6 - Just a Little Lunch
The morning was busy. Rough Draft was in the shower while Trixie was putting on makeup, which Silver Lining had never seen her do before. "What's going on?" he asked, watching her intently.
Trixie perked an ear, then turned to him. "We have been summoned, go get dressed in something nice."
Silver shook his head, "I don't really have anything, nice or not. I kept meaning to ask about that, but no one seemed to care."
Trixie snorted softly, "Hop in the shower after Rough and get clean at least. You are to be on your best behavior, or it will reflect poorly on Trixie."
Silver gave a slow nod and left Trixie to her prettying efforts. Rough soon emerged from the bathroom, looking as groomed as ever he would be. He had a black shirt and pants that Silver thought looked ridiculous on him. "Looking good, Rough," he lied outright as he walked past him into the shower.
Unlike showers back home, the water never seemed to go cold, no matter how long a shower or bath went. He hopped into the tub carefully and got to cleaning. An irresistible urge bubbled up and he began to whistle as his magic hand grabbed a bar of soap and began lathering himself up. As the soap wandered over his anatomy, he began to think of his former human self and how it compared and contrasted with his new equine shell. He still approved of his new appearance. Adorable, fat free, mostly, and did he mention adorable? He wiped the steam away from the mirror with a silver hand and smiled at equine face that smiled back with its wet silver mane. Soon enough he hopped out. His hooves hit the tile and slipped and he found himself face first on the cool bathroom floor, "Ow."
Silver emerged from the bathroom, dry and clean, looking around. Trixie and Rough were by the door, looking to him. "Ready?" asked Rough Draft.
"For?" asked Silver as he stepped towards them, "Should I bring my saddlebags?"
Trixie nodded, "It will do better than nothing, go fetch them."
Silver tried to send his silver hand into his room blindly. The sound of something being knocked over made him laugh nervously and trot in instead. He set the saddlebags in place while making a note to pick up the picture he had knocked off the wall. "Ready!"
They walked together through the city, moving directly for the castle. "So," said Silver, "Are we visiting royalty, or the princesses?"
Rough perked an ear, "The princesses are royalty."
"Is that a yes?" asked Silver. "Stop being so secretive already. I can handle it."
Trixie snorted softly, "Maybe you can 'handle it', but it makes Trixie very nervous. The date is for lunch with not one, but both princesses. Trixie has never been so nervous."
Silver tilted his head, "You've both met Luna before. What's the big deal?"
Rough Draft suddenly plucked Silver up and set him on Rough's back. "We weren't in Canterlot Castle, and it wasn't both of them. See it from our point of view."
Silver did just that, considering Celestia and Luna not as cartoon monarchs, but the true leaders of the land. He rolled his ears back, "I belong to them, don't I?"
Trixie nodded, "That you do, for thirty years. That is a long time, are you ready for it?"
Rough quickly added, "We're definitely not here for that. They wouldn't force a colt to start serving."
"But I'm not a colt," said Silver with some trepidation, "Not where it really counts."
Trixie patted Silver with her magic, "Now you understand the nervousness. Be good, smile, and speak truthfully. Celestia is a kind princess."
The guards allowed them to pass with little formality, "The Princesses await you in the eastern wing, in the garden. Would you like an escort?"
Trixie nodded her head, "T... I would appreciate that." She swallowed back her odd manner of speech before the guard, giving a bright smile before they continued on. Before them walked a gold-armored imperial guard. They walked through the castle and its stained glass windows, its many pieces of art and high ceilings, but then they were outside again. The air was thick with the perfume of flowers. Seated within a gazebo were the royal sisters. Both were perched on cushions that matched their fur colors. Silver could hear them quietly speaking with each other.
Both princesses settled their eyes on their approaching visitors. "You may go," said Luna, dismissing the guard who saluted and marched off.
Celestia locked eyes on the colt riding on Rough Draft's back, "Hello there little one." She sounded like a mother, a kindly mother. "I'm glad you could all make it. Please, be seated." Each pony found a spot, with Silver sliding down to the ground and moving for a cushion of his own.
When he was settled he looked up at Celestia, "Hello Celestia, Luna." He nodded at each as he said their name. "Nice to see you today."
Celestia's smile widened, "It is nice to see you too. Tell me, what do you call yourself? You know our names."
Silver looked between Celestia and Luna. Neither appeared upset with him, or anything in general at the moment. "I was David Silver. Now I am Silver Lining." He perked an ear at them, "Thank you for welcoming me to your kingdom."
