After the meal was complete, Elizabeth gladly took her position atop Silver and was borne from the shop. As soon as they were a small distance from the shop, she leaned forward and whispered into a tufted ear, "Why were they staring at me?"
Silver hadn't noticed. Since becoming a pony entirely, those sorts of stares had stopped. "Well you are the only human."
Elizabeth frowned a little, "Really the only one?"
Silver shrugged as he moved through the streets, "Besides Jake? You met him, right? He's the only other one I know of."
Elizabeth made a face, "He's kind of weird..." She clutched at his shoulders, "Are they always going to stare?"
Silver considered this heavily, "Well... you get used to it..."
Elizabeth raised a hand, making quotes with it, "Like you 'got used' to it, Mister Pony? So what's it like, you know, being all fuzzy."
Silver was in the unique position to describe the difference, so he thought back on his bare skin days. "Warmer, itchier. Not as sensitive to light touches. It's very comfy, doubly so if you're sharing with someone, er, somepony. Getting used to hooves took a lot longer, until I could use magic."
Elizabeth tapped on his back, drumming with her fingers, "Do pegasi get magic?"
Silver shook his head, "They can't make things float or cast spells. They can fly and manipulate clouds. Earth ponies are tough and strong."
Elizabeth gave a soft nod, "But a unicorn could cast a wing spell, right?"
Silver nodded hesitantly, "With enough practice? That's not an easy spell."
She brushed one of his ears, making it twitch, "You could cast it if you wanted to, right?"
Silver shook his head at the ticklish sensation, "I suppose. I haven't tried it."
"It's settled then," she said with an air of finality.
Silver swiveled an ear back to her, "What is?"
They had arrived at the castle and the guards nodded at him. He marched past them towards the dining area, hoping he was in time to catch one of the princesses.
Celestia was there, to his relief. She was enjoying a snack by herself, but looked up towards them as they entered. "Ah, I see you've found our newest guest. Hello little human. Is your name Elizabeth?"
"It is, but won't be," she said as she hopped down from Silver.
Celestia raised a brow, "What do you mean by that?"
Silver put two and two together and moved between Elizabeth and Celestia, "Don't even think about it! You're too young to be making that kind of decision."
She put her hands on her hips, "You're going to tell my mom on me? She isn't here!" She looked to Celestia with a frown, "Can you send me home?"
Celestia shook her head, "We have not determined where your 'home' is, nor how to reach it. You are welcome in my kingdom as long as you are respectful of its laws."
Elizabeth made a soft pained noise, but troopered on, "Will I ever get home? Be honest."
Celestia glanced around a moment, caught off-guard.
Silver spoke up, "Maybe. Twilight's working on it."
Elizabeth looked to Silver, then smiled, "You're nice, but I'm asking the princess there." She pointed at Celestia.
Celestia looked at the small human, "I cannot guarantee it. As Silver Stars said, Twilight is researching the event. What can I do to ease your transition?"
Elizabeth stomped a foot, "Besides sending me home?" She aborted the conversation, moving to the table and flopping into one of the chairs. She looked comically small in the chair, made for full ponies to sit on with their whole body.
Celestia looked back to Silver with a raised brow, "What did she mean to ask me, before you stopped her?"
Silver glanced at Elizabeth, then back at Celestia. "It's not obvious? She wants to do what I did. What if you find a way back tomorrow, and now she's a pony and stuck here? What would we even do then? She's way too young."
Celestia tilted her head a little, "How old are you, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth frowned, "Fourteen." Silver had been off by a year. He felt proud for being that close to target.
Celestia looked Elizabeth over, "And humans do not have cutie marks, is this correct?"
Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't have any fancy marks on my butt."
Celestia raised a hoof, "By Equestrian law, you do not qualify to be an adult. You are not old enough to be declared such because you do not have a profession. As a visiting species, we would normally defer to their customs..." She glanced at Silver.
