//------------------------------// // V - The Fated Travel // Story: The Conversion Bureau: El Único. // by Hilord17 //------------------------------// An impossible thing. If someone asked Princess Celestia about her choice of words to describe her current situation, that would be her answer. Equestria's magic turned out to be harmful to humanity. Everyone knows that by now. She was unfortunate to see countless examples herself, and hear so many sad tales about humans who refused to change, only to suffer an agonizing death. Everyone knows that Equestria's magic was humanity's blight. The endless discussions, the pain of families and friends who wanted answers, the chaos that lasted for a few years... It was painful for everyone. Especially for Celestia. To feel so powerless. To not be able to find a solution for humanity, even with all the wisdom she and her sister accumulated over the years... It's the whole reason the Conversion Bureau initiative was implemented. And now... She was looking at the impossible. Not only is she looking at what must be the only human left on the planet, but also... A human that can use their magic. Equestria's magic. A human that instead of suffering for it, can harness it. "En realidad esto es solo lo básico." said Diego, using his magic to levitate many objects around him. "Puedo hacer otras cosas, pero el espacio de esta habitación me impide mostrárselo." "I still... can't believe it." said Marcus from the other side. "And yet the proof is right in front of us." said Celestia. "Diego is capable of using our magic. The very same magic that killed so many humans..." "Aún no me cabe en la cabeza el hecho de que la magia de Equestria haya causado tanto daño..." said Diego, who then showed concern about something. "Un momento. ¿Acaso Luna cree que tambien me transformé en poni?" "Considerando la situación con la magia de Equestria y el Buró de Conversión, era obvio pensar que también serías un poni." was Princess Celestia's answer. "Por favor no le diga ese detalle a Luna." said Diego with a wink. "Supongo que cuando le cuente de mí, intentará buscarme en el plano de los sueños. Quiero sorprenderla." A tender smile decorated Celestia's face. "Consideralo hecho, mi pequeño humano." Diego used his magic to put every object he was levitating to its original position. "You can go back now, Diego." said Wind Chaser. "There are a few things I need to discuss with the Princess before we plan out our travel." "Claro. No hay problema." said Diego, while walking to the room's door to exit. Just as he left, he saw a very, very small red sphere pass right next to him. In response, he only smiled as he closed the door. "Now then..." said Wind Chaser, but then he noticed that Princess Celestia was a bit distracted. "Is something wrong, Princess?" "No. It's just that..." Princess Celestia was trying to look behind the pegasus on the other side. "I thought I saw something behind you, but it must be my mind playing tricks on me. I'm sure it's because of the shock of knowing about Diego's existence." Just to be sure, Wind Chaser took a second to look around the room, but he saw nothing suspicious. "There is something I need to tell you, Princess, regarding some of Diego's friends. Well, I think 'guardians' would be a better word." "Guardians?" asked the Princess with a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Yes. That last condition about not using Diego as a test subject of any kind of experiment was a condition imposed by them." "It's good that they know how important Diego is right now." said the Princess. "But they are not just common beings, Princess." said Wind Chaser, once again getting her attention. "They have combat experience, and I daresay they must be seasoned fighters. One of them is not even a pony." "Wind Chaser... Are you telling me one of Diego's companions is from Equestria, but not a pony?" asked the Princess. "Indeed, Princess. She is a deer." was the answer of the pegasus. "By the sun..." the Princess did not hide her surprise. "This day is truly blessed. A surviving deer!" "It seems that she is somehow capable of controlling plants. She managed to hold one of my hooves with a strong vine that came from the ground." None of the two stallions noticed it, but for just a fraction of a second, Celestia's eyes reacted after hearing this information. "Her name is 'Fauna Flora'. We must be careful to not anger her. The same goes for his companion, Crimson Starlit. He is a skilled mage, as he was able to cast a soundproof spell as if it was foal's play." "Soundproof spells are not easy to cast." said Celestia, thinking about this new information for a few seconds. "So he is a unicorn." "He seems to be relaxed most of the time, but make no mistake. His eyes are always focused. It gives me the impression that his attitude is just a facade to make others lower their guard." "You were right. Guardians would be an appropriate word to describe them." said Marcus, who then looked at the Princess. "If such strong individuals are protecting Diego, then maybe we are not looking at