Chapter 5: Not a bother
Felix let out a small, tired sigh.
He'd stayed with Luna, all tangled up on the cushions by her window, for around half an hour before she'd started to doze off. It seemed her stress and anguish over losing him had been all that was keeping her going – she hardly had the strength to rise once it was gone.
She was happy, though. It was like his words had lifted every burden from her at once, and now she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep.
On him, it seemed.
What, precisely, was the protocol for having a princess of... what was this place called, again? Whatever, point was, what was he supposed to do, here? Would it be an extreme faux pas if he slept here?
Probably not, he reasoned. From what little Felix had seen of these ponies, they seemed rather easy-going – perhaps even naive. With plenty of time to turn over what he'd seen in his head while Luna dozed, he came to the conclusion that this pony kingdom he found himself in was clearly the Big Good Kingdom faction of this fantasy-world.
Small favors. At least he hadn't ended up with the designated evil monster faction as a prisoner, or something. They had one of those here, right? In this world?
Definitely something to ask about later, he figured. He was just starting to properly doze – and get more than a little stiff from the unicorn-pegasus-whatever princess pony sprawled on top of him – when Celestia had come to his rescue.
She seemed relieved to see Luna smiling so sincerely, and more than a little amused at the situation. Luna only agreed to go to bed when Felix promised her they'd speak again, and things really were alright between them.
Now he was trotting alongside Celestia, his legs still wobbling any time he thought too much about it. As soon as they got out of earshot of Luna, Celestia said, "Thank you. I don't think I've seen my sister so happy in... many years."
"Don't mention it, princess." He smiled a bit. "Like I told her, I might be salty for a few days, and she has some teasing coming her way, but we can move past it. That's what friends do."
Felix could almost feel Celestia beaming at him, although she maintained a dignified composure. "That is very noble of you, Felix."
Felix almost scoffed, not out of dismissal, but more because he didn't feel he had done anything that special to deserve such praise. His friend was hurting, he wanted to help her get better, so he did. He would help any of his friends who needed it, it was just what he did.
It clearly meant a lot to Celestia, though. For that matter, it had clearly meant the world to Luna.
It was obvious that Celestia deeply cared about her sister. Hell, she'd asked him to hate her instead of Luna, begged him, bowed to him to get him to forgive Luna. Felix could well-respect that sort of loyalty and devotion to a sibling – he felt the same way about his own. He'd always stood up for his younger brother and sister, looked up to his older sister who'd done the same for him.
Would he ever see them again? He had to push that away, for now. Dwelling on it wasn't helping.
But Celestia's clear affection and loyalty to her sister did raise an important question – an unavoidable one that had been plaguing Felix since Celestia first explained the situation to him in the hospital room. Now was as good a time as any to find out what was really going on.
"Something's been bothering me, princess. You said that I was Luna's only solace for the past few months, but... doesn't she have you?"
Celestia cleared her throat uneasily. "I do my best to be there for her, but our duties keep us apart a great deal of the time. I watch over the day, while my sister's demesne is the night. We love each other dearly, but there is much we cannot share, and..."
She trailed off, seemingly struggling for how to put it into words, but, well, Felix had siblings of his own. He could put it together.
"There's some baggage there?"
She nodded, and he said, "I think I can understand. Siblings fight, sometimes, and it isn't always easy to share everything with your family."
The smile she responded with had a slightly pained quality to it. "All too true, I'm afraid."
There was clearly more to that story, but now wasn't the time. "Doesn't she have any other friends, though? Pony friends?" His confusion was evident in his voice.
"... She does not. Luna spends her time in solitude, aside from the two of us. She's had great difficulties making friends."
"Well that doesn't make sense," Felix said honestly, his fatigue dulling his sense of restraint, "Luna's a blast. She's hilarious – really clever, too. And it's not like she's an asshole or anything, either, she's genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met. Who wouldn't want to be friends with her?"
He actually stopped and tapped a hoof to his head, his confusion growing as he added more-recently learned details. "Wait, isn't she a princess here, too? And I don't know how ponies see each other, but it's not like she's ugly or anything, either. She..."
Even Felix's fatigued brain knew better than to finish that thought out loud. Inwardly, though, he'd decided pretty quickly that Luna was quite pretty. Adorable, really, and beautiful.
He felt a little weird about that, but whatever. It was still true, and the point at hand was that unless the ponies here were all blind, they ought to have seen it, too.
His rumination was broken by Celestia giggling at him. He cocked his head – a far more dramatic gesture with his new body, he realized – and smirked at her. "What? Something I said?"
"It's just so nice to hear someone else recognize her positive traits. I was beginning to fear no one would. I've told her time and again that she has so much to offer others, but they never seem to see it that way."
"Not to speak ill of your subjects, but that's dumb. What, did they dump Perception, or something? I'd expect her to be fighting off suitors with a stick and overwhelmed with attempts to get her attention and be her friend."
"Is that how princesses are treated in your world?"
"Huh?" It took Felix a second to connect that. "Oh. Uh, maybe? Most celebrities get treated that way to an extent, actually, I think. But I just meant for who she is. Oh, but yeah, her being a princess – I'd expect it to be ten times as much, then, easily."
Celestia giggled again, and fixed Felix with a loose, amused smile. "Perhaps not all of my ponies are as perceptive as you are, then. What was it you said? Maybe they 'dumped perception?' "
"Hope it was for something good, because if they dumped it far enough not to even be friends with Luna then woof that was one big deficit."
He had to sit on his... haunches? In order to hold his hooves apart, to indicate how big of a point-drop had been applied. Did that ruin the effect? Celestia laughed again, so probably not, he figured, and they resumed walking.
Felix had been about to re-ask his initial question, but Celestia beat him to it and said, "Luna has some... history. She did some bad things, and scared the ponies of Equestria immensely. There are apparently many who still fear her, and even among those who do not, many who do not understand her. Being a princess also makes it harder for her to connect to others on a basic, personal level."
Well that was a bombshell. Was Luna some kind of ex-convict, or something? She was still a princess and in-charge, so how bad could it actually be?
Felix seized on the part he understood. "I can get how being famous and in-charge gets in the way of friendships. I've heard about that, a bit." He thought for a moment. "Are you speaking from experience?"
Another pained smile. "I'm afraid so."
Ouch. Lonely at the top, huh? That sure put some perspective on how Luna behaved and what little she said about her job.
