"What are you?"
The first time, and unfortunately not the last, this question will be asked of me. I sit, handcuffed with some strange yellow aura that matches that of the white horse's horn that questions me. I take a second to look her over. Her rainbow mane flutters in the breeze; except, there is no breeze. A picture of the sun rests on her flank. I wonder what it means.
"Why can I understand you?" I ask, trying to keep calm, which I do fairly well, considering the circumstance.
"A spell. One that will allow the denizens of my lands and myself understand you, as well as allow you to understand us. So answer me. What are you?"
A spell? Magic? This concerns me even more than being able to understand what a horse is saying. It means I am much farther from my home than I was mere seconds ago. Panic would be unwise; if I struggle, they may interpret an attack or intent to escape. I am afraid, and I am alone.
"I'm a human."
"A hyoomun?" A slightly shorter, darker-colored horse steps forward. Her mane acts similarly to the white one's. She has a crescent moon on her flank. I'm beginning to think these tattoo's might be important. Her magic takes hold of my chin and tips my head back and to the sides. I assume she wants a better look at me. Considering I am little more than a prisoner at this point, I do not resist.
"What land do you hail from?" The white one asks as she circles me.
"Nowhere in this world, I can tell you that. We don't have magic talking horses where I'm from." As the dark horse releases me from her magical grip, I take a moment to look at my surroundings, since they had incapacitated me as soon as they found me. We sit in a small, circular room with a single window, a desk beneath that window, and four bookshelves lined up against the walls. I assume that the exit to the room is behind me. Looking out the window, I do notice that we must be fairly high up. I can see mountains in the distance, and the bright lights of a city.
"From another world, then? How preposterous! Are you an agent of a foreign land, come to spy on us?" I cut the dark horse off before she can continue.
"If you'll have me killed, then do it! I have no clue how I got here, where I am, who either of you are, nor do I care of what you'll accuse me of!" I glare at her, my eyes locked as she sneers and turns away. The two horses sit behind me and whisper to one another. I can barely pick up what they say.
"Sister, what should we do with it?"
"I'm... not sure, Luna. I don't sense any real hostility with it, nor any danger."
"Should we keep it as a pet?" I feel like this is a joke, but neither of the two offer any hint of a smirk.
"No, that may be cruel. I am not sure if we can trust it around our citizens. Maybe we should shelter it for a while. Study it, learn about it, see what it's capable of?"
"Could you two stop calling me an it? I'm a guy. I've got extra parts and all that." They hush their whispering and walk back in front of me. Luna pulls a book off of the desk and drops it in my lap. I look down at it and immediately recognize it.
"What is in here? These runes match absolutely no known text in our world."
"It's my journal. It's written in English."
"Why are you so full of secrets?" The white one asks as she stares closely at my face. Her nose almost touches me.
"Secrets? I'll tell you whatever you want to know, as long as you tell me what I want to know."
"Very well, on one condition."
"Name it."
"You will stay within the confines of this castle. As a guest, not a prisoner."
"Deal." I hold my hands up to shake their hooves. They just stare at me.
I stare back and slowly lower my hands.
"So, hyoomun," the white one starts as she releases my hands, "what do your kind eat?"
I think for a second. In a world that's probably inhabited almost solely by magical talking horses, it is probably extremely taboo to eat meat. They'll probably figure it out sooner or later, especially once I've become malnourished from lack of protein and iron. I might as well tell them now.
"We eat meat." The two horses cast an uncomfortable glance between one another before the white one casts her gaze to the floor with a sigh.
"I'm sure we'll be able to work something out for you."
I grab my journal and stand up from the chair in which I sit and look behind me. A spiral staircase opens up just behind the chair. The two horses lead me downstairs and whisper amongst themselves.
"Do you think he's related to that... thing?"
"It is possible, Luna. For now, we may have to conceal it, just in case."
"And when the time comes?"
"We'll look into it when I feel as though we're ready, sister."
"You two can stop whispering. If you want my secrets, I want yours." Luna grumbles and turns her head to me.
"We were discussing important royal duties. Something to hide from our enemies."
"Hiding what?"
