[Earlier today...]
Twilight Sparkle and her friends had taken the morning train to Canterlot to have a private audience with Princess Celestia. It pertained to matters regarding the sudden arrival of a strange creature: the human called Preston Marlowe. All of Ponyville was in a buzz about the ruckus going on in the Everfree Forest night, and they were desperate for answers. So far, the news of Preston's arrival was kept in the dark. The guards assured the townsfolk that the cause of the disturbance were some foals playing with fireworks in the forest, and that the Princess would issue a statement soon. Hence the reason for this trip. Having heard eyewitness testimony from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twilight and her friends were to travel to Canterlot and meet with this new visitor and determine whether or not he was a threat.
Although the Crusaders have many times assured them that Preston was no threat, they still had their doubts and concerns. Applejack and Rarity, though grateful for his actions in saving their sisters, were still cautious towards him. Rainbow Dash was the most cautious of the group, already viewing Marlowe as a possible threat. Between seeing the chimera's corpse and hearing Scootaloo's graphic retelling of his actions, she had every reason to be wary of the human. The only ones who didn't seem so cautious were Twilight and Fluttershy. Pinkie, on the other hand, was the most excited among them. Alien or not, Preston Marlowe was a newcomer to Equestria, and she couldn't wait to throw a welcome party for him.
An hour later, the six friends arrived at the station in Canterlot, where a single guardspony escorted them to the castle and into the throne room. There, the princess sat atop her throne, going through mounds of paperwork stacked before her.
The guard cleared his throat, getting her attention. “Your highness. Twilight Sparkle and her entourage have arrived.”
“Thank you, guardspony. Leave us, please.”
The guardspony bowed and stepped out of the throne room, leaving Twilight and the others in the company of Princess Celestia.
The six mares bowed before their princess before she addressed them. “It's good to see you again, Twilight. I assume your trip was uneventful?”
“Thank you, Princess. And yes, the trip was quite peaceful for the most part,” Twilight replied. “I hope we didn't keep you waiting.”
“Not at all,” Celestia smiled. “In fact, you all arrived at the perfect time.”
“So, where is he?” Pinkie chirped, scanning the room. “When can we meet Mr. Alien?”
“Easy there sugar cube,” Applejack said. “I don't think we should get too excited about this.”
“You got that right, AJ,” Rainbow Dash sneered. “I wouldn't be too excited about our 'guest', not until I'm sure he's not up to something fishy.”
“Aren't you getting too ahead of yourself, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. “I mean, yes, I have my doubts, but based on what the Crusaders told us yesterday, he can't be all that bad, right?”
“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow Dash said incredulously. “Did you not see how he tore up that chimera? If he's able to do something like that, then I'd be a little careful around him. We don't even know what he's truly capable of.”
“At least we weren't there to witness it...” Fluttershy muttered “Oh, I had such terrible nightmares after seeing that chimera.”
Rarity gently rubbed Fluttershy's shoulders, calming her down. “Twilight is right, dear. I think we're overreacting on this too much. Besides, weren't you also fascinated when you heard how he killed a chimera by himself.”
Rainbow Dash's jaw hung open, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks, before turning away. “Th-that's not true. I wasn't fascinated. I was just...surprised that someone was capable of slaying a chimera by themselves. That's all.”
“Sure,” Rarity rolled her eyes. “When Scootaloo talked about him, you were very immersed into the story, as if you were reading one of your 'Daring Do' novels.”
Princess Celestia giggled, getting everyone's attention. “I think you're all getting the wrong idea about Preston. I've talked with him while waiting for you six to arrive, and I can assure you that he is of no threat to Equestria. He just simply arrived here by accident.”
“Is that so? How did he even get here?” Twilight asked.
Celestia levitated over a golden pocket watch, dropping it in Twilight's hoof. “His story matches what the girls told us last night. Apparently, this watch transported him from his world to ours. My guess, and perhaps it's what you're thinking as well, is that some advanced teleportation spell was casted on this watch.”
“Well, yes,” Twilight nodded. “I had a theory that how he got here had to be by a form of teleportation. But what I don't get is how it happened in the first place?”
“That was what was puzzling my mind at first,” Celestia admitted. “At first, I found it hard to believe that a pocket watch was responsible for teleporting an alien being to our world. But then, I found a catalyst!” She suddenly took back the watch and held it up for all to see.
“What catalyst?”
“This watch, Twilight,” she answered, before handing it back to her. “Study it carefully. What does something about it feel familiar?”
Twilight took the watch in her magic, looking at it closely. “I...I don't see anything familiar about it.”
“Not its appearance,” Celestia said. “Feel it with your magic.”
She closed her eyes, using her magic to feel for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, something tingled within her. “I feel something...something familiar...”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Some residual magic. It's...” her eyes shot open. “My magic?”
