Silver Spoon Adopts a Naga

by Halira

Chapter 21: Meeting Princess Twilight

Two full days and three nights, that was how long Sisstet had been staying with Silver Spoon and Twist. The last two days had been great—for the most part. Sisstet had been worried that Twist didn't want him, but she seemed to like him now. Yesterday, Silver Spoon had gotten him lots and lots of toys, more toys than he ever imagined anycreature ever having. There were so many of them that he hadn't even gotten to play with them all yet. Twist had been helping him with his speech problems, teaching him how to make candy, and both the mares had been giving him hugs. He'd never been hugged so much in his life, and he liked it. They were the best new guardians he could ask for.

What wasn't so great was that two of his friends, Candy and Cheese, had gotten into big trouble and had almost died. They were safe now, but Candy was still in deep trouble and facing expulsion from school.

He was in the big meeting room at the school, and there were lots of creatures here. Silver Spoon and Twist had him sandwiched between them. They were all there to see the school board decide Candy's fate.

"Iss Candy going to be okay?" he asked his teacher-turned-guardian. He messed up an S again but was too nervous to care.

Silver Spoon hugged him. "She's got Cheerilee here to defend her. Cheerilee will back up everything Candy says. Don't worry; there's no way she'll let Candy get expelled. No matter how much Spoiled Rich tries to argue it."

Twist leaned over. "Think we need to hush. The meeting is starting."

That mean old mare that had been supposed to be checking up on him and never did was talking. She had a lot to say, and he had a hard time following all of it. When she kept talking and talking and talking, he started to feel a little sleepy.

He was almost asleep when he was startled by some gasps and everycreature turning to look at something. He turned to look as well, and his eyes went wide when he saw that the princess herself had come! Everycreature started to bow, and he dipped himself down low so she wouldn't get mad at him.

The princess gave a small frown to them all. "You can all stand up. I don't care much for bowing. I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. That grain sprite that you caught gets really feisty if you do anything to its loaf of bread. It took me a while to get to where I could properly study its magic without having to fend off defensive attacks from it."

There was now more talking—the mean mare, the princess, other ponies, Candy, lots and lots of talking. There was even another set of gasps, but there was so much talking going on that he couldn't keep up. The monster pony, Flurry Heart, came in and said some things—actually, she mumbled some things, she didn't seem happy to be there. The princess said more things; Flurry Heart said more things. All this stuff seemed too complicated for him. He just wanted Candy not to get in trouble. The princess was here now, and that seemed to make everycreature assume she'd fix everything, so he felt less nervous—and more sleepy.

"I feel honored; you never fall asleep in my classes," Silver Spoon whispered, causing him to stop dozing off.

"You don't ssay things complicated so I can't understand," he replied.

Twist giggled. "Hear that? You know how to break things down well for your students to understand."

Silver Spoon smiled. "It's my job, but I'm glad to hear I succeed at it."

"I don't want Candy to go someplace else!" Autumn Fire yelled out, making another round of gasps happen.

"Me neither! She's my best friend!" Cheese yelled right after.

It seemed like all his friends were yelling to try to help Candy. Were they going to take Candy away? Maybe he needed to yell something too, so everycreature would know that taking Candy away would be bad.

Sisstet sat up as high as he could and yelled out the best defense if Candy he could think of. "Sshe's nice… "

All eyes turned to him, and he immediately ducked back down. Did he do a good job? Did he help? Silver Spoon pulled him into a hug and smiled at him. That made me relax a little. She wouldn't be smiling if he'd done something wrong.

More yelling happened. Miss Cheerilee yelled something, and then Candy's parents, and then the mean old mare yelled something that made everycreature hush.

The princess, Miss Cheerilee, and Candy all started talking together, and Sisstet began to feel bored again. This time his eyes did droop down and close.

Sleep must have won out, because the next thing he knew, Silver Spoon was shaking him gently. "Wake up, sleepy-head. It's all over. Candy isn't going to be expelled or left back a year."

