Prologue (Edited 08.12.2015) (Edited 25.11. 2016 by JBL)

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“I must be crazy,” I muttered to myself as I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head to shield myself from the cold sea wind, “following a dream like that.”

With a sigh, I removed my sunglasses, gold-coloured frame aviators, and placed them in my jacket pocket. I didn’t need them now since the storm clouds ahead covered the sun and a cold wind blew straight at me. The waves were getting heavier, and I wondered if this boat could handle a storm like that. Probably not.

It wasn’t a large boat, just thirty feet, and the condition of this piece of shit wasn’t even worth the money I had paid to rent it for a few days. The plywood was rotting, it was patched up here and there to prevent leaking, and it could have used a coat of paint twenty-five years ago.

I doubted my sanity at this point. I was in a boat that leaked, powered by an outboard motor that sounded like a smoker with asthma and lung cancer, and I was heading into a small storm that would most likely sink me. And here was the cherry on top: I was in the Bermuda Triangle!

My life was just peachy.

“Better check if I’m on course,” I muttered once again and reached for what had led me to this point. Not a map or sea charts. Oh no, if only it were that.

Leaning forward, I picked up a staff that I had seen many times before. It had been given to me by my grandfather; he had gotten it from his father; he got it from his, and so on. I didn’t even know how long this staff had been in my family, but from what my grandfather had told me, it had been a family ‘relic’ of some kind for a long, long time. He claimed it went as far back as when Native Americans, as in Indians, lived in tribes and roamed the land, hunting on the plains and in the forests and moving their camp during the summer and the winter.

My grandfather used to tell me a lot about my family, especially about the Native side. My mother’s side was part Native American—she had gotten it from my grandfather. My father was a bit of an enigma, and grandfather was not that fond of talking about him. I never really knew him, only told stories about him. I didn’t even look Native American, the darker skin colour and all that. I looked like a normal young man in his late twenties, and I guessed I did the same as all people in their late twenties did. Blood had been watered down over the years, I guessed. It really never mattered to me.

Well, a bit anyway. Grandfather was old school. He was the one who raised me. He had been a bit of an artist as well, weird in his own mysterious ways. He had been the shaman in the small local native community, and had tried to teach me the old ways, the shaman ways, the way of the medicine man.

I think he succeeded.

With a sigh, I focused on the task at hand, or rather, in hand: a wooden staff, almost one and a half meters in length, brownish-red in colour, and polished smooth. Carvings of horses and humans adorned it, along with various other nature reliefs. Mounted on top of the staff was a narwhal’s horn, although it was thicker than what was commonly found on narwhals. It was probably cut from a whale that had beached itself ages ago and then mounted onto the staff for some religious reason.

I studied the staff for a moment before I took a deep breath to steel myself, then touched my forehead with the narwhal’s horn. The world went black, and before I could even register that my eyes were closed, a steady stream of images rushed before my eyes.

“From Grandfather’s cabin, go to the south. The long road from one city to the next, I must go. Find the harbour. The old boat. Sail south to south-east all day. Find the storm clouds. Go to the centre of the storm,” I repeated as I saw the images flash before my eyes. Although I had seen these images countless times before, it never got any easier.

“The Sun. The Moon. The two horses. The Day and the Night. Important. Must know. Life!” I said in a hurried succession of words before I finally managed to tear the staff from my head.

I took a moment to breathe before I placed the staff back on the deck and rubbed my temples. My head pounded like hell. I had been having migraines since I was a kid, eating painkillers like they were candy. It helped somewhat, but I had never lived a full day without pain since I was a child. Each and every time I did that with the staff, it felt like my heart thumped inside my head. Sweaty and confused for a moment, I leaned back and took a moment to regain my composure.

It had been many hours since the last time I took my pain medication. During the last few years, it had been getting worse as the months progressed. Mornings were usually the worst as I would lay in bed, writhing in agony, praying for the pain to subside. Deciding it was time for another pill, I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved a small plastic bottle. Popping off the lid, I placed one pill in my mouth and set the lid back on before putting the bottle back into my pocket. A few sips of water from my bottle helped the pill to slide easily into my stomach. It only took a few minutes for the medicine to take effect. Leaning backwards so my head was over the side of the boat, I let the medicine take full effect. The slightly blurred vision came first, followed by the sense of immense relaxation.

“I fucking hate this stuff.”

I watched the world upside down as I breathed and calmed myself. From my perspective, I could see that I was far away from land—in fact, I couldn’t even see land anymore. No lights, no sounds except for the waves splashing against the boat and the hacking cough from the engine. Poor thing should be put out of its misery.

I remembered well the first time I had this ‘vision’ or whatever I should call it. It was two years ago. My grandfather had been trying to teach me the old ways, the medicine man ways. One of the things he claimed he did was talk with spirits. Of course I didn’t believe in stuff like that, until one day he and I conducted a ritual. He was a fairly traditional man when it came to that stuff. I was just attending to assuage his feelings. I was never into the traditions, but I would visit him often and that usually led to a lesson or two.

We were well into the ritual as we sat around a bonfire near his cabin. He was chanting a song and moving the staff in strange flowing motions through the smoke from the fire while I watched. I could barely hear his mumbled chant. He then touched his forehead with the tip of the staff, then he touched my forehead with it.

It had only lasted a split second, but it felt like minutes passed. I had seen all the images that had led me to this point. A waterfall of information, time, places, exact dates—it was too much for me to handle.

I had regained consciousness with a scream and had fallen backwards onto the ground. I had quickly stumbled to my feet and looked around, frightened at what had happened. I was still at the bonfire and my grandfather had watched me, as though he expected something would happen to me. He had asked me what I had seen, and I told him everything. He looked worried when I told him, then said that I had to go on a great journey and that he would soon pass away. I had been confused, to say the least. He’d never been sick or had health problems, aside from migraines which ran in the family, so I thought he was on one of his shamanistic rants again.

He died a week later, cardiac arrest while he slept. He never felt a thing.

He left only one thing for me, and that was the staff. In his will, he wished for his belongings to be sold on auction, and the money would be donated to the local hospital. Truth be told, I wondered why he left me nothing but the staff, but at the same time, I was proud. In the past, I had relied too much on my grandfather, and I thought that he wanted to tell me that I was ready to fend for myself for once.

A few weeks passed and I began to have dreams about the same images that I had seen when the staff touched my head. At first it was perhaps once or twice a month, and I didn’t really pay it any attention. Then the dream became more frequent. Once a week, twice a week, every single day. Even when I was awake, I sometimes lost focus and saw those images. The more I ignored them, the more I saw them, and I began blaming the staff for reminding me of them. However, I couldn’t just throw it away. It was a memento from my grandfather, and discarding the staff would be like throwing a piece of him away.

Finally, I decided to try out the same ritual that my grandfather had, only I did the short version, which meant I only tried to touch my forehead with the staff. I saw the images, but this time they felt so strong, so compelling that I couldn’t just forget them. I had to follow the visions, go to the places I had seen and find out what was happening to me.

However, I had to prepare first. I had never been a wealthy man, and as my funds were low, I began saving money for this journey. Working a few extra hours each week at the bowling alley earned me some extra cash, and I made a deal with my boss to take a few weeks off when I could. He agreed to it, yet didn’t understand why I asked for weeks. I wasn’t about to tell him that I saw weird things every time I closed my eyes.

I had left my hometown almost two weeks ago and begun my journey, and so now I was in the middle of the sea. Only now did I realize what a dumb idea this was.

“What the hell am I doing?” I asked myself with a weary sigh.

The sound of thunder rumbling in the skies above startled me. I sat up and observed that the sky was almost pitch-black, the waves had increased in size, and the storm was nearly above me. Raindrops, like a mist earlier, were now akin to standing in a shower. I reacted immediately and made sure my lifejacket was secured tightly on my body. Just to be sure, I tightened the straps a bit extra.

The rain intensified, the waves grow larger and more violent, and I could hear the propeller rising out of the water every few seconds. The lightning bolts in the skies above illuminated the clouds and reflected onto the churning ocean all around me. I severely doubted my chances of surviving this. And for what? A staff that showed me pictures in my head?

“The staff!” I looked to the deck of the boat, only to find the staff missing. "Where is it?" The rocking of the boat must have thrown it around or perhaps tossed it overboard. I couldn’t lose the staff; it was too important for that. I had to find it.

Leaving the throttle handle, I moved towards the front of the boat, climbing over the fuel canister, my backpack with spare clothes, and a box of fishing equipment. The rocking of the boat made it impossible to stand upright, so I was forced to crawl on all fours. Finally, I spotted the staff tangled up in a fishing net. With a firm grip, I pulled it free from the net, but I knew that as it might occur again, it was best to keep the staff close to me. Finding a small string of nylon, I tied the staff to my vest so that I wouldn’t lose it again.

Securing the staff to my vest and tightening the knot, I suddenly noticed that the boat wasn’t rocking as much as earlier. In fact, it was fairly still. The rain, on the other hand, was still pouring down, more than twice as hard. A few drops found their way into my mouth and I tasted saltwater. Even stranger, I heard a faint sound, almost like wind chimes in the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a golden light high in the sky. Turning to the light, I felt my heart lurching in my chest at the sight before me.

In front of the boat, almost a hundred meters away, was a column of water stretching up into the sky. It was as though the water flowed upwards, like a reversed waterfall, defying the laws of gravity. Gazing further upwards, I saw a golden orb on top of the column, pulsing like a beating heart. Every few seconds, the orb shrunk slightly before becoming larger again, like a beating heart. In the center of the orb was a dark spot, a gaping maw into oblivion. The water that flowed upwards acted as a nest for the golden, humming sphere.

The sight was entrancing, captivating, and I found myself unable to look away from the phenomenon. Like a deer in headlights, I just stared until I managed to tear myself away from the spectacle and noticed where the boat was headed: straight towards the column and the distance had shortened considerably. In my stupidity, I had left the engine throttle running at almost full speed.

The phenomenon was beautiful to behold, but I got the distinct feeling that it didn’t bode well for me to be this close. Scrambling back to the engine, I twisted the throttle lever to full speed while turning the boat away. The old engine, however, finally decided that this was the time and place for it to die, and with a sputter and a cough reminiscent of a death rattle, the engine stopped. I acted quickly and grabbed onto the pull rope in order to revive the old engine. Each yank only made a wheezing hack, and the engine refused to start.

I glanced forward and noticed how closer I now was to the column. If I didn’t do anything, I’d get sucked in. Looking to the deck of the boat, I looked for oars, only to find nothing of the sort. I didn’t even think they were included in the price I paid for this wreck.

Just as I noticed that the oars weren’t there, I observed that the bow of the boat had changed angles. It was now pointing slightly upward. The horrific realization that I was about to be sucked into the void gripped me. The old boat started to shake as if some force had grabbed onto it, rocking it like a toy. I did the most logical thing, diving to the deck and finding something solid to hold onto.

The boat rattled violently, and before I could register what was going on, I saw the bow of the boat pointing towards the dark clouds ahead and that the orb of golden light was dead ahead. Holding on for dear life, loose items rushed past me, missing me by inches. Fuel tank, fishing gear, tackle box, fishing net—they all fell out of the boat while the vessel I clung to jerked upwards on the column of water. The sound of air rushing past me, like a violent wind, reached my ears along with the sound of wood cracking and breaking apart. Holding onto the bow’s seat with one hand, I used my other hand to shield my face. Various pieces of wood struck my arm, causing little damage until a sizeable part impacted against my arm, sending a sharp pain through the appendage. I shrieked, unable to brace myself. I barely caught a glimpse of a large splinter protruding from my lower arm before I saw something much worse in front of me.

The golden orb was less than twenty meters away, the sound of wind chimes now so strong that I couldn’t hear anything else. The dark core of the orb was growing larger, like a door opening for me, and inside the dark core were tiny dots of light in many colours. It was both fascinating and terrifying.

The sharp crack of wood tearing apart grabbed my attention. The entire front of the boat was being torn off, sending huge chunks hurtling towards me at a dizzying speed. With only one hand to hold onto the boat and my other arm incapacitated, I had no way to defend myself, and I knew one of those pieces was going to smash directly into me.

For a brief moment, I thought about letting go, simply dropping into the ocean below and hoping for the best. A glance down told me that it would be my doom; I had ascended too far in the air now. If I released my hold, I might be knocked unconscious and drown, or die from the sheer impact. The water was flowing towards the column and twisting around, meaning that I would simply be swept up again and perhaps wind up in the middle of the column and drown within it.

‘So this is it, then? Is this how I die?’ I thought as I spotted one particular large piece of wood that splintered from the bow and was sent hurtling towards me. There was no way I could avoid it.

I always thought I would die of old age. An old man in his bed, surrounded by his family, by his children and grandchildren. A final breath and a final exhale, perhaps in my sleep. Sometimes, things didn’t go as we wanted them to, particularly in life. We faced challenges and fears throughout our life, and we had to face them head-on in order to grow stronger. It was how we all grew. Now, it seemed that this was the place where I was meant to die, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Deciding to accept this strange fate of mine, I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable. I calmed my breathing, taking long deep breaths of air and listening to the beautiful sound made by the orb. It was a pleasant sound, rather calming, relaxing. Strange it might seem, but I felt like I should have known this sound already from a young age. It was almost something I should be used to, but never had heard before. It was like a song, a tune, so comforting and… lifelike.

I didn’t even feel the impact of what it was that struck me on the head.

Chapter 1 - The Survivor (Edited 12.01.2016 by JBL)

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It was the middle of the day off the eastern coast of Equestria. The late summer air a thousand meters above ground felt pleasant as it caressed Princess Luna’s fur, mane, and feathers. She stood at the bow of her private airship, The Eclipsed Eye, a marvel of Equestrian engineering and a gift to her from her sister. From the deck, she enjoyed the view. The Eclipsed Eye was decorated to her taste: its hull was dark blue, with the twin oval balloons that held them aloft an inky black. Many of the ship's details were silver or painted to look like silver. Crewed by the Royal Guard, many of them were her loyal bat ponies known as the nocturnals. She held them in high regard, as much as any citizen of Equestria. As their name implied, they were mostly nocturnal and very fond of her night, something the princess was grateful for.

The reason for her being on her airship was due to her first diplomatic mission since her return from banishment. She had spent two days in the griffon kingdom of Griffonia, visiting the new king, Auron Goldwing. He had only been king for a year and had been plagued by nightmares lately, grappling with his perceived inability to lead his people whilst battling his own personal demons. Centuries of history marked by Griffonian leaders known for their wisdom and justice had loomed over his every decision, Auron keenly aware of the metaphorical size of the throne he had to fill. During Luna’s state visit, she had taken the opportunity to impart her own counsel to the young king and had even entered his dreams to assure him that he would do an excellent job in leading his subjects and safeguarding his lands.

“Do the very best you can, and nopony can ask for more,” was the advice she had given him. It delighted her that he had seemed to take it to heart.

Now she was on her way home to Equestria and Canterlot. While visiting other countries was always nice, witnessing the way the world had changed in ways both obvious and subtle, there was no place like home. Now she could smell her homeland in the air and feel it as the wind played with her mane. Equestria would soon be in sight.

“Enjoying the view, Highness?” Luna looked to her right to see a nocturnal clad in the traditional armour that the members of the night guard wore. His leathery wings were tucked to his sides as he trotted up to her, a slight smile on his muzzle and his green-slit eyes gazing upon her.

“Just Luna, Night Flight. And yes, the view is very pleasant. These airships made me feel uneasy at first, but when my sister told me they were perfectly safe, I managed to stay on one for more than ten minutes,” she recounted with an easy smile.

“They’ve been around for some time now. If it’s one thing the griffons are good at, then it’s airships. To be honest, though, I prefer my wings instead of a balloon and propellers,” the bat pony replied with a chuckle.

“I understand,” Luna replied, the feeling behind her words momentarily surprising her. “While these modern contraptions are good for long distance flights, the feeling of the wind ruffling one’s feathers cannot be beaten by any modern machinery.”

“And I can avoid being seasick. I can’t stand ships.” Night Flight grimaced, probably at the recollection of his past misadventures on the seas.

Luna chuckled lightly at the face the bat pony made. “Humour aside, do we have an estimated time before we reach Equestria?”

“It shouldn’t be more than two hours before we reach Fillydelphia, Highness.”

“Luna.”

“Pardon?”

“I said Luna, not princess.” She preferred to keep an informal tone with her most trusted guards. The nocturnals had served as night guards for over a thousand years, and since they were the ponies Luna spent the most time with, she had decided to keep with the tradition in order to fit in with the modern age.

“My apologies, but I forget at times.” The nocturnal smiled sheepishly.

“Worry not, Night Flight. We can all—” Luna was interrupted by a loud voice.

“Shipwreck ahoy! Two kilotrots ahead!”

Turning her attention towards the sea below, Luna’s eyes carefully began searching the cerulean expanse for the shipwreck. A slight puff of clouds obscured her visibility, but after a few seconds, her eyes saw a scattered mass of grey debris on the water’s surface.

Several crewmembers came rushing to the bow of the ship, many of them carrying binoculars which were promptly set to use as they began to observe the wreckage, urgency evident in their movements.

“Anypony see anything?”

“I can’t see any survivors!”

“Is that a pony?”

“No, looks like a piece of wood shaped like one!”

Luna stepped away from the bow with Night Flight in tow. “What was the weather report for this area last night?”

“As it extends into international waters, this area is not under the jurisdiction of the Equestrian Weather Patrol. However, according to my reports, last night should have been a clear evening with only a slight amount of cloudiness and barely a breeze,” he promptly replied, all joviality dismissed.

Luna lifted her hoof to her chin for a second as she pondered what could have happened. Her mind touched upon a possibility that had been a strong suspect centuries ago, though she was uncertain as to its prevalence in the modern world. “There haven’t been any reports of pirates, I assume?”

Night Flight shook his head. “No, pirates wouldn’t dare approach Equestria these days. They keep to the southern seas mostly.”

“Modern times indeed. Nevertheless, we should—”

“There! I see somepony! That's a flotation device! Bright orange, to the right!" a crewmember yelled out.

Luna and Night Flight galloped to the bow and looked down. Indeed, a bright orange blur was visible on the outskirts of the wreckage. Due to the distance, it was difficult to ascertain who or what was in the water, but the bright shade of the flotation device could not be mistaken.

Luna nodded to Night Flight, and he saluted before galloping to the middle of the deck. “Captain, prepare for an emergency descent! Everypony on deck! Prepare the sickbay! Rescue stations!”

“Understood! Taking us down to sea level!” the captain of the ship, an earth pony in the armour of the royal guard, shouted back, standing behind the ship’s wheel. He pulled some levers, and the ship began to descend rapidly in response.

“All nocturnals and pegasi not operating the ship are to disembark immediately and commence search and rescue! Search everywhere; leave no piece of debris untouched!” Night Flight shouted over the deck. In response, a large group of winged ponies jumped off the side of the ship. After a few seconds of freefall, their wings snapped out and they began to glide down to the water’s surface.

The ship descended at nearly full speed, making a few of the fresher crewmembers look rather queasy. After a few seconds, the ship slowed and levelled out before the electric engines powering the propellers roared like angry beasts, bringing the ship to a complete halt, hovering just above the surface.

Luna looked to the pieces in the water and began to wonder what force could have destroyed the ship so completely. All that remained of the vessel was bits and pieces, as if the vessel had been in a powerful storm or even a hurricane, yet according to Captain Night Flight, no storm had been reported. She briefly wondered if a creature of the sea had destroyed it, but that theory was also unlikely since most large sea creatures were fairly docile.

As she continued to observe the wreckage, it parted with some hints. From the pieces, she deduced that the vessel must have been quite small, perhaps no larger than a common rowing boat. It might have been a griffon’s fishing boat, but what was it doing so close to Equestria then? It could also have been a griffon’s fishing vessel working from Fillydelphia. The city had quite a number of griffons living there, thus making it a better theory.

Several bat ponies and pegasi flew over the water’s surface, searching for survivors, yet none had been brought on board so far. A commotion from the side made Luna turn to the sound. Two bat ponies had dragged a body across the water, struggling slightly. From what she could see, the body was rather large, reminding her of a minotaur, yet the distance was too great to see any details. Only when a third nocturnal came to aid of the previous two did they manage to lift the body out of the water, water dripping from its legs and clothing. Luna hoped the poor creature was still alive.

“Out of my way! Give me some space!” a unicorn called out as he came galloping from below deck, pushing aside some of the gawking crewmembers. He wore a physician’s lab coat and carried a doctor’s bag in his magic, with two other ponies, who Luna assumed were his assistants, following him.

A few moments later, the three ponies flew up to the deck, carrying the lifeless body between them and hovering for a second before gently lowering it to the wooden deck. Immediately, the crew surrounded the lifeless body and once more the crowd was heard whispering amongst themselves.

“What… the… hay?”

“What is that thing?”

“That can’t be a minotaur, can it?”

“No, they have a lot more muscle and mass than that thing.”

“But it has hooves!”

“Minotaurs have cloven hooves.”

“And a horn? Could it be a minotaur with some kind of illness, or did it break off one of his horns in a fight?”

“It doesn’t even look like a minotaur!”

“HEY! Give me some room to work!" the doctor shouted, irritated at the crowd. They immediately backed away.

Luna had been watching the water, wondering at the fate of the destroyed vessel’s crew, and the rescue effort of the guards that had unearthed only a single body found so far, when she heard the doctor shout. Wondering what the ruckus was about, she decided to see what was going on. Approaching the group, they parted, allowing her to see the strange being with her own eyes. As her eyes fell on the creature, she stopped and her mouth opened slightly as though she intended to speak. Whatever words that were about to be given voice died in her throat.

On deck before her lay a peculiar creature, soaking wet and lifeless, a being like nothing she had ever previously encountered. Starting from its head, it had what looked like diminutive eyes that were closed. A dark brown mane that had been cut short lay on top of its head that housed a fairly flat face with a rather squat nose and mouth. It had similarly proportioned but pointed flat ears, looking somewhat similar to those of a pony but was placed on the side of its head. Just below its hairline was a unicorn’s horn that jutted out at an angle from his forehead, white as bone with spiralling grooves twisting its way upwards from the root to the tip of the horn itself. It was roughly thirty centimetres in length and possessed the same thickness as a normal unicorn’s horn. Its facial structure looked masculine, and very short, dark brown fur that was almost black covered its lower jaw and upper lip, furthering enhancing its masculine features, indicating that this creature could be a male of its kind. As she had initially assumed, the creature’s features did not resemble that of a pony or any other creature known to her, but if one was willing to use some imagination, there were slight similarities.

The creature had two arms which were thinner and obviously possessed less muscle mass than a minotaur, and at the end of each appendage was a hand with five fingers. Each finger looked similar to those of a minotaur, only that this creature had ten fingers to a minotaur’s eight. The colour of the skin was also light in hue.

As with the rest of its body, the creature’s legs were peculiar, resembling the legs of a primate such as the few spider monkeys found at Canterlot Castle’s garden, but instead of short stubby digits, there was a hoof at the end of each leg. The hooves were akin to those of a pony, only that these were larger in size. From its unshorn fetlocks dangled copper-coloured fur the same shade as its hooves. Shreds of some type of fabric were wrapped around its hooves, as if it had worn a garment that had been ripped apart by some unseen force.

That wasn’t the only garment the creature had donned. It wore a thick blue jacket over its torso that might have once been loose-fitting, but was now water-drenched and heavy. From its waist down to its hooves, it wore a vestment which was dark blue and seemed well worn, if the holes were any indicator. If she remembered correctly, it was called ‘pants’ and was favoured by certain races, especially during the cold winter months. Wrapped around the waist of the pants was a black belt with a dull metal buckle.

Throughout her perusal of the creature, Luna had remained silent, watching as it was now laid out on the deck, water seeping out of its clothing and pooling around it. She felt a strange wave of curiosity wash over her, curiosity mixed with confusion and a decent amount of surprise.

“Is… Is it alive?” she finally asked the doctor.

The doctor had received assistance to remove the life vest and the blue jacket from the creature’s torso, pressing a stethoscope onto its chest and listening before moving the instrument to a new area. After a few seconds, he turned to the princess.

“It is alive, barely. To be honest, I’ve never seen anything like this before. I mean, the heartbeat is a bit slow, but that can be explained by it being in cold water for too long. Its respiration is irregular as well, which could also be because of the water.” Looping his stethoscope around his neck, the doctor opened his bag, retrieving a rubber mask and an oxygen tank. “However, other than that, I have no idea. This being, whatever it is, is unique to me! I have absolutely no idea what its vitals should be!” the doctor said with a sigh of frustration.

“However, these injuries I can do something about.” The doctor pointed a hoof at one of the creature’s arms and forehead. Luna hadn’t noticed before, but there was a sizeable wooden splinter jutting out of its left arm, and the deck was slowly being stained red. Its forehead had a nasty gash just above its left eye, with blood slowly trickling from it.

“Do what you can to help it, doctor. We must help this creature, whatever it is.”

The doctor nodded and placed the oxygen mask over the creature’s face, securing it with a rubber band over its head. “Let’s get it stabilized before we move it onto a gurney.” His two assistants had already begun cutting the jacket and various articles of clothing from the body in order to better assess the injuries, and also to scan for other unseen damage.

It didn’t take long before the unconscious being was placed onto the gurney and, with the help of the guards, was carried below deck to the sickbay. Watching the creature carried below, Luna trotted back to the bow of the ship to observe the rescue effort. However, it didn’t seem that any other survivors were found as the fliers were sweeping the area for debris, storing the remains of the vessel in the cargo hold.

“What in Equestria was that, Princess?” Night Flight asked her, a certain hint of confusion in his voice.

“I don’t know,” Luna admitted. “It seems... It had hooves and a horn, hands like a minotaur, but the face resembled a… Perhaps a diamond dog? No, it was nothing like one.” She sighed. “Truly, I have no answer at this moment, but we will find out. Did the guards find anypony else in the water?”

Night Flight shook his head. “No, there were no other survivors, if there were even anypony else on board. I ordered a wide perimeter sweep. The guards are sanitizing the area and storing the wreckage for examination. Perhaps we can find out where it came from?”

“Good. When we are ready, set our course for Fillydelphia. The creature must receive medical care as soon as possible. Hospitals are better equipped for long term treatment,” Luna commanded, her eyes watching the fliers as they returned to the ship. Night Flight saluted and left Luna in order to relay her orders to the ship’s captain.

A few minutes later, The Eclipsed Eye soared into the sky, ploughing through the wind and wild clouds. The crew had settled back into their routine, and whilst their activities seemed mundane on the surface, the undercurrent in their whispered conversations was anything but. The reason was obvious. Not a single pony had ever seen a creature such as the one they had rescued, with a few even believing the creature would pose a threat to Equestria. With Tirek’s actions fresh in the minds of everypony, having occurred only a month ago, it was safe to assume that more than a few of the crew were rather uncertain as to the creature’s intentions.

This was not an issue for Princess Luna. She and Celestia had faced off against mighty adversaries in the past, some who were known to history books and some so cruel that the records of them ever existing had been erased, forever banished from history. To its credit, the creature in the sickbay had not invoked any hint of malice or corruption.

What mostly troubled her was the fact that, despite it being a bizarre amalgamation of body parts, there were shared similarities between it and ponykind, such as its hooves and horn. Even its ears somewhat resembled those of a pony.

Eventually, these shared features led her towards the sickbay to check on its condition and hear what the doctor had discovered. The first thing that struck her upon entering was the cloying scent of disinfectant, followed by the sight of the creature lying on two beds pushed together end to end, for this was the only way that the creature could be made comfortable due to its size. Its nose and mouth was covered by a transparent rubber mask, feeding it precious oxygen. A monitor next to the beds provided audible clues as to the creature’s heartbeat.

The ship’s doctor, Sterile Dressing, sat on a chair, working on the creature’s left arm which was resting on a metal table. One of his assistants operated on the wound on the head, sewing it together while the second performed a magical scan on its chest.

“Am I interrupting?” Luna asked with a hushed voice, wanting to avoid disturbing the medical team.

“Hmm? Oh, no, not at all,” the doctor replied with a glance at the princess. “The injuries are mostly shallow—just need to clean the wound and sew them shut. This one’s a bit deep though.” The curved needle pierced the skin, and with a slight tug, the wound closed fully. Tying a knot sealed the wound that would surely leave a scar.

“Internal scan is complete,” one of the assistants declared as his magical aura subsided. “No injuries; everything seems normal as far as I can tell.”

“Good.” Sterile Dressing dabbed a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant and applied it to the wound. “Since we have no idea what his vitals should be, we can only hope that they are within normal parameters. Still, keep an eye on respiration, heartbeat, and blood pressure.”

Luna moved closer to the bed, deciding on gaining a better view of the creature. Now that its clothes had been removed, the only thing that covered its body was a blanket. As a result, she gained a clearer insight of the size of the creature. She estimated that if it was bipedal, it would be very tall, perhaps taller than her sister.

“Have you found any other injuries?” she asked Sterile.

“There’s one wound to his hand caused by a wooden splinter,” Sterile recited and began covering the arm in bandages. “One gash to the forehead, over its left eye, probably caused by a wooden object. We found small splinters there as well. A mild concussion, a few minor bruises, and assorted scratches. Nothing serious so far.”

“Good. Anything else?”

“If the anatomy is anything similar to ours, then this creature is male. I’m not sure about the age, but he looks young. Almost looks a bit pony-like, wouldn’t you say?” Sterile said with a wry smile and secured the bandages with a clip, ensuring they wouldn’t come loose. “I’m afraid that’s about all I know at the moment.”

Luna nodded. She felt drawn towards the creature, his torso imperceptibly rising with each breath he took. Her closer proximity allowed her to note that while the hooves of the creature had fur, his face barely possessed any. She walked to the foot of the bed and rolled up the blanket to further uncover his legs. The large hooves, with their russet-tinted fetlocks, came into view, but just above his ankles, the fur was of normal length. Just above the knees, however, the fur was gone, revealing a light skin color. The border between fur and skin was perhaps five centimetres in length, the fur becoming thinner before vanishing completely.

Rolling the blanket back to its previous position, Luna walked up to the creature’s right arm which rested underneath the blanket. Removing the blanket uncovered the arm, and another surprise. The arm itself seemed rather thin from the shoulder socket down to the elbow. From the elbow down to his wrist was copper-coloured fur, the same as his legs. The creature’s hands did not have fur.

Sliding down the blanket further uncovered his chest. There was a thin layer of hair there, though not enough to provide heat. Though the hair was black, there was a tawny tint to them.

After placing the blanket back, Luna took a moment to inspect the horn on his head. It resembled a unicorn’s horn, but did not have the same tint as his skin, something which usually occurred in unicorns, almost seeming to lack the pigmentation. However, she reasoned that his horn might be normal for his kind.

A short conversation with the doctor confirmed his assertions. While everything seemed to be fine with the creature, but it was best that he was taken to a hospital where medical experts could deduce what he was and the best way to treat him. Luna had faith in Sterile Dressing and his medical skills, yet the doctor insisted that he was not the best one to treat the creature due to its unknown physiology. It made sense since he was a general physician, specializing in ponies.

After leaving the sickbay, Luna decided to investigate the wreckage her guards had brought on board, hoping to find a clue to the creature’s origins. Entering the cargo hold, she saw the rubble scattered over the floor, various pieces of differing sizes. Two guards kept watch while another pair tried to sort them out and deduce what kind of vessel it was.

Walking around the numerous fragments, she occasionally levitated a piece, studying it before placing it back where she found it. Most of it was wood, layered together and painted with a flaking grey colour that perhaps once long ago had been blue. All the pieces were splintered and cracked, indicating that some type of tremendous impact had torn the vessel apart. That the creature had survived must have been a colossal stroke of luck.

Next to the wall was a pile of larger items, some of which attracted Luna’s attention. Picking up pieces from the pile, she began studying them as well. One of the items was a red metal canister of some type. It had an X engraved into the metal on both sides. The top of the canister had its lid open. Wondering if it contained water, Luna took a quick sniff of the lid and subsequently tore her sensitive muzzle away from it. There was nothing inside, but what the canister had once held had left such a horrible stench that she could barely stomach it.

With her interest of the canister swiftly lost, she placed it back into the pile and levitated some other items. There were more pieces of wood which didn’t attract her interest, a fishing net, a fishing pole, and a tackle box. It seems this vessel was a fishing boat of some kind, which also meant that the creature might be carnivorous, or perhaps omnivore. There were species in Equestria, most of them griffons, that required meat as a staple of their diet, and they would usually buy or go fishing for the sustenance they required since Equestria had very strict rules when it came to meat.

A large green cloth bag caught her eye, the cobalt glow of her magic enclosing around it and levitating it to her. The bag had straps fastened to it, along with compartments on the sides and to the top. A backpack, she recalled, similar to those one would see minotaurs wearing on their backs. However, the backpack was made of a distinct sort of material Luna could not identify. The green material looked like cloth, but its texture was not quite what she expected. However, the backpack was a hint that perhaps the creature did indeed hail from the minotaur kingdom of Minoa. Something didn’t fit, however, and that was the strange square label sewn onto the backpack. There was a depiction of a mountain on it, but while it also contained a written script under this picture, Luna could not recognize the letters at all. She knew many languages and alphabets, some long forgotten by time, yet these letters eluded her. Strange forms, squares, rounded shapes, and simple lines—none were familiar to her.

With a huff of frustration, Luna placed the backpack down on the floor. She was tempted to open the backpack in order to collect any evidence as to who their mysterious survivor was, but abstained from doing so. Rummaging through somepony’s belongings was hardly seemly; who knew what the backpack contained. They would find out in due time.

Delving through the pile produced nothing of interest. That was until Luna reached to the very bottom. Levitating a large flat piece of grey plywood revealed it to be relatively intact, but what caught Luna’s attention was not the plywood itself but what protruded from it. It was also a piece of wood, smooth, roughly one meter in length, and embedded into the plywood. Bringing the piece before her, she noticed that the visible length of the staff was lodged into the wood. Turning it around, she saw that the staff had split the plywood apart, the other end of the staff buried within.

Flipping it over again, Luna used her magic to grab a firm hold of the end of the staff, and even though it was firmly embedded, it practically flew out with barely any effort on her part. Placing the piece of plywood back into the pile, Luna puzzled over the peculiar piece of wood, unsure as to what it was at first. When she finally saw it, she nearly dropped the thing in horror.

Held in her magic was a wooden staff, reddish-brown in colour, with carvings decorating its surface. It was what lay attached to the top of the staff that elicited a shocked gasp from Luna. The staff was crowned by a horn… a unicorn’s horn. A bleached unicorn’s horn, a horn that once been attached to the forehead of a pony, of a sapient, rational being!

Her stomach twisted and the bitter taste of bile surged into her mouth but was suppressed for the sake of dignity and the unbridled wrath that overcame the Princess of the Night.

“Princess Luna, what—” she heard one of the guards ask her, but the query was interrupted as another repelled gasp was heard.

Wheeling around, Luna saw the four guards gawking at her with stunned and disgusted expressions. No, not at her, but at the object she held in her magic. One of the guards immediately galloped to a corner and emptied his stomach of its contents out of pure abhorrence of the staff and its morbid decoration. He was soon joined by another guard, the other two managing to restrain themselves, but by the looks of their faces, they were clearly contemplating joining their comrades.

Thinking quickly, Luna looked around for something suitable and found a bundle of cloth on a shelf. Tearing off a sufficient length, she shoved the staff into the cloth, hiding it from view. Just to be sure, she spotted a rectangular box which she placed the bundle within and locked it. Using her magic, she engraved runes on its surface that would completely seal its contents, guaranteeing that nopony could open it but her and her sister.

With the defiled horn locked away, she turned to the guards. “What you have all seen is not to be spoken of on mine ship. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your Highness!” they all replied in unison, some voices shakier than others.

Luna turned to the closest guard and addressed him. “Thou, what art thine name?” she asked, her voice so cold that it was as if winter itself spoke. All thoughts of maintaining the modern dialect were forgotten.

“M-My name i-is Forest Song,” the shivering bat pony replied, still unnerved by the sight of the staff and the menace in Luna’s voice.

“Forest Song, We entrust thee with a mission.” She levitated the box over to the guard. “Take this box to mine quarters, place it on mine desk, leave mine quarters, and take up position outside. Allow none inside!”

“Y-Yes, at once, your Highness!” He saluted as Luna placed the box on his back.

Luna then turned to the second closest guard. “You, find Captain Night Flight and bring him to me at once. We shall be in the sickbay.”

The second guard saluted and galloped away. Luna turned to address the remaining two. “Come with me. We shall go to the sickbay at once!”

Leaving the cargo hold, Luna and the two guards made haste to the sickbay. Luna almost tore the door off its hinges in her fury, revealing a surprised doctor, two assistants, and one unconscious creature.

“Princess?” the doctor inquired, visibly taken aback as he stood from behind his desk. “What is the meaning of this?”

Luna walked up to the unconscious creature and eyed him warily before addressing the stallion. “Doctor, dost thou have at thine disposal potions or elixirs that can make the imbiber sleep for an extended period of time?”

The doctor almost flinched at the raw anger in her voice that she did little to mask. “Uh, yes, of course I do.”

“Good. Give it to this creature. It shall remain unconscious until we reach Canterlot. Not once shall it be awake during the remaining time of our voyage,” she commanded. “Furthermore, two guards shall keep watch over it. This is not open for discussion.”

The doctor wisely did not reply. He had never seen nor heard the princess in such a fit of pique, so he merely nodded his agreement.

Luna left the sickbay and brought the two guards with her. Stepping into the hallway, she was greeted by Captain Night Flight and three guards. “Princess, you asked for me?” the captain asked with a small bow.

“We did. Station two guards inside the sickbay. They are to guard the creature at all times. Should it awaken, they have my permission to restrain it using any and all means possible.” Luna glanced over her shoulder at the closed door. “However, if restraining it is not possible, they have my permission to subdue it,” Luna looked back to her captain and leaned closer to him, “permanently.”

“Of course, your Highness.” Night Flight saluted again before motioning two guards to go inside the sickbay.

Luna watched as the two guards walked inside. Now the creature could do no harm at all. The morbid staff was locked away, a limited number of ponies was aware of its existence, and the creature was under constant guard. Damage control had been successful. Now it was only a matter of reaching Canterlot.

“Captain, how long will it take to get to Canterlot from our current position?”

Night Flight scratched his chin for a second. “Hmm, a day and a half perhaps. In the case of an emergency, we can reach Canterlot by tomorrow morning.”

“Consider this an emergency, Captain. We must make haste to Canterlot.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll notify the ship’s captain.” Night Flight saluted and left to relay Luna’s new orders.

With everything under control, Luna decided to calm herself. Walking up to the deck, she took up position on the bow of the ship, allowing the cool wind to play with her mane, tail, and feathers once more. However, her anger still boiled under the surface. The mere sight of the staff caused the lust for violence to bubble within her.

“Bring us some clay disks,” Luna commanded a nearby crew member. “We wish to practise our accuracy!”

“And perhaps see just how much we can destroy the disks.”

Chapter 2 - The Prisoner (Edited 12.10.2016 by JBL)

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Darkness. There was nothing but swirling gloominess around me, smothering my very being. No matter how hard I strained, there was nothing to be made out in this void. I shivered, the chill biting into me. Was I dead? Was this what death was like? The freezing cold in the abyss?

What had happened to me? Oh right, the column of water and the orb of light. Was that the light people who had near-death experiences always spoke of? The afterlife? The next life? Why was there no one here to greet me, then? Mom? Dad? Grandpa? Anyone?

I was alone here…

Was this hell, then? There weren’t any flames, no torment, no devils or pitchforks. I shook my head. That was a ridiculous idea, plus I didn’t even believe that stuff.

Still, I didn’t know where I was. What was it grandpa used to say? “Be calm at all times and find the logical explanation.” It was a rather ironic thing for him to believe in, seeing as he put faith in spirits and that sort of mythology. I didn’t know if he conducted his rituals because of traditions, or if he genuinely believed in spirits. I would never truly know. In any case, his advice was the best thing that came to me.

What did I have to work with? An icy, murky nothingness. Needless to say, it wasn’t much.

Murky sensations trickled into my consciousness, though they refused to be defined. I could feel myself lying on something soft, as well as something that covered my body. Straining, I could almost discern voices, though they were warped and garbled. At any rate, it wasn’t English.

There was a low buzz emanating from the recesses of my mind, garnering my attention. A slight pressure built within my mind, temporarily drowning out the voices

“How are you feeling?” a voice echoed around my consciousness, startling me. If I could have shrieked, I probably would have.

‘Whoa! Who are you?’

“I am the one that led you here.” The voice was solemn, intoning its words deliberately.

‘Led me here? Why? And where is ‘here’?’

“I led you here because I wanted you to live and to be safe. And ‘here’ is home.” Did that mean I had been rescued? Perhaps some ship or fishing vessel had found me in time. As if sensing my thoughts, the voice continued, “It is my home, but yours as well. Now tell me, how do you feel?”

How did I feel? Well, it wasn’t exactly the most pleasant of feelings to be cold and trapped in darkness, unable to move or open one’s eyes. I relayed that sentiment, trying to keep my anxiety at bay.

“No, you are far from dead. At this moment, you are more alive than you have ever been. However, at the moment you are unconscious, and you were closer to dying than I expected. For that, I must apologize. Worry not, for in time, all will be explained.”

‘Uh, okay… but who are those people talking? I can hear voices in a language I can’t understand.’

“The language of my people. My kind. Your peo— Never mind, you will find out soon enough. Allow me to help you.”

The voices I could barely hear suddenly warped, before they became comprehensible. “—ody temperature is still a bit low, so bring another blanket. Prepare the sedative, enough to last us to Canterlot. The princess ordered it.”

‘How the hell did that happen?’ I muttered, jarred at the sudden transition.

“I have given you the gift of understanding their language, both written and verbal. It is a little trick I learned long ago.”

‘Oh, that’s helpful. Thanks, I guess. But that person just said something about a sedative. And what’s this Canterlot they mentioned?’

“They will sedate you because they believe you to be dangerous. Canterlot is a city you will be taken to, where you will meet two princesses. They will want to speak with you, though they will not be very friendly at first.”

My mind stuttered at that. ‘Princesses? What have I done?’ I had never heard of city named Canterlot, nor were there any princesses near my country. What the hell had I gotten myself involved with?

“You have done nothing wrong. I am the one to blame for my short-sightedness.” The voice sighed gravely, the hiss rebounding within my skull. I could hear the regret in his voice. “However, you must remember to stay calm and focused. Do not let your anger and fear blind you to the reality that faces you.”

‘I don’t know what to say…’ To say that I was far out of my depth would be laughably inadequate. I still wasn’t entirely sure I was having a hallucination. Could one have a hallucination within one’s mind?

“When you are taken before the princesses, I will come to your aid and explain everything. When you regain consciousness, you will find that things have changed. However, it is something that has always been there, in your mother, your grandfather, your grandfather’s father, and his ancestors as well.”

‘What changes are you talking about? When can I go back home?’ I demanded, not caring the slightest for the direction the conversation had turned. The constant half-answers were beginning to grate on my already frayed nerves.

“The changes are your true form. And as for your hometown… never. Do not be afraid—in a way, you are already home.”

‘I don’t understand!’

“In time you will, young man. In time you will. Sleep now and rest.”

***

The midday sun shone upon the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot. Imposing alabaster buildings and towers adorned by gilded spires gleamed like polished ivory and reflected much of the sunlight onto the streets, alleys, and parks. Most businesses had been open for some time already, ponies hawking their goods loudly to try and attract customers from their stalls, under the suspicious gaze of those who had storefronts. There was, as usual, a crowd milling about on the streets, many heading to their jobs, spending some time in the park, or just having something to eat at a cafe. Canterlot was at peace.

The centrepiece of the magnificent city was Canterlot Castle, home of Princess Celestia, the Lady of the Sun and Princess Luna, Lady of the Moon. A national monument in its own right, the exterior had been constructed using white marble by the greatest builders and artisans of its era. Millions of blocks had been enchanted so that the castle looked like it was carved out of a single tablet of bleached stone. Thousands of master craftsponies had toiled for many years to complete the magnificent structure and beautify the surrounding land with marvellous gardens that now housed several exotic species of flora and fauna, ornate fountains that many a foal would inevitably wade into under the horrified gasps of their parents, and statues of many of Equestria’s notable heroes, some whose names had sadly fallen into obscurity. The interior of the castle was perhaps even more lavish. Several rooms had been dedicated solely for housing numerous invaluable masterpieces, the sculptures and paintings, new and old, garnering countless inquisitive stares amid murmurs about what they represented. Hallways were lined with tapestries and stained glass windows that depicted a procession of important events in Equestria’s history. It all amounted to a single purpose: to signify a new era of peace.

One of the castle’s newest additions was the hangar, built into a naturally formed cliff that made it perfect for airships to safely dock, along with a natural cave which was expanded in order to accommodate other ships when not in use. This was where airships transporting kings, queens, and other dignitaries docked when visiting the two regal Equestrian princesses, allowing increased security and privacy from curious eyes. It was also where Princess Celestia’s private airship was located.

She had commissioned the Warmth of the Sun for herself. Considered to be quite brisk for its size, it was decorated in her favoured colours of gold and white. It was mainly utilized for visits abroad, though it had been used on occasion to aid in disaster relief exercises across Equestria. Thankfully, those times had been few and far in between.

Princess Celestia stood in the hangar, awaiting her sister’s airship to dock. A group of royal guards stood with her, all clad in sparkling armour and with polished, sharpened spears. The princess herself was wearing her usual attire: her golden shoes, tiara, and peytral. Eagerly awaiting her sister’s return, she was excited to hear how Luna’s first foreign diplomatic mission after her return from banishment had fared. Although she had returned to Celestia’s side over a year ago, Luna had felt somewhat apprehensive about the trip, considering that the last time she had visited the griffons, they were much more warlike than now. However, she had eventually acquiesced to Celestia’s nudging and had gone through with the visit.

Celestia waited patiently as Luna’s airship approached the hangar. The large airship moved with grace, floating gently through the air before it came to hover above the runway. It slowly moved forward and then down before finally touching down, the rubber-padded metal skids bringing the ship to a halt with barely any noise, aside from its engines.

A few seconds after the ship came to a stop, a ramp was lowered from the deck to the hangar floor and a stream of guards galloped off the ship, taking their positions around the vessel. Luna walked down ramp and was greeted by her smiling sister.

“Welcome home, Luna. I’m happy to see you back and well,” Celestia greeted her sister and nuzzled her.

“Thank you, sister.” Luna returned the gesture, smiling affectionately.

Celestia took a step back. “How did it go?”

“The griffons have certainly changed since the last time I had contact with their kind. No threats, no challenges—civility suits them well.” She smiled wryly. The last time she had visited had been a hundred years before her banishment. Back then, she had to deal with threats of war aimed pointedly at her from their leaders, along with fiery speeches espousing the superiority of the griffons and the weakness of the ponies. It was common rhetoric at the time, as the relationship between the two nations was quite heated.

“King Auron will be a good leader once he has gained enough experience and time. He desires the best for his people,” Luna added.

“Yes, he is very much like his father. King Gerfried the Wise certainly earned his moniker during his reign.” Celestia smiled fondly to herself as she recalled the late leader.

Luna then turned her attention back to the ship and the gangplank. Her previous smile quickly faded, her stern countenance and flinty eyes staring up at the ramp and the assembled ponies that had gathered on deck.

Celestia immediately picked up on her sister’s mood and followed Luna’s gaze. However, she could discern nothing of note, the only movements coming from the crew as they milled about something that was out of her sight.

“Luna, is something wrong? Did something happen?”

Luna gritted her teeth before releasing a sigh. “Yes, there was an... incident. Off the coast of Fillydelphia, we came upon a shipwreck. There was a small vessel that had been smashed to pieces. There was only one survivor and he, if it can be called such, is something out of the ordinary for several reasons.” She finally turned her attention back to her sister.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow, wondering at Luna’s choice of words, even as she felt the first real tendrils of concern prick her skin. “What do you mean?”

“See for yourself.” Luna turned and nodded at the ship. The remaining guards marched down, carrying a gurney between them to a waiting stretcher, placing the gurney down on top of it.

Walking up to the gurney, Celestia saw the creature Luna had mentioned rested there. Covered with blankets, only the creature’s head, shoulders, hands, and hooves were visible. An IV drip kept a steady supply of clear liquid going into its veins. Its arms and legs were immobilized, strong chains and shackles keeping it bound to the gurney.

To say that Celestia was surprised was putting it mildly. “Luna…” She stared at the peculiar creature. “What is this? Is this the survivor?”

Luna nodded. “It is. I do not know what race this creature is or what nation it hails from. Did perchance a similar creature appear during my… absence?”

Celestia kept her eyes on the creature, momentarily at a lost for words. It appeared to be sleeping, looking peaceful despite the bandage that covered an arm and its head. “No, I haven’t seen anything like it. However, there are certain parts of it that I recognize.”

“As did I. However, I have something of greater concern to show you, but it is not meant for most eyes. May I suggest we continue our conversation inside, perhaps in private?” Luna turned to Captain Night Flight, who had taken up position next to the stretcher.

“Take this creature to the infirmary and ensure it is under constant surveillance. Keep it chained at all times and put an inhibitor on its horn. Station guards inside the room and outside as well,” she commanded the bat pony, who saluted sharply and signalled the guards, who pushed the gurney that held the creature into the castle.

One of the nocturnals walked up to Princess Luna, carrying a box on his back. The first thing Celestia noticed were the numerous runes of sealing that covered it. Luna began walking towards the castle with the guard in tow, and Celestia matched her sister’s pace.

The strange box intrigued her, and she wondered what was inside. It was common for griffonian royalty to give gifts to those they viewed as powerful and wise rulers, and both of the two royal sisters had accumulated a sizeable collection over their many centuries as leaders of Equestria. While it was natural for Celestia to first assume that it was a gift to Luna from the griffon king, the runes of sealing told her otherwise.

“Luna, I am curious as to what is inside the box. May I ask what it is?”

“Not here, sister.” Luna’s voice held a grimness that did little to allay Celestia’s disquiet. “What the box contains is the reason for my concern.”

Shortly thereafter, Celestia and Luna sat alone in one of the castle’s meeting rooms, a small chamber meant for private conversations. Enchantments placed on the room made sure no sound could be heard from outside, and the windows allowed the light to stream inside, but prevented curious gazes from doing so as well.

The two sisters both sat on purple velvet pillows around a round table. Luna looked at the staff Celestia held in her magic. Her eyes were fixed upon the unicorn’s horn affixed to the length of wood, slowly turning it around as she examined it from all angles.

Luna had long since managed to quell her rage to the point that she could converse normally and did not lapse into old Equish. Celestia seemed to be composed on the surface, but the temperature of the room had risen, a sign Luna knew well. It meant that her sister managed to hide her anger but was tempted to allow her mane and hair to burst into solar flares, the most overt sign of her fury that was meant to intimidate and cow the objects of her ire.

The room was silent, not a word spoken. Their eyes studied the grotesque object, the decorative engravings carved into the illustrating indicating ponies and strange bipedal creatures co-existing. Perhaps the pony had been enslaved by the bipeds? The decorations did not invite such an inference.

Celestia's eyes had grown hard, her usual smile and pleasant demeanour gone. Fury boiled inside her, her emotions in turmoil, but not once had she said anything since her eyes had fallen upon the staff. Luna admired her sister in that regard. While Celestia was nearly impossible to anger, always maintaining the façade of her emotions being unruffled, Luna was usually considered the hot-tempered one of the two. They were truly as different as night and day.

The staff was levitated back into the box and shut, the runes of sealing glowing midnight blue as they were reactivated, keeping the simple wooden box secure from the outside world. With a deep breath, Celestia turned to her younger sister.

“Unicorn hunters,” she spat, the very name leaving a sour taste in her mouth, her eyes revealing just what she felt about the word.

“I suspected as much,” Luna replied. “However, the Equestrian army defeated them almost three thousand years ago on the orders of the Council of the Three Tribes.”

“They did. No griffon, diamond dog, or any other being has even attempted that brutal, barbaric practice since then. And now this… this staff appears out of nowhere along with a creature we know nothing about.” The temperature in the room surged briefly, before receding.

Luna looked to the box where the staff had been placed. Her memories of that era had not dimmed with age, the era of the unicorn hunters. The group had been so obsessed with magic that they had attacked unicorns, ripped their horns off, and proceeded to mount them on staffs and weapons in the ridiculous belief that unicorn magic would empower them and their weapons. Of course, it didn’t work. Removing a unicorn’s horn would be the same as ripping off a pegasus’ wings or the limbs of an earth pony—horribly painful, demeaning, and a brutal and horrible practice with no roots in reality, which often led to the death of its victims.

That horrible belief had held such influence over the zealots that they had attacked entire villages and foalnapped the unicorns that lived amongst them. The group had been forever splintered when the Council of the Three Tribes, the early government of Equestria, had assembled an army to root them out. The fanatics had had no chance as almost every member of the army had relatives and friends who had fallen victim to the group, their thirst for vengeance and retribution driving them on. A decent number of the group had survived the battle and had been later sentenced to either prison or years of manual labour.

“And the creature? What should we do about it?” Luna asked after a small pause, both struggling to return to the present, away from the horrors of that age.

Celestia pondered for a moment. She had noticed something that didn’t seem right. “The horn on the staff isn’t new. It looked very old.”

“I noted that as well. It seemed to me that the staff itself was not of this age,” Luna replied.

“That means that the creature you found may not be the one responsible for the death of the poor unicorn whose horn was used on the staff. Did you also notice the many enchantments on the horn itself?”

“I did. Many of them are ancient and extremely complex. I noticed one presence spell on it as well. But since we do not know who needs to be present…”

Both sisters sighed. The mystery that was the unknown creature, the staff that a unicorn had to suffer for—it was a recipe for a nightmare. If a new group of unicorn hunters had arisen somewhere in the world, then Equestria was the obvious target since it was the nation with the highest population of unicorns in the world. And if the group existed, Equestria had little in the way of any intelligence on them. Was it just a few individuals or an army? Who led them? Where were they hiding?

It mattered not. Celestia’s resolve would not fail her when it came to defending her ponies, and she knew that Luna would not hesitate as well. No matter how many the group consisted of, they would be met with fierce determination should they ever step a hoof into Equestria.

Another matter was the unknown creature currently unconscious in the infirmary. What was it? Where had it come from? Was it a threat? Their current disposition inclined them to hold to that belief as a result of the staff the creature had in its possessions. However, no answers could be squeezed from a creature forcibly kept unconscious.

“Luna, did you attempt to enter the creature’s dreams while on the ship?” Celestia asked, hoping for some light to be shed into the matter. Luna shook her head.

“I attempted, but he was unconscious.” A dream was a product of the thoughts of the mind, and only emerged when an individual was asleep. A state of unconsciousness was different, as the brain was unable to create thoughts.

Celestia nodded and went silent for a moment. “The creature’s possessions—did you find anything with it?”

“We did. They are in safe storage as we speak.”

Celestia rose to her hooves and, with a flash of her golden aura, the box was conjured away. Luna stood and joined her sister as they walked out of the room, heading for the storage area that held the belongings of prisoners.

“We should see what else the creature brought with it. There may be something that can tell us more about it,” Celestia murmured, more to herself than her sister.

“And hope that we do not discover any more… trophies.” Luna made a moue of disgust.

Although the creature was kept in the infirmary under heavy guard, his belongings were kept near the dungeons in a storage room. The debris of the vessel was kept in the airship hanger, seeing as it was no threat and nothing else had been found amongst the splintered pieces of wood. In the small storage room, the only light was produced by magic-infused crystal bulbs that hung on brackets on the walls. They provided sufficient illumination upon a table where numerous items, all of them found with the creature, were spread out.

“Sunglasses,” Celestia commented on a pair of shades with gold-coloured frames that she held with her magic. “Finely crafted, yet of no interest.” She placed the sunglasses down and levitated an article of clothing that was found inside the backpack. It was like a cloth tube, similar to hoof warmers that ponies sometimes used.

“Articles meant for procuring food,” Luna noted of her own perusals. She had opened the tackle box and peered inside, finding several different lures and other fishing equipment. “In this case, fish.”

“Luna, have you noticed that some of these items have writing on them?” Celestia asked as she picked up a garment that was dyed black with a yellow circle on one side. Within the circle was something that resembled the silhouette of a type of bat.

“I have. This language I have never seen before.” Luna picked up a small metal item that, once folded out, had an assortment of tools inside of what she assumed to be the handle. Quite an ingenious idea.

“I’ve never seen it either. I cannot even recall runes that looked like these letters.” Celestia huffed in frustration.

After examining the articles of clothing and noting that they had been used a lot, Celestia turned her attention to some of the other items. One gadget she noticed was a rectangular object with rounded corners. One side was flat and had three letters stamped into it, and above the letters were two small circular pieces of glass next to a larger piece of glass. The other side was also covered in a thin layer of glass, and on the sides she saw both a circular and a square hole. The purpose of this object was unknown, but it seemed that it had seen much use, as some of the thin paint had been worn down.

A black piece of leather that was folded together caught her eye. Picking it up and unfolding it revealed many items, including several small circular pieces of metal in a small pocket and rectangular pieces of paper in another. She placed the items on the table and began to study them carefully. Upon noticing this, Luna trotted up to her sister. Levitating one of the metal circles, she noted that there were markings engraved upon it.

“Currency, perhaps? These look familiar to bits, though clearly not made of electrum.”

“Then this must be their leader,” Celestia said sharply as she picked up another of the ‘bits’ and discovered a creature whose profile adorned the piece of metal.

“This bit seemed to have a different creature’s outline to yours.” Luna levitated the coin over to her sister. Celestia snorted in irritation upon indeed seeing a dissimilar creature on Luna’s bit. She then picked up a few of the rectangular pieces of paper, realizing that they also had what seemed to be more of these creatures. She noticed that several of the bits and pieces of paper had some of the same strange letters on them, which led credence to their theory that the collection was some sort of currency.

This was what she had feared, the definitive proof. There was only one reason strange bits such as these could have been minted. “All of these items are currency.” Celestia’s hoof shook briefly, though the action was almost unperceivable. “They are much more organized than what we initially believed. They have a nation.”

Luna closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled explosively. Upon opening her eyes, she turned to her sister. “Then we must assume that the creature is a scout, here to determine our defences.”

Celestia thought of her initial assumption upon realizing what the currency had meant. It was plausible that the creature could be a scout for a large force, arriving in Equestria in order to locate targets of interests. However, the theory was weak, upon further reflection. How could an entire nation of such bloodthirsty barbarians keep themselves a secret? Surely word of such creatures would spread far and wide. Furthermore, why would such a creature come to Equestria bearing a staff with a unicorn’s horn? It would be giving itself away immediately. If it was a scout, then it was as stealthy as a rampaging dragon.

While Celestia was locked in thought, Luna opened the leather object, finding several other items inside. There were several flat, rectangular chits that were stiffer than the paper currency, though they did flex slightly when she applied pressure. Two of these had the image of the creature printed onto them. One of them had a logo of some sort that consisted of four blue letters, with a cerulean line above the letters and a dull bisque-tinted one at the bottom.

Finding the strange flexible paper uninteresting, Luna digger deeper into the leather pocket and found something that was familiar: photographs. “Sister, you may find this intriguing.”

Celestia shook off the cloudy thoughts that had gathered upon her mind and peered at the photographs her sister held. There were four of them, all in colour and in such fine condition that they clearly outmatched Equestrian photography. The paper was glossy and of high quality, and the colours were clear.

One photograph depicted their prisoner with another of its species. The other creature was shorter, had longer hair, some of which were grey, indicating that it was older than their prisoner. Both of them smiled as they held an arm over the other’s shoulder. Behind the creatures was something that resembled a small house and trees behind it.

“Family, perhaps?” Celestia looked at another photo. This one had the same creature, but with several others, six in total. The beings differed in height, build, and the colour of their skin. Possessing hair of varying lengths, the creatures with theirs worn longer had a certain feminine quality to them. They were generally slender, their exposed arms veering on the thin side. The entire group aimed smiles at the camera, frozen forever in time as they sat around a bonfire with tents surrounding them. A lake could be seen in the background, dark blue and calm, with the shadows on the photo indicating that the sun was shining down on them.

The third photo showed the creature with one of the other creatures, only a female this time. In the photo, the two showed affection for each other, holding hands and locked in a kiss.

“The creature’s mate, I would assume,” Luna murmured, to which Celestia nodded mutely.

The fourth photograph was markedly different from the others. It seemed to be older, the colours somewhat faded and the two creatures in the photo different from those in any of the others. One of them was a female with raven hair that reached down over her shoulders, her hands covering her bulging belly. It was obvious that she was pregnant, perhaps mere weeks before giving birth. Next to her stood a male of their species, much taller than her and looked rather strong, judging by its build. This one had long flaxen-coloured hair tied up in a ponytail and a trimmed blond beard, slinging an arm over the female’s shoulders. What stood out in this photo were the expressions the two beings wore. Their gazes were locked onto each other, fond smiles plastered onto their faces, a moment of deep affection captured. It was plainly obvious that these two creatures cared deeply for each other.

Going through these photos had forced the princesses to alter their predispositions regarding their captive once again, along with their initial assumptions. They had experienced what the unicorn hunters had inflicted upon their victims. They had rarely spared their families much thought, focusing only on the atrocities committed. However, these photos illustrated that seldom considered aspect: moments with friends, loved ones, and family; the ability to be capable of friendship and love. Whatever wrongdoing their captive had wrought, it was undeniable that he had others who cared for him.

To further complicate matters, the creature had actually committed no crime within Equestria. It was the staff that was found with him that was the cause of their disquiet and, until they could question the creature, they could not be certain if it was made by his hands or not. They could not put an innocent to trial, but they could not afford to be complacent.

Celestia sighed. This entire ordeal seemed to grow more confusing by the second. She craved a cup of herbal tea to soothe her mind.

“Sister!” Luna suddenly nudged Celestia and held up three of the photos to her face. “We must be blind!” Celestia looked at the photos, wondering what had riled her sister. The photos were interesting, as they provided some clues to the creature and its family life, but other than that, she could not see anything else of interest.

“What do you mean?”

“Look!” Luna pointed a hoof to the photo of their captive with the female. “The head of the creature!”

Celestia looked closer, scrutinizing the photo. “Its head? I don—” Her words died when she realized what Luna had meant—something was missing on the creature’s head. It only added to the mystery.

***

The prisoner was secured to a bed in a private room in the castle’s infirmary. It was a spacious room that had been appropriately tiled and painted a rich creamy colour. The grey curtains had been pulled aside, allowing sunlight to fill the room. Two guards were posted inside the room, and in the hallway outside were several more. Any attempt made by the creature to escape or break free would be swiftly halted.

The heart monitor emitted a steady beeping sound, the creature’s chest rising and falling as it breathed. An IV stand stood next to the bed, a bag of clear liquid hanging from it as the liquid was fed into the prisoner’s arm. All of this was observed by the two guards, both of them standing by the door and at a distance from the bed. As was expected, the two guards were curious about the creature, yet they showed no external sign of it. Their training kept their inquisitiveness in check, and their stoicism was a strong testament to their duty.

A gentle knock came from the door, and moments later it was opened by two female nurses that carried with them a tray of medical supplies. One was a unicorn with a lengthy raven mane and alabaster coat, the other a pegasus with a cropped crimson mane and yellow coat. Both wore nurse hats with the symbol of a red cross upon them

“At ease, colts. We’re just here to change the bandages and clean the wounds. Can’t have this poor thing get an infection now, can we?” the red-maned nurse said.

Both guards just nodded and continued staring at their prisoner. The nurses approached the bed and placed the tray of bandages and ointments on the nearby table. However, the pegasus stopped when they got close to the creature. She stood still for a moment, wondering just what they were supposed to be treating.

“Oh my, this… I thought the patient was another guard that got injured in training.” She took an instinctive step back.

“Didn’t you listen to Doctor Dressing’s briefing?” The unicorn rolled her eyes and brought out a clipboard with the patient’s information. “It says here: “Patient: unknown. Name: unknown. Species: unknown.” Right underneath are the injuries. We’re supposed to follow standard pony procedures since it worked well when Doctor Dressing treated it.”

“I didn’t listen since I was out using the little fillies’ room.” The pegasus smiled sheepishly.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get to work. We have other patients to tend to.” The unicorn’s voice brooked no argument.

As the creature was not awake to fuss or complain, the cleaning of the arm wound didn’t take long, and they proceeded to treat his head. Due to the creature’s size, the pegasus nurse had to clamber upon the bed to reach the wound and clean it thoroughly. After applying a new bandage, she jumped down onto the floor and disposed of the old bandages in the garbage bin.

“There, that didn’t take long,” the pegasus mare said. “Were there any other injuries we should check on?”

The unicorn picked up a rough sketch made by the doctor, showing the patient’s body and injuries. Only the arm and head wounds were listed as minor injuries. “Hmm, there’s a small scratch on the inside of the left thigh. The note says to just keep an eye on it. There was some slight discolouration earlier, so it’s probably just a bruise.” She placed the clipboard onto the tray and nodded to her co-worker.

“On it.” With a flap of her wings, the pegasus hovered over the creature and lifted the blanket away from its waist. Immediately, her face flushed red and her eyes widened.

“OH…. my…”

***

Princesses Luna and Celestia walked with Doctor Silver Heart, the head physician of the castle’s infirmary, down the hallway that led to the creature’s room. While the doctor certainly did little to hide his enthusiasm at the discovery of a new species, Celestia and Luna were much more reserved.

“—and while the collective knowledge concerning medicine we already share with the griffons, diamond dogs, minotaurs, and zebras is significant, this new species is unheard of. Just think about what it might add!” The doctor’s giddiness was profound, like a foal who had finally reached the cookie jar on top of the fridge.

“We are aware of the possibility of advances to medicine this creature can give us, Doctor Heart,” Celestia murmured cooperatively, yet both princesses’ minds were on that small detail they had noticed in the pictures. “For now, however, the creature shall remain under guard.”

“Yes yes, I understand that certain precautions must be taken. We don’t yet know if this creature is hostile or not, but I’m merely thinking ahead.”

“So are we,” Luna replied sternly.

Rounding a corner, they trotted down a hallway to the end, where the door that led to the creature’s room was located. Eight guards stood near the entrance, four on each side, a mix of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, all armoured and armed with spears. The guards had been briefed concerning the nature of the creature and its morbid possession. The guards were all veterans with more than ten years of service. They were perfectly capable of dealing with any eventuality as required.

The door opened and two nurses exited in a hurry, carrying a metal tray with them. The face of one of the nurses glowed red, and she tried to hide her face behind a wing while her colleague scolded her for her unprofessional behaviour. Upon encountering the two princesses, the duo quickly bowed before continuing on with their duties. Celestia and Luna both gave a short nod before entering the room.

The creature still lay in bed, the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor the only significant sound within the room. Celestia and Luna both walked up to the bed and stood on either side. Leaning closer, Celestia began studying the creature’s horn that had not been present in the photo. Now that she was afforded a closer view of the being, she was able to note several distinct features. Inspecting the photo of the creature and his mate, she saw that while his ears had been rounded in shape, they were now pointed, almost pony-like in appearance.

Luna stood on the other side of the bed, shifting the blanket over to the side and holding his arm with her magic. “Sister, there are other differences.” She held up the arm. Celestia looked at the photo she held and moved the blanket on her side away.

In the photo, the creature lacked the tawny fur that now adorned his arms. The fur started at the wrists, covering his lower arms all the way up to the elbows. On the elbows themselves were tufts of fur, longer than the rest. The rest of the arm was practically devoid of fur.

She also noticed that in the photo, the creature wore some type of garment on his legs. Moving over to the foot of the bed, she set the blanket to the side, uncovering large hooves. The unshorn hair of the fetlocks looked messy and long, as though the creature did not believe in personal grooming. The fur that covered his legs continued up to just below the knees, but from there it stopped, giving way to short and scattered black fur with a copper tint to it.

“The legs are also shaped differently.” Celestia looked to her sister. A small amount of Luna’s midnight-blue magic sprang from her horn and enveloped the creature’s. After a few moments, her magic faded away.

“The horn is its own,” Luna noted and turned to her sister. That the creature had grafted the horn from a unicorn onto itself had been one of their earlier suspicions. That would have failed as well, as the magic inherent of the pony, be it a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony, only responded to the pony itself. The only ones that could perform such a feat was an alicorn or Tirek.

“Then it means that the limbs and the horn of this creature are authentic. It was born with a horn and hooves.” Celestia sat down, rubbing her temples. It seemed that the mystery only deepened, answers refusing to show themselves.

“It would seem so,” Luna replied and went silent as she too sat down next to the bed. She wondered what could have caused such a transformation. A powerful unicorn would have intimate knowledge of alteration spells, but a novice spellcaster could also learn from several available spell books, given enough time. Could it be that a unicorn had transformed the creature into its current form? If so, why?

Luna grimaced and stood up. She walked over to the window and gazed out, mulling over the situation in her mind. There were too many factors, too many unknowns involved, and no answers to be found. Keeping the creature insensible was no longer to their advantage.

“I believe…” Luna eyed her sister, gauging her mood, “we must awaken the creature. He… IT… has the answers we seek.”

Celestia remained silent for a moment before closing her eyes and nodding. “You are right, Luna.” Rising, Celestia opened her eyes and walked over to her sister. “However, it seems rather late to begin now. Tomorrow we shall begin questioning him.”

Luna nodded, ruffling her wings briefly. “Shall we make it a public hearing?”

Celestia mulled over the question. While most hearings were a public affair, this was different, given the nature of the creature and its possible crimes. The possibility of inciting fear and panic was also a strong consideration.

“We shall make it a hearing with a minimal audience.”

“Minimal?” Luna asked. “Like the hearings of old?” There had been times in Equestria’s past when criminals who had committed unspeakable acts had been given a closed hearing. The only ponies in attendance were the princesses and a certain group of nobles. In order to protect the population, it was sometimes better that some things were best left unadvertised. A unicorn hunter amongst them was one such thing.

Celestia nodded. “I will choose the nobles who will attend. Also, as Twilight is inexperienced as a princess, I think this will be an opportunity for her to witness justice being performed.”

“You think she is ready for something such as this?”

“She will choose if she wishes to attend or not. I will not force her.” Celestia then turned to the doctor, who had remained silent as the princesses had talked amongst themselves, knowing that he would keep whatever he heard under the strictest confidence. “Doctor, you may cease sedating the creature. We wish to interrogate it tomorrow,” she told the doctor, who nodded.

“As you wish.” He brought out a clipboard and began writing down notes.

Leaving the infirmary together, Celestia and Luna headed for the throne room. As they discussed the upcoming proceedings, Celestia was interrupted by a yawn from Luna.

“Luna, have you been sleeping well?” Celestia furrowed her brows in concern.

“No, I have not,” Luna replied with another yawn. “This entire affair—the staff, that creature—has made my nights uneasy.”

“Then you should go to bed. You’ll need your rest for the upcoming night.” Celestia placed an alabaster wing over her sister’s back and patted her gently.

“Mmh, now that the situation is under control, I feel that I can unwind for a while. The nights of this new age have proven to be a bit more stressful that those a millennium ago.”

Celestia lowered her head to meet Luna in a nuzzle. “Good night, Luna. Sleep well.”

“Good night, sister.” Luna returned the gesture. Moments later, she was gone in a flash of teleportation magic.

Celestia then made her way to the throne room. There was a letter she needed to compose.

***

I was bored. Constant darkness and little else to do often did that to a person, but it was slowly getting warmer, so I at least had that going for me. I felt as though I was lying in bed still, which was good news. Still, I felt frustration seeping through my being as my desire to return to the conscious world increased.

As if in response, my spine tingled briefly, moving up to the base of my skull, and I once again felt a presence within me. “You will soon wake up.”

An unexpected feeling of relief washed over me. Despite its constant half-answers and riddle-speak, it had been the only companion I had had for the past while. ‘Hey, you’re back.’

“I only left for a small amount of time to look around. This world has changed so much… so, so much…” Despite the echoing nature of the voice, it held a distinct note of sadness in it, though if pressed, I could not say why.

‘Uh, okay. Who are you anyway?’

“That is not important right now. When the time is right, I will explain.” More riddle-speak. However, seeing as there was little I could do in my condition, I decided to play along.

‘Okay, that’s fair. Where am I now? Home?’ Despite his previous words, I still clung on to a stubborn hope that he was wrong.

“Not your hometown or homeland. But you are home, I assure you. You are currently in a hospital room in a castle.”

A castle? ‘Why? Am I sick? Did I… do something stupid again?’

“No. You will soon awake, and aside from some soreness, you’ll be as healthy as you were, in some ways even more so. However, do you remember what I told you about some things being different?”

‘Uh, yeah, some things about me would be different. What things did you mean?’

“You will discover them when you regain consciousness. Do not be afraid—you will get used to them very soon. They will be natural extensions of yourself. Just be calm, relax, and you will be fine.”

‘Alright, I’ll be calm.’ I’d be willing to be just about anything in order to wake up, though I did not mention this.

“Good. Your rationality in the situation you’ve found yourself fills me with hope. I am proud of you.”

‘Uh, thank you?’

“Now then, I shall relay to you what you shall encounter once you’ve regained consciousness. You are currently chained to a bed and have been stripped of your clothing. In the room with you, there are two small creatures called ponies.”

I did not know if that revelation not being the strangest thing to occur this day was a good thing or an ill omen. ‘Like home?’

“No, not like home. They are sapient just as you and are capable of speech. They are trained guards and are wearing armour. Do not fear the look in their eyes—act calmly and they shall follow suit. One of them has a horn on his forehead and the other one is very strong. Do not attempt to fight them.”

‘I don’t want to fight anybody.’ In any case, I doubt I’d be in any condition to tangle with trained guards after waking from a coma.

“Excellent. After you’ve awaken, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and yourself. Ask the guards if they can unlock your chains so that you can use the nearby restroom. Look in the mirror in there and do not fear what you see.”

Despite his warning, his constant attempts at assuring me were beginning to worry me. That hadn’t been the first time he had alluded to changes concerning me. ‘What will I see?’

“Your true self. When you are done in the restroom, there will be food awaiting you. Partake in the meal, for you will need your strength. When you are finished, one the princesses will want to speak with you. Her name is Celestia. Speak to her with respect and do not be rude.”

‘Okay, I’ll do that.’

“Good. She is powerful and one of the four rulers of this land. Your attitude towards her will be reciprocated. Now, I must go. We shall speak again.”
The voice began to warp and then fade, my ears just picking up the words.

“…and… please… forgive me…”

‘What? What do you mean? Hello? HELLO?!’

***

‘Ugh, my head hurts,’ was the first thought that came to mind as I slowly became aware of being awake after what had felt like days of slumber in an overly warm bedroom. A splitting headache wasn’t unfamiliar to me, but it was now actually rather mild than what I was accustomed to. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, and throat and mouth felt parched. The boat ride must have given me a hell of a beating, given how sore my muscles seemed.

“Ugh, this sucks…” I say with a yawn.

My eyelids felt as though they had been glued shut, and I slowly began to open them before being assaulted by a dazzling light. I quickly shut them and tried to bring an arm up to shield my eyes, only to feel it jerk after mere inches of movement to the sounds of rattling chains.

Before I even got a chance to process that my arms were restricted, I heard a voice from somewhere near me. “It’s awake. Inform the princess!”

‘Wait! What?’ That voice! It sounded like a guy, but the language… It wasn’t English! I don’t… What?

Slowly, I turned my head to the side the voice came from. From behind my eyelids, I felt the light lessening in intensity. I cautiously cracked open my eyes, which watered slightly. Like being underwater without goggles, everything was blurry and out of focus. I could faintly see what I assume was a door, cream-coloured and with a slightly darker outline, and next to the door were two objects, almost identical in shape. I could make out that it was white interspersed with gold on these objects but not much else.

I blinked rapidly to try and blink the sleep from them, along with getting adjusted to the lighting of the room, though it was a poor substitute to rubbing them with my hands. I deliberately turned my head back to its previous position, keeping my eyes lidded in order to observe my surroundings.

White walls, white ceiling, a window with grey curtains. Even the bed sheets and blanket were white. Together with that antiseptic odour that permeated the air itself, there was only one conclusion to be made:

‘Yep, it’s a hospital.’

With my vision clearing, the sunlight streaming into the room wasn’t as dazzling, at least to the point of it not being searing agony piercing my skull. I turned to the direction of the door and saw…

“Well… that’s new.”

It was the entranceway, that much was accurate, but the two objects standing there that I had almost assumed to be children were anything but. There were two horses. Two small horses. Two small horses that wore what looked like armour and helmets, and held spears in their forehooves. I blinked several times, hoping that the ludicrous sight would fade, but it remained.

Their gilded armour gleamed like brass in the filtered sunlight, with swirling engravings on their chest pieces surrounding a cyan star. From there, the armour symmetrically curled towards their ends near the guards' shoulders. The Corinthian-esque helms encapsulated their heads, leaving room only for their muzzles, their steely eyes, and holes for their ears. From their forehead down to the back, a magnificent blue crest arose to crown the uniform. In general, they reminded me of the armour Roman soldiers used to wear. While the spears they wielded had a wooden shaft and seemed simple enough, the spearheads shone wickedly, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

As I stared at them, I detected something odd about one of them. The one to the left had a horn on his forehead, his helmet even modified to fit around it. The horn resembled a… No, it was similar to the horn on my staff. In fact, it was almost identical. ‘Unicorn’ was the first thing that popped into my head, but that couldn’t be right. They were mythological creatures, after all. That did little to deter from the fact that one stood about five meters away from me.

Even though their helmets covered most of their heads, I can clearly see their faces, which didn’t exactly match what I knew horses to look like, though they did bear striking similarities. Their muzzles weren’t as elongated, their eyes several times larger, and their bodies seemed much shorter and stockier.

It was their eyes that most unnerved me. I could see… was it anger? Yes, it was. Anger, hatred, and disgust clearly radiated from their gazes, and by the way they stared, it was all directed to me. The way their mouths seemed to slightly grimace, it was as though...

Sapience. Their faces conveyed emotions the way a human would. Just as some people gave away their emotions no matter how they tried to hide them, it was the same with these beings.

“This can’t be real. I must still be dreaming. Horses wearing armour? I’ve never even been to a medieval festival.”

I returned the stares of the two horses, though the intensity of their eyes were unsettling. I got the distinct impression that they would not hesitate to run me through with their spears if I gave them half a chance. They held their spears with their hooves, though I was pretty sure the forelegs of a horse shouldn’t be able to do that.

Despite my mounting fear and confusion at the situation I had found myself in, a more urgent necessity pushed its way through my hazy thoughts.

"I really have to take a leak."

Once more I attempted to rise from the bed, but my arms and legs didn’t get far as I heard the rattling of metal against metal and something tightened around my limbs. Lifting my right hand up as far as I could, which wasn’t more than ten centimetres or so, I saw what restricted my movements. A metal wristband that shone like polished steel and looked like handcuffs but was wider and lacked any discernable way to be unlocked. A short chain was fastened to a loop on the cuffs and the other end of the chain was linked to a similar cuff fastened to the bed itself. My head jerked to my left hand, where the setup had been repeated.

I begin to panic, my heart racing and my breathing becoming increasingly erratic. I was a prisoner! Where was I? What had happened to me? Why was I locked up? Why were there strange horses in this room?

My internal round of questions was interrupted when I heard a loud beeping sound that pierced my head. A heart monitor was the first thing that came to my beleaguered mind, having had experience with them. I looked behind me and sure enough, I saw that there was one of a small desk, along with medical charts and other medical paraphernalia that belonged in a hospital.

"Was I injured when people found me? How bad was it? I remember the splinter in my arm." I winced at the recollection, groaning at the ache the movement incurred. “I feel stiff and sore, like I called Mike Tyson a chicken. How long was I knocked out for? Gods, I need to use the toilet!"

That last thought spurred me to action. “Uh, hey? Helloooo? Anyone there?” I said aloud, hoping there was someone nearby who could unchain me.

“Speak a language we can understand!” I heard a voice bark from within in the room. However, the voice did not speak in English, but another language. Somehow, I could understand it.

“Did the horse just… talk?” I wondered to myself. As ridiculous as the idea seemed, there didn’t seem to be any other logical explanation. It wasn’t as though there were any speakers to be seen, and the room was otherwise empty. My head swivelled to the two horses, trying to calm my breathing. One of them, the… the unicorn had taken a step forward and looked like it expected a response.

“Um… hey,” I said nonchalantly. As soon as the words escaped, I realized how idiotic I must have appeared, believing a horse could talk.

To my amazement, the unicorn took a step forward and… spoke. “Dooo yooou speeaaak Eeequuuiiish?”

I gaped at the horse wordlessly. It had just spoken! I saw its lips move and the tongue working to create letters. To say I was shocked was the understatement of the century. To top it all off, it sounded its words as though I was a child or hard of hearing. It deliberately enunciated its words, as if hoping I could understand an alien language if it spoke slowly.

It took a few moments for my brain to reboot, my mind exploding in a bevy of conflicting thoughts. How could I understand what the horse said in the first place? I mean, I had no idea what language it spoke, had never heard it before, yet I understood it fluently. The language was… There wasn’t any suitable comparison. The words flowed smoothly, the words like pearls on a string.

The most pertinent question was just how had I understood the horse in the first place? I’d never been good with languages, the only ones I knew being English and Lakota, the latter taught to me by my grandfather. I began to compare the words I knew in English to their Lakota equivalent when I felt an immense pressure in my mind, as though a frozen claw had dug itself into my brain and squeezed. Instinctively, my hands went to grasp my head, my hands jerking as they were arrested by my bounds. White flashes streaked across my sight, and I tried to scream, a pitiful gurgle the only sound escaping. The white flashes intensified before a veritable flood of letters and words began to appear in my view, a language unknown to me. They were followed by numbers, symbols, grammar rules—all of it from a source I couldn’t hope to identify. The information rapidly overwhelmed me, and I slumped back onto the pillow, breathing shallowly as I waited. Minutes passed before the information trickled to a halt, my headache flaring before subsiding.

"What… the HELL was that?" I cracked my eyes open, feeling the room lurch slightly before settling. I was shaking and sweating, feeling a good amount of moisture gathering on my forehead. I take several deep breaths to calm myself, willing my heartbeat to cease racing.

It was an entire language I had been exposed to! It was as though it had lain dormant in the recesses of my mind, only to roar forth just now. Forty-six letters, ten numbers, punctuation, symbols, and more—it was all accessible to me.

The source of this language had also provided its name: Equish. While it was disconcerting to suddenly discover that I now knew a third language, I was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. At the very least, I could now attempt to communicate with the duo who blocked the doorway.

I turned my head back towards the two and saw that the unicorn had walked gone to the door. Perhaps I should try and speak to him, as he had been the one who stepped forth earlier. Rummaging around my mind, I found the words needed to string together a sentence. I had little doubt that I would be misunderstood.

I took a deep breath and set my eyes on the unicorn. “Hello.”

The unicorn raised an eyebrow and took two steps forward. “What do you want?” he asked sternly.

Finding the right words took almost no time at all now. “Can I use the restroom?”

He gives me an unamused look, then looked to the other horse, as if seeking his input. The other horse looks unsure as to what to say; then he performed an action that was reminiscent of a shrug.

“No,” was the unicorn’s response as he walked back to his post at the door.

I stared at him in disbelief. “Please? I really have to go. Do you want to see me piss the bed? You think that’ll be fun?” My voice carried the urgency I felt, hoping the unicorn could understand my predicament.

The unicorn didn’t respond, but the thoughtful frown he gave told me that he was at least considering the request. After a few moments, he opened the door and walked out, leaving the door slightly ajar. I could hear him talking to someone else outside. Judging by the voices, there were a few of them there, and they didn’t exactly sound friendly. After almost a minute, he came back with friends, three of them.

There were now five of them crowded inside the room, all armed with spears. They all glared at me, daring me to make a wrong move.

“No tricks! We’ll be watching you!” the unicorn barked as he approached the bed, the rest of guards levelling their spears at me. I could plainly see that the spears are frightfully sharp and pointed enough to run me through with ease.

I nodded slowly to him and swallowed the lump that had firmly lodged itself in my throat. In response, his horn suddenly began to glow crimson, and I heard the sounds of my cuffs unlocking themselves and then levitating into the air before my very eyes. My eyes bulged out at the sight as I inhaled sharply. The handcuffs floated in the air right in front of me, held in place by a glow that seemed to emanate from the unicorn.

‘A trick? Magnetism? Smoke and mirrors or just really thin fishing lines hung from the ceiling?’

The urgent reminder of nature’s call superseded any scepticism I felt, and I slowly sat upright in the bed. My back ached, as though I had spent the entire night sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Stretching expansively, I could feel my spine readjusting itself, the satisfying pops music to my ears. The grimaces on their faces plainly indicated what they thought of my little display. I chose to ignore them, but not their spears for now.

Looking around the room, I spotted a door to the side, with a pictogram of a toilet and sink on it. There is even writing underneath that said Restroom in those strange letters that I had no problem understanding. It seemed that I could read as well as verbalize the language. Still, that was a train of thought for later, and I swung my feet onto the ground.

*Clip-clop*

The sounds of hooves caught my attention, and I looked to the horses, but they hadn’t moved an inch. They still stood at the ready with their spears, waiting for me to move. It must have come from one of them. Shrugging, I proceeded to stand up, only to lose my balance and stumble as soon as my feet touched the floor. With flailing arms, I attempted to grab onto something, but there was nothing to break my fall, and I pitched backwards, my head impacting on the metal frame of the bed and then the hard tiles.

I was insensate for a few moments, my vision blurring along with a dull throbbing sting on the back of my head. “What the heck?” I muttered, rubbing the back of my head as I sat up. How did I fall? I didn’t feel dizzy, but something felt strange about my feet. They felt stiff somehow. As my vision cleared, I looked to my feet, my heart jumping to my throat at the sight.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Where I once had two feet with five little piggies on each, I now had hooves. There was no pink skin, no toes, only hooves with copper hair covering them. I stared in disbelief before I lifted my right leg and rested it over my left knee. This had to be a joke, a sick one at that! However, there wasn’t any indication that it was. Just below my left knee, the leg was thicker and covered in a short reddish-orange coat of fur that reached all the way down to my… I wanted to say feet but I couldn’t, chiefly because they weren’t there! I began to feel around my leg for any signs of a prosthetic or a prop like a fake latex leg, anything that could give me a clue as to what had happened to me. There were no latex, no surgical scars, nothing.

I look to the horses and found their spears still aimed at me. I casted a glance at their hooves, then looked back to mine. They were very similar, almost identical except for size and colour, mine being larger. Even the hooves themselves had the same colour as the coat, tawny with a slight sheen and longer hair just above the ankles that reached down to the hooves. I carefully touched the hooves. They were harder than I expected, but with a jolt, I realized that I could feel my hands on them. They were mine.

As I touched my hooves, I took notice of my hands and arms. My hands seemed to have grown slightly larger, my fingers thicker for some reason. Otherwise, they looked the same. I open my hands then squeezed them into fists, before wiggling my fingers. It seemed their functionality hadn’t been changed, aside from the slightly increased size. Trying to touch my own fingers revealed that the skin and tissue were the same, but the bones themselves seemed to have grown slightly thicker.

I was unaware of how much time had passed since I had fallen on the floor; the only things occupying my mind were the images of myself and how I had changed. I clutched my hair as I strangled a sob, cursing the changes that had occurred to me against my will. I bit into my knuckles as my breathing once again became unsteady, my heart racing again until I could hear the meaty thuds in my own head, overpowering all other senses.

I barely noticed the monitor until I heard a drawn-out beep and then silence. With a gasp, I clutched my chest, feeling as though fire had coursed through my veins. ‘This is it. This is how I die. Heart failure.’

“Move it!” a voice shouted, shaking me out of my fugue. My head pivoted wildly to the small horses. One of them stood next to the monitor, hoof on a large green button, clearly unimpressed at my display.

‘H-He turned it off! He only turned it off!’

My panic slowly abated as I fought to regain control of my emotions, blinking away my tears. This… This was too real. I needed time. Time to think. To reason. To find out if this was real or not. These changes… Changes. That word reminded me of the dream. The voice. The voice said that I would be changed. Physical changes. But this? Hooves? Fur? What had happened? Who had done this to me?

“I said move it!” the unicorn, the only horse who had spoken to me during this entire ordeal, once more commanded, louder this time. Given that they were armed, I was left with little choice but to comply.

Reluctantly, I tried to stand up, noticing for the first time that I wasn’t wearing any clothes—no underwear, no shirt, pants, nothing. A look around the room revealed that they weren’t in the room either.

“May I have my clothes?” I asked, hoping that a modicum of decency would be afforded to me.

“No. Now stand up!” The unicorn dashed that hope as he advanced menacingly.

I warily stood up, using the bed as support, first gathering my feet under myself until I felt like I was somewhat stable. My lower limbs felt weird when I finally righted myself. The hooves weren’t flat with the floor, looking as though I was wearing clown shoes. Supporting myself on the bed bought me some time, at least long enough to take a look at my legs and those of the small horses.

“Small horses, tell me your secrets.”

Oh yes, now I remembered. Horses didn’t actually walk on the flat of their feet, rather on their toes or something similar. What was it called? Digitigrade? No, it didn’t matter—my first priority was attempting to walk on my toes.

I lifted my left leg and extended my feet as much as I could before placing it down on the floor, repeating the process with my right leg. My feet felt as though they had some type of natural suspension—even relaxed, my heels didn’t touch the floor. I tensed the muscles in my feet and lower legs as I made to stand, straightening until I was upright. I looked down to my hooves, finding that the distance to the ground was greater than expected. I didn’t have an accurate measurement, but I estimated that I stood perhaps thirty to forty centimetres taller than my usual height. It felt rather disconcerting, but I counted myself fortunate that I was in no pain due to…. whatever had happened to me.

Now standing upright, I could tell just how short the horses were. If all of them were male, as I had assumed they were, they were well below a meter in height, the top of their heads reaching below my waist. I could see on their faces that they didn’t expect me to tower over them like that, and they reacted by pointing their spears closer to my neck.

Slowly, I raised my arm and spoke in a calm voice. “Easy. I just want to go to the restroom… like, right back there,” I said as I carefully pointed a finger towards the door.

“Move it then!” the unicorn guard growled out, the tip of his weapon almost poking me. I slowly turned around with my raised hands and began to walk.

The first steps were difficult to begin with, but as long as I imagined myself walking on my toes, it wasn’t so bad. In a way, it was almost comfortable. My legs, my hooves, felt strong and sturdy, as though I was wearing a pair of hefty boots. I stumbled for a bit before developing a rhythm.

I reached the door and opened it, the door handle set low so I had to bend down to reach it. Inside was a porcelain toilet, a sink with a soap dispenser, and a mirror over the sink. All of these things were mounted lower than usual, which was to be expected given the horses’ short stature.

I walked in and turned around to shut the door, expecting some amount of privacy for my business, but the guards have actually followed me inside. If I was a prisoner to the creatures, I would expect them to wait outside, but this was ridiculous.

“Err, what are you doing?”

“Our orders are not to leave you out of sight at any time!” said the one unicorn who had spoken to me.

I give him a confused look, waiting to see if he was joking. They remained in place. “Come on! Following me around all the time? What are you going to do in here, hold it for me?” I pointed down to my crotch with both hands. Their eyes flicked down for just a split second before returning to my face. “Where can I escape to? There’s only one door and no windows!”

The guards just stood there for a moment before walking backwards out of the room, their spears still pointing at me. Finally, the door was shut with a loud click.

“Thank you very much. Jeez…”

Walking up to the low-seated toilet, I didn’t bother to figure out if it was the same thing I was used to. The design was similar to modern toilets anyway, although there were some strange differences. Pop up the lid, do your thing, flush.

Plumbing magic!

After I finished my business, I had to struggle to get up, reminded of the disparity in height once again. Walking up to the sink, I applied a decent amount of lavender-scented soap from the dispenser and washed my hands. I bent down to wash my face as well, revelling in how cool the water felt. Face dripping, I straightened to find my reflection staring back at me in the mirror.

“No… no, no, no, no…. WHAT THE HELL?!”

Chapter 3 - The Hearing (Edited by JBL 12.21.2016)

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Edited by lordofchaos14.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?” I shouted as I stared at my own reflection. My green eyes weren’t focused on my face. Neither at how ragged or dirty I looked, nor at my unshaven face or the bandages wrapped around my head. What my horrified gaze was fixated on was the bone growth that jutted out from my forehead just below the hairline. Looking bleached white, a spiraling groove started from the tip of the growth and whirled around it thrice before it disappeared at the root near the skin.

With a trembling hand, I gently touched the growth that I now realized resembled the horn that protruded from the heads of the unicorns outside. I could feel my fingers touching the horn, a hard surface with the texture of frosted glass. The horn wasn’t sharp, the tip rather blunted. I grabbed the protrusion between my right thumb and index finger and attempted to bend it slightly to check if it was glued on, but the pain that followed made me regret that decision. It was almost paralyzing, like when one bumped their elbow and struck the funny bone. As the pain subsided, I look more closely at the base of the horn and tried to figure out how it was fastened to my head. My skin seemed as though it had grown together with the horn near the base, a perfect transition that was barely noticeable.

There was also a grey metal ring around the horn with some kind of inscription on it. Any attempt to touch the ring resulted in a mind-jolting shock that surged through the horn and throughout my body, leaving me gasping for air.

I breathed in deeply as the ache slowly faded, its message clear: don’t touch the ring. But who put it there? Why? Staring at my reflection, I noticed something else concerning my appearance. Turning my head slowly from side to side until my ears came into view, they no longer had the rounded shape I was familiar with. Both were now pointed, akin to those of an elf, almost like… one of the small horses.

‘This is too much… This can’t be real! This can’t be happening! This… This is…’

I didn’t get a warning before I violently vomited into the sink. My stomach twisted and churned as I continued to spew forth the contents of my stomach, what little there was. It continued as I desperately tried to breathe steadily, finally tapering off. The scent of bile filled the room as I grimaced at the overwhelming acidic tang in my mouth. My unsteady hands fumbled to turn on the tap before I formed a cup and filled them with clean water and began to rinse my mouth repeatedly until only a faint sour aftertaste was left.

Shambling over to the wall, I slumped against it and slid down until I sat on the floor, resting my head in my hands. Confusion and terror wrestled for supremacy as the emotion that dominated my psyche. What had happened to me? My eyes darted about the room, searching for a way out. There existed only a single exit, the way out guarded by the small horses. I was trapped.

