//------------------------------// // IV - To Fulfill a Promise // Story: The Conversion Bureau: El Único. // by Hilord17 //------------------------------// "Do you really think they'll come back, Bright?" "He may come back for more answers, Mike. This is not something you settle on a single day." "A better question for you two: Is Sir Chaser here because he's also waiting for them?" "Probably. As a former leader of the Gem Squad, he must have an immense amount of patience, Nick. If it is to serve the Princesses, I'm sure he can stay here for hours and not make a single noise." "Dude..." It's been a day since the unusual event inside New Leaf. Almost everypony in the town saw it, or rather, saw him. The human. A living human. Healthy, happy, and for some reason speaking a weird language. However, the icing on the cake was that he is capable of using magic. Equestria's magic. The very same magic that killed so many humans, and forced the rest of the world to transform into ponykind. Diego was a miracle in every sense of the word, but soon, some ponies had a question on their minds... How? How is he alive? How can he use Equestria's magic? And why he didn't need to convert? How he managed to remain human? "And are you sure we are in the right place?" asked Nick. "Yeah. I saw them from afar, but it was here. I'm sure of it." was Bright's answer. "Man, if they really don't come back then this whole thing will feel like a dream." said Mike. "I mean he was here yesterday, and the whole town saw him." "He was very friendly, too." added Nick. "I wish I could speak to him again. I want to know about his magic." Bright Lapis was about to say something, but a brief flash of light stopped her. Obviously, it managed to get everypony's attention. "What the-'" "What was that?" "Look! It's them!" Nick's voice made the other three ponies focus once again on where they were previously looking. His words were true. There were three figures now, and they recognized two of them. "Diego! Crimson! Over here!" Nick was the first one to react and wave with one of his front hooves. "It's good to see you two again!" "Well now, it seems that you three were very eager to see us again." was Crimson's reply as he, along with Diego and the newcomer walked towards Nick and his two friends. "¡Hola!" said Diego with a smile. "Que bueno verlos otra vez." "And now we have a new guest." said Bright, looking at the new companion. "Are you a deer? That would be a first here." "Indeed I am." was Fauna's answer. "Fauna Flora. It is a pleasure to meet you three. Dear Diego told me that you were very kind and respectful to him." "He helped us capture a bugbear!" said Nick. "And he also helped us carry it to a safe location." "I told you." said Crimson while looking at Fauna. "He keeps improving." "Honestly, Crimson and Diego did us a huge favor defeating it." said Mike. "So you guys will stay here today? Or..." "Well, about that, we do have an idea of what to do for now." said Crimson. At the same time, Diego noticed the other pony that was still looking at them. It seems like he was not yesterday because that stallion was very surprised. "Así es. Ya tenemos algo en mente." said Diego, and it was true. This was discussed during yesterday's meeting. "A promise?" all of Diego's friends reacted at the same time. "Si. Una promesa." said Diego, while looking at his friends. "Supongo que recuerdan mi respuesta de cómo llegué a Equestria." "Yes we do, dear." said Fauna. "And it's always the same answer: It was a wish." "Así es... pero nunca les dije quién cumplió mi deseo." "Narsken!" Beannacht's eyes were almost glittering. "He is finally going to say it!" "Ah, his biggest secret. Yes..." added Vendaval. "I must admit that I always wanted to know. Bringing someone from one world to ours? It should be impossible, and yet... All of Equestria was brought to this new world." "So? What mysterious force brought you to Equestria, pal?" asked Crimson. "If it's possible, I'd like to say thanks to whoever did it." Diego started to chuckle, once again picking up everyone's curiosity. "Tal vez tengas la oportunidad de hacerlo. Debo confesar que ustedes no fueron los primeros seres de Equestria que conocí. Conocí a cierta poni, desde mucho antes de que fuera enviado a Equestria." "Oh? A pony?" asked Crimson. "She?" added Fauna. "Así es, y esa poni... es la Princesa Luna." "What?" "¿Quién es él?" asked Diego, still looking at the stallion. "Is he a guard?" asked Fauna. This took Bright's attention. Nick and Mike were also a bit surprised. "Why do you say that?" asked Bright. "His posture." the answer came from Crimson Starlit. "That's the posture of a royal guard. He doesn't have any openings. If that stallion was