//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Old Friends // by awesomesauce4 //------------------------------// Chapter 1 [This was the original story.] [Before… well, you know what happened.] [I have posted it here for… posterity, if nothing else. A reminder of how the story should have started.] Sam slumped over his desk, idly staring down at his notes. His biology teacher droned on, seemingly unaware that the class was in a dazed stupor. The tall, thin, pale-skinned boy with fluffy brown hair and brown eyes to match looked around, eyes roaming the classroom for something to occupy his mind that didn’t involve cell mitosis. In all honesty, Sam didn’t really want to be here. He was aiming for a major in journalism or public speaking, not biology. And yet, this was part of the general curriculum at his college, so here he must be. He looked down at his notes… or rather, what should have been his notes. He and Jeremy shared the unfortunate habit of relying on memory rather than writing down their thoughts, so he was actually just staring at a blank sheet of paper. Jeremy would have something funny to say about this lesson. Probably ‘mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell,’ or some other familiar meme. Sam smirked to himself at the thought of his bestie. Separated by schools they may have been, but they stayed in contact frequently enough to remind Sam of the crazy science that Jeremy performed on a daily basis. The last Sam had heard, Jeremy had been building yet another robot, and complaining that the ‘nitinol muscle wires’ were ‘being bitchy like usual’ by refusing to conduct electricity. The lesson went on, and Sam eventually caved to his inner Millennial and pulled out his laptop, opening it and signing in. If nothing else, he could at least pretend to be typing notes. He loaded up Discord, checking for new messages, and was surprised to see that someone actually had left him a message. Hardly any of his friends actually used Discord, still preferring Skype or even email. Plus, he didn’t recognize the icon – something white and blue that might be a tree? He clicked on their chat, noting that the username was “PrincessofHarmony”. Alyssa or Nessa, maybe? Or Kylie, that was always a possibility. PrincessofHarmony, Today at 11:02 A.M. Hello, Sam. You don’t know me, but I know you. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:47 P.M. what?? nessa is this you PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:47 P.M. My name is actually not terribly important. And no, this is not a prank by one of your friends. You can check with them, if you like, though Alyssa is not online. Rather, this could be considered First Contact. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:48 P.M. …Because that’s not a scary thought at all. PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:48 P.M. Yes, I know. For what it’s worth, I’m terribly sorry. Both for the trouble I’m putting you through, and the trouble I’m about to put you through. First, a little about me. I am a goddess, technically, and a fictional character, also technically. I have never appeared in the fictional medium I inhabit, which you are quite familiar with. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:48 P.M. …My Little Pony? PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:48 P.M. Why, yes. Though, I suppose that was quite obvious. Sorry, I’m a bit too used to speaking in riddles now. I was designing a game recently, which had quite a few puzzles. I am not Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight, or Flurry Heart, though I am an Alicorn nonetheless. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:49 P.M. Wait, who’s the last one? I haven’t watched MLP in forever. PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:49 P.M. Princess Flurry Heart is the daughter of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. Currently, she’s an adorable 2-year-old, though the show does not currently depict her past the age of a few months. Back on topic, I am, however, distantly related to Celestia and Luna. Their far-removed ancestor, if you will. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:49 P.M. So, let me get this straight. You’re Celestia’s and Luna’s who-knows-how-many-greats-ancestor, contacting me from MLP’s future, and you’re about to do something involving me? PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:50 P.M. I’m afraid so. Do not worry, my world is not like those harmful worlds you may have read about. Neither the Elements nor the Princesses are psychotic murderers, rapists, et cetera. And yet, you will be quite challenged with them all the same. Some of your friends will be joining you on this venture. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:50 P.M. Is Jeremy coming? He’s always wanted to go to Equestria. PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:50 P.M. …In a manner of speaking, yes. Though you will not see him for quite a while. Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:51 P.M. …Okay… PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:51 P.M. Do not fear, my young Orator. It will all make sense in time. Are you ready? Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:51 P.M. wait NOW??? PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:51 P.M. Yes, now. Before you have a chance to dread it. Good luck! Shaped like a Friend, Today at 12:51 P.M. … I’m still here… PrincessofHarmony, Today at 12:51 P.M. Whoops. That’s not the right button… Okay, now good luck! And in an instant, Sam’s world went white. He slowly sat up, groaning as he vaguely wondered when he’d lay down. He could hear muffled voices in another room, but couldn’t tell what they were saying. Things were shuffling around him in the darkness, and Sam immediately jolted awake. Where was he? “Hello?” he whispered out. The things abruptly stopped shuffling. “Sam? Sam, that you?” a deeper voice questioned, sounding terrified. “Brayden?” Sam breathed back, somewhat calmer now that one of his friends was here. Brayden might have been a gentle giant, but he was still a giant: Nothing short of an oncoming car could slow the dark-skinned football player down. “Sam, what’s going on?” Brayden asked, a bit louder now. “I… I don’t really know,” Sam reluctantly admitted. “There’s… something around us. Uh… can you search around a bit? Maybe there’s something we can use.” Brayden began making shuffling sounds again, presumably searching around the dark space. “Okay, the floor’s stone tiling,” Brayden reported. “Apart from that… nothing.” Sam began searching around as well, trying to quell the rising fear in his chest. “Okay… okay… uh…” Sam muttered, stopping abruptly as his hand brushed over something warm and smooth. He jumped back with a yelp, and Brayden stopped moving as well. “You okay?” his friend inquired. “T-there’s somebody here with us,” Sam whispered. He poked it once more, jerking his hand back. “I think… they’re asleep…” he revealed, already feeling weird about feeling up some stranger in the darkness. “There’s some more over here,” Brayden added. “They’re… they’re human.” Sam began quivering, thinking of all sorts of nightmare scenarios. What if something had gone wrong, and they landed in the wrong universe? What if the pony he’d spoken to actually had no idea that some serial killer had just ensnared them? “Hello,” a voice spoke up, emanating from an unseen source. They both froze in place, Brayden emitting a startled yelp. “Please don’t be afraid,” the voice continued, and chills went down Sam’s spine – he knew that voice. “We don’t mean you any harm, and we will turn the lights on in a moment. We were just unsure of what we might be… dealing with.” Sam swallowed nervously. A moment later, a chandelier flickered to life overhead, a soft whistling noise accompanying it as Sam’s retinas were seared by the sudden brightness. “Ow!” he complained, instinctively looking away and rubbing his eyes. “Sorry, sorry!” the ‘mysterious’ voice apologized. Sam slowly adjusted his eyes to the new light source, and looked around. In front of him was a small, windowless room. Four unconscious human bodies were strewn about, looking as though they’d crumpled to the floor suddenly from standing positions. And… he recognized them. Cory, his friend from band, was the one he had brushed, still out cold as he gently snored and shuffled around a bit. Further away were Avery and Nick, his friends from some of his classes, and finally Kylie, his friend from Anime Club who was rather humorously clothed in only his pajamas. Brayden was looking behind him, an expression of utter shock on his face as he stared and pointed. Sam turned around… and there she was. Twilight Sparkle stood there, clipboard and quill held securely in her magic as she stared up at the pair of them. She stood just a little taller than Sam’s belly, perhaps three and a half feet tall including her horn. Her wings ruffled gently at her sides, and she gave them a sheepish smile as they continued to stare. “I know my appearance may be somewhat… strange,” she began carefully. “But… I assure you that I mean you no harm.” Brayden finally found the courage to speak. “B-but y-y-you’re –“ he began, and Sam hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth. “Yes, Brayden, she’s a magical talking pony,” he pretended to answer, hoping Brayden would get the hint. Brayden’s eyes widened, and he peeled Sam’s hand away from his mouth with little effort. “I, uh… yeah… sorry, that’s a