I knew by the way my body trembled and my ragged breathing that panic was just around the corner. I want to scream, to shout, to demand answers, but I knew that it would ultimately be futile. With a great deal of effort, I managed to calm myself and got my breathing under control. Closing my eyes, I can feel my rapidly beating heart gradually decelerate as the shock faded, until nothing was left but an immense sense of disquiet. My mind whirled as I attempted yet again to make sense out of my situation, but it was another futile effort.

These changes… The hooves, the horn, my ears, the fur. How did they get there? With my right hand, I grabbed onto the copper fur on my left arm and gave it a firm tug. The resulting pain was testament to how real it was. I repeated the action with my legs, the result being the same. Touching the hooves themselves was strange; I could feel the touch itself, but it was rather dulled. The solid keratin of the hooves was thick, so that might be the reason. The soft tissue under the hooves was a different story, the sensation of touch stronger there, probably since there was no hard cover over it. Even the hair on my chest has altered, going from solid black to gaining a reddish-orange tint.

Moving on to my head, I tried once more to touch the horn, but I made sure to stay far away from the ring. The horn felt solid all the way through, like a thick bone. My sense of hearing hadn’t deteriorated either. All in all, my body’s functions remained the same, with only the exterior changing.

However, it was the changes themselves that had me uneasy. Although they had brought no major limitations, there was still the question of why they had occurred in the first place. Along with the situation I had found myself in, being trapped within a tiny washroom had me on edge, knowing that the slightest perceived hostile action would bring the horses—

The horses! They must know! They must have done this to me! I stood up as quickly as I could, almost slipping on the tiled floor in the process. I made my way over to the door and yanked it open as hard as I can. The horses already faced the entranceway with their spears at the ready, but at that moment, the surge of fury and resentment bolstering my flagging spirits.

“What have you done to me?! Why do I have hooves and a horn?!” I shouted to them, feeling my anger bubbling up to the surface. The horses were unfazed at my hostility, merely moving their spears closer to my throat. I took another step forward, feeling cold metal on my exposed skin. The unicorn that spoke earlier gave me a confused look before he glanced at his comrades for a moment, then turned back to me.

“We’ve done nothing to you! You were brought here looking like that,” he answered sternly.

I glared at him, my hands itching to strike flesh, to shake them violently, anything to get some answers. For a second, succumbing to my impulsive desire seemed attractive. However, the voice from my dream suddenly rang clear in my head.

‘Do not attempt to fight them!’

I glared daggers at the guards, even as the red haze streaking across my vision faded. I had no idea what they were capable of and their spears were still at my throat. Shutting my eyes and taking a few deep breaths, I eventually calmed myself to the point where I was certain I wouldn’t do anything stupid.

“Walk over to the bed,” the unicorn commanded. Reluctantly, I did so while they pedalled backwards, spears upright. I quietly sank onto the bed. One of the other unicorns lowered his head, his horn pointing. With the tinkle of wind chimes, of all things, his horn glowed a dark orange and the cuffs closed around my ankles. Before I could protest, the cuffs snapped around my wrists, and with a slight tug, I was pulled backwards, sitting naked on the bed with my arms pulled slightly away from my body, rendering me immobile.

The orange glow quickly subsided, and I gave them a tentative tug which rattled the chains. While it seemed that they restricted my movements, it wasn’t too uncomfortable. The horses took up positions around the bed, though at least their spears were no longer pointed at me.

Minutes ticked by uneventfully. The horses remained silent, not even a rattling sound from their armour heard. It was as though we were both waiting for the other to make a move. I took the lull in activity to look around the room, a few observations coming to mind.

The question of what exactly were the horses was foremost in my mind. Perhaps they were aliens, though I would have expected them to have laser guns or the like. Instead, they wielded spears. Near the bed was the heart monitor I had previously noted, a modern piece of medical equipment which was standard in most hospitals. Though not exactly the exact device I was familiar with, there were enough similarities to draw a definitive conclusion. However, the spears and armour weren’t modern. It was as if the modern and medieval ages had mixed somehow. Then there was the question of the power the unicorns had displayed. They had moved my chains with it—could it be some type of telekinesis, or was it something completely outside my ability to understand?

The entire situation felt like the most surreal dream I’d ever had. Trust me, I’d had some very weird dreams.

The approaching sound of hooves from outside the room, accompanied by the murmur of conversation, interrupted my brooding. I glanced at the doorway even as the ears of the guards swivelled towards it. They suddenly stiffened to attention as the door opened and the entranceway was illuminated by the light from outside the room, only obscured by the figure standing there. The light was rather subtle, so I didn’t have to shield my eyes. When the figure stepped into the room, I got my first glimpse. It was another horse, but much taller than the guards. Its alabaster coat almost seemed to shimmer in the light. There was an elongated white horn on its forehead, and what seemed like a crown or a tiara of some sort had a purple gem set into it on top her head. Around this horse’s neck was a marvellous golden chest plate, engraved with intricate patterns and a purple gem set into the centre of it. On its hooves were ornate golden shoes that reinforced the steps it took.

It was the mane and tail that captured my attention. Flowing in the air as if caught in an invisible stream, the hair swayed and curved gently. Her mane consisted of several different shades of blue and pink, and not once did the colours meld together, instead remaining distinct. And those eyes—large and pink, gazing at me. Whatever or whoever this being was, it exuded an aura of authority and power, causing me to instinctively shrink back. The closest I could compare it to was if I had walked into a meeting where every single world leader was gathered. Needless to stare, if I was worried about what the guards had planned for me, it was dwarfed by this new being.

The more I stared, the more I was certain—given that its body seemed more rounded than those of the guards, and the body jewelry it wore— that this being was indeed a female. On the sides of her body, I could see something tucked together. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was actually a pair of wings that was tucked close to her body.

All in all, this being, it… she was quite beautiful for a horse.

“Can you understand me?” she asked as she took a few steps into the room. I wasn’t sure how long I just stared at her, but her voice alone brought me right back to the moment. She was inspecting me as well, a frown marring her features.

“...huh?” was the only thing that escaped my throat.

“It seems that you do.” She paid scant attention to my less-than-articulate response, coming to a halt about two meters away from me. I was suddenly reminded of my nudity, and without any way to cover myself, I began to fidget, feeling discomfited. She, on the other hand, seemed to find little interest in my nakedness, with nary a word on the matter.

“Do you know who I am?” Her frown deepened, as though my appearance had been found wanting. Her steely eyes glinted, and the commanding tone of her voice told me that I would be better served being honest.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t know you.”

“I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, Ruler of the Day and Avatar of the Sun, First Protector of Equestria and all its inhabitants.” She stood tall and regal, like the proverbial princess in a fairy tale or fantasy game. “Do you have a name?”

“I—My name is Magnus. Magnus Powell.”

The horse princess gave a stiff nod. “And what is your species called?”

“I’m a human…” I began to say but faltered when the princess raised an imperious eyebrow.

“Human? I have never heard or seen your kind before. From where do you hail?”

A snort escaped before I could control myself. “Are you kidding? Didn’t you guys kidnap me?”

That seemed to be the inappropriate thing to blurt out, as her frown turned into a glare. “We have done no such thing.” Though she answered evenly, the look she shot me clearly indicated her opinion. “My sister found you in the sea along the remains of a destroyed boat. If it wasn’t for her, you would not be here. It is rather unbecoming to therefore accuse us of a crime.” She practically bit off the last word.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” I raised my hands, palms towards her. It would not be prudent to piss her off, seeing as she commanded the guards around her. If she wanted, she could probably run me through with her horn herself if she so desired.

She nodded once. “Now answer my question.”

“Not from around here.” I looked around the room at the horses surrounding me. “I’m pretty sure I’m not even on my own planet. Where I’m from, horses can’t talk.”

“We are ponies, not horses,” she informed me. Apparently that was another black mark against me. “What do you mean by ‘your own planet’?”

“Exactly what I said. I’m not from this place.” The princess cocked her head to the side and gazed at me with a confused mien.

“Explain yourself.”

I sighed, wondering how to explain this entire situation when I wasn’t sure myself. In keeping with my earlier resolution, I decided to simply go with the truth.

“Okay, this will sound weird but hear me out. I was out in the ocean in a small boat when I came into a storm. Inside the storm there was this… phenomenon.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “A column of water stretched high into the sky, and on top of the column was this sphere of light. I was about to be dragged into the sphere when I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was chained to this bed.” I shook my restraints to emphasize my last sentence.

At first the princess did not respond, merely looking at me strangely, which did little to reassure me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she probably thought I was lying through my teeth. Hell, if our roles were reversed, I would probably feel the same way.

“A farfetched story,” Celestia finally announced, as I had expected. It didn’t stop my stomach from sinking. “Even Discord could have come up with a more plausible tale.” She slowly walked to the window and gazed at whatever was outside. After a few moments, she turned back to me. “However, there is something about your story that is… familiar. Can you describe the sphere in greater detail?”

“Yes.” I had only seen the sphere for less than thirty seconds, but there was no way I would ever forget anything like that. “It was… I can’t remember the exact length, but I’m sure it was perfectly spherical. It released a golden light and there was a dark hole in the middle of it. There was also a strange sound that came from it, almost like wind chimes.”

“Wind chimes?” She went silent for a moment. Then, to my surprise, her horn suddenly burst into life, producing a similar golden glow along with the same sound forever etched into my memory. “Like this?”

“Yes, that’s it! That’s the same sound!” I exclaimed. Once again, I got the maddening sensation that I knew the sound from somewhere. Confusing yet rather pleasant, it was as though it was attempting to communicate with me on an instinctive level. As sudden as the glow around her horn had appeared, it vanished, leaving me feeling somehow barren and empty inside. “What was that glow?”

“You are not familiar with magic?” She raised a single eyebrow briefly. I stared at her for a moment, waiting for the punch line, but it seemed she was actually serious.

“Magic isn’t real.” To even have to state that felt silly. “Sure, it’s often talked about in games and fairy tales where I’m from, but science has proved that magic is fake.”

“Your scientists are not very bright, then.” She walked back to stand in front of me. “Magic is real and can be found everywhere.”

“What? But—”

She barrelled on, once again paying scant attention to my feeble protest. “The one thing in your favour is the phenomenon you mentioned. From your description, it is similar to an ancient portal spell from long ago. It’s no longer used because it is inefficient and takes a heavy toll on the caster. The sheer amount of magic required to open one is beyond most unicorns.”

I merely looked at her numbly, my mind trying to process what she had said. If magic was real, as she asserted, then that also meant that someone had sent me here. Why? Did magic even exist back on Earth? I always used to pretend to be wizards with my friends back when we were kids, but to even entertain the possibility of it actually existing was mind-boggling.

“But… people can’t use magic. No one can,” I protested weakly, casting my mind back to try and remember anything that could have been construed as magic. Magicians, illusionists, card tricks—it was all fake, but someone could have sent me here. The question was who.

“I did not come here to discuss spells and magic,” Celestia said. “The reason I am here is to see if you are fit enough for a hearing.”

That tidbit caused me to break away from my rumination and jerk up to look at her. “Hearing? Hearing for what?”

“Your crime,” she stated calmly, her tone belying the dread that filled me at her words. “We found a staff among your belongings. A staff bearing the horn of a unicorn.” I paled as she directed a hard stare at me. “Did you kill the unicorn whose horn is on the staff?”

The staff! I had forgotten about it, my mind focused on the present situation I found myself in. Now its significance struck me in the face—these ponies thought I had killed one of their own. It explained why she wanted to have me stand trial, and the presence and attitude of the guards.

“No, I’ve never killed a unicorn—I’ve never even seen a unicorn before today! I inherited that staff from my grandfather,” I protested hotly. Just as her mouth parted to retort, I went on. “And before you accuse him of killing a unicorn, no, he never killed one either. Unicorns don't exist on my world.”

She closed her mouth and studied me again. “Again you speak of your world. I am unconvinced at the veracity of your story. If unicorns do not exist in your world, then why does an object from your so-called world have a horn on it?”

Perhaps she had a point. I hadn’t the faintest clue as to how it had gotten there. However, I had always assumed it had come from a beached narwhal that had been found by my ancestors. At the end of it all, I wasn’t able to say whether or not her accusations were true.

“No answer to give me? Not a single thought even?” she asked, misconstruing my silence as an admission of guilt, it seemed. “It doesn’t matter; we will find out eventually. The reason I came to see you was to see if you were healthy enough to stand trial, and you are.”

She promptly turned around and started for the door before I quickly called out to her. “Wait! Please, I have questions!”

She stopped and turned around with a sigh. “What is it? I am very busy.”

I gestured to my head and feet. I had gone too long without answers. At this point, if I had to beg for them, I would. “What happened to me? Why do I have hooves and a horn?” That seemed to gain her attention.

“We found photographs amongst your belongings that depicted you. We clearly saw that you did not have any on them. However, we know that you were born with them. It’s just another mystery that we will solve in two hours when the hearing begins.” She turned back around again.

“Wait! Listen to me! I’m innocent!” I yelled as she opened the door with that golden glow again. She kept on walking. “Please wait! I need to ask you something.”

She sighed and stopped, but this time she didn’t deign to turn around. “Now what?”

It was painfully obvious that attempting to persuade her to drop this hearing would be futile—she seemed set on finding a scapegoat. Despite her labelling it a mystery, I also suspected that she knew more about my transformation than she was willing to admit. In that case, I’d have to go for broke.

“Can I have my clothes back? And maybe some food? Please?” My voice was pleading, trying to convey my desperation.

“I can understand the need for food, but why your clothes?” She turned around and granted me another of her icy stares. “Do they hide something?”

“No, it’s just that… Humans don’t walk around naked.” I gestured to my body. “We don’t have fur to keep us warm and… I’m feeling a bit exposed.”

Her eyes scanned over my naked body, stopping occasionally before resuming their voyage over my bare skin. After a moment of thought, she spun around and made her way through the door.

“If your clothes aren’t harmful, I will consider it.” With that, the door slammed shut, leaving me alone with my increasingly desolate thoughts.

***

Time crawled by as I struggled to keep myself sane in the face of the impending hearing. Attempting to stay calm was a moot action at this point as the enormity of my immediate future pressed down on my entire being. Various scenarios streamed rapidly through my mind, how an innocuous statement on my part could send me straight to the dungeons, gallows or the executioner’s block.

Attempting to build a rapport with the guards was a miserable failure. They ignored any question or query I posed, their faces stoic and their bodies barely moving. Only the subtle movements in their chests when they breathed indicated that they were alive.

The silence was unnerving.

The only break in the monotony was when a new guard entered the room. Carrying a metal tray in his mouth, he set it in front of me and even deigned to remove the shackles for a brief period to allow me to eat.

The meal wasn’t exactly cuisine dining—a mix of vegetables mashed together and boiled until all semblance of taste was gone and the consistency was akin to porridge. I ate it all. My stomach had been groaning in hunger, and within a few moments, the tray had been cleaned. I slumped back onto the bed, feeling somewhat uplifted now that I had a full stomach.

About half an hour after that, another guard entered the room. On his back, he carried an assortment of clothes that I immediately recognized as mine. The simple black T-shirt, a pair of worn, blue, denim jeans, a grey hoodie, and a pair of socks—it was all there. I was given a couple of minutes to dress myself and was surrounded by spears during the entire process. As soon as I had donned my clothes, I was ordered to sit down so that my chains could be fastened again. With a twinge, I realized I couldn’t wear my socks any longer, as they would no longer fit around my… hooves.

I soon faced another problem that hadn’t occurred to me. The combination of the fur on my lower legs and arms, and my clothes, soon had me sweating profusely. I had always thought that animals didn’t mind when their owners dressed them in funny clothing for pictures, but now I was pretty certain that pets would have given them an earful if they could. Correspondingly, my jeans used to fit perfectly, but now they reached down to my heels, which were quite a few inches from the ground. The extra height made me feel like I was walking on short stilts, but the large hooves were wide enough to stabilize me, though my entire appearance made me feel as though I was half-dressed for a furry convention.

With no clock in the room, I couldn’t figure out how much time was left before the hearing began. I had already decided that I would tell the truth and nothing but the truth. At this point, if the princess’ attitude was any indication, they would seize any perceived untruth and twist it in the worst possible way. If they decided to execute me, or imprison me for who-knew how long, I would at least have a clear conscience.

Those scant positive thoughts didn’t help as much as I wanted.

I sat locked in thought when I heard hoofsteps outside the door. Another guard entered the room. It was a male, a winged stallion, and the armour he wore was different from the other guards. His was more ornately decorated, and the crest on his helmet was a different colour. It probably signified a difference in rank. He strode up to me with two other guards in tow.

“It’s time for the hearing. Stand up!” he ordered in a gruff voice as soon as I was unchained. As I got to my feet, his two guards walked up to me with longer chains held in their coloured aura. Princess Celestia had called it ‘magic’, and I was inclined to do the same, for lack of a better alternative.

With practiced efficiency, the two guards secured the chains around my legs, up to my waist, and around my wrists, keeping my hands bound together. After giving them an experimental tug, the guards signalled for me to begin to walk.

My heart steadily thumping, we exited the room and walked into a hallway. There were several doors on each side, and along the walls more guards were posted. Some began walking in front of us while some trailed behind us. I began to wonder just dangerous they thought I was—as far as I was concerned, these guards were overkill. Before we left the first corridor, there were sixteen guards around me.

The long hallways certainly felt like a stereotypical hospital. It had the smell, the white sterile walls—the entire works. After a few minutes of walking, I saw my first ‘civilian’ pony. It was a mare; that much I could tell. She had a pair of wings at her sides, a light cerise coat, with her long yellow mane done up in a ponytail. She wore a white cap on her head that had a red cross embroidered on it. A nurse, then. When she saw me being escorted by the guards, she scampered aside, keeping herself as far away from me as possible. As I passed her, I shot her a glance. It only lasted a second, but the look in her eyes clearly showed what she felt.

Fear.

I didn’t even pay much attention to the surroundings as we went on, simply trying to keep my breathing steady. We passed several other ponies, some with horns, some with wings, and some with neither. They all reacted the same way: their eyes widening with alarm and hushed whispers with their companions. It didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence, instead making me feel as though I had already been judged and found wanting.

After a few corridors, we came to a double-door entrance with two spear-wielding guards. They opened the door as we approached and allowed us through without a word spoken. The wide hallway on the other side was so different from the hospital that it felt like stepping into another world.

Marble floors gleamed, hardly a speck of dust visible upon them. The lofted ceiling had me straining my neck to glimpse it before I was poked by a guard to keep moving. There were wooden doors spaced at regular intervals on the left side, while on the right were large windows, filling the hallway with daylight. Crystal and brass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the sunlight causing them to gleam and glitter, while paintings and pedestals with flower pots on them were placed between each window, offering a splash of colour.

As I was marched down the hallway, I chanced a glance through the windows. I caught a glimpse of what looked like the side of a magnificent alabaster castle. There were towers capped with golden roofs and fluttering flags on top, and the surrounding grounds were dotted by various gardens. I was speechless; all this time I had been in a castle and didn’t even know it.

I looked out the windows each chance I got, drinking in the details. Several statues dotted the lawn, and there were several ponies tending to flower beds and trimming bushes into specific shapes. Every so often, a guard would go marching past my field of vision. Only when windows stopped appearing did I turn to see where we were headed.

I was eventually corralled into a large hall with a massive door to our right, where several guards stood watch, and to my left was another door, similar in stature and well-guarded. It had two emblems emblazoned upon it, a golden sun and a silvery moon on a black background.

‘Wait! The Sun and the Moon! The visions!’ My mind froze as the implication of the symbols finally clicked. They looked exactly the same as the ones in my visions. It meant that I was playing right into what the visions had wanted me to do. The voice came back to me as well, along with the undertone of sorrow that seemed to trail after every word had been spoken. I remembered how it said that I would meet a princess, and I had already done so in the form Princess Celestia. She had also mentioned a sister, which meant that whoever she was could also be a princess.

My mind was scrambling, trying to fit the pieces together in a frenzy of thoughts and ideas. I didn’t even notice when the head guard spoke to me, so focused I was on was the two emblems on the doors. Only when the doors began to open did I manage to gather my thoughts back to something resembling a coherent mind.

Beyond the doors was a grand throne room, instantly bringing to mind long-told tales of kings and queens reigning in splendour. The entire room was at least forty meters long and twenty to thirty meters wide. The floor here was made of white stone as well, and the walls had a slight pink coloration to them. Large tapestries, vibrant with colour and splendour, decorated the walls, illustrating different ponies of all races in various settings. A velvet carpet with slightly darker red borders ran from the doors through the room, up to a dais that seemed to be constructed entirely of gold and pristine marble. There were several sparkling gems inlaid into the dais, each one sparkling in the light that flooded the room. On both sides of the throne, there were several marble troughs that spiralled and twisted to form waterfalls that flowed into several ornate basins. On the top of the dais was a high-backed throne; above it, on the largest woven tapestry in the room, the emblazoned images of the sun and the moon.

The entire room exuded wealth and opulence. I wondered sardonically if this land’s taxpayers were fine with their leaders decking out their home in such extravagant taste.

I was escorted to the front of the throne and ordered to sit down on the floor, which I reluctantly did. I sat down Indian-style and noticed three large velvet cushions in front of the throne.

A murmur of voices caught my attention, and I looked to the left and noticed several ponies sitting there. The grandeur of the room had distracted me from the audience gathered. All of them wore clothes of some type, the stallions with fancy suits while the mares wore dresses and overdone hats, with plenty of jewellery to match. A regular day at the derby, except the roles were reversed.

What they all had in common was the ugly glares they directed at me, murmuring and whispering amongst themselves while discreetly pointing a hoof in my direction. Most, if not all, were unicorns.

My shoulders slumped as my hands began to tremble, and I began to sweat even more profusely. The reality of the situation was crashing down around me. I was actually charged with murder of a mythical animal that somehow came to Earth, according to their line of reasoning, and they thought I was responsible. I clenched my eyes shut as tightly as I could, fighting back the tears with every ounce of emotional strength I had. It felt like a lost battle, no matter whatever noble sentiments I had tried to believe in.

As I stood there, battling my inner turmoil, my grandfather’s words from so long ago came back to me, fighting against the darkness within my mind. It was a simple sentence that held great meaning to me personally.

Fear profits man nothing.

“Fear profits…” I inhaled deeply and exhaled, “man nothing…” I finished with a quavering voice. “I’ll try, Grandpa, I’ll try.”

Several dull thuds sounded through the room. One of the guards stomped his hoof to the floor and spoke clearly, “Please rise for the Princesses of Equestria.”

The ponies to the side stood up from their seats. I made to do the same, but one of the guards set the tip of his spear on my shoulders. “Not you.” He sneered at me. I wisely sat back down.

From the door next to the guard who had announced their arrival came three ponies, one of them I recognized as Princess Celestia. She looked the same as when she had first interrogated me, though now that I was seeing her from a distance, I noticed something about her that hadn’t attracted my attention in the hospital room: on her flank was an image of the sun, the same as on the door and above the throne. Was it a tattoo or was it painted on? I glanced to the guards to see if they had one, but their armour covered their flanks.

Following Princess Celestia was another pony, slightly shorter than the alabaster princess but still taller than the guards. She had what I’d describe as a willowy body, and like Celestia, she had a horn, wings, and a billowing mane and tail. Her hair was dark blue with a greyish-blue tone to it. Also in a similar style as Celestia, a black tiara sat atop her head, and on her hooves she wore silvery metal shoes with several patterns engraved on them, though I wasn’t able to make them out at this distance. On her chest was strapped a chest plate, the centre of which was embedded a silvery crescent moon. She also had a mark on her flank, the very same moon on her chest plate, on the doors, and over the throne.

‘The Sun and the Moon! Their marks! It’s just like in my visions! The two horses! They are the Sun and the Moon!’ The pieces finally clicked in my mind. I audibly sighed in relief—the visions had led me to these beings. Finally, things seemed to be going my way. However, the voice had reassured me that it would come to my aid when I was brought before them. The question was when.

To my surprise, another pony followed behind the blue mare. Also female, she possessed wings and horn like Celestia, though her height was about the same as most of the mares I had seen so far. Her coat was a light purple and her mane and tail was a shade of blue with two streaks of violet and pink coursing through them. What also set her apart from the other two princesses was that neither her tail nor mane had that shimmering, floating effect. On her flank was a large pink star with five smaller white stars around it. I looked around the room quickly, checking for her mark, but it was nowhere to be seen. On her head, she wore a golden tiara with several pointed peaks, with a red gem fixed onto each one.

The three winged unicorns walked to the cushions and stood in front of them, Celestia in the middle, the dark blue one on her right, and the purple one on her left. As one, they sat down on their cushions.

“You may all be seated,” the guard announced, and the audience did as commanded. I took a quick moment to glance at the three winged unicorns in front of me. Celestia and the dark blue one both did little to hide the distaste in their eyes, so much so that I felt compelled to look away lest my soul be marked by their disapproval. The purple one also returned my gaze, not with anger or hatred. Hers was more like curiosity, though it felt somewhat like I was an object of interest to her, not a person.

“This hearing is now officially in session,” Celestia announced, her voice amplified for all to hear. “We are gathered here today to determine if the accused is guilty of murder and mutilation of a unicorn. Due to the gruesome nature of the crime that he is suspected of, and the fact that a similar crime has not been committed in centuries, my sister and I shall preside as judges. Princess Twilight Sparkle is here as an official observer, given her status as the newest Princess of Equestria.”

“First we will have the formal introductions.” The entire time, her eyes hadn’t left me, as though ensuring I wouldn’t scamper off. “I am Princess Celestia of Equestria.” I gave a small nod, seeing as it wouldn’t hurt my chances by being respectful.

“I am Princess Luna of Equestria,” the cobalt winged unicorn said, her voice oozing imperiousness. Her entire demeanor screamed impatience and the way she openly glared at me spoke of a temper not to be trifled with. I quickly nodded to her as well.

“And I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.” Her voice was actually rather normal, as though we were two average people meeting for the first time. However, I knew looks could be deceiving, and if she was a princess as well, it would fare badly for me to underestimate her.

“Here to witness today’s proceedings are selected members of the Council of Nobles.” Celestia turned to the assembled ponies. “Sir Fancy Pants has been selected as their spokespony. We have chosen to restrict those in attendance due to the sensitive nature of the crime committed.”

I wisely bit my tongue when the princess mentioned the name of the pony. I wasn’t sure if the language that the voice had granted me worked properly, or if it had a few minor hiccups when it came to names.

Celestia then turned to give me her full attention. “Now, state your name for the record, prisoner.”

I took a deep breath and spoke loudly and clearly, trying to avoid the butterflies in my stomach from showing. “My name is Magnus Powell.”

“And what species do you belong to?”

“I’m a human.”

“A human?” This time it was Princess Luna who spoke. “We have never heard of your kind before. Where do you come from? The eastern lands beyond the Griffonian borders?”

“No, I’m from another world.” That certainly invoked murmurs within the crowd. I wasn’t going to change anything that I had mentioned to Celestia previously. I had told the truth, and I planned to stick with it.

“Another world…” Luna echoed my words with an unamused look. “My sister told me of this… this fantasy of yours.”

“I’m not lying,” I retorted. “Have you ever seen something like me before?”

“Equus is a large planet, Mister Powell. There are still many unexplored lands left—vast jungles, forests stretching over entire continents, islands only seen but never trod on, deserts so dry and large that even the hardy camels of Saddle Arabia dare not enter them.” Luna’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. “Places that can hide an entire kingdom, even an unheard-of race.”

“Geography aside,” Celestia interjected smoothly, “if you call yourself a human, then so be it. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-seven years old.”

“Is this considered old or young amongst your kind?”

“Young adult.” I shifted on my spot on the floor. “The average lifespan of a human varies greatly from country to country in my world, but we usually live to around the age of seventy to eighty, although some of us can reach and exceed a century.”

Celestia merely nodded and went silent for a second. “Let us assume that what you’ve said so far is true. How many of you are there?”

I rubbed my hands. Why was this so interesting to them? Was she trying to catch me in a lie or perhaps, thinking I was lying, trying to see how far I would go with my story?

“Over seven billion.”

All sound in the room was swiftly extinguished. Celestia's eyes widened and she looked to her sister, who stared at me in disbelief.

“Seven billion…” A shocked Luna repeated quietly.

I could sense a ripple of unease sweeping through the room, though I couldn’t tell why. While it was true that Earth’s population was massive, it wasn’t like it would pose a threat to them. I wasn’t exactly holding out hopes that the U.S. Marines or the Air Force would be coming to rescue me. It wasn’t as though we had flying saucers or long-range spaceships that could reach planets like this.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed the purple princess with a stack of paper next to her. Before her, a sheet of paper floated, encased in a pink aura, a levitated quill scribbling over the sheet, occasionally dipping into an inkwell before continuing.

“Enough about your species,” Celestia said. She seemed to regain her composure, glaring at me as though I had deliberately tried to disturb her. “We shall bring forth the evidence of the crime.”

In a flash of light, a wooden box stood beside Luna, causing me to jump slightly. The way it had simply appeared out of nothing… it was like magic. The box looked simple and unremarkable. The only thing that stood out were some type of runes in a strange language I couldn’t make heads or tails of.

“I must warn you.” Luna turned to the assembled nobles. “What this box contains is not for the faint of heart.”

When none of the ponies reacted, Luna’s horn began to glow blue and the runes on the box vanished without a trace. The blue aura then encased the lid, opening the box and levitating out the staff. My staff.

Several of the ponies gasped, the whispers growing stronger again. Some of them fainted and were carried out by the guards. It seemed that the princesses had expected this and had guards stationed near them for this very purpose. More angry stares were sent my way, hooves pointing in my direction.

“Murderer.”

“Killer.”

“Monster.”

With each hateful comment sent my way, their voices increased in volume. I felt every accusation, false as they were, sink into my heart. I wanted to scream that I was innocent, that I had nothing to do with it, but I chose silence and held onto what little hope there was.

“This staff.” Luna held it in her magic and waved it in front of me. “Tell us how you found it.”

“I… I inherited this staff from my grandfather. He died two years ago.”

She raised an imperious eyebrow. “Hmm, and how did he acquire it?”

“He got it from his father. I know some of the story behind it. The staff is a relic of my family, handed from one generation to the next.”

“I see.” Celestia magicked out of thin air a sheet of paper and perused it for a second. “We have estimated the age of this staff to be around fifteen hundred years old. In addition, there are a number of spells on this staff, some of which are very old and outdated. There is also a very complex presence spell on it, which will become active when certain individuals are near it.” She lowered the paper and looked at the staff for a moment. “Yet you told me earlier that magic does not exist in your world.” Her eyes wandered from the staff and to me. “Is this true?”

I nodded. Each question felt like a new thread in a spider’s web, and I was the helpless fly that got more and more entangled. “It’s true. I didn’t believe in magic until earlier today. Like I said, magic can be found in games and stories, but scientists have never found a single trace of real magic. All can be explained using science.”

I noticed that the purple princess had several sheets of paper next to her, all of them with writing on them. The speed the quill was moving at was probably close to setting the paper on fire.

Celestia looked like she had several questions to ask and turned to her sister. Luna’s eyes was studying the staff, the engravings that spoke of a story from long ago. My grandfather once told me the story carved on the staff, and although it was a good story, it was just that: a story.

“If your world does not have magic, as you claim, how can you explain the spells on this staff? Could it be that two unicorns existed on your world at some point…” Princess Luna’s gaze was piercing, as though she could burn a hole in me if she concentrated enough. “Or are you lying to us about magic not existing in this so called world of yours?”

I bit my lip in frustration. This entire thing was a sham, a kangaroo court. These princesses’ demeanour alone betrayed how little they cared for objectivity, and they had stacked their observers with unicorns, who would obviously turn against me once they saw the staff. The fact of the matter was that even if there were unicorns on Earth, it had been centuries ago, as they themselves said. It seemed that they were simply dragging the nearest convenient target to court since the criminal, if it had even been a crime, had long since passed.

I opened my mouth to deliver the first salvo that would expose their bias and the holes in their theory when the staff was suddenly ripped from Luna’s magical grasp by an unseen force and flew upwards, coming to an abrupt halt a few meters off the floor. Then it flew down and struck the floor two meters away from me with such force that it sounded like a sledge hammer hitting an anvil at immense speed. There it stood upright as a thick white mist began to flow forth from the horn, shrouding the staff from view.

It caught me so unprepared that I barely noticed the guards had closed in on me before they began to drag me away from the staff and the princesses. I did see that the princesses were already standing, their horn glowing with magic energy, ready to defend themselves from what was happening. They looked so fierce and determined that I was momentarily grateful that the guards were dragging me away. Within seconds, the guards had surrounded the staff, the mist making it almost invisible.

The room was brimming with some type of energy that made my skin tingle. The pegasus guards had taken to the air, carrying spears in their forehooves, while the unicorn guards’ horns were glowing, while the normal ponies assumed their positions.

“Sister, what is this trickery?” I heard Luna ask. I chanced a glance at them and saw that her eyes glowed white while her horn was enshrined in her azure aura. Celestia's blazed in fiery red while her horn gave out several golden sparks. I was right—their power was immense, almost literally feeling it wash over me. One wrong move and my life would be over.

There was no response from Celestia as a hush enveloped the room, aside from the hissing sound from the mist. Then came the sound of hoof steps and bells, lots of bells. I looked at the mist and saw a shape moving within it. Each step it took, a chime rang out. Slowly, a figure emerged out of the mist right in front of the princesses. It was a pony wearing a blue pointy hat with bells attached to it, a moon and stars pattern sewn into the fabric. He also wore a similarly patterned blue cape. He had grey coat and a remarkable long white beard that almost touched the ground, his long wavy hair flowing down his withers. He moved with purpose, head bowed. After completely emerging from the mist, he stopped in front of the princesses.

The three stood still, their horns glowing but their facial expressions, especially those of Celestia and Luna, had changed. Their fierceness had changed to confusion, and slowly the glow faded from their horns. He finally looked up at the princesses, his head turning slightly as he looked at each of them. From where I sat, I could see his eyes, a warm gold colour, as he looked up at the royals and smiled.

“Hello, girls. My, how you’ve grown.”

Chapter 4 - The Ancestor (Edited 01.04. by JBL)

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The throne room was quiet, eerily so. Not a word had been uttered since the bearded pony had emerged from the mist produced by the staff. The princesses were rooted to the spot, their eyes wide and mouths comically agape as they stared at the unknown pony. The guards stood at the ready, their spears aimed at the intruder, but he didn’t seem to take note of them.

Several tense moments passed before the pony spoke once more. “It’s good to be home, to see Equestria and familiar faces.” He looked around the room, sounding relieved for some reason.

Still the princesses stared, their wings splayed out and frozen, until one of them lurched forward . “S-S-Starswirl? Is that you?” Celestia carefully asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

The bearded pony smiled and nodded to her. “H-How can this be? You disappeared so long ago!” Luna queried, visibly swallowing.

The bearded pony, who I now understood was named Starswirl, took a few steps forward until he stood right in front of Celestia. He met her gaze and smiled fondly, then reached out a hoof towards her chest. His hoof passed right through her, causing Celestia to scramble backwards, the confident and unyielding demeanor I had come to associate with her completely shattered.

“I’m sorry, girls, but as you can see, I’m not here as you once knew me.” There was a note of sorrow in his voice. “My story is long and the time I have left is short. May we speak in private?”

“Everypony is to leave the room immediately! Nopony but my sister, Princess Sparkle, and myself shall remain! We shall not be interrupted!” Princess Luna's voice boomed throughout the throne room, causing me to instinctively cover my ears.

The guards began to escort the assembled nobles out of the room, eliciting spirited protests, and I found myself being levitated as well. A unicorn guard had enveloped me within his magical grasp, and I floated in the air behind him as we headed for the doors. I took one look at my hands and noticed a tan aura covering them and indeed my entire body.

“Not him!” the bearded pony said loudly, my head swiveling to look at him. “Put the boy down. He must also hear this.”

The guard who carried me stopped in his tracks, looking to the princesses for confirmation. Celestia and Luna looked at each other, then to the bearded pony, before nodding to the guard. I found myself gently placed down onto the floor, hooves first.

“Come, boy, sit with me. This is about you.” His voice was like that of an old man, full of experience and the years to back it. His eyes held a note of grief in them, however. Despite my confusion at this entire situation, I once again briefly wondered how I could read their facial expressions so easily. These ponies were so much like humans, yet so different at the same time. The sound of the door being shut echoed across the room, causing me to jump slightly. I looked around the room, now noticing that I was alone in this room with the three princesses and the pony that had emerged from my staff.

I began to slowly walk towards him. The eyes of the princesses shifted from me to the old pony, observing us both. It was as though they were ensuring that I wouldn’t do anything untoward to him. The sound my hooves made on the marble floor echoed throughout the large room, each step careful and measured. Finally, I stood a few meters from Starswirl and was about to sit down when he held up a hoof.

“Come now, Magnus, don’t be shy. I would never dream of hurting you.” He waved a hoof, gesturing for me to come closer.

His voice! It suddenly struck me! He was the one who spoke to me when I was unconscious! Once I focused on his voice I remembered what he told me.

“You…” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I took a single step forward. “I remember your voice.”

He nodded in reply. “That was me, Magnus. I tried to guide you as well as I could. As you can see, we are both in a very special place.”

As he spoke, I took the final steps and sat down cross-legged next to him, resting my chained hands in my lap. Who was this pony? How did he know my name and why had he appeared from the staff? I looked behind me. The staff still stood upright like a fencepost, the white mist having mostly dispersed, though some still lingered within the room.

“How do you feel now? Is your head okay?”

“Huh?” I turned back to the bearded pony.

“Your head.” He pointed to my bandaged forehead. It occurred to me that this was the first time that a pony had shown genuine concern about my health. “Does it hurt?”

I lifted a hand to my head and the bandage. I didn’t actually feel anything from it, other than the tight bandage itself.

“Uh, no, I… I feel good,” I answered and rubbed my forehead.

Starswirl nodded and smiled to me, seemingly satisfied with my brief answer. He then turned to the princesses again, his eyes falling on the purple one to the far right.

“Oh, who’s this?” he asked and walked closer to Twilight Sparkle, who had done little but stare at him for past few moments. “Another princess?”

Her jaw looked as though it was about to fall to the floor. She didn’t respond, and it took Princess Celestia nudging her before she snapped out of her state.

“I… uhm, I-I’m Twilight Sparkle, Sir Bearded— I mean Sir Swirl!” she stuttered out, a sentence that took nearly half a minute to complete.

“Never mind the titles, Princess Sparkle.” He chuckled. “I was never fond of them before, and I’m certainly not about to start using them now.”

Twilight Sparkle looked like she was about to faint and began to wobble slightly but managed to sit down before she nearly fell over. The bearded pony smiled at her before turning back to the other two princesses. The two larger ponies had kept their eyes glued to him, a longing glint evident, but now their gazes shifted to me. The anger in their eyes was gone, instead observing me speculatively.

“Celestia, Luna, it’s good to see you here. It’s been so long.” He sounded invigorated, the subtle tenor of sorrow having vanished. “The years have been kind to you.”

Much to my surprise, Celestia and Luna both gave a slight bow to him. It wasn’t much but enough to make me understand that they respected him deeply.

After raising their heads, Celestia spoke quietly, “How can you be here, dearest friend? We thought you were dead.”

“I am dead,” was the single reply that came from Starswirl. The princesses gasped. He poked a hoof at his chest and it passed right through as it had done with Celestia, like there was nothing physical about him, as if he was a mirage. “This is a construct, a being of my own magic that bears a copy of my memories.”

“Then…” Princess Luna took a cautious step towards him, as if to move quickly would disperse his very existence. “You have truly passed away?” Her voice trembled at the last word, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

“Indeed, Luna. I could not live forever—few can. My passing came long ago and it happened peacefully.” He gave them a reassuring smile tinged with sadness.

“I… see.” Celestia looked defeated, the glow of her mane seeming muted. A single sparkling tear trailed down her cheek and matted her fur. “We always hoped that… that somehow… somewhere…”

“Oh, I was somewhere alright,” Starswirl replied with a loud chuckle. “A place you wouldn't believe—another world.”

“Then he…” Celestia was about to ask when Starswirl finished her answer.

“Yes, his world.” He walked right next to me and sat, mere centimetres away. “Magnus’ world. Earth.”

“How do you—” I began to ask before he held up a hoof.

“I will tell you how I know about Earth,” he turned to the princesses, “and to you all as well. I would advise you to take your seats, as my tale is quite long.” The princesses nodded to him and sat down on their cushions, curling their legs under themselves like cats.

Starswirl took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sighed, seemingly collecting his thoughts. “It all began after the last mare in my herd passed away. Diamond Constellation was my lead mare, my first love, my…” He shook his head slightly. “I was wracked with guilt and sorrow. Despite all my power, my magical prowess, I could not save her from Hornrot. It ate at her, left her weakened and delirious, and I could do nothing but watch as she slowly succumbed to the disease. My anguish was so great that I began to bury myself in my research to escape from the world, doing all that I could to try and avoid the heartache.”

“We remember,” Luna murmured quietly. “We attempted to comfort thee in thine time of need.”

“And I pushed you both away,” Starswirl replied quickly, lifting his mournful eyes to meet Luna’s. “I was so angry—angry at the world, angry at the illness, angry at everything. I pushed you both away when I needed you the most, and for that I’m sorry.”

He took a deep shuddering breath before continuing. I could plainly recognize grief when I saw it. My grandfather’s funeral had been just over two years ago, and I had been a wreck for weeks. Even my friends had shed tears for him, for he had been a presence in their lives as well.

“My desperate attempts at avoiding my grief had finally reached its peak. I heard of the weather manipulating abilities that the griffons used, and although it was basically the same magic of the pegasi, I wanted to investigate it to look for discrepancies. Six months after Diamond’s funeral, I left my family's castle and found a trading vessel headed for the Ironfeather Kingdom, leaving the Unicorn Kingdom and eventually… Equus.

“It was off the coast of what is now Western Equestria it happened. One moment, it was a tranquil night, chaos the next. I was fast asleep in the cabin when the alarm bell sounded all over the ship. Wide awake within moments, I rushed up to the deck to see what was happening. I expected pirates, but what I saw nothing could have prepared me for: a golden orb of light hovering above the water’s surface.”

I released a strangled sound of surprise, causing Starswirl to briefly look at me and nod. “The very same.” He turned back to the princesses. “We were stunned, all of us. None of us had seen anything like it before, and we were captivated by its beauty. Nopony even noticed that the ship was slowly being dragged into the orb. The creaking sound of the ship being broken apart was the only warning, and by then it was all too late. Our efforts to steer away were without effect, the bow destroyed first, followed by the sails and masts. In our efforts escape, I sensed my grip on the deck slipping until I could feel it no longer. I was in the air, moving rapidly towards the orb of light, and then… I felt nothing more.

“I don’t know much time passed before I regained consciousness. It might have been days or hours, but when I did, I found myself on a sandy beach, battered and bruised but still alive. Somehow, I found the strength to cling to a door that managed to keep my weight afloat, and the current must have carried me to dry land. I didn’t even lose my hat.” He smiled and looked up to his pointy hat, which seemed a few sizes too large for him.

“You were always fond of your hat, dear Starswirl.” Celestia giggled lightly.

“You know me: better take good care of a good hat.” Starswirl replied with a good-hearted chuckle that ended quickly, his face adopting a thoughtful expression.

“I remained on that beach for hours, hoping that the other crewmembers had survived and perhaps would find their way to me. I had no idea where I was, but I knew that I had to stay put. As the first day was about to end, I found a small pond with fresh water near the beach, edible but disgusting tasting grass, and built myself a small shelter. However, the greatest discovery I made concerned the earth I walked on, the water I drank, the grass I ate, and the air I breathed. Though it might sound unbelievable, I offer you the truth.” He paused, seemingly measuring the reactions of the princesses before him. “There was no magic to be felt anywhere.”

His statement made the assembled ponies gasp. They looked at him as though he was a madman, disbelief obvious in their eyes. “That’s impossible!” Twilight Sparkle interjected passionately, scrambling to sit up from her cushion. “Life can’t exist without magic! It’s a fundamental fact that you proved long ago!”

In return, the elderly pony just smiled to her. “Just because magic cannot be felt doesn’t mean it's not there, young princess. However, I will return to that subject if I am allowed the time.”

The lavender princess opened her mouth to respond, seemingly eager to discuss this magic of theirs. Her large eyes looked manic, and it took what seemed like a great effort on her part for her to calm herself and sit down on her cushion. Starswirl merely nodded before continuing.

“It soon became clear to me that I was no longer on Equus. With this world brimming with magic, having felt it within one’s body and mind all one’s life and then suddenly not feeling it anymore… It left one feeling very much alone and rather frightened. Still, at the time, I was focusing on survival itself and less on studies of that strange place. Every day, debris was washed ashore by the currents and tide–barrels of fresh water, a crate of soggy food, an apple or two…” He paused for a moment. “Then bodies.”

He clenched his eyes shut. “It was on the third day that the bodies came in with the tide. There were fifteen unicorns on the trading ship; only ten were washed ashore and I buried them on that beach the very same evening. With my wife's funeral fresh in mind, the mass funeral I gave them brought back many memories. I cried myself to sleep that night.” His jaw trembled slightly before he grimaced.

Slowly he opened his eyes, a spectral tear falling. “I knew then that I was on my own and that I couldn’t remain at my shelter. With my mind on survival, I left the beach with a few flasks of water and some scavenged food, and headed inland. For days I trekked through swamps and dense vegetation. When my food ran out, I was forced to eat hay, grass, and edible plants, none of which were particularly palatable. Nevertheless, I was determined to outlast that place. For two weeks I wandered, surviving on the land itself while looking for a settlement or locals in an effort to find help. Dangerous beasts often tried to attack me, believing that I was a easy meal for them. However, they were no match for my magic.” He cracked a small smile and looked up to his horn that poked out from underneath his hat. “A small gout of flame usually scared them off. Even if that strange place didn’t have magic, it didn’t affect me at all.”

“Did you meet the inhabitants of the land?” Celestia asked.

“I did,” he replied with a nod. “One day I came across a peculiar creature that looked very much like Magnus here.” He gestured with a hoof at me, the princesses turning and studying me like I was on display. It made me feel like a piece of meat at the butcher’s shop.

“A human?” Luna asked.

“Yes, a female wearing primitive clothing and wielding a crude spear. I was surprised to find anypony living here, and she was just as surprised as me. She was wary at first and refused to approach me. Her language was one I could not understand. My efforts at communicating with her were eventually fruitful, and through images written in the dirt, I told her that I came from the sea and was looking for a village for help. She understood and, through her own images, said she came from a village two days away to the north of our position. I asked if I could come with her, and she agreed to lead me there.”

A smile came to his muzzle, and he sighed contently. “That was how I first met the daughter of the chief.” The way his eyes crinkled and the underlying warmth in his voice suggested that he had been rather fond of the chief’s daughter, perhaps even… No. A pony and a human? Just… no. Even if these ponies were sapient beings, the notion itself was… appalling. Bestiality generally was.

“During the walk to the village, I learned her name: Ailen. I gave her my name as well—after all, isn’t politeness a good first sign when meeting somepony new?” He cracked a small smile at his joke. “I tried to learn her language so that I could better communicate with her, but two days was a very short amount of time. I was also unsure of how her people would welcome me. Would it be with curiosity or spears? She always kept her spear close, and if I walked too close, she would grasp it tighter. I wisely kept my distance during our trek.”

He paused for a moment but continued before the sheer silence of the room could begin to unnerve me. “We finally reached her village. I knew from her crude spear and clothes that she belonged to a primitive race, and her village was a reflection of that. There were no proper houses or castles, only tents made from the hide of animals and crude huts made of clay and wood. There was a time when I would frown on such conditions, but I was no longer allowed to be picky.”

I noticed Princess Twilight grimace at that, though the look soon faded.

“When we entered the village, her people all gathered around me. I guessed they had never seen anything like me before, but they kept their distance. Ailen introduced me to the leader and her father, Chief Amitola. He was an older man, but strong and wise with an affinity for comprehending the images I drew in the sand. He understood that I came from the sea, but somehow he did not understand the image of the ship I had been on. Nopony could.” Starswirl once again chuckled heartily, much to the confusion of us all. Slowly his laughter died down and he composed himself. “Since I came from the sea and my name was Star, they called me ‘Star of the Sea’. Somehow, that name stuck with me for the rest of my life.”

“Star of the Sea.” Luna laughed at that. “You always liked traveling on the seas, dearest friend. The name they gave you was a perfect match.”

Starswirl smiled but didn’t respond, instead continuing his story. “It took many days for me to be completely understood by the chief and his daughter. Many waking nights were spent devising new images and creating ways to make myself comprehensible. In the end, I was allowed to stay in the village if I so wished, and with no other place to go, I chose to stay until I could discover how to get back home. Using my magic, I made for myself a new hut where I could live comfortably while understanding this land of no magic. However, it was my magic itself that attracted some attention.”

“They didn’t hurt you for it, did they?” Celestia asked, sounding a bit concerned for the old pony.

“Harmed me?” He burst into laughter. “Oh no! Not at all! They loved it, couldn’t get enough of it! While I built my hut, they all sat around and watched me. I’ve had a crowd before when I performed my magic, but this was a new level of awe. See, they believed me to be a spirit sent to them, to help them. To them, I was the Spirit of Magic, a creature born of the sea to wander the land. To them, I was a god.”

“Did they worship you?” Twilight asked. It would make sense, seeing that certain tribes believed in spirits of nature and that sort of things centuries ago.

“To begin with, but that changed as time passed,” he replied. “They welcomed me to live with them as a visiting spirit. I made it my mission to go back to Equus, and since a magical phenomenon had sent me there, I was determined to find my way back home. I began to investigate the land for traces of magic and found a companion to help me in doing so.”

“A member of the tribe?” Twilight asked.

“The tribe had a seer who knew of all the old and sacred places, but she was very old and frail and rarely left her tent. No, it was the chief’s daughter, Ailen, who became my steadfast guide in the strange land. She showed me the tribe’s sacred locations in the wilderness so that I could search for a source of magic. We visited many places, both near and distant, but there was nothing to be found,” he concluded and shook his head lightly.

I couldn’t say I was surprised that he didn’t find anything. My grandfather had told me of such places and their significance. Burial grounds, special glades in the forest, ritual sites—they were considered sacred because of their meaning. Burial grounds were to be respected, and ritual sites were places where offerings to the gods and the spirits were made, hoping for a strong son or beautiful daughter, a good year, luck in battle, and so on. It was all as make-believe as the burning bush.

“As the weeks passed and eventually months, I began to lose hope. Each place we visited was as barren of magic as the rest of the land. Sometimes it felt like I was walking in a desert despite the greenery surrounding me. I slipped into a deep depression and some days I didn’t wish to wake up at all. I felt… alone and without purpose.” Starswirl sighed and sat down on the marble floor. It was strange that he could, despite earlier demonstrating that he had no physical form. I was also reminded that I hadn’t even questioned how he could do all those things and how he had emerged from inside the staff. Frankly, I didn’t care. I had seen too many weird things lately.

“We are not meant to be alone, my friend.” Celestia flashed him a compassionate smile. “We are social beings, flourishing when we are together.”

“Indeed,” Luna added. “Our harmony is based on the friendships we form with other ponies. Surrounded by friends and family, we thrive and form bonds.”

Starswirl nodded sombrely. “Yes, I remember well the lessons you taught me. I made friends with many members of the tribe, and they often helped me when my grief about my situation became overwhelming. I also found a new calling: healing.”

“Uhm, didn’t they have proper hospitals or doctors?” Twilight piped up.

“No, their healing arts weren’t as advanced as ours were in the days of the Unicorn Kingdom. They used certain herbs and natural remedies with weak effects. Frankly, it was inefficient. I knew a fair bit about healing spells and often gave a helping hoof when a situation required it. I could weave flesh together and mend broken bones, alleviate pain, and heal certain diseases. A simple healing spell could save a life, and after working my magic on the sick and wounded, they asked me to become the tribe’s healer. I gladly accepted because now my existence had meaning.”

That made sense. If he knew how to heal with his magic, then he would be invaluable, especially back then. I had to wonder at the possibilities of their magic. To me, it seemed to be something powerful and useful. I imagine that if doctors and nurses back on Earth had healing magic, then we might not have illnesses such as AIDS and cancer. The possibilities could be endless if applied correctly.

“Two years passed in the blink of an eye,” Starswirl continued, unaware of my private musings. “I had found a new calling and a new purpose in my life, and I will say that I was content with what I had. I had learned their language and could communicate without problem. Often I would talk with the chief and his daughter about my world. I had revealed to them that I was not a spirit, merely a displaced being from another world who had lost his way. The friendship I had made with the two was strong enough that they accepted me even though I wasn’t of their world.”

The princesses smiled fondly at him. They seemed to be happy to hear that he hadn’t been abused or hunted. I suppose that the miracles he performed for the tribe had been too much of a boon to give up, or perhaps they had considered him a friend. Or maybe they had feared his wrath if he was harmed in any way.

“I had changed drastically from the pony I once was to this new ‘Star of the Sea’, and I wasn’t the only one.” A thoughtful smile appeared on the old pony’s lips. For a moment, his eyes drifted as he remained silent, seemingly remembering something. “From time to time, I still left the village in search of anything that could help me find a clue as to how I ended up there, and each time Ailen would come with me. We became good friends during the two years that had passed, and she would often come see me. Often I would end up simply admiring her. Her strange but unique form, her beautiful eyes, her smile, her… everything about her,” he added quietly, almost to himself.

“You mean to tell us that you…” Luna inquired hesitantly. “You developed feelings for this human mare?”

Starswirl nodded shyly. “I don’t know when or how it began. It just…. happened. Was it loneliness? Desire? Perhaps even love?” He shook his head slightly. “It just did. One day I was happy to have her as my friend, and sometime later I found myself thinking of her as more than a friend.” He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “I tried my best to push notions of love out of my head. I was seventy-two years old, past my prime and with an uncertain future ahead of me. Ailen was in her early thirties, young and beautiful, without a mate, and many of the tribes warriors fought for her attention. Despite my best efforts, my emotions still churned in me.”

He opened his eyes and stared at the floor. “Denying that you are in love is terrible for the heart.” He looked up to the princesses and saw their fond smiles. “And I couldn’t do it. I had to know if she thought of me the same way. If she had feelings for me, then it was something I could work with and if not, well, then I would know the truth and would try to forget those feelings of love. That same night, I spoke with her. I poured my heart out to her, told her how I felt about her and the emotions that warred within me. When I was finished, she became silent for several moments.” Starswirl paused, a twinkle in his eyes. The princesses remained silent, not taking the bait, though I somehow knew from the way their lips curved that they had deduced what had happened.

I didn’t. It sounded disgusting.

After a long pause, a smile came to the old unicorn’s lips. At first it was like the corners of his mouth had been tugged upwards, and within seconds he wore a wide grin. “She told me that she had feelings for me as well,” he stated simply. “For almost as long as I had been interested in her, she had felt the same. When I asked her why she had fallen in love with me, her answer was… interesting. I was different than the warriors in the village. I behaved differently, spoke differently and—” Starswirl snorted lightly. “I was never good with the opposite sex, not even with another species. I could be clumsy and awkward at times, which she found humorous.”

“I do remember with great clarity certain incidents during our travels,” Luna interjected with an impish smile. “A particular bathing incident…”

“ANYWAY!” Starswirl blurted out, much to Celestia and Luna's amusement and Twilight’s confusion. “We remained a couple for a few weeks, but hid from the others when we met. Neither she nor I knew how the tribe would react to us being together, so to set things straight, we spoke to Chief Amitola and revealed our secret to him. He had no qualms about us being romantically involved and even gave me his blessing to marry her.”

‘Oh my freaking god!’ My stomach was churning, and it wasn’t because of the tasteless meal I had devoured earlier.

“The tribe didn’t have a particular ceremony for marriage. Instead, we simply opted to live together as couples did and enjoyed our time together. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I was happy.” Do you know the grin that people flashed when they were madly, stupidly in love? That was the grin Starswirl wore now.

“Congratulations on your marriage, dear friend!” Celestia exclaimed. “I remember your grief, and I am truly happy to know that you found love once again.”

“We concur!” Luna added. “It seems that love crosses the very boundaries of worlds. Truly fascinating, it is.”

‘There are places on the Internet for that sort of talk, especially when bestiality is involved,’ I thought to myself. A human and a pony? I made a silent prayer that he wouldn’t go into explicit detail.

“Thank you, girls, but there is significantly more to my story. A surprise that none of us expected.” He paused for dramatic effect. He was quite a natural storyteller, I had to admit. “A baby.”

“WHAT?!” The three princesses shouted at once, and even I joined in. How could that happen? How? Why? It wasn’t possible!

“I know, I know.” He chuckled at the reaction he had garnered. “I was just as surprised then as you all are. I remember the stories I had heard back in the Unicorn Kingdom about ponies getting married with other species and legends of mixed offspring. And now it was about to happen to me! To say I was overjoyed is an understatement—I was overjoyed by the sheer prospect of it all. The mares in my herd had had foals, and I had often thought of my children and missed them dearly, but now… I was to be a father again, at my age even.” He shook his head, as if even centuries later he could not believe it.

“It took nine months. I often wondered what the child would look like. A mixing of our two species, man and pony—it constantly preyed on my mind. Then the day came when the baby was born.”

“Please, go on, Starswirl!” Luna urged him, clearly eager to hear about the child. Celestia also listened with rapt attention.

“It was a human baby.”

The princesses gasped, seemingly shocked to hear what the outcome of their romp in the hay had resulted in. I wasn’t. If the child was human, then the chief’s daughter had slept with a member of the tribe. Easy explanation.

“She was unfaithful to you?” Twilight asked. A pile of paper was stacked higher than her at this point, and an empty inkwell stood next to her with a freshly opened bottle.

“I believed so.” Starswirl sighed. “I was so sure that she had slept with one of the warriors that I stormed away from the village, not saying a single word to her. I walked around for days, stewing in anger and crying over the loss of my love. ‘How could she do that?’ I thought to myself. Was the love we shared so worthless to her that she wanted another human? I raged for many days until I decided to return to the village and Ailen with the intention of speaking with her.”

A shadow seemed to pass over his features. “I found my wife crying in the hut we shared, the newborn baby swathed in warm hides next to her. When I entered, she would not even look at me, and at that moment, I knew I had acted without thinking. I also wondered about the baby and wished to take a look at it for myself. I levitated the tiny bundle in my magic and began to lift her, only to see her change before my eyes.”

“She changed?” Twilight echoed. “Are humans shape-shifters like changelings?”

“No, Princess Sparkle,” Starswirl replied. “Her true form was revealed by my magic. She was half-human and half-pony, one of a kind, the only one of her kind.” A small smile graced his lips. “She was my beautiful, beautiful daughter, my precious Maiara.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Celestia asked, looking troubled. “How could she change? What did she look like?”

“Magnus, can you stand up for a moment?”

I rocked back, feeling as though I had been physically struck by his words. His daughter had changed? A creature that was half human and half pony? No, it couldn’t be. This was all just a façade, all just—

“Magnus?” I turned to Starswirl, who was gazing at me with a concerned look on his face. It took me a moment to comprehend that he was speaking to me.

“I… I’m not…” I mumbled, trying to formulate a response. Somehow, it was as though a piece of a grand puzzle had appeared in my mind, clicking into place, and I found my eyes drifting towards my hooves. “... I…”

“It’s okay, Magnus. It’s okay…” I heard Starswirl say calmly. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him turn back to the audience.

“My daughter shared many physical features associated with humans: she was bipedal, possessed hands and comparatively smaller eyes, yet there were several things that were distinctly unicornian about her. She had hooves, equine ears, furry legs and arms—more so than Magnus—and a horn. Her face was also a mix of human and pony, being slightly elongated. However, she lost her form when she was no longer in contact with my magic. She was a half-magical being in a world without magic, thus she took the shape of her mother when she was untouched by my magic.”

I looked away from the hooves and look at the princesses. They were fully enraptured by Starswirl’s story, but they seemed to sense my gaze, and turned to me. They smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach their eyes. Rather, their looks seemed somewhat forlorn, though I could not discern why.

“The tribe saw our daughter as a good omen and welcomed her with open arms. Now having a wife and a newborn daughter to care for, my hope of returning to Equestria was pushed aside by my new duty as a father and a husband. A duty I wanted to fully embrace.”

A sorrowful expression crept upon his face. Closing his eyes, I saw a sparkling tear trail down his cheeks. His lips began to tremble and though he tried to keep an impassive demeanour, it was useless. He suddenly fell to the floor as if his entire reservoir of strength had abandoned him.

The princesses scrambled to their feet and were about to approach him when he held up a hoof. I wasn’t sure what they intended to do, seeing as he was incorporeal. “Starswirl, what’s wrong?” Celestia asked.

“Give me a moment… The memories are too painful…” The princess hesitated but finally settled down, looking at the pony with concern.

After a few moments of strangled sobs, Starswirl got to his hooves again and sat down. I was rather curious as to what had caused him to break down like that, though I suspected I would soon find out.

“The years passed,” he continued once he had composed himself. “I enjoyed my life with my wife and daughter. I worked as the tribe’s healer and had also begun refining medicinal herbs for the benefit of us all. It all seemed so perfect… until the pain began. One day, when my daughter was about four years old, she fell dangerously ill and was confined to her bed with a migraine so powerful that she screamed in pain. I tried to give her medicine for the headaches, but they did little to alleviate her symptoms. When I tried to perform a magical scan of her, her true form was revealed and her pain ceased, as though it had never existed to begin with. I was puzzled as to why it had happened, but I couldn't figure out why.

“It occurred again the next month. Her headache came back, as strong as before, but disappeared when I channelled some of my magic into her. Truly worried now, I decided to perform a thorough magical scan of her entire body, and what I found seemed impossible. My Maiara was indeed a half-magical hybrid, but she had no source of magic to connect with. Unlike all who are born in our world, her core of magic wasn't there.”

“T-That can’t be!” Twilight exclaimed loudly. Her mane had started to look a bit frazzled, and she began waving her hooves in an effort to counter his statement. “That’s impossible; we’re born with magic and—”

“My daughter had no source of magic to connect to!” Starswirl shouted loudly. He shot a furious glare at the youngest princess, causing her to shrink back. “She suffered daily because the magic of Earth is still undeveloped! Only when I focused my own magic into her did her pain cease, but only for a month at a time. Magic exists there but in such a small quantity that no being of this world can be born there. Only non-magical and half-magical beings could hope to survive, or else there would be no life there at all. I have been on Earth and you have not, so I shall thank you if you cease belittling what I know for a fact and you do not!”

“Starswirl, please calm down. Twilight meant no disrespect. You of all ponies should know that hearing all this goes against everything we know,” Luna spoke gently in an effort to calm down the elderly unicorn. It seemed to work as he only huffed in irritation.

“Yes, yes, I know,” he muttered. Exhaling violently, he directed his gaze to his audience. “Forgive my outburst, Princess Twilight.” He gave a slight bow.

With an apologetic nod and a smile from her, he continued, “I knew then that she lacked magic and it was taking its toll on her. I began to have routine sessions with Maiara where I filled her with magic in order to keep her healthy. My desires had led to the greatest of my sins.” He lowered his head, staring at the floor for a few seconds in silence. Then he raised his head to meet Celestia’s and Luna's eyes. Something passed between the three, a mutual understanding that they shared.

My mind was still trying to recover from the mental blows Starswirl’s words had delivered. If there was one thing I knew about, then it was headaches. I’d had them for as long as I can remember, ever since I was a kid. I had seen doctors all over the United States, but none could accurately ever diagnose the root cause, and in the end I was prescribed strong painkillers that somewhat helped. There was a connection before me, but I couldn't see it clearly.

“I knew that when I passed away, my child would eventually die from a lack of magic.” Starswirl stomped his hoof on the floor, though there was no resulting thud. ”I could not let that happen. If she lived long enough to have children of her own, then her children would suffer the same fate and it would be passed down the bloodline. Forever more, there would be unicorn blood in my descendants, and they would all crave something they didn't know existed: pure magic. I wanted to protect her, to protect the children my daughter would have. That was now my new goal and I began my work."

“I set up a research station on the beach where I had been washed ashore years before. Constructing a small boat was arduous work, but several members of the tribe whom I considered good friends were all happy to help me. My goal was to set out to sea and discover how I had gotten to Earth in the first place, and to find the sphere of light and investigate it. My labors bore fruit.”

“You found the sphere?” Celestia asked.

“Not just one; several. Far from land, I could sense a weak source of magic coming from deep within the earth. It was too weak to form a bond with, too weak to be able to cast magic, yet occasionally it would grow stronger and a sphere of light would shoot up from the bottom of the sea and appear on the surface. My companions and I kept our distance to them while I studied the spheres and took notes. After several weeks out at sea, I was able to predict when a sphere would appear and its location to us. Using a spell, I was able to see the door of the sphere, so to speak—the black core and where it led to. Most of them led to empty space, but in others I saw worlds that were wholly uninhabitable. I never saw a single sphere that led to Equus.

“I noticed a pattern in these spheres and how often they would appear. I could even predict how long they would stay in place before dissolving into thin air. In the end, I deduced that a portal to Equus was extremely rare and would only appear once every seven hundred and fifty years.”

Starswirl sniffled, a hoof swiping across his face to wipe away his tears. Shaking his head in despair, he went on, his voice broken, “I had confirmed my fears: my daughter would die young. With no magic strong enough for her to bond with and no way to get back to Equus, her fate was sealed. She would go before her time, and the reason would be magic itself. I had failed her, my own daughter.” The bells on his hat clanged ominously as his head bowed briefly. The collapse of whatever inner fortitude he had possessed was almost visible.

“Do you know how it feels?” he asked, though the question didn’t seem to be directed at anyone in particular. “To know that you are the reason that your own daughter will die? To know that if you had chosen loneliness, you could have spared yourself terrible sorrow and heartache? To know that… that you have doomed an entire family line to pain and suffering, that you are the reason generations suffered?”

I glanced up to the unicorn as he uttered those words, having struck a chord in me. That he had placed the blame of what his actions had caused was painfully obvious, but the extent of his self-flagellating seemed rather extreme. Even the princesses seemed to feel the same. Their weak attempt at comforting smiles died prematurely, drowned by the moisture in their eyes. The emotions in their eyes more than made up for it, the strength of compassion directed at the elder unicorn one I had never encountered.

“I… We have never known such a terrible thing, dear friend. I think I speak for us all when I say that our hearts ache for your loss,” Celestia said as a sparkling tear trailed down her cheek.

Starswirl nodded quietly. “To know what will happen is terrible, but to know that you can’t do anything about it is even worse,” he replied. “The terrible news almost broke me and my wife, and for days we cried and comforted each other. Although we attempted to keep our grief away from our little girl, she knew something was wrong, but I never had the heart to tell her.”

I shook my head. How he had to feel, knowing that his daughter would die… It was certainly tragic. Though I certainly couldn’t claim to follow all that had been said, I still listened intently to the old stallion’s tale. I had always liked stories, and I recognized that unravelling the message behind his was important.

The throne room certain felt significantly gloomier than when I had first been marched in, the sorrow exuding from the stallion almost tangible in the air. All three princesses were unashamed of any overt display of sadness, as their tears ran freely down their cheeks.

Luna sniffled and took a sharp intake of breath before speaking, her voice holding a quiet note of optimism amidst the heavy despondency. “But thou art here now, and thou brought this human with thee.”

“Remember, Luna, I died long ago. This form is not flesh, only a construct of magic, consisting of magic and memories.” He poked a hoof to his barrel, the appendage passed right through again.

“Death to my child and descendants would be a horrible fate, but I turned my despair into my strongest motivation.” His voice sounded stronger, his grief fading slowly, replaced by confidence and courage. “My sorrow became my motivation, then it became a wish fuelled by a desire to allow my descendants to one day see Equestria and to live a life of magic. In order to do that, I had much work to do.”

For each moment that passed, his voice began to sound increasingly assured. I could feel it in his voice, like a tepid wind morphing into a storm, the passion that had driven his actions.

“I began my work anew, for I was determined that death would not stop me from saving my human family! With fierce determination, I would break every single taboo of magic that existed in order to save as many as I could!” He stomped his hoof to the floor to punctuate his statement, a sharp echo resulting from the mostly empty room.

“From a single tree, I created a staff that I infused with powerful magic and several protection spells meant to protect the staff. Then I cast a spell on myself, a spell meant to copy my memories into my own horn upon death. I also created this construct to house the copy of my memories. A presence spell that would be activated when you two were present along with one of my bloodline was also placed on the staff and horn.”

“Your determination is admirable, my friend,” Luna commented with a small smile.

“Desperation is a good teacher, Luna.” He returned her smile with a wry one of his own. “With all the spells in place, there was just one more thing to do and that required removing my own horn. I asked some of my most trusted friends to remove my horn upon death and place it in a receptacle on the staff, thus completing all of the spells I had prepared.”

‘Wait! He said he wanted to bring his descendants here! And I’m here…’ I looked at my legs and the hooves, then I reached a hand up to the horn on my forehead. Could it be…? No...

I noticed Luna looking at me. She saw my hand about to touch the horn and, with a teary smile, she nodded.

‘No, it can’t be...’

“Thus, my work was done and there was nothing more I could do. I spent my final years with my wife and daughter, enjoying the time I had left while acting as the healer for the tribe,” he said with a sense of finality. He smiled briefly before continuing, the volume of his voice lowering considerably.

“It was a rather pleasant summer day when it happened. I had started to feel my age upon my withers long ago. I no longer had the stamina I once had, my strength had shrivelled, and my movements were slow. Still, once a week, my wife and I would go to a small stream so that our daughter could go fishing. It was her favourite pastime.

“Maiara and Ailen went down to the stream while I stretched out to rest in the shadow of a willow tree. As I sat there watching the two most important beings in my life, I began reminiscing about my sons and daughters in Equestria and what they were doing. Their absence was a constant ache in my heart, but with no way to contact them, I could do little but take care of my wife and daughter. As I watched them play in the water, both of them smiling from ear to ear, I thanked Faust for letting me meet Ailen and for giving me Maiara. Seeing how happy they were, I felt content just lying in the shade. While they frolicked under a brilliant summer sun, I felt so tired that I decided to take a little nap.”

A shadow of a smile graced his lips as he gazed at the assembled royalty before him.

“I didn't wake up.”

His words echoed in the room until they faded. I understood the implications of his final words: that he had passed away beneath the willow tree. The three princesses knew it as well, the expressions on their faces that of accepted sadness. Twilight Sparkle’s lower lip quivered as she strove to refrain from bursting into fresh tears. Celestia and Luna took it better than I thought they would, an accepting bow of their heads to the old unicorn.

Although I heard his words concisely, I almost paid him no heed. The pieces in my mind had begun to fit together, and although I recognized that it could be the truth, I refused to bode of them, desperately trying to distract myself from delving deep enough, to actually acknowledge it.

“I died the best possible way.” He smiled weakly, yet melancholy danced in his eyes. “I was with Maiara and Ailen, watching them live and have fun, just as I wanted. And as my body died, I was born. Me, Starswirl the construct, made for a single purpose.” He chuckled lightly, despite the subject. “I came to be the moment my heart stopped beating. From the horn, I saw what happened to me: my wife and daughter crying, pleading and begging me to wake up. I wanted to do just that so badly, but I couldn't. Eventually, I was carried to the village by two of my friends and my last will was carried out.”

“Y-You mean that they… your horn?” Twilight asked as she pointed to his forehead. She visibly shuddered at the thought.

Starswirl nodded slowly. “My body was treated with great reverence. I will not divulge details, for they are not necessary. Suffice to say, my horn was carefully removed, cleaned, and then mounted onto my staff. The funeral rites given to me were equal to that of the greatest and bravest of warriors and wisest of chiefs. Draped in cloth, my body was set on a wooden platform raised above the ground so that my eyes always gazed up at the stars, and weeks later when only bones remained, they were cremated and my ashes cast into the sea from whence I came from.”

“You did not ask for a funeral of the Unicorn Kingdom?”

“No, Celestia. I was quite content to follow their funeral ceremonies as I had lived with them for over twenty years,” Starswirl replied. “After the funeral ceremonies were completed, the staff was given to my daughter and she became revered as the ‘Daughter of the Sea Star’, and was given a prominent position as a medicine woman and shaman. It was during this time that I first contacted her.”

“How did you do that?” Twilight asked.

I had a faint idea, and before I knew what I was doing, the words escaped me, “She touched her forehead with the horn…”

“Exactly so.” I turned to Starswirl and found him beaming at me. “She knew what she looked like when my magic flowed into her, and she knew that she too had a horn. By touching my horn to her forehead, she formed a mental link with me, allowing us to communicate with each other. However, this link only allowed me to show her images from my memories of the life I lived and what I saw as I was a construct. In a way, I could still give her advice even after my passing.”

“Was it only your daughter you could speak with?”

“No, Princess Sparkle. The mental link only formed for some of my descendants, although I still managed to convey messages to my daughter regarding the love I held for her and her mother.” Twilight Sparkle now had a sizable stack of papers next to her that seemed to wobble, threatening to fall over any moment.

“But let’s skip ahead a little bit.” Starswirl straightened himself. “The years passed by as I looked on from the horn. I saw the toll the lack of magic had on my daughter and the pain and suffering she had to endure. However, there were happy moments as well. She found herself a young hunter whom she chose as her mate, and within one year she gave birth to a son. Although she lived a life of pain, she endured for the sake of her son and never gave up. But eventually she…” He took a moment to continue, his voice quavering once again.

“S-She died...” Ethereal tears dripped onto the floor, vanishing smoothly into the marble floor. “She... She was only twenty-five and had been a mother for less than a year….”

Immediately, Celestia and Luna were at his side, lying down on either side of him in an effort to comfort him. Their wings and hooves passed right through him, and their whispered words of comfort to him didn't seem to help at all. During all this, Princess Sparkle seemed frozen in place, seemingly unsure what to do. I bit down on my lip hard, almost enough to draw blood, my heartbeat and the pressure on my mind increasing.

“She died… too soon. She never experienced the full joy of being a parent, to see her own child grow up. There was so much she never experienced. Worst of all, I noticed the signs in her son as well. When my grandson was four years old, he too fell ill to the lack of magic.” He shook his head morosely.

“Starswirl, I—” Whatever words Celestia was to offer him was drowned out by his anguished cry.

“AND IT HAPPENED OVER AND OVER FOR GENERATIONS!” he cried out. Broken, the old unicorn mumbled words that were almost incomprehensible. However, I heard him repeatedly ask for forgiveness.

“Generations passed by and the cursed thirst for magic claimed life after life,” he muttered. His tears had stopped, as though that well of despondency had dried. He stared at the floor, as if the marble itself could provide him security. “They all suffered the need for magic and didn't even know it. If I could have sacrificed my soul to help them I would… but I couldn't….”

“You couldn't know, dear Starswirl.” Luna’s voice was soft, at odds with how she had initially appeared to me. “Nopony could know. It was love, was it not?” He nodded in reply.

“It was love, Luna. It always was.” He looked up to the ponies that flanked him and smiled weakly. “Well, let’s move on with the story, shall we? As I said, I spent many years in the staff, but I could also leave the staff and spend much time at sea studying the spheres. My predictions came true.”

“A sphere appeared and you saw Equestria?”

“Yes, Celestia. A sphere appeared almost exactly seven and a half centuries later, exactly where I predicted it would appear. I could feel the magic from this world emanate from it like an old friend beckoning me to come home. And I was determined to go home, but not alone. And so I waited another seven hundred and fifty years for the right time, always watching over my descendants and sometimes speaking with them through the mental link my daughter and I had discovered. Through the ages, it became a traditional ritual amongst the tribe that my descendants belonged to. However, not once did any of my descendants die of old age. They all perished due to the lack of magic.

“Three years ago, I sensed the time drawing near for the next portal to open, and I began preparing. Although the world had changed over the many years, I had no problem finding the way to where the portal would appear. The only thing I had to do was impart this knowledge to my only two living descendants. However, the plan almost failed when the one called Joseph passed away.”

My heart almost stopped beating, the realization that he had apparently known my grandfather’s name another strike against the mental wall I had hastily thrown up.

“Joseph’s passing forced me to impart this knowledge unto Magnus here. Although the mental link that was passed down from one generation to the next had all but disappeared into legend, I was still able to give him instructions on where to go.”

I sat still, staring in disbelief at the unicorn. He stood up and stepped forward, then turned to me, smiling gently. “Although Magnus here is a stubborn and very strong-willed individual, and resisted the initial attempts, he finally gave in and followed the visions I gave him. They led him to the Bermuda Triangle and to the area where the sphere would appear. Unfortunately, he was injured when the boat broke apart and lost consciousness, but a certain princess found him in the sea.” He looked to Luna, who nodded to him.

“'Twas my pleasure, dearest friend,” she responded.

Starswirl turned to me. The relief in his eyes was obvious, but I couldn’t even think straight now, the barrage of information overwhelming me. Then he opened his mouth to speak.

He seemed to search for the right words, finally settling on a whisper. “You, Magnus Powell, are my last living descendant. You are of House Galaxy of Equestria. I brought you here to avoid the fate of your ancestors. I... do not deserve your forgiveness for of all the pain I have wrought, all caused by a weak moment of lust. I wanted so badly to save as many as I could, to avoid pain and early death, even going so far as to trick you into coming here. A... A plan fifteen hundred years in the making, and the only one I could save was you. I have... failed so many, but I have not failed you.”

He looked into my eyes. Wiping away a few tears, he turned to the princesses and straightened his back. Puffing out his chest a bit, he spoke with a strong and clear voice.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Allow me to introduce you to my last living descendant of my human family, Magnus Powell.”

Chapter 5 - Star Swirl's Greatest Wish (Edited by JBL 01.09.2017)

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Once again, silence permeated the throne room. Only the echo of Star Swirl’s proclamation remained before it slowly faded away, though its significance lingered. He had announced it loudly and clearly for all to hear. He had had a child with a human woman, and the offspring had been a mix between a human and a pony. In short, it was a creature that should not have existed.

What he put forward was so ludicrous that to suggest it to anyone with modern sensibilities would see you get laughed and jeered at. It was well known that humans could not breed with other creatures to create viable offspring—the genetic differences were too great. Even if offspring could ever be produced from such an unholy union, the child would likely have suffered from severe birth defects that should have resulted in a stillbirth.

Yet somehow, the child had lived and had been born with the façade of a human, but its pony heritage was revealed when exposed to magic. However, magic itself was the root cause of Star Swirl’s daughter’s death. The headaches he had described his daughter having suffered from were also familiar to me. For as long as I could remember, I had lived with headaches and so did my grandfather. I had always believed that it was the migraines that were hereditary. But now...

The hooves, the horn—every single change that had occurred to me with my arrival to this strange world, it had all derived from him.

The words he had thrown had battered the fragile shell around my mind, finally shattering it. I shook my head mutely, trying to feebly deny what had been set in front of me. However, the fact that I could think of no other logical explanation… the obscene truth that what I had once held as logic itself had flown into the distance with nary a look back... My mind was clouded, thoughts thick as syrup as his words slithered and swirled around, chewing and clawing and embedding themselves within. I couldn’t even begin to form a sentence, to say something… anything. I wanted to protest, to scream that it was impossible, yet a simple sentence was beyond me. It was as though my body and mind had severed their connection.

Staring at Star Swirl, my mouth opened in anticipation of speaking, but nothing escaped. His attention was focused on the princesses, seemingly awaiting an answer of some sort. The princesses themselves displayed an array of emotions. From Luna, I could read pity, surprise, and… something else. Was it sadness? Celestia seemed calm enough—she even had a slight smile on her face—but her eyes had an undercurrent of sorrow within them. I could see the shimmer of unshed tears within them. Twilight Sparkle had no such reservations, openly weeping, though I couldn’t fathom why. Had his story been so touching? I couldn’t tell, having gone numb halfway through the tale.

After what seemed like hours, Celestia rose to her hooves. Her voice trembled as she took a step forward. “I understand, dearest Star Swirl. I completely understand your intentions, and you have my sincere approval and full support.”

“Mine as well,” Luna chimed in as she stood up and joined her sister. “Thine intentions art clear, and We will do what We can.”

Twilight Sparkle hung back, observing the two princesses and their interactions with the old unicorn. Occasionally, she peeked at me, seemingly reading the confusion on my face, before averting her eyes back to the other two royals.

Star Swirl bowed before them and breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Thank you, girls.” A soft smile crossed his face, its sincerity shining through. He took a step backwards and turned to me. The smile was still there, but somewhat strained.

“I have something I wish to ask of you,” he told the princesses, looking over his shoulder directly at them. “The magic of Equestria has kept Magnus’ pain at bay for now, and has even revealed his true form, but had not bonded with magic. The only ones I know of who can perform such a feat are you two.” He turned to fully face them and bowed so deeply that his muzzle touched the floor, his legs bent beneath him. When he next spoke, I could hear the anxiety in his voice. “Please, craft a bond to magic for Magnus so that he can live a life that was denied his ancestors.”

The two princesses glanced at each other with a smile and nodded, before Celestia addressed him. “You have been missing for a long time, old friend, and for far too long we believed you to be lost. Your adventures in a foreign land yielded you love and a child, but also a bloodline that was never allowed to experience magic. You knew generations would suffer and did your best to aid your progeny. Now you’ve returned with one that yearns for magic.” Celestia paused, allowing Luna to finish her sentence.

“Nothing would please us more than to create a bond to magic for Magnus,” Luna finished with a smile of her own.

Star Swirl quickly looked up to the duo, and for the first time since he appeared, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. His mouth gaped for a moment before he sighed in relief. The way he gazed at them was rather disconcerting, especially the depth of gratitude within his eyes. He nodded deeply and whispered a short expression of appreciation.

I continued to stare ahead at nothing in particular, unable to bring myself to care about what they were discussing. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore, least of all myself. One thought after another crashed forth like tidal waves, pounding my brain with thoughts of genetically impossibilities and peculiar gateways to other words. Images from home also appeared, along with the old legends that my grandfather had spoken of. One of them in particular had been about how the Spirit of the Horse had appeared to a tribe and had fathered a child with a woman. To think that what I had once thought was religious fairy tales and legends actually contained more kernels of the truth than could be considered possible…

A strange sensation suddenly made itself known around my wrists, slithering around them warmly. My eyes slowly travelled to the shackles that bound me. They glowed with a golden aura, one that I had seen before. It was at that moment I became aware that the two princesses had moved to stand in front of me. My eyes went up to Celestia, and I instinctively took a step back. Her horn glowed with the same colour as on my wrists, and with a muffled click, my shackles came off, along with those around my legs. The chains were levitated in front of Celestia, who gave what had to be the first pleasant smile she intended to me. The chains fell to the floor, causing me to jump slightly.

Luna's horn was surrounded by a dark blue aura, but nothing seemed to happen until I felt that same strange impression on my forehead. Before my eyes floated the metal ring that had been on my horn, now grasped in her magic. It dropped to the floor with a dull clink and rolled a short distance before falling over. At the same time, the strange sensation began to surge around my horn to the point where it felt like there was a soft pressure on it. It didn’t seem dangerous or intrusive at all—the opposite, in fact.

“Wha…? What’s…?” I croaked as the two princess moved to either side of me.

“The magic inhibitor denied you the sensation of magic, but now that it’s gone, you perceive something on your horn,” Celestia said. She said it as a matter of fact, and it was true. I nodded weakly in response.

“Let us aid thee, wayward human. Allow us to give thee thine birthright.” Luna’s horn began to glow again. Her blue aura burst forth like a misty wave, undulating and swirling through the air. Celestia did the same, her golden aura joining Luna’s magic in the air, and the two differently-hued auras flowed together in a vortex above me. It swirled through the air, its sheer beauty and the way the colours melded together leaving me speechless.

Slowly, the swirling vortex descended over me. Standing next to me, the princesses lowered their heads, their horns pointing at and seemingly directing the display of colours as it dropped lower until it touched the floor. I could feel the alien sensation tingle over my entire body now, yet I was somehow not afraid of the phenomenon. All I wanted to do was to bask in the light forever, to experience this serenity and bliss until the end of time.

I extended a hand towards the swirling lights, and as it touched my fingers, the sensation became even stronger. Then I noticed Star Swirl standing outside the lights, staring at me with a look of relief on his face and nodding. “It is a good feeling, isn't it?” The only response I could manage was a weak nod. Behind him stood Twilight Sparkle, staring at the lights surrounding me with her mouth open in silent awe.

“Sister, art thou ready?” Luna suddenly asked, her voice sounding strained.

“Yes, Luna.” Celestia sounded similarly affected. “Now!”

The swirling lights suddenly shot up from beneath me and levitated me into the air. With a gasp, I scrambled to grab onto something, but there was nothing but the radiant vortex around me. This new aura consisted of thousands of colours, superior to those of a rainbow, more than a colour chart could display. The multi-hued aura joined with the gold and dark blue, turning into a flowing cascade. The maelstrom grew brighter as my hair stood on end all over my entire body, the sensation of pinpricks coursing up and down.

I floated helplessly in the air, my heart hammering in terror at being so vulnerable at odds with the relaxing nature of the churning aura. What was strange was that it felt as though it was prodding my horn, seemingly trying to gain entrance to it somehow. The vortex’s speed began to steadily increase, soon becoming naught but a blur to my eyes.

“It’s okay, Magnus. Let it in,” I heard Star Swirl say. Although apprehensive, some part of me felt that his advice was the right path to take, urging me towards it.

Abruptly, the colours separated from the vortex and shot up into the air in a way akin to fireworks. I only managed a brief glimpse at the jaw-dropping sight before the maelstrom, with the vortex and the princesses’ auras fully melded, bore down and struck me right on my head with a speed that rivalled a lightning bolt. Amazingly, there wasn’t any resulting pain, and I could see the light swirling about my horn.

I would forever remember the feelings that surged through my body then. The pleasant sensation seemed to multiply rapidly as the light converged within my horn until it felt as though vacant space in it was all but occupied. Then the dam burst, surging from my horn and into my head, travelling down my spine and diffusing through my entire body. Just when it seemed as though my frame would crack against the pressure, the storm coalesced once again before rushing up to my head, causing the wave of energy to brush against every nerve in my body and brain. It continued to grow and swell, wrapping me in a cocoon of warmth.

Amidst the headiness, I noticed a silvery light on the borders of my vision. Instead of blurring my sight, my perception seemed sharper somehow. For a split second, I saw Star Swirl looking at me, a huge grin on his face. Twilight Sparkle stood behind him, her expression awestruck.

“Urghhh….” I groaned as the energy continued to build. Every nerve blazed as the maelstrom roared into a crescendo that seemed to converge in my chest and skill. However, not for a moment did it begin to feel painful. There was no sting, no burning. No, instead it was as though I was experiencing life for the first time, as though all that I had endured for my entire existence had been nothing but muted monotony that was to be borne rather than celebrated.

There was no warning as I felt the bubbling energy within me explode out of my body. I screamed until my throat felt raw, not from agony but from the overwhelming feeling of bliss.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A bright, pure, white light erupted from me and spread outwards like a shock wave into every corner of the room. A powerful gust of wind swept around the room, pushing back minor objects but leaving the ponies unmolested. The only one who seemed surprised was Princess Twilight, who had long forgotten her notes which were now being scattered throughout the entire room.

My arms fell limply to my sides as dizziness overwhelmed me, and I forced air back into my lungs. Silence permeated the room. Slowly, I felt myself being lowered to the ground, my hooves gently touching the floor, but instead of standing, I fell to my knees and slumped forward, propping myself up with my arms as I gasped for air. The ordeal had been draining, both mentally and physically, like the ultimate rush adrenaline junkies could never achieve. In the end, I was left feeling as though I had been reborn, as though every ache and pain, every scar that layered my surface and interior, had been swept away.

“Wha… What is this?” I mumbled, still gasping for air, feeling the sensation slowly drain from my body. It was a pity, since it left me feeling slightly colder.

“Magic.” I lifted my eyes to find Star Swirl standing right in front of me, a content look on his face. He peered to the right, then to the left, before settling on me again with an even wider smile. “Look around, Magnus.”

I did as he asked, and what I saw was both beautiful and stunning. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of tiny green particles floating around the room. Each mote of light emitted a soft pulsing light the colour of summer leaves, green and fresh. Gravity had no hold over them as they drifted wherever they pleased. It was as though they were cousins of fireflies, seemingly having no solid form as they passed right through the assembled ponies.

“It tickles!” Luna giggled as a mote brushed against her muzzle. Celestia laughed as one passed right through her wing. A slow flap of her feathery appendage didn’t affect them at all. Princess Sparkle beheld a passing speck with great interest, and her curiosity drove her to poke it with her hoof, though it accomplished little.

Cautiously, I sat up on my knees and leaned backwards while I waited for my pounding heart and erratic breathing to normalize, watching a single mote that settled in the air in front of me. It just floated about lazily, yet somehow I found it enticing. “W-What is this?”

Star Swirl sat down in front of me and looked at the mote. “Magic,” he responded simply with a smile. “Yours is green.”

“What?”

“This.” He waved his foreleg over the room. “These tiny specks of light are your magic. All of it waiting for you.”

“I don’t understand. What…” I tried to find the right words, but they eluded me. My magic? I closed my eyes and rubbed my face slowly, feeling raw and exposed.

“Magnus.” I lowered my hands, simply letting them fall down on my knees. Star Swirl looked at the tiny mote, then to me. “This is you. Embrace it.”

I didn’t move, merely observing the speck of light as it hung in the air right in front of me. Now, for some reason, I began to feel somewhat apprehensive about doing anything that involved this light. It felt familiar, like I was looking at a part of me that I’d never seen before. It continued to pulse, and my heart beat in sync with it. Carefully, I extended an arm towards the particle. Just as I was about to make contact, I hesitated. What would happen? I had no idea, and that was daunting on its own. I slowly pulled my arm back just a couple of inches, enough that I wouldn’t accidentally touch the light.

The sound of metal on marble behind me made me turn around. Celestia and Luna stood there, both of them smiling at me for a reason I was unable to comprehend. I stared at them, trying to read their faces on what to expect. They both nodded at me, though I still hesitated. My interactions with them up to this point had not been what anyone would call cordial. In fact, I doubted anyone would blame me for not trusting them, just as how they had felt the same about me. However, I had found myself in a situation where I had to take the proverbial leap of faith, and that meant placing my doubts in bondage and believing that the beings around me meant me no harm.

And so I cautiously reached out to the tiny mote, gently making contact with it. The moment my fingers touched it, the light seemed to flow into my fingers as though it was water and my fingers a sponge. Luna was right—it tickled but was still warm and pleasant.

I then noticed the other particles in the room moving, all of them slowly drifting towards me. Almost as a swarm, they approached me from all sides. I felt them enter my body through my back, chest, head, arms, horn—from everywhere. Like hundreds of raindrops, they showered down on me, and I welcomed them all. It was as though a terrible itch had finally been scratched.

As suddenly as it started, it ceased. I had closed my eyes as I soaked in the moment, but when I opened them, the green particles were all gone, having disappearing inside of me. I also felt the intense warm feeling slowly fade away, but part of it lingered throughout my body. I placed my hand over my chest and exhaled, feeling my heartbeat slow until it was normal. It was as though there were two separate hearts beating inside me, one that pumped my blood around my body and another that circulated the magical energy.

“How do you feel?” Celestia asked.

“Buh… uh…” I tried to move, only to fall to the side. A large blue wing folded around my shoulder, preventing me from face-planting into the stone floor. I glanced behind me to find Luna there, her wing holding me in place.

“Careful now, young one,” she murmured as she hoisted me back up. “Mayhap thou should rest for now.” I nodded slowly. Even though I wasn’t sleepy, my body felt sluggish and my mind fared little better. Some time to regain my bearings and contemplate sounded just the ticket.

“Twilight, would you please escort Magnus to one of the guest rooms and keep an eye on him until Luna and I are ready?” Celestia turned to Twilight, who still kept her distance.

“What? Oh, yes, of course.” Twilight trotted past Celestia towards me. She stopped and hesitated for a second before coming closer. “Um, can… can you try standing up?” she asked with a hint of uncertainty.

I looked down to my legs, my muscles feeling like jelly now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off. Carefully, I placed one hoof to the floor and pushed off with a hand until I was able to manoeuvre my other hoof underneath myself and stand up on shaky legs. I didn’t even get a warning before I felt myself falling to the side. Luckily, someone grabbed onto me again.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Twilight's magical aura glowed on my shoulders, preventing me from cracking my head on the floor. Feeling unsteady, I eventually managed to balance myself. Although I doubted I would fall again, Twilight still maintained her magical grip to hold me steady. She began to guide me away from Star Swirl and the other princesses to the great doors of the throne room. As we got closer, they opened for themselves and several guards stepped inside.

“Guards, what you have witnessed here today shall not be spoken of outside the castle. Send in the nobles; we wish to speak to them.” The steely tone in Luna’s voice made it obvious that she meant business.

As we passed the guards, I glanced back, but I only saw Luna and Celestia, Star Swirl nowhere in sight. The only clue to him ever being in the throne room was the staff, now lying motionless on the floor.

The memory of what had occurred in the throne room was so fresh that I hardly registered the path we took as we traversed numerous corridors and hallways and possibly a set of stairs. Several times I attempted to initiate conversation with Twilight Sparkle, but I didn’t know where to begin. At the centre of the storm raging within me was the question of what exactly I was. Was I a human? Was I a unicorn? Was I a bit of both? What was I really? The chilling truth was that I could no longer tell.

My chaotic ruminations were interrupted by the lavender princess, who had maintained her silence the entire trip. We had stopped in front of a large wooden door, the doorknob glowing with Twilight's magic. The door swung open and she gently nudged me into the room. There were two plush couches with a small coffee table between them, a simple wooden desk with a chair, and a large bed pushed against the far wall. Two large windows were situated to the side of the bed, white curtains hanging in front of them. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, while paintings and several knickknacks adorned the room itself to avoid a feeling of sterility.

Twilight guided me to the bed and, with a gentle nudge of her wing, made me turn and plop down on the bed. I leaned forward and set my elbows on my knees, allowing my head to rest in my hands. I brushed my fingers over my face until I found the hard protrusion on my forehead. Being forced to acknowledge that it was there made me shudder. I… didn’t want it; I could barely stand touching it. I moved my hands away from the horn and suppressed a sigh.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. We’re here for you,” the little pony encouraged me quietly, as though sensing my thoughts. Raising my eyes a bit, I found her standing right in front of me, staring with a concerned look on her face. How could she know that things would be okay? What did she know? And… what did I know?

I needed time… to sort out my mind, my thoughts… I needed to think, to process all of this. Although I could still feel the magic, or whatever it was, coursing through my body, there was something else deep within me. It licked maliciously at my consciousness, making me shiver. I had heard of it, but had yet to ever experience that torture.

