//------------------------------// // Chapter 47 - Return to Canterlot // Story: The Last Descendant // by Cup of Coffee //------------------------------// “Ah reckon the train should be here any moment now,” Applejack stated as she and her friends stood at Ponyville’s train station. She was in good shape despite last night’s revelry. “I hope it’s not delayed,” Fluttershy added with a hint of scepticism. “You rarely see your brother and Cadence, Twilight, with how busy they are in the Crystal Empire. I just hope that you get to spend as much time as you can with them.” “To party!” Pinkie exclaimed in a shower on confetti. “No! No more partying for me, please. I could use a day or two to recover properly. Why, last night did a number on my mane and my complexion!” Rarity added behind a large yellow sunhat and fancy sunglasses. If one squinted just a little, they would notice the fashionista was not quite herself today. The occasional wince she displayed followed by gently touching a hoof to her head were evidence enough. A groan came from behind them. Although Twilight wasn’t vain or did much aside from brushing her mane and tail and generally keeping a tidy appearance, today was not such a day. “I have to agree with Rarity; no more human parties for me please. One minute I was talking with Magnus about my theory regarding metaphysical cross-world or cross-dimensional cultural identities, such as certain names and places in Equestria and his home country being similar, and all he did was smile and offer me a mug of cider every ten minutes or so.” Opening her saddle bags, she gulped heavily from a water bottle she brought with her. “Then I woke up this morning in a bookfort, with a stack of books, the entire history of Equestria on top of my horn.” “And how it all happened is a mystery,” Applejack said as she and Pinkie snickered. Spike, standing next to Twilight with his arms behind his back, looked at his sister and chuckled. “You look a bit like Shining did the day after he graduated the guard.” “And Magnus wasn’t much help this morning. I could barely wake him up. Thank Celestia he packed yesterday.” Twilight peered behind her. Slouched against the wall was Magnus as he snored heavily, his backpack next to him with the fishing pole strapped to the pack, and himself wearing his sunglasses. Surprisingly enough, Rainbow was there as well, fast asleep and using Magnus’ lap as a pillow. Rainbow had also spent the night in the castle, curled up on the couch. When morning came and it was time to go, Rainbow mumbled something about wanting to say goodbye, but Twilight was sure that Rainbow wasn’t even fully awake when she said that. She was further surprised to see Rainbow sleep-flying to the station. The rest of the ponies turned to look at the two and let out an ‘aww’ at the sight of the two sleeping drunkards. Even Rarity gave a knowing hum and smiled at the way Rainbow acting. Pinkie smiled even wider. She had told her friends how Magnus had forgiven Rainbow last night, and the good news was well received, most of all by Twilight. It meant that a friendship problem didn’t need solving and that Princess Celestia wouldn’t be disappointed by her. It didn’t take long for the train to arrive. It slowed as it entered the station, the brakes letting out a high-pitched screech as it came to a full stop. The sound was enough to rouse Magnus, and slowly his bloodshot eyes opened. The first ones he saw were Twilight, Spike, and their friends. “...Ngxrh…” he muttered as he returned to the world of the living and met his hangover and headache head-on. “Oooh nooo… What time is it?” He groaned as he looked around and scratched his head. Due to the hurry to get to the train station, Magnus hadn’t even had the chance to visit the bathroom to brush his teeth or comb his hair, the latter looking like a bunch of rabid wolverines having used his head as a Fight Club during the night. “Good morning, it’s nine in the morning,” Twilight said. “...Nine…” He shook his head. “Call Celestia, tell her I’m dead or something. Send flowers and ~aspirin~…” With that, Magnus closed his eyes again and leaned back onto the wall. His rest, however, was short lived. “Oh no, you don’t. We have to board the train now.” Twilight proceeded to tug on him with her magic. Magnus muttered a few angry words in his own language and tried to stand up, only to find he couldn’t. He looked down and found Rainbow sleeping in his lap. He pushed up his shades and blinked slowly while his brain tried to assess the situation. “... Not the weirdest thing I’ve woken up with… but enough to be in the top five,” he stated casually as he pushed Rainbow away. Not even hitting her head against the platform planks was enough to wake her up, as Rainbow happily snored on. He stumbled onto his hooves and grabbed his backpack and slung it onto his back before turning to the rest of the ponies, all smiling expectantly at him. He simply rubbed his face and sighed. “I’ve a hangover from hell, so don’t expect a speech, so, yeah… Thanks for everything and stuff. It was nice to visit.” “Ain’t no problem, Sugarcube. It was nice to have you here,” Applejack said amicably. “You’ll come visit again, won’t you?” asked Fluttershy. “Probably. I’ve still some photographs to pick up; I just have to earn some bits first.” The train’s whistle blew, and the conductor called out, “All aboard!” “Come on, Magnus, we gotta go now,” Twilight said, tugging on his sleeves. He nodded to her and turned back to the assembled, smiling ponies. “Yeah, so… See you all again sometime.” Pinkie, being who she was, launched