Silver shook his head quickly, "She's two years young for even getting a temporary job in most places, four years for adulthood."
Celestia tapped her chin, "But that makes her a minor. We cannot have a foal without parents. Elizabeth, would you object to some ponies watching over you while you remain in Equestria?"
Elizabeth made a face of displeasure before she shook her head, "They'd just stare at me and talk behind my back! I'd be 'that human girl'." She crossed her arms, "This sucks."
Celestia pointed at Silver, "What if he was the one to watch you?"
Silver flinched even as she brightened, "He treats me like a person. We had ice cream." As if ice cream was proof of awesome parenting, she looked sold. "He can be my dad until you figure out how to get us back. Then I'll go back to my regular folks."
Silver's ears pinned back, but he couldn't think of who else to hoist this responsibility on. Jake? He shuddered to imagine.
Celestia nodded her head, "Silver, fetch Night Watch. I know you two aren't 'official', but you may as well be, and she will undoubtedly assist you in this task."
Silver fled from the room, partially hoping that Night would think of a way free of this predicament.
As soon as Silver wasn't in sight, Elizabeth smiled at Celestia, "I don't look like Silver's kid."
"Foal," corrected Celestia, "And no, you do not."
"People will stare," said Elizabeth, "I won't be able to do anything. I'm gonna miss sooo much school! I can't show up like this to a pony school!"
"What are you proposing?" asked Celestia.
Elizabeth gave her best innocent smile, "I want to be like Silver, all fuzzy and with a horn and magic and stuff."
Celestia shook her head, "You are not old enough yet to request that."
Elizabeth waved a hand with exasperation, "You're being mean! I don't want to be the only girl in the entire world! You can do it, right? You did it for Silver, please?"
Celestia didn't bother bringing up that a different alicorn had done Silver. "Very well, but should we discover your home, we will restore you to your birth form, and send you to your original parents."
Elizabeth grinned with triumph before consciousness fled her under Celestia's gentle magic.
Silver soon returned with not only Night Watch, but Luna, who had been with her.
Luna looked around the room, "I see no human child."
Celestia indicated the brown and cream-dappled unicorn filly. She was only slightly smaller than Silver, lacking the subtle enhancements of Luna's night magic, and having no cutie mark. She was sleeping.
Silver sagged in defeat, "You didn't... I was only gone for like five minutes, tops!"
Celestia shook her head, "It is temporary, until the way to your homeland is discovered. She insisted to appear as your daughter."
Luna extended a wing towards the unconscious pony, "She does not appear so. He is clearly influenced by the night, while she is not. Ponies will notice."
Celestia raised a brow, "It is hardly unique for lunar ponies to not always breed true."
Luna shook her head, "He is the first. There has not been time for his blood to thin yet. This is easy to solve. I will bring her into Silver's herd properly." She exposed long fangs.
Celestia flinched, uncomfortable with this aspect of her sister. "If you think it proper..."
Silver let out a soft sigh, "Probably for the best. She'll get upset if we tell her she's a forced vegetarian."
Celestia rose to her hooves to depart, "I need to rest." As true as her desire to simply not be present while Luna worked her blood magic. She was soon gone, leaving them to some semblance of privacy.
Night looked down at the filly, "She's adorable... but I admit I assumed my first filly would be smaller."
Luna tilted her head, "Fate has dealt us a different hand, and we will rise to it and take advantage of it. Silver, lock the doors."
Silver's horn shone as he quickly locked all the doors leading to the dining room.
Luna smiled, "My sister has given our herd a new member."
Silver flipped his ears back, "She's still a kid. I'm not breeding her."
Luna waved a hoof, "I did not request this. She will be your foal, as my sister ordained. Our foal. By the time a way is found to your world, she may wish to remain with us. You will protect and guide her, nothing more."
Silver nodded, "I can, and will, do that. She deserves someone to watch over her."
Luna suddenly struck. Elizabeth jerked in her sleep, but did not rouse from the slumbering spell upon her. In turn they all tasted of her. Night licked over her fangs, "Doesn't she need a turn?"
