Filling in the Blanks and a Place to Stay
Their conversation continued……
“Soooooooo you aren’t going to put me in a cage? Locked away somewhere? Experiment on me?” he asked with trepidation.
Both princesses’ heads rose quickly. “No!” Celestia said.
“And that purple menace won’t be trying to do any experiments on me either?”
This time Luna answered in the negative.
“What of the others?”
“None will harm you or try to take advantage of you in any way!” Luna said with conviction and honesty.
“What of your subjects. What kind of panic am I going to cause just by my very existence? There are bound to be ponies that will try to increase their social standing or see me as an offense or some kind of abomination to their beliefs and I must be done away with before I spread corruption and whatnot?”
Both Celestia and Luna marveled at his perception and insight. He had stated almost verbatim what Doctor Hoofson had stated in the hospital when Alex was recovering.
“Should any attempt be made on your life, they will pay with theirs!” Luna said in anger. “We almost lost you once to those mangy curs! I won’t let that happen again…Ever!
“What? Wait a minute.” Alex interjected. What do you mean ‘again’?
“Alex? What do you remember after the battle at our old castle?” Celestia asked.
“Very little really. I remember the black pony creature showing up which turned out to be Princess Luna and her easily kicking those dogs butts and then waking up in a hospital. Why?”
“Sister, I think we should tell him the rest of the story. Don’t you?” Luna asked.
“Yes. Alex, after you fainted from loss of blood…” Luna began, “I summoned two of my Night Guardians to get help. I stayed by your side until an emergency medical carriage arrived soon after. From the castle you were flown to Canterlot Hospital and straight into the emergency room. Since you were a creature not native to this world, there was some concern by the medical staff how best to treat your wounds you received. You had lost a lot of blood in the aftermath of your battle with the Diamond Dog pack. It was decided that you would need a blood transfusion or risk having you ….Well… You get the idea. The next problem that had to be addressed was whether your blood would be compatible with someponys here. Since you are the only one of your kind in our world, the doctors were very afraid that it might possibly kill you but it was for sure that you would have surely died if a donor wasn’t found and soon.” Luna paused a moment to think of how to tell him the next part… “A possible donor was found.”
“Really?” Alex said in surprise. “That had to be a one in a billion chance that there would be someone compatible! Who was the lucky donor?”
“Me.” Luna said as meekly as if it were Fluttershy herself saying it herself and turning away from his gaze sheepishly.
“WHAT?!” He cried. Luna winced a little at his outburst of astonishment.
Celestia continued. “It is true Alex. It is as she said. Luna donated some of her blood to you. It was the only way we could save you from certain death. Her blood was the closest in compatibility we had available to your own. At first things seemed to go well during the transfusion procedure but then they took a turn for the worse.”
“They… did?” Alex said with fear.
Yes they did. Your heart stopped and we all thought we had lost you. The doctors tried everything they could but nothing worked. Everypony was saddened by your passing but were overjoyed when your heart started beating again and you came back to us.” Celestia said with a tearful smile as she continued to relate the tale.
“The good Nurse Redheart especially was happy you returned to us. You seem to have a very strong will to live.”
Alex looked at the floor before him and went silent as he placed his right hand on his chin as if thinking about a puzzling question.”
Alex looked at the two royal sisters in awe. “Since I have pony blood in my veins now, what does that exactly mean? Can I do magic tricks like you all do? Can I fly? What exactly?”
“Alex, we don’t exactly know how it will affect you. Just know that at this stage we are just glad that you are alive.” Celestia said. “Also there is one other thing you should know. Yes, you have royal alicorn blood flowing through your veins and by the laws of our world, you would be considered a royal.” Celestia said with a smile.
Alexs knees began to feel a little weak and he began to wobble a little.
“I gotta sit down.” He said as he fell backwards. Princess Lunas horn lit up and slid the chair, that they had summoned earlier, underneath him and saving him a potentially painful fall on the throne rooms marbled floor.
Both princesses quickly decended their thrones and swiftly came before him.
“Alex? Are you ok?” Celestia said with concern in her voice and a worried look on her face. Princess Lunas own expression mimicking her sisters.
Alex was silent for a few minutes. He seemed to be deep in thought but then his expression went neutral and he Rose from his chair.
“Princesses, I thank you for your time and for filling in the blanks as to what happened to me.“ He said with a bow. “May I be excused?” He said curtly.
Both Celestia and Luna were confused by his sudden change.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” He then did an abrupt about face and headed for the throne room door.
“Alex? Where are you going?” Celestia called after him.
“Back to my home in the forest.” He replied as he went out the throne room doors and closed them behind him.
With a single flap of their wings, both princesses were airborne and flying after him. They landed at the throne room doors and they were immediately opened by the guards stationed inside. Once out the double doors, Alex was nowhere to be seen.
“Guard, did you see which way he went?” Celestia asked. The guard pointed an armored hoof down the hallway but remained at attention.
“Thank you.” She said with a smile and off at a gallop the two sisters ran in the direction indicated.
“How can anything with only two legs move that fast.” Luna mused aloud while heading down the hall.
“Apparently the hunt is on again.” Celestia responded. “But not as it was before.”
Rounding another corner they found him. He was just standing there staring out an open window into the royal gardens below.
“Alex, why did you run off like that?” Celestia asked.
“I was going to go back to my home at that old castle but after some thought, I realized I didn’t know how to get out of this place. I don’t know my way around.” He scoffed at himself.
