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A new Empires Foreign guest

Author's Note:

I think I got this story to where I want it so far so I hope you enjoy. I've been trying to get this out for a while but just couldn't pin point how I wanted to do it!

If I missed something/grammar off let me know. I love Comments over likes because I like to talk a lot so feel free to indulge hehe. Now without further ado enjoy Crystal Destiny

“Woah, so you worked for the government?” Jai asked in between bites of his chicken nuggets.

“Boy, I tell ya’s I darn near ran the government hehe” A gravely deep voice said from across the table. Today had been particularly odd for Jai when he got off work. He encountered a homeless man but for some reason he couldn't just walk by him like he usually did. Jai wasn’t rich but he could spare to help out the man with a meal, who accepted and here they were.

“So how’d you end up under a bridge in a tent with holes and uh... no food?” Jai asked again with the tact of a bowling ball falling on fingers.

“I’ll tell ya on one condition. What’dya say eh?” The old man asked, raising his eyebrows up and down.

“I don't swing that way, I can't help you” Jai stated his facial features hardening and his arms forming an X in front of him.

“NOT LIKE THAT YA IDGET! Take this and don’t ask questions” The old man bellowed, producing a silver and gold ring with two cyan blue gemstones on it.

“I-I can’t take something like this. It looks stupid expensive” Jai said, holding up his hands defensively. In Jai’s defense it looked really cool but common courtesy told him to turn it down. If he was thinking correctly then another offer should come in 3…2…1

“Fine, I’ll tell ya how I got here and if you come back tomorrow I’ll tell ya’s the why. Deal?” The geezer smiled, finishing his proposition. The crooked smile and missing teeth should have been a red flag that told Jai this guys nuts. But something told him to accept, what did he have to lose anyway and the ring would be a cool ass conversation starter.

“Deal! I’m all ears but one sec!” Jai said, pumping his fist and running towards the counter to order more food.

“Heh maybe he’ll be fine” The old man said under his breath. Jai returning had another set of nuggets and a drink that he passed to the old man.

“Ok, now I’m all ears!” Jai exclaimed plopping down on his side of the booth.

“Alright now, this whole cluster started when I began workin’ with those prissy physicist in block 12-A in Manhattan…” the old man rambled. He spoke of secret bases, dimensional travel and its possibilities and how he’d been fired for destroying decades worth of research.
“Oh man! So how’d you get away with all that?” Jai questioned, hanging on every word. The old man let out a hearty laugh, spit flying from his mouth as he did.

“I tunneled right out from underneath the bastards and I’ve been on the streets of Eclipse hills since” The geezer stated a hint of sadness in his eyes but as soon as Jai caught it, it was gone.

“Man you knew I was going to ask why, UGHHH” Jai moaned in frustration much to the old man’s enjoyment he let another deep raspy laugh out.

“ If you buy me food tomorrow then the ,why, is all yours as per our deal” he stated looking Jai in the eyes. Before a response could be formed the cashier walked up to the two.

“I see you two are having a blast but we closed 20 minutes ago could you umm please leave?” She pleaded. Jai pulled out his phone and saw the time; 11:45pm.

“Oh sh.. I gotta get goin I work tomorrow at 7am. I’ll see you here same time tomorrow, old man don't be late!” Jai hurriedly spat out as he dumped his food tray away in the trash and jogged home. The old man smiled as he watched him run off into the distance. The clouded sky above him and the scent of impending rain made his light jog transform into a brisk one.

“Well Amore, my work here is finally done, he is the one.” The old man said quietly. The cashier tilted her head looking at the old man but before she could speak again he was gone. She frantically blinked and rubbed her eyes, she wasn’t crazy right?

“I gotta get a vacation. There was someone here right…right?” She questioned as she cleaned and closed up shop.

Opening the door to his apartment Jai felt oddly tired. Not just physically where his insomnia kept him up, but wholly tired for the first time in years. Had to have been the conversation with the oldie from the diner, Oh well he thought. Unbothered, Jai slumped on his couch too lazy to take off his clothes or shoes as a loud boom went off.

“I forgot to ask the old head's name,” he murmured to himself and yawned. Drifting off to sleep as the sounds of rain and thunder soothed his mind.

THUD!

“Jesus, was the floor always this cold?” Jai groaned more in discomfort than annoyance. It was a poor habit he had of tossing and turning in bed coupled. This made for some less than ideal moments in the middle of the night.

“My my, who do we have here?” A soft feminine voice called out.

