Every species on Equus knows of the magic pervading the landscape of Equestria. Each of the ponies races is affected differently, but no other races are affected. But what happens when a species that has never been to Equestria encounters the Magic?
Magic pervades the land of Equestria, aiding it’s inhabitants. Pegasus ponies are able to soar the skies with great speeds, moving the clouds and controlling the weather. Earth Ponies are more down to earth, having a natural connection to the land, making them the green hooves of the world with an enhanced strength capacity. Unicorns have direct control of the magic pervading Equestria, and it channels through their horns, making them better organized and able to do bigger tasks. Alicorns, who have the abilities of all three races, and use them to their fullest ability. No other species have ever been affected by this magic however, so only the pony races are affected, making many other species jealous of the ponies magic.
Everypony knows this, along with every other species on the planet. But what happens when a member of a brand new species comes to Equestria, and is also affected by this field. This new species isn’t affected like the Pegasi, Earth Ponies, the Unicorns, or even the Alicorns. This new species has survived for 200,000 years, using their greatest talent…
Their Minds.
___________________________________________________________ Featured on 6/11/15. You guys are amazing! Characters and Tags will be added as the story progresses. Will have both slice of life and adventure themes, FIMfiction's tagging system doesn't let me tag both though.
Everypony knew how Equestria worked. A magic ran through the land, making it a better place, like nothing could go wrong. But none knew why this was. There is a Spirit of Equestria, who embodies happiness, harmony, and most importantly, friendship. This spirit is ancient, and has unlimited power, and has been threatened before, and when she was, she gave her little ponies the means to protect themselves and Equestria.
The Pegasi had greater speed and agility, along with the ability fly and control the weather, even being able to create the strongest of hurricanes, the most ferocious of tornadoes, keeping Equestria safe from the skies.
Earth Ponies had greater endurance and strength, along with the ability to grow plants exceptionally well, making walls of plants out of almost nothing, their unbeatable strength able to take out the strongest of giants with a dozen blows, thus keeping Equestria safe from the ground.
Finally, the Unicorns. They had the greatest minds in general, along with direct contact to the Aether, the realm of magic. From their horns came great feats of power, along with some powers, that should not have been released.
Alicorns were granted the highest power, those who had proven her worth to Equestria were given this honor. They were stronger than the strongest Earth Pony, faster than the fastest Pegasus, smarter than the smartest Unicorn.
Equestria has been sieged many times, but those times were long ago, long before Celestia and Luna, or even Discord. It has been so long, that each of the powers that Equestria had given her Ponies had dissolved, into the small, passive abilities that each of the races now posses.
The Pegasi, who could control a hurricane with a single buck, now need over 50 to guide it away from populated areas. Earth Ponies, who, with a single hoof stomp and a seed, could create an entire forest, now need to spend the time that a Pegasi, or a Unicorn farmer would. Their strength and endurance had diminished, to the point where they are only slightly stronger than a Unicorn and a Pegasus. The Unicorns, who are still able to control the powers of the Aether, are nowhere near as strong as they were. And the Alicorns, while still the strongest race, now are weaker than the weakest Unicorn of old.
No other being had ever been granted the abilities that had been granted to the Ponies of old, something that made other nations very resentful. Even if the abilities had been forgotten by all, some rulers, whose line lead back to that time, before time, felt some anger, resentment, hatred to the kind, peace-loving ponies, even if they didn't realize why. No Griffon, Dragon, Diamond Dog, Changeling, or any other species had ever set foot in Equestria with hostile intent towards the nation itself for over 200,000 years, until recently.
When the Changeling’s invaded Canterlot, The Spirit of Equestria awoke for the first time in the long, long years. She was, however, dismayed to realize that she could not do anything to save her little ponies. The power of love was able to stop them, but Equestria realized that the nations who once conspired against her, were stirring once more. She began to bide her time, waiting for the strength to be able to help her little ponies.
She realized that if she waited, however, that the nations would conquer Equestria, and harmony would be lost. The power she did have, was enough to help one being, but not a pony, no. She would pick a being from a species, who, as a whole, were not the nicest, but a being who was pure of heart, even if he himself did not realize it. This being would become Equestria’s savior, bring her little ponies back into the force they once were, and make himself whole again…
2 years after the Changeling invasion of Canterlot.
Twilight Sparkle groaned as the rays of sunlight invaded her fortress of sleep and dreams and blew it up from the inside. Muttering under her breath, she slowly got out from under her covers and sat up, stretching her stiff joints. Gazing around the room, she stretched her wings as she looked around. Her desk, once a deep brown color, was now a royal purple, with some cracks and burns, an open spell book laying on the top. Twilight sighed, she would have to fix that later. Her window sill, despite being made of wood, had a dent in it from a sleepover, four to five years ago. She smiled at the recollection, her friends used to bicker so much back then.
Getting off of the bed, she looked towards the little basket that her Draconic assistant Spike slept in, only to find it vacant. She thought nothing of it however, Spike, who did like to sleep in from time to time, usually got up early to make breakfast and get a head start on his chores. Hissing slightly as she began to walk downstairs, her attention was drawn to a thin scar on her flank, crossing right over her cutie mark, a memento of when the Changeling’s invaded Canterlot. Whenever she thought back on that day, she realized how lucky she was.
