Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Ulquiorra blinked.
"Study me?" he repeated in case his ears hadn't properly been working and she'd said something else. However when Twilight nodded that possibility was quickly eliminated.
A disturbing thought quickly asserted itself in his mind. Szayelaporro Granz had died well before him, he'd sensed it take place and knew it for a fact. And while that had only been days ago he had no understanding of how the different alternate universes and realities worked in relation to one another. Considering Twilight's perceived nature it couldn't entirely be ruled out that she might in some way actually be the reincarnated soul of Granz and some of the former Espada's personality traits were shining through. Perhaps the way she'd been studying his hand just moments ago was an indication of this.
It was a disturbing thought to entertain, and entirely unsustainable with his current level of information. It wasn't a matter of logic but rather fiction and speculation. He decided to brush off the concern and forget the thought entirely, all in the amount of time between Twilight nodding her head and speaking again.
"I know it's a blunt question and all but you're utterly fascinating. There's not a single account of anyone or anything like you in Equestria's history that I can recall reading about. There are just so many questions that I'm coming up with while standing here and talking to you. Who you are, what you are, where exactly you're from, what kind of center of gravity you must have to maintain that strange posture...the sky's the limit on this one," Twilight explained.
Luna shook her head. She knew to expect something like this but she'd been foolish to estimate a reaction that was reduced from the current level of curiosity she was currently observing. She'd hoped that what Twilight had learned about friendship would be sufficient to abate some of her natural curiosity and allow for a smoother flow of discussion about various details but she'd been wrong. Her sister's prized student had shifted back into her previous self and it was leaving her concerned.
"Twilight Sparkle we art glad to see that thee has a most curious mind. But we didst not call thee here for such purposes. Ulquiorra Cifer is a guest not only in our land but our dimension thanks to the mischief of Discord. He is a stranger in a strange land and unfamiliar with all of the wonders that Equestria holds. We brought you here hoping that thou wouldst be able to help him in this matter," Luna explained, bringing Twilight's attention back to the present again. "Our sister wants to handle this matter gradually due to his foreign nature. We believe such a course is not necessary. And as our sister's prized pupil we believe that thou art the one who can most benefit Ulquiorra Cifer as you know better than anypony that the world cannot be fully experienced in a library."
"I'm sorry, Princess Luna, this is just so utterly fascinating I can't help myself. A new being here in Equestria from an unknown land, interdimensional travel, and now me being hoof selected to help him learn about Equestria? This is just so overwhelming, my head is almost spinning with thoughts of all the information that can be gathered and shared. There's so much to ask and so much to explain I don't even know where to begin!" Twilight stated.
The theory about this unicorn being one of the former Espada reincarnated into a new life seemed to lose whatever foundation it had as she spoke. Her tone and child-like curiosity were drastically different from the sadistic nature he knew that Granz possessed. In hindsight it seemed all the more ludicrous to consider such a possibility.
At the least she seemed well versed in the art of having a conversation. That was something he could respect.
"Then if I may I'll propose a starting point and a compromise. I'll answer all questions that I'm able to provided the same courtesy and cooperation is provided in return. Are such terms satisfactory to you three?" Ulquiorra asked.
"It sounds fair to me," Twilight replied and nodded. Spike nodded as well while Luna simply smiled.
"I wanna go first this time, I never get to ask the questions," Spike stated.
"Alright Spike you can go first," Twilight told him, both curious to see what would be asked and very eager to ask her own questions.
"Okay. Ulquiorra...right? Since Princess Luna says you come from a different dimension, and oh colt is that gonna be a big question later, I guess it's safe to assume your sword isn't a talwar or one of the different kinds native to Saddle Arabia and the surrounding territory. So what is it exactly?" Spike asked.
Twilight nearly giggled at hearing what Spike asked. Sometime during the course of his daydreams about being Rarity's knight in armor he'd developed an interest in armor, weapon and all things knight related. It only made sense that he'd ask something like this.
"This sword is what's called a zanpakutō, each one of them is unique to the wielder. Only the proper wielder can use their zanpakutō effectively, one does not transfer to another. My zanpakutō's name is Murciélago," Ulquiorra explained as he allowed his left hand to rest on the tsuba.
"Is it magically enchanted or something so only you can use it?" Spike asked as he eyed it from top to bottom.
