• Published 13th Mar 2015
  • 11,690 Views, 1,271 Comments

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.

  • ...
65
 1,271
 11,690

PreviousChapters Next
Chapter 14 - Green and White (Edited by JBL 02.20.2017)

It had been five days since the expedition had set out to investigate the portal anomaly, and two days since Magnus had been given the mana opal necklace. True to her word, Twilight had sent a detailed report every evening to Princess Celestia, describing what they had found out. The report received on the third evening was interesting to say the least.

Ley line disharmony referred to a disruption of ley lines that caused magical disturbances to occur and occasionally resulted in strange behaviour from local wildlife, among other things. This was not the first time such an event had been observed, however. Princesses Celestia and Luna had both dealt with similar occurrences in the past, though the last time they had to normalize the flow of magic had been well over a thousand years ago. It was not considered a particularly dangerous procedure, but it required concentration and a vast amount of magic for the flow to be harmonized properly.

As unusual as ley line disharmony was, numerous written accounts had been gathered in the Royal Archives over the years, compiled into books and scrolls. A full shelf of books and nearly a full crate of scrolls had been sent the previous day via Spike to Twilight. Celestia had also been considerate enough to send some medicine as well, aware that sending that much mail in such a short amount of time would give Spike an achy stomach.

It was during the early morning hours that Celestia walked into the dining room. Luna already sat at the table with her meal, perusing the morning newspaper before retiring for the day.

“Good morning, Luna,” Celestia greeted her sister and sat down at the table.

“Good morning, sister.” Luna lowered the newspaper. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, but not nearly enough. I spent quite some time sending mail to Spike last night. I fear I might have given him an upset stomach.” Celestia began to butter her toast and poured herself some tea.

Sipping her coffee, Luna flipped to the next page. “Ah, but he is a dragon. Their strong constitution is legendary, even amongst their young.”

Chewing her toast, Celestia’s mind began to wander. “Do you remember the last time we harmonized a ley line?”

Folding her paper, Luna skewered a piece of vegetable gratiné with her fork and brought it to her mouth. “It was in the Hayseed Swamps. The rampaging hydras,” Luna murmured, her memory of that week unfaded from the passage of time.

“Yes. More than fifty hydras going wild in the swamp, destroying villages on the outskirts.” Celestia paused, remembering the despair on their beloved subjects’ faces. “To this day, I am still amazed that none of our subjects lost their lives during that time.”

“Ah, but it was a glorious battle!” Luna exclaimed. She stood up and assumed a battle stance, wielding her fork with her magic. “The two of us, sisters in blood and battle, fighting off a horde of hydras! Their mouths frothing, their sharp teeth gleaming as they roared in anger, and we drove them back for days until we finally found the cause for their madness.” Luna swung her fork against an imaginary enemy, ending the foe with a powerful thrust of her weapon before taking her seat, sighing with a small smile on her face. “The good old days…”

“The good old days, indeed.” Celestia smiled at her sister's antics. “This age is less… interesting than it was a thousand years ago. Rare conflicts, fewer rampaging dragons, the odd foe from the past revealing themselves—it’s just the peace of this time. Honestly, I would not trade it away for anything.”

“At least my nights can give me the occasional scuffle: manticores encroaching upon villages, owlbears, timberwolves straying away from their territories in the Everfree Forest.” Luna sighed and emptied her cup. “But you are correct—this peaceful age bodes well for our subjects and our lands.”

Celestia hummed in agreement and continued her breakfast while Luna picked up the newspaper again. Their breakfast continued in silence for a while before Celestia spoke up. “By the way, did you visit Magnus last night?”

“I did. I charged his necklace with magic, but he was asleep and I did not wish to disturb him. It is strange; he has not dreamt once since the day he found out about his ancestry. I would expect his dreams to be of home and friends, yet it has not manifested.”

Celestia slowed her chewing at that. “That is strange indeed. Does he dream as we do?”

“Yes, his dream world is quite similar to ours. I noticed his dream the night Star Swirl was with him, but I did not intrude upon it. Our beloved friend wanted to speak with Magnus in private, so I refrained from observing their conversation.” Luna smiled. “It is quite strange that he was able to visit his dream. Even after his passing, Star Swirl continues to amaze me.”

Celestia and Luna smiled in fond remembrance. Their decades of adventuring together were now memories of an era long passed. Somehow, it seemed as if it was not long ago. For alicorns, the passage of time was all the more sluggish.

Wiping her mouth with her napkin daintily and finishing her tea, Celestia stood. “Perhaps I shall visit Magnus after morning court. I only had time for a brief visit to charge his necklace yesterday due to the meeting with the Saddle-Arabian ambassador. We both have to speak to him whenever we have the chance to try and acclimatize him to our presence. Besides, he is quite pleasant to converse with.” She enjoyed talking with Magnus, learning of his life back on Earth.

“A sound idea,” Luna answered. She had made significant progress the night she had visited him. Magnus had no objections against Luna using her magic around him, and had even allowed her to levitate him. She shared her sister’s sentiment concerning the intrigue of his stories. Sometimes he would speak of matters that were alien to her, such as the curious concept of ‘Dee-Enn-Ay’, which she deduced had something to do with reproduction. It was clear that Magnus was knowledgeable in such matters. She expected no less of a creature from an alien culture that had accomplished so much. She often found herself wondering what Earth would be like to visit.