It seemed to her that only by sheer luck that none of her friends had gotten seriously hurt. The worst injury that she and her friends had gotten that day was a broken leg. Her friend Rainbow Dash had tried to take on four regular Changelings and a brute, which is a stronger variant of a regular Changeling. She had managed to take out two of the smaller ones, but the brute had managed to pin her to the ground while the other two regular Changeling began to beat on her. They managed to slam a rock on her leg before Fluttershy of all ponies scared them away. The snap that rang out from her leg still gave her the shivers. Shaking her head, Twilight got down the stairs without much more pain.
The scar was a source of annoyance to Twilight. It appeared to be only skin deep, magical scans said that it was just a scar, but it hurt at random points, just a searing pain in her left flank. It was given to her courtesy of Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the Changeling hive that invaded Canterlot as a parting gift. No pony could tell her why the scar was hurting her. She went to Zecora, who upon seeing the scar, went tight lipped, and refused to talk. This infuriated Twilight, but she left after thanking Zecora for her time. She never understood why Zecora wouldn't tell her, but she figured she must have a good reason.
Walking into the kitchen, Twilight smiled at the sight of Spike at the stove, making some pancakes. “Good morning Twilight.” Spike said, looking over towards her.
Twilight inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of fresh pancakes and syrup. “Mmmm… Good morning Spike.” Spike made the best pancakes in her opinion, other than Pinkie Pie. “How do you do it Spike?” She wondered aloud as she sat down at the table.
Spike chuckled, knowing what she meant, “Years of practice, that and, if you had done it, Canterlot Castle would have probably been burnt down years ago.”
Twilight blushed, “I was focusing on my studies, I always had you or one of the chefs make food for me.” She mumbled.
Spike chuckled again, “Don’t worry about it Twilight, maybe since you have more time on your hands, I can teach you.” He flipped the pancakes once more, before sliding them on a plate in front of Twilight. “Enjoy.” He said, putting the pan down and going into the main room.
Twilight looked up from her pancakes and glanced at Spike’s retreating form. “Aren't you going to eat something?” She asked him.
“I already ate.” Spike said, not turning around. “Lot’s of work to do…” He muttered half-heartedly.
Twilight giggled, before turning back to her pancakes. She picked up her fork and took a chunk of the pancake, and right before she put it in her mouth, she heard a crash, then a yell from Spike. Throwing her fork back on the table, she rushed into the main room, only for her jaw to drop. Laying on the remains of the library’s main table, thrashing about as if in a nightmare, was a creature that Twilight had never seen before. It was tall, maybe about 17 hoof-lengths high. It had no hair on it’s body, except on it’s head, which was a dirty blond color that only came to it’s eyes. It wore a black shirt with a blue box on it, surrounded by what looked like a flag. The box on the top said “Police Public Call Box”, and pants on it’s legs, for whatever reason. 'Maybe it gets cold without hair?' Twilight wondered to herself before shaking her head, 'Focus! This is no time for a scientific observation!' She chastised herself, 'It’s unconscious, it probably needs help.' Twilight lifted it up in her magic aura, before bringing the still thrashing creature upstairs.
Spike followed her up, a worried expression on his face. “Uh, are you sure that’s a good idea Twilight?” He asked worriedly. “We don’t know what it is, it could be dangerous.”
Twilight gave the dragon a look, “Even so, it’s unconscious, it needs our help.” She said with a determination that made Spike nod.
“Ok Twilight, I trust you.” Spike responded as they entered Twilight’s room.
Twilight placed the creature on her bed, putting a couple blankets on top of it and doing her best to stop it from moving so much, the spasms were receding, but it started to shiver intensely. “I wonder what it is?” Twilight wondered. 'Is it hostile? Where did it come from?' All this she wondered and more, but there were more pressing matters at hoof. “Spike, get some damp cloth towels. Hurry!” She said, Spike running off to get it. Her horn lit up as cast a scanning spell on it’s body. 'He’s male,' Twilight thought to herself, 'Nothing seems to be broken', She thought to herself in relief, 'No internal bleeding, no bleeding of any kind, go- wait…' She was shocked as she began to scan his brain. 'His brain, there’s something, different about it… not exactly wrong…' To her annoyance, no matter how much she scanned his brain, she couldn't figure out what was different.
Spike rushed back in, the towel in his claw. “Here you go Twilight.” He said, passing it to her.
“Thanks Spike.” She said, taking the cloth in her magic as she felt his forehead, “He’s burning up!” Twilight said in shock. “When I scanned him before, he wasn't sick or anything, so what’s causing it…” She muttered to herself. She placed the towel on his head, before doing one final scan. “Still nothing wrong… What’s causing him to be burning up and thrashing around…” She muttered, scratching her head.
Spike looked at Twilight, “We won’t know until he wakes up.” He told her.
Twilight looked down at Spike, “You’re right, I’m going to send a letter to Princess Celestia, could you go down and clean up the table?”
