It was a whole week before we received word back from Princess Celestia. Not to say it was boring. The day after I transformed, I went down to Twilight’s to get my nose healed. Afterwards, Me and RD went for a joyride through town. We went to Sugar Cube Corner for a snack. When we got there, Pinkie Pie apologized for not bringing me the cake she promised. Apparently, she put confetti in the oven again and it caught fire. How exactly you set an oven on fire is beyond me. Then, we went to Applejack’s place so I could get some work. She sent me out to work in the fields and I came back to Dash’s house at the end of the day with a wallet full of bits. The next day, Dash gave me some flying lessons. That stunt I pulled when we met was simply luck and adrenaline, because the next day I could barely fly straight. She gave me some pointers, I crashed and burned a few times, and we shared a couple laughs. Eventually, Rainbow decided to include Scootaloo in on the lesson. I figured it would be best to leave them alone, so I went to Fluttershy’s cottage. She invited me in for tea, which was nice until Angel Bunny jumped up and kicked me in the eye. After that it was more of a comedy show than a dignified tea. In any case, I enjoyed my stay in Ponyville. My days were more or less like this: I’d go to work, roam Ponyville and neighboring areas with RD, we’d stop somewhere for lunch, I’d go to Flutter’s for tea, have dinner with one of the Mane 6, and Dash and I would just lay down on a cloud under the stars, just relaxing.
“Silver?” asked RD on the seventh day. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Go for it.” I replied.
“What’s your name? Your real name?”
“I told you. If I tell you, it will complicate things a lot. I wouldn’t even be able to answer all your questions.”
“I know. It’s just that you seem like such a cool pony, and I want to learn more about you. I like you a lot. You make me happy.” said Dash, not thinking.
“Er… Are trying to tell me something RD?” I asked awkwardly.
“Not like that, stupid. I don’t trot that way.” said Dash. “Even if I did, I couldn’t come between you and Fluttershy.”
“W-what are you talking about?!” I cried in outrage.
“Come on. Admit it. I see the way you look at her, the way you perk up when you hear her voice. Not to mention your pomf moments!”
“As if, Dashie! We’re two completely different species. And maybe I have someone at home.”
“Do you?” asked Rainbow mockingly.
“Maybe!”
“Are you guys done flirting up there!?” called a voice from below. I looked down and saw Twilight in another nice blouse. “I just got a letter from Princess Celestia! Get your flanks down here! The train leaves in 5 minutes.”
“Coming, Twi! Just chill!” said Dash, allowing herself to drop through the clouds. I followed suite, did a front flip in mid-air and landed on my hooves. I had gotten good in seven days.
“You aren’t going to bring anything?” asked Twilight.
“I didn’t come here with anything. What could I possibly bring with me?” I said.
“Not you. Rainbow Dash. Didn’t I mention? The princess asked for all of us to come.”
“I don’t have anything to bring any way. Didn’t you say we were in a rush? Let’s get going!” said RD impatiently. We left Rainbow’s home at full gallop. We made it to the train station just in time. The others were waiting for us there. We boarded the train to Canterlot, where the princess of the sun would send me home.
“Ah just realised. Ya leavin tonight, ain’t ya?” said Applejack.
“Yeah. Princess Celestia is probably gonna send me home as soon as we get there.” I said sadly.
“Oh man! You can’t leave now! You didn’t even get to try any of my world-famous cupcakes!” exclaimed Pinkie.
“Uh… that’s ok Pinkie. I will miss all of you dearly though.” I said honestly. “I will never forget you guys.”
“We’ll miss you too.” whispered Fluttershy, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“Even you Twily?” I asked mockingly.
“I told you not to call me that.” said Twilight. “And yes. You peaked my interest. I would love to learn about these… Earthins?” She had been trying to get me to let slip the name of my species since she found out about Earth. Not going to happen.
“Not even close. Points for creativity though.” I replied.
“So what are you going to do when you get home?” asked Rarity.
“I dunno. Probably prepare my funeral because my roomies are gonna murder me.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to come back?” inquired RD.
“Maybe. I suppose we have to ask the princess. I don’t even know how I got here. She might not even know.” We were silent for the remainder of the trip. We arrived at the castle and were ushered by a troop of guards to the castle. We entered the front door, two guards ahead and two behind, and walked through the long, straight corridors. We stopped in front of large double doors with two more guards at each side. They opened the door at the sight of Twilight, allowing us in. We entered, me at the very back of the group. The room was large, with high ceilings and large mosaic windows. At the back of the room were two thrones, with one large mare sitting in each. On the left throne was a dark blue alicorn with a starry mane. On the right was a larger white alicorn with a multi-colored mane. They both wore regal white and gold robes. The Regal Sisters. We stopped in front of them, dropped to one knee, and bowed.
“Princess Celestia.” said Twilight, looking up. “This is Silver Rift. I explained to you what happened in my letter. Can you help?”
“Yes. He is here because I brung him here.” said Princess Celestia.
“What? Why did you bring him here?”
“We need his help. He is the only one who can open Silver Rifts.”
