Crystal stared at me in stunned silence. I couldn’t blame her. This was intended to be a surprise, after all.
However, I could tell what she was thinking: was this too fast? Probably for most ponies, yes. But not for me.
Everything else in my life was uncertain and dark. Every day, Alastair loomed over me like a great shadow. He’d already taken so much from me, and I feared he could still take more if I wasn’t careful.
And then there was Crystal Wishes. She had stayed by me when I was in a coma. I’d later learned from Winterspear that Crystal had spent the most time of anypony at my bedside. It takes a special kind of mare to do that for a stallion who hadn’t even been aware of her affection.
I was aware of it now, though, and it was definitely returned. More than that, I never wanted to let it go. Crystal was my guiding light.
She was also still not saying anything. My heart stopped with the sudden worry that it was too soon to propose.
My fear must have shown because she finally gasped and threw her hooves around me in a tight hug. “Yes! Of course! Yes!”
I pulled her close with one hoof, the ring nestled between us. We lingered like that, holding onto each other tightly until I felt warm tears on my shoulder.
“Are you alright?” I asked softly.
“I am. It…” She sniffled. “This was just so beautiful. You went to so much trouble, I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
Softly, I pulled back to look down at her. “Well, I wanted to surprise you.”
She wiped her eyes and nodded. “You did.”
“Would you like to try the ring on?”
“Yes, please,” she whispered, lowering her head.
I carefully took it out of the box and slipped it onto her horn. It was exactly the right size, fitting snuggly halfway down. Runic had somehow known how big to make it. I didn’t dare ask how.
“Is it right?” she asked, going cross-eyed for a moment to try to look for herself.
“Couldn’t be any better. Runic and I made this ring together. It had to be unique, just like you.”
Crystal softly sighed and looped her hooves around me once more. She squeezed me tight. “And to think, I just got done planning two weddings. Now I’ve got to plan another.”
I chuckled and nuzzled her. “Perhaps, at least for this week, you should just worry about having a good time.”
“I can do that,” she replied.
The park was fairly still and quiet around us. I nosed her cheek once more. “We should probably go. We can celebrate back at the resort.”
“Okay. It is a shame today has to end, though.”
“It is, but now we get to start fresh tomorrow.” I stood and helped her do the same.
She took my hoof in hers and we headed down the stairs. Relief washed over me. Now I could really enjoy the vacation with the pressure of a proposal off my shoulders.
☾
Crystal and I were enjoying ourselves so much in Glimmer World that we hardly noticed when a whole week had passed us by. We had spent four fun-filled days exploring the different sections within Glimmer World. Our favorite had been Tomorrow World. It was all based around science and technology. It was highly earth-pony-centric and quite fascinating.
“Do you want to ride Living with the Earth again?” Crystal asked as we ate lunch.
I nodded. “I think so. It will be a nice easy ride after we eat. Plus, I just love the idea that they grow a lot of this food right there in those small greenhouses. I never knew earth ponies were so… resourceful.”
“I know! I think I take for granted how much of a crutch magic is for me. They’re so inventive.” Crystal giggled. “We’d all be in trouble if we relied on me for farming.”
With a chuckle, I replied, “Same here. I guess the physical part would be fine, but I just didn’t realize how much work goes into farming.”
Crystal smiled across the table at me. It was a look. Mares had many, and I still didn’t know how to decipher any of them.
I raised my brow. “What?”
“You look good,” she replied.
“Oh, well, thank you. You look good, too.”
The mare shook her head. “No, I mean… You look genuinely happy and… unconcerned. You’ve had a lot on your shoulders lately, and I was worried it was too much. I’m happy to see you happy.”
I shrugged. “I guess I just needed this vacation. I have had a lot going on.”
“Maybe when we get back you can reduce that?” Crystal asked softly and hopefully.
I looked down at my meal, not meeting her gaze. If only that were true. “We’ll see. We’ll worry about that when we get home. Are you excited to go to the palace tomorrow?”
Crystal stared at me a moment. I could feel it even if I didn’t see it. She finally answered, “I am. I’m looking forwards to spending some time with Lady Cadence and I know you’re excited to see Shining Armor.”
“I am. I’ve missed his guidance.”
“He is an amazing pony for sure. I think seeing him will do you some good.”
I nodded and then looked up. “All finished with lunch? I’m ready to get on that ride again. It might be our last one before we leave.”
Crystal smiled. “Okay, let’s go see the farm ponies again.”
☾
Crystal and I walked through the Crystal Empire, enjoying the scenery. The city was laid out in a perfect circle, with all of the streets funneling into the central plaza. There stood the Crystal Palace, which towered above the city in brilliant, glimmering majesty.
“I think we’re so lucky that this city reappeared in our lifetime,” Crystal commented in awe. “I can’t believe that all of these ponies had just been… been… what were they?”
I blinked. That was a good question. “Disappeared? Suspended in time? Lost? I’m not sure to be honest.”
“Well… whatever it was, I’m glad they’re back. These views are just full of inspiration for me. I’ll be sitting down to write as soon as we get home.”
My brow raised and I grinned. “So you want to rush home?”
“No!” she squeaked. “Not until we have lunch at the palace, at least.”
“Alright, well we’ll have our lunch, then,” I teased as we reached the palace.
