“I have to send a letter.” Celestia got up and moved over to the table and levitated a sheet of parchment over to herself.
I slowly stopped my shaking, which until now I hadn't noticed and walked sheepishly over near Celestia, "Who are you writing to?"
She turned her head to look at me, "My student, Twilight. If anyone can work this out it's her... at least I hope so." She turned back to the letter and scribbled down some words in their strange symbols.
As I watched her write, a thought popped into my head. "Hey, why were there armed guards outside the room? Hell, why am I even here in your room!?" I spoke up, nearly shouting. Even though she looked sweet, I still didn't know her motivations.
Celestia sighs and turns around, "I was on my way to day court when I found you, obviously the doctors didn't know anything about your physiology meaning they couldn't help you and you are strangely resistant to healing magic. Only I could provide the required amount to properly heal you." She looked into my eyes, "My sister is predisposed with matters elsewhere, and with my schedule, the only way to heal you is to house you here." She turns around and finishes the letter, "The guards were there if you turned out to be a wild animal, or dangerous. Nopony here will hurt you while you are here, that I promise you."
I step back and sit back on the bed, "Why were my clothes taken?"
"They were removed because you recieved many injuries, no doubt from when you arrived. Mostly cuts and grazes though some were deep."
"I see..."
Celestia looks me over with a look of sympathy, "There are worse places to wake up than Canterlot, I assure you."
"I don't doubt it...." I reply. "Is it alright if I sleep for awhile, I'm kind of tired."
"Of course," Celestia summons some bed sheets out of thin air and I get up off the bed as she lays them out.
"Thank you." I say getting into bed.
"It's no trouble, I will give you your own room tomorrow and help you get back to your own world." She replied smiling.
-----
I awoke and looked about. I was unfortunately still in the princess's room. I got up out of bed and wandered over to the window and looked out.
It was a spectacular view of Canterlot, the sun was just about to rise past the horizon meaning that it was dark enough for the house lights of the city to be on, giving the city a luminescent glow.
I was impressed. Ponies did this, without hands as well. I turned around and made my way over to the bed again, I sat down on the edge thinking.
Would it be so wrong to see what this place had to offer? Sure I had a life and everything, but this place could be what I need, a fresh start...
I thought of James, what if I find him and he doesn't want to stay... It's not like I can force him, he'd have to go back without me. "Well, not like I can do anything in the middle of the night, I don't even know where he is..."
That's when I noticed Celestia laying on a couch next to the other side of the bed. She must have brought it in while I was sleeping. Feeling bad, I walk over to the other side and place some covers over her, to keep her warm.
All I know is that the Princess of this country is nice and I can stay a few days here to check things out.
I went to my side of the bed and got in. I laid down and closed my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.
I was rudely awoken by a ray of light illuminating my eyelid with pinpoint precision. I stirred and opened my eyes rubbing them with my hands to wake me up faster.
"I see you're finally awake." Celestia said, sitting at her desk. She was writing on some parchment. "Thank you for the blanket last night."
"Don't mention it, it's the least I could do for the person that saved my life."
Celestia kept writing on her paper and without looking back asked, "How are you feeling by the way, you didn't look too good yesterday."
"No... I thought it would take some time to process, but I did some thinking. I think this might do me some good."
Celestia turns around, an eyebrow raised, "Care to explain?"
"Well, I had a good life before. Well, I technically still do, but it isn't what you'd call exciting." Celestia nods, "The most exciting thing is when I'd get off work early. This might be what I'm looking for."
"Okay..."
"What I'm trying to say is, can you let me stay for a couple of days. I promise I won't be any trouble."
Celestia thought this over for a bit, before coming to the answer, "Alright, if you're sure."
"I am," I quickly reply, "thank you."
Celestia smiled, her horn lighting up and lighting up a message in flames.
"What was that!?" I shout.
"I just sent a message to my student, she's very excited about meeting you. In fact she's bringing her friends along as well, for they are inseparable."
"Twilight... Right?" I ask, not sure if I remembered correctly.
