A young man gets transported to Equestria due to a magical anomaly. He now must face the fact that he can never return home. Will he make a better life for himself? Or will the stress from the changes in his life consume him.
Vladimir Korzhakov is a normal twenty-one year old guy living a less than exciting life. After moving from his home country of Russia at a young age, he has had a harsh childhood and an equally frustrating life as a young adult. Nowadays, he works a soul sucking job, has no-one to call friend, and his immediate family has long passed. He passes the time by watching cheap, lazy entertainment in his run-down apartment. Then one day something happens that will change his life forever. Whisked into a new world and a new body without any say otherwise, he is lost and confused. Can he adapt to his surroundings and forge a new path? Or will he be stuck dwelling on everything he has lost?
Prologue: A Day in the Life of Vladimir Korzhakov (v2)
Note: This is not the original version of this chapter. If you wish to view the original you can find it here: http://pastebin.com/LSSbZDqN
I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Vladimir Korzhakov but you can just call me Vlad. I was born in 1993 in Novgorod, Russia and moved to the United States in 1997 at age 4.
My life in Russia was anything but great. My family suffered under the harsh political system and devastated economy. As a result of the economy plummeting even further in the late 90s, my parents decided that moving to the United States was our best option. We could of moved somewhere in Western Europe but the only other language my parents could speak besides Russian was English and they had no interest in moving to the UK wanting to experience warmer weather for a change.
So in the summer of '97 my parents bought us one-way tickets to Charlotte, North Carolina. After searching through the papers my father landed a job at a local coffee shop. He quickly worked his way up becoming the morning shift manager and essentially second in command behind the owner. His pay was anything but amazing, but it was enough to pay the bills and get us 3 warm meals a day.
My parents enlisted me in the local elementary school at age 5. I was the quiet, antisocial kid who had perfect grades and no friends whatsoever. I was bullied constantly for my accent as well as my 'nerdiness' as some of the kids phrased it. My accent began to fade over the years but it didn't stop the bullying. Even after my parents completed the long process of obtaining American citizenship for all of us, I still felt like a foreigner in almost every way.
My parents, bless their souls, died in a plane crash in 2004 when returning to Russia for a visit. The cause of the crash was apparently because the plane had not been properly checked for maintenance problems. This resulted in a hydraulic line being cut and the pilots losing most of their controls. They attempted to land at a local municipal airport but the plane crashed in a forest just two miles short leaving no survivors.
After my parents' deaths I was moved to an orphanage in Nashville, Tennessee. I continued to be bullied at the orphanage until one day a kid insulted my parents. I lost control and punched him as hard as I could in the face. He ended up in the hospital with a broken nose, jaw and collar bone. Some witness vouched for me and the police dismissed it as a case of self-defense. No-one ever bothered me from that day forward.
For the remainder of my life as a minor I went to some of the worst schools in Nashville. The high school I attended was the worst by far. Constant violence as well as poor funding gave me little opportunity to receive a proper education. The teachers were either temps who got constantly replaced or were just not motivated. I had the highest scores on the state testing in my school every year of my high school life. In fact I was only one of 87 students who graduated in our grade of around 300 or so kids.
I was never adopted so I stayed at the orphanage until I graduated high school. Despite being in an orphan I was able to land myself in the local community college. None of the major universities would take me once they saw what high school I went to despite my GPA. I studied in civil engineering as well as a bit of mechanical engineering on the side and graduated in 2 years with an associate's degree.
I landed a job in a small engineering firm in Denver, Colorado last year. I like Colorado because it has wide variety of weather and temperatures giving me a little of everything. That and very little humidity which always a positive. My Russian family members are either dead from the harsh conditions in the Soviet era or are too far away to care about me so I have no real family to fall back on.
For the last nine months, I've worked that mindless job and I'm barely squeaking by. I have a run down apartment in the east side of Denver and I usually pass my time by watching crappy 21st century reality TV. I've had a hard life from the very start and I don't see it getting any easier.
Even now as a more sociable post-graduate I still have no-one I can really call 'friend'. Sure I have co-workers and the guys down at the bar, but I can't really call them anything more than acquaintances.
That's my story, not much to it. Until today...
*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*BEEP*
"Ugh is it time again?" I say as I slap the dismiss button on my alarm clock. I hate my alarm clock because it is loud and obnoxious especially when first waking. Yet I must will myself to get up and crawl out of bed.
Today is Monday, the worst day of the week by far. I slowly walk my way over to my dresser and dress in a simple button-up shirt and jeans. It may be simple, but it's appropriate for my less-than-formal job. I make my way over to the kitchen where I grab the box of Cheerio's and pour myself a bowl. I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV to watch the news.
The weather report was on and the lady was droning on like usual. "Great, thunderstorms all afternoon," I say as I chomp down the remainder of my cereal. The news changes to sports. I never really had a thing for sports, especially American football which was the current topic. I switched off the TV and kept eating my breakfast.
Cheerios are bland as fuck but they're all I can afford on my budget. I look up at the clock and realize it's time to head to work. "Fuck," I exclaim as I throw my cereal bowl in the sink and grab my rain jacket for the return trip home. My work is only a couple blocks down the street from my house so I normally walk there and back.
I take the elevator down to the ground floor and rush out the door much to the dismay of the receptionist Susan. "Watch where your going Vlad for god's sake!" she yelled after me. I slowed my pace down to a fast walk. I walked along the morning streets of Denver at a brisk pace. My boss really has a pet peeve for tardiness so being late isn't something I want to deal with. Despite leaving late, I manage to arrive around two minutes before work starts for the day.
"Campbell and Sons' Engineering" is a small business that mainly focuses on small residential projects. I happened to land a job there because my college professor knew the owner and recommended me. I was honored at the time, but then I saw how little my salary was.
Most of our jobs were fairly simple. A client would contact us regarding some project they wanted done and we'd give them a rough estimate based on their description. If they decided to hire us, we'd contact our architect to draw up a design for the project and then take said design and come up with a blueprint and build schedule. We then passed these along to a contract work team to do the actual construction. I may not "need" to do any of the hands-on work, but I was well versed in all aspects of handiwork and construction as stepping in to help a behind schedule project was sometimes a must.
Seriously, for an engineer, I really am working on the lowest possible salary. The boss is either really money grabby or is in a bad financial situation and I'm leaning towards the former. I would file a complaint but this job is all I have. I work there along with Jonathan Campbell, my boss, his son Terence, and my other two co-workers Arnold ("Al") Crelin and Fredrick ("Freddy") Johnson.
Jonathan, or Ol' Johnny as we like to call him, is a strict but overall friendly boss. He tries to make his employees feel good about their work even if he underpays them for it. He seemed to cut his son more slack than the other three of us quite to our annoyance.
Terence, the boss man's son is a stuck up asshole. He acts all entitled and only listens to his old man if at all. He had no real talent for engineering but acts like the best in the world. He most likely got dragged into this job by his father which might explain the attitude problem. We tend to call him names like 'Terry the Terrible' behind his back.
Al Crelin is probably my favorite of my co-workers. He has a friendly personality and seems to appreciate having this job more then the rest of us do. I mostly work on projects with him which makes work slightly more tolerable. His all-too-chipper attitude makes the day fly by, and I had been out to drinks with him on more than one occasion. He wasn't really a friend per-say, just a good acquaintance and a kind of mentor to me.
My final co-worker, Freddy Johnson is a quiet and reserved man. He rarely talks and when he does he never really says anything interesting. He has the misfortune of working with Terry. Terry constantly tries to get to him but much to his frustration, Freddy just brushes everything off. He works harder than any man I ever met to overcome Terry's ineptitude despite his apparent distaste for this job.
I clock in and the walk over to Al who seems to be waiting for me. "Mornin' Vlad!" Al calls out to me.
"Morning," I grumble back.
"Boss man has us working on those plans for that old rich lady in Cherry Creek today," Al says looking almost as bored as me.
"Well we better get going then eh?" I say back.
The work day is a monotonous as one could expect. Just lots of measuring, math, and statistics. And all we get for a break is our 10 minute lunch break. Oh how I wish I could of landed a better job. Al and I managed to finish the plans by closing time much to the pleasure of Mr. Campbell.
"Good work boys! We're already ahead of schedule with that project! Now get out of here! You deserve a good night's rest after all that work!"
Al and I walk outside to a torrential thunderstorm. I was expecting storms but this is just ridiculous. "See ya tomorrow Al!" I shout against the wind.
"See ya!" he shouts back before walking towards his car. I begin my walk home in one of the worst storms I've ever seen. Luckily I brought my rain coat which is keeping me mostly dry. I get about halfway before the storm begins to get even worse. Instead of making the smart decision to step in a nearby shop to wait out the worst part of the storm I foolishly press onward.
The wind is really howling now and I can barely keep my footing on the rain soaked concrete. Knowing my luck with the weather my jacket is probably going to blow off in another second or two. Finally I decide that the storm is getting the best of me and I better step inside somewhere.
I spot a small coffee shop just across the street from me and decide that would be as good of a place as any. Just as I'm about halfway across the street, I feel my hair stand on end. Now I knew what this meant from reading on lightning safety in college. I quickly began to think of what to do, straining to remember what the correct course of action was. This took up the few precious moments I had to avoid disaster.
Time slowed down as I could only watch as my world turned white and the loudest crack of thunder I've ever heard racked my skull. Then everything went black. Blackness for as far as the eye could see.
And for the second time in my life, I felt truly alone...
For what seemed like eternity, I was floating in a black void. I heard voices whispering all around me none of which I could actually understand. This was probably the strangest and yet scary moment of my life, if I even was still alive. I then I heard on of the voices say something I recognized. "Wake....... Up.........." It said. And then my whole world turned white.
"Ow my head!"
All I could feel was pain. All the way up my body. It felt like I was just kicked in my jewels countless times for an hour on end. I just sat there groaning in agony for what seemed like hours. I assumed this was the after effects of being struck by lightning. Once again my luck with the weather had been so impeccable that lightning decided to strike me instead of the countless buildings, trees, and lampposts around me. Slowly, after several minutes of lying there in agony, the pain slowly started to recede.
I focused mostly on my breathing to avoid either hyperventilating or cease breathing all together. In through the nose, out through the mouth. My breaths were raspy and restricted but I was able to focus enough to keep breathing at a steady pace.
Eventually I upped the courage to open my eyes. I expected to be in the hospital or something but what I saw was almost pitch blackness. Once my vision adapted to the darkness I made out that I was in a dark forest at night. My vision was partially obscured by a weird blue object appearing to jut out from my face.
"How the hell did I end up here?!!" I exclaimed.
I was absolutely dumbfounded. Colorado had extensive sections of wooded areas especially in the mountains but those were mostly pine forests. What I saw before me much more resembled something you would find in the south-east United States. It was humid too, very humid like a rainforest. 'Well I ain't in Kansas no more' I though to myself mentally chuckling at the stupid reference I had made.
Even in near-death experiences I managed to find my horrible sense of humor. Probably due to all that garbage TV I watched. Speaking of TV, the colors here seemed to be much more vibrant, similar to those of a cartoon. 'Well either someone stuck me in some hologram animated by Disney or that lightning really did a number on my eyes'
The last thing I remember was getting struck on the way home from work. 'I should be dead' I thought to myself. 'Am I dead? Is this the afterlife or some shit??!!! Wait no. I felt pain, this has to be real. I should probably find some shelter or someth....'
My rambling thoughts stopped when my eyes caught something peculiar. Right below and the right of me was what looked like a weird blue limb of some sort. I tried to move my arm to find the source of said limb only to find it to be my limb. "WHAT THE HELL!!!!" I yelled as I flailed around like I was having a seizure.
Not only was I in a world that looked like Walt Disney got high and started animating cartoons but my arm was now blue and fuzzy. "WHAT KIND OF CRAZY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GONE WRONG IS THIS???!!!!!" I demanded not receiving an answer. I also noticed under closer examination that my hands were gone. I just couldn't wrap my brain around it and it was freaking me out.
Once I managed to collect myself I attempted to figure out why my limb was blue and furry. Upon closer examination I determined I had a hoof like a horse. "Why the fuck am I a horse?" I asked to no-one in particular.
So my only explanations at this point was someone genetically mutated me or I was on some serious LSD. I was hoping for my sake, that it was the latter.
I took the time to examine the rest of my body only to find another unbelievable surprise. "I have wings???!!! God this day keeps getting stranger by the minute," I stated.
The wings were strange to say the least. Not only could I now feel the presence of an extra set of limbs on my back but they seemed way too short to even be able to sustain flight. So either my body was like 95% air or I was a flightless bird... or horse in this case.
I attempted to move said wings only to be met with them twitching ever so slightly. "Well I guess I ain't flying around any time soon," I said.
"So I'm a horse with wings so that makes me a pegasus right?" I asked into the dark abyss of the forest.
"Jeez either I was drugged big time in the hospital or I'm absolutely going insane," I muttered to myself.
"Blyad'! (Fuck!)" I swore in Russian.
I attempted to get up without accounting that I was now a quadruped. "Mphhh" I managed to squeak out as I topped over right onto my face... no cross that out... my muzzle which I had figured out was the object jutting from my face earlier.
"Owww, fuck," I complained.
I tried standing up again with the acquired knowledge of being a quadruped instead of a biped and managed to get to my feet..no..hooves. It was just a task trying to stay up so I had no idea how I would figure out walking. I tried to take one step at a time but kept smacking my snout into the earth. 'This has to be easier than I'm making it look!' I mentally sighed.
I tried to remember how my dog, Xander, from back in North Carolina used to walk. I was able to slowly copy his movements from my vague memory. Eventually I was taking baby steps for the second time in my life. 'Wow never though I'd have to relearn how to walk,' I laughed.
After around a hour, give or take, I was able to walk around with a steady pace despite the occasional slip up. I felt confident enough to at least move on to my next course of action. At that point, I was conflicted. I could either A: Try to find civilization and risk being taken and tested on the government for being a talking, blue pegasus, or B: find a cave or overhang and hunker down for the night.
"Well I better find some sort of shelter before I get attacked by some other mythological creature," I muttered.
As if on cue, I heard a growl of sorts behind me. I spun around to see what appeared to be a wolf made of... sticks...? growling at me. Assuming the worst, I attempted to distract the wooden wolf by kicking a rock in its direction. The trick seemed to work and I sprinted off as fast as my poor motor skills could take me. The wolf attempted to pursue but eventually gave up either finding some much easier to catch pray or determining that I was a waste of its time.
With a sigh of relief I slowed my awkward run to a brisk walk. Walking along through the foliage, I managed to find a small cave embedded into a cliff. "Good of a spot as any," I said as I crawled into the cramped cave.
Sleep came easy due to the chaotic events of my day. As I slowly drifted out of consciousness I could only wonder 'Where am I?' and 'Why am I here?'
Finally sleep overtook me and I drifted off into the cozy embrace of my dreams.
Morning came and sunlight peeked in through the cave opening. I opened my eyes and looked around. Confirming that I was still a blue pegasus in a creepy forest I slowly stood up and stretched. My stomach interrupted me with a loud growl. "Crap I better find some berries or something otherwise I'm gonna starve."
Walking around the vicinity of the cave I came across a small vine that seemed to be growing raspberries of some sort. I picked one up and popped it in my mouth. "Yep definitely raspberries," I confirmed.
It then dawned on me that I had just picked an object up with a hoof, a seemingly impossible feat considering hooves were essentially a round hard bit of keratin with a softer fleshy frog in the center. Not exactly built for grasping anything. While the hooves I now possessed seemed a lot softer and less defined than the ones on a horse, they still lacked any digits to grasp things with.
After some trial and error with the raspberries and few sticks and rocks lying around, I figured out that items pretty much glued themselves to the surface of my hoof if I imagined grabbing them. If I thought too hard about it, or imagined letting go, they would simply fall to the forest floor. I had no idea how it worked, but who was I to complain. It made the loss of my hands and fingers all that much easier. After my impromptu experiment, I quickly resumed gathering raspberries.
Grabbing as many as I could carry I made my way back to the cave. After a wonderful raspberry breakfast I concluded that my first objective should be to find civilization of some sort. Despite being a talking blue pegasus I still think that finding some sort of town or farm would be the best idea at this juncture.
Setting off in a random direction I walked for seemingly hours until I came upon a small stream. Taking a drink to quench my thirst I stared at my reflection in the water. My coat was more of a teal color rather than the blue I originally thought. My mane was crimson with black streaks through it. My eyes were the same crimson as my mane and they were way larger than they should be. My tail was short and spiky and was the same colors as my mane.
For a pony-horse-pegasus thing I thought I looked pretty bad-ass. After fully taking in my reflection and another long sip of water, I continued along. Finally, after what seemed like hours I noticed the forest was beginning to thin out. And for the first time in a day and a half I broke free of that creepy forest. I was in some sort of meadow overlooking what looked like a small village of some sorts.
'Oh thank fucking god!' I mentally exclaimed, 'Maybe I can finally get some answers!'
The town itself looked like a weird mix of the Middle Ages and the late Industrial Era. The homes had a very 'Medieval' look to them and appeared slightly out of proportion. At the same time I could see what appeared to be electric lighting and in the distance a train station. 'Either the architects here are trying to go for a retro look or this place is way far behind in terms of architecture at least.'
Just as I was about to go investigate I heard some voices near-by. Instinctively I dove into a nearby bush and waited. As the voices approached I was able to make out a conversation of some sorts.
"...and that's why the princess wants us to investigate," I heard a feminine voice say.
I peeked out of the bushes to see six pony-like creatures that seemed to be the same as me. The one thing that caught my eye was that the one leading the front was a purple pony with what looked like a horn protruding from its head. 'A fucking unicorn? What is this, magical pony land?' I mentally exclaimed.
"Ah still don't know why the princess wants us to investigate this magical anomaly thing. Ah would assume that it was just the Everfree Forest being its normally unpredictable self." I heard a southern accented orange pony who seemed to not have wings or a horn.
'So there's pegasi, unicorns, and regular ponies? And they were talking about magic of some sort too. Great it's like the world's biggest acid trip.'
The group walked past the bushes where I was hidden chatting about magic and a princess of some sort. There were four others besides the two I previously described.
One was a sky-blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. I think I heard one of her friends call her Rainbow Dash. 'What I fitting name' I though smugly to myself.
Another one was a pure white unicorn with a obviously over-styled purple man and an almost English accent. She seemed to have the stuffy attitude that was often associated with the wealthy. I just hoped she wasn't a snob like a lot of rich folks. I had a great dislike for rich snobs having worked on their houses all the time at my job.
Next was a pink regular pony with a poofy magenta mane and tail. She seemed like she had way to much sugar because she was bouncing around (don't ask me how) and talking a million words a minute. A never ending pink ball of energy is most likely the best description.
Trailing slightly behind the group a tad was a light-yellow pegasus with a light-pink mane and tail. She seemed a bit timid from what I could she because when she did speak, it was almost unnoticeable her voice was so quiet. Her friends didn't seem to really pay her much attention unless she actually voiced her opinion, which I saw happen only once.
The orange southern-accented regular pony from earlier had a blond mane and tail as well as a stetson adorned on her head. She seemed like your stereotypical southern farmer. I wouldn't be surprised if she grew cotton or tobacco.
The purple unicorn who seemed to be leading the group had a purple mane and tail with pink streaks running through them. She seemed to be the nerd of the group because she kept rambling on about books and science and what-not. If I was any younger I would of admired her intellectual appearance but about a year ago I realized book smarts get you nowhere in life hence my job, house, and livelihood. I studied hard all my life only to be rewarded with nothing but shit.
I also noticed that each pony had some sort of tattoo on their behinds. 'Some kind of ritual or something' I concluded.
As the group walked away from me towards the edge of the forest I decided to quietly follow at a safe distance. 'I know I'm going to end up regretting this later but I need answers and these six seem to know something' I mused to myself.
Note: This is not the original version of this chapter. If you wish to view the original it can be found here: http://pastebin.com/cELSirUC
Three Hours Earlier in Ponyville, Equestria:
*Burrrp* "Twilight! Letter from Princess Celestia!"
"Oh, Oh! Give it here Spike"
Twilight Sparkle, local Ponyville librarian, personal protege of Princess Celestia, and Element of Magic was having a normal day. She had woken up at sunrise, ate a delicious breakfast provided by her number one dragon assistant Spike, and had re-organized the library. A letter from the princess was not unheard of but still unexpected so Twilight was anxious to hear Spike announce that he received one.
*Ahem*
Dear Twilight,
My sister reported that last night at around 22:00 she detected a magical anomaly in the Everfree Forest about three kilometers east of Ponyville. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, most of the Solar and Lunar Guard are positioned in Manehatten for security purposes. I now regretfully have to ask that you and the other Elements of Harmony to investigate. Please stay safe because you and I both know how dangerous the forest can be.
Yours Truly,
Princess Celestia
Twilight gave the letter a second once-over to confirm what she had just read. Although it was quite unusual for Princess Celestia to task her with such a strange assignment she wasn't one to argue. "Spike! Help me gather the other Elements. We'll meet back here in an hour." Twilight half stated, half ordered.
"You got it Twilight! I'll be back soon!" Spike said as he ran out the door at full speed.
"Oh I hope this isn't something to worry about" Twilight stated nervously.
One Hour Later
Twilight was pacing nervously in the library when Spike burst into the library with the other elements in tow. They had quite mixed expressions on their faces most likely because Spike didn't have time to brief them on the situation.
"Twilight was is so urgent that you had to so hastily gather everypony?" Rarity asked obviously annoyed after being interrupted in the middle of her work.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted any of you from something but Princess Celestia needs us to investigate something in the Everfree Forest" Twilight stated apologetically.
"Yes Fluttershy, the forest," Twilight repeated bluntly oblivious to her friend's terrified state.
"C'mon 'Shy you live right next to the Everfree, don't be a scaredy pony," Rainbow Dash stated boldly.
"If yer so brave why don't y'all go into the forest by yerself," Applejack sated smugly.
Rainbow Dash suddenly lost her bold posture and said rather defensively, "Nah I need you guys to back me up in case I sprain my wing or something."
"Uh Huh," Applejack said while glaring at Rainbow.
"Girls, now is not the time for bickering we need to get going!" Twilight interrupted the competitive pair.
Rainbow stuck out her tongue at Applejack while Twilight wasn't looking adding to the farmpony's annoyance. Rainbow Dash was as loyal as they come but her attitude was often too competitive and immature.
"Ooh Ooh! I brought cupcakes in case we get hungry!" Pinkie Pie stated as hyper as ever.
She then proceeded to pull a tray of cupcakes out of her mane. To somepony viewing this for the first time this might seem like an impossible feat but with Pinkie Pie, seemingly everything was possible. She just didn't seem to follow the laws of physics, reality, or any other universal truths that applied to everypony else.
"Um... Ok, thanks Pinkie. Now lets get going," Twilight said as she stood up and started walking towards to door.
Twilight, although quite used to Pinkie's antics, still hadn't a clue about explaining them. The last time she tried to figure Pinkie out the situation got rather... heated.
And so the six mares set off in the direction of the Everfree still unsure of what exactly they were doing.
After about an hour of walking (or in Rainbow's case flying and whining about the others being too slow) the six ponies neared the edge of the Everfree Forest already in discussion about the task ahead. While the forest skirted the edges of Ponyville to the north, the location the Princess had described was a good walk to the east of the town where the forest gave way to two kilometers of gentle rolling hills before reaching the hamlet.
"Apparently, a strange magical anomaly appeared about a kilometer into the forest last night and that's why the princess wants us to investigate," Twilight explained.
"Ah still don't know why the princess wants us to investigate this magical anomaly thingy. Ah would assume that it was just the Everfree Forest being its normally unpredictable self," Applejack stated.
"I don't know, but what ever it is, its gonna have to deal with me!" Rainbow Dash said arrogantly.
"Calm yerself Rainbow Dash, we don't even know if whatever caused this anomaly thingy is dangerous," Applejack firmly stated.
"Whatever," Rainbow said rolling her eyes, "Danger is my middle name!"
The group approached the edge of the forest cautiously. The forest had a large population of dangerous creatures including timberwolves, manticores, and ursas, all of which they had encountered at some point or another. The Everfree was considered one of the most hostile places in Equestria and not many ponies were brave enough to even step within a few hundred meters of it. This was a great exception for the Element's friend Zecora who was the local resident shaman zebra and lived about a kilometer inside the forest.
After confirming there were no potential dangers lurking nearby, the group slowly made their way into the Everfree. They walked slowly and cautiously and tried to ease their nervousness by talking about their days before Twilight summoned them.
Rainbow Dash had apparently been napping after doing her weather job and wasn't very keen on being woken up. Rarity had been working another one of her 'latest fashions' in her inspiration room and was also annoyed that she couldn't finish her work before being rushed over to the library. Pinkie had no complaints for being dragged out of Sugarcube Corner as the Cakes were happy to have the overly hyper pony out of their hair even for just a little bit. Fluttershy didn't say much about her day but said she had just finished feeding her animals and had nothing else to do anyway. And finally was Applejack who had been doing farm chores but was able to get brother Big Mac to take over for her whilst she was away.
All of a sudden Twilight, who was scanning for any kind of magical residue, detected something about 100 meters straight ahead. "Girls, I think I got something," Twilight stated.
"What is it...? Is it dangerous...?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"I can't tell yet but it's about 100 meters straight ahead, lets keep going," Twilight said firmly.
The group continued, even slower than before, towards what looked like a small clearing. The clearing was empty except for what looked like hoofprints. "I think whoever caused the anomaly was a pony to say the least. They seem to have walked around in circles for quite a while before walking off," Twilight reported
"I wander who it was. I hope the dear didn't get lost," Rarity said sounding slightly nervous.
"Well maybe we should follow the tacks to see if we come across anypony," Twilight suggested.
"Ah guess that would be the best plan of action. C'mon y'a..."
Applejack was interrupted as a loud crashing noise followed by a loud "Oomph" was heard not far behind them.
Switch Back To Vladimir's Point of View
I followed the group back into the forest being careful to maintain a good distance behind them to avoid being noticed. They seemed nervous for some reason. 'Really? It's just a forest, not a giant pit of doom or something' I mentally exclaimed in annoyance.
They walked for about 30 minutes or so before they came to a clearing. Peering out the bushes at the edge of the clearing I recognized it as the clearing I first woke up in about 16 hours ago. It appeared my arrival had not gone unnoticed and if anyone found out that I was involved it likely wouldn't go down very well.
From my vantage point it seemed like they were investigating something on the ground. My curiosity got the best of me and I attempted to move to a bush about ten feet to the right. As I moved from one bush to another, I suddenly felt my front-left hoof smack into a small rock protruding from the forest floor.
Losing my balance, I fell face-first right out into the clearing with a audible "Oomph" as I hit the ground. All I could think at that moment was 'SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!' I closed my eyes knowing full well that the 6 ponies not 10 feet in front of me surely had noticed me at that point.
Finally I gained the courage to slowly open my eyes. All six mares (I had determined they were all female based on their voices) stared at me with looks of confusion, nervousness, and a slight hint of anger. We just sat there and stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. I decided to attempt communication just to end the awkward staring contest. "Uh... hi?" I manged to stutter out.
Almost immediately after the words left my mouth the blue pegasus by the name of Rainbow Dash snapped out of her frozen state and flew at impossibly high speeds towards me. I closed my eyes expecting an impact but when none came I cautiously reopened them.
I found myself staring into the magenta eyes of Rainbow Dash who had a very angry expression on her face. "Who the hay are you?! Why were you following us?! Are you a SPY?!!" She angrily spat in my face.
I shrank back after being assaulted with interrogative questions. I eventually was able to squeak out "Please don't hurt me!"
Rainbow Dash seemed to shrink back at this but continued to glare at me like I was the devil himself. "Rainbow Dash give 'im some room, yer terrifying 'im!" the orange, southern mare from earlier barked.
Rainbow reluctantly backed off and the purple unicorn stepped forward. "Hello, I'm not going to hurt you. Can you tell us who you are and why you were following us?" she said obviously trying to sound as gentle as possible.
I decided it would be best just to tell them rather for Rainbow or any of the others to try to force the information out of me. "Um, my name is Vladimir Korzhakov but you can just call me Vlad. I was following you because I thought you would know something about why I woke up here last night." I quickly sputtered out.
"I've never heard of such a strange name before," the purple one said, "but anyway, I am Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia, Ponyville town librarian, and Element of Magic." I could hint a large amount of pride in her voice as she said her title.
"Ooh what a wonderful accent. You must be from Stalliongrad! Oh where are my manners? I'm Rarity darling, nice to meet you," said the white unicorn from before.
'Oh she must of heard my barely noticeable Russian accent' I determined.
"Um well Stalingrad was a city in the Soviet era its now called Volgograd or something. I'm from the city of Novgorod personally though," I stated.
"Um what?" Rainbow sputtered out.
"Ever heard of Russia?" I asked.
They all shook their heads no.
"The United States of America?"
Another no.
"Planet Earth?" I asked praying they would at least know my planet's name. Certainly I wasn't that far gone was I?
"Um sorry, but I haven't heard of any of those places. Were currently on Planet Terra, and in the Kingdom of Equestria." Twilight stated.
Note: This is not the original version of this chapter. If you wish to view the original it can be found here: http://pastebin.com/ryZ2TVx1
Why does life hate me. All I wanted was to live a normal life but NOOO. Life decides to spin the wheel of fate and sucks me into the magical pony land of Equestria. I'm surprised that I'm managing to cling onto the small amount of sanity I have left. I'm extremely close to just curling up in a ball and muttering like a psychopath.
There's a famous saying; 'When life gives you lemons make lemonade.' Well in my case life has just handed me tomatoes and expects me to make lemonade out of em. How the hell am I supposed to do that?! It's the roller coaster that never ends... and I'm along for the ride...
The next few minutes were a complete blur. I just sat there staring off into space while the six mares around me discussed my level of sanity which was probably declining by the second anyway. Eventually I felt someone tapping my skull with their hoof. "HELLO? Anypony in there?!" I was brought back down to earth only to find the hyper pink mare from earlier staring at me with the creepiest smile I've ever seen.
"Huh what?!" I sputtered.
"Oh good you are still in there. Hi I'm Pinkie Pie! I was just saying that I can't wait to throw you your super special, one of a kind, Welcome to Equestria Party! It's gonna be so much fun! We'll have cake and punch and party games and EVERYPONY in Ponyville will be there! Oh its gonna be so much fun!!!!!"
She reminded me of a kid who couldn't wait to go somewhere or do something, but all the time. I was like she had a nuclear reactor inside of her supplying her body with endless energy. She also seemed to defy the laws of physics which was surprisingly less concerning to me considering the situation I was in.
I didn't know what to do about the verbal onslaught I was receiving. Fortunately, to my relief, Twilight yanked Pinkie Pie back by her tail and stepped forward. "Well I hate to break this up but I really don't think we should stay in the Everfree Forest much longer. We can continue this later back in Ponyville," she stated obviously annoyed at Pinkie's personal space violation.
"Whats so bad about the forest?" I asked curiously.
"Its so... strange. The plants grow by themselves, the weather is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and all the animals take care of themselves!" Rainbow Dash explained.
"Um, whats so irregular about that?"
"What??!!! Are you crazy! This place is so unnatural, how does that not bother you?!!!!"
"I don't know what your definition of 'UNNATURAL' is but it sure as hell differs from mine!" I said giving Rainbow a glare.
"WE don't have time for this!" Twilight exclaimed, "C'mon everypony!"
We set off towards the forest's edge me trailing a few yards behind the other six. I kept trying to contemplate what exactly my situation was but couldn't come up any logical explanations.
As we marched back out of the forest, I kept quiet and listened to the hushed conversation of the six ponies leading me on. It was all to obvious that they were discussing me but I couldn't care less at this point. I managed to catch tidbits of the conversation such as "...Says he's from non-existent places..." and "Thinks the Everfree is perfectly normal? What is he? Crazy?!..." and the occasional mention of 'insanity' or 'amnesia'.
I remained quiet until I saw Twilight levitating piece of parchment in thin air. Immediately I freaked out. "HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THAT?!!" I demanded pointing a hoof at her.
Twilight who jumped at my sudden outburst turned to me with a expressing of mixed confusion. "Um what exactly am I doing?" she asked.
"How the fuck are you levitating that paper?!!!" I exclaimed in response.
"Now there's no need for that kind of language," Twilight started until I gave her a menacing glare, "and the answer your looking for is magic."
'MAGIC?!!! FUCKING MAGIC????!!! SERIOUSLY?!!!!'
My eye twitched. "Whelp I'm done. Where's the nearest cliff?" I asked in a completely serious tone.
"Um... why?" Twilight asked.
"Oh no reason, I'm just gonna sit around, chilax, then jump off nothing much," I replied sardonically.
"Why in the world would you do that?!!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Magic... I just can't take this place, world... wherever the hell this is. I'm done, I ain't putting up with any more of this shit," I replied.
"Now hang on, there's no need to be rash, I'm sure once we meet the princesses we can get this all worke..."
"I DONT WANT TO MEET WITH YOUR GODDAMN DICTATORS!!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" I shouted in her face.
"Hey! Nopony talks about the princesses that way!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed angrily one again getting in my face.
"Ooh we got ourselves a little radical here. How much brown nosing did you have to do to get to be 'buddy buddy' with your tyranny of a government. I bet you had to pull some favors if you know what I mean," I taunted back.
"What? No!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as her cheeks heated up.
"Hah you blushed! So you are that kind of gal!" I exclaimed back at her.
Her face had contorted in one of pure rage. She socked me right in the face with her hoof rending me unconscious almost instantly. 'Totally worth it' I thought as my vision went to black.
I woke up a few minutes later floating in mid air for some reason. I looked around and saw we were still in the forest and I was indeed being levitated in mid air by Twilight using her 'magic'. When she noticed I was awake she halted and set me on the ground gently. "Are you gonna be okay or am I gonna have to drag you all the way to Ponyville?" she asked.
I sighed. "Yeah I'm really sorry guys. I kind of lost it there. And sorry Rainbow for accusing you of *cough* being a 'night time' girl."