herself at Magnus and began hugging him around the waist. Couldn’t let a friend go without a hug, right? And Magnus took it all in stride. “Yeah, yeah, Pinkie, I’ll miss you too,” he said, patting her head. Pinkie finally let go, and joined the rest in watching their friends board, eagerly waving goodbye. “Good bye. Come visit again, Magnus.” “See ya’ll back soon.” “Don’t forget us” “...zzz...” “We have to party again sometime!” After their goodbyes was said and done, the trio made their way into an available wagon and sat down on the first free seats they found. Magnus simply fell down onto the seats, taking up three spaces as he tried to get comfortable, and even then his legs dangled over the edge. It wasn’t easy with the size difference, but it mattered little to him. Just as the train began pulling out of the station, the gentle rocking of the wagon sent him off to his much needed slumber once again. *** “Next stop, Canterlot!” Magnus groaned as his eyes opened and he slowly sat up in his seat. His head felt marginally better after some shut-eye. In front of him sat Twilight as she dozed against the wall, and beside her sat Spike with a comic book. Magnus rubbed his head, and upon noticing his shades sat crooked on his nose, straightened them. “Ugh, hey, Spike. How long was I out?” Spike looked up from his comic. “Hey, you’ve been asleep for about two hours or so I guess. Feeling better now?” “A bit.” He looked out, seeing nothing but rock from his window. He guessed the train was on the final climb before they reached the station. “Canterlot,” he sighed. “Feels like it was months since I left.” Ponyville was such a peaceful place; ponies there didn’t bother him. He was generally left alone, but here in the capital? He was reasonably sure it wasn’t going to happen. Nevertheless, he had become better at dealing with ponies since then. Why, he even looked forward to exploring Canterlot and seeing the sights. If he was going to make Canterlot his home, he would need to know the layout of the city. At the same time, he’d garner an idea of what the housing and job markets were like. By the time the train pulled into the station, Twilight was already awake and seemed much more refreshed. She even found time to brush her mane and tail before disembarking. As expected, the train platform was filled with ponies of all types and several other creatures, but the moment Twilight and Spike came into view, the ponies bowed and began cheering. The cheers however, became silent the moment Magnus stepped out into the sunlight and the ponies began whispering. “It’s him!” “He was in Ponyville.” “Princess Twilight took care of him.” “He came back; I thought he would stay there.” “He can hear you all!” The murmurs ceased, as those last words were said by Magnus. For a blessed few seconds, there was silence. For a moment he simply stood there, staring at the crowd challengingly. He hefted his backpack onto his back and sighed. He just wasn’t in any mood to play twenty questions with a bunch of curious ponies, and being mobbed by them wasn’t on his mental to-do list. No, his first priority was to get back to the castle, find something to eat, and then sleep for another few hours. With Twilight leading them, the crowd parted and the whispers began once more, with some ponies still bowing to Twilight as she passed. Magnus noticed the look of discomfort on her face and the fake smile, and as soon as they cleared the train station, he had to ask, “Not good with crowds, Twilight?” “I don’t mind the crowd at all, but all the bowing and scraping, all the royal etiquette.” She sighed. “It’s too much. I wasn’t always a princess, and then I suddenly found myself with a tiara on my head and these wings on my back.” She flapped her wings slowly to demonstrate. “Sometimes I think my life was easier before I became an alicorn.” Magnus shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m sure Princess Celestia also had to grow into her role, she and Princess Luna. Do you think they were born with tiaras? Would be awful on their mother; a lot of pointy ends on those things, especially Luna’s.” Twilight stifled a laugh. “That wasn’t nice to say.” “Maybe not, but you wanted to laugh,” Magnus countered, making Twilight giggle. They continued walking for a while, through the marketplace and past fancy stores selling all manner of goods, all while ponies ogled them. It didn’t bother Magnus as much as it once did; Ponyville had been good training grounds. Occasionally, he’d glance at store windows for a sign or poster saying ‘We’re Hiring’, but there were none. Still, it didn’t bother him; there were many other places to find work in this city. After a short walk past the marketplace, they came to an intersection which led to a residential area, and here Twilight and Spike stopped. “We’re not going to the castle yet; I’m sure Shining and Cadance are visiting our parents,” said Twilight, looking a bit eager. “They haven’t been to Canterlot in some time now and we’d both like to go see them. I’ll come to the castle later, okay?” “Sure.” Magnus nodded. “It’s not like I can lose my way from here.” After all, the castle loomed over the city, and the only ones who could not see it were probably blind or needed telescopes for glasses. Twilight and Spike bid their goodbyes before wandering down the street to their parents’ house, both with an extra skip in their steps. Magnus also continued on his way, and in a mere fifteen minutes he arrived at the castle gates, passing through the gatehouse without the guards stopping him, only giving him an inquisitive glance