//------------------------------// // Act II, Chapter 6: The Royal Breakfast // Story: Of Starships and Golden Armors // by Devona //------------------------------// Stanley's day started just like any other - in fact, he thought, it was much more typical than he'd ever assume it would. After a total of about five full hours of sleep, far too much for Stanley's liking, the trooper immediately went about his daily routine in an effort to make up the lost time. Some changes, of course, soon proved necessary, like substituting those types of exercise which required more free space with their fitting equivalents - which, luckily, quickly turned out not to be a challenge at all, as Stanley soon concluded some of his alternative programs likely would not cause harm if adopted for such a short time, and as most of them worked just fine besides that, before long he began to complete their points in adequate order. And so, the sun rose, higher and higher, as Stanley's room remained occupied and under guard. It was fine though - the previous day Luna had showed the trooper the 'clock' - not like he hadn't noticed it himself - and provided him with the basics of Equestrian time system, all so her breakfast invitation could bear at least some actual meaning. And, thanks to Luna, a meaning it bore - but, as Selina calculated in an instant, it still only started in two hours and three minutes, so there was no hurry. Not like there would ever be, anyway. It was just an invitation, although yes, the breakfast had been implied to be part of the planned talks - which, in all honesty, wasn't all that hard to deduce; what else could it even be, after all? What would be the point? Right, the Princesses said they only wished to begin after the meal, but, well, this wasn't time for such blatant delusions. And that was the problem if there ever was one. Stanley was a diplomat now - these were his orders, and there was no denying, whether he liked it or not - and so any and all arrogance, at least according to Selina, would only just spoil relations - which, after a string of discussions, Stanley accepted to be only and exclusively unfavorable. After all, honestly, who was he to disagree with that simple truth? Interstate negotiations exceeded the trooper's domain completely. Allied military officials? Sure. Scattered resistance leaders on some Regulatory World? Bah! No problem. Not many civilians these days, but it's still something one can run into, an existing possibility, so naturally Stanley couldn't possibly think of being unprepared. The problem was, what was going on right now had never been a possibility. No, not at all, and hell, it still really wasn't. How much of a jackpot he had hit and the nature of the sudden encounter that followed had both already ceased to perplex Stanley even in the slightest, yes, that was true; how could they not? It was simply the current state of things, the current status he'd have to work with - questioning its very existence would only and exclusively serve to decrease efficiency. Still however, all of that did not change the fact that the situation at hand had simply been plainly impossible. End of story. Odds of one in a quadrillion quintillions do not count, period. The possibility of the universe disappearing without warning due to quantum flux is technically there as well, and noone'd ever been preparing contingencies for that. As minutes passed and more and more of the room got filled with bright sunlight, Stanley's visor briefly flashed with familiar yellow - a significant data transfer. The trooper stopped himself mid push-up. "Selina?" "Not me," clarified the AI matter-of-factly. "An audio log. Dimensional transfer." "What?" Stanley nearly fell on the ground, but luckily managed to catch himself just in time and roll his way back into a stable stance. Sitting on the bed, he voiced his proper inquiry. "From where?" "Oh-One," stated Selina once again, calmly as ever. "How? Weren't we cut off?" the trooper questioned in quick succession. "And how are you so chill about this?" "Because there was a possibility - I suppose they've managed to stabilise a connection sufficiently to transfer the data. How very clever of them, although I suppose I should say me. Who else would be able to calculate such a thing, after all?" "Noone, of course, besides a couple thousand technicians." "Yeah, keep dreaming." "One more word and I'm reporting a revolutionary intelligence," Stanley chuckled briefly. "Alright, how long until the talks?" "The breakfast starts in fourty two minutes." "Good enough," replied Stanley as he looked at the recording's length. "Eighty seconds of potential help won't hurt. Let's see what they got me." As the trooper opened the file with his neural network, the top left corner of his visor immediately went dark. On that ominous background, a single sinister, silver-lined pointed rectangle obscured a bright, equally grey circle - the symbol of Operation: Fiery Remorse, painted right next to the Sword and Shield, Defense and Offense, protection at home and abroad - the prideful insignia adorning all Republican war flags. Across such formal background, a single thin, cyan line appeared clearly, contrasting greatly with the grim, omnipresent blackness - a line yet straight, but ready to budge, again and again, right on time, when the recording starts. A graphical soundwave. With the slightest headshake, Stanley played the file. A voice deep, purposefully genderless, but still distinctly human in nature suddenly boomed through his helmet, to the point where the trooper needed to manually lower the volume - an action which, if required, usually meant some kind of malfunction. Meanwhile though, Stanley focused on the more important and let his mind swallow the new information. "Operational Command communique. Devon-One-Prime, this is Liege Lord speaking, updates regarding further modus operandi follow," in the background a few dull cracks could be heard, accompanied by some muffled, unintelligible voice - which, keeping in mind this was in fact Liege Lord, did not suggest anything good. "Operation status has changed; original battleplan is, as of now, on hiatus. All forces have moved to Battleplan Black; repeat, Battleplan Black has been enacted in full force. Your mission's priority level has been raised to TOP TIER. Two point three hours ago Allied forces began an offensive to secure optimal fold coordinates for a tunnel into your multiversal location, however time has to be saved. By the authority of the Coalition High Command, your temporary diplomatic power is being raised to military grade three for use if needed, at your own assessment. Reminder - officials deemed by you as crucial diplomatic partners are to be treated as if possessing temporary diplomatic clearance level one-dash-two, and fitting information is to be disclosed. Changes to your orders consist of shifts of priority focus. Provide the new contacts with information. Tell them what they're facing. Diplomatic Corps will soon be on their way, and we have no time to tell stories. The contacts need context, so your duty is to provide it. Recommend attempts at influencing the contacts' opinion, but only at your own assessment; said goal is not to nullify your main mission objectives. In addition, basic information about the contacts' society is expected, as you are to serve as the Diplomatic Corps' main informant prior to your reintroduction into field service. Liege Lord out, and good-" The message cut off abruptly mid-sentence, as if the fold, its main and only conductor, had closed in an instant. At first, Stanley was slightly taken aback, freezing in place for a millisecond, but ultimately didn't make much of it; it seemed to be the transmission's very end, anyway. "Huh, maybe it's even better it stopped in time. Don't know if I want to hear what they tried to wish me, especially as 'good hunting' certainly looks like a possibility," chuckled Stanley, standing to continue his interrupted exercise. "Yes, I'm sure that was it. Because, you fool, the greatest commanding body in existence obviously wouldn't waste time to think about orders they're giving." "'Good hunting''s kind of our motto at this point, you know that?" "Sure do. Just joking," replied Selina, chuckling briefly "Anyway, I think now we can be pretty much sure the connection is not very stable, yes?" "Pretty much." "Just a fancy way of informing you, to be honest. I've been sure for quite some time already." "Yeah, I've kind of managed to figure that out. What are you here for if not such management?" laughed Stanley. "Yes, well, it turns out five billion operations a second sure may come in handy for you limited organics." "Hm, sure," replied Stanley mid-training. "Especially if those operations are two digit additions. Fool someone else with these statistics," he finished, chuckling. A while had passed before Selina returned her answer. "Like the diarchs?" Stanley froze. That'd surely serve them well, and... Wait; what did the order state? Hard to tell. Suggestions, perhaps? Well... 