Sisstet lifted his head and looked around. Everycreature seemed to be leaving, except for Candy's family, who were all crowded around her.

"Can I go talk to her now?" he asked.

Silver Spoon shook her head. "I think right now she has enough creatures crowding her, but we can wait for her outside. You have somecreature waiting for you outside anyway."

He blinked, wondering who could be waiting on him. "Who? Iss it Autumn Fire?"

She chuckled. "He might be outside, waiting for Candy, but you have an appointment with the princess. We can't keep her waiting too long, so don't be nervous."

Telling him not to be nervous didn't help him not be nervous. He tried to hide that fact, though. Silver Spoon didn't seem worried, neither did Twist, so it couldn't be bad.

He followed them outside, and saw there were still a lot of creatures here. Some were only talking, but some seemed to be waiting. Autumn and Cheese, along with their parents, seemed like they were waiting for Candy to come out. He also saw the Princess waiting, with Flurry Heart, Luster Dawn, Fluttershy, and Cozy Glow, all standing close behind her.

He followed Silver Spoon and Twist, making sure his two guardians stayed between the princess and him. When they came to a stop, he did his best to huddle behind Silver Spoon and try to keep out of sight, even though he knew that the princess had to have already seen him.

Silver Spoon and Twist started to bow, but the princess spoke up. "Please, don't bow. If you aren't greeting me while I'm on my throne and it isn't a formal royal visitation, there's no need. This might be a royal visitation, but it is an informal one, so let's keep it that way. You can educate your students about that as well, since I've been trying to break creatures' of that habit for years now."

Silver Spoon lifted her head back up. "I apologize, princess, but I'm not sure informing my students would help much. It can be hard for the average creature to tell the difference between what qualifies as a formal visit and an informal one. It might be second nature to you, but most of the rest of us don't typically need to learn those things. Most would question why we were educating students about the formalities of government rather than focusing on the more essential facts about how it operates."

"Mom says Auntie Celestia's advice was just accept it. Otherwise, creatures will stress themselves out, trying to figure out what kind of visit it is," Flurry Heart said in a proud tone. "She said you should accept the little annoyance than for you to stress them."

The princess frowned. "She never told me that."

Flurry Heart looked down. "Um, Mom says she doubted you'd take that advice, and maybe Auntie Celestia thinks the same."

"You can get stubborn about trying to correct things," Fluttershy said gently. "No offense intended."

The princess looked around at the ponies with her and then snorted. "Okay, that might be a little accurate. Anyway, we're getting distracted. I'm here to meet Sisstet, and to give some updates and instructions since I received a reply from the Clutch much faster than I anticipated."

Silver Spoon looked back at him. "I think the princess is ready to talk to you. Come on out and say hello."

Sisstet wanted to keep hiding, but he knew that Silver Spoon wouldn't let him and that this was important. Forcing himself to be brave, he slithered out from behind Silver Spoon and looked up at the tall alicorn.

"Hi," he peeped.

Twilight Sparkle smiled at him. "Hello, Sisstet. It is nice to meet you face-to-face. I heard you are friends with Candy Apple. You must be thrilled she has been helped."

He cautiously nodded. "I am, but I didn't really understand why it wass happening."

She nodded. "It might have been very confusing, but what matters is it all worked out. Now, I don't want you to be nervous, but I'm going to have to ask Silver Spoon and Twist to step away for a few minutes to give us some privacy. Will you be comfortable with that?"

He shook his head. "No! I want them to stay with me."

Silver Spoon put a hoof on his back. "It's okay; we won't be far. She's not going to hurt you."

The princess held up a wing. "If he objects to you leaving for a few minutes, then that tells me some of the things that I wanted to ask in private. You may stay. I want Sisstet to feel safe." She lowered her wing. "May I come closer to you, Sisstet? Silver Spoon and Twist won't be leaving."

He nodded slowly. "I guess sso."

The giant pony stepped forward and bent down to look at him closely. Her size was intimidating and reminded him of his old guardians. He could imagine her eating him with little effort. "Hmm, your scales look a little worn. Have you been feeling less hungry today?"

