Chronicles of an Unknown World - The Awakening

by Blue Blaze {COMET}

Chapter 2: Chasing Answers, Part 1

-CHAPTER 2: CHASING ANSWERS-

{*First-Person, Main Character*}

I sipped my tea with dignity, keeping my back as straight as possible despite my behind sinking into the red sofa I was sitting on. I shifted forward in my seat, moving to the edge of the cushion so I could try and not sink in as much. I held the handle of my teacup in one hand with the place being held by the other directly beneath. I had already removed the teabag and put it on the place, but the water was still as warm as when Twilight initially brought it out. I’ll be honest with you here. I really don’t hate tea that much, it’s just that I don’t drink it often, and it’s such an odd taste that I’m not exactly used to it. I still consider it better than drinking hyper-caffeinated coffee like many of my peers do, and the feeling you get when you drink it and you experience the warmth run down your chest is absolutely enjoyable. But, when it comes down to hot drinks, I’d rather have a hot chocolate. I know, it’s very childish, but there’s something really satisfying when you drink that sweet hot chocolate with triple marshmallows, caramel sauce and whipped cream with cocoa shreds on top in a mug large enough to serve three.

…I’m not obsessed with sugar. Really.

Shut up.

“Ahem.” Twilight announced, clearing her throat. I dunno why she did that. I had my attention on her the entire time.

She shuffled a few papers in her… magical grip, and tapped them twice on the coffee table right in front of her. She was sitting on a hard wooden chair, which makes no sense considering there are bean bags, recliners and another sofa around the fire place, but I’m not one to question it. But let me reiterate: A pony is sitting on a wooden chair. Now that’s not something you see every day, and if I didn’t know better her back is as strong as steel because it should have broken by now. Fluttershy sat back in a green recliner, too worried to really make small talk with me. Well, it might not be her, it might just be me not saying anything. But what is there to say? “So, how’s the weather today?” No. There is nothing to say, and there is nothing that I want to say. I guess I could potentially ask about the customs and traditions of this world and how it will affect me, but I could hold back my thoughts for a bit. I just wanted Twilight to get on what she wanted to talk about.

There was a large flash of light that invaded my vision. Not two seconds later, a booming crackle of thunder rang out through the building, slightly shaking the seating I was on. It was powerful and really sounded like it hit the ground with a splitting snap. Scared the crap out of me, really, but not as much as it did poor Fluttershy. She immediately squeaked and tried to bury herself into the lining of her chair. I shook my head as I could see her rump sticking high into the air as she shivered in fright. There was another wave of thunder that came through, but it wasn’t as nearly as loud as the first one. It was definitely more far away, and didn’t actually shake the foundations of the library.

Yes, we were in a library. Or, at least I thought we were. Initially I thought I was placed in a book-filled guest room or something, but when I actually took a step outside into the main room I realized that there were books everywhere. Everywhere! They aligned with the North, West, South and Eastern parts of the room, and all of the bookshelves were filled to the brim with novels, Encyclopedias, factual books, collections of poems and more! The bookshelves were actually integrated into the walls themselves, so books stretched up as high as the ceiling. There were some tall oval windows that displayed the outside world in gaps between the books, and healthy looking plants were places on some of the windowsills, but otherwise this place was all paper and wood, which seems kinda odd to me because there’s a freaking fireplace made of wood dug into the base of the wall. Why hasn’t the building burned down by now? I have no clue. I bet it’s magical or something.

Actually, now that I think about it, I haven’t really gotten any time to think about the whole magic situation. After taking another sip of my tea, I glance down to my fingers and observe the rings around them. They both gave off a soft blue glow, but that was pretty much it. I just can’t believe that magic is an actual thing in this universe. I mean, the change in graphics was a lot to take in, and I felt like fainting when I saw Fluttershy for the first time, but magic? It’s a little bit much for me. I already know that I’m trying to avoid thinking about it, but at the same time I want to think about it. It makes no sense. How does it occur? How does one harness magic? Is it a test of one’s wills and the way he or she directs it? Is it all a flourish of magic words and incantations? Can everybody here use it, or is it limited to only the gifted? How well spread is it? Is it commonplace to see magic take place? Is it taboo?

