A human has arrived in Equestria, but not just any human; a traveler from worlds beyond. Who is he? What are his intentions? What is his story? How will this affect the world?
Step into the enchanting world of Equestria as a mysterious traveler from distant realms emerges. With questions abound, who is this enigmatic figure? What secrets do they hold? Join us on a journey of discovery, where the fate of Equestria hangs in the balance. A tale of magic, mystery, and the unknown awaits.
Somewhere within Equestria, a greenish glow was observed, within which a bipedal, humanoid figure was barely visible amidst the speckles of light surrounding it. With eyes closed, the figure remained until the green glimmers fell to the ground and vanished. His first reaction wasn't to open his eyes but to reach for a curious accessory hanging from his belt — akin to an egg but dark. Within this object, a crackling sound could be heard, a characteristic signal informing its owner that the journey was a success.
The human opened his eyes with a smile and looked around, but soon his expression changed to one of surprise and confusion.
Very colorful he thought, raising an eyebrow. Almost too colorful, like a cake.
With short steps, the person walked aimlessly in search of something that caught his attention. He didn't go far. Just a few meters away, he saw what appeared to be a trio of very diminutive horses. As if the overly sweet atmosphere wasn't enough, these creatures seemed to be plucked from the dreams of magical worlds and fantastic creatures that every person must have dreamed of as a child at least once — large and expressive eyes, fur that seemed soft and fluffy at first glance, jovial and tender laughter.
The human approached the scene slowly, enough for these beings to notice his presence, but not so much as to scare them away immediately. If I approach too abruptly, they'll surely flee is what he had in his mind, so his movements were relaxed and slow.
The miniature horses had finished their game and looked with curiosity at their singular spectator. Finally, much to the human's surprise, they approached, albeit timidly, yet with determined steps.
"Ar... are you a human?" stammered a clearly feminine and childish voice, a filly, then. The human felt a sense of bewilderment not because he could understand her — that was to be expected — but because of what the question implied. He decided to remain silent. The girl, receiving no response, uttered more words, "Oh, right! Miss Cheerilee says that the best way to start a conversation with a stranger is by introducing yourself first. She's Applebloom," she gestured towards one of her friends. The human didn't take his eyes off her. "She's Scootaloo," he noticed the weak greeting from the mentioned one. "And I'm Sweetie Belle," all three of them took comically long breaths. "And we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
That action coming from such adorable creatures was more than enough to draw a chuckle from the rugged human, undoubtedly lightening the mood, but it lasted very briefly. There were only two things on his mind at that moment. First, I'm really in a fairy tale! he thought with excitement as he realized he was talking to a unicorn and a pegasus. Second, Is this a reality where other humans also exist, or have I encountered another traveler? Whatever the reason, he needed to find out. The girls smiled nervously at his lack of response, so Scootaloo nudged Sweetie Belle in his direction. At this, she shot Scootaloo a disgruntled look and turned her attention to the human, trying to get his attention.
"And... What about you?" Of course, a name the human said to himself. As protocol demanded, it was time to find a name fitting for the world he found himself in. If he remembered correctly, their names were a combination of an object and a characteristic. "Hmm... mister...?"
"Green Mist," he responded quickly. It seemed the most appropriate given the circumstances of his arrival in this world. "You can call me Green, if you like."
The girls looked at him strangely, and Scootaloo spoke quietly to her friends. "Aren't humans supposed to have long and difficult-to-pronounce names?"
"That's true," Green quickly said in the kindest tone possible. "What I told you is my pseudonym. I never liked my real name, so I avoid using it whenever I can. Anyway, why do you know so much about humans?"
"Twilight" the foals said in unison. "Ever since he trotted into town, she's been nosin' around a heap 'bout humans. Well, truth be told, mostly just about the human," Applebloom made the comment, the others nodded in agreement.
"He?" If there was only one, then it only made sense to Green that he was another traveler.
"Another human, but we're forbidden to talk about it... but I think you should know since you're also human!" Scootaloo chirped, convincing herself, but still received disapproving looks from her friends.
