//------------------------------// // Homesickness // Story: Stuck in Equestria // by Mike the Red //------------------------------// Princess Celestia had taken Brenda to a private bedchamber just down the hallway from hers. Brenda had trotted around the room, marveling at all the decorations and asking how long she was going to be a guest in the castle, but also protesting what she felt was unfair punishment from the Alicorn, who tried to reason with and comfort her. "Brenda, I assure you, this is for your own good. I know you probably hate me for having taken you from your husband, but your attitude toward him must change -- I hear you have been married to him for more than 20 years, so please explain to me why it is that you treat him so unfavorably," the Solar Princess stated calmly. Brenda was laying on the bed as the Alicorn stood attentively a short distance away, her gaze never leaving the zebra's face. "But -- I don't see how I am treating him unfairly --" Brenda began, but was immediately cut off. "I shall use my magic to look through your memories to see what you have been doing to him over the years." Celestia lit her horn and enveloped her golden aura around Brenda's head, delving into her mind and examining a great many memories. "It would appear you have misjudged him, Brenda. Your memories are tinted by your expectations of your husband -- always expecting him to be able to do more than he is capable of. Your disappointment at his inability to satisfy you has given way to your maltreatment of him. Truthfully, Brenda, your willingness to take advantage of his kindness has led to your contempt for it -- and his attempts to please not only you but your children as well have led to your complete mistrust in him. I have looked into his mind and I have seen what he has done in the past -- but he is remorseful for those actions and is trying to make amends for his past transgressions. The fact that you continue to look for ulterior motives behind his actions speaks volumes about your lack of confidence in him, which has led to your continuous poor attitude towards him." Brenda was left aghast at these revelations, her mouth hanging open. She tried to say something in defense of her actions, but every time she opened her mouth in an attempt to rebut the Princess' statements, nothing came out. She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth several times as she started and stopped her train of thought. "It would appear to me that you have a great deal to think about, Brenda. Please consider what I have told you over your sleep tonight -- I shall have my sister watch over your slumber to ensure no bad dreams come to you tonight," the Alicorn said softly. "How long am I going to be stuck here?" "We shall see, Brenda. We shall see." The Solar Princess took her leave, closing the door behind her. Brenda turned over on her bed, weeping silently, her mind racing with thoughts concerning what she had been told. Have I really been that mean to him? Has he really only just been trying to be nice? Doesn't she understand or appreciate my concerns? Why isn't she punishing him? This isn't fair! -------------------------------------------------------- The sun's light streaming in through the guest room window woke me -- the air was a little chilly, but it felt almost invigorating. As a pony, my sleep had been rather sound, even though my dreams were perhaps a little hazy. I trotted to the stairs and headed down to greet Spike and Twilight, who were eating breakfast. I hadn't bothered to brush my mane and tail, so I looked a little unkempt. "Nice of you to join us, sleepyhead!" the librarian giggled as I made my way to the table. "I didn't know what you wanted for breakfast, so I made a few hay pancakes for you," Spike offered, grinning slightly. "Thanks, those will be just fine," I replied as I took a seat at the table. "No problem, Mike," he chuckled. "You know, you might want to be careful about what you say when you're sleeping," Twilight offered, blushing ever so slightly. She appeared to be trying to stifle her giggling, but wasn't succeeding at it. "I don't talk in my sleep -- at least, not as a human. My wife does, though -- what did I say?" I asked as I watched the librarian and her assistant start chuckling. "Well, Michael, let's just say you really like me," Twilight offered, though she was clearly on the edge of falling into all-out laughter. I narrowed my eyes at her in my annoyance. "Yeah, I do like you, Twilight -- but why do you find it so funny?" "Well ... I could tell you ... but ... I'm not going to!" she said as she lost her battle to control her laughing. "... Whatever," I grumbled, exhaling sharply through my nostrils. "So what are we doing today?" "I would like for you to show me what you know about that ... vehicle out there, the one Princess Celestia made for you," the lavender mare stated as she regained her composure. "I will need to take notes on it and I want a full demonstration of what it can do." "Sounds good. Let me fetch the keys and we can get started on it." I concentrated on where the keyfob would be and teleported it to a point a few feet in front of me, levitating it in my aura. Twilight let a low whistle escape