***

Celestia and Luna had, after meeting with the nobles and relaying their orders to avoid spreading what they had seen in the throne room, walked to their private meeting room. They had much to talk about.

“We can’t… believe it. He went to another world,” Luna murmured as she took a sip of water, the refreshing liquid easing her parched throat.

“We know… Finally, we know of his fate. To think that he was considered to be lost at sea when all this time he was on another planet, one without magic.” Celestia appeared troubled as she looked to her sister. “Another world, another universe even. And a child?”

“This scenario we never considered. We kept looking in the wrong places.” Luna refilled her glass and looked at the staff that rested on the table before them. The horn seemed to glow as it lay still. Knowing that the staff held the memory and thoughts of Star Swirl made both monarchs uneasy.

Suddenly, the staff slid off the table and landed on the floor before standing erect. Once more, white mist poured forth from the staff, from which Star Swirl emerged, looking the same as in the throne room except for the fact that his colours were faded and dull. His trademark cape and pointy hat had also lost some of its vibrancy. The unicorn himself seemed a rather tired as well.

“Hello again, girls,” he said with a tired smile and he pushed his hat up from his eyes. Once again, Celestia and Luna jumped as he appeared, though they soon got over his sudden entrance.

“Star Swirl, we looked for you for so many years. We believed you to have drowned or washed ashore in another land.” Luna felt her joy at seeing her old friend again swelling in her chest.

“Well, I was washed ashore. Who knew that it would be on another world?” he replied with a chuckle.

Celestia tried to suppress the urge to laugh. This was a serious matter, but seeing such a dear old friend for the first time in thousands of years and having a chance to laugh with him again was a chink in her armour. Finally, she gave in and giggled, and not a moment later, Luna joined in with Star Swirl at laughing at his joke.

After taking a few breaths, Celestia gave thought to something that had struck her as decidedly strange about his story. “Star Swirl, you said that you were in the human world for fifteen hundred years. Do you know how much time has passed here on Equus?”

He nodded. “Yes, four thousand, nine hundred, and eighty seven years to be exact. I found out shortly after we arrived here when I visited the library here at the castle. Thank you for naming a wing after me, by the way. There I found some books on history, and after a few hours, I had reconstructed the timeline from my departure to my arrival. It seemed the portals had an effect on time as well. Distorting, stretching, perhaps even compressing time, all to name a few.” He sat down on the floor, his scholarly nature once more revealing itself.

A collective nod from the two alicorn sisters was the response he got before he continued, “I don’t know if the area where you found Magnus has a similar history of mystical occurrences, but suffice it to say, the area in the human world where I led him to, the Bermuda Triangle, has a long history of strange things happening, and I believe the portals are responsible.”

“From what I know, nothing of the sort has happened off the coast of eastern Equestria. If the portals are connected, it is a rare occurrence indeed,” Celestia stated.

“Then such a gate will not open here for quite some time, I believe. However, I have a theory that the magic in the human world will one day bloom like a flower. The portals in the human world are simply magic that is maturing and waiting to sprout. The portals are… growth spurts.”

“The years have not dulled your mind, dearest teacher,” Luna said with an affectionate smile.

“I wonder why you asked Magnus to search for us?” It was one of the things she had wondered most about.

“From what I knew of magic back then, only the two of you had the power to create such a bond to magic, which is why I asked him to find you two in the visions I gave him. If I hadn't found you, I would have instructed him to go to the Unicorn Kingdom and find those with sufficient magical prowess.”

Star Swirl cleared his throat as he propped himself up and took a deep breath while fiddling with his cape. Both royal sisters knew what that meant: a lesson was about to be imparted. “However, speaking of the past can be relegated for later. The magic that binds me is fading as every second passes, and my time here grows shorter. I have much to tell you, some of it concerning Magnus.”

The two sisters adjusted their sitting positions for what they knew would be a lecture. Once they were comfortable, Star Swirl smiled and began. “I want to tell you about the human world; Earth, they call it. It is an amazing place, simply because they have no magic. It’s a wild planet tamed by the creatures that climbed to the top of the evolutionary ladder, the apex predators of Earth: humans. They are so unlike us in almost every aspect, but we do share certain similarities. We thrived with unicorn magic, pegasus weather manipulation, and the strength and connection to the land earth ponies possess. Humans became what they are because they lack all of these things.”

“And what, pray tell, have humans become?” Luna asked, her inquisitiveness shining through her facade, making her remember lessons from ages past.

Star Swirl smiled at her question. “Humans are simply… clever. Adaptable. When I came back to Equestria, I took the liberty of exploring Canterlot and every city and village we passed by on our journey here. Pony society has evolved and prospered so much in my absence and still… Compared to humans, we might still be back in the era dating to before the unification of the three tribes.”

Both princess gasped at hearing this. Equestria was considered one of the the most advanced nations on Equus, and its universities were widely known to be the place where the brightest minds were born. Even other races would come to Equestria to study. Just how advanced was the human race?

“They have built buildings that stretch high into the skies, machines called airplanes that can fly faster and higher than pegasi, underwater ships called submarines that have reached the crushing depths of the sea. They have even sent people to their planet’s moon!”

Luna’s jaw dropped. How could they have managed such a feat? The only one on Equus that had been on their moon was her. Before her banishment, she would freely walk its surface, but now she shuddered at the thought of doing that.

“By creating enormous rockets, they have sent humans to the moon and back, even creating manned stations in space. They have created machines called robots and sent them to other planets in their solar system, but they didn't stop there. They have created machines called satellites that orbit other planets to take pictures of the surface and even sent such machines out of their solar system to reach dark space and perhaps one day find another race of intelligent creatures to call friends.”

“And all of this without magic!” Star Swirl chuckled to himself. “They are truly astonishing. Music, art, literature, science, medicine, engineering—I guess they have many Da Whinnycies amongst them. If humans want something done and they can’t do it, then they will keep at it until they figure it out, such is their stubborn nature. Over two hundred countries, hundreds of languages, and seven billion humans, they are indeed the masters of their world.”

Their eyes widened at hearing that. For Star Swirl to praise humans so highly, they indeed had to be a special species. Star Swirl’s eyes became more subdued as he started to impart the downside of his descendant’s legacy.

“However, they are also ignorant to the truth of what they do. Many things have they mastered, thing that should not be necessary.” He shook his head slowly. “War, pollution, pain, and suffering. Humans have generated wars so great that they have twice engulfed the entire planet. Little wonder that they were referred to as ‘World Wars’. Millions upon millions of lives lost in the fires of war.” He shook his head at the senselessness of it all.

The two sisters stared at him in disbelief. Neither of them were unfamiliar with the horrors of war, for they had both commanded armies in the past and had engaged in combat in order to protect their ponies. Both of them dearly regretted the lives that had been ended and wished it could be undone, but deaths that numbered in the millions was simply unheard of.

“As the years went by, I began to fear that one of the many dangers of the human world would claim one of my descendants. Illness, murder, accident, war.” Star Swirl’s face crumpled, guilt and regret warring in his eyes. “Even Magnus. The pain he lived with, he attempted to treat with a very strong medication that he has become addicted to, and although they soothed his pains to some degree, I feared that he would seek out stronger and more dangerous drugs to ease his increasing suffering.” Star Swirl sniffed, his eyes watering as his visage grew increasingly pained. “I… I wanted so dearly to take him away from Earth… to show him Equus, to show him a world where he could live in peace, far removed from the dangers of Earth. I…” His tears once again began to flow. Clenching them shut, he gritted his teeth, feeling the words burst forth.

“I had no choice! I had to get him away from there!” he shouted as his legs buckled and he collapsed to the floor in tears. Celestia and Luna were immediately at his side, trying their best to comfort him. “No matter what wonders humans are capable of, I could not let him live there, even if he didn't suffer from the hunger pains of the cursed magic that came from my blood… I simply could not…” He looked tearfully at both princesses, as though hoping to find absolution within their eyes.

“Still… despite their nature, they have capacity for great kindness. I have seen that. I admit, I focus too much on the darker side of humanity, but it’s so hard to see the beauty and kindness when their dark sides are revealed. They can be cruel and hateful, but a single human can create an enormous difference. Many great humans have lived that dedicated their lives for the betterment of mankind, and I believe that one day they will achieve the same level of harmony that you have created in Equestria. I sincerely hope so because they have so much potential they currently waste away on trivial matters.”

There was a long pause as Star Swirl took a moment to gather his thoughts. His tears had stopped, and with a shaking forehoof, he adjusted his hat before expelling a deep breath.

“What I wanted… is perfection for Magnus. A happy, painless life. All I wanted was the best for him. I wanted the best for all my descendants, but I could not give it to them. Only Magnus remains… So many generations that died in their prime… A perfect life… is that too much to ask for?”

Celestia tried to nuzzle the old unicorn, an attempt that failed as her muzzle passed through him, but the effort was appreciated. “Equus is not perfect, Star Swirl, not even Equestria. You know our world is dangerous; we experienced many things during our journeys into strange lands. Strive as we may, perfection may never happen.”

“I know,” he acknowledged with a wry smile. “However, I had to do something. I know now that Equestria is a peaceful land, and I hope that Magnus will find a place for himself here, amongst ponies, amongst his people. You two have done a fine job. I expected that you would craft your legacy in time, but I did not expect to find out that you girls are the rulers of Equestria. Your history books had quite a story to tell.”

Luna shrunk back. Memories of her transformation and her banishment to the moon forced its way to the forefront of her mind, but she was reluctant to speak of it. The darkness she brought upon the land a millennium ago was still clear to her, and the dishonour and shame she had stained her soul with ensured that she would never forget.

“Luna.” She looked up from the floor into Star Swirl’s eyes. “I do not blame you for your actions. Your talent is far greater than you believed back then. Have you understood that now?”

She nodded and smiled, joyful that he wasn't angry with her. Leaning forward, she instinctively tried to nuzzle him, but found no soft flesh or warm skin, only the gentle tingling of the magic that made up the construct. However, the magic belonged to Star Swirl, familiar to her and Celestia. Each pony, no matter their subspecies, possessed magic within them. Each aura was unique, no two feeling the same. Star Swirl’s magic felt powerful, yet also warm, familiar, and had a distinct sense of inner peace at its core. For both Celestia and Luna, they felt that he was there with them. Perhaps he wasn’t here physically, but his magic was there, and it would suffice for the moment.

Something was on Celestia’s mind, however. What Star Swirl told them of humans was truly fascinating. Their achievements belonged to the realm of science-fiction books, tales of a race that was so clever that they could do anything they seemingly wanted to and apparently did. They also sounded like they were much less harmonious that ponies were, or any other species of Equus for that matter. Small wonder that that concern could be applied to the newest resident of Canterlot Castle.

“About Magnus,” Celestia began. “What you told us about humans is… interesting, to say the least. However, what of Magnus himself?”

Star Swirl opened his eyes slowly and his smile grew larger. “Magnus is… an interesting character, at least in my eyes. If you spend more time with him, you will develop your own understanding of him. When he inherited the staff from his grandfather, I peered into his memories to see who he really was, and I took a liking to him. A thinker, a dreamer, an idealist. His calm nature hides a man who loves life. His mother and grandfather were very much the same in that regard.”

Celestia and Luna smiled at hearing the old unicorn talking with such familiar warmth about the human. It was as though he was speaking of a close family member, even though over a millennium separated them.

“What about family? Does he have any?” Luna asked.

Star Swirl shook his head. “No, his grandfather passed away two years ago, and a traffic accident claimed his grandmother long ago. His mother died when giving birth to him, and his father was… He was... unable to raise his son after his mother’s passing. I never found out if he has any relatives on his father’s side of the family.”

“He has none then.” Celestia frowned imperceptibly.

Star Swirl shook his head. Though the thought was cruel and selfish, in a way, he found it beneficial that Magnus had no close family. It would have made the task of getting Magnus to Equestria even harder, and tearing him from his living family would be horrible. However, now that he had told them of Magnus, Star Swirl felt that it was important to reveal another side of his descendant, hoping that once again the princesses would be able to render aid.

“There is something else you should know of Magnus. I fear that he may have problems of a medical nature that may soon arrive. I have already told you of how addicted he has become to the medication he took, through no fault of his own. Is there a way to help him?”

Celestia briefly hummed in contemplation. “Our medical science has improved vastly over the years, and I am certain that we will be able to help him through his difficult road to health.”

“Good.” Star Swirl exhaled in relief. “Good, good.”

“Do not worry, dear friend.” Luna shot him a compassionate smile. “We will help him overcome any obstacle he encounters, and he will have our protection.”

“Thank you, Luna. It means the world to hear you say that.”

At long last, Star Swirl felt at peace. Magnus was safe, protected, and he would never suffer as he had on Earth. It had all gone according to plan. All he now had to do was speak to Magnus when he fell asleep, though it wasn’t something that he looked forward to. He had already torn the boy away from a world he knew and plunged him into another. His descendant would be far from happy to see him.

However, that was hours from now. At the moment, he would enjoy spending time with two memories of his ancient past who had barely aged a day since the last time he saw them.

“I have time before I have to speak with Magnus. Perhaps you wish to know more?” he asked them as he looked at the two alicorns. They smiled back at him, readying a bombardment of questions.

***

Hours passed and the three old friends discussed various things regarding both Equestrian and human culture. Celestia and Luna were amazed to hear of the similarities the two worlds had, especially when it came to how many of their world’s creatures were figures found in myths and legends. Names of cities in Equestria were similar, when properly translated, to cities around Magnus’ world, and there were even certain buildings and monuments that were comparable. They spoke of the many nations of humans and their historical figures. They even asked Star Swirl if humanity was lonely, considering that they were the only sentient species on their world, in direct contrast to Equus.

Star Swirl also told the two princesses of the human history that he garnered over the years, how he had seen nations come and go, kings and queens replaced by presidents, and how he had even watched the moon landing through a peculiar box that sent images from afar. He also explained what a mobile phone was, one of the objects Magnus had in his possession when he came to Equestria. When he explained what that little device was capable of, the two alicorns almost refused to believe him. It truly sounded like something from a comic book writer’s mind. He even told them of how Earth’s sun and moon were independent and worked on their own, which unleashed a fresh assault of questions.

However, he also delved into the darker side of humanity, touching on their wars and cruel acts committed for a variety of reasons. He felt it was necessary to explain this to them in order for them to understand Magnus better and not be offended by anything he might say that sounded strange. He knew that the information he imparted left them uneasy, so he did his best to explain to them that Magnus had never had such desires in his heart.

In return, they told him about Equestria and its history; of Discord and how he had been reformed; of the changeling attack on Canterlot; of the Elements of Harmony and the Element Bearers. The Elements returning to the Tree of Harmony, Tirek attacking the ponies, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends banishing him back to Tartarus—it was all discussed at length. They also spoke of how Equestria had prospered in the last two millennia, going from a relative poor country to a wealthy, prosperous, and peaceful nation.

Another subject broached by Star Swirl concerned his family and if they knew the fate of his sons, daughters, and grandchildren. He discovered that his family had lived long and fulfilling lives, and had settled peacefully in Equestria after the exodus from the Unicorn Kingdom. He had also been blessed with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom had taken their own paths in life. Star Swirl was relieved to hear this, as his thoughts had often led to his family in Equestria and their ultimate fate.

As the hours passed, it eventually became time for the sun to set and the moon to rise. While Celestia and Luna did their duty, Star Swirl observed their magic at work, noting the precision and power of their magic and how it had increased enormously since the last time he had seen them. It had been on display several times in the past when he had travelled with them, an age when they had yet to become princesses. They were powerful back then, and even more so now. For the first time in over fifteen hundred years, he saw the sun setting and the moon rising by the power of magic. It brought tears to his eyes, knowing that he was home.

At the same time, sadness was welling inside him as he knew the time for his departure was near. At one time in the past, he would have wanted to stay. The magic that had bound him to the staff was weakening, and although he could prolong it simply by asking Celestia and Luna to fill the horn with magic, he had no desire to do so.

He was tired, so, so tired. He could potentially be immortal in this state and live forever, see what the future held in store and witness Magnus carving a life for himself in Equestria. Still, even though he was Star Swirl the Bearded, he was also only his thoughts, his memories… A construct meant for a single purpose which no longer had a purpose. He was mind and magic, that much he knew, but where was his soul?

Over the centuries, he had often wondered about it. He had his own memories, but he was also dead, and most likely his soul had gone to the next plane of existence. He had probably already met with his wives, sons, daughters, grandchildren, his brothers and sisters and parents. When his magic ceased to be, would his mind join with his soul for a reunion? He wanted to believe so, for his desire to see his loved ones was strong.

It was time to let go, to let the young live without him always watching over them as a protective spirit of the past. It was time to say goodbye.

“Celestia, Luna.” He smiled at the two sisters who worked their magic by the window. The glow of magic around their horns subsided as they turned to face him. “It is time for me to leave now. The next life calls for me, and I have lingered for long enough.”

Celestia smiled as tears began to form, despite promising herself that she wouldn’t cry when those words came. “Of course.” She sniffled and walked to lie down next to him. “You have many loved ones waiting for you.”

“Your parents, your siblings, your wives and children.” Luna also lowered herself next to Star Swirl. With a sharp intake of breath, her voice trembled. “T-They must have missed you terribly.”

“And I have missed them. My father, mother, herd mothers, and my brothers and sisters. Diamond Constellation, Glitter Star, and Soft Song, my herd,” he said affectionately. “Marble Chisel, Woodsong, Silvershoe, Rosy Dawn, and Mountain Whisp, my sons and daughters… I have missed them so much. And my human family, Ailen and Maiara, my wife and daughter. I have not seen them in ages. I can hardly wait to see them again.”

He sighed contently. A long rest awaited him, but he had one task left to complete. “I still need to talk to Magnus before I leave. When he sleeps, I will speak to him in private. I have much explaining to do.”

“We understand.” Luna wiped away a tear with her hoof and tried to smile, but found it difficult to maintain. “Then… This is goodbye, then?”

Star Swirl nodded quietly, the bells on his hat tinkling.

“We wish for you the very best, our dearest friend.” Her tears finally began to fall. “May the next world grant you eternal peace.”

“I’m sure it will.” His form began to slowly fade, his contours turning blurry as the magic of the construct faded. Immediately, the two sisters rushed to him and attempted to hug his incorporeal form, their forelegs passing through him. When they tried to nuzzle him, they did not feel warm fur, only lingering, fading magic.

Celestia and Luna sobbed as they tried to hold onto his magic, sensing their first and oldest friend’s form growing weaker by the second. He had to struggle not to shed any more tears himself. He had always known how much their bond with him had meant, and it was reciprocated.

“It’s okay, girls. One day we will see each other again. I am proud of everything you have achieved, and I am glad we were able to meet one last time.” He closed his eyes slowly as a content smile appeared on his face. “The truth is, I have considered you as my best friends ever since we first met so many years ago. Therein lies my love for you, and it never faded.”

That caused Celestia and Luna to sob even harder, their tears staining their otherwise pristine coats. They didn't care—all that mattered was that they were there for him now that his long quest was over.

“It’s almost time.” Star Swirl’s voice echoed into the room. He sounded as though he was speaking over a great distance. “I love… you both… Good… bye… my… friends…”

His voice echoed several times until it disappeared completely before there was one last tinkle of his cherished bells, leaving nothing behind but silence and sorrow. Celestia and Luna opened their eyes and found that their oldest friend was gone, his form fading forever.

They turned to each other, seeking comfort in the closest pony they had ever known—themselves. After fifteen hundred years, Star Swirl had completed the most important task of his life and death. He who had rejected death's embrace in order to save his family could finally rest, his long toil completed.

He could finally meet his family in the Plains of Harmony.

Chapter 6 - Paradise Interrupted (Edited by JBL 01.11.2017)

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Everypony cried occasionally, for a variety of reason. Tears of joy, of sadness, of despair—there were many types of tears, but they all stemmed from emotion. Weeping was a normal reaction to stimuli, releasing everything that had been bottled up for far too long. Allowing one’s feelings to be buried was never healthy, even if you were an immortal alicorn. Being able to witness Star Swirl’s last remnants leave the world had been cathartic for both Celestia and Luna, as it allowed them to unravel the knot of emotion that had lain dormant for centuries after the disappearance of their old mentor and friend. At long last, they had the closure long sought.

However, they could not forget those who still struggled with their inner turmoil, namely his descendant, Magnus, a human with unicorn blood in his veins. Knowing what he was, or more precisely who he was, had changed their perspective on the decidedly strange creature Luna had rescued from a shipwreck. They both stood by how they had dealt with him initially, as he had been a complete unknown who had possessed a relic once associated with one of pre-Equestria’s worst enemies. Now, they considered themselves freely bound to an oath to one of their oldest friends to help protect and guide his descendant.

Exiting the meeting room, they began making their way down the numerous hallways and corridors, honing in on Twilight’s magical signature. Knowing she would be with Magnus, they immediately recognized where she had placed him. It was a guest room for minotaurs, as only those beds were large enough for a human.

“How do you think he will handle it?” Celestia asked her younger sister as they walked the marble corridors, their hooves echoing as several guards saluted.

Staring down the hallway, Luna mulled over the question. She had considered the issue before being asked and had decided upon the most logical conclusion. “Taken from his world in such a manner, I would think he is most distressed,” she replied. “Fear, anger, sorrow, confusion—they are all valid outcomes. His mental state of mind can be hard to determine, as anypony in a similar situation would behave differently.”

“Taken from his world like this…” Celestia sighed softly. She wondered how they should approach this unique situation. If it were a griffon, zebra, or minotaur, they would have an easier time of it since these races had known and interacted with ponies for centuries. Magnus was an unknown element, and they had no way of predicting his reaction.

“Perhaps we should see how well he is coping before decide upon a course of action,” she suggested. Luna nodded in agreement. They turned a corner and walked down the hallways that led towards the guest rooms. A group of guards blocked the way but parted as the princesses approached, saluting them as they passed. The alicorns nodded absentmindedly as they continued on their way.

An open door was ahead, with four guards posted on each side of the entrance, several other guards located further down the corridor. Halting just outside the door, they looked inside the guest room and saw Magnus sitting on the bed, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands while staring at the floor. Next to him stood a food trolley stocked with refreshments, yet all of it was untouched. Standing nearby and watching him was Twilight. Spotting the two princesses, she walked over to them with a concerned look.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” she said with a brief, but unnecessary bow. “It’s good that you came. I was beginning to worry.”

“Thank you for looking after Magnus for us.” Celestia gave Twilight a faint smile before looking at the human. “How is he?”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything since the throne room. After I led him here, he’s just been… sitting there. I asked for some food to be brought to him, but he hasn’t touched it.” She looked over her shoulder towards the motionless man. Only a slight movement of his chest signified that he was breathing. “It’s like he can’t see or hear me.”

“It is understandable. What he knows now must be a shock for him. Recovery will take time,” Luna said quietly as she looked into the room. Magnus continued to stare down at the floor with bloodshot eyes, not even blinking.

“We should be cautious. His state of mind is difficult to determine now,” Celestia whispered to the other two alicorns as she walked into the room and stopped a few meters from the human, with Luna and Twilight standing on either side of her. Magnus didn’t look up or show any sign of acknowledging their presence.

“Magnus, can you hear me?” Celestia asked gently, garnering no response. Stepping closer, she spoke again, “Magnus, I know this must be unsettling for you. We will do what we can to take care of you.” The faint shuddering breath he inhaled was the only answer to her concerns. “We wish to help you, to overcome the pain you are experiencing, to help you integrate into our world, but we—” She was abruptly cut off in mid-sentence.

“For the longest time, I thought that this was just a dream.” Magnus’ voice was remarkable in how utterly devoid of emotion it was. There was no sadness, no anger, just words escaping. “I even thought I was crazy…”

“You are not dreaming, Magnus, nor should you doubt your eyes.” Luna came closer as well. “You are in Equestria, a kingdom on the planet Equus. All that you have experienced so far is the honest reality.”

There was a long moment of silence, broken by a heavy sigh from the human. “One of my ancestors was a unicorn who came to my world and married a native, who had a child with him… I am what remains of that bloodline, and I have been near death my entire life because I don’t have magic.” He rattled the words off as though he had spent hours perfecting them. Perhaps he had.

“Yes, it is true.” Celestia spoke gently, her voice filled with compassion. “However, that will never happen again. What happened to you in the throne room was Luna and I connecting you to the magic of our world. Never again shall you experience the pain of not having magic of your own.”

“Yes… I felt it. Thank you.” He sighed again. “But what does it matter? I’m here, not home on Earth. If I want to go back home, I have to wait for centuries to pass, so that’s not a problem. Things like that probably happen here all the time, right? Portals to Earth pops up randomly and people stumble through them at an alarming rate, huh?” he concluded, his words coated with sarcasm.

Celestia and Luna felt their hearts ache for Magnus. Despite his cynicism, they could sense the despair in his voice and knew his next actions could go either way. Deciding upon a proactive course, Celestia sat down on the bed next to him while Luna took the other side. Although a spell would work, neither of the princesses wanted to resort to it, instead choosing words to magic. Carefully, Celestia unfolded a wing and gently wrapped it over his shoulders. Sadly, he pushed away her wing and quickly stood up, taking a few steps away from the bed. Twilight was in his way, and she quickly moved to the side of the bed. Turning around, he gazed at the three princesses. His face was unreadable, for there seemed to be nothing to read.

“Do you know what I had back on Earth?” he asked with a calmness that rang alarm bells in both of the elder princesses’ minds. “I didn’t have a castle to live in, or an apartment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I had a small house that was almost falling apart. When it rained, the roof leaked so much that I used to think I would have been drier standing outside. I was fixing it, you know. I had changed the shingles with the help of two of my friends. Next summer, I planned to replace the walls, inside and out, and re-insulate it. With some luck, I would have enough money to change some of the windows.”

Slowly he began to pace back and forth, going from one wall to the other while the three alicorns and two guards standing in the doorway watched him warily, trying not to make a wrong step. If only they knew what that wrong step was.

“I had a car too, a beat up old Ford. A rusty bucket of junk that used more oil than gasoline. Starting that thing was a daily challenge, and during winter, I was lucky if it even started at all. Every single damn thing needed to be replaced in it. It would have been easier to buy a used one, but with the economy the way it is…” He finally laughed, a derisive harsh bark.

“And do you know what I did for a living?” None of the ponies who watched him answered. They understood now that he was venting, his voice slowly rising. “I worked at a bowling alley. To earn some extra cash, I worked as a farm hand during harvest season, driving a tractor that hauled a range of crops for some of the local farmers. Out of season, I worked part-time at a lumber yard that provided firewood for some of the locals. The owner's machines had broken down and he couldn’t afford to fix them, so we had to carry the logs.”

A minute passed by as Magnus paced restlessly, occasionally looking at the three alicorns. He saw the pity in their eyes, but refused to acknowledge it. “I had friends as well, close friends. Lisa, Nickolas, Renee, Sammy, Adam, Jesse, and Max. My best friends.” Magnus stopped his pacing and passed a hand roughly across his face. “We used to go camping during summer when we all had time. Going far into the forest to find a nice lake to swim in and fish a little. Maybe catch some trout or salmon and grill it over the bonfire. During winter, we would all meet up at a friend’s house and have dinner. Then we’d watch a movie or play video games or simply have a few beers.”

Magnus’ face changed, his neutral expression twisting into an ugly grimace. “But you know what? During all of that, every single day since I was four, I had a terrible migraine. Sometimes it got so unbearable that I would pass out from sheer pain alone. During my lifetime, I’ve been to so many doctors just to find an answer, but I never got one. All I ever heard was that it stemmed from an unknown cause or ten thousand variations of that. I always took painkillers but the ache never disappeared. It was only dulled to the point that I got used to it. Ever since I’ve been awake here, I’ve been pain free!”

He directed his stare at the three royals, wild-eyed and breathing harshly. Two of them knew what was about to happen. “But every single thing in my life, all of it, was mine. And now look at me!” he shouted and turned to stare at himself in the mirror. “Hooves? I can live with that! I won’t have to buy shoes anymore! A horn? That will take some time getting used to! Fur on my legs and arms? Not my favourite colour, but why the hell not? And pointy ears?” He jabbed a finger at his face, pulling the appendage. “Of course it’s pointy ears!”

As he swivelled around, they saw how he had morphed from his initial state. His face was contorted in anger and his eyes blazed with fury. His fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white. “All I had in my life was mine! Mine alone! And that fucking unicorn took it all away! I had everything I wanted, and he decided that it wasn’t enough? Fuck him! If he didn’t interfere, maybe I would have died in a few years! If I wanted to live, I had to leave everything behind forever! He could have asked me somehow, but he didn’t! He just did as he pleased! He had no right!”

Turning to face the mirror, Magnus stared at his own reflection for a brief moment, the hatred at what he saw evident in his eyes. “HE HAD NO RIGHT!” His upper body twisted to the side momentarily as his right arm reared back. In an instant, his clenched fists shattered the mirror into hundreds of shards, sending glass hurling all across the room.

The sound of his angry ranting and the mirror breaking spooked Twilight, and she almost jumped behind Celestia for protection to get away from the irate human. The commotion also stirred the guards into action, and in a only a couple of seconds, four guards barged in the room. Luna quickly stopped them with a raised hoof, and with a shake of her head, the guards backed out, although the two in the doorway remained.

Magnus panted heavily where he stood, having not moved an inch since he had destroyed the mirror. Even his fist was still in contact with the wall behind the now broken mirror. With gritted teeth, he pressed his fist harder and harder into the wall. It wasn’t until Celestia and Luna noticed the blood that trailed down the wall from his lacerated fist that they stirred into action.

“Magnus, please come sit with us,” Luna said softly as she patted the empty space between her and Celestia with her wing.

Reluctantly, Magnus moved his fist away from the shattered mirror as blood dripped onto the floor, and he sluggishly shuffled over to the bed, sitting down between the two alicorns. He kept his gaze on the floor, and it seemed as if all of his anger had drained away when he had struck the mirror, his face passive and emotionless once again.

“Please hold out your hand so that we can heal it,” Celestia asked. Magnus obeyed and held out his hand, revealing several cuts that oozed blood, although none were serious. There were several deep ones, however, and a frightening amount of glass protruded from his hand.

Luna's horn lit up, and his life’s essence that streamed from his hand ceased as if a blood vessel had been clamped. Celestia’s horn began to glow as well. “This will sting somewhat.” One by one, the jagged shards floated away from the wounds, aglow in her golden aura. Every time a piece of broken glass was removed, Celestia’s magic covered the wound as they worked to heal the injury. Carefully, the flesh was pressed together, and after only a couple of minutes, his hand was healed, leaving only fresh scars. Not once had Magnus said anything while his hand was healed, though his face gradually began to crumple, grief beginning to take its hold on the human.

“I-It’s not fair.” He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. “It’s just not fair. Why me?”

“We know it doesn’t seem just that this happened to you, young one.” Luna wrapped a wing over his shoulder, and this time he didn’t push it away. “But from time to time, something will happen that we have no control over, even if it is for our own good.”

“We will always be here to help you, Magnus. I can’t imagine how you feel now, but we will do what we can.” Celestia wrapped her own wing over his shoulder as well, joining with Luna's.

With Magnus was on the verge of tears, Luna decided that he had had enough. He had faced a difficult day, having woken up in a world that was not his own, discovering he was a prisoner and facing a hearing, along with encountering the truth about his bloodline. She was surprised that he had lasted this long without breaking down, but everypony had their limits.

Luna began humming, her tone soft as a gentle night’s breeze and as silent as one. Within her song was her magic at work, blending the notes into a lullaby. Magnus’ breathing began to normalize, and his eyelids slowly began to close. After only a minute, his body became limp as he fell asleep. Encased in Luna's magic, he was lifted gently into the air while Celestia moved the bed covers to the side. It only took a moment before the human was tucked in. For a moment, they watched him as he rested.

“It went better than I expected, sister,” Luna said while she observed the sleeping figure.

“Yes, it did. However, his reaction may be delayed. He might act quite different tomorrow.”

Twilight stood at the foot of the bed and watched the human sleeping. Several things were on her mind. She attempted to place herself in his position, and found the task daunting. Having to leave Ponyville and her friends forever behind was something she would never wish upon herself. Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Celestia, Luna, her parents, Shining Armor, Cadance—even going to a world where nopony had been before was little temptation if it meant she had to leave them all forever.

Cleaning up the broken pieces of glass and mopping up the blood was done in a matter of seconds with the help of magic, and soon the room was in a state of perfection. As they prepared to allow the human to rest in peace and quiet, the two alicorn sisters stopped at the door and cast a final look at him.

His future was uncertain, his despair substantial, and the loss he had suffered cost him dearly. Still, he would live. Celestia and Luna had given Star Swirl their solemn word that they would help him, and they would never break their promise.

Noiselessly, they left the room and closed the door behind them.

It had been an emotional and stressful day so far, yet there was still work to be done. Luna had night court to attend to shortly, and Celestia would soon retire for day. Twilight bade the two sisters goodnight before withdrawing to the room she’d been given. Her day at the castle, which had originally been to observe a hearing and possible trial of a barbaric creature with a cruel fascination for unicorns, had amounted to so much more. She wanted to conduct some late night studying before she went to sleep, along with writing about the day's events and her encounter and first-hoof observations of a previously unknown species from another world.

She could hardly wait.

As the two sisters made their way through the castle hallways and into the throne room, they sat down at a nearby table. They had another matter to discuss, one that could prove to be a hazard in the future.

“Did you mark the location of where you found Magnus?” Celestia asked.

“Of course. I suspect I already know what you’re planning, sister. You wish to send a group of investigators there to find any residue of the portal,” Luna replied.

Celestia nodded quietly. “Yes, I do. And to find a way to shut down these portals for good. What if anypony else were to fall prey to the portal and be transported to Earth?”

Luna shared the same sentiment. Nopony else should have to endure something similar than what Star Swirl experienced. He had survived, but fifteen ponies had perished on an unknown world, separated from their families and homes.

“This night I will devote some of my time to find researchers suitable for the task. Many unicorns of the Magic Council and your school will surely be worthy candidates. However, I already suspect that the portals serve the same purpose as those used in the past by unicorns. They need to activate at the same time for a gate to appear to Earth from here. Thus, cutting off a portal here will render the portal on Earth useless, perhaps also saving humans in the process.”

“I had come to the same conclusion.” Celestia rose and walked towards the doors. “I shall be going to bed now. Good night, Luna, the night is yours.”

“Good night, dear sister. Sleep well,” the Princess of the Night replied as she sat down on the throne of Equestria.

***

The green forest that greeted Magnus was a welcome sight. The dirt road he walked led up a hill and into the forest, weaving around boulders and large trees. He knew this path, every tree, every rock, every bend, having walked it numerous times and could do so with his eyes closed.

Gradually, the forest became sparser until just a few towering trees were scattered here and there. The terrain also levelled out as he stepped into a silent clearing at the end of which stood a sturdy log cabin with a small porch and a parking spot where he would leave his car when he came to visit. Next to the cabin stood a symbol of the artistic ability of the owner of the cabin—a two meter tall totem carved by hand and painted in vivid colours.

The serenity of the area and the calling of the birds told Magnus one thing: he was at his grandfather's cabin. He was home.

Walking to the right side of the cabin, he found the fire pit surrounded by logs where he used to sit and listen to the stories his grandfather would convey. Just seeing the familiar sight brought up memories of home. It was almost like he could smell the fire burning already.

A wide smile came to Magnus’ face. He was home on Earth, but how? He no longer doubted his mind, yet this familiar place seemed so real. Was it a dream? A memory? An illusion conjured up by his overwhelmed and stressed mind? He didn’t care what it was as he walked over to the fire pit, and from the nearby pile of dried and cleaved logs, he carried an armful of firewood and stacked them on top of each other, using some bark for kindling. The dry wood quickly caught fire, and within a few minutes, there was a bright blaze burning. Taking a seat on one of the logs, he savoured the peaceful moment, enjoying the warmth, the scent of the forest, and the sounds of silence. It was just like old times when his grandfather was still alive…

The sound of someone approaching caught Magnus’s attention. He had been sure he was alone since people rarely came to this place. The only ones who did come here was people he knew, such as his friends and some friends of his grandfather, many of them he knew. He turned to the source of the sounds and saw the last person he wanted to see.

“I’m sorry.” It was Star Swirl. He stood a short distance from the bonfire, clad in his distinctive cape and hat. His voice was weak and trembling as he slowly shook his head. “I’m so, so, so sorry.”

Fury and anger washed over Magnus. He wanted nothing more than to close the distance to the unicorn and strike him down where he stood, to unleash his rage and frustration on him and eradicate him for what he had done. However, the pitiful state of the unicorn, combined with tears and the sorrowful look on his face, held him back, if only barely. Magnus had never been a violent person, but now he was awfully tempted.

“What are you doing here?” Magnus spat out the words with disgust. “This is not your place! This place was for grandfather and me, not you! You destroyed every single thing I’ve ever worked for to achieve! And for WHAT?!”

“For life,” Star Swirl replied without missing a beat. Slowly, he approached the fire and sat down on a log across from Magnus. Removing his hat with their resulting tinkling, he sighed heavily and looked at his descendant. “What I did so many years ago has haunted me for fifteen centuries. It was only after my daughter was born did I understand the consequences of my actions.” The old unicorn averted his gaze and stared into the crackling flames. “I only wanted to help, to atone for my actions.”

With a sigh, Star Swirl slowly shut his eyes. Even though he no longer had a magical body and was only a mind kept together by magic, he could still remember the warmth a bonfire could provide. “I was once known as the most powerful unicorn in the Unicorn Kingdom, yet I was helpless on Earth. All I could do was ease my daughter’s pain, but I knew that she would one day die from a lack of magic. I saw her die, I saw my grandchild die, and I saw all of my descendants pass away from the same cause. I watched over them all and loved every single one of them, just as I love you.” He opened his eyes and turned to Magnus. “Family bonds do not break easily when one has seen their descendants grow. In fact, those bonds are strengthened.”

Family. That single word held so much meaning for Magnus. His grandfather often spoke of family and the importance of not forgetting where one came from. His ancestry, his roots, those who came before, the source of his grandfather's beliefs and traditions—whether Magnus wanted it or not, his family held great sway over him.

However, the unicorn across him had a hold on him that no one should have to suffer through. He looked down to his legs and grimaced at the sight of his new hooves. Reaching up to his forehead, he felt the bony horn protruding from his forehead at a lower angle than the unicorns he had seen.

“You have no IDEA how much I wish I was the one who ended you!” Magnus spat through gritted teeth. “I had a life, I had friends, and now I’m stuck here!”

Despite Magnus harsh words, Star Swirl felt no anger towards him, understanding and accepting the verbal blows without complaint. “I know. You have every right to hate me, but I did what needed to be done in order to ensure your survival. It’s as simple as that. I failed generations; I could not fail again when all I had was a simple hope that at least one could be saved,” Star Swirl explained. “You were that one. I wish that I could have saved Joseph as well, but I couldn’t.”

Magnus growled at him. “And just how did he live for so long, hmm? Didn’t it ever occur to you that I could have lived a life of equal length? That I could have children of my own and that the goddamn unicorn blood you infected my family with could be watered down enough so that none would die of this… this thirst?”

In response, Star Swirl simply shook his head. This wasn’t as easy as he had anticipated, and to hear Magnus speak with such venom about his unicorn heritage pained him. However, Star Swirl knew that to hear that none of his family had died of old age in over fifteen centuries years had affected his descendant, and that he was to blame. Magnus’ anger was justified, but as far as Star Swirl was concerned, so was his.

“Your grandfather was my descendant who lived the longest, having reached sixty six years old. Do you know how he achieved that?” Magnus didn’t reply nor even deign to look at the old unicorn. “He drew magic from me. From the staff itself.” That elicited a reaction as the human peered at the pony, surprise flittering across his face.

“Joseph was given the staff when he was two years old, at the passing of your great-grandmother, and he never parted with it. Can you remember a single moment when the staff was not near him?” he asked.

Magnus began casting his mind back to all the memories he had of his grandfather. He thought of his childhood, teenage years, every memory when he had been with grandfather, a warm feeling diffusing through his body at the thought of the man who had been more of a father to him than his real one. Every image and memory he remembered with his grandfather included the staff that he had used as a cane. His grandfather had had a bad leg, the result of breaking it when he had been a child and his leg had been trapped between two large stones. He had been alone in the wilderness for little over a week before he had been found and brought to the hospital. Although the leg had been fixed, it had never been the same. His grandfather had been afflicted with a limp for the rest of his life and resorted to using the staff to support himself on.

“No, I... It was always near him,” Magnus finally admitted.

“Each time the staff was used in rituals to communicate with me, a fragment of the magic within the horn was transferred to the wielder. Your grandfather held the staff the longest, sixty four years in total. His ancestors before him only used it twice a year, but he was in contact with it constantly, unconsciously draining it and satiating his thirst for magic. With the amount of magic I poured into the staff, it acted as a minor connection to magic, thus prolonging his life as long as he was in contact with it.”

“Then you should've allowed yourself to be consumed,” Magnus replied bitterly.

“I should have,” Star Swirl admitted. “But when all the magic within had been drained, there would be no one to help you, and I could not allow that to happen. Your headaches were getting worse, was it not? The stronger the pain, the shorter the lifespan.”

Silence fell over the two as Magnus digested Star Swirl’s words. While he didn’t want to admit it, the unicorn’s words held a ring of sincerity to them. His grandfather had always had the horned staff in hand everywhere he went, so the draining magic part could be true, even though he didn’t understand magic at all. Magnus himself had never understood the importance of the staff until now.

“My blood in you and your ancestors would never be watered down,” Star Swirl continued as he looked at his descendant. “I hoped that it would after several generations, but it never did. Your body may be human, but the blood that courses through your veins comes from me. You have the same eyes as Maiara, and the same temper as Ailen. However, your hooves, fur, and horn are sufficient proof to know that you are descended from me. I’ve noted traits in you that many unicorns had in the old kingdom. In school, you had bad grades because you constantly daydreamed about various things. One common occurrence involved you wondering about what magic would feel like, just like in fairy tales and movies. You even got your friends to play wizards with you when you were younger. Having craved magic since birth, you found other conduits to express that thirst.”

Magnus turned away from the fire and fixed the unicorn with an icy glare. “How do you even know that?”

“Because when you became the owner of the staff, I studied your memories to see what kind of person you were.”

It only took a second for Magnus to react. He stood up and grabbed hold of Star Swirl’s forelegs and hoisted him into the air, stretching his arms wide and forcing the unicorn’s forelegs apart.

“You’ve been spying on me?! Looking through my head like it was your playground?” Magnus bellowed at the top of his lungs. His face was twisted in rage, his teeth bared as a vein on his forehead bulged.

Star Swirl did not give Magnus the reaction he desired. His face and eyes were calm, as was his voice when he spoke. “I only saw what I needed to see. Your private moments, I left alone. It was only your personality I saw, nothing more.”

Magnus stared at the unicorn, waiting for him to continue, but when he remained silent, he dropped him and sat down on the log, resting his head in his hands, his mind clouding once again. Star Swirl got up on his hooves and sat down on the log again, brushing dust away from his cape in the process. Seeing the state his grandson many times over drove a shard into his heart.

Had he made a mistake in bringing Magnus here? Was it right of him to remove someone from his world, to separate him from all he had ever known, including his friends, some of whom he had known his entire life? Was it morally just? Perhaps not, but it would be worse allowing him to die.

“You’ll be alright,” Star Swirl said firmly, though not unkindly. “Ponies are not that different from humans. They speak, they think, they have dreams and ambitions, they have feelings and emotions, and wish to live in peace. Do you not wish for that?” Magnus didn’t respond, nor did he look at Star Swirl. “I know you wanted a peaceful life, and you can have that here, if only you allow yourself to truly live. It will be a change from what you are familiar with, but I know you’ll be okay.”

“...how?” Magnus suddenly asked, his voice so low that it could be mistaken for the wind playing in the trees. Star Swirl was surprised to hear not anger in his voice, but what could only be a small glimmer of… could it be hope?

“Acceptance, dear boy. Accept that you are in a situation no other human has ever been in. In that, we are the same, you and me. I was the first unicorn to visit Earth; you are the first human to visit Equus. I learned to live in a world without magic; you can learn to live in a world filled with magic and wonders you could never imagine. You have your entire life in front of you. I only had my sunset years, but I spent them as well as I could.” Star Swirl smiled, hoping that his words, which came from his heart, could reach Magnus.

“You make it sound so easy…” Magnus sighed and raised his head to look at his ancestor. “It’s not.”

“I know there will be difficulties to overcome. Believe me, I missed my friends and family as well and thought of them often. You should not forget them. Keep them in your mind and heart and never let their memory fade. They will eventually believe that you are dead, but you will be alive and well and so are they. Think about it: what did you and your friends do the last time you saw them?”

Magnus stared into the crackling fire, as though searching for the faces of his companions within, and took a deep breath. “They… We were laughing and joking, like so many times before. Hanging out at MacDonnell’s place, sharing a pizza, having a few beers, telling stories we’ve all heard a million times before and… We had fun.” A strangled sob escaped his throat. “I… I’ll never see them again, will I?”

Star Swirl hesitated. He considered which path to take, though none before him were easy. He had never been a liar, and after fifteen centuries, he was not about to become one. He racked his brain to conjure a way that such a reunion could happen, but there were no conclusive answers.

“I don’t know,” he finally replied. “The portal I led you to and the one that brought me to Earth only opens once every seven hundred and fifty years, but that is only on the side of Earth. The portal in Equestria seemed unstable when it opened. However, if it were possible, would you go back?”

“In a heartbeat,” Magnus replied without hesitation.

“Then you would continue the cycle I have attempted to undo. Your children would suffer the same as my daughter. Would you see your children burdened with the pain you have carried for over twenty years? To hear them wake up every morning crying out in agony and knowing you could offer some relief but not extend their lives? To see grandchildren screaming in pain because of the same thing? And worst of all, to see your children and grandchildren pass away before you do?” Star Swirl’s gaze pierced him, as though searching for his very soul.

Magnus opened his mouth to answer, but no words escaped. Star Swirl’s explanation had been dead-on accurate, and he knew it. Magnus was many things, but he could never be outright cruel as to doom an innocent child to a pain he had endured for so many years.

Minutes passed by as the two sat on their logs and stared into the fire. Neither said a word, yet the mood around the bonfire had shifted. No longer was there the crackling disgust from the human and despair from the unicorn. Instead, an understanding of sorts hung over both of them, though it wasn’t put to words. Both man and unicorn knew the facts and acknowledged that little could be done to alter them.

Star Swirl pondered on how Magnus would handle this new world, how he would interact with his ‘people’. Being part unicorn, ponies were his kind as well, although Magnus’ human side dominated his psyche. One aspect he had noticed was that the ponies of this age were more accepting of other species than they had been when he was alive. It boded well for Magnus, and he hoped that Equestria would welcome him as if he was one of them. Although worried about Magnus’ future and happiness, Star Swirl knew that he could not force it onto him. Only Magnus himself could do that, and only if he allowed himself to do so.

Magnus’ mind, on the other hand, touched on numerous thoughts briefly before rapidly moving on to others. Equestria, the ponies, magic, the princesses, the universe, and the fate handed to him. At the core of the issue was that he knew now that all that had happened was the truth, and it was no use trying to deny it when the evidence was stacked so high before him, as much as he wished he could.

He was part unicorn, as had been his mother and grandfather.

Magnus was the first to break the silence. “Did you talk to grandfather?”

“I did.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Joseph and I did not speak like you and I do now. It is only the strong magical presence of Equestria that allows us to do so currently. On Earth, I communicated with him by showing him images of things I had seen and experienced through the long years. As for what we spoke of… Well, I would give him advice when he needed it. He often worried about you, and when he became your legal guardian, he often asked me for guidance. You were his only grandchild, and he wanted you to have a normal childhood, which is why he bought the house in town. It was for you and him, and when you reached adulthood, he moved back to his cabin.” Star Swirl smiled, remembering the many ‘conversations’ he used to have with the old man. “He was very fond of nature, you know.”

Magnus nodded solemnly. “Did you ever tell him who you were?”

“No, I never told him. Joseph considered me to be a spirit according to his shamanistic beliefs, so I let him believe that. Would he believe me if I showed him images of a unicorn with a hat and cape? I doubt so.”

Silence once more fell over the two. Star Swirl occasionally looked to Magnus, searching for signs of acceptance on his descendant but he never changed, not for the better, not for worse.

“How is it that I can speak the language of the ponies?” Magnus asked, to which Star Swirl was somewhat surprised. He thought he had explained it while he was unconscious. No, he had only said that he had given him their language.

“Shortly after our arrival into this world, I was empowered by the natural magic that exists everywhere here, and I used that magic to search the minds of the nearby ponies and pieced together the modern Equestrian language. I then imparted the knowledge of language to you. It is an easy process when you know the basics of mind spells.”

Magnus sighed again. It seemed to be a recurring action for him. “Magic… You wield it so recklessly, yet it caused so much death.”

“Not a day goes by where I do not berate myself for what I did!” The words slipped out as Star Swirl felt his control over his emotions slip, his anger startling the human. “Being born a unicorn was a privilege in my time! I was born into a wealthy, prestigious family. Many members of my family, even distant ancestors, were members of the Council of the Sun and Council of the Moon, powerful unicorns that helped raise the sun and the moon before Celestia and Luna appeared! I was powerful already when I was twenty winters old and could cast the most complex spells with ease!” He worked to modulate his tone, his face drooping in regret. “...yet I would give it all away, to be born into poverty and misery if I could undo the damage I did… I am reminded of it every moment of every day…”

The old unicorn stared at Magnus with a fierce look, but his eyes were filled with the sorrow of centuries. The regret and despair that still gripped him was all too evident, even as the unicorn strove for patience. “I lost so many and caused so much pain and death and I had to endure it for so long…” He wiped away tears that trailed down his cheeks, dampening his fur. With a deep calming breath, he found some measure of dignity, his voice adopting a pleading tone. “Magnus, you have been spared so much… You have not seen your friends die before your eyes, nor have you witnessed your child or your wife… I… have seen all of it. I endured it all for a chance to save my descendants.”

He raised a hoof, pointing it at Magnus. “I do not say this to make light of the trials and tribulations you faced and continue to face in your young life, Magnus, nor do I wish to compare the pain we both feel in a macabre game of one-upmanship. No one wins in such a contest. You must focus on the fact that your friends are still alive, albeit on another world, as are you. Do not allow yourself in revel in despair. You must endure and prosper, Magnus!” he concluded with a stomp of his hoof on the log he sat on.

Star Swirl’s words rang true, though Magnus was loathe to admit it. By now the owner of the boat he had rented had probably reported him missing and a search effort was most likely underway. Eventually, he would officially be declared lost at sea. To make matters worse, another question came to his mind, one he had to know the answer to.

“Was magic the reason mom died?” Star Swirl’s bravado was washed away by the simple yet loaded question.

“I don’t know. I knew she suffered the same pains as you did, but if the lack of magic claimed her life, I was unaware. Your grandfather was very concerned for her, and when she passed away, he was devastated. And when your father…” Stars Swirl paused as he chose his words carefully. “When your grandfather was given custody of you, he chose to mourn in silence. He never wanted you to see him cry, as he wanted to be strong for you. Joseph was resilient in his own ways, and he wanted the same for you.”

Magnus scoffed at the unicorn’s words. Strong? How could he be strong when all was taken from him? When there was nothing more to be taken from a man, what was the reason they continued to exist? What made a man go on?

“How can I find the strength to continue?” Magnus shook his head morosely. “This place isn’t my home, and I have no one here.”

“Yes you have. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will guide and protect you, and I am certain Princess Twilight Sparkle will as well. I have a good feeling about that one. If you cannot find strength within yourself to go on, lean on theirs. When you know that you can make a life for yourself in Equestria, then you will learn that this world is more wonderful and magical than you ever knew. What you thought of as myth and fairy tales are real here. What you craved for your entire life, magic, surrounds you.”

Magic—Star Swirl often mentioned that word, and each time he did, Magnus could feel the warmth in his heart pulsing, almost as if the magic within him answered his call. Despite the unicorn’s words, the truth that he would most likely never see another human being ever again, and certainly not his friends, made his chest feel tight. He took some comfort in the unicorn’s words, though he himself was unsure why. His life as he knew it was over, taken from him, destroyed, all for the desires of a unicorn he now knew was one of his ancestors.

However, would it really be that bad? If what he was told was true—casting aside the lingering doubts that still remained—he would have died in a matter of years. The sensation of magic rushing through his body was still on his mind. Even in this dream, he could feel it. It was as though he had lived his entire life with a hole in him, with magic now filling it completely.

He felt alive and dead at the same time. The exhilaration of magic running through his veins was tempered by the sobering thought that he had nearly nothing to call his own.

Minutes passed by. Star Swirl tried to find more encouraging words to convey to his descendant, something that could provide comfort to him, but all his words had been spent. His hope was now that Magnus would be able to live a life filled with joy and happiness, though Star Swirl knew that he would grieve first, rightly so.

He felt his magic weaken, the time permitted to him almost over. Soon, the fragile shell that kept him together would return to be magic once more. His thoughts and memories would also fade away into nothingness, just as he desired.

He was ready.

Looking over to his descendant, Star Swirl noticed Magnus bore the façade of resigned acceptance on his face. His heart ached for the human, but there was little he could do for him now.

He stood and walked over to Magnus, carefully placing a hoof on his shoulders. “Eventually, you will be fine, Magnus, I sincerely believe that. Allow Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to be your guides and trust their judgement. They will be there for you when you need them.” Magnus lifted his head up to meet the gaze of his ancestor. “It is time for me to go now.” Star Swirl moved to stand directly in front of his descendant. “I have one final thing I wish to impart before I leave, a gift that comes from my heart.”

“And what is this gift?” Magnus asked wearily.

“Please, sit on the ground so that I can reach your horn.” Reluctantly, Magnus did as he was told and knelt in front of the old unicorn. Star Swirl removed his pointy hat, revealing a pale, ghostly, white horn. Leaning forward, he lowered his head.

“What are you doing?” Magnus asked as he began leaning backwards.

“A gift of magic. Let our horns touch and receive my gift.”

The human hesitated for a moment, but then slowly he leaned forward to his previous position. Star Swirl lowered his horn again, and the moment their horns touched, a bright white spark shot from the old unicorn’s horn over to Magnus’. A fraction of a second later, a bright green spark shot out from Magnus’ horn over to Star Swirl’s. Sparks began jumping back and forth as a magical connection was formed, the air energized by the two beings’ magic at work.

The feeling of magic coursing through Magnus became stronger and more focused. As he closed his eyes, he could feel it; life, warmth, comfort. Its intensity continued to increase every passing moment as. Then he heard Star Swirl’s voice, though it was different. It was not spoken, instead more akin to a whisper in his mind.

“Magic in its natural state can do no harm. Its energy is all around us, within us. In the air that we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the land we walk upon. We are magical beings, you and I. Children of Magic, as all creatures of this world are. Feel it now in this dream, and experience it when you are awake. Feel it streaming through your veins, in your body, in your mind. Because I wish no harm upon you and those you will grow to care for, I will gift you with my remaining magic. Bear it as a badge, carry my gift with you, and let everybody you encounter see it as a sign that family bonds will never be broken. Let them know that you will never walk alone the path of life. Let them see that I chose to defy death in order to save you.”

Before Magnus could open his mouth to respond, the old unicorn’s voice once more echoed in his mind. “Why? I no longer need magic. I will fade away and meld with the magic that exists everywhere, joining the energy of countless others of Equus. Perhaps you should consider this my welcoming gift to you, a welcoming gift for coming to Equestria, my descendant. In you lies my hope that all my work has not been for naught. A hope for a new life, a long life filled with happiness. And know this… Whatever path of life you choose… know that I am proud of you… and love you as if you were my own… son...”

Slowly, the echoing voice in his mind faded until there was nothing but silence. Slowly opening his eyes, Magnus saw the bonfire still burning brightly in front of him. Looking around, Star Swirl was nowhere to be found.

He had finally passed from the mortal plane of existence.

Standing up, Magnus walked away from the bonfire and the cabin. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to leave. A feeling of foreboding passed through him at the thought of taking the road he had used previously, so he chose a path into the forest that led to a small lake. He had taken this path many times before and knew every step of it, but what he saw after a brief walk into the forest made him come to a complete halt.

On both sides of the trail stood a long line of men and women. Their clothes varied; the men wearing breechcloths with belts while some had leather leggings. The women wore skirts made from different materials with various patterns, while others wore more modern attires.

However, their appearance was not completely human. The closest to Magnus was a woman. While her head was topped by raven hair, almost her entire body was covered with dark red fur. She had ears like a pony, hooves for legs, a black tail, a horn on her forehead, and her face was more elongated than a regular human’s. She was without a doubt a hybrid much like him.

The further down the line he went, the equine features began to gradually diminish. It was almost like looking at a living evolution illustration, each generation different than the others, each generation regaining more of their lost humanity. What also caught his attention was that every single person wore some sign of their native ancestry, such as eagle feathers or headbands in their hair. Not one of them looked over the age of thirty.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Magnus once more began walking down the path. As he passed each one, he elicited a reaction: a smile, a nod, some even speaking.

“The pain is gone now.”

“Does it not feel better?”

“He waited so long for this moment.”

“What lies ahead? It is your decision.”

“Do not wear a face of such sadness—it does not fit you.”

“Smile. Find happiness and peace.”

“What wonders await you?”

“Do not forget your friends. They cannot be replaced, but new friends can be made.”

After walking by several men and women, whom by now Magnus had guessed were his ancestors, only two remained at the end of the road: an old man with long grey hair and a large smile on his wrinkled face, and a young woman with raven hair and kind brown eyes. Her smile was so different to any he had ever received. It was expression only a mother could make when she was proud of her son.

His mother. He had never seen her alive, only in old photos and the occasional home video that his grandfather had recorded years ago and kept locked away, fearing the tapes could be damaged or broken in some way if left on a shelf.

The resemblance between them was obvious, though she had an amber-coloured fur covering her body. She appeared the same way she had prior to her death, even wearing the same clothes. Next to her stood his grandfather, smiling, his usual kind eyes and warm presence bringing a tear to Magnus’ eyes. He also had a horn on his forehead, the fur covering his arms brown as bark.

Neither of the two spoke. Nothing needed to be said, for the emotions they expressed told Magnus everything he needed to know. His mother and grandfather had faith in him, believed in him. They wanted him to be happy, to live life to its fullest.

Magnus stood frozen where he stood. How could this be possible? They were dead, yet here were, appearing alive and well. Was this dream something more?

Slowly, Magnus stepped forward to his mother. He held out his hand yearningly, and she mimicked the gesture. With each step he took, the world around him began to fade. The sounds of the world, the wind in the trees, the birds and the squirrels—it all vanished without a sound. Each step brought him closer to her, and each step brought him closer to the end of the dream. A final step remained, and Magnus took it. His fingertips reached his mother’s hand, and in that single touch which lasted only a fraction of a second, the dream finally faded and the world became black. The last thing to fade was a voice that belonged to a woman, a warm and gentle voice, like that of an angel. A mother's voice.

“Now is the time for you to live.”

Chapter 7 - Part 1 - First Day of Freedom (Edited by JBL 01.15.2017)

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The sounds of birds chirping was the first thing I heard as consciousness returned to me. Slowly opening my eyes, I sat up and rubbed my face groggily, yawning expansively. Wiping the gunk out of the corner of my eyes, I began to take in my surroundings.

It was a rather large room I had been given, decorated beautifully with paintings and colourful flowers I had never seen before, counteracting against the sterile white walls and marble floor. Several articles of furniture were also present, notably a couple of luxurious couches with a coffee table between them and a desk with a wooden chair in the corner.

My eyes travelled slowly around the room until I noticed the two sizeable windows to the side of my bed. Further away was a glass door that led to a balcony outside. From the window, I could see that the sun was baking down upon the earth, and the sky was spotless, nary a cloud to be seen. It looked to be a beautiful day.

For the ponies.

‘I’m still here.’ I sighed and leaned back into the bed, disappointment welling up inside me. ‘It wasn’t a dream…’

I remembered the details of yesterday all too well. The unicorn, the princesses, the hearing—I wanted it to be an insane dream, but it wasn’t. I wasn’t human, had never been, and neither was my mother or grandpa. I was cursed by the very blood that ran through my veins—we all were.

I recalled Celestia saying that she had connected me to magic. Since I didn’t really understand the mechanics behind their powers, I could only guess that magic was so essential to them that not having it must cause some type of malnourishment that could eventually become fatal. However, Star Swirl had died of old age, and he had been on Earth for so many years. How did it all fit together, then?

My thought process seemed to be somewhat clearer than yesterday, now that my body and mind had had time to rest and recover. However, understanding some of the things the princesses and Star Swirl had discussed continued to elude me, especially since I had tuned them out when the major revelation about my very nature had been announced.

I exhaled and kicked away the bed sheets, and they unceremoniously fell to the floor without a sound. Swiping a hand across my head revealed that my head was drenched in sweat and my hands were shaking slightly. Only now did I realize I had slept with my clothes on. That was strange, seeing as I usually slept in my boxers.

Looking at my hands—noting with a grimace how larger than normal they were—I spotted fresh scars. For a moment, I couldn’t recall how they had gotten there, but then the memory of how I had smashed the mirror flashed across my mind. I had been so furious that I couldn’t even recall any pain from my rash actions. I knew that Celestia and Luna had healed my hand, even though I hadn’t asked them. Why had they healed it? Had Star Swirl asked them?

Their whispers of how everything would be alright floated to the forefront of my mind, and I struck the mattress, releasing my anger onto it. What did they know? They weren’t the ones who abducted me from Earth. It was that damned unicorn! He took me away! He tricked me! He…

He saved my life.

But at what price?

I didn’t want to think about it. I just needed to wake up from this feverish dream and hear some doctor tell me that I had been hallucinating for several days straight. I needed to hear my friends tell me how worried they had been, to hear them laugh at how I had been babbling about nonsense like unicorns, pegasi, and magic. I needed be released from the hospital and be sent home to rest, have a beer, make dinner, and then go for a walk.

I already knew that it wouldn’t happen. This was real—I didn’t even have to pinch myself to know that my being here was beyond the realm of any hellish nightmare.

That was the harsh truth right there. I was never going home, was I?

‘NO! It can’t be! I refuse to believe it! If magic brought me here, then magic can send me back. It can work in reverse, can’t it?’ I had to keep believing this, had to ignore the desperation in my own thoughts.

Suddenly, there were two light knocks on the door, and a feminine voice called from the other side. “Magnus, may I come in?”

That sounded like Princess Celestia, my ‘host’. This was her castle, yet here she was, asking if she could enter. It wasn’t like I could tell her no. Also, how did she know I was awake?

“The door’s open, I think,” I answered with a weary sigh.

The doorknob glowed briefly before it quietly swung open. Celestia stood there for a moment before entering, her golden shoes making a clopping sound as she walked in. She came to a stop a few meters from the bed, wearing what seemed to be her usual regalia of her gorget and tiara, just as she had yesterday. Her eyes seemed warmer and kinder than I remembered, and she wore a gentle smile on her face.

“Good morning, Magnus. How do you feel?” she asked cordially.

I glanced up at the ceiling and noticed that it was decorated by what seemed to be tiny crystals that emitted a faint glow. “Like I was lured away from my home. Good morning, by the way.”

Her horn glowed and the window opened, allowing fresh air to waft into the room. The slight breeze caused the curtains to part, allowing sunlight to fully flood inside.

“It’s a bit stuffy in here. I hope you don’t mind.” She walked over to the windows by the balcony and gazed outside.

I remained silent. What did she expect me to say or do? Jump out of bed with a smile on my face and continue on as though nothing had happened? I didn’t know how ponies would react to being in my position. Perhaps they couldn’t understand? After all, I had no idea how their thought processes worked.

“So, how do you really feel, Magnus?” she said, startling me a bit. I suppose I was displaying more of my inner turmoil than I expected.

“Do you really want to know?” She nodded, her multi-coloured mane rippling in the slight breeze. “I don’t even know what to feel.”

The princess adopted a sad smile and walked closer to me. “I cannot comprehend the emotions you must be feeling now. I imagined you must be quite troubled being in the situation you have found yourself in.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” I answered, my voice laced in sarcasm. “This place, this Equestria…” I waved my arm around vaguely. I’m… I’m terrified.” I finally admitted, to myself as much as Celestia.

“Of what?” she asked quietly. I looked up, half-believing she was mocking me, though her face was impassive.

“Of what?!” I nearly shouted as I sat up in the bed. “Every single damn thing!”

I could see that she didn’t quite understand, judging by the look on her face. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and they slammed down on the floor with a loud clack.

“I’m an alien here! My first experience was being chained to a bed! I can understand you doing that because you thought I was a-a…”

“Unicorn Hunter.” Still, she didn’t react to my venting, merely observing me. It made my ire rise even further.

“Whatever! Then I have to stand trial! Totally understandable! And here’s where the shit hits the fan!” I narrowed my eyes and grounded my teeth, wanting to shout at her because of what had happened to me. I wanted to blame someone for it, to punch them in the face, to release my anger in a visceral, primitive way, but the one who had done this to me was already dead. It was no use. I took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling my anger drain away. “I can’t go home… I’m stuck here…”

Celestia favoured me with a sympathetic, yet sad smile. “I know, and I’m very sorry that you can’t go home. Nothing I say can erase your pain, nor can my magic heal the sadness you feel. However, you can be sure that my sister and I will help you to the best of our abilities.”

“Yeah, that makes me feel so much better!” I felt my voice cracking, feeling the first pang of fear grip me. “You say that as though I shouldn’t fear you ponies,” I stated, much to her confusion.

I stood up from bed and made my way to the nearby window, looking outside. There’s a beautiful garden below, probably one of the dozens I had glimpsed on my way to my hearing yesterday, and the air felt so clean and refreshing. Despite that, all it served was as another reminder that I was far away from home. I turned and gazed at Celestia, who was looking at me expectantly.

“A cage,” I finally muttered, my voice trembling as I swallowed ineffectively against the lump lodged in my throat. “Locked up to be researched and experimented on. Dissected. The newest addition to the local zoo. An oddity on display. A freak amongst ponies.”

“I will NOT allow such a thing to happen to you!” she sternly replied as she marched towards me, a determined look in her eyes and a frown on her face. “What do you think we are?”

“I saw the way your guards looked at me, the fear in the eyes of your staff when I passed them yesterday. It was as though they were looking at some shackled animal, and the safest thing to do was to stay as far away from it as possible.” I was aware that I was babbling, my voice tinged with paranoia. “You’re curious about me yourself, aren’t you? If even the ruler of this land feels that way about me, who’s to say what the average pony will think?” A small murmur in the recesses of my mind whispered for me to calm myself, and I strove to do so, fighting against the fear and despair that had clouded my vision.

Celestia slowly shook her head, as if dismissing the thought from her mind. She smiled at me once again, though her eyes seemed to pierce me, reading my inner emotions. “I will admit that I am curious about you, Magnus. I don’t think anypony could claim otherwise in my position. Your very nature and appearance here has all but guaranteed that. However, I swear on my magic and my crown that you shall never be placed inside a cage against your will. You will not be the subject of research, experiments, dissection, or whatever other cruel, uncivilized act that comes to your mind.”

“Can I get that on paper?” I riposted.

“I will make it a public proclamation, in person, if it assuages your doubts.” She nodded firmly.

I stared at her, daring her to do it, silently commanding her to run outside and make it happen. She didn’t. Why should she? She was a princess; she could do whatever she wanted. Locking me up and covering the fact that I was here wouldn’t be much of a problem. As expected, that line of reasoning did little to lift my spirits.

I walked to the bed and slumped down. Doubt, anxiety, and resentment were the major emotions churning inside me now. I didn’t trust these ponies—I couldn’t trust them. To feel this helpless… I felt as though I was breaking apart from within.

“We are not cruel savages, Magnus. We do not wish any harm upon you.” The princess took a seat next to me on the bed and draped a wing over my back. I could see the urgency in her eyes as she met my gaze, though I didn’t know why. “What you think will happen to you, those cruel depictions, they shall never come to pass as long I continue to draw breath. Luna and I both promised your ancestor that we would guide and protect you, and we both intend to keep our oath to him.”

Promises… All she offered me was promises, but how could I trust the assurances of somebody that I didn’t even know? There were only a handful of people that I trusted, and none of them were in this world. Even then, it took quite some time before I had grown to trust my friends, mainly by growing up around them and being close to them.

Still… I felt that I could trust Celestia to a certain degree, at least from last night. I hadn’t been afraid when the ‘magic’ ritual had occurred when they bonded me with magic. Now, my perspective had twisted. What had changed? Everything did.

I lowered my head into my open hands and groaned. I attempted to gather my thoughts, but it was as though they were being sifted through a sieve. Ideas on what to do appeared and quickly vanished, one after another.

Celestia patted my back with her wing. “I know it will be difficult for you, but I firmly believe you will be okay. Star Swirl told us much about you, and he held you in high regard.” I scoffed at the notion. If only he could have left me alone. But what would have happened to me then? Could he have been wrong? That was something I didn’t want to think about now.

I exhaled, letting my shoulders slump. I’d been tense since yesterday, and although I had slept well sans that vivid dream, my body ached. I felt as though I was coming down with a fever.

“Now, I’ve brought you something.” Celestia looked to the door, and one of the guards stepped inside with a large bag on his back. He trotted up to me and deposited the bag on the floor in front of me without a word. He bowed to the princess, being dismissed with a nod.

“Your belongings.” She pointed a hoof to the bag. “The clothes you wore when you were rescued, and some clothes we discovered in a bag amongst the debris. There are also some other items inside that we are unfamiliar with. The remains of your boat and some other items are being stored in a safe location.”

Well, that was something at least. I leaned forward, picking up the bag with one hand and placing it beside me on the bed. Opening it up, I find all my clothes, smelling as though it had come fresh out of the washer and folded neatly. There were three boxer shorts, a pair of socks that I no longer needed for obvious reasons, along with two T-shirts—one grey and one black with the image of a pair of white wolves howling at the moon on it. There were also two denim pants in black and blue, both of them well-worn and faded. Lastly, there were two long sleeve shirts.

In the bottom of the bag was small cloth sack. I picked it up and loosened the string keeping it closed. I took out the first item and was surprised to find my cell phone.

“So this is where it was,” I murmured as I held the small piece of technology that now represented one of the few reminders of home. It was a depressing thought.

“We were unsure of what this object was, though Star Swirl clarified its purpose. Am I correct if I say that this is a communication device?” the princess asked, almost looking over my shoulder at my phone.

“Well, yeah. Don’t you have them?” I thought mobile phones and radios would be commonplace, seeing as they had all that modern medical equipment.

“No, a device like this is impossible to create with our current technological understanding. Our best method of long range communication is either by courier or dragon fire.”

“Dragon fire?” I raised an eyebrow sceptically at her. “As in dragons? Actual flying, fire-breathing dragons?”

It took less than two seconds before the princess comprehended the meaning behind my question, and her mouth formed a small ‘o’. “Ah yes, Star Swirl told us of your world as well. This may come as a shock to you, but our planet is populated not only by ponies. Dragons, zebras, Saddle-Arabian ponies, griffons, minotaurs, diamond dogs, cows, donkeys, and many more, all of them intelligent creatures that can speak and think as you do.”

‘I think my brain just shat itself.’

“Magnus?”

Dragons. Dragon fire. Did the dragons work for the ponies? How big were dragons here? Maybe they were the size of tiny lizards? That could explain why the ponies used them to communicate. A weird image of a pony holding a phone-sized lizard up to his ear came to mind, with the pony talking into the dragon's ass and listening to the words coming from its mouth.

“Are you feeling well?”

Her query broke me out of that ludicrous thought. “Hmm? Sorry, I kinda zoned out there. I never guessed that so many creatures existed here.”

“I understand. We were told strange things about your world as well. Hearing about the behaviour of your sun and moon was actually a bit frightening.” She chuckled wryly.

I was about to ask her what she meant, but I instead focused my attention on my phone. The screen was blank, so I assumed it had been in contact with water. I removed the lid on the back and quickly disassembled it. I had once dropped it in water, but it had worked just fine after I had taken it apart and allowed the components to dry off for a couple of days. Now, I placed the various parts on the nightstand.

“What are you doing with it now?” she asked, taking a closer look at the different pieces.

“Letting it dry off. Phones can stop working if they come into contact with water. Hopefully it will restart after a couple of days.”

The next item I found in the bag was my sunglasses. I once preferred smaller ones, since they looked cool, but they didn’t block the sun as well as my Aviators did. The shades also ended up on the nightstand. My wallet was also in there. It contained a few coins, some dollar notes, a motel receipt, my driver’s license and Visa card, and a couple of photos.

Reaching down into the bag, I took out the last item. When I saw what it was, my stomach lurched.

“Oh no…”

“Is something wrong?”

What I held in my hand was the plastic bottle that had contained my painkillers, which were rather strong. It accounted for a few things: my aching body, sweating, the slight shaking of my hands I had noticed earlier—my mood even, although that could be explained by recent events.

I knew that I was addicted to them, having been prescribed them years ago. Other painkillers were like trying to clean Chernobyl with a plastic beach shovel—that was how effective they had been. I had attempted to change medicines before, but I always went back to these, though it was only partly because of how well they worked.

The lid of the bottle was gone, along with all of its contents. The last time I had taken one of the tablets must have been two or three days ago. Perhaps the lid had fallen off when I had been unconscious at sea? Not that it mattered now, anyway.

“Magnus?”

“I’m okay,” I lied to her. I felt completely defeated, knowing what would happen next. I was already experiencing the first stages of the withdrawal symptoms: slight fever, sweating, mood swings—and it was only going to get worse. In a couple of days, I would be a mumbling wreck.

There had been a time when I had attempted to quit the medicine cold turkey, just trying to muscle through it all. By the third day, I had been completely put through the wringer. Worse still, I had begun to hallucinate. Although I knew I had been seeing things, the fear and confusion could not be shrugged off that easily.

By the end of the fourth day, I had caved in and ended up overdosing on pills, chugging almost half a bottle. One of my friends had fortunately found me soon after and rushed me to the hospital, where I had been treated.

However, reminiscing about past mistakes didn’t help my situation. If I was right in that I had been without medicine for two days, tomorrow was going to be hell. I was nudged by Princess Celestia, which was something of a blessing. I didn’t want to be shackled to that line of thinking.

“I was about to have lunch now. Perhaps you would like to join me?” she asked as she stood up, folding her wings and tucking them close to her body.

I hadn’t had a proper meal in what must have been days, and the stuff I had been given yesterday had no taste at all. Real food sounded awfully tempting now. “Yes, thank you. I’ll need a moment to get ready first.”

“Of course, I will wait for you outside. That door leads to the bathroom, should you feel the need to use it.” She pointed at a whitewashed door that was tucked into a corner of the room.

I followed her directions to a bathroom that looked like something out of a five star hotel. Possessing rich marble walls and a tiled floor, the centrepiece was the large circular bathtub topped with golden faucets. The sink looked as though it had been carved by the hands of a master craftsman, with almost a sheen to the fixture. There was a small cabinet that held the various hygiene products one would expect to find.

Yes, this bathroom was definitely top notch. I had brought a fresh set of clothing with me and took a quick shower, leaving the dirty laundry in a conveniently placed basket. I also made sure to keep the bandage on my head and arm dry. I brushed my teeth, feeling like they hadn’t been cleaned in days. I slipped into my blue denim pants and grey T-shirt and left, feeling my spirits rise slightly. I briefly considered wearing a hoodie, but the temperature seemed too nice to necessitate it.

Exiting the room, I stepped into the hallway where Celestia and four guards waited for me. She greeted me with a smile. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah. Sorry about the delay.” I ducked my head slightly.

“Don’t worry, we have plenty of time.” She began to walk down the hallways with me slightly behind her, the four guards trailing us. Occasionally, we encountered guards patrolled the halls, and maids and butlers going about their business. All of them greeted the princess with a bow and a smile, and Celestia responded with a friendly nod. None of them seemed to be particularly afraid of her, and their expressions seemed to be more respectful than anything else. The perks of being royalty perhaps?

It was hard not to notice the height disparity between us. While most of the ponies reached just below my belt, Celestia was much taller, the top of her head reaching my shoulders. With her horn, she surpassed my height, but was still shorter than any normal horse from Earth. Then again, there was a world of differences between her and the horses back home, literally and figuratively.

Several times, I noticed Celestia looking over her withers at me, seemingly just to ensure that I was still there. The noise my hooves made on the marble floor left little chance for me to sneak away, not that I wanted to do that. The temptation of food was too much.

After a few minutes, I notice that she had redirected her gaze at my feet. Before I could wonder why, she spoke up, “I don’t mean to pry, but how do your hooves feel? My sister and I were told of your feet and how they worked. Do hooves feel uncomfortable to you in any way?” She took the opportunity to gawk even longer at my hooves and the copper-coloured fur draping from my ankles down to the floor.

“No, they don’t feel uncomfortable.” I wondered where she was going with this. Perhaps she simply wanted to make conversation? “It feels… different. They feel sturdier, I suppose. I think most of my bones are still there, except those in my toes. I can’t exactly wiggle them anymore.”

“I see. And the transition from feet to hooves; did it feel strange?”

“Yeah, it did.” I stopped to inspect my right hoof. I still had full mobility and freedom of movement, even though I walked on where my toes should have been. Could horses really move their ankles like that? I didn’t know, but my ankles and hooves didn’t resemble those found on an Earth horse. “It felt weird when I walked on them for the first time, but it didn’t take long to get used to it.”

“That’s good to hear.” She began walking again down the maze of corridors. “And your horn? Does it feel uncomfortable?”

I didn’t respond at first. To be honest, I was on the fence when it came to the bony protrusion. I didn’t like having it there, feeling as though it made me stand out. However, being a human in this world meant that I would stand out no matter what I did. As a kid, I had tried so hard to fit in with the crowd, to just be another kid in school. When the other kids found out I was part Native Indian, that was when the bullying began, a part of my childhood I would rather forget. In time, I grew to accept that it was alright to be different. If all the people in the world were the same, the world would be a boring place. Diversity was the spice of life.

“No, it doesn’t,” I replied shortly without elaboration.

After a few more corners and corridors, we descended a staircase and continued along another hallway, this one much wider. Eventually, we reached a set of double doors guarded by two guards, who opened them for Celestia and me to walk inside. The doors closed behind us, with the four guards who had accompanied us from my room taking up positions near the entrance.

The room was quite large, as to be expected from a castle. There were several woven tapestries interspersed throughout the room, as well as several small paintings on the walls near the windows. There didn’t seem to be any artificial lighting, with the burgundy curtains pulled back to allow the sunlight to stream inside. In the centre of the room was a low, rectangular table, large enough for several ponies to sit at, with several velvet cushions placed around it, looking similar to the ones the princesses had seated themselves on during my hearing.

The princess took a seat at the head of the table and indicated for me to sit down at her left, which I did. No sooner had we taken our seats when four ponies in cream-coloured outfits entered through another door, pushing serving carts towards the table.

With practised ease and elegance, they placed the food on the table. There were fruits and vegetables, bread and butter, along with three glass jugs with orange juice, apple juice, and water. There were also two covered plates, which they placed in front of the Princess Celestia and myself respectively. Occasionally, their eyes flitted on me for just a second or two, but it was enough to understand that they were curious about me. However, the issue was quickly forgotten as one of the servants removed the lid covering my plate and the scent of a well-made omelette wafted up my nostrils.

“Anything else you require, your Highness?” the lead servant asked.

“No, that will be all. Thank you,” Celestia replied with her usual smile that I had come to realize was almost an automatic response from her.

The servants left the carts near the door and exited with a bow, leaving us alone once more. For a moment, I just stared at my food. It looked like an omelette, smells like one too, and was accompanied by a fresh salad. They had even brought me a fork, knife, and cloth napkin. I wondered why they had cutlery here, what with the hooves and all, but it became apparent when I noticed the princess levitate the fork and knife with ease as she began to consume her meal.

“Is the food not to your liking?” she asked when she noticed the lack of activity on my part.

“What? No, I just...” I sighed, averting my eyes from her inquisitive gaze. “Never mind.”

I picked up the cutlery and started cutting the food into small portions. I really didn’t have any expectations of the food, but it was rather flavourful. Although the meal excluded meat, which I was slightly disappointed at, there were plenty of vegetables to be found.

Grabbing a piece of bread from the basket, I pasted some butter on it, focusing on the food and not on Celestia, who watched me out of the corner of her eye. Not a word had been said as I had begun to eat, and the silence was beginning to become unnerving. I decided to break it with some small talk.

“So, your sister and Princess Twilight aren’t going to join us?”

Celestia chewed her food and swallowed. “No, my sister is asleep. She rules during the night and so is usually not seen until the evening. As for Princess Twilight, I believe she is still asleep. She was still awake at sunrise this morning.”

I mulled over what she had said, trying to recall the scant knowledge I had of monarchies. “Rules during the night? You and Princess Luna share the crown equally?”

“Yes.” She wiped her mouth with the napkin delicately and sipped some water, all without moving a hoof. It was rather amazing, if somewhat unnerving. “She rules during the night while raising and setting the moon, while I rule during the day and raise and set the sun.”

I could understand sharing the responsibility of ruling a nation, though those situations rarely turned out well on Earth when it came to royalty. However, raising the sun and moon? I had seen their magic at work, had felt it on my body and mind, and knew now that it was a very real, existing force that could be harnessed by them. However, there must the limitations for what it could do, such as move an entire star.

“Sorry for saying this,” I stabbed a piece of omelette and brought it up to my mouth, chewing thoughtfully, “but I’ve seen some things at work here that I can’t understand. Moving an entire sun and moon is pretty much impossible. You might have tricked these ponies into believing that you can raise the sun and moon, but you can’t trick me.”

I didn’t know what came over me that made me say those words. After all, despite the courtesy that she had shown me this morning, she was still the leader of a country. Insinuating that she was carrying out a large scale obfuscation campaign involving the celestial bodies probably wasn’t in my best interests. Perhaps I had finally seen and heard too much to simply shrug it off. Perhaps I wanted to say that enough was enough. Maybe I wanted a sense of normalcy, like drawing a line in the sand that said ‘no lies past this point’.

“It is no trick,” she casually replied, seemingly not taking offense to my words. “Your world may be governed by a different set of rules of nature than ours, such as your sun and moon moving on their own. That is not the case here—the sun and moon are raised by my sister and myself.”

“If you say so.” I shrugged and went back to my food. Despite being given a glimpse of what magic could accomplish, I couldn’t believe her claims. How could I? Being able to move the sun implied that the planet itself was stationary and at the centre of a solar system, with all the other heavenly bodies orbiting this world. If that was remotely possible, it would mean that this planet was a hell of a lot bigger than the sun itself.

“It’s difficult to understand, is it not?” Celestia levitated the plate of butter with her magic and placed it between me and her. She then took the butter knife and placed it on top of the butter as a fencepost. “Look at the shadow of the knife.” Sure enough, the knife casted a shadow that touched my glass of water. What happened next was a word that kept coming back to haunt me… Impossible.

The shadow cast by the knife slowly moved away from the glass of water and came to a complete stop, the distance the shadow shifting about five centimetres. Then it moved back to its original position as though nothing had happened.

I stared at the shadow, not believing my eyes. Had the sun just moved to change the angle of the shadow? No. No, it had to be a trick. I turned to face the large windows where the sunlight flooded through. The sun shone down onto the land and the castle, seemingly normal. I stood up and moved towards the windows, shielding my eyes against the bright glare. I expected to see something out there that could give me a clue as to what had happened, such as a mirror making it seem as though the sun had moved. However, I did not see anything of the sort, just the guards making their rounds outside and a few gardeners at work.

“D-Do it again,” I asked, my voice shaky as I held out my hands in front of my eyes, making a tiny slit between my fingers so that I could see the sun without being blinded.

At first nothing happened, but then I clearly saw the sun move slightly to the side, then back again. It continued this pattern slowly several times in a row before resuming its original position, coming to a complete stop as though it had never moved. All I could do was stare, slack-jawed and in awe, my heart thumping in my head. I had just witnessed the impossible being performed; Princess Celestia moved the god-damned sun!

“Not quite what you are used to, is it?”

I spun around as quickly as I could and pressed my back against the window. Princess Celestia still sat on her cushion, chewing on a piece of bread while casually sipping water, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. The sun streamed through the window, my body casting a shadow into the room. As I realized that, I almost fell over scrambling to get between two of the windows so that the sunlight couldn’t fall directly on me.

With shaking hands and sweat beading on my forehead, I tried to regain my composure, but that was a laughable thought right now. What she could do; what she did… I was nearly at the point of hyperventilating, my hands shaking violently at the spectacle I had witnessed.

“Magnus?” Celestia stood up and took a tentative step towards me, concern written on her face. However, the last thing I wanted was for her to get any closer to me right now.

“Stay away!” I shouted as I tried to scramble away from her. I ducked between two windows and reached the next spot where the sun didn’t shine. Celestia halted, one forehoof slightly raised above the floor. Her widened eyes took in my visage, looking chagrined at what she saw.

“I did not know that moving the sun would cause you this much fear.” Slowly, she placed her hoof down, barely making a sound as her metal-clad shoe touched the stone floor. “I did not mean to make you upset. Please forgive me.”

I heard the sincerity of her words, but my fear refused to acknowledge it. She had done what was supposed to be impossible, had done it so nonchalantly that her guards hadn’t even reacted. Her magic, her powers… To her, this was nothing! To me, this was powers on a godlike level.

With my back against the wall, I slowly moved away until I felt somewhat safe, though that was little comfort with her still in the room. With trembling hands, I slowly dragged my fingers across my face with my left hand while holding out my right, unconsciously pleading with her to keep away.

“W-W-What a-are y-y-you?” My voice stuttered so much that I was amazed that it came out somewhat intelligibly. “A-Are you…” I swallowed past the lump in my throat, “God?”

Celestia's concerned demeanour softened ever so slightly. “No, I am not. I am an alicorn.”

“A-And what’s an alicorn?”

A wry smile crossed her face, and she chuckled dryly. “That, Magnus, is a question many have asked, though sometimes the answer fails to satisfy. It may sound complicated to you, but I will try to explain it.” She walked back to her pillow and took a seat, but she was careful not to make any sudden movements. “The three main pony races that constitute most of the inhabitants of Equestria are earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. Alicorns have the strength of all three pony races: the physical strength and connection to the land of earth ponies, the weather manipulation magic and flying capabilities of pegasi, and the ability to use magic that unicorns possess, only that the powers of an alicorn becomes stronger over time. My sister and I have lived for quite some time, so our powers are… hmm, well developed.”

“B-But you just… You moved the sun!” I argued weakly.

“I did, and it is my duty to raise the sun every morning and set it just as it is Luna's duty to raise and set the moon,” she answered calmly. “I merely wanted to demonstrate that ability to you, but I did not think that my display would provoke such a reaction.” She hung her head briefly, a faint frown crossing her face. “Please understand, our world is different from yours. What is normal for you may not be so for us, and vice versa. To hear of the behaviour of your sun and moon was quite a shock to Luna and me. A sun and moon that moves on their own, unguided, unguarded—it is frightening.”

I was torn, undecided on what to do. To have to move the sun and moon for days to pass, to actually have that as a duty? It was mind-boggling! The window was next to me, the rays of the sun shining right through it. I alternated my gaze between the window and Celestia, watching for any movement from her. She just observed me, seemingly not knowing what to do.

Slowly, I extended a hand towards the window, trying to touch the sunlight, but I hesitated. “I… Is it dangerous?”

“Not at all.” She smiled briefly, as if the thought itself was incredulous. “All creatures of our world are exposed to sunlight every day, and plants need light to grow. Did you not know this?”

“I do know that.” Cautiously, I exposed my hand to the sunlight, feeling its warmth on my hand. “Knowing that someone controlled that giant ball of plasma up there is like exposing myself to a loaded gun.”

“The sun is not a weapon,” she answers sternly, seemingly taking offence at my statement.

“In the wrong hands it is.” If the pony goddess princess in the same room as me could raise the sun, who knew what else she could do with it? Could she scorch the planet if she wanted to? I didn’t know, but right now I felt like I was an ant and she was the kid with the magnifying glass and a wicked grin.

“I do not have hands,” she countered cleverly. “Please, eat, your food is getting cold.”

Feeling the sun's warmth on my hand didn’t make me less afraid, knowing that she could use it anyway she wanted. However, it dawned on me how stupid I had been acting. She had guards, magic and the fireball in the sky. She could force me to sit down if she wanted to, but hadn’t done anything to me at all. So far, all she had done was give me a place to rest and a meal. What I was doing benefited no one, especially not myself. I needed to grab the reigns of my emotions. With a deep breath and a pounding heart, I took a step forward, never taking my eyes off her for even a second, Celestia watching me impassively.

“That’s it,” she encouraged as I shakily approached the cushion at the table and sat down. “There, now that wasn’t difficult, was it?”

“Stop talking to me as if I was a kid,” I scoffed at her.

“But you are a child to me,” she replied, chuckling at my words, “my little human.”

“I’m a head taller than you,” I countered. It was true, minus her horn of course. I took a bite of bread, feeling the sun warming my back. Why did it feel like I had a double-barrelled shotgun aimed at the back of my head?

Author's Notes:

Whoo, here's the first part of the next chapter. It became so long that I decided to split it in two, second part comes soon.

I like long chapters myself, mainly because I can fill more of the story into 30 pages instead of 20. What do you guys like? Long or short chapters? What I've written so far is mostly 20 pages chapters, but as I write these down on google docs I add a bit here and there and they end up much longer but also increases in quality. I might end up with much longer chapters in the future.

So in this chapter we see that Magnus haven't lost hope of returning, he believes that there is still a way. Maybe there is? We'll see. He also sees firsthand the power of Celestia and instead of just going "You control the sun? Okay." we get a bit more genuine reaction. Honestly, who would act rational in such a situation? No one would be okay with it. No. One.

If you like the chapter consider giving a thumbs up and leave a comment. Remember, constructive critisism.

Thanks to lordofchaos14 for editing as usual and a big thank you to the readers who've given a thumbs up, favorited my story and also a big thank you to those who decided that I might be a decent writer to follow. It's all appreciated.

Edit 01.15.2017.: Edited by JBL.

Chapter 7 - Part 2 - First Day of Freedom (Edited by JBL 01.15.2017)

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Our lunch lasted thirty minutes or so, and the conversation never really picked up after I returned to the table. I had never liked small talk, and I had had my fill of the craziness associated with magic. Thankfully, it seemed Princess Celestia understood that I needed some quiet to digest the unbelievable facts I had been told. Still, it exhausted my reserve of willpower to not simply freak out.

After lunch, which was delicious, the princess offered me a choice of tea or coffee. I had always started my day with coffee, so I didn’t decline, but when she suggested we head outside for our brews, I hesitated. I felt safer when there was some shadow around me instead of standing in the firing line, so to speak. In the end, I agreed to go outside, as I craved fresh air.

We walked to a glass door that led outside to a picturesque sight. A lush, green lawn was trimmed to perfection, interspersed by aisles of gaudy flowers of every conceivable kind and beautifully carved statues of ponies, with a hedge maze in the distance. However, the best thing was the air, with a fresh, cool breeze blowing and mixing in with the fragrance of the flowers. Above us was an almost spotless blue sky, the sun shining down and a few white clouds drifting far above.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked me with a knowing smile as I stared.

“Wow…” I mumbled in return.

Hoisting my jaw back up, I followed the princess, the guards still following close behind us. I couldn’t help but stare at everything we passed. While I recognized some of the plants, there was a significant amount I had never seen before and could only guess at their purpose. Even something as simple as the sky was quite startling, as I had never seen it so clear before. Back home, there was a factory a few miles away that rendered the skies grey even on clear days.

However, when I looked at Celestia, her coat seemed to almost glow in the sunlight. Not that it hurt my eyes—she was just radiant. Beautiful, truth be told. As we strolled along the lawn, I noticed guards patrolling the garden in pairs and what looked like gardeners tending to flowerbeds and bushes. There were plenty of stares directed at me, but when I met their eyes, they suddenly found their work much more interesting.

Another thing I noticed concerned my hooves. Walking on the grass felt pleasant, natural even, with the tiny blades of grass tickling the soft mass at the centre of my hooves. Nature’s acupuncture, perhaps? I was somewhat concerned about how easy I had adapted to them as well, even with how humanity, as a species, had done so countless times in the past.

Princess Celestia led me through the garden until we came to a gazebo, a wooden structure painted white with light blue drapes hanging on all sides. Walking up the three steps, I stepped inside and saw a small round table with several soft cushions around it. We both sat down opposite each other. Before either of us could say anything, a servant came in, levitating a silver tray next to her and placing it on the table, leaving with a slight bow.

Ornate cups, a teapot and coffeepot, teaspoons and sugar, along with honey and lemon slices in small bowls were on the tray. The princess poured herself some tea and coffee for me. A few moments passed as we sipped our beverage, not saying anything. It felt relaxing sitting there, not feeling any pressure to begin a conversation, the wind ruffling my hair, the birds chirping around us. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt calm. Though my ever anxious thoughts loomed threateningly in the background of my mind, I managed to push them away for now.

After a sip of coffee, I placed the cup back on the table, but my trembling hands made the cup rattle audibly on the saucer. I noticed the princess glance at me and the cup from the corner of my eye. She heard that; she must have. I tried to ignore the shaking, pretending it was a human thing. Well, it was normal for addicts going through withdrawal.

“Magnus?” Celestia said quietly, though I cringed inside. “I think it is time you and I had a talk. You must have many questions by now. Ask what you will, and I will answer as best I can.”

Questions? Oh yes, I had plenty of them. The first question was the obvious one. Just managing to go outside had had me quaking, but the garden had successfully distracted me as we walked.

“The sun and the moon, did they always need someone to raise them?”

“For as long as written records date back,” she replied. “The oldest written records I’ve ever read were more than twelve thousands years old and were chiselled in stone by an early unicorn tribe. They too raised the sun and moon.”

Twelve thousand years—that was a long time. Even the great pyramids of Giza were younger, at just over four thousand years old. That would also mean that this pony civilization was extremely old as well, much older than any human civilization.

I merely nodded and pondered what next to ask her. Seeing the guards standing some distance away, I wondered what exactly my status here was. “Am I a prisoner?” I asked bluntly, staring into my cup and awaiting her answer, dreading her reply.

“No, you are not. You are a very special guest of my sister and myself.” She smiled as she got comfortable on the cushion, curling her legs underneath herself.

“And those guys?” I gestured towards the guards.

“I assigned a group of guards to look after you this morning. They are here to protect you, and should you decide to wander outside the castle, they will prevent you from doing so."

“So I am a prisoner then.” I felt my stomach sink at those words.

