Meanwhile, in another part of the castle.
A particularly powerful purple pony princess was presently asleep. Normally that would be Princess Luna’s dubious distinction, but she had gained a partner. Princess Twilight Sparkle had been awake the entire night, and it had been just before sunrise that she had finally fallen asleep at the desk in her bedroom.
She snored lightly on the wooden surface, every square inch of the desk filled with stacks of papers and books concerning the life of a certain unicorn conjurer whose disappearance ages had been solved the day before.
Moreover, he had spoken to her. The fanmare in her had squealed out of sheer giddiness.
“Snrk… Huh… Wha…?” the lavender alicorn mumbled as consciousness slowly seeped in. Carefully opening her eyes, she was met with a white wall directly in front her eyes. “Huh, what is…?”
Sitting up on her rump, she removed a piece of paper stuck on her forehead. The paper was filled with scribbling in ink that stopped halfway down the page, marking the point when she had fallen asleep.
Yawning and looking around the room with lidded eyes, she noticed, with the way sunshine was streaming into the room, that it was the middle of the day. Then she realized something.
“Oh no! I overslept!”
She scrambled off her cushion and ran towards the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her mane needed a good brushing, at this point looking more like a crow's nest than the mane of a princess. If Rarity could see her now, she would have gotten a stern lecture concerning proper mane care. A simple brushing would not suffice, so instead she jumped into the bathtub and showered in a hurry. Afterwards, she brushed her teeth, then took care of her mane and tail until they were styled as usual.
Almost galloping out of her bedroom, she rushed down the hallways on her search for Princess Celestia, several thoughts entering her mind.
‘I overslept! How could I be so careless? I was supposed to get up early so that I could meet the human and have breakfast with Celestia and him. Ooh, I hope I’m not… No, it’s already past noon; they’re probably already having lunch. I know just where to find them.’
Never taking a wrong turn since she was so familiar with the castle’s layout, Twilight eventually came to the corridor that led to the room Celestia usually had her meals in. Walking away from the door was a familiar unicorn namely Kibitz, one of Princess Celestia’s advisors. He was an elderly unicorn with a peach coat, dark grey mane, and a well-maintained moustache. Dressed in his usual formal red jacket and round glasses resting on his snout, he carried a stack of papers with his magic.
“Advisor Kibitz, wait a moment!” Twilight called as she came to a stop behind him, panting. The elderly stallion turned and smiled at seeing her.
“Princess Sparkle? What an honour.” He bowed deeply to her. “How may I be of assistance?”
“Where… are Princess Celestia and… the human, Magnus?” She sucked in air greedily in a way that was most unprincesslike.
“Ah, I believe the princess and her unusual guest are in the garden. You may want to look for them at the gazebo—it is Princess Celestia’s tea time after all.” His experience with his job demonstrated itself as he remained impassive to Twilight’s exertions.
“Thank you!” she yelled as she once more took off like a lavender rocket down the corridors, this time searching for the closest door that led to the gardens. It was a brief search. Most of the rooms that were located close to the gardens usually had a door that led right outside. The young princess quickly made her way towards the gazebo located beneath the canopy of several large trees.
Approaching said structure, she spotted Princess Celestia and the human. They were having a conversation by the look of it, but she couldn’t hear what they were talking about just yet. Deciding on taking a minute to regain her breath and making a mental note to perhaps work out a little bit, she trotted over. Passing the guards, she went up the short staircase, with both the princess and human turning their heads to face her upon hearing her hooves on the wooden floor.
“Hello, Twilight. Did you sleep well?” Celestia greeted her with a smile. “Please, take a seat.”
“I’m sorry, Princess, but I overslept because I was reading up on Star Swirl the Bearded’s story and taking notes all night and I wanted to be ready for breakfast and I’m sorry!” Twilight exclaimed without pausing for breath.
In response, Celestia merely chuckled. “It’s quite alright, Twilight. I don’t think you missed anything important.”
Twilight sighed in relief and sat down next to Celestia. With her magic, she poured herself a cup of tea and brought it up to her lips. The warm liquid was refreshing to her parched throat, especially after her mad dash through the castle and garden.
