We all made it to the dinning hall, the walk was pretty uneventful. Outside of a few looks I got from the nobles we passed in the halls, it was otherwise a peaceful trip. We all took our seats at the table which already had plates of Pancakes on them, all fresh. This time, the pancakes had faces of various fruit on them, which I found to be quite funny, but redundant. These ponies really like their pancakes, huh? I mused silently.
Before I had a chance to sit down, Princess Cadence called me over, patting an empty seat next to her, the chair over occupying Twilight. I didn't know why she wanted me to sit next to her, but I reluctantly made my way over and sat down without a word.
"So," Cadence began, not missing a beat. "Have you decided what you want to do in Equestria?" I paused at the question, slowly realizing the actual gravity of it. What was I going to do in this world? What would I do for a living? Slowly, I shook my head in response.
"No, I haven't given it much thought actually. Until now, that is.." I said tensely. "I don't even know where to begin in all honesty. Equestria is so new to me and well.." I trailed off, poking at the pancakes on the plate in front of me with a fork. Cadence nodded in understanding.
"Well that's exactly what we're going to discuss." Luna chimed in, sitting across from me. "Although you haven't been here for very long, you have experienced just how dangerous Equestria can be." I nodded, frowning slightly. "Although the good in the world vastly outweighs the bad, but however that scale tips is up to you, Zale." Luna stated before chomping down on her own pancakes.
"Yeah I get that, It's just that I don't think I've been around much or had nearly enough time to decide anything." I pointed out. "I don't know what there is to do here. And I don't know what I did before I got here either so that leaves me with very little options."
"Well, if it's work you'd think you would have trouble finding, my sister and I do have a place for you in the castle." Princess Celestia offered. I thought about it for a moment before replying.
"What kind of place exactly?" I asked cautiously. Celestia's smile grew, a glint in her eye.
"It'll take some paperwork and a bit of time, but how does an ambassador to the humans sound to you?" I raised a skeptical eyebrow at her while I worked on my plate.
"Would that even work if i'm the only one here?" I asked after swallowing a mouthful of pancakes. Twilight laughed, waving a hoof dismissively.
"Don't you worry about that little detail. And besides," Twilight said, pointing at my pocket. "You have solid evidence that you aren't the only one. They may not be in Equestria but the fact that you're here and the only one that can represent the species right now counts." I nodded, pulling out my phone and setting it on the table. An idea came to mind as I remembered that this was an iPhone, so it did have a nifty feature.
"Hey Siri." I said aloud. Everyone looked around for a moment and then at my phone in confusion when it made a sound. After a few moments, a feminine robotic voice came from the device.
"I'm here.." It said, prompting me to give it a command. Everyone reeled back in shock, and Pinkie Pie let out a long, drawn out and loud gasp. Tempest eyed it with suspicion, and Fluttershy looked like she was about to faint.
"What time is it?" I asked. In no time at all, it gave me the answer.
"It's 11:47 AM." At this point, Twilight was on the verge of having one of her episodes, and the princesses just gawked at it. I tried to hold in my amusement but to no avail. I let out a bark of laughter, the looks everyone was giving me and the device making me laugh even harder.
As my laughing died down and stopped all together, I explained. "This iPhone also has another feature exclusive to the brand." I said, picking up the phone in hand. "It has a built in automated assistant, meaning that the voice you heard isn't actually a person, it's just a machine." I paused for a moment, looking at the device in hand.
"And I assume that it follows specific commands and answers questions on the spot no matter where you are?" Starlight observed. I nodded, smiling.
"Yup. That's right, it's like a pocket dictionary, guide, clock and assistant in one." I confirmed. Fluttershy seemed unconvinced however, tentatively pointing a hoof at it.
"Is that the voice you heard when you passed out?" She asked carefully. I shook my head, making Fluttershy sigh in relief.
"No, the voice I heard wasn't robotic at all." I turned on the phone and looked the the call log again, just to make sure nothing was there. As before, there was not a single caller. Sighing, I turned off the device, putting it back in my pocket. "So, about this ambassador business," I went on with the topic at hand. "Wouldn't the nobles and bourgeoisie be a little.. disdain towards me?" Celestia nodded, frowning slightly.
"While it is indeed true that a lot of the nobles aren't really fond of outsiders gaining status, especially if it's above them, your deeds in Ponyville have not gone unnoticed." Celestia said, finishing her plate. Luna nodded in confirmation, looking at me intently.
