//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17: Family Contract 
// Story: Silver Spoon Adopts a Naga 
// by Halira 
//------------------------------//

"I think we should have taken more time to ask questions before investing in a bed," Twist said in frustration. 

Silver resisted saying how was she supposed to know. It was evident that Twist was right; they should have asked about what proper bedding for a naga was before spending money they couldn't afford to waste on a bed. 

Upon seeing his bed, Sisstet had climbed up on it and proceeded to grab up all the sheets, along with the pillows and blanket, and make himself a nest on top of the bed. Most of the bed was being unused, aside from the area dedicated to his naga nest. He coiled up in it and seemed quite satisfied with his work. 

There wasn't much else to the room at the moment—just the bed, chair, and desk. The bed coverings that he'd transformed into a nest were all green, and he blended in with them somewhat. The room had a single window that was above the headboard of the bed, with white and red curtains that were held over from Twist's office. Sisstet's bag had been moved to the room, minus the fish, which were now on the counter of the kitchen until they figured out how to store them properly. 

"I don't suppose they do refunds or allow us to trade-in for a smaller bed and split the difference?" Twist asked in a hopeful tone.

Silver shook her head. "Never known them to do so. All sales are final."

Twist fluttered her lips. "Ponyfeathers." She instantly went wide-eyed and covered her mouth, and Silver gave her a scolding look for cussing in front of a foal. 

To both of their surprises, Sisstet had quickly fallen asleep upon cuddling up in his nest. Silver supposed it had been an emotionally exhausting day or two for him, and emotional exhaustion could lead to physical exhaustion. He also had spent a lot of energy slithering around town and cleaning the bathroom—him needing a little nap after all that made sense. 

"You know, he really is adorable right now," Twist said softly.

"Adorable enough for you to forgive him for biting me?" Silver asked. 

Twist snorted. "It's been discussed, and as long as it doesn't happen again, we don't have anything to worry about."

Silver relaxed. "I'm thrilled to hear that."

"Go ahead and visit your parents," Twist instructed. "If he wakes up while you're gone, I can try to interest him in making candy with me. I'll be reading over some sections of that book while he sleeps."

"I don't know what we're going to do if they turn me down, " Silver said worriedly. "We could improvise some things, but anything that's a clear improvisation isn't going to pass Cozy Glow's inspection next month. Adoption agencies made it clear they'd be picky about details like that. I can't imagine that Cozy Glow would be any more lenient than an adoption agency, especially with a naga."

"If it doesn't work out with your parents, do you think the Princess might have some sort of financial aid for us?" Twist asked. 

"I doubt it," Silver answered. "It's the same issue as with Cozy Glow. If you're going to adopt a foal, you have to be able to prove you can support and provide for all the foal's needs. Do you think an adoption agency would give us money to remodel to fit their standards? Obviously, they wouldn't, and I doubt it is any different with the Princess. It's kinda cheating going to my parents, but at least we can count them as part of the extended family support system."

"Support and your parents aren't words that typically go together, but maybe it won't be so bad," Twist replied. She then frowned. "I suppose I need to contact my folks as well, although I don't think they'll be that difficult about it. Bet you five bits, the first thing they ask me is if he brushes his teeth regularly."

Silver giggled as she thought of her wife's parents. "I bet you ten bits the first thing they ask is if they can give him a full dental check-up, followed soon by a suggestion for braces."

Twist rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be shocked. But hey, I have one of the best smiles in Ponyville because of my parents being so picky about my dental health as a filly, so I can't be mad." She raised an eyebrow at Silver. "Even if a certain filly and her best friend used to pick on me for my braces."

Silver's ears fell. "I said I was sorry about that."

Lips connected with hers, and then pulled back as Twist smiled. "You're long since forgiven. I married you, didn't I? And I know you enjoy my nice straight teeth when they-"

Silver quickly put a hoof over her wife's mouth and giggled some more. "Watch it! He might only be pretending to be asleep. You're being bad!"

Twist's eyes glittered as Silver let her hoof down. "When they hold a spoon."

Silver turned her face away, blushing. "I'm going to buck you if you don't stop."

"Really? That might be an incentive to keep going." Twist said mischievously as she leaned forward. 

"Twist!" Silver said in a high whisper, now blushing furiously, and pushing her wife back. "You're incorrigible! Really, save it for later. I need to get going."

Twist gave an exaggerated sigh of disappointment. "Okay, okay, good luck with your parents."

Silver turned and gave her wife one quick peck on the lips. "I'll need it. Be back soon."





She was let into the gate of her parents' estate without a fuss from the servant on duty. Technically she was always welcome to come here. Still, she always half expected somecreature to say her parents didn't want any common riffraff lowering the value of the property with their filthy presence. Once upon a time, when she was a young filly, she tried to emulate her parents. She'd mostly abandoned those habits by her later years of primary school, and completely abandoned what was left of them by the time she'd abruptly quit business school. Now she found those sensibilities downright disgusting. 

