Spyglass and I finally made it to the hospital park entrance and stopped at the front door. I looked back at the park, recalling what happened. Helga was fresh in my mind as I looked back up at the sky. Meeting new people was something I had a luxury of doing on Earth, but here it’s something I could do for fun. A new world gives you a new peace of mind when you’re accepted in it. It feels so different and strange, that you could easily feel uncomfortable. After you adjust to the strangeness, you begin to appreciate it. There hasn’t been much for me to appreciate until now. I was put in a prison and then a hospital.
But as I look up at the sky I knew I was free to do what I wanted. To have my own goals and have all the fun I want. The only thing that stood in my way was a little responsibility. As I watched the clouds I reminded myself of the things that I’ve done in the past. Specifically the things pertaining to Garry’s Mod. Before this day, I never expected myself to look up at the sky and think of the things I can physically build with my own hands.
“Are you ok?” Spyglass asked.
I looked to my right where Spyglass stood with a concerned face.
“Yeah, I’m just thinking is all,” I responded indifferently, shrugging my shoulders.
Turning back to the door, I grabbed its handle, pulled it open and held it there for Spyglass. She nodded and walked through the door as I watched her pass by.
“Thank you,” she said as I quickly followed in after her.
“You can’t catch me!” yelled a young voice.
I looked to my left as a hospital bed on wheels sped toward me at impressive speeds. On top of the bed was a small unicorn colt with a green hospital gown, who looking back at something obscured by the bed. I was frozen in place only for a moment in shock before I felt something impact my gut and topple me over. As I tried to recover and stand up off the ground, I saw the bed speed by and Spyglass got up off my chest.
“You ok?” she asked with a confident smile.
“Yea, thanks,” I replied, still a little rattled from being knocked over.
“Don’t mention it,” she waved a hoof dismissively while holding a cocky smile.
We both turned to see seven nurses charging into the waiting room and down the hall the bed went. I noticed the nurse at the front desk hop off her stool and rush out to watch the nurses go down the hall with a worried look. As I stepped forward to watch, just to see the bed with the colt and the horde of nurses still running after him. I took off down the hall hoping to catch up to them. I didn’t know why the colt was running off like that, but I wanted to stop him before he reached the end of the hall and hit the wall. At the speed of which the bed was going, it might throw him into the wall.
But as I continued down the long hallway, I realized I wasn’t faster than the ponies, and the bed soon got to the end of the hall. I tried to quickly pull out my physics gun to grab the bed, but it was too late. The bed reached the end of the hallway… and made a sharp turn. I froze slightly as I realized the bed was out of view.
“What the hell?” I thought.
“The colt is running from the nurses. He’s using a bed to go faster than them, and most of the nurses in the hospital are chasing after him… what’s going on?” I questioned in my head. As I stood there thinking, I then became slightly aware of the situation.
“He’s trying to escape!” someone shouted from behind me.
I looked back and saw the nurse from the front desk close behind me; she scrambled in the other direction trying to get back to the front desk, or I assumed, the exit. But she wouldn’t make it in time if the bed was going as fast as I guessed it was. At that moment, I realized she wasn’t scrambling to the front desk, but to the front door. No one was guarding it, because they were all chasing the bed… and farthest from the door.
“That kid is smart,” I thought to myself.
It became apparent to me that a bed ridden colt had the entire hospital after him. Not that I didn’t notice it before, but the fact that everyone was trying to stop him with the most concerned looks on their faces made me realize how dangerous this situation was. I stopped running in front of one of the closed doors of the patients’ rooms and looked to my right. There was a door on the other side of that room that I could look out of and see the opposite hallway. I tried to open the closed door to find it locked, but the window beside it still allowed me to see out the other end.
To my dismay I saw the bed speed by on the other side and my heart dropped. I looked back down the hall where the desk nurse ran off too to see her not yet reach the corner. I didn’t have much time to question her actions as she didn’t cut through the bedrooms to intercept the bed. Suddenly the world seemed to stop… being there. I didn’t move anywhere nor did I change locations, it just felt like I was no longer touching things. Like I was floating in space.