"Not all nobles are like that," Luna added. "But remember that not everypony knows that you weren't in control of your actions when you fought that Ursa Major. So most ponies think of you a hero of sorts." Right. Of course they would think that. I nodded, understanding my position now.
"Alright, if that's the case then I don't see why not." I shrugged, finishing my own plate. "What do I have to do?" I asked curiously.
"Just do what you're already doing." Cadence answered. "Be open and honest towards the public. Being kind and generous will put a positive light on your species as a whole, and ponies will start admiring you and maybe you'll even have a few fans." She teased, bumping an elbow on my arm. I frowned slightly at that though.
"Honesty is the best policy, sugarcube." Applejack added. "When you go on meetin' with those snotty nobles, show em' what y'all are made of!"
"Thanks guys, but you see.. My species does have bad apples in the bunch. Quite a few actually." I admitted. "Humans are kind of unique in that sense. Stealing, Mugging, any crime you can imagine happens on an everyday basis somewhere on earth." Everyone frowned at the news, and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty myself. "Even things like war happen commonly, whether it's between governments, gangs, the mafia.. Although not as obvious or public, it still happens." Rarity shook her head dismissively, giving me a reassuring smile.
"Darling, that sort of thing does exist here too, although not nearly as frequently and there hasn't been a war in Celestia knows how long," Rarity stated, looking towards Celestia apologetically. "But remember, don't let those sort of things hold you back from being you."
"Yeah, and let me tell you Zale," Rainbow chimed in. "You are way cooler when you're being yourself." I smiled at that, appreciative of the support. "And that coming from me, is saying a lot." Rainbow added in, blowing at her hoof. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but still smiling all the same.
"Well now that we have that situated, I will assign you a personal guard shortly." Luna stated. I raised an eyebrow at her, confused. "I'll go down the my lunar guard's barracks and pick one suitable." She got up out of her seat and began to trot towards the exit.
"Hold on, why?" I asked, causing Luna to pause and look back. "Is a guard really necessary for me to have?" Luna nodded in response.
"It is only for safety as a 'just in case', if such an ordeal occurs that protection would be needed." She stated, heading back towards the exit. "Also, if the nobles try anything they'll think twice if they know you have a guard that I have assigned to you personally accompanying you regularly." And with that, she was gone. I wanted to say something but, I just shrugged it off, letting Luna work her magic.
"And I will go and make an announcement stating the arrival and standing of your new position." Celestia said after a moment, getting up to leave as well. "You may come with me if you'd like, although you don't have to." Pondering on it for a moment, I shook my head, declining.
"No thanks, I think I'll just go back to the room I was in. Besides," I looked down at my shirtless abdomen. "I don't really feel comfortable introducing myself like this." Celestia giggled in her hoof, a teasing smirk on her face.
"Alright, I'll see you back in my room when you're done." She walked off slowly, swaying her hips comically. I.. was at a loss for words, and just stared after her until she was out of view. My friends didn't look like they believe what they had just heard either. I cleared my throat, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.
"I'm guessing it was her room I stayed in?" I asked awkwardly. Spike nodded, coughing into his hand. "Well, I'll catch up with you guys later." I walked out of the room, en route to Celestia's chambers.
~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~
I walked through the same entrance next to the throne, making my way towards the room. I couldn't help but feel a bit weird, after what Celestia did. Even so, I couldn't help but smirk a bit myself, going along with her little 'game'. As I rounded the corner, I noticed that the door to the room was already open, and I heard voices, Luna I noticed, and someone else's I haven't heard before.
With suspicion and growing curiosity, I poked my head through the door. There standing in the center of the room, was Princess Luna, along with an armored mare with bat wings, with a gray coat and black mane and tail. Her armor was a shining midnight blue, and her eyes, now locked with mine, are a brilliant emerald green. Luna noticed me enter as well, whatever conversion they were having ceased.
"Ah Zale, you have arrived." Luna said, walking up to me. "My sister has informed me that you'd be coming back here, so I decided now would be an excellent time to introduce you to your new personal guard." Luna pointed at the mare in question. Already? That was fast. I thought, waving at the mare. The armored pony put up a hoof in salute, although I saw a bead of sweat roll down her face.
"I-It's a pleasure to meet you sir. My name is.. Valkyrie Skyline." She said, putting her hoof back on the floor. She sounded timid, and almost fearful of something. Must be because she's been put under me.. I smiled at her, nodding in approval.