He nodded again, but didn't say anything. How did she know he wasn't as hungry today?

"He only ate half his breakfast, your majesty. I was a little concerned," Twist said.

The princess lifted her head. "It's no cause for concern, just the early stages of an incoming molt. Give him soups and soft foods for a few days until it passes, and be ready for him to get a little grumpy, as well as wanting a few more baths. He's getting ready to shed his skin, and that's a perfectly natural process."

He ducked down low again. "I don't like that. It itchess and hurtss."

She gave a small chuckle. "I understand, but it can't be helped. I'll tell you a secret. I have to preen my feathers, and I detest it. There are servants who can do it for me, but I swear it feels even worse when they do, so I do it myself. You'll feel much better and happier when it is over, and your new scales will make you look much more handsome."

He peaked up. "Handsome?"

The princess nodded to him. "An attractive set of fresh scales is always going to make you look handsome. Ask any kirin or my little brother Spike—he's a dragon."

If she had a little brother who was a dragon, and she was an honorary kingsnake, then did that mean Princess Twilight was part pony, part naga, and part dragon? She looked like a pony, but she was a really big pony. He thought Flurry Heart was the largest pony before, at least the largest mare—Candy's dad and big brother were about Flurry Heart's size, not counting the wings and horn, but Flurry Heart looked tiny next to Twilight Sparkle. If she was part naga and part dragon, it made sense that she'd be big.

"I see no signs of neglect or mistreatment in Sisstet's current care," Princess Twilight announced. "I'm concerned that he seems easily frightened, but that could be a result of his previous care or just natural disposition. I hope that with love and care, he can get a little more confident and bold."

"We hope so as well, princess," Silver Spoon replied.

The princess's face became stonier. "I do have some updates about the kingsnake situation. My initial request to have Sisstet stay here was flat out denied."

Sisstet cowered low and whimpered. He wanted to cry, but didn't want to cry in front of the princess. He could hear Silver Spoon and Twist making pained sounds.

"However," the princess continued. "Cozy Glow sent a message to them as well that arrived shortly after mine, and I received a much more favorable reply. I was initially hesitant to discuss the details that she included in her letter, but it seems that her judgment about what would help persuade the kingsnakes was well placed." The princess turned and raised an eyebrow at the pegasus in question. "Even if she should have consulted with me about it first."

Cozy Glow stood up straight and raised her nose high. "You told me to do whatever I could to help try to keep Sisstet in Equestria. I thought it was hopeless until I researched Silver Spoon's family. I knew immediately that a kingsnake becoming the potential heir to most of the silver mines in Equestria would be an opportunity that would make them much more amenable to keeping him here."

"And you were right," Princess Twilight confirmed. "But it might have been nice to consult with me before making our neighbors think they might be able to eventually claim part of our mining industry."

Cozy Glow was unfazed. "I made no promises of concessions, nor do I think they will be interested in taking the mines from us. Sisstet is a citizen of Equestria, and if he inherits the mines, they stay with Equestria. I brought the kingsnakes to the table. You know what they're going to actually want, and that could be a boon for us in the long-term. I may have solved two problems, where you only asked me to solve one. I think I did a good job."

The princess sighed. "You might be right, but still, consult me in the future before doing something that could have that kind of effect."

Cozy Glow finally bowed her head. "Yes, Princess Twilight."

"What are the king snakes going to want if they don't want the mines?" Silver Spoon hesitantly asked.

Twilight Sparkle turned back to them. "That's not an immediate concern, but don't worry, your family's legacy won't be given away to the Clutch. I'm not prepared to discuss it further until negotiations begin. Which brings me to the next point, they're sending a kingsnake here, to meet Sisstet and you."

"As in a full-grown kingsnake? The ones as big as houses?!" Twist asked in fear.

