Canterlot. Capital of Equestria. Cultural jewel of the nation, whose hundreds of years worth of writings, paintings and sculptures that coexisted in the same city made it one of the greatest wonders of the entire world. Even the richest countries couldn’t hope to surpass the wealth of the crown, the money seeming to flow endlessly from the white walled town. Strategically situated in the very middle of it’s kingdom at the very top of the highest mountain of Equestria, the glorious city could be seen from dozens of kilometers away. The cosmopolitan radiance and political glow of the suspended town participated in making Canterlot one of the most envied and visited places in Equus.
Most of the tourists would stop at the downtown and mingle in various museums and commercial centers, thus stimulating the local economy to the great satisfaction of the owners of the nearby shops and restaurants.
Some lucky visitors would sometimes have the honor of being invited to the place of power that is Canterlot Castle. The great palace would immediately astonish the tourists with its white and gold spiraled towers, the cupola adorning the rooftops or even the monumental entryway and its two massive brass and gold doors, the one line separating the rest of the world from the royal residence.
The privileged ones would be led by a couple of Royal guards through the large hallway and be shown in various prestigious places such as the throne room, the great library and the royal gardens. They would be told the stories behind the designs of the castle and the names of the artists who worked on the numerous tinted windows around the south aisles. They would then leave, a contented grin plastered on their faces as the great doors would close after them.
The court would also open the throne room during the week so that citizens of Equestria could directly address their requests and questions to the Princess. All in all, the castle seemed rather welcoming, and most ponies had stepped inside the famous halls at least once in their lives.
Of course, everyone knew that like all nations, Equestria held some places inside the castle hidden from the public eye. Secret-shrouded rooms and corridors that only a few were privy of. There were indeed such places in Canterlot Castle, which only the highest ranking generals and advisers had knowledge of. Those rooms were far away North from the main hallways, reducing considerably the risk of ponies stumbling there by accident, and making them harder to reach in case of an attack.
In front of those specific rooms stood a special division of Royal Guards, tasked with keeping those places clear of intruders at the cost of their life. While the common guard’s armor sported the gold and magenta of the Sun princess’ regalia, these on the other hand, wore a dark blue and black plate full body armor. To the Contrary of their golden colleagues, the metal used to build their apparel was dense and heavy, obviously designed to be able to withstand considerable damage before even the slightest dent could be made. Large helms covered their head and muzzle, a small horizontal slit letting them see their surroundings without risking to be harmed by a projectile.
The mane would be forcefully stuffed through a thin opening in the back of the helmet in the form of a braid. An adjustable metal ring would then be placed at the base of the hair to further protect the wearer. Massive armored hoof shoes would clank noisily against the ground each time a guard would move. Inside the helmet, trained eyes observed the silent corridor, ready to spring in action at any moment.
These elite guards were known as “knights of Equestria”. Trained from the youngest age to serve the crown and obey all orders. Rumors also said each had a special capsule hidden inside their helms that could end the life of the wearer should he be captured by the enemy.
Two of these elite guards, unlike those of their division, were posted on either side of a featureless wall. To the untrained eye, the usefulness of those two knights would seem more than questionable. In truth, it was because of their rank and prowess in training that these guards were allowed to be able to even approach this place. What then would some ask, was so important about this place?
The answer lied in the small panel at the base of a nearby column, hidden from the naked eye by a high level deception spell. When pressed three times, the mechanism under the pillar would suddenly awaken from its slumber and in a quick succession of gears and counterweights, the space between the guards would slowly shift, causing the stones composing the wall to retract and disappear in the floor, revealing a new hallway.
This corridor led to a series of checkpoints and fifty centimeters thick steel doors, heavily reinforced with advanced glyphs and protection wards. If one were to look at the walls inside this hallway, they would surely be surprised by the rough stone covering it.
Indeed, this chamber had been carved in the very rock of the mountain supporting the castle. Meters upon meters of thick stone separated this room from the rest of the world, effectively preventing anything from breaking in or out.
Past the checkpoints, was a large room carved in the rock. Large crystals protruded from the walls and ceiling, refracting the dim light coming from the small lamps attached to the walls at one end of the cavern. Those crystals were extremely hard to break and had special magic inhibiting properties that made them a choice material for the bars of the one cell in the middle of this rocky prison.
Inside those bars, a single stone bed was attached to the ground. On its surface laid a bipedal creature, its alien body bathing in the penumbra. The being was held onto the cold material by four shackles which looked as if they were fused on the rock under them. Runic markings were carved on each.
The silence of the jail was suddenly broken as the door of the secret prison were set into motion, rock and metal creaking as they grinded together. The sudden noise reached the creature’s ears, his eyelids twitching slightly as it awakened.
A low grumbling noise was the first thing I heard as consciousness came back to be. Heavy metallic steps were growing closer, accompanied by the rustling of metal against metal. I kept my eyes closed as I heard the steps stopping on either side of me, voices starting to speak from what I assume was the entrance of the chambers.
Princess Celestia was not having a good day. During this morning’s court, the council members had nothing new to suggest other than selfish remarks and reforms benefiting their own families. If it weren’t for the prestigious houses they hailed from, nopony would have even thought about appointing them as counselors. If only their ancestors were there to watch what had become of their names…
The day court had taken more time than usual, forcing the alicorn to skip her meal, and only ended around five in the afternoon. And then, when she thought the day couldn’t go any worse, the kitchen’s cooks announced her the worst possible thing: they had run out of eggs. No eggs meant no egg-based recipes, thus no cake.
Princess Celestia lived a very demanding and stressful everyday life. She could count on the spirals of her horn the number of times she had a moment to herself and free from the burden of the crown. When she could at last leave her obligations for the day, she knew at least that a sugary treat was waiting on a plate in her room, ready to be devoured by the hungry alicorn.
Over the years, the cake had become one of the few things that would allow her to truly relax from the exhausting day she had. No cake meant no respite from the day, no comfort food to dampen the stress accumulated during the painful meeting with the dignitaries from Minos and Grypsenheim.
Any other day, she would have silently went back to her room and screamed from the top of her lungs in her fluffy pillow. But today was not anything close to mundane. Celestia smirked. Today, they had caught the one creature she despised the most. The one being whose very existence was an affront in the face of Harmony. The one who for several centuries had haunted her every night.
Building a mental image of the place where she wanted to be, she summoned a large amount of magic before teleporting away in a flash.
She reappeared in a hallway few knew the existence of. The princess walked on to her destination, her mind set up on one and only goal. She finally arrived in front of the two heavily armored knights. Both remained motionless at the sight of the alicorn, who took a loose feather from her wing before levitating it to the nearest guard.
The pony took it in his own magical grasp, examining it under every angle, before finally nodding to his partner. Recognizing the gesture, the other one moved slightly on the right, and pressed the hidden button three times. The knights then moved slightly away from the wall behind them as the mechanism opened for the second time in a millennia. Nodding briefly to the guards, the princess walked in, determination burning in her eyes. She looked at the inner walls of the secret hallway with wonder. To think this room would be used again after all this time...Celestia shook her head. No point in remembering the past now.
She arrived at another door, guarded once again by two knights. When their gaze met, the alicorn lowered her head and magic started gathering at the tip of her horn, the gold and white hue illuminating the dark area. The guard on her right summoned magic on his own, grabbing in the generated field a small glass ball, which he brought two meters away from the princess.
Immediately, the small amount of magic the alicorn had created was sucked inside the ball, the energy instantly vanishing in the translucent core of the sphere. A few seconds passed, during which no one said a word. Eventually, a bright green light radiated from the round object, bathing the ponies and walls in the same color. The knight nodded once again, and the massive door behind them opened loudly, revealing the room past it.
For the first time of the day, she felt this mixture of dread and hatred she hadn’t felt in a long time as she looked at what was lying inside the circular cell. Forcing herself to move, the two guards in tow, she entered the fortified prison, where already three other ponies were waiting.
One of them, a middle aged unicorn, walked up to her before bowing respectfully. The stallion wore the same armor his colleagues did, save for a few silver linings on the borders of his helmet hanging from his side. Contrarily to the officers of the Royal guards, his didn’t have nearly as much decoration. Such things would be wasted on these battle suits, as the first impact would have destroyed the fine work in a million pieces. The light brown fur covered most of the pony’s body, save for the few scars on his cheeks and brow, leaving bald spots in the hair. White strands of hair fell from his mane into a disorganized mess, which had often caused his superiors to scold him back when he was still training as a simple guard. The mere memory caused an involuntary smile to form on the princess’ face.
