//------------------------------// // The Second Day: Brave New World // Story: You Do (Not) Belong // by 2dextreem //------------------------------// You Do (Not) Belong The Second Day: Brave New World When Connor’s unconscious mind lightly skimmed across the surface of the waking world, his eyes were barely open a sliver, taking in the dreary gray light of early dawn, before he shut them again determinedly. “Ungh... Don’ wanna getmmbrm...” he mumbled lowly, as he turned his head over on the pillow and screwed his eyes shut again. Typical of his “Just ten more minutes” philosophy regarding waking up in the morning, the only hint of a thought in his barely-lucid state was a simple desire for more sleep. Connor would apparently get his wish, as when he opened his eyes for the second time that day, it was due to a tiny yet solid stream of orange light that beamed its way through the window. Like a targeted laser, it shifted ever so slightly as the seconds passed, making a path from the top of the ceiling, slowly down the wall, past the head of the bed, and edging its way towards the face of the blissfully unaware teenager. The moment the ray passed over his eyelid, the sunlight burned its way through the empty void of a dreamless sleep and yanked Connor to awareness. Groaning in discomfort, he reflexively brought his hand up from underneath the bed covers to deflect the offending sunbeam, and he blinked a few times, lamenting the fact that it was now, quite possibly, time to actually wake up. He shifted his head up to try and find the source of the light that had so rudely interrupted his relaxation, and through the half-waking blurriness could only see that the glinting origin of the beam came from outside the window. Yet, even without his glasses, Connor could tell it wasn’t the sun -- most likely just a reflection from one of the many unnecessarily garish gold-topped buildings of the city in the background. This is exactly the reason why I keep my blinds closed, he thought to himself with just a hint of agitation. It took Connor just a few seconds of staring blankly outwards at the scene before his brain threw up several red flags, and he suddenly noticed the very obvious unfamiliarity of his surroundings. His eyes snapped open fully, and he propped himself up on one arm, glancing around nervously at the room which was not where he expected to wake up in, until his memories of the previous day finally bubbled up to the surface of his psyche. He then recalled where he was, how he had gotten there, the people -- or ponies, he had met -- and the brief tension of the situation was eased, if not fully abated. Connor flopped back down on the pillow with a light sigh, and brought his hands up to wipe away the remaining fatigue from his eyes. Still here... in Equestria. Damn, I was still kinda hoping it was all just some dream. Now fully awake and aware, Connor dropped his arms down to his sides, and was content to just stare contemplatively at the ceiling for a little while. It was almost completely silent in the room, the only sounds present being that of his own breathing, and the muted buzz of activity emanating from Canterlot outside. His position stayed pretty much unchanged, until the compulsion to yawn widely suddenly came over him. It was then that he noticed, smacking his lips a few times, that there was a slightly unpleasant taste in his mouth, and it didn’t take long for him to reason why. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t get to brush my teeth last night,” he stated out loud quietly, finding the sound of his own voice just a bit more comforting than the empty silence. “I’m gonna have to find a toothbrush somewhere. Do ponies even use toothbrushes?” As this and other random and unimportant questions entertained his thoughts, Connor just laid back in the stillness, until eventually he started to wonder what his next course of action should be. “What do I do? What should I do? I know the Princesses are taking care of things, but what if they can’t-- No. No, don’t let yourself think like that,” he berated himself, pounding his head lightly with his hands in an attempt to get a grip before he started down that troubling path. That way lies madness... I need to occupy myself. Find something to do. And the first step to start with should probably be dragging myself out of this bed, Connor tried to convince himself, but in the face of contrary evidence, found his resolve wavering. This warm, comfy, giant bed. It would have to be quick, like ripping off a bandaid, pulling a tooth, or some other appropriate metaphor. Connor steeled himself as his hands gripped the edge of the sheets, and began counting down. “Three, two, one... Oh, hell, let’s just do this.” And with that, he tossed back the bed covers, feeling the snap of the chilly morning air against his skin. Following with one swift motion, he pulled his legs over the side of the mattress and pushed himself up into a standing position. He regretted this instantly, as it was soon accompanied by the inevitable rush of blood to his head. He felt moderately dizzy and stumbled forwards a bit, a rainbow of colors encroaching on his vision as he shut his eyes. “Ow, ow. Bad idea. Stupid idea,” he moaned, massaging his temples and waiting for the pressure to subside until he was left with a mild, dull ache. Connor breathed in sharply and held it, raising his arms over his head and stretching out as he let out the air. He then twisted around in place, hearing his back pop satisfyingly a few times before following suit with his other stiff joints. As he went through this morning ritual, another thought occurred to him. “I haven’t taken a shower in days.” he admitted to himself, and with a hesitant whiff of his arm’s