They walked a bit in silence, Felix taking the time to look around. The royal palace was so big and beautiful, like something straight out from a fantasy book.
Then his mind turned to his current situation, and what his place was.
Clearing his throat and gaining her attention, Felix tried to look casual. "So, uhm, princess. What exactly do I do now?" She tilted her head slightly. "I mean, I can't go home yet. I don't have any money, nor do I have anywhere to stay. Not to mention I have no idea how this world works."
Celestia giggled and smiled warmly at him. "Are you afraid we're going to put you out?"
At first, he wasn't sure what to say. He honestly had been starting to worry about it, but the teasing lilt of Celestia's voice seemed to imply he was being silly for doing so.
Felix was tired, a little nervous, and a lot confused, but he caught a hint of that bantering prankster nature he always liked about Luna coming off of Celestia, and he couldn't just let that slip past.
"Oh, you know," he started, tired brain kicking online, "figured it was standard practice. 'Hey there, thanks for visiting our magical kingdom, here's a rusty dagger, the weak monsters are over thataway.' The inns here are cheap, right? They're always cheaper in the starter town."
Celestia was torn between confused and amused, but amusement won out when she saw his goofball smirk. Good! She had put him a bit more at ease – she liked how easily he seemed to slip into playful banter and such, as well. She could see why Luna liked him.
"Is that common in your world? Fantasy kingdoms dispensing rusty daggers, leaving adventurers on their own?" She tapped her chin in thought.
He grinned and took the setup immediately. "Oh, certainly. Rusty daggers, wooden swords, maybe just a stick, whatever's at hand, really. Especially if they're legendary heroes destined to save the world from imminent destruction – then you don't even get a free room for the night."
"Tough love? Have to toughen up the heroes, I suppose."
"Nah," he shrugged that off. "It's just, if they're destined to save the world, you might as well save some money, right? They don't need help, clearly."
"Destiny will sort it out," she said with a firm nod, doing her best to appear serious despite a grin fighting its way onto her face, "hardly worth thinking about. In fact, why not steer as many other hazards as you can find into their path, too?"
"Exactly!" Now he was giggling. "Real convenient, having a predestined chosen one around. Should really keep some in stock, just in case. It's not like they're hard to get – seems like you can't go to any fantasy kingdom these days without running headlong into dozens. A little creepy that they all have the exact same backstory and journey, but, hey, that's just how chosen ones are."
Celestia had no way of knowing precisely what Felix was talking about – in this case, the awkwardness of an MMORPG storyline playing out identically for every player – but she could put together that he was mocking some sort of fiction, and put on her best haughty, offended look.
"Excuse you, but I'll have you know that Equestria only accepts the finest of chosen ones. All of our epic, predestined heroes come with unique backstories and special talents!" She leaned in closer as he laughed. "And I assure you, we don't throw visitors to our realm out onto the streets with whatever trash is at hand and expect them to fend for themselves."
His laughter tapered off into a small smile as he nodded. "Thank you for that. Though, I don't want you to make a fuss over me – I know you must have a lot going on. I don't want to be a problem or a burden to you all."
Celestia idly realized that hidden within Felix's playful aside about being thrown out to fend for himself was a genuine concern about earning his keep while he was here. She was starting to get an idea of just what sort of person he was, but she didn't like the direction his mind was going.
She blew a distinctly unladylike, unprincesslike raspberry, leaving him bemused. "Burden?" She rolled her eyes and gestured at him as though an entire crowd was watching. "This pony! He's snatched up from his own world, trapped here, and the first thing he does is cheer up my sister – and the second thing he does is worry he's being a burden as soon as somepony offers to help him!"
Felix gave a bashful smile at that, looking away in embarrassment, and Celestia took the opportunity to gently pat him on the head. "Don't think of yourself that way. You're welcome here – you're a friend of Luna's, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Besides, I think I'll rather like having you around!"
The sincere warmth she gave off as she spoke put Felix at ease, and all he could think to do was bow his head and say, "Thank you very much, princess."
Celestia had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes or facehoof, though she still smiled at him. "Now, none of that, you hear? You are a guest in our realm, not one of my subjects, so you're under no obligation to bow to me – and I'd much prefer you to use my name rather than my title."
"Oh. Um. Okay... Celestia?" He seemed to find it difficult, and Celestia got a playful idea, grinning.
"You did of course remember to bow to Luna when you visited her earlier? Referred to her strictly as 'your majesty' or 'your resplendent highness Princess Luna', perhaps?"
He gave a snort at that, and then immediately cringed and said, "Oh, sorry, um... no."
"Because you're friends," Celestia pressed, and she gently used a feather to lift his head to meet her gaze. "I want to be your friend as well, you understand?"
Rather than responding immediately, Felix took a moment to study Celestia and process what she'd said. Since he'd come here, he had mostly gotten by through a combination of jokes and trying to roll with whatever other people were doing, and it had been instantly clear to him that Celestia was a pony others held in deep reverence, just by how Doctor Peppermint had acted.
Going by what Celestia had said, that sort of behavior had left both her and Luna rather lonely, even if Celestia handled it better than her sister. Did she? Actually, he was assuming she did based on her composure, but he really didn't know that, did he? But the idea of goofing off with Celestia the way he did with Luna felt like it would be...
"You'll let me know if I... I dunno, cross a line? If you think I'm being disrespectful? I really have no idea where the lines are drawn here, to be honest, and I'm worried I'll fuck it up." He blinked. "Uh... sorry about swearing. Kinda makes my point, though."
Felix blushed, embarrassed. His mother would have smacked him upside the head if he spoke to their queen like that back home. He was usually more polite with strangers, but he was exhausted, and Celestia had made him feel so at ease it had been easy to slip into talking casually.
Celestia actually laughed at that, throwing her head back and holding a hoof up to her mouth. She fixed him with a mock look of motherly disapproval, and said, "Oh my, such vulgarity in my majestic presence!" She added another grandiose wave of her hoof, for emphasis, and even Felix was snickering, now.
She shook her head. "I've been around long enough to meet all sorts of people, Felix. You won't offend me by simply being yourself, and talking as you would at home. I want you to feel at-home here, as much as possible." She took on a slightly more pained look. "I am sorry we can do so little for you, in that regard."
"I'll get by," Felix said immediately, almost automatically. "Er, I mean... I obviously need your help to get back, but, I don't want you worrying too much for my sake, aside from that."
