Third Chapter: One Thousand Years
In the port city of Dylath-Leen, Phillip sought directions and a ship that might take him to Unknown Equestria. But alas, that shit’s unknown so nobody knew. He was referred to the mysterious traders of the three-banked black galleys. Nobody liked those guys, they were too suspicious. Though they’d be in port for several days, no rowers would ever be seen, and their hats set strangely on their domes. Still, such rubies as they traded could be found nowhere else, so the slavers reluctantly did business with them.
Phillip asked one called Chabyu if he’d heard of Unknown Equestria, and he said sure and that they’d give him a ride for a price. Phillip gave him a bag of dead zoogs that had tried to eat a kitten in the enchanted wood. The payment was accepted and Phillip was chained up and put with the slaves.
The eyeless shape-morphing globular toad-things that rowed the boat were pretty fucking horrifying. And Phillip thought it was pretty racist he was the only white guy down there, but as the days passed he really just wanted to escape. The ship sailed toward the place where the ocean bleeds into the sky, and inevitably arrived at the moon.
“Unknown Equestria will stay unknown,” his captor informed him. He was put to work in the stone quarry, where he was the weakest slave. Feeling he was decreasing productivity, they moved him out. He worked for some awful moon-toad, cleaning its house. The creature responded to his politeness, and faked Stockholm syndrome, by falling in love with him. It assumed the form of a beautiful-ish frog-monster woman and put the moves on. But alas, Philip’s only wish was to find Unknown Equestria.
The moon-beast realized their love was not to be, and instead helped him escape to the tower where many secrets were kept. In the cyclopean castle he was mistaken for a butler, and was issued a new suit after a clever lie about the old one’s loss. In the library of the great onyx tower he searched through many books but couldn’t read any that he found. Then, as fate would have it, another entered the library.
Scared, Phillip hid hurriedly. Was it a moon-beast, just a slave… or worse? Phillip remembered of the many times he’d heard of it in nervous whispers; that most malevolent of beings, the darkest one, the Crawling Chaos incarnate… Its name too dreaded to say.
But no, it was indeed a slave. However it wasn’t alone. He overheard a booming voice giving orders in the royal ‘we’. Upon cautious inspection it appeared to be a wicked mare of darkness.
“A pony!” he thought excitedly. Unsure of what would happen, he stepped out into the open and bowed respectfully. “Please excuse me!”
Taken aback, the pony scolded him for his outburst, and he declared that he was no slave but a guest of a turbaned fellow called Chabyu. Having sold out his captor, if he died he had that at least. The pony asked him why he sought Equestria and how he learned of it at all.
“I have heard from the grandson of a friend of a friend of Captain Merritt who heard the tale of Equestria from King Kuranes,” Phillip explained rather pleadingly, “I have heard that it is forbidden for humans to visit, but I myself have seen visions of it. I don’t know how or why, but I have seen it. I’ve been long traveling and faced many dangers to find it, as I’m sure others have, but my intentions are pure I swear to you.”
“Impossible. You will never step foot in Equestria,” declared the dark pony.
“Why must it be kept a secret? Why does no man know of Equestria’s location?” asked Phillip.
“You humans are too violent and warlike! We could never trust you with the knowledge of our peaceful home!” she declared, “You shall never leave this place, lest you speak of these secrets!”
“I am peaceful. I am kind. I can keep a secret I give you my word.” Phillip tried reasoning.
“You are a human, therefore violent. We cannot trust you.”
“But my name is Phillip!” he pleaded, “It means, ‘lover of horses’!”
The mare was stunned by this momentarily before remembering that names meant not to humans as they did to ponies. “Inconsequential!” she said in a deafening tone.
“You would judge me like that?” the human declared teary eyed, “We may be a violent race, but I have only used my violence for good! The most I’ve ever killed were some zoogs conspiring to kill a kitten! I’d never kill something that wasn’t going to kill something else! I am a good guy I swear. How can I prove myself to you?”