“Um… About that.” Celestia began. “We were thinking that if you would like, you could stay here in our home.”
Alex turned to look at the two sisters with a raised eyebrow. “Really? Are you serious? Stay here in your home?”
“Yes.” Luna answered. “We have more than enough rooms. “We have entertained many guests and dignitaries throughout the years we have lived here. You would be most welcome here.”
“Ok, what’s the catch?” He said bluntly and a look of suspicion.
“Catch? What do you mean?” Celestia asked.
“Catch. Y’know. Angle. Something you get from me in return. Tit for tat. What do you get out of it?”
“Honestly Alex, We want no tit. We want nothing from you.” Celestia responded.
Alex snorted with a smile on his face at Celestias response and the fact that he was able to put one over on her without her knowing. “Well, I guess I can cross Celestia saying “tit” off my bucket list while I’m here.” He thought to himself.
“Alex, please let us treat you as an honored guest in our house. It is what we should have done all along. Also instead of sleeping on a cold stone floor, you will have a warm bed to sleep in. How does that sound?”
“That doesn’t sound too bad in all honesty.” He said as he turned towards them. “It’s been such a long time since I slept in a real bed that I honestly can’t remember what it feels like.” He said while looking down in thought. “Ok. You sold me on the idea but I have one last question?”
“Yes?” Both sisters said at the same time.
“How the heck do I get around? This place is HUGE! I could starve to death if I got lost in here!”
Both princesses smiled at his assessment of their home.
“Alex, you need not worry. You will have an escort with you. They will make sure you are safe at all times. You will want for nothing. All your needs will be taken care of. You have but to ask.”
“WOW! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal! I’ve never been in a castle before much less lived in one! Very well, lead on.”
The princesses turned on their hooves and said, “Follow us.”
They led Alex through one hall after another all the while keeping an eye on his reactions. As Alex followed behind the princesses his eyes wide with amazement at his new surroundings.
As he walked down the hallways he noticed several guards at seemingly key positions. All of them stood at attention and were still as statues. Only their eyes gave away that they weren’t as their eyes followed Alexs every movement. Alex noticed this and surmised that their curiosity had been piqued seeing as they had probably never seen a tall lanky creature walking on two legs before.
Rounding a corner and down another hallway, they stopped in front of a rather ornate looking door. Celestias horn lit up with its trademark golden aura and the door opened revealing a room more beautiful than Alex had ever seen before. Here will be your room from now on Alex. I hope it is to your liking.” Luna said with a flourish of her front hoof. “If you need me for anything, my chambers are just down the hall. You shall have servants assigned to help take care of your needs as well.”
“I GET TO STAY HERE!” Alex exclaimed in disbelief. He then took a nervous step inside and walked up to the bed before him. He tested the springs and the softness of the bed. He then turned around and let himself fall backwards on its coverings. It was like he was laying on the softest cloud ever. “It’s been so long!” He said with a sigh. Both princesses snickered with a hoof over their mouths at Alexs antics.
“I am assuming that this room meets with your approval?” Celestia asked.
Alex looked up from his supine position to see the princesses still standing in the doorway threshold of his new rooms doorway with smiles on their muzzles.
He quickly stood and brushed the wrinkles from his clothes and then stiffly and formally bowed to them while saying. “Yes your highnesses. This will do nicely. I thank you for your hospitality.”
Their smiles dropped a little as his formal gratitude.
“Very well, we will let you get all settled in. If you need anything, you have but to ask.” Celestia said as both she and Luna bowed their heads and withdrew, the door closing behind them as they departed.
-*-
Both sisters walked down the hallway in silence, each lost in their own thoughts but undeniably both their thoughts were directed at their new human guest.
“He is afraid of us still, sister.” Luna said in a slightly sad voice.
“You noticed too?” Celestia responded.
“Yes indeed I did sister.”
“I also noticed that he doesn’t quite know how to act around us since we are royalty. That, I fear, is yet another reason he is afraid of us. He is afraid that he will do something that will insult or offend us and we would snuff out his life for his insolence or some minor infraction. What are we to do sister?”
Celestia was again silent for a moment. She let out a heavy sigh. “We did terrible things to him sister, it is going to take him a long while I fear. We are just going to have to be patient. Let us continue to show him the better side of our kingdom and its ponies.”
“Luna?”
“Yes sister?”
“I couldn’t help but notice that the left side of your muzzle is a bit swollen. Are you alright?”
“Ah… Yes… That.” Luna answered. “Let us just say that Alex and I had some meaningful dialogue whilst in the dream realm.” She said as she raised a hoof to her still somewhat tender muzzle. I must say he has a very good right cross!”
“He struck you!? Are you alright? Why haven’t you used a healing spell on it?” Celestia said with concern in her voice.
“I am well sister. You need not concern yourself with my wellbeing. He and I have reconciled somewhat. He struck me out of fear and anger for my part in contributing his misery. He struck me so hard it knocked me off my hooves! He also held out his hoof to help me back up and gave me a hug in gratitude for saving his life too.
I am not using a healing spell so as to remind me of the hoof I had in all this. I will let it heal in its own time and without magic.”
Celestia marveled at her sisters sense of honor and especially her humility. She was willing to take some of the pain that she had inflicted upon this human. She truly did want to make things right with Alex. Both humbled and inspired, Celestia decided to also redouble her efforts to make things right with Alex as well.
Slowly she began to formulate a plan that she hoped would do just that and she would need Lunas help with this.