Chapter 3 - The Hearing (Edited by JBL 12.21.2016)
Edited by lordofchaos14.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” I shouted as I stared at my own reflection. My green eyes weren’t focused on my face. Neither at how ragged or dirty I looked, nor at my unshaven face or the bandages wrapped around my head. What my horrified gaze was fixated on was the bone growth that jutted out from my forehead just below the hairline. Looking bleached white, a spiraling groove started from the tip of the growth and whirled around it thrice before it disappeared at the root near the skin.
With a trembling hand, I gently touched the growth that I now realized resembled the horn that protruded from the heads of the unicorns outside. I could feel my fingers touching the horn, a hard surface with the texture of frosted glass. The horn wasn’t sharp, the tip rather blunted. I grabbed the protrusion between my right thumb and index finger and attempted to bend it slightly to check if it was glued on, but the pain that followed made me regret that decision. It was almost paralyzing, like when one bumped their elbow and struck the funny bone. As the pain subsided, I look more closely at the base of the horn and tried to figure out how it was fastened to my head. My skin seemed as though it had grown together with the horn near the base, a perfect transition that was barely noticeable.
There was also a grey metal ring around the horn with some kind of inscription on it. Any attempt to touch the ring resulted in a mind-jolting shock that surged through the horn and throughout my body, leaving me gasping for air.
I breathed in deeply as the ache slowly faded, its message clear: don’t touch the ring. But who put it there? Why? Staring at my reflection, I noticed something else concerning my appearance. Turning my head slowly from side to side until my ears came into view, they no longer had the rounded shape I was familiar with. Both were now pointed, akin to those of an elf, almost like… one of the small horses.
‘This is too much… This can’t be real! This can’t be happening! This… This is…’
I didn’t get a warning before I violently vomited into the sink. My stomach twisted and churned as I continued to spew forth the contents of my stomach, what little there was. It continued as I desperately tried to breathe steadily, finally tapering off. The scent of bile filled the room as I grimaced at the overwhelming acidic tang in my mouth. My unsteady hands fumbled to turn on the tap before I formed a cup and filled them with clean water and began to rinse my mouth repeatedly until only a faint sour aftertaste was left.
Shambling over to the wall, I slumped against it and slid down until I sat on the floor, resting my head in my hands. Confusion and terror wrestled for supremacy as the emotion that dominated my psyche. What had happened to me? My eyes darted about the room, searching for a way out. There existed only a single exit, the way out guarded by the small horses. I was trapped.
I knew by the way my body trembled and my ragged breathing that panic was just around the corner. I want to scream, to shout, to demand answers, but I knew that it would ultimately be futile. With a great deal of effort, I managed to calm myself and got my breathing under control. Closing my eyes, I can feel my rapidly beating heart gradually decelerate as the shock faded, until nothing was left but an immense sense of disquiet. My mind whirled as I attempted yet again to make sense out of my situation, but it was another futile effort.
These changes… The hooves, the horn, my ears, the fur. How did they get there? With my right hand, I grabbed onto the copper fur on my left arm and gave it a firm tug. The resulting pain was testament to how real it was. I repeated the action with my legs, the result being the same. Touching the hooves themselves was strange; I could feel the touch itself, but it was rather dulled. The solid keratin of the hooves was thick, so that might be the reason. The soft tissue under the hooves was a different story, the sensation of touch stronger there, probably since there was no hard cover over it. Even the hair on my chest has altered, going from solid black to gaining a reddish-orange tint.
Moving on to my head, I tried once more to touch the horn, but I made sure to stay far away from the ring. The horn felt solid all the way through, like a thick bone. My sense of hearing hadn’t deteriorated either. All in all, my body’s functions remained the same, with only the exterior changing.
However, it was the changes themselves that had me uneasy. Although they had brought no major limitations, there was still the question of why they had occurred in the first place. Along with the situation I had found myself in, being trapped within a tiny washroom had me on edge, knowing that the slightest perceived hostile action would bring the horses—
The horses! They must know! They must have done this to me! I stood up as quickly as I could, almost slipping on the tiled floor in the process. I made my way over to the door and yanked it open as hard as I can. The horses already faced the entranceway with their spears at the ready, but at that moment, the surge of fury and resentment bolstering my flagging spirits.
“What have you done to me?! Why do I have hooves and a horn?!” I shouted to them, feeling my anger bubbling up to the surface. The horses were unfazed at my hostility, merely moving their spears closer to my throat. I took another step forward, feeling cold metal on my exposed skin. The unicorn that spoke earlier gave me a confused look before he glanced at his comrades for a moment, then turned back to me.
“We’ve done nothing to you! You were brought here looking like that,” he answered sternly.
I glared at him, my hands itching to strike flesh, to shake them violently, anything to get some answers. For a second, succumbing to my impulsive desire seemed attractive. However, the voice from my dream suddenly rang clear in my head.
‘Do not attempt to fight them!’
I glared daggers at the guards, even as the red haze streaking across my vision faded. I had no idea what they were capable of and their spears were still at my throat. Shutting my eyes and taking a few deep breaths, I eventually calmed myself to the point where I was certain I wouldn’t do anything stupid.
