Finding My Place

by Firestar463

Chapter 21

I don’t remember exactly how long I was out for. It had to have been a couple of hours, at least, for I awoke in a bed. Not the bed that I had spent the past two and a half weeks in, but a bed nonetheless. The room I was in was small - or, relatively small, anyway. About as large as a bedroom in a modest home. Sunlight filtered in from the windows in the far right-hand corner of the room, with the drapes pulled to the side so as not to obstruct the light. Other than the bed and a nightstand, the only other object to be seen was a single, wooden chair sitting against the wall near the door.

Oh, and the Pony occupying it.

The Unicorn mare had her eyes closed and her horn lit up with a faint golden aura, the same color as her fur. I pushed myself up on my arms so that I was sitting more than laying down. That seemed to get her attention, for the glow died down and her eyes snapped open. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

A thousand images flashed before my eyes. The descent into the caverns, the pool, diving up and down and up and down, being dragged out like a drowned rat... Emotions quickly replaced the images. Despair, anger, depression, rage… I found my mouth suddenly dry, and the corners of my eyes wet.

“I’ve… been better,” I finally replied.

I could see the Unicorn begin to rise out of her chair. She took one step towards me, then hesitated. “I… uh… should I go… get the queen?”

“Serenity?” My vision flashed red. She had been the one to drag me out of the pool. She had been the one to stop me from trying again! I could feel the corners of my lip curling into a snarl.

And then, it was gone. The rage. The anger. Everything. It was like something had tripped in my mind, had hit the reset button on my emotions. All that was left was cold, hard logic, along with an almost painful emptiness in my chest. No. It wasn’t her fault. The pool hadn’t worked the first three times. She’d only stopped me from drowning myself. Slowly, I nodded. “The queen. Yes, go get her.”

I barely even registered the Unicorn turning and all but sprinting out of the room. I was left alone, with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company. I closed my eyes and slid down the bed so that I was fully laying down once more. To an outsider, I would have seemed asleep. But no. Sleep would not come to me, nor did I want it to. Serenity was coming to speak to me, and likely to decide my fate. Again. I needed to figure out what exactly I wanted, and what my position was.

The only way home that I knew of was closed. For whatever reason, the pool hadn’t sent me back. Which meant that, for now, my journey to Gaia seemed to be a one-way trip. I was stuck here. The only Human on the planet, amongst a number of alien species. More than I already knew of, most likely. I had to find a way to survive, at least until I found another way home. That essentially meant throwing my lot in with one of the established civilizations. I had already worked alongside the Ponies of Equestria, which essentially left me with two choices on how to proceed - remain within Equestria, or take my chances out in the wild and try to find another kingdom.

It wasn’t a very difficult choice. The Minotaurs would never accept me, for obvious reasons. The Crystal Empire was a close ally of Equestria,so what would effectively amount to a defection to them would be pointless, and most likely counter-productive. And the Griffons… Well, they were a wild card. I had no knowledge at all about them, other than that their skills at leatherworking were supposed to be superior to that of the other species. That’s hardly enough information to judge a potential home by.

Equestria, meanwhile, had a lot going for it. With their Unicorns now able to freely use magic, their military might seemed to be greatly bolstered. They were allies with another kingdom, the Crystal Empire. I was already known to not only the leaders of the kingdom, but also to the common citizen. More importantly, I was seen in - hopefully - a positive light for slaying Adamant Will and saving the royal family. And while Solaris still seemed wary of me, I was almost certain that I had the full backing from Serenity, Celestia, and Luna. If nothing else, I was pretty certain that they wouldn’t fry me on the spot.

Pretty certain.

On top of that, there were a couple of added perks to staying with Equestria. The pool I had entered Gaia from was not too far from the capitol city, so if anything changed then I would be only a short distance from the pool. Plus, even if nothing changed, there was always the chance that some magical discovery would be made that could send me home. I could even try to bargain with Serenity and Solaris to see if they would put some research towards that objective…

And so a game plan began to formulate in my head. Given the option, I would stay within Equestria. I would help them as I could, while keeping an eye on the pool. Hopefully, Serenity and the others would devote some resources towards finding me another way home. Unlikely, though, considering the fact that the Minotaurs still needed to be fully pushed out of Equestria. To that end, I’d try to win some influence in the capitol, especially with any kind of magical researchers. I’d get them to look into ways to send me home. And if an opportunity came, I’d seize it without hesitation.