The human sat on the other side of the table. To her, he was such a fascinating being, so strange and peculiar. Despite that, there were several equine features to be found. Of course, one would have to discount his small eyes and nose, the general flatness of his face, and the fact that his ears were lower at the sides of his head than on a pony.
His upper body also bore a resemblance to a minotaur, though there was much less muscle mass and bulk. His hands had ten fingers, two more than a minotaur. One notable difference was that he possessed no tail to help him keep balance when walking. How could he move so easily without a tail? Maybe there was something else about his physiology that aided him, or was it simply because he was used to walking on two legs? Perhaps walking on two legs simply required a lot of training.
His skin had no fur or coat, except for his lower arms and legs. Nearly every single piece of exposed skin she saw was bald. On his head was a solid patch of dark brown mane that was cut short, while the rest of him was covered in clothes. Why did he wear clothes anyway?
Then there were the parts of him that belonged to a pony. His horn was indeed longer and thicker than the average unicorn’s, but that was most likely attributed to his greater size. Pale as bone, his horn’s colour didn’t match his skin or hair, which was rather uncommon.
A discreet look downwards, and Twilight glimpsed his hooves. She could see his russet-tinted fur peeking out from the bottom of the garment he wore—they were called pants, if she remembered correctly. She was momentarily grateful that she had paid attention to Rarity when she had droned on about the different fashions across the world. Furthermore, Twilight theorized, because he was both taller and probably heavier than Princess Celestia, he needed larger hooves to support his weight.
“Am I that interesting?” she suddenly heard him ask. Looking up, she saw that Magnus was looking at her. Having been preoccupied with her mental observations, she had been staring at him as though he was some kind of specimen. Suffice to say, Twilight was quite embarrassed.
“I-I’m sorry, that was very rude of me. Please forgive me!” she stuttered and lowered her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied with a sigh. “I’m getting used to it.” He sounded more resigned than anything. Of course, being a new creature in Equestria, he would be receiving many stares.
“I’m sorry, but…” She trailed off for a moment before remembering something. “Um, we haven’t been formally introduced yet. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She held out her hoof. Even his greeting would be interesting. Would he shake her hoof or simply bump it, or perhaps humans had other ways of greeting each other? Maybe humans had some sort of special greeting ritual. Perhaps a special dance, an intricate ceremony, or perhaps even a song? Maybe she would be able to hear the song of his people?
Magnus reached out his hands, and with a faint smile, wrapped his fingers around Twilight's hoof and gently shook it. “It’s a pleasure. You probably already know my name.”
“I do." Twilight gently squeezed his hand. "It’s very nice meeting you.” She expected his hands to feel rough and calloused, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important.” Twilight turned to Celestia.
“Not at all. What we had to discuss in private, we have already dispensed with. I was merely explaining different aspects of our culture and species in general. Things such as cutie marks, magic, how pegasi are able to fly, and so on.”
“I guess, for a new species, this is a lot for you to learn, isn’t it?” Twilight looked over to Magnus and saw him nodding slowly.
“It is, but it helps when trying to understand this world. Almost everything we’ve spoken of comes from stories on my world.”
They picked up their conversation from where they had left it before Twilight’s interruption. She noted that his main interest was about magic and its workings. She knew now that his world was nearly void of magic, a fact she had trouble wrapping her mind around. The reason was that magic was such a fundamental part of life that life itself would not exist without it. She had read about it when she was a student, from Star Swirl’s teachings no less.
She also noted during their conversation that Magnus did not seem well. His hands were trembling, and he was sweating profusely, even looking a bit pale. Celestia soon confirmed her assumption.
“Magnus, Twilight and I need to speak in private for a moment. We will return shortly,” Celestia announced and stood up while Twilight followed.
“Sure, I’ll be here,” they heard him say as they exited the gazebo at a leisurely pace.
When they had moved a sufficient distance away from the structure, Twilight looked curiously up to Celestia. “What is it you wanted to talk about, Princess?”