Celestia cleared her throat, considering her words. It was clear to her that Felix's sense of propriety could get in the way of him taking care of himself or expressing his difficulties, and she needed to do something about it.
"Though it was an accident, my sister still stranded you in our world. You are the responsibility of the crown – it is our duty to take care of you. It is, in fact, a matter of honor," and this, Celestia actually said with absolute seriousness, surprising Felix. "You wouldn't get in the way of us living up to that, would you?"
"Well... uh... no." What else was he going to say, really?
"Good!" Celestia snickered and broke eye contact as they began walking again. "Then make sure to take whatever hospitality is offered, hm? And don't hesitate to tell us if you need anything. Really, you aren't just a guest, anyway – in a way, you're an ambassador between our worlds."
"Ah, man. I love my country and my species, but they're really screwed if I'm supposed to speak for them," Felix said with a snicker.
"Or you're just the right person for the job, and never knew it. Destiny does work in strange ways, sometimes," Celestia said with a shrug.
Something about how she said that got Felix's attention. This was a world with magic, which played by very different rules from back home, and he realized he couldn't assume everything worked the same way here as it did back home.
"Is destiny not just a... metaphorical concept here? Just checking," he added quickly, in case that sounded incredibly stupid. Celestia actually looked at him with a degree of bafflement.
"Hardly," she said, after a moment. "Destiny is a very powerful force in Equestria. In fact, each pony's destiny leaves a mark on them in adolescence." She gestured at the symbol of the sun on her flank. "They had other names in the past, but the modern slang term for them is 'cutie marks.' " To his look of open confusion, she said, "It started as a playful thing to call them, to ease young ponies' apprehension over having them appear, and the name stuck."
The evolution of language around her was a never-ending source of confusion for Celestia, though she was still far better off than Luna in that regard. Felix seemed to accept the explanation with a nod, and said, "I guess I can see that. Humans sometimes have odd names for things like that, too. But... if destiny is an active force here, something more tangible, then does that mean I might actually... be stuck here forever? If I'm meant to be here?"
The thought was chilling. Some unseen force simply deciding he no longer belonged with his family, his friends, his home, and snatching him away to parts unknown?
Felix had read stories, watched movies, played games with that sort of storyline. They generally made it out to be a good thing, but facing it down himself, it was horrifying.
Celestia shook her head, saying, "No, that's not generally how these things work. Destiny can only open possibilities to you, give you direction – it's up to you what you make of it. Destiny always gives way to free will, don't worry. It's nothing to fear."
That wasn't easy for Felix to wrap his head around, but he tried. "So it's like... ending choices, or something. I guess I can see that. Does that mean... that one of those doors it will open to me might be the way home?"
"Nopony can say for sure what destiny has in store," Celestia said evenly, "but we can hope."
"What makes it so difficult to send me home, anyway?"
Celestia paused in their walk to sit and consider her answer. This human wasn't familiar with magic, after all.
"Well, there is still much I don't understand about the spell Luna used. When she's in a better state to discuss it, we can start analyzing what happened in earnest. However, the hardest part will be finding your home dimension, so to speak. Trying to home magic in on a dimension amidst all the cosmos is like..."
"Trying to find a needle in a haystack?" Felix said with a sigh.
"More like... finding a needle in a field that has been flooded for weeks," Celestia said, trying to push the metaphor as close to analogous with the situation as possible.
"Heh, and I don't suppose we have a magnet," Felix quipped.
Celestia paused, and said, "Perhaps that's akin to what Luna uses to perform such spells. Honestly, this type of magic is much more her purview than mine, I'm afraid."
"But she also feels I'm stuck here, right? She doesn't know how to send me back?" Celestia nodded, but quickly added, "But we haven't worked together on the matter, yet, in any depth. It may be that when she's thinking more clearly, and with the input of others, we can find something she overlooked. I cannot promise you our success, but... I do promise we will do everything in our power to help you return home."
The conviction and sincerity with which she spoke moved Felix. He could tell she really meant it, and for all that he wanted to go home, it was humbling to think she would go so far out on his account. "I really appreciate it. Thank you, Celestia."
She smiled warmly at him and gave his mane a quick brush with her wing. Then she glanced forward and said, "Ah, here we are."
They'd come to a brown, wooden door with an armored, white-coated pegasus mare standing guard in front of it. She snapped to salute at their approach, then returned to her regular posture as Celestia nodded to put her at ease.
"Sergeant Saber, thank you for accepting reassignment on such short notice," Celestia said with a pleased smile. Felix noted the text box that appeared above the guard's head.
Sgt. Saber: Lv 26.
"Not a problem, princess!" Saber responded with a smile and nod, otherwise maintaining a professional posture and scanning the area passively.
"Felix," Celestia got his attention and continued, "Sergeant Saber here will be keeping you safe and helping you navigate our world, until you've grown acclimated to it. Make sure to tell her if you need anything, or have any questions, alright?"
Celestia's tone was just a bit stronger with that last part, and Felix knew it was to keep him from objecting or keeping things to himself out of a sense of politeness. He didn't like the idea of being waited on, but given that he was essentially less prepared to tackle this world than the average child would be... "I understand. I guess I really will need the help. Thank you – both of you."
Saber gave a small nod, while Celestia said, "Luna and I can't always be available for you, so Sergeant Saber will be there whenever we are not."
Ah, right! At first, this bothered Felix because it felt like it was too much fuss over him, but in actuality, this was a way to reduce the burden he placed on the princesses, wasn't it? Running and country, and... princessing had to give them an awful lot to do, so they couldn't be bothered telling him every little detail. This was actually a good thing!
His spirits lifted momentarily, and that came with just enough energy to crack a joke. "Oh my, not being waited on hand and foot – or, er, hoof and hoof – by princesses, at all hours?" He glanced at Celestia, and she was grinning, so he continued, "What a bait-and-switch! Here I thought I was getting the royal treatment and everything. Well, well, I'll deal with it – just have to include it in your review. Very disappointed, though – you know how high my standards are."
Celestia was snickering, so Felix figured he'd gone just far enough with it. He said, "Seriously, thank you. This is all much, much more than I ever could have asked for."
"I've noticed. Left to your own devices I'm sure you'd have struggled to ask for the rusty dagger!" He smirked, and she continued, "Now, I'm sure you're exhausted – you should get some rest. I also imagine you must be hungry, by now."
