//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Hey, Wait a Second // by Erie_Entity //------------------------------// Jessie had a bit of a problem. Okay a lot of a problem. He was homeless. Broke and homeless. There was that abandoned house he was staying in but even if he considered that a home, he was still broke. There was nothing to his name, nothing. He had woken up in an unknown and unfamiliar world with barely any memory as to how and only his new name. His dad was gone, he was ass naked in a city full of ass naked magical talking horses and was a magical talking horse himself. He was also completely and utterly alone. Terrific. Given his current financial situation and his own refusal to ask for help, he had resorted to stealing. Not much, just enough to last him for each day. Luckily horses were herbivores so he didn’t have to worry too much about preparing most of his meals. Raw plants, just the way his horse stomach liked it... hehe. He was grateful for bumping into Sunset when he did. Making up some story so she’d teach him magic was also easier than he expected. Taking things with magic was easier than with just his hooves. Didn’t even have to skip a day between meals anymore. Now he could eat at least one small meal a day, everyday. That had to be considered an improvement. Right? ...Right? Jessie pulled the black cloak he found in the abandoned house over his body and draped the hood over his head. He took a deep breath, stepping calmly out of the house and beginning his trek down the street. Head down, avoid eye contact. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Most of the peo- ponies didn’t bother those who looked like they had some place to be. Though a few of them did look at him a bit longer than he would have liked. Ponies. Gotta remember that. Dad would know what to do here. He always did. He was the smartest man Jessie knew. Was his father in the same situation he was, stranded in another world and missing his son? The thought wasn’t that comforting. “Keep it together, Jess.” He whispered, barely able to hear himself over the noisy talking of the other ponies in the city. It was easier said than done. Maybe his dad was here. Maybe his dad was also running around trying to find him. There. That’s a good thought. Just gotta find him. But first he had to survive. The market was easy enough to find. Being in one of the less dangerous and less shady areas of the city, the danger level was relatively low. There were also less guards posted around the market, but still too many for his liking. Then again, he was in the capital of the country. So it’s not like that could be helped. Their shiny armor and spears intimidated the hell out of him. Even if he wasn’t actively trying to steal anything, he could almost feel their eyes piercing through him. Dad had told him stories about law enforcement and the things they could get away with. Mostly to scare him into not doing anything that could get him into serious trouble. But he doubted he’d have to worry about racially motivated harassment from the guards. Considering, well, he was in another dimension. The sound of ponies chatting and yelling out promotions for their own goods was deafening. The stalls were arranged in a weird maze-like pattern that would have been hell to navigate if one were visiting for the first time. Or they didn’t know what they were looking for. There were a few lost tourists looking very confused and flustered. “Keep it together,” He repeated. Covering the entire area was a patchwork canopy, held up by wooden support beams hidden behind certain stalls. The inklings of a plan began to form in his mind. He wanted to take a decent amount of food this time around. Maybe enough to last about a week. Going out and taking things everyday was beginning to get dangerous. “First this, then I find dad.” A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Okay. The cloak hid his annoyingly noticeable hair well enough for his plan to work. Hopefully, anyway. Hopefully. *** Jessie had hid himself in the shadows of a small alley behind the stall he was eyeing. He could hear the merchant mare flirting with a customer, trying to persuade him to buy more of her produce. The stallion’s cheeks were tinted pink and so were Jessie’s own. Why the hell was she talking about eggplants? Did that innuendo really carry over into this world? Gross, but whatever. Step one, cause a distraction. His horn glowed with the amber light and so did a support beam close to the mare’s stall but far enough away for other ponies to not notice. His eyes closed in concentration. This whole magic thing was beyond difficult but he could feel it get easier each time. A faint sound of creaking wood came from the beam, but then it finally gave way. The beam fell and the canopy in that area fell as well, trapping dozens of poor ponies underneath. They all at once let out cries of surprise, startling other ponies who in turn knocked over stalls and food stands. The guards that he was eyeing earlier ran over to help. It