“Hello, Silver Set,” Doug returns politely. A part of him regrets not being able to sit there and read through specialized snowfall patterns, but he sets the book off to the side. He smiles back, a short wave of his hand welcoming the amethyst maned mare. “Name’s Doug.”

“Hello, Doug,” Silver Set echoes, a bit friendlier than his greeting. Her eyes flick to the plate of food, then to the pink mare pronking around, and back to Doug.

“Beautiful day,” Doug stalls, searching for something to ask about. The weather seems superfluous, especially with pegasi actually controlling things.

“Hard to mess up clear skies,” Silver Set says with a joking tone that suggests that somehow the pegasi do manage that feat from time to time. “Did you have a Summer Sun Celebration where you came from?”

Doug chews on his lip for a brief second. “Not specifically for the summer.” He grabs one of the sunflower seeds, rolling it between two fingers. “We had one on the fourth of July, though, celebrating our independence. Well, the declaration of said independence.”

Silver Set notes his qualifier about summer but asks, “Oh? The Summer Sun Celebration is a celebration of independence, too!” She nods, her eyes curiously inspecting his hand as it manipulates the seeds.

“Really?” Doug asks, half recalling a remark he heard. “I thought Equestria hasn’t been at war for a thousand years.”

“It was a civil war of sorts,” Silver Set says, her tone darkening. She nervously glances from side to side, then puts her hooves on the table and leans close. She speaks in a low voice, “Not long lasting, but a great many ponies were affected. Princess Celestia’s sister and her followers led a revolt, seeking to overthrow the more beloved ruler. The Summer Sun Celebration commemorates the day of Nightmare Moon’s defeat and banishment.”

“Heady stuff,” Doug says as he leans in and pops a few seeds in his mouth. He frowns slightly. “This happened a thousand years ago?”

“Almost,” Silver Set confirms, pulling back slightly. “The first year of the calendar starts on her banishment.” She cocks her head to the side, curious cyan eyes sparkling in the morning light. “Does your calendar do a similar thing?”

“...Not quite.” Doug finds his eyes drawn into hers. “Our calendar starts about two thousand years ago on the day of... well, I’ll just say the birth of humanity’s most influential figure and leave it at that. Our war for independence was about two hundred and fifty years ago. Though we also had a civil war, about a hundred and fifty years ago, that we celebrate with Memorial Day.”

“Is she still around?” Silver Set asks. At Doug’s quizzical frown she continues, “Your most influential figure. Is she still around?”

“Technically a ‘he’, and… it depends what you mean by around.” Doug scratches at his neck, the corners of his mouth pulling to a grim smile. “He lived about thirty three years, yet claims to still be with us.” He motions to Canterlot. “Religion is a touchy subject, with a lot that needs to be taken on faith. Not like your Princess Celestia, goddess incarnate.”

“Princess Celestia doesn’t claim to be a ‘goddess’,” Silver Set counters harshly.

Silence stretches for a few long seconds.

Doug regrets voicing his ‘goddess’ comment, even though he thinks it is appropriate. After all, the ponies constantly use Celestia’s name as a swear, or at least part of a phrase. He leans back with a stony shrug.

“S-sorry,” Silver Set says quietly. “It’s, just, Princess Celestia tries to appear humble. And approachable to her subjects.” She takes a deep breath that turns into a sigh. “You mentioned not celebrating a summer solstice. Do you observe the winter solstice, or spring equinox?”

Doug chuckles to himself. “No, though the celebration of that figure’s birth falls at about the same time. Maybe done intentionally, to co-opt the pagan holiday that did, but we don’t have a Celestia to ask.”

“Princess Celestia,” Silver Set corrects with the same harshness. She huffs to herself. “Sorry, sorry. We just try to use her title whenever we talk about her.”

“Hey, I’d rather mess up in front of you instead of one of Princess Celestia’s royal guards,” Doug says wryly.

Silver Set smirks, a slight shrug of her shoulders. “On the first day of the year Princess Celestia has a memorial service, dedicated to everypony who fell from her sister’s… machinations. Not quite a memorial day, and few observe it since it happens at midnight.” She sighs, but grimly. “Most ponies would rather abandon it entirely. But we shouldn’t forget our past.”

“Or we might repeat it,” Doug says sagely.

Silver Set nods. “Or become it.”

The conversation stalls again. “So, what do you do around town?” Doug asks, picking up the sundae. It’s partially melted already, and he can sort of drink it as long as he doesn’t mind the raisin chunks. It takes him a moment to realize they are probably sun-dried, and he looks around for that pink menace to glare at.

He finds her chatting with another pink mare with a highly styled purple mane, the temp schoolteacher Spoiled Rich. Pinkie Pie senses him, somehow, and turns around to wave at him with a smile so wide he could probably fit an entire pie inside.

“I run Silver Settings,” Silver Set says, turning her head to follow Doug’s gaze. “That’s actually my given name, Silver Setting, but Set rolls off the tongue a bit easier. We make jewelry, table settings of all shapes and sizes, and many other ornamental pieces.” She offers an exaggerated smile. “Looking to get anything crafted?”

“...” Doug opens his mouth, about to say ‘no’, but pauses. He looks at his left hand, the ring finger bare. “How much jewelry do ponies normally wear? It seems pretty rare.”

