• Published 2nd Dec 2012
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Xenophilia: Further tales. - TheQuietMan

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13: So let mercy come and wash away what I’ve done - by warpd & The Quiet Man

So let mercy come and wash away what I’ve done - by warpd & The Quiet Man
Chapter published 10th Aug 2013

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
- Hamlet (1.5.166-7)


**********************


Stretching his legs out in front of him, Lero tried his best to get comfortable. Hissing to himself as he readjusted his body, for what felt like at least the thousandth time, against the itchy fabric of the couch, all he actually accomplished was to bang his shins on the low table in front of him.

It seemed no matter what world he was on some things never changed, and waiting rooms, no matter how opulent, were not a place anyone was ever supposed to want to spend any length of time.

Glancing across the room he could see that Princess Celestia’s secretary - a pale gray unicorn mare with a deep purple mane so dark that it might as well have been jet black - was momentarily distracted, sitting as she was with her back to him, face first in a planner blanketed in sticky notes.

Seeing his chance the human wiggled his behind on the low couch, desperately trying to bring some kind of life back to his tortured rear end.

These low waiting couches (of a similar design to those found on the Friendship Express though much more ornately decorated) may have been perfect for a lounging pony, but they did next to nothing for the human’s lankier and more upright frame.

“You may see the princesses now.” The perky secretary called out from behind her large walnut writing desk, causing the grateful human to spring out of his seat at the much welcome news.

After stretching his body, cracking a few joints in a poor attempt to alleviate any anxieties, he casually strolled towards the now open door, stopping mid step when he felt something tug at the hem of his shirt.

Lero looked down at the secretary who nervously rubbed her forehooves together.

“May I have a hug?” She asked shyly, not wanting to meet his eyes lest he refuse.

“Sure, Ms Raven.” Lero knelt down as the happy pony enveloped him. His nerves cooled thanks to the gentle embrace.

“I’ve been a secretary for the princess for most of my life. I always try to do anything I can for her.” She released him from the hug and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for helping her when I couldn’t.”

Just a slight blush crossed Lero’s features as the pony went off to collect some more paperwork. He shook his head as he continued on. “Been getting a lot of that recently... from both mares and stallions.”

And to be honest, he rather liked it.

*********

As he entered the large, though surprisingly modest, private office where the two reigning monarchs waited for him, Lero felt a nervous twinge when he first caught sight of Princess Celestia’s ethereal mane. Remembering Lyra’s teachings he breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, pushing the slight, though insistent, feeling of dread aside. Smiling warmly he pulled his eyes from the multi-hued mane, billowing as it always did in some unseen solar breeze, and nodded a greeting to the large white alicorn, which she returned in kind.

In contrast, Princess Luna smiled brightly when she saw him walk in, rising from the comfort of the pair of large, soft divans on which she and her sister were sitting .

“Bellerophon! We bid you welcome.” The alicorn of the night exclaimed happily as she trotted over to her visitor. Wrapping her wings around him in a warm embrace and pressing the side of her head against his as she did so, soft feathers tickled the back of Lero’s neck as Luna held him close.

The human had found out early on during their extended time alone together just the month before that the princess of the night was quite the hugger once her inhibitions were lowered. He’d also found that the lower her inhibitions dropped, the longer and more... tactile the hugs became.

And as much as his herdmates may have asked further, that was as much as Lero would say on the matter.

After Luna had (with maybe a touch of reluctance) released him, Lero bowed low, once to each sister in turn.

“Thank you for seeing me, princesses. I know how much you have going on right now.”

“Indeed you do. You, more than any mortal pony right now I would say.” Celestia’s calm voice spoke as before her he straightened himself back out and stood up straight again. “Lero, you have our undying gratitude for your tireless work and steadfast bravery in these recently trying times.”

“I do hope the stained glass mural was to your liking.” Luna added, settling herself back onto her divan, briefly fluttering her wings as she made herself comfortable.

“That did surprise me, but it is very nice.” Lero chuckled. “Again, thank you for that.”

From the very edge of the room floated a human style armchair, the deep red of its overstuffed fabric contrasting with the glow of the golden magic that surrounded it.

“I imagine that you will want to sit for this.” Letting the chair’s impressive bulk glide to the ground next to the human, Celestia bid her guest to make himself at home.

As the human stiffly sat down, folding his fingers tightly around each other upon his lap and keeping his knees firmly pressed together, Luna raised an eyebrow.

“Are you uncomfortable?” She asked, reaching out with her own magic for one of the many large cushions that were stored in various places around the room.

