Three Kings

by MorseCode

Brothers to the End

Gary awoke in a slight daze. He, somewhat reluctantly, stepped out of the comfort of the palace bed. He walked over to the window and noticed that is was still incredibly early. The moon was high in the sky casting a soft glow over the landscape. Gary stared into the beautiful night sky that was full of stars. Sighing, the young man walked over to a nearby chair and grabbed his shirt and pants. Once he was clothed, he grabbed his gold lighter with an intricate engraving of a heart and his pack of cigarettes. He was down to four. Well, I needed to quit anyway, he thought as he left the room and proceeded down the hallway.

Gary reached an open door to a balcony, the same one he had sat on once he learned that he was stuck in Equestria, and stepped out into the cold night air. He was not alone. He saw his brothers, Danny, and Michael, also on the balcony. They were both looking out to the landscape in silence. Gary pulled up a chair and joined the two in silence. The three of them sat in silence for several minutes just staring off into the distance.

"Couldn't sleep?" Gary finally spoke looking over to Mike, who simply nodded. "Same," Gary said with a sigh as silence once again befell them. It was a sharp contrast to several hours ago when they all seemed so happy and lively.

"What do you think about all of this?" Danny asked Gary, who had lit a cigarette.

"I think it could be worse," Gary said as he inhaled. "A lot worse. I think it's okay, not ideal. We've already made six friends. We're being fully accommodated and given a home for free. This land is also a lot nicer than Earth that's certain."

"It's not Earth, though. What about all our friends and family we're leaving behind?" Danny said a bit angrily.

"Do you remember what I told you when Mike and I were leaving for college, and you and dad were moving to Nashville?" Gary responded blowing a large puff of smoke.

"You said that the present and, sometimes the future, is what counts, not the past," Danny said with a small laugh. "I always thought that was funny because you're so into history."

"What else did I say?" Gary said smiling.

"The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment." Danny said with a sigh as he started to see his eldest brother's point.

"Lastly, what did dad say?" Gary said taking a long pull from his cigarette.

"He said sometimes you don't always get exactly what you want, but you have to make the best of what you have." Danny started to smile. "Thanks, bro. I see what you mean. I think this will be alright." Danny stood up and gave Gary a quick hug. Danny walked back and sat down. He was coming to accept the situation that he found himself in, and Gary's ever-positive outlook helped remove any lingering doubt and reluctance.

"It ain't that easy," Mike said in a low tone.

"Pardon?" Gary questioned. "I believe it is. Things change, and this could be fun." Gary said with a smile. Mike looked at him with anger in his eyes. He grabbed Gary's shoulders and pushed him against a wall causing Danny to gasp.

"FUN?!? THIS ISN'T A FUCKING GAME, GARY! WE DON"T BELONG HERE!" Mike yelled angrily. "We're stuck here, and we'll never see anyone we knew again."

"You don't think I know that," Gary shouted back. "I said it wasn't perfect and there's some shit we've got to deal with." Mike let go of Gary and sat back down sighing. "We've got to accept it. We can't get back, so we can either sit and be miserable or look life in the face and smile." Gary said sitting next to Mike and patting his shoulder. "You've got to play the hand you're dealt." Mike looked back at Gary and gave a light smile.

"It's just tough, ya know," Mike said looking back into the distance. "There were so many things I wanted to do."

"We're not dead. They probably think we are, but you can still do all those things." Gary said with a smile. Mike returned the smile and hugged his brother.

"You're right"

"I always am." The three brothers all began to laugh. They had begun to accept their situation and were ready to move forward. They sat in silence again, only this time it was out of contentment and peace and not of anger or doubt. They sat like this for some time, until the silence was broken by the sound of hoof steps. The brothers turned their backs expecting to see a guard, but instead, they were greeted by the Princess of the Night.

"Ah, good evening. I did not expect to see you at this hour." Luna said with a shocked look and a smile.

"We had trouble sleeping," Gary said with a smile. "I've always liked the nights, anyway. The nights in Equestria are much prettier than Earth as well." Luna let out a small 'squee' which caused Gary to laugh lightly.

"Agreed. The nights were great when I went camping, but that doesn't compare to this." Mike said smiling as well.

"I've never seen so many stars," Danny said. "It's really pretty."

"Why, thank you," Luna said beaming with delight. "Not many ponies enjoy the night like yourselves."