Luna nodded, "We have heard little to believe this was a poor decision, but we must impress on you the... delicate nature of things."
Trixie looked interested, and nervous, "Delicate? Will he return to his old self?"
Celestia shook her head, "Luna's magic is too powerful for that. Silver Lining is as he always will be, barring age or misfortune." She looked to him directly, "Do you regret what you have become?"
Silver shook his head, "It's not perfect, but nothing else. I... am alright with it, and my new family."
Luna pointed a wing at Rough Draft, "Your guardian serves well then?"
"He does," said Silver enthusiastically, "And Trixie. They are great."
Celestia nodded lightly. Silver was relaxed, but his two caretakers looked much less so. "What are they to you?" asked Celestia.
Silver frowned a little, "That's a tricky question. When I look at Rough I see my best friend, and my guardian. I know he'd do anything to keep me safe, but I am his friend too, and I want him, you know, to be happy?"
Rough reached over with a hoof and Silver found himself in Rough's lap, being hugged lightly. Silver found little to complain about in Rough's safe presence. He looked on to Trixie, "When I see Trixie, I see myself."
Celestia and Trixie both looked confused at that. "Please, go on," urged Celestia.
"She is like me, and Rough Draft to a degree. We want to be liked, adored, and appreciated. We want to make other people happy, but we often don't know how. We can come off as odd or rude, but we don't mean it. We just want someone who will love us no matter how weird we are and hold us even when we're really sad or angry. She is my teacher, and my friend, and I hope she feels the same way."
Trixie was red and darkening by the moment, but silent. She peered at Silver Lining with equal measures wonder and apprehension.
Luna lifted Silver's old phone into sight in her magic and set it on the table, "What is this?"
Silver Lining reached with a silver hand to grab it, and found Celestia's magic grabbed the hand firmly, holding it in place. "What curious magic you have," spoke Celestia.
Silver tilted his head, "You can see it too?" His surprise made the hand vanish. "I thought I was the only one."
Celestia shook her head, "There are spells that allow a pony to see small amounts of magic, and anypony can see large amounts. I have had many years of practice. Tell me, what was that shape you fashioned? It looked something like a paw, or a minotaur hand."
Silver raised a hoof, "The second one. It was a hand. I used to have two of them before I became a unicorn." He waved the hoof at Celestia, "These hooves are not as good at holding things, but the magic works pretty well."
Rough Draft spoke hesitantly, "What are you two talking about? I didn't see anything."
Celestia's horn glowed with magic that settled over Rough and Trixie's eyes, "Please make another hand, Silver."
Silver did as he was asked, making a hand to wave at Rough and Trixie. Feeling playful, he moved the hand in under Rough's startled chin, scritching him gently and working up over his ears as he used to do as a human. It had the desired effect, with Rough relaxing against Silver's back.
Luna tapped the phone gently, bringing attention back to it. Celestia nodded towards her, "Luna is correct. You have not explained what this device is. Is it broken?"
Silver reached with his magic and pulled the phone closer. "It doesn't look broken, but it's out of power."
Celestia tilted her head, "Does it run on magic? I could recharge it."
Silver shook his head, "Electricity, lightning, but it has to be a very specific strength to a very specific place, or you'll just break it. Before you ask, I don't even know exactly what those are."
Celestia frowned lightly, perplexed, "How did you charge the device if you didn't know?"
Silver shrugged, "It came with a device designed to charge it, which I didn't bring with me to Equestria. I wasn't planning on coming here when I stepped out of my house that morning. You have electricity though, right? What voltage and amperage?"
Luna shook her head, "That was after my time. Sister, do you know?"
Trixie suddenly spoke up, "One hundred and fifteen volts."
Silver's expression brightened, "Now that's lucky! What's the hertz?"
Trixie frowned a little, "T...I don't remember. I don't work with electrical things that often."
Celestia smiled her gentle smile, "We will find out. If it is compatible, does that mean you can activate the device?"
Luna quickly added, "You have not said what its function is."
Silver frowned a little, "It's... a combination of things. It lets you talk at a distance, with other similar devices, or read books, or view pictures, or a lot of things... most of which won't work."
Celestia tilted her head, "Whyever not? If you are afraid we will abuse it, I promise it will be handled with the greatest of care."
