[Author's Notes: A bit more back-story... sorry that I've not been making any 'plot advances', but my mind is beginning to die on me. Curse you writer's block! *Dramatically points in the air* I'LL GET YOU YET!
*Ahem*
This chapter also will set up the story to enable me to do some crossovers, but please get my permission before you go off and use Storm.]
Enjoy!
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The group said their goodbyes, and Celestia walked me towards my room. Luna went to attend court duties for awhile, and whatever previous hostility she had before seemed to have evaporated. The others apparently wanted to stay in Canterlot to get to know me further, and also to put their vacation time to use. The solemn sound of my boots and Celestia's hoofs were the only constant sound that was emitted through the corridor.
"I've been curious about this Cel," She looked over at me slightly annoyed... I think she doesn't like my pet name for her. "Why are you and your sister called 'princesses' if you are the rulers? Wouldn't you be classified as 'queens'?"
"That is an interesting story actually..." She began. "When Equestrian government went into full swing around six million years ago, the laws stated that there could only be one king, and one queen. Those would be my parents."
"Where are they?" I asked curiously. She gave a slight sigh before speaking.
"I'm... not sure. About a thousand years after me and Luna's birth, they both vanished without a trace." She looked down rather dejectedly. "Since me and my sister were their only offspring, we were put into power."
"Do you know why they left?"
Celestia shook her head. "They only left me and my sister a note on what to do... Since that law's passing, neither me or my sister has taken the title of 'Queen', out of hope that our mother will return."
"And your father?"
"..."
"If you don't wish to talk about it, then say so."
"No no, it's not that." Celestia quickly interjected. She looked down at the ground for the moment, deep in thought. "I... think he's still here in Equestria."
"How do you know that?" I asked with a curious brow.
"My father had the ability to control the power of Life. If he was dead, or left Equestria, then most likely nothing could live or be alive currently."
"What did your mother wield?"
"The essence of Time. While she couldn't go back in time or anything like that, she had an uncanny ability to look into the future at will. Which also leads me to believe she too is still in Equestria."
"That...doesn't make much sense to be honest."
She gave a short shrug. "If either of them left, then due to their natural affinity to their respective elements, then Time should not be able to pass here, and Life should not be able to flourish here either.
"Wait a second." I intervened, taking the new info in and thinking heavily about it. "If what you say is true, then why is it that they haven't revealed themselves, or why they even left in the first place?"
Celestia let out a short puff of hot air. "I'm not sure, their note didn't say where they would be going, only that the fate of Equestria rested in me and Luna's hoofs."
"Interesting..." She stayed silent after that, so I took the liberty of thinking things over.
'It seems that her parents are like Mother Earth and Father Time, just switched. They vanished about a millenia after her birth, leaving only a note as to tell them their to rule...'
"I think that sums it up in a nutshell."
'Quite... Perhaps I should look into it?'
"Maybe until you're more acquainted with these equines before you start digging through their history."
'Good point.'
"So Storm..." Celestia talking brought me back to the present. "You said that you can't leave Equestria right?"
I nodded. "There appears to be some degree of interference with me trying to leave, so I guess I'm stranded for awhile."
"Speaking of which, how did you get to Equestria?" Celestia asked, seemingly eager to know the extent of my abilities.
"Magic." I proceeded this with two snorts and a hearty laugh. When she gave me a blank look, I instantly regained my usual stoic mask. "It's a human joke... As for how I arrived here, well that's another story for another time."
She simply nodded at this before grinding to a halt. "Here's your room, if you need anything, there's a service bell inside."
I turned towards her and gave a very curt bow. "You have my thanks. I'd appreciate no interruptions for the next..." I casually looked out the window to see it was slowly nearly dusk.
A quick glance at my HUD clock confirmed the time. '6:15 P.M.'
"Sixteen hours." She simply nodded at this and casually opened the door with her magic. I waltzed in and gave a slightly impressed sigh.
The interior was a smooth, creamy white marble. There was four pillars, one in each corner of the room. I noticed a elegant mahogany desk on one side of a wall, slightly covered with parchment, ink wells, and a few quills. The rug was made out of some degree of fabric, maybe cotton, I wasn't entirely sure. There was two doors leading out of the room, one towards the bathroom, and the others towards a decent-sized walk-in closet.
The four-poster bed looked quite appealing to me, with its silky texture, and its dark midnight blue tint. I turned on my heels and gave a thankful nod towards Celestia. "I appreciate the beautiful accommodations. I'll be taking my leave... oh and by the way..." She looked up at me curiously. "You're on the right track towards re-earning my trust."
She flashed me a grateful smile and began to speak before I cut her off. "But you're still far off from having it, and I swear that if you give me a reason, I'll make sure you stay dead this time... Understood?" She gave a curt nod before walking out the door, her horn glowing a slight golden hue. This caused the front door to calmly shut, before the distinct sound of a lock was heard being clicked.
I simply chuckled at this before I waltzed over towards the bathroom.