underside, confirmed the fact that maintenance of his personal hygiene would probably be in his best interests. Having settled on a course of action, and eager to get his bare feet off the cold floor, Connor walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, and slipped quietly inside. He intentionally left his glasses on the nightstand. They would just get fogged up by the steam anyway, and he could see well enough without them, provided nobody needed him to read anything more than a foot in front of his face. The bathroom was dark inside when he opened the door, but the moment he stepped through the threshold, the half-orbs situated in the ceiling started to gradually brighten with a soft, inner light. “Huh. Motion sensitive, that’s pretty cool,” Connor remarked with a casual interest, before glancing around the room’s interior, noting its impeccable spotlessness and lack of clutter. “Wait. Where’s the soap? Or towels? Or...” he trailed off, eying the bulky wooden cabinet sitting next to the sink. Following his hunch, he stepped over to the cabinet and grasped the large, round handles, pulling the doors open as he did so. Bingo. Inside the container was a neatly stacked and ordered array of toiletries: everything from fluffy white towels, to colored bottles of various soaps and shampoos, to an assortment of fine brushes. Gathering what he needed, Connor snatched up one of the towels and a bottle of what he assumed to be some kind of body wash: something innocuously branded "Magic Springs." After giving up trying to find a simple comb, he settled for grabbing one of the many brushes on the shelf, then closed the casket. He placed the brush by the sink, and the rest of the bundle he held in his arms on a countertop near the bathtub. He then reached over and turned the hot and cold nozzles of the brass fixture, holding his hand under the running water and adjusting until it reached the perfect temperature. Apparently, this shower worked just like the one he was used to at home, with a tab near the faucet to redirect water to the shower head, which Connor pulled up to start the shower. Then, in quick succession, he removed his pajamas and boxers and tossed them to the side, then stepped into the barely scalding water and pulled the nearby curtain closed. Reveling in the soothing effect of the hot water on his skin, Connor took his time in scrubbing himself clean, using generous amounts of soap as he did so. He had to admit, this was just the sort of thing he needed to take his mind off his worries, as if all of his accumulated tension and fatigue was washed down the drain, at least for a little while. His only gripe came from the fact that the shower head itself was positioned about even with his chin, and he had to bend down uncomfortably to lather up his hair. It was obviously designed with ponies, not humans, in mind. Ten minutes later, fully refreshed and feeling the exact opposite of grungy, Connor shut off the stream of water and pulled back the bath curtain, gingerly stepping out into the chill air. He then grabbed the towel lying by his side and proceeded to use it to dry off his hair in a vigorous rubbing motion, following up with his chest, arms and back, and finishing by wrapping it around his waist. Connor closed his eyes and took in a deep lungful of the steamy, soap-scented air, and allowed himself a small, contented smile as he made his way over to the mirror. After wiping away the condensation, he grasped the nearby brush in his hand and began taming his messy, still slightly dripping hair. He had to wince a couple of times as the fine bristles caught on the innumerable amount of tiny knots and snags present in his brown locks. Again, he lamented the fact that while brushes were fine and dandy for creatures covered in fur, a simple comb would’ve gone a long way towards avoiding this mild torture. But he persevered, and in a short time succeeded in wrangling his hair flat against his head, save for those stubborn bits by his ears that even now started curling up as they dried. Well, not much we can do about that. Connor inspected his reflection for a few more seconds, then nodded, satisfied, and turned towards where he had tossed his clothes earlier. He gave his body one last once over with the towel to make sure he was completely dry, then slipped back into his boxers and pants and made way for the exit. But as his hand grasped the door handle and pushed it open, Connor would find he was in for a mild surprise... ...for just as he entered the room from one end, someone else was coming in through the main door as well. Connor raised his gaze for just a moment, and jumped back slightly in shock from seeing the unexpected intruder. “Whoa!” he exclaimed, startling the dark orange pony who happened to notice him at precisely the same time. “Oh, goodness me!” the pony replied in a thick, matronly voice, as she raised a hoof to her muzzle. Connor, whose pulse had been raised just a notch at this point, spared a moment to examine the intruder, having to squint in order to compensate without his glasses. He was barely able to see that she possessed a horn, making her a unicorn, and that she happened to be wearing a black and white apron secured around her underside. And just then, after a few seconds of stunned silence, Connor suddenly remembered that he was, in fact, bare-chested in front of a total stranger, and looked down quickly before raising his arms in an attempt to preserve some measure of modesty. “Wh-who are you, and why’d you just come barging in like that!?” Connor shouted, more out of surprise than out of any kind of anger. He then backed away a couple of steps and brought the bathroom door around to block off his exposed torso, choosing to carry on the conversation with his head peeking out the side. “My deepest apologies, sir. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I assumed you were not present,” the orange unicorn replied, though in a nonchalant, barely remorseful tone. “O...kay... Well, that still doesn’t answer my first question. Who are you? Did Celestia or someone else send you?” The stranger pony let out a brusque huff before continuing. “I suppose it was rather rude of me to not introduce myself. My name is Cozy Hearth -- though I prefer Miss Hearth if you wouldn’t mind. I’m the maid, to put it simply. I maintain the guest rooms and take care of the guests. Speaking of which...” Hearth trailed off, before using some of her magic to bring a loaded tray on wheels in through the door behind her. In the undercarriage were what appeared to be a bundle of sheets and linens, along with an assortment of cleaning supplies. On top were two covered silver platters and a folded-up piece of parchment. “The Princess did indeed task me with delivering your breakfast, along with a message. I’ll just leave these over there.” And with that, Hearth’s short horn glowed briefly, levitating the objects in question to the desk by the window and setting them down. “Oh. Well, okay then. Um... thanks?” Connor replied, trying his best to downplay his embarrassment. “No need to mention it. It is my job, after all. And while I’m here...” The unicorn cast her gaze to the floor, and her horn sparked briefly before Connor could see his white shirt, socks, shoes and jacket float upwards, held aloft in an orange field. “I can take these to be cleaned, if you like, along with that other garment you’re wearing.” “Wait, what?” Connor questioned, looking down at his pajama bottoms before swiftly bringing his head back up and waving his hands in front of him dismissively. “Oh, no, nonono, bad idea. These are my, uh, well, my only clothes.” To this, the maid pony just barely tilted her head in a curious expression. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Even in an uptight place like Canterlot, most ponies aren’t shy about walking about in just their fur.” “Yeah, well, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not most ponies. If it’s all the same to you, I want my clothes to stay on, thank you very much,” Connor stated flatly, starting to get a bit annoyed. Miss Hearth held a thoughtful expression for a moment, before shaking her head and shrugging with one hoof, abandoning the issue. “Have it your way, then. I certainly won’t tell you how to live your life,” she said, levitating the bundle in the air over to Connor’s position, to which he snatched them and proceeded to slip on his shirt and socks. “Though, if you simply must wear something all the time, you should maybe consider acquiring some other attire. I can use a spell I know to ‘freshen up’ what you have on, but it’s no substitute for a good cleaning.” And with that, Hearth called upon her magic once more, and as Connor stepped out from behind the bathroom door, fully clothed, the area surrounding his body was briefly enveloped in her familiar ocher hue. Caught off guard, he was about to ask just what exactly she was doing to him, but almost immediately after she had started, the magic faded away, leaving his clothes both feeling and looking as if they had just come out the wash. That’s convenient, he admitted to himself, even now still amazed by the seemingly infinite number of applications for magic in this world. “Thank you, Cozy Hearth,” Connor sounded out the phonetically strange (to him, at least) name, which elicited a brief snort from the orange maid pony. “Sorry, Miss Hearth. And yeah, maybe you’re right, I kinda do need some extra clothes. Of course, where am I going to find anything here? I can’t exactly, you know, go down to the local retailer, or something.” “Well, I cannot help you there,” she responded curtly, in a rather obvious tone that in essence meant "Not my problem," and turned her attention to her duties, rolling up the bedspread in a magic field and preparing the replacement. “Hey,” Connor said to the maid pony, pointing at the nightstand. “Could you ‘float’ my glasses over here, please?” “Certainly, sir,” she replied, before doing just that. Connor then grabbed his glasses out of the air and slipped them on, the world around him once again crystal clear. As he walked towards the desk where she had set down his breakfast, a thought occurred to him, and he turned back towards Hearth, who by this point was smoothing down a fresh linen sheet on the bed. “By the way, you seem to be being really casual about all this.” “And is that a problem?” Hearth inquired without diverting her attention. “Not particularly. But, I’m a, well...” he went on, scratching the back of his head. “How do I say this? I’m practically an alien, and you’re just talking to me like it’s no big deal.” To this, Hearth sighed impatiently before beginning to walk around the bed to the other side of the room with her cart of supplies in tow. As she passed Connor, he noticed her black hair -- mane -- done up in a conservative bun, and also the presence of another mark similar to the Princesses’ adorning her flank, this one resembling a feather duster. “The castle staff have been briefed about your circumstances, so everypony is aware we have a stranger in our midst. And besides, I was present when they carted you in here, unconscious. Who do you think prepared the room, hmm?” “Yeah, okay,” Connor replied shortly, becoming even more irritated by the unicorn’s aloof attitude. But he decided to shrug it off; it simply wasn’t worth making an issue. As Connor pulled out the desk chair and had a seat, looking over the two platters set out before him, Hearth continued into