Chapter 19: A Night on the Town
Silver’s earlier anxiety and worry was practically gone now, and more than anything he was just overjoyed that Scarlet hadn’t seriously injured herself. It was as if a huge weight was off of his conscience, because despite what she had said plenty of times that night, he still couldn’t help but feel guilty over it. Sure, she was fine with it, maybe a little annoyed at the time, but fine in the end.
But, all that said, she was still down one prized telescope, a telescope that he had broken, and had almost caused her to break her hoof over as a result. He had thought it was all over right then and there, but much to his own relief and surprise, Scarlet had accepted it as an accident and moved on. Now that the aftermath was cleared up, they could finally begin to relax together.
“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Silver joked as he trotted out the door with Scarlet close by his side, leaning against him for support.
Scarlet paused for a moment and gave a quick glance back to her newly splinted back hoof, “Not really. Still feels weird having to go see a vet about this, but eh, I guess it’s better than nothing.”
“Of course it’s better than nothing,” he corrected. “Remember what the vet said? You’re lucky you didn’t break it.”
“Of course, it’s just you know, a lot of money for two ponies with no income to spend on. Plus it’s kind of embarrassing…”
“But you’re safe and sound now, and that’s what’s most important. That money was for emergencies anyways,” even if I was going to splurge on a new telescope for you, he thought. “Not like we were planning on making any other big purchases,” except you know, fixing my mistake...
“True, I guess that’s the bright side.”
“And you wanted to just let it heal on its own,” he teased, sticking his tongue out at her.
“Har har, guess that’s another one I owe you then, eh?”
“Oh?” he smirked. “Nah, we’re even. Clean slate from here on out.”
“Clean slate you say? Well I guess I get to be the first one to treat the other to something then.”
“Oh?” he replied back in mock surprise. “Well I guess that means that I get to be the first one to one up the other.”
She waved him along the sidewalk, walking down the worn concrete as if she had done this plenty of times before— which she probably had if she had lived here her whole life.
“You wanna make this a game Silvie? Because I can make this a game.”
“More cuddles under the stars?”
“More cuddles under the stars, and maybe even more depending on how we’re feeling. The little dinner date is just the tip of the iceberg tonight my friend, I still promised you a trip to the observatory, remember?”
“Are you saying it’s a date?”
“Oh it’s a date, you know, just after we get to my parents’ place. Mom and dad know this place better than I do, I’m sure they’ll know where all the ponies hang at, and if that doesn’t work out then I guess we’ll just find something else to do.”
Silver smiled, leaning close to her, “Even if it doesn’t, we’ll make it work out.”
“Will we now?” she smirked. “You don’t even know what’s around here.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged, “but it’s us, we’ll find some way to make it fun if nothing else works out.”
She let out a small laugh, “I love you, you know that?”
“I love you too,” Silver finished with an overjoyed smile.
Scarlet was right, he really didn’t have any idea of what kind of night life there was in the valley, let alone what places would even cater to ponies, but he didn’t care. The two could be thrown into the most mundane situation and still find something to have fun with, even if it was just chatting and sharing stories together under the stars. It was corny and dorky, but the more time Silver spent with Scarlet, the more he grew to just love his situation. Being a pony might have been awkward and frustrating at first, and even a little lonely, but he wouldn’t trade anything in the world to go back to being a human, as long as it meant he got to spend time with his best friend in the world.
He had no idea if it was the same for other night ponies, he only knew a handful, and of all that small group, none were dating. But he and Scarlet spent almost every hour of the day together, and that only helped grow their bond. Sure, there were little patches where the two got on each other’s nerves— every relationship had those, but in the end it always turned out just fine, and he always knew that they could weather any storm, no matter how rough or rocky it was. Sometimes it was dumb stuff like Silver leaving the blankets out, or Scarlet’s choice of dreams to spend time in, but at the end of the day, the two were never afraid of sharing how much they meant to each other, and that made it all worth it.
