Three Kings

by MorseCode

A Royal Farewell

The next morning Michael, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy met with Gary and Twilight in the library as they began to prepare for the trip to Canterlot. The seven sat around chatting for some time as they waited for Applejack and Danny. Gary and Mike spoke with each other for several minutes as the four mares had their own conversation. The way Mike and Gary spoke it was almost as if the past week had never happened, and they were speaking just like they did back at the airport in Nashville. Twilight shared what she had learned about Gary as Pinkie spoke about Mike while the three other mares listened intently. Eventually, the seven began to converse freely with each other. Rainbow began to argue with Mike as he told her the speeds that some airplanes are able to reach on Earth, and she insisted that it was impossible. Gary complimented Rarity on her extravagant yellow dress that she said she simply had to wear if she was going to see the princesses. Fluttershy and Gary spoke for a while about animals until she became worried when he mentioned a stray cat that he had rescued. Gary quickly assured her that the cat would be fine as Gary's friend, Mitchell and Mitchell's wife were currently taking care of it. Mike and Twilight also found interest in similarities and differences in Equestrian magic and human technology and they spoke for several minutes comparing the ingenuity of each other's worlds. Not long after, Applejack arrived with Danny in tow.

"Well, how's the Southern gentleman and the country boy doing?" Danny said with a smile as he entered.

"Fairly well, given the circumstances." Gary was quick to respond. "How are you dingus?" The three humans laughed as the six mares each raised an eyebrow and gave them a questioning look. Danny explained the nicknames and soon the six found themselves laughing as well. The group relaxed for several minutes until Twilight informed the group that the chariots had arrived and it was time to leave. Rarity let out a squeal of delight as they approached the chariots which, to the three humans, looked more like the carriage from Cinderella. They each had two pegasus ponies hitched to the front with shiny, golden armor.

"We're taking two chariots?" Gary questioned Twilight who nodded.

"I figured it would be more comfortable than cramming all nine of us in one." She responded. Gary nodded and stepped inside the second chariot with his brothers as the six mares stepped in the first. The chariots were just as magnificent on the inside as they were from the outside. Inside it looked like the interior of a limousine with an ice box with fine wine, champagne, and various nonalcoholic drinks. Gary grabbed a cola and sat across from his brothers on one of the cushioned seats. As he sat down the chariot shook lightly signaling that they had departed. The three brothers sat in silence for some time until Danny spoke up.

"Do you think we'll get home?" Danny asked with a saddened expression.

"Of course man," Mike answered first.

"Agreed, from what I've heard, Celestia must be monumentally powerful," Gary said, though truthfully he still had doubt, but he preferred not to tell his younger sibling for the sake of his feelings. He placed his free hand on Danny's shoulder and shook it lightly giving him a reassuring smile.

"When we get back, how long until you leave?" Danny asked Gary who continued to smile.

"I'll stick around for a few days, but I have to go back home not long after," Gary said and Danny once again had sadness across his face. "How about this? This Christmas I'll take the three of us back to New Orleans. We'll go see the old house, visit the quarter and maybe catch a Saints or Pels game." Upon hearing this Danny perked up and nodded enthusiastically. Mike, at this point, even began to smile. The rest of the chariot ride was silent as each brother prepared for what was to come.

Meanwhile, in the first chariot, the six mares were happily discussing the events of the past week and their opinions on the humans.

"I find that Gary is quite the gentleman. He is a kind one, and he seems rather smart as well. " Rarity said happily. "I must say he is quite the charmer as well."

"He really is nice, and smarts an understatement, after talking with him, I'd be scared to challenge him in chess or trivia that isn't just Equestrian. He showed me the book he wrote as well. It's quite good from what I've read so far." Twilight said. "Danny is quite nice himself. He seems a little quiet though..."

"Applebloom sure seemed to like him." Applejack said with a chuckle. "That little filly would not stop asking him questions all morning. She won't stop talking about him for some time. Mike sure seems like a good guy too. He seems like a hard worker, shame we won't get the chance to get him to help out on the farm."

"Mike is super nice!" Pinkie said excitedly. "You should have seen him with Pound Cake. He got the little guy to laugh without hardly even trying. He also likes cupcakes, so he must be good."

