commander, taking orders from the new House Guard commander. Good luck with that. Why don’t you and Sunny just swap jobs?”
“Hmm?”
“Just swap with Sunny. You protect Princess Celestia, she protects Princess Luna. Everypony can love everypony and nopony will try to protect a pony they aren’t supposed to.”
I paused to mull it over. Actually, that wasn’t an insane idea. The only problem was we couldn’t just swap jobs like a swapped shift. Command would have a fit; they did unit assignments, not us.
“Okay, sure. I’ll see about that. For now, why don’t we just get to work? We’re going to be thin until we have palace guards to cover all these doors and halls.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Iridescence said before heading out the door and leaving me alone in the empty throne room.
I gave it one longer look. It was going to suck not being here.
There was work to do, however. The shower Princess Luna had planned was in a few days. After that we’d have the wedding, then Hearth’s Warming, then the New Year. The end of the year always felt like a rushed gauntlet of holidays.
When the shower finally arrived, however, I discovered that I wished I had not agreed to one. They seemed to be an awkward affair largely built around teasing stallions. It also forced ponies together that normally wouldn’t be, and that was putting a strain on both Crystal and me.
Nothing seemed more stressful than my mother, Princess Luna, Upper Crust, and Jet Set all in the same room being social with each other.
Add in Winterspear, Iridescence, Dot, Sunny, Princess Celestia for some reason, Radiant Orchid, Mr. Orchid, Orchid’s foals, Azurite, Soarin, Miley, Runic, High Horse, her husband, Velvet, her parents, Red Velvet, Raven, her husband, Willow, the crazy pink love pony, Painted Wave, her husband, Lady Cadence, Shining Armor, additional ponies that Crystal knew that I didn’t…
The whole affair was just exhausting, which was why I had escaped to the nearest balcony the first chance I got.
“Now why is it every time we have a party specifically for you, I find you out somewhere alone?” a familiar voice asked from behind me.
“It was getting stuffy in there, sir,” I replied, turning to find Shining Armor standing nearby.
He chuckled and shook his head. “We’re off duty, Silent. No ‘sir’ necessary.” His head then tilted. “Your mare seems to be having a good time. Why aren’t you?”
“This is more her sort of thing.”
His brow arched. “Since when is spending time with all of your friends and family not your sort of thing?”
“Because it’s not just spending time together,” I tried to explain, waving a hoof towards the door. “It’s all… whatever it is that is.”
He nodded slowly. “I didn’t really enjoy mine either, to be honest. My mother made it a point to embarrass me as much as she possibly could. In front of Princess Celestia, no less. Cadence loved it, though.”
That brought a grin to my face. “I bet she did.”
He came over and rested his forelegs on a railing. “So, what is going on with you? The last letter said ‘come see me.’ Then no more letters. You turn my offer down, but you’re still going to resign?”
My ear flicked. “Who told you?”
“Princess Luna, so I don’t think you’ll have much luck chastising her.”
“I’ve had a rough year,” was all I said.
“Two, I’d say. More than most ponies.” His voice lowered. “You know, it isn’t normally like this. My first two years were nothing but routine. Most of the middle ones, too. These last two, though…” He breathed out slowly. “That’s a lot for anypony. Certainly a lot for a young pony.”
“Yeah. I’m not resigning because of all that, though.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s because she loves you.”
Finally, somepony who understood. “Yup.”
He patted me on the shoulder. “You were her first guard, first friend, confidant, and more when nopony else would even look at her. It was bound to happen. There is no shame in that and I have huge respect for you for recognizing it and doing the right thing.”
My ears shot up. “You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”
He blinked. “Absolutely not. Sometimes regulations exist for a reason, and this is one of those times. Do you honestly think I could protect Cadence? That she’d leave me in an emergency? Hardly.”
I chuckled. “Well, at least you’re on my side on this one.”
“That’s the thing, Silent Knight: I’ve always been on your side. I hope by now you could recognize that.” He leveled a serious stare my way. “Look, I know this has been your whole career, but most of us have to move on. You unfortunately started at the top. That is a tricky predicament. This will be good for you, though, and you can still be her friend.”
He was right about that. I might not be her house guard commander, but I’d still be her friend. I’d always be available to her. “That is true. I suppose now I need to figure out what I’m going to do instead.”
