Silver Shield

by David Silver

22 - The Next Adventure

The food was placed before them. Silver nodded in thanks to the waitress. "Rough, have you tried anything this... carnivorous before?"

Rough waved it off. "'Course I have. I felt obligated to, writing about the humanoids so much. If they can enjoy being omnivorous, why not me?"

Nefer skewered a finely sliced bit of beef. "A bold enough sentiment, but there are... more practical concerns."

"I was careful," Rough insisted as he picked up his plate and tore into some of the food there, meat and vegetable alike. "Did you die when you tried some pony food, Dave?"

Silver blinked. He was not called that often, but if anyone would, Rough Draft was that pony. "I avoided things I knew wouldn't work out, like most flowers. Besides that, there are tons of veggies that are completely fine."

Nefertari licked some of the juice of her meal free of her lips. "And now you are one."

"Sorry," muttered Rough, sounding sullen suddenly.

Silver reached out a wing, brushing Rough's shoulder. "What are you sorry for?"

Rough gave an awkward smirk. "I get my OC hoofed to me, right in my lap, and I can't even keep him safe the first trip we make. In the end... he's gone."

"I'm right here," protested Silver. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Nefertari steepled her fingers. "But you are not what you once were." A sharp smile spread. "Of course, who is?"

Rough gave a light nod at Nefer's words. "You have a point there. I'm not... who I was either." He suddenly smiled, flat teeth displayed. "We've come a long way."

Silver suddenly hugged Rough. Not physically, but with his magic, compressing the earth pony all around firmly. "And we have so much more to go. I'm sorry, about Trixie."

"You say that as if it were your fault." Rough snorted softly at the idea as he hefted up his glass of pungent wine and took a heavy draw.

"Isn't it?" Silver sat up a bit more. "If I hadn't gone pony, Trixie wouldn't have been assigned to be with us, to help raise me."

Rough put down the glass a bit more roughly than he intended, dark red fluid sloshing about. "Give me some credit! I made my decisions!"

Nefertari looked nothing but pleased. "That works both ways. If he is to accept your agency, then too must you accept his."

Rough glanced between Nefertari and Silver a moment before he let out a thunderous sigh. "I never could win an argument with a mare."

Nefertari was nothing but pleased in appearance, sampling a finely spiced potato that dangled from her sharp claws. "I am not a mare."

Silver burst into laughter. "She's a bitch," he explained, wondering if anyone on the planet knew the other context of the word.

"Precisely," agreed Nefertari. "Your compliment is accepted in the tone given, however."

They enjoyed their dinner, talking in friendly tones. When it came time to pay, Silver set his coin bag on the table and covered it. "Once you get so much of the stuff, you stop worrying about it. It's a nice feeling."

Nefertari arched a brow. "If I did not know you better, I would claim you were gloating."

Silver pinkened at the words. "No! Please. I mean it. It's just a nice thing to not have to really worry about."

Rough punched Silver's closest shoulder with a hoof. "Not all of us are that wealthy. So, you won?"

"Won?"

He swirled the same hoof. "Life. You won it."

Silver flashed a smile at that. "In a matter of speaking." He knocked around a bit of food with his magic as he considered. "It's not over yet, we've been over that. I'm on a good road, but there's plenty more to go. I get asked to do things I'm not sure how to do, and I just do my best."

Rough smacked his lips together. "I'm still doing what I always did, just with a foal attached. She watches me write sometimes, you know? I wonder if she'll get into roleplaying..." His ears fell to either side in his contemplations, his eyes losing their focus, at least until Nefertari prodded him with a claw.

"Focus on the present," she said. "Your son cares for you, this much is clear. It is an honor, to hold such respect for one's elders, and to be respected by one's progeny. While it would be ideal to assume this is the default, it often is not the case."

Silver grew curious. He popped the little tomato he had been playing with into his mouth before asking, "what about your parents?"

Nefertari winced faintly. "Dead. They died as they lived, as warriors. I was a disappointment to them, being born marked for priesthood. Being a spirit-speaker is an honorable position, venerated by many, but that is little comfort to parents eager to raise a warrior at their feet."

Rough grew rapidly confused. "You're not a warrio--"

His words were ended as he felt sharp claws pressing against his throat. Nefertari was behind him, ready to end him. "Consider your words carefully. This would be a displeasurable way to end a fine meal."

Silver acted without thought, panic surging through his form and his magic. The magic that he had begun to leave leaking out snapped into rigidity, exploding in a shell around Rough and repelling back the claws that threatened him a few precious inches. Panting from the sudden effort of it, Silver shuddered with fear and surprise.

Rough cleared his spared throat. "I didn't mean any offense by it. My apologies for fumbling my Friendship roll."

Nefertari flexed her claws as she settled back into her chair. "Apology accepted. All of us but the very lowest are warriors, but it is one thing to be a warrior, in ability, and a warrior, in purpose and caste. I am a spirit-speaker, often leader of our people, but we are not... warriors by purpose. Still, to not be a warrior by ability is to scarcely be an Anubian."

Rough pulled out a quill and a pad. "I have so many questions! Um... would you be upset if your people became a racial option in Humanway?"