the full picture." "A clever observation, Marcus." was Celestia's answer. "For now, let's focus on guiding Diego to Canterlot. We must show his companions that we don't want to hurt him. It's quite the opposite. I want to ask him so many questions: How did he survive? How does he feel when he wields our magic? I want to know how a brave soul such as him managed to defy destiny and win." "It may take us a day to depart. I will try to contact you again once we arrive at a secure location." said Wind Chaser. "I look forward to the next report." said Princess Celestia. "It was a pleasure to speak with you again, Wind Chaser." "Same here, Princess." said the pegasus with a sincere smile. "Goodbye." As the seconds passed, the mirror returned to its original state, showing Princess Celestia and Marcus. However, both of them were in deep thought. "Marcus." Princess Celestia was the first one to react. "Tell Twilight and my sister to go to my bedroom as soon as possible. We must tell them about him. Only them, and nopony else. Understood?" "Of course, Princess." was the guard's answer. "Let's go." said the Princess, activating her magic. A few seconds later, both ponies disappeared. "¿Y? ¿Qué dijo?" "Well, to sum it up, he spoke really well about us to Princess Celestia. I'm flattered, honestly." Crimson Starlit and Diego were outside of Wind Chaser's home. Bright Lapis, Nick, and Mike were inside, waiting for the pegasus to finish his meeting with Princess Celestia. "Espero que espiar conversaciones ajenas no sea un hábito tuyo." said Diego, looking a bit serious. "Nah. Don't worry." was Crimson's answer. "It's just that I still don't trust him that much. I know he is doing his job as Princess Celestia told him to, but his orders can change at any moment. I need to be prepared at all times." "Si tu lo dices..." said Diego, looking at the sky. "No creo que esté mintiendo." "Let's just hope you are right about that." said Crimson, mimicking his human friend. "Or else..." "Si, si. Le patearás el trasero. Lo sé." said Diego, still looking up. "¿Te ha contactado Fauna?" "Not yet." answered the unicorn. They kept looking at the sky in silence for a few seconds. "So... Princess Luna, huh?" "Así es." "I know what she looks like. I've seen a few newspapers about her in the past. What I don't know, is how she behaves." "Definitivamente se comporta como una Princesa." said Diego with a smile. "Cuando hablé con la Princesa Celestia, noté que ella es muy cordial y atenta. Por ahora creo que sus intenciones son buenas. La Princesa Luna en cambio es un tanto mas seria. Es activa, directa y no tiene problemas en expresar lo que piensa. Sin embargo, al igual que su hermana, tiene un aura de cordialidad y cuando lo desea, puede ser tan atenta y gentil al punto de relajarte." "Well now..." Crimson smiled, but... "She left quite the impression on you." "Sí que lo hizo." the smile on Diego's face slightly changed. Crimson knows the human only smiles like that when he is truly happy. "La Princesa Luna es la razón de que haya podido sobrevivir a esa basura de COVID-19 cuando todavía estaba en mi mundo. Ella hizo que valiera la pena luchar para sobrevivir." "Looks like we all owe her big time." said Crimson, who then looked surprised for a moment. "Oh! Fauna contacted me. Looks like they are ready." "Ya quiero ver la cara de Wind Chaser cuando lo vea." said Diego, snickering for a bit. "Oh, I'm sure he'll love it." said Crimson. "Maybe. Who knows? Anyways, I need to draw the circle, so..." "Si, si. Ya me muevo." said the human, moving closer to the house. "Esperaré adentro." "Sure. This won't take long though." replied Crimson, activating his magic and starting his work Diego went inside Wind Chaser's home. This got the attention of the three ponies who were in the living room. "Hey Diego!" the first one to speak was Nick. "Sir Wind Chaser is almost finished. I mean, he already ended the conversation he had with Princess Celestia, and now he is preparing for the trip." "And... you guys?" said Diego, doing his best to speak english, surprising the trio. "Have everything... you need?" "Yeah. Our bags are over there." answered Mike, who focused on the three bags that were on a large table. "We're all set." "How about you?" asked Bright Lapis. "Do you have everything you need? Maybe you missed something back at home?" Diego negated with his head. "Nope. Todo listo." was his answer, using his left hand to do a 'thumbs up' "Does that mean he is ready?" asked Bright, looking at Mike and Nick. "Yeah." said Mike. "You still don't learn that?" "A thumbs up means that you agree with something. Basically a positive answer." added Nick. "Hey! It's not my fault. It's been a while since the last time I saw a human do that." said Bright. It took her a full second to realize what she said, and she quickly took action. "D-Diego! I'm so sorry for that! I didn't-" But Diego just raised his left eyebrow, a bit confused. "Why do you... apologize?" asked the human. "W-why? B-but I just said something... that might make you feel uncomfortable..." Still showing a bit