Celestia's face looked grave, something Twilight had seen before, usually before a crisis. Alarm bells began to ring in her mind.
“Twilight, there are a few things I wish to speak with you of. The first one concerns Magnus’ health. I saw that you noticed it.”
“You mean his shaking and sweating? Yes, it was hard to miss. Is he ill?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, he is experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the medicine he took. I am afraid that he is addicted, but that will be mended soon. I have already begun to organize for a specialist to oversee his treatment.” Celestia looked over to the small wooden structure. Magnus sat there, leaning on the table with one hand propping up his head.
“Oh no! Is he going to be alright?” Twilight also glanced at him, feeling apprehensive.
“I believe so. It all depends on how he reacts to the treatment. He will be staying at the castle infirmary until his treatment is complete. How long it will take, I have no idea. It might be days, weeks, months perhaps. The important thing is that he makes a full recovery.”
Twilight looked at the human. Yesterday he had seemed confident, even when he sat chained before them. Now he had changed, looking increasingly fragile. It was almost unbefitting.
“The second subject I want to talk to you about is how we should act towards him, especially when it comes to our world. I’m afraid that earlier I scared him terribly when I showed him that I can move the sun,” Celestia explained, regret entering his voice.
“What?” Twilight exclaimed in disbelief. How could he be scared of the sun? The fact that Celestia was known for raising the sun was common knowledge throughout the entire civilized world. “Why? How? Why was he so scared?”
“Because on Earth, the sun and the moon move on their own.”
“What? No no no, that can’t be right!” Twilight protested. Even the mere notion of the celestial bodies moving on their own seemed like something Discord would do just for the sheer chaos it would wreak.
“It is. Star Swirl confirmed this himself. The point is that there are many things that we take for granted that seems impossible on Earth, and they are enough to frighten him to the point that he fears us.” She slowly dipped her head. “One of them being Luna and myself. He is terrified of us because of our power, terrified enough that he believes I will use the sun to... to harm him.” Slowly, she looked up again and sighed. “He hides it now, but I know he still fears me, even after our talk.”
“I… I think I understand him,” Twilight responded quietly. After her ascension to alicornhood, nearly the entire population of Ponyville had begun to treat her differently, handling her as though she was Celestia and Luna themselves. It took some time, and she still had to remind some of Ponyville’s inhabitants that she was still Twilight Sparkle, only with wings, and had not become somepony else. Still, she met the occasional pony who would bow to her, even her neighbours.
“As such,” Celestia continued, “I believe it will be for the best that he should feel safe at all times, knowing that nopony will harm him. To facilitate this, somepony should tutor him on things that might seem strange to him. Thus, he needs to make friends, or at least have somepony close to him that he will be able to rely upon, knowing that they will not harm him.”
Twilight grinned ear to ear. That sounded exactly like a job for the Princess of Friendship. “You can count on me, Princess. I can show Magnus that we mean him no harm.”
At hearing this, Celestia smiled gratefully. “Of that I have no doubt. However, I am afraid that Magnus’ wellbeing is something Luna and I will see to. Star Swirl entrusted his safety to us, and for the time being, we both agreed that we should play a direct hoof in that.”
“Of course, I understand,” Twilight replied. She had heard as much herself yesterday. What better place to be safe than close to both Luna and Celestia?
“Lastly, I have a task for you; I want you to lead an expedition.”
Her ears perked at that. “An expedition? Where to?”
“The Eastern Sea. The area where Luna found Magnus is, according to Star Swirl, an area of magical disturbance. Sudden bursts of magic are what created the portal to Earth in the first place. Your task is to go to the area, locate the cause of the disturbance, then normalize the flow. Finally, you need to ensure such a portal will never appear again.”
Twilight was speechless! This could be their chance of a lifetime to travel to another world and initiate first contact with a completely new species. All the things the two worlds could learn from one another: new technologies, ideas, inventions, philosophy, art—and Princess Celestia wanted to seal this marvellous opportunity away forever?
“Princess Celestia, with all due respect,” Twilight began and paused, taking a deep breath in preparation of what she was about to say. “Why? This is an excellent opportunity to learn from humans! Have you really thought about what this means?”