'influence the contacts' opinion' it was, right? It was, after all. So... "Sure," Stanley nodded to himself, resuming the push-ups. "Why not?" Sun shone brightly through the few sparse clouds above Canterlot, as another beautiful day dawned on Equestria. Pegasus weather teams, not too preoccupied with work, zoomed through the skies, occassionally waving or smiling back at those encountered, their current duties all but finished, no matter the early hour. Even though the day promised to be as usual as one can be, cheerful vibe emanated from the crowded streets, almost like a mirror reflecting the clear, blue sky. As everypony outside smiled however, one group of ponies, pegasi guards to be precise, rejoiced not. A group of very special pegasi, very special guards, on a very special mission. A group of guards now flying aimlessly, almost unable to think, around the Canterlot Castle walls, circling near a cluster of windows in a spot impossible to come by by chance. Circling around blind spot windows which now, for reasons as mysterious as worrying, stayed empty. However, what but a few ponies knew, was that these pegasi - these pegasi had their counterparts. Yes, counterparts, inside the Castle itself, staying by the very same room, just its other end. Counterparts, which, though for reasons surely different, shared the worry with them - worry, but not confusion. For these ponies? They knew what was about. And they knew just as well that if they don't bring a certain two-meters tall, black biped to listen soon, somepony's going to get demoted. The question of who exactly, in turn, was the only mystery these guards experienced. And so, they trotted, and galloped, and trotted again, following the spirit-like being, which disregarded them to the point of utter annoyance. Marching nonchalantly, it was easily keeping up with the guards - bah, beating them even, without as much as breaking a single sweat - and in addition, almost as if to deliberately add insult to injury, it kept returning only smug remarks to everything they shouted - not only did these words mean nothing, but also served to irritate the two EUP to no end. With such blatant disrespect towards Royal Protectors shown off in such a manner, both had long forgotten about the curiosity of the alien's fluent Equestrian, or sheer weirdness of its exposed head - which, though the guards knew it not, pleased said alien immensly. Like this, the march continued, constant demands to allow an escort falling deaf on the foreign creature. Minutes passed, and then a few more, until at last Stanley stopped dead in his tracks, arms demonstrativelly on his hips. Looking up, the trooper took a few seconds to take in the huge, amply decorated door, before the two exhausted guards, after briefly freezing with mouths agape, having both only just now realised the human had no problems at all ignoring their elaborate machinations and covering the way to the throne room in virtually a straight line, finally reached the soldier. Stanley however did not give them the satisfaction; maybe recklessly, in this situation at least, maybe not, but the trooper soon pushed the enormous door inwards, entering the gigantic hall. "Thou forgot the name!?" Luna hissed bending over the long table, right as the clock struck nine. Not giving up to her sister's tensed mood, Celestia slowly nodded, breath not less stable than usually. "Yes, although you need to admit he hasn't stated it very often, mind you," she replied with a small, optimistic smile - for Celestia, essentially neutral expression. Luna however, was far from conviced. "What does that change!?" she exclaimed in irritation. "Hath it not been you who bragged about thine diplomatic experience, awaiting proper opportunities? Perhaps tis' a demonstration?" Celestia retracted her head slightly, straightening her lips, clearly taken aback by the question. Not for long though, as after a second of roaming aimlessly all around, Celestia's eyesight returned to Luna. "Yes, however I wouldn't necessarily use the same words. Have some self-criticism, Lulu," she continued with a wide, genuine smile, age-old witness glistening from her eyes. "And do you remember our visitor's name?" All annoyance vanished from Luna's face, replaced by an ashamed frown. Blushing, she insinctively tried to sever eye contact. "Well... no..." "Do you see now, sister?" Celestia replied reassuringly, without a tinge of scolding in her tone. "We all make mistakes, and that's simply natural. However, worry not, Lulu. This one, we will fix quickly." Luna's previous escape was no more in an instant, as, tilting her head, the Princess glanced at her sister with but growing confusion, to which Celestia offered only a wink. Before Luna could learn anything more however, the massive, ornate door budged slightly, sending a booming echo throughout the room, until at last, accompanied by a loud screech, the entire contraption opened, revealing a unicorn, an earth pony and one hewmon engaged in what looked like a perpetual pursuit of one another; actually, scratch that - a pursuit of the hewmon by the guards, and a rather unsuccessful one at that. While looking at the display however, Luna could not help but notice one particular detail; the alien had apparently - well, surely, as it was clearly seen - decided to get rid of his previously so valued headgear at least for the duration of the talks and was now walking in with this piece of his outer layer off. Well, not completely get rid of, of course, as he did still carry the somehow weirdly shrunk helmet in his arm, but removing it at all still felt like a big move - especially considering Celestia, who was now quite skillfully hiding the obvious for Luna astonishment, had not yet gotten to witness real hewmon features. Luna knew not the weird headear's capabilities and so she had no idea whether the alien's decision was symbollical, a sign of good intentions, or simply out of sheer necessity, as he was in fact going for a meal and it had always been a theoretical, if a little absurd, possibility that taking the thing off was more difficult than it seemed. Truly though, no such thought, or consideration, ever entered Luna's mind - at the sight of the trooper's exposed face, the Princess could not help but cast a smile. Meanwhile though, the two guards finally stopped their fruitless chase, inwardly declaring its failure, and instead took to panting heavily enough to cover the Castle floor in a paper-thin layer of mist. It was a while, though not longer than a few seconds, before they properly registered the, obvious truly, implications of their whereabouts. One earlier than the other, the EUP took a similar, arching look over the hall, before quite vigorously falling low onto the floor - vigorously enough to almost trip over each other, though that unfortunate incident was luckily omitted thanks to the top tier, finest EUP training. Surely. As the black alien raised an eyebrow, stopping in its tracks at the brief display, one of the guards finally managed to gather enough breath for actual speech, breaking the whistling silence. "Y-your Highness...