I ate a quiet breakfast alone in my room. If there was one perk of this world, it was the food. Everything was spectacularly fresh. Prior to Rhod’s subjugation, our crops had been bred to replicate the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables of the old human empire, yet some primal part of me could always taste that they were fake. I could recognize what looked like apples, potatoes, pineapples, and peaches; and their taste was so much better that I could almost believe that they were the very same our distant ancestors had.
Then again, with these ponies speaking a language I can understand, it wouldn’t be the least believable thing thus far. Although curious about this point, I figured such an elephant in the room had not gone unnoticed by them. I assumed if the triarchs thought it fit for me to know, they would tell me. Chances were it was the work of another spell.
Finishing a mouthful of greens, I moved onto the single scrambled egg sitting alone on my plate. I chewed cautiously, since to me, eggs were another luxury item. The one time I had tried them before, their appeal was totally lost on me. I supposed it was an eccentricity of the upper class, making it a gesture I could not turn down. It had the same freshness as everything else, but I liked it no better.
Having finished the meal, I decided to move on and stepped out of my quiet sanctuary, only to immediately have my senses assaulted.
“Howdy, Errant!” a familiar voice said as several sets of hooves approached me.
“Wasn’t it something like Air-on?” Sweetie Belle said.
“Whatever, human names are weird,” Scootaloo replied.
“Ya shudn’t say that.”
“How are we expected to remember it when his name’s not even a word. If he—ow!”
Scootaloo rubbed her horn with a hoof. “Sweetie Belle, how come you don’t have this problem. That’s the third time I’ve hit a wall with this thing!”
“It’s something I don’t really think about.”
Twilight, following behind, cleared her throat in a dignified manner to silence the three fillies.
“Hello Aron! We’re headed to the Canterlot Cultural Museum. They have artifacts and displays from all over the world, spanning zebra, pony, and even minotaur civilization. Since you’re new to Equestria, I thought you might want to come along?”
“Twilight’s making us learn!” Scootaloo groaned.
“Aw come on, fer a punishment, it ain’t all that bad. Big Mac wouda made me clean out the pig pens.”
I paused to think,my gut reaction to accept. A museum would most likely be fairly quiet, and it would be the perfect chance to better understand this culture. It was an opportunity that didn’t exist on Rhod. Inscriptions on memorials were the closest thing we had. I did want to go, however...
“I’ll pass,” I said. “It is a gracious offer, but Princess Luna has offered to let me spar with some of the guards, and I need to stay in practice. After all, idleness will dull even the sharpest of blades.”
“I see, that’s too bad. I guess I’ll see you later tonight then. I’ve been working with an expert, and the findings may pertain to you.”
I nodded.
“Yes, Princess Celestia may have mentioned that.” In truth, I had missed most of what Celestia had said after last night’s unwelcome surprise.
The fillies waved goodbye and followed their princess, hooves scurrying to keep up with her longer strides. I briefly pondered what their relationship to royalty was such that a princess would take care of them. It would be helpful to know what exactly their status was if not blood relatives. Staring at them for too long unnerved me, though, as it was a reminder of what I might become if I was not careful.
I followed the snaking hallway past the servants’ cafeteria and half a dozen double-bunk suites to a spiral staircase. I followed it down to the ground floor. From what I had been able to mentally map out, I conjectured I was near the corner of the castle.
Going down the stairs was awkward. Despite my honed sense of balance, I had to pay extra attention to find my footing. Considering they were designed for quadruped creatures half my size, I was pleased to do as well as I did with them.
I had to step aside for a moment to let an athletically built mare and stallion duo pass me. They were having an animated discussion about gourmet flowers, smiling and laughing as they casually strode down the stairs at twice my speed. Presumably, they had the same destination as I, so I had to wonder why they were being so cheerful? It’s what I had come to expect from ponies, but wouldn’t they be reprimanded for not taking their duties seriously?