Silver Set sweeps her mane back to better expose her ear. At the bottom is a small diamond stud in a silver setting, unobtrusive but not quite concealed. “Most ponies don’t go for much besides a simple choker or earrings. In Ponyville, at least; a lot of my work is commissioned for Canterlot elites and nobles. Spoiled Rich helps whenever we need diamond work done.”

“Indeed,” the pink mare in question says as she approaches the table with Pinkie Pie. They must have started walking over when Pinkie Pie waved at Doug. Spoiled Rich turns to Silver Set; a minute glare gets the silver pony to fold her ears back and let her mane fall.

“Hey, Spoiled Rich,” Silver Set says chipperly. “We were just talking.”

“Mostly about your store,” Doug adds quickly. “I was thinking about getting a ring made.”

“I see.” Spoiled Rich lets out a ‘harumph’ as she haughtily regards the two. “Carry on.”

Silver Set gulps, then looks back at his hand, curiously asking, “So… humans wear jewelry?”

“All kinds,” Doug says. He splays his hand out on the table. “One of the more lucrative businesses, in fact. The gemstones I’ve gotten with Rarity are positively monstrous, and a single one would be the centerpiece of the crown jewels.”

“Really?!” Silver Set asks, astonished. She holds up her hoof, twisting it this way and that to try to figure out where a ring might fit without major alterations. “Some unicorns can grow jewels, at least non-magical ones, but it takes a lot of time and effort compared to just finding more. And they always come out perfect. So the more expensive ones tend to be those with more imperfections, especially if you can perfectly center the cut.” She pops her stud out, holding it for Doug to take.

He does, inspecting it carefully. In the center is a dark blotch that if he squints just right looks like the silver mare’s cutie mark of a plate with a chalice on top. He hands it back, saying, “Impressive,” and she secures it in her ear. A brief grimace crosses his face. “Oh, man. I asked Rarity about making sets of dice, but I asked for the ones that were cloudy and flawed! I can’t believe she didn’t say anything.”

“And she joined your herd despite that?” Silver Set smiles softly. “It sounds like she was generous enough to look past that, and realized you were an actual gold digger instead of a figurative one.” She winks at Doug while Spoiled Rich rolls her eyes.

Doug can’t help but chuckle. “Don’t know about gold, but we have done quite a bit of digging together. I’m glad it worked out.”

“Mm.” Silver Set gives a telling glance at Spoiled Rich. “It seems like you aren’t what I expected you to be at all.”

Spoiled Rich raises her muzzle into the air just a fraction, then turns and leaves.

“What was that?” Doug asks, taking a swig from his milk and raisin smoothie. It’s about a third gone, now that he can guzzle it a bit easier.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just a bit spoiled.” Silver Set pushes herself up to rest her forelegs on the table, holding her head in her hooves as her tail swishes back and forth. “You were talking about jewelry?”

Doug takes a cautious breath at her close proximity and the eager way she presents herself. “Most women wear jewelry because it looks good. They’re like magpies, always going for pretty things.”

“Would you say you’re a magpie, too?” Silver Set asks, fluttering her eyelashes.

Doug snorts. “Hardly. I mean, you ponies are cute enough, and physical appearance is important, but it’s not the only thing. Not the most important, not even close.”

“Mm,” Silver Set says, her smile broadening.

“I’ve always been more about the practical. And jewelry rarely fulfills that purpose.” Doug purses his lips. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Silver Set returns.

“Most I would want is a simple ring.” He holds his hand out, squeezing his ring finger. “Unless you have diamond saws.” Doug glances at Spoiled Rich, but she’s gone. “Do you have diamond saws?”

“Saws?” Silver Set frowns, looking very hesitant. She hunches down a little. “For cutting things, not the playground equipment?”

“Yeah; we’d use diamonds for cutting things.” Doug sighs at the realization. “Unless magic is just better at that, too. But diamonds are so hard you could affix them to the end of a blade or saw and make the cutting edge that much better.”

“...It’s quite energy intensive to use magic,” Silver Set admits meekly. She looks at the plate of eggs, then back at Doug. “Do you turn everything to destructive ends?”

Doug slumps back in his chair, tapping his fingers against his chest as he looks away from the mare. “I’ve been as honest as I can since I got here,” he says carefully. He pauses for a moment as Silver Set’s ear fold against her head. “And it’s very, very easy for my mind to go to… destructive ends. But I’m trying to not introduce anything like that here.”

Silver Set slowly nods. She sets off the table and walks around the table to nuzzle him in the side, her eyes slightly wet.

He raises his arm automatically, turning back with a bit of confusion.

“That doesn’t make you a bad pony,” Silver Set says as she rubs against him.

Doug finds the assessment quite comforting, his hand reaching around her neck to stroke her mane. He forces a smile. “Thanks.”

“As long as you don’t eat ponies.” She pulls away to stare him in the eyes. “You don’t eat ponies, right?”

“I have not eaten a pony,” Doug says confidently.

“Good.” Silver Set returns to resting against him.

“I have eaten a llama,” Doug continues as he loads his empty glass with eggs and sunflower seeds.

“Buck those spitters,” Silver Set grunts out.

Next Chapter: Ch. 99 - Shroud of the Lightless Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 18 Minutes