Humanity and Ponykind

by Swordsmen

Terra Nostra

Utter silence, like there was nothing in the world that could break it.

The men under commandant Bernand from a detachment of the 2nd Armée Coloniale, had just witnessed something completely out of this world.

Three horses, ponies, whatever they might it be -- It spoke to Bernand. It spoke in a very clear and audible way. If he hadn't looked, he would've mistaken it for a woman's voice. But no. It was in fact, a horse, that spoke to the commander.

A horse, a being that for so long in his entire life, convinced him that it could not speak in any shape or form. It turned his world completely upside down.

For so long, humans thought themselves as the only creature of God that could speak, that could communicate to humans directly, that had the intelligence to do so. After one-thousand six-hundred and seventy-three years of human dominance in the world, was this really the beginning of a new age? A time where we have to share our throne with a horse?

This way of thinking was simply too advanced for his time, Bernand thought to himself. The church would condemn him and his men to the stake, for even considering the existence of sapient beings besides humans... How would the crown even react to this? If he was to tell what he is seeing right now to his king, he might just as well revoke his title and privileges for acting like a madman.

But no, he was completely sane, and very well aware of his surroundings.

So much so, that he stood there, completely frozen, as the creature bowed down to him... As if he was a ruler of sorts.

As much as he wanted to do something in that situation, he was locked in the same position as before, barely even moving his muscles. He held both of his hands behind him with a tight grip, so tight, that it began to hurt him. He felt as if he had been literally petrified.

His men, much more expressive of their emotions, did not waste a second to gasp and show their surprise. They remained exactly in their place, not moving an inch. But Bernand had a feeling that if he were to leave his men alone with these things, then bloodshed would surely follow.

He was aware that people disliked finding new things, that they would surely turn their backs around at anything that posed a threat to the established norm. They prefer the old and the known above the new and the strange. Society, in France at least, was like that. But when you are forced to meet the new, you either have two options.

One, deny it with brute force, declaring it heresy and proceed to the church for help, and maintain your old way of life. Or two, embrace it willingly, and go with the flow, attempting to adapt to the new circumstances that you've brought to yourself. It was a tough decision for Bernand at that moment.

The first thing that came to mind when the horse spoke, was to grab one of his soldier's rifles, and shoot it, point-blank, at the thing and hope it stays down, all the while stating that it was the devil's work, and that his men should not be fooled by his trickery.

But once the horse had lifted itself up, and looked directly into Bernand's eyes, he thought differently. Perhaps, just maybe, this once, he should try to find a solution to this newfound problem, and maybe even benefit from it in the long-term... Yes, he had done so in the Iroquois campaign, it was very profitable for the Empire.

He had made up his mind. He would adapt to the current situation -- not too quickly, as to not bring suspicion upon him by his men. He would treat this new being as a native to the land, as a fellow human being, completely ignoring the fact that it was not human in any shape or form. He let out a weak puff of air.

"I feel honoured to receive you here," He stated simply, as if addressing to a person.

His men were quick to look at their commander in shock. It was as if they had just heard gunfire from nearby. Still, they remained silent.

"Most welcome!" Replied the horse with the horn, a smile on its face.

He breathed slowly, "Might I ask, what is the reason you accompany my men to this lonesome camp?" He had so many other questions to ask, but he needed to sound like he had dealt with this sort of thing before.

"That is a good question," Said the pony with an interested look, "But I am afraid we will have to discuss these matters somewhere less crowded, do you not agree?"

He felt offended by this, he would gladly tell these things to leave his camp and never return. But he held his tongue.

"That... Would be most beneficial, yes."

He breathed in very slowly, and glanced back at D'Ambroise. He was just as shocked as his men were, wide open eyes behind his short spectacles.

"Jacque D'Ambroise," He was startled by his name being called out so suddenly in a moment like that, "Could you please direct the newcomers towards our cottage?"

He blinked several times, as if trying comprehend what was being asked of him. But in a flash, he nodded curtly.

Bernand's guardsmen pulled themselves out of the pathway to let the adviser lead the three beings into the cottage at the end of the camp. He observed his adviser having a short, and very spontaneous conversation with the trio. He seemed visibly nervous.

Turning back to the front entrance again, he noticed his men staring at the four figures behind him with avid curiosity, not even attempting to hide the fact that they are not in line. He did not object to this, he would've done exactly the same. But he needed to break their psyche, and call for their attention.

"Men," He barely shouted, nearly missing the farthest soldier's attention, "I require you all to return to your previous duties, and ignore this little incident. If I catch any of you staring at my window, there will be punishment,"

"Understood?" All his men could do, was nod at their commander, their voices lost to the three beings that had just invaded his cottage.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. His heart had been pumping hard against his chest for the longest time now. He himself was not sure how he managed to overcome that situation, but he did anyways. He should not rely on luck next time around, it might cost him very much if he fails to manage the situation accordingly.

His back turned away from his men, he slowly picked up speed towards his cottage, his mind full of thoughts, full of ideas of how to deal with these new sentient beings. He, admittedly, was afraid of what they might do, of how they would react if he were to do something that did not please them in the slightest.