I emerged into an open-area behind the castle. Perfectly cultivated grass and flowers demarcated the verdant area into distinct subsections. In one slender, rectangular space, two armored earth ponies charged at each other. Meeting in the center, each braced his back-hooves and tried to push his opponent back. In a different area framed by daisies, three unicorn mares let loose simultaneous magical blasts towards targets positioned thirty feet away from them. The target seemed to soak up their attacks like a sponge, and then the region struck lit up.
I breathed in, exhaling contentedly. It was finally a setting I could feel at home in. Visible magic aside, it was nice to see that some things weren’t so different from Rhod.
“Ah, you must be Aron,” said a particularly large copper, silver-maned stallion. Although pronouncing my name correctly, he had to enunciate it phonetically.
“Affirmative,” I said.
“Princess Luna said you might join us. Still, I didn’t expect you to be quite so big.”
His armor clattered as he closed the distance between us, stopping noticeably close to me. His muzzle was the height my neck, and I could practically feel his breath on me.
“Is that a problem?”
“Not really, but we don’t have any armor you could use. The minotaur sets won’t quite fit because you’re not as thick as they are. I’m sure we can come up with an alternative, though,” he replied.
“There’s no need,” I said, determined. “I can handle myself.”
“I suppose that’s all right,” the stallion acquiesced. He looked unimpressed. “Let’s see… who’s available right now. Oh, perfect timing, Trusty, how about you?”
I craned my neck to the right to see yet another pony invading my personal space. Today, he was wearing a helmet that covered his entire face and noticeably heavier armor. This warhorse image clashed so much with the perky pony underneath that it took a concerted effort for me to keep a straight face.
“I’d be happy to, Captain Big Stick, sir! What do you need me to do?” he said with naive enthusiasm.
“Aron’s here to train with us, and I’d like you to spar with him.”
The pony stepped back in surprise.
“What? I couldn’t do that! He’s a guest of the princesses.”
“I insist,” I cut in. “I need to keep up my training to stay sharp. Besides, I need the exercise, since I’m mostly stuck in the castle.”
I then started to stretch, did some squats, and threw a few quick punches. I felt better than I had yet in this world. I was well-rested, and my movements with fluid once more. The prior day’s sluggishness seemed liked a distant memory. Getting to rough up the overly chipper pony soldier was an added bonus. I could teach them how a soldier should be.
Trusty made a few more half-hearted objections, but he eventually agreed. I took my side of the rectangular arena and angled my body into a rigid fighting stance with my right foot bent and planted solidly behind me.
But before my reluctant opponent could get into position, the pony captain emerged from a nearby shed carrying a blunted spear in his mouth and a variety of weapons on his back. I briefly pondered how he managed to balance such a miscellaneous collection of items. This stray thought was immediately replaced with panic, as I came to grip with the implications.
“Wait! I can’t spar with you. Not like this.”
Trusty was in the middle of accepting the spear from the captain and set it down before speaking. “I understand. Even if we can’t hurt each other, I don’t care for fighting either.”
Elaborating on Trusty’s vague comment, the captain added, “You do know these weapons are blunted, right? There’s no reason for ponies to hurt each other practicing”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “We have strict rules of warfare on my planet. All the planets in our system are bound to it. Some prohibited weapons are so terrible as to defeat the noble purpose of war. Other rules are inscrutable and clearly developed by minds entirely alien.”
I hoped the answer from my old textbook would suffice. Almost reflexively, I felt the apprehension of being corrected by a non-existent instructor, as I feared I may have bungled a word somewhere.
“Sounds wonderful,” Trusty said.
“Well, we’re not on your world, so there should be no problem, right?” the captain said.
I shook my head vigorously. “Even touching such a weapon, blunted though it may be, would be a violation. My entire species would face reprisal.”
Despite most of his body being covered, I could see Trusty visibly perk up by his posture alone.
“Well, I’ve already gotten two sessions in this week, and I don’t have to do the third until Friday,” Trusty said. “If it’s okay with the Princesses, maybe we can go to lunch again. I feel bad about what happened last time.This time, we can go for a place for older ponies if you want.”
