It was almost time for my audience with Princess Luna. I had said my goodbyes to Rainbow a little while ago after spending most of the day hanging out with her. She was fun to be around and made the time enjoyable. She also took my stress and anxiety away when I was with her. Her energy made it hard to have any worries.
Anyway, I had decided to arrive early, as per usual, and made my way to the throne room. As I entered the foyer, I noticed that Raven wasn't at the desk, but instead a night guard. She seemed quite bored sitting at the desk, her head resting on her hooves as she looked at nothing. Poor kid. I made my way to her. She heard me trot over and sat up surprised at my appearance.
"Hello, ma'am, I'm here about my appointment with the princess," I say.
"Uh, sir, you know Princess Celestia's last court time was several hours ago, right? Sorry to say, but you might have missed your appointment," she was utterly confused. I laughed to myself.
"Uh, no, I'm not here for Princess Celestia. I had an audience with Princess Luna at this time. Ms. Raven scheduled me this morning," I corrected. Her eyebrows rose up.
"Oh I see, my mistake. Most ponies... most creatures come to see Princess Celestia. Princess Luna is currently doing something at the moment. If you could wait here, I'll go and let her know of your arrival," she got up from the desk as went to go get the princess. She didn't even check the scheduling book, just got up and went to go get her. I like this guard.
I went to go sit down on one of the couches nearby and waited for her to come back. It took about fifteen minutes before the guard came back with the pony of the hour. When I had initially met Princess Luna, she was a bit stiff and kept talking at a minimum. She kept her distance, only speaking to me about an apology for accidentally kidnapping me. I could tell her social skills, and her social life in general was... lacking to say the least.
I got up from the couch and went over to meet them. I didn't really know princess etiquette, so I just gave a deep bow to compensate.
"Princess Luna, it is an honor to meet you again. I thank you in advance for seeing me," I say, trying to be poised. She looks me up and down.
"Apologies, visitor. I was not told that I was requested for an audience. I had been in the realm of Dreams when Corporal Edge found me." Of course Raven didn't say anything. I mean, the guard also didn't check the scheduling book to begin with. Also, realm of dreams? Was she asleep? I thought she was up during the night.
"You don't have to apologize, your majesty. I should be the one apologizing for waking you. I think it was just a miscommunication. I am thankful that you have granted my request for an audience." I kept my bow. Is she gonna tell me when to rise? I didn't see her face, but she looked confused.
"I was not asleep, young one. I was tending to dreams." Her face went from confused to realization.
"Oh, I remember you. You're name is Isaac, is it not? You were the creature that was torn from your world from one of Celestia's experiments. Forgive me, what I mean by being in the realm of dreams is that I protect my subjects from night terrors." Oh. I didn't know she could do that.
"Got it, my mistake, your highness. And, yes, your majesty, thats correct. Isaac was the name I went by when I first arrived. I go by a different name now: Maverick," I chose to raise myself to meet her eye. Didn't seem like she was gonna tell me to rise.
Being that I am a hippogriff, I am generally taller than the average pony. For the princess though, I am about eye level with her.
"Maverick, hm? Why did you change your name?" She asked, her head tilting like a puppy . Oh that was cute. Focus, Mav.
"Ahem, well, your majesty, my human name didn't really fit the naming scheme of Equestria, so Princess Celestia had suggested that I choose a different one in mean time. It has allowed me to fit better with the rest of the ponies. At least as much as I can be."
"Hm, well it's certainly not a name I would have chosen; I think it's an odd choice. Why would you want to be named after a yearling?" She asked. Well, she is really straight forward it seems. I don't sense any malice though, just curiosity. My feelings were only hurt partially.
"Maverick doesn't just mean calf or yearling. It also means independent and free-spirited. I thought it was a nice name to have being that I feel free when I fly. It can also mean unorthodox and unconventional, but I don't personally think I'm like that... Well, other than being from another dimension I suppose, but thats besides the point," I say. That was a half truth. I did choose Maverick as my name since I could fly, but that's mostly because of Top Gun. Great movie.
"Oh, I see. That makes a little more sense. I find that to be a fair reasoning, I suppose. I too feel free when I fly; it helps clear my head when I am overwhelmed. Now, I don't believe you arrived here to talk about names and such. What can I help you with, young Maverick? Here, follow me to the throne room." Ah, yes. To the meat and potatoes. I follow Princess Luna as she enters the throne room.
"Well, your highness, as you probably know, Princess Celestia has been trying to find me a way home for some time now. We usually exchange some letters here and there about progress and set backs. Lately though, I haven't received anything. For a few weeks actually. I thought maybe she was busy, which I believe to be true, but even after her student, Twilight Sparkle, tried to ask for me, we still didn't get a reply. I'm not sure what is going on so I decided to come here in person and find out." We made it to the end of the throne room where Princess Luna went and sat on the throne. She looked to be in thought for a moment.