A small smile spread across the stallion’s face as he thought about his best friend. He knew he just needed to get her a new telescope, even if he had blown through the majority of his emergency cash tonight. She had made him feel so happy and loved, and had asked for nothing in return except for the same feelings, feelings which he definitely shared. She deserved to have something nice to really pursue her hobby, even if he had to work hard to get it— and he would. Sure, he might not have a ton of cash to go spending on something like this, but he had a mechanically inclined background and just so happened to have a couple of new friends that could definitely fix up Scarlet’s old broken telescope.
“Silver, did you hear what I said? You almost just walked into the street.”
He blinked a few times and nodded, “Sorry, just lost in thought I guess.”
“Well I was saying that maybe we should just fly over to my parents place instead of having me hobble over there. Not that I don’t like being so close to you and all, but you know, it’ll give us some more time to just enjoy ourselves tonight.”
He nodded, glancing around at the dimly lit street, “Probably a good call. Is it far?”
“Nope! And it’s even closer if we just fly over everything else,” she paused. “So, whatcha thinking about anyways?”
“You.” He smiled, “I’ve only known you for a short time, but it feels like we’ve been lovers forever.”
“Dream realm does that to you I guess,” she agreed. “Not that it’s a bad thing, I think it’s kind of sweet that we can spend so much time together. Really makes it all the more special.”
“And a hell of a lot less lonely. I was just thinking that I wouldn’t ever trade any of this to go back. To being human I mean. Sure, maybe I had some fallings out because of it, but I never would have met you if it didn’t happen, and I’m so glad that I did.”
“I’m glad I did too Silvie.” She gave him a small kiss, “How about we go for a nice long flight and I can show you what this place is like? Trust me, it’s probably not like any other night flight you’ve taken in a while.”
He returned the kiss, “Sounds great Scar!”
With an excited trot in their step, the two ran forward and leaped into the sky, gracefully sweeping up and over the nearby homes, heading toward Scarlet’s old home, where the couple would no doubt be hounded with a million excited questions.
Scarlet walked ahead of Silver as they neared her family’s home, being sure to keep the pressure off of her injured back hoof. She paused just a short distance from the lawn, glancing between the home and her stallionfriend a couple of times.
“Okay, just let me do the talking, don’t get embarrassed with their questions, they’re just gonna be excited to see you.”
Silver nodded, “Gotcha. Can’t be that big of a deal right?”
“Welllll you haven’t met my parents. Just don’t be afraid to tap out if it gets to be too much. They’re… excitable and energetic, and think ponies are adorable.”
“Guess that makes making a first impression a bit easier, eh?”
She chuckled, “Probably. Just be yourself, they’re gonna love you.”
“Can do!”
She nodded and let out a small breath, “Alright, well let’s go give ‘em a knock, see how they are.”
“Should I leave out the part about having to go to the vet that wasn’t trained for this kind of thing?”
“What do you think?”
“Me? Oh I think they’re gonna think it’s adorable.”
“Silver!” she shouted back, eliciting another laugh from the stallion.
“What?! You said to be ready for the barrage or embarrassing questions, what better way to do that then deflect them with an embarrassing story?!”
She shook her head, “I’ve made a monster… just uhh… let’s leave out the vet part for now, I don’t need them bringing that up every time they see me.”
“You think they will?”
“Silver, they’re my parents. Of course they will. Hey Scarlet, how’s the leg? Remember that time you kicked a tree and your stallionfriend had to take you to the vet? Did you get a treat for being good after? Yeah no, I don’t need that hanging over my head for the rest of my life, thank you very much.”
“Oh come on, I think it’d make for some fun conversation.”
“Yeah? Okay pal, you’re not the only one that can weaponize stories like that.”
Silver slyly smiled, “Is that right? What do you have against me?”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe the story about our first kiss, or the time you rolled out of bed because you didn’t realize you had cuddled up with me in your sleep, or maybe when you were cuddled up in a dog bed at the vet and looked really sad and distraught when they made you leave?”
Silver froze in place, “Well… I, you see…”
“That’s what I thought.” She stuck her tongue out, “Now let’s give the teasing a rest for a few and get the parent encounters out of the way.”
“Alright, we’ll call it a truce for now.”
“Good,” she smiled, “I’ll lead the way and do the talking, you just keep looking cute and play along, kay?”
