Shortly after I had mentioned that to the assembled ponies, a small group of guards came to escort Chrysalis and the still unconscious Mandible to the dungeon. They put a nullifier-ring on her horn to nullify her magical powers and placed enchanted chains on her that she couldn’t break in her current condition. As she was escorted out of the room, she kept her head down to the floor, but I could see the small puddles created by the tears she was currently shedding.
Frowning, I turned away from her, looking back to Twilight and the rest of the group, who was animatedly discussing the things that needed to be done to get the wedding going again. “We’ll have to clear out the hall.” I caught Twilight saying as she looked around the wrecked room. “And get the ponies out of the cocoons.”
“I can help with the clearing up,” I said, taking in all of the wreckage. Large chunks of stone wall had been blasted apart, and thick stone columns had been knocked down. Moving over to one of the larger columns, I knelt down and grabbed it. Slowly but surely, it rose until it was resting on one of my shoulders. “Where would be a good place to put this?” I asked the group.
They all collectively blinked, seemingly shocked by my feat of strength. “Uh… Just over to the side.” The pink woman with wings and a horn said, pointing at a wall that seemed mostly intact.
I nodded, walking over nonchalantly before placing it down. I walked back and started to pick up another one, “Speaking of which, I don’t think I ever got your names.” I said, speaking in particular to the white man, and the pink woman with a horn and wings.
“My name is Cadence.” The pink woman said, “And this is my fiancee, Shining Armor.” She gestured to the white man. I took a glance at him. He looked rather… Dazed.
I looked back at Cadence, a slightly concerned look on my face. “Is, uh… is he alright?” I questioned, “He looks rather…” I searched for a suitable word, “...disoriented.”
Cadence sighed, “A side effect of Chrysalis draining him for an extended period of time,” she explained, “He should be better after a little while.”
I nodded, placing another piece of rubble off to the side. “What’s the easiest way to locate all of the people trapped in the palace?” I asked, grabbing another. “Can’t have a wedding without the guests.”
Celestia sighed, “Without a guard to cast a scanning spell that would scan large areas, we will have to search every room individually, and that would take us a long while.”
After placing down the last piece of rubble, a thought occurred to me. ’I wonder if I have the AR vision…’ Deciding to put my theory to the test, I concentrated on the visor. After a moment, the visor quickly flew in front of my face. My normal vision shut off for a moment before it was replaced by the blue of the Augmented Reality Mode.
Turning to face the other ponies, I saw that they were, instead of the normal red outline, each of them were a soft blue color. Looking at the still closed door and through the floors, I could see the too still figures of ponies most likely trapped in cocoons.
Deactivating AR mode, I turned back to the group. “I can see figures in a small amount of rooms on this floor and numerous on the floors below.” I said to them, “I can’t tell which ones specifically though.”
They all stared at me, “Now, how in the sam hell do you know that!?” Applejack exclaimed.
I activated the visor and tapped it. “Augmented Reality visor. It scans everything in about a 100 meter radius and sends it directly to my ocular implants.” I deactivated the visor, “It even lets me see things through walls and floors. I can’t tell you which rooms directly though. I can only see the people with any real definition. The rooms themselves are very basic outlines.” I shrugged, “From what I can tell, they all seem to be alive and well.”
Celestia nodded, “I’ll have a guard come by, so you can show him where they are.” I nodded as her horn lit up. “Is there any other special things you can do?”
I nodded, “I have something called Blade Mode. It supercharges my reflexes and supercharges the artificial muscle fibers in my arms.” Noting their blank expressions, I explained further, “The former allows me to slow the apparent passage of time, allowing me for super accurate attacks. The latter increases my strength exponentially, allowing for more lethal attacks.”
Applejack snorted, “Ah don’t think ya need to be more lethal, partner.”
I chuckled, “Here, probably not.” I paused, “It still saved my life against Chrysalis. If I hadn’t been able to activate that, Chrysalis would’ve killed me, and you’d have to stop her.”
Now, Twilight spoke up, “How are you acting so calm?” She asked me, “You just said you could’ve died, and yet you’re talking with us like we’re discussing the weather.”
