//------------------------------// // Chapter 8;* by royal decree // Story: Project horizon // by BRITICAL-HIT //------------------------------// And so, after the hectic letter we received last chapter from the nation’s ruler, Me, Shane, and all of Twilight's friends all headed immediately to the train station to respond to the summoning from Princess Celestia… oh boy! Shortly before that, Shane dragged the two of us back to the ship in order to change into something smarter… and by that, I mean have me change into a buttoned blue shirt while he watched to ensure I wasn't smuggling any weapons with me. I could understand where he was coming from as a manner of respect, but with everything that happened so far every time I left my ship, I didn't feel entirely safe without anything for self-protection. In terms of the ride there, it wasn't really worth noting in detail. Sure, the scenery was worthy of mention, and I swore I saw a cloud that looked suspiciously like a city… but it honestly just felt like the train rides I took felt nearly exactly the same. I'll go as far as to respect Celestia's influence on her subjects. One flash of that letter to the train conductor and he managed to set up the back compartment entirely for us! At first I thought that'd at least cause some minor confusion amongst passengers, but nopony so much as batted an eye. I guess these train ponies deserve more credit that they get. Whilst I was spending my time in thought, everyone else seemed to be in a big discussion over why Celestia needed us. I heard a couple of theories from the group, but I simply chose to ignore the whole discussion. It didn't really matter why Celestia wanted to see us, just that we showed her humans aren't a massive threat bent on world domination or something… that's the aim. "Hey Marc, we might need you over here!" Rainbow called over, knocking me out of thought and causing me to actually pay attention. "Is it that important, or just more theories?" I groaned, raising my head from its slouched position and shifting back upwards. "No, I think this question might be more important than that," Shane claimed. "We're deciding who out of me and you are going to be the representative of humankind once we get to Canterlot." "Alright, that actually seems important…" I agreed, turning over to the rest of the group. "If it helps much, I'm not actually bothered about all that. It's your job if you want it Shane." "Actually… you'd probably be better at it," Shane responded, sighing as he covered the scar that ran through his eye. "I might have a knack for formal speaking when I feel like it, but you seem to understand more about this planet’s inhabitants than me." "Are you sure? Something like this is… one hell of a responsibility," I said, shuddering at the thought of ME representing my whole kind to the ruler of a nation. It was a… chilling thought. "I think Shane would be a better choice." "Marc, I didn't want to do this, but… all those who think Marc would be a better rep than me, raise your appropriate appendage," Shane instructed, followed by everyone raising their hand, claw, and hooves in agreement. "See? I'm not the only one who thinks so." "Ugh, alright then… I'll do it. But if I have to do paperwork, I'm out," I told them, slouching yet again. "Is that the only reason you called me over?" "Pretty much, but now that you mention it, we have something else to bring up," Twilight began, once again holding out the scroll Celestia sent. "The princess says it's best to keep you out of the public eye, as to avoid any inner-city chaos. Soo… you and Shane are going to have to take the alleyways." "Yeah, let's make sure to go down the dark alleyways of a nation’s capital city. That's a great way to avoid mugging and assault…" Shane groaned, shaking his head with disagreement. "I don't care about being seen. I'll walk straight through those streets regardless of what anyone thinks." "Prepare for a Twilight lecture in three, two…" Spike declared, placing his claws into his ears… or whatever those flaps are actually called. He's a dragon, so are they the same thing? Are they something else? … Hang on, what did he just say? "Shane, this is Princess CELESTIA we're talking about here! I know she's usually not all that cautious when it comes to diplomatic issues like this, but if she suggests you stick to the shadows, then that's what going to happen. Alright?" Twilight stood her ground, defending the orders of her leader at all costs. I could see a stubborn glare fill her eyes, which was identically mirrored by Shane. "No offence Twilight, but I prefer to make my own plans," he told her, his tone of voice changing to become more stern and intimidating, a voice I was more than familiar with from all his conflicts with Joseph. "Don't get me wrong, Celestia is regarded as a fine leading figure in your world, and that much I respect. However, I don't yet know her intentions, and I wish to focus on keeping MY kind in plain view, not the alleyways." I could see Twilight and Shane glaring at each other, each one if them not wishing to back down from their plans. Everyone else in the room seemed to share a unanimously cautious look, not wishing to interrupt their argument and receive the brunt of their rage. Instead of getting myself involved, I simply stood up and headed for the back exit. "I'm heading out back until Goku and Superman have stopped fighting," I groaned, approaching the back door of the train to get some air. Despite nothing actually being said, Rainbow Dash also decided to leave, following me to the back of the train. "You know, I can't believe Shane can withstand a Twilight lecture, let alone answer her back," she said, sliding