would have been funny if he didn’t feel a little bad. There were probably better ways to do this and avoid the damage but this was quick and could cover his tracks. No one would notice a few goods go missing during something like this. In the distance he heard a stallion cry out about his cabbages and Jessie suppressed the urge to snicker. Maybe it was a little funny. The mare running the stall in front of the alley had ran away, knocking some of her own things down but leaving it mostly intact and leaving behind her produce. Seizing his chance, Jessie grabbed as many apples and vegetables as he could with his magic and hid them inside his cloak. Then he bolted. But he didn’t make it very far before things started to go wrong, however. “Hey!” A voice called out. Jessie glanced behind him and paled at the sight of the merchant mare pointing a hoof in his direction. A couple of other guards who were surveying the damage looked up and in the direction the mare was pointing. Their expressions quickly switched to ones of fury and determination. “Stop! Thief!” One of them called out. They picked up their weapons and began running after him down the alley. “Get back here!” No, no, no. Jessie’s eyes widened in panic and he willed his stupid hooves to carry him faster. The faint unfamiliarity of running on four legs was present and he nearly tripped trying to pick up more speed. But he thought he was gaining enough distance for the guards to abandon the chase. He burst out of the alley on another street, closer to one of the richer sections of the city. Ponies in fancy suits and dresses stared at him in confusion and fear. But he ignored them, running down the street and pushing past those who didn’t get out of the way fast enough. A handful of the rich ponies had tried to halt his movement but they were relatively easy to avoid. They didn’t seem to put in much effort to stop him. “Stop! In the name of the Princess, you are under arrest!” The two guards who were tailing him came out of an alley a few paces ahead. Both of them leveled their spears in his direction and continued to yell at him to stop. Jessie’s blood ran cold. He could feel his legs tense, but pressed on. Just before he ran into the tip of a spear and became a Jessie-kebab, he jumped. The boy turned colt leapt into the air with surprising agility for someone who hadn’t been running on four legs his entire life. “Holy shit!” Everything seemed to slow down to a crawl. Jessie could feel his senses go into overdrive. The unchanging faces of the rich ponies around them were frozen masks of surprise. The expressions of the guards were still determined and unwavering. It was like something out of a movie. A shout of excitement burst it’s way out of his mouth at the feeling of weightlessness. Maybe this is what it felt like to fly. The world sped up again. His back right hoof knocked one of the guards on the side of the helmet, causing him to flail in surprise. His cloak slipped and fell off of his body, revealing his multicolored mane and brown fur. But he didn’t even care. That was awesome! Jessie landed behind the guards, a wild laugh erupting from his throat. Sure he stumbled a little and nearly fell but the adrenaline surging through him allowed him to push on. He had actually pulled it off! “See ya, you stupid freaks!” He called over his shoulder. The furious looks of the guards could have burned holes in his body if they stared at him any longer. But they were quickly replaced by smug looks that Jessie didn’t notice. “You’re never going to catch a Morri-“ His body slammed into a third guard, one who was much larger than the other two. The food he was carrying in his magic fell quickly after that, no longer being concentrated on. The produce rolled into a nearby wall, where they softly thumped against it before coming to a stop. Jessie landed, dazed, on his back and shakily tried to get up again. He could feel the adrenaline high quickly fading. Shit shit shit. He just needed to stan- “Oomph!” The large guard then promptly laid on top of him, pinning Jessie down under his weight. The two other guards rushed over, one of them using a hoof to clamp something onto Jessie’s horn. The other raised a leg above the colt’s head and brung it down swiftly. Jessie’s world went dark. *** Princess Celestia sighed deeply. Day court, as nice as the opportunity to have her little ponies speak with her about their issues was, was unbelievably irritating at times. Seriously, what sort of fool did these ponies take her for? Blatantly lying in front of her was one thing but to argue with another pony to try and defend your lie, causing even more confusion? It was almost unbearable! But she powered through. Mostly because it was her duty (that she had assigned to herself, but still) and she would see it through. Also because, well, somepony had to. These issues couldn’t exactly solve themselves. “... and that, mares and gentlecolts, is why I should own this airship bay!” The noble declared, finishing his ridiculous story with a stomp of his