And if I wasn’t able to stay in Equestria? This gave me a bit of pause. I was still pretty sure that Serenity and Celestia and Luna wouldn’t let me be killed, at the very least. But Solaris… he was the wild card in the royal family. At the very best, he was wary of me. At worst… if they couldn’t talk Solaris into letting me stay… What then? I’d have to find some other kingdom to stay with … The Crystal Empire? Sombra knew me there, at least. Or else I could strike out for the Griffon lands and pray that they were the welcoming sort. Or maybe some other kingdom that I hadn’t even heard of yet. I groaned softly and rubbed my eyes. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with how much my plan banked on Solaris and Serenity letting me stay. I honestly didn’t know what would happen if they didn’t...

All I knew for certain was that my end goal had not changed. Get home.

As if on queue, I heard the door to my room creak open. I snapped one eye open as the door creaked to a halt, and pushed myself back upright into my sitting position. Four figures stepped into the room, one after another. Serenity was at the front of the group, her expression blank. She was still thin, but not nearly as thin as Solaris, who walked behind her. Even underneath his shirt - which was several sizes too large for him at this point - I could see his ribcage. Still, his eyes continued to burn with a fire that I had to respect. He wasn’t going anytime soon. Not without a fight.

Celestia and Luna followed behind their father. Celestia maintained the same neutral mask that I had seen on Serenity so many times. Luna, I could tell, was attempting the same. Her mask, however, was weaker. I could see concern in her eyes. Fear, maybe?

Nothing that reassured me, at the very least.

“Chris,” Serenity began. “Are you feeling well? A bit calmer?”

“I’ve… been better,” I admitted. “But I’ll live.”

“I’m sorry -

“Don’t be,” I interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her. “It’s not your fault. I just… kind of assumed the portal would work both ways, and that it’d still work…”

“I think we all did.”

“So. You’re not able to return home after all,” Solaris frowned. His eyes locked onto mine, and I found that I could not look away. A sudden sense of vulnerability washed over me, and a slight shiver ran down my spine. “And so, we must decide what to do with you.”

“Do not act as though our position is uncertain.” Serenity’s gaze was now drilling into the back of Solaris’ head. “Without his help, all four of us would be dead, and our subjects slaves. If nothing else, we owe him a place to call home for now.”

“You seem to forget the aid he granted to the Minotaurs,” Solaris hissed. “This technology he gifted them with? How many Ponies fell to it? Their blood lies on his hands.”

“Even without those weapons, those… guns… They would have fallen to the blade or the arrow,” Serenity countered. “The Minotaurs would have just as easily defeated us without them. I say again - we owe him our lives.”

“You are the only one who seems to have a problem with him, father,” Celestia added. I would see him stay as well… assuming, of course, that he wishes to,” She added

Suddenly, all heads turned back towards me. Celestia’s mask was perfectly neutral, betraying no emotion, though her opinion had been made clear. Serenity and Luna both looked expectant… hopeful even. I had no doubt that those three would welcome me into Equestria with open arms, just as I had expected.

Yet Solaris… there was anger in his eyes. Contempt, even. Once again, I felt that same sense of vulnerability wash over me. Solaris was the king. And if the king himself didn’t want me around… for a brief moment, I considered turning down their offer and striking out on my own, rather than face his hostility.

But no. I blinked, and in that brief moment, that instant that my eyes were separated from his, the vulnerability faded. I quickly broke eye contact, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. No. I wasn’t about to be intimidated away from my plan, away from my best - my only hope at returning home. Solaris thought that he could bully me away.

He was in for a rude awakening.

“For what it’s worth,” I began slowly, looking towards Serenity, “If given the option, I would remain within Equestria.”

“It’s settled then.” Serenity gave Solaris a knowing look, complete with a scowl. “All three of us disagree with you, dear.” The emphasis on the last word wasn’t lost on me. “And I suspect that our populace may begin to ask questions if they learned that Chris had been unceremoniously banished from Equestria.”

Solaris’ scowl had faded, leaving a surprised look on his face - shocked, even. His brow furrowed again as he closed his eyes, arms folding over his chest. “... Very well,” He finally conceded. His eyes snapped open and locked with mine, his expression now one of mild curiosity. “You may stay, Chris. Do not make me regret this decision.”

