Pieces of time

by StoryWeaver

Chapter 4: I hate crowds!

Dackecurl crumpled up another paper and threw it into the now overflowing trashcan. He just couldn't make it sound right, what had happened.

he pulled out another piece of paper and muttered, "how should I start...hm...how about, no. Let's try...eh."

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Not much I can do here but say this. using that mother voice of her's to get me to go with her to the castle, we walked there slowly, along the way she introduced herself as Princess Celestia, Co-Ruler of Equestria beside Princess Luna.

I introduced myself as Doctor William Dackecurl, first of my planet to make a wormhole,
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The scientist gone writer smiled to himself, finally he had something to work with.
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"so Princess, what exactly is Equestria?" I asked curiously. my head reeling from the implications of what I was doing, I was the first to make Alien contact as well as make a wormhole! If only those snobbish rich boys got to hear this.

"Equestria is a land where my little ponies live peacefully, we currently border only one known nation, and that would be Gryphon territory, the rest are nomadic or crude animals. Have you ever heard of a Diamond Dog?" the tall alicorn raised it's single eye.

"We don't have any of those where I come from, but we do have legends about gryphons and stuff..." the scientist.

"such as?"

"first there are dragons, fierce fire breathing leather winged lizards, then we have Greek animals, like hydras and cockatrice, oh, and hydras, lots of hydras..."

This went on for some time, I learned that many of the creatures we had called myth at my planet were very real on this one.

"Cockatrice can turn you to stone with their stare," she said.

Wait a..."what!?"

The Princess looked a little confused, "I thought you said that cockatrices turned people to stone in your legends.

"b-but that's...that's not..."

Her eyes lit up as she realized what I was trying tiger at, "You mean to say you don't have magic in your world?"

"w-we..." everything that I had studied, all of the parts of science I had remade...nothing...i realized I was in the fetal position, almost crying, Celestia was right beside me.

I fainted.

I hate when i faint, because when i wake up i always have a splitting headache, it's the worst thing that could have happened to me.

I was in a comfy down bed though, that was a plus.

my hands shot to my temples. I groaned, the splitting headache showing up as like every other time, god it was so painful.

"welcome back to reality, William," Said a soothing voice. who said that?

then it all came back, the wormhole, Equestria, celestia, and the whole shpiel on magic.

"please call me Doctor, Your Highness," was that the correct form of address? I couldn't be sure.

"very well then, Doctor it is. So, have you recovered form your bout of hysteria?" the uncovered eye was tinted with concern behind the regal bearing she always seemed to wear around her.

"I think so, how does your magic work? I need to know what I'm getting into before I start experiencing it in earnest," god my head felt like bursting, it was so painful. the idea of magic was so alien that i just had to learn it.

who remembers my habit?

research.

yep, that's what I was going to do, I was going to study this magic until I understood it much more thoroughly than these ponies did, it would definitely take some time though.

back to the story now.

"I'll have some books on the subject brought to you, but before you start, I must get you acquainted with the castle," she was so motherly when she wanted to be, "you may get dressed before we start the tour, we took the liberty of washing the clothes you were in before, as well as the lab coat, i hope you don't mind,"

"Hardly, thank you very much your highness," Celestia left the room as i began to unravel myself from the bed. finally the blankets gave up and released me from their chokehold. dressing was a simple and boring affair when compared with recalculating einstein's theory of light, his general idea was correct but the nitty gritty was completely flawed. hah, Einstein would never believe that magic actually existed...I couldn't believe it myself really. Gah! i had drifted off again into my thoughts and was just about to exit the room before i had stopped myself.

just needed to wait for her, didn't want to startle anybody with how i looked...

then i got bored...screw waiting, i just went out the door...

no one startled? just a pair of mini pony statues guarding the doors.

"the Princess has requested your presence in the throne room."

"holy...god you startled me," Definitely NOT statues, they were real guards, and they were much smaller than Celestia.

"well, you seem to be a lot smaller than the princess, is this normal?"

in typical fashion the guards just glared at me.

"Just come along and we shall show you to the throne room, Doctor," the left one.

We began to walk around the corridors, so many of them. we passed a garden with...a statue? had i seen that before? huh...

"Might I ask what that statue represents?"

the right looked at me, his eyes softening slightly at my puzzlement, "it's a draconequus," he said shortly, "Discord"

well...that didn't help much...

"Guess I'll have to ask the Princess..." I mused, walking along in silence until we arrived at the throne room's entrance door.

"well, let's get this done so i can get to studyin'!"

"But before you start Doctor, we have to introduce you to Equestria," came the voice of Celestia, as the doors opened.

My mouth immediately dried and I began to tremble, a whole crowd of the tiny ponies was lining the throne room.

I was never good with crowds, never will be. i almost always panic at the sight of so many people at once. so it was a miracle i didn't faint right then...I squeeked instead, and began to walk through the crowd to the only comfort that I knew at this time, Princess Celestia, I walked quickly, trying not to run, and embarass myself and most of humanity at the same time.

i didn't even realize it at first when the guards near celestia raised their spears to block my way.

"do not worry my little ponies, lower your spears," she said gently to the guards, whom immediately retracted their pointy sticks and stepped aside, I stayed where I was, rooted to the ground by my irrational fear.

The Princess gave me a look of the infinite patience of a mother with her child, "do come forward Doctor, we have much to do." She then addressed the crowd, "let me introduce you to my currently assembled subjects, the nobles of the capitol of Equestria, Canterlot."

No applause, just an expectant silence, oh god they were waiting for me to say something...

"tis an honor to meet such an esteemed group of people," I spoke, not even feeling my mouth moving.

The crowd visibly stirred, as if agitated, some visibly scowled while others just deepened an already deep scowl.

What did I screw up now?

"well Doctor, it is a pleasure to have you as well," spoke Celestia, her voice never deviating, it seemed that she either didn't notice anything wrong, or had merely chosen to ignore it,"you are the first Human ever to be welcomed to Equestrian lands, I have the distinct honor of welcoming the Esteemed Wormhole Scientist, William Dackecurl!"

Again...more Expectant silence, it was killing me inside!

"tis an honor your Highness, to be welcome among such a kind and generous nation, I can't hope to repay the kindness they have showed me."

The crowd gasped as if struck.

Celestia came to my rescue once again, "you are now dismissed Doctor, if you will please escort him to his chambers," she raised a hoof and placed it gently on my shoulder, glaring at the crowd before her, as if challenging them to refute her trust in me.

...

No one said a thing for several moments, not until the guards broke it by giving an expectant nod of their heads. this time six escorted me back down the winding hallways, my terror subsided slowly, oh so very slowly, I was almost paranoid to the point of believing that someone was following me, watching my every move, though I tried to let it not show.

Once we were in sight of the doors to my room two of the guards split off and stood at the side of the hallway, and then another two. When the last two and I got to the door they pulled it open for me with their hooves.

I gave a curt nod and entered, hearing the door drift closed and give a distinct click as it latched.

That bed never looked better than at that very moment, I flopped into it, my eyes closing,

Nothing.

Well everyone, I have a Surprise for ye all today! A new chapter,
I've decided to make Wednesday my weekly update day! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter, and as always, point out errors in both spelling and grammer that I will likely have missed.
Next chapter will finish up dackecurl's settling in and will finally begin the story in full.

-GeekBeam
Very merry story weaver

P.S. I hope Pinkie doesn't come over demanding to see William, that would be bad.