"I wish I knew the constellations. Mitch tried to teach me some, but I was never really interested." Gary said smiling.

"Who is this, Mitch?" Luna asked raising an eyebrow to Gary.

"He is, or was, my closest friend. He's an astronomer." Gary said. "He always loved the night. We used to sit outside and talk for hours some nights back in college." Gary sighed and disposed of his cigarette. He pulled out his lighter and began to look at it.

"He sounds like a good man," Luna said with a warm smile. Gary returned the smile as did his brothers. "May I ask what your occupation was on your world?"

"I'm a writer and journalist," Gary said to the blue alicorn.

"I'm an auto mechanic," Mike said to Luna, who raised an eyebrow. "I fix cars. They're like big, metal carriages that move by themselves." Luna nodded and looked over to Danny expectantly.

"I was a waiter, but I just finished school. I was planning to join the Navy like our father." Danny said with a shrug.

"Your father was a sailor?" Luna questioned the three humans who all nodded. "What about your mother?"

"She was a lawyer. They met at school." Danny said with an awkward laugh. Mike looked down, and Gary averted his eyes and looked off into the distance. "What can you tell us about yourself?" Danny questioned Luna hoping to change the topic.

"Well, I can share a few stories, but it may take some time," Luna said with a questioning look.

"We've got all night," Gary said pulling up a chair and motioning for her to sit. She did and began to regale the humans with stories from a thousand years ago. She even told of recent events, such as her Nightmare Night visit to Ponyville and the return of Discord. The brothers even shared some stories of their own, most of their childhood. She spoke for several hours as the moon descended to the edge of the sky.

"This was a most interesting night," Luna said with a giggle. "I would say the fun has most certainly been tripled, but I must leave to lower the moon. You three enjoy yourselves. Oh, and welcome to Equestria."

"Thank you. Have a nice morning, your grace." Gary said as he and his brothers waved goodbye to the Princess of the Night. They returned to look out at the sunrise. The three sat in silence enjoying the view and each others company. Gary let out a contented sigh and a yawn. "We should go grab our things and some breakfast." His brothers nodded as they each let out a yawn and returned to the castle. The three went their separate ways toward their rooms and gathered their things. They met once again in the dining hall and enjoyed a quiet breakfast with the two alicorn sisters.

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Gary, Mike, and Danny once again found themselves in a chariot, but this time, they were on their way to the quaint little town of Ponyville. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie were in the second chariot eagerly awaiting their return home with three humans. Who were now their friends, as well. Back in the castle in Canterlot, Celestia looked at her younger sister a bit cryptically.

"I wonder if I made the right decision," Celestia said to Luna with a sigh. "We know nothing about those creatures."

"Our decision was right on all accounts," Luna said with a smile. Celestia raised an eyebrow to her younger sister. "I have spoken with them. They are kindhearted and show true devotion to their friends and family. Their unique, different, and may not be perfect, but no one truly is. I think they will be a great fit with the Elements, and I'd like to call them my own friends as well."

"That is good to know. They should make fine citizens." Celestia smiled. She was happy to hear that the humans were not harmful and that Luna was making friends.

Gary, Mike, and Danny were, meanwhile, happily speaking with each other in the carriage. The mood was significantly better than the fear, doubt, and sadness from the early morning. Mike had come to terms with the situation. He had to agree with Gary that, although it may not be perfect, Equestria was, in many ways, nicer than Earth. He also figured they could be much worse off. Danny seemed to actually be looking forward to their new life. He felt a hint of sadness at the loss of his friends and family, but most of his friends were leaving for work or college, and he still had his brothers, which he took great comfort in. Danny looked over at Gary and smiled. Danny hadn't seen his eldest brother in nearly four years but now was great to make up for the lost time. Like his brothers, Gary felt conflicting emotions. On one hand, this was a glorious adventure and could be a huge improvement for his life. On the other hand, Gary could tell his brothers were still conflicted, and he felt saddened by that. Gary was always the leader and the protector with his brothers, so when things went wrong Gary always felt responsible. They all put these thoughts aside and decided to enjoy the ride back to Ponyville, They began to laugh as they reminisced about their childhood.

"Mike, do you remember Maria Smith?" Gary said with a small laugh

"Yea, yea I do," Mike said with a nervous laugh.

