After that morning encounter, Twilight told me she wrote to the Princess, as she had found the supposed source of an 'ethereal ripple' she was worried about: me. Apparently, the magic that brought me here interfered with her own natural magical abilities, causing a great headache, not dissimilar to the one caused by our shared hangover. However, seeing how the letter was sent via magical flames (breathed by Spike, interestingly enough), I didn't know how much time I would have to prepare before meeting Celestia. Twilight said she didn't want to reveal too much through the letter, as she thought it fitting for me to introduce myself through a political perspective. Though, Twilight assured me she mentioned how friendly I was and how I acted responsibly for my actions, but I couldn't shake a growing feeling of dread that this Celestia - or her sister and co-ruler, Luna - would not like me much. Something felt... odd about the whole ordeal: it felt like I was missing something, something that would be obvious to a seasoned tactician. Putting my premonitions aside, I did my best to prepare for the meeting - after all, I was still a foreigner and not a legal citizen of the country. I could claim diplomatic immunity if worse came to worst, but I wasn't informed at all about the legal practices in Equestria. I figured I'd spend the day studying law and proper etiquette when addressing Equestrian royalty.
'And what better place to do that than a library?' I mused.
I sat on a couch in the living room wearing my pants and an undershirt. After Twilight sent the note to Celestia through Spike, she motioned for me to sit at a desk she had cleared for me (also made of natural, unpolished wood: I wouldn't have noticed it was separate from the tree if she hadn't moved it). She also said several times that Celestia is the kindest pony she knows, and that I had nothing to worry about, but I knew first-hand that most of the time, these two-faced politicians just can't be trusted.
'I'm looking at you, dad.' I thought grimly.
While mucking about in my thoughts, Twilight was endlessly listing off a number of books it would be appropriate for me to be familiar with, and placing them on the desk. After my mind came back to reality, my head reeled back as I struggled to see the top of the mountain of paper. I sighed.
"I hate politics."
"You've said that several times, Robin. Look, these formalities are just to fall back on. If the Princesses see you struggling to keep up appearances, I'm sure they'll just be honest with you. They may be alicorns and rulers, but they're normal ponies on the inside, just like the rest of us."
"They certainly don't look like it", I mumbled; I studied an image of Celestia and Luna compared to other ponies. They were several times larger and had manes that flowed endlessly. They also wore signature regalia that reminded me slightly of the holy weapons passed down through generations in my own world: they had that same timeless feel of hidden magic, waiting to surface. I chuckled a bit to myself. 'If I made my troops run through that dungeon one more time, Chrom assured me the desperate Deadlords would detain them just to have someone to talk to.'
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Judging ponies based on their appearances is a bad habit. Although the size of the Princesses is impressive, remember you're acting as a diplomat. It wouldn't look well for you to show fear to the rulers of a country you wish to make peace with."
I sighed again. "Well, you're right. Never judge a book by its cover, I always say. However, looking at these books - " I motioned to the mountain in front of me " - I can't help but judge them by their sheer size."
Twilight grinned. "It'll give me a good amount of time to run out and do some errands, like getting your shirt washed." She lifted a bag by the door with her magic. It smelled slightly foul. "It wouldn't do well for you to meet the Princesses in a shirt covered in vomit." She snickered, "And who knew the big, strong military commander couldn't hold his liquor?"
I countered, "Well, I'd look best in my regal cloak as well, but you're holding that in your lab until you're done studying it." I grinned at her exaggerated scowl. "And I know you need your equipment to test it completely, so you're gonna have to finish your errands to do it. So, I'd think it be best if we both got to it, mmk?"
She smiled and said, "Alright, alright. Be back in a few hours. Hopefully Rarity knows how to get out deep green stains," she grumbled as she walked out the door.
I looked back at the pile of books in front of me and frowned. 'Okayyy... which one should I start with? Appeasing Alicorns or Making Peace with Ponies? I frowned at the latter book, which looked like a self-help book concerning relationships with your friends. 'Appeasing Alicorns it is, then.' My brow wrinkled in thought as something occurred to me. 'Hey, where's Spike?'