Magic didn't exist in Hueco Mundo. At least nothing he would consider magic. Since his arrival here he'd begun to question the differentiation between the two worlds. "In a sense you could say that," he replied.
Spike was about to ask another question when Twilight quickly raised her foreleg and cut him off before he could even get the first syllable out. "Alright Spike that's enough questions about the sword, we've got important stuff to learn," she stated before turning back to face Ulquiorra. "Do you mind if I ask what species you are?"
"A ghost," Ulquiorra stated. He knew that if he stated he was a Hollow he would have to give the full explanation of what a Hollow was and what the evolutionary chain was. And chances were good he'd need to explain it anyway. But remembering Princess Luna's reaction and her conclusion he decided to get that out of the way first. "More accurately a conglomeration of many thousands of ghosts in corporeal form."
"A...ghost?" Twilight asked and tilted her head as she blinked in confusion. "You mean...actual disembodied spirits who've passed on from this mortal realm and went on to the afterlife?" She paused a moment before immediately launching into more questions. "What's it like? What's the afterlife like in your dimension? Is it nice? Are the good souls and bad souls segregated to different realms like it's believed they are here?"
"I'm unable to answer that question. Those souls that went into making my being never made it to the afterlife. Those tasked with escorting them to the next world never came for them," Ulquiorra explained. That wasn't the reaction he had anticipated from the unicorn. He had expected fear, apprehension, anything other than wonder and amazement.
"You mean you and all the others exist in a constant state of limbo?" Twilight asked. Her ears drooped as did her once excited expression as she considered the possibility of the one she was so excited to meet was existing in such a miserable manner. "I'm sorry..."
"You have no reason to be sorry. The facts of my existence aren't a source of displeasure for myself, they are nothing more than the facts of the matter," Ulquiorra replied. "Do you have more questions or is it my turn to begin asking?"
"Well this discovery warrants another question. The other thousands that're...in there with you...can you hear them or their thoughts? Is there a lot of commotion?" Twilight asked.
"Again I'm unable to answer that question. Only the most dominant of all personalities is able to emerge and take control. It's not known what becomes of the others. All I can say for certain is that whoever may have been unfortunate enough to become a part of me, I am unaware of their presence in my mind," Ulquiorra replied.
Another notable fluctuation in the intensity of the unicorn's reiatsu. It had moved from a notable pulse and was currently dimming to the point it was easily below the level of the guards. Perhaps her reiatsu was linked to her emotional state.
"It's now my turn to ask a question. What are the physiological properties behind magic and its practical application in this world?" Ulquiorra asked.
Almost immediately Twilight perked up, her bright mood returning and the intensity of her reiatsu with it. "Now that one I can answer easily!" she stated. "In its simplest terms "magic" is a catchall term for explaining the practical and deliberate application of free floating mana to achieve a desired goal. Some applications are passive nature and can be carried out in an instinctual manner while others have to be studied, learned and actively practiced like any other skill. However the proper application of magic is contingent on a number of factors. There are three main species of ponies; unicorn, pegasus and earth pony and each have their own unique way to utilizing mana and magic. Unicorns are the most fluent in the active use of magic and use their horns as a focal point for their spells for maximum effectiveness, which is the only way to cast the really advanced spells otherwise it's just a waste of mana to try. Pegasi actively utilize magic through their wings for flight and their hooves for moving and shaping clouds but they also possess the passive ability to rest on clouds as if they were physical constructs, which explains the city of Cloudsdale. Now when it comes to earth ponies their use of magic is passive and related to the matter of tending to nature, such as making plants and crops grow properly and requires no learned abilities or complex manipulations. By far earth ponies ironically have the easiest time utilizing magic due to this fact. Now this is where the field of magic really gets interesting; while unicorns actively exercise magic for all endeavors it requires a conscious effort like turning on a light with a switch, but with pegasi and earth ponies their magic requires little or no conscious effort depending on the application so in a sense their magic is on by default. It's a very interesting triangle of different strengths and weaknesses that keep each of the three working in a unique harmony with one another. Individually no race is truly superior but when they work in conjunction that's when the real magic begins."
Ulquiorra was silent during Twilight's explanation on the nature of magic, both listening to her words and noting how the pulsing of her reiatsu had returned during the lecture. There was definite reason to assume that it and her emotional state were connected in some way.