-nesses! We... apo-polgise, but... it... it... broke through us! We tried... tried, to... to pursue, but it was... it was... too quick...," the first guard to bow, a unicorn, mumbled between breaths; evidently the effects of such sudden acceleration still hadn't fully faded from the two ponies. "We... it broke out of its quarters, Your Highness! Without... notice!" At such a pathetic display Luna could barely keep her Royal Canterlot Voice at bay, and it took an awfully immense willpower not to even roll the eyes. Instead, in an effort not to flip the table with magical rays, Luna clenched her teeth almost to the point of breaking, shutting her eyes clean. The Princess kept in mind she must've looked humiliating, but it was the least of her worries; one cannot have everything after all, even if one should. How could the guards have done that!? There was no doubt the current Canterlot regiments were not necessarily the type one would like to entrust the most important affairs to, but this? They could at least attempt to appear experienced and capable, not flat out humiliate themselves in front of who was right now possibly the de facto most important persona in Equestria, not counting the Princesses and the Elements, of course. And the guards, the guards so utterly incompetent, had the unbelievable privilege of actually being aware of that abstract fact - a privilege only a handful was lucky enough to share - and yet, here they were, dying from their fatigue after being unable to keep up with a bipedal being, and likely also after being outmatched in spells - why else, how else could a unicorn guard be passed by? Unless, of course, he was incompetent enough - and stupid enough - not to even try actual magic, which, honestly, didn't seem that unlikely with the present sight. And the worst of all? While the alien's name had omitted Luna, she remembered all too well he was military - and that he had been military for a long, long time, a fact Celestia luckily had no way of knowing, because it meant even more clearly that he could see perfectly well to what degree the pony 'military' was incapable of any bigger action, combat or not, no matter. Obviously, the alien underwent no change of intentions, that there was no doubt about, as he now stood in the middle of the room completely peacefully, simply glancing between the monarchs and the two exhausted guards. What transpired between him and the pony watch was likely a misunderstanding - perhaps a cultural difference of sorts? Nevertheless, it left no question the EUP should have acted more efficiently, or at least pretended to do so, or... well, avoided such blatant humiliation. While Luna struggled to keep her nerves at bay though, Celestia, noticing her state, swiftly moved to take care of the unusual situation. With her usual small smile, maintained today like it always was, the Princess nodded at the flattened guards. "I understand. Thank you for your help, Swift Hoof. You may now leave." The earth pony guard liften his head energetically. "B-but... Your Highness!... I-it-" "That I will handle myslef, thank you for your concern. Now, could you leave us alone for now, if you will?" Celestia cut the guard off, but without a tinge of anger or irritation; if it wasn't for the circumstances, it'd be easy to mistake the request for one simply directed by one friend at another. Hearing Celestia's words both guards stammered for a short while, until, after a synchronized "Yes, Your Highness!", they finally retreated outside the hall, hoof after hoof, careful with each and every step, as if still on high alert due to the alien's presence. It took a minute, but eventually the door slammed shut and the trio was left alone, not counting the few remaining guards, routinely standing in place by the room's marble walls. "Forgive us any inconveniences, Lieutenant Colonel, your sudden arrival seems to be as confusing to our guards as it was to us," Celestia immendiately began, wasting no time. Speaking like that was a risky move; not only did she have no idea at all about what had transpired between the alien and the two ponies, but such a sentence may have also reinforced the Lieutenant's idea that Equestrian forces were thoroughly incompetent. For now though, it would do; Celestia had a whole morning of talks ahead of her, so it was worth the risk. "Take a seat if you will, please." "Take a seat if you will, please," the alien monarch, Celestia, offered, right as Stanley turned to face the rulers, removing his sight from the huge, ornate door. The whole situation, in spite of a whole day going by, still didn't sit well with the trooper, and right now? Honestly, this was probably the pinnacle. It was a good while, almost a second, before Stanley collected his thoughts and formulated a reply. The discussion however was halted for a little longer; there would be no answer without the Equestrian language, and the only way Stanley would speak that was through a translator - so, speakers. Covering his face again so quickly didn't sit well with him though, but this was still far from the main problem; an array of facial nano microphones would do as a receiver, just as well as they did as auxiliary systems in the field. The main problem was, in fact, drowning out Stanley's real voice - a problem that, unfortunately, the Princesses would have to deal with for the time being. Coughing a few times, Stanley finally returned his answer. "Of course... You Highnesses." Ugh, never thought I would do that... surely not towards primitives... Celestia retracted her head for a split second, presumably taken aback; it was no wonder however, the trooper's voice obviously must've sounded hilarious to someone unfamiliar with such advanced machinery - two different sounds, not even akin, and in addition, lips completely and utterly not matching the dominant one. The apparent shock only persisted for so little though, as it wasn't longer than a few seconds before Celestia replied. "Please, you don't have to call me that, you are not my subject," she chuckled. Stanley could not help but notice Luna briefly glancing at her fellow diarch with a questioning look. "I... of course, no problem." And so, after some creative thinking on how to utilise the weird alien chair best, Stanley took a seat and the meal began. Or at least it formally did, as it would be quite some time before anything edible actually landed on the table. However conversations would not wait that long; their beginning at least. As soon as Stanley took his place, Celestia cleared her throat. "As we can at last begin what we couldn't yesterday, I think it would be appropriate to, once again, introduce each other. Your superiors may be happy to hear that Princess Celestia, Diarch of Equestria and Raiser of the Sun, as well as Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria and Raiser of the Moon, greet their new human friends with hope and welcome them to our Kingdom of Equestria," Celestia said with the same small smile. Stanley suppressed a chuckle. Surely... "And I, Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Martin of the Second Battallion of the Republican Strike Units of the Republican Army of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sol, hear these words with joy. I'm sure our two states will enjoy active cooperation," the trooper recited, the thought of it sounding - completely against his intentions - just a little too sarcastic appearing a millisecond too late. Luckily however, the Princesses did not seem to see it that way in any degree. Instead Celestia, for the briefest of moments, with what Stanley could swear was a smug smile, glanced at Luna, who offered only an eye roll in response. Stanley knew not what it was all about, but quickly decided not to bother too much and only keep the affair at the back of his head in case it did in fact end up mattering. The trio exchanged a couple more noncommitting sentences, before once again, silence largely overtook the room Several minutes went by before another horse, this one much more fancy-looking than the usual guards - likely a servant of sorts - came to take their orders, and it wasn't hard for Stanley to deduce substantially more would pass before the meals themselves are ultimately delivered. It... everything... didn't seem right. It really didn't, not at all, not in the slightest! How could something like this even come to be!? How in the world was this normal at all!? The Coalition, the Republic of Sol was waging a galactic war, likely engaging millions in an effort to 'hold' Sazana, while Stanley Martin, Lieutenant Colonel of one of the best-regarded battallions of the most elite formation - besides maybe the Commando Groups - humanity had at its disposal, was doing this - this pathetic man was eating a fancy lunch - or breakfast, whatever - in a bloody castle of all things, alongs literal goddamn kings - well, queens, but that wasn't the point. It angered him. Stanley could not find a better word that described his feelings, although right, he didn't really bother himself with such things. It was