Equestria - A Nomad Soul

by MattDrummy

Of Alicorns and Men

Kayl slept a dreamless sleep as he recovered from his initial shock. As he began to wake uncomfortably from his sleep he had been sure that all he had seen was just a result of too much alcohol.

As he opened his eyes, the warm rays of the sun pierced into his eyes and caused him to wince and turn over in bed with a groan. The bed was comfortable, but his body still felt strange. It had been a long time since Kayl had drank that much, and it would probably be much longer before he would again.

A soft voice from near by swept along his face.

“Spike, I think our guest might be waking up. Would you go check on him?”

“Spike, why would anyone name their child Spike.” Kayl murmured to himself.

Suddenly the realization settled in. As he awoke fully he groaned as the light from room pierced him again. He was in the same place where he had been found the night before, where he had seen that strange creature. But it would not have been enough to prepare him to see what now was walking up the steps.

Popping into view from the stairs below, a stranger creature. Small, with purple scales, a green under belly, and green spines along his back and head. He had reptilian eyes, and a spaded tail. As it walked along on its hind legs Kayl let out a yell and tried to back from it. Just as with last night, his body was responding like he had hoped, yet all of his vision was set on that creature, and his mind set on avoiding it.

“Spike!? What are you doing up there!?” Called the sweet voice from below.

“I hadn't done anything yet!” Answered the reptilian boy, “This colt looks like he's never even seen a pony before!”

“Dragon!?” Kayl exclaimed. It was both a shock, and a reasonable explanation with lack of any other better word. A tiny bi-pedal dragon. Kayl, who had studied much of biology and knew a deal about dinosaurs, had never bothered to learn about mythical non-real creatures like dragons or unicorns or pegasi. Although some of his office kept statues of them on their desks.

Spike turned to Kayl and gave a short small growl, “Yeah! I'm a ferocious Dragon! And I'm going to eat you!”

Kayl nearly loss all the blood in his body as he gave out a shriek.

“You lose everything, and now you're going to be eaten by a dragon!?” He thought quickly, “I swear if this is a dream I will move Beth in the first thing.”

With a swirl of light, and as quick as a light bulb popping, the purple winged creature from last night appeared. Kayl fell back out of the bed and toppled on the floor.

“Oh my goodness. Please, don't be frightened. We're not going to hurt you. Spike! Why are you scaring him! Who knows what he's been through. Goodness knows he probably has a broken wing or something.”

From behind the bed Kayl was overwhelmed with shock and confusion. Something had caught his eye as he fell over. Since arriving, he had not yet looked at himself to see if he was hurt. A mirror had been placed near the bed. Kayl was shocked to see what should have been his body was quadriplegic body, much like a horse; a pair of bird like wings that drooped on either side of him; he had a mane, brown like the color of his hair, and a tail of the same color; and upon his forehead was a protruding horn. When he moved his arms, the legs of this fur moved as his own body. Draped across the fur were wings of a bird, and as he thought of them, he saw he could move them. Burdened in heart and mind, he began to cry out.

“What in the good name of god is going on here!? What did you do to me!”

Twilight's voice grew stern, “What did I? I didn't do anything, you fell into 'my' house! Why don't you explain how you got here!”

Kayl frantically tried to crawl and squirm across the floor, kicking at shelves and walls as he scampered towards the stairs. Twilight and Spike moved casually out of the way as Kayl met the stairs with a yell. His body rolled down and off the stairs completely and collided to the ground below. Kayl's sides burned with pain as he had fallen on the side of a table.

“Gosh, it's like he doesn't even know how to walk!” came the nasally voice of Spike

“How to walk? How to walk! Spike that's it! He doesn't know how to walk because he can't! He must have hurt his legs or something! Hey! Down there! Don't move okay!”

Kayl looked back to see the creature float down on wings to the level below. Kayl saw the creature more clearly now in the light of the sun. His first analysis of the creature being a winged and horned horse was clearly presumptuous. The creature in form looked very little like an actual horse. The eyes were large, the snout of the creature was short, the whole head was decidedly round and its body was curved and smooth. The creature even lacked the odd feet or ankles of a horse. Of course, this was entirely besides the fact that the horse itself was a flowing pallet of purples with bird like wings and a horn at the top of her head.