the bathroom while carrying on the conversation. “Though it is a point in your favor, sir, that you’re hardly the worst guest I’ve had to deal with in a while. Why, just last month, the Princess played host to a griffin dignitary from the east, and his entourage.” Griffins? There are griffins in Equestria too? Great... Pegasi, unicorns, griffins, what next? Fire-breathing dragons? Connor thought to himself, incredulous, as the maid continued her monologue from inside the bathroom, punctuated with the sound of a spray bottle. “Not only were they of the most disdainful temperaments, but they were an absolute nightmare to clean up after. Fur, feathers, and scales, not to mention their claws scuffing up everything they touched.” By this point Connor had successfully tuned her out, now focused on the more gratifying prospect of breakfast. Curious to see what awaited him, he lifted up the first platter to reveal a large, decadent-looking layered omelet, steaming and crusted over with baked yellow cheese and spices, alongside a short glass of orange juice and a pair of utensils. The smell alone was enough to make his stomach grumble with yearning, though the dish’s appearance also left nothing to be desired. Oh, that looks soooooo good. Being a guest in a castle sure has its perks. Connor then regretfully brought his attention away from the five-star omelet and glanced over to the other dish, prying off the silver top to reveal a bowl of mixed vegetables. A salad, huh? Well, fresh greens are always good, I guess-- “Wait, what’s...?” He trailed off, inspecting the contents of the bowl a little closer to find a cluster of strange, yellow objects mixed in with the lettuce and tomatoes. He reached over and plucked one out, and upon cursory inspection, he grimaced as his initial thought was deemed accurate. They were dandelions. Dandelions! “Come on. Who in their right mind would put... Oh.” Connor once again reminded himself of current company, and the floral addition to the meal now made sense. I think I’ll pass on the salad, he agreed, pushing the bowl away and returning to the meal’s star attraction. Grabbing a knife and fork in each hand, a brief thought kept him from starting. Wait, these are a fork and knife. How the hell are they supposed to pick these up with hooves? Eh, whatever. Hungry. As Connor eagerly dug in in earnest, he failed to notice that, behind him, the orange maid pony had finished her work in the bathroom and was cantering over towards the other end followed by her magically motivated cart. She paused at the exit, and turned to address the human boy. “I hope you have a pleasant day, sir. And don’t forget about the Princess’ message. She was quite adamant that you read it.” Mouth full of delicious eggs and cheese, Connor turned in his chair, about to thank her, before thinking better of it and swallowing quickly with a swig of juice. “Ahh... Thanks. And thanks for the breakfast, too. My compliments to the chef!” To this, Hearth simply chuckled lightly to herself, shaking her head at his impetuous behavior, before walking past the door’s threshold and closing it behind her. --------------------------------------------- Three minutes later, Connor placed his eating utensils down onto the empty plate and leaned back into the chair with a contented sigh, patting his stomach. “Now, that was...” He wanted to say something along the lines of "wonderful," but the words escaped him, and he let it stand. Afterwards, Connor was content to just sit back and stare at the purple and white tiled ceiling, picking at his teeth. That is, until he suddenly remembered the other thing that Cozy Hearth had brought in for him. Oh, yeah. Celestia’s note. I’d better read that. Looking down, he spied the folded up parchment lying next to his untouched garden (in more ways than one) salad, its edges stuck together by a yellow sun-shaped seal. Connor reached over and, picking off the seal, unfolded the message with a slight crinkling of paper. He silently read its contents, bold black ink strokes in an elegant, flourishing script: Connor, I hope this morning finds you well. I would request that you come meet me in the castle foyer at around one in the afternoon. I am expecting somepony important to arrive then, and the two of you will have much to discuss. More will be explained when all are in attendance. When the time comes, simply ask the guard to bring you. Regards, Celestia Connor folded the note and placed it back down on the table, while pursing his lips and letting out a slow burst of air. Well, that wasn’t cryptic at all. At least she spelled my name right. ‘Somepony’ important? I wonder what she's talking about. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought. One PM, huh? Wonder what time it is now. Looking behind him and off to the side, Connor spied a small Victorian-style timepiece he had happened to notice earlier, sitting on the nightstand by the bed. He tried squinting to get a better look at the small hands and, failing that, grudgingly got up from his seat and walked over to the short table. From close up he had a better view, and by picking up the clock in his hands he could easily read its contents: 10:22 AM. “Wow, I really slept in,” he remarked, setting the clock back onto the table. “Hmm... What to do for two and a half hours?” While he thought it over, Connor decided to pull his iPod out of his jacket pocket and mess with the settings, changing the time on his device to better match that of the clock. After doing so and switching it off, he stared at the darkened screen for a few seconds in consternation. There are a few games that could keep me busy for a while... but I’ve only got so much battery to use. Doing something like that would suck it dry in no