//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Revelations and Libraries (updated) // Story: The Return of the Humans // by DaringWizard //------------------------------// Merlin woke up. His throat was burning, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. He looked to his side, there, sitting right next to him, was the young alicorn that had helped him. He then remembered the ritual he had carried out the other day, and realized he was on the other side. "Oh... you're awake." The alicorn said, Merlin's eyes adjusted to the light as he took in the view of the room. "Wh..where...*cough!* *cough!*" Merlin tried to talk, but he couldn't, something had hurt his throat on the way through the portal. "You want some water?" She asked. Merlin nodded. The alicorn trotted off. When she came back, her horn was glowing, and a glass of water floated near her side, Merlin seemed unalarmed by this. "Here, don't drink too quickly, I don't want you to choke." She said, Merlin drank the water, and his throat cleared up. He sat up on the mattress. "Ugh... I need to stop jumping in portals willy-nilly..." Merlin remarked, he looked to the young alicorn. "Thank you. You have my gratitude. My name is Merlin. Who are you?" "I'm Twilight. Twilight Sparkle." Twilight answered. "Where am I?" Merlin asked, he looked around the room he was in again. "You're in my library, in Equestria." Twilight answered. Merlin smirked. "It worked..." Merlin said, smiling. "What?" Twilight asked, Merlin's face went blank, then looked somewhat concerned. "I'm terribly sorry for knocking all those books down on my uh... 'descent', I was experimenting with some ancient spells. I tried a spell that said it could take me to the fabled land of the equines, or 'Equestria'." Merlin said. "Oh, no problem, it's not your fault, I don't mind." "Thank you, Miss, excuse me, may I get up?." He responded, he got up from the mattress, walked a few steps, and looked out the window, there was a period of silence between the two, then, he chuckled. "You don't seem too surprised." Merlin remarked. "About what?" Twilight asked. "Well... I would've thought that seeing a creature from another world would have been rather... flustering." He explained, Twilight shook her head. "Oh, no no... we have books on you guys here... didn't think I would meet one of you guys in real life..." She said, "Same with us for your home..." Merlin remarked. "I always grew up with the comforting bedtime stories of this place, everyone thought it was a complete myth... I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it showing up in magical spell books. You know that feeling when you find something you've been longing for?" Merlin asked, Twilight smiled. "I know, I actually had started reading about the legend of humans living here a while ago... I didn't know that it was true. When I saw you laying there, I..." Twilight stopped. "Hmmm?" "Well, I didn't know how to handle the situation, really... I mean, what would you have thought?" She asked, Merlin turned his head to face her. "I probably would've felt the same way." Merlin responded, he turned back to the window, but then he quickly looked back at her. "...What is that?" He asked. "My... tail?" She said, rather confused. "No, that." He said, he pointed at her side where a pinkish-red colored, six sided star stood, it looked like a tattoo. "Oh, you mean my cutie mark? It's a mark that shows a pony's talents, mines magic. Why?" She asked, Merlin's eyes went wide, then he reached down the front of the shirt half of his robes. He pulled out a necklace with a pendant on it- it was exactly the same as Twilight's cutie mark, Twilight looked at the pendant with wide eyes. "W...woah. Where did you get that?" She asked, her eyes were now as wide as the boy standing in front of her. "It was a gift from my mother, it's part of my family's royal crest." Merlin answered. "But, that's-!" Twilight was cut off by a knock at the door. "Uh-oh... you have to hide, the other ponies might freak out if they see you." "I pose no threat." Merlin said, Twilight turned to look at him again. "That's not the kind of 'freak out' I'm worried about... You are the first human in Equestria in a long time, after all." She said, and Merlin ran upstairs. The door opened, proceeded by two guards was the tall-standing alicorn, Princess Celestia. "I came as quickly as I could. Forgive me, I was asleep when you sent the letter." Her voice echoed in Merlin's ears; he was peering down at them through a crack in the floor; Princess Celestia? She's real too? He thought, his heart was pounding with excitement. "I would have only sent you it if it were really important. Let me close the door... there's something you need to see." Merlin heard hoof steps approaching the door, he froze as he heard it open, he turned to face the door. At first, the princess looked surprised, but then her face loosened. "Hello, Merlin... You look just like your forefather, Arthur." Celestia said, Merlin's eyebrows raised, the guards broke their blank expressions, and Twilight's jaw dropped open.