"True on both counts," Felix said with feeling. Celestia grinned slyly at him. "That's the cutting insight that got me where I am today, you know," she said, putting on a faux regal stance that was rather undercut by the comically exaggerated face she made. Even Sergeant Saber shuddered slightly, so Felix had no chance of resisting, and laughed while holding a hoof to his head.
Celestia really was Luna's sister, wasn't she? He could see where Luna had gotten it!
"I'll let the kitchens know. Now, a good deal of work has piled up, so I must take my leave. If you need anything else, please let the Sergeant know, or use the pull-rope in your room to call a maid."
"Alright," Felix said, mind reeling a bit from the idea of calling someone to wait on him. Then he quickly added, "Um... good night, then, Celestia," taking care to use her name rather than her title.
She beamed at him. "Good night, Felix."
He smiled as she walked off, cheered by the thought that he had another friend in this strange place. Then he realized the awkwardness of his casualness with the princess in front of one of her guards, cleared his throat into his elbow slightly, and glanced at Sergeant Saber.
"So, uh... Sergeant Saber, right?"
She nodded, not making eye contact, and said, "Yes sir."
"Oh, uh, that's... you don't need to, uh..."
Suddenly, Felix had a very good idea why Celestia didn't want him standing on ceremony with her. He was meant to rely on this pony for guidance, right? It would be incredibly awkward if their every interaction was like this.
"Sir?" Saber asked. Felix straightened up a bit and said, "You don't have to call me 'sir'. Just, uh... you can speak freely with me. I'm just some guy, I'm no one important."
Saber blinked at that, and said, "Si—erm, Felix, you are a guest of the crown, and a friend of both Celestia and Luna. You're very important. Sir."
Felix stared at her for a moment, and decided to change strategy. "I stack dirt for a living."
Saber blinked a few times. "... What?"
"Yeah. I mean, sometimes I help customers find stuff, but, basically I stack boxes, pallettes, dirt. Plants, sometimes. Pull some weeds if I'm unlucky. That's my job."
Saber seemed to take a moment to process that, and said, "Well, I'm sure it's... important work?"
"Not even slightly. Like, they could literally just grab someone off the street and spend two minutes telling them how to do my job. Seriously. Don't take me that seriously."
Saber cleared her throat, and shuffled slightly. "I don't want to be impertinent to a friend of the princesses, is all..."
Felix knew the moment for a finishing strike when he saw one, and smiled as he said, "I'm saying cut the bullshit, Sergeant. Just us working people – er, ponies – here. Seriously, I'm just some guy – friends with some important people, I guess, but that's them, I'm me."
That finally seemed to get through, and Saber relaxed with a small smile. "Alright, I get it. I'm actually glad you're not the type to act all stuck-up just because of the people you know."
Felix cringed. "Yeah, something tells me neither princess needs a 'friend' like that."
"They sure wouldn't be in short supply around here," Saber said bitterly.
"Ouch. Guess that's part of why Luna was so lonely in the first place, huh?"
Saber stiffened slightly and said, "I can't comment on the private lives of..." She seemed to think better of it and relaxed again. "Uh, yeah. Pretty much most of the folks who come here for stuff like the Grand Galloping Gala are just stuck-up jerks looking to curry favor. Social-climber types."
So they had galas here, and they involved meeting with that type, huh? Felix made a gagging impression, and the Saber nodded. "Yeah, you know the sort, I take it."
Memories of high school and a few other social interactions came back. "Yeah. I'm not a big fan."
"Good. You know, I think we'll get along, Felix," she said with a relaxed smile.
He sighed with relief. "Good. I'd much rather us be friends – I know how to be friends. I wouldn't know where to start with... someone assigned to me."
"A servant?" Saber offered.
Felix shuddered. "Oh, God, no."
Saber laughed, and Felix went and opened the door. "Well, I'd better turn in. Getting hard to keep my eyelids open."
"You do that," Saber said, "I'll make sure nothing gets you while you rest," she added with a smirk.
"Okay, but if it's a really weak monster promise you'll call me out to help. Gotta get my experience in somehow."
He chuckled at her bemused expression as he shut the door, and then turned around to take a look at the room he'd been given.
Holy crap! It was larger than his entire apartment, and there was still room to go for a jog!
The windows were large, almost going from the floor right up the ceiling. A glass door let out onto a small balcony, and Felix could only imagine what kind of view he would have if he went outside. There was a giant bed, built out of what Felix could only imagine was expensive wood, along with a couch, some chairs, and the room was decorated beautifully. There was even a fireplace for the winter months.
Other than the front door and balcony, there were two other doors. On checking them, he found the first led to a luxurious looking bathroom – the bath was like a big swimming pool, carved into the floor! The second door led into a walk-in closet, although there were no clothes in there. Felix stared at that in confusion.
So far, the only nude pony he'd encountered was... himself. Doctor Peppermint wore a lab coat, Luna had her hoodie, Celestia wore those little jeweled things, and Sergeant Saber wore her armor. No one had commented on his lack of clothes, and whatever magic had been keeping him from losing his mind over his body being changed seemed to keep him at ease with being unclothed, but now that he was thinking about it, it was really bothering him.
Was being unclothed here normal? Someone would have said something otherwise, right? Or did they think it was normal for humans, and just didn't want to raise a fuss about his odd proclivities? Even if it was normal here, was he okay going around in the buff everywhere?
Well... he had a fur coat. That was sort of like clothes, right? And he hadn't seen a single pony wearing pants. It was a little tug-of-war in his head between not wanting to inconvenience anyone, and not wanting to be naked.
Ultimately, not wanting to be an inconvenience won out. Look at this room! It was overwhelming how far they were going out of their way for him! The least he could do would be to try to get used to the local customs, a bit, right? Right.
Seriously, was Celestia really going to set up in a suite like this? It was like he'd booked the penthouse at a super luxury hotel or something – he had the constant background anxiety that he needed to be mindful that this room wasn't his, and he should be careful not to mess anything up.
He could only imagine what Celestia's room must be like. Though, then again, Luna's room had been about this size, hadn't it?
The idea that they'd set him up in an actual royal suite bothered him. It would have bothered him more if his fatigue wasn't rapidly overtaking every other concern. Trotting to the couch, Felix plopped down with a tired sigh. This was the first time he had been alone since those few moments when he first woke up, and things had happened quickly to distract him after that.. Now everything was kind-of sorted out, and he had time to collect his thoughts.