Silver waved a hoof, "It's not that! I know you're a nice person, Celestia, but it, like most human toys, relies on other human devices. The phone won't work without radio towers, which won't work without a working internet, which won't work without a dozen other terms you have no concept of. I mean no insult when I say this, but just getting that to work." He put the phone back on the table, "Would be centuries of work in supporting technology. If you can turn it on, it would serve as an amusing trinket, but there's nothing it can do that is really that amazing alone."
Trixie picked up the phone in her magic, "If you do not mind? Since it is not important, Trixie would like a try." She didn't notice her slip even as she focused on the phone. Silver could see little feelers of her magic as she inspected the phone quite thoroughly, maybe searching for something.
Rough Draft could see it as well, and pulled Silver closer, "That's so odd."
Celestia gave Rough a gentle smile, "It can be disconcerting at first. Let her attempt." She lifted the ball from under the table with her magic, "Perhaps you could tell us about this?" She floated the ball over to Silver and he took it in his hooves clumsily.
"This is what remains of my things, besides the phone," explained Silver. "I was told to put it where I wanted it and my things would unpack, but I never did that, since it would never repack, and I didn't know where I'd be living."
Luna tilted her head, "We are told you have a home now."
Silver perked his ears, "Are you giving this back to me?"
Celestia nodded, "Consider it a gift. But we would like to know how the things inside work. Do they also require electricity?" Silver nodded quickly. "It will be interesting to see if they can be plugged in. I trust none of the things inside are weapons?" Silver shook his head violently. "Good. Now, I have asked you many questions, do you have any for Luna or I?"
Silver leaned forward a little, "Um, yes... Do you mind that I wasn't always a pony?"
Celestia raised an ear at him, "It was... an indiscretion. I would ask that you not speak of it to ponies that don't already know of your previous state. You are now a pony. Are you enjoying it?"
Silver nodded quickly, "Yes, a lot... It's still funny sometimes, not standing upright."
"You could," pointed out Celestia.
Silver stuck out his tongue, "And I could stand on all fours as a human. It's not the same." He clapped his hooves together, "I get to do everything over again. That is an amazing gift."
"It is..." said Celestia as she stole a glance at a suddenly guilty-looking Luna.
Rough spoke, "He has been doing well in school. and has made some friends."
Trixie added with a smile, "He has been practicing his magic diligently. He looks so happy every time he gets better at it."
Celestia nodded slowly before she looked Silver in the eyes, "Do you miss your family?"
Silver jerked back, "Huh?"
"Your original family," expanded Celestia. "You surely had parents before you came to Equestria."
Silver went stiff and squirmed a little. Rough held him closer as he spoke, "He doesn't like to speak of them."
Celestia gave a slight nod, "When you feel comfortable then. Did you choose to leave?"
Silver shook his head, "I was just taking a walk and then a very dark place, just like that.. I was asked where I wanted to go, and I picked here."
"Why here?" asked Luna with a raised brow. "Why not your home?"
Silver frowned. He hadn't even considered home as an option he could select! "Uh, well, I knew about Equestria and really wanted to visit."
His answers only brought more questions. Celestia asked, "How did you hear of Equestria from another world entirely?"
Silver let out a slow breath, "We have... plays. They are considered fiction, but I asked anyway, and I was brought here, so not so fictional, was it? The play provided moral lessons and entertainment to our foals, and starred Twilight Sparkle and her friends."
Celestia's interest visibly piqued, "You know of Twilight beyond your meeting of her in Manehattan? Can you name some of her friends?"
Silver began to look a little nervous, "Uh, OK. She lives in Ponyville in a tree library with her baby dragon friend Spike. Her best friends consist of Rarity, a seamstress, Fluttershy, an animal caretaker, Rainbow Dash, an athlete and weather pegasus, Applejack, an honest and hard-working apple farmer, and Pinkie Pie, a pink earth pony that loves to party."
Celestia snorted, visibly shaken before she composed herself, "You will forgive my saying, but rumors of the Element bearers have spread through the kingdom, you could have heard of them. Tell me something else."
Silver looked up at Rough, then over at Trixie before returning his gaze at the somewhat agitated Celestia. "Alright. One time Applejack sent a friendship reported that consisted of 'I didn't learn anything.'" Celestia reared back, eyes wide. "I thought she was foolish not to give Flim and Flam a fair chance. They had a good product. I saw--"
Celestia's hoof was over his muzzle, cutting off his words. All he could think was that she smelled kind of nice. "That's enough, Silver Lining. I believe you."
"Found him, have you?" asked a cultured but jovial voice. All head turned to see Discord walking towards the gazebo, "I wondered how long it would take for him to end up here."