"Yes, she's extremely talented at magic, my personal protege in fact." Celestia seemed extremely proud of that, almost puffing her chest out while mentioning her.
"When will she arrive?" I asked.
"Sometime tomorrow morning, the trains to and from Ponyville are far and few." She says, thinking about it, "Should be enough time to get you some clothes and acquainted with the castle."
Celestia smiles and takes a look over me, "Hmm, might be hard for the designers to get it right first time, though Rarity could help after..." She closes her eyes and breaths deeply, "Alright, let's get some food; I'm famished."
I blink at her and shake my head, "Alright," I reply, throwing the covers off and stepping on the cold marble, shivering at the sensation, "where to?"
"The dining room," she says, getting up and trotting towards the door, "Don't worry about the guards, I've told them you are my personal guest."
"Ok."
I looked at Celestia, her mouth creased ever so slightly in a smile that, if you glanced, wouldn't be able to see, "What are you thinking about?" I say.
"Just what my sister would say looking at you. She would probably say how cute your claws are."
"That brings up another thing I want to ask about. How come we can understand each other, but I can't understand the other ponies, or read any words?"
"I'm not entirely sure, to me you're talking in old equestrian. It was made thousands of years ago and slowly fell out of use, merging with other languages before finally turning into what everypony else speaks.”
We started our journey towards the dining room, receiving suspicious glances every so often from guards and others as we passed them in the halls.
I stopped at some windows and stared out. What I saw was a view that took my breath away, a multitude of colors ranging from the deepest reds to the brightest yellows were streaking across the sky, lighting up a valley beneath us.
"Woah," I say, almost speechless by what I saw.
"Like it?" Celestia asks, grinning.
"Of course, it's beautiful." I respond, taking in the full majesty of it.
"Thank you, I designed it." Celestia remarked, making me look away from the aurora and towards her.
"Wait what?"
"Yeah, took me a couple of hours, but I finally got the colors right. I'm glad you like it."
"You... Designed it..." I said, my mind creaking along, refusing to belief it.
"Yes, do you not have them in your world?"
"We do, but they just happen in specific parts of the world. They are not created." I rub my temples, "How would you even do that?"
"Using magic." She says.
I sigh in defeat, not willing to increase my headache, I decide to continue on our way to the dining room, "Shall we continue?" I ask.
"Yes, let's."
We continue for a while more until Celestia stops in front of a pair of doors. "Here we are," She says, "the dining room."
Her horn and the door glow golden and the door opens revealing a grand room, befitting royalty.
"Incredible," I say, alerting a couple of the ponies already in the room to our presence.
Celestia giggled a little at my reaction, "Please sit at the table." She crosses the floor to the chair at the head of the table and sits down. Not sure where to sit, I take the seat next to her. Much to the disapproving stares of the other ponies.
"What's with them?" I ask.
"Oh nothing, they are just annoyed that you are sitting next to me and they aren't."
"Oh," I reply.
Celestia turns to me and asks, "Tell me about your home, what's it like?"
I'm a little taken back by this, "What would you like to know?"
"I want to know about you."
"Me? You could ask about anything and everything, why me?"
"Because you're here and I want to make sure you can be trusted," She replies.
I sigh, "I'm a twenty year old average guy, I spend my time playing video games an-"
"What are video games?" Celestia rudely interrupts.
"They are like... Moving pictures that you can interact with." I explain.
"I see..."
She didn't.
"Anyway, can you look for my friend, I don't doubt that he was brought here too; though I don't know where..." I ask.
"Of course, I'll have my best ponies out looking for him, and brought here, it must be tough to lose him?" She replies.
I shrug, "I guess, it's not like I can do anything here, I don't even know the places, let along how to get to them to start looking. But if I know James, he'll be fine."
"If your sure..." She says before turning her head and nodding to some waiter ponies. They walk over and place some trays in front of us. They take the lids off revealing some surprisingly normal bowls of oatmeal.
"Oatmeal?" I say, surprised.
"Yeah, what we're you expecting? Hay?" She giggles.
I smile and dig into the breakfast, my stomach thanks me.
