Chapter Four: Meetings
"Discord." Was the cold response from Twilight, looking up as the spirit do chaos who was currently treating the ceiling of the room as a floor. This lack of feeling was due to her continued distrust of the spirit of chaos, which was only heightened after the passing of her friends.
"I've missed you too Twilight my dear." Discord said from his place on the ceiling, before taking a deep bow and spinning to face Cadence. "And you too love-butt. Always a pleasure."
"Princess, can you please explain how discord is supposed to help?" Twilight asked a look of annoyance on her face as discord casually started to have tea above the younger pair of alicorns, completely ignoring the conversation below.
"Discord is here as he can both use up the excess magic, as well as adapt the denizens of the other world to allow them to use magic themselves." Celestia answered. "And your job, as was explained earlier is to help lead them in to an age of peace and prosperity."
"But auntie. You still haven't explained what we will be dealing with." Cadence then spoke up.
This question caused Celestia to pause. After taking a second to consider she spoke up. "That is part of the problem. Luna and I have yet to be able to identify the denizens of earth. We have been able to gather titbits of information and knowledge but no more." Celestia then turned to face Twilight. "However we have been able to find-out that the inhabitants resemble or maybe humans."
Silence filled the room. Twilight finally went to speak but was cut off by Luna. "No my friend. It is not the same world you once visited, this we are sure of. That world contains a link to ours and is already capable of using up any magic generated. This world is entirely separated and requires a vast amount of effort to access from ours and will be cutoff again upon completion of the spell."
This prompted a moment of quiet before Cadence started to deadpan. "So we're going in with little to no information. The way back will close behind us. Discord is going to do something to allow the natives to do magic and to top it off, we have to take charge!?!"
Another longer pause formed. This time broken by a slow clap originating from the ceiling. "Got it in one. Well done." Discord chirped sarcastically.
"Quiet." Came the authoritative voice of Celestia, disappointment as well as annoyance just audible in her tone. "We have said enough for today. Everypony, we shall discus this more tomorrow. And to quell your fears Cadence we will not be sending you in unprepared. The next few mounts will consist of a vigorous schedule covering anything you may need to know. Thank-you and good afternoon."
---
Peeking out in to the early evening sun. We found the view to be almost familiar, the same buildings, the same British weather (completely random with a chance of rain) and the same grassy space in-between the various blocks of student accommodation. The only difference was the people, or more specifically, their species.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Was the slightly amused question posed to me.
"Depends. Are you seeing a mammoth make out session happening between a pony and, if my eyes don't deceive me, a hippogriff?"
"Yes. Wait. What?!?" Was the confused response I received. "I was talking about the convention of fantasy creatures occurring outside!"
"Sorry but it's a bit distracting." I mutter before continuing look over the courtyard below us. Other than the very active activities of the odd couple off to the back of the area, I could see a large variety of different species and creatures from the show coupled with a few that hadn't been shown.
The majority of the collected species below were ponies as well, with the majority being earth ponies followed by unicorns, with a scattering of pegasi. At an estimate I would put ponies consisting of around eighty percent of the population with the next notable being griffons. The other notable races I could see were a few more hipogriffs as well as a slightly disturbed looking minotaur, observing the couples activities. The collection of around a hundred people seemed to be milling around talking and looking for friends or course mates.
Turning away from the window to face Rebecca I came to a conclusion. "Well. At least we're not alone." For my brilliant ability at summing up the situation at hand I got to see a genuine face-hoof. Followed by a shout and an upside down unicorn.
---
Upon Rebecca righting herself and swearing violently about my idiocy causing her pain, I decided to suppress my snickering and speak up.
"Do you think we should look for the others?" Referring to our absent flat mates.
"I don't see anything wrong with doing so."
"Excellent. Operation hide and sneak is ago!" I utter in a stern tone before pulling a white officers cap from under my wing. Upon adjusting the hat I come to a realisation. Turning to my flabbergasted friend I asked.
"Becks?"
"Yes?"
"Did I just pull a pinky pie?"
"I have no idea what that is. But you did just somehow pull a hat from nowhere."
"Thanks. I think..."
Adjusting my new and sudden hat, I start thinking to myself as we quickly check the rooms of our flatmates hoping for them to have maybe slipped in. Considering that various ponies on the show seem to be able to pull the occasional object out of thin air, what I just did may not be of major concern. But seeing that those ponies mostly consist of pinkie pie, I probably should be a little concerned. But, who knows, maybe I have access to hammer space...
Focusing back on the task at hand I notice that the pair of us have arrived at the front door of the flat. Taking a moment to look up at the now imposing red front door I come to the realisation, that I am just about to expose my new female self to the world, also that we would need the key to get back in.
With a shaky breath and slowly rising panic and fear, I make to remind my friend of this information. "B-B-Becks?"
"Yes?" Was the surprisingly determined response.
"You know we ne-ne-need a k-key right?"
At this my friends face lit up with a look of understanding and she turned and dived in to her room, only to emerge moments later with her room key tied to a piece of string.