“Sure thing Twilight.” Spike nodded, going down the stairs as fast as he could.
Twilight gazed at the strange creature, before going back to her still purple desk. Pulling out a piece of parchment, she placed it on a desk before dipping a quill in the ink pot and beginning to write.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am writing to inform you that a strange creature has appeared in the library, unconscious, thrashing about as if experiencing a nightmare. He (For my scans showed he was male,) is a bi-pedal creature, about 17 hooves tall, with hair only on his head. He wore clothes, it seems out of necessity instead of comfort (Him having no hair except on his head leads me to this conclusion). When I ran some scans to determine if he was hurt, I discovered an… abnormality within his brain. Despite my repeated scans, this abnormality refused to reveal itself to me. While he wasn't sick, he was very heated on his forehead, leading me to wonder what is going on inside of his brain. I plan on keeping him here until he is feeling better.
Yours truly,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight finished the letter, rolling it up with her magic. She tied a red scroll around it, along with the royal seal. Her horn lit up, and the letter vanished with a flash. Twilight sighed and leaned back in her chair. 'This certainly has been a very stressing morning.' Twilight thought to herself. 'I still have pancakes to eat.' She thought to herself as her stomach growled intensely. Wincing as she got up, she began to walk towards the door, only to be stopped by a confused muttering.
I awoke to a searing heat in my head, like someone took a torch, lit it, then proceeded to smash it into my ear. 'Damn…' I thought to myself 'What the hell happened last night?' Racking my brain, I came up with… Nothing. I couldn't remember what happened last night, or any other night for that matter. I began to panic. 'Calm down… What’s my name? What the hell is my name!?' I was really beginning to panic now, until I felt the sensation of a damp towel on my forehead, something warm and soft surrounding me, making me feel safe for some reason. Still, the question remained, “Wh-where am I?” I muttered shakily, as if I hadn't spoken for a long while. I opened my eyes as I heard a floorboard creak, even though at my angle I couldn't see who was there. Clearing my throat, I tried again, “Where am I?”
I heard soft footsteps getting closer to where I was laying, which I found out was a bed as I turned my head as much as I could at the moment. “Hello?” A soft female voice massaged my ears. 'She has a nice voice, I wonder if she-' The thought died as I saw the source of the voice. “Are you OK?” A small purple pastel pony Unicorn asked me.
I stared at her, managing after a couple of minutes to form a response. “You’re a Unicorn.” I said blankly. 'Wonderful genius, could you sound any stupider?' I berated myself mentally. She indeed was a Unicorn, her horn was a clear indicator of that.
She gave me a look, “Actually, no.” I gave her a look, extracting my hand from the blankets and pointing at the bony protuberance on her forehead. “I’m a Alicorn.” She said, pushing my hand away. Wings slowly furled out from her side. I mentally face palmed, 'How did I not notice that?' The Uni- no, Alicorn looked at me with sympathy, “Are you OK?” She asked me again.
I blinked, before taking a quick stock. It was a bit strange to be asked if I was OK by a Alicorn. “Nothing seems to be broken, no bleeding as far as I can tell… the only thing wrong is an intense heat inside my head.” I groaned as it flared up again. “Fuck… that hurts…” I muttered, leaning back against the headboard.
The Unicorn splayed her ears back, most likely at my foul language. “Sorry about that… I know this seems a bit soon, but would It be OK if I asked you some questions?” She asked a bit shyly.
'A purple pony Alicorn want’s to know if it’s alright to ask me some questions? I might be able to find out who the hell I am… Or what I am..' “Sure.” I nodded, “But I can’t promise that I’ll be able to answer many of your questions… If any.” I said, with a slightly sadder tone.
She looked at me, a curious look on her face. “Is there a problem?” She asked.
I nodded, “I-I…” I stammered, “I have no Idea who I am… or what I am…” I felt tears begin to gather in the corners of my eyes. “I can’t remember anything about anything…” The tears began to grow, the wall that was holding back the torrent of frenzied emotions beginning to crack. “What happened to me!?” I yelled, “Who am I!? WHAT AM I!?” I screamed, the dam coming crashing down as tears flowed freely. “W-wh-who a-a-am I-I?” I stammered out, my screams receding into broken sobs, “W-wh-wha-what a-a-am I-I?” I stuttered, my head in my hands.
Twilight stared in shock at the strange creature who had broken down in her bed. Not really knowing what to do, she leaped onto the bed softly and wrapped him in a hug, yelping when he lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. The stairs creaked in rapid succession as Spike raced up the stairs, drawn by the screams, before freezing at the sight of the scene in front of him. “Um… Twilight?” He asked, not exactly sure what was going on. “Care for an explanation?”
Twilight managed to twist her neck around, a red blush staining her cheeks. “He has amnesia.” She explained, “He broke down after realizing that he had no idea who or what he was.” She finished, gazing back down at the male who was sobbing like a foal into her barrel. “Could you get some warm milk? It might help him calm down.” She asked the Drake.
Spike nodded, “Sure thing.” He said gently, walking back down to the kitchen.