There were some many questions and so little answers.

I didn’t want to think about it.

“So, as you already know, I’ve brought you down here to talk.” Twilight said, holding up a single piece of parchment in a pink aura with a quill beside it. I then noticed an ink pot was set on the table for when she needed it. What kind of a world is this that still writes with quills? “But that’s not all. I need to ask you a few questions in order to get a sense of who you are and what kind of abilities you have.”

Abilities? I think she’s expecting too much from me. I mean, she already knows that I have no idea how magic works, so what can I prove to her?

“Sure, go ahead.” I answer, encouraging her that I’m open of any sort of conversation. I just want her to lighten up on me, god damn it.

“Now in normal circumstances I would have you fill out an application for Ponyville Residence because that would cover many of the questions that I would like to ask, but unfortunately your translation spell I don’t think covers writing, and it’s guaranteed that we both don’t have the same writing, so I’ll ask these questions verbally.”

She’s right. Even though I would love to browse and see what this library has to offer, I can’t actually read any of the titles on the spines of the books. The language looks like a strange mixture between Arabic and Russian.

“Question one: State the name of your race please.”

“Uhh,” I begin completely and utterly competently. “Do you want a scientific definition, or…”

Twilight’s eyes light up. “Could you do that?”

“Sure. It’s Homo Sapiens.”

Twilight got ready to write, but stopped and scratched behind her ear with the end of her quill. “I was about to ask you how to spell that, but forgot already that I would have no idea how your alphabet works.”

“How do you know that?” I ask. “We could try.”

Twilight smiled. “Sure, let’s try. Start by stating the first few letters.”

“Aye, bee, see, dee...”

I could already tell from Twilight’s face that my recital did not bode well. “That doesn’t sound like anything from the Equestrian alphabet at all.”

“Well, it was worth a shot.” I noted, trying to look at it with a more positive aspect.

“Just out of curiosity, how many letters does your alphabet have?” she enquired. She made the cutest face of curiosity I think I could ever see from an alien pony.

“Um, I think it was 26. Or was it 25? I forget.”

“Hmm, interesting,” Twilight said as she scribbled on a separate sheet of paper. “Ours has 31. I wonder how close the difference really is.”

Then, she looked up.

“What am I doing? We can talk about language later! Right now, I need the name of your species.”

“I already told you.” I stated.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “What was it again? Homo Sapies?”

“Homo Sapien.”

Don’t ask me how I know that.

“Got it!” she declared as she wrote it down. “Next, I need your name.”

I squinted at her. “You already know my name.”

“I need your full name!” Twilight clarified, exasperated.

“Why should I give you my full name? Is this going on any official records or something?”

Twilight, peered upward, rubbing the bottom of her chin. “Well, probably, eventually. After I gather enough information I have to send it off to the Princess. She might have a better idea of what to do and how to get you back home to your planet. This in turn may run your records into the royal archives. After all, Equestria has never encountered a real life alien before, much less communicate it to the point where they know its name and species.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re sending it off to the top of your hierarchy!?”

Twilight frowned. “Well, of course. Why would I hide this from the princess? This is the discovery of a lifetime!”

My poor little heart felt like it was going to stop. “No no no no no, ok! Hold on a second! You haven’t told me anything about your government! I thought you were run by a government! Who’s this princess, and please don’t tell me that you can actually send off your documents to her directly by skipping the rest of the mailing process.”

Twilight had to mull that over for a second. “We’re actually a constitutional monarchy, so even though we elect mayors for our cities and provincial representatives, ultimately all Equestrian law has to be approved by the crown.”

Well, good to know Equestria has so many similarities with Canada.

“And our princess, Princess Celestia, is a loving and caring ruler that takes care of her kingdom with equality and humility.” Twilight continued to explain, a soft grin creeping up on her face. “She’s been in reign for over a thousand years now and raises the sun every morning to signal Equestria of a new day."

I dropped my tea. The teacup and plate fell to the floor with a loud clatter. I could feel the water soak into my pants, but I didn’t really care. It wasn’t that hot anymore, anyways.