her lips when she saw me do this. "Michael, that's some advanced magic you just used -- I was unaware you were capable of something like that," she stated in surprise, impressed with what was, for me, a rather mundane use of my magic. "Why so surprised? That was nothing special," I stated matter-of-factly. I half-chuckled at her reaction as I trotted outside to inspect the car, though it was a little more difficult to get a good idea of what it looked like from a pony's perspective. The librarian and her dragon assistant followed me outside. Once we were standing by the driver's side of the car, I showed them how the key fob worked, opening the doors with my telekinesis, inserting the key into the ignition and staring up the vehicle. I gave them a demonstration of certain things the car was capable of doing, though for Twilight to hear her voice coming from the speakers was a little disconcerting. Spike thought it was kind of cute. When I mentioned the car could teleport, Twilight expressed great surprise, so I illustrated the process by having the car teleport us to Canterlot Castle. The car's teleportation took Twilight by surprise as we appeared outside the main entry gate. The vehicle was quickly surrounded by a phalanx of royal guards, their weapons drawn and ready for any attack. Twilight, Spike, and I exited the vehicle and soothed the ruffled feathers rather quickly, explaining what it was and where we'd come from. Some of the guardsponies were suitably impressed, a few requesting a closer inspection of the vehicle's interior. "Since we're here, Twilight, I'd like to check on my wife and see how she's doing," I stated optimistically. "I'll have a few words with Princess Celestia, Michael," the librarian offered before trotting over to the guards and asking permission for an audience with her mentor, which they gladly gave. They also suggested Spike and I accompany her for that audience, whereupon I requested they guard the vehicle and prevent anypony from trying to move it. They grudgingly agreed, though they informed me that such menial tasks were not in their job description. I locked the vehicle with the keyfob inside, hoping that this would be sufficient, then trotted to the left of Twilight with Spike walking on her right as we made our way to the throne room. "There's something I wanted to tell you, Twilight," I said brightly. I was nearly beaming just trotting next to her as we made our way through the castle. "Hmm? What would you like to say?" she asked, somewhat puzzled. "I just wanted to tell you how happy it makes me to be trotting next to you," I offered cheerfully. "In fact, it's all I can do to keep from bouncing like Pinkie Pie when I'm next to you!" "Um, Michael, shouldn't you be telling these things to your wife?" she asked, her voice sounding somewhat troubled. "You have no idea of what the past 20 years have been like for me, Twilight. The way I feel when I'm near you -- I haven't felt that way in a very long time," I replied, the cheerfulness fading from my voice. I glanced at her, though she still appeared to have a light blush on her cheeks. "Then why are you still married to her? If you wish to leave her, why don't you?" "It's not that simple, Twilight. We had certain obligations which kept us together, even though our love for each other died a long time ago," I replied flatly. "But you claim you still love her!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "There are differing levels of love, Twilight -- my love for her is a familial one, not a romantic one. I would daresay that my love for you falls under the latter category, even though you barely know me -- truth be told, in a way I kind of feel like I know you quite well, though that puts you at a distinct disadvantage," I responded. "How can you say that? How do you know me?" "Did you see the camera I came through? I suppose you might know your adventures and exploits have been chronicled on a children's television show, though that might be going a little far -- you're the main character in that show --" "What do you mean by that? Please explain how this is possible!" she demanded stridently, now standing still and staring straight at me. "Back in my home world -- the portal I was pulled through -- a television set -- there's a program called 'My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic' --" "Television? Program?" she asked, giving me a very puzzled look. "It's hard for me to explain it in terms you might understand, Twilight. Let's just keep on going, I believe I might be able to give you a better idea sometime later on," I sighed. "How much further to the Throne Room?" "We're fairly close," the mare offered. Spike had been giggling during our exchange, but regained his composure as we trotted to the grand double doors leading to the throne room. She talked to one of the guards, who then announced our arrival to the Solar Princess, who beckoned us to face her. "Twilight, my faithful student! A pleasant surprise indeed! Michael, Spike, thank you for coming. What is the nature of your visit?" "I have come to check on my wife, your Majesty," I stated reverently, bowing before the Alicorn. "Michael showed us his car's ability to teleport, so he