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Luna had only ever intended for Silver to be her apprentice. She had seen a lost child confused and scared by his new powers that allowed him access and control to her domain. She wanted to assist him, so he did not hurt himself. Nightmares that were conjured up by the imaginations of mortals were never kind to those that did not know their way around the dream realm.
She had not intended to grow attached to the mortal, she had not intended to ever grow close to someone again after her banishment. But the child, Silver, had managed to worm his way into the heart that Luna had long since thought was gone.
Luna knew better than to call him her friend, despite how he had said he saw her as a friend already. Because if the truth had to be told, she saw him as her son.
Luna had not had a family in a long while, well over a thousand years, and she had never had a son. Only her older sister, and once upon a time, her parents. But she was not foolish.
She had heard and seen the way people thought of their children. She knew how the ones who had adopted their children described how they knew that they loved the child as theirs.
She knew that she saw Silver as her son. But she would not admit it, not yet, perhaps not ever. Silver was still currently only eleven, and stuck on the idea that he owed his life to his father and prince, despite it being their decision to take him in and raise him.
Luna had tried, multiple times, to make him see that he did not owe them for something that any decent parent would do. But Silver insisted. He insisted that he wanted to repay them, that he wanted to grow up to be able to protect them. And Luna could see the sincerity in his eyes when he said that, and every time that he said he wanted to help her in the dream realm and with matters of the night.
The child truly had one of the purest hearts Luna had ever seen. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that he was some sort of incarnation of the elements of harmony.
But Luna kept her thoughts to herself. Though that didn’t stop the swell of pride whenever Silver mastered another spell, whenever he created a star all his own, whenever he helped her fend off nightmares, whenever he asked her about Equestria.
~*-------------------------*~
Silver had never had a mother. As long as he could remember his father had been single and seemed to have little to no interest in dating. Not that Silver would ever mind.
To Silver, having Lilia, Malleus, Sebek and Sebek’s family had been more than enough for him.
But that was before he found out that he was human, that Lilia and Malleus were fae, that they were so different that even Silver’s blood carried something harmful to fae.
And suddenly Silver had felt more alone than he ever thought was possible. He had no one that was like him. Sure, there was Sebek’s father, who was apparently human, but Silver rarely saw him. And at the end of the day he was Sebek’s father, Silver almost felt guilty at the idea of relying on him for emotional support, even if Silver knew that the man with infinite patience would never mind.
And so, the loneliness persisted.
About a week after Silver had found out about his humanity, he unlocked what he later learned was his unique magic. Though at the time he was unaware that was what it was.
It scared him, so badly that he had fewer sleeping spells the next day. And the thought of having to return to sleep the next night almost had him begging Lilia for an energy potion.
But it was that night that he met Luna.
And suddenly he was not alone anymore.
At first he was hesitant to call her a friend. She was his mentor and he didn’t know if she would take well to Silver wanting to be her friend.
But then Silver had accidentally called her his friend one night. Neither of them commented on the word choice, but since then Luna had started calling him starlight. A nickname that made Silver want to smile every time he heard it.
It reminded Silver of how Lilia would call him ‘sweetie’ or ‘little bat’.
But friendship had melded into something else. Something more… familial. Silver didn’t know how to describe it, he didn’t know if he was brave enough to put a name to how he saw the night goddess that had so kindly taken him under her wing.
But Luna had made sure that Silver knew that there was no harm in asking her something.
~*------------*~
“Luna?” Silver asked one day as he and Luna were brainstorming more fun little traps for the palace that had become Silver’s dreamscape.
Silver hadn’t wanted to change it after he’d created the castle, it felt too precious to him now.
“Yes, Starlight?” Luna replied, glancing at him.
“What… Are we…?” Silver asked.
“Pardon?” Luna inquired.
“I mean… We were originally just mentor and apprentice, then we became friends, and now… I don’t know how to describe it…” Silver responded.
Luna thought for a moment, letting out a thoughtful hum. “Well, I am still your mentor. But I suppose now we are also friends.” Luna responded.
Silver nodded, but for some reason the term ‘friends’ didn’t seem to fit right. “And… If not friends?” Silver asked hesitantly.
“Well, I know how I feel on the matter, what about you?” Luna asked.
“I don’t know… How do you see me?” Silver asked.
Luna hesitated for a moment, something that had become so rare between them Silver was worried that he perhaps should have kept his mouth shut. “I see you as my son.” Luna finally replied honestly.
Silver blinked in shock, his mind coming to a full stop.
Son? Her son? Luna saw him as her son?
Silver brain finally restarted and immediately launched into thinking.
Silver had never had a mother. He didn’t know what it was like. He knew he saw Luna in a familial way, a similar way to how he saw Lilia. Did that mean that he saw Luna as his mother?
Now that he thought about it, it did seem oddly fitting.
“You… See me as your son…?” Silver asked hesitantly, wanting to be sure, give Luna an opportunity to back out.
If she said differently, Silver would drop the subject and pretend that he had never asked, if she said yes…
“Yes. I do see you as my son. That is why I have chosen to stay near you despite how capable you’ve become within the dream realm.” Luna responded.
Silver blinked in surprise, trying to process.
So, Luna did see him as her son? Silver wondered if that was why Luna had agreed to give him a last name.
When the silence stretched for too long, Luna spoke again. “It is alright if you do not view me as a parent-“
“Does that mean I can call you mother…?”
Silver hesitant question cut Luna off, making her stare at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Pardon?” Luna asked as her ear twitched in surprise.
Silver ducked his head down, looking away. “If you also view me as your son does that mean that I can call you mother…?” Silver asked again, his gaze returning to Luna with such a soft, hesitant hope that it made Luna’s heart melt.
Luna smiled softly. “I would like that.” Luna responded.
Silver smiled. “Thank you… Mother…” Silver said, making Luna’s heart melt all the more at the parental term.
“Of course, Starlight.” Luna said softly, patting Silver on the head.
Silver suddenly perked up, another idea for a trap within their castle popping into his mind. “Ooh! I have an idea!” Silver said happily.
Luna chuckled. “Let’s hear it.”
Luna let Silver ramble on about his thought, before they started drawing up plans and building it within the castle.
They could simply use magic, especially since this was the dream realm, but the two found that actually taking the time to build the traps by hand was more enjoyable. It also gave them time to bond, originally as mentor and apprentice, now, as mother and son.