before resuming their duties. As expected, the great doors to the castle stood open, where two guards stepped forward. “Halt! State your name and business at the castle!” one of them proclaimed. Suffering from a hangover and its ill effects on one’s mood, Magnus replied, “Wicked Witch of the West, here to steal Princess Celestia’s golden shoes. I’ve got a two o’ clock audience.” The guard’s face immediately soured, then just as fast he appeared confused. He opened his mouth and raised his hoof but suddenly hesitated, and his mien turned to one of confusion. He then turned to the other guard. “Does the princess have an audience with a witch?” The other guard seemed just as bewildered and scratched his helmet. “I don’t know. Do witches even exist?” At this point, Magnus facepalmed hard. How could the guards not know who he was? He wanted nothing more than to just get to bed and sleep out the rest of his hangover. Thankfully, help came in the form of laughter and a voice. “Boys, I’m sure he’s just messing with you.” As one, the guards snapped to crisp attention with a salute. Magnus turned to the gates where the voice came from and spotted two ponies walking towards him. One was a smiling unicorn stallion with white coat, his mane and tail in various shades of blue. The other was also a unicorn mare, a very very pink, unicorn mare who wore a kind smile. Her coat was pink, her eyes pink, and although her mane and tail were in three different colours that were in fact, not pink, they somehow gave her an overall pink coloration. This mare was the embodiment of the colour pink. Even though Pinkie was very pink, this mare beat Pinkie in overall pinkness, but not in Pinkieness. While Magnus stood there ruminating, the mare and stallion approached him, both of them smiling at him. “You have to excuse these two; they just finished their training yesterday and were probably not told that you were coming today. Add to it, today’s Ambassador Day, in which Princess Celestia has her monthly meeting with the ambassadors to Equestria,” the stallion explained. Magnus didn’t immediately respond, because he had just realized that the pinkest of mares also had wings. She was an alicorn! This had to be Princess Cade…something-or-the-other and her hubby, Twilight’s big brother! Then said alicorn spoke, her voice sweet to Magnus’ ears. “You must be Magnus, aren’t you? I hope I got your name correct; it is a strange name in Equestria. My name is Cadenza Mi Amore, Princess of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. You can simply call me Cadance.” She stepped forward and reached out her hoof to greet him while Magnus mirrored her and introduced himself. “Pink.” “Excuse me? I was sure that your name was Magnus,” Cadenza said, obviously confused. “Ahh, no, no! My mind was someplace else! You’re right; my name is Magnus, Magnus Powell,” Magnus hastily stated, feeling a bit embarrassed about his blunder. The Princess however, didn’t seem to take offence. “A pleasure. May I introduce you to my husband, Shining Armor.” “Married? So you must be a prince then, Prince Armor?” Magnus asked the stallion as he bent down to shake his hoof. “Technically yes, Prince-Consort of Cadie here, which makes me a Prince of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. It all came with the marriage, despite how much I objected. My duties as a prince are mostly ceremonial, with some extra paperwork added in,” Shining Armor explained with a laugh. “I still prefer to work with the Crystal Guard though. Once a guard, always a guard.” Magnus nodded and smiled. ‘I see; a military ma- stallion. Probably saw his fill of guards in the city as a kid and got inspired by them. Never hassle a guy who volunteers; they usually got more guts than the average Joe. Wait, wasn’t this the one who got tricked by that changeling queen?’ Wisely, Magnus kept his mouth shut, not wanting to bring up any bad memories, least of all that this young prince was kept under a spell. Twilight had explained a few things during his stay in Ponyville to him, one of those being the changeling invasion a couple of years prior. God only knew what happened to Shining Armor during that time. The very thought made Magnus shudder. “Well, it was nice to meet you, but we really must be on our way,” the Princess of Pink said. Shining nodded. “Yeah, we’re on our way to my parents. We’re having lunch with them today.” “Then you’re in luck; Twilight walked me most of the way, but a while back she left me to go to your parents’ place, saying she wanted to meet you.” “Then we’d better go, Cadie. Mom’s probably made more than enough for all of us, and it’s been so long since I had some of her stuffed eggplants.” Shining suddenly appeared very eager. His wife nodded. “Yes, let’s go. It was nice to finally meet you, Mister Powell. I’m sure we’ll see each other during dinner tonight.” “Well, I’ve got no other place to eat, so I guess so. See you both soon.” Magnus waved goodbye to the Princess of Pink and her military-minded husband, watching them as they wandered through the gatehouse and out of sight. In his opinion, they were rather pleasant, polite, and well-spoken. All in all, a likeable couple. Just then, his hangover-induced headache returned to remind him of last night, and he returned to his original mission; sleep. He had no more time for sarcasm or sassiness, and turned to the guards. “So, may I pass?” Luckily, the guards allowed him in, after consulting with a senior guard who knew he was coming today, and was then escorted through the castle gates. The gates to the throne room were closed