Chapter 40 - Lunch and Revelations (Edited by JBL)
Magnus had an early start the next morning, with the sound of cantering metal-shod hooves upon the crystal floor rousing him from his sleep. When he managed to leave his bedroom with a clean set of clothes bundled under his arm, he encountered Twilight with a harried look on her face. She rushed about with her checklist, ensuring everything was in order in anticipation of the princesses’ visit. Spike ran after her, brushing away dust wherever it was needed. To Magnus’ surprise, a bucket with sudsy water and a mop was levitated after Twilight, eagerly mopping the floor at a pace a seasoned cleaning lady in her mid-fifties could only stare in awe at.
The scene from Sword in the Stone came to mind, the one where Merlin made the entire kitchen come to life, scrubbing and cleaning everything.
“Rubbity, scrubbity, sweepity…” a sleep-deprived Magnus mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the bathroom.
After washing up, it was time for breakfast, though his usual routine was unavailable to him. See, the kitchen was filled with delicate baked goods, lunch items, tea, and other beverages straight from Sugarcube Corner and the capable hooves of Pinkie Pie. Twilight, wanting everything to be perfect, denied Magnus entrance to the kitchen, fearing that he would make a mess similar to yesterday, or even eat the food meant for the princesses. However, due to being who she was, she had already prepared a backup plan. She gave him a few bits and asked him to eat at Sugarcube Corner, also requesting that he look for her friends and tell them to show up at the castle later.
And so it was that Magnus ate a baguette with potato salad, cheese, and accidentally daffodils while passing on the message to Pinkie. He then walked around town, searching out the rest of them and doing the same. Rainbow Dash wasn’t easy to find, but he located her on a cloud high above the park, due to her rainbow-coloured tail hanging over the edge. The distance was far too great for Rainbow to hear him, thus he had to enlist the help of a random passing pegasus to deliver the message. When the pegasus returned, she mentioned that Rainbow seemed a bit down and asked Magnus if he knew what was wrong, though he feigned ignorance. As far as he was concerned, what happened was between him and Rainbow Dash. No need to spread a rumour throughout town. With the message delivered, he returned to the castle to await the princesses.
***
“There they come!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly and pointed a hoof to a spot in the sky. Everyone invited had gathered outside the castle to welcome the royals, as had the rest of Ponyville. Mayor Mare stood at the front of the crowd, nervously adjusting her collar and glancing around to check if there was anything amiss.
Straining his eyes, Magnus spotted two specks in the distance quickly approaching until he could clearly make out a pair of chariots, each pulled by pegasi guards. The chariots came in low, reducing their speed until they touched down gently in the middle of the town square to the rejoicing of the crowd.
Magnus took notice of the chariots, specifically their aerodynamic shape. A wheelbarrow would have a greater chance of flying than these chariots, although he surmised that the fliers pulling them probably had something to do with it, and undoubtedly some magic as well.
Celestia’s chariot resembled a mobile throne, complete with a high backrest, emblazoned in her gold and white colours, and was pulled by her stern-looking guards. If Batman was a pony, he would ride Princess Luna’s chariot. Sleek and streamlined like a Formula 1 car, the chariot was dark blue and had a somewhat gothic appearance, enhanced further by the pair of bat ponies pulling her chariot.
The two princesses disembarked to cheering from the crowd and were met by elated foals giving the sisters bouquets of colourful flowers. Celestia and Luna were obviously delighted to meet with them and spent a few minutes speaking with the eager youngsters while Twilight and company waited. Then, Celestia and Luna met with the mayor, exchanging a few words before making their way to a podium that had been erected in the town square. They proceeded to each give a brief speech. Celestia stated how wonderful it was to visit Ponyville once more and how much she had heard of the town from Twilight’s letters. Luna’s speech was a bit more subdued, though she mentioned something about how Ponyville was the place she had learned to have fun, and was looking forward to having more fun each time she visited, whatever that meant.
With the conclusion of their speeches, the princesses and their retinue made their way towards Twilight and company. While the ponies and baby dragon bowed to them, Magnus settled for a polite nod. Although he was grateful to the princesses for their help, bowing wasn’t really his thing.
“Hello, everypony,” Celestia greeted the group with a smile. “Please, there is no need to stand on ceremony. We are all friends here.”
The ponies stood up, friendly smiles all around except for one. Magnus noted that Rainbow seemed nervous, possibly because she knew what would be spoken of later on.
“Thank you, Princess. I’ve prepared lunch for us all inside,” Twilight said.
She led the way, followed by Celestia and her friends. Luna slowed until she walked side by side with Magnus. “I hope that Ponyville has been kind to you, young Magnus,” she said, a small smile gracing her lips.
Magnus shrugged. “Oh, it has. There have been a few bumps in the road, big and small, but all in all, I’ve been busy learning. I never thought there would be so many differences between two countries, two cultures, even though they are so similar.”
“Curious, is it not?” Luna replied. “Many countries on Equus are similar in many aspects, such as architecture, arts, and even language. I believe that if you decide to see other countries one day, you will perhaps find more similarities to Earth.”
Folding his arms behind his back, Magnus grinned. “I’ll have to get familiar with Equestria first. After that, we’ll see.”
***
Magnus had assumed that the lunch prepared by Twilight would be a formal event. Dresses, extended pinkies, starting with the utensils farthest from the plate, and to top it all off, conversation topics so dry you could light a candle with a single sentence.
It wasn’t.
Not quite, anyway. Rarity had impeccable table manners, as far as he could tell, always sipping her tea daintily and eating only small amounts of biscuit at a time so that she could pitch in on the conversation. Fluttershy acted similar to Rarity, but she was much too shy to significantly contribute to the discussion.