the door back into position, then joining me at the back rail. "Does he get like that often?" "You… have no idea," I moaned, trying to get his tone of voice out of my head. It always creeped me out. "It's a complete change of character. He's usually so calm and laid-back, but when he gets into an argument… that happens." Rainbow nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you know it's bad when you use the 'other room' strategy to deal with it." "If we were in the ship, I'd use the 'spray deodorant in his face' technique to shut him up." I chuckled, having discovered Rainbow's sense of humour is similar to mine. "I seriously can't believe there's two of them now…" "Tell me about it! Things were fine with Twilight in charge. All she did was just take responsibility when stuff goes wrong. Now Shane's here… does he take charge of stuff?" With that question, I thought back to the time I spent with him prior to Horizon. "I… guess he did? Not at first, but definitely after my parents died. He just… ran with the punches I suppose." "Wait, wouldn't his own family take care of that?" Rainbow asked curiously. I sighed. I knew I wasn't capable of telling the shorter version without more questions arising, as has happened every time I get into a conversation with these midget horses. So it looks like I'm going to have to take the shortcut… "Hey Dash… I think you need the long version. I can't really do the short version." I explained, as I settled into the story I was about to tell. Here's hoping I don't open some old wounds. -/-/-/-/-/- I could remember the day as clear as day… or as the snow that fell every day. The only sight for miles was this clear white veil, which was almost bad enough to drive someone crazy. Luckily for me, I had my family in toe to keep me going. I looked back every five minutes to check on my brother, who would often be found making snow angels. At this time he was seven, so he couldn't be blamed for that. I was eleven, and even I was considering joining him on occasion. However, my mother was still highly cautious. "Sam, don't make me keep having to pick you up! If your coat gets any more wet, it won't help much against the cold," she told him sternly, once again picking the little guy up despite his objection. "Nah, leave the little guy be. You know he's been bored out of his skull since he lost his gamecore," my Father called back, stopping so the rest of the group didn't fall behind. "Well, maybe if someone decided to share theirs with their brother…" my mom said, looking to me with a stern stare. "Yeah, not a sniff. That idiot deletes the save files of any game he plays, and I'm nearly done with most of them!" I argued, waving my arms out in my defence. I was, and still am, a massive media nerd. As such, any digital belongings I had were precious to me, regardless of how close me and my brother were. "Alright Marc, you've made your point. Just… lend him your MP3 or something. If we have to keep up these constant stops, we won't reach the next safe zone before nightfall," my father instructed me, holding his hand to the air directly afterwards, a signal we were all to familiar with. The family would take their stance. My dad would take out his revolver, my mom would draw her sword and cover Sam, and I… would stop messing around and get into a fighting stance. My mother would occasionally forcibly move my limbs into better position, but that didn't happen this time. I still remember the smell… a thick, fresh blood smell, it would likely travel for miles and draw in all kinds of creatures. However, it seemed it was early, as there was no sound, all except a constant pushing and clicking. Me and dad looked each other in the eye and on his next signal, scoured the plain. Luckily for us, there was no hostile presence. What we found was… Shane, who was trying to revive his father. It was a good three years ago, but I still remembered the state Shane's old man was in. Shane was in a better condition, somehow only getting a cut eyelid, which is still clear to this day. Based on the damage and scrap from the area, I knew it was a bandit raid, but they never went to this extent. This was just… gruelling. My mother isn't usually the coddling kind of woman, but one glance at the state Shane was in and her maternal instincts kicked in and she rushed over to him, completely ditching her sword at that moment. My dad tried to do what he could to save Shane's father, but it was no use. His lungs were slashed open and his chest had more cuts in it than a paper snowflake chain. Sam naturally looked away from the whole thing, knowing him. But you know the weirdest thing? Shane's eyes were filled with tears, but there was something… weird about them. It wasn't rage, fear, or relief. All I could see… was calm. It's almost as if he matured within an instant. -/-/-/-/-/- "And that's about it. I can't exactly recall most of what else was said, but Shane was pretty much accepted as an honorary family member from that moment. He didn't speak much at first, but after my parents died, he decided to break open his shell and take charge. That's… pretty much all there is to it," I concluded, the slight casual memory of my own family giving me the warm fuzzies halfway through my explanation. I looked back over to Rainbow, who was utterly speechless… for all about ten seconds. "That… wow. You guys have seen some serious stuff," Rainbow commended. "Yep, and we got through them as a team. And after saving a checkpoint town from a bandit attack, we were noticed and brought into project horizon," I explained, sitting down and leaning back against the back of the train. "The rest is blatantly obvious." "Yep. I guess that