Making his way across the university’s grounds, Hunter felt surprisingly at ease in his surroundings; Canterlot University was remarkably similar to the one he had attended back on Earth. He found himself maneuvering through dozens of ponies moved in every direction as they went about their way, most so focused on what they were doing they didn’t give Hunter a second look. Eventually, he arrived at one of the newer looking buildings; he glanced at the note that Stargazer had given him then up at the building’s name. Seeing that they matched he pulled the door open and entered.
Navigating his way through the halls, it took Hunter a few minutes to find the office he was looking for. He paused for a moment, readying himself for whatever was on the other side; Hunter reached out and knocked on the door. A female voice called out from the other side of the door, “Oh, by Celestia’s mane; if one of you set something on fire again…” the mare trailed off as she opened the door and saw Hunter standing there. “Oh, umm… sorry, I thought that you were somepony else.”
“It’s alright.” Hunter said as he looked down at the mare in front of him; she was a gray earth pony with a light blue mane and a bronze gear for a cutie mark.
Recovering from her shock, the mare gave the human a warm smile. “Yes, umm, I’m Professor Widget, but I’m guessing you already knew that; and you must be Hunter, the human who’s visiting our fair country, something you also probably already knew… right, so if you’ll come with me, we’ll get started.”
Widget led Hunter down several more halls until they reached a door with several warning signs on it. “Watch your step, try not to touch anything; things past this door can be dangerous, but you saw the signs and probably knew that already…” Widget said as she pushed the door open. Inside was a vast array of monitoring equipment, half build machines and piles of parts scattered around the room. “We use this room for testing any kind of machine one of our students invents. Most are based on magic, but some are powered by lightning, so please be careful.”
As Hunter followed the mare into the room, another pony emerged from behind one of the stacks of parts. “Widget, is that you?” The tan stallion asked, before he spotted Hunter standing there. “Ah, you must be Hunter, I’m Professor Gearbox; glad you could make it. Is it safe to assume to think you have an idea why we wanted to you?”
“Probably;” Hunter said with a small shrug as he glanced around the room. “Judging by everything around us, that were at the university, both yours and Professor Widget’s marks, and that have made mention of some of the technology humans have; you wish to ask me about it.”
“We do indeed.” Gearbox answered. “Now, this shouldn’t take too long.”
Hunter lost track of time as the conversation rolled on; the two ponies questioned the human about everything they could think of. They found that the answers that Hunter gave went against what they were expecting. Sometimes, the technology seemed remarkably similar to what ponies had, and other time it widely differed, and still other times he spoke about concepts that had never occurred to ponies. “The moon?” Widget said in surprise. “Humans actually managed to get to their moon?”
“Yeah, I mean it took a lot of work, and only about a dozen people have been up there, but they did it.” Hunter answered.
“That seems almost impossible to believe.” Gearbox added. “Ponies have nothing close to these ‘rockets’. It’s like something out of fiction.”
“Now that’s strange; magical ponies find human technological achievements similar to a story, while the technological human finds the land of pony magic similar. However, truthfully; I find your technology surprisingly…” Hunter trailed off as he tried to find the right word. “Anachronistic; you have complex digital technology for you sound and music production; your medical technology seems almost on par with what we have back on Earth; you have electrical lighting; yet your main form of long distance transportation is a steam powered train. Not to mention that you have a city in the sky, yet no mechanized flight.”
“Well, we do have balloons for non-pagasi flight, as well as carriages that are pulled by pegasi, and we have hang gliders.” Widget explained. “So it’s not like we don’t have any idea about flight for non-pegasi.”
Hunter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I just don’t understand this world at all.” Hunter muttered. “As soon as I think I have a handle on this world someone goes and says something like that.”
“Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I made you upset.”
“No, it’s nothing you said; it’s just that sometimes I forget just how different Equestria is.”
“I guess that is true,” Gearbox commented, “from what you’ve said of human technology I suppose that a pony would have trouble adjusting to your world.”
