After at least two hours of Q&A with Twilight, we decided we called it a day. Dinner was prepared by her assistant Spike. He was a small dragon barely few inches smaller than Twilight, already not a baby, but still very little considering the information I got from Twilight about dragons here. Upon first seeing me he freaked out, but Twilight assured him that I meant no harm. Twilight wrote a letter which she sent to the Princesses, using her own magic rather than the mail delivery, which was a relief for Spike, though I could not figure out why. The letter asked if she could visit them tomorrow morning at 9:00 with me.
She reminds me of myself in so many ways. She keeps things organized, schedules and plans everything that can be scheduled and planned, is eager to learn, observe and experiment with new things, and last but not least, she has a basic understanding in most scientific fields. I hope she never ever takes the road I have taken.
After dinner, she led me to one of her guest rooms. Yes, she has plenty of rooms. Her mansion is rather a castle or a palace than a house. I am too tired to wander around now, as well as she is too tired to show me around.
Having no accessories and any personal belongings yet, I wake up to the calling of Twilight instead of an alarm clock. I check the pendulum clock on the nightstand: it's exactly 5:30 am. She is just as punctual as me.
"Morning, John. Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning Twilight. Thank you, I did." (I'm not going to mention the nightmares I had. They are my nightmares, and I deserve every bit of them.)
After a quick shower I dressed up, and head to the kitchen to have breakfast. Twilight already sat at the table eating a daffodil sandwich. I was served eggs and potato fries (yes, they have potato, though they prefer hay fries). After finishing our meal, we headed to the train station to catch the 6:30 train to Canterlot. There were a few ponies running errands on the streets who were eyeing me suspiciously. Though I was with Twilight, so they didn't pay too much attention.
I admired the sight of their trains. Yes, pony technology was far behind the development of Earth technology, but they had magic to even the odds. But their trains were pure engineering perfection. The locomotives were driven by steam engines, just as Stephenson's locomotive. Except they were faster. I could not judge velocity exactly, considering even the fact that the ponies talked English was a huge coincidence. I bet their measurement units are completely different from ours, not to mention the size of their planets, construction of their solar system and so on. I was thinking these things while on the train when suddenly Twilight asked me a question.
"So, are you excited to meet the Princesses?"
"Yes, a bit. But if your description is anything to go with, they are wise enough, so we can talk things out simply and conveniently. I'm only excited because I happen to have a negotiation with the true leaders of a powerful country. Something I didn't accomplish on Earth. By the way, while describing the pony races, you mentioned yesterday that there are three princesses in Equestria, and all of them are alicorns. You also mentioned that besides the princesses, there are no alicorns in Equestria. So, either you are a princess too, or there are other alicorns than the princesses."
"(Shit! How did he figure it out so quickly?) Erm..."
"Tell me, Princess. Why did you have to deny it?"
"Uh... Heheheh... I was just worried. I didn't know what to expect from you. To be honest, it had two sides. First, I could not trust you. I believed it was better to keep it secret. Second, I didn't want to intimidate you. You know, I have made wonderful friends here in Ponyville. But ever since I became a Princess, I have only my five best friends left as friends. Most ponies started to worship me... and fear me. As if me growing wings would have changed me into some almighty overmare. If you were to be a threat, I would have had the advantage of surprise. If you were to be non-hostile, you could have become my friend rather than my worshiper."
"Fair enough. So, Princess Twilight Sparkle, are you excited to meet your fellow Princesses?" I ask her while developing a shit-eating grin.
"Please, just stop that."
"I may be old, but a little teasing doesn't hurt anyone, right?"
"Yes, you may be right. Though one more Princess to me and I will force you to spend a whole day with my friend Pinkie Pie. Or Rainbow Dash. Or convince the Richs to hire you as their butler." (Diamond Tiara has already turned somewhat eighteen, so I can't threaten him with a foalsitting job, but coping with her like this on a daily basis may be even worse.)