Princess Celestia smirked. “It seems that my theory checks out.”
“What theory?” Twilight asked, panicking. “I don't understand. Why do I sense my own magic on this watch?”
“Twilight, do you remember the day when I accepted you into my school? The day you got your cutie mark?”
“W-what about it?”
“Do you remember how you accidentally unleashed a flurry of magic during your entrance exam? After that day, when I had retired to my private chambers, the watch was gone. I knew it was gone, because I had always kept it on my desk.”
“But wait,” Applejack interrupted. “Why is this watch so important to you, princess?”
“It was a gift from one of my great aunts from a millennia ago,” Celestia explained. “Back then, I thought that I must have misplaced it, or that it was one of the servants who accidentally lost it while cleaning. In the end, I was never able to find that watch.
“But then Preston showed up last night with that watch on him. It was strange to see it again after it went missing for nearly a decade. When examining this watch, I detected some magical residue, though most of it had faded due to the spell being so old. Because of this, I wasn't able to figure out who casted the spell. And then I remembered the day when the watch went missing; the same day you were accepted into my school and earned your cutie mark. It all came in full circle.
“Want to know what I'm thinking? I think one of the spells you unleashed was a teleportation spell that flew in the direction of my private chambers, struck the watch, and transported itself to Preston's world. And at the exact moment when he found the watch, whatever was left of the spell was enough to bring him over to our world.”
Twilight felt her blood freeze. “So that means...”
Princess Celestia smiled comfortingly. “Twilight Sparkle, it seems that I chose you as my personal student for the right reasons.”
Pinkie's jaw dropped. “Whoa...”
“So you're responsible for bringing this 'thing' to our world?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“I didn't mean to...” Twilight whimpered.
“But even so, I don't get it,” Applejack said. “If Twilight casted that spell as a filly, why did it take so long to find its way to this Preston feller?”
“That I'm not so sure,” Celestia admitted. “The only hypothesis I could come up with is that the spell wandered around in space for a decade until it somehow found its way to Preston's world. Whatever the reason, he's here now.
“Anyways, what's done is done. Preston Marlowe has been released from the infirmary and I had him moved to one of the guest rooms in the castle. Now that you're all here, I'd say the time is right to start making proper introductions with our new guest. Please, follow me.”
The Princess led the six ponies out of the throne room, down the west hallway, and straight towards Preston's guest room.
“So, can somepony explain why that 'thing' is being kept in a guest room and not in the dungeon?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Wouldn't it be much safer to keep him locked up for the time being?”
Twilight heaved a sigh. “We've been through this already, Rainbow. Princess Celestia has already determined that he's no threat.”
“Well threat or no threat, we're not even sure what his motive is. Just because he saved Scootaloo and the others doesn't mean we can just immediately assume he's a good guy.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Celestia began. “I understand your concerns, but as I've said before, you and your friends have nothing to worry about. The creature is no threat to us, and even if he were to try something, rest assured that I can easily restrain him. I also have his weapons confiscated, so there's no reason that he'll try to harm anypony.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “Well, as long as he's unarmed, then I can tolerate him, Princess.”
Arriving at the guest room, Celestia gave a light knock on the door. “Preston, it's Princess Celestia. Are you free to talk right now?”
There was no answer. She knocked again. “Preston? Is everything alright?”
Once again, no response. Checking the door to see that it wasn't locked, Celestia motioned for Twilight and her friends to stay behind her as she went in first. She opened the door gently and was relieved to find that Preston was still in his room. In fact, the reason he couldn't answer the door was that he had fallen asleep.
“Is it me or does this guy fall asleep a lot?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
“Feller's gone through a lot,” Applejack said. “From dropping in out of nowhere to fighting a chimera by himself, it's no wonder why he's so worn out.”
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy carefully approached the sleeping human. Pinkie gave a light poke on his cheek, prompting a slight murmur from him.
“Not now, mom...five more minutes...”
Giggling, Pinkie was about to give another poke when Fluttershy held her back, shaking her head. Twilight and Rarity, meanwhile, examined his clothes that hung on a nearby chair.
Rarity cringed. “I must say, even though I'm truly grateful for him saving Sweetie Belle, I cannot accept his taste for fashion.”
“Well, the girls did mention that he was a soldier, so that's probably the uniform he was issued,” Twilight explained.
Rarity levitated his clothes off the chair and examined them, taking quick measurements in her head before putting them back where they belong. Princess Celestia quietly cleared her throat. “It seems that our guest is quite exhausted at the moment. I think we should leave him be and give him some time to rest.”
Nodding in agreement, the ponies filed out of the room, leaving Preston to rest.
******
[Later that evening...]