brought us here," Spike noted. "Michael, I will have a guard escort you to the room your wife is currently staying in. Please keep in mind that your visit will have to be fairly short, as there is still much for her to do and learn before she can return to you," Celestia noted. "Yes, your Majesty. Thank you." I was then assigned a royal guard escort, who led me down the hallway to a guest room. I saw Brenda laying on the bed and trotted over to her. "Hey, Brenda, how are you being treated so far?" I asked. She turned over to gaze at me. "I've only just spent the night here, Mike -- I'm supposed to be having breakfast pretty soon, I guess. Have you come to take me back home?" "I'm afraid I can't do that, at least not yet anyway. The Princess says you have to stay here for awhile longer," I replied flatly. I glanced around the room, noting the decorations. "They've put you up in a pretty nice setup here." "Yeah, this bed is really comfortable -- best sleep I've had in years!" she chuckled. "I just hope we can get this over and done with quickly -- I wanna go home!" "You mean, back to Earth? Or back to Ponyville? Or where?" I asked, a puzzled expression on my face. "Earth, of course, you idiot! What do you think I meant?" she asked harshly. "I'll check with the Princess on that -- you remember, she said we can't go back until she determines a safe universe to send us to -- which will most likely not be the one we left behind. I'm sorry to say this, Brenda, but I don't think we can ever go back home." I sighed in resignation, noting that the prospect of not being able to return home left me feeling a bit depressed as well. "But if it's any consolation, I think we can make lots of new friends in Ponyville -- or perhaps we can go to another city in Equestria if Ponyville's not to your liking." "What? What do you mean we can't go back home? My babies! I miss my babies! I wanna go back home! Mike! Please!" she said tearfully. I climbed onto the bed with her and held her in my forelegs, trying to comfort her. "Mike! I wanna go home!" she said, her sadness causing her to start crying. "I didn't know when we came here we wouldn't be able to go back!" "I didn't either, Brenda, but I was willing to accept such a possibility. I'm sorry you could not -- look, I'll see if I can persuade the Princess to find a way to send us back," I said, still holding her close to me. She buried her head in my neck, her tears wetting my coat. I held her close to me for a good long while until the Princess showed up. "Michael, what's wrong?" asked the Alicorn, an expression of concern on her features. "Brenda wants to go home, your Majesty," I replied matter-of-factly. "She had no idea this was a one-way trip. If you could, we would greatly appreciate it if you could find a way back for us." "As I stated before, Michael, I will look into that possibility, though again, I make no guarantees. I am sorry if this news disappoints you, but you made your choice and must face the consequences of it, harsh as that may sound. Consider it an opportunity to make a new life for yourselves and establish new friendships," she stated optimistically, smiling serenely. "I WANNA GO HOME!!" Brenda wailed, fresh tears trickling from her eyes. I continued to hold my zebra wife close until the Alicorn had decided we'd been together long enough. "I hate to break up this reunion, Michael, but there is still some more training for your wife to attend to before she can stay with you. As you have seen, you are welcome to visit any time you like, at least during the daylight hours. You are not permitted to spend nights with her until I decide the time is right for that." Brenda gasped and I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "I understand that such an arrangement places a great deal of stress on you both, but this is for both your sakes. I apologize for causing this inconvenience." I released Brenda from my embrace and trotted to the Princess, bowing before her once again. "Yes, your Majesty," I stated calmly. "Mike! How can you be so calm about this? I NEED YOU!" she cried. "I place my trust in the Princess, Brenda. I will stop by from time to time to see how you're doing. Hopefully this won't take too much longer," I replied. "I don't like it any more than you. Sorry." The zebra nearly shot up out of her bed and quickly trotted to my side, wrapping her forelegs around me. "Mike, please, I'm sorry I treated you the way I did! Princess, please let me stay with him!" She gave the Alicorn her most pitiful sad-eyes look. "I'm inclined to believe your contrition, Brenda, but I feel some more training is still necessary for you," the Alicorn stated with a hint of sadness in her voice. Brenda turned her gaze to me, giving me a tearful look. "I'll be checking up on you quite frequently, Brenda. You have my word on that," I offered. "Your Majesty, how long may I continue my visit today? I want to give Brenda some more of my time." "I will allow you another 30 minutes and then you will have to leave. That will give me a chance to spend a little time with Twilight, and again I must thank you for bringing her here, Michael." "You're quite welcome, your Majesty." I trotted back over to Brenda. "So, have you had