Luna frowned, "That may upset her... I have an alternative plan." She fetched a water carafe from the table and casually upturned it, making a mess of water. "I will take some from each of you." Silver and Night nodded, though uncertain what 'some' was. It became clear when the carafe filled with three subtly different colors of red. Luna gave it a slow shaking to mix it together, then her horn glowed, making the whole thing look like a sugary drink instead of its macabre reality. "The shock is removed!" Looking quite proud of herself, she dropped a straw into it and gently nudged Elizabeth awake.
She woke with a start, blinking and looking around, "Where's Celestia? Hey Silver, uh, dad?"
Silver smiled, "I suppose I am a dad... For now. Princess Luna got you a drink."
Luna held up the carafe that looked like fruit punch, "A celebration, to the newest member of the herd."
She laughed at that, "Oh man, it's like the internet all over again." She made clumsy quotes with her hooves, "Welcome to the herd." She took the straw in muzzle and began slurping it down quickly. Its magically enhanced flavor was sugary, and she approved, draining half of it before she sat back, "Feel funny..."
Her change was rapid, gaining the tufts on her ears, slit eyes, and fangs in short order. She noticed the fangs first, opening her mouth and trying to look at the odd things that filled up so much room in there.
Night smiled gently, "Welcome to the darkness. We are all of the night, and now, so are you."
"Cool!" She exclaimed, "Am I a vampire? Do I suck blood?"
Silver cocked a brow, "Why didn't I think to ask that?"
Luna snorted softly, "No to both of those. Blood drinking is a very special thing, for family, not for nutrition or predation."
Night held up a hoof, "But you are now a proud member of the omnivore club."
"Omniwhat?" Elizabeth asked before tapping the ground with a hoof, "Almost forgot. My name isn't Elizabeth anymore, that's a stupid pony name. I will be--"
that is all.
5792066 Heh, welcome aboard! What is that yay aimed at in particular?
Well, she could work at 14 in the US, so I'd be more inclined to say she couldn't work at a job that would guarantee her ability to survive on her own.
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/028.htm
Non-school hours;
3 hours in a school day;
18 hours in a school week;
8 hours on a non-school day;
40 hours on a non-school week; and
hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m.)
Velvet Eclipse
5792082 So many things in this chapter. I really couldn't say less than almost this chapter in its entirety.
5792094 I'm tickled I hit such a good note! Do you have a vote for what Elizabeth's new pony name shall be?
5792087 This chapter took a bit of brainstorming to get going, but then it all just flowed freely. Any vote/thought on Elizabeth's pony name?
Twinkle Comet, Sparkle Blossom, oh god am I bad at names
5792116 Velvet Eclipse. I was editing it in to my original response when you replied.
Blue Dawn, Dusk Dreams, Night Stars (goofy play on her adoptive parents names), and my last idea Sugar Star because she seems to enjoy sweets thus far.
5792122 I approve of sharing Silver's new last name.
I am no good at voting all the ideas so far are good I just like sharing ideas
5792100 Celestia indicated the brown and cream-dappled unicorn filly.
Wish I had a name, but atm nothing comes to mind.
I vote for Lady Madame Creeping Sorrow Of Everdarkness Sin!
I think 14 is the time for puberty/teen rebellion, right?
I am not sure way but right as she wakes up and drinks Luna's gift and this fraz quote.
Night smiled gently, "Welcome to the darkness. We are all of the night, and now, so are you
one name jumped out at me.
and this code lead to a vary special talent cute mark with time.
( First Sight ) .
and it code be a pony name easily.
or if you want to keep the family name.
( First Star) also works really well.
as she is the first new little one in the herd.
I was vary surprised that Celestia gave in that easy and gave Elizabeth her wish.
hay Celestia me next
Harts Fire
5792884 You have to get to Celestia first, which would be the tricky part.
5792889
I am 51 years old I would be like granny smith but you know I would tack it, and be happy with it.