“High-Commander Blackheart,” she said, the strain in her voice painfully obvious. “It is good to see you.”
The pony smiled. “A pleasure to see you again your highness. Even though I had wished we met under other circumstances.” He said while looking at the unconscious prisoner with a frown, before turning back towards the alicorn.
“Are you certain it is him? After all, he was rather easy to subdue.”
The princess’ eyes narrowed on the form of the human, slightly deformed by the crystal bars’ refraction. “I may have forgotten the finer details of his face, but there is no mistake: his head, his limbs...They are the same.” She looked back at the Commander. “I do not know what he is planning yet, but rest assured.” She said, advancing towards the cell. “I will get to the bottom of this, and make him pay dearly for everything.”
I couldn’t exactly tell what the ponies were saying, but I sure as hell didn’t like the tone Cellophane had taken. The bars on my left moved outwards as one of my jailers entered, followed by at least two or three other, judging from the numerous footsteps echoing near me. The steps stopped on either side of me, and for a few seconds, silence reigned over the small group.
“Do you think it’s asleep?” A raspy male voice whispered on my right.
“I do not know. I think it might be.” The very familiar female voice responded, moving slightly closer to me, probably looking for a telltale sign of my waking state. I stood still on the cold surface, trying to be as inconspicuous as one can be with three or four ponies looking intently at him.
“Well?”
“I suppose it is, for now.” Cellphone hesitantly said, before walking back to her initial position. A few relieved exhalations followed the remark. I internally snickered. ‘Afraid of the human, even though he’s chained to the ground?’
“Actually, I wanted to ask you, if you would allow me Princess.” The same voice on my right started.
“Go on Commander” Cellulose said.
“Do we know what the creature has taken from the library yet?” The raspy voice continued, anxiety showing as he went on. “For all we know, the may be a diversion for something much more important.”
“My guards and I didn’t discover anything else on it while we moved its body here. Save for the penis growth spells, of course.” I had to bite my tongue in order to prevent myself from laughing out loud. Hearing these ponies saying “penis” with a serious tone was priceless.
“Strange…” The same stallion mused. “Why the penis growth spells out of all the books there?” I was literally shaking with barely contained laughter, the shivers sending small vibrations through the metallic frame of my shackles, causing the latter to noisily hit the stone furniture.
“What was that?!” The commander yelled in surprise as the attention was once again brought on me.
“He’s waking up sir!” A new masculine voice rose from the guards’ group. “The Penis growth spell book was probably trapped!”
I couldn’t hold back the furious need in my diaphragm to unleash what it had contained for the last seconds. One of the most powerful and uncontrollable laughter escaped my lips as my body was convulsing with spasms.
“Bwahahaha!” I laughed, tears streaming down my cheeks as the lack of air began to burn my throat. The ponies around me seemed terrified by my sudden outburst, and thus stood still as I cackled like a madman. Finally, after a good minute of this painful behavior, the oxygen once again entered my lungs as my body calmed down.
“Ahhh...haaha…” I sniffled, the few last convulsions of my organ leaving me as the urge to laugh subsided. As there was no point in trying to keep up the appearances, I opened my bleary eyes to look at my environment. On my right was who I guess was the one referred as ‘Commander’. Near him were two strangely well armored unicorns, their horns the only feature distinguishable from their entire body.
On my left were two other similarly guards, and a livid white alicorn. A simple look at her head was enough to sober me down. Her features were a contorted mess, where a barely contained rage mixed with a pure disgust coexisted in a horrible harmony. All the while maintaining the ‘regal composure’ required for someone of her rank, the alicorn’s face was a complex maelström of emotions whose only target was me. A cold droplet of sweat ran down my back. I needed to quickly explain the situation in order to dispel the misunderstandings.
“Penis.” I said, addressing the ponies around me with a small movement of my restrained arm, causing some of them to choke on their saliva in surprise.
“It’s just...I…” I turned to look at the one on my right. “How can you say that word with a straight face?” My sudden question took the guard….off guard, if the small tremor of his armored body was anything to go by.
“...What word?”
“Penis!” I yelled at him, clanking my chains as i made exasperate gestures to express, albeit poorly, my feelings to the unreadable iron faced guard. “I mean, you said that at least three times in ten seconds, all the while maintaining a serious face! How do you do that?!”
“Well...I…” The pony was trying to find an adequate answer to the absurd question, before both of us were interrupted by a thunderous roar coming from our left.
“Enough!” The ridiculously powerful scream tore through the silence and my eardrums, making the very bars of my crystalline prison vibrate, a low hum emanating from the translucent pillars. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the terribly annoying ringing in my inner ear deafening me. As the noise slowly faded away, i came to the realization that I couldn’t feel anything. Well, allow me to correct that thought; I couldn’t feel anything in contact with me. The cold sensation of the rock bed had disappeared, along with the pressure of the shackles against my wrist, or even the feeling of the gravity pulling me down.
Looking around, I quickly found the reason why: i was suspended in mid-air, held in a golden and white halo, what was left of the shackles now lying in a broken mess on the stony bed. ‘shit.’ I spotted below me the now enraged pony princess, her features deformed by the powerful emotions raging inside. Her sides were inflating and deflating in quick succession as her tail violently trashed from side to side.
Before I could even protest against the obvious mistreatment of a prisoner, I found myself flying towards the bars on the opposite end of the cell, crashing against the jagged surface of the crystals, before falling down onto the cold ground. My breath was stolen from me as blood rushed in my mouth under the power of the impact. Pain began to flare in my back and ribs, the nearly forgotten burning sensation returning to my chest, the wounds reopening at the same time.
Coughing the red liquid obstructing my throat, I didn’t notice the aura re-forming around me before being flung violently to another side of the the cell, pain once again welcoming me with open arms.
I was fairly certain my spine was broken as I rolled back on the stony ground. I had lost all feelings in my lower limbs and couldn’t will them to even move an inch. More and more blood was flooding my windpipes, forcing me to cough the excess in order to stay conscious. My head was pounding as strength was progressively leaving me.
My brain, nearly overloaded by the feeling, had long since switched into its basic mechanical instincts, causing my body to use its arms to crawl away from the danger, gripping at the bars in the foolish hope to pry them apart.
I could hear some voices talking to each other, but their exact meaning was lost on me as my mind was entirely focused on its fight or flight reflexes.
One more time, The grip around my legs formed, slowly dragging my sorry self on the ground towards the alicorn. My hands tried in vain to gain some hold on anything that could slow me down. My vision was beginning to tunnel as the edges seemed darker by the second. ‘Not like that!’ I doubled my efforts, bloodying my fingers trying desperately to dig in the stone beneath me. ‘I can’t die like that!’
My shirt was being torn to shreds on the uneven ground, the asperities cutting through the thin fabric. I could not care less about those, however, as the agony in my back was quickly growing unbearable, my brain nearly shutting off from the trauma.
I abruptly came to a stop, the force suddenly turning me around to face the white princess. I saw the crazed glare of the alicorn focus on my face, its two light purple orbs staring at me. My vision was getting blurry, the only discernible feature of the princess’ face being her eyes. The two violet pools lost focus on me as they trailed down towards my chest.
The rage seemed to momentarily disappear as something caught their attention, before I was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground. The simple shock of my head hitting the floor first was the last straw to send me back into dreamland.
“Princess! Princess are you alright?!” Blackheart asked in alarm to the quickly retreating alicorn, trying to keep up with the much faster pony. Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere, he stopped in his tracks.
“What are we to do with the prisoner?” he yelled in the hallway, hoping to get her attention by reminding her of his duty. The white pony stopped briefly, looking back at the Commander.
“He needs to have his wounds tended to. Bring him to the infirmary with two of your best guards.” She then turned around and teleported in a bright flash of white. Nodding to himself, the pony walked back towards the cell where the creature responsible for all the effervescence in the Castle these past few days laid motionless in its blood-smeared clothing.