breakfast yet?" "No, Mike, I'm kind of hungry," she replied. "Your Majesty, if it's not too much trouble --" I began. "Follow me, please. I shall lead you to the dining hall, where food will be brought to you. Would you care for some breakfast, Michael?" "Spike already prepared breakfast for Twilight and me, your Majesty, though I thank you for your offer. I hope you will treat Brenda fairly while she's here, but I am also curious to know what sort of training and educational regimen she will undergo while she's here." Brenda shuddered at the thought of additional education -- especially since it had been more than three decades since she had last set foot in a school for the purpose of education. We trotted behind the Princess, but had to maintain a brisk pace to keep up with her. "I'm sorry, Michael, Brenda. I will slow my pace for you," she smiled. She had heard us huffing a little in an attempt to match her swiftness, but presently we arrived at the dining hall and took seats near the Alicorn's end of the table. The food we were offered was standard pony fare, something that Brenda turned her nose up at, something I was a bit reticent to try. Celestia assured us that the food was of the highest quality, so I took a few bites, finding the food to my liking. "Come on, Brenda, give it a try -- it actually tastes pretty good. Even if you're a zebra, you need this for proper digestion. Princess, give my compliments to your chefs -- they did quite well," I offered. Brenda picked at the food on her plate, but gingerly took a mouthful and started chewing. Finding the taste to her liking, she quickly cleaned her plate. "I had no idea it would taste this good," she said flatly, which elicited a smile from the Solar Princess. "Brenda, I can assure you, the food here is of the highest quality and formulated for a healthy diet. While you're here, you will be treated well. If you should need anything, do not hesitate to ask a guard for assistance," the Alicorn offered warmly. "Thank you, Princess," she responded, though her tone didn't offer the level of reverence Celestia desired. "Brenda, I request you refer to me as 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Highness.' The title of Princess, though technically correct, does not convey the level of respect I require of you. While you are a guest in my castle, I must request you show me an appropriate amount of respect. This is part of your training and education and failure to comply with my request may result in an extension of your separation from your husband. Please keep in mind that if you displease me, I may resort to restricting certain privileges you currently enjoy. Do I make myself clear?" she admonished, giving the zebra a stern look. "Y-yes, y-your M-majesty," Brenda stammered meekly, shrinking back a bit in her chair. She gave me a very worried look. "Your Majesty, a little leniency if you would be so kind, please?" I asked reverently, bowing slightly. "I have shown enough leniency, Michael. I make the same request of you as your wife. Do not displease me further, nor ask any favors I would find excessive." "Yes, your Majesty," I replied, bowing again. "I'm sorry, Brenda." "I shall take my leave now, but when I return, you will have to leave, Michael. I trust you to transport Twilight back to Ponyville in your automobile when your visit with your wife is over." "Yes, your Majesty. Thank you," I responded. The Alicorn trotted away from us and left the dining hall. Brenda and I embraced again, but only briefly. "Mike, please promise me you'll come back every day," Brenda begged, sadness evident in her eyes. "I will, Brenda. We still have some time, so I think we should head back to your room," I offered. She nodded her head and we trotted from the dining hall to her room, a trek which took about ten minutes. "What are you going to do when you get back to Ponyville?" she asked. "I'm going to see about finding some employment -- I suppose I could help Rarity at her boutique, Pinkie Pie at the bakery, Applejack at her farm, or Twilight at the library. Since I used to work in a library, I think that might be a good choice, though I don't know how well it pays. Perhaps I should check on that first before deciding who to work with or for," I mused. "Ugh! That's what I hate about this place! Every pony you mentioned is female! Aren't there any other places you could work at where there aren't any females to tempt you?" "I will ask Twilight about that. You have my word that I will be true to you while I'm away. I must admit, you look pretty fetching as a zebra," I chuckled. "I wonder what it might be like ..." "Ugh! Don't even go there! You think I like being a zebra? I fucking HATE it! Why did she have to do this to me?" "I kind of like being a unicorn -- magic is quite useful," I offered. "I have no idea why the Princess transformed us. Perhaps I should ask her when she returns." "I'm afraid to ask -- I don't want to see what might happen if she should actually get mad at us," Brenda said somewhat apprehensively. "They always said discretion is the better part of valor. Even so, if I had to guess, I think Princess Celestia wants us to fit in to society -- as humans, we stick out like a sore thumb. Did