“Now hold it there, private! This is a valuable chance for the both of us. Sparring against other guardsponies can only prepare you so much for the unpredictability of combat. Aron here comes from an entirely different world, so you have no clue what he may have in store. This will be a good chance for you to get some experience.”
Trusty sighed. “Yes, sir.”
The captain turned to me.
“Will there be any issue with unarmed combat?”
“No, in fact, it’s our specialty.”
“Excellent. Take your positions.”
I took a few steps back and resumed my fighting stance. Trusty circled back and stood at the farthest corner of the ring. The space for the duel was comprised of a bed of a short-stemmed magenta flower. A dirt rectangle bordered the flowers, marking the limits of the duel space.
“Begin!”
With a moment’s hesitation Trusty rushed towards me at a steady clip. I jumped and kicked downward. Considering he was armored and that I had only my natural strength to rely on, I saw no reason to hold back. The perfect, full-strength kick only succeeded in rattling his armor a little, yet I knew I had done it correctly, since I had absorbed the recoil without a hitch.
Nothing?
I hadn’t expected overwhelming success, but my attack hadn’t caused even the slightest stumble. Still, I had no time to think, as he made a wide turn and charged once again. Favoring a different tactic, I dropped to the ground, rolled and attempted to take his legs out from under him with a sweeping move. Despite his momentum, his front hooves collided with my leg only lightly. He then was able to jump over me with ease.
He came at me several more times, and I resorted to side-stepping and pummeling his side with jabs and rapid kicks. Still, his trajectory remained unaltered by my attacks. I could have resorted to aiming under his armor, but on principle I felt my training should be able to circumvent this difficulty on its own.
I then tried to exploit his wide turning radius by jumping and attacking from behind as he approached me near the edge, but the strategy of knocking him out of the ring was irrelevant when I could hardly move him an inch. I racked my brain for an any alternate strategies, but he saved me the trouble by changing the nature of the struggle entirely. He slowed down to be able to better react to my movements. I still tried to jump over him, but this time he kicked with his hind legs as I was in the air.
Fortunately, it seemed his power was proportional to his size, but he still managed to knock me onto the ground. Trusty waited for me to get up and then tried to ram into me with his head down. I gripped his helmet and braced myself to push back.
My feet slid effortlessly back no matter how hard I pushed. I imagined the flowers below my feet scattering as if jumping out of the way, but I only looked forward as I crouched into my opponent, trying to bring him to a stop through sheer force of will.
I jumped over him and waited to him to charge again. We collided again and I poured all my remaining strength in a last effort—it was my only chance. My muscles ached, but nonetheless, he plowed forward like a speeding train, sending me flying out of bounds straight on my back.
My first thought was how strange it was that the flowers looked pristine despite our tug-o-war. However, I couldn’t spare this any thought, as I had a bruised ego to attend to.
How? I thought. His kick was so weak; it didn’t hurt at all. Still… I didn’t stand a chance.
Had a misjudged these ponies? Were they truly better warriors? No, it couldn’t be, for I was without my most important weapon. Even so, a flash of shame coursed through me. I had made Rhod look weak.
Trusty slowly trotted up to me and offered a hoof, but I refused it and hopped up in a single quick motion. “Are you all right?” he asked.
Surely he was mocking me. I had been pushed onto soft grass; of course I was all right.
“That was quite an interesting show,” the pony captain said. “Your two-legged fighting technique was rather elegant. You did well considering your opponent was using training armor. I take it it was in working order, you didn’t feel any pain, right?”
“No?” I said.
He nodded. “Good. I wasn’t quite sure the enchantments would work on extraequestrian races.”
I scowled. This species was too soft. What is combat training without pain. There was simply no shortcut to grit. The enemy won’t hesitate to hurt you, so why hold back in practice? All they were doing was creating soldiers who wouldn’t be able to power through a skinned knee. Losing to one of them became all the more repulsive to me.
“How about another round?” the captain asked.
Suddenly a blue light came streaking towards me from across the training grounds. I barely managed to duck in time, and it trailed sparks in its wake before landing ten feet behind me.