“Walk over to the bed,” the unicorn commanded. Reluctantly, I did so while they pedalled backwards, spears upright. I quietly sank onto the bed. One of the other unicorns lowered his head, his horn pointing. With the tinkle of wind chimes, of all things, his horn glowed a dark orange and the cuffs closed around my ankles. Before I could protest, the cuffs snapped around my wrists, and with a slight tug, I was pulled backwards, sitting naked on the bed with my arms pulled slightly away from my body, rendering me immobile.
The orange glow quickly subsided, and I gave them a tentative tug which rattled the chains. While it seemed that they restricted my movements, it wasn’t too uncomfortable. The horses took up positions around the bed, though at least their spears were no longer pointed at me.
Minutes ticked by uneventfully. The horses remained silent, not even a rattling sound from their armour heard. It was as though we were both waiting for the other to make a move. I took the lull in activity to look around the room, a few observations coming to mind.
The question of what exactly were the horses was foremost in my mind. Perhaps they were aliens, though I would have expected them to have laser guns or the like. Instead, they wielded spears. Near the bed was the heart monitor I had previously noted, a modern piece of medical equipment which was standard in most hospitals. Though not exactly the exact device I was familiar with, there were enough similarities to draw a definitive conclusion. However, the spears and armour weren’t modern. It was as if the modern and medieval ages had mixed somehow. Then there was the question of the power the unicorns had displayed. They had moved my chains with it—could it be some type of telekinesis, or was it something completely outside my ability to understand?
The entire situation felt like the most surreal dream I’d ever had. Trust me, I’d had some very weird dreams.
The approaching sound of hooves from outside the room, accompanied by the murmur of conversation, interrupted my brooding. I glanced at the doorway even as the ears of the guards swivelled towards it. They suddenly stiffened to attention as the door opened and the entranceway was illuminated by the light from outside the room, only obscured by the figure standing there. The light was rather subtle, so I didn’t have to shield my eyes. When the figure stepped into the room, I got my first glimpse. It was another horse, but much taller than the guards. Its alabaster coat almost seemed to shimmer in the light. There was an elongated white horn on its forehead, and what seemed like a crown or a tiara of some sort had a purple gem set into it on top her head. Around this horse’s neck was a marvellous golden chest plate, engraved with intricate patterns and a purple gem set into the centre of it. On its hooves were ornate golden shoes that reinforced the steps it took.
It was the mane and tail that captured my attention. Flowing in the air as if caught in an invisible stream, the hair swayed and curved gently. Her mane consisted of several different shades of blue and pink, and not once did the colours meld together, instead remaining distinct. And those eyes—large and pink, gazing at me. Whatever or whoever this being was, it exuded an aura of authority and power, causing me to instinctively shrink back. The closest I could compare it to was if I had walked into a meeting where every single world leader was gathered. Needless to stare, if I was worried about what the guards had planned for me, it was dwarfed by this new being.
The more I stared, the more I was certain—given that its body seemed more rounded than those of the guards, and the body jewelry it wore— that this being was indeed a female. On the sides of her body, I could see something tucked together. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was actually a pair of wings that was tucked close to her body.
All in all, this being, it… she was quite beautiful for a horse.
“Can you understand me?” she asked as she took a few steps into the room. I wasn’t sure how long I just stared at her, but her voice alone brought me right back to the moment. She was inspecting me as well, a frown marring her features.
“...huh?” was the only thing that escaped my throat.
“It seems that you do.” She paid scant attention to my less-than-articulate response, coming to a halt about two meters away from me. I was suddenly reminded of my nudity, and without any way to cover myself, I began to fidget, feeling discomfited. She, on the other hand, seemed to find little interest in my nakedness, with nary a word on the matter.
“Do you know who I am?” Her frown deepened, as though my appearance had been found wanting. Her steely eyes glinted, and the commanding tone of her voice told me that I would be better served being honest.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t know you.”
“I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, Ruler of the Day and Avatar of the Sun, First Protector of Equestria and all its inhabitants.” She stood tall and regal, like the proverbial princess in a fairy tale or fantasy game. “Do you have a name?”
“I—My name is Magnus. Magnus Powell.”
The horse princess gave a stiff nod. “And what is your species called?”
“I’m a human…” I began to say but faltered when the princess raised an imperious eyebrow.
“Human? I have never heard or seen your kind before. From where do you hail?”
A snort escaped before I could control myself. “Are you kidding? Didn’t you guys kidnap me?”
That seemed to be the inappropriate thing to blurt out, as her frown turned into a glare. “We have done no such thing.” Though she answered evenly, the look she shot me clearly indicated her opinion. “My sister found you in the sea along the remains of a destroyed boat. If it wasn’t for her, you would not be here. It is rather unbecoming to therefore accuse us of a crime.” She practically bit off the last word.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” I raised my hands, palms towards her. It would not be prudent to piss her off, seeing as she commanded the guards around her. If she wanted, she could probably run me through with her horn herself if she so desired.
She nodded once. “Now answer my question.”
“Not from around here.” I looked around the room at the horses surrounding me. “I’m pretty sure I’m not even on my own planet. Where I’m from, horses can’t talk.”
“We are ponies, not horses,” she informed me. Apparently that was another black mark against me. “What do you mean by ‘your own planet’?”
“Exactly what I said. I’m not from this place.” The princess cocked her head to the side and gazed at me with a confused mien.
“Explain yourself.”
I sighed, wondering how to explain this entire situation when I wasn’t sure myself. In keeping with my earlier resolution, I decided to simply go with the truth.
