//------------------------------// // Questions, But No Answers // Story: The Melodies of Harmony // by ShipperOnDeck //------------------------------// The six ponies and Sam approached the Castle of Friendship, and Sam's lips formed a round “O” of surprise at the sheer size of it. It easily dwarfed all the other buildings in Ponyville, and it was magnificent, even in the ashen gray overcast night. It seemed that the crystalline castle glowed with its own inner light, shimmering a soothing combination of purple, lavender and pink. “You all live in this?” Sam asked, eyes wide. “It's...amazing!” Twilight could feel the heat of an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks, and she bit down on her lip. Before she could say anything though, Applejack spoke. “Well, not all of us, Sugarcube. This here is just Twi's castle. After all, she's the Princess of Friendship to all Equestria!” As her friends heaped praise on her, Twilight's shy blush only grew. She tried to wave it off, and said, “It's nothing, really. After the library was destroyed in the battle with Tirek, I needed a new place to stay. The Tree of Harmony had placed this castle here, and it just seemed...logical.” She hoped that would dissuade the others from trying to inflate her ego any further. Her eyes widened nervously as, instead, she saw a familiar look on Rarity's face—the one where she was about to get an idea~! and she had to head that off as fast as possible. “L-look!” she said quickly. “It's not that I don't like my castle. It's my home now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's just...a lot of responsibility. I mean, I'm the Princess of Friendship to all Equestria, just like you said Applejack. And you, well you're all the ambassadors of friendship. We've done all right for ourselves so far, but...it's a lot to handle.” “Which is why you've got us, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash crowed. “Princess Celestia set us all up together to be ambassadors of friendship. She knows how much butt we kick as a team!” The other ponies were quick to echo Rainbow Dash's statement, and Twilight smiled broadly, feeling reassured. “Thanks girls...you're right. We're all in this together!” Twilight's horn glowed lavender briefly, and the handles on the castle's doors lit up in the same shade, before swinging open smoothly. “Ah, allow me, dearie,” Rarity said, stepping inside the entryway. Lighting up her own horn, a beam of energy careened down the long central hallway and veered around a corner. In its wake, sconces anchored to the walls began to illuminate the inside of the castle in a warm, cozy orange hue. “Much better, don't you think?” “Mm-hmm!” “Oh yeah!” As soon as Sam stepped fully inside the castle, he was suddenly suffused by feelings of warmth and comfort; as if he were inside the warmest and coziest sweater possible, or surrounded by a bunch of great...friends... His train of thought trailed off as he looked at the six ponies around him, laughing and talking. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt as if things would work themselves out. He felt—happy. Happier than he had been in a long time. He still had questions; loads of them. But the feeling of emptiness no longer gnawed at him quite so strongly, and the turmoil from earlier in the evening seemed a little further removed from his mind. Sam followed the group of ponies further inside, and as the door closed behind him, another crack of thunder boomed outside, and the sound of raindrops quickly escalated from a few drips to a steady pour. “Sounds like we made it inside just in time,” he said. “So...Twilight, was it?” he asked the violet mare. He made a mental note at some point to ask just what—kind—of pony she was. It was fairly obvious to tell the pegasuses—pegasi?—apart from the unicorns, and those apart from “normal-looking” ponies. But Twilight Sparkle seemed to have both a set of wings and a horn. Maybe that was a perk of being royalty? When she nodded in response to Sam's question, he continued. “You had said you had some questions for me? I'm no musical expert, not by any means, but I think it's fair if we trade information—I'll tell you what I know, and maybe you can help me get back to where I came from.” As soon as Sam agreed to answer Twilight's questions, her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and her lips curved into the broadest grin imaginable. “Oooh, okay, all right, where to begin. Scrolls, we're gonna need lots of scrolls, and quills, and tea, and Spike, but I don't want to wake him, but this is so important!” She began to pace back and forth, staring at the floor as she contemplated her plans. She remained that way for several moments, lost in thought and oblivious to the outside world, until something clicked, and she stared back up to find five ponies staring at her with patient amusement on their faces. Her cheeks glowed hot pink and she flashed the group an embarrassed smile. “Uhh...follow me everypony, we can have this discussion much better in the lounge. Like I said, I'll get us some tea, and then we can get started.” As they walked, Rainbow Dash hovered over beside Sam and muttered, “I feel it's only fair to warn you, that look in her eye means she's probably going to be questioning you all night long