Conference Call
Proofread by TehSporkBandit
Crimson sparks blaze in the penumbral shadows between the absolute darkness cast by thick pillars stretching up into the imperceptible expanse. The tall arched windows let in the faintest rays of light. It might be too weak to dispel the gloom, but it had been absent just moments ago. What had started in darkness became a faint red pall that lit only the windows in an infernal light, before giving way to a calmer blue haze.
Those same sparks burst to life for a few fleeting seconds before burning out like embers in a cold stone hearth. The silence that reigned for a minute or two after your arrival was mostly supplemented by another glow around yourself, then a steadying nudge up to your feet before that disappeared too. At leat you weren't bleeding anymore and the sickness had passed. Unfortunately, now the silence could almost be counted as comforting solitude: sibilant whispers and a steady rhythmic clap of hooves ring out in the distance, like a prowler stalking just out of sight.
It wasn't just that single strange being here either, you catch fleeting glimpses of something else outside as they race past the windows swift enough to seem like an after-image. It would have been nice and comfortable to think that it was just your mind providing small discomforting motions through the blind spot in your eyes, but that couldn't be the case. Silent spectres still haunt the spaces just outside those tall star-lit windows.
You stick close to your... the female's title died in your throat. Was she a guide, warden, or a captor? You hadn't seen that combination of a Unicorn and a Pegasus before and the fact that she could, and had, spoken was just one further mystery among the myriad of confusing notions rattling around your brain.
She had a deep midnight blue coat as dark and lustreless as smoke. Only a single feature was visible with any clarity in the moonlight; on her hindquarters was a silver crescent moon that glittered as brilliantly as diamonds at the slightest hint of light. Yet the moment she stepped into one of the many murky pools of shadow the mark was entirely gone.
Baleful eyes maintain a constant vigil and check your every motion. They're smaller than the female, but there's no question that they are guards; each is covered in black lacquered plate and armed with a devilishly simple spear crooked under their wing. At an arms length away, the creature's maw springs open with a viperous hisses. Ropes of saliva hanging down from pointed teeth as the guttural snarls echoed out as reptilian sibilance. Scant seconds later as a door closes behind you closed with an audible click.
One by one, torches swirl into existence in sequential bursts. Along a darkened, alabaster wall, two-dozen wall sconces hold burning torches that separating light from darkness... no, that was only half-true. Only every second torch was lit, but the room is quickly illuminated nonetheless.
Aside from two silken banners bearing images of celestial bodies, there is nothing else in the room. Perhaps it is a partition or secured hall. “We shall deal with Our sister. For the time being, listen, and speak only if spoken to. Thou may yet be of some use.” It heralds a few unwanted thoughts: were you going to be locked in a dungeon or questioned and killed?
It takes only a moment before you recognize the uncomfortable feeling welling up in your chest might be from the pair of green eyes staring at you again. “Come. The foolish notion of residing with the royal dungeon is the least of thy concerns.”
♣
Empty halls, grand arcades, rows of pillars, and high vaulted ceilings remain the proverbial cornerstones of just about every architectural feature you could find in this new wing. Brazen wall sconces cast soft pale hues over the red carpets covering mirror-like marble floors. You scrunch up your nose as the heady scent of azaleas and roses permeates everything.
Quickly turning a corner midway through what seemed like a circular corridor, you and your hostess are met by half a score of waiting guards. Five of them were the vicious looking creatures you had thought you left behind in the other wing while the remaining five are perfectly white and pristine unicorns clad in golden plate. Your hostess stops at the doors and simply stands there. It might have looked strangely comical as she stared at the door just stare at it for a moment, but that was before the ornamental brass handles glow in a faint sapphire haze before squeaking open.
Inside, underneath a crystal chandelier lit by a ring of candles, is a single great round table with a sun-disc sigil at its heart. It could probably even pass as the fabled Arthurian Round table.