anger, yes, anger; not the most pleasant word to use, as being unable to suppress such emotions was without a doubt a sign of failure, but so was the inability to admit it. How? How could it be? Well, he was obviously here by chance, but it still didn't fit. It didn't at all. Above all else though, why could any- "What makes thy speech as it is?" Luna suddenly broke the silence. Stanley quickly turned his head. Did he really just lose focus that easily? An unusual situation is one thing, however this - this was a mistake a random conscript might make, and even that unlikely. Pathetic. In an effort to prevent the Princesses from noticing him trailing off, Stanley responded as quickly as he could - it was, once again, just explaining basic stuff after all. "Oh, this? It's simply that, you know, my..." okay, maybe it'd be better to start from the beginning "... I know nothing about your language-" "Equestrian" "Yeah, that. So, I obviously don't speak it, you've surely already figured that out. The programs I use can translate whenever I want, but to speak, I, well, I... I need proper hardware, so, you know... so that it speaks for me. When I have my headgear, it's easy, but when I don't, I, well... there's nothing to suppress what I'm... actually... saying. That," Stanley finally finished, trying, pretty successfully in his eyes, to get rid of his long-developed military habit of throwing around nothing more than a few key words. Meawhile, Luna nodded hesitantly, unsure how to react, as curiosity, but also puzzlement glistened in her eyes. Taking advantage of the ensuing silence, Celestia took the talk over. "I apologise, but I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean by 'hardware', pray tell?" she said, as Stanley immediately understood the confused reaction. Oh, right... the middle-fricking-ages... Stanley sent Luna a brief apologetic look before he began explaining - as he later concluded, likely the most genuine thing he'd done since his drop-went-wrong, as Luna did seem to be quite a curious individual, to be sure. Preparing for a longer discussion and smiling inwardly at the opportunity to rapidly spill the entire might of human technological marvels at the Princesses, Stanley took a few breaths. "My apologies. Hardware is a term we use to describe, in broader sense, any phisical part of a computer system... or, well, an array of systems, so in this case, any machinery that would serve to, well... mute my voice. If I had such a device, my translating programs would convert my actual words into ones spoken in yo-... Equestrian, and vice versa, while turning down any and all unnecessary sounds," Stanley finished, putting as many advanced terms into his response as he could. In reality though, it seemed as though even one would suffice - that however, Stanley would obviously never learn for sure. Just as the trooper had wanted, the Princess caught his bait. The Prncess, yes, but the other one. Self-confidence returned, Luna leaned forward slightly. "That is most interesting. Could thou expand on the nature of your... translating means? Perhaps we could draw more parallels, as they seem to vary much from our own." Stanley resisted the urge to smile wildly. The very foundation of humanity and likely its greatest achievement, the entirety of information technology, was now on the table; for a society such as this, Stanley could not possibly believe it wouldn't be astounding. This was his chance. This was his chance. "Of course, but I have to warn you it's a lengthy topic," he began. "We have much time, Lieutenant Colonel. That's what we're here for, after all," Celestia replied with a friendly wink. Stanley returned a nod. Perfect. Just wait 'till I introduce Selina... "Okay then. So, for starters, my... the whole translator I utilise is in actuality a set of highly advanced programs currently distinctly adapted to... Equestrian. So, well, an array of receivers, whether it be some on my helmet or the multitude of microscopic microphones scattered over my face right now, takes in all the voices from the environment, before advanced algorithms help it separate actual words from the background. Then, I... the program... it..." Stanley stammered for a while; should he tell them where he actually got the necessary data in the first place? Would the horses approve of literally snatching information out of one's brain? "The program then compares what you've said with the templates of the Equestrian language it has stored." Maybe they won't notice...? "How so, pray tell? We have only just met." Of course. Obviously. "Remember when... when you, well... discovered me? Yes, so, a similar program - simplifying things - caught what you were saying back on that meadow, you and your... your..." "Guards?" "Right. So, it caught what you and your guards were saying, and went through the processes I've just described. After gathering enough data, it was easy to decipher the tongue. I've had the translator running ever since, as it converts everything you say into Engsky, my language, and... and, well, 'says' it to me," Stanley finished, releasing a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. It wasn't nearly as bad as he'd briefly feared it'd be. Meanwhile, as Luna continued to look at Stanley with ears perked up, Celestia, while sharing the fascination-glimming eyes, showed the slightest frown of suspition on her face. "That sounds... very impressive, Lieutenant Colonel, although I must admit much of what you're saying is beyond me. That being said, how come you can understand us now? You have no headgear to assist you," she finally said, addressing the most obvious 'inconsistency'. Stanley once again took a deep breath. He was just now explaining computers to these horses, right after he'd finished telling them about the most basic astronomy. How was he supposed to describe developments the likeness of the neural network? Stanley immediately felt that if the conversation continues to develop this way, and especially if, by any chance, it eventually into history or politics - which it undoubtedly will - he'll have to introduce Selina. She has her databanks. She knows everything, has sociological and psychological templates - even if, at present, very limited - so she can handle explaining science best. But something like Selina? Showing her, oh, it'd have to be smooth. And that's exactly what Stanley planned to do. After some thinking, mainly for show than to actually conceptualise anything, as he already had his plan of action figured out, Stanley suddenly sprung up. "I apologise for the delay. Right now? It'd require a lot of explaining to properly tell you everything, but oversimplifying it, the receivers transfer the gathered data into analyzing equipment in my suit, which converts it, and sends the product directly into my brain," one look at the Princesses' terrified expressions was enough for Stanley to deduce he had in fact went slightly too far. "As I said, it isn't simple, not at all... the system I've just described is what humans - well, everyone, truly - call a 'neural network', and we use it for an abundance of tasks. It's... well, it's probably very advanced technology for you..." don't insult, you idiot "...as you still have a lot ahead of you, but I assure you, it is nothing dangerous, in any aspect whotsoever. I assure you," Stanley repeated his words, as the royal expressions didn't appear convinced at all, but eventually their frowns softened enough to safely assume they've accepted the trooper's words for now. "I... understand," eventually answered Celestia, confirming Stanley's assumptions. Curiously however, in the meantime all uneasiness seemed to have faded from Celestia's fellow diarch, as Luna was now back again taken over by sheer curiosity. It was clear as day she'd accepted the explanation... to a much higher degree. "Why did thou not utilise magic, though? It would seem that kind of course is most simplistic... and efficient," she asked quite suddenly, initially taking Stanley aback. Utilise what, again? Yeah, right, of course humans should have used magic, there was no doubt - to translate, but also to fend off goblins and dragons while protecting their flat Earth from demons. Obviously. Wasn't Luna thoroughly engaged in Stanley's stories just a second ago? Unless the Princess was an incredible actress, or unless the alien mimicry wasn't all that similar to human one at the end of