“Before you leave, sister.” Luna stood up and marched over to Celestia, fixing her with a serious frown. “Have you not told him that he cannot leave our world? When we spoke, he informed me of his plans to find a way home. His statement left me bewildered, as I was led to believe you had informed him.”

Celestia met her sister’s eyes calmly. Luna’s accusing glare could break even a dragon to confess all its sins. Celestia, on the other hoof, could resist, but she knew the truth of Luna’s words.

With a heavy sigh, she sat down again. “I have not told him, though I have not claimed the opposite either. The truth is… I am afraid of how he would handle the truth.” She shook her head slightly. “We both know he will remain here forever and so does Twilight.”

Celestia lifted her eyes to meet Luna, noting her sister’s frown had eased. “The way he reacted the first evening… He knew he would hurt himself, yet he struck the mirror nonetheless. What will he do when I tell him the truth? Will he attempt to further harm himself or lash out at those near him?”

A heavy silence fell over the two. No words were said, yet the truth felt burdensome on their backs. Truthfully, Magnus’ reaction that day had been rather frightening. The average pony would never deliberately harm themselves in such a manner, not in anger or fear, not even in sadness. Magnus, however, was not a pony, at least not completely.

Over the many years, the two sisters had travelled the world and ruled Equestria, learning how to predict the reactions of individuals, partly based on what species and the nature of the creatures they encountered. This ability was often useful when dealing with diplomats, politicians, and nobles. Now, with Magnus, it was a guessing game. One hint was that he would react with anger, as he did in the bedroom. One sure reaction would be grief.

“I… I think—No, I shall prepare to tell him the truth, Luna. I will find a way to ease it to him, allow it to sink in slowly. I do not believe he could handle it all at once.” She slowly rose to her hooves. Looking at her sister with hopeful eyes, she spoke, “Perhaps you could help as well if you speak to him during the night?”

Luna nuzzled her sister, comforting her as best she could. “Of course, sister,” she replied with a comforting smile. “After all, we both promised Star Swirl to take care of Magnus.”

Celestia reciprocated the gesture. “I think it is time for me to start my day.” Celestia began walking towards the door. “Good day, Luna. Sleep well.”

“And a good day to you as well, sister.”

***

‘Captain's log: star date… Is this the fifth day in this room? Maybe… Anyway! Star date: day five. I’ve grown bored, so I decided to voice my thoughts as Captain Picard. Additionally, over these few days, I’ve found out a few things:

One: pissing and crapping in a bedpan sucks.

Two: I sleep much more than ever before.

Three: sponge baths are awkward.

Four: the nurses, who are all mares, ask many weird questions concerning my body.

Five: I want pork chops. Alternatively, fried trout or baked salmon.

Six: I’m so bored.

Seven: monologuing as Picard isn’t funny anymore.

Eight: there are a grand total of 247 tiles on the floor.’

“Boooooored…” I muttered and stretched my limbs. Five days in bed was hell, especially when there was nothing to do here. It was either sleeping, reading, a chat with one of the nurses who dropped by occasionally to check on me or a conversation while Mgangah mixed his potion. I did appreciate the company though, although the ones I talked with the most was either Mgangah or Calm Sleep. It seemed we had struck it off with each other, so she was one of the few regular nurses who tended to me.

As it turned out, rumours concerning me were flourishing around the castle. The fact that I had mentioned eating cows had sent a few nurses into a frenzy, and some of them were now afraid to approach me unless a guard was present. Therefore, beef was out of the question. I wondered if poultry could also talk here. Could pigs talk? That would mean bacon would be out as well.

‘God? It’s Magnus. Please strike me down.’

So to sum it up: no meat for now, I was big and scary, some of the ponies were afraid of me, and I was still bored.

“~One hundred bottles of beer on the wall…~”

“~Particle man, particle man, hit in the head with a frying pan…~”

“~We can dance if we want to, you can leave your friends behind…~”

“~Never gonna give you up…~”

I moaned and rolled to the side, staring at the door. “I have officially grown so bored that I’m starting to rick-roll myself... and talking to myself, by the looks of it.”

Yeah, I think it was time for a change of pace before I lost it.

Grabbing one of the books from the bedside table, I sat up and opened it. I’m still on the one about the different types of ponies. It was pretty thick and rather informative as well. I was about halfway through and had reached a new chapter about crystal ponies, who apparently were a relatively new addition. According to the book, they lived north of Equestria, in the Crystal Empire. The empire itself was a protectorate of Equestria, directly ruled by the diarchy of Equestria in the form of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband, Prince Shining Armor.

I admit that reading about the ponies was actually enlightening and entertaining. I used to read about other civilizations and people before, such as the ancient Egyptians, Vikings, the Chinese kingdoms, and so on. Not that I was big on history or anything—I just liked reading about them and their way of life.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” I called lazily.

The door opened and in came Doctor Mgangah and Doctor Silverheart, both of them smiling as they entered.

“Good morning, Magnus. How are you today?” Mgangah asked in a chipper tone.

“Fine, I guess. I’m bored out of my mind, though,” I replied as I put the book away.

“We’ll see what we can do about that later,” Silverheart replied as he took a seat next to the bed along with Mgangah.

“We have a few things we would like to discuss with you today concerning your well-being. How do you feel today compared to previous days?” Mgangah asked.

“Good, better than I did four days ago.”

