//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Library // Story: Iron Eyes // by Dramaro //------------------------------// When Rainbow, Applejack, and I entered the library, I realized something. The tree was still alive! Somehow, maybe through magic, the tree was left unharmed by its conversion to a home. Books of numerous kinds were kept neatly in shelves that ran around the the circular room. I looked up to see that small crystals in light fixtures served to illuminate the room as did natural sunlight. “Twilight! We need ya down here!” Applejack exclaimed. Hearing the sound of hoof against wood, I turned to see a uniform mare with a lavender coat walking down the stairs. Her mane was kept in a angular style with bangs that covered her forehead, leaving her horn to poke through and separating a pink band that ran its length. She was a bit smaller than Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and unlike the two, she didn’t seem to be muscular like them. Unusually, she reminded me of a young Indian girl who works at the police department I work at. “What in Celestia did you two bring here?” Twilight asked.         Applejack was the first to speak it. “This here is Roya Sayid. She seems to bit in a bit of a jam.”         “What are you?” Twilight asked me.         With a weak smile I quickly explained who I was and what had happened. “And then I ran into Applejack here... I was hoping you might have some sort of way of bringing me back home.”                  Twilight’s ears dropped and from the look of her face, I knew that she didn’t have what I was looking for. “That’s ok. I guess I’ll look for someone else...” I said. I began to walk away towards the door, dejected at the realization that I would have to search again.         “Wait!” Twilight called out. “Maybe I can be of some help.”         “How?” I asked.         “Maybe Princess Celestia can bring you back! The spell to send you home is probably really powerful, powerful enough that I’d be high strung to do it. Princess Celestia probably has the spell on hoof and she can easily cast it.”         “How so? Isn’t she a regular pony like you and your friends?”         Twilight shook her head. “She’s an alicorn, a pony with the traits of all three races. She moves the sun itself.”         I looked at Twilight in bewilderment and curiosity. Did she just say Equestria’s ruler controls the sun? “You’re making it sound like your princess is some sort of... god.”         “Well, that wouldn’t be that far from the truth. In fact, Celestia was revered when she first appeared over three millennia ago.”         “That’s... actually good news. Thank you Twilight. Maybe your Celestia can help me get back home.”         A smile appeared on her face. “So, who moves your sun?” Twilight asked.         “The sun.... well it doesn’t move.”         “Doesn’t move?”         “The Earth itself orbits the sun as do the other seven planets. It’s all done naturally, due to gravity.”         “So you’re saying the same force that keeps us on the ground is the same force moving your sun...err planet around?”         I nodded. “Yes. In fact, the only exception is graviton generators but they’re only used to make gravity in smaller applications.”         “Gravi... How?”         I sighed and slowly began explaining human technology; that we had discovered a way to bend space itself so to move starships at speeds approaching light itself. “We also have cybernetics, as are my eyes, and every household across the solar system is powered by electricity.”         “How... How are you able to do all this?”         “Fusion. We learned at first to break atoms apart and now, we can form them together. We can create its opposites, antimatter, and annihilate the two for power as well. There’s a quote I remember. ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’.”         “So... You are able to make... miniature stars for power yet... you don’t have magic?”         I nodded. I was afraid these facts might have been a bit jarring to Twilight but she became understanding. “Do... you have anything on you?”         I thought for a moment before realizing my phone. With quick fingers, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and turned the screen on. “This is a cell phone. It’s a mobile device that allows me to communicate with other people and can do other things. Have you ever heard of a computer?”         Twilight nodded and I was surprised ponies even had the technology to produce one. “Um... We do, but nothing that small. The smallest computer I know of is the size of a large room and they use crystals to store magic in a form of logic gates.”         “We do something similar. Originally, we used electrons  via electrically conductive metals. Now, we use light itself. They call them optronics and are extremely small. My phone alone is more powerful than anything you currently have.”         My phone suddenly turned off and realized that the battery had died on me. For a moment, I thought of it was nothing until I remembered a very crucial detail. My own eyes. “This isn’t good...”         Applejack frowned. “What’s the problem, Roya?”         “My eyes... My eyes are cybernetics. Basically an optronic chip allows my eyes to work with my brain and allow me to see. They run on batteries and, just like the phone, they won’t last much longer.”         “How long?”         “I don’t know... Usually an indicator will pop up to tell me but it doesn’t last long. My eyes have to be recharged every now and then. I have the recharging mask... but I can see that there’s obviously no socket for me to plug in.”         