the day, she was - undoubtedly; and such blatant mocking did not fit it at all. Stanley already prepared to give his own sly remark, but suddenly, a new thought appeared, making the trooper stop himself just in time. Well, two thoughts, to be exact. Firstly, he could send remarks to his teammates or other allies he met on the battlefield, hell, even officials they'd ocassionally order him to extract. But these two? No. NO. Not. At. All. Period. And secondly, more importantly: what if Luna wasn't mocking Stanley in the first place? What if the psionics the horses utilised in such abundance weren't only for bending, shifting and moving? What if they were in fact capable of much, much more? And what would medieval human nobles and priests call such powers if they were suddenly bestowed with them? What else... than just magic? For a while, Stanley remained frozen, to the confusion of both monarchs, as he pondered the new implications. What else could they do? Stanley had already seen the horses shoot psionic lasers, but the report clearly stated psionics could operate as an unspecified power or force - everything he'd seen so far fit into this definition, even the cloaking thing, if you treat the term 'force' more loosely, which it did seem to be the case here. Invisibility is nothing more than bending light after all. Now however, the possibilities, already broad both from Stanley's observations and the article he'd read, basically dropped their boundaries whatsoever. And... Enough. Recording's on. Time later. In order not to spoil their opinion of him even more, Stanley replied. "Uh... what... what do you mean?" Great job, master negotiator... Meawhile, Celestia did not appear neither annoyed nor discontented. With the same small smile she'd been maintaining, with small intervals, since the very beginning, the Princess spoke up. "I believe my sister meant to ask why you don't simply use magic to communicate with us. From what you've described, although I can't say I fully understand all, your method seems like a process profound and overcomplicated. What keeps you from utilising adequate spells in its place, if we may ask?" the Princess' tone was genuine and welcoming, but the briefest, smallest flash in her eye was enough for Stanley to realise - this could be a probe. To check why. To check about something that was - in the ponies' eyes - keeping humans from doing something - so, in other words, to check for a weakness. So, one question lingered; should he reveal that humans cannot use 'magic'? Well... defending the opposing statement would be nigh impossible. And looking at his order.... 'provide with information'; 'diplomatic clearance one-dash-two'. Easy, then. Say humans have nothing. That. Luna meanwhile, as if only waiting for her sister to finish, eagerly added her own bit to the question. "Why utilise thine constructs, these hardware... programs, which nature evades us, to speak the truth? Why cannot thou mix the spells? Is that not fitting? Or is it not possible? Are there, unforseen by us, drawbacks?" the Princess drowned the trooper in questions like there was no tomorrow, all the while maintaining her constant curious attitude. Something, however, changed, or maybe Stanley had only just realised it - now, firmness emanated from Luna, decisiveness, as her regal posture obscured the Castle's marble walls. Even her voice seemed more royal, stronger... louder. It was as if she'd suddenly realised she appeared too docile before, so it was time to finally change it; and not suddenly either, although all logic dictated it was in fact the case - no, Stanley had a strong feeling not many would even think about that for the shortest of moments. The change in posture, though sudden, appeared smooth, very smooth. Maybe it actually was? Maybe. Or perhapse... perhaps... Even though months would pass before he'd first admit it, Stanley, a Republican RSU, veteran of nearly seven decades of warfare, personal killer of at least eight hundred sixty three Swarm fuckers, survivor of a near-direct nuclear strike, a poison bullet and multiple gunshots... in that briefest, shortest moment, gulped in anxiety, before a harmless, primitive alien monarch. An action for which he immediately scolded himself, yes, but which he couldn't quite explain either. It was just an aura, a vibe emanating from Luna's silhouette - how, Stanely could not tell. But it was there, it undoubtedly was. He never for a second felt fear on Hezel. He never felt fear when an atomic warhead was being dropped near his location - simply pure, utter acceptance. Now? He feared. For a millisecond, or less even. But he feared. It wasn't like talking with a friend anymore. It was like being interrogated. Interrogated, yes - but still by a friend. The strangest feeling, which no words could ever do justice. Grasping for time, and partially just mechanically to fulfill his orders, Stanley began explaining the first, easiest uncertainty. "Well, I'm happy to explain everything you're asking about, but let's cover thing at a time, shall we? Programs are what makes machine parts do, well, what they do... extremely simplifying it." "So what do they differ from hardware? Art those same?" "No, no, not at all, it's like... like... programs aren't physical, they're like... a set of instructions..." And what do you think their instructions look like, idiot? "...but, well... without a parchment, just the ideas themselves... like a mind operating a machine... yes, yes, a mind of a machine, or maybe... maybe more like a spirit that runs all the parts, makes them do what they do... or a soul..." Not like they'd know that concept... well, they clearly have something similar, as it does translate, so... maybe.... That'd make it so much easier... "They're a set of ideas, concepts, that are... are..." programming, anyone? "....are, well... how to say it... are made so that the machines obey them - how we do that, well, this's a whole another topic, and one so expansive I'd never be able to cover it before this meal ends," Unless that works differently in their culture... oh, well, let's simply hope it doesn't "Just know, that," suddenly, a brand new idea formed in Stanley's mind; screw the previous plan - this here is what you call a perfect opportunity! "that they can range from simple 'do that, if that, when that', to, well... this," Stanley finished, carefully timing his words in such a way that he wrapped the whole thing up right when his headgear, now fully-sized again, was put on the table, all speakers set to external. Selina, listening to the whole coversation, took it as her cue, and as Stanley gestured at the immobile helmet, confusing the Princesses to no end, a bright, cyan flash emanated from the two empty eyeholes - an improvised 'welcome', so to say. The Princesses however, already taken aback by the sudden effect, likely giving them vibes of Stanley's scanning back on the forest meadow, could never have been prepared for what was to come. And when a new voice joined the three... "Welcome! A true pleasure to meet you!" Luna, already tensed up at the previous mysterious lightshow, quickly sprung up on her fours. No corner evaded the Princess' fiery sight as an indigo aura illuminated the room. "Show yourself, coward!" Luna shouted. "Thine trickery does not suffice against our combined might!" Already picturing how the situation might escalate, as well as really eager to avoid another glancing hit, Stanley stood up, hands lifted upwards in a calming gesture. He should've said something beforehand, right, but you gotta work with what you got, and there was no way in hell Stanley would turn the first meeting into a shootout - even if there was still a long way before that. "Woah, woah! Keep-... no need to worry, Your Highness! It's just me!" Stanley exclaimed hurriedly, in an effort to prevent the Princess from overreacting too much. Was what he said gibberish? Yes. But it provided the best chance of stopping Luna from firing, and there was time to explain later. Meanwhile the Princess froze in place, turning her head to Stanley. Luna's horn was still enveloped in the mystical aura, and, quite amusingly, while most of her body remained tensed and ready for combat, the diarch's head did not, instead tilted slightly, petrified in a perpetual, utterly confused frown. Celestia meanwhile chuckled briefly - whether genuinely or to simply appear tranquil was anyone's guess. What