It was a strange piece of architecture, much more decorative than defensible. Each side of its base was a wide-open arch, with doors set against the inside of the pillars where it touched the ground. At the very center floated the Crystal Heart. Supposedly, it’s an artifact of great power, but it just looked pretty to me.
When we got to the nearest of the four entrances, I addressed the guards posted outside. “Silent Knight and Crystal Wishes to see Shining Armor and Lady Cadence.”
The guard nodded and pulled one of the doors open. “Yes, sir. They’re expecting you.”
We headed inside to find the interior was just as stunning as the exterior. The main lobby extended all the way to the top, just like our resort. This one, of course, went far higher… despite the front desk pony’s claim of tallest lobby. Although, perhaps in a palace, you don’t call it a lobby. I guess front desk pony won that round.
“I want to live in a palace like this,” Crystal whispered next to me.
I looked over at her. “You may want to consider a different husband.”
She giggled and waved a hoof. “Oh, you. I’m just saying. Let a filly dream.”
“Alright, well, you keep dreaming. You can buy any crystal palace that you can afford. We’ll use my salary to make sure we can eat,” I teased.
“I’ll remember that,” Crystal replied, her head tilted back as she looked up and around. “Look at all of these beautiful statues.”
I did so. The main lobby was surrounded by them, all ancient ponies whose names had long been forgotten in the rest of Equestria. Each was cut from crystal and seemed flawless. If we’d stopped to look at the plaques, I’m sure I’d have recognized some of them from my research into Crystal Empire history.
We wandered towards the door opposite the one we’d entered, taking in all the sights. There were several royal guards posted around. Most were ‘southern ponies,’ as they said up here. Reintegrating crystal pony guards was going to take a little time.
Two guards opened the doors for us and we found ourselves staring down a long hallway. A statue was situated right in the middle of it at a cross hall. It stood on a raised dais and featured an armored unicorn. He had been carved out of a dark-colored crystal and looked slightly out of place among the bright, glimmering architecture.
Crystal looked up and said, “I wonder who that is.”
“That is Sombra, the unicorn king,” came a voice that was sweet and soft as it drifted from behind us. “He was… or potentially is a distant relative of mine. Nopony has seen him since the Crystal Empire reappeared.”
We turned to find Lady Cadence smiling. At least, until she took one look at Crystal and gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”
Crystal squealed and rushed closer. “It is! He proposed the night after we got here!”
There was more squealing, a hug, and some bouncing. “How wonderful!” Lady Cadence cheered. “Well, this changes everything! We can’t just have lunch. Now we have to have Lunch!”
“We don’t want to be a bother,” I put in.
Lady Cadence shook her head. “You’re no bother. Come along! Shining Armor is just handling some business. In fact…” She took Crystal by the hoof. “Silent Knight, why don’t you go retrieve him so that I can talk to Crystal behind your back?”
My ears wiggled. “Alright.”
“Great! His office is that way!” Lady Cadence gestured vaguely off in the distance. Then she hurried off, dragging Crystal with her and speaking so fast I couldn’t understand any of it.
It only took me ten minutes to find the office. The Crystal Palace was laid out very logically. Plus, every guard knew exactly where to point me. The door was open, so I stuck my head in and knocked.
Shining Armor was behind his desk, going over something. He looked up and smiled. “Silent Knight, am I late for lunch already?”
“No, sir, I don’t think so. Your wife abducted Crystal and sent me to find you.”
He chuckled and took his helmet off. “Don’t call me sir. You’re off duty and my wife is wont to do that. What was the occasion?”
I came into the office and stood in front of his desk. “She noticed the engagement ring.”
His brow lifted. “Engagement ring? Then congratulations are in order!” He reached across and offered me a hoof which I took. “When did that happen?”
“The beginning of the week, actually. This whole trip was sort of a ruse so I could surprise her. Although I was looking forwards to seeing you and Lady Cadence, too.”
He nodded and smiled. “Well, I appreciate you sharing something so special with us. I was going to ask how you were doing, but I’m guessing you’re doing well.”
“No complaints here. How are you?”
“About the same. Busy, of course, but not in a bad way. There is a lot to do here. We have to reintegrate the Crystal Empire’s royal guard, get all of the citizens caught up on modern life, and things of that nature. At this point, it’s almost all paperwork, but I do occasionally get out there and do some real work. I heard about your actions during the attack on Canterlot. It seems like you’ve put together quite a unit.”
I shrugged. “We did our part. It isn’t every day you get to go up against giant cockatrices. Still, we have a good unit. Orchid retired, though, if you haven’t heard.”
Shining Armor chuckled. “Oh, she wrote and invited us to the foal shower. I offered to write her a letter of recommendation for warrant officer school. She said she already had one from you, Sunny, and Princess Celestia and that if I wanted to write one, she’d have it framed.”
I chuckled at that and just shook my head. “She’s a special pony for sure.”
He nodded and stood up. “By the way, I’m sorry I never got back to you on the frost ponies. I keep meaning to, but it seemed like an idle curiosity and things around here have been crazy. Especially trying to get them reintegrated, too.”
“Not a problem at all. Believe me, I know how busy command is.”