"Something that they may value highly, that could bring about an end to peace in our world."
I walk in silence behind them. They no longer whisper to each other. It definitely looks like I'll be staying in this world for a while. A world of colorful, magical talking horses. I can't believe this. One minute, I'm running down the street on Earth; the next, I'm being interrogated by horses. All I remember is being stalked by some weird white thing with a white mask and then chasing after it. Maybe it's the reason why I came here? Follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole, I suppose. Maybe that was why I didn't panic; in the back of my mind, I knew something weird was going to happen.
"Do you two think there's any way I can get back to my world?"
"Possibly. We'll need a while to look into it. It may be a month before we find anything, it may be a few years." Time. Is it measured the same way here as it was back on Earth? I reach into my pockets for my phone, but find it is missing.
"Did you two take anything off of me?"
"Are you insinuating that we would steal from you? We found you in the gardens with naught but your book." That is perplexing. I know I had my phone and wallet on me before I left the house. It doesn't matter, a phone would probably be useless here. I doubt I'd need a wallet for anything, since I'll be easily recognizable, and horses probably use hay or oats as currency. Then, it dawns on me that my only possessions in this new world are my journal and the clothes on my back.
***
After walking through the castle for a while, we finally enter a large hall. Two long tables stretch from one end of the room to the other, each flanked with ornate chairs. The walls are lined with intricately woven tapestries lit by the extravagant chandeliers that hang above the tables. It looks like a banquet hall. The two horses walk all the way to the far end of the room and sit at the table on the left. I follow them and sit across from Luna with her sister on my right.
A much smaller horse wearing a chef's hat enters the room from a small door just behind the white horse. He sets a tray holding several tea cups and a teapot on the table, bows, and exits back through the door. I suppose he either didn't notice me, or these two have had stranger guests. They pour themselves some tea and start to sip at it.
"So, tell us about yourself," says the white horse. Thanks for offering me some tea. I reach over and grab the teapot and a cup and pour a little bit for myself.
"What do you want to know?"
"Your name, for starters." My name. Funny, I don't remember it. I glance down at my journal and open it. Flipping through the pages and checking the inside cover reveals nothing.
"You do have a name, don't you?" I momentarily lock eyes with Luna and shrug.
"It's Anonymous." It isn't exactly a lie.
"Anonymous. Well, my name is Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna." The white horse finally reveals her name.
"What will I do here, in your world?" I'll need some way to survive the rest of my life in this world, assuming they ever let me leave the castle. It should be much easier than on Earth, since they have magic, but I'd need assistance in adjusting.
"That depends. What was it that you did back in your home world?" I take a moment to think. I don't suffer from amnesia, I remember a lot of my world and my life. I just can't remember my name.
"I was a hero." Again, this is not a lie. I worked with animals back on Earth. I might as well play myself up to these two. They seem rather important with their horns and wings and glittery jewelry.
"A hero? Please, regale us with some of your adventures."
"Another time, maybe. I'd like to learn more about this world beforehand. All I'll say now is that I was a protector of the small and the weak." Still not lying, I did protect small and weak animals that people abandoned. "Some even called me an angel."
Celestia and Luna set their tea cups down and stare at me. They hide their emotions well.
"You will have to excuse me," says Luna. "I have matters to attend to before the sun rises." She stands from the table and trots away. I find it strange that she would choose now to attend to her duties.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, it's just... Angels are a bit of a legend in this world. They're an old mare's tale, said to be these great, powerful creatures that protected the ponies of Equestria in their early years." I stare at her curiously. It seems our worlds have something in common.
"Funny, angels are a bit of a legend where I'm from too. Mostly religious icons, but protectors and guardians all the same."
"Fascinating. What of your monarchs?"
"They vary. Some countries have good leaders, some have bad leaders. Most countries don't really use the term 'monarch' anymore. Safe to assume you only asked that, because you're a monarch yourself?" She nods. I see her no differently, though it might not hurt to treat her kinder.
"Sorry for having to incapacitate you earlier. We couldn't be sure if you were dangerous or not."
"Understandable. I, personally, wouldn't want some alien rampaging around my kingdom."
