“Seriously? What kind of a title is that? Hey, narrator guy! Answer me, will ya!”
“Now, now. Don't frighten him into leaving again, Pinkie darling.”
“Huh? Oh, hi Rarity. When did you get here?”
“Just now. Thanks for noticing.”
“You're welcome, Rares. Now, back to the title!”
Slightly annoyed “It says party in the title. I thought you'd like it.”
“I don't speak no pig Latin! You fail as a narrator!”
Even more slightly annoyed “It's not pig Latin! It's Pink Latin!”
“Oh, really?” Reading title again “Oh, yeah. I guess that makes more sense. Carry on.”
===
The party went on for hours after Vinyl and Octavia started playing. The ponies partied to their hearts content. It was a really good party. A bit more exciting and playful than most parties that took place at the Royal Castle, but still not anywhere near as most of the parties Pinkie planned. And yet she was having a wonderful time, and made sure to praise the Princess's on their collective party planning skills. Austin and Tessla watched from their places against a far wall. Parties weren't really their scene.
“Hey, humans. . .” A voice called to them from a nearby table. “”mere.”
Austin made his way over to the table and sat down opposite a pony. He seemed to have lost all his wits. Several punch cups littering the table told Austin that he had partaken of the punch. It was apparently spiked sometime earlier and it was clear this pony had drunk quite a lot of it. Tessla joined him as a sober pony sat down as well. It was clear he was sober by the way he acted to the other pony and the cups. Brushing them off and focusing on the humans.
“”Ey there, Boss,” The drunken pony said, “Ah found the humans for ya, just like ya wanta me to.”
“I apologize for my associate,” Said the sober one. He pushed the glassed he wore up a bit and levitated a card from his shirt pocket. “My name is Long Story, and I am a reporter for the Manehatten Chronicle. My associate is from the less reputable Fillydelphia Herald.”
“Hey!” The drunken pony hollered as he lifted his head off the table, “That ain't nice.”
“Oh, please! You are just one of a long line of drunken idiots to come out of that office.”
“Enough!” Austin said sternly, and just loud enough to get their attention without causing a scene “You wanted to see us for some reason I'm guessing.”
“Apologies,” The sober one said, “Yes, we did. We have been paired together by our cities to get an exclusive with you. Our readers want to read about you and we want answers.”
“To what questions?” Tessla asked.
“Where you came from. How you met. How long have you known each other. When and where did you meet up? Those sort of questions.”
“You want background on us,” Austin said, “Our back stories.”
“Precisely!”
“'Eah, wat he said.”
“Where do you want to start?” Austin asked.
The sober pony recoiled back quickly. So quickly, in fact, that his glasses slid down to the end of his nose and hung there for a half a second before falling off. His wide eyes didn't leave Austin's face as Austin himself caught the glasses in a field of magic. He lifted only a hand to place the glasses back on Long Story's face.
“You seem surprised,” Austin said.
“I just wasn't expecting you to be this cooperative, to be honest,” He replied. He took off his glasses and wiped them down with a small cloth from his pocket, as if Austin had somehow dirtied them up with his own magic. Austin chose to ignore it as the pony continued to talk.
“From everything we've heard, you humans can be quite uncooperative at times.”
“Where did you hear that?” Tessla asked.
The drunken pony looked up and placed a hooves a on the table. In a moment of rather certain clarity he focused his eyes on Tessla. He leaned over the table to the point where he almost fell onto it. He was almost close enough to take the place in between him and Austin. He stared at Tessla and just narrowed his eyes. “We have our sources,” He said, and then he returned to his drunken stupor.
“That is why I will never drink,” Tessla said.
“Agreed,” Austin responded.
“Well then,” Long Story said with an ink pen and paper pad ready, “Shall we begin?”
===
“I met Tessla and Ben in high school, but at different times,” Austin said, “Tessla was a year ahead of me and Ben a year behind. I met Tessla first, in a weight lifting class of all things. The two most unfit guys there. We drifted closer because of that. We talked, and became friends. Been that way ever since.”
“I see,” Long Story, “Truly the makings of a great friendship. And how long ago was that exactly?”
“Years,” Tessla said, “Many years. Don't remembered the exact date.”
“And what of this Ben? How did you meet him?”
“Well, I met him first,” Austin said. “My last year of high school I found myself alone most of the time. Tessla had already graduated, and we didn't talk much. Not for lack of trying. Eventually, a few other kids found their way over to me. Ben was one of them. We had a lot in common. We laughed and joked and became friends just like me and Tessla did. A while after that and I introduced Ben and Tessla. We all got along real well.”
“Of course, a big part of that was ponies,” Tessla said, “All of us being bronies and what not.”
“Bronies?” Long Story inquired.
“Tessla,” Austin said with a rough smile, “I thought we agreed to keep words like that to ourselves.”
“Sorry, it just slipped out,” Tessla said apologetically.
“I dun understan,” The drunk pony said all of the sudden.
“Holy crap,” Tessla said, “I honestly forgot you were there.”
“Waz this word mean? Brony?”
“It's a term from our world,” Austin said, “Long story short, it means we are fans of ponies and just about anything related to ponies.”
“Hey guys,” Ben said as he planted his rump in a seat beside Tessla. “What's going on?”
Long Story introduced himself to Ben and gave him a card. He didn't bother with introducing his drunk associate as Ben clearly had no interest in him. He did a quick recap of what the other two had told him and nodded along with what the pony said.
“Yep. Sounds about right,” Ben said after.
“Wonderful!,” Long Story exclaimed joyfully. “This will make a most excellent story. Just one final thing.”