“Okay, this will sound weird but hear me out. I was out in the ocean in a small boat when I came into a storm. Inside the storm there was this… phenomenon.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “A column of water stretched high into the sky, and on top of the column was this sphere of light. I was about to be dragged into the sphere when I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was chained to this bed.” I shook my restraints to emphasize my last sentence.
At first the princess did not respond, merely looking at me strangely, which did little to reassure me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she probably thought I was lying through my teeth. Hell, if our roles were reversed, I would probably feel the same way.
“A farfetched story,” Celestia finally announced, as I had expected. It didn’t stop my stomach from sinking. “Even Discord could have come up with a more plausible tale.” She slowly walked to the window and gazed at whatever was outside. After a few moments, she turned back to me. “However, there is something about your story that is… familiar. Can you describe the sphere in greater detail?”
“Yes.” I had only seen the sphere for less than thirty seconds, but there was no way I would ever forget anything like that. “It was… I can’t remember the exact length, but I’m sure it was perfectly spherical. It released a golden light and there was a dark hole in the middle of it. There was also a strange sound that came from it, almost like wind chimes.”
“Wind chimes?” She went silent for a moment. Then, to my surprise, her horn suddenly burst into life, producing a similar golden glow along with the same sound forever etched into my memory. “Like this?”
“Yes, that’s it! That’s the same sound!” I exclaimed. Once again, I got the maddening sensation that I knew the sound from somewhere. Confusing yet rather pleasant, it was as though it was attempting to communicate with me on an instinctive level. As sudden as the glow around her horn had appeared, it vanished, leaving me feeling somehow barren and empty inside. “What was that glow?”
“You are not familiar with magic?” She raised a single eyebrow briefly. I stared at her for a moment, waiting for the punch line, but it seemed she was actually serious.
“Magic isn’t real.” To even have to state that felt silly. “Sure, it’s often talked about in games and fairy tales where I’m from, but science has proved that magic is fake.”
“Your scientists are not very bright, then.” She walked back to stand in front of me. “Magic is real and can be found everywhere.”
“What? But—”
She barrelled on, once again paying scant attention to my feeble protest. “The one thing in your favour is the phenomenon you mentioned. From your description, it is similar to an ancient portal spell from long ago. It’s no longer used because it is inefficient and takes a heavy toll on the caster. The sheer amount of magic required to open one is beyond most unicorns.”
I merely looked at her numbly, my mind trying to process what she had said. If magic was real, as she asserted, then that also meant that someone had sent me here. Why? Did magic even exist back on Earth? I always used to pretend to be wizards with my friends back when we were kids, but to even entertain the possibility of it actually existing was mind-boggling.
“But… people can’t use magic. No one can,” I protested weakly, casting my mind back to try and remember anything that could have been construed as magic. Magicians, illusionists, card tricks—it was all fake, but someone could have sent me here. The question was who.
“I did not come here to discuss spells and magic,” Celestia said. “The reason I am here is to see if you are fit enough for a hearing.”
That tidbit caused me to break away from my rumination and jerk up to look at her. “Hearing? Hearing for what?”
“Your crime,” she stated calmly, her tone belying the dread that filled me at her words. “We found a staff among your belongings. A staff bearing the horn of a unicorn.” I paled as she directed a hard stare at me. “Did you kill the unicorn whose horn is on the staff?”
The staff! I had forgotten about it, my mind focused on the present situation I found myself in. Now its significance struck me in the face—these ponies thought I had killed one of their own. It explained why she wanted to have me stand trial, and the presence and attitude of the guards.
“No, I’ve never killed a unicorn—I’ve never even seen a unicorn before today! I inherited that staff from my grandfather,” I protested hotly. Just as her mouth parted to retort, I went on. “And before you accuse him of killing a unicorn, no, he never killed one either. Unicorns don't exist on my world.”
She closed her mouth and studied me again. “Again you speak of your world. I am unconvinced at the veracity of your story. If unicorns do not exist in your world, then why does an object from your so-called world have a horn on it?”
Perhaps she had a point. I hadn’t the faintest clue as to how it had gotten there. However, I had always assumed it had come from a beached narwhal that had been found by my ancestors. At the end of it all, I wasn’t able to say whether or not her accusations were true.
“No answer to give me? Not a single thought even?” she asked, misconstruing my silence as an admission of guilt, it seemed. “It doesn’t matter; we will find out eventually. The reason I came to see you was to see if you were healthy enough to stand trial, and you are.”
She promptly turned around and started for the door before I quickly called out to her. “Wait! Please, I have questions!”
She stopped and turned around with a sigh. “What is it? I am very busy.”
I gestured to my head and feet. I had gone too long without answers. At this point, if I had to beg for them, I would. “What happened to me? Why do I have hooves and a horn?” That seemed to gain her attention.
“We found photographs amongst your belongings that depicted you. We clearly saw that you did not have any on them. However, we know that you were born with them. It’s just another mystery that we will solve in two hours when the hearing begins.” She turned back around again.
“Wait! Listen to me! I’m innocent!” I yelled as she opened the door with that golden glow again. She kept on walking. “Please wait! I need to ask you something.”
She sighed and stopped, but this time she didn’t deign to turn around. “Now what?”