“I think maybe we’ve taken enough of you time for today.” Widget added. “We’ve covered quite a bit, why don’t you head back to the palace, it will take some time for us to compile all of the notes we took.”
“Yes, that may be best for now;” Gearbox agreed. “And thank you for speaking with us for so long.”
“You're welcome, Professor.”
Having eaten a small dinner alone, and exhausted from the day’s events Hunter trudged his way up the castle stairway towards his room. I go from doing nothing, to completely exhausting myself in just two days. He thought to himself as he pushed the door open. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have less to do. Allowing the door to swing close behind him, Hunter managed to make it over to the bed before he collapsed on it.
Moments later Hunter found himself standing near a cliff edge, surrounded by cherry trees in full bloom. His had shot out and snatched a small group of pedals that were floating through the air. He rubbed the delicate pedals between his thumb and forefinger; This… how did I get here? Hunter asked himself; And just where is here? He lifted his head to look around. The first thing he noticed was the sun slowly disappearing over the western horizon. As the light slowly dimmed, he could make out a figure standing at the edge of the cliff, facing out over the water. As Hunter slowly approached, he was able to make out more details of the figure; she was a mare whose coat was pure black, had an ethereal mane that was reminiscent of the night sky, her wings and horn made her an alicorn. Her voice was melancholy, but held an unearthly beauty.
Ask not the sun why she sets
Why she shrouds her light away
Or why she hides her glowing gaze
When night turns to crimson gold to grey
For silent falls the guilty sun
As day to dark does turn
One simple truth she dare not speak
Her light can only blind and burn
No mercy for the guilty
Bring down their lying sun
Blood so silver black by night
Upon their faces pale white
Cruel moon, bring the end
The dawn will never rise again
As her song ended, the mare turned around, her glowing eyes studding Hunter. “Who… what are you, and how did you get here?” She demanded.
“I’m Hunter, a human.” He answered, eyes narrowing as he studded the alicorn in front of him. “All I know is that I was in my room, and now I’m here.”
The alicorn slowly circled the human. “Your body is still in your room;” she explained, “this is the realm of dreams.”
“This is a dream? It seems remarkably realistic.”
“It is indeed. Surely you have noticed something here that is different than in the waking world.”
Hunter studded the situation for a moment, looking for something that would back the alicorn’s statement. He looked at the trees, the sun, then finally, to the alicorn herself; which is when he realized how close she was standing to him. She was barely an arm’s distance away from Hunter, yet the human felt no pain like he did with Celestia and Luna. “Alright, say this is a dream; whose dream is it?”
“Yours.” The alicorn said, pointing her hoof at Hunter. “But it is strange that you would dream of me and it not be a frightening experience for you.”
“Why would it be frightening?”
“Because of whom we are; Nightmare Moon. We threatened to cover all of Equestria in our night, never to let the sun rise. We are the evil that all the ponies in the land fears; bent on consuming you flesh and your soul; the thing that will come for you in the dead of night, we are a thing spawned from nightmares.”
“Not from any of mine.” Hunter said, moving past Nightmare Moon to the edge of the cliff. He looked up at the stars that were beginning to fill the sky; he closed his eyes in concentration and the stars began to move and change position, rearranging themselves into different patterns.
“What have you done to my sky?” Nightmare Moon demanded.
“What? You’re the one that said this was my dream.” Hunter said with a small shrug. “I just changed it to one that I was more familiar with.” Hunter laid down on the grass looking up at the newly rearranged night sky. “When I was a kid, I would try to stay up as late as my parents would let me; I would lay out in our back yard and stare up at the night sky; that sky.”
“Are you saying that this is the night sky from your world?”
“I am; it might not be completely accurate, but if you want I can point out the constellations that I can remember.”
Nightmare Moon studded the human for several moments, but found no maliciousness in his words or actions. He had not reacted in fear, or anger, or even like royalty; he spoke to her like she was any average pony. “Why are you doing this?” She asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer he would give.
