Silver let out a little sigh as he settled behind his desk. The trial was over… but his wife was not returned to him. How could she be? Insane people don't get married, or join herds, or… He glared out a window a moment and took slow breaths. Perhaps, in time, it would be settled… In the meanwhile, he had work to do. He had a position, and he meant to take it seriously.
With a silver glow, he gently opened the door of his office to admit any pony, or human, or anything else, that might want to come see him.
Night moved to his side. "I know what you're feeling."
He flashed a little smile at her. Did she? In a sense. She had lost a wife as well. "It was my fault."
Night shook her head. "She is responsible for her own actions."
Before anything else could be said, an unfamiliar voice spoke up. “I was told that this was the office for the human ambassador?”
A moment later, the voice’s owner stepped into the doorway. Dressed in a black two-piece suit and matching gold tie, he could have stepped out of a TV commercial, being a white male, six feet tall with short brown hair. Green eyes swept over the room from behind a pair of glasses before zeroing in on Silver and Night.
Silver sat up, blinking at the new human. "Hello there! Please, come in." He gestured at a chair that moved into easy access with a silver glow. "You've found him, Ambassador Silver Watch."
Night nodded to the new guest. "Night Watch. Don't mind me, I'm just the guard." She retreated to a safe distance, watching carefully but out of the way of the conversation.
The newcomer’s eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second as he watched Night move off to the side, but he kept a polite smile on his face as he took the offered seat. “I’m a little surprised,” he directed his remarks towards Silver. “You don’t seem to have the sort of guards that the princesses have. Is outreach to new human arrivals really that dangerous?”
Silver gestured aside at Night. "She's trying to be unobtrusive. Really, say hello to Night, my wife."
Night lowered her front in a bow. "Pretend I'm not here." As hard as it might be to pretend the lunar warrior was not present.
“Ah, my apologies.” Though he didn’t clarify what he was apologizing for, the human still nodded his head towards Night before returning his gaze to Silver. He adjusted his seat slightly as he did so, apparently to sit more comfortably...that it put Night Watch more firmly in his field of view was surely a coincidence.
“So, Ambassador Silver Watch, I’m sure you can understand that I have a lot of questions…” he trailed off in an obvious lead-in.
Silver bobbed his head. "I can only imagine. Please, how long have you been here?" That would give him a measure of how much his guest may or may not already know. "Allow me to point out, you're safe here." He tapped at the desk softly. "We, I mean, I, I'm here to help."
The hesitation that came before the newcomer’s answer was just long enough to be conspicuous, but not enough to be rude. “Given that there’s an official in charge of meeting humans, I’m going to assume that there’s no easy way back to Earth, is that correct?” That he’d ignored Silver’s question hung in the air, though if the human felt awkward about it, it didn’t show on his features.
Silver blinked at the utter deflection. "N-no. The Text? The words that likely appeared before you arrived here, it's cagey on the topic. If you didn't get to visit home, you will eventually, so be ready for that." He raised a hoof to point at the new person. "What was your name? Calling 'you' by 'you' hardly seems polite."
The human blinked, and for an instant he looked surprised, as though the question had caught him off-guard. It was gone instantly, though, replaced by that same smile. “Ah, pardon me for not introducing myself. I’m...John. John Smith.” He paused then, before returning to the previous topic. “So there’s no way to go home then, short of this ‘Text’ electing to send me there?” His brow furrowed slightly, and even though he was smiling the question was quite clearly a pointed one, as though he already knew the answer.
"Basically." Silver tilted his head faintly. "If you are John Smith, I apologize, but… come on, really? Are you afraid I'm working against you? I'm a threat?" He waved it off. "Please, I just want to be a friend." It was more the delay than the name specifically. The human's edgy behavior was stacking. "Were you hurt?"
Again, the question was ignored. “Come now, Mr. Ambassador, are you really in a position to be calling me dishonest? After all, even though I asked you twice if there was a way to get back to Earth, you didn’t mention Star-Swirl’s mirror portal a single time.” The smile stayed on his face, but this time it quite clearly didn’t reach his eyes.
Silver blinked. That was… "I didn't think of that… I… that's a great idea!" He hopped up to his hooves. "I have no idea how to make mirror portals though." In his excitement, the question was forgotten. "I wonder what's needed to 'aim' them properly."