It was painfully obvious that attempting to persuade her to drop this hearing would be futile—she seemed set on finding a scapegoat. Despite her labelling it a mystery, I also suspected that she knew more about my transformation than she was willing to admit. In that case, I’d have to go for broke.
“Can I have my clothes back? And maybe some food? Please?” My voice was pleading, trying to convey my desperation.
“I can understand the need for food, but why your clothes?” She turned around and granted me another of her icy stares. “Do they hide something?”
“No, it’s just that… Humans don’t walk around naked.” I gestured to my body. “We don’t have fur to keep us warm and… I’m feeling a bit exposed.”
Her eyes scanned over my naked body, stopping occasionally before resuming their voyage over my bare skin. After a moment of thought, she spun around and made her way through the door.
“If your clothes aren’t harmful, I will consider it.” With that, the door slammed shut, leaving me alone with my increasingly desolate thoughts.
***
Time crawled by as I struggled to keep myself sane in the face of the impending hearing. Attempting to stay calm was a moot action at this point as the enormity of my immediate future pressed down on my entire being. Various scenarios streamed rapidly through my mind, how an innocuous statement on my part could send me straight to the dungeons, gallows or the executioner’s block.
Attempting to build a rapport with the guards was a miserable failure. They ignored any question or query I posed, their faces stoic and their bodies barely moving. Only the subtle movements in their chests when they breathed indicated that they were alive.
The silence was unnerving.
The only break in the monotony was when a new guard entered the room. Carrying a metal tray in his mouth, he set it in front of me and even deigned to remove the shackles for a brief period to allow me to eat.
The meal wasn’t exactly cuisine dining—a mix of vegetables mashed together and boiled until all semblance of taste was gone and the consistency was akin to porridge. I ate it all. My stomach had been groaning in hunger, and within a few moments, the tray had been cleaned. I slumped back onto the bed, feeling somewhat uplifted now that I had a full stomach.
About half an hour after that, another guard entered the room. On his back, he carried an assortment of clothes that I immediately recognized as mine. The simple black T-shirt, a pair of worn, blue, denim jeans, a grey hoodie, and a pair of socks—it was all there. I was given a couple of minutes to dress myself and was surrounded by spears during the entire process. As soon as I had donned my clothes, I was ordered to sit down so that my chains could be fastened again. With a twinge, I realized I couldn’t wear my socks any longer, as they would no longer fit around my… hooves.
I soon faced another problem that hadn’t occurred to me. The combination of the fur on my lower legs and arms, and my clothes, soon had me sweating profusely. I had always thought that animals didn’t mind when their owners dressed them in funny clothing for pictures, but now I was pretty certain that pets would have given them an earful if they could. Correspondingly, my jeans used to fit perfectly, but now they reached down to my heels, which were quite a few inches from the ground. The extra height made me feel like I was walking on short stilts, but the large hooves were wide enough to stabilize me, though my entire appearance made me feel as though I was half-dressed for a furry convention.
With no clock in the room, I couldn’t figure out how much time was left before the hearing began. I had already decided that I would tell the truth and nothing but the truth. At this point, if the princess’ attitude was any indication, they would seize any perceived untruth and twist it in the worst possible way. If they decided to execute me, or imprison me for who-knew how long, I would at least have a clear conscience.
Those scant positive thoughts didn’t help as much as I wanted.
I sat locked in thought when I heard hoofsteps outside the door. Another guard entered the room. It was a male, a winged stallion, and the armour he wore was different from the other guards. His was more ornately decorated, and the crest on his helmet was a different colour. It probably signified a difference in rank. He strode up to me with two other guards in tow.
“It’s time for the hearing. Stand up!” he ordered in a gruff voice as soon as I was unchained. As I got to my feet, his two guards walked up to me with longer chains held in their coloured aura. Princess Celestia had called it ‘magic’, and I was inclined to do the same, for lack of a better alternative.
With practiced efficiency, the two guards secured the chains around my legs, up to my waist, and around my wrists, keeping my hands bound together. After giving them an experimental tug, the guards signalled for me to begin to walk.
My heart steadily thumping, we exited the room and walked into a hallway. There were several doors on each side, and along the walls more guards were posted. Some began walking in front of us while some trailed behind us. I began to wonder just dangerous they thought I was—as far as I was concerned, these guards were overkill. Before we left the first corridor, there were sixteen guards around me.
The long hallways certainly felt like a stereotypical hospital. It had the smell, the white sterile walls—the entire works. After a few minutes of walking, I saw my first ‘civilian’ pony. It was a mare; that much I could tell. She had a pair of wings at her sides, a light cerise coat, with her long yellow mane done up in a ponytail. She wore a white cap on her head that had a red cross embroidered on it. A nurse, then. When she saw me being escorted by the guards, she scampered aside, keeping herself as far away from me as possible. As I passed her, I shot her a glance. It only lasted a second, but the look in her eyes clearly showed what she felt.
Fear.
I didn’t even pay much attention to the surroundings as we went on, simply trying to keep my breathing steady. We passed several other ponies, some with horns, some with wings, and some with neither. They all reacted the same way: their eyes widening with alarm and hushed whispers with their companions. It didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence, instead making me feel as though I had already been judged and found wanting.
After a few corridors, we came to a double-door entrance with two spear-wielding guards. They opened the door as we approached and allowed us through without a word spoken. The wide hallway on the other side was so different from the hospital that it felt like stepping into another world.