I shrugged, “It could be adrenaline, or this… thing that cyborgs have that let them keep a clear head during a fight.” I reasoned, “I might be freaking out later though, cause if it is the things, I don’t know how long they last for.” I looked at the rest of them, “Any other questions?”
“Yeah, I got one.” Rainbow Dash said, “What’s up with that cloth?” She asked me, “You wear it to look ‘cool’ like a dork?”
I scoffed, “If only.” I lifted the cloth away from my face to show what was behind it. A few of them gasped as they saw the empty socket where my eye should be. “It was cut out. Completely destroyed.” I told them as I put the cloth back. “The fabric is laced with tiny micro-cameras, which lets me see better than if it was an actual eye.”
Rainbow looked away, abashed as the door opened. A small figure rushed past me and tackled Applejack to the ground, “Applejack, you’re alright!” The youthful voice of Apple Bloom cried out.
Applejack laughed as she hugged her younger sibling tightly, “Course ah am, ‘Bloom. No evil bug Queen gonna get the drop on us.”
“Yes, well,” The sophisticated voice of Rarity said from behind us, “I would rather that never happen again.” I turned around to see her and Fluttershy, slightly dirty and scuffed but unharmed. Behind them was a blue unicorn man, dressed in the same guard armor I had seen down below.
Rainbow snorted, “Knowing us, it’ll happen next week…” She muttered, before regarding Fluttershy, “You’re alright, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy blushed slightly, “Y-yes.” She squeaked out.
The guard walked up to me, saluting, “Sir, Corporal Shining Steel at your service.”
Slightly unnerved at the sight of someone saluting me like they would a general, I spoke up, “Uh… At ease.” His arm came down to rest at his side, “So, I’ll be showing you where the ponies trapped in cocoons will be?”
He nodded, “Yes, Sir.”
I shook my head, “Don’t call me sir. My name is Jack, or Raiden. Whichever is easier for you.”
He nodded hesitantly, “Alright… Jack.”
I nodded, turning to face the door, “Alright, follow me.”
So, it took a while, but we finally managed to find each and every pony trapped in a Changeling cocoon and bring them to medical assistance. Shining Steel and myself managed to get back in time for the wedding to start up again. Steel had to go with the guards, and I opted to stand in the back and watch. Celestia had just began to speak. “Mares and Gentlestallions,” she began, “We are here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-”
Cadence interrupted her with a sheepish grin, “Just Cadence is fine.”
Celestia gave her a knowing grin as I looked at Cadence in a new light. ’She’s royalty, too?’ I thought to myself as Celestia started speaking again, “The union of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor,” She spoke, “The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable.” She looked off to the side, “May we have the rings please?”
She looked over to the side where a youth in a tuxedo and top hat stood. His skin was purple with a small bit of green, but it wasn’t fur. It looked closer to Chrysalis’s chitin. He also had green fins where ears would normally be, and his bright green eyes were slited. ’We have equine races here, so why not a reptilian species?’ I reasoned to myself. In his hands, he held a small pillow with two rings on them.
The youth walked over to Celestia, and the rings lit up in a light gold color, as did her horn. The rings were slid gently onto the horns of both Cadence and Shining Armor, “I now pronounce you stallion and wife!” An almighty cheer broke out, both inside the wedding hall and outside in the courtyard as both Princess Cadence and Shining Armor walked over to a balcony that I had missed. The outside cheers grew exponentially as they waved to the crowd, big smiles on their faces.
As the rest of the service continued, I found myself not able to process what was happening fully. Eventually, as the wedding died down and the after-party began, I could only keep myself calm on the outside. Inside, I was panicking and having a general freak out. I managed to get out of the party hall and outside onto a balcony, where the moon and stars were shining brightly. Gasping for breath, I gripped the stone railing of the balcony so hard that it began to crack. ’Damnit… I can’t break down now!’ I tried to calm down and take longer, slower breaths.
