Silver Shield

by David Silver

12 - Start Arc 2 - A visit

Silver set down the paper with a thoughtful hmm. He looked around his office. To the right were his lovely foals playing with Fast Change. She was much happier looking than the miserable pile she had shown up in. With excited little coos and squeals, she play-wrestled with them, keeping them occupied so Silver could work.

He smiled at the sight. "Booksalot wrote back."

"Did he?" She perked an ear at him. "About that human?"

"That's the one." Silver nodded. "I plan to visit them both, and I think I'll take Night with me."

Fast perked an ear. "Why not me?"

Silver blinked. He hadn't even considered it, and he felt extra foolish for it. "I don't see any reason why not."

A knocking came from the door just a moment before Luna stepped in, Gaea Shield just behind her. "Silver, Fast. I need to speak to him."

Fast waved it off. "I'm just a moving bit of decoration, promise."

Luna flashed a smile. "It involves you, actually..." She gestured to the side and Gaea sat out of the way. "I have considered your request, and before I can give a reply, I do need to know a few things."

"Yeah?" Fast suddenly tipped over, Clear Twilight shoving her over easily. Morning Glory popped into existence on her downed head. "What's up?" Fast asked muffledly from under her foal prison.

Luna smiled a little as the door swung shut behind her. "I am to understand you abdicated the throne, yet you remain a royal changeling."

Fast grimaced before she became a changeling once more. The foals did not seem to mind much and kept climbing on her. "It's not because I want to be anymore."

"I understand that." Luna sank to her haunches. "The hive is recovering nicely, so we cannot say you have left your people in a bad place... But you are left awkwardly. Most changelings who remain have transitioned to the new way, yet here you are, clinging to the old. Why do you not go with them?"

Fast's horn glowed as she plucked the foals free to sit between her legs as she sat on her haunches. "I am not a changeling. I don't want to be whatever that next step is. I want to be a unicorn. A nice, normal, kinda pervy unicorn."

Luna nodded. "Then I cannot accept you." Fast's expression shifted between anger and horror at once, but Luna held up a hoof. "Not as you are. We must address your condition, either by seeing you returned to your original unicorn self, or you must step forward. Life is change, as our husband knows well." Her eyes moved to Silver. "Would you return to being a unicorn?"

Silver blinked and sat up straight. "I don't think that's an option, but... no, I am what I am."

"As am I," agreed Luna. "And as are you." She pointed at Fast. "We will help you. In the end, one or the other, but those are the two choices. Do you understand?"

Gaea cleared his throat and all eyes turned towards him. "I found something, uh, your majesties."

Luna nodded. "That is, in part, why I brought him."

Gaea stepped forward and set down a scroll on the table with an agile wing. "Star Swirl thought he could cure the changelings."

Fast perked her ears, face lighting with hope before it all came crashing down. It was just as that little hellion had told her. "But he didn't, or we wouldn't have changelings."

"You're half-right," agreed Gaea as he tapped the scroll. "Here's the spell he used, and his notes. He was very specific why it just wouldn't work."

Luna nudged him on the back. "And that is?"

"Right, it's because the 'corruption', or what made changelings what they were, ran too deep and too wide. 'A few imperfections I could fix,' he claimed." He pointed at Fast. "You are only partially there, a hoof in the door. This might kick you back out again."

Fast did what she could think to do in the face of such potentially good news. She pounced on Gaea and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" She breathed out, dragging him to the ground under the force of that embrace.

Silver's horn glowed as he hefted the scroll, but even as he did Luna raised a hoof. "This is your new task, my stallion. Cure her, or escort her to the next step of her life, either way. This is not a personal affair, not entirely. The people need to see Fast transitioned one way or the other, and they will have it. I trust you to see this through."

Her eyes fell at a nudge. The terrible duo had found her. Morning Glory reached up at her and she smiled. "Hello, son in law." She lowered to nuzzle him, then Clear Twilight. "It is good to see you both in such good health."

Luna dipped her head. "Until later." She left quietly.

Shield clambered up to his hooves, smiling awkwardly. "I know you've done right by Equestria, Fast. I hope he can use what I found and fix things, but even if not, you are you."

"I am me," echoed Fast as she sat up. "That seems to be a common thought around here lately. But am I?"

"Yes." Shield poked her right on the nose. "You are. I look forward to getting to meet you all over again, Fast Change, once this is all over."

Silver smiled as Gaea took his leave. "Well, I have something to do now..." He set the scroll down, partially unfurled.

"What about that human?" Fast reminded.

Silver swore. "I forgot all about that! If my head wasn't attached..." He tapped his forehooves together. "You know, this changes things. Maybe it would be better if you came with me."

"Huh, why?" She tilted her head.

"Night has duties here, you don't at the moment, and I can keep working on this spell with you right there. I can get two birds with one stone."

Fast nodded, but went still a moment. "So... how badly did I fuck it up?"

"Hmm?"

"The hive." Fast rolled a chitinous hoof. "Leaving it behind... running to you, all that... Was I being a big crying foal?"

Silver's horn glowed as he pulled Fast around the desk for a proper hug. "You were, but I've been there. We all have..." He kissed each of her cheeks. "You're human."