“For… a thousand… years?” I ask, barely managing to will my conscious to actually work my vocal cords to make the sounds necessary to speak.

“Yeah.” Twilight confirmed, as if it were common knowledge.

“And… she raises… the sun?”

She nodded.

I collapsed and fell to the floor. Then, I curled up into the fetal position. It was the only way to comfort myself through my insanity. I began muttering under my breath how Equestria was all just a dream and that I would wake up any moment now and that magic did not exist and that in reality I was really back on Earth. My vision dipped between darkness and the light of the fireplace reflecting off of the wooden floor. My body was shivering, but I wasn’t cold. I was sweating, but I wasn’t hot. After a while I couldn’t even tell what I was saying, it was all nonsense to me. I didn’t care enough to listen.

A thousand years.

A thousand fucking years.

Frankly, I wouldn’t believe her if not for the fact that so far I’ve been trapped in a pink bubble and talked to a sentient pony with wings and a pink mane. Coupled with the fact that life has been painted over by a cartoonist and that I had to wear a stupid pair of rings to keep myself from blowing up, and well, you could say that I could believe anything at this point.

“Oh my goodness!” I heard a soft voice cry out in the back of my mind. There was a rush of wind that got swept down the back of my neck and then there were two pressures on my body. I could see a yellow figure peer down on me from the corner of my eye. “Are you ok?”

I sat back up, forcing Fluttershy off of me. She stumbled backwards, but gave me enough space to turn and face Twilight. I could feel tea soaking into my pants legs. “You’re kidding me. You’re kidding, right?”

Twilight was wide-eyed at my reaction. “N-no, I’m not kidding you. She’s lived for a thousand years and is essential to our survival ever since she took over raising the sun from the unicorns of old.”

“I–But–What–” I sputter. “You know what? I don’t even care anymore! Nope! Not a care in the world! Let’s just keep moving on and forget that you ever said that, alright?”

Twilight tilted her head quizzically. “Griffin, how long does the average Homo Sapiens live?”

I cross my arms. “80 years. Not to mention that you’re implying this lady–no, this princess is immortal! That makes no sense. Absolutely none.”

Twilight frowned. “Griffin, the average pony lives up to 110 years, sometimes even a little bit more. My friend’s grandmother is already 126. Princess Celestia is by no means immortal, but she lives a lot longer than any of us because of the magicks she controls on a daily basis.”

“Moving. On.” I growl, gritting my teeth.

Twilight sighed. Fluttershy slowly backed up into her seat once again, not making a peep. I don’t care what she tells me, it’s unhealthy for anyone to live for more than a thousand years! How has she not gone insane by this point? Think of all the loved and cared ones she’s lost so far! How can she cope with the guilt? Any lesser man would have succumb to the taunt of peaceful death by then, but I guess if she can raising the fucking sun every fucking day of the year, I guess she has to be made of some pretty tough stuff! I realize that Twilight’s telling the truth, but I can’t believe it. I refuse to believe it.

“Griffin,” Twilight began. I almost forgot she was even there for a moment. “How old are you?”

My head was a mess. It was difficult to try and wrap my brain around so many subjects at the same time. I almost blurted out “Swifty-five”, but held my breath until I could control myself. “I’m 16.”

I watched Twilight ponder that for a moment before scribbling it down on her parchment. I wonder how old she is. Given the age of her voice and the fact that she probably works in the library, she has to be at least 21. Also, if the has direct connections to the monarch of the land, I could easily see her being old enough to attend some kind of ‘University of Magic” or something like that. She’s the one that made the shield, I think. She’s the one that knew about my magic, even though I didn’t. Have I had the ability to use magic all my life, just not knowing about it? Is this a new thing, or have I performed magic before, but just can’t remember?

”You’re a wizard, Harry!”

Shut up, subconscious.

“What gender are you? Assuming that your race is identified by gender, of course.” Twilight asked, considering the differences that could be possible with a race that exists halfway across the cosmos.