“Am I... nocliping?” I asked myself while looking down at my feet.
They dangled in open air. I found the sensation cool but I remembered the situation and flew down the hall. I was surprised as to how fast I was going, way faster than the running nurses and I quickly passed by the pony who was supposed to be at the front desk. But just as I passed her we both made it to the waiting room. I saw Spyglass standing with a determined look on her face with her horn charged and pointing at the other hallway that the bed will come down.
I relaxed as I watched her, a trained soldier, ready to stop a colt from doing something he might regret. She showed no sign of noticing me fly around the corner, and the nurse that ran in behind me didn’t show any sign of caring either. I found myself being able to touch the ground again, and the transition felt like I was coming out of a fantasy world, and back into the real one. Even though the difference between the one I’m in and a fantasy one was almost congruent. I waited as the beds squeaky wheels came around the corner.
The bed sped into view and I got a better look at my assailant. The little unicorn colt had a dark brown coat and a light brown magical aura around his horn, and a corresponding one on the wheels of the bed. But the whole bed was wrapped in a light blue aura that matched Spyglass’s. It began to slow to a softer stop and the colt looked around in surprise before his eyes rested on Spyglass. His confusion turned into aggression and gave her a scowl before lighting up his horn brighter and firing a blast of magic at Spyglass. She was surprised by it and lost her focus as it hit her horn.
“Ah!” she yelped.
But she only went to nurse her head from the blast. She seemed slightly dazed from the blast and tried to refocus her magic, but the nurse from the desk was able to grab the bed with her hooves. But again the colt’s magic proved to be a forgotten factor in the situation, and he used it again. But instead of firing a blast at the nurse without a horn or wings he used it to start up the wheels, and then open up the door. The bed started up and was ripped out of her grip by the force the colt was able to exert in turning the bed toward the door.
I still had out my physics gun, and pulled the trigger to activate the beam. It hit the back of the bed when it was facing the main entrance. The unicorn tried to make the wheels work with his magic and realized the bed had a very thin light blue aura around it. He got up and looked over the frame of the bed and right at me. But rather than power up his magic, he stopped and stared at me with an open mouth for a second or two. Then, he powered up his magic and fired at me with a panicked look on his face.
I raised my hand to protect my face, and the blast impacted my hand with a good amount of force. But all it did was knock my arm back a little. I put my hand down and gave him an unimpressed look.
“W-what ar-” he was interrupted by a blast of magic coming from Spyglass.
I looked at her in shock and noticed her irritated scowl. I let go of the bed, releasing the physics gun's trigger. I looked back at the colt but the bed frame was obscuring my view so I stepped up to it. I looked over at the colt to see that he was out cold and breathing. I let out my held breath through my nose when I saw he was just unconscious and not injured.
“Hey, you ok?” asked Spyglass.
“Yeah,” I responded.
“Is he gone?!” yelled one of the nurses as they all ran into the waiting room.
I looked over and saw the nurse horde appear swiftly with their distressed expressions, but when they saw the bed motionless they all showed relief in differing ways.
“Oh good gracious, child,” noted one as she approached the bed. “You gave us quite a - oh! He’s been sedated,” she stopped when she noticed him out cold.
“Great work there,” the desk nurse toward Spyglass as she spoke. “We’re really grateful for your help.”
“Oh don’t thank me,” Spyglass said casually as she smiled. “I’m an off duty guard. It’s what I do.”
“Yet you still have our thanks for sedating him,” the nurse added thankfully.
“Oh, well, you’re welcome then,” Spyglass responded.
“That was some brilliant work, both of you,” another nurse chimed in, who was still catching her breath.
The group of nurses separated quickly and got back to their daily rituals. Five of them took the bed and the colt back to his room, passing me by with nods of gratitude. Before they rounded the corner and went down the hall to my right I stopped them to ask a question.
“Hey, why was he running?” I asked curiously.
The nurse in the back who was an earth pony looked at me with uncertainty. She then asked, “Why? Are you his guardian?”