you see the way everypony was staring at us when we arrived? Have you been getting stares from the other ponies here?" "It's like they've never seen a zebra around here before! Yes, they stare at me! I fucking HATE IT!" she exclaimed quite angrily. "How much longer do I have to stay like this? I don't even have hands to hold things normally! This fucking SUCKS!" "Brenda, I would curb that potty-mouth of yours if I were you," the Alicorn chided, a serious expression on her face. "Back so soon, your Majesty?" I asked. Twilight trotted to meet me. "Michael, your thirty minutes are up. You are welcome to visit your wife tomorrow, though the time I will allot you is just 30 minutes. Depending on how well your wife progresses with her training, the amount will be adjusted accordingly. Twilight, please escort Michael back to his automobile so you two can return to Ponyville." "Mike! Princess! Twilight! Someone please help me!" Brenda cried. "I don't wanna be a zebra any more!" "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, may I ask why it is you transformed us into ponies, or more correctly, my wife into a zebra?" "Michael, I needed for you two to assimilate into my society. I could not allow you two to parade yourselves around, drawing unnecessary attention to your presence. As humans, you presented an unwanted distraction for my little ponies -- their lives are complicated enough as it is without having to worry about you two as well. I did this for your own good. As for your wife, I noted she resembled humans from Zecora's part of Equestria, so I took the liberty of giving her a suitable appearance." "Would it have been too much to ask of you to transform her into a unicorn as well so she could use magic? She has complained about the lack of hands to hold items properly. We are both 49 years old and she is completely accustomed to doings things in the fashion of humans. Me? Well, since I was already Twilight once and able to use magic while in a copy of her body, I am familiar enough with magic use that it's not much of a problem for me," I explained. "I have no guarantees that your wife would use magic responsibly. If she proves to me she is responsible enough, I shall consider your request. Truthfully, I think she probably would be able to progress to unicorn status -- I see within her the potential for that, at least, though her magic skills would prove to be somewhat limited. Michael, I must request you regale me with your exploits while you were trotting around in Twilight's body -- I could use some entertainment," the Alicorn chuckled. "Perhaps later, your Majesty. I will accompany Twilight back to Ponyville at once," I replied solemnly, saluting her. "I don't get why he's like that," Brenda muttered. "You will have to learn to know him better," Celestia replied. "I've been married to him for twenty years! If I don't know him by now, I'll never know him at all!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Perhaps that is true, though I feel you have not made a good-faith effort on your part to get to know him intimately well. If I didn't know any better, I would swear your attitude towards him has proven to be the biggest obstacle in your marriage." This statement raised the hackles on the zebra. "Your Majesty! Please don't take his side! He has done some bad shit in the past! He doesn't deserve respect!" "This is precisely why I have chosen to keep you away from him. You have allowed your opinion of him and what he has done prevent you from being able to forgive him his past transgressions. If you are not willing to forgive him for what he has done in the past, your training and education may be prolonged further still. Has he shown any changes in his attitude towards you?" "Hell no! He still does shit behind my back that I don't want him to do!" "Brenda, you will need to control your temper. You will need to curb your vulgarity, most especially in my presence. Such displays are a sign of disrespect, something I have little tolerance for. Please remember your place here," the Alicorn admonished sternly. "MY PLACE?! I AM NOT A FUCKING SLAVE! My ancestors DIED so I could be FREE!!" she screeched. "How dare you tell me to learn my place!" "Brenda. While you are a guest in my castle, please remember that I am royalty. I am not familiar with customs on your home world, but while you are here, there are certain standards of behavior which must be met. Your continued insolence is beginning to wear on my patience and if you insist upon maintaining such a level of disrespect, there are measures I will be forced to take -- and you will find them to be most disagreeable. Do I make myself clear?" the Solar Princess asked very sharply, her visage very dark and menacing. "Y-y-yes, y-your M-majesty," Brenda said very meekly, nearly prostrating herself on the floor. Her terrified expression spoke volumes, a puddle of her urine spreading around her as she lost control of her bladder. The Alicorn fetched a mop and a bucket of water with her telekinesis. "You've made a mess on the floor. Clean it up," she stated flatly. "And when you're done with that, take a shower. I will not have you trotting around my castle smelling like you've pissed yourself."