attacked right now, he would certainly be able to strike back." "Indeed." added Fauna. "The way he is looking at us shows that he has patience. Since he didn't avoid our gaze, he is not easily afraid. He must possess a fair share of combat experience." Bright noticed that Crimson and Fauna were serious, and even a bit wary of Wind Chaser. Before any of the three ponies of New Leaf were able to say anything to Diego and his friends, Wind Chaser began to walk, getting closer to the group. "Even when I already knew about him... it doesn't lessen the shock." said the pegasus. "A human in the flesh." "Bueno, al menos eres el primero que me ve solo con sorpresa y no como si fuera un bicho raro." said Diego, clearly in a good mood. "Is that... spanish?" asked the stallion. "No wonder the entire town was so confused. I'm glad that I was able to be within your expectations." "Oh?" Crimson looked at the stallion with a bit of curiosity. "You can understand him?" "Yes, I can. Since Equestria's arrival, we had to learn a few of the human languages, and fortunately, I learned spanish. At least most of it." said the pegasus, who then did a quick bow. "Pardon my late introduction. My name is Wind Chaser. A former leader of the Gem Squad. It is a pleasure to meet you." He then focused on Diego. "Especially you, human Diego." "Bueno, ya conoce mi nombre. Un gusto." said Diego. "Crimson Starlit. A pleasure." "Fauna Flora. Nice to meet you, Wind Chaser." "I am terribly sorry for saying this when you just teleported here, but there is something I would like to discuss with you." said Wind Chaser. "Would you three give me a few minutes of your time?" "Sir Chaser wanted to meet you yesterday, but he was out of town." said Bright, noticing that Crimson and Fauna are still looking at the pegasus with caution. After a few seconds, Crimson and Fauna looked at the human. "What do you say, pal?" asked Crimson. "Do you wish to hear what Wind Chaser has to say?" added Fauna. This particular way of speaking to the human didn't go unnoticed by Bright, her friends, and Wind Chaser. The former leader of the Gem Squad had a theory: Those two are protecting the human. He is a miracle among miracles in this world. "Seguro. Escuchemos que tiene que decirnos." was his answer. "Alright then." said Crimson, activating his magic, and a red aura enveloped his horn. After a few seconds, a red barrier expanded around the entire group. "A soundproof spell." said Wind Chaser, observing the barrier. "You are an experienced magician, Crimson." "It is good to see that you are not rusted, Crimson." said Fauna in a teasing tone. "In your dreams." said Crimson, looking at her friend with a cocky smile. "¿Entonces? ¿Que es lo que necesitas de nosotros?" asked Diego, a bit more curious now. "I will not beat around the bush." said Wind Chaser, looking more serious than before. "Would you be willing to go to Canterlot with me?" "Why do you need him?" The one who asked that question was Crimson. "I cannot tell you all the details about it, as I lack the authority to know." was Wind Chaser's answer. "However, I can tell you that every member of the Gem Squad, be it active or retired, received the same order as me: If by any chance we find a human that is still alive, and is somehow able to withstand the magic of Equestria, then we must try to arrange a meeting between them and the Princesses." "A meeting?" asked Mike and Nick at the same time. "Why?" added Bright Lapis. "They knew that no human was able to survive the magical barrier." "We don't know either, but it is what it is." said Wind Chaser. "They must have a reason." Then he focused again on Diego, Crimson, and Fauna. "Of course, there is no problem if you two, or anypony else comes too. As long as Diego comes to Canterlot, the Princesses will also welcome his family, friends, and acquaintances." "Why should we trust you?" Now it was Fauna's turn to ask a question. This caught the other ponies off guard. "You are right. The Princesses must have a reason to issue such a specific order." continued the deer. "But considering the current situation of this world, and the previous humans that were transformed into ponies in order to survive..." There was something about her gaze that made Bright and her two friends feel a bit uneasy. "How do we know that the Princesses have good intentions?" "What?" the response from Wind Chaser was almost immediate. "Are you suggesting that the Princesses want to harm Diego? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have done everything in their power to work alongside humanity! To help them since the arrival!" "And yet humanity is no more." said Crimson, taking everypony's attention. "Now there is only ponykind. Well..." the unicorn looked at Diego. "Almost." "Still, they would never-" "My goodness... your blind loyalty is disconcerting." said Fauna, focusing on the pegasus. "Why, you-" But before Wind Chaser was able to say anything else, he was interrupted by Diego, who extended his left hand as a sign to make him stop. He then looked at his two friends. "Ustedes dos se pasaron de la raya. Entiendo su preocupación, pero no sean duros con Wind Chaser." "My... apologies." said Fauna. "Dear Diego is right. I could have expressed my thoughts in a better way." "I guess what she meant to say is that just because they are the rulers of Equestria doesn't mean that everything they say is the absolute truth." added Crimson. "But still, my pal is right. We are worried about him, but we said some unnecessary stuff." "Yo no puedo decir nada de la Princesa Celestia hasta que la conozca." said Diego. "Hasta entonces, prefiero permanecer neutral, aunque espero que al final sea una buena poni." "I... kinda get their point." said Nick. "Nick?" asked Bright, a little annoyed, and Wind Chaser got surprised too. "Don't get me wrong." said the former human. "I think Princess Celestia is a good Princess and we've seen her good deeds over the years on TV. I'm just saying that Crimson and Fauna have good reasons to be overprotective of Diego, especially if he is the freaking last human on the planet." "That we know of." added Mike. "It's been months since it was announced that there were no humans left on the planet." continued Nick. "And suddenly a human appears just like that? The world will want answers, and maybe they will try to contact Diego." "And that means attention." said Mike. "Both the good and the bad kind." "Ok, ok. Antes de que se vuelvan locos con las teorías y posibilidades..." Diego took everyone's attention again. "Enfoquémonos en lo que preguntó Wind Chaser." The human waited a few seconds before continuing. "Acepto, pero tengo condiciones." "Name them." said the pegasus. "Primero: Como dijiste hace poco, mis amigos son bienvenidos. No quiero que ningun guardia se atreva a siquiera amenazarlos con sus armas, sin importar de que especie sean." "You have my word." said Wind Chaser. "I may be a former leader, but I still have enough influence in the royal guard to assure your security, as well as the security of your friends." Diego did a nod in approval. "Segundo: Nos defenderemos de ser necesario, sin excepciones. Incluso si se trata de un poni o incluso de alguien de la guardia real." "That is a fair condition." said the pegasus. "Anything else?" Diego then looked at Bright Lapis and her two friends. "Me gustaría que ellos vinieran con nosotros." "He's looking at us." said Mike. "What did he say?" "He is asking for you three to come with us." "What?" the three friends managed to speak at the same time. "Why do you want them to accompany us, my dear?" asked Fauna. "Creo que disfrutarían del viaje." was Diego's answer. "Además nos ayudaron cuando no sabíamos absolutamente nada sobre la llegada de Equestria al planeta tierra. Les daría la oportunidad a Nick y Mike de conocer Equestria, y a Bright Lapis de visitar algún lugar en específico si así lo quiere." "We can't force them to go, you know?" said Crimson. "I'll go!" The answer came from Nick, not a single trace of doubt in his voice. "I'm willing to go." "Really?" Mike was a bit surprised. The same with Bright Lapis. "Why dude?" "Why not? Aren't you curious about what Equestria looks like?" said Nick. "And now Diego is giving us a chance to go! Besides, I think Equestria is the perfect place to improve my magic." Mike pondered for a moment, then looked at Bright Lapis. "Are there special areas in Equestria where I can train these?" asked Mike, using one of his front hooves to point at his wings. "Well, Equestria doesn't have planes like you guys, so pegasi can fly almost anywhere." was Bright's answer. "There are flying schools and all sorts of training courses for it, too." "Oh man, that's kinda the thing I need right now. To learn and master the basics." said Mike, starting to like the idea. "And Nick is right. It would be nice to see Equestria. See how different it is compared to Earth, I mean Gaia." "Well, that's two down." said Crimson, now focusing on the mare. "What about you, Bright Lapis? Maybe you can be their guide." "Ahora que lo pienso, en Canterlot podrían recibir ayuda de la guardia real para sus entrenamientos de magia y vuelo." added Diego. "No pierden nada al preguntarle a la Princesa si puede ayudarlos." "Well..." the mare looked at Wind Chaser. "But we don't want to be a bother..." "As long as you don't mind coming with us, then everything is okay." said the pegasus. "These conditions are fair, and