mattered most had been achieved. Stanley sighed with relief, feeling a mission fulfilled, and lowering his arms, took to further explaining. "Well, it's not me, I apologise; but it is mine. What you've heard-" "Apologies, Lieutenant Colonel, but I have to specify your suggestion; the claim of your ownership over me is rather false - if anything, the command chain clearly states quite the contrary" Selina's voice rang once again, no sign of her usual half-serious attitude heard. It also seemed the AI had already perfectly mastered Equestrian, not really a feat at all with her cognitive abilities. Yeah, no shit. Happy you have your protocols, by the way, we can't have the entire team screwing up. Stanley sighed. "Yes, my friend is... quite right. Your Highnesses, what you've just heard once again is... well..." Stanley stammered for a second, struggling to find proper words. How to explain an AI? Easy, Stan... not like they care about the technicalities...actually, I have an even better idea... "It is - or rather she is - what we call an 'Artificial Intelligence'. Selina, why won't you explain further?" Stanley finished, passing the talk to his digital companion as he carefully evaluated the Princesses' shifting expressions. Sure enough, both seemed a little... uneasy at first, more openly, like Luna, or less, like Celestia, whose feelings were actually an incredible pain to decipher, and even then could never really be took for granted. Most of the time, whenever Stanley reached any proper conclusion, the monarch's next actions just made it seem like she was playing games with the soldier. Now however, it wasn't the case at all. As Selina began her own 'speech', the royal postures became less and less tensed and any confused or uneasy frown turned into nothing but curiosity. "Greeting! I am Republic of Sol State Artificial Intelligence, codename: Advanced Strategic Naval Planning and Processing Unit, serial number HAI-343-2401-GSPT, but you can simply call me 'Selina'! It's a great pleasure to meet you, your Highnesses!" welcomed the AI with cheerful excitement, her tone so different from the usual it was almost hard to even recognize the voice itself anymore. In the meantime Luna, previously bending over the table in an effort to take an impossible better look at the immaterial AI, briefly glanced at Stanley, before returning her gaze back to the soldier's helmet. Noticing her confusion, Celestia spoke up in her sister's stead. "Welcome, Selina, it's a pleasure to meet you as well! So, you are the... program the Lieutenant Colonel has mentioned, if I'm not mistaken? How so?" she asked, herself a little perplexed at the prospect of talking with an invisible person. That wasn't new at all, invisibility spells were very common and did not really require much skill to maintain, and in her long life the Princess had already faced similar situations at more than one occasion, however after how Stanley had introduced the whole concept of an AI... this was not something Celestia would have ever thought about. "An interesting inquiry! Indeed, I am, as you have correctly assumed, an Artificial Intelligence. I came to be as a result of years of cereful planning and advanced digital engineering on part of the Republic of Sol's - and other's - most capable scientist and technicians," Stanley barely stopped himself from smirking at the remerk; it could hardly be further from the truth. The technology to produce AIs like Selina had already been known centuries earlier, and it was exclusively for other reasons, mainly concerning security, that it had not been utilised on such a scale until human war effort became desperate. This fact was so wildly known that not even the Republic's good 'ol propaganda attempted to change it. Did Selina's creation take that long? Probably, but as a result of the Coalition wanting her to suit the desired roles best. A nice little manipulation here, but honestly, where would humanity be without a healthy dose? Meanwhile, Selina continued. "I represent the newest, most advanced batch of military intelligences produced to date," yeah, by term of fricking designation alone "And represent the mastering of the common, millennia old art of awareness-creation. What is an 'Artificial Intelligence' in general however, you might wonder? An apt question, although with a rather complicated answer! Allow me to spare you all the sophisticated technical details and focus solely on the idea itself, shall I? Artificial Intelligence is exactly what it sounds like - it's a completely functioning, fully self-aware being existing solely in digital space. Keep in mind however that it is, in theory, possible to create a program which makes certain machines behave the exact same way they would if they were sentient - one simply has to take every single theoretically possible situation into account and define a believable number of adequate responses. It is even possible to make such program able to learn by itself, however creation like this would still not count as an AI, even though distinguishing it from one would be completely and utterly undoable. What makes an AI, then, you might wonder? The answer is, fortunately, pretty simple: it's awareness; not how it appears for others, not certain characteristics of it, no - only full, pure self-awareness." Selina made a short pause to judge the Princesses' reaction in order to determine her further words. So far, it didn't seem too bad - Celestia, like usually, maintained her respectful, optimistic smile, with only small glimpses of curiosity or excitement ever visible at all, while Luna looked thoroughly engaged, if not a little lost, in Selina's 'story'. Both diarchs however clearly looked like they expected the AI to continue - so that's exactly what she did. "The concept of an Artificial Intelligence is very old. In human case, first mentions of similar ideas appeared relatively shortly before the modern imagining of an AI firmly took hold, however after that, a few centuries passed before the creation of the first fully self-aware construct. Originally, AIs consisted of a large network of dedicated machines - so, pieces of hardware - each of which was permanently operated by specially-designed programs. All of these parts, as a result of - once more simplifying things to a gigantic degree - their mutual, spontaneous, yet clearly defined interaction, created a system that gave birth and successfully maintained a sentient being. Over time, as technology progressed in that area of study, AIs became completely separated from any hardware, and after the eventual removal of the 'AI Core', previously the most irreplaceable physical part of any Intelligence, from general standards, the programs became just that - programs, able to operate on any machine meeting certain conditions. For a long time however, and even until today, more sophistic AIs are preferred to be operated on permenently designated hardware, as a means of control as well easier, cheaper construction and maintenance," Selina finally uttered her final words, bringing the speech to an end. The Princesses' impressions meanwhile were hard to decipher. Stanley surely hoped something like an AI would seem impressive, however all of its implication, not to even mention how this could possibly fit into the horses' unknown culture, did not have to. Not by a long shot. "Thou created... life? By yourself?" Luna finally reponded after a while, her words emanating with both curiosity and sheer disbelief. Stanley involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief; a least something the horses clearly seemed not to be capable of with psionics. "Well... you could say so, although biologists would probably argue with that." "That is... incredible. How did thou... sister! We-" Luna did not get to finish her sentence, instead being interrupted by the very person she wished to turn to. "And why would that be, pray tell? Forgive me, however from your friend's description it did not seem to be notably beneficial in any way. What makes an... AI unique as it is?" chimmed in Celestia, completely ignoring her sister. A slight, barely noticeable nudge however betrayed the question was likely directed more at preventing an desirable change of topic - why undesirable, Stanley could not know. Deciding it impossible to figure out at the moment, the trooper moved on to answer the question regardless. "You see, an AI can... think... but