"I agree. I think they are all very nice." Fluttershy said softly.

"Yea they are! They're pretty cool too. Not as cool as me or the Wonderbolts, but they're pretty cool " Rainbow said excitedly. The chariot was then quiet for a couple of minutes as a realization came over the six mares.

"They're going to leave soon and we won't get to see them ever again." Pinkie said sadly as her mane deflated and her coat suddenly became dull and darkened.

"It's not so bad," Twilight said. "They may be able to come back and visit, and if not then we'll still be friends and we won't forget them. I don't think they'll forget us either."

"Yea! I guess, even if they leave we'll still have the memories." Pinkie said as color returned to her coat and her mane regained its puffy texture.

"I think we may have a friendship report for Celestia when we see her," Twilight said as the six mares all laughed happily.

-----------------------------------------

The two chariots landed on the clean marble path in front of the castle. Gary, Danny, and even Mike were all in awe of the architecture. They had spent the last several minutes viewing Canterlot from the sky, and they were amazed. The door to the chariot opened and the three were greeted by the six mare and several Royal Guards who were guarding the entrance of the castle. The guards informed the nine they would have to wait before entering, but they would not give a reason. Gary began squinting and using his had to shield his eyes from the sun. I wish I had my shades still. he thought to himself, then face-palmed shortly after. He reached into his duffel bag, removed a pair of rose-tinted aviators and put them on. The nine stood silent for a few minutes until the door to the castle was opened. Three guards stepped forward, two were in the normal golden armor and appeared to be grey unicorns, while the third was a white unicorn with purple armor. Gary, Mike, and Danny tensed up unsure of what to expect.

"Twily!" The white unicorn said excitedly as he removed his helmet. "It's great to see you again."

"Shining? I wasn't expecting to see you here." Twilight responded hugging him.

"Cadence and I decided to come back when Celestia told us about the strange creatures you found." He said turning over to the three brothers who were attempting to suppress laughs at Shining's nickname for Twilight.

"Hello, my name is Gary King. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Gary, regaining his composure, said extending a fist which Shining bumped with a hoof.

"Name's Mike, Pleasure," Mike said tipping his hat to Shining who nodded in kind.

"Danny. Same as they said," Danny said as he bumped Shining's hoof.

"I'm Shining Armor, Twilight's brother and Captain of the Royal Guard," Shining replied. "The princesses are expecting you. We'd better not keep them waiting." Shining once again donned his helmet and returned to the castle. Gary was the first to step forward.

"After you, Princess Twily," Gary said with a laugh and a bow.

"Why thank you. You really are the Southern Gentleman." Twilight said with a laugh of her own. Soon the five other mares and two other humans were laughing as well as they entered the castle. Gary, Mike, and Danny were all impressed by the glory of the castle. They walked through several long, well-lit hallways with cold marble floors and glorious red carpets. The final hall they entered had several elegant, stain-glass windows displaying different events in Equestrian history. Gary recognized the banishment of Nightmare Moon from the book Twilight had lent him. He also noticed two windows portrayed the six mares that had, not only, rescued him and his brothers but had also become quick friends. The final window portrayed Spike and a heart of some sort. He didn't know the specifics of the events, but he was impressed that the six mares had such a large impact on their world in such a short time. The ten of them reached the large red double-doors with ornate golden handles at the end of the halls.

"The princesses are through here," Shining said as the guards opened the doors. "Go on ahead they're expecting you." Gary removed his sunglasses and followed behind the six mares as his brothers followed him. The walked along to the end of the room where atop a large throne sat a large white alicorn with a pink, green, purple and blue mane that flowed in the nonexistent breeze. On one side of her was a dark blue alicorn whose mane resembled the night sky. On the white alicorn's opposite side was a pink alicorn with a blue, yellow and pink mane stood. The white one stood up and approached the group as the six mares bowed and Gary knelt down on one knee. After a second, Danny noticed and copied the motion Gary had done. Gary punched the back of Mike's knee and pulled him down to the same position. The humans were impressed by her stature. Whereas the other mares stood at their midsection the white alicorn was easily as tall as Gary, if not taller.

"It's wonderful to see you again, my little ponies," Celestia said with a smile a bow of her own. "I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you three as well." She said turning toward the humans. "I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria."