‘She would have killed him.’ He thought, progressing through the dark corridor. ‘I don’t know what stopped her, but I must admit admit I’m glad it did.’ he thought, chuckling to himself as he looked at the armored body of the nearest knight. ‘Even though they don’t speak about it, they always have put the princess on a pedestal. Such an action would certainly have shocked more than one.’
He finally arrived in front of the bleeding alien body, which was already being put onto a minotaur-sized stretcher. He shook his head. She certainly did a number on that creature.
“That way” he signaled the guards transporting the wounded being. “To the medical wing.”
I didn’t know how much time had passed when I woke up, but judging from the complete darkness the room was shrouded in, I supposed I must have been unconscious for the whole day. I was even more surprised I was even there to think about it. I put hand over my chest, immediately feeling the soft layer of bandages and gauze covering it. All this was extremely confusing. They obviously wanted me alive, but tended to my wounds. They either were the worst torturers in the history of torture, or they had another plan in mind.
The feeling of the smooth and warm hospital bed sheets brushing against my neck was delightful. I reveled in the mere sensation of lying in a warm bed, my mind getting ready to go back to sleep.
A small breeze brought in the room the familiar scent of disinfectant, which was eventually registered by my brain. Curious , I opened my eyes to look at a featureless ceiling, which ended both on my right and behind me in two walls forming the corners my bed was in. Directly in front of me was a large white closet, various sizes and forms of glass containers and concoctions. Several drawers adorned the back of the furniture, each sporting its own label.
Another bed sat near the closet, albeit empty. Now that i realized it, the entire room was plunged into silence. There seemed to be no other ‘customer’ here. Heh. Strangely enough, the other side was bathed in a smooth moonlight, while my own bed was in the shade. I looked on my left to find what kind of furniture was blocking the sweet glow of the moon from reaching me.
I turned on my left side, grimacing as the healing burns on my chest ached from the sudden strain applied on them. My eyes opened to witness a large expense of fuzzy white fur looming over me. Looking up slowly, I saw the very same magenta eyes locked on me.
“Ahh!” I jumped back in fright, before remembering that my back and ribs were still extremely sore from the pachinko session from earlier. I reeled back from the sudden spike of pain, clutching my sides as I tried to scoot away from the white death as much as I could.
“Stop that. You are only hurting yourself more.” She said, putting a hoof over my shoulder. I tried to shy away from her touch, only to find myself pressed against the wall. I could feel my heartbeat accelerating as fear once again tugged at my mind. I had no escape, and was at the mercy of the very alicorn who smashed me into the bars of my cell not so long ago.
“W-what do you want from me?” I asked, my dry throat burning as the raspy words came out. If she wanted to kill me, she could have done it while I was unconscious in the prison. Did she want information? Knowledge of my world? Was the scene in the jail just a sick show? All the questions only served to fuel my terror as the potential motives of the princess only worsened with time.
Once again, the hoof of damnation approached me. Unable to retreat from my oncoming undoing, I shut my eyes closed, bracing for the pain about to greet me again. Surprisingly, nothing of the sort happened to me. I opened my eyes against my better judgement, and found myself still in my bed, perfectly fine.
I looked up to find the alicorn frozen in action, with her hoof halfway extended towards me, A shocked expression on etched on her features. Before I could try to shake my hand in front of her to verify if I suddenly acquired the power to stop time, the hoof went back to its original position. Her face reflected once again the royal composure that most ponies were accustomed to.
“I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you. I…” She paused, as if trying to find the correct word to describe what she was about to add. “I know that even the most sincere apologies will not make up for what I submitted you to back then.” She looked away briefly, before locking eyes with me again.
“I would however like to offer you a suite in the castle for as long as you need it. That is the least I can do after what happened to you.” She looked at me, apprehension overtaking her features.
“I…” I started, my mind running millions of thoughts at the same time. “I...I need time to think about all that.” I said, my eyes lost into space as I my hand went to massage my brow, trying to organize the questions raging in my mind.
“Of course.” The princess said, raising from her seated position, addressing me a halfhearted smile as she went to leave the room. “Thank you for considering my offer. I will see you in the morning, should you decide to stay.” With that, she quietly walked out of the infirmary. The quietness once more shrouded the place, leaving me to my thoughts.
I looked at the ceiling, unable to understand the motivations behind all this. ‘First, I am abducted then beaten up in my cell. Then she helps me recover and comes to apologize?!’ I shook my head. What was I supposed to make of that? Was the princess bipolar in this world? I certainly hoped not.
While more and more questions kept piling up, I felt the warmth of sleep starting to envelop me. I sighed. There was no way I could get an answer right now, so I might as well rest a bit. Hopefully, the alicorn wouldn’t get into another crazed fit and crunch me against the castle walls this time. I chuckled to myself, before being cut of by a loud yawn escaping my lips. Recognizing the desperate call for attention of my body, I closed my eyes, and before i knew it, I had already left the conscious realm.
Another explosion ripped even more stone off of the walls around us, the rubble falling loudly on the ground, now moist from the rain. The ceiling had long since collapsed from the repeated assaults on the foundations, bringing down several columns with it.
My armored boots clacked on the tiled floor as I walked towards my target. The countless bodies on the floor made the process rather difficult, but the mere fact of seeing them all littered there was satisfactory enough that I nearly enjoyed the delay they caused me.
Another ray of energy flew towards me at lightning speed, directly aimed at my head. Smirking, I simply raised my hand and extended three fingers before me. From my appendage, a large aura disc appeared, the markings of the Aegis clearly visible on it. As expected, the spell came crashing against it, and left absolutely no marks on my shield.
“It isn’t fair you know!” I laughed as I resumed my walk towards my enemy. “At least wait for me to get near you--” I nearly tripped on a familiar corpse. “Well, well, well...what have we here.” I used the side of my boot to move the pony slightly to the right, revealing his face to me.
“Well, I need to give this fool an apology someday.” I moved my boot above his head, before slamming it down, crushing the poor bastard’s head. I watched in amusement as blood came pouring out of the now brainless pony, and washed against my feet. I moved my shoe away and quickly grinded the underside of it against the cold ground. Briefly looking at it, I laughed.
“You see, I had this piece of dirt stuck under there and I couldn’t get it out!” I yelled at her. “Turns out I found the one thing he was ever good at!” I parried another volley of magic missiles, making my way through the fallen assholes. As I arrived ten meters before her, she suddenly took off, trying to put more distance in between her and I. I shook my head.
“Why are you leaving, darling?” I said calmly while snapping my fingers, causing a dome to appear above us. “We are having so much fun down there!” I said, now extending five fingers. She gasped and stopped, held immobile in my powerful grasp. I brutally lowered my hands, the creature following suit and crashing into the ground.
The being stumbled, trying to get up in the foolish hope of fighting back. I applied more magic to keep her down, crushing her wings in the process.
“Wh-why…” she muttered, trying in vain to muster the strength to get back up. “Why would you do this?” She added, looking at the mess around us, tears forming in her eyes. Pain and anger were present in the gaze she cast at me.
“Why?” I parroted, walking to the crater she was in, before taking a knee to be on eye-level with her. “You probably think there is something as convoluted as some deep rooted vengeance or a ridiculous take-over behind all this?” I gestured at the state of the castle around us.
She said nothing. She kept staring silently at me, as if trying to find an answer by herself. I laughed. “Oh, you should see your face! Oh, well, you’ve been a good and quiet student, so I guess I will tell you. It was what I was supposed to do.” Incomprehension replaced the previous look on her features. A dark rictus formed a my face “But I would be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy this.”
I awoke with a start, cold sweat running down my sides. I shivered from the mere memory of the dream I had. Never did I have a dream so graphic, so vivid in my entire life. I remained thoughtful for a few minutes, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess that was my mind right now. I tries in vain to remember to faces of the dream. Even the creature that I was facing was completely blurred.
Another detail that disturbed me was the fact that instead of being the victim, or simply the witness, like most nightmares would work, I was the actor. The mere thought brought back the shivers. In all my life, I never had to kill anybody, or even to harm one. I wasn’t one to start fights, and I always held Life in high respect. One could easily imagine how seeing such a scene could be at least a little perturbing.
Shaking the thoughts away, I stood up from the infirmary bed I slept in. I needed to be ready for whatever the princess had in store for me. And goodness if I wasn’t anxious at the mere thought of it. I walked towards the door, before coming to the realization that the room was abnormally chilly, especially in between my legs. I looked down. Yep, I was naked.