I'm sure Princess Celestia will accept any kind of condition, as long as it's within her power." "I'd like to add one more condition." said Crimson. "Our pal here will not be treated as a test subject, nor some kind of lab rat. I don't care if it's Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, they will not try to do some weird experiment on him." The unicorn was smiling as always, but something about the way he said that made Wind Chaser feel like it was a threat. "As I said before, Princess Celestia would never harm a human. I can promise that she will not harm Diego in any way." said Wind Chaser. "Is that all?" "You don't want free snacks or something, pal?" asked Crimson, looking at Diego with a smirk. "Creo que eso sería todo. No quiero que piense que nos estamos aprovechando de la situación." was Diego's answer. "Well then..." Crimson focused on Wind Chaser, while deactivating the barrier. "Looks like we have a deal!" "I thank you for your cooperation." said Wind Chaser with a smile. "Perhaps you can come to my house and wait while we prepare for our journey." "Sure thing." said Crimson. "I do not see why not." added Fauna. "Oh man, I have to tell my family about this!" said Mike. "Same here." added Nick. "They can't say no if Princess Celestia is involved." "And I'll have to tell my aunt and little sister." said Bright Lapis. "Hopefully they will understand." "Tal vez puedo acompañarlos para que expliquen que necesitan ir conmigo." suggested Diego. "That is a good idea." said Wind Chaser. "If you explain to your families that you are helping the nation of Equestria, I'm sure they will understand." "Crimson, Fauna. Voy a acompañar a Bright y los chicos." said Diego. "Do you guys know where Wind Chaser lives?" asked Crimson Starlit. "I do. Well, we all saw his house yesterday." answered Bright. "Don't worry. We will not let other ponies pester Diego." "Yeah. Even I know it must be annoying." said Nick, and Mike nodded in agreement. And with that, the three friends and the human were the first to move, approaching one of the entrances of New Leaf. Wind Chaser was about to move too, but... "Sir Wind Chaser. Please wait a moment." Fauna's soothing voice got his attention, and when he turned to see her, something caught him off guard. Her eyes. They had a faint orange glow. Her smile was natural, and yet... something was off. He knew it. Crimson Starlit was smiling like usual, but that didn't reassure him. Somehow the pegasus began to feel a certain pressure. "What is it?" "As a retired soldier, I believe you are a stallion of your word. It is obvious that you have a sense of justice, and we are inclined to believe you this time." there was no change in her voice, and her smile never disappeared. ! ! ! Wind Chaser felt something on one of his front hooves. As if something got stuck there. When he looked down at his hooves, he saw something unusual. Vines. Somehow, a good number of vines emerged from the ground, trapping not only his hoof but also up to his knee. These vines also had the same faint glow Fauna had in her eyes. The most frightening detail about this was that they didn't make any sound at all. "But let me be clear about one thing: If you fail to keep your promise. If you, the royal guards, or anyone harms my dear Diego..." The vines began to squeeze harder, to the point that Wind Chaser felt some pain. "I will not hesitate to tear you apart." The vines returned to the ground, and Fauna began to walk in the same direction as if nothing happened. "I wouldn't like to be on her bad side." said Crimson, who also started to walk, but just when he was passing right next to Wind Chaser, he stopped. "I also like to be direct like Fauna. I don't care if you work for the Princesses. Hurt him and you're dead." And just like that, he resumed his walk, following Fauna. Wind Chaser stood there for a few seconds while looking at the unicorn and the deer. His mind was carefully reviewing everything that just happened. "(I've heard stories of deers when Equestria was still on our planet, but... Is she able to control plants? What kind of magic was that? And that Crimson guy... his magic cannot be underestimated either. It seems that those two have combat experience as well. To think they care so much about Diego... I'll need to be careful. Those two are not to be messed with.)" "No matter how many times I look at it, it's the same as the one in Equestria. And yet..." Princess Celestia was on the balcony of her royal bedroom, looking at the sun. The sun of planet Gaia. A sun she felt no connection with whatsoever. Since the arrival of Equestria to this planet, she had to put most of her time and effort into trying to understand this new world and