Morning Star

by Radiant Dawn

Chapter 4: First Meetings

Chapter 4: First Meetings

I was brought into the waking world by the sound of many different animals chirping, growling, roaring, or just making noise in general, and even though it was relatively early in the day still, I was happy to have awakened this way...it reminded me of my ancestral home. Needless to say, it was a wonderful way to wake up, and I stretched and yawned with the outlook that today would be a good day.

That was until I opened my eyes and looked down.

In front of me was the half-eaten corpse of a large furry animal. It had wings and a long tail with a stinging spike on the back.

That's right...I'd forgotten to eat last night.

I looked back to what must have been my meal in the night and sighed. I was glad that I hadn't attacked any of the nearby town's residents in my instinctual hunger-rage, but was mentally kicking myself for forgetting about food. Whenever this happened, my animal instincts would take over and find food for me, sometimes hurting or killing beings I did not want to harm. I was lucky this time, but I had to make sure from now on that meals became a top priority for me. Lunacae had trusted me enough to bring me to this world, so I was going to be sure that I did not hurt this planet's sentient beings out of something so primal as hunger. Simple though my people may be as far as technology, we still had advanced far in the ways of social norms for the more “civilized” beings of the universe, and with Lunacae being our All-Mother, we were well versed in astronomy.

To put it simply, it was considered barbaric even in my people's culture to be unable to control the most basic instinct to eat when hungry.

Was I different from the rest of my people? Yes. Was it more difficult for me to control my animalistic instincts? Definitely. Difficult, but not impossible.

I looked once more at the fresh kill before turning towards the stream and preparing to bathe.

---

I don't know whether it was the inherent beauty of this world or maybe it was just exhaustion, but the water seemed cooler and cleaner than the river water of my previous home. Even the air seemed to carry an underlying feeling of happiness and security. Along with the dirt and blood washed away in the water, my worries and fears were dusted away by the soft breeze of the forest. Just in the short time I'd been here, this very atmosphere of this world was soothing and relaxing my cares away...which begs the question of why Lunacae hadn't brought me here sooner. Compared to Primus and the world it was upon, this was a paradise.

As I finished cleaning myself, I was dimly aware of something approaching, though I knew not what. I looked to the sky and saw that it was midday, by seeing the single sun was in the middle of the sky. I figured that with the day being well under way, the approaching being could only be either some wild animal, or this Twilight Sparkle I was to meet. I trained my senses in the direction of the disturbance, and heard a hard surface rhythmically tapping against the dirt...hooves. Well that narrowed it down, as only a few beings in the forest had hooves.

With the possibility of my first meeting with one of these “ponies”, I figured it would be a good idea to clothe myself, so I quickly shook myself dry before placing my skins back on and scaling a tree. Just in case I was incorrect about what was approaching, I thought it would be better to be hidden than exposed and vulnerable.

The answer to my questioning was answered when a small violet pony walked into the small meadow next to the stream, along with another pony that was pale yellow with wings. I could tell just by observing that both were very nervous to be in such a dangerous place, and wished to leave as soon as possible, so I figured it would be best to reveal myself to the both of them.

I hopped down from the tree I was in, landing a good ways away from the two ponies. The winged pony squeaked in fright and hid behind her companion, but the violet pony had a horn that began glowing softly as she gazed at me questioningly.

The horned pony stared at me for a moment before stepping forward with a smile, speaking in a language I couldn't understand. Just form listening, I could tell it was the same language Lunacae had spoken when I had buried my two partners in the forest, but that still did not help me understand it.

Seemingly realizing her mistake, the horned pony cleared her throat and smiled again. “Apologies for that, I had forgotten you don't speak Modern Equestrian.”

I was honestly surprised at her fluency with my language, but for the moment I let that feeling go. I had to make a good first impression, so I crossed my arms over my chest and bowed my head slightly before standing again. “It is no trouble. I assume you are Twilight Sparkle?”

“I am.” the pony answered with a nod. “The pony with me is my dear friend, Fluttershy.” Twilight Sparkle then turned to the shuddering pony and motioned to me while saying something to her.

The pink-haired pony looked up from behind her friend nervously, until she caught eyes with me. Immediately her face came out from behind the violet pony and the winged pony approached me with what I could only decipher was curiousness. She fearlessly approached me, even being only half my size.

