"Princess Celestia," Dr. Peppermint said with a smile, bowing his head to the taller pony. Felix's eyes widened a bit – he hadn't expected to meet royalty! He knew nothing of this world's customs, but went for a courteous bow of the head. He heard her chuckle lightly, and he could almost feel the smile she gave them.
"Please rise, my little ponies," she said, her voice so soft and pleasant. Felix couldn't help but feel a little calmer, although he had no idea why. As he looked up once again, he saw the box above Celestia's head change.
Princess Celestia: Lv. ???
The information had been updated, just like it had with Peppermint. When the text started to fade, Felix looked back at the princess, a bit of apprehension returning. She smiled calmly as she trotted up, just a bit, keeping just enough distance to avoid scaring him.
"I am very glad to see you awake, Mr. Fox. How are you feeling?"
Felix hesitated before saying, "I... don't know, your majesty. I don't think I'm hurt, but..."
Physically, he felt fine, awkwardness in motion aside. Mentally, however...
He looked at the forehooves resting on his stomach, then looked up at her again, his eyes filling with dread. "What happened to me?"
Celestia frowned, and glanced at Peppermint, who nodded in understanding, bowed, and left the room.
"It is not easy to explain. In truth, there is still much I don't understand about the how." She looked more guilty as she continued, "You are here because Princess Luna, my sister, pulled you through an interdimensional connection she had created between our dimension and yours."
Felix felt his mouth open slightly, but he didn't speak, so Celestia continued. "The magic used is incredibly powerful and advanced. In truth, I'm amazed that my younger sister managed it without harming you. My best guess is that the spell she cast to protect you is also responsible for your transformation."
Felix found himself liking less and less of what he was hearing. He closed his mouth, gulping before he talked again. "But you can send me back, right?"
The look Celestia gave him told him everything he needed to know. His ears drooped, and his head turned down again.
"I am sorry, Felix. The magic Luna used is very complicated, and in truth, even if I could replicate it with my sister, finding your dimension again will be extremely difficult. Even if we do find it, we would still need to make sure you would come back in a safe place, and not at the bottom of the ocean, or in some desert, or deserted island."
His heart sank with each word she spoke, mind racing as the realization sank in.
How long would it take for people to notice he was missing? His job would find out first, and when he did not show up for maybe a day two, they would fire him. His apartment would still draw money from his account until there was none left, meaning he would get evicted.
He didn't have anyone he was in daily contact with, even his family. They were close, but he'd never been good about writing or calling frequently.
So how long would it take them to notice? A week? A month? Two months? He didn't always reply right away, so they probably wouldn't think anything of it before it became too worrying.
His mother would visit him, but when he wouldn't be there to open, she would use her spare key. When she did, she would find an empty apartment, left like he had just vanished into thin air.
She wouldn't understand, she would be confused, worried – and then what? The police would get involved, he would be one of those pictures they shown on the news, and they would figure something had happened to him. It wasn't like he'd packed up and left! All of his stuff was still at home – they'd think he was murdered, or abducted!
The scenario kept building and building in Felix's mind, and he felt his heart starting to pound faster in his chest.
His mother would be crushed, but what about his dad? He was his only son, his only child, how would this affect him? He'd started crying without even realizing it, and his breathing became faster and more uneven – for a moment, he thought he was going to pass out again.
Just as he felt like he was about to break, he felt something light and soft touch him; he looked up to find Celestia standing at his bedside, one of her wings gently pressed to his back. His heart calmed as he looked at the princess, like her touch anchored him and relaxed his nerves.
"Take a deep breath, Felix." She said with a caring and understanding voice. "Just breathe, slowly."
Closing his eyes, Felix took a few moments to steady his breath. Soon enough he started to gain some control over his emotions. 'Gotta keep it together, can't lose my shit now, calm down...' He thought to himself, and soon enough, he felt calm enough to look at Celestia again.
He wiped his eyes, nodding to her. "Thank you. Sorry..."
Her gentle smile returned slightly, and she removed her wing as she shook her head. "Do not apologize, your distress is quite understandable." Despite himself, Felix smiled a little, grateful for the pony's understanding. She then frowned a little, taking a step back. "I should also apologize for what my sister did. I can assure you that Luna never meant any harm."