He nodded.
“Awesome,” she began to trot forward, with Silver following close beside her.
He didn’t know what to expect, but based on the description and warnings so far, Silver could only assume that they were going to be super excited to see him, which gave him even more reason to get through the meeting quickly. He chuckled to himself, the embarrassing stories would definitely have to wait until later.
Scarlet paused and peeked over at Silver, before raising her hoof up and giving the door a few quick knocks. At first there was just silence, and then a small murmuring behind the door could be heard, making Silver twitch his ears in anticipation.
The door quickly swung open, revealing a kind looking couple that beamed down at the pair. The woman, who Silver guessed was Scarlet’s mom, was the first to speak up.
“Oh my gosh! Scarlet, is this your little boyfriend?!”
She ran forward and was pulled into a tight hug, making Silver smile at the sight.
“Hey mom! Hey dad! It’s so good to see you guys again!”
The woman let go of her daughter, “It’s great to see you too.” She turned toward Silver, “And it’s really good to see you! I’m Margaret, and you must the pony that Scarlet called us about.”
“Nice to meet you!” Silver beamed, “Scarlet’s told me all about you guys.”
“Good things I presume?” her father spoke up.
Scarlet nodded, “Very good things. I think you guys are gonna get along really well.”
Margaret looked back toward Scarlet, and grimaced at her splinted hoof, “Let’s get you two inside so you’re not standing around on that leg.”
“It’s fine mom, it doesn’t hurt that bad.”
“I don’t care, you need to relax for a bit.”
“Plus it gives us some time to chat with you two. You know, it also gives us a chance to get to know more about Silver too, before you two can run away from us.”
Scarlet laughed, making Silver feel even more welcome, “What do you say Silvie? Wanna sit down and get the embarrassing parent questions out of the way? I’m sure they’re really itching to get to those.”
“It depends, are there going to be embarrassing baby pictures too?”
Scarlet’s father broke into a laugh, “I like him already Scarlet, he’s gonna fit right into the family.”
Silver couldn’t help but smile even more. He had only known her family for a few minutes at most, but it already felt like he had known them for ages. Something about the way they talked with him just put him at ease and brought a smile to his face. He knew the embarrassing questions were on the way, but he wasn’t as worried as he was before, because he knew he could just feel at home in their house.
As the pair trotted in, Margaret gently closed the door, waving them toward the cozy looking living room, “This is a total cliché, but I’ve got some cookies in the oven, they’re your favorite too Scarlet.”
“Grandma’s chocolate chip and butterscotch cookies?” she replied, licking her lips in anticipation.
“Grandma’s recipe,” she confirmed.
Scarlet leaned in close to Silver, “Maybe this was a good idea after all.”
Silver nodded, “Maybe? Free cookies on the table automatically wins me over, so I’d say this was a great idea.”
“So Silver, Scarlet told us all about how much you two loved each other, any future grandkids we need to know about?”
Silver’s face reddened as he glanced over at her father, “None yet…”
“Yet… So you’re saying that’s in the cards for the future?”
Silver looked over at Scarlet with an anxious look on his face.
“Let’s not jump the gun just yet dad, I’m sure you two will be the first to know if we ever decide to do that, isn’t that right Silver?”
“Mhmm”
The two bats soared high above the sprawling valley, the shimmering field of lights below almost looking like a vast galaxy in the middle of the dark and dusty desert. Silver couldn’t help but gasp out loud, earning a snicker from Scarlet.
“What’s up Silvie? Haven’t you seen a city from above before?”
“Sure,” he nodded, “just not one that’s so… flat. And spread out too,” he glanced over toward his marefriend, “It’s just so weird I guess. Back home was so… hilly and packed in, this whole place is like the opposite, you know?”
“Well that’s the valley for you hon. I don’t know about you, but it reminds me of space in a weird way.”
“That’s actually pretty much what I was thinking about. Something about having the bright lights above and below us just feels so… nice. You know what I mean?”
She smiled and drifted from side to side, closing her eyes for a brief moment, “It does. Ever since I was a filly I’ve dreamed about going up there, and this kind of almost feels like I’m doing it,” she paused and weaved across the sky in a way long arcs. “You know Silver, I never realized how much I missed doing this and I’m glad I can share this with you.”