His expression shifted and he replied, “So you said in your last letter. I didn’t know that about your father. I guess that happens, sometimes: who we are at home versus who we are at work. He was well-liked in royal guard circles. Have you found any peace yet?”
Keeping my expression even was important. Of course, I would also not willfully lie to Shining Armor of all ponies. “I’m still struggling with it. Mostly, I just put it out of mind and focus on what is good and what needs to be done.”
He came around the desk to put a hoof on my shoulder. “Well, you can write me about it any time you like. Nopony else sees your letters. Of course, if you prefer, you could also talk to me about it face-to-face.”
My head tilted. “Oh?”
“There is a lot to do here, Silent Knight. It isn’t glamorous work, but it is work. I’ve finally decided to listen to my wife and take on an aide. If you want the position, it’s yours. It will even come with a promotion to captain.”
I blinked and looked at him in open surprise. “You want me to be your aide-de-camp?”
“Don’t give me that look, Silent Knight. I’ve known a lot of good officers, but when it comes to ponies who know the job, the regulations, and the Guard, there are few like you. We have a good working relationship and you know how important that is.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I replied in all honesty.
He chuckled. “I hope you’ll say yes but I understand if you want to think it over… and I suppose now you have to run it by your bride to be.”
“Yeah…” I said dumbly, a whole lot of ideas popping into my head at once. To serve with the colonel again would be amazing. Crystal would be able to live in the Crystal Empire. She did just say she wanted to live in the palace. What about Princess Luna, though? I couldn’t leave her. That wouldn’t do. Could I do both?
“Silent Knight?”
“Sir!” I responded as he waved a hoof in front of my face.
“You can think it over. Why don’t we go make certain my wife hasn’t done any damage by filling Crystal’s head with ideas about the wedding?”
I nodded, trying to clear my own head from all the ideas he’d filled it with. “Before we do… Sunny and I miss you. The palace doesn’t run the same without you. We were hoping there was some chance you might come back. I guess since you’re offering that job to me there isn’t any, is there?”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I was going to let Cadence tell you both, but things have gotten interesting here. Nopony can locate King Sombra. When the Empire disappeared, he was responsible for this part of the kingdom. Princess Celestia had asked Cadence to fill in for him until he could be located or a governor can be lawfully elected.”
King Sombra. Cadence had mentioned him, too, but I knew that name. Why did I know that name? I shook my head. “Right, the Empire would get a governor and delegates just like any other province, I suppose.”
Shining Armor nodded and started down the hall as I fell into step beside him. “Exactly! So, with the king missing and Princess Celestia preferring to have provinces run by governors these days, an election was held. Almost every single crystal pony wrote Cadence’s name in.”
“She was elected governor?” I blinked.
“Yes, which means I’m far less inclined to ask for a transfer. I’m pretty attached to my wife.”
“How about that,” I said. Lady Cadence was one of those ponies that got along with anypony she met. The turn of events wasn’t surprising in the least.
“I suppose it isn’t that big of a surprise,” he said, falling silent a minute. Shining Armor looked over at me with a serious expression. “I understand you have been removed from your advisory role on the assassination investigation?”
That is how he’d pitched me? An advisor? It made sense. “Yes, sir. I was too close to it,” I lied.
Shining Armor’s brow arched. “I heard you lost your cool in a meeting. I’ve never seen Silent Knight truly do that.”
My lips pressed tightly together. What could I say? He knew me well. “I—” I was cut off as a pink blur ambushed me from the side, wrapping her hooves around my neck.
“Don’t you think it is incredibly sweet, Shining?” Cadence asked as she squeezed me against her. “All of this to propose to Crystal? Oh, it’s like a fairytale!”
I did my best to struggle out of the headlock of a hug she was giving me.
“Yes, dear, it was very sweet. Now let him go,” Shining Armor replied.
“Hmm?” Cadence replied before looking down to see how she was holding me. She let go and giggled. “Sorry! I just think it’s so romantic. I feel so personally invested, especially after Crystal and I talked at the hospital. I just knew you two were right for each other!”
Crystal giggled softly and replied, “Well I’m glad you were sure. I was really scared.”
“Love conquers all!” Cadence beamed.
Shining Armor laughed and just smiled. “Now, dear, you’re embarrassing them. Why don’t we sit down for lunch and then we can talk about a more appropriate subject? Something like politics?”
Crystal’s ears shot up at that and a look of uncertainty washed over her features just before she schooled her composure.
Cadence happily clapped her hooves together. “Oh, yes, politics! Come along, everypony!” She squealed happily as she led us to a small balcony that had been set up for lunch. Several serving ponies were there, waiting.
I smiled at her before saying, “I think we should discuss politics for sure. We’re all friends after all.” Lady Cadence didn’t know it but she’d saved me. The least I could do is play into her news.
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the crystal ponies recently held an election to decide who the new governor would be,” Cadence explained.
“I had not heard that,” Crystal replied cautiously.
“And who did they pick, dear?” Shining Armor asked.
“Me!” Cadence cheered.
Crystal’s hoof came to her chest as she looked relieved. “Oh my! Congratulations, that’s wonderful news! I didn’t even know you were running.”
Cadence giggled and shook her head. “I wasn’t! They wrote my name in. It was a huge surprise, but I’m extremely honored. So it looks like we won’t be going back to Canterlot soon. I’m going to be sworn in two weeks from Monday! And Shining is going to stay on as the Crystal Empire’s Provincial Guard Commander.”