This Fluttershy looked me over for a few moments before looking back to my eyes and smiling. She said something to me in her language before turning back to her friend.

“F-Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle stammered. “W-what do you mean 'he's good'?”

The yellow pony looked back to me for a second before saying something else to the horned pony. I looked to Twilight Sparkle in confusion. “What is she saying about me?”

The violet pony furrowed her brow before stepping in front of me. “She says that your eyes are kind, whatever that means.”

I chuckled and nodded. “Eyes are doorways into the soul. My people have learned over thousands of years to read the eyes of another to determine how they feel, because as you can imagine, our faces are none too expressive. I find it interesting that such a young and timid soul can read my eyes though.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled and nodded. “Fluttershy is special on a number of levels. She has a way with the animals of the forest, so much so that she can tame or scare away even the rowdiest of beasts.”

I nodded. “That is quite impressive.” The yellow pony then whispered something to her friend. “What's she saying?”

“Just that she wants to leave now. It's dangerous in the forest, so we should stay here too long.” Twilight Sparkle answered.

I nodded again. “I take it Princess Luna has explained the situation?”

The violet pony shrugged. “She explained enough. She told me that you need a place to stay and someone to teach you the language of this land.”

“Nothing else?” I asked.

The horned pony shook her head softly. “She told me that anything else is up to you to reveal.”

I decided at the moment that it would be best to keep my more savage proclivities to myself for now, so I simply nodded with a semblance of a smile. “I will reveal all in time. For now, it would be best to show you exactly what I truly can do, and then make our way to your abode.”

I looked over the two beings, trying to decide how I should look. I decided I would be a pegasus pony, as I had always wanted to know what it would be like to fly. I stepped around the yellow pony a few times, visualizing what I was to become before nodding and standing a ways away from the both of them. I then focused and felt the change begin. My stature as a whole was vastly reduced, and I felt as my fingers and toes melded together into hooves. Next was the change of my skin from plates to regular skin, with fur running over it. I felt my hair change and a tail sprout from behind me, and lastly I felt wings appear on my back. I fell forward onto all four limbs and continued to let the change take me.

A few minutes later, the change stopped, and I opened my eyes to see the two ponies staring at me in shock. Twilight Sparkle sputtered a few times before muttering, “Y-you're a changeling?”

As confusion overtook me, I felt as my face contorted to show confusion. It was an alien sensation for me, but one that I welcomed on some level. “What's a changeling?”

“A changeling is a ravenous organism that can change forms into anypony. They feed off of the emotion of love.” Twilight Sparkle responded, her horn glowing slightly.

I laughed and shook my head. “No, I'm not a changeling. For the record, I can change into nearly anything I can see, and I eat normal food, just like the rest of you.”

Fluttershy whispered something, and Twilight Sparkle shook her head. The unicorn then looked back to me with a smile as she wiped her brow with a hoof. “Phew, that's a load off my mind. You had us worried for a second there.” She then turned towards the edge of the forest and beckoned me. “Well, this should allow you to pass unnoticed among the local populace. Follow me, and I'll get you to where you're going to stay.”

---

As we walked through the town, I noticed that every pony was unique. While my fur was the red that my skin was and my hair was the same silvery color as my eyes, every pony in town was unique in color, style, and mannerisms. There was even one I noticed flying through the air that had a rainbow in her tail and hair. The world itself was colorful and vivid, as were the beings that inhabited it. Even without a warm temperature, this place would feel warm and inviting. It was truly beautiful, and I was pleased to have been invited to stay here.

We arrived at what originally looked like a large tree, only for me to find that it was in fact, a building. Twilight Sparkle invited me inside, so I followed her and her friend in. What I originally thought was a simple home, turned out to be something else completely. There were shelves all around the main room, filled with...something.

I turned to Twilight Sparkle and pointed a hoof at the shelves. “What are those?”

She arched an eyebrow and looked to where I was pointing, before looking back at me. “You don't know what books are?” I shook my head. Her eyes widened and she used some unseen force to levitate a book over to her and I. The book promptly opened and the pages flew, before stopping on a random page. The script was similar to my own people's written word, but not enough that I could decipher what it meant. She pointed to the words with a hoof and smiled. “Books are like scrolls, in that they hold information. While scrolls are mainly used for letters and whatnot, books contain facts, stories, and even pictures.”