“Very good.” The zebra jotted down something on his clipboard. “It means that your treatment is proceeding as well as expected. Perhaps we’ll have you out of here by the end of the week, perhaps even faster.”

“Great, because I don’t like it here. I’ve never been a fan of hospitals—it’s something about the smell, that sterile scent that always lingers in the air. It always reminds me of sickness.”

“And your physical strength? Can you feel any changes about it?”

I took a moment to consider the question. I had felt pretty weak to begin with when I started taking the potion, but now it had subsided. I knew that the magic-filled opal around my neck played a large part in that.

“I don’t know. This opal fills me with magic, which makes me feel better. The pain has lessened, and I feel stronger just by wearing it.”

“May I?” Silver Heart motioned a hoof towards the pendant. I nodded and he lifted it off with his magic. Seconds passed before the pain surged forward. I could feel a definitive change, however. The pain, both physical and mental, wasn’t that bad, perhaps less than half of how I felt four days ago. It was amazing, nothing short of miraculous even.

“It’s not as bad as it was,” I told the doctors, the strain evident in my voice. Silverheart nodded, placing the pendant around my neck, the pain subsiding within seconds.

“Good, good. Now then, Silverheart here has some good news for you.” I looked to the unicorn, who held a medical folder with his magic. Opening it, he flipped through a few pages.

“We have been testing your urine samples every morning since you were admitted. The reason for the tests was to see how much opium leaves your body daily.” Closing the folder, he looked up at me and chuckled lightly. “And the test results are quite remarkable.”

“How so?”

“It seems that there are very few traces of opium left in your system, much less than anticipated after such a short amount of treatment.” He shook his head and smiled. “Truly remarkable.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to take longer?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It was,” Mgangah answered. “Although we suspect your unique racial biology may have something to do with it. Your reaction to the potion at first was not what I expected, as you slept for far longer than what is considered normal. All the beings of our world usually exhibit a shared reaction to all medicines used, whether they are a pony, griffon, zebra, or minotaur. The only difference is the dosage.”

“Your body reacts differently, or different medicines have a more potent effect on you, considering you are ingesting something that may not exist on your world,” Silverheart continued.

That sounded logical to me. Perhaps the inhabitants of this world were used to the plants here since they were a part of its ecosystem. Since I was the new guy here, I was being exposed to plants that I had never even touched or seen before. Much like when the first Europeans came to America, the native population had been exposed to diseases they had never experienced before and thus died in droves. In my case, it sounded like I was more sensitive to the medicines they used, so their effects on me were stronger.

After about fifteen minutes of what amounted to a medical interrogation, they were finished with me. The two doctors were about to leave, but I had one thing I wanted to ask first.

“Is there any chance I could go outside for a bit? I’ve been in here for days now, and I could really use some fresh air and a change of scenery.” It wasn’t that this room was bad. I just wanted to see something else and breathe air that didn't smell like disinfectant.

The doctors gave each other a brief look. “I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t,” Silver Heart replied. “There is a small garden for patients to relax in not far away. Let me go find a wheelchair and I can push you there.” With that, both doctors left, Mgangah saying goodbye while Silver Heart went for the chair. He came back after a minute or two with a wheelchair large enough for me.

Getting from the bed to the chair was easy—Silver Heart just levitated me. I had grown a bit more accustomed to their magic by now, seeing as a majority of the staff were unicorns and relied on their magic for most of their tasks. I had encountered pegasus and earth pony nurses as well, and the sponge baths I had received from them had been awkward. I still wore my jeans and t-shirt, seeing as they didn’t have hospital gowns in my size. They had found gowns meant for minotaurs, but they didn’t cover as much as I’d like to, something about minotaurs being proud of their physique and how it went against their pride to cover up. Since Canterlot was on the top of the mountain, I also chose to wear a shirt, seeing as the air could be a bit chilly. I brought along with me the two books, the one about the history of the ponies and the children's book about magic.

After leaving the room, Silver Heart used his magic to push the wheelchair through the hallways, the four guards following close behind me. As I expected, some of the medical staff shied away when they saw me, but most of them were used to me by now, so they didn’t make a fuss except from the occasional stare. After navigating the corridors, we came to a glass door. Beyond the door was a small enclosed garden with a hedge around it, with rows of flowerbeds and a small fountain in the centre that had crystal-clear water trickling down a statue of a pony. A few tables with cushions and chairs were arranged around them. Silver Heart explained that the garden was for patients as a stress-free environment for them to relax and recover in. Two of the guards stood in the hallway while the two others took up positions in the garden close to the door, nodding to their co-workers at the tables.

After making sure I was comfortable, the doctor bade me adieu as he had other patients to tend to. I had expected the infirmary to be reserved for castle guests, but I was saw that there was a group of Royal Guards here as well. They kept to themselves, chatting with each other or reading newspapers. The moment they saw me, an uncomfortable silence fell over the small garden. Even the birds stopped singing.

Now, I had never been one to seek attention. I always shied away from big parties, preferring to hang out with my small group of friends. I’d never been one for large birthdays either, mainly on account of birthdays being the last thing on my mind in those days. My friends would throw a small get-together, so I had celebrated it. Even grandfather’s funeral had been awkward, with people I had been barely acquainted with offering their condolences.

“What are you all looking at?” I demanded, staring directly at the group. The effect was instantaneous, their heads swivelling back to their conversations or their books. With attention drawn away from me, I exhaled, not knowing I had held it for almost half a minute. I might have sounded harsh, but I felt it was necessary. I didn’t have anything against them; I just wanted the stares to stop.