makes Shane your last sort of family in a way, doesn't it?" Rainbow guessed, sitting into a very similar position as me, but on the opposite side of the door. What Rainbow said caught me off guard. "I… never thought of it that way. I guess he is." I thought for a minute. She had a good point. "I saw my parents die and Sam's fate is unconfirmed. Shane… is, I guess." "Family is what you make it, I guess. I've known the girls for so long that they are basically family too," Rainbow told me, a bright smile filling her face, something I couldn't help but copy. "Besides, things should start to get better soon. If Princess Celestia wants to help you out, then your kind will be accepted here for sure!" "Seriously, how many positive things do you still have in that bag of tricks? Are you trying to drown me or something?" I joked, trying to come up with some other reason for my uncontrollable laughter. "Hey, you're the one who told the depressing story. Somepony had to lighten the mood," Rainbow claimed, chuckling a bit herself. "You're not bad, Marc. For an alien anyway." "Hey, that status depends on if your princess accepts us on this planet… I think," I claimed, despite not thinking my idea all the way through. "If we're accepted on your world, would that make us inhabitants, or are we still aliens?" "How would I know? That's not exactly my sector." Rainbow shrugged, looking up to the sky. "Thanks for suggesting the back of the train. It gets too stuffy in the cars, and the open air just feels… right. You know what I mean?" "Seriously, are we just alternate versions of each other? How do we think so similar?" I asked, getting nothing but an awkward look from Rainbow… smooth. "What? I was agreeing with you!" "It was just… a really weird way to say it." Rainbow said. "Blame those jokes from earlier. I still have some excitement in my system." I took a quick breath to try calm myself down. "I always liked the open air. I mean, I'm more of an indoorsy person, but there's just something about open spaces that just feels… comforting. "I used to train out in the open with my mom after my brother was born. Her side of the family always made sure to train their kids in self-defence." I sighed, memorising all the times I was beaten to the ground. "I guess it's just my body’s way of clinging to that, but when I'm outside, I just feel… relaxed." Before I could get any form of response from Rainbow, the train door slid open and Spike came out. "You guys know Shane and Twilight finished arguing about five minutes ago, right?" he asked. I facepalmed. "Dammit, just short of a new record!" I yelled, gaining a laugh from both Rainbow and Spike. "Aren't you going to come back in?" he asked again, the door sliding back into position on its own. "Nah, I'm going to stay back here. I might even try get a few winks in," I told Spike, leaning backwards and near enough laying down. I was somewhat surprised at how relaxed I was, but I was currently even more perplexed at how I WANTED to go to sleep! It was completely alien to me! I wasn't really all that bothered though, given a calmer state would help later on when I spoke with the princess… because I'm a delegate, oh boy. If the princess had a field day keeping my presence in Equestria under wraps, lord knows what chaos I'd cause representing my own kind! Ugh, that should be fun… -0-0-0-0-0- "Twilight, we're walking in circles," Shane declared. So we arrived in Canterlot, big surprise… No really, I was not expecting this city to be so… big. Several large spires erupting from the ground, housing built into the mostly sloped mountainside, and monuments and landmarks as far as the eye could see! I know this is the capital city, but bloody hell, I wasn't expecting this! After the train made it to the station, Twilight decided to split the rather large group into two. Pinkie, Rainbow, AJ, and Fluttershy would take the main route to the castle, while Rarity and Twilight escorted Shane and I through the city's alleyways, claiming their knowledge of the city would get us to the castle… which meant Twilight won the death battle… I mean argument. Dammit Marc, not the time for that joke! Anyway… back to what Shane said. He was claiming we were lost, having seemingly come to the same location for the third time! However, it was becoming increasingly clear that Twilight and Shane weren't quite getting along. "Shane, are you questioning how well I know the city I come from?" Twilight asked, turning back to Shane with a deathly glare. I wasn't quite sure what happened between them back on the train, but it clearly seemed to have made things worse between them. A quick glance over at Rarity, and I all but confirmed that we both hated the current situation. "I'm… actually with Twilight on this one, Shane. How are going in circles if we're walking in a straight line?" I asked, groaning over the somewhat grim feeling emanating from the two of them. This was going to be a long walk… "Alright, prove this then," Shane said, stopping and pointing at a scrape in the wall. "I made that mark the last time we walked down this way. The fact I marked it means we've passed through here already." "Shane, darling, all alleyways in Canterlot look identical. It just takes a keen eye to tell them apart," Rarity explained, looking down a three-way split alleyway, waiting for Shane to catch up to resume moving forward. "Okay, but the next time we walk through this area, the mark will be more obvious," Shane declared, using the underside of the bracelet Twilight gave him to make an upside down triangle mark with a cross through it. "Shane!! You're going to damage the scanner!" Twilight yelled, using her telekinesis spell to pull back