//------------------------------// // Chapter 28. Lunch // Story: Tales Of An Outcast // by PrismStrike //------------------------------// CASTLE COURTYARD Once the Flash of Luna's teleport fades I turn to her and with a fairly blank expression say "Princess. Perhaps you could warn me next time you are going to teleport me. I know I don't usually complain but the regular teleports have begun to mess with my senses just a little. Leaves a faint ringing in my ears" "Hmmm that is odd Prism but we shall keep it in mind." comes Luna's rather casual reply before she gets to the task at hand. "Come though it is time to give your new wings a test. For now just try to hover and maybe move. We do not know how much the mana stone may have drained your internal magic stores." I nod to my Princess before extending out the wings, slowly testing each of the metal feathers in just the right wing by attempting to flex them and finding them rather responsive to my mental commands as each feather flex's in turn. "I wasn't expecting the individual feathers to be so responsive. I can actually flex each one individually." I say out loud as I move onto the left wing repeating the same test. "Alright Princess I think I'm ready to try and hover now. "Alright Prism Proceed as you wish" Luna replies having produced a quill and parchment from somewhere unknown upon which she seems to be writing notes. I nod again and begin to push any pegasus magic i can bring forth into my wings doing my best to focus it as I would have through my old wings. After a few seconds I can feel the air currents under my wings shift. With a few flaps of my wings I begin to rise up from the ground achieving a distance of a few inches before strain on my internal magic reserve forces me to land. Which I am horrified to say I manage to mess up. As my feet come down the tips of the claws for my left foot touch first and as my body weight is applied to them they slip backwards and I faceplant onto the stone of the courtyard, which has the immediate effect of causing Princess Luna to snicker and giggle. "I am sorry Prism but the look of complete shock on your face as you fell was priceless" Luna finally says getting her giggling under control after a few seconds. "It is fine Princess though I think it would be prudent for me to probably eat and rest. That was a good first test I think. Proves they do work but I'm just currently to exhausted from them powering up to be able to properly use them." I reply first with a slight groan then a sigh. Luna nods softly to me with a smile "Yes you are right Prism. Go find your friends and take a small bit of time to relax. Once you feel yourself capable though we shall finish testing your new wings, In the meantime I shall have another guard division sent towards where Crimson was last seen with strict orders to only engage if he should come across another town." Her expression sours a little as she mentions her brother though she quickly puts up the same regal mask her sister does. Once finished with me she simply teleport's off to only she knows where leaving me alone in the courtyard. A SHORT WHILE LATER It takes me only about twenty minutes to find the group my powerful sense of smell leading me directly to them. I find them in the dining hall and though the two guards at the door give me strange looks neither make a move to impede me almost the entire guard having already learned of my induction into Luna's night guard. I open the door to which I am greeted by my six smiling mare friends, one smiling dragon and another mare who I don't know. My eyes Immediately focus upon the new mare in the room taking in and almost immediately memorizing how she looks. The mare is a unicorn with a lavender colored coat. Both her mane and tail are purple and some shade of blue the name of which I am not sure of. I can see her cutie mark is that of a purple and white eight pointed star pattern with a two toned bluish green wisp coming from it. My hesitation and gaze Immediately catches Twilight's attention to which she immediately goes into action. "Oh Prism hey. Your back already from your testing but before we get into that I would like to introduce you to Starlight Glimmer my first student of friendship" The new mare almost seems a little skittish as she replies though her tone manages to not betray it. "Hello there. As Twilight said I am Starlight Glimmer her first student of friendship. It's good to finally make your acquaintance I have heard so much about you from the others." She actually gets up from the table and walks over to me extending one of her front hooves for me to shake despite the sheer amount of fear I can smell pouring off her. I slowly and calmly extend out my hand taking her hoof giving it a light shake even giving her a soft toothless smile doing my best not to make this mare anymore afraid then she is though she is hiding it well "It is nice to meet you Starlight Glimmer. I am Prism Strike, though most ponies do just call me Prism." I slowly lean down whispering into her ear so only she can hear me. "There is no reason to be afraid of me I promise that I am no danger to you." her entire body seems to freeze as I say this going as still and as rigid as a statue. After a moment she manages to whisper out "Ho..how did you know" With a soft chuckle I tap the end of my snout. "I can literally smell your fear" Starlight seems to blanch a little giving me another chuckle before i move to the table taking a free seat next to Rainbow Dash who quickly turns to me while sliding a large platter over in front of me. "Here Prism. Ordered you some fish. Figured you would be hungry after testing your new wings." Dash says between bites of a rather large hay burger that she is rapidly devouring. Lifting the lid of the platter reveals three large fire grilled fish the scent of which makes all but Dash, Fluttershy and spike wrinkle their nose though none of them say anything until the smell reaches Starlight having since returned to the table.her head shoots up from her salad to look right at the three fish in front of me her eyes bulging a little from her head. "I know that Twilight said you ate meat but actually seeing you sit there with your mouth watering a little is just downright creepy" I run my forearm along my mouth and find that I am indeed drooling a little to which I blush a shrink away a little. "Yeah sorry...I haven't had a real meal in almost a full day." "Well you should hurry up and eat then. I have heard what your kind does prefer to eat" and with that the source of this mares fear towards me becomes apparent before I can say anything though Dash spits out her current bite of hay burger and practically leaps across the table at Starlight grabbing her by her mane. "He is not like that. Prism is kind and caring and sweet and one of the most loyal ponies I have ever known. I don't care that your still learning about friendship. if you ever speak like that about him again..." Twilight cuts off Rainbow at this point using her telekinesis to pry Rainbow away from Starlight. "While Rainbow has definitely overreacted here she is right. Prism would never do anything to harm any of us. In fact he has gone out of his way to protect ponies and even helped to free Ponyville during that short uprising by that fanatical sect." Twilight says to Starlight rather sternly immediately reminding me of Celestia "And further more he is counted by each of us here as a good friend. Perhaps your next lesson should be about being more socially aware around other ponies." She finishes her short piece with a rather motherly tone and i find myself with a newfound respect for Twilight because of it. The rest of lunch passes by rather uneventfully well that is until a guard comes bursting in requesting the presence of Twilight sparkle and myself in the throne room we take one look at each other before nodding to the guard. We say quick partings to our friends before racing off behind said guard to the throne room.