Spotting a vacant table, I wheeled my chair over and got comfortable in the summer’s warmth. There was a pitcher filled with water, a few empty cups, and a newspaper folded on the table. Pouring myself a glass, I took a sip and decided to see what counted as news in this world.

The paper was named the Canterlot Gazette. I flipped through the pages, scanning through some of the articles. A singer named Sapphire Shores was going on tour again; an author named A.K. Yearling spoke about her new book; a rising fashion designer in the city of Manehattan revealed some of her newest work. There was also a minotaur named Iron Will who was holding an assertiveness seminar titled ‘No Means No’! These were just some of the headlines, but one caught my eye: ‘Unicorn Hunter Scare Proven Hoax’. It could only be about me, so I continued to read.

"After rumours of a so-called Unicorn Hunter being held prisoner in Canterlot Castle sprung forth earlier this week, the population of Canterlot has been on edge, with many calling for swift justice. We can now confirm that the castle indeed held a prisoner recently, but the identity of the prisoner and its nationality are currently unknown. For readers who are unaware of what a Unicorn Hunter is, we can offer some information provided to us by Professor Dusty Tome of Canterlot University.

A group consisting of several races, ranging from griffons, minotaurs, and diamond dogs, the Unicorn Hunters were a cult whose goal was obtaining magic. Brutally severing unicorn horns, the cult believed they could use magic by adorning themselves and their weapons with these horns. Their reign of terror lasted for almost twenty years, with their base of power on several smaller islands located between Equestria and Griffonstone. At the height of their power, the group consisted of nearly five thousand members and preyed primarily on villages inhabited mostly by unicorns.

The cause of their downfall is not entirely known due to historical documents being lost in a fire. We only know that their numbers dwindled from five thousand to less than three thousand in a short amount of time. Historians believe that a battle was held in the vicinity of northern Manehattan, ridding Equestria of this murderous group forever.

We contacted Canterlot Castle for a statement, and Princess Celestia herself gave a brief comment this morning. “I am aware of the rumours currently traveling throughout the city, and it is true that we held a prisoner for questioning earlier this week, due to his belongings that we found questionable. After speaking to him myself, I can testify that he is in fact not a Unicorn Hunter. It was an error committed by myself and my sister, showing that appearances can be deceiving and that even we can make mistakes. We wish to extend our deepest apologies to him for how he was treated, and hope that he will enjoy his stay in Equestria. I hope that this incident will show our beloved subjects that one should not judge a pony or any other being by their appearance, but by their actions.”

After Princess Celestia's statement, we went out onto the streets of Canterlot with this new information and asked citizens of our fair city what their thoughts were.

“Everypony can make a mistake, even royalty, I guess.” ~Donut Joe.

“I think that the world is full of strange creatures and strange cultures. Canterlot is the capital, so I think it’s not strange at all that we sometimes get strange visitors.” ~Hayseed Turnip Truck.

“Appearances can be deceiving. I can attest to this myself. I once believed that a zebra was dangerous, but after spending some time with her, I found her to be a dear friend who is tremendously knowledgeable. I gained a humbling yet valuable insight that day about judging ponies by their façade.” ~Rarity.

“Can we be absolutely sure that he is not a Unicorn Hunter?” ~Jet Set.

“That’s a relief,” I mumbled to myself. At least I now had an inkling of certainty that I was in the clear. It seemed the Unicorn Hunters had been a brutal group. I wonder why they had gone to such lengths to collect magic? Was it the ability to cast spells that enticed them so? And severing their horns? Attacking entire villages? They had gotten what they deserved and rightly so.

I continued leafing through the pages, quickly scanning the headlines, one thing lacking that was standard in newspapers back home. There were no reports of shootings, murders, bombings, terrorist activity, or the like. After reading the last page, I started from the beginning once more, reading more thoroughly this time. Not one murder case, not one mention of war, not one word concerning anything beyond the pale. The closest was something about a bar brawl between a griffon and a minotaur at a nightclub, in which both were sent to jail for one night for disturbing the peace and destroying property.

I began wondering what kind of world this was. Did the princesses have something to do with what ended up in the papers? Did they censor everything or was this country simply peaceful?

‘Oh God! Did I end up in a fantasy world that resembles North-Korea, what with all the strict censorship? Am I in pony-Korea?’

After taking a few deep breaths and chugging two glasses of water, I ridded myself of the ridiculous thoughts. I tossed the newspaper onto the table and reached for one of the books I had brought with me. I settled for the one about magic, The Young Unicorn’s Guide to Magic: Your First Spells. Although it was obvious that the book was for children, I reasoned that the book would hold answers that would be comprehensible at my level. It had plenty of smiling faces and vividly coloured illustrations of ponies, and each page had a few lines of words written in such a way so that kids could understand. I wasn’t sure what I had expected magic to actually be, but the instructions in the book seemed simple enough.

The first couple of pages revealed that magic was something that existed everywhere, like air. It was within every object and every living creature. The first spell described in the book was the levitation spell. It was mentioned as the easiest spell to cast and usually the first spell unicorns learned, either from their parents or from a school teacher. Apparently, magic was an educational course in schools. The book stated that levitation spells aided unicorns to float and carry items, especially useful when something could not be picked up by hooves, mouth, or wings.

‘I wonder if this thing works,’ I thought as I reached up to my horn and tapped it lightly with a finger.