“Uh, no ma’am. I’m not, but I’m just curious,” I admitted.
“Well I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to talk about these things, unless they're with family or guardians,” she replied apologetically and continued down the hall with the bed.
“Oh…” I said weakly.
I heard hoofsteps come up to my side and saw the familiar light blue unicorn in my peripherals. I looked at her and studied her expression. She seemed indifferent about the situation.
“So you ready to get out of here?” she asked with a smile. “There’s a really good restaurant in town where the food is delicious. I’m sure they have a few menu options for you that don’t include hay.”
“Well ok. But what was all that about?” I asked her referring to the colt.
“Huh?” she gave a confused expression. “Well I dunno. It doesn’t happen often. But I’m sure they’ll be more cautious with him now that he’s escaped already. Maybe they’ll put a few unicorn nurses near him to make sure he doesn’t escape.” She assured.
“Well alright. But…” I paused. Waving a hand after a few seconds I continued, “Never mind. Let’s go get some lunch. Even though I just had it.”
“OK! Then it’s settled!” she exclaimed happily and trotted merrily toward the door. “I’m starved.”
I followed after her and we cleared the door side by side. I looked out into the open city road and noticed the many ponies actually looking at me as I left. Spyglass seemed unaffected by the attention and continued to trot merrily with me in tow. We made it across the stone-paved street and walked along the sidewalk. But the farther we went the more eyes fell on me. I was thankful that they weren’t judging eyes or disgusted looks. They were more curious, but the paranoia that filled me due to their stares rested in the back of my mind.
I walked a little closer to Spyglass as we walked, but while I did that I tried to not look back at the ponies that stared. I awkwardly looked at the ground and in front of me while I tried not to meet the gazes. But an unfamiliar noise reached my ears. It sounded like a very loud bird flapping its wings, but I ignored it as I focused on the stares.
“Sir Blake!” called out a gruff voice that came from the flapping above me.
I looked up at the source to see a Pegasus in golden armor swoop down and land in front of me. He swiftly reached into his chest plate and pulled out a letter.
“A message from her highness, Princess Celestia, Sir Blake!” he reported, as if addressing a superior.
“Oh,” I replied awkwardly. I took the message from his hoof and replied, “Thank you.” Turning the message over, I glanced at its seal.
It was a foreign design, as the sun and moon were represented as chasing each other like yin and yang. Only, they were both on the same level as each other, one not higher than the other and each had a trail. I thought about it with a raised eyebrow, but pulled off the seal without a care and opened the letter. The stallion watched me attentively as I took the letter out and unfolded it. I began to read and the farther I went down the page the happier I became.
“Well,” I started cheerfully. I turned to regard the guard again and spoke, “It says you’re going to show me to the castle where I’d get a guest room with a really big bed.”
“Yes sir. Follow me and we’ll reach the castle swiftly,” he turned and started walking down the street.
“Wait.” I called after him and he turned back.
I looked to Spyglass thoughtfully. “Sorry, but I need to see my room. But we can catch up after this.”
“Nah, it’s ok,” she dismissively waved her hoof as she responded. “I’ve got work after lunch anyway. I’ll come find you when I’m off, ok? Now get going, don’t want to keep the princess waiting.”
“Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you later then.” I looked back at the solar guard and asked, “Can we fly there?”
He gave me an insulted, but surprised look as he calmly responded, “I’m not carrying you.”
“Oh no, I can fly too,” I assured him.
“What?” asked Spyglass unconvinced.
“What?” curiously added the guard.
“Well yeah, I just haven’t been doing it because I couldn’t figure out how. This world is a lot different than mine, you know?” I explained, mostly truthfully.
I folded the letter up and tucked it in my rebel armor; and then went into my noclipped state and flew upward without wind resistance. I looked down at the wide-eyed and open-mouthed expressions on the ponies’ expressions. But Spyglass and the guard just gave me curious looks. But the solar guard snapped into action and flew up to hover beside me.
“We can get to the castle faster this way, but I hope you’re going to explain your flight ability to the Princesses when we get there. Otherwise, I’ll do it myself,” he deadpanned.