Shining Armor hadn’t specified that he was setting up a provincial command. I’d assumed he’d meant only the castle and city when he offered me the position. “I imagine you’d make brigadier soon, then?”
“The selection list isn’t out yet, but I’ve been told my name is on it,” he replied matter-of-factly.
My name wouldn’t be on it for sure. I hadn’t made time for captain’s training. Nor had I completed any of the other steps necessary for a promotion. Which was fine, of course. It wasn’t a priority for me.
The aide to the Commander of the Crystal Empire’s Provincial Guard. That was starting to sound like an even bigger title. I put on a smile. “It seems like everypony deserves congratulations, then.”
Cadence nodded. “Yes! I think this all calls for a toast!”
We all raised our glasses: three with magic, and me with my hoof.
“To the happy couple,” Cadence said.
“To new adventures,” Crystal put in.
“To fresh beginnings,” Shining replied.
Then they all turned to me. Surely these of all ponies knew I wasn’t the sort to just come up with something. They just waited expectantly. My mind was blank. It wasn’t meant for this. I could recite every line of any Royal Guard manual I’d memorized, but I didn’t think any of that was what they were waiting for.
Silence lingered for a second too long and I smiled. “To remembering old friends regardless of where we go?”
“Yes!” Cadence cheered before we tilted our glasses back.
The rest of lunch was light-hearted and casual conversation. Crystal was practically glowing with happiness as she told stories about our time at Glimmer World. Even though she probably knew everything there was to know about the place, Cadence either was interested in listening or very good at pretending.
Midway through Crystal’s retelling of the PonyPult, Shining Armor stood and nodded at me to follow suit. He walked to the opposite side of the balcony and looked out at the city below. When I approached, he looked over at me.
“You’ll think about the position, right? It would be good for you… and your career,” Shining Armor said with emphasis that didn’t go unnoticed.
“I will, sir.”
His ear flicked and he pressed, “I mean really think about it. I know how you feel about Princess Luna, but this is a big opportunity.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir, I realize that more than you might guess. If I had any other job, I wouldn’t hesitate for an instant. I just…” How could I explain this? “Princess Luna and I. We’re…”
“You have a bond.” The way he said it told me he understood.
A small sigh of relief escaped me. “Yes, sir, exactly.”
With a chuckle, he patted me on the back. “I won’t take it personally if you turn me down. I’ll keep the slot open for a little while, but I can’t wait forever. You understand, right?”
“Absolutely, sir, I would never hold it against you.”
“Good stallion. When you get back, tell Sunny to come visit sometime. Maybe she’d like a change of pace.”
“By the time I get back, I have a feeling you might be right. She’s pretty close to Princess Celestia, though, so good luck with her.”
Shining Armor nodded and his expression shifted slightly. “Yeah, that is kind of why you two got those jobs despite being so new. Not to downplay your qualifications; you’re both excellent guards. It was just… something about you two and how you fit your respective princesses. It was like it was meant to be.”
That was something I’d heard before from Princess Luna. “I’m not sure I believe in destiny.”
He shrugged. “Me neither but, still. You two are different than the previous bunch. At any rate, keep it in mind and have a safe trip back.” He winked. “You take care of that mare. She’s too good for you.”
“Aren’t they all, sir?”
He grinned. “I know mine is too good for me. That is why we get along so well. You keep that in mind, too.”
“Will do. Thank you for seeing us, sir. We’ll be in touch.”
He waved me off and I returned to retrieve Crystal from Lady Cadence so that we could make our train. And so she didn’t get too attached to the palace… at least not until I’d made a decision.
When we returned to Canterlot, I saw Crystal to her door and left her with a kiss before hurrying to the palace. To my relief, I found it still in one piece. Not that I thought Sunny would have a problem running it a few days until Major Aegis or Captain Dancer returned. Things can happen to even the best of ponies.
Coming home from vacation was hard. I was only a few paces through the doors and already missing my days of leisure and luxury. Don’t get me wrong, though. I love the palace and my job, but it’s hard to go straight from lounging in a suite with my fiancée to, well, work.
My first duty was checking in with Sunny. I rounded a corner and knocked on her door, which slowly creaked open. The inside was pure chaos. Sunny’s desk was covered in stacks of paper, reports, and discarded take-out containers. So was her floor, actually.
Storm Rider was on the couch with a report in each hoof, his helmet off, and looking red-eyed. Sunny’s head was down, also with no helmet, and her mane was a wreck. She finally looked up and then smiled brightly… or maniacally. It was hard to know.
“Silent Knight! Thank the stars you’re back. I need you right now,” she said, coming out from behind her desk.
That was certainly not the greeting I expected. It would have been better received if it was from Crystal. “Hello to you, too…”
The mare hugged me and leaned in close to whisper, “It’s a conspiracy, you see. It is all a conspiracy to drive us crazy.”
Storm Rider nodded sagely at that.
“What is?” I asked.
“Major Aegis? Still sick! Took a turn for the worst, they say. Months of recovery. So they handed the palace over to Captain Dancer.”
Storm Rider snorted.