“Psst!”

“Hmm?” I looked up, wondering if that was meant for me. None of the patients near me seemed to have noticed the noise. I ignored the sound and returned to my book.

“Psst! Over here,” a voice said behind me. I looked over my shoulder and spotted two ponies sitting at a table. One was an earth pony stallion and the other was a pegasus mare. The mare waved a hoof, beckoning me to come over. I hesitated at first, but curiosity got the best of me, so I turned my chair around and wheeled it towards them.

I stopped a meter or so away from the table, looking from the mare to the stallion, not saying a word the entire time and keeping my expression neutral. Both ponies smiled at me.

“You’re that, um, the hybrid, right? The one that Princess Luna plucked out of the ocean?” the stallion asked eagerly.

“Yeah. And?” I was a bit wary of what these two wanted with me, so for the moment I decided to not reveal much.

“Is it true what they said?” the mare asked, leaning towards me. “That Star Swirl the Bearded appeared before the princesses?”

“He did,” I answered with elaborating. I noticed that the pegasus mare had one of her wings in a cast, while the stallion had a bandage around one of his forelegs. Maybe these two were Royal Guards, injured during training or something?

The ponies stared at me, then looked to each other, mouths slightly open. “...Wow! That’s so cool!” they exclaimed in unison and grinned.

“What’s so cool about that?” I asked, somewhat confused. They both looked somewhat bemused, their heads tilting slightly.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the mare asked. Before I could answer, she shook her head slightly. “Everypony, well, almost everypony, knows who Star Swirl the Bearded was. He’s, like, the greatest and most powerful unicorn that ever lived. He’s a legend!”

“Yeah, he is,” the stallion interjected. “Some say that Princess Twilight is stronger than him, before she became an alicorn at least.”

“Come on! This is Star Swirl we’re talking about! The legend! My mother and brother are huge fans of him, and both of them are unicorns. My mother just completed a new study on him at the university where she’s a lecturer. She’s adamant that Star Swirl was stronger than Princess Twilight,” the mare rebutted.

‘So Star Swirl is famous, famous enough to be legendary. I wonder if their views on him would change if I told them what he was responsible for. I’m tempted to tell them, Celestia told me that she hadn’t divulged any information on me being related to him. I’m not sure what would happen, so for now I’ll keep my mouth shut. And Twilight was a unicorn before she became an alicorn? How does that work?’

The mare and stallion argued back and forth for a while about who was the stronger one, seemingly forgetting my presence. I was about to return to my own table when the mare turned her attention to me, eyeing me strangely. Her gaze wasn’t exactly unsettling, due to ponies not looking particularly intimidating. Still, I did not care for the way she eyed me.

“Why did he appear when you were in the throne room? Are you a servant or guardian to him?” Guardian? To him?! The statement, casual as it was uttered, did nothing but raised my ire. Guarding Star Swirl? If he was in danger of drowning, I would give him a glass of water!

“I’m not his fucking guardian!” I growled, glaring at the duo. Both of them recoiled at my outburst. The mare flapped one of her wings, as if to escape, but only succeeded in tipping herself over to the side. The stallion got off his cushion, backpedaling several feet until he fell into a flowerbed. I gritted my teeth, almost overwhelmed by the desire to scream of what their beloved hero had done to taint my entire family line.

The mare slowly got up and winced, presumably due to landing on her injured wing. When she spotted me, she instinctively took a few steps backwards, her ears laid flat on her head and one foreleg raised as if she was about to defend herself. The stallion stumbled from the flowerbed, soil in his mane and coat.

I breathed in deeply through gritted teeth, the red haze slowly fading from my view. Both of them looked apologetic, knowing that they said something wrong. I turned my wheelchair around, noticing every single pony in the garden staring at me with varying degrees of apprehension. I knew I had made a scene, but I couldn’t bring myself to care at that moment. I began wheeling the chair over to my table, ignoring their stares and whispers as I passed them.

Upon reaching my table, I slumped back, attempting to regain control over my temper. The truth was hard to bear—I was related to that damned unicorn. I wondered what my family would have said about this entire mess. I didn’t know what mom’s reaction would be since I never got the chance to know her, but I had faint idea as to what grandfather would say. He had always been calm and logical, although he seemed to pluck the latter out of thin air sometimes. He was a firm believer in karma and destiny, which was the reason he tried so hard to set me on the right path growing up, steering me away from people who would have been a negative influence on me. He rarely got upset at anything I did, which made the occasions he did all the more memorable. But what would he say in this case? That I was meant to come here? I remembered the first time I had the visions that led me here. Grandfather had said I would go on a journey. Perhaps he was right, but he never mentioned anything about this being a one-way trip.

What if I never got back home? What if I was stranded here forever? I didn’t belong here—I needed to be amongst humans, not ponies. However, the chances of me getting back home to my own timeline were slim to none. April 2015 was just a number among millions and billions of years.

If I was stuck here, what could I do? Could I live here, fit in? I somehow doubted it. Ponies, zebras, diamond dogs, minotaurs, dragons—they were all native to this world. The worst-case scenarios came to mind, fears that had dogged me since my arrival.

No, Princess Celestia had declared that they would never happen, that it was not their way, that they were not cruel. She had not yet broken her word, and I had decided to place my trust with both Luna and her.