of confusion on his face, Diego thought about it for a moment. And then... "Not... really?" Now it was the turn of the three pony friends to be confused. "No puedo decir todo esto en inglés, así que lo diré en español." said Diego, changing his expression to a happier one. "Todo este tiempo he estado viviendo en Equestria, y han sido unos años maravillosos. Todo esto del Buró de Conversión y los humanos cambiando a ponis no es que me afecte tanto. Mis inquietudes están en otras cosas." "Well, I don't know what you said, but judging by your smile it must be something good." said Nick. "Indeed it is." A new voice joined the conversation, and from the other side of the living room, Wind Chaser was closing the door to his bedroom. "He said that he has been living in Equestria, and his life until now has been wonderful." continued the pegasus while approaching the group. He finally stopped and focused on the human. "I didn't know you were living in Equestria before." "(¿Acaso espero a que terminara de hablar porque quería más información sobre mí?)" thought Diego while giving an answer. "Es una larga y confusa historia." "Maybe you could tell me? We'll need to wait until tomorrow for a special air chariot to begin our journey." "(Buen intento, pero no esta vez.)" thought the human while giving an answer. "No estaría tan seguro de eso último." Before Wind Chaser or even anypony else could say anything, a bright light from outside took their attention. "Creo que ya llegaron." said Diego, looking at the door leading outside. "Arrive? Who?" asked Wind Chaser, surprising Bright and her friends. "Fauna fue a buscar algo que olvidó, y tambien fue a buscar a alguien." was Diego's answer. When the human was just in front of the door, he turned to see them with a smirk on his face. "No sean timidos con él. Es todo un caballero." And that's when they heard a series of screams from outside, along with a few voices saying something, but due to the distance, and the fact that they were mixed with the screams, no one understood what they were saying. "What's going on?" asked Mike. "Como dije, ya llegaron." The human opened the door and went outside. That's when Wind Chaser and the three friends saw something green outside. And it was big. Intrigued, yet worried at the same time, they didn't move for a moment, but seeing the human go outside like there was nothing wrong made them gain enough courage to go there, too. The screams increased in volume. There was panic around Wind Chaser's home. Ponies were running, obviously scared of something. That something is very big. Much bigger than a house, indeed, and very much green. That something has a pair of huge wings that just moving them could create a gust. Claws so big that could pierce a pony like a piece of paper! A mouth so big it could eat you alive in one fell swoop! A breath so hot and terrifying that could melt- "¡Vendaval! ¡Tiempo sin verte!" For a moment, Wind Chaser, Bright Lapis, Nick, and Mike focused on the human. Waving at the mighty dragon as if he was talking to a friend. "Nonsense, boy. We saw each other a few hours ago! That said, it is good to see you. It seems that Lady Fauna and Crimson are keeping their promise." "Who do you take me for, draco-dude?" asked Crimson, who was in front of the mighty newcomer, surprising the others who were awed by the fact that he was also talking to a dragon. Just your everyday stuff. "Now, now. Remember that we are guests here." said Fauna, who was on Vendaval's back. "There's no need to start a pointless discussion in front of Wind Chaser and Diego's friends." "l guess you're right." said the unicorn in response. "I can understand why everypony is in 'panic mode' as Diego would say." said Vendaval looking around. "Meeting a dragon is certainly not something you would consider common, especially during these circumstances." "Yeah. Now you are right..." added Crimson, turning back to see Wind Chaser. "Can't you do something about it? Alert the guards so they don't try to attack him?" "I... can." managed to reply Wind Chaser. "Do I have your word that he won't hurt us?" "Although I understand your concern, not every dragon is a savage beast." said Vendaval, getting everyone's attention. "Violence is not instinct. It is a choice." "Vendaval, te presento a mis amigos más recientes: Bright Lapis, Nick y Mike." said Diego, using his left hand to indicate them, but that was just formality, as the dragon can see a lot from where he is. "Y también a Wind Chaser. Un ex-guardia que es cercano a la Princesa Celestia." "I see, I see..." said the dragon, lowering himself a bit. Fauna took this chance to jump out of the dragon's back. "It is a pleasure to meet you all on this day. My name is Vendaval, and I must thank you for being such generous hosts and allowing me to participate in Diego's journey to Equestria." He slowly moved his wings upward while lowering his head a bit more. That's when Wind Chaser, as well as Bright Lapis and her two friends, noticed it. It was almost as if he was bowing. "¿Lo ven? Todo un caballero." said Diego with a