Felix's ears perked up at the mention of Luna's name. Her name had been mentioned a couple of times, but he'd been too distracted to even think about her.
He was thinking now, though. He reflexively glanced around the room – despite knowing she wasn't there – and asked, "Where is Luna?"
He saw how Celestia's expression changed into a mix of sadness – and regret? "She's in her room. She's... quite distraught over what happened." It was Celestia who had to look away, this time. "She was already in a delicate state, but now, she is afraid you will hate her for trapping you here."
Hearing that stunned him. Now that he was thinking about what Luna had done, he wasn't sure how he felt. She had dragged him from everything he knew and possibly trapped him here for—weeks? Months, years? Forever?
The sound of Celestia clearing her throat jostled him from his thoughts. "I can understand if you resent her, and what she did. However, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her. If you must hate somepony, I would prefer you to hate me."
"Excuse me?" That honestly baffled him – why would he hate Celestia? All she'd done was comfort him since he got stuck here!
She sighed. "I'm afraid I might have provoked her into action. We had a conversation, and... it didn't end on a positive note."
He thought that over in silence. Whatever Celestia had said, it had still been Luna who'd abducted him, right? Or was it even abduction since she'd invited him, and he'd said yes?
Celestia's voice snapped him from his thoughts with, "My sister has not been having an easy time, lately. She has isolated herself, become less certain of herself... I believe that you, Felix, have been her only comfort these past few months."
He was still coming to grips with that when she took a step back, and bowed her head to him, saying "So, I must ask that if you hate anypony, please, hate me. I'm the one who brought this on with the things I said to her – and I promise, I shall do everything in my power to see you home safely."
Shock quickly gave way to realization inside him.
Here was Celestia – a princess – bowing her head to him, begging him not to hate her sister.
He had to tear his eyes away from her; it hurt to watch. He didn't want to make anyone miserable, and he understood that Celestia just wanted to protect her sister. Didn't want Luna's only friend to tell her he hated her – that thought hurt, too.
How did he feel about Luna? The girl he'd been bantering and hanging out with for months. The girl who had wronged him – that much was clear – but did he hate her for it?
Her only comfort these past few months, Celestia had said. Isolated and unsure of herself.
He could see it. She'd talked a little about feeling lonely and like she was spinning her wheels at work, unneeded – wait, she was a princess. Like Celestia! And that seemed to mean a lot here – he hadn't run into any mention of queens or kings. It seemed like these two were running the show – running the country!
What did it say that someone in charge of running a country was playing games with him for months? That she 'got off work early' and said, over and over, that nothing interesting ever happened?
Isolated and unsure of herself. It took him a moment to connect the dots, and it didn't feel good when it did.
He wasn't sure of the specifics, but clearly, Luna was not in a good situation. Celestia had to be the one really running things – that must have felt awful. Who would want to be the useless tag-along party-member? The guildmaster-in-name-only?
Felix had no experience running a country, but he could only imagine it was like that, yet significantly worse. He'd seen guildmasters build up communities only to get shunned when someone more popular – and louder – joined up and started directing the conversation. It wrecked them.
How hurt did she have to be by what Celestia had said – no, this had been going on for months, how hurt did she have to be in general to try something as insane and dangerous as yanking him through a portal?
To have a friend visit her in person, Felix realized with a start. All of this had been because that girl he'd been goofing off with had needed a friend in her life that badly.
That cleared everything up for him.
"Please take me to her," he said, finally coming up from his thoughts. The conviction in his voice seemed to surprise Celestia, but she complied.
It was a strange world, but someone in it needed help – his help, specifically. No one else would do.
It was a scenario Felix actually had familiarity with.
Who said games can't teach you anything useful?
It had been several hours since Felix had arrived.
In her mind, Luna had seen it as nothing but excitement. Her friend, here! In Equestria! He could finally know who she really was, and she would have a real friend to share her life with, even if only for a scant few hours!
How could she have been so foolish?!
She hit her muzzle into her pillow and buried her sobs into it, pulling the blanket around herself tighter and trying – failing – to subdue the anger she felt at herself.
Of course he had fainted! His whole world, his very body, torn away from him! He came from a world without magic, barely the concept of magic, and she had surreptitiously dropped him into Equestria without so much as a 'by the way, this might sting a bit!'