“I don’t know; maybe because this is a dream and I’m not sure if you’re actually the real Nightmare Moon.” Hunter answered. “Maybe it’s because I treat every pony the same, regardless of who they are. Or maybe it’s because I understand what it’s like to be alone, and I want to reach out to someone who understands.”
“But I don’t understand.” Nightmare Moon said as she sat down next to the prone human. “How are we the same? I was imprisoned here in the land of dreams, to live out eternity in solitude; where as you are surrounded by ponies, and although you can be separate, you are never truly alone.”
“That’s the problem; I’m surrounded by ponies, and an old griffon, but no humans. I am the only one of my kind here.” Hunter explained. “They try to make me feel welcome; like I belong amongst them, but it doesn’t always work. Eventually something reminds me that they are ponies and are different than humans. I’m surrounded by a sea of faces and they are all strangers. So, yes, I do know how it feels to be trapped in solitude.”
“Well, then it does appear that we might have one thing in common.” Nightmare Moon said as she lay down to get a better view of the stars above them. “Now, point out the constellations you were talking about.”
“Alright; that one over there, that Orion the Hunter…”
Hunter woke as the sun crept over the horizon; rolling out of the bed he flinched when his feet touched the cold floor. “Someday I’ll learn.” He sighed. As he slowly got ready for the day, his thoughts were more on the dream he had then of the day ahead of him. After taking twice as long as he normally did, Hunter eventually left his room. Making his way towards the kitchens, Hunter heard someone call out to him.
“Ah, there you are.” Shrouded Armour called out to him. “I’ve been looking for you; wait, are you just getting up now?”
“I’m not that late.” Hunter protested. “What would I even be late for anyways?”
“Nothing today.” Shrouded smirked. “However maybe you’d like to come down to the barracks, maybe we can show you a thing or two.”
“Thing or two about what?”
“I got to thinking; maybe politics isn’t for you, maybe we should find you a place not with them, but mostly it’s because I want to see what happens if I put a human into pony drills.”
“And if I think that sound like a bad idea?”
“Too bad, we’re not giving you a choice.”
“We? Who in this-” Hunter was interrupted when several ponies appeared, grabbed him and carried him off. “What the-? Hey let me go! Shrouded do something!”
A few moment later the group of ponies dropped Hunter onto the floor of the training hall. “Alright Shrouded, you had your fun; now call off your boys and let me go.”
Shrouded shook his head. “Not yet you can’t. Like I said, I want to run you through some drills to see what you can do.”
“Fine let’s get this over with.”
The drills and exercises that Shrouded tried to run Hunter through didn’t go well for the human. At first Hunter seemed incapable of finishing any of the drills; with each one that he attempted only ended in failure, the differences between human and pony bodies made them nearly impossible for him. It didn’t take long until other ponies took notice and watched the spectacle the human was making of himself. For a time, Hunter tried to ignore the other ponies; then he felt driven by their presence, thing to prove he could live up to their standards; finally he felt embarrassed as he failed time after time.
“Alright, since it seems that you can’t do anything else, let’s try kicking.” Shrouded said.
“Kicking?” Hunter asked, confused at what Shrouded wanted him to do. The unicorn led him over to the side of the room; here there were two large sacks in front of an area that had been marked out with measurement lines.
“Private Swiftstrike will demonstrate.” Shrouded explained, and a white pegasus stallion stepped up to one of the sacks. “All you have to do is kick the sack as far as you can.” Shrouded continued as Swiftstrike carried out the action. The pegasus turned and bucked the sack as hard as he could, sending it up into the air, landing several feet away. “Now you try.” Shrouded instructed, then quietly added; “don’t worry, Swiftstrike has never been that good of a bucker.”