'Time for me take a damn shower.'
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"Damn it... they really don't have showers."
Sure enough, upon entering the bathroom, I was greeted with everything I needed. Soaps, shampoos, bubble bath...
Everything... except for a damn shower.
I went ahead and took a bath anyways, using some interesting smelling shampoo. I think it might have been lilacs... I never was much of a 'plant' expert. After that, I went through the cabinets before I found what I was looking for:
A spare toothbrush and a fresh tube of toothpaste.
Equestrian toothpaste tasted alot weirder... perhaps that's because this seems to be 'hay' flavored. It's actually not that bad... reminds me of eating alot of wheat or something like that. I exited the bathroom and preceded to let my form collapse onto my bed.
"And ladies and gentleman, he is down for the count!"
'Can it. Too tired for your shenanigans.'
"I think you'll wake up when I tell you some interesting news."
'...I'm listening.'
"We're not as tightly trapped here as we originally thought."
My head shot up from this. 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'
"First off, HA! Second, I found a loophole in the dimensional interference we seem to have."
'How so?'
"While we can't leave Equestria, we can still go into other realities of Equestria."
'...Ed you're a freaking genius! But how exactly does that help us?'
"We might be able to find someone in another reality that can get us out of Equestria. Once we do that, we will be out of the range of the disturbance."
'So basically we're still stuck in Equestria, but just not limited to this Equestria?'
"Exactly."
'... Sixteen million years and this still confuses me to no end.'
"I'm sure in another sixteen million years, it won't be as difficult."
'I hope so.'
I noticed a small bookshelf filled with the occasional peice of literature. Walking over to it, I began mindlessly scanning through the titles.
'101 Ways to Prank Ponies using Grapefruit.' "...I don't even want to know."
'How to Properly NOT Mess Up Spells.' "Perhaps I should send that to Twilight just to mess with her."
'Ancient Myths and Legends' "Might as well take a crack at this one."
Pulling out the slightly dusty tome, I walked over and plopped down in the chair next to the desk. Idly I flipped through the pages, not really giving much interest in most of them. However one specifically caught my eye...
"I wonder who that is..."
'This being was an alicorn, supposedly alive during the Great Griffon War (See page 670) back towards Equestria's Founding (See page 397). He supposedly had strange abilities involving nature, altering wildlife and plants to his will. Supposedly he led 10,972 attacks against the Griffin kingdom during his lifetime of two million years.
After his final battle, he vanished mysteriously, leaving zero traces of his whereabouts. The Royal Family has yet to confirm or deny this information as fact, nor if this alicorn even existed. He was estimated to be at least five times larger than the average pony.'
I mulled over what I just read... 'Could this be about Celestia's father? No... it couldn't be... he didn't dissapear until much later according to Celestia. Whoever this is, he has a degree of respect in my book... military wise at least.'
Placing the tome back in its appropriate slot, I slowly dug my way into the covers of my bed. However, sleep wasn't coming to me as easily as I was hoping. I simply stared at the ceiling, absently detailing every little bead that happen to jut out slightly. I was quite impressed with the architecture to be honest... but perhaps if they made it out of some... sturdier material, then it would be so much better.
I began pondering the possible alternate dimensions. 'I wonder if other humans have somehow stumbled into Equestria... Hopefully I won't be stranded in Equestria forever... while it is decent, and there's a distinct lack of things trying to kill me (Currently at least.), the colors make me want to vomit a rainbow.'
I began to look over the room again and spotted something I didn't see before; a window that divided the room from an adjoined balcony. Further inspection proved that the window was in fact a glass-door. Since I wasn't going to get any sleep, I decided roll out of bed and get some fresh air.
The view was nice, to say the least. Apparently I'm being housed in a tower, judging by the large possibility of me becoming a gooey mess if I tripped over the railing. I could see the occasional noble milling about Canterlot, most of them walking to their homes for the night. I could see the faint dot known as Ponyville in the distance, and suddenly it hit me:
'If I become a king...that means I have to stay here in Canterlot.'
"Yeah so?"
'I hate staying in heavily populated areas for long.'
"Not true! You spent three-hundred years in Italy because you wanted to learn how they made pizza."
'...Touche. At least I know how to make one mean Hawaiian.'
"True."
It was around 8 P.M. now, and a simple serenity was in the air as I pondered what to do. Deciding that I should prepare myself for whatever they have in store for me tommorow, I went back to my bed to get some sleep.
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There was blood. So much blood.
I was running now, desperately trying to avoid those that chased me. Bullets and explosives whizzed past me as I ran through the thick foliage of the tundra. I quickly sought refuge behind a large dead oak tree to plan my next course of action. There was hundreds of them, all of them with the sole purpose to kill me.
I won't give in without a fight. I thought as I slumped down next to the tree. My clothes were tinted with grey and white, perfect camouflage here in this terrain. I could hear shouts in the distance, steadily diminishing with each passing moment. I sighed, idly watching the puff of steam escape my lips.