"Nice to meet you Valkyrie. I'm Isaiah Chase, but you can call me Zale." I knelt down and held out a hand, giving her a friendly smile. She seemed to be hesitant slightly, but held out her hoof all the same. I took her hoof in and hand gave it a firm shake. However, when I made contact with her hoof, I noticed that she was trembling. I looked up in her eyes, and saw fear in them as she stared back. I elected to say nothing though, as Luna didn't seem to notice any of this.
"Valkyrie will be staying by your side from now on, majority of the time anyway." Luna stated after a moment. I stood up, letting go of Valkyrie's hoof. "I suggest you two get along with each other and learn the concept of trust, my friends. Now then," Luna began to walk towards the door, looking back as she made her exit. "I have business elsewhere to attend to, my sister may need my presence as well. If you decide to walk around the city, make sure your guard is with you." And with that, Luna left the room, leaving just the two of us in silence.
I looked back at Valkyrie, who just looked back at me expectantly. "So," I began, putting my hands on my hips. "..Do you want to go for a walk?" I suggested. Valkyrie raised an eyebrow at me curiously.
"Sir, you do know that you don't need to ask me that like I have a choice." She stated flatly. I chuckled a little, walking over to sit down on the bedside.
"It's 'Zale', Valkyrie. And yes, I know that. But," I said, pulling out my phone. It was now 2 PM, still had plenty of time left in the day. "I'm giving you a choice. Even if you are under my order now, I'd still like to know your opinion enough to reconsider things. Like taking a walk versus not taking a walk." I hummed in thought for a moment, eyeing the bed. Looking back up to Valkyrie, I gave her an inquisitive look. "We could sit down and get to know each other as well. The princess did say that we should get along." Valkyrie didn't respond for a moment, before closing her eyes and letting out a quiet sigh.
"We could do both at once sir, if you really want my opinion on the matter." Valkyrie suggested, looking a little more relaxed now. I deadpanned when she called me 'sir' again, but I didn't say anything that time. "But where we go and what we do, I'll leave that up to you." I pondered on that for a moment, and nodded.
"Fair enough. Although, I have no idea where anything is in this place, so I wouldn't know where to go or what to do." I pointed out, frowning slightly. She tensed up slightly, a glint of fear coming back into her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry sir I didn't know-"
"Zale." I corrected her, smiling in amusement. "And it's okay, you don't have anything to apologize for." I stood up and walked towards the door, opening it. "Let's take a look around. A little trip through the city wouldn't hurt, right?" I gestured with an arm for her to proceed before me. She hesitated, but went on through, bowing her head in thanks as she passed by.
As we entered the throne room once more, I saw Tempest talking with Luna near the exit doors. Curious, I walked over and waved as Tempest saw me coming. However, she wasn't looking at me, but at Valkyrie with a scrutinizing glare. Luna turned around, and smiled at me.
"Greetings again, Zale." Luna said, pointing a hoof over at Tempest. "It seems that you'll have not one, but two guards at your side now." I raised an eyebrow at the sudden news. Tempest didn't respond though, and just kept looking at Valkyrie, although the glare not as intense as it initially was before. After looking back and forth between the two, I looked back at Luna with confusion.
"What do you mean?" I asked, still unsure if I even needed guards in the first place. Luna gave a knowing smirk to Tempest, and this time Tempest looked away, with a distant look in her eye.
"Miss Tempest Shadow here has insisted that I assign her to you as a personal guard as well. However she is not under my command, but under Twilight's. But," Luna let out a hearty chuckle, looking up at the window. "I already know what Twilight would do. I've already sent word to Twilight and the others of her shift in position, and now she is also under your command."
My eyes widened at that, and I look to Tempest with surprise. "You.. you sure you want to do this?" I asked cautiously, scanning her face for any emotions. The only things I saw were determination and devotion. Tempest nodded, saluting. The salute caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You don't have to be formal with me," I began, calming down from my laughing fit. "You may be my guard now, but you'll always be one of my closest friends Tempest."
Tempest put her hoof down, a blush spreading across her face. She looked down and away from me. "..Fizzlepop."
I cocked my head to the side. "Excuse me?"
"My real name.. is Fizzlepop Berrytwist." She said a little louder, looking back up to meet my gaze. I blinked, taking in what she just said. My face slowly lit up with the brightest smile I've ever had since coming here.