I nodded a few times before smiling. “Wow...I do hope my people develop books soon. They're missing out.”

Twilight Sparkle giggled and nodded. “They are. If I didn't have my books, I'd probably go crazy.” She then motioned to a small reptilian creature that I hadn't noticed was staring at me from the top of a stairway. “That's Spike. He also speaks the language of Celestials, so he can understand you. Say hello.”

I cleared my throat and looked to the reptile. “Greetings Spike. I am known as Vega Morningstar.”

“Wow!” Spike exclaimed with excitement. “You speak Celestial? That's so cool!”

I looked to Twilight Sparkle in confusion, and she sighed. “The word 'cool' is used as slang for something that's good. For example, instead of saying that something is good or nice, you can substitute the word cool instead. It usually only applies to actions or things though. I'm sure once I tutor you in our language, you'll pick up pretty quickly on our slang terms, especially if you spend time around Rainbow Dash or Spike.”

“Rainbow Dash?” I asked in confusion, my face once again showing this emotion.

Twilight smiled and nodded. “She was that blue pegasus with the rainbow mane that you saw earlier. She's...well, you'll know when you meet her.”

It was then that Fluttershy stood in front of me and extended her hoof, which I assumed was a salutation of some sort, so I took her hoof against my own and shook it slightly...finding it odd that I was able to hold her hoof without any fingers. She then nodded with a smile before leaving the home.

“Fluttershy said she'll be back tomorrow to check on you.” Twilight Sparkle said. I looked to her and she pointed to a book she had laid on a table. “That's a translation guide for Celestial to Modern Equestrian, and vice versa. It's what I used to teach myself and Spike your language years ago, so I'm sure it'll help you learn our language as well. A lot of the words and sounds are similar, so I'm sure you can pick it up in about a week or so.”

I nodded as I sat at the table awkwardly, my form no longer made for chairs. Instead, I sat down on the floor...only to find that this was in fact how the table had been designed. “Yes. I've noticed that whenever you speak Modern Equestrian, it sounds very familiar. Just not enough to allow myself to understand what you're saying.”

She nodded. “I thought the same thing about Ancient Celestial the first time I started learning. I promise, if you're half as smart as Princess Luna told me you are, you'll pick it up pretty quickly.” She then turned to the door and began to walk away. “Anyway, I have to meet with some of my other friends, as I'm going to bring them by later to meet you. I figure it's best to get it all out of the way so that they're familiar with you. Spike will be here though, and he'll start making dinner in a few hours. Will that all be okay with you?”

I leafed through the book a bit before looking up at the unicorn and nodding. “That is great. You have my thanks, Twilight Sparkle.”

She nodded with a smile. “Good. Spike is just as versed in Celestial as I am, so if you have any questions, just ask him. I'll be back later, Vega. Good luck!” With that, the violet unicorn left.

I immediately set about reading the book, being quite pleased that it was written in both my language and the one I was to learn. This allowed me to make connections between the different words, as well as the way they looked and sounded. Pronunciations were in place, as were pictures of what the letters looked like on their own, and what sounds they could make...and so on and so forth. In actuality, it was extremely similar to my native language, which would make sense by what Lunacae had told me. Apparently all of Equestria had spoken my people's language at one point, but my language evolved and changed over thousands of years. This meant that I already understood many of the mechanics, sentence, and word structure that would lead to being fluent in this language.

Hours passed, and I found myself quickly becoming familiar with the language...so much so that when Spike asked me what I fancied for a meal, I was able to respond in Modern Equestrian. Sloppily, but I did it nonetheless. He was utterly shocked that I was able to grasp and speak the language so quickly, but when he realized the many similarities our two languages shared, he understood and let it go.

Still...I would be speaking falsely if I said I wasn't going to enjoy Twilight Sparkle's reaction.