Right now she was sitting on the floor and trying to catch her breath but looking rather satisfied with herself, a slight smile in her face.
Luna for her part simply stood back and watched in silence. So far things were going quite well. Twilight Sparkle's friendly nature and desire to help others appeared to be in full swing right now. Perhaps this would properly address the problem of what to do with Ulquiorra Cifer while her sister hesitated and tended to other matters.
"So can you do magic?" Twilight asked.
"I've witnessed a number of incidents referred to as "magic" in my time here. Of the ones seen none come close to the techniques native to my original dimension. That said there are a number of techniques that could be considered "magic" in nature that various races can utilize. However I have declined to elaborate on my own abilities and your Princess Celestia had informed me that I'm under no obligation to do otherwise," Ulquiorra explained.
"She did?" Twilight asked, pouting at the prospect of not getting to see what magic was native to Ulquiorra's world and potentially learning some new magic herself. Why had she done something like that?
"So Ulquiorra...did you have friends back in this...Hueco Mundo place you came from?" Spike asked, deciding to try and change the topic so Twilight wouldn't press on with the subject of magic.
"I did not. Friendship was a concept I didn't understand and chose not to bother myself with. Back then it was nothing more than an intangible concept I deemed a construct of weak minds who simply wished not to be alone in the world and would look for any excuse to have company around no matter how limited the pretext," Ulquiorra replied. "In my world my eyes saw everything that existed. If my eyes couldn't see it then it simply didn't exist. That was the philosophy of my life."
"Nihilism?" Twilight asked. "You actually had the philosophical doctrine of nihilism in your world? The concept of nothingness being all there is to life, and by extension life is without meaning?"
"Correct," Ulquiorra replied and nodded once, a little surprised that the residents of this world would be familiar with a philosophical concept native to his world; even if it wasn't an entirely accurate explanation of the concept.
"Wow. I've read about such a philosophy but I could never wrap my head around it, it was always so uncomfortable to think about. I've never met anyone that actually chose to believe in such an outlook on life, it's just so depressing," Twilight stated and looked down at the floor.
"Doth thou still believe in such a concept of utter emptiness?" Luna asked.
Ulquiorra thought on the question. Emptiness was his aspect of death, his attribute. His life was empty and devoid of reason to justify his existence until Aizen provided him with a tangible purpose. But that had been in Hueco Mundo, and he was no longer in Hueco Mundo. He had others around that wanted to help him. There was no sense of familiarity in this world, no expansive deserts filled with emptiness as far as the eye could see.
"I'm not certain. At the very least I'm willing to consider alternate possibilities and outlooks on life," Ulquiorra replied and cast an aside glance at Princess Luna.
"Hey...Ulquiorra...I can accept that you're more or less a ghost of some kind, but earlier you more or less stated that that's because those tasks with escorting the dead to the afterlife didn't do their job. Who exactly is in charge of the escorting and why weren't they doing their job?" Spike asked.
He considered the question. Any other Espada would've taken the opportunity to poison willing listeners with lies about the Gotei 13 in order to swing them over to their side as supporters. That is if they didn't simply devour their souls for the simple fun of it. But he wasn't like the other Espada and not prone to their otherwise childish behaviors. Not that he had anything against willful deception, he'd engaged in such in the past without difficulty. But that didn't mean he had to go about it in an over the top manner like some would.
"Are you sure this is a question you want the answer to?" Ulquiorra asked, knowing full well what the tale would contain. Spike nodded. "Very well then. Allow me to explain to you the concept of the Shinigami race..."
For the first time in many years the Day Court had concluded and Celestia had a grin on her face at how well things had gone. The demands of the nobles were still as intolerable as ever before, but their delivery had made it all so entertaining. Their shock at being told how the court would proceed on this day and the looks on their faces had made listening to them well worth it.
It seemed the nobles and high society types were very attached to their expensive clothing and being told that all business would be conducted au natural induced an extreme amount of modesty and even embarrassment on them, while those lower on the social ladder had less hesitancy in complying; being informed that they'd be standing equal -it being silently implied they'd be regarded as equal to those they'd rather ignore- had taken some of the wind out of their sails and made the delivery of their demands very awkward and even timid in nature. More than once she had to bite her tongue, cheek or any other soft tissue part of her mouth to not burst into giggles at the pompous trying their hardest to seem dignified while standing naked in front of everypony.
