Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

14 - Meeting the Moon

With his official title of Ambassador, Celestia gave clearance for Silver to occupy a wing of the castle that had been serving little purpose but storing old momentos. He sat on a bed, larger than the ones given at the academy. Night sat beside him, and Fast was perched on a chair. Fast lifted an ear at the two, "So... how'd you pull this off?"

Night softly nudged against Silver, "He's interesting to Celestia, was charming to Cadance, maddeningly frustrating to Luna, and they conspired to collar him and tie him to the ground with the softest velvet they could find. He, of course, offered his neck and rolled over for them."

Fast shook her head, "I didn't know they were into that." She glanced at the door, then back at Silver directly, "Think you could squeeze me in? I like big mares."

Silver frowned a little, "This isn't about Luna. I specifically separated the two."

Fast raised a hoof, "And yet you grabbed both. You two going to make lunar unicorns? That'd be hot."

Night's wings flared out, "That is not how lunar pegasi happened!"

"Oh?" asked Fast, "How did they happen then? My history's a bit rusted."

Night sank to the bed's surface, "Rusty. If she gets a foal before I do, we're over."

Silver blinked softly, "I didn't even know you wanted one. I thought you wanted to get right back to work. I mean, you're...? What?"

Night grabbed Silver in her hooves and pulled him down against herself, "I will work until I get too fat not to. If I'm going to be a mom, I'd rather do it young, like my mother. She'll get to meet her grandfoals, and so will I."

Silver shivered a little before he began to bite softly at Night. Gentle nips about her neck and ears seemed to please her, "I have no objection to this. If you want a foal, I'll be the best father I can be. So... what do we do, besides what we've been doing?"

Night looked perplexed, "That's a very strange question. What else do you do? You wait until I am receptive and then you put a foal in there. How else are foals made?"

Fast squinted at Silver's confused expression, "How do humans do it?"

Silver lifted his shoulders, "They just keep doing it until it sticks. There are some ways to have a better idea when to do it, but it mostly boils down to luck."

Fast snickered softly, "We can do it that way. That sounds fun."

Night rolled her eyes before adjusting her glasses, "I will tell you when the time comes, since you have no idea what to look for. Tell Princess Luna that you do not wish to lay with her while she is receptive until you've done your duty to your first wife." She nudged his chin upwards with a wing, "If you take my position seriously."

Silver darted around that wing to kiss Night gently, "Without a doubt. You are my first. I, uh, may be a little ignorant of things. You're free to correct me."

Night wrinkled her nose, "As if I needed your permission for that." Her wings moved to his sides, teasing him into a giggling fit easily. Becoming a pony had not dulled his ticklishness. "One other thing. You're not getting out of classes with this. I will fetch your work and bring it to you." She slipped away, hopping to the floor, "Come on, Fast Change. You can help me find the right books." Soon both were gone, leaving Silver to consider the next day, and the human he would soon be meeting.

"What if they don't speak English?" asked Silver out loud, realizing that if the choice was truly random, there was a significant chance of grabbing someone who didn't comprehend him. He made a silent prayer to the universe itself that he would avoid that situation. The image danced in his mind of a Spanish or Chinese speaker he couldn't speak with, and was isolated from all the other ponies. No wonder they would react poorly!

A soft knock stirred him from his worries. With a glimmer of his magic, he opened the door to reveal a night guard. "The Princess is ready to see you."

Silver hopped off the bed and followed after the guard to Luna's room, a place he had been only once before. The guard did not enter, simply waving him forward. After he stepped into the gloomy chamber, the door shut quietly behind him. Luna sat across several cushions sideways. Her half-lidded gaze and the way her legs were just so... Silver wondered if she was trying to be attractive. Everything he knew of human come-ons came from the internet, and now there was an equine goddess giving it her best shot.

Silver gave a gentle smile, "It's early yet for the moon to rise, but here she lays, as enchanting as ever I have seen her." It was cheesy and thickly-laid, but it seemed to get a smile from Luna.

Luna gently patted the space in front of her, "Join me." Silver obeyed quickly, moving to sit in front of her. Luna put a strong hoof on him, guiding him to lay with her, belly to belly. "You have won me, again."

Silver shook his head, "The first time you forced yourself on me... and I learned what happiness could be... The second time, your sister tried to offer you to me, as a prize. The third time I held out a hoof, and you took it. Your sister was right about one thing, however."

Luna raised a brow lightly, looking slightly guarded, "Of what matter was that?"

Silver smiled nervously, "You are a prize. I hope we can put rough times behind us."