"Yeah I'm sorry too. I used to get accused of being a fillyfooler and a prostitute back in the academy so when you started calling me those names I kinda lost it as well," Rainbow admitted.
"Well as a fellow victim of bullying I can relate to you there," I said sympathetically assuming 'fillyfooler' was the pony equivalent of a lesbian.
"But just so you know. I still don't trust you," Rainbow said getting in my face for a split sec then backing off.
I sighed again and continued walking in silence.
Eventually we made our way out of the forest and began walking towards the town I had spotted when first exiting the forest. I assumed this to be the fabled 'Ponyville' that the six mares were saying so much about. 'Very creative name. Must of took ages to think of that one.' I though sarcastically.
We made our way towards the town in awkward silence mainly trying to avoid another outburst. Eventually the six mares began discussing again but this time I made sure not to interrupt in the fear of becoming more concussed than I likely already was.
After entering the town we began walking down the assorted streets filled with ponies of every shape, color, and size imaginable. It hurt my eyes just to look at the color avalanche assaulting my vision. As we went, a few ponies greeted one or more of the mares acting as my guides. More than once one of them tried to talk to me but I met them with a glare that said 'Do I really look like the kind of guy who wants to engage in conversation at the moment?
We finally stopped in front of what looked like a giant tree house. "Well Vlad here we are. This is the town library as well as my place of residence," Twilight stated as she unlocked the door.
'A library inside of a tree, how... ironic' I mentally chuckled.
Twilight walked through the front door followed by the other 5 mares as well as myself. "Spike! I'm home! Get a piece of parchment and a quill so I can write my report to the princess would ya!" Twilight called.
I heard some shuffling around upstairs and what came down looked like a bipedal green and purple lizard. I assumed this was 'Spike' as Twilight had called him as he had the items she requested in his hands... claws? "I'm ready to write Twilight!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.
"*Ahem* Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight dictated as Spike wrote down her speech on the parchment, "The other Elements and I investigated the magical anomaly like you requested. Upon arriving at the location the the anomaly occurred, we encountered a stallion by the name of Vladimir Korzhakov..."
"Uh how do you spell that?" Spike interrupted. Twilight not knowing herself turned to me upon which I provided the proper spelling of my name. Twilight then cleared her throat and resumed.
"...who claims to be linked to said anomaly whether directly or indirectly. I have no reason to believe at present that Vladimir, or 'Vlad' as he's requested us to call him, is a threat to Equestria in any way. Despite signs of possibly amnesia or other mental sickness he appears like any other normal pony. I await your reply to determine our next course of action. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
'Wow accuse me of mental illness right in front of my face, very polite'
Spike finished writing and looked up from the parchment. "All done," he stated simply. "Should I send it?"
Twilight nodded and Spike took a deep breath. Upon exhaling green flame spurt from his mouth incinerating the letter. "Um I thought you were sending the letter not destroying it," I stated flatly.
"Oh no that's just Spikes special way of sending letters easily to princess rather then waiting for the post office to ship it which could take days. This method allows me to communicate with the princess almost instantaneously," Twilight explained.
"Oh... OK. How long do you think it'll take her to reply?" I asked.
"Not long I'm sure!" Twilight stated with obvious confidence in her kingdom's ruler.
Not five seconds after she said those reassuring words a loud 'BURRP' sounded out in the room. I turned to see Spike blow out a scroll in another burst of flames. "Oh that would be that reply now," Twilight said enthusiastically.
She quickly unrolled the scroll and read over it quicker than I've ever seen someone read. Her eyes went wide and looked around the room in what seemed like panic. "Whats wrong?!" I demanded anxiously.
"The princesses are coming here in just a few minutes and I'm not prepared! Oh I'll never be ready in time!" Twilight spurted out.
"What? The princesses are coming here? What for?" I asked.
"To meet you and try to understand your involvement int the magical anomaly from earlier as well as determine whether you have amnesia of some sort." Twilight replied still flustered.
"The rulers of the kingdom are coming here to assess my mental health? Great just great," I muttered under my breath.
Note: This is not the original version of this chapter. If you wish to view the original you can find it here: http://pastebin.com/ccqjPiQU
Stress. Something that I have felt much of in my life, having to work twice as hard for every thing I had. Stressed would probably understate what I was seeing in Twilight. She was acting like her life was resting on a knife edge. The other five mares as well as Spike just sat there rolling their eyes so I assumed this was a common occurrence.
Twilight reminded a lot of my roommate in college. He always was going crazy over being determined to live up to his parent's expectations. Either his parents were extremely strict and unforgiving or he was severely neurotic. It even got to the point where I actually recommended him a psychologist to get mentally assessed. I graduated before the results came back so I'll never really learn what guy's problem was. I'm actually glad that I didn't considering he would of probably accused me of some crazy sinister plan to get him monitored by the government.
While Twilight was freaking out I just sat there and bid my time. The only two outcomes I could imagine occurring were either; 1: Thrown in an insane asylum and brainwashed into forgetting my past life or 2: Thrown in prison for being wrongfully accused of causing this anomaly thing. So either way I'm screwed. Great.
Whoever these princesses were they sure had a reputation. From what Twilight briefly described they were 'the kindest most generous rulers anypony could ask for'. To me that sounded awfully like something an Aryan German would say about Hitler. So while she was having a seizure in the middle of the library I started making mock Nazi salutes. I even considered doing the same to the princesses but decided against it. Apparently kings and queens weren't a thing in Equestria so the highest ranking title was princess.
It was around midday from what I could tell which also meant that the sun decided to shine through on of the windows right into my eyes. This annoyed me to a great extent so I stood up and walked over to the other side of the room being careful to avoid Twilight. I saw that while I did so the other five seemed to be staring at my ass. I gave them a brief glare to alert them that I had noticed which caused them to look away but show no signs of embarrassment. The only reason I could conclude was them noticing my lack of a butt tattoo. 'There is no way in hell anyone is branding me!' I mentally exclaimed as I vowed to slit the throat of anybody I saw with a branding iron.
I began thinking up an escape strategy in case things went south with the princesses. Although I didn't exactly believe my escape would even work, I still would rather be dragged away forcefully than go willingly. Once I formulated a makeshift escape plan that included a window and a very interesting distraction I went back to waiting.
About five minutes later a big white light appeared in the center of the room and when it dissipated two of the tallest ponies I'd ever seen stood in its place. Upon closer inspection I say they had both wings and a horn. 'So they're like some sort of unicorn-pegasus hybrids?' I asked myself.
They were both adorning crowns and peytrals as we'll as shoes of sort that seemed to match royal look so I assumed they were the princesses.
The first one, on the left was a head taller than her counterpart and was a warm shade of cream white. Her mane and tail were multicolored much like those of Rainbow Dash but with softer colors. She had the best poker face I had ever seen and gave off barely any emotion if at all. Still her features displayed grace and authority as you would expect from royalty. I took a small glance at her rear tattoo thingy half expecting to see a swatztica but instead saw a picture of the sun. Assuming this must be 'Celestia' I turned to look at her partner in crime.
Because the first was Celestia the second one had to be Luna. Slightly shorter than her fellow princess she had a deep blue coat with a dark, starry mane and tail that seemed to be a window into the night sky. Her 'tramp stamp' as I was now calling them, was a crescent moon on a black splotchy background. Fitting for a pony named Luna. She, unlike Celestia, displayed more emotion on her face. From what I could tell, her current expression stated wariness. I also noticed that both princesses' manes and tails flowed like a soft breeze was constantly blowing against them. I assumed it was... sigh... magic and left it at that.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, how nice to see you!" Twilight exclaimed while preforming what I assumed was the pony equivalent of a bow.
The other five mares followed suit while I decided to just respectfully nod my head in recognition. "Twilight. How nice to see you again," said the princess who I had identified as Celestia. Twilight ran up and nuzzled the princess in what seemed like affection one give to their mother. Celestia showed the tiniest bit of emotion that reflected affection and happiness.
"Tis good to see thee as well dame Twilight, but we are here to discuss with this 'Vladimir'" the other princess, Luna said in what I could only describe as Shakespearean English. Luna turned to me and gave me a look at screamed intrigue. "This must be him," she said.
Luna was baring me down like I was some space alien, which I guess I was, which caused me to become quite uncomfortable. It seemed obvious to me that she had very little social skills.
"Um, hi," I said obviously nervous about the presence of the two rulers of the kingdom.
"I'm Vladimir Korzhakov as you've probably heard. Since I was somehow zapped to wherever the hell this is I've; woken up in a forest, freaked out because I was a pony, slept in a cave, met these six, been accused of insanity several times, and wound up here," I stated trying to tell the events of the past 24 hours as efficiently as possible.
"Good tidings young Vladimir. Thy story is quite intriguing. Thou were not a pony where thou come from?" Luna asked.
"No, I was a human. Humans kind of look like tall, mostly bald apes I guess." I said sadly.
"Tis as we hath feared. Thou were sent here during a dimensional rift that created a rip in space and time. These rifts befall our world every so often, but they only last momentarily and occureth many years apart. Tis the first known occurrence to our knowledge of a living creature passing through a rift. It seems thou were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. As for why thy body changed, we are unsure. Dimensional magic is quite unpredictable and very little is known of its nature. Thou were likely given a new body at random, it just happened to be that of a pegasus. Thou couldst of been any sentient creature on the planet including an alicorn, or simply ripped to shreds in the weave of space and time. We're sorry, this must be so much to taketh in."
"So, if these 'rifts' only occur years apart and are highly unpredictable, does that mean...?"
"Aye. I'm afraid thou will most likely have to spent the rest of thy mortal days here in Equestria."
"Can't you like magic me back?" I pleaded.
"We're afraid we know of no such spell. Even if we could predict the hour and coordinates of the next rift, there wouldst be a very slim chance thou would be sent back to thy home dimension. Thou wouldst risk becoming lost, perishing, or left alone in a world much less forgiving than this," Luna explained.
"C'mon there has to be something, anything."
"We're afraid not."
I was speechless. My eye started twitching as I tried to register what I had just been told. My old life, as crappy as it was, is now essentially gone forever. Anyone that knew me will assume me dead, and I have no way to tell them that I'm alive. And all because the universe decided to say "Go fuck yourself."
My emotions were fighting a battle. Confusion, sorrow, denial, anger all were fighting to get control. And eventually the anger won out.
Then... I snapped.
"FUCK. THAT. I HAD A LIFE! IT WAS HORRIBLE AS SHIT BUT IT WAS MY LIFE! AND NOW YOUR TELLING ME I HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS GOD-FORSAKEN WORLD FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?!!!!! HELL NO!"
I stormed out of the library before anyone could do anything. I stomped angrily towards the town limits muttering profanities under my breath. The ponies all cleared the way for me because no-one wants to confront a guy in full rage mode. I raced out of town towards the forest. It didn't occur to me until now, but the forest was the only thing that actually reminded of me of home. My home. A place I could never return to...
'WHY ME?!! WHY COULDN'T YOU TAKE ANOTHER ONE OF THE SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE ON MY PLANET??!!!! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME???!!!!!
Marching into the forest I walked back towards the general direction of my cave from last night. A millions thoughts of pure rage all consumed me at once. If I had a matchbox and some gasoline I would've probably burned Ponyville to the ground at that point. I wasn't in some stupid coma, I wasn't on some weird drugs, I was in another universe with no way back. And god did it make me angry.
I stopped my search momentarily when I reached the small creek I had stopped at this morning. Glaring at my own reflection made me wish that I could just melt that stupid look off my out-of-proportion face. Even when I tried to look angry and menacing those oversized eyes of mine made me look like a toddler pouting because they had to go to bed. I was just a cutesy, furry abomination and it furthered my already out-of-control temper.
I resumed my search for my cave, which was all I had to call home at the moment. All the while I was angrily muttering, "Stupid ponies, stupid universe, stupid FUCKING EVERYTHING."
After about an hour of searching I came across a cave very similar to the one I was looking for. I crawled inside as the sun dipped below the horizon. Sleep came almost as easy as it had the previous night.
As I drifted off I couldn't help but wander what everyone back in Colorado was thinking. 'Was I presumed dead or just missing? Will they hold a funeral? Not that anyone would come but it would still be a nice sentiment.' Oh what I wouldn't give to just fall asleep and never wake up. But no, I have to live this infuriating new life.
'It's like a nightmare. A nightmare where I can't wake up.'
In A Cemetery In Southern Denver:
While it had been only a day for poor Vlad in Equestria it had been a whole week and a half on Earth. Vladimir Korzhakov was announced missing just 24 hours after he left work on that fateful stormy night. Missing posters were strewn out all across Denver and its metro area. At first they thought he might of been injured during the storm and was taken in by a caring civilian but no-one saw heads or tails of him. After a week of searching and no leads what-so-ever he was labeled as dead. A small tombstone lay in the earth with the inscription:
Vladimir Korzhakov 1993-2014 "Now beside his loving parents where he belongs."
A funeral was held for him two days after he was assumed dead. A few people who knew him like his co-workers, his boss, and a few neighbors from his apartment complex attended. An attempt was made to contact any of his remaining relatives in Russia with no success.
Al Crelin was hit the hardest. He blamed himself for Vlad's death saying that he should of offered him a ride instead of letting him walk off into the storm. Besides reassurances from his family, girlfriend, and co-workers, he still felt slightly guilty. Little did anyone know that old Vlad was still alive and well in a place they could not even begin to comprehend.
On the day Vladimir Korzhakov disappeared it was not the day that he drew his final breath of life but the day he drew his final breath on Planet Earth. He would soon be forgotten entirely, his tiny grave the only reminder that he ever existed.
His sad and pitiful life on Earth had come to an end, but he had been given another chance. Another chance in a world that he never knew existed... and it was up to him to make the best of it.
Chapter 5: Denial, Sorrow, and Semi-Acceptance (v2)
Note: This is not the original version of this chapter. If you wish to view the original it can be found here: http://pastebin.com/TRbjEkUk
“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.” ― Stephen Chbosky
I used to dread waking up at the start of the day for completely different reasons than I do now. When morning comes today, I dread waking up and seeing the world that I'm supposedly condemned to for the rest of my life. I can't help but cling on to the desperate hope that I'm in a coma in the hospital and this all some weird hallucination.
'That's it! It is all a dream. The lightning put me in a coma and I'm dreaming this all up. I'll wake up sooner or later in the hospital and go on with my life! Talk about a realistic dream though huh. My mind sure can come up with some crazy ass things.
I found energy in this new explanation of my situation. I slowly got up and stretched in a similar manner that a cat does and then made my way back out into the forest.
A dream it was. It seemed too, convenient that I was dropped into magical pony land through a rip in time and space. That I happened to be discovered by the one pony who knew the rulers of a huge kingdom personally. That said rulers just happened to know exactly what happened. It just didn't fit. I knew sooner or later I'd find a way to prove once and for all that this was all fictional.
'Maybe that's how this dream works! I have to uncover solid proof that this is a dream and then I get to wake up. The easiest way would be to just kill myself which would probably end the dream either way but that's the cowards way out. I'm gonna do this the hard way!'
The light of the early morning was shining through the dense canopy and I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this strange dream land. The forest had the fresh smell of rain which I assumed rolled through the previous night. It reminded me of the time my 3rd grade class took a field trip to the local wildlife sanctuary.
Funny story. The day of that field trip, one of the chaperones didn't show up so the kids in the missing parent's group got split up among the rest when we got to the sanctuary. Me being the idiot I was at the time didn't realize it was my chaperone who was missing so when everyone departed I accidentally got separated from everyone else. By the time the teachers realized I was gone it had been a whole hour and a half. They ended up finding me hiding behind the bus and called off the field trip early.
I went looking for some form of nutritional nourishment. I eventually came across the stream from yesterday and to my luck another vine of raspberries.
I managed to quench my thirst with a few sips of water from the stream and my hunger with some more raspberries. I decided to casually walk through the forest to admire it some more. I observed many aspects of wildlife including birds, squirrels, and even some rabbits. They were all going about their days like nature intended them to.
It was like everything made sense in this forest. It kinda reminded me of the Garden of Eden but with a much more dark and creepy atmosphere. If only I could wake up sooner and see the planet that said legend originated from.
After walking for a bit I stumbled across what seemed to be trail of some sort. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to follow it. The trail had the obvious shapes of hoofprints in it that seemed to have been made not too long ago. I assumed it was some kind of wandering travelers or a caravan of some sort so I followed the prints towards where they seemed to be going.
I realized that I might just be following some bandit gang and might get captured, but hey, anything to get away from crazy ass Twilight and her insufferable rulers. Better yet I could join a criminal gang and go rob the princesses of all their money. I assumed they some sort of treasury, and with this world's level of technology, it would all be cash. I could be the demolitions expert or something related in that manner. Oh what fun that would be.
Walking along the trail I continued to observe the beauty of the greenery of the forest. All of a sudden I heard faint voices originating from what looked like a tree but upon closer inspection seemed to be some sort of tribal hut. I crept closer to listen in on the voices. "...He has a teal coat, red mane with black streaks and no cutie mark. Did you happen to see him wandering around here?" I heard the unmistakable voice of Twilight come from the hut.
'Oh, looks like Twilight and Co. are attempting a search party for me.'
I was flattered to say the least. Either they were here to drag me to prison for yelling in Luna's face or they wanted to get me caught up in their cutesy friendship crap. I didn't really like those options but I assumed they would probably find me eventually. I decided to remain hidden and reveal my presence at a more optimal time.
I heard a voice of what sounded like a African accent coming from the hut. "Your friend I have not seen, but fear not if you remain keen," the voice rhymed.
"Oh well, thanks anyway Zecora!" I heard Twilight say as she walked out the door of the hut followed by the other five of her friends.
I looked behind them as the door was closing a caught a glimpse of what looked like a zebra. 'Magical ponies, crazy wooden wolves, and rhyming zebras. Wonderful...' I thought sarcastically.
The six looked disgruntled to say the least. They looked like they got little to no sleep while organizing this search effort. I decided to be the sadistic jerk I sometimes was and try and scare them.
"Great now what do we do? Search the forest until we see him? He ran off! We shouldn't have to go find him." I heard Rainbow Dash exclaim obviously annoyed.
"He's just a bit lost and confused, Ah'm sure that once we talk some sense into him he'll come around." I heard the orange mare who I believe had introduced herself as 'Applejack'.
"Well go ahead and try. I'm waiting," I said flatly poking my head out of the foliage.
All six mares jumped back and toppled over in surprise. It took all my will power not to burst out laughing right then and there. After realized who it was that had spoken Twilight jumped to her hooves and gave me a huge hug. "We were so worried when so ran off like that! You shouldn't run away from your problems like you did!" Twilight half cried, half lectured to me.
"First of all get off me I like my personal space. And second, I've finally figured it out," I said smugly "This is all a dream. None of you are real. I'm just in a coma in the hospital and dreaming all this nonsense up."
"Do you really believe that?" Twilight asked with a look of concern on her face.
"Yep!" I said giving her a toothy grin.
I began to tell her about my plans to prove the existence of this place to be false when she interrupted me.
"Vlad I know this may be hard to believe, but this is as real as it gets. You're in denial," Twilight said.
"Nope not true dream pony. You're just lying to me to get under my skin."
"No I'm not. You have to stop lying to yourself," Twilight said firmly.
"No! This world doesn't make any sense! It can't be real!" I returned anger creeping into my voice.
"Just because something doesn't make sense doesn't make it fictional."
"But this has to be a dream...! Doesn't it...?" I said falling on my haunches so quickly that I yelped a bit in pain.
'You can't feel pain in dreams... Now that I think about it I've been in pain several times since coming here. So that must mean... NO!'
I immediately broke down on the ground crying in a ball. "Why does this *sniff* stuff always happen to me!" I wailed, "My parents died, I was put in the orphanage from hell, and now this!"
I was normally a pretty reserved guy when it came to pity, sorrow, and depression but now I was letting out 10 long years worth of bottled up sadness. My parents' untimely deaths, the years of harsh bullying, my dead end life for the past year, and the events of the past 36 hours.
All six mares gathered around me inputting words of comfort. I felt someone wrap their arms around me and I looked up the timid yellow pegasus whose name I never caught hugging me. "Hush now. Its OK. Your going to be OK," I heard her say in the most comforting voice I have ever heard.
"Hey, it's gonna be ok, just let it all out."
"My parents *sniff* would be so disappointed in me. Throwing away the life they gave me..."
"Listen here mister!" the pegasus said with the most authority I'd ever heard her muster, "I'm sure your parents loved you very much but they wouldn't want to see you moping around! They would want you to make the best of it!"
I was astounded by her sudden pep talk and was at a loss of words. "Oh I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, "I didn't mean to yell, I'm so sorry."
Unsure what to do at that point I decided to resume crying on the ground for a little while all while the yellow pegasus comforted me offering more apologies. Eventually, I was able to gather myself and stand up. I turned to the mare who had been hugging me for the last few minutes and said, "Thank you..."
"Fluttershy," I heard her squeak out.
"Thank you Fluttershy, all of you. I've been so stubborn and difficult these past 24 hours. I was being a jerk to the only peop... ponies who were trying to help me at my darkest hour. And yet you still all came back to find me. Thanks to you all, I think I can begin to move past this. It will take time, I guarantee it, but I believe eventually I will be able to let my life on Earth go. And it's all because you six took the time to care about me," I said with a small smile on my face.
"That's what friends are for silly!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"You would consider me your friend? I've never had any friends." I said sadly.
"Well then consider us your first friends! We'd all be glad to offer you the opportunity you've been denied your whole life," Twilight said with a smile.
"I would love to be... friends," I said
'I'm making... friends.'
"Now let's head back to Ponyville. I'm sure one of us will allow you to stay at our place until toy get a house of your own," Twilight said.
"I'd like that, thanks," I said quietly.
I just realized that I went through the five stages of grief all out of order. I went; Bargaining, Anger, Denial, Sorrow, Acceptance. Just shows how messed up I am. Oh well.
And so we set off, back to Ponyville, and towards the start of my new life. My new life in the land of Equestria...
Walking into Ponyville once again I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. I realized that I didn't exactly make the best impression possible... no scratch that... I made the worst impression possible. Here's to hoping none of the townsfolk heard me shout in the face of one of their rulers. Hint the word hoping...
And as we walked into town my fears were confirmed. Upon seeing me most of the ponies either gave me a glare that just screamed loathing or did everything in their power to avoid me at all costs. 'Great, I'll probably be living here for a while and the fact that everyone except Twilight and Co. absolutely despises me isn't helping'
I glanced back at the only six ponies in the entire town who weren't hostile towards me and saw them exchanging nervous glances. As we walked through the town towards the library, I heard ponies muttering under their breath. I caught a 'Jerk' here and a 'Should be stuck in a dungeon' there and it took all of my will to keep pressing forward.
It was extremely similar to one of those Wild West movies where the criminal is doing the walk of death down the street towards the gallows. Thank god ponies don't host public executions... at least I think they don't. What happened next was not only unexpected but may have just saved my ass.
I suddenly found myself face to face with a young pony who couldn't be older than eight. The foal was a yellowish color with a reddish mane with a pink bow. "Why'd ya do it mister? Why'd you yell at the princesses?" I heard her say in the same southern accent that Applejack had.
'Maybe a relative? I might as well be honest with her. Nothing good ever came from lying to children.'
I looked around to see most of the town staring at me awaiting my answer. I swallowed my fears and cleared my throat to speak. "Well you see... I've been having some of the most miserable days of my life and your princesses inadvertently caused me more agony than I was already in. I regretfully became overwhelmed with anger. I don't hate your rulers they just happened to be in the wrong place when I desperately needed to let out steam. I'm incredibly sorry if I scared you or anyone else," I said in the most sincere, apologetic voice I could muster.
The filly looked up at me as if trying to determine the credibility of my explanation. When I passed her 'lie detector' she gave a firm nod and opened her mouth to speak again. "It's alright mister, I accept your apology. Everypony lets anger get the best of 'em at least once," she said with a sincere smile.
This seemed to ease the crowd and instead of sinister glares, they began to give me looks of sympathy. I could see a large portion didn't quite seem completely at ease, but at least they knew I wasn't just going around verbally abusing their leaders.
'What a smart kid. Kids back home are brainwashed by the garbage cartoons they put on channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Good to see parents raising their kids right around here.'
With a bit more of a pep in my step, I continued my way towards the library. I even gave a few awkward 'Hello's to passing ponies. Thank god folks around here are so forgiving. It's a miracle that I wasn't chased out of town by an angry mob.
"So Applejack, you wouldn't happen to be related to that filly would you?" I asked.
"Yep, she's mah little sister Applebloom," Applejack said with a hint of pride.
"Great kid. Wish kids from where I'm from were as smart as her."
"You know," Rainbow Dash started, "You never really told us where exactly your from."
"I'm from the city of Denver, Colorado in the country of The United States of America. I was born in the country of Russia though." I said.
"What's it like there?" Twilight asked with intrigue.
"You don't want to know..."
"Huh?! Why not?!" Twilight asked with a confused look on her face.
"Trust me, you don't want to know..." I said sadly.
"Well... If its your opinion that you don 't wish to tell us we won't press it further, but is it really THAT bad?"
"Some of the things my race has done are more horrible then you could ever imagine. You're better off not knowing," I stated firmly.
"Oh, OK..." Twilight said with an apologetic look.
"Although, I may be willing to describe it to your leaders should they ask. Considering they seem to know a lot more about my predicament than anyone else it's only fair I provide them with details. But that's a IF and WHEN situation."
"Speaking of the princesses, I must send them a letter at once informing your return. They'll be glad we found you," Twilight said.
"Really? 'Cause if I was them, I wouldn't want to ever see me again. Especially Luna." I said remorsefully.
"Oh please, the princess are very forgiving and I'm sure that if you provide an apology they'll both be willing to put aside the incident earlier," Twilight said confidently.
"Really? Great! I'd hate for someo... pony hold a grudge against me especially not the princesses," I said trying my hardest to adapt to their manner of speaking. Couldn't hurt as I would likely be here a long time.
I looked up to see that we had arrived at the library. I didn't even notice considering how engrossed I was into the conversation. "Spike! Send a letter to the princess informing them that we found Vlad and he's returned with us to Ponyville!" Twilight called.
"Huh, What...? Sure thing Twilight!" Spike called back.
A few moments he appeared on the small balcony at the top of the stairs with a scroll in his claw. He blew it with flames and off it went just like last time. "It's on its way!" Spike exclaimed.
"Thanks, Spike. You can go back to napping now. Sorry for disturbing your rest," Twilight said.
"No prob Twi! See ya!" Spike said walking back into the upstairs hallway and out of sight.
"While we're waiting why don't we discuss living arrangements," Twilight said.
"Sure why not," I replied.
"I'd let ya crash at my place but you can't fly yet so that's out of the question," Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah'm sure we could accommodate him on the farm as long as he does his fair share of chores," Applejack said.
"Well I'm not normally one for physical labor but I'd be happy to give it a try. Thanks Applejack," I said with a small appreciative smile.
"Think nothin' of it sugarcube, Ah'm always willing to help a friend in need," Applejack replied. "I'll take ya on over to Sweet Apple Acres when we're done meetin' with the princesses."
"Alright. Speaking of princesses, shouldn't they be here by now?" I said.
"Why we're already here," I heard a soft voice said behind me.
I whirled around to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing behind me, the former with an amused smirk on her face. "Oh, hello your highnesses, I didn't hear you come in," I said.
"We often times arrive rather discretely as not to alert any of our ponies that we are present. Being treated like royalty constantly can be rather exhausting," Celestia explained.
"Oh... Anyway, I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I regretfully let my emotions get the best me." I said looking up at the two rulers.
"Tis already forgiven my little pony," Celestia said warmly, "I know that you were just letting out steam."
"I forgive thee as well. Despite being verbally assaulted, we are willing to put it past us," Luna said.
"Thanks princesses. I know I'm not the most... cooperative per... uh pony at times." I said with a small grin.
"Reminds me of a little sister of mine," Celestia said with a chuckle while Luna glared at her.
I laughed nervously back until Celestia cleared her throat. "Have you discussed living arrangements yet?" she asked
"Um, yeah. I'm staying with Applejack on her farm for the time being," I explained.
"Excellent, that should do nicely for the time being. I will look into arranging some more permanent accommodations for you in the near future. Now, about those newly acquired wings of yours..." Celestia said with a smile grin.
"Yeah? What about em?" I asked.
"I'm assuming you would like to be able to use them at some point," Celestia replied.
"Yeah I guess. Might as well!" I said enthusiastically.
"Rainbow Dash? Would you mind spending a small portion of your daily routine to help Vlad here get airborne?" Celestia asked.
"Sure why not. It'll be nice to have another flyin' buddy," Rainbow Dash replied, "Meet in town square around 4:00 p.m. and well get you in the sky in ten seconds flat!"
"Uh thanks Rainbow, I'll be there." I replied.
"No prob! Can't leave my new friend hangin' can I?" Rainbow asked pridefully.
"Uh, I guess not, thanks again," I replied again.
"Then we best be off then, take care ladies, Vlad," Celestia stated.
We said our goodbyes and the princesses disappeared in another flash of white light. 'That went better than expected.' I thought to myself.
All of a sudden pain racked my body like a freight train and I fell unconscious twitching on the ground...
I opened my eyes and saw I was in a pitch black room. I looked around frantically trying to determine what was going on. I lay eyes on seemingly to only thing in this black void. A telephone lying on top of a small coffee table.
Curious, I walked through the void over to the phone. I got around five feet away when the telephone began ringing. I picked it up and muttered an uneasy 'Hello'.
"Good day Mr. Korzhakov," an ominous voice replied back.
"Who's this?" I asked.
"That, I'm afraid is something I cannot tell you. I brought you here to inform you that my associates have taken quite an interest in you," the voice replied back.
"And why would that be?" I asked.
"We know your origins and your story. We intend to put your full potential to use rather than letting you waste it as you currently are."
"That's not foreboding at all," I snarked.
"It matters not what you think. We will have what only you can give us and any attempts to stop us are futile. I must go, my associates require my presence. We will come for you Mr Korzhakov. And when we do you will be none the wiser..."
And just like that my world turned bright and I once again lost consciousness.
"...ad! Wa... up! C... on Vlad!" I heard a voice say.
I shot awake breathing heavily. I looked around to see the six mares all crowded around me with mixed expressions of worry on their faces.
"You just... passed out. No warning or anything!" Twilight said.
"Ugh. I remember some voice in a black void telling me something but not much else."
"Did this 'voice' say what it wanted?" Twilight asked with a confused frown.
"Something about my origins," I replied. "It was probably just my crazy imagination. As for why I passed out, the most logical explanation would be simply exhaustion"
"Well we're just glad you're alright. You gave us quite a scare," Twilight said.
"Heh. Sorry bout that." I said with a guilty expression.
"Well you should probably play it safe and rest on the couch for a bit. Don't want you passing out again," Twilight replied.
"Probably a good idea. I love passing out just as much as the next guy but I'd rather not risk it," I said insinuating a small chuckle from the mares.
I walked over to the couch and lied down. It was fairly comfy, especially compared to my couch at home. I was asleep within minutes. What a day it had been with more to follow...
Twilight and the other Elements left the library to leave Vlad in peace. Once they were all outside and the door had closed behind them Twilight spoke up. "Girls I'm a bit concerned about Vlad. Even if he was just exhausted passing out like that is not normal. And his description of that dream was so... strange. I'm afraid he may have some sort of mental trauma of some sort."
"Aww come on Twi. Don't be such a worry wart. The dude was just tired," Rainbow scoffed.
"The poor darling was out in the forest all night, he likely didn't sleep. I know I wouldn't," Rarity said with a shudder.
"Ah'm sure he's fine sugarcube. Just need his rest that's all," Applejack said reassuringly.
"I guess you're right... But if this happens again I'm definitely going to look into it," Twilight replied.
"Fair enough. Just don't let it worry ya none until then alright?"
"You're right. Thanks Applejack," Twilight stated with a small smile.
"No prob sugarcube now c'mon. Pinkie is gonna whip us up some of her cupcakes ain't that right Pinkie?"
"You betchya! Nothing cheers you up like a delicious cupcake!" Pinkie exclaimed.
The six best friends set off towards Sugarcube Corner smiling and laughing along the way. It had mostly been a good day with a few bumps in the road. Nothing these six couldn't handle though.
Little did they know what they were getting themselves into...
After a nice long nap in the comfort of the library I was awoken by a tapping on my face. I opened my eyes to see Applejack standing next to the couch I was sleeping on. "Mrphhh... Ugh... Hey,"
"Looks like y'all are rested so git on up and I'll take ya around to Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack said.
"Ugh fine whatever just... five more minutes," I grumbled turning over.
All of a sudden someone grabbed be and pulled me off the couch with surprising force. Awake, but also annoyed, I slowly got to my hooves and stretched. "Y'all up?" Applejack asked with a smirk.
"Yea, thanks for that," I replied sarcastically glaring back.
"Your darn welcome. Now git yer flank movin!" Applejack barked practically shoving me out the door.
"I'm coming, jeez," I said following her off into town.
It was around sundown about now and the town was deserted. Seriously, not a single pony in sight. I decided to inquire because either we were breaking some weird curfew law or something was amiss. "Uh, Applejack? Where did everyo...pony go?"
"Uh, something about a meetin. I decided to skip so I could pick up you."
It was so obvious that she was lying that you'd have to be dumb not to tell. I decided not to press the issue to avoid angering my temporary landlord. We walked out of the deserted town towards what I could only assume was 'Sweet Apple Acres'. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing at this point.
Apples as far as the eye could see. Applejack must either have a family of 50 others living there or slaves cause there's no way her and her sister could harvest this much. "Wow this place is huge! How many apples do you output per year?" I asked with intrigue.
"Well Ah've never really counted but Ah assume at least a couple million," Applejack replied with pride.
"Applejack, you have probably the most extensive apple orchard I've ever seen. Wow."
"Aww shucks. We just try to provide the best quality apples for all of Equestria. Anyway, why don't we start the tour by showin you the barn."
"Sure, why not." I replied.