on Shane's arm. But somehow, Shane was able to pull back on it. "In your dreams, Book Horse! You won't control me, dammit!" Shane groaned, trying his best not to get pulled to Twilight. And then… I lost my shit. I had enough. I turned around and my brain just told me 'be as loud as you want.' “Both of you shut the hell up!! You're acting like children!" I yelled, my fist instinctively clenched in anger. "Is this really what you want? To let a simple argument split you apart? You're supposed to be the smart ones, chill out and start thinking straight!" At this moment, Twilight and Shane suddenly began to think clearly again. Upon realising the situation they were currently in, Twilight dropped the spell and Shane lowered his arm. They both exchanged an awkward expression. Shane awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Well… that was a thing." "Yeah, sorry about that everyone," Twilight said, shaking her head and trying to return to the matter at hand; directions. "Twilight, please be honest. Are we lost?" Rarity asked, still not entirely sure where she was going herself. She mentioned she'd been to Canterlot several times in the past, but it seemed she still wasn't sure about the exact directions herself. "What? No!… maybe," Twilight muttered, looking over at Shane in case he was going to make a comment, but he remained quiet, not wishing to create another argument. "Look, I can't help it if all the alleyways look the same, can I?" "I'd recommend splitting up to find the way to the castle, but me and Marc would likely get lost… or worse," Shane claimed. He then checked the three branching pathways. "Groups of two would be ideal, but that leaves one path left over." “In that case, here's my plan; one duo, two singles," I declared, eyeing up the left path. "Wasn’t the point of Twilight and Rarity to keep us hidden?" Shane asked, turning at me with a confused expression on his face. "Wrong, they were sent to escort us through the city," I corrected Shane, wandering into the line of the left path. "Given they don't know the way themselves, it'd probably be smarter if we fan out." "But Marc, what if you're caught? The guards will send you to the castle!" Rarity gasped. "Isn't that where we're going anyway? How's that an issue?" Shane asked, having finally seen my point. Nice to see the dude finally saw things my way. "Given you're so concerned Rarity, I'll go with you just in case." Twilight moved onto the right path, although she didn't seem too confident about our next move. "Are you sure you can find your way to the castle? It's like a maze around here." "If I can solve the mazes in Breath of the Wild, I can make my way through the streets of a capital city," I declared confidently, scoring confused looks from everyone except Shane… who was facepalming… looks like the team effort is done then. "Good luck everyone. Hope you make it to the castle alright," Twilight called, taking her chosen path. Shane and Rarity then took the central path, leaving me with the left. Safe to say some time alone would probably result in me finding my way to the castle first. Here's hoping this solo walk doesn't get me into a fight like last time… -0-0-0-0-0- Hey guys, pop quiz for you; remember what I said back in chapter 2 about my sense of direction? Yeah… you can officially scratch that, I suck at directions, period. That said though, my extended time away from everyone else was actually quite relaxing, providing me with a peace of mind I hadn't had yet on this planet. And no, I don't count the time alone in Fluttershy's cottage as 'peace of mind'. While she's nice, I wasn't sure what was gonna happen to me then, so… yeah. Anyway, it seemed the path I took was the unlucky path, as I'd seen at least fifteen ponies go by, if not more! If it wasn't for my above average speed and instincts, I'd be caught by now. Ahh… god bless Assassin’s Creed… and the stupidity of these ponies. Seriously, I bet I could yell 'look, a distraction!' and they'd fall for it. If the risk wasn't so high, I would've likely done it by now. But I had to focus, as a single lapse of concentration would likely screw things up for me… And here comes pony number sixteen! Seriously, I've made more stops than your average car trip by now, and I was admittedly getting more irritated than nervous. Given my large size, I had to physically belly-flop to the ground every time, or at least hide behind something. But this time, it was the former, and I thought if it wasn't for my healing ability, I'd have a couple of broken ribs by now. One small problem… it still made a sound… crap. The pony, clearly a stallion, heard me falling and turned around, only missing me due to being hidden by some conveniently placed bins. If it was a game, I'd complain over this, but I don't want to risk my comments causing a jinx for later. "Is somepony there?" The bloke asked, slowly approaching the bins, and in turn, me. Crap, I didn't think this far ahead! If he came any closer, he'd find me! What could I do? … I looked to a nearby alleyway to my left, which seemed clearly empty, albeit with a few hiding spots. Should I test my theory? Do I have any other choice? Drat, if I don't have a hoof, he'll be suspicious! I'm getting stressed here!