5792895 Granny Smith is -old-, with estimates going far over a hundred.
That should be "as soon as they were a small distance from the shop."
I'd change "double-so" to "doubly so."
Celestia was caught "off-guard."
There are two spaces between "but" and "he."
I think she means that she "won't" be able to do anything.
She waved a hand "in exasperation."
It'd sound more natural if he said "ask that" instead.
5792905 well over 100 remember she was one of the founders of ponyville I am throwing a guess of around 500 maybe a bit more
5792907 All fixed! What think you of our newest human convert?
5792922 Well, it's interesting to see Elizabeth (or whatever her name turns out to be) joining the herd, and in such an unorthodox fashion! It's rather poetic that Silver is now an adoptive father, since he was an adoptive son before - won't Rough and Trixie be surprised to learn that they have a teenage granddaughter! I wonder if Trixie will be amused by the thought that she's getting along in years.
Er, maybe not.
Anyway, I'm slightly concerned about the manner in which Elizabeth is being written. That is, writing children is hard, because it's hard for us as adults to remember what it was like when we were that young. My take on it is that, at fourteen, most kids have already largely developed their cognitive reasoning skills - they can assess a situation about as well as an adult can. What they can't do is appreciate the magnitude of various actions and consequences ahead of time, or for that matter delay gratification or plan ahead very well. So Elizabeth would know that being given ice cream isn't the be-all end-all of parenting, but at the same time wouldn't know how to take care of herself either.
In other words, she should act mature in terms of how she conducts herself in the immediate situation she's in, but her reactions will largely be impulsive and ill-thought through. I foresee her being rather impatient where magic is concerned, which ironically would make her the perfect candidate to be taught by Trixie, more so than Silver ever was. In fact, I'm guessing she'll have a bit of a "leap before you look" attitude to a lot of pony society, and might not hesitate to blurt out that "My mom, or at least my other mom, is queen of the night!"
I do suspect that she'll have some eye-rolling going on when she finds out how much Silver is sleeping around, though. Her new family unit is going to take some adjusting to, along with everything else.
Insofar as her name goes...well, I can see that the next chapter is out, so I'll read through that first to see if it's already been decided.
5793252 Am I off to the wrong foot, er, hoof? She is not actually won over by his amazing ice cream skills. His willingness to treat her as a person by default, and give her things, is more the key. She assumes he will be easy to get around when she wants to, and his initial chivalrous attitude makes her feel he'd keep her safe while doing so. His attempt to be a good guide just made him appear to be a good pony in general.
She will be...the pony Canterlot deserves, but doesn't need. She will be...Potato Pony!
I feel it was unethical to changer her. Shape shifting might be one thing, but injecting magic like this into a minor, magic that'll likely permanently change her even if she's turned back into a human, has to be some kind of illegal. Why not simply call her adopted, like she is, and leave it at that?
6241828 Right and Wrong are rarely in perfect sync.
No it's "Deal with it "
Silver was in the unique position to describe the difference, so he thought back on his bareskin days.
Correction: Silver was in the unique position to describe the difference, so he thought back on his bare skin days.
6438286 No more bare skinned typos!
5815843 I'm surprised you didn't suggest Banana Tato?
5792895 While not quite as old as you, my life started a year after 2 knights flew a fiery Eagle to Luna's
realm & were first to walk in her domain. ( i like subtle cryptic)
5792905 I think Granny could be older, some reference made at Family Appreciation Day of I think about 200 years to the start of Ponyville which she witnessed as a filly.
Oh boy, I'm already having bureau flash backs. That was one strange nightmare.
7359115 Welcome to the dream/nightmare!
"Welcome to the darkness." Said Night.
Piss here is the cookies. Enjoy
7385609 s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/52/46/00/524600136b05699bf3abced13c4149ab.jpg
Eh? I had her at 8-10 at the most. She's a very immature 14-year old.