bit… uh…” Brayden trailed off, seemingly lost for words as he stared at Twilight. “It’s okay. I was a bit… shocked… when I saw you too,” Twilight answered. “So… have we been kidnapped for research or something?” Sam asked after a moment. Twilight wrote down something on her clipboard. “I assume you mean ‘foalnapped,’ and… not entirely. I think Princess Celestia can explain further,” she alleged, stepping to the side. Princess Celestia herself entered the room, and both humans’ jaws dropped as they beheld the Princess of the Sun. She was about as tall as Sam, not counting the horn, which easily added another foot to her already imposing figure. Her jewelry gleamed in the light, not a speck of dust daring to touch the golden peytral and crown. Her hair fluttered in a nonexistent breeze, looking not quite physical as it weaved and undulated through the air. Her body was just as dainty and thin as it was in the show, giving her an almost angelic air of beauty as she surveyed the pair of them with a hint of curiosity. “Hello,” she greeted. Sam immediately dropped to a bow, Brayden following after a moment of hesitation. “Oh, none of that,” Celestia softly chided, a wing tipping Sam’s chin up. “We are not here for courtesies. Please, remain standing. Or, perhaps, you would like to sit down somewhere?” Celestia offered. Sam considered what he knew so far. Twilight or possibly Celestia had summoned six of them here, for some nonviolent purpose that wasn’t quite research. Specifically, everyone that had been summoned had been friends of his, though it seemed not all of his best friends were present. At any rate, some of them didn’t know each other at all, so that was the trend his brain decided to roll with. A suspicion began to take root in his mind… but that couldn’t be true. “...We’ll stay here, at least until my friends wake up,” he decided, feeling oddly in charge. Sam had always wanted to be the leader of a group, but now that it might actually be happening, he couldn’t quite decide what to feel about it. Celestia smiled. “I am glad you address them as such. Do you know them?” she asked curiously, as Twilight made another note on her clipboard. Sam nodded uncertainly. “Yeah, they’re friends of mine from… school, mostly,” he summarized, looking over at the other five. “Oh! I just realized, I’ve completely forgotten my manners. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Day and one of the four Princesses of Equestria,” Celestia introduced. “And you are?” Sam swallowed nervously. “I’m… my name is Sam,” he returned. “And this is Brayden.” Celestia nodded politely, and Twilight cleared her throat. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and another of the four Princesses of Equestria,” she introduced, holding out a hoof. Brayden cautiously shook it, visibly being careful not to cause her any discomfort as he gently gripped her hoof and shook it up and down once. “A pleasure to meet you two,” Celestia concluded. “Now, if you don’t mind, I shall explain why the six of you have been called here. It will be quite a lengthy explanation, and I would like to give it in full before any questions are proposed. Is that alright with you?” she addressed Sam, who immediately nodded. “Of course,” he nervously agreed. Celestia took a deep breath. “Long ago, when the world was new, there was only one alicorn in existence. Beloved by all, she created life, giving her little ponies the gifts of knowledge, emotion, and intuition. She was known by many titles – the Creator of All, the First Alicorn, Harmony, and the Mother of Life.” Sam and Brayden glanced at each other – was Celestia talking about Lauren Faust, by any chance? She was almost definitely talking about the alicorn who had contacted him, if Sam knew anything about tropes. It was also a common trope for Faust to be worshipped to some degree in Equestria, so that wasn’t out of the question. Sam decided to continue listening, noting that the mysterious alicorn had a name of ‘Harmony.’ It seemed so unlikely… but then again, this whole situation seemed unlikely. “Despite, or perhaps because of Her best efforts, evil began to seep into her world. Villains who sought to end her expansion of knowledge, destroy the positive emotions she spread, and give intuition over to panic and distrust. But no matter how much they threatened her little ponies, the Mother of Life was firm in her stance. She never once harmed them, instead encasing them in the prison Tartarus to contain their evil until such time as they had learned the error of their ways. “The original Tartarus was built as strongly as she could build it, which was far stronger than anything we could hope to replicate today,” Celestia continued, a forlorn note in her voice. “For many thousands of