“No. I’m going to tell them later, but right now I just want to get to the room provided for me. Move in and set up lots of fun stuff.” I commented.
He grumbled lightly in response and flew off toward the castle I could see in the distance. He flew at and upward angle and I climbed with him. When I was high enough, I could see the horizon without any buildings to block my view. I made sure I was flying without my hands forward. I didn’t want to imitate superman and look like a weirdo without wings to the ponies below… even though I didn’t have wings, but the point stands. I however spread my legs and arms slightly to imitate a jet's wings, so I didn’t look as foolish while flying.
You never really think of looking cool when you fly, until you’re finally in the air. That fact had some other ponies flying too made me feel like I’m supposed to conform to some sort of social norm. Although at the casual pace that I’m going I can’t help but feel like a try-hard.
Forgetting the flight's awkwardness, I admired the view and the sight of roads leading out of the city and an un-obscured view of the horizon. Each town I could see from where I was seemed new and ahead of its time. The nearest town seemed to be organized in a circular shape and connected to other towns through roads and what appeared to be railways. But there were railways that led very far out into the horizon to the point I couldn’t see them, so I assumed there was a much larger kingdom beyond this.
My observation of the landscape was interrupted by the stallion in front of me banking. I looked back at him and banked with him, only to realize he was moving out of the way of a large, slow airship. I was surprised to say the least when I saw the zeppelin. I avoided it with him, but decided to get closer really quickly before following in behind him. It took a mental note of the guard's trajectory as I sped toward the zeppelin.
It didn’t take long to get there and touch it. But of course as my theory was tested, I wasn’t able to touch it and my hand went right through it. Satisfied that I completed my personal goal, I flew back quickly to the guards’ side. He was scowling at me and hovering in place.
“What were you doing?” he demanded when I returned to him.
“Oh, I touched the blimp.” I replied innocently.
“…Was that it?” he asked confusedly.
“Yeah, why would it be anything else?” I inquired.
He remained silent for a moment before responding truthfully and authoritatively, “You’re a being of chaos. All my experience with chaotic beings is that they’re either always up to no good, or want to be up to no good.”
“Not this again...” I gave him a deadpanned tone. “Ok. Here’s the thing about chaos and… whatever you believe in. Harmony, right? Well, chaos is like disorganization and harmony is like organization. And when you’re organized you only find what you’re looking for.” I stated making sure I had his attention. “But chaos which is disorganization could make you find something you’re not looking for at that exact moment. It’s how my people advance.”
“That sounds horrible,” he shot back uninterestedly. Rolling his eyes, he continued, “Not knowing what to do half the time.”
“Ok, new example.” I stated, slightly irritated. “Let’s say for example you’re in a library that holds all the knowledge in the universe… wait, hold on. Bad example…”
“We need to get to the castle,” he mumbled irritably.
“Wait, wait! I know! Let’s say you have an office with all the tools you need to create anything you want. As well as there were files on so many different subjects that they were all labeled and organized so you know where everything is. So, you search up how to make a jackhammer or something, and it’s quick and easy.” I stated.
“Uh huh,” he responded, still uninterested.
“Ok, now take chaos. What if all those files were thrown on the floor and you had to pick out which ones would help you, but none of them were labeled. Now, it may take ages to figure out what you need or maybe minutes, but here’s where an aspect of chaos comes in that is helpful. Now picture this. You rummage through files and open each one until you find something you’ve never seen before or didn’t think of. Then you put it down and then find what you’re looking for.”
“I don’t think this is a good example either,” he added.
“Wait, I'm not done.” I said, holding up a hand. “Now you’re building the jackhammer and then realize that what you’ve picked up earlier could shorten the process and save you some working materials. You say ‘meh, ok’ and you start experimenting with that knowledge you picked up from the other file, trying to add it to the jackhammer,” I pause slightly and hold out three fingers. “Now several things can happen, you make a jackhammer that’s slower, but is more powerful and can shorten the work load. One that has a different frequency to spend less energy to break up materials, or it just plain fails and you just make the jackhammer after you’ve failed. But in the end, you have the potential to make something better, faster, or stronger.” I finished excitedly.