"Well, truth be told, young Maverick, I have not been "in the loop" as it were about sending you home. I have heard from my sister that there has been much going on during the day, so it may be as you say. My sister can be quite busy, especially when she has to handle the day court, raise the sun, and do diplomatic negotiations. Most dignitaries and our subjects seek her guidance over mine." Damn, that is kinda sucky to hear. I guess they really don't like her for some reason. She might be a little stiff and straight forward, but she seems chill so far.
"Oh, I see. Well, if it's not too much trouble, your highness, could I perhaps get an update from her or from the team she has on my project to get me home?" I ask as respectfully as I could. She looks over to one of her guards.
"Sergeant Hardball, has my sister already bedded down for the night?" The guard in question looks to her.
"I believe so, your highness. Her majesty had mentioned that she was to send some letters to her student before "hitting the sack," as she said. I am also unsure about whether or not SAM-D went home for the night." Princess Luna put a hoof to her chin in thought.
Also, Princess Celestia will send letters to Twilight, but not me? Errg... no, keep your cool Mav, relax.
"What is SAM-D?" I ask.
"The Science and Magic Division. The team that is working to send you back is part of SAM-D." Oh. The princess continued on.
"Well, it doesn’t hurt to see if there is anyone left, I am sure there is somepony who stayed late. How about we go take a walk and see, dear Maverick?" Sounds good to me!
"Of course, your majesty. Please, lead the way," I say with short bow. As she trots down the stairs of her throne, she waves a hoof at me.
"You need not to bow, young Maverick, we wish to be seen more... personable. Come, walk beside me while we scour the halls." Scour the halls? I like the way she talks haha. Man, it's really cute.
As we make our way through the halls, I followed the princess as she took the lead. It was interesting to see the palace, the place looked so big and intricate. Whoever built this place put a lot of thought and artistic ability in their design. Masters of their craft it seems.
"How has your time been here in Equestria, young Maverick?" The princess looks to me as she asks the question. I reciprocate a look of my own.
"Well, it hasn't been terrible, I guess. Pretty boring to be completely honest. I have found flying to be the most enjoyable, second to that is drawing. I have been mostly spending my time home. I'm trying to not get too attached, I'm still trying to go home after all." Princess Luna hummed at my response.
"I see. Perhaps that is why you came alone then? I am surprised that my sister's student didn't venture with you." Twilight? Why would Twilight be here?
"You mean Twilight Sparkle? We aren't really that close. Actually, I didn't even tell her about me heading here to he honest. I brought someone else with me, though. One of Twilight's friends, Rainbow Dash. She had to leave a few hours ago though because of work tomorrow morning."
"Oh. I was under the impression you were closer to my sister's student. Still, I am glad to hear that you have made a friend while here, young Maverick. Even if you are only here in Equestria for a brief time, it is good to still have somepony beside you. Especially her. The Element of Loyalty will never betray your trust."
"Yeah, it seems that way. She's a good friend. What about you, your highness? I know that you have recently made it back here to Equestria not too long ago. I don't really know any specifics though." The princess stopped briefly.
"... I am fine, dear Maverick." She spoke softly as she turned her eyes to me. They seemed... almost sad.
"It has been a journey to acclimate to this new era, and there have been many obstacles in my way. I have missed many things while I was gone. Ponies I knew... gone. The life I knew, just gone. Fortunately, and thankfully, I have my sister. She has been there for me every step of the way." The words she spoke resonated in me unexpectedly. For a brief moment, I felt my blood run cold as I became much more conscious about her words. We were both in the same boat. Although she belongs to this world, it might as well be a whole different planet from how long she had been gone for. She still had to find a way to adjust, just as I am acclimating to this world. I pause for a moment before replying.
"I slightly understand what you are going through, your highness. I too feel like I have been going through a journey, trying to acclimate and adjust to this world. The obstacles feel a little too much sometimes." I tried not to say it pathetically, but it kind of came out that way. She fully stops and turns to me.
"Indeed, young Maverick. You do understand it too. But just as I have my sister, you have Rainbow Dash to be there for you. Do not fret over your worries, I am sure my sister has been working diligently to find you a way home. You will get there soon enough." Her words were encouraging. I barely knew her, yet I felt like I could confide in her. I give her a short smile. Maybe everything is fine. Maybe I just over reacted about all of this. The process is slow going, but that's okay. I can survive for as long as it takes to get back.
"Thank you, Princess Luna," I say. She put a hoof on my shoulder.
"Of course, dear Maverick. Now, let us continue."
We kept our trot through the place for a while in silence before finally coming to a stop at two metal doors with code locks on them and large bold letters that said SAM-D on them. This certainly seemed to be our destination.
"And here we are, young Maverick. This should be the lab. If I recall correctly, this is also where you first appeared."
"I woke up in the infirmary, I wasn't conscious when I first came through. Never saw this place with my two eyes until now." I walk up to the intricate engraved doors and put a claw on them. It was cold, but I felt a slight hum coming from the door. Magic, perhaps?
"These doors are enchanted to only open for those authorized to walk through. It is impressive what our little ponies are capable of now. The arcane locks and mechanical engineering is flawless in design." The princess walked up beside me and placed her own hoof onto the door. With a wiz and a wir, the door began to unlock itself and then opened.