… unless I just clench my fist? … Fuck it, I'm out of options! I clench my hand into a fist and stick it through a small gap between the bins, pointing behind the guy. "Look, a distraction!!" I yelled, causing the Stallion to instinctively turn backwards to inspect. While I had this small window, I quickly managed to make my way to the nearby alleyway, hiding behind a luckily placed cardboard box. Ahh, solid snake would be proud… but I still need to wait for the guy’s reaction… Five seconds had passed… … "Damn foals, playing their pranks…" the Stallion said, slamming a door to enter his house… or a bar, I don't know. My body was instinctively breathing a sigh of relief. That was too fucking close! Considering that, I felt a quick break would be worthwhile. "Please, stop it!!" I heard a voice yell in the far-off distance, causing my heart to jump into my throat and nearly give me a heart attack. I was well aware the voice was coming from a fair distance away, but my god, only a Sam hissy-fit could match that volume! … My older brother sense was tingling. Something wasn't right about this… My curiosity piqued, I continued to walk down alleyway after alleyway, curious as to where this voice was coming from. Luckily for me, the voice (now 'voices') seemed to deter any other ponies from entering the alleyways, a small brush of luck I was glad to have on my side. Investigating the voice was risky, but something about it felt… off. I gradually got closer to the voice’s origin, having to slowly walk up a reasonably high stairway in order to reach where the voices, but I discovered the source; a pair of ponies arguing in some kind of balcony restaurant!… why did I waste my time with this? The two of them were a duo of male unicorns: one was an adult, and the other one a halfway stage between Scootaloo and most other ponies. The younger one had a thick, bright brown coat of fur, with a golden blonde mane and tail. His cutie mark(?) appeared to be a weird triangular runic symbol, something that caught my interest. The older pony, who was seemingly glaring the younger one into a corner, had a much brighter scheme. A clear white coat under an equally white blazer, with a blonde mane that matched the mane and tail of the… younger one… they're brothers. But why did my… "Foalen, don't make me ask you again!" the older brother asked in a posh, high and mighty voice. Ugh, I hated these people… ponies, whatever. Always acting like the world revolves around them, seeming to only care for others when they want something. I might be jumping to conclusions, but I was guessing he was one of those types. "Blue, please! You know I've been saving my bits for months!" the younger brother (Foalen?) claimed, backing himself into a corner. I couldn't help but clench my fist. This was wrong to me on so many levels. "FOALEN! I've told you that while I'm in public, you will refer to me by my full title; Prince Blueblood! I won't accept your childish names!" Blueblood scolded his brother, a malicious glare in his eye. "I know full well you save up all the bits aunt Celestia gives us. Now hand them over!" Hang on. 'Prince' Blueblood? Aunt 'Celestia'? Ladies and gents, I might've just found my way into the castle! "Brother, please. If you saved your allowance rather than spend it all at the spa every other week, you wouldn't have—" Foalen defended himself.. "Ah, the spa! Now that sounds good right about now!" Blueblood sighed, raising his head at the thought of that relaxation. "You know the deal; hand over the bits." Alright, I've heard all I can stand and I can stand no more! Sibling blackmail? Sinister intimidation? An older brother who'd fit in more with Decepticons than royalty? I had to do something. Screw stealth, my older brother sense was right. "Hey there, sorry to interrupt gents. I have a question for you," I called out, not yet revealing myself as to set up a dramatic entrance… also the fact I'm an alien would freak them out before I prove my point. "Excuse me peasant, can't you see we're in the middle of a family affair here?" Blueblood shouted in my direction, not breaking eye contact with his brother. Also, 'peasant?' Ohh, I'm gonna enjoy this. He made this personal. "Don't worry, it'll only take a minute; do either one of you know of the sibling code?" I asked them, fully understanding the sibling code was more just something me and Sam made up when we were bored one day. I didn't know if it was an actual thing, but I did know it sounded relevant. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about," Blueblood answered, rolling his eyes as my light distraction. He then returned his glare to his brother. "Now if you're quite done, we were in the middle of something." "Okay, looks like I'll have to be a little more blunt…" I groaned, waiting a few more seconds while I approached Blueblood. In secret, I snuck onto the main restaurant floor and behind a table. Now my moment was upon me. Time for the lecture… I walked up to Blueblood, who had a look of confusion and dread on his face. Before he could lash out, I grabbed him by the fat between his shoulders that was underneath his jacket, and firmly grabbed his horn to prevent any retaliation spells. If history books are anything to go by, touching a unicorn horn dispels and prevents magic. As such, I had him where I wanted him. "Pop quiz dickhead; do you know why the older brothers are born first?!" I growled at Blueblood, looking him dead in the eyes with a petrifying glare. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I secretly loved it. After all, he deserved all he was going to get. "You… unhoof me this instant, you monster!" Blueblood squirmed, attempting to shake his way out of my grip. But, while not my proudest moment… a quick kick to his Crown Jewels fixed that right up. "Do you give up?" I asked slyly, pulling Blueblood closer to my face. "It's so they can be old enough to protect their younger siblings, not scare and intimidate them!" "Let me go! I'll stop!" Blueblood claimed, but I was having none of it. I saw in his eye he wasn't going to change that easily. But that said, I need insurance. "Tell you what 'Blu', I want you gone. I don't want to see you even go as far as to harm a single hair on your brother’s head ever again! No blackmail, no threats and no stealing. Got that?" "Yes!! Now please let me down!" he begged, tears now starting to form in his eyes. Okay, one more step… "Fine. But if you break that promise, let's just say your valuables won't be the only thing to protect…" I dropped Blueblood, who quickly scurried away. Ahh, that felt good… I hadn't noticed through my 'chat', but it seemed Foalen was present for the entire lecture, seemingly at awe over me. Not only was I something I doubt he'd never seen before, but I'd just gone out of my way to protect him from his abusive older brother. "What… who are you?" he asked, walking out from the corner and approaching me cautiously. Given his timid approach, I turned and gave him a quick smirk. "Don't worry, just someone who… really hates manipulative brothers," I told the kid, taking a sigh of relief. I no longer needed to be intimidating, so I could calm down. "If that cock-bite ever gives you any more problems, gimme a call, alright?" "I really can't thank you enough sir," Foalen bowed, thoroughly confusing me. "If you're a prince, shouldn't I be bowing to you?" I asked, pulling a cheeky grin and bowing slightly. This caused Foalen to begin blushing. "I'm… not really a fan of the title. I only use it if the situation calls for it," Foalen explained, rubbing the back of his neck modestly. "I guess if you overheard our argument, then you're already aware of who I am." "Yep; Prince Fo-- Foalen. Just Foalen. It's nice to meet you," I greeted the kid, giving him my traditional two finger salute. He now had a grin that could rival Pinkie’s. "I'm Marcus Smith of Earth, although for simplicity, just Marc is fine." "So you're from another country on Equis? I guess that explains how I've never seen your kind before," Foalen noted eagerly, circling me to see me from all angles. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Well, if he thinks I'm from another country, I might as well let him believe that. It'll probably be simpler. "Yep, that's the case. I'm here to meet with Princess Celestia about my kind's possible integration into Equestria," I told him, actually surprised at how well that story fitted with my little fib… I might have to tell Celestia that one, might be a good coverup. "Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to know the way to the castle, would you? Taking the alleyways might be subtle, but my sense of direction is admittedly… poor." "If you need directions to the castle, I'll be more that happy to escort you there if you wish. It's the least I can do," Foalen said, turning to the stairway to the alleyways. "I know this city’s alleyways like the back of my hoof. If anypony can get you to Canterlot castle, then it's me." A confident grin then filled Foalen's face, an expression I was more than familiar with. That confidence confirmed to me he knew how to get me to the castle. "In that case, lead the way bruddah! Let us find de wei together!" I shouted, realising afterwards I've been spending too much time on my computer’s meme archive… not my idea, but I'm not complaining about its existence. "I'm sorry, could you rephrase that please? I don't understand what you said," Foalen asked, meeting me with a confused stare. "Ugh, just show me to the castle," I moaned, having realised this planet has no context for most of my jokes. Well, this is great. I might have to publish them in comics or something once all this is over with… … Hmm, yet another decent idea, I think. I'm going to have to start noting these down. -0-0-0-0-0- And thus, with a little help from Prince Foalen, I had finally arrived at Canterlot castle, and man was it big! I mean, I'm from England and have seen my fair share of castles, but bloody hell, this one puts them to shame. Seriously, the spires, man! There were more spires in this castle than I could count. There was also an obvious drawbridge with the main entrance, which had a moat that contained gems… because those are a thing. I've seriously never seen a castle that stood out so much before. But the drawbridge wasn't our entrance, as it was a public landmark and we'd likely be seen. As such, I had Foalen lead me to the side-entrance, which was a simple guardhouse. Luckily for me, Twilight was already waiting outside. As soon as Twilight saw us, she ran over to me gladly, seeming relieved. "Marc, thank Celestia you made it!" she cheered, stopping shortly upon realising Foalen was present. "How come Foalen is here?" "Nice to see you too, Twilight," Foalen chuckled. "It's… a long story. He's the reason I've managed to find my way here," I explained. "Did Shane and Rarity make it here alright?" "Actually, I was about to ask you about that. You haven't seen them?" Twilight asked, turning her head around me to check if they were behind me. "They must still be in the alleyways. Celestia knows how long they'll be in there!" I sighed, looking to the side at Foalen. "Yo kid, do you feel up for another fetch quest?" I asked him. "Shane is a little bigger than me, wearing a black buttoned shirt and has a scar through his eye." "Hmm… don't worry, I'll see what I can do," Foalen said, dashing back off into the alleyway. After a mere moment, he was out of sight. "Quite a nice kid, don't you think?" I asked Twilight, turning to meet her currently surprised expression. "Again, long story. But don't worry, he was the only one to see me… except his dick-ish older brother. Now THAT'S a story!" "Okay…" Twilight groaned, turning to face the guard-house entrance. "We should probably get into the castle, the princess might be expecting us