A voice Jai was NOT familiar with. Quickly opening his eyes and scrambling to his feet. He looked around and was beyond surprised at what he saw around him. It was beautiful, the crystal structures all around him. The multiple colors he saw made his eyes sparkle. From the floors and furniture to the pillars, ceiling and the horses pointing spears at him?

“Who in the actual hell…”Jai began before crystal spears were pointed at his neck. Looking down at one of the many spears pointed at him. Jai saw intricate detailing on the blade. Unfortunately he couldn’t see much further than that. The shaft of the spear was hard to see when anytime he shifted his head the spears moved to meet his grey eyes.

“That is what we are trying to find out, strange one” The feminine voice called again.

Before the sound of hooves stopped in his line of sight as a few of the spears lowered. Jai looked towards the soothing voice and his eyes grew wide. It was a cream colored horse, wearing a flowing floral dress, with gold and silver accents. A pink and blue mane that shone like the crystal he saw everywhere, and atop her head a crystal crown around her horn? Huh that wasn’t right, unicorns weren’t real so this had to just be a dream.

“Right… talking magic horses, neat. I’d like to wake up now.” Jai remarked flatly. Then he jumped and yelped as the spears behind him dug into his lower back. As if that wasn’t enough he was then pushed over, his body now flat across the crystal floor.

“Show respect to the Princess if you value your life whatever you are” A deep voice demanded from on top of him.

“Enough, now speak. What are you and how did you end up in my bed chamber?” The Unicorn asked, irritated she was just called a ‘horse’.

“Humans don't exist or something? Hell if I know how I got here, I was home when I fell asleep. And honestly I don't appreciate being stabbed by the way” Jai said indignantly, glaring at Mare in front of him. He was confused and angry at how he was being treated. He’d had it hard at home but when he moved out he was finally starting his own life. Now he was half sure he was tripping. If he was in another world how’d that happen in the first place?

“I do not know what a Human is, but if you do not understand how you got here. Perhaps time in the dungeon will jog your memory.” The mare said, turning away from him. The guards began to move to restrain him and take him away. Jai thrashed around kicking one of the horses in the nose and punching the other breaking free of the hold the guards had on him.

“I’ll be damned if I let colorful horses lock me up. I just want to go home” Jai said, looking at the growing number of guards around him.

“You forfeited your right to leave when you came here ‘human’ assassin. Now guards arrest it!” The pink mare exclaimed. The guards around the room now drawing their weapons and closing in on him. Jai looked around rapidly for an escape but the room was chalk full of horses that came up to his chest. The sense of desperation to leave flooded his senses and made his hands shake and his vision blur occasionally. Then he felt a strange tingle in his arms down to his shaking hands.

“What the…what's happening to me.” Jai mumbled. The guards took the first initiative to try and grab him. Dozens of them in a circle around him pounced on him in a dog pile, now covering the human in a pile of clanking armor. As the pink mare began to turn to leave she stopped as a bright light filled the room and the guards on Jai were flung across the room. Some guards collided with the wall, others hit their fellow guardsmen. The unlucky few towards the top of the pile were flung at the ceiling.

“Princess Amore get down!” A guard yelled as he tackled the Princess to the floor as a guard was launched helmet first at the Princess. Hearing the crunch she winced and ran over to the guard slumped on the wall.

“Rockhoof are you ok?” Princess Amore asked frantically. She ignited her horn to use healing magic and sighed when the guard groaned in response.

“I can’t stop! Go away, Jesus Christ, do you have no self preservation you dumb rainbow horses!” Jai yelled. Whatever was going on was nice for all of 10 seconds. He was happy to not be piled by the equines but he couldn’t control what he was doing. Anything that got too close was launched away and thrown weapons encircled him and were flung in a random direction.

“Assassin, you have shown your true colors now!” Another guard yells as he charges. Sighing Jai backs away from the guard.

“Dude! Stop! I’m trying to help yo…” Jai trailed off. Fatigue hitting him like a freight train and within the brief break in concentration. Something hits him in the head and everything fades to black.

Princess Amore looks around at the disheveled guard in her bed chamber. Using her magic she checks the injuries of those on the ground. Minor injuries and unconscious guards littered the room but a few were missing.

“Captain Rose Quartz, are you there?” Amore calls out.

“Um, Princess look up.” Rose calls from above her. What Amore sees makes her own eyes widen. The Ponies that the human had flung were suspended in the air. Whatever it had done, despite saying it was out of control, did not kill any of her guards. Amore sighed in relief as she used her magic to bring the ponies down. Maybe she was wrong about this human creature, but that would be a problem to face later. For now she would clean up and sleep in one of the many guest rooms for the night.