The none-too subtle sound of hard footfalls meets your ears once more. No, it was too quick. No footstep was like that so your mind swiftly relabelled it properly: hoofsteps. The slow clatter emenates from an alcove just off the main chamber. From that sheltered doorway emerges another being you could underwhelming label as a 'horse'. Far more notably, the figure cuts a spectral image of awe as it glided between the arcade and into the room itself.
The snow-white mare would was unimaginably thin compared to any horse you knew of, though she was still taller than you by two or three inches. But with a perfect powder white coat and full prismatic spectrum running through her mane and tail, she didn't look sickly in the least. Beneath the two foot long spiral of ivory, right past a golden coronet of finest gold, a pair of bright amethyst eyes looked you over with evident surprise but tiredness in equal measure. The nascent emergence of confusion twists her muzzle for no longer than a heartbeat before it disappears under a slowly spreading smile.
“You're not exactly what I was expecting.” the coldness of the chamber melts like dew on a summer morning.
As you open your mouth to speak the accompanying figure interjects, “There was a... mishap, We had not foreseen.” It's hard to tell if her tone held venom or merely embarrassment.
“So it seems.” That sound of sound of stroked crystal rings out again; a strange movement and shimmer out of the corner of your vision catches your attention. From the other side of the room a pale gold haze appears near the columns of the arcade and a weighty slab-like tome lifts itself from a stone railing before floating in mid-air. It stops, and flips itself open before sliding over in front of the pale equine. Swords and sorcery were still alive in this place, so it would appear.
She looks it over, reading quietly before gesturing with a gold shod hoof, “Please, sit.” A sharp glance up didn't make it specify if she was talking to you or to your warden. Another gesture indicates it was both of you, though she quietly laughs as the evident hesitation. “You may take your coat off if you feel more comfortable. You, dear Luna, may not.” Her bright eyes sparkle, even as the dusk-cloaked female breathes an impatient sigh at the joke. “There are a number of things that we must discuss.”
Beating a hasty retreat to the indicated spot, it was just one of a number of small raised daises with thick velvet cushions. None of them have backs, and it resembled a Japanese tea services which may have held the right degree of ceremony for your hostesses. Stripping off your coat you tap the pocket to be sure the small white and green book was inside, “Y-yes... ma'a-”
“Please, Celestia, or Princess are both equally acceptable.” it was a congenial start that was making you slightly uneasy. As a princess it meant nobility, as nobility it probably meant power enough to lop off heads. But she continues without that stilted air of regality that the dark-coloured female possessed.
These seats were obviously not meant for you. Even sitting on your knees only brought your chin to table top height so that your elbows rests next to your ears. Suddenly, you do feel quite childish and a little demeaned as the two others hadn't lost any height at all and now tower over you like giants. A hoof to her mouth, Celestia stifles a laugh but by the gentle contractions in her chest, it was only barely working.
“You may take these to seat thyself properly.” Luna said as the pillows on the chairs either side of you shimmers with a pale blue light. What the mechanics behind light infused levitation was, you couldn't guess; it might as well have been magic for all you knew. A pair of horse wizards.... admittedly, it wasn't the worst thing you could conceive of as you bring yourself up to a more respectable height.
Perhaps she sensed that aura of awkward hesitation as she launches into what sounds like a prefabricated speech. “I'm certain that you have many questions. This is the realm of Equestria, Our sovereign kingdom. Its governorship and the responsibility of the safety of its people reside with my sister, Princess Luna, and myself.” she had the soft voice of a storyteller. It's wispy at times and grand in others, never settling on a particular note for long.
“Be content to know that we have brought you here for a purpose.” Celestia continues before finally halting to look at Luna for a moment. The dark regent says nothing, but the fur on her cheeks bristle as she averts her gaze. Celestia hums for a moment, then continues, “May I?” she asks and fluidly gestures to your coat pocket.
Taking the volume from your pocket and holding the primer out, the book is sheathed in the same pale glow as you had seen before. That golden haze touches your hand for a moment; it's remarkably warm and fizzles like bubbles from dish washing liquid popping against your skin.