Celestia and Luna acted as princesses did, easily controlling the flow of the conversation and displaying perfect manners, though Magnus noted that Celestia’s faded ever so slightly when dessert—a chocolate cake—was set on the table. Twilight, he noted, was like a reflection of Celestia. Having spent so much time around her, he surmised that Twilight had picked up a few things over the years. Still, her nervousness shone right through.
There were also the complete opposites. Pinkie was her regular self, meaning she vacuumed the table for sugary treats near to her, splattering the table with crumbs, frosting, and leftover food that managed to avoid her maw. This, however, didn’t seem to be a problem for the princesses. As a matter of fact, Celestia and Luna looked downright amused by Pinkie’s antics. After all, a brief impromptu food fight with Applejack made Luna laugh heartily while Celestia couldn’t hide the amused smile on her face.
It was an informal affair, more resembling a group of friends that suddenly decided to meet up and have lunch. It took Magnus back to his days on Earth.
However, there was one pony who didn’t participate as much as the rest. Rainbow merely poked at her food with a hoof, looking at it with disinterest, and not even touching her tea.
Magnus had noticed this, and having an inkling as how horrible she had to feel right now made him feel bad too. Sure, he had felt a sense of victory over Rainbow yesterday and had achieved a level of vengeance, but looking at her now, he couldn’t help but feel his victory was hollow. Perhaps it was the fact that the ponies seemed so small compared to him, like children almost, even though they were adults. Their large eyes and faces, capable of so much emotions and expressions, even managed to convey sadness in a way that a normal human being would find difficult.
“Rainbow Dash, is there something wrong?” Princess Celestia asked, her eyes resting on the blue speedster.
Rainbow looked up, jolted by the princess’ voice. “No no, I’m okay—just had a big breakfast, that’s all.” Rainbow faked a smile and drained her cup in one large gulp.
Magnus glanced at Celestia, and instantly realized that she knew something was up. Her eyes rested on Rainbow as she drank her own tea, like she was looking through her. She wasn’t the only one; all her friends had shot her confused glances aside from Twilight, whose attention was captured by the other princesses.
Eventually, lunch wound down, and when the food had been cleaned off the table, Celestia spoke. “Now then, perhaps we can talk about what transpired this last week. I am sure that you’ve all taught Magnus something that he found both interesting and educational.”
“Oh, we have. I’ve spent many evenings and afternoons with him, and we’ve both learned so much from each other. Magnus spent his first day with Fluttershy.” Twilight looked to the pegasus, who nursed her cup of tea. “Do you want to tell the princess how it went, Fluttershy?”
The pegasus nodded and smiled slightly, then explained quite passionately, “I taught him about animals and how to care for them. At first, they were scared of him—they had never seen a human before, you see—but after Magnus helped me feed them, they knew he’s not a bad pony, um, person. Oh, and did you know that Magnus once had a cat? He said it had the bushiest tail ever!”
Everyone couldn’t help but crack a smile at her enthusiasm. “Animals in Equestria are super-intelligent compared to those on Earth. It was a shock to learn and even see with my own eyes,” Magnus added. It certainly played on his mind every time he encountered a dog or saw birds flying about.
“Truly?” Luna asked, to which Magnus nodded.
Fluttershy went silent for a moment before her smile faded. “There was an incident in the marketplace, though...”
“Incident?” Celestia queried, her curiosity awakened.
“We don’t need to talk about it,” Magnus quickly interjected, not wanting to bring up the hateful pony.
Celestia’s curiosity was piqued, as were the others. “Magnus, what happened?”
He sighed. “Just a pony who thinks I’m a monster. Don’t bother asking; I’d rather forget her.”
Celestia kept her eyes on Magnus for a few moments, wanting to ask for more information, though they eventually softened. “As you wish. We won’t push further.”
Next up came Applejack, and she explained how she had taught Magnus the basics of farming and how to haggle, and how she had introduced Magnus to some of the other ponies in town. Pinkie went into exhaustive detail about their day together, all without stopping to breathe. She even explained how she had started to sing her song about why ponies loved parties.
“I didn’t participate in the song,” Magnus added.
The ponies around the table raised a surprised eyebrow. “Why not? Everypony loves to sing,” Celestia stated.
“I am interested in hearing your reasoning as well,” Luna added.
“Well,” Magnus self-consciously crossed his arms over his chest, “I don’t have a singing voice, and I think it’s embarrassing to sing in public as well.”
“Oh pish posh, I believe that you must have a lovely voice.” Rarity looked to her friends for confirmation.
“Even if I did, I’ve promised myself to never participate in that singing thing.”
Celestia chuckled. “And if a moment of song comes to you one day, what will you do then?”
“Run away or stick my head into a bucket of water,” Magnus immediately answered.
Pinkie also mentioned how Magnus didn’t like large parties, upon which he took a moment to explain his dislike for crowds. Then, Pinkie explained that the chocolate cake they had eaten was actually Magnus’ recipe. That was a surprise for everybody, since they’d all assumed it was one of Pinkie’s creations. Sure, she had baked the cake and even improved it, but Magnus had been its originator. Still, the cake was a hit with everypony.
“We also had a talk about friendship later that day,” Twilight recalled after Pinkie finally took a moment to breathe. “According to Magnus, we ponies seem to value friendship more than humans.”
“I would not think so. You valued your friends highly, did you not?” Luna asked Magnus.
