The pitter patter of raindrops hitting leaves and splashing down into puddles filled the ears of Private Cobalt and Captain Silvermane as they trotted into the dark forest that rested a few miles outside of Canterlot. Neither Stallions said a word, but from what they had witnessed on patrol, they didn't know what to expect. It wasn't until the smell of burnt wood and ash that Private Cobalt, the youngest of the pair, spoke up.
"Sir? Are you sure we are going the right way?" Private Cobalt asked nervously. He wore heavy metal armor and unfortunately not much besides his own voice could be heard over the sound of heavy rain pouring down from the sky above.
"Positive. Didn't you hear the explosion? Besides, we are close. I can sense it." Responded a much more experienced and matured royal guard.
Not long before the two ponies decided to investigate, a massive boom echoed for miles out. It could not have been mistaken for thunder. A blinding flash followed by the earth-shattering explosion was enough to warrant an investigation from the guards.
Both ponies were unicorns thankfully. With the help of magic, they lit the way through the pitch-black forest. They walked towards the source of the unsettling cacophony. The forest outside of Canterlot wasn't known for being that dangerous, in comparison to the Everfree that is. But regardless, both guards had their eyes peeled and readied their weapons as they heard a slight groan from a few meters ahead.
"Captain, I think somepony is over there." The inexperienced stallion stated and pointed towards the darkness ahead of them.
"Stay put, ill check it out." The larger unicorn responded and walked through the bushes and thickness of the forest until he came out the other side into a small clearing. A large crater greeted him a few feet into the clearing. The intense smell of burnt wood and grass filled the Captain’s nose. "Is anypony here?" He called out loudly.
His ears perked up as he heard a faint, barely audible groan. He directed his light at the source and nearly recoiled at what he saw lying ten feet from him. For a moment, he stood there in shock. Was this what caused the incredible explosion?
His eyes scanned the strange creatures body. It seemed to be bipedal and had almost no fur, besides the top of it's head. The weirdest detail he noticed however, was the fact that it wore clothes. He figured that was also because of the lack of fur. It’s peach colored skin was coated in dirt, blood, and soot.
His examination of the creature was cut short by another weak groan. "Can you hear me? Are you hurt?" It was a foolish question, considering that he could see cuts and bruises all over the creature's arms, legs, and face.
He leaned in closer and stared as he gently tapped its arm, being careful as to not harm it. The injured creature shifted slightly as its eyes slowly began to open.
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Pain was all Jacob felt as he found himself falling into the darkness. It was though he was on fire as he crashed and tumbled through every branch in his path before clipping his leg and splashing into a puddle of mud.
Wheezing heavily, he tried to sit up, but the immense amounts pain prevented him from trying more than once. Blood began to ooze from the countless cuts that littered his body. Breathing over the weak pained sob became almost impossible.
His eyes were barely able to stay open as he desperately tried to call out for help, but not a single word could escape his mouth. Everything felt fuzzy. His entire body seemed to lose all feeling. It became harder and harder to think clearly. Banging his head nearly a dozen times on the way down made sure of that as an awful headache had taken effect. Luckily, he was alive. Now that was the most important thing. The second was to get help, but in his current state he was lucky enough to be able to keep breathing.
What happened... Where am I...? He thought to himself as he felt rain drops splash over his face and entire body. What's going on...?
He tried one last time to sit up and was quickly matched with a nearly unbearable pain splitting up his back and then entire body as he fell back into the mud. For a good five minutes, he laid there silently. His slow, staggering breaths the only sound besides the calming sound of falling raindrops around him. It was almost peaceful, if it weren't for the fact that the immense pain he felt began to return. He wanted to scream out, but couldn't. All that escaped his mouth was a small groan.
That's when he heard a voice. Two of them in fact. He couldn't make out what they were saying and he tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't fight back the urge to escape the pain, if only for a few hours of unconsciousness. Everything seemed to fade as he struggled to stay awake. He heard the voices a few more times, drawing closer.
The barely conscious boy felt a large warm mass gently touch him. Using what little strength, he had left, he opened his eyes. It was a strenuous process that left him nearly exhausted.
Jacob slowly shifted his gaze up towards a massive wall of gray and yellow, almost blinding him from the powerful light shining in his face.
"Can you understand me?" A deep, almost authoritative voice asked.
His eyes focused up at a larger set of deep blue eyes looking down at him. Naturally he glanced at the rest of the massive figure standing beside him and if he had the strength to he would have reeled back in shock.