"Wow, you know that's really fitting actually." I noted, nodding in approval. “You’re a real sweetheart after all.” I added with a smirk. Temp-, no, Fizzlepop blushed profusely, and she looked away. No matter how much she tried to hide it, I saw a small smile touch her lips, and a giggle escaped her.
Fizzlepop looked back up to me, a bright smug grin on her face. "Well don't get used to it, Isaiah. I'm going to keep you in check from now on." I raised an eyebrow, a grin of my own making it's way.
"Aren't you under my orders?" I shot back teasingly. She raised a hoof to say something, but didn't offer up a response. She sighed, chuckling a little. I looked back at Valkyrie, who shifted on her hooves, looking a little uncomfortable. "Valkyrie and I were just about to head into the city to look around," I informed Fizzlepop. "I'm guessing you're tagging along then?" Fizzlepop nodded without hesitation, making her way over to my side.
"I'll be right behind you." She said proudly. I turned back to Luna, who had just witnessed the whole display, and she looked at me with a curious expression, almost like she was inspecting me. She didn't say anything, so before she could speak, I spoke up first.
"Well, we'll be heading out now. Is there anything else Luna?" I asked, breaking her from thought. She cleared her throat, and smiled up at me.
"No, that will be all for now. My sister should have made the announcement by now, and is probably in her study getting the paperwork filled out." Luna stated, making her way to the small door on the other side of the throne. She stopped, her eyes going wide for a moment. With a flick of her magic, a small brown pouch appeared in front of me.
Taking it, I felt that it had some weight to it. Curious, I pulled the hem aside to look at what was inside of it. Gold coins, or bits if I remembered correctly sat in the pouch, along with a weird distorted aura at the bottom. I looked back to Luna, confused. "What's this for?" I asked.
"We.. I have figured that since you are going down to the city, you could use some funds." Luna explained, making her way back to the door. "It's connected to a savings deposit that I have made for you in the royal vaults." My eyes widened at that.
"So, this aura is a portal of some sort.." I deduced. Luna nodded, opening the door that lead to a very different looking corridor. "How much do I have?"
"You currently have only fifty thousand bits. The savings go up overtime of course, with your position as ambassador, and any other outside source of income will go directly to that account." I nodded in understanding. "Now, I must be going. normally I am not awake during this time of day," Luna said, a yawn escaping her. "I am headed to my quarters for a much needed nap."
"Alright Luna, I'll see you later." And with that, she left the room. Putting the pouch of bits into my pocket, I turned back to my two new companions, my hands on my hips. "Well, lets go." They both nodded in affirmation, following behind me as I made my way towards the doors, leading into the hallways of Canterlot castle. After several minutes of walking, we made it to the bottom level of the castle, the front doors coming into view, two royal guards adorned in golden armor on either side of it.
"Wow, you sure know your way around this place despite never being here before." Valkyrie noted behind me in surprise. I shrugged, waving to the guards as we passed by them. They nodded in response, and opened the doors with their magic.
"Darlings, wait!" I heard a voice call, sounding exhausted. We all turned around, seeing Rarity approaching us. I noticed that she had a simple sky blue T-shirt in following behind in her magic. She screeched to a halt, stopping just in front of me. "Before you go, put this on." She said, catching her breath. "It's for you." I took the shirt in hand, and pulled it over my head. Pulling it down further on my torso, it had a perfect fit, and it felt extremely comfortable.
"Oh wow, thanks Rarity!" I said, looking down at the shirt. "It's nice." Rarity waved a hoof dismissively, rolling her eyes with a smile.
"Yes well, It isn't really much at all Zale," She began, touching up her mane. "I didn't have much to work with here in the castle, and when I heard that you were leaving I had to finish up quickly." I whistled in astonishment, impressed with her work.
"Still, that's pretty impressive making this is a short amount of time, and without my measurements either." I said in praise. Rarity chuckled sheepishly, coughing into her hoof.
"Well actually, I took your measurements while you were still asleep." she said quickly, coughing again and looking away.
"Oh." I said in response. It made sense, I guess. I decided not to say anything else on the subject, smiling at Rarity. "Well, thanks anyway. Better than walking around half naked." I said with a chuckle. Rarity nodded, making her way back into the castle.
"Well I'll see you around darling!" Rarity yelled back. I waved back at her, until she rounded the corner leading to the stairwell, out of sight.
Turning back around towards the front doors, I nodded towards Fizzlepop and Valkyrie. "Alright, lets take a look around." With that, we made our way past the guards, through the doors and into the open courtyard of the castle. I wonder what there is to do here?