Twilight smiled, before turning her gaze back to the sobbing male. His sobs slowly began to subside, replaced by sniffles. “Are you OK?” She asked softly.
Slowly, I managed to calm myself down, 'Jesus Christ, I usually never cry like this… Is that what happens to most amnesiacs? God… this nice, Alicorn? Is helping me, probably saved my life, and here I am crying like a little bitch…' I sniffed once more, “Y-yeah… I-I’m alright…” I took a deep breath, letting out a weak chuckle, “You helped me, probably saved my life, and all I’ve done in return was tackle you and get your fur wet.” I chuckled humorlessly. “So much for seeming grateful…” I let go of her and leaned back against the headrest. “What’s your name?” I asked her, sniffing once more, “Just because I don’t have one, doesn’t mean that you don’t.”
She jumped a bit, “O-oh right!” She stammered, “My name is Twilight Sparkle, pers-well, was personal student to Princess Celestia, owner of the Ponyville Library, and the newest Princess.” She wiggled her wings a bit. “Came with the wings.” Twilight replied.
I raised an eyebrow, “A purple pony princess?” I said with a barely contained smirk, “I never thought I would have to say that.” My smirk morphed into a genuine smile, “Thank you Princess, you saved my life.” Twilight smiled back. I heard the stairs creaking, and a purple and green lizard like creature came into the room, holding a glass of a white liquid. “OK…” I said, utterly confused at this point. “Wondering a couple of things here, one: What is the creature that walked into here, and two, what is the liquid in the glass.”
The being looked at me, seemingly offended that I called him a creature, “For your information, I am a Dragon!” He glared at me.
I raised my hands defensively, “Sorry, just never seen a dragon like you before.”
Twilight looked at me, “You have dragons? But I thou-” She was cut off as I screamed, the heat had flared up again, stronger than before. My hands flew to my temples, trying to block out the pain as the world vanished. Images rushed into my mind, images of giant four legged scaled beasts, with wingspans of 100 ft or more. Images of different variants of these beasts flooded my mind, but one stuck out. A female Dragon, I guess that was what they were, with sapphire colored scales, and had piercing blue eyes, staring at me.
Just as quick as it had started, it dissipated, the heat dying down to a more tolerable level. The world returned, me gasping for breath as Twilight and the dragon were crowded around me, worry and concern evident on their faces. “What just happened?” The dragon asked as he helped me up to a sitting position.
“Images. Memories, possibly.” I gasped, taking deep lungfuls of air. “I saw dragons, but they weren’t like you.” He looked at me, a confused look on his face. “These dragons walked on four legs like Twilight, and they had wingspans of over 100 feet.” Finally getting my breath back, I began to relax. “That… hurt like hell.” I said, massaging my temples a bit.
Spike grabbed the glass of white liquid and handed it to me, “Here, this might help.”
“Thanks,” I said, grabbing the glass, “I never got your name little guy,” I lifted the glass, “Cheers.” I took a deep gulp of the substance. It was burning hot, and tasted disgusting. I instantly spat out whatever the hell it was, “What the fuck was that?!” I rasped, the overly hot substance burning my throat.
Twilight glared at me, or at least the best she could whilst covered in the substance. “It’s called warm milk, and it’s hotter than it should be.”
She turned her glare from me to the Dragon, who laughed nervously. “Heh, sorry, my name’s Spike by the way. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo came over looking for some books on ‘monster hunting’. I managed to shift their focus from monster hunting to monster lore, I figured Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash would prefer that. It took longer than I thought, and when I got back to the kitchen, the milk was close to boiling.”
He gave a happy sigh when he said Rarity, which caused me to raise an eyebrow. “Um… Is he OK?” I asked Twilight. “He seems a bit…” I searched for a correct term, “Love struck.”
Twilight giggled, confirming my suspicions to be true. “He is. Ever since he-”
All of a sudden, a pink pony without a horn and wings jumped out of a vase, yelling, “FOOOORRRREEEEVVVVEEERRRR!!!!!!” She was about to hop back inside, when she saw me. “OHMYGOSHWHATAREYOU?!?!?!” She yelled in rapid fire wording, rushing up to me and getting right up in my face. “HI I’M PINKIE PIE, WHAT’S YOUR NAME, DO YOU LIKE CUPCAKES, OR COOKIES OR ICE CREAM OR-” She kept going on and on as I freaked out more and more.
I was visibly shaking at this point, you gotta understand, I didn’t know who or what I was, making me not very stable at the moment, and some random, hyperactive pink pony was all up in my face, asking me all kinds of random questions, so yeah, a bit more out of it than usual. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh…” I stammered, not able to say more than that at the moment.
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie, I gathered that was her name, was dragged backwards, a purple aura surrounding her. “Please, Pinkie Pie, he’s been through a very traumatic experience, he needs his space for now.” Twilight said gently once Pinkie Pie was a significant distance from me.
It took another couple of minutes for me to calm down. “Wh-why wo-wo-would y-you do th-that?” I managed to say, still a bit shellshocked.