“Sorry!” said a lightly armored cyan and blue unicorn. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I did manage to dodge it,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
I was, however, irked that I was ninety yards away from her intended target and approximately seventy degrees in the wrong direction. The pony in charge seemed to agree.
“What kind of shot was that, Recruit?”
“Sorry, Sir. I don’t know what happened. I was facing ahead and aimed just like Mr. Battle Mage taught me. I don’t know what went wrong; I didn’t do it any differently this time.”
“You nearly blasted a guest of the princesses!”
The mare’s ears drooped. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry mister,” she said, scraping a hoof nervously on the ground.
“Sorry won’t do anypony any good on the battlefield,” he said, making a deliberate point to emphasize his height.
Well it seems like someone here finally got with the program.
“Sor—I mean, I apologize, Sir.”
The mare flashed a timid smile.
“What’s your name, Recruit?” he said sternly.
“Ocean Breeze, Sir.”
“Well, Miss Breeze, I’ll be sure to let the cafeteria ponies know that there will be no cupcakes for you tonight.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said, moping a bit before lethargically trotting back to target practice.
What was that? If I had said something as stupid as that, it would have been a hundred laps around the practice field. Whenever something looks like it’s going to work out in a rational way, this place softens it up!”
“I’m done for now,” I said, exasperated.
Trusty took his helmet off and smiled in a way only he could.
“That’s great. I can show you around the garden. There’s this really cool hedge maze, and—”
“You’re cutting practice after just ten minutes?” the captain asked pointedly.
“Heh, I mean, I’m going to do whatever the nice superior officer thinks best! Maybe next time, Aron.”
A gathering cloud of dust congregated around his feet, and he sprinted away towards what looked like an obstacle course, leaving me with the massive stallion.
“As much as I’d love to discuss the fineries of technique, I have other ponies to oversee. You’re welcome to stay, or if you need it, I can assign someone to help you find your way back.
“No, it’s okay. Thanks for letting me participate.”
“Feel free to come by anytime.”
I went back into the castle and retraced my steps along the weirdly spaced stairs, navigating to my room on auto-pilot. The natural excuse is that my unenhanced strength was not enough to dent his armor, but I was above such excuses. I should have been able to beat him—or at least do something to slow him down.
A nap was probably in order. I wasn’t the type to usually take naps, but everything about this world just tired me out more quickly. Unfortunately, when I pushed open my door, I got an unpleasant surprise.
A particularly small pony with a feather duster in her mouth was swiping away at a bedpost. She had a cream colored coat, and her yellow mane was in a bob.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, politely as I could muster; though I had a pretty good idea.
“Oh, you’re back,” she said meekly. “I’m almost done I’m sorry. I’ll hurry and get out of your way.” With that said, she intensified her dusting to a comical speed.
“No, that’s okay. You don’t have to clean for me. That responsibility should fall to me.”
“Don’t be silly!” the pony said. “You’re a guest of the Princess. I suppose that’s princesses now. But if you insist, you can help me reach the higher places.”
I nodded agreement. It was mundane by any standard, but something boring in this world made for a refreshing change.
“Great!”
The pony finished off the bedposts and moved on to a nearby flower vase. After dusting it, she put her duster down and suddenly bit down on the daisy inside and quickly swallowed it. She then pulled a replacement out of thin air and put it back in.
Curiously, this mare had three flowers in the same place Trusty had his mark.
“A flower in a vase makes the world brighter. A pretty petal touch and a posey fit for brunch,” the maid sung.
Suddenly wary of an impending musical sequence, I made straight back for the door. “Hey, I just remembered I have something to do,” I said, shutting the door behind me before she could respond.
I sighed. I would need to find something else to do now to avoid losing face. Unfortunately, I could only think of one thing to do. The princesses had instructed me not to stray from the servants’ wing for the moment, Boredom may have been a problem otherwise, but I had expected to spend most of the day training.