We made our way towards a cliché looking red and white trimmed barn with two large double doors on the front. Seeing that the door was slightly ajar I decided to take the lead and go inside. I was met with pitch blackness. Trying to find some sort of light was proving fruitless until...
"SURPRISE!!!!"
Light filled the barn as countless ponies simultaneously shouted 'surprise'. As for me, I ended up recoiling in surprise and falling back on my rear. I heard quite a few snickers from the collective ponies and Rainbow Dash was in full blown hysteria. "HAHAHAHAHAHA You shoulda seen the look on your face!" she laughed with tears of amusement coming from her eyes.
I scoffed and replied with, "You shoulda seen your face earlier when I said you were gettin it on with government officials."
Rainbows face immediately turned to one of pure horror as everypony looked in her direction. "HEY! THAT WAS BETWEEN US!" Rainbow yelled at me while I simply blew her a raspberry.
"Well maybe somepony should stop laughing at others' embarrassment," I retorted.
Our bickering was stopped by none other then Pinkie Pie. "Hiya Vlady! (I hate being called Vlady) How do ya like it? I set it up just for you like I said I would!"
"Um, it's great Pinkie. I really appreciate the gesture. Could you not call me 'Vlady' though, it kinda annoys me."
"Oki-Doki-Loki! See ya later Vlady!" Pinkie exclaimed as she ran off to chat with other ponies while I just facehoofed at her inattentiveness.
I decided that if this party was for me I might as well enjoy it so I set off to take a look around. Pinkie really went all out with this party. There was a huge buffet table loaded with sugary confections that gave me diabetes just from looking at them, a DJ booth with a white, blue maned unicorn stationed at it playing dubstep and wearing awesome-looking purple shades, and plenty of party games that seemed more for the little ones.
It appeared that just about everypony in town was here. The barn was surprisingly bigger on the inside then it looked. Still the crowd of assorted ponies was quite dense and I had to squeeze my way through. I contemplated about what activities I should partake in when I was interrupted by somepony knocking into me. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" the offender exclaimed.
I found myself looking up at a grey pegasus with a blondish mane. The thing that stood out the most was her eyes; they were looking off in different directions. "It's fine. No need to worry ma'am. It was probably partly my fault," I said.
"Oh, ok then. Hi there! I'm Ditzy Doo but my friends call me Derpy." she said with a warm smile.
'Derpy? Really? That's like calling a paraplegic 'Wheelie' or something. Some friends those must be...'
"Well my name is Vlad. Nice to meet you Ditzy," I said not using her offensive nickname.
"Nice to meet you too! Ooh! Are those muffins?" she exclaimed before darting off to the snack table leaving me to my own devices.
I decided to just get a drink from the buffet table and find a seat somewhere. I came up to what appeared to be the punch bowls. One was labeled 'Adult' much to my satisfaction. As only a twenty-one year old, I haven't been drinking for very long, but from what I've experienced so far it's great in moderation. I pour myself a reasonable sized glass of spiked punch and look around for a place to sit.
Trying to navigate through the crowd without spilling is a challenge of its own. It's literally taking all my concentration not to bump into somepony else. I reach the other side of the barn after a few minutes of crowd surfing so to speak. Assorted objects are strewn around in a circle to act as seats.
I end up sitting on a hay bale positioned against the barn wall to serve as a bench. Sipping my punch and listening to the music, which was a whole ton better than the dubstep we had back on Earth, I let myself fall into a hypnotic state. My weird hypnosis was interrupted by somepony plopping down beside me. I turned my head to see a mint-green unicorn with a harp for a 'cutie mark' as I'm now told they're called. Whoever came up with that name probably was taking some serious drugs. "Hi there!" the unicorn says to me.
"Uh, hi," I reply trying not to be rude.
"Your Vlad right? (I nod) Well I'm Lyra nice to meet you!" she says.
"Uh, good to meet you too," I reply dismissively.
"I couldn't help but notice how your sitting," she states which takes me completely by surprise.
"What's wrong with the way I'm sitting?" I inquire.
"Oh nothing, it's just most ponies find that uncomfortable. I sit like this cause it's the way humans do!" she explains.
Now that she mentions it, sitting like I am is kinda making my back hurt a bit. "So you have an interest in humans? I used to be one until I got universally screwed by a dimensional rift," I said still agitated about the whole 'ripped from my dimension' thing.
"You used to be a human??!! No way! You have to tell me all about them!" she exclaimed starting to sound a lot like Twilight but a lot more creepy.
"Uh, maybe some other time, I'd rather spend my time enjoying the party."
Lyra deflated a bit but then perked back up, "OK that's fine. I'll see you later?"
"Uh, sure I guess."
That's apparently enough for her as she gets up and disappears back into the party. I soon fixed my sitting position to try to match the other ponies and found it much more comfortable. I continue letting myself be drowned in the beat of the music while the alcohol was giving me a slight buzz. Parents began to take their kids home around this time because it was bedtime for the little ones. Still, many ponies stuck around to continue the party into the night.
I decided to leave when drinking contests broke out. After my twenty first birthday, I vowed never to drink more than a glass or two of alcohol at a time. I didn't want some drunken idiot pulling me in to do shots or something. I exited the stuffy barn into the crisp night air. The moon and the stars were fully visible and were absolutely astonishing. Living in urban area for so long, I never really saw much of the night sky. But here, where light pollution was not a problem, the stars were out in their full glory.
After a few minutes of stargazing, I saw Applejack exit the barn. I flagged her down so that she could escort me to my temporary living arrangements. She didn't seem too drunk either much to my relief. "Woo-wee! What a party! Now let's get on home before it gets too late. Follow me Vlady-boy!"
"So who lives on the farm with you?" I asked.
"Well there's me, mah little sister Applebloom whom you've met already, mah older brother Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. Ah also have a dog named Winona."
"Well, I can't wait to meet them all, but I think we should hold that off till morning." I replied.
"Ah agree. Well here we are! Yer room is gonna be upstairs, last one on the left. Ah'm gonna go make sure the party doesn't get too outta control," Applejack said at we arrived at the farmhouse.
"Alright, thanks again for the room. G'night." I said walking in through the front door and turning around.
"Think nothin of it. Now get a good night's rest, y'all got a big day ahead of ya," Applejack said turning back towards the barn and walking off.
I crept into the moonlit farmhouse trying to stay as quiet as possible. I found the staircase with relative ease but getting up it without having the steps creak and groan was a challenge. I eventually managed to find my room in which I immediately flopped down on the bed once entering.
'Another interesting day, with many more to come.' I though as I drifted of to sleep...
Meanwhile Back at the Barn:
"I'm totally *hic* gonna win this *hic*," Rainbow Dash slurred.
While Applejack had been escorting Vlad back to the farmhouse, Pinkie and Rainbow had gotten into a drinking competition. Both were total lightweights, only having drunk three glasses of punch each at this point. Both grabbed their fourth glasses and chugged them respectively.
"Ohhhhh, *hic* the floor's spinnin. Stop it floor! *hic*" Pinkie slurred before passing out.
"Heh, I wi..." Rainbow managed before also passing out.
Just then Applejack re-entered the barn and stared at the sight before her. Two of her friends were passed out drunk on ground in a pool of alcohol and half-eaten cupcakes and the barn was an absolute disaster. Decided to just let it be, she left the barn and began walking back to the farmhouse.
Those two would have a lot of cleaning to do come tomorrow...
Date: 06:23:2014 Location: Area 51 Top Secret Research Facility, Nevada, United States Status: Top Secret Documents Arriving From National Weather Service Data Center Time: 07:00
Out in the remote Nevada desert, lies the mysterious military facility know to the public as Area 51. As the early morning sun rises, an unmarked van coasts towards the main gates. Arriving at the entrance of the facility, the driver of said van presents his ID and states his business. After being waved through the driver of the van parks out front of Research Facility 1-A.
Dr. Alexander Collins is waiting outside of facility 1-A to greet the driver of an unmarked, white van that has just parked a few meters from where he stands. A man in a black suit emerges from the van with a small folder in his hand. "Dr. Collins?" the man asks.
"Yes," Collins replies simply.
"I have the file you requested from the National Weather Service," the man states handing Collins the folder.
Collins peers at the folder. On the front is a large CLASSIFIED stamped on. Underneath is smaller lettering stating: Case 0237D. Confirming the identification number, Collins nods to the man who returns to his vehicle and drives away. Collins, file in hand, re-enters the facility and heads for his laboratory.
Once reaching the privacy of his work-space, Collins opens the top secret document and begins reading.
Case 0237D [CLASSIFIED]
June 9th, 2014
Unidentified weather anomaly over Denver, Colorado. Civilian under name Vladimir Anton Korzhakov reporting missing day after unidentified weather pattern, no leads. Missing Civilian was last seen 2 blocks east of epicenter of unidentified anomaly. Co-worker reports that missing civilian lives 4 blocks west of last known location. Missing Civilian last seen approx 15 minutes before unidentified anomaly occurred. Data estimates missing civilian was within 100 meters of anomaly epicenter, if following most logical route to residence. Following documents hold all data recorded by the National Weather Service on June 9th over south-east Denver, Colorado. Further Inquiry Required.
Dr. Collins turned to the next page and began reading the data. He had a long day of work ahead of him.
I woke to the sound of the door to my rented-out room opening. "Hey Vlad, up and at em. C'mon down and grab some breakfast," I heard Applejack say.
"Yeah I'm coming, just give me a minute," I said stretching.
Applejack left the room to go eat so I quickly used the restroom (which is confusing), splashed water in my face, and went downstairs. I was greeted with a breakfast banquet fit for 20. Pastries and delectable as far as the eye can see. "Ah, there y'all are. C'mon over and grab yerself a seat," Applejack said pointing out an empty chair.
Not wanting to refuse the host I happily obliged. I found myself at the table with four other ponies including Applejack, her sister, a large red stallion, and an elderly green mare. "While we're all gettin settled why don't Ah introduce ya'll to the rest of mah family," Applejack said.
"This here is Big Macintosh, my older brother," she proclaimed motioning towards the red stallion.
"Hi. I'm Vlad, nice to meet you." I said in a friendly tone.
"Howdy," was all I got in return.
"He don't talk much," Applejack whispered, "This here is Granny Smith," she said pointing to the elderly mare.
"Huh? What?" Granny exclaimed loudly before noticing me. "Oh, hello there youngin'. Ah'm Granny Smith but y'all can just call me Granny."
"Nice to meet you," I replied respectfully.
"And finally over here we have my little sister Applebloom," Applejack said pointing at the young filly.
"Yer that pony from yesterday!" Applebloom exclaimed.
"Um, yes I guess I am. Thanks by the way, for yesterday. Probably saved me from getting driven out of town by an angry mob," I said with a genuine smile.
"Ah shucks, it was nuthin. Ah just wish Ah could of got my cutie mark in peacemaking or somethin," Applebloom replied sounding slightly dejected.
"Nopony ever explained to me what these 'cutesy mark' things are," I said sounding confused.
"A cutie mark appears on yer flank when you discover yer special talent. It symbolizes what yer best at doin," Applejack explained.
"Well I guess that would make finding a job a lot easier. When they ask for your qualifications you just say, 'The mark on my rear entitles me,' or something."
"That's one way of lookin at it Ah guess," Applejack muttered.
Our interesting conversation was interrupted by the front door slamming open. A disheveled Rainbow Dash followed by a similar looking Pinkie Pie stumbled into the dining room. "Ooh Applejack, my head hurts," Pinkie proclaimed.
"So you two finally showed up. Yer welcome to join us for breakfast but yer gonna be cleaning up the barn today after yer drunken mishap," Applejack said sternly casting them a glare.
"Ah come on AJ! I have the worst headache and you want me to clean up after everypony's mess?" Rainbow complained.
"Fraid so RD. Now get some food in ya, it'll make things a lot easier," Applejack said obviously amused.
The two disgruntled mares sat down at the table on opposite sides of me. I don't know about you, but having two extremely hungover ponies eating within close proximity of you is not what you want to see. While Rainbow Dash was simply stuffing her face, Pinkie was literally inhaling food like a vacuum. Let's just say after an apple fritter and a swig of apple juice I was full. "Youf gonma eat thaf?" Rainbow asked while pointing at an uneaten muffin on my plate. When I shook my head no she grabbed it and stuffed it into her face like the rest of her meal much to my disgust.
Sighing, I stood up from the table. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Holler at me if ya need me," I said dismissing myself.
After a nice long and cold shower I returned downstairs. I saw everypony heading out the front door to get started on their individual activities. Upon seeing me Applejack pulled me to the side. "Now our deal was that y'all would do some honest work to pay yer rent. So before Ah go sending ya out to work, Ah need to know what yer good at," she explained.
"Well, despite periodic fits of rage, my specialty would be engineering. My main field is civil engineering but I also know a fair share of mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering. I wasn't far enough into my career to specialize in anything so I tried to learn as much as I could. I'm also well versed in construction and repairs," I said pridefully.
I then looked over to Applejack who was staring at me with a blank expression. "Um I guess an easier term for it is I'm an all around handyma...pony...whatever."
"Oh! Well if it ain't to much trouble, one of the Cider Presses broke down and we need to git it workin before Cider Season starts or we won't have enough delicious apple cider to go around. If ya finish early you can help Rainbow and Pinkie with barn. Come find me when y'all are done."
"A cider press? Sure! As long as it's not in too terrible shape I should be able to fix it in a jiffy. I will need some tools though..."
"Tools would be in the tool shed next to the house, cider press is around back of the barn," Applejack instructed.
"Alright cool. I'll come find you when I'm done."
"Ah'll be in the south fields with Big Mac. See ya later!" Applejack shouted her shoulder before running off.
Wandering around to the back of the farmhouse, I saw the tool shed that Applejack had mentioned. Upon opening the door I found random items crammed into the 5x5 space. Lucky for me, right at the front was a large red toolbox. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain everything I needed for the job.
Navigating my way back to barn, I decided to peek inside and see how Rainbow and Pinkie were holding up. What I saw was a complete mess. Pinkie and Rainbow were moving at a less than impressive rate and had quite a cleanup ahead of them. Chuckling, I went around back of the barn to find previously-mentioned cider press.
Now let me tell you, this wasn't your modern-day automatic cider press, this was a old-fashioned, manually-operated press. Fortunately, this made my job quite easier due to the simpler mechanics of the retro cider press. After examining the crank mechanism, I found what I believed to be the problem.
An old nut holding one of the gears in place had cracked and come slightly loose. This caused the gear to become misaligned and the crank mechanism to fail. It was an extremely simple fix so I got to work. After acquiring a crescent wrench from the tool box, I removed the old nut and the washer holding the gear in place. Being as careful as I could, I realigned the gear so it would fit in with the rest of the mechanism. I then replaced the washer and the old nut with a new one of the same size. Testing the mechanism, proved that the operation was a complete success.
'Shit this is easy. If everything in this world works as simply as this press then I could make a real killing with my skills. I knew all the hard work and would pay off someday. Plus, learning how things function and how to build and repair all manners of machines and structures has always been my favorite pastime...'
All of sudden without warning, a noticeable flash of light appeared in my peripheral vision. Curious, I turned my head to see what would cause said flash. I looked for anything that could reflect the sun or a camera, as silly as that sounded. Then my eyes caught what I was looking for. Where there once was no mark on my rear was now replaced by one of the most humiliating thing I could imagine. On both of my flanks was the unmistakable visage of a yellow hammer-and-sickle surrounded by a black gear.
"OH COME ON!!!! REALLY?!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
While communism may be a integral part of my Russian heritage, I was by no means an avid supporter. Of all the stupid tramp stamps I could of gotten, I got the fucking hammer-and-sickle. I guess it didn't really have a symbolic meaning in magical pony world, but I knew what it symbolized, and that was enough to bring me to hysterics. This had to be the world trolling me for being such a insufferable asshole.
"Of all the stupid crap that's happened to me..." I muttered to myself.
I walked back around front of the barn still fuming about my 'cutie mark'. I can just see Karl Marx rolling over in his grave. All I need is a copy of the Communist Manifesto and I'm good to go. Peeking back into the barn door I see Rainbow and Pinkie were just about done with their maid service. I decided to help them finish up since Applejack had told me to earlier. "Oh hey Vlad! Were you the one shouting a minute ago?" Rainbow asked upon spotting me.
"Uh, yeah sorry about that. Got a bit frustrated over something. I finished with my chore so I'll help you guys get this place cleaned up," I replied sheepishly.
"Aww thanks Vlady!" Pinkie exclaimed obviously over her hangover. I still cringe every time she uses that nickname but I suppose there's no use trying to stop her.
"No problem... Now lets get this done before I have another fit of rage," I said.
After cleaning up the remaining trash and sweeping up any extra scraps we were done. As we left the barn Pinkie happened to notice the new insignia on my rear. "Ooh Vlady! You got your cutie mark! This calls for a party!," she shouted right in my ear.
"Um, no offense Pinkie, but two parties in a row is a bit exhausting. And I'd rather not celebrate over a mark on my behind," I said.
Pinkie seemed to deflate, literally, at this. "Aww," she said looking down.
"Hey cheer up. I bet there's somepony else you could throw a party for," I said trying to sound comforting.
"You're right! I just remembered that the Cake twins' birthday is in three days! I have so much to plan! See ya later Vlady, I gotta go get started!" she exclaimed as she took off towards town.
I looked up at Rainbow who just shrugged. We continued into the southern fields where Applejack and Big Mac were hard at work with Applebloom and two other foals playing some sort of game off to the side. Applejack spotted us as we approached and took a break from her work so she could confront us. "Vlad, Rainbow. Did y'all get yer chores done?"
"Yea we're done AJ! And Vlad here even got his cutie mark. I have no idea what it means but still," Rainbow said.
"You got yer cutie mark? Well fine job but Ah'm with RD on being confused about its meaning," Applejack said scratching her head.
"I think it has something to do with my talent for um... engineering," I explained not revealing the underlying symbolism.
"Oh. That makes sense. Y'all were repairing somethin," Applejack concluded, "Ah'm assuming said repair was a success?"
"Yep! Easy fix, just a old nut that needed replacing," I said with a hint of pride in my voice.
"Whelp, that's all Ah need of y'all today. Figure Ah should go easy on ya on yer first day Vlad. And if the barn's all clean yer free to go too Dash," Applejack replied.
"Awesome! C'mon Vlad, let's grab some lunch and then we can get started on flying lessons early," Dash exclaimed preparing to fly off.
"Um, Rainbow? Flightless bird here," I said gesturing to my wings.
"Oh, heh heh. That's right. Let's walk instead," Rainbow said with a sheepish look.
Walking back towards town I couldn't help but notice Rainbow being a bit skittish. "Can you really not stand to be on the ground for more than five seconds?" I asked with a smirk.
"Pegasi, have a natural need to be in the air, especially a stunt flyer like myself," Rainbow explained.
Upon her mentioning this my wings sort of fluttered at my sides. It seemed that they wanted me to be in the air even if I had no idea how. I had noticed from being around all three pony types that pegasi seemed to have longer fur than earth ponies and unicorns. This was likely to keep them warm at high altitudes. There were likely a ton of anatomical differences between the three races outside of the obvious. I would probably have to do some research in my free time to get a full understanding of my new species.
"Oh, um well... you could fly above me if that would make you more comfortable," I offered.
"Nah, just give me a minute to acclimate," Rainbow replied while I shrugged.
We arrived at what seemed to be a small diner in the main square of town. "Now, because you got no money due to your... situation, this ones on me. But don't expect any freebie's in the future, got it?" Rainbow said with a slight glare.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare try to take advantage of anypony," I said with a nervous smile.
"Good, now pick something quick. We don't have forever," Dash said impatiently.
I ended up choosing a 'hayburger and fries' which I hoped was the pony equivalent of a stereotypical American meal. When the food arrived I stared at my plate trying to decipher its contents. What sat in front me looked like your typical burger and fries so I shrugged and took a large bite. The taste was similar, but not the same. The patty also didn't have the juiciness that one made of beef would. 'Oh, what I wouldn't do for a bacon cheeseburger'
"What's a bacon cheeseburger?" brought me out of my thoughts. 'Shit I said that out loud didn't I.'
I looked to see Rainbow looking at me with intrigue obviously waiting for an answer. "Well, a bacon cheeseburger is the equivalent of a 'hayburger' back from where I'm from," I explained as delicately as I could.
"Oh, cool. What's in it?"
'Fuck!'
"Pretty, much the same... stuff," I lied trying to keep a straight face.
"Hmm... really? Whatever. Let's go start your first day of flying lessons!" Rainbow exclaimed rushing out the door.
'That was too close,' I thought as I followed my over-enthusiastic instructor outside into the hustle and bustle of Ponyville.
Little did I know what I was getting myself into...
To be honest, I always had a strange fear of heights. I didn't mind airplanes, but skyscrapers and tall buildings made me quite uneasy. And the fact that I would not only be flying in midair, but doing so without a parachute or any kind of safety equipment was quite unnerving for me. But at the same time my new body was making me conflicted. It certainly wanted nothing more than to fly. 'Why did I agree to this again?' I asked myself as I was led out of town by Rainbow Dash.
My nervousness was interrupted upon hearing my name called. I turned around to see Spike running at full speed towards us. "Vlad! Rainbow! Wait!" he yelled.
We stopped and waited for the small but energetic dragon to catch up. By the time he reached us he was clearly exhausted as he had to take a minute or two to catch his breath. "Soooooo... What's up Spike," I said breaking the awkward silence.
"*Huff* The princesses are back at the library and they want to speak to you. *Huff*"
"Oh... Well I was about to start flying practice with Rainbow Dash can this wait?" I said although not really meaning it.
"Princess Celestia said that she's afraid you'll have to cancel for today. Sorry Vlad."
"Whelp. I guess I don't have much of a choice. Sorry Dash. Tomorrow same time?" I asked a now dejected pegasus.
'Fuck yea! An excuse to hold off flying for another day! Even if I have to talk to the dictators that aren't really dictators.'
"Yea I guess... See ya tomorrow," Rainbow said flying off.
I sighed. "Alright Spike let's go."
Walking back into town the market was at its peak. It seemed that most of the towns population was out and about at this point shopping and enjoying themselves. "So Spike. Did Princess Celestia tell you what this is all about or did she just send you to collect me?" I inquired.
"I don't know. Her, Princess Luna, and this other mare arrived around thirty minutes ago and sent me to find you," Spike said with a shrug.
Deciding to not push the topic any further, I continued walking towards the library which was now in sight. Stationed out front was what looked like a carriage as well as a platoon of armed pegasi guards. They were all the same shade of white and had matching golden armor. I assumed they were there for the safety of the princesses even if their spears and pikes seemed a bit... primitive.
I approached the front door of the library and was about to enter when the two guards standing on either side of the door stopped me. "Halt! State your name and business," one of them barked.
"My name is Vladimir Korzhakov and I was summoned here by the princesses," I said trying to sound as straight-forward as possible.
"Ah, Mr. Korzhakov, go on in the princesses are expecting you," the guard replied waving me through.
I entered the library followed by Spike who ran over the kitchen and started making tea. In front of me were Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and the other mare that Spike had mentioned. "Ah Vlad! Please have a seat. We have much to discuss. I see you have received your cutie mark. I warms my heart that you have found your special talent so soon after your arrival," Celestia said while motioning to a empty chair that I didn't remember being in the library before.
"Uh, thanks princess. I was just thinking about what I enjoyed doing after repairing a cider press and it appeared," I replied.
"Most foals receive their cutie mark upon discovering their passion or talent. Since you are much older, it is no surprise that you already had a good idea of yours," Celestia explains.
"Eh, it doesn't mean a whole lot to me. I honestly could take it or leave it. A mark doesn't change what I'm good at, it just advertises it to the world. Now what is it that you wanted to discuss?"
I sat down and waiting for someone to speak up. Eventually Celestia cleared her throat and began to address me. "We would like to know everything you know about your species, their history, their technology, ect... We may find the information you provide us will be very useful to our society so we brought along with us the Royal Archivist Ms. Written Script," Celestia said acknowledging the mare beside her.
*gulp*
"Are you sure your highness? My world was not a place that I think you ponies would find appealing. My species are no saints either," I say hoping to deter them.
"Please young Vladimir. Our sister and us hath seen countless horrors and fought many dangerous foes. Thou describing thy world will not scar us, if that is what thou art implying," Luna scoffed rolling her eyes.
"What about them," I reply gesturing to Twilight and Written Script.
"I trust Twilight as my personal student to listen in on this conversation. It will be a good learning experience for her. As for Written Script, she has read and heard of many of the horrors of the past being the Royal Archivist. I have the utmost confident in her ability to listen to and record anything you may say," Celestia said with a warm smile.
"Well, if you're sure..." I reply hesitantly.
I started off simply by going into the basics of the human species. I described to the best of my ability the anatomy of a human and how we descended from apes over millions of years. The ponies seemed intrigued when I mentioned that humans almost always wore clothes outside of bed and the bathroom and that not doing so in modern times was considered indecent. I explained that humans had next to no hair on their body outside of specific areas so clothing was also needed to stay warm in some instances.
Twilight had interrupted at that point asking if I felt uncomfortable being without clothes as a pony. To be honest I was at first but didn't have much of a say in things considering I woke up in the middle of the Everfree without a scrap of cloth for miles. After a day or two I mostly got over being constantly naked. All the important bits were mostly hidden away from view. Having a fur coat was surprisingly similar to wearing clothing and with having wings on my back and a tail sticking out from my rear, putting on a shirt and pants seemed like a massive undertaking. Twilight informed me that ponies do wear clothes, just not usually all the time and rarely covering their full body.
Next, I began telling all I knew about the history of humanity. The ponies in the room seemed surprised about the constant violence and warfare that humanity created so I assumed that war was not a large part of Equestrian history. I told stories about the Egyptians, the Persians, the Romans, and other great empires from throughout the ages.
When I reached the part about World War II the looks on the faces of those listening was indescribable. Twilight looked like she was going to be sick when I briefly mentioned The Holocaust so I decided not to stay on that topic for very long. When I mentioned the approximate total death toll from the war Luna and Celestia seemed appalled. They told me that world population here was only around 500 million creatures across all nations and that the war I described would be devastating.
I told them that the world population at the time of WWII was between 2 and 2.5 billion people and while the war was devastating, it had not preventing the world population from continuing to grow reaching over 7 billion in modern times. I informed them that I had no intention of ever bringing war to their world and had no idea how to manufacture weapons. Despite my engineering background, I swore off ever designing or manufacturing weapons and never took the time to properly learn how a firearm works much less how to make one.
From there I moved on to more modern history. I mentioned the Cold War between my birth country and my adoptive nation as well as a few other minor conflicts. I also mentioned the war on terror and incidents like the Gulf War, 9/11, and the strife and wars in the Middle East in the 21st century. I tried to get through these topics as quickly as possible because I assumed my image in these ponies eyes was getting more and more tarnished by the second.
Things got less... tense when I mentioned the technological advancements of humans. Everypony seemed extremely impressed about how humanity was so far ahead technologically. I concluded that due to our lack of all things magic, we instead turned to technology. I briefly explained things like computers, modern medicine, and even the Apollo Program which seemed to catch the attention of Luna. All the while Written Script was jotting everything I said down at unimaginable speeds not even asking for clarification once.
Things got out of hand when I moved to the dietary habits of humans which I had forgotten to mention earlier... "Humans are... omnivorous meaning we can digest both meat and plant material."
I was interrupted by Twilight who once again looked sick. "Do you mean...? You ate meat... like from an animal?"
I sighed. This was difficult to say carefully without sounding like some sort of monster. "Yes Twilight, humans ate animals. We mainly ate cows, chicken, pigs, and sheep along with fish and other seafood."
"You... didn't eat ponies did you?" Twilight asked her lip quivering.
"No, ponies... or horses as we usually called them... were usually used for farming, transportation, and combat. They were never really used as a food source outside of desperate times or certain cultures. I've certainly never eaten horse," I replied carefully.
Twilight let out a noticeable sigh of relief before turning her expression to anger. "How could you eat animals like that! That's so... cruel! Cows, sheep, pigs are all living, talking members of society!" she exclaimed.
"Now Twilight, he can't help what his race eats," Celestia defended.
"I guess... but it still makes me sick!" Twilight snapped.
"That is exactly why I was reluctant to tell you about my species. None of those animals are sapient in my world! I knew you would react the wrong way..." I said sadly.
Twilight decided to back off upon seeing me noticeably upset and allowed Celestia to speak up. "Well that certainly was interesting. I believe we have indeed gotten a good start on documenting this matter. The books on humans before you came around were purely fictional and have little in common with what you described. Now I'm afraid we must depart. Until next time!" Celestia said before walking out the door with Luna and Written Script in tow to return to her castle or fortress or whatever it was.
I decided to follow her out the door as I didn't really want to converse with Twilight. Stepping outside I realized just how long I had been in the library. The sun, which had been at its apex when I went in, was now nearing the horizon in the west. I decided to just head back to the farm and call it a day.
While walking out of the town I began to wander as I was often prone to doing. 'I hope Twilight doesn't go around saying I'm some sort of cruel meat-eating monster or something. I'd hate to have to leave town now that I've begun settling in. No... she's a logical mare... she'll know better than to go around spreading rumors...'
Feeling that the information on my former dietary habits was confidential, at least for now, I continued my way towards the farmhouse. Humming a favorite tune of mine as I went, I didn't hear the very obvious whistling sound approaching me until it was to late. All of a sudden, something collided with me going at dangerously high speeds. I flew through the air flipping and screaming like a little girl until I hit a tree and slumped to the ground.
Groaning, I sat up and was met by Rainbow Dash's face once again... and boy did she look pissed. "What did you do mister?!!" she barked.
"Ugghh. I... dun know. What's wrong?" I answered groggily.
"I just came from the library. Twilight's all upset over something you said. What did you do?!!" Rainbow demanded.
"Well, um. The princesses wanted me to tell them all about humans. When I said that humans ate meat from cows and pigs and stuff Twilight just freaked the fuck out! I tried to reason with her but she was having none of it!" I snapped back.
"What? You eat cows? That's horrible!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"I couldn't help it! It was just the way I was born!" I defended.
"It doesn't make it any less horrible! I'm going to make sure Twilight's ok. I knew I couldn't trust you!" Rainbow yelled before taking off back towards town.
'Just fucking great. Twilight has the sense to not start rumors, but Rainbow? She'll have told the whole town by tomorrow morning. Better get prepared to be run out by an angry mob... And just when everything was going so great! Fucking hell!'
I slowly walked towards the now in sight farmhouse with my mood completely gone sour. I was mostly angry at myself for tarnishing my image but they asked for everything on humans and I gave it to them. It didn't help that I had cravings for meat every now and again. I had very little meat during my apartment days due to my poor budget, but when I was able to afford it, I thoroughly enjoyed every last bite.
I walked inside right as the sun dipped below the horizon. I walked into the dining room just as the Apple family was settling down for dinner. Applejack noticed me and motioned me over to my spot for some grub. To be honest, I wasn't all that hungry after what I just had to endure so I took a few bites of corn and a bit of bread before excusing myself to go to bed.
I went upstairs and flung myself onto my bed not even bothering to the put the blanket over me. After just lying there for a few minutes in my own sorrows I heard hoofsteps out in the hallway. I heard my bedroom door open and somepony come in. I looked up to find Applejack standing in the doorway with a concerned expression on her face. "Sugarcube whats wrong? Y'all didn't eat no dinner and ya seemed like ya were in a foul mood."
"Sorry Applejack. I just... screwed up today and I might of soiled my whole reputation." I said sadly.
"Now c'mon sugarcube, it can't be that bad," Applejack said.
"I told Twilight and Rainbow that I used to eat cows and pigs and stuff when I was a human. Those animals aren't talking members of society in my world! I wouldn't dare eat them in this world knowing their sapient! And now they're probably spreading rumors about me all over town. How's that for bad!" I exclaimed.
"Hey. Just because y'all USED to eat cows and pigs doesn't mean anypony should judge you accordingly. Ah know a honest pony when Ah see one and Ah know yer telling the truth when ya say ya wouldn't eat them now that yer here. If things come to worse, Ah'll be there to back ya up. Now get some rest, yer gonna need it."
"Thanks Applejack. At least somepony doesn't immediately jump to conclusions." I said with a small smile.
"Ah bet Twi and RD will come 'round eventually, just give 'em some time."
"I hope so... G'night Applejack!"
"G'night Vlad!" she replied before leaving the room closing the door behind her.
As sleep's warm embrace took me I couldn't help but wander what tomorrow would bring. Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't be so bad...
Date: 06:28:2014 Location: Area 51 Top Secret Research Facility, Nevada, United States Status: Analysis Of Case 0237D Underway Time: 09:00
Dr. Alexander Collins is hard at work. It had been 5 days since he was given the task of solving the mystery behind Case 0237D. He had uploaded all the information the Area 51 database had on weather anomalies and had begun analyzing it for any possible signals that could explain the strange weather that had occurred almost a month ago. He was currently searching through some old CIA case files to see if any similar anomalies had ever occurred. As nine-ten ticked by on the clock he discovered something.
Case 9035A Strange weather pattern spotted near Washington D.C. on June 9th, 1814. Records of occurrence are outdated and unreliable. (One civilian allegedly reported missing.) No data recorded. -Case Dismissed by Secret Service on October 24th, 1872-
Dr. Collins was about to dismiss the file like he had every other case of 'strange weather patterns' but something caught his eye. The date listed for the event was June 9th, 1814; exactly 200 years before the occurrence a few weeks ago. He also noticed that case 9035A stated that a civilian had allegedly been reported missing. The similarities were uncanny. This could be the big breakthrough that Collins had been waiting for...
I awoke on my own accord some time after sunrise. With the events of the previous day still lodged in my head I got out of bed and went to take a shower. I had several expectations for the upcoming day and none of them were all that positive. It seemed I was the epicenter of trouble lately and this was just one of several incidents as of late.