After gaining the basics of the language – enough to hold a conversation – I spoke with Spike about many things, mostly asking questions. I learned that he is actually a dragon – a fire-breathing reptilian of magical nature. I learned that magic was the basis for the entire world I now resided in, and that Lunacae and her sister, Princess Celestia, controlled the passing of days. I learned that upon becoming corrupted, Lunacae forced her sister into a position where Princess Celestia banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years (which is what the beings here call planetary cycles). Also, she was purified upon returning by Twilight Sparkle and her five friends, which are known as the Elements of Harmony – a magical representation of the six traits that promote harmony in the world.

Spike told me much about the world and the way it worked, along with the personalities and mannerisms of his friends and their families. I found myself soaking all this information up like...like something that absorbs things. By listening to the way the young dragon spoke, I also began to perfect my speech in Modern Equestrian, so much so that by the time Spike began to prepare the meal, I was nearly fluent in the language. It was startling just how simple it was to understand now that I'd had some time to study it, and I was pleased with the results.

What a surprise this will be for Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

“So, what's your story?” asked Spike, speaking in Modern Equestrian now.

I shrugged. “There is not much to say, Spike. I have spent much of my life protecting my people and simply surviving. That is all.”

The small dragon frowned and nodded. “Well that's a downer. Hopefully here you can live a life better than that.”

“One can hope.” I responded, now speaking completely in the new language, both for practice and ease of understanding for the dragon.

The food that young Spike was preparing smelled wonderful, unlike anything I'd smelled before, and it made my stomach growl with anticipation.

At that moment though, Twilight Sparkle returned with her friends.

Six ponies filed into the library (who would think there would be a special name for a building that held books?) and I saw varying colors. One was bright pink, with a darker pink mane and tail. She wore possibly the brightest smile I could ever imagine on her face, and she seemed to bounce with every step. The next pony I noticed looked very elegant and was beautiful to behold. She was a unicorn of the purest white, with a violet mane and tail and eyes as deep as the ocean. Next was a light blue pegasus with a rainbow-patterned mane and tail, who from earlier I knew was Rainbow Dash. She was very sleek and aerodynamic, and I could tell just by looking at her that she was built for speed. The last pony was a dark orange, with a soft blonde mane and tail, both held together with a hairband.

“Hello Spike! Wow, that smells good.” Twilight Sparkle announced. She then looked to the dragon with a pleading expression. “I hope you made enough for all our friends.”

The dragon chuckled and nodded. “Sure did! I knew they were coming, so I made sure to make it just in case.”

The violet unicorn nodded before glancing at me, then back to Spike. “So how did he do?”

“I did wonderfully, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you.” I responded with a triumphant grin.

The entire group of ponies gasped, and the mentioned unicorn fell onto her rump with a shocked expression. Her mouth was moving as if trying to say something, but no words emerged. Finally she composed herself and smiled excitedly. “This is amazing! It took me almost three days to learn Celestian, but you learned Modern Equestrian in just under three hours! Princess Luna wasn't joking when she said you were smart.”

I smiled gratefully and nodded. “Well I am flattered, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Just Twilight is fine, Vega.” the unicorn responded happily.

“Vega? Like the star?” spoke Fluttershy loudly. She then blushed in embarrassment. “Oh, um...sorry.”

I grinned at the endearing qualities of the pegasus and nodded. “We do indeed share the same name, but I was not named after the star...it was named after me.”

This caused Twilight to eye me with suspicion. “What do you mean it was named after you? That star is at least a thousand years old.”

“So am I.” I responded, beginning to get a better feel for their speech.

The orange pony stepped up in front of me for a moment, as if sizing me up before she backed off and nodded at Twilight. “He's tellin' tha truth, sugarcube. It don' make sense ta me either, but he ain't lyin'.”

“Princess Celestia never told me about any of this...” the violet unicorn responded in a daze.

I grinned and motioned to the door. “Well it's dusk by now, so come outside...there's something I want to show all of you.”

---

We arrived outside just as the last light of day was waning, allowing the many stars that grace the heavens to be seen as Lunacae's night began to overtake the day. I waved a hoof across the sky with a smile. “Princess Luna told me that every star is or was a life. She made them...both of them.”

For the longest time the six ponies were silent, apparently letting that information sink in. Finally, a happy sigh emanated from Fluttershy as she gazed at the night sky. “Sometimes, I love to just sleep outside in my hammock, underneath the stars. It's so beautiful. To think that every one of those diamonds in the sky was made for someone...it's amazing.”