"Hi Discord," said Silver, raising a hoof to wave at him.
Discord looked shocked, "A pony that doesn't immediately look like I ruined their day?" He vanished, appearing beside Celestia, "Can I keep him? I'll water him and feed him every day!"
"That's not funny," said Luna. "He is a citizen of the kingdom, not a pet."
Discord huffed, "Yes yes, of course. Only royalty is allowed to take pets." He was suddenly beside Rough and Silver, "What's it like being a royal lap dog?"
Rough was tense, frowning at Discord and trying to protect Silver with his forelegs. Silver didn't share his fear, "I've been worse things. My new family is really great, and the sisters haven't asked anything of me."
"Yet," finished Discord.
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The cliff hanger! And omg Discord wanting to keep him lolol
5699254 Would you recoil in fear and/or disgust from Discord?
Discord never travels alone! He has a posse of typos with him to help spread chaos!
come on now David Silver give the old discord a little brake after all he is good deep down in his own silly way.
even when being bade he is trying to be good ware it matters.
and you know I love a good cliffhanger.
so how many key boards have you worn out in the last too months with now 3 story's??
love your work sir.
Harts Fire
Discord is always fun when he isn't being a predictable jerk. I always prefer him more when he acts like Q. Starts up a chain of events but then does little to nothing to interfee and just watches how things play out.
5699305 He hasn't been much of a jerk so far, just a little obnoxious. So far Silver thinks he's neat and a lot less intimidating than the royal sisters in a few ways.
5699304 Hey, I like Discord plenty, don't worry. I seem to have a thing for the 'bad guys' of MLP, at least many of them. Discord and Trixie definitely get a thum... oh I don't have one of those anymore. They get a hoof up! That's almost as good right?
Using magic on the keys has increased my typing speed, as you can see with this story!
5699268 Measured caution. He's annoying and a jerk, but he's also fun loving (since his reformation.) Dude did mess stuff up big time a couple thousand years ago, but he has been helping out some in recent times, so I'd give him a few more chances.
He should have sang Celestia's Ballad. Though, admittedly, AJ's letter was hilarious (even if she did buck a good thing in the face. Ponies like Flim and Flam and Trixe just need a good PR agent to consult with (they are charismatic, but their PR choices are lacking)... Maybe there's a lack in that market?)
5699323 He has yet to do any magic that didn't eventually get undone. That is a strange little comfort in itself.
5699328 Depending on if you accept the comics as canon. They do claim there is still the plains of chaos (the original battle site). Still most of his magic wears off or was unravelled. He's like a puppy. Just needs an outlet for all that chaos.
5699320
aww but I just cot you in a little trap earth pony's don't have magic???
5699347 And what a cute little puppy he is!
5699349 Just because I'm using my guardian's face for my avatar doesn't remove my horn! Sheesh.
hay no cheating switching avatars
5699355
5699487 Rough was getting annoyed at me using his face anyway. So, pegasus huh? What's that like?
it is 20% cooler I can't throw around that fancy magic stuff but flying and walking on clouds that just rocks. and when it comes to tacking a nap O boy nothing beets a nice fluffy to curl up on, so comfy.
speaking of it is time to fly up to my cloud house and go to bed this crazy human hear keeps trying to get me off of his computer.
central heating ftw.
I think they're royal, not imperial.
Oh yes, finally, someone who understands me!
5700100 Good to see you again! Enjoying the show?
"No one" is not a compound word - though it should probably be "no pony" here anyway (or maybe "nopony"? Since it's already a different word anyway).
"Gold-armored."
Since there are three of them, I believe she means "too."
I'm not sure if the use of "person" instead of "pony" here is an error - the language is somewhat fluid in the show, and Silver used to be human anyway, so it's somewhat forgivable.
The second "it" doesn't need to be capitalized.
Okay, I believe this should be "suddenly-guilty-looking" here. Yay for multiple hyphens!
Aplejack is honest and "hard-working."
I'd capitalize the Elements, since they're specific items and that's their name rather than a description.
5700755 The typos have been dragged around back and executed. What think ye of the chapter?
5700760 I'm having a hard time forming an opinion on this chapter. It feels like everything here was something that could be seen coming - the interplay of what questions the princesses had were obvious from the get-go, and while that certainly makes it true to how such a situation would go, it felt like this chapter was the literary equivalent of eating your vegetables; this had to be gotten through to get the more interesting stuff.