"I still remember how you hit on her, in front of her boyfriend... Chris, was it?.... and he was so close to smashing your face in right there." Gary said as his laughter increased. "I had to come in and save your ass and talk him into not killing you on the spot."

"I remember that. You even talked him into helping us in that fight." Mike said as he began laughing. Danny had heard the story before, but he still laughed every time his brothers recapped their high school drama.

"Man, we nearly caused a riot. The bastard had the nerve to call me a liar, then attack me from behind."

"What was the issue again?" Mike paused to think then snapped his fingers "Didn't he say that you got his girlfriend pregnant?" Gary nodded.

"He and three others all said I slept with their girlfriends," Gary said laughing again. "I didn't know any of them and half of them, I wouldn't even want to consider sleeping with. After that, Mitch started to call me the 'King of Hearts.'"

"How has Mitch been by the way?" Danny asked. He had always liked Gary's childhood best friend. Danny always looked up to Mitch, who was stoic, but always around when someone needed them. A man of few words and great actions. The two of them looked quite different but had incredibly similar personalities.

"Good. He got married to a French girl named Natalie last year." Gary said smiling. "That was a great night."

"Care to elaborate?" Danny asked in his best attempt to imitate Gary's voice.

"When we graduated from the university, he gave me this lighter," Gary said as he removed the golden zippo from his pocket. "And I took him on a trip to Paris. He always said how if he could visit anywhere, it would be Paris. While we were there, I accidentally ran into this gorgeous local girl who was carrying several bags. I helped her carry them back to her apartment and then offered her to join Mitch and me at a cafe for lunch. She accepted and the two of them just hit it off. Love at first sight. Mitch moved out to Paris and got married the next year. At the reception, I had a bit too much to drink and woke up the next morning in bed with Natalie's best friend. That was a good night indeed." The three brothers began to laugh together. The rest of the carriage ride was spent sharing stories of events that had happened while Gary was gone.

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The carriages pulled to a stop, making a soft screech in front of the Ponyville library. The three humans stepped out of the second carriage to see the six mares waiting beside the first. One of the guards unhitched himself from the carriage and approached the group.

"If you follow me, I will show you to your home." He said flatly. "You six may come along as well." The mares nodded and walked along as the guard led them and the humans through Ponyville. The group followed the guard out to the outskirts of town. They began walking on a road out of town when a mysterious hooded figure approached them. The figure removed its hood and revealed that it was a female zebra.

"Twilight Sparkle, you I am glad to see. Who might these three be?" The zebra smiled at the lavender mare.

"Hello, Zecora. This Gary, Mike and Danny," She said pointing a hoof at each of them as they waved. "They're humans."

"Pleasure to meet you. How do you do?" Gary responded trying to emulate her rhyming speech.

"I see you know how to rhyme, to do so must have taken time," Zecora said with a large grin.

"I've learned some tricks. It provides a quick fix." Gary struggled slightly to rhyme, but it was hard to tell.

"I wish I could stay and speak, but I shall return next week," Zecora said as she began to trot off toward the forest. The group all waved as she left and then continued on their journey. Just past the outskirts of Ponyville, the group approached a nice looking two story house that had the same design as all the other houses. The guard led them inside and left to return to Canterlot.

The inside of the home was nice, a bit plain, but nice. There was a large living room that had a large couch, a loveseat, and a small coffee table. The kitchen was attached to the living room and had all the necessities. There was one bedroom downstairs and two more upstairs. The master bedroom had a nice spacious bathroom and a door that led to a small balcony outside.

"Dibs," Gary shouted loudly to his brothers who sighed simultaneously.

"Fine, but I get the room downstairs then," Mike said.

"I think that works," Danny replied as his brothers nodded. They all shook hands and proceeded to explore the house. After checking each room the group all went into the living room. Gary offered the mares to have a seat in the living room, and the group began to converse. Eventually, the six mares left and returned to their own homes. Gary had decided that it was late, and it was a good time to make up for the lack of sleep the previous night. Mike and Danny agreed and the three all went into their new rooms and began to sleep.

Author's Note:

Sorry this took a while. I should have at least two chapters out by this time next week.

Comments

[rikusorasephiroth]

I would ay something witty, but I can't be fucked to think of something right now.

[whiteline0101]

Wow. Nice work you did. You're gonna go far kid.

[Noal]

best chapter so far nice job.

[OrionTheCyborgBatPony1]

3386750

She is also my favorite character *cries*