When I came to, it was already night time. What was supposed to be a short nap ended up being a deep sleep that had lasted an entire day. On top of that, I was pretty damn hungry, as stated by my growling stomach. Still, I hadn't had any good sleep lately, so getting the extra Zs was a well deserved bonus. Getting up from my bed and changing into my uniform, I decided to go find Celestia and ask her if there was anything to eat. I must've missed dinner, so hopefully she has something to feed her guest.
As I was about to leave my room, I found a dish cover and a bottle of wine on the table, along with a glass cup and some silverware. A note was left at the front of the cover.
The note read:
Preston,
I hope you had a good nap today. I was going to invite you to dine with us later, but I've decided to let you sleep in longer. I had my chefs prepare you a pasta dish with some pork sausage in it, as well as some red wine for you to enjoy. I'll assume you're around the legal age to consume alcohol, as this pasta dish does go well with some red wine. At any rate, I hope that everything is made to your liking. If the dish is too cold, please let one of my servants or guards know.
Don't worry about cleaning the dishes or silverware. When you're done, just cover everything up and my servants will come by later.
If you need anything, just ask one of my guards or servants and they'll be glad to help. If you need to get some fresh air, I've given you free access to wander about on the castle grounds.
Have a wonderful evening Preston. We'll talk more on what to do tomorrow morning.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
At the end of the letter, there was a postscript at the bottom. It read:
P.S. My student, Twilight Sparkle, followed by her friends, are staying for the night in the castle. If you get the chance to meet them tonight, please take the time to converse with them. Two of her friends are the sisters of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and they would very much like to meet you. In any case, whether you see them tonight or not, you'll get to meet them tomorrow morning during breakfast.
It felt weird that the Princess would offer me, an alien visitor, luxurious VIP treatment. But then again, who am I to complain? Not wanting to let my stomach suffer further, I lifted up the dish cover and prepared to dine. The pasta that was prepared for me was fettuccine in tomato sauce with some sliced sausages in the mix, along with a side of garlic bread. Wasn't sure how long it was left there, but from the looks of it, everything was still pretty warm, so I didn't need to worry about cold food. It also smelled like good ol' Italian cooking, like how mom used to make it. But how did it taste?
I poured myself a glass of red wine before digging into the pasta. To my surprise, it was delicious. Knowing that these ponies are predominantly herbivores, I half expected them to create some kind of meal made of grass and hay, even though Celestia knew I was an omnivore. The fact they could make a kick ass pasta dish with some meat in it was a whole other matter. I think I actually might enjoy myself here.
After finishing my meal, I set aside the dishes and silverware and decided to take a bit of a stroll around the castle; get some fresh air, that sort of thing. I opened the door and was greeted by two guard ponies standing outside. They had their backs facing towards me until they heard the door open. Both of them immediately turned their heads towards me.
“Awake at last, huh?” said one of the guards. “Had a good nap?”
“More or less,” I shrugged. It still felt awkward conversing with talking ponies, but then again, I was able to have a normal conversation with Celestia earlier, so why should this be any different. “I take it you two are in charge of looking after me?”
“The Princess has given us orders to keep you well guarded for the time being,” said the other guard. “For everypony's safety, and yours as well.”
“So, am I under house arrest or something?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “The Princess has given you free access to walk around, though you'll only be limited to the castle grounds. As I've said before, it's for everypony's safety, including yours.
“If you want to get some fresh air, you can head out to the castle gardens. Just take the hallway down to the right, out through the two large doors. Just behave yourself while you're here.”
I nodded. “Roger dodger. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some fresh air. Do let one of the servants know that I've finished dinner and that they can come collect the dishes.”
As I made my way to the gardens, I heard one of the guards whisper, “Does this guy think he owns this place? What a weirdo.”
“What was that?” I said, turning to face them.
“I didn't say anything.”
“N-nothing sir, carry on.”
Shrugging it off, I continued towards the garden entrance. It's not like I was going to cause any trouble around here. Especially being unarmed and all.
******
“WHEEEE!!!” Pinkie Pie chirped, bouncing on her bed. “These beds are soft and fluffy! They're like bounce houses!”
“Pinkie, darling, do you mind keeping it down?” Rarity muttered, pulling her sleeping mask over her eyes. “I'm trying to get some beauty sleep.” She sighed, fidgeting around into a comfortable position.
“Aw, lighten up, Rarity,” Applejack chuckled. “It's not every day you get to have a sleepover at the castle.”
Even though they had been called over to Canterlot for different reasons, the girls had spent the whole day strolling around the city, shopping and snacking. With their 'guest' still out of commission, Princess Celestia had decided to prepare a guest room for them to stay for the night. After dinner and a pleasant conversation with the princess, the girls retired to their room for a good night's rest.