years, its ranks swelled with new prisoners, each as forbidden from escape as the next. But, eventually, the concentrated evil within that prison became too much for her safeguards to withstand, and they shattered. “The Creator went out alone to meet them, to reign in the villains and prevent them from overtaking her land in a swarm of destruction. But she was not powerful enough, and was defeated after a protracted stalemate,” Celestia went on, hiccupping ever so slightly. “She had given up Hope.” There was a moment of silence, as Celestia composed herself, quickly regaining her regal demeanor. “But, just as all seemed lost, seven ponies came forth to aid her. They were nothing more than ordinary ponies – a scientist, a poet, a knight, an orator, a writer, a curator, and an artist. Shielding the First Alicorn from the oncoming attack, they gave their lives to protect her, thoughtlessly throwing themselves in front of the blast to save both her and the world. “They loved the world so much that they were willing to give themselves for it, and this gave the Creator new Hope. From within herself, she took the most powerful forces she could draw upon – those that had drawn the seven together. Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Magic… and Love. “The combined forces of these seven Elements were enough to withstand the assault, and even to overpower it, creating a magical barrier that surrounded Tartarus. The resulting immense power of the Elements, combined with the magic of the seven souls powering them was enough to transform the landscape, turning it from a harsh wintry place to a continent lush with life and warmth. This was the birth of Equestria.” “The Elements were sealed away, to prevent them from being used until they were necessary, and the Creator departed, telling her little ponies that they had proven able to protect themselves when the time came.” Celestia looked up, gazing at each of their faces in turn. “Although the ponies of Equestria faced many challenges and hardships, they began to work together and overcome them. And that brings us... to you.” She began to pace around the room. “Our Elements were sacrificed a short while ago, in order to power a far more powerful artifact. As such, we can no longer use them. Thus, we received a message from our Creator a short while ago, detailing instructions to summon a replacement set of Elements. In addition, she warned that they would be tested greatly by the challenges ahead of them. Once they had completed their task, and purified this world of its greatest evil, they would be allowed to return and spread the magic of friendship to their own planet,” Celestia recited. “Do you understand what I am asking of you?” Brayden seemed uncertain, but Sam nodded firmly. “Yes,” he agreed, surprising both Celestia and Twilight. “I do.” Celestia remained silent for a moment. “…Very well,” she replied. “In that case, I shall leave you to tend to your friends. Twilight, may I entrust you with their safety and comfort for the time being?” Celestia asked. Twilight instantly nodded. “Of course, Princess! You can count on me,” Twilight affirmed. Cory was the first to wake, his heavyset frame quivering slightly as the blonde-haired, sharply-dressed band player got to his feet and looked around. “Sam? What the…” he trailed off as he spotted Twilight. “Oh my god what is that thing?” Cory shouted, backing away and pointing at Twilight. “Hey!” Twilight objected indignantly. “That thing is Twilight Sparkle. She’s friendly,” Sam stressed. Cory looked at Twilight incredulously, taking in the purple coat, wings, and horn. “What… are you?” Cory asked. “I am an alicorn, which is a fusion of a pegasus, unicorn and earth pony,” Twilight proudly explained, fluffing her wings out. “O… kay…” Cory muttered, rubbing his eyes. He took a seat in the corner, muttering to himself, while Sam set about rousing the rest of his friends. “Hey. Avery, get up,” he muttered, pushing Avery slightly. Avery groaned, and rolled to face away from him. “No… go’way,” the smaller, dark-skinned New Yorker moaned irritably. “Avery there are magical talking ponies and we have to save the world, get up,” Sam insisted. Avery chuckled slightly. “Okay… I’m up…” he grumbled, blearily opening his hazel-colored eyes before looking around. His eyes alighted on Twilight, who stared back, and he instantly jolted to a sitting position, twisting his red EarthBound shirt to get a better look at her. “Wait, you were serious?!” he exclaimed. “Yeah,” Sam chuckled. “God… dammit…” Avery muttered under his breath, and Sam glared harshly at him. “Hey! No language!” he hissed, aware that Twilight was still looking at the pair of them, scribbling a note on her clipboard. Sam moved on to Nick, the smallest of