"Ya come lookin' for him?" The possibility seemed to sadden Applebloom. Green shaked his head. "Ya came to do him harm?" Applebloom said with a hint of suspicion.
"Of course not," Green couldn't hide a certain indignation in his voice. "I didn't even know there was another human here."
"Then why did you come?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I think he got lost," Scootaloo added.
"I'm a traveler," the girls listened attentively to Green's words. "But not just any kind of traveler. My destinations aren't other countries or cities, but other worlds," he said, making an exaggerated gesture with his hands to add more drama.
As soon as the human finished speaking, the faces of the fillies lit up with excitement, and they started hopping around him, bombarding him with all sorts of questions.
"That's enough girls," Green raised his hands to calm them. While the gesture was adorable at first, the high-pitched voices overlapping each other in unison was more than the traveler could bear. "You can interrogate me later. Right now, I need to find this Twilight. Do you know where she is?" His only response was laughter, and the human raised an eyebrow. "Was it something I said?"
"It's just that if you don't want to be interrogated, Twilight is the last pony you'll want to encounter," Scootaloo said amidst laughter.
" Pony? So, Twilight is like her?" The human pointed to Applebloom with a finger.
"Well, shoot, we're all ponies 'round here," she spoke. "But if you're talkin' 'bout types, Sweetie Belle's a unicorn, Scootaloo's a Pegasus, and I'm an earth pony. Now, Twilight, she's a whole 'nother story... reckon you'll get it when ya meet her."
"Alright, can you tell me where to find her?"
"Sure thing, c'mon along!" says Applebloom. "We'll show ya the way," gesturing for the human to follow her.
Green walked behind the fillies as they chattered animatedly among themselves. To pass the time, he observed the landscape, eventually his gaze settled on a town whose center held a majestic castle. Its imposing walls reflected the sunlight in such a way that it was impossible to tell at first glance what material they were made of. The town was evidently the destination of their guides, yet he asks.
"Where are we going?"
"To Twilight's house," cootaloo said sarcastically. Before the human could protest, Sweetie Belle added.
“Actually, it's a castle."
"We're headin' straight for Ponyville," Applebloom finally said.
Green suddenly felt uneasy, but he didn't know if the reason was realizing that these ponies had a terrible imagination for naming things or that the much-mentioned Twilight seemed to be someone very important who had her own castle.
Green couldn't shake certain ideas from his head. If there was a castle, there could be royalty, hierarchy, monarchies — everything pointed to this being a rather primitive land. That, or this Twilight character has enough to buy castles for fun, was the less serious alternative Green considered. But the most logical thing would be to ask his companions.
"Girls? what function does this Twilight serve?"
"Function?" one of them said, puzzled.
"That's right. It seems I'm going to meet pony aristocracy. Not the most ridiculous thing I've ever had to encounter. I just want to know who she is."
"Ah," the girls erupted in understanding. "She's a princess," they declared after a while.
Green came to a sudden stop. Is she one of the rulers? But it's too soon! That thought was natural, as whenever Green interacted with any ruler of the worlds he visited, things eventually became... difficult.
"Is something wrong?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's nothing," the traveler responded kindly. "Shall we continue, then?" Green thought it wouldn't make sense to share his tribulations.
"Hold yer horses!" Applebloom said alarmed, cutting off their path with her hoof. "Ya think it's smart just strollin' into Ponyville with a human like it ain't no big deal?”
"And what did the human who was here before do?"
"Well, he never just waltzed into town, that's for sure. He told Twilight he had some mission out on the outskirts, all solo-like."
"Do you know what kind of mission that could be?" she just shrugged. It seemed Green wouldn't meet another human anytime soon. He couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"Hm... for now, all I understood is that he's like an outcast."
"Outcast?" Scootaloo asked, confused.
"It means somepony who is isolated by others or isolates themselves," Sweetie Belle replied.
"What are you, a dictionary?" Scootaloo retorted mockingly. Sweetie gave her an annoyed look.
