"Speaking of the Princess, we've arrived." Said Ocellus. The three now standing in front of two gigantic golden gates. Sparkling a gentle blue, the doors opened, and the sound of melodic trumpets played like background music to accompany the regal atmosphere of the castle.
From the inside, Yuta could see the ones opening the doors for them, two unicorn guards clad in gold. Standing at attention with strict discipline. In the centre of the large room sat a purple pony; her mane waved and sparkled like, well, sparkles. Her size looked to be just slightly, slightly taller than the average male pony, from what Yuta could tell, and her hooves, chest, and crown were adorned with similar gold armour, identical to the ones the guards that invited the three were wearing.
"Hi, Princess Twilight!" Silverstream called with delight, flying over to hug The Princess, which she accepted gracefully. "It's great to see you!" Twilight chuckled at her enthusiasm.
"Hello, Silverstream. It's great to see you." Twilight peaked past Silvestream's shoulder, "And you too, Ocellus." Ocellus gave a happy wave of her hoof.
"Here's the creature that saved us from the monster back in Manehatten. His name is Okkotsu Yuta. We brought him here because—"
"Oh, yes. I was informed by the letter Yona wrote about a tall monkey dressed in black and white that defeated the monster in one fell swoop." Twilight interjected. Getting up to her hooves, she walked down the short flight of stairs to ground level. Staring at the human with curious eyes. "However, I hadn't expected a human to be the one behind this."
"You know what I am?" Yuta asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, sorta." Twilight now stood a comfortable distance from the Shaman, "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, ruler of Equestria. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Mr. Okkotsu." Yuta was quick to return the gesture, giving a slight bow.
"Pleased to your acquaintance as well. Princess."
Ocellus, Silverstream. You two can roam the castle. Mr. Okkotsu and I have some business to discuss regarding his sudden appearance. And for his way back home. Guards dismissed."
The four gave a curt nod before exiting the Throne Room. As the doors closed shut, Yuta turned to face Twilight.
"It doesn't seem like you're from the other side."
Yuta gave a puzzled expression. "The 'other side'? What do you mean by that?"
"On your way to Canterlot, I had written to a friend from the other side. She confirmed that there were no opened gateways to Equestria. And what I'm referring to is the human world that mirrors this one. Our worlds are connected in a sense. But it seems you're from neither. Yet, you took down those monsters with a single strike! Very impressive, Mr. Okkotsu! Now, with that out of the way—" Twilight teleported a notepad and a pencil to her side, holding the two, preparing to jot down whatever Yuta was going to say. "Can you tell me how you defeated the monster without effort?"
"Um... Yuta is just fine. Princess Twilight. But, is it possible to find a way for me to return home first?" Twilight gave a sheepish look.
"Right, right, right, right! How can I forget such an important thing!" Twilight teleports the notepad and pencil out of sight. "How about this, Yuta. While I search for a way to return you home for the period you'll be here in Equestria. Help us eradicate these monsters since you're quite adept at handling them."
"Sure, I'll help you exorcise them." Suddenly, the god of chaos himself poofed into the vicinity. On reflex, Yuta grabbed the hilt of his kept sword. Standing in between the Alicorn Princess and The Chaos God. "Get behind me, Princess."
"Discord?" Asks Twilight, her tone indicating that the appearance of The Draconequus was a familiar face.
"You know him, Princess?" Questions Yuta.
"Yes, he's a friend of mine."
"What's his problem?" Said Discord, pointing a detached arm at the boy. With a snap of his fingers, he reappeared beside him, slinging an arm casually over his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Anyway... I'd like to extend my thanks to you for protecting my wife's students. Had you not shown up and slain that foul beast, who knows what would've happened in Manehatten."
Yuta stayed silent.
Discord shrugged as he stroked his beard. "Not the chatty type, huh? Well, that doesn't matter; it looks like things are going to be a lot more amusing with your appearance here in Equestria. Let's get along. Mr. Okkotsu." Leaning closer and closer to Yuta's face, he was almost eye-to-eye with the sorcerer. But a floating clock shook Yuta and Discord out of the deadlock, ringing with ten thousand bells. Slapping it out of existence, the Draconequus sighed. "Looks like it's picnic time with Butterfly. Time to take my leave. Oh, and it's great to see you're in good health, Princess Twilight." Opening a portal, Discord stepped through with classy style, waving to Twilight and Yuta. "Toddles."