I followed the hall back to the spacious area for mingling, near where I had met Luna. I turned right down a corridor where the wallpaper changed to teal. The cafeteria was a short distance away, filled to half capacity with easily a hundred ponies. The scents were strong and inviting beckoning me into the room bustling with ponies’ conversations.
Even though nobody noticed me in the crowd, I felt slightly dishonest as I approached the kitchen door. Pushing it open with a moment’s hesitation, I saw that the area behind the counter, was just as lively if not more so than the cafeteria proper. Aromas of baked goods wafted from a half dozen ovens, with a large, coal-powered one in the center. A row of mares and a couple of stallions chopped at vegetables with magic or mouth-held knives. Nearby, a trio of bakers were rolling out dough, and one stallion was tossing a pizza. Thankfully, instead of objecting to my presence,, a few of the ponies waved.
I timidly returned the waves and headed towards the back of the kitchen. A few toasters were lined up on short counters against the back wall. I looked around in confusion for the hidden door I was told about. As if answering my unspoken query an indigo, yellow-maned mare pushed a plain-looking wall, and it parted for her. She then took a plate of freshly baked bread in her mouth and walked in. I followed her down the secret passage as I speculated about the corridor’s location. If my sense of direction was right, we were circling the outside of the castle.
We emerged in a medium-sized dining room, where my hosts waited at an average-sized, unimposing table.
“Aron! So glad you decided to join us. Did you have any trouble finding your way here?”
“No,” I said.
“Feel free to help yourself to the appetizer plate,” Luna said.
At this, the servant mare curtsied—somehow this was possible with four legs— and wordlessly returned the way she came. I took a seat.
“So, how was training?” Celestia asked
“Fine,” I said, replying diplomatically “You ponies are certainly stronger than you look.”
She nodded serenely. “Yes, earth ponies are particularly remarkable in that aspect. Their connection to nature grants them strong muscles and good endurance. They’re also natural farmers and typically the best at understanding animals. This latter point makes Fluttershy’s talent all the more remarkable. You’ll probably meet her soon.”
Not having much of a response, I reached for a piece of bread and bit into it. Like everything else in this world, it was incredibly fresh and delicious.
“We must apologize for confining you here. We have a solution we are considering, but we need some time to work things out.”
She levitated an entire small loaf to her mouth and chewed. Somehow, this action was nothing but refined.
“It’s okay, there’s no place in particular I’m hurrying to see.”
Luna scowled. “You know not what you are missing! The panoramic diversity of landscapes, the multitude of different ponies. There are wonders natural and manufactured that even we have yet to experience.”
I quickly nodded in acquiescence. “Fair enough. Though I meant that my first outing is not something I’m eager to repeat.”
“Understandable,” Celestia said. “But still, perhaps we can find a way for you to have some experiences here you would enjoy.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Celestia smiled gently. “Well, what do you like to do?”
What do I like to do? I thought.
I barely understood the question. What was most important was serving my people. There were moments of levity in between, sure, but they were always defined by the struggle waiting beyond. It was for the best, we could waste time least of all against such an enemy as ours.
“I like to train,” I said. “It’s always prudent to strengthen oneself for the challenges of tomorrow.”
She cocked her head. “But do you enjoy it?”
I studied the emotion on her face carefully. Somehow she was commanding my attention, yet she was doing nothing outwardly forceful in the slightest. It was subtle, but I could read it—reserved but powerful. I then focused on her wings. They seemed to loosen ever so slightly, which added a tinge of melancholy.
“That doesn’t matter,” I said at last.
She frowned, and suddenly I started to regret my answer.
“I don’t think so,” she said softly.
Silence dragged on for several minutes before Luna finally asked, “How was training with our forces?”
“Illuminating,” I said. “As I said, you ponies are a lot stronger than you look. With his armor on, Trusty was hard to stop.”
It was somewhat embarrassing to imply my defeat, but framing it in praise for my opponent could win me favor.
“Oh, that pony?” Luna said, not quite knowing what to think.