not think like you or... or me, no... an AI can think more," Stanley tapped his helmet - Selina's symbolic location - a few times in order to emphasize his point. "She can... calculate... like, well, count. Just... you have to know, that... it is possible to determine everything by counting, only with... well, adequate data, that is... and such data is often, well, almost always if we mean more advanced operations, not easy to get. It's very particular and often simply... obscure... but we have found a way around most common problems in that regard. Selina?" Stanley turned to his companion. "Yes?" "Care to demonstrate? Something simple." "Gladly!" "Okay, then. What should my friend figure out for you?" Stanley asked, turning to the Princesses. After exchanging quiet looks, Luna issued her question. "There is a concept, a concept you perhaps know yourself. A concept that, if adept in calculations, as thou had put it, your friend could not possibly struggle with, and which in said calculations would serve as most useful," the Princess began, putting a small smile on Stanley's face. With ninety nine percent probability, this was not going to require counting at all - not like that'd be a problem - only a short recitation of archive data. "The concept in question is simple in theory, unlike its elaborate solution. The core question, however, belong to the former; in a perfect circular object, how many times exactly, down to fractions, does the diameter fit into said object's periphery?" Luna finished her inquiry, curiosity beeming from her waiting face; it didn't seem like she was testing Selina's capabilities at all - more like getting the most out of them while she still could. Clever, I give you that. Alright, you can have the goddamn pi, not like it's anything top-secret. Actually, the revelation itself raised quite a few red flags for Stanley, in addition to lighting up several question marks. Why would they need pi? No way the horses didn't know its approximate value if they had managed to construct such marvels of engineering. Psionics again? Possibly, very even from the looks of it, but until there are actual reasons to seriously assume that, well, better to pass. And pi is a number so necessary for practical uses it was simply hard to believe it would be substituted with psionics everywhere. After a while, another possibility manifested itself in Stanley's mind; what if Luna was actually testing Selina? What if the horses knew pi - which know they simply had to - and the question was another, precautive probe of sorts? To get to how many numbers after the coma humans know, or however it works in the equine system? Obviously, that meant the horses knew little about advanced sciences, otherwise they'd realise that after a certain point it doesn't really matter anymore. Humanity had known trillions upon trillions upon trillions of numbers comprising pi for millennia now, and it was really not an effort at all to push that even further. Another concerning thing was that Luna's wording clearly made it seem like the horses weren't even sure that pi was not rational - that was possible, sure, even if they knew a significant part of the expansion. But likely? Again, it was not, the horses' apparent feats clearly disproved that. Undeniably? Well... no... however that was definitely the dominant possibility. Maybe it was just Luna's desire to word the whole question cautiously that caused the erroneous impression, and if Stanley had to bet right in that moment, he'd most probably bet on that. There was no way the horses just - what? - thought about something and psionics basically made that happen, right? At least to some... degree? Beacause that, or something similar in its inner workings, seemed like the only other likely option. A little too much was questionable about this particular choice of question, far too much for Stanley to feel comfortable, but, whether he liked it or not, everything seemed to point that it'd have to remain like so for now. Meanwhile Selina, sparing the others any introduction, simply began to recite. "Three..." Hmm, do we even have their numbering system? Do we know how it works? "point one, four..." What do you know, it does translate, it would seem like we do. No way Selina'd make a mistake as basic as just translating literally... "one, five, nine, two, six..." For the next couple minutes, Selina recited more, further and further, her words accelerating second after second. At first the Princesses listened stone-faced, Celestia even letting out a barely-noticeable nod of approval once every often, serving to confirm some of Stanley's suspicions. As time went on however, so did the monarchs. Gradually, Luna's expression became more and flabbergasted - or, rather accurately, just impressed. Celestia in turn did not give her impressions away, instead maintaining her, rather pleasant at that, usual 'pokerface' - that however was to be anticipated. After enough time had passed, Selina abruptly cut her at-this-point-already-stampeding 'speech' off. "Shall I continue?" she asked innocently, although with a just little too evident sarcasm in her otherwise friendly voice. "No, thank you. I think we've already been shown a lot," replied Celestia without even a fraction of a second to collect her thoughts, once again confirming Stanley's previous thoughts. Right now, the Princess looked more akin to a teacher evaluating her student. After exchanging a brief, hard-to-interpret look with her sister, Celestia continued. "I have to say, this was most interesting. However, forgive me, but I have to inquire: how did you manage to calculate the number with such precision? I understand, of course, it was nothing you managed to do right now, but an achievement like that certainly remains very impressive regardless." Huh, I suspected so, thought Stanley. This one may pose some problems later... too experienced. Or too lucky. "Thank you for your compliments, Your Majesty-" "Please, you do not have to call me that. The principle applies to yourself as well," Celestia interrupted Selina, sending a wink towards the lone headgear on the table. "Of course! It is most appreciated a gesture. Thank you for your compliments, however what you've heard was but a small fraction of a fraction of a promile of a percent of what humanity has managed to calculate to date. In addition, although you have correctly assumed I did not perform the necessary operations myself, it is worth noting, to understand our technology, that I would be perfectly able to do so," the AI responded confidently, yet friendly, her words beeming with respect for the monarchs, although clearly portraying mankind as superior in power. A little dangerous strategy to be sure, but then again - if Selina used it at all, it meant that hundreds of observed patterns had already been analysed and it was this precise course of action she deemed the best. What remained was to hope she made the right choice. And it appeared she had, at least for now, as neither Princess had any, even tiniest sign of resentment on her face - instead, both expressions were thoroughly dominated by... not even curiosity or fascination, but pure eagerness to discover - granted, in Celestia's case, it might just as well have been simply another version of her cautiously-optimistic frown. "That is incredible, I have to say," the Princess quickly responded. "But how did you manage to achive all this, pray tell? It certainly seems like a very impressive feat." This time, it was Stanley who answered the royal question. "Right, well, you see, everything I've yet showed you - this helmet of mine, Selina herself, her mathematical capabilities - is, directly or indirectly, a product of information technology, developing which was perhaps the greatest single achievement humanity had ever made, and not only it to be sure, as that milestone is prevalent in the vast majority of other civilisations," not only it... "Machines created with this advancement, machines which creation signaled this advancement - computers - are what has allowed, in time, feats you've just observed. A computer is..." Stanley stuttered for a short while. Exactly, what is a computer? How to even describe it? He had only always just known, but when it came to explanations... it was actually far tougher than he'd initially imagined it'd be. Or at least at first it was - until Stanley remembered a quote from the