Manus POV
Beep
Beep
Beep
'What's going on? Where am I?' I thought. I tried opening my eyes, but everything was too bright for me to handle and I immediately shut them. I tried to get up out of what I'm assuming is a hospital bed if the beeping and the feeling of something strapped on my arm are anything to go on, but it hurt to move. My eyes having finally adjusted to the light I was able to see I was right, though my vision is blurry to say the least. I tried calling out, but my throat was too dry for me to do so. As if some god heard me the door opened, but I still couldn't quite make out who opened the door, I heard a gasp and running shortly after so I didn't get the water I was going to ask for. I just relaxed since there was nothing else I could do, minutes passed and it looked like I was finally getting some visitors, though I couldn't make out what they were saying.
Someone walked in, but I couldn't see them still, my eye sight is so bad I may as well be blind.
"What is your name?" The lady asked.
"Water." I tried to say only to go into a coughing fit immediately after. The lady quickly poured some and helped me drink it. After several cups I was finally able to speak without coughing, but it still hurt to do so.
"Your name please." She asked again.
"Manus." I answered.
"Race?" Not one I expected to hear.
"Human?"
"Well Manus, a few days ago you appeared in my court room and you were bleeding enough you were at death's door. How did that happen?" She asked. I started coughing again and was quickly given more water.
"Fight in school, Zane went too far, all I remember." It really is all I remember. Why do I feel I'm forgetting something?
"A fight in school left you on the brink of death??!!" She nearly shouted, shocked such a thing would happen.
"Yeah? Chroma University has duels all the time, though that's the first time something like this happened since it was founded. I wasn't in the mood for his shit so I finally fought back and beat him, apparently he didn't take too kindly to a low level mage who can barely use magic as far as anyone knew wiping the floor with him and attacked with my back turned to him." Really wish I could see right now, I can barely see my hand. There was a long silence between us, whoever I was speaking to.
"You said you were a 'low level mage who could barely use magic' and yet you still beat this Zane, how?" She asked curiously.
"I was stronger than him, I just didn't let anyone know. I also struck him while he was laughing at what he thought was a joke." I answered. Silence returned as she thought of more questions to ask, but I had one of my own.
"So is this blindness a temporary thing or what? I can barely see my hands much less you." I asked.
"The nurse said that was one of the possible side effects of the medicine she gave, your sight will return by the end of the week." She answered.
"A week? The Hell did they give me? Nevermind, I don't want to know." I do want to know actually, but I'm afraid of the answer.
"Besides what you've told me so far, what kind of school was Chroma Academy?" Not a question I expected considering how well known it is.
"You haven't heard of it? It specializes in anything considered to be elemancy. Summoning in most cases is counted and the seven elements to name a few."
"There is no school by that name in Equestria. Where did you come from?" She asked, I looked in her direction with confusion and slight fear evident on my face.
"Equestria? I come from Xelroth, I have no idea where Equestria is on the map and we've explored just about every inch of the world except for the Ash Lands and the Frozen Kingdom." I answered, alarmed by this new information.
"I'm afraid I've never heard of those lands either. My apologies, but I must return to court, we will continue later." She said before leaving. Never even got her name.
If this is the same world then how'd she not know what I was? Humans are common almost everywhere. The Tilokra Marshes with the Naga, the Dark Kingdom with Moon Elves and Dark Elves, and the Grepo Mountains with the Dwarves to name a few, we're just about everywhere. We might not get along with some like the Hollows of Helmora or the Harpies of Sechlor Isle, but at least no one's actively trying to kill each other.
Celestia POV
I had actually canceled court for the day upon hearing the creature calling himself Manus awoke, but he didn't need to know that. Luna has been working to keep this private, I'd rather not think of the reactions if word got out of how easily somepony found their way into the castle regardless of whether or not they were injured. I found her in the dining hall with a small plate of brownies and a plate of red velvet cake by my seat. Upon seeing me enter she put down the brownie she was about to eat and spoke.
"You went to see the creature yes?" Luna asked.
"I did."
"And? What do you make of it?"
"I believe he was fortunate to have found his way here, or rather he was fortunate to be transported here." She raised a brow.
"His physical state aside, why do you believe he was fortunate enough to be 'transported'?" She asked, wanting clarification on my choice of words.
"He is like others who have randomly appeared in our world, the current Vampire Lord and the Archon to name the most recent in the past 1,200 years." I answered.
"How are they by the way?"
"Solkier after changing his body has been ruling over the Thestrals for centuries and the Archon is still searching for a way to break Bloodthirst or it's curse."
"He is still in possession of that accursed sword?" She asked shocked.
"Unfortunately, at this rate I'd be more surprised to learn it wasn't the creation of a Demon Lord. Anyway, back to Manus." I said getting us back on topic.
"The creature?"
"Yes."
"Apologies. Now, did you learn what caused his injuries?"
"He was challenged to a duel by another student in his school because he was thought to be weak as he wanted to be thought as. He finally fought back and won, flawlessly from the sound of it. The other student became enraged and attacked while his back was turned." Luna looked down angrily at her plate.
"Coward. Rather than admit defeat he would become a murderer. He is fortunate to not have come as well, otherwise the dungeons would have been the least of his worries." She said, getting a laugh out of me.
"On that we are in agreement. Later would you like to meet him?" I asked.
"I don't see why not." She responded.