After a nice, refreshing shower I proceeded to head downstairs to get some breakfast. I found the house to be completely empty which was quite a surprise. I would expect at least Granny Smith to be around. I decided to not let it bother me and grabbed myself a simple breakfast of an apple and some oatmeal. The meal was simple but delicious and I took the time to savor every last bite.
Once I had finished my breakfast, I decided to look for any of the members of the household in case they needed help with something. I strode out the door and into the warmth of the morning sun. I decided to begin my search around the orchard because either Applejack or Big Mac were bound to be out there working. I was disappointed however, because after an hour of searching, I found no signs of the two siblings. I figured they must be in town then and began to head in that direction.
The short walk in-between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville allowed me a little time to think. 'I wonder how the townsfolk will react upon seeing me. I find it extremely likely that Rainbow Dash started spreading rumors which might have tarnished my already not-so-perfect image. I guess I'll just have to hope for the best...'
My thoughts were interrupted as I entered Ponyville. Strolling down on of the main roads it seemed all was normal. Ponies, just going about their daily lives like normal... It seemed like everything was going to be fine until they noticed me. Immediately the stares came. Stares of malice, disgust, and worst of all disappointment. In their eyes, I was a pony they thought they could trust, but ended up being a horrible monster. It was unbearable to receive such negative attention so I just hung my head in shame and headed for the center of town.
Upon reaching the marketplace, I saw Applejack and Big Mac standing at what seemed to be a vendor stand selling apples and apple related items of every kind. I decided to head in that direction because at that point I had nothing better to do. As I approached the stand, Applejack noticed me and my entourage of staring citizens. She looked at me with pity in her eyes before angrily addressing the crowd. "Now y'all stop harassing Vlad! He ain't done nothin wrong!"
"He eats sapient creatures! How's that for 'nothin wrong'" somepony shouted from the crowd.
"He used to! When he was another species in a different universe for Celestia's sake!" Applejack argued back.
"No Applejack, it's ok. It's obvious they don't want me in their town," I said sadly before walking off towards the town limits with the crowd's discerning eyes following my every step.
'I can't believe I fucked things up again! What the hell is wrong with me?!'
I reached the edge of town situated by the Everfree Forest. 'It seems I'm bound to keep returning here...' I sighed.
"Vlad?" I heard a voice barely noticeable ask, "What are you doing here?"
I turned to see Fluttershy standing outside a cottage which I was currently walking by. "Oh, hey Fluttershy. Sorry If I bothered you. I've just been run out of town and I'm going back into the forest... It was nice knowing you!" I said with a forced grin on my face.
Fluttershy recoiled at my apparent loss of sanity but stayed where she was. "Oh, um. I'm sorry that you... um... got run out of town. Wanna talk about it? Um, if that's ok with you..."
I stopped my march towards the forest and addressed her creepy smile still on my face, "Well Fluttershy, I don't know if you've heard the RUMORS.., but everypony thinks I'm some kind of monster cause I ate cows, pigs, and sheep when I was a HUMAN back in my HOME DIMENSION. I couldn't help it ya know... but they didn't care! Its ridiculous I tell ya! Ridiculous!"
Fluttershy looked like she was debating whether to run back inside her cottage or stay and respond to the crazy pony in front of her. She had a look that just said she was terrified of me, but I was in no state of mental clarity at the time. "Oh, um... well I hope they come around... I don't hate you for eating those animals back where you um... came from. I know you couldn't um... help it."
That snapped me out of my craziness right then and there. "Oh... thanks Fluttershy. I thought Applejack was the only one with some sense in them but I'm glad to know that you don't hate me either. Sorry for, you know... going off on you..." I said with an apologetic look on my face.
Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief and gave me a small smile. "I was just making some tea before you um... came along. You can come have some with me... you know... if you want to."
"I'd like that. It might be just what I need to calm down a bit. Thanks Fluttershy..." I said giving her a appreciative grin.
"You're um... welcome. Come on in..." Fluttershy said before turning back to her house with me in tow.
I looked at the quaint home and spotted several animals of all kinds lounging around. "Wow that's a lot of animals," I said out loud.
"Oh... um. I take care of them. It's... my special talent." Fluttershy said overhearing me.
"Wow, cool. I used to have a pet dog before... um my parents passed." I said with a sad smile.
"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories!" Fluttershy exclaimed eyes widening.
"No it's fine. Happened ten years ago so I'm pretty much over it," I reassured her.
"Oh... um. I'm still sorry for your loss." Fluttershy said giving me an apologetic look.
"Thanks Fluttershy. That means a lot to me," I said.
"Oh... no problem. I'll go fetch the tea. You can have a seat... if you want to," Fluttershy said as we entered her home.
As she went off to what I assumed was the kitchen, I plopped down on the couch situated in what seemed to be her living room. The house was decent size and was much larger than my crummy old apartment. As I was sitting on the couch reliving old memories, I was interrupted by something tapping my hoof. I looked to my right to see a white rabbit looking at me with an irritated look. "Oh, hey there little guy. I'm Vlad, nice to meet you," I said.
The rabbit continued to look at me with a scrutinous gaze as If judging me. After thirty seconds of awkward staring, it shrugged and hopped off to where I had last seen Fluttershy. I was slightly confused about the encounter but decided to just put in my ever-growing pile of 'awkward stuff that I can't explain about this dimension'. I sat on the couch for a few minutes until Fluttershy returned with a tray containing two cups of tea and a plate of... flowers. "Um... hey Vlad. Tea's ready..."
"Cool. You can just set it down on the coffee table if ya want." I said.
Fluttershy placed the tray down as I had recommend and took a seat on the opposite side of the couch. I grabbed the piping hot tea, being careful not to spill, and brought it to my mouth. When the beverage reached my taste buds I was assaulted by sweetness. The tea obviously had honey as well as another flavor that I couldn't put my hoof on. Overall, it was the best tea I had ever had. I hadn't been that into tea when I lived in Russia, and was more of a fan of kvass (a popular Russian drink consisting of a bread-base and a variety of flavors. I had tried it when I was 3 at a restaurant and immediately loved it. My parents tried to stop me from drinking it because it contained trace amounts of alcohol.) "Mmm, this is great tea Fluttershy."
"Oh... thank you," she responded as shy as usual.
"You know, I'm glad I met you and your friends, even if I'm not on the best terms with some of them as of now. You've all been so supportive of me, despite me being a complete stranger," I said deep in thought.
"Oh err... well I can't imagine what you have been going through these past few days, so helping you was the least I could do."
"Thanks Fluttershy, you're a real pal ya know that," I said giving her a stupid grin.
"Oh... well, I try," she said obviously uncomfortable about receiving yet another complement from me.
Upon seeing her discomfort, I decided to change the subject. "So what kinds of animals do you take care of?"
She seemed to perk up upon hearing this and got a dreamy look on her face. "Oh, all kinds. I just try to give them a home or a temporary sanctuary when they need help or are injured. I just feel so happy when I'm around them."
"That's nice. It's always good to be able to do what you enjoy, ya know?" I replied.
"Oh yes. I don't know what I'd do without all my animal friends, especially Angel Bunny."
"Is 'Angel Bunny' that white rabbit I met earlier?" I inquired.
"Why yes. I hope he was nice to you. He can be a bit... protective around new ponies."
"Well I can't say he was all that happy to see me, but he must of decided I was ok cause he didn't bother me much." I replied with a shrug.
"Oh, well that's... good I guess. It's better than how he treated some of my other friends, especially Spike and Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy replied with a sigh of relief.
I let a small chuckle upon hearing Rainbow's name. "I doubt Rainbow would do well around animals, being as impatient as she is."
"I guess... But she's still a good friend none the less," Fluttershy replied.
"I ain't gonna argue, she can't seem to make up her mind of me though. I thought I had finally gotten her to like me until yesterday happened," I said with a sigh.
"Oh, I'm sure she'll forgive you. She can be a bit stubborn, but she's always there for a friend when they need her," Fluttershy said reassuringly.
"I sure hope so... I guess it was kinda my fault for messing things up in the first place," I said lowering my head a bit.
"Nonsense! You couldn't help it... Ponies just tend to jump to conclusions sometimes..." Fluttershy scolded me upon my display of self pity.
"Yea, I'm glad you and Applejack don't though. Otherwise I would probably be hunkering down in a cave somewhere," I said with an awkward chuckle.
"Applejack is the most honest pony there is. I'm sure she'll clear you name in no time," Fluttershy said with up-most confidence in her friend.
"Here's to hoping." I said raising my cup of tea and then taking a large gulp.
As I did so, there was a loud rapping on the door. "Oh, I wonder who that could be," Fluttershy said before getting up and going to the door.
She opened the door and immediately gasped in surprise. "Applejack, Twilight. Nice to see you. What can I help you with?" she asked.
"We're looking fer Vlad. Did he happen to come by here?" I heard Applejack ask.
"Why yes. We just had a pleasant conversation over a cup of tea." she replied.
"Is he still here? Cause we need to speak to him." Applejack asked.
"Yes he is. Come on in." Fluttershy replied.
I gulped upon seeing the three ponies turn towards me. 'Oh boy, here we go...'
Date: 07:01:2014 Location: CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia Status: Agent Terence Hoover currently on a secure line with Dr. Alexander Collins of Area 51 Time: 14:23
"So your saying that these two events are somehow linked? And that we should put more investigation into it?"
"Indeed. There may be some connection. I can only access a certain amount of the CIA database, so I need you to find the file for Case 9035A. You think you could do that?"
"I'll see what I can do, but I'm afraid it may take months considering this isn't a very high priority situation."
"Not high priority?! What if this happens again, then what?"
"You said yourself that before happening a month ago, this had occurred exactly 200 years prior. I doubt it would happen again any time soon."
"Ugh fine. I'll keep researching with what I have for now while I wait for you."
"Thank you for understanding, Goodbye."
*click*
"Nutty science bastard," Hoover muttered under his breath as he went back to work...
As Twilight and Applejack approached me, I wasn't sure if I should panic or relax. I assumed that either Twilight was here to chew me out again or apologize. I hoped it was the latter because I was in no mood to be criticized at the moment. I just sat there, cup of tea in hoof, staring at the new arrivals. "There ya are Vlad, we've been lookin' all over fer ya'll." Applejack stated breaking the ice.
"And why would that be?" I asked rather intrigued.
"Because...," Twilight began stuttering on her words as she did, "B-because I want to apologize. I shouldn't of judged you over something that you couldn't help. When you said what you said, I just reacted prematurely and for that I'm truly sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" Twilight said literately begging me to accept her apology.
*Sigh* "Usually I wouldn't be too quick to forgive something like this, but I know you didn't mean it and I'm fairly certain you had nothing to do with the whole town finding out. I forgive you... Rainbow, however, is another story..."
Twilight seemed relieved for a second that I had forgiven her and then spoke up again, "Rainbow can be a bit... overzealous sometimes but her heart is in the right place. She just needs to be give the time to see that you are a good pony."
I tossed her words around in my head for a few seconds before opening my mouth to reply, "It still doesn't excuse spreading rumors around town. Those ponies looked like they were about to maul me to death. If it wasn't for Applejack defending me I would of most likely ended up in a hospital. Now I need to set things straight... again and I have no idea how to go about it."
Twilight seemed deep in thought by the end of my reply obviously thinking about what I said. All of a sudden she jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh. Oh. I know! We could arrange a town meeting in which you can explain your current situation to all the ponies. I'm sure they'll be willing to at least let you stay in town once you explain yourself."
"Um, Twilight. How am I gonna get up to speak without getting food, rocks, & insults thrown at me from a angry crowd of ponies?"
"We could try and get one of the princesses to come to town and help maintain order! Ponies can be rambunctious at times but the presence of a princess is enough to get them to calm down in a instant." Twilight replied.
"I guess that could work... but what makes you think one of the princesses has the time to come down and do such a thing?" I asked.
"We might as well try," Twilight answered with a smile.
"How comforting," I retorted rolling my eyes.
"Anyway... why don't you lie low until its time to make your speech as not to cause any more trouble, okay?"
"Yeah, I just love getting myself into trouble, its my favorite pastime," I said my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Twilight gave me a glare that said 'shut it' and then left to go arrange the speech thingy. Applejack decided to return home on the premise that standing anywhere near me was bound to get her trampled, or so I assumed. Once again I was alone with Fluttershy.
"So... Fluttershy. On the off chance that I come back from my "speech" with less limbs than I currently possess, is there anything you need help with beforehand?"
"Oh... I couldn't ask you to do anything for me Vlad. You're having enough of a hard time as it is," Fluttershy said dismissing me with a hoof.
"Nah, don't worry about me. I'm tough, like my Russian bretherans!" I declared pumping a hoof against my chest.
Fluttershy looked at me like I had completely lost it for a second before regaining her composure. "Well, if you insist... the chickens need to be fed..."
"Awesome! I'll feed the chickens then. It's the least I can do after you provided me with such hospitality." I said before making a move towards the door.
Fluttershy looked like she was going to say something but decided against it. I shrugged and made my way over to the chicken coop located around the side of the cottage. 'Manual labor seems to be my new thing' I mused before diverting my focus to the task at ha...hoof...
"AHH SHIT!"
Let me just tell you, chickens are little demons. Every time I would try to feed them they would peck the fuck out of me until I was covered in scrapes and bruises. Eventually I got fed up and decided to just quit while I was ahead. That was the cue for them to begin chasing me around the yard with killer intent. I wasn't the best at running so the devil chickens were able to stay right on my heels.
I was currently making my fifth lap around the house when Fluttershy came out of her cottage to check on me. The moment she spotted me and my chicken pursuers, she let out a gasp and leaped into action. While I ran around the house like an idiot, Fluttershy grabbed up the chickens one by one and returned them to their coop.
I continued running around the house screaming like an idiot until I noticed that Fluttershy had long since put the last chicken back. I stopped my now pointless escapade and gave a sheepish look towards Fluttershy who was looking on with amusement. "Oh, um. *giggle* I forgot to mention that the chickens can be rather rowdy towards ponies they don't know. Sorry aboutthat..." she said giving me an innocent look.
"*huff* Don't *huff* worry about it. *huff* Just try to remember to tell me next time. *huff*"
"I'll be sure to do that. Oh! I think I see Twilight headed this way!"
I looked in the direction that Fluttershy had motioned and sure enough a now ragged looking Twilight was heading in our direction. Her mane was messed up for some reason and her expression looked strange. "Um, hey Twilight, are you okay...?" I asked.
"Oh just fine! I was able to organize a speech with the mayor but both Celestia and Luna are busy so you'll have to just wing it. Oh and by the way your speech starts in ten minutes so lets go C'MON."
"Twilight your insAANE..."
And with that I was dragged through the streets faster than I thought possible for the deranged unicorn grabbing my hoof. Within a few minutes I was behind a small stage of some sort about to speak in front of a bunch of ponies. 'The hell Twilight! What is wrong with you! *Sigh* I guess I better get this over with...'
I stepped up onto the stage and saw what seemed to be the entire town before me. Ponies of all shapes and sizes staring into my soul as I walked to the center of the stage. It was strangely silent when I had expected at least some insults shouted in my direction. I decided that it would be best to address them now while they were being somewhat respectful. I reached the very center of the platform and cleared my throat. 'Well here goes nothing...'
"*Ahem*. Thank you all for attending today. I know that some of you may not like me, and I understand considering the information you have been given... I hope to clear up any false accusations, and tell you my story which should hopefully put your concerns to rest. Several over-exaggerated statements that I eat sentient creatures and show no remorse while doing so have been thrown around. Now let me say, I will not deny that at one point I have eaten cow, pig, chicken, and sheep."
A few gasps sounded from the audience, "However... Let me tell you my story of how I came to Ponyville. You see, I'm am from another universe, another dimension altogether. This may seem superstitious but you have my word, and both princesses can back me up. In my old dimension, I was part of a species that was omnivorous. We ate all sorts of fruits and vegetables as well as animal tissue. In my dimension, the creatures that are sentient in this dimension were nothing more than wild or farm animals possessing no sentience. I would never in my lifetime, eat another creature that showed intelligence of any kind. And I promise you, for as long as I stay in your world, I will never eat a sapient creature. I am a pony now and I am to be likely for the rest of my life, so I will follow your rules, eat what you eat, and hopefully live the best life I can. All I ask is that you can forgive me for my past. Thank you all for your time..."
I stood there as the crowd stared directly back at me. I gulped and began to panic at the extreme silence. 'Shit, they don't believe me...'
"Ah believe him!" a voice rang out from the back of the crowd no doubt belonging to Applejack. This seemed to spark a reaction in the crowd as many of ponies nervously looked at each other as if trying to decide what to do.
Then all of a sudden out of the blue, I heard what sounded like a pony stomping the ground. It was soon followed by another pony, then another, and another, until the whole crowd was giving me a gracious applause or so I thought. I gave a huge shit-eating grin and walked off the stage with my head held high.
Vladimir Korzhakov was back, and he was here to stay...
After being congratulated by Applejack, Twilight (who was much less completely insane than before), and Fluttershy, I walked around and began talking with assorted ponies. Many tried to apologize for harassing me earlier but I assured them it was fine. It was nice to be able to just have casual conversation sometimes. I was quite surprised about how forgiving ponies were but I guess that's what they were taught to do. Twilight had informed me that forgiveness was a key virtue of pony society.
I spotted Rainbow Dash hanging out by herself surprisingly and decided to go talk to her. Upon spotting me coming towards her she gave me a glare much to my surprise. "Hey Rainbow. I just wanted say sorry about earlier. I think we both said some things we didn't mean yesterday and I just want you to know that I'm willing to put it behind us if you are."
"I'm no so sure about that..." she replied flatly obviously trying to ignore me.
"Uhh... well if you change your mind come find me," I said before backing away slowly.
'Whoa, whats her issue? Oh well, maybe she just has a problem with holding grudges. I might have to find somepony else to give me flying lessons...' I though as I left Rainbow behind and headed for Sweet Apple Acres.
"Whelp, hopefully tomorrow will bring some good news for once. I could go without all the hostility and negativity around here..." I said to myself. Boy what a week this was turning out to be...
I had no idea what I was even doing anymore. The last few days had been such a blur and I wasn't sure how much longer I could take all this craziness. I'd like to see you try being ripped from your dimension, change species, find out that you have no way back, and then try to adjust while being chased around by angry mobs. It's hard I tell ya!
So anyway, four days had passed since I did my speech and things were beginning to quiet down. I resigned myself to doing farm labor in exchange for food and shelter, and tried to not cause anymore trouble. So far I had been pretty successful mostly due to the fact that I had only returned to the town once since I was 'acquitted of murder'.
Outside of farm work, I had been talking with Twilight every day on all manners of things. She was extremely eager to learn more about the history and technology of my world. I in turn would ask small questions about hers. I had learned some basic facts about Equestria such as its government system which was a semi-constitutional diarchy from what Twilight had described. While Equestria had nobility and a parliament to run most government functions and elections for all manners of offices, the princesses had final say on any and all matters. The term "benevolent dictator" came to mind but even that seemed too harsh for the kind, wise, and friendly sisters I had met.
I explained to Twilight the government of my adoptive home The United States of America. The concept of a republic was not new to her world, just not anywhere near as common as mine. She explained that nearly every nation on the planet had some form of monarchical society. I learned of several nations outside Equestria and their heads of state. Due to the existence of dozens of sapient beings on Terra, most nations were formed by a specific species. Equestria was by far the largest and most populous of the world's nations and held the greatest power and political influence.
Other than my talks with Twilight, everything was quiet. I spent most evenings simply relaxing on the couch in the farmhouse talking with Apple family. They were all very down-to-earth ponies as you could probably guess. They cared deeply about family, honesty, hard work, and hospitality. Reminded me of my parents before their passing.
Life was simple, life was good.
It was the morning of my eighth day in Equestria and I was sipping some coffee while reading the local newspaper. The front page said something attaining to tensions growing between the equestrians and the griffons over a new tariff. I paid little mind to the over exaggerated politics and flipped the sports section. Apparently, in Equestria, they have a sport called hoofball which was remarkably similar to American football. I never was into football or any sports for that matter, so hoofball probably didn't have any appeal either. 'Lets see... Cloudsdale: 10, Manehatten: 14 [Final]. Ugh, why am I even reading this... '
I was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Applejack and Big Mac were out in the fields and Applebloom was at school so I stood up to go answer the door. The banging continued annoying me to no extent. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Sheesh!"
I yanked open the door to see who it was that was knocking and found myself face to face with two royal guards. My expression went from annoyance, to nervousness, and then finally rested on confusion. One of the guards cleared his throat and addressed me.
"Vladimer Koerzahkove?" he asked butchering my name.
"Yes?" I replied giving him a baffled look.
"We have a package for you from Princess Celestia," he replied gesturing to his partner who gave me a medium sized bag of something heavy and a large envelope addressed to me and fitted with a royal seal of some kind.
"Uh, thanks. Is that all?" I asked.
"Yes, have a good day sir," the stallion guard replied before turning and marching off in the direction of town, his fellow guard in tow.
I closed the door and returned to the kitchen lugging the bag up onto the table. I loosened the string that was sealing the top and looked inside. Coins... tons upon tons of coins were in the bag all having a picture of the royal seal carved on the front. On the back was the denomination of "one bit" as well as a motto printed in what I assumed was Latin; Solis, Luna, Semper in harmonia.. I assumed they were the local currency and turned my attention to the envelope to confirm my hunch. Inside was a few documents and a strange looking card made out of what appeared to be crystal which I tossed aside momentarily and a letter.
Dear Vladimir,
I hope I find you in good health since we last met. I assume you have begun to settle down after those 'eventful' first days. In the bag I have sent with this letter is one-thousand bits. Bits are the primary currency of Equestria and can be used nearly everywhere in the world. Consider this a gift from a friend to get you on your hooves. It should cover your living expenses for a few months while you acclimate.
Enclosed in this envelope, I have included a few documents that you will need sooner or later. The first is a birth certificate. I know you were not born in Equestria, but under the circumstances I believe that you will need some form of birth documentation. You did not mention your date of birth or age during our last meeting so I simply put your legal birthday as the day you arrived in Equestria and your age as twenty (I hope I'm close on that one). You can go correct these discrepancies at the town hall at your earliest convenience.
The second document is your Equestrian citizenship which I had approved the day after we met in the library. Normally it takes years to obtain an Equestrian citizenship, but I made an exception on your behalf since until now you were effectively stateless. You are now a legal citizen of Equestria and are expected to follow its laws and guidelines. You also gain the right to vote for any elections of mayor, council member, etc...
The third and final document that I have enclosed is a house deed. I have purchased you a house in town square of Ponyville that has a shop on the bottom floor. If you wish, you can by all means start up a business or simply rent the space out to a prospective entrepreneur. Just be sure to consult the mayor before you open up any shop. The top floor is strictly residential and is fitted with all the necessities. You may want to use some of your money to buy furniture or decorations, your call. The house has 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms and well as a kitchen/dining room and a living room. I hope you find it up to your standards. All I ask in return for this house is that you continue to provide us with insight into your world. The information you provide could be a great boon to our nation and the world. I will arrange monthly meetings with my sister and I to this end.
The small card I have enclosed is your ID. It has your picture (taken after your speech a few days ago) and your basic information. If you wish to enter any bars, night clubs, government buildings, or purchase train tickets you will need this card. I wish you luck in starting your new life in Equestria. I will hopefully find time in the next week to visit your new home if I am not busy with royal duties.
Your friend, ~Princess Celestia
PS: Although your speech was quite successful it went directly against my wishes not to reveal your past so quickly. I would not recommend acting with such hastiness in the future as it may lead to unforeseen consequences.
I blinked. 'Wow Celestia did all this for me? I... I didn't think I was worth her time. She called herself a friend. I'm friends with a princess? Well, next time I see her I'll have to give my gratitude.'
I read over the letter again just to make sure I didn't miss anything. It was too good to be true for me. I had the biggest ear-to-ear grin on by the time I had re-read the letter. I now had a house, money, and citizenship of a country I had only been in for eight days. Things were starting to turn around for me.
Just as I was about to retie the bag closed and organize the documents, Applejack burst in through the front door and made a beeline for me. "There ya are sugarcube! Ah've been lookin all over for y'all and... What's that ya got there?"
"Celestia decided to give me some money and a house along with some personal documents. I'll probably head into town in a few minutes to check out my new home." I stated still smiling softly.
Applejack looked a little downtrodden for a moment but quickly brightened up and softly punched my shoulder with a hoof. "Well that's great sugarcube. Ah know yer time here was just temporary, but we all think of ya as a close friend. It's a shame that you'll be leaving."
"Thanks Applejack. I think of you and your family as my close friends as well. And I can't thank you enough for your hospitality." I replied.
"Nonsense, we were just helpin' out a friend. Now why don't ya go see yer new house. And don't forget to visit!" Applejack said.
I slung the bag of bits on my back and took the envelope with the documents in my mouth and made my way for the door to head to town. After waving goodbye to Applejack and Big Mac who had come back to find his sister, I walked along the path out of Sweet Apple Acres towards the quaint town of Ponyville.
Things seemed to be starting to go well for me... as crazy as that may sound.
I reached Ponyville town square after a ten minute stroll and pulled out the house deed. 8777 Market St. was the address labeled on the document. After a few minutes of wandering I found the correct street and began reading the addresses. '8771, 8773, 8775... Ah 8777!'
I had arrived at 8777 which seemed to be in a newly developed area. Most of the shops were sporting GRAND OPENING or were still being set up. The shop that I apparently now owned was in a prime spot on the corner of Market St. and Everfree Ave. If I were to set up a business here then it would in a perfect spot for attracting customers. "Perks of having a princess buy you real estate," I mused.
It was then that I realized that I had no key. I looked at the house deed and found it was issued by a 'Trottingham Reality LLC'. I then saw that the company had been nice enough to list the address of their Ponyville offices which were conveniently just down the street. I walked two blocks south of my address and found the real estate agency. I walked in expecting to be in and out in about ten minutes or so. Oh was I wrong...
90 Minutes Later:
I finally emerged out of realtor office in a huff. The assholes in that place made me sign paper after paper for over an hour before finally giving me my key. It was like the DMV all over again... I turned around and gave the receptionist an angry glare through the window before proceeding back to my new home.
I turned the key in the lock on the front door and proceeded inside the empty shop section of my house. I decided not to worry too much about setting up a business just yet and proceeded through a door at the back of the room and into the stairwell. I climbed the wooden stairs to the top where I was greeted by my new home.
I emerged into the living room which contained only a splintering desk and a beaten-up couch. An unlit fireplace sat against the wall across from the couch. I decided that I would go furniture shopping tomorrow try and get this place looking a little more lively. 'I should also have this place repainted. The walls are... lime green, not exactly my color...'
The kitchen was a basic affair with several cupboards and drawers. A large french-door refrigerator and a four burner stove-top and oven were the only real appliances I could find, all magically powered of course. The knife drawer was empty which added another item to things I needed to buy. A sink and dish rack rounded out the room. It was as good of a kitchen as I could ever hope for considering I wasn't a 5-star chef by any means.
The bedrooms were equally plain, also adorning the gaudy lime paint. Each bedroom only had a simple queen-sized bed and a nightstand with table lamp. The master bedroom also came with a small dresser/mirror combination that looked as if it had seen better days. Even though this house was new, all the furniture seemed pretty hand-me-down. I assumed it must of been hard to acquire anything on such short notice so Celestia must of had whoever furnished this place scrounge up whatever they could find. Not that I was complaining, it was all stuff I could replace if need be and better it be used than non-existent.
The master bathroom was a lot larger than I was expecting. A full size bathtub sat in the corner and a generously-sized shower was also present. I was a bit taller than a lot of the ponies I had seen but I wasn't a giant. It was hard to tell how tall exactly I was considering everything in town was scaled down to pony dimensions. If I had to guess, I'd put my height on all fours at somewhere around four feet while the average adult pony seemed to be around three and a half. Even with my bigger size I could easily fit three of me in the shower alone.
I also found out that I could directly access the upstairs by going through a door around the back that had a stairwell down to ground level. It made sense considering it would be possible for the pony who owned the store to rent out the upstairs and not get ponies constantly going in and out of his/her store to get to their residence.
I set out back down the street towards the town square which was where most of the farmers and food vendors sold their various products. I bought a little of everything I could find to make sure I was well stocked. I then went into various stores to find essentials like the kitchen knives, various toiletries, and an alarm clock so I could wake up when I wanted. In all I spent 48 bits, not even 5% of my 1000, so I was confident that the sack of bits would last me for long enough until I had a stable source of income. It certainly helped that Celestia had bought the house outright so I wasn't saddled with mortgage payments every month.
Speaking of business, I began to brainstorm about which business I could really run. I guess I could run a construction/repair company. I had taken the time to learn what businesses were present in Ponyville during my talks with Twilight. While food and other wares were plentiful, the hamlet lacked several specialized jobs and often had to contract them from other cities.
When I had inquired on if Ponyville had a local construction or engineering firm she replied to the negative. The closest Ponyville had to a construction company was the local hardware store. Most ponies in town had to hire a contract company to travel here to do any large scale construction projects. Running my own company was something I had always dreamed of. It would be suitable to my talents and I could work on projects to benefit all of Equestria on the side with my knowledge of human engineering. I would probably need to hire a receptionist to set up appointments and a labor force for large projects but the rest I could do myself, for now.
I got back to my new residence and put away the food. Just as I was about to sit down and relax on the couch a knock on the door came. I couldn't possibly imagine who that could be so I stood up and trotted over to the door. I opened it to find Pinkie Pie standing there with the creepiest smile on her face. "Hi Vlady! I heard you got a new house so I bought you a housewarming gift!" she exclaimed handing me a small plant.
"Um... Thanks?" I said looking at the mare with confusion.
"Oh no problem! Gotta go! See ya later Vlady!" she replied before bolting off down the street.
"What the hell is the deal with that mare?" I muttered after closing the door.
I placed the fern-looking plant on the kitchen table and then went back to relaxing. It was still a mystery to me how Pinkie not only managed to know my new address but bring me a gift nearly 2 hours after moving in. I dismissed it as her being the crazy ass pony that she was and drifted off to sleep to get some much needed rest...
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
I awoke on the couch after who knows how long. I checked the single clock located above the fireplace to find out it was 8:30 a.m. 'I slept for 12 hours?! Jeez I must of been really tired!'
I ate a simple breakfast of just an apple and a glass of milk. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the newspaper had been delivered on the front doorstep. Not that I really cared about too much about what was going on in Equestria on the daily, it just gave me something to do while eating my morning meal. I burst out laughing upon seeing the front page headline...
Princess Celestia Grants Citizenship to Unknown Foreigner!
Stifling my laughs I began to read the article....
The Equestrian Foreign Relations Administration revealed yesterday that under orders of Princess Celestia, they granted citizenship to a foreigner (identity classified), after said foreigner has lived in our fair country for no more than a mere week. "We were completely surprised at the princess' actions." said the Minister of Foreign Relations. "We would of objected such a preposterous idea if it had not been for the direct order from Princess Celestia herself." When asked to explain her rash decision the princess responded with, "It is a personal matter between my sister and I. I can assure you that it will cause no danger and that there is no need for concern." The Equestria Times will continue to report on this developing story as information becomes more available...
"Looks like the media's all over you aren't they Celestia." I mused.
I began looking through other various articles when a knock came from my door. 'Hmm I wonder who that could be so early...'
I stood up and walked to the door which was still being pounded on by my unknown visitor. I flung the door open to find a very disgruntled looking Rainbow Dash standing outside. "Can I help you?" I asked with a confused look.
"Um... yeah can I come in?" she asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Sure, come on in..." I replied beckoning her inside while trying to determine what could make the arrogant mare act so nervous all of a sudden.
Once I had closed the door behind me I turned to face Rainbow and spoke up, "So... what brings you here? Is there something wrong?" I asked while looking at her with concern.
"Oh nothings wrong it's just..." she stopped mid sentence leaving me confused.
"It's just..." I said motioned her to continue
"It's just... I'M SORRY!"
I took a step back after her sudden outburst. "Uh what?"
"I'm sorry, ok? I've been treating you like dirt lately even when you try to be friendly... I just... I just let my stubbornness get to me sometimes... I... You didn't deserve to be treated like that I just..."
"Acted without thinking..." I finished for her while she could only nod.
"Rainbow... You may be stubborn, arrogant, and even a bit ignorant sometimes..." her face drooped more with every word clearly expecting me to chew her out.
"...But coming here and admitting this to me is enough to show me you actually care... It must of took a lot of guts to come up here and apologize after everything that happened, and for that you have my respect and I forgive you. Now... how 'bout we start over?"
"I'd like that..." she replied with a soft smile.
"Great! Now that we've settled our differences, am I to assume that flight lessons are back on?" I asked with a sly grin.
"Oh! I totally forgot! Yea, definitly! Meet me in town square at 4 o'clock sharp and we can get ya airborne!" she announced before walking towards the door.
"Cool, see ya then!" I replied before closing the door behind her.
'Whelp, I believe that settles all my "grudges". Good thing too, I don't like walking around knowing somepony hates my guts.'
The beginning of the day was pretty mundane after Rainbow's visit. I went to the hardware store and bought some tools and some dark blue paint. I decided to reserve buying furniture and decorations for after I had painted my new doge. After my hardware shopping, I ate lunch at a new cafe that had opened up just a block down the street from my place. By the time I was done with lunch and lugging my supplies home it was quarter to 4 so I took off for town square.
I reached the square five minutes ahead of schedule so I sat down on a bench and waited. 4:00, 4:05, 4:15, 4:30. Where the hell was she?! Finally, at around 4:35 Rainbow showed up yawning like she had just woken up. "Thanks for being on time..." I muttered.
"Heh, heh. Sorry, lost track of time..."
"Yea whatever... Let's begin shall we?" I retorted.
"You bet! But first we should preen your wings. They look horrible, no offense."
I opened my wings and found that they were indeed a bit scraggly looking. Some feathers were askew and some others were matted. Rainbow cleared her throat interrupting me, "As a pegasus, your wings are the most important aspects of your body. You have to take care of them to not only look good, but be able to maintain flight as well. Why don't we head to the meadow outside of town and I can teach you proper wing care."