Not even trying to think of all the implication that came with that, I walked back to my bed, trying to find something that the nurses may have left behind that could serve as makeup pants. The only things that were there were a glass of water and a small plate on which the glass was. Damn exhibitionists! Wasn’t it enough that you walk naked in broad daylight, you also want to convert me too?! Nevah!!
A few seconds later, the two guards standing on each side of the door saw the strange creature from before with his bedsheets worn as a tunic, and his pillowcase around the back of his head, attached behind his ears as a crown, step out gracefully of the infirmary. The human paid no mind to them, and walked down the main hall towards the kitchen.
“Erm…Sir!” one of the guards started. “The morning court is that way!” He said, pointing at the opposite direction. The human stopped briefly, before twirling on himself and went the other way, passing once again in front of the guards.
“He is rather weird right?” The first guard asked his partner who nodded, still looking at the retreating human. They jumped when the human called out as he was about to turn in a crossing hallway.
“Tu quoque, naked pony.”
I went through the gigantic corridors of the immense castle, marveling at the occasional vase or sculpture on the side, the rather unpleasant feeling of having the rough textile of the red carpet brushing against the underside of my feet constantly reminding me of my predicament. I pressed on, noticing the strange look that the guards were casting on me.
After another two minutes, the hallway finally stopped in the shape of an arch, leading to one gigantic door. One stylized alicorn was sculpted in the middle, her wings stretched on either side of her, and her hooves reaching up to the large golden orb above. 'Hm. An alicorn, and a Sun? She must be a Weasley.’
In front of the door were two guards standing at attention, their watchful gaze scanning the arcade for potential threats. Well, they were, until they saw me. As I arrived Two sets of eyes immediately set on me, observing in awe the novelty of wearing the bedsheets as makeshift shirts and and pants. Deciding to break the ice and the awkwardness at the same time, I walked up to the ponies.
“Hello! I was hoping to catch the princess to have a word with her. Do you know when the morning court ends?” I asked, trying to sound as dignified as I could knowing the midget horses seemed more interested in my size and lack of nakedness rather than my actual question. Eventually, one of them realized he was asked a question and reacted accordingly.
“Well, The court ends at half past eleven. So…” He moved slightly to look at the clock behind me. “The princess should be done in ten minutes or so.” He added, going back to his original position. I thanked them both and decided to wait in a corner, as not to shock the potential civilian that might cross my path.
Eventually, for what seemed an eternity, the large doors of the court room opened, letting out the bickering ponies from its entrails. I stayed out of sight as the flow began to thinnen, and waited for the last pony to turn down the nearest hall before I decided to take action. As the guards were about to close the doors, I slipped in the opening, careful not to let my precious drape being caught in the frame.
I arrived --much to the surprise of the guard in charge if the twin doors-- in a ludicrously decorated throne room, where the tones of white and gold of the marble and sculptures cohabited with the royal purple and light blue of the curtains and draperies hanging against the walls.
The impressive colonnade that made up the center of the room was composed of two meters-wide pillars reaching towards the ornate vaulted ceiling, their capital joining together in the center in a large marble beam. The impressive sculptings on either side of it took various vegetal forms, some reminding of vines intertwining with each other.
Immense tinted windows depicting scenes or landscapes adorned a whole side of the room, giving the light coming through them several hues ranging from yellow to deep purple. Sun-etched blazons and carvings could be seen on the side of the pillars and walls.‘To remind everyone who governed them in the case of a sudden mass amnesia, I guess?’
Finally, in the very end of the room sat probably the largest throne I have ever seen in my entire life: without taking the stairs and the base it was built on in account, the ‘chair’ alone must have attained the three meters high easily! The very core of the royal seat seemed to be made out of a very pure limestone, while some parts such as the armrests or the very top of the throne itself were covered in gold leaves, delicate carvings in the material mimicking the forms of real foliage.
Six familiar symbols adorned the base on which the throne was. Well, apparently they had them in this universe too. That’s good. Seeing the ‘efficiency’ of the guards in the show, they could really use the added help. Two guards stood on either sides of the base, remaining alert even though the court was technically over. On the throne itself sat the princess, the weight of the day painfully obvious as the alicorn’s eyelids would constantly try to close, the head of the majestically tired pony slowly falling as well before snapping back up with a surprised gasp.
I stifled a chuckle as I moved towards the throne of sleepiness. I was careful to stay behind the pillar as to remain undetected by the guards. As I was approaching, i saw an elderly stallion walk in a calm manner towards the princess. To my surprise, he wasn’t stopped by the guards, and went up the stairs to nuzzle the elbow of the alicorn, which responded by jolting awake. For a few seconds, she glanced around, trying to make sense of where she was, before focusing on the pony in front of her. Immediately, her expression turned into a large fond smile, as she reciprocated the gesture. When they separated, the stallion looked up at her with a frown.
“I thought you promised me to go get some sleep, young lady?” He said, with the tone of a parent calling his child out for misbehaving. I could see the guards beginning to smile, anticipating what was about to happen.
“I know, but-” The princess what cut by the stallion’s raised hoof.
“No buts!” He sternly interrupted. The guards were now definitely smirking, turning their head away before the smallest chuckle could escape. “There will always reasons to skip on sleep, always justifications for staying up late to complete more work.”
The alicorn was about to retort, but was once again cut by his hoof. “My duty as a steward of the crown is to make sure that the princess is able to complete the tasks that befalls her, but also that she does not overworks herself.” He moved closer and put his hoof over her shoulder. “And as of now, I do not see you capable of doing any important decision in your current state.”
I frowned slightly at the news. Exactly how much time did she spent watching over me when I was unconscious? ‘Oh come on, I’m starting to feel guilty now! Graaah! Alright brain, you win! From now on, I won’t call her by weird names. But that’s all! I’m not gonna forget that shoot at sight order anytime soon!’ I shook my head, focusing on the two ponies atop the pedestal.
“I…” Celestia hesitated, before smiling and nodding to her adviser. “Yes. You are right, I have been putting my work before my own well-being too much recently.” Seeing as the steward still narrowed his eyes at her, she chuckled before adding. “I will do my best to get some sleep, I assure you.”
For a moment, The elderly equine said nothing. Eventually, he nodded to himself, before turning towards the princess.
“I know you will. Shall I have something prepared from the kitchen?” He said, a knowing rictus forming on his face. Suddenly, the tiredness seemed to vanish from the Princess, her half-closed eyes opening up like a child’s would at Christmas.
“Yes! If it’s not too much, could you ask for a-”
“Triple layered chocolate and vanilla cake?” The steward finished the sentence for her. Celestia chuckled wholeheartedly. The stallion knew her all too well.
“Yes please, that would be perfect.” ‘Aha! That’s my cue!’
“You know what would be perfect too?” I said loudly, surprising everyone in the room as I stepped out from behind the pillar, and slowly made my way towards the throne, stopping right in front of the two guards, who tensed up as I entered their line of sight. I looked up at the surprised princess, letting the sentence hang a few more seconds, before pausing dramatically.
“Answers.” Nailed it!
“............”
“............”
“Er…….” The princess started, unsure about how to proceed. “Why are you wearing your bedsheets on your back?” I couldn’t help but frown at the remark. Of course, someone as old as her would have seen through my disguise and found out the truth immediately. How could I have been so fool?!
“Well, I would have worn something else if there was anything else to wear in the first place.” I said, raising my arm accusingly at the royal pony, causing a part of my tunic to fly along, increasing the dramatic effect of my movement. I internally smirked. ‘Now you have nowhere to run off to! Your exhibitionist plot will be revealed to the entire world, and you’ll have none other than yourself to blame for it! Mouahahahahaha!’
“Oh, that is what I forgot!” The princess said, clapping her two hooves together, her eyes lighting up with the realization. An apologetic smile formed on her face as she bowed her head slightly.
“Please forgive me. As we did not have any suitable clothing for you to wear, I had made a note in my agenda to contact a tailor to take your measurements. I am really sorry for the trouble you had to go through.” I smiled at her. ‘Well played, Celestia. Playing the card of the forgetful one, eh? No matter, one day shall come, and you’d better be prepared for it!’