“Art thou alright?” A voice said from behind me, making me jump. Behind me was a being like Cadence and Celestia, both wings and a horn. This newcomer was a dark blue with black, with hair of a deep blue hue with white spots, like stars in a night sky. Her eyes were a light teal, which seemed to shine with a inquisitive light. Her dress seemed to be the opposite of Celestia’s. Where the white Princess’s was white with gold highlights, almost like the sun, this one was a dark blue, similar to her fur, with silver highlights.
I gaped for a second before I got slightly back under control. “Uh… Yeah.” I say, “But… Uh… Who’re you?”
The blue mare gasps slightly, “Ah, please pardon us. Our name is Luna.” She gave me a small bow, “And we art a co-monarch of Equestria, alongside our sister, Celestia.” I nodded slowly as she studied me, “Art thee sure thine is alright?” She spied the crumbled railing, “Thy balcony could attest otherwise.”
I glanced back at the balcony, where the stone railing I was holding was now rubble, “Uh…” I rubbed the back of my head, “Yeah, sorry.”
Luna gave me another dubious stare, “Now, why doesn’t thou tell us what is troubling thee?”
I sighed as I turned back to the railing, looking over it to the night view of Canterlot City, “I’m… having a hard time coping with what happened today.”
Luna walked over to the balcony with me, “Yes, sister told us of what thou did. Quite brave, fighting the Changeling Queen in single combat.”
I snorted, “Fucking stupid if you ask me.” I groaned, “I’d been fighting for less than a hour and challenge someone not only far more experienced, but far, far more powerful.” I sighed, leaning over the railing, “I only won because she underestimated me.”
Luna smiled, leaning up against the railing next to me. “Still, incredibly brave of thou to risk thine life to save those of strangers they had just met.” Her shoulder rubbed up against me, “Some might say…” Her voice had lowered into a seductive whisper, “Attractively so…”
I yelped and leaped backwards towards the door, and if I had an organic face, I was damned sure it would be as red as a drunk leprechaun. “What!?” I stared at Luna, who had begun to laugh boisterously, “What the fuck!?”
Luna doubled over, her blue face turning a shade of purple from laughing, “Oh gods! Thou should’ve seen thine face!” She slumped against the stone railing, her laughter dying down to hiccup filled giggles. “Oh… Apologies, but we couldn’t resist.” She said with a good natured smile.
I growled, “Please don’t.” I said as she shakily stood up, still shaking slightly with laughter.
“Our apologies once more,” Luna said, smiling, before quieting down. “If thou truly are having trouble coping, then maybe thou should speak with somepony.”
Instantly, I was reminded of what I had said to Celestia and the others before, “That sounds good!” I said, with more calmness than I had been feeling for the past couple hours, “God, I can’t believe I forgot!” I turned to the door, pausing once I had opened it, “Thanks, Luna!” I said to her, before rushing back inside.
Instantly, as the door closed behind me, every single eye in the whole goddamned place was upon me. I felt myself freeze. ’You can tank a Changeling queen and yet you freeze up at this?’ I groaned mentally, ’God, I’m pathetic…’ Before I could make a move, a massive cheer went up throughout the room. “Three cheers for the hero of Canterlot!” A voice somewhere in the crowd rang out. “Hip Hip!” The voice yelled.
“Hooray!” The entire room finished.
“Hip Hip!”
“Hooray!”
“Hip Hip!”
“Hooray!”
As the final cheer died down, the room more or less died down to what I assumed it was before I came in. I walked through the crowded hall, towering over most of the people there as I attempted to find Celestia and Twilight. Unfortunately, in the massive hall, I couldn’t spot the white head of Celestia anywhere. “Greetings!” A voice to the side of me sounded. Turning, I saw a white unicorn with blond hair and incredibly expensive clothes, according to my built-in scanners. “My name is Prince Blueblood,” He said, “And I, for one, would like to thank the savior of Canterlot personally for his help.”
He looked around at everyone else, as if shaming them for not doing what he had done. “Uh… Hi,” I said finally, “My name is-”
“Raiden, or as you seem to prefer, Jack Crane,” Blueblood said, cutting me off, “Yes, I know. Information travels incredibly quickly to those who know what they’re doing.” He told me, giving me a slight smirk as he did so.
