//------------------------------// // 88 - Royal Passes, Royal Glasses // Story: Synch // by sunnypack //------------------------------// Celestia actually got a black version of the shirt I was wearing along with white pants. Seems like I can mix and match my wardrobe whenever I felt like it. Celestia explained that black wasn’t really a standard colour for Equestria but midnight blue wouldn’t really work with my scheme. In addition to bestowing me an ambassadorial ensemble, Luna gave me a nice dagger to hold in an inlaid shealth inscribed with diagrams of constellations and stars. The dagger was fully functional if a little ornamental but she assured me I probably wouldn’t be needing it since a contingent of guards were going to accompany me most of the way. It had a useful clip that fit snugly on the belt and it felt somewhat comforting to have it on me, even if I didn’t have a clue on how to wield it properly. I did a double take at that, questioning the contingent of guards. I was technically an ambassador now so I needed some guards to help give me that extra oomph when crossing borders. Apparently, we were planning on crossing a bit of Saddle Arabia (I stifled some laughs) and heading to a couple of mountains situated on a range on the desert side. We could cross from Equestrian borders but for some reason it was less hazardous than going from Saddle Arabia. I didn’t question the princess, they being more expertly knowledgeable in the layout of the land than I, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit daunted by the length of the journey, for which a significant amount of it would be by foot. Mind you, I’m not lazy... I was just unused to such rigorous exercise. Celestia and Luna gave me a farewell dinner and I found myself craving meat, which I hadn’t for quite some time. I was happy to eat vegetarian and I had to eat a lot of legumes to make up for the lack of protein and spinach for the iron, but all in all I was getting leaner and healthier with the forced diet change. Still, I was an omnivore and I was just used to eating meat and there were worse cravings to be had. I shuddered as I contemplated Paul without his foobars. He’d go nuts. Luna gave me a sidelong glance. “We will miss you, dear one”, she began sighing deeply. “As much as I enjoy Canterlot and your company, I think saving the world may take a bit more priority”, I replied jokingly. Luna rolled her eyes. “Equestria is such a place to attract the attention of the world-ending kind, is it not?” I chuckled at that seeing the acquiescing nods and grunts across the table of varying degrees. Even Pseudo bobbed her head in agreement. “I think Canterlot just has a lot of interesting ponies”, Pseudo commented, she had an empty dish in front of her but the cerulean glow of her horn indicated she was drawing from the ambient emotions in the air. Twilight looked uncomfortable sitting next to her, but it was the farthest Pseudo could sit from me while still being able to ‘eat’ emotions. I was still getting used to that concept, so strange. Celestia was the next to speak up. “I will miss our conversations, young one, there aren’t many that speak to me as an equal. It is quite refreshing.” I grinned. “Maybe you should just abandon the whole princess act and talk to your subjects in disguise?” I suggested facetiously, forking a lettuce into my mouth. Celestia actually considered that for a moment before shaking her head. “Not right now, at least”, she replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. Man, if only royals on our world were this awesome. Yes that’s right. You heard me. I’d like to see royalty on our world listen to complaints from commoners, draw up and legislate, run a nation for thousands of years and still have the energy to be fun. Top that. Luna steered the conversation to a topic she had wanted to broach since the start of the dinner. She ruffled her feather proudly and addressed me. “So, do you like it?” “Huh, wha?” I replied unintelligibly. Celestia put a dainty hoof to her mouth suppressing a grin. Twilight groaned inwardly. Pseudo eyed Luna and I carefully. “I mean the food”, Luna explained and for some reason I felt a tensing in the atmosphere of the room as ponies and changelings alike waited for my answer. “I’m sorry, do you want my opinion on the food?” I asked, puzzled. Luna nodded good-naturedly. “That would be appreciated.” “It’s fine”, I said casually as Twilight face-hoofed. I peered quizzically at the mare. What was wrong with her? “Just fine? Anything else?” Luna inquired persistently. I glanced at Celestia who was giving me a decidedly neutral look. Pseudo was no help; she was finding something interesting to look at in the ceiling. Twilight still had her hoof on her face. “It’s good?” I ventured, eyeing