The whole other dimension thing, it was still hard to wrap his head around. It was just so incredible, yet scary. He had been pulled into another dimension, his life was never going to be the same – even if he returned home tomorrow, this would be an unforgettable experience, which fundamentally altered his worldview.
Then there was the world itself, Felix's mind raced with a thousand questions. Despite his circumstances, Felix had always been a history nerd. Although he hated travel, he was in a world humanity had never touched, and everything everywhere was going to be new!
The whole concept of magic was insane, but so exciting to learn about!
However, the most pressing thing on his mind was his dream. Before he had woken up in the infirmary, he remembered this strange, and yet very real-feeling dream. And then there were the text boxes he had seen above the ponies heads, the information updates.
Did the other ponies see that too? Somehow he doubted it...
Should he tell them? It would make sense to let them know, to ask about it, but maybe now wasn't the best time. For now he would keep it to himself – not because he didn't trust them, it just didn't seem like the most important thing to ask about, and he wasn't sure what they'd make of it. Would they think he was crazy? He wasn't sure what qualified as 'crazy' here, really, at this point..
There was a gentle knock on the door, and Felix called for whoever was knocking to come in. A mare dressed in a frilly maid uniform trotted inside, pulling a trolley behind her with her magic. She smiled at him as soon as she saw him.
"Good afternoon, sir." She said, moving the trolley closer to the couches. "I'm Caramel Cream, and I have your lunch. I hope you like tomato soup."
Felix smiled. "I love it, actually." He smiled. "Thank you Caramel."
She gently pushed the trolley in front of him, and quickly revealed to him a bowl with red tomato soup, and some crackers. Felix almost reached for the spoon, then stared at it. Then at his hoof. Then back to the spoon, with a frown.
How in the ever-loving fuck was he supposed to use silverware with hooves? Why did ponies even have silverware? Did they think he had the weird convenient unicorn telekinesis thing he'd seen Doctor Peppermint doing? Was there some superpower he was meant to be using, here?
Stories about people going to other worlds rarely involved this much of a struggle with tableware, he thought bitterly. First the clothes, now this – the real basic stuff he took for granted in his world seemed so difficult here.
Caramel giggled lightly, and levitated a large straw into the bowl. "Princess Celestia explained you might need some help these first few days. Don't worry, sir." She smiled kindly.
Felix blushed, realizing just how much he needed to learn. Still, he was thankful for Celestia's foresight, even if it made him feel like a little kid again.
"Will there be anything else?" She asked, and Felix shook his head, thanking her for the soup. She beamed, but remained calm and cautious. "Of course, sir. Ring if there should be anything else." And with that she bowed to him and left the room.
He eyed the straw before carefully moving his lips to it. He could feel the steam move up from the bowl, and hit his muzzle. Carefully he sucked, not wanting to burn his tongue or mouth. The soup soon found its way to his lips, and to his pleasant surprise it was the perfect temperature!
Not only that, but it was delicious too! Hell yeah, bonus points!
It didn't take Felix long to eat it all, and once it was done he felt himself wanting nothing more than to go to bed. He hadn't been up for that long since he awoke in the infirmary, but it felt like his body and mind was exhausted.
He got off the couch, trotted to the bed, and plopped down, appreciating just how soft it was. It was like lying on a cloud!
Felix yawned, thinking he would just take a few minutes to lay here, then he would tug in properly. However, before he knew it, his eyes closed and he fell into a dreamless slumber...
To my most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
I hope this letter finds you well, and that you have been enjoying the weekend with your friends and Spike.
I am writing to you because I wish you to visit me at Canterlot at your earliest convenience – tomorrow, if practical. I'm sorry to pull you away from Ponyville, but I do not believe you will be away for more than a day.
I require an unbiased opinion in the matters of a magical anomaly which occurred when my sister opened up a path between our world and another.
There is no need to worry, Twilight. Everything is alright, but I would like somepony I can trust to investigate and offer their unbiased opinion.
I will explain everything in greater detail once you arrive. Feel free to bring Spike, it has been too long since I last saw him.
Please let me know when you can come here, and I hope to see you soon.
Your loving mentor,
Princess Celestia.
Felix moaned as he slowly woke up – he felt so comfortable, so relaxed! His mind wasn't screaming at him to wake up on time, or check his phone, or make sure his alarm wasn't about to blare at him.
Instead, he felt himself wake up smoothly and comfortably. He spent a little time with his eyes still closed, just enjoying the softness of the large bed and the peace that surrounded him.
Said peace was finally disrupted by a very gentle knock at the door. He yawned, stretching a bit, and finally opened his eyes.
Huh, the curtains were covering the large windows. Weird, he hadn't done that, had he?
He was greeted by the large room Celestia had given him, and it took him a few seconds for his mind to remember everything. Looking at his forehooves he let out a sigh. "Oh, yeah..." Oh well, he had been having a nice relaxing time napping – though the lack of dreams was weird, for him.
Another knock interrupted his thoughts, and he yawned again. "Come in," he said as the yawn diminished enough.
It was the guard from before who trotted inside, Saber. She looked at him, smiling a little. "Good morning, Felix. Princess Celestia asks if you wish to have breakfast with her and Princess Luna?"
Felix's eyes widened. Wait, morning?! How long had he been sleeping?! "Hm, did you say morning?" The guard gave a nod. "Did I sleep through the whole night?"
"Uhm, I would not know, but you didn't come out when you went inside yesterday. Caramel told me you had gone to bed, and that she drew the curtains for you."
Oh, that explained the curtains.
"Wait, did you stay outside my door the entire night?"
Saber favored him with a small, amused smirk, then shook her head. "No, I got relieved by another guard."
"Ah, yes, of course... Uhm, so breakfast. Yes, I would like to join, just give me five minutes."
Saber smiled, nodding as she left the room once more. Felix laid back for a few seconds, mentally preparing himself to leave this soft cream cake of a bed. With an amused sigh he finally managed to roll out of bed, and make his way to the bathroom.
"Right, so, how to do this..."
Almost twenty minutes later, Felix was walking beside Saber in one of the large hallways. Scratch that, they were all freaking large. Felix could feel Saber glancing at him, and finally he let out a sigh and asked. "What?"