"Well, considering the fact I don't know any pony besides you, that can be a serious warning." She starts to giggle. Yes, maybe life is worth living. I can make new friends, I can live a life worth living, and for once, I can make those around me feel better instead of feel worse. That can be my new purpose.
We arrive at the Canterlot Railway Station by 8:00, just as planned. We have a solid 30 minutes long walk to the entrance of Canterlot Castle. There, we only have to gain entry from the guards, then find the meeting room. If everything goes as planned, we should arrive at least fifteen minutes early, but, as everywhere in life, unexpected complications can occur. The Canterlot ponies are more concerned about me than the Ponyvillians were. They literally stop everything they were doing just to stare at me. Well, I can't blame them. I am an alien lifeform after all, and were a pink-skinned crocodile wearing sunglasses to walk in a standing position on the streets of an American city, I would be staring too. The Ponyvillians are just more used to the unusual, because they live next to the Everfree Forest, a place where, according to Twilight's summary, creatures which hardly can be imagined by humans live.
Reaching the gates of the Castle of Canterlot, the guards usher us inside. They are not even surprised. I'm sure the Princesses have informed them about my arrival. I offer them a "Good Morning Sirs" which they return with a nod. Twilight seems to know every inch of the castle. She leads the way, though I manage to keep up my attention and check the details. I can reverse all the turns we did until now which means I can find the exit alone if I had to. One thing I learned back on Earth is that I never enter a building without checking its general layout from a tactical point of view, including possible entries and exits, hiding spots, covers and paths towards exit points. Planning and successfully carrying out several murders have this effect on a man. Twilight stops in front of an average sized double door, then pushes it in.
The room we enter is spacious, but not extremely so. It is not frivolously furnished, like I expected. In fact it seems... professional. That is the good term. Its furniture is cozy, yet functional, its ornaments simple, yet perfect in their way. It reminds me of a council room. A huge round oak table dominates the center. There are six chairs prepared around the table, four of them already occupied. I see four ponies: one white alicorn having the size of a real horse, one dark bluish grey one slightly smaller, one pink one a bit smaller than the dark one, and one white unicorn stallion sitting next to the pink alicorn. I don't know what the proper etiquette is, so I start over.
"Greetings, mylord and myladies."
The dark blue one seems to get infuriated.
"BOW THYSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF ROYALTY, CREATURE!" She shouts. Well, that was something. Judging the faces, all others are a bit frightened, but I don't even flinch. I think it's time to teach her a lesson. I may not mean any harm, but respect must be given to each other, lest it will be lost forever. I step up to the shouting blue alicorn, who I assume is Princess Luna, and stand before her.
"We are not properly introduced. My name is John Kramer."
"W-WHAT? I SAID YOU MUST BOW THYSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF ROYALTY!"
"I will, if it is part of the etiquette here. But it would be nice of you to introduce yourself." I say, than I present a bow.
"WELL, I'M PRINCESS LUNA. NICE TO MEET YOU, MR. KRAMER!"
"Uh, Lulu, can you speak a bit more silent? There is no use of using the Royal Canterlot Voice every time we have a foreign visitor." She turns to me. "I am Princess Celestia. It is my pleasure to welcome you, Mr. Kramer."
"Please, just call me John."
"Hi! I'm Princess Cadance! I'm soooo happy to meet you Johnny!" Freaking pink pony. I know, one pony is no pattern to follow, but this pink one seems to be more childish and hyperactive than the others. She seems to be more childish than an average adult, not to mention a high-class leader.
"Hello. My name is Shining Armor. It's nice to see you, Mr. Kramer.
Meanwhile, they greet Twilight also. It seems like she has a deep connection with each of them, though she leaps into a bone-crushing hug with Shining Armor. They must be siblings. I have never had a sister, nor a brother, but the concern they show towards each other speaks volumes.
"So" Princess Celestia begins the meeting, "From what I gathered from Twilight's message, you are from an other reality. You call yourself a human, you are dressed up most of the time, you eat meat, and you want to settle in here."