Perhaps she'd implement this new tradition on a permanent basis as a way of properly connecting to one another without arbitrary barriers for differentiation. If the nobles adapted and could play nice then so be it. And if nothing else it would serve as a measure of compensation for what they insisted on putting her through every day.
Now that the royal duties were tended to for the day she had other things to tend to; namely Ulquiorra's presence in her kingdom. She truly hadn't given is as much consideration as she should've due to the antics of the Day Court serving as a distraction. But her earlier thoughts about needing to show him support in this new world had given her a few thoughts regarding an appropriate course of action. She was going to wind up largely playing this by ear.
As she approached the library she saw the guards were still present at the entrance, meaning Ulquiorra was still present as well. She nodded as she entered their line of sight and they silently nodded back, returning the greeting. However as she got closer she became curious as she heard something like a conversation going on inside the confines of the large room. Stepping inside and listening for where the sound was coming from she passed the various shelves until she found Ulquiorra in Luna's company and joined by -much to her shock and surprise- Twilight and Spike who were mostly carrying the conversation, asking a whole variety of questions about him.
"Wow!" she heard Spike exclaim, the question currently unknown to her but right now that wasn't important.
Celestia cleared her throat as she stepped further, drawing everyone's attention to her. Twilight's face beamed with incredible levels of excitement at seeing her.
"Princess Celestia!" she greeted and quickly bowed before raising her head back up again, a smile practically threatening to crack her face at this point. "It's good to see you again, Princess!"
"It's good to see you too, Twilight. I see you've met our guest," Celestia replied.
"Princess Celestia this is so incredible! We've been talking for hours and we've found out so much amazing information in that time. Do you know how many of Starswirl the Bearded's theories on extra-dimensional traveling have been confirmed just by Ulquiorra's presence here? Oh I really have to thank Discord for doing this!" Twilight stated excitedly. "And his hands! Princess you have no idea how much dexterity he has in his hands and how incredibly fascinating they are. And his fingers! Thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, ring and pinky finger! They're capable of such nimble and precise movements and his writing style shows such a level of control. He can do everyday tasks with the same level of skill only an experienced unicorn would be capable of!"
Ulquiorra in contrast was as blank in expression as ever, neither interested nor disinterested in the conversation that was going on before him.
"They seem most intrigued by Ulquiorra Cifer and all the knowledge he hath given them," Luna added.
"Well it's nice to see you've been getting so well acquainted," Celestia commented. "I must say I'm surprised to see you here today, I really wasn't expecting you."
"To be honest I didn't really plan on being here, but then I got a letter from Princess Luna asking me to come and visit and here we are," Twilight explained.
The change in atmosphere was almost tangible in detectability. Celestia's best efforts at a neutral but friendly expression suddenly gave way to a very serious look that was rarely displayed. And Luna unfortunately found herself on the receiving end of a most piercing gaze.
"What?" Celestia asked. "Is this true, Luna?"
"Dear sister-" Luna began but was interrupted.
"We need to talk," Celestia stated simply, causing her younger sister to visibly flinch at the words. She momentarily turned her attention back to Twilight, Spike and Ulquiorra. "You three stay here. Don't leave the library until we come back."
They were silent as they watched Celestia step out of the room, Luna following closely behind, her posture much like that of a child about to be scolded by an angry parent and maybe even punished. Whatever was going to happen it wasn't going to be pretty.
"So..." Spike spoke up after a long physically uncomfortable moment. "Do you play chess?" he asked as he turned to face Ulquiorra.
The atmosphere in the halls was painful as the princesses walking by in forced silence, Luna lingering behind, afraid of what she might be facing and yet worried if she stayed too far back her sister would drag her forward across the marble floors by her ears; a most painful experience she had no desire to experience once again.
"Get in," Celestia ordered once they'd arrived at their designation, her personal quarters. The door was opened quite easily by her magic as she stood there pointing a hoof for her sister to follow.
Luna reluctantly and hesitantly stepped into the room, Celestia soon following. The door was pulled shut and clicked into a locked position before a wave of magic washed over the room. Judging from its texture and intensity Luna could tell it was a high level soundproofing; something that didn't inspire confidence in her one bit.
