Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

138 - Learning to Trust

As they returned, weary but confident in their shopping selections, Silver gave Night a little nip of his own before sliding closer to Trixie. "Mother."

"Yes, colt of mine?"

Silver smiled a little. They had come a long way to be considered her foal so doubtlessly. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

Trixie perked an ear. "She would have complained if she hadn't, but yes. Trixie will be the belle of the ball and a rising star to add!" She gave a pearly and satisfied smiled. "And you?"

Night moved in a little. "I had to pick his. He has no eye for clothes besides 'fits' and 'does not fit.'"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "My colt chooses what he spends his mental energy on."

They entered the bedroom to see Rough propped up against a wall, fast asleep with the foals cuddled up with him. All three smiled at the sight, their hearts warmed at the display of familial love. A tufted ear went up though, and Morning Glory's eyes opened, taking in the sight of his parents. A big smile spread on his little face.

He bounded quickly towards them with a happy squeal. Night caught him in her wings and lifted him up to be nuzzled and held. The noise was enough to stir Clear, and with her, Rough.

Clear moved to Silver, who lifted her in magic and kissed her in greeting.

As the new parents said hello to their children, Rough went to Trixie. He gave her her own nuzzle before taking her bags and setting them aside. "Have fun?"

Trixie nodded at him. "I did. Don't worry, she got a tuxedo for you."

He made a little bit of a face but hid it quickly. "That's very... thoughtful of you. Trixie, dear, if you're not too tired, may I borrow you a moment?"

She glanced at Night and Silver, but they were quite busy loving and being loved by their foals. "She can afford a moment. What's on your mind, dear husband?"

Rough slid gently past her, rubbing her along the way. "Follow me."

She did as they went through the halls of the castle and entered into the day court of all things, but it was empty and quiet, for it was not day. Trixie looked around curiously. "She never had a taste for politics, though she supposes it involves a lot of showponyship of a different sort."

Rough turned to smile at her. "I would hope you never do, dear. You might change the world with your charisma." He kissed her cheek. "I wanted to talk, about your foal."

Trixie's ears flipped back. "I'm handling it."

"I know you are." He sat on his haunches, posture erect. "I know you are and will be a great and caring mother. You're not the problem."

Trixie raised an ear at him. "What is then?"

Rough pointed at himself. "Me. I'm scared. I know you could handle it, but, for me and your worrywort children, could you let them make it easier?"

Trixie scowled at him a moment. "You don't really believe in Trixie."

Rough raised a hoof to one of her shoulders. "It's your foal, and your choice. You've never backed down from something before, and I'm not asking you to now. You'll make the most wonderful little foal, but please, for me, not you. It shouldn't even take long, a trifling nothing."

Trixie raised a brow in kind. "If it's such a small thing, why is such a big deal being made?"

"Because I love you." He smiled gently. "Even the slightest chance of hurting my wife is too much. Let me spoil you and be worried for you." He leaned closer. "It's not about you being brave."

Trixie's jaw worked a moment without words. She turned away in the empty room, gazing over the equally empty rows where important ponies sat during the day and even the thrones where royalty could sit themselves. "What will they do, exactly?"

Rough felt hope stirring. The question was a productive one. "They'll just do what you wanted to do yourself. They will very gently guide the foal to flip over, and that's it." He sat straight up. "I checked on it. It's really not that big of a deal, but it would make us feel safer. We want you to be healthy and happy, dear."

Trixie began examining the floor for defects. "M-maybe, if it will... if it's for you... Trixie still insists she could handle it on her own."

"I know you could." He put a leg over Trixie and pulled her closer. "You would do it with style."

Trixie smiled a little despite herself. "She still will."

Rough rubbed his cheek to hers. "And I will be with you, your Loving and Doting assistant. We'll make a foal together."

Trixie suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. "She thinks we already did that part."

Rough stuck out his tongue. "We may have started, now let's finish it, together, with grace."