Celestia's face remained calm as her eyes shifted from the gazebo over to Twilight. “Yes, I have. I did not sleep last night as I weighed the options if we were to try to contact humans or not. Personally, I do not believe it is possible because the magic in question is hideously complicated. Nevertheless, Luna and I came to the same conclusion: the portals must be shut.”
“But… but why? I don’t understand?” Twilight’s face was aghast.
Celestia sighed; she knew Twilight would be opposed to the idea from the start, forever a student, always thirsting for knowledge. However, this time Twilight’s request would have to be denied. Too much was at stake.
“The portals alter time itself. Fifteen hundred years passed on Earth while nearly five thousand went by on Equus. Should we open a portal to Earth and enter it, we may end up altering the timeline of their planet. Certain events may conclude differently, changing them for better or worse. Secondly, we may also be able to aid humans as well. If we shut down the portal here, no other humans will end up in Equestria, separated from family and loved ones. The same applies for the beings of our world.”
Those were very good arguments, Twilight thought morosely. She knew from personal experience that time travel was not the very best of ideas. That week had been one of, if not the busiest week of her life. Helping other humans was certainly appealing, even if they would never know they had been saved from something they were unaware that existed.
However, it was the argument of how it would aid her own world that convinced her. A pony, a griffon, a dragon, anypony really, that became separated from their world and their loved ones? If she could spare anypony that fate, she would do so.
“O-Okay, Princess. Of course I will do it.” She sighed deeply, regret at what could have been gnawing away at her. “I will carry out my duty.”
Celestia’s heart-warming smile was all the assurance Twilight needed to see. “Thank you, Twilight, I knew I could count on you. However, it is not your duty. I only asked if you wanted to lead the expedition. If you do not wish to do so, just say so, and I will find somepony else in your stead.”
“No no, it’s okay. This’ll be a new experience for me. Who knows what secrets the portals could hold?”
They resumed their walk around the garden, yet Twilight’s curiosity remained unquenched. “When will I leave? Will I go alone?”
“Not at all. Luna and I have both been planning this since last night. Luna created a list of ponies that would be suitable for this task, and I added a few extra recommendations of those that would be suitable. Many of them are from the Academy of Magic, some are from the Council of Magic, along with teachers at my school.”
The Academy of Magic, the Council of Magic, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns—it was an impressive list. Twilight knew that many powerful unicorns and famous scholars of magic were employed at those places. Perhaps this expedition would be more interesting than she initially thought.
“I am also sending several scientists and researchers with you, though magic will not be their only disciple. Who knows what else came through the portal? There will also be a group of observers along with a contingency of Royal Guards to safeguard the expedition.”
“How will we travel?”
“I have placed my personal airship at your disposal for this purpose. Two airships are being prepared as we speak, and one ship will be ready to set sail from Fillydelphia.”
“When will I leave?” Twilight’s mind swirled as she began creating mental checklists.
“All ships will be prepared by tomorrow morning and will leave at noon. The reason for this urgency is that we do not know how active the portals truly are. I’d rather close them as quickly as possible before anypony else is lost in them—pony, griffin, or human.”
The princess presented a fair point. Wild magic could act strangely at times, and these portals had remained relatively unknown until recently. It was better to act with haste than to wait for something to happen. A few moments of discussion later, they walked back to the gazebo. Magnus was still there, but was now lying on a pair of pillows. He seemed exhausted, and he did not bother hiding his trembling any longer. As they entered the gazebo, Twilight sat down, but Celestia remained standing.
“Magnus, I must leave now. I have duties to attend to, but I am sure Twilight can keep you company until I return. Is that okay with you?”
Magnus shifted slightly so he could look up at the princess. “Yeah, sure.”
“Good. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask. I will also summon the specialist now,” she said when she saw his shaking hands.
“That… may be a good idea,” he replied with a sigh and wiped his forearm over his shining brow.
“Stay strong, Magnus, and we will get you through this.” Celestia gave him a comforting smile before she turned and walked back to the castle.