the group. “Nick, wake up,” he muttered, shoving Nick slightly just as he had the other two. To his surprise, Nick woke instantly, sitting up and looking around. “Hey, Sam… uh, where are we?” he politely inquired. He spotted Twilight Sparkle, and Sam tensed, waiting for the inevitable exclamation. “Oh,” Nick answered himself, just as politely. “I guess that explains it, then.” Sam, taken by surprise, managed to recover himself in time to nod and explain before Nick accidentally revealed what little he knew of the show. “Yep. That’s Twilight Sparkle, a magical talking pony, and we’ve been summoned here as replacement “Elements of Harmony,” whatever those are, to fight some stuff,” Sam explained. Nick stared at his air-quoting fingers oddly, raising an eyebrow at him. Sam glared at him, shifting so that Twilight couldn’t see and giving him an expression that clearly meant Play along, or else. Nick shrugged, and sat up. “Okay, neat,” he agreed. “You seem less shocked than usual for being in an alien world,” Twilight noted. Nick chuckled. “I was going to take an exam I didn’t study for, so I’m pretty pleased about being in an alien world instead. Unless I’m hallucinating, which I guess is still a valid excuse for not taking the test,” he explained. Twilight pursed her lips, but said nothing. The last to wake was Kylie, who simply sat and stared as Sam once again explained what was going on. “So we have to fight stuff?” he wondered, as soon as Sam finished, and Sam shrugged. “I guess? Not really sure. There was something about ‘purifying this world of evil,’ or something,” Sam explained. Kylie grimaced. “Are we talking like… OFF purification? With the Batter and stuff?” Sam snorted. “Probably not… though, to be on the safe side, we probably shouldn’t go about ‘purifying’ everything within reach.” They took their seats in a circle, Twilight orbiting around and still taking notes as they spoke. “Um. Twilight, could you… leave the room, please? We’d like to have a private discussion,” Sam hesitantly asked. “Oh! Of course, I’ll leave you to it,” Twilight agreed, excusing herself and softly closing the door. Immediately, Sam motioned for the rest of them to come closer. “Nobody say a word about the show,” he hissed under his breath. “We cannot afford for Twilight to find out.” Brayden sighed. “Yeah…” the gentle giant reluctantly agreed. “Do we have to be so serious about it?” Nick wondered. Sam glared at him, and Nick immediately backed down. “Okay, okay. Jeez, I’ve never seen you so on edge, Sam,” Nick worried. Sam sighed. “Sorry… I’m a bit stressed after talking to Princess Celestia. I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” he muttered. Immediately, the other five adopted sympathetic expressions, Kylie actually going so far as to begin petting Sam on his curly hair, a custom common to anyone that had known Sam for longer than five minutes. “Hey, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. We’re going to be heroes!” Avery cheered, causing the others to smile at his antics. “Heh… thanks. So… does anyone need anything? Bathroom, food, stuff like that?” Sam asked. Kylie looked anxiously at the floor, and Sam shifted his gaze to him. “Kylie? You look like you need something,” Sam encouraged. “Well… I was supposed to get a testosterone shot today… but it can wait,” Kylie sighed. Sam immediately looked apologetic. “Well… maybe we can talk to Cadance?” he whispered. “She can probably do stuff like that better than doctors ever could.” Kylie hesitantly nodded, looking apprehensive. Sam gently opened the door, to find that Twilight was waiting outside, sitting as she reviewed her notes. As soon as he poked his head out, she glanced over at him. “Oh! Done already? Celestia asked me to escort your group to the throne room when you were finished,” Twilight informed him. “Oh, okay. Um… what are we going to be doing?” Sam asked, as the others peeked out from behind him curiously. Twilight grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “Well, you’ll be… training with me, I suppose! Learning the values of friendship, and all that,” she hypothesized. Sam shrugged. “Alright… seems easy enough.” He began following Twilight down the corridor, the other five trailing behind as Sam tried to think of interesting things to say. “So… uh… how exactly do we get to use ‘Elements of Harmony,’ anyway? Do we have to get items to use them, or something?” he questioned. Twilight considered this. “Well… we did. I was the previous Element of Magic,” Twilight explained, deep in thought. “The Elements of Harmony, for us at least, were a set of golden jewelry that we put on. For Princesses Celestia and Luna, they were a set of six cut jewels. Who knows what form your Elements might take?” Sam considered this – what