“Regardless of your answer, there will be neither right or wrong. So you needn't have any fear that this is a test, you may as you see fit. After which, we can decide in what capacity you might be of greatest use and integrate most smoothly.” Celestia beams. You can only blink as if the word 'integrate' was something of a key there. Claws of anxiety glide down your back.
Integrate into what?
There was a sound like brushed crystal and a wisp of parchment. A neatly cut square of paper slips from a manilla folder right next to the large tome but you couldn't see what else it contains. “Do you recognize this?” it was Celestia's first legitimate question. You take a moment to look at the parchment placed in front of you.
ic ánþing gebannum
The royal pair look at you, waiting, and you stare at those three words. And thus you give your verdict, “is that thing a P or a B?”
♣♣
A deep sigh of consternation passes your lips as you bury your face in a damp hand towel. Squeezing it out again, you take another breath of the rejuvenating steam, sucking it into your lungs and calming what had been thus far one of the most mentally draining experiences in recent memory. The standing wash basin hidden behind one of the arcade pillars appeared to be solid gold with bumps and flattened sections that caught every errant sparkle from candle light and every reflection. You feel drained and certainly look the part.
Finishing up, you place the cloth back in the basin and meander among the arcade pillars that separate the main chamber from the two small galleries to either side. It wouldn't be for long but that did provide you a chance to stretch your legs and try to gauge how long you talked. It had to have been several hours at the very least.
While you had gotten used to their levitating talents, it was still distracting to see two quill pens scribbling away on page after page of parchment without a single break. Every single word that left your mouth seemed to be jotted down for reference and every page that was written had been shuffled aside in sequence until it looked like a ring binder exploded. Those pages represented the battery of questions they'd put you through so far.
Questions, one after another, often similar but never the same had pelted you from one royal sister or the other. Oh sure, some of them had been exactly what you expected, but others were out of left field. This wasn't just some little 'meet and greet' to get the latest gossip, this felt like some Jung inspired test of your sub-conscious self.
'What are you? What do you spend your day doing? Who do you follow? Where are you from?' They were the smallest and most reasonable sample of questions that Celestia had asked. Despite their apparent simplicity, each question was quickly twisted into another.
Despite being right, every question needed to be re-asked. Suddenly, Celestia was less intrigued about your answer of being a human and had apparently meant 'what are you' to mean what was your occupation. 'What do you do every day' became a question about your subjects and specialities. As for 'where were you from', well, that had led to at least ten subsequent questions on ethnicity, culture, physical location, parentage, 'class', and everything each entailed. She followed a fluid formula that diverged off into a line of tangential interest every single time.
Princess Luna, you quickly learned, was uncomfortably blunt. For every question that Celestia had that you were right about, Luna had one that you were suddenly unsure. Part of that was that she never showed any emotion at your responses, all you heard or saw was the scratching of a quill pen. Had you ever slain your fellow human in any form whatsoever? If you were forced to choose between your heart and mind which should you choose? Who defines good and evil? Where was 'here'? The last question took no less than thirty agonizing seconds as you scrambled to find the name of the realm they had mentioned in passing only once. Even then, you had just hoped she wasn't asking something else.
Both Princesses seemed to have a basic understanding of your culture anyway so those little clarifying interjections you made earlier with Celestia were met by a 'yes, We know' with Luna. It this was some version of good-cop bad-cop then they handled it marvelously.
And now you were just meandering back to your seat, suddenly aware of the headache that had taken up residence in the left side of your skull. Both of the sisters had fresh sheets of parchment by now, and both had small neat stacks of rolled up scrolls as well. Then there was that strangely out-of-place manilla folder laying next to Celestia. She'd given you the single paper slip from it and no more.
Luna's head snapped up and she asked you swiftly, “What is your name?” In the number of hours that you'd been interrogated, that had never cropped up.
Your reply to Luna's question met with an awkward silence on behalf of both Princesses. They hadn't stopped so long after a question so far without explaining.
