//------------------------------// // Chapter 28 - Keep Calm And Visit Your Neighbors, Part 3 // Story: Stranger in the Forest // by TrixterCat //------------------------------// “Your people really do this for fun?” Luna asked. The two sisters were aghast at what they were seeing, yet glued nose to nose to the screen of the small device held in Scruffy’s hand, the elder stallion having an amused grin plastered on his face while he sipped his tea. “Some, yes,” Scruffy replied. The little group of two ponies and one not pony had been enjoying their snack break in the gardens at a perfect spot under a tree. There hadn’t been many interruptions to the tranquil atmosphere; only one from the aids to inform that a dignitary had arrived early, and another was a progress report from Twilight. They had attempted their best to relax for their brunch, the princesses opting for smalltalk with Scruffy instead of discussing their upcoming responsibilities. When Celestia had recounted their flight to Canterlot in a dramatic fashion, with the image of Scruffy being buried in Celestia’s feathers making Luna giggle, it suddenly reminded the mysterious being that he had something that he had planned to show to Rainbow. He retrieved a thin, metallic device from his pocket, and after a moment of fiddling with it with his fingers, presented it to the princesses. What followed was an incredible show of moving pictures and music, where beings like Scruffy flew machines in the sky while doing rather precarious-looking stunts outside on its wings. “I’m not entirely sure if I would call that display brave or foolish,” Celestia muttered, one eyebrow raised. While she did not doubt the expertise of whoever had crafted the machine or the nerves of the performers, putting one’s life in the care of a parachute with no apparent way of anypony else helping should that fail… Naturally, Celestia had been far less interested in the actual show, although that did not stop her being nose glued to the device like her sister, than what was going on in the background. Cities, vast farmlands, long paved roads, glimpses of the unknown. It was intriguing to look at. “Tis clearly bravery. They have the same spirit as our own Wonderbolts, and to dare to brave the skies when none of them can fly on their own… It is most certainly commendable.” “Scruffy, you said that you had been on one of these flying machines before. Was it like this?” Celestia asked, motioning towards the display with her muzzle. “No. Matsine, it old, old style. Have new kind, bigger, fly fast, carry many together. Hyndred.” “So it’s perhaps something like a flying train?” Luna mused. “Hmm, think yes.” “Fascinating…” Celestia quietly said, staring at the small device even after the pictures had stopped moving. So many questions were racing through her mind. Some good, some dangerous, but amidst all of them, one thought crept to the surface. The priority to investigate the portal had suddenly grown tenfold. “Thank you very much for showing this to us,” Celestia said, adorning her usual smile once more. “It is always a great pleasure to see and learn something new.” “Indeed,” Luna added. “Yet, duty calls to us once again,” Celestia said, straightening her back and flexing her wings, working to get rid of any stiffness in her joints. She slipped back on her regalia with a sparkle of magic, and rose to her hooves. “I…suppose we must,” Luna grumpily admitted, laying her head on the table with ears folded. She was only mildly invigorated when Scruffy gave her a conciliatory head pat. “There will be a chance to show him around on some other day,” Celestia offered as well. “Yes, will come see here again.” Luna’s eyes moved between the two, before she too let out a small smile and prepared herself for the long meetings and anxiety-inducing swarms of ponies ahead. Once the two princesses appeared to have regained their regal composure, Scruffy got up as well. “Um, how I…go back Poniville?” he asked. “The crown will provide thee with transportation back to Ponyville,” Luna replied. “And from what I learned of our pegasus ride, I think you would prefer a more grounded option,” Celestia added. “Yes please.” “Very well then. If I’m not mistaken, there should be a train leaving in little less than an hour,” Celestia continued, her head bobbing slightly as she attempted to recall the schedules. With a flare of magic, she summoned a scroll and a quill. “I shall write you a writ of passage to board the train, and the railway will invoice the castle for your fare.” When Scruffy seemed to have trouble parsing the meaning behind the piece of parchment, Celestia doodled a picture of a train on the other side. Scruffy then accepted it with a nod. “Thank you.” “The train station is some ways away from the castle, so I’ll ask some of the guards to-” “No need, we shall escort him,” Luna interjected, taking up position next to Scruffy. “Luna-” “We’ll. Escort him,” she repeated, punctuating her statement with a pouty face.  “Luuna, not have to, I can-” Scruffy started, but was silenced by a large blue primary feather pressed against his lips, Luna keeping her eyes locked with her sister. The staring contest lasted a good ten seconds between the sisters, but eventually Celestia caved in with a short giggle. “Fine. I’ll make sure to hold off the dignitaries for 30 more minutes,” she said. “But if you are late even by a second, I’m sleeping in tomorrow.” “Wha- Sister!” The complaint fell on deaf ears, as Celestia had already turned around and began to trot away, a number of aides having seemingly materialized from nowhere and flanking her. Scruffy tried his best to cover his smile with a hand, but Luna frowned after her sister regardless. “Hmph, she always does things like this,” Luna harrumphed. “And thine smile is insufferable.” “Better go, not be late,” Scruffy simply said, holding his smile, and motioning with his hand for Luna to take the lead. “Yes, let us head off. But first, a bit of spellwork.” Luna’s horn flared with cyan magic, her eyes closed as she concentrated on the spell. Scruffy’s heart skipped a beat when the magic encompassed him, a tingling sensation slowly going through him from head to toes. Once the spell was over, he couldn’t stop a full-body shiver. “What, uh…” “Tis a simple spell to dissuade ponies from getting flummoxed by your appearance… We won’t be obstructed by curious ponies, is what I meant. We have no time to tarry.” With another burst of magic, Luna wreathed herself with the spell as well. Wasting no time, the pair headed off from the castle towards Canterlot Central Station. To further avoid any chances of being spotted and to save time, Luna made sure to take them through side paths whenever she could. However, even the dingy sidepaths seemed to hold endless curiosity for Scruffy, for it seemed that had they not been in a hurry, he would have wandered off to examine every little nook and cranny they passed. Luna made sure to keep him going with a constant light magical tug of his shirt. With the help of the spell from the princess, the two of them went mostly unnoticed by the people of Canterlot. Anypony who happened to look their way simply gave them a singular glance before allowing their gaze to drift off to something else, just as the spell was intended. There were several creatures who seemingly managed to pierce the veil Luna had cloaked them in, mostly the royal guards giving them raised eyebrows. A single unicorn mare in strikingly fancy robes stopped and stared at them for a moment before continuing her way, as well as one griffon who gave them the most profoundly suspicious glare as they passed by him. “Scruffy?” Luna tentatively began after they were most of the way to the station. “Hm, jes?” “We, um, th-that is I, uhh… I was wondering if perchance...you would...have some f-free time…?” Luna asked with an awkward smile on her face. “Uummm…” he waffled in response, looking upward. “I-in a few days, I mean! Uh… In three days, once the summit is over.” Scruffy scratched his beard and gave a neutral stare at the stiffly grinning princess. “Hmmm… I vill see,” he said after a moment of thought. He took out his device again and ran his fingers across its surface. “Think have no time, all time taken,” Scruffy continued after a while, now tapping his fingers against the device. “R-really…?” “Yup. See, it say ‘notting’ in all part.” Scruffy shrugged in disappointment and showed the machine to Luna, not that she understood any of the symbols showing. To her credit, Luna managed to hold off bursting into tears for the few seconds it took her to figure out what Scruffy was doing. Once she was onto him, she gave him a most unhappy deadpan stare, followed by a shove with one hoof, causing Scruffy to burst into laughter. “I do not appreciate thine teasing,” Luna complained with a pout. “Sorry.” Scruffy gave her a pat on the head as a way of apology. “Why ask?” Luna tapped the ground with the tip of one of her hooves in an effort to calm down. “Umm...we were just wondering, if thouest...would liketh to spend a days noon with me?” Luna’s attempt at a casual smile came off more as if she was bracing to get punted in the face. “Jes, wha-” “REALLY?! Oh most joyous of days!” Luna exclaimed and happily clopped her hooves together. “Your acceptance has pleased me most greatly! I had wished to ask thee for a fortnight already but had not come up with a way to do so a-a-and we had many ideas how we could use this time if you sayeth yes and uh...I, aheh...krhm…” Luna coughed awkwardly and composed herself. “I think iddea fun, uh, ve do thing. What you think do, or whiere? “Well…we- I uhm…mayhaps…the fishing trip we conversed about? Tis something simple and what thouest would enjoy, and, ah, I would certainly relish the opportunity to take a flight from the castle and have serenity if but a spell…” “Will happy take princess to fishing,” Scruffy said with a silly grin and a nod. “Have all we need, kan brink with when go.” Luna let out a small squee of joy, her tail swishing from side to side. It wasn’t long after that they arrived at the station. It had three tracks in total with walkways going over the tracks so that the ponies could reach all of them. There was a ticket master’s office at the edge of the concourse, away from dozens of ponies that were dotted around the place, waiting for their trains to come. Surrounding the concourse were also small gift shops for tourists to get something to remember their visit to Canterlot by, as well as food stands and even a newspaper stand. “This is as far as I can go my friend. I must return to my duties,” Luna informed, before allowing the spell she had cast to dissipate. They were in a side alley with no other ponies, and the only one who was currently observing them was a single Royal Guard. Seeing the princess, however, they turned their focus back on the crowd. “We do not think there will be any trouble, as many a creature of different origin commune in Canterlot, but should something happen, there are members of our Royal Guard present.” “I think it fine, Lluna. Thank you. Hope all go good with you and Shelestia and…thing you doing in kastle.” “We sure hope as well. We- I shall send a message to be passed on to thee of mine plans when I can. Safe travels, my friend.” Luna gave a small bow of her head and waved goodbye. With a quick charge of her horn, she disappeared in a wispy flash of cyan light back to the castle.