• Published 13th Mar 2015
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The Last Descendant - Cup of Coffee



After traveling into the Bermuda Triangle following a vision, Magnus ends up in a place filled with fairytale creatures and a secret concerning his lineage.

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Chapter 10 - The Potion (Edit by JBL 01.20.2017)

The enormous aircraft hangar was brimming with activity. Several crews were preparing The Warmth of the Sun, Princess Celestia’s personal airship, ensuring that it was fully operational. Other ponies bustled about, carrying food supplies, personal items, and crates containing a wide array of scientific instruments on board that were required for the expedition. A platoon of guards stood ready as well, assigned to safeguard the expedition in the event of trouble.

Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike had just finished lunch while the ship was being prepared and now entered the hangar. Spike's eyes lit up when he saw the ship, imagining himself piloting the large vessel, and he made a mental note to ask the captain if he could try steering it.

The trio walked up to a pair of pegasi that were engaged in conversation, though it ceased when they noticed the group approaching. They quickly bowed to the two princesses.

“Please rise,” Princess Celestia said with a nod to the duo. “Twilight, this is Crew Chief Air Blast.” She pointed to the aging pegasus who looked to be around fifty years old, grey hair streaking his short black mane. His cutie mark was a wrench emblazoned onto a pair of wings. “And this is Captain Wild Storm, the captain of my ship.” The other pegasus bowed to Twilight and smiled. He was young, with the image of a propeller for a cutie mark. His distinguishing feature was that his wings were larger than that of the average pegasus. Both ponies were uniformed to signify their respective ranks. Twilight smiled and returned their bow with a gracious nod.

“How goes the preparations?” Celestia asked, observing the ponies in the hangar going about their jobs.

“Quite well, Your Highness. Most of the supplies have been stowed already. Just a few more items now and we’ll be ready,” Air Blast answered confidently.

“Good. Is my ship ready for the expedition, Captain Storm?”

“Of course, Princess,” the young pegasus replied, pride evident in his voice. “I personally ran the checks this morning, and your ship is in mint condition. The propellers were recently changed, and the lightning reactor was recharged and re-enchanted in Cloudsdale. She could not be in better condition.”

“I am pleased to hear that. Now, I believe you have both been briefed on the nature of the expedition. Princess Twilight will be in command for its duration, and further instructions will be given by her on-site.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Both pegasi saluted.

“As you were.” The captain and crew chief bowed and trotted off in the direction of the ship.

Spike watched them leave before he leaned towards Twilight and whispered to her. “Twilight, can I go with them? I have, erm, questions to ask them.”

“Of course, but stay close to the ship. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes!” Spike exclaimed, a bit louder than he expected. “I mean no, no, I’ll stay close.” Spike hurried after the two ponies, fist pumping all the way. “So cool!”

“I guess colts will be colts.” Twilight giggled as she watched the young dragon’s antics.

“I have lived for long enough to know that some things will never change, no matter the species,” Celestia replied with a smile of her own. “And I have a faint guess as to what Spike wishes to ask for.”

The two princesses walked away from the crowded area over to a landing pad meant for smaller airships, affording them more privacy. Standing next to the railing, the two ponies had a marvellous view of the enormous green flatlands east of Canterlot Mountain. The sun was nearing its zenith, bathing the fields in its light.

Twilight yawned, still a bit sleepy from the ‘Goodbye-and-Be-Safe’ party Pinkie had thrown for Spike and her the previous night. Twilight had simply wanted to tell her friends that she would be away for a few days, but it only took a couple of moments before they were all sitting in Sugarcube Corner, eating cake and drinking soda pop provided by the passionate pink professional party planner pastel pony. Suffice to say, Twilight and Spike had slunk to their beds in the wee hours of the morning.

“I wanted to discuss a few things before you leave, about the excursion and about Magnus,” Celestia began. “First off, the expedition. I want you to send me daily reports about whatever you find. No matter how insignificant it may seem, I want to know.”

After spending over ten years as her student, Twilight knew some of Celestia’s tell-tale signs, such as the hint of worry that only somepony close to her would have picked up on. “You’re concerned about them, aren’t you? The portals, I mean.” She was still not happy about closing them. To her, it felt like throwing away progress. Still, lives were on the line, both on Equus and on Earth.

Celestia nodded as she gazed over the realm of which she was the co-ruler. “Indeed. I believed I knew of all types of magic in our world, yet Equus still manages to surprise me after all these years. It shows that there are still many things we know nothing of.” Celestia paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again, turning to Twilight.

“That such portals exists… They frighten me.”

Twilight's heart skipped a beat. Something frightened Princess Celestia? The great Princess of the Sun, the most powerful alicorn in existence, feared something? In all the years Twilight had known Celestia, she had never shown alarm, not even when confronted by Discord or Queen Chrysalis. Celestia met Twilight’s quizzical gaze.