Saber looked ahead again. "Just, uh... what took you so long? You said five minutes."
"Don't ask," Felix grumbled.
"Why would I—"
Felix held up a hoof. "Just trust me, I don't think I can handle the laughter right now." The guard looked hesitant, but decided not to pry. Instead, after a minute of silence, Felix said,"So, you mind if I ask you something?"
Saber shook her head. "Not at all. That's one of the reasons I'm here."
"I was just wondering if you could tell me something about this place."
"The palace?" She inquired.
"No, well, yes, that too, but I meant your country, your kingdom. Could you maybe give me the basic lore?"
"Oh, sure." She nodded, taking a moment to think of a basic version of the country's history. "Well, right now you are in the kingdom of Equestria, which is ruled by the two princesses. Princess Celestia of the sun, and Princess Luna of the moon. You are in the royal palace of Canterlot, the capital of the kingdom." She then shrugged. "I think that's as basic as it gets."
Felix was just about to comment on the pony puns, wanting to know if they were a frequent thing, when Saber stopped in front of a set of double doors. Flanking each side of the doors stood two white coated guards clad in silver armor. The two ponies looked identical.
Saber leaned a bit closer to him. "Royal guards, most elite of the three guard forces." Felix noted the text boxes come into view above the two royal guards' heads.
Royal Guard: Lv 50.
He had to admit, the two guards looked intimidating, but since he had been invited, there was no reason to worry. Right? They trotted up to the doors, the guards barely looking at them. Apparently they knew who he was. That was a relief.
Before Felix went inside, Saber looked at him. "I will leave you with the princesses. See you later, sir."
Her demeanor seemed more professional in front of the other guards, Felix noted. Plus there was that 'sir' again.
"Uhm, sure. Thanks for the escort, Saber."
She just smiled and gave him a small wave before trotting off. Turning his attention back to the door, he approached and pushed one of them open.
He was met with a comfortable-looking dining room, smaller than what he had expected, but still on the large side for normal people. Celestia was already sitting at the table, sipping on some tea when she noticed him. She smiled, letting the levitating cup gently float down to the table.
"Good morning, Felix. I hope you slept well?"
"Oh, good morning, princess. Yeah, I slept well, thank you."
Felix covered a small yawn, only to find Celestia making a small pouty face when he opened his eyes. "Felix, I thought I told you that you can call me Celestia."
"Oh, right." Felix chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, that bed was so soft I think part of me refused to get up with the rest of me. Still sleeping in there now."
The pout turned into a genuine smile. "I'm glad it was to your liking." Inwardly, she cheered; she knew almost nothing about where he'd come from, so it really had been a roll of the dice whether his accommodations would be comfortable to him or not. This had worked out! Another point to Celestia!
"Heh, yeah, hard to imagine anyone not liking a room like that," he said as he pulled out a chair and, with a bit of struggle, got seated at the already-set table. "Honestly, it was a bit intimidating. I know you told me it's a matter of honor, but I really feel like you're going to too much trouble for me."
"Not at all," Celestia assured him. "I told you yesterday, a friend of Luna is a friend of mine. I am also in your debt; I had feared Luna would be in even more despair now, but you helped her when I couldn't. For that, you have my undying gratitude."
Felix blushed a little at the praise. "Oh, wow. I just did what I thought was right, I couldn't leave her hanging..." He looked around, and saw that the pony in question was not here at all. "Speaking of which, where is Luna?"
"Oh, she'll be right back." Felix nodded, and Celestia went on, "By the way, I hope you don't mind, but I've arranged for you to take a few tests – nothing complicated – so we can assess how you are handling your transformation. It should also give you an opportunity to get more comfortable in your new body."
It took Felix's still-waking mind a moment to grasp that, but then he brightened. "Oh, a tutorial level!"
Celestia cocked her head with a confused smirk. "It's just an assessment, not training. Although, if tutoring in movement is something you desire...?"
It was Felix's turn to be confused, though it resolved on his face a moment later. "Oh, right, tutorial probably means something else here. Um, it's a human reference – basically, 'here's an intro to this new world!' "
Celestia's smirk had deepend. "Visit many new worlds, do you?"
"Oh, sure, tons. Loads and loads of new worlds," Felix was sure to make his sarcasm plain in his voice, and continued on as Celestia began giggling, "I know the score. First you give me an 'assessment', which is just, like – hey, look to the left, look to the right, press 'A' to jump, all of that. Then a goomba or something rushes in so I can learn to fight."
"Ah," Celestia said, finally realizing he was talking about some kind of videogame. Some advanced videogame, by the sounds of it! Then again, Luna had said the human game where she met Felix was quite advanced and realistic. As dots started to connect for her, she said, "That's where the rusty dagger comes in, isn't it?"
"It sure is," Felix said, nodding with faux gravity, "Serious business, tutorials. I'll be judging you, you know. You have some stiff competition!"
"Oh my," Celestia said, feigning concern. "And how have we done so far?"
"Well," He pretended to contemplate this, "the intro sequence sure was... exciting. Controls are a little confusing," he gave an indicative waggle of a hoof, "but I have to say the dialogue's winning me over so far. Also, that bed was just cheating. Huge points."
Privately, Celestia was relieved to hear all of that. It may have been delivered as a joke, but Felix was clearly being honest. She decided to keep it going. "And will you be disappointed if you aren't ambushed in the middle of learning how to move around?"
"Oh, terribly. I did say you had stiff competition! I bet you don't even have a dragon for me to slay as part of the tutorial sequences. If there isn't at least one whole village in flames by the end of it, how am I supposed to know the game will be exciting?" He snorted at that, although he stopped when Celestia looked mildly shocked.
"You... have dragons in your world?" Felix blinked a couple of times. "Uh, no. That's just a thing in, uh, stories and games. Why? Do you have dragons here?"
Now that was something to worry about. Celestia's laugh assuaged his nerves, though.
"We do, but there's no call for slaying anyone. In fact, you may get to meet one, soon. He's adorable."
An adorable dragon? Felix quickly tried to change his mental image of local dragons from 'Skyrim' to something more cute and cartoony. He was surprised how many options came to mind. "Oh, that kind of dragon. Not the mountain-sized ferocious type that can sweep buildings away with their tails."
"Oh, those too," Celestia said, and at Felix's nervous expression quickly added, "But they're not so bad. We get along, for the most part, and they generally keep to themselves, anyway."