"I'm not going to yell until I hear the full story. And I hope you have a good reason for your actions," Celestia told her, the tone of voice causing shivers to run up and down Luna's spine. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"We do. But we have a question and if we do not ask now we fear we may never have the opportunity to," Luna stated and breathed to steady herself. "Dost...dost thou still love us?"
As it turned out Ulquiorra did indeed play chess.
Procuring a chess set proved to be quite easy; it was really amazing what the guards would do once they were reminded who the little sister of the Captain of the Guard was...as well as a bearer of one of the Elements of Harmony and Princess Celestia's personal student.
The hard part was actually trying to best Ulquiorra in a game of wits. Both Twilight and Spike had some respectable aptitude at chess -Spike surprisingly had a slight advantage in terms of skill over Twilight- but compared to Ulquiorra they were both coming off as amateurs. Regardless of what color they played, no matter what maneuver they attempted neither one could get the upper hoof -or hand- on him. He didn't make any hasty or unguided plays, every single move and counter move was carefully plotted out and analyzed from all angles. Victory wasn't guaranteed for anyone in this case.
"So..." Spike muttered as he picked up his bishop and advanced it. "I know it's kinda a morbid question and all, but what do souls taste like anyway?" he asked.
"I don't recall if souls truly have a taste or not. It's been a long time since I was an Adjuchas and had any need to consume souls. Prior to becoming an Arrancar my Vasto Lorde form was devoid of a functioning mouth due to my hollow mask covering my entire face and I sustained my existence with reishi exclusively," Ulquiorra replied before moving his knight into position. "Checkmate."
"What!? Are you foaling me or something?" Spike asked as he looked over the board. How'd he do that so quickly? Had he been thinking about his move the entire time he'd been giving that explanation? Oh he was good...
Twilight's focus had been split inbetween observing each of their plays and keeping track of the time while Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were absent. What was supposed to be a simple talk had easily covered two hours and several rounds of chess and now appeared that a third hour wasn't an impossibility. She didn't know what was going on, and she wasn't sure how much she wanted to know. Already her mind was considering unpleasant possibilities.
Of course being the kind that had a multi-tasking mind made things unpleasant at times. Along with observing the game between Spike and Ulquiorra, and keeping track of how long the Princesses were gone, her mind was also going over what Ulquiorra had told them about the race known as the Shinigami. They were tasked with ferrying souls to the afterlife to prevent them from becoming Hollows that displayed cannibalistic tendencies due to their purely emotional and instinctual nature, you'd think that they'd be able to do that job to an acceptable level. But judging by Ulquiorra's presence, and the fact that he was only one of possibly hundreds of Arrancar-class Hollows it made her wonder. Just how many ponies...people...died in his dimension? Were the Shinigami simply overwhelmed with their duties by the sheer number of these and these thousands and thousands of souls simply the ones that slipped through the cracks? Were...were they actually talking a regular death toll in the millions?
"It's your turn, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra spoke up, snapping her out of whatever held her attention as she came back to the present.
"Huh? Oh...alright," Twilight replied as she took her position on the opposite end of the chess board and began telekinetically bringing all the pieces back into their proper order, ensuring all of them were evenly spaced on the squares for the sake of uniformity. "I wonder what's keeping the Princesses. They've been gone a long while."
Right now anything that served as a distraction from the more unpleasant thoughts was quite welcomed. And chess -as well as wondering about what the Princesses were doing to each other- was much better than thinking about Ulquiorra's world right now.
"I'm not sure we really wanna know," Spike said as he looked back at the doorway to the library. That look in Princess Celestia's eyes was much creepier than finding out about Ulquiorra's nature. He could stand the fact that they were talking to what was more or less a legion of souls amassed into one bodily form, but Princess Celestia being angry was more than he could stand. For all he knew they were lucky that the castle was still standing.
The match was as silent as it was methodical. Two skilled opponents going against each other, both looking for an exploitable opening or a way in which to create just such an opening with a move of their own.
However they were only three or four moves into their current round before Ulquiorra looked up. "They're returning," he stated simply and stood up from his spot.
Sure enough both Celestia and Luna had returned, neither of them looking particularly happy at the moment. Celestia looked like she was struggling and barely suppressing a great deal of rage while Luna looked like she was trying to hold back her own sadness. It was quite obvious that they'd been fighting, but about what remained unknown.