I eyed him suspiciously. There was something I didn’t trust about him, “Um… yeah, sure...” I said slowly, “I’m looking for Celestia, so if you’d excuse-”
“Oh, I know where she is!” Blueblood exclaimed, “Why don’t I show you where she is, to further show my appreciation for your actions?” Once more, he looked around disdainfully, shaming those who weren’t as grateful as he.
“Um… no, I think I’ll be ok with just you telling me,” I said, not comfortable going anywhere with this creep. ’Is this that stranger danger everyone talks about?’
Blueblood’s eyes narrowed for a moment, “Really, I must insist…” he said slowly, “The palace is very large. It is incredibly easy to get lost in such a magnificent palace.”
I frowned, “I’ll be fine. Trust me.” I pushed past him, “If you won't tell me, then I’ll find her myself.” I said just loud enough for him to hear me. I heard him snort as I walked away. Looking around, I located a guard at the wall of the hall. “Excuse me, sir?” I said walking up to the guard.
He jumped at the sight of me, giving me a hasty salute. “Sir! Yes, sir!” he said once he had regained his cool.
I frowned, still not fully comfortable with all the respect I was being given. “I’m looking for Princess Celestia,” I told him, “Do you know where she is?”
The guard nodded, “Yes, sir. She and Twilight Sparkle went to study a strange object that appeared during the invasion.”
My frown deepened, “Strange object?” ’Something of Chrysalis’s?’ I shook my head briefly, “Can you take me to this… Strange object?”
The guard nodded, “Of course, sir, I’ll take you to where the Princess and Ms. Sparkle are.” He walked out of the room, me following close behind. As I exited the room, I spotted Blueblood staring at me, almost inspecting me. With the metaphorical chill down my spine good and clearly there, the guard and I walked down a hallway leading god knows where.
We walked in silence for a long while through a hall of windows. Outside, we could see the rebuilding of Canterlot, or at least the start of it. I could see the telltale glow of unicorn magic starting to repair the buildings. Looking back at the guard, I could tell that he was a brown pegasus with tan wingtips. “What does this ‘strange object’ look like?” I asked the guard as we walked into an outdoor courtyard. “Does it look like it could be dangerous in any way?”
The guard shrugged, “It’s painted a dull black, and it has two wheels and a place where you could sit down.” He paused in his speech, “Other than that, no, it doesn’t look very dangerous. But it’s something we’ve never seen before, so it bears investigation.”
The second he said dull black with two wheels I knew exactly what it was. ’So, the chopper made it here too?’ I mused to myself, ’I wonder if the things in the saddlebags are ok…’ Deciding to place that specific thought to the side, I reached down to my left thigh to see if the pocket I had made was still there. In the excitement of the battle, I had completely forgotten about everything I had in there. Thankfully, the pocket was still there, but now, instead of an actual pocket, it was a container that slid into my leg, and when my hand was brought near, it slid out smoothly, revealing my phone, wallet-with only fifty dollars in it-and keys to the chopper.
Pulling the phone out of the pocket-which slid neatly back into my leg-I pushed the power button to turn on the display. Same lock screen I remembered from before. Entering the PIN-also feeling really glad that my new metal fingers worked on the touch-screen-I brought up the camera and set it to ‘selfie-cam.’ As the display showed what my face truly looked like, I let out a small sigh. Exact copy of Raiden. Some part of my mind had been hoping that this wasn’t actually happening, that this was all some dream and that, by the phone showing my face, it would all prove to be in my head.
Shaking my head, I looked around. We were still in the courtyard, but just up ahead was a large group of royal guards inspecting the chopper. God, it still looked as good as when I left the convention. Feeling a genuine smile fill my face, I sprinted ahead of the guard who was leading me towards the chopper. “Raiden!” I heard Twilight’s voice yell as I got closer. Turning, I spotted her and Princess Celestia talking with a large, deep grey earth pony with steel colored eyes. Changing course towards them, my smile grew as Celestia turned to face me, a gentle smile on her own face. “Apparently, this appeared sometime during the invasion,” Twilight told me, “We were just about to go and find you, actually. Do you have any idea of what this is?”