Marble floors gleamed, hardly a speck of dust visible upon them. The lofted ceiling had me straining my neck to glimpse it before I was poked by a guard to keep moving. There were wooden doors spaced at regular intervals on the left side, while on the right were large windows, filling the hallway with daylight. Crystal and brass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the sunlight causing them to gleam and glitter, while paintings and pedestals with flower pots on them were placed between each window, offering a splash of colour.
As I was marched down the hallway, I chanced a glance through the windows. I caught a glimpse of what looked like the side of a magnificent alabaster castle. There were towers capped with golden roofs and fluttering flags on top, and the surrounding grounds were dotted by various gardens. I was speechless; all this time I had been in a castle and didn’t even know it.
I looked out the windows each chance I got, drinking in the details. Several statues dotted the lawn, and there were several ponies tending to flower beds and trimming bushes into specific shapes. Every so often, a guard would go marching past my field of vision. Only when windows stopped appearing did I turn to see where we were headed.
I was eventually corralled into a large hall with a massive door to our right, where several guards stood watch, and to my left was another door, similar in stature and well-guarded. It had two emblems emblazoned upon it, a golden sun and a silvery moon on a black background.
‘Wait! The Sun and the Moon! The visions!’ My mind froze as the implication of the symbols finally clicked. They looked exactly the same as the ones in my visions. It meant that I was playing right into what the visions had wanted me to do. The voice came back to me as well, along with the undertone of sorrow that seemed to trail after every word had been spoken. I remembered how it said that I would meet a princess, and I had already done so in the form Princess Celestia. She had also mentioned a sister, which meant that whoever she was could also be a princess.
My mind was scrambling, trying to fit the pieces together in a frenzy of thoughts and ideas. I didn’t even notice when the head guard spoke to me, so focused I was on was the two emblems on the doors. Only when the doors began to open did I manage to gather my thoughts back to something resembling a coherent mind.
Beyond the doors was a grand throne room, instantly bringing to mind long-told tales of kings and queens reigning in splendour. The entire room was at least forty meters long and twenty to thirty meters wide. The floor here was made of white stone as well, and the walls had a slight pink coloration to them. Large tapestries, vibrant with colour and splendour, decorated the walls, illustrating different ponies of all races in various settings. A velvet carpet with slightly darker red borders ran from the doors through the room, up to a dais that seemed to be constructed entirely of gold and pristine marble. There were several sparkling gems inlaid into the dais, each one sparkling in the light that flooded the room. On both sides of the throne, there were several marble troughs that spiralled and twisted to form waterfalls that flowed into several ornate basins. On the top of the dais was a high-backed throne; above it, on the largest woven tapestry in the room, the emblazoned images of the sun and the moon.
The entire room exuded wealth and opulence. I wondered sardonically if this land’s taxpayers were fine with their leaders decking out their home in such extravagant taste.
I was escorted to the front of the throne and ordered to sit down on the floor, which I reluctantly did. I sat down Indian-style and noticed three large velvet cushions in front of the throne.
A murmur of voices caught my attention, and I looked to the left and noticed several ponies sitting there. The grandeur of the room had distracted me from the audience gathered. All of them wore clothes of some type, the stallions with fancy suits while the mares wore dresses and overdone hats, with plenty of jewellery to match. A regular day at the derby, except the roles were reversed.
What they all had in common was the ugly glares they directed at me, murmuring and whispering amongst themselves while discreetly pointing a hoof in my direction. Most, if not all, were unicorns.
My shoulders slumped as my hands began to tremble, and I began to sweat even more profusely. The reality of the situation was crashing down around me. I was actually charged with murder of a mythical animal that somehow came to Earth, according to their line of reasoning, and they thought I was responsible. I clenched my eyes shut as tightly as I could, fighting back the tears with every ounce of emotional strength I had. It felt like a lost battle, no matter whatever noble sentiments I had tried to believe in.
As I stood there, battling my inner turmoil, my grandfather’s words from so long ago came back to me, fighting against the darkness within my mind. It was a simple sentence that held great meaning to me personally.
Fear profits man nothing.
“Fear profits…” I inhaled deeply and exhaled, “man nothing…” I finished with a quavering voice. “I’ll try, Grandpa, I’ll try.”
Several dull thuds sounded through the room. One of the guards stomped his hoof to the floor and spoke clearly, “Please rise for the Princesses of Equestria.”
The ponies to the side stood up from their seats. I made to do the same, but one of the guards set the tip of his spear on my shoulders. “Not you.” He sneered at me. I wisely sat back down.
From the door next to the guard who had announced their arrival came three ponies, one of them I recognized as Princess Celestia. She looked the same as when she had first interrogated me, though now that I was seeing her from a distance, I noticed something about her that hadn’t attracted my attention in the hospital room: on her flank was an image of the sun, the same as on the door and above the throne. Was it a tattoo or was it painted on? I glanced to the guards to see if they had one, but their armour covered their flanks.
Following Princess Celestia was another pony, slightly shorter than the alabaster princess but still taller than the guards. She had what I’d describe as a willowy body, and like Celestia, she had a horn, wings, and a billowing mane and tail. Her hair was dark blue with a greyish-blue tone to it. Also in a similar style as Celestia, a black tiara sat atop her head, and on her hooves she wore silvery metal shoes with several patterns engraved on them, though I wasn’t able to make them out at this distance. On her chest was strapped a chest plate, the centre of which was embedded a silvery crescent moon. She also had a mark on her flank, the very same moon on her chest plate, on the doors, and over the throne.