time. Connor brought his hand up to scratch his chin, weighing his options like a pair of scales; battery life on one end, the depths of his boredom on the other. I could listen to music, if only for a little bit. If I’m careful. Although, simply thinking about the slow, inevitable demise of his only worldly possession at the moment brought his stream of consciousness closer to more distressing topics. Sensing this, Connor immediately made up his mind. Screw it. I want to put on some feel-good music. With that, he pulled out his earbuds and jacked them into the iPod with a click. Placing the other ends in his ears and walking back to the desk to sit down, Connor tabbed through the available artists. He eventually settled on a decision, and hit the play button. Connor switched off the display as the song started, and sat back in the chair with a heavy sigh. As the music of Owl City belted into his ears, he was content to just watch the outdoor scene through the window: that marvelous city containing hundreds of pony creatures going about their lives without a care in the world... ---------------------------Two Hours and Thirty Minutes Later----------------------- Connor’s hands were jammed firmly in his coat pockets as he and the accompanying pegasus guard made their way down the cavernous castle corridors. A little while ago, he’d started on this way to the meeting with Celestia in a relatively good mood, but that mood took a blow with each furtive glance given him by the other ponies making their way down the same hall. Miss Hearth’s indifferent attitude now seemed downright pleasant compared to the curious and sometimes perplexed expressions worn by the other castle staff as they made their rounds. They may have been told about him already, but Connor got the feeling that none of them were truly prepared to see an unfamiliar creature like him prowling the halls. It was starting to make him feel uncomfortable and even more out of place, to say the least. This is why, as he and his escort rounded the corner to the castle foyer, a feeling of relief washed over him when he saw the familiar face of the Sun Princess, standing calmly at the top of the steps. Accompanying her at her side was another pegasus guard -- though upon closer inspection he was a bit different than the ones Connor had seen thus far. He was slightly taller and stockier, for one, and instead of a turquoise star, his armor bore the symbol of a red and blue flag on top of a few crossed lightning bolts. The pegasus’ eyes narrowed as his gaze followed Connor into the room, but the teenager paid him little mind as he jogged over excitedly, raising a hand in greeting to the Princess. “Hey, Princess! It’s nice to see a friendly face around here,” he addressed her casually, stopping at the foot of the stairs. His particular enthusiasm seemed to come as a surprise to Celestia for a brief moment, before her expression became one of genuine cheerfulness again. “My, you seem spirited this morning. I trust you slept well?” “Oh, yeah. That bed was amaaaazing,” he said, tilting his head back for emphasis. “And thanks for sending breakfast by the way. That was great, too.” Connor nodded affirmatively, eliciting a short chuckle from the Princess. “Although...” He was about to mention the flowers in the salad, and how he didn’t particularly care for them, when he noticed Celestia’s smile falter slightly. “Although what? Is something the matter?” “...You know what? It’s nothing, forget about it,” Connor finished, deciding it would be better to not make light of her generous hospitality. All while the conversation was going on, the pony soldier stationed near the Princess had been growing increasingly agitated, and at this point let out an unnecessarily loud huff. Connor turned to him, noticing again that he was being stared at with a particular amount of menace. “Uh, is something wrong?” he asked, cringing under the soldier’s gaze and taking a half-step backwards. The armored pegasus breathed in deep and shifted on his hooves before speaking back in a voice of barely concealed annoyance. “No. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with addressing Her Royal Highness in such an uncouth manner,” he said gruffly, the statement dripping with sarcasm. His response drew Celestia’s attention and she turned her head slightly to the left, giving the pegasus a sideways glance. “Captain...” she let out sternly, putting stress on the word. “Connor is our guest, and a friend. You would do well to remember that.” “Yes, Ma’am...” the apparent "Captain" admitted reluctantly, though while his expression softened just a little, he never did let his eyes off of the strange human. Geez, does he have a stick up his ass, or what? Connor thought to himself, being wary of the abrasive pegasus, but at the same time comforted by the fact that Celestia seemed to be sticking up for him. Friend, huh? She actually considers me a friend? Connor then noticed the Princess give a light flick of her head, and he heard the sound of hoofsteps clopping away from him, turning just in time to see the guard who escorted him return down the hall whence they came. After watching him go, Connor decided to take a seat at the halfway point up the steps. Then, he let a puff of air escape his lips, and tapped his hands on his legs in a random beat, before electing to break the unwelcome silence. “Sooo, why’d you ask me to come here? We meeting somebody?” “Yes, we are. And I know you must have plenty of questions, but rest assured, I will explain more when she arrives.” “Okay... cool.” Connor turned back to face the large gold-colored double doors across the foyer, nodding despondently. Out of the corner of his vision, however, he noted that the pegasus captain was