and security was tight, and there were no ponies standing in line today, due to the meeting with the ambassadors. He was met by one of the castle staff who showed him to his room. The room was the same he stayed in earlier, and it seemed nothing about its appearance had changed. Even the minotaur-sized furniture was there. The windows stood open to let fresh air in, and there were even fresh flowers in a flowerpot on the coffee table. Without missing a beat, Magnus walked into the bedroom, placed his backpack next to the bed and lay down on the soft mattress. Sleep didn’t come at first, as he just lay in bed, ruminating on his stay in Ponyville, the ponies he had met and gotten to know, and all he had learned. Now, he was back in Canterlot, behind stone walls, with more things to do in the days ahead. He already had plans. Tomorrow, he wanted to see Doctor Silverheart to see if the doctors had discovered anything abnormal about his new body parts. There was also the issue about the parts of the boat and some of his belongings in storage. While most of the wreckage was good for scrap, perhaps he could find something useful there. That, however, was for another day. *** Magnus woke up an undetermined amount of time later, feeling much more refreshed. After quenching his thirst with water from the sink in the bathroom, he decided to unpack his belongings. His clothes went into the wardrobe while his fishing pole was neatly disassembled and stashed into the back. Lastly, he came to his photographs and frames. Each one was neatly wrapped with a protective layer of cardboard around it. One by one, he unwrapped the photographs and looked at the work Snapshot had done, amazed at the overall quality. While not as good as a developed photo back home, they were impressive nonetheless. Although they were essentially close-ups of his phone screen, the pictures were all clear and there were no lens flare or reflections to indicate that they were photos of photos. Just looking at them made him remember a different time, those lazy days spent at home in Montana. It brought a smile to his face. At least these memories were safe. One by one, the photos were placed on any available surface in the room, adding a flavour of homeliness. Lastly, he unwrapped the final photo, one he hadn’t seen at Snapshot’s studio. He wanted it to be a surprise for himself. Snapshot had assured him that this one was as close to perfect as possible. Holding his breath, Magnus carefully unwrapped the final photo, his eyes widening at the phenomenal work Snapshot and his wife had performed. In the photo, his mom, Julia, and his dad, Hrafnar, smiled back at him, his father having his arm wrapped around his mother’s shoulders, and his mother holding his father around the chest. They were happy back then, young and in love, and their smiles reflected that. The creases that were in the original photo were gone, and the colours appeared fresh and vivid. One could be forgiven for thinking that it had been taken yesterday, so good was the quality. If Magnus didn’t know any better, he’d think that the ponies had Photoshop or a similar program. This, however, was all the work of a unicorn with the magical ability to restore an old wrinkled photo to appear brand new. Safe to say, his respect of the mare, whose name he didn’t know, was now pretty damn high. Magnus softly touched the faces of his parents and smiled. “Hey mom, hey dad,” he nearly whispered. “Here I am, far away from home, far away from the farm you two once bought, the place you planned to live out your lives. Wish you were here; pretty sure you two would like Equestria, you especially, Mom. I know I do—it’s different from Earth, but… good different.” He paused, just gazing at his parents for a long time. “I’d like to have known you in person, instead of all the pictures and the home movie tapes you recorded so long ago.” With a sigh, he placed the photo on his nightstand, a space reserved for this picture in particular, and sat on his bed, looking at each of the framed pictures in the bedroom, his hands supporting his head. So many memories... There was a knock on the door, and in came Princess Celestia, first into the main room, and upon spotting Magnus through the open door to the bedroom, smiled and walked in. “Welcome back, Magnus,” she greeted him. “Thanks,” he responded simply. Although his reply brief short, the Princess took no offense. Instead, she glanced around the room at the new additions. “You managed to save your pictures.” She beamed, going to each and every one of them and staring intently at the memories in wooden frames. “They meant much to you, that much I can tell. You smile in all of these; you rarely smile here.” “Well, I don’t have a lot to smile for these days,” Magnus replied. “But the pictures help me.” Celestia moved on to other pictures, eventually ending up at the bed and the last photo, the one with Magnus’ parents. She picked up the photo and smiled. “I was correct in your dream, and I am correct now; you have your mother’s eyes and your father’s frame.” Magnus smirked and rubbed his hands. “Mom was popular and beautiful; that’s what her friends told me over the years. Dad was both tall and strong, also a loner, and not a bad fistfighter either. Comes with being a sailor, I guess. He ended up in trouble in almost every port he visited, either by drinking or by fighting and beating someone senseless.” “He was a violent man?” Celestia asked. By his appearance, he was indeed tall compared to the human female and appeared very strong. His physique and large blonde beard and