"After a great deal of discussion on the matter we've finally arrived at a conclusion on how to handle this situation," Celestia spoke up as she looked over everyone present. "Ulquiorra Cifer. You asked to be assigned a purpose so your presence in our kingdom would have meaning. Considering that you're a foreigner to this land, to say nothing of this dimension, and unfamiliar with all the wonders it holds, as well as being under my rule, I've reached the conclusion that the best course of action available is to assign you the same task I assigned Twilight nearly three years ago. You're to educate yourself on the magic of friendship and all that it holds. You'll learn to make friends, you'll submit reports on your findings. You'll be allowed to travel beyond Canterlot grounds but only under escort. When Luna or I are unable to accompany you you'll be under Twilight Sparkle's control and follow her instructions as if they were my own, if necessary you'll be learning from her as well. Furthermore you'll be placed under a curfew. From sunrise to sunset you'll be free to come and go but you have to return to the castle for nightfall," she explained. She gave everyone some time to think the matter over before speaking again. "Are these rules clear?"
"They are understood and acceptable. Thank you for providing me with a purpose," Ulquiorra replied, evenly as ever.
She then turned to most loyal student. "Do you think you're up for this assignment, Twilight?"
"Princess...do you mean that you want me to teach?" Twilight asked. Celestia had only been halfway through a nod when Twilight bounded over and hugged her around the neck. "Oh thank you Princess! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've always wanted to teach others like you've taught me! I won't let you down, I'll do my absolute best on this assignment!" she stated happily.
Despite how she was currently feeling Twilight's joy and overwhelming enthusiasm were making it hard to maintain any negative feelings about this endeavor. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with the whole idea, Luna knew about that quite well and she would definitely be hearing about it again later on. But Twilight's state gave her reason to at least believe this would work out. She and her friends had done so many other wondrous things in just a few short years, maybe they could do something for this lone Arrancar as well.
"I know you will Twilight, you always do your best," Celestia reassured her. She then turned her attention to Luna. "And as for you little sister. You went behind my back and involved my dear student before I was ready to bring her into the mix. For your offense you're going to be punished and I believe I know what's quite appropriate for you under these circumstances. No sweets for a week."
Luna's reaction was far more fitting for being slapped across the face than being informed that her access to cakes, cookies, doughnuts from Doughnut Joe and other sources were being cut off. But those that knew her well would understand the nature of her reaction. "But sister-"
"I can make it two weeks if necessary," Celestia pointed out, silencing any protest she might've had to make. With a short sigh she turned back to face the three. "It's far too late in the day for anything meaningful to occur so I think tomorrow would work instead. Twilight, Spike, would you mind staying in Canterlot overnight and returning in the morning to escort Ulquiorra to Ponyville so he can begin his assignment?"
"Would we mind? Of course not, Princess, we'd love to stay the night. We haven't gotten to visit in so long it'll be good to spend time back here," Twilight stated. First their meeting with Ulquiorra, then finding out she was going to be teaching him about friendship, and now spending the night in Canterlot? Could this day really get any better?
"Hey if we're going to spend the night could I please get something to eat? I haven't eaten since lunch and I'm starving," Spike added, his stomach growling to emphasize his point.
Celestia chuckled. "That can be arranged. It's almost time for our evening meal, we'd be delighted if you'd join us," she replied. "If you'll excuse me I have to see the chefs for a moment. Luna has a date to keep with a big bowl of mashed alfalfa for everything she's done today."
"Mashed alfalfa?!" Luna shouted indignantly as her sister left the room, "dear sister surely thou must be jesting us!" she said as she walked after her with a quickened pace.
"Are the rulers of this land always so...jovial with each other?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Spike replied.
Twilight didn't know whether to shake her head and sigh or just plain laugh at the antics of the two sisters. For all their regal nature nothing changed the fact that they were still sisters and prone to the same matter of disputes as any other sisters. Finally shrugging her shoulders she turned back to Ulquiorra. "Are you going to join us for dinner?"
"As I've explained before your arrival that won't be necessary. There is sufficient reishi...mana in the area to sustain myself," Ulquiorra replied.
"Well Canterlot is a pretty magical place," Spike stated.
"It's not so much that, Spike, as the fact that Canterlot has long been recognized as a location with a great deal of mana concentration. Doing a side by side comparison between a Canterlot and a location like Fillydelphia you could almost say the mana is denser here than anywhere else," Twilight elaborated before turning to look at Ulquiorra again. "That said it might be best if you try and adjust yourself to actual foods. I don't know if the concentration of mana in places like Ponyville or any other city would be sufficient to meet your needs."