Though it was good to spend time with her mentor again, Twilight was still a little disappointed that she wasn't able to meet with their guest today. There were so many questions she would've loved to ask the human about, but alas, Princess Celestia decided best that they'd let him rest for the night. A good thing too. Upon learning about the revelation that she was responsible for sending this guest to their world, she wasn't sure how she would break the news to him once they met. She was worried that he would get mad at her for accidentally teleporting him to Equestria, even though Princess Celestia had assured her dozens of times that he would most likely not hold a grudge against her.
“Can't sleep, Twi?” Applejack asked, pulling her covers up.
“It's not that. I just...I still can't believe that I'm responsible for bringing him here,” Twilight replied. “I don't know how he'll react once I break the news to him.”
“It'll be fine, Twi,” Applejack assured. “If Apple Bloom said he was a friendly guy, then I'm sure he wouldn't get mad at you for casting a spell on him.”
She sighed. “I hope you're right, AJ...”
Pinkie all of a sudden sat up. “Hey, isn't that him walking outside right now?”
“It is? Where?” Twilight rushed over to Pinkie's side, looking out the window. Everyone got up from their beds and gathered at the window.
Sure enough, they could see their guest – the human, Preston Marlowe – wandering around the castle gardens, taking in the scenery.
“Oh my, what is he doing up this late at night?” Fluttershy asked.
“Probably up to no good,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I told you I had a bad feeling about him.”
“We don't know that for sure,” Twilight said. Feeling a sense of excitement inside her, she grabbed a parchment and quill. “Since he's awake, why don't we go down there and introduce ourselves to him?”
“Can it wait until tomorrow?” Rarity yawned. “I'd really like to get back to-”
“YIPPEE!” Pinkie cheered, pushing Rarity forward. “Let's go say hi!”
Without further argument, the girls all agreed to head to the gardens and meet their 'guest'.
******
Following the guard's directions, I had no trouble finding my way outside the castle and into the gardens. Pushing the door open, I was greeted with the sound of chirping crickets, warm breeze on my skin, and the fresh scent of nighttime air.
The garden was an oasis of colorful flowers and smooth cut hedges. In the distance stood a large mountain with a waterfall flowing down the side. The soothing sound of falling water could be heard from miles away. I wandered further and found myself standing in front of a small hill with a large tree in the center. It gave me a good view of the night sky, so I thought it would be a good place to sit down and gaze up at the stars and moon.
I took a seat on the soft grass and leaned back against the tree...And then I was back in Montana, at my family ranch. I grew up in the country, where there was a lot of open space for a kid to get lost in. With so much space on our property, Mom made use of the space around our home to build the garden of her dreams, transforming our ranch into an evergreen paradise that would rival many of the world's famous gardens. Most of my childhood was spent in that garden; reading comic books, playing hide and seek with my brother and my cousins, or enjoying a nice barbecue with family and friends. After high school, I went off to join the Army, and that was that. Haven't seen the ranch for years now. I had planned to go visit it on my next leave, but then I got transferred to B-Company to avoid a court martial, and just when I thought I'd be heading home after our tussle with Kirlenko, the Russians came through Alaska.
And now here I was, lost in a world of talking horses and stuck here for God knows how long. Depending on how long it takes for Celestia to find a way to send me home, I could be sitting out the rest of the war in relative safety. I can't tell if that was a good thing or bad thing since I'd be missing out on all the glory of winning the war. But perhaps after all these mishaps, I'll finally be able to go home. I'd be in the garden, lazing around and taking in the scenery, like old times. Dad and I could go take the Bell-copter for a spin again, assuming he's forgiven me for the Black Hawk incident which ultimately landed me in Bad Company. Maybe I could help my brother start that business of his. Mom could bake some more chocolate cookies for us, and maybe I could invite the squad over for a barbecue once a month. Perhaps Mom could get Sarge to open up more and make him grin in spite of himself. “You got a good Mom, Pres,” Sarge once told me when he asked about family. “You ought to count your blessings.” My Mom could easily get anyone to smile, no matter how bad their day might be. She was golden and beautiful...
“Preston? Preston Marlowe?”
I stirred up from my dream and sat up. Rubbing my eyes clear, I saw six ponies surrounding me. Four of them eyed me with wide-eyed curiosity, though the pink one seemed more cheerful than the rest. The yellow one was really timid as even one glance caused her to cower behind her blue friend, who was glaring at me with suspicious intent.
I yawned. “That's me. And you are?”
The purple one introduced herself first. “Please excuse me for intruding on you. My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she said, bowing her head. She gestured to each of her friends. “And these are my friends, Applejack...” the orange one took off her stetson hat, pulled it over her chest, and bowed her head, saying, 'Howdy'. She had a southern accent, just like Haggard. “Rarity...” the white one said, 'How do you do', with a mid-Atlantic accent. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash...” the yellow one just squeaked and cowered behind the blue one, who was still glaring at me. “And last, but not least, Pinkie Pie.”