“What is it?”
Long Story pushed his glasses up again and a smile most sinister crept along his face. He glared at them behind his lenses and his voice changed to something almost opposite what it just was. “What have you to say for yourselves in regards to your activities since coming to our fair land of Equestria?”
“What do you mean,” Austin said. He had a hunch what this was about, and it wasn't going to be good.
“Why, the danger you present of course,” Long Story said. “Since you have arrived we have seen an increase in dangerous events occurring all over Equestria. Timberwolves in Ponyville, Changelings in the barren lands, and that is just some of the events that involve you three. How many more ponies will be put in harms way because of you?”
Austin stared in the eyes of the pony across from him. His eyes didn't stray and his face didn't change. He could feel Tessla next to him. His power was rising up. False accusations really pissed him off. He sensed a change in Ben as well, but he kept it contained better than Tessla did.
“Luna is waving me over,” Austin said without breaking eye contact with Long Story. “I'll be back.”
Austin got up and and placed a hand on Ben's right shoulder. A slight squeeze told him not to answer any more of this pony's questions. No good could come of it. As he moved to his feet, thought, Austin gave a small piece of advice to Tessla.
“Not here,” He whispered in passing. Tessla understood what he meant and pushed back the magic in him. The thought, however, replayed in his mind a few dozen more times. As Tessla and Ben sat with Long Story he casually looked back over his shoulder and saw that Luna was indeed waiting as she watched Austin approach.
“What's wrong,” Austin said as he came up to Luna.
“Nothing,” Luna said with a smile, “Nothing you need to worry about at least.”
“Luna, come on,” Austin said with a sly smile, “What is it?”
“I don't know why I'm telling you this, but here it is,” Luna said, “An envoy from a a foreign country was supposed to meet us later this week. We just received word that he has arrived early.”
“He's here now, isn't he,” Austin guessed. He knew he was right when Luna's expression changed.
“We know he is in Equestria, but we aren't sure where exactly,” Luna said, “And the report says that he brought a small force with him.”
“Luna, who is this guy?”
Just then the sounds of the party were silenced. The doors to the great hall where the party was being held were opened suddenly. A few ponies were forced to scramble to a different place or be pinned behind one of the large and heavy doors. A surprising amount of light streamed in as a single figure made his way into the room. He was silhouetted against the light but the details of his form came into view as he got further and further inside. Ponies moved to either side of the room, parting to let this mysterious figure on a path that lead right to the Princess's, and to Austin.
“Please, do not ztop on my account,” He said. His accent was thick, but his English near perfect.
Celestia and Luna came up to meet him halfway. They approached him carefully. More carefully than they would anyone else Austin noticed. Who was this guy? There was one thing about him that Austin noticed almost immediately. Anyone there would have seen it too. This figure, this mysterious one, he was a zebra. His stripes could be seen underneath the form fitting, yet flowing robes he wore.
“Hello, Ambassador.” Princess Celestia said with a small bow. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“You az well, Princess. Tell me, what iz the cause for such grand celebration?”
“Peace,” Luna stated calmly, “We are finally at peace with the Changelings.”
“I zee,” He said with a nod. “Even in my homeland we know of ze Changelings and their magics. A dangerous enemy. How were you able to defeat zem?”
“We had some assistance in that matter,” Celestia said. Her and Luna stepped to the side and left a line of sight open to Austin. The zebra looked at him intently. He was finding it hard to believe that just one of any creature could take on the entire Changeling horde. As Austin was never fond of having the spotlight thrust upon him he gestured for Ben and Tessla to join him. Then it clicked.
“I zee now,” The zebra said, “Word haz spread far about the three strangers that fell from the sky in a rain of fire. These must be the three. And such strange zings they are.”
“And here it thought we were past that,” Ben said under his breath.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” The zebra said, “I am Warchief Zakir of the great Zebrican Nation. It iz an honor to meet you.”
“You as well,” Austin said with a forced smile. He made sure to put some emphasis on the next word. It seemed the most important thing the zebra said in that entire sentence and Austin wanted to make sure he had it right. “Warchief.”
“Ha. An old title,” Zakir stated, “More tradition now than anyzing else. It iz important to hang onto tradition. Especially in my homeland.”
“Of course,” Austin agreed with a slight, polite nod of his head. “Is there a matter you wished to discuss with the Princess's?”
“Oh no. Not at ze moment,” Zakir said. “I just wanted to come and thank Prinzess Celestia herself for generously extending the off for me andz a few of my fellow zebras to come and visit.”
“It was my pleasure,” Celestia responded, “We are all glad to have you here. I'm sure there is much our two nations can learn from one another.”
“I would hope so,” Zakir blurted out with much enthusiasm, “Many storiez have been told of Equestria. Storiez of adventures full if magic, and villains. It iz my hope to get even a small glimpse of that during my stay.”
“Well, I'm sure you will find everything you are looking for,” Luna stated with a smile.
Zakir looked into the eyes of the Princesses. There was something about his eyes that put them on edge, but none could say exactly what it was. It was just a feeling they had that they couldn't quite explain. The three of them continued to put up the royal image they had to uphold as he stared at them.
“Yes, I am zure I will,” Zakir said as he moved for the door. He quickly exited the room and moved down the long corridors of the Royal Caste. A silence hung around long after he left, lingering in the air like a foul mist. Not a word was spoken, not a sound was made until everypony was sure that Warchief Zakir was away from the castle.
“What was that all about,” Twilight asked when she came up to the Princesses and Austin.
“I'm not sure exactly,” Celestia said, “But I have a bad feeling things will only get worse as the situation unfolds.”