//------------------------------// // Exploring The Castle // Story: Unexpected Traveler // by DatGuy1st //------------------------------// The Canterlot Castle is beautiful. After the defeat of Nightmare Moon, the damage the Castle of The Two Sisters sustained was too much to be repaired. It also doesn’t help that it reminds Princess Celestia of her failures, failures that haunted her for 1,000 years. The home that served as a place of comfort and belonging ended up as a reminder of her sins and an isolated prison for Princess Luna. So, she and her subjects left to build a new castle, a new home, leaving the Castle of The Two Sisters to be abandoned and dilapidated. That’s the story of the creation of the Royal Castle of Canterlot. A castle consists of numerous ivory towers with golden spires, giving a sense of splendor and magnificence. Its location at the side of a mountain giving the occupants a breathtaking view, along with waterfalls and rivers running through it, truly symbolizes the home of the royal family and the government of Equestria. The disguised alicorn walks through the hallway, appreciating the sun’s rays entering through the windows, lighting the shadows away and giving a feeling of new beginnings. It reminds him of a certain pony who always believed in him. As he closes his eyes, lost in remembering old memories, two maids enter the hallway right around the corner. The first maid had a yellow coat, while her companion had a red coat. When their eyes lay on him, both of them have a look of displeasure before composing themselves. “Hello, ladies.” he trotted closer to them. “Can you tell me where we are?” He finished with a smirk. The two maids look at him and then look at each other in bewilderment. What kind of question is that? The maid with the yellow coat stepped forward to answer while looking at him like he had gone a little coo-coo while her partner looked at him with distrust, “We are in the Royal Castle of Canterlot, Equestria.”  The alicorn smiled and said, “Thank you for answering, have a nice day.” before walking away. The two maids froze as they watched him leave in shock, with one maid having her mouth open. Never have they seen him be so polite. In fact, they never expected a pony like him to say thank you!  The two maids looked at each other. He usually has a smirk or a fake smile when he wants something, but that smile seems genuine. And that makes them nervous. This must be a changeling! They need to report it. Meanwhile, the alicorn continues wandering around in deep thought. “Canterlot. Equestria. Good that my Equestria and this version have similarities.” “In fact -” he walks towards the nearest window and looks outside “- the location is still the same.”  The last thing he needs is an Equestria located on a different continent. As he continued watching ponies starting their day, he felt very hungry and thirsty. Forgetting that he fought a unicorn using magic boosters (what a loser) for hours.  Seeing this as a chance for a break, he walked for a few minutes before arriving at the kitchen. A place where you can find chefs considered the best of the best, picked for their skills and experience. They have successfully served the Princesses, various nobles, ambassadors, and rulers of different kingdoms. They even served meat, much to their internal discomfort. As he enters the kitchen, he can see the hardworking staff putting all of their efforts into making the delicious meals, Canterlot has to offer.  An earth pony chef saw him before widening his eyes. He then looks at his fellow chefs. Most of them are too busy to notice the unicorn, with some noticing his presence before going back to their work. He connects his eyes with a fellow chef who recognized their visitor. The chef silently pleads with her eyes to attend to the unicorn’s needs. The earth pony groaned inwardly before walking to the unicorn. Great, his attention is now on him. “Can you get me a glass of water and a daisy sandwich?” requested the unicorn. The chef is slack-jawed, with the nearby ponies stopping what they’re doing to check if what they heard was right. A glass of water and a daisy sandwich?  If a chef has enough of his job, serving these to the unicorn is a perfect way to get fired because those are considered peasant food. The earth pony looks at him like he was told that he’s fired. “N-no expensive wine or high-class cuisine? Just a daisy sandwich and water? This... this has to be a prank!” “Yes?” the unicorn stared back with his left eyebrow raised before the chef returned to reality and blushed in embarrassment. “F-Forgive me, I’ll do it right away!” the chef nervously said before leaving quickly as the other chefs immediately resumed their work with a few taking glances at the unicorn. As he waited, he spotted a maid sweeping the floor and called her. “What date and year is it today?” The maid blinked at his question. “Umm... March 19, 1615.”   Everything freezes like hearing something so shocking that you’ve lost awareness of your surroundings. The unicorn managed to maintain a calm look, but inwardly there was inner turmoil in his mind.  “1615...?” he whispered to himself as the feeling of anxiousness flowed within him like an exploding volcano. He can feel the pit in his stomach and his breathing becoming difficult. “Impossible. This. This means!!” The unicorn quickly asks the maid again. “How many alicorns do we have?” The maid looks at him like he has lost his head. “We have five alicorns. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, Princess Cadence, and Princess Flurry Heart.” The unicorn’s face suddenly went blank. 1,000 years since the two died, getting the rest they deserved after ruling for so long. After experiencing fighting in wars, suffering losses, defending Equestria, and making friends knowing they would outlive them all, they earned that rest. When he and his fellow rulers ascended, they knew it was their time to go. And they left, entrusting the new alicorns to guide Equestria into a bright future.  The curtains have finally been opened. Now the stallion is here, the time when he was a regular unicorn. The time when they are alive. He can meet them. He can meet them, especially her. 1,000 years without her comfort, her wisdom, and her love. The one who was a mother to him. The chef returned carrying a glass of water and a daisy sandwich. The unicorn took them with his magic, taking a bite of his sandwich with a lost look on his face. Unknown to him, the rest of the staff stared in shock and silence as he ate his sandwich while standing. It’s bizarre enough to see him eating what he considers peasant food, but now he eats it with his magic while standing. Usually, he prefers eating on a table using a knife and fork.    Completely unaware of the stares, the unicorn finishes his meal before giving the glass back to the chef. “I will leave you to your work.” Summoning a pouch filled with bits and giving it to the surprise chef. “For your work, you deserved a reward. Have a blessed day.” The unicorn leaves the kitchen as everpony watches him silently. The Earth pony chef shakes the pouch to ensure this is not a prank. Unknown to the chef, a small sense of appreciation rise within him from the one who forces Princess Celestia to convince them to not quit. Meanwhile, the unicorn decided to meet the Sisters. After all, why waste time hiding? Plus, he will be found out sooner or reveal himself for help to return to his time, so it’s better to choose the latter. Thus, he arrives at the empty throne room. It seems Princess Celestia has a small window of free time, which makes him guilty for what he’s about to do. “It’s show time.” thought the unicorn as he discarded his disguise. Notifying every creature in the Castle of his presence using alicorn magic.  As much as he wants to stay, he has responsibilities in his Equestria as the Prince of Equestria.