The pink one got up close to me. Too close. Her grin was wide and her eyes wide with excitement. “HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! You're new around here so I would have to throw you a 'Welcome to Equestria' party! Although, all of my party stuff is back in Ponyville, so you'll have to wait until we return to Ponyville to throw you a party. It also gives me time to invite everypony to your party, so that way, you can meet new friends! Doesn't that sound fun?”
I blinked. “Um, yeah. I guess.”
Pinkie Pie giggled, stepping aside as she let Applejack and Rarity come forward. “So, you're the one who saved Sweetie Belle last night?” Rarity asked, before bowing her head. “You have my deepest gratitude. Thank you so much for saving my sister and her friends.”
“Yes, thank you,” Applejack added. “I don't know what I would've done had you not showed up last night and saved them. We're all in your debt.”
“Shucks, it was nothing,” I grinned. “How are they, by the way?”
“They're all still in shock about what happened last night, but they're slowly recovering,” Rarity explained. “Sweetie's ankle has healed up thanks to Zecora's remedy, so there's no need for concern.”
“Apple Bloom is doing fine, and so is Scootaloo,” Applejack said. “But that does not mean I'm letting her off the hook so easily. She's got a lot of chores to do this weekend, and if she wants to be able to go on that school trip next month, she'd better learn her lesson and get everything done lickety split.”
I couldn't help but laugh a little. Reminds me of the times when I got in trouble as a kid and how my parents would give me extra work as punishment. “Well, so long as they're okay, that's all that matters.”
I turned to Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, was it? Celestia mentioned that you and your friends were here to visit me or something. Sorry I slept through the whole day without properly introducing myself. To make up for it, would you like to ask me some questions?”
Her eyes lit up with excitement. “I do! I have so many questions I'd like to ask you: where you're from, what you do, your people...” she stopped mid-sentence, probably noticing me yawning. “...But since it's pretty late, maybe we can talk about it tomorrow morning, once you've gotten some rest.”
“No, it's fine. I can spare some time to answer whatever questions you have, so long as you try and make it brief.” As I leaned back against the tree, I noticed Rainbow Dash still glaring at me. “Though, could you get your friend over there to stop looking at me like that?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to face her friend. “Rainbow, we've been through this already. Princess Celestia trusts him, so we should do the same as well.”
Rainbow Dash huffed. “Alright, fine.” She then faced me, saying, “Look, I'm grateful that you saved Scootaloo and the girls. Really, I am. But just so we're clear, if you try anything funny around here, I'll make you regret it. You got that, buster?”
I shrugged. “Not like I'm gonna be able to do anything, but alright.”
With everyone now in a somewhat relaxed mood, Twilight Sparkle procured a roll of parchment paper and an ink quill as she prepared to question me. Looking at the size of the parchment, something tells me that this whole interview would take a long time. It was then I noticed Fluttershy, who at first was very timid around me, was now gazing at me with childlike curiosity.
“My,” she whispered, before grabbing a hold of my hand. “You don't have claws like a dragon, nor paws, but hands. Are you a gorilla?”
Applejack stifled a chuckle. “He sure doesn't look like a monkey to me.”
I smirked. “Well, not exactly. Although, us humans did evolve from primates millions of years ago.”
“You evolved from primates?” Twilight asked, scribbling down the information on the parchment roll.
“Well, that's what I was taught, according to my science teacher. Though we share some characteristics of the common ape, our ancestors certainly didn't originate from apes.
“But I'm sure you didn't come out this late to learn about human evolution,” I yawned. “Tell you what, why don't you ask me some of the important questions for tonight, and we can save the minuscule questions like human history for another day.”
“O-of course,” Twilight nodded. “Sorry, I sometimes go a little off topic.”
“Don't we all,” I laughed. “Now, what is it that you'd like to ask about me?”
“Well, to start off, can you tell me a bit about yourself and where you're from?”
“Certainly,” I nodded. “I already told most of it to Celestia earlier, but I'll give you a simpler version. I come from a planet called Earth, and yes, I know, both our planets have the same name. Don't ask me why, cause I don't know. My country, a slice of paradise called the United States of America, is where I'm originally from. I was born and raised there. Great place to live if you like peace, freedom, and apple pie.”
“It does sounds like another Equestria to me,” Applejack chuckled
“And according to Princess Celestia, you're a soldier with the 'United States'?” Twilight asked.
“Yup. Joined up when I got out of high school. Been in service for about nine years.”
“And why did you join the military?”
“Various reasons,” I briefly replied. “But let's just say for now that it was mostly family tradition. My grandfather served. My father served.”
“Do you enjoy serving in your country's military?”