“Who knows how many beings of our world have been lost to the portals, sent to worlds unknown, trapped in a place they could not understand.” Celestia's countenance became downcast. “Lost, confused, terrified, separated from family and friends, their fates known only to themselves. That is why I want the portals closed most of all.”

Twilight nodded sagely. Celestia was compassionate—her belief in that had never been shaken.

“I understand, Princess,” Twilight said with renewed vigour and a clear goal to focus on. “Nopony else will be lost.”

Celestia’s large white wing draped over Twilight’s back, eliciting a feeling of protection and pride from her mentor. “Thank you, Twilight.” The younger princess remembered the time when she had been a filly, of their late night studies when the two would read a book together. Occasionally, she would snuggle closer to the princess, and Celestia would lay a wing gently over her. She had felt so safe, so secure under the protective wing of the goddess. Now, her gesture served to remind her of days that would never return.

“Concerning Magnus,” Celestia began, not removing her wing. “His treatment will begin today. The castle’s alchemy laboratory is at Doctor Mgangah’s disposal. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients he needed were not in stock, so I sent the royal herbalist to the Everfree Forest to collect them. The first batch of the potion should be ready soon.”

“How is he now?” Twilight asked. He had seemed so fragile when she had left last night.

“He isn’t well,” Celestia replied sadly. “He could not sleep, he tossed and turned in bed, complained about nausea, and began vomiting during the night. He was offered something that would help him sleep, but hesitated before accepting it. Fortunately, he is still resting right now.”

“That sounds horrible!” Twilight grimaced at the turn of events. “It’s just that…” She paused, searching for the right words. “When we found out he’s a descendant of Star Swirl, I expected him to be… I don’t know. Stronger? Wiser? Maybe something like Star Swirl himself? But after he found out about Star Swirl and the fact that he may never return to Earth…”

Celestia nodded quietly, sympathy evident on her face. “He does not know how to respond. Too much has happened to him in such a short amount of time. He will need time to process it all properly.”

“But he will be okay, right?”

“That is up to him,” Celestia answered hesitantly. Truthfully, she was still uncertain. Magnus was no pony, yet according to Star Swirl, he had many pony-like qualities: he preferred peaceful and calm surroundings, could be rather playful, and held his friends close. Perhaps in that there was something he could find peace in. She had to investigate further, perhaps converse with him after her duties for the day were completed.

“He asked me, you know?” Celestia looked at Twilight, who had averted her eyes. “He asked me to find him a way back to his home world.”

“I know. He made the same request of me.” Celestia leaned down towards Twilight, a sad expression on her face. “But I think we both know the answer to that.”

“Yes…” Twilight replied as she stared at the horizon, knowing that Magnus’ chances of returning to Earth were virtually non-existent. “I think we do.”

Twilight had known ever since Magnus had first asked her. A way home. It was such a simple sentence that held so much meaning.

Home.

***

“Nnh… Ngh…” I didn’t quite manage to utter anything intelligible as I regained consciousness. Almost immediately, I felt a wave of nausea roiling within me, and the fact that my stomach was empty was the only reason I didn’t throw up.

The putrid odour of stale vomit assaulted my nose, though not as strong as during the night. Maybe the nurses had opened a window to allow some fresh air in. I had been violently vomiting during the night, several times making a complete mess of the floor and bed sheets. It was an unfortunate side effect of morphine withdrawal, and one of the nicer ones.

I finally managed to crack open my eyelids. As I shifted, it felt as though every muscle protested in a symphony of agony. I glanced around to see if anyone else was here, only to find myself alone.

That was a relief. I really didn’t want to start the day by finding a pony staring at me while I slept.

I sat up, trying to focus on finding my clothes. My own clothes had been brought to my room after I had vomited on myself before going to bed last night. I had strongly protested against wearing a hospital gown, mainly because they were so small that it would look ridiculous on me.

Getting dressed was a challenge. Just moving my arms over my head to shrug on my jersey was an exercise in patience itself, as was bending to pull on my jeans, but I managed to muscle through the pain, fully aware that tomorrow I wouldn't be able to. Standing up on shaky legs, I stumbled to the bathroom in order to complete every man's morning ritual consisting of the three S’s. I only managed two, as there was no razor around. I made a mental note to request one the next time I saw a pony, but with how my hands trembled, it wouldn’t be smart to move a razor close to my throat anytime soon. I wonder if the ponies even had safety razors. Brushing my teeth, at least, was something I could manage, and it was a relief to banish the acrid taste in my mouth.

I exited the bathroom feeling relatively better, though that really wasn’t saying much. A rumble from outside caught my attention, and I wandered to the window to investigate. Towering in the sky was a large airship that was hovering in place.

“Hindenburg, you can go fuck yourself. That is an airship,” I commented to myself, awestruck by the sight.

It was decked out in white and gold, with dual balloons and four propellers. Because of the distance, I could not estimate its size, but the flying ponies around it acted as a scale that told me that it was massive. The twin balloons were nearly twice the length of the hull itself, and along the hull I could see several portholes, identical to the ones found on ships. There was also another airship nearby, smaller but still larger than one would expect. This one had a single balloon and two propellers that I spotted.