"You will need to explain what that is before I can properly reply."

---

Fast sat up at the knocking. "Who is it?"

"It's me." The door opened with a glow, revealing a reformed changeling.

Fast did not recognize them. "Um, hi?"

"Hi..." He rubbed one leg with the other forehoof. "So... already forgot me?"

Fast blinked. The voice was ringing a... "Oh."

"Yeah..." He stepped forward a few paces. "I... guess I understand. I mean... I mean... No. I really don't... I thought we were..."

Fast bit her lower lip a moment before she stood up. "I'm so sorry!"

"You say that, but words are cheap." He looked down and away. "Did you really have no feelings for me, or any of us?"

"That isn't true!" She almost hopped in place, slapping down a hoof. "I miss the hive! I've already visited a few times. Don't say that!"

"But not me... and you avoid your own grubs."

Fast shrank at that. "I..."

"You need your happy ending."

"I..."

"One without changelings being married to you, or having changeling children."

Fast trembled. "I..."

"Tell me you hate me."

"What?!" Fast was shaken out of her stupor with a start.

"Tell me you hate me and you never want to see me again, so I can just... go." His voice hitched as he spoke, silent tears coming from his eyes. "Just tell me, then I won't bother you again. Go on!"

Fast sank to her haunches, deflating. "I don't want to hurt you, or anypony," she barely breathed out, shaking like a leaf.

"Tell me I was a bad husband."

"No!" She recoiled. "I won't lie."

"Tell me you're happier here, with him."

Fast bit her bottom lip, lost. "I don't want to hurt you..."

"What do you want?"

Fast sank slowly to her belly. "I... want what I can't ever have."

He smiled, a sad little smile. "You should fix that." He turned for the door. "I'll tell the grubs you're alright at least. Mirage was asking about you."

"Little Mir mir..." she drew in a phlegmy sniffle. "W-wait... I..."

"You've said that a lot." He looked back at her. "Maybe you should think about other people more."

Fast felt her jaw tense as anger suddenly flared. "That's not fair! I'm only in this whole thing because I tried to help all of you. I didn't want to be a changeling princess! I didn't want to rule a hive! I just wanted to learn magic and get a husband and do incredibly kinky things with him forever!"

He quirked his lips into a smile. "I never was quite... kinky enough."

Fast let out an explosive sigh. "Silver isn't really either. He has an imagination, but once you're in front of him, he just wants what most stallions want. Don't get me wrong, he's full of love, but..."

"So he isn't perfect either?" asked the changeling.

Fast blinked. "Who is?"

"Will you abandon him the moment you see someone better?"

Fast scrambled to her hooves. "H-How... Nnng, no!" She clopped the floor roughly. "I will not!"

"Why should anyone trust you?" He arched a brow. "We were married, after all. I never did wrong by you, at least that I know of, yet here you are..."

Fast cringed, thinking of Celestia's words. "Then I have to... stop running. I have to stand my ground and be... strong, even if things are bad."

He smiled, hope glimmering. "You'll come back?"

Fast put a hoof on her chest. "If I said yes, I would be running, again. You deserve better than me."

His eyes fell towards the floor. "Oh..."

"I know it never sounds good at the time, ever... but... I do want us to be friends..."

He laughed softly. "No, it really never does." He suddenly darted in and kissed her on the nose. "But I believe you... Please, stop hiding from your children... They deserve to have a mother."

Fast threw her legs around the male and hugged him tight and close. "You deserve a wife, so please find one that's better than me. I'll try to at least be a decent friend, and I'll visit them, I swear. No more running."

They embraced quietly. There was no love between them, only longing for the past, hope for the future, and a burning need for companionship between them.

Author's Note:

Relationships and feelings as far as the eye can see!

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Comments

[terrycloth]

... yeah, she's totally going to run out on Silver again. I think that's just something you have to learn to live with if you want to be with her.

Bug Husband shouldn't give up so easily. He could fight for partial custody.

[Daremo]

than too must you - then too must you

Fast was shook - Fast was shaken

he jut wants - he just wants

I beleive you - I believe you

I'l try to - I'll try to

---

Heavy subject and heavy feelings today.

I figure Fast will stop running when she figures out what it is that she really wants, but that's always been easier to say than actually do. I personally haven't figured that one out yet.

The talk with Silver, Rough and Nef Nef was a nice counterweight to Fast and Mirage.

There are lots of broken relationships spinning off onto new paths all of a sudden... I blame Text.

---

Nefertari steepled her fingers. "But you are not what you once were." A sharp smile spread. "Of course, who is?"

As the saying goes - Nobody wakes up in the morning as the same person that went to sleep.

[David Silver]

8123139 Typos sent to Twilight for discipline.

[tsaukpaetra]

Tricky changelings with their spinning double words!
Keep going! ;)

[harts fire]

wow this chapter is rather interesting. it defiantly looks as if a new story ark is starting.

[redmar]

I'm not going to upvote this story since there is just too much that I don't really like about it. The pacing of the story in the start is rather inconsistent and confusing and the time skip since Silver's coronation should have been clearer at the start.