Hunter walked over to the sack, and looked it over. After a moment, he sighed then kicked it as hard as he could. The sack merely rose a few inches off the ground before dropping back into the position it had started in. Shrouded Armour placed a hoof on his head in disbelief, while the others began to chuckle at Hunter’s expense. The human said nothing, staring at the sack for several moments in silence.
“Tell me, how much do these sacks weight in comparison to a pony?” He asked Swiftstrike.
“A quarter of their weight.” The pegasus answered.
“That much? You must be a mighty pony to kick something like that as far as you did.” Hunter said as he walked over to the pony, and held his hand out. “If you’d let me shake the hoof of the winner?”
Swiftstrike smiled and accepted Hunter offer and placed his hoof in the human's hand. A sly smile came across the human’s face a he gripped the pony’s hoof. Hunter’s footing suddenly changed as he twisted, bringing the pegasus over his shoulder, throwing the stallion down the range. Swiftstike let out a yelp of surprise as he found himself involuntarily flying through the air, only to come crashing down upon the sack he had kicked into the range only moments ago. The entire room was silent as every pony was trying to process what they had just witnessed. Hunter simply turned as walked passed Shrouded back to the center of the room. “We done?” Hunter asked, “’Cause I kinda want to go get something to eat.”
Shrouded Armour, and the other ponies in the room, stared at Hunter as he silently exited the room.
A flying chariot touched down in the center of the palace grounds. Exiting the palace, Princess Celestia walked over to the chariot to greet its occupant. A lone unicorn with purple fur and a purple mane hopped out of the chariot and raced over to the princess. “Princess Celestia!” the unicorn said joyfully as she nuzzled the alicorn. “It’s so good to see you; I came just like you asked.”
“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, it’s wonderful to see you.” Celestia said. “I’m glad you could make it make it on such short notice.”
“Your letter said something about a pony having a strange reaction to magic, but didn’t mention anything specific.” Twilight said at the two ponies entered the palace. As Celestia passed through the door she waved a pony over. A moment later, Valiant Heart approached the two mares carrying a stack of notes. “There was a specific reason that I left out the details; some of them cannot be explained in a letter.” Celestia explained. “These are the notes that we’ve managed to gather, please take a moment to look them over.”
Valiant Heart passed the notes over to Twilight, who gave Celestia a confused look before taking them. Twilight read over the notes, her eyes growing wider as she went. “Princess, these notes...”
“They are accurate. Would you like to meet him?” Celestia asked with a smile.
“Yes! Yes yes yes yes!” Twilight gleefully shouted as she hopped around.
“Very well, let's go find him.” Celestia smiled as she led Twilight through the palace.
Twilight recognized the hallway that she and Celestia had entered as leading to the guest wing; after traveling down it a short way, Celestia finally stopped at one of the doors. The alicorn raised a hoof and knocked twice on the door, there was a moment of silence before a voice behind the door answered. “You can come in, Princess.” A male voice called out.
Celestia opened the door, and stepped in with Twilight quickly following. Once through the door, Twilight got her first look at the human; he was standing in the center of the room, arms hanging loosely at his sides. “Hello, Hunter.” Celestia greeted the human warmly, then pushed Twilight forwards. “I would like to introduce you to my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Hello Princess.” Hunter replied with a small bow to Celestia. “It’s nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle; wait, the Twilight Sparkle, as in Shining Armour’s little sister?”
“The very same.” Twilight said confidently as she moved closer to Hunter. The human didn’t seem to react to Twilight, instead he focus was on Celestia and the distance between them. “You know my brother?”
“I do; he’s told me about you. Don’t worry, it was mostly good.” Hunter answered, still focused on Celestia.
“I’m sorry, did I miss something?”
“Did you tell her?” Hunter asked, then turned to face Twilight. “It’s nothing bad; but for whatever reason whenever I stand near an alicorn I start getting headaches, and the longer I’m near one the worse it gets.”
“That would explain how you knew it was the Princess as the door.” Twilight deduced.