long hair nearly made him look like a brute, but his eyes and smile said otherwise. Magnus did indeed possess his father’s build, but he did not have the same amount of muscle. Magnus shook his head at Celestia’s question. “No, he had a lot of bad memories, a lot of demons that only mom could chase away. When she died, those demons came back, stronger than ever and began destroying him. He left.” Celestia picked up the seriousness and finality of Magnus’ reply, telling her that this was not something he wanted to discuss further. She would not press him. Putting the picture back onto the nightstand, Celestia turned to Magnus. “When I heard that you had already returned, I decided to come see you. It appears Ponyville was good for you. What do you think yourself?” Magnus mulled over the question for a while. “Well, I got used to being around ponies all the time, so that part worked. They also got used to me pretty quickly, so I guess I can say it works both ways. As for communication? I was wrong.” “How so?” “It’s about the talking ponies thing,” Magnus began. “I thought it would be a lot more different. Remember what I told you about horses from Earth?” Celestia nodded. “Yeah, I gotta admit, I expected something else entirely, but that wasn’t true at all. You ponies, at least those in Ponyville, are for the most part, just like humans. Small, quadruped humans in a lot of different colours, and overall, nicer and more polite in a sense.” “Aren’t humans polite and nice to all they meet?” Celestia asked, her curiosity rising. “Most folks are decent and nice, and then there's the rest.” Celestia understood. She had met her fair share of creatures over the many millennia she and Luna had lived. Each race had their own characteristics. Griffons, for example, were quite often greedy, warlike, and highly valued land as hunting grounds. That was the main reason Griffonia was such a large country. The minotaurs were also aggressive, due to their many wars with the griffons and diamond dogs in the past, but above all they valued their own personal honour and pride, as well as physical strength. The diamond dogs had always had a reputation for being slavers, and it persisted to this day. Celestia would not deny that she too had disliked the diamond dogs in the past, but after spending some years living in their kingdom in the Granite Mountains long ago, she had gained a better understanding of them. She even allowed their outcasts to build dens in Equestria, in which they lived new lives. They would, of course, be expected to behave, unless they wanted her to pay them a visit. Dragons, for the most part, were solitary. They wanted little to do with other creatures, and were mostly preoccupied with protecting and enlarging their treasure hoards. The zebra were akin to ponies in many aspects, but they had a reputation for being tougher than most, due to the harsh land they called home. The vast savannahs of Zebrica were dangerous, especially at night, but the zebras living in small villages would gladly offer lodgings to travellers for free, such was their hospitality. They were also a species steeped in the mystic, believing in spirits of various natures. Their shamans, so-called spirit speakers, were revered by their people for their wisdom and for their ability to interpret the will of the spirits. And finally, there were the Saddle-Arabian ponies. They were a peaceful lot, honourable, and counted as the hardiest amongst equines. One would have to be in order to survive in a harsh, unforgiving desert. Despite that, the Saddle-Arabians flourished among the dunes. Their villages and towns, often possessing beautiful gardens with richly decorated statues, were built around oases, which provided places to grow crops and plenty of water. Hospitable and generous, the Saddle-Arabians weren’t fond of conflict, but their army was vast and well-equipped. No army had ever taken Saddle-Arabia. “I understand. Not all creatures act the same; we are all different,” Celestia mused. Magnus nodded. “Heard that you had a meeting today. Have the ambassadors been on you about me?” “Some have, but most respect your wishes. The minotaur ambassador has been most adamant in wanting to meet with you. He is quite persistent, and I doubt he will give up so easily.” “Do you know why he’s so interested in me?” Celestia sighed. “Ambassador Diligent Ambition has always looked for threats, even when there are none. And when threats arose in the past, he was always the first to place the blame on somepony. The changeling invasion, Tirek, Discord, my sister’s return and redemption. Even when Twilight was coronated, he openly criticized her for being too young and naive to be of use to Equestria.” “Sounds like a real dickhead,” Magnus commented. “Must you always use such rude words?” Celestia lamented. “Yes, when someone deserves it,” Magnus shot back. Celestia shook her head. “You are impossible, but I haven’t given up hope that you’ll stop swearing one day. At least try to control your language in public. I would not want some of those words coming from the mouths of fillies and colts.” “That goes without saying.” “Good.” Celestia stood up, giving her wings a slight flap. “Now, I must return to my duties. You are of course invited for dinner later tonight. My niece and Shining Armor will be there, as well as my nephew. Twilight will also be there, but Spike will not be attending. If I know Twilight Velvet well enough, she has missed her youngest son to the point that she will not let him out of her sight for a few days or so. I expect gemstones and homemade cooking