Then, it hit him. He had the same form of body; he had the same style of wings; and he had the same kind of protruding horn sticking out of his forehead. This creature, for whatever purpose it held, shared the same predicament as himself, and yet was comfortable of this. Burdened in mind and body with such stress, questions began to race from his mouth.

“Where am I? Who are you!? Why do I look like this? How did I get here? How much did I have to drink...?”

Twilight looked on, puzzling the mystery of Kayl and his question. But as polite as she could she walked over and sat down next to Kayl. Kayl began to feel more comfortable. Whoever this creature was, it was becoming increasingly likely that she meant no harm.

“Well I'm not sure about all of those questions, but let's answer what I can alright? To start with, you're in my house, which also happens to be the Library of Ponyville.”

“Ponyville!?” Unlike you and I, Kayl would never have known about any such places or creatures that he was now learning of.

“Yes...Ponyville. In the land of Equestria. Do you know that we're in Equestria?”

Kayl shook his head.

Twilight gave a slight hum of thought, “Well. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I mentioned that last night but I guess you might have been a bit weary and forgot.”

Kayl nodded, “It was a unique name. At first I thought I had dreamed all of that.”

Twilight sat there for a while with a smile, and Kayl wondered why until it dawned on him.

“Oh! My god, I'm sorry; My name is Kayl. I guess I shouldn't forget my manners, despite my condition. It's just...we are we horses?”

Twilight chuckled and shook her head, “No, we're called Alicorns, but I suppose we all consider ourselves ponies...and...” Twilight gasped, it had taken some time for her to place 2 and two side by side and determine why Kayl was in such shock.

“Are you from...another world!?”

Kayl, lacking anything else to really latch on to as truth, nodded.

“I must be, because where I'm from, I'm not a horse, or an, what did you call me? An Alicorn? Is that what winged horses are called?”

Twilight shook her head, “No, that's a Pegasus. But you have wings and a horn. That makes you an Alicorn. But that's not the real pressing issue. You're from the other world!”

Kayl looked at Twilight with some kind of confusion. Was his world so separate and yet so well known by royalty of Equestria? Kayl also couldn't believe that those words would actually come to his mind.

“I'm sorry, um Princess Twilight. But if you know where I'm from, then do you know how I got here?”

Twilight looked as if she was about to speak, but then sighed and shook her head, “I can't think how. That was going to be my question for you. But, are you really a human?”

Kayl sighed and nodded, “Well at least I was. But how do you know about humans? Where are we?”

Twilight stood up, “Well first, we should probably get you on your feet. Can you stand?”

Kayl looked down at his legs, and gave a grunt as he tried to use his legs. Remarkably, his body responded to his wish, but shakily. Standing on four legs was bizarre, yet stable. He looked back at his body again, and saw how his wings were folding in like a birds. Was this how birds were with their wings?

“Come on, I think we should get some breakfast and talk about this new discovery. Spike, we'll be heading out for the day. Could you write to Celestia and tell her that we might be stopping in today?”

Spike gave a salute, “You can count on me!”

Twilight walked towards the door at the other end of the house and Kayl wobbly followed on his new feet. Spike began to pull out a scroll of paper and a quill pen, both of which seemed ancient. As they walked outside, Kayl turned around and saw that the house they were in was actually a giant tree.

“Your house is a giant tree? Isn't that dangerous during a...”

“Thunderstorm yes. I've already had to explain many time, that we have a magical lightning rod placed above the library for just that reason. Now don't dawdle, I think we would both do for some break fast.”

Kayl blushed and followed along. He felt like a lost child, and it wasn't in his nature to be seen like that. Considering how things are however, it couldn't think of much else to do. What had happened to him as he had looked into that mirror? At best, it could be said that Kayl was merely dreaming, and soon he would awake to find himself passed out on the floor of his living room, or perhaps lying face down in the lawn.