“No, you are free to go wherever you want within the castle and the grounds, although some areas are off-limits. The guards will tell you, in that case. Understand that the reason I don’t want you to leave is because I am not sure how my subjects would react to you suddenly wandering the streets of Canterlot.”

Panic, torches, pitchforks, chased to the top of a windmill before it was set ablaze by the ponies? Hey, I had seen Frankenstein. Still, the guards and staff at the castle hadn’t given cause for concern today, other than the stares.

“The guards and servants didn’t seem to mind me that much.”

“During the night, my sister called her guards and staff to the throne room and informed them of your presence and what you are. I did the same with my retainers this morning. Rest assured that they will treat you as a guest of the Crown. We did not inform them about your ancestry, though.”

So I was no longer a secret. “How many knows about me?”

“There are over three hundred employed as workers within the castle, along with six hundred guards stationed here,” she answered.

Well… shit. “And you expect them not to tell anybody about me? More than nine hundred ponies knowing that I walk around here and deciding to keep my presence a secret?”

“Yes.” She sipped her tea and continued talking while refilling her cup. “I trust every single pony employed in the castle. From the highest ranking officer to the maids, I place my complete trust in them, just as they trust me as their ruler. However, the public is aware that a hearing took place yesterday. I have already released a statement announcing that we were mistaken about you, but I left out a few discreet details. Furthermore, the nobles that attended your hearing have all been sworn to secrecy.”

I couldn’t say I knew how things worked around here, but Celestia’s explanation seemed somewhat reasonable, though I wasn’t sure about her trusting her staff that much. Then again, it’s not like I had any real say in the matter.

‘Let’s go with a little trust for now.’

My next question was obvious. “What happened to me? My feet,” I pointed to my hooves and the fur covering them, “and my hands; why are they larger, and why are my fingers thicker? Why do I have pointy ears? Not to mention this.” I gestured to the horn on my forehead. “What happened? Why wasn’t I born with these? Why did they appear now?”

“You were born with them, but according to Star Swirl, it seems the lack of magic in your world prevented your half-magical nature from revealing itself.” Her horn began to glow, and her golden aura coalesced into an orb that levitated from her horn and settled right in front of me. “All creatures of our world have magic within them, from the largest of dragons to the smallest insect. We are born with it, breathe it, live with it. It is our nature. Your world, with almost no magic at all, seems to have enough to sustain life, but not enough to reveal your heritage.”

I carefully touched the golden orb, feeling its warmth enveloping my hand. “What do you mean?”

“All creatures of our world use magic on a daily basis. Pegasi use their magic when flying and when shaping the weather. Unicorns use very little magic unless they are casting a spell. Earth ponies use magic the most, as magic gives them great strength and stamina, and aids them in matters of agriculture.” The princess paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. The golden orb dissolved into the air, briefly looking like swirling coloured water.

“As Star Swirl said, the true form of his daughter was revealed when she was given an infusion of magic. Since she was not exposed to any stronger form of magic, her body took the shape of her mother's people. Now that you have a permanent connection to magic, your true form has finally been revealed.”

So, I had always been like this. My stomach churned at the thought. Most families had hidden skeletons in their closets, but I was pretty sure no one could match my family’s secret.

“Of course, that was merely theorized by Star Swirl, and we do not know if it is actually true. Perhaps in the future, we can gain some new insight to how your family’s secret remained hidden for so long,” Celestia continued when I didn’t reply. I wanted to explore that topic further, but decided to push it aside for now.

Another question maybe? I decided upon an obvious one, though perhaps the most important to me currently. I emptied my coffee cup and set it down on the saucer, eliciting another rattle. Steeling myself, I hoped to hear the words that would mean my salvation.

“Is there a way for me to get back home?”

Celestia turned her gaze away, staring into the garden at some unknown point before releasing a deep sigh and meeting my imploring gaze. “I don’t know.” My heart felt like it was pumping lead as my mind processed those words. “Portal magic is known to us, but it is notoriously difficult to master. The portal that brought you here has yet to be examined. I am in the process of selecting a team of highly qualified experts to visit the area where you were found. With a bit of luck and expertise, we will find residual magic to examine.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, and I frowned. “Princess Celestia,” I began and took a deep breath. “You can move the sun. I didn’t believe it at first, but now I do. That must require a lot of magic, but somehow you can’t magic up a portal back to Earth?”

“Magic is not as easy as you believe, my little human.” She refilled my cup and continued, “I am one of the most powerful magic users on this planet, and I know tens of thousands of spells. However, portal magic is different in that it requires two individuals to open one, one at each portal opening.”

My confused look told her what she needed to know. “Think of it like this. Imagine that there are two different places, one unicorn at one location and another unicorn at the other. To create a portal, they must have the other place in mind and cast the portal spell at exactly the same time. To add to this complication, portal spells drain magic rapidly and can leave both unicorns suffering from exhaustion within seconds. Do you understand now? To create a portal to Earth, one unicorn or another powerful magic user must be there to cast the spell while another here casts it at the same time.”

I brought my hand up to my forehead and wiped away some sweat. Yeah, I understood. I understood that my chances of going home were looking increasingly bleak. Or maybe not?

“Then how was the first portal created?”

She brought her hoof up to her chin, seemingly pondering the question. It didn’t take her long. “I have seen magic act without a unicorn or magic user before, but that only occurs in places where the natural flow of magic is disturbed or altered in some way. However, there can be a number of causes—certain crystals can alter the casting of magic, and in some places, magic can act on its own volition. Star Swirl said your world did have magic, but that it was weak yet maturing, like an apple growing on a tree. The portals are growth spurts. However, it may take thousands of years before the magic of Earth reaches maturity.”

I nodded slowly and sipped my coffee. Half an explanation was better than none. Perhaps there was a chance for me to get back home, to get back to what I was familiar with. My house, my job, my friends—simply throwing everything away was out of the question. I had worked too hard to let it all go to waste. I would find a way.

But what would happen if I got back home? The portal might spit me out into the sea, and what then? Swim for God knew how many miles back to shore? If by some miracle I was found by a passing ship or airplane, what would happen then? I’d be swamped with questions of where I had been. How the hell would I even explain the changes to my body? Would I be ostracized because of them? Would people see me as a freak or an alien? Maybe the religious population would only see the horn and hooves as a sign that I was the Devil, and would attempt to kill me as a way to buy themselves a place in whatever religious afterlife they had read about and chosen to believe in?

“Do you have anything else you wish to ask about?” Celestia’s gentle prodding brought me out of my increasingly morbid thoughts. I had one more question, one that popped into my head now and then, one that seemed to contradict the story told by that old unicorn.

“You knew Star Swirl, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Luna and I knew him very well,” she said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “We met him long ago, before we became the princesses of Equestria. We were younger and travelled the world back in those days. During a trip to the Unicorn Kingdom, we visited the capitol of Magespire in order to learn more about magic, and there we met a somewhat eccentric unicorn.

“Back then, Star Swirl was quite different from the one you saw in the throne room. He was eccentric and his head was constantly in the clouds, dreaming of grand ideas and thirsting for magic and adventure. It’s no wonder we took a liking to him. His skill with magic was unmatched, yet he did not wish to be praised as many great spell casters did back then.”

The small smile that was etched on her face seemed poignant. It seemed as though she had fond memories of him.

“For reasons unknown to Luna and myself, he asked to accompany us on our journey. We didn’t mind his company, as he was quite the entertaining character. For weeks, we travelled into lands both uncharted and explored. Through thick forests and scorching deserts, we walked across the land, learning about many types of magic.

“However, we kept a secret from him. Luna and I both wore clothing to hide our wings, for alicorns were unknown to ponykind at the time, and we did not wish to be discovered. We were afraid that if somepony found out, they would see us as… something we were not. However, Star Swirl found out when he peeped on us during a bath in a river.” I swore her cheeks reddened when she said that.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. I honestly had not seen that one coming. Imagining the old unicorn hiding in a bush with the ensuing heavy breathing was amusing. Even the princess laughed a little.

“He was surprised at first, seeing that we had both wings and horns. After he had recovered from Luna bucking him into a tree, he immediately began questioning us on what we were. Once we confessed the truth, it did not change his opinion of us, though he did seem to have a particular interest in our wings. He would constantly ask questions about how clouds felt and the experience of flying. However, he never revealed our secret to anypony.”

Celestia exhaled, seemingly caught in the memories of the past. “And so began a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Our adventures together, traveling the world, learning about magic and befriending many creatures along the way—we certainly had our fair share of fun.”

“Sounds like you were sweet on him.” Did I say that out loud? Oh boy…

She gave me a quirky smile, though she did not respond to that statement. Perhaps they had a history? “For nearly fifteen years, we crossed the world together and saw many wonderful things. We travelled far and wide, to distant lands and secluded islands. It was truly an adventure.” Her mood slowly changed, her smile disappearing. “However, as all things do, Star Swirl’s time with us came to an end.” Even her tone changed when she spoke, a lingering note of sadness entering her voice.

“Star Swirl’s father passed away, and he was forced to return home to look after his family. We joined him, of course, and consoled him as best we could. It took him months to overcome his loss, as he and his father were very close. It was during this time that he met his future herd mate, a lovely mare named Diamond Constellation. She was a talented astronomer, kind and very beautiful, and soon she had captured his heart. They married one year after they met, and Luna and I understood that he wanted to focus on family and a career as a teacher and scholar.

“We bade our farewells to Star Swirl and continued our journey, but always returned to visit him when we were near. Each time, something had changed: he grew his iconic beard, then gained a personal student named Clover the Clever. He grew even more powerful, as did his talent for creating spells, and he became the headmaster of the School of Magic. His adventuring days completed, we would instead reminisce about that period of time.”

She looked pained now, as though the effort of recalling ancient memories was taking its toll. “The last time we saw him was after his lead mare had passed away. He would cry himself to sleep every night, burying himself in work and avoiding contact with almost everypony. The only ones he would speak to at length was Luna and myself. He mentioned that he wanted to travel again, to see more of the world, perhaps even sail to the griffon kingdoms in search of unknown magic to study.”

Celestia's eyes glimmered, moist with tears, yet she held them back as she stared into the teacup. Slowly, her eyes found their way back to me. “Two months later, Luna and I found ourselves in a tiny village near the border to the earth pony lands when we heard the news: Star Swirl the Bearded was missing, the ship that carried him gone. We looked for him for many years, searching islands near the shipping lanes and even going to the seven kingdoms of the griffons, hoping for a trace of him. We never found anything.” She tried to smile, but it faltered and died on her lips. “And now, after so much time has passed… we know where he went. Thanks to you, Magnus, we know.”

What could I say? ‘Hey, no problem?’ There was really nothing I could tell her. With how muddled my mind felt at the moment, I simply nodded and took a sip of my coffee, averting my eyes from hers.

The story was good though, even better knowing that it was based on actual events. I had never turned down a good tale, even the farfetched ones fishermen used to tell of the one that got away. However, hearing Celestia tell me that she and Luna was there with him made me want to ask her another question, one that a man should never ask a female. In my own defence, I would say that curiosity got the best of me.

“Since you and your sister knew him, then I guess both of you must be over fifteen hundred years old? N-Not that you look old or anything, I mean…” I sighed while resisting the urge to slap myself. “I’m curious, okay?”

“Why thank you. I try to take care of myself.” She laughed lightly, the despondency that had lingered on her face vanishing.

‘I think I just made a move on a magical pony goddess princess. This withdrawal is just messing me up more and more. Control, control… Still, they do look young, though. How is it that I can identify their approximate ages just by looking at them? Is it because they are intelligent creatures, or is it because they have several human-like qualities? Is it perhaps that I... I have some pony in myself as well?’

Celestia assumed a more serious demeanour. “You are quite right, however. Luna and I are both quite old. We are in fact immortal, due to our alicorn nature.” I did not dispute her age. With them being aliens, they might have a lifespan that would make a human lifespan seem like a minute or two.

“However, there is one thing you should know. Star Swirl was on Earth for fifteen hundred years, but on Equus, he was gone for approximately five thousand years.”

My eyes widened at that. “What? How?”

“He theorized that the portal altered time itself, shifting the flow of time and possibly making time run faster or slower. Thus, when he returned with you, more time had passed on Equus than it had on Earth.”

I’d be the first to admit that time travel, paradoxes, and stuff like that made my head spin. I didn’t consider myself stupid or anything, but that sort of science eluded my understanding.

“So… if I go back, I might end up in a different era?”

Celestia hesitated for a moment before answering, “I believe so, yes.”

Well, that was just great! With the shitty luck, I’d been having recently, I might just end up in the Dark Ages! I might make a decent roast at the stake when the religious fanatics got a hold of me. I might end up in Pangaea—I’d probably make a decent meal for a dinosaur. Best case scenario, I ended up at the end of time, when Earth was just a barren rock floating through space, awaiting the sun to go supernova.

I sighed and rested my head in my hands. My situation seemed hopeless, no matter which direction my thoughts headed. Maybe there really was a God, and he had a fat, throbbing, hate-boner for me. My grandfather's advice about logic? Yeah, that didn’t apply here.

“Magnus, I have a request to ask of you,” I heard Celestia say. Her serious demeanour had changed to one of concern. No doubt she could tell what my current mood was.

“What is it?” I muttered.

“It’s about the staff. The horn is a part of Star Swirl, and I would be grateful if you would grant me the staff. He does not have a proper grave here in Equestria, but with his horn, we can finally lay his remains to rest.”

“Do as you want with it. I never want anything to do with it,” I replied bluntly with a bit of venom that was intended. Celestia didn’t seem to mind my rudeness.

“Thank you,” she replied, sounding relieved. “There is also something else I wanted to tell you.”

I simply stared at her and waited. This would be awesome, I could tell.

She once again adopted a serious demeanour. “Star Swirl told us of your medicine and your dependence on it.”

‘Called it.’

“I get the feeling he told you everything about me. Isn’t it better if you ask me something he didn’t tell you? I knew that bearded bastard told about my life like I was some kind of campfire story!” I muttered through gritted teeth

“Please calm down. I did not mean to offend you. I merely wished to help,” she said reassuringly.

“How?”

“By helping you overcome your addiction. This morning, I met with my personal physician who recommended a specialist from Manehattan skilled in withdrawal treatment. As it happens, that specialist is here in Canterlot as we speak, attending a medical conference. With your permission, I would like for him to help you.”

Was she for real? Offering aid just like that? What was her motive? No one offered anything without expecting a return, no matter the extent.

And Manehattan? Canterlot? Damn strange names.

“Why?” I asked as I stared at her, trying to find her angle. “Why do you want to help me?”

“Because it is the right thing to do,” she replied simply. “Is the help I offer you so strange to you? Does the concept of kindness feel alien to you?”

“No one offers help like that out of the blue.”

“When Star Swirl told his story yesterday, I understood what he wanted. He wished for you to live your life free of pain. Luna and I intend to do what we can to help you in any way we can. Providing you with the medical attention you need is a small matter.”

“And you would do that out of sheer kindness?”

“It is how I treat all my little ponies. I help them, give them advice, protect them from harm. Truly, you do not understand the full concept of kindness.”

I don’t bother arguing with her. I understood kindness completely. My friends had always been there for me, helping me in whatever way they could. From when I was a kid to a few days before I left, I could depend on them. Why, then, did I suspect anything different from her? I knew part of it was because I barely knew her, but it didn’t fully explain why.

It didn’t matter. By tomorrow, I’d be in rough shape anyway. I was barely able to keep a coherent thought in my mind before it slipped away, and I’d noticed my trembling had gotten worse from this morning. My muscles and joints continued to ache, and I felt feverish. Could I overcome my addiction alone? To simply force my way through it all, to be unbreakable? Would I be able to withstand the pain that would no doubt wrack my body and mind in the days to come? I couldn’t do so before; I doubted I could now. My last attempt had almost ended my life.

Now, there was no medicine to fall back on, or at least I assumed so. I wondered if they had anything like my painkillers here, and if they did, should I continue taking them? The most important thing was that I no longer had any use for them, as my headaches hadn’t returned. Where there was once a constant throbbing in my head that felt like it was about to cave in on itself, there was now magic that soothed and calmed. I wondered what it would feel like when my withdrawal symptoms had passed.

“I’m afraid…” I finally said in a low voice.

“What is there to fear?” Celestia leaned forward, trying to make eye contact with me as I stared into my almost drained coffee cup.

“The treatment." I pursed my lips, trying to focus as a bout of dizziness struck me. "It’ll be hard for me. I don’t… I don’t know what’ll happen to me.”

Lifting my eyes from the table, I found Celestia’s large pink eyes gazing at me, filled with compassion. “Fear can be a powerful enemy. One must be willing to stand up to it, for that is the only path to defeating it. I will not force the treatment on you, but I will encourage you to do so.”

To face fears—how could I have forgotten? That was a lesson that had been imparted to me so many years ago by most important person to have shaped my life. I could feel the sincerity of her word, could sense that she had stood up to her share of fears and conquered them all. Her words were certainly backed up by experience, I could tell it.

What other choice did I have? This was as good as it was going to get for me. I needed to take that first step, in more ways than one. “Okay then, I’ll do it,” I answered with a weak smile.

The way Celestia smiled was as though she wanted to compete with the sun to see who was more radiant. “Good, very good. This is an excellent first step. Know this—Luna and I will be with you every step of the way to aid you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” I replied sincerely. I truly appreciated the gesture. To do this alone would have been so much worse, but to have someone there who would back me up every step of the way, even if they were strangers and pony aliens… No one could put a price on that type of support.

“Now then, with that out of the way,” she emptied her teacup and placed it back on the table, “is there anything else you wish to ask about?”

I scratched my head. Was there anything else? Having exhausted all the more pertinent questions concerning my immediate future here, perhaps I could get a few answers concerning the ponies themselves and their culture. Where should I start? Ah yes.

“Well, I did have a few other questions.” She nodded for me to continue. “About your flank…”

Author's Notes:

Whoo! Second part is here! Took some time but it was worth the wait. Nothing to this chapter really, just some info on how Celestia and Luna know Star Swirl from and what will happen to Magnus, along with a peek into his confused, paranoid, scared mind.

As always, post comments and likes/dislikes or a constructive comment if you want to. All of it contributes to me becoming a better writer.

Also a few notes:

I have several chapters ready that I want to release, but they will all be unedited as my editor is having a vacation. I'll check them over before posting them, removing typos and the like and I hope you all enjoy them. Some of them are quite long and will be cut into two parts or even three. We'll see how it goes.

Also, I'm looking for a second editor/proofreader. I'm putting a lot of pressure on my editor and I want to give him a break so I won't break him. My grasp of the English language is okay, but not good enough. I'm looking for someone who can season my vocabulary and stop me from repeating myself. I don't know if any of you have noticed it but I tend to use 'say', 'said' and similar words quite often and it becomes quite repetitive and easy to predict. If you are a wandering dictionary with a lot of free time and wanna give it a try, send me a PM and we'll talk.

Chapter 8 - Tardy Twilight (Edited by JBL 01.16.2017)

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Meanwhile, in another part of the castle.

A particularly powerful purple pony princess was presently asleep. Normally that would be Princess Luna’s dubious distinction, but she had gained a partner. Princess Twilight Sparkle had been awake the entire night, and it had been just before sunrise that she had finally fallen asleep at the desk in her bedroom.

She snored lightly on the wooden surface, every square inch of the desk filled with stacks of papers and books concerning the life of a certain unicorn conjurer whose disappearance ages had been solved the day before.

Moreover, he had spoken to her. The fanmare in her had squealed out of sheer giddiness.

“Snrk… Huh… Wha…?” the lavender alicorn mumbled as consciousness slowly seeped in. Carefully opening her eyes, she was met with a white wall directly in front her eyes. “Huh, what is…?”

Sitting up on her rump, she removed a piece of paper stuck on her forehead. The paper was filled with scribbling in ink that stopped halfway down the page, marking the point when she had fallen asleep.

Yawning and looking around the room with lidded eyes, she noticed, with the way sunshine was streaming into the room, that it was the middle of the day. Then she realized something.

“Oh no! I overslept!”

She scrambled off her cushion and ran towards the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her mane needed a good brushing, at this point looking more like a crow's nest than the mane of a princess. If Rarity could see her now, she would have gotten a stern lecture concerning proper mane care. A simple brushing would not suffice, so instead she jumped into the bathtub and showered in a hurry. Afterwards, she brushed her teeth, then took care of her mane and tail until they were styled as usual.

Almost galloping out of her bedroom, she rushed down the hallways on her search for Princess Celestia, several thoughts entering her mind.

‘I overslept! How could I be so careless? I was supposed to get up early so that I could meet the human and have breakfast with Celestia and him. Ooh, I hope I’m not… No, it’s already past noon; they’re probably already having lunch. I know just where to find them.’

Never taking a wrong turn since she was so familiar with the castle’s layout, Twilight eventually came to the corridor that led to the room Celestia usually had her meals in. Walking away from the door was a familiar unicorn namely Kibitz, one of Princess Celestia’s advisors. He was an elderly unicorn with a peach coat, dark grey mane, and a well-maintained moustache. Dressed in his usual formal red jacket and round glasses resting on his snout, he carried a stack of papers with his magic.

“Advisor Kibitz, wait a moment!” Twilight called as she came to a stop behind him, panting. The elderly stallion turned and smiled at seeing her.

“Princess Sparkle? What an honour.” He bowed deeply to her. “How may I be of assistance?”

“Where… are Princess Celestia and… the human, Magnus?” She sucked in air greedily in a way that was most unprincesslike.

“Ah, I believe the princess and her unusual guest are in the garden. You may want to look for them at the gazebo—it is Princess Celestia’s tea time after all.” His experience with his job demonstrated itself as he remained impassive to Twilight’s exertions.

“Thank you!” she yelled as she once more took off like a lavender rocket down the corridors, this time searching for the closest door that led to the gardens. It was a brief search. Most of the rooms that were located close to the gardens usually had a door that led right outside. The young princess quickly made her way towards the gazebo located beneath the canopy of several large trees.

Approaching said structure, she spotted Princess Celestia and the human. They were having a conversation by the look of it, but she couldn’t hear what they were talking about just yet. Deciding on taking a minute to regain her breath and making a mental note to perhaps work out a little bit, she trotted over. Passing the guards, she went up the short staircase, with both the princess and human turning their heads to face her upon hearing her hooves on the wooden floor.

“Hello, Twilight. Did you sleep well?” Celestia greeted her with a smile. “Please, take a seat.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I overslept because I was reading up on Star Swirl the Bearded’s story and taking notes all night and I wanted to be ready for breakfast and I’m sorry!” Twilight exclaimed without pausing for breath.

In response, Celestia merely chuckled. “It’s quite alright, Twilight. I don’t think you missed anything important.”

Twilight sighed in relief and sat down next to Celestia. With her magic, she poured herself a cup of tea and brought it up to her lips. The warm liquid was refreshing to her parched throat, especially after her mad dash through the castle and garden.

The human sat on the other side of the table. To her, he was such a fascinating being, so strange and peculiar. Despite that, there were several equine features to be found. Of course, one would have to discount his small eyes and nose, the general flatness of his face, and the fact that his ears were lower at the sides of his head than on a pony.

His upper body also bore a resemblance to a minotaur, though there was much less muscle mass and bulk. His hands had ten fingers, two more than a minotaur. One notable difference was that he possessed no tail to help him keep balance when walking. How could he move so easily without a tail? Maybe there was something else about his physiology that aided him, or was it simply because he was used to walking on two legs? Perhaps walking on two legs simply required a lot of training.

His skin had no fur or coat, except for his lower arms and legs. Nearly every single piece of exposed skin she saw was bald. On his head was a solid patch of dark brown mane that was cut short, while the rest of him was covered in clothes. Why did he wear clothes anyway?

Then there were the parts of him that belonged to a pony. His horn was indeed longer and thicker than the average unicorn’s, but that was most likely attributed to his greater size. Pale as bone, his horn’s colour didn’t match his skin or hair, which was rather uncommon.

A discreet look downwards, and Twilight glimpsed his hooves. She could see his russet-tinted fur peeking out from the bottom of the garment he wore—they were called pants, if she remembered correctly. She was momentarily grateful that she had paid attention to Rarity when she had droned on about the different fashions across the world. Furthermore, Twilight theorized, because he was both taller and probably heavier than Princess Celestia, he needed larger hooves to support his weight.

“Am I that interesting?” she suddenly heard him ask. Looking up, she saw that Magnus was looking at her. Having been preoccupied with her mental observations, she had been staring at him as though he was some kind of specimen. Suffice to say, Twilight was quite embarrassed.

“I-I’m sorry, that was very rude of me. Please forgive me!” she stuttered and lowered her head.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied with a sigh. “I’m getting used to it.” He sounded more resigned than anything. Of course, being a new creature in Equestria, he would be receiving many stares.

“I’m sorry, but…” She trailed off for a moment before remembering something. “Um, we haven’t been formally introduced yet. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She held out her hoof. Even his greeting would be interesting. Would he shake her hoof or simply bump it, or perhaps humans had other ways of greeting each other? Maybe humans had some sort of special greeting ritual. Perhaps a special dance, an intricate ceremony, or perhaps even a song? Maybe she would be able to hear the song of his people?

Magnus reached out his hands, and with a faint smile, wrapped his fingers around Twilight's hoof and gently shook it. “It’s a pleasure. You probably already know my name.”

“I do." Twilight gently squeezed his hand. "It’s very nice meeting you.” She expected his hands to feel rough and calloused, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important.” Twilight turned to Celestia.

“Not at all. What we had to discuss in private, we have already dispensed with. I was merely explaining different aspects of our culture and species in general. Things such as cutie marks, magic, how pegasi are able to fly, and so on.”

“I guess, for a new species, this is a lot for you to learn, isn’t it?” Twilight looked over to Magnus and saw him nodding slowly.

“It is, but it helps when trying to understand this world. Almost everything we’ve spoken of comes from stories on my world.”

They picked up their conversation from where they had left it before Twilight’s interruption. She noted that his main interest was about magic and its workings. She knew now that his world was nearly void of magic, a fact she had trouble wrapping her mind around. The reason was that magic was such a fundamental part of life that life itself would not exist without it. She had read about it when she was a student, from Star Swirl’s teachings no less.

She also noted during their conversation that Magnus did not seem well. His hands were trembling, and he was sweating profusely, even looking a bit pale. Celestia soon confirmed her assumption.

“Magnus, Twilight and I need to speak in private for a moment. We will return shortly,” Celestia announced and stood up while Twilight followed.

“Sure, I’ll be here,” they heard him say as they exited the gazebo at a leisurely pace.

When they had moved a sufficient distance away from the structure, Twilight looked curiously up to Celestia. “What is it you wanted to talk about, Princess?”

Celestia's face looked grave, something Twilight had seen before, usually before a crisis. Alarm bells began to ring in her mind.

“Twilight, there are a few things I wish to speak with you of. The first one concerns Magnus’ health. I saw that you noticed it.”

“You mean his shaking and sweating? Yes, it was hard to miss. Is he ill?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, he is experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the medicine he took. I am afraid that he is addicted, but that will be mended soon. I have already begun to organize for a specialist to oversee his treatment.” Celestia looked over to the small wooden structure. Magnus sat there, leaning on the table with one hand propping up his head.

“Oh no! Is he going to be alright?” Twilight also glanced at him, feeling apprehensive.

“I believe so. It all depends on how he reacts to the treatment. He will be staying at the castle infirmary until his treatment is complete. How long it will take, I have no idea. It might be days, weeks, months perhaps. The important thing is that he makes a full recovery.”

Twilight looked at the human. Yesterday he had seemed confident, even when he sat chained before them. Now he had changed, looking increasingly fragile. It was almost unbefitting.

“The second subject I want to talk to you about is how we should act towards him, especially when it comes to our world. I’m afraid that earlier I scared him terribly when I showed him that I can move the sun,” Celestia explained, regret entering his voice.

“What?” Twilight exclaimed in disbelief. How could he be scared of the sun? The fact that Celestia was known for raising the sun was common knowledge throughout the entire civilized world. “Why? How? Why was he so scared?”

“Because on Earth, the sun and the moon move on their own.”

“What? No no no, that can’t be right!” Twilight protested. Even the mere notion of the celestial bodies moving on their own seemed like something Discord would do just for the sheer chaos it would wreak.

“It is. Star Swirl confirmed this himself. The point is that there are many things that we take for granted that seems impossible on Earth, and they are enough to frighten him to the point that he fears us.” She slowly dipped her head. “One of them being Luna and myself. He is terrified of us because of our power, terrified enough that he believes I will use the sun to... to harm him.” Slowly, she looked up again and sighed. “He hides it now, but I know he still fears me, even after our talk.”

“I… I think I understand him,” Twilight responded quietly. After her ascension to alicornhood, nearly the entire population of Ponyville had begun to treat her differently, handling her as though she was Celestia and Luna themselves. It took some time, and she still had to remind some of Ponyville’s inhabitants that she was still Twilight Sparkle, only with wings, and had not become somepony else. Still, she met the occasional pony who would bow to her, even her neighbours.

“As such,” Celestia continued, “I believe it will be for the best that he should feel safe at all times, knowing that nopony will harm him. To facilitate this, somepony should tutor him on things that might seem strange to him. Thus, he needs to make friends, or at least have somepony close to him that he will be able to rely upon, knowing that they will not harm him.”

Twilight grinned ear to ear. That sounded exactly like a job for the Princess of Friendship. “You can count on me, Princess. I can show Magnus that we mean him no harm.”

At hearing this, Celestia smiled gratefully. “Of that I have no doubt. However, I am afraid that Magnus’ wellbeing is something Luna and I will see to. Star Swirl entrusted his safety to us, and for the time being, we both agreed that we should play a direct hoof in that.”

“Of course, I understand,” Twilight replied. She had heard as much herself yesterday. What better place to be safe than close to both Luna and Celestia?

“Lastly, I have a task for you; I want you to lead an expedition.”

Her ears perked at that. “An expedition? Where to?”

“The Eastern Sea. The area where Luna found Magnus is, according to Star Swirl, an area of magical disturbance. Sudden bursts of magic are what created the portal to Earth in the first place. Your task is to go to the area, locate the cause of the disturbance, then normalize the flow. Finally, you need to ensure such a portal will never appear again.”

Twilight was speechless! This could be their chance of a lifetime to travel to another world and initiate first contact with a completely new species. All the things the two worlds could learn from one another: new technologies, ideas, inventions, philosophy, art—and Princess Celestia wanted to seal this marvellous opportunity away forever?

“Princess Celestia, with all due respect,” Twilight began and paused, taking a deep breath in preparation of what she was about to say. “Why? This is an excellent opportunity to learn from humans! Have you really thought about what this means?”

Celestia's face remained calm as her eyes shifted from the gazebo over to Twilight. “Yes, I have. I did not sleep last night as I weighed the options if we were to try to contact humans or not. Personally, I do not believe it is possible because the magic in question is hideously complicated. Nevertheless, Luna and I came to the same conclusion: the portals must be shut.”

“But… but why? I don’t understand?” Twilight’s face was aghast.

Celestia sighed; she knew Twilight would be opposed to the idea from the start, forever a student, always thirsting for knowledge. However, this time Twilight’s request would have to be denied. Too much was at stake.

“The portals alter time itself. Fifteen hundred years passed on Earth while nearly five thousand went by on Equus. Should we open a portal to Earth and enter it, we may end up altering the timeline of their planet. Certain events may conclude differently, changing them for better or worse. Secondly, we may also be able to aid humans as well. If we shut down the portal here, no other humans will end up in Equestria, separated from family and loved ones. The same applies for the beings of our world.”

Those were very good arguments, Twilight thought morosely. She knew from personal experience that time travel was not the very best of ideas. That week had been one of, if not the busiest week of her life. Helping other humans was certainly appealing, even if they would never know they had been saved from something they were unaware that existed.

However, it was the argument of how it would aid her own world that convinced her. A pony, a griffon, a dragon, anypony really, that became separated from their world and their loved ones? If she could spare anypony that fate, she would do so.

“O-Okay, Princess. Of course I will do it.” She sighed deeply, regret at what could have been gnawing away at her. “I will carry out my duty.”

Celestia’s heart-warming smile was all the assurance Twilight needed to see. “Thank you, Twilight, I knew I could count on you. However, it is not your duty. I only asked if you wanted to lead the expedition. If you do not wish to do so, just say so, and I will find somepony else in your stead.”

“No no, it’s okay. This’ll be a new experience for me. Who knows what secrets the portals could hold?”

They resumed their walk around the garden, yet Twilight’s curiosity remained unquenched. “When will I leave? Will I go alone?”

“Not at all. Luna and I have both been planning this since last night. Luna created a list of ponies that would be suitable for this task, and I added a few extra recommendations of those that would be suitable. Many of them are from the Academy of Magic, some are from the Council of Magic, along with teachers at my school.”

The Academy of Magic, the Council of Magic, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns—it was an impressive list. Twilight knew that many powerful unicorns and famous scholars of magic were employed at those places. Perhaps this expedition would be more interesting than she initially thought.

“I am also sending several scientists and researchers with you, though magic will not be their only disciple. Who knows what else came through the portal? There will also be a group of observers along with a contingency of Royal Guards to safeguard the expedition.”

“How will we travel?”

“I have placed my personal airship at your disposal for this purpose. Two airships are being prepared as we speak, and one ship will be ready to set sail from Fillydelphia.”

“When will I leave?” Twilight’s mind swirled as she began creating mental checklists.

“All ships will be prepared by tomorrow morning and will leave at noon. The reason for this urgency is that we do not know how active the portals truly are. I’d rather close them as quickly as possible before anypony else is lost in them—pony, griffin, or human.”

The princess presented a fair point. Wild magic could act strangely at times, and these portals had remained relatively unknown until recently. It was better to act with haste than to wait for something to happen. A few moments of discussion later, they walked back to the gazebo. Magnus was still there, but was now lying on a pair of pillows. He seemed exhausted, and he did not bother hiding his trembling any longer. As they entered the gazebo, Twilight sat down, but Celestia remained standing.

“Magnus, I must leave now. I have duties to attend to, but I am sure Twilight can keep you company until I return. Is that okay with you?”

Magnus shifted slightly so he could look up at the princess. “Yeah, sure.”

“Good. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask. I will also summon the specialist now,” she said when she saw his shaking hands.

“That… may be a good idea,” he replied with a sigh and wiped his forearm over his shining brow.

“Stay strong, Magnus, and we will get you through this.” Celestia gave him a comforting smile before she turned and walked back to the castle.

With Celestia gone, she was left alone with the human. No, a being that was part human and part unicorn. What was he really now? A Humicorn? Uniman? Hybrid? She wasn’t really sure what to refer to him, as hybrids were extremely rare. Nevertheless, he had a name, and as such, she would use it.

“Are… you feeling alright?” she asked him. He had taken a turn for the worse, looking as though he was in the thrall of a particularly bad flu. Being the pony that she was, Twilight had read about ponies going through withdrawal. There were those who abused salt, certain plants that dulled and influenced the mind, and even certain pain-relieving medicines that could render its users addicted to them. As such, many years ago, Equestria had undergone extensive medical reforms regarding the use, production, harvesting, and sale of certain substances that posed a risk towards the lives of ponies and their families. The withdrawal treatment, she knew, could positively impact his life, but it all depended on how well he responded.

“Not really,” Magnus replied as he woozily sat up on his pillow.

‘I need to do something to make him feel better. It’s obvious that he’s in pain.’ Perhaps it would be better if she could get his mind on other things.

“Maybe we can go for a walk? The fresh air will be good for you, and I can show you around the garden.”

“Uh, yeah, we can do that,” Magnus said with a faint smile as he got up on his hooves and stepped forward. As he passed, she felt the heavy impact of each of his hoof steps as he walked on the floorboards of the gazebo.

Twilight cantered past Magnus and looked around for a moment. “Hmm, maybe we can go to the end of the garden? The view there is nice.”

“We can do that. Lead the way,” Magnus said with a wave of his hand. Twilight took the lead, with Magnus walking slightly behind. As soon as they began walking, the four guards followed close by.

Their stroll was initially silent, even as Twilight’s mind was firing on all cylinders. ‘I have so much to ask him! SO! MANY! THINGS! But I can’t now—with his condition, it’s best to not disturb him too much. But… I WANT TO KNOW! No, Twilight. Bad pony! Well… maybe a few questions.’

Twilight cleared her throat and coughed nervously, though her efforts at gaining his attention proved futile. Nevertheless, she was undeterred by his silence. “Um, Magnus, do you mind if I ask you some questions?” She smiled like a little filly while trying to suppress the scientist and scholar inside.

“Ask if you like,” he replied as he stopped for a moment to study a statue of a pony holding a flag.

Twilight squeed internally. ‘Okay, ask easy questions! Wait, one thing first.’

“I was just wondering if perhaps nopony properly welcomed you to Equestria yet?”

“No, nobody has, now that I think about it,” he replied nervously, looking unsure as to what she was driving at.

“Oh, well then...” Twilight stopped and turned to Magnus. “On behalf of Equestria and all its citizens, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, will be the first. Ahem!” She coughed into her hoof and then relaxed, seemingly attempting to appear regal, though she quickly abandoned the attempt. “Magnus Powell, I… Um, did I get your name right?” she asked, unsure if she had gotten the pronunciation correctly.

“Yes, you did. And just Magnus will do, Princess Sparkle,” he said with a weary chuckle.

“Thank you. Ahem. On behalf of the Crown, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, officially welcome you, Magnus, to Equestria and to Equus.”

The corner of Magnus’ mouth turned upwards, seemingly amused by her gesture, though it began to look somewhat strained. “Thank you.” He turned to the stoic guards behind them. “Hear that? It’s official. I could run for the gates now.” The guards did not look amused at all.

They continued their walk in silence, coming to a clearing behind a sizeable hedge. There was a large oak tree on a small hill, and a view of the entire flatlands beneath Canterlot Mountain. As they sought out the shade provided by the tree and settled down beneath it, they could look out at the land surrounding them for miles.

The grasslands seemed to stretch out forever, dotted by flowery fields and rivers that looked like blue ribbons snaking their way through the idyllic landscape. In some places, the rivers ended in lakes that seemed like puddles from this distance. Greenish-blue majestic mountains loomed even from so far away, with several stretches of forests occupying the remainder of the land, with Magnus spotting a small quaint town near a particular patch.

Magnus exhaled contently as he leaned back on the trunk of the tree. “Ah, that’s better.” Slowly, he closed his eyes for a moment. The beautiful landscape before him was a marvellous sight. “What a view.”

“Isn’t it?” Twilight agreed and allowed her eyes to drink in the vista. “I used to come here to read a few times when I was a student of Princess Celestia’s. Sometimes the castle was a bit too busy with all the nobles and ambassadors, so during those times I would come here.” Twilight smiled as she reminisced over her foalhood and the many hours spent at this particular spot, just her and a large stack of books. “See that town over there? That’s where I live.”

Magnus looked in the direction the young princess pointed her hoof. Sure enough, far in the distance, maybe twenty five kilometres away, there was a village. The distance was too great to see any details, but one thing he noticed was that the houses were very colourful. In addition, one object caught his eye.

“What is that shimmering thing?” he asked with squinted eyes. The sunlight reflected off the object, making it sparkle in the early afternoon sun.

“That,” Twilight smiled, the memories of that day still clear in her mind, both the good and the bad, “is my castle. I’ve only lived there for a couple of months now, but I’ve lived in Ponyville for quite some time.”

“Ponyville? You people sure have a way with names. Still, I guess it’s a good name if there are only ponies living there.”

Closing his eyes once more, Magnus breathed in deeply and exhaled, although sweat on his forehead was clearly visible. He also seemed to shiver, even though the air was warm. Twilight reckoned that he should be in bed right now, not traipsing across the garden, regretting making him walk with her.

“How do you feel?” she asked, wondering if they should head inside.

With his eyes shut, the human wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. “Princess Celestia told you, didn’t she? About my problem?”

“Yes, she did.” Twilight sat down on the grass in front of him. “I’ve only read about ponies experiencing withdrawal, but I didn’t really understand how bad it could be until now. How are you managing?”

Magnus remained silent for half a minute. His arched brow and pained expression clearly told the story of his struggles. “Still hanging in there; not sure for how long though. I feel cold, nauseous, and I’m getting some slight stomach cramps.”

“Is there anything you need?” Twilight asked worriedly. “Should we go inside and get you to bed?”

Magnus held up his hand. “No, I’ve got it under control. I feel better being outside and getting some fresh air. It keeps my mind off things.”

Twilight nodded. If he thought he could manage, then she wouldn’t object. Whatever helped him. “I just… well, I wonder how you can manage the pain?”

“There was a time when I nearly couldn’t.” He sighed heavily. “When I was sixteen years old, I had been on a different medicine that worked well, but I developed an immunity to it.”

“How did that happen?”

“Dunno.” He shrugged. “Maybe I used it so much that it couldn’t help me anymore. Instead, I felt the headache even more, like a red-hot poker in my skull. I fell behind on many things, such as school and my social life. I was in a bad way for a long time until I was offered a new medicine that worked wonders. I felt good, better than I had in years. Two pills a day and I was fine. A few years later, I had to increase the dosage because the headache became worse. Just three years ago, the pain became so bad that it no longer eliminated the pain, just dulled it.”

“That sounds horrible!” Twilight exclaimed, wincing internally. It must have been like a living nightmare to have to endure that for so many years.

“I had a headache every minute of every day. It was always there, even when I slept. Sometimes I woke up because of it and had to take a pill before I could sleep again.” He turned his eyes to Twilight. “Can we change the subject? I don’t really like talking about it. It makes me feel like a…” He hesitated and looked away, but Twilight was curious.

“Like what?” she inquired.

“Like a junkie, a drug addict,” he muttered, looking ashamed to admit it.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Her ears pressed against the side of her head, and she chastised herself for pushing him like that.

“Don’t worry, guess you would find out at some point.” He closed his eyes again. “Maybe we can talk about something else? It feels like talking takes my mind off of how shitty I feel now.”

“Really?” Twilight smiled at the opportunity that presented itself. “About… humans? And your world?”

“Sure, as long as it’s talking.”

No one noticed at the time, but over two hundred sheets of papers, five inkwells, and ten quills in one of the castles storage rooms vanished in a flash of magic.

Chapter 9 - Zebra MD (Edited by JBL 01.17.2017)

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I had to give the pint sized-princess some credit. My composure was steadily being destroyed as time progressed, and several times I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Other times, I wished to grab something with my bare hands and throttle it. Occasionally, I began to space out and stare at nothing in particular, my mind wandering away from the present. Only when Twilight asked me something, having to repeat herself several times, did I snap back to reality.

However, by simply continuing to talk, she was helping me. It was the ideal distraction to reminisce about my grandfather, my friends and the things we did, along with describing my hometown. I also touched on how American life was like, although I never went into detail. During all this, Twilight continued to steadily scribble notes on her seemingly endless stack of paper that had somehow appeared next to her in a flash of light, scaring the crap out of me. After I had recovered from my mini-heart attack, she apologized profusely and explained that she had teleported the items using her magic. So, yes, teleportation was a thing here.

She seemed particularly interested in how humanity was able to survive and thrive without the use of magic, so I relayed a few things about the different technologies we had invented to make our lives easier. When I mentioned that I had my cell phone with me and what it could do, she practically froze, taking a good five minutes before she came to her senses again. Then she exploded into pleas to see it, but I told her that it was damaged and probably would not work again. The look on her face was akin to that of a child when he discovered that Santa wasn’t real for the first time.

In the midst of her barrage of questions, I only asked one—if there was a way to get back home. Though she said she was unsure, I got the distinct impression that she was being less than truthful about something. Celestia had said the same thing, so I had hoped Twilight would offer a different opinion. She did, however, mention that she was to lead an expedition to the area where I had been found in order to find the anomaly that brought me here. I tried to pressure her for more information, but she clammed up after that.

Another interesting bit I discovered was that it was late summer here, something I found a strange since it was early spring back home. With all the similarities I had learned so far about the two worlds, I had expected the seasons to be the same here as well.

One thing that I tried my best to keep from revealing itself was the fact that I was just as apprehensive about Twilight as I was about Celestia and Luna. While it might seem ridiculous to be wary of something that barely reached my stomach, I no longer doubted that these particular ponies were probably the most powerful creatures on this world. Worse yet, there were four of these alicorns, with one named Cadenza ruling far to the north. It seemed that royalty was reserved for these alicorns, which made sense. After all, kings and queens in the past had led their countries on the basis of a divine right, and here we had ponies who actually displayed godlike powers. Moreover, because Celestia could control the sun and Luna the moon, I assumed that Twilight could do something just as powerful. Still, I felt I was better off not knowing, as it would only add to my increasingly longer list of things to be wary of.

It was getting close to three or four in the afternoon, at least by my estimation, when one of the guards came to inform us that my hospital room was ready. It suited me just fine, as I felt drained by Princess Twilight's continuous parade of questions about anything and everything. We immediately headed for the infirmary, where I was able to recognize some of the hallways. The room we entered was not the one I had regained consciousness in. Contrasting to the sterile, utilitarian nature of that room, this more resembled one to be found in a hotel. There was a bed large enough for me, a nightstand which had fresh flowers in a vase, a low table with both cushions and chairs, and a door that I assumed led to the bathroom.

“This is nice.” I walked around the room, looking at everything. “Why is it decorated like this? Aren’t hospital rooms supposed to be a bit more sterile?”

Twilight exchanged a few words with a passing nurse before she entered the room. “Princess Celestia thought that making your room seem less like a hospital might help you feel better.”

“Oh. That was thoughtful of her.” I got on the bed and made myself comfortable. “So, what now?”

“The guards told me that she will be here soon. She's meeting with the doctor now,” she replied and sat down on a cushion next to the table.

“I’ll just try and get some sleep for a moment or two.” I closed my eyes and relaxed. If I could doze off for just five moments, it would do me a world of good.

“Of course, I’ll wake you when they get here.” I heard the concern in Twilight’s voice, and once again, I wondered why they were being so nice to me. I had initially expected to be dead on a cold steel table with my guts on display by now—I had watched enough movies to assume that was the standard routine. Instead, I had been treated cordially, for the most part. I remembered what Celestia had said about kindness. Maybe ponies were just naturally generous creatures. That would explain why they were doing all of this for me. On the other hand, could it be because Star Swirl had been on good terms with Celestia and Luna? It would make for an even better explanation.

***

Celestia marched back and forth in the private audience room, her golden-shod hooves eliciting a metallic echo. She knew that Magnus was worsening as the day progressed, despite his attempt to appear strong and avoid displaying weakness when he was surrounded by ponies that he believed meant him harm. It was an admirable effort, but anypony could only take so much before they cracked from the pressure, and Magnus was close to his breaking point.

What concerned her was that his overall condition seemed to be declining, as the sweating and trembling of his body wracked his body. She knew that some could fight fiercely against the most devastating physical conditions, but that the toll inflicted upon their minds rendered their struggle a pyrrhic victory.

She bit her lip, worry lashing at her. “Stay strong, Magnus. You will get through the treatment and you will recover, I promise you. Luna and I made a promise to Star Swirl that we will care for you, and I intend to keep it,” she said aloud.

The door opened, and a guard stepped inside. “Your Highness, Doctor Mgangah is here.”

“Wonderful, please send him in,” she responded. The guard left and shortly returned with a zebra stallion. Though his black stripes still maintained a healthy lustre, his white stripes were tinged in grey, signifying his age. His mane was styled in the traditional mohawk of his people, with gold rings braided into it. His cutie mark was a simple depiction of a mortar and pestle. Wearing a lab coat, he calmly walked in, stopped before the princess, and bowed deeply to her.

“Your Majesty.” His voice rumbled deeply as he pressed his forehead to the marble floor. “Ruler of the Sun, Lady of Light, Bringer of Dawn, Illuminating One, I greet you.” His greeting was the same that nearly all zebras used when meeting with her. It was an ancient formal greeting, acknowledging the princess as the bringer of the sustaining light that made all things prosper, a belief rooted in their holding both alicorn sisters as the providences of nature. Celestia had always thought their formal greetings were a bit over the top, but had grown accustomed to them over the years.

“Please rise, my good zebra,” Celestia replied with a respectful nod of her own. The stallion stood up with a pleasant smile on his muzzle. Celestia beckoned the doctor to follow her to the table. “Doctor Mgangah, I have heard of your skill in medicine from my personal physician, and I require your services,” she began as she poured them both cups of tea while also taking the opportunity to observe him. He seemed to be over fifty years of age and was as well-built as all zebras were. The plains of Zebrica were a rough place, after all, making them a particularly hardy species.

“I thank you for your kind words, your Highness. How can I be of service?” he asked politely and sipped his tea.

Celestia had wondered how to tell the doctor that the one who needed his treatment was not of this world. The best way, she concluded, was to simply tell him before they entered the room and then introduce Magnus to him. She doubted that the doctor would react negatively. Zebras were generally known for their patience and understanding. ”My sister and I have a special guest residing at the castle, a guest of great importance. Unfortunately, he has developed an addiction to a certain medicine, and I wish to afford him the best treatment available. That was when my personal physician mentioned you.”

“I understand. As a toxicologist, identifying poisons and administering treatment is my specialty and not a matter taken lightly. May I ask how long your guest has suffered withdrawal symptoms?”

“I believe a day at most.”

“I see.” The zebra brought a hoof to his chin and rubbed it in contemplation for several seconds, his eyes drifting. “Perhaps I can speak with your guest? If he’s been without his medicine for a day, then I believe it will be for the best if we start as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Celestia smiled as she stood up and led the doctor down the corridors, heading for the infirmary.

During their walk, Celestia informed the doctor that she had prepared a special room for the patient, a room that did little to resemble a hospital room. She hoped to create a more pleasant atmosphere and a safe and stress-free environment, an idea that the doctor agreed with. In his experience, it usually made patients feel more at ease with their ordeal.

Eventually, they came to the room where Magnus was housed. Four royal guards stood outside the room, and when the princess and doctor approached, they saluted. Before opening the door, Celestia felt that the time was right.

“Doctor, before we go inside, there is something I must tell you.”

***

“Magnus, are you awake?”

“—Huh, what?” I opened my eyes and found Princess Twilight standing next to my bed. “How long was I asleep?” I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

“Just over half an hour. I heard Princess Celestia outside just now.”

I sat up on the bed and placed my fee—hooves on the floor with a soft clop. “Half an hour… I do feel a little bit better.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She actually did seem somewhat relieved.

I stretched my arms out expansively, rolling my shoulders around. I heard two voices just outside the room. One of them was Celestia, easily recognizable because of the way she spoke. The other one was a male who possessed a deep timbre, with what seemed to be accent underlying his voice.

The door swung open and in walked Celestia, radiant as before and with a zebra in tow. Of course, if ponies could talk, then it should be no surprise if zebras could as well. His features were distinctive, especially his hairstyle and the gold adorning it.

His eyes were affixed to me when he stepped inside the room and approached the bed. He didn’t exactly seem shocked or surprised; perhaps just a bit… intrigued perhaps?

Celestia coughed lightly to gain my attention. “Doctor Mgangah, this is Magnus Powell. Magnus, this is Doctor Mgangah, the specialist I spoke of.”

I stood up to my full height and stepped forward. Leaning down, I held out my hand. “Hello, nice to meet you.”

The zebra took one look at my hand, then my face, before holding out his hoof, allowing me to grab it. “Hello, distant traveller, it is my pleasure,” he responded with a smile.

Our introductions completed, I sat back down on the bed. The doctor took a few moments to observe my movements. I guess he was somewhat curious about me after all. Clearing his throat, he brought out a notepad and sat down on a cushion while holding a pencil in the corner of his mouth. “Princess Celestia has informed me that you have a problem,” he began.

I nodded. “Yeah, actually had it for some time now. I’ve been feeling terrible today; stressed out as well.” I noticed Celestia wince at my comment. It was clear that she felt guilty, rightfully so. Honestly, I would have been less afraid if she had thrown me into a pit with lions and tigers after the stunt she pulled. She had apologized of course, but it had left a lasting impression.

“Naturally, when dealing with withdrawal, one would expect the onset of such symptoms. That is why I am here.” He scribbled something on his notepad. I was amazed to see the fine control he had when writing, holding the notepad still with one foreleg while deftly moving the pencil with his mouth. “Firstly, I need to know what plant or substance you have taken in order to properly treat you.”

“I can’t remember all the stuff that it contained, but the main ingredient is called morphine.”

The doctor’s eyebrows furrowed at that. “More-feen?” he asked, feeling the word out.

“Yeah, it’s made from the opium poppy.”

“Ah, I understand. I have no knowledge of this ‘more-feen’ that you mentioned. Perhaps it is the difference of our languages, but I believe you might mean the sap from the opium poppy. The plant itself is very rare and does not grow in Equestria. In Zebrica, my homeland, it can be found only in the most arid regions and thus is valued for its many medicinal purposes, one of them being pain relief, as I’m sure you are well aware of. It is a prized plant sought after by many potion makers and alchemists.” He made further notations on his pad.

‘And many drug addicts like me…’

“But is there a way to help him with his, erm, problem?” Twilight asked.

The doctor smiled and moved the pencil to the corner of his mouth. “There is the conventional way: decreasing dosage, therapy, and so on. Luckily, with opium sap there is another way; a counter potion that will cleanse his system of any and all traces of the sap while also decreasing his dependence.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I was not sure if I understood his explanation correctly, but if I did, then this could be quite easy. “A potion to fix me? How?”

“By targeting your internal organs, it will ensure that you won’t suffer withdrawal the same length of time as you would with a traditional treatment plan. Combined with a healthy diet and plenty of water, your journey to recovery will be expedited.”

Was he telling the truth? One potion and I would feel right as rain? It sounded like a classical snake-oil scam. “Sorry for saying this, but I find that hard to believe.” The doctor turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “Just one potion? That’s impossible.”

He nodded. “You are quite right. It’s not one potion, but several. You will be taking them three times daily for as long as I deem it necessary. However, with your unique racial biology, I cannot guarantee it will work.” He paused and jotted down several more notes. “However, considering what Princess Celestia has told me about your unicorn heritage, I firmly believe the potion will have at least some effect on you.”

My shoulders slumped as I sat down, leaning my head on my right hand. I wasn’t one to distrust doctors, especially as they had never personally steered me in the wrong direction. However, I knew nothing of this world’s medical practices and what they had in store for me. Still, I had decided to trust Celestia for the time being. She and the princesses held the key for me getting back home, if it was at all possible.

“What do you think, Magnus?” I looked up at Celestia’s eyes. I could see her silently asking me to go through with the doctor’s plan. Still, I hesitated.

“There is always another option. You could try regular withdrawal therapy,” the doctor interjected smoothly.

Withdrawal therapy—that gave me chills. Meetings with doctors day after day, feeling like shit for who knew how long until I no longer craved morphine. There would be group therapy, support groups, being keenly observed as though I were a thief, all the while running the risk of relapse. However, if the potion worked, I could perhaps avoid all the therapy. It seemed the lesser of two evils, like tearing off a bandage instead of peeling it off.

“I… I'll go for the quickest route.” I took a deep breath, resting my elbows on my knees. “I’ll go for the potion.”

That prompted big cheery smiles all around. “I’m glad you came to this decision,” Celestia said as she stepped forward and draped her wing over my shoulders. I reached up and patted her wing, an action that felt weird, and I could see it on Celestia's face that she hadn’t expected it at all.

“We’ll see,” I added with a sceptical frown, wondering what could go wrong. In my mind, everything.

***

The sun had set and the moon was rising when Twilight approached Ponyville in a carriage drawn by two royal guards. She had things to pack and friends to speak to concerning her expedition. Celestia had also asked Twilight to bring Spike along so that they could communicate on the expedition's progress.

She had also spoken with Magnus before she left Canterlot. Celestia had confirmed what she had told him about the expedition, how they were aiming to find traces of the portal that had sent him to Equestria, and to investigate it. Though Magnus had pleaded her to find a way to send him home, Twilight could not promise something she knew she had little chance of delivering. She knew the complexity of portal magic, and she knew that if these unknown portals acted like normal portal magic, then there was little to no chance to open a portal to his world.

It didn’t mean that she was unmoved by his troubles. To be in an unknown world, separated from his friends, a place so strange to him that even the most mundane things, such as Celestia raising the sun or Luna raising the moon, caused him significant anxiety. However, a small ray of hope came from Doctor Mgangah. He had told Twilight that certain individuals could, during withdrawal, develop irrational thoughts. He had cited several cases, such as a minotaur who had become deathly afraid of kittens, a griffin that had developed a fear of heights, and a unicorn that had grown to fear his own magic. He had been certain that Magnus was now being inflicted by the same thing.

From her elevated position, Twilight saw that the Ponyville’s streetlamps were lit, with most windows of houses having a warm glow from within. The streets only had a few ponies inhabiting them, mostly due to the local weather team moving rain clouds into position. The last few weeks had been rather sunny, so several showers had been planned on alternating nights to act as a counterbalance.

The carriage slowed before gently landing outside Twilight's castle. Jumping off, Twilight thanked the guards and headed for the doors. They would be back in the morning to pick her up, and by then she would have packed the things she needed.

Before she could open the doors, she heard the flapping of wings in the air behind her. “Hey, Twilight.” Turning around, she found Rainbow Dash coming in for a landing, her wings raising dust from the ground that was quickly carried away by the evening breeze.

“Hello, Rainbow. Keeping busy?” She eyed the local weather ponies stacking the clouds like a jigsaw puzzle.

“Yeah, we’ve been planning these showers for weeks. Luckily, the next few days won’t be so hard,” Rainbow replied and ruffled her feathers. “Rain clouds are really heavy, y’know. Cloudsdale's been working overtime to get enough water to turn into clouds. But enough about the weather. What sort of princess-y business kept you in Canterlot?”

Opening the large doors with her magic, Twilight cantered into the first hall of the crystalline castle. It had grown on her as the months passed, feeling much more like home after the girls had done their thing. The roots of Golden Oaks library were her definite favourite, displaying the precious memories gathered over the course of a year. With how hectic Ponyville had proven to be, it had certainly felt like more time had passed.

“Oh, um, it was just a big misunderstanding. Somepony mistook some foreigner for something else, eheh,” Twilight replied, shrinking slightly.

“A foreigner? What do you mean?” Rainbow asked as she walked behind her, oblivious to Twilight’s lie.

“Uh, well, it was some creature from a faraway land. It’s some kind of… um, exotic diamond dog,” Twilight replied after some hesitation, though she mentally facehoofed afterwards. Magnus didn’t even look like one! She had promised Princess Celestia not to mention Magnus at all. Should the knowledge of him be spread prematurely, it would surely cause a ruckus. Twilight still wasn’t sure how the princesses planned for him to be revealed to Equestria.

“Diamond dog? Oh, those… things!” Rainbow grumbled to herself. No doubt their encounter with Rarity was running through her mind.

“Easy, Rainbow. This, um, diamond dog seems nice. He’s just far away from home.” Very far away.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Rainbow followed Twilight into her bedroom and plopped down onto a pillow while Twilight brought out a few bags which she began stuffing with books and assorted necessities.

“Are you going somewhere?” Rainbow asked, eyeing Twilight’s activities lazily.

Twilight filled a suitcase with all forty volumes of Magical Mysteries: Solved and Unsolved. “Yes, Princess Celestia asked me to lead an expedition that’s leaving tomorrow morning.” Squeezing her suitcase shut with her magic, she searched around and found another suitcase to stuff with books. “We’re going to sea, off the coast of Fillydelphia. There’s some kind of magical anomaly there that might threaten ships in the area, and the princesses asked me to find it and shut it down.”

“Whoa!” Rainbow gasped, perking up. “Is this an Elements of Harmony type of situation? Because if so, I’m ready!” she exclaimed and shot off the pillow with a flap of her wings.

“No, I don’t think so,” Twilight replied. “And I’m not going alone—there’s an entire team going with me.

“Scientist stuff?”

“Scientist stuff.”

“Boring.” Rainbow landed on the pillow again, disappointed.

“I think there might be much to learn." Twilight replied, smiling knowingly. "Anyway, have you seen Spike today?” Twilight looked around the room, searching for the little dragon who was nowhere in sight.

“I think he was with the Crusaders earlier today. They were playing around Sweet Apple Acres, trying to build something.”

“Okay, I hope he gets back soon since we have to leave early in the morning.” Just as Twilight finished her sentence, the door swung open and Spike walked in with Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie in tow. Spike was covered in minor scratches, though he seemed generally unharmed. Next to him was Rarity, cleaning his face with a damp cloth.

“Seriously, Spike, you must be careful. Catapults are not for youngsters such as you and the girls. Even though a mud bath is good for your complexion, you should leave that to Aloe and Lotus,” she gently scolded him. In his defence, Spike merely shrugged.

“Eh, it wasn’t that dangerous. I mean, I landed in the lake.”

“The shallow part of the lake,” Applejack responded, scowling at Spike. “You have any idea how much you scared Granny Smith when she saw you sailing over the barn?”

“And you hurt yourself,” Fluttershy chimed in. She walked behind the group, carrying a first aid kit under her wing. “Now sit down so I can take a look at you.”

Spike huffed but complied, sitting down. Pinkie suddenly appeared right behind him with a box marked with Sugarcube Corner’s logo on it, dumping the entire box in his lap.

“When you have an owie, the best way to cheer up is with cupcakes!” Pinkie excitedly exclaimed in her usual fashion. “Cupcakes are one hundred percent guaranteed to cure owies, oopsies, and ouchies! Not sold at pharmacies.”

Spike opened the box, revealing said treats with an assortment of frosting and sprinkles on them. Taking a chocolate one, he popped it into his mouth and chewed loudly. It was at this moment that he noticed Twilight staring at him.

“Twilight, you’re back!” Spike exclaimed, his face brightening.

“Darling, welcome back. How was Canterlot?” Rarity perked up as well and approached Twilight, eager to hear what royal adventures she had experienced in Canterlot.

“Oh, hello, Twilight.” Fluttershy’s voice was low but still audible, still carrying warmth in her voice at seeing her friend again.

“Welcome back, Sugarcube.” Applejack grinned at Twilight. “Ah swear, disasters happen less when Spike’s around to look after the girls.” Her smile became strained. “Course, all them disasters seem to happen to him at those times.”

Twilight didn’t smile, instead continuing to stare at Spike, then to the girls, and then back to Spike again. Her left eye twitched once.

“CATAPULTS?!”

Author's Notes:

Another chapter. Not much to tell really. Magnus had his first interaction with Twilight and survived to tell the tale. I decided to keep it short and just have a short segment for the two, but in the future there will be more of Magnus and Twilight discussing Earth and humanity. Upcoming chapters will detail Twilights expedition and Magnus dealing with his treatment and further interaction with the princesses.

Twilights return to Ponyville was supposed to be much longer and involve an expedition party thrown by . I decided to cut it because it would only be filler material.

And the catapult idea I got from the comics. The CMC experimenting with catapults sounded like something they would try, this time with a dragon helping them. Please donate a mustache to Spike for his manly bravery. Someday Rarity will notice his manly mustache collection and ask him out on a date.

Edit 01.17.2017.: JBL continues to amaze me.

Chapter 10 - The Potion (Edit by JBL 01.20.2017)

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The enormous aircraft hangar was brimming with activity. Several crews were preparing The Warmth of the Sun, Princess Celestia’s personal airship, ensuring that it was fully operational. Other ponies bustled about, carrying food supplies, personal items, and crates containing a wide array of scientific instruments on board that were required for the expedition. A platoon of guards stood ready as well, assigned to safeguard the expedition in the event of trouble.

Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike had just finished lunch while the ship was being prepared and now entered the hangar. Spike's eyes lit up when he saw the ship, imagining himself piloting the large vessel, and he made a mental note to ask the captain if he could try steering it.

The trio walked up to a pair of pegasi that were engaged in conversation, though it ceased when they noticed the group approaching. They quickly bowed to the two princesses.

“Please rise,” Princess Celestia said with a nod to the duo. “Twilight, this is Crew Chief Air Blast.” She pointed to the aging pegasus who looked to be around fifty years old, grey hair streaking his short black mane. His cutie mark was a wrench emblazoned onto a pair of wings. “And this is Captain Wild Storm, the captain of my ship.” The other pegasus bowed to Twilight and smiled. He was young, with the image of a propeller for a cutie mark. His distinguishing feature was that his wings were larger than that of the average pegasus. Both ponies were uniformed to signify their respective ranks. Twilight smiled and returned their bow with a gracious nod.

“How goes the preparations?” Celestia asked, observing the ponies in the hangar going about their jobs.

“Quite well, Your Highness. Most of the supplies have been stowed already. Just a few more items now and we’ll be ready,” Air Blast answered confidently.

“Good. Is my ship ready for the expedition, Captain Storm?”

“Of course, Princess,” the young pegasus replied, pride evident in his voice. “I personally ran the checks this morning, and your ship is in mint condition. The propellers were recently changed, and the lightning reactor was recharged and re-enchanted in Cloudsdale. She could not be in better condition.”

“I am pleased to hear that. Now, I believe you have both been briefed on the nature of the expedition. Princess Twilight will be in command for its duration, and further instructions will be given by her on-site.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Both pegasi saluted.

“As you were.” The captain and crew chief bowed and trotted off in the direction of the ship.

Spike watched them leave before he leaned towards Twilight and whispered to her. “Twilight, can I go with them? I have, erm, questions to ask them.”

“Of course, but stay close to the ship. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes!” Spike exclaimed, a bit louder than he expected. “I mean no, no, I’ll stay close.” Spike hurried after the two ponies, fist pumping all the way. “So cool!”

“I guess colts will be colts.” Twilight giggled as she watched the young dragon’s antics.

“I have lived for long enough to know that some things will never change, no matter the species,” Celestia replied with a smile of her own. “And I have a faint guess as to what Spike wishes to ask for.”

The two princesses walked away from the crowded area over to a landing pad meant for smaller airships, affording them more privacy. Standing next to the railing, the two ponies had a marvellous view of the enormous green flatlands east of Canterlot Mountain. The sun was nearing its zenith, bathing the fields in its light.

Twilight yawned, still a bit sleepy from the ‘Goodbye-and-Be-Safe’ party Pinkie had thrown for Spike and her the previous night. Twilight had simply wanted to tell her friends that she would be away for a few days, but it only took a couple of moments before they were all sitting in Sugarcube Corner, eating cake and drinking soda pop provided by the passionate pink professional party planner pastel pony. Suffice to say, Twilight and Spike had slunk to their beds in the wee hours of the morning.

“I wanted to discuss a few things before you leave, about the excursion and about Magnus,” Celestia began. “First off, the expedition. I want you to send me daily reports about whatever you find. No matter how insignificant it may seem, I want to know.”

After spending over ten years as her student, Twilight knew some of Celestia’s tell-tale signs, such as the hint of worry that only somepony close to her would have picked up on. “You’re concerned about them, aren’t you? The portals, I mean.” She was still not happy about closing them. To her, it felt like throwing away progress. Still, lives were on the line, both on Equus and on Earth.

Celestia nodded as she gazed over the realm of which she was the co-ruler. “Indeed. I believed I knew of all types of magic in our world, yet Equus still manages to surprise me after all these years. It shows that there are still many things we know nothing of.” Celestia paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again, turning to Twilight.

“That such portals exists… They frighten me.”

Twilight's heart skipped a beat. Something frightened Princess Celestia? The great Princess of the Sun, the most powerful alicorn in existence, feared something? In all the years Twilight had known Celestia, she had never shown alarm, not even when confronted by Discord or Queen Chrysalis. Celestia met Twilight’s quizzical gaze.

“Who knows how many beings of our world have been lost to the portals, sent to worlds unknown, trapped in a place they could not understand.” Celestia's countenance became downcast. “Lost, confused, terrified, separated from family and friends, their fates known only to themselves. That is why I want the portals closed most of all.”

Twilight nodded sagely. Celestia was compassionate—her belief in that had never been shaken.

“I understand, Princess,” Twilight said with renewed vigour and a clear goal to focus on. “Nopony else will be lost.”

Celestia’s large white wing draped over Twilight’s back, eliciting a feeling of protection and pride from her mentor. “Thank you, Twilight.” The younger princess remembered the time when she had been a filly, of their late night studies when the two would read a book together. Occasionally, she would snuggle closer to the princess, and Celestia would lay a wing gently over her. She had felt so safe, so secure under the protective wing of the goddess. Now, her gesture served to remind her of days that would never return.

“Concerning Magnus,” Celestia began, not removing her wing. “His treatment will begin today. The castle’s alchemy laboratory is at Doctor Mgangah’s disposal. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients he needed were not in stock, so I sent the royal herbalist to the Everfree Forest to collect them. The first batch of the potion should be ready soon.”

“How is he now?” Twilight asked. He had seemed so fragile when she had left last night.

“He isn’t well,” Celestia replied sadly. “He could not sleep, he tossed and turned in bed, complained about nausea, and began vomiting during the night. He was offered something that would help him sleep, but hesitated before accepting it. Fortunately, he is still resting right now.”

“That sounds horrible!” Twilight grimaced at the turn of events. “It’s just that…” She paused, searching for the right words. “When we found out he’s a descendant of Star Swirl, I expected him to be… I don’t know. Stronger? Wiser? Maybe something like Star Swirl himself? But after he found out about Star Swirl and the fact that he may never return to Earth…”

Celestia nodded quietly, sympathy evident on her face. “He does not know how to respond. Too much has happened to him in such a short amount of time. He will need time to process it all properly.”

“But he will be okay, right?”

“That is up to him,” Celestia answered hesitantly. Truthfully, she was still uncertain. Magnus was no pony, yet according to Star Swirl, he had many pony-like qualities: he preferred peaceful and calm surroundings, could be rather playful, and held his friends close. Perhaps in that there was something he could find peace in. She had to investigate further, perhaps converse with him after her duties for the day were completed.

“He asked me, you know?” Celestia looked at Twilight, who had averted her eyes. “He asked me to find him a way back to his home world.”

“I know. He made the same request of me.” Celestia leaned down towards Twilight, a sad expression on her face. “But I think we both know the answer to that.”

“Yes…” Twilight replied as she stared at the horizon, knowing that Magnus’ chances of returning to Earth were virtually non-existent. “I think we do.”

Twilight had known ever since Magnus had first asked her. A way home. It was such a simple sentence that held so much meaning.

Home.

***

“Nnh… Ngh…” I didn’t quite manage to utter anything intelligible as I regained consciousness. Almost immediately, I felt a wave of nausea roiling within me, and the fact that my stomach was empty was the only reason I didn’t throw up.

The putrid odour of stale vomit assaulted my nose, though not as strong as during the night. Maybe the nurses had opened a window to allow some fresh air in. I had been violently vomiting during the night, several times making a complete mess of the floor and bed sheets. It was an unfortunate side effect of morphine withdrawal, and one of the nicer ones.

I finally managed to crack open my eyelids. As I shifted, it felt as though every muscle protested in a symphony of agony. I glanced around to see if anyone else was here, only to find myself alone.

That was a relief. I really didn’t want to start the day by finding a pony staring at me while I slept.

I sat up, trying to focus on finding my clothes. My own clothes had been brought to my room after I had vomited on myself before going to bed last night. I had strongly protested against wearing a hospital gown, mainly because they were so small that it would look ridiculous on me.

Getting dressed was a challenge. Just moving my arms over my head to shrug on my jersey was an exercise in patience itself, as was bending to pull on my jeans, but I managed to muscle through the pain, fully aware that tomorrow I wouldn't be able to. Standing up on shaky legs, I stumbled to the bathroom in order to complete every man's morning ritual consisting of the three S’s. I only managed two, as there was no razor around. I made a mental note to request one the next time I saw a pony, but with how my hands trembled, it wouldn’t be smart to move a razor close to my throat anytime soon. I wonder if the ponies even had safety razors. Brushing my teeth, at least, was something I could manage, and it was a relief to banish the acrid taste in my mouth.

I exited the bathroom feeling relatively better, though that really wasn’t saying much. A rumble from outside caught my attention, and I wandered to the window to investigate. Towering in the sky was a large airship that was hovering in place.

“Hindenburg, you can go fuck yourself. That is an airship,” I commented to myself, awestruck by the sight.

It was decked out in white and gold, with dual balloons and four propellers. Because of the distance, I could not estimate its size, but the flying ponies around it acted as a scale that told me that it was massive. The twin balloons were nearly twice the length of the hull itself, and along the hull I could see several portholes, identical to the ones found on ships. There was also another airship nearby, smaller but still larger than one would expect. This one had a single balloon and two propellers that I spotted.

I stared in wonder for a few minutes. I hadn’t expected the ponies to have airships, or any flying machines for that matter. The behemoth was a mix of art and engineering. With a loud rumble, the ships began moving away from the castle and were soon tiny dots in the distance. With nothing else capturing my attention, I walked back to my bed and sat down. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I decided that the best to do for now was to relax and wait for something to happen. It wasn’t like I could just wander off.

Soon, my mind found something else to focus on: today was potion day. I still harboured doubts over whether it could work. It sounded too farfetched. I mean, yes, we had apothecaries on Earth, modern medicine, brain surgery. We could replace a bad heart, change the lungs if they went bad, create medicines to combat just about any illness. However, a medicine to counter and cleanse a body of other drugs? Forgive me if I had my doubts. Morphine was a hell of a drug, and not in a good way. Sure, it had been beneficial for a long while, allowing me to be a functioning member of society. However, now that it could no longer relieve my headaches… Even now, I could feel the hunger from not having my daily fix. It was like a constant gnawing at my psyche.

It was no way to live. There had been so much I had missed out on when the morphine could only partly dull the pain. More than one camping trip I had passed on because my headache had been so severe that I had thrown up, and there had been days when I couldn’t go to work. After Lisa and I had decided that we were too different and ended our relationship, I had attempted to go on dates, only to be thwarted by a pounding skull that left me writhing on the bed. There had been a few rumours going around that I had tried to get dates, and then dump the girls at the last minute. Not that I paid much attention to what people said, but still.

Reminiscing about the past made me think about my friends. I wondered what they were doing now. I guessed they would be in close contact with each other, trying to find out anything about me. Wasn’t Richard, Adam’s uncle, in the Coast Guard? Yes, he was stationed in Miami if I remembered correctly. I hoped the search teams didn’t end up like me. It was bad enough that I was here. At least I didn’t have a family waiting for me back home—others should not have to end up here because of me. Still, homesickness continued to haunt me. I wanted to go home, but for now I had to be patient.

While sitting there, someone knocked on the door, or rather, ‘somepony’. The pony-isms were strange, but somehow the language that had been forced into my brain took care of the translation, so I just went with it. Before I could answer, the door opened and in walked Doctor Mgangah, a unicorn stallion, and a pegasus mare who pushed a breakfast cart into the room. The unicorn wore a doctor's coat and had a stethoscope around his neck, so his profession was easy to guess. The mare wore a white cap with a red cross on her head, so I assumed that she was one of the nurses.

“Good morning, Magnus,” Doctor Mgangah said with a wide smile as he walked in and saw me sitting on the bed. “Did you sleep well?”

“Morning,” I replied and rubbed my forehead, my hand brushing across my horn. “Eventually I did.”

“Yes, I heard what happened last night. It’s a common withdrawal symptom; nothing to worry about.” He sat down on the floor and began jotting down something on his notepad. Moving the pencil to the corner of his mouth, he motioned to the unicorn stallion next to him. “This is Doctor Silverheart, the head physician of the castle’s infirmary.”

The unicorn trotted up to me and held out his hoof. I got up from the bed and knelt down to greet him properly, grabbing his forehoof with my hand and shaking gently. “Nice to meet you, Doctor Silverheart.”

The unicorn eyed my hand enveloping his hoof before reciprocating the gesture. “Good afternoon, Mister Powell. I hope our medical facility is to your liking.”

“It’s actually pretty similar to a hospital where I come from.”

I sat back on the bed and took a closer look at the doctor. He was thinner than the zebra and possessed a very light blue coat and short white mane that was streaked with silver. Glancing at his flank, he had a red heart with a silver stethoscope coiled around it.

One thing I had asked Celestia about concerned their flank symbols, or ‘cutie marks’, as they called them. I had originally believed them to be tattoos or clan markings, perhaps signifying one’s family lineage. Apparently, it was a mark that appeared when ponies discovered their special talent, something that they were unusually good at. The way Celestia described it made it sound as though a cutie mark was the image of a pony’s soul. They seemed to appear out of nowhere and could be just about anything, usually coming about between the ages of eight to fourteen. I thought it was strange and seemingly forced upon, but Celestia explained that no matter what their cutie mark was, any pony was free to pursue whatever career they wished.

Last night I had checked my butt and was relieved to find nothing of the sort on my body. I might get used to the horn, fur, and hooves, but I drew the line when it came to marks on my ass.

The mare pushed the breakfast cart up to me and removed the lids from the various bowls. There were salads, bread, fruit, cheese, flowers, and hay, along with jugs that contained milk, water, and what seemed like fruit punch. I noticed that the mare seemed to be a bit apprehensive when it came to coming close to me. The fact that I stood taller than anything I had seen so far was a likely factor. I really couldn’t blame them for that, being big and scary in their eyes.

“Now then, do you remember the talk we had last night?” the zebra asked as he walked over to the breakfast cart.

I nodded. Doctor Mgangah had basically conducted an interview with me, asking about my dietary habits in order to create a meal plan for me. When I mentioned that humans consumed meat, he proved to be very understanding about it. He was used to omnivores, saying that he had been raised in a village where zebras and hyenas lived together in peace, which made me wonder what a bipedal hyena would look like. Some kind of weird werewolf, perhaps?

“I created a specific diet for you based on the information you provided. It mostly consists of vegetables, nuts, and fruits, due to their high mineral and vitamin levels. The potion will drain your body, so it is necessary for you to replenish what the potion takes from you. Because you will feel tired when undergoing the treatment, it is important to eat before you drink the potion.”

The zebra pushed the cart closer while the unicorn brought out his notepad and pencil. “For future reference,” the unicorn asked, “is there anything on this table that you cannot eat or digest, or would pose a health risk to you? I simply want to compare your dietary habits with ours.”

I separated the foods before me in two, edible on the right and inedible to the left. “Hay and flowers I can eat, but they aren’t exactly palatable and I wouldn’t be able to digest it. Fruit, vegetables, and meat from fish and animals are okay for me. If I see something that I don’t recognize, I’ll tell you since it might be dangerous to me.”

“Hmm, an omnivore? Interesting.” Doctor Silverheart scribbled on his notepad, using his magic to levitate the pencil and notepad.

“While you eat your breakfast, I will prepare your first potion.” Doctor Mgangah went to the door. “Eat as much as you can and do your best to keep it down.”

I was hesitant to eat, doubting my ability to keep any food down. Just thinking about last night made me want to vomit again. I wasn’t hungry either, having lost my appetite a while ago. Then again, it was the doctor’s orders.

I began with the salad, scooping a generous amount into a smaller bowl that was on the cart. There were juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and paprika, all of which was seasoned with something I didn’t recognize, though I had to admit that it was delicious. I began wondering how the ponies could make food taste so good, though I quickly understood why. This was probably coming from the castle's kitchen. Food for royalty and all that.

I sampled a bit of everything on the table, pleasantly surprised at the taste and the fact that I was managing to keep it down. This was by far the best meal I had had here so far. Last night’s dinner had only consisted of a few bites before it had been regurgitated. The doctor took notes while I ate, asking occasional questions concerning the food and my dietary habits. He asked me if I would face health problems if I didn’t consume meat, and when I replied yes, he asked what types of meat I ate.

“Fish, pig, cow—” Before I could continue, the nurse bolted out of the room, fear washing over her features. The doctor dropped his notepad, seemingly frozen in place.

Seconds passed as the unicorn stared at me. “C-C-Cows?” He gulped as beads of sweat began trickling down his face.

“Uh, yeah?” I scratched my head in bemusement. “Is there a law against eating cows?”

Silverheart used his magic to pick up his pencil and notepad, never taking his eyes off me. “O-Of course there is! You can’t eat a cow; they’re living, thinking beings!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I set down my fork and wiped my mouth hastily, the source of his consternation become apparent. “I may be wrong, but can cows talk around here?”

“Of course they can. I went to school with a cow; she was my best friend. She’s not a common animal!” His fear had given out to self-righteous indignation.

“Holy hell… Welcome to Ponyland. Vegetarian population: all of them.”

I shook my head, trying to imagine what a cow looked like on this world, given how different ponies were to horses on Earth. It was only now that I recalled that someone had mentioned that they were sapient beings yesterday. Now if only I had remembered that before I had opened my mouth.

Straightening his tie and breathing deeply, the doctor managed to calm himself down. “I understand that you are from another world, Mister Powell, and that you are accustomed to a different lifestyle. However, Equestria is quite diverse, as is most of the civilized world. Perhaps you now understand why Nurse Cast left in such a hurry.”

“Yeah.” I sighed and picked up the fork, shovelling some more food into my mouth. “She thought she was on my menu.”

My breakfast continued, uninterrupted by any queries from the doctor. That suited me just fine since I wasn’t in the mood for playing twenty questions and making myself the local pariah, though I doubt it wouldn’t take long anyway. That mare was probably halfway around the country by now, judging by the speed she had ran out the door, spreading rumours about the horrible cow-eating monster that was hiding in Canterlot.

Fortunately, Doctor Mgangah quickly returned. He trotted into the room, sat down in front of me, and produced two vials from his pockets. “Did you enjoy your meal?”

“I did, although I’ve never been a fan of salads.” I leaned back onto the bed. I had been careful not to eat too much, in case my stomach decided to reject its contents once again.

“That’s too bad, seeing as your meals will consist of mostly salads and vegetables in the days to come.” Mgangah focused his attention onto the two vials he held curled in his foreleg. One of the vials contained a black fluid, the other a dark blue one.

“Oooh boy, here we go. If I turn into Mr Hyde…”

“Before I give you the potion, I would like you to be aware of the possible side effects. Those who imbibe this will experience at least one—it is unavoidable. Some experience hallucinations, others become very lethargic, but all side effects are completely harmless.”

“Okay… You didn’t mention that last night,” I asked, wondering what was in the vials he held.

“Would you have agreed to it if I told you what would happen?” I didn’t answer, seeing as I probably wouldn’t have. “I thought so.” Mgangah removed the corks with his mouth and then poured the contents of one vial into the other before shaking it firmly. The two dark liquids swirled together, first turning bright red before becoming clear in a matter of seconds.

He held up the vial and inspected the liquid for a few moments before handing it over to me. Grabbing the vial, the first thing I did was smell it. It emitted an odour of damp soil and something sour, though I couldn’t place it.

“Should I just drink it?” I asked, looking at the vial somewhat nervously.

“Yes, all at once.”

I eyed the potion for a second before I raised it into the air. “To my health.” I poured the liquid into my mouth and swallowed quickly to avoid any possible horrible taste. Despite that, some of it touched my tongue, and to my surprise, it tasted like rhubarb.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.”

I handed the vial back to him. “Honestly, I don’t know what to expect.”

“I take it you’re not familiar with alchemy in your world?”

“No, not really. I mean, alchemy existed in in my world, but those who dabbled in it tried to turn lead into gold. In my world, modern day alchemists are called chemists.”

“Chemistry, alchemy, they are the same,” Doctor Silverheart interjected, keeping a wary eye on me. “Chemistry is an old Zebhili word, while alchemy is modern Equish for chemistry.”

“Yes, although the correct pronunciation of chemistry is ‘chamaztiri’ in Zebhili,” Mgangah added.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

Turning his attention back to me, Mgangah already held his notepad in hoof and pencil in mouth. “Now then, do you feel any different?”

I still felt like shit, hammered shit to be exact. “I don’t feel better or worse. How long should it take before the potion starts to work?”

“It should have already begun to work. Have you noticed anything different? Sleepiness, a tickling sensation in your stomach, blurred vision?”

I took a quick glance around the room. My eyes were fine, my stomach was about to riot, my body ached, and my clothes were moist with sweat. “I still feel like I did this morning.”

“That’s strange.” The zebra scratched his cheek with his hoof while his eyes shifted. “Perhaps your unique racial biology can filter out the side effects?”

“It is a distinct possibility. We have yet to examine Mister Powell properly; he could be completely immune to the herbs used.” Doctor Silverheart also sat down. “Maybe we should perform a toxicology scan?”

“It would be a good idea. It should give us a much clearer understanding of his digestive and immune system.”

I just sat there while the doctors bounced questions and treatment options off each other. Occasionally, one would ask me questions about the herbs, roots, and flowers used as ingredients in the potion, checking if humans could safely consume them. I only recognized one plant he had used, and that was the rhubarb, which was in the potion just for the sake of flavour.

Five minutes passed, then ten. It was around the fifteen minute mark that I began yawning, and a further five before it felt like my energy was being drained from my body at an alarming rate. I was well rested earlier, considering it wasn’t that long since I woke up, and the food had given me a bit of extra energy. Now it felt like it was all in vain.

“Hey… Hey, docs,” I said, stifling a yawn.

“Perhaps the briarroot could be to blame as— No, it could not. Briarroot sap spikes the overall performance of the other ingredients, making them more efficient.” Doctor Mgangah continued to drone on as Silverheart nodded from time to time.

“DOCTORS!”

“Is something wrong?” Both doctors swivelled around.

“I think…” I yawned expansively, not bothering to stifle it this time. “I think it’s working.”

“Sleepiness, is it? That is one of the more common side effects,” Doctor Mgangah said, sounding relieved.

I didn’t reply, not that I didn’t want to, but because I could not stop yawning. Since I was already in bed, I simply laid my head on the pillow, barely able to keep my eyes open anymore.

“We’ll leave you to rest now. One of us will be back later when you have awoken,” I heard one of them say as I closed my eyes. The door closing was the last thing my mind recognized before I drifted off to sleep.

***

Many hours later.

Princess Celestia’s airship maintained its speed as it ploughed through the headwind and clouds. Soon Fillydelphia would be in sight, meaning they would join both the third airship and the sailing ship that would serve as their base on water. They would also bring on board two additional teams whose talents would be put to use during the expedition.

Twilight herself had kept busy. She had walked around the airship, familiarizing herself with it during a guided tour. She had seen the engine bay where the lightning reactor was located, a power source consisting of a thundercloud inside an enchanted crystal sphere. The electricity of the lightning powered the ship's engines. Though a complicated process, it was highly efficient.

Twilight and Spike had been given Princess Celestia’s private quarters, with the princess herself insisting on it. Twilight had been mortified when she been informed, and at first refused to sleep in the very bed Celestia used. Spike did not concern himself with such matters. He tested the bed by jumping up and down on the mattress, claiming to be testing it to ensure it was fit for a princess. Twilight had then lectured him for using the mattress as a trampoline, her consternation forgotten.

Twilight was now conversing with Captain Storm, who had been the one to show her around the ship. He was currently regaling the young princess of how he had become captain of the ship. His special talent was piloting airships in any weather, even hurricanes. That talent was quickly recognized, and he had joined the Pegasus Corps Airship Division and slowly worked his way up to his current position. After the tour ended, Twilight had decided that she needed a rest and headed to the room.

When she opened the door to her cabin, she noticed Spike putting away some books and scrolls that she had been studying shortly after leaving Canterlot.

“Hey, Twilight, where’ve you been?” Spike asked as he hauled an armful of scrolls over to the shelves.

“I’ve had a look around, talked with the captain, and met with some of the experts who joined us in Canterlot for the expedition.” She used her magic to help Spike with his tidying.

Sorting out a stack of paper and placing them on the large desk in the room, Spike brushed his claws together to rid them of the dust. “Well, guess who’s going to steer this ship back to Canterlot!” the young dragon, a wide grin on his face.

“Hmm, let me guess. Perhaps a certain dragon?” Twilight shot him a knowing smirk.

“Yes, Fillydelphia to Canterlot is all mine!” Spike's shoulders slumped, but only a little. “Although I have to be supervised. Apparently they think I’m going to perform loops with the ship.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, Spike. One day you’ll grow wings and then you’ll be a natural flier.”

Picking up the remaining books and scrolls, Spike began sorting them alphabetically. “Yeah, although it’ll take some time…” he muttered.

“You’re growing up, Spike. One day you’ll be taller than any of us. Please don't grow up too quickly, though,” Twilight thought, recalling the days when Spike had been so young that he hadn't even learned to talk. He had spent much of his time playing with his claws and sucking his tails. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, causing her to smile, then shake her head.

Twilight sat down on a cushion, levitating a stack of books in front of her, along with a scroll that contained the names and specialties of every single professional that had joined the expedition. There were experts in almost every magical discipline, vacillating from those who were highly skilled but had yet to publish anything to the distinguished and famous. Twilight herself was also itching to get down to work. She had already worked on a few theories in her mind, but had yet to put quill to parchment on any of them. They ranged from Discord's magic from ancient times to inter-dimensional magical communication between two different types of magic, to some that were so silly that Twilight made them up just because she could.

In other words, she had nothing solid yet. Still, she firmly believed that something new could be learned from this new magical phenomenon. Perhaps they would learn enough to the point where she could write a book and have it published. It was something of a dream for her, to have her very own name stamped on the cover of a book. Perhaps she could even give lectures to students at the Academy of Magic in Canterlot. Maybe she would be invited to speak at universities and academies all over Equestria, maybe even in other countries.

Amidst her daydreams, one screeching thought brought her right back to reality in the blink of an eye. “What am I doing? I’m sitting here fantasizing about writing a book about the very portals that are the reason Magnus is here! What’s the matter with me? He’s separated from his world and his friends, and I’m dreaming about giving lectures?”

Resting her head in her hooves, Twilight let out a frustrated sigh, even as a pang of guilt reverberated within her. How could she fix this? She already knew she could not open a portal to Earth. Not unless there was another magic user there already who knew of portal spells. According to Magnus, humans could not use magic—they didn’t even know about their world being slightly magical.

No matter how many times she racked her mind, no matter how many paths she took, she was still left with the cold reality that there was no way for Magnus to return to his home. How would he react when he was told? She herself had let the hint of possibility tantalise him. Celestia herself was guilty of this as well, having chosen a middle path in order to spare his feelings. In fact, Magnus hadn’t been given a straight answer at all, and knowing this made Twilight feel terrible. Did he not deserve to be aware of the reality of his situation?

“Twilight?” Spike said, though Twilight didn’t move, too entangled in her self-recriminations to notice. It wasn’t until he poked her withers that she reacted.

“Hmm?” Twilight turned to Spike. He was holding a scroll in his hands. “What is it?”

“You tell me.” Spike held up the scroll in front of Twilight’s eyes. On it was a crude sketch of an average pony, a large alicorn, and another creature—a certain bipedal with hooves, arms, and a horn. Next to the bipedal creature, notes had been jotted down, describing the creature's height, skin and fur colour, and general appearance.

Twilight froze. How had the sketch she had drawn end up here? Had she mixed some papers back at the castle, with the end result being that the sketch ended up amongst some other notes? Had she forgotten it in a book? She had no time to ponder any possibilities. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had said that Magnus was to be kept a secret, but now Spike knew of the sketch. What should she do? Perhaps it was best to act as if though it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh, that? It’s nothing. Just a doodle,” she said with the most innocent smile she could muster.

Spike gave her a sceptical look. “... A doodle?”

“Yes, a doodle. Just an innocent doodle. I was reading a book that was… boring… and so I drew this figment of my imagination while I read the… totally... uninteresting… book!” Rivulets of sweat streamed down Twilight's face. Never before had she called a book boring! To think that such scandalous words could have emerged from her own mouth!

“You’re doing it, Twilight.” If anything, Spike was even more unimpressed, the expression of utter disbelief dominating his face.

“What do you mean?” Even as she said that, her smile shrunk at the corners, the effort to hold it in place taxing her.

“No offense, Twilight, but you have the worst poker face in the history of Equestria, probably next to Applejack. I know you’re lying because it’s obvious you’re forcing your smile, sweating, and your eyes are twitching and darting all over the room. Plus you’ve never claimed a book to be boring before. Ever.”

“Force my smile? Not at all. I’m just happy, and I’m sweating because it’s hot in here.” Twilight extended a wing, flapping some air towards her face.

“Twilight…” Spike shook his head, his patience fraying.

“Okay! I’m lying! You want to know why?” Twilight took a deep breath, feeling her body tremble. “THERE IS AN INTER-DIMENSIONAL BEING IN EQUESTRIA, AND HE’S A HUMAN NAMED MAGNUS POWELL, BUT IN REALITY HE IS PART HUMAN AND PART UNICORN, AND HE IS PART UNICORN BECAUSE STAR SWIRL THE BEARDED IS HIS ANCESTOR BECAUSE HE TRAVELED THROUGH THE PORTAL ANOMALY WE’RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO!”

“...”

“He’s not a pony, Spike! He’s an alien, a being from another dimension, a sapient species!”

“...”

“Think about everything we can learn from him! We could write books about him for years! YEARS!”

“Twilight…”

Suddenly, Twilight grabbed a hold of Spike and brought him right in front of her eyes. “He’s got a technological device from his world!” Spike's snout was pressed against Twilight's muzzle. He was given an excellent view of her enormous bloodshot eyes. “I want to see it but it might be broken!”

“Twilight.” Spike attempted to gain her attention once again, this time calling her name louder, but Twilight would not have her rant interrupted.

“Think about what we can learn!” Her mane had become frizzy, a few strands poking out of place. The grin on her face was stretched wide, reminding Spike of the time she had tried to help the citizens of Ponyville, resulting in her casting a certain spell. “Technology, art, music, history, new inventions, the history of another species and another world! IT IS FANTASTIC!” She yelled out the final statement.

“TWILIGHT!” Spike yelled out as loudly as he could. This time, his words broke through to Twilight, and she promptly released him from her magical grip. Rubbing his scaly cheeks, Spike took a moment to compose himself. “Are you serious?”

Twilight nodded furiously. “It’s true! All of it!” she replied, relieved to finally have gotten the secret off her barrel.

Spike stood there for a moment, digesting the information Twilight had spilled out. Being the inquisitive dragon he was, he grabbed a cushion, hauled it towards Twilight, and sat down. He knew he would get answers if he asked, and he was more than willing to listen to what Twilight would say. After all, it wasn’t often that beings from another planet dropped in on them. In fact, it hadn’t happened before as far as he knew.

“Okay, Twilight, tell me more about this thing. What did you say it was?”

Finished with fixing her dishevelled mane, she returned to her cushion. “I’ll tell you, but first you have to promise not to mention this to anypony. Pinkie Promise!”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he realized just how significant this really was for Twilight to invoke the Pinkie Promise. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

“Good.” Twilight released a sigh of relief, then a wry chuckle. To think that she would place such belief in an uttering of words would have bewildered her in the past.