I stiffened uncontrollably, “Motorcycle: A two-wheeled vehicle that is powered by a motor and has no pedals.” I said in a slightly more robotic tone, before relaxing and shaking my head, “What the fuck…?” I shook my head a bit more strongly before looking back at the bike, “It was my transportation to the convention, before I found myself here.” I informed them.
“Sir!” Came a voice from nearer to the chopper. I turned to see a dark purple unicorn with bright red eyes addressing me, “There seem to be two locked boxes near the back wheel, but we didn’t think it wise to open it without knowing what the thing was first.”
I nodded, “I’ve got that.” Moving towards the chopper, I ran my hand across the matte black surface of the gas tank, smiling in fond reminiscence. I shook my head with a frown though, as I remembered that I might never see anyone from Earth again. Moving to the saddlebags, I grabbed the keys to the chopper from my pocket and opened the right saddlebag with the correct key. Inside was my laptop, charger, Xbox controller and a few other gaming accessories. Smiling-as I knew I had a number of games on steam to play that were already downloaded-I figured I was good on that front.
Closing the saddlebag and opening the left one, my sleeping bag-I never slept in a hotel bed after an incident while at a school trip-some toiletries-mostly useless at this point-and… My eyes became sad as I picked up a small photo album from the saddlebag. I knew what was inside. Pictures of my family and good friends from over the years. Something that I had always done was take pictures of important events, outings with family and hangouts with friends.
Shaking my head, I put the album, unopened, back into the saddlebag. After closing and locking it, I turned back to Celestia and Twilight, remembering that I came looking for them for a reason. “And I believe I owe you two an explanation as to where I came from.”
Celestia’s eyes hardened for a split second, “Yes, you did say that.” She turned to a guard, “Please bring this… Motorcycle, to the impound. Sir Jack will be around later to pick it up.” The guard nodded, and Celestia turned around to me, “Follow me. We can speak somewhere more private.”
I nodded, and Celestia turned away, walking back into the palace, with Twilight and I following closely behind. “How is the rebuilding going?” I asked Celestia, “Earlier, I didn’t notice much in the way of property damage.” ’Emotional and psychological damage though…’ I finished in my head.
“Smoothly,” she replied, “As you said, there wasn’t as much damage to the infrastructure of Canterlot. Chrysalis and her hive must’ve wanted to keep accidental deaths to a minimum.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed, “She wanted to harvest love. Hard to harvest that from a corpse.” I said as a thought struck me, “Unless they were a sentient zombie…” I trailed off, my mind planted in that line of thought.
Twilight shuddered, “How could a zombie be sentient? Even if they did exist-which they don't-all they are is corpses reanimated by dark magic, forced to do their master's bidding.”
“Unless someone cast a spell which returned a soul to a decomposing body,” I countered, before pausing, “If that’s how it works, because magic is completely new to me.” I noticed that Celestia had stopped in front of me, which made me halt as well.
In front of us was another white door with gold highlights, with a stylized image of a sun embossed onto the center of the door. “This is my personal study,” Celestia said, “The walls and doors are enchanted with the highest quality soundproofing, anti-scrying, and anti-espionage wards available to ponykind.” She opened the door to reveal a room.
Honestly, it was simpler than I was expecting. It had bookshelves lining the wall, but apart from that, and a well worn wooden desk and comfy looking chair, it was actually very plain. Not what I would expect from a ruling Monarch. We walked into the room, where Celestia sat down in the chair, also the only chair. She looked at us still standing for a moment before seeming to realize this fact. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said abashedly, “Not many other people use this room besides me.” She looked around the room fondly, “This one of the few places here that I can simply be alone.”
I nodded, leaning up against the wall, “It’s cool. I get it.” The door closed shut, and a subtle hum filled the room for a second. “So, no one will be able to hear anything we say?” I questioned, getting a nod in answer. I sighed, “Well, I’m not fully sure where to begin. I suppose starting at the convention would be the best place to start, at least for right now.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, “Convention? Like a comic book convention?”
I nodded, “So you have the basic idea of what a convention is in this regard. That makes it far easier in this regard.” I paused for a moment, “People dressing up as their favorite characters, buying fan merch related to the series, stuff like that.”