But what if was real? What if by some unexplainable phenomenon, he had found himself in a predicament that might spell the difference between his life and death. Kayl was not always sure about the existence of a god, but if there was such a thing as a benevolent god, this is just the kind of stunt they would pull to bring Kayl to some kind of realization.

As Twilight Sparkle lead Kayl through the streets of this place, Ponyville, he came to an agreement that dream or not, it would be best to simply play along. Clearly he had no control of himself in the world where he once was, so even if this were all a dream, the real best outcome would be if he let his dream take him on this journey. Perhaps in following this Alicorn, he might come to understand himself better.

However, this wasn't easy, as it occurred to Kayl that everyone they passed was gasping and whispering as Kayl passed. It was unsettling, was it so obvious that Kayl was foreign? And he realized there were many different kinds of horses there. Unicorns, Pegasi, and some who had neither. But there was a particular item that had escaped his notice until now. Upon the backside of each horse, on either leg, there was a birthmark of some form. Each one was different for each horse that beheld.

Kayl started to take notice that almost every horse he saw, whether they be flying, horned, or neither had such a mark. But then, when he saw a number of little ones running up to see, he noticed that they did not have one.

“That can't be a coincidence” He said to himself, but he spoke louder than he had wanted to.

“What can't be?” Came a reply from Twilight.

“Oh, the marks on the others. But the smaller ones don't have them. What are they?”

Twilight chuckled, “Oh, that's their cutie marks. It's a mark that comes to every pony when they realize what their special talent is. I didn't even think to look at yours...”

Kayl looked back at himself, down on his leg all he saw was the same unsettling reddish fur. Even after lifting up his wing, spinning around, and trying to bend his head back farther to the point of strain, he could not see anything like what he had seen on the others.

“I don't have one...can I just not see it?”

Twilight gave a start and turned around, after passing around Kayl once she gave a slight hum of thought.

“That's strange, a full grown pony, and no cutie mark? Well that makes sense...you haven't been a pony for very long. I wouldn't worry about it though. I'm sure you're very talented, Kayl.”

Kayl tried very hard not to take the words as an insult, but he couldn't help be think that this was another blow against his masculinity and competence.

“Not talented!?” Thought Kayl in frustration, “Why I have more skills and talents than I know what do with! Who do they all think they are for sitting there and judging me.”

Kayl spoke softly, trying to control his anger, “So I suppose that's why I'm the gossip of the town right now. Because I don't have that same mark of status as they do.”

Twilight laughed, the sound stung Kayl but before he could be offended Twilight turned to him.

“I didn't even think about that. I don't think so, though. Kayl, you're an alicorn, like me. But you have to understand that is very rare. Besides Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadence there are none other in all of Equestria. Not to mention, there are no Alicorns who are colts either. It's a surprisingly rare sight to behold. Trust me, I doubt anyone is really looking at your cutie mark.”

Kayl was still angry. So what if he was rare, if he was so special, how come he could not have a cutie mark.

And as the words came to his mind he was startled to realize how silly it sounded. Here he was, a grown man in a strange predicament and his chief worry was why he didn't have something as horribly ridiculous as a cutie mark! He began to chuckle, seeing how he had lost his mind for a moment. He realized how similar this cutie mark idea was to something else he had remembered. As the thought came to his mind, Twilight had finally led Kayl to the place where they would have breakfast.

“I don't know what you like to eat, but you'll have to make do with hay and oats. Is that fine?”

Kayl gave a robotic, rehearsed answer, “Of course, I'm pretty hungry actually.”

As they took a seat at a table outside, Kayl realized something serious.

“Twilight,” He stared slowly, “What does your kind use as currency?”

Twilight gave a sharp laugh. Apparently she was tickled pink at Kayl's crisis.

“Kayl, don't worry your head over it. I'll treat you, it's what friends do!”

The word hit Kayl like a steel beam.

“We only just met, and for all you knew, I could have been an intruder. Or worse, a liar!”

Twilight shook her head, “I really doubt that Kayl. You know, that's a nice name! I wonder if your talent has something to do with vegetables.”