He nodded. “Yeah, I did and still do. Pinkie was the first one to clue me in; at her welcome party, she was pretty insistent that I make friends, almost as if I had to make friends, as soon as possible. Twilight gave a good explanation as to how and why, though.”
“Then I hope that you have made friends here in Ponyville already,” Celestia said. “Good friends are invaluable. They make our lives better in every way.”
Shrugging, Magnus leaned back in his seat. “I think I can say that it’s a work in progress.”
Rarity then took over, recalling their day together at the spa, and how she had taught him the importance of hoof care. Everyone gathered nodded, sans Rainbow Dash. Even Magnus nodded, though he muttered about that being the last time he bathed naked with a pony, which Luna’s ears picked up.
“Why not? Bathing is a good way to relax and spend time together.”
“Nudity taboo,” Magnus replied. He then gave the same lesson he had taught Rarity to everyone present. Silent nods of understanding went through the crowd as Magnus explained how he was brought up, how humans treated nudity as a taboo, and its various implications in a male and female setting. That brought Twilight into the conversation again, this time mentioning the discussion she’d had with Magnus about herding.
“Twilight, would it be too much trouble to ask for a copy of the notes you have gathered during these days spent conversing with Magnus?” Luna asked, before quickly looking to Magnus. “With your permission, of course.”
“Sure, I don’t mind, as long as it doesn’t go public,” Magnus answered.
“Now then, I believe we only have one pony to go.” Celestia turned to Rainbow Dash. Magnus did the same, and saw how the pegasus almost shrank in her seat while trying to focus on anything else other than the princess. Even Twilight and Applejack looked like they had frozen in their seats.
“...It went… okay.” Her cocky tone of voice had all but faded.
Celestia’s and Luna’s smiles turned into confused frowns, seeing as Rainbow almost deflated under their gaze.
“I… told him about how we make weather… and the seasons,” Rainbow continued, her voice quivering and her eyes fixated on the table. “And we talked… about some things. And I thought… t-thought… it would be…” Her voice faltered before dying off completely. She blinked, her eyes shining with moisture.
By now, everyone gathered were aware that something had gone awry. Their smiles had vanished, replaced by a mixture of inquisitiveness and worry. Twilight winced where she sat, while Applejack tried to think of the right course of action, though none came to mind.
That feeling of vindictiveness had evaporated, and once more, he felt that sense of uneasiness at Rainbow Dash’s state swell in his chest. Half-groaning to himself, he made his decision.
“I didn’t know that magic protects you guys!”
“I should have been there to supervise them!”
“Rainbow didn’t know about humans and lightning! None of us did!”
Twilight and Applejack had stood up from their seats, their forelegs on the table, one speaking in defence of Rainbow, the other attempting to take responsibility.
The two alicorn sisters seemed bewildered at the sudden exclamations and looked to the three who had spoken up, now knowing without a doubt that something serious had happened. The others were staring at Applejack, Twilight, and Magnus in confusion, none more so than Rainbow herself.
“Twilight, what happened yesterday?” Celestia asked, deciding to grab the reins of the conversation.
Only now did Twilight understand that she had shouted at Celestia, and her ears firmly pressed against her skull as she backed down. “Magnus didn’t know,” she said, visibly uncomfortable. “Rainbow didn’t know either. It was supposed to be a silly prank. None of us knew that lightning can kill or seriously injure a human.”
“Kill?” Luna exclaimed and frowned, setting her eyes on Rainbow, who still appeared dangerously close to tears. “Loyalty! What did you do?”
“Calm down, Princess Luna. I wasn’t told everything about this world—that includes the weather and the magic I now possess,” Magnus said, attempting to mollify her.
Still frowning heavily, Princess Luna directed her gaze towards the human. “Then please, explain. I wish to hear what transpired between you two.”
And so he did, recounting the events of the day prior and the effects that lightning could have on the human anatomy, though he did omit any overly grisly details. However, the mere mention of a person dying by lightning was enough to make everyone gasp in shock and horror.
“And that’s all that happened yesterday,” Magnus finished as both princesses stared at him. “I thought Rainbow wanted to kill me, and I ran for my life. She tried to stop me and explain, but I was so afraid that I completely ignored her.”
Magnus leaned back in his chair and looked around. Those who had previously been unaware of the incident seemed slack-jawed by the revelation. Rainbow herself had sunken even deeper into her seat, but her eyes were focused on Magnus.
“All in all, this entire thing was caused by a lack of information,” he said. “A misunderstanding because you all thought I was the same as you. I’m not, in case you were wondering.”
The room became silent as everybody pondered the grim revelation. Celestia sat locked in thought while Luna continued to glare at Rainbow. Finally, Celestia glanced around at her audience and spoke, “Now that I have heard all the facts, it is as Magnus says. He was not aware of our magical resistance towards lightning, and we were not aware of how dangerous lightning can be without magic to protect us. Although we are aware that living beings that possess a smaller amount of magic than a pony can be injured by a strike, neither of us took this into account when we learned of Magnus’ lack of magic. Star Swirl never told us about it either.” She paused for a moment as her eyes travelled to Rainbow Dash, the pony visibly swallowing the lump in her throat. “None are to blame for this incident, for all share an equal lack of knowledge.”
“But this begs a different question.” Everybody turned to Luna, her steely eyes still fixated on Rainbow. “Were you not asked to instruct Magnus? Were you not one of six ponies asked to teach Magnus of our world? I wonder, what did you intend to teach him by a lightning strike? What did he learn from your trickery?”
Rainbow didn’t respond, visibly deflating at Luna’s harsh tone of voice.
“Well?” Luna asked impatiently.