I stared in wonder for a few minutes. I hadn’t expected the ponies to have airships, or any flying machines for that matter. The behemoth was a mix of art and engineering. With a loud rumble, the ships began moving away from the castle and were soon tiny dots in the distance. With nothing else capturing my attention, I walked back to my bed and sat down. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I decided that the best to do for now was to relax and wait for something to happen. It wasn’t like I could just wander off.

Soon, my mind found something else to focus on: today was potion day. I still harboured doubts over whether it could work. It sounded too farfetched. I mean, yes, we had apothecaries on Earth, modern medicine, brain surgery. We could replace a bad heart, change the lungs if they went bad, create medicines to combat just about any illness. However, a medicine to counter and cleanse a body of other drugs? Forgive me if I had my doubts. Morphine was a hell of a drug, and not in a good way. Sure, it had been beneficial for a long while, allowing me to be a functioning member of society. However, now that it could no longer relieve my headaches… Even now, I could feel the hunger from not having my daily fix. It was like a constant gnawing at my psyche.

It was no way to live. There had been so much I had missed out on when the morphine could only partly dull the pain. More than one camping trip I had passed on because my headache had been so severe that I had thrown up, and there had been days when I couldn’t go to work. After Lisa and I had decided that we were too different and ended our relationship, I had attempted to go on dates, only to be thwarted by a pounding skull that left me writhing on the bed. There had been a few rumours going around that I had tried to get dates, and then dump the girls at the last minute. Not that I paid much attention to what people said, but still.

Reminiscing about the past made me think about my friends. I wondered what they were doing now. I guessed they would be in close contact with each other, trying to find out anything about me. Wasn’t Richard, Adam’s uncle, in the Coast Guard? Yes, he was stationed in Miami if I remembered correctly. I hoped the search teams didn’t end up like me. It was bad enough that I was here. At least I didn’t have a family waiting for me back home—others should not have to end up here because of me. Still, homesickness continued to haunt me. I wanted to go home, but for now I had to be patient.

While sitting there, someone knocked on the door, or rather, ‘somepony’. The pony-isms were strange, but somehow the language that had been forced into my brain took care of the translation, so I just went with it. Before I could answer, the door opened and in walked Doctor Mgangah, a unicorn stallion, and a pegasus mare who pushed a breakfast cart into the room. The unicorn wore a doctor's coat and had a stethoscope around his neck, so his profession was easy to guess. The mare wore a white cap with a red cross on her head, so I assumed that she was one of the nurses.

“Good morning, Magnus,” Doctor Mgangah said with a wide smile as he walked in and saw me sitting on the bed. “Did you sleep well?”

“Morning,” I replied and rubbed my forehead, my hand brushing across my horn. “Eventually I did.”

“Yes, I heard what happened last night. It’s a common withdrawal symptom; nothing to worry about.” He sat down on the floor and began jotting down something on his notepad. Moving the pencil to the corner of his mouth, he motioned to the unicorn stallion next to him. “This is Doctor Silverheart, the head physician of the castle’s infirmary.”

The unicorn trotted up to me and held out his hoof. I got up from the bed and knelt down to greet him properly, grabbing his forehoof with my hand and shaking gently. “Nice to meet you, Doctor Silverheart.”

The unicorn eyed my hand enveloping his hoof before reciprocating the gesture. “Good afternoon, Mister Powell. I hope our medical facility is to your liking.”

“It’s actually pretty similar to a hospital where I come from.”

I sat back on the bed and took a closer look at the doctor. He was thinner than the zebra and possessed a very light blue coat and short white mane that was streaked with silver. Glancing at his flank, he had a red heart with a silver stethoscope coiled around it.

One thing I had asked Celestia about concerned their flank symbols, or ‘cutie marks’, as they called them. I had originally believed them to be tattoos or clan markings, perhaps signifying one’s family lineage. Apparently, it was a mark that appeared when ponies discovered their special talent, something that they were unusually good at. The way Celestia described it made it sound as though a cutie mark was the image of a pony’s soul. They seemed to appear out of nowhere and could be just about anything, usually coming about between the ages of eight to fourteen. I thought it was strange and seemingly forced upon, but Celestia explained that no matter what their cutie mark was, any pony was free to pursue whatever career they wished.

Last night I had checked my butt and was relieved to find nothing of the sort on my body. I might get used to the horn, fur, and hooves, but I drew the line when it came to marks on my ass.

The mare pushed the breakfast cart up to me and removed the lids from the various bowls. There were salads, bread, fruit, cheese, flowers, and hay, along with jugs that contained milk, water, and what seemed like fruit punch. I noticed that the mare seemed to be a bit apprehensive when it came to coming close to me. The fact that I stood taller than anything I had seen so far was a likely factor. I really couldn’t blame them for that, being big and scary in their eyes.