Sunny continued, “Captain Dancer, on his first day back, tripped and fell down the stairs. He broke two legs.”
“Allegedly!” Storm Rider chimed in.
“Allegedly!” Sunny repeated.
“He allegedly fell and broke his legs?” I asked in disbelief.
Sunny said, “I think they don’t WANT to come back. No, they just want me to handle it all.”
I peered into Sunny’s eyes. She looked a bit unhinged. “Why don’t you go talk to Vice Colo—”
“Vice Colonel Glamour?” she cut me off. “She says we’re doing a wonderful job and that this is how to make captain! Who wants to make captain?! I’m so glad you’re back. I have things for you to do. So many things.”
“So many things,” Storm Rider parroted.
I peered between the two crazy ponies but nodded. This was definitely the wrong time to mention I might be taking a new job. “Alright… well, I’m free until I have to pick up Princess Luna. What do you want done first?”
Sunny rushed back to the desk, grabbed a report, and then threw it to me. “Dragons!”
“Dragons?” I asked.
The mare rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes, dragons. Get rid of them. The locals won’t leave me alone about them. Get rid of the dragons, Silent Knight!”
“Get rid of dragons? Are you serious?”
The look on her face said she was. She was also twitching a lot.
I held onto the report and took two steps towards the door. “Okay, Sunny… I’ll go get rid of the dragons. Bye-bye.”
I could always tell her I was getting married later… much later. Possibly after she’d been committed.
Engagement and loonies. I've always felt that the two were connected...
6272135 The music. "Evrything you do, Evrything you say it just takes my breath away" Expecially when Silent plans the assasination of that griffon and hides it.
The text of the song fits very well, I'm supriced it isn't the story's nthem already. #TotallyNotSarcasm
There are already getting married? That was fast! Nice proposal at least :) I can't wait to see Crystal's parent reaction to that xD
I share Silent Knight opinion on the ending: Dragons?!
He proposed! Ermagawd!
Literally had to read that a few times to make sure I saw it right. Then I had to read the next few paragraphs to make sure it wasn't Luna playing a dream-trick on him. *jumps for joy* yay! The Crystal Knight shall last FOREVER!
Oh boy, there's the other hoof. Silent I swear if you hurt Crystal with this revenge thing, you are going to regret it! Oh well, I guess this ship will have to brace for impact eventually.
Oh, poor Sunny. Someone get her a generous dose of Azurite, stat!
I'd rather face dragons, too, SK. Definitely less of a hazard than a work-crazed Sunny Day. Luna needs to knock out a certain pony for a day. Maybe two.
this will end good or bad for Silent i know it
I'm sure she'll mellow out once some of the work load eases off her.
And for good measure.
What is wrong with the officers? I wonder if the nox ponies only trust Silent to be in charge.
Awwwww the opening was so sweet. Sombra feels like he may have some tie to the unicorns. or the fact Cadance may be related to him. And then we get back to the palace onto duty, and we see the the house guard has droven Sunny mad.. Poor Azurite. She has to deal with her too. but it is till pretty funny. And whats this about dragons? Someone get into the LSD and see Dragons in the kitchen again? anyway good chapter loved reading it
Yay for Silent and Crystal! So exciting!!! Possible changes coming up? So much going on! A spectacular chapter That ending *rofl*
I also want to know who these dragons are. I don't remember when The Great Dragon Migration episode was from...could it be connected to that? It can't be Secrets of My Excess; that was resolved in a day. Hmmmm...
And it is ALSO very fascinating that Sombra never showed....
And he turned right around and caught an express train back to the Empire, where it's safer.
This seems awfully fast for Silent. Especially considering that he knows that in as little as a few months he's going on a mission he has a high chance of never coming back from. Also given how secretive he'll need to be about it if it all goes wrong from Crystal's perspective he'll have just up and disappeared one day giving her very little closure.
6278187 It is and it is meant to feel that way. You've also picked up on the struggle that is fundamental to what is going on in his mind right now.
6278167 This is a valid point! Which he might. That is a pretty tempting job offer.
6278161 Well, the dragons are actually a long running part of the story. Remember that in Memoirs the Lieutenant Haze got word of A dragon being nearby? That is how SK got rid of him. Then when SK was in charge of the palace he took a few casual mentions that he'd attended meetings about the dragons. There will be more =D
6278159 Yeah I wasn't going to drag it out too much longer. I do like a good cliffhanger regardless. As to the other question I obviously can't spoil anything. I think that is a big part of the draw of the story though. There is a lot at odds.
6278147 Yes, I will say EVERYTHING that was said about Sombra was carefully intended ;D Also, see above about the dragons.
6278146 We'll actually get a bit of a glimpse into the nox siblings minds pretty soon regarding this.
6278064 You know I never make it easy ;) One hoof and then the other! Silent is struggling with a lot for sure. Sunny is also struggling with the job it seems. We'll see a lot more of her side of things soon.
6278104 I think that is a safe bet, yes.
6278068 Well, it certainly could go either way.
6278061 Yes indeed. He intends to make her an honest mare.
6278055 Yup! Fast for sure. Without a shadow of a doubt! A bit of info on the dragons a few comments up!
6278046 That is certainly true. They were friends a while before dating too.
As wonderful as this is, could you at least have waited a little longer before Slient proposed to Crystal?