friendly smile. This certainly eased up the tension from earlier. At least to Bright, Mike and Nick. "I will go and... inform the local guard. And everypony else." said Wind Chaser. That's all he said. That's all he managed to say. He had a lot of questions but knows that right now is not the right moment to ask them. "So... a dragon." said Nick, focusing on Vendaval. "Even with this whole Equestria thing, this is... something else." "Jesus you're huge!" said Mike, doing the same thing as his friend. "And you can also speak! That's awesome!" "Of course I can speak! I was under the impression that such basic knowledge should be known to anyone by now." "Ellos no son nativos de Equestria, Vendaval." said Diego, getting the dragon's attention. "Para nosotros los humanos, todo lo que son los dragones, la magia y otras especies fantásticas era solo eso: Fantasía. Ahora con todo este asunto de Equestria la cosa es distinta, pero hasta donde sabemos, ningún dragón ha sido visto en el planeta." "Ah, my apologies. I forgot about that." said the dragon apologetically. "I can't keep up with you." said Bright Lapis, focusing on the human with a smile of defeat. "It's one big reveal after another. Just... How?" "Spoilers." said Crimson with a cocky smile. "Let's not spoil the fun. You may ask him questions later." "Is he really coming with us?" asked Mike. It seems that he is the most relaxed of the three. Excited even. "Is he our bodyguard or something?" "Technically, I consider myself one of Diego's bodyguards along with Crimson Starlit and Lady Fauna." was the dragon's answer. "But I also have the mission of transporting everyone to Equestria." ... ... ... "WHAT!?" "Yup. You heard the big guy." said Crimson. "He is our premium driver and transport." "Are you serious?" asked Mike, although his face clearly shows that he is more than happy about that. "That's fucking awesome!" "Dear boy! Language!" exclaimed Vendaval, focusing on Mike. "There's no need to be so vulgar." "En realidad entiendo su entusiasmo." said Diego, who then focused on Mike, too. "Pero tambien entiendo a Vendaval. ¡Nick! Controla tu lengua. Es como si yo dijera 'conchetumare' cada dos segundos." "Diego!" It was a synchronized exclamation by Fauna, Vendaval, and Crimson. "¿Lo ves?" said the human. "What did he say?" asked Mike. "He basically said to watch your tongue, but he also understands your enthusiasm." it was Crimson who gave him an answer. "Is he big enough to carry all of us on his back?" asked Nick. "I am." was the firm response of the dragon. "However, this time Crimson Starlit will help us. He will make this journey an even more enjoyable experience for all of you." "Yup." said the unicorn, who noticed the retired guard was coming back. "Hey! Just in time to hear about it." "Let me say something first." said Wind Chaser, in a more serious tone. "Next time, tell me when you have a species considered dangerous as a friend. Ponies were fearing for their lives here!" "All right, we deserve that one. We are sorry for the trouble, Wind Chaser." said Crimson, now he getting serious. "But this is just in case someone from Equestria tries to do anything suspicious to Diego." There was an unsettling silence for just a second. "Besides, I'm sure both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be glad to see that ponies weren't the only species that got transported to planet Earth." added the unicorn with his usual attitude. "Lamentamos las molestias, Wind Chaser." said Diego, now looking at his dragon friend. "Pero Vendaval nos llevará más rápido a Equestria." "Hold on. He what?" "You thought we were going to just sit here and wait?" asked Crimson. "Diego wants to go now, so..." "Please forgive Crimson's rudeness. I am afraid there is no solution to his attitude." said Fauna, gaining a confusing glare from his unicorn colleague. "However, he is right. Our friend Vendaval is more than capable of transporting us to Equestria, and to protect us if necessary." "But we need a carriage!" said Wind Chaser. "I agree that your dragon friend is huge, but what is your plan? To make all of us ride on his back? That's just plain dangerous!" "Oh. About that..." the unicorn looked at Fauna. "I take it that everything is ok back home?" "But of course!" said the deer. "We have prepared everything for a cozy stay." "Cozy... stay?" asked Bright Lapis, who was just as confused as her friends and the pegasus guard. "Oh yeah..." said Crimson, with a triumphant smile. "You guys are gonna love this, I'm sure." "As you can see, Twilight Sparkle... our first contact with humanity goes way back." "Now that I think about it, the day we first encountered humanity, the Royal Guard acted... fast. Almost as if they-" "We may have known about some of humanity's technological advances and behavior thanks to him. A basic idea, but even that was valuable information." "Wow... to think his stories would help us years later!" Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna had a conversation a while ago. One that began yesterday, and the topic was about the "first human". The one Princess Luna found in the dream realm. A child of a different species who she formed a bond with. Unbeknownst to them, this would be the prelude to a historical event for both humankind and ponykind. "I know you already promised me, but please do not divulge this information." "You can count on me, Princess." said Twilight, reassuring the alicorn. "But I don't understand. Why is it that you lost contact with him?" "I..." Princess Luna hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "I do not know. The day I tried to fulfill his wish, to bring him to Equestria, was the last time I spoke with him. After that, I wasn't able to locate his dreams anymore." The Princess stopped for a moment to look at a nearby window, while Twilight saw on Luna's face that this was a sensitive topic for her. "My sister tells me that I should not underestimate my power. However, the fact that I cannot know if my efforts paid off... It saddens me. While it is true that we only met during dreams, We spoke so much, to the point that I consider him a friend. Diego knew that I was a Princess, yet in his eyes, I was a mare. just a mare, with troubles like anypony. I trust him, and he trusts me." "Princess..." Twilight was honestly surprised. It is not every day that you see the Princess of the night like this. Compared to Princess Celestia, she is more assertive and direct. Even nowadays, there are still royal guards who feel a bit intimidated by her presence. "Princes Luna. Lady Twilight." A new voice took both mare's attention, revealing a third pony that was coming from the other side of the corridor they were currently in. "Marcus." Princess Luna was the first to react. "Does my sister require our presence?" "It is as you say, Princess Luna." said the former human. "She requests a private reunion with you two in her bedroom. Considering what happened earlier, it's not surprising." "Earlier? What happened earlier?" asked Twilight. "Somehow I feel it is not me who has to break the news to you." replied the royal guard. "It's too important, and Princess Celestia will be able to explain in detail." "Let us go, then." As soon as Princess Luna said those words, she activated her magic, and a slightly transparent dark-blue bubble of magical energy was formed, getting all three ponies inside. After a quick flash of light, both the bubble and the small group were gone. And it took a single moment for them to reappear inside Princess Celestia's room. "My! That was fast." said the Princess of the day, unfazed by the sudden apparition of the group. "Thank you Marcus." "Do you want me to leave the room Princess?" asked Marcus. "There is no need, my little pony. Your opinion and judgment are important to me." replied Celestia with a sweet smile. Marcus, however, just let out a sigh. "Nope. I'll never get used to that..." this response got a chuckle from Twilight. She knows Marcus a bit, and it's always a sight to see his serious attitude clash with the motherly, yet playful personality of Princess Celestia. "Sister." Luna approached her older sister. "Marcus refused to elaborate on whatever it is that you wanted to tell us." "Yeah. It's very unusual for him to be all cryptic." added Twilight. Celestia then focused on her younger sister, still smiling like a mother looking at her child. This only increased the confusion between the two mares. "We found him." There were a few seconds of silence, as both mares didn't understand at first. However... "He... is he..." Luna was at a loss for words. "S-sister! You would not dare joke about this! Tell me you are not!" Princess Luna was now right in front of her sister, her face now with a mixture of sadness and hope. "Please..." "I would never joke about something so important to you, Luna." Celestia's smile never faltered. "We found Diego. He is currently in Australia, Gaia's territory." "Gaia's territory?" Luna pondered for a few seconds. "But... How is that possible? If his wish was fulfilled, then he should have appeared in Equestria!" "Are we talking about the Diego? I was just talking about him with Princess Luna!" said Twilight, who was also surprised by the news. Truth be told, since knowing about his circumstances, a small part of her wants to meet him. "Indeed we are, Twilight." it was Celestia who answered her. "A close friend of mine who lives there found him by coincidence. Sadly, just like Luna, I have many questions, and for now, the answers elude me." "He knew about Canterlot. I told him about us." said Luna, still trying to figure out what went wrong. "The spell was supposed to bring him near me! He should have appeared within the castle!" "Luna. Please calm down." said Celestia. "You don't have to worry about the details now. After all, he is coming to Equestria." Both Luna's and Twilight's ears perked up upon hearing the news. A detail that didn't go unnoticed by the alabaster alicorn. "I do, however, need to tell you something else: He is not alone. He has pony friends with him, and even guardians as well." "Guardians?" asked both mares. "At the very least, he has two." Continued