“He is an interesting one,” Celestia agreed. “Earth ponies do have more natural strength than outsiders expect, though. In fact, just last week, Heavy Weight, the Equestrian Wrestling Expo champion, defeated a four-hundred pound minotaur in a no-holds bar throwdown—or so I’ve heard.” She cleared her throat. “So, Aron, did anything confound you today. I’ve gained the perspective that our world may seem… silly to outsiders.”
I briefly paused to assess the risk, but decided to go forward after formulating a diplomatic way of asking: “Actually, I’ve been wondering about that stallion, Trusty Stead. He seems rather unusual for a soldier—a bit … “
Luna nodded solemnly. “Undisciplined? Unconfident? Maybe even weak?”
“Well….” I stammered.
“”No, I don’t blame you for your observation; on the contrary, it’s refreshing to have an outside perspective. Part of it, is peacetime. This has been a blessing and a curse, as I sometimes question our ability to react to outside threats—we got lucky the last time. Trusty, though, is a bit more high-maintenance than most.”
“But why did you choose him to watch me then? Wouldn’t that big, silver-haired stallion be a better pick? You knew I was a soldier, didn’t you think I could be dangerous?”
She smiled warmly, and she patiently explained as if lecturing, “Here in Equestria, our belief system and laws originate from six principles known as the elements of harmony. One of them is loyalty. Our understanding of what loyalty means has grown as our civilization has evolved. One basic property we’ve observed is that loyalty is reciprocal—you have to give it to get it. I put my trust in Trusty and his special talent. It’s something of a risk, yes, but by believing in him, he’s more likely to grow to be an admirable guardspony in time.“
“I think I understand...” I said.
“It is a decision my sister and I made together. Although, in truth, the pony he was supposed to cover for, Scenic Route, had already overcome her cold. I decided not to tell him such, for it was too good of an opportunity to pass up—did I use that modernism correctly?”
Celestia nodded and Luna continued: “You could argue whether my slight dishonesty by omission is compensated by adherence to loyalty, but that’s a question for the theorists.”
I then found myself in a stalled conversation with two very powerful ponies, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, I was saved by the arriving food. One thing I had conveniently learned from dining with Trusty is that ponies were especially careful not to talk with their mouths full, so the burden of alleviating the silence was no longer on me.
Lunch consisted of much of what I had already had so far at the castle. It was good as always, if not varying much from previous meals. Still, it was more variety than I had at home, so I couldn’t complain.
“It’s certainly nice to dine in a quieter wing of the castle on occasion.”
Luna leaned in towards her sister. “And to think, you had forgotten about that secret passage for a thousand years.”
“I doubt I’ll be allowed to forget any time soon,” Celestia said, shrugging. “It’s a shame Twilight couldn’t join us, but knowing her, she’s probably frantically making sure everything’s perfect. Sometimes I think she forgets she’s not my student anymore.”
“Actually, she’s taking those three fillies to the museum,” I said.
“Oh?” Celestia said, genuinely surprised. “Good for her. I’m sure whatever she and the professor have to show is great, so it’s a relief to know she’s doing more than fret over making it perfect. As I said before, it pertains to you, so you’re welcome to join us. Admittedly, Twilight can get overly technical at times, so I can understand if you’d rather get the executive summary afterwards.
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“Well, I have some paperwork to get back to, but if you need something, never hesitate to send word to me or my sister.”
“Tia, you don’t need to strain yourself. I can handle it, so please get some rest.”
“I’m not that fragile, Luna. Let me have this much.” She looked to me, and I couldn’t help but gaze into her serene, nurturing eyes. She smiled and turned around, and I snapped out of it.
“Wait,” I said.
She turned.
“Thank you. You saved my life. I know it’s more complicated than that, but the fact still remains. So thanks.”
“You—you’re welcome,” she said, her countenance turning suddenly somber.
Her sister approached her and stroked her withers with a large, midnight blue wing. “I have duties to return to as well, Aron, but our door is always open to you.”
“I understand.”
They left together, and I was left alone. A part of me wanted them to come back, yet I couldn’t understand why, since we were stretched thin for conversation. Still, as I pondered this point on my way back, it remained every bit as elusive.