My anger has faded, depression eager to take its place. I had to remain patient until Twilight Sparkle returned with news, good or bad. Until then, I had to try to be positive or else I would break.

I picked up the book again, continuing where I left off and hoping that some reading might make me forget my situation, if only for a while. It was tempting to see if I could use magic or if the horn was just for show or somehow inert. The princesses had mentioned that I was connected to magic, so perhaps the horn was functional. It was worth trying. What could go wrong?

I flipped forward a few pages until I came to a chapter titled ‘How to Use Magic’ and began reading.

To use a spell, you must first focus your magic to do so. Magic comes from within, and if you concentrate hard enough, you will feel magic flowing inside you.

‘Okay, seems easy and basic enough.’ I closed my eyes and attempted to focus, shutting out all distractions, but it was difficult. With the pendant around my neck, all I could feel was the steady pulse of magic coursing through my body. I couldn’t discern any difference between my own magic and Celestia’s or Lunas, as both of them had filled the pendant. The opal still had the two royal sisters’ magic flowing within, one vivid dark blue streak and a more subdued golden one, meaning that Celestia’s magic was getting low. Perhaps magic felt the same to all ponies? Did it feel the same to me? If so, then I might be focusing my magic and didn’t even realize it.

When you have focused your magic, you must reach out with your mind to form the spell. Levitation spells are very easy to learn and require no words. All you have to do is focus very hard on what you want to levitate.

‘Levitate, levitate… What am I going to test it on?’ I looked around and searched for something to use, eventually settling on a small red pebble on the ground, easily distinguishable from the array of white rocks surrounding it. I figured the weight of the object was also a consideration. This time, I didn’t close my eyes, instead staring at the pebble. I attempted to reach out with my mind, trying to somehow feel its texture by sight, guessing its weight and shape with my mind, commanding it to rise.

The pebble didn’t move.

Slowly I closed my eyes, focusing on nothing but the sensation of magic within me. The book said that magic came from within, so I tried searching my body for something else, something deeper, something that I knew would reflect my existence. I tried to block all noises from the chattering ponies, the singing of the birds, the slight breeze playing with the leaves on the hedges, and the rustling of grass. Slowly but surely, they faded away. There was nothingness, only myself and the magic pulsing from the opal. However, I could sense something lurking behind the princesses’ magic. It was new, an almost alien presence.

It was timid yet healthy and eager, reminding me of a yearling that had stayed inside during winter, then allowed outside to run during the first days of spring. It felt new and fresh, and somehow it reminded me of my childhood days spent at my grandfather's cabin. The silence of the forest, the peacefulness, the scent of plants and grass—so many emotions welled up as long as I focused on it. It was amazing and disorienting at the same time.

Gradually, the image of the pebble came to mind. I could feel magic instantly respond, somehow recognizing it as my own. It was strange to begin with, but I gradually gained control as I attempted to guide the magic through my body. From the centre of my being, I held it together, kept it safe and focused. I was a guide in my own body, but somehow I felt this magic knew where it wanted to go, and that was my head. The sensation intensified as it travelled, navigating through my body before it reached my skull, a pressure forming that felt akin to being squeezed into a funnel. The resistance was strong, and my magic compressed even more until a soft sound caught my attention.

Wind chimes. A unicorn was using his or her magic, but I already knew who it was. Focusing on my magic, I opened my eyes and saw that the other ponies were staring at me, their eyes widened in amazement and their mouths ajar.

I could also sense a new existence, a form without mass, one that created a faint glow and the chiming sound. From my peripheral vision, a bright green-coloured aura could be seen, similar to when unicorns used their magic. There was also something else within the aura, a ribbon of white twisting around with the green. I was so surprised that I lost focus.

The aura disappeared instantly, replaced with a stinging pain that slapped my skull. It felt like I was struck by the business end of a whip, the stinging pain traveling through my horn and building into a crescendo. I jerked my head backwards as a shout escaped, holding onto my forehead in a futile attempt to alleviate the pain. The sudden movement of body caused the wheelchair to tilt. Balancing on its rear wheels for the eternity of a brief second, it crashed backwards, causing my head to crack against the stone tiles and knocking the wind out of me.

Gasping for air, I finally managed to fill my lungs, shouting the first thing that came to mind. “AAAAAH! Dammit! That hurts! Fuuuck! Son of a—NNNNNRRRGH!”

Moments passed as I alternated between rubbing my forehead and the back of my head as I continued to swear. Gradually, the pain began to recede from the back of my head, but remained in my forehead. Moving my hands away, I found myself staring up at a pair of concerned pink eyes.

“Are you alright? Are you injured?” Celestia asked, using her magic to levitate and place me back in the chair. Her horn glowed as she looked me over, presumably checking for injuries.

“I’m okay,” I answered, rubbing my forehead to no avail, the stinging pain still present. “My forehead hurts, though. What happened?”

Celestia looked to my horn before her own glowed, my forehead feeling warmer for a brief moment. “It seems you’ve suffered a magical backlash. It usually happens the first time a young unicorn uses his or her magic and loses focus. The magic rushes back into the body and can cause pain and discomfort. An adult is usually present with the foal to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

My forehead still stung, and rubbing it was futile. “How long does it take before the pain fades?” I asked as Celestia sat down at my table.

“It will fade in a few minutes, but you can also focus your magic once more to allow your magic to flow harmoniously again.”

I closed my eyes, once more focusing on finding my own magic. The opal acted as a distraction, but I knew what to look for. However, when I found my magic, it had changed, seeming erratic somehow.