“I see.” John didn’t seem to share Silver’s enthusiasm, and instead watched him closely, noting his reactions. “Can you tell me how many humans are in Equestria right now?”
Silver raised a hoof to wobble it. "There hasn't been a, wait, what's your name again?" He was awful at names to begin with. One like John Smith wasn't helping things.
"John," provided Night almost immediately. "Are you actually a smith?"
“Hm?” He turned to Night. “Oh, no.” He laughed slightly. Like every other expression he had made, it was so polite and courteous that it was almost textbook. “For most humans, the second name is a ‘surname’ that’s handed down from parent to child. While they used to describe occupations, those days are long gone.” He seemed, for a moment, like he was going to say something else, but appeared to decide against it.
Instead, he turned his attention back to Silver. “Given the paucity of humans so far, am I correct in presuming that your office functions as an adjunct of Celestia and Luna’s government, rather than any human authority?”
Silver bobbed his head at that. "We tried the other way, that was a sham in the end… I work for Celestia, yes." He put a hoof at his chest. "My name is much the same. Watch is Night's name, and I took it, as a token of love, not because I work with watches or I'm even particularly watchful." He tilted his head at the curious human. "Have you made any friends since arriving?"
Perhaps realizing that a third deflection would be going too far, John replied. “I look forward to getting to know new peop-, er, ponies and finding mutual interests that we can build on.” He smiled again, and this time it was deeper, as though he were laughing at some private joke.
Apparently taking his answer as grounds to shift to a different topic, he kept talking. “What can you tell me about the ‘Text’?”
Silver frowned a little. "It likes it when things are 'interesting', it snatches people…" He rolled a hoof slowly. "Neither Celestia or Luna are aware of it… That's about all I know. Oh! He, she, it? It likes to 'open paths', that is, set up ways for you to end up where you want to be, or don't want to be. It won't do it for you, just make sure there is a way to get there and amuse itself watching you make it or don't make it."
Night raised a brow. "It makes me think of Discord, but we're not going to get very far with it, we're here for you, John. What do you need to be a happy member of Equestria?"
“A lever and a place to stand, I suppose.” Again his features showed a hint of mirth. Not bothering to explain what he meant, John stood up. “Well, thank you both very much for taking the time to meet with me today. I appreciate how helpful you’ve been.” Giving a polite nod to both of them, he adjusted his tie as he turned for the door, apparently finished.
Silver blinked as the human, er, John turned away. "Is that really all you needed? Do you have a place to stay? A job?" He took an uncertain step forward. "Even if you feel silly asking, please, we are here to help."
“Thank you, Ambassador, but I know exactly what I need to do next. Don’t worry though, I’m sure that we’ll see each other again soon.” John’s reply came with only the slightest of backwards glances as he left, his stride never slowing.
A sudden cry caught the attentions of the ponies whose office he’d left. Without Samantha there to play smiling nurse, it fell on them to take care of their foals. "I have it." Silver, already standing, moved to take care of whatever had come up, allowing the human to make good his escape. He wandered into the smaller room to see Morning Glory staring at him silently. The crying had ceased the moment he came into view.
"What's wrong?"
He held out a hoof towards Silver, then it fell and he began to wave it around.
It was a vague gesture, but one Silver understood and sighed slowly. "Are you looking for Samantha?"
The little colt nodded.
"She can't come home right now." Silver strode up to the pen and leaned in, nuzzling the colt. "She'll be back." Or so he hoped.
"You will learn." Luna stood up straight as she pointed ahead. "Now what are those?"
Samantha's ears perked up. "Training dummies."
"Incorrect. For this activity, they are ponies. You are to treat them with all the respect owed any other pony. If I see you neglecting them, there will be punishments." She approached the one on the left. "His name is Mister Happy. He likes most things, but expects to be treated with respect and courtesy. We'll start with him. Once you get along with him, we'll move on to the next, harder, pony."
Samantha's jaw worked noiselessly a moment before she nodded and she approached the dummy. "Hello Mister Happy. Nice to meet you." She stared silently a moment, then glanced to Luna. "He's not replying."
Luna quirked a little smile. Nopony promised this would be simple.