The princess nodded. "Yes, a full-grown king snake from the Clutch. It will take time to set that visit up. I will have to arrange transport, accommodations, and more. Large dragons can fly in and leave the same day the same way, but kingsnakes don't fly, and that's a lot of territory I have to bring a kingsnake across to get here. It isn't something we can do without thorough planning and preparation. Plus, it would panic everycreature from the border to here if I didn't warn them first."

Sisstet was shivering with fright now. He was trying to be brave, but they said a naga as giant as a house was coming, something that could gobble him up in one bite. If it didn't like what it saw, it could eat him or demand he go back to the Clutch.

"So, what do we need to be doing?" Silver Spoon asked calmly.

"Just continue to take care of Sisstet, and I'll be giving you a little help," Twilight Sparkle replied, and then gestured to the ponies standing behind her. "Fluttershy is going to be taking over Spoiled Rich's position for checking on our resident naga. If you have concerns, you can speak to her. My niece and my student are going to help Cozy Glow with other details dealing with this upcoming visit."

"Us?!" Flurry Heart asked in shock.

The older alicorn smirked. "Yes, you two, and I expect you both to listen to Cozy. This is an opportunity for the two of you to bond, learn a little about diplomacy, and take some limited responsibility. You both could stand to learn some diplomacy skills, and you both want opportunities to prove yourselves, right?"

"Flurry Heart and diplomacy?" Luster Dawn asked in disbelief. "I know that I can do great at whatever I apply myself to, but Flurry… she's Flurry Heart. Things tend to explode around her."

The younger alicorn rounded on the unicorn. "I don't always blow things up! I still haven't decided if you need disintegrating, so watch what you say about me."

The princess and Cozy Glow looked at each other and gave sad shakes of their heads. Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat. "And you could both stand to learn a little humility and work on forming friendships. Luster, please don't antagonize my niece, and Flurry, no disintegrating anycreature—we had this talk already. The two of you share a lot in common if you'd just give one another a chance."

"But Flurry—" Luster began before the princess cut her off by covering the unicorn's mouth with a wing.

"Luster Dawn, you are a brilliant and amazing student, but I can send you right back to your mother at any time. Your mother and I have been very good friends since I wasn't much older than you are now, and had more than one adventure together. I know she'd be deeply disappointed to hear you saying disparaging things about my niece rather than doubling down on trying to make friends."

Flurry cracked an eyebrow up. "Who is your mother?"

Luster sighed. "Sunset Shimmer, and I don't want to be sent home. It was always my dream to come back to where my mom came from and become a great mage, like her and Princess Twilight. Earth is just so boring since Mom and her friends tracked down all the rogue Equestrian magic years ago. I never even got to see much magic at all back home because I was so little when the last of my mom's adventures were happening. You wouldn't really send me home, would you?"

"At least until you could learn a little about friendship," Twilight replied. "And only if you antagonize my niece so much she turned somecreature to dust. I might send Flurry with you if she did."

"You'd exile me?" Flurry said with a gasp.

"Could be worse; she could turn you to stone," Cozy Glow said with an evil looking smirk. Sisstet couldn't put a claw on why, but that pegasus was creepy. "I reserve the right to fire these two if they become too much trouble."

The princess nodded. "Agreed, but give them as many opportunities to do right as you can."

Cozy's smiled dropped, but she nodded. "I need to get going. There's lots of work to be done, and I'm not needed here anymore."

"You have my leave," the princess replied.

After Cozy Glow had flown off, Twist cleared her throat. "Can you trust her? Something about her screams, up to no good."

The princess sighed again. "I know Cozy is a little—devious and self-serving, it is true, but she enjoys her comforts and feels she has just enough authority not to become a burden on her, as well as a position that lets her flex her manipulative nature more positively. She also does have her moments where she is legitimately caring, few as they may be. I trust her."

Sisstet didn't trust her, she was just too creepy, and he worried Cozy Glow would find some excuse to give him back to the Clutch.

Comments

[Darksoul85]

great chapter and can't wait to see what happen next keep the great work up

[Boopy Doopy]

Very nice chapter, keep going!