“No, no, the seat is fine, thank you.” Lero quickly answered. “It’s just, what I want to talk about has been heavy on my mind for a while now.”

Luna glanced over to her sister and back to the human. “Please tell me, what boon do you beseech of us that has you bothered so? I am afraid I have not yet been informed as to the details of your request.”

“My... request is mostly geared towards your sister.” Lero sucked in his lips, turning to Princess Celestia as he continued. “When I was taking care of you, you said... things. Some... awkward things that I think I would very much like the answers to.”

“In truth, I was afraid of this.” Celestia sighed as her eyes fell to the ground. “And in recognition of your service to us I will answer the best I can, but please, you must be mindful that I will withhold information if I deem it to be too dangerous. You have done much for us these past few months, but be aware that my duty is always to the wellbeing of my subjects as a whole.”

Lifting her gaze from the ground, Celestia caught Lero’s eyes before adding. “And if the answers I give are not those that you seek, please remember; you are also one of my subjects and if I have to withhold the truth from you for your own safety, I will do so with hesitation.”

“That’s understood, princess.” Lero answered, having expected as such even before he had even asked Twilight to put in an official request for an audience on his behalf. “I’d expect no less.”

Looking back and forth between her two companions, Luna was confused.

“So, what is this request? Please, my friend, do not hold back any longer.”

Lero took a deep breath, held it for a moment before letting it out slowly.

“Have you met humans before?” He asked of the alicorn of the day. “Any before me, I mean.”

“No.” was the short, simple response.

Lero tilted his head and blinked in surprise, Luna did the same. Celestia shook her head, her mane falling over one eye as she moved. Rising from her divan, she moved away from her guest to stand by one of the room’s many grand windows.

“What I will tell you can not leave this room.” The pure white alicorn looked back over her shoulder at the bewildered human. “With the exception of your herd-mates of course, for I am well aware that you will hold no secrets from any of them, no other living pony can know of this.”

Lero cracked his fingers as his earlier case of nerves returned. “I understand.”

“Have you heard of ‘The Mother of Equestria’?”

Lero paused as he recalled the lessons on Equestrian history and mythology that Twilight had shared with him, as well as the half recalled memory of a face. A strange and mysterious smile came to mind as well as pale skin and red hair, then a mane of gold and fire. “According to the myths of creation for your world; She created everything, correct?.”

She is very real. Long ago, when I was chosen to be the caretaker of the sun, I was given much power and She was gracious enough to guide me in its many facets and uses. Some of the powers with which I was gifted allow me to see beyond the veil. A much needed ability, I think you will agree, as creatures not of this world would surely attempt to plunder our home, should it catch their attention.”

“Did humans come here?” Lero asked.

Celestia glanced to Luna. “If your people have ever graced these lands then I am not aware of it, though I highly doubt it. I believe that your kind had... their own problems.

“As a young alicorn, and even before I was turned come to think of it, I was always a very curious soul. As a unicorn filly I could at times see past this world’s boundaries, beyond my own sphere of existence and into the worlds afar. While my mortal form could not control this power, I saw many worlds like yours, many creatures resembling humans, some of which were so similar as to be indistinguishable from your own species.”

“That’s incredible.” Lero leaned back as he rubbed at the short stubble on his chin.

“Indeed. You should be proud; wherever I found humanity they were all incredibly powerful. Twilight has sent me some of the transcripts she has made of your recollections of your world’s myths and legends. For what I can remember of these long since past visions I believe there to be many a grain of truth within your stories, many tales of brave and valiant acts that are more truth than fiction.

“You come from an impressive species, my little human.” Though by now Celestia was looking away from him, her attention directed out through the windowpane, Lero could hear the humour - and maybe an element of admiration - in her voice. “Here you would never see a pony take a dragon as her ride.”

Luna cleared her throat loudly as Celestia rolled her eyes. “Well, except for my sister.” the day princess added quickly.

“I did not witness this, but from what I was told, what made many humans special was that in all of the worlds, of all the races and in all realities, they are the only ones that ever partook of the fruit of the Tree of Life.”

“Tree of Life?” Lero hummed as he rolled the legends around in his head. “There are several stories about that tree. The most famous one is the from the Christian-Judeo religion. That one was also called ‘The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil’.”

Celestia nodded as a calm revelation came over her. “That might explain a few things. The humans I saw were amazingly intelligent and they had insight into such magic that Twilight Sparkle would have frothed at the mouth to learn from them.