"No I'm not."

Silver rolled his eyes. "You're a person. Persons are not perfect. You did so much good for them, for Equestria in general..." He nuzzled slowly along her snout. "I've missed you so much... Let's fix this."

"So we can bang the night away?"

Silver blushed at her blunt words. "That's one way to put it, but I'd settle for being able to proudly proclaim that you are one of the mares that collectively own me."

Fast blinked at that. "Own you? I thought stallions liked to think they owned the mares, all of them, all to himself."

"I'm not that deluded," assured Silver with a smirk. "I am a shared possession of my wives, to be used, loved, and shared. It is their maturity that makes this work. I could cry and pout all day, they'd still own me. Good thing I love them back."

A crash brought both of their eyes quickly to a shattered globe that the twins had managed to knock over. The candies that were held inside were being plundered by the two eagerly.

Fast laughed as she moved to scoop them up. "My bad! Some foalsitter I am." She collected them up carefully as Silver snatched away the candy in his magic. "You two are such little troublemakers." She kissed the forehead of each. "Come on now, Daddy has work to do." She trotted from the room with the foals, leaving Silver alone.

Silver settled before down as he started collecting all the pieces and putting them back on the shelf. He soon had it glued together primitively. It was obvious it had broken, but it was in one piece at least. "I am so lucky," he breathed out with a happy smile. Even if he had things to do and challenges to face, he could not shake the feeling that he was a blessed pony to be filled on all sides with good friends and family. He was sure he could make it through.

---

Night thrust a hoof at a flinching pink mare with green mane. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Making a summoning circle, teacher?" She gestured at it. "Did I do it wrong?"

"It's perfectly serviceable... if you were trying to call any spirit, which you aren't." Night frowned. "Every circle should be tailored to the specific entity you wish to reach."

The rest of the class made little noises of comprehension. The lectured student nodded a little. "Couldn't you just, you know, spruce it up before you do the call?"

"You could," confessed Night. "If you know the spirit you're calling and exactly what will work with it. Do you know a spirit that well?" The mare shook her head. "Then erase that and do it right from the start." She turned and walked towards the chalkboard. "Today we're focusing on water spirits, and if half of you get one to appear, we're doing great. If no one drowns, extra credit." Her mouth moved silently a moment. "Twenty percent chance I'll be forcing water out of someone's lungs. Kindly beat those odds."

"Little Watch," called a spirit as it walked through the wall. It was Night's grandfather. "He's making plans to go visit a human. He's taking that harlot, Fast Change with him."

Night snorted softly. "That 'harlot' was my first wife and I love her very much. You be nice."

He nodded to her. "Sorry." His ghostly eyes went to the class, half of which was staring at him. "Still teaching them how to be shamans?"

"And still learning," she answered with a hint of a smile. "If Silver wants to go visit a human with Fast, let them. I'm not jealous of her, for Luna's sake."

"As you say..." He trotted past her on silent hooves, approaching one of the students, a scrawny stallion that gaped at him. "First time seeing one of me?"

"No sir!" he squeaked, voice hitching. "Just that first... that was so... pony'sh... If you weren't transparent and everything, I would think you were alive, sir."

He pointed back at Night Watch. "That's because my Little Watch keeps me alive in her heart. Her love gives me form, and life."

"Y-yes sir..." He perked an ear before he looked away.

"What is it?"

The stallion looked up at the ghost, squirming. "Could I talk to my grandmother, like how the teacher does with you?"

Author's Note:

A new month? Clearly time to continue the Silver Verse!

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Comments

[Daremo]

Than I cannot - Then I cannot

hugged him tight - hugged him tightly

---

Not enough typos for a full meal, so I suppose that makes this a tasty dessert on a Friday night.

So may plot threads opening up, so many old ones still dangling, like lines in a spider's web ready to snare the unwary.

[Boulder]

Luna nodded. "Than I cannot accept you."

Uh Daremo beat me to it.

I can get two birds with one stone."

I can appreciate not wanting to use the 'kill' word, but you're still stoning birds, just a thought 'I can catch two birds with one net."

A crash brought both of their eyes quickly to a shattered globe that the twins had managed to knock over.

jar?

Silver settled before down as he started collecting all the pieces and putting them back on the shelf.

'down before' or just 'before'?

[harts fire]

"This is your new task, my stallion. Cure her, or escort her to the next step of her life,
first point witch would be best for the grater good of all or the few?
I would not want to even try to decide this.

"What is it?"
The stallion looked up at the ghost, squirming. "Could I talk to my grandmother, like how the teacher does with you?"
I have no reason for it and this will probably be the only time we hear of this young stallion but I feel a passion a thirst of knowledge from him.
a exultant chapter DS.

[David Silver]

7995888 Being a magic unicorn means you can move while interacting with things pretty easily.

[tsaukpaetra]

Good, there are students there with a purpose, which will help focus. Just.... Let's hope not obsessively so.
Gaea found an escape rope made of hemp, here's to hoping it doesn't fray too hard during use.
So the Hive hasn't outwardly revolted yet? Give it time...
Keep going! ;)