“Now then, do you remember the talk we had last night?” the zebra asked as he walked over to the breakfast cart.

I nodded. Doctor Mgangah had basically conducted an interview with me, asking about my dietary habits in order to create a meal plan for me. When I mentioned that humans consumed meat, he proved to be very understanding about it. He was used to omnivores, saying that he had been raised in a village where zebras and hyenas lived together in peace, which made me wonder what a bipedal hyena would look like. Some kind of weird werewolf, perhaps?

“I created a specific diet for you based on the information you provided. It mostly consists of vegetables, nuts, and fruits, due to their high mineral and vitamin levels. The potion will drain your body, so it is necessary for you to replenish what the potion takes from you. Because you will feel tired when undergoing the treatment, it is important to eat before you drink the potion.”

The zebra pushed the cart closer while the unicorn brought out his notepad and pencil. “For future reference,” the unicorn asked, “is there anything on this table that you cannot eat or digest, or would pose a health risk to you? I simply want to compare your dietary habits with ours.”

I separated the foods before me in two, edible on the right and inedible to the left. “Hay and flowers I can eat, but they aren’t exactly palatable and I wouldn’t be able to digest it. Fruit, vegetables, and meat from fish and animals are okay for me. If I see something that I don’t recognize, I’ll tell you since it might be dangerous to me.”

“Hmm, an omnivore? Interesting.” Doctor Silverheart scribbled on his notepad, using his magic to levitate the pencil and notepad.

“While you eat your breakfast, I will prepare your first potion.” Doctor Mgangah went to the door. “Eat as much as you can and do your best to keep it down.”

I was hesitant to eat, doubting my ability to keep any food down. Just thinking about last night made me want to vomit again. I wasn’t hungry either, having lost my appetite a while ago. Then again, it was the doctor’s orders.

I began with the salad, scooping a generous amount into a smaller bowl that was on the cart. There were juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and paprika, all of which was seasoned with something I didn’t recognize, though I had to admit that it was delicious. I began wondering how the ponies could make food taste so good, though I quickly understood why. This was probably coming from the castle's kitchen. Food for royalty and all that.

I sampled a bit of everything on the table, pleasantly surprised at the taste and the fact that I was managing to keep it down. This was by far the best meal I had had here so far. Last night’s dinner had only consisted of a few bites before it had been regurgitated. The doctor took notes while I ate, asking occasional questions concerning the food and my dietary habits. He asked me if I would face health problems if I didn’t consume meat, and when I replied yes, he asked what types of meat I ate.

“Fish, pig, cow—” Before I could continue, the nurse bolted out of the room, fear washing over her features. The doctor dropped his notepad, seemingly frozen in place.

Seconds passed as the unicorn stared at me. “C-C-Cows?” He gulped as beads of sweat began trickling down his face.

“Uh, yeah?” I scratched my head in bemusement. “Is there a law against eating cows?”

Silverheart used his magic to pick up his pencil and notepad, never taking his eyes off me. “O-Of course there is! You can’t eat a cow; they’re living, thinking beings!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I set down my fork and wiped my mouth hastily, the source of his consternation become apparent. “I may be wrong, but can cows talk around here?”

“Of course they can. I went to school with a cow; she was my best friend. She’s not a common animal!” His fear had given out to self-righteous indignation.

“Holy hell… Welcome to Ponyland. Vegetarian population: all of them.”

I shook my head, trying to imagine what a cow looked like on this world, given how different ponies were to horses on Earth. It was only now that I recalled that someone had mentioned that they were sapient beings yesterday. Now if only I had remembered that before I had opened my mouth.

Straightening his tie and breathing deeply, the doctor managed to calm himself down. “I understand that you are from another world, Mister Powell, and that you are accustomed to a different lifestyle. However, Equestria is quite diverse, as is most of the civilized world. Perhaps you now understand why Nurse Cast left in such a hurry.”

“Yeah.” I sighed and picked up the fork, shovelling some more food into my mouth. “She thought she was on my menu.”

My breakfast continued, uninterrupted by any queries from the doctor. That suited me just fine since I wasn’t in the mood for playing twenty questions and making myself the local pariah, though I doubt it wouldn’t take long anyway. That mare was probably halfway around the country by now, judging by the speed she had ran out the door, spreading rumours about the horrible cow-eating monster that was hiding in Canterlot.

Fortunately, Doctor Mgangah quickly returned. He trotted into the room, sat down in front of me, and produced two vials from his pockets. “Did you enjoy your meal?”

“I did, although I’ve never been a fan of salads.” I leaned back onto the bed. I had been careful not to eat too much, in case my stomach decided to reject its contents once again.

“That’s too bad, seeing as your meals will consist of mostly salads and vegetables in the days to come.” Mgangah focused his attention onto the two vials he held curled in his foreleg. One of the vials contained a black fluid, the other a dark blue one.

