A little napping was more than enough to get Celine back on her hooves, and she led the way from the hospital with Silver trailing behind. He noticed Night continuing the chain once they started down the street and looked over his shoulder, "What's up?"

Night raised a brow, "Nothing."

"You're following us," said Silver.

Night wobbled a hoof, "I've been doing that for a while. You know me now, so there's less reason for me to hide about it."

Silver plopped down on his rump as Celine joined the conversation, "That makes sense." Celine smiled at Silver, "Now you can get to know her."

Silver shook his head, "No."

Celine raised an ear, "No?"

Silver nodded his head then, "No. No offense to her, but no."

Night snorted softly, "The feeling's mutual there, colt. You're kind of awkward."

Silver blinked, "What'd I do?"

Night adjusted her glasses, "Well, let's see. You see a new mare, and the first thing you ask is 'what are you' followed by 'hey, nice ears'. That's kind of a creepy thing to start with."

Silver flushed gently, "I was trying to be nice, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

Night waved a hoof lightly, "If I thought you had, I would have shown off one of several takedowns I learned in the guard. I said you were awkward, not a total sleazoid."

Celine's ears fell as they talked back and forth, "This isn't how I imagined it."

Silver grunted and thrust a hoof at Celine, just shy of her nose, "I'm more than my memories. I'm more than my past thoughts. I know how this worked. You said 'Hey, let's grab a geeky girl. She's smart and awesome and he won't be able to help himself. He'll fall for her for sure!'"

Night's wings spread quickly, "What? I'm on assignment."

Silver looked at her flatly, "What is the assignment exactly?"

Night pointed at Silver with one of her wings, "To observe you and make a full profile of your behavior and personality as well as guard you from threats in certain situations."

Silver looked to Celine, "This isn't fair. Not to me, not to her. She has a life. We can't just... expect her to do what you want."

Night shook herself out, "Wait wait wait." She advanced on Celine, nose to nose, "You want me to join this herd?"

Celine shrank away, "Yes?"

Night gave Celine a light shove, "No."

"That's what I said," exclaimed Silver with a huff. "I'm really sorry, Night Watch. You seem like a really nice mare, but I'm tired of being led around."

Night smiled, exposing some of her long teeth, "Hey, thanks for being honest. You're still awkward."

Silver poked Celine, "Stop trying to control me."

Celine suddenly reversed their stances, leaning into Silver aggressively, "So is this what you want? You tossed Tumble aside like it was nothing! You don't care what happens to him at all? I thought you were friends."

Silver shrank back a little before he pushed forward, nose to nose with Celine, "That's exactly what I am, his friend. I'm not his stallion, and he shouldn't have ever been my mare. I don't love him." He drew back from Celine, "I still love you, I think, but this has to stop. I'm putting a hoof down." A clop resounded as he struck the ground with a hoof. "I will pick what mares, if any, if ever, join us."

Night Watch held a pen in one wing and a paper in the other and was busily scratching away, watching them but not participating.

Celine's feathery wings went wide, "That's not how it works! You asked me to be first wife. I pick the other wives, not the stallion. You approve, but I pick. That's how it works."

Silver tapped her on the nose, making her flinch back, "That's how it works with me. Maybe when I feel that particular trust with you again, we can consider it, but for now, I'm holding that to myself."

Celine trembled with apparent fury before she deflated, "Do you hate me?"

Silver blinked at the question, "What? No... I want to take you home and hug the stuffing out of you, right now, but this, all this." Silver made a wide gesture, "It has to stop. I shouldn't have had to make room in my bed for someone I don't love, and you shouldn't be happy trying to make me do that."

Night Watch suddenly spoke, "I'm here at Princess Luna's orders, not hers. You're still stuck with me." She was still writing on her paper as she said this, watching them both through her thick glasses.

Celine looked like she was about to object, but the thought died within her and she turned for home, starting to trot off. Silver moved to trail after her, but turned his gaze to Night, "You're here to watch, right?"

"It's in the name," agreed Night with a smile. "Mind?"

Silver shrugged, "You're not putting off any vibes that put me on edge. Sorry you had to see that."

Night tilted her head as she followed along, "Are you kidding? I've learned more today than most of the other days combined!" She tucked away the paper she was working on and focused on walking. "You're interesting, but awkward."

They soon arrived home. Silver went to close the door behind himself but Night caught the door on a hoof and slipped inside.

"Uh," started Silver, raising a brow, "You're in my house now."