I sit back after finishing the oatmeal and sigh. Celestia looks up but scrunches her nose, "I think it's time you got acquainted with the royal bathhouse." I look over before smelling myself, giving a small nod before getting up; receiving some more dirty looks.
I roll my eyes at the childish behavior and follow the princess. I catch a glimpse of the tattoo she has on her flank, "What's up with the tattoos?" I ask.
"The what?" She replies, looking back at me.
I point to her flank. She laughs, "You mean my cutie mark, it denotes what I'm good at, or my special talent. Mine's raising the sun." she explains.
"Ah I get it."
I didn't.
We arrive at the bathhouse and enter, the pony at the desk looks up to see us and jumps off her chair and bows. She starts speaking in "New" equestrian to the princess, meaning I just stand there awkwardly until they finish.
Celestia turns to me and says, "She wants to know what you want?"
"Just a normal bath please." I reply, "nothing too fancy."
She nods and translates. The pony seems slightly disappointed for some reason and trots away. Soon the sound of running water could be heard and the mare comes back out, slightly soapy. She says a couple of things and the princess turns to me again.
"It's ready, please hurry up." she asks.
I nod and walk into the room. Fancy toiletries are lined up in rows on a shelf on the left, just below eye level. A couple of them show a mare scrubbing her mane, and others are just generic bottles, but no doubt still expensive. “Some things are universal I guess...”
I look around the room. The floor’s tiled in dark, almost obsidian looking stone. It has small specks of silver running all along the floor making it seem like the stars themselves. Along the walls hung various towels and robes. “Why would ponies need robes?” I ask myself, confused.
I walk over to the bath that’s on the far side of the room and take off my makeshift toga and putting it on a spare hook. I place one leg in, checking it’s not too hot before submerging the rest of my body. Almost instantly I could feel myself relax.
I come out of the room washed and clean, wearing my makeshift toga again. “All done.” I say, smiling.
Celestia’s patiently waiting on a couch just off to the side of the door, “Good, let’s go and get you some clothes, you can’t wear that all the time.”
“Okay.” I reply, following behind. I turn my head to the receptionist pony and smile, giving a small wave. She stares at me and lifts a hoof, waving back,
“You know, this toga is quite comfortable once you get used to it.” I say, walking faster to keep up with Celestia.
“I’m sure. While you were in the bath I sent some guards to search the outlying villages.” Celestia slows slightly to help me keep pace, “Hopefully they will find something about your friend.”
“His name’s James by the way.” I reply.
We continue walking for a while until we arrive at the castle gates. “Here we must part,” Celestia says, looking over my shoulder. “I’m not sending you out alone, you will be escorted by one of my close personal guard. His name is Iron Shield.” She looks over my shoulder again, this time she smiles and nods. “Here he is. Alex, meet Iron Shield.”
I turn around and see a guard trotting towards us. He looked exactly like any other guard around the castle, even the face.
“Um Princess, how do you tell them apart? They all look the same.” I say, turning back.
Celestia giggles and walks to meet him halfway, “The armor is enchanted. My sisters guard have their own enchantments on theirs.” He bows in front of her and she speaks to him in Equestrian. He gets up and walks over to me. He takes a look over me, turns to the Princess and salutes.
“Don’t worry, he will make sure nothing happens to you while you are out there. He has his orders to take you to the tailor and nowhere else.”
“Sounds good,” I reply to Celestia. I turn to Iron Shield, “Shall we?” He looks up to me and tilts his head, before turning to the Princess, saying something in Equestrian.
She listens to him for a second before replying. Then she turns to me, raises an eyebrow and says, “I think you guys will have lots to talk about on your way there.” Celestia turns and trots off without another word, leaving me there with Iron Shield.
He turns and starts to walk towards the gate, gaining salutes from the guards in front of it. He says a few words and they open the gate for him. He gives a salute and carries on out of the castle grounds. I run after him, easily catching up.
“Hey, don’t just walk off like that...” I say, not getting a response, “oh, this is going to be a real fun time.”