"Phew. That's good. I didn't actually want to learn how to fight on my first day. Or fight a dragon – ever, preferably." Memories of permadeath characters lost to the fire-breathing menaces took on a different, more warning tone now that he knew they were freaking REAL.
Celestia nodded, and decided to change the subject to get his mind off of it. "I also invited my student, Twilight Sparkle, to come visit and examine the spell Luna used to bring you here. She's brilliant, with a special talent for magic – if anypony can speed along your return to your home world, it's her. Why, I believe she'll even enjoy the challenge," she added when Felix shuffled uncomfortably, inferring he once-again didn't want someone to make a fuss over him. "She does so love magical mysteries like this."
"Oh, like helping customers at the store," Felix said with a click of recognition. "Well, I hope she has fun with it." Celestia had been about to reassure him again when the side door opened, and in trotted Luna, who looked much better than the fearful princess he had found yesterday. She beamed as she spotted Felix, and her trotting almost became prancing as she made her way to his side.
"I bid thee good morning, friend Felix!" Luna said as she sat down.
Felix smiled, almost bewildered by the change in Luna. She looked happier, for one thing, and she had traded in her hoodie for a jewelry, a crown, and so forth which made her look... well, like a princess, actually. She was still smaller than her sister, and her mane and tail didn't wave like Celestia's did, but Felix had a much easier time recognizing her as royalty than he'd had on first meeting her.
He couldn't help but smile; it was nice to see her like this. "Good morning, Luna. How are you feeling?"
Her smile turned more gentle as she found a set next to him. "Oh, much better, thank you..." She said, not meeting his eyes at first, seeming a little more shy than before.
Felix decided not to comment on it, as the maids and butlers trotted closer, and started to serve breakfast. Less casual than he had imagined, but who was he to comment? They were the princesses after all. A maid brought him a bowl with some basic looking cereal.
He hadn't asked for it, but he was not about to refuse either. Looking at Luna, he noted she had gotten a fruit bowl, and was munching on a slice of pineapple. She looked so happy, it was adorable. Turning to his own breakfast, he looked at the spoon and frowned.
"Uhm..." He hesitated, but continued when he saw he had Celestia's attention. "How do you guys use utensils?"
Luna looked at him, placing her hoof on a fork, and lifted it like it was nothing. Felix raised an eyebrow, then looked at his own spoon. How did Luna do that? Then again, that was a question that could be tossed around quite liberally here, so he put it down to magic and moved on.
He pressed his hoof against the spoon, not knowing if it would just stick to it, but as he lifted it the spoon hadn't moved an inch. Luna giggled, and he turned to her with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."
Luna shook her head. "Forgive me, I just found the attempt cute. Here, try and hold out your hoof like this." Luna raised her hoof, with its underside pointed towards him. Felix mirrored her, holding up his own hoof. Luna gently pressed her hoof against his, and for a moment he was unsure what she was doing.
Then he felt something taking hold of him. It wasn't something physical, like small claws or hairs holding him, but more like a connection, like... a magnet, maybe? It was a strange feeling to really describe. It was one of those things you had to try before you understood.
Felix pulled carefully, and found he could not escape her grasp, at least not with such a gentle pull. Luna giggled. "Typically yearlings teach themselves, but you are still growing accustomed to your body." There was a hint of a frown, some guilt still remaining.
Felix pressed back with his hoof, making her look at him. He smiled warmly. "Hey, don't worry. You will just have to teach me so I get up to speed." Felix winked, making the princess of the night blush just a little, but she smiled back.
"Quite right..." She said, taking a deep breath. "Try to connect your hoof with mine this time."
Felix narrowed his eyes, focusing on his hoof. There was something, but it was such a new feeling that Felix wasn't sure how to pursue it. Still, after a few tries, he finally felt the connection. Luna gave a few gentle pulls, smiling as he got it – although his grip was not as strong as hers yet. That would come with practice and time.
"Well done, Felix! Now, try with the spoon," Luna encouraged.
Felix did, and found himself having more control over the spoon now. It was still a bit shaky, but he found he could manipulate the spoon in his grip, and angle it as he needed. This was so weird, but also kind of cool.
"I can't believe I don't get an achievement for this..." He chuckled, finally managing to get some cereal. He let out a sigh, and chewed happily.
Celestia snickered lightly, but smiled warmly at both of them. She seemed quite proud of Luna for that, and he smiled, again finding his opinion of Celestia rising. She was a good sister, Luna was lucky to have her, despite their former missteps.
"When breakfast is over, Sergeant Saber will take you to the trainings grounds." Celestia said before taking a sip of her tea. "I'll ask her to give you some simple exercises to help you acclimate to your body more quickly – that tutorial you asked for," she said with a wink, and Luna looked between them and snickered.
Felix grinned. "Okay then. Am I jumping from platform to platform?"
"I do not know, but you do not need to worry. It won't be anything like military training, this is just to get you up to speed." Celestia responded, not noting the joke, or understanding it. Luna did however, and she nudged him with her wing smirking as she took a bite of a slice of apple.
Felix chuckled, continuing with his breakfast. Despite everything that had happened to him, and how insane everything was, Felix found himself actually looking forward to the day ahead. Now that he is here, he should make an effort to fit in and learn.
After all, when in horse-Rome.
A massive thank you to SoloBrony for editing this chapter!
Whew, so here is the newest chapter! IF any of you hadn't had the chance yet, check out the previous chapters and see the improved editing that gives so much more than before. SoloBrony and I have been hard at work, and I think we have found a good balance. 
Thank you all for having supported this story, it has been overwhelming, but also really nice. It has given me some opportunities I never had before, working with a talented editor is just one of them. I hope you guys are excited for what is to come! 
Weee!
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Was half expecting an I AM THOU, THOU ART I there, hah.
Awesome-sauce! Can't wait until he learns more about his "gamer" abilities!
Fantastic work with the chapter
Yep this is fun, lets see how over the top Twilight is when they met.
:)
I want to know what kind of triangles the Luna has on the cover?
11565892
Triforce from Zelda.
No wonder this one take longer. Long chapter + editor. It was a good chapter and i'm corius there this goes with the "Gamer" interface/system?.