I gave a breathless laugh. “If you don't mind getting sent to fight an entire army by yourself, all just to avoid court martial, then yeah, it's super fun!”
At my response, everyone just looked at me with awkward silence. I rubbed my head sheepishly, realizing how confusing my answer was. “You know what, let's just save that story for another time,” I coughed. “If you must know, I enjoy serving, more or less. I am a patriot after all, and I'll continue to be one until the day I die.”
Twilight nodded as she continued to scribble in her scroll. “Which brings me to my next question. Princess Celestia mentioned that back where you're from, your country is currently at war with another nation. If you don't mind me asking, why is that?”
I sighed, leaning further back into the tree. “It's something I don't like to talk about too much, but since I only gave Celestia a brief description about it earlier today, I guess it's only fair that I give you the full details. If you and your friends can stomach it, that is.”
Twilight and her friends looked at each other, contemplating through facial expressions on whether or not they want to hear this story. After a pause, they nodded to one another with determination, though Fluttershy seemed a bit hesitant. “By all means, please tell us about this war going on in your world.”
So they really want to hear the ugly side of humanity at this time of night? Well, you reap what you sow.
“What I can tell you is this,” I began. “Since the dawn of mankind, humans have constantly been at war with each other. Whether it'd be for good or ill, we always find a reason to kill one another.”
Pinkie gasped. “He said the 'K' word!”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring Pinkie's remark, before continuing. “Ever since we've declared independence in 1776, America has been involved in many wars with other nations and itself. Through all these conflicts, no matter how tough things were, the one thing that always kept us united was our fight to preserve freedom and democracy. Not just for ourselves, but for the whole world. At least, that's what they told us back in elementary school.
“America has always prided itself as being the greatest nation in the world. And how can you deny it? A land of free and brave men, where you can live in peace without any fear of persecution or discrimination. Many Americans will say that's the main reason their country is the greatest world, and maybe they're right. However, there are those who disagree with our way of life; those who believe that freedom and democracy are corrupt and impure, and that the only way to achieve world peace is by ruling with an iron fist. That's where the Russians come in.”
“Russians?” Twilight asked. “Are they humans like you?”
I couldn't help but chuckle at how clueless Twilight was, despite her being the smartest of the group. “Well, obviously. To put it simply for you, they're humans from another country in my world. That country they're from is called Russia, and they speak a language, which is, you guessed it, Russian. There's a lot of countries with different languages, and Russia's one of them. And before you ask, yes, they're the enemy I'm fighting back home.”
“Humans fightin' humans?” Applejack muttered. “That just ain't right.”
I continued. “For years, Russia and America had always been at odds with each other on how the world should be run. Americans believe that the world should run as a democratic society, whereas the Russians believe that the world should be ruled with a more authoritarian style. You know, a little bit of violence here, some persecution there, and everyone falls in line.”
“So, why are you at war with 'em in the first place?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea,” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Though we've always had disagreements in the first place, none of us had the guts to engage in an all-out war with each other, cause if we did, that would spell the end of civilization itself.”
Rarity blinked in surprise. “Whatever do you mean by that, darling?”
“To understand this, we need to go way back,” I began. “Don't worry, though. I'll keep it brief, cause I'd really like to go back to sleep soon.
“About seventy years ago, America was involved in a major conflict to stop some tyrannical despot from ruling the world. It was one of the deadliest wars in human history, and the whole world was involved in stopping them. Including the Russians.”
“So, you were allies with the Russians back then?” Twilight questioned.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Crazy how things turned out to be. In this case, it was 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Anyways, long story short, the tyrannical overlord and his 'mighty' army were crushed by the might of the allied powers, and peace returned to the world. Or so we thought.
“As a means to hasten the end of the war, the United States developed a new kind of weapon that would force the surrender of one of its enemies: the nuclear bomb. It was a weapon of mass destruction, capable of leveling cities to ruins and covering a wide area with its poisonous radiation to kill off anything living there, be it plant, animal, or human. The bomb worked as it was built to be, and you'd think its devastating results would be enough to serve as a reminder on why we should never wage war ever again. Well, that wasn't the case. The Russians started making their own version of the bomb, and America, not wanting to be left in the dust, evolved their nuclear arsenal. Over the years, both sides kept making more of these bombs, building them to be bigger and badder, to the point they could just fly across the globe and strike at any target. If we wanted to, we could easily wipe out the entire human race with just a push of a button.”
There was a collective gasp among the ponies.
“My goodness...” Rarity gasped.
“Ain't possible!” Applejack exclaimed.
Fluttershy whimpered, hiding behind Rainbow Dash, who was glaring at me for scaring her friend with all these stories I was telling. Well hey, you asked for it. If you didn't want to hear any of this, you could've just gone back to your room earlier.