would human Elements of Harmony look like? He wished he’d watched the show more – he’d only watched until the end of Season 2. Jeremy would know much more on the subject. He really wished Jeremy was here right now – as cool as his other friends were, they just weren’t on the same level as his sciency best friend. When they arrived at the throne room, Celestia was lecturing a plateau of Royal Guards of both types, most of them looking ashamed. “Do you not realize the importance of your posts?!” she furiously inquired. “We’re sorry, Your Majesty, but we are simply unable to return to them! We were teleported outside!” a Guard spoke up. The look Celestia gave him could have melted stone. “Then figure it out and get back in there, soldiers! Equestria is counting on it!” she demanded. “Yes, ma’am!” the whole contingent replied, saluting in terror before promptly scrambling out of the throne room. Celestia glanced over at them, and did a double take as she recognized Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the humans. “Princess Celestia… is everything alright?” Twilight asked hesitantly. Celestia immediately adopted her usual regal demeanor, though a hint of strain laced her voice. “Everything is alright, Princess Twilight. There has been a minor disruption at… one of the posts of the Royal Guard, nothing more,” she soothed. “Okay…” Twilight trailed off. Celestia cleared her throat. “In the meantime, why don’t we all retire to the dining hall? You humans must be hungry,” she offered. The six humans looked at each other. “It was about high noon where I was… anyone haven’t had lunch yet?” Sam asked. “It’s high noon,” Nick instantly added, and they snickered. “…Nobody? We all ate? Well, then, I guess we’re okay for now,” Sam decided, returning his gaze to Celestia. “Very well,” Celestia answered. “In that case… allow me to see to your accommodations. Follow me, if you please. Twilight, would you mind answering any petitioners that might stop by while I am gone?” she asked, glancing over at the purple alicorn. “Of course, Celestia!” Twilight agreed. Celestia smiled and nodded at her, and exited the large double doors in front of the throne, leading them to where they would be staying. They followed her through corridors and across bridges, up winding, gilded towers and through gardens. Throughout it all, Sam got the distinct sense that Celestia wasn’t so much taking a straight path to their lodgings as showing them the sights. Gilded, Arabian towers glinted all around them, purple and yellow flags flying from their tops. The foliage of the gardens was as lush and green as though it were straight out of a Photoshopped travel brochure, and the towers and staircases they went through were composed of only the finest marble, padded with velvety red carpet, and lined with gilded and very expensive-looking portraits that Cory couldn’t help but stare at every time they passed one. Sam felt oddly like a tourist, and more oddly still like a tourist in the Taj Mahal or Buckingham Palace. Everything here, everything was so… upscale. Extravagant. Rich. He half expected the streets to be paved with gold and the lamps to be lit with diamonds. All things considered, that wouldn’t have been terribly out of place here. If this was Canterlot, then what was Ponyville like? Celestia and her entourage finally arrived at a series of towers, to which the Princess of the Sun gestured. “You may find these lodgings more appropriate than most of our rooms, as they were designed with minotaurs in mind. Minotaurs are a species quite similar to your own, though with… noticeable differences in the head and lower legs.” Avery snorted. “We have minotaurs in our world, too… well, actually, we have minotaurs in fiction. The head of a bull, and the body of a human, right?” he clarified. Celestia shook her head. “Not quite. They have the legs of a bull as well, and minotaurs are generally much more… muscular than you humans seem to be.” Avery digested this information with a frown, saying nothing more. “Anyway, what are the standard times at which your kind feeds?” Celestia asked. Sam looked at the others. “Well, generally, we have three meals a day. Breakfast, which is soon after we awake, and usually around… ten in the morning, lunch, which is closer to noon, and dinner, which is usually around five or six in the evening,” Sam listed. “Hey, don’t forget dessert!” Cory called, placing his hands on his hips. Sam rolled his eyes. “And, at night, we eat dessert,” he finished. Celestia politely smiled. “Those are quite close to our own mealtimes, and… share similar names. How curious. Very well, then, you may expect meals prepared for you in the Dining Hall at that time. The Dining Hall may be found through the door directly to the