for him, and he does love Velvet’s blueberry-covered sapphires.” Magnus was surprised in that he hadn’t heard mention a nephew in the past, but he didn’t bother to ask. After all, he would meet this pony later and gain a first impression for himself. “Sounds great. See you then.” With that, Celestia left, leaving Magnus alone again. Now that he was nearly back to normal, he went searching for something to keep him occupied. *** Magnus was not one for a suit or formal wear when it came to dinners and similar events. In fact, he despised suits. Despite this, he felt he was at least required to appear somewhat groomed when in the presence of such a collection of royalty. After seeing to his hygiene, he chose a soft, grey, linen buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black pants and made his way towards the usual dinner area in the castle, impressing himself that he hadn’t forgotten his way around the castle. Arriving at the dining room, the doors stood open, and he spotted a few familiar faces. Princess Celestia was already there, as was Twilight. Next to her sat Princess Pi—Cadenza and Prince-Consort Shining Armor, all engaged in lively conversation while the servants set the table with cutlery, drinking glasses, and plates. “Ah, Magnus, please come in,” said Celestia, noticing him standing in the doorway. “We were just talking about you.” “I deny everything,” Magnus joked as he took his place at the table. “Except if it paints me in a good light.” A light wave of laughter sounded and was replaced by chatter once more. It didn’t take more than a minute or two before Magnus heard the sound of hooves from the doorway. He looked over his shoulder and saw Princess Luna approaching. But she wasn’t alone as a stallion walked next to her. He had a similar body shape to Shining Armor; a broad barrel chest, blond mane and tail, with his wavy mane looking groomed and preened to absolute perfection. He also wore clothing in the form of a suit collar around his neck and a bowtie, a flower pinned to the collar adding a bit of colour. He, like all ponies, also had a cutie mark, one that resembled a compass rose. Princess Luna was the first of the two to notice Magnus, and she beamed when she spotted him. “Magnus, we wish to extend our welcome to you, now that you have returned. I do hope that the remainder of your stay in Ponyville was pleasant after our visit.” “Oh, it was,” said Magnus as he stood up to his full height, giving Luna a nod. “It was pleasant and peaceful. Plus Rainbow Dash and I worked things out. We’ve decided to start over with letters instead of lightning bolts.” “Wonderful. I had hoped that you two would be able to reach an agreement.” Magnus nodded idly and noticed the stallion beside her, or rather, the expression on his face. While earlier he appeared nonchalant while talking with Princess Luna, now his mouth was slightly open and he kept staring at him. He didn’t even blink. Princess Luna noticed where Magnus’ gaze lay, and decided to introduce the two. “Ah, I believe you two have not met yet. Magnus, this is Prince Blueblood, my nephew. Go on, nephew, do not be rude. You are a member of the royal family and, as such, must be an example for others to follow.” Stirred by Princess Luna’s voice, the stallion shook himself out of his stupor. “Ah, I beg your pardon, Auntie, I was merely distracted. Ahem, I am Prince Blueblood the XII of Equestria. You must be the human I have heard and read so much about.” “That’s correct, although I’m sorry to say I haven’t heard about you until now, Prince Blueblood,” Magnus replied and bent down to shake his hoof, as he had learned was a customary greeting. For a second or two, the prince just stared at his hand as if it was something unknown and dangerous, but eventually reciprocated the greeting. While doing so, the prince displayed a smile that Magnus found somewhat familiar but simply couldn’t place. “I take no offense, good sir. You are new to Equestria; I cannot expect you to know who everypony is just yet,” the prince said, his tone of voice friendly. So friendly in fact, that Magnus felt just slightly suspicious. After the introduction everybody sat down to eat. Magnus was one seat away from Celestia, expecting that Luna would sit there. Instead, Prince Blueblood rushed to occupy it, smiling at Magnus while sitting down. It was the same smile he had earlier, the one that Magnus vaguely remembered from somewhere but simply couldn’t place. Princess Luna didn’t seem bothered by the prince at all; she smiled in amusement, as did Princess Celestia. When the staff served dinner, Magnus was in for a huge surprise. While the ponies ate some sort of potato stew with carrots and celery, Magnus was served a type of food he sorely missed, namely pork chops with a sauce made of chives, steamed potatoes, and fresh vegetables. The smell alone nearly made him drool. He decided that this meal alone was worth a small prayer. “In the name of the Lord, let’s eat!” Well, Magnus wasn’t very religious, and this he decided was close enough. Idle chatter soon began, and Magnus was more than content with just listening. However, as the most unusual guest at the table, questions soon came for him. “How do you find Equestria?” Prince Blueblood asked. “I didn’t find it, I was dropped into it,” Magnus quipped, getting a few chuckles from the ponies. “Seriously, it’s nice, though very different from Earth. With the way you guys control the weather, it’s very comfortable, and to a certain degree, a bit predictive. More than once, I’ve wondered what the weather’s gonna be like, but you