***
We sit in silence for a short while, sipping at the tea. I have plenty of questions, I'm just not sure how to phrase them. Maybe I should start with some of the important questions. Things Celestia might actually be able to answer. Basic things.
"You horses have invented plumbing, right?" She looks taken aback by what I said. I hold my hands up. "Sorry, sounds like plumbing is a little bit of a taboo thing."
"No, it's just -" She shakes her head and sighs, "- we don't use the word 'horse' here. We're called ponies." Ponies. That makes more sense than horses, since the two princesses and their little chef aren't exactly the size of horses on Earth.
"Okay, ponies. I noticed your chef didn't have a horn or wings. Different species?"
"Yes. There are three main races: the earth ponies, which lack both horns and wings, but are extraordinarily strong; the pegasi, which have wings and control the weather; and the unicorns, which have horns and can perform magic."
"And what about you?"
"Ah! My sister, two others, and myself, are all alicorns. Essentially, we possess traits of all three of the main races, and live for much longer. Each of us have a talent that almost no other pony possesses."
"Talents?"
"Yes, something we're exceptional at. They are usually displayed by our cutie-marks." I suppose it's safe to assume it's the picture on their butts. "For example, mine is that of the sun. While I am exceptionally talented with all forms of magic, I specialize in raising and lowering the sun. Similarly, Luna raises and lowers the moon." They raise the sun and moon? Seems unnecessary, unless the laws of physics don't apply here. I pour a bit of my tea out onto the floor. Gravity still works.
"The other two alicorns? What do they do?" Celestia stares at me curiously, slightly shaking her head in disapproval. I simply shrug.
"Well, there's Cadence, who lives far to the north in the Crystal Empire. Her special talent is love, in the sense that she can help ponies find love. Then, there's the newest alicorn, Twilight Sparkle. She is exceptional in all fields of magic; quite possibly the most talented in the history of Equestria. She's on a little bit of business in the Crystal Empire."
"Equestria?" I suppress a chuckle.
"The name of the lands over which my sister and I rule. Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's just..." I pause for a moment, a thought of my home world coming to mind. "Equestria sounds a bit like equestrian, which has a lot to do with horses where I'm from."
"Oh? You have ponies in your world?"
"Yeah, but they don't really talk or do magic. We use them for work and sport."
"Interesting."
"Anyway, you kept mentioning three main races. Does that mean there are sub-races?"
"Of sorts, yes. They aren't commonly seen outside of their respective villages though."
"I'm not worried, then. I'd rather learn some more important things before getting into specifics." I think for a moment to see if there's anything more I'm curious about. "Do you have a library? I think if I could read more about your world, instead of just ask questions, it might help with what I can tell you of my world."
Celestia rises from the table and beckons me to follow her.
"I'll take you there once the sun has been raised. I believe that I am a tad late in my chore, what with having to deal with you." She smirks and leads me through the castle once more.
This place is like a maze. Hallways lead into more hallways, and those lead into rooms that look almost identical to one another. I would get lost here, if left alone.
"Here." Celestia stops on a large balcony. I stand beside her and look out at the horizon. The sky is already changing its colors. I notice Luna standing on another balcony, not far from us, on our left. A blue aura surrounds her horn. I look over at Celestia, whose horn glows the same yellow as before, when I was cuffed.
I watch the horizon as the two sisters work together to perform their magic. I feel a warmth spread through me as the sun peeks over the mountains in the distance. It is so much more beautiful than any sunset I had ever seen on Earth. I can probably attribute that to this world being much more colorful, now that I really start to notice. Is it monsoon season? Because there's a torrential out-pour stirring in my eyes.
"It is always such a beautiful sight. Even after thousands of years, I'm still left speechless every time the sun rises." She smiles as I lean against the railing of the balcony.
"You really just moved the sun and moon with your sister. Using nothing but magic."
"Do your monarchs not do this?"
"No! We don't even have magic in my world!" I feel like I might cry. This is absolutely amazing; a literal miracle.
"Are all humans as easy to impress as yourself?"