Celestia. "And one of them took me by surprise. I haven't seen them yet, but I heard a name I was not expecting to hear at all: Flora Fauna." "Flora Fauna? Who is that?" asked a curious Twilight. "By the stars..." Luna's reaction was quite different. "She is here too?" "And it looks like she met Diego." continued Celestia, who now focused on Twilight. "She's an old acquaintance of mine. At least, I consider her a friend." "We... share a few traits." added Luna. "We have not been able to meet recently, but I do remember we were on good terms. To think she is in Gaia as well..." "With these recent developments, I'm sure we'll be able to speak to her when she and Diego's group arrive to Canterlot." said Celestia. "The other guardian is named Crimson Starlit. A unicorn that Wind Chaser himself considered a talented mage." "There is something about that name..." Luna was deep in thought. "I believe I heard it before. At the very least, 'Starlit' is a word that somehow resonates with me. If I manage to remember, I will tell you sister." "My faithful student. I have a favor to ask of you." Celestia now focused on Twilight. "I need you to contact your friends and prepare an online meeting. We all need to discuss a certain topic, and humanity's technology will help us speed up the process." "Leave it to me, Princess!" Twilight's answer was immediate. "I'm sure we'll be able to meet in about an hour. Pinkie is always the last one to pick up her new phone, and Applejack still needs to get used to her laptop." "Once you are ready, go to the guest room right next to my bedroom." said Celestia. "And remember, this conversation is considered 'sensitive information', and as such, it will not leave this room. Don't speak with anypony else about this. You have been warned." Marcus, Twilight, and Luna nodded in agreement. "Then that is all." "And this here is the games room. Pretty cool, don't you think?" "There is no need to brag about it every time we bring guests, Crimson." To say that the group of ponies from New Leaf was surprised would be an understatement. After all, when Crimson Starlit explained the idea, it was a very tempting offer: To use the same magical teleportation system he uses and stay in a cozy building located in the area where Diego and the rest of his acquaintances live. Not even the former royal guard could resist the offer. While he is aware of both Crimson and Fauna's abilities, he also wishes to know where exactly they live. The group experienced the mysterious teleportation magic of Diego and his friends for the first time. A blinding light was all they could remember before it was over. Once they opened their eyes, they managed to distinguish a few things, like the vibrant sky, the clouds that were closer to them, and that now they were inside a transparent building, like a giant terrarium. After that, they approached the only door that was in a colored wall, and after a bit of walking, they arrived at the 'games room'. "Holy shit is that a super nintendo!?" asked Mike, almost screaming. "I haven't seen one of these in years!" "This cartridge..." said Nick, getting closer to the console. "Oh my God, it's Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars!" "Wow. This room looks very cozy." said Bright Lapis, admiring the place. "There is a lot of human stuff here, especially games." "Yeah. We do like to have fun and relax from time to time." said Crimson proudly. "And the human super ponytendo? Both the console and the game are Diego's property." The room itself was fairly simple, compared to the bigger area where they appeared a few moments ago: A fairly big TV that was not in use, and next to it was the super nintendo both Mike and Nick were admiring. There was a dart board hanging on one of the walls, with all the darts on it, a table with some cushions around and a single chair, probably for Diego, and next to the table was a big piece of furniture holding a lot of board games. There were even some unique-looking speakers on another wall, probably to have some music while playing. "There is also a kitchen in the next room, prepared with both food and drinks." said Fauna with her usual smile. "So please, do not hesitate to ask for something if you feel hungry, or if you want to drink something." "If Diego sold this super nintendo alone, he would be so rich." said Nick. "Since the conversion, the entire videogame industry stopped producing games, and of course, video game consoles, and many consoles were lost when the earth had its changes during the years." "Ah, I've heard about that." said Mike. "Because of that, the prices of games and consoles have skyrocketed." The only one who has not said a word since arriving in the new place, was Wind Chaser. He was, however, looking around the room, like he was examining every single detail. "Give up, Wind Chaser, you won't figure it out." Crimson's words got his attention. "What are you talking about?" asked the former royal guard. "You want to know where we are, like, our position on the global map." continued Crimson without changing his 'friendly