seem to favour sunny days and blue skies, with a bit of rain during the night.” “A nice, warm, summer day is always favourable, but the Crystal Empire is different; the weather there cannot the tamed,” Princess Cadance stated. “The snowstorms in the north rarely abates due to its location. The cold winds blowing from there also bring blizzards. Only in the summer months do we get a few clear weeks from time to time.” Magnus nodded. To him, it sounded like the Rockies in the winter. How many days had he spent outside his grandfather’s cabin, sledding, making snowmen, skiing, and as he got older, borrowed a snowmobile from one of his friends and tore through fresh powder snow. The memories… “But there are also some things I’ve seen that shouldn’t be possible, things that defy the normal rules of nature where I’m from. Rainbow Dash for example; I saw her fly, and by the speed she held, a normal human being would die from the G-forces alone.” “Die?” Shining Armor exclaimed, puzzled. He wasn’t the only one. “Maybe it is because humans aren’t built for flying as opposed to pegasi, or because this world works by a different set of rules. Personally, I think it’s the latter. See, I’ve met Pinkie Pie, and she ignores the rules of nature on a daily basis. How she does it and why, no one knows but her. Actually, scratch that, she probably doesn’t even know.” There was a moment of silence as the ponies pondered the theory. Then one pony spoke, and his statement was perhaps the most intriguing one. “If our two worlds work by different rules, then perhaps you are under the same rules as we are,” Prince Blueblood stated. Magnus’ head turned towards the prince. “That… actually makes a lot of sense.” Yeah, why not? The basic rules of nature all creatures had to obey, at least on Earth. Here, though, he was under the same rules as the ponies and every other creature! Prince Blueblood’s theory made perfect sense, at least from a layman’s point of view. “I’m glad that I may have shed some light on anything you may have wondered about, but I must admit that I am very curious about both you and your home world. I’m sure you understand my curiosity. May I ask, good sir, what you former home was like?” Prince Blueblood asked. He still had that smile of his that made Magnus feel a tingle down his spine. Why did he feel this way? Perhaps the prince was just a cheery kind of guy? No, it was something else. Magnus finished chewing his mouthful of succulent, juicy pork. What was the spice they used on it? “It was a small town by the standards of my country. Rural, a lot of farms on the outskirts, but lively, especially during weekends. Some people would call it boring, but it suited us just fine. I can’t really say that we lacked anything important.” “Sounds like a charming little hamlet.” Prince Blueblood lightly dabbed his mouth with his napkin. Then, he fixed his eyes on Magnus. “But I would like to know something else, if you wouldn’t mind.” “Go ahead.” The prince hesitated for a moment. “I’m not sure how to formulate my questions as not to offend you, but I still feel the need to ask. Your body, I understand that you underwent some transformative changes. You did look different, isn’t that correct.” While the question was perfectly normal to ask, Magnus felt a bit uneasy when he saw Princess Celestia’s smile. It seemed as if she’d been expecting this one. Strangely enough, her expression was mirrored to varying degrees on the others except Twilight, who appeared just as confused as Magnus. “I did. I had feet instead of hooves, feet with five toes, and my legs weren’t this hairy. Plus I didn’t have orange hair. My ears changed too—they weren’t pointy before. Something happened with my hands, arms, and fingers as well.” Magnus held up his hand and moved his fingers. Each digit was thicker than before he came to Equestria, and his hands almost looked oversized. The current hypothesis he had was that his bones had grown thicker for some reason. All ponies had uniformly thick forelegs and hind legs, so he theorized that this was some pony trait he had inherited. “That reminds me! I had a full physical performed on me by Doctor Silverheart before I left Canterlot. I should go see him in the morning.” “You should. I expect he has many interesting things to tell you. He already assured me that you are in good health,” Celestia stated confidently. Dinner progressed as well as one could expect, as did dessert. Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight spent much of their time talking with each other. Magnus got the impression that Cadance and Twilight were very close, and to him, it almost looked like a girl’s night out, sans the drinks. Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Magnus did not sit in silence either; the two sisters were interested in hearing how the rest of Magnus’ stay in Ponyville went, and he was happy to tell them about the more interesting things he had experienced. All this time, Prince Blueblood mostly listened, but now and then he would ask Magnus a question or two, which led to more questions. Funny thing was, all his questions concerned Magnus and his altered physical appearance. Another constant was the prince’s smile, which left Magnus feeling distinctly uneasy. It was almost like a child who had met his or her idol, or something in that direction. For a while Magnus thought that Prince Blueblood was just a bit socially awkward or simply not good with strangers, but the enthusiasm he spoke with said otherwise. After dessert, Magnus had to use the restroom and excused himself. Upon returning to the