Manus POV a few hours later
I can see why no one likes hospital food, it's like they only give the bare minimum of what's needed and even that's asking for a lot. The apple tastes like it was thrown in a dish washer and the actual meal has almost no flavor, doesn't help it's stale as well. I ate it, but I really hope I'll be able to get some real food and soon. Not long after the nurse returned to take my tray out so I took the opportunity to practice my magic a little. Remember the ash shield I used against Zane? Ash and smoke are part of the fire element, though no one uses them because they aren't as useful as the flames themselves. The strange thing about smoke and ash made using the fire element is nothing actually needs to burn to produce it. As I was trying to make an ash dagger in my nearly blinded state I lost concentration when the door opened. I heard 2 sets of steps this time instead of one.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I hope you don't mind, but I've brought another with me." The lady from earlier said.
"Greetings. I trust your treatment thus far has been adequate?" A new voice said, also female.
"I've had worse treatment for less serious injuries so it's not like I'm unused to it." I answered.
"Do you mind if we continue where we left off?" The first lady asked.
"First I'd like to know who I'm talking to, especially since my blindness is getting in the way of telling who is who." I said.
"Oh! That must have slipped my mind. I am princess Celestia and with me is my sister, princess Luna." Celestia answered finally giving names to the voices.
"I would bow, but that would hurt too much so I hope you don't mind a handshake." I said holding out my hands hoping they'd take the bait so I can narrow down what they are.
"That is fine, we wouldn't want a patient to hurt themselves just for us." Celestia said as she and Luna shook my hands. Fur huh? No claws, no paws, so not the Wolf or Cat people, whatever they were called.
"So now that introductions are out of the way, could we continue where my sister left off?" Luna asked.
"Go ahead." I answered.
"You said you were challenged to a duel and that these things happened often at your school. These were allowed?" Celestia asked.
"What better way to find out who has the most potential for what is mostly battle magic than to let the students find out themselves? So long no permanent damage was done, both were still able to attend school, and there was a teacher present it was allowed. Zane thought it was a good idea to break all three rules when he challenged me who he thought was weaker than everyone. If he wasn't arrested for murder he was at least expelled and banned from being a mage, his descendants also banned from being mages if by the off chance he even has any."
"A fitting punishment if you ask me." Luna commented.
"If he can't be trusted to use magic legally/ responsibly what reason do we have to believe he'll teach his kids to do so? If he just broke the third rule he would've just been suspended, the second rule was expulsion, and the first rule was what costed him his life as a mage. He was from a high ranking noble family so he also basically destroyed their reputation on top of it. Now I have a question. What are you not telling me about my arrival here?" I asked.
"You haven't told him yet?" Luna asked Celestia.
"I didn't think he should be bothered with that information because of his condition." Celestia responded.
"Tell me what?"
"You're not on your world anymore." Luna answered for Celestia. I looked where I think she was with a 'are you kidding me' expression.
"It takes over a dozen Spacial mages with years of study and practice to teleport one guy half way across the world. You mean to tell me that in a school occupied by nothing but elemental mages and students that someone there was able to teleport me to a whole other world? Forgive my language, but that is bullshit!" I said in disbelief.
"Though extremely rare, things and sometimes living beings are transported here. We are not lying, we are sorry, but you're no longer home." Celestia said. I still don't have all the information I need, but it'll probably be better if I play along.
"Not like I had much back home anyway. Next question." They don't need to know I lied.
"This is more to sate my own curiosity, but what did enrollment in your school involve? I own a school myself and would like to hear your school's method for applications." Celestia said.
"Enrollment served a few purposes actually. We would be in an empty room save for the instructors and judges and are taught a spell to summon a familiar. The familiars show us what elements we are attuned to as well as show our I guess you could say 'spirit animal'. Depending on the element you might have a safety hazard. Wind is very likely to play around, Light will almost always be docile, others like Fire or Lightning will be completely random. The animal has nothing to do with nature or aggression, though of course a dragon will always be more dangerous than a tiger. The size is always small to person sized at first, after the first time you can slightly change the animal and it's element so a phoenix can be changed to a Thunderbird or with a bit more magic a wolf could be turned into a werewolf. If you can't even tame much less summon your familiar you aren't worthy of being called an apprentice."
"Is there not an alternative?" Luna asked.
"No, moving on. The familiars summoned also show how much magic you have because the first time summons however many you can hold before you use magic faster than you regenerate it. At least one of each element if you have more than one."
"How does attunement work?" She asked.
"You are technically weaker if you have more elements. A mage with we'll say fire and two other elements will have about 1/3 of the raw power that a guy with one of those elements has. Let me clarify, that mage's fire will have about 33.3% of the power a mage with only fire will have. Versatility over power if you will. Increasing your level or tier will make up for the difference though."
"What are your elements then?" Celestia asked.
"How about I show one and see if you can figure it out." I began forming a gauntlet out of ash. I heard them sniff the air and move back a little.
"It's fire, but how can there be ash with nothing burning?" She asked.
"It's still technically fire apparently. While flaming armor and weapons are better they drain more as well. You can either have a weightless weapon with heat/ cutting power being entirely dependent on the amount of magic put into it or you can have a light weapon that still burns and requires significantly less magic to become as strong and durable as damascus steel." I answered before dispelling the gauntlet.
"Last question from me for the night. What do you intend to do after recovering." Luna asked.
"I plan to continue my studies. Though the school didn't know it because for the most part I hid my magic, I was close to reaching level 5 for my fire magic. Most of them were just reaching level 2. My other elements are close to level 4, but I'll deal with that after I can cast one of the strongest fire spells in the book. After doing so I will have met the minimum power requirement to become part of the Magistrate or even an Archmage, not that I cared for the positions anyway."
"Why did you make yourself appear weak?" Celestia asked.
"I didn't want the attention nor did I want to be pushed into a career I didn't care for. I liked learning magic, but the job I was being groomed for didn't interest me."
"That will be all for tonight then. Farewell for now." I heard the door open and both of them leave.
I can't really be in a new world can I? That shouldn't be possible. Damnit, I need to see it to believe it.