“A few days ago when Princess Luna was returning from the griffon kingdom, she and the crew of her airship found the debris of a small ship off the coast of Fillydelphia. They checked for survivors and found only one: him.” She held up the sketch and pointed to the bipedal figure.

“Is this to scale? I mean, that thing looks pretty big, if that alicorn is supposed to be Princess Celestia.” Spike squinted at the sketch.

“I’m not good at drawing, Spike. But yes, that is Princess Celestia and that is Magnus.” Spike cocked an eyebrow and looked at Twilight. “That’s his name—Magnus Powell—and his kind are known as humans.”

“And his ancestor is Star Swirl the Bearded?” Spike scratched his scaly head and stared at the sketch. “Why isn’t he a pony?”

“Well, Star Swirl disappeared long ago and many thought he died at sea. However, the truth is that he didn’t die—he accidentally entered a portal of some sort that sent him to another dimension. That’s where he lived and died.” Twilight couldn’t hide the tiny smile on her face. “That is also where he found a marefriend and became a father.”

“With a… what did you call them? Hyu-man?” Twilight nodded. “Okay, I get it so far. But how did this Magnus guy come here?”

“This is where the story becomes sad.” Twilight exhaled, preparing herself mentally to retell the entire story she had heard directly from Star Swirl’s own mouth. She went through everything, from how he had discovered his daughter’s half-equine nature and the source of her magical affliction to his conclusion that he needed to bring his offspring to Equestria. She went further to relay how he had died before he could do so, instead copying his thoughts onto his horn and waiting for centuries before a portal opened and he could send his descendant through it to Equestria.

“I think I get it.” Spike nodded as he processed the information. He didn’t seem to be confused. After all, he had grown up around Twilight, who studied all the time and knew a thing or two about the importance of magic in the world. “So he is the reason you went to Canterlot the other day?”

“That’s right. When Princess Luna found him, she thought he was a Unicorn Hunter because he had the staff with him, which had Star Swirl’s horn mounted on it. He was then confined until we could have a hearing. Things proceeded as expected until Star Swirl himself appeared.”

Spike's eyes widened. “S-So you mean a… ghost?”

“Of course not, Spike. Ghosts don’t exist.” Twilight huffed. She should really keep an eye on what type of comics Spike read. “The Star Swirl we saw was a magical construct. I’ve never even heard of spells that could copy thoughts; the potential for a spell like that to be used for evil is considerable. Anyway, he spoke with us and told the princesses about the portal. Yesterday, Princess Celestia asked me to lead this expedition. What we’re going to do is investigate the remains of the portal and, if possible, close it forever,” Twilight concluded.

Spike nodded slowly, taking his time to sort out his thoughts. Though rather unbelievable, Twilight had managed to make sense out of the bizarre situation—except for one thing.

“Aren’t children of two different species really rare? I think I remember you saying that once.”

“Yes, cross-species hybrids are exceptionally rare. The last one I heard of was a cross between a pegasi and a griffon, and that was nearly four hundred years ago.”

Spike’s comment jogged her memory, reminding her of something that she had been considering when she had spent that late afternoon with Magnus. She had been so overly ecstatic about gaining an opportunity to speak to him about his world that the thought had been pushed to the back of her mind.

“Humans are from a world nearly void of magic, and that would mean humans are less sensitive to magic. That would make them a non-magical species, meaning Magnus is a semi-magical hybrid. I’ve never even heard of that before, Spike! Who knows what the chances of that happening might be!”

Spike nodded. He might be a number one assistant, but math had never been his strong side, so he simply went along with what Twilight had said. “Yeah, those chances might be low… but why is he here in Equestria? Shouldn’t the princesses be trying to find a way home for him?”

Twilight’s excitement faded, and she turned away from Spike. “I… There is a chance he might be never return home.”

“What? Why?” the baby dragon asked, looking bewildered.

“It’s the portals—they need two magic users to activate, one here and one on Magnus’ home world. To make matters worse, there isn’t a lot of magic on Earth, and according to what Magnus said, not a lot of people even believe in magic, so there aren’t any magic users.”

Twilight shook her head. Depressing thoughts like those would not help her now. She needed a clear and calm mind in order to lead and unlock the secrets of the portals. “But Magnus asked me to help him, and I said I would try my best to find him a way home. That’s exactly what I plan to do!”

“Great!” Spike replied enthusiastically. “So, where do we start?”

“That’s what we have to find out. When we get to the area where Luna found Magnus, I think we might find a few clues. Maybe—” Twilight was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in.”

A guard opened the door and walked in, saluting. “Your Highness, a courier from Fillydelphia just arrived and brought this letter to you.” He held a folded envelope in his mouth. Twilight levitated the letter from him and thanked him, eliciting another salute before he left.

“What’s it about?” Spike asked as Twilight opened the envelope and read it.

“It’s from the captain of the sailing ship that we will be going with. Just an update of how long their ship will take before it's ready to set sail.”

Twilight folded the letter and deposited it in her ‘read’ tray on the desk. Spike stood up and headed for the door. “Well, the room’s all tidied up and I’m hungry. I’m going to the galley and see if they have gems on board. Do you want anything?”

“Don’t worry about bringing me anything.” Twilight stood up and joined Spike. “I’m feeling a bit hungry myself.”

Author's Notes:

Another chapter and more progress. Magnus is given the potion, the expedition sets out from Canterlot and Twilight is cracking at the seams. Alien technology? OOOoooOOooh! Also, Magnus finds out Cows are sentient beings in Equestria, which reminds me of something. During one episode we see that sheeps can talk, yet are still treated as animals. Why? I actually thought a lot about this recently and found one possible theory.

Sheeps and cows are sentient creatures, capable of intelligent thoughts. Cows walk around freely and interact with ponies, but sheeps are kept in enclosures. Why?

Cooperation. Sheeps and cows do not have -as far as we have seen so far- any special capabilities to defend themselves with. They would be easy prey for a predator. Ponies can defend themselves in a number of ways. We have seen timberwolves blown apart by magic, bucked apart by earth pony hooves and getting Stuka'd by Rainbow Dash. Ponies have no way to find milk or wool for clothes and that is where cows and sheep comes in. It is all a matter of cooperation: Sheeps and cows provide ponies with wool and milk and the ponies protect them in return.

Still wonder why Applejack kept the sheep in an enclosure though.

I hid one reference to World of Warcraft, can you find it?

Edit 01.20.2017.: JBL strikes again!

Chapter 11 - Nightly Visit (Edited by JBL 01.23.2017)

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I slowly emerged from the land of dreams, my eyelids struggling valiantly to remain closed. When they finally admitted defeat and opened, I saw that my room was almost pitch-black. The only light was a faint silvery glow coming from the window, and from my position, I saw that it was dark outside.

"How long did I sleep? Apparently long enough for it to become night, by the looks of it."

I struggled to sit up but immediately regretted it. I flinched from the pain, almost instinctively curling in a ball. It was not as though it was centrally located, like twisting an ankle or breaking a finger. No, this was something else, something far worse. It felt as though my bones themselves were literally creaking. I had experienced this agony only once before, and that had been during my futile attempt to cease using morphine in the past. I took a shuddering breath, feeling as though the very act of inhalation seared though my muscles and joints.

If it were just the physical pain, I could probably cope, if only just barely. At the very least, it was not as though I was going to be running any marathons anytime soon, so I could just lie in bed, stare at the ceiling, and loathe everything around me. However, I also had to contend with a gnawing hunger that grinded away at my mind, a malicious whisper curling around my psyche, promising relief if only I would succumb. It only wanted one small gift as recompense: morphine. Despite myself, my mind began considering capitulating, if only for the barrage of misery pounding it to end. Maybe the ponies had a supply of medicine somewhere nearby. If I could get to my feet, I could go look for it—

"No, I can’t! I’m here for a reason, dammit! I need to get better; I need to fight through this."

Wondering if I had made the right decision, I struggled to move my arm, raising it a couple of shaky inches before it flopped uselessly to my sides. It seemed Doctor Mgangah’s prediction on just how drained and exhausted I would be had proven prophetic.

The bed sheets were damp and cold, a result of having been soaked in sweat. Beads of moisture continued to roll down my forehead and into my eyes, stinging them. When I tried to blink them away, I could feel my facial muscles contorting.

“Hnnng, damn…”

“Please refrain from shifting around too much,” a female voice called out from somewhere in the room, halting my feeble attempts to move.

My eyes shifted rapidly through the room, though I was careful not to move my head. With the soft moonlight that poured through the window illuminating part of the room, I only now dimly recognized that someone was standing there. The figure, a pony, turned around, their cerulean eyes shining in the murky shadows capturing my attention. She took a single step into my line of sight, allowing me to witness her dark blue mane and tail billowing in a non-existent wind, sparkling like tiny stars.

“P… Princess Luna…” I grunted. Even speaking was a chore, though not entirely beyond me. “I would bow but… nh, it’s difficult.”

“Do not strain thine body.” Still commanding respect, her voice contained an undercurrent of kindness. “Thou art bedridden and shant bow to Us in thine frail physical state.” She walked up to the side of the bed with a gentle smile on her face. “How dost thou feel?”

“Unh… pretty terrible…” Despite my efforts, I couldn’t stop a pathetic moan escaping. “It hurts… and cold…”

Her eyes briefly shifted over the bed, stopping when she noticed that the duvet was almost down to my stomach. Using her magic, Princess Luna grabbed hold of the edge of the duvet and pulled it up to my neck. She was careful to avoid covering my right arm, though. With some effort, I managed to glimpse an IV needle stuck in my arm, a plastic tube running from it out of sight. I could only guess that I was hooked up to some fluid to keep me hydrated.

From my right side, a washcloth and bowl came floating into view. Setting it down on a small table next to me, she dipped the washcloth in the bowl, wrung it, and gently wiped the damp cloth over my face.

“Better?” she asked after depositing the cloth back into the bowl.

“Yes… thank you.” However, my shivering, only partly due to the cold, had not subsided. The princess took one look at the duvet and pillow and nodded shortly, seemingly understanding the problem.

“This will not do,” she announced. Once more, her magical aura stirred to life, levitating a folded piece of fabric out of the wardrobe opposite the bed.

She swung around, her horn aiming the fabric at me, but at the sudden hitch in my breath, she instantly halted. She almost took a step back, looking somewhat chagrined. “We almost forgot. Our sister spoke of how thou... fear Us, and to use magic with great caution around thee. Wouldst thou allow Us to use our magic on thee?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. My inability to move, much less defend myself, even though I knew it was absurd, had left me feeling insecure. “W-Why?

“We only wish to lift thee up for a brief moment. Thine pillow and duvet is drenched and needs changing. We assure thee, We wish no harm.”

It struck me for the first time how strange it was for her to be tending to me, seeing as the princesses had staff to do just that. Still, the sheets were supposed to be warm, and they were more of a hindrance than anything right now. I knew she was right, and would probably press ahead anyway if I objected.

“O-Okay.” I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Go ahead.”

She smiled in approval. “This will take but a moment.”

Luna's magical aura enveloped me completely, and then I was gently lifted off the bed. Once again, that warm, pleasant feeling that occurred any time I came into contact with magic flashed through my body. Floating a good four feet above the bed, from the corner of my eyes, I saw the sweat-soaked pillow case, sheets, and duvet being changed for new ones, all with the use of her magic.

Wrapped in her magic, I realized that the pain in my body and mind had subsided somewhat. Not by much, but enough that it became bearable. What was it? Did she do something to me? Before I could ruminate over an answer, I found myself slowly being lowered into bed. As soon as my body touched the mattress, the duvet was pulled up to my neck again.

“There, mine task is done,” she announced as she took a step back and observed her handiwork. I was just surprised she did it all in less than eight seconds. A few seconds after her magic faded, the familiar pain came surging forth again, just as robust as before, eliciting a groan.

“Thank you… but why?” I asked her. “You are a… princess… Nurses could have changed them…”

“Thine sheets needed changing. We can perform such a task as easily as a nurse,” she replied, still with that soft smile on her face. “We can do more than rule a nation.”

“...hehe… oww…”

“Do you find it amusing?” the princess queried with an arched eyebrow.

“Yes… no royalty back home… would do this themselves.” After all, how often did one hear of the Queen of England taking out the trash or going to the corner store to buy some tea?

“Tis true. We usually do not perform such tasks, but that does not mean We art unable to. It is night, the hour is late, and few nurses work the infirmary during this time.”

“Good point…” I mumbled as I tried to get comfortable. It took some effort, but I managed, stifling my groans as my muscles twinged and protested. During all this, the princess simply observed me until she decided to sit down on a cushion at the table.

“Why are… you here?” I asked, hoping that the princess wasn’t some weirdo that enjoyed watching ponies and people sleep. It was enough that they had god-like powers at their disposal—I didn’t want to worry about having one observing me when I was unconscious.

“To watch over thee.”

"Thank you, fate, you’re very kind."

“The potion concocted by Doctor Mgangah worked as intended, though its intensity was somewhat surprising. Thou hast been asleep for many hours.”

“How long?”

“Nigh thirteen hours. The side effect of the potion was greater on thee than he anticipated. Being caught in the clutches of the dream world for too long is not healthy.”

Well, that explained a few things. I felt as though I had been sleeping for days, and considering he had warned that the potion would weaken me, I’d say it worked perfectly. Still, I had asked her a question that she had deflected.

“Why are you… watching over… me?”

“As the Princess of the Night, mine duties are many,” she began, her forelegs hanging on the edge of the thick cushion. “Some of them We have postponed to see to thine health. Thou art mine sister’s and mine’s responsibility. My sister informed Us of what happened to thee after the potion took hold, and naturally We decided to see how thou fared,” she explained, all the while maintaining eye contact and never once blinking.

“You don’t… have to. I’m okay…” Truthfully, I felt like a load of crap that had just been run over by a car.

“We do not believe that for a second.” She shook her head. “We art not blind.”

“Worth… a try,” I responded with a weak chuckle. I hadn’t expected she would believe me. Still, she had taken the time from her undoubtedly busy schedule to check on me. What was it Celestia had said? Kindness? Luna must be the same as Celestia, all about kindness and caring. Would I have done the same if an injured talking horse had ended up in my care?

I decided to the shift the conversation to something else, though I hoped I would not cause offense. “Can I ask… a question?” Luna nodded. “You talk a… bit strange… Why is that?”

“Ah, We—I mean, I did it again.” She frowned, though it seemed to be more to herself. “Sometimes my tongue slips, and I revert to speaking as I did in ages past. Forgive me if I do so occasionally.”

I smile at how radically she had altered her speech in a single sentence. It was almost akin to switching languages. “Can I ask… why?”

At that, her frown deepened and she averted her eyes. Her forelegs shuffled nervously, while her ears slowly drooped. I could tell it was something she did not wish to discuss, and cursed myself silently. Her gaze was focused outside the window, but she seemed to be staring at something that was not of this time and age.

She sighed heavily before looking at me. “If you wish to know, I believe I can expl—” she began, but I quickly raised my hand with not an inconsiderable effort.

“No, stop.” Not a second later, a numbing pain shot up my arm. “Hnnnngh!”

She immediately stood up and quickly walked over to my bed, her mouth tightening. “Magnus, do not move. I can see and hear that you are hurting yourself. Please, stop it.”

“I will… if you don’t… explain.” Slowly, I lowered my arm back onto the mattress. Just lifting it was an achievement in itself. Meanwhile, Princess Luna gave me the strangest look; I guess she was trying to understand why I had stopped her. It was still strange how easy their faces were to read, but I suppose it was because they were so similar to humans, or perhaps it was another part of my ancestry, being able to understand a part of myself. Or understand my… people. The point was that she had worn the countenance of someone who was loathe to explain something, and I had no intentions of forcing the matter.

“Why not?” she asked me after a few moments of silence.

“Because I could see… that you didn’t want to… talk about it.”

Her frown faded, replaced by a relieved smile. “Thank you. It is not a topic I relish discussing.” I nodded weakly to her, and she returned to the comfort of her cushion.

After she sat down, she occasionally glanced out the window. It must be something she was watching in the sky, judging by how she craned her neck. Perhaps she was looking at the moon? If I was in charge of a celestial body, I’d keep an eye on it at all times, just to make sure it didn’t fall out of the sky. Occasionally her horn lit up, though only briefly, lasting only for a few seconds before fading away again.

What was it that had happened when she levitated me out of the bed? Had she casted a pain relieving spell on me? With all the magic I had seen so far, I didn’t doubt that some kind of pain relieving spell existed. After all, both Celestia and Luna had healed my hand when I had shattered the mirror.

“Princess?” Luna turned me. “When you levitated me… did you cast some kind of spell… to make the pain go away?”

She frowned at that, shaking her head. “I did not—it was merely a simple levitation spell.” Well, so much for that theory.

“When you cast the spell… the pain did not feel… so bad.”

Lifting a hoof to her chin—I still wondered how they managed to balance on three legs—she seemed to ponder my statement. “Most interesting. Magic can heal wounds and suppress pain, yet I did not cast any such spell on you. Perhaps....” She looked up from the floor to me. “May I try something?” I nodded, and Luna’s horn glowed in her aura. I quickly felt the sensation of magic again wash over my body.

Once again, it felt as though every nerve within my body was responding to a euphoric symphony being played inside me. I felt my heartbeat quicken as I luxuriated in the sensation that had assaulted me in the throne room, greeting it like a long-lost friend. In many ways, it was.

“How do you feel?” Luna asked me. I opened my eyes and peered at her, only then realizing that a grin was splitting my face.

I can’t help but laugh. “I feel great!” I exclaimed. “I feel… alive. What did you do?” If the potion had left me feeling like an empty husk of a being, I now felt as though I was bursting with vigour, any aches seemingly obliterated. However, when I tried moving, it quickly reminded me of its presence, though it was heavily suppressed now.

“I merely channelled a minuscule amount of my magic into your body, nothing more.” Giggling, she stood up and walked over to me. “Your reaction to magic does sound pleasant, and if this will aid you in your recovery, then I shall endeavour to continue doing so.”

Still smiling giddily, I looked to Luna. “Thank you so much, Princess. Don’t other beings feel like this when magic is used on them?”

“No, they do not.” Well, I felt sorry for the other creatures of this world, because this was freaking amazing.

“No? Why not?”

“All the creatures of our world have a connection to magic. From the greatest to the tiniest beings, we are all exposed to ethereal winds every moment of every day.” She looked to my arm and her horn glowed a bit brighter. In response, the sensation coursing through my body intensified. “There have been times when magic was stolen from a single being, or from nearly all of Equestria. Each of those times, those who knew the touch of magic upon them felt weaker and… lifeless. I endured such a misfortune only recently.”

For the briefest moment, I wanted to enquire about what had happened, but decided against it, preferring to bask in the embrace of Luna’s magic. In any case, she did not need to be prompted to continue. “Magic is needed for life to exist. Without magic, there can be no life. I know Twilight Sparkle has expounded upon this concept to you in the past. When our magic was returned to us, we felt life stirring within us once more. Do you understand what I speak of?”

“Magic is needed for life to exist…” I murmured to myself. “Without magic, there can be no life.” What did it mean? Another issue came to mind. “I’ve never felt magic before on Earth… and the lack of magic was killing me. Now that I can feel your magic in me… I feel whole? Complete? Is it only now that I am completely alive?” I wondered out loud.

“Very good. My sister noticed that you were very perceptive,” Luna said with an approving nod. “Some species have a greater need for magic in order to live and prosper, among them unicorns, alicorns, and certain magical creatures. You have the blood of a unicorn in your veins, thus you have a higher need for magic than an earth pony or pegasus. In other words, since you had never previously experienced magic within yourself and was only recently bonded with it, the sensations will be robust for you than anypony else, though I believe this will fade in time.”

That was a bummer. I had better enjoy it while it lasted. However, the situation where I had been slowly dying due to not having a magical bond raised an interesting point.

“If ponies had their magic stolen from them, wouldn’t they, you know, die?”

“No, they would not. Our connection to magic runs deeper than you think. We are born into a world of magic, so it never truly abandons us. When our magic was stolen from us, we lost our ability to perform magic, but we never lost our connection to it.”

While that was informative and answered some questions, new ones reared their heads. If magic was so important for life to exist, why had we never figured that out back on Earth? Star Swirl and Celestia had mentioned something about magic existing back home, just that it wasn’t mature, whatever that meant. Perhaps it was only enough to support life. I could only imagine the reactions of the scientific and religious communities if they found out. Scientific theories would be shattered, and a new religion would probably be established where people worshipped Merlin the Wizard, insisting that he had existed despite no evidence to support such a claim. Perhaps some enterprising con artist would ‘find’ Merlin’s spell book, and people would band together in churches chanting Abracadabra, while Harry Potter and Gandalf would be viewed as blasphemy.

“It’s a shame.” I released a contented sigh. “I like it.”

“It is,” Luna replied from the corner. “I experienced as much when my own magic was returned to me after the defeat of Tirek. For me, that joyous feeling lasted a day. Perhaps you shall be its companion for longer.”

“I hope so.” My mind began to wander, thinking of my mother and grandfather, my entire family line who had suffered from not having this connection, never able to enjoy being pain-free. The root cause of the issue was one I had tried to deny, though it could never be forgotten as long as I existed.

“Star Swirl the Bearded was my ancestor,” I announced and raised my left arm to my line of sight so that I could see the copper fur, the larger hand and fingers. Just at the top of my field of vision, the horn was visible, always there, always reminding me.

“Indeed he was.” I glanced over to Luna, who stared at my arm as I slowly turned it around. “Does this trouble you?” she asked, seemingly sensing the hesitation on my face.

“...Yes,” I answered sombrely. “It’s hard to believe. Just looking at a mirror, the fur, the horn—it reminds me of what I am now, how I can never escape from it.”

“Why does this cause you discomfort?” I could see the concern on her face mingling with confusion.

“I… It’s because…” I struggled to find the words. “There is a species of animal on my world known as horses. You ponies resemble them in shape but not much else. For one, they aren’t sapient. They can be taught tricks, and for a long time they were used as beasts of burden. They were useful on a farm when ploughing a field, and we even made armour for them and would ride them into combat.”

“Your ride these… horses?” Luna’s voice was uncertain. When I glanced at her, her eyes seemed somewhat widened. It might have been a trick of the light, but I could swear that she was blushing.

“Yes, it was and still is a common form of transportation in certain places on Earth. Anyway, like I said, horses aren’t sapient—it’s all instincts. Eat, sleep, mate, repeat. They are animals.” I swallowed, inhaling a shaky breath that served as inadequate preparation for what I was about to say. “One in my family had sex with a horse, and the consequences of that are imprinted on me after so many years.”

My words seemed to linger in the air as an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. The only sound was my own raspy breathing and the tinkling echo of Luna’s magic. I dared not look at her, choosing to stare at the ceiling. It didn’t take a genius to know that she would have taken offense, and who could have blamed her. I had compared her entire species to dumb animals.

“Magnus,” I heard Luna's voice come from right beside me, but I refused to look at her. How had she moved right next to me without a sound? “Magnus, look at me.” There was no anger in her voice, not even a hint of it.

Slowly, I turned my head towards her. She was mere inches away from my face. I expected to see at least some annoyance in her eyes, but instead confusion was dominant. “Is that how you see us? As animals?” she asked quietly.

I sighed and nodded. “It’s hard not to. Whenever I see a pony, I see a horse. I know that you ponies aren’t mindless animals, I do know that, but… I can’t help it. A horse is an animal, not capable of intelligent thought.” I knew that I was grasping, trying to make her understand. “You look like horses but are as intelligent as humans. You speak, you think, you build. You’re not animals, but an animal is the first thing that comes to mind whenever I see a pony.”

Her facial expression became neutral, her eyes regarding me impassively. I began to wonder what colours my prison clothing would be. Surprisingly, after a few moments, she nodded slowly, adopting an understanding look. “I see.” Slowly, she turned around and wandered to the window again, staring out into the night.

“I try my best to understand you, Magnus, but there is a world of differences between Earth and Equus, between humans and ponies,” she continued with her back turned to me. “Is it shame that you feel? A loss of self-worth?” I couldn’t even place her emotions, as there is no tone to it, nothing to help me decipher her current mood.

“I… I don’t know. Maybe. For a human to have sex with an animal… It’s frowned upon where I come from. It’s not normal.”

“But we are not animals. You have said so yourself.” She paused for a moment. “Humans are the only sapient race on your world, am I right?” I nodded, seeing Luna’s face reflected in the glass of the window. “What do you think is the most intelligent species of animals on your world?”

I reflected on that for a minute. Dolphins? Nah. Dogs? Nope. Cats? They had already conquered humans by making us their servants. We brought them food, cuddled with them, and got up in the middle of the night to let them out or in. Crows? They were pretty smart. They dropped nuts into traffic to allow car tires to crack them open. Chimpanzee, perhaps? Yes, definitely Chimpanzees.

“A type of primate known as a chimpanzee might be the most intelligent animal. Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestry from millions of years ago.”

“And if these primates were as smart as humans and lived amongst them for thousands of years, do you think that no male or female of your kind would love one? Perhaps even mate with one?” She turned around, awaiting my answer. Now facing me, it was as though her thoughts and emotions were shrouded in shadow.

“Maybe… I think some would. If humans and sapient chimpanzees had lived together for thousands of years and were used to each other, then I guess they would.”

Luna nodded slowly. “I asked Star Swirl if humans felt lonely because they were the only sapient race on your planet.” She slowly walked over to her cushion and took a seat before directing her eyes to me again. “He denied it, seeing as humans are not aware of any other sapient races. However, in this world, there are many races just as intelligent as ponies, and we have co-existed for thousands upon thousands of years. Love is a precious emotion, not restricted to members of the same species. If a pony falls in love with a griffon or minotaur, then so be it. One’s species should not matter. The human mare that Star Swirl fell in love with managed to look past their external differences, which resulted in his daughter and eventually you.”

Loathe to admit it, the princess had a point. If there were ten or twenty different sapient species on Earth, then humanity’s history would have progressed radically different. However, to accept something like that, to go against the grain of what had been the norm for society on the flip of a dime, was something I was uncertain I would be able to do.

“I get your point,” I admitted, shaking my head in disbelief. “I am a speciesist and morally racist towards your species’ idea of love between different species.” I had never considered myself racist before. It took a trip to another dimension to figure that I actually was. If that wasn’t a journey of self-discovery, then nothing was.

“I would use the term ‘misguided’,” Luna replied, chuckling wryly. It was a preferable response than anything else someone in her position could choose. “You did not know better, and I hope that your perspective will shift, given enough time. For the record; it is not ‘your’ species.” My eyebrows rose at her choice of words. “You also share an equine heritage as well.” She pointed a hoof at my hooves and horn.

“Yes, and that is what confuses me the most.” I reached up to my horn, rubbing a finger over the hard bone growth. Two vastly different species had managed to create viable offspring, even though genetics should have rendered such a being impossible. For it to be remotely possible, the two species would have to be closely related. I know tigers and lions could produce offspring, the result being what was known as ligers.

But this? Me? I was a biological impossibility. “I shouldn’t exist,” I mumbled under my breath as I allowed my arm to rest on the bed.

“What?!”

With a flap of her wings, Luna was instantly at my side, giving me an angry glare. “We will not hear thee speak of thyself in such a manner! What art thou thinking? Dost thou not believe thou art deserving of life?”

I shrunk at her piercing stare. “T-That is not what I meant!” I objected, holding my hands up in front of her. Almost instantly, she took a step back. “What I meant was that humans can’t have offspring with a different species. It shouldn’t be possible.”

“Please, explain yourself!” It was not a request. Flashes of her demeanour during my hearing had begun to surface

“Uh, well, there’s genetic compatibility to think of first. The two species should be closely related or be in the same family. Dogs of different breeds can create viable offspring, and so can cats.” Scratching my head, I tried to recall my biology classes from so many years ago. “Humans and chimpanzees have similar DNA—we’re related somewhere around ninety percent—and we can’t create offspring. Humans, and I’m pretty sure the DNA of ponies as well, are probably much further apart and still…” I pointed at my head with both hands. “Here I am. Hell, roughly half of my DNA can be found in a common banana!”

“...”

“Snrk.”

“Huh? What are you laughing at?” Luna bit her lower lip while her muzzle scrunched up. It was obvious that she was trying to hide a grin, but her efforts proved substandard.

“M-My apologies.” She snorted again. “I… So you are saying that you are half banana?” she asked, snickering.

“That’s not what I meant!” I shot her an annoyed glare.

That seemed to be the trigger to set her off, and she began outright laughing. It almost seemed uncharacteristic of her. From what I had seen of her so far, and it wasn’t much, she seems to be a very serious individual. Her face was so bright now, her merriment shining through. I wondered dourly to myself if all ponies were so easily entertained.

Slowly, her laughter subsided, though it seemed to be lurking in the background. “I jest, Magnus. Please forgive me, but the idea of your relation to a banana was very amusing. It would explain your elongated body form,” she explained with a final chuckle, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

“Can you take this a bit serious?” I asked before the vision of Banana-Magnus took shape in my mind. My skin consisted of a banana peel, with the top pulled back to reveal my head was the fruity flesh of a banana, the DreamWorks grin out in force. It was something ludicrous that one would expect to find in Monty Python, and I snorted, shaking my head.

“Oh god, hahaha! What kind of images are you trying to put in my head?” I managed to ask through my chuckling. “Heh, jokes aside,” I sat up in the bed, resting my head on the headboard, “how could this happen?”

Still smiling, Luna resumed sitting. “It can be difficult to explain in your case, but cross-species offspring can happen from time to time in Equestria and other lands. The foal of a pony and a griffon, the offspring of a minotaur and diamond dog, even between a dragon and a pony. Offspring from these unions are considered extremely rare, however. Due to certain… circumstances, I have no knowledge of cross-species progeny in recent years.”

A hoof under her chin, she tilted her head. “In the throne room, Star Swirl said that he suspected that his magic could have helped him conceive his daughter. Considering the amount of time he spent with his wife helps reinforce the theory.”

“What do you mean?”

She stood up, her blue magic flaring. “I will show you. Fear not, it is completely harmless.” She closed her for a second, and when she opened them, her pupils were completely gone. Where her eyes were supposed to be was now shrouded in a pure silver light.

I sensed an intense amount of magic building up within the room. In the air, in every breath I took, on my skin, in every fibre of my being, there was an intense presence, as if a god, or in this case, goddess had stepped into the room in all her glory. As quickly as it had swelled, it faded away and Luna's eyes reverted to their normal cerulean colour.

“Wha—What was that?” While it had certainly been a spectacle, it had not done any favours for keeping my heartbeat steady.

“That was my magic you felt, although different from what most ponies feel.” Her wings ruffled slightly as they folded back together and she took her seat again. “It is called magic overflow. For those whose magic is especially potent, magic overflow is the ethereal energy that radiate from their very being into the area around them, allowing magic to join with the natural flow that exists all around us. Star Swirl was a powerful unicorn, his magic strong, so his unused reserve could have affected his wife to a certain degree, allowing her to bear a child.”

“Uh-huh…” I mumbled slowly, nodding slowly. I wondered at the extent their powers could bend reality to their will. Had Star Swirl’s magic altered their genetic material in order to produce a child, or had the entire process simply been one magical event. I shook my head in bemusement, a snorting laugh bubbling past my lips. It seemed that no matter what strange occurrence I happened upon in this land, it all led back to the same conclusion.

“What is so funny?” Princess Luna asked as she noticed my joviality.

“Heh, sorry, but I just realized something,” I told her, trying to stifle my laughter. "I just realized that every time something confuses me here, I can always assume magic is responsible.”

Holding a hoof in front of her mouth, Luna giggled. “Well, when we live in a world where magic surrounds us, it would not be wrong to assume so.”

After our collective laughter abated, I had one final question for her. “Can I assume that magic is the reason why my feet turned to hooves and I got this horn on my forehead when I got here?” I pointed to my horn and tapped it lightly. “Because these things were not there back on Earth.”

“Yes, I did find that a bit odd as well. Star Swirl said he channelled his magic into his daughter, which then revealed her true form. I have never heard of a technique such as that before. I believe that the answer is your home world and its lack of magic. Perhaps in time, we will find an answer to this mystery.”

“All I want to know is if these things are actually permanent, Princess. I plan to go home, you know.” I had not given up hope, not when there was a solution in sight. No matter how tiny that shred of optimism was, I could not admit defeat. I know Twilight and Celestia had alluded to myself being here as a permanent thing, but I could not allow myself to place my entire reserve of belief in it.

“Home?” Luna asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Yeah, back to Earth.”

“Oh, yes, home. Of course.” She looked down at her cushion, the feathers of her wings rustling slightly. To me, it seemed as though she was hesitant. “Your physical changes are permanent. In the throne room, my sister and I connected you perpetually to the magic of our world. You are now as much a part of this world as any being in it.”

God dammit! Well, that settled it—I was going to be held captive in a lab for the rest of my natural life if I made it back home, and that was only assuming I made it back to my era. All my hopes rested on Princess Twilight Sparkle's back. Although it was certainly a positive that I wouldn’t be plagued by headaches again, I could not help feel overwhelmed. Wiggling my way under the covers, I rested my head on the pillow and sighed.

“Do you not believe you could live here?” Luna had moved over to the window, staring up at the moon. “Is our world so strange to you that even the thought of living here terrifies you?” There was a layer of contemplation underpinning her voice.

“How can I just give up everything I have back home?” I asked. “Everything I’ve spent my life building, I’m supposed to just leave it? It’s not as easy as you think it is.”

She didn’t answer straight away. Several seconds passed before she replied. “No, it is not.” She turned around, a flash of sorrow streaking across her face before her ears perked. “However, in the event that we are unable to return you to your world, you will need to reconcile with the fact that you will have to stay in Equestria.”

The princess’ word rang through amidst the cloud of uncertainty concerning my future. The fact that I might be here forever had crossed my mind several times, more than I’d liked lately. The odds were stacked against me, and I had never been much of a gambling man.

A voice next to me tore me away from my thoughts. “What?” I asked Luna, having not heard her the first time.

“I said, will you at least consider it?” Her eyes had never left my own.

“...Okay, I’ll try,” I told her, feeling defeated. If nothing else, I hoped that that would be the last of this line of conversation.

“I am pleased to hear that,” she responded with a smile. “Now then, I have business to attend to. Before I leave, is there anything you require?”

“Hm, maybe some food? Something to read?”

“A healthy appetite is a good sign, even when one is sick. I will have the kitchen staff prepare a meal for you, all according to Doctor Mgangah’s diet of course. And as for something to read, is there a specific subject you wish to pursue?”

“I don’t know, maybe something educational?” Then the thought struck me. “Got anything about magic?”

“A fine choice.” Luna trotted over to the door and opened it. “I will ensure your food and reading material will be delivered to you shortly. I will also see to it that somepony will be here to channel magic into you to lessen your discomfort.”

Damn, I had almost forgotten Luna had been using her magic on me, having gotten acclimatized to it relatively quickly. “Thank you, Your Highness.” I gave a brief wave as she trotted out the door, but before she closed it, she turned to me.

“You may call me Luna, Magnus.” A small smile crossed her face. “And I have enjoyed our conversation.”

“Thank you, it was nice talking to you.” I matched her expression.

The door clicked shut, and with her absence, the pain that had been held at bay came rushing back. With a painful grunt, I lowered myself back into the bed. Turning my head towards the door, I stared at it for a few moments. Luna was certainly different from Celestia, but she had shown she could be kind to someone like me. Perhaps I had been wrong about these alicorns. They both possessed fearsome powers, and I should fear them, but… I didn’t. They had done nothing to betray my trust, and despite myself, they had begun to act as lifebuoys in the churning reality that crashed over me.

I sighed briefly, my head digging into the pillow in an attempt to gain some level of comfort. "Thank you, Luna, for listening and helping."

Author's Notes:

New chapter! Magnus meets Luna and they talk hybrid creatures of Equus. Of course magic is involved, how else could two different creatures create viable offspring? Magnus feels uncomfortable with the whole pony ancestor thing and Luna tries to help him. Will he accept it or reject it? Clues have already been given during previous chapters.

I really liked writing this chapter. How Magnus and Luna interacts with each other felt natural and flowed quite easy. I was unsure of how to write Luna's lines to begin with, on account of her old Equish language (I've never been good at Ye Olde English). Still, I think it came out good. If I wrote something wrong, please leave a comment so I can fix it.

Also, recently, I've been listening to music by bronies and searched youtube far and wide. I came across several composers that I like. The link in this chapter is A new Moon by The DashDub. I recommend listening to his/her stuff cause it's good and relaxing stuff. I also recommend Evening Star, he doesn't just write MLP music, he's got other good stuff too.

A big thank you goes to all of you readers and also new subscribers, you all make me wanna write . And as always, leave a comment, a like if you want to and/or constructive criticism.

Edit 01.23.2017.: Another re-edited chapter. JBL works his magic in fantastic ways. Also, I noticed that the link to the music included in this chapter has been set to private, which means that linking it to others might not be what the composer wants. In that case, I found another magnificent piece that I think fits right in. The composers name is Brandon Fiechter, and I highly recommend checking out what he and his twin brother has made.

Chapter 12 - Education (Edited by JBL 01.25.2017)

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After Princess Luna left, I was left alone for perhaps ten minutes, though they felt like hours. My eyes were fixated upon the door, silently pleading for a unicorn to come to my room and channel their magic into me, ending the flood of agony that had washed over me when Luna had departed. Luckily, my prayers were answered.

A unicorn mare, one of the nurses, came to my room and explained that Luna had sent her. She would adopt Luna’s role of channelling magic to me while the princess worked on finding another solution. Introducing herself as Calm Sleep, she possessed a light amber coat and a teal mane. When she turned to close the door, I saw that her tail was the same colour as her mane, and her cutie mark was the representation of a hospital bed. Noticing the direction of my gaze, she lightly explained that her special talent was sleep spells, which were especially useful during surgery. As a result, she possessed a large reservoir of magic. It didn’t take long before I felt her magic coursing through me.

As the pain slowly ebbed from my body, I thanked her, my words sincere. She seemed a bit surprised at my gratitude, though she accepted it gracefully. As Calm continued her treatment, she began telling me of an incident that occurred a few weeks ago when some kind of centaur monster had stolen all the magic in Equestria, and how it felt when her magic had been returned to her. Apparently, the centaur had been defeated by none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They were something called the Elements of Harmony and were national heroes, by the way the Calm described them.

Hearing about this made me consider just about how powerful the diminutive princess was. The centaur, Tirek, sounded like a badass villain, who was so powerful that Celestia and Luna couldn’t handle him. Somehow, Princess Twilight managed to kick his ass and sent him to a place called Tartarus— some kind of underground prison, from the way I understood it.

It allowed me to feel a bit more optimistic, though. If Twilight had succeeded where Celestia and Luna could not, then the chances of me returning home had increased.

I ended up speaking with Calm Sleep a lot as she worked. She was initially rather wary of me and preferred to keep her distance, choosing to sit on a cushion that was a bit away from the bed. I could relate; after all, I was also cautious around them. She revealed that Princess Celestia had informed the entire staff of my presence, how I was a guest and intended no harm. Most of the castle staff had accepted her word on the matter, aside from being rather curious, as would be expected.

As our conversation continued, Calm seemed to gradually lower her guard. I asked her about her job and how long she had been a nurse. It turned out that she had started out in a town called Ponyville several years earlier, where she worked at Ponyville General Hospital. As she waxed on about her colleagues and the town in general, I could hear the wistfulness in her voice. In turn, she displayed a great interest about how hospitals and medical care on Earth worked. I answered as best as I could since I had spent more time in hospitals than the average person did. She asked what type of medical equipment we had, and in turn, I found out the extent of their development in that field. They had x-ray machines, of course, but no MRI or CT scanners. Instead, ponies relied on spells and a variety of magical machinery that could convey a substantial amount of information about a patient based on the magical patterns within the body, such as one’s blood flow, nervous system, and several other things that I knew nothing of. Technology wasn’t needed that much because magic had proven to be a reliable alternative.

It all seemed so easy in this world. Where technology would be an obvious choice on Earth, ponies here had magic to help them. It dawned on me that magic was their technology. Where we had airplanes, they had pegasi and their magic. Where we invented various technological devices, they had unicorns. As for what what earth ponies presented… I didn’t know.

I couldn’t deny it—magic had definitely begun to interest me, more than I could understand. Was it perhaps something about the… unicorn blood in my veins and my heritage, or was it just human curiosity? It was hard to tell. The dream I had about grandfather’s cabin and Star Swirl was still bugging me, though I knew it was only in my mind. Still, he had mentioned many things that were true. I hadn’t paid much attention at school because I had daydreamed about magic and wizards. I had always chosen a magic-based character, as a kid playing with friends and with video games. With that in mind, perhaps it really did have something to do with me being a hybrid. At the moment, I didn’t know.

As time passed, Calm Sleep and I continued our verbal exchange. I answered what I did for a living and about Earth in general, and in return, she spoke of the city that was outside the castle walls: Canterlot, capital of Equestria and the seat of the Crowns of Equestria. Crowns as in plural. Celestia, Luna, and Twilight ruled as equals, Calm explained. It was strange to think of a monarchy like that, but if it worked, it worked. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Later on, she cleaned my wounds and replaced the old bandages with fresh new ones. My arm and head were in splendid shape, the wounds healing nicely and didn’t pain. Two or three more days in here and I could lose the bandage. Some of my reservations concerning their medical practices vanished when I saw how Calm worked: meticulous, gentle, and with the efficiency of a professional. The lack of hands was no problem; she worked with her magic and hooves combined. Calm also removed the IV in my arm, seeing that I was awake and could drink for myself.

I did get some food later on, the servings much like the meal I had before I drank the potion. The potion had really done a number on me, as I wolfed down the food like I hadn’t eaten in days. That in turn brought up another situation.

I had to use the restroom.

Calm’s magic had rendered me able to move my arms and legs with some difficulty, but not strong enough that I could walk. I made it clear to the nurse that I didn’t want to use a bedpan, seeing as they would be too small for me. Luckily, she found bedpans meant for larger beings, specifically minotaurs. They had a few of them in Canterlot working in their nation’s embassy. I silently swore that I would do everything in my power to use the restroom next time. The ponies might have magic, but the bedpan was still cold steel, and no less demeaning than when I had had to use them back on Earth. The clean up afterwards was even worse.

Luna held true to her word concerning reading material. A maid on the night shift entered the room later on, juggling several books expertly on her back. I skimmed through the titles, still amazed that I could read their strange letters. The books certainly belonged in the educational category.

The History of Equestria; Ponykind: An Illustrated Guide; Flora and Fauna of Equestria; The Tourist’s Guide to Equestria. Yep, it certainly seemed like Luna wanted me to learn a few things. I didn’t expect anything along this line of learning, but that was what I got for asking for something educational. Nevertheless, they would certainly help me fight off boredom. One of the books was about magic. ‘The Young Unicorns Guide to Magic: Your First Spell’ was the title, which seemed like a book for kids, what with the bright pastel colours and the glittery stars decorating the covers. Deciding to save it for later, I began reading the tourist guide first since I fell in that category, in a way. The fact that the book wasn’t too thick also helped me decide. It was similar to a typical tourist brochure: highlighting cities, tourist spots, historical sites, and also contained a map of Equestria.

What got me were the names of the cities: Manehattan, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, and so on. Their similarity to places on Earth was downright freaky. Instead of trying to justify the reason behind the resemblance, I gave up so that I could save it for a more appropriate headache later.

I skimmed through the book in maybe two hours or so and then began reading about ponykind. I felt bad about doing so while Calm Sleep was channelling her magic, and apologized to her for it. Calm waved off my concern with the explanation that she had brought her own book, saying that the night shift was often slow and that the nurses would often find themselves with some free time. The book she was reading was some type of romantic novel by the look of it. I read the title and saw the cover of the book—a stallion holding a mare in his forelegs and kissing her. The name of the book? Gone With the Tornado.

The similarities…

I was currently going through the book that detailed the differences between the ponies’ subspecies and their abilities. There was the cloud-walking and weather manipulation that pegasi could perform, the immense strength, stamina, and natural connection to the land that earth ponies possessed, and of course the magical abilities of unicorns. Zebras were also mentioned. Being an ancient offshoot of earth ponies, zebras had the strength and stamina of earth ponies. Their connection to the earth was a bit different, but the book never went into detail. There was also something written about ‘bat ponies’. Formally known as nocturnals, a distant cousin of pegasi, they could also control the weather and walk on clouds, but were mostly active in the night. They were described as having bat-like wings, slitted eyes, tufts of fur on the tip of their ears, and their manes and coats usually consisted of subdued colours. Another pony race mentioned was the crystal ponies, described as having shimmering manes and coats. Nothing was written about their racial abilities, only that they had no wings or horns.

Then there were the alicorns. According to the book, there were only four of them. Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Day and Lady of the Sun; Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night and Lady of the Moon; Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the ruler of the Crystal Empire and the Princess of Love, whatever that meant. I wondered what her talent could really be, considering she was the Princess of Love. Maybe a marriage counsellor? Then there was Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.

I could understand the need for princesses to control the sun and moon, that much was certain. If not for them, there would be chaos. However, princesses for love and friendship? It was the stupidest thing I had heard. Why? Because those were two things people could figure out for themselves. To me, it sounded like babysitting an entire nation.

Anyway, back to the alicorns. The book never went into detail about what they were capable of. It only explained that they had all of the abilities of the three main pony races and that they were extremely powerful.

What I had just read was the only the introduction to the book. Each pony race had chapters dedicated to them, and I was halfway through the first chapter when there was a knock on my door.

The door opened and Celestia walked in, her smile as radiant as the heavenly body she controlled. “Good morning, Magnus.”

“Morning?” I inclined my head as well as a bedridden man could, then looked over to the window, spotting the first rays of sunlight outside. “Oh. Good morning, Princess. I didn’t realize it was so early. I’ve been preoccupied.” I held up the book so she could see the cover.

“It’s quite alright.” Celestia noticed Calm Sleep on the floor. She had previously been reading, but had thrown the book aside and bowed deeply to the princess. “Good morning, Calm Sleep. Please rise.” The nurse rose from the floor, yet seemed to stand in awe before Celestia. When in the presence of a pony princess who was thousands of years old and was basically a deity, I suppose it was warranted.

“It’s good to see you have found something to occupy your time with.” Celestia looked over the small pile of books on the nightstand, skimming through the titles. “I spoke with Luna this morning, and she told me of your reaction to magic in your current state of health.”

I knew instantly what she was referring to. After all, it was the same reason Calm Sleep had remained in the room for hours now. “Yeah, I didn’t notice earlier. It feels good, you know?”

“Indeed.” Celestia turned to the nurse. “You can head home now, Calm Sleep. I thank you for the aid you have rendered to Magnus during these long hours.”

Calm ducked her head as Celestia spoke, and when the princess was finished, she looked up at her. “Your Highness, it is my duty to help, no matter who they are. No thanks are necessary,” Calm stated, sounding proud of her work. As far as I was concerned, she had reason to be. Calm had turned what could have been a painful night into a pleasant experience.

“Still, I am grateful. You will discover that when you receive your next salary.” Celestia shot her a knowing smile.

“Princess, I… I mean, thank you so much,” the stuttering unicorn uttered and bowed again.

“No need for that, Calm Sleep. Please, go home and rest now.”

She bowed again and headed for the door.

“Bye Calm! And thank you again,” I called out before she reached the door. “I can’t even think of what to do to repay you for your help.”

Opening the door, Calm stopped for a second, a slight smile on her face. “It was my pleasure. Goodbye, Magnus. Just focus on getting better and you’ll be up and about again in no time.” With that, Calm Sleep stepped outside and closed the door.

“She’s nice.” I looked away from the door and set my eyes on the princess. “I have no idea how many hours she’s been here, but Calm definitely made a difference for me.”

“So I hear.” Celestia walked to stand next to the bed, looking down at me. It was then that I felt Calm’s magic fade, allow the stream of agony to wash forth again. My muscles and joints began to ache, almost on cue. My clothes instantly became damp with sweat, as though I had been thrown into a sauna. The worst was how my nausea suddenly reared up. I managed to hold it back, but grabbed a bedpan just in case.

“Hnng... dammit…”

“That bad, I take it?” Celestia asked, concern on her face.

“It feels… like it looks…” I said quietly while trying to lie flat on the bed.

“Worry not, dear Magnus. Luna told me of the discovery you two made during the night, and we found something that can help you.” From someplace behind her, Celestia levitated a necklace of some sort that she hung around my neck.

I felt nothing at first, just the cold metal of the chain, before the pain gradually began to melt away and magic began to course through my body once again. Within moments, it was as though there was someone channelling their magic into me. Every few seconds, a pulse emanated from the chain into my body, akin to when Luna and Calm had done it, though it was different enough to be noticeable.

“...Woooow…” I grinned as I felt the pain began to fade away. “This is… spectacular…”

I looked to the necklace and held it up with my hand. It was a thick gold chain, though I doubted that it was actually made of the precious metal. However, the chain itself was not what caught my attention. In the middle of the necklace was a receptacle that contained a large spherical orb the size of a baby's fist. It was of a teal hue but seemed to be made out of cloudy glass. Inside the orb were faint streaks of midnight blue and gold swirling around like ink in a glass of water, though the two colours never seemed to mix, instead dancing around each other

“What is this?” I asked, staring at the orb.

“This is a mana opal, a gem famous for its ability to store magic. The sensation you are feeling are the magic of my sister and myself being released into you.”

“You can store magic inside gems? This it like a… magical battery?”

“Yes. Almost all gems can have magic stored into them, although their capabilities can differ. Mana opals are extremely rare, but can store more magic than almost any other gem. Fire rubies can store the most, though they are difficult to find.” Celestia leaned down to look at the orb in my hand. “Luna and I were able to store quite a bit of magic into this opal. For a full day, it will release its magic into you before it requires recharging.”

“Huh, how about that.” I placed the opal underneath my shirt onto my bare chest, feeling the pulse thumping. It was like a second heart beating to hold the pain at bay. “But how did you find an opal this size? They must cost a fortune, right?”

“Most gems can easily be found by digging into the ground. This opal came from a gem mine near Vanhoover,” Celestia explained casually.

“Easily? Gems are so common that you can simply pick up a handful of dirt and find a random diamond in them?” I asked in disbelief. How in the hell did the economy work here?

“Diamonds are common, but rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and several other gems can be a bit harder to find.” She looked at me curiously as I stared at her. “I take it they are not common on Earth?”

“A diamond this size?” I held up the opal. “It might be the largest diamond in recorded history on Earth. If I found enough gems digging in the earth here in one day, I could retire and live out the rest of my days in opulence back home.”

Leaving the necklace be, I leaned back onto the headboard. “If I ever get home, that is.” I turned back to the princess, who averted her eyes. She almost looked sad for a moment. When she saw me looking at her, however, Celestia’s smile returned as if nothing was wrong.

Before I could begin to ponder that interesting reaction, someone knocked on the door and it opened. In walked Doctor Mgangah. “Good morning, Mister Powell,” he greeted me warmly as he trotted into the room. “Your Highness, Daybringer.” He turned towards the princess and bowed until his head almost touched the floor. “Good morning, most Revered One.”

“That’s over the top, right?”

“Good morning, Doctor Mgangah,” Celestia replied with a polite nod to the zebra.

His obeisance complete, he turned to me. “And how are you feeling today?” He took his usual seat and brought out his notepad.

“I’m well rested, to say the least. That potion knocked me out like a light.”

“Yes, although you slept far longer than intended. I deeply apologize for that.” He exhaled and jotted down something. “Most patients, when given the potion, will only sleep for two to four hours. I believe you now know that you slept for much longer than that. When you were unconscious for over six hours, I requested a magical scan of your internal organs to see how the potion affected you.”

I felt my blood run cold at the way he stated that last sentence. What if I had been poisoned? Was there something in the potion that damaged my kidneys? I should never have agreed to being a guinea pig for them.

“What we discovered is that the potion did not affect you negatively in any way. One of the herbs used in the potion is meant to relax the patient, but in your case, it was too effective and knocked you out completely.”

“In other words, it’s a sleeping potion?” I asked, breathing slightly easier. The doctor nodded. “Phew, that’s a relief.”

“After I found out, I created a new potion, but with a much lower content of said plant.”

Reaching into his pocket, Mgangah took out two vials filled with fluid, as he had done yesterday, and began mixing them. I guess he knew that I had eaten only a few hours ago. Deciding to change the subject before I passed out, I was determined to go through with the questions I wanted to ask Princess Celestia.

“Princess, any news about the portals?”

“Nothing yet, Magnus. They will reach the area sometime later today. We can only wait until we hear something.”

Well, it was not quite what I wanted to hear, but I guess I couldn’t blame them. After all, it had only been twenty-four hours. “Okay.” Still, I couldn’t keep the disappointment out of my voice. “Guess I was a bit hasty.”

“That is understandable. I am also concerned about the portals.”

I raised an eyebrow at that. “Why?” Her smile disappeared, a melancholy expression sweeping across her face.

“These portals work both ways. Star Swirl went to Earth, and you came here. I fear that other inhabitants of our worlds have travelled through them, losing their way and their lives.” She seemed almost stricken at the thought.

I hadn’t considered that. I had mostly been concerned about my own situation when there was a chance that other people from Earth, or ponies and whatever other creatures that existed here, had disappeared into them. That might explain why humans came up with the idea about unicorns and pegasi. Perhaps Star Swirl hadn’t been the only pony to visit Earth.

There was nothing I could say at this point. I was probably not the only one that had been in this situation. I wonder how other beings had handled this. I knew what happened to Star Swirl, but what about others? Had they found a way home? There was no way I would ever know.

“And there it is.” I turned to the doctor. He held a vial in his hooves filled with the same potion I drank yesterday.

Stepping forward, he held it out to me. I took the vial and drank it in one gulp. “Hmm, the taste of rhubarb isn’t as strong this time.” I handed it back to the doctor and coughed a little as the sour taste of rhubarb hit my tongue. I used to eat it all the time when I was a kid. My grandfather grew a few of them in the backyard. He would cut a few stems, remove the skin, and give them to me along with a cup of sugar. Just dip the stem into the sugar and then bite off a piece. It was like sour candy.

“What are you thinking about now?” Celestia asked me, snapping me back into reality. “You suddenly began smiling.”

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking back to when I was a kid.” I folded my hands and let them rest on my lap. “When I was a kid, I used to eat rhubarb with sugar. I used to share with my friends when they came to visit, which was almost every day. My ex-girlfriend, Lisa, didn’t like them when she was young. I guess they’re an acquired taste.”

Celestia sat down next to the bed. “Please, tell me more.”

“Hmm? About what?”

“About your friends and your marefriend. What kind of po—people are they?”

I suppose it was natural that the princess would be curious about Earth and humanity. I had been just as inquisitive about Equestria since I arrived. To be frank, I was surprised that she hadn’t asked sooner.

“First of all, my ex is not a mare. Female humans are referred to as girls or women, although girl usually refers to younger females. Males are referred to as men.” I sat up in bed and folded my hands over my chest. “Her name is Lisa Williams and she’s a year younger than me. She lived across the street from me, and we used to play together when we were younger. We just grew up together, I guess.”

“Was she the one with you on one of the photos?”

I’d almost forgotten that the photos were in my wallet. I hoped that they hadn’t been destroyed by water.

“That’s her.” I nodded and remembered the day that photo was taken: our second anniversary. We had gone out for dinner, then to the movies. After the movie, we had driven back home to my place and had a few drinks. From there, things progressed naturally. Lisa always had the softest touch.

“I take it you were close?”

I nodded. “Like peas in a pod. We grew up on the same street, played together, even went to school together. We were very different people, polar opposites with different interests. It’s weird that we started going out together. It just happened one day, me and her. None of our friends saw it coming either.”

I smiled as more memories resurfaced: Lisa and I together at a cafe, going swimming, taking walks, dinners we had at my place and hers, and the fun we had together. She was so beautiful, completely out of my league, but somehow we had fallen in love. It had been one of the happiest times of my life.

“Lisa’s parents were wealthy, and she was a bit of a snob when she was younger. Luckily, she grew out of that. Lisa wanted to work with animals and actually went to a wildlife reservation in Africa to work with wounded animals.”

“This Africa you speak of, what is it?” Celestia stared at me with rapt attention. I think I knew enough to make a parallel to this world.

“Doctor Mgangah, your homeland, is it a dry and warm savannah?” The doctor stood next to the bed, writing in his notepad as usual. When he noticed that I was talking to him, he moved his pencil to the corner of his mouth.

“Most areas are, yes. Tall grass, scattered trees, although some places are considered jungles. Predators stalk the land while herbivores move in packs, and most villages are located near sources of water.”

“There you have it. I think Africa and Zebrica are pretty much the same, but Africa is a continent, not a nation. There are many individual countries within Africa itself, and I think the good doctor might have relatives there.”

Mgangah dropped his notepad and pencil and gawked at me. “What? How?”

“Not exactly relatives, but a species of animal that resembles ponies. They are called zebras as well and have the same stripes as you do. Zebras are also much taller than you are. I think they might even be taller than you are, Princess,” I replied and nodded to Celestia. This brought a smile to her face, for reasons unknown. Perhaps she was just interested in hearing about my world. I know I had taken an interest in reading about them.

“Anyway, about Lisa and me. Eh, we just started going steady. It just happened one day. We had our fun like all couples do, but it didn’t last more than two years. We found out that we were just too different for each other.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” The way her ears drooped slightly and her upper eyelids lowered showed me that she was actually genuinely sympathetic. I had to admit that I found the display rather cute.

“Don’t be,” I said with a small wave of my hand. “It’s not like we had a big fight or anything. We just sat down, had a long talk, and decided together. We’re still friends to this day.” Celestia brightened considerably when I said that.

Stifling a yawn, drowsiness began to hook its claws into me. It seemed the potion was already taking effect. It was quicker this time, but it didn't knock me out in a matter of seconds. Celestia noticed as well and stood up.

“If you are feeling tired, we can continue our conversation another time,” she suggested and turned to leave. I shook my head. “Oh, very well then.”

It wasn’t hard to decide on whom to talk of next. “I have a friend called Adam Collins. He’s the same age as me and grew up next door. We have a lot in common. We’ve always been there for each other, ever since we played together in a sandbox as toddlers. We went to preschool together, school, high school, and so on. My grandfather used to refer to us as ‘The Troublesome Pair’.”

“Oh dear.” Celestia laughed lightly. “Would I be correct assuming that you two were quite the troublemakers?”

“Not were, Princess. Still are,” I responded with a smirk. “We started early with pranks: the burning paper bag trick, firecrackers in mailboxes, booby-trapped doors with air horns, hosing down cars during winter. The list just goes on.”

“Burning paper bag? I must confess that I fail to see the amusement in such a prank,” Celestia confessed, arching an eyebrow.

“Okay, let me ask you this: What would you do if you found a burning paper bag on your doorstep?” I directed the question to both the doctor and princess.

“Extinguish it with magic,” Celestia answered.

“Stomp out the flames,” Mgangah suggested.

“Right.” I began to smile. It seemed as though they hadn’t invented this prank around here. “Most people would stomp the paper bag to kill the flames. What would happen if someone sha—I mean, left excrement in the bag?”

Celestia and Mgangah both fell silent and both had the same facial expression; utter confusion. I could almost hear a familiar tune playing.

Any moment now…

“Oh… OH! Ew! EW!” Celestia exclaimed, scrunching her mouth and nose in disgust before covering her mouth with one hoof.

Doctor Mgangah, in contrast, roared with laughter, his head held low and a foreleg over his stomach. Moments later, he fell to the floor, gasping for air. Celestia began to laugh as well, although not to the extent as the zebra. It was more like a giggle. She held a wing over her eyes, almost as though she felt it was embarrassing to laugh over such a childish prank. With how her wing couldn’t cover her entire face, I could see how she grinned and occasionally scrunched up her muzzle to avoid laughing too loudly.

"Yeah, they don’t have this prank here."

After a short while, the laughter began to subside. Mgangah stood up, chuckling and wiping a tear away from his eye. “Heh, that was a good one.”

“Such a prank is not my style,” Celestia said as she folded her wing back against her body. “It’s just…” She shuddered.

“Yeah, not all people, and ponies it would seem, like those types of pranks. We got caught and were grounded several times, but Adam always managed to come up with something new.”

I yawned again, but this time exhaustion began to set in. My muscles relaxed and even my eyelids felt heavier. Celestia stood up, tall and regal as always. “It seemed as though you are ready for a nap now, Magnus. I think it would be best to leave you to your slumber.” She turned and left for the door, Doctor Mgangah following right behind her. I nodded, pulling the cover up to my neck. The pulse of magic released by the opal was gently rocking me to sleep.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard Celestia call out to me. Cracking an eye open, I saw her standing in the open doorway. “Before I go, I advise you NOT to tell my sister of your pranks, lest you want the rest of your treatment to take place in the dungeon.” Her tone was playful and so was her smile. “Sleep well.” She closed the door, and I was left alone.

I closed my eyes and smiled. It seemed like Luna liked a good prank now and then, and it certainly sounded as though Celestia had been on the receiving end a few times.

"They are two magical pony princesses with vast magical powers, powerful enough to move the sun and moon by will! They are both thousands of years old and the rulers of this kingdom. They’ve probably seen more than anyone else alive! They are literally goddesses!"

“... and they prank each other…” I mumbled as sleep enveloped me.

***

Hey there. This story's been re-edited by JBL. My second editor was JoyJay and this chapter was the first chapter he worked on. I decided to leave his editors note here as he truly deserves it for a job well done.

Editor’s Note: Hey there! I just wanted to say thank you to Coffee for letting me edit this wonderful story. This is my first time around when it comes to editing a fanfiction, so hopefully I did not miss anything. Hope you’re enjoying the story so far.

Goodbye, and thanks for the fish - JoyJay

Author's Notes:

A new chapter, the first one after my summer vacation. I'm back in business!

Say hello to JoyJay, my second editor. I decided on getting another editor so I won't place a big load on Lordofchaos14. They do have lives outside of fimfiction and can't edit all the time (although I wish they could, cause they both do an admirable job).

Not much to say about this chapter, really. Magnus gets to see a different side of Celestia, one he didn't expect. We do know from the show that Celestia and Luna pranks each other, at least they did when they lived in the old castle in the Everfree Forest. That place must have been hell for the guards and maids. One minute a guard is walking down a hallway, the next second he is standing dangerously close to the edge of the wall or thrown out of the castle and into the courtyard. That calls for hazard pay.

Another thing I wanted to mention: Slow pacing. So far this story progresses very slowly, that is because I'm trying to build characters and the world, and how Magnus describes what he sees and feels also builds him as a character. He is not generic, I'm trying to build a person here and it's difficult. People are different and I'm trying to create a character that has to deal with strange stuff every second. It takes time but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. The story will pick up speed later on as Magnus becomes familiar with stuff, but certain events will be more detailed.

It's worth the wait.

Chapter 13 - The Cause (Edited by JBL 02.08.2017)

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Twilight and Spike walked into the meeting room of the sailing ship the members of the expedition had transferred to, the door clicking shut behind them. A long conference table was centered in the middle of the room, with ponies seated on chairs around it. Spotting the duo, they all stood up and bowed.

“Good morning, everypony. Please sit down,” Twilight said politely as she took her own seat at the head of the table. She still felt uncomfortable with ponies bowing to her, but had grown to accept that it would happen anyway.

Twilight looked at the ponies gathered around the table. She could not remember seeing so many distinguished scientists and experts gathered together in one place. Those assembled were silent, their attention focused on Twilight.

“I hope you all had a decent breakfast, because we have a lot of work ahead of us.” She nodded to a few ponies who stood to the side. At her signal, the assistants walked around the table, hoofing out manila folders to those gathered. “These folders contain the details of the expedition.” Twilight cleared her throat and took a calming breath, preparing for a lengthy explanation.

“A few days ago, Princess Luna returned from a diplomatic visit to Griffonia. In the area where we are now, they found the remains of a small vessel and one survivor. After treating the survivor in Canterlot, he gave a detailed account of what he witnessed. The phenomena is explained on the fourth page of the documents you have all been given.”

The ponies opened their folders and turned to the aforementioned page. Many of the experts seemed baffled by what they read. Some of them grinned ear to ear while others simply looked at the page and placed it back on the table.

“The details of the incident imply that this magical phenomenon might have been a portal spell caused by something unknown to us. We are here to discover what exactly is causing these portals to appear and, if possible, close them forever.”

A wave of murmurs and whispers erupted from around the table. Some of them seemed agitated, their voices the loudest of all. One pony, a unicorn stallion, held up his hoof like a foal in a classroom.

“Yes, you.” Twilight pointed a hoof at the stallion. He stood up and bowed politely to the princess before speaking.

“Your Highness, I am Doctor Cave of the Academy of Magic in Canterlot.” His voice was strong, his overall demeanour confident. His coat was light peach, with his mane and tail a light brown, almost blonde. His cutie mark was a lemon on fire, of all things. “It’s strange that we are to close this portal. Wouldn’t it be better if we were to research and investigate it? Surely, if this is a natural occurrence, there could be much to learn from it, most pertinently where it leads to.” Murmurs of agreement sounded from his colleagues.

“I understand the scientific interest, Doctor Cave.” Twilight sighed. She more than shared the doctor’s sentiment. After all, she had wanted nothing more than to research the portal and the strange world it led to. She had imagined herself as the first pony on an alien world, meeting the leaders of Earth, making new friends. However, lives were at stake, and even staying in this area posed a risk to them all.

“However, the decision to close the portals was not taken lightly. We have confirmed reports that several ponies accidentally entered the portal and tragically lost their lives. This was confirmed by the survivor.” The expedition crew all gasped upon hearing that. Although the truth, she had to bend it. The crew on Star Swirl’s ship had all died, and he had been the only survivor. It was only through Magnus that he had been able to relay what had happened to him. “We are also very close to the shipping lanes between Griffonia, Griffonstone, and Equestria. Anypony else dying in a portal accident is simply unacceptable!”

The whispers from the expedition had long since died down. Twilight’s eyes wandered over each pony in the room. The expressions of the ponies varied, but it seemed that the potential danger of the portal had gotten through to the sceptics.

“So,” Spike gave Twilight a stack of paper containing the names and specialties of the ponies assigned to their teams, “I’ll assign the tasks now. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna selected each and every one of you because of your work and specialty in fields such as teleportation, portal magic, ley lines, geology, and diving.” Twilight looked over the papers and found the first team. “Tracking and Identification team. Professor Flow?”

A middle-aged unicorn mare stood up. Her mane was tied into a tight bun and she wore half-moon spectacles. Twilight glanced at her documents, noting her cutie mark was a wand under a magnifying glass. “That would be me,” she announced primly. The professor reminded Twilight more of a stereotypical librarian than a professor, and she briefly wondered if she would have eventually turned out that way if her role as a librarian had continued.

“Good morning, Professor. You and your team from Fillydelphia are in charge of locating the flow of magic and discover any anomalies. We believe that there should be only one; nevertheless, keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.” Twilight levitated a separate folder over to the professor. “Up on deck, you and your team will find carriages waiting. They will transport your team around so that you can cover more ground. It’s faster than using the airships.” The professor nodded sharply and sat down to peruse the folder she was given.

Setting her attention back onto her own documents, Twilight found the next team. “Ley Line team… Doctor Moonglade?”

***

It took an hour before the meeting and briefing was concluded. The teams had been assigned their tasks and introduced to each other. Thankfully, it had all went smoothly and nopony asked about the survivor or the ponies that had lost their lives. It would not have mattered since nopony knew their names, that knowledge long lost to the sands of time. Twilight was pleased that everything went as well as it had. She couldn’t talk about Magnus and what he was, or the knowledge she possessed about Star Swirl. Though Magnus’ existence was to be kept a secret, she was sure that would change sometime in the near future.

Twilight and Spike were on the deck of the sailing ship, The Sea Mare, a four-mast schooner of impressive size that served as the expedition’s headquarters on the ocean. From its deck, they observed five chariots taking off; each chariot with two unicorns on board. Their job was to circle around the expansive area of sea and attempt to locate any unusual or abnormally strong magical signatures. If they found one, a buoy would be dropped into the sea so that ships and airships could find it.

Twilight was joined by the expedition's second-in-command, Professor Arcane Nebula. He was an elderly unicorn with a dull silvery coat and grey, almost white, tail and mane, which was combed over.

“If I may, your Highness,” the professor began as he stared out at the open sea, adjusting his thick glasses with a hoof. “These portals do seem strange. They have gone unnoticed for so long; Equestria certainly hadn’t been aware of their existence. How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, Professor,” Twilight responded as she observed the chariots disappear in the distance. “Technically, we are not in Equestria. We are in international waters and almost right in the middle of a shipping lane. This just doesn’t make sense.” Twilight sighed, frustrated that more questions appeared while no answers revealed themselves.

Twilight and Professor Nebula exchanged theories and conversed as they waited. Occasionally, she attempted to hone in on any magic nearby, but all she could detect was the magic of the ponies on the ship and the natural magic existing in the world around her. If there was a magical anomaly somewhere nearby, it was not here.

Hours passed as the unicorn teams flew and crisscrossed the ocean. Every two hours they landed for the tired pegasi to get some much deserved rest as another pair began their shift. Each time a pair landed on deck of the ship, they were met with food, drink, and a bed to sleep in. A pegasus was born to fly, but hauling a chariot was tough business, and not all of the pegasus on board were in the best of shape.

Evening came, the sun about to set. Its warm glow on the horizon coloured the sky in a beautiful array of yellows, reds, and oranges as the night steadily approached, the first few stars already beginning their twinkling. The moon would soon rise, a sentinel in the night’s sky watching over all the world’s inhabitants. It was a beautiful sight.

All but one of the teams had landed, reporting negative findings. It didn’t take long before a small dot was spotted far in the distance and was quickly identified as the last team. The chariot, pegasi, and its two unicorn passengers approached the ship and made a less than stellar landing. It was obvious that two pegasi were exhausted as they slumped down onto the deck, panting hard. They were quickly unhitched and aided by their fellow expedition members. In contrast, the two unicorn members could be described as almost sprightly as they sprinted towards Twilight.

“Welcome back.” Judging by how excited they both looked, she knew that they had discovered something. “We began to worry; you’ve been out there for a long time.”

“Thank you, Princess, and we apologize for it, but we think we’ve found the anomaly!” the stallion exclaimed, almost jumping up and down out of sheer giddiness. His teammate, a mare, was equally excited.

“That’s great news!” Twilight smiled and cantered over to a table with a map of the eastern coastline of Equestria, the sea demarcated in a grid. “Can you show me where it was?”

The duo followed Twilight to the map, studied it, and compared it to the map they had been given of their designated search area.

“I think it was… here? No, here it is.” The mare pointed to a square on the sea. “We got a strange reading on grid numbers G12 and H12.” She clopped her hooves together out of sheer excitement. “It felt so strange, like the air was… vibrating or something.”

“And you made sure to drop off the buoy?”

“Yep!” the mare answered in a chipper tone. “We made several passes over the area, and all magical activity we detected was much stronger around G12 and H12. The buoy was dropped dead centre and the light turned on. We’ll have no problem finding it.”

Twilight exhaled in relief. “Well done, now we’ll make progress.” She then turned towards the captain. “Captain Fair Wind, we have our destination.”

The aging earth pony stepped forward. Dressed in a worn navy blue jacket, and a similar coloured captain’s hat, a bubble pipe hung from the corner of his mouth. He squinted at her, a perpetual frown carved onto his face. “Aye, that we do, yer Highness.”

It didn’t take long before The Sea Mare was underway, accompanied by the airships. The location where the anomaly was detected was quite a distance to their current position, and the sun had long since set and the moon shone upon the calm, glittering seas by the time they arrived.

As the ships came closer, every unicorn began to feel a strange sensation, almost a tingling vibration in the air. It felt like magic, though the sheer amount was almost overwhelming. It was raw, untamed, explosive… and potentially dangerous.

It was nearly midnight by the time the ships neared the buoy floating in the sea, its magical light easily visible in the dark waters. Many ponies stood by the railing of the ship, staring at the lonely light drifting in the inky background.

“It’s amazing…” Twilight whispered to herself. She could detect the magical anomaly pulsing from the depths of the sea. To her, who was familiar with Princess Celestia and had felt her magic many times during her tutelage, she could draw a comparison. While Celestia’s magic felt warm, comforting, protective and, most of all, powerful, this strange sensation was almost alien. It was unstable, raw and unguided. Though someone inexperienced in such matters would label it as chaotic, it was anything but.

New and unstudied, it could be harmless as all raw magic was, but there was the possibility that it could affect the ships, just as the portal had done with Star Swirl’s. With that in mind, she made her decision. “Everypony, may I have your attention? We’ll leave the buoy here for now and begin our investigation in the morning. I think it’s best if we move the ships away from this area just to be sure. Understood?” The crew saluted and rushed into action. Pegasi flew over to the other ships to relay her orders, and soon after, the ships began turning away.

“Phew.” Twilight exhaled. She was unaccustomed to commanding ponies, but she was pleased that everything had gone well so far. “That wasn’t so bad, right, Spike?” Looking to her side, Spike was nowhere in sight. “Spike?” She spotted her number one assistant standing near the railing, staring into the sea silently.

“Spike, is something wrong?” She trotted over to the baby dragon. He still didn’t reply. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked, feeling worried over his strange behaviour. Wrapping a hoof over his shoulders, Spike almost jumped away.

“AH! Oh, Twilight, you scared me.”

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling well?” Spike merely shifted from staring at her to the dark sea.

“I… This feels weird, Twilight.” Spike twiddled his claws as he looked down to the deck. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. This entire area, the sea.... It feels wrong.”

Sitting down in front of Spike, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around his neck, nuzzling his cheek. “It’s okay, Spike. We’ll be careful, all of us. As long as we do that, nothing bad will happen. Tonight we’ll move the ships away, and when it’s daylight, we’ll all keep a lookout for anything bad happening.”

“O-Okay,” Spike replied, sounding relieved. “It’s just… It feels weird. Even I can feel how wrong this magic is.”

“I know Spike, I know.” Twilight patted his back.

Breaking their embrace, Twilight stood up and levitated Spike onto her back. “Let’s fly up to the ship and find something to eat, then we can go to bed. It’s been a long day, after all.” Spike nodded eagerly and wrapped his arms around her neck. With a flap of her wings, Twilight was airborne, setting a course for Celestia’s airship in the skies above.

***

“Depth?”

“Thirty fathoms, Captain!”

“Good work! Don’t slow down, mateys!” the captain shouted over the deck. He walked over to the map table where Twilight, Spike, Professor Nebula, and all the team leaders had assembled to discuss today's agenda.

“Princess Sparkle, the depth here is thirty fathoms.”

“Thank you, Captain Fair Wind.” Twilight nodded before she turned back to the table. “You heard the captain; do we have diving equipment for that depth?” She was specifically addressing the diving leader, a young pegasus stallion.

“Yes, our gear can take us to at least seventy fathoms. Thirty will be no problem at all,” he replied confidently. Twilight found it a bit strange that a pegasus had diving as a specialty, seeing that most pegasi were naturally inclined to the skies.

“Great.” Twilight leaned over the map, studying it and all information that had been gathered. Scrolls, documents, and maps containing information on this part of the sea were splayed out for all to see. The mystery of where Magnus had been picked up and where the anomaly was located had been solved. A current flowed from the north to the south, and she reckoned that he and the wreckage had been traveling with the current until he was found by Luna. Magnus had been lucky, as if not for Luna and her crew, he would have ended up drifting further out to sea.

“Now, the first objective for today is for the divers to investigate the bottom of the sea and determine if there’s anything unusual down there. We’ll need rock and silt samples. I would also like one unicorn to accompany them and perform a thaumic reading using the instruments we brought. We should also attempt to find out more about what conditions the local marine life are experiencing and if it might be affected by the anomaly.”

“I understand, Your Highness. I can coordinate with the other teams and find somepony with previous diving experience. If they have none, we can give them a quick course and stay with them underwater,” the pegasus stallion replied.

“Good. Brief your team on what to look for. Please, be careful.” The stallion gave a short bow before trotting over to his team members.

“As for now, there is nothing we can do before the diving team brings up the first samples. I suggest the remaining teams prepare their equipment and themselves as we might have to wait for some time.” The team leaders nodded and Twilight dismissed them.

It did not take long for the diving team to get their suits on. Goggles, oxygen tanks, muzzle pieces, flippers and lead belts had been attached to them, along with a sturdy length of rope so they could be reeled in in case something happened. A few ponies with previous underwater experience had also been found and currently underwent a crash course on safety procedures.

The divers were a mix of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns, nearly all of them possessing cutie marks that involved either diving or water. Standing ready with their gear on, the dive leader gave them a warning before they were allowed into the water. They all moved towards the railing and one by one jumped into the sea, their rebreathers hissing as the airflow met water, diving to the bottom in search of the anomaly.

***

Twilight sat at her desk within her chambers on the airship, jotting down notes for her report to Princess Celestia. Although the report was to be sent at the end of the day, anything deemed important by Twilight was carefully noted to be sent by Spike.

Still, not much had happened yet. The divers had surfaced once and reported the existence of strong currents and poor visibility. It severely hindered their progress as they were unable to see more than a few hooves in front of them. The current also threatened to bring them off course, but extra lead weights had helped them stay in place.

The geology team was having a field day with all the sediments and soil samples brought up from the ocean floor, along with some geologically interesting rocks and even a few broken parts of fossils. However the greatest discovery belonged to the biology team. They also had divers in the water that reported seeing strange types of fish and seaweed never previously encountered. Twilight theorized that the fish and aquatic plants could have been pulled into the portal along with Magnus. Thus, they were the first new species discovered during the expedition. Not a bad haul, to say the least.

Another interesting fact was that some of the species were highly aggressive. One diver had to make an emergency ascent when a particularly nasty type of fish latched onto his flank and refused to let go, even when it was out of the water. The diver ended up in sickbay with a few stitches and wounded pride.

This unusual behaviour by the local wildlife did not go unnoticed by Twilight. She knew of a few other places where wildlife was highly aggressive, one of which was the Everfree Forest. Hydras, manticores, cockatrices, and timberwolves were just some of the creatures Twilight had encountered in the forest, and she knew that more dangerous beasts existed deeper in the forest.

It wasn’t to say that the Everfree Forest was unique in that regard. The forests of Equestria were renowned for their peacefulness, the Everfree being its only truly hazardous forest. However, many other ancient forests around the known parts of the world contained their fair share of dangerous predators. The Griffon Kingdom, Zebrica, The Granite Mountains— they all had at least one dangerous forest or an area of untamed land within them.

Perhaps all of these locations were linked in some way? Though unsure, she still made mention of it in her report. She was already on her fourth page when somepony knocked on the door. She called for whoever it was to enter, and one of the guards stepped inside the room.

“Your Highness, one of the members of the Ley Line team has requested an audience. He says he has something interesting to show you.”

“Please let him in,” Twilight replied and stood up from her cushion, stretching her wings and legs to get the circulation flowing after sitting down for so long.

The guard nodded and exited the room. Shortly after, a young, slender unicorn stallion walked in on shaky hooves. He had a dull yellow coat and deep magenta mane and tail with a few blue highlights in them. On his back, he wore a saddlebag with several rolled pieces of paper sticking out of it. After entering the room, the door closed and he bowed deeply in front of Twilight.

“...Eh, hi, Y-Your Highness. I-I am Pattern, j-j-junior assistant on t-the Ley Line team.”

Twilight merely smiled, seeing a bit of herself in the young stallion. She had also been terribly nervous when she spoke with Princess Celestia during her first private audience as a young filly. “It’s nice to meet you. You can just call me Twilight,” she said gently, trying to imitate Princess Celestia. “And you don’t have to bow if you don’t want to.”

Carefully, the young stallion stood up with a shy smile. Pattern was young—perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old—and this made Twilight wonder how he had managed to get on the team. The youthful stallion was a junior assistant, so he was obviously talented in some way.

“I hear you have something to show me.” Twilight motioned to the young stallion to take a seat at the table. Hesitating a bit, the youngster walked over to the table, removed one of the scrolls from his saddlebag, and unrolled it. It revealed a map of the sea that divided Equestria to the west and the griffon’s territory to the east.

“Y-Yes, Princess. I—eh, I came across this map earlier and thought it could be helpful.” Pattern levitated a pair of glasses from his bags and set them on his muzzle. “See here? This is a map over Equestria, Griffonia, and Griffonstone. And these,” he pointed out several blue circles on the map, “are ley line strong points. The ones we know of, at least.”

Taking a closer look at the map, Twilight saw the ley lines were indeed marked, running along the locations of the Everfree Forest, Canterlot, Hollow Shades, the Crystal Empire, and a couple more. Of course, she had learned about them during her fourth year under Princess Celestia’s tutelage. Ley line strong points, she remembered, were places where the natural magic of the world coalesced into a single point. Usually such places had something unusual to them, like large amounts of gems within the ground, natural magic fountains, and other phenomena. The mirror pond in the Everfree Forest was one such place.

“T-These are the ones we know of in Griffonia and Griffonstone,” Pattern pointed them out, still quite nervous, “and I t-think I may have a theory.”

Pattern brought up another set of maps and placed them above and underneath the first map. One showed the northernmost islands in the Northern Sea. The second map showed the Southern Sea to the east of the Badlands. These two maps also had blue circles on them. He positioned the maps so that they fitted perfectly to become one large map.

“I-I was thinking of ley lines earlier and I marked them all on these maps. Then I looked at these other two maps and…” Pattern adjusted his glasses, sweating so much that they had almost slid off his muzzle.

“Pattern.” At Twilight’s voice, the stallion snapped to attention. “Take a deep breath…” Twilight inhaled deeply and lifted her hoof to her chest, “…and exhale.” She stretched out her hoof. “Inhale… and exhale.”

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Pattern did as Twilight instructed. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, the nervous stallion seemed to calm down slightly.

“Does that feel better?”

Pattern smiled. “Yes, it does. Wow, is this alicorn magic?”

“No, just a calming breathing exercise.” Twilight chuckled and looked back to the maps.

The stallion almost looked disappointed for a moment, but perked up in the blink of an eye. “Well, the ley lines. I was just looking at these maps and the strong points for almost two hours before I discovered something.” He picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and drew a single line across the first map starting in Equestria and ending in Griffonia. Curiously, the ink line was straight as an arrow and went through several strong points. Pattern then drew a similar line, starting at a strongpoint on the Northern Islands and ended it on the Southern Islands. This line also went through known strong points from north to south.

Twilight examined the map carefully. She analysed the ink lines from east to west and north to south. It was easy to see; the ley lines were connected, as if a great river that magic followed. Magic was prone to follow gem deposits, like electricity followed the path of least resistance. If an area was rich with gems, then a ley line could be near. However, in this case she focused on where the two ink lines crossed—exactly where they were.

Then it dawned on Twilight. She knew what it was! She had read the stories; even Princess Celestia had told her of them!

“Ley line disharmony… magical friction…” she mumbled as the pieces finally pieced together. “Pattern! You’re a genius!” Twilight yelled and hugged the stallion. He immediately fainted; the last thing the poor stallion would have expected was being embraced by a princess.

Author's Notes:

What? Did you think that Twilight would find what caused the portals to appear? I thought I would give that honor to a random character. Can't have Twilight hug the spotlight all the time, you know

Zero amount of Magnus in this chapter, thought I would focus on Twilight a little bit. This chapter was originally a part of the previous one, but as mentioned before I've decided to split up each chapter in two to cut down on the amount of words. Each chapter has been around 9k -15k words and that is a lot to read.

On a side note: Pony names are hard to come up with. Professor Cave is Cave Johnson from Portal 2. Originally I wrote this part sometime last year when I was watching a playthrough of Portal 2. Cave Johnson as a pony somehow stuck with me and his cutie mark was kinda funny.

Naming a pony is hard, especially for me as I'm terrible with names. Whenever I come up with a new pony I try to visualize what said pony looks like and if it's a male or female and what is their coat color, mane color, tail style and mane style. What is that pony's profession? What is s/he good at? Then the cutie mark appears in my mind. Professor Arcane Nebula's appearance I've based on my boss. He 's hilarious to watch when the wind comes from the side No offence to people with comb overs (Shave it all off and save up a manly beard instead! Or mustache )

Chapter 14 - Green and White (Edited by JBL 02.20.2017)

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It had been five days since the expedition had set out to investigate the portal anomaly, and two days since Magnus had been given the mana opal necklace. True to her word, Twilight had sent a detailed report every evening to Princess Celestia, describing what they had found out. The report received on the third evening was interesting to say the least.

Ley line disharmony referred to a disruption of ley lines that caused magical disturbances to occur and occasionally resulted in strange behaviour from local wildlife, among other things. This was not the first time such an event had been observed, however. Princesses Celestia and Luna had both dealt with similar occurrences in the past, though the last time they had to normalize the flow of magic had been well over a thousand years ago. It was not considered a particularly dangerous procedure, but it required concentration and a vast amount of magic for the flow to be harmonized properly.

As unusual as ley line disharmony was, numerous written accounts had been gathered in the Royal Archives over the years, compiled into books and scrolls. A full shelf of books and nearly a full crate of scrolls had been sent the previous day via Spike to Twilight. Celestia had also been considerate enough to send some medicine as well, aware that sending that much mail in such a short amount of time would give Spike an achy stomach.

It was during the early morning hours that Celestia walked into the dining room. Luna already sat at the table with her meal, perusing the morning newspaper before retiring for the day.

“Good morning, Luna,” Celestia greeted her sister and sat down at the table.

“Good morning, sister.” Luna lowered the newspaper. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, but not nearly enough. I spent quite some time sending mail to Spike last night. I fear I might have given him an upset stomach.” Celestia began to butter her toast and poured herself some tea.

Sipping her coffee, Luna flipped to the next page. “Ah, but he is a dragon. Their strong constitution is legendary, even amongst their young.”

Chewing her toast, Celestia’s mind began to wander. “Do you remember the last time we harmonized a ley line?”

Folding her paper, Luna skewered a piece of vegetable gratiné with her fork and brought it to her mouth. “It was in the Hayseed Swamps. The rampaging hydras,” Luna murmured, her memory of that week unfaded from the passage of time.

“Yes. More than fifty hydras going wild in the swamp, destroying villages on the outskirts.” Celestia paused, remembering the despair on their beloved subjects’ faces. “To this day, I am still amazed that none of our subjects lost their lives during that time.”

“Ah, but it was a glorious battle!” Luna exclaimed. She stood up and assumed a battle stance, wielding her fork with her magic. “The two of us, sisters in blood and battle, fighting off a horde of hydras! Their mouths frothing, their sharp teeth gleaming as they roared in anger, and we drove them back for days until we finally found the cause for their madness.” Luna swung her fork against an imaginary enemy, ending the foe with a powerful thrust of her weapon before taking her seat, sighing with a small smile on her face. “The good old days…”

“The good old days, indeed.” Celestia smiled at her sister's antics. “This age is less… interesting than it was a thousand years ago. Rare conflicts, fewer rampaging dragons, the odd foe from the past revealing themselves—it’s just the peace of this time. Honestly, I would not trade it away for anything.”

“At least my nights can give me the occasional scuffle: manticores encroaching upon villages, owlbears, timberwolves straying away from their territories in the Everfree Forest.” Luna sighed and emptied her cup. “But you are correct—this peaceful age bodes well for our subjects and our lands.”

Celestia hummed in agreement and continued her breakfast while Luna picked up the newspaper again. Their breakfast continued in silence for a while before Celestia spoke up. “By the way, did you visit Magnus last night?”

“I did. I charged his necklace with magic, but he was asleep and I did not wish to disturb him. It is strange; he has not dreamt once since the day he found out about his ancestry. I would expect his dreams to be of home and friends, yet it has not manifested.”

Celestia slowed her chewing at that. “That is strange indeed. Does he dream as we do?”

“Yes, his dream world is quite similar to ours. I noticed his dream the night Star Swirl was with him, but I did not intrude upon it. Our beloved friend wanted to speak with Magnus in private, so I refrained from observing their conversation.” Luna smiled. “It is quite strange that he was able to visit his dream. Even after his passing, Star Swirl continues to amaze me.”

Celestia and Luna smiled in fond remembrance. Their decades of adventuring together were now memories of an era long passed. Somehow, it seemed as if it was not long ago. For alicorns, the passage of time was all the more sluggish.

Wiping her mouth with her napkin daintily and finishing her tea, Celestia stood. “Perhaps I shall visit Magnus after morning court. I only had time for a brief visit to charge his necklace yesterday due to the meeting with the Saddle-Arabian ambassador. We both have to speak to him whenever we have the chance to try and acclimatize him to our presence. Besides, he is quite pleasant to converse with.” She enjoyed talking with Magnus, learning of his life back on Earth.

“A sound idea,” Luna answered. She had made significant progress the night she had visited him. Magnus had no objections against Luna using her magic around him, and had even allowed her to levitate him. She shared her sister’s sentiment concerning the intrigue of his stories. Sometimes he would speak of matters that were alien to her, such as the curious concept of ‘Dee-Enn-Ay’, which she deduced had something to do with reproduction. It was clear that Magnus was knowledgeable in such matters. She expected no less of a creature from an alien culture that had accomplished so much. She often found herself wondering what Earth would be like to visit.

“Before you leave, sister.” Luna stood up and marched over to Celestia, fixing her with a serious frown. “Have you not told him that he cannot leave our world? When we spoke, he informed me of his plans to find a way home. His statement left me bewildered, as I was led to believe you had informed him.”

Celestia met her sister’s eyes calmly. Luna’s accusing glare could break even a dragon to confess all its sins. Celestia, on the other hoof, could resist, but she knew the truth of Luna’s words.

With a heavy sigh, she sat down again. “I have not told him, though I have not claimed the opposite either. The truth is… I am afraid of how he would handle the truth.” She shook her head slightly. “We both know he will remain here forever and so does Twilight.”

Celestia lifted her eyes to meet Luna, noting her sister’s frown had eased. “The way he reacted the first evening… He knew he would hurt himself, yet he struck the mirror nonetheless. What will he do when I tell him the truth? Will he attempt to further harm himself or lash out at those near him?”

A heavy silence fell over the two. No words were said, yet the truth felt burdensome on their backs. Truthfully, Magnus’ reaction that day had been rather frightening. The average pony would never deliberately harm themselves in such a manner, not in anger or fear, not even in sadness. Magnus, however, was not a pony, at least not completely.

Over the many years, the two sisters had travelled the world and ruled Equestria, learning how to predict the reactions of individuals, partly based on what species and the nature of the creatures they encountered. This ability was often useful when dealing with diplomats, politicians, and nobles. Now, with Magnus, it was a guessing game. One hint was that he would react with anger, as he did in the bedroom. One sure reaction would be grief.

“I… I think—No, I shall prepare to tell him the truth, Luna. I will find a way to ease it to him, allow it to sink in slowly. I do not believe he could handle it all at once.” She slowly rose to her hooves. Looking at her sister with hopeful eyes, she spoke, “Perhaps you could help as well if you speak to him during the night?”

Luna nuzzled her sister, comforting her as best she could. “Of course, sister,” she replied with a comforting smile. “After all, we both promised Star Swirl to take care of Magnus.”

Celestia reciprocated the gesture. “I think it is time for me to start my day.” Celestia began walking towards the door. “Good day, Luna. Sleep well.”

“And a good day to you as well, sister.”

***

‘Captain's log: star date… Is this the fifth day in this room? Maybe… Anyway! Star date: day five. I’ve grown bored, so I decided to voice my thoughts as Captain Picard. Additionally, over these few days, I’ve found out a few things:

One: pissing and crapping in a bedpan sucks.

Two: I sleep much more than ever before.

Three: sponge baths are awkward.

Four: the nurses, who are all mares, ask many weird questions concerning my body.

Five: I want pork chops. Alternatively, fried trout or baked salmon.

Six: I’m so bored.

Seven: monologuing as Picard isn’t funny anymore.

Eight: there are a grand total of 247 tiles on the floor.’

“Boooooored…” I muttered and stretched my limbs. Five days in bed was hell, especially when there was nothing to do here. It was either sleeping, reading, a chat with one of the nurses who dropped by occasionally to check on me or a conversation while Mgangah mixed his potion. I did appreciate the company though, although the ones I talked with the most was either Mgangah or Calm Sleep. It seemed we had struck it off with each other, so she was one of the few regular nurses who tended to me.

As it turned out, rumours concerning me were flourishing around the castle. The fact that I had mentioned eating cows had sent a few nurses into a frenzy, and some of them were now afraid to approach me unless a guard was present. Therefore, beef was out of the question. I wondered if poultry could also talk here. Could pigs talk? That would mean bacon would be out as well.

‘God? It’s Magnus. Please strike me down.’

So to sum it up: no meat for now, I was big and scary, some of the ponies were afraid of me, and I was still bored.

“~One hundred bottles of beer on the wall…~”

“~Particle man, particle man, hit in the head with a frying pan…~”

“~We can dance if we want to, you can leave your friends behind…~”

“~Never gonna give you up…~”

I moaned and rolled to the side, staring at the door. “I have officially grown so bored that I’m starting to rick-roll myself... and talking to myself, by the looks of it.”

Yeah, I think it was time for a change of pace before I lost it.

Grabbing one of the books from the bedside table, I sat up and opened it. I’m still on the one about the different types of ponies. It was pretty thick and rather informative as well. I was about halfway through and had reached a new chapter about crystal ponies, who apparently were a relatively new addition. According to the book, they lived north of Equestria, in the Crystal Empire. The empire itself was a protectorate of Equestria, directly ruled by the diarchy of Equestria in the form of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband, Prince Shining Armor.

I admit that reading about the ponies was actually enlightening and entertaining. I used to read about other civilizations and people before, such as the ancient Egyptians, Vikings, the Chinese kingdoms, and so on. Not that I was big on history or anything—I just liked reading about them and their way of life.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” I called lazily.

The door opened and in came Doctor Mgangah and Doctor Silverheart, both of them smiling as they entered.

“Good morning, Magnus. How are you today?” Mgangah asked in a chipper tone.

“Fine, I guess. I’m bored out of my mind, though,” I replied as I put the book away.

“We’ll see what we can do about that later,” Silverheart replied as he took a seat next to the bed along with Mgangah.

“We have a few things we would like to discuss with you today concerning your well-being. How do you feel today compared to previous days?” Mgangah asked.

“Good, better than I did four days ago.”

“Very good.” The zebra jotted down something on his clipboard. “It means that your treatment is proceeding as well as expected. Perhaps we’ll have you out of here by the end of the week, perhaps even faster.”

“Great, because I don’t like it here. I’ve never been a fan of hospitals—it’s something about the smell, that sterile scent that always lingers in the air. It always reminds me of sickness.”

“And your physical strength? Can you feel any changes about it?”

I took a moment to consider the question. I had felt pretty weak to begin with when I started taking the potion, but now it had subsided. I knew that the magic-filled opal around my neck played a large part in that.