“But knowing that fact has actually stopped any big war from happening,” I continued, ignoring Rainbow Dash's glare. “Neither Russia or America is willing to let the nukes fly in a war, lest history condemns one of them for being the destroyer of the human race. In a way, it's a good thing the bombs exist. It made us talk out our differences rather than go for the ammo.”
“Unfortunately, that's not what it seems like for you,” Twilight stated bluntly.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Despite all we've done to try and coexist with one another, the Russians wanted war. After years of putting up with our influence on the global order, they had enough. About two years ago, they declared war on what they called 'western imperialism' and started an invasion of the entire world. We were completely caught off guard. Within days, weeks, and months, many of our allied nations fell to the Russian occupation, and before long, they had their sights set on America.
“Which brings us to our current situation back home. Not too long ago, the Russians attempted an invasion from our southern border. Thanks to our combined efforts, however, we've managed to halt the invasion in its tracks, though it only gave us a brief respite. Shortly after, we got word that the Russians were moving towards our northern border, immediately taking control of one of our states in the north, as well as our northern neighbour, Canada.”
“What's Canada?” Pinkie couldn't help but ask.
I gave a short chuckle. “It's another country on Earth. You could say that they're sort of like America, but more...polite, I guess? The only difference is that their gun laws suck, but hey, at least they got maple syrup and ketchup chips, so there's an upside to it.
“Anyways, back to the story. I arrived in Canada yesterday to help liberate one of the cities and push back the Russians. On our way there, we got ambushed and had no choice but to fall back. I stayed behind to cover my buddies, but then I got wounded. Last thing I remember was finding that glowing pocket watch, before waking up to find myself here in your world. And the rest is history.”
“I see,” Twilight nodded, scribbling the final few notes. “So your story does match up with what the girls told us about last night.”
“Celestia confirmed it as well,” I added. “It's not something new anymore.”
As everyone sat there, taking in everything I've just said, Fluttershy finally broke the silence and asked, “D-does this mean that you and that other country now have to use those...bombs on each other?” Her eyes welled up with tears. “Because you're at war with them now, are all the humans going to...going to...die? That's not right...” She sobbed, trying to brush away the streams of tears down her cheeks. “That's not right...”
Seeing one of her friends upset, Pinkie started to tear up before going over to hug Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash gently patted Fluttershy's head, trying to comfort her. “Hey, don't look at it that way, Flutters,” she assured. “I'm sure the humans aren't that stupid to wipe themselves out that easily, right?” For the first time since our meeting, Rainbow Dash didn't glare at me for whatever reason, but instead looked towards me with an expression that said, “hey, say something that'll make her feel better”.
All eyes, except for Fluttershy, were on me now, wondering what my answer to them would be. The truth was, even though we were officially at war with Russia, everything was still the same as it was; how neither side had the balls to use the nukes, so far. Although there were times that each side threatened to nuke the other, the reality was that we were all too scared to use the nukes because of what it could do to the human race. Still, it's kinda my fault I scared her with my story, so I should at least try to calm her down.
I went over to Fluttershy, getting her attention as she looked up to me with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. Carefully, I brought my hand above her hand, gauging her reaction. When it didn't look like she wanted to move away from me, I gently patted her on the head, giving a comforting smile.
“Fluttershy, there's no need to worry. We're not going to use the nukes just because we're at war with each other. Yes, having these weapons is stupid, and I wish they never existed in the first place, but as I've said earlier, the fact that these bombs are so devastating is the reason why neither of us would ever use them in the first place. That's not to excuse their existence in the first place, but at least it gives those in power to try and find a peaceful way of ending the war instead of wanting to end it all. Perhaps one day, when the war is over and we become friends again, we can go back to talking about disarming those terrible weapons so that they can never be used ever again.”
I gazed up to the moon, thinking about home. “It's all the more reason for me to get back home as soon as possible. To see that this war is won in favour of the United States. I've got no doubts that America will be triumphant, but I want to see it for myself. To see that Sarge, Haggard, and Sweetwater make it out alive.” I closed my eyes, seeing the faces of my family in my mind. “To be with Mom, Dad, and Darren again.”
I slowly opened my eyes and glanced back at the ponies, who were giving me odd looks – the kind you see when someone catches you doing something idiotic. I coughed nervously, feeling my face getting warm with embarrassment. “Sorry. I don't know why I said all that, but you get my meaning.”
As I tried to regain my composure, Fluttershy surprised us all when she gently took my hand into her hooves. She smiled warmly. “You are very kind, Preston. At first, I thought you were scary, but all you want to do is protect those around you. I think that's very noble of you. I truly hope you will soon find your way home and be with your family again.”
I was taken aback by her sudden change of character, but nonetheless, I felt relieved that she was feeling better again. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” I nodded in appreciation. “That's very kind of you to say. And I'm sorry for scaring you earlier with my stories.”