“Oooh boy, here we go. If I turn into Mr Hyde…”

“Before I give you the potion, I would like you to be aware of the possible side effects. Those who imbibe this will experience at least one—it is unavoidable. Some experience hallucinations, others become very lethargic, but all side effects are completely harmless.”

“Okay… You didn’t mention that last night,” I asked, wondering what was in the vials he held.

“Would you have agreed to it if I told you what would happen?” I didn’t answer, seeing as I probably wouldn’t have. “I thought so.” Mgangah removed the corks with his mouth and then poured the contents of one vial into the other before shaking it firmly. The two dark liquids swirled together, first turning bright red before becoming clear in a matter of seconds.

He held up the vial and inspected the liquid for a few moments before handing it over to me. Grabbing the vial, the first thing I did was smell it. It emitted an odour of damp soil and something sour, though I couldn’t place it.

“Should I just drink it?” I asked, looking at the vial somewhat nervously.

“Yes, all at once.”

I eyed the potion for a second before I raised it into the air. “To my health.” I poured the liquid into my mouth and swallowed quickly to avoid any possible horrible taste. Despite that, some of it touched my tongue, and to my surprise, it tasted like rhubarb.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.”

I handed the vial back to him. “Honestly, I don’t know what to expect.”

“I take it you’re not familiar with alchemy in your world?”

“No, not really. I mean, alchemy existed in in my world, but those who dabbled in it tried to turn lead into gold. In my world, modern day alchemists are called chemists.”

“Chemistry, alchemy, they are the same,” Doctor Silverheart interjected, keeping a wary eye on me. “Chemistry is an old Zebhili word, while alchemy is modern Equish for chemistry.”

“Yes, although the correct pronunciation of chemistry is ‘chamaztiri’ in Zebhili,” Mgangah added.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

Turning his attention back to me, Mgangah already held his notepad in hoof and pencil in mouth. “Now then, do you feel any different?”

I still felt like shit, hammered shit to be exact. “I don’t feel better or worse. How long should it take before the potion starts to work?”

“It should have already begun to work. Have you noticed anything different? Sleepiness, a tickling sensation in your stomach, blurred vision?”

I took a quick glance around the room. My eyes were fine, my stomach was about to riot, my body ached, and my clothes were moist with sweat. “I still feel like I did this morning.”

“That’s strange.” The zebra scratched his cheek with his hoof while his eyes shifted. “Perhaps your unique racial biology can filter out the side effects?”

“It is a distinct possibility. We have yet to examine Mister Powell properly; he could be completely immune to the herbs used.” Doctor Silverheart also sat down. “Maybe we should perform a toxicology scan?”

“It would be a good idea. It should give us a much clearer understanding of his digestive and immune system.”

I just sat there while the doctors bounced questions and treatment options off each other. Occasionally, one would ask me questions about the herbs, roots, and flowers used as ingredients in the potion, checking if humans could safely consume them. I only recognized one plant he had used, and that was the rhubarb, which was in the potion just for the sake of flavour.

Five minutes passed, then ten. It was around the fifteen minute mark that I began yawning, and a further five before it felt like my energy was being drained from my body at an alarming rate. I was well rested earlier, considering it wasn’t that long since I woke up, and the food had given me a bit of extra energy. Now it felt like it was all in vain.

“Hey… Hey, docs,” I said, stifling a yawn.

“Perhaps the briarroot could be to blame as— No, it could not. Briarroot sap spikes the overall performance of the other ingredients, making them more efficient.” Doctor Mgangah continued to drone on as Silverheart nodded from time to time.

“DOCTORS!”

“Is something wrong?” Both doctors swivelled around.

“I think…” I yawned expansively, not bothering to stifle it this time. “I think it’s working.”

“Sleepiness, is it? That is one of the more common side effects,” Doctor Mgangah said, sounding relieved.

I didn’t reply, not that I didn’t want to, but because I could not stop yawning. Since I was already in bed, I simply laid my head on the pillow, barely able to keep my eyes open anymore.

“We’ll leave you to rest now. One of us will be back later when you have awoken,” I heard one of them say as I closed my eyes. The door closing was the last thing my mind recognized before I drifted off to sleep.

***

Many hours later.

Princess Celestia’s airship maintained its speed as it ploughed through the headwind and clouds. Soon Fillydelphia would be in sight, meaning they would join both the third airship and the sailing ship that would serve as their base on water. They would also bring on board two additional teams whose talents would be put to use during the expedition.

Twilight herself had kept busy. She had walked around the airship, familiarizing herself with it during a guided tour. She had seen the engine bay where the lightning reactor was located, a power source consisting of a thundercloud inside an enchanted crystal sphere. The electricity of the lightning powered the ship's engines. Though a complicated process, it was highly efficient.

Twilight and Spike had been given Princess Celestia’s private quarters, with the princess herself insisting on it. Twilight had been mortified when she been informed, and at first refused to sleep in the very bed Celestia used. Spike did not concern himself with such matters. He tested the bed by jumping up and down on the mattress, claiming to be testing it to ensure it was fit for a princess. Twilight had then lectured him for using the mattress as a trampoline, her consternation forgotten.