A valid observation. If Canterlot were truly unique in such a manner then perhaps it would be wise to adapt to the surrounding environment if he was to interact with it. He had partaken in meals back in Las Noches when it was necessary. Without a word he moved and stepped out of the library, the two guards following behind him.
"Well that was...unfriendly..." Spike commented.
"Yeah...but it's still early. We've got a lot to teach him so let's cut him some slack," Twilight replied. "Let's join them, I'm getting hungry too."
Hungry and so excited she was almost bursting at the seams over everything that'd happened today. So many new developments and potential studies that could be carried out, and on top of it Princess Celestia herself had assigned her to teach someone new, not just about the concept of friendship that she was so well versed in, but teaching in general! She was going to play the role of an educator and share knowledge and information with someone and potentially shape his mind.
This was going to be so much fun!
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Whenever you ask that question, you know the consequences are going to be severe.
Great chapter so far, now go and write the next one!
(one of maybe 2 or 3 typo errors I saw. I forgot the first 2 though, but here's the 3rd)
I believe you meant to put adjust in place of just here.
Nice, long, awestriking chapter...well done
AWH YEAY WOWOWWO
Will we ever find out what Luna and Celestia were talking about? Cause reading Luna ask Celestia if she still loved her made me want to know.
This can only end well.
Awesome chapter!
Luna could make a point that Celestia was going to go the route of 'Not ready yet', 'Not yet', 'Not yet', over and over and would never be 'ready'.
Though that could just be my 'hates being pushed' nature speaking...
I think celestia was a little to hard lulu.....
2696473sar-chasm; the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit, and the person who doesn't get it
Ok, riddled with errors and too much OoC so... Disliked and left. (Silent Dislikes are rude.)
2696749 ...Well, at least you were honest.
I suppose the OoC behaviour that you are referring to would be the princesses. I can see why you came to your conclusion, though I give a bit more berth when it's a crossover.
As for the errors, they are a bit jarring (though not really enough to warrant a negative on them alone) and I hope the author fixes any that are pointed out in a reasonably fastidious manner.
Fun? Ya well see twi well see xD and spike having an interest in weapons and armour is actually really cool and pretty original :D and spike is playin a more Active role in this fic which is really good as well twi still remains respectful to him which is again good to see xP cant wait for more!
can't say i like this alot of the characters are ooc, and its going down the path so many HiE's and crossovers take these days with the whole "study the magic of friendship" and staying with twilight. so far in my opinion its going downhill for me. i will keep an eye on this fic.
I do hope you find a reason for Ulquiorra to show off.
Awsome chapter!
Hmmm, seems like its still more of a monarchy than a diarchy in Equestria, poor Luna
. I'm wondering if Ulqy is going to go into more detail about discovering what a heart is, after all he seemed to be right on the verge of discovering it when he 'disolved'? 
Heh, this just keeps getting more and more interesting.
this will not be fun at all, little pony... >:D
muahahahahahaa
I don't really see any Ooc in this chapter, in my opinion. I would ignore their complaints; they don't seem to be valid.
This, my good sir, is an excellent chapter. Bravo! Bravo!
>>Vates Despero
As soon as they're pointed out I'll correct the errors.
>>Dogstar
Which OOC moments? The princesses showing that they're not perfect? Or did I wind up missing a portion of text that was supposed to be edited out because it didn't add to the flow of the chapter?
Dammit Twilight, you just jinxed it. Now Equestria will get invaded by Hollows or something.
This
The mention of chess made me think of Tousen and Barragan doing the particular game with each other in Arrancar Encyclopedia.
Huh, I thought he was all for telling little half-truths about the shinigami? He conveniently left out the fact that there are too few of them to be everywhere at once, and allowed the princesses to draw their own conclusions based on the information he gave them.
Here, he apparently decided lying about them was wrong.
1. I hope you dont make ulquiorra became Friendship freak like every other. That just dont suit him.
)
2. Do you plan to add Ulquiorra ressurection in this story or no?
3. Maybe some Cero or any other Ulquiora power scene? Or any Show off? (Beat a bear or some other mighty creature with one hand for example
4. How much time take you to make a new Chapter?
5 Also MOOOOOOARRRRR!
6 Also Also Great Story Bro.
>>Apocrypha
Yes but who says he's telling the full story and not engaging in a xanatos gambit? Maybe he's deliberately concealing information so they can become prejudiced on their own and later point out that they were the ones who were quick to jump to the wrong conclusions.