right of my throne room, and if you get lost, you may ask any Guard for directions. You may spend today settling in, and tomorrow we will begin your training. Do any of you have any questions?” Celestia asked. They shook their heads, and she smiled. “Very well. I must attend to a… small problem, and therefore I shall depart for now. Rest well, and may the stars watch over you!” she finished, quickly flying off. As she disappeared into the distance, Sam watched her go. To his surprise, she landed just a short distance away, and pushed through a set of doors that he recognized as the ones to the throne room. They were just a few yards away, and there was a clear path from there to here… so why did she take them in that huge circle? And why had she left in such a hurry? Sam suspected it was something to do with all the Guards she had been yelling at earlier. With no further insights on the situation, he returned to examining his new bedroom. Like everything else in Canterlot, it was lavish. A massive four-poster bed occupied the center of the room, perfectly made and free of dust. The carpet was a dark purple-blue, and the walls a lighter shade of the same. The small rug in front of his bed had an image of Luna’s Cutie Mark on it, and a portrait of Princess Luna in a regal pose adorned the wall. As Sam examined this poster, the events of the past hour finally caught up to him. He was in Equestria. Equestria. He’d just talked to Princess Celestia, and he was now in Canterlot. Sam promptly staggered over to the four-poster bed and fainted. What felt like hours later, he woke up to find the other five surrounding him, looks of concern on their faces. “Here, drink this,” Kylie offered, handing him a glass of water. Sam sloppily drank, spilling some onto his shirt as he groaned and sat up. “What happened?” he asked blearily, rubbing his eyes and wondering where he was. “We think the stress finally got to you, we just found you sprawled on the bed and out cold,” Brayden explained. “Stress…” Sam trailed off, looking around. The events he had just experienced came rushing back to him, and he flopped back onto the bed, still conscious but mentally exhausted. “We’re in Equestria. Like… come on, what the hell,” he mumbled, mostly to himself. “Yeah, about that. Can someone explain to me where ‘Equestria’ is and why you guys know about it and I don’t? Like, was there a briefing or something?” Cory asked. Sam looked around shiftily, and Brayden checked the doors and windows. “All clear… at least, as far as I know,” he announced. “Okay. So. Basically, we’re in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” he began, and Cory slapped a hand to his face, groaning. “Oh, shut up, Cory, you of all people should know about not judging art by medium,” Nick shot back. “Yeah, true, but… come on. My Little Pony? Really?” Cory sighed, exasperated. Sam nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry, it’s alright as far as kids’ shows go. Characters have fairly developed personalities-“ Nick snorted. “That’s debatable,” he muttered. Sam shot him a look. “…Anyway, point is, we’re going to fight stuff and save the world or whatever. We might also get magic in the deal,” Sam mentioned. Cory narrowed his eyes in thought. “…So, magic in exchange for being in a little kids’ morality show… Alright, fair trade. What happens now?” he asked. “Mostly just settling in, I guess. Anyone have anything to move in?” Sam asked. There was a chorus of denials, and Sam sighed. “…Yeah, me neither. Got teleported here without much warning.” Though, technically, I suppose three or four minutes of conversation with a goddess could count as a ‘warning,’ he mused. “Speaking of which… did any of you have any idea what was going on before you got here?” They shook their heads. Sam hummed uncertainly. “I… got a few messages from a stranger. The usual cryptic stuff. I think it might have been that ‘First Alicorn’ Celestia was talking about,” he revealed. “Isn’t she dead, though?” Avery remembered. “No, those other ponies died for her,” Cory contradicted. "How come we haven't seen her in the show, then?" Nick wondered. "I think she's avoiding being seen - she knows about the show," Sam answered. Without their cellphones, laptops or gaming consoles, the six humans busied themselves in the only other way teenagers knew how: Sleeping. The sun remained at its zenith in the sky, and only when it reached precisely eight in the evening did it suddenly begin moving, only Sam being awake to notice as it sped down from the sky and dipped below the horizon. The moon quickly rose to take its place, a thin crescent shape and much larger (and therefore, presumably closer) than Earth’s Moon was. “That’s trippy,” Sam muttered, and promptly went back to sleep.