Pinkie Pie looked at me, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I-i’m so-sorry…” She sniffed, “I-I did-didn't know th-that yo-you had be-been through so-something, I-I ju-just ge-get s-so exci-excited abou-about me-meeting new po-ponies, an-and I-I ju-just-” Pinkie Pie completely broke down at this point, sobbing a river of tears out of both eyes, literally. I might not know much about anything at this point, but I’m pretty sure that crying doesn't work like that.
I wasn't really sure what to do at this point, and judging by the looks on Twilight’s and Spike’s faces, they didn't know what to do either. Pinkie Pie was crying so much that the floor had been stained and was beginning to flood. Not wanting the room to completely flood, I did the only thing that made logical sense to my broken mind.
I gave the pink mare a hug.
“Shhh… It’s ok.” I whispered, “You didn't know what I had been through.” I loosened my arms around her and looked her in the eyes, “I promise that I’ll answer your questions, just, give me some time to figure out what’s going on. Sound good?” Pinkie nodded, still teary eyed. “Good.” I wiped her tears away with a hand, “No tears.” I said softly, placing my forehead on hers. “No tears.” I repeated to myself in a whisper.
Pinkie Pie smiled at me as she drew herself away. “Ok, but you have to pinkie promise me that as soon as you're ready, I get to throw you a Welcome to Ponyville party!” She exclaimed excitedly.
I cocked my head sideways, “Pinkie Promise?”
Pinkie nodded ecstatically, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, Stick a cupcake in my eye!” As she said this, she went through a couple of motions, ending with sticking her hoof in her eye.
I stared, “And this is what, some kind of super promise?” I glanced at Twilight, who shrugged.
“Just do as she says.” Twilight responded, “I gave up trying to figure her out years ago.”
I shrugged, “I Pinkie Promise to let you throw me a welcome to Ponyville party as soon as I’m ready.” I went through the motions, ending up sticking my hand in my open eye, “Damn!” I hissed, “I can see some people getting hurt with that last part…” I sat back up, my hurt eye slightly shut. “It was nice to meet you Pinkie Pie, is there anything else you wanted?”
Pinkie thought about it, “Nope!” She exclaimed happily, zipping away.
I stared at the cloud of dust in the shape of Pinkie Pie slowly fade away. “How in the holy hell does that work?” I asked blankly.
Twilight shrugged, “Again, I gave up trying to figure her out years ago.” She looked at me curiously, “You seem to be taking everything surprisingly well.”
I looked at her like she was insane, “What do you call crying my eyes out and glomping you, then having a breakdown at Pinkie Pie asking me a bunch of random questions? I don’t think I’m taking this very well.”
Twilight gazed at me with sympathy, along with something else that I could not recognize. “Most ponies who forget everything usually go into a major depression, consisting of them muttering to themselves, rocking in the fetal position, screaming at other ponies, along with other things.” She said, a hint of sadness in her eyes. There was something she wasn't telling me, but I decided not to push it any further. “Is there anything else you needed?”
A burst of sadness hit me, all the things that I had lost hitting me suddenly. “A name would be nice.” I muttered, looking downwards.
Twilight was silent, making me feel even worse for some reason. “Blank Canvas.” She said suddenly.
My head found it’s way upwards, my eyes filled with confusion. “Huh?”
Twilight gave me a small smile, “Blank Canvas, you wanted a name, and I think it fits. When a canvas is blank, it begs to be filled, like you.” Her smile grew slightly.
My mind turned over, a smile growing on my face, “Blank Canvas… I know who I am.” My smile grew even larger. “Thank you Twilight, this means the world to me.” I was hit by a wave of exhaustion, making me sway slightly. “Whoa… this has been exhausting.” I let out a huge yawn. “Do you have a spare bed. I feel like I could sleep for a week, and If that proves to be true, I don’t want you to be bed less…” I gave another huge yawn.
Twilight nodded, her horn lighting up and what looked like a fold up bed and a mattress flashed into existence. After she set up the bed, Twilight raced over to me, guiding me to the bed as I shakily stood up. “I can try to find a better bed tomorrow-” She began to apologize, before I cut her off.
“Twilight, this is perfect.” I told her, “I’m surprised that you’re even doing this for me.”
“What else would friends do?” Twilight said to me, a mix of humor and hurt in her voice, “We are friends, aren't we?”
I was shocked, she’s known me for what, a couple of hours? She already considers me her friend? But it was a pleasant shock. I nodded, a smile on my face, “Yeah, I would like to think so.”
Twilight’s smile matched my own as I laid down on the new bed, a couple of blankets from her bed floating over to mine. “Good.” She said as she tucked me in.
A question came to my mind, “What time is it?” I asked.
Twilight glanced at the clock, “About 10:00 AM. You arrived at about 8:00 AM.” She explained to me.
I nodded, “Probably won’t be sleeping throughout the night… might make it hard to go to sleep tomorrow…” I said sleepily. “Thanks for saving my life Twilight, It means a lot to me.” I muttered as I closed my eyes, “Goodnight, or should I say good morning?” I breathed as sleep overtook me.