Luna colored faintly as she leaned in, kissing Silver between the eyes just under his horn. "My sister thinks she can control anypony with a gentle word. Why did you not take her offer and have me when the chance was given?"

Silver shook his head, "Because I don't want you that way. I want a fierce Luna, independent, and who does not feel she is obliged to ever tell me yes." Silver shrugged then, "You may be... out of touch? But I'm from another world entirely, so you still outrank me in experience."

Luna extended a hoof, covering Silver's mouth. "Enough with honeyed words. Speak plainly. Why do you favor us?"

Silver considered this question a moment, "I wasn't lying, you are enchanting. You have a grace all of your own. Even in anger, you... excite me?" Silver frowned, "I'm not that good at this. Are you sure I can't just compliment you, because you have a lot to compliment."

His admission of awkwardness seemed to relax Luna a little. She rolled over onto her back, "Are you speaking well so that our legs open to you, little stallion? You gatherer of mares, am I just another prize in your stable?"

Silver warmed softly, "It was... your idea that I start a herd."

"A lie!" said Luna a bit loudly before she poked him in the belly, "You requested me as first wife. That you did not expect agreement does not absolve it of being your idea."

Silver's ears flipped back at the shout before he climbed up to his hooves, "You're a little... large for me. I'm still a growing colt."

Luna rolled her eyes, "Are you not an enchanting wizard in training?"

Silver glanced around nervously, "I... wasn't looking up that kind of spell..."

Luna's horn began to glow as she grabbed a book off her shelf and tossed it open before Silver, "Read quickly."

Why did Luna have such a book? Silver wondered as he quickly flipped through it with his magic. Oh my. There were quite the number of... personal enhancements... to choose from. With a quick spell from Silver's horn, Luna gave a soft laugh.

"Typical stallion," she said in mocking tone.

Silver shrank back a little, "I'm not ashamed of my size, but you are large even for a pony, and I am still barely not a colt. I don't want to disappoint."

Luna waved a hoof lightly, "More stallions than you have believed a mighty lance was enough to please a mare. We shall judge you, harshly."

Silver moved up on Luna, and did his best. Luna was... different, than the other mares he had shared a bed with. He attributed some of her stillness to lingering fears, and tried to please her as best he was able. Soft nibbles and rubbing hooves made her breath quicken as motions drew little noises from her. When all was said and done, Luna seemed pleased enough, and Silver was exhausted. He flopped on her belly, panting breathlessly.

"Is that all?" asked Luna, squeezing him with her legs, "I have had lovers that could go the evening entire. You will need to work on your endurance if you are to be my consort."

Silver nuzzled her belly gently, "That will improve in time," he hoped, "Was I... good?"

Luna patted his head with a hoof, "Sufficient."

Silver flopped onto her again, groaning softly. Damned by faint praise indeed. Luna softly held him in the darkness, "You realize... my sister has left your cage open? She wonders how long you will sit there, with nothing to hold you in place."

Silver perked an ear, "What do you mean? I'm Ambassador now. Isn't that leash enough?"

Luna tapped Silver on his nose, "Dost thou know what an ambassador is?"

"A representative of one people to another?" asked Silver uncertainly.

"It is that," agreed Luna, "But it is also an admission that you are a citizen of your people. You are not beholden to Celestia, or anypony else but your people. If we don't like it, we can ask you to leave, but that is the extent of it."

Silver's ears fell, "But I want to be a citizen of Equestria."

Luna held up a hoof, "And there is how she crafts your cage well. She knows you enjoy it in there. An ambassador that is loyal to the hosting nation? Most nations would recall such an ambassador and send a new one, but your people have little choice. Celestia, have no doubt, intends to treat you entirely as an Equestrian citizen, which includes orders from her. If you obey them, this will please her. Unless you object, she has no reason not to continue on and on, as if you were part of her kingdom, even if she just set you free."

Silver looked confused for a moment, tail swaying slowly behind him, "Should I not follow her orders?"

Luna shrugged, "Just remember that you have the option." She pulled Silver up away from her hind legs and nuzzled nose-to-nose, "Keep the book. You have three mares to satisfy, and I demand improvements next time." Her magic lifted him onto his hooves and swatted his back end towards the door, "Begone."

Silver tucked the book away before looking back at her, hesitating a moment before he smiled, "I love you." He scurried off before he could receive any scorn due from his statement, but no such strike was coming. Luna sank into her pillows, considering the day's actions.

Author's Note:

The herd shares some words, then Luna has her way. This can only mean next chapter something happens!