Kayl didn't pick up the pun, sadly, but he felt the need to set the record straight.

“Kayl comes from a commune where my father and mother met in Luxembourg. I don't know what you think, but just because I don't have some silly mark doesn't mean I'm not talented in my own ways Twilight.” As Kayl spoke, it was apparent that this explanation was needed more for him than for Twilight.

“Of course you are! You've been through a harrowing experience, I would know, but you don't need to worry about not having a cutie mark. I don't think anyone even notices.”

Kayl sighed and shook his head, “It's just, it reminded me of when I was a child myself. I wanted more than anything to be driven to school by my mother or father. Most kids who were considered cool didn't take the bus. But my parents worked early, and they didn't have time to drive me to school. Fretting about this mark, reminded me of that.”

Kayl gave a laugh, “It really is silly to think that suddenly the only thing I was able to think of was some painted design on my rear end when for all I know I could just be dreaming.”

Twilight gave a sigh and shook her head.

“You don't think I'm dreaming?”

Twilight shook her head again, “I know this might seem strange, but I've been to your world Kayl. But I wanted to ask you, how did you get here?”

Kayl wanted to ask more about what she meant, but he ignored his questions for the moment to appease Twilight's. After Twilight ordered for food from the waiter, which Kayl stayed out of for lack of any knowledge about what horses in this world ate, he began to explain how he had arrived to this situation. He began by explaining the party he had been throwing, his girlfriend Beth, and Barbara. It should pointed out that when explaining what happened with Barbara and the rest of the party, he described Barbara as a friend, but everyone else as merely 'guests'.

When Kayl reached the part about the mirror, the flash of light, and the lurching pain. Twilight's eyes sparked and she got so excited her wings flapped out and nearly knocked the waiter over. After apologizing and thanking the waiter for their food, pancakes of all things, Twilight exclaimed the reason for her excitement.

“Kayl! You must have found a magic portal mirror like the one in this world! Who would've known that your world had such things!”

Kayl shook his head, “We don't, I don't think it was really magical. To be perfectly honest Twilight,” Kayl looked as his pancakes with some amount of confusion, “How do I eat?”

Twilight shrugged, saying matter of fact, “With your mouth?” Then, she realized the issue. “Oh! I'm sorry Kayl, but you'll just have to eat like this.”

Twilight bent over the plate and began eat the dish. Still, for only having to use her mouth, the procedure seemed quite delicate. So Kayl did what he could and imitated the act. To his amazement, Kayl's new face structure made it much easier to eat this way then he would have imagined. Strangely, many years of listening to his mother talk of animals helped Kayl adapt to his new body. When they finished eating, Kayl wanted to address the elephant in the room.

“Well, it's good, that's at least promising. Twilight, I've given this some thought. I still don't believe that all of this is truly real. But even if it is, I can't stay here. I have to return to my own world. So whether this is real or not, what are you planning to do with me?”

Twilight nodded, somehow she could understand Kayl's rationale.

“I know you might think you're dreaming, but I think you'll find that you can't be. Scientifically speaking, dreams don't have such vivid reality. Sure they can convince you of such, but you seem smart. I'm sure if you really think about it, this can't really be a dream.”

It was a hard blow, but hearing a talking magical horse bird talk about science presented Kayl with an unsettling resolve. If he was dreaming, than Twilight was merely emanating the same kind of rational thought he would have presented himself with. Which, if that is true, than perhaps this all was real.

“Either way, I doubt you're simply planning to let me fend for myself. If not, I would gladly trade this free meal in exchange for further hospitality.”

Twilight's eyes popped in surprise, “Kayl, you're my new friend! I'm certainly not going to abandon you in your time of need! I certainly have a plan. We're going to go to my mentor, Princess Celestia of the city of Canterlot. She's the ruler of all of Equestria, and rules alongside her sister Princess Luna. If there is anyone who would be able to help you get back home, it would be her.”

Kayl couldn't accept this plain explanation. Not the idea of a monarchy rule, but of these ideas of friendship that as you might understand, are foreign to Kayl.