Yet they spoke to him as if they were just another settlement. As if they had actually done this before...

His thought process was broken by a slight tap on his shoulders. He turned around, to see his guardsman looking at him with slight concern on his face.

"Excuse me, sir, but... What should we do to the men at the front entrance?" Bernand glanced behind him, and noticed that his expedition was still indeed waiting outside the camp. He sighed.

"Bring them in. If they require assistance, do so. Do not remove the ropes around their hands, I'll have to sort that issue with... Them," He said, nodding at the cabin.

His guardsman saluted him, and went on to pass this order to the other one who was nearby.

He turned himself back towards the cabin. The door was now closed, the windows dark... It must've been the wind that blew the candles' fire into nothingness. He was sure D'Ambroise was attending to that issue now; He wouldn't want to displease these newcomers.

Now, where was he... Hm. An interesting question, posed by himself. What aspect of these newcomers did he find most shocking?

Was it the ability to speak to him like a person? Was it their figures, their general body aspects? Was it their intelligence? It was most likely, that those three beings completely defied everything he knew until now. His reality had been broken, and was forced to turn into another one completely.

Finally reaching the door, he paused, thinking for a little while more, staring at the miniature stone steps below the door. Once he had pushed his thoughts away, he knocked twice on the door, and opened it carefully.

Inside, he caught a glimpse of D'Ambroise lighting up the candles in the room, until he suddenly looked at him with an expression slight relief. The next thing he noticed, was that the three beings were spread across the entire room, examining every nook and cranny they could find, from the map laid out in the middle of the table, to his personal collection of deer heads near the corner of the room.

His arrival triggered their immediate response, motioning them to turn around from whatever object they were observing, and looking straight at Bernand. The horse with the horn smiled at him yet again, but more pleasantly than before, he could tell.

Out of pure habit, Bernand took off his tricorn beaver hat and placed it neatly on a small table next to the door. He adjusted his hair slightly, and moved further into the room.

A short moment of silence ensued, only broken by the horse's voice.

"Ah, hello again... Hm, Ser Bernand Lavoie, is it?"

"That is indeed my name, most appreciated, ...?"

"Striking Blue. I believe I have introduced myself prior to this moment," It said, looking a bit disappointed.

"Ah, yes, but of course," He said, "Forgive me for this, I am simply... Astonished to make your acquaintance," He added, bowing slightly.

The being inched closer to the table, where D'Ambroise had just lit a candle. It eyed the map spread across the table curiously. It glanced at the two other beings and nodded at them to come closer to it. There they examined it, not taking their eye off of it for a moment. While it kept its gaze on the map, the horse spoke.

"And, might I ask," Now looking up at Bernand, who had inched closer to the table, "What exactly is this?"

"That, is a map," He stated simply, but once he caught eye of its questioning look, he added, "It allows us to know where certain locations are,"

"For example, those black marks represent the coastlines, separating land from water," The horse was intrigued by this, "It represents the Earth, North America, in this case."

" 'North America', is this what you call the landmass here?"

"Indeed," Bernand tried to sound as polite as possible, and not seem like he was teaching a child how to read and write.

"Very... Curious, don't you think?" The horse looked at the pair beside it. They nodded.

Then, it looked at Bernand, curiosity spread across its entire face. It seemed to have so many questions in store, just sitting there in its head, ready to be spoken out loud for him to hear. He felt a little more comfortable, knowing that he was not the only one with so many unanswered questions about this day.

However, instead of a question, the horse said, " I am very much sure that we can benefit from each other's knowledge and customs, but we came here for other more serious reasons,"

Bernand held out a palm, as in to stop the horse from speaking anymore. Unsurprisingly, they did not understand this gesture, and continued, "We came here on behalf of our wise rulers to discuss matters regarding those individuals who are currently entering your camp."

This set a red flag on Bernand's mind. Despite everything he thought would happen, from him learning more about these beings, to sharing their views and culture -- and quite literally -- everything about their species, he was about to be questioned in regards of his own expedition, the very last thing on his mind since these three beings arrived.

Such a waste, he thought to himself. Nevertheless, he retracted his palm, and listened closely on what these beings had to say.

"According to what your personal adviser said, you have sent around twenty individuals on a 'expedition' to 'charter' the western parts of the wilderness. Do I stand correct?"

"Very much so," He said, faking a convincing smile.

"I regret informing your tribe about this, but you must not travel further west under any feasible circumstances."

"Dearest apologies, but what is the reason behind your sudden demands?" His smile dropped. His temper rising steadily.

"I understand that you must be confused right now," Said the horse, raising its arm slightly, "But your people have trespassed our rightful territory,"

"I see... Can you describe this event in more detail, please?" He said, adjusting his coat's sleeves.

"But of course, it would be my pleasure," It said, bowing.

"Your people arrived in our peaceful settlement very shortly after its foundation. Our own people had just started to make room for the buildings and the like; It was planned to be a major food source, due to its proximity to a very fertile river," The horse started pacing around the far side of the room, near Bernand's deer head collection. He followed its movements closely.