Magnus raised a weary hand, catching Luna’s attention. He sighed internally. “Luna, if there’s anyone who should be mad at Rainbow Dash, it should be me. And believe me, I’m still pissed off.” He glanced at the pegasus in question, who shrunk back slightly. “Still…” He bit the inside of his lip and continued, “I told Twilight that Rainbow and I were back at square one, which means working on letting go of my grudges. I appreciate your support, Princess, but I don’t want to escalate this more than it already has.”
Luna glared at Magnus, then slowly shifted her gaze to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus still looked visibly uncomfortable at being the focus of the Princess of the Night.
With a weary sigh, Luna nodded and her frown diminished. “Although I would like to pursue this matter further, it seems that there would be little to gain other than more frustration and grief. We shall speak of this no further.”
Rainbow’s shoulders sank out of sheer relief, and her tense muscles visibly relaxed under her taut blue fur. Even the feathers on her wings seemed to sag.
Nods of approval went around the table, yet the silence remained for a while. Even though conversation picked up again after a few moments, Magnus felt as if some damage to the group’s morale had already been inflicted.
***
“Well, my friends, it is time for Luna and I to return to Canterlot,” Celestia said, her serene smile once again dominating her kind face.
The entire group had gathered in the entrance hall of Twilight’s castle to see the princesses off. “It was my pleasure, Princess, although I wish we could see each other more often,” Twilight said.
Luna nodded in approval, yet she still seemed slightly troubled. “We meet not often, though it is always good when we can all find time to spend together, my friends. And it would seem that Magnus is in good hooves here in Ponyville.”
“Yes, you have learned much during your stay,” Celestia said to the human.
He looked down to the six mares and dragon, his lips curving. “I have good teachers, but I think I’ve barely scratched the surface so far.”
“That is true, but each day brings new discoveries,” Celestia advised.
Twilight nodded in agreement. “I still have some things that I want to discuss with Magnus. Math, for example. Judging by what Magnus told me, we teach math a bit different than what he is used to. He might not understand our system, so I’ve planned a two day course in basic and advanced math.”
Magnus felt a cold chill run down his spine. “Now now, let’s not—”
“What a wonderful idea,” Celestia agreed. “Math is far from a useless skill to have.”
More ideas came from the others, such as advanced party planning from Pinkie and seasonal clothes from Rarity, and even Fluttershy pitched in with pet care, in case Magnus ever wanted a pet.
“Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow, still rather subdued, turned to Princess Luna, who had adopted a neutral expression. “May we speak in private?”
Rainbow nodded hesitantly. “Uh, yeah, sure. Let’s go over there.” She pointed a wing further down the hall.
Luna and Rainbow walked away, leaving the others slightly puzzled. “What are they gonna talk about?” Pinkie asked as the two reached the doors farther down the hall. Her ears drooped, fearing that Princess Luna was going to yell at Rainbow Dash again.
“I believe my sister merely wanted to clarify a few things with Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said somewhat vaguely. Luna’s face was unreadable from this distance, and it was impossible to hear what they were speaking about.
Pinkie wiped her forehead dramatically. “Phew, that’s great! I was planning something to cheer up Rainbow Dash, but that would involve getting the Wonderbolts, Discord, a barrel of cider, a suit of armour from the castle ruins, and eight Royal Guards. Not sure if the guards would agree though.”
Celestia giggled lightly at Pinkie’s suggestion before directing her attention to Twilight and Magnus. “I have something to discuss with you two. As you both know, only one week remains of your stay here, Magnus, upon which you will return to Canterlot by train. I would like for you to come as well, Twilight.”
“Why is that, Princess?” Twilight asked.
“During the past three days, I have had the ambassadors for the griffons, the zebras, the minotaurs, the diamond dogs, and the Saddle Arabians approach me with the intent of speaking with Magnus.”
“What? Why?” Magnus asked, feeling a sudden onset of nervousness. Why the sudden interest? A few ideas sprung to mind, most of which weren’t pleasant.
“My guess is that they simply want to know more about you. In addition, my niece, Princess Cadance, and her husband, Prince-Consort Shining Armor, will be arriving in Canterlot for a brief visit in five days.”
“Cadance and my BBBFF are coming to Canterlot?” Twilight exclaimed with a smile. “Oh, now I have to go to Canterlot to meet them! It feels like forever since I last saw them. By the way, why do you want me to meet the ambassadors?”
“Because you are one of the few ponies who have been around Magnus for a significant time. If some of the ambassadors begin to feel apprehensive about him, I believe you’d be able to allay any of their fears. After all, you are the Princess of Friendship,” Celestia answered.
“I-I don’t know… can’t say I like the idea of being placed under the microscope again,” he stammered, the uneasiness at walking out of Canterlot Castle the first time ringing in his mind.
Celestia nodded understandingly. “You are, of course, free to say no, but I believe that this meeting is a way to inform the rest of the world that you have no ill intentions. We have had enough incidents in Equestria lately to make many kingdoms nervous. When we decided to release Discord from his stone imprisonment in order to reform him, many thought Luna and myself insane. Now, Discord is a friend and ally.”
Magnus admitted that Celestia had a valid point. If the kings and queens of the world thought he was contemplating destruction and mayhem, then it would be in his best interest to disprove that fear. However, he would be placed in the spotlight yet again, like some freak at P.T. Barnum’s Circus, all to satisfy the curiosity of this world’s inhabitants. He had been agreeable far too often recently, all for the sake of progressing his own integration. His own peace had been shattered enough.