After a moment, he hummed thoughtfully. “Well, Governor Cadence has a security detail. It could use a commander.”
“Pardon? You still want me to come work for you?”
“Well, you’d technically work for her. Obviously, you’d report to me, but we know how it goes with these nobles,” he said with a smile.
“But why?”
He shrugged. “Why not? You’re one of the finest guards I’ve ever seen. The universe has poured challenges on you over and over. Hard ones. Cruel ones. You’re still standing, Silent Knight. There aren’t a lot of ponies like you. Who better to entrust the security of the pony I love the most to?”
To be fair, I hadn’t thought about it that way. He made a valid point. I was still standing, wounds and all. “I’ll have to talk to Crystal first.”
“Obviously,” he replied.
“And it can’t happen until after the wedding and honeymoon.”
“Sure, sure.”
“And I want to keep my armor.”
“You have a Celestia Cross. You have that right.”
“Then tentatively, I accept,” I said, offering a hoof. “Providing I have my mare’s permission.”
He smiled brightly and took it with an enthusiastic shake. “About time.”
Working with Shining Armor and Lady… Governor Cadence would certainly be the next best thing to being with Princess Luna. That could work. “There is one more thing.”
“Pushing that negotiation to the limit after shaking, huh? Do you want a promotion, too?”
My head shook. “No, sir. I mean yes, but that isn’t what I mean. We’re friends, right? Kind of?”
He blinked. “I like to think so. Even if most of our time together has been work-related. Why?”
I swallowed and met his curious look with my own serious one. “My father kind of sucked as a parent. I mean, he did things right when it came to being a guard, but he was never there for me for personal stuff.
“You were my boss, but you always put a priority on my wellbeing. Me taking a day off or having fun. You were there when I lost my first relationship and when I graduated. Other things, too. You know, when I needed a Dad.”
His look softened into a fond smile. “Of course, I was happy to. I saw a lot of potential in you, you just needed to have more balance.”
“I know and I’m not good at that, which is why I want to come work for you. You’re a good influence, but what I’m getting at is that it would mean the world to me if you’d be one of the groomsponies in my wedding.”
“I’d be honored!” he exclaimed before throwing a hoof over my shoulder. “Truly!”
With a sigh of relief, I said, “Thank you.”
“No problem. Now, as my first duty as a groomspony, I’m taking you back to the shower before one of the mares notices we’re gone.”
“I already regret my decision,” I teased.
“Sure, sure. Come on.”
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Lovely chapter as always.
Dang it! Given your other stories It's somewhat hard for me not to see the Luna X Crystal X Silent solution, though I suppose that wouldn't be your style.
On one hand, i dont want silent to leave luna.On the other hand, i think it would be interesting to see him interact w/ cadance
Well, that's going to be tough for us readers. Or for me at least. SK not being in the House Guard, I mean.
Getting a "When one dies, it is a tragedy. When a million die, it is a statistic." vibe here suddenly...
As much as I see the logic behind Silent's decision, I would be ready to question such an approach. Besides, he might just get crazy with worrying over Luna's safety if he's away from her...
Is he going to purge the guard (before he leaves) of all the others who, while they might not be as close, are good friends to Luna? It seems like a big oversight not to plan their removal as well as his own.
6645832 Oh come on, you know that is why he likes unicorns! They look good coming and going ;D
6645892 Hahaha, well, knowing me that is possible! Although in this case I don't think we're seeing that happen.
6645938 Silent working for Cadence could, indeed, be extremely entertaining to write and read. She has her own sense of humor and style for sure.
6645945 I think it is going to be touch on Silent too! Change isn't always bad though.
6645984 He certainly might. He could be checking up on the new commander constantly.
6646047 I think what he and Luna have is well beyond friendship. She has actively made an effort to protect him. That hasn't occurred for any other ponies. He's compromised, they're not.
If Silent Knight went to the crystal empire, would he have to kill Sombra like he did with all of those griffons? I'd pay money to see that
, and him throwing cadence in front of Shining.
6645945 Same. then again Luna will more than likely be conspiring to keep him.
I was kind of hoping that the Equestrian Army Special Forces would try to get into contact with Silent Knight, but this is all right too. I guess.
6646063
Please, just stop you're not helping.
I hear this being yelled at me alot every payday over Warhammer 40k models.