‘The Sun and the Moon! Their marks! It’s just like in my visions! The two horses! They are the Sun and the Moon!’ The pieces finally clicked in my mind. I audibly sighed in relief—the visions had led me to these beings. Finally, things seemed to be going my way. However, the voice had reassured me that it would come to my aid when I was brought before them. The question was when.
To my surprise, another pony followed behind the blue mare. Also female, she possessed wings and horn like Celestia, though her height was about the same as most of the mares I had seen so far. Her coat was a light purple and her mane and tail was a shade of blue with two streaks of violet and pink coursing through them. What also set her apart from the other two princesses was that neither her tail nor mane had that shimmering, floating effect. On her flank was a large pink star with five smaller white stars around it. I looked around the room quickly, checking for her mark, but it was nowhere to be seen. On her head, she wore a golden tiara with several pointed peaks, with a red gem fixed onto each one.
The three winged unicorns walked to the cushions and stood in front of them, Celestia in the middle, the dark blue one on her right, and the purple one on her left. As one, they sat down on their cushions.
“You may all be seated,” the guard announced, and the audience did as commanded. I took a quick moment to glance at the three winged unicorns in front of me. Celestia and the dark blue one both did little to hide the distaste in their eyes, so much so that I felt compelled to look away lest my soul be marked by their disapproval. The purple one also returned my gaze, not with anger or hatred. Hers was more like curiosity, though it felt somewhat like I was an object of interest to her, not a person.
“This hearing is now officially in session,” Celestia announced, her voice amplified for all to hear. “We are gathered here today to determine if the accused is guilty of murder and mutilation of a unicorn. Due to the gruesome nature of the crime that he is suspected of, and the fact that a similar crime has not been committed in centuries, my sister and I shall preside as judges. Princess Twilight Sparkle is here as an official observer, given her status as the newest Princess of Equestria.”
“First we will have the formal introductions.” The entire time, her eyes hadn’t left me, as though ensuring I wouldn’t scamper off. “I am Princess Celestia of Equestria.” I gave a small nod, seeing as it wouldn’t hurt my chances by being respectful.
“I am Princess Luna of Equestria,” the cobalt winged unicorn said, her voice oozing imperiousness. Her entire demeanor screamed impatience and the way she openly glared at me spoke of a temper not to be trifled with. I quickly nodded to her as well.
“And I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.” Her voice was actually rather normal, as though we were two average people meeting for the first time. However, I knew looks could be deceiving, and if she was a princess as well, it would fare badly for me to underestimate her.
“Here to witness today’s proceedings are selected members of the Council of Nobles.” Celestia turned to the assembled ponies. “Sir Fancy Pants has been selected as their spokespony. We have chosen to restrict those in attendance due to the sensitive nature of the crime committed.”
I wisely bit my tongue when the princess mentioned the name of the pony. I wasn’t sure if the language that the voice had granted me worked properly, or if it had a few minor hiccups when it came to names.
Celestia then turned to give me her full attention. “Now, state your name for the record, prisoner.”
I took a deep breath and spoke loudly and clearly, trying to avoid the butterflies in my stomach from showing. “My name is Magnus Powell.”
“And what species do you belong to?”
“I’m a human.”
“A human?” This time it was Princess Luna who spoke. “We have never heard of your kind before. Where do you come from? The eastern lands beyond the Griffonian borders?”
“No, I’m from another world.” That certainly invoked murmurs within the crowd. I wasn’t going to change anything that I had mentioned to Celestia previously. I had told the truth, and I planned to stick with it.
“Another world…” Luna echoed my words with an unamused look. “My sister told me of this… this fantasy of yours.”
“I’m not lying,” I retorted. “Have you ever seen something like me before?”
“Equus is a large planet, Mister Powell. There are still many unexplored lands left—vast jungles, forests stretching over entire continents, islands only seen but never trod on, deserts so dry and large that even the hardy camels of Saddle Arabia dare not enter them.” Luna’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. “Places that can hide an entire kingdom, even an unheard-of race.”
“Geography aside,” Celestia interjected smoothly, “if you call yourself a human, then so be it. How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-seven years old.”
“Is this considered old or young amongst your kind?”
“Young adult.” I shifted on my spot on the floor. “The average lifespan of a human varies greatly from country to country in my world, but we usually live to around the age of seventy to eighty, although some of us can reach and exceed a century.”
Celestia merely nodded and went silent for a second. “Let us assume that what you’ve said so far is true. How many of you are there?”
I rubbed my hands. Why was this so interesting to them? Was she trying to catch me in a lie or perhaps, thinking I was lying, trying to see how far I would go with my story?
“Over seven billion.”
All sound in the room was swiftly extinguished. Celestia's eyes widened and she looked to her sister, who stared at me in disbelief.
“Seven billion…” A shocked Luna repeated quietly.