"With grace..." Trixie hugged him close, her snout on his shoulder as a few tears began to dampen his fur. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Back in the room, Night and Silver played with their foals. A smell tickled at Silver's nostrils like a slap to the face. "Time for a change." He gently grabbed at Clear and quickly whisked her soiled diapers away, cleaning her off and getting a new diaper in place. "How do not-unicorns do this?"

Night raised a brow at him. "The same way we do most things, with our mouths."

Silver made quite the face. "My non-existent hat off to all not-unicorn parents. That is an action of utmost love and devotion."

Night shook her head even as she corralled Morning and got to changing him. "You're just spoiled. Though I have wings to help the task along." She sent the soiled diaper flying into the nearest bin with a flick of one of those wings and soon had a fresh set on the foal who was giggling at the entire thing. "I hear pegasi, the solar variety get worried about gunking up their wings. Pity for them. Hey, when did you learn how to manage diapers, come to think?"

Silver gave a soft hmm. "Oh! I baby, er, foalsat when I was a human before, for little infants and children too."

Night raised a brow a little. "You've done a lot of different things."

He shrugged. "Is foalsitting an exotic hobby around here?"

"No, I suppose not." Night smiled. "Comes in handy just about now. Did you know what Trixie and Rough are talking about?"

Silver glanced around, just noticing they weren't there. "I missed them going. Oh god, I'm becoming as clueless as most ponies."

Night rolled her eyes. "Don't be melodramatic. You were busy with the foals. Rough looked like he was serious about something."

Silver rolled a hoof. "Where do you put the odds?"

Night considered. "Ten percent he wishes to do as stallions do and escorted her somewhere nice and private."

Silver flushed a little. "Night!"

She shrugged at him. "Only ten percent. Much more likely at sixty percent, he wants to discuss her medical condition."

He nodded at that. "Do you think he has a chance?"

She tapped a chin with a wing knuckle. "If he tries to force her and makes it sound at all like she's weak for allowing it, she'll just double down. Let's have faith in him. He is married to her, and he isn't a bad pony. I think he'll think of the right things to say."

Silver looked up sharply at the twinkle of magic. Morning was grabbing a treat off the shelf in his magic, nudging a jar of cookies towards the edge dangerously. Silver quickly swatted the jar back onto the shelf with his own magic as he trotted over. "Hold your horses there, little buddy. If you want a little snack, you have to ask, not just grab at things. That could fall and hurt somepony."

Morning tilted his head up at Silver with some confusion before the tears began and he let out a piercing wail of indignant fury.

Silver folded his ears back and lifted the bawling foal in his magic. "It's too late for these antics. Somepony needs a nap."

Night tilted her head. "We all do. Damn solar pony, you've gotten me on a day schedule." She rose, and Clear got up on her own, following her mother as they went towards the nursery.

With some coaxing, Morning was convinced to quiet down just as the door opened, allowing Rough and Trixie inside.

Night smiled at the two. "Welcome back." She didn't ask about their private conversation.

Trixie nodded a little stiffly, then hopped up onto her and Rough's bed, curling in place.

Rough smiled a little. "Everything's going to be alright." He hopped up beside Trixie and curled up in contact.

Silver raised a brow at the actions of the two and looked to Night. She simply shrugged and kissed his cheek before leading the way out of the nursery to their own bed, where they settled. With a flick of magic, the lights were doused, and the ponies got some sleep, at least as much as the foals allowed them to have.

He awoke to a form hovering over him. He started with surprise before realizing it was Discord of all ponies. "Hey man, what's up?"

Discord smiled a smile that implied he had something in mind. "Oh, nothing too much. Did you hear about that silly Gala thing?"

Silver sat up and nodded. "Sure did. Celestia gave me a ticket."

"Did she now?" He leaned in a little. "And just who are you taking as your plus one?"

Silver pointed to Night as she sprang to her own hooves. "We just went shopping for clothes for her and Trixie, and ended up with stuff for me and Rough."

"Trixie got a ticket too?" He raised a brow. "And she's taking him..." His expression became that of a frown that deepened by the moment. "Well, have fun." He vanished in a disgruntled cloud of smoke.

Night fetched her glasses and set them on her snout. "Do you think he wanted to go?"