Twilight was now conversing with Captain Storm, who had been the one to show her around the ship. He was currently regaling the young princess of how he had become captain of the ship. His special talent was piloting airships in any weather, even hurricanes. That talent was quickly recognized, and he had joined the Pegasus Corps Airship Division and slowly worked his way up to his current position. After the tour ended, Twilight had decided that she needed a rest and headed to the room.

When she opened the door to her cabin, she noticed Spike putting away some books and scrolls that she had been studying shortly after leaving Canterlot.

“Hey, Twilight, where’ve you been?” Spike asked as he hauled an armful of scrolls over to the shelves.

“I’ve had a look around, talked with the captain, and met with some of the experts who joined us in Canterlot for the expedition.” She used her magic to help Spike with his tidying.

Sorting out a stack of paper and placing them on the large desk in the room, Spike brushed his claws together to rid them of the dust. “Well, guess who’s going to steer this ship back to Canterlot!” the young dragon, a wide grin on his face.

“Hmm, let me guess. Perhaps a certain dragon?” Twilight shot him a knowing smirk.

“Yes, Fillydelphia to Canterlot is all mine!” Spike's shoulders slumped, but only a little. “Although I have to be supervised. Apparently they think I’m going to perform loops with the ship.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, Spike. One day you’ll grow wings and then you’ll be a natural flier.”

Picking up the remaining books and scrolls, Spike began sorting them alphabetically. “Yeah, although it’ll take some time…” he muttered.

“You’re growing up, Spike. One day you’ll be taller than any of us. Please don't grow up too quickly, though,” Twilight thought, recalling the days when Spike had been so young that he hadn't even learned to talk. He had spent much of his time playing with his claws and sucking his tails. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, causing her to smile, then shake her head.

Twilight sat down on a cushion, levitating a stack of books in front of her, along with a scroll that contained the names and specialties of every single professional that had joined the expedition. There were experts in almost every magical discipline, vacillating from those who were highly skilled but had yet to publish anything to the distinguished and famous. Twilight herself was also itching to get down to work. She had already worked on a few theories in her mind, but had yet to put quill to parchment on any of them. They ranged from Discord's magic from ancient times to inter-dimensional magical communication between two different types of magic, to some that were so silly that Twilight made them up just because she could.

In other words, she had nothing solid yet. Still, she firmly believed that something new could be learned from this new magical phenomenon. Perhaps they would learn enough to the point where she could write a book and have it published. It was something of a dream for her, to have her very own name stamped on the cover of a book. Perhaps she could even give lectures to students at the Academy of Magic in Canterlot. Maybe she would be invited to speak at universities and academies all over Equestria, maybe even in other countries.

Amidst her daydreams, one screeching thought brought her right back to reality in the blink of an eye. “What am I doing? I’m sitting here fantasizing about writing a book about the very portals that are the reason Magnus is here! What’s the matter with me? He’s separated from his world and his friends, and I’m dreaming about giving lectures?”

Resting her head in her hooves, Twilight let out a frustrated sigh, even as a pang of guilt reverberated within her. How could she fix this? She already knew she could not open a portal to Earth. Not unless there was another magic user there already who knew of portal spells. According to Magnus, humans could not use magic—they didn’t even know about their world being slightly magical.

No matter how many times she racked her mind, no matter how many paths she took, she was still left with the cold reality that there was no way for Magnus to return to his home. How would he react when he was told? She herself had let the hint of possibility tantalise him. Celestia herself was guilty of this as well, having chosen a middle path in order to spare his feelings. In fact, Magnus hadn’t been given a straight answer at all, and knowing this made Twilight feel terrible. Did he not deserve to be aware of the reality of his situation?

“Twilight?” Spike said, though Twilight didn’t move, too entangled in her self-recriminations to notice. It wasn’t until he poked her withers that she reacted.

“Hmm?” Twilight turned to Spike. He was holding a scroll in his hands. “What is it?”

“You tell me.” Spike held up the scroll in front of Twilight’s eyes. On it was a crude sketch of an average pony, a large alicorn, and another creature—a certain bipedal with hooves, arms, and a horn. Next to the bipedal creature, notes had been jotted down, describing the creature's height, skin and fur colour, and general appearance.

Twilight froze. How had the sketch she had drawn end up here? Had she mixed some papers back at the castle, with the end result being that the sketch ended up amongst some other notes? Had she forgotten it in a book? She had no time to ponder any possibilities. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had said that Magnus was to be kept a secret, but now Spike knew of the sketch. What should she do? Perhaps it was best to act as if though it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, that? It’s nothing. Just a doodle,” she said with the most innocent smile she could muster.

Spike gave her a sceptical look. “... A doodle?”

“Yes, a doodle. Just an innocent doodle. I was reading a book that was… boring… and so I drew this figment of my imagination while I read the… totally... uninterestingbook!” Rivulets of sweat streamed down Twilight's face. Never before had she called a book boring! To think that such scandalous words could have emerged from her own mouth!