The looming figure seemed to resemble an armored equine. It had large horn that protruded from its head. Its facial features are what surprised Jacob the most. The large eyes the creature had unnerved him greatly. He seemed calm and collected. He had never seen an animal look so... Human. The only thing that seemed more confusing was the voice. Where did it come from? His eyes flicked towards the left, and then the right, but there was nobody else in sight.
“Did you hear me?" The voice questioned softly.
Jacob's body tensed up as he heard the massive equine speak to him. There was no point denying that the creature spoke. It was just him and the unicorn. His heart began racing as he shakily moved his head in response. The act of shifting his head caused a bolt of pain to travel down his spine and forced a weak groan to escape his lips.
The unicorn let out a relieved sigh. "Good, at least you can understand me. You're hurt. Just stay calm. I'm going to help you, okay?" He asked and leaned in a little closer to the boy.
There was nothing more the human could do. He had no energy to spare. Jacob could feel a warm tear drop down his cheek, before he found himself slowly lifted off the ground. His body was covered in a bluish aura. For a moment, the aura slowly faded and his body fell a few inches before being caught again in the magical aura. “Odd... Don't worry, you're going to be alright." The stallion said reassuringly, but the wounded boy was already out cold.
The large pony walked at a brisk pace and nearly caused the younger guard to jump in surprise. "Captain Silvermane! So, what was it-" The Private winced and took a step back as he saw the creature being held beside the captain.
"We can find out what he is once he isn't on the brink of death. The princesses will want to see him, I'm sure of it. There is no time, meet me back at the castle." With a loud pop the stallion, along with the wounded creature were gone.
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"The doctor said he should be fine. He just needs rest, princess.” Captain Silvermane informed as he and a taller mare, white and majestic, walked into the infirmary.
"Then there is good news after all. Where did you find him, captain?" The mare questioned and carefully peeked past a drawn curtain, seeing the form of a bipedal creature under a blanket.
"About a mile west into the forest, your majesty. I haven't seen anything like him before." He admitted, hoping that the princess might be able to identify the creature.
"In the forest," The mare repeated and turned her attention back to the tired stallion. "And private Cobalt?"
"I dismissed him a few hours ago. I hoped today was a good learning experience if anything else for him."
"Indeed," Celestia turned to the upright stallion. "Get some rest captain, you've earned it."
Silvermane raised a hoof to object, but he quickly realized that the creature was in safe hooves. Instead, he gave a small nod and bowed his head. "Of course. Good night Princess," The stallion turned to walk off, a small frown on his face as he took a last glance at the infirmary. "I did all I could do. He'll be fine." He told himself.
Celestia sat down and watched as a doctor, brown in color trotted back into the room with a clipboard and quill. "Good evening Princess. You spoke with the captain?" He asked curiously and opened the curtain and began to unravel a bandage on the creature's head.
The princess got a long look at the alien creature. Her expression was one of curiosity and intrigue. The possibility of him being a minotaur was out the window. In truth, she had not seen anything quite like it before. His face was covered in cuts and bruises. The dark brown hair held clumps of dirt and grass. If it weren't for the clothes the being wore, she would have guessed it was a wild animal. The sharp canines caught her attention, as well as it's nimble fingers that seemed to twitch every few seconds.
"I did indeed. Doctor Warm Heart, would you be able to identify this creature?" Celestia asked as the stallion began to rewrap a fresh gauze overtop the slightly scabbing flesh of the unconscious boy.
"I've treated ponies, griffons, yaks, minotaurs, and even a dragon in my life. But I have never met a creature like him. Oddly enough, his body is quite resistant to magic. Unfortunately, that is why I must use more traditional medicine," Warm Heart explained and began to gently wipe dirt off the boy’s face. "I'm sure the captain told you, but I believe this... colt, will be okay. A broken wrist, sprained leg, and a few dozen cuts. I'd guess he had quite a painful fall."
Princess Celestia glanced to the side, noticing a small bag slumped against the wall near the bed. "Was this with the boy?" She inquired.
"Yes, Princess. I peeked inside, hoping to find a clue to where it was from, or maybe something to help identify what exactly he is. No luck sadly," The doctor let out a small sigh. "Just clothes."
“In any case, if you would be so kind, I would like him moved to somewhere more welcoming as soon as possible. After all, I have a feeling we are just as alien to him, as he is to us." Celestia said, her eyes scanning over the boy's unconscious body once more, before settling back on the doctor.