The room inside was certainly something. The entirely of the room was white. There were some offices and filing cabinets everywhere. Although it was neat and tidy, I could tell that this place is busy during the day.
The best part was all the complex gadgetry and devices. The place was covered with machines. On the tables, I saw an assortment of parts that I could only guess what they were. I am surprised to see such advance technology in this place. The level of technology I see on a daily basis is a little all over the place. They have sound systems and sub woofers, but they don't have Walkmans. They have trains and honest to God airships. Like, boats that actually fly, but no cars. It's weird.
I hear someone clear their throat. I turn to see an old grey stallion with a white mane and beard. He had a white lab coat on with an ID that said 'Doctor Spanner' pinned to his collar. Must be one of the scientists here. He walked up to us and gave a bow.
"Hello, your highness. Your arrival is unexpected, but certainly welcomed. What can I do to help you?" Doctor Spanner picked himself up.
"Greetings to you too, Doctor Spanner. I can't say that I am surprised to see you still here." The doctor gave a laugh.
"Haha, yes, I know. If I could, I would live in this lab. In my defense, your highness, I was on my way out." He didn't appear to be disgruntled with staying, it actually seemed to be the opposite. Guess when you love your job...
"And who might this be?" Oh, he was talking about me. The princess spoke up first.
"Ahem, yes. This here is young Maverick. He is our visitor here from out of this realm. Maverick, this is Doctor Spanner, the Executive Director of SAM-D." Ah, so he's important.
"Its nice to meet you, doctor." I went for a handshake. Or I guess a clawshake. A hoofshake? Oh whatever.
"Visitor...? Oh! You're the interdimentional extraterrestrial being from the accident a few months ago. I am so sorry, I have so many things on my mind right now... Uh, anyway, it's nice to meet you again, Mr. Maverick." He returned my hand-claw-hoofshake with some added gusto. Again? He must have been there when it happened. Princess Luna spoke up again.
"Yes, well I am sorry to say, doctor, but we are not here for a social visit. Dear Maverick is here to see if he can get a progress report on the happenings of the project to get him home." The doctor gave a confused look. My stomach already started to lurch.
"Project to get him home? Uh, well, I can certainly go get the project file for you, your highness, but I am not sure we have a current progress report. Please give me a second." Doctor Spanner heads over to one of the filing cabinets to search for the file. I didn't like where this was going. There's not a recent progress report? Is that why Princess Celestia hasn't sent anything yet? It's fine, maybe there just wasn't a breakthrough yet. Its interdimentional travel, so it can't be easy. Just calm down.
I decided to distract myself by looking around at all the trinkets in the lab. Although there were many pieces of tech lying around, like engines, machines, and other doohickies, what really caught my eye was a fancy looking metal sphere. It was gold in color and had a bunch of blue glowing arcane symbols on it. As I got closer to it, I could hear it humming.
"Impressive isn't it? That is our newest creation. Project: Promethius. That there will be the future of Equestria, an arcane engine that can run with no fuel for centuries." I didn't realize that Doctor Spanner had trotted up beside me. He spoke again.
"Everything here, all the devices and all the trinkets. This is all from SAM-D's finest. We only accept the smartest ponies from the top schools in Equestria. Together, our scientists use their intellect, creativity, and talents to make new bounds and breakthroughs everyday. There's no other place I would rather be than in this lab." The doctor is certainly proud. I can't really blame him, an engine that can run without fuel? If there was something like that back in my world... There would certainly be less problems.
"Did you find the file, doctor?" I ask. He snapped out of his daydream.
"Oh yes- your highness, I have the project file," he called over to the princess as she made her way over to us.
"Excellent, please inform us on its current status." The doctor laid the file on the table and took a deep breath. Oh no.
"Well, after looking over it, there hasn't been any recent activity with the project. And, as I thought, the project was closed about three months ago due to our findings on interdimension linking to be... finicky." No, dear God, please. My throat felt dry as I spoke up.
"Finicky? What... what does that mean?" I ask.
"Well... to start, the entire project on interdimentional duel-linking was centered around on connecting our dimention to another dimension, not to send or receive objects. Or you in this matter. Due to arcane flux and a series of other miscalculated variables, you appeared. A million and one chance. Even more than that.
"And what I mean by finicky is that, when we tried to replicate what we did to make you appear, and while ensuring that we take the proper precautions this time, we could not make the same connection that our readings gave when you arrived.
"What I mean is, every time we connect, we are linking with a different dimension, despite doing the same things as before. SAM-D is still conducting research on being able to connect with specific dimentions, but we don't have the technology, nor the magic yet to pinpoint exact dimentional coordinates. What we concluded was that your appearance was not only an unfathomable number of a chance, but, in the most simplest example, your universe made a stop at the train station at our universe, you got off, and your universe continued on its way." He finished his explanation with an awkward look. My body shook uncontrollably.
"I... I don't know how else to put this, Mr. Maverick... But you are stuck in Equestria."