“You’re doing it, Twilight.” If anything, Spike was even more unimpressed, the expression of utter disbelief dominating his face.

“What do you mean?” Even as she said that, her smile shrunk at the corners, the effort to hold it in place taxing her.

“No offense, Twilight, but you have the worst poker face in the history of Equestria, probably next to Applejack. I know you’re lying because it’s obvious you’re forcing your smile, sweating, and your eyes are twitching and darting all over the room. Plus you’ve never claimed a book to be boring before. Ever.”

“Force my smile? Not at all. I’m just happy, and I’m sweating because it’s hot in here.” Twilight extended a wing, flapping some air towards her face.

“Twilight…” Spike shook his head, his patience fraying.

“Okay! I’m lying! You want to know why?” Twilight took a deep breath, feeling her body tremble. “THERE IS AN INTER-DIMENSIONAL BEING IN EQUESTRIA, AND HE’S A HUMAN NAMED MAGNUS POWELL, BUT IN REALITY HE IS PART HUMAN AND PART UNICORN, AND HE IS PART UNICORN BECAUSE STAR SWIRL THE BEARDED IS HIS ANCESTOR BECAUSE HE TRAVELED THROUGH THE PORTAL ANOMALY WE’RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO!”

“...”

“He’s not a pony, Spike! He’s an alien, a being from another dimension, a sapient species!”

“...”

“Think about everything we can learn from him! We could write books about him for years! YEARS!”

“Twilight…”

Suddenly, Twilight grabbed a hold of Spike and brought him right in front of her eyes. “He’s got a technological device from his world!” Spike's snout was pressed against Twilight's muzzle. He was given an excellent view of her enormous bloodshot eyes. “I want to see it but it might be broken!”

“Twilight.” Spike attempted to gain her attention once again, this time calling her name louder, but Twilight would not have her rant interrupted.

“Think about what we can learn!” Her mane had become frizzy, a few strands poking out of place. The grin on her face was stretched wide, reminding Spike of the time she had tried to help the citizens of Ponyville, resulting in her casting a certain spell. “Technology, art, music, history, new inventions, the history of another species and another world! IT IS FANTASTIC!” She yelled out the final statement.

“TWILIGHT!” Spike yelled out as loudly as he could. This time, his words broke through to Twilight, and she promptly released him from her magical grip. Rubbing his scaly cheeks, Spike took a moment to compose himself. “Are you serious?”

Twilight nodded furiously. “It’s true! All of it!” she replied, relieved to finally have gotten the secret off her barrel.

Spike stood there for a moment, digesting the information Twilight had spilled out. Being the inquisitive dragon he was, he grabbed a cushion, hauled it towards Twilight, and sat down. He knew he would get answers if he asked, and he was more than willing to listen to what Twilight would say. After all, it wasn’t often that beings from another planet dropped in on them. In fact, it hadn’t happened before as far as he knew.

“Okay, Twilight, tell me more about this thing. What did you say it was?”

Finished with fixing her dishevelled mane, she returned to her cushion. “I’ll tell you, but first you have to promise not to mention this to anypony. Pinkie Promise!”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he realized just how significant this really was for Twilight to invoke the Pinkie Promise. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

“Good.” Twilight released a sigh of relief, then a wry chuckle. To think that she would place such belief in an uttering of words would have bewildered her in the past.

“A few days ago when Princess Luna was returning from the griffon kingdom, she and the crew of her airship found the debris of a small ship off the coast of Fillydelphia. They checked for survivors and found only one: him.” She held up the sketch and pointed to the bipedal figure.

“Is this to scale? I mean, that thing looks pretty big, if that alicorn is supposed to be Princess Celestia.” Spike squinted at the sketch.

“I’m not good at drawing, Spike. But yes, that is Princess Celestia and that is Magnus.” Spike cocked an eyebrow and looked at Twilight. “That’s his name—Magnus Powell—and his kind are known as humans.”

“And his ancestor is Star Swirl the Bearded?” Spike scratched his scaly head and stared at the sketch. “Why isn’t he a pony?”

“Well, Star Swirl disappeared long ago and many thought he died at sea. However, the truth is that he didn’t die—he accidentally entered a portal of some sort that sent him to another dimension. That’s where he lived and died.” Twilight couldn’t hide the tiny smile on her face. “That is also where he found a marefriend and became a father.”

“With a… what did you call them? Hyu-man?” Twilight nodded. “Okay, I get it so far. But how did this Magnus guy come here?”

“This is where the story becomes sad.” Twilight exhaled, preparing herself mentally to retell the entire story she had heard directly from Star Swirl’s own mouth. She went through everything, from how he had discovered his daughter’s half-equine nature and the source of her magical affliction to his conclusion that he needed to bring his offspring to Equestria. She went further to relay how he had died before he could do so, instead copying his thoughts onto his horn and waiting for centuries before a portal opened and he could send his descendant through it to Equestria.