“No, that shall not do. We shall issue thee a new one.” to say that it had come as a surprise would have been an understatement yet she just looks down and begins writing again as if it was any other question. Of all the things she said no too how could it be that? You didn't have some odd name by any stretch of the imagination: It wouldn't compare to, say, 'Blanket' Prince Michael Jackson II. Apparently that was about to change. Flummoxed hadn't come close to the word for that bizarre feeling that was neither bemusement nor indignation.
“Art thou sufficiently recovered?” asked Princess Luna in that regal temperament you'd gotten used too. Admittedly your mouth still hung open every now and then, but golden crowns and royal titles overruled your confusion.
Celestia stands and dabs her quill pen onto a smudged sheet of paper before corking a vial of ink. “Perhaps we should continue another time.” She hauls herself to her feet and makes her way to the golden basin before daubing her face here and there. Her muscles tense and she had turned back before you finally saw the red-rimmed eyes and an unlocked jaw, squint, and chin practically tucked against her neck. You were about to answer Luna, but opening you mouth led to a quickly stifled yawn. A yawn caught from a horse, that was new.
“I wouldn't mind a break, but if this is important I'm at your service.” you reply and return to your seat hoping that you didn't come across as ungrateful or disrespectful. Royalty could be as benevolent as they wanted but there was always that air of power that they held and you didn't know how far it reached.
“Acceptable.” Princess Luna said, folding her hooves together in front of her, “As We hath said, thy name may suffice in thine own lands, but in Equestria, it presents Our subjects something of a challenge. Nay, a conspicuous challenge-”
The dark sapphire princess looked set to continue before Celestia cuts her off, “We wouldn't want your integration to be a complicated one. So this may be for the best. We had originally wished to contact and address Twila Smythe, of course; if you were at the meeting point you must know her.”
The crushing awkwardness made you continue after that insipid pause, “I was returning a book, saw the note, figured that would be better than trying to actually find her. She's, hmm, not very personable.”
“Irrelevent.” came Luna's stern voice again. Your open mouth produced no sound under the monarch's withering gaze which now bade you to remain silent. “Her knowledge and experience on matters would be instrumental in helping Us solve an evolving iss-”
“Hush.” Celestia intervenes, but offers no additional reproach Instead, she turns to you with a smile as Luna sighs in evident frustration. “My sister has used her considerable talents to attempt to gain Twila's assistance-” Celestia's tone was soft enough to pad any implications of blame and remove the bite from any other insinuations.
Luna wipes away that coddling tone with her more straight-forward mien, “The methods are no doubt beyond thy ken. Suffice to say, We consulted another who shared her previous contacts with Us. Certain conditions were created, though any more and her natural skepticism would have resulted in difficulties. We... were uncertain whether or not she would have consented.”
That was a strong admission that got you to blink, then blink again. Luna was upset because she may have been able to set up a meeting that might or might not have taken place?
“But she did not, thou did.” she stares down at her hooves and clicks them together. A quick quivers across her face, showing bared teeth. It lasts only a moment before she slumps forward, barely holding herself up at the table, streaming mane hung limply in front of her face.
“I'm sorry... but why couldn't you have just waited for Twila or someone else, too? I could have just been a mistake.”
“Thou... broke Our concentration.”
Celestia responds soon after, “Twila would have been assigned to the library with any requirements taken care of by my personal staff. You are not as naturally skilled, so you will need some outside assistance in order to reach your potential. After all, you may still be in a position to offer us valuable insight, regardless of if you can translate that missive or not.” her voice is still smooth enough to act as a balm for any burn.
Luna's eyes shifts between her sister who took a seat at the end of the table, and yourself. “Once the primary mirror opens nineteen moons hence, thou may leave. Until then, We must focus our efforts on other matters.”
Nineteen moons?! A quick mental count put that at, “More than a year and a half?” It garners nothing but a single nod from both equines as your jaw remains swung open for a few long moments. 'So what will I do? Can't you send me back?' both questions were plain as day though you'd given voice to neither.