dining room, he had to stop in the hallway in order to get rid of something in his hoof that had been annoying him. While leaning onto the wall, he spent a minute prying a few pebbles out of the small opening between his hoof and horseshoe. While standing there, he suddenly became aware that he wasn’t alone. Sure, there were guards patrolling and castle staff members going about their business, but none of them attempted to hide behind potted plants like the pony down the hall did. Said pony wasn’t very good at it either. The blonde mane and the rump with a clearly visible cutie mark comically sticking into the air higher than the plant was a clear giveaway. He appeared downright bizarre, and it was at this moment that an errand thought came to Magnus, and frankly, it explained a lot of things. The smile, the interest, his body... Prince Blueblood had a particular interest in him! With this sudden realization fresh in mind, Magnus hurried back to the dining room, hearing hoofsteps sneaking behind him. The thought of a small horse, and a stallion even, taking an interest in him, romantically or simply because it was a fetish, quickly became a horrifying prospect. A few images ran through his mind, and all of them were in the ‘Nightmare Fuel’ category. The moment he came back to the dining room, Magnus made a beeline to Princess Celestia. She was engaged in conversation with Princess Cadance, but not for long. “Excuse me, Princess Cadance. Princess Celestia, we need to talk in private,” Magnus quickly stated. Celestia gave Magnus a confused look, but still stood up and followed Magnus to the other side of the room. When they stood sufficiently away from the others, Celestia noticed how agitated Magnus was. He was wringing his hands and looking over his shoulders at Prince Blueblood hiding behind the entry doors. It was no surprise that Blueblood had suddenly become so interested in him if one knew about his special hobby. “What is wrong, Magnus? Are you feeling well? Was it the dinner?” she asked. Perhaps the meat she had procured from Cloudsdale had been spoiled, and now the poor human felt its effects. “No, no, the meat was perfect! But, it’s something else,” Magnus stated, even waving his hands across his face in denial. “...I… Okay, how do I put this…? Remember what I told you about human relationships?” “I do. Are you—” Celestia stopped herself mid-sentence and fought hard to not smile. Could it be true? Had Magnus found a special somepony? Was he already so well integrated into Equestrian society that he already had his eyes on a mare? No, that could not be it. He had mentioned his disdain of interspecies relationships a few times, so it could not be it. “Great, you remember. Here’s another interesting little bit of news: I’m straight. Girls only, human girls that it. Not men, and certainly not stallions. So please, could you tell your nephew to stay away from my ass?” Celestia raised a single brow. “Ass? As in a donkey?” For a brief second, Celestia wondered if Magnus had befriended one of the donkeys living in Ponyville, or perhaps this was another of his strange euphemisms. “No no, as in butt. Ass, butt, it means the same thing in ~English~. I’m sure that your nephew has a fetish for me.” Celestia was once more confused, and looked over to Blueblood, now silently sneaking up on Magnus. The red velvet rug helped mask his approach. Then understanding dawned on her. Oh, what a misunderstanding. Magnus had completely misread Blueblood. She couldn’t help but let out a snort, much to Magnus’ confusion. “Oh, Magnus. I am afraid that you have misunderstood. My nephew is not interested in stallions, so I can assure you, your flanks are completely safe. No, my dear nephew has a hobby that few know of. You see, ever since he read his first book about hybrids, such as hippogriffs and dragon ponies, Blueblood has been fascinated by them. He owns a vast collection of written works about them, which also included portraits, items that belonged to them, tales written by contemporaries of the hybrids during the years they lived, as well as many other things. He is, in fact, one of Equestria’s leading experts on hybrids.” Magnus let out a sigh of relief. “He wha?” he asked eloquently. “Blueblood is interested in you because of what you are. You are one of his hobbies come true. Remember, no hybrids have existed for four centuries, and here you are, a living hybrid standing in front of him. It is no wonder you have caught his interest.” Magnus scratched his head, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. At least he didn’t have to put up with chocolate, roses, and a serenade outside his bedroom window. “Oh… That’s a relief. But what am I supposed to do about him then?” “I suggests you befriend him,” Celestia stated with a smile. “In time, he will forget about you as an object of his hobby and see you as a friend instead.” With that, Celestia turned around and walked back to the table and continued her conversation with Luna and Cadance as if nothing had happened. Magnus, confounded, still stood at the same spot, watching as Celestia walked away. A squeak sound came from behind him, and he turned around. Prince Blueblood stood there, a huge smile on his face, just staring at him. It was then that Magnus remembered that smile. It was almost the same smile Twilight had when she spoke with him for the first time. The infamous I-Want-To-Know smile. The smile of knowledge, of endless questions, of days spent talking and talking without end. There was only one thing he could say in this situation. “Oh God, there’s two of them.”