Twilight frowned and stared at me for a moment before realizing something. “I know! Can... Can I see your recharging mask?”         I was curious to what she was planning but, understanding that it wouldn’t hurt, I pulled the black cloth covered device out. It was shaped like any sleeping mask but with a cord running out of the band. It connected to a plug that I kept wrapped up.         “How does it recharge your eyes?”         I pointed to a spot near my temple. “Under my skin is a cable running to my cybernetics. The mask wirelessly recharges my eyes.”         Twilight understood what I said and I held the mask up to her. I watched her close her eyes and suddenly, her horn began to glow with a violet color. Slowly, sparks began to form around her horn until they jumped onto the mask. I was surprised to see the small LED on the side beginning to turn on. Eventually, Twilight finished the spell and I gave her a hug, thankful for her gift.         “Thank you!” I said.         “No...problem...Ca’nt... breathe!”         “Oh, sorry.” I quickly released Twilight from my painful grasp and stared at the mask. The charge would last me a good few more days. “Could you do it with phones?”         “I don’t see what not. As long as I don’t overload it, it should be fine.”         I allowed Twilight to recharge my phone and again, I was grateful for her help. Noticing that Applejack and Dash were still here, I turned to them. “Thank you, both, for helping me! I doubt anyone else would have done the same.”         Applejack smiled. “Aw shucks, yer makin’ me blush!”         “No problem!” exclaimed Dash. “It’s the least I could do!”         Suddenly, Applejack jumped up looking like she had realized something. “Ah forgot! Ah havet’a pick up Apple Bloom! Sorry t’ cut this short but ah gotta go!”         I nodded. “Then let me say something from home. Ma'a salama” I smiled and, even though none of the ponies understood the language, the message was still understood. “Thanks and ah hope to see ya soon!” With that, Applejack quickly left. I said my thanks and good-bye to Dash as well, and, with an exit, she left through flying. I turned around to see Twilight standing there with a notepad and a quill floating within her magical grasp. “I have a few more questions!”         I chuckled a little and decided to pass the time by answering a few questions. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” --- The day quickly passed without a thought. I had been talking with Twilight, explaining things about my world and learning a bit about hers. For one, Twilight was one of these “Elements of Harmony” which were powerful artifacts of magic. Apparently, she and her friends had used them to cure Luna, Princess of the Moon, of a corruption and Stopped a chaos spirit from changing everything into his image. They also had helped thwart the plans of Queen Chrysalis, head of the changelings. It was then I told Twilight, that in my world, there were demons called succubi who lived on love, or rather, lust of men, and that changelings were also mythical creatures of humans, though not like their changelings. We continued to talk for a moment and Twilight even made tea for the both of us. It wasn't as good as chai but it was tasty enough. We went through numerous topics ranging from culture to even religion, though that was rather one sided.         “So... Who is this.. God you mentioned?”         “Well, we don’t have physical gods like Celestia and Luna so humanity has developed different theological ideas. For example, the most well known religion in my world is Christianity. They believe in a singular infinite being who created all things, good and bad. Apparently, he had sent down his only begotten son as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Though some may not believe what I’m about to say, I do consider the god, Allah, from my religion to be the same god Christians believe in, though I think of Jesus as more of a holy prophet, not the son of God.”         “Really? Is there any way of contacting this God?” Twilight asked.         I shook my head. “Nobody knows if he truly exists or not. The Hindus believe in millions of gods and then, there are people who don’t believe at all. It may seem strange, and it has, in fact, caused thousands of wars and strife, sadly. But it has also brought peace and harmony across the world. Christians are called to be selfless and help those in need. We, Muslims, are called to follow specific rules and live a way of life. Hindus believe that, at death, they get resurrected in a new body and that, depending if they lived a good or bad life, they go to a higher form or fall to a lower form.”         “That’s... That’s beautiful! There must have been thousands of stories for these religions!”         “Yes, there are. Now, may I ask, are ponies the only beings, besides changelings, in this world?”         Twilight shook her head. “There’s cows, donkeys, griffons, dragons, and many more! What about your world?”         I frowned and shook my head. “No. We humans are alone. We’ve checked all other planets in the solar system and the closest we have ever found was simple marine life in deep oceans. Still, none show intelligence.”         “Really? So, who governs your world?”         “We are not united, Twilight. Humans live in many countries that range from the size of a city to being three giant planets alone. I, for example, was born in a northern country in the Arabian Peninsula on Earth, while my friend Aethra, was born on the planet Mars.”         “Mars? How... How was she born there?”         “Didn’t I tell you? We humans have colonized other planets. Mars is the only terraformed planet. Literally, we changed it to become Earth-like.”         “Wow! How?”         “You’d be surprised what simple algae and plankton can do.”         Twilight simply looked in awe before writing what I said down. Suddenly, the familiar sound and the rumbling of my stomach occurred. “I guess I’ve forgotten the last time I ate.”         With a smile, Twilight went to the kitchen for a moment before returning with two sandwiches. Levitating it down in front of me, I noticed that it had a few daisies in it. I stared at it for a moment before picking it up in my hands with a frown on my face.         “Is there something wrong?” Twilight asked.         I nodded. “I can’t eat this...”         “Too much lettuce?”         “No, it’s the flower. We humans can’t properly eat extremely fibrous plant stuff like hay.”         “Then what do you humans eat?”         I paused for a moment. “Humans are... omnivorous. We eat fruits, vegetables, and meats. Though we can eat starches and some grains.”                  “Did you say... meat?”         I could tell Twilight was disturbed by the idea. Being a herbivorous species, it would be understandable that meat eating was taboo for them as was the consumption of unclean or unusual animals in many human cultures. “Yes Twilight... We humans need meat to survive, mostly for protein and iron and other thing, though there are vegetarian diets.”         “Do you... eat meat?”         I nodded. “I do but I can only eat certain kinds and depending on how it’s prepared. It’s religious dietary laws.”         “Could you... not eat meat while you’re here?”         “Yes. That would be for the best. It’s not like meat is the only thing we eat.”         Twilight sighed a bit before taking my sandwich back. it didn’t take long for her to prepare a new one, this time edible by human standards. Taking a bite, I noticed that it was quite delicious. I gave Twilight a reassuring smile and she seemed to calm down.         We continued to talk, this time more on recent events in Equestria. In urn, I told Twilight events in my world, such as the United States getting a new president, the king of England visiting other countries, and other things. --- Standing in the dark and moist cave was a dangerous creature. It was a mixture of equine and insectoid with hard chitinous exoskeleton. Its legs contained numerous holes while a jagged and ugly horn protruded from its forehead. Unlike its companions, this one changelings did not have pupiless blue eyes and stood taller than its children.         “My children. We may have been hurt and scattered across the winds but we’ve regrouped and are growing strong!” It shouted. It’s voice was strange, like if a hundred voices were talking at once. “The scouts have discovered something... interesting.”         The changelings before the leader cried in joy with their wings buzzing furiously.         “A creature said to grant wishes. A creature of pure fire! This... jinn, as some call it, will give us the power to defeat Princess Celestia and take all of Equestria! We will feast until the end of times!”         The crowd went wild with only a few curious about what this jinn creature was.         The Queen of the changelings, Chrysalis smirked at seeing all her children jumping with joy. It had taken them months but they had recovered and regrouped. Constantly, changelings would infiltrate small villages and ponynap loved ones to feed on the. Their fear and love for home with their significant others fueled the hive like never before. It was one to passively consume love but forcefully taking it was intoxicating and more efficient. Ponies could be contained and act as continuous batteries until they withered away as emotionless husks. After that, they’d be thrown out or their bodies turned into organic materials to construct organic buildings, weapons, and tools.         Feeling the joy of her children through the hive mind, Chrysalis could pinpoint any changeling out of the swarm just by thinking about it. Suddenly, she felt the voice one of her scouts speaking to her.         “Have you secured a proper path, scout?” Chrysalis internally spoke.         “Yes. This... jinn is hiding in a cave within the bordering areas of Saddle Arabia. It won’t take much long to travel. There is only one problem...”         “What? We cannot delay!”         “The jinn... it’s sealed away. The writing on its container states only a “human” can unleash the jinn.”         “What is a human?”         “A strange bipedal creature of another dimension. The libraries here have a few ... fictitious ideas about them. Lacking real magic, they utilize unique contraptions and machines to do their bidding. These machines are powered by their own kind of magic that we cannot even begin to understand.”         “I’ll be arriving there soon. Make sure you are not found and report to me personally on any updates!”         The scout understood and quickly disconnected himself from the hive mind as a safety precaution. Turning back, he stared at the strange golden trimmed box. A large flat opaque glass sat on top of it. “We need to find a human...”         Back at the central hive, Queen Chrysalis relaid the message to all changelings to the far reaches of the world. “My children! Our plans call for a powerful strange being. It is a bipedal ape like creature with little to no hair. Find it, and bring it to me!”         The changelings responded with an affirmative and began moving out. Some would temporarily break the connection while others stayed. Each one was loyal to the very end and knowing this, Chrysalis knew she’d find the human one way or another.