Yuta stares at the portal as it closes. Hand still on the hilt.
"Yuta? Are you alright?"
"Sorry, lost in thought. Back to your proposal, where should I stay for my time here?"
"I know just the place!"
The sky was painted a golden hue, and Yuta sat in a carriage drawn by her Highness's guards. All things considered, it's pretty exciting. Being treated like royalty to a certain extent really tickles that imaginary bone that Yuta had been thinking up back when he was younger. Now, his mini dream was fulfilled. He looked forward to what other things this world had in store for him.
However, had he known he'd end up in Ponyville, it would've saved him a lot of time. It would have meant getting more rest time if he had just taken the train straight to the village. After all, he woke up pretty early to try and exorcise a curse, only to be teleported into a world of talking animals and creatures he hadn't seen before. Regardless, he still takes in the breathtaking view of a land unpolluted by machinery and mankind's interference. That all comes to an abrupt halt when the carriage dives downwards, fast approaching a small village by a river, with a giant crystal castle just outside the village perimeter.
"Sir, we've arrived in Ponyville."
Getting up from his seat, Yuta made his way out of the carriage. "Thank you, guards."
The guards saluted before flying back to Canterlot. Stretching, the boy could see five colourful ponies waiting for his arrival, two pegasuses, two earth ponies, and one unicorn.
"You five must be the Council of Friendship," he stated.
"And you must be Mr Yuta Okkotsu; nice to have finally met you. I'm Rarity." The pale unicorn said, waving a hoof to the rest of the cast. "These are my friends."
"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie!! But my friends just call me Pinkie. You can call me that if you want. You know, I've never seen a creature like you before! Say, you don't look like you have fur on your body, do you--" The earth pony talked at breakneck speeds; Okkotsu gave a meek smile as most of what the pink mare had said just blew over his head. That's until a blue hoof shoved itself into her mouth, but that didn't stop Pinkie from muffling her speech.
"Sorry about that; she gets very excited about newcomers. I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of Equestria!" Rainbow boasted. A 'psssh' came from the orange mare on the ground, catching their attention.
"And I'm the princess of the underworld." Applejack remarked, "I'm Applejack nice t' meet 'cha."
"Ah, nice to meet you too, Princess Applejack," Yuta said with a slight bow.
"Don't take her literally." Rarity and Rainbow deadpanned.
This earned a surprised 'eh' from the human boy, causing the five of them to giggle. Lastly, the yellow pegasus stood forward.
"I'm Fluttershy. Mr. Okkotsu, I would like to thank you for protecting my student back in Manehatten. It was my carelessness and oversight that I had allowed them to leave to take care of that monster. Who knows what would have happened to those kids had you not shown up? Please accept my sincerest gratitude." Bowing her head, Fluttershy placed a hoof on her chest to further her sign of genuine sincerity.
"No need to bow, Ms. Fluttershy. I've already received thanks from your husband." This news surprised Fluttershy.
"You've met Discord?"
"Yea! He teleported into the Throne Room to thank me personally. That aside, it's my duty to exorcise these beasts back in my homeworld. Saving them is part and parcel of the job." Giving a smile, Yuta leaned down to place a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. The yellow mare shook her in acknowledgement.
"By the way, Princess Sparkle said I can live here for now. Where would I be staying?" The five snickered at the formality of putting the titles of 'princess' and 'sparkle' in one sentence. "Uh, did I say something bad?"
"No, no. Dear, far from it." Rarity said through a hoof.
"Drop the formalities! We're friends. No need to be so stiff around us! Also, you can crash in the Castle of Friendship. There are tons of rooms to pick from, but I personally choose the highest floor. The view's amazing!" Rainbow suggested with a small hoof bump to Yuta's shoulder as he chuckled at the enthusiasm.
"Besides that, The Princess said I'll be working with the five of you to educate in a school facility, so I'll be in your care from now on. Thank you for taking me in."