She didn't have any animosity towards the wealthy as a whole. Diamond was rich, and lived in a big mansion with lots of servants, but Diamond didn't look down her nose at creatures with more meager lifestyles and incomes. Diamond helped build others up, and gave them opportunities; both of Silver's parents made sure every creature knew they weren't worth their time. Spoiled Rich at least made some effort to pretend she cared about the welfare of others, if only to give herself more power over them, but her parents couldn't be bothered with that much. They cared about money and the family business, and that was it.

The yard was the same as it ever was, lots of bushes cut to resemble ponies dancing. She didn't give it much of a look as she marched up to the front door and knocked. 

The door opened, and she smiled as she saw a familiar face. "Madam Glass!"

The elderly head of the servant staff blinked. "Young Miss Spoon! Always good to see you. You don't visit nearly enough, little filly."

Silver chuckled into a hoof. "I'm well into my thirties; I'm hardly a young filly anymore."

The older earth pony mare arched an eyebrow at her. "At my age, everycreature's young! I read you stories, repaired your glasses, and prepared your meals since you were younger than the students you teach. You'll always be Young Miss Spoon to me." Madame Glass sobered up. "But I suppose you must be in some trouble. You never come to visit your parents unless you need something."

Silver's joy at seeing her old friend faded. "I do, but you understand why I don't like visiting."

The mare glanced back into the house quickly before turning around. "I can't be saying nothin' bad about the Mister and the Misses. Not my place. Come in, come in. Make yourself at home, and I'll let your parents know you have arrived."

The door was opened wider, and she bowed her head to the old madame as she walked into the house. 

The main room was much the same. Every bit of furniture was trimmed in silver lacquer, and the walls were all lined with glass display cases that held every type of silverwork that anycreature could imagine existing, and many they might not be able to imagine. There were a few paintings of long-dead relatives hung high on the walls. The chandelier hanging center above the room was silver; the doors had silver trim, even the edges of the rugs were colored silver. So much silver everywhere that it became gaudy. A grandfather clock, with silver inlays, steadily ticked away the corner.

There was a stone bust in another corner that looked unfamiliar, probably yet another relative that did something to earn the family wealth and prestige. On the far wall, hanging above the fireplace, was a family portrait of her and her parents that had been painted when she was around seven years old, not long after she'd gotten her cutie mark. It was the only evidence she belonged to this family in the room. 

"Make yourself at home, young filly, " Madame Glass said as she closed the door and hurried towards the study. "I'll see to it that your parents don't keep you waiting."

Silver walked over to one of the ornate couches and took a seat. She had no sooner done so than her parents came out of the study. 

"Spoon! You have decided to grace us with your presence," her mother, Silver Sheet, said as she made her way to the opposite couch. 

"Indeed," her father, Silver Wright, said as he took a seat in a nearby chair. "I don't suppose you are visiting us to tell us that you are abandoning your teaching career and wish to be involved in the family business."

"No, Father," Silver replied stiffly. 

Her mother had the gall to look disappointed. "A pity. So what do we owe the honor? Perhaps you've decided to divorce that candy maker and get married to a stallion? It would be upsetting after all that effort we put into franchising her business, but if it meant a possible heir to the family business, we'd happily suffer the loss."

Silver gritted her teeth and narrowed her brow. "I love Twist. How can you even think that I would consider doing something like that? I don't even like stallions."

Her mother laughed. "Oh my! I don't understand why you insist being attracted to stallions is needed. We've been over this, dear. The only pony attracted to stallions in this house is your father. It's why we married. He could have his trysts with stallions, and I could have my own with mares. It's no wonder you came out a filly-fooler. Nothing is stopping you from marrying a stallion, making the sacrifice to produce a foal, and keeping that little tart of yours on the side."

There was no point in dragging this out and letting them continue to enrage her until she finally said something she'd regret. "Twist and I are trying to adopt."

"Truly?" Her father asked as he leaned forward with a hungry look in his eyes. "Well then, that is quite good to hear. Your mother and I were almost convinced that you'd leave us heirless."

Her mother also gave a satisfied grin. "This is excellent news. Please, tell us of this foal."

Silver took a deep breath. "He's a naga."

Both her parents jumped back in their seats. It only took her mother a second to recover. "A naga? As in, the half-snake creatures that burrow holes in the ground?"

Silver steadied herself. "Yes. He's actually a kingsnake."

Her mother arched an eyebrow. "Those are the ones that get very large, and command the other naga, correct?"

Silver nodded. "That is correct."