“Of course. It will be done Princess.”
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The human felt at peace. The aching soreness in his body seemed to have died down considerably. He was confused, however. His body seemed to be sprawled out on a lavishly soft bed. The sun peeked through a set of soft pink curtains to let him know it was now daytime. Birds could be heard chirping from outside. A peaceful breeze gently blew the curtains in the light wind.
Curious to where he was, the human carefully slumped out of the bed and stretched his legs. For a moment, he had to hold the bed for support. A soreness shot up his legs and into his lower back. he had to take careful steps to ensure he wouldn't find himself face first on the stone floor. Slowly but surely, he made his way to the window and glanced outside. What he saw was a beautiful landscape stretching as far as the eye could see. Mountains seemed like hills from the distance he was from the ground.
Jacob stepped back and blinked a few times, "Where am I..?" He questioned out loud and looked around the impressive room he stood in. The room was big enough to be a small house. Extravagant rugs covered most of the floor. Painstakingly crafted furniture was placed around the room. Even extremely detailed paintings were hung along the walls. He was impressed, but immensely confused. He remembered the events that felt like they happened only mere hours ago.
“Focus...” He told himself and returned to the window. The groggy human let out a sigh, his brain crammed with so many thoughts. “The forest. I was in a forest…” Images of the dark gray sky flashed around inside his head; the sounds of howling echoed as if they were all around him. The boy’s mind felt fuzzy. concentration seemed impossible and even attempting proved tiring. Questions about his location, or how he got there were quickly dumbed down into things he felt should have been second nature to know by heart.
“Jacob. My name is Jacob,” He foolishly spoke out to himself. His light blue eyes glanced out to face the brightly lit sky. Puffy clouds floated calmly across the calming light blue sky.
As the human let his mind wander, Princess Celestia slowly made her way through the massive halls of the castle, deep in thought. Only a day previous she had laid eyes on a creature she had never seen the likes of before. Unfortunately, he was not in any condition to speak. When she had visited him in the infirmary it was clear that he was severely injured. The doctor did very good work tending to the creature's wounds from what she had witnessed. After a day of rest, she hoped that he would awaken.
She stopped right outside the door to the guest room, usually reserved for foreign diplomats, and other very important guests. Princess Celestia slowly and carefully opened the door. If he was still asleep, she didn't want to wake him. However, once she quietly walked inside, she saw that the creature was awake and standing near the window. Her sudden appearance seemed to go completely unnoticed by the creature.
She relaxed her posture ever so slightly as she caught sight of the boy. She carefully walked towards him. The human backed away from the window as a heavy breeze blew past.
The only thing he was sure of is that he wasn't home. Far from it. Before he could think of what he should do, he heard a soft, almost motherly voice from behind. "Ah. Good. You're awake."
Jacob quickly turned to face the voice and felt his blood run cold. Standing mere feet from him was a massive white furred mare. His eyes focused on the long sharp horn protruding from her head. His heart began to race as he saw that she was looking at him, her face full of curiosity.
"I trust you aren't in any more pain?" She finally asked and took a step back, seeing the nervous expression on the creature’s face.
For nearly a minute he just stared, before gulping and taking another step back directly into the wall. "N-not really..." He stuttered out, his eyes not leaving the mare that seemed to radiate an unexplainable power.
“I am certain you have many questions." Celestia smiled as he spoke. She had been afraid for a moment that the creature wouldn't understand her. “Please, take a seat.”
Jacob just slowly nodded. This isn't happening... This isn't possible... He thought to himself, heart still pounding in his chest. He followed the mare towards the bed and sat down as she smiled warmly at him. "W-What are you?" He asked, looking at her long flowing mane.
The question confirmed her suspicion. The young creature wasn't from Equestria. She turned to face him. "I am a pony. An alicorn specifically." She unfurled her wings for a moment. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Princess Celestia. What is your name?"
The teenager was a little hesitant to respond, but eventually muttered, "Jacob."
"Jacob," She repeated. "If you don't mind me asking in return, what are you?" The elegant mare asked back.
Jacob's eyes slowly trailed off towards the floor. Was he the only one here? The thought was terrifying. He was further from home than he could even imagine. "Human." He said in a near whisper.
Princess Celestia could see the confusion on the young human's face and gently spoke, "I admit I have never met a human before. I understand that this all must be hard for you. If you would wish to-"
Before she could finish her sentence, the human looked up at her. "What happened?" He asked.
