Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

285 - By the Moon

Silver appeared with a flash before Luna's doors. Her guards nodded towards him in unison, one tossing his head. "She's expecting you."

"Thank you." The door was closed, but his magic soon fixed that as he trotted towards it. The interior was lit, but only just enough to see by and little more. The moment he was past the door, it closed quickly and quietly behind him.

"You're back." Luna emerged from the gloom, her wings fidgeting. "You've changed."

"We all have, but are you being specific about something?" He looked her over. She appeared much as he had left her.

"You're just a little larger... But I think it's your eyes." She stepped closer in slow clops, one hoof at a time. "You've been touched by new tragedy, without the cold comfort of knowing it was only dreaming. What happened?"

His ears flattened. "Nefertari is..."

"Gone?" finished Luna.

"Dead." Silver shook his head slowly. "There's no kinder word for it."

"Then you are a fool." She raised a hoof to point at him. "What was she? A shaman. It was her life to speak with the 'dead', which makes them not terribly dead. Night took up that, and shares it with others. She is hardly dead, just... changed."

That certainly was one way to look at it... "I'm not trying to focus on that. I came here to talk to you. How are you?"

"Terrible." Luna sat on her haunches with a thump. "Celestia's 'grand plan' has finally produced the fruit she's been waiting for. She's stepping aside, as she's hungered to do, and she's taking me with her. 'The royal sisters must depart, together, or the country will never move ahead,' were her words."

Silver closed in, daring to touch his nose to hers, the two sniffing gently, exchanging breath. "What is it you want to do?"

"You have changed." She nudged at him with a hoof. "For the better, I think... You don't feel like a lost foal. That could be my memory playing tricks on me... Regardless, my sister would dissolve this hard-won marriage, just like that. I am displeased. I am... furious. I am many things, but do I want this? This I can certainly say no... I want to see this world. I want to explore every corner of it. From the grand to the mundane. I want to see it." She suddenly leaned forward, thunking her head against Silver's, their horns resting on the other's head, eyes looking into one another. "It is time for you to make rainbows."

"If you want to see everything... retiring isn't the worst option." He turned an ear back. "No princess responsibilities means you can do what you want, which means you can see what you want, and no one will be upset about you not doing your duties, because they won't be yours," he reasoned out loud, tapping a hoof as he went.

"And if what I want to see includes a family that cares for me?" She sat up a bit taller. "Besides my sister, whom I do love dearly. What then?"

"Why not both?" Silver smiled a little, ears wagging. "You retiring from royalty has nothing to do with my family, which already has non-royal members. If you wish to be at my side, I certainly wouldn't push you away, and would gladly support you. What is it you want to see first?"

Luna watched him silently for a moment before licking her lips. "I would want a tour of the postal service. I want to know the entire process, even the boring parts, of how a letter leaves a pony's hoof and arrives at another's."

Silver tilted his head left and right. "I would not have guessed that in a hundred years. But if that's what you want, why the heck not?"

"What is a heck?" She prodded him in the chest. "You do like to remind me once in a while that you are not a native. Still... that is alright, truly?"

"Why would it not be?" He circled her at a sedate pace. "Being family means supporting. It means being happy when they reach for their dreams, big or small. Grand or simple. If you want to learn how the mail works, you should be able to do that, with our support and love."

"But--"

With a small puff of silvery smoke, Silver conjured something wholecloth, played with a song he did not often play on the flute of his horn. A hat was slid down luna's horn and snugly fit in place. It was a mailmare's cap, with a hole for her grand horn to rest in easily. Her ears were on either side on it, framing the clothing. "You could work with them for a while. That would satisfy Celestia, being away from the throne, and you'll be doing what you want to do."

"But... I am still away from here." A little smirk appeared on her face. "For now... For... now. Yes, I see. Long enough for my sister to get into her own habits, to enjoy her retirement. She will not take notice, provided I do not make myself a stranger to her." She glanced towards the window, her magic throwing wide the curtains on the darkening sky beyond it. "Provided I do bequeath my station."

"Will you?"

"At first, I thought I could not. I was beside myself for an evening... But then, I remembered." She turned to Silver, meeting his eyes. "I have already groomed a replacement."

His ears danced, tail swaying before it clicked. "I... do know how to patrol dreams."

"Learned in large part in a dream. How poetic." Luna approached him, pressing her nose to his cheek. "It is a large responsibility, and one I will not push upon you without your leave. You have had that too many times, often by me in the past. If you do not want it, I will find another."

Silver blinked softly. "It just hit me..."

"Hm?"

"Twilight is assuming Celestia's position, and I am to help her, and I will watch the dream world."

Luna brought up a hoof and clopped her own forehead. "The cycle continues. Watcher of day and watcher of night shall the two royal guardians of Equestria be... But you did not answer. Do you want this?"

"It means my sleep schedule will match Night's better." He turned in place back towards her door, tail lashing softly.

"Do it," came Samantha's voice in his ear. "You'll have fun!"

Silver laughed at the interruption. "Samantha advises I'll have a good time with it."

"I swear... I should just assume she is nearby, but she keeps surprising me. It feels like she never sleeps herself." She set a hoof on Silver's shoulder. "You can have time to consider it, if you prefer. I will not rush this choice."