Runic. The most dangerous pony known to Equestria, He is clearly a favorite. And at least hes honest. I think Ruby did the best thing she could do. Just back down. Cause the Glucid sounds particularly nasty.
Luna raised some valid points, but I can see and understand Silents point of view. Atleast she did come clean about how she wasn't ready for someone new yet to take his place. And you can clearly see the situation is clearly affecting Silent too. He dont want to leave, but he feels he has too. Atleast he was able to deflect her when she was asking about Alistair, but.. I think he needs to come clean to her and tell her about what he saw. It seems he's missing a key to the puzzle.
And yes. Wedding showers are a zoo. All in all a wonderful chapter that showed alot of good points and raised some concerns for everyone. cant wait for next chapter.
'End of the story draws near'
I'm honestly not certain Luna wouldn't do something reckless for her next guard. Not that she isn't unusually close to Silent, but she strikes me as that kind of pony.
Holy handgranade! that's a crazy awesome solution!
....
oh, wait I like the Work-For-Cadance solution too.
I agree with Anzel, change is good. This is a slice of life story. I find it's more realistic of things are constantly changing, moving and grooving. Although the biggest arcing plot point is the background history of the Alicorns and I'm not sure how that would get covered if Silent is away from Luna. There's probably ways it could work, regular dream conversations?
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
I like a lot about this chapter. The opening scene was cute. Runic absolutely stole the show for the first half of the chapter. The interaction between Silent and Luna was interesting. And the wedding shower. Showers are usually for the women. XD But I like the Shining-Silent conversation.
6646230
Sombra. He is different in this iteration of the MLP universe and Silent Knight being in his old (current?) home base could be a key to the history of the alicorns.
6646269 That's a great idea. I feel that the stuff the came out of Alistairs mouth when he died is a key part in that, and I'd like it if that was connected to Sombra. Sounds like a decent plan: change location which lets you introduce more fun scenarios (and probably even MORE characters) but also reveals more of the Alicorn history and bring in a "antagonist", then SK only has to communicate with Luna every now and again to confirm new reveals and semi-occasional SK/Luna cuddles that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Another swag chapter. :P
6646063 The way you say that makes me think that it won't happen.
Bwah? Please tell me there is a sequel planned!
6645984
Who is Joseph Stalin? I'm pretty sure he's the one who said that...
6646360
There is a third book planned, yes. Secrets will end but the show will go on a bit longer. Also yes, it was Stalin.
6646307 I can neither confirm nor deny! You know how I do. I won't commit to anything in advance ;D
6646278 Thank you kindly!
6646251 Runic is always fun for me to write. He inserts some humor and insanity into the world. I also really like the SA/SK bond. OTP!
6646244 You may! Next week ;D
6646230 Oh I have a plan or two... Or three. We'll see! The third book is pretty well planned out.
6646187 A valid point but we know she has a particular affinity for SK that seems to go above and beyond other ponies.
6646118 Never fear, it is the end of this story but not the chronicle.
6646107 It is certainly going to be a struggle for all of the ponies involved. That said, change seems inevitable at this point.
6646104 I am rarely helpful!
6646103 SA has a lot more familiarity with him :D
6646071 Well... only time will tell ;D I spoil nothing ^_^
Wow. Nice. It looks like Crystal may be living in the Crystal empire soon.
6646387
6646387 I still feel like they'd at least try to reach out to him, even more so because of his family history.
Curiouser and curiouser. I'm trying to coordinate various hints and tidbits from across both stories. There are a bunsh of potentialities hinted at but not all of them coordinate well. Moving to the Crystal Empire in specific seems like it would make a bunch of things much more difficult.
Hmmmm... Thoughts and ideas... I should probably stop before I drive myself batty.
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Ah...
Umm...
I really want to say something about... Never mind. I'm not looking to get slapped. Then punched. And then probably slapped again for good measure.
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It is actually contested whether he really said it, although, all things considered, it fits him like a glove...
It seems I might get the ending I wanted after all, but my parinoia for it all to come crashing down on Silent Knight is ever present. Can't wait for more!
There is a lot of good changes coming down the pipes for Silent Knight; new wife, new job position. So, are we invited to the wedding?