“You did this before?”
“Mhmm,” she paused her graceful swim through the night sky, coming into a hover near the stallion. “Just after I transformed, when there were still a lot of ponies out here. There wasn’t much to do, but this was perfect for me. Made me feel like I had the whole world to myself, and it was like a dream come true too.”
“And then you moved?”
“Yeah. There wasn’t really a life down here for me, at least not one I wanted to live out. I could have stayed here and tried to continue my old life, but I thought why not just wipe clean the slate and start from scratch, and that was the best decision of my life… even if I do miss doing stuff like this.”
“I said it a bunch before, but I’ll say it until the day I die. It was the best decision of my life too, and I’m so glad we can spend this time together.”
“I am too.” She glanced down toward a more densely grouped spot of light in the city, “I think that’s the place mom and dad were talking about.”
“That pony bar?”
“No, the pony watching paint dry museum,” she teased. “Of course it’s the pony bar. Guess that place has been popping lately.”
“Didn’t they say it used to be some human run place?”
“It was, then I guess they decided to rebrand for a new audience or something.”
“Hey, it gives us something to do that isn’t answering all those awkward relationship questions from your parents,” he shrugged. “They’re nice, but maaaaan they know how to really grill you.”
She let out a loud laugh, “Heh, that’s on you buddy. I gave you advanced warning so you knew it was coming before you even caught sight of them.”
“True, true. Guess it could have been worse too.”
“Oh yeah? And how’s that?”
“Well, they could have been the don’t you dare break our daughter’s heart or we’ll come after you kind of parents.”
His response earned another laugh from her, that joyful sound bringing a loving smile to Silver’s face.
“Guess that’s true. My best friend growing up had a couple of parents like that. They were even like that through college too which probably got awkward.”
They slowly began to dip their altitude, their wings making subtle, almost involuntary adjustments while they kept to their conversation.
“Probably?” He glanced toward her, “How about very. I can’t imagine having my parents gush over someone like that as an adult.”
“Yours aren’t like that I’m guessing.”
“Far from it,” he agreed back, “They never really concerned themselves much with that kind of stuff.”
“So what are they like then?”
Silver froze at the innocent question, his thoughts just drifting away to the last conversation he had had with them. It was an argument, one that ended in his father calling him a brainwashed fool, a broken heart, and lots of tears on a good friend’s couch that night. A frown began to spread across his face, and his body tensed up as he tried to form a response that wouldn’t lead into him getting choked up.
“I think I told you this before, but I don’t really talk to them. I didn’t leave their place on good terms and it’s still an open wound for me.”
Scarlet slowed her descent and came to a hover. “Silver,” she laid a hoof across his back, “I didn’t realize it was a touchy subject.”
“It’s okay,” he replied, his voice taking a decidedly more sour tone, “It's just… I don’t know, I wish things could have ended better, but what he said just stung so much, and I wanted to just wash my hooves of it and move on.”
“It’s not okay though, you’re hurting and I feel bad for bringing it up.”
He looked her in the eyes, flashing the most sincere smile he could muster, “Scarlet, don’t feel bad. I never would have met you if I wasn’t a pony, and meeting you was the greatest moment in my life.”
“You’re too sweet.”
“I mean it though, you’ve done so much for me without even realizing it. You’re a pony who I can just share everything with, and it’s helped take my mind off of that,” some of the confidence returned to his voice. “Maybe it’s too soon to say, but I like to think it’s made me a better pony in the long run.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. I could have just resigned myself to being sad and upset over the falling out, but I didn’t. I decided to see what I could do, and meeting you only pushed that further. I’ve got a lot of dreams, and you’ve helped me follow them. So don’t feel bad, sometimes you just have these rough patches in life and then you meet someone that makes all the difference in the world— someone who really feels like your other half.”
She smiled, “Glad you’re handling it so well. So how about we check that place out and see what’s happening, get our minds off of what’s been bringing us down and just focus on us.”
“I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”
“What does?” came a new voice from nearby, startling Silver out of his hover.