He folded his arms across his chest. “Sorry, Princess, but I don’t want to meet them. The interview I gave should be enough for them, for now at least. I don’t think I can go through that again so soon.”
That was not the answer Celestia hoped to hear, and her face reflected it as she frowned slightly in disappointment. “As you wish, although Luna and I believed you would find this meeting interesting. It would be the first time you meet non-ponies,” Celestia replied after a few seconds of silence.
“I’ve seen non-ponies before,” Magnus said, recalling the griffin, diamond dog, and minotaur that had seen him the day he left Canterlot.
Luna and Rainbow Dash chose that moment to return to Twilight and the rest of her friends. Luna still had that carefully adopted neutral expression on her face, and while Rainbow Dash still resolutely avoided meeting his gaze, she no longer seemed to be perpetually shrinking back, though her wings seemed to be rigidly held against her sides. He briefly wondered about the details of their conversation.
“Well, my friends, I believe it is time we are on our way. Magnus, would you please walk us to our chariots?” Celestia said. He willingly obliged and followed the two sisters out of the castle, where their guards were waiting and quickly fell in behind. Celestia whispered an order to one of the guards, who immediately hurried into town. Their chariots had been moved from the centre of town to a small field a stone's throw away from Twilight’s castle for easier take-off.
“Tell us, Magnus, how do you like Ponyville?” Celestia asked after a few moments of silence. “Do you think that you would like to live here?”
Walking between the two sisters, Magnus’ hands rested on his back as he twisted his neck to work out some of the kinks. “It is a nice town,” he began, gazing at the cosily-built homes that they passed by. “Small, quiet, most the townsfolk are friendly. Sure, I would probably like living here. However, I’ve noticed one problem when it comes to this place.”
“And what would that be?” Luna asked.
“A lack of jobs. I’ve yet to see a single “Now Hiring” sign in any of the store windows. I even checked the local newspaper the other day and the notice board outside town hall when Applejack and I were at the market. Nothing. Everybody already has a job, and I doubt a new business is about to open any time soon. This town isn’t exactly booming.” On top of that, the fact that he hadn’t seen any houses being built probably meant that ponies weren’t moving here either.
Celestia hummed to herself. “I’m sure we can help; perhaps I can talk to Mayor Mare and—”
“No.” Magnus halted in his tracks and sighed. “No, Princess. You don’t have to create a job out of the blue. There are some things a man has to do on his own—finding a job and a place to live are two of them. Besides, I’m sure a city like Canterlot is bound to have a job available for someone like me.”
The two alicorn sisters exchanged glances, then back to Magnus before they resumed their journey. Luna chuckled briefly. “You have pride. And you are determined to seek out a job as well as a place to call home on your own, even if we were to offer you help.”
Magnus cracked a grin. “Well, I’ve felt like all my needs have been taken care of for a long time now. It’s time to do things on my own for a change.”
Celestia nodded. “Perhaps it is. You have your own life to think of and your own dreams to fulfill. And speaking of needs, Doctor Silverheart approached me yesterday and informed me that the results of your examination have all been analysed and verified. He wishes to see you as soon as you return to Canterlot.”
“He did?!” Magnus exclaimed. The array of tests he had undergone had slid into the back of his mind and had nearly been forgotten. The constant worrying over some life-threatening illness or lingering consequence of his lineage had been a tumor in his mind for days afterwards. The time spent in Ponyville had actually helped him forget.
“What did he say? Did they find anything?” Magnus inquired nervously.
“Don’t worry, you are perfectly healthy,” Celestia answered, her calmness the exact opposite of Magnus’ mood. “Although, Silverheart did explicitly express his desire to speak with you concerning some test results. He was quite adamant about it.”
Magnus took a deep breath. “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all…” he muttered sarcastically, much to Celestia and Luna’s amusement.
They reached the chariots, but the princesses didn’t board, instead turning around to face Magnus. A brief lull enveloped the group as Celestia and Luna took a few seconds to simply gaze at the human.
“Guards, leave us, but stay close. We will depart soon,” Luna told the guards. They saluted and trotted out of hearing distance.
“Magnus,” Luna began, her voice sounding serious. “There is something else we wish to speak with you of, something that you may find interesting.”
Magnus looked from alicorn to alicorn, his curiosity rising. “Okay? And that is…”
Luna glanced at her sister, who nodded slightly.
“You have family here in Equestria.”
For a moment, Magnus simply continued to look at Luna as if still waiting for her to speak. A minor upward movement of his eyebrows was all the reaction he displayed. The two princesses eagerly awaited his response. They had spoken of this moment many times, wondering what Magnus would say or do, and even how to break the news to him. In the end, they had simply decided to tell him at the appropriate moment.
Finally, Magnus’ brain managed to process the information he had been given, although what he said could probably have been a bit more eloquent.
“Eh?”
“Family,” Celestia repeated, giving him an understanding smile, aware of what a shock it must have been to him. “You have family in Equestria.”
Magnus nodded slowly, shuffling his feet. “Family,” he parroted sluggishly. ”How exactly?”
“The descendants of Star Swirl’s offspring. They also moved to Equestria after its founding and settled here, where they prospered and spread far and wide,” Luna explained.
“However, that was long ago,” Celestia continued. “Now, only two known descendants of Star Swirl’s lineage remain. Your relative is an elderly unicorn mare that resides in the Galaxy family’s castle in a forest village called Hollow Shades. Her name is Brilliant Star.”
With a slightly dazed nod, Magnus meandered over to Celestia’s chariot and sat down on the edge of the finely crafted vessel, the wood creaking under his weight. Normally, a pony would never even think of using the sun princess’ chariot as a seat, but Magnus’ mind didn’t consider the act itself and Celestia didn’t voice her objections to her personal chariot being treated as a common park bench.