“I think I get it.” Spike nodded as he processed the information. He didn’t seem to be confused. After all, he had grown up around Twilight, who studied all the time and knew a thing or two about the importance of magic in the world. “So he is the reason you went to Canterlot the other day?”

“That’s right. When Princess Luna found him, she thought he was a Unicorn Hunter because he had the staff with him, which had Star Swirl’s horn mounted on it. He was then confined until we could have a hearing. Things proceeded as expected until Star Swirl himself appeared.”

Spike's eyes widened. “S-So you mean a… ghost?”

“Of course not, Spike. Ghosts don’t exist.” Twilight huffed. She should really keep an eye on what type of comics Spike read. “The Star Swirl we saw was a magical construct. I’ve never even heard of spells that could copy thoughts; the potential for a spell like that to be used for evil is considerable. Anyway, he spoke with us and told the princesses about the portal. Yesterday, Princess Celestia asked me to lead this expedition. What we’re going to do is investigate the remains of the portal and, if possible, close it forever,” Twilight concluded.

Spike nodded slowly, taking his time to sort out his thoughts. Though rather unbelievable, Twilight had managed to make sense out of the bizarre situation—except for one thing.

“Aren’t children of two different species really rare? I think I remember you saying that once.”

“Yes, cross-species hybrids are exceptionally rare. The last one I heard of was a cross between a pegasi and a griffon, and that was nearly four hundred years ago.”

Spike’s comment jogged her memory, reminding her of something that she had been considering when she had spent that late afternoon with Magnus. She had been so overly ecstatic about gaining an opportunity to speak to him about his world that the thought had been pushed to the back of her mind.

“Humans are from a world nearly void of magic, and that would mean humans are less sensitive to magic. That would make them a non-magical species, meaning Magnus is a semi-magical hybrid. I’ve never even heard of that before, Spike! Who knows what the chances of that happening might be!”

Spike nodded. He might be a number one assistant, but math had never been his strong side, so he simply went along with what Twilight had said. “Yeah, those chances might be low… but why is he here in Equestria? Shouldn’t the princesses be trying to find a way home for him?”

Twilight’s excitement faded, and she turned away from Spike. “I… There is a chance he might be never return home.”

“What? Why?” the baby dragon asked, looking bewildered.

“It’s the portals—they need two magic users to activate, one here and one on Magnus’ home world. To make matters worse, there isn’t a lot of magic on Earth, and according to what Magnus said, not a lot of people even believe in magic, so there aren’t any magic users.”

Twilight shook her head. Depressing thoughts like those would not help her now. She needed a clear and calm mind in order to lead and unlock the secrets of the portals. “But Magnus asked me to help him, and I said I would try my best to find him a way home. That’s exactly what I plan to do!”

“Great!” Spike replied enthusiastically. “So, where do we start?”

“That’s what we have to find out. When we get to the area where Luna found Magnus, I think we might find a few clues. Maybe—” Twilight was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in.”

A guard opened the door and walked in, saluting. “Your Highness, a courier from Fillydelphia just arrived and brought this letter to you.” He held a folded envelope in his mouth. Twilight levitated the letter from him and thanked him, eliciting another salute before he left.

“What’s it about?” Spike asked as Twilight opened the envelope and read it.

“It’s from the captain of the sailing ship that we will be going with. Just an update of how long their ship will take before it's ready to set sail.”

Twilight folded the letter and deposited it in her ‘read’ tray on the desk. Spike stood up and headed for the door. “Well, the room’s all tidied up and I’m hungry. I’m going to the galley and see if they have gems on board. Do you want anything?”

“Don’t worry about bringing me anything.” Twilight stood up and joined Spike. “I’m feeling a bit hungry myself.”

Author's Note:

Another chapter and more progress. Magnus is given the potion, the expedition sets out from Canterlot and Twilight is cracking at the seams. Alien technology? OOOoooOOooh! :pinkiecrazy: Also, Magnus finds out Cows are sentient beings in Equestria, which reminds me of something. During one episode we see that sheeps can talk, yet are still treated as animals. Why? I actually thought a lot about this recently and found one possible theory.

Sheeps and cows are sentient creatures, capable of intelligent thoughts. Cows walk around freely and interact with ponies, but sheeps are kept in enclosures. Why?

Cooperation. Sheeps and cows do not have -as far as we have seen so far- any special capabilities to defend themselves with. They would be easy prey for a predator. Ponies can defend themselves in a number of ways. We have seen timberwolves blown apart by magic, bucked apart by earth pony hooves and getting Stuka'd by Rainbow Dash. Ponies have no way to find milk or wool for clothes and that is where cows and sheep comes in. It is all a matter of cooperation: Sheeps and cows provide ponies with wool and milk and the ponies protect them in return.

Still wonder why Applejack kept the sheep in an enclosure though.

I hid one reference to World of Warcraft, can you find it?

Edit 01.20.2017.: JBL strikes again!

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