//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Where in the World is Equestria? // Story: Dreams of Equestria // by Caelus Storm //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Where in the World is Equestria? Seth went to bed at midnight. He had spent almost five hours on the internet, looking up "My Little Pony". he had found a few episodes from the show, which was called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". He hadn't really found any connected episodes yet, but they all featured the same characters. A brief internet search led him to a community of people who loved the show called "bronies". And the number was staggering. There was everything from brony music to fanfictions. The show itself puzzled Seth. It was obviously aimed at young girls, but there was something about it that made him like it. The bright colors, the peaceful scenery, the happy ponies, they all seemed to fit together perfectly into a well woven story set in a beautiful world. Now, as Seth prepared for sleep, he wondered what this land of Equestria was like. As his eyes drifted shut, he couldn' help but smile at the thought of the beautiful world he had just so recently discovered. I'm dreaming, Seth thought. He found himself floating above a large room made of white marble chased with gold and purple. Below him, though he couldn't see, he heard voices that he recognized as Twilight Sparkle's and Princess Celestia's. "Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student," Celestia's voice said. "It is so nice to see you again." "Thank you, Princess," Twilight said, "I've prepared the spell you sent me to learn." Seth found that he was unable to move his body, and consequently, unable to look down. "That was fast, Twilight," Celestia said, "I wondered of you could learn such an advanced spell so quickly." Seth missed Twilight's reply as he was suddenly overcome with a sense of extreme vertigo. Everything in his vision blurred and spun, and he felt like he was falling. "AHH," he cried, then felt himself hit the ground. his vision darkened, and he felt no more. * * * Celestia and Twilight were startled by a loud cry from above, and a form falling with a loud thud between them. "What the hay?" Twilight said, shocked. "What is that? How did it get here?" Celestia ignored her student for a moment as she examined the prone form before her. Her eyes widened when she recognized the shape from an ancient book. "It cannot be," she murmured in shock. "Twilight, tell one of the Royal Guards to go fetch Princess Luna. No one else is to enter this room." "Y-yes Your Highness," Twilight said, too stunned to do anything but follow her mentor's orders. Princess Celestia bent closer to examine the form in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind what it was. The alicorn took a step back, preparing her magic should the worst happen. Luna arrived shortly. She took in the form on the floor and her sister's expression, and immediately understood the situation. "Twilight, stay back," she ordered as she walked towards where her sister stood. Twilight backed away, then sidestepped to get a clear view at what was happening. Her natural curiosity warred with her conscience and the Princess's orders. Her mind was bursting with questions, but for now, she kept a firm control of herself. there would be time for inquiries later. Now she kept her attention on the figure on the floor. * * * Seth opened his eyes. Everything around him was a blur. he blinked, trying to clear his vision. It helped some, but not much. The world still seemed to be spinning, he shut his eyes again, taking deep breaths. He started to get up, then stopped when his head seemed to explode with pain. He groaned softly. "Uhh, my head." He let himself fall limply back to the ground, still taking deep breaths. When the pain faded to a dull throb, he opened his eyes again. He was staring at a white wall, and he could see a bit of gold. His vision started to clear up. Seth finally managed to get up to his hands and knees with effort. He closed his eyes until another wave of dizziness passed. He did a mental check on how he felt. Everything was sore, as if he had been smashed through a wall, but his head hurt the most. He finally pushed himself upright, so he was sitting on his knees. He took in his surroundings. Everything around him was made of white marble and gold. Rich purple tapestries hung from the walls, each depicting the two winged figures circling a sun and moon. He brought a hand to his head, massaging his temples. "Where am I?" he said to himself. "It seems to be confused," a voice said softly behind him. Seth turned around. Behind him were two winged and horned equines, one white as snow, the other midnight blue. Seth cried out in alarm, trying to back away from the figures. He made it halfway to his feet before he stumbled and fell flat on his back. "Ouch," he said. He stared at the figures more closely. The one on the left was white, her mane and tail striped magenta, blue, green, and violet. She wore a necklace around her neck, embedded with a pure purple amethyst. On top of her head was a crown made in a similar fashion. The one on the right was navy blue, and her mane and tail were the same blue as the midnight sky. She wore a blue-black necklace bearing a white moon, and a small tiara made of the same dark material. Both beings radiated power and wisdom as their manes and tails seemed to flow in a nonexistent breeze. Seth threw up an arm as if to protect himself, but neither figure moved. He lowered his arm after a moment, staring back at the two equines. The white one had soft lavender eyes that were both curious and steely. The other one's eyes were a dark turquoise-blue, and were just as curious and hard as her sister's. Sisters. The word floated into Seth's mind, ringing a bell deep in his confused mind. The white figure stepped forward and spoke. "who are you?" she said. "How did you get here?" Something in that voice prompted Seth to answer without question. "I-my name's Seth," he said shakily, "And I don't know how I got here. Or where 'here' is." The blue figure's eyes narrowed slightly. Her horn glowed, surrounded by a blue aura. "It speaks the truth, sister," she said. The white figure returned to the blue one's side. They leaned close together, exchanging words in hushed voices. Seth took that time to get unsteadily to his feet. In an off handed way, he noticed he was tall enough to look the blue figure in the eye. He looked around. The room was made entirely of white marble and gold, and decorated with the tapestries he had noticed earlier. The only other figure present was the stunned Twilight. Twilight? Seth thought.. How did he know that? A thought in the back of his mind tried to find something else to connect that one to, without success. "Excuse me," he said, addressing the white and blue figures, "but could someone explain where I am and what's going on?" "how dare you talk to the Princesses like that?" the purple unicorn, Twilight, suddenly shouted, leaping to stand beside the two taller figures. She was barely half Seth's height, but for some reason, Seth found himself taking a step back. "She deserves to be treated only with the utmost respect." "Twilight, please," the white figure said, laying a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. she looked directly at Seth. "I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna," she said, gesturing to the blue figure, "we are the rulers and protectors of Equestria." Seth stared at the white princess blankly. "I think the memory spell worked, sister," Princess Luna said. "It doesn't know about us or..." "Excuse me, Your Majesties," Seth finally said. "But could you explain to me what's going on? The fall seems to have effected my memory. You see, I was asleep in bed, and when I woke up, I was falling, and then I found myself here." "You are in the world of Equestria," Princess Luna said, an edge of hostility creeping into her voice. "Equestria?" Seth said, confused. The name tugged at the back of his mind. "Sister, please," Princess Celestia said. "Yes, you are in Equestria." "But, um..." Seth started, "where in the world is Equestria?"