Is it typos?

Comments

[Moon_Fire]

Typos always happen, even to Grammar Nazi's.

[David Silver]

5753767 Tis true. What did you think of the chapters?

[Moon_Fire]

5753795 Still good, though I think you should change the rating since you have sex on-scene. I have only very crude humor in my Displaced fic but I still set the rating to Mature.

[Moon_Fire]

5753823 nope

[harts fire]

the wording was a bit off for you this time silver all most like you tried to hard.
it is a really good chapter in all and worthy of your work.
and I am happy to say I was 99% right in my guess. I was vary surprised in Luna giving him the spell book but I am really sure he will treat it right and not abuse it.
once agene good work.

[Alzrius]

With his official title of Ambassador, Celestia gave clearance for Silver to occupy a wing of the castle that had serving little purpose but storing old momentos.

That wing of the castle "had been serving little purpose but storing old mementos."

"Oh?" asked Fast, "How did they happen then? My history's a bit rusted."

I know people have quirks of speech, but unless the narrative gives us hints that that's what's going on, it just comes across as an error when she says that something is "rusted" instead of "rusty."

Silver blinked softly, "I didn't even know you wanted one. I thought you wanted to get right back to work. I mean, you're? What?"

That last part ("I mean, you're? What?") is awkward. For one thing, the "you're" should have an ellipsis after it, since it's clearly a leading question. More than that though, is that I'm not sure what he's leading towards. Is he asking her age?

No wonder they would react poorly!

Given that he's wondering about something that could happen, I'd change "No wonder" to "No doubt" here.

Silver hopped off the bed and followed after the guard to Luna's room, a place he had been once before.

This would sound a little better if it said "only once before," since that highlights the singular nature of his visits up until now.

Everything he knew of human come ons came from the Internet, and now there was an equine goddess giving it her best shot.

The "Internet" should not be capitalized, and "come ons" needs a hyphen.

It was cheesy and thickly laid, but it seemed to get a smile from Luna.

It was cheesy and "thickly-laid."

I want a fierce Luna, independant, and who does not feel she is obliged to ever tell me yes."

The Luna he wants is fierce and "independent."

She pulled Silver up away from her hind legs and nuzzled nose to nose, "Keep the book.

I'd say she "nuzzled him nose-to-nose."

[David Silver]

5754049 You and your evil hyphens! They have been sacrificed in the name of mistress Moonbutt. The part with reacting poorly was supposed to be past tense, since Celestia did mention the new human wasn't adjusting to things as well as David/Silver had.

I eagerly await your honeyed and/or barbed words.

[Alzrius]

5754123 This was another excellent chapter. You've been on a roll recently, and I really like the recent turns the story has taken.

That's particularly notable here, because my expectations for this chapter were subverted with regards to Silver and Luna's first night together. I really expected them to have a true heart-to-heart, either before or after making love, and then things would be very open between them after that. While I was initially surprised that it didn't go that way, this still feels completely honest with regards to who these characters are, Luna in particular.

Whether she's never been in love before, or simply never been in love this strongly, it's clear that she's still trying to keep her guard up with regards to her feelings. Because of that, she's retreating from anything that would leave her too open; I'm certain that the way she was acting with Silver during their time together here was the same way she's treated every stallion she's ever invited to her bed - perhaps nearly word-for-word so - in that she acts reserved-yet-seductive at first, then satisfies her needs, and finally gives them a few backhoofed compliments to make sure they don't become too smug before she gives them a pat on the ass and tosses them out. It's a routine, and it's not only an emotionally-distant one, but it's one where she's firmly in control, rather than being any sort of joining of equals. (This is particularly glaring in light of Celine's having admitted that most stallions don't last one minute. Yeah, Silver's "sufficient.")

It's understandable that this is where she's retreated to - this is doubtlessly the only relationship dynamic that she knows, after all - but I wonder how long Silver will appreciate that she's keeping her heart closed to him. For that matter, one can only imagine how unsatisfactory Luna herself finds this; after all, her memories as Celine will be of a whirlwind, passionate romance, which her tryst with Silver just now was completely unlike. Worse, I can imagine Luna sticking to her guns about how she's acting now, and then complaining later that "it's not working out." She's in full-on self-sabotage mode, all because she's afraid of getting hurt. I can only presume that she's cursing every memory of the times that Celine said to treat her and Luna as two different ponies, because I expect that Luna wants to feel the way Celine did.