“I don’t intend to,” I retorted evenly, matching his gaze as best I could, trying ignore my heart hammering away in my chest. So this was it. I was staying in Equestria. For now, anyway. What I’d do, I had no idea. With Solaris clearly unhappy about me staying, I wasn’t even sure how long I’d be here.

But for now, at least, I’d found my place.

Author's Note:

And thus, we come to the end!

But of course, Chris' adventures in Equestria are far from over. His story, and the rise of Celestia and Luna, continues in the sequel, Making my Mark.

Comments

[Clicker]

I would of ended it with him going home.
So far I like the story so i'll see how this goes.

[Sup]

Omg, sequel! Thank you for writing this, I've really enjoyed this story and its characters.

[Gizmo Gear]

Sequelz, all the sequeeelllzzz!!!!

[Sipioc]

A fine end. A bit redundant at parts what with him repeating himself, but in that situation I suppose one's mind races.

Good luck Chris!

....now on to the sequel!

[Silentwoodfire]

Not even a offer of reconciliation for perceived wrongs?

[Queuefka Palazzo]

7853051 It's Kefka from Final Fantasy 6.

[Lazy Coyote]

7851990 good point, I'm probably just weird. We are the best at running away... Not a very proud achievement... But it's kept us alive pretty well.

[Firestar463]

7855751 to be fair, early man's best strength (besides our still-developing intellect) was how much punishment we could take. We can go with no water for three days, no rest for a week, no food for a month. Early man's prey simply could not keep it up. It might take days or a week, but the Human would track the prey until it was physically too exhausted too run anymore. We out-endured our prey, and turned endurance into our greatest weapon.

[Skalula7]

though, considering the fact that the Minotaurs still needed to be fully pushed out of Equestria. To that end, I’ry to win some influence in the capitol, especially with any kind of magical researchers.

[Thunder--Clash]

7857201 Just what we needed, LOL

[The Spirits Demise]

7921725 oh.thanks

[Headlock1_0]

I should have mentioned this when I finished reading this story some weeks ago, but here we go:
The story is pretty good, but I'm really irritated with the ending. Why didn't Chris tell them WHY he hesitated? Tell them everything? Why didn't they hold him more accountable for his actions? He should have at least been sentenced an equivalent of community service. I don't know. Since I enjoyed most of the story besides that issue, I'll check out the sequel.

AJ is lost in the spoiler.

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[Firestar463]

8382303 Serenity - More elegant and flowy, perhaps a bit deeper pitched than average but one that commands attention and respect. I imagine her speaking very similarly to how Celestia does in the show, while Celestia in this story will speak faster and with more emotion.

Solaris - Curt and to-the point. Bassy, easily able to fill a room. Similar to Brom, if you ever watched the movie Eragon

Chris - Average pitch. He has a slight hillbilly accent, similar to Applejack or Big Mac but not nearly as pronounced. Sort of like a slightly-deeper, not-quite-as-hillbilly Braeburn, I suppose.

[HeroOfVillians]

8382356
The Eragon movie is a disease that should be purged from existence, just as I purged the majority of it from my memory immediately after watching it in theaters. Never in my life has a book-to-movie adaption filled me with so much disgust and disappointment.

I know that this isn't really relevant to your story, but I feel almost compelled to share my thoughts on the abomination any time someone mentions it, no matter the time, place, or format.

[Firestar463]

8382826
I can't disagree with you there. It was incredibly disappointing, in almost every conceivable way, and I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth

But Brom was played by Jeremy Irons. Also known as the voice of Scar from The Lion King. One of my favorite voice actors of all time. You can't argue with that

[HeroOfVillians]

8384215
Very true, the Lion King was the first movie I ever saw in theaters (I was like, 4 at the time) and the voices (and voice actors) of both Scar and Mufasa embedded themselves into my brain. I think that is part of the reason Darth Vader gave me chills the first time I saw A New Hope.

[Shachza]

8384215
8382826

I was putzing around and stumbled across your comments. Eragon was apparently a fill-in to make something for the fantasy market, and to use assets (the animatronic dragon, etc.) that had been finished for a Dragonriders of Pern series/movie before the plug got pulled on that.

So, yeah... It was never a thing that was meant to be, and it was filling in for something that was cancelled from being.

Which probably doesn't help the situation, but at least it explains why.

[Truthseeker]

10868952 Naw. They have had their chances. Enough is enough. Kill them all. They are NAZIs working on genocide. Only one way to stop them: turn the tables and use the same methods.