With folded hands resting under his chin, Magnus peered up at the two princesses stoically. “Why are you telling me this, hmm?”
If the two alicorns were surprised at Magnus’ question, they didn’t display it. They were, however, taken aback at his tone of voice. Truth be told, they expected a somewhat happier reaction.
Celestia lowered her head until she was at eye level with the man. “We know that you are alone, Magnus. You are the only human in the world, and you must feel alone, even though you are surrounded by ponies who wish you well. Brilliant Star is your only known relative here, no matter how much time and blood separates you. We only wished to ask if you would be willing to meet with her.”
“She is your only link to family in Equestria by blood,” Luna walked up to stand in front of Magnus. “From what my sister has told me, Brilliant Star is old and wise, and respected by the ponies of Hollow Shades. She travelled the world for many years, meeting with many different creatures, and is known for her welcoming demeanour. I am certain you will not be treated any differently from those she has met.”
Magnus remained silent for a while, pondering the news. ‘Family,’ he thought. ‘A pony, an old mare too, living in a castle. Why do they want me to meet her? Why now?’
“Why didn’t you tell me about her before?”
“It was my suggestion to withhold this information from you,” Celestia explained. “I suggested to Luna and Twilight that we wait until you became comfortable around ponies before telling you.”
On some level, Magnus understood. He’d had a lot on his plate lately, being hospitalized and interrogated, learning to cope with who and what he was while dealing with how to live in magical ponyland and all its craziness. Topping that with the revelation of a pony relative would have been too much for his stressed mind.
“Does this mare know that I’m “related” to her?” he asked, making quotation marks with his fingers, which looked silly since Equish quotation marks were different from English ones.
“No, she does not. We wanted to first ask if you wished to see her. If you agree, then we will tell her about you,” Luna answered.
“And how can you be so sure she wants to see me?”
“Because I know her,” Celestia said with a fond smile born from many pleasant memories of the mare in question. “Long ago, I founded a school for gifted unicorns in Canterlot. I knew Brilliant Star before she was hired as a teacher at the school, and we have maintained our friendship ever since. Believe me when I say that she is very family oriented. I am confident she will welcome you with open forelegs.”
Luna added, “After you gave the staff to us, we removed Star Swirl’s horn from it and travelled to Hollow Shades to give him a proper burial. Brilliant Star attended, and I saw her weeping for a pony she never knew.”
With that said, Luna and Celestia awaited his decision. He had much to mull over concerning this mare he never knew of until just recently.
He remembered what Twilight had told him of how ponies viewed family, that their family ties were strong. But strong enough to last five millennia? He doubted that. Then again, the princesses hadn’t lied to him yet. He had begun to feel as if the two alicorn sisters were trustworthy individuals some time ago, although he wasn’t particularly fond of their secretive nature concerning certain details.
The mare they mentioned also made him think about his own roots. Magnus had often wondered if he had any other relatives out there in the world and had posed the question to his grandfather. The old man had sombrely informed him that Magnus was the only family he had left. Magnus’ grandmother and Joseph’s wife, Ann, had been an only child. Hrafnar, Magnus’ father, had left Iceland at a young age and set out to sea, spending years working aboard cargo ships and visiting many countries before finally meeting Julia, Magnus’ mother, in San Francisco years ago. According to Joseph, Hrafnar never spoke of his family under almost any circumstances until he had finally broken his silence one day and told Joseph everything. It wasn’t a tale of adventure, rather, it was one of escape from a toxic and hostile household. As a teenager, Magnus later saw a VHS tape recorded by his father in which he explained everything that happened to him. It was after seeing this personal recording that Magnus forgave his father for leaving him at birth.
The only one that remained from his barren, nearly extinguished family tree, was this unknown mare living in a castle. Magnus admitted to himself that yes, she must be related to him somehow if the princesses said so. But who was she? What was she like? Would she welcome an alien into her house or chase him away with a broom? Would she even care if some ‘relative’, separated by millennia and perhaps even a separate universe or dimension, came knocking on her door?
Magnus had no answer. It was overwhelming to even contemplate, and he would rather not think about it now.
“I need time to decide,” he said, looking up at the princesses.
Celestia nodded. “We understand. This is a great step for you to take. Take what time you need to decide.”
With that said, Luna and Celestia stepped aboard their chariots and the guards hitched themselves to the shaft and drawbar moments later. Another guard came trotting up to Princess Celestia’s chariot, carrying a colourful cardboard box labelled ‘Otherworldly Chocolate Delight’ and handed it to her respectfully.
“I must say, you truly make a delicious cake,” Celestia smiled fondly at the cake placed in front of her. “If you find yourself in need of work, perhaps I can find a spot in the royal kitchens.”
“Glad to see my small contribution is helping your diabetes come along, but I don’t think baking is my thing,” Magnus replied absentmindedly.
“Pastries aside, I believe a visit to Hollow Shades and Brilliant Star will do you good. Please, consider our proposal.”
“I can promise you that much.”
“Then we have done all we can,” Celestia answered, nodding to the pegasi at her chariot.
Luna’s chariot was pulled next to Celestia’s by the pair of bat ponies. Luna herself looked over to her sister, spotted the cake box, and shook her head. “Again?” she asked, although not sounding surprised.
“What? It was good,” Celestia replied defensively.