and then some.” “Well, shucks RD, whaddya think would happen if the shoe was on the other hoof?” Applejack said, sidling up on the other side of Sam. “If one of us showed up in his world, don'tcha think that they'd have more'n just a few questions?” Rainbow Dash murmured assent, and Sam had to admit that this Applejack, honestly, made a good point. He suppressed a slight chuckle at the ironic inversion. After all the wondering if they were alone in the universe, the entire perspective was flipped as he was suddenly the “alien” to these ponies. Once the group of seven had arrived in the lounge, Twilight trotted off, presumably to fetch her scrolls and quills, and whatever a “spike” was. “I'll get started on the tea, darling,” Rarity called out, already heading in another direction. Twilight replied with something Sam couldn't quite make out, but Rarity waved a dismissive hoof and said, “Pish posh, you know it's no trouble at all. Besides, of the two of us, we both know I'm the better tea-maker.” Applejack chuckled. “Yikes. And I thought I was the Element of Honesty.” The remaining ponies took their seats in furniture around the lounge, well, all except for Rainbow Dash, who Sam noticed could barely manage to keep her hooves on the ground for more than a few seconds. In fact, she only managed to stay in the lounge at all for a brief moment before she dashed off, calling to Twilight “HeyI'mgoingtogolookforthatDaringDobookOKbye!” leaving a rainbow-hued contrail in her wake. Of course, once Sam had a chance to look around, he noticed a problem, one that he felt a little silly for not realizing earlier. The size difference between he and the ponies meant than any furniture he tried to insert himself on would be quite undersized for him. Further, not knowing how strong “pony furniture” was, he didn't want to sit in something and quite possibly break it. Ah well. The floor certainly looks comfortable enough. He wasn't disappointed. As he sat down on the plush carpet floor, crossing his legs beneath him, he sighed pleasurably. It was comfortable—moreso than some actual furniture he had sat on. “Hey! You sure you're comfortable sitting like that? You're all twisted up—like a pretzel! Wonder if there are any words that rhyme with pretzel...” Somehow, in the few seconds that Sam had taken to sit down, Pinkie Pie had moved from her position on a couch to front-and-center, practically taking up his whole field of view. Trotting around him, she turned her head this way and that, seemingly trying to understand the position of “cross-legged sitting.” “I'm quite comfortable, thanks,” Sam replied, possibly a bit more briskly than he had intended. He wasn't uncomfortable, exactly...but while the other ponies were friendly, there was also the unspoken understanding they were both strangers to each other, he to they and they to him. However, Pinkie Pie seemed to throw the concept of “personal space” completely out of the window, leaping right up to his face and not so much “breaking the ice” but incinerating it with a flamethrower. Of course, her mile-wide grin and huge blue eyes blinking innocently at Sam definitely worked in her favor. And, every time she got close enough, Sam felt like he wanted to laugh. Not that there was anything particularly funny, but the sensation was there, buzzing just beneath the surface all the same. Sam's blasé answer seemed to satisfy Pinkie—for all of three seconds until she noticed the space between his legs. “Ooooh...it's like a hoop!” she exclaimed suddenly, and before anyone, pony or human had a chance to even begin to wonder what she was thinking, she sprang—landing all four hooves squarely in the gap between Sam's crossed legs. “Yay! I did it! Okay, let's see how many hops I can do in a row!” Pinkie said to no one in particular, before setting up a three-sproing-routine, hopping to one side or the other of Sam's legs before hopping across the middle. Fluttershy was the first to notice Pinkie's antics. Applejack had slid her hat down over her face, taking the opportunity while the others were gone for a quick nap; for all she had eagerly joined her friends, being disturbed in the middle of the night threw the earth pony off her rhythm, and it was a rhythm not easily broken, tuned precisely to the needs of the Apple Family Farm. “O-oh my, oh dear...um...Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy murmured in a voice much too quiet to be heard over the sound of the pink pony's boisterous giggling. “Whee-heehee! Six, seven, eight, nine...!” Pinkie continued. Sam, meanwhile, was frozen in place, mostly because he was too scared to shift, lest Pinkie's hooves slipped and hit something other than the narrow opening she currently was aiming for. However, thankfully for everyone involved, as soon as the burst of energy had come, it left, and Pinkie seemingly “deflated” mid-air, floating back down to sit her haunches square on Sam's lap. “Eleven! See, toldja I could do it!” she said cockily, tilting her head around and jabbing a hoof in Sam's direction. “Whoo...! Even this party pony's got a limit though—shocking as that may be,” she said in a distinctly calmer tone. As Pinkie Pie curled up in his lap, the first thing Sam did was reflexive. He had seen enough sci-fi shows to realize that this was probably