any minute." "Alright then. Lead the way," I said, following Twilight into the guard house. However… something felt weird. For a guardhouse, there was more 'house' than 'guard'. "There seems to be a guard shortage as of right now, doesn't there?" I asked, as we entered the castle hallways and further noticed it expanded even into the castle itself. "I noticed that too. I thought there was some weird fever coming through Canterlot, but that'd be weird if it only affected the guard." Twilight told me, as a single guard seemed to wander past. "I've asked one of the guards that are left, and he said there's some uprising or coup d'état towards eastern Equestria or something." I stopped walking. "A what?" Twilight sighed. "A coup d'état is what happens when a group of a nation’s soldiers go turncoat." She explained. "Good thing I read some military books to help my brother study for the royal guard entrance exam, otherwise I'd be clueless too." "You, clueless? Ha, I'm surprised you know the word," I chuckled, causing Twilight to blush slightly. "Hey! I might know a lot, but that doesn't mean I know everything about everything," Twilight corrected me, laughing at my slight joke and comment. Looking ahead, me and Twilight noticed we'd finally managed to regroup with the others. Rainbow, Pinkie, AJ and Flutters faced us. "You guys sure took your time!" Rainbow said, firmly stretching her wings before noticing our low numbers. "Where's Shane and Rarity? Weren't they with you?" "Long story short, we split up and they're still out there," Twilight explained. "We should probably have somepony wait outside for them." "I'll do it. I need to stretch my wings anyway," Rainbow groaned, beginning the walk back to the guard’s entrance. As she walked past me though, she gave me a cheeky grin. "Try not to mess up in front of the princess." "Hey, if you guys can handle the pressure, so can I." I grinned, giving Rainbow a friendly shunt. After a slight shared snigger, Rainbow walked outside. It was then that a pair of doors swung open, revealing a pair of guards escorting a pony with a clear white coat of hair, golden jewellery, and shoes and hair and tail that could only be compared to the northern lights. With a cutie mark of the sun on her flank, it was safe to say the pictures of her from the book weren't doing her justice. I mean, she was the same size as me, for god sakes! Princess Celestia, in the flesh… or fur, however you wish to describe her. It was… weird. She had that sort of aura about her, one that immediately grabbed the attention and respect of others without actually demanding it. She had a great smirk on her face, one that seemed to be contagious to her kind as the mane six members who were immediately bowing in her presence, a bright smirk also filling their faces, and slowly starting to slip my face into a smirk too. "So, you must be the alien that Twilight has spoken of, I assume," she spoke, immediately hooking straight to the point. She then looked to her subjects. "You know that bowing isn't necessary, my little ponies. You are free to ask as you see fit." As everyone else began to rise to their hooves, my body finally decided it was fitting to bow, despite the moment for it having passed. As such, I suddenly got onto my knees and placed my right hand on my chest. "Princess Celestia, I am Marcus Smith of Earth. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said formally, looking down to the ground to avoid any awkward situations. However, all I felt was a single hoof on my shoulder. I looked up and saw the princess looking at me with a caring smirk. "Marcus, it's okay. You’re fine to be yourself. No need for formalities, not in this situation," Celestia told me, her eyes somewhat reminding me of the look my father used to give me. Dammit, no memory flashes now! "A-Are you sure?" I checked, just to make sure. "Trust me Mr. Smith, I have enough formal dignitaries around the castle on a daily basis. It'd be nice to see a change from that for once," Celestia said, her warm aura almost suffocating me. However, she asked for classic Marc, so that’s what she's gonna get. She asked for it. "If that's the case…" I began, backing out of her hoof’s grip and getting back to my regular stance. "I'm Marc, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Princess." I gave her my signature salute, followed by a confident bow. I got a chuckle in response. "And it's a pleasure to meet you too, Marc. It's not every day one gets to meet an extraterrestrial, is it?" Celestia chuckled. "Has been for me so far," I responded, taking a look around at Twilight and her friends, who merely watched us talk. "I hope my kind’s sudden appearance didn't cause any unwanted chaos for you." "Don't worry, just a day’s worth of paperwork. Nothing compared to most issues in Equestria," she explained, looking towards her guards and giving a brief nod. "Once the others arrive, we can begin. It's not safe out in the open." In my mind, what Celestia said made zero sense. "I'm… not quite sure I follow." We all paused our conversation as we noticed footsteps approach us, looking over as Rainbow once again entered the room. She was followed by Rarity and Shane, who immediately noticed Princess Celestia's presence. "Greetings, Princess. It's always an honour," Rarity greeted, bowing her head in respect. Shane approached. "You must be Princess Celestia. It's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard some good things about you." Shane held out his hand, which Celestia politely shook. "I'm Shane. Shane Locksdale." "The pleasure is all mine, Shane. Now, is that everyone?" Celestia asked, a nod from the entirety of the mane six as her answer. "Good. We