Chapter 7 – A mutual understanding [2/2]
“Spice…kfast is serv…”
You awoke to the scent of blueberries.
“…Selen…at are you doin…umm I kinda…piced Tea…nocked out…”
The scent was neither overbearing nor was it light. It smells just like a freshly baked blueberry pie or the scent of shampoo you use to wash your mane. Not that you use blueberry shampoo for your mane, you’re a man…err stallion of course. But that is not what caught your attention. It was HOW you were able to taste those blueberries.
“…ister…we nee…ouse…”
You could also distinguish another scent. It reminded you of peaches. It is as noticeable as the blueberry. Both scents mix in your mind, giving you the impression of a dessert. And like the former, you can almost taste the peaches.
“…blueberries…peaches…yum…” that was all you mutter before you slid into a coma. Abruptly ending your journey here in Equestria; I sure hope you saved your game.
Just kidding, you only passed out….again.
An hour passed before you awoke. Sadly you do not seem to detect those scents from earlier. But you awoke with a different feeling. A cold wet feeling from a cold wet cloth atop your head. Now this was no cause for alarm. It is perfectly understandable to have such a thing on your head after practically getting winded by a directory as thick as a phonebook. Not that there are any phones in this world.
‘Mental note: Find out if there are any other forms of technology similar to those from home’. You wanted to nod at this thought. But you were halted by the throbbing pain from the welt apparent on your head.
*groan*
“Oh good, you’re awake! How do you feel?” an angelic voice asked.
“Am I dead yet? Are you a messenger of some higher being who is incredibly hot?”
“You will be if you don’t stop with the flattery. You might be as worse as my sister,” can she ever take a compliment?
“Well you are still a looker princess.”
“And you are still unconscious and I would love it to be that way if you keep this up” now that was a critical hit to the gems, ouch.
Taking the hurtful comment in pride you open your eyes. Only this time was not so much painful as you had opened them when you woke up. You find yourself looking at a ceiling lamp. It is a simple looking modern lamp. But at least it does the job of lighting up a room, right?
You then turn your head and see the Princess of the Night on the floor. Reading what appears to be your papers in front of the fire place. She looks kind of cute this way. A childish curiosity adorn her form with her glasses on. She looks like those cute librarians back home. She then looks to you and catches your glance.
She raises an eyebrow. “So how does it feel to be back in the land of the living?”
“Well I thought that maybe getting knocked out would have brought me back to my world,” you say as you sat up on the couch. Finding it uncomfortable to be sitting like a human, you decided to lie like the Princess but on the couch.
“So, did thy plan work?” she asks, turning back to your papers. Seeing if they check out with your character sheet, she wrote then after all.
“Ye-no. But seriously, it is not my fault I got-Wait how is Derpy?”
“She is fine; she just took her leave to continue her mail route. She said that she is sorry and would like to make it up to you.” She takes a sheet with her magic. After looking closely, she turns it away with disgust.
Noticing the sheet in question, you decided to take a look-see. You then realize the name written on the edge:
‘I forgot to give you my contact details…Desk Penny.’
You shudder at this and has taken the same disgust the princess shown. You continue the conversation, trying to forget that paper…note…thingy…Whatever. At that time you hear your front door open and close. And later you find Sunny balancing a paper bag on her back. She probably went out shopping for supplies and such. She gives you a nod and heads to the kitchen. You still wonder if breakfast is still on the table.
“That’s good, I really hate to see a pony like that worried. She just so happy, you know?”
“Indeed, she has been through much. She shared many things with Sunny and I.”
“Yeah, I had a feeling she knew you both. I kinda had snippets of what happened before I enjoyed my unconsciousness.”
“Y-You s-saw-w-what! W-Where you a-awake d-d-during that t-t-t-time?!” You take this moment to notice that dark blue can actually transform cherry red. A noticeable blush growing on the Moon Princess’s face apparent.
“Whoa there princess, what are you talking about?” you ask out of defense and shock to find her blush maddening and her panic increasing.
“Y-You said…What exactly did you see?! ANSWER ME!” she then holds you in a grip similar to a cop interrogating a suspect in those shows you watch back home. Truly a menacing experience if you were being treated as such by a panicky goddess.
“I just saw You, Derpy and Sunny bring me in. That is all I can remember, I swear!” She releases you from her grip. You let out a sigh to your freedom.
“GOOD! I mean good. It is good that you are alright. Yes let us eat breakfast now, yes?!” Selene hurriedly says before making it to the kitchen, leaving you on the couch utterly dumbfounded.