Downstairs, Twilight was looking through one of the many bookshelves lining the main room of the library, looking over each title with fondness. “Hey, Twilight?” Spike’s voice said from behind her, causing her to turn around. “Do you think he looked a bit familiar?” He asked, “Not him personally, but whatever he is, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen it before.”
Twilight’s face scrunched up as she thought on Spike’s question, ‘Let’s see… Two arms, two legs, hair only on his head, wears clothes out of necessity, small nose...’ Her eyes widened as she remembered her adventure from the year previous, when Sunset Shimmer had stolen the Element of Magic and escaped through the mirror portal. “That’s because we have seen his species before…” She said, “When we went through the mirror portal into the human universe!”
Spike’s eyes widened, before he let out an almighty belch, a sealed scroll materializing from the mystical flames. Grabbing the scroll within her lavender magic aura, Twilight untied the seal and read the letter aloud.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I commend you on your willingness to take care of the injured creature that appeared in your library, but I must insist on taking him back to Canterlot to make sure that he is not a threat to Equestria or its ponies. If he is found to be harmless he shall stay in the castle for the foreseeable future, as to not cause a panic amongst the populace with the appearance of a strange creature. I shall be teleporting to the library post haste.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
P.S. Stand back please
Twilight hurriedly moved back towards the wall of the library, Spike following her. A few moments later, a bright flash of light and a slight surge of heat reached them, along with a slight bang. When Twilight’s and Spike’s eyes finally adjusted from the sudden change of lighting, a pure white Alicorn with golden regalia with purple gems embedded in them stood before them, a stoic expression on her face, which quickly changed into a friendly smile. "How are you Twilight?" She asked.
Twilight smiled in response, "I'm excellent Princess."
The Princess let out a short laugh, "Please Twilight, we are both equals and there is no reason for these formalities when we are in private. Please, call me Celestia."
Twilight looked abashed as she responded, "Of course, Celestia." The name rolled off her tongue as if it was strange to hear it said in a common way.
Celestia’s smile never faded, “Where is the creature you described in your letter?”
Twilight was slightly startled by the sudden change in topic, but she took it in stride, “He’s asleep upstairs.” She paused, “Celestia, I know what he is.” Celestia motioned for her to continue, “He’s a human, the same species from the other side of the mirror portal, albeit different than what I saw on the other side.”
Celestia took a moment to process this new information, “Did he say how he came here other than the mirror portal?”
Twilight shook her head, but before she could open her mouth to respond, another voice cut in, “No, I don’t know.”
Both of them turned sharply to see Blank Canvas standing in the doorway to the stairs, an angry expression on his face.
I was sleeping peacefully before I heard a bang, awakening me. Groaning, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my legs less shaky than before as I put my weight on them. Moving over to the entrance, I heard two voices from down below. One of them was Twilight, that was for certain, but the other was new. “Where is the creature that you described in your letter?” The unknown voice said, easily female.
“He’s asleep upstairs,” Twilight responded to the voice, before taking a pause. I began to slowly move down the stairs as she said something that made me freeze. “Celestia, I know what he is.”
I was confused, and pretty angry when she said that. 'She told me she didn’t know what I was!' I thought to myself, 'Why wouldn’t she tell me!?' I kept walking down the stairs as the other voice, Celestia, asked Twilight, “Did he say how he came here other than the mirror portal?”
I finished walking down the stairs, the sight of Twilight, Spike, and a female Alicorn, who I assumed was Celestia, talking in what appeared to be a central room, “No, I don’t know.” I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice.
Each of their heads whipped around to face me, Twilight appearing the most surprised, “C-canvas?!” She exclaimed, “Why aren’t you sleeping?!”
I snorted, “Someone made a bang,” Celestia looked slightly sheepish as I said this, so I took that as she did it. “More importantly, why didn’t you tell me you knew what I am!?” My voice raised to a shout.
Twilight winced, “I didn’t remember!” She hastily responded, “You didn’t look the same exactly, so it didn’t register to me!” She seemed to almost wither under my glare.
I snorted once more, “And how hard is it to remember a creature so radically different from yourself like me!?” I yelled, causing her to shrink down more.
I turned away from her, and towards Celestia, “Now who are you? And what do you want with me?”
Celestia looked a bit shocked by my rudeness, but composed herself with a stoic expression as she regarded me, “I am Princess Celestia, Solar Monarch and Co-ruler of Equestria.”
My anger instantly vanished, replaced by panic at insulting someone who could probably destroy me in a half-dozen ways off the top of her head. “M-my apologies your highness…” I stammered out, “I-I didn’t know-”
She put a hoof on my lips, ceasing my attempts to excuse my actions, “It is quite alright.” She said in a motherly tone, greatly contrasting her previous look, “You’re in a strange land without any idea of how you got here, I would believe you would be allowed a small bit of anger.” She took her hoof off of my lips, “But I think you should apologize to Twilight because of your outburst.”