"Cool, lead the way..." I replied genuinely interested in what I was going to be taught.
After a ten minute walk we reached the meadow and Rainbow motioned for me to sit down. "Now, because you have no idea what you're doing, I'll preen your wings for you. After today, your gonna have to do it yourself got it?" she explained.
I nodded... "OK, when preening, you have to find the loose feathers on your wings and pull them out. Loose feathers will prevent you from maintaining stable flight and reduce your turning ability. If you don't remove them, new ones wont grow in to replace them. You also have to seal the matted feathers down with your mouth. Watch me do your right wing and then you can try the left."
Rainbow set to work on my right wing. It was one of the strangest experiences I had ever had, let me tell you. Wings on pegasi are super sensitive so every time she would yank out a feather I would grunt a bit from the momentary pain. Despite the odd feelings, I payed close attention to her process to make sure I could copy it correctly. She would examine my wing until she found a loose or matted feather and then proceed with correcting it. It took about 5 minutes for her to finish my right wing and she seemed quite embarrassed about doing it considering her reddish cheeks. I assumed that pegasi only did it to others as a intimate thing so this was awkward for her to do. "Alright, all done. Now you try." she said motioning to my left wing.
Lifting the wing and tilted my head, I set to work with Rainbow's technique memorized in my skull. It took me around 10 minutes considering me being an amateur, but I did it pretty efficiently for my first time. Even Rainbow seemed to be impressed with my work. "Not bad rookie! Now let me explain a few important things about being a pegasus that you may not have known. After that we'll get you in the air!"
"Sounds good," I replied.
"Cool. So as you probably noticed, us pegasi are a bit fluffier than other ponies. This is to keep us warm high up where the air is a lot colder. Not only that, our fur is much more hydrophobic than our earthbound friends. If it wasn't, then water droplets would accumulate on our fur and wings and freeze at high altitude. The last thing you want is icing over in the air."
This was stuff that I had mostly figured out already but it was good to have my suspicions confirmed. Rainbow seemed to know her stuff considering she was using words like 'hydrophobic' that I'd never heard her use before. She was usually a mare of simple, confident words at least from I had seen.
"Pegasi also have a far larger lung capacity than other ponies. We need to be able to get more air with every breath to provide enough oxygen thousands of meters above the ground. While flight goggles are popular among pegasi especially on long flights, our eyes are naturally adapted for high speed air travel. You don't want to push it, but you should be able to keep your eyes open and focused even when flying close to the speed of sound."
"Wow, interesting. Is there anything else?" I asked as Rainbow finished her mini-lecture.
"Yeah there's pegasus magic which is a whole 'nother area. I'm not super knowledgeable in the sciency egghead stuff behind it but here's the general gist. While earth ponies channel their magic through their hooves and the earth, and unicorns through their horns, pegasi channel through their wings and the air itself. This gives us unmatched control over the atmosphere and the weather. Pegasi are the only pony tribe besides alicorns that can naturally walk on and manipulate clouds..."
"Wait, walk on clouds?" I asked. I had heard that pegasi had control over the weather but walking on condensed water vapor seemed a bit of a stretch.
"Yep! Here I'll show you!" she replied zooming off towards a nearby cloud. She grabbed the cloud with her forelegs and to my amazement literally pushed it down until it was just inches off the ground next to me.
"Alright, hop on!" she commanded patting the cloud with a hoof.
"Uh... what?" I asked staring at the cloud puzzlement.
"Ugh... Just jump on it. Trust me, you'll be fine," Rainbow encouraged giving me a genuine grin.
"Shit, okay... Here's goes nothing," I relented.
I got a bit of a run up to make sure I could get enough height to land on the cloud before launching myself towards it. I watched in mild terror as my hooves descended and met the surface of the fluffy white surface. I was so certain that I would fall right through and smack into the ground but true to Rainbow's word I felt my hooves stop and just like that I was standing on the cloud. It was a spit in the face of everything I had ever been taught about clouds but yet here I was.
"Wow, look at me Rainbow, I'm doing it!" I exclaimed my eyes lighting up with childlike wonder.
"You sure are bud. Don't get too excited," Rainbow said chuckling at my antics.
"This is amazing, it's so goddamn soft," I replied still amazed at my defiance of physics.
"Yeah clouds are about the softest material you can find. Do yourself a favor and get a high quality cloud bed for your house, you wont regret it."
I didn't doubt it. Standing on the cloud was like standing on the softest of pillows and I felt inclined the just curl up right there and go to sleep. It was squishy but firm, kind of like walking on a trampoline. My hooves didn't sink in as much as indent into the cloud surface a little bit. After I had gotten my fill of cloud walking I jumped back down and Rainbow returned the cloud.
"There are several techniques to manipulating clouds and the weather but we can over those some other time. Now that you've had your fun how about we actually get you airborne before the sun goes down," Rainbow barked.
"Alright! I'm ready!" was my enthusiastic reply. I was genuinely excited to experience flight, and not just from the inside of an airplane. My reservations about flying quashed by the anticipation of soaring in a way no human ever had.
"That's the spirit. Now you're a full grown pegasus so you shouldn't have any issues with getting lift like most foals do. Your wings are likely a little weak from being unused but you should do okay. Try extending your wings and giving them a few flaps."
I did as she said and began rapidly flapping my wings. I felt a little lighter on my hooves but besides that nothing was really happening besides my body quickly losing energy. "Try doing it with longer, harder flaps. Don't try to be a hummingbird..." Rainbow explained.
I slowed down my flaps and instead gave hard pushes towards the ground. I closed my eyes with concentration just thinking about my wing movements. Slowly but surely I felt my hooves leave the ground. By the time I opened my eyes, I was five feet off the ground. "I'm doing it! I'm flying!" I exclaimed.
Just as I did so, I broke my concentration and plummeted to the ground. With a loud "Oomph" I hit the ground and rolled over in a dazed heap. My vision became blurry for a second but I was able to regain my bearings only to find Rainbow Dash laughing her ass off at my fall. "Hahahaha! You should of seen your face! You were all like 'Oh no!' and then you smacked into the ground!" she exclaimed in between laughs earning her a glare from me.
"Aww, don't be upset! You did great! Soon you'll be able to fly without even thinking about it!" she said trying to comfort me.
"Yeah, I guess I got a bit ahead of myself huh?" I laughed.
"Anyway... I think we should call it a day. How 'bout we do these lessons twice a week from now on. Tuesdays and Fridays. Be sure to keep your wings in good shape in the meantime!"
"Alright, sounds good! See ya later!" I yelled as she took off at incredible speeds.
I arrived back home with a smile on my face. As brief as my flight had been, I had loved every second of it. Its just an indescribable feeling to have no rope, plane, or harness holding you up, to be up there completely by yourself. I couldn't wait for Friday's lesson so that I could get more flights in.
In the meantime, I began preparing my home for painting. I put blue masking tape on molding and moved the little furniture I had away from the walls. By the time I was done, it was 7:30 and the moon had replaced the sun in the sky so I decided to make myself a simple salad for dinner. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, carrots and a homemade vinaigrette. (I had learned how to prepare simple meals for myself in college.) It was as simple as it gets, and it was delicious.
I went to bed with a full stomach and happy thoughts of flight in my head. What another great day it was for me, and I couldn't wait for tomorrow...
Date:07:09:2014 Location:Denver, Colorado Status:Dr Alexander Collins is investigating the area where Vladimir Korzhakov was last seen Time: 14:00
Dr. Collins was on the prowl. While he was waiting for that lazy agent at the CIA to get him the needed information, he had decided to investigate the area where the weather anomaly had supposedly occurred. The only real evidence he had so far was a scorch mark on the asphalt some 2 blocks east of Mr. Korzhakov's workplace. Citizens reported seeing lightning strike somewhere in the vicinity but besides that he had little information.
Upon interviewing one witness, they had reported seeing a figure crossing the street right before the lightning had stuck. Collins was almost certain that it had to have been Korzhakov. He had thanked the witness and proceeded on with his investigation.
Upon reviewing the scorch mark, he found fine dust that had a blueish color scattered around the most heavily burned area. He collected a sample to take back to the lab with him and then called it a day. As he walked back to his hotel, he could only wander what happened to the pour soul of Vladimir Korzhakov...
"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." ~Arthur Ashe
I had made a mental list of my tasks for the day while eating breakfast.
1: Start painting the house 2: Begin laying down plans for my business 3: Finish painting the house 4: Eat dinner, go to bed
Pretty damn solid if I don't say so myself. I would apply the first coat of paint after breakfast and then apply the second before dinner. If everything goes well, I should be able to start decorating the place come tomorrow. All my time working at Mr. Campbell's place really taught me to be quick and efficient with my work so painting a 2 bedroom apartment in one day was a decently possible task for me.
After reading the paper, which to my disappointment had no interesting topics like yesterday, I began painting the apartment. I had done my fair share of painting so by the time I was finished with the first room, everything was going swimmingly. The dark blue paint looked SO much better than the lime green color that had previously occupied my walls. It really gave the place a more inviting look.
I just let myself get absorbed in my work slowly painting my home with natural finesse. Slow strokes of the paint brush were the only sound that occupied the apartment besides my occasional humming of various tunes from back on Earth. It was a bit annoying to paint the ceiling but I managed to get it done with relative ease with a stepladder I had picked up at the hardware store.
By 10:00am I had reached about the halfway point in my painting endeavors. I had managed to finish the living room and kitchen. The bathrooms were tile so they didn't need to be painted. All that remained were the two bedrooms. I sighed to myself and began to work on the master bedroom...
I officially finished the first coat of paint at 12:30pm and I was glad. I was exhausted from all the stretching to paint hard-to-reach places, and craning up to paint the ceiling. I took great pride in my work, but damn, it was exhausting. I now was eating a BLT without the B for lunch and a huge glass of water. I decided to knock out two birds with one stone and begin drawing up my store plans while I ate.
I was no interior designer but turning basic plans into blueprints was basically my job back on Earth so this was no problem at all. I just let my creativity and knowledge go free and design the store for me. By the time I was done, I was pretty satisfied with my rudimentary work.
The design was pretty darn basic. A lobby located at the front where the receptionist would work as well as a waiting area was first thing I drew up. I also decided on an office for myself so I could have my privacy when needed and talk to clients personally. The third and final room in the planned store was a large workshop located adjacent to my office. This is where I would do repairs and draw up plans for potential construction projects. It would have a large back door to the alley on the east side so I could lug in supplies without having to carry them in through the lobby. It wasn't the best design, but it was my design.
I finished my blueprints satisfied that I would be able to construct and run such a shop. I would probably have to take out a loan to pay for all the construction, tools, and decorating but I believed it was a possible project. I stood up to go grab my painting supplies and start the second coat when...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The whole house shook violently as I was thrown to the ground. The world became blurry for a few seconds and I thought I was going to pass out. Thoughts rushed through my head as to what could of caused such a tremendous quake and I was beginning to feel queasy. Luckily after about 20 seconds of lying on the ground I regained my vision and began the slow process of getting up. It was at that moment that I saw the orange glow coming from the bedroom windows...
Rushing to the window, a scene of hell itself was displayed before me. The house directly across the street from me was absolutely engulfed in flames. It was an awe inspiring scene of horrifying beauty and it took all my mental strength to peel myself away from the bedroom window.
I quickly grabbed a washcloth from the sink and soaked it in case anypony emerging from the burning nightmare needed it. I also made sure that none of my paint spilled so I wouldn't have a mess to clean up later. It was pretty selfish of me, but damn, I was acting on pure panic at this point.
As quick as I could, I ran to the front door and out into the street making sure to stay clear of the raging inferno across the street. I was greeted by a charred and panting stallion with a panicked look on his face. I immediately pulled him aside to try to get information. "What happened?!" I demanded from him.
"*Pant* Small fire broke out and ignited the fuel tank feeding the kitchen stoves. *Pant* I barely made it out alive. *Pant*"
I immediately turned to burning building and asked a question I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to, "Is anypony still in there?!"
The stallion who was beginning to catch his breath turned towards me with a stricken look of realization, "The store wasn't open for business yet so nopony's in the bottom floor but a family of three was renting out the upper floor. I'm not sure if they made it out or not..."
To confirm my worst fears, my eyes caught a dark figure moving across my view inside the upstairs window. "Shit! They're still in there!" I exclaimed hoping somepony would take action. Everypony was just so focused on the scene that they could care less that a family of three was in mortal peril. Gathering every amount of courage I had, I charged towards the burning building...
As I ran towards the flaming structure, I wrapped the wet washcloth across my muzzle to try and help me not only to breath but not catch on fire. I ran to the back stairs that had direct access to the top foor and bolted up them with incredible speed. I had a mission and god damn nopony was gonna stop me from achieving success.
I flung the door open to the upstairs apartment and was greeted by a wall of smoke and flames. I could barely see what was around me but I determined that the layout of the apartment was the same as my own and that I had seen the family in the master bedroom. Unfortunately for me, a burning mess lay in between me and my target. As adrenaline pumped through my veins, I charged headlong into the raging inferno.
It was living hell. I could feel the flames licking at my fur and flesh as I hacked and coughed my way over to the bedroom door. It took all the concentration I could muster to navigate through the living room and the kitchen. By the time I had reached the bedroom door, I was beginning to feel light headed and burned beyond belief. But still I mustered up more strength a bucked down the cracked door.
I entered the room to find a desperate scene in front of me. A hacking and coughing stallion was cowering in the corner with his barely conscious wife and filly. I ran over and got his attention and immediately a glimmer of hope dashed across his face. "I'M GOING TO TAKE YOUR WIFE AND FOAL FIRST AND THEN COME BACK FOR YA OK?" I shouted over the burning mayhem. He nodded and helped me drape his wife over my back and his kid on my neck.
The mare was looking at me with the little consciousness she was still retaining and had a pleading look in her eyes that just said, 'please help us.' Her foal was knocked out cold at this point and would need to receive medical attention soon. I put a determined look on my face and turned back to the task at hand.
With new found strength, I ran back into the the hellish scene on the other side of the door. Twenty feet away from me was my goal of the front door. Each step I took reminded me that I was carrying not only the weight of myself but two other ponies as well. I felt like I might collapse from exhaustion and oxygen deprivation any second but I pressed on with an iron will. All around me the building was beginning to deteriorate as I walked.
By the time I reached the door, the building looked ready to collapse. I quickly began to rush the mother and foal to a safe location so they could receive medical attention. I gave them to a helpful civilian on the street before taking in some much needed oxygen and ran headlong back into the building.
This time around, getting to the bedroom was a horrible gauntlet. Beams were beginning to collapse in the ceiling, and the floor was beginning to crumple. I reached the door once again but not before receiving several deep cuts and scrapes from the obstacle course from hell.
The stallion, to my relief, was still conscious and able to move so I helped him to his hooves and began to to assist him to the door. What I saw before me was nothing short of terrifying. The whole room outside had collapsed and was now impassable. Beams and fire littered the desolate rubble and I immediately knew we would have to find another way out.
I ran to the window and saw the big break I was looking for. The volunteer fire department had finally arrived and was attempting to quench the still raging fire trap. I swiftly smashed the window with my hoof not caring about the large pieces of glass that were now embedded in my foreleg. I stuck my head out and waved my hooves around attract attention. A firepony finally looked up and saw me with a look of horror on her face. "WE'RE COMING OUT THE WINDOW!" I shouted and the pony nodded rushing off to her comrades.
I turned my head back to the stallion who had finally succumbed to unconsciousness and was crumpled on the floor. With all the little strength I had left, I dragged the unconscious stallion over to the window and looked out see the fireponies ready with a net to catch us. I pushed the stallion out the window and made sure he landed in the net before preparing to jump myself. Just as I was about to leap, I heard a noise behind me...
I spun around to see the roof of the master bedroom beginning to collapse. I quickly turned back around and managed to dive out the window but on the way out something solid knocked me on the head and I nearly blacked out. The last thing I remember was landing in the safety of the fire net and my vision slowly fading to black as a ringing in my ears lulled me into the quiet embrace of unconsciousness...
I awoke in what appeared to be a pitch-black room. Everything was black and my depth perception was completely short circuiting due to the lack of any discernible objects.. All of a sudden out of the void a figure appeared. It looked like a pony but I couldn't be entirely sure at this point. I ran through the non-existence towards the figure to find myself face-to-face with Princess Luna. "Relax thyself Vladimir. Tis only a dream. We... I wish to talk to you." she said.
"Um, ok? What's up?"
"We... I... sorry my sister has been trying to force us... me... to use modern Equestrian. I would first like to commend you on your valiant actions that saved the lives of three ponies. It confirms that our... my sister's trust and kindness was not misplaced. All three will make a full recovery along with you, who was the most injured out of the five ponies admitted the hospital last night."
"Um, thanks, I was just acting on impulse. I couldn't bare to watch any innocent ponies die while I stood by and did nothing."
"It matters not. Thou... ugh... You acted with extreme valor and upon your recovery will be awarded for your actions. Because you were unconscious, I had to visit you in the dreamscape to inform you of this."
"Oh well thank you Princess. I'm not sure I deserve any sort of award but I appreciate the thought. It's good to see you again as well. We haven't spoken since my tell-all at the library the other day," I responded.
"Tis good to see th..you again as well. I hope we do not continue to meet under these circumstances though," Luna chided.
"Haha, I don't plan on doing anything like this again anytime soon. So how long have I been out?" I asked.
"12 hours or so. You will most likely wake up within 24 hours but I can not guarantee anything. For now rest up, and be happy that thanks to you, a loving family of three will live to see another day..."
And with that, the figure of Luna faded into the black and I slowly drifted back into the depths of my unconscious mind...
I have no idea how long I was unconscious, but most of the time was spent dreaming about fucking rainbows. One interesting dream consisted of me starting a communist revolution and leading a Bolshevik march on Canterlot. I hope that wasn't some foreshadowing because I really didn't wan't the New Soviet Union to be established let alone be the leader of it. Maybe I should change my last name to Lenin...
Anyway, I woke up to an annoying high-pitched beeping noise piercing my ears. I quickly found that it was a heart monitor beeping away like my fucking alarm clock back home. I took my right hoof and whacked it to the right forcefully. A satisfying crash sounded to my right and I closed my eyes with a satisfied smile. 'Stupid heart monitors... hate hospitals... so... tired...'
My peace was short lived though as somepony burst into the room obviously trying to figure out what the ruckus was about. "Whats going on in here?" I heard a masculine voice say.
"The monitor was annoying me, so I mutilated it..." I responded smugly.
I opened my eyes to see a doctor standing at my bedside with an angry expression on his face. "That's an expensive piece of equipment! If you wanted it turned off you could've just asked! Now I have to get it repaired!" he exclaimed.
"Well your in luck doc, cause I happen to be a repairpony." I replied with a smirk.
"Ugh. Just don't move... I'm going to get my assistant to give you a quick examination... and a janitor to clean up your mess..." he said before shuffling back out of the room.
I sat there with a smirk on my face for a few minutes until said assistant came in to check on me. A white mare with a nurse's cap on came into my room with a bag of tools in tow. "Wow when the doctor told me you broke the heart monitor I didn't believe him..." she said looking at the smashed machine on the floor.
"What can I say, I have a hatred for hospital equipment," I responded with a shit-eating grin on my face.
"Ugh, anyway I'm Nurse Redheart and I'm going to be preforming your checkup," she said pulling out a stethoscope.
"That's fine. Just don't touch the face." I replied trying to agitate the nurse ever more.
Nurse Redheart began giving me to good old check up while I just sat there making sarcastic quips. Apparently I was in decent health besides recovering from smoke inhalation and several burns and lacerations. The nurse packed up her stuff and hightailed it out of there not wanting to be near me any longer much to my amusement. I can be a dick when I'm bored.
Anyway on her way out she mentioned that I had some visitors and that she would send them in. And so after a few minutes to myself ponies began filing into my hospital room. First came Twilight then Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie (Who had her creeper smile on), as well as (much to my surprise) Celestia. I gave them a small grin before clearing my throat to address them. "Hey ladies," I said simply.
It was surprisingly Fluttershy who spoke up first among the seven ponies in the room. "Oh Vlad, we're so glad you're alright! When we saw you passed out in the street we assumed the worst!" she said squeezing me tight before realizing her actions and withdrawing mumbling 'sorry'.
"Glad to see you too..." I murmured my sides now hurting.
"I heard from the doctors that you've been terrorizing their hospital equipment, is that true?" Celestia asked with an amused smirk.
"Nah, the docs in this place are crooks. Trying to squeeze every last coin out of ya." I replied smugly.
Celestia just rolled her eyes at that while Twilight was giving me glare that said 'Don't you fucking mouth off to my mentor mister! I don't care if you're hospitalized, I will fucking throw you out the window'. At that very moment a janitor came in saying he needed to clean up the heart monitor that I had broken which was still lying on the floor. I could only grin sheepishly as the the seven ponies (except Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy) gave me amused stares.
Celestia was the first one to break the silence clearing her throat to get my attention. "Well Vlad, despite your... odd behaviors, we all are extremely glad to see you alive and well. The doctors have said that you'll be ready for release by tomorrow afternoon if everything goes well and that you should consider yourself lucky."
"Jeez what is it 'Scold the Hospitalized Pony' day?! I know my actions were a bit rash but I saved three lives!" I exclaimed defending my case.
"And those ponies are very grateful for your actions. They were released from the hospital a few hours ago but I notified them of you being awake and they should drop by later," Celestia said gently.
"Cool I guess... So is there anything else you wish to discuss or can I go back to sleep?" I asked with a yawn.
"Actually there is," Celestia began, "Your daring rescue managed to make national news. Ponies all over Equestria have heard of your act of heroism. As such it will be prudent that you be recognized for your actions. I invite you to Canterlot in a weeks time so we can do just that."
"Great just what I need, more time in the spotlight." I said rolling my eyes. Ever since college I hadn't minded standing up in front of tons of people or ponies in this case, but it wasn't something I was actively going for.
"It would only be a ten minute ceremony or so, I'm sure you'll live," Celestia said giving me her usual warm smile, "Now if you'll excuse me I must be off. Suspending day court for more than a few hours tends to make the nobles cranky."
And with a flash of light Celestia was gone and all that remained were Twilight and Co, each of which gave me their best before leaving me to rest. Pinkie even insisted that she throw me a party once I got out so that was something to look forward to. I managed to drift off back to sleep after closing my eyes and counting sheep (stupid I know but it works).
I awoke to the sound of the door to my room opening and hooves clip-clopping on the floor. I forced my eyes open to three ponies that I recognized but in my grogginess failed to properly identify. "Ughhfh, Hi can I help you? *yawn*" I asked rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
Upon my mind waking up I realized they were the family I saved. The mother and filly seemed perfectly fine save a bandage or two, the father wasn't bad but had quite a few more bandages than the rest of his family. Still, they were up and about which was good. I gave them a friendly smile and the father spoke up, "We're here to thank you for saving us. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be standing here now." he said giving me an appreciative look.
"I just did what had to be done," I stated simply.
The father looked surprised at my answer but decided to respond none the less, "You are a hero in all our books even if you don't believe it yourself; and to show you our appreciation we decided to get you a gift," he said pulling out a brightly wrapped gift box.
"Uh thanks, you didn't really have to..." I murmured.
"Of course we did dear, you saved our lives," the mother said softly.
I decided that arguing any further would be futile and began unwrapping the gift. As the wrapping paper fell off a interesting object that I had never seen before revealed itself. It was a necklace from the looks of things but attached to the end was a crystal of some sort. I examined it a bit before turning to the family for an explanation. "It's an Eternal Stone. Legends say that anypony who wears one is allowed to cheat death once in their lifetime. It was passed down in our family for generations but we believe it would best in the hooves of you," The mother explained with a soft smile.
"I....I can't accept this, it must be worth a ton!" I stammered.
"We have no use for it, and we see it fit for somepony who risks his life for the safety of others," the father said.
"I...uh...thank you! It means a lot!" I replied finally accepting the gift and putting it around my neck.
"It was nothing dear," the mother said, "Now why don't we take our leave so you can get your rest."
"Uh...wait! I didn't catch your names!" I blurted out as they were turning for the door.
"Oh silly me, we must of forgot," the mother said bashfully, "My name is Silk, this is my husband Iron Forge and our filly Violet."
"Nice to meet you... formally," I said which caused Silk to giggle softly, "I'm Vladimir Korzhakov, accidental inter dimensional traveler and crazy Russian."
"I though you looked familiar," Iron said, "That was some speech the other day."
"Yea, I guess it was..." I said sheepishly.
We went into a very awkward silence at that point. I had nothing really left to say to them and they seemed to be tied between leaving or waiting for somepony to speak up. That was until a small voice decided to speak up. "Um mister?" the little filly named Violet asked.
"Yes little one?" I said giving her a soft smile.
"Thh...Thank you for saving me and my mommy and daddy," she replied hugging my foreleg tightly with small tears of joy coming from her eyes.
"You're welcome kid, you're welcome," I sighed in content with a lone tear digging at the corner of my eye.
After the cute the little hug was over the three departed promptly and left me alone with my thoughts. 'You know, I may be injured to all hell but saving that family was the right thing to do...'
I drifted back to sleep after a few minutes of staring at the ceiling and found myself in the dreamscape once again. Wondering the reason behind another meeting so soon I spoke to the figure that would no doubt be showing up any moment. "What can I do you for Princess Luna?" I asked.
The figure of said lunar diarch appeared seconds later with a look of concern on her face. "Apologies Vladimir, but I come bearing most troubling news. I have learned from one of my special agents that somepony is following you."
I looked up in confusion at the information, "Following me? What for?"
"I am not sure at present, but it may have something to do with your origins. My agents are attempting to learn anything about your shadow and who they are associated with as we speak. I do not believe them to be a threat to you for the time being, but I have plans in place to protect you should they decide to act."
This was shocking information to say the least. I tried to think who would care about my origins so much to potentially hurt me. It brought me back to a strange encounter I had shortly after my arrival in Equestria.
"Shortly after our second meeting in the library I randomly passed out and woke up in a black room with a table and telephone. When I picked up the phone an ominous voice spoke saying it knew my origins and potential and was coming for me. I thought it was some exhaustion-fueled hallucination at the time but it seems to have some similarity to what you're describing." I explained to which Luna's expression turned from intrigue, to puzzlement, and finally anger.
"This means we have a mole somewhere in our ranks!" Luna exclaimed stomping her hoof, "Nopony would know of your origins or your species capabilities at the time unless they were listening in on our conversation that day! The only ponies close enough to hear us would be the guards that were stationed at the library. This is most disturbing news indeed, I will have to launch an internal investigation to find the pony responsible."
"Are you sure it was a guard? What if somepony snuck into the library prior to our conversation and was listening in?"
"It is unlikely that was the case. My sister and I both magically scanned the room while you were talking to detect anypony present. Unless the perpetrator had a magical cloaking device powerful enough to repel alicorn magic then there was nopony else in the library." Luna scowled still in a fowl mood.
"So what does this all mean? What could I possibly know or do that would give them reason to target me?" I asked now very much concerned for my well-being.
"It is likely that they heard of the weapons you described your people using. They may wish to recreate these weapons here in Equestria and use them to some nefarious end. They most likely think you may know more than you let on about your species' weaponry and intend to retrieve the information by force if necessary. Should they be able to manufacture items such as the "nuclear bombs" you described, they would be nearly unstoppable."
"Sucks to be them cause I have no idea how any of that crap is built or works. I'm not some nuclear technician, I'm just a wet-behind-the-ears engineer!" I scoffed.
"I still advise you to be cautious. I do not believe they are ready to make any moves yet and that they are only doing preliminary scouting but we must be prepared for anything. I will continue to have my agents monitor your shadow and ensure your safety. We cannot make a move to arrest them at this time until we can properly identify their employer. Be careful Vladimir, you are a friend to myself and Equestria and I would not wish to see you harmed."
"Will do," I grunted back.
The dreamscape dissolved and I was left with my thoughts once again.
I woke up the next day with new-found vigor. Today was the day I was getting out of the hospital... Finally. I'm pretty sure the hospital staff are fed up with me by now considering the meals I'm receiving seem to get less and less edible (not that they were in the first place). Nurse Redheart was given the painstaking task of watching over my annoying ass and I'm pretty sure if she had to do this even a day longer I would end up leaving the hospital in the same condition I entered it with.
It was now 9:30am and I had just finished my breakfast of really bland oatmeal and orange juice in the hospital cafeteria. All the ponies in here seemed rather uninteresting in causal conversation so I just meandered back to my room to pack up the very few belongings I had. I had received several gifts from various ponies in the last few days and they had collected in a small pile in the corner.
The necklace thing from Silk, Forge, & Violet, a half-eaten box of cupcakes from Pinkie (those things are amazing but also diabetes waiting to happen), a book on Equestrian History from Twilight, a wing-care kit from Fluttershy, various Wonderbolts gear from Rainbow Dash, a badass looking jacket from Rarity which was quite a surprise considering she normally makes dresses and more 'feminine' wear, a few jars of something called 'Zap Apple Jam' from Applejack (I have yet to try), and several cards from secret admirers and whatnot commending me for my heroism.
I gathered everything up and stuffed it all into my saddlebags which had been brought to me by Twilight yesterday, and headed to the lobby to checkout. Apparently Celestia had hoofed the bill so all I would need to do was sign my name and get the hell out of this ammonia-smelling hell. I did just that and once again I was outside in the bright sun and the crisp, clean, air.
"This place is too goddamn perfect," I muttered under my breath.
And I was right. Earth may of been a war filled, polluted, cesspool of shit but it was like a home to me. These ponies walked around all happy every day of their life, not seeming to care about anything whatsoever. The closest thing they've had to a 'catastrophe' was some event a few months back, before I had arrived, involving some "God of Chaos" that tried to takeover Equestria. He ruled the lesser half of two days before being overwhelmed by the.... get this... 'power of friendship'. That is honest to god what Twilight told me which resulting in full blown hysterics on my part.
"Power of friendship my ass," I chuckled a little to loudly getting some awkward looks from passing ponies.
I just kept walking holding my head high. There isn't a damn I could give about what any of em' thought of me. I may have to spend the rest of my days here, but I'm not going to turn into some idiot frolicking in the flowers and singing about harmony. I'll just live my life and try not to assimilate completely.
It was at this point in my mental rant, that I began to notice where I was. Looking around I determined I was about 5 or 6 blocks from my house so I decided to head in that direction. That was, until somepony interrupted me...
"Yo Vlad! You got out?" came a voice from overhead. I looked up to see Rainbow Dash giving me an amused smirk.
"Yeah, good riddance. Hospitals are awful," I replied with a grimace.
"Definitely! Hospitals suck!" Rainbow affirmed. "Anyway, I was hoping we could continue our flight lessons. We need to get you airborne!"
"I'm a bit tired right now Rainbow, how bout' in a few days," I responded with a sigh.
"Aww! I was looking forward to getting my newest flyin' buddy in the air!" she exclaimed with disappointment. "Alright, but you better be ready by Friday!"
"Sure thing Rainbow." I acknowledged before leaving the blue pegasus to continue the journey back home.
Soon the comforting view of my new home came into sight just a block or so down. As I get close I look across the street to see the burning remains of the building I so recently escaped with my life. Despite intense fire damage some of the main supports of the building managed to remain standing but everything else was torched to a crisp. From what I could see a crew of ponies had already started clearing away the rubble so reconstruction could begin. Considering all the other profound miracles I had witnessed in the past few days I wouldn't be surprised if the place was good as new within a week.
I entered my quaint apartment to find it almost exactly as I had left it. The paint had dried fine (lucky for me) so there was no need to continue anymore manual labor for the time being. Hey, laziness is one of my better qualities if only for not getting me into trouble every so often. Procrastination for the win!
After I made a thorough check of my apartment for anything out of the ordinary, it suddenly dawned on me how tired I was. Sleeping in the hospital is easier said than done you know! I shuffled my way over to my bed before collapsing to get some much needed rest...
I woke to the sound of banging on my door. I groaned loudly in annoyance at the rude interruption to my sleep. "Hello? Anypony home?" I heard a muffled voice call as the banging continued.
"Yeah, yeah I'm comin'!" I called back in response, stretching out my aching muscles before shambling over to the door. I yanked the door wide to reveal Ditzy Doo in a mail-carrier outfit.
"Delivery for... Vladumer Korzhaekuoff," she said butchering my name. She help out a letter in her mouth for me which I accepted.
"Hey Ditzy, how you doing?" I asked.
"Oh, hi Vlad! Didn't know you lived here. I'm doing fine, just out delivering the mail. Sorry if I said your full name wrong it has a lot of crazy letters," she said blushing slightly.
"No problem at all, most ponies don't pronounce it right the first time," I reply giving her a grin.
"Well it was nice seeing you again. Feel free to stop by my place for muffins sometime. I've gotta go, the mail wont deliver itself!" she exclaimed taking off from my porch in a wobbly manner before regaining her composure and flying away to her next delivery.
I waved her off before closing the door and scrutinized the letter I had been given with intrigue. On the front was my name and address and everything you would expect out of a normal letter. The only other thing I took notice of was the red 'Priority Shipping-First Class' stamp on the front. I deduced that whatever this was, it must be important.
I tore open the envelope to reveal a fancy looking letter fastened shut by an elaborate seal with the words Royal Parliament engraved at the bottom. I carefully opened the letter and began to read;
Mr. Korzhakov,
In light of your recent act of heroism, the Canterlot Royal Parliament and Their Royal Highnesses Celestia and Luna invite you for a honorary ceremony as recognition for your actions. The ceremony will take place in Canterlot this coming Saturday. At this time due to Royal Law of Equestria, your presence for this event is obligatory. All transportation and accommodations have been arranged and will go as follows.
Friday 9:30 A.M.: Departure via train from Ponyville to Canterlot Friday 2:30 P.M.: Arrive at Canterlot Station and meet up with envoy waiting on platform. Friday 2:45 P.M.: Transportation via carriage to the Royal Castle. Friday 3:00 P.M.:...