“Yeah, it’s a bad example,” he deadpanned. “Now let’s get to the castle,” he added, flying off before I could start up a new explanation.
I gave up and went after him toward the castle. When we reached it, he went into a dive and I followed him. He landed at the front gate softly as I sped to the ground, the unicorn guards looked at me with readiness as I was about to put myself in danger in their perspective. But I stopped instantly as I neared the ground and ended noclip. Gravity took over and I fell to the ground without trouble.
“Sup guys?” I commented.
They already stopped caring about my safety the moment I stopped falling. But the two guards at the gate seemed slightly irked by my ability to fly. They looked at me curiously before the guard that escorted me spoke to them.
“I’m escorting this guest of honor to his room in the castle,” he stated.
They nodded and opened the gate with their horns, allowing us in. He chose to walk and I followed him in. The courtyard that we walked into looked more like a park than a courtyard, the fountain in the center was simple, but made of marble. A gravel path led up to the large double doors while going around the fountain in the center of the courtyard. I admired it as I went past it, but I rushed to keep up with the guard's fast pace.
We got to the front gates where two more unicorn guards waited. They had the same white coats as the ones in front. But they were definitely different. They opened the doors to the castle without question. When they opened however, there was a familiar smiling creature waiting on the other side. This creature had the very same distinctness of a stained glass window.
“Hello Blakey, didja miss me?” asked the cheerful being.
“Discord!?” stated the guard who escorted me to the castle. He suspiciously asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Oh just to say hi to my chaos buddy,” Discord replied nonchalantly. Turning the tables, he asked just as suspiciously, "What are you doing here?” He said pointing toward the stallion guard that was escorting me.
“I’m escorting Sir Blake to the room the princesses gave him as an honored guest,” he responded not giving second thought to giving away his mission.
“And pray tell, do you know which guest room that is?” Discord inquired wryly.
The guard opened his mouth to respond, but nothing game out. He closed his mouth and frowned crossly. Then he looked to me seriously as he asked, “May I have the letter?”
“Sure,” I replied, pulling it out of my shirt.
I gave it to him and he unfolded it to read its contents. He quickly scanned the letter three times and groaned before he folded it back up and placed it neatly in the open letter. “No.” He said dully.
He handed it back to me and I returned it to its pocket.
“Then how about this,” Discord started smiling maliciously. “You leave Blake with me, and I’ll tell Celestia you were a very good host.”
I stepped forward to go through the door and encountered no resistance. The guard followed me in while Discord flew up closer to the ceiling to let us pass without trouble. But he wasn’t that big to begin with, so it didn’t matter. The doors then closed behind us, leaving us alone with Discord.
“It’s my duty to escort an honored guest when commanded to. So, I must decline that offer, but you may accompany us,” the guard replied to Discord.
Discord went to argue another point but I stopped him by speaking over him. “Well hold on a sec,” I said to the guard. “If an honored guest wishes to be alone, or have a private conversation, can he ask you to leave?”
He looked at me with a flabbergasted expression. “Well, yes but-”
“Then!” I exclaimed loudly to interrupt him. “I’d like for Discord to escort me instead. You don’t need to stay by my side, if you’re not needed. You don’t know where to go, Discord does, and I’m not a threat to umm… whatever this country is again.” I finished awkwardly.
“Equestria.” Discord corrected me with a smirk.
“Oh right, Equestria.” I continued in a reassured tone, “So, I’m not really a threat to Equestria or Canterlot, so you don’t really need to keep an eye on me. Besides I’m probably going to roam a bit on my way, just to explore the castle. I don’t want to waste your time while I use mine, right?”
“Are you sure you want to be alone with Discord?” asked the guard.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep both of us out of trouble. I promise,” I replied sincerely. “Besides, I don’t have anything to gain by getting into trouble. What’s the fun in having fun, when no one likes it when you have fun?”
I paused when I rethought my previous sentence.
“You said fun a lot,” Discord observed.