a breach of about ten thousand First Contact treaties, but he was tired, and not thinking clearly. A hand slid up, and Sam lightly rubbed Pinkie Pie's ear between a thumb and forefinger before sliding back along the back of her head, along her mane. The reaction was immediate. Pinkie Pie stretched her front hooves out, then slid back onto her haunches again, craning her neck back as far as it would comfortably go. Her eyes closed in bliss, a happy smile on her lips as one of her hind hooves began to pat lightly against the floor. “Ooh yeah...my neck's been itchy right there for days...” Pinkie sighed. “If I was a unicorn, I'd have magic and if I was a pegasus I'd have my wings, but I guess I'll just have to keep you around, Sammy!” she giggled. As soon as Sam realized what he was doing, and as soon as his brain registered what Pinkie had said, his hand immediately dropped from her neck, and he bit down hard on his lip to keep a hot blush from spreading across his face. But, the “damage” had already been done. Pinkie slumped into a more relaxed position, wiggling her rump against Sam's lap with a contented “Ahh~” Now, something Sam had noticed from the very first minute he had arrived was that these ponies were naked. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time because they were—well—ponies. He had seen horses before, and the similarities were such that it was a natural given to his mind at the time. Now, though, his brain screamed with the differences instead, as Pinkie squirmed against him. Different species or not, physical contact there tended to produce a very specific result; oftentimes an involuntary one. Sam rubbed the back of his neck, his mind racing as he tried to think of a tactful way to explain to Pinkie just what she was doing...she couldn't have any idea, right?...but then, there was that strange feeling again. Sam began to feel like laughing. A buzzing feeling that started in his gut and wiggled its way through all his nerves. And this time, he decided to just go with it. He started to think of the silliness of this whole situation—even if he had anyone to tell it to when he got back home, who would believe him? It was all so ridiculous in this particular moment that he couldn't help first a smile from spreading across his face, then a grin. Thankfully, before things got any stranger, in trotted Rarity, levitating a fairly large tray of teacups, a kettle in its center. She was followed by Twilight, who was wearing a saddlebag with a seemingly limitless supply of scroll spooling out of it as she was already writing furiously, even before she had asked Sam any questions. She looked up, pausing from her writing briefly, and gasped sharply as she saw Pinkie Pie sitting on Sam's lap. “Pinkie!” Twilight exclaimed. “Get away from him! We don't even know if he's safe yet!” Sam blinked in confusion. Safe? Why would they need to know if he was safe? Then his brain clicked. They were horses—prey animals, at least after a fashion, and he was a roughly six foot tall bipedal alien. The connection was tenuous, but it was logical to him. For the moment, though, he was just thankful as Twilight levitated Pinkie Pie off his lap and away from him; the buzzing in his stomach was gone, and he didn't have to explain any—embarrassing situations. “Uhh...sorry about that,” Twilight began. “But we have to be sure that you don't carry anything that could be harmful to us; diseases and the like. I'm sure you understand...” Sam's eyebrows shot skyward, but he nodded. I'm glad I didn't open my big mouth. They're obviously nothing like Earth horses—they may not even be herbivorous. But then that line of thought only brought up more questions. So far, other than the magic, the most advanced piece of technology Sam had seen so far were the sconces on the walls. How did they even know about cross-species contamination, much less how to scan for it? It seemed he was about to find out. “Good!” Twilight smiled and clapped her front hooves together briefly. “This will only be a moment.” Charging up her horn, a purple bubble formed and encased Sam. It felt like he was on the inside of a gel ball—but it didn't feel sticky. In fact, he felt warm, and oddly safe. True to Twilight's word, the sensation only lasted a moment before dissipating entirely. Seeming satisfied, the purple mare nodded to herself. “All right, it looks like he's safe—erm, you're safe, sorry Sam,” she murmured apologetically. “You don't have anything in your system that would be inherently harmful to ponies.” For the second time in as many minutes, Sam found himself mutely blinking in confusion before he found his voice. “How did you find that out so quickly?” Twilight's tone seemed to suggest that she thought the answer was obvious. “I simply used the scanning spell to compare the minimis pars in your body to my own. Every creature has them; without them you can't have life at all. Each partem interacts with those around it to form a whole—and it's the same from the smallest parasprite to the largest dragon.” Was she talking about—cells? Second to music, Sam's passion for science was unparalleled. He had always seen it as secondary to his musical pursuits, but his grandparents encouraged him to foster his talents there all the same, warning him of the dangers of being