(Annnnnnnnnd blah, blah, blah. I swear whomever wrote this has severe OCD issues. Every last detail of my four day visit to Canterlot was written out in extreme detail. I bet if one thing was to go awry this pony's head would explode from panic fueled rage. Anyway...)
Enclosed within this letter are your train tickets for your departure and return journeys. We at the CRP are eagerly awaiting your arrival and hope your stay is most wonderful,
Sincerely, Regal Dictation, official scribe of the Canterlot Royal Parliament.
I sighed as I finished reading the letter which I discarded on the kitchen table. I had been informed of this by Celestia earlier so this invitation was no surprise on my end. It was still only Monday so I had plenty of time to rest and recuperate from my hospitalization which was a plus but I still wanted to just stay at home and sleep for a month or two. Oh well.
"I guess I'm going to Canterlot!" I exclaim unenthusiastically.
Two days pass rather uneventfully for me, most likely because I slept half the time and lazed around my house the other half. Nevertheless, it did wonders for my health and energy. Most of my cuts and bruises had faded away and the burned areas of my fur were growing back at a steady rate. It was nice to have a break finally after the craziness of the previous week, even if I was going to Canterlot in two days time.
I was currently eating my lunch of an apple and a daisy sandwich (they're good, don't know how) when I was startled by a loud knock on my door. I quickly wolfed down the rest of my sandwich before striding over to the door. I unlocked said door and then made sure I was at least not a complete mess before swinging it wide open. What was on my doorstep made me roll my eyes...
You see, after my daring rescue last week, Celestia announced on my behalf that the media would not be allowed to interview or question me about the incident without explicit permission from the crown. I was extremely grateful for this considering I hate excessive amounts of public attention and would prefer not to be swarmed by paparazzi. Apparently some ponies didn't get the memo.
On my front... porch I guess you can call it... was a tannish unicorn mare who looked the most stereotypical journalist ever. I mean she had it all. A brown fedora with a quill sticking out the back, a notepad and pencil suspended via magic, and black-rimmed spectacles attached firmly to her muzzle. Beside her was another unicorn, stallion this time, who had a camera strapped to his chest and possessed a douche-y goatee on his face (still don't get how pony facial hair works).
"Can I help you?" I asked just to humor them.
"Ah Mr. Korzhakov?" the mare asked a smile adorning her face.
"The one and only," I replied rolling my eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too," she replied just as sarcastically, "Me and my associate would like to conduct an interview with you."
"Well unless I see some form of approval from the princesses you ain't get nothing," I snorted, "I don't know if you've heard but you have to go though them in order to interview me about the incident 'cross the street."
"Hmm a shame. Lucky for you we aren't here to interview you about that," she replied with a smirk, "May we come in? There is much to discuss."
"Am I allowed to refuse?" I snark back.
"Of course. But that would make me ever so sad," she pouted giving me the puppy dog eyes.
It seemed this mare would not take no for an answer. Sigh. "Ugh, fine but this better not be a waste of time," I replied opening the door to allow the two in.
With glee she and her associate (who kept the neutral expression on his face) walked inside. I closed the door behind me, preparing myself for another looooong day.
Chapter 17, The Interview (Not the North Korean One)
Date: 01/20/2015 Location: Area 51, Nevada, United States Status: Dr. Alexander Collins is currently sitting at his computer nearing the end of his work day. Time: 17:30
Dr. Collins looked at his computer screen with a sigh before reaching for his keyboard to begin typing the closing statements on the case that had been assigned more than 6 months prior. It had been a long 6 months at that and nearly no progress had been made. Collins had finally been ordered by his superiors earlier that day to close the case and move on.
Ever since his visit to Denver, Colorado in July of the previous year, Collins had been stuck in a landslide of confusion. The samples he had collected at the site of the incident that led to the disappearance of one Vladimir Korzhakov had been brought back to Area 51 for testing and had shocked scientists all across the compound.
The blue-ish substance he had collected was analyzed thoroughly and the results were unbelievable. It was made of particles that no-one had ever seen before. No amount of chemical or microscopic analysis provided any links to any elements, particles, or molecules discovered before. The particles were declared a scientific impossibility and were simply named I-particles. Dr. Collins had requested further research into the particles but after 6 months of testing nothing had been accomplished.
Things didn't get any better when he heard back from the CIA in late November. Langley had reported that the documents containing vital information about the similar event in 1814 were so highly classified that only the president could access them. Due to how low priority the case was, getting the president to re-open the documents was nearly impossible. Collins had told the CIA not to bother.
'...And therefore, due to inconclusive evidence as well as unexplained phenomena, I must close Case 0327D. Until further evidence is provided, no further progress on explaining the incident can be made. As for the missing citizen, we can only assume him as deceased considering no signs of his survival have surfaced. He has no legal descendants and no written will so his belongings will be auctioned off by the state and his house will be vacated for the current landlord. Signed, Dr. Alexander Collins 01/20/2015
Meanwhile...
"So," I said glaring daggers at the reporter and her camera-pony, "What is it that you wish to interview me about?"
The mare and her lackey were currently sitting on my couch while I was sitting slightly to the side in a stool I had pulled over from the kitchen. She looked like she had just won the lottery with her smile and enthusiastic attitude while her counterpart could care less. "Well first off let me introduce myself. I'm Scrivener and this is my partner Shutterbug. We represent the Canterlot Times."
"Pleasure," I replied sarcastically, "I'm assuming I need not introduce myself since you already seem to know who I am."
"Of course how could I not. You're all over the news as of late!" she exclaimed stars in her eyes.
I snorted. "Thanks for reminding me."
"I can see why nopony has gotten a real interview with you yet," she replied with emulated sarcasm.
"I don't like you already," I countered chuckling slightly, "Anyway back on topic..."
"Ah yes. I was hoping to interview you about your past." she said her face now adorned with a look of extreme concentration.
"As in my past, past?" I replied.
"The before you came to Equestria past," she affirms realizing my fear.
"I'm not so sure I want to discuss that," I respond my face darkening.
Scrivener see's my expression and she panics. "Oh no no! I just wanted the personal aspects of your life for an article meant to show that any everyday pony can act as a hero if the time arises. Equestria has issues with ponies panicking at the slightest hint of danger and we hope this article will lessen that."
"Oh, well.... If you allow me to skip any questions I don't really wish to discuss then I guess I'll let you interview me," I reluctantly agreed. Might as well do it now and get it over with.
"Excellent! Just let me get my notes ready and we can begin," she beamed in response.
"Alright," I replied.
After flipping her notepad to a new page and taking a deep breath of concentration she turned to me ready to start firing questions. "So what was your occupation before you came here?" she asked.
"I worked for an engineering firm," I respond. I tried to be as vague as possible to not hint at my origins. While the fact that I was an inter-dimensional alien was common knowledge in Ponyville, I'd rather avoid having it plastered all over the newspaper. This mare was from Canterlot so she likely hadn't heard of my actual origins or so I hoped.
"Ah, and what was life like for you back home?" she countered after jotting down my answered.
"Pretty unsatisfying to say the least. I had a run-down apartment and barely made enough to afford anything besides food and a few drinks now and again. Everyone I knew was either a co-worker or a drunk.”
“Every...one?” she asked raising her brow.
‘Shit, shit, shit. I slipped up! How could I do that?! Urgh! I need an excuse and quick!’
“I uh.. meant everypony! Everyone was the more common term back where I’m from…” I blurted out.
"Oh. Alright then... Did you have any family or friends who lived with you?"
"My parents died in a... train crash when I was eleven years old," I responded a solitary tear welling up in my eye before I shook it away. I never had much of an issue discussing my parents' deaths but it still was an emotional event in my life. "I didn't have any friends or siblings either."
"Oh you poor dear! How did you manage?" she gasped.
"I lived in an orphanage until I was eighteen, went to college for two years, and then went off on my own."
"How tragic! You've been to able to pull through so well though."
"Yeah I guess. Those experiences taught me valuable life lessons and helped me become the... pony I am today."
"What was it that made you decide to come to Equestria?"
"I... um I just decided I needed a restart and a fresh perspective. It's a lot nicer than before,"
"That's good to hear. How do you plan on making a living in Equestria?"
"Oh well, pretty much the same way as back home but this time I will be running my own company rather than working for somepony else."
"Well I hope it works out for you. Last question. Do you believe anypony can rise up to the occasion and do what needs to be done in a time of peril?"
"Yes, if you listen to your heart and rise to the call of danger, you can overcome any obstacle no matter the severity."
"Alright! Now just let Shutterbug take your picture and we’ll be off!" she concluded writing down the last few tidbits.
"Sure," I reply standing up so the guy can snap my photo with his 50's style camera.
“Look right at me,” he grunted positioning his camera for the ‘perfect shot.’
After a bright flash that left me momentarily blinded and a few goodbyes uttered by Scrivener, her and her partner left my house promising that if all went well, my interview would make headlines tomorrow.
Sure enough, the newspaper the next day was sporting a large picture of me with the title:
Vladimir Korzhakov; Civilian Hero
I read through the entire article to make sure nothing was out of order and found that besides a few alterations here and there, the main context of the interview was intact. To give credit where is due, it was one fine piece of journalism.
Scrivener was even nice enough to mention that I was a quote on quote "humble pony for allowing us this interview despite his apprehensiveness on the subject." I found that part pretty hilarious considering it was probably a shout to other reporters to leave me alone but it probably wouldn't deter them in the slightest.
I continued to read some other articles, most which were political and boring as hell, before picking myself off the couch and out the door into the early morning bustle of Ponyville with every intent on getting myself a decent breakfast.
There was a surprising amount of ponies out and about at this time of the morning, most heading to their jobs or to the coffee shop a few blocks down the street. I have never found the taste of coffee appealing so that wasn't somewhere I would be visiting anytime too soon. To each their own, I guess.
As I neared the center of Ponyville near the market, I saw several vendors setting up their stands for the day, including Applejack to whom I gave a friendly wave which she happily returned. It was nice to see that I was just another face in the crowd these days (despite the occasional praise which wasn't hard to deal with.)
I found the diner Rainbow Dash had taken me to last week and ordered myself a hearty breakfast consisting of 'haycakes' which were just the pony equivalent of pancakes, as well as some eggs, hash browns, and a large glass of OJ. It was an amazingly delicious meal that left me with a bulge in my stomach and a sated appetite for the rest of the morning.
I exited the diner to see the sun high in the morning sky and the market buzzing with activity. Ponies were going about their daily lives, buying food and items from the vendors and conversing with each other as they went. That's the magic of a small town I suppose, it's a much more closely-knit community.
I spotted Applejack again and this time she beckoned me towards her obviously wanting a word. 'Why not' I thought to myself and made a detour for AJ's stand. "Hey Applejack! What can I do ya for?" I asked politely as I approached the stand.
"Oh, not much Vlad. Just want to know how y'all are holding up."
"Ohhhh, I'm on the mend," I smirked in response.
"Well considerin' yer sense of humor is back Ah would say so too," she returned.
"It takes more than a bit of smoke inhalation to keep this guy down!" I declared puffing out my chest.
"Haha. Well good to know yer doing just fine Vlad. Ah got my stand to tend to so Ah'll see y'all later." she replied with a tip of her hat.
"See ya!" I called back as I went on my way.
As I walked back to my apartment it dawned on me that it was Thursday which meant I would be departing for Canterlot tomorrow morning. Boy, time sure flies when you're being lazy... I decided that getting the few items I possessed packed as well as taking a day to walk around town was a suitable usage of my time.
On my way home I managed to flag down Rainbow Dash who was busy busting clouds that had drifted over the town. I informed her of my summons to Canterlot and that I would once again have to postpone flight lessons. She seemed to be annoyed at that, but told me since it was the princesses who were requesting me that she would let it slide this time. She informed me that she would work me twice as hard when I got back to make up for lost time which I couldn't help but chuckle at before continuing on my way.
As I turned onto my street a overwhelming sense of happiness surged through my body. I realized that despite all the trauma I had received in the past week or so, I hadn't been happier in over 10 years. It seems the things were looking up for the first time in a long time. That someone, somewhere wanted me to live a halfway decent life. And hey, who was I to turn them down...
Today was the day that I had been simultaneously anticipating and dreading for the past week. I had woken up extra early this morning because in a few hours, I would be on a train headed for Canterlot. Ahead of me was a long four days of intense pressure in the eyes of the public. Typical…
After waking up around 7:30am to ensure that I would be able to make my train with plenty of time to spare, I had eaten a quick breakfast of oatmeal before double checking that I had everything packed. Ponyville’s train station was literally on the exact opposite side of town, so I had to make sure I gave myself a good amount of time to get there. My train ticket had been stored inside the envelope containing the letter/schedule so once said envelope was packed in my bag I was ready to go.
The early morning sun was poking over the horizon by the time I left at around 8:00am, and seemed to bore into my eyes with relentless assault. It was making me wish I had bought a hat to accompany my awesome jacket. The small town of Ponyville was still waking up as I passed through it and I managed to make it through the usually bustling town centre without any hassle whatsoever.
Ponyville despite being a smaller town was very spread out so one could easily take an hour to stroll from one side to the other at a leisurely pace. I gave a smile and nod to any ponies I came across out in the early morning and took in the quaint scenery that had no real comparison to anything you'd find in modern times back home.
The train station was simple enough for a hamlet like Ponyville. It contains only one platform and a small ticket window but that's about it. When I arrived at around 8:50 my train was still about 30 minutes out. A few ponies were scattered around the platform, most likely waiting for the same train. I just plopped myself down on the bench and took in the scenery whilst I waited. The early morning hours are always the most peaceful and relaxing.
The train pulled in right on time at 9:20 screeching to a halt. The train itself was obviously an old steam-powered engine but instead of a rugged industrial look, it had more of a dainty atmosphere to it. Meh. I checked my ticket again to make sure I still had it and was happy to find it right where I left it. The ticket had a car assignment for some reason that I couldn't discern and I was assigned to car one, right behind the engine.
I strode to the front of the train and entered my car only to find it empty. In fact it appeared it was only meant for one pony in the first place..... 'Oh, it's a private car,' I realized. Made sense considering I was... ahem... "An esteemed guest of their Royal Highness-es Celestia and Luna," or something along those lines.
The car was extremely lavish and looked like it would cost a ton if one were to buy a ticket for it. There was a private bed, bathroom, dining area, and relaxation area all in one car. Although the trip from Ponyville to Canterlot took approximately 5 hours according to my schedule, I doubt I would need the bed. So I went over to the relaxation area and sat down in a extremely nice armchair with an amazing view of the window.
A few minutes past and I assumed that we would be moving soon. I watched out the window as a few ponies rushed to board the train obviously running late. As I was distracted a pony burst into my car rather forcefully startling me. I looked back and saw what must be the engineer giving me a quite lewd expression. 'Why's he mad at me?' I thought to myself. "Um... Can I help you?" I asked politely.
"Yes, do you mind vacating the car. It is reserved for a VIP of the highest caliber and I don't think they'll be happy to find some random commuter in their car!"
"Huh?" I gawked in reply. 'Why would he...? Oh! He thinks I'm just some common Joe and I snuck in here eh? Well somepony is gonna be really sorry after this!' I mused. "Um of course, yes. And do you happen to know who this 'VIP' is?" I retorted.
"All I know is that its a personal guest of the Princesses themselves and I doubt they would be happy to find you in their car," he returned motioning for me to get up.
"Oh, of course. Do you mind checking my ticket while you're here? I may of made a mistake," I replied presenting him my ticket.
"If it'll get you out any faster," he muttered back before taking my ticket. "Let's see hmm, hmm, oh... Oh! So sorry mister I had no idea!"
"So I am in the right car. Good to know." I stated smugly, "Next time don't jump to conclusions."
"Of course, so incredibly sorry sir. Have a nice day!" he shot back as he bolted out of the car towards the engine room.
"See ya later asshole!" I muttered under my breath before returning to my observation of the train.
After about another minute I felt the train lurch to life and begin its trek out of the station and onto the long uphill climb to Canterlot. The train ran rather smooth and quiet for an old fashion steam-engine, but I chalked that up to "magic" or some other bullshit and moved on. As the train started to pick up speed heading out of Ponyville I heard the conductor's voice crackle over the intercom.
"Attention passengers. We are now en route to Canterlot and are expected to arrive in approximately 5 hours time. Please make yourselves comfortable and relax. Dining options are available in car four. Restrooms are in car seven, and bedrooms occupy cars twelve and thirteen. Enjoy your trip!"
I sat near the window and watched the countryside fly by for a few minutes before deciding to wander into the other cars of the train. From what I could tell, the train was around twenty cars long and was organized as follows; Car One, or the one I was occupying is for esteemed guests with a sizable chunk of pocket change and/or royal connections.
Cars Two and Three were for first class passengers who could afford the extra cost to get higher quality seats with several special dining options I assume were not offered to normal passengers. The first class passengers paid me no mind as I moved through their car further back into the train.
Car Four, to the conductor's word, was the dining car for all the normal commuters. Several ponies were sitting at tables enjoying a late breakfast or some coffee. I had already had breakfast so I wasn't hungry at the moment. I just moseyed my way through the car and into the next.
Car Five was a seating area for normal commuters. Several ponies were packed into this car leaving no empty seats to speak of. I squeezed my way through and continued into Car Six which was identical to the last except much less crowded. A few empty seats were scattered around and I decided to sit down and try and spark up a conversation.
I found a seat between a dark gray unicorn businesspony with his snout in a newspaper and a friendly looking orange pegasus mare who was watching the moving countryside with excitement. I approached the two and began to sit down asking for consent just to be polite. "Mind if I sit here?"
The businesspony gave me a half-hearted shrug of acknowledgement before going back to his newspaper. I assumed he was fine with it so I turned to the mare who had snapped out of her gaze to look a me. "Oh um. Sure, I guess," she stuttered.
I sat myself down and tried to start up some form of conversation with her. "So, why are you headed to Canterlot?" I asked the mare nonchalantly.
She looked at me once again but seemed less nervous after realizing I was just trying to be friendly. "Oh, I'm just visiting my sister. I haven't seen her in six months."
I gave her a small smile. "Sounds fun. Where you coming from?" I didn't really want to delve into the conversation of family considering I had none to speak of.
"Oh, Fillydelphia. I've lived there for the past few years." she replied. "How bout you?"
"Ponyville. This is my first trip to Canterlot." I stated simply.
"Oh I bet somepony's excited then," she said with a smirk.
"Eh, more or less. Seems too high class and prissy for my tastes." I replied.
"A lot of ponies think that going to Canterlot the first time. Most of the community is actually fairly decent. The area to avoid would be in close proximity to the palace. That's where all the stuck up nobles and wealthy businessponies live."
"Hmm. Interesting," I said simply. "Unfortunately I believe I'll be staying in that area for most of my trip. Just gotta suck it up I guess."
"That's too bad. Are you staying in the Mareiott? That's the only hotel in that part of town that I know of."
"No, I believe I'm staying at the palace actually," I respond.
Her eyes light up with excitment upon hearing that. "Really?! You must be really important if you get to stay at the palace!" she exclaimed.
"Ha, not really. Let's just say I have some very good connections," I muse cryptically not wanted to draw undue attention to myself.
"That's so cool!" she squealed. The businesspony sitting next to me gave her a glare before going back to his paper.
"Yeah I guess. I'm more of a down-to-earth kinda pony though, so let's just say I'm not going in with high hopes."
"I can see that. Still, just being in the same building as the princesses themselves is really exciting," she replied.
"Yeah, theres that," I respond shortly.
"Oh, I almost forgot to indroduce myself! I'm Sunrise Bright nice to meet you!"
"Vladimir Korzhakov, nice to meet you too," I reply.
"That's an interesting name," she responds before pondering something. "Oh wait, you're that pony from the papers a little while ago! You're the one who saved that family from the burning building!"
"Meh, it was nothing. I simply did what was right."
"You're to humble. It takes a lot of courage to do something like that!" she exclaims.
"I guess. But I'd rather not draw attention to myself for being a good samaritan."
"Wanna stay incognito huh? Don't worry your secret is safe with me!" she replies making a zipper motion across her mouth with a hoof."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," I reply with a smile. "Anyway, I should probably get back to my car. It was great meeting you Sunrise."
"You too Vladimir. Oh wait! Is there a way I can contact you again? Maybe for tea or lunch?" she asks.
'Is this mare asking me on a date?' I think giving her an incredulous look.
Sunrise seems puzzled at my look before she realizes what she said. "Oh, no no! Just as friends, I'm not asking you on a date!" she exclaims blushing furiously.
I let out a sigh of relief. I'd rather not get into a relationship with another pony at the moment. I'm still adapting to my change of species. "Oh... Ok sure. My address in Ponyville is 8777 Market Street if you ever want to stop by," I say getting up and preparing to go back to my car for a nap.
"8777 Market Street... Right, I won't forget it! See you later Vladimir!" she replies waving a hoof.
"Bye Sunrise," I reply 'Nice mare, if not a bit energetic' I muse to myself before making my way back to my VIP car.
Once back in my assigned car, I draw the curtains and settle down for some rest. As I slowly drift off to sleep, expectations for the days ahead race through my mind; for better, and for worse...
A powerful jolt woke me from my slumber. Whilst still keeping my eyes closed, I listened for sounds around me. The steady pulse of the train told me that we're still moving at considerable speed but no other significant sounds graced my ears. I slowly opened my eyes, at first squinting while adjusting to the light. I groaned and rolled over onto the floor, planting all four hooves on the ground and stretching out my still asleep muscles. I walked over to the window and drew the curtains. What greeted me was a much different sight from before.
"Wow..." was all I could manage as I took in the sight before me.
The train was steadily climbing up a mountain face most likely towards Canterlot. But as the mountainside city still hadn't come into to view, the sight of the valley below was one to behold. I could make out what appeared to be Ponyville far off in the distance nestled right beside the lush green expanse of the Everfree Forest. Just as I was moving to sit down and further admire the view I heard the conductor's voice crackle over the speakers once more.
"Attention passengers. We will be arriving at Canterlot Station in approximately fifteen minutes. Please be sure you have all of your belongs with you when you exit the train. We'd like to thank you for riding the Royal Canterlot Express and we hope to see you again."
"Whelp, looks like hell awaits me in just a few minutes." I mutter to myself.
If the part of Canterlot that I would be staying in was anything like Sunrise had indicated, than my trip would be less than exciting. While I was already not looking forward to this trip in the first place, my expectations had plummeted ever since I had embarked from Ponyville. Just as I was beginning to think of worst-case scenarios to take place in the days to come, I caught my first glimpse of Canterlot out of the corner of my eye.
While the view of the large expanse below was amazing, Canterlot blew it out of the water. The city was an architectural masterpiece. Built straight out of the mountainside, the city was a feat of engineering that humans could only hope to ever achieve. And I would know being an engineer myself. The way the city juts out of the mountain would be a near impossible feat on Earth, but if I've learned anything about this world it's that Newton's laws of physics don't apply here.
While the city itself was quite the sight, what really caught my eye was the palace. White marble pillars rose to the sky capped with lavender and golden domes and spires. Gardens and streams were littered throughout and waterfalls seemingly plummeted off the side of the city into the valley below. The city was truly the beacon of Equestrian society, shining brightly for all to see. I suddenly realized that my mouth had been agape for several seconds now and quickly shut it.
'Wow. Maybe there's something nice about this place after all,' I thought to myself as we approached the gleaming city.
The train began to lose speed and we made our final approach into the station. We briefly passed though a tunnel dug through the mountainside before emerging into the city proper and arriving at the train station. As we finally ground to a halt with a jolt and a jerk, I took a quick look at the interior of the station. While Ponyville's train station was moderately busy, Canterlot's was booming. Hundreds if not thousands of ponies were walking about, waiting for trains or shopping at the various stores nearby. Some were wearing various suits, dresses, and other attire and others nothing at all as was common practice in Equestrian society.
While Ponyville's population was decently balanced between the three main races, if not a bit earth-pony laden; Canterlot was heavily occupied by unicorns. While I caught a glimpse of a few pegasi, earth-ponies, and other species milling about, the majority of the populace appeared to be unicorns.
I gathered up my belongings and made my exit onto the station platform. If the letter which I never bothered to fully read was correct, than there should be transportation waiting for me nearby. I carefully maneuvered my way through the crowds of ponies towards what appeared to be the exit. I passed through a gateway with a 'Welcome to Canterlot' sign emblazoned in gold overhead and took my first steps into the city proper.
The Canterlot train station was situated in what appeared to be the commercial hub of the city. Shops and businesses of all kinds lined the streets for as far as the eye could see. Vendors shouted to passing ponies about their products and prices and smells of all sorts of foods filled the air. After thoroughly taking in the sights, I looked around for my transportation. A couple yards in front of me was a pegasus stallion in full golden armor standing next to what appeared to be an open-top carriage. In his mouth was a sign with 'Vladimir Korzhakov' hastily scrawled on it.
I slowly trot over to him and caught his attention with a wave.
"Vladimir Korzhakov?" he spoke with a low, scratchy voice.
"Yes," I replied curtly.
"ID?" He asked holding out a hoof. I gave him a curious look upon this request to which he replied "Standard protocol."
I rummaged through my bags for a second to find my ID and presented it to the guard. He took the ID with his hoof an examined it thoroughly before handing... hoofing? the card back to me which I placed back in my saddlebag.
"Alright sir, go ahead and climb aboard. We'll have you to the palace in no time," he said motioning to the carriage.
"Thanks," I say nodding to the guard before hastily clambering up onto the vehicle and taking a seat and placing my saddlebags beside me.
I was sitting in what could only be described as the pony equivalent of one of those open-topped cars politicians used to ride in the early 20th century. The carriage was extremely ornate with golden trimming and what appeared to be gemstones placed throughout which made me question how much these things were really worth in this universe.
Gold seemed to be everywhere in Equestria. From the currency, to the roofs of Canterlot and the palace, to everyday objects. Hell, even the royal guards appeared to be wearing golden armor. Either this wasn't real gold or gold was so plentiful in this universe that it could be used on a whim. Though I suppose if magic was real then alchemy must be a thing which could account for all the gold.
The guard who had greeted me moved up to the front of the carriage and joined another guard, an earth pony in identical armor, who I hadn't noticed before. They strapped themselves in what was essentially a harness designed for ponies before setting off. It took them quite a bit of effort from what I could tell to get the whole thing moving, but once it was rolling they seemed to not mind pulling the weight of both the carriage and myself.
I settled back to enjoy the ride and began looking around at the city I was in. This was truly like nothing ever seen on Earth. The city itself was like a giant platform etched into the side of a snow-capped mountain. Homes and businesses of all sorts lined the cobbled streets which were so smooth that only magic could explain them. Trees and greenery were everywhere, lining the roads and giving the city a natural look. High above, a massive waterfall cascaded down from the mountainside splitting into several rivers and streams which seemed to flow through the city itself.
I found myself awestruck at such a beautiful place. It was one of the few times that I was truly glad to have been pulled from my home dimension. Too see something like this was a once in a lifetime experience and I was humbled to be the first, and likely last from my world to witness it.
As we wound our way through the streets towards the palace, ponies cleared the way for the guards without issue to allow them through the packed roads of the commercial district. Most ponies payed us no mind and the ones that did simply glanced up at me to see who was being escorted to the castle. I kept a neutral expression on my muzzle as not to attract any undue attention and just took in the sights.
We soon left the commercial hub and into what appeared to be a more residential area. The ponies in the streets thinned out and the buildings became smaller. Most houses in this area were simple two-story affairs with white marble walls and either gold or lavender roofs to match the color scheme of the palace. This must be the area of the city where the common ponies lived, away from the nobles or the hustle and bustle of the business district.
The guards picked up their pace with less obstacles in the road and soon we found ourselves in what appeared to be a central plaza of sorts. A large fountain sat in the center and a wide segmented ring of trees and grass circled it. Many ponies were milling about, relaxing on benches, or talking to friends and family. This seemed to be the actual center of the city as streets came from all directions to meet the plaza in a compass-like arrangement.
After working our way around the plaza we set out down a different street which seemed to run straight to the palace. As we approached closer to the high walls that seemed to surround the castle from all directions I began to notice a change in the buildings lining the road. Homes progressively began to get larger and more ornate. Many homes had gardens and I could see an occasional gardener or maid working on the properties.
I realized that we were entering the noble or wealthy district which Sunrise had warned me about. As much as the buildings changed in this area, so did the ponies on the streets. Many more ponies wore clothes and jewelry and seemed to have an almost pompous aura to them. I even saw a few in carriages similar to mine with their own ponies to pull them. It was in this area that I began to feel very out of place.
I could sense the stares and the loathing of the ponies around me as we went. Mares and stallions alike took once glance at the rabble-looking pegasus atop a carriage pulled by royal guards and turned their heads in disgust. I even caught the tail-end of several whispered insults. They ranged to all manner of things whether it was my appearance or my "lack of posture." It got old very quickly and soon I was giving glares to anypony I caught staring.
At long last we reached the castle walls where the street began a slight incline towards the palace gates. The castle itself appeared to sit on higher elevation than most of the city and overlooked the cliff and valley below. We crossed over what appeared to be a small moat which was flowing around the castle like a rock in a stream. We approached the castle gate which was a tall arch with several guards posted underneath preventing ponies from entering.
Arriving at the gate, the guards saluted to each other before one unicorn guard came up to us with a serious case of stone face. She turned to address me and spoke in a calm but firm demeanor.
"Alright sir, we just need to do a quick magical scan of you, your belongings, and the carriage for safety. This should only take moment."
I nodded in response not knowing what to expect. Her horn lit up and encased the entire vehicle as well as me and my saddlebags in a pale red aura. It didn't really feel like much of anything and after a few moments it was over. The guard gave a quick nod to her compatriots which must of meant 'all clear' because they stepped aside to allow the guards harnessed to my ride to begin pulling the carriage into the castle grounds.
The palace itself was a few hundred yards away and it took the guards only a few minutes to pull us to the entrance. I noticed the castle grounds had a large garden with a hedge-maze as well as several out-buildings which the purpose of I wasn't entirely sure. A large courtyard sat outside the entrance to the palace where I assume guard drills could be held or royal decrees by the princesses could be announced.
After we had come to a stop, I gathered up my stuff and carefully jumped down from the carriage, landing on all four legs in a bit of an awkward manner. I quickly regained my composure and slowly walked through the massive entrance doors of the palace. If the outside was amazing to look at, the inside was equally as beautiful. I entered into a gigantic corridor with high arched ceilings that reminded me of a cathedral. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, shining with the magical lighting that was all too common in this world while stained glass windows allowed sunlight to stream in.
Over to the left of the entrance was a large wooden lectern with an older gray unicorn mare stationed behind it, spectacles situated on her snout and a small line of ponies waiting to speak to her. With no further instructions from my guard escort, I stepped into line behind about eight other ponies and patiently waited my turn. From what I could hear from the back of the line, it appears all these ponies were here to petition Princess Celestia for something or other and were checking in to receive directions to the throne room.
The mare behind the lectern would simply ask their name and reason for being there and point them to the direction that the throne room must lie. She then proceeded to give them some instructions that I couldn't make out before sending them on their way and jotting down something with a quill into a book in front of her. It was a pretty quick process and after just five minutes in line it was my turn.
"Hello sir. Welcome to the Royal Palace! May I ask your name and reason for visiting?" the mare asked in polite and professional tone with a practiced smile on her lips.
"Hi, my name is Vladimir Korzhakov and I was invited here," I say simply, procuring the invitation letter from my bag and hoofing it over to her.
She quickly read over the contents of the invitation before glancing back up at me with what seemed to be a more genuine grin. "Ah yes, Mr Korzhakov! The princesses have been expecting you. I will have a maid escort you to your guest quarters."
She turned to her side and rang a little bell hanging from the wall next to her. Just a few moments later, a smaller earth pony mare appeared from around a corner dressed in what I could only call the stereotypical maid outfit if it were made for an equine.
"Clean Sweep, could you please escort our guest to his room. I believe he is in the royal suite," the lectern mare said nodding to the maid.
"Of course Ma'am, I shall show him the way at once. Please sir, follow me to your room," the maid replied motioning for me to follow with a hoof.
"Thank you," I reply curtly taking the invitation back and quickly following the maid as not to hold up the line.
We began winding our way through corridor after corridor and up several flights of stairs, the maid seemingly knowing the place by heart. To me it was a maze that I could easily see myself getting lost in. 'Note to self: Don't try to find anything in here without an escort.' I mused following the maid up a long spiral staircase into yet another hallway.
Nearby was a particularly interesting set of doors that seemed to not match the rest of the castle color scheme. They were a mix of dark blue and indigo with a large white crescent moon in the center. It left no doubt in my mind that these must be Princess Luna's quarters.
On either side of the doors were two guards that seemed to match the night theme. They sported gray coats and lavender manes and tails. Their armor was a mix of lavender and indigo in a more ornate pattern than the royal guards I was used to seeing. On their backs were wings that more resembled a bat than a pegasus. Their eyes were slits like that of a predator of the night. It was pretty badass to be honest, props to Luna for having awesome guards.
'Now that you mention it, why do the royal guards look so identical outside of tribe, height, weight, and gender? These two ponies look almost exactly the same besides one being shorter. Is it some kind of enchantment? Or do the princesses breed ponies to look the same? I hope its not the latter cause that's downright fucking dystopian. I suppose I can ask them while I'm here.'
As we passed the doors both guards eyed me with a look that screamed distrust so I made sure to walk at steady pace and avoid any sudden movements to not come off as suspicious. Once past Luna's room, we made our way to a set of simple golden doors further down the hallway. It was here that the maid stopped and turned around to face me once again.
"Here we are sir, the royal suite. I hope you'll find it most suitable for the duration of your stay. As is policy for anypony staying in this room, we will post a guard outside that will be able to summon for anything you may need. Please do not hesitate to ask for anything that might make your stay more enjoyable," she said giving a small bow.
"Thank you very much uh.. Clean Sweep was it?" I replied to which she nodded. "Is there anything else I should know about staying here?"
"You can find all relevant information to the castle, and the services that we can provide in the left nightstand by your bed. Since you are a personal guest of the princesses, they may summon you to breakfast or dinner should they desire. Your guard will inform you if they do," she returned.