I could sense a ripple of unease sweeping through the room, though I couldn’t tell why. While it was true that Earth’s population was massive, it wasn’t like it would pose a threat to them. I wasn’t exactly holding out hopes that the U.S. Marines or the Air Force would be coming to rescue me. It wasn’t as though we had flying saucers or long-range spaceships that could reach planets like this.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed the purple princess with a stack of paper next to her. Before her, a sheet of paper floated, encased in a pink aura, a levitated quill scribbling over the sheet, occasionally dipping into an inkwell before continuing.
“Enough about your species,” Celestia said. She seemed to regain her composure, glaring at me as though I had deliberately tried to disturb her. “We shall bring forth the evidence of the crime.”
In a flash of light, a wooden box stood beside Luna, causing me to jump slightly. The way it had simply appeared out of nothing… it was like magic. The box looked simple and unremarkable. The only thing that stood out were some type of runes in a strange language I couldn’t make heads or tails of.
“I must warn you.” Luna turned to the assembled nobles. “What this box contains is not for the faint of heart.”
When none of the ponies reacted, Luna’s horn began to glow blue and the runes on the box vanished without a trace. The blue aura then encased the lid, opening the box and levitating out the staff. My staff.
Several of the ponies gasped, the whispers growing stronger again. Some of them fainted and were carried out by the guards. It seemed that the princesses had expected this and had guards stationed near them for this very purpose. More angry stares were sent my way, hooves pointing in my direction.
“Murderer.”
“Killer.”
“Monster.”
With each hateful comment sent my way, their voices increased in volume. I felt every accusation, false as they were, sink into my heart. I wanted to scream that I was innocent, that I had nothing to do with it, but I chose silence and held onto what little hope there was.
“This staff.” Luna held it in her magic and waved it in front of me. “Tell us how you found it.”
“I… I inherited this staff from my grandfather. He died two years ago.”
She raised an imperious eyebrow. “Hmm, and how did he acquire it?”
“He got it from his father. I know some of the story behind it. The staff is a relic of my family, handed from one generation to the next.”
“I see.” Celestia magicked out of thin air a sheet of paper and perused it for a second. “We have estimated the age of this staff to be around fifteen hundred years old. In addition, there are a number of spells on this staff, some of which are very old and outdated. There is also a very complex presence spell on it, which will become active when certain individuals are near it.” She lowered the paper and looked at the staff for a moment. “Yet you told me earlier that magic does not exist in your world.” Her eyes wandered from the staff and to me. “Is this true?”
I nodded. Each question felt like a new thread in a spider’s web, and I was the helpless fly that got more and more entangled. “It’s true. I didn’t believe in magic until earlier today. Like I said, magic can be found in games and stories, but scientists have never found a single trace of real magic. All can be explained using science.”
I noticed that the purple princess had several sheets of paper next to her, all of them with writing on them. The speed the quill was moving at was probably close to setting the paper on fire.
Celestia looked like she had several questions to ask and turned to her sister. Luna’s eyes was studying the staff, the engravings that spoke of a story from long ago. My grandfather once told me the story carved on the staff, and although it was a good story, it was just that: a story.
“If your world does not have magic, as you claim, how can you explain the spells on this staff? Could it be that two unicorns existed on your world at some point…” Princess Luna’s gaze was piercing, as though she could burn a hole in me if she concentrated enough. “Or are you lying to us about magic not existing in this so called world of yours?”
I bit my lip in frustration. This entire thing was a sham, a kangaroo court. These princesses’ demeanour alone betrayed how little they cared for objectivity, and they had stacked their observers with unicorns, who would obviously turn against me once they saw the staff. The fact of the matter was that even if there were unicorns on Earth, it had been centuries ago, as they themselves said. It seemed that they were simply dragging the nearest convenient target to court since the criminal, if it had even been a crime, had long since passed.
I opened my mouth to deliver the first salvo that would expose their bias and the holes in their theory when the staff was suddenly ripped from Luna’s magical grasp by an unseen force and flew upwards, coming to an abrupt halt a few meters off the floor. Then it flew down and struck the floor two meters away from me with such force that it sounded like a sledge hammer hitting an anvil at immense speed. There it stood upright as a thick white mist began to flow forth from the horn, shrouding the staff from view.
It caught me so unprepared that I barely noticed the guards had closed in on me before they began to drag me away from the staff and the princesses. I did see that the princesses were already standing, their horn glowing with magic energy, ready to defend themselves from what was happening. They looked so fierce and determined that I was momentarily grateful that the guards were dragging me away. Within seconds, the guards had surrounded the staff, the mist making it almost invisible.
The room was brimming with some type of energy that made my skin tingle. The pegasus guards had taken to the air, carrying spears in their forehooves, while the unicorn guards’ horns were glowing, while the normal ponies assumed their positions.
“Sister, what is this trickery?” I heard Luna ask. I chanced a glance at them and saw that her eyes glowed white while her horn was enshrined in her azure aura. Celestia's blazed in fiery red while her horn gave out several golden sparks. I was right—their power was immense, almost literally feeling it wash over me. One wrong move and my life would be over.
There was no response from Celestia as a hush enveloped the room, aside from the hissing sound from the mist. Then came the sound of hoof steps and bells, lots of bells. I looked at the mist and saw a shape moving within it. Each step it took, a chime rang out. Slowly, a figure emerged out of the mist right in front of the princesses. It was a pony wearing a blue pointy hat with bells attached to it, a moon and stars pattern sewn into the fabric. He also wore a similarly patterned blue cape. He had grey coat and a remarkable long white beard that almost touched the ground, his long wavy hair flowing down his withers. He moved with purpose, head bowed. After completely emerging from the mist, he stopped in front of the princesses.