"Alright, hold up, y'all! We gotta put our heads together and come up with a plan. Scootaloo, you zip off and find Twilight pronto, you're the speediest of us three. Sweetie, you stick around here with Green," Applebloom's face reflected some anxiety. "As for me, I gotta go. Applejack starts fretting if I'm not back by now, and let me tell ya, she can be a real pain in the flank when she's fretting."
True to her words, Applebloom disappeared shortly after uttering them. Sweetie Belle seemed uneasy, possibly because she had to stay alone with the stranger. Contrary to what Green expected, Scootaloo, instead of spreading her wings and fly — something Green definitely wanted to see — simply took her scooter and sped off to Ponyville. Sweetie Belle must have noticed his disappointed expression because she plucked up the courage to ask.
"What's wrong?" she asked with her melodic tone.
"Um, it's just... Why doesn't Scootaloo fly? I mean, she'd get there faster, right?" Green responded, still watching Scootaloo as if expecting her to take off into the sky and disappear.
"Oh, that," Sweetie Belle lowered her gaze sadly. "We could say she hasn't developed her wings enough to fly."
"So, foals can't fly or do magic? Do they have to grow up for that?" Green asked, but Sweetie's look told him enough to understand the situation.
"Her wings are too small to fly," she sighed heavily, then turned to Green with a determined look. "But I know she'll be able to fly someday, right?" she asked almost pleadingly.
"Of course," the traveler responded quickly, though deep down he had no idea, it just seemed like the right thing to say. "So... Can you do magic?"
"Of course, watch this," she said eagerly as her horn is surrounded by a green aura, the same aura visible on a rock that subsequently rises about 20 inches before plummeting abruptly to the ground.
At first, the human wasn't too impressed, but he did admire the effort of the filly, who was panting and had beads of sweat on her forehead. She must have given her all for this trick. I don't know the standard of magic in this world, maybe for her age she's a prodigy, he finally reflected.
"That was amazing," Green indicated with a smile. "You must be really good at magic." At this, she gifted him with a genuine smile.
"Aw, thank you! Although, to be honest, I'm just learning. I bet you're better than me!" She finished with an even bigger smile, though it faded when she saw the abrupt change in Green's expression.
"Excuse me?" There's only one reason she'd think humans have magic, he thought. "What do you mean?"
"That your magic is stronger than mine," she said this time, not looking as confident. "I mean, if you can travel through worlds..."
"That's not magic, it's science. I use this object to travel," Green finished, presenting his egg-shaped artifact to Sweetie Belle. She looked at it with detached interest. And how do you even board that thing in the first place? were some of the questions passing through her mind, but there was also a detail that bothered her.
"The other human didn't use any object to do magic... in fact, his magic is similar to ours."
That did catch the human off guard, but just before he could bombard Sweetie with questions, the accessory on his belt swayed violently, emitting occasional bursts of verdigris sparks. That was the prelude to what would later be a true spectacle of purple lights manifesting in front of them; the light disappeared abruptly, and in its place stood Scootaloo, accompanied by another pony, much larger, with glistening violet fur, and a mane of blue with purple and pink streaks cascading from her forehead like an interrupted waterfall. But the most striking feature, undoubtedly, was that she had both wings and a horn.
She locked eyes with the human, smiled, and trotted over to him.
"So..." Twilight began, observing Green from head to toe, pausing for a few seconds at the accessory. "You're the human Scootaloo told me about?"
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I'm Green Mist, just a traveler," Green bowed respectfully, but Twilight gestures with her hoof for him to rise.
"You don't need to be so formal," her words seem sincere and her face is friendly. Despite being a princess, her attitude is very... approachable, green thought. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Green Mist," she emphasized these last words. "Scootaloo told me about you, she said you're a traveler of worlds," at that moment, Green could notice in her large and expressive purple eyes a subtle sparkle that he didn't quite know how to interpret. "Is it true?"
"It's true, I..." Green was interrupted by a sharp feminine squeal. Twilight had broken all appearances and was now jumping with excitement around the human with an attitude even more childish than the girls before.