Seeing that you won’t likely get any answers out of her, you choose to have a good breakfast instead. Before noticing during the death grip, you recall smelling something. Something faint and familiar but you couldn’t put a hoof on it. It was a scent that came from Selene.
‘Blueberries…’
You keep that in mind. But now is not the time for thinking but the time for eating.
After a simple yet wonderful breakfast, you three decided upon a plan. Today will be training day for you. But first things first you need to activate your Unicorn form abilities and your Pegasus form for flying and weather manipulation. So indeed today will be a hard day. To do so, you’ll need to set up a room for your study.
Why? Because that is where you will be able to use the crystal orb without bother. A place where you can go look up your books, records and the like. And a safe repository for anything that resembles what you call back on earth ‘stash’. The reasons why everypony should have a study.
It is a good thing you bought this house. Aside from the numerous rooms and their spacious size, it was hard choosing one to be your study. All of them perfect, with the same amount of windows and exposure to light and the outside world. Though the point of having a study is to have a private place, and windows could offer problems.
So you three decided upon the room to the left of the stairs. It offers quick access and only has one window. Somewhat spacious if only not used as a storage room. But it will have to do in the mean time. So clearing a space on a dusty end table, you gingerly placed the crystal orb on top with its purple pillow.
“Don’t forget to wear the amulet I made.” You gingerly holding the amulet in your hooves and nod as Sunny said that.
“So…What do I do now?” You look towards the two. Sunny was currently reading that weird paper that got mixed up. While looking to Selene, you find her referring into what appears to be a scary tome.
“Nothing much, all you need to do is stand in front of the orb and say the release incantation”.
“And that is there is to it?”
“Yes.”
“Sunny, what is your say in this?”
“That you should take Desk Penny out on a date. My sources say she is heartbroken and a stallion like you could fulfill her dreams.” She finishes with a wide grin and waggling eyebrows.
“That is not what I meant!”
“I know, I just like to tease you. It ’makes my day’.”
“…”
“…”
*snicker*
All of you just laugh. No matter how corny that was or the manner it was delivered. It actually “made you day”. Even Selene thought it was funny and is currently on the floor holding her sides.
“Sister, you are horrible!”
*laughing* “Seriously Sunny? Come on that one stank.”
“I know and I love it! Now enough with the laughing we have a job to do”
“Which is?” you say after the giggle fit. You try as much to hold down most of the laughing spasms.
“You asked me and now I am going to answer. What needs to happen while you cite the incantation…“
Sunny says as she circles you, her horn glowing. She motions her sister to do the same.
“Normally when we have spells like this, we give it a test go before going through the motions” Selene’s eyes glow briefly as she starts to mirror her counterpart, the glow of their horns start to grow around you. “But since this is new to us, we should take some precaution. We would not know what our magic would do to your soul”
“So basically Selene here is a virgin”
“A virginal alicorn goddess, thank you very much!!”
“…We generally don’t know what will happen, so we will have to erect a barrier to protect you and to protect us.”
You take notice of the faint humming from the newly placed barrier around you.
“Spice I suggest we continue with the ritual; lest we have the barrier weaken due to time,” Selene said, her voice cracking due to the stress of maintaining the barrier. And for the sisters to sweat by having a small barrier like this on, it surely must be one strong barrier.
“Okay. Fire in the hole I guess.”
And so you start. It was basically a readable spell. Nothing too complicated but it was really long. There were very worrying words like:
‘May thine heart be torn asunder for the price of blah blah blah’
Seriously! Those blahs were part of the incantation. The torn asunder part is totally fine, every kind of magic must have a price sure. Now you seriously doubt your safety. Especially when the erected barrier is starting to snap, crackle and pop. Probably because of the released incantation.
‘Like cereal except made with dangerous magic…GREAT!’
“Steel yourself Spice!”
“Hold on Spice, the spell is starting to pick up.”
And before you could say ‘tentacle spectacle’ the floor beneath you started to ooze out…wait for it…tentacles! But since you are not a female, what these things did to you was somewhat ordinary. They grab your throat and mid section and pierce all your limbs. Letting their magic flow in and out your body, letting them seep into your soul. You feel a slight burning sensation but it’s tingly all the same. But what was noticeable was how these tentacles felt like rearranging your nerves. And you even started to feel your horn.
But what was not supposed to happen is you started to sprout wings. It looks like the magic tentacles also activated your amulet. In the same manner as your horn, you also started to feel your wings. Only this time you felt them and you were able to move them, clumsily.
“CELESTIA, YOU DIDN’T?!”
“I was about to tell you that I might have placed an extra feature in his amulet”.