Celestia wasn't at all surprised by the sudden outburst. She knew that would be his next question. "Two of my guards found you in the woods two nights ago. You were very hurt," She explained. "You were then brought to the infirmary. Once the doctor was sure you would be alright I had you brought here to rest." She slightly frowned. "That is all I know I'm afraid."
The mare held back just one little detail. The massive explosion leading to the humans hard landing in the forest. But she figured that she would tell him at a later time, after all, he had been through so much, the last thing she wanted to do was confuse, or frighten him further.
"Oh," Jacob mumbled and looked at the princess. "Where am I?" He asked after a moment of silence.
"You are in the country my sister and I rule. Equestria." Princess Celestia responded calmly and gently.
For a few seconds Jacob stood there quietly. His brain working overtime to piece everything together. Ponies seemed to rule this world, or at least this country. Not only that, but he was speaking to their leader. A loud growl from his stomach interrupted his thoughts, however.
"You are hungry, correct? Breakfast is currently being prepared. I would like you to accompany me to the dining room if you wouldn't mind?" She asked with another small smile.
Both out of hunger and curiosity the human nodded, his expression changing from cautious, to a much calmer one. He knew that he wasn’t in any position to refuse. "Sure."
The mare gave him another kind smile and a moment later she was leading Jacob out of the room and into the halls of the castle.
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Jacob had to admit, the castle was truly massive. His eyes wondered, taking in every detail he could. The ceiling reached nearly forty feet above him and the walls were a light purple. Portraits of ponies and brilliant stain glass windows lined the halls. It was impressive to say the least. Almost everything, even the seemingly endless red carpet he walked on seemed regal in one way or another.
Princess Celestia giggled softly as she turned to face the human, who was severely lagging behind her. He wasn't the first to be distracted by the elegance of the castle, and he would not be the last. The shocked and amazed look on the young human's face brought an amused smile to hers. "If you would like a tour after breakfast, that can be arranged." She said to Jacob, who was nearly twenty feet behind.
"This place is huge." He stated simply and walked back to the princess. Celestia couldn't disagree of course. Without her to guide him he would no doubt have gotten lost in the maze-like halls. Her wing gently tapped his shoulder as she began to walk again.
"Very. Come along Jacob. We aren't far." She announced and made sure to glance behind her to ensure the human wouldn't get left behind.
He silently nodded and followed behind her. Large armored stallions patrolled the halls. A small detail Jacob quickly noted was that a few of the armored ponies seemed to have cat like eyes and sharp fangs hanging out of their mouths. The sight of the armored equines were intimidating. Most of them were either his height, or a few inches shorter. Each and every one of them momentarily stopped and bowed before the Princess as they passed.
It was a decent walk from the guest room, but five minutes later they approached a large door that was guarded by two stoic looking stallions. Jacob couldn't help but avert his eyes as he noticed the armored ponies emotionlessly staring at him.
Once they turned their attention to Princess Celestia they bowed and opened the door without even touching them. Their horns seemed to light up as the large doors opened. Jacob then realized that what he had witnessed was magic. He had trouble processing it for a few moments. His eyes glanced over to the Princess’ wings and he knew that some of the equines must be able to fly as well as use magic.
Talking ponies... Huge castles... Magic...? What’s next...?
Jacob meekly followed in behind the majestic mare as he felt the stallions stare at him, before they closed the door behind them.
"You may sit wherever you like." Celestia said with a smile as she watched the human look around.
Inside was a large wooden table. Enough to fit two dozen people, or ponies in this case. On both ends, there were larger cushions on the floor. He simply took the nearest one and nearly jumped in surprise as the cushion vanished, only to be replaced with a comfortable looking seat. The larger mare sat down to his right at the head of the table. “My sister should be here any minute." Celestia said to him.
Before he could nod in response, an almost deafening crack filled the room and a blinding light caused him to cover his eyes. "Good morning, sister." Celestia greeted, unphased by sudden appearance of a slightly smaller mare.
Jacob looked at her, still in a state of surprise. Her fur was dark blue, and her mane and tail seemed to reflect the nights sky. It was almost hypnotic. His eyes wandered towards her flanks as he examined the strange marking. It seemed to be a moon. He didn't have much time to look as he realized staring at her hindquarters might send the wrong message. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice.