“Is it supposed to act weird?”

“After a backlash? Yes,” Celestia answered. “A unicorn horn is mostly composed of bone and minerals but can be very sensitive when focusing magic, which is why you are experiencing pain right now.”

I focused on my magic, holding on to it. In response, my magic slowed, becoming calmer. The pain began to fade as I guided my magic to my horn. Once again, I felt the funnelling pressure, and after a few moments, the sound of magic reached my ears. Opening my eyes, I was determined not to lose it again. My horn was covered in the bright green glow, the white ribbon also present.

“I see you received a gift from Star Swirl.” I looked at Celestia, who observed my horn with interest.

“What gift?” I asked, bemused. I couldn’t remember receiving anything from him other than problems. I did remember something about a gift in that dream, though.

“A small part of his magic,” she murmured as she studied my horn. “The white tinge in your aura. Star Swirl’s magic was white.” I didn’t respond as I had no idea what she was talking about. She noticed, smiling lightly as she began to explain.

“In ages past, unicorns believed that magic was hereditary and that the strength of a unicorn's magic could be given as a gift. It was not true, of course, but it remained a tradition in many unicorn families for generations. When a unicorn reached the end of their lives, they would transfer a small part of their own magic to their children, hoping that they would become stronger. However, it merely grants the receiver’s magical aura a secondary colour that will fade in time.” Looking at my horn, her smile became even warmer. “The white in your magic tells me that Star Swirl deeply cared for you. In this age, it is a long forgotten tradition, but during Star Swirl’s era, it signified the bonds of a family.”

Her eyes glittered as she smiled, looking as though they were peering at a time and place not in the present.

“Oh…” I said after digesting the information. It made sense. No one wanted his or her children to be weak, and if magic could give someone more power… I began to focus my magic back into myself, feeling it flow back into the funnel and back to where I had found it. Strangely enough, it felt like it was located near my heart.

However, something Celestia had said nagged at me. “How do you know that Star Swirl gave me this? It was just a dream.”

“This is exactly the type of gift Star Swirl would give to somepony close to him He was quite generous to his family, but I know this because Luna felt another entity in your dream, namely your ancestor.”

Her calm response did little to allay the alarm bells that began to ring inside my mind. “I… I can’t believe it. Are you telling me that Luna can sense and interact with dreams?”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. She can also enter dreams and speak to the dreamer. She is the Princess of the Night, and as such, all matters that pertain to the night are her domain, dreams being one of them. Watching and guarding the dreams of our subjects, she offers advice to the restless, aiding them to rid themselves of nightmares and doubts that plague their subconscious.” From her smile, it was obvious that she was proud of Luna’s talents.

On the other hand, I was speechless. A person's innermost dreams, thoughts, desires, and fears all an open book. Invading someone’s mind was the basis of many a horror story, and rightfully so.

“Magnus, are you feeling well?” I faintly heard Celestia's voice. It took a few seconds before I reacted and slowly turned to her. “Are you alright? You suddenly became pale.” I could hear the concern in her voice. The words were on my lips, though my hesitance was born from a reluctance of inadvertently offending her sister.

“I… ah...” I stumbled over my words, attempting to phrase my words in a neutral way. “D-Does Luna enter all dreams?” I asked, hearing the quavering note behind my words.

“She does, but only if it concerns nightmares or otherwise unpleasant dreams.” She stared at me intently. I looked away, feeling minuscule compared to her. I was taller than her, but it mattered little.

Her soul-piercing gaze faded and I felt relieved, though a faintly pensive one replaced it. “You are afraid of my sister,” she stated. I nodded weakly, staring at the ground in front of me.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I answered, “It’s… I was a-afraid of her before. S-She visited me one night and we spoke for some time. She was nice and all and she seemed concerned for my wellbeing.” Slowly, I looked at Celestia. “And now… y-you tell me that she can go into my dreams.” I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, but I only managed to suppress my shivering.

“To go into a person’s dreams. I can’t think of any ability that… that is more intruding and a violation of someone’s privacy. What she sees, what she does…?” The thought that came to mind was even more terrifying. “What if she… Can she plant an idea in my head? Falsify memories? Change my personality? Can she c-c-con…” I took a deep breath, shivering in fear. “Control me?”

Celestia simply stared at me for several moments after I finished. With a sigh, she looked up at one of the many towers of the castle, a thoughtful expression on her face. She finally responded, her voice subdued. “The full nature of Luna’s abilities encompasses many things. Her lunar magic and my solar magic are considerable. We can both do things that many unicorns can only dream of and some which they do not even know is possible, for such is the nature of an alicorn. We become more powerful as we age. But doing what you fear?” She shook her head lightly and smiled. “Luna, my dearest sister, has never inflicted such an act on anypony and would never do so, not even to punish them.” I could hear the sincerity in her voice and wanted to tell her that I believed her… but I couldn’t. Because I could not believe her. It could explain why things around here seemed so… peaceful. Fearing the princesses and their powers, ponies would stay in line.

“A-And ponies allow her to enter their dreams freely?” Why?” My voice was slowly rising as our conversation continued, paranoia slowly creeping in.