still regarding him coldly, and he could almost feel the hair on his neck prickle under his stare. Over a short period, it started eating away at him, until Connor felt that he just had to confront the stallion. “Okay, do you have a problem with me or something? You’ve been giving me the stink eye ever since I walked in.” Though it seemed impossible, the pony’s eyes narrowed even further, and he straightened up, the teenager’s accusation giving him all the reason he needed to tell the stranger exactly what was on his mind. “Yes, in fact, I do have a problem with you. I couldn’t care less about what you are, where you came from or how you got here, but I don’t know you. I don’t know what your motivations are, and the fact remains that I. Don’t. Trust. You,” the Captain responded with a great deal of contempt, all but spitting out the words. “You may act all friendly and casual, courting Her Majesty’s favor, but that doesn’t change the fact that you do not belong here!” “Captain, that’s enough!” Celestia interrupted then and there, staring down at the pegasus, a cross look in her normally kind eyes. “I will not stand to have you insult both myself and our guest with your venomous tongue. You will keep such thoughts to yourself and speak not a word more, or I will have you dismissed. Am I clear?” The pegasus looked back and forth between the irate Princess and Connor once or twice, before locking his eyes on Celestia’s. Then, like a balloon rapidly deflating, his shoulders slumped and he let out a defeated sigh, nodding slowly in agreement. He backed away exactly two steps, and devoted his attention to thoroughly examining a portion of nearby wall. All throughout the exchange, Connor watched in fascination as the pegasus got his well-deserved comeuppance. His words had stung deep. Deeper than he would want to admit to himself. He couldn’t imagine what, if anything, he could’ve done to deserve such ire. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that, just like humans, there were apparently both good ponies and bad ones. Some things are just universal like that. He now appreciated even more the fact that one of the good ones was in charge around here. The Princess gave a weary sigh, then looked down at Connor with genuine remorse. “I am terribly sorry about that, Connor. Captain Sky Armory is... Well, he is the best at what he does, and he is merely concerned for my safety. But that does not excuse his behavior. Please accept my deepest apologies.” “No, no, it’s nothing. I’m fine, really,” Connor said quickly, as much to himself as well as the Sun Princess. He rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to distract himself, taking out his iPod to check the time just as the clock ticked over to 1:00 PM. Off in the distance, barely audible through the castle walls, a large brass bell sounded out exactly one time. “So, when is this ‘special guest’ of yours getting here?” Connor inquired after more than a minute, eager to change the subject. “She should be any moment now,” Celestia replied, eyes fixed on the tall doors across the room. “If there is one thing my student is known for, it is her punctuality.” Student? Connor had barely enough time to ponder before there was a sharp creak from the direction in front of him, and he turned to see the large golden doors spread open, admitting a new arrival into the castle. Another pony -- though he was hardly surprised by that at this point -- a female unicorn by the look of it, with fur the color of lavender and a straight, dark purple mane and tail with a highlighted pink streak running through them. As she cantered in at a slightly above normal pace, she appeared to be breathing heavily, as though she had been running just before she made her entrance. The unicorn angled her head down as she caught her breath, and began to speak. “I’m really, really sorry I’m late, Princess. I got here as fast as I could,” she started off, speaking quickly between breaths. “Spike happened to be asleep when your letter arrived, and it somehow didn’t wake him up, so he only got it to me this morning. And then when the carriage you sent arrived I still hadn’t finished my preparations and given Spike my daily checklist.” As she continued her explanation, she brought her head up slowly to look at Celestia at the top of the steps. “And before I could even set hoof in the... in... in the...” Whatever she was about to say ended there, as she brought her gaze over to where Connor was sitting, hands folded, regarding her nervously as he chewed on the inside of his lip. The unicorn seemed very unsure of what to make of him, and she took a hesitant step backwards. The lavender pony stared for a couple seconds more at the strange creature while tilting her head in confusion, before tearing herself away and looking at the Princess with a puzzled expression. “Uhhh, Princess? Would you... care to explain?” she said, her curious expression eliciting a brief chuckle from the white alicorn. “Certainly. Although, seeing as you two haven’t met before, shouldn’t you introduce yourselves, first?” Celestia replied patiently. “What? Oh! Yeah, sure,” Connor was the first to speak up. He raised himself to his feet, dusting off his pants, and turned to face the unicorn, giving a meek wave of his hand. “Hello, there. I’m... My name’s Connor. Nice to meet you?” “I’m...” the violet pony started hesitantly, then closed her eyes and shook her head, as if trying to get a grip on herself. “I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” “‘Twilight Sparkle’? That’s an interesting name.” The unicorn named Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Really? And just what is that supposed to mean?” she asked in an accusatory manner. “N-nothing!” Connor