“So, do you think you could find the time to explain some things to me?” I asked, Looking up to the alicorn. Of course, I didn’t think she could teach me anything I didn’t already know about the general lore of this world, but I had already seen things that were significantly different from the show. I saw a small smile form on the princess’ muzzle.
“As a matter of facts, I do!” She said, stepping off of the throne, and walking down the stairs. “I had freed a span of thirty minutes in my schedule. Would you like to accompany me to my room? I will have some tea brought to us.” She said, going ahead of me.
‘Well, that went much better than expected’, I thought as I followed suit. We went a different way than the one I used to come back from the infirmary. More guards crossed our path the more we progressed towards the royal bedchambers. The very form of the hallways was changing from the high ceiling and large arches to something smaller, closer to a large mansion’s corridor. The columns had long since been replaced by standard stone beams. The banners with the sun emblems had also disappeared, along with the extensive decoration. In their stead were small memorabilia, paintings or simple trinkets. The entire ambiance had shifted from imposing to a more convivial mood.
We finally arrived in front of a set of aged oak doors, two guards posted on each side of the door. As we arrived, the aforementioned ponies tensed and lowered their horn slightly when their gaze locked on me. I got the message and stayed back, not wanting to cause any problems with the local security.
“Do not worry, he is with me.” Celestia said in a calm voice, nodding to the guards. An unanimous ‘yes’ greeted her, and all guards resumed their initial positions. I walked up to the princess who opened the double doors to her bedchambers, and followed her inside.
A subtle mix of passiflora and vanilla greeted me upon entering, along with the remnants of the scent of burning wood. The ground was surprisingly ‘creaky’, as unlike the rest of the palace, the chamber’s flooring was mostly composed of wooden planks, save for the hearth’s, where small stone tiles covered the area around it. Large carved furniture of varying styles adorned the rather spacious room, most of which were filled to the brim with ancient tomes and writings. Two large windows opened on a large balcony that allowed anyone standing on it to have a eagle’s view of Canterlot and the entire valley surrounding it.
On the opposite side was an enormous bed that could have easily housed five people and still feel comfortable. The massive bed frame was made of iron, which had blackened with the years and yet, no rust could be found on its surface. On this titan of an armature sat large purple covers, going halfway to the ground on each sides. Large pillows were disposed on either side of the bed, waiting for a head to weight on them.
In the middle of the room was a large wooden table, which looked like it was cut out of a single wooden log. Next to it was a large chair seemingly made of the same material, both of them bearing carvings representing plants and leaves. Near the table was some sort of cabinet, in which was an abundant supply of scrolls and and inkpots, some quills already prepared for use sitting in a neat pile on the side.
Finally, in the corner was the perfect tea-time set: a small table with just enough space for the kettle and the cups, around which were five Moroccan-styled poufs.
“It has been a long time since I had anypony here for a tea.” The princess commentated with melancholy. She then looked back at me, a small smile forming on her face. “Please, take a seat. The tea should arrive shortly.” She gestured at the poufs. I hesitated, still pondering how to act around the potentially lethal being in front of me. Finally nodding, I chose one and sat on it, enjoying the feeling of having my body sinking deep into the Oriental bean-bag.
The alicorn moved on the opposite side of the table, daintily taking the nearest seat. Once she was comfortably installed, she looked up at me expectantly. Well, I guess that since I was the one who asked, I should be the one beginning the conversation. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself. ‘Come on, Peter, calm down. You’re just dealing with an immortal creature who commands to the sun and can crush you into walls. No big deal’. A surprisingly good idea suddenly struck me.
“I know we do not trust each other, and for good reasons.” I looked briefly at her. ‘Well, I know MY reasons are understandable.’ “And I know that revealing details to a person you have no knowledge of must be difficult. So, I thought we could play a little game.” I said intertwining my fingers. Suspicion arose on the features of the Alicorn, her eyes ever so subtly narrowing at me.
“What sort of game do you have in mind?” She asked cautiously. I repressed the urge of laughing from the excitement. Oh, I could so easily behave like Discord right now.
“Well, to put it simply: we take turns, asking and answering questions. When one’s question get answered, it’s their turn to answer a question. To make it fair, We have the right to refuse answering, but at the price of skipping a turn. And obviously, answers have to be of similar value.” Seeing a look of worry on the princess’ face, I raised my hand placatingly.
“Do not worry. I don’t plan on asking something that touches to the secrecy of the crown or anything close. And as I said before, you have the right to refuse to answer any questions you deem too personal or too valuable to be revealed to me.” I let the information sink in, allowing silence to take back its place. The princess seemed lost in thought, probably pondering the risks of such an exchange. After some time, she looked back at me and nodded at me.
“Alright ! Um, how about you start? You are the host after all.”
“Very well” she said with a smile. “In that case, may I know your name?” I nodded
“Of course. My full name is Peter Belgarde.” I extended a hand towards the alicorn. “Nice to meet you, again. I guess I should ask for your name as well, Princess?”
“My name is Celestia Sol. Though my subjects simply call me Celestia” She said, extending a foreleg of her own, grasping my hand in her hoof with surprising ease. As I shook the amazing keratin-based protrusion, I looked up back at the princess, waiting for the next question, when I caught her staring in wonderment at my own hand.
“Heh.” I couldn’t help the chuckle that crawled out of my mouth, startling the alicorn.
“Oh sorry! I, erm…” She said bashfully, realizing that I saw her the entire time. “I couldn’t help but look at your hands.” She explained, gesturing at the aforementioned appendages. “I know how they work, from the anatomy of the minotaurs, but yours looks so skinny compared to them, your fingers even more! Are you suffering from malnutrition?” She pressed, a look of worry forming on her face.
“No, nothing like that.” I said, trying to calm the over-worrying alicorn. “I am perfectly healthy!” ‘If you consider waking up after being slammed into a wall “healthy”’. “Hands are tools that are used to grasp things. The only movements they are to do is to close onto something, which doesn’t require much muscle mass. Of course, I suppose that compared to a minotaur, my hands must look rather bony.” I looked up to the princess.
“What about yours then?”
“Mine?” the princess asked, looking at me in confusion. “Oh, do you mean my hooves?” I nodded.
“Yes. How do you manage to twist them around an object? I mean…” I started, gesturing towards her forelegs. “Those are made of keratin, right? Isn’t that supposed to prevent them from being flexible?”
“That is actually a very interesting question!” The alicorn said raising her hoof in the air, a large smile plastered on her face.
“You see, before the unicorns invented the high precision instruments that we use nowadays, we had to rely on a more rudimentary way of measuring, and sometimes, were forced to speculate on the finer details. We thought for a long time that the hooves of ponies, zebras and saddle arabians were imbued with magic, which allowed them to bypass the rigidness of their external layer.” She then pointed her hoof at me. “And to be frank, we only were half right! You see, once equipped with proper tools, our researchers looked closer at the surface of the hoof, only to discover that what everypony suspected to be a uniform layer were in fact thousands upon thousand of minuscule strands of keratin juxtaposed with softer strands of skin! The only part the magic plays in our hooves is the fact that it allows easier grasping when in contact with an object.”
I repressed the urge to snicker at the giddy princess. Now I knew why she took a liking to Twilight. Those two ponies were literally the same! I had to admit though: the more I learned about these equines, the more alien they seemed.
“I suppose it is my turn to ask a question then?” The princess asked, having obviously recovered from the scientific rampage she went about a few seconds ago. I answered by the affirmative.
“I think it is time to ask about more serious matters now.” She said, as the smile slowly faded from her face, authority slowly appearing within her features. The temperature immediately looked like it had dropped several degrees, and the room that seemed so welcoming before had suddenly taken a much less inviting aspect. The alicorn breathed in, closing her eyes, thinking carefully about her next sentence.
“...Who are you?” The monarch asked, opening her light violet eyes to look back at me, scanning my form critically. I rose my eyebrows upon hearing her.
“Me? Well, My name is Peter--”
“I know who you are. I wish to know what you are.” She added, cutting me as she did so. ‘Well then, how about you ask the right question in the first place next time, huh?’
“You see,” she continued, unaware of my inner discontent. “I have taken the liberty to look inside your...bag, And have found several object in it that worries me.” My eyes widened at the news. ‘Oh god, I knew I shouldn’t have kept the porno sites memorized in my phone’s browser history!’