In that statement, I heard the awe and innocence akin to that of a child, and I couldn't help but smile at it. The other ponies said nothing, but gazed with similar looks of awe at the heavens, clearly contemplating what I had told them.

“You know Vega,” Twilight started with happiness, “your star is known as the 'morning star' here. It's the last star everypony sees before the day starts.”

I nodded as I looked to the sky with company. “I know. It is why Princess Luna bestowed the name Morningstar upon me. She assumed it would be a fitting title.” I then shivered as a cool wind blew through my feathers. “Come...we should retreat indoors before it gets any cooler.”

All of us arrived inside just as Spike was setting a large table for the eight of us. I was amazed at the young dragon's skill with the culinary arts, as well as his good manners and intelligence. He had told me of how Twilight Sparkle had raised him from a hatchling, so I assumed she had something to do with his character.

The meal was wonderful in every sense of the word. It was tasty, filling, and apparently relatively simple to make by what the pony named Pinkie Pie had told me. Still, it was quite possibly the most amazing thing I'd ever eaten, and I made sure to tell Spike so.

With my hunger sated and a new language learned, I was well ahead of what I had expected, which was definitely a good thing. I spent the rest of the night relaxing – a relatively new activity for me – and getting to know all the other mares (I had found that is what they call adult females around here, with adult males being 'stallions'). Pinkie Pie was very hyperactive but fun, while Rarity was very elegant and proper, which I had assumed given the unicorn's image. Rainbow Dash was also a lot of fun, but her humor sometimes came off as a little crude (I didn't mind in the least, but Rarity did). Applejack, the farm mare, was very warm and inviting, along with giving off an aura of strength and determination. I could tell right away that her and I were going to be good friends.

Friends...

That was a word I'd held at a distance for such a long time...but here were alien beings to me, and I'd become familiar with all of them very quickly and they'd welcomed me in kind. It was a foreign environment to me, but one that I could grow to enjoy. To have others who care about me more than just someone who protects them or watches over them...it's a nice feeling.

After our meal was finished, I helped Spike clean. I was unsure of the social norms of pony society, but for me at least it was expected to help clean up if you are a guest in someone's home. Twilight tried to argue with me, but I was politely firm and she relented, allowing me to not feel completely useless in her home. After all, the mare was offering a place for me to stay until I could make my own home...and I would need to ask her at some point exactly how I should go about doing that.

Since this world was to be my home now, I had quite a few things to think through. Normally, the first priority would be safety and survival, but it appeared that in this world those were two things extended to all who lived and breathed here...and of that I was thankful. Secondly, I was going to need to find a way to work and live here autonomously. Something told me that these ponies used some sort of currency in lieu of trading goods, so I had to find some work that I could do in order to have some income. Lastly and most importantly, I was going to have to either lay low and be a ghost amongst the populace, or I was going to have to have a decent relationship with everyone, whether it be a working relationship or personal. I was under no illusions about social dynamics, so I knew that it was unlikely everyone was going to like me, but I figured the more ponies I had on my side, the easier and nicer my life here would be.

Upon finishing the dishes and cleaning up the downstairs, I was joined by the other mares as they brought two drinks known as apple cider and sarsaparilla. I was unsure of what they were exactly, but both were sweet and tasted good, although the cider packed a bit of a 'kick', as Applejack mentioned. The six mares were all talking to me and giggling at my responses, but at that point I was unsure of what I was saying. For some reason the world was kind of hazy, and I was unbelievably relaxed. Before I could realize it though, I had fallen asleep.

---

I woke in the middle of the night with a very urgent need to relieve myself, and so I stumbled out the front door, found a secluded bush behind the library, and did so. It was awkward, being a pony and all, but I quickly finished and sighed as I looked up at the moon. The night was slightly cloudy, but beautiful, and I sighed happily as I leaned against the side of the house. My mind was still a little hazy, but it was clear enough to realize what had happened to me and that the moon had never looked more beautiful than it had tonight. Perhaps it was because I was not fighting for my life or perhaps it was because I now had the beginning of friends...I don't know. What I did know was that for the first time I could remember, I was honestly happy. No cares, no worries...just sincere happiness.