the beings that were inhabiting it: Humanity. It was certainly a surprise when they found out that the whole planet, the sun, and the moon act like the Everfree Forest, with its own weather and ecosystem. And that was just the beginning. There was so much to learn: The advanced technology, the mysteries of this universe beyond this planet, and both the wonders and dangers of most human creations... All the effort paid off. So many things happened, and Gaia is slowly recovering. It changed a lot in the process, but in the end, it was worth it. But Celestia is not happy. "Why?" mussed the Princess. "Why was our magic so harmful to humanity? Why it had to be like this? And..." Celestia now focused on the streets of Canterlot, ponies walking and talking to one another, happy and content. There is a high chance that many ponies down there are former humans. The first humans that volunteered for the Conversion Bureau initiative, and have been living in Equestria for some years now. Of course, there are way more in the other cities and towns. "Why us? Why here? Was there a purpose to our arrival? Is there anything powerful enough to send us here? Even now, we still don't know the cause..." She pondered these questions for several seconds while still looking at the ponies below, that is until she heard a few knocks on her bedroom door. "Princess? This is Marcus. I have an important message that you need to hear." "Come in." The door opened, revealing a royal guard that instead of the standard golden armor, was using a silver one with a few differences in design. He began to move to the balcony, and once there, he did a respectful bow and focused on the Princess. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Princess." "Worry not, Marcus. I was just relaxing." said Celestia. "I hope your day has been peaceful so far, my little pony." Celestia knows him: Marcus Hunter. A former human who joined the Canterlot royal guard a few years ago. Started as a simple recruit, but his hard work and exemplary behavior earned him a few promotions. Enough to earn Princess Celestia's trust to the point of calling him a friend. "Seriously Princess, I'll never get used to that." said the former human. "And so far it has been peaceful, thank you very much. However, as I said before, a message arrived from Gaia's territory. Priority 'Harmony'." "I see..." priority 'Harmony' is only used on very, very important messages, and the only ones who are allowed to use this level on Gaia's territory are... "A former captain of the Gem Squad wants to contact me." said the Princess. "Who, may I ask?" "Former captain Wind Chaser. Code 'Ruby-seven'. Currently living in the country known as 'Australia' in Gaia's territory." Celestia's smile brightened. "So it's him. One of the best. An indomitable spirit that helped us a lot during the first years of the arrival, and a good friend." said the Princess. "I've heard stories of him." said Marcus, showing interest. "Tales of how he was in many battlefields when we... humanity reacted poorly to you. Tales of bravery and unity." "And all of them are true." said Celestia. "The Ruby division was the best among the Gem Squad. Now... What did he say?" "He requested a formal meeting using the communication mirrors." said Marcus. "He said that he will wait the entire day if necessary." "Then I guess we should not make him wait any longer." And with that, both Princess Celestia, and her personal bodyguard Marcus left the royal bedroom, and moved to a different room on the same floor. A room with very restricted access, for only the Princesses and those they deem trusty enough, can enter. Marcus watched as Princess Celestia unlocked the three magical locks on the door. After several seconds, the locks disappeared, and the two ponies went in. As soon as they were inside, the door closed, and the locks appeared once again on it. The room was very simple. There were no decorations at all. Only sturdy walls enchanted with several advanced protection spells both for privacy and safety... And a mirror that has two orbs attached to the upper border. "It's been a while since the last time I used the Portrait Mirror." said Celestia. "And somehow it still manages to put me in a good mood." "(Well, it does look like a portrait, except it's a mirror.)" thought Marcus. Celestia noticed that one of the two orbs was shining with magical energy. It means that the second mirror at the other end is ready to communicate. Seeing no reason to keep Wind Chaser waiting, the Princess activated her magic, and the golden aura around her horn also enveloped the mirror. Slowly but steadily, the reflection of the Princess and Marcus began to change and distort. After a few