hoof. Silence weighed in the atmosphere. A guard in the corner awkwardly coughed. The noble’s opponent, an amateur airship pilot, blinked. Before anypony could say anything else, Celestia cleared her throat. That was something. “Sir...” Fudge. What was his name again? Wait! No. She remembered. That was almost a problem. “Sir Truffle. You are aware that nopony truly believes you, are you?” Truffle sputtered, his expression morphing into one of outrage and fury. A quiet chuckle from his opponent made his face go dark red, a stark contrast to his lime green coat. “Well- I- I never-!” “Furthermore,” The Princess continued. “You have yet to provide any actual sound evidence as to how you own this airship bay and have been lying about it for ages. Do you know how much confusion you have caused? If I didn’t know any better I’d be impressed that you managed to keep it up over the years.” “Princess- I-“ “I am not done,” She said firmly. Her gaze hardened at being interrupted and she stared down the stallion with a completely neutral expression. “I should charge you for that alone. But I know your family has provided funds to several local charities throughout the years. So you shall receive a lighter punishment. Furthermore, I do expect you to provide some sort of compensation to this pilot that you have inconvenienced. Do I make myself clear?” Truffle opened his mouth to object, but shrunk in on himself at the look Celestia shot him. He took a few steps backward, muttering a quiet “yes, princess” before dashing away with his tail between his legs. Pity, she hadn’t even finished what she was going to say. The airship pilot stepped up and bowed respectfully to Celestia, causing her expression to shift to a serene and peaceful smile. His goggles rested on top of his slick black mane, which contrasted nicely with his dandelion yellow fur. He was also wearing a nice brown aviator’s jacket. At least this one was polite. Not to mention quite handsome if she did say so herself. ... and she did. “Thank you, Princess,” He started, keeping up that nice smile of his. “I’m guessing you’re not just going to give the property to a little old pilot like me, eh?” “It is my pleasure, Fierce Wings,” She replied, chuckling slightly. “and no, the property will go to the crown. But should you wish to purchase it in the future, I will be sure to keep your name high on the list of buyers.” Fierce Wings’ smile widened. It really was a nice smile. “Of course, Princess. I should take my leave. Been meaning to book a room at the local inn.” With that, he bowed again. The stallion folded a wing in front of him in a loose pegasus salute, before turning and walking out of the throne room. Celestia would later admit to staring a little at his flank while watching him go. But that’s not that important. As the door behind Fierce Wings closed, she sighed again, now bored. It was a slow day today. Not many ponies had come in with their issues this time around. Perhaps she should close the court for today and take some time for herself. Yes, that’s a good idea. As she made to speak to the guards posted at the door, it slammed open again. Another guard rushed in, looking very proud of himself. She could tell this one was new to the ranks by his unpolished armor and lack of salute upon entry. He seemed quite excited about something, though. What could it be? “Princess!” The guard blurted, a big grin on his face. “Yes?” She asked patiently. “I- We caught a thief in the market!” The stallion was bouncing on his hooves, like a foal excited about an arts and crafts project. “Oh?” That sounded mildly interesting. Also gave her something to do. Perhaps it could even lead to something else that was entertaining. Why not? “Can you bring them in?” The guard nodded enthusiastically and rushed out of the throne room. But quickly returned with two of his fellow guardsponies tailing behind him. Between those two ponies was- Wait a moment. No that can’t possibly be- “Get your stupid hands off of me, dickhead!” Iridescent shouted, squirming in the grip of the guards. She didn’t quite recognize the language he spoke in but could tell what he had just said was something vulgar. He looked... dirty. As if he hadn’t bathed since she’d last seen him. “He had tried to take some poor mare’s produce when the canopy in the market fell,” The proud guard stated, his smile so wide he had to close his eyes to make room on his face. He didn’t seem to notice the Princess’ expression. “We spotted him and managed to catch him before he could get away.” “Stop talking about me like I’m not right here!” Iridescent snapped. Celestia took note of the suppression ring on his horn and the bruising on the side of his head. It seemed the guards had been rough with him. But why? He was just a colt! “I just needed to be able to eat for the next week! What the hell’s your problem with me?!” His eyes, which were wide with fear and unease, had deep bags under them. She could tell from his weak yet desperate squirming that he hadn’t had proper rest. “Iridescent.” She said