With Celestia gone, she was left alone with the human. No, a being that was part human and part unicorn. What was he really now? A Humicorn? Uniman? Hybrid? She wasn’t really sure what to refer to him, as hybrids were extremely rare. Nevertheless, he had a name, and as such, she would use it.
“Are… you feeling alright?” she asked him. He had taken a turn for the worse, looking as though he was in the thrall of a particularly bad flu. Being the pony that she was, Twilight had read about ponies going through withdrawal. There were those who abused salt, certain plants that dulled and influenced the mind, and even certain pain-relieving medicines that could render its users addicted to them. As such, many years ago, Equestria had undergone extensive medical reforms regarding the use, production, harvesting, and sale of certain substances that posed a risk towards the lives of ponies and their families. The withdrawal treatment, she knew, could positively impact his life, but it all depended on how well he responded.
“Not really,” Magnus replied as he woozily sat up on his pillow.
‘I need to do something to make him feel better. It’s obvious that he’s in pain.’ Perhaps it would be better if she could get his mind on other things.
“Maybe we can go for a walk? The fresh air will be good for you, and I can show you around the garden.”
“Uh, yeah, we can do that,” Magnus said with a faint smile as he got up on his hooves and stepped forward. As he passed, she felt the heavy impact of each of his hoof steps as he walked on the floorboards of the gazebo.
Twilight cantered past Magnus and looked around for a moment. “Hmm, maybe we can go to the end of the garden? The view there is nice.”
“We can do that. Lead the way,” Magnus said with a wave of his hand. Twilight took the lead, with Magnus walking slightly behind. As soon as they began walking, the four guards followed close by.
Their stroll was initially silent, even as Twilight’s mind was firing on all cylinders. ‘I have so much to ask him! SO! MANY! THINGS! But I can’t now—with his condition, it’s best to not disturb him too much. But… I WANT TO KNOW! No, Twilight. Bad pony! Well… maybe a few questions.’
Twilight cleared her throat and coughed nervously, though her efforts at gaining his attention proved futile. Nevertheless, she was undeterred by his silence. “Um, Magnus, do you mind if I ask you some questions?” She smiled like a little filly while trying to suppress the scientist and scholar inside.
“Ask if you like,” he replied as he stopped for a moment to study a statue of a pony holding a flag.
Twilight squeed internally. ‘Okay, ask easy questions! Wait, one thing first.’
“I was just wondering if perhaps nopony properly welcomed you to Equestria yet?”
“No, nobody has, now that I think about it,” he replied nervously, looking unsure as to what she was driving at.
“Oh, well then...” Twilight stopped and turned to Magnus. “On behalf of Equestria and all its citizens, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, will be the first. Ahem!” She coughed into her hoof and then relaxed, seemingly attempting to appear regal, though she quickly abandoned the attempt. “Magnus Powell, I… Um, did I get your name right?” she asked, unsure if she had gotten the pronunciation correctly.
“Yes, you did. And just Magnus will do, Princess Sparkle,” he said with a weary chuckle.
“Thank you. Ahem. On behalf of the Crown, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, officially welcome you, Magnus, to Equestria and to Equus.”
The corner of Magnus’ mouth turned upwards, seemingly amused by her gesture, though it began to look somewhat strained. “Thank you.” He turned to the stoic guards behind them. “Hear that? It’s official. I could run for the gates now.” The guards did not look amused at all.
They continued their walk in silence, coming to a clearing behind a sizeable hedge. There was a large oak tree on a small hill, and a view of the entire flatlands beneath Canterlot Mountain. As they sought out the shade provided by the tree and settled down beneath it, they could look out at the land surrounding them for miles.
The grasslands seemed to stretch out forever, dotted by flowery fields and rivers that looked like blue ribbons snaking their way through the idyllic landscape. In some places, the rivers ended in lakes that seemed like puddles from this distance. Greenish-blue majestic mountains loomed even from so far away, with several stretches of forests occupying the remainder of the land, with Magnus spotting a small quaint town near a particular patch.