“I don’t know. This opal fills me with magic, which makes me feel better. The pain has lessened, and I feel stronger just by wearing it.”

“May I?” Silver Heart motioned a hoof towards the pendant. I nodded and he lifted it off with his magic. Seconds passed before the pain surged forward. I could feel a definitive change, however. The pain, both physical and mental, wasn’t that bad, perhaps less than half of how I felt four days ago. It was amazing, nothing short of miraculous even.

“It’s not as bad as it was,” I told the doctors, the strain evident in my voice. Silverheart nodded, placing the pendant around my neck, the pain subsiding within seconds.

“Good, good. Now then, Silverheart here has some good news for you.” I looked to the unicorn, who held a medical folder with his magic. Opening it, he flipped through a few pages.

“We have been testing your urine samples every morning since you were admitted. The reason for the tests was to see how much opium leaves your body daily.” Closing the folder, he looked up at me and chuckled lightly. “And the test results are quite remarkable.”

“How so?”

“It seems that there are very few traces of opium left in your system, much less than anticipated after such a short amount of treatment.” He shook his head and smiled. “Truly remarkable.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to take longer?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It was,” Mgangah answered. “Although we suspect your unique racial biology may have something to do with it. Your reaction to the potion at first was not what I expected, as you slept for far longer than what is considered normal. All the beings of our world usually exhibit a shared reaction to all medicines used, whether they are a pony, griffon, zebra, or minotaur. The only difference is the dosage.”

“Your body reacts differently, or different medicines have a more potent effect on you, considering you are ingesting something that may not exist on your world,” Silverheart continued.

That sounded logical to me. Perhaps the inhabitants of this world were used to the plants here since they were a part of its ecosystem. Since I was the new guy here, I was being exposed to plants that I had never even touched or seen before. Much like when the first Europeans came to America, the native population had been exposed to diseases they had never experienced before and thus died in droves. In my case, it sounded like I was more sensitive to the medicines they used, so their effects on me were stronger.

After about fifteen minutes of what amounted to a medical interrogation, they were finished with me. The two doctors were about to leave, but I had one thing I wanted to ask first.

“Is there any chance I could go outside for a bit? I’ve been in here for days now, and I could really use some fresh air and a change of scenery.” It wasn’t that this room was bad. I just wanted to see something else and breathe air that didn't smell like disinfectant.

The doctors gave each other a brief look. “I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t,” Silver Heart replied. “There is a small garden for patients to relax in not far away. Let me go find a wheelchair and I can push you there.” With that, both doctors left, Mgangah saying goodbye while Silver Heart went for the chair. He came back after a minute or two with a wheelchair large enough for me.

Getting from the bed to the chair was easy—Silver Heart just levitated me. I had grown a bit more accustomed to their magic by now, seeing as a majority of the staff were unicorns and relied on their magic for most of their tasks. I had encountered pegasus and earth pony nurses as well, and the sponge baths I had received from them had been awkward. I still wore my jeans and t-shirt, seeing as they didn’t have hospital gowns in my size. They had found gowns meant for minotaurs, but they didn’t cover as much as I’d like to, something about minotaurs being proud of their physique and how it went against their pride to cover up. Since Canterlot was on the top of the mountain, I also chose to wear a shirt, seeing as the air could be a bit chilly. I brought along with me the two books, the one about the history of the ponies and the children's book about magic.

After leaving the room, Silver Heart used his magic to push the wheelchair through the hallways, the four guards following close behind me. As I expected, some of the medical staff shied away when they saw me, but most of them were used to me by now, so they didn’t make a fuss except from the occasional stare. After navigating the corridors, we came to a glass door. Beyond the door was a small enclosed garden with a hedge around it, with rows of flowerbeds and a small fountain in the centre that had crystal-clear water trickling down a statue of a pony. A few tables with cushions and chairs were arranged around them. Silver Heart explained that the garden was for patients as a stress-free environment for them to relax and recover in. Two of the guards stood in the hallway while the two others took up positions in the garden close to the door, nodding to their co-workers at the tables.

After making sure I was comfortable, the doctor bade me adieu as he had other patients to tend to. I had expected the infirmary to be reserved for castle guests, but I was saw that there was a group of Royal Guards here as well. They kept to themselves, chatting with each other or reading newspapers. The moment they saw me, an uncomfortable silence fell over the small garden. Even the birds stopped singing.

Now, I had never been one to seek attention. I always shied away from big parties, preferring to hang out with my small group of friends. I’d never been one for large birthdays either, mainly on account of birthdays being the last thing on my mind in those days. My friends would throw a small get-together, so I had celebrated it. Even grandfather’s funeral had been awkward, with people I had been barely acquainted with offering their condolences.

“What are you all looking at?” I demanded, staring directly at the group. The effect was instantaneous, their heads swivelling back to their conversations or their books. With attention drawn away from me, I exhaled, not knowing I had held it for almost half a minute. I might have sounded harsh, but I felt it was necessary. I didn’t have anything against them; I just wanted the stares to stop.

Spotting a vacant table, I wheeled my chair over and got comfortable in the summer’s warmth. There was a pitcher filled with water, a few empty cups, and a newspaper folded on the table. Pouring myself a glass, I took a sip and decided to see what counted as news in this world.

The paper was named the Canterlot Gazette. I flipped through the pages, scanning through some of the articles. A singer named Sapphire Shores was going on tour again; an author named A.K. Yearling spoke about her new book; a rising fashion designer in the city of Manehattan revealed some of her newest work. There was also a minotaur named Iron Will who was holding an assertiveness seminar titled ‘No Means No’! These were just some of the headlines, but one caught my eye: ‘Unicorn Hunter Scare Proven Hoax’. It could only be about me, so I continued to read.

"After rumours of a so-called Unicorn Hunter being held prisoner in Canterlot Castle sprung forth earlier this week, the population of Canterlot has been on edge, with many calling for swift justice. We can now confirm that the castle indeed held a prisoner recently, but the identity of the prisoner and its nationality are currently unknown. For readers who are unaware of what a Unicorn Hunter is, we can offer some information provided to us by Professor Dusty Tome of Canterlot University.
A group consisting of several races, ranging from griffons, minotaurs, and diamond dogs, the Unicorn Hunters were a cult whose goal was obtaining magic. Brutally severing unicorn horns, the cult believed they could use magic by adorning themselves and their weapons with these horns. Their reign of terror lasted for almost twenty years, with their base of power on several smaller islands located between Equestria and Griffonstone. At the height of their power, the group consisted of nearly five thousand members and preyed primarily on villages inhabited mostly by unicorns.
The cause of their downfall is not entirely known due to historical documents being lost in a fire. We only know that their numbers dwindled from five thousand to less than three thousand in a short amount of time. Historians believe that a battle was held in the vicinity of northern Manehattan, ridding Equestria of this murderous group forever.
We contacted Canterlot Castle for a statement, and Princess Celestia herself gave a brief comment this morning. “I am aware of the rumours currently traveling throughout the city, and it is true that we held a prisoner for questioning earlier this week, due to his belongings that we found questionable. After speaking to him myself, I can testify that he is in fact not a Unicorn Hunter. It was an error committed by myself and my sister, showing that appearances can be deceiving and that even we can make mistakes. We wish to extend our deepest apologies to him for how he was treated, and hope that he will enjoy his stay in Equestria. I hope that this incident will show our beloved subjects that one should not judge a pony or any other being by their appearance, but by their actions.”
After Princess Celestia's statement, we went out onto the streets of Canterlot with this new information and asked citizens of our fair city what their thoughts were.
“Everypony can make a mistake, even royalty, I guess.” ~Donut Joe.
“I think that the world is full of strange creatures and strange cultures. Canterlot is the capital, so I think it’s not strange at all that we sometimes get strange visitors.” ~Hayseed Turnip Truck.
“Appearances can be deceiving. I can attest to this myself. I once believed that a zebra was dangerous, but after spending some time with her, I found her to be a dear friend who is tremendously knowledgeable. I gained a humbling yet valuable insight that day about judging ponies by their façade.” ~Rarity.
“Can we be absolutely sure that he is not a Unicorn Hunter?” ~Jet Set.

“That’s a relief,” I mumbled to myself. At least I now had an inkling of certainty that I was in the clear. It seemed the Unicorn Hunters had been a brutal group. I wonder why they had gone to such lengths to collect magic? Was it the ability to cast spells that enticed them so? And severing their horns? Attacking entire villages? They had gotten what they deserved and rightly so.

I continued leafing through the pages, quickly scanning the headlines, one thing lacking that was standard in newspapers back home. There were no reports of shootings, murders, bombings, terrorist activity, or the like. After reading the last page, I started from the beginning once more, reading more thoroughly this time. Not one murder case, not one mention of war, not one word concerning anything beyond the pale. The closest was something about a bar brawl between a griffon and a minotaur at a nightclub, in which both were sent to jail for one night for disturbing the peace and destroying property.

I began wondering what kind of world this was. Did the princesses have something to do with what ended up in the papers? Did they censor everything or was this country simply peaceful?

‘Oh God! Did I end up in a fantasy world that resembles North-Korea, what with all the strict censorship? Am I in pony-Korea?’

After taking a few deep breaths and chugging two glasses of water, I ridded myself of the ridiculous thoughts. I tossed the newspaper onto the table and reached for one of the books I had brought with me. I settled for the one about magic, The Young Unicorn’s Guide to Magic: Your First Spells. Although it was obvious that the book was for children, I reasoned that the book would hold answers that would be comprehensible at my level. It had plenty of smiling faces and vividly coloured illustrations of ponies, and each page had a few lines of words written in such a way so that kids could understand. I wasn’t sure what I had expected magic to actually be, but the instructions in the book seemed simple enough.

The first couple of pages revealed that magic was something that existed everywhere, like air. It was within every object and every living creature. The first spell described in the book was the levitation spell. It was mentioned as the easiest spell to cast and usually the first spell unicorns learned, either from their parents or from a school teacher. Apparently, magic was an educational course in schools. The book stated that levitation spells aided unicorns to float and carry items, especially useful when something could not be picked up by hooves, mouth, or wings.

‘I wonder if this thing works,’ I thought as I reached up to my horn and tapped it lightly with a finger.

“Psst!”

“Hmm?” I looked up, wondering if that was meant for me. None of the patients near me seemed to have noticed the noise. I ignored the sound and returned to my book.

“Psst! Over here,” a voice said behind me. I looked over my shoulder and spotted two ponies sitting at a table. One was an earth pony stallion and the other was a pegasus mare. The mare waved a hoof, beckoning me to come over. I hesitated at first, but curiosity got the best of me, so I turned my chair around and wheeled it towards them.

I stopped a meter or so away from the table, looking from the mare to the stallion, not saying a word the entire time and keeping my expression neutral. Both ponies smiled at me.

“You’re that, um, the hybrid, right? The one that Princess Luna plucked out of the ocean?” the stallion asked eagerly.

“Yeah. And?” I was a bit wary of what these two wanted with me, so for the moment I decided to not reveal much.

“Is it true what they said?” the mare asked, leaning towards me. “That Star Swirl the Bearded appeared before the princesses?”

“He did,” I answered with elaborating. I noticed that the pegasus mare had one of her wings in a cast, while the stallion had a bandage around one of his forelegs. Maybe these two were Royal Guards, injured during training or something?

The ponies stared at me, then looked to each other, mouths slightly open. “...Wow! That’s so cool!” they exclaimed in unison and grinned.

“What’s so cool about that?” I asked, somewhat confused. They both looked somewhat bemused, their heads tilting slightly.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the mare asked. Before I could answer, she shook her head slightly. “Everypony, well, almost everypony, knows who Star Swirl the Bearded was. He’s, like, the greatest and most powerful unicorn that ever lived. He’s a legend!”

“Yeah, he is,” the stallion interjected. “Some say that Princess Twilight is stronger than him, before she became an alicorn at least.”

“Come on! This is Star Swirl we’re talking about! The legend! My mother and brother are huge fans of him, and both of them are unicorns. My mother just completed a new study on him at the university where she’s a lecturer. She’s adamant that Star Swirl was stronger than Princess Twilight,” the mare rebutted.

‘So Star Swirl is famous, famous enough to be legendary. I wonder if their views on him would change if I told them what he was responsible for. I’m tempted to tell them, Celestia told me that she hadn’t divulged any information on me being related to him. I’m not sure what would happen, so for now I’ll keep my mouth shut. And Twilight was a unicorn before she became an alicorn? How does that work?’

The mare and stallion argued back and forth for a while about who was the stronger one, seemingly forgetting my presence. I was about to return to my own table when the mare turned her attention to me, eyeing me strangely. Her gaze wasn’t exactly unsettling, due to ponies not looking particularly intimidating. Still, I did not care for the way she eyed me.

“Why did he appear when you were in the throne room? Are you a servant or guardian to him?” Guardian? To him?! The statement, casual as it was uttered, did nothing but raised my ire. Guarding Star Swirl? If he was in danger of drowning, I would give him a glass of water!

“I’m not his fucking guardian!” I growled, glaring at the duo. Both of them recoiled at my outburst. The mare flapped one of her wings, as if to escape, but only succeeded in tipping herself over to the side. The stallion got off his cushion, backpedaling several feet until he fell into a flowerbed. I gritted my teeth, almost overwhelmed by the desire to scream of what their beloved hero had done to taint my entire family line.

The mare slowly got up and winced, presumably due to landing on her injured wing. When she spotted me, she instinctively took a few steps backwards, her ears laid flat on her head and one foreleg raised as if she was about to defend herself. The stallion stumbled from the flowerbed, soil in his mane and coat.

I breathed in deeply through gritted teeth, the red haze slowly fading from my view. Both of them looked apologetic, knowing that they said something wrong. I turned my wheelchair around, noticing every single pony in the garden staring at me with varying degrees of apprehension. I knew I had made a scene, but I couldn’t bring myself to care at that moment. I began wheeling the chair over to my table, ignoring their stares and whispers as I passed them.

Upon reaching my table, I slumped back, attempting to regain control over my temper. The truth was hard to bear—I was related to that damned unicorn. I wondered what my family would have said about this entire mess. I didn’t know what mom’s reaction would be since I never got the chance to know her, but I had faint idea as to what grandfather would say. He had always been calm and logical, although he seemed to pluck the latter out of thin air sometimes. He was a firm believer in karma and destiny, which was the reason he tried so hard to set me on the right path growing up, steering me away from people who would have been a negative influence on me. He rarely got upset at anything I did, which made the occasions he did all the more memorable. But what would he say in this case? That I was meant to come here? I remembered the first time I had the visions that led me here. Grandfather had said I would go on a journey. Perhaps he was right, but he never mentioned anything about this being a one-way trip.

What if I never got back home? What if I was stranded here forever? I didn’t belong here—I needed to be amongst humans, not ponies. However, the chances of me getting back home to my own timeline were slim to none. April 2015 was just a number among millions and billions of years.

If I was stuck here, what could I do? Could I live here, fit in? I somehow doubted it. Ponies, zebras, diamond dogs, minotaurs, dragons—they were all native to this world. The worst-case scenarios came to mind, fears that had dogged me since my arrival.

No, Princess Celestia had declared that they would never happen, that it was not their way, that they were not cruel. She had not yet broken her word, and I had decided to place my trust with both Luna and her.

My anger has faded, depression eager to take its place. I had to remain patient until Twilight Sparkle returned with news, good or bad. Until then, I had to try to be positive or else I would break.

I picked up the book again, continuing where I left off and hoping that some reading might make me forget my situation, if only for a while. It was tempting to see if I could use magic or if the horn was just for show or somehow inert. The princesses had mentioned that I was connected to magic, so perhaps the horn was functional. It was worth trying. What could go wrong?

I flipped forward a few pages until I came to a chapter titled ‘How to Use Magic’ and began reading.

To use a spell, you must first focus your magic to do so. Magic comes from within, and if you concentrate hard enough, you will feel magic flowing inside you.

‘Okay, seems easy and basic enough.’ I closed my eyes and attempted to focus, shutting out all distractions, but it was difficult. With the pendant around my neck, all I could feel was the steady pulse of magic coursing through my body. I couldn’t discern any difference between my own magic and Celestia’s or Lunas, as both of them had filled the pendant. The opal still had the two royal sisters’ magic flowing within, one vivid dark blue streak and a more subdued golden one, meaning that Celestia’s magic was getting low. Perhaps magic felt the same to all ponies? Did it feel the same to me? If so, then I might be focusing my magic and didn’t even realize it.

When you have focused your magic, you must reach out with your mind to form the spell. Levitation spells are very easy to learn and require no words. All you have to do is focus very hard on what you want to levitate.

‘Levitate, levitate… What am I going to test it on?’ I looked around and searched for something to use, eventually settling on a small red pebble on the ground, easily distinguishable from the array of white rocks surrounding it. I figured the weight of the object was also a consideration. This time, I didn’t close my eyes, instead staring at the pebble. I attempted to reach out with my mind, trying to somehow feel its texture by sight, guessing its weight and shape with my mind, commanding it to rise.

The pebble didn’t move.

Slowly I closed my eyes, focusing on nothing but the sensation of magic within me. The book said that magic came from within, so I tried searching my body for something else, something deeper, something that I knew would reflect my existence. I tried to block all noises from the chattering ponies, the singing of the birds, the slight breeze playing with the leaves on the hedges, and the rustling of grass. Slowly but surely, they faded away. There was nothingness, only myself and the magic pulsing from the opal. However, I could sense something lurking behind the princesses’ magic. It was new, an almost alien presence.

It was timid yet healthy and eager, reminding me of a yearling that had stayed inside during winter, then allowed outside to run during the first days of spring. It felt new and fresh, and somehow it reminded me of my childhood days spent at my grandfather's cabin. The silence of the forest, the peacefulness, the scent of plants and grass—so many emotions welled up as long as I focused on it. It was amazing and disorienting at the same time.

Gradually, the image of the pebble came to mind. I could feel magic instantly respond, somehow recognizing it as my own. It was strange to begin with, but I gradually gained control as I attempted to guide the magic through my body. From the centre of my being, I held it together, kept it safe and focused. I was a guide in my own body, but somehow I felt this magic knew where it wanted to go, and that was my head. The sensation intensified as it travelled, navigating through my body before it reached my skull, a pressure forming that felt akin to being squeezed into a funnel. The resistance was strong, and my magic compressed even more until a soft sound caught my attention.

Wind chimes. A unicorn was using his or her magic, but I already knew who it was. Focusing on my magic, I opened my eyes and saw that the other ponies were staring at me, their eyes widened in amazement and their mouths ajar.

I could also sense a new existence, a form without mass, one that created a faint glow and the chiming sound. From my peripheral vision, a bright green-coloured aura could be seen, similar to when unicorns used their magic. There was also something else within the aura, a ribbon of white twisting around with the green. I was so surprised that I lost focus.

The aura disappeared instantly, replaced with a stinging pain that slapped my skull. It felt like I was struck by the business end of a whip, the stinging pain traveling through my horn and building into a crescendo. I jerked my head backwards as a shout escaped, holding onto my forehead in a futile attempt to alleviate the pain. The sudden movement of body caused the wheelchair to tilt. Balancing on its rear wheels for the eternity of a brief second, it crashed backwards, causing my head to crack against the stone tiles and knocking the wind out of me.

Gasping for air, I finally managed to fill my lungs, shouting the first thing that came to mind. “AAAAAH! Dammit! That hurts! Fuuuck! Son of a—NNNNNRRRGH!”

Moments passed as I alternated between rubbing my forehead and the back of my head as I continued to swear. Gradually, the pain began to recede from the back of my head, but remained in my forehead. Moving my hands away, I found myself staring up at a pair of concerned pink eyes.

“Are you alright? Are you injured?” Celestia asked, using her magic to levitate and place me back in the chair. Her horn glowed as she looked me over, presumably checking for injuries.

“I’m okay,” I answered, rubbing my forehead to no avail, the stinging pain still present. “My forehead hurts, though. What happened?”

Celestia looked to my horn before her own glowed, my forehead feeling warmer for a brief moment. “It seems you’ve suffered a magical backlash. It usually happens the first time a young unicorn uses his or her magic and loses focus. The magic rushes back into the body and can cause pain and discomfort. An adult is usually present with the foal to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

My forehead still stung, and rubbing it was futile. “How long does it take before the pain fades?” I asked as Celestia sat down at my table.

“It will fade in a few minutes, but you can also focus your magic once more to allow your magic to flow harmoniously again.”

I closed my eyes, once more focusing on finding my own magic. The opal acted as a distraction, but I knew what to look for. However, when I found my magic, it had changed, seeming erratic somehow.

“Is it supposed to act weird?”

“After a backlash? Yes,” Celestia answered. “A unicorn horn is mostly composed of bone and minerals but can be very sensitive when focusing magic, which is why you are experiencing pain right now.”

I focused on my magic, holding on to it. In response, my magic slowed, becoming calmer. The pain began to fade as I guided my magic to my horn. Once again, I felt the funnelling pressure, and after a few moments, the sound of magic reached my ears. Opening my eyes, I was determined not to lose it again. My horn was covered in the bright green glow, the white ribbon also present.

“I see you received a gift from Star Swirl.” I looked at Celestia, who observed my horn with interest.

“What gift?” I asked, bemused. I couldn’t remember receiving anything from him other than problems. I did remember something about a gift in that dream, though.

“A small part of his magic,” she murmured as she studied my horn. “The white tinge in your aura. Star Swirl’s magic was white.” I didn’t respond as I had no idea what she was talking about. She noticed, smiling lightly as she began to explain.

“In ages past, unicorns believed that magic was hereditary and that the strength of a unicorn's magic could be given as a gift. It was not true, of course, but it remained a tradition in many unicorn families for generations. When a unicorn reached the end of their lives, they would transfer a small part of their own magic to their children, hoping that they would become stronger. However, it merely grants the receiver’s magical aura a secondary colour that will fade in time.” Looking at my horn, her smile became even warmer. “The white in your magic tells me that Star Swirl deeply cared for you. In this age, it is a long forgotten tradition, but during Star Swirl’s era, it signified the bonds of a family.”

Her eyes glittered as she smiled, looking as though they were peering at a time and place not in the present.

“Oh…” I said after digesting the information. It made sense. No one wanted his or her children to be weak, and if magic could give someone more power… I began to focus my magic back into myself, feeling it flow back into the funnel and back to where I had found it. Strangely enough, it felt like it was located near my heart.

However, something Celestia had said nagged at me. “How do you know that Star Swirl gave me this? It was just a dream.”

“This is exactly the type of gift Star Swirl would give to somepony close to him He was quite generous to his family, but I know this because Luna felt another entity in your dream, namely your ancestor.”

Her calm response did little to allay the alarm bells that began to ring inside my mind. “I… I can’t believe it. Are you telling me that Luna can sense and interact with dreams?”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. She can also enter dreams and speak to the dreamer. She is the Princess of the Night, and as such, all matters that pertain to the night are her domain, dreams being one of them. Watching and guarding the dreams of our subjects, she offers advice to the restless, aiding them to rid themselves of nightmares and doubts that plague their subconscious.” From her smile, it was obvious that she was proud of Luna’s talents.

On the other hand, I was speechless. A person's innermost dreams, thoughts, desires, and fears all an open book. Invading someone’s mind was the basis of many a horror story, and rightfully so.

“Magnus, are you feeling well?” I faintly heard Celestia's voice. It took a few seconds before I reacted and slowly turned to her. “Are you alright? You suddenly became pale.” I could hear the concern in her voice. The words were on my lips, though my hesitance was born from a reluctance of inadvertently offending her sister.

“I… ah...” I stumbled over my words, attempting to phrase my words in a neutral way. “D-Does Luna enter all dreams?” I asked, hearing the quavering note behind my words.

“She does, but only if it concerns nightmares or otherwise unpleasant dreams.” She stared at me intently. I looked away, feeling minuscule compared to her. I was taller than her, but it mattered little.

Her soul-piercing gaze faded and I felt relieved, though a faintly pensive one replaced it. “You are afraid of my sister,” she stated. I nodded weakly, staring at the ground in front of me.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I answered, “It’s… I was a-afraid of her before. S-She visited me one night and we spoke for some time. She was nice and all and she seemed concerned for my wellbeing.” Slowly, I looked at Celestia. “And now… y-you tell me that she can go into my dreams.” I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, but I only managed to suppress my shivering.

“To go into a person’s dreams. I can’t think of any ability that… that is more intruding and a violation of someone’s privacy. What she sees, what she does…?” The thought that came to mind was even more terrifying. “What if she… Can she plant an idea in my head? Falsify memories? Change my personality? Can she c-c-con…” I took a deep breath, shivering in fear. “Control me?”

Celestia simply stared at me for several moments after I finished. With a sigh, she looked up at one of the many towers of the castle, a thoughtful expression on her face. She finally responded, her voice subdued. “The full nature of Luna’s abilities encompasses many things. Her lunar magic and my solar magic are considerable. We can both do things that many unicorns can only dream of and some which they do not even know is possible, for such is the nature of an alicorn. We become more powerful as we age. But doing what you fear?” She shook her head lightly and smiled. “Luna, my dearest sister, has never inflicted such an act on anypony and would never do so, not even to punish them.” I could hear the sincerity in her voice and wanted to tell her that I believed her… but I couldn’t. Because I could not believe her. It could explain why things around here seemed so… peaceful. Fearing the princesses and their powers, ponies would stay in line.

“A-And ponies allow her to enter their dreams freely?” Why?” My voice was slowly rising as our conversation continued, paranoia slowly creeping in.

“Because they know she wishes to help them,” Celestia answered smoothly. What I would give for a lie detector right now…

“When Luna and I were crowned Princesses of Equestria, she revealed her dream-walking ability. At first, many ponies reacted the same way you did—with fear. It took years of hard work before our subjects became accustomed to her presence in their dreams, but in the end, they welcomed Luna when they faced their fears and doubts in the dreamscape. Luna fought their nightmares alongside them, vanquished their fears, gave them advice when difficult situations troubled their sleep, and comforted them all, young and old alike.”

Celestia smiled fondly as she continued, “To tell you the truth, I envy her ability. I can provide comfort in my dear little ponies lives when they are awake, and then I must endure protocol, bowing, their voices a rehearsed speech. But Luna hears and sees them as they honestly are: as ponies, their true self revealed.”

I nodded half-heartedly, my mind trying to fit together the pieces to no avail. Nightmares were only nightmares, nothing more, nothing else. So why was she crawling around their dreams?

“Your world does not have anypony watching over dreams, does it?” Celestia asked after a small pause.

“No,” I muttered. “No, it doesn’t. Even if we had, I don’t think people would like it. It’s an invasion of privacy. We deal with nightmares ourselves as we always have. It’s a nightmare, a bad dream, nothing else. We don’t need someone to hold our hand our entire life,” I answered sternly.

“But if somepony did so for two millennia, would you not be accustomed to it?” she replied quickly.

Damn her and her logic! Every time I tried to justify my reasons, she went and shot them down. She was right, loathe as I was to admit it. If there was a goddess watching over our dreams and visiting them frequently, then I supposed we would have seen it as normal. However, we did not, and nothing changed that fact.

“I guess so.” I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands. “What is normal for you and your ponies is not normal for me,” I mumbled. Celestia didn’t reply, instead seemingly content to simply listen.

“I expected to be handled differently, like a monster or something. That’s probably what humans would do.” I sat up, leaning back into the chair. She just watched me with that annoyingly calm smile on her face. “I’ve been treated well, better than I expected. You use magic for almost everything, which doesn’t surprise me anymore. My addiction would have taken a long time to break back home, but here… potions. It’s not normal.” I sighed and smiled before chuckling wryly. “Then again, normality doesn’t seem to be the norm here. The sun and moon needs you and Luna in order for night and day to exist. There’s cloud-walking pegasi, magic-wielding unicorns, earth ponies that can grow your crops to perfection. But watching people’s dreams?” My shoulders slumped as I stared back at Celestia, certain my struggle shone through. “That’s something that I can’t accept.”

Celestia’s smile slowly vanished and she nodded. “Very well, I will inform Luna of your decision. However, I have a request for you.” I hesitated before nodding. “Please tell her why you do not wish for her to enter your dreams.”

“Are you crazy?” I exclaimed, forgetting for a moment what she could do if she wanted. Celestia only held up a hoof as if to forestall any further objections.

“I assure you, Luna will honour your request, but I must ask you to give my sister a chance. She has been through much lately, and she is still, in a way, recovering.”

She was a super powerful pony princess that had lived through the ages, yet it was almost like she was begging me. I couldn’t help but suspect something was amiss. She could force me, throw me in a dungeon, maybe incinerate me where I sat. Instead, she was asking me.

I mentally slapped myself. I must be paranoid, suspecting Luna and her like this. Withdrawal could do that to people, and frankly, I suspect I had been experiencing paranoia for a few days now. The nature of this world certainly hadn’t helped matters.

I had thought about this world every single day since I came here, and I only now understood something I should have days ago. What was normal for me might not be so for them. I had been trying to apply human norms to this place when I should have concentrated my efforts on understanding this place. Magic, weather manipulation, raising the sun and the moon, watching over dreams—there were probably millions of things that I had yet to experience. They were not the ones in a strange world, I was.

I needed to learn about them, and most importantly, I had to trust them in order to understand them and this world. Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Doctor Mgangah—they were the only ones I could come even close to trusting. Furthermore, the three princesses held the key to me getting home. If I had to endure Luna messing around in my head, it was something I needed to tolerate.

I deeply inhaled the fresh, flower-scented air. “O-Okay, I’ll talk to her.”

Celestia smiles warmly at me. “Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me.” I attempted to return her expression, but it was strained. A small voice in the back of my mind warned me not to raise my expectations.

Time would tell.

Author's Notes:

New chapter guys! Split in half as always. If you liked it, give it a thumbs up and feel free to leave a comment, I read them all.

Magnus goes outside! What an adventure!

So here we see what Star Swirls magic did to Magnus; he only received a secondary color that will fade. Now, everybody who thought Magnus would receive all of Star Swirls magical powers, hold up your hands.

Wow, that's many.

One thing that many people find frightening is Luna's ability to look into other peoples dreams. The usual reaction to a human finding out what Luna can do is a shrug and "cool." Rarely do I find a fic where the human is terrified of Luna's abilities. Some humans are afraid, some troll Luna with dreams of some human world things, and now and then there's a human who stops sleeping. I thought that my approach was somewhat 'real'. Admit it; finding another existing entity looking at what you dream of is scary.

On another note: This chapter has not been checked by an editor, I only looked for spelling mistakes and stuff. Lordofchaos14 won't be editing for some time because of time constraints. When he is ready, he'll be back.

On yet another note: I got more followers from last time, and more favorites, read later and tracking notes. It's awesome! Thank you everybody, you make me wanna write even more!

Edit 02.20.2017.: JBL must be an alchemist, cause he turns trash into gold.

Chapter 15 - Dark Princess (Edited by JBL 03.10.2017)

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Celestia and I spent at least a couple of hours in the small garden, discussing a variety of topics. I was concerned about what I read in the newspaper, or rather what I didn’t read. I asked about the newspaper and wondered where all the bad news was. Somehow, I also found the courage to ask if she or Luna controlled the papers, to which she explained that the press wrote whatever they wanted, and asked for an explanation regarding my strange question. I told her about what counted as news back home and the usual dreary crap that was on print there.

Celestia was appalled, explaining that if such things happened in Equestria every day, then she and Luna had failed their ponies in the most horrible of ways. I was surprised when she told me that the last war between two countries on Equus had been over four centuries ago, and the last time Equestria had been at war was over seven hundred years ago. I didn’t believe it until Celestia teleported a history book to our table so that I could read it myself. Then again, she had been alive for long enough to write history herself, so I bought that story with a pinch of salt. Celestia explained that war was uncommon due to the many nations having cordial relations with one another in this age, and disputes were resolved in meeting rooms rather than battlefields. Problems did occur, though, as this world wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows. She mentioned in passing a species called changelings that had tried to invade Canterlot some time ago, but they had been utterly beaten by the power of love courtesy of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Maybe there was something to this ‘princess of various things and concepts’? Maybe Princess Cadenza loved kicking ass?

Murder, she said, was all but unheard of. There had not been such a case in hundreds of years. Accidents did happen, but rarely did they result in a fatal conclusion. The medical care in Equestria and other countries was rather efficient. The reason was that because Equus had so many different races, the doctors in each nation had developed medicines and treatments separately. Thus, medical information was freely shared between nations as a sign of goodwill. Now I wish Earth had other intelligent races as well. Perhaps we would have found a cure for HIV or cancer long ago.

Drug abuse was unheard of. Almost all cases were accidental, such as those who had ingested plants that had a drug-like effect. Often it turned out to be one plant mistaken for another. I swore I saw a tiny tear form in Celestia’s eyes when she said that. When asked, she confessed that she didn’t like seeing her ponies get hurt. The more I thought about it, the more I saw her as a parent figure to her people. I guess since she had been the ruler for so long, maybe she considered ponies as her children. I hadn’t heard her mention any children of her own yet, so maybe she didn’t have any.

I never mentioned it to her and Luna, but I had initially assumed that Twilight was her daughter.

After chatting about the news, we spoke of other things. One subject was my current state of health. I informed Celestia about the two doctors’ visit earlier. She was delighted to hear I was recovering so quickly, as was I. Intense boredom and sleeping got old after a few days. We also spoke about some of the things I had been wondering about, such as Star Swirl’s appearance despite being dead. He was not a ghost, rather a creation of magic in the image of the original that had been imbued with a copy of Star Swirl’s mind. Constructs could carry out simple orders, such as delivering messages. What Star Swirl had done also puzzled Celestia. He had somehow imbued a copy of his mind into the construct, allowing him to ‘live’ for fifteen-hundred years in order to bring me to this world. According to Celestia, such a process was usually impossible, but somehow Star Swirl had figured it out.

Creepy old bastard.

Remembering the two injured ponies I had earlier encountered, I asked Celestia if Star Swirl had been famous, which she confirmed. Star Swirl held legendary status as the inventor of numerous spells and author of a litany of magical books. He was considered to be one of the two most powerful unicorns in pony history, the other being Twilight Sparkle. I asked Celestia how Twilight became an alicorn, which led to a rather convoluted answer. Twilight had managed to change the cutie marks of her friends. For managing such a feat and saving the destinies of her friends, she ascended to alicornhood and became a princess. I was relieved to hear that Twilight Sparkle was so skilled with magic, as it meant that she was my best bet in finding a way home.

On the outside, I just nodded. Internally, I raged at the sheer ridiculousness of the notion. In the end, I simply accepted it. Their normality, not mine. Still, wings did sound cooler than a horn.

Continuing with the theme of magic, I tried focusing my magic several times in a row. It was not as easy as it initially seemed, and I quickly grew exhausted, feeling a small headache approaching. I asked Celestia if it was normal, and sure enough, it was. Continued use would tire a unicorn, especially someone like me, whose magic was weak and undeveloped. Celestia seemed somewhat impressed that I had managed to focus my magic in the first place, seeing as I had never done so before. She explained that my magic was on par with a very young pony, saying that with continued use, I would find focusing to be easier. She also gave me the red pebble to train with.

Soon, it was time for Celestia to return to her duties. Together, we walked back to my room. My mood hadn’t improved much; neither had my state of mind. My thoughts revolved around my coming encounter with Princess Luna. My body did feel better at least. Maybe it was the fresh air and sunlight, perhaps it was the chance to have a long and meaningful conversation, or the fact that I would soon be out of the infirmary. Whatever the case, I was content to sit in my chair, resting my cheek on the back of my hand as I thought.

“What is on your mind?” Celestia asked, breaking the silence. “You were rather chatty a few minutes ago. Is something wrong?”

“Nah, just thinking,” I answered with a wave of my hand.

“About what, if you would indulge my curiosity?”

“Well, in a couple of days, I’m out of the infirmary, if Doctor Mgangah is right. Healthy for the first time in God knows how long. No more headaches and no more pills, which is a big deal for me. Plus, I’m certain Princess Twilight can figure out a way for me to get back home.”

“Perhaps she will find a way,” Celestia replied, although she didn’t sound confident. “However, if she is unable to do so, what will you do then?”

I had given that particular option some thought. Sadly, it all ended the same way. I just couldn’t give up home. I had too much to simply forget about it all. I had plans and dreams to fulfil.

I sighed heavily. “I don’t know. It’s been bouncing around in my head for a while. I do know one thing.” I glanced at Celestia. “I know part of me is a pony—I’m still trying to accept that fact—but most of me is human. I belong on Earth.”

“I understand, but disagree with your statement. You belong here as well.” Celestia nodded, looking down the corridor. “However, the chances of you returning back to Earth are slim. In fact, I believe you will not return to Earth at all.”

“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine,” I scoffed at her. “At least one of us has to stay positive.”

Celestia's serious demeanor broke for a second, letting out a ladylike giggle. It was only after I said it that I understood the pun.

“Damn it!” I huffed and smiled despite myself. “I know, I’ve thought about it. Still, I can’t give up my home. I may not return to my era, I may end up in the future or the past, and most likely I’d have to swim to reach land. If I’m lucky enough to get back home in one piece, I’ll still have a couple of things to explain.” I tapped my horn with my index finger. Celestia’s smile faded as she understood my meaning.

“Do you fear that your people will ostracize you because of your physical changes?” I heard the underlying tone of worry in her voice.

“This horn, these hooves, the fur. I’ll never have a moment of peace again. Doctors and scientists will want to examine and beg me to donate specimens of all sorts so that they can study me. Some unscrupulous individuals will probably kidnap me for the same reasons. I’ll be living in a laboratory for the rest of my natural life. If the military found out I have magic, they’ll lock me up for sure and take my brain apart in order to figure it out and weaponize magic.” I noticed that I was ranting, but I just wanted to get it off my chest.

“The religious part of humanity will most likely want to kill me just because I have a faint resemblance to a bad guy in one of their religions. Some of them might worship me. Some people will probably want my horn because they think it will give them magical powers. But that’s not the worst of it!” Celestia gave me a confused look, possibly wondering how it could possibly become worse.

“Some Asian millionaire that’s been eating rhino horns because he’s got a freakin’ dead dick will see me as the perfect remedy. Then he’ll send poachers after me so that he can eat my horn, hoping that his cock will live again!” I yelled and threw my hands in the air.

It was only then I noticed that the wheelchair hadn’t moved for a while and that the hallway was filled with nurses, doctors, and patients. The hallway was so silent that if a pin dropped, the sound would be equal to the Tsar nuclear bomb exploding. They all stared at me, incredulity evident on their faces. Guess nobody swore like that around the princesses.

‘Did I shout that last part? Yes. Yes, I did.’

“Oh… damn…” I turned to Celestia, expecting to receive a warning about my foul language. Instead, she simply stared at me. “Sorry about that.”

“Is this true?” she exclaimed loudly, almost sounding angry. “Your own kind would do that to you?” Oh, she was worried about that and not my colourful language.

“Yeah, people are capable of many things, both very good and very, very bad things. I’m just thinking about worst possible scenarios.” Slowly, the wheelchair began moving again, Celestia walking next to me. “Still, this might happen if I get home at all. If not, then I don’t know what to do. I just don’t belong here.”

“That is not true.” Though a kind expression was on her face, her voice held a note of sternness. “You do belong here. You may be more human than pony, but you are amongst your people, your kind now. I accept you as you are. Luna accepts you as you are; Twilight accepts you as you are, and I know that Equestria will accept you.”

Her words held a ring of sincerity in them that I could not ignore. Out of all the ponies I had met here so far, I trusted Celestia the most, which was odd since I also had a healthy amount of fear regarding her. It was something about her that… was hard to pinpoint. Her voice, her demeanour, the aura of peace and safety I felt around her. I was still on my toes, but somehow it was like a part of myself didn’t want to be afraid of her. Was this what it meant to be in the presence of a goddess?

“I’m sorry for swearing back there,” I said apologetically.

“I usually frown upon foul language in my presence, but your situation and frustration is understandable.”

“Still...”

"Do not think about it so much. I have already forgiven you."

"…Thank you."

We soon arrived at my room. Two guards waited at the door while my four usual guards took up positions in the hallway. Another pony stood there as well, a stallion wearing a maroon vest with gold borders that blended nicely with his yellowish-orange fur and red mane and tail, all of which seemed to have been immaculately groomed. The stallion merely glanced at me for a brief second before bowing to the princess. She nodded to him and opened the door. The unknown pony followed us inside.

“Magnus, I would like for you to meet Creative Stitch.” Celestia motioned to the earth pony. He reached out a hoof to me and I leaned down to shake it, but he just bro-fisted me. For some reason, the pony didn’t stare at me as much as the others.

“Nice to meet you,” I replied politely, wondering why he was here. Casually, I glanced towards his flank, wondering what his cutie mark represented. It was a mannequin with a sewing needle and thread coiled around it.

“Seeing as you have a limited and somewhat tarnished set of clothes, I called Mr Stitch here to provide more for you. Your ancestor told us of your need for clothing.”

Oh, that was right! None of the ponies had asked me why I wore clothes. I had wondered if they would, seeing as they all walked around in their birthday suits most of the time. That wasn’t to say the concept was totally alien to them since some ponies had worn them, such as the uniforms of the maids, nurses, and doctors, along with the guards’ armour. The vest this stallion wore was one of the few garments I had seen that wasn’t work-related.

“Okay, that’s great and all but… I don’t suppose you take Visa? I don’t have any money to pay him for it.” I doubted US dollars was legal tender here.

“Nonsense, Creative here has already been paid by Luna and myself. He is also a rarity in Canterlot, as he specializes in creating clothing for non-equine races.”

“That is correct, Your Highness,” Creative chimed in a rather fabulous voice, which was quite nasal. “Griffons, minotaurs, and diamond dogs are my regular customers. A wide array of body shapes allows me greater creative freedom when it comes to the process of fashioning art for bodies!” He brought out a measuring tape and a notebook from a pocket on his vest. “So, if you can tell me what clothes you would like. I can take your measurements and begin…” He paused and dramatically whipped his hair to the side, his long red mane flowing in slow motion to the other side. Fancy. And weird. “Creating!”

“Uh, okay…” I wheeled my chair over to a dresser on the far wall that contained all my clothes. I picked one of each type and handed them over to the pony.

Creative immediately sat down on his haunches and began investigating the garments. He seemed particularly interested in my boxer shorts for some reason. and for a second I was afraid he was going to sniff them. He did not, which I was grateful for.

“Peculiar.” He held one of my boxers in his hooves, stretching them out and letting them contract. “Elastics. I can make something like this. Out of curiosity, where do you wear these?”

“They go underneath my pants. It’s underwear, covers my stuff, and prevents chafing,” I explained.

“Ah, I see. And what colours do you prefer?”

“The same as that one. Green, blue, red, black—it doesn’t matter. I may need a different size though.”

I pulled up my shirt and looked at the clothes I was currently wearing. My boxers were a bit wide, as were my jeans. It had been some time since I last went shopping for clothes, and my jeans were at least a year and half old. I had also lost some weight during the last couple of years, making my pants sag a bit.

“I think some of my current clothes are a bit wide, so they can’t be the same size.”

“Not to worry then, my good sir. We’ll just have to take some measurements.” He smiled and held up his measuring tape.

That wasn’t exactly fun, mainly because Celestia held me upright as if I was a puppet and she the puppeteer. I bet she could make me dance with her magic the way she held me in the air. While I was dangling there, Creative went to work. Initially, he wanted me to take off all my clothes so that he could get better measurements, but I refused. Celestia intervened and smoothly explained that I always wore clothes and that it was part of my culture. I relented after a while, understanding the need for proper measurements, and stripped down to just my boxers. That, at least, wasn’t a big of a deal, which made Creative quite happy with the outcome. I regretted that he wasn’t a unicorn, as he had to measure the inside of my thighs twice, and having his hooves around my crotch was awkward. I suspected the second time was purely for his own enjoyment, and a murderous glare made him back off and finish the rest of the measurements quickly. I also showed him some of my other clothes so that he could get a better understanding of how they were made. Apparently, human clothing was quite intricate, what with how the fabric was woven and the strength of the denim.

After it was over and I was told how much clothes I would receive, I tried to persuade Celestia that the amount was too much. She declined, saying that it was the least she could do and that I was still her guest. I had to admit, her generosity was almost too much, but I was still grateful.

In short, I was about to receive seven T-shirts, ten boxer shorts, and six pants in varying colours. Creative suggested light green for me, saying that it would match my copper fur. A few shirts in black, grey, green, and white were also included, along with a couple of thicker hoodies for colder weather. I also asked for a few shorts that ended around my knees. This was due to how warm the fur on my legs and arms was, and I ended up sweating easily while wearing my normal jeans. I declined his offer to include any decorative patterns, explaining that I had no need for fancy clothes and preferred them to be plain and non-restrictive.

Shortly after, Creative Stitch left with a ton of clothes to make, or to quote him: “Create fabulous art!” He even winked at me when he shut the door, only heightening my suspicions.

“Finally, that’s over.” I released a relieved sigh and wheeled my chair over to the bed. I attempted to stand, but my muscles remained weak and soft.

Celestia watched me struggling to get out and walked over to me. “Would you like me to help you?”

“No, I’ll manage,” I replied, trying to hold onto the frame of the bed and pull myself onto it. “...Someday.”

Before I knew it, I was floating over the bed and was gently placed down, my back on the mattress and head on the pillow.

“I have very good ears,” Celestia giggled, “and you are very stubborn.”

“Am not!”

“Are too. You needed a little help. Remember, there is no shame in asking for it.”

I shot her an annoyed glare, hoping my displeasure was conveyed. Celestia only snickered at my attempt. It was nice of her to help and all, but just using magic on me like that got annoying after a while. Still, I suppose I couldn’t fault her for that.

Glancing out the windows, Celestia sighed. “I must return to my duties now. I have postponed them for longer than I anticipated, and I have several meetings to attend and documents to approve and sign. I will return in the morning.”

I nodded to her, and Celestia turned to walk towards the door. Suddenly, she paused and turned back to me. “Before I go,” she hesitated, the silence stretching into the realm of awkwardness, “prepare yourself. If no way home is found, you will remain in Equestria forever. Should it come to it, I want you to at least be mentally prepared.”

I pursed my lips and sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. Again with this talk about not returning home. Did she know something I don’t? The portals were complex, I know that much, but surely there must be a way, somehow.

“I’ll try,” I replied curtly.

Celestia nodded. “Good. I will return in the morning. Goodbye, Magnus.”

“Bye, Princess.” She walked outside and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

‘Celestia is right; I’ve barely thought about this at all. As it stands, the chances for me to return home are close to zero; to the correct timeline, even less. I have to take this seriously and prepare myself for the worst possible news. But how do people do it? How do they prepare themselves for something like that? How do people with terminal cancer prepare themselves for death? How do parents prepare themselves knowing that their child has a fatal illness? How do people prepare themselves for the worst? How can I prepare for something like not seeing Earth or my friends again?

How?’

For hours, I weighed the options back and forth. Earth or Equus. America or Equestria. Home to my normal life or preparing myself for the unknown. Each bout of pros and cons concluded with the same outcome: Earth, America, and home. I had a life back home, had friends, a job, and a house I wanted to fix. My hometown, my usual hangouts, my favourite spots to go fishing, camping, and everything else I used to do either alone or with friends. In short, everything I knew. My life.

Equus and Equestria. Ponies, griffons, minotaurs, zebras, diamond dogs, dragons, and other unknown creatures. This world seemed so… so fresh, so new. In a way, it was untainted by modern technology. It was a peaceful, beautiful world, as far as I knew. There was magic and untold wonders I had yet to see. Even time seemed to pass by at a slow pace here. This world was new for me to see and explore, and deep down I wanted to experience more. Those thoughts were pushed aside in favour of what I already knew.

Was it fear of the unknown, how I would be treated and regarded by the ponies, or perhaps a combination of several things? On the flip side, what future awaited me on Earth? The hooves, the horn, the fur… This was me now, something that was not completely human. How would people treat me? My friends had always stood by my side, and they would be the last ones to abandon me. However, their kindness was but a drop in the bucket that was humanity.

‘Freak! Monster! Devil!’

‘He can levitate things? Quick, capture him so we can study his brain!’

People feared the unknown, and if they believed the unknown was a threat, they would react accordingly, no matter if the unknown was benign or an actual threat. Perhaps I was overthinking things. Would they do that? Perhaps not, but what else would they do? Leave me alone? Hardly. These were all just theories that assumed that I could get home, and I didn’t even know if it was possible yet.

My thoughts were interrupted by Doctor Mgangah with my potion and a nurse who changed my bandages. I got some good news as he told me that my bandages and stitches would be removed tomorrow, as my wounds had healed. I barely reacted, deep in thought as I was. After a healthy meal, I drank the potion and fell asleep for a couple of hours. My train of thoughts continued when I regained consciousness.

Preparing. So simple a concept until you had to prepare to lose everything you had. Who could honestly do it? I lost my grandfather and for weeks I refused to face the truth that he was gone. Still, I had had people who I could rely on, those who had pulled me from the abyss of despair.

Lisa. The kindest girl I had ever met. The girl I first fell in love with. Her love for animals and their wellbeing was astonishing.

Nickolas. Tech geek. Computers and video games was his life. He was the one to introduce me to the Super Nintendo back in the day. We played Street Fighter 2 every day when we were kids and continued on Tekken and various other games when we grew older.

Renee, the artist in our little circle of friends. Whether it was pencil, digital art, or oil painting, she could create something beautiful out of it.

Sammy, an avid reader and writer. He liked the fantasy genre and began writing short stories that took place in that setting where technology and magic ruled side by side. His stories had garnered a small fan base on the Internet. He wasn’t famous or rich, but he didn’t mind.

Jesse. Grease monkey. Metalworker. Welder. Tomboy. If it had an engine, she could fix it. If something needed to be made out of steel and iron, she could fabricate it.

Max. A giant and body builder. A big man with a big heart. He wanted to be the world's strongest man one day, and I had no doubt that he would succeed.

Adam. My first best friend. Short of stature, but with a sense of humour larger than life. We had similar interests, such as a fondness for the outdoors. He always had a joke ready for any occasion, with absolutely no restraints. If he had the chance, he would tell dirty jokes to the pope. He wanted to be a comedian and performed regularly at a few bars. He had a reputation for delivering a good performance, leaving the audience in tears.

I couldn’t leave them. I didn’t want to.

***

Sleep. So peaceful was the absence of thought. No sound, no light, no dark, just a nothingness that allowed my mind to rest and process the events of the day.

It was supposed to be that way until I woke up. I stirred from my light slumber, allowing consciousness to gradually emerge. Cracking open my eyes, I noticed the room was almost completely in shadows except from the faint silver illumination that came from outside the window. The moon was in ascendancy.

Something bumped into my arm, startling me slightly.

“Mister Powell?” a gravelly voice asked. I slowly turned around to face whoever it was. The figure slowly came into focus. A pony, but not one I had seen before. Its grey coat blended in with the darkness of the room as its yellow, slitted eyes regarded me. Leathery wings were tucked to its sides, its ears reminiscent of a pony’s aside from the tufts of hair at the ends. He wore a helmet that resembled the ones worn by the normal guards, except this one had the crest of a bat’s wing and his armour was different in style and colour. It certainly looked more intimidating.

“I don’t know where Rachel is,” my mouth blurted before my brain was able to catch up. Seconds of silence passed by as body and mind came to an agreement concerning the situation and the pony guard. The bat pony did not seem amused, or if he was, he chose not to show it. If anything, a slight frown briefly flickered across his face.

“Her Highness, Princess Luna, wishes to speak with you.”

Whatever drowsiness that had still existed was instantly vanquished. I had nearly forgotten that Celestia wanted me to explain to Luna why I didn’t want her in my dreams. With my heart pounding, I sat up in bed, slipping on my T-shirt and reaching for my pants when the bat pony held up a hoof.

“Her Royal Highness is outside. Are you ready?” I nodded weakly. In response, the pony walked to the door and exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

How would she react to what I was about to tell her? No, she already knew that I didn’t want her in my dreams—I just had to explain her why. I hope she understood… and didn’t smite me. Smiting was bad.

Seconds later, the door opened silently, revealing the Princess of the Night herself. I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a steadying breath. Her demeanour was what immediately stuck out to me. From what I had seen of her earlier, she came across as rather proud and dignified, though not in a particularly snobbish way. Now, her head was slightly lowered and the smile she flashed me was brittle.

“May We come in?” she asked almost hesitantly.

“Uh… sure, come in,” I replied, taken aback by her appearance. Was this the Princess of the Night? Where was her commanding voice, her royal posture, her confidence?

She murmured her thanks, walked over to the table near the far wall, and sat down on a cushion just a few meters away from me. When our eyes briefly met, she quickly averted her gaze. I was so puzzled over the change in demeanour that it took a few moments before I realized that I was staring at her.

“My sister told Us of thine… your fears,” she began. “That thou fear my abilities…” she sighed and slowly lifted her gaze until it met mine, “... and thou fear me.” I nodded slowly, wary of the direction she could be headed. It certainly didn’t seem to be one that included a smiting.

“I... Uh, yes, it’s true, Luna.” I remembered to call her by name instead of title. She slowly nodded.

“Thou… You do not want me to watch over your dreams.” A glimmer of hurt danced across her eyes.

I chose my words cautiously. I wasn’t sure how she would react, but I hoped that she would understand. “Humans dream as well, Luna. Good dreams, bad dreams, even nightmares. When we have nightmares, we are usually frightened, and when we wake up, we know that it was a bad dream and nothing more.” She nodded slowly. So far, so good. “However, there is no one, or nopony, to watch over our dreams. There never was. And we’re used to that.”

“Star Swirl told us of thy sun and moon moving on their own, but we did not know that thine dreams were unguarded as well.” Luna shook her head morosely

“Yes, and that is why I’m afraid,” I finally admitted. “I understand that you and Celestia are much more powerful that anyone else around here. When I heard that you two could raise the sun and the moon, I was terrified. Now, I think I can handle that information.” I stopped for a moment to gather my thoughts. I leaned back on the headboard and sighed, staring at the window and the soft light that illuminated the room.

“Then Celestia told me that you can… can enter dreams and see what they are, and that got me thinking. If you came into my dreams, then you would be in my head. You’d have access to my memories. You would know everything about me.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna flinch before she directed her eyes at the floor. In that short glimpse, I could tell how deeply my words had wounded her, and guilt began to flood my conscience.

“De... Despite everything you and Celestia have done for me, I'm still suspicious, even wary of the two of you. What you have said, what you have done… I… I’ve been on my toes for days, just waiting for something to happen, but nothing has. When I learned of you and dreams, I thought that that was it.”

I sat up and looked at Luna. I'd expected her to defend her dream watching, but she didn’t interrupt me.

“Then I began to wonder if you could… if you can destroy my memories and create new ones in their place, and that you could control me. I would be a hollow shell of flesh, and who I am would be destroyed forever.” I looked at her, expecting to elicit a reaction. However, she continued to stare at the floor, an expression of hurt still etched onto her face. “That is why I’m afraid of you. That’s why I don’t want you in my dreams.” I leaned back onto the headboard and exhaled. That was it, the reason why, and now she knew.

Seconds crawled by at a snail’s pace, my nervousness increasing with each moment. She poked her cushion with her hoof, her wings sagging slightly. “It has been many centuries since I heard such accusations.” Her voice was merely a whisper, still carrying a note of pain. “It was shortly after our coronation. Our subjects feared me when I visited their dreams, despite my only intention being to keep them safe from the dangers that lurk within nightmares.”

She looked up at me. The moonlight illuminated her face, revealing moist eyes. “I toiled for many years to gain their trust, banishing their nightmares and offering counsel to those in need. I was so happy that I began to change the night sky for them. I established constellations for them to enjoy, I conceived meteor showers for their eyes, and I harnessed the light from my sister's sun to paint the skies with a special creation of my own: the aurora. I did my utmost to make the night beautiful for my subjects sake. I… I wanted them to see that the night can be as beautiful as the day.” She paused for a moment, wiping away tears from her eyes with the tip of her wings.

“But they slept through my night. They enjoyed the light of my sister’s day, but slept through all of my hard work. Nopony was awake to see the hard work I did for them, but every day they would praise the beautiful day, the sun and its light, and never caring about the night. With each word, my hatred grew. I…” Luna hesitated, her jaw tightening, “I became jealous of Celestia.”

Now I was the one whose attention had been captured by her riveting tale. I almost got the sense that, beyond the initial layer of hurt, it was almost cathartic for her to speak freely, to release these emotions bottled within her.

“I planned to overthrow my sister and make the night last forever. My anger grew until it was hatred for the sun and my sister, and my hatred transformed me into a mare of darkness.” Luna clenched her eyes, forcing tears to flow from them. “I-I became a wicked shadow of myself. I called myself Nightmare Moon, and in my hatred, I attacked my sister in an attempt to destroy her.” Luna's voice nearly cracked at the last part.

“Luna…” She held up a hoof, silencing me. I didn’t even realize I had spoken.

“I attacked my sister in our old castle, intent on destroying her. For hours the battle raged, my hatred fuelling my magic, until I struck down Celestia. I still remember her scream as she fell from the skies…” A sob came from Luna, her tears flowing freely. With a sharp intake of breath, she continued. “She survived and used six magical gems called the Elements of Harmony in order to banish me to the moon so that I could do no harm to our world. On the moon, I was imprisoned for a thousand years, my anger and jealousy undimmed by the passage of time. Only on occasion was I able to clear the haze that had engulfed my being before I was consumed once again.”

‘The sadness in her voice, the regret in her words… She’s hurt, and that’s just by telling me her story. She… They are enormously powerful. But… she… Did I remind her of this by fearing her?’ My blood ran cold, images of the hate-filled alicorn rampaging, destroying everything in her path as the night became eternal. My hands trembled with fear, and I quickly hid them under the blanket.

“A little more than a year ago, I was released from my banishment and returned to Equestria, intent on achieving what I had once failed to accomplish. However, there was an unexpected development that I had not foreseen: Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Through their friendship, they discovered that they were the Bearers of Harmony, each of them representing one of the six elements.” A fond smile appeared on her face, momentarily vanquishing the gloom that had entrapped her.

“Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, Magic. Together, the six Elements of Harmony cleansed my very essence. My hatred was washed away, my dark form vanquished, with all that remained a regretful mare fully aware of the wrongs she had wrought. At that moment, my sister appeared before me. I was so happy to see her again, but I was also ashamed for all I had done. I begged her to forgive me for my actions, and she asked me to forgive her for not supporting me enough. In the end, we reconciled with each other, and I was happier than I had ever been before.”

Luna wiped away her tears and smiled at me. “Celestia brought me to Canterlot to recover, and in time, I began my work anew as Princess of the Night. Amongst my other duties, I returned to watch over the dreams of my little ponies.”

I remained silent as her story ended. What could one say after hearing such a story? I didn’t doubt her powers—raising the moon made everything else pale in comparison. The story itself was both sad and terrifying. I couldn’t imagine what Luna had gone through all those years, alone on the moon. It was a wonder she was still sane.

Raising her head, a small tear trailed down her cheek as her eyes fixed on me. “I was a villain, a monster, a terrifying story for a thousand years, and to this day there are ponies who have nightmares of who I once was. When I walk the dream realm, I often encounter the twisted image of myself tormenting the dreams of ponies and robbing them of peaceful slumber. I act swiftly to destroy the perverted image of myself and restore peace to the dreamer.”

“...I…” I began, but found myself unable to continue. What if I said something wrong? In her unstable mood, any reaction was possible.

“My crimes are great,” Luna said quietly. She looked up at me, the disquiet that had gripped her being replaced by sombreness. “However, not once have I committed the atrocities you accuse me of. Not once. If I would not perform such acts when I was one of the greatest threats to our world, why should I do so now?”

Though I tried to poke holes in her logic, I was unable to. This must be what Celestia had meant when she said that Luna was recovering. That her sister had been banished for a thousand years, that she had to banish her, and was only recently reunited with her. A millennium of imprisonment, her only company her own anger and hatred.

Once a villain, a monster, now she was… reformed? Benign? Kind again? It was difficult to choose the correct words to currently describe her. So much of her work had gone appreciated by her subjects. Had the ponies ever looked up at a clear night sky and seen how wonderful it looked? From the sound of it, they didn’t back then, but perhaps their attitudes had changed with the passage of time. It was no wonder she had been hurt and angry. All artists loved to hear their work praised, just like Renee and her art. I guess pony goddesses were the same.

Despite everything, I could empathise with her. A thousand years was a long time, and she was trying to fit in with this age. It also explained why her speech had sounded so old-fashioned when we spoke the first time. Her words also highlighted the extent of the damage my words had wrought, no matter how sincerely they were. A stranger, an alien, came here and immediately judged her for her past actions. I was a stark reminder of the prejudices she had faced in the past, even though I was not of this world.

“The… The first time we spoke,” I began quietly, breaking the silence that had stretched on for a few minutes, “I interrupted you because it looked like you were about to talk about something that you didn’t want to talk about.” From the corner of my eyes, I saw Luna staring at her pillow, poking it with a silver-clad hoof. “What you just told me; is that what you were about to say the first time?”

She simply nodded. I could understand now why she hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and yet, in order for me to understand her, she had chosen to reveal in detail the darkest moment of her life, something she had no desire to be reminded of. She chose to tell me, an alien, a stranger, just so she could alleviate my fears of her, when she was fully in her right not to tell me a goddamn thing. She chose to tell me…

Normality, their normality. What was routine for them was anything but for me. I had told myself that fact already, yet it seemed it was a lesson that needed to continually be reaffirmed. The fear of the unknown was not new to me. The bullying at school, the teachers who turned a blind eye and berated me for my bad grades. There were plenty of things I was afraid of, which in time I had learned to deal with. Now, my greatest fear was Princess Luna and the inhabitants of this world, yet I was grasping in the darkness for a way to handle them.

It was at times like these, when uncertainty threatened to overwhelm me, that the words of my grandfather surfaced. “Fear profits man nothing, Magnus. If you are afraid of everything, then you will lose yourself to fear in the end, cowering and jumping like a jackrabbit. Instead, investigate what scares you, understand why it is as it is, and you will understand and no longer have fear.”

My second best friend, Nickolas, had been a bully in school, administering daily beatings to me on a daily basis. I had been so scared of him that I used to fake being sick so I could stay home. Grandfather found out, and instead of speaking to Nickolas’ parents, told me to put into practice his advice. It took weeks and many bruises later before I found out.

Nick had moved to Montana from New York to get away from his bullies. He was short and overweight, a prime target for bullies, and had decided to become one himself instead of once again playing the role of the victim. In trying to understand him, I gained a lifelong friend. I was only ten at the time but I understood that Nick needed a friend back then, and he became my second friend, frequently playing wizards with Adam and me through school, playing video games as teenagers, and as adults we went to parties together. Inseparable, really.

As I grew older, I incorporated this lesson into my life, refusing to fear anything, fearing it would change me. It wasn’t perfect and wasn’t able to address everything life threw at me, but it had made a noticeable difference.

Too many things had occurred recently that had left me uneasy in a short space of time, and I hadn’t enough to process it properly. I had to understand them, had to start somewhere, and I knew just where to start: the alicorn in the room.

I moved the duvet aside and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my hooves meeting the floor with a loud clop. As I reached for my jeans, Luna stood up. “Wait,” I told her. She halted, cautiously observing my movements, shimmering unshed tears still pooled in her eyes. I leaned over and got a hand on my jeans, and began wiggling into them. It took a while, but I was successful in getting them on.

‘Now… I am no jackrabbit! Stand up!’

I sat on the edge of the bed for a second, contemplating if my legs had the strength to support my weight. I decided they had and began the process of standing up by supporting myself on the headboard. Each leg felt like it weighed a ton, the muscles in my thighs and lower legs aching and protesting the sudden use after days of inactivity.

Carefully, I took the first step towards Luna, who still stood on her cushion, watching my first shaky step, her horn glowing, ready to catch me if I fell.

‘I have feared them when they have showed me so much care and kindness.’

The next step I nearly fell, managing to regain my balance just in time.

‘I can blame withdrawal, paranoia and fear.’

My muscles screamed as they lacked the necessary energy to perform the task, but I no longer wanted to hear the complaints of my body. I had listened to it for too long.

‘But the one to truly blame is myself. I am the master of my body and mind, not my fears!’

My legs nearly buckled, yet I persevered. My goal became clearer with each step.

‘I can fear them all for eternity, but if I’m stuck here for the rest of my life, then I’ll be trapped by fear. Fear serves me no purpose; it only wants to keep me down.’

Now I stood in front of Luna, who bore a confused look. I began kneeling carefully, my legs almost completely failing. My hands reached the floor, giving me something extra to support myself.

‘I have feared many things, but it never lasted. Bullies, drunkards, teachers, doctors, mad dogs—none of them succeeded because I refuse to let fear change me.’

I slowly reached towards Luna, who took a step back as my hands came closer to her, watching my movements, seemingly unsure of my intent. “What art thou doing?” she asked warily.

“Princess Luna, please, let me do this,” I answered, hoping that she would allow me to. She didn’t respond, instead halting her movements. Slowly I placed my hands on her withers, a small shiver running through her as I touched her fur.

‘I refuse to bow or kneel to fear. Now I kneel, but I kneel because I want to understand.’

“Princess Luna.” I made sure to use her title instead of her name. I focused on maintaining eye contact with her and keeping a steady and calm voice. “I have seen this world and you ponies from the wrong perspective, namely mine. What I’m used to, I have tried to apply here, and failed in doing so because it doesn’t fit in with my normality. I have allowed my fear of the unknown to control me… and I hurt you doing so. I didn’t know about your past, didn’t know about your abilities, and in the end I became afraid of you.”

Luna shook her head and closed her eyes. She sniffed once balefully before she spoke, “Magnus, you do not have to—”

“Yes I do!” I cut her off, her eyes widening in surprise. Guess not too many people interrupted her when she spoke. “Yes… I do,” I whispered. “If not, then I’ll fear forever. You are a princess, trying to perform your duty even towards me when I’m not one of your subjects, but I didn’t want you to. Yes, I’m afraid because what you can do is intimidating, and I can’t understand it. I’ve been afraid ever since I came here.” I sighed, hoping that she could understand.

“Luna, what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry for what I’ve said. I fear your abilities, but I don’t want to fear them. I want to understand them so that I won’t have to fear them anymore.” A look of understanding dawned upon her face.

“You… You can come into my dreams,” I paused, hearing the words echo within my mind. “But please, explain it all to me first.”

A small smile formed on Luna’s face. She spread her wings and reached behind me. I felt the sudden, but very soft pressure of her wings on my back and neck as she pulled me into a hug, her chin squeezing against my own.

“I forgive you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

I returned the gesture, one hand on her back, the other on her neck. I haven’t had physical contact with another human in what felt like weeks. Lisa always used to give me a hug when we met. Whether it was once or ten times a day, she always hugged me. I’ve missed the feeling of physical contact from my friends: a pat on the back, a handshake, high-five, a playful punch to the gut from Adam or Nick. Somehow, I imagined ponies would feel the same. I brushed my hands over her velvety fur, her feathers like silk and her mane billowing in the non-existing wind, sending some of her thin ethereal hairs into my mouth.

“I think I want to stay awake one night so that I can see what the night sky looks like here,” I said after a few moments.

Luna giggled softly. “I can arrange that for you.”

Breaking the hug, she took a step back and so did I, although it was taxing on my weak body. She smiled at me, a rather pretty one in fact. Her tears were gone, causing me to smile as well. After a few moments of neither of us saying anything, I looked over my shoulder towards the bed. Although it was only a few meters away, it might as well have been a mile. The short steps I took had exhausted me.

“Luna, could you help me back to the bed?

Author's Notes:

Here it is; the next chapter! Thumbs up if you like and leave a comment. I love comments!

Magnus confronts his greatest fear; Luna. He hears the story about her banishment, and her subsequent Elements of Harmony purification. He even comes to terms with it, partially at least. A further explanation on dreams will come in a future chapter.

We all fear something. Spiders, scorpions, clowns etc. I'm terrified of spiders, it's the hairy legs and poison that scares the crap out of me. My little brother had a Mexican Redleg Tarantula, and that thing was huge. It used to crawl over his hands and arms, and several times he asked me if I wanted to hold it. I would rather pluck my nostril hairs with a pair of pliers than touch it. In recent years I found out that Mexican Redlegs are one of the more docile types and will rarely bite at all. Still, spiders are creepy.

Considering the chapter! I edited it myself, this time with a nice little tool I found on the internet; the Hemingway editor App. I think it's easy to use as it highlight flaws and offers advise on what to do. It's not perfect as there are a few things that it can't discover.

Oh! As of last chapter this story got more likes and ended up as tracked and even earned a couple of favorite spots! I'm making progress! WOOHOO! I love you guys!

Edit.: JBL continues his sorcerous ways with words!

Chapter 16 - An Ancient Family Line (Edited by JBL 03.20.2017)

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After Luna helped me back to bed, we began talking about her dream-walking ability. However, we barely exchanged a few words on the topic before we were interrupted by one of the bat pony guards, who barged into the room and whispered something into Luna's ear. Whatever he communicated was evidently not to her liking, as her face grew hard and stern. When he was done, Luna stood up and spread her wings, looking like she was prepared for a fight. I was amazed to see how broad her wings were, having looked relatively small when they were tucked to her body. When they were spread, the wingspan was pretty impressive.

She apologized for having to leave, explaining that her duties as Princess of the Night called for her to take immediate action. Pressed further, she revealed that a beast called an Ursa Major was seen prowling the edge of a forest and was heading towards a small village. Luna had to ‘persuade’ the beast to return to its lair and leave her subjects alone. Afterwards, she bade me goodnight and disappeared in a flash of light, similar to what Twilight Sparkle had done days prior.

After she left, only the guard and I remained. He headed towards the door but stopped before he opened it and turned to face me. “Thank you, Mister Powell,” he said with a smile. “Our beloved Princess of the Night is dear to us all, but to us Nocturnals, she means much more than you can possibly know.” I quirked an eyebrow, wondering what he meant. Before I had the chance to ask, he continued, “I overheard your conversation. I didn’t mean to, but we Nocturnals have excellent hearing, and the door is thin. You truly have nothing to fear from her. Our beloved princess’ nights can sometimes be lonely for her, so she often turns to us guards and the staff for company. By saying that you wish to see her night sky, you have made this night happier for her. I dare say that you have gained a new friend.”

I didn’t reply, merely nodding to him. He wished me a good night and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I turned over in bed and stared at the small red pebble resting on the nightstand next to me, mulling over the talk Luna and I had. Fears and normality—that was what I was faced with now, and I was determined to deal with it head on, come hell or high water.

My loss of control in this situation had allowed my fear to take rein over my psyche. My fear of Luna had wounded her feelings, and I deeply regretted it. Now that I had apologized to her, I hoped that the situation had been taken care of permanently. Most likely Celestia would know by tomorrow, and she would probably drop by to see me. I had to be careful about what I said around her as well. I don’t know what kind of tricks she could pull, but I made a mental note to be prepared for anything she might say or do that would send my brain for a spin.

I had thought that things around here would work as they did back home, but I had been wrong about a lot of things so far. I had to be more observant to what happened around me and talk with the princesses, doctors, and nurses about Equestria about what ponies were like and try to get as much information about my surroundings. I wanted to be prepared, not caught off-guard by what might be weird by my standards but perfectly normal to them. I had to learn and educate myself, and fast.

I shook my head wryly, realizing how it seemed as though I was resigning myself to a lengthy stay here. The thought was still unnerving, and the feeling of homesickness increasing every time I thought about it. Rebuilding one’s life was never easy, not to mention the majority of the country didn’t even know I existed. How would they react? How were ponies different from humans, psychologically speaking? Would they accept me as readily as Celestia had said they would? I already knew they would stare, having seen plenty of eyes filled with curiosity, fright, and uncertainty. They’d have questions too, which I had to prepare for. The only way I could deal with all of this was by being prepared and that was what I had to start doing.

Tomorrow.

With a plan in mind, I relaxed as much as I could. The strain inflicted on my body by the brief, yet somehow monumental, four-meter walk had taken its toll on me. My legs ached when I tried to move, my muscles feeling like a wave of roiling heat was washing over them. The withdrawal symptoms, the sensation of fever, profound sweating—it had all receded significantly during the last three days. I had had my doubts regarding their medicine and Mgangah’s potion, but they had been obliterated. I was feeling better and the insane need for morphine, which earlier had been a screaming voice in my head, was now nothing but a hushed whisper.

‘Only a few more days and I’ll be up and about. I can’t wait to walk again,’ I thought as I lay there, staring at the red pebble. ‘What should I do first when I’m mobile? Taking a shower on my own is first on my list. And a decent meal. Wonder if they’ll let me make something myself? They’ve probably got a whole crew working the kitchen that’s able to make anything. I really want meat, a large medium steak with fried potatoes, salad, and béarnaise sauce. But that requires cattle and they talk around here, so that’s a no go. Darn. What about fish? That could work.’ Whenever I’d been sick and lacked appetite, I would jumpstart my taste buds by thinking of something scrumptious. My options were limited here, though, and the food made in the castle was way better than what I could whip up.

My culinary plan was put on hold and placed on my priority list, and I resumed my brooding. This time, my thoughts revolved around my magic and the red menace known as the pebble.

I closed my eyes and relaxed as much as I could. I felt my heart beating in my chest, my lungs expanding as I drew breath, and the steady pulse of magic being released into my body by the mana opal. I began my search, looking past the magic from the gem and its effect on me, and soon I felt my own magic deep within. Like warm embers in my heart, I focused on it and felt the mysterious energy respond in kind, converging in my chest, flowing like many tiny rivers from all over my body and meeting in my heart.

The feeling of magic… nothing could beat it. I loved how it made me feel whole and alive, how through it I had finally escaped the headaches that had followed me my entire life.

I commanded—no, I wished for my magic to gather into my horn, and slowly I felt the energy move. Through my body it went, touching every nerve, making me feel like I was on a major life rush. I felt it tingling up my spine, into my head, and converging on my forehead, then through the funnel that was my horn. The sound came again, like a gentle breeze playing with wind chimes hanging from a tree branch. I opened my eyes and saw my magic playing in front of my eyes. It was a pleasant shade of green, like summer grass, surrounded by a swirling white ribbon, Star Swirl’s own magic which he gave me a small piece of.

Star Swirl… Though he had brought me here because he wanted me to live, I was still trying to accept the fact that he manipulated me into coming here, not to mention how all of this unicorn heritage stuff had transformed me. All in all, I had taken it a lot better than I believed I would. Would I have died if I stayed on Earth? Now that I thought about it, the chances were very high that I would have died young. My mother had died when she was twenty-two, my grandfather was sixty-six, and my great-grandfather when he was around thirty. It was like I could trace my lineage back to Star Swirl by just looking for those that had died young. It was a depressing thought.

‘Grandpa, I really wish you were here right now. You would know exactly what to do or say in a situation like this.’

My attention went back to the pebble. I was determined to work my magic on it, but I had no idea how to do it or how the unicorns did it. I had a few ideas that I hadn’t tried out earlier in the day, and now it was time to test them. With my eyes on the pebble, I concentrated, trying to reach out with my magic and push the pebble to the side. Nothing happened. After several attempts, I was beginning to feel a slight headache and tiredness creeping up on me. Slowly, I allowed my magic to enter my horn and flow back into me.

“Magic is hard,” I huffed. What had I done wrong? I was less than a blundering amateur or a novice—of course I would run into problems when doing this. If I was a master of magic with my first spell, then what would the point be? Celestia had said that magic wasn’t as easy as I believed. It wasn’t like every few weeks or months I would learn a new spell, or hear a voice whisper, “Your magic level has increased by one point.” This wasn’t a game or a movie, and everything I knew about magic from Earth was practically useless.

How did unicorns do it? They didn’t have hands to pick up things with, using either magic or their mouths, and from what I had seen the other types of ponies manipulate objects with, it was either mouths, hooves, or even their wings. That was where the difference was, as I already had hands that I was proficient with.

“Hands…” I murmured as I held up my right hand and stared at it. “I imagined a hand that picked up the pebble and it didn’t work. I imagined my own magic reaching out and picking up the pebble and it didn’t work. Magic is shapeless, formless, not solid…” I mumbled out loud.

Then the thought came to me. “Maybe it’s a matter of pressure? Maybe willpower? Maybe it is the will that determines the strength of a spell?” Perhaps the idea I had in mind was worth something. It couldn’t hurt trying. I powered up my magic, and in a matter of seconds my horn was glowing, casting a faint green light into the room.

“Okay, it’s you and me, Monsieur Mineral! Put ‘em up!” I exclaimed and imagined the pebble with small legs, tiny arms, and small boxing gloves, bouncing around with a squeaky voice and shouting, “Let’s have a bout of fisticuffs!”

With my magic ready, I willed the pebble to move with all my might. Nothing happened, but I felt as if something had changed. It was as if I forced my magic out of my horn, like squeezing a ton of bread dough through a very small hole. The strain soon became apparent as my headache intensified. Gathering my last ounce of magic, I began forcing it onto the stone and quickly saw a light green glow appear on the side of it. It was working!

I felt the weight of the stone in my magic. It was immense, like trying to lift a car. The more I pushed, the more resistance I encountered. Gritting my teeth, I gave it my all and felt something shift. The stone began tilting to the side, slowly standing upright, performing a balancing act for a split second before falling over on its side.

Exhausted from holding on to my magic for so long, I allowed it to gradually flow back. I was sweating, my head was pounding, but I was satisfied. I was now the first human in existence to have performed real magic. My victory was complete! That insufferable little piece of red granite was utterly defeated! I had made a small pebble that weighed around forty grams move roughly five millimetres!

My exhausted state of body and mind finally claimed me, and I fell asleep.

***

The sun shone through the windows in the infirmary corridor as Celestia walked towards her destination, well rested, her stomach sated with breakfast and tea, ready to rule the day. A veritable mountain of paperwork awaited her this afternoon, and before that there were her usual morning duties that mostly consisted of meetings with the guard and the kitchen staff and hearing her subjects’ troubles and disputes. To top it all off, there was still the finishing touches to be placed on the new trade agreement between Equestria and Minoa. The duties of the day were many; it wasn’t always easy to be a princess.

She had taken the opportunity to speak with Luna during breakfast. Their usually busy schedule left little time for the two sisters to simply ‘hang out’, so each moment they spent together as sisters was a welcome relief to the tedium of ruling a kingdom.

She was currently in a pleasant mood, as her little talk with Magnus had worked out as she expected. Luna had spoken to Magnus during the night and even went as far as revealing her past to the hybrid. That had not been something she had expected, as it was a subject Luna avoided whenever she could. He had taken the news well, not seeking to flee or panic; he simply listened. Afterwards, he had reciprocated by explaining what he was afraid of. Luna had taken it very well, understanding that his world was different from Equus, so she couldn’t fault him for that. To top it all off, he had asked to see her night when he was released from the infirmary, a small request that meant the world to Luna.

Luna had been elated during breakfast, the energy she displayed when regaling Celestia about the events of the night rubbing off on her. With a smile, Celestia walked up to the door guarded by four royal guards who snapped to attention and saluted. Greeting the guards, Celestia opened the door and peeked in.

The lights were off, slightly shrouding the inhabitant of the bed. He lay on his stomach with his duvet pulled halfway up, sunlight warming his back. His head was resting peacefully on the pillow, his furry arms firmly placed underneath it. She had expected him to be awake by now; she had noticed that he tended to wake up early some days. This day, however, was not one of them by the looks of it. She walked in, closed the door behind her, and walked next to the bed.

Smiling, Celestia looked at the peaceful hybrid. ‘Such a small nose. How can you smell anything with such a tiny nose? Not once have I seen your ears move. How can you determine the direction of sounds if you cannot move them around? Such small eyes. How far can you see with them? Not much fur, but you wear clothes. I do not understand the nudity taboo Star Swirl spoke of. We wear no clothes; does this make you feel uncomfortable? Do you think you will be happy in Equestria?’ Despite his unfamiliar and strange appearance, he was ready to become a citizen of Equestria. The paperwork process was already underway for him to attain citizenship, a process she had started the day after they found out about Magnus’ and Star Swirl’s family bond.

Celestia still wondered how he would react when the news was broken to him. It was her hope that the process of him gradually accepting the fact would work, at least to a certain degree. Still, she felt bad about not giving him a definitive answer. He deserved that much at least. She knew that opening a portal to his world was impossible since humans could not use magic. However, if she knew of a way, would she send him back?

What Star Swirl had told Celestia and Luna about humans did scare her. Their advanced technology, their wars, how seemingly easy humans fell prey to greed and violence. However, what Star Swirl had described Magnus to be like did not seem to match those characteristics. He was fearful, anxious, and suspicious, but that was most likely attributed to being in a world that was unfamiliar and strange, and the stress he had suffered lately. Perhaps he would act different in the future. Still, Celestia could not rid herself of the question: If she knew a way, would she send him back? He deserved to be with his kind, but the problem was that Magnus belonged to two significantly different civilizations and species. He belonged in Equestria, but he also belonged on his home world. It was an extremely difficult dilemma. Luckily, Celestia was not the one to decide where he belonged as fate had already made that decision for her.

Magnus began to stir, moving his legs and hooves slightly and then turning around so he lay on his back. He yawned, exposing his teeth to Celestia, teeth made for chewing meat, vegetables, and fruit. He did not look much like a predator to her, but his canines was pointed enough to tell Celestia that meat was a part of his diet. He squinted his eyes at the sunlight that shone on his face before focusing on Celestia.

“...Grrmbml… morning,” he mumbled and yawned again, rubbing his eyes. “You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Celestia asked back, mentally berating herself for not waiting until he had awoken properly before entering. In her eagerness to speak with Magnus, she wondered if she had broken some unspoken human rule when it came to sleep. Quickly, she rummaged through her memories of what Star Swirl had told her and Luna about humans, coming up empty.

“That.” He pointed a finger towards the window. “If you can raise the sun, I guess you can determine its location in the sky. Such as aiming it straight at my face in order to wake me up.”

Celestia exhaled in relief. She was safe and no rule had been broken. It was actually an amusing comment she had not heard in quite some time. Many ponies believed that such accusations were insulting to her but they were wrong. She liked a joke as much as the next pony.

“I could move the sun slightly to the side, but many sundials all over the world would have to be adjusted as well to tell time correctly. And many ponies like being awakened by the rays of the sun.” Celestia chuckled gently.

“Ponies, yes, not this man.” Magnus extended his arms and stretched, eliciting a series of pops and cracks through his arms and hands. Sitting up, he leaned back on the headboard. “I prefer waking up by myself instead of alarms or the sun.” He reached for his clothes on the nightstand, and quickly put on his shirt. “So, why are you here so early?”

“Luna told me of the chat you two had last night,” Celestia replied. At hearing this, Magnus sighed and nodded.

“I can’t believe what happened to her.” He shook his head slightly and stared at the window. Slowly, he turned towards Celestia. “And what you had to do.” Celestia's smile vanished as she weakly nodded. That fateful day so long ago when she saw no other way than to use the Elements of Harmony on her own sister was forever branded into her memory. The weeks that followed were excruciating. She had been unable to perform her duties, only managing to raise the sun and moon while weeping for her sister. Each night she had cried herself to sleep, her dreams always revolving around Luna, wondering if there truly had been no other way. Each day, from sunrise to sunset, she had wandered the halls of the old castle, heavily damaged in the battle between the two. Everywhere she looked, she had seen memories of the two as they walked, talked, played pranks on each other and the guards, and thousands of other memories of over, until then, six hundred years of ruling a kingdom.

“I’m sorry for what you had to do,” Magnus said apologetically. “It couldn’t have been easy for you.”

“Thank you. It was a… It was the worst time of my life.” Her eyes began to moisten from the memories returning to her. Tears wouldn’t form, for the joy of having her sister back was stronger than the despair of the choice she made over a thousand years ago.

“I’ve been an idiot.” Magnus once more looked towards the window and the outside world. “I said so a few days ago, but… you scare me as well.” Before Celestia could respond, he turned towards her with a small smile. “But I just have to work on that, you know? Learn how things work around here.”

Celestia returned his smile. It seemed as if Magnus had turned over a new leaf. His words sounded genuine and the tone of his voice seemed relieved, like a heavy burden was lifted from him. It boded well for him concerning future events.

On some level, Celestia knew of the fears he spoke of. Over the many years she had ruled, Celestia had met many beings that feared her, mostly because of the great magical powers she held and over her control of the sun. Being one of the most powerful beings in the world did have its disadvantages, one of them being that some ponies were afraid that they would end up in the dungeons if they didn’t bow deeply enough or failed to address her properly. Sometimes she would think of what her life would be like if she hadn’t said yes the day the Equestrian Council offered her and Luna the crowns of Equestria after they defeated Discord. What would she have done instead? Continued her travels around the world? Become a teacher perhaps, or maybe even an historian? The choices were infinite, but they were all in the past. She was the Solar Diarch, the Ruler of the Sun, Princess of the Day, Sol Invictus. She had chosen what had felt right for her back then, and the choice still felt valid.

For half an hour, alicorn and man spoke of the events of the previous evening and those to come. As expected, Magnus asked how the progress of the portals went and Celestia answered the best she could. Twilight and her team were still at work, and they hoped a solution was found sometime during the day. Surprisingly, Magnus was content with the vague answer he received and did not ask any further questions. Perhaps he was coming to terms with the fact that he was going to be in Equestria for the remainder of his life? Celestia hoped so.

Magnus was also eager to demonstrate his magic to Celestia, showing that he had managed to push a tiny pebble. He was so excited about it, like a foal that had learned its first spell. As he strained until his face was red, Celestia performed a small thaumatic analysis on Magnus just to see how much magic he held within himself, and how powerful he was when exerting his magic. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that fillies and colts in magic kindergarten could outperform him in sheer power alone, not after seeing how hard he worked to tip over the tiny pebble.

What surprised Celestia the most was Magnus’ theory concerning magic and how willpower influenced it. His theory, made up in bed, was not entirely accurate, though there were elements of truth contained within. Willpower was indeed a factor, but a multitude of other things was also important, such as training, focus, and intimate knowledge of magic behaviour upon the mind and body. Without knowing it, Magnus had already made a small foundation to build his magic on, but Celestia didn’t tell him. If he someday wanted to pursue magic, he would surely find out. For now, recovering was his top priority. Still, she pitied his attempt and told him that focusing his magic and not using it would increase his magical constitution by a small amount.

Whatever doubts rested in the darkest corners of Celestia’s mind was washed away. Magnus was truly a child of House Galaxy. Although never knowing about true magic until recently, he seemed to possess a small innate knowledge of its workings, a trait that many members of the old family was said to inherit. Some of those born with this family trait rose to become quite powerful in olden times, although it had not happened in over a thousand years now. The names of the unicorns belonging to House Galaxy who had made their mark on Equestrian and the unicorn kingdom history were numerous.

Star Swirl the Bearded, Comet the Elder, Star Dancer—the student of Clover the Clever and later advisor to Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane, and Princess Platinum. The famous twins Lady Sunshine and Lady Moonlight, leaders of the Council of the Sun and Council of the Moon, leading groups of unicorns in raising the sun and the moon four thousand years ago. Amber Eyes of the Four Towers Magic Council, widely recognized as the pony who had invented the invisibility spell in order to sneak sweet pastries into council meetings. Fluffy Hoof the Illusionist, Snake Scale the Banished, and many more, all of them powerful in their own ways. For a moment, Celestia entertained the idea that Magnus was to make his own mark in magical history but quickly dismissed the idea. He could barely move a pebble while grown unicorns his age could do so much more. Furthermore, with so many generations dividing Magnus and his unicorn heritage, it was quite possible that his magic could do very little at all.

Still, she could not help but wonder what fate had in store for the hybrid.

Just as Celestia was about to leave, Doctor Mgangah and a nurse came to visit Magnus. After a small check and a few questions, Mgangah declared that Magnus was ready for the final potion which he would receive later during the day. The final potion was a special one; it was stronger than normal that would serve to drain the remaining withdrawal symptoms within him in one fell swoop. He would fall into a deep sleep and awaken after an uncertain amount of time, following which he would feel as healthy as could be. Magnus showed his happiness by laughing loudly, praising the potions given to him, saying that their effects was something humanity had yet to discover, despite their advanced technology.

While Celestia was still with him, the nurse removed the bandages on his forehead and arm, along with his stitches. His injuries had left two small scars that had healed very nicely due to the healing ointment applied to the wounds early on. Magnus was not bothered by the scars, stating that “chicks likes scars”, a statement which confused Celestia due to him telling her that griffons did not exist on Earth. She remembered that females of his kind was referred to as women, and so assumed that it was another word for female.

After assuring herself that Magnus was indeed well, and his fears seemed to be laid to rest, Celestia left his bedroom and began her walk to the throne room. With a smile and a skip in her step, she was certain that everything would be fine. Now it was time to begin her arduous day.

***

“...and done!” Twilight exclaimed tiredly. Yawning, she let herself fall backwards onto her pillow as the last scroll was read and placed back on the table where it landed amongst many others that she had read. Rolling over onto her stomach, she gathered her legs underneath herself and stood up, stretching her limbs like a cat.

Looking over to the table, she was amazed to see just how many books and scrolls she had read. There was a veritable crate of scrolls and numerous thick books, volumes written on ley lines and ley line disharmony, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s own encounters with them.

“Wow, I can’t remember the last time I had a study session like this.” Yawning again, she wandered over to another table that had a pot of coffee and cups on it. Pouring herself a cup, she gulped it all down in one go. “Whoo, that helped.” Next to her bed, Celestia's bed which she had slept in, was Spike. Still asleep in the small bed that had been made to him, he snored loudly and mumbled in his sleep. He wasn’t needed when it came to reading through all the materials sent to Twilight, so he had been blessed with an early bedtime. He deserved it, though; all the mail had given him an upset tummy, but Celestia had anticipated it and sent a bottle of medicine first to Spike along with a letter apologizing for all the mail.

“Wake up, Sir Sleeps-a-lot,” Twilight whispered into Spike’s ear. The baby dragon merely turned over in his bed, pulling the covers over his head. “Fine, be that way. I’ll just eat all the gems myself.”

“ZZZ... huh, what? Gems?” Spike’s head popped out from under the covers. “Morning, Twilight. What’s up?” He yawned expansively and sat up, scratching the soft scales on his belly.

“Breakfast,” Twilight replied and levitated the sleepy dragon onto her back. “Then I’m to give the expedition crew a briefing of what we’re going to do today.”

“You found out how to close the portals and how they’re made?” Spike asked as he rubbed his eyes. Twilight opened the door and trotted out, the two guards immediately saluting her.

“Yes, it’s called ley line disharmony. I wasn’t sure if what Pattern said was right, but the letter I received from Princess Celestia confirmed it. What’s causing the portals are two crossing ley lines that’s rubbing against each other, creating a type of magical friction. It’s like static electricity, but with magic. When a charge has been built up, it can release and all manner of magical mishaps can occur. In this case, a portal.”

Spike nodded and held his claw under his chin in a thoughtful pose. Once he thought about it, it wasn’t that hard to understand. When living with a pony who was a genius when it came to magic, he had picked up a few things over the years. Still, one detail was amiss.

“So, does this mean that—?”Spike paused and looked around. No pony was within earshot. It was best to be cautious, so he leaned forward and whispered into Twilight's ear, “You-know-who can’t go home?”

Twilight stopped. Spike was right; Magnus had absolutely no chance of getting home once the portal was closed. He would pass on long before the next portal appeared, and forcing a portal open would do nothing. The two portals would have to appear at the same time for a portal to open. To make matters worse, the thaumatic tests and magical signatures the expedition had found revealed no trace of where the portal led to. Portal and teleportation spells would leave a faint signature behind before fading away, joining with the magic that existed elsewhere. This portal did not, meaning that the Earth portal could very well just be an extremely short, but powerful burst of magic, leaving a very faint signature that faded quickly.

Everything that the expedition and Twilight had found so far confirmed Princess Celestia’s prediction. Magnus would never see Earth again.

Twilight nodded weakly. “He… He can’t go home…” Feeling the sensation of failure bubbling within her, Twilight sighed. It wasn’t her fault, nor was it Magnus’ or the princesses’. The only one that was to blame was Star Swirl himself, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She knew that Magnus would have died if he had remained on Earth and that Star Swirl had done what he could with the resources he had available. He had done what he could to ensure his family line did not perish, even defying death in order to do so. Still… Twilight felt her faith in her idol, one of the two that had inspired her to study magic, shaken to its very core.

“Twilight, you okay?” she heard Spike call to her. Looking behind her, she saw him looking at her worriedly. “You kinda zoned out there for a moment. You feeling alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just have a lot to think about.” She shot him a smile and began walking again. “Now, about that breakfast,” she said and opened the door to the galley.

Chapter 17 - Drama at Sea (Edited by JBL 03.04.2017)

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The meeting room was packed, not a single chair or cushion unoccupied, with many expedition members forced to stand. Scientists, professors, doctors, and scholars murmured amongst themselves, discussing what was about to transpire. To say that the mood of the room was animated was an understatement.

Twilight entered with Spike behind her, and all the ponies stood up and bowed to her. “Thank you, please take your seats,” Twilight called out, the crowd quickly following her instructions. Reaching her cushion at the head of the table, Twilight sat down and Spike handed her the checklist she had compiled earlier on what had to be done in order to normalize the ley line.

“Thank you all for coming.” She coughed lightly into her hoof, already slightly uneasy about everypony's attention being on her. “Now, as you all know, I have received confirmation from the princesses. We are indeed dealing with a case of ley line disharmony, and I wish to thank Junior Assistant Pattern on the ley line team for discovering that. Without him, we would all be sitting here with nothing to work on. Please give him a round of applause.” Twilight pointed out the young stallion in the crowd, who blushed as the thunder of hooves stomping the floor and clopping together shook the room.

After the applause and words of praise died down, Twilight spoke once more, “I have received instructions on the way forward, and will now brief you all on the plan. We are going to need a lot of magic, so every single unicorn with a magic level of thirty and above on the Universal Thaumatic Scale will need to participate. The unicorns in the Royal Guard accompanying us will also help us with this. Everypony know their magic level?” Every unicorn in the room nodded.

“Good. Now, as I said, we are going to need a lot of magic and one focusing point. I will act as the focusing point and you all will focus your magic onto me. After a certain level of magic has been reached, I will be able to interact with the crossing ley lines and untangle them, thus normalizing the flow.”

The gathered ponies in the room began to whisper to each other, many of them not quite believing the young princess would be able to perform such a feat. Seeing as she was the Element of Magic and her list of accomplishments was rather lengthy, the debate died down as quickly as it had sprung. Twilight sighed in relief; she didn’t need any doubts now, not at this critical moment.