“Silver Rift is his name, princess.” said Fluttershy. “How can he open himself?”
“His name is Christian Brooks and he is a human. He does not belong in this world and I took a huge risk by bringing here.”
“Wait. Hold on a minute. You know who I am? And you brung me here?” I said standing up to look her in the eye. I would never be able to if she were standing. Luna had to be about 7 feet tall, and Celestia was about a head taller.
“Yes Christian. I brought you to Equestria so you could help us.”
“What’s this about ‘Silver Rifts’? He’s just a name I came up with for my OC.” I said, assuming she knew what I was talking about. “And why did I change to look just like him? Why did I change at all?”
“Perhaps my sister should explain this.” said Celestia, handing the floor to Luna.
“You were born a human. Like all natural things in this multiverse, you have a magic within you called the Shine. The Shine likes to be like the other Shines around it. So, when you came to Equestria, a marvelous thing happened. I call it the Chameleon Effect. Your Shine was exposed to other Shines of Equestria. It took in the naturally resonating energy of a Shine and told your body to change to blend in better. The reason you became your OC is because, in your heart, that’s who you wanted to be. The Shine will randomly pick a form for you, if you don’t have one in mind.”
“So my life-force energy thing saw the other life-force energy things and said ‘Let’s be like them’. Ok. But why did you summon me to Equestria? I still don’t understand.”
“We need your help to open Silver Rifts.” said Luna. Catching my question before it could leave my throat, she continued, “A Rift is a passageway between worlds. There are three types: White, Black, and Silver. I can open Black Rifts, which will get you where you need to go, if you can keep the world you’re leaving where it is. My Rifts suck everything into the new world, like a black hole. Tia can open White Rifts. Those are the exact opposite. They throw the destination at the area of departure. We got our magic together and made a sort of Gray Rift. You got here with minimal scarring of the fabric of the universe.”
“You still didn’t tell me why you need me.” I said.
“We are at war.” said Celestia. “Nopony knows this but we are. 4 of Equestria’s most powerful enemies have united to destroy both worlds. A unicorn named Sunset Shimmer, an old student of mine, Discord, the spirit of disharmony and chaos, Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the Changelings, and King Sombra, Lord of Shadows. I assume you know them. The show is more or less factual. Just remember, Equestria Girls never happened. It seems most humans wish that were true anyway.”
“You know of MLP?” I asked. “Doesn’t offend you or fill you with discomfort?”
“Of course not. In your world we are works of fiction. Why would I care what they watch? For those here who are still confused, Christian watches a television show on Earth called My Little Pony. This show follows your adventures to learn about friendship. None of that matters though. What matters is that I tell you of how I found you.”
“One day, I was in the Canterlot Library, in the Starswirl the Bearded wing. I was searching for a book, when I stumbled across a prophecy. It stated that somepony from another world would, with the help of his two best friends, defend the harmony of both Equestria and his world from 4 powerful evils. At once, I started combing Earth, searching for these Defenders of Harmony. What I discovered shocked me. Humans have magic in their bodies as strong as Twilight’s was before I began teaching her. Never before have I seen so much raw power in one place. But it was strange. None of you seemed to be using it. I looked closer and saw that it was sealed in your bodies and would never be able to come undone. I couldn’t quit though. I kept looking and, eventually, stumbled across you and your friends, Isaiah and Robert. The three of you had this same power, but untapped. I began to search for a way to get you here. I discovered that there was a way to get you here safely, under a few circumstances. You had to be happy, so I picked your birthday. Then you would have had to be exposed to sadness and suffering, causing a rift between emotions. The unstable emotions would act as a two-way anchor. Your soul would be locked on Earth and in Equestria. I made you go to your mothers house, where you would have been teleported here. Those bullies almost ruined it. When you ran, I panicked and yanked you without precision. That’s how you ended up in the forest.”
“What do you mean, ‘You made me’ go to my mother’s? I went there on my own free will.” I said defiantly.
“Only after I placed the thought into your subconscious. If it were up to you, you would have gone straight home. Sorry for manipulating you, but it was the only way.”
“You keep saying how you need me, but I don’t see it. Why didn’t you just come to Earth yourself and put a stop to this before it began?”
“Think of all the worlds in this multiverse as in a circular arrangement.” said Luna. “Our worlds being side-by-side. Now, there is always energy flowing between these worlds. If it’s in a circle, the energy will only go one of two ways: Clockwise or counter-clockwise. Let’s say it flows clockwise. Traveling from your world to ours would be easy, relatively speaking, because we have to flow with energy. If we tried to go from here to there, we’d have to fight against the current of energy. Nopony is that strong”
“Then what help am I?” I asked. I was still very confused.
“The brilliance of Silver Rifts. They are the only true Rifts. What me and my sister opened are more like portals, but Silver are exactly what they say they are: rifts. Tears in the multiverse. Safe tears, small tears, but tears nonetheless. You can open them in either direction. Twilight and her friends will need your help once they get to Earth, whether it be to blend in or for combat. So, if you accept, you will all go to Earth, where those four are hiding. You’ll capture them and report back.”