Twilight nodded, “Yeah, my brother and I actually went to an Oubliettes and Ogres LARP convention when I was younger.” She smiled, “It was actually a ton of fun.”
I blinked, but shrugged off my slight surprise. ’She likes to LARP? Guess we have a thing in common.’ “Anyway, this wasn’t any a con for any specific series. It was just for a fantasy/sci-fi series. People dressed as knights and wizards, jedi and clones, amongst others. I was there amongst all of them the hours before I came here.”
“Wait wait wait,” Twilight stopped me. “You were at a convention for Fantasy and Science Fiction series?” She questioned, “Aren’t you a powerful cyborg? Shouldn’t you have been liberating countries from evil tyrants and dictators? Helping to install regimes more beneficial to the ponies living there?” She blushed slightly at the stares she received, “I like to read Science Fiction…”
I shrugged, “I do enjoy Sci-Fi, but fantasy is more my thing. Anyway,” I continued, “You’re assuming that when I went there, I was a powerful cyborg ninja.”
I let that sink in as the shock appeared on their faces. “I was just another nerd in the crowd, dressing up in a costume to have fun with everyone else.” I gestured to my body, “Before I got there, this was just a costume. It was an elaborate cosplay-still metal mind you-but much rougher and with none of the extra features. I didn’t even have a sword!”
I gestured to the Murasama, “I bought the sword near the end of the day, from some guy dressed as another character from another series.” I shook my head, “After buying the blade I was planning on going back to the hotel that I was staying at, when I began to hear disembodied maniacal laughter. Then, the sword-which I drew because I was getting creeped out-began to emit a red energy. The laughter became deafening, and I blacked out. Then, I woke up near the palace with Apple Bloom.” I shrugged, “The rest you know.”
The room was silent as I finished my story. I looked between Celestia and Twilight. Twilight looked like she wasn’t sure what to think, but Celestia looked at me in a new light. “Who were you dressed as?” Celestia asked me, “I suppose his name is Raiden, but a name is just that: a name.”
I exhaled, “That, would take a very long answer. Right now, I’ll just tell you the basics.” I sighed, thinking back to the information that I knew about Raiden. “Well, the name his birth parents gave him is unknown, even to him, or at least, he’s never said it. He was born in Liberia, and at the time, it was a pretty war torn country. At an incredibly young age, his parents were murdered by the forty third president of another country, George Sears, or more commonly known as Solidus Snake.”
I took a breath, “He gave Raiden the name Jack and ‘enlisted’ him as a child soldier in the civil war.” I paused, giving them time to take in the very basic info. “Under Solidus’s training, Jack became a deadly killing machine. His foes on the battlefield called him both ‘White Devil’ and ‘Jack the Ripper’, due to his high kill ratio and his brutality while dispatching them. Solidus imposed the fact that blades were a ‘nobler’ weapon than a gun, by way of slitting another soldier's throat in front of him.”
Twilight opened her mouth once again, her face wrinkled with disgust, “How can a weapon be noble? And what the hay is a gun?”
Like before, I stiffened and spoke in a robotic tone, “A gun is a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise.” I groaned, holding my head as I shook it, “That’s… Annoying… Anyway, imagine a bow, or a crossbow, in terms of damage, but done by miniature handheld cannons, some of which can fire multiple shots per second.”
Twilight sucked in a breath, “That kind of violence would be devastating…” she whispered, “And these weapons were common?”
I nodded, “Where I’m from, it’s the primary weapon of war, and self-defense.” I shrugged, “If I was ever in a duel with someone, I would prefer to use a blade. It’s less about who could get in a lucky shot and who's actually skilled.”
Celestia spoke up for the first time, “And is this how you knew how to fight before becoming this… cyborg?” She asked, “Participating in duels?”
I shook my head, “No, actually. I have had no formal training in any sort of combat, but I’ve played enough video games and watched enough movies to know basic moves.” I explained.
“What are these video games?” Twilight asked, “I know what a movie is, there's a theater in Ponyville, but I’ve never heard of a video game.”