"Good morning. Our guest seems to be hearty and whole." She commented sleepily and smiled. "I take it you had pleasant dreams?"
For a moment Jacob had trouble remembering if he had dreamt at all. Flashes of a calming tide rolling in on the beach visualized inside his head. His mental image was so clear that it was as though he could close his eyes and be there. The light blue sky was cloudless, and the sun shined down at him. Something about the odd memory felt alien to him. This wasn't a normal occurrence for him. He could tell. “I think I did actually.” Jacob admitted.
"Very good. My name is Luna, what is yours?" She asked curiously and took her seat at the other end of the large table.
"Jacob." He looked over to her, then back at Celestia. The fact that a Princess was speaking to him so casually was a bit alarming. He could not help but think how odd it was that he was sitting there, between the rulers of a country where magic was real and was populated by talking ponies. What was even more intriguing to him was the fact they both had genuinely friendly smiles on their faces, as if they were truly interested in him.
"It's good to meet you. It was quite a task to insure you slept well, after all-" Princess Luna saw his confused look and giggled. "Forgive me, it slipped my mind. You aren't from Equestria. It is my duty to make sure my subjects, as well as guests, have pleasant dreams. It’s quite the task, but I do like to believe that I do a good job.”
“You do a wonderful job, sister.” Celestia said politely.
Is she saying she went inside my dreams...? How is that even possible?
"You got rid of my nightmares?" He asked for confirmation.
"I did indeed." She said with a smile.
The more that Jacob thought about nightmares, the more his mind felt fuzzy and vacant. Faintly he could hear the howls again. They were unnerving and it took a great effort to drag his attention back to reality.
From behind he heard a pair of doors open. A large assortment of food was rolled out, accompanied by three ponies in cook uniforms. With incredible speed. the platters were placed onto the table, along with plates and utensils. They all floated over so quickly that Jacob nearly flinched as a plate landed gently in front of him. He just sat back and watched in amazement as the three ponies finished setting the table and bowed before trotting back to the kitchen.
He turned back around and watched as Princess Luna and Princess Celestia lifted the covers off the platters and a mouthwatering scent filled the room. The smell of fresh pancakes and muffins caused his stomach to rumble in anticipation.
Almost a surprising amount of food was lifted from the platters and placed on his plate. "I hope the castle hasn't been too overwhelming?" Luna asked curiously.
"I've never seen anything like it before." He admitted and looked as his glass began to fill with orange juice seemingly by itself.
This magic stuff is so strange...
"Sister, would you mind giving Jacob a quick tour around the castle after breakfast?" Princess Celestia asked as she took a sip of juice.
"Well, I suppose I could stay up for a while longer. I wouldn't mind at all. That is, if you would like that?" Luna questioned the human as he carefully plucked up a muffin.
"I guess so. If you aren't busy." He responded and took a small bite of the warm, moist cinnamon muffin.
"Oh, don’t you worry about that. I can make time." Luna said happily and made her plate.
As they began to eat, the human couldn't help but wonder why he was having trouble focusing. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind kept reminding him that he had to get back home. Faintly he could picture the outline of a house. The details were impossible to make out. His brain felt empty. A barren wasteland of nothingness. Fog seemed to cover up everything inside his mind.
A few more muffins met their fate in the hungry teenager’s stomach before he felt as though he couldn't eat another bite. During the meal he had not said a single word. For the most part, this was because after the first bite he realized just how ravenously hungry he was. Another reason for his silence was a nagging thought that had grabbed hold of his attention. After a few minutes, Jacob glanced up from his almost cleaned plate and noticed Princess Celestia looking at him. "What is on your mind?” She asked with a little bit of concern in her voice.
Something about the way she asked made him feel like she pitied him. He hated the feeling. So much so that he shifted uncomfortably. Jacob sat up straighter and opened his mouth to speak but found himself having trouble working out what he wanted to say. "I... Can go home... Right?"
Both the princesses shared a look for a moment, almost like they were waiting for the other to respond first. Eventually Celestia cleared her throat. "We will do everything in our power to make sure you return home. You have our word."
It wasn't enough to make him feel much better, but he settled with a weak nod. He didn't want to dwell on the fact the Princess herself didn't give him a straight 'yes' or 'no' answer. Almost on cue the ponies returned and gathered every dirty dish on the table, bowed, and left once again.
The princesses stood up and Luna stepped closer to him. "Are you ready to go, Jacob?" She asked.
"Yeah. I am."