“The presence of a crossbow in your bag would normally be rather questionable, but the other objects we found inside quickly drew our attention onto them.” The alicorn opened a drawer, and pulled the dreaded phone out of it, before levitating it on the table. She then gestured at some parts of the device.
“The craftsponyship, the design, the attention given to detail.” The princess shook her head. “Not even the best industries of Greiffenheim could produce such an item.” She looked back at me, expecting an answer.
“...erm…” I weighed my options. I could tell her the entire truth. Tell her I came from another world, and that this world actually existed as a show in mine. Or I could invent something. The second was extremely risky. I was in front of a multi-millennia old being, whose knowledge of the world had be as wide as the canterlot Library. I would have to tell a lie that was based on an area that the princess did not know about, which could prove challenging, given that I had no specific knowledge of the current planet i was on.
Anything would be better the first option anyway; she would either think I was delusional and send me to a psychiatric hospital, or believe that I was inventing a story to hide something from her, or worse, that I could be some kind of spy. And I sure as hell didn’t want to know what fate the special guard had in store for people under suspicion of espionage.
“Well…” I stalled for time, letting the peanut that I had for a brain try to come up with something. The fact that the alicorn had not once blinked since she asked the question was also extremely disturbing. I was about to use my right to refuse answering when an idea popped up in my mind, and with it, a smile formed on my lips. I inhaled, and began.
“I used to live inside the nearby forest and--”
“Do you mean the Everfree?” the princess interrupted me. I nodded. “That’s impossible. Nothing can survive inside this forest. Nothing good at least.” The harsh glare once again locked onto me. If I didn’t have the confidence that this story was going to work out, the look she just gave me would have had me begging for mercy.
“Really? Because I’m one hundred percent sure I used to. I also have your two guards as witnesses, as they both saw my house before they found me.” I said, a large smug smile adorning my face. With that sentence, not only did I add proof to my tale, but also had her two guards involved in it. If she wanted to accuse me of lying, she would have to accuse them of the same charge.
That was the magic of merging part of the truth with a lie: the person can never guess at which point you are lying. Mouahahahahahah!
“Very well. However, one could wonder how a being that lived in the Everfree for so long could have had access to such an object.” She said, waving the phone in the air with her magic. “Even with talent, it would be impossible for a single person to gather the materials and the tools necessary to build it.” She pressed on.
‘Fuck!’ I thought in distress, my brain wracking itself--and failing--to find an adequate answer to save myself from the hole I was in right now.
“W-well, this is a magical device used to communicate with other people that my species have developed.” I said, purposely lying about the properties of the object. “I simply bought one before going into the Everfree.” The smile that the princess had been wearing until now was beginning to disappear, a glint of interest shining in her eyes.
“Really? How does it work then?” She said leaning forward, seeing the little piece of technology in a new light.
“Well, if the person you want to call has a similar device, and that you know the number of said device, you can theoretically call the person, no matter how far he or she is.” The white alicorn was on the verge of falling off of her seat.
“Really?! Without the need for and intermediary? Such a thing is marvelous!” She exclaimed, having temporarily forgotten about her suspicions. I saw her opening her mouth, probably to begin with another question. Before she could do anything, I raised my hand.
“If I may, this is the second question you have asked me, and I’ve answered it. I would really like to ask you some too.” I said, reminding the monarch of the obvious, who in turn, blushed slightly before clearing her throat lightly.
“Indeed. Forgive me for this, but you must understand my reasons. To have an unknown creature breaking in the castle with completely foreign devices…” She said, gesturing vaguely at the end with her hoof. “This is not only a breach in security but also a lot of administrative problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible.” I nodded in understanding.
“Well, it’s underst--” I started, before being interrupted by a soft knock on the old door. The princess and I turned towards the disturbance.
“Pardon me, your highness.” A calm female voice asked through the wooden surface. “Your tea is ready. Do you wish for me to bring it now?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The door creaked on its hinges as it opened inwards, letting a yellow-coated maid enter, along with the heavy platter she was carrying. She wore a black cliché maid outfit, with white lace on the legs and back. Thank god they forgot to put on the hat with the rest of the costume. On the platter sat two porcelain cups with blue decorative vine-like etched on the white surface. In the center was a large steaming teapot, with probably enough liquid in it for at least ten people. She then proceeded towards us while maintaining a perfect balance with her back.
The aforementioned mare bowed as her eyes met the princess’, giving me a curt nod before reaching behind her with her surprisingly flexible neck and grabbed the large silver tray with...her mouth...bleh. She then carefully lifted the dish and set it on the table. The princess and I both thanked her, watching the maid back away, head bowed, before turning around and leaving the room.
Silence reigned once again in the spacious room. Taking the initiative, I took the teapot and started pouring in the princess’ teacup, before switching to my own.
“Oh!” I exclaimed as I remembered in painful detail my travel to the sylvan hamlet. “The...Erm...Everfree” I said, faking my difficulty at remembering the name. After all, I was supposed to have only heard the name from ponies’ mouth. The princess nodded.
“Indeed. I heard from the Captain of the guard of Ponyville that you had been found there. Did you use to live here?” She added, once again cheating her way into asking me more questions.
“I did. But that’s not what I wanted to ask you.” I said, drinking a bit of the beverage inside my cup. God that tea tasted amazing. The power liberated from the leaves was not overly sour, but just enough to elicit this slight goosebump at the back of the tongue. Then the aftertaste came in, with its freshness and slight fruity accent that left me craving for more. I looked back at the princess, pointing at the silver service.
“That tea was marvelous! What brand is it?” I asked, still basking in the afterglow of the wonderful liquid. The alicorn smile turned into a mischievous smirk. She leaned forward, resting her head on her right foreleg.
“Should I count that as a question?” Before I had the time to protest, she chucked, daintily waving her hoof at me. “This is a brand from North Saddlearabia. If I remember well, it used to be made by crossing two different plants. I do not know the name though. I’m afraid you will have to ask the kitchen maids for the specifics.” I nodded, more to myself than anything else. I wanted that tea, and I would have it.
“So, onto the real question.” I said, sobering up. The princess nodded to me encouragingly before taking a sip of her beverage, closing her eyes in concentration. “Does necromancy exists in Equestria?” Know that I think about it, I probably should have waited for her to have finished drinking before asking such a question. The princess’ eyes snapped open in surprise, as did her epiglottis--look at me, using fancy words and all--, creating a new path for the hot liquid to take.
Thus, I was now spectating The coughing and hacking of the monarch of equestria. I immediately reacted, going behind the alicorn’s back and patting it, as the princess’ body continued to eject the offending substance from its lungs. When her coughing subsided, I went back to my place, offering an apologetic smile as the princess’ head rose back to look at me.
“Ahem! Thank you. So, to answer your question, yes, it did. Thank the sky no pony practices it anymore.” She said, her eyes suddenly focusing on me with intensity. “May I ask why such an interest in the forbidden arts of magic?”
“It was to get to my second question. Would you happen to know of a village in the Everfree, a day’s walk from Ponyville?” The princess’ eyebrows jumped a hole centimeter up on her brow.
“A village...in the Everfree?” She asked in an incredulous tone. I nodded in confirmation. “No, I do not know of such a place. I know some towns used to be built near the forest to benefit from the numerous rivers that flowed through it. But none of them were built that deep into the forest.”
“Well, a day before meeting with your guards, I happened to walk in this village, hidden in a clearing in the forest. The place was called Sunnytown. All the ponies living in it were standard ponies” I said, deliberately butchering the tribe’s name “and neither of them had markings on their flanks.” At that, the white monarch’s jaw slackened visibly.
“Are you saying none of the ponies in this village had cutiemarks?” I nodded. “But..Were all of them juvenile?” I thought for a second.
“There was one filly, but save for her, all of them looked adult to me.” I looked at the pensive princess. “Why, is it impossible for a pony to get a cutiemark late?”
“Well, it has been known that from time to time, a stallion or a mare would wait longer than other to get his or her mark. It is extremely rare though. And for good reasons. You see, a cutiemark represents what a pony’s true calling is. What they were destined to do. It is both a reminder and a symbol of the magic that permeates this world. In time, every pony gets it, no matter what. Such is the way of our species.”
“So for an entire village to be devoid a such a feature…” She continued. “Something must have prevented them from having them. Maybe some magic running in the Everfree might have caused this…” She added, beginning to listing possibilities.