Silver tilted his head. "Why would he want to go to such a formal thing? It sounds exactly like the kind of thing he avoids. He is friends with Celestia, in theory, he should just ask for a ticket."

Trixie stretched out before half-flopping from the bed. "Who knows. This is Discord we are speaking of. Maybe he's really excited to see the wallpaper for all anypony knows."

Rough hopped down beside her. "We should go."

Trixie clenched her teeth a moment. "If we must... for you." She kissed his cheek. "Trixie would have taken care of it on her own, stupid stallion."

"I'm sure you would have." Rough led the way towards the door. "Worrying about you is one of my duties, and I take it just as seriously as you do your lovely performances, my dearest one."

Author's Note:

This slice of life has graduated to a cake of life. I'm gonna get diabetes if I keep this up. Would that be considered a typo?

Comments

[Snow]

While browsing in the smaller section of winter clothing available during the warmer months, Silver's eyes came upon a carefully folded set of woolen trousers. It took him several moments of staring... and wondering precisely why such things would have existed in Equestria, before an errant thought caused him to bow his head, and cover his eyes with a hoof in shame.

"What is it?" Night asked, peering at her husband's latest fascination.

"Just... a bad pun and I feel ashamed for even thinking it." Silver replied without looking up.

'Long John Silver. What was I thinking?'

The joke must be made! MUAHAHA!

[Amethyst Blade]

7116111 I don't get it. *Tilt head*
Is this some sort of cultural thing?

[Snow]

7116129

A pair of woolen/cotton insulating trousers intended as an undergarment are called Long Johns.

A 'famous' fictional character from Treasure Island was named Long John Silver. Incidentally that's where the restaurant chain got it's name. He was also a rather awesome character from the animated film Treasure Planet.

The pun's really not meant to be read into too deeply. Long Johns + Silver Watch = Long John Silver.

[Mortefleur]

7116129

Another name for trousers are Long Johns, and the name of the character is Silver. Long John Silver is also the name of a pirate

[Amethyst Blade]

7116220
7116207
Thanks for the explaination...
Though, that pun isn't very humorous...It feels lacking.

[David Silver]

7116227
7116207 Critics.

[Shadow Lance]

7116284 your going to give every one diabetus if we don't get some action

[Booster Spice]

Long Johns?

Is everyone going to be pirroting that joke?

[Daremo]

up though and Morning - up though, and Morning

She rose and Clear - She rose, and Clear

*****

A perfectly tasty chapter. A little sweetness takes some of the bitternwss out of the darler moments like we had in the last chapter. It may explain Princess Celestia's penchant. It's been shown that governing Equestria is not an idyllic endeavor.

And the easily handled issue with Trixie has been handled with no unexpected consequences.

[David Silver]

7116677 Typos disciplined for their naughtiness.

[Daremo]

7116736
I commented, buy I'll add that Rough Draft handled it very well. Not overly surprising since he and Silver are literally cut from the same cloth.

[PickleSurprise]

7116736 So naughty...

vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/courage/images/1/1c/Freaky_Fred.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110607035458

[tsaukpaetra]

Good going Rough Draft, you handled that well.
Speaking of ponies named Rough...
So Discord's doing his survey thing. This will be fun.
Keep going! ;)

[Samellan]

She gave a pearly and satisfied smiled.

Oh, I found a typo!

[Cursed Quill]

a pearly and satisfied smiled.

smile.
7212444
That you did.

[fargo11]

Author's Note:

This slice of life has graduated to a cake of life. I'm gonna get diabetes if I keep this up. Would that be considered a typo?

The real question is, would it be typo 1, or typo 2 diabetus?

[Amos Anon]

Rough raised a hoof to one of her shoulders. "It's your foal, and your choice. You've never backed down from something before, and I'm not asking you to now. You'll make the most wonderful little foal, but please, for me, not you. It shouldn't even take long, a trifling nothing."

He/She is not just her foal. He/She is his, too.

[David Silver]

11260265
An argument that sounds like it would work poorly on the Great and Powerful mother.