“No wonder it took you that long to enchant a simple amulet”
“It is for the best Luna. And besides it looks like we cut his training time in half”
“That is not an idea I love to entertain sister!”
“Let us put it this way, at least we have a go to pony for delicate missions, eh? Nudge-nudge wink -wink”
“W-Well talk a-about that later!”
They both converse about the implications of your activated Alicorn form, while holding the barrier at full. Never once faltering even after a small shock caused from the tentacles disappearing. But that small shock was all it took for the floor to shine a bright light. After the light faded, you find yourself huddled in place. And you find the other two who at the moment have their disguises nullified.
‘That light must have done something to have them out in the open like this’
“Am I still in one piece?” you say out aloud. Checking if the two other should reply, that would mean they survived.
“You are and I think I am. How about you Selene?”
“Sister, I do believe our cover has been nullified”
“We could conjure them up again. But I suggest we take a breather for a moment. I am quite winded.”
“Spiced Tea, do you have any refreshments that we can all partake in?”
“I don’t think so,” you say as you stood on all fours, still thinking about if you have some drinks in the very inconspicuous fridge in the kitchen.
It is those refrigerators which looks like cabinets that run on cooling magic. You remember freaking out on how awesome this was, especially when you found out that it does not run on electricity. How magic makes life here simple, you will never know…yet.
“I went to the general store a while ago Luna,” Celestia said as she walked out the room, possibly looking for your couch. “I purchased some apple juice, some sarsaparilla. You know the regular fair. But I also found some mead”
“I would rather have the apple juice, thank you very much. I do not wish to be inebriated at the moment as I have to help our little Spice get accustomed to being a pony,” Luna retorts sounding like a grumble as she plods right beside her sister on the couch. And you are amazed how your couch can actually hold two goddesses. “Tia, remind me later to reprimand you about sneaking an Alicorn form into the amulet.”
“If I can remember to remind you…heh.” Celestia gives out a cheeky smile before getting slapped to the back of her head.
“I think I would like the sarsaparilla,” you say as you try to remember the last time you drank something as such. Yes, you tell yourself that while ignoring ‘Royal Rumble’ going on in your house.
So having the good fortune that the house came with a standing mirror and in the living room no less, you investigate your new appendages. Having a horn is normal, you had it since day one. Other than the pulsating hum you feel from it, it seems to be inert at the moment. But wings on the other hand felt refreshing, so to speak. It is like having a phantom limb, except without the process of having the said limb amputated before hand, no. It feels like an extension of your forearms but at the same time it is not. So you gave them an experimental flap.
“This feels funny,” you say as you fully extend your wings. You count every single feather on them, from the primary feathers all the way to the barbs.
“So Spice, how do you enjoy the life of a pony so far?”
“It feels like I am reborn.”
She just smiles at this. Looking over her shoulder you notice that Luna has fully knocked her sister out. That would also explain that her mane is somewhat unkempt. But the point of the matter is Celestia is down for the count.
“Spice, I believe it is time for us to get started.”
“Alright, but are we going to have the lessons right here?”
“Neigh, but I do know of a clearing at the town’s edge. We could find privacy there.”
“And what about your sister,” you point out to Celestia, who on queue had twitched a leg. “She is still out cold though.”
“Then we will just have to drag her out there.”
“And how do you propose to bring the unconscious Princess Celestia out in the open?”
“Where is your cart?”
“It is in the garage-Oh.”
That smile, that cool and cruel smile that Luna gave you. It is just sinister. And you are starting to like her for it.
But alas, your nightmares have manifested themselves into flesh.
“Selene?”
Following ever so closely behind you, stalking you like a predator to its prey.
“Yes?”
The predators numbers are great and your party is but of three ponies. One of which has succumbed to their might.
“Tell me again why you have a large amount of cucumbers lying around?”
A little while ago, you both carried Celestia into your cart in the garage. And would your luck have it, there is a considerable amount of cucumbers on the ground. But you did not focus on the traumatizing vegetable yet. As you both tried to find some object that would let you move undetected while the princess sleeps at the back, there are none to be found. And in sheer brilliance of Luna who now has taken in her disguise as Selene the Librarian, decided to use the cucumbers as cover.
It too is painfully obvious that if you were to waltz out there, any passerby would notice that you are an Alicorn. So to solve that problem, you decided to wear your saddlebags. And the idea sounded good at the time. Ever since then, the initial distance you traveled caused them to chafe against your wings, very uncomfortable indeed.
“It is my Sister’s fault. She tied and gagged most of the night guards with rope and cucumber. I supposed when I winked out of the castle, I brought some along with me. Pardon if it gives you any discomfort.”