“However, this made them targets for a greedy, selfish race of monsters. Despicable beasts that prey on pain and suffering. They did the same to Equestria for a time.” Celestia paused as she quietly exhaled. “Something happened, I know not what, which meant that these creatures concentrated their efforts on humanity, wherever they might find them.”

“In desperation humans called out for help.” Celestia closed her eyes as memories of yesteryear moved through her mind. “A rather bright young lady from a human realm, maybe your own, I do not rightly know, tried to summon me. Time and time again she pleaded for my aid, to join her in defending her beleaguered land, but I refused to assist her for I had to protect my own realm and my own subjects.

“Luna had been just recently turned and...” The statuesque alicorn paused, seeming to internally debate her next words.

“And was much too young to be left alone and similar, though lesser, beings were testing our borders of our world while unknown terrors stalked our lands.”

Again Celestia looked back at Lero, this time with watery eyes. “I am sorry. So very, very sorry. I heard their cries, felt their plight, and still I did nothing. I could not help a race so far away without great risk to my ponies. I made that choice, and I have lived with it ever since and, while I still believe I made the right decision, it has not made living with it any easier.”

Turning back to the window, her enhanced alicorn vision catching view of the cloud city of Maelstrom far in the distance, ever so slowly making its way over the peaks of the mighty Crystal Mountains, Celestia sighed a sigh only heard from those with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

“Then it happened; one night I reached out to check up on her world and that spark of magic was gone, completely taken away, not just from her species, but from her entire world. I believed the worst and, with my sisters’ help I worked to seal our world from theirs, lest whatever force had stolen their world’s magic find its way to ours. For the longest time I believed that they had fallen, that a world could not exist without magic. It seems I was wrong.

“From then on I heard rumors from beyond the veil. Stories of a race without even the slightest touch of magic, that slew their enemies with nowt but metal and blood. Believe me, when I heard word that you, a creature with no innate magic, had stumbled from the depths of the Everfree forest, I was sure that you were something else, that your race had long since passed into nothingness.”

“And your race has done well, it would seem.” Luna rose up from her own divan before moving to stand by her sister’s side. “Charted your world from top to bottom, explored the ocean depths, cured untold diseases, crafted mechanical behemoths.”

As she leaned her body up against that of the taller alicorn, Luna glanced back towards the human still sitting in his armchair. “And walked upon the moon, all through your own endeavours.”

Lero remained silent as his thoughts churned like a hamster on a wheel. “Is that all?”

“Yes.” Celestia’s gaze remained firmly on the distant mountains.

Lero may have been nervous when he walked in, but he had never expected that the Solar Princess and co-ruler of the realm might have had frayed nerves as well.

The human got up and slowly walked over to the alicon of the day. Gently he placed a hand on her withers. There was a time and place for decorum and protocol but right now the human just didn’t care.

“I don’t know it that was my world and I can’t speak for the rest of my kind or for my ancestors, but I forgive you.”

“You say that, but your hand trembles.”

“But I mean every word.”

“I can see why Twilight likes you.” Celestia turned her head from the window, her gaze meeting Lero’s as his words made themselves at home in her heart. “Thank you.”

*****************

After much conversation, Lero had finally given his thanks, made his excuses and departed. Miss Raven would direct him to one of the more secluded of the castle’s exits so that he could dodge any inquisitive reporters who would attempt to waylay the human on his short journey back to his herdmates’ embrace, of this Celestia was certain.

After settling back onto their divans, Celestia and Luna sipped from their respective beverages.

“So, Luna dear.” Celestia’s lips turned slightly upright. “Is that a spark of attraction I see in your eye for our once and perhaps future viceroy?”

“Nice try, my sister, but such banter will not make me lose my drink.” Luna glared past the vapors of her once again piping hot mint tea - having the solar princess as a sister was quite useful for the rewarming of teapots - before she continued.

“I have a question for you though. Do you think he really escaped from their clutches just to arrive here whole and unfettered? That his journey left him unmarked, his mind untainted?”

“How do you mean?”

“We know how they treat their prey and you have heard tales of how their society functions. Is he really like this or has his mind been tampered with to be something softer, more pleasing to our sensibilities, more... socially acceptable?”

“I am hopeful, my sister...” Celestia said as she lifted her teacup to her lips, a concerned expression marring her otherwise elegant features. “that the answer to that question is something that we will never have to find out.”

Author's Note:

The Quiet Man: Another collaboration? Why, yes it is. As before, please go thank warpd for the good bits and blame me for the not-quite-so-good bits.

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