Twilight comes to a sudden stop after seeing the amused looks from the others. Disguising her embarrassment, she regains her composure and addresses the girls with an authoritative tone.
"Alright girls, it's late and your sisters will start worrying. It's time to go home." The girls clearly expressed their disappointment, but eventually they left, saying goodbye cheerfully. Twilight turned her attention to the traveler.
"Do you have somewhere to stay?"
"No, but the weather doesn't bother me. Besides, you can sleep anywhere, can’t you?" Green responded hesitantly, already sensing Twilight's intention.
"Nonsense, it's not safe to wander in a world you don't know," Twilight looked directly into his eyes and then gave a smile. "Let me be your host; after all, there are many things I want to ask you, and I'm sure you have many questions too. What do you say?"
I'm definitely curious about the other human, thought Green, but his brow furrowed as he recalled that huge, flashy castle in the center of town. His first days in any world were always spent outdoors, interacting with the flora and fauna, but above all, away from those considered important in their respective worlds. "This is a good opportunity, and getting to know her will be a good start to understanding this world, but still..."
"Princess, I don't mean to be ungrateful. The girls explained to me that the other human never approached the town, and I want to be in a similar situation, at least in the first days of my arrival. I want to be away from the public eye, and it's most likely that the huge castle visible from here is yours. Unless you have a more subtle place for me to stay, I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."
Twilight's ears drooped in clear disappointment. "Poor Spike, he'll be disappointed. I even told him to prepare something special." The situation is complex; it hadn't crossed Twilight's mind that the human might reject her invitation, and she clearly couldn't let him go unsupervised, considering the current complex situation of the kingdom. Her face lit up with what seemed to be an idea. "I know the perfect place..."
"We're going to teleport to a place that's just how you want it," Green tightly gripped the accessory in his hands as a reflex. "Are you ready?"
"Uh, yeah?" Barely had Green uttered these words when he felt himself being dragged by an immense force, his vision blurred, and he felt a pressure inside his chest. Everything happened so fast that before he could scream, he fell to the ground violently.
The trick left him temporarily deafened and spitting out some dirt that had been in his mouth, when he looked up, he saw Twilight repeating "sorry" several times as she approached and offered him her hoof to help him up. Contrary to what he initially thought, when he took her hoof, she lifted him up quite easily.
"No worries," Green said, brushing the dirt off his clothes and looking ahead. They are surrounded by a forest that looks dark and foreboding, with tall, thick trees that block out even the slightest hint of light.
"This is the place," Twilight still looks somewhat distressed. "It might be intimidating, but this part is safe. A friend of mine lives here."
Both walked until they found what must have previously been a solitary, large tree. Now it's hollowed out and transformed into a house decorated with jars hanging from the branches and rather disturbing masks.
Twilight knocks on the door and then turns her attention to Green.
"First of all, you need to know that Zecora has already seen a human."
"So you brought the other human here too?"
"That's right," said Twilight, giving him a look that's hard to decipher.
The sound of a door opening caught the attention of both, and in the doorway stands what is undeniably a zebra to Green, only smaller. She looks at them silently before smiling and addressing Twilight.
"What a surprise, oh my dear, did Twilight come with a friend sincere?"
"Hello, Zecora!" They shared a friendly hug. "Sorry for not letting you know before, but I need your help with something," Twilight cleared her throat. "Zecora, let me introduce you to Green Mist," she gestured towards him. "Green, let me introduce you to Zecora," she said, making the same gesture, this time pointing at Zecora.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Green said, leaning slightly and smiling at her. She smiles back.
"The pleasure is mine, Green Mist, no doubt, but why choose a name so odd, if I may ask about?" Green directs an expectant gaze at Twilight, but she isn't sure if it's due to Zecora's curious way of speaking or if it's a silent comment to emphasize that question
"That's not my name, it's my nickname..."
"Zecora, we could talk more comfortably later," Twilight interrupted, "But I came to ask if the human can stay here for a while."
"For me, there's no issue with the human's stay," she directed her gaze at Green, "as long as this idea meets his way."