“With some luck, we’ll have this situation sorted out tonight.” She looked over the gathered ponies, who nodded in agreement. None had complained, but she knew that many of the expedition crew felt uneasy being at sea and had frequently paid homage to the waves. They all wanted to be on dry, steady land again, herself included.

“We’ll all need our strength when it’s time to begin the operation. Those who will be attending can relax until then. If any of the teams has any tasks left that is not yet completed, you may want to finish them up before then. We’ll meet again at seven this evening to begin normalizing the flow.” The assembled ponies nodded. “Until then, you are dismissed.” Hearing the finality in her voice, the ponies stood up, bowed, and began exiting the room.

Exhaling in relief, Twilight nodded to the ponies as they passed by, some of them complimenting her on how well she had handled the expedition. It felt nice to be praised, she thought to herself as she observed the members exit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Professor Nebula chatting with Pattern. The old unicorn was smiling and seemingly speaking eagerly with the skinny unicorn stallion, and after a few moments, Pattern nearly jumped into the air in surprise and enthusiastically shook hooves with the professor.

After a minute, Pattern walked by Twilight, stopped, and bowed respectfully to her before trotting out the door, grinning like an eager colt. Before she could query his behaviour, Professor Nebula approached her with a smile of his own.

“I offered him a position as my assistant at the Academy of Magic,” the elderly unicorn said, casually fixing his dishevelled hair back into place. “He accepted. I could use a bright youngster working with me. He’s polite and friendly, and I think we’ll get along well.”

Twilight giggled and replied, “I could see that he agreed. I think he’ll become a good assistant. After all,” she looked over to Spike, who stood next to her with a smile on his face, “a good assistant is great, but a good friend is even better.”

***

‘There is no sound… There is no movement… There is only silence. The magic within the mana opal, the magic within me… My beating heart… my lungs filled with air, expanding as I inhale, deflating as I exhale… My heart pumps blood around my body, delivering oxygen and nutrients where it is needed… No cell goes thirsty for air; no cell goes hungry for nutrients… I am… at peace…’

Meditation and focus, two exercises that I was combining into one. According to Celestia, I could build my magical stamina by simply focusing my magic, thus increasing how much magic I had within myself. It made sense if magic was like a muscle that needed training in order to be strong and healthy. The fact that it acted like a physical aspect when it was non-physical was surprising.

After breakfast, I was told that my potion for this morning wasn’t needed because I would receive my final potion later today. No offense to hospitals, of course, but this room and its decor had gotten old fast, so I was stoked at that information. Instead of reading, I tried focusing my magic with a small break in between. I couldn’t discern any difference this early on, and I’d be surprised if I could. Like training, it took time and effort.

One of the nurses, a rather pleasant earth pony mare named Clean Bandage, said that she had a daughter who was at that age when unicorn children wanted to learn how to use their magic and practiced it every day. The first week or two, a unicorn's magic would increase slowly but steadily before levelling out at a much slower pace. It was a learning curve. Still, I was happy with it. The feeling of magic in me felt so vibrant and alive, like a rush of life, happiness even. I dreaded the day when this beautiful sensation passed, and was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

‘Breathe in… breathe out… Calm… peace… serenity… now… focus…’ I thought as I laid there, enjoying my magic pulsing inside of me and the sound it made as it danced around my horn. If my concentration faltered for a moment, my magic would quickly slam back into me. After that unpleasant experience yesterday, I made sure to pay attention.

The sound of hooves came from the door, followed by slight creaking of the hinges. I guided my magic back into my horn and opened my eyes, looking towards the entranceway. I saw Doctor Mgangah staring at me. “Sup, doc?” I greeted him in my best Bugs Bunny impersonation, although it didn’t sound right in Equestrian.

“Good afternoon, Magnus,” he said and trotted inside and closed the door. He looked at my horn curiously. “Magic with two colours? Quite unusual,” he remarked.

“Yeah, it was a… a gift of sort,” I stated with a sigh. Instinctively, dreary emotions were attached to that thought, though I quickly shook it off.

“I see. It sounds like an unpleasant memory, so I will ask no more of it,” Mgangah replied, most likely having discerned the undercurrent in my voice.

“Thank you, it’s something I’d rather not talk about.” I tried to smile, showing that I appreciated his discretion. “So, it’s final potion day, right?” I might have sounded a bit too happy, but I didn’t bother hiding it. I would soon be able to walk out of this dreary room.

“That’s right. You sound happy; isn’t this room to your liking?” he asked with a short laugh.

“Oh no, I love it,” I replied and took a deep breath of air. “Smell that air? The lingering scent of disinfectant and rubbing alcohol? The sound of the guard’s armour rattling just outside whenever one of them moves? The sound of nurses pushing that cart in the hallway and the rattling of cold steel bedpans? What's not to like?”

Shaking his head lightly, Doctor Mgangah chuckled. “I was once hospitalized for a week with a broken leg, and I enjoyed it as much as you have. It’s true what they say; doctors make the worst patients.”

I smiled, imagining the zebra in a bed, complaining about everything with his deep voice. Seemed the similarities to Earth jokes were pretty spot on, or maybe that was a doctor thing? I once suspected that one of the things medical students had to practice was their ‘doctor's handwriting’.

“Well then, all jokes aside, how long has it been since you ate?”

“Hm, about an hour ago. A few pears, bread with cheese, and some salad.”

“Good, good.” The doctor nodded absentmindedly. “Can you remove the opal for a moment, please?” I grabbed the chain, removing the magical necklace, and placed it on the nightstand. Slowly, the magic faded before disappearing completely. Though I wasn’t fully healthy, I was almost there. Like a mild flu, I felt a slight throbbing in my head and easily ignorable pain. I wasn’t sweating a waterfall anymore, and my hands didn’t shake either.

“How does it feel? Do you feel better or worse?”

“I feel pretty good actually. Just a mild headache, and some fatigue,” I said and rolled my head on my shoulders, feeling my muscles relax a bit and a few kinks in my neck disappearing.

“Excellent,” Mgangah replied enthusiastically. “You’re nearly there.” He reached into one of his coat pockets and presented me with a large vial. It resembled the magic door vial from Super Mario Brothers 2, a red bubbling liquid and a cork on top. He hoofed the potion to me and I removed the cork, taking a whiff of the content. It smelled like a mix of several types of herbs. Some scents were mild while others assaulted my nose with their pungent odour.

“Well, this doesn’t smell funky at all.” I yanked my head away from the vial, inhaling somewhat fresh air before bringing it close to my mouth. “Here we go!” I held up the vial and toasted before downing it like a tequila shot. Where was the salt and lime when you needed it? I cringed as the foul liquid hit my tongue. In addition to the strong herbs, there was also a sour taste, like biting into a lemon.

“I know, I know,” Mgangah said as I passed him the empty vial. “It doesn’t taste good, but the best medicines are the worst tasting ones.” He tucked away the vial and focused on me again. “Now, the sleeping effect in this potion is quite strong, so I suggest you get comfortable quickly. You won’t feel sleepy at all; you will just fall asleep at the drop of a pin.”

No shit! This stuff barely had the chance to make it known in my stomach before deciding it should knock me out. My eyelids felt heavy as fatigue coursed through my body.

“Yeah… will… jus… sl…” My head struck the pillow as I fell back. The colours in the room seemed to blur together, and I could see a darker spot in my vision moving towards me.

“That was quick,” I heard Mgangah say as he reached up and pulled the covers over my shoulders. “I’ll inform the nurses to check up on you… every… will info.... princesses… sleep…. healthy again…” were the last words I heard before everything went dark.

***

A harsh wind churned the seas, the rough waves battering the Sea Mare. Despite the waves, the ship was unaffected. Several thick ropes were tied to the ship, and the ropes themselves extended up to the airships, enabling to keep the ship steady while the unicorns and Twilight Sparkle could work uninterrupted by the unruly sea and wind that had appeared as the sun descended.

“Alright, everypony!” Twilight shouted so that the expedition members could hear her over the howling wind. “This is it! This is not going to be easy!” She looked over the unicorns, the gathered crowd looking eager. Some horns were already glowing with each individual's own magical aura, while others seemed to be warming up. The tension in the group, even amongst the non-unicorns, was like was like the crackling electricity in the air.

“This has been done before by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and by many others. Now it’s our turn! Are you ready?” Twilight shouted as the wind picked up. The response was a cacophony of voices, the enthusiasm of the group and cheers was a definitive yes. “Okay, then we will begin. Professor Nebula, if you will.” Twilight nodded to the elderly stallion, who closed his eyes as his crimson aura surrounded his horn.

Twilight assumed her stance, her forelegs spread wide for balance and her hind hooves with a firm base on the wooden planks. Professor Nebula opened his eyes and looked straight at Twilight. She could feel the magic built up inside of him, and nodded.

Nebula’s magic formed a beam of concentrated energy that erupted from his horn, heading straight for Twilight. The crimson magic struck her horn and Twilight instinctively dug her hooves into the deck, bracing herself for the incoming surge of energy, feeling the other unicorn’s magic within her. A strange sensation to begin with, but not unwelcome.

“There! I got it!” Twilight called out as she felt the professor’s magic falling under her control and empowering her. “Next!” Closing her eyes, she braced herself for more.

Several more beams of magic struck her, and with each focused beam of magic falling under her control, she began to feel stronger by the second. A crescendo of sound resounded around her, the magic of over a hundred ponies filling the air, making it almost vibrate.

Though the sensation of power was immense, it was still nowhere near to when she had become the keeper of alicorn magic during Tirek’s rampage. Back then, she had felt unstoppable, and even the mightiest blows Tirek had delivered felt like nothing but a scratch. Now she felt like she could lift the ship out of the water with ease.

Twilight opened her eyes to an awe-inspiring sight. The individual magic of all the unicorns reminded her of the aurora she had seen in the Crystal Empire. Every strand of magic, each beam, twisting into the air, they all curled around each other like a braided rainbow flowing directly into her own horn. So many colours and so beautiful to behold. Sadly, she had no time for sightseeing.

Twilight walked over to the railing, feeling the deck bend under her now considerable power, almost as though it was bowing to her presence. She stopped and looked down into the dark, churning sea. Using her magic, she cast a sight spell provided to her by Princess Celestia in one of the scrolls. It allowed a pony much better vision, magically amplifying her eyes to the point where one could see through solid objects and even see far into the distance.

She looked at her own reflection in the water, but where her eyes would be, she saw two piercing white lights emitting from her eyes, like lighthouse beacons in the dark. Looking around, she saw magic in the air, in the water, and in every pony around her. It flowed slowly, undulating, pulsing, a strange yet poignant sight to behold.

She turned her attention to the sea again, this time gazing beneath the waves. She saw the various species of fish as they darted past in the briny water. She saw shellfish on the ocean floor and then looked beneath the muddy silt and stone. Gazing through the many layers of stone, she saw gems, thousands and thousands of them, millions perhaps, all of them with a brilliant inner light of blue, green, red, yellow, and every colour imaginable. But underneath that, she witnessed something her eyes had never laid eyes on.

Two mighty flows of colours twisted around and changed shape as smoke in still air. One river of magic flowed from east to west; the other from north to south, and where they briefly intersected, a pulsing sphere of unstable magic was situated.

“...Beautiful…” Twilight whispered, for the first time in her life witnessing magic in its purest form. A once in a lifetime sight, something that she doubted she would see again, and she was happy she was given this chance.

She wished she could have more time to study this phenomenon, yet the pulsating orb seemed to be unsound, occasionally looking like it was about to implode onto itself. Twilight felt uneasy observing the sphere, knowing that it had cast Star Swirl from Equestria and Magnus into an unknown world, yet aware that it had to be dealt with immediately.

“I see the ley lines!” Twilight called out over the wind. “I’ll try to lift one; get ready!”

Twilight widened her stance, forehooves digging into the deck and hind legs steady. She began focusing all the magic at her disposal into a single spell, one that would allow her to untangle the ley line, lifting it as if it had mass and weight. Her horn glowed intensely with her raspberry magical aura, and the magic of the other unicorns joined with hers into a tornado of colours. The swirling magic erupted from Twilight’s horn and shot into the sky briefly before diving towards the water, breaking the surface without disturbing the sea.

Twilight watched the magic as it dove down, rushing through water, passing through rock and briefly illuminating the gems as it then made contact with the two magical flows. The magical tornado twisted itself around one of the ley lines and began tugging it, trying to separate it from the other. At first, it seemed like a stalemate, but that quickly changed. The flow of the stream suddenly separated from the other and was yanked violently upwards, separated from the other flow which resumed its current as though nothing had happened. The flow held in the combined magic was still attached, and with nothing holding it back, it shot upwards at a phenomenal speed. Passing through rock, stone, and water, the tornado breached the water’s surface.

The chiming sound of the unicorns and one alicorn was drowned by the ley line rocketing upwards. It sounded like unicorn magic, only amplified a thousand times. The sound and the overwhelming sight stunned the ponies on the ship and airship, and Twilight felt her grasp on the line falter. She knew that a significant portion of the unicorns had lost focus as she felt her magic weaken. However, she refused to release her hold. It felt heavy, as if a massive weight was balanced on her horn. Her legs began to shake under the strain, forcing her to lie down on her stomach so that she could hold her focus.

With the loss of so much magic, and the enormous weight on Twilight's horn, the magical tornado began to fall apart. Twisting and swirling, the ley line struggled to free itself from its restraint, and as the tornado finally quaked one last time, the ley line broke loose. The two ends of the flow that originated from beneath the waves trembled as though someone had yanked it, and with a violent motion, the massive magical river slammed into the sea, the surface barely rippling.

With the ley line gone, an eerie silence reigned. The only sounds heard were the howling wind and the humming drone of magic, which gradually faded as unicorns stopped focusing their magic into Twilight.

Twilight was exhausted, feeling as though her body had been entirely stripped of magic. Huffing and panting, she decided to lie on the deck for a moment to regain her breath. All around her stood ponies, some of them staring into the sea while others rushed to her, trying to help her back on her hooves.

“I’m okay.” She panted as several guards tried to help her up. “I just… need a moment…”

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Professor Nebula asked her as he trotted towards her, seemingly exhausted as well. Sweat was pouring off his brow, and even his glasses were fogged. Twilight looked up at him, finding his hoof reaching down to her. Carefully, she grabbed it and with the help of the guards, she carefully stood up.

“Th-Thank you,” she muttered after she got up, leaning onto a pegasus guard. “I’m okay… just so tired.” The pegasus brought out a canteen of water which he lifted to her mouth, letting Twilight drink to her heart's content.

When Twilight finally felt somewhat steady enough to stand without help, she thanked the guards and Nebula for their help and looked around at the expedition crew. Some unicorns had collapsed on deck, panting at the exhausting ordeal they had gone through together. Some seemed to have fainted, but were in good hooves as they were tended to by the sickbay’s doctors and nurses and ponies with basic medical knowledge. Many non-unicorns stood by the railing, staring into the sea, studying it curiously.

A high-pitched voice reached Twilight. “Twilight! Are you okay? TWILIGHT!” Spike yelled as he ran towards her, shoving ponies out of his way as he frantically ran towards her. Upon reaching her, Spike hugged her as hard as he could.

“I’m okay, Spike, I’m okay,” she told him, the tiredness in her voice betraying the severity of how she had been pushed. Wrapping a foreleg around Spike’s back, she patted him gently.

“Did it work?” Spike asked as he released her, looking concerned and more than a little afraid. Twilight looked down to the shadowy sea.

“I think so.” She nodded. “According to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the ley lines only needed to be separated in order to harmonize them. Although…” She paused and took a deep breath. The strange feeling that permeated the entire area was still there, coming from the depths of the sea.

“Twilight?” Spike asked, but received no immediate reply. He followed Twilight as she walked to the railing and looked down at the sea. Her eyes widened and she gasped. From the sea came a bright green light.

“Look!” Ponies shouted out as they noticed the phenomenon. Nearly every pony ran to the side to catch a glimpse of the light as it increased in intensity. Shimmering and pulsing, the light swelled as each second passed.

“...no…” Twilight whispered silently as tears fell from her eyes. Had she failed? Was this it? Had something gone wrong? Was this strange light a final stubborn surprise from the ley lines? Could it be that a portal was about to erupt in front of them, devouring them all and sending them away from Equestria?

Almost a hundred meters from the ship, the light erupted from the sea, bathing the area with furious intensity. It swirled around in the air, menacing those mortals it dwarfed. It illuminated the ship and the surrounding areas as the ponies gaped up at it.

Silence gripped the members of the expedition. Just what was this peculiar phenomenon? Twilight had an idea of what it was, and it was nothing good. She could not let it happen to them!

She called upon her magic, ready to teleport ponies away from the area, only to find herself spent. The entirety of her reserves had been spent on the ley lines, and now she had nothing left, not even enough to lift Spike. However, while she was almost immobile, the ship was not.

“Captain, we have to get away from the sphere! NOW!” Twilight shouted to the old stallion who stood at the helm. He was also gawking at the sphere, but quickly focused on his princess.

“Aye, aye, yer Highness!” he called back and shouted over the ship in a way only a pony hardened by the sea could. “Haul anchor and hoist the sails! Cut loose the ropes to the airships! We need every sail unfolded and catching the wind or so help me I will keelhaul the lot of you!”

Twilight was impressed by the old pony's voice—he could certainly match Princess Luna during her first Nightmare Night. She then turned to the guards who had helped her. “Warn the airships; they have to leave the area immediately!” The pegasi in the group saluted and bolted off, flying up to the airships with haste.

The crew was jolt into action by their captains’ voice. Pegasi flew up to the masts and unfurled the sails which immediately caught wind, while ponies on deck bit down on ropes, tightening the sails. The anchor was hauled from the depths by a crew of strong earth ponies and pegasi guards flew up to the airships to relay Twilight's information to them, understanding the urgency of the situation.

For a moment, everything seemed to be under control. The situation was chaotic, but everypony knew what they had to do. Ponies did their jobs, although some of them were afraid, clearly understanding that something was wrong. The sound of the airship’s propellers cutting the air came from above. Twilight looked up and saw the airship had begun to move away. “Good, the airship should be safe. Now we have to move.”

“Yer Highness!” the captain called to Twilight. She saw him at the helm, jabbing a hoof towards the mast. She followed his hoof and saw the sails filled with wind, but somehow the ship continued to drift backwards, dangerously closer to the sphere.

“How is this happening? The wind is good enough to get us away from here, but how—” The ship groaned as the sound of wood bending pierced the air. Slowly, the aft of the ship began turning directly towards the sphere, as if dragged towards it by an unseen force.

“No, no, this can’t be… How can…” Then it struck her. Magnus had said that his boat had been pulled into the sphere by something, something that had destroyed his ship, and now it seemed as if the same was to happen to her, to Spike, to them all. She looked up and saw the airships struggling to get away, only to drift slowly backwards.

She attempted once more to summon her magic, though it quickly spluttered and died. There was nothing she could do. Ponies began to panic, not knowing what was happening.

“Princess Twilight!” A random stallion suddenly ran up to her, fear evident on his face. “Please, do something! I can’t be here; I want to go home to my herd! I have foals waiting for me at home!”

She could only stare at the pony whose name she didn’t know. She could not even utter hollow words of reassurance, for she didn’t know what would happen to them. She was paralyzed as the reality of the situation dawned on her.

“Princess?” the stallion asked, but received no answer from Twilight. She was simply at a loss on what to do.

“Twilight?” Spike called from beside her. She turned to look at him, her assistant, her baby dragon, her baby brother. The way Spike looked at her, fearful and distressed, told her that he knew what was about to happen. “Can’t you do something?”

She shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, Spike, but I don’t have any magic left. I can’t, I just can’t—” Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

Spike stared at her, tears filling his eyes as well. He hugged Twilight and sobbed. “Then... then fly away.”

Twilight pulled Spike closer to her and hugged him. “Never! I won’t leave you alone!”

‘Will we all disappear now? Where will we go? I shouldn’t have brought Spike along. He doesn’t deserve this, nopony does. I’m so sorry, everypony.’ Out of comfort and fear, Spike hugged her back, his little claws digging gently into her fur.

The green sphere hung silently in the air, captivating its frightened audience by the slow pulses it emitted. Abruptly, it trembled as a crack appeared on its surface. White light shone through the cracks, illuminating the sea and ships around. A gasp went through the crowd as the green light flickered like a candle before instantly disappearing, leaving behind a smaller sphere of white light. It flickered as well for several moments before its glow began to diminish.

Tense seconds passed, the smaller sphere developing more fractures, all the while growing smaller. All that remained after nearly a minute was a small faint light the size of a hoofball. Its glow was little more than the luminescence coming from a cluster of fireflies, and the light showed no signs of increasing in density. For the first time in what was arguably the most terrifying minutes Twilight had ever experienced, she felt a small flicker of hope in her. Perhaps she would see her friends and family again, for losing them frightened her the most.

The tiny ball of light grew smaller and smaller every second until all that remained was a small speck of light that seemingly vaporized into thin air. The moment the light disappeared, the ship ceased drifting backwards and the wind died down. The sound of the airship's propellers suddenly became more prominent in the silent night. A collective sigh of relief echoed over the ship and its many ponies. Then somepony began to laugh, mostly in relief, and soon many others joined in. Cheers of happiness and joy erupted all around Twilight. She still held Spike close, refusing to let him go. The idea of what she believed was about to happen had shaken her to the core. Thankfully, her worst possible scenario had not happened, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled, knowing that everypony was okay and that they were still on Equus where they belonged.

“Is… Is it over?” Spike asked meekly, his eyes still tightly shut. Twilight looked down at the baby dragon who meant the world to her and smiled as she nuzzled him.

“It’s over, Spike.” She hugged him, glad that they were still together. “We’re all okay and we’re still here.”

Spike cracked his eyes open and looked around carefully. The smiling ponies and Twilight's voice was all he needed in order to understand that everything was as it should be.

“Huh… we’re okay… We’re okay!” he shouted gleefully. He released Twilight and jumped around with a big smile. “We’re not gonna disappear!”

Twilight let out a relieved sigh and giggled at Spike’s joy. “Yes, we’re not going anywhere.” She looked around and saw relieved ponies everywhere. Ponies hugged each other, some cried out of joy, and some had fainted, while others still looked traumatised.

The wind had calmed, and the strange sensation of magic was gone. In fact, it had disappeared the moment the last remnant of light had vanished.

‘Perhaps that light was simply magic that faded away with background magic? A portal that was dispelled by our efforts?’ Twilight wondered as she looked around, happy that everypony was okay.

“I guess we are done here.” She exhaled in relief, exhaustion still gripping her. She and many others on board the ship could use some well-deserved rest, but before that could happen, Twilight wanted to make sure that they would all be safe.

“Captain,” she called out to the shaken stallion at the helm. “Send messengers to the airship. We’re going back to Equestria.” The stallion nodded and relayed her orders.

Looking back at the rejoicing ponies around her, she couldn’t wait for them all to be back with their families where they belonged. And she couldn’t wait to get back to where she belonged.

Chapter 18 - Out and About (Edited by JBL 06.24.2017)

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“That was a disappointment,” Nicholas remarked as we strode through the grassy fields with the sun in our faces and a gentle breeze on our backs.

“Yeah, I liked Taken 2 better, although the first movie is my favourite,” Sammy replied as he walked hand in hand with Renee. She laughed at our debate which had been raging for almost ten minutes.

“Meh, they’re okay,” I interjected. “Lisa, what do you think?”

Lisa whipped her head to the side and grabbed her hair in one hand before tying it up in a ponytail. “I’ve seen better. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was way better.”

“It was terrible,” Jesse commented. She had never been a fan of monster movies of any kind, and wasn’t that keen on action movies either. Give her a movie that depicted real life or the fantasy genre and she would be happy.

“You all suck, you know that, right? It was awesome!” Adam walked in front of us, looking over his shoulder at our group. “Action movies are the shit, right, Max?”

“I prefer romantic stories.” The giant shrugged with a smirk.

“Seven feet two inches, built like a bulldozer, lifts like a bro, and you prefer romance instead of action?” Adam shook his head and sighed. “I bet you read Fifty Shades of Grey too.”

“Working on it,” Max replied without missing a beat.

“OH COME ON!”

We all burst into laughter. It was rare, but sometimes he could deliver a comeback with pinpoint accuracy and timing that would see us shaking in mirth. It was one of the many reasons we all liked him so much.

I sighed in contentment as we walked through the grassy fields. It was pleasant since there were no distraction aside from the fresh air and the singing of birds, noise pollution yet to affect this part of the world. Just for a moment, it felt that all was right in the world, with my friends at my side as we talked and laughed amongst ourselves. Still, I felt a small niggle of uncertainty play at the back of my mind. Had this happened before, or did it just feel like it? That thought made me wonder for the first time where we actually were, as I couldn’t remember previously walking through this area. I took a casual look around and saw nothing but an enormous grassy field with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Everything seemed so much more in focus as well. It was as if the skies were clearer, the grass was greener, and flowers that we walked by also seemed to be more vivid.

“Magnus?” Lisa placed her hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just got this strange feeling or something.” I smiled at her, whereupon she laid an arm around my neck.

“Is it the headache again?”

I shook my head. “No. It’s strange, but I haven’t had one today… even for several days, now that I think about it.”

“That’s good, sweetie.”

I tripped on something and fell forward, but managed to right myself at the last second. One of my shoelaces was untied and I had stepped on it. The others kept walking as I stooped down. Looking at my untied shoe, a whisper of wrongness slithered up my spine. How could I fit shoes on my feet? Weren’t they different somehow? Try as I might, I couldn’t remember.

I tied my shoelaces and stood, seeing that my friends had managed to put some distance between us. I jogged to meet up with them, but the space between us remained the same. I picked up the pace, yet they were always out of reach.

“Guys, wait up!” I called to them, though it seemed as though they couldn’t hear me. “Come on, this isn’t funny!”

If they heard me, they chose to ignore my pleas. Not once did they look back at me either. I continued to sprint behind them until my legs felt weak and wobbly, exhaustion burning through my body. I clenched my fist, knowing for some reason that if I didn’t catch up to them, I would never be able to see them again.

In the distance, a giant door appeared in front of my friends. It was made of wood and seemed to be ancient, yet was in pristine condition. As tall as it was wide, it opened all the way, allowing my friends to pass through. Something tickled at the back of my mind as I stared at the door. There were no walls attached to it, and it seemed as though it was floating in mid-air. My friends all walked through the door with nary a pause or a glance back.

Despite the tiredness dogging my body, I urged some life into my legs as I set off again, kicking up grass and dirt behind me. The door began to slowly close the closer I got to it. Sensing an opportunity to get through, I jumped forward to clear the door sill, only to violently collide with something that sent me sprawling to the ground.

I grunted and shook my head, disoriented by the impact. Gathering my feet under me, I stood up and ran towards the door again only to bounce into an invisible wall of some sort. How could it be? I saw my friends walk through it—why was it preventing me from doing the same?

Through the invisible wall and the half-way closed door, I glimpsed the streets and familiar houses of my hometown. Houses and stores I knew, people I recognized, and cars drove around as my friends kept walking down a street.

“Guys, wait! Help me!” I called to them, banging my fists on the barrier that prevented me from getting home.

Finally, it seemed as though they had heard me, as they halted and turned around, looking at me directly. They waved their hands and smiled, motioning for me to follow them. Their lips moved, though the distance was too great to make out the words.

“WAIT!”

By now, only a small gap remained in the doorway that I could peek through. I delivered punch after punch, but nothing worked. I resorted to kicking instead, yet still the invisible barrier held up. Desperation kicked in, and I ran backwards and charged towards the wall, hoping to use my weight to shatter it. It didn’t even budge.

Fear and desperation bubbled to the surface of my mind. I screamed and began mindlessly ramming and smashing at the barrier until the skin on my fists broke, smearing the wall crimson red with my blood. My shoes began to tear as I kicked, and each blow sent a dull thud through the air. Despite the obvious wounds, I felt nothing but numbness and the growing sense of loneliness.

I fell to my knees, leaning onto the blood-stained wall, exhausted and alone. Through the tiny gap that remained, I saw the smiling faces of my friends and the familiar buildings of my town disappear as the door closed with a loud thud that reverberated eerily across the landscape, the finality of the sound echoing in my mind.

“No…” Why? Why couldn’t I go home? Why couldn’t I catch up with them? Why was I here? “Please… I just want to go home… I don’t want to be here…”

I slumped to the side, feeling the grass brush my face as the breeze blew gently through the field. Despair and grief filled my heart along with an overwhelming sense of loneliness. I was alone here, with not a single human in sight.

“Human?” I whispered to myself and sat up, wondering why I had said those words. “Human? What?” Once again, that strange queasiness seemed to shoot through my brain, manifesting itself physically. My arms began to itch and my shoes instantly felt a few sizes too tight.

I took off my sneakers and found an unknown shape under my socks, something that wasn’t a normal foot. I tore off my socks, only to find my toes and foot were morphing and convulsing into a single digit that didn’t resemble anything human.

“No! This is insane! I want out!”

I stood up on one malformed foot, feeling my other limb also beginning to morph. I had to get out! I had to break the wall! Throwing aside my jacket, I began punching and kicking the barrier again. Each punch left bloody marks on it, along with the sound of wet flesh and breaking bones. Through it all, the wall bore it with silent condemnation of my actions. Exhausted, I stumbled back on wobbly legs, staring at the cursed wall. I spat on it, cursed at it, swore at its existence.

In response, the itching on my arms seemed to increase in intensity. I held up my right arm, seeing my fingers swell thicker and my hands stretch longer while copper-coloured fur squeezed its way out of my lower arms.

I screamed.

***

I came to a shout. ‘Where’s the wall? I want out! Now! I can’t stay! I have to get out!’

As I sat there, feeling my heart thud violently in my chest, my eyes darted around fearfully. The room was cast in darkness, with only a faint light trickling in from the window and underneath the door. I rested my hands down, feeling the hospital bed beneath me. Tremors overtook my body as the memory of that horrible nightmare flashed across my mind’s eye.

I took deep breaths as I slowly lowered myself back onto the bed. “Only a dream, a bad dream… No need to be alarmed…” I repeated to myself in a shaky whisper.

The door slammed open and two of the guards came galloping inside, the unicorn flooding the room with light from his horn. “Mr Powell, are you alright?” one of them asked as his companion quickly scanned the room, spears clutched in their forelegs. “We heard you scream.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m okay, just a bad dream.” I wiped sweat from my forehead, accidentally touching my horn at the same time and making me shudder.

“Well, okay then.” He lowered his spear into a more relaxed position. “You should ask Princess Luna for help with that.”

“I’d rather not.” I didn’t want Luna crawling inside my head for just a dream, at least until I knew full and well what she was capable of.

The guard nodded. “Suit yourself.”

“Magnus?” I heard a familiar voice ask. Doctor Mgangah came trotting into the room behind the guards. “Are you alright? I heard you all the way from the offices.” He flipped a switch on the wall, the resultant bright lights causing me to squint.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.” I stretched my arms and pulled the duvet aside, swinging my legs onto the floor. My hooves made a loud audible clop as they touched the tiles.

“If you say so,” Mgangah replied and looked at my hooves, then at my face. “How do you feel? You’ve been sleeping strongly for several hours.”

I rolled my shoulders and my head and then slowly stood up, supporting myself on the bed frame. It was difficult and my legs in particular ached, but I succeeded in standing, albeit feeling somewhat woozy at first.

“Huh, look at that.” I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. Taking a few steps around to get my blood flowing again, my footing gradually became steadier. There was no pain, and I didn’t feel sleepy, only a bit hungry and anxious to walk around. I laughed slightly as I walked back to the bed. “I feel great.”

Mgangah smiled. “Good, very good. What about your addiction? Do you feel the urge for morphine? Any need at all?”

The whispers in my mind concerning morphine had been banished. It was one thing I was certain about at this moment. I felt like a hyperactive kid, so full of energy and ready to take on anything. Still, I was able to hold back the rush I was experiencing even though I wanted nothing but to get out of here and just start sprinting around.

“No, no need for morphine anymore!” I exclaimed, feeling a burble of laughter rise in my chest. “I haven’t felt this great in years!” That was nothing but the truth. Now, for the first time in ages, I truly felt like I was alive.

“I’m very happy to hear that.” Mgangah smiled brightly at that.

I sat down on the bed after noticing I had walked around in only my boxer shorts, and began dressing myself. The doctor took the opportunity to ask me a few questions regarding my health, always scribbling down my answers in his notepad. Seemingly satisfied by my response, he finally spoke the words that I had been anticipating for days.

“Well, as far as I can see, you seem to be in perfect health.” He tucked away his notepad and pencil. “Still, I’d like you to take it easy for a few days, just to be certain. I’ll also schedule an appointment with Doctor Silver Heart. I’m sure he would like a few samples so that we can be sure that all of the morphine has been flushed out of your system.”

“That sounds reassuring. I wouldn’t want a relapse, not after this.” Apprehension flitted across my mind briefly before I clamped down on it.

“I’m quite sure you wouldn’t. The amount of patients who revert to their old habits after treatment is nearly zero.” Mgangah paused for a moment. “Now then, I guess I have nothing else to do but sign your release papers.”

My eyes widened at that. “What? You mean I can go now? Just walk out of here?”

“Of course. It wouldn’t make sense to keep you here. If there’s anything you need or a medical emergency, the infirmary is just a short walk away.”

I never considered that it would be this easy—just a short interview concerning my health and then I could leave a rejuvenated man. It was all thanks to the princesses and Doctor Mgangah. I knew the hell I would have gone through on Earth to even attempt to free myself from the curse of addiction, and yet here I was, ready to walk out after only a few days. I was finally free, free of those debilitating headaches. Just thinking about it caused tears to well in my eyes.

“I... ah, I can’t, I mean I do…” I drew a shuddering breath. Unable to find the right words, I just shook my head quietly. I couldn’t cry now; I should be happy.

Mgangah nodded understandingly. “I’ve seen reactions similar to yours many times. They all described the same emotion to me: free to be yourself again.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. “Yes. Yes, it does. It feels, I feel… like a new man.” I exhaled slowly and smiled at him. “For the first time in my life.”

‘I shouldn’t do it. Men just don’t do it out of the blue. Lisa would, though, sometimes Renee, and on a rare occasion, Jesse would… Ah, what the hell!’

I knelt and in one quick motion hugged Mgangah close to me. He let out a gasp when he realized my arms were going around my neck. He struggled for a moment before I spoke.

“Thank you.” Mgangah ceased his attempts at escape. “I can’t even tell you how much this means to me.”

“I, um… you’re welcome,” he replied a bit hesitantly. “Usually my patients don't hug me, but I… well, I think I can make an exception in this case.” I felt his hoof carefully pat my back a couple of times before I released him and stood up. Mgangah took a step back before straightening his tie.

“Well, I think I should take care of your release papers now.” He walked towards the door. “I’ll return soon; it shouldn’t take long.”

“I’ll just wait here then.” I sat down again.

Shortly after Mgangah left, one of the guards went to inform the princesses that I was to be released. While waiting, a certain odour caught my attention. Discreetly, I lifted one of my arms, wrinkling my nose when I realized that it was me. Though sponge baths were somewhat effective at keeping me clean, they were no substitute for a real shower.

I had craved a proper bath for days, and now that I had some time to myself, one sounded like just the ticket right about now. Heading to the dresser to pick out some clothes, I went to the bathroom, the lights automatically turning on. There was no recognizable light fixture in the ceiling, only a crystal ball that emitted soft illumination. I walked over to the sink and peered into the mirror.

“God, what a mess,” I muttered as I stared at my reflection. The guy staring back at me looked like he had been caught in a desert war for weeks. The solid scruff, thick hair, and pungent odour would have allowed me to fit in with any urban city’s finest street dwellers.

Looking around the sink, I found some dental products awaiting me. My dental hygiene had been quite low on my list of priorities these last few days, and it felt good to finally get the chance to brush my teeth. Afterwards, I removed my clothes and slipped into the bathtub after the water had been adjusted to my preferred temperate. The tub was not made for someone my size, so I had to crouch to get under the showerhead. I simply stood in the warm water spray, feeling it drizzle over me.

‘Did it always feel like this?’ I mused to myself. ‘No, it didn’t. The water’s different, like I can feel every individual droplet… Was I always so wasted on morphine that I’ve forgotten about complete sensations? Who knows how else the morphine might’ve affected me? I always thought that my pain tolerance was high, but maybe it was always the morphine.’

I enjoyed the warm water for a few more minutes before I began washing myself. There was a bottle of shampoo and shower gel which promised ‘a sparkling mane and tail’ and ‘lustrous coat’, which made me a bit leery even though I did end up using them. It was weird washing my hooves, especially the soft tissue underneath them, the frog I believe it was called. It was soft yet muscular, and touching it felt weird, but in a pleasant way.

‘And now I’m fondling my hooves… Way to go.’

After showering, I dried myself off and threw on a fresh set of clothes. Walking back to the sink, I took another gander at myself. The scruff had to go, but there was no razor nearby. My appearance had changed for the better at least, my skin seeming more rejuvenated. My eyes also appeared more focused and alert, and somehow the green in them seemed to be more striking, though that could be a trick of the light.

I left the bathroom area, only for a voice to give me pause. “There you are.” The first pony my eyes fell upon was Celestia herself. She stood with the guards and turned to me when I opened the door.

“Evening, Princess.” I closed the door and smiled.

“Good evening, Magnus.” She trotted closer to me, taking in my appearance. “You certainly look better out of bed. How do you feel now?”

I motioned my hands up to my head and down my body. “Like a new born; healthy as can be.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Celestia replied and smiled. “When the guard informed me that you had woken up, I had to come see you immediately.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m sure you were busy with something.”

She shook her head. “My work for the day is over and the sun has set. Now that you are to be released, I wished to know if you would accompany Luna and me for dinner.”

Food, proper food. Maybe even something else other than salad and fruit? I would be an idiot to refuse. “Sure, I’d like that, but I have to wait for Doctor Mgangah. He has my release papers.”

“He dropped by a few minutes ago with them; they only require your signature.” Celestia levitated over a document to me with her magic. I looked over the document, seeing that it was already filled out and signed by Mgangah and Silver Heart. “You can sign it at the reception desk.”

I nodded in reply and rolled up the document in my hand. “Shall we?” Together, we walked out of the room that I had been confined to for days. I gave it one final glimpse before the door shut behind us, glad to be able to walk on my own once again.

The guards fell in behind us as Celestia led the way. The infirmary staff stared at me, but this time they didn’t seem to be afraid, probably because their princess escorted me. A few even smiled at me and said hello, asking if I was being released. It was a refreshing change to the fearful stares I had previously received. A few ponies gawked a bit longer than necessary, and somehow I think that Celestia noticed since she stared back at those ponies. They quickly decided to focus on something else.

We reached the reception area and walked up to the desk which was manned by a mare. I gave her somewhat of a scare when I knocked on the desk, drawing her from her paperwork. She released a strangled squeak when she saw me towering over the desk.

“Hi, sorry for scaring you, but I’m checking out.” I showed her my release form.

“Oh, it’s okay, I just wasn’t expecting—I mean, I can usually look ponies straight in the eyes, but you’re kinda, um, tall,” the mare explained as she carefully took the document and scanned it. “Everything seems to be in order. I just need your signature right here.” She pointed out the line and gave me a quill.

I had never written with a quill before, and the first thing I did was spill ink right in the middle of the document. On my second attempt, I poked a hole through the dotted line. My third attempt was somewhat successful, though my signature looked more like chicken scratches.

“Err, sir, I can’t read this.” The receptionist returned the document and left me staring at my decidedly English signature. Of course she couldn’t read it—no one here was able to. I signed it in Equish as best I could, but writing foreign letters was a lot harder than it seemed, seeing as the Equish letters consisted of elegant swirls, circles, ovals, and lines that curved slightly. Nearly all the Equish letters I found in my mind were written in cursive; luckily, they also had block letters which I found easier to replicate. It took around five minutes before I could finally write my name.

I returned my release form to the receptionist, and Celestia and I were off. It didn’t take long before I could recall the corridors we were taking, though walking them without chains was a vast improvement. I also found myself admiring the architecture of the castle. Soft pastel colours broke the monotony of the white walls, with paintings, flowers, and other decorative items being encountered along the way. It felt like wandering through a castle set in a fantasy novel.

“Do you like it?” I turned my attention to Celestia, who glanced at me over her shoulder as we walked.

“This castle is breath-taking, almost unreal.”

“I am happy to hear it. Canterlot Castle took many years to build and was quite expensive. I find it just as beautiful now as the day the last roof tile was placed.”

While we walked, Celestia told me a bit about the castle and its construction. Built a thousand years ago, it was meant to be a beacon of hope to ponies after Luna's banishment. The city of Canterlot was already there, although it was a small mining town at the time. During the castle’s construction, workers decided to settle around the castle, and so the city of Canterlot was born.

Celestia took on the role of tour guide and me the tourist, the princess chiming in with titbits of information whenever my eyes fell on any particular trinket or object. For a thousand year old castle, this castle seemed pretty well-maintained. Eat it, Tower of London.

After walking for a few minutes, we came to a door. Celestia opened it and walked inside while the guards remained outside. I recognized the room as the same one I had breakfast with Celestia in. Luna was already seated at the table and stood as we entered.

“Sister, Magnus.” Luna walked towards us, a slight smile on her face and stopped in front of me. “Magnus, it brings me great joy to see you walking on thine own hooves.”

“Thank you for your concern, Princess Luna,” I replied with a small bow. “It’s good to be up again.”

“I am pleased to hear so. Also, as I told you before, you may call me Luna.”

“I’ll remember that, Luna." I chuckled lightly.

“Now, perhaps we shall take a seat.” Celestia walked to her seat at the table and sat down on a cushion. Luna did the same and sat down to Celestia’s right, while I took a seat on the opposite side of the table. I almost expected a horde of servants to enter the room with food, though that didn’t materialize. Celestia noticed me looking at the door and spoke up.

“Dinner is being prepared as we speak. Luna and I thought that we could first discuss a matter of importance.” Celestia met my questioning gaze. “It concerns your appearance and subsequent… treatment.”

“Treatment?” The way she said it sounded ominous. I suspected I wasn’t out of trouble yet, and shifted uncomfortably.

“Yes,” Luna replied, sounding just as serious as her sister. “It is something that has been on our minds ever since I found you, or rather, Star Swirl’s staff.”

“What about it? Am I still being held responsible for it?”

“No, it would not be fair to hold you accountable for actions beyond your control. Star Swirl knew what he did when he created it, yet he was unaware what a symbol of terror it would become to us, to Equestria’s history.”

I caught onto what she was referring to. “You mean the unicorn hunters?”

“Indeed. How much do you know about them?” Celestia asked.

“Only what I’ve read about in the newspaper.”

“Ah, that saves us quite a bit of explanation. Perhaps you remember what was mentioned about their acts of violence?”

“That they would raid villages inhabited by unicorns and remove their horns.”

“That is one version of the truth.” A shadow briefly passed across Luna’s face. “However, as history is written, details are oft forgotten. That cult was far more ruthless that any history book can describe.”

“How so?”

“They did raid villages, and they did remove horns.” Celestia grimaced slightly. “Mares, stallions, the elderly…”

“Foals,” Luna added quietly.

I involuntarily clenched my fists, the blood draining from my face. “What kind of monsters were they!?” I exclaimed, louder than I intended. “Why children!?” Staring at the princesses for a moment, I could tell by the glances they exchanged how hard it was for them to speak about this.

“Because they believed they would grow powerful by collecting horns, it did not matter the age of the pony, only their horns. It was a strange and barbaric belief at the time.” I stared at Luna, waiting for her to continue, but it seemed the past had caught her in its grip. Celestia continued in her stead.

“There was a small village called Bridleton that existed more than three millennia ago.” Celestia visibly swallowed the lump in her throat. “Nearly every resident was a unicorn. Luna and I had many friends there, friends we had known for decades. At the time, the unicorn hunter cult was just a rumour that travelled the land, though we soon found how real they were.”

Luna nodded solemnly. “We were returning from the Crystal Empire when we decided to visit Bridleton. The journey back to Equestria had been long, and we desired the company of our friends. It was late in the evening when we approached the village, but when we saw black smoke and fire rising from the village, we feared the worst.” She briefly closed her eyes. “Houses burnt to cinders, crops destroyed… ponies severely wounded, so many dead.” She seemed to withdraw into herself as she spoke, each word seemingly taking a part of her as she said them. “The village was in chaos. Unicorns lay dead or dying from their wounds, bleeding out from large wounds on their heads… where their horns once were. Earth ponies and pegasi had also perished trying to defend their neighbours, their friends. They were not prepared for the cowardly attack that came under the cover of darkness.”

“We lost many friends that day,” Celestia now spoke up, similarly affected. “We could do nothing but tend to the wounded, ease their suffering, and help bury the dead. Following the attackers was pointless—the villagers needed our help more than anything, so we stayed and cared for as many as we could. The Equestrian Noble Council, the government of Equestria in those days, was alerted to the threat by one survivor that managed to escape the attack. The Council sent healers to aid the wounded, along with soldiers to protect villages and hunt down the attackers.”

“And they succeeded.” Luna scowled and gritted her teeth, her anger evident in her eyes. “The soldiers were ambushed by the attackers themselves, a group of griffons, diamond dogs, and minotaurs. Poorly trained and equipped with swords, spears, and the foolish belief that they could defeat career soldiers, the hunters were swiftly dispatched. When the battle ended, the soldiers discovered their grim weapons: unicorn horns served as grips for swords, fashioned for spearheads and to decorate staffs.”

“Around their necks, they wore necklaces displaying horns as trophies,” Celestia interjected. “It is said that the cultist would call for fire, ice, and thunder during the battle, believing that they could summon magic because they collected horns. A fool’s dream.”

I recalled what I had learnt about the nature of this world. “It’s because they don’t have magic, right?”

“All creatures have magic in them, even the cultists,” Luna corrected. “However, unicorns can call upon magic at will.”

Celestia nodded at Luna’s answer. “In any case, during the following months, numerous attacks followed, but by that point the news had spread to the entire country, with villages and towns well-defended by soldiers and volunteers. Villages formed militias to combat the threat while spies discovered where the attackers originated; islands in the eastern sea. The Noble Council ordered the construction of forts along the eastern coast in order to halt attacks.”

“Did it work?”

“It did. Scouts sent from forts reported seeing small ships landing on the shores at night, which was how the cultists came to Equestria unnoticed. Within hours, they were apprehended and sent to the dungeons.”

I had to admit the strategy was simple yet efficient. A pegasus would be an ideal scout: able to fly, hide in clouds, retreat safely. No wonder they could react so quickly to the cultists and their fast ships.

“It took many years before the cult was finally destroyed,” Celestia continued. “After nearly two decades, their remaining members launched a desperate attack on Equestria which ended in their total defeat, marking the end of a terror-filled era.”

I scratched the skin under my horn, wondering what it would feel like to get it removed. The skin around the base of the horn was quite sensitive, and it brought the sensation of a file grating against teeth, causing me to shudder.

“I’m glad to hear those cultists were dealt with, but why exactly are you telling me this? Is it because you thought I was one as well?” I queried. Though their story had some relation to me, I had the distinct feeling that it went deeper.

Celestia sat there with a thoughtful look in her eyes, her mouth opening barely before closing. She turned to Luna, who sat with an even more thoughtful and regretful look in her eyes.

“Because I…” She paused for a moment, refusing to look at me. “When I discovered the staff amongst the debris of your vessel, I was shocked. That quickly turned to fury.” Slowly she looked up into my eyes. “Fury against you.”

“Because you thought I was a unicorn hunter.” I shrugged. “I can understand that.”

Luna slowly shook her head and sighed. Celestia looked over to her sister and placed her wing over Luna’s back, giving her a comforting pat. “We knew many of the unicorns in Bridleton.” Celestia’s voice was low. “Friends we had known since they were foals, and some who had grown to be quite old.” Slowly, she turned to me and spoke, “When we were crowned Princesses of Equestria, we made a vow to keep our subjects safe from harm, and we have succeeded in doing so for centuries. Your appearance and the staff brought back memories of the cult and their brutal ways.”

“In our eyes, you were a threat.” Luna slowly looked up, tears in her eyes. “Sister and I have always tried to act according to Harmony: loyalty, kindness, generosity, honesty, laughter, and magic. These tenets are the core of Equestria, what many ponies choose to live by, and we…”

“We ignored them when the staff was found,” Celestia finished. The way she said it made it sound like she was ashamed, as if she had committed a cardinal sin. It made me even more confused. What was Harmony to them? Was it their religion or something? If it was, then what did have to do with me?

I scratched my head. “I won’t pretend to know what Harmony is to you, but I’m curious as to why it’s bothering you like that.”

“We judged you,” Luna admitted, hanging her head. “I judged you. I believed you to be one of those misguided monsters from long ago, and wanted nothing more than to throw you in the dungeons so that your poisonous words could never be heard by anypony.” Celestia similarly seemed stricken with guilt.

Their words offered an insight into the decisions they had taken concerning my well-being. I could understand now the hateful glares they had shot me the moment I had regained consciousness, the contempt in their voices, and their mistrust in anything I had to say. To them, I was a lying, murderous monster that was a dire threat to their subjects, and my possession of the staff was evidence against me. The fact that they were the law upon themselves reminded me that if circumstances had been different, I could have been occupying a mouldy dank cell without any recourse or relief.

“We judged you when we knew nothing about you,” Luna uttered, breaking the silence that had fallen over us. “We saw no reason to speak with you other than an interrogation, we saw nothing but evidence that you could bring harm to our ponies, and we ignored every item you possessed that indicated your origins were foreign to this world.”

“We did everything wrong when meeting you, and for that we wish to apologize to you,” Celestia concluded sombrely.

Torn away from my musings, I could barely believe what they had said. Thus, I responded in a most intelligent and articulate way:

“Eh?”

Celestia and Luna shared a brief confused glance, then turned their attention back to me. “We wish to apologize for how we treated you,” Luna repeated slowly. “We offered you nothing to help you plead your defence, nor were you informed of our laws. A prisoner does have rights if they are unfamiliar with our laws.”

“Oh.” I scratched my head, my mind whirling. Though it seemed a simple thing to grant on the surface, I was somewhat wary as to the consequences of accepting or rejecting it. My earlier realization of my potential fate had it not been for Star Swirl’s intervention flashed across my mind.

“I might not be a lawyer, a judge or a police officer, but I know right from wrong,” I began slowly, trying to choose my words carefully. “I agree that you overreacted somewhat.” Both of them looked even more ashamed.

I could help but recall my earlier treatment, how I had been placed in chains and stripped of my clothing, and a hot flush crossed my face briefly. It had been demeaning and humiliating. However, a more reasonable voice urged me that playing nice with the princesses would be the ideal way to go in order to increase my chances of survival in this strange world.

“If I had to think about it, Princesses, you probably did the right thing in a difficult situation.”

“What?!” Celestia and Luna exclaimed in unison, looking at me in astonishment.

“Think about it.” I scooted closer to the table, propping my head up on my elbow, pointing a finger at my face. “For one thing, you all have never seen anything like me, so that would be an automatic black mark against me.” I pointed to Luna. “When you found the staff on me, you assumed that the unicorn hunters were back and took appropriate action. I can’t hold you responsible for wanting to protect your kingdom and citizens.”

I pointed to Celestia next. “I didn’t like having my clothing taken from me. I honestly don’t know what harm they could have caused for me to keep them, even if I was a suspect, unless the intent was to make me feel uncomfortable.” Hearing the heat in my voice, I took a deep breath, attempting to place a lid on my temper. Guilt-stricken or not, it wouldn’t do for me to poke the proverbial bear. “At the hearing, I told the truth, and I realize I must have sounded like a lunatic, talking about another world. I doubt you would have found someone to defend someone like me.”

I looked to the princesses, shaking my head. “All in all, this was a mess from the very start!” Celestia and Luna flinched, looking like a pair of children that received a scolding from their parents, as ridiculous as that comparison was.

It had been an entirely crappy situation. All of this could have been avoided if they could have tried to put aside their biases, or even if I had been allowed to show them some of my stuff, like my cell phone. I beat down another flare of indignation rising within and spoke the words that needed to be said:

“I accept your apology.”

The princess’s heads snapped up, staring at me as though I had grown a second head. “W-What? You accept our apology?” Celestia carefully asked.

“Yup.”

“Why?” Luna inquired, seemingly just as confused as her sister.

I took a few moments to ponder her question. “Several reasons, all of them are valid. Like I said, this was a mess from the start. If there’s anyone to blame, you can’t do it because he’s been dead for about five thousand years. You both did what you believed to be right with the sparse information you had. Luckily, the guilty party showed up and explained everything. Case closed.”

I looked over my shoulder towards the large double doors. “Wasn’t food supposed to be ready soon?”

“But we treated you terribly!” Celestia argued. “We refused to believe your explanation and held you in chains!”

I sighed. “If a monkey fell from the skies, landed on your back, and said that country music was the herald of doom before growing wings and flying away, would you believe him?”

One of Luna’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Was this most peculiar primate sent by Discord?”

“What? Who’s—Never mind,” I shook my head in exasperation. “The point is that you didn’t know me, didn’t know if I was dangerous, and you did what you believed to be right. Everything’s been cleared up now, and I’m sitting here with you, alive and unharmed. That’s what matters the most to me.”

Luna and Celestia fell silent, glancing to each other before turning to me. “From the depths of my heart, thank you,” Celestia said with a warm smile, sounding reassured that I had accepted the apology.

“We also thank thee, Magnus.” Luna smiled and gave a barely noticeable bow. “It brings us great comfort knowing that thine heart is kind enough to forgive us for our mistreatment of thee.”

“No problem,” I replied, smiling back at them. “I also want to thank you for everything you have done for me ever since I came here. You fed me, housed me, and most important of all, you’ve helped me defeat my addiction.”

I absolutely meant that with all the sincerity in the world. No matter what misgivings I might have concerning the princesses, they had facilitated the treatment that resulted in no cravings for morphine, headaches, no pain at all, in fact. No matter how it had come about, I was grateful to be free of that demon gnawing away at my soul. Those sentiments gave rise to my next words.

I bowed my head slightly. “Thank you, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, for everything you have done for me. I never expected the kindness you have shown me, nor did I expect the help you have given me. I can’t even tell you how much this means to me. All I can say is thank you, thank you so much.”

I slowly straightened myself up to find Celestia and Luna smiling at me before giving a respectful nod. “T’was our pleasure, human friend.”

“Indeed it was, Magnus,” Celestia added. “I hope now that we can look forward instead of dwelling on the past. Now that you have defeated your addiction, I feel a celebration of your health is in order.” Celestia’s horn glowed momentarily before the doors opened and servants entered with covered silver plates balanced on their backs. With ease, they placed them in front of us along with a jug of water and various utensils.

A familiar scent reached my nose, which in turn made my mouth water. The servant removed the lid, revealing several large pieces of lightly fried fish filet covered in some kind of white sauce, steamed vegetables, thick slices of sautéed potatoes covered with parsley, and two slices of freshly baked garlic bread. The smell of it all was so appetizing that I almost drooled.

“We heard from the infirmary staff that you have a preference for fish, and we hope that this meal is to your liking.” I looked up at Celestia, who stared at me with an expectant smile.

“This looks great!” I exclaimed, filling my glass with water and grabbing the knife and fork. I cut a small slice of fish and popped it into my mouth. It was soft on the inside with a thin crispy crust. The cream sauce and mild tang of wild herbs complemented the fish perfectly. The vegetables were also fresh and tasty as were the potato slices.

“Oh my god,” I moaned with my mouth full. “This is soooo good.” After days living on vegetables, fruit, and bread, this was just the ticket.

“We are glad you like it,” Luna said as she and Celestia began their own meals. I looked over at their plates, seeing some type of fried vegetable dish with white sauce and bread. Their vegetables did look delicious, but it had nothing on the fish I ate.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked after eating several pieces.

“Of course, what’s on your mind?” Celestia wiped her mouth daintily.

“Well, it’s about the fish. Aren’t you guys herbivores? How’d you get fish?”

“It is true that we are herbivores.” Celestia levitated the jug and refilled my glass. “However, fish can be bought in Canterlot. Our city is home to a community of griffons, who are omnivores just like you. Griffons are rather fond of fish, and they have their own section in the market. Meat, on the other hoof, is something you won’t easily find.”

“How so? Is there some kind of meat-eating taboo? I scared a nurse a few days ago by mentioning eating cows.”

“Your comment, although not meant to offend, did cause quite an uproar amongst the staff. We had to work quickly to calm them,” Luna commented, picking pieces of bell pepper out of her dish with her fork and placing it on a napkin next to her plate. “Most ponies do not have anything against carnivores or omnivores. They realize that we must all eat to live, even if it means eating something that once lived. It is not the consumption of meat that is the problem; it is the acquisition of said meat.”

“You mean killing, right?”

“Yes. Equestria is meant to be a safe place for all, not just ponies but animals as well, and as such, hunting in Equestria is outlawed. Fishing is allowed, as a diet consisting solely of fruit and vegetables for omnivores and carnivores would soon render them ill.”

“Not to mention that some ponies have an aversion towards blood and tend to overreact,” Celestia mentioned casually. “Some scientists believe that it stems from a theory that early ponies were a prey species.”

“So, meat can’t be bought in Equestria at all?” I asked, holding my breath in anticipation.

“Of course it can. It’s simply that most griffons in Canterlot prefer fish to meat. Cloudsdale and Manehattan, two cities where many griffons reside, have butcher shops that import their meat directly from Griffonstone and Griffonia.”

Of course fish would get boring in the long run, at least for humans. Variety was important even when it came to meat, and I was sure it applied to griffons as well. I still remembered the fishing trip I took with Grandpa to Idaho. I came home with nearly forty pounds of salmon, and had fish for dinner twice a week for over two months. Thank god for Renee and her cooking skills.

I simply nodded and continued eating my fish. A comfortable silence fell over us as we enjoyed our meals. I noticed Luna working her fork with her magic, finding small pieces of bell pepper and then removing them while Celestia smiled and shook her head lightly. The silence was soon broken by Celestia.

“While it is nice to share dinner with you, in truth, we do not know you that well, Magnus. Perhaps we can talk about you, if you don’t mind,” Celestia suggested.

“Ah, please do,” Luna exclaimed eagerly. “We desire to learn more of your human life and accomplishments.”

‘She said it like I’m not human anymore. Then again, she doesn’t seem to be up-to-date on how most ponies talk, seeing as she tends to change between that archaic speech and modern language on a whim. Even I know that her manner of speech is outdated, and I’ve never even studied their language. Those thousand years must’ve been hard on her.’

“Okay, I guess we can do that.” I wiped my mouth. “Anything specific you want to ask?”

“Perhaps we can start with something easy; perhaps you have hobbies you enjoy?”

“I don’t actually have any hobbies, now that I think about it. I like camping, but I don’t think that can be considered a hobby.”

“Nonsense, everypony has a hobby, something that they enjoy doing.” Celestia levitated her knife to her bread, slicing it neatly into small squares.

I propped my elbow on the low table, stabbing a piece of potato and holding it in front of my eyes. What hobbies did I really have? What did I enjoy doing? Lots of things, though I don’t think they were actually hobbies. “I like to play games on occasion. Do you have~-” I paused; Equish couldn’t translate television and computers. I decided to just say the names in English. “ ~TV~ and ~computers?”

“Tee-Vee?” Luna raised an eyebrow before seemingly remembering something. “Ah yes, the entertainment devises Star Swirl spoke of. What did he call it? A strange box that will catch your attention and force you to sit still for hours? Almost like a cinematograph! No, I’m afraid these devices do not exist in Equestria or in other countries.”

I nodded, somewhat disappointed. It seemed technology here had a way to go yet. “Other than games… I also like to go fishing occasionally. Other than that… well, I just find something that I like doing.”

“Fishing? A relaxing hobby, I hear.”

“Luna is right,” Celestia commented as she set her utensils down. She then poured herself a cup of tea, adding one sugar cube before stirring. “Some ponies do enjoy fishing, but I believe the difference is what ponies and humans fish for. While you may want to fish for the fish itself, ponies fish for seaweed and plants that grows in rivers.”

“Then why call it fishing?” I asked with a short laugh.

“Fishing was invented by griffons long ago,” Celestia replied and sipped her tea. “They would fly close to the surface of the water and snatch fish in their talons, but soon found using a fishing pole to be a relaxing recreational activity that was popular by commoner and nobles alike. It soon spread to Equestria and many ponies began using fishing poles with special lures with blades and hooks to cut plants that grew in the water and snag them before the currents carried them away.”

“Wow, that’s actually pretty smart.”

“Our subjects have even invented a special dish made of water plants; they call it sushi. My sister managed to convince me to try such a dish, a very… slimy type of seaweed.” The disdain in Luna’s voice and her grimace clearly indicated how she felt about the dish. “I have yet to reciprocate my beloved sister’s kind advice.” Luna shot Celestia a faintly irritated glare. Celestia adopted an innocent mien, a smirk briefly tugging at the edges of her mouth.

“I thought you would like it. You even said you looked forward to sampling our new cuisine.”

“It dripped of goo!”

I couldn’t help but began to laugh. Thousands of years old and still acting like a pair of fighting teenagers.

“Well, Luna, if you want some payback I can—” The glare Celestia aimed at me quickly shut me up. ‘Dungeon. Right, got it!’ Luna quickly turned to me expectantly. I coughed slightly. “I… I can’t help you with that. Sorry.”

Author's Notes:

New week, new chapter!

First I have an announcement; someone submitted this story to The Good HiE List weeks ago without me knowing about it. I was looking through the feed earlier and saw that my story was accepted today. Yessir, my little story is now officially 'good'. I couldn't find out who submitted it, but whoever you are, thank you!

Yes, I know horses can eat fish. Yes, I know horses can eat meat. No, horses are not technically predators. They do not stand in rapids, catching fish that jumps around them, like bears do. They do not stealthily move through dense vegetation to surprise, kill, and eat unaware little critters, like big cats do. They do not compete with mountain lions, wolves, bears, lynx and other predatory animals for food. And until I see a documentary narrated by David Attenborough where he explains in his usual style how the unaware deer is about to become a Mustangs next meal, this story won't have any meat or fish eating ponies.

Magnus is finally out of the infirmary. Took some time too. One of my editors commented that this segment would be best if it were no longer than 2-3 chapters. Obviously it was longer than that. I felt it was necessary, so that Magnus could interact with other ponies too, and have some time to reflect on his situation.

Celestia and Luna finally apologize to Magnus. As you have read, there was more to their reaction than just wanting to defend their subjects; Celestia and Luna are emotionally involved. They lost friends in Bridleton, and doesn't want it happening again. I kept all of you in the dark about this, and many times I wanted to tell you there was more to the two Alicorn sisters than just being angry, but I didn't want to ruin my plan by telling you. Maybe I could have avoided some dislikes if I said so. Still, done is done and can't be undone.

Next chapter comes when it comes. Blame Todd Howard.

PS: JBL edited this chapter, and he made one major change to it which in my opinion makes Magnus better. In the former version Magnus was quick to forgive the alicorn sisters for how they treated him as their prisoner. JBL added to a lot to Magnus in the form of him thinking of the sisters humiliating him by taking his clothes, his underlying wariness of accepting their apology, as well as expanding a bit on the dialogue between them. All in all, a very good change.

Chapter 19 - Dreams and Nightmares (Edited by JBL 06.26.2017)

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I was finally satisfied after my second plate of fish. After nothing but fruit and bunny chow for days, I finally felt like I had eaten a decent meal.

Once our dinner had been properly consumed, we shared cups of coffee as I continued to answer their questions. What surprised me was how energetic I felt as well as the improvement in my mood. I partly blamed the days spent in bed which had made me cranky at times, but now I was almost back to my old self. The most significant change was in my mind. The lack of headaches and the need for morphine, along with my decreased paranoia concerning the princesses, had done wonders for my mental state. What remained, though, was a craving for seeing home again.

Though I spoke not a word concerning the matter, I think they knew.

One piece of good news came from Celestia, who mentioned that the expedition Princess Twilight was leading would soon return to Canterlot. Apparently, they had gathered plenty of information pertaining to the portal, while at the same time discovering specimens they suspected originated from Earth, most of it being aquatic life forms.

A large ornate clock on the wall chimed ten times, signifying the lateness of the evening. Celestia glanced at the clock in faint surprise. “It would seem that time passes quickly in good company. I believe I’ll call it a day.” She stood up and ruffled her feathers ever so slightly. “A new room has been prepared for you, Magnus. If you are tired, I can show it to you now.”

I shook my head. “I’m not that tired, Princess Celestia, so I think I’ll stay up for a while longer.” It had been about two hours since I woke up, and with the amount of sleep I’d had lately, I was still rather bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

She nodded. “Very well. Luna, perhaps you can show Magnus his new quarters later?”

“Of course I will, Sister.”

Celestia smiled and looked to Luna, then to me. “Luna, Magnus, good night.”

We responded in kind, Celestia nodding to us both and exiting through the door we had entered. Silence overtook the room once I was alone with Luna, though it wasn’t the sort that gave way to awkward uncertainty. Rather, it felt more of a contemplative quiet that engendered thoughtfulness of one’s situation.

“Now then,” Luna spoke up after a while, having finished off the last of her coffee, “I believe I should explain to you the power of dreams as you requested. Perhaps we can go outside; the night air is cool and refreshing.”

“Sure.” I stood up and stretched. “I said I wanted to see what your night sky looks like, and I meant it.”

Luna smiled. “Then follow me.” She led the way, walking towards a nearby glass door.

I followed a few step behind, taking the opportunity to fully observe her body without it being completely rude. Her appearance was the most obvious thing that stuck out, especially her height. Her chin was roughly above my waist, meaning she was taller than most ponies, even stallions who, for the most part, appeared to be stronger and taller than mares. Despite her height, she appeared to be rather slender compared to most mares I had encountered. I could clearly see how her muscles rippled beneath her fur and skin, and how she moved with a certain grace and elegance, much like Celestia did. Somehow, she reminded me of a prize horse competing in a show. It was another striking difference between her and other ponies that prompted me to speak up.

“Luna, can I ask you a question?” I asked as she opened the door and stepped outside.

“Of course, what is it that you wish to know?”

“I’m not sure if I’m breaking a rule or something by asking this, but… why does your and Celestia's mane and tail move like that?” I pointed a finger to her mane as I walked up next to her.

“Ah, a most interesting question, one which few ponies dare ask about as they believe it is insulting to us.” I focused on her mane and leaned closer. Each individual strand of hair glowed dark blue, undulating as if it was one entire mass. Her hair never fell down straight, instead seemingly being held aloft by the glowing blue mass. I could see what appeared to be tiny stars in her hair and tail, and even what resembled galaxies. It looked weird as hell, but very cool at the same time.

“My sister and I are strongly bonded to magic, more so than anypony else in our world. So strong is our bond that our bodies react to magic in many ways, one of them being how my mane billows as it does. Imagine magic as a stream, a current of water, slow and calm, for it is this way that magic flows in our world and so too does our tails and mane… Why are you so close to me?”

“Huh?” I looked towards Luna's confused face, realizing that I was mere inches from her mane. “Oh, I’m sorry; I just thought I saw a shooting star in your mane.”

“Oh, yes, that happens now and then.” She smiled and continued on, “The time of day that is our element is also reflected in our manes; the dark night and the stars in mine, and the many colours of the rays of the sun in mine sister’s.”

“‘Kay, that makes sense… somehow.”

Luna led me towards a large open area of the garden, away from the lights emanating from the castle. If you wanted to see the night skies clearly, you had to be away from artificial light.

We walked in silence for a while. I looked up at the skies occasionally, but something else caught my attention. Over to the right, I saw the walls of the castle, and just over the walls, I could see the lights from Canterlot. I had yet to see the city itself, and I had no idea how big it was, but considering its status as the capital of Equestria, I expected the city to be huge. Perhaps I might have a chance to see it before I left and buy some sou—right, no valid money. Damn financial situation. Maybe I could trade my cell phone for a shitload of souvenirs? Since they don’t have those here, I could sell it and—it would be useless. I had yet to see a single electrical socket and my charger was in my car, currently parked in Florida.

Crap.

“Do you desire to see Canterlot?” Luna had stopped while I was staring at the city lights, and as I heard her voice, I turned to her.

“Could be interesting,” I replied, but then remembered something important. “I guess it will have to wait. I can’t leave because I might cause panic since… well, being human and all.” I pointed at myself to emphasize the point.

“There are other ways to see the city.” Luna looked towards the tallest tower of the castle. “The astronomy tower is the tallest of the castle. From there, you can see far and wide. Would you like to go there?”

I was tempted to take her up on it, but decided that it could wait. “Perhaps later,” I replied.

We walked for a while, eventually reaching a small open area. A few benches, some flowerbeds, and a fountain were the only signs of civilization in the immediate area. I sat down on a bench and leaned my head back, staring up at the sky.

“Wow…”

I had lived my entire life in a small town, but due to light pollution, it had always been somewhat difficult to see the stars clearly. The only chances I had were either when I stayed over at my grandfather's cabin or when my friends and I decided to go camping somewhere. Away from lights, we used to lie on the ground and just gaze up at the skies, wondering about what could exist beyond our own solar system.

But seeing the night sky of this world? The differences were huge. The moon loomed large, so either it was closer to this planet or simply much bigger than Earth’s own. Billions of tiny lights twinkled like tiny punctures on the dark canvas of space. A barely visible band of stars was right above us, looking like it could be an arm of the galaxy. I wondered if one of those stars had a tiny blue planet orbiting it, or perhaps it was as they said: that I was actually in a different dimension.

I got off the bench and sat down on the grass before leaning back, placing my hands underneath my head and just watching the stars sparkle and shine. I sighed in contentment. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Luna sat down next to me and beamed as she looked up at the stars. “Every night I change the stars slightly so that not two nights are the same. It takes some work, but it is most certainly worth it.”

“Change the stars? Do you control them as well?”

“To a certain degree,” she replied and sighed contentedly. “I can alter the light they emit or block it as I see fit. Do you see that bright star two hoofs-width to the right of the moon?” I looked to where she indicated, noticing one particularly bright star. Suddenly, the star moved to the right before making a U-turn, returning to its original position before changing colours. Starting white, it then became light blue before turning red before disappearing and reappearing again with a glimmer of amber and green to it.

I chuckled at what I perceived to be a gigantic ball of burning gases light years away darting around like a kid on an all-time sugar rush. “Wow, that’s amazing!”

“It is.” There was a note of wistfulness in her voice. “The sky is my canvas, and my magic is my brush. I have never created two identical night skies. Many stars I leave be, as they act as guiding stars to travellers during nights; stars that points to north, south, east, and west. Constellations I also leave at peace, as some races hold them in high regard. Long ago, I did my utmost to please ponykind with my beloved night, creating nights that no artist could ever hope to recreate on canvas.”

‘Meet Princess Luna, Princess of the Night, Guardian of Dreams, and inventor of the GPS; Global Princess System,’ I thought to myself with a chuckle. It was incredible, for lack of a better word. The more I learned about this world, I was increasingly convinced that certain laws of physics did not apply here. Magic, dreams, the sun, moon, and the stars themselves didn’t seem bound by these laws. Rather, they could be somewhat twisted to suit the needs of ponies. I wondered how they would react to Earth, seeing as they were so adjusted to this normality.

I lay there in the grass, watching the skies and feeling the short grass tickle my hooves. It felt nice and relaxing, just as it did a few days ago when we walked across the lawn. My mind began to wander, this time my thoughts revolving around myself, my body in particular. It would be weird if the only changes to me were on the outside. What else of my body resembled the ponies? Perhaps I could ask Doctor Mgangah and Doctor Silverheart if they could perform a full physical on me.

The silence of the garden was pleasant; the only sound reaching my ears was Luna breathing next to me as she watched the skies with a content smile on her face. I had lived in town for so long that the silence around my grandfather's cabin had been a welcome reprieve from city noise back home, and I felt the same way here.

“I believe that I should now explain to you my abilities,” Luna said after a while, rousing me from my contemplations, “and why I watch over my subjects’ dreams.”

“Okay.” I sat up and leaned at the bench. “Go ahead.”

Luna nodded and looked towards the skies again, as if her explanation could be found amongst the stars themselves. “Dreams are wonderful creations of our minds, for in the dream realm nothing is impossible, a realm without limits, without borders. Our greatest desires, moments shared with friends and loved ones dreamt many times over so that the memory never fades, and performing feats that should not be possible—it can all become true in our dreams.” Her smile slowly faded as she sighed. “Our dreams can also become what we fear most. Losing loved ones, dangerous beasts, creatures with ill intent—as our dreams are without limits, so too can the same be said for our nightmares.”

“So how do you do the things that you do?” Did Luna go from house to house, checking on ponies tossing and turning in their sleep?

“Every night I wander the dream realm, seeking those whose rest become disturbed. Upon discovering a nightmare, I act accordingly. Often fears and doubts haunt the dreamer, and in such situations, I offer counsel.”

“So you’re like a psychologist or something?”

“Perhaps that is one way to describe my role. Truthfully, it is much more. In recent months, many nightmares have occurred that required tending to.”

“Such as?”

“I do not wish to alarm you, but I did say that I would explain it, and I will not go back on my word.” Luna cleared her throat. “For the past twelve months, many situations have occurred that have brought about an increase in disturbed dreams. A race of insect-like beings called changelings attacked this fair city, but they were repelled.”

“By Princess Cadenza and her husband, right?”

“That is correct. The changelings trapped many citizens in strange green pods in order to feed off their love. For many, being trapped inside such a pod was traumatizing, while for others, it was the changelings themselves that caused nightmares. Many months after the attack, I have battled the nightmares that plagued my ponies, reminding them that I will never fail my duty to them ever again.”

I could understand their sentiments. Being stuck in an insect’s pod while struggling to breathe was truly a hellish proposition.

“Another incident was Discord, the Spirit of Chaos.” Luna frowned, scrunching her nose. “He once conquered Equestria, forcing ponykind to living in eternal chaos. He was defeated with the Elements of Harmony and turned to stone. His statue once stood in these very gardens.” She waved a hoof around us. “After he broke free from his prison, he began turning Equestria into his own chaotic playground once again. After being trapped in stone once more, my sister devised a plan to reform the chaotic spirit. To our surprise, it would seem that Discord truly wishes to make amends for his past deeds.”

‘Love-sucking creatures that can change appearance, chaotic spirits… Man, how can the ponies live a normal life around here?’

“This Discord character, is he magical too?”

She frowned slightly at the question. “Yes, although his magic is chaotic.”

“In what way?”

“Some of his simplest tricks were turning clouds into fluffy candy; the clouds would also rain chocolate milk.”

Leaning forward, I rested my head in my hands. “Holy hell…” I muttered under my breath.

“Magnus, are you feeling well?” Luna asked, sounding concerned.

“Well?” I shook my head, laughing nervously. “I’m just fine. Hearing about freakish shape-shifters trapping ponies in pods and then proceeding to suck out their love is something I can handle just fine. A chaotic spirit running around playing God with the world?” I sat up straight, staring at Luna. “I’m pretty far from okay.”

Luna scrutinized me for a moment before stating, “You are not well. What I speak of frightens you.”

“Hell yeah they do!” I got off the bench and walked around with my hands on my forehead. “How can you live like this? Especially that spirit!” I exhaled and wandered some more, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself. It didn’t work.

“I understand that these things frighten you,” Luna said calmly, “but you must remember that this world is new to you. You will experience many things which you have never seen before. Trust my sister and myself to keep you safe and unharmed.”

I stared at Luna, and admitted to myself that she was right. Culture shock was going to do a number on me and would exact a toll for years, at this rate. Remaining calm was my best defence in this situation, along with trusting Celestia and Luna as much as I could.

I wandered back to the bench and sat down, taking a deep breath as I did. “Okay, I’ll just… Continue, please.”

“Very well, but I will not mention any more incidents that have occurred, having witnessed your reaction towards them,” Luna stated firmly, which I was grateful for. I didn’t know what other type of things has happened here, and frankly I didn’t want to find out.

“Thank you. But how did this all begin, this dream-walking business of yours?”

Luna’s smile returned. “It began long ago, before my sister and I became princesses—indeed, long before we arrived in Equestria. The night had always fascinated me. The moon, the stars, the mysterious night and all its wonders—even sleep was intriguing, dreams especially. At one point in my youth, I decided to investigate dreams closer in order to learn from them.”

“And what did you find out? Anything interesting?”

She nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. “I discovered that I possessed the ability to enter the dream realm at will. At the time, many believed that such ability was impossible, or if it were, then dark magic was responsible. Tis true that dream-walking is a powerful ability that can be abused, but I had no such inclinations.”

“I have to admit that it does sound frightening. It could be used for spying on others,” I pointed out.

“A valid point,” Luna readily agreed. “The same accusations were once directed at me long ago, which is why I strove to only watch over the dreams of those residing in Equestria and no other nations in order to avoid conflict. If a resident of another nation approaches me for aid, I will of course assist them.”

A spy that could see your dreams… Against that, there could be no defence. She could see battle plans and alter the outcome of wars, know what politicians planned to do—the possibilities were endless. Still, perhaps someone had to dream of something specific for her to garner information.

“Can you influence dreams?” I asked, curious to know the extent of her powers.

“To a certain degree. I cannot change a dream, but in the event of a nightmare, I can remove what torments you.”

“Can you create a nightmare?”

Luna turned to me, looking befuddled. “Why would I create what I seek to banish? I am the Guardian of Dreams!” She huffed indignantly and turned away, but after a few seconds, her stern visage softened. “To a certain extent, I can create a nightmare by introducing memories of beings that I have faced in battle, both in the physical realm and in dreams,” she admitted.

“Oh…” was all I could say. I now wished I hadn’t asked her that. “Wait, beings faced in battle in dreams? Are you talking about creatures from nightmares?”

She shook her head slowly and looked at me sombrely. “There were beings that once haunted the dream realm, dark twisted spirits that would bring nightmares and feed on fear. I oft wondered if these creatures had found their way to Earth and humans, but based on what you have told me, I do not believe they plague your kind.”

My mouth agape, I stared at Luna. “D-Dark spirits?”

Luna slowly turned back to look at the moon, a cold glint in her eyes as she did. “They had no name for themselves, for their mindset was only on fear. Ages ago, they planted nightmares in the minds of innocents in order to sustain themselves on the fear of the dreamer. Few in numbers, they preyed on whomever they liked, causing distress wherever they went.”

“Oh god…” I leaned forward and placed my hands on my face. “Oh god oh god oh god…”

A warm feathery wing wrapped itself over my back, rubbing gently. “Fear not, young Magnus, for they exist no more.” I moved my hands away, finding Luna smiling reassuringly at me. “I drove those beings away ages ago, battling them wherever I encountered them. Without fear to feed on, they ceased to exist. Your sleep shall always be peaceful.” Hearing Luna say those words put me somewhat at ease; at least I knew that dark spirits wouldn’t pay me a nightly visit. Still, hearing that such creatures once existed frightened me more than I was willing to admit.

“Thank you, Luna.” I reached up to my shoulder and patted her wing. Still, something that I had wanted to ask her from the very beginning played on my mind. “I need to ask, can you read the minds of dreamers? Can you see their memories when they dream?”

“It depends,” she answered. “If somepony dreams of something familiar to them, I can scry their memories in order to find out the meaning of their dreams. If you were to dream of a place you know well, but it is nightmarish in nature, I will search your memories and reveal its true nature.”

“So you can read minds.” I sighed. It seemed that I was at least partially right.

She nodded slowly. “Yes. I am aware that you see it as an intrusion, but there are times when no other option presents itself. There are events one might forget that can cause a nightmare to form, and in such situations, I will peer into your subconscious to find the answer that may put your mind at ease.”

I rubbed my face and blew gently into my hands. “I’m… not sure what to say,” I began, looking up at the starry skies. “On one hand, I understand your job, your duty, and recognize that it is important to watch over dreams. I mean, I was afraid of the dark when I was a kid. I had a nightlight in my room up until I was eleven years old, for Christ’s sake.”

“Fear of the dark is a valid fear,” Luna murmured, seeming somewhat deflated for a moment. “One may never know what beasts lurk in the shadows, especially when one wanders a dark forest at night.”

I nodded slowly. “On the other hand, your duty seems awfully intrusive, what with mindreading and stuff. There are things people dream of that they’d like to keep private, so I’ll take a wild guess and say that you’ve seen what results in a wet dream.”

Luna released a giggle at hearing that. “Oh, more than once. I am bound to secrecy; what I see in dreams, I will never reveal to anypony.”

“Good to know. You could probably write a book about stuff like that. 'Raunchy Dreams by Princess Luna: A Tale of Whips and Hot Wax'.” We both chuckled at that, relieving some of the tension that had built up.

“I have a proposition for you, Magnus,” she said once our laughter had died down. “Since my abilities make you feel ill at ease, I shall not endeavour to enter your dreams. If you feel that you require my aid, all you have to do is ask.”

A wave of relief washed over me. While I hadn’t expected her to forcefully enter my mind after knowing my reservations, hearing her willingly say so was even better. “Really? Do you swear?”

She got off the bench, head held high and a silver-clad hoof on her barrel. “I, Luna, Princess of Equestria, Guardian of Dreams, Ruler of the Night, and your friend, swear on my word as a princess and alicorn that I will not visit nor peer into your dreams and mind unless you give me explicit permission to do so."

“If you swear on your race and title, then it’s good enough for me.” I felt a bit flustered at the somewhat solemn vow.

“I do not wish you to feel uneasy, my friend. As a princess, one quickly realizes the value of compromises.” I nodded in return and leaned back on the bench, allowing the silence to return to us.

As I sat there, watching the night sky with Luna, my mind couldn’t help but think about home once again. This time, my thoughts didn’t revolve around my friends or the people I knew; rather, my mind was on how I could explain all of this when, or rather, if I returned home. I hadn’t really given it serious thought since the talk I had with Celestia a couple of days ago. Still, I felt that my apprehension towards interacting with people in my current physical state could be a major obstacle.

I was certain that my friends wouldn’t mind. After all, I grew up with them and had been friends for a long time, and I doubted any physical changes to me would change that. I wasn’t that certain about Lisa, though. We dated for just over two years, and as with most couples, we had been intimate. With the radical transformation of my body, as well as the secret of my bloodline, I wasn’t certain how she would react. Sure, she was the kindest person I had ever met, but… What about now? Would she reflect on our time together with disgust, or would she just remember what I looked like back then? It was difficult to say, but I was certain that she would come around after some time. It wasn’t like we were looking to get back together again; she hadn’t even pursued a new relationship after we broke up.

What would happen if the odds were in my favour and I was sent back to my correct timeline? How would people react?

If I was returned back to the Bermuda Triangle and was rescued by a random ship, things would probably head south. No doubt they would find my appearance grotesque and would call in the relevant authorities, with the end result with me being targeted and brought down by some sort of highly trained government agents prepared for exactly this type of encounter.

From there, I would wake up in a white painted cell. One room, no windows, a metal bench with thin padding serving as a bed, and a cold metal toilet to do my business in. A thick metal door would be the only way in, surveillance cameras, two-way mirrors, and microphones all monitoring my every movement. A heavily guarded facility, a military camp. Interrogation rooms, guys in suits asking me questions for hours every day, scientists on the government's payroll taking samples, more interrogations. Eventually, my identity would be verified.

Panic would swiftly spread. They would probably believe aliens had created agents that resembled humans who commanded a strange green force emanating from their heads. My horn would be surgically removed for safety reasons. Unknown DNA would be found in my cells, verified to be from an unknown creature.

Security would be increasingly tightened as leaders around the world reacted, with martial law eventually being declared. People would grow restless and angry as their civil liberties were threatened. Eventually, someone would leak my image to the world, and hysteria would reign supreme. Throughout everything, the hope of returning home to Montana would wither and die, leaving nothing but hollowness in my heart.

It would be a complete nightmare.

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back on the bench and closed my eyes. When did I ever think that it would be so easy? All I had thought about these last few days was going home. Now that I had tried to reason out the events of my return, it wasn’t that tempting anymore, least of all if it resulted in me in a cell for the rest of my life, and I doubted it would be a long one either.

All in all, my future was bleak.

I released yet another sigh, feeling Luna’s gaze on me. My face probably didn’t reflect much happiness or appreciation at the moment. Her wing covered my back once again, rubbing it gently. Though it did little to improve my mood, I shot her a grateful smile in return for the effort.

“May I ask you something?” Luna suddenly asked, breaking the silence between us.

“Sure,” I muttered, happy to talk about something instead of thinking about the future.

“When I told you of my banishment, and my past as Nightmare Moon, I expected a different reaction from you.” I looked at Luna, a thoughtful expression on her face. “From your behaviour earlier that day, I expected you to fear me even more, but you did not. I am curious as to what changed.”

Luna was right. I have changed, quickly as well. It wasn’t my personality, though, rather a memory that had come to mind. I didn’t answer immediately, instead trying to frame it accurately.

“I haven’t been myself since I came here.” I leaned forward and plucked a blade of grass from the lawn, holding it between my thumb and index finger. “How I’ve been acting ever since I woke up in the infirmary the first day… afraid, jumpy, paranoid. I guess it’s human nature to fear the unknown.” I blew away the blade of grass and plucked another one. “It’s okay to be afraid, but it’s not who I am. What I’m like now, how I feel, how I act, this is me. I had to remember in order to find myself again.”

“I do not understand. What did you have to remember?” Luna asked, a certain tinge of curiosity in her voice.

“My grandfather, Joseph, raised me. My mom died giving birth to me, so he became my legal guardian. He raised me all on his own. He made sure I went to school and all the things a father is supposed to do. It was when I was about eight years old that stuff started to happen.”

“What of your father and your grandmother?”

“Grandma died in a car crash years before I was born, and my father was never around.”

“Oh.” Luna bowed her head briefly. “Forgive me, I should not have asked. You have my most sincere condolences.”

“Thanks, but it’s not a big deal. I never got to know any of them, so they’re not really someone I can miss.” I waved my hand. “Anyway, I’m not sure how much Native American blood runs in my veins, but it was enough that I became a target for bullies. See, the native people that lived in my country long ago were called Indians. There were many tribes, hundreds of them, all over the continent. Another people called Europeans came to the country some five centuries ago and contact was made. The natives were seen as barbarians and animals due to their society being less developed than the Europeans. There were wars, massacres, and so on. Even something as petty as derogatory names was commonplace. Some of those names persist to this day, but it’s rare to hear them.” I sighed as the memories came rushing back. “I heard them almost every day.”

“The town I live in is okay.” I rubbed the blade of grass between my fingers. A pointless activity for most, but in my case it helped with the stress. “It used to be worse years ago. When I was about ten, there were some kids at my school that found out I’m part native, and they began calling me names. Nickolas Osborne, Jeffrey Thompson, Mark North, and Eric Phelps were their names. Jeffrey, Mark, and Eric were tagalongs, just following Nickolas, the strongest guy. Redskin, Injun, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse were just some of the names they threw at me. Now that I look back at it, it was petty and tame.”

“Crazy Whorse?!” she exclaimed angrily. “A truly horrible insult! Had they no shame?” Luna fumed.

I just nodded. “There were worse, believe me. I told the teacher, but they never caught Nickolas in the act, and without evidence, there wasn’t anything they could do, other than warn him that they were watching. And walking home from school was a nightmare. He beat me up more than once.”

“This Nickolas sounds like a most dreadful character!” Luna snorted.

“I thought so too. In my eyes, he was the worst person I’d ever met. Well, things were about to get better. A lot better, in fact. You see, my grandfather was of the belief that things happen for a reason. He encouraged me to find out why Nick was so aggressive. It took a long time, and a lot of bruises, but I found out.”

“Oh?” Luna raised an eyebrow. “This Nickolas character, what was his reason?”

I smiled, thinking back to what drove Nick back in those days. Whenever he assaulted me, whether it was a shortcut between some buildings or the trail through the small forest on my way home, there was always hesitancy in his actions.

“Fear,” I answered, to Luna’s confusion. “Nickolas’ parents moved around a lot. By the time he moved to Montana, the state I live in, he had already changed schools three times. He was never able to set down roots, you know, get to know the kids in class. Being overweight didn’t help either. The last place he lived at was in a city called New York, and the school he attended was pretty rough. He was bullied, physically and mentally. He was so afraid of being bullied again that he became one.”

Luna’s earlier stern visage softened considerably. “I see,” she said with a slow nod. “Perhaps his bullies were never bullied, and he took notice. A far too easy solution to escape his fear.”

I nodded. “Yup. Grandpa explained it as passing along the pain to somebody else.” I leaned back with my hands behind my neck. “What my grandfather taught me was to not give in to fear.”

“How so?”

“‘Fear profits man nothing, Magnus. If you are afraid of everything, then you will lose yourself to fear in the end, cowering and jumping scared like a jackrabbit. Instead, investigate what scares you, understand why it is as it is, and you will understand and no longer have fear’.” I turned to Luna, smiling slightly. “Grandfather’s exact words. I didn’t want to be afraid of Nick and found out that he was bullied at his last school. Knowing that, it was easier to understand his motives. It took some time and convincing, but in the end he came around, being a nice guy with a lot of video games. ‘Course, Adam helped as well.” I finished with a chuckle.

“Fear profits man nothing…” Luna looked straight ahead, a hoof under her chin, mulling over the sentence. “So that is why you wish to understand my abilities. That is what you meant when we conversed in the infirmary; you simply wish to know how and why.”

“Pretty much, yeah. Grandpa’s advice has helped a lot over the years. I used to be afraid of a lot of things, but when I applied his advice and did some digging, I found out that there wasn’t any need to be. I stood up to my fears, learned about them, and conquered them. Bullies? No problem. A challenge? Challenge accepted!”

Luna’s earlier thoughtful expression turned into a smile, and she giggled at the enthusiasm I said the last part with. “A fearless human. It sounds like your grandfather’s advice has benefited you.”

“Yeah, it has, and it’s not ‘fearless’, more like acknowledging that I fear something, but refusing to yield to it. The night we talked, I remembered his advice; I could fear you and your sister and become a mental mess, or I could instead try to understand you two and this world.” I leaned back and shrugged. “Although, you and Celestia aren’t exactly what people have to deal with back home. You aren’t exactly bullies or scary dogs.”

Luna smiled. “Your grandfather sounds wise in the ways of life.” She was right. He had experienced a lot, learned the hard lessons of life, and had to go through a lot of pain to end up the man he was. His bad leg followed him throughout life, but it never stopped him. He lived with debilitating headaches caused by a lack of magic ever since he was a kid, but he soldiered on. He lost his only daughter when she was in her mid-twenties and his wife a few years earlier. That didn’t stop him either. He lost his parents, my great-grandparents, early on as a kid, thus he had to grow up fast.

Throughout all of this, my grandfather never gave up on life. Not once did he lose hope, not once did he lie down and say enough was enough. He always carried on despite what life threw at him.

“Yeah,” I replied with a smile. “He was wise and strong, a much stronger and wiser man than I am. I owe him everything.”

We sat in silence for a while, only the slight rustle of a calm breeze being heard as it played with the various plants around us. With the blade of grass in hand, I decided to test how my magic would react to something much lighter than the pebble. I focused on my magic, feeling it beat inside me like a second heart. A swirling display of bright green and white that made up my magical aura illuminated the area around us, and for now I was content to just keep it like this. The colours reminded me of the northern lights. I had witnessed it a few times when we had camped close to the border. While videos I had seen on YouTube were nice, seeing it live was completely different.

“A gift of magic,” Luna murmured, obviously seeing my magic. “It is truly a rare gift to see in this age.”

“So I hear.”

“Are you aware of the significance of the gift Star Swirl gave you?” I nodded but kept my eyes on the skies. “Do you realize how much Star Swirl cared for you?”

“Enough that he was some sort of spectre for fifteen-hundred years when he could have left anytime he wanted, and also that he wanted me to live here. He didn’t even explain anything to me back home.” I scoffed dismissively, though in truth, I understood why he did what he did. “Would I have died if I didn’t come here? Probably.”

“If he spoke to you, would you do as he asked?”

I had to laugh at that question. “I don’t know how things work here in Equestria, but back on Earth, it’s never a good sign if you suddenly hear voices in your head.” I paused before giving a serious answer. “No, I wouldn’t. I would probably think I was going crazy and check in at the nearest giggle-bin.”

“Giggle-bin?” Luna raised an eyebrow.

“Um, mental hospital.”

“Oh.” That seemed to halt her for a moment. “Still, I believe Star Swirl made the right decision. I understand the price you had to pay, but I believe what you received is worth it.”

“Price?” I allowed my magic to flow back quickly, stood up, and stared at the alicorn in disbelief. Did she just… “The price was my life, Princess Luna. My friends! Everything I had. My goddamn life!” It was the casualness that stoked my ire, as though my entire life was something to be carelessly discarded for a new one.

As calm as the night itself, she took a step towards me and stared at me, sincerity shining from her eyes. “You are in good health, no longer in pain, and your friends are alive, only very far away. Your life will not be ended by what your home world could not provide you.”

I felt my rage dissipate slightly. Luna’s voice had some of her sister's quality to it, a certain quality that made me slightly calm down for some inexplicable reason. Above all else, I knew she was telling the truth; it was just that… the truth hurts. If Twilight couldn’t find me a way home…

My once rapid breathing gradually returned to normal. I relaxed my hands, not knowing they had balled into fists. After several tense moments staring at Luna, I sat down on the bench and rested my head in my hands.

“A price,” I muttered under my breath as I stared at the ground. “Then what is it I’ve gotten for that price?”

“Life.” Luna sat down next to me, draping a wing over my back. The warmth provided by her feathery appendage was a comforting shield against the chilly mountain wind. “For what is a life worth? The hoard of every dragon in existence cannot pay for a life, nor can all the magic in the world.” I heard her sigh, and when she spoke again, it was tinged with sadness. “Although the loss of the life you had on Earth is terrible, remember that your friends are alive and well in your home world and have not passed away. Your home, your material possessions, they can be replaced—your friends cannot. Hold their memories close to your heart, and they shall never fade.”

I nodded slowly and rubbed my eyes. Without realizing it, a few tears had gathered in the corners of my eyes, but were quickly wiped away before Luna noticed. That was a thing about me; I never let anyone see me cry. Even when my grandfather’s coffin had been lowered into the ground, I had worn dark shades to hide my tears and adopted a face of stone to hide my emotions. I had learned it when I was a kid—crying only made the bullies see me as a much more desirable target.

I had noticed something about our conversation, or rather how Luna chose her words. She spoke as if I had no choice in the matter, as if I was here forever. It bothered me a little—did she know something I didn’t? Was I really here forever? No way home at all? I didn’t want to deal with this now, so I pushed the thoughts out of my mind, though I was sure they would return.