“I’m male.” I reply simply, not offended. She quickly scratched a mark on her paper and began caressing the back of her ear with the feather of her quill again. She really couldn’t have known. Based on her question, I can assume that the pony (ugh) race has both males and females, it’s just that I haven’t seen any yet. I wonder if I’ll ever get to meet one before I leave this place. I peer out the window. The outside world is still being drowned in an endless onslaught of rain. I guess I won’t be going out the doors anytime soon.

Speaking of doors, someone was knocking on them.

Fluttershy sunk into her seat. Twilight perked up from her musings and glanced over the front entrance. She mumbled something about being closed but immediately said “I’ll get it.” right after.

Getting out of her seat, Twilight trotted over to the wooden door and grabbed the door handle with her magic. She could have just as well have done that from where she was sitting I’m pretty sure, but then again it might have been rude to open it from such a distance. It would be like someone knocking on an office door and the person inside saying “Come in.” as if you weren’t worth the energy for someone to open the door for you, or that the other person was too lazy to open the door themselves.

As soon as Twilight opened the door, a blast of fresh rainwater was swept into the building and Twilight backed up, her muzzle scrunched up in surprise. That shouldn’t be physically possible, but at this point I’m starting to get de-sensitized to everything that doesn’t make sense in general. Never the less, there were two dark figures standing in the doorway, probably getting soaked to the bone.

“Applejack! You’re back! Come on right in.” Twilight announced. I heard Fluttershy’s chair squeak as it shifted and an orange pony walked into the library.

She was so western you could practically feel it emanating off of her coat. Her brown, Stetson hat drooped over her equally wet head, with a blond ponytail (agh) sticking out of the back and curing around her neck. She had emerald green eyes and white freckles adorning her cheeks. Her tail was tied into a ponytail too, which in itself is confusing to think about, but here I am observing it with my own two eyes. Her expression was distinctly grumpy, but not necessarily unthankful. I could only bet her mood was reflected off of the weather she had to trek through just to get here.

For somewhat reason there was an image of three red apples grouped together on her flank. Maybe that’s why Twilight called her Applejack. Hey, Twilight has a picture too! Except hers is a starburst of white and pink! I never noticed it before because she was always looking directly in front of me, but now that she’s kind of sideways, I can see that she has one as well. Does Fluttershy have one? Is it normal for every pony to have an image near their backside? Was that some sort of branding? It looked so odd that I couldn’t think of it as anything else. It kinda looked like a tattoo. Now that’s something you don’t see everyday, a pony with a tattoo on the side of her butt. I don’t think I could tell anyone at home anything about this. They would ship me off to a mental institution for sure.

“Thanks, Twi.” Applejack said, her expression swiftly easing up to express her gratitude. “It was getting’ kinda heavy out there.”

Jesus, that’s the fakest southern accent I’ve ever heard. Or at least, that’s what I want to think, but I really don’t know what a proper ‘southern’ accent sounds like. It just sounds southern to me. I don’t know the details of such an accent to properly differentiate between fake and real, but it really doesn’t matter. She would hits the farm girl stereotype right on the nail if not for the fact that she’s a pony and not a human being. But maybe that doesn’t apply here. Maybe she doesn’t have to be human to still work on a farm. Maybe there are farm ponies here. I’m probably just being discriminating about it. I don’t want to be species-ist.

“Hello, Twilight,” a voice called out from the other figure standing in the doorway. “I don’t suppose that you mind me coming in as well, do you?”

Another pony stepped in.

Author's Note:

Fun fact, this chapter was originally named "Interrogation" because of how hard Twilight questioned Griffin initially when Fluttershy, Twilight and Griffin all get downstairs. Also, Twilight had locked up Griffin's hands and was much more hostile towards him before the chapter re-write. I felt that I needed to change the chapter name because it didn't reflect what the actual chapter was about anymore accurately. I'm also happy to be able to change the title of the chapter because I found a way to make the conversation between Twilight and Griffin more natural instead of having them work off a slew of question that abruptly stop the natural flow of one's thought process.

Comments

[b300mussolini]

twilight seems to be a little flip floppy don't you think? i trust this alien, i don't trust this alien, i have a plan, i am now going back on the plan.