“Erm...There is actually more to this village.” I, interrupting her train of thoughts. I then proceeded to tell her the rest of the tale. By the time I was done, her face seemed several shades paler than her coat. Though I couldn’t tell whether it was because of the murder or the zombies. Perhaps both.
“A curse.” I snapped back into reality at the sound of her voice. “A curse could have indeed been the cause of their lack of marks.”
“Really? A curse could do that?!” I said in awe. The princess nodded grimly.
“Before Ponies regrouped into a unified society, each tribe had clans that ruled their villages separately by a council. In the case of earth ponies, who had an affinity with nature, the head of the council was generally an elder druid.
“A druid? I thought earth pony had no magic?” I said, feigning ignorance once again.
“That is a common misconception from outsiders, and sadly, from our own ponies. All three tribes have an inherent capacity to interact with magic. Unicorn use their horns as catalysts, to create complex magical constructs and spells. The pegasi use their coat and wings to command the sky and the wind, and the earth ponies used their coats and hooves to attune with the earth and in a broader term, nature. Because most of their knowledge was oral, only a few rites and incantations have managed to survive to our days. Due to this lack of information, the earth ponies are often regarded as the least competent of the three tribes.” She shook her head gravely.
“In those times, where unicorn magic was still young, and the finer spells had not been invented yet, the two strongest tribes were the pegasi and earth ponies. While considered as “passive”, their ability to interact with magic was instinctive, while unicorn magic took years to control, and even longer to master. In those long-past times, earth ponies used their connection to nature not only to make their crops flourish, but also specialised in healing, and sometimes had the capacity to interact and be understood by wild beasts. The latter could also explain why such a village could exist in the middle of the Everfree.” I nodded, too busy absorbing the information to formulate an answer.
“Those who were more proficient than other could go even further in their studies, and after years of practicing and gaining the respect of the village they resided in, they could hope to attain the title of ‘druid’.”
“Those druids were not only good in the three disciplines I talked you about. They excelled in them. Some were so talented that their connection with life itself had deepened, sometimes extending their very lifespan to several decades, at which point they were given the title of elder druids. Those druids had the highest title an earth pony could hope to achieve in his life, and were deeply respected by their clans, and feared by the others.” Seeing my questioning look, she continued.
“You see, their knowledge allowed them to bring prosperity and happiness to their brethren in times of peace. But unfortunately, war forced ponies to adapt, and instead of focusing on their healing abilities, some preferred the use of their connection with life as a weapon.”
“A weapon? How’d that work ?”
“Well, the obvious example was the act of severing the connection of somepony with its lifeforce.” The princess added somberly. Oh… “But there exist tales which states that exceptionally, a small group composed of the most talented druids of the pony tribe would hold council and deliver justice for the highest of crimes. Sentences could vary from death to...Something much worse.” She paused. “As I said, longer lifespan was considered a blessing, but above all, ponies believed in the cycle of Life, and thus, that all things are destined to fade away with time. To be able to live forever was considered an abomination, an act of betrayal to Life itself. Such was the sentence that was applied in the most horrid crimes, at least according to what the rumors told. To let the body rot, and force the soul to stay even after the presumed death of said body. To be forced to live through the ages, in utter loneliness, forsaken by your own clan.” The alicorn said with a frown.
“I guess the curse cast on the...creatures you saw back there was a similar one, albeit slightly modified to bind them to one place. In the light of what I told you, I think you can agree with me that some things are best left forgotten” She said with a sad smile. I nodded, still thinking back at what the princess told me.
“What should we do about it though?” I said, looking towards the balcony. “We can’t take the risk of ponies wandering into that deathtrap again, right?”
The princess’s head inclined to the side as a thoughtful look overtook her features. “You said it took you a full day to reach the outskirts of Ponyville from there?” I simply nodded. “As you know, every single pony is told from the youngest age that the Everfree forest is a place that no one should ever visit, and only braves or fools dare to cross it. The forest is extremely vast too, stretching upon hundreds of hectares in every direction. The chances that a pony would ignore the warnings and venture to the specific place you have talked about are extremely slim.” I was about to object, but a hoof rose before I could voice my opinions.
“I will send a detachment scouting near the place to learn more about the effects, but you must understand that there is probably no way to cleanse the curse that has been cast on the village. Spells like the ones we talked about are generally very complex and their inner workings changes from user to user, which renders any universal decoding useless. Trying to reverse the effects not only on one creature, but a whole village would take decades. And that would be if the curse had just been cast. Considering this one may have been present for more than a century, its power may have sunk even deeper in the soil of the forest, increasing the time needed to purge the place exponentially.” The princess shook her head decisively.
“The best course of action we can take is to erect a barrier around the affected zone to prevent anypony from wandering in this accursed place.” I nodded pensively while sipping onto the divine drink. Some of the sheets covering me slipped over my shoulder, revealing my naked chest. Snapping back to reality, I quickly brought the fabric in its original place, not missing the alicorn’s eyes locking up on the previously bare area.
“Is something wrong princess?” I asked with a barely contained chuckle. I wanted to take the ‘stop staring at my boobs’ route so bad right now. Sadly, the joke would be lost on these exhibitionists.
“Hm?” The monarch’s gaze finally refocusing onto my head, registering my question. “Yes. I did want to ask you this when I saw you back in the infirmary.” She said, gesturing at my big manly and definitely extremely muscular torso. “I was...curious about your injury. Is it not too personal to ask how such a thing happened?” She asked carefully.
“I would be glad to tell you if I remembered how it happened.” I genuinely said, reminiscing the events that led to the wound. “You see, not a week ago, I was in my home, when there was some kind...Of earthquake around my house.” I continued, trying my best to replace the part I didn’t want the princess to know. “Something must have hit my head, since the last thing I recall is me waking up with a mess to clean up. I guess I must have had spilled some scalding liquid on me in the fall.” I said shrugging.
“One last question...” The alicorn started, resuming her regal stance. “What is it you have come to seek in this castle? Surely you have not traveled all the way from the forest to here for the sole purpose of Sightseeing?” She said, looking intently at me. I gulped. Now was the time to wrap everything up.
“I’ve wanted to come here for a long time, but have only mustered the will recently. I want to look for information about the world. My people lived in seclusion for as long as I can remember. Our conception of the world is limited and false in the light of what I’ve seen these past days. I’d like to change that.” I said in earnest. When I thought back about it, I was only half lying: I did want answers and information about this world.
The princess did not answer at first. Looking to the side, she seemed to mull over the information I had given her, as if pondering its aftertaste. After a few seconds, she turned back with a smile.
“It seems you have been through a lot in the little time you have been in our nation.” She said apologetically. “What you have been through. What…”She paused, turning towards me with a remorseful look. “What I have put you through...I want to make amends. For all of it. As I said before, I have a room ready for you to move in should you take my offer. Food and clothes will be provided by the crown, and An allocation of bits will be given to you, should you need anything.” The princess stated.
I stood there,trying to rationalize my thoughts. On one hand, my salt levels towards the princess were over 9000, and nothing would have pleased me more than to refuse her offer. I however, had no place to stay, and nothing on me to survive more than a day. That, and I could use the proximity to the royal library in order to seek the informations I wanted. I Looked back at the princess. I couldn’t forget what she did to me, but at least she explained her reasons and was trying her hardest to make it up to me. I nodded at the equine in front of me.
“I’d like to take you up on that offer. But with one condition: I refuse to be a freeloader in you castle. I have a very particular set of skills. Skills I can probably use to help around the castle. That way, you won’t have allocate me anything. You’ll just pay me as any other worker here.” The princess seemed taken aback by my answer. Her surprise turned into a pleasant smile, as a chuckle escaped her lips.
“I must say.” She started. “Most ponies would have just taken the opportunity to be, as you said, “freeloading” and I wouldn’t have blamed them. Very well. I shall have you participate in a test that will evaluate your skills and then chose which post corresponds better to your abilities.” She said as she stood up. “In the meantime, I will try to set up your accommodations and your escort as soon as possible.”
“What? An escort? You don’t mean-”
“That I will have two guards assigned to you? Yes, I will.” Seeing my suspicious frown, she sighed before continuing. “You are a creature nopony as seen before, from a race nopony has heard of before. At best, you will be swarmed by overzealous journalists, at worse…” She sighed. “We need you to be protected against both of these threats, or at least, to give you enough time to flee your assailant.”