He glanced over at a night pony with a purple coat so dark that she almost seemed to blend into the night sky. It was no wonder he didn’t see her approach, the mare almost had the perfect natural camouflage, her neon colored hair and piercing pink eyes were the only things that seemed to stand out in contrast.
“I uhh, sorry, guess I didn’t see you fly over.”
“Lots of ponies don’t.” She held out a hoof, “The name’s Sine Wave, nice to meet you Blue.”
“Blue?” he replied back with a confused face.
“Well I don’t have a name and you’re blue, aren’t you?”
He glanced over at Scarlet, who was scanning the new mare with an unreadable expression that almost seemed to shout Back off, I don’t like you.
With a few idle blinks, her expression softened and she flew in between Silver and Sine Wave, “Nice to meet you Sine. I’m Scarlet, and this is my stallionfriend Silver.”
Sine Wave gave Scarlet an apprehensive glare that quickly faded into a small smile, “Nice to meet you two. You from out of town or something? I don’t remember seeing you around.”
“He is. I grew up here though,” she replied. “How about you?”
“I’m a local. I grew up close to Phoenix, but wound up moving over here a while ago.”
“Sooo…” Silver interjected, sensing the tension in the air, “What’s up?”
“Not much. Saw a couple of bats flying around and figured I’d go say hi. There’s not a lot of us around here, so it’s a nice change of pace. How about you Blue?”
“We were just about to go stop by that pony hangout that’s popped up.”
“The Golden Horseshoe? I hate to burst your bubble but you’re not gonna find a whole lot of ponies down there right now. At best you’re gonna have like the only two other night ponies in the valley hanging out. Maybe the partial bartender too.”
“That’s fine by me,” Scarlet responded. “We were kind of planning on just hanging out tonight anyways.”
“Like a date?”
“Yes.”
Silver picked up on the unease and flew around Scarlet, “We kind of had a whole plan for tonight. Didn’t think we’d run into any other night ponies around here.”
“Mhmm, understandable,” Sine glanced down toward the bar. “Guess you’re not looking for another friend to hang with then.”
Silver glanced over to Scarlet, flashing her a look that he hoped read I need you to make a call on this. Taking his cue, she cleared her throat.
“We weren’t really planning on that… but some more company wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Just expect a lot of mushy romance stuff, this was kind of our date night.”
She shrugged, “Fine by me, that kind of stuff’s never really been my thing but I guess it’s better than sitting alone again.”
Silver gave a short nod, “You’re like the only other night pony that either of us has seen in the real world in a long time. First friendly one at least, I kinda pissed off most of the other ones back in LA who didn’t like how I wasn’t into the vision and they pretty much distanced themselves from me.”
Sine’s face shifted into an almost aggressive glare that Silver had seen a handful of times before, making him nervously gulp, “You were against the vision?”
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Wish we could have spent some more time with the parents this chapter, but I'm sure they'll get time later.
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Sha'am is one of the most despised characters in this universe. Luna created her, but did not anticipate her becoming this bad. Luna's powers in the dream realm are far more limited on Earth compared to Equestria, while Sha'am's powers (along with the others Dreamwardens) in the dream realm on Earth are a match for what Luna can do in Equestria, although on Equestria they would be powerless before her.
Here are Luna's after the fact reflections on each of the Wardens.
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This is enlightening, I need to read the source stories.
With that said, I am thoroughly enjoying this Slice of Life story far more than I anticipated!
Keep it up!
I agree with Halria. Actually kind of felt like a lot of build up to the parents with less interaction than expected.
It still works in that there is build up, and it connects Silver's relationship to his parents a bit after the fact.
Still, the adorable dialogue warms the heart
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They're going to definitely come in more, just wanted to give them a small introduction first
While I agree that the interaction with the parents seemed slightly hurried, I do like that Sine Wave is finally here. (I mean Sine came from this universe and to The Waiting Room.) I was always curious about how he would come into play, and this was definitely not what I expected. We will have to carry on to see the dynamics between the characters to see what happens next.
Picture is dead it seems
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Which one?
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Huh, there was one at the end of this chapter. Or I was seeing things, that could be too.