"Of course, no problem," he responded quickly. After this, Zecora fully opens her door and invites them in with a gesture of her hoof.
"Welcome to one of my lairs so sweet," Twilight was the first to enter, the traveler followed her, "Ideal for days and nights, a cozy retreat."
"... cozy," Green said with an awkward smile as he observed the decorations. Twilight let out an adorable laugh at his words.
"You remind me of a friend," she said as she sits on a sofa, the human remains standing.
"For now, make yourself at home," Zecora added, referring to Green. "I'll prepare everything while you roam."
Zecora withdraws to the kitchen, leaving her guests to themselves. Silence prevailed for a few seconds until the human gathered the courage to ask.
"So, does Zecora improvise everything or is it some kind of vocal magic or something?" Twilight gave a pensive look.
"I've never really thought about it like that. I doubt it's magic, so it must be just her culture. After all, everypony adapts to their environment," Green noticed the growing interest of the pony; he knew where she was heading.
"Well, one always takes something from the place they're in, whether it's an impression, experiences, emotions..." the traveler lightly stroked the accessory. Twilight was about to add something, but she was interrupted.
"It seems you've settled in just right," Zecora asserted, looking at them with a smile. "So, how about dining with me tonight?" she asked as she sets a series of quaint sandwiches and cookies on the table in front of them.
"Of course," Twilight turned to Green and levitated one of the appetizers with her magic, "I imagine you must be hungry, right?"
"Actually, I don't feel hunger," the traveler picked up one of the sandwiches and carefully inspected its contents. "I don't need to eat either. Are these flowers inside?" His train of thought was interrupted by a loud gasp.
"What?!" Twilight exclaimed forcefully, "But... how... they too..." She repeated fruitlessly, trying to gather her thoughts.
"But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy food!" The traveler said cheerfully, taking a bite of his sandwich. It tasted like literal bread with flowers, so he struggled to swallow the contents. "Although that doesn't mean I can eat or enjoy everything." He directed his gaze at the purple alicorn, who still looked incredulous.
"How is that possible?" Twilight asked in a low voice. "It's impossible for a living being to survive without feeding on something!" She didn't even know where to begin with her questions.
"Are you okay?" Her gaze made Green a little nervous, so he looked away, seeking help from Zecora, but she seemed to be in a playful mood. When she noticed the human's gaze, she let out a laugh.
"You..." said Twilight, drawing the attention of those present. "How do you sustain yourself?! Do you need to drink?! Why can you eat if you don't need to?! Are all of your kind like this?!"
"Twilight, I suggest you calm down, my dear friend," said the zebra, silencing her with a hoof gesture. "Let's start with simple questions, that's how research should tend"
"You're right, Zecora. I think I lost control a bit," the alicorn sighed heavily and focused her attention on the traveler. "Well, let's start with your real name."
"My name... well, I..." Green is interrupted by Twilight's shout.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Twilight repeated as she pulled out a quill along with a stack of notes and scrolls seemingly out of nowhere. This action was done with such desperation that one of the scrolls fell to the ground and unfurled until it reached the feet of the human.
"Wow," was all that dared to escape his mouth as he looked at the scroll between his feet. Blushing, Twilight rolled up the scroll again, tapping it with her nose in a rather adorable manner.
"Sorry about that, it's just that the situation calls for it," Twilight said with all those papers in her hooves and a quill in the air ready to jot down notes. "Anyway, let's start with the basics. Why do you prefer to go by your nickname instead of your real name? And what is your true name?"
The human reflected, searching for the right words for what he would say next. "Well, I have to admit I lied to you a little," Twilight's quill wrote furiously on one of the scrolls. "Hey, but there's no need to jot that down!" The quill stopped in its tracks, and Green lets out a sigh that seemed to have been pent up for a long time. "This is difficult to explain. The truth is, I don't remember my real name." Twilight's quill mobilized again, but this time in a more subdued manner. A question seemed to form on her face, but she decided to stay silent for the moment.