“What happens when we beat them?”
“You and your friends would be the three most powerful humans in existence. You tell me.”
“Princes of Earth?” I asked with a smirk.
“You could, although that would be unwise. Humans don’t typically seem to listen to random people who just assert control over them.” said Celestia.
“Fair point. But I could come back to Equestria if I wanted?”
“You could take ponies to Earth for three days to see how many humans they could bed for all I care. As long as you defend Earth and Equestria. I will help you, of course.”
“How?” I asked.
“I will teach you some magic and give you some weaponry. Like these.” said Celestia, horn glowing yellow. From some back room she levitated a sheathed sword and holstered revolver. She stood up and grabbed them both, expertly handing them to me. I pulled out the sword, about 3 feet in length and one and a half in width. The blade was orange and had text engraved on each edge: Celestial. Sheathing the blade back, I pulled out the pistol, a revolver with an 8 inch long barrel. It was midnight blue up until the grip, which was black. On the barrel was the text Lunar.
“The blade is made of Celestial Silver. The gun is made of Lunar Steel. They are very special weapons. If Celestial chips or cracks, sit it in a fire for 30 minutes. If something happens to Lunar, soak it in cold, pure water. They will come out good as new.”
“You said you would teach me some magic. How? I’m a pegasus.” I asked. At that point, I wondered if the Mane 6 were still behind me. Don’t know why the question came to mind.
“Since you are a human, you have enormous magic within you. You should be able to channel it without the use of a horn.” said Luna.
“When do we start?” I was eager to begin. I figured I would go to sleep, wake up in the morning, eat some breakfast and…
“Now. Luna, please show the girls to their rooms. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, if you prefer to grab a cloud from outside, you may.” said Celestia.
“Alright. This way girls.” said Luna, rising up from her throne. I thought she was tall before, but know I could see she was Amazonian. She walked past me and left the room, taking the mares with her. The doors closed, and I was in the room alone with Princess Celestia.
“Let’s begin. First off, maybe we should go over some basic levitation. What you do is-”
“Actually, Princess Celestia, I have a concern. From what you’ve told me, we are in a hurry. We don’t really have time for this training. Is there any way for you to speed up the process?” I asked. I didn’t think there was, but I felt the need to ask.
“There is a way for me to teach you nearly instantly. I can use the spell that I used to influence you on Earth, but on a larger scale. I don’t think we should, though.”
“Why not? If we can train me by morning, we can leave and start fighting.”
“It is going to hurt. A lot. It might even kill you.” said Celestia grimly.
“I don’t care! This is important! Please Princess, just give me a chance!” I said boldly. She seemed to be thinking it over. Looking at me solemnly, she walked forward.
“Alright Christian. If you are willing to take the risk, I’ll do it.” she said, reaching both arms forward. She grabbed me on either side of the face. She closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow. Soon, her body was illuminated with white light. She opened her eyes once more, her pupils having disappeared and her eyes glowing white. My body filled with a fiery sensation, and my skin began to melt. Or, at least, that’s how it felt. Needles of pain exploded in my chest, growing slowly and then bursting into mini-mushroom clouds of agony. My throat grew raw from my screams of torment. After what felt like hours, it finished. I fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
“ Is… that… all?” I panted. “Did it work?”
“Not really. It was supposed to teach you how to do everything you needed immediately.” said Celestia, horn glowing. “From these scans, I’ve determined that it worked partially. You didn’t learn anything, but it made you more suppceptiple to learning. Certain things you attempt, you will find you are a natural at it.”
“Alright. What now?” I asked, getting to my hooves.
“Try to open a Rift. Take your hands and reach into the fabric of the multiverse. Then spread it open wide enough to step through.” said Celestia, stepping backwards. I extended my hands, concentrated on my world and Equestria, and clenched my fists. Then, I yanked my hands apart with all my might. The air in front of me seemed to rip open, leaving a rip of silver energy, wider and taller than me. I felt it calling to me, asking me to step inside.
“How did I know to do that?” I asked, awestruck.
“I told you. The spell will just give you little hints and instincts, gut feelings. Follow them. Any way, that’s all I can really do for you. I suggest getting some rest.” said Celestia, pointing to the door.
“Where do I go?” I asked.
“Your friend Rainbow Dash will be outside waiting to ambush you. She’ll take you where you need to go.”
“Ok.” I said. I closed the Rift and walked to the door. I opened it up and stepped out. I turned to my right and was face-to-face with RD.
“Come on, loser.” said Rainbow Dash, leading the way. I followed her for a while, until we came across two large clouds sitting in the middle of a hallway. “Oh my. How did these clouds get in the castle?” asked RD sarcastically. Hopping on the one on the right, she gestured for me to take the other. I sat down, waiting for the question.
“What happened?” asked Dash.
“The princess was going to manually teach me how to fight and stuff, but instead she put a spell on me that would give me certain instincts. She said I’ll learn things very easily. Dash, I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m going to go to sleep. If you want to know about it, ask me in the morning.” I said, laying down. For once she left well enough alone, because I fell asleep instantly.