Luna smiled good-naturedly at her sister before taking in Magnus and his sombre demeanour. “Rainbow Dash and I had a rather… insightful and straightforward conversation, and I do believe she is aware of where she now stands.” Luna shot him a grin with a bit too much teeth. “With that said, I believe that your friendship, such as it was, is salvageable if you wish to pursue it.”
Magnus nodded briefly, kicking away an errant pebble digging into his steel-shod hoof. “Like I said, I don’t feel like talking to her just yet.”
“Yet you defended her earlier. You, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle all spoke in her defence,” Luna added, giving Magnus a questioning look. “Why is that?”
“I’d rather not say.” Magnus wasn’t about to tell the princesses that the reason he spoke up was because, in a moment of weakness, he’d felt as if Rainbow had resembled an innocent child, or perhaps an adorable puppy or a kitten being yelled at. The royal sisters exchanged a smile, looking as though they were reading each other’s mind, perhaps even suggesting something.
“NO! It’s not like that!” Magnus exclaimed vehemently, just in case the princesses were considering a line of thought that was rather unpalatable.
“We did not say a word.” The smirk on Celestia’s face suggested that she was thinking the exact opposite, and the same went for Luna, what with the way she covered her grin with her hoof. Magnus, for this part, merely shook his head and groaned.
“Well then, I believe we had better be off before Magnus starts to blush. We look forward to your return to Canterlot, and your answer concerning Brilliant Star,” Celestia said once she had managed to erase the smirk from her face.
Nodding, Magnus waved her away. “I’ll give it some thought.”
The guards pulling the chariots first began to trot, and soon they galloped across the field while flapping their wings. As if defying gravity, the chariots rose into the sky at the same time the ponies took off. Soon, the chariots and the princesses were distant dots in the sky as they headed towards Canterlot.
‘It bothers me that those heavy chariots can fly. Magic, definitely magic…’
Turning around, Magnus began his walk back to Twilight’s castle, yet his mind wasn’t on the castle or the party awaiting him. No, it was on his mysterious elderly relative who lived in a castle, in some forest that sounded like a place the Hessian Horseman called home… or haunting ground.
The last known pony to be related to him, the princesses had said. Brilliant Star, a friend of Celestia. Who was she? What was she like? Deep down, Magnus was intrigued. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to find out. Curiosity was a powerful emotion.
Well, here we are again. Second update of 2018, although I hope that updates will come quicker from here on out. Chapters will be shorter starting from the next one.
As you may have noticed, I've changed back to 3rd person, permanently this time. It's a lot easier to write, to get the right words out, to distance yourself from the characters but still being there, so to speak. Like, being a spectator to events unfolding. I.E., much easier.
When writing this, I walked into a trap so obvious I'm ashamed I didn't see it. What was the trap? JBL can explain it.
Yeah, okay, Magnus' white-knighting for Rainbow Dash honestly pissed me off. I hate it when a pony does something like that to a human, and he ends up defending them. It's one of those damn tropes/cliché I always see in the early years of mlp fanfiction, and I'd hoped to never have to see it again. On top of that, Luna ends up apologizing to Rainbow Dash for having the audacity to raise her voice? C'mon man. Basically, the way you've written it, RD cannot face even a frown of disapproval or a harsh word because she feels just terrible for what she did
White knight... I could just as well have given Magnus a fedora, black trench coat, and a katana made of superior Nippon steel, folded ∞ times, and every time he meets a mare he tips his hat to her; "M'are." JBL, you hereby have permission to chew me out, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman style if I ever do this again. All of you reading this are my witnesses. Thankfully, JBL fixed it for me, replacing my wordvomit with carefully sculpted sentences.
As usual, thank you to all my readers for finding my story interesting enough to read and for giving me thumbs up. I eat thumbs for a living you see. Also, to all you who've decided to follow me since the last update and to give my story a home on your virtual shelves: Thank you very much.
PS: The cake is not a lie. The chocolate cake Magnus and Pinkie made is the same one they have for dessert in the castle. It is a real cake my mother makes sometimes, although I may have messed up the recipe somewhat.
PPS: Artist rendition of JBL editing stories. 
Begone, spelling errors and often repeated words!
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So looking forward to that family reunion. Love the chapter and the artist rendition xD
Every person is different, some are more forgiving than others. I just hope it doesn't fester too long. This is Equestria after all, not Earth, friendship and hatred can have actual consequences when magic's emotional facet is involved. That's putting aside the fact that a sad pony is no different than a kicked puppy/kitten (it's those danged huge eyes and ears).
By the way, I thought Magnus had magic? I mean, besides the bony lightning rod [heh] sticking out of his head, he's part pony. Or are those hairy calves due to some non-magical minotaur in his family tree and Grandpa Starswirl was made up?
8788198
Actually, the picture is something I found on the internet by googling wizard tome.
8788201
Magnus has magic. In previous chapters we've seen him levitate a stone a few times, so yes, he has magic and only knows one spell. For now.
The hairy legs and forearms comes natural to Magnus, due to his unicorn heritage, but it is also something I chose when I saw a few artists pictures of ponies on derpibooru. Some artists have a preference for drawing ponies with unshorn fetlocks, meaning extra long hair on the fetlocks on the legs( wrist of forelegs). This is something that certain artists likes to draw on Big MacIntosh especially. Unshorn fetlocks is also a feature on Magnus, but only on his legs, not his wrists.
Noice. I'm already looking forward to the next installment.
JBL has the right idea. Let Magnus be angry with Dashie but not to the point of asshattedness.
8788246
So if he has magic, than wouldn't he also have that pony resistance to lightning? I mean, I don't expect him to go out and test it. How would you in a controlled gradual manner? Work your way up from shuffling across the carpet to get zapped with static electricity?