Amusingly enough, I can see Silver - perhaps in an attempt to break Luna out of her current pattern - refusing to go to her boudoir the next time she "summons" him, instead giving Night and Fast very obvious nuzzles as he tells the guard to tell Luna that he's busy with his wives. I sincerely doubt that any stallion she's summoned has ever turned her down, so that'd certainly shock her out of her (dis)comfort zone!

Having said all of that, a few other stray thoughts come to mind. One is the eye-rolling way that Silver acknowledges that he'll make sure Night has his first child, and then forgets to tell Luna that important stipulation despite the fact that Night told him to do so mere minutes beforehand! True, it wasn't exactly the best atmosphere for interjecting "by the way, my wife says she wants to be knocked up first, so you're not fertile at the moment are you?" But still...it's that kind of discretion that results in a lack of communication that creates problems down the line.

Also, Night, your plan on getting pregnant and working until you're physically incapacitated isn't the issue with being a working parent - rather, how do you plan on going to work after you've given birth? Does Canterlot have daycare centers? Are you going to hire a nanny (because it's pretty clear Fast won't do it! Maybe Silver will be a stay-at-home dad, since I'm not at all sure what his day-to-day workload will be)? She's the type to have a plan, of course, but that's the much more operative question.

I did get a chuckle out of Luna's rather cagey comments about Silver being an ambassador now (pun intended). What I didn't mention when I broached the topic before was that - in addition to being her way of indirectly getting back at Celestia by making sure that Silver knew he could tell her to go soak her head if he felt so inclined - was that that's also Luna's way of marking her territory. Silver is her consort, so the idea of Celestia being the one to pull his strings must grate on her. One can imagine her finally snapping (e.g. "Sister! As Ambassador Silver Lining's royal consort, it is my duty to discuss the business of Equestria with him! Not yours!"), while Celestia just smirks, confident that everything is going according to plan...

[David Silver]

5754216 I have a few ideas on how they break through and/or fail, but I try not to cement these things down, as characters have a mind of their own and there are a few wild cards floating in the air that could shake everything up. It's a pleasure reading your thoughts on it and it's nice knowing I'm going down a good path. I'm still of at least four minds regarding what the new human should be! It could really steer the story in a lot of directions. Will the human think Silver is adorable? Will they think they're a horrible race traitor? Will they even speak English? Are they happy or sad to be here? So many questions that I'm probably going to decide even as I type the scene.

[David Silver]

5754216 A random query, but I'm curious. I try to give the impression that, while eager and willing, Silver is, inherently not a pony. While he intellectually slowly absorbs the culture around him, little things like body language he has to actively think about and figure out, sometimes incorrectly, always slower than a pony would pick up on it. Like a pony that walked in and say Luna like that would have just got straight to business, but Silver took it as invitation to flatter and seduce a mare that was already giving the ready signals where he saw seductive signals, similar but not the same.

Does this come across?

[Alzrius]

5754837 The best answer I can give here is "somewhat."

The issue with his clumsiness and trouble reading body language does send this message, but it's easy to forget about that when it's not presented directly. When it happens, it's a momentary presentation, and is often forgotten as soon as we've moved on. I think the reason for this is that it's never really an issue with anything that happens - though the occasional instance of something like falling over when he tries to kiss Celestia's hoof helps.

Really, it's things like that that would serve this particular character quirk better. An instance of something speaks louder when it has consequences. The idea that he was misreading Luna's body language was hard to pick up on because, after his initially wondering if she was trying to be seductive, his lack of understanding had no further bearing on the scene. Telling us over and over that he isn't understanding things doesn't work nearly as well as a single instance of his different viewpoint having fallout that becomes a scene, chapter, or even plot thread unto itself. In that case, less would become much more.

[David Silver]

5756282 And yet not out of character for many random fans... Please don't kill me.

[albedoequals1]

Luna tapped Silver on his nose, "Does thou know what an ambassador is?"

Dost

[David Silver]

5771491 Tweak applied.

[The Psychopath]

img.pandawhale.com/post-39879-Ben-Wyatt-closes-laptop-gif-Im-QEcp.gif

[Typist Gray]

I love the complexity of this story, both political and emotional.

[David Silver]

6225682 It gets better, or worse, depending on who you ask.

[Musical Clyde]

6225754

The herd shares some words, then Luna has her way. This can only mean next chapter something happens!
Is it typos?

damn you

[David Silver]

7272792 I'm sorry. It was typos.

[DerpTape]

Luna patted his head with a hoof, "Sufficient."

From an immortal goddess, not too shabby a review