seconds, instead of showing their reflection, the mirror was showing an entirely different view, and there was a pegasus looking at them. "Ah! The signal seems to be stable." said Wind Chaser from the other side. "Or at least I think it is. Can you hear me, Princess Celestia?" "Loud and clear." said the Princess with an honest smile. "It has been a few years, Wind Chaser. It's good to see you again. How is life in Australia?" "Very peaceful, Princess." said the pegasus. "And I have to admit that it was for the best. In a way, I would compare New Leaf with Ponyville, but without the occasional magical beast attacks." "I'm glad to hear that. Now, is it correct to believe that your call has something to do with your previous information? You recently contacted a member of the Opal division." "Indeed, Princess. I believed it was worth investigating, even if it was just a rumor. As you know, ponies around New Leaf were claiming that a human was visiting the town." "A human..." Celestia's face changed, unable to hide a portion of her sadness. "Forgive me Wind Chaser if I say that I do not believe their words. These recent months have proven a sad truth: There are no humans left on the planet. We've been searching around this planet in hopes that maybe, just maybe..." "I understand Princess. No one would have predicted that our magic is harmful to humans." said Wind Chaser, knowing her Princess is hurt by this. "Had I known about it, we would have done our best to Isolate Equestria until a solution was found..." now Celestia didn't bother to hide her sadness. "No one saw it coming, Princess." said Marcus, concern on his face. "Besides, both humanity and Equestria were worried about... other things at the time." "I know, but as a Princess of Equestria, I should have done more..." Celestia hung her head. "And because of that, humanity was forced to make a choice: To change bodies and live, or stay human and die. The Conversion Bureau initiative was a desperate solution. The last resort. Lives were saved... at a cost. A huge one." There was a moment of silence. No one dared to speak, and patiently waited for the Princess to continue. "I'm sorry for that. Even after all these years, it doesn't make it easier to manage." "That's the power and curse of emotions, Princess." said Wind Chaser with respect. "Now, with everything we said until now, I think you might like what I have to report." Celestia and Marcus saw the smile of the pegasus. A smile that sparks confidence. The Princess was going to ask about it, but Wind Chaser looked to his left and made a gesture with one of his front hooves as if he was indicating somepony near him to get closer. But who... ... ... ... Is... Is that- "Impossible..." the first one to react was Marcus. "There's no way..." But he stopped talking, still trying to understand what is happening. Princess Celestia couldn't even say a word. Just like his personal guard, she is still trying to process what she is seeing. A bunch of possibilities ran through her head to try to explain this, but none of them did. They were just talking about this. It was a fact. And yet there he is... A human. Waving with his right hand and with a smile so full of positive energy, ready to infect you with happiness. And happiness is what Princess Celestia began to feel in her heart and soul. There is one! There really is one! They would not dare to joke with her about such an important topic as the survival of a human! "Make no mistake, Princess. He is real." said Wind Chaser. "It's not an illusion or a trick. He is breathing, he is healthy, and he is alive." "I... I..." Princess Celestia was so shocked that she was having trouble speaking. "How is it possible?" "To be honest, I don't know either." said the pegasus, who then looked at the human. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the Princess?" The human did a quick nod, then focused again on Celestia. "Es un gusto conocerla al fin, Princesa Celestia. Mi nombre es Diego Fernández." "Huh?" the face of Marcus changed from surprise to confusion. "What did he say?" "My apologies. I forgot to mention that Diego speaks Spanish." said Wind Chaser. "..." "Princess?" Wind Chaser noticed that Princess Celestia was even more surprised than before. "Princess? Is something wrong?" added Marcus, looking at the alicorn. "(That name...)" when Princess Celestia heard his name... "(There is no way I could forget it.)" "A human?" "Yes, sister. He is a being we have never encountered before, and he is still a child." "And you see him in the Dream Realm?" "Yes, but it is odd, sister. Unlike our little ponies, his dream is... far away, almost Isolated. But his stories are fascinating! He describes a whole different world. They