"Oh, well thanks again," I say before pushing the doors open with a hoof.
Inside was the largest bedroom I had ever seen. It was easily the size of my entire upper floor back in Ponyville. Situated against the wall across from the entrance was possibly the biggest canopy bed in existence. It looked to be able to fit twenty ponies if not more. Red silk sheets covered the bedspread and fluffy white pillows lay across the headboard.
There were two large nightstands adorning either side of the bed with magical lamps on each and an antique table clock on one. Over in the corner was a dresser that could easily fit a multitude of outfits and a full length mirror to admire oneself in. In another corner sat a fancy armchair and coffee table as well two bookshelves stacked high will all manners of tomes. A fireplace sat adjacent currently unlit.
Over to the far wall was a large curtained window hiding the outside view and a door that in all likelihood led to a balcony. And across from that lay the door to the bathroom which was currently open. From what I could see from here, the bathroom was also massive. It felt like a room that no one pony should ever stay in and yet here I was.
"Damn..." was all I could muster.
I quickly pulled myself out of my stupor and began to walk around the room taking in the details. I unpacked my saddlebags and put my jacket and the fancy suit that Rarity insisted I bring into the dresser. I put my tooth and mane brushes into the bathroom for later. The rest of my belongings went into one of the nightstands. I figure there wasn't much to do until either the princesses summoned me for a meal or I asked for one myself so I tried to think of what to do.
I decided that if this room did indeed have a balcony then I should definitely check it out. I trotted over to the door and pulled it open to reveal exactly what I was hoping for. And it was overlooking... well... everything. I practically skipped over the railing to get a look at the view.
To the left lay the valley and a view of a greater part of Equestria. I could see for miles upon miles across the endless expanse. I could spot towns and cities sprouting up and great fields of crops and grasslands stretching between them. Train tracks and roads zigzagged across the countryside connecting the ponies of the land with each other. There were forests, rivers, and mountains scattering the landscape displaying the topographical diversity of the kingdom.
I spotted a massive floating city off in the distance which I had learned was called Cloudsdale. It was apparently a city made up of almost entirely pegasi that moved around throughout the year. Cloudsdale was where all the weather of Equestria was manufactured, as strange as that sounds. It was a place that was definitely on my bucket list to visit once I knew how to fly. Just thinking about it made my wings flutter in anticipation.
I looked over to my right to see where exactly I was in the castle. From what I could tell, my bedroom was situated at the top of one of large main towers of the palace. It appeared to be one of the highest points in the whole building outside of the thin towers and spires that gave the castle its unique look. Even if the whole reason I was here was something I wasn't exactly looking forward to, the view seemed to make it all worth it. At least for now...
I returned to the bedroom, shutting the balcony door behind me and went over to the bookshelves. I searched for a book I could read to pass the time before dinner and found one that piqued my interest. Darkness and Betrayal, The Story of Nightmare Moon was the title of the book which looked like it had seen quite a few years. I had heard the name Nightmare Moon before in passing while talking to Twilight about her and her friends' adventures, but wasn't exactly sure who or what it was. She likely mentioned it at some point, but her rambling on like a college professor made paying attention hard.
Figuring this as good a book as any, I plopped down in the super comfy armchair and cracked it open. 'Time to relax and enjoy myself while I can. I have a feeling that this trip is about to get a whole lot crazier,' I thought putting on an amused smirk and turning to first page...
A loud knocking at the door to my room caught my attention. I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was around 6:30. I could barely believe I had been reading for three hours, but it wasn't all too surprising considering how intriguing this book was.
The book I had picked at random revealed a lot about the history of the princesses that seemed to explain quite a bit of what I had seen from them in my short tenure in Equestria. From what I could tell, this book was several hundred years old and went into extensive detail on the story of Nightmare Moon, or at least what was known at the time.
The book told the story of Luna's descent into madness and her eventual transformation into the tyrannical alicorn known as Nightmare Moon. It described her attempted takeover of Equestria to bring forth eternal night out jealousy of her sister. Celestia used the powerful magical artifacts known as The Elements of Harmony to banish her sister to the moon when all else failed. A prophecy had emerged not long after that Nightmare Moon would escape her prison on the millennial anniversary of her banishment to wreak havoc upon the planet once again.
That was if this book even provided an accurate historical account. I had begun reading the history book Twilight had gotten me, but I had yet to reach this era so I had nothing to go off of. The thousand year banishment thing seemed too outlandish to be true, but Twilight had told me both sisters were well over a thousand years old so I guess anything is possible. The context behind it could also be completely different from what I had read. If I ever were to ask either Luna or Celestia about this matter it would have to be in an extremely delicate manner. I would likely be delving into old wounds that I doubt either of them wished to bring to light.
Regardless, it seemed that through whatever means Luna was saved upon her return and brought back into the fold as co-ruler of Equestria. It appears that Twilight and her friends played a crucial role in this, but I wasn't exactly sure as to how. I heard Twilight on one occasion refer to her and her friends in the context of "The Elements." Maybe she was referring to Elements of Harmony as described by the book. It would certainly fit considering the Elements were used to banish Nightmare Moon in the first place.
'This certainly explains why Luna was talking with an archaic accent when I first met her. That was likely the normal way of speaking before she was banished. She seems to be holding up extremely well for somepony that has endured a thousand years of isolation. Maybe that's just a facade though. Maybe she's really hurting inside and is too afraid to admit it. I know all too well how that feels after my parents died...
The book certainly painted Princess Luna in a new light. I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about learning that a pony who seemed so kind, if a bit eccentric, had such a dark past. It was fascinating to learn how much Luna had gone through and put into perspective how far she had come to be in her position today. It really spoke to ponies' ability to forgive others if my experiences were nothing to go by. Celestia likely felt immense guilt as well for banishing her own sister for a thousand years.
My thoughts were rudely interrupted as the rapping on the door increased in volume and frequency. I quickly scrambled to my hooves and returned to book to the shelf before making my way over to the entrance of the suite.
"I'm comin', hold on!" I called which brought an end to the knocking.
I opened the door to find a unicorn royal guard in the normal golden armor standing at the door with an annoyed look on his face, obviously displeased with my response time.
"The princesses have summoned you to dinner in the royal dining room sir. I will escort you now if you are ready to depart," he stated simply in a bored tone.
If on cue my stomach began growling like I hadn't eaten in days. In all the excitement of the trip here I had forgotten to eat lunch, so I hadn't had anything for awhile now. I blushed in embarrassment at my stomach's loud cries for sustenance before addressing the guard awaiting my response.
"Sure thing. Lead the way mister..." I replied motioning for him to introduce himself.
"Private Straight Spear at your service sir. Please follow me and we can be there promptly."
"Then lead on good stallion. Culinary adventure awaits!" I exclaim pointing down the hallway trying to lighten the serious tone.
He rolled his eyes at me and began walking down the hallway towards the spiral staircase I had come up earlier. He was far more expressive than any of the other guards I had dealt with but I could hardly complain. It was honestly boring for another pony to just put up my antics without batting an eye. This guy though wasn't having any of my nonsense.
I followed Straight Spear past the entrance to Princess Luna's chambers which were still guarded by the same two ponies as before and down the long staircase into the maze of corridors. We spent a good five minutes winding through the various hallways before reaching a set of double doors which were flanked by yet another pair of royal guards. They paid us little mind as Spear, as I had now mentally nicknamed him, pushed open the doors and we entered in to what seemed to be the dining room.
It was a large rectangular room with a high ceiling, much like the entrance of the castle. Chandeliers dangled down from ceiling lighting the room and giving off a homely glow. In the center of the room was a long table made of polished oak that could easily seat fifty ponies. Instead of chairs that you would normally find surrounding a table on Earth, there were fancy purple silk cushions that made for more comfortable equine seating. A white tablecloth covered the tabletop end to end and atop it were fine china and cutlery as well as ornate golden candelabras.
At the head of the table sat Princess Celestia. She looked as stoic and regal as ever and was sipping on a cup of tea while reading a piece of parchment help aloft by the her magic. She had what appeared to be a slight look of bemusement on her face as she read whatever the paper said.
To her right in the first seat on the side of the table was Princess Luna. She... well... looked like shit to be honest. She had bags under eyes and looked absolutely exhausted while sipping on what appeared to be a large mug of coffee. If I had to guess, it seemed that she had just woken up and was obviously not a morning (or evening in this case) pony. Considering she was princess of the night it made sense that she got up around this time.
Spear cleared his throat to get the princesses attention before bowing and addressing them in a much more professional tone than he granted me.
"Your highnesses. I have brought your guest for dinner as you requested. I shall inform the waitstaff that everypony is present and ready to be served," he stated.
I gave off a confused look at that. Why in the world would you have a table set for fifty guests when only three were going to actually eat there? Certainly they could of just set three spots and left it at that. Either the castle staff had nothing better to do with their time or the princesses wanted to always be prepared to host a massive banquet or something.
Celestia looked up from whatever she was reading to look the guard addressing her in the eye. "Thank you Private Spear. After you have spoken to the waitstaff you are dismissed for the evening. Corporal Starfall will take over duties of watching Mr. Korzhakov here for the night." she replied in a motherly tone.
"As you wish your majesty," Spear replied bowing once again before turning and exiting out the same doors we had entered.
As he left both princesses attention now turned to me although Luna looked as if she could care less about my presence. Celestia seemed to genuinely brighten up upon seeing me and motioned for me to take the seat to her left across from her sister.
"Hello Vlad. So nice to see you again. Please take a seat so we may begin our meal," she said giving me a smile.
"Thanks for inviting me to dinner. It's not every day that a guy gets to dine with royalty, much less two beautiful ladies such as yourselves," I replied in an obvious joking tone giving them a smirk before making my way over and taking the seat Celestia had indicated.
Celestia giggled at my stupid joke while Luna gave me an incredulous glare clearly still waking up and not in the mood for my shit.
"It is so refreshing to have a pony speak with me so causally. I love my little ponies dearly but the formality in which they address me on a daily basis is often tiring," Celestia mused.
"Well if you enjoy it, I'll be sure to keep doing it," I responded giving Celestia a grin before turning to address her grumpy sister. "Good evening Princess Luna. I hope you slept well. I've looked forward to seeing both you and your sister again."
Luna seemed to perk up a bit at my words giving me a small smile before opening her mouth to reply. "Greetings Vlad. Forgive me for my lack of energy. I often require a strong dose of Zebrican coffee before I am ready to greet the night."
I chuckled at that. "Reminds me of my roommate in college. He would walk around mumbling aimlessly in the morning before he got some caffeine in him."
Celestia laughed at my comparison before turning to her sister. "See Lulu. I told you you're not the only pony that has trouble waking up."
Luna gave her sister the look that only siblings could give each other before turning back to me. "It has been nearly a week since we last spoke during your hospitalization. How have you fared since then?"
"I've been doing well. I've spent most of the week fully recovering from my injuries, but I'm ready to get back down to business with getting my home and workplace setup and finally learning how to fly once I return to Ponyville," I answer.
"Well we wish you the best of luck in those endeavors. I apologize that this trip was thrust on you all of a sudden, but we would appear uncaring of our citizen's selfless deeds had we not arranged it. This is quite a common ceremony that you will be honored at. We established the tradition of recognizing civilian heroics long ago as a way of giving the common pony the spotlight for rising to the occasion. Though I suppose we can also use the opportunity to get to know each other better while you here," Celestia replied with Luna nodding to indicate her agreement.
I gave Celestia a surprised look at her remark. Did the princesses really want to get to know me better? They had essentially been my benefactors since my arrival here some two weeks ago but I hadn't thought too much about it. I couldn't believe how much both seemed to care about my well being. I figured that after the novelty of "the alien from another dimension" wore off they would treat me like any other citizen.
Celestia seemed to sense my confusion and quickly added to her previous statement, "Vlad I wish you to look past our titles and see us just as friends. We may of met just a short time ago but both Luna and I want you to find happiness here. You did not grow up in Equestria and were not taught from a young age to dote upon us like our subjects so often do. If there's anypony that could see us both as simply friends it would be you," she explained giving me a wink.
"My sister speaks the truth. You are the first pony besides Tia that I have been able to hold friendly conversation with since my return. Whether you realize it or not, you have helped me acclimate to the modern era and I would happily call you friend," Luna input.
"I'm honored that you both care for me so much. I would love to be your friend as well your majesties," I said with gratitude in my voice.
They honestly were fun to talk to outside the public eye. They could just be themselves and not feel the need to impress everypony they saw. They were just sisters who laughed, joked, and cried like any other pony.
"Please, there is no need for formality in private. You can just call me Celestia," the alabaster alicorn replied.
"And you may call me Luna," her sister added looking much more awake and alert having finished her coffee.
"Awesome! So why is it that you guys are using this big dining hall for a three pony dinner? Wouldn't it be more practical to have a private dining room for stuff like this?" I questioned.
"I told you this hall feels like a poor use of space most days sister. Vlad here has only confirmed it. Why can we not have a dining area like the old castle where we could enjoy a meal with close family and friends?" Luna chided.
"I suppose it does feel empty with all these unoccupied seats. I just always traditionally had meals in this hall since the palace was built and got in the habit of eating here. I thought you were just joking when you complained of it before. I will look into the matter of setting aside a room for private dining at your behest," Celestia replied to which Luna beamed in response.
"What's good to eat 'round here? I don't see any menus..." I asked.
"Vlad, we are princesses. Nearly anything we desire to eat can be prepared for us. Simply inform the waitstaff of your desired meal and they will prepare it," Celestia chuckled.
As if on cue a trio of ponies in fancy suits came in through the doors and walked over to our end of the table. One had a notepad and pencil suspended in their magic while the other two provided glasses of water, napkins, and lit the candelabras on the table.
The head waiter who introduced himself as Esteemed Cuisine took our dinner orders. Celestia ordered a roasted cauliflower dish while Luna requested her "usual evening affair" whatever that was. I ordered one of the best dishes with a decent vegetarian alternative I could think of which was French or "Prench" Onion Soup. I had tried it once by accident, the beef broth having been replaced with mushroom but it was quite tasty. The waiter noticed my accent and asked if I was from Stalliongrad to which I gave some workaround answer that seemed to satisfy him. He soon took off with his two companions to give our orders to the kitchen.
"I guess I'm gonna have to come up with a better cover story until you two find it privy to reveal my true origins to the whole world. I mean it's bound to get out eventually considering most of Ponyville knows, but I can deny it as rumor and hearsay anywhere else for now. I doubt telling everypony I meet that I was born in The Russian Federation and made home in The United States of America will go over well, especially if they have basic knowledge on geography," I mused.
"This 'Russian Federation' you speak of. It is where you get your accent yes?" Luna asked curiously.
"Yes, I lived there and spoke Russian for the first few years of my life. My accent faded after moving to the United States but I never fully lost it. I assume Stalliongrad is the equivalent in this world considering your waiter isn't the first pony to mention me being from there," I responded.
"Tis quite strange that your world has so many similarities to ours," Luna noted with a intrigued look.
"Yeah I've found it weird too. Several of your cities have almost the exact same names as ones from my world, just more pony-ized. You guys have Manehattan while my world has Manhattan. Fillydelphia versus Philadelphia. Las Pegasus instead of Las Vegas. Hell, even Stalliongrad is a play off a Russian city formerly known as Stalingrad. I could go on and on."
"Who's to say which world is playing off the other?" asked Luna.
"I guess that's fair. Just seems so strange that there's so many parallels." I responded with a shrug.
"While the nature of dimensions and dimensional magic is highly debated, there are theories that infinite parallel dimensions exist where quite literally anything could be. If this is the case, then it is not so outlandish that our worlds share many similarities. Your appearance here has provided evidence to support these claims," Luna lectured, clearly very captivated by the current topic.
"Yeah, you're right. I've heard of the multiverse theory, but I never thought I would be putting it to the test. It's kind of a relief that I can draw so many similarities to my home world. I don't think I'll ever get over the pony place names though. Makes me want to laugh every time I think about it. Especially Ponyville. That would be like my species naming a city Humantown or something," I chuckled.
"You just said that your species named a city Manhattan. Didn't you tell us before that 'man' was another way to say humankind?" Celestia giggled.
"That's hardly a fair comparison. And I'm fairly certain Manhattan was named after what the natives of the area called it in their language. It wasn't named after the species that inhabits it," I snarked rolling my eyes at Celestia.
"Don't let our strange city names keep you up at night Vlad. I would hate for my sister to have to give you sleep counseling," Celestia retorted with a wry grin.
"You two are insufferable, it's like listening to two foals argue over a toy," Luna grumbled before glancing at a large grandfather clock in the corner of the room, "Tia, it is nearly time to lower the sun and bring on the night. Would you like to let our friend observe?"
"Of course. Vlad, would you care to see us preform our sacred duty? Not many ponies get to see it in private," Celestia asked standing up and following Luna to a set of glass doors leading outside.
"If you're certain... then I'd be honored," I replied not even sure what I was about see. If the sisters truly controlled the sun and moon then I had a feeling I was about witness an amazing spectacle.
"We would be more than happy to show you. Now come along, we don't have much time," she replied beckoning me to the doors.
I got up from my seat and walked through the glass doors onto a large balcony overlooking the castle gardens. Both sisters had taken spots on either side of the balcony and were watching the horizon intently. They stood there in absolute silence for what seemed like ages while I sat a good distance back not sure what to expect. And then, as the clock in the dining room struck seven, Celestia took a deep breath and lit up her horn.
Energy crackled through the air as the light from Celestia's horn became brighter and brighter nearly making me shield my eyes from the light. The air swelled like a hot summer's day and I felt the temperature increase dramatically. Just at it seemed the air might burst aflame from the energy, she raised her head to the sky and her eyes fixated on the bright orb of the sun. Slowly but surely the sun began to descend towards the horizon, the sky lighting up in the bright orange, yellow, and pink of the sunset. Eventually the light of the sun dipped out of sight and the world was plunged into twilight.
Celestia's horn ceased its activity and she released a breath she appeared to have been holding. She looked to her side and nodded to Luna as if to cue her before the younger sister began her part of ushering in the night. Celestia turned and winked to me as my jaw was likely touching the floor at that point. I was so lost in the moment that I nearly missed Luna begin by lighting up her horn much like her sister.
The energy radiating from Luna felt much different than Celestia's had. Rather than the feeling of heat and flames, the air took on a cool, almost eerily calm state despite the high amounts of magic. Luna looked out over to where the sun had just departed and steadily began to raise the moon to take its place. The sky darkened as the moon rose into the sky and night finally fell over the land. Stars twinkled to life, scattered across the heavens like small milky drops in a black ocean.
Luna's horn powered down as she looked into the night sky as if to inspect it. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, she turned and with her sister in tow began walking back towards me and the doors.
"I trust that was to your liking Vlad? Your mouth may catch flies if you do not close it soon," Luna teased as I quickly shut my gaping maw.
"Wow... I can't say I've seen something so beautiful in my life. T...thank you for letting me watch, I'll never forget it," I said stumbling over my words.
"The pleasure was all ours. I assume that this was not something seen on your world judging by your reaction," Celestia replied giving me a warm smile.
"No definitely not. The sun and moon operated on their own where I'm from. Seeing you two move them at will is baffling to me," I stated honestly.
"All the more reason to let you witness it. Now let us return so we can enjoy our dinner," Celestia responded as we all made our way back through the doors and into the dining room.
Waiting for us was what I could only describe as the most pompous looking pony I had ever laid eyes on. He was tall unicorn with a pure white coat and a stylized blond mane and tail. His cutie mark was a gold and silver compass rose. His face expressed that he felt himself more important than those around him. Upon our reentry into the dining room he turned to address Celestia.
"Auntie, there you are! I require your assistance at once! The parliament had the gall to deny my proposal for a new tax exemption for the noble families. You must overrule their decision with haste, I will not have my name sullied!" he whined like a spoiled brat.
"Blueblood, I will do no such thing. The nobility get far too many tax breaks as it is. I see no reason to further line their coffers. Now if you'll excuse us, we were about to enjoy dinner with our guest," Celestia said clearly straining to keep a neutral expression.
That turned Blueblood's attention to me upon which he scoffed and gave a disapproving look. "You're dining with this transient? He is barely fit to dine in an alleyway waste bin much less the royal dining room."
My eyes narrowed at that. If this little asshole wants to insult me he's got another thing coming. "You think you're so great? I'd rather copulate with a brick wall then spend one more second looking at your ugly mug. They should call you Blueballs cause I doubt you've gotten any with that attitude."
Both sisters' eyes widened at my words. Celestia quickly cast me a disapproving glare that screamed disappointed mother. Luna meanwhile looked like she was trying to prevent herself from bursting out in a fit of laughter. The pony I insulted looked like he had just been slapped in face. He was quick to recover though and his expression turned to rage.
"How dare you speak to a prince that way?!! You will regret your words very soon you little street urchin! Auntie! Have this pony arrested and brought to the dungeons. He must pay for speaking to a member of the royal family in such a manner."
Celestia seemed unsure what to say for a moment. She quickly recovered and cleared her throat. "While Vlad's behavior is certainly unacceptable, you did insult him first nephew. I think you both need to think on your actions and offer an apology to each other."
"Apologize to him?!! I shall do no such thing! If you will not arrest him I will simply gather the guards and do it myself," Blueblood retorted.
"I am not going to allow you arrest our guest Blueblood. Now if you do not wish to make amends then I suggest you take your leave," Celestia replied firmly.
"But... Fine, I will leave. You will regret crossing me you unsophisticated oaf. I'll see to that!" he yelled angrily pushing to doors open and storming off.
I glared at him the whole way as he departed not taking kindly to his threat. Once the doors had shut behind him Celestia let out a sigh while Luna began guffawing now able to express her amusement at what had transpired.
"Vlad, I wish you hadn't responded in such a manner. Blueblood can be... a challenge at times but he's mostly harmless. Now he will likely go out of his way to make your life difficult," Celestia chided.
"Nay sister. Vlad has finally put that spoiled rat in his place. His words were quite amusing," Luna retorted still chuckling.
"Luna, we cannot condone speaking to others in such a manner amusing or not," Celestia states firmly causing Luna to stop laughing and adopt a bashful look.
"Hey, I don't care who he is. If you talk like that to me I'm gonna respond in kind. He insulted both of you as well by implying you had poor taste in guests," I grumbled.
"We have learned to overlook our nephew's lack of subtlety in such matters," Celestia replied.
"How is somepony like that related to you in any manner?" I asked genuinely curious.
"He is not our nephew by blood if that is what you're asking," Celestia explained, "He is the heir of the line of Princess Platinum, one of the founders of our nation. It became a tradition after we assumed our current position for Luna and I to adopt the heir of her title as our niece or nephew. They have very little actual power, just only what being a member of the royal family affords them."
"Royal heredity was the downfall of many great kingdoms in the my world. The crown would pass by bloodline rather than merit. Sooner or later you end up with an inept ruler who tears the nation asunder," I mused.
"Which is why I shudder to imagine what he would do should he ever have any real power behind his title," Luna input.
"Let's hope we never have to find out. I would recommend you hold your tongue in his presence in the future Vlad. If Luna and I are not present to stop him he may well throw you in dungeons. One of the few luxuries afforded to him is the ability to have the royal guard detain citizens if only for a short period of time," Celestia said chuckling.
"I'll... keep that in mind. I apologize for escalating things," I replied having cooled down from my encounter with Prince Asshat.
"We all make mistakes Vlad. It is whether we learn from them that matters," Celestia lectured wistfully.
"Let us return to our seats, I believe our food shall arrive shortly," Luna interrupted.
"Yeah, I'm starved. Let's eat!" I chirped in response as we took our places at the table once more.
The food soon came with Esteemed serving us our respective dishes. Turned out Luna had ordered a breakfast platter of sorts that included pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and assorted fruit. Figures that she would eat breakfast food after waking up. My soup was absolutely delicious, probably the best meal I had eaten since my mother passed. The food here was certainly an upside to distract from all the pompous pricks running around.
Dinner was filled with stories of family, friends, and days long past. As with all good things though, it came to an end shortly after we finished our meal. Luna excused herself to prepare for night court and Celestia retired to her bedchambers wishing me goodnight. When I emerged from the dining hall to return to my room I noticed all the guards now matched the two from outside Luna's chambers earlier.
This included my new escort who was a mare by the name of Dusk Starfall who was much more friendly and conversational than her day counterpart. Apparently many guards enjoyed conversation, especially the more experienced ones. You just had to know who to talk to. She explained that the golden armored royal guards I was used to seeing were simply known as the Solar Guard and mostly only worked during the daytime. At night the Lunar Guard took over the duties of protecting the castle and Canterlot proper.
She told me that guard armor is enchanted to make each guard look as identical as possible when worn, but a trained eye could recognize individuals. When I asked about the bat wings and eyes she surprised me by telling me they weren't from any enchantment. The vast majority of the Lunar Guard were made up of a nocturnal pony race known as thestrals or more colloquially, bat-ponies. They were like a cross breed of pony and fruit bat from what she described. They lived all throughout Equestria but were more highly concentrated in Canterlot due to their association with the guard. They were fiercely loyal to Luna as princess of the night and considered her their matriarch of sorts.
We eventually reached my room once again and I bid Starfall a good evening before retiring for the night. It had certainly been an interesting day and I could only imagine what would happen come tomorrow. The ceremony that I was here to be honored at would take place at the conclusion of day court tomorrow. Celestia had assured me it would be quick and painless but I still wasn't all that looking forward to it.
I figured that was a problem for the me of tomorrow though as I drifted off to sleep dreaming of new friends and fine food...
In a dimly lit room at an unknown location a stallion sits behind a truly massive desk that imposes his form into one of power and intimidation. To most he was simply "boss" or "sir" but those closest to him knew him as T.M.. None who worked for him knew his real name, not yet anyway. He feels as if the world is at his hooves as he sits, looking down upon the ponies in front of him. It would only be a matter of time before he could give his benefactor what they wanted. Then he could finally be allowed to peruse his calling in life without hindrance.
In front of his desk stand two of his subordinates. A red unicorn mare with a nervous look on her face and a gray pegasus stallion who displayed no emotion whatsoever.
"Do you have any news regarding the target?" T.M. asks his voice echoing slightly off the marble walls of the office.
The mare steps forward sweat evident on her coat and addresses him in a trembling voice. "Yes sir! Target has arrived in Canterlot as expected. Do you have any further orders?"
T.M.'s face wretches into a grin as he stares down his nervous employee. "Yes, you both read the operation plans I sent out last night correct?"
The gray pegasus simply nods his head in affirmation while the mare's eyes widen in surprise. "Sir you can't possible wish to try this so soon? There are too many moving pieces to get together in such a short period of time!" she exclaims.
"I don't care Agent Blaze. I don't pay you to sit there and babble about what you think of my leadership, I pay you to follow orders. And I am ordering you to go forward with this operation are we clear?" T.M. growls contempt now adorning his face.
Agent Blaze furiously nods her head while the stallion next to her clears his throat. "Sir, I will pass along the word that we are green on this assignment. We have already found a suitable pawn to do the dirty work, all they need is a little 'convincing,'" he says in a gruff voice.
T.M.'s face returns to a grin looking at his more composed underling. "Excellent Agent Windfall. I will await news of the operation's success tomorrow. You are both dismissed."
The two agents quickly exit the room to set the plan in motion while T.M. leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling. While Blaze's insubordination is unacceptable she does raise a valid point. If any small piece of the operation goes incorrectly then nothing would come of it at best and at worst... disaster. He can only hope that his agents are able to get everything in order in the very short time window he has given them.
This operation will be a test more than anything. T.M. could not risk directly interacting with the target after his last blunder. Princess Luna was no doubt onto his meddling after too many careless mistakes in the early going. He could barely observe the target much anymore without the fear of the night princess capturing one of his agents. This latest move would be a test of both the target's ability and Luna's response so T.M. could plan his next maneuver accordingly.
T.M.'s thoughts turned to his benefactor. While they were patient in most regards, if he had any more large-scale setbacks he doubted they'd be happy. T.M. was still unsure of his benefactor's motives, only that they benefited him. He would finally be able to live his dream and take back the legacy that was so unfairly ripped from him. He just knew that his current target was the big break he'd been hoping for all these years. He had to have patience though, any further missteps could lead to his discovery and an end to everything he had worked for.
A knock at the door startles T.M. from his thoughts. He stares at the offending piece of wood wondering who could be bothering him.
"Enter," he states simply.
The door slides open and reveals a green pegasus mare with a satchel on her side. She quickly scrambles up to his desk before opening said satchel and producing a sealed envelope.
"Message for you sir. It's urgent," she pants clearly out of breath.
"Thank you Feather. Please stick around outside, I will have you deliver my reply if needed," T.M. responds taking the letter before motioning to the door.
Feather takes the hint, quickly retreating out of the office leaving T.M. alone once again. He grabs his golden letter opener and rips open the envelope revealing the message inside. After unfolding the paper he quickly reads over its contents, a frown forming on his face as he does.
"This is the last thing I needed right now," he grumbles producing a quill and stationary from his desk.
While the letter brought unwelcome news, it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before. He just needed to get a message to the right ponies and he could prevent this from causing further issues. He dips his quill in the inkwell before jotting down his reply.
"Hopefully one of these days I can relax. I'm getting too old for this," he muses as he signs the bottom with his alias before walking towards the door.
It was going to be another crazy day tomorrow. But it would be all worth it in the end...
I awoke at eight-fifteen in the morning having gotten way more sleep than I intended to. I had forgotten to request a wake-up call from my guard escort the previous night so I was left to sleep for as long as my body wished. After getting a quick shower and making myself presentable, I had opened my door to be greeted by the ever bored face of Straight Spear. He had informed me that the princesses had already eaten their breakfast, but that I was welcome to order anything to my room I wished to have.
I ordered the same thing Luna had the previous night as it looked pretty damn good. While I waited for the kitchen to prepare my meal I pulled out my invitation/itinerary to see what I was supposed to do all day. The time period leading up to the ceremony was filled with a bunch of "recommended" activities that I could busy myself with.
'Lets see... "Meet the Canterlot Nobility?" I think I'd rather jump off a bridge. "Observe Day Court Proceedings?" Might be a good learning experience... but I have a feeling it'll be a bunch of morons either trying to manipulate Celestia or asking her to provide answers to menial issues. What else...? "Attend Canterlot fashion show?!" Hell to the no. I guess I'll just call it a free day cause all of these sound awful.'
After a brief deliberation I decided that I might as well use the day to explore Canterlot. I especially wanted to return to the business district and see if there was anything worth buying while I was here. Ponyville only had so much variety of goods due to its size. I grabbed my saddlebag and emptied it out save my bits and ID and walked out of suite intent on making the best of the time I had.
After having Spear lead me to the castle gate, I set out into the streets of Canterlot. The guards had been really pushy about having somepony escort me around all day, but I got them to compromise by simply giving me a map of the city and assuring that I'd be back at least an hour before the ceremony. I may be new here but I'm not some toddler. I had only myself to count on for the past ten years, I can handle it just fine thank you.
After hurriedly making my way through the noble district to avoid any potential confrontation, I slowed my pace to a leisurely trot and headed back towards the train station. The streets were as jam packed as ever when I arrived at the bustling commercial hub. The vendors who had setup shop with carts or stalls on the street were mostly selling either food, touristy knick-knacks, or weird odds and ends that sounded like either gimmicks or scams. I wasn't particularly interested in any of those things so I started perusing the proper shops for something that piqued my interest.
It was a lovely autumn day outside with the temperate being cooler but definitely not cold. Despite it being early June in my world when I left, I had soon learned that it was late September in Equestria at the time of my arrival. It was now the first week of October and the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change into their colored hues for the fall. I always had a fondness for colder temperatures, so the fact that the sweltering heat of summer was behind me was welcome news.
After searching for a good thirty minutes I came across a small shop nestled in-between a bakery and a bookstore. It was called "Hammer's Industrial Supply." Sounded like the exact kind of thing I would be interested in considering my future business prospects so I quickly darted inside. A little bell jingled as I pushed the door open and entered into the cramped showroom.
Inside was an interesting array of items that varied from simple tools to full on heavy machinery. I had noticed since I came here that Equestria was a weird technological enigma at least by human standards. While in some instances ponies had many modern amenities like refrigeration, modern medicine, and indoor plumbing, they also seemed centuries behind in others. Almost all transportation was by either train, cart, or airship, weapons were medieval at best, and electricity was in its infancy. This was all thanks to the effect magic had on technological development. It was really strange, but I had gotten mostly used to it.
Such was the strange mix of technology laid out before me. The shop offered all sorts of equipment from massive boilers to a simple wrench. Behind the counter in the front was a middle aged rust-orange unicorn mare with a gray mane/tail and a sledgehammer on her flanks who eyed me curiously upon my entrance.
"Welcome sir, can I help ya? Do ya need directions somewhere?" she asked in a scratchy voice.
"Uh, no I'm not lost. I was hoping to look around for some equipment," I replied with a confused look on my face.
The mare's expression immediately turned more jovial as she perked up upon hearing my words. She quickly tidied up her messy mane with a hoof and brushed aside the loose paperwork she had laid out on the counter.
"My apologies sir. Not many folks outside my regulars come in here that aren't lost in this crazy town. I'd be more than happy to help ya find what ya need. The name's Hammer, nice to meet ya," she said as she held out her hoof which I promptly bumped with my own.
"Vladimir, nice to meet you too. I am looking to start up a construction firm of sorts back in the town I recently moved into and need some good tools to get me started," I explained.
"That's quite an unusual name you've got there, ya ain't from around here are ya?" Hammer responded with a chuckle.
"Uh, no I'm not. It's quite a common name back in my homeland," I swiftly returned trying to end that particular chain of conversation before she pried any further.
"Well no matter where you're from, I'm always happy to help a new customer. What did ya have in mind that ya needed?" Hammer questioned motioning to her array of products.
"I've gotten most of the basic stuff from the hardware store already but I'm looking for something more... err... advanced that might help my operation," I replied.
"Well considering ya said you're going be in construction, I think I might have somethin' that tickles your fancy," Hammer stated beckoning me over to the far corner of the shop.