Huh, there's a frightening idea; Twilight getting it in her head that she can "cure" Magnus of his lightning-phobia through immersion.
8788679
He does have the pony's resistance to lightning. After all, he's unharmed and not currently a pile of ashes. It's just that he wasn't aware of said resistance until Rainbow Dash inadvertently tested it out.
8788763
But I thought that he managed to roll out of the way in time to dodge the strike? At least that's how that scene seemed to read in the previous chapter. If that's the case then we don't know for certain whether he's resistant or not, or even if he is, but not to the same degree as the ponies.
8789062
He managed to get away in time, and later, Twilight states that his magic is exactly the same as all other ponies, meaning he is just as immune as everybody else.
8789084
Alright then, "word of god" and all that. But still, you can't blame any of the characters for considering the possibility that he might not be--it's not like humans turning into ponies is a common, well documented occurrence... at least in the world of the story.
Here on Fimfiction however?
8789104
Oh no, humans turning into ponies? Never happened before as far as I can remember. Becoming a satyr-like being? Not exactly new either, but there are far fewer stories of satyrs.
8789563
Yeah, most writers of these kinds of stories just go with straight-up anthro, rather than the half-and-half setup of a satyr or centaur. It does make a bit more sense though; if you breed two radically different types of dog, say a chihuahua and a bulldog, it doesn't result in some Frankenstein's-monster-like bulldog with a chihuahua's head.
Then again, as Discord-Senpai once said, what fun is there in making sense?
P.S.- We need a Discord emoji on this site.
8789084
This could lead to a side story with all sorts of implications--like Twilight testing just how well Magnus' magic has adapted him to living in Equestria...
Twilight: "First thing to test: Sonic Rainboom into a mountainside--Rainbow, if you'll please assist...?"
"
"
"
"
...is in the hospital....*
Rainbow Dash: "No, problembo, Twilight! One free flying MOAB* into the side of Mount Manerhorn, coming right up!"
Magnus: "wha--? WAIT! WHH-HA-AA-AOO-O-O-O-o-o
*Magnu comes through singed and mangled, but intact, alive, and conscious, if not quite a bit staggered and concussed...*
Twilight: "That's a check. Okay, next on the list: resistance to being digested--there, all lined up on that hydra--PULL, Fluttershy!"
Magnus: "wha--? WAIT! WHH-HA-AA-AOO-O-O-O-o-o
*Magnu comes through singed and mangled, but intact, alive, and conscious, if not quite a bit staggered and concussed...*
Twilight: "Alrighty, then. No problems there. Oh, you're just in time, Princess Ember!"
Ember: "You've got something you want me to drop in our lava pool?"
Twilight: "Yes, this fine fellow right here."
Magnus: "wha--? WAIT! WHH-HA-AA-AOO-O-O-O-o-o
*Magnu comes through singed and mangled, but intact, alive, and conscious, if not quite a bit staggered and concussed...*
Twilight: "Okaaay---next, run him through the CMC gauntlet. Sorry, girls, but you all can try it out once we're sure it works."
Appleblood: "Awww..."
Twilight: "Just pull the lever, Sweaty Belle."
Magnus: "wha--? WAIT! WHH-HA-AA-AOO-O-O-O-o-o
Smutaloo: "Wow! Lookethim fly!"
*Magnus...
*--'Magnus Of All Booms'
Disclaimer--In keeping with the rating of Y/TV, all these situational cases are confirmed to have occurred in show canon, or at least somewhat nearly so. All stunts performed by professionals and should never be attempted at home. Under NO circumstances, should any of these stunts be attempted by individuals without a minimum of Class IX Magic Protection.
8795822
This made me laugh, and considering I'm battling the flu right now and every muscle in my body aches, my stomach muscles are at code red.
8796472
Well, they've always said laughter is the best medicine. Glad I could help!
Hope you get well soon!
8795822
"
Twilight: "now let's see if he can survive a mare herd orgy"
Random mare: "I have always wanted to try something exotic!!"
Magnus: "wha--? WAIT! WHH-HA-AA-AOO-O-O-O-o-o
*Magnus comes through singed and mangled, but intact, alive, and conscious, if not quite a bit staggered and concussed...*
8841628
Is that random mare Lyra?
8841628
Heh! If we keep this us, Cup of Coffee might not recover from the flu, but at least he'll die with a great set of abs.
8842300
>when Lyra sees human fingers for the first time.
8788679
With Pinkie Pie in that world, this is a far more realistic possibility than you may think... after all:
9968468
I have absolutely no doubt that this is something Pinkie would do.
On a similar note:
I work at a place that makes signs, posters etc of various sizes. There's this one type of plate we frequently use that's made of one layer of plastic with two thin wafers of aluminium on each side for printing directly on. Thing is, before we can print on them we gotta remove the plastic film on the surface, but doing so basically turns the entire plate into a large electrostatic battery. If we're not touching something grounded while removing the film, we build up the static electricity into ourselves. I purposely build up a major shock into my body one time, about 8 plates worth, then touched my coworkers earlobe.
He regained his hearing later that day.
9969081
Zomg!
I know there's a story that actually has Pinkie Pie doing it... I think it's The Lost Element by XD-385 on SoFurry. He's known as Humanity here on Fimfiction. I could be wrong but I believe it's in that one. It was really funny. :)
cdn.drawception.com/images/panels/2016/1-29/phPD5NswWj-6.png
10217403
I don't have a reaction folder but I know how to search for reaction images. But that picture... There's no proper reaction image for it.