Idiot! Small wonder none of her subjects wanted her counsel! Somehow she'd taken someone dear to her, given them a mental breakdown, and stranded him away from his home – possibly forever!
The pain hadn't set in at first. She'd been too terrified for her friend, too shocked at how wrong it had all gone.
She'd had to watch the guards carry Felix's unconscious body away. Because of what she had done to him.
That had left her to explain her idiocy to her sister in private. Of all ponies, Luna ought to have known how dangerous the spell was – Tia's scolding and disappointment were redundant to the self-reproach she was feeling.
Besides, nothing her sister said could hold a candle to the dread she felt for what Felix would say to her.
Assuming he would even deign to speak to her again in this life. The thought brought another choked sob.
Her only friend, and it had ended like this. How could she ever bring herself to try again? This was the second time she had brought ruin to the ones she cared about!
Idiot, idiot! What kind of pony didn't learn that lesson the first time?! No, normal ponies didn't make mistakes of such gravity with their loved ones! They didn't have to learn that from experience!
What was wrong with her? Was she just not capable of friendship, family? Love?
She choked on that thought. It wasn't the first time.
It was then that she heard a gentle knock on her door. She knew the knock well, and so didn't respond. Luna was in no mood to talk to her sister, not now, not like this.
"Luna?" Celestia said from the other side of the door. "Luna, can you please open the door?" Luna didn't reply, nor did she move.
At least until somepony else knocked on her door. "Luna..." Felix's voice said, making Luna look up, and her ears rise.
Why was he here? To end their friendship? To yell at her? "Luna, can you let me in, please? I want to talk to you, alone, if that's okay?"
No, no, no! It wasn't okay, she wasn't ready for this! She didn't want her only friend to reject her! It felt as if tears were going to burst from her eyes again, only for the despair to be overtaken by shame.
What she wanted really didn't matter, here. If he wished to scream in her face, she owed him that much...
She got out of bed, leaving her blanket behind, but she still had most of her head hidden by her hoodie. When she approached the door, she used her magic to unlock it, and then slowly opened it up – just enough to look at the two ponies outside.
Celestia looked worried, as she often did at Luna.
Next to her stood Felix, his green eyes locked onto hers, and the way he looked at her didn't exactly fill her with confidence. He did not seem angry or uncaring, but he also didn't share Celestia's look of concern. He seemed... focused.
He tilted his head. "Can I come in?" Luna nodded, moving away as she opened up the door for him. Before he made a move, he looked at Celestia. "You don't mind us talking alone for a moment, do you?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, not at all. I'll be in the hall if you need me."
Felix nodded, and unsteadily made his way into the room. Luna glanced at Celestia for a moment, who gave her a nod in return. She closed the door, and then turned to watch Felix as he looked around the dark room. Luna had closed the large curtains, preferring to stay in the darkness so she could hide from the world.
Looking at his legs, she saw how they were shaking slightly. His expression was anything but fear – he was still struggling with the body she had unwittingly stuck him with. One more hardship she had sent his way.
"You mind if we let some sunlight in?" Felix then asked casually, making Luna blink in confusion. She just nodded, using her magic to redraw the curtains, Celestia's sun brightening the room. She watched him as he trotted closer to the windows, looking out onto the city of Canterlot below.
Luna waited for him to speak, to yell, to accuse, anything really, but he just stood there in silence for what seemed like ages.
Finally he let out a tired chuckle. "You know, when I asked your sister if I could see you, I was sure I knew just what to say."
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and steadying himself – as much as he could, with his legs still shaking – and shot Luna a smile.
"You know you could have just told me? I did tell you before."
Luna balked at that, mouth slightly open and eyes squinted in confusion. She was still half-expecting him to yell at her, and now she had no idea what he was talking about.
"What didst thou tell us? We do not understand."
Felix smirked – both at the question and at its mode of delivery – and said, "That you needed help. That you needed a friend. I did say I'd always come rescue you, Lulu."
Her eyes shot wide at that. "But... that was in the game! How canst thou..."
Felix scoffed at himself and sat down, saying, "Guess I'm not very good at this. What I'm saying, Lulu, is that I don't hate you. I think I understand a bit of why you did all of this, and... I still want us to be friiiEE LULU—"
She'd cut him off via tackle-hug, that most aggressive of affectionate gestures, and the two went sprawling into the pillows near the window, burying her head in the crook of his neck.