I stayed there for another moment or two before deciding to get moving again-
THWACK!
A slightly vibrating blade stuck off a inch away from my neck. I turned my head to see one of them charging at me, blades drawn and ready to rip me apart. I reacted instantly, pulling out a smoke bomb and throwing in to my feet. Taking the chance, I began to run once again.
'They must not catch me. What I have is more important than they could possibly imagine.'
I hear shouts coming from my would-be murderer, followed by the yells of the rest of their hunting party. I willed myself to keep running, to escape the fate that seemed to be my end. Bullets began to whiz by me once more, one puncturing my thigh.
I collapsed, the searing pain keeping me from standing. I heard the voices get closer and closer, their mocking tones gradually surrounding me. Arrogant cheers were sounded off by the other members of the party, while I heard something approach me from behind. There was a brief silence before I felt the barrel of a pistol being shoved against the back of my head.
I couldn't fight it now. I was too exhausted, too unorganized. I brought damnation to them, and they knew it. I had been here in this realm for who-knows-how-long... All I know is that I'll be welcoming the calm and warm embrace of Death. All of a sudden the pistol was brought back slightly, and a monotone voice began to speak.
"Where is it?"
I gave an irritated growl. "Somewhere you won't wish to be reaching for."
"Why did you steal it? You know the importance-"
"I do! You have no idea what it is capable of! You are blind, and arrogant."
"ENOUGH!" I felt the barrel slam back into its original position.
"You brought this unto yourself, scum."
BOOM!
There was an explosion, and my murderer yelled in annoyance. The barrel was lowered and the other hunters were looking around for the disturbance. There was a shockwave-like affect that washed over me, and I dared to look up and see what had happened.
So much blood.
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I shot up, cold sweat covering my body. I was slightly shaking and my breathing was strained. I rubbed my temples with my hands, trying to make sense of the dream.
'Too many fucking memories...'
I pulled myself up and walked into the bathroom, reliving myself before trying to check my condition in the mirror. Upon examination however, I reeled back in shock.
"I look like shit..." I muttered aloud, walking over towards the bed again. I quickly glanced at my HUD's clock.
'8:15 P.M.'
Wat.
I gave a loud groan as I tried to recall the dream again. Something felt off about it though... like I didn't recall that happening before. Perhaps it was a vision of the future? It was possible, and it had happened on several occasions. I couldn't recall what the figures looked like, or the voice of what would have been my executioner.
Tired and irritated, I decided to see if I could get some dinner.
"Now where is that bell that Cel mentioned... Aha!" I waltzed over towards a small nightstand that housed only a simple golden bell with a wooden handle. I picked it up and gave it a short flick of my wrist, eliciting a nice ring. A sharp knock forced my attention to the front door. Walking towards it, I attempted to open the door.
'Right Cel locked it... Wait then why are they knocking?'
I shrugged and dug into my pocket before pulling out some basic lockpicking tools. I went to work onto the lock and began to jimmy it until it-
*click*
I opened the door to see the same servant as before back at the throne room with his hoof raised, most likely to reattempt to knock. He cleared his throat and began to speak in his posh French accent.
"What can I get for you monsieur?"
I slightly poked my head out and looked to the left, then the right. I looked back and addressed him.
"Um... how long have you been standing there?"
"Around the time you went in."
"... Please don't tell me you were going to stand there the entire time."
"I was given a specific order to be here at all times to assist you." The servant replied, slight agitation in his voice. "Now is there anything I can get you?"
I gave a slight sadistic smile, instilling a small amount of fear into him. "Je suppose que certains soupe de légumes est trop demander?"
He gave me a blank stare, shock evident on his face. "H-how do you k-know Prench!?"
I gave him a quizzical look. "Prench?... Oh I get it." I gave a small chuckle and waved him off before I began to close the door.
"Wait monsieur." He said, propping his hoof inbetween the door and the frame. "I can't exactly speak Prench... so what is it that you asked for?" He gave a sheepish smile before looking towards the ground.
I gave a smile at his shyness. "Some vegetable soup."
Realization dawned on his face as he gave a curt nod and began to walk away.
"Oh! By the way, you may take the rest of the night off."
The servant turned on his hoofs at this. "I can't monsieur, Royal orders."
I straightened up and gave him a deadpanned look. "And considering how I'm suppose to become a 'ruler' in a few days, I'm ordering you to take the rest of the night off after you get me some dinner."
He just stared at me before flashing me a grateful smile and strolling off towards what I'd assume is the direction of the kitchen. I walked back into my room and closed the door, before getting myself comfortable on the rug in the room. Sitting with my legs criss-crossed, I closed my eyes and let my meditation kick in.
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[Author's Notes: Okay, so there's a few plot devices in here, but still not all that huge to be honest.
'Terran' was a remade version of the character 'Terra', suggested by BubbleBRRY.
Most likely the next thing I'll post is the first part of my first crossover with the currently incognito author. Remember to ask me first before you use Storm or whatever.]
Dumbgamer Out!