The alicorn walked towards her balcony, apparently deep in thought. “Now what is left is to choose who will accompany you…” She said, more to herself than to me. That’s when the idea struck me.
“Princess, do you know what happened to Nightshade and Highwind?” I asked as I rose from my seat.
The princess’ ears twitched, before she turned her whole body towards me, allowing me to see her mischievous smile.
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
The armory of canterlot castle was a small efficiently built square building, attached to the barrack for practicality. The white stones that made its facade were reinforced with tempered steel and a foot thick layer of mortar and bricks for added resilience against impacts, while small murder-holes in the construction allowed for anypony inside the armory to be able to see and defend against the potential attackers. Inside the armory were hundreds of armors, of varying sizes and weight, destined for the royal guards to wear. Those were mostly built for speed and adaptability, rather than the heavy ones of the knights.
Most of them were dented, greasy from use and in need of a good polishing. Thankfully, two ponies had dedicated themselves to restore them to their prior glory, begrudgingly grinding different tools against their metal surface to smoothen the imperfections.
“Come on!” The pink-eyed thestral groaned as she finished yet another armor. “That’s like the hundredth one we did today! At least I’m done with my pile...” She said with a sigh.
“Well, What did you expect. A pat on the back for disobeying orders?” Her blue pegasus companion asked. “By the way, there’s another pile over there.” She gestured with her hoof to the pony’s right. A loud “tunk” was heard as the thestral let her head fall onto the metal surface of the clean armor.
A knock on the door to the armory snapped both grumpy ponies back to their current situation. The grey-coated equine jumped under the desk.
“NO! Not another shipment of bracers! We’re dead! Dead!” She screamed, throwing her forelegs to the side to emphasize the obvious gravity of the situation. Her friend rolled her eyes as she moved to open the door.
“What is it?”She said to the messenger at the entrance.
“Sergeants Highwind?” He said in a neutral tone. The concerned officer nodded. “And…”The pony looked over her inside the room. “Where is sergeant Nightshade?” A meek 'eep' resonated from under a wooden desk.
“She’s here.” Highwind answered for her apparently mute friend. The messenger nodded.
“Your assignment has changed. Here is the letter explaining the circumstances of your new affectation.” He handed them a rolled letter before curtly nodding and walking away. The pegasus immediately proceeded to look at the piece of paper, reading line after line. After a minute, her thestral partner rose from under the desk.
“What is it?” She asked apprehensively. Highwind turned to face her, a bright smile adorning features.
“You may wanna read this.” She said simply, giving her friend the letter.
“The letter has been sent your highness.” and armored guard said, bowing to the princess before closing the door.
“This took less time than I expected. Good!” The white monarch said, clapping her forelegs together. “That leaves me more time to plan for your stay here.” She said, walking to her desk, bringing parchments and uncorking her inkpot.” When I was about to leave, she looked up at me, smiling. “I expect you to be up tomorrow by ten. If not, I will have the guards wake you up themselves!”
“I’d better setup my alarm then.” I added. I walked back towards the door, before turning back to look at the alicorn, already busy with her quill scratching the paper. “Princess?” That caught her attention, her eyes setting on me.
“Yes Peter?”
“Why have you attacked me? Back in the library.” I said in a grave tone. The princess’ eyes, looked at me in surprise, before instantly looking away.
“I...I would rather not answer that question as of now.” She said, slightly lowering her head. My frown deepened.
“I guess I should have asked this question before. That would have given me one free answer.” I said with a dark chuckle before turning away. As I was about to reach for the handle, I paused.
“I haven’t forgiven you... But at least, you try to make up for it. Thanks, I guess.” A small smile adorned her features as she shook her head.
“Do not. It is the least I can do. Oh, and by the way. Please call me Celestia.” I paused for a second.
“I...I will try princ-erm...Celestia.” ‘that will take some time to get used to’ I thought, shaking my head. She nodded appreciatively. I stepped out of the room and closed the door, releasing a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Hundreds of emotions were swirling back and forth, a headache beginning to grow as I massaged my brow, grimacing. I needed to focus. Wallowing in self-pity was the opposite of what I needed right now.
I was about to ask one of the guards on the sides of the door for direction when I heard a heavy clanking echoing down the corridor. Looking in the direction of the noise, I spotted a white disheveled mess of a pony walking towards me.
When he was at a respectable distance, the equine gave a small jolt of his head to part the mane from his face, revealing a scarred brow and muzzle. His light brown coat heavily contrasted with the dark armor he was wearing. As soon as the guards noticed his presence, they bowed respectfully.
“At ease” he said gently, before directing his gaze onto me. “Greetings. My name is Blackheart, High-commander of the knights of Equestria.” He extended a foreleg. “A pleasure to meet you!” He added enthusiastically.
“Erm...A pleasure to meet you too sir.” I said, shaking his hoof. “My name is Peter. Peter Belgarde.”
“Well, I have to say: You are much taller than I thought ! Anyway. Come! I’m here to show you your quarters.” He said before turning in a nearby hallway. I followed him as we walked through more and more halls and colonnades.
“Wait. How come someone with such a high rank has to escort me to my room?” the pony in front of me stopped, before turning to look at me with an eyebrow raised.
“I never had to do anything. I volunteered to do this!” He said, a large smile on his face. “A new creature from an unknown species arrive at Canterlot! I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to meet the new guy for anything in the world!”
Needles to say, the ambiance was much lighter on the way back.
Back in the lavishly decorated room, the alicorn sighed.
“Chrome.” She said to the apparently empty room. Soon after, the light shining on the wall next to her shimmered slightly, before a shape of a pony materialized in its stead. Finally, a full grown mare was in front of her. A greyish coat and a grey mane and tail composed this unicolored equine.
Before the mare could speak though, she cast a spell that encased the entire room in a golden aura. Nodding to herself, She motioned to her agent.
“What does the truth spell indicates?” The princess asked simply. Concentrating, The grey mare’s horn flashed a succession of bright white and smaller intensity of lights. After a full minute, she opened her eyes.
“He lied on his origins and the reason he was here for.”
“What about the forest and the village?”
“He says the truth. But then again, the spell only indicates if the target lies. He might have dreamt the encounter, and my spell wouldn’t tell the difference.”
“...And about the mark?”
“He obviously lied about the circumstances, but was truthful when he answered about its nature.” The princess stayed silent for a few seconds, before turning to her agent.
“I want you to continue to monitor him.” There was a pause, before the unicolor pony answered.
“Do you fear he might be with them?”
“No. He obviously is unaware of it.” Another pause.
“Do you fear he might become a problem?”
“...I hope he doesn’t. For his own good.” The princess answered gravely.
“...Very well. I will go.” The mare said. Light once again distorted around her from, before completely disappearing, leaving the alicorn to her thoughts.
“Well, here we are! Your very own room for you to stay in.” the middle-aged stallion said as we arrived in front of a specific door.
“Thank you sir.”
“Think nothing of it! I hope to see you around soon!” He said as he walked away. I waved him goodbye, before turning to my room and opening the door. It creaked as It moved on its hinges, revealing a the suite inside. And my god! Calling it a suite would be an understatement. The first part of the room was a large living room of at least ten meters by twenty! Two large windows covered the near-entirety of the front wall, allowing one to gaze at the whole town below, and the high mountains in the distance.
On the side was a large rectangular table with a total of eight renaissance-styled chairs around it. The table itself had a stone center, with different arms etched on it. Various plants adorned the sides of the room, while a golden minotaur-sized mirror was in the corner of the right wall.
A crystal chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, radiating its warm candle-like light onto the room below it.
The other room was composed mainly of the mother of all beds, another large window with a balcony this time. Two engraved small tables were on either sides of the bed, with one lamp on each.
I walked up to the balcony and opened up the window, allowing the cooling evening air to roll in. I stepped outside and put my arms on the railing, admiring the beauty of the view with a sigh.
“I think I’ll be alright here.”
He watched as the human entered his room, a satisfied smirk on his beak. He ought to give this minotaur a raise. After all, he directed him where he wanted him to be.
“So You have sent him to us, my lord…” He whispered to himself as he walked away.
“Your apostle.”