I looked over at the lavender Alicorn, who still seemed nervous that I might burst out in anger again. Instantly I was filled with regret for snapping at her, “Oh crap, Twilight I’m sorry!” I rubbed the back of my neck, my head facing the floor, “I just couldn’t help myself… Cause before you said that you didn’t know what I was and then I just woke up and I heard you say you knew what I was and I wasn’t fully thinking straight and I got angry and yelled-“ I stopped short as I realized I was rambling. “A-any way, I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
I looked up, expecting to see Twilight with at least an annoyed expression, not one of compassion. “Oh it’s alright Canvas.” She smiled, “I understand.”
I smiled back, happy to know she wasn’t mad at me. “Canvas.” Celestia said from next to us, causing us to turn, “I know this seems rude of me to ask, but I must request that you return with me to the capital of Equestria, Canterlot.”
I couldn’t help but snigger for some reason after I heard that, but I instantly became serious after the rest of the sentence registered in my mind, “Why would I have to do that?”
Celestia looked back at me with an equally serious expression, “To assess your threat level to Equestria.”
I blinked, “Th-threat?!” I exclaimed, “You’re bloody royalty for Christ sakes, what threat could I possibly pose to you or your nation?!”
The solar Alicorn kept her natural countenance as she regarded me, “You are a mostly unknown species, to which we hold only the most basic of information. I need to know more about you. Will you come willingly?” Her expression never changed, but her tone told me damn clearly that there was no other option.
I glanced over at Twilight, who gave me a comforting smile. “You’ll be alright.” She told me with absolute certainty.
I said nothing for a long moment, thinking it over. 'It makes sense what she’s saying…' I mused, 'At least… I think it does…'
Another voice began to speak, one that sounded very familiar, though I couldn’t place it. 'Go along with what she’s saying, and don’t mention me.' She said to me, for the voice was feminine, 'Trust me on this.'
I had a feeling that if anyone else had heard the voice, they would think themselves crazy… But for some reason the voice gave me comfort. Something told me to trust whoever spoke. 'Who are you?' I asked the voice, only to hear a light giggle.
The voice spoke with slight humor as she replied, 'You shall see soon. But for now you should reply to Celestia.' The voice faded, and gave no further response, no matter how much I pestered.
Sighing, I focused back in on Celestia, who was regarding me intently, “Alright… I’ll go.”
Celestia’s intent gaze relaxed as I responded, “Thank you Canvas.” She said softly, “Say your farewells.”
I nodded, turning to Twilight. “Thanks Twilight.” I said, “For everything.”
Twilight smiled back, “It was no trouble.”
A small smile grew upon my face, “I guess this is goodbye then.”
Twilight’s smile grew slightly sad, “For now. Canterlot is only a train ride away after all.”
I nodded, moving over to Twilight for a hug. The purple Alicorn stood on her hind legs to hug me more efficiently. “Goodbye Twilight…” I said softly, before releasing Twilight from the hug. I turned back to Celestia, “I’m ready.”
Celestia nodded, “Alright then. Farewell Twilight, Spike.” She said, her horn lighting up in a golden glow. Suddenly, the world around me turned white, and the the library vanished.
The world returned as quickly as it had vanished, but it wasn’t the same. The walls, previously a light tan-ish and seemed to be moulded into an organic shape, were now replaced with clean-cut white stone walls. “Are you alright Canvas?” Celestia asked from right next to me, causing me to jump slightly. “First time teleporters normally feel some degree of nausea."
Slowly, I shook my head, “N-no… I feel fine, but what the hell was that!?” I exclaimed, turning to face Celestia, “What happened to Twilight’s home?”
Celestia looked slightly shocked at my outburst, but she quickly brought it back under control. “We teleported… Disappearing somewhere and reappearing somewhere else.” She told me, “It’s something that any magic user can do, with extreme study. Most unicorns can’t use it to teleport more than a quarter mile, and a strong one maybe double that. It takes the power of an Alicorn to go any more than that, and even we’re limited to about from Canterlot to Ponyville.”
I didn’t reply for a moment, taking all that in. “Where are we now?”
“This is the room that you’ll be staying in while you stay in the palace Celestia informed me, prompting me to look around. A bed lay against one corner, with a bedside table next to it. In the opposite corner, a dresser stood against the wall, presumably empty. On another wall, a doorway stood slightly ajar, revealing a white toilet and sink. ’That’s probably the bathroom…’ I thought to myself. Directly across from where I stood, a clear glass door opened to a balcony, and on the wall opposite that, large double doors stood closed.
After looking around, I turned back to Celestia, confused on one little detail, “Why give me such an elaborate room?” I asked, “I’m sure this must be a room for delegates and representatives."
Celestia raised an eyebrow at my vocabulary, but said nothing about it. Instead, she smiled, “But if you think about it, you are a representative. You’re representing the human race, even if you’re not fully sure what they really are.”
I thought for a moment, mulling over that information, “That's… somewhat exploiting a loophole, if I’m not wrong…”
Celestia's smile grew, “Not at all. It’s simply regulations. First contact with an alien race requires certain measures to be taken.”
I didn’t like how she said ‘measures’, “And not all of them are for my benefit, are they?” I said, “I don’t think you’re naive enough to just let me walk around unrestricted.”