a “starving artist”, even in a bustling metropolis like New York. But here, in the present, another snippet of a trope from “alien first contact” flashed into Sam's mind. Biological contamination wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. He was intensely curious about just how Twilight knew what cells were, but if he started talking about technology, who knew what kind of effect that could have on her, or the rest of the ponies around him. He had to bring up the subject somehow without letting on what he knew. Or try to. Before he got the chance, however, Rarity trotted past. As she made her way around the room, her horn lit a lightish blue every few moments as she levitated a cup of tea to each of her friends. In the brief silence before Sam could speak, she interjected herself. “By the way, where is Starlight Glimmer? And Spike—I thought you were going to go get him?” Twilight turned to Rarity. “Well, I've been really making Spike work so hard these past few days, and he looked so tired...” She looked down at the floor for a moment before raising her head again. “I do forget sometimes that he is a baby dragon...” Rarity nodded her head in assent, murmuring what a good point that was, then Twilight continued. “As for Starlight, I actually sent her off to the Crystal Empire, to be able to spend time with Sunburst and maybe make some other friends as well. After all of our recent adventures, I realized that the best way for Starlight to learn friendship lessons is on her own, with me out of the way—much like Princess Celestia did with me.” “Oh—oh my, that sounds like a wonderful step, Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured, a small smile on her lips. “And such a wise one, too. You're becoming quite the princess!” As Twilight blushed and waved off Fluttershy's praise, Rarity approached Sam, levitating a cup of tea to him. He blinked, his eyebrows shooting skywards. “For me?” he asked. Rarity nodded. “Well of course, darling. I—wasn't sure what type of tea you liked, and obviously our teacups are going to be a bit on the—small side for you, dear, but still, after all you must've been through, coming such a long way, this is quite the least we can do for you!” Sam accepted the cup graciously, and as soon as his hands had wrapped around it, Rarity's magic dispersed. He held the cup in his hands, taking in its scent. Instantly, he felt warmer. And more energized. He took a sip, and it was as if every nerve in his body was supercharged. “This is delicious!” he beamed. For the moment, all talk of cells, or, minimis pars was forgotten as the liquid balm washed through him. Rarity giggled daintily, hiding her mouth behind one of her hooves. “Think nothing of it dearie. But, if you truly enjoy it, simply ask, and I shall share my recipe with you!” Sam's eyebrows shot skyward as a slight smile curved his lips. Were all ponies in this world this friendly? Or was it simply this group of six? They do seem to be awfully close, he thought, watching as Pinkie Pie bounded over to snuggle up against Fluttershy, who returned her nuzzle, though much more demurely, and Rarity, her task of tea-delivery finished, trotted over and curled up on the sofa next to Applejack, lightly brushing her cheek against the orange mare's own. “Now then, now that everything's in order, I think we're ready to begin,” Twilight said. “Ahem.” She cleared her throat, and the quill that floated next to her in her snapped to attention, beginning to transcribe on the scroll as she spoke. “This is the official record of first discovery of a new sentient species by the Elements of Harmony, Princess Twilight Sparkle presiding, all Elements in attendance.” The quill paused, and Twilight turned to Sam. “Sam,” she began, “Would you please state your full name?” Several thoughts flashed through Sam's head before he spoke—if this was an “official record”, would it go in some kind of archive? Who would see it? What could he say? What should he say? It wouldn't be right of him to lie—not after everyone here had been so friendly to him. His gaze slipped over to Applejack for a moment, asleep on the couch, and suddenly everything became clear. Honesty's the best policy, he thought. “Of course,” he said. “It's Samuel Delouise McIntyre Hall.” Then he sighed, flashing Twilight a slightly insecure look. “Like I said before we started this, I'll tell you what I know, but I'm not any kind of expert. I may not be able to give you all the answers you're looking for.” “Oh, that's all right!” Twilight said, grinning. “After we're done here, you can help us draw up some maps. That'll make teleporting back and forth much easier—it's almost impossible to teleport to a place you haven't seen.” Sam's brow furrowed. "Maps?" Do they think I'm from another part of their world? At Sam's confusion, Twilight frowned slightly. “Well, yes. Obviously we've mapped as far south as the Sovereign Nation of Minos Taurith, and east across the ocean to Griffonstone, but the areas beyond are a bit of an unknown. Isn't that where you're from, though? Beyond Minos Taurith? I mean, you're bipedal like they are...” she trailed off. “You...you have no idea where Minos Taurith is, do you?” “Not a clue.” Sam shook his head. “Or Griffonstone.” “You're not from anywhere on Viridem...are you?”