This isn't going to stop me from shipping Silent and Ferrel. Nothing will. Still, great story.
Aww yeah he popped the question! And a resounding success followed! Great going Silent Knight!
I gotta say I'm very happy for Crystal and SK. So, am I invited to the wedding? lol
I also noticed that the whole King Sombra thing wasn't played out like it did in the show. I know you mentioned that your story was in an AU. I take it your AU tagged him as a fair ruler and not a tyrant?
I also think the situation as to SK's return to work was hilarious. So many funny visuals going through my head of Sunny's office. Also her face probably matched that of Twilights from that one episode lol.
6278252
Huh. I remember both those things you're mentioning, but I was convinced the dragon that crummy Lieutenant was trying to drag the unit off to fight was the one the Element Bearers chased off, the one that was snoring. I'm not sure what I thought of the meetings about dragons, though--I can't quite remember... Bugger. Have to wait at least 2 days to find out anything more... And that's if I'm lucky...
6278257 I could have I suppose but when I drafted the outline for the story this is where it fell and made sense to the narrative. I'm not sure what value there would be in putting it off though.
6278259 LOL fair enough. You may be out on that ship alone though ;)
6278266
It DID play out differently but I haven't said one way or the other yet ;D YET
6278284 I'm a very sneaky writer and I very rarely mention things (even in passing) that I don't plan to use later haha. This particular bit has been building for a very long time!
6278289
No exaggeration there
6278252 Honest with all her fantasies? :P
Does this mean that Sombra isn't a Ring Wraith in this universe?
6278146
It could be super early signs of a changeling invasion.
6278257 When I first read the chapter, there was a bit of me that felt it was a little quick too, but I think it makes sense for the following thoughts that transpired inside my head:
This is chapter 25 of a sequel story, so we're already pretty invested. What better time to drop it than a glorious vacation, which through Crystal's Wishes is indicated as a sure sign of a serious relationship? That's not to mean that that little caveat was really stated in Anzel's stories, but for me, the proposal didn't feel like an outlier.
My next thought was that Silent has significantly developed as a character. He began as a by-the-book guard who wouldn't even dream of bending the rules. He followed protocol to a 'T' regardless of his own convictions. Since that time, he's become a stallion that will pull the trigger if he believes in the cause. He's dealing with the griffons; he's investigating things despite statements from even Celestia, etc. He knows what he wants, so in that sense, I think the timing was okay. :P
Anyhoo, those are my unsolicited thoughts. ;)
6278390 Your statements make perfect sense.
Is Cadence a pegasus or a unicorn? I know you weren't going to have her as an alicorn for plotline reasons. But I thought she was a pegasus.
~Melly~
6278477 In this AU she is a unicorn.
6278502
Okay, thanks! I couldn't remember. This helps a bunch.
~Melly~
Didn't expect Silent Knight to propose that was adorable. Still Shining doing that to poor SK is gonna wreck havoc on this transitional period of Silent's life. Wow, Sunny is dealing with some crazy stuff going on, I mean dragons that is indeed nerve-wracking.
Wow, wasn't expecting that!
averageamazingme has took my job! IT MEANS A FLAME WAR!!!
Nice intro. Fast, supriceing, confident - like the moment it pictures... By the way; the fact that the ring size was perfect is subspicious; it's eather Runic who measured it when Crystal slept, got answers from Miley[Mrs. Whoves is a spy!], got hit by it in the eye or there is horn size scale. Like breast size scale, xuse the bluntness of my comparison. Just to be clear - I don't belive in luck. Because I won't possibly belive Runic has a good memory or can focus his eyesight on such an unremarkable detail when there are so many intruging rock lying around evrywhere. Unless he has a badass scope and made some distance measurements. But that wouldn't sum up with Anzel's story content mentality - he's very against stalking and low caliber manipulation. As if he had been it's target once. I'm counting on his friends from his teenage periode. The man is a sum of his experiences, eh? Ohhh, this is so exciting! It's like I am the Joker who works out Batman=Anzel! Hohoho!
Tomorrow World? I smell steampunk, or the occasional diesselpunk [WW2 periode theme for the less educated. Long live Łukasiewicz!] Why would Earth ponies dominate there is simple: propably having a buffed regeneration and phisical prowless would increase the chance of living through an implant augmentation. And possibly enable the ussage of more extensive models. Mmm, a magic disruptor would be nice...
A relaxed SK!? OUT OF CHARACTER!
BANISH ALL THE EMPIRE!!! :sombra:
GET HER OUT OF THERE MR KNIGHT! THE EMPIRE IS INDOCTRINATING HER! SHE WILL WANT TO STAY AND SHE WILL BE BRAINWASHED!!!
Ok, so Silent Knight will build for them a crystal house, I can already see that. In my headcannon those buildings are planted from seeds that after touching the soil leech magic from the sorroundings [effecively stripping the area from magic for a few secounds], produce some unnaturl mist and the building springs from the ground sublimating from the mist. Them seeds are pretty expesive [1000+ bits the standard type] and have a look of an apple seed big as a pony's torso. And sparkling with some random colour(s).