"If you showed any single human being in my world something like this... I don't know. I really do not know. Maybe we'd finally stop fighting each other, maybe we'd work together to become a better species, maybe we'd..." Capture you and experiment on your kind until we learned a way to harness your power? Not all humans are kind-hearted enough to let these creatures be. If there's money to be made, or power to be had, it wouldn't be a far stretch for someone to exploit and abuse these ponies.
"Maybe you'd what?"
"Nothing." I don't think it would benefit me in this world to reveal how vicious and cruel my own kind can be. It would only serve to create a rift of distrust between me and Celestia. If I'm going to live here, and hopefully thrive, I'll need to be on her good side as much as possible.
She offers a soft chuckle and swats my hand with her tail.
"You wanted to see the library, correct?" I nod as she starts to lead me back through the castle. We run into Luna after a short while later. With a simple nod, Celestia trades me off to her as she retreats to attend her royal duties.
"So. To the library?" I nod to Luna. "Very well. I am not sure what you expect to find, but I will entertain it."
"I told your sister I wanted to do a bit of research on some general things about your world. Some history, some technology, animals, maybe food. I want to see if our worlds have anything in common, so we can skip to the differences."
"That is an excellent idea. It might even lead to some insight into how to get you home."
I stop by a window as the word "home" leaves her lips. As I lean against the glass, I look outside. I've been conscious for just over two hours, so I still haven't come to terms with being here. Maybe it's just a really real-feeling dream, but maybe it isn't.
"What if there's no way for me to get back? What if I'm here forever?"
Luna bites her lip and looks away from me.
"I do not want to promise anything to you, Anonymous. But, maybe, if you're well enough behaved, we will make some accommodation to your permanent residence in Equestria." I laugh a little bit at the thought. Being the only human in a world of magic ponies doesn't seem too bad. It actually seems quite peaceful around here, the landscape is beautiful from what I've seen, and the two princesses have been incredibly kind to me.
However, I might not ever see my family or friends ever again. I can make new friends here, sure, but what if I outlive them? What if they outlive me?
"How long have you and Celestia been alive?" I look her in the eyes, and can almost immediately see a reflection of my sadness within them.
"Several thousand years."
"How long are your years?"
"Three-hundred-sixty-five days."
"No leap years?" She tilts her head. "It's where you skip a day on the calendar, for whatever reason."
"No. Three-hundred-sixty-five days a year, seven days a week. Twenty-four hours in a day, sixty minutes per hour, sixty seconds per minute."
"Count out a second."
"One Equestria." It's even worse than I thought. My lifespan has another seventy years on it, if I'm lucky. More, if these ponies' magic can keep me going. But Luna and Celestia have been alive for thousands of years, so I will definitely not be out-living anyone in this world any time soon. I rest my forehead against the glass as I look away from her, trying to hide my sorrow. A hoof rests against my hand, and I sigh as I hold it.
"I'm alright, don't worry ab-"
"The average pony only lives about a hundred years, Anonymous. How long do hyoomuns live for?" I feel my heart lighten significantly, though I don't know why it was weighed down in the first place. I have no attachment to this world, yet I already expect the worst.
"Nearly the same time, thought I already have twenty years under my belt." I pause for a moment before speaking again. "Do you think I'll be able to get home?"
"Anonymous. I'm not sure if dwelling on this matter is healthy. Perhaps it would be best to make the most of your time here. It will make for an excellent story if you get home, and if not... well, at least you'll be welcome here."
"Welcome? Won't other ponies think I'm some kind of freak?"
"Anonymous. You are nice enough. Ponies will be wary of you, yes, but with time, they will trust you." A smile plays across her lips.
"We've known each other for a little less than three hours. Are you implying that you trust me?"
"I sense no evil or deceit within you, Anonymous. Thousands of years alive? Sister and I, while still being wary, can tell when a pony means well." Her hoof leaves my hand and she starts to walk away. "Come along, I still have to take you to the library."
I take another look out the window and smile. Maybe I won't see my loved ones ever again, maybe I'll be stuck here forever. But, Luna's right; I need to make the best of this situation. I follow her to the library, ready to move forward, for better or worse.