tone'. "Not happening, dude." "Do you really think we would be so foolish as to reveal our direct location?" added Fauna, also with a gentle tone. "Even if you were a unicorn, you would not be able to transmit our current location to anyone." "Just relax while our dragon partner carries Diego down there." said Diego's friend. "This is faster and safer, don't you think?" Wind Chaser opted to remain silent. This is indeed a faster way. As for Diego and Vendaval... "¡Jamás me voy a cansar de esto!" "I am glad to see you maintain your love for the skies." The human and the dragon were the only ones to remain below, and right now, both were flying as the dragon was carrying Diego on his neck, and near the dragon's chest was a big equestrian flag that was previously attached, courtesy of Wind Chaser, to indicate that Vendaval is not a wild creature, and is protected by the laws of Equestria. "I know Crimson Starlit must have asked you this question already, but..." Vendaval's voice showed a bit of concern. "Can we really trust Wind Chaser?" "La Princesa Celestia confía en él. Ella nunca dejaría que alguien que no fuera del calibre de Wind Chaser hiciera algo tan importante como guiarnos. Él es sin duda un verdadero ex-guardia real con un sentido de honor y justicia." said Diego, who then focused on the dragon's head. "¿No te duele la cabeza? ¿El hechizo de Crimson funcionó?" "It worked splendidly." was Vendaval's reply. "It is like I can visualize the map in my brain! And it does not interfere directly with my sight." Before departing, Crimson made sure to get every detail and problem solved. Diego was once again under the influence of his spell to stay attached to the dragon's neck, and he also cast a special spell on Vendaval, using Wind Chaser's map as a reference, allowing him to 'see' the map in his thoughts. He also secured a way to observe Diego from a distance, so even up there with the rest of the group, he will know if something unexpected happens. "So... according to his map, our first stop would be a big island named "Terra Haven." said Vendaval. "Wind Chaser said that it was previously a huge land from the ocean, that emerged due to the changes on the planet, and is now used as a place to protect exotic or endangered species." "Especies protegidas..." Diego was deep in thought. "Anteriormente tuvimos que lidiar con un bugbear, así que tal vez los animales en este mundo también tengan cambios, con todo esto de la magia esparciéndose." "It looks like you will not be bored, then." said the dragon, keeping a steady pace, flying in an endless sky, and an endless ocean below. "I thought we were going to die!" "Never thought I would see a dragon, even with everything that has happened recently." "A real dragon!" "So the guards told us that the dragon was friends with the human..." "That human is full of surprises. Comes out of nowhere and has very unique friends." "Man, I wanted to ask him a few questions..." "He doesn't speak English, dude." "That was Spanish! I'm sure of it! And I do know a little." "Well, doesn't matter, he left. With the dragon. And also Wind Chaser. If it is what I think it is, the world will be in an uproar in the next few days." Many residents of New Leaf were chatting about the recent events, from the human's arrival to the dragon that suddenly appeared, bringing panic and chaos only with his presence. Quite the contrast with the peaceful usual lifestyle they have, minus the occasional magical beast hunt. While these events made the ponies living there live a unique experience, the question remains... How did he survive? As the ponies were still talking, one single pony covered in a dark cloak was looking at the crowd from a safe distance. He stood there for several seconds, hearing their conversations, until at one point, he began to walk away, heading to a more secluded place. As the pony arrived at a room with many boxes and crates, he finally moved one of his front hooves near his face, revealing a small gem tied to it that began to glow. After a few seconds, a voice was heard from the gem. [How do you feel about yourself?] "Free. Away from the corrupt desires of my previous weak vessel." [How do you feel about others?] "Happy for those who have seen the light, and sad about those who are still in the dark." [State the codeword.] "Panacea." After a few seconds of silence... "Your allegiance has been proved. This is codename 'Root'. It was agreed a few years ago that this channel was no longer necessary. Identify yourself." "This is codenane 'Fang'. I am aware of the final orders, as I was there at the goal celebration party. I do have a very important reason for using this channel again." [Even if our goal was achieved, do remember that there are consequences for using these secure channels as playthings.] "I know that very well." The pony's face was partially covered, showing only the serious expression of his mouth, and his dark purple coat. The pony then took something from his cloak. It was a photo. A photo showing Diego. "However, our work is not over. There is one human left."