Celestia’s smile dropped, “Yes. You are correct. For the time being, you will be restricted to the palace and the palace grounds. You will have free reign while inside, apart from the restricted areas.”
I nodded, “That makes sense. I don’t even know who I am, for all anyone knows I could be an advanced scouting party for an invasion force.”
Celestia raised her eyebrow once more, “And what good would losing your memories do?”
I thought for a moment, “Could be a problem with whatever sent me here, or as part of my cover. I get friendly with everyone, earn your trust, and when the time for the invasion comes, I regain my memories and join back to my side with all the information I’ve learned throughout my stay.” I shook my head for a moment, “No… scratch that, that might not work.”
Celestia cocked her head at me, “And why is that? It sounds like a perfect cover to me.”
I looked at her, “If the people who sent me here were smart, and I’m assuming they were, they would’ve considered the possibility of me beginning to believe in your philosophies, and that I wouldn’t want to turn my back on the friends I had made here.” I shrugged, “But all of these are just theories, they can’t be proven without facts, which is something that none of us have.”
Celestia looked at me without saying anything for a moment. “There is more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there Canvas?”
I shrugged helplessly, “I don’t know Princess.”
Celestia looked into my eyes, searching for something. After a moment however, she sighed. “Well, we’ll find out eventually.” She promised me with a comforting smile. ’I wish I could believe that…’ I thought to myself. “Anyway,” Celestia continued, “I have to be going, so I’ll let you settle in. Dinner is at seven, but I will send a guard for you at five thirty. I have a feeling my sister would like to meet you.”
’Sister?’ I thought to myself, slightly surprised at the information, but nodded, “What time is it now?” ’I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me… It’s not like I’ve known her for any major length of time…’
“It’s currently three thirty, I recommend that you stay in your room, at least until you learn your way around.” Celestia informed me, “Maybe rest, today must’ve been exhausting.”
I shrugged, “I guess. I slept earlier, so I’m not really tired.”
Celestia fell silent for a moment, “I could have a guard show you around, if that’s alright with you.”
I nodded, “That sounds good.” I agreed, “Better than me blindly walking around the castle without knowing where the hell I am.”
Celestia nodded, “He or she will be around soon.” She informed me, moving to the door before turning back to me, “I really hope you have a pleasent stay at the castle.”
I nodded back to her, “So do I…” I said, more to myself than anything else. With one final nod, Celestia left the room. I let out a sigh, flopping down on the back, face up. ’What a day this has been…’ I thought moodily.
’Just remember, no matter how dark everything seems, there is always a light in the darkness.’ I jolted upwards as I heard the same voice from earlier, not expecting the sudden sound within my mind. A soft, melodious laugh sounded within my head, ’Calm yourself Blank Canvas.’ She said, ’I am the last thing to be panicking over right now.’
I attempted to reign in my heart, trying to stop its escape from my chest as I responded, ’Who… who are you?’
Another soft, melodious chuckle greeted my ears, metaphorically speaking. ’Yes, I suppose I owe you that much. I go by many names, but you may call me… Equa.’
'Equa?' I thought quietly to myself, trying to memorize the name, before something she said snagged me. ’What did you mean that you owe me that much?’
A massive rush of sadness hit me. ’I wish I could tell you…’ Equa said sadly, ’I only hope that you forgive me once it’s all over.’
’Over!? Once what is all over!?’ I inquired, wondering what the hell she was talking about.
Equa sighed, [i]’I cannot tell you that, only that you must be ready.’ A short pause followed these words, ’My time is short, just be aware that things will be changing very soon. Be prepared Blank Canvas…’ Equa’s voice died down into nothing.
I didn’t know how to reply for a moment. ’...Equa?’ I called, only for no reply. ’EQUA?!’ I yelled, before groaning audibly. ’That was something…’ I thought to myself.
A loud knock at the door drew my attention. “Mr. Blank Canvas?” A female voice called from the other side of the door, “Princess Celestia sent me to give you a tour of Canterlot Castle.”
I groaned lowly, “Yeah, yeah… Gimme a minute!” I called back, slowly getting up off of the bed and walking over to the door. Opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of a light blue Pegasus with darker blue eyes. Her body was covered in a white and gold suit of armor, and her hair was a light violet. As I looked over her quickly, I noticed her eyes widening slightly. Clearly she hadn’t seen anything like me before. Wanting to make a good first impression, I gave a smile, “Uh, hello!”
The mare seemed to notice that she was staring and jolted out of her shock. “O-oh, uh, hello there sir.” She gave a bow, which I found really strange, “My name is Sunny Skye.”
I smiled at her, “Nice to meet you Sunny Skye." I said to her gently. "My name is Blank Canvas."
Sunny smiled back, most of her shock and apprehension dissipating. "It's nice to meet you."
We fall into silence. "You mentioned something about a tour?" I said before the silence could become awkward.
Her eyes widened again, "Oh right!" She exclaimed, "Princess Celestia told me to show you around Canterlot Castle if you wanted to."
I nodded, a smile on my face. "That sounds good. Lead the way Ms. Skye."
She smiled, moving out of the doorway to let me into the hallway. "Follow me please." She said as we walked away from my room.