Magnus exhaled contently as he leaned back on the trunk of the tree. “Ah, that’s better.” Slowly, he closed his eyes for a moment. The beautiful landscape before him was a marvellous sight. “What a view.”
“Isn’t it?” Twilight agreed and allowed her eyes to drink in the vista. “I used to come here to read a few times when I was a student of Princess Celestia’s. Sometimes the castle was a bit too busy with all the nobles and ambassadors, so during those times I would come here.” Twilight smiled as she reminisced over her foalhood and the many hours spent at this particular spot, just her and a large stack of books. “See that town over there? That’s where I live.”
Magnus looked in the direction the young princess pointed her hoof. Sure enough, far in the distance, maybe twenty five kilometres away, there was a village. The distance was too great to see any details, but one thing he noticed was that the houses were very colourful. In addition, one object caught his eye.
“What is that shimmering thing?” he asked with squinted eyes. The sunlight reflected off the object, making it sparkle in the early afternoon sun.
“That,” Twilight smiled, the memories of that day still clear in her mind, both the good and the bad, “is my castle. I’ve only lived there for a couple of months now, but I’ve lived in Ponyville for quite some time.”
“Ponyville? You people sure have a way with names. Still, I guess it’s a good name if there are only ponies living there.”
Closing his eyes once more, Magnus breathed in deeply and exhaled, although sweat on his forehead was clearly visible. He also seemed to shiver, even though the air was warm. Twilight reckoned that he should be in bed right now, not traipsing across the garden, regretting making him walk with her.
“How do you feel?” she asked, wondering if they should head inside.
With his eyes shut, the human wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. “Princess Celestia told you, didn’t she? About my problem?”
“Yes, she did.” Twilight sat down on the grass in front of him. “I’ve only read about ponies experiencing withdrawal, but I didn’t really understand how bad it could be until now. How are you managing?”
Magnus remained silent for half a minute. His arched brow and pained expression clearly told the story of his struggles. “Still hanging in there; not sure for how long though. I feel cold, nauseous, and I’m getting some slight stomach cramps.”
“Is there anything you need?” Twilight asked worriedly. “Should we go inside and get you to bed?”
Magnus held up his hand. “No, I’ve got it under control. I feel better being outside and getting some fresh air. It keeps my mind off things.”
Twilight nodded. If he thought he could manage, then she wouldn’t object. Whatever helped him. “I just… well, I wonder how you can manage the pain?”
“There was a time when I nearly couldn’t.” He sighed heavily. “When I was sixteen years old, I had been on a different medicine that worked well, but I developed an immunity to it.”
“How did that happen?”
“Dunno.” He shrugged. “Maybe I used it so much that it couldn’t help me anymore. Instead, I felt the headache even more, like a red-hot poker in my skull. I fell behind on many things, such as school and my social life. I was in a bad way for a long time until I was offered a new medicine that worked wonders. I felt good, better than I had in years. Two pills a day and I was fine. A few years later, I had to increase the dosage because the headache became worse. Just three years ago, the pain became so bad that it no longer eliminated the pain, just dulled it.”
“That sounds horrible!” Twilight exclaimed, wincing internally. It must have been like a living nightmare to have to endure that for so many years.
“I had a headache every minute of every day. It was always there, even when I slept. Sometimes I woke up because of it and had to take a pill before I could sleep again.” He turned his eyes to Twilight. “Can we change the subject? I don’t really like talking about it. It makes me feel like a…” He hesitated and looked away, but Twilight was curious.
“Like what?” she inquired.
“Like a junkie, a drug addict,” he muttered, looking ashamed to admit it.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Her ears pressed against the side of her head, and she chastised herself for pushing him like that.
“Don’t worry, guess you would find out at some point.” He closed his eyes again. “Maybe we can talk about something else? It feels like talking takes my mind off of how shitty I feel now.”
“Really?” Twilight smiled at the opportunity that presented itself. “About… humans? And your world?”
“Sure, as long as it’s talking.”
No one noticed at the time, but over two hundred sheets of papers, five inkwells, and ten quills in one of the castles storage rooms vanished in a flash of magic.