Chapter 11: The Arrival
Twilight followed Princess Luna deep in the heart of Canterlot Castle, down several flights of stairs into the dungeons. The dungeons beneath Canterlot were seldom used, only occupied by the rare pony that would fall on the wrong side of the law while they awaited their trial. The corridors were lit by magical torches that produced no smoke and little heat, making the air feel a bit cold. Luna stopped in front of a thick wooden door imbued with several strong protection spells and magic neutralization spells.
Luna opened the door, and Twilight followed. She was instantly surprised by her surroundings. She had expected a dark, cold, stone cell. Instead, the room was well lit and well furnished. The stone floor was covered by several thick rugs. The walls were painted a light blue trimmed with white. The furniture, though plain, was tasteful and obviously hoof-crafted. The bed looked like it was soft enough for any noble, and that was where the human lay. His bag was set next to the bed, and Princess Celestia was already using magic to examine the boy.
Twilight noted that the soot had been removed from his face, revealing a few dark bruises. His left leg was bent awkwardly, and a faint trickle of blood ran down his cheek, which the Princess wiped away with a scrap of cloth.
"Sister, what is the meaning of this?" Luna asked.
"I believe that you can see for yourself who this is, Luna," Celestia replied. "As for calling you here, you are better at healing than I am."
Luna merely nodded, and her horn became surrounded by a blue aura. The human's chest began to glow faintly, as did his leg. The bruises slowly faded away, leaving him looking once again normal. The whole process took over an hour, and Luna was sweating by the time she was finished. The boy was breathing more easily, but remained asleep.
"It is done," she breathed, "though it may take some time before he awakens." Luna turned to leave and nearly tripped over the edge of a rug.
Celestia helped her sister out of the room. Twilight looked once more at the human, and followed the Princesses out of the dungeon.
* * *
Seth woke slowly. The first thing he noticed was that he was sore. His left leg felt stiff and heavy, and his breathing felt like it was just a little bit forced. He finally opened his eyes. The light of the room was soft and didn't hurt his eyes. He blinked. He wasn't in his room at home, or in a hospital bed.
Wait, why would I be in a hospital? he thought. He tried to remember what has happened before he woke up. He remembered a loud noise, a flash of light, and then nothing. At least, nothing until he woke up in this strange place. He set his mind to work trying to figure out what happened. He went over his memories leading up to the blackout. He had been at school. He had had a bad day, and was walking home. He had been thinking about what song he would listen too. He started crossing the street. He remembered a loud honk. He looked up, saw a wall of red, and then...nothing.
Seth tried to figure out what it all meant. A honk...that reminded him of a truck. Wait, a truck? he thought. suddenly, everything returned in a flash. He had been crossing the street, then a car came out of nowhere. He looked up just in time to see it hit him. It had been going far too fast, at least fifty miler per hour. All of that, and more, flashed in his mind, and boiled down to one question.
"Am I dead?" he asked himself, his voice barely audible even to himself.
"No, you're not," a voice said to his right.
Seth turned his head. his eyes wouldn't focus, and all he saw was a purple blur. he blinked, forcing his eyes to adjust. The blur resolved itself into a purple equine laying on a couch with a book. "T-Twilight?" he said, confused. He closed his eyes. "I must be dreaming," he muttered.
"No, you aren't," the unicorn replied. Seth started to sit up. "I wouldn't do that," she started.
Seth stopped when a sudden burst of pain shot through his side. He fell back on the bed with a groan. Once the pain faded to a dull throb, he opened his eyes again. "Wh-what happened?" he asked. "How the heck did I get here? I wasn't even sleeping."
"As to that," Twilight said, "the Princesses were wondering the same thing." The cell door opened. "Speaking of which," she said.
Princess Celestia entered the room, followed by Princess Luna. Seth gulped. The two royal equines looked serious.
"I see you're awake," Princess Celestia said. Her voice held an almost no emotion, just making a statement. Seth nodded, unable to speak. Celestia levitated a tray from somewhere behind her and set it on the bed before Seth.
"Wha-?" Seth said, confused.
"Eat first," Princess Celestia said, "we can talk after that."
Seth flinched slightly at the way she said "talk", even as Twilight helped him into a sitting position, propping pillows behind him. Though she tried to be as gentle as she could, Seth winced in pain. He managed to suppress a moan of pain though. He noted idly that his left arm ached and felt thick and heavy. He looked down at the tray, seeing food he recalled eating from his previous visit to Equestria. Knowing that his left arm would probably be nearly useless, Seth started eating using only his right hand, feeling somewhat self-conscious with not one, but three strangers watching him.
Despite the awkwardness, the food was delicious. However, even that made Seth feel uneasy, hoping that this wasn't going to be his last meal. Once he was finished, the tray was removed from his lap and set on a table next to the bed.
"Now," Princess Celestia said, "I will be blunt, Seth. I did not expect to see you return to Equestria. So, how did you get here?"
Seth gulped, starting to feel sweat prickle on his brow. "I-I really don't know," he said, curling up slightly.
Celestia blinked, but other than that, she did not look affected in any way. "Explain," she said flatly.
"Well, you see...I was walking home from school," Seth said, "I had been having a really bad day, and wasn't really paying attention to anything. I was crossing the street, when a car came out of nowhere. I remember looking up and seeing it too late. There was a bright flash of light, a loud bang, and then...well, I woke up here."
The Princess' face remained inscrutable as she pondered what Seth had said. She was silent for a long time. Princess Luna started to shift slightly, while Twilight looked somewhat uncomfortable. Seth tried not to look anxious about what the Princess would say of do.
Finally, Princess Celectia spoke. "You will stay here until you are fully healed," she said. "After that, we will figure out what happened, and send you home."
Seth nodded. "I understand," he said, simply relieved that the Princess wasn't angry.
Celestia nodded. "Then we'll leave you to your rest," she said. "Twilight will be here if you need anything." With that, the two royal equines left, leaving Seth to rest and heal.