"The settlement, Winnipeg, as it was named, was set in a very ideal location, and of course, it would be prone to outside interest," Bernand was becoming a little agitated, "So it is understandable that your people would do anything to acquire the location for themselves, even -- I dare say --, take other's lives..."

"Are you saying that my men committed a crime against your people?" He said, louder than intended.

"Unfortunately." The pony said, nodding solemnly, "Once they had arrived in the settlement, chaos ensued, and they began to torch the place to ashes, killing and looting anything they could. Simply thinking of it makes me shiver," It said, looking away.

Bernand placed a firm hand on the wooden table, and looked at the three horses with an angered attitude, "I guarantee you that it was not under my orders that my men committed those crimes. It is something I condemn, and do not tolerate in shape or form. It would never have crossed my mind that these men would do such a thing to your people!"

"I assure you that my men will be punished for their misbehaviour, and that it will not tarnish our relations further."

The pony smiled at Bernand, very pleased by his stand on the matter. It returned to the other side of the table, where it intently observed the map again. There it stood, with a hoof placed upon the map, trying to understand its writings... It seemed to Bernand that this being was very interested in knowing more about humans, but was forced to do what its rulers wished.

He knew that feeling very well, he could not argue with the horse about that, as he was just as curious to know more about them... Now was the opportunity to do so.

"Excuse me, but, what are your people called by? I wish to be able to describe them appropriately," Gulping his temper down.

The horse rose its head from the map, and looked at Bernand intently.

"That is a matter we ourselves are not sure how to respond," He did not hide the fact that he was confused, "We have had many names before today... But, using your language, the closest name I can think of, is, Pony,"

"And, while we are on the topic, how are you able to speak our language so fluently?" He unconsciously started scratching the wooden table, which was still firmly held by his hand.

The pony simply lifted its arm, and tapped it gently on its horn, all the while smiling at him.

"...Your, horn?"

"Indeed, it allows me to communicate with you as easily as if I was one of your people,"

Bernand fell silent. So many times now, he thought he was being played by a fool, that this was just some kind of theater, and he had to go along with it. But now, now he saw something that shattered the remaining pieces of reality he had so dearly held on to since these ponies arrived.

Its horn glowed a transparent blue, much like its skin color. And when he realized it, his ink bottle beside the map was floating mid-air, surrounded by the same aura as the pony's horn. He even dared look beneath it, trying to see if it was some clever act of trickery.

But no, it was indeed floating, defying gravity. Not just gravity, but everything else in the world. His brain was exploding with objections and reasons why this is not real, or how this is just a dream made up by him during his sleep... If he was one his men, he'd be running down the street like a madman, shouting how he had seen the impossible and that the church was wrong in every aspect imaginable.

Yet, his reaction on the outside only showed mild interest on the matter, as if he had been observing a jester doing his work at the lord's court. He was not sure why he reacted the way he did, seeing something so extraordinary, so mind-breaking, that could break any man's mental state in moments.

And he was not very much surprised to see that D'Ambroise has sunk himself deep into sleep in a nearby chair after seeing the event happen before his eyes.

"Oh, do worry about my adviser, he is simply not used to seeing such things..." He said, casually.

Bernand inched closer to the table still, "Did you in fact... Levitate that using your horn?" He said in almost in a whisper.

"Indeed," The pony said, "And I'm even more impressed by your own reaction to this!"

"Ah, well," He distanced himself from the table now, brushing off the dust from the table off his coat, "One mustn't make too many presumptions in moments like these,"

"And, as a matter of fact, I myself encourage my men to be prepared for any situation, no matter how strange they might be at first glance," Bernand said, regaining his regal attitude from before.

The three ponies nodded happily to each other upon hearing Bernand, chattering in their language with interest. They continued their conversation for a while, giving him plenty of time in to assess the current situation.

He did not think about much, though. His mind was locked away in a very confined space, almost like a cage, where he only had access to thoughts about the present, about the ponies, and about his room. And as he thought and overthought the same things for a while, he could not help himself but look away from the three ponies, and stare out the window.

How strange it should be, to see the heads of long-dead animals hung along the walls of your own room. He tried seeing his room, and more generally, his camp, in the ponies' perspective.

They might as well call him a murderer, for sacrificing the lives of wild animals for his own pleasure. Or, an evil overlord, who commanded his men with an iron fist, and could not tolerate the slightest lack of discipline.

And now that he delved deeper into this thought, he himself should be impressed by these ponies' reaction to this. Not even when he rose voice to them with anger, did they flinch or object to it in any way. It was as if they had met a man in a state of anger before... Yes, the evidence is starting to add up, and he would not rest until he had asked this question.

And he could use that as a starting point to establish relations with these new beings. As of right now, he had more or less treated them as natives to the land, and definitely not as a completely different species that had the same intelligence, and that could speak as fluently as a human.

He let out a short puff of air, obscuring the view from the window in front of him into a blurred image.

But so was reality itself blurring into nothingness.

He felt like it was time, time for something to end... And then it hit him. He was not one, but many, hidden behind an invisible veil, just outside his reach. He grabbed on to the veil, and smiled into the nothingness, waving at whatever was behind it.

The time had come, for the students to finally wake up.