“It’s how I knew it was a princess, not which one.” Hunter explained. “I take the reason that you’re here is that you’re the magic expert that is supposed to help figure out what’s going on?”
“She is;” Celestia informed him. “And seeing how I’ll probably just be in the way here I’ll leave the two of you to it.” Both Hunter and Twilight gave Celestia a respectful bow as the alicorn turned and exited the room.
“Right, let’s get to it then.” Twilight said with a gleam in her eye; which, for some reason Hunter couldn’t place, caused a shiver to go down his spine.
“This is impossible!” Twilight shouted in frustration. “Why doesn’t anything work?!”
“Relax, Twilight. We’ve only been at this for a few hours.” Hunter tried to calm the unicorn. “Remember, we are dealing with something that no one has ever dealt with before.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense! Everything suggests that either all magic should be harmful to you, or none of it should. So why is it just the passive magic from alicorns affect you negatively?”
“I don’t know,” Hunter shrugged, “and I don’t think we’re going to find the answer today. We should take a break; nothing will be served by getting frustrated or upset.”
“You don’t understand; the princess asked me to find the answer. Me; not you, not any ponyelse, me; if I can’t come up with an answer what kind of student will I be? A failure that’s what I’ll be!”
“Twilight, calm down; the Princess doesn’t expect you to figure this out right away. She’s not expecting you to rub your hooves together and miraculously have the answer.”
“Are you saying that Princess Celestia expects me to fail?” Twilight asked, worried creeping into her eyes.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” Hunter said quickly, desperately trying to keep the unicorn from completely breaking down. “She expects you to be the intelligent, and rational mare that you are.”
“You really think that?”
“I know it; and I also know that sometimes you have to walk away from a puzzle before you can solve it. So how about we take a break; go raid the kitchen or something.”
“Yeah, alright; that does sound pretty good.” Twilight agreed as she calmed herself down.
Twilight led Hunter through a hall filled with stained glass windows. “Why haven’t I seen this room before?” Hunter asked. “I’ve spent almost every day for the last week here in the palace, and I’ve never been in here; is that odd?”
“Not as odd as you think;” Twilight answered; “This part of the palace isn’t used that often, so it’s understandable that you haven’t seen it.”
Hunter walked from one window to the next. “I get it; it’s a pictorial history of Equestria. Wait, is that you?” He asked pointing at one on the windows.
“Yeah, that me and my friends when we defeated Nightmare Moon; And that one;” The unicorn pointed at the next window. “Is us defeating Discord.”
“So that’s what they meant.” Hunter said moving further towards the back of the hall.
“That what who meant?” Twilight asked, confused.
“Oh, your brother and the princesses; they said something about you being an Element of Harmony, and are a hero, but they didn’t really go into details. For that matter, even everything I read was a little vague on what happened.”
“Vague? How so?”
“Well, this Discord guy, the chimera looking thing, both times the Elements were used on him he was turned to stone. Yet when Celestia used them on Nightmare Moon, she banished her sister to the moon; then when Nightmare managed to return and you used the Elements on her, Luna was somehow... ‘cleansed’, of Nightmare’s influence.”
“Well, the theory is that the Elements respond to the desire of the users. When they were used on Discord, both times we wanted to stop him from spreading chaos. However, when Celestia used them on Nightmare Moon, she didn’t want to risk hurting her sister, so she imprisoned her. Later, when my friends and I used them on her, we didn’t know about Luna, so our only goal was to stop Nightmare Moon. The Elements read this desire and saved Luna from Nightmare Moon’s influence.”
“So, just who or what was...” Hunter trailed off as he reached the end of the hall.
“Who was what?” Twilight asked as she moved closer to the human. Hunter gave no reply, instead he stared at the large ornate door that occupied the back wall.
“Twilight, what’s behind the door?” Hunter finally asked after several moment of silence.
“The vault containing the Elements of Harmony, why do you ask?”
“Because my head hurts...”