stuttered out, waving his hands defensively out in front of him. “Just interesting, that’s all.” Twilight let out a sigh and shook her head as she made her way closer to the others. Once at where the stairs met the floor, she walked up the steps at a quickened pace while casting a furtive glance in Connor’s direction, before coming to a stop next to where Celestia stood and looking up at the taller pony. “Princess, I’m still very confused. Your letter didn’t say anything about this. Whatever this is,” Twilight admitted, seeming to be more curious than wary at this point. “I mean, no offense to your 'guest,' but I’ve read pretty much every book about fauna the world over and I’ve never seen anything remotely like him before.” “And there’s a good reason for that, my faithful student. Though I’m not quite sure how to say this,” the alicorn explained, taking her time to look for the right words. “Connor is... a ‘special’ case. He’s--” She was cut off abruptly by Connor at that moment, clearing his throat to get the two equines’ attention. They turned to face him, noting his crossed arms and the annoyed look on his face as he adjusted his glasses. “Excuse me, but as fun as it is being talked around, don’t you think I should be the one to explain?” He turned his head to address Twilight. “I wouldn’t be in any of those books you mentioned. And the reason is, well...” Connor breathed in deep before continuing. “I’m from another world. Or universe, whatever. I guess it really doesn’t make a difference.” The unicorn’s violet eyes widened for a moment at his admission, but then she let out a short snicker and shook her head dismissively. “No... No, no, that would be impossible. The existence of multiple universes is just a theory! There’s never been any concrete evidence to support it,” she explained disbelievingly as she turned back to face Celestia. “This has to be some kind of joke, right?” “I wouldn’t joke about something like this, Twilight. What Connor says is the truth,” the Princess replied with a look of deadly seriousness. The lavender pony’s eyes shifted around searchingly, as if she was running logistics over in her head. Still looking slightly skeptical, she looked back at Connor and took a breath, pausing for a moment as she considered, then continued to speak. “Okay. Let’s say for the sake of argument that I believe you come from some... other world. How did you get here?” “Well,” Connor reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “The thing is, I really don’t know. I’d think it was impossible too if I wasn’t standing here talking to a couple of horses.” Immediately after saying so, he winced and gave an apologetic smile. “Ponies! Sorry, still getting used to things,” he confessed sheepishly, cursing his annoying tendency to speak before thinking. “Which I’ll admit is easier said than done. I mean, I’ve only been here one day and, well...” Upon hearing this, Twilight reared her head back slightly, her eyes doing that same examining motion like she was adding two and two together. And apparently, the result did not please her in the slightest, as she gasped suddenly and cast a suspicious glance at the Princess, to which the alicorn responded by lowering her head, as if preparing for what was about to come. “Wait, when I sent you a letter asking what all that commotion over Canterlot was, you wrote back saying it was just a lightning spell that went haywire... But it wasn’t. It was really him, wasn’t it?” She jabbed a hoof in Connor’s direction. “Twilight...” Celestia pleaded, her eyes full of remorse. “Allow me to explain.” “But I... I repeated what you wrote me to everypony in Ponyville. They were skeptical at first, but I told them that you assured me everything was fine, that you had everything under control. I wasn’t sure I believed it, but I thought, if anything was wrong, you would tell me,” Twilight continued, lowering her voice, and her ears with it. “I know. And I truly am sorry for putting you through that. But please, believe me when I say I had my reasons.” The Princess looked to Twilight for affirmation, and after a few seconds, the unicorn nodded, indicating she could continue. “At the time, I wasn’t sure myself exactly what had happened, and until I could learn more about the situation, I didn’t want to risk anypony flying into a panic over this. I needed to play it safe. I didn’t want you to worry, and I knew that you would understand.” The soothing, regretful sincerity of her words served to perk up the lavender unicorn somewhat, and she brought herself to look Celestia in the eyes with a hint of a smile on her face. “Of course, Princess. I... I do. You did what you had to.” Meanwhile, Connor watched this exchange with a keen interest, feeling just a little bit nervous at the prospect of being caught up in an argument between the two. Needless to say, he felt relieved that it was over quickly. Wow. The Princess really cares about what Twilight thinks of her, and vice versa, he gathered. I wonder what their deal is. “But you could’ve at least told me what was going on,” Twilight continued. “Don’t you trust me?” “I do!” Celestia replied quickly. “I do trust you. More than anypony else apart from my own sister,” she followed this up with a tired sigh. “And actually, that is why I asked you to come here today. Twilight Sparkle, I have a new task... No, not a task; a favor, to ask of you.” “Of course, Princess! What do you need me to do?” came the unicorn’s reply. “Well, as of late, we are focusing on finding a way for Connor to return to his own world, yet I admit to having no idea how long that might take,” the Sun Princess explained before pausing, perhaps unintentionally, for dramatic effect. “And until the time comes when we find a solution, I