To put it another way, Silver was answering questions about stuff that we, the audience, knew already, even if the princesses didn't. There were no surprises or advancements here (at least until Discord showed up at the end).
5700448 Yeah, my inner Angry marine finally fell asleep.
That would look ridiculous. I think there's probably a reason that the ponies never wear pants in the show. The tail might be part of it.
think
Help! Talking cushions! (I kid) Perhaps it should say, "Both were perched on cushions that matched their fur colors. Silver could hear them quietly speaking with each other."
Both princesses settled their eyes on their approaching visitors.
The power grid only dictates voltage and frequency; amperage is controlled by the load.
suddenly guilty-looking
missing a "found myself in" or "wandered into" or something like that between "taking a walk and then" and "a very dark place"
5703219 Tweaks applied with vengeance.
5700755
The general definition of "person" is any individual, so it applies equally to ponies or any other self-aware creature. Likewise, anybody/everybody/nobody refers to anyone with a body and anyone/everyone/no-one refers to any discrete entity (including non-corporeal creatures). The ponies like to say anypony/everypony/nopony, but the other terms are equally valid.
Since I doubt Celestia's asking him to play the part of a mute with all but a hooffull of ponies, maybe that should be something like "...not speak of it to..."?
5896757 Fixed!
The idea of discord watering a foal made me laugh to tears.
5928893 He would take such good care of them!
I'm sorry, how am I supposed to read the last bit of the chapter with tears streaming out of my eyes?
Discord doesn't have a posse of typos; he inspires the words to change themselves when you aren't looking.
... There should really be a Discord emote. It would be so useful!
6210866 Where do we start petitions?
Discord looked shocked, "A pony that doesn't immediately look like I ruined their day?" He vanished, appearing beside Celestia, "Can I keep him? I'll water him and feed him every day!"
I thought of this video after I read that.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0sYmUOeOVls
6210905 He probably also has bad grammar, awkward sentence phrasing and incorrect punctuation usage in his repertoire as well.
Making story comments separate from the editing...
6813312
Ah, but Ponyville is kind of anointed as the place Twilight's to Become an Element. Celestia's been planning this for a long time. Wouldn't want her Personal Student to suddenly have to wait while a generator was installed for her lab equipment seen in "Pinkie Keen", now would we?
Even if Ponyville is "small", it's close enough to Canterlot that technological innovations are going to be talked-about and thus in-demand. So, I disagree that Ponyville is an "even" backwater. (It's also close to the Everfree. I'm a bit surprised there's not more in place to deal with that.)
6813063
Well, it is a little cute with all the earflicks and nods and whatnot, but the commas are technically incorrect, even if they only irritate those with the Editor's Curse. It doesn't break flow or make me angry or anything. Earperk Ventriloquism/Sign Language is clearly on the list of Equestrian Cantrips.
Also, it's a bit early to be expecting any deep answer from talking of their guardianship of Silver.
Trick question. You charge using DC, not AC. Also, a tiny camera/voice recorder/music player/note machine(/game machine)/alarm clock/appointment calendar/VIDEO camera/video player/address book is STILL really incredible to their tech level.
They have movies here, Silver. You got abducted to watch some in a private residence. TV's not that unusual.
Heavy quoting for corrections! Beware spoilers, perhaps!
head.
nodded.
the Princesses?"
Princesses
Princesses (well, this one could go either way)
head.
back.
nodded.
magic.
head.
back.
Celestia. "Hello, Celestia, Luna."
widened.
them.
nodded.
nervous.
head.
directly.
head.
Draft.
little.
Trixie.
table.
head.
head.
hoof.
Celestia.
hesitantly.
eyes.
her.
head.
head.
perplexed.
shrugged.
head.
up.
brightened. "Now that's lucky! What's the frequency?"
little.
smile.
little.
head.
hoof.
table.
magic.
closer.
smile.
head.
nodded.
little.
him.
quickly.
tongue.
together.
eyes.
back.
head.
breath.
Celestia, interest visibly piqued, said, "You
nervous.
All heads turned to see Discord walking towards the gazebo. "I
shocked.
Celestia.
fear. (Also, did you mean seen worse things?)
For fun, the words immediately attached to fixes, without the quotes and periods breaking them up!
Discord! I would be somewhat nervous, but eh, so long as he is not upset with me/you, then he can typically be reasoned with, at least to a degree.
6825207 Silver got along with him pretty well except their first meeting, but that wasn't even in person.
report
Will Rough get his affairs at his old home taken care of?
Lol.