"True. Though I'm not sure if I can settle down anywhere here. I am not from this world, and I have committed more wrong than any of you could imagine. Truth is, back on Earth, I was a serial killer. I was about to die a gruesome, but well-deserved death when Twilight somehow grabbed me from my own reality and I ended up in her workroom."
Now that's something. Twilight told me, that Princess Celestia always holds a poker face, though I could catch a tiny glimpse of horror in her eyes. Yes, she knows.
"Did you... kill ponies on purpose?"
"Humans. And yes, I did. I thought I was teaching them a lesson, and testing their will to survive. But in the end, I was taught a lesson. No matter what the intention, the results speak louder. I may have had a reason to put my subjects in my death traps, but the fact remains: only a few of them survived, most of them died. Were it not for Twilight, I would ask you right here and now for a quick death. But Twilight told me that maybe I could settle in. I don't want to let her down. Even if I deserve to die, I would make her sad, and I am sick of hurting people. Or ponies. I want to make those around me feel better, to be happier, rather than feel bad."
"Well, that is very considerate of you. Twilight, I must ask you a question. Is this why you haven't informed me until a human ended up here? Do you EVER consider the outcome of your experiments? What if John wanted to kill ponies still? What if you summoned something stronger than all of us, and set all of Equestria to its doom? Do you know why Star Swirl never summoned anything or anyone?"
"No."
"It was not for the lack of power, prowess, or because he wasn't smart enough to figure it out. It was because he was responsible. He was smart enough to figure out a summoning spell by the age of fifteen. But instead of trying it out behind my back, he told me the MOMENT he discovered the spell. Not after he experimented with it, not to mention improve and use it the way you did. He asked my permission, because he was afraid. Afraid of what dangers could await in other realities. Afraid of letting them in here. I didn't even have to forbid him to use it. He himself reached the conclusion that it is better not to use a summoning spell ever, so he destroyed it before anypony else could use or recreate it. We are very lucky you summoned somebody like John in his CURRENT mindset instead of a being more powerful than all of us, or more evil than King Sombra or Lord Tirek put together."
I never thought a pony's ears can flop down like this. Apparently, they can be indicators of mood also.
"I... I'm sorry. I swear I never use that summoning spell again. But right now, John is still here. He needs a home and a job doesn't he?"
"Well, he can come to the Crystal Empire to cheer up the Crystal Ponies! He said he wants to cheer up ponies, so why not? He can be the Pinkie Pie of the Crystal Empire!"
"Well, that's an... interesting idea, Cadance, but not really thought-through. First, I must ask you, John, what are you good at?"
"As well as I observe, I have no magic and no wings, so were I to be a pony, I would be an earth pony. See, unicorns have magic, pegasi have wings and the ability to fly. It may seem bragging, but I think my hand dexterity can't be outmatched by ponies with me having fingers instead of hooves. I was quite a decent engineer back on Earth, so I think something like designing, creating, producing or fixing machines would be my stuff. I have already seen your locomotives, but I haven't seen any factories yet, but I bet even you ponies use some kinds of machines in the agriculture or in transport."
"Well, in this case, I can introduce you to my friend Applejack. Sweet Apple Acres is expanding and recruiting now anyway. You seem to have a lot in common with her, and you could be quite useful by fixing their farm equipment."
"If I am to propose an offer" Shining Armor chimed in, " I'd suppose we offer you a job at Canterlot Royal Guards. Given your self-introduction and the message Twily sent us, you could be quite the tactician, and even the strategist once a need occurs. You could keep our weaponry operating and up-to date all the time, well, except the magic part."
"What do you say?" Asked Princess Celestia.
"I am very flattered by your offers. I think I would settle with Sweet Apple Acres. My field of expertise doesn't exist here, but I am very interested in your agricultural development and the machines involved and that is something at least not too far from engineering. I'm sorry to disappoint you Mr. Armor, but I never was the military guy. Though if and when a problem related to your equipment occurs, feel free to turn to me anytime.