would request that Connor stay in Ponyville... under your care.” At that moment, both human and unicorn did the equivalent of a spit take, minus the spit. “What?” both of them not-so-subtly exclaimed out of a mix of surprise and confusion. “Just hold on a second,” Connor launched into the conversation. “I thought the whole reason behind finding me a place to stay was that I should attract as little attention as possible. And now you want me to go to some town named... What was that you said? Ponyville? Just like that?” “Are you really asking me to let him live in my home? We’ve barely just met! And he’s an alien from another universe!" Twilight chimed in, looking off to the side. "...Supposedly.” “Now, now, calm yourselves. If you will just allow me to explain.” Celestia looked between Connor, who had his arms folded, and Twilight, who simply eyed both him and the Princess skeptically. The white alicorn took a deep breath, preparing to explain at length. “I realize what I’m asking is no small task, and I wouldn’t be asking at all if I thought there was a better way. Unlike this city, Ponyville is relatively small and out of the way. There would be less of an impact should you happen to be seen there instead of Canterlot, which is still very much recovering from the changeling incursion last week. The people’s confidence is already shaky at best, and both myself and Luna agree that we don’t want to choose between thrusting you into the spotlight, or risking it becoming known that we are keeping secrets.” The Princess paused, as she switched her tone from one of clinical exposition to one of tenderness. “And to answer your concerns, Connor, keeping you sequestered and shut away from the outside world is the opposite of what you need at the moment. I can see you are trying to come to terms with your situation, and that is always a good thing, but I also can tell how difficult all of this is for you; how difficult it may be in the future. You need others in order to get through this. Somepony to talk to. Friends that you can count on to be there when you need them. For this, I can think of no better place than Ponyville.” Connor said nothing, but nodded his head in hesitant agreement. He had to be honest with himself; There was no doubt he would’ve utterly fallen apart by this point without Celestia’s support offering him an emotional lifeline. This was something he needed. “And that is why I am asking this of you, Twilight. Partly because I trust you to handle the responsibility, and partly because you, more than anypony else, know what I mean.” To this, Twilight lowered her gaze, and there appeared to be a certain depth to her eyes. One that spoke of reflection and tightly held memories. “I... I still don’t know about this,” she said in response, clearly understanding the meaning of Celestia’s request, but still unsure. “That is perfectly understandable, and rest assured, the decision is entirely yours to make. I wouldn’t think of forcing something like this on you,” the regal mare said patiently. “You have plenty of time to think it over, and to talk amongst yourselves. Unfortunately, my royal duties demand my attention, and I am afraid this is where we must part company, as I have a meeting with the City Council shortly.” With that, she nodded to Sky Armory, who responded with a curt "Ma’am," before edging himself past the lavender pony, and moving down the stairs where he waited for the Princess to follow. After reaching the bottom of the steps, Celestia turned to look over her shoulder, addressing the two for a final time. “I expect to have your answer by six in the afternoon, if that’s reasonable. When the time comes, meet me in the Castle Gardens. Until then, feel free to use the time as you see fit, as long as you stay within the castle. I apologize if this seems rather abrupt, but I really must be going. Farewell, Connor. Twilight,” she finished, nodding to each of them before turning back and making for the open gold doors. Connor, trying to sort through the information the alicorn had just dumped on him, took a few seconds to formulate a short response. “See ya, I guess,” he said, raising his hand in a brief wave before seating himself back down on the stairway. Meanwhile, as Celestia made her way past the door’s threshold, Captain Sky Armory took a moment to look directly at Connor. He brought one of his hooves up in front of his eyes, then turned it to point at the teenager, in what he could only assume was the pony equivalent of "I’m keeping my eye on you." In response, Connor scowled and repeated the gesture in a mocking fashion, to which the Captain huffed in annoyance before turning himself around and exiting the same way the Princess had. Once through the doors, two other unicorn guards stationed outside grasped their large, ornate handles and pulled them shut. And just like that, Connor and his new lavender companion were left to themselves in the wide, empty foyer. “Great,” Connor breathed out in a dejected sigh. “One day here and I’ve already made an enemy. Seriously, what is with that guy?” After a few seconds of awkward silence, Connor turned to face Twilight, who just so happened to be looking directly at him, unblinking, apparently deep in thought. After a while, Connor started feeling slightly unnerved. “Um... Would you mind not staring at me like that? It’s kinda creepy,” he admitted, which snapped the unicorn out of whatever it was that captivated her attention. “W-what? Who’s staring? I wasn’t staring,” came her reply, as she blinked a few times and looked away. In response, Connor merely sighed again, bringing his hand up to his temples as he felt the oncoming throbbing of a dull headache. I can already tell this is going to be a looooong five hours.