Oh, you silly Cady. Read the comics, or at least watch them on youtube. Not, that I'm complaining (more than I want to) but yea, in the Comic Twilight was already an alicorn when they read Sombra's diary, so it still fits the line of events. Wait... haven't seen!? WTF!? I just speculated in my head what would it be if SK meet Twilight aside from beeing talked to death but this. Is. AWESOMER!!!
How can Candyflank psioncly feel love? She isn't an alicorn and I dubt Cutie Mark talents go this far. And yes, Pinkie is an exeption. :discord:
FINALLY! Mr serious has returned. and his going to be SK's "pwicess 2 snd dem lettens 2"! Hmm, whatever gets us more Shining...
He won't take the Sombrahunter job. Unless something happens to Luna-Kinght relationship. Or it could be a side-assignment as a one-time thing. That would work. Unless it's all before season 3 and they will miss Sombra! Or work out-of-shadows when Mane 6 + Spike will tend to the population...
Or, you know - just let somepony invent teporter portals for military use damnit?
Brigadier of the provincial guard forces. What if... SK as the same for the Nox-inhabited regions??? THAT WOULD BE FRIKKING AWESOME WITH EXPLOSIONS ATOP OF IT!!!!!
The castle is in one place!? Aww, my precious explosions... How could they confiscate my megaspell nukes!?
I just had the craziest idea reading upon the chaos on desks.
Sunny Twilight. Or was it Twilight Sunny? Dam, ponies are expressive! it's easy to forget...
I really think I need to read the other QaB stories. The dragons dumbfolded me.
Verdict:
The new chapter keeps me from a new game. Now I'll get my respective virtual flank TO THE MOON!
6278289 Manipulator!
6278055
6278187
6278257
Maybe it's just the disconnect between the two stories I'm noticing, but it really doesn't feel like it's been that long in-story since Crystal and Velvet were dancing around and squealing over Crystal's first kiss from Silent...
...after their third or fourth date. Or something like that.
So, yes, this proposal feels very sudden to me - they're both such unrelentingly chaste ponies outside of this proposal.
He proposed?
It went perfectly?
Oh...I wasn't expecting that.
Now take that job, let go of your hate, and live a nice fulfilling life while doing odd jobs for Luna.
But you won't do that will you...that wouldn't make for an interesting story would it Silent Knight?
6278259 You're not alone!
6278287 He is not alone!
Hilarious ending by the way, loved it. Can't wait for Three of Diamonds and Sunny's adventures.
6278055 6278187 6278257 6278876
Since this concern is coming up for some of y'all I'm going to jump in with my thoughts which I am not — I repeat — not trying to say are facts, "correct," or what you all should think. It's just an important moment in both of our stories that I have opinions about and I'd like to share 'em.
First of all, the issue of time. We don't always state specific time periods in our stories so that can affect the perception of its passage. Plus, time is perceived differently by different people. X months to one person may feel a heckuva lot shorter than x months to another person. For the record, they've been pining for one another for over a year, and dating for somewhere between six and eight months.
Okay. Now, the real issue I think is a reader's believability that Silent Knight would make this kind of move. Crystal's the one who, shall we say, initiated things back in chapter 15 of this story. Silent Knight is shy to kiss her in front of other ponies. Silent Knight doesn't always move relationships along... And Silent Knight has also had a lot going on the past few chapters. He himself noted in the previous chapter that he felt himself being pulled in a lot of different directions, but that Crystal felt like the "right" one. Forgive me for being cheesy (especially when it involves my own OC), but he has a lot of darkness looming around him and in that darkness there is Crystal, and I perceived it as he desperately needs to hold onto that light.
Then there's something that I don't think is the same for everyone: love. I'm not going to tell anyone how love is because I believe it's unique and special for each individual... But I think it's one of those things that when you feel, when you truly feel, you know. In this case, Anzel decided that Silent knew. Whether that's believable for readers or not is clearly up in the air!
6279027
My point was that it was kind of irresponsible of Silent to tie Crystal even closer to his life with the whole "Griffin Vengeance Plot," Sword of Damocles hanging over him unresolved.
6279117 And that is a fair point, which I was attempting (not well, clearly! ) to address with the "light in the darkness" part. That said—again just my opinion—I don't think he has particularly given a lot of thought to the potential loss of his own life regarding the vengeance plot? It may seem irresponsible to us because we can stand back and see the big picture, but I don't know if he sees it that way, at least not yet.
They're getting married! Now, Silent, if you die in that revenge plot, I will raise you from the dead and kill you myself for putting Crystal through that...
And Sunny's going insane.... I think the House Guard was meant to take over the castle. Oh poor, poor Sunny and Silent. That. Is. Awesome.
Oh, and on a side note, I don't know if you know about it, but there's a story called MLP Time Loops that referenced that Yellow Luna commission you have. It was hilarious. I can link it if you haven't seen it. And now, off to more awesomeness while I wait for the next chapter, and to see how Silent or another pony brings Sunny Days back from so far over the cliff of Crazy. Perhaps some office stress relief with her special someponies?
6279027 Holy cow, ma'mm! You're opinions were quite enlightening!
6279027
I can honestly say that, in my case, it really is not that I think Silent wouldn't initiate. It really is my perception of the amount of time involved. It just doesn't feel like It has been all that long.
I think that perception comes down to two things:
1; the separation of the two stories can make it hard to pin down exactly how long it is between some things.