true master of the field. "A computer is, you see, it's a machine capable of computing an answer to every question which can be written down using exclusively... two different marks," Stanley finished, careful not to use the words 'one' and 'zero', just in case, as he was still not completely sure about the horses' numbering system. "Describing how it works in detail would take... well... a lot of time..." And it's something you'd probably see Selina do... Luna meanwhile, although certainly impressed, looked much more... thoughtful. Unsure. As if something in Stanley's description didn't quite fit - or there was something she knew, but he did not. Curiously, considering the apparent equine state of advancement. Slowly, she looked at Celestia, who continued the talk, seemingly in both diarchs' name. "We have already conceptualized machines akin to your description, however the details do not seem to match. I may however have a theory as for why that could be. If you don't mind me asking, what do the computers you utilise rely on, pray tell?" Celestia replied with a question, slightly taking Stanley aback. "Uhh... I'm not sure I... understand..." "My sister mean thou did not mention magic in thine description, instead substituting its role with overcrafted machinations," replied Luna in Celestia's stead. "Whilst most functions and characteristics thou had described seem to remain out of our grasp so far, and many, particularly those you claimed when beginning, possess no equivalent within our work, much does seem to be achievable by adequate wards and enchantments. Why do you stray from using these? Perhaps there are certain aspects that prevent it?" the Princess asked, in a tone once again both curious and demanding, although the latter aspect did seem to wind down as Luna continued, possibly as she fully registered who she was actually talking to. "Yes," Celestia echoed her sister's words. "Our concepts and prototypes are but steps to the full project, although if there are certain inclinations against the use of magic, we would be very grateful for any help," she said. Stanley meanwhile once again felt a thousand thoughts enter his mind every minute. Making use of the long psychical training training, he rearranged them in a moment, keeping the most important implications. The horses knew not of the term 'hardware', nor did they know what a 'program' was. They knew nothing, absolutely and completely nothing about information technology, until he mentioned the most basic and general concept of a computer. That - that brought about at least several conclusions... First, the equine computers had to be very, very basic - likely more on the side of 'concepts' than 'prototypes', and very elementary concepts at that. Secondly however, and more importantly, said concepts pretty much had to heavily, extremely heavily rely on psionics - the Princesses had stated that openly after all. Huh, thought Stanley. Maybe that whole 'we think, and it happens' thing wasn't just as far fetched as I had assumed. What do you know... "Well..." Stanley stuttered briefly as he prepared to make his response. "The thing is, you see..." Remember Stan, you've concluded that before the talks already - in this case, order states to tell the truth. Do I mention no species can use 'magic'? Well... we're only talking about humanity... never say too much if you don't need to... "The thing is... I wouldn't know... we wouldn't know. For, you see... what you call magic," Stanley could see Luna raise an eyebrow slightly; both monarchs could already clearly sense something... weird... was coming. "What you call magic... we... we don't have 'magic'. Like, at all. Everything we've achieved had been solely through pure technological advancement. No 'magic' involved at all, at no point in our entire history. Not since the very dawn of man. 'Magic' is not something humans have," Stanley made sure to make his claim as clear as possible, even though he worried he might've appeared a little too arrogant, disrespectful; to a degree, he did treat the Princesses like... well... almost idiots here, after all. Luckily, it did not seem to matter; ever since Stanley first uttered anything about human lack of magic, both Princesses froze - with tilted head and in utter confusion, like Luna, or just a brief petrification with a noticeable 'caught-off-guard' frown, like Celestia. Still, in the latter case, this was probably the first time during this entire meeting when the Princess' expression changed rather significantly in a manner that did not appear to be intentional, even if only for a short while. For all intents and purposes, right in this moment Celestia and Luna were simply, plainly astound. "Thou.. does not utilise magic?" "We cannot. We have no magic," What if it doesn't work that way? "We have no access to it." "In any way? Thou... cannot manipulate it, or perhaps have no access to passive magic as well?" "We have no magic. No... 'passive magic' either." However the hell it's categorized. "No magic?" "No magic. None at all." None at all. None at all indeed. None at all indeed... However hard she tried, Luna could not gather her shattered thoughts as her mind once again involuntarily went to standstill. How... what... but, no... maybe... but... it's not... can't... how... how even... how... Why? The humans had no magic? Not like the earth ponies, no, they had none of their passive skills, no great strength, no abilities to cope with the environment - at least that's what Stanley claimed. They were not a subspecies of something more gifted, more lucky, as it would seem a race has to be after all. They had nothing. They used magic not. They simply didn't. How could they? How was that possible? Some species were unmagical, of course, that was known, but even they could influence this force to some degree - like the diamond dogs, for example. The humans had no magic... Suddenly, something clicked in Luna's mind. Of course! She immediately pieced everything together. Human world was rotated by some unknown force, day and night changed by themselves. It all just... fit... The humans had no magic. And yet - and yet! And yet, they had managed to spread throughout the night sky. Somehow, they did. Without the grace of flight, like the pegasi had. Without earth pony strength to fend wildlife off the fields, without anything to assist them in maintaining said field in the first place. Most of all however... without any, any active spells at all. How does one even survive like that? How has their civilization even functioned? How does it function? For every single thing, every single, slightest thing that used magic, every machine, every contraption, even the art of basic architecture itself... For all of that, for every single one of these things, the humans had to have found a substitute. They needed to do it. They needed to do the impossible, and yet - they triumphed. They won out. The did it. How did they do so was beyond Luna, and she decided not to wonder for now. It was not the best time at all. However, there was something else that made the Princess think. Something else, hidden in Stanley's words, repeating itself in different iterations over and over again, from their talk the previous evening to the breakfast right now. Right as the chef returned to the spacious hall, fresh meals levitating around him, Luna pieced everything together. '...it basically works like this everywhere...' '...us, and others as well...' '...others...' '...everywhere...' Was that even possible...? Everything the Lieutenant had said, about the workings of his realities and their technology as well - all of that he referred not only to humans. He told the ponies, willingly or not, about everyone, every race out there - or at least some of them. Was it possible that... magic was... really that rare...? Was it possible that the ponies were... so lucky? Were the one in a million? And, well... the entire Equis? Every species, to some degree? How is that possible? Is... is that even possible? Of course, Luna realised perfectly well Stanley's words were far too little to conclude that fact with any certainty, but the sheer prospect itself was enough to give the Princess chills. Actually, the one fact he did state openly was enough for that. Was enough to question much of the... 'very... basics of existence'...? The humans had no magic. The humans had no magic. No magic. No magic... No magic...