“Pfpfpf yeah I did,” I responded coolly.
The solar guard looked at me suspiciously before nodding his head, “Fine. I may not enjoy the idea of you being alone with... him…” He gave Discord a dirty look before he continued, “But I don’t have any evidence to present when asked why I’m not doing what you asked of me.” He looked to the ground. “Well, have a good day,” he added dully and trotted down the hall.
I took this moment to admire the well-lit marble hallway. A red carpet that stretched the entire length of the long hallway only just started five feet in front of me, and I could see that it was dead center of the hall. There were also pairs of plants next to the windows that dotted the ceiling. Discord and I watched him go around the corner. When Discord and I were alone, we looked back at each other. He looked at me with a grin, and I looked at him with a questioning gaze.
“Did you do something to the letter?” I asked him curiously.
“Guilty!” he replied joyously.
“Well that’s just rude!” I scolded him insincerely. After a second I joked, “What if the Princess left kisses?”
“Bahahahahha! Oh no, don’t worry, she left those for me.” he chuckled lightheartedly. “Oh, but now that we’re alone, how about I tell you why I wanted to talk to you?” he asked tactfully.
“Well sure. But let’s talk while we go to that 'honored guest' room.” I added.
“Well I could just teleport us there.” He inquired.
“You could, but then I won’t know where to go.” I countered.
He folded his arms and frowned childishly. “Fine.”
He lowered himself to the ground and hovered in front of me. He held out his arms as if to allow me through a door and put on a butler outfit that popped into existence.
“Right this way,” stated Discord, his voice taking on an obviously fake posh accent.
“Thank you,” I replied walking forward.
Discord hovered on ahead in reverse so he was facing me.
“So anyway, ol’ sweet Celestia asked me not to see you while you were in the hospital. Not like I wanted to anyway,” he waved an arm dismissively. “Too depressing and stuff.”
I smiled, “Aww, admit it Discord, you wanted to leave me liquorice Roses.” I then gasped dramatically as I joked, “Unless you’re afraid of needles! Hey man, it's ok. I cry like a baby when I get my shots too.”
“Ha ha. But now I’m serious,” he said losing his cheer. “What happened in that room isn’t as important as what happened to Equestria. Everyone is afraid of what you could be, dragons included. I think we need to either show Equestria that you’re too powerful to touch, or too weak to bother with.”
“Uh yeah, that’s a problem for tomorrow. Not today,” I replied dismissively. “But I like the too powerful option. That one seems easiest because I’ve already shown a lot of ability. Also, I kinda flew here so everyone’s going to assume I’m awesome or… something.” I stopped my rambling when I saw Discord’s uncharacteristic scowl.
“You flew? You can fly?” he raised an eyebrow. He narrowed his eyes, “How?”
“I dunno, just do. I use it to build big things. But I don’t have the ability to build yet. At least, I don’t think so,” I replied honestly.
“Oh man it’s scary when he’s serious,” I thought to myself.
“Uh huh. Well all right, I’ll let this slide now, but remember more ponies than Celestia or Luna are counting on you,” he warned me, not lifting his serious gaze.
His demeanor changed to his usual laid back style, and then floated horizontally while looking up at the ceiling casually. His body was at my eye level as he just casually led me to my room. As we walked we both reflected on what we just said to each other, but it didn’t last too long.
“You know, I don’t blame you for this,” he commented, shooting me a somewhat sympathetic look. “I can’t imagine being a pawn in someone else’s plan.”
“Wow, I forgot all about why I was here. To discover more about myself, right? But what?” I thought to myself.
“Yeah. Don’t pity me, just do what you do, ok? Besides, I’d like to see what your idea of fun is.” I commented trying to recapture Discord’s favor.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of him; I was more worried about not being on everyone’s side. Even though I found comfort in being around some ponies, I still was in a new world where the everyone else's opinion was going to determine my future here. Whether or not I’ll be an outcast to everyone or accepted has yet to be determined. It doesn’t help that the pressure of being the potential cause for a war looming over your shoulders…
I’m starting to think I have issues if this didn’t break my sanity earlier.