He shook his head quickly. "No. I don't need time. I will take this up. You are, I will remind quietly--" His eyes darted as if to ensure none were closeby. "--welcome to walk those lanes, when you wish."

"But I will be busy learning this modern world." She reached for the cap he had placed on her head, running a hoof along its rim. "But the future is beyond either of our predicting. That remains Sister's..." She trailed off, regarding Silver. "Your dream, how much of it has come true? Where do we stand in it?"

"We... have reached its end, and with it, I feel the world changing dramatically with it. Much of it did come true, some of it may yet come to bear. I never got to visit Turkey, and see the turkeys there. Are they actually turkeys?"

"They are. Really, as if we would call Equestria 'Pony'." She rolled her eyes softly. "It's just as close enough as it needs to be."

"I lost a precious female, just as the action seemed to be in a lull, when I felt safe, for a moment." He took a slow breath. "But even in doing, I saved many more from a life they did not desire, and accepted new responsibilities."

"And rush to add more." Luna inclined her head. "You have until the end of the moon. If you change your mind on taking up my mantle, you have but to say as much before then, and I will bear you no ill will for it." She walked past him, their sides rubbing along the way. "I've caused you pain in the past, and you I."

"We both grew." He turned as she passed and suddenly nipped her tail, giving it a little pull. "And we're better for it."

"I feel my sister was right..." She snorted then, nostrils flaring. "You will help Twilight, yes?"

"With all of my strength."

"That is all that can be asked." She coiled to touch the end of her nose to Silver. "Equestria is not losing its guardians, it's simply exchanging them."

"Father, I request that I be next."

His ears twitched. "Next for what?"

"Hm?" Luna raised a brow.

"Next for you to visit, of course. I have an announcement that can only be done properly in person."

"Samantha wants me to visit her. I think we're clear for the moment?"

Luna nodded gently. "We are... You have set my heart at ease." Her magic gently pulled the cap free, up along her horn. "I will move forward, knowing my family is at my back, supporting."

Without a further word, Silver vanished, whisked away by magic to Samantha's abode where he appeared before her door. He reached for it with a hoof, only for it to swing open, glowing with not-his-magic. "Father!" A strange alicorn emerged, taking him in a firm hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. My research has reached entirely new levels and I can't wait to share them with you."

He allowed himself to be half-dragged into her apartment. "There are some things I can only really speak of easily around others who understand where I'm coming from. You've seen beyond the veneer, being an imported human." Samantha looked over her shoulder at him. "You look confused. Oh! Oh oh oh! Ta da!" She suddenly struck a pose, showing off her profile. "I'm a princess! Well, not royally. I refuse any titles and a crown would only get in the way of my research. Besides, I didn't tell Celestia so she can't try to force it on me, and soon she'll be gone." She was speaking manically, as if she didn't even need to breathe. "I am so excited!"

She sat down just to bring up her hooves and clop them together rapidly. "Welcome home!"

"Good to... be here, but how did you become a princess?" He sat down across from her, looking over her expanded form. A set of goggles rest on her forehead, just under her longer and sharper horn. She looked like she hadn't slept in a while. She looked like Samantha, really, just... an alicorn version. "Are you alright?"

"Better than alright! My magical control has steadily increased since the event. I feel like I could reach whole new levels of understanding." She raised a hoof. "Now, I thought such a thing would result in an immediate growth of power, but that was wrong!" A book floated over, slapping against Silver's face. "I took notes! It seems becoming a 'princess' removes limits, it doesn't push you up. With this, I've been able to push myself further than before, and I'm still growing! Are you still growing? Hah, why am I even asking? I have your measurements. You are literally growing, but we should measure your magical abilities. It's hard to do that with just the sensors." She hopped to her hooves and started deeper into her apartment. "Do you have time? Let's start!"

"I appreciate your excitement." He hurried to catch up with her, considering what it meant to have Samantha among that elite club. "But you didn't finish explaining how it happened."

"Well, you see..."

Author's Note:

Oh, Samantha, how I adore thee.

We are at or near an ending point. What think thee?

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Comments

[Morphy]

I dunno, I never really liked how quickly Celestia stuck a crown on Twilight and ran for the hills. While it's obvious she was being groomed to take up the position, you'd think Luna would have put up more of a voice about getting retired after "just" getting back from a 1000 year time-out on the Moon. The same could be said for Twilight suddenly having to run the entire country after spending all her previous time putting out fires (friendship problems) and then trying to run a school.

And I guess I wasn't paying too much attention but who would take over the nighttime duties and dream walking in the show? ...er, not that it has any bearing on this story.

[David Silver]

10015104
This story is more canon than the show. We have a ruler of the night and so many less plot holes!

[Nightsclaw]

Samantha is the best character, it is always good to see more of her.

[Booster Spice]

Samantha scared Harmony so much it Alicorned her just so the Hevies would take her seriously enough to keep her under observation?

Time for a new Chapter soon, or switch to a new Book?

[David Silver]

10015159
I couldn't agree more. Move aside, Twilight, we have a proper princess!
10015524
An interesting notion. We're not quite done here.

[Dream Seeker]

10054620
While it feels a little funny to be told this several books in to a series, I am still reading, and I did drop a like.

[David Silver]

10054777
Much appreciated. Thank you for taking this journey with me.