“Come on Rocky boy, Can I please have my pants back? They aren't magical and I'm cold” Jai whined. Since he’d woken up… again, he’d been sitting in a cell. Just like the rest of what he saw, was a crystal cell which was not retaining heat at all. More so in having been in the dungeon for a little under a week. Or was it over? He’d really just lost track of time; really wanted his clothes back.

“Princess’ orders. Nothing is to be…” Rockhoof began but stopped as Jai spoke up again.

“Ok how about this. How would you feel if you were hairless in a crystal cell and nothing to keep warm hmm?” Jai retorted. The guard hummed in thought and then grumbled. Jai smiled seeing his socks and jeans slid through the bars in a light grey aura. He still wasn’t used to this whole ‘Magic’ gimmick but at least he got his pants back.

“Wasn’t me if anypony asks,” Rockhoof says without turning around.

“Was what you?” Jai responded coyly as he put on his socks and pants. Rockhoof laughed but quickly stopped as the sound of hoof steps began to echo throughout the dungeon.

“What’s for dinner today, do you know?” Jai asked before going into a plank on the floor. All he had was exercise and bothering the guards to keep him sane. Keeping his mind off of the cold was all that mattered to him, even if he was really bad at it.

“Our chefs are preparing soups and salads for the staff.” That familiar feminine voice said. The sounds of several hoof steps approached his cell.

“Lovely, So can I have my clothes back Princess Amore? I don't have hair or fur all over me like you” said Jai, taking a seat on the floor from his plank and motioning to his bare torso.

“Soon, so are you ready to answer my questions now, human?” Amore inquired, raising an eyebrow at the human. Amore looked down at the human sitting before her. She found him odd to say the least. His long twisted hair, grey eyes, and hairless body and brown skin were all vaguely similar yet so different from a minotaur. All records she’d read over had no mention of a human and none of the security magic picked up his entry. Her train of thought was interrupted by an indignant sigh.

“I’ve already told you. I fell asleep in my apartment, and woke up on the floor in what did you call this place again?” Jai asked.

“This is the Crystal Empire,” Amore stated.

“Yea here, and then I was attacked with no explanation and this weird magic mambo jumbo started happening. And by the way your guard has ZERO self preservation. You should talk to them about that.” Said Jai trying not to laugh as he saw the bandage on Rockhoof's nose from the incident earlier in the week.

“Princess It seems he's telling the truth. Our magic has detected no lies” An elderly purple unicorn said.

“Finally the talking horses are seeing reason!” Jai exclaimed, making the Princess visibly flinch.

“WE ARE PONIES,ENOUGH DISRESPECT” The Princess exclaimed in her royal voice. Jai put his hands over his ears and frowned.

“I- I don’t know the difference. I wasn't into equines on earth” Jai said, rubbing his head. How could anything get that loud without a megaphone?

“Y-You don’t know the difference?” Princess Amore parroted back to him.

“Nah, not really.” Jai said. He was confused why he was being yelled at for making an observation. Honestly the difference couldn’t be that big right?

“Again your majesty, he is not lying” The Unicorn spoke up again. Jai beamed at her, she was his saving grace right now. He would hug her if he wasn’t behind bars and shirtless.

“So can I have my stuff back please? I’m cold and could use a warm drink and maybe just maybe. An explanation” Jai said, getting up and stretching his arms and wiggling his fingers. Amore watched the human, her gaze wandering from his arms to his fingers. Getting lost in thought for a moment she was pulled from her reverie when Rockhoof cleared his throat.

“Your highness, Excuse me so I can let him out.” The guard stated sternly.

“Oh, OH! Yes of course, ahem I’ll be in my office. See that his items are returned to him.” Amore said, shaking her head in embarrassment.

“Shirt and Jacket here I come!” said Jai excitedly jumping up and heading to the door of the cell. Rockhoof opened the door and motioned for him to follow.

“Your belongings will be this way, then you will be escorted to Princess Amore’s office.” Rockhoof explained, staring straight ahead.

“Uh-huh that's all fine and dandy but let me pick your brain about a few things, Rocky” Jai said enthusiastically.

“It's Rockhoof, Sgt. Rockhoof” The guard replied.

“Whatever Rocky, So about what's acceptable…” Jai asked as the two made their way into customs for the human belongings.

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