"Orders are orders," said Night Watch, "Pretend I'm not here at all."

Silver began to color, "I was... going to try out that whole angry make-up loving I'd read so much about. I don't really want to do that with you watching." He frowned then, realizing what he had said. Surely he wouldn't have told someone he's about to fuck someone else before he was a pony.

Celine looked from the kitchen, "If she wants to watch, I won't stop her."

Silver stomped a hoof, grunting. Night snickered softly, "You're an odd colt. Most blank flanks don't even see mares that way yet. You go do whatever you plan to do, I'll wait out here."

Silver's fragile mood was broken. He joined Celine in the kitchen, "Why is she here? I said no to her joining, she said no to her joining, and yet, there she is."

Celine shook her head, "How would I know? I knew what Luna was planning basically at the time I was born, but after that? As I said before." She leaned in and kissed Silver's cheeks, "Think of us as two different ponies. This one loves you very much."

Silver returned a soft kiss, "An argument doesn't change that. I still want us. Me and you, I like that."

"What's this?" came Night's voice. They turned their heads to see her using her wings to wiggle the mouse around on the computer with little effect. She lifted the mouse and peered at the red light that came from the bottom, "Is it supposed to do that?"

Silver nuzzled Celine gently before trotting over to Night. "I'm going to show you a game, and you're going to play it while we apologize to each other."

He quickly started Fallout: New Vegas, "This is a game about what would happen in a world of humans if war tore them apart. You play one, a human that is. That's all I'm telling you. Consider it a test of your investigating skills. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish." He started the game for her and surrendered the mouse and keyboard to her before trotting off to join Celine in the bedroom, wondering if that was the wisest idea, though it certainly felt good.

With the door locked, he and Celine apologized, first with words, then kisses, then with more. His movements against her soft body reminded him that being with Celine felt... great, and he decided he didn't want to give it up. "You respect me, right?" he asked before be bit down on the back of her neck. "No more, right?"

Celine arced her back and moved with him, dancing the ancient dance, "No more, until you say so. Why do you go for so long?"

Silver paused, looking perplexed, then he laughed loudly, "Oh god. How long do ponies usually go for? I thought I was pretty fast."

Celine pouted, "We can talk about this afterwards?"

No more words were shared until they lay side by side, both pleased and considerably more relaxed. Silver nuzzled gently into Celine's shoulder, "How long?"

Celine nibbled softly at his chest, "Once they put it in? Maybe ten seconds. You're a pony, it should work the same."

Silver shook his head, "But it obviously doesn't. I did think it was faster than..." he trailed off.

Celine raised a brow, "I thought you were a virgin before me."

Silver shook his head, "I've, you know, done it myself... There was one time someone used their mouth? I was slow. It annoyed them. God, that was embarrassing. I'm definately faster than those times, but I figured that was just because there was an actual female." He snuggled against her, "A young, fertile female."

Celine flushed deep as she shook her head, "You last at least half a minute by my counting, longer with repeats."

Silver blinked, "Thirty seconds is a damn short bout for a human, you should know that."

Celine sifted through the memories before she nodded, "It is, but you're a pony now, and that's long."

Silver began to get stiff and awkward, "Am I hurting you? Is that bad?"

Celine shook her head quickly, "You don't move fast enough. You handle me like I'm made of glass. It's very sweet, and with how long you go, it's nice, but different. I feel things tighten up and move that I hadn't before. Still, if you sped up, you'd probably normalize, so stop handling me like I'll break."

"Before?" asked Silver.

Celine bopped him in the nose, "I was once Luna. She isn't a virgin."

Silver flushed gently, "I suppose not... Is Celestia?"

Celine nipped his shoulder gently, "Ask her yourself?"

Silver burst into rough laughter, "Oh, hey, Sunbutt. Have you ever had your fields ploughed?"

Celine rolled her eyes, "She has. She's very picky about her partners, and they are sworn to secrecy. Don't tell her I said a thing about it."

Silver quickly shook his head, "Wouldn't think of it. We should see what Night Watch's gotten into. I wonder if she ever got out of the first town."

They were both on their hooves shortly and moved across into the bathroom first. Cleaning after such activities seemed wise. Night could wait a few minutes longer...

Author's Notes:

Emotions get discussed! Also some sex talk. Meanwhile, Night Watch gets to play some Fallout. How did she do? Tune in next time to find out!

All this social-gender politics is confusing to follow, but typos are easy to follow. Destroy them.