My momentary carelessness was interrupted when I heard a twig snap, and I whipped around instinctually and prepared for a fight. This caused what was approaching me to let out a small squeak of fright, and then dart behind a bush...the bush I had used...

By its reaction, I had an inkling as to who had approached, so I softly called, “Fluttershy?”

The bush stopped shaking and a pink mane appeared, followed by a pale yellow body. The pony looked at me nervously before slowly exiting from behind the bush. She looked up at me in embarrassment and nodded. “H-hello, Vega. I'm so sorry that I was watching you, but I was curious. Please don't hate me...” She then looked back to her hiding place, and then her fur...which was a bit matted now. “Why is that bush wet?”

I looked away with embarrassment of my own and cleared my throat with nervousness. “Umm...I had to relieve myself...”

“Y-y-you m-mean...?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes...you should bathe now.”

The yellow pegasus stuttered a few times before fainting, and I sighed. I shifted to my normal form and picked the small pony up, then carried her inside the library. I then grabbed a cloth from the kitchen along with some sudsy liquid, which Spike had called 'soap', then wet the cloth and proceeded to gently wipe the timid mare down as she lay unconscious. I was now mentally kicking myself for not remembering that these ponies had indoor plumbing, and berated myself even more for causing such mortification upon the young mare. I was aware of basic privacy, so I avoided her personal areas, and instead continued hand-washing her coat and mane. When she was sufficiently clean, I placed the soiled rag into the sink and ran hot water over it, before carrying the mare back upstairs and placing her quietly into the room with all her friends, who were still asleep. I set the mare down next to her closest friend, which appeared to be Rainbow Dash, and chuckled at the sight of the rainbow-maned pegasus. She was lying on her back half-covered, with her front legs kicking in the air every now and then, as if she were running.

I was aware that in civilized society it was still considered taboo for a male and female to sleep in the same room, let alone the same bed, so I quietly left the room and closed the door before heading to my own bedroom.

I will admit, even with being perfectly content with sleeping on the ground my entire life, the bed I was given from Twilight was amazing. It was soft and the covers were warm, and I was quite pleased with the result. It allowed me to relax and begin to fall asleep very quickly, and before I knew it, sleep once again claimed me.

---

Perspective change – Fluttershy

I woke up back in the room with my friends, next to an animatedly dreaming Rainbow Dash. I looked at my best friend and giggled softly before sitting up, trying to remember the dream I'd had. I remembered that in my dream I'd gone outside after hearing some noises, only to find Vega...and a soiled bush.

Why would I dream about something like that?

This thought was overtaken by feeling a slight dampness on my skin, and I ran a hoof over my coat to find that it was moist. I nearly began hyperventilating at the notion that I had in fact not dreamt that, but stopped when I didn't smell anything...gross. Instead, I smelled of soap. The realization hit me like Pinkie's party cannon...

He'd washed me?

Embarrassment washed over me and I felt my entire body warm up as the feeling overcame me, but it abated when I realized that privates were untouched. I mentally thanked Celestia over and over again for sparing me of that experience, but then found myself oddly feeling thankful towards the stallion for taking care of me. Even when I was defenseless, he didn't take advantage of me in any way and had taken care of me after I'd fainted. I couldn't help but think of how much of a gentlecolt he was, and I smiled and blushed a bit at the very thought of him.

He was different, but not bad. I saw it that day when I first met him...a kindness and gentleness within his eyes that I'd only seen in the eyes of the princesses. Even upon finding the bones of a manticore where I'd met him, I couldn't be mad at him. After all, even the bears I look after have to eat. I dont get angry with them about it, so why should I with him? I hoped now that he was living in Ponyville, he wouldn't feel the need to hunt anymore, but realizing what he was, I knew it was always a possibility. Even with that being the case, I couldn't feel myself being afraid of him. I had only met him yesterday, but I somehow knew that he would never hurt any of us.

I hope we can be friends...

Comments

[Swedish Royal Guard]

I must say this story is VERY unique, in a good way! Im currently at CH 4 and I like the originality of it!

[flimbee]

This chapter just gained the story another like, my good sir. Quite intriguing, might I say.