The three stood still, their horns glowing but their facial expressions, especially those of Celestia and Luna, had changed. Their fierceness had changed to confusion, and slowly the glow faded from their horns. He finally looked up at the princesses, his head turning slightly as he looked at each of them. From where I sat, I could see his eyes, a warm gold colour, as he looked up at the royals and smiled.
“Hello, girls. My, how you’ve grown.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.034 seconds
Total duration
1,079 users online
1,602,128 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Fortunately for Magnus, the Equestrian legal system works much faster than those common on earth. As for the basis of the case... meh. One on hand, it seems odd that they suspect he has something to do with the creation of an item they personally judged to be over a thousand years old. On the other, it does seem suspicious that he can describe an ancient spell. Between the two is the odd evidence, like the pictures and clothing that doesn't fit his current form... There's also the fact that Magnus has said there's no modern evidence for magic and the staff is a family relic. The Princess' should be familiar with the concept of knowledge being lost. Everypony forgot Princess Luna existed in the thousand years between her banishment and return, for instance.
Moving on from comments on the trail, let's talk setting! Based on their skepticism towards the idea of other worlds, I take it the mirrors from EQ Girls and the Comics are non-canon to this story?
On to speculation! Starswirl outta nowhere! Well; not nowhere. Would have to be a powerful and skilled magic user that set up that staff, and the hints that the staff would pull off a trick like that were pretty clear. I wonder if it is Starswirl's own horn that's on the staff...
And on grammar; just a few minute things like missing apostrophes and misplaced quotation marks. No biggie. Didn't even notice them until I went back to double check some of my assumptions and such.
Write on, Author. Write on!
5853049 You're right about EQ Girls not being canon in this story. I don't like the idea of ponies on Earth but I love HiE stories. Does that make me a hypocrite? Probably. Anyway, parts of the comic will also be canon in this story as it advances.
5853593 What's the matter? Don't like cliffhangers?
I like em! Dunno, that's up to my editor, he already got the next chapter for editing and I'm hesitant to say that this date and that date the next chapter is out. I'm working on Valve time when it comes to chapters.
5853617 Hmm, around the 21st or so?
Seems Mr Powell has quite the impressive coach in his corner. Looking forward to the next chapter!
5853049
This is basically my view of things. The courtroom drama feels incredibly forced because the princesses jumped to it without bothering to gather much information at all and ignored most of what they got.
They had him sedated for days and Luna never poked into his dreams. I would generally expect her to try that within minutes of locking him down.
They estimated the staff to be over a thousand years old, and didn't bother to try estimating his own.
He accurately described a magical phenomenon that nopony has seen in a good thousand years that a) could do exactly what he's claiming, and b) lines up with the estimated age of the staff -- then Celestia dismissed it out of hoof, on grounds that don't make any sense because it also explains c) how there's a unicorn horn in the other world.
Celestia's meeting with him in the hospital room was one of the most uncharacteristically impatient things I've ever seen her do in a non-parody story -- I felt like if she was in there much longer she'd have loudly yowled "I don't like making wooords" or something.
Hell, they scheduled the trial without even ascertaining that he spoke their language at all.
5855452
He was kept unconscious by means of sedatives and I wrote that Luna was unable to see his dreams as sleep and forced unconsciousness are two different things.
I would guess that estimating the age of an inanimate object and a living being are two very different things and very different procedures.
Magnus only described what he saw, not the function of the sphere. And because they believe he might be a Unicorn Hunter, a gathering of creatures known for their bloodthirst, fanatical approach to magic, willingness to mutilate, kill, maim, trickery, deception and destruction in order to gather unicorn horns I doubt they would take anything he says out of face value and might be sceptical to his story.
She came to check on him and see if he was healthy enough for a hearing and because what she think he might be-all caused by the staff- she dooesn't have time for his bs and just want him dealt with ASAP.
All creatures in the show seems to speak the same language. I don't think the theory of a single language spoken by the entire world is far-fetched. We know there are dialects in the show so different languages might be a thing.
All of this is good stuff, this is the kind of critisism I'm looking for that will help improve my writing.
OOOO never encountered starswirl before in a fanfic, this gon be intresting
Next chapter comes tomorrow. My PC went up and died on me. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Chapter 3 - The Inquisition
Well, well, well, what do we have here? The pot calling the kettle black.
P.S. Good story so far. I like it!
OH MY GOD U that was so unexpected I was trying to figure out who was in the staff and I never thought starswirl dam I
gasped so loud when I saw that
U deserve a grand clap this is the chapter u get a thumbs up from me
This is a horrible legal system. You're guilty until proven innocent and Celestia comes across as an a-hole. They don't even provide either time or a trained professional to provide for his defense. This is a literal witch hunt and shows how terrible and tyrannical they are because they refuse to show their bias in public and choose a single croney and guards to act as witness.
6447564
What confused me the most was how they're putting him on trial for murdering a pony and putting their horn on a staff after they've proven it's over 1500 years old...
For whatever reason this looks well written and yet hard to read... Damn you mind.
9093877
Thank you. I'm not a good writer, and I'm well aware of the many flaws in writing. Any and all advice are well received.