An ironic twist of fate that the very princess who currently lies in your cart is covered by the vegetables she used to stop her own guards. Ironic isn’t it?
“Not at all Princess-OW!” you note before the pain that a portion of her mane suddenly curled itself into a blunt instrument and whacked you behind the head.
‘How does she do that?’ You will never know, unless you would dare to find out.
“I am in-how do you modern folk say it…Incognito?”
“Okay-okay I get it, sorry.”
“...Tis alright”
“...”
“You should have been there when she used radishes months ago”
“Wha?!...”
You both then decided upon idle banter. Seeing is there are not much ponies out at the moment. It gave you the luxury of discretion. Not that lugging around a cart full of cucumbers is nothing but. It just gave you a chance to engage in small talk. Princess Celestia once said prior to your adventure something about Luna and herself. She also made you read a book about Equestrian Myths and Legends. You read something along the lines of banishment and return. You still can’t put a hoof on it though.
‘Spiced Tea just so you know, the reality may be that you are stranded in our world. If by any chance that you may not make it back, we both will honor you as a member of our race. Do note one thing, when speaking with Luna. Please be gentle with her, not that her innocence is on the line, but speak to her like you speak with me or other humans. Speak to her normally, like dialog between best friends.’
It is true what they say about Luna. She is somewhat socially inept, and needs guidance. You feel this need to teach her as well as she teaches you. A mutual understanding-
‘-Oh and she is single, loves to eat rosemary pumpkin pudding, loves to bathe a lot so remember that, there is this spot under her wing that………’
That is no longer mutual.
It is really awkward when your family member starts to give references about you. You will just have to keep that information under lock and key until you can make good use of it. Giving any mention of this information to her now is a sign of suicide.
‘Then again, if your tastes are refined to the mature, I am always available. I am at least a thousand years more than my sister which is mid thirties to your kind. I am a very hot goddess; my beauty unrivaled. Very experienced in all the things you can think of. Courtship is fine but we can always skip to the bedr-‘
‘BLOODY NO!’ you derail that train of thought.
How did your idea reach there, you never will never know. But for good measure you decided to look back at the cart you are hauling. Her leg took the opportune moment to pop out of the cucumber pile and gave itself a little spasm. You can even bet that she is smiling under there. Even when unconscious, she manages to fluster and traumatize you. She is an evil, evil mare!
“It appears we have arrived where we should be,” you hear Selene say.
“Where is here, exactly?” you ask, realizing that the entire time you thought, your legs went into autopilot and followed her all the way out here.
“This site is the clearing I spoke of. If you are to take note of how remote it is to the town. You can barely hear the hustle and bustle from Ponyville.”
Raising an eyebrow you raise your ear to ensure if she was right. A few moments got you nothing, but by closing your eyes you find out how keen your hearing is. As all you can hear is the rustling of trees and bushes. The area sounded completely empty, devoid of any onlookers.
*boop*
Something just bopped you on the nose or someone. You open your eyes to find Selene’s face inches from yours. Her own directed at your lips and her breath deep.
“Uhh…Selene?”
Broken out of her reverie, she shook her head. Thinking that twenty shakes would do the trick, she stops to face you again. Not realizing that she is inches from kissing you. Not that you want her to kiss you or anything. But that does not bother her, as she just smiles. But this smile is nothing like you have seen before. No. This smile is creepy, somewhat filled with mischief but not all malevolent.
“It appears we have lost track of time. But fear not, since you are at the moment an Alicorn. It would make do to teach you abilities of both tribes, as it would be faster. Even more so is what I have planned at the moment.”
‘This does not sound good.’
“What do you have in plan?” she takes this time to magic your harness to your cart off, lifting you with her as she goes and places you in front of her.
“Spar with me.”
“WHAT?!”
Panic is good. Work with it.
“Be ready! For at this moment. The. Fun. shall. be. doubled!”
So you training begins along a healthy dose of reality. The princess is very enthusiastic upon taking up the role of a mentor. AS she believes blasting you to the inch of your life would certainly teach you the basics. Which in your case is catching the magic bolts with your torso, making you barrel in the air like a missile.
Though unbeknownst to you, a familiar pink blob is left unnoticed behind a copse near the outline of trees. Its blue eyes taking in every detail of your session with Luna, its gaze glued to you. In its mind plotting, waiting for the perfect time to strike, thinking when you’re most vulnerable. She flashes a grin, the pink blob disappears.
Authors note:
References go to Sunny Skies All Day long by Phantom Fox, and Progress by Andrew Joshua Talon.