Her parents shared an unreadable look between them. "How old is this kingsnake naga?" Her mother asked. 

"He's eight years old, which is comparable to an eight-year-old pony."

Her father leaned forward again. "And you said, trying, I do believe. Trying and doing are two different things."

She took another deep breath. "Because he is a kingsnake, Princess Twilight needs to negotiate with the kingsnakes for the right for us to keep him. I'm told this could take months. We also need to make adjustments to our home so we can pass appropriate inspections. That second part is why I'm here. We need to do some renovations and get some items, but we don't have the money for it."

"I see," her father said grimly. 

Her mother got down from the couch and gestured at her father to head towards the study. "Wright, a few expedient words, in private."

Her father nodded and followed. "Indeed, this must be discussed. Wait here, Spoon. We shan't be long."

Her parents left the room, and she was left listening to the clock tick, trying to resist biting her hooves or going home before they returned. 

The clock had barely counted out two minutes before her parents returned and took up their seats again. To her shock, they were both smiling. 

"We have decided we are willing to invest in whatever you may need," her mother announced. 

Invest. That meant they expected to get something out of this. She didn't respond; she just waited for the next horseshoe to fall.

"However, we have conditions," her father tacked on. There it was. At least they weren't going to make her wait. "This is technically a loan, that we shall forgive over time, provided you meet the appropriate terms."

It was her turn to arch an eyebrow. "And those terms are?"

Her mother raised her nose. "We don't care what you call him at home, in public, or at that quaint school of yours, but we expect him to be adopted with a name change to Silver Scale."

"His scales aren't silver-colored," Silver protested. She didn't know why she was protesting that, but it still rankled her all the same. 

"A trifling detail," her father responded. 

Her mother was not done. "Further, we expect Silver Scale to spend one weekend each month, and one full week out of each summer, under our care. This shall continue until he has completed his primary schooling. If a month is unable to be met due to some unforeseen circumstances, we expect two weekends the next month. There is no leeway with the summer requirement, although you are free to choose which week or weekend in both cases. Failure to give us this time with our adopted grandson will result in you forfeiting the terms of the contract, and we shall accept repayment."

Her brows shot up. "You want time with him? Why?"

Her mother put on a look of mock hurt. "Is it so wrong for grandparents to wish to spend time with their grandson? We also want to ensure that he is getting a proper well-rounded education, one that goes beyond your humble curriculum, and to introduce him to the family business.  We have not given up hope that he might maintain our family legacy where you have not."

Silver gaped. "You're prepared to give over the family business to a non-pony?"

"Why, of course, dear," her mother replied. "Equestria is changing. It is becoming more cosmopolitan, with many species calling it home. We can cling to the idea of only ponies running our business, and become irrelevant relics, or we can adapt, and keep our family distinguished for generations to come. We have no intention of becoming relics."

Her father gave a wicked grin. "And the fact that he is one who by right of birth has command over one of those species is even better. Our family has had to suffer the title of merely merchant class for generations, and this may finally push the Silvers to a place among the nobility, as has long been our proper due. Yes, we may transition from a family of earth ponies to one of naga, but it shall still be the Silver family. We cannot let this opportunity be wasted."

Her mother nodded. "This is truly a relief and a blessing. We'd feared our family business and legacy would be lost with your refusal to be involved in it, and your insistence on lowering your station. We'd even looked into adopting an alternative heir."

"But the adoption agencies dared to claim we were unsatisfactory, the gall!" Her father all but spat. Silver Spoon resisted the urge to make any comment about how foals needed a loving home, and her parents lacked in that department.

"A grave insult, that was," her mother lamented, then smiled again. "We didn't have faith you would do much better at adopting if we failed. But all of that is behind us if you have the princess aiding you. We are prepared to pay for any additional legal counsel you may require."

"So, do we have a deal, daughter?" Her father asked, holding out a hoof.

She looked at the proffered hoof warily. "What if Sisstet-"

"Silver Scale," her mother corrected.

She shook her head and decided not to argue about that at the moment. "What if he decides he isn't interested in the family business either?"

Her parents looked at one another, and her father turned back towards her. "There is a specific risk involved in any investment, that it might be wasted. If he chooses to go another direction, that is his prerogative. However, I have high hopes that a species that is at home deep in the earth may find our silver mines more enticing than you do. Do we have an accord, daughter?"

She stared at her father's waiting hoof. She hated their reasons for wanting to do this, but it would make sure Sisstet's needs were met. She also couldn't deny he might end up being interested in the family business where she wasn't, and there was nothing wrong with that in and of itself. She and Twist would be the primary ones raising him, and they'd teach him to be a better creature than her parents were. If he did end up taking control of the silver mines, he wouldn't be a snob who looked down on others. 

She leaned forward and touched hooves with her father. "We have a deal."