//------------------------------// // Twilight // Story: the traveler // by AkiraRealHuman //------------------------------// 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..."