I paused, “You said you knew what a computer was, right?” Twilight nodded, and so I continued, “Well, imagine Oubliettes and Ogres but simulated on a computer, where each player has a device that allows you to control what the character does. Literally being able to see the characters in action while you control them, instead of just having to imagine the results. That would be a basic game in the RPG genre of gaming.” I explained, “Many RPG games are set in a fantasy setting, which for me would be wizards and warriors. From watching these characters, I learned the basics of how to use a sword or other weapons in different ways.”
Celestia was nodding, but Twilight had another question. “Magic is fantasy on your world?” She asked, “Your world has no magic?”
I shook my head, “No. To humans, magic is simply myth, a legend of older civilizations to explain things that they couldn’t. Things such as why it gets colder and snowy during the winter and thunderstorms.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Twilight said, “The pegasi bring us the thunderstorms and other weathers, as well as the seasons.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?” I said, not fully understanding that, “Pegasi control weather?” Twilight nodded. “Well… That’s different. On Earth, we don’t control the weather. It moves by itself, via atmospheric temperatures and other factors. We can track storms and other weather to some degree of accuracy, but we have no real control over the weather.” I paused, “And we’re getting off topic here. We were discussing how blades were ‘nobler’ than guns, correct?”
Twilight nodded, “That man… Solidus? Sounds absolutely horrible.” She shuddered, “I don’t want to think about what would happen if someone like that came here…”
I shrugged, “I don’t either. Anyway, after the liberian civil war ended, Solidus placed Jack into a relief center, I guess to give him to a foster home. The center didn’t want to place Jack into a home, because of the trouble he could give to the family.” I paused for another moment, “Without Solidus’s knowledge, he was taken by a non-governmental organization and brought to the United States, where they attempted to give Jack and the rest of the small boys unit as much counseling as they could, until they were at least outwardly stable.”
Celestia frowned, “Just outwardly stable means less than nothing to somepony’s actually mental well being,” she said quietly, “I know that better than most…”
I felt concerned, but said nothing. It felt like a personal thing, so I dropped it. Looking at the window on the wall, I noticed the moon was now slightly higher than it was before., “How long have we been talking?” I wondered.
Celestia looked outside as well, her eyes narrowing as she calculated how much time had passed. "I would say about an hour has passed." she said finally before looking back to us, "If you would like, we can continue this another night, after you're settled in more."
I nodded, even as I felt my metaphorical heart drop into my stomach. ’Right… Settled in…’ I rubbed the back of my head, “Speaking of which, I don’t really have a place to stay, do I?”
Celestia seemed to ponder that, placing her chin in the palm of her hand, “Well, we do have numerous guest rooms in the pal-”
“He can stay at the library!” Twilight shot out quickly, before slamming her hands over her mouth, apparently in horror that she interrupted Celestia. Looking not used to this, but not mad at all, Celestia gave Twilight a smile and motioned for her to keep going. “W-Well, with me knowing how to recharge him, as well as the same for his self-repair, it only makes sense for him to stay close to me until we can figure out a way to do the same without me,” she said, gaining more confidence the longer she spoke, “And not to mention what we can learn from him!” Her eyes turned sparkly, “A cyborg being could do wonders for science, not to even mention the medical applications of it!”
She let out an excited sigh as I warily stared at her, “Uh… is this… normal for her?” I asked, wondering what my possible future roommate/landlady would be like.
Surprisingly, Celestia sighed slightly. “You have no idea…” she muttered, before smiling, "That sounds like an acceptable idea, as long as you continue to tell your tale to Twilight, and she tells it to me." I nodded as Twilight snapped out of her science-dream. "Anyway, you two should head back to the party,” she told us, “You can stay in a spare room in the palace until it is time for you two to head back to Ponyville.”
I nodded, “Will my chopper be sent there as well when we leave?” I asked. That thing was one of my few past possessions left, I wanted to make sure I would still be getting it back.
Celestia nodded, giving me a small smile. “Of course. Now, I hope you don’t mind, but I do have some things to discuss with my sister. Please, return to the party and enjoy the rest of the night.” We said our goodbyes, and Twilight and I went back to the party.