"Aye, and we are Luna the Princess of the Night," Luna shouted as she approached behind her sister. Celestia looked at Luna with a soft glare which caused Luna to look away with a light blush and a soft sorry.

"I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza," Cadence said stepping forward as well. "I prefer Cadence, though."

"Cadence!" Twilight shouted jumping toward Cadence. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake." The two alicorns said simultaneously. Danny and Mike fell over laughing, and Gary nearly fell over while attempting to help them up. A few seconds later, the three regained their composure and looked toward the princesses.

"A pleasure to meet you all," Gary said with a light bow. "Thank you for offering assistance and for making us feel so welcomed in a foreign world."

"Agreed. Thank ya'll," Mike said tipping his hat.

"Same from me. Thank you," Danny said with a nod. Celestia smiled at the humans.

"You're quite welcome. We welcome any peaceful creatures in Equestria.." Celestia said. "I feel that you do not wish to stay long, though." The three humans nodded.

"Then we will do our best to help you," Luna spoke at a normal volume. "We will need to perform a spell on one of you to gain information about your home." Gary raised an eyebrow and was about to speak but was interrupted.

"We need information if we are to send you home properly," Celestia said calmly. "Accuracy is important." Gary nodded. "It's a simple spell that will allow me to view your thoughts and memories. Which of you has the most knowledge of your world?" Mike and Danny pointed at Gary who raised his hand. "Very well." Celestia's horn was wrapped in a golden aura, and soon, so was Gary's head. The glow lasted for a moment but suddenly fizzled out and stopped. Celestia had a shocked look that was shared by Twilight and Luna. Gary raised an eyebrow and spoke to the shocked royals.

"What's wrong?" He questioned. Celestia shook her head and responded.

"You're... you're immune to magic." She said utterly astonished.

"WHAT?" Twilight screamed.

"How is this possible?" Gary said calmly as he noticed Mike shift nervously and Danny's expression becoming saddened.

"Magic is like a river. It flows and can be manipulated or, in some cases, blocked." Celestia said. "It requires something to run through to carry the flow, and your kind doesn't have anything of the sort." Mike and Danny were near stupefied and found it hard to understand Celestia's explanation.

"It's like electricity," Gary said to them. "And we're rubber. If that's the case then how did we get here?"

"It was likely an overflow of magic. The use of the Elements so often recently is the most likely cause." Luna said with a peaceful voice. "You must have been inside something that was hit with a powerful magic blast and was transported here. That is likely how you got here."

"This is what's left of our transport," Mike said with a sigh as he pulled the damaged license plate from his pants.

"The magic must have been very strong to have done this," Celesta said with a sigh. She paused for a moment looking away shortly. She returned her gaze to the humans. "There is no possible way for you to return. We cannot send you alone and anything we could use as a means of transport would likely be destroyed along with you in it. Also, we have no way to know where you will be sent, but it will most likely not be your home or anywhere friendly." Danny began to cry heavily and Mike, who was also beginning to cry lightly, held him. Gary remained stoic; his crystal blue eyes remained locked with Celestia's large magenta eyes.

"What should we do then?" Gary asked Celestia. His voice was tinted with sadness.

"I will give you a moment to collect yourselves. Then we will discuss where to head from here." She answered calmly and Gary could hear the concern in her voice. Mike and Danny walked down to the hall to a small sitting room still sobbing heavily. Gary walked out the door onto the balcony running his fingers through his hair and letting out an exasperated sigh. Rarity and Twilight began to follow Gary as Pinkie and Applejack began to follow Mike and Danny, but Celestia stopped them. "Give them time. This will be hard for them and they should have a moment to collect themselves." The six mares nodded and stayed put.

--------------------------

Gary King sat alone on the balcony of the majestic castle in Canterlot. A lit cigarette was laid on the railway along the balcony. Gary was resting against a chair. He removed his jacket and enjoyed the mild temperature of the summer evening. He had lost track of how long he had been out but could tell it had been at least an hour. His eyes were still red, but it was hidden by his rose-tinted glasses. He could feel where tears had run down his cheeks. He would have liked to comfort his brothers but now felt wrong. He began to recap his little sojourn had brought him through.