This was then promptly dumped around my neck, the loop of string just big enough to fit over my mystery hat.
"There! I now christen you commander keys!"
My slowly building panic attack postponed by the slightly weird comment. I mutter some form of thank you before awkwardly hoofing the door open. Trotting out in to the stair well balcony, I immediately notice that the main door remains closed whilst the closer fire door has been propped open thought the use of a few bricks. Looking down the short flight of stairs leading to the landing containing the fire door, it occurs to me that the electronic lock on the front door probably has blocked any attempts at opening it.
"I guess it's out the back door." I announce, heading to the top of the stairs. Eying them cautiously I proceeded carefully, my wings instinctively half extended for balance. Upon reaching the landing I turn to see a uncertain looking Rebeca, her front legs both firmly planted on the first step down.
"Umm... A little help?"
---
After about fifteen minutes of trying to get Rebeca and myself after I discovered that I had suddenly forgot on how to go down stairs, we finally managed to not only get on to the first landing, but outside as well. Taking a second to look around I saw that the sun had almost set as well as the number of people around had only increased.
"Come on lets go see if we know anyone." Becky chirped before heading off towards the nearest group. Slightly terrified of revealing my new position as one of the fairer sex I just nod and fall in behind Becky.
The group we approached seem to mostly consist of ponies but also included two griffons as well as a hippogriff. As we walked closer I managed to start catching the themes of the conversation.
"How did this..."
"Who..."
"What are you..."
At this point the pair of us had got into speaking range and Becky started asking questions, mostly relating to if anyone had heard anything or knew what was going to happen. I ended up drifting away from her and joining up with the only other flyers of the group: two griffons, a hippogriff and other pegasus. After a few quick nods of welcoming the group launched back in to conversation, leaving me hiding behind my mess of a mane.
"I just don't understand how these things are supposed to allow us to fly. Scientifically they are just to small to allow flight! That, and we clearly lack the muscle mass to power them." The black and grey feathered griffon exclaimed to his female companion.
With this the more traditional white feathered female of the species remarked. "That may be true. But they could allow us more... bird-like... umm people?" She offered hopefully as a way to describe herself and her companions. "To guide. As compared to our equine friend here." She sails before turning towards me and my fellow pony.
This also brought my attention towards my fellow. What I saw was a light green blank-flank stallion with a short cropped dark brown mane. I have to admit I took a good look at his wings, only for comparison purposes I assure you, just in order to try and process the difference between mine and his.
And in comparison, my wings are HUGE! His while bigger than portrayed on the show, a few inches back from the front of his chest and almost touching the site of where the cutie mark would go, mine were only just back from the front of my chest whilst they extended back to cover the site of a potential cutie mark. Again feeling subconscious for stupid reasons I drew my wings in closer and resumed my close examination of the floor behind my hair.
"Dam. You've got some big wings on you." A somewhat familiar voice exclaimed. Taking a second to place the strong Welsh accent I come to realise who it is.
"Carrie?!?" Is what I say, uttering the name of my notoriously loud mouth course mate, and one of the only two girls on the course.
Actually... Should that be now unknown number of girls?
But anyway, at this moment I look up into the face of the hippogriff I had noted was in the conversation earlier. Taking an actual look instead of a mere glance I actually managed to see what a hippogriff actually looked like. Quick version. If you took the front half of a griffon and the back half of a pony, and were fucked up enough to glue them together. Then congratulations you sick freak, you have a hippogriff.
But in reality it was that her front half consisted of something resembling your average griffon but with a light brown primary and pink secondary colour scheme. This was followed by a pony’s rear end in the colour pink and a tail similar to that of a lions done up in pink.
Observing this caused me to burst in to tears laughing as Carrie is also a solid tomboy and has made it no secret about her hatred of the colour pink. I know this even only as a course mate and the occasional random meet up during nights on the town, and due to a half hour rant over having to use pink card in a project. This alone would not cause my reaction but after the stress of everything I just couldn't control myself.
My continued laughter seemed to be lost to the crowd but still managed to suppress anything she was trying to say, this continued for a minute or two until the cause of my hysterics pinned me to the ground.
"What are you laughing at and how do you know my name?" Was the hissed question posed to me.
In-between laughter induced hiccups I managed to answer. "Because." HIC!
"You." HIC!
"Hate pink! And I'm." HIC!
"On your course!" HIC!
After a pause Carrie takes a deep breath, releases me and starts speaking in a confused tone. "Paula? Is that really you? Because you sound different."
"Umm... I'm not Paula." I say in a quiet voice from behind my mane.
"What... Then who are you?"
Answering the confused hippogriff I whisper. "Jay."
"What was that?"
"Jay."
"Say again."
"Jay."
"Wha? Did you just said Jay?" Was the confused response I received now that my voice was now at audible levels.
Going to confirm my answer I found that I had lost my ability to speak beyond a squeak. So resorting to body language I just sadly nodded.
"But..." Was the breathless response. "You’re a girl..."
And yet again I sadly nodded.