"Spiiiiike?" I called out. I looked around until I heard a snicker from upstairs. My eyes went up and met another pair of green ones peeking over the edge of the staircase. We stared at each other. Spike raised his head from his hiding spot to reveal a mischievous smile.
"You two are so in love with each other!" he blurted out before collapsing in a fit of giggles.
I rolled my eyes and turned forward again. I quickly flipped through the thick book and grumbled.
"Ugh... No pictures."
~~~
"Robin, I'm back!" Twilight called as she entered the door, closing it behind her.
"Welcome back, the Most Illustrious and Powerful, Lady Twilight of Ponyville," I answered just slightly sarcastically. Just slightly.
She giggled at this. "I take it you've made it through Appropriate Titles for Alicorns' Apprentices?"
I almost screamed. "Did they really have to write a whole book about it!? I mean seriously, I could have reverently referred to you alone with at least fifty different titles, and those I only learned from around fifteen pages of reading! And that doesn't even account for all the other titles provided that you're also a, what was it, bearer of an Element of Harmony?" I grew more honest and serious in my questioning. "Did... did you really do all that? It seems you've saved more lives than all the ponies in this town a hundred times over." I rubbed my chin. "And the power of these Elements... it seems too good to be true. I myself was probably saved through the relationships I've developed with my friends, but converting all that strength into pure, divine magic - that purifies or disables rather than harms... It, it seems like a fairy tale." My eyes clouded in thought. "It definitely would have saved a lot of lives that day, even if all my men survived..."
Her eyes grew empathetic and contemplative. Twilight thought in silence for a moment, before pulling up a chair. She sat down next to me and frowned in concern. "Robin... I want you to tell me exactly what happened before you came here. Please."
I looked at her, my mind clearing but my eyes still foggy.
She pressed on. "I know you shared most of what you were willing to at the party and before that, in the barn, but.. but I know that wasn't the whole story. You supposedly came here through a portal you've used before, but you wound up in a place you didn't intend to go, you were knocked out, and we found you nowhere near anypony else who looked like you. I know that it might be painful to remember, but it might help me find a way to get you back."
After a moment of silence, I sat back, and looked up with a dreamy expression.
"*Sigh*, It... it feels like a lifetime ago - a hundred lifetimes ago, but it was probably only two or three days most before you found me. It's a long story, but it ended with me sacrificing myself to save my friends, and to save everyone who would live in generations to come. Sometimes I wondered if my sacrifice was necessary; it feels like I abandoned my friends, who were more than willing to bear the burden with me, but their plan wasn't permanent. It would work for a thousand or so years, but.. but he would come back, wreaking havoc on the world. I couldn't allow that to happen, but I didn't want to desert my friends either. I made my choice, but I fear whether it was the right one." I felt despair. "I can only hope to come back home... If I do, I'll apologize to them - personally, to every single one of them, and only pray that they'll forgive me for leaving them."
I almost started crying. "Oh gods... the look on Chrom's face... I've never seen him that hurt before..." I buried my face in my hands. "He thought I was going to die -- I thought I was going to die! And I... I didn't even apologize before I left. I didn't apologize for all the pain I'd have caused. They all must be mourning me at a funeral right now for all I know... And all I said to them was... was.."
I drew my hands down to my lap and breathed in.
"May we meet again, in a better life."
I buried my face again.
"What a better life, when I'm lost and all my friends hate me..."
My clouded eyes looked up to meet Twilight's. ...Twilight's eyes told me everything: she had to make similar difficult decisions, times when she would bear her friends' burdens, or have faith in them to bear hers. She understood just how powerful friendship could be, maybe even more than I did. We held a momentary silence, but Twilight replied with a question. "...Robin, who was he? The one who... who you sacrificed yourself to defeat? Who could possibly push you this far, even with your friends behind you!?"
I gazed at her, sadness and guilt in my eyes. An explanation would take too long.
"He was... he was.." I gulped. "me-"
"Twiiiliiight?!"
I snapped out of my dream-like state, and Twilight was visually annoyed.
She grunted, "What is it, Spike?!" The dragon had called from a room upstairs.
After a short while, he audibly let out a small burp and replied, "Princess Celestia replied already!"