>>Komistro
1. Ain't gonna happen.
2. Oh yes.
3. Of course. Much ass will be kicked.
4. Between 5 and 7 days depending on what complications I face.
5. I'm working on it.
6. Glad it's liked.
But... but friendship is so boring!!
I'm actually surprised that Ulquiorra even accepted the 'task' at all.
>>Oplindenfep
He's got a mystery to investigate. After hearing about Nightmare Moon and how she was defeated that's bound to raise even his eyebrows.
I want to see Ulquiorra kick his zanpakutō off the ground, spin it around, and unsheathe it all at once in a fight later on. C'mon, you know you want to see that happen.
2697944 I remember that! And... Gin in the shower... *shiver*
2698160
much ass will be kicked!
I think celestia was too hard on luna
>>Radon Online
Well Ulquiorra did say she had all the makings of a potential tyrant.
Besides who's saying that what was seen wasn't simply an act to attempt misdirection?
Him and food?...Kinda bothers me that the dead even eat in Bleach lol.
I hope he denies all of the friendship!!!
All of it!!!
2699952 Because the truth is that Luna shall be punished by being raeped by a manticore for 10,000 nights. (Now THAT'S tyranny!)
2697508 I believe the OOC 'suggestiveness' is that Celestia has seemingly punished Luna far more than the insincere forbiddance of a week's desserts.
If true, it does suggest that Celestia is indeed behaving more tyrannical and has not yet allowed Luna equal share in decision-making.
At any rate, if Discord's game gets anypony killed, I'm going to... no, I can't even describe what I'm going to do to him. It's so horrible the human mind would liquify just from reading the description.
2696749 My lil story is filled with silent dislikes! People like evil Discord slaughtering ponies, and yet hate it when someone kills him in a story.
I do love drawing out such biases, as it serves my purposes so well, little do they realize.
I have a Xanatos Gambit going myself. To my surprise, it's actually proceeding according to my designs!
>>Alondro
Or it could simply be that Celestia is mildly annoyed with Luna's youthful impatience and the no sweets for a week is to serve as a mild reminder to think before she acts in a brash manner in the future.
Afterall Twilight was only lectured for the chaos caused by the "want it need it" spell in Lesson Zero. Her friends were obviously expecting a whole lot more to come of that.
2697508 Ok now, I have a very big error to point out... You keep putting hyperlinks to the commenters profile instead of the reply tag to their comment. When you do that we, the people you are replying to, don't get an alert and can only GET your reply by manually checking every comment from every story each day.
I realize this has nothing to do with my previous post but when I saw your non-reply while checking someone else's reply it annoyed me more than the story errors.
2705112
So how do I do the proper linking thing on these replies?
2705195 Like that. What you JUST did with that one. Much better!
2696690
That is absolutely brilliant and i will have to use it at some point.
2696686
2704930
lol fwiw I cringe when authors show Tia treating Luna like a friggin child. Just once I'd like to see Lulu straight-up cuss out Celly for that nonsense. like "BISH WE IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD TOO AND KICKED THINE FLANK TWICE IF THOU RECALL, FALL BACK"
Not that this story was especially egregious in that regard or anything. I've seen fics where Celestia is literally grounding Luna and sending her to bed without supper.
2709637
A lot can happen during a two hour absence. And with Celestia and Luna being immortal in nature there's a good chance wounds aren't very long lasting. The "no desert for a week" may very well be nothing more than a cover for the benefit of Twilight and Spike so their minds don't overload with the knowledge of what truly happened inside Celestia's royal chambers
No sweets for a week? Just leaves more place for DELICIOUS MEAT OR CEREAL OR BANANAS.
Yeeeaaaaah I don't think that's gonna happen.
2710672 ... meat? really?
2709821 I know, I know. Let's just get it out in the open and be done with it.
Celestia raped her. 500 times. In all orifices. Simultaneously. It was possible because... magic.
2713158 Uhhh yeah, meat is great. HAHA GROVEL MEAT!
oh lawd....this is gonna get very interesting
Famous last words.