“It's alright,” she said. “It doesn't bother me too much anymore.”
“Looks like you two are getting along just fine,” Applejack chuckled. “Guess you are as good as Apple Bloom and the others have mentioned. Wouldn't you agree, Rainbow?”
Rainbow Dash just smirked. “Yeah, yeah. You're alright, I guess.” She suddenly put up a serious expression and got close to my face. “But as I've said earlier, mess with my friends, and you'll catch these hooves. Are we clear on this?”
“Crystal,” I said bluntly, somewhat irked by her attitude. She then let out a small smile and patted me on the shoulder.
“Then we got nothing else to worry about,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Ooh, this would be a great time to throw a party!” Pinkie chirped. “Except I left my party supplies back home. Oh well! Once we get back to Ponyville, we can throw a grand party for you!”
Everyone got a good laugh from Pinkie's response. It seems that everyone's mood was a whole lot better now that I've managed to cheer up Fluttershy. Twilight looked like she was about to ask me more questions – specifically ones that were more lighthearted compared to the horrors I've just explained – but I think this was a good time to call it a night.
“Welp,” I yawned. “As much as I want to enjoy this 'jovial atmosphere', I think I'm going to call it a night and head back to my room. We can talk more in the morning. Is that okay with you, Twilight?”
“O-of course,” Twilight nodded, feeling a bit disappointed that we had to cut this meeting short. “We'll talk more in the morning, and hopefully, Princess Celestia will figure out the next step on where to go with you.”
“Let's hope so. Otherwise, I'll be stuck here for God knows how long.”
With that, I turned my back towards them and started making my way back to the guest suite. However, I stopped myself at my third step, realizing that throughout our conversation tonight, I had not even had the chance to ask these ponies a question. And there was one question that's been nagging me since my arrival.
“Oh, by the way, I'm sure you've all heard about my arrival here thanks to a magical pocket watch.” I turned around to face Twilight. “Sweetie Belle mentioned you're the smartest around here, and said that you might know something about these spells and what not. So, here's my question for you: do you happen to know anything about this teleporting watch?”
For some reason, when I asked her that question, Twilight seemed a little nervous. Something was off. When she didn't respond, Applejack stepped in.
“It's quite simple, Preston,” she chuckled. “The reason that watch was able to bring you here was because-”
“We're still figuring that out!” Twilight suddenly blurted as she covered Applejack's mouth with her hoof. “We have some theories on how you might have ended up here, but we haven't been able to confirm them yet. We'll know more in the morning.”
“Twilight...” Applejack said in a low voice.
“I'm sorry we haven't figured out the cause, but hopefully, Princess Celestia will have a clear answer for you tomorrow.”
Twilight was obviously hiding something from me. I thought about pressing her further, but decided against it. Besides, what do I know about magic? “In any case, this is where we go our separate ways. It was good meeting you all, though. I'll see you all in the morning. Have a good night.”
And just like that, we all went our separate ways. I must say, I think I handled this whole meeting better than I thought. I guess that means I've made some new friends in this world now. Can't help but wonder where this is all going to lead up to in the end? More importantly, how am I even going to get back to my world? More questions and still no answers. Hopefully tomorrow will provide me with the answers I need.
******
“Why didn't you let me tell him the truth?” Applejack asked moments after Preston had left the garden.
“I'm sorry, Applejack,” Twilight sighed. “But I just couldn't bear to see what would happen if he found out that I was responsible for bringing him here. He might get angry at me. Or worse.”
“Ah, you’re overreacting, Twilight,” Applejack said. “After how he just cheered up Fluttershy and started getting along with us, do you really think he's gonna blow a fuse just because you accidentally teleported him here?”
“You're probably right,” Twilight murmured. “But still...”
“Oh, quit worrying, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash barged in. “Based on what I've seen of him, I don't think he's that bad. Besides, you know I'll have your back if he tries something.”
“See, even Rainbow Dash agrees,” Applejack stated. “How about I go tell him the truth so that we don't have to tell him in the morning?”
“No!” Twilight held Applejack back. “No, just...I-I'll tell him in the morning. I promise. Just...let him rest for the night, please?”
Applejack gave Twilight a hard look before she finally resigned herself, deciding to follow her friend's wish. “Alright fine,” she sighed. “You can tell him in the morning. But just so you know, if you change your mind at the last minute, either I or the Princess will tell him.”
“Then if we're done here, can we please head back to our rooms?” Rarity yawned. “I'd really like to get back to my beauty sleep rather than argue about the who or what of things.”
“Sure thing, Rarity,” Applejack nodded. “Come on, let's get back to our rooms.”
And with that, the six ponies made their way back into the castle for rest, awaiting for the uncertain but exciting morning that was to come.