This is just a suggestion but since he can see basic levels and names. It's a basic appraisal skill right? If he keep using it or uses it on objects it can give him flavor text and the skills more better allowing him to actually see if an object is fake.. or a Changeling in disguise.
this is a fun story, keep it up!
I wonder when some of the trolling shenanigans will start. I am really enjoying the story and looking forward to reading more! Keep up the great work!
11565922
Changelings would have skills to prevent that.
BULL ROAR. Twilight is gonna go full research mode and be gone at least a week.
Process dear, Process...
My bad side for trying sandwiches felix between luna and celestia then saying:
"Now Kiss"
I love how you wrote the characters personalities and banter in this chapter. It was super fun and felt very fluid.
Oh boy, twilight is coming. I'm oddly hoping they get on like dogs and cats.
I enjoyed the character interactions. Here, have a derpy.
Small error, missing space.
This was a delight read. I really like how the gamer part is handled. Faved.
11565922
I'll have to disagree. I feel like it would be more interesting if it was based purely on how he sees the world and only showing him the more gamey elements, such as levels, titles, maybe even skills. It could even serve as a sort of reminder for our hero in case he forgets someone's name or doesn't recognise them.
worth the wait!
Wow, 10 years immersed in Pony fan fiction and FINALLY I see someone come up with an explanation for the term. And it's just what I was thinking it was!
(I mean, the term did always sound like something come up with in a preschool and from there adopted into common use to refer to this unique Pony phenomenon.)
i feel like this comma isnt supposed to be here
Horse-Rome
Something that is poking at my suspension of disbelief in this story: The amount of precision it would take to find humanity, decode human computers enough to replicate online games, and tap into the human internet well enough to play them is just staggering. Luna is literally a goddess, so I totally buy she could do it. The thing that bugs me is saying she can't find it again. She connected to the same server for MONTHS! Anyone who plays online games would call BS on that. Unless she is intentionally lying (badly) for plot reasons, it doesn't make sense. Wouldn't saying something like "the stress of transpoting a pony through something that's only designed to allow data burnt out the inter-dimensional connection" make more narrative sense?
Otherwise I really enjoy reading this. Keep up the good work!
Excellent chapter, I want to see in the next one what makes the protagonist really SPECIAL
11565922
maybe he should raise his perception or gain some skill to get more data in the HUD
Really enjoying the premise of this story, do hope to see more soon!
11566183
>Screams in Editor
SOMETHING ALWAYS SLIPS THE NET! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
11566355
Thanks, fixed that too.
11566557
Thanks for the honest reaction! It can be hard to know what's bugging people and what's not at a given point. This chapter is kind of huge and had to cover a lot of ground as-is, so I think DDash intends to get to the specifics on that later. Also, Celestia just doesn't know.
This is honestly shaking up to be my favorite Human-in-Equestria story ever. I check twice a day for updates to this story and practically jumped into my Favorites when I saw an update. Thanks to both you and your editor for putting it together. I look forward to the next chapter!
Wow. Great job!
The editing is great and the world building is awesome.
I like how Celestia is written here. And I like Felix for immediately telling Sgt. Saber to knock off the "sir" shit.
I can't wait to see the "tutorial level."
Soooo when's he gonna mention he can see names and lvls heh (not trying to sound impatient)
11565896
Oddly enough it’s also the emblem of the Hōjō clan. Triforce is definitely the better known option.
Is no one going to comment on how sometimes it doesn't start a new paragragh when the next character is speaking? It didn't happen often but it was enough to be slightly distracting for me.
Personally I don't care when individual words aren't perfect, but proper use of paragraphs and punctuation are some what important to my immersion.
Other than that I'm enjoying this story!
WOO!
11566970
I'd wondered if that would bother people when I was editing. Thanks for the feedback.
11567012
Hm, I had fixed that. Strange.
11566557
It may depend on what sort of spell she used to bring him over and how it found its intended target in the first place. Classic fantasy summoning spells, for example, seem to have no trouble bringing familiar creatures and objects to their summoner with not a care in the world as to the summoned item’s precise location at right that moment -- just being familiar enough with it, knowing its “true name”, or fulfilling some other similar criterion seems to be sufficient for the magic to latch on --, but sending someone or -thing away to the correct specific remote destination appears to generally require more precision in targeting.
Which I think says something interesting about the psychology of summoners (or perhaps their writers) in general, but that’s another topic.
In any event, just because Luna could come up with a way to bring Felix over to her it’s not automatically a given that she can easily retrace the path and then send him right back using that information.
11566910
Give him time, he'll get there when he gets there.
I am wondering what Felix has to do to gain experience points.
I am also wondering how the connection between Luna and Felix will develop.
A nice chapter. I can say that I am liking the direction this story is going thus far.
11567401
Really depends on what sort of game he’s notionally in. If it’s your typical MMO grindfest, I’d foresee lots and lots and then some more combat in his future, but that’d get boring kind of quick -- reading a story just isn’t the same experience as playing a game, and even then it’s not as though everyone actually enjoyed pouring hours, days, weeks and more of their lives into chasing that one more levelup or this one elusive reward that only has a one in a thousand chance of dropping when the birthday of the head developer’s daughter happens to fall on a blue moon that year all that much.
Now if it was more like a dating sim...
Well, the base version of the story was already very good, but the updated chapters flow much better. Wasn't expecting this to end up being a Gamer-style fic on top of being an Isekai, so that's gonna make things extra fun. Really excited to see where you plan to take this. Great work so far from both you and Solo; keep it up!
I wondering what it's going to take to realize that the gamer interface is not something everypony has.
All right, the playful banter going on is quite fun to see. I wonder what Twilight's level is going to be and Felix's reaction if it ends up being Lv 50. or something even higher
11568123
depends on how exp is mesured in equestria. im gonna guess a range of 30-70 due to her status as celestias student and her magic studys. plus they defeted nightmare moon so they likely will have abnormaly high levels due to that
11568123
or she'll be another unknown level as he's still too weak to parse their power levels.
Very well written and a plessure to read.
That comes from someonebreading a lot, writing a bit and high Standards.
keep up the good work!
The Luna and him need to have a training moment where they test to see if he can level up. In classic style Luna shall hand...hoof him a rusted sword and have him quest Into the ever free forest to retreated her old diary from their old castle. 😆
Or you know . Just grab ice cream.
I really should be sleeping but I'm a sucker for hie and gamer fics
A rusty dagger? Please that’s vendor trash and you know it.