cannot use magic, but they make up for it using technology far superior to ours." "Looks like you've grown fond of him, Luna." "Indeed, sister. He is a brave child. He told me that he is in constant pain due to a disease, but he refuses to be defeated by it. He has a strong will." "I would like to meet him someday. What is his name?" "Diego Fernández. It certainly is a foreign name. It seems that he does not speak Equish, but in the Dream Realm, language barriers do not exist." "(We meet at last, brave child.)" Celestia did a slow but graceful bow, surprising the other two ponies and the human. "Princess! What are you doing?" asked Marcus. Wind Chaser and Diego were confused by this, too. "Diego Fernández... el placer es todo mio." Princess Celestia spoke in Spanish, and she spoke so fluently that anyone would think it was her native language. Now this caught Diego off guard. "Wow. No esperaba que supiera hablar español, Princesa." said Diego. "Existen tantos idiomas en este planeta, y he dedicado una parte de mi tiempo libre en aprenderlos. Aún no puedo hablarlos todos, pero al menos ya tengo un dominio de los más utilizados." said the alicorn. "Eso es increíble." said Diego, with a mix of surprise and happiness. "Yo estaría contento si puediera hablar dos idiomas, mientras que usted ya conoce varios." "En parte los aprendí por la necesidad de comunicarme con las principales autoridades de distintos países, pero también sentí curiosidad por la cultura humana, y para un alicornio como yo, el aprender algo nuevo siempre es motivante." Celestia said every word as if she was born on this planet. "I feel like we are being excluded..." said Marcus, who couldn't follow the conversation. "You will have to learn Spanish, then." said Wind Chaser with a smile. "Diego understands Equish, or 'English' as the humans call it, and while he can speak it too, he can only have basic conversations." "But... How is he alive?" asked Marcus. "I've seen what happens to humans who refused to change. It's straight out of a horror movie. It was a blessing if it was only poisoning. Some people had a much worse fate." and it was true. He still remembers that one time a group of humans who refused to change got in contact with the magic, and they started to melt. Nopony will forget the screams of agony of those who died. "I'm sorry, but your questions will have to wait." said Wind Chaser, getting serious again. "Princess. Diego has accepted to travel to Canterlot, as long as certain conditions are met." "And what conditions are those?" asked the Princess, curious about this. "Diego is not alone. He has friends that are traveling with him. I assured him that all of his friends are welcome to Canterlot. Plus, if they somehow feel threatened, they will defend themselves." "I do not see any issue with that." said the Princess. "Furthermore, three ponies from New Leaf are coming as well. They are the first ponies that found Diego and his friends. Two of them are former humans, and one is an equestrian pony." The Princess nodded in agreement. "And the last condition... is that Diego will not be harmed or treated as a test subject for any kind of experiment." This last condition took the attention of the Princess and the royal guard next to her. "The Princess would never hurt him. He can be at ease." said Marcus. "Marcus. You are witness to a miracle." said Celestia. "As far as we know, he is the only human on the planet. It's only natural for him and his friends to be wary." she then focused again on Diego. "And I agree with all the conditions you have requested, Diego." "Muchas gracias Princesa Celestia." said Diego respectfully. Then, Princess Celestia added an extra bit. "A Luna le encantaría verte. No te ha olvidado." Marcus didn't understand since he doesn't know Spanish, but Wind Chaser do, so he got a little confused by the words of the alicorn. Diego, however... "Y yo tampoco me he olvidado de ella." said Diego with a bright smile. "¡Dígale que pronto nos veremos!" "Princess... there is something else." said Wind Chaser. "And this is just as important as Diego's existence." The Princess knows Wind Chaser, and he is not one to say lies. He would not say that without evidence. "What is it, Wind Chaser?" The pegasus simply smiled, then looked at the human. "The stage is yours, Diego." Celestia knew that something else would happen. She was trying to guess what, but when she saw Diego's left hand, she had to use a lot of her willpower to not gasp. Marcus was at a loss for words. He couldn't say anything. He actually wanted to scream, but his voice just didn't work. Diego's hand had an orange aura around it. The aura of a unicorn's magic. Equestria's magic. "¡Será todo un placer!"