don't have a lot of time." "What's the rush? Is something going on?" I asked, somewhat unnerved at her sudden and unexpected caution. It seemed Twilight was also caught off guard by this. Twilight approached Celestia carefully. "Princess, is everything alright?" she asked, noticing as Celestia's smile slowly disappeared to be replaced by a careful, practiced neutral expression. "Everyone, I need your help. Canterlot may be in grave danger." Celestia explained, causing Twilight and her friends to gasp in shock. "Pardon me Princess, but would you care to provide a little context to your statement?" Shane asked. "Is it about that 'coupe tart' thing?" I asked. "It's 'coup d'état'," Twilight corrected. "I believe so. There's been reports of royal guards neglecting their duties towards eastern Equestria over the past few weeks, and I've send my own guards there to investigate," Celestia explained, her poker face slipping a little. "These reports all claim that these guards gather together and start stealing military supplies and attacking guard stations. What’s worse it that these reports are quickly progressing to Canterlot." "So… you're scared of an imminent attack?" I asked, beginning to place the pieces together myself. "But why ask for all of us? I doubt Twilight and her friends have any military training, and calling a group of aliens to help isn't exactly the smartest move." "Firstly, I called Twilight and her friends because they possess a power stronger than anything any soldier can control; the elements of harmony," Celestia explained, reminding me of the mention of said relics in the book. "And calling you here was a calculated risk. While I didn't know your intentions, my student spoke highly of you in our most recent letter, even mentioning how you vanquished an omega Timberwolf. If she trusts you, then so do I." I took a look over to Twilight, who seemed to be blushing lightly. What surprised me was not how she told her mentor about me so soon, but that she wrote with such praise. I'm not saying it was a bad thing, but it certainly caught me off guard, that much is sure. But given the situation, I guess it definitely helped in some way. Having a firm understanding of what was going on and why Celestia asked for us, I decided to roll out my familiar confident cocky smirk, nodding to the princess firmly. "In that case, allow me to help you in whatever way is necessary." "Thank you Marc. Now come, we don't have much time," Celestia told me, before having everyone, human and pony alike, walk into another room; her throne room. The throne room itself had a rather regal and modern feel to it, with a slight pinch of history in its… stained-glass windows… a red carpet. Oh no, I've seen this room before… There were two rooms directly to the left and right of us, the left one covered with a curtain to suggest its misuse. The right room was filled with maps of the area and several military strategic planning bits and bobs. Before we could continue to the planning room, the two guards that were escorting us stopped in their tracks, sharing a quick glance and a nod. Before anyone else had the opportunity to react to this, they each placed their spears to Celestia's neck, catching the entire room off-guard. Twilight, Shane, Rainbow, and myself immediately formed a defensive stance, while the others were caught in shock. Before we were able to make a move, two more guards appeared behind us, pinning down Fluttershy and Pinkie. With a third of the group pinned, we couldn't make any risky moves. "Not one move… or else you can guess what'll happen," one of the front guards threatened, placing his spear closer to Celestia's neck. Despite this, Celestia still didn't seem to even flinch or squirm. "There's no incoming attack, is there?" Celestia asked, slightly turning to the guard in question. "You would be correct, Celestia! All things considered, being so willing to push away all your pieces might not have been the smartest move," a new voice called from the left room, which was believed to be empty. "And now you find yourself placed in check. Your pawns gone and your remaining pieces nothing more than civilians." … …I knew that voice. Not only was it the voice from my nightmare, but now I had more to link to said voice in order to identify it… it couldn't be… "You're fully aware us two are here, aren't you? I'm sure you're fully capable of taking out members of your own kind, but we're not exactly comparable to them you know," Shane claimed sternly, staring into the curtain with great anger, having clearly not put two and two together yet… my god, please be wrong for once. Please! "Hehe, on the contrary Shane, I fully know how to take on my own kind. After all…" The figure walked through the curtain, revealing a distinctly human form. "… As you can tell, we're one and the same, aren't we?" A black long-sleeved shirt, with armour platings here and there. Brown jeans that had the occasional splurge of blood. The oaken brown hair that seemed oddly messy, and the glasses, shattered in one lens. Despite the guesome appearance, I recognised the figure at first sight… I was right, it was him. "D-David?… Is that you?" I asked in shock, unable to process what was going on. He was… against us? He arranged the coup— rebellion? He barely paid me any attention, just a simple glare with his oddly distorted eyes… hang on, his eyes should be blue, not— "Knock them out and throw them in cells. I'll deal with those two later," David declared, giving a hand signal to the unicorn guard in the back, who seemed to let off some sort of pulse. This weird wave of energy felt like being hit by a taser on steroids, knocking me out within seconds.