softly, just to get his attention. The colt stopped squirming and looked up at her. For a moment there was a look of recognition, but suddenly his fear stricken eyes got even wider and his squirming became more aggressive. She called his name again, this time more firmly. “Iridescent!” As if a switch had been flipped, the squirming stopped and he slumped in the grip of the guards. He looked like he had completely and totally surrendered. The look of defeat on his face broke her heart to pieces. The rookie guard stood there, retelling the encounter and exaggerating his own bravery and intelligence. Much to the annoyance of his fellow guards next to him. The larger of the three grumbled under his breath that sounded like profanity. Celestia frowned and waved the guards away as she began walking over, ignoring the betrayed look on the rookie’s face. His mouth opened to object. A gentle push from his fellow guardsponies was enough to make him give it up, however. They left Iridescent in the middle of the throne room, sat on his haunches with his ears folded back onto his skull. He must have felt so small. As they left through the doors, she slammed them shut with her magic. The rookie shot Iridescent a glare on his way out and Celestia made a mental note to punish him later. Being rough with a suspect who wasn’t complying was one thing. To do that to a colt and be rude to him afterward was another. This poor colt. He couldn’t have been much older than her student. Perhaps she should have looked into him more when Sunset brought him into the castle. She had been so excited about the idea of her pupil having friends that she didn’t- No. Time to right this wrong. “Are you alright?” Celestia whispered, sitting down in front of him. That was the most important question that needed to be answered. She reached out a hoof and gently cupped his face, turning it slightly to look at the bruise on his head. “I’m fine,” Her hoof had brushed against the bruise and Iridescent flinched away, leaning back a little but not moving his whole body. “I just wanted some food for the week. Didn’t want to risk getting caught every day.” The pieces of her heart broke even more. “What about your parents? Surely they could have gotten it for you.” Iridescent flinched again. Celestia could see the swirling emotion of sadness in his eyes at the question. He’d been through a lot but didn’t quite understand it. She had seen a similar look when she looked in the mirror after Luna’s banishment. “I- I don’t-,” He choked out. Then, a deep breath. It was almost fascinating to see him pull himself together so quickly. Like watching a tower be built in a matter of seconds. When he started to speak again he sat a little straighter, talked more confidently. “I don’t know where my dad is. I don’t even know how I got here.” Celestia mulled over the information, staring down at the colt with a soft yet analyzing expression. To have to resort to stealing to feed himself. Alone. Without his parents or any sort of guardian. Assuming what he had told Sunset was true, he also didn’t know much magic. She definitely should have looked into him further. How could she have been so careless? Did Sunset know? Likely not. As analytical as that filly was, Celestia doubted she’d have cared enough to look into it herself. A sad fact, if she was being honest. That girl was stubborn in her ways. It reminded her of her sister. “How would you like to stay here?” She asked, surprising the both of them. That was rather sudden of her. Her poor heart just couldn’t stand the sight of him in such a state. She had meant to ease into the idea but nonetheless was going to commit to the offer. “Just for a while. Until your father comes looking for you.” Iridescent looked up at her. There was so much emotion in his amber eyes. Hesitance, fear, sadness, confusion. She simply gave him a soft motherly smile in return, plucking the suppression ring off of his horn with her magic and tossing it behind her. What a cruel thing to do to a pony so young. “You’re- ... you’re going to let me stay here?” He quietly asked, avoiding eye contact now. Celestia nodded. Those were the same words Sunset had uttered when she had brought her in. Funny how things could come full circle like that. Perhaps she could coerce the two into becoming friends. Perhaps Iridescent could be a positive influence on Sunset... before she strayed too far away from Celestia’s teachings and did something she’d regret. Perhaps he could join Sunset as a pupil. Though her plans would be much different for him. “I- You don’t-,” Iridescent paused and took a deep breath, collecting himself once again. He still wouldn’t look her in the eye. She couldn’t really blame him for it, though. “Thank you. You don’t have to-“ “Think nothing of it,” She interrupted, pulling him into a hug. The fur where she had put his head felt a little wet but she didn’t mention it to him. She’d do right by this one... and maybe he’d return the favor. “You have nothing to worry about here, Iridescent Horizon. I swear it.”