Er, did you mean snorted? As for Sunny and SK swapping jobs:
It really isn't a bad idea and really what could command do if Celestia and Luna want this? This would also be interesting because SK would be working closely with the pony who wold know the best about what went on during the time period SK is studying and the history of the Alicorns.
A long list of ponies and I think it still gets beat out by the ponies we just met in the last chapter of Crystal Wishes: Upper Crust's family
Good for Shining Armor and SK does show interest in working for Cadence after all. Could be even better than switching jobs with Sunny given how well he works with Shining Armor.
Yeah, there's no telling what kind of trouble that sister of yours might get up to if you let her use it.
Well, it's good to see he knows what the real priorities are.
Anyways, this was a fun chapter and it is good to see Silent has a good option for when he leaves his position, although I feel like Luna is not going to let him leave Canterlot without a fight so we'll have to see how things shake out.
6646387 Hm, this comment is making me wonder if you have any plans to give Runic his own story. He is a lot of fun and it would give Miley more time in the spotlight too which would be nice, although he might be hard to do first person with all his eccentricities.
My reaction to Luna and Silent Knight hugging: aaaaw.
Aww, so it looks like Silent will be resigning. I was hoping he would stay on with the guard, too.
3 ponies that should never be left alone with each other; Pinkie, Azurite, and Runic. Discord would have to give up his title as Master of Chaos should this come to pass.
I hope Sk plans fail for once. He belongs where he is right now.
While I love this chapter and I think it's awesome, and paints the future of SK and Luna in a positive light, there is a tiny issue I have with it. I, personally, think that the talk between SK and Luna about his "retirement" was cut really short. It took me no more than three minutes to read that discussion and obsorb what had just happened. I'm not saying it should have been dragged out, but it should, and could, have been longer, for such a pivotal moment that I was both dreading and looking forward to.
That's a hard request, airships are cool.
Yeah, that seems like the right reaction.
Sunny is going to be such a good guard that she unfortunately officially discovers the unauthorized covert mission, isn't she?
The cat's out of the bag now.
Dangit, Silent, this plan of yours that I do not like is starting to make too much sense.
Holy crap, the construction is complete, I was starting to think we'd never see it before something exciting and disruptive happened.
That's an interesting idea, though it would involve upsetting Sunny's life in a way that may not be similarly needed.
That list is slightly terrifying. Though, of course Celestia would attend, this is more or less just like the visit to the hospital earlier in the story.
Dangit, and now Shining even agrees with Silent's plan. /surrender
Huh, now that's an interesting idea. It's going to be a way different story if we're suddenly up in the Empire full time. Which is kind of apt since it probably is going to be in a different story.
SK's dry "yeah, perfectly normal." got me more than once.
6648133 You left poor Miley out
6649572 SHE GOES WITH dERPY
If I could I would put a table flip emoji here!
Why so close to the screen?
I've noticed something. It's been a looooong time since we've heard anything regarding the mystery of the alicorns. Feel like that might come up in either path SK takes. If he goes to say guard, Celestia's might reveal done information or if SK does go to the Crystal Empire there might be a few more clues.
Anyway keep it up.
Anzel, I had no idea you'd ever include a subplot where we see Silent Knight as a Stud Life master-in-training! Heinie all day every day!
There's no need to mention Cadence twice.
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DEMOCRACY VOTE,
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE
ALL AGAINST SAY NEIGH
And lo, after so long... I have finally caught up. By Jingo did I miss a lot! Dang! This is progressing so much! Why must one be so busy?! I need more time for Silent!!
I support him! GO SILENT! DO THE THING YOU NEED TO DO! Even if it is... *sniff* leaving Princess Luna... *sniff*
Why...?
Dont... Don't actually answer that. I understand his reasons... Just being dramatic is all...
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huh...you're right! This is probably the end of Secrets, but not of Silent's story. That's a relief! I was frustrated that all the questions weren't answered! Plus, well, Silent and Crystal and Luna and Runic and...... *insert cast list* rock!!
6650437 hehehe, I believe he means Lovey Dovey, if any are confused... Also, I wonder if Rossby will be there? Or will he sulk at Crystal for forever for not being invited?
Nice chapter! Damn Luna's new wing sound interesting. I am pleased with more Ruby Moon :)
Shining! He's back! And it looks like we are going to be getting more of him. Oh happy days. I do enjoy his interactions with Silent.