“For the time being, you will stay in Equestria under guardianship. You will be given a new identity to help with your integration, and will be provided for until you're up on your own two feet.” Celestia smiles in amusement, as if you didn't hear you'd been abducted for nearly a year and a half. Neither had she answered the second question.
The Princess of the Night glances over and sharply states, “We will send for you if we have additional need and return thee home at the soonest possible moment.”
Celestia's resulting sigh was the first time you'd heard it sound both tired and unhappy. She was still smiling but it wavers, as if taking real effort to achieve the effect, “If you promise to follow what she says, follow our laws, and keep yourself from mischief, I will do everything in my power to make your stay here as pleasant as possible.”
Pacing back and forth she let the halt sink in, “Small issues, instances, and misunderstandings can be reasonably resolved. After all, we can not expect you to know our laws and customs, and nopony is perfect. This is one reason why you will have a guardian look after you.” Celestia's voice grew harder and her pacing stopped. Affixing you with her strongest gaze, she was even more intimidating than Luna had been, “However, if you recklessly endanger our subjects, intentionally cause harm, or otherwise try to corrupt or destroy what serves this realm, then you will leave me no choice but to banish you.”
That seemed perfectly understandable. “Understood.” you extend her a curt bob of the head as she returns the gesture back in acknowledgment.
Lune stares at you; it wasn't particularly harsh, but something seemed to be brewing in her mind. She blinks, looking aside, then states,“We wish to have him promise it. Swear it, in thy own words.” Luna insists and taps a hoof forcefully to the table. It echoes like a gunshot in the chamber and fades completely before another word is spoken.
Celestia visibly struggled with seeing through what good that would do, but her arced brow flattens some as an unseen understanding passes between the two sisters. She nods in consent, “That seems reasonable.”
A gesture so simple might be enough to mollify the Princess of the Night. If that was all it took it seemed like a small price to pay. “I swear.”
“Go on.” Luna's eyes bore into you, urging you to continue and finish the oath.
Fidgeting and hoping to recall every circumstance that could lead to exile you begin again, “I swear that I won't take any action that will recklessly endanger, cause intentional harm, corrupt, or destroy the institutions that serve this realm. I recognize the consequences.” A silence pervades the room once again.
“May I keep this?” Celestia's voice broke the uncomfortable silence. She taps the small green and white primer that you had brought. With what her good graces had promised you, there was little else to do but bob your head and let her have the useless book.
“Thank you, it may come in useful. If we need you then I will send a summons. Until then, perhaps you should sleep. Your guardian should arrive in the morning.” Taking the second book and stacking it on the first, Celestia paces back among the arcade pillars and disappears into a side room.
Luna remaina seated, inspecting her own notes as if you had already left. No matter how much she tried to hide it there were signs of tiredness: her wings drooped now and then, while her eyes look more cloudy than Celestia's, or the guards for that matter. Clenching her jaw for a moment you look at her parchment and notice she had crossed out several lines. Even the ink blotches were there where the pen hesitated and bled through. If her snippy mein stemmed from tiredness then maybe this was truly abnormal.
Conjuring up your resolve you finally speak to her alone, “There's really no way to get back? If I could get back, is there any way I could, you know, fix this?”
“If there was, We would not have suffered this conversation. Bypassing the mirror was no simple feat. The time, risk, planning, and energy required of two additional instances would be... significant.” Luna's reply bore a striking resemblance to that of a disinterested clerk. With no moderator to keep her in check she could say what she wished. There really was no hope of a quick journey home.
“So that's it then.” You sigh in resignation.
“For the time being, thy actions hath altered Our plans.” Luna replies, the scratching recommencing in earnest. “Do not forget thy vows. You may still be of use to Us.”
“Yes, princess.” You bow and turn to leave, not that you knew where you were going, but it felt like you had just been dismissed.
Luna's voice halts your departure. “Thou shalt be escorted to thy quarters and remain there.” Twisting to look back at the dark princess you hear the doors open amidst a clatter of armour and shod hooves. It looked like your escort was already waiting in the wings.