Luna warily. I sensed a trap. Luna sighed, dejected. “What?” “Luna cooked the food for tonight’s dinner”, Celestia explained awkwardly. Huh, oh what? Oh dang… “Yep! It’s pretty good! Amazing! Top of the line!” I belted out but that seemed to make Luna more depressed, her lip quivered. OOOOOOOOhhh I messed up! “Actually it just tastes like vegetables”, I admitted to everyone’s shocked expressions. Luna looked like I shot her dog… If she had one that is. I hastily added, “Well you know a vegetarian diet is still just vegetables.” Ponies around the table just looked confused, well excepting Pseudo and Celestia. Pseudo piped up. “Uhm, I agree-“ she began but was cut off by Twilight. “Of course you’d agree, you eat emotions!” she retorted, causing Pseudo to shrink a bit. “I can also eat normal foods”, she croaked out in a small voice. “Huh?” was all I could say. “It doesn’t taste nice but our disguises would be very poor if we couldn’t digest some foods. A-Actually, we can digest anything, even rocks if we have enough emotional reserves”, she explained meekly. She gestured at her chitin armour. “This has to come from somewhere.” I dropped my fork. “That’s so cool!” I said, startling Luna next to me. “Do you know what some humans would give to have that kind of power? You could eat anything!” My mind was whirling with the scientific applications until I remembered that it was only possible with the aid of magic. I deflated, disappointed. “Uhh, are you okay?” Twilight called out to me as I flopped my head in my hands. “Ugh, well I guess being an omnivore would be the next best thing”, I muttered playing with my food. Twilight gasped. “Y-you eat meat?” I shrugged puling my mouth into a grin and pointed at my canines. “These are more biting, not grinding”, I explained, opening my mouth to show the pointiness. Luna appeared fascinated. “I had heard that meat-eaters like Griffons and other races preferred meat due to the taste, I suppose it may be true that it diminishes the taste of vegetables.” “Probably, vegetables are good with certain types of dressings and certain cooking methods but I honestly think they taste better with a little meat”, I confessed, trying the gauge the reactions of each pony on the table. Pseudo surprisingly looked like she didn’t mind and Celestia and Luna appeared more fascinated and curious than anything. Twilight looked a little weirded out but she looked like she was trying to be accepting since the princesses didn’t seem to take offence. Aw yeah, peer-pressure. Pseudo eyed me across the table. “Can we talk about something else, this mood is making my dinner taste weird”, she complained and everyone chuckled at that, returning the table to more merry topics. ----- The preparations were going to take a few days so I mainly took the opportunity to relax and fiddle with my Synch in the coming days. Pseudo told me she didn’t like me alone with my Synch because every time she checked up on me I would have an expression of melancholy, as I would sometimes view the old video logs Angel had recorded. Though it was morbid I took comfort in the familiar, seeing a familiar face and seeing familiar technology. It gave me a storm of conflicting feelings. Happiness and nostalgia, pain and fear, guilt and responsibility and a plethora of others so complex I didn’t bother analysing them. I always felt the prickling sensation of responsibility on the back of my mind, weighing down on my soul as I went about seemingly innocuous activities. It was a pressure that was subtle and ever constant and I found my hands shaking uncontrollably sometimes when my thoughts drifted to the consequences of my failure. When Pseudo or Twilight visited me, I put on a mask of happiness and indifference, covering my fear with jokes or jovial conversation. The noise helped keep the dark thoughts of failure away. The conversation blared out the whispers of condemnation from the people of my home planet. Even though I didn’t regret my decision to first act upon saving Equestria from myself but I still heard the wall of guilty pleas that stemmed from my inaction. Help us, they would say. Why won’t you help us? There isn’t much time left. Of course I didn’t know that. This was time travel we were talking about. Did it already happen or will it? Will I come back and find Earth empty or will I have time to stop it all? Logic was a poor defence for feelings and I struggled with trying to clamp down on my rising anxieties. I had determination for sure but I also had my own insecurities that held me back. Too much introspection, just head out there in full force, I thought to myself angrily, strapping on my backpack. I shook my head, heading out of the palace to meet at the rendezvous point outside the main gate. There would be time. There will be time.