“Because they know she wishes to help them,” Celestia answered smoothly. What I would give for a lie detector right now…

“When Luna and I were crowned Princesses of Equestria, she revealed her dream-walking ability. At first, many ponies reacted the same way you did—with fear. It took years of hard work before our subjects became accustomed to her presence in their dreams, but in the end, they welcomed Luna when they faced their fears and doubts in the dreamscape. Luna fought their nightmares alongside them, vanquished their fears, gave them advice when difficult situations troubled their sleep, and comforted them all, young and old alike.”

Celestia smiled fondly as she continued, “To tell you the truth, I envy her ability. I can provide comfort in my dear little ponies lives when they are awake, and then I must endure protocol, bowing, their voices a rehearsed speech. But Luna hears and sees them as they honestly are: as ponies, their true self revealed.”

I nodded half-heartedly, my mind trying to fit together the pieces to no avail. Nightmares were only nightmares, nothing more, nothing else. So why was she crawling around their dreams?

“Your world does not have anypony watching over dreams, does it?” Celestia asked after a small pause.

“No,” I muttered. “No, it doesn’t. Even if we had, I don’t think people would like it. It’s an invasion of privacy. We deal with nightmares ourselves as we always have. It’s a nightmare, a bad dream, nothing else. We don’t need someone to hold our hand our entire life,” I answered sternly.

“But if somepony did so for two millennia, would you not be accustomed to it?” she replied quickly.

Damn her and her logic! Every time I tried to justify my reasons, she went and shot them down. She was right, loathe as I was to admit it. If there was a goddess watching over our dreams and visiting them frequently, then I supposed we would have seen it as normal. However, we did not, and nothing changed that fact.

“I guess so.” I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands. “What is normal for you and your ponies is not normal for me,” I mumbled. Celestia didn’t reply, instead seemingly content to simply listen.

“I expected to be handled differently, like a monster or something. That’s probably what humans would do.” I sat up, leaning back into the chair. She just watched me with that annoyingly calm smile on her face. “I’ve been treated well, better than I expected. You use magic for almost everything, which doesn’t surprise me anymore. My addiction would have taken a long time to break back home, but here… potions. It’s not normal.” I sighed and smiled before chuckling wryly. “Then again, normality doesn’t seem to be the norm here. The sun and moon needs you and Luna in order for night and day to exist. There’s cloud-walking pegasi, magic-wielding unicorns, earth ponies that can grow your crops to perfection. But watching people’s dreams?” My shoulders slumped as I stared back at Celestia, certain my struggle shone through. “That’s something that I can’t accept.”

Celestia’s smile slowly vanished and she nodded. “Very well, I will inform Luna of your decision. However, I have a request for you.” I hesitated before nodding. “Please tell her why you do not wish for her to enter your dreams.”

“Are you crazy?” I exclaimed, forgetting for a moment what she could do if she wanted. Celestia only held up a hoof as if to forestall any further objections.

“I assure you, Luna will honour your request, but I must ask you to give my sister a chance. She has been through much lately, and she is still, in a way, recovering.”

She was a super powerful pony princess that had lived through the ages, yet it was almost like she was begging me. I couldn’t help but suspect something was amiss. She could force me, throw me in a dungeon, maybe incinerate me where I sat. Instead, she was asking me.

I mentally slapped myself. I must be paranoid, suspecting Luna and her like this. Withdrawal could do that to people, and frankly, I suspect I had been experiencing paranoia for a few days now. The nature of this world certainly hadn’t helped matters.

I had thought about this world every single day since I came here, and I only now understood something I should have days ago. What was normal for me might not be so for them. I had been trying to apply human norms to this place when I should have concentrated my efforts on understanding this place. Magic, weather manipulation, raising the sun and the moon, watching over dreams—there were probably millions of things that I had yet to experience. They were not the ones in a strange world, I was.

I needed to learn about them, and most importantly, I had to trust them in order to understand them and this world. Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Doctor Mgangah—they were the only ones I could come even close to trusting. Furthermore, the three princesses held the key to me getting home. If I had to endure Luna messing around in my head, it was something I needed to tolerate.

I deeply inhaled the fresh, flower-scented air. “O-Okay, I’ll talk to her.”

Celestia smiles warmly at me. “Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me.” I attempted to return her expression, but it was strained. A small voice in the back of my mind warned me not to raise my expectations.

Time would tell.

Author's Note:

New chapter guys! Split in half as always. If you liked it, give it a thumbs up and feel free to leave a comment, I read them all.

Magnus goes outside! What an adventure!

So here we see what Star Swirls magic did to Magnus; he only received a secondary color that will fade. Now, everybody who thought Magnus would receive all of Star Swirls magical powers, hold up your hands.

Wow, that's many. :rainbowderp:

One thing that many people find frightening is Luna's ability to look into other peoples dreams. The usual reaction to a human finding out what Luna can do is a shrug and "cool." Rarely do I find a fic where the human is terrified of Luna's abilities. Some humans are afraid, some troll Luna with dreams of some human world things, and now and then there's a human who stops sleeping. I thought that my approach was somewhat 'real'. Admit it; finding another existing entity looking at what you dream of is scary.

On another note: This chapter has not been checked by an editor, I only looked for spelling mistakes and stuff. Lordofchaos14 won't be editing for some time because of time constraints. When he is ready, he'll be back.

On yet another note: I got more followers from last time, and more favorites, read later and tracking notes. It's awesome! Thank you everybody, you make me wanna write even more! :pinkiehappy:

Edit 02.20.2017.: JBL must be an alchemist, cause he turns trash into gold.

PreviousChapters Next