2; Memoirs and Secrets are written in a slightly more minimalistic, and much more direct, style so it doesn't seem like things are taking very long.
I really want to say I'm loving all of the discussion this chapter has resulted in. I always enjoy a healthy debate! Especially since you're all polite about it too. Thank you all for reading and caring enough to discuss this.
6279239 This is a very fair point. Silent Knight is wrapped up in so much that everything feels jumbled together (a goal of mine). He is spinning a lot of plates and time slips by unnoticed. The benefit of offering two perspectives is that Crystal often offers clarity of time and as she gets closer and closer to release parity it will fill in those "gaps." The cool thing is, she will absolutely be in parity soon! We're working hard to make certain she isn't writing in the past.
6279206 That is certainly a possibility for the story. Though some would argue it isn't ;D We'll see. Hmm, art commissioned for my story appeared in another story? Neat!
6279117 I'm not sure I can agree with the irresponsible part. Now, fundamentally, if you want to argue potential selfishness, absolutely. Irresponsible? Not so much. Take away the idea for a moment that this is strictly vengeance. Silent Knight is a Royal Guard. He has in this story been in mortal danger several times. There is, every day, the possibility that he won't come home. Crystal knows that and made the decision to be with him. This isn't really any different. Selfish because he wants both, but not irresponsible. The risk of death is part of the job. Soldiers don't wait to find love until they've put in their 20 and retire.
6278919 I'm glad =D Three of Diamonds will launch with Chapter 30. Sunny's Adventure will likely pick up after that.
6278907 Sometimes things go right! After all, I generally believe in the positive. Maybe he will take that job! It is a pretty enticing offer.
6278876 They're anything but chaste by this point ;) ;) /nudge /nudge
6278845 Wow, a lot here. I think Runic has some secrets that he'll never share! Cadence is a unicorn who's talent is love magic. That part I preserved. She is somewhat similar to Lovey Dovey. They both react to the same primal force but in different ways. I don't think that job is Sombra hunter haha.
6278788 I was hoping it would be a surprise. More or less I wanted the audience to feel like Crystal. It seems like I kept the secret!
6278551 Again, very happy it was a surprise. Then yes, Silent got his surprise from Shining Armor. A curve ball for sure.
6278390 Aptly put sir!
6278368 I will say nothing other than it means Sombra's situation didn't go down as it did in the primary universe. He might be a ring wraith, he might not!
6279339 Indeed.. lots of healthy discussion up in here... though Trigger does have want to know one thing...
"When will you need a foalsitter?"
6279339
This.
Skip to 152.16, that snippet is where your artwork comes into play, and you'll see what I mean. The basic concept of the story itself is time loops that last as long as the series, and after a few million billion iterations, the loopers get bored. Stuff happens to spice it up, such as crossovers and such, and that's really all that's required to understand it. Anyway, have a look at what happens when you commission hilarious artwork.
And while some might argue it's not, I think that it's going to go on for long enough that Sunny and Silent will get used to it enough that when the proper officers come back, they won't know what to do with their sudden free time. Well, Sunny might.
6278876
my EXACT feelings. I was like...'wait. what?"
6279339 Do I count as polite? I mean: tell me when I'm going with mine words too far, okay?
So this love talent goes that deep... hmm... I REALLY don't understand love...
Sombra Witchhunt Inqusitor? Hmm... new theory of the chain of events; Sombra will show his ugly face somewhere, something akin to a terrorist attack, a quater of Equestrian forces go station in Crystal Empire. Shining will have REAL trouble with keeping that mess in one pice and will need the hole crew of competent to oversee the military of the empire until the dark lord is dealt with.
Wasn't it the first idea what would happen?
The proposal! Crystal can finally stop having weddings vicariously through her friends.
Interesting. Given everything about the thousand years back attack that has been hidden, I'll be very surprised if Sombra wasn't involved somehow.
That's a pretty good offer from Shining, it's a shame that Silent is so attached to Luna that he'll never say yes to it.
Governor Cadance? Fun difference.
It's funny, from the comments I see I'm not the only one who had forgotten that Cadance was a unicorn. I've been thinking of her as a pegasus for a while now and was planning on commenting on the "three with magic" bit.
Yikes!
Dragons?
6282326
Always a bridesmare never a bride!
Probably the second most common question/comment. Maybe I'll make a little neon sign and put it at the bottom of the Cadence chapters ;D
All for a purpose ^_^
6281297 It seems, as best as they can tell thus far, Sombra was just the last King to rule. The job really has nothing to do with him at all ;)
6279520 Yeah I think Silent Knight's free time is pretty well booked.
6279429 Trigger is putting the cart waaaaay too far ahead of the ponies ;D
Don't feel like typing my opinion into an essay on my phone keyboard, so know this:
I found the intro a tad rushed, but yet not overly so.
I am however, very worried about the whole griffon thing, I assume it won't be good for his relationship in the least.
There's something about pony relationships in fanfiction that get me worked up.
First, I read TD's wedding in The Life of a Non-Brony, and that made me tear up.
Then I read Twilight Shimmer, where Twilight and Sunset get married, and I wouldn't stop grinning like an idiot.
And now this! THIS! I couldn't stop laughing happily!