"Please continue," she said as she took a sip of the tea that Zecora was distributing at that moment, and the human thanked her with a smile.
"I'll try to explain. In my world, when we trained for traveling, we were instructed to choose a name that suited the world we arrived in. I've done this so many times that eventually, being named in so many different ways, I forgot what my original name was."
"Wow! But why?" Twilight asked with excitement in her eyes.
"It's partly about depersonalizing the individual and being able to form and break bonds with ease. I don't recall it, it's been a very long time, you know?" The human finally took a sip of his tea and smiled contentedly.
"But if your true name you can't recall with ease," Zecora interrupted. "I presume from your past world, your nickname you seize."
"Yes, my last name was Luhan."
"And what was that world like?" Twilight interjected excitedly.
"The truth is... quite hostile. I'd rather not talk about that place," the disappointment was palpable on Twilight's face. But the human had already thought of a way to cheer her up. "But if you want, I can tell you the reason why I don't need to eat," Twilight's eyes lit up at this, and she nodded vigorously with a smile. "First, you have to understand that all humans of my time have this quality. We were born with it through centuries of genetic and biological intervention." The traveler saw Twilight take a deep breath, a prelude to the barrage of questions that raced through her mind after this revelation. The human stopped her in her tracks before the storm unleashed. "Before you can ask anything, I don't know any technical details, I'm not a scientist or a doctor."
"I think I understand what you're saying. If you were born this way and the process took centuries, it must mean that right now it's as natural as breathing..." Twilight's eyes blanked out, and her pupils started to dilate slowly in understanding. "I can't believe I didn't realize it before. Your race ended hunger!"
The traveler smiled with satisfaction. "Humanity achieved harmony between survival and happiness. That's why all humans can eat, even though it's not necessary." He picked up one of the chocolate cookies from the table and took a slow bite, savoring every moment of it. "Simply because eating is one of the things that gives us the most pleasure. This is the kind of thing we manage to do, turning a necessity into a luxury."
Both Twilight and Zecora were clearly shocked, with the alicorn even having her wings slightly loose and raised, occasionally fluttering. "You have to let me examine you, please. If I can decipher even the basics of your organism, it could be the most important discovery of the century!"
"I don't know, maybe someday," the human huffed roughly. For some reason, the atmosphere in the room was becoming increasingly heavy, and the occupants began to feel a sense of unease, but Twilight planned to do something about it.
"How do you travel, pray tell. I saw no ship nor strong magic spell," Twilight said, poorly imitating Zecora's tone.
"Are you serious, Twilight?" Green asked amusedly.
"I guess Zecora's rubbing off on me over time," they all chuckled at that comment.
"I travel with this," Green said, exhibiting the accessory. Quickly, Twilight took it from his hands and stepped back a few paces, stopping only due to the tension created by the strap connecting it to the human's belt.
"Wow! It looks like one of those egg-shaped timers someponies use for cooking," she said, observing that the object is separated halfway by a horizontal line that spins on its own axis. With her hooves, she tried to turn it, but it doesn't budge an inch. "It's really tough!" The alicorn, exerting more force, tilted her head slightly and, thanks to this, managed to see Green, who now had a look of astonishment with his mouth wide open. "Sorry!" she said, embarrassed, with her ears drooping.
"Don't worry, you couldn't move it," the traveler said, tense as a rope. "And you're right, it's like a timer. It indicates the amount of time I'll stay in a world because traveling between worlds takes a lot of energy. What it shows me is the amount of time it will take to recharge."
"And how much time is left?"
"I don't know, I haven't calculated it yet. It's a bit of a lengthy process. I'll answer one more question and then ask one myself, okay?"
"Of course," Twilight pondered for a moment. "I've got it! Why did you choose to come to this world? Or how did you find out about this world?"
"Those were two questions, but that's okay," the human finished the contents of the cup with one last sip. "I didn't choose this world, and I never knew of its existence."
"What, but how...?"
"When the countdown on the accessory ends, it sends me to another world randomly, and so on with the next. Now it's my turn to ask, right?"