The five mares chuckled again. As all of them thought. 'So formal.'
After Pinkie's welcome party, Yuta headed to the Castle of Friendship, overwhelmed by the warm reception he was given by the folks in Ponyville. It was already dark out. Only the fading, booming music continued as he walked further and further from Sugarcube Corner. Admittedly, it was much for the young Shaman. Pinkie was breakdancing on the dance floor, something Yuta thought he wouldn't see in his life, Rainbow and Applejack having a contest picking apples out of a tub filled with water, Rarity showing off her latest dress in the crowd, and Fluttershy brought in animals to party with.
Strolling through the corridors, walking up the steps, and finally coming across a room designated as a guest room, he knocked as a sign of courtesy before opening it and checking for occupants. None. Great. Entering the room, he placed his katana next to the bed and hung his white jacket onto the chair's backrest. Crashing into the bed, it didn't take long before he dozed off for the second time that day.
Yuta stood at the precipice of an unfathomable abyss, his heart pounding with uncertainty as he gazed into the yawning void. Was he dreaming, or was this reality? Suddenly, he was enveloped by a series of vivid memories - his life after joining the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School. He saw himself forging bonds with his friends and the night parade of a hundred demons. As he watched a projected image of himself getting ready to battle the Shaman with the weird bangs, Yuta felt a surge of cursed energy welling up within him. Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful punch into the ground beneath him, shattering the very earth with a resounding crack.
The projection of his memory flickered, and two alicorn mares were sent flying backwards in his mindscape. One was Twilight, and the other was coated in dark blue. Her mane reflected that of the starry night.
Yuta approached the two, cursed energy leaking out. His eyes were furious yet curious. 'Illusions? No, I distinctly remember falling asleep. So, it should have something to do with dreams.'
"What did you do."
"W-we were trying to make sure what you said was true!" Twilight exclaimed, raising her hooves in an attempt to calm the approaching human down. The alicorn beside her sighed. "But... I got too invested in looking into your time at Jujutsu High! Unintentionally, of course! My deepest apologies!"
"Indeed, what she has informed you of is true, Mr. Okkotsu. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Luna. Although we hadn't had the pleasure of meeting before, she asked me to do a favour for her. She has requested that I delve into your memories and ensure you hold no ill will."
"I mean, now we know what we're facing! Cursed spirits made of cursed energy! Very insightful! I'm also sorry about intruding on your memory without permission. Especially the news regarding Rika." Twilight stated matter of factly. Yuta stared at the princess as a frown creased the corners of his mouth.
"Sorry, but there's confidential and classified information I cannot share with outsiders. If you attempt this again, I'm forced to play my hand." A blue glow surrounded his hand. It was Luna and her attempt at pushing Yuta back.
Yuta felt a surge of anger at the intrusion of his memories without consent, but he managed to control himself and lower his hand. "I understand your concern, but I cannot allow anyone to invade my privacy like this. Please respect my boundaries."
Yuta unleashed a torrent of cursed energy, the destructive power tearing apart the very fabric of the dream world. The ground beneath them trembled and cracked while the air seemed to shatter like glass. Luna and Twilight were swallowed up in the chaos, disappearing from sight as Yuta's vision began to dim.
Yuta woke up with a start, his eyes snapping open as he jolted up in bed. The sun shone brightly through the window, and birds chirped in a sing-song voice filled the air. Although he knew he had been asleep, his heart was pounding as if he had just been in a fight. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.
He stretched his arms and cracked his neck, feeling the tension in his muscles slowly fading away. Then he made his way to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and splashed some cold water on his face. He stared at his reflection for a moment, his mind still foggy from sleep, before shaking his head and heading back to his room.
There, he put on his signature white jacket and grabbed his katana resting against the chair. The memory of the two princesses invading his dreams made him scowl, but he pushed the thought aside and focused on the task ahead. Yuta was a second-year student at the School of Friendship and had been assigned to substitute teacher a class that morning. He had never done it before but didn't think it would be too difficult. He had always been good with kids and was confident that he could handle whatever came his way. With a deep breath, he slung the katana across his back and headed out the door, ready to face the day.