Okay. First I was with my brothers on the way to dad's. Next, there's a bright flash, then nothing. The next day, all three of us are in a hospital in this place, Equestria. This land is run by sentient ponies, and humans have never been seen here. Six mares, who are approximately my age group, rescued my brothers and I. Over the past week we all have become close friends. Now, we discover that we are trapped here and we have no way home. I suppose it could be worse this place really is nice and the people err... uh, ponies, are rather nice. The landscape is truly gorgeous as well. Gary looked out from the balcony to see the land. The view was spectacular. He noticed a difference, though. Earth's colors seemed solid and dark, but in Equestria, the colors are vibrant and seem fluid, almost pastel. He was interrupted from his thoughts by soft hoof falls behind him. They were too soft for Rainbow or Applejack, and the space between them was too long for Twilight. He deduced that it was either Rarity or Fluttershy.

"Hello, darling. Are you alright?" Gary mentally applauded himself for being correct.

"Yea. This whole thing is a bit much," Gary sighed. "I guess it could be worse." Rarity walked over and placed a hoof on his shoulder. She could tell he had been crying.

"I can't say I know how you feel. I can, however, assure you that I will be here for you. All of us will." Rarity said with a warm smile. Gary gave her a smile of his own.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Gary said pulling her in a hug which she returned happily. "Well then, I believe we should return." He said breaking the hug and removing his sunglasses. Rarity nodded and the two returned inside. Upon returning, they saw Celestia and Luna sitting at the end of a large, opulent dining table. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie were sitting at the sides of the table, and Mike and Danny were on the opposite end of Celestia and Luna. Gary and Rarity took the empty seats, as they did, servants gave them each a glass and offered them a variety of drinks. Once everyone was settled, Celestia spoke.

"It is good to see you three in a better mood," Celestia said in a cheery tone. "I believe, before anything else, we should discuss what to do about you," Celestia said and the three humans nodded. "I believe I have an idea. You will be given full citizenship and be treated just as anypony in Equestria. I will also give you a home to share in Ponyville. You all will stay here for tonight and when you return to Ponyville tomorrow everything should be ready. Does this sound good?" The princess finished. Gary, Mike, and Danny were shocked and found it difficult to form words.

"Thank you, Princess. That is a wonderful offer, and if you wish, we will accept." Gary said as his brothers nodded and Celestia smiled.

"I thought you may like it," Celestia replied as Luna and the six other mares cheered.

"I purpose a toast," Gary said tapping his glass with a fork. "To the princesses, for welcoming us and giving us much more than we could have asked for. To you six, for saving our lives and becoming our first friends in this world. Lastly, to new beginnings. Farewell to the troubles of our past and may the future bring prosperity and happiness." The eight mares and two other humans cheered and clapped. The rest of the night was spent with them chatting happily and preparing for the future. Gary was glad to see his brothers happy.

"Maybe this won't be so bad. Hell, this could be fun " Gary thought to himself. He smiled as he looked over at his brothers, and he could tell they were thinking the same thing.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading! Hope you've enjoyed so far. Most chapters from here on will involve one brother, though some may still be about all three.

Comments

[OrionTheCyborgBatPony1]

I. Love. It. Don't you dare finish anytime soon

[Noal]

I love it its beautiful.

[Blade Star]

So far you have done several excellent things in this story.
1. No cheap attempt to rewrite episodes, particularly 'A Canterlot Wedding'.
2. You have accepted that Twilight is now an alicorn and moved on with your life.
3. Your characters did not instantly accept and love the fact that they were stranded in Equestria.
4. No sign yet of unbelievable instant shipping.

An excellent story so far, keep going.

[whiteline0101]

This is great. Keep it up.!

[rikusorasephiroth]

That last line!!!

You idiot!!!
If things are going well, you're supposed to shut the f**k up or you'll screw yourself over.
Haven't you ever heard of Murphy's Law?

[OrionTheCyborgBatPony1]

Bro, bro, bro, I'm am impressed, just- i'm not saying you're gonna- but Just. Don't. Let. Fluttershy. Die. You hear me , sorry its just i read cupcakes 2 for some reason

[geekmaster]

3306846 Condolances.

[LightningDash NLR]

YEEEES i like these people and their acceptacne of the situation very Human very real keep up the fantastic work