"These babies just came out a few months ago but they're all the rage," she explained motioning to a product that I immediately recognized.
It was a circular saw unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. While rather crude looking and clearly designed with ponies in mind, there was no mistaking the purpose of the device. If my business was successful I could look into hiring contract labor in the future, but for now I was going to have to do all the work myself. Having something like this would make my life a whole lot easier. I stared at the object in question for probably longer than I should of before Hammer decided to speak up again.
"This baby can make cuttin' a breeze. Runs on thaumite crystals so all ya have to do is flick this switch and you'll double your productivity in no time," she pitched playing up the product.
"How much?" was the only thing I could muster hoping that it wouldn't break the bank to buy this thing.
Hammer caught my longing gaze towards the saw and let out a chuckle as she put a hoof around my neck. "Colt, ya remind me of my younger self. Beady eyed and bushy tailed and ready to take on the world. Tell ya what. I'll give ya a good deal on this here beauty. Only a hundred bits and a good word if anypony asks where ya got it."
Her price while seemingly reasonable was a majority of what I had brought to Canterlot with me, not to mention a big portion of my total funds. I knew that trying to haggle her down any lower was likely a lost cause as she was already giving me what appeared to be a decent discount. I had no idea what circular saws normally went for in Equestria, but Hammer seemed like an honest mare. Especially since she was asking for a good word which kind of hard to give for somepony who scammed you.
"I think I can do that. But I have no real way to transport this back..." I remarked sighing loudly. My saddlebag wouldn't fit something as big as this and it wasn't like I could lug it around everywhere I went.
"Don'tcha worry. I ship any products free of charge for purchases over fifty bits. Just give me an address and I'll have it to ya within a week," Hammer returned grinning at me.
"You have yourself a deal then!" I exclaimed bumping my hoof to her's once again the solidify the agreement.
"Well then come on then, I'll ring ya up," she replied leading me back over to the counter.
After some paperwork to arrange the delivery and parting with most of the bits I had on me, I walked out of the shop the proud owner of a magic circular saw. Hammer had explained that the crystals powering the thing would need occasional replacement as would the blade. She gave me the address to her shop to which I could send mail orders to get replacements for both. I thanked her for her help and promised to return. A few other items in the shop had caught my eye while I was inside and while I couldn't really afford them now, once I got a reliable source of income I could indulge a little more.
I walked down the street whistling a tune looking for a good spot to eat lunch. I had spent a good few hours window shopping and it was now nearing noon. Having only a few bits left after my purchase, I was looking for somewhere cheap and out of the way to satisfy my growing hunger. I soon happened across a small diner serving comfort food at a good price near the train station and gave it a try.
The food was amazing considering the cost and I definitely took note of the place for future reference. The waitress had been a little too flirty for my comfort but the meal itself was great. I ordered "The Lunch Special" which ended up being a daffodil sandwich and hay fries as well as apple pie à la mode for dessert. I still had no idea how flowers and fried hay could taste good but they just did. There isn't even a good comparison to liken the taste to, it was completely alien but somehow delicious.
After strolling through the streets once again I checked the time on a nearby clock. It was nearing one-thirty p.m. which meant I had about three and a half more hours before I needed to be back at the castle. Day court concluded at six p.m. so I was expected to be back by five. I decided I would do a nice long walk around the city and take in the sights. I started off back the way I came but upon reaching the central plaza continued on towards what my map called the "airport." I was interested in what exactly that entailed so I wandered on to check it out.
After a good twenty minutes of walking I came to what appeared to be the so called airport. It was situated on the edge of the platform holding up the city and all around me airships and pegasi were coming and going. Equestria had yet to really invent heavier-than-air flight machines, so zeppelins and hot air balloons were the primary air transport for large shipments of goods and non-winged ponies.
Canterlot Airport was as hectic as the business district with ponies frantically working to dock, unload, and depart airships. Pegasi flew in and out carrying all manners of things like letters, packages, and goods. I watched curiously as two airships nearly impacted each other trying to dock but the team of ponies working the port acted quickly to pull the ships away and prevent collision. It was the exact definition of organized chaos but it obviously worked well. I observed the spectacle for a little bit before turning back to head for another destination on my map.
I decided to see Canterlot Falls next as it seemed to be a popular destination for tourists. The falls in question were fed from snow-pack atop the mountain the city was situated on and cascaded down several hundred feet before branching out and flowing into the city proper. There was a path that led up the mountainside a bit where one could view the majesty of the waterfall up close and personal. I began heading in that direction before quickly finding my way blocked. Where the streets had been busy but not too crowded just a moment ago, now ponies were packed side by side across the entire road captivated by something.
I squeezed my way around several ponies and finally got a glimpse of what had caught their attention. Two street performers had set up in the middle of the road and were putting on a show for all to see. They were acrobats of some sort as they were doing all manners of crazy flips and stunts to the delight of a ever-growing crowd. While I would definitely admit I was impressed, I didn't have time to stay and watch if I wanted to see the falls and get back to the castle in time. I looked around for a way to bypass the clogged main road and soon spotted a small alleyway about twenty feet to my left.
I wormed my way through the crowd and out into the alleyway which appeared to go on for about fifty feet before taking a right turn and continuing out of sight. I hoped that meant it came out to another street from which I could continue on my way so I trotted down the dimly-lit alley and made the turn. After about ten feet further, what greeted me made me curse under my breath in disappointment.
The high wall of a building abruptly brought an end to the alley and I was now faced with a dead end. A locked door was the only thing in the vicinity and I wasn't about to go knocking on it. While not what I was hoping for it wasn't the end of the world. I would just have to double back, find another way around, and pick up my pace a bit to make up for lost time. Before I could begin to do just that my ears caught a barely audible clop of what sounded like hooves directly behind me. I spun around to be greeted with a pony who's intentions were clearly not friendly.
An earth pony stallion stood about eight feet in front of me with malice in his eyes. He looked as if he had seen better days, his brown coat matted and filthy. Scars littered his body and his black mane and tail were wild and unkempt. What concerned me the most was the dagger he held in his mouth, its blade glinting in the dim light of the alley. After noticing that I had turned around he spit the knife out into his hoof and addressed me with a gravely voice.
"Look dude. I don't give a damn about you or anypony you care about. I just want your money, so if you'll just hoof it over this can all be over with," he threatened making sure emphasize the dagger he held in his hoof.
'So he's a mugger... Great, just when I thought I had left shit like this behind. I only have ten bits left on me after buying the saw and lunch so I don't know if he'd take kindly to receiving so little. I can barely glide let alone fly so escape is off the table. Calling for help is probably pointless right now considering the noise that performance is making and also a great way to get stabbed. That only really gives me one option...'
I didn't like it, but I was probably going to have to try and fight this guy. I was no stranger to fights, having dealt with my fair share of assholes in the orphanage growing up. I didn't win very often, but I slowly gained the respect of my attackers as I never backed down from any who tried to tussle with me. After a while they stopped harassing me especially after I smashed one guy's face in for insulting my parents. That being said, I had never attempted to fight an opponent with a weapon or fought as a pony before. My best chance of success would have to revolve around taking him by surprise.
"Okay, okay! I'll give you what you want. Just give me a second to get my bits from my saddlebag," I replied putting on a frightened tone to try and lure the mugger into a false sense of security.
"Hurry up then. And don't try anything stupid," he barked eyes still steeled on me.
I reached back and pulled my saddlebag out careful to not make any movements that might trigger the stallion into attacking me. I began pretending to rummage around as if looking for my bit bag when in reality it was the only thing inside besides my ID and the receipt for my recent purchase. All the while I slowly crept closer to my target. He soon became impatient with my delay tactics and spoke up again.
"How long is this gonna take?! Just give me the bag if it's gonna take you ten minutes to find your money," he ordered returning the dagger to his mouth and reaching out a hoof indicating for me to give him the saddlebag.
"Okay here. Just take it!" I returned keeping up the scared-shitless act closing the flap and tossing him the bag.
The attacker caught the bag with his hoof and moved to open it. He pulled the flap open and turned his gaze to look inside. His face morphed into surprise when he saw the nearly empty state of the interior but he had given me the opportunity I needed.
I lunged at the stallion using my wings to help propel me forward. I slammed into him and while he was sturdier than I had expected I hit him with enough force that we both went tumbling to the ground. The dagger became dislodged from his mouth and flung off to the side clanging as it hit the stone floor of the alleyway. After tumbling end-over-end we came to rest up against the wall of the alley with my body laying on top of his.
After getting over the initial shock of being tackled, the pony underneath me began thrashing and kicking attempting to push me off of him. I did my best to keep him pinned but I knew it was a losing battle his strength clearly greater than mine. I reared up my foreleg and prepared to give him a knockout blow to the head but foolishly provided him with the opportunity to free himself. His hind legs lurched into my stomach and I flew off of him slamming into the opposite wall grunting in both surprise and pain.
Let me tell you, getting bucked in the stomach hurts like all hell. Not to mention being bodily thrown into a stone wall. I writhed in pain on the ground while my opponent shakily got to his hooves. He edged his way over to retrieve his weapon and held it in a hoof glaring at me in disgust.
"Wrong move pal. You're gonna regret pulling stunts like that," he spat then returned the dagger to his mouth and began advancing towards my position.
Knowing that I was about to end up with a blade in my side I rose to my hooves as quickly as I could despite the lingering pain. The stallion stopped his movement just a few feet away from me and my eyes met his. I watched him closely waiting for him to make a move. The element of surprise was now gone and my opponent was still armed. I needed to separate him from the dagger if I wanted any hope of winning.
The mugger lashed out with blade clearly aiming for my neck. His coordination was sloppy so I was able to quickly dodge out of the way of the inbound strike. Despite my efforts, the blade managed to graze my muzzle as I ducked underneath it leaving a small cut an inch or two in length. I took the opportunity of his missed attack and slammed my hoof into his throat. He sputtered and gasped releasing the blade from his mouth once again. As the weapon fell to the ground I quickly kicked it off to the side hopefully out of his reach for a good while.
"Hey! What's going on over there!?" a voice suddenly shouted out from the alleyway entrance.
I dared not look as to give my opponent an opportunity to counterattack instead shoving him onto the ground once more and attempting to pin his legs. He was quicker to react than last time and we soon found ourselves in a wrestling match with neither of us gaining a significant advantage for now.
"Sweet Celestia! Somepony call the guard! Hurry!" the voice rang out again and I heard the muffled responses of whoever they were shouting at.
It was the best news I could of hoped for at this point. If I could keep this guy occupied for just a little longer the guard would be able to put an end to this. That would be easier said than done though considering his superior strength was starting to overwhelm me. He soon gained the upper hoof landing several punches into my side, knocking the wind out of my lungs and pinning me to the ground holding on for dear life. He raised his head clearly intending to headbutt me when I remembered I had one thing he didn't.
He could pin my legs down with his own but being a pegasus he left one pair of limbs free, my wings which were currently splayed out to my sides. Before he could bring his head down I flapped as hard as I could leveraging my body upward quickly enough that he lost grip on my legs and I was able to roll free of his grasp. My wings ached from being used in a way they were never intended but I was free once again. The mugger was clearly not expecting my latest move and had toppled over on his side. I exploited his momentary vulnerability by rearing up and bucking him as hard as I could.
He wheezed and rolled around on the ground groaning in pain. I quickly ran up ready to finally incapacitate him when a flash of white and gold caught my eye from the entrance of the alley.
"Halt! Stop right there! You're both under arrest!" a voice shouted as six Solar Guards rushed into the alley.
I ceased my attack and attempted to indicate I wasn't going to resist but that didn't stop three guards from tackling me to the ground. My already aching body was given a few more bruises for good measure as my hooves were shackled and my wings bound to my sides to prevent my escape. After determining that I was no longer a threat, the guards helped me up which gave me the chance to survey the scene.
The three remaining guards had mostly subdued my attacker who was still squirming underneath them trying to escape. He was spouting profanities like a sailor and threatening the lives of the ponies on top of him. After attempting for several minutes to get him to calm down one of the guards lit up their horn and he fell silent clearly out cold. After cuffing him, the guards loaded both of us into a paddy-wagon with two of them joining us in the back in case I tried anything or the mugger woke up. The knife and my saddlebag were confiscated and taken somewhere out of sight.
"I hope you have a good explanation for this," one of the guards sitting with me said as we took off towards wherever they take criminals for processing.
I remaining silent for the time being not wanting to say anything that might be misconstrued against me. The princesses would certainly sort all this out and I'd be free in no time, I just had to be patient. I gave the guard a curt nod and idly looked at my hooves waiting for the journey to be over. I then suddenly remembered what I was supposed to be doing in just a few hours and let out an audible groan.
'Shit, I'm going to be late to the ceremony aren't I?'
Have you ever sat back and wondered what choices you made in life got you to where you are now? Most do at some point, but I have no idea what I could of fucking done in the past to get here. And by here I mean currently languishing in a prison cell in a completely different universe. Life sure has a way of throwing you curveballs eh?
The last two hours had been... interesting to say the least.
After the lovely ride in the back of the prison transport in which I uncomfortably sat in silence while trying to ignore the stares of passerby as we rolled through the streets, we had arrived back at the castle. The mugger remained asleep through the entire trip but began strangely muttering incomprehensible nonsense about halfway through the ride putting both the guards and I on edge.
We had entered the castle through a different entryway than I had the previous day. Out of the way and less heavily guarded, it was clearly a service entrance of some sort. After pulling the wagon through a wide tunnel, the guards arrived at a parking area and prepared to unload me and my unconscious "friend." I continued to dutifully comply with whatever the guards told me and after ensuring my restraints were still firmly in place they led me off into to bowels of the palace.
I had not seen these parts of the castle during my escorted outings yesterday. Gone were the white marble and grandeur of architecture that seemed to project the power and wealth of the nation. Here gray stone made up most surfaces and everything was simplistic and functional. The light level was dim, not too dark as I could still clearly see my surroundings, but it sure added to the grim atmosphere.
After winding through several cramped passageways and down a long spiral staircase we arrived at what I could only call a dungeon. About fifty identical cells lined a central hallway with two large iron doors at either end. Most of the cells were unoccupied from what I could see, only a few ponies peered out from behind bars to check out the new arrival. After parading me down the corridor I was led to an empty cell near the opposite end and unbound. The guards told me they would be back soon to get my information and take my statement and left me to my thoughts.
Or at least I tried to be alone with my thoughts as the now fully awake mugger was brought into the dungeon next hollering to anypony who would listen. I tuned him out to the best of my ability as he was dragged to a cell out of sight and eventually quieted down. I took the time waiting for the guards to take stock of my own cell.
Like the entirety of the dungeon it was poorly lit and windowless. There was a simple bed in the corner that had plain white sheets and a singular pillow. In the adjacent corner was a sink and mirror with a cup should I require drinking water. A toilet also lay in the corner with a small barricade to put one out of view of the hallway. Next to the bed appeared to be a small bookshelf containing a few worn titles. Not that it would be easy to read considering the lighting, but it's the thought that counts I guess. Lastly a small desk and chair sat nearby with stationary, quill, and ink on top.
Overall it was far better accommodations then I was expecting entering a medieval looking dungeon. I lay down on the bed and found it actually be fairly comfortable. The princesses did not seem the type to leave ponies in poor prison conditions so it wasn't too surprising the cells were decent. Still wish it had TV, but unless I re-invented one myself I'd likely never have that luxury in Equestria.
Having assessed my temporary prison lodging, I lay back on the bed and went over what I would say to explain my situation. I knew that I had only attacked the mugger after being threatened at knife-point so my defense rested on that fact. Once Luna and Celestia found out I was here I'd likely be let out fairly promptly so it was just a matter of waiting. So here I sat and counted the seconds...
And here I still sat. A good ninety minutes had passed by my count since I was thrown in here and there was still no sign of the guards. The deadline for my return to the castle had likely come and gone by now so no doubt somepony was looking for me... right? I just kept sitting there and watching the minutes bleed away without any activity from outside my cell.
Finally after another twenty minutes or so I heard the iron door at the end of the hallway open and the telltale clip-clop of hooves on the stone beginning to approach my cell. A unicorn stallion guard came into view on the other side of the bars clearly disgruntled about something. He pulled out a key ring in his magic and unlocked my cell door before entering and addressing me.
"Sorry about the wait. Apparently some guest of the princesses went missing so they sent us looking all over the damn place for em," he said as he once again bound my wings and shackled my hooves preparing to escort me elsewhere.
"It's me they're looking for you know," I returned casually seeing if just outright claiming that I was the guest in question would get me anywhere.
The guard snorted and began chuckling a dumb grin now on his face. "Yeah bud, and I'm the Prench ambassador. To be fair the description they gave us was so vague that anypony could match it. Now let's get a move on, we're behind schedule thanks to all this nonsense."
I simply nodded in return seeing that I was likely getting nowhere with this guy. He proceeded to lead me from the cell and out the other end of the dungeon into another corridor. After a few twists and turns we ended up in what looked like a typical interrogation room. A large table sat in the center and a light overhead illuminated the room. A glass of water along with an unknown paper sat on one side of the table, a quill and ink placed beside it. The guard led me over to the table and had me sit down in front of the paper which appeared to be a form of some sort.
"Alright. Go ahead and fill out this form please. It's typical stuff like name, date of birth, address, emergency contacts, et cetera. After you're finished I'll take your verbal statement on the altercation and after the other fellow you were tussling with gives his we'll go from there," he explained motioning to the paperwork.
I did as he said painstakingly jotting down my information as neatly as I could with hoof-writing. Under the emergency contacts section I didn't really know what to write so I just put Luna and Celestia down. When I was finished I put the quill down and pushed the form across the table to the guard who picked it up and began to read it over. Almost immediately his face twisted into one of annoyance as he gave a sigh and glared back over at me.
"Seriously? If you don't want to cooperate with me then I can just toss you back in the cell until you feel like truthfully filling this out," he grumbled.
"All of that is truthful and accurate. Not my fault if you don't wish to believe me," I replied my face maintaining a neutral expression.
"Really? Vladeyemer Korzhaykove is your real name? You were born in the year 1993? And the princesses are your emergency contacts? Sorry idiot, but I wasn't born yesterday," he returned giving me an incredulous glare.
"Your fellow guards confiscated my ID when I was arrested. You will find that my name is correct. My year of birth is using my culture's calendar. And the princesses are my primary points of contact in Equestria. If you'd be so kind as to inform them of my situation I assure you they will be glad to help," I stated coolly not backing down from the challenge.
The guard now visibly angered stomped his hoof on the floor before raising his voice. "Listen bub! I don't have time for your shenanigans or lies. I'm going to fetch another form and you ARE going to fill it our correctly. Understood?!"
I didn't even get the chance to respond as the door burst open to reveal a panicked pegasus guard who was visibly sweating and haggard looking. He quickly looked around the room before his eyes met me and widened. He then began to seemingly hyperventilate as his fellow guard who had just been chastising me looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Private what has gotten you so worked up?! I'm in the middle of something!" he barked.
The panicking pony managed to compose himself to address his superior. "Sergeant Torrent Sir, we just received a full description of the missing guest of the princesses..." he sputtered still nervously glancing at me.
"And? I don't see how this concerns me," Torrent snarked annoyance growing by the second.
"Sir, it matches him perfectly. Right down to the cutie mark," the private replied pointing at me.
The look on the sergeant's face was priceless to be honest. It was like his mind was completely snapped in half at that moment. He just ended up staring at me dumbfounded trying to process the information he had just been given. After a good thirty seconds of stunned silence he spoke up again in a quiet, almost whisper level voice.
"And... what did they say his name was?"
"It was really strange but they assured me it was correct. Vladimir Korzhakov," the private stated simply.
"....Ha. HA! Is this some sort of joke you and other privates are pulling Downdraft?!" Torrent half laughed half demanded.
"Sir I'm serious! We need to move Mr Korzhakov to the waiting room before the princesses arrive. That's a direct order from Captain Armor himself."
"I would listen to your friend there, he seems like he knows what he's saying," I interjected with a sly smile on my face.
"I DO NOT NEED YOUR INPUT!" Torrent screamed causing my ears to flatten against my skull.
"Okay, sorry..." I muttered.
At long last Torrent seemed to get that Downdraft wasn't joking around and stood up. "You better be right about this or I'll have you cleaning out cells for a month."
"I assure you sir, I am absolutely serious," Downdraft returned still visibly uncomfortable.
"C'mon then, let's get moving," Torrent grunted gesturing for me to follow him.
I got up and shambled my way towards the door careful to not tangle myself up in the chains attached to me. Torrent led the way back through the hallways with Downdraft following behind me. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife but I couldn't give a damn. Luna and Celestia were finally aware of my predicament and were on their way to rectify the situation.
After backtracking through the dungeon and out the other end we arrived in a room that appeared quite out of place in the otherwise drab prison. The walls were still grey but a nice red carpet made up the floor and the lighting was bright and cheery. Several cushions and couches were scattered about with some potted plants and other decorations. A large coffee table sat near the center with magazines and books lying about. Refreshments were laid out on a table in the corner. It was a pleasant place that appeared to be for visitors so isn't surprising the princesses wanted to meet here instead of a sad, dark interrogation room.
I found a nice cushion and plopped down with Torrent watching me closely and Downdraft twiddling nervously. We didn't have to wait very long as just five minutes later a pair of guards entered the room and stood off to either side of the doorway. Both guards sitting near me stood at attention as Celestia strolled in with a rather aggravated looking Luna following close behind. Celestia took stock of the room, her eyes lighting up in bemusement when she saw my chained and shackled form.
"At ease guards. While it is rather unfortunate that my sister and I's personal guest was arrested and missed his ceremony of honor I'm certain there is a reasonable explanation. Sergeant River Torrent correct? Would you mind providing Luna and I with the series of events that led to Mr. Korzhakov's arrest and imprisonment?" she began with her ever stoic manner.
"Of c-course your majesty," Torrent started clearly uneasy bringing out a paper with his magic and beginning to read from it, "At approximately fifteen-hundred hours an unknown civilian alerted the 136th guard platoon of a disturbance in a nearby alleyway. The alleyway was located approximately 500 meters from the city airport. A impromptu street performance was occurring nearby at the time of the incident. The civilian informed the 136th that two stallions were physically sparring and asked for guard intervention to break up the fight."
Celestia nodded to the first part of the story as Torrent continued describing the official account. I so wanted to speak up and tell my part of the story now but resigned to being patient and waiting for my turn to defend myself. The sergeant continued...
"Six guards arrived on scene within minutes. Mr Korzhakov was about to rend the other stallion who we have yet to identify unconscious before he was stopped by the guards. Both ponies were apprehended with the unidentified stallion resisting arrest and forcing the commanding sergeant to cast a sleep spell to avoid injury. Mr Korzhakov came peacefully and cooperated with all guard commands. Found at the scene were a saddlebag likely belonging to Mr Korzhakov and a dagger of unknown ownership," Torrent finished passing the report the the princesses should they want to review it.
"One question if I may? Why were neither Luna or I informed of Mr Korzhakov's presence in the dungeon until nearly two hours after his arrival?" Celestia asked.
"We were unaware of his status as your personal guest when he was brought in. The first descriptions we received of him were vague and contradictory. It wasn't until a more accurate description was provided that we were able to make the connection," Torrent replied not mentioning his idiocy in the interrogation room earlier.
"Thank you sergeant. In order for us to fully understand the situation we will need to identify and interview the other stallion involved. I will have you and Private Downdraft go collect him and get his information now. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance," Celestia commanded motioning to the door.
"Of course your highness, as you wish!" Torrent replied bowing before exiting the room with Downdraft in tow.
Celestia then turned to the two guards they had brought in and gave them a quick nod. Both guards saluted in return and exited the room closing the door behind them. I was now just the princesses and I in the room with all of us visibly relaxing. Luna still looked miffed but appeared to be slightly less so now that the guards had left.
"So Vlad, mind explaining to us how you managed to get yourself in a fight after barely a day in Canterlot?" Celestia asked seemingly more amused than angry.
"Yes, I would kindly like to know why I was rudely interrupted from my evening coffee to organize a search effort for you young stallion," Luna grumbled.
"I was attacked! That stallion tried to mug me so I fought him off!" I exclaimed.
"Attacked? Pray tell, why would anypony attack you?" Celestia asked a shocked look now on her face.
"Well... It was more I attacked him... But he threatened me with a knife first" I explained sheepishly rubbing my neck with a hoof.
"He was wielding the dagger? Why didn't you simply give him your money?! You could've been severely injured or even killed!" Luna yelled.
"I spent most of it earlier in the day, I barely had anything to give him. I was afraid that he would be angered by receiving essentially nothing and stab me or something," I replied calmly.
"So the first thing you try is to attack an armed pony?" Celestia questioned.
"It was the only thing I could think of. I was running on adrenaline. I won didn't I?" I returned.
"That is beside the point. You cannot continue to act so recklessly. I do not wish to have to oversee your funeral anytime soon," Celestia remarked grimly.
"I..." the words of protest died in my throat as Celestia's statement sunk in. Her words did have merit as little as I wanted to admit it. A uneasy silence gripped the room as I mulled over what she had said.
"I'm sorry," I said finally my head turned down, "I guess I've just never been the one to back down from a fight. It was the only way I could gain any respect growing up."
"You do not need to fight your battles alone anymore Vlad. You have friends who can help you. Please promise you will not throw your life away simply to gain respect," Celestia replied pity now adorning her face.
"I cannot promise that I won't put the lives of others over my own but I will not put myself in danger if there is another option," I relented hoping that they would accept the compromise.
"You are a noble pony Vlad. Your actions speak volumes about your willingness to rise to the occasion. Just remember that even the greatest of heroes need to ask for help from time to time. We are here for you, don't forget that," Luna states.
"Thanks Luna, and you too Celestia," I reply giving them a smile which they both returned.
"Back to the matter at hoof, why were you in an alleyway in the first place?" Celestia asked.
"Oh. I was trying to find a way around the street performance in the road. The mugger must of noticed me and followed me in," I answered.
"Still seems very strange that a pony would risk robbing you so close to a large gathering. Something about this doesn't sit right with me," Luna commented tapping a hoof to her chin in thought.
"Well our guards did capture the perpetrator. Perhaps they can get him to speak on the matter," Celestia surmised.
"I will go assist with the interrogation. I have my suspicions and this stallion may be able to confirm them," Luna declared rising to her hooves and beginning to walk towards the door.
"You don't mean...?" I asked surprise now evident on my face.
Luna paused at the doorway and peered back with a concerned look. "I'm afraid so. I fear this may be a calculated move by the organization my operatives have been monitoring. A mugging in broad daylight near a crowded street is not common occurrence nor a smart move. The pony we now hold in our custody was likely coerced into committing such an act. I must see what information I can pry from him."
"Be careful Luna. If he has truly been paid or forced to carry out such an act then he will likely fear reprisal for talking," Celestia stated.
"I am aware sister. But if I can get any useful clues out of him, then it may be a big first step towards bringing this criminal syndicate to justice," Luna replied firmly exiting the room and turning down the hallway.
"*Sigh* I'm afraid I must depart too then Vlad. If Luna insists on carrying out the proceedings herself then I will have to cover her duties for her until she is finished. I will have to ask you to remain here. As long as the mugger confesses to his crime you will be released upon the conclusion of the interrogation. Until then you will still be in guard custody. I apologize for the inconvenience," Celestia says standing up.
"No problem, I know how complicated the criminal justice system can be. Will somepony come fetch me when I'm free to go?" I asked.
"Luna should return when she has finished to collect you. There will two guards outside the room should you need anything. I bid you a good evening Vlad," Celestia answers before exiting the room.
I stroll over to a couch in the corner of the room and lay down. Today had been a nonstop whirlwind of craziness so it felt good to finally have a moment to relax. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it had just passed seven-thirty p.m., over four hours after I had been arrested.
As I lay there my thoughts turned to Luna's suspicions. If the mugger had truly been payed or blackmailed into going after me then I had a lot more to worry about. It clearly showed that even with the princess' protection, I was not immune to attacks from this shadow organization I had been warned about. I would have to be more careful to avoid isolating myself going forward as not to give any opportunity for an ambush.
I could only hope that the mugger would provide Luna with something useful so she could make progress on bringing the pony or ponies responsible to justice. I dwelled on this for only a short while as my mind became clouded and the gentle ticking of the clock slowly lulled me off to sleep...
I was startled awake by the door bursting open and a rather aggravated looking Luna stomping in. After composing myself I checked the wall clock again which now read nine-thirty. A whole two hours had passed while Luna was interrogating the mugger. I could only surmise that he had been uncooperative considering the mood the lunar princess was now in.
"That stubborn, ill mannered, moronic oaf! I have never seen a simple petty thief act this way!" she exclaims.
"What happened?" I inquired hopping off the coach and returned to my seat from earlier.
"Celestia was right about him not wishing to out those responsible for loosing him upon you. I tried every trick in the book to get him to give me something to work with but he only gave me roundabout answers or flat out refused to talk." Luna explained pressing a hoof to her head in frustration.
"Were you able to get anything from him at all?" I asked.
"Not much. He admitted to committing the crime and admitted to being payed to do so, but would not reveal by whom or why," she replied, "He would not even talk when I promised to commute the majority of his sentence. He would rather spend the time in prison than reveal anything about those who bribed him."
"He clearly fears whoever it was enough to openly choose jail time over confessing," I mused.
"Indeed. It certainly would seem our suspicions are correct even if we cannot prove them," Luna returned.
"So, what now?" I questioned.
"I will have to meet with my agents and see if they managed to find anything that would directly connect the organization to this crime. In the meantime, please be careful to avoid traveling alone or out of sight of other ponies. I will assign a guard to accompany you back to Ponyville," she replied.
"If that's what you feel is the best course of action then I'll do my best," I agreed.
"I understand this arrangement is probably not to your liking, but we must act with upmost caution. The organization's moves will likely grow bolder with time and we must be prepared to counteract them," she explained.
"I understand..." I reply solemnly wondering just how long I'll be forced to live in fear of being snatched up to carry out the misguided whims of this crazy shadow syndicate.
"The good news is that you've been officially released and are free to go. You will likely need to testify at the mugger's trial in a few weeks. I will have a letter sent to you to to inform you of the date and time when they are made available."
"Thanks Luna, I appreciate it," I say with a small smile of gratitude.
"Now I must take my leave. I will need to head to the throne room to allow my sister to retire for the evening. I will speak to you again soon," she returns before exiting the room.
Soon after her departure Corporal Starfall came to retrieve me and guide me back to my suite. She seemed rather amused at the events of my day as I described them during the long walk. Apparently my "disappearance" had thrown a bigger wrench into the events at the castle than I had previously thought. The nobility who had been present for the now postponed ceremony had become rather rowdy upon learning that I was a no-show. Some choice words and phrases had been uttered about me until it was learned that I had gone completely missing.
It was all good for a laugh in what had otherwise been an exhausting day. After ordering some dinner for myself from the kitchen we returned to my room. I learned that a second guard had been placed by my door as an extra security measure. He introduced himself as Private Willow Wind but didn't have much else to say when I tried to strike up a causal conversation.
After receiving and promptly wolfing down my late dinner I lay down on the bed and tried to get some sleep. It was easier said than done though as my thoughts kept me up long into the night. My mind jumped from fears of the future to reliving the fight from earlier. It seemed life wasn't going to stop throwing everything imaginable at me anytime soon. But I knew that I could push through as I had done before. Right?
I finally drifted off into the sweet embrace of sleep with newfound determination that I could face any challenge, especially with my friends by my side...
The next day was a bit of a whirlwind. The ceremony had been rescheduled for that evening and this time nopony was taking any chances. I wasn't allowed to leave the castle grounds at any point much to my chagrin. I was mostly kept holed up in my room and forced to entertain myself until it was time to get ready.
At five p.m. some crazy mare had burst into my suite insisting on helping me dress for the occasion. She had painstaking ironed out every wrinkle in my suit and styled my mane and tail for what felt like hours before releasing me from her clutches. I now found myself standing in the throne room waiting for the whole shindig to start. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.
I was practically trembling in anticipation as Celestia finished addressing her last petitioner for the day and motioned for me to stand to the side of her throne. I walked to the spot in question with wobbly hooves and took a deep breath. Luna joined us on my other side shortly afterward and gave me a reassuring smile before her sister cleared her throat. The nobles and other ponies in the room who had previously been milling about all quieted down and gave the princess their utmost attention.
"My little ponies. It is a wondrous occasion that we stand here today to honor another of our citizens who has shown great bravery in the face of danger. To put one's life in peril to save the lives of others is a quality that does not come to most. Even the Royal Guards who protect and serve this fair city and nation dedicate years of their lives to practicing this very skill. For an ordinary civilian to rise to the occasion when lives are at stake is a rare feat and one that we must honor in the hope of inspiring others to follow suit."
Celestia turned and gave me a warm smile before continuing. "We are gathered this evening to honor one Vladimir Korzhakov for his brave act that saved the lives of three ponies including a foal. Mr Korzhakov did not know these ponies, nor did he have any obligation to put himself at risk to rescue them. But they would likely not be with us today if not for his actions when it mattered most. It is with great pride that my sister and I present him with an award fitting his actions. Mr Korzhakov will you please stand in front of me."
I stepped forward and wheeled around so I was facing Celestia, bowing as I was told to prior to the ceremony. Luna brought out a beautifully decorated box with her magic and produced a equally ornate medallion from within. The medal was made from bright gold with an carving resembling the unity of the two sisters. Luna levitated it over to me and placed in neatly around my neck.
"By the sun..." Celestia began turning to her sister.
"The moon..." Luna returned
"And harmony of Equestria I present thee Vladimir Korzhakov with the Medal of the Diarchy. May you wear this honor with pride and continue to show bravery in the face of adversity. You may rise," Celestia finished.
I rose from my bow and turned to face the crowded throne room. The ponies present all began to stop their hooves in what seemed to be a practiced applause. I gave an uneasy smile as a reporter flashed my picture and I basked in the unwanted attention of the elite of the kingdom.
'Man this sucks, hopefully they have some good booze around here...'