"Thou hast no idea how joyous thine words have made us!"
Felix felt her tears soaking into his coat, and gently hugged her back, as best he could.
"Think I can guess. But, ah, could you loosen the hug just a bit?"
Luna gave him a gentle squeeze, getting an 'eep' out of him, and nuzzled into his neck.
"Nay, we shall never let thee go."
Felix scoffed, despite himself, and focused on keeping himself calm. His brief attempt at putting on his gamer persona hadn't amounted to much, but he'd gotten through, somehow, and that cheered him slightly.
At least his friend didn't look miserable anymore. The sight of her when he'd first entered the room had been wrenching, knowing this was the same person he'd spent so much time with.
The fact that they were magical ponies in another dimension was still a bit much to wrap his head around. Felix had reached out for the bits and pieces he could understand – his friend, sad girl, needs help, wings are terrifyingly large at full span – and seized on them with both hands (hooves, he realized dully), and did his best to ignore the rest.
"We—I, I never meant for any of this," Luna said, slightly more relaxed now, "I just wanted to see my friend. I thought I could send you back, but I was... stupid and selfish and such an idiot—"
"Hey, HEY!" Felix cut her off, and squeezed her slightly in turn. "Don't—don't start doing that. You made a mistake, but don't start talking that way about yourself. You're my friend, Lulu, I don't want to hear anyone talk that way about you. Probably – no, scratch that, definitely – you least of all."
The rising pitch of her voice and the sense of panic she exuded had actually frightened him, a bit. That sounded like a panic attack coming on, and while Felix only had a tenuous grasp of her situation, it was clear she wasn't in good mental health.
He'd come into this room specifically to make sure she would stop hurting. Not start hurting herself!
Speech bosses really are the hardest, he thought, and snickered despite himself.
Luna glanced up at him. Big, concerned, vulnerable eyes staring at him.
"How canst – how can you forgive me so easily?"
Felix cast his mind out for any preparation his gaming had given him for this, but came up short. How to be honest without tearing Lulu down, here?
"I... I won't lie, I'm upset." Her ears drooped, but he carried on, "I mean, fuck, what do I even say, here? I thought you were a human girl – turns out you're a magical pony princess from a whole different dimension! I'm stuck here with no clear way back, or... to even let my family know I'm alive. I don't know how anything here even works. But..."
"But?" The trepidation in her voice spurred him on.
"But... mistakes happen. You didn't mean to do this to me, I know you didn't – you're my friend, I know you wouldn't do this to me on purpose." He was explaining this to himself as much as to her, and went on, "And yeah, okay, it was dumb. But sometimes, when people are really upset or hurt, they do dumb shit. I've done dumb shit!" He waggled his free hoof, as if gesturing to all of the dumb shit he'd done. Luna scoffed.
"But this was – surely you've never done something so..."
"Extreme? Maybe not, but I didn't have the magic to pull it off. Who knows, if I had? Point is... I get it. It's understandable. I might not understand how much of anything works here, but I understand you, and I understand making mistakes. That's what friends do, y'know? Forgive each other for the mistakes, and move on."
He sighed, all the tension he hadn't realized he'd built up in that little rant going out of him. Luna buried her head back in his neck and shuddered.
"Thank you... thank you."
Felix chuckled despite himself. "No promises I won't be salty about this for a while. You might have some serious ripping coming your way."
She laughed at that and gently hit her head against his neck.
"I have it coming!"
"Indeed, milady," he said, putting on his most imperious tones, "your punishment for my... displacement? Shall be merciless mockery. Absolutely merciless."
He leaned his head away from her, far enough to make eye contact. He squinted at her carefully, and said, "Mostl—Predominantly merciless."
This got another round of laughs out of her, and he laid back and relaxed. That was it, he was spent, but things seemed to have worked out.
When in doubt, banter and goof off! It worked at his job, it worked in games, it worked everywhere! It never hurts to lighten the mood a little and remind the people around you that you're on their side. So went his thinking. Hell, it even made him feel better about it all.
Things might be strange in pony land, but at least he still had that going.
For her part, Luna clung to her friend and vowed not to waste the second chance he had given her. She knew he was putting on a brave face – that it would take time for him to come to terms with what had happened. She would help her friend, she would keep their friendship.
For now, though, she was content in simply holding him.