“Twilight, I literally only met you today. You're certainly kind, and I'm not insulting your hospitality, but I'm sure friendship means the same thing here as it does in my world. Frankly, I don't think you understand what friendship really is.”

Twilight stared long and hard at Kayl. At first Kayl thought he had been reasonable, but the unsettling look he received from Twilight caught him off guard. He saw something in her eyes, a mixture of sadness and pity. It infuriated and shamed him, and Twilight didn't find words to respond with. After paying for the meal, Kayl thanked Twilight and the waiter.

Twilight gave little response but to say, “Come on, we'll need to catch the train to Canterlot.”

The walk to the train was painfully slow and quiet. Twilight didn't look at Kayl, and said nothing. A few times, Kayl wanted to speak to her, but found himself commenting on the quaintness of the town.

He was doing what he was best at, changing the topic of conversation to smooth over the rocky start he had found himself in. But it was useless, and he knew he had spoiled his first impression in some way. Something he could not understand and had said had offended Twilight. Sure, his point of view might have been odd for a world of technicolor horses, but it couldn't have been so offensive.

When they finally arrived at the train station, Twilight went straight to the counter and purchased two tickets. Kayl tried to insist that he do something to help. But Twilight didn't respond, not even to exclaim again that her reason for hospitality was to help her new friend.

The wait on the train platform couldn't have been longer than an hour, but it was painfully long. It might have felt like a day had passed in all of the thickness of anguish he had caused. When the train finally arrived Twilight boarded first, and Kayl followed slowly behind. But this silent treatment was starting to grate on Kayl.

If he had done something wrong, he couldn't have known. If he had violated some local custom, there was no way of seeing how it would have been taken so harshly. On top of it all, despite the offense he had caused, Twilight was continuing to show the same hospitality that she meant to show as a friend. Before Twilight excused herself to a private cabin Kayl's silence and patience finally broke.

“Twilight! I'm not putting up with this! First, you tell me your hospitality is meant as a sign of friendship. But now, I've upset you somehow, and you're still helping me! So what does that mean!? And what did I do to really offend you? I only feel the way I do because I think it's odd for people to consider themselves friends so quickly! Why must you be angry at me because I don't share your idea of friendship?”

Twilight stopped, she didn't look back for a time, perhaps only a few seconds, but it dragged on as all her silence had. Then, looking back with a look of sadness and remorse, she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts.

“Kayl, what you said was insulting. But I don't think you understand. I'm not blaming you for that. I'm upset, but true friends don't deny their hospitality simply because they' been upset. I've been quiet because I'm not really sure what to say someone who hates friendship like you do. Frankly, Kayl, your insinuation that I don't know the true meaning of friendship is just naive. Sadly I pity you, because I don't think you really understand the magic of friendship.”

Kayl's mouth hung from his jaw, and his eyes burned in confusion. What kind of Saturday morning cartoon nonsense was she spewing? Surely, you and I would know better than to question Twilight, for few understand these things like her. Kayl was left speechless, except to say the only thing he could think of saying.

“I'm sorry...”

Twilight shook her head, “I'm not sure if you really mean it. But it's alright, friends forgive each other. And I certainly forgive you. But for now I think I need to sleep. It's going to be a long trip. I gave you the room right across from me, you should probably get some sleep too if you can. You've had a very stressful morning, and the rest of the day is likely to be just as much so.”

With that she turned and entered her room. Kayl struggled mentally with what he had heard, but his body moved automatically to the room across. With out hands, he was forced to grip at the handle of the door with his teeth. After struggling to get his wings through the door his frustration began to return.

But it was coupled with something else. Fear. Fear and shame. He was a stranger in a strange land, and the anguish he was feeling was too real to be a dream. If this was truly real, how would he return home?

But he was overwhelmed with heartache. In any other situation he could have simply smoothed over any mistake with kind words. But just as he had done with Beth, and Barbara, here was someone who could see right past his fake words, and not put up with his way of thinking. And that alone, filled him with remorse.