I plucked a straw from the lawn and focused my magic again, making the dual-coloured magical aura appear. With the straw in hand, I willed my magic to focus on it, and after a few moments the magical aura appeared around it. Even this small piece of plant life felt as if it had immense weight. I strained, but it refused to budge.

Luna sat next to me, watching my magic at work, her wing still over my back. She alternated her gaze from me to the straw. “Do not strain your magic,” she advised. “Pushing your magic out of your horn is a novice mistake. Your horn is a conductor of magic as well as a focal point. The more you push, the more resistance you will encounter. Instead, allow your magic to flow at its own pace. Similar to how water runs downhill, let your magic flow as it wishes. Let it choose its own speed, and you will find the task of levitating easier.”

With my extremely limited knowledge of magic, I took Luna’s advice to heart. Yesterday I had forced my magic and ended up exhausted after a few minutes. Who could be a better teacher than someone who had thousands of years of experience under her belt, or should I say saddle?

Following her advice, it immediately felt more natural. The light around my horn became slightly softer, dimming as if controlled by a switch. Even though it felt like the amount of magic was reduced and it took a bit longer to work, the straw slowly lifted off and began levitating an inch above my palm. Slowly, I removed my hand, the straw remaining suspended mid-air.

“Bravo! Well done, Magnus!” Luna enthusiastically patted her wing over my back and tapped her forehooves together in applause.

“Thanks, Luna,” I replied with a stupid grin as I watched the straw levitate in the air. Her praise felt somewhat ridiculous since she had the whole moon gig going on. Maybe for an amateur like me, this wasn’t that bad? Well, it might have been the tiniest of achievements, but to me this felt like I had done the impossible. After all, no human accomplished this before.

I concentrated, and in response, the straw slowly bobbed in mid-air before making its way towards me, coming to a wobbly halt in front of my eyes. I turned the straw this way and that, all the while allowing my magic to flow at its own pace. Accompanying this small piece of entertainment was the sensation of my magic within my body. The feeling of being alive, the feeling of being well.

The feeling of life.

After playing around with my magic for a while and watching Luna’s night sky, it was time for her to begin her duties. Together we walked back to the castle where the guards waited. I noticed that they had also changed, most of the guards in the castle now consisting of bat ponies, the nocturnals as they were called. Only occasionally did we encounter a pony from the three main tribes walking the corridors.

Luna led the way as we walked. I remembered a few details concerning the way to my room, and according to my memory, we were going in the wrong direction, instead heading for the back of the castle. I didn’t ask Luna about it, seeing as she probably knew a shortcut.

After a while, we came to a hallway that had a few large wooden doors evenly spaced apart. We stopped in front of one with shiny metal hinges and a golden doorknob. Luna opened the door and we stepped inside.

This room was… nice! Very nice! The interior was more akin to a giant living room. Paintings decorated the walls while the floor had several red, green, and blue carpets. In the middle of the room were three comfy-looking couches and some chairs that matched each other, between which was a large coffee table. Plants and fresh flowers stood in vases here and there while a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. On the left side of the room, a fireplace was built into the wall. Although there was no fire, the temperature of the room was rather pleasant. There was a glass door that led outside to a balcony where a couple of chairs and a table were located. In another corner was an ornate desk along with paper, quills, and inkwells. What struck me as odd was that the furniture was large enough for me.

“Your new quarters.”

At first I didn’t hear Luna, captivated by the sheer opulence of the room. After a few moments of silence, I managed to reply.

“Huh?”

Luna walked into the middle of the room and turned to me. “A delegation from Minoa, the land of the minotaurs, arrived recently. They are currently staying in the guest quarters where your former domicile was located. As you are still a secret, we cannot allow them to find out about you just yet, which is why you have been given this room in the VIP section of the castle.”

“VIP, huh?” I whistled as I looked around the room in awe, noting two other doors within the room. “I would be perfectly content with a smaller room.”

“Do not be ridiculous,” Luna scoffed. “Your wellbeing is our responsibility. These quarters should be more than enough to suffice for your needs.” She walked towards one of the doors and opened it, revealing a large bathroom. “The furniture has been made with minotaurs in mind, and the same goes for bathroom utilities. They should suit you well.”

“If my cell phone works, I should show you some pictures of my house. Then you can see what standards I deem okay, ‘cause this…” I spread my arms, “is too much.”

“Very well,” Luna answered with a sly smile as she walked past me. “I do believe the royal guard outhouse is available. I can arrange a tattered bedroll for you.”

I stifled a chuckle. “I’ve noticed standards vary greatly around here,” I sniped back.

“Our standards apply to guests who reject our hospitality.” Luna snickered as she made her way to the door where her guard escort awaited.

“As usual, four guards are posted outside. If there is anything you require, you may ask them.” I nodded to Luna. “Good night. I hope your dreams will be peaceful.”

“I’m sure they will be. Good night.”

The door closed, leaving me alone in my new living quarters. With its sheer size, I could probably fit most of my house inside it. I wasn’t lying when I said that I would be perfectly content with a smaller room. Still, I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

I shook my head and groaned, wondering if there was something in the air that made me think of stuff like that.

Curious about the rooms, I decided to check them out. The first one I wandered inside was the bathroom. It was fancy as hell, with all the fixtures and fitting one would expect plus more. Crystals in the ceiling illuminated the room, releasing a soft glow. There was also a large circular bathtub with three steps leading up to it. There were seats inside of it as well; at least four people could fit with room to spare. Checking out the cabinets near the sink, I found toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, towels, shaving foam, straight razor, combs, brushes—just about everything one could expect to find in a bathroom.

I decided to investigate the other room, which I was sure was a bedroom. I was right. The bedroom was just as luxurious as everything else. The bed was almost obscenely larger than anyone my size had a right to sleep in, and me wonder how big minotaurs were. A dresser was located at one side the room, opposite the window. Checking it, I found my clothes cleaned and pressed. The floor was also marble, with fluffy carpets around the bed, but the walls and ceiling were darker in colour, with the ceiling itself being black with tiny crystals embedded into the ceiling, illuminating the room. The bed contained fluffy duvets, two large pillows, and green silk sheets. On each side of the bed was a nightstand, and on one of them sat my mobile phone still in pieces and resting on paper, my wallet, sunglasses, as well as a certain red pebble.

It took some time to process the grandeur of the room. I began to wonder why they would give me a room like this. Surely they had less… opulent rooms, so why all this for me? Was this the only room away from the guest quarters they had?

Meh, don’t question it. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

I fell down on the bed and oh-my-god was it soft and comfy. If I could lie on a cloud, this was probably what it felt like. I moved up to the headboard and rested my head down the pillow. I stared at the ceiling and pondered the events of the day, concluding that, despite the ups and downs that had become disturbingly routine since my arrival here, it had generally been okay.

Still, the way Luna spoke earlier haunted my mind. I could not shake the suspicion that I was here permanently and knew that I had to deal with it at some point in the near future. All I could do now was cling to the hope that I would see Earth again. But what hope was there really? A small chance, so miniscule that the percentage of success was immeasurable.

I took off my pants and T-shirt and crept under the covers. Taking a few deep breaths and relaxing, I grabbed my wallet, took out a few photos, and stared at them. One was of me and my grandpa. I remembered the day well. It was just the summer before he died. I had been twenty four at the time and had spent that weekend with him at his cabin.

I leafed through the photos until I found one where I was with all my friends. It was on one of our annual camping trips. This photo was taken in Wyoming last summer. We had camped in Grand Teton National Park. It had been five days of just messing around in the forest, fishing, swimming, walking around away from towns. We had planned to go somewhere else this year.

Feeling an extreme amount of homesickness crawling up on me, I put away the photos.

‘God, I just want to go home so much,’ I thought to myself as I closed my eyes. As the crystal lights in the ceiling dimmed, I slowly drifted to sleep.

Chapter 20 - Ponywatching (Edited by JBL 06.30.2017)

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“UGH!”

Spike awoke from the noise just as a crumpled sheet of paper bounced off his head into the pile of other crumpled notes. Somewhere in that pile, Spike was certain that the trash bin was located.

Rubbing his eyes, Spike looked towards the origin of the sound. Twilight paced in a circle, levitating several documents before her eyes, reading each thoroughly, all while a quill that continued to scribble on a sheet of parchment.

“Twilight, what are you doing?” Spike asked with a yawn and looked at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s… five in the morning.” He hadn’t gotten much sleep. Twilight had collected a copy of all of the information the expedition had gathered and sent it to Celestia in the middle of the night. It had been a massive delivery by dragonfire.

“Twilight?” Spike asked again to no avail. The alicorn continued to pace, mumbling to herself. Spike grabbed a paper ball and tossed it at Twilight’s head, bouncing off her horn.

“What? Who?” Twilight finally managed to tear her attention away from the documents before her and looked around until she saw Spike. “Good morning, Spike. Did I wake you?”

Extracting himself from his bed, Spike looked around the room. There was a mess everywhere he turned. Documents were stacked high on the desk and coffee cups littered every available flat surface. An abacus weighed down a massive pile of papers filled with mathematical figures while a blackboard containing magical equations stood near the desk. Twilight had gone so far as to start sticking papers on the walls where the equations continued.

“Kind of,” the little dragon replied as he took in the apocalyptic landscape of the room. “What about you? Have you slept at all?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” Twilight’s frazzled mane and twitchy eye told Spike everything he needed to know. “I slept for an hour, maybe two, then I woke up because I had an idea. Look!” Twilight trotted over to the blackboard, picked up a tiny bit of chalk, and pointed at one of the equations.

“I had the idea that maybe we could use some of the information we’ve gathered to open a portal to Earth so that Magnus can go home and we can visit Earth. It should be theoretically possible if we use Gemini’s third thaumatic law of residual magic. The magic residue readings acquired by a fine-tuned Crystalline Thaumatic Detection device, or C.T.D. device for short, would definitely give us a lot of information regarding Earth’s magic. It could extend so far as to allow us to teleport to Earth if the distance between our universe and Magnus’ is short enough.”

“Well, that sounds good, for him at least.” Spike frowned at the disaster zone around them, silently hoping that someone other than him would clean it. He did notice Twilight's stricken look, one he knew meant that there was something she couldn’t understand.

“But I guess there’s a problem, right?”

Sighing heavily, Twilight plopped down on her rump, floated her papers over to the desk, and picked up a roll of paper which she displayed to the baby dragon. The list revealed line after line of readings the baby dragon couldn’t make heads or tails of.

“One of the teams brought three C.T.D. devices. They used them all in tandem so that they could locate and triangulate unnatural forms of magic. These lines,” Twilight pointed out the squiggly lines, “all belong to natural magic found in Equestria. The one on the right came from the ley lines.” Spike noticed the line, not comprehending anything wrong with it.

“I can’t understand this.” Spike passed the sheet back to Twilight.

“Sorry, Spike, but I’m just so frustrated.” Rolling up the paper, Twilight set the parchment back in its original place. “All those readings, even the ley lines, are normal—the signals from them are just a bit stronger. There isn’t a single unnatural signal found by the machines, and it just doesn’t make any sense!”

“How so?”

“Gemini’s third thaumatic law states that all magic, even very weak magic, will leave a faint residue behind. No matter how strong the spell or how much magic was put into it, the residue will fade in two weeks. If Magnus’ home world had gathered enough magic to produce a portal and sustain it for long enough, it would leave residue in these two places. Still, no residual magic was registered at all.” Shaking her head, Twilight sighed again. “It just doesn’t make sense. Without at least a very faint signal to analyse or even basic magical motes, there’s nothing we can do. It’s true what Princess Celestia said: Magnus will never return home.”

‘Oh’ wasn’t a word that would suffice in this situation, not according to Spike. He had hoped that the alien could find his way home and that Twilight would be the right pony for the job.

“But… what about the princesses? Can’t they do something? I mean, they’ve been around for a long time, right?”

“I thought the same,” Twilight replied. “But Princess Celestia seemed so sure when we talked about it, so sure that nothing could be done. I… I didn’t think much of it at first, but now… she was right all along.”

Although Spike had never met Magnus before, he somehow felt for the poor alien stranded in Equestria. Spike himself had never found out where he himself came from or who his family was. The small drake had never tried anyway. It didn’t matter to him since he had a family already; Twilight and Shining were his sister and brother respectively, and Twilight Velvet and Night Light were his parents.

This alien, Magnus, could have family back where he came from. Now he would never see them again. To the young dragon, it was a heart-breaking situation.

“So… what now?” Spike asked after a long pause.

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied, depressed by the harsh truth presented before her. “We’ll reach Canterlot later today. The wind will be to our backs, so we’ll get there in record time.” Chuckling lightly to herself, Twilight forced a smile. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Earlier, I couldn’t wait to get back to Canterlot so that I could talk to Magnus, but now I want to delay it so that I don’t have to destroy his hope. I just… I failed.” She sniffled, her head hung low.

Standing up, Twilight wandered over to the bed and slumped on top the sheets. Exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes for a second before opening them, seeing Spike stare at her.

“So… should I tidy up the room?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I can do it later. Why don’t you go have breakfast? I think I need some rest.”

“Okay.” Spike walked to the door, grabbed the handle, and turned around. “Should I bring something for you?”

“No, I’m not hungry.”

“Suit yourself,” Spike replied as he opened the door and left.

Twilight stayed still, listening to Spike’s footsteps as he wandered down the hall until they faded away.

A lone tear made its way down her cheek. The mare had done what she could, but couldn’t figure out a way to send Magnus home. Just a simple thing was needed, a small universal magic signal, but it didn’t exist. It wasn’t there. It was gone. Had it even existed in the first place? Twilight didn’t know.

As the reality of her failure churned in her mind, Twilight felt the lack of proper rest creep up on her.

***

“...Hmm…?” I sat up in the incredibly soft bed, rubbing my eyes slowly and yawning. Looking around the room, I was sure that I heard something just as I woke up. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told me that it was half past eight in the morning.

“It’s too early," I grumbled to myself.

There was someone knocking on the door to the bedroom. Judging by the sharp knock, it was a pony. “Come in.” I yawned again as I stood up and began to dress myself. The door swung open, revealing a pegasus mare in a maid’s outfit. Her coat was near golden while her tail and mane was yellow with several darker stripes running through them. Both her tail and mane were quite long, the latter braided and swept to the side of her neck. In front of her, she pushed a small cart with covered plates and two pitchers.

After coming to a halt, the mare stepped next to cart and bowed. “G-Good morning, Mr Powell,” she said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “I b-brought you breakfast.”

“Oh, thank you very much.” I dragged the breakfast cart over and sat down on the bed. Removing the lids, I was greeted by the sight and odour of toast, fried eggs, fruit salad, milk, and water.

As I began digging in, I noticed the mare staring at me. Honestly, that had gotten old. What caught my attention was that she was nearly trembling. It looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

“What’s your name, miss?” I asked between mouthfuls.

“Golden Summer, Mr P-Powell,” she replied, her voice cracking at the end.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Summer.” I smiled, but avoided showing teeth. “Are you afraid?”

She hesitated for a few moments, but eventually nodded meekly. “Y-Yes, yes I am.”

“Why?”

“It’s b-because… it’s said that y-you eat meat.”

Ah, the carnivore thing. I knew that my injudicious comment a few days ago would come back and bite me in the ass. She probably thought I was about to have her for dessert.

“Well, that’s wrong. I’m an omnivore, and I certainly don’t eat ponies. It would be some kind of weird cannibalism, right?”

“I-I guess so,” Golden replied quickly, seemingly not quite confident. “But I heard that you wanted to e-eat a-a-a cow!”

“I did say that, but things work a bit differently where I’m from. Cows aren’t sapient back home. Sorry to say so, but cows on Earth are animals.”

“Earth?” She cocked an eyebrow, seemingly confused. “If I may ask, Mr Powell—”

“Just Magnus, Miss Summer.”

“Oh, um, okay then… Magnus.” For the first time since Golden entered the room, she flashed a faint smile. “Where are you actually from? Princess Celestia said that you are from another world; is it true?”

“It’s true.” I filled a glass with milk and drained half of it in one go. “I’m from a planet called Earth. To you ponies, I guess I would be an alien. Our worlds are quite similar, actually, but humans like me are the only sapient species there.”

Golden sat down on her rump, staring at me in amazement. “Wooow… It’s unbelievable. This is like a science fiction story.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly on this world.”

After a few minutes, I finished breakfast while Golden Summer sat gaping at me in awe. As expected, she asked a few things about humans, not quite understanding the differences between Earth and Equus. It seemed she still couldn’t comprehend that humanity was the only sapient species. When I mentioned how many humans there were, it threw her for an even bigger loop. The population of Equestria was only in the few millions compared to the over seven billion humans of Earth.

I noticed a bundle of clothes on the lower shelf of the cart. “Are those for me?” I asked, pointing to the bundle.

Golden snapped out of her reverie and quickly composed herself. “What? Oh, yes, those are yours. Creative Stitch himself dropped by earlier with them. He also said that the rest of the clothes would be ready in a few days or so.”

“Great.” I picked up the garment on top and held it up. It was a simple black t-shirt that seemed to be made of cotton. Soft and smelling fresh from the washer, it even had the tag at the neck complete with washing instructions. Sadly, the symbols were different from my own Earth-made clothes. I checked out several of the other clothes made for me. There were several more t-shirts and boxers in various colours as well two pair of pants made of a material that resembled denim, the differences being that the cloth was softer and lighter. One was a black pair of pants cut short below the knees and with loops for a belt. A belt had also been constructed out of some type of sturdy and dense cloth with a shining steel belt buckle. It was small and discreet, not like those large Texas ones with bull horns and whatnot.

I hated those things.

I had never had much of an interest in fashion, quite the contrary, but now I really wanted to try on these threads. I excused myself, went to bathroom, and grabbed some clothing along the way. Brushing my teeth and showering, I began to dress myself, quickly realizing that they fitted quite well. I had room to move and they did not restrict me in any way. True enough, with a pair of shorter pants, my legs didn’t feel as warm as I expected, what with all the fur on my legs.

After inspecting myself in the mirror, I dumped my old clothes in a laundry bin and walked out. To my surprise, Golden Summer had made the bed and tidied the room while I was showering. Currently, she was fluttering about with a feather duster in her mouth. What amazed me was the deft control she displayed when hovering around the chandelier and other objects hanging from the ceiling and walls.

One thing I had wondered about was why breakfast had been delivered in bed. I had almost expected one of the princesses to greet me as I woke up, seeing as it had almost become something of a ritual over the past few days.

“Miss Summer, do you know where the princesses are?”

Golden Summer was putting the finishing touches on the living room, specifically on the chandelier. Her wings fluttered gently as she hovered around it with her duster. “Princsesh Cheleshtia ish attending court right now,” she mumbled, the duster in her mouth impeding her speech. The pegasus landed and tucked away the duster at the bottom of the cart. The rest of the clothes were already gone, so I assumed she had placed them in the dresser. “I believe Princess Luna is resting as she usually does at this time of day. I’m sure one of them will come see you when they have time to spare.”

It seemed being a princess around here didn’t just involve sitting on a throne. I wondered if they had prime ministers and other political figures here. Well, if she was busy, maybe I could pay the doctors a visit.

Summer pushed the cart out of the room, and I followed her into the hallway. Two guards stood next to the door, while further down the hallways, I spotted guards patrolling and maids wandering the corridors.

“Miss Summer, thank you for the food and for bringing me my clothes,” I said before she had the chance to leave, giving her a sincere smile. I was happy to receive a smile back.

“It’s no problem, Mr Powell. After all, this is my job,” Golden Summer replied as she looked over her withers. “If I may say so, those clothes look good on you.”

She continued on her way, leaving me with a smile on my lips. What I was most happy about was that the mare’s fear seemed to be gone, or at least temporarily forgotten. It seemed that some kindness went a long way around here. One down, hundreds more to go.

“So,” I turned to the guards who had been watching me the whole time, “can you guys show me the way to the infirmary, specifically the offices?”

***

After a short walk, we reached the infirmary ward and the guards showed me the way to Doctor Silver Heart’s office. I knocked and heard a familiar voice reply, “Come in.” I stepped inside and saw Silver Heart sitting behind a desk. When the doctor saw me, he smiled and stood up. “Magnus, it’s good to see you.” He walked to me and held out his hoof to shake, which I did. He gestured to a small chair, but it was a bit too small for me, so I opted to sit on the floor.

“I came to see you this morning, but I found out that Mgangah already released you last night.” Silver Heart sat down on his chair, resting his forelegs on the desk while looking me over. “Looks like his treatment worked wonders. Those zebras and their potions.” He chuckled lightly.

“I’ll admit that I had my doubts. It just sounded too good to be true.” I exhaled in relief. “This, how I feel, it’s amazing. A miracle is what it is.”

“I know my way around regular medicine and a fair share of antidotes, but I’m not a miracle worker. Your own body worked with you to heal you. The potion merely sped up the process.”

“Well, it still felt like a miracle. By the way, isn’t Doctor Mgangah here?”

“No, he left this morning to return to his job in Manehattan. Mgangah is one of the top doctors at Manehattan General in their toxicology department, you know.”

I felt a stab of disappointment prick me. “Darn, I wanted to at least say goodbye to him before he left.”

Silver Heart chuckled wryly. “I met him a few times during medical school, and I can safely tell you that he isn’t one for long goodbyes. It’s just how he is. He simply does his job and leaves for the next one.”

I had to admit that Silver Heart was right. Mgangah was a doctor and that meant he would have a lot of responsibilities riding on his shoulders. Still, not much I can do about it now.

“Now then,” Silver Heart leaned back in his chair, “is there anything else I can help you with today?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, there is one thing.” The doctor’s ears swivelled towards me. “I am a medical impossibility; I shouldn’t exist. Humans can’t create viable offspring with creatures of another species. It’s just not possible.”

“I beg to differ. After all, you are sitting right here,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but…” I sighed. How could I explain this in a way he could understand? “Let’s just say that some people have tried it with animals, if you get my drift?”

Silver Heart tilted his head to the side in confusion before his eyes suddenly widened. “I… I think I understand.”

“Yeah, well, biologists have figured out that it is medically impossible for humans to breed with other creatures. It has something to do with the sperm and egg cells not being compatible. Different breeds of animals in the same family can create offspring, but sometimes complications can occur. Humans and ponies aren’t even close to being in the same family tree.”

Silver Heart nodded slowly. “I see. You’re afraid that you might have certain undiagnosed health problems due to being a hybrid?”

“Yeah, it would be a strange coincidence if I were completely healthy. I doubt the only change to me is my appearance. There’s gotta be some internal changes, too.”

“Well, we can try to find out. If you agree, I can make arrangements for a full physical to see what secrets your body holds.” He jotted something down on a notepad. “The areas of interest, as far as I can see, will be how your human and pony tissue interact with each other. There’s also the question of how your internal organs functions in case there is internal hybridization.”

“That's great, Doc. How soon can you make me an appointment?” It was clear to me that he had thought about this for a while.

He flipped a few pages on his notebook until he came to what looked like a calendar filled with notes scribbled on it. “Hmm, it looks like I don't have time for at least ten days. Shall we say in two weeks? It would give me some time to arrange a full array of tests. We want to be thorough, right?”

Truthfully, I would rather have this over with a soon as possible; who knew what Twilight discovered regarding the portal? Maybe I would have to hurry to get back to the portal, or maybe the ponies would find a way to recreate the portal. I might not even be here in two weeks’ time. Still, I didn’t want to come across as arrogant or ungrateful.

“Two weeks sounds fine. I don’t know what the princesses have in mind, though.”

“I’m sure we can work something out. Your health takes precedence. I’ll notify you on the date and place as soon as I get it scheduled.” Levitating a quill, Silver Heart scribbled down a note on the calendar. Taking that as my cue to leave, I stood and headed for the door.

“Great. I guess you have work to do now, so I’ll get out of your hair.”

“A doctor's duty never ends. Goodbye, Magnus,” I heard him say before I closed the door.

Now standing in the hallway, I wondered what next to do. I could always wander around the castle or take a stroll through the garden. I definitely wasn’t going to the throne room. There would probably be ponies in there speaking with Celestia, and my presence there could end up causing both of us headaches.

My curiosity about Canterlot from last night returned. I didn’t plan to run through the gates and into the city, scaring the entire city into a panic-fuelled riot. No, I wanted to see Canterlot, but from a safe distance.

“Hey, guys,” I asked the guards, garnering their attention. “Where is the… uh, what was the name…? Oh yeah, the Astronomy Tower?”

Twenty minutes later…

“Jesus… Christ…” I wheezed.

I believed myself to be in decent shape, what with all the camping I had done ever since childhood. Frequently going through forests and rough terrain wasn’t a workout in itself, though if done often enough, it became almost like training. The spiral staircase we had been climbing for the last ten minutes had kicked my ass. My legs even felt like they were significantly weighing me down. All that pony keratin and bones must be extremely dense, or maybe the gravity of this world was slightly stronger than Earth’s. It didn’t feel any different, though.

“Are… we there… yet?” I asked, gasping for air. I really needed to work on my stamina. Had the days spent in bed weakened me that badly, or had the potion contributed? Whatever the case, I’d need to hit the gym when I returned home.

“Five more rounds and we reach the top,” the guard in front of me stated as he effortlessly trotted up the stairs, maintaining the same pace he had when we first started. I could only imagine the training these guys had to go through to be this tough. They guarded two princesses, after all.

“Five… more… rounds…” I repeated numbly to myself

“You may have size on your side, but it doesn’t seem to help you much,” the guard behind me quipped.

“Fuck… you…” I huffed.

By the time we reached the top, my legs felt like jelly. A large oak door with constellations adorning it marked our goal. The guard opened the door and held it open for me. It was soon obvious that this room was heavily dedicated to stargazing. Star charts were hung on the walls along with informative charts that depicted different lunar phases and constellations. Shelves upon shelves held books, tomes, and scrolls. A table stood in the middle of the room, covered with scrolls, paper, ink, and quills. To the side stood several telescopes of varying sizes, with a solar system model to their right. Curiously, there were only three planetary bodies attached to it: a golden orb, which I assumed was the sun, a silver ball that had to be the moon, and in the centre stood a green and blue ball which represented Equus itself. Not knowing where Equestria was, I couldn’t point it out on the globe. Strangely enough, less than half of the planet seemed to be mapped.

At the end of the room was a door that led outside. The guard opened the door and walked out while I followed. A blast of air struck me, reminding me that I was high above ground. Stepping out onto the balcony, I nearly shat myself. The railing around the balcony reached below my waist, reminding me that it was built with ponies in mind. One wrong step would most likely end up with me plummeting to my death.

I made sure to stay away from the edge, keeping to the wall, and discovered that the balcony went all around the tower. I could see for miles in all directions, but what first caught my eye was the castle itself.

The castle was enormous with its towers of varying heights. The roofs seemed to be capped with gold, making the sunlight bounce off them. Further investigation revealed the imposing castle walls that surrounded the main structure, the many watchtowers, and just how much land the castle occupied. A huge garden stretched halfway around the castle, and in the distance I saw what looked like a hedge maze. On the other side where the garden ended, I saw what resembled barracks and training grounds, though most of the buildings I saw were ones I couldn’t guess the purpose of.

Finally managing to tear my eyes away from the castle, I shifted my gaze towards Canterlot itself. The theme of Canterlot Castle was reflected upon the city. Most of the buildings were painted white, with some of the larger ones—official and public buildings I guessed—possessing gold or brass roofs. In one part of the city, I noticed the houses and roofs had different colours. Since the houses were smaller, I believed them to be residential housing.

From my dizzying vantage point, I noted that the city was divided into different zones. Aside from the residential area, I spotted a large market by the many carts, stands, vendors, and all the ponies gathered there. A shopping street was also easily identified by the ponies entering and leaving what had to be stores. There was an upper class district that had the requisite mansions and sprawling gardens. There was even an entertainment section that possessed an abundance of cafes, outdoor restaurants, bright neon signs, bars, clubs, and so on. There were also numerous parks dotting the city.

By this point, I had expected to see vehicles moving around, though I was soon disappointed. Not a single car, truck, or any type of motorized vehicle was in sight. I saw ponies hauling carts around, though, so I guess that was how they moved hefty loads. It boggled my mind that this city was built without heavy machinery.

Then again, the pyramids in Egypt had also been constructed without cranes and bulldozers.

With my curiosity piqued, I decided to use the telescope near the balcony to garner a closer view of the city. Adjusting it, I stooped down and peered through the telescope onto the streets far below. The first thing I became aware of was the sheer diversity of the ponies. Because I had stayed in the castle for so long, it felt as though all the guards looked the same. To see normal everyday ponies walk around was different. No two ponies had the same colour scheme, not the old ponies, young ponies, or—

“Hnng!” I clutched my chest and lurched forward. The two guards immediately rushed forward, one of them attempting to support me with one of his hooves on my chest.

“Mister Powell! Are you okay?!” he exclaimed. “Do you need a doctor?”

“I’m okay.” I waved him off. “Why did no one tell me that pony children look so adorable? They look like tiny, adorable plushies!”

Judging by the looks on their faces, it seemed as if they were unsure whether they should call Princess Celestia or Equestria's version of Chris Hansen.

***

I didn’t know how much time I spent observing the city from my elevated position, but I guessed at least a couple of hours. Each time I moved the telescope, I found something new and interesting. To my surprise, what I could see of pony society and the city wasn’t that different from home. There were stores, cafes, and public areas and numerous parks where ponies of all ages gathered.

What also caught my attention were the other species in the city. I spotted some type of canine wandering the street, all by itself. The creature, which the guards told me was a diamond dog, resembled an anthropomorphic german shepherd wearing a black vest and a collar studded with brightly-coloured stones. And those arms! Christ!

Moments later, I saw what could only be a griffon, seeing as its front half was that of an eagle and the bottom was that of a lion. I expected it to have a more ferocious demeanour. Instead, it wandered to the market and bought some apples while chatting with some ponies.

Finally, I spotted a pair of minotaurs. I thought Max was bulky, but compared to those two, he was a twig. They had an enormous upper body balanced on two toothpicks called legs. They must have skipped leg day. A lot. I did laugh when I noticed the two bull men’s clothes: bowties and nothing else. As a matter of fact, few ponies wore clothes at all, but those who did also had an air of importance to them, what with how they walked around with their muzzles in the air.

After drinking in all that I could of the city, I began to scan the horizon for other objects of interest. Spotting something sparkling in the distance, I aimed the telescope towards it, zoomed in, and saw a castle that glittered in the sunlight. That had to be Twilight’s castle. The entire structure looked like it was constructed entirely out of crystal and seemed to somehow be in the shape of a tree.

Deciding not to spend too much time staring at the crystalline monstrosity in case it rendered permanent damage to my eyes, I began observing the small town around the castle. Ponyville was its name, if I remembered correctly. It was a more rural setting than that of Canterlot, with its houses and market scaled down. Two interesting landmarks caught my attention: a tower-like building and a strange house that seemed to have been entirely constructed out of baked goods.

While watching the town, I noticed a pony that had a strange way of getting around. The poofy-maned pink pony wasn’t walking; instead, she was… jumping? Bouncing? Pronking? Yes, pronking her way around town, looking rather cheery as she did quite a passable imitation of a bouncing ball heading down the street.

Suddenly, her jumping ceased. There was nothing wrong with that, except that she stopped mid-air and slowly fell to the ground. Slowly! Turning away from the eyepiece, I knocked onto the main tube, listening for anything rattling inside. It sounded okay, so I looked into the eyepiece again. The pink pony was still there, sitting on her rump and studying her right foreleg while one of her ears flopped about wildly. Then she began looking around as if checking for someone. While her head swivelled around on her neck at an alarming angle, her eyes seemed to lock onto me for a second or two before she sped away at a phenomenal haste. She returned mere seconds later with a large banner which she unfurled and held over her head. Focusing on the banner, I saw that there was something written on it.

Hi!

I turned away from the telescope and sat down, exhaling slowly and rubbing my eyes. From this distance, Ponyville was at least twenty kilometres away from here. There was no way in hell she could have seen me; it was simply not possible. It must have been something else. I got up on my knees and peeped into the eyepiece again.

I’m Pinkie Pie! Who are you?

I sat down again and sighed, shaking my head. “I should visit Silver Heart again.”

“So this is where you’ve been spending your time.” I glanced over my shoulder. Celestia stood there with her usual smile.

“Good morning. Yeah, I’ve been watching ponies, dogs, bulls, and Big Bird.”

With a light laugh, Celestia sat down next to me. “It’s good to see that you’re familiarizing yourself with the many races of our world. As Equestria’s capital, Canterlot is home not just to my little ponies.”

“Like Equestria is home to weird ponies?”

“What do you mean?” I pointed to the telescope. Celestia peeped into the eyepiece, and immediately her smile grew wider. “Hello, Pinkie,” she said with a giggle. “Thank you, it is a wonderful day. How has your day been?”

‘What the hell? Was she actually speaking to that pony?’ I thought to myself, wondering how the two was managing to carry on a conversation at twenty kilometres apart.

“Who?” Celestia asked, still peering through the telescope, probably at that pink fur ball. “Oh, his name is Magnus.”

“Oh give it a rest!” I stood up and crossed my arms defiantly over my chest. Celestia merely moved over and nodded towards the telescope. I knelt down and looked. Sure enough, the pink pony was still there with her banner.

Hi Magnus!

Slowly, I moved away from the telescope and leaned against the tower wall. “I’m too normal for this shit… excuse my language. How does she do it? Does that poofy mane hide a unicorn horn? Is her cutie mark a brain with an antenna?”

Celestia laughed lightly at my befuddled reaction. “Her name is Pinkie Pie, and I’m certain you will meet her one day. Explaining how she manages to do the things she does, well, not even I can explain that. Perhaps you should choose to do what Twilight did; accept that there are things that cannot be explained by scientific means.”

“Oh, so I should just accept something like that and go about my day?” I asked in disbelief.

“If you wish to remain sane? Yes.”

I was pretty sure that that boat had already sailed if that was the norm around here. If that pink pony could see me from here, it would only be a matter of time before word spread about my presence here.

"So now what? She knows I'm here." I sat down, wondering how long it would take before a horde of journalists arrived.

"Don't worry." Celestia wrapped her wing around my shoulders. "Although Pinkie Pie can act a bit strange, I doubt she knows you are a human. Somehow she knows names, but I’ve never seen her instinctively know what race or species somepony is." Hearing her say that allayed some of my fears. I would rather stay a secret for as long as possible, preferably until I was home on Earth.

Celestia stood up, ruffling her wings slightly. “I have an hour to spare for lunch before I must resume my duties. Would you care to join me?”

Shaking my head, I still attempted to find a reasonable explanation for that pony’s reaction, but this world was somewhat short on reason and logic. “Yeah, sure.”

We began our journey down the stairs. I almost fell a few times because my mind was elsewhere, namely on that pink fur ball. I knew that I had to try to accept pony society and its oddities for now, but I had a nagging sensation in the back of my head that whispered that she was an oddity even amongst her own.

Chapter 21 - The Puzzle comes together (Edited by JBL 07.01. 2017)

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During lunch, Celestia and I chatted about a range of subjects, touching on pony society, magic, and other countries and races. It was during this conversation that I learned that Equestria was not the only country in this world with a pony majority. During the exodus of the three tribes, there were some groups that refused to create a nation with the other pony tribes. These groups left for other lands, forming kingdoms of their own. Fortunately, their hatred for other pony tribes had abated over the ages, and now members of all the three tribes lived in peace.

Celestia also asked if I liked my new room. Though I didn’t want to come across as ungrateful, I still felt the need to ask I had been assigned such a nice room. Her answer only served to increase my uneasiness.

They wanted to make my stay comfortable.

Perhaps it was paranoia, maybe I was overthinking things, but my suspicion that they knew more than they were letting on only increased. Still, there wasn’t much I could do about it. Twilight would arrive later today, and since the clock was getting close to five in the afternoon, I hoped she would show up soon.

‘Interesting,’ I thought to myself. I was in the living room of my new quarters, sitting at the desk with a few books in front of me. With paper and quill in hand, I had attempted to delve into the Equish language and compare it to English. The differences between the two languages were enormous, and the fact that an entire language had been squeezed into my brain all at once wasn’t a problem anymore. I was simply curious about the language.

The English alphabet contained twenty six letters while the Equish one had forty six. I had been granted knowledge of uppercase and lowercase letters. While block letters were widely used, it seemed as if the common form of writing was in cursive. The closest thing I could compare to with was the elven language written on the One Ring in The Lord of The Rings. There were elegant swirls, circles combined with dots, and a distinct lack of sharp corners on any given letter. The language forced into my head had saved my ass from months, possibly even years of language lessons. With how I had always hated school, I was relieved the language barrier had been resolved.

I scribbled down the Equish letters on paper, saying each letter out loud to gain a grasp of the phonetics, while writing in English how each letter sounded. The first letter in the Equish alphabet was not an A, nor did it look like one. It more resembled an oval. The second letter was a line that curved elegantly to the left. The next letter was similar, but curved to the right. The letters sounded weird, but when spoken, the individual sounds made sense. Halfway through each letter, the next one took over, creating a language that was neither harsh-sounding nor crude, instead flowing together nicely.

I found a book on the Equish language in my room. Skimming through a few pages revealed that thousands of years ago, some sentences required something like a whinny or snort, almost like one expect to hear from a horse. These sounds were used in conjunction with expressing emotions such as anger, happiness, comfort, surprise, and so on. The other races had similar sounds of their own, often used with similar emotions. In modern Equestrian times, however, these sounds were rarely used anymore.

That was lucky for me, because I doubted I could even imitate any of those sounds.

Or could I?

Deciding to not make a fool of myself, I instead returned to my alphabet lesson. Not a minute had passed before I heard a faint buzz emanating from somewhere outside, so I walked to the windows. The large fancy airship I had seen leave Canterlot days ago was back, and I knew that Twilight was on it. I left the window and ran towards the door, pushing it open with such force that the door slammed into the wall. The two guards that stood outside nearly jumped into the air, but I paid them scant attention as I sprinted down the castle corridors. The only thing I was concerned about was seeing Twilight as soon as possible.

***

Twilight, with Spike on her back, trotted down the gangplank towards a waiting Celestia. A great weight, that of Magnus’ fate, weighed heavily on her back. That, or perhaps Spike was getting heavier. She made a quick mental note to measure his height when they returned to Ponyville.

“Twilight, Spike, welcome back,” Celestia’s warm voice greeted the two. Twilight walked up to her former mentor, nuzzling her and receiving one in return. Spike was not left out, receiving a nuzzle as well.

“Thank you, Princess.” Twilight drew herself up, looking at Celestia directly. “The portal is finally gone.” She felt a prick in her heart as she uttered the words.

“So I’ve read. You have done well.” Celestia turned her attention to Spike. “I apologize for all the mail, Spike. I hope that you did not suffer too much discomfort.”

“Nah, I’ve had worse. But thanks, the medicine helped.” Spike puffed out his chest proudly, earning a smile from Celestia.

Moving away from the airship, Celestia and Twilight, with Spike still on her back, headed towards the door that led to the castle interior. As they walked, they discussed various facets about the expedition, such as the data they collected and the specimens they recovered. Soon enough, though, Twilight gave voice to a burning question that had played at the back of her mind for a while.

“How is Magnus?” she asked, glancing up at Celestia. The elder alicorn eyed Spike for a moment before looking ahead again. “Spike found a sketch I drew, so I told him,” she confessed, worried that she had broken the rule of secrecy. Fortunately, it seemed that Celestia didn’t mind.

“Magnus is well for the moment, physically as well as mentally. His treatment was a success, and he was released from the infirmary last night.” Celestia’s calm smile faltered and a worried expression crossed her face. “That is not to say that everything had been smooth, as he has experienced problems in adjusting to our world, or as he refers to it, ‘our normality’.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight cocked her head in confusion.

“Luna and I believed our world and Magnus’ world to be similar. Perhaps they are, but they are radically different in certain significant ways. Magnus was terrified to hear that Luna can enter his dreams and feared he would lose himself if she did something to him.”

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. “What?!”

“Magnus’ world does not have anypony to watch over their dreams, or raise the sun and the moon,” Celestia explained, peering over her withers. Twilight stood still, mouth agape. Spike did an admiral job of mimicking her expression. “He fears our magic, yet it fascinates him all the same. He is wary of our world and us, so unlike from his own that what is normal for us, he considers abnormal.”

“But…” Twilight stepped forward, staring at Celestia in disbelief. “I-I knew that his world had no one to raise the sun and the moon, but how can he think that Princess Luna would try to harm him?”

*STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP*

“Twilight, do you hear that?” Spike looked around, having discerned a noise coming from somewhere. However, the two alicorns seemed not to hear him.

“The mere notion of someone intruding into his dreams is something he treats as a violation of his privacy, even if it is done to aid him. It terrifies him to no end. I asked him to speak with Luna in order to resolve the problem. For now, it seems as if the situation is under control.”

*STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP*

“Twilight?” Spike called again, though his words were again ignored.

“Okay then.” Twilight scratched her head in confusion. “I don’t know what he thought Princess Luna would do to him. So what should we do? Are there any special precautions we should take around him?”

Celestia began walking again and Twilight trotted alongside her. “For now, we shall allow him to be familiarized with Equestrian society at his own pace. When he is told the truth, we shall help him to the best of our ability.” Celestia sighed wearily. She was not looking forward to that moment. It was as if she had to prepare to break him with a single sentence, destroying his life with words. “Without a doubt, it will pain him more than anything.”

*STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP*

Twilight’s ears drooped. “I can’t even imagine how he’ll take it.”

“Twilight?” Spike knocked lightly on Twilight’s head.

“What!” Twilight nearly snapped as she glared at her passenger.

“What’s that sound?”

As if on cue, the double doors next to them were flung open as a giant creature barged through it, panting like a beast.

“AAAAAH!” Twilight and Spike yelled in unison. Spike wrapped his hands around Twilight’s neck while she reared up on her hind legs out of sheer instinct. She ended up falling on her back, pinning Spike under her.

Skidding to a halt in front of the trio, Magnus leaned forward, resting his hands on his thighs. “Too… many… corridors. Got… lost. Legs… heavy…” he gasped.

Celestia merely giggled at the sight. “I think you scared them,” She motioned to the petrified pair on the floor.

Magnus turned to the duo, realizing what he had done. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem,” Twilight replied sheepishly as she got to her hooves. “You okay, Spike?”

Spike picked himself up, brushing the non-existent dust off his scales. “I’m a dragon, we don’t get hurt.” Even as he said that, he winced slightly. As he did, his eyes fell on the bipedal being that seemed to have regained its breath, noticing that it was staring directly at him.

“A bit bigger than a mobile phone…”

“What was that?” Twilight asked, not quite hearing Magnus’ mumbling.

Tearing his eyes away from Spike, he replied, “Nothing important.” Magnus straightened himself, towering over the dragon and alicorn. Only now did Spike realize how tall this human was. Twilight’s sketch had been accurate, as he easily loomed over ponies, even Princess Celestia!

Ensuring that her coat was free of dust and her mane straightened, Twilight trotted up to Magnus. “Hello, Magnus, you’re looking much better.” In return, Magnus knelt in front of her, just so he could speak to her at eye level.

“Thank you, Twilight. Feeling much better as well, better than I have in years.” Smiling, he looked at Spike. “Who’s this? Your pet?”

“Pet?!” Spike exclaimed angrily, puffing his cheeks out. He had felt pity for this alien who might never return home, though now it had receded. Even the lovable and gentle baby dragon had his limits, as being referred to as a pet had never occurred before.

“No no no.” Twilight quickly walked between the two in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “Magnus, this is Spike and he’s a dragon. He’s also my assistant who helped me on the expedition.”

Magnus looked again at Spike. “Oh, erm… sorry about that, Spike. I didn’t expect dragons to be so… vertically impaired. I thought you were an iguana or something.”

“I’m just young,” Spike huffed with crossed arms. “Just wait a few hundred years and I’ll show you vertically impaired.”

Twilight giggled. It wasn’t often that Spike acted his age, but his tantrum was more adorable than anything. “It’s true, Spike is a baby dragon. When fully grown, he’ll be huge.”

“Hah, take it from Twilight; she knows a lot more than you!” the vertically impaired baby dragon added.

“Now now, my little human and dragon, I am sure that Magnus meant no harm. He did apologize, after all.” Magnus and Spike turned to Celestia. She had closely observing them to see how Magnus handled meeting a dragon for the first time. Although she was sure that Magnus wouldn’t be afraid, with Spike being so small, it was best to be prepared in case something happened.

“Fine then, apology accepted,” Spike said after a second of deliberation.

“Wonderful, shall we continue?” Celestia took the lead while the rest followed. It didn’t take long before the question that Twilight feared was asked.

“Princess Twilight, please tell me that you found something out about the portal, please tell me I can go home.” The hope in Magnus’ voice struck Twilight hard. Now that Magnus was healthy, she would have to be the one to deliver the terrible news to him, possibly unravelling his recovery.

“I…” I cou—”

“Twilight, you and Spike probably need to rest for a while after your long journey,” Celestia quickly interceded. “We can discuss more of the expedition later today.”

Magnus shot Celestia an irritated glare before relenting with a sigh. “Fine, I guess I can wait.”

***

This world had once more proven me wrong. I had naturally assumed that dragons were enormous ferocious beasts that could stomp a house to rubble, but the green and purple dragon that rode on Twilight’s back was rather puny. I didn’t know how large they got when they reached adulthood, but doubted it could be much more than a bus. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the dragon staring at me. He was a strange one, though somewhat ill-tempered. I did insult him, so that probably played its part. It was easy to see that Spike was young from the pudge of baby fat he still carried around and the child-like curiosity he displayed in those wide eyes.

“Princess Celestia, I think I’ll go to my room and rest before dinner. I didn’t sleep much last night; could I be excused?” Twilight suddenly asked as she looked up to the larger alicorn.

“Of course, I will send for you when it is time for dinner.” Celestia smiled at her young protégé and patted her on the back with a wing.

Yeah, this could take a few hours. I had waited long enough, but I guess she’d earned some rest. Besides, my self-taught language and alphabet lesson had grown rather boring, so I needed something new to occupy myself with.

“I’ll return to my room. Until then, I’ll find something to occupy my time with.” We reached an intersection that I remembered running through, though from a different direction. “Maybe I can fix my phone.” I broke off from the group and headed down the hallway. Looking over my shoulder, I waved to the trio. Twilight really did seem exhausted, though there was an element of wariness in her overall demeanour as well.

‘Not sure I like that look. What happened on the expedition? Did they fight some kind of epic Cthulhu monster at the portal?’ I thought as I wandered down the corridor, and quickly got lost.

“Dammit, where did those guards go? I thought they were following me.”

***

Once Celestia had finished her remaining paperwork, a mountain of signed documents was stacked high on her work desk in her personal offices. There were those that believed that she loved signing documents all day long. Her advisor, Kibitz, was one of them, and he often waxed poetically of the sheer ecstasy she gained by signing her name on the bottom of a scroll.

Kibitz was wrong. To this day, she still wanted to inflict unspeakable agony on Discord for inventing bureaucracy during his chaotic reign. It was just coincidence that one colt received his cutie mark when he was subjected to the insane chaos of Discord’s paperwork that involved writing, reading, filing, documenting, and forgetting said documents. The little colt’s handling of documents had set back Discord’s plans by many months. Not even the Spirit of Chaos himself could figure out where those documents that contained his list of things to do to Equestria and its inhabitants had disappeared to.

What was the name of that colt? Oh yes, Orderly Chaos. Still, looking back on the last eighteen hundred years, she had to admit that it made paperwork somewhat easier in the long run. Therefore, as with many things, she would simply have to endure.

With her workload finally completed, Celestia trotted out of her quarters. The two guards at the door snapped to attention and saluted her, and with a nod to them, the princess was off. Her destination was Twilight’s room that was always prepared for her whenever she visited. For convenience sake, it was located close to the library.

She missed those days when Twilight had been a filly. They would often sit down with a cup of hot chocolate and discuss everything between heaven and earth. As a filly and certainly as a young adult, Twilight had an extreme curiosity about all manner of subjects, and Celestia had delighted in both her thirst for knowledge and companionship.

These days, the castle felt somewhat empty without an inquisitive young filly running about. How Celestia loved it when a colt or filly would send her a letter or ask for an audience. If it was one thing Celestia always made time for, it was children. Their curiosity, innocence, and carefree outlook on life were so different from adults. Sometimes, she truly felt as if she was the mother of Equestria. Perhaps that was the reason she referred to her loveable subjects as her little ponies. In truth, the honour of being mother of Equestria belonged to the original six founders.

Celestia’s ears twitched as she arrived at Twilight’s room. There was no need for eavesdropping; an alicorn’s hearing was sharp and never dulled. Pushing open the door, the princess headed for the bedroom. She immediately noticed Twilight lying on the bed, sobbing into her hooves while Spike attempted to comfort her. Spike noticed Celestia and shook his head softly, his little claws gently patting her head.

Celestia approached the bed and clambered onto it, lying down next to Twilight, placing a wing protectively over her. Brushing her nose against Twilight’s cheek, she wiped away her tears, causing the younger princess to realize she wasn’t alone. With a sniffle, she looked up at Celestia, who stared at her former student with worry.

“I c-can’t, Princess,” Twilight sobbed even as more tears quickly replaced those she spilled. “I just can’t.” Celestia didn’t respond, instead holding Twilight closer to her body. “I-I failed. I couldn’t find a way home for Magnus.”

Realization washed over Celestia. Twilight was unable to cope with the fact that she hadn’t fulfilled the human’s unrealistic hope, and she was blaming herself for it. Twilight wasn’t used to failing. Even as a filly under Celestia’s tutelage, she would cry if she didn’t pass a test on the first try.

“Twilight,” Celestia murmured gently, “you tried your best and did what you could. Neither Magnus, Luna, nor I can ask any more of you.” Twilight’s sobbing ceased for a moment as she pressed herself closer to Celestia’s body. “I asked you to close the portal and you did so. In addition, you took it upon yourself to help a being we know almost nothing of and attempted to find him a way home. You have not failed, Twilight, and I am proud of you.”

“Re-Really?” Twilight hiccupped, peering up at Celestia with hopeful yet teary eyes.

“I am.” Celestia craned her neck to nuzzle Twilight. “I am, and have always been proud of you. Sometimes there is nothing we can do about what fate has in store for us.”

“I don’t understand.” Twilight sniffled again and held out a hoof to Spike who sat down next to her. Wrapping a hoof around his midsection, she pulled him closer. Twilight used to do the same thing when she and Spike were younger, almost treating the dragon as a teddy bear, a substitute for the days when she forgot her Smarty Pants doll at home.

“Do you remember my lesson about how magic sometimes acts on its own?”

Twilight didn’t reply at first, continuing to hug Spike, something that calmed her when she was younger. At least Spike didn’t seem to think the situation was awkward. He would truly do what he could to help his big sister.

“I remember now. ‘As we live, so too does magic. As ponies care for each other, so too does magic care for us’.” Turning to Celestia, Twilight curiously gazed at her. “Do you think that Magnus was meant to come here?”

“I do,” Celestia replied as she used her nose to wipe away Twilight’s remaining tears. “Magnus, no matter how much or little of him is a pony, has his place amongst us. He belongs to Equus as much as you, Spike, I, and any other creature on our planet. He was meant to come here, to come home and discover who he is. I believe magic itself helped Star Swirl in the process.” Twilight stared at Celestia, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes as a faint smile spread on her face. “Isn’t that an encouraging thought?”

“Yes, yes, it is.” She leaned against Celestia, resting her head against the larger alicorn’s soft neck. Both princesses cherished the close contact. Being a herd species, it made them feel safe and allowed emotional bonds to flourish freely. Physical contact was especially important, a remnant from ancient times when ponies lived on the plains, long before they evolved speech. It allowed them to speak without words, convey messages through body language, sense the emotions and mood of others, and allowed harmony to exist within a large group of ponies. At this moment, Twilight felt safe under Celestia’s large, protective wing, for what place on Equus could be safer than under the wing of one of the most powerful beings on the planet?

Several minutes passed in silence as the two alicorns and one baby dragon lay in bed. Twilight had stopped crying, her mind at rest for the time being, while Spike simply enjoyed the attention he was getting from his sister. Celestia herself hummed a calming tune to the two youngsters.

“Celestia?” Twilight murmured. “Can I stay here? I don’t… I don’t want to tell him. I just… I promised him, but... “

“Of course you can,” Celestia replied softly, brushing her primaries through Twilight’s mane. “Luna and I will tell him after dinner. Don’t worry, we will look after him.”

“Thank you,” Twilight replied with a small nuzzle.

“Will you be alright now?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I’ll just sit here and think for now.”

“Very well. I will tell the maids to bring dinner for you and Spike.” Celestia clambered off the bed and walked outside of the bedroom. “I will return later to tell you how it went, if you wish to hear.”

“I would appreciate it. Thank you, Celestia.” Twilight smiled once again as the door closed gently, Celestia’s own promising that she would take care of everything.

***

I had decided to turn on my phone earlier, but eventually thought better of it. Saltwater didn’t agree with sensitive electronics, so I had used fresh water from the faucet to carefully clean every component of the phone before drying it gently with a soft cloth. Still, I wasn’t so sure about the areas where the cloth couldn’t reach. I settled for allowing it to dry for a day or two on a pile of papers to draw out the moisture. I was fairly surprised that the phone hadn’t been stolen already. This piece of common technology could be worth a fortune around these parts. Then again, what would they do with it? This was unknown territory for them. Even if they figured out the code for unlocking it, everything was in English.

Either they were very honest or the phone simply wasn’t that interesting to them.

There was a knock on the door, and before I could answer, the door opened, revealing Celestia.

“Hello.” She eyed the mobile phone parts before me. “Did you have any luck making your gadget work?”

“No, not yet. It might be broken or needs a little rinse and dry before I try turning it on.” I moved the parts so that sunlight shone directly on them, speeding up the drying process. “Might give it a try tomorrow.”
Celestia nodded sagely as she walked up to the table to gain a closer gander at the parts. Using her magic, she picked up the battery, turning it around to study it.

“An incredible device conceived without magic. Fascinating.” She carefully placed the battery back at the exact same spot.

“Dinner will soon be ready. Shall we go?”

“We shall.” I stood up and followed Celestia through the labyrinth that made up the corridors of the castle.

Still unfamiliar with the layout of the castle, I paid more attention to where we were going this time. I had a decent memory, but the castle was giving me a run for my money. There were endless corridors, open halls, twists and turns, several staircases and numerous doors. We made idle chat as we walked, and I was surprised to hear that Princess Twilight wouldn’t be joining us. It seemed that she was more exhausted than she realized, thus only Luna would eat with us.

When we got closer to the dining room, I noticed the sun had begun its slow descent. Perhaps in an hour or two, it would set completely. The evening glow of the sun cast a faint orange light through the many windows we passed. It felt somewhat soothing in a way, different from the sun I was so used to. I wondered if Celestia was responsible for that. I mean, she commanded the sun with her magic, so I was certain there was a multitude of things she could do with it.

Upon entering the dining room, I first noticed Princess Luna sitting at the table. When she spotted us, she approached with a warm smile. “Sister, Magnus, good evening. How has the day treated you?”

“Good evening, Luna. The day was filled with work as usual,” Celestia replied wryly as she walked up to Luna and lowered her head. They gently rubbed their necks together. It seemed like a common affectionate greeting of sorts, as casual as a hug. I hadn’t paid attention to it earlier, but I quickly deduced that standing on their hind legs in order to hug each other would be more than a little awkward for them as quadrupeds, so this made sense.

When they had separated, Luna turned to me. “Hello, Magnus, I hope the day has been good to you as well.”

I shrugged. “Eh, it’s been okay, I guess. Haven’t really done anything today.” Luna nodded at my response, then walked to the table to take her seat. Celestia sat down next to her sister while I sat down at the opposite end of the table.

Servants entered the room with serving carts behind them. They placed covered plates in front of us and removed the lids. Dinner consisted of baked potatoes with some sort of yellow gravy, salad of course, and vegetable lasagne. Even without meat, it tasted great.

As we ate, we spoke of various things. I told the princesses of my appointment with the doctor and the reason for the visit. They both seemed to have a strong interest in my changes as well, explaining that cross-species hybrids had never been properly examined due to their extreme rarity. That in turn would make me the first hybrid to ever undergo a full medical examination. I just wondered how thorough the doctors would be and hoped that the word ‘probed’ would not be mentioned or put to use.

The conversation slowly drifted to home, namely my friends and what they were doing at this moment. It had been perhaps a day since the last time my mind drifted to home and familiar lands. The great fields where I used to work during harvest season, the nearby forest I used to play in and went camping, the mountains that grandfather and I used to climb and set up tents near the summit. We would watch the moon set and the sun rise over the Rockies. It was a time I longed for, when my grandfather lived.

Those days were long gone now; only memories remained along with a faint hope of one day seeing my friends again. Today was the day I would know, would demand to know. I had waited long enough.

Dinner eventually wound down, with the servants clearing off the table and bringing us light refreshments. Celestia and Luna attempted to include me in the conversation, although I didn’t contribute much, merely sipping my coffee and nodding occasionally. It wasn’t that interesting listening to idle chat about the events of the day and some celebration that was to be held in a few weeks. Though cognizant of the fact that what I was about to do would be considered rude in most situations, I had finally had enough.

“Princesses,” I said firmly as I set down my cup after draining its contents. I then turned my gaze to the two alicorns. “As interesting as this conversation is, I believe you’re just trying to buy time.” Searching for a reaction, the only thing I noticed was their smiles fading. “You both know what I want to hear, but if the subject won’t come up, then I see very little reason to sit here.”

I was about to stand when I heard a sigh from across the table. Celestia stared at her cup held in her magical grasp for a moment before looking at me. “Please, forgive me. I was stalling because I wanted to think of how to say this.”

I sat down again. Now she had my undivided attention. The tone of her voice had changed, her usual serene demeanour dissipating. Even the sparkle in her eyes had disappeared. A glance over at Luna and I saw the same expression. The uneasiness that had continued to linger in my stomach over the course of the day began to bubble.

Celestia’s horn glowed, and a large bundle of papers appeared in a flash of light. Perhaps two hundred in all with writing on every single one, they were wrapped in a red ribbon and with a folder on top that stated Portal Expedition.

“This is every document that comprises the expedition.” She untied the bundle and spread the documents over the table, nearly covering it completely. “Three hundred and twenty six pages in all. Observations, magical data, ley line disharmony and restoration, witness reports, personal accounts, analysis performed by the top experts in Equestria. Copies of the reports have also been analysed by experts here in Canterlot. The brightest minds in Equestria worked on this project.”

“We gathered unto us many ponies of science from many different fields of research,” Luna added. “Magic weaving, thaumancy, experimental portals magic, and teleportation research. Every single day, they pored over these documents and attempted to understand the consequences of what the portal can do, attempting to discern its true nature.”

“And?” I whispered, holding my breath. The silence of the room hung over us like a blade, deadly even in its unspoken threat.

“You must understand…” Though her voice previously had a certain clearness to it, it was now gone. “We have done everything we can possibly think of, but the expedition and the research conducted only confirmed what we initially believed.”

“...No.” I shook my head slowly. My chest tightened and my breathing got shallower as the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. It was too much. Still, I somehow kept my calm, whatever was left, and with a trembling hand, I poured myself another cup of coffee. I took a small sip and closed my eyes.

The cup was hot and burned into my hand, but I refused to recognize the pain. I closed my eyes to the world, but could still hear the metal shod hooves approaching me. They stopped at either side of me, followed by the sound of them sitting down. Then came the feeling of their wings on my back and neck, patting, rubbing gently, comforting. It didn’t work.

“Please…” My trembling voice was so low that it was barely a whisper. “Just… Just say it.”

Celestia sighed heavily next to me. “Very well.” Judging by her tone, I already knew what she would say, but I needed to hear the words and their finality.

‘Please, let it be good news in the end. Just say that it will take a long time. Weeks. Months. Years. Please…’

The pieces slowly began to fall into place in my mind, the echo of metal clinking almost deceiving me into believing it was real. ‘In the garden, several days ago, Celestia said that two magic users had to be present when casting a portal spell. No human can use magic. Even if they could, I had no guarantee of returning to my timeline.’

Another piece fell in place, connecting with the first. ‘I was suffering, but they helped me with their strange potions and by simply talking. They treated me like I was one of them.’

Driven into place by a mental sledgehammer, the next piece made the picture clearer. ‘I couldn’t go outside because I would scare ponies. The entire castle knows about me, and sooner or later, the truth would come out. It means that the princesses would have to tell everyone about me at some point in time.’

The next piece was freshest in my mind. ‘The new room. Celestia said it was to make me comfortable. The only way I can think of someone being comfortable with such a room is when they’re going to be there for a long time. They set me up with that room because they knew.’

The last piece was held before my inner eye, a single puzzle piece, unremarkable in many ways, but the most important one to make the image complete.

‘What would my life be like in maybe ten years? Would I still be alive or just a rotting corpse in the ground? Or maybe eight years? Six? Four? Two? No one can tell the future.’

I was lured from my world by a unicorn, my ancestor. I couldn’t deny it anymore. My horn, fur, ears, and hooves were proof enough, and oddly enough, they didn’t bother me and had only taken a fairly brief amount of time to get adjusted to them.

‘This is because of Star Swirl! He did this! He spawned a child that was doomed to die the moment it was conceived. He created a line of humans that was destined to die long before their time. He deserves everything I could throw at him that would kill him a hundred times over! He stole my life away! I’ve lost everything that mattered to me! My home, my job, my possessions, and my friends! I should hate him with all of my being!

Why, then, was I unable to hate him? If not for him, would I exist? Would my grandfather exist? Or my mother? I had lived a life of pain and should curse his name for eternity, but I couldn’t since, for the first time in ages, I was free of pain and knew that I would live.

‘But what kind of life is this? I don’t know, but I know what I want.’

“You can never return home. I am so sorry, Magnus.”

‘I just want to go home… please...’

Author's Notes:

Hello my dear readers. New chapter is up for your reading pleasure. Hope you like it, although not much is happening here. This chapter is the last of my pre-written ones, so from here on out it's all new and original content.

Twilight is sad because she couldn't figure out the portal, and as we all know, Twilight isn't good with failure. At least she didn't cast Canterlot into chaos this time. I think she learned from her errors. We also learn a little bit about ponies and how they interact with each other. I think that the entire 'herd' concept (Socially, not necessarily romance and clop) is quite fitting for several reasons, as it separates ponies and humans, both culturally and socially. That in turns makes interesting stories, which is what I strive for. I'll continue to expand on this as the story progress. The little moment with Twilight using Spike as a stand-in Smarty Pants was something I figured Twilight would do as a filly, what with Spike being an adorable baby dragon.

Magnus is told the truth! What will he do? Will we see an epic homesickness fueled rampage or a complete breakdown?

The next chapter might take some time. It ended up at over 22k words, and focus will also be on the characters around him and what they think of his situation. Currently I'm writing the last chapter of the first arc, and I have no doubt that this will take time as I'm trying to write heavy feels and a new unseen side of Magnus. However, I will do my best to ensure quality, even if it might take some time. Please, bear with me.

As usual, thank you to new readers as well as those who've followed this story since the beginning, and a thank you to those who found the worthy of following.

You are all great!

Chapter 22 - Heartbreaking Truth (Edited by JBL 07.07. 2017)

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Celestia took a deep breath as she and Luna continued to gently rub Magnus’ back, creating a protective blanket over him with their wings. She struggled to find the right words but she knew that no words of comfort would calm him after tonight. Luna gazed at her morosely, acutely aware of how much she hated being the bearer of bad news.

His forlorn figure achingly reminded her of her own pain one thousand years ago when she had banished her sister to the moon. In the days that followed, she had withdrawn into herself. Her guards, the staff, the nobility, even her subjects had attempted to offer their condolences and cajole her out of her depression, yet still she had felt as if she had been the only being on the planet, so strong was their bond. In that way, she could empathise with how Magnus felt. As she once stood alone without Luna at her side, now Magnus had to suffer the same fate on an even greater level.

Magnus’ eyes were still closed, his head supported by his right arm. He remain silent aside from his breathing. His face remained impassive, the two alicorns unable to decipher any underlying emotions. Strange as he was, his body language was difficult to read.

Celestia glanced at Luna, raising an eyebrow. Luna leaned slightly forward to get a better view of the human's face, returning moments later and shaking her head.

“I know this must come as a shock, and I can barely fathom how you must feel right now,” Celestia murmured. “Know that Luna and I are here for you.”

Magnus did not reply. In fact, he hadn’t moved an inch since Celestia’s words had struck him with the force of reality. For an entire minute he sat still, mute to the world around him. He finally leaned forward steadily placed his cup on the table, before placing both his hands onto his knees and slowly rising to his hooves. His eyes then opened, causing the two alicorns to slightly flinch. There were no tears, only emotionless eyes that unnerved them. Where before a certain spark of life had glimmered, there now was nothing.

Magnus slowly stepped away from the table, not noticing that the two alicorns stood up as well and followed him.

“Magnus?” Celestia called.

Luna trotted up next to him. “Where are you going?”

Magnus showed no signs of having heard them, his steady pace keeping him on course towards the doors. When he reached it, he pushed them open and exited the room, Celestia and Luna on his tail. Seemingly wandering aimlessly down the hallways, they passed guards and staff who immediately picked up on Magnus’ behaviour. Where earlier he had shown a keen interest in his surroundings, he now seemed to have an unknown destination in mind.

Celestia and Luna did not try to stop him, instead warily continuing to follow him. They had expected tears, screaming, denial, anger, even bursts of violence—all emotions they could handle. His silence gave them nothing, rendering them helpless.

Celestia trotted ahead of him and stopped, standing just to the side of his path, not blocking him in case he was angered. “Please, we wish to help, but in order to do so, you must speak to us,” she pleaded.

“Sister speaks the truth, Magnus. Let us help you carry your burden.” Luna cantered ahead next to Celestia.

Yet no matter what words they spoke, their insistent pleas, or gently touches, he remained silent and unwavering, completely focused on his journey. The slow trip through the numerous corridors eventually came to a specific destination: the stairs that led up to the astronomy tower. As Magnus began climbing the stairs, Luna shot her sister a shocked expression. She had a faint idea of what Magnus planned to do, and it unnerved her considerably.

“Sister, do you believe he will attempt to—” She didn’t get any further, Celestia’s response coming as a barely audible whisper.

“I do not know. His grief is considerable enough that his mind might be shocked beyond all reasonable action. In any case, we should stay alert. We cannot allow what we think to happen.”

Magnus’ climb was slow but determined. To the two sisters, his heavy hoofsteps on stone sounded ominous, as if a precursor to his plans. It didn’t take long before the trio reached the room at the top of the tower. Magnus opened the door that led to the observatory and walked in, Celestia and Luna acting as his shadows. In the back of their minds, they wanted to drag him away from the tower, yet they were unsure of his course of actions, though they hoped he wasn’t considering the most extreme of choices. For now, ensuring that he wasn’t alone would suffice.

Walking across the room, Magnus opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. The night was cool, the wind nearly non-existent. Any other evening, it would be perfect for watching the sunset and moonrise. He stood still at the balcony, looking around.

‘What is he doing?’ Celestia thought. She carefully unfolded her wings, ready to take flight if need be. On her right, Luna did the same, neither of them taking their eyes off Magnus for even a second.

To their surprise, he walked to the right and sat down on the balcony, leaning onto the tower wall with his legs crossed. The two alicorns moved to sit next to him, one on each side. Magnus stared ahead, his eyes on the horizon. It was as if his gaze had settled on something, something that neither alicorn could see.

‘I… I expected him to…’ Luna eyed the human carefully.

She gave a tiny nod to Celestia as she observed Magnus. Though he still remained silent, it seemed he had metaphorically stepped away from the ledge he had been teetering on. She could easily find out by using a small spell, but she felt as if she would intrude on him by doing so, his earlier fear playing across her mind. Instead, she settled for extending a wing and covering his back and shoulders with it, shielding him from a biting breeze that had kicked up.

“We will be here for you, Magnus. We will always be here for you when you need help,” she whispered, hoping her words of comfort would reach him.

“Luna is right.” Celestia mimicked her sister’s actions, gazing at him sadly. “Let us in; allow us to help you carry your grief and sorrow.”

Little did they know what was going on inside Magnus’ mind. Anger, hatred, sorrow, sadness, fury, and many more fought to be heard, though it was futile. The only one that whispered in his ear was loneliness.

***

The hour grew long as the three sat on the balcony. Occasionally, Celestia and Luna would attempt to encourage Magnus to speak in the hopes of a response, though it was an exercise in futility. Only the steady movement of his chest and the occasional blinking of his eyes indicated that he was alive. Even when Celestia’s horn glowed with her golden aura as she lowered the sun beneath the horizon, even when Luna raised the magnificent silvery moon and placed it on its path across the darkened sky, Magnus remained inert.

Safe to say, the two regal sisters’ apprehension grew every minute, especially since he had not improved over the last two hours.

“We cannot sit here and do nothing, though I confess I am uncertain of the way forward,” Luna whispered, her distress evident in her voice.

Celestia nodded slightly. Grief was a natural process when losing somepony, especially one dear. Death by old age, accident, even war—she had borne witness. However, she had encountered neither the grief of a human nor the magnitude of shock and grief of one who had literally lost everything but his life.

Luna gazed up at the sky. A few stars did not shine as brightly as she wanted, so she quickly adjusted them with a tiny amount of her magic. It always brought peace to her mind to watch the night sky. Like an artist would observe his or her painting and find small flaws in order to fix them, so too did Luna adjust what she knew to be out of place. She wished dearly that she could help Magnus the same way, but the mind and the stars were very different.

A small movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Magnus was no longer focused on the dark horizon, as his eyes now gazed at the night sky. She glanced at Celestia, who nodded to her in understanding.

Celestia leaned closer to him and whispered gently, “Magnus, what are you looking for?” She fervently hoped he would do something, say something, anything really, yet for a dreaded moment, the status quo held.

Then it changed.

Magnus sighed deeply, causing both alicorns to swivel their heads to him in time to see his eyes glittering in the moonlight as he stared upwards. Another quick intake of breath followed, one after the other. His chest heaved and his shoulder quaked as his shaky hands slowly made their way to his eyes, covering them completely.

Then the first sobs came rapidly, just like his breathing. The realization dawned upon Celestia and Luna that Magnus had finished processing the stark reality of his situation. His life as he knew it was forever changed. His home and material possessions were forever lost to him. He would never see another human being, would never see his friends again. He was alone.

The very fabric of what made Celestia and Luna equines kicked in. At that moment, they recognized that a friend, a fellow ‘pony’ as it were, a member of the great herd of Equestria, was in excruciating emotional agony. He suffered, he grieved, and he needed somepony to comfort him.

Instinctively, the two alicorns huddled closer to him, hugging him with their wings, touching him with their bodies, allowing him to feel the warmth emanating from them. They didn’t care if he would lash out at them; the only thing on their minds was comforting Magnus and letting him know that he wasn’t as alone as he dreaded.

With another teary sob, his arms moved around their necks and pulled them closer to him, holding on for dear life as if they were a lifebuoy in a stormy sea. Neither of the alicorns objected to his somewhat rough treatment; to them, it was affirmation that Magnus was aware that they were there for him.

“Shhh, young one,” Luna cooed softly at him. Celestia rubbed her nose against his cheeks, wiping away his tears.

“It’s okay to cry. You miss them as they miss you.”

Magnus’ sobbing reached a crescendo, his quick intakes of breath coming rapidly as his body shook with grief. He howled to the heavens, a scream not caused by any physical injury, but by the terrible knowledge of his loss. His scream filled the air, so loud that both alicorns were sure all of Canterlot would hear it. As it slowly petered out, its echo travelled past the numerous towers and the mountainside itself, casting the sound back as a mockery of his pain. He screamed a second time, the anguish contained within undiminished.

Several royal guard pegasi and nocturnals appeared on the balcony, armed and ready to face whatever beast had intruded upon the castle, and from the room behind them came unicorns and earth pony guards galloping. The stern expression on their faces faded when they noticed the human crying his eyes out and shrieking while clutching the two alicorns. Though they did not know the context of the situation, it wasn’t hard for them to understand that the human had received dreadful news. They did not linger long once Luna shook her head. Slowly, they backtracked until they were out of sight, just for another scream to rip through the air.

Throughout the castle corridors, it travelled, causing guards and servants, officials and staff members to halt what they were doing and swivel towards the sound. The griffon ambassador, who had decided to pay an evening visit to the castle to collect some documents from an official, was jolted by the shriek, dropping his papers all over the floor. Looking around in bewilderment, he noted several guards rushing towards one particular corridor, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

In the guest rooms, two minotaur officials sat within, enjoying a cup of tea when the scream pierced the air. Nearly jumping off their seats, they shared a confused look before wandering to the window, catching the tail-end as it faded away.

“What is happening?” The question came from the younger of the duo, a broad-shouldered and stocky crimson-furred minotaur who had accompanied his elder on this trade mission. The elder minotaur stood still, slowly running his massive hand through his double-braided beard. He thought back to the days of his youth long ago as a captain on a merchant ship, specifically the day his ship was had been caught in a storm of which he had emerged as the sole survivor. Three minotaurs on his crew, a father and his two sons, had been lost at sea, and he had been the one to inform the widow of her family’s fate.

The scream he just heard joined in chorus with the widow’s within his mind.

“Something terrible has happened,” he replied mournfully and bowed his head in silent sombreness.

Within his room, Spike was jerked awake, his eyes darting around the room in apprehension until he noticed Twilight sitting at the table with a book in front of her. Her focus was not on the pages, however, as her tearful eyes seemed to stare in the direction where the howl had emanated.

Tears obscured her vision as she buried her head in her hooves, sobbing loudly while repeatedly mumbling an apology. Spike hurried to get over to Twilight and comfort her. Though young, he understood that Magnus had received the terrible news and had reacted accordingly.

Dogs bayed and ponies still out that evening all halted and stared at the castle, wondering what had happened. Crowds gathered in the streets, whispers and murmurs giving birth to numerous rumours. Just as quickly as the scream was heard, it faded away, never being heard again.

At the top of the astronomy tower, held in a tight embrace by Luna and Celestia, sat Magnus. Not once had they let him go, their wings protecting him from the world, their company holding loneliness at bay. With a final sob, Magnus’ hands fell to his sides. The two sisters were quick to react, only to realize that he had fallen asleep. Whether it was from shock or exhaustion was debatable.

Standing up, Celestia gently levitated the human with her magic and walked towards the spiral staircase. Luna followed close behind, looking at Magnus with pity, wondering if there was something else they could have done to lessen the impact. There was nothing they could do about it now. He knew, and if they were fortunate, he would recover.

In time.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Luna turned to her sister. “I postponed court since I anticipated something like this would happen. Now I fear that I have many petitioners waiting for court to begin.” Celestia nodded slightly. Ponies would certainly flock to Luna for an explanation. Magnus had certainly proved that he had a robust pair of lungs and vocal cords.

“What will you tell them?” Celestia inquired, making sure that Magnus was comfortable.

“The truth,” Luna murmured, observing Magnus with a pensive expression. “That somepony at the castle has lost everything that mattered to him.” Celestia mulled over her sister’s words. They were true, but could be interpreted to mean many things, death included. At this moment, it would suffice. The fewer who knew, the better.

“I agree.” Celestia glanced back at Magnus, nodding to herself. “I have decided not to spend the night in my own quarters. Instead, I will sleep on the couch in Magnus’ room.” If there was one thing that Magnus needed now, it was company. Solitude was a poor choice of company in his situation.

“Then sleep lightly, Sister. I fear we are not done yet.”

“I will.”

Luna wandered towards the throne room where a throng of ponies likely waited. Celestia took the long way to Magnus’ bedroom, ensuring that none would see him.

She entered his room and informed her guards of her intentions. Heading to his bedroom, she placed him down on the bed and pulled the duvet up to his chin. As she tucked him in, she took a moment to observe the sleeping hybrid. Despite the horrible news he had received, he looked quite peaceful now, so different from his reaction earlier. She wondered what the coming days would bring with them and how she and Luna could best help him. She was willing to devote much of her time to him, though tomorrow would be hectic indeed. She decided she would ask Twilight for assistance, if she was willing.

“Magnus,” Celestia whispered as she leaned closer to his ear. “Sleep peacefully and mourn your loss, but do not give up. A new life awaits you, a life that is yours.” She leaned closer and gave him a kiss on his forehead. Magnus twitched erratically in his sleep. For a moment, she feared he would wake up. Instead, he rolled over and continued sleeping.

Celestia walked out of the room, the crystal lights dimming slowly and darkness engulfing the room. She took a folded blanket from the end of the couch, laid down on it, and spread the blanket over her body. Though she could have a spare bed brought to the room, the couch would suffice. After all, she had spent nights in conditions far worse. Caves, dank forests, moist swamps, and even ancient graveyards created by long forgotten races had once hosted her weary body. Resting her head on the pillows, she used her magic to turn the couch so that she was facing the open door to the bedroom. In the darkness, she saw Magnus’ sleeping form on the bed.

“Besides, you have yet to meet your family, sadly, what remains of it.”

***

The night had passed and the moon had set, giving way to a new day. Sunlight filtered into the dining room where Luna yawned wearily. Her breakfast was delicious as always and her coffee was extra strong to ensure she could make it to bed before dozing off.

Usually her night court would consist of some paperwork, a few petitioners, wandering through the dream realm and banishing a few nightmares, and reading on the thousand years of history she had missed. If she was lucky, a beast from the Everfree Forest would prowl too close to one of the neighbouring towns, and she would be called on to persuade the beast to return to the forest or face her wrath. Luna was no stranger to combat and enjoyed a good scuffle that tested her skills.

Luna had been forced to admit, albeit to herself, that a thousand years of banishment had taken its toll on her. Her magic was not as strong as it once was, but she had taken steps to ensure she would return to full power within a few years. Her combat skills had also, for lack of a better word, rusted. Her speed, agility, physical strength, and mastery of a variety of weapons had once been legendary. Those aspects, now diminished, were now being remedied via twice-weekly training. It was like flying; one never truly forgot. The events of last night, however, were of the sort that no training could have prepared her for.

More than five hundred anxious petitioners had come, all of them asking the same question: what happened at the castle? First it had been a crowd of nearly twenty, with increasingly larger groups arriving as the hours passed. To save time, a guard had been instructed to give the same explanation. To Luna’s relief, it worked. Shock was a reaction that most displayed, followed by empathy. Some even wanted to comfort the unfortunate soul, but had been informed that he needed time alone. Somepony had even gone so far as to leave bouquets of flowers at the castle’s entrance along with condolences written on cards. Upon discovering this, Luna had ordered all flowers and cards to be taken care of so that Magnus could see that ponies cared. Though she briefly wondered if ponies would have reacted differently if they knew what Magnus really was, she was certain that their compassion would not have subsided.

Returning her attention to her breakfast, Luna chewed a forkful of scrambled eggs and flipped to the next page of the newspaper. Skimming through some of the less eventful news, she found a headline that caught her interest.

Prince Blueblood Wraps Up Friendship Summer Camp in Baltimare— Camp Deemed a Success

‘Perhaps there is hope for my nephew after all,’ Luna thought with a small smile. Blueblood had not made a sterling impression on her the first time they met. His snobbish and demanding personality was infuriating, and it reached its peak during the Grand Galloping Gala. She had had a lengthy lecture with him on what it meant to be a royal, chiefly that he was to serve and protect their subjects, not constantly demand from them. She also told him of the nobles of Equestria ages ago; bold and courageous knights they were, ready to protect their country at a moment’s notice, not the squabbling excuse for nobles that existed in this modern era. To her surprise, Blueblood heeded her words and his behaviour had improved somewhat. Although not a strong and bold knight, her nephew’s strength resided in his charisma and political abilities, and his gifts had served Equestria well.

Luna’s train of thought was interrupted by the door opening. Twilight and Spike walked in, a sombre look on their faces. Both of them bowed to Luna as they came closer to the table.

“Good morning, Twilight, Spike.”

“Good morning, Princess Luna,” they replied in unison as they sat down at the table. Spike settled for a bowl of cereal while Twilight chose toast with strawberry jam and fruit. From their behaviour, Luna quickly discerned that they had heard Magnus the previous night. While Spike ate with his usual gusto, Twilight barely touched her food.

“Twilight, is there something wrong?” Luna asked the young alicorn. Twilight looked up for a moment and sighed.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she wearily admitted. Levitating an apple slice to her mouth, she glumly chewed it. “We heard him. I could barely sleep later.”

Luna expected as much. “You are not the only one; everypony in the castle did, as did the entire population of Canterlot. Many of them came to me for an explanation. I told them a simplified version of the truth.”

“So, I guess that Equestria knows about Magnus now, right?” Spike asked with his mouth full of cereal.

Luna shook her head. “They do not know his race or name. We prefer it stays that way for now.” Spike nodded in understanding, his attention returning to his breakfast.

Their breakfast continued in silence for a while. The only reasonable conversation topic was not a pleasant one, and no other topic came easily to them.

“His scream was so sad,” Twilight suddenly spoke up. “It was like I could feel his suffering, his loneliness.”

Luna nodded slowly. Solitude had been her only companion during her banishment, and a poor one at that. She had been unable to speak to anypony, and the only thing she heard was the hateful malevolence of Nightmare Moon eternally whispering in her ears and mind for a thousand years.

“During my banishment,” she began quietly, “I felt loneliness constantly gnaw at me. Strongest it was during the moments when my mind was my own, before the Nightmare overtook me again. After my return, Celestia spent nearly every waking moment with me. I was overjoyed to hear friendly voices once more, but what helped me the most was to finally see her again.”

Twilight poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it in silent contemplation. She wanted to know more, but refrained from asking. It wouldn’t help opening an old wound. Besides, Luna had been very secretive about her banishment until now, usually desisting from speaking of it.

“Before I left Canterlot, I hadn’t paid any attention to loneliness. As long as I had my studies, books, and Spike, I was happy.” A small smile graced her lips. “Now I can’t imagine what it would be like to be eternally separated from my friends.”

Luna couldn’t help but chuckle. She had heard much about Twilight from Celestia, whose face would always brighten whenever she spoke about her pupil. Luna had heard that Twilight had been somewhat of a recluse in the past, and it would seem that the friends she made in Ponyville had been the most important lesson she ever learned.

“True companions cannot be bought, only befriended. It would seem that our human friend learned this, judging from my conversations with him.”

“And now he’s separated from them forever.” Twilight sighed, her gaze falling on the table and her almost untouched breakfast.

Twilight’s mind was swirling with uncertainty, doubts beginning to reveal themselves. Had she truly done enough? Had there been anything she could have done differently? Every fibre of her heart insisted that was the case, that perhaps she had missed something, but her more logical side assured her that she had been thorough. Celestia’s words from the night before were still clear in her mind. ‘Magnus belongs to Equus. He was meant to come here, to come home and discover who he is.’ The thought itself was comforting, though the very idea that the planet cared for those that made their homes on it seemed silly from a scientific point of view.

Twilight was silent as she mulled over the human’s disheartening situation. Magnus needed somepony now. She was the Princess of Friendship and was determined to help Magnus in any way she could, to be the friend he needed now.

“What can we do?” Twilight asked, feeling encouraged. Luna merely smiled, having anticipated this question.

“First we must alleviate his sorrows. Time heals all wounds, but his current state will demand effort as well as time,” Luna replied. “Then we will do our best to make him comfortable around us. Celestia and I have held many conversations with him during the course of your expedition, and I am pleased to say that he seems to have gotten at least somewhat comfortable to our presence. In time, we will see if he considers us friends. Friendship forms over time, not mere hours. I also believe he would appreciate others to interact with as well.”

“So, should we bring him to Ponyville and introduce him to the others?” Spike asked. To him, it seemed like a logical step. “I mean, we take him to Ponyville, Pinkie throws him a party, he gets to meet the entire town, and boom, instant friends.”

Luna shook her head. “Not initially, no. Celestia and I have discussed how best to proceed and have made some plans. First, we must wait until Magnus processes his grief, which may take some time. Then we will introduce him to Equestria. We both believe that Ponyville will be a fitting environment for him, as it is a small town in which everypony knows each other. Before that, however, we would like for the rest of the Element Bearers to come to Canterlot when the time is right.”

“You want their opinion of him, right?” Spike asked.

“In a sense. From what I hear, they are quick to befriend and help others, and in this case, it would be a great boon for Magnus.”

Twilight nodded. She and Spike had firsthoof experience with how friendly they were to strangers when they first went to Ponyville. It was strange to think of how fast time had passed since then. It felt like it was only yesterday when she had boarded the chariot for the small town she grew to love and call home. Of course, Ponyville wasn’t as calm as most towns, and even though the town was an epicentre that attracted all manner of strange creatures such as chaotic spirits, magic-stealing centaurs, and corrupted unicorns, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Magnus would initially most likely be met with suspicion and fear, much like Zecora had experienced, but Twilight was confident he would be fine after she and her friends had vouched for him.

It felt exciting in some way as well, she admitted. Magnus was part pony and part human. A cross-species hybrid had not existed in a long time and not much was written about them. This was the chance of a lifetime; observing a being interacting with a culture that was not his own. What would he do; how would he act? Questions began to swirl within Twilight’s mind at the prospect of observing Magnus. When she got back to Ponyville, she had to ensure she still had her binoculars and proper camouflage. Perhaps Rarity could help her with something that could help her blend in with the bushes.

As breakfast passed, Twilight realized that Celestia was nowhere to be seen. When asked, Luna revealed that Celestia had spent the night with Magnus to keep an eye on him. The last thing he needed was being alone, thus one person he knew was to be near him at all times should something happen.

After breakfast had concluded, Luna left to visit Magnus, upon which Twilight and Spike asked to join her. Luna saw no reason to deny them their request. After all, help was always appreciated.

Just as they left the dinner room, Spike was levitated onto Twilight’s back. “Ready to befriend a human?” the alicorn asked the baby dragon.

***

With Spike on her back, Twilight stood with Luna outside the door to Magnus’ room. She hesitated, perhaps having felt a bit overconfident earlier. After all, his emotional state could be anything now, and nopony really knew what a human was capable of. According to the guards posted outside the room, no sound had come from inside. A maid had delivered breakfast to Celestia earlier, and even then, nothing but silence was heard. It was an ominous omen to her.

“Twilight, you okay?” she heard her passenger ask.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just a bit nervous I guess,” she said shakily and swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Me too.” Twilight felt Spike shiver on her back. “Are… Are we sure he doesn’t eat dragons?”

“He is an omnivore, and we are aware of his fondness for meat,” Luna replied calmly. “I can quite confidently say that we are not something he would devour.”

Luna’s reassurance was everything Spike needed to hear. Puffing out his chest as much as he could, he mentally prepared himself.

Luna opened the door and they walked in. The first one they saw was Celestia sitting at the table, her breakfast in front of her. The door to the bedroom was open, though from this angle, they couldn’t see Magnus.

Luna walked up to her sister and nuzzled her. “Good morning, Sister,” she whispered.

“Good morning, Luna, Twilight, Spike,” Celestia whispered back.

Luna looked towards the bedroom, noticing the unmoving body on the bed. “How is he?”

Celestia looked towards the bedroom with a downtrodden expression and sighed. “It is difficult to tell. He slept through the night. I never heard a sound. He has been awake since before I raised the sun. I have offered him food and drink, but he simply does not speak. All he does is stare at the wall. I fear he has taken the news worse than what we initially believed.”

Luna walked to the door and peered inside the bedroom. Magnus lay on his side, one arm under his head, the other limp on the mattress. His eyes seemed empty and were fixated on the wall, just as Celestia said. It was as if all life had been sucked out of him, rendering him an empty shell of the man he was.

She walked closer to him and stood next to his bed. “Magnus?” There was no response. Occasionally, he slowly blinked, his eyes moistening ever so slightly. Other than that, he seemed lifeless.

Ever so gently, Luna sat down on the floor next to the bed. She extended her wing and carefully laid it on his shoulder. “No words I say can express how sorry I am for your loss.” She paused while slowly rubbing his shoulder. Still, Magnus didn’t react to her presence.

“No words or actions can make up for the pain you are experiencing now. All I can say is that our hearts are with you in this trying time. But know this, we are here for you. My sister and I, even Twilight Sparkle and her assistant, are here for you. Do you remember Spike? The baby dragon? I hear you two had a slight quarrel when you met.”

Luna’s attempt at coaxing him didn’t work, but she didn’t feel discouraged by his silence. Grief was a painful process that all had to face at least once. She wasn’t sure how humans coped when faced with news of the magnitude Magnus had received the previous night, but she took his silence as part of his grieving process, even though the unmoving and mute body unnerved her to no end. “I understand. You do not have to say anything if you do not wish to.”

Not getting a word from him, she decided to try later when she was rested. “I will return later today,” Luna said softly as she stood up and tucked her wing to her body. “Then we can talk, if you desire.” Turning around, she walked back to the living room where her sister and Twilight conversed in hushed whispers. Looking over her withers, she cast a final glance at the grieving human. What could they truly do to help him? She pondered this all the way to her chambers.

***

‘I can’t go home.’

This simple line constantly echoed in my head, having begun the moment Celestia had finally admitted the truth.

‘I can’t go home.’

First, it was like furious screaming that lasted for hours. Later, it was as though some part of my mind had awoken and remembered those words. I denied it for hours; it had to be a terrible joke. When reality had finally broken through my resistance, I screamed until my throat felt like it had been rubbed with coarse sandpaper.

‘I can’t go home.’

I was stuck here forever, had lost everything—my home, my car, and worst of all, the most important people in my life. I would never see my hometown or the people who lived there again, never go to work at the bowling alley and meet my co-workers. I would never be able to go to my favourite cafe for a slice of that delicious homemade cheesecake Mrs Robinson baked. I would never be able work as a farmhand during harvest season and drive the Massey Ferguson tractor, nor would I have dinner with the other seasonal workers at the end of the day. I would never again work at the lumber mill during winter, hauling logs with Thomas, Al, Max, and Freddy.

‘I can’t go home.’

Eventually, I would die alone here. My dreams had been grounded to fine dust, all of them. I had wanted to someday buy a motorcycle and drive Route 66, maybe even go to Europe and criss-cross the continent for a while. I wanted to meet the right girl, a nice girl who had all the qualities I desired: kind, compassionate, humorous, and even somewhat courageous, along with gorgeous eyes, long hair, nice butt—all the good stuff. I wanted to get married, build a house to call home and have kids, lots of kids. I had always wanted a big family. Sons that I could go fishing and camping with and tell them what an amazing man their great-grandfather was. Daughters who I could spoil, take pictures of when they got dolled up for prom, be there when they introduced their boyfriends to me, and some day walk them down the aisle. A family that I could watch grow up, marry, and have families of their own. I would be there for them all; a loving and caring husband, a proud and protective father, maybe even grandfather one day.

But I couldn’t.

‘I can’t go home.’

The horrible truth of that one sentence was more than I could bear, like an enormous weight pressing down on my heart. I couldn’t even cry. What did it matter now? I was stewing uselessly in my misery. What use was there in doing anything at all?

‘I can’t go home.’

“Magnus?”

Why should I go on? What use was there to persevere? Should I end it all? A drop, a few moments of falling, pretending to fly to the very end? A fleeting moment of absolute freedom, then the sudden impact that I wouldn’t feel. Maybe the tower for that.

It was a chicken shit way to go for sure, but it was an option.

“Magnus? Can you hear me?”

Maybe I was looking at things from the wrong perspective? For instance, what would happen if I tried to live here? Would I fit in at all? No, I was deluding myself. I was a freak, some strange creature, a half… thing! The way they stared at me, the looks I had received from the guards and staff, the fear in their eyes… They always sized me up as though I was a threat, wondering if they should flee or stand their ground.

“Magnus…”

“I don’t think he can hear you, Twilight.”

This world wasn’t my world, it was not—It was only then that I realized that I was no longer alone in the room. Twilight Sparkle and the little dragon were here. From my point of view, it seemed as though they were walking on the wall, but that was because I was lying on my side. I felt like a prisoner in my own body, my eyes the windows I peeped through, my ears the holes in the wall.

“Is he even awake?”

“Of course, his eyes are open. Look, he just blinked.”

I guess Twilight was nice, but she seemed to be awfully interested in me. Not just curious though, like she wanted to cage and study me, interrogate me about Earth and humans. I got that impression from her when we spoke before she left for the expedition. She had searched for a way but couldn’t find one. Now… there was nothing anyone can do.

‘I can’t go home.’

I just wanted to curl up and remain hidden from the world. Even contemplating carrying on as though nothing had happened was laughable.

“Magnus, can I sit here? Is that okay with you?”

“Is that a good idea?”

“Hush, Spike.”

Celestia’s words still came to mind; acceptance. Amongst ponies? What a ludicrous idea. I was an alien to them. Something would happen, and the chances that it ended badly for me were high. What then?

‘I can’t go home.’

I wondered… Had Twilight really tried everything she could? What if she was lying to me? Was she hiding something? No, it didn’t seem like that. I mean, if anything, she seemed rather worried. I could always ask, just to be sure.

“Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat if you are. Does a dandelion sandwich sound good?”

“Hey, maybe I can find a few gems for him? A crunchy sapphire always cheers me up when I’m down.”

“Did you… do everything you could?” I asked her. My throat was still sore and my question came out as a whisper. Twilight nearly jumped in surprise.

“You spoke!” she exclaimed with a smile.

“Answer me,” I demanded harshly. Her smile disappeared, and the glum expression she now wore told me everything I needed to know.

“You mean… the expedition?” Her ears drooped. “I’m sorry… I tried, but…”

“If you did everything you could, then I can’t ask you for more.” I closed my eyes, breathing deeply.

“Wait!” Twilight nearly yelled next to me. “I can continue! There must be something we overlooked. Maybe there is something in a book somewhere—I just have to find it! Maybe Cadance has something in the libraries in the Crystal Empire! I can send formal requests to the archives in Griffonia and Minoa, or Saddle Arabia! The zebras might know something about portals in their storytelling traditions! There must be someth…” Her voice slowly faded, and in moments, she was just background noise. She sounded desperate, and in this case, desperation was looking for something that didn’t exist.

And that was that. It was strange—I always knew that I could never go back home, but I had refused to accept it. I always pushed the very idea away, refusing to acknowledge the truth when it was right in front of me the entire time. But the truth would always be truth, and I couldn’t change it.

‘I can’t go home.’

What pained most was losing my friends, even more than when my grandfather died. They were the closest thing to siblings I had ever had. They were my family.

And I had lost them all.

***

Twilight and Spike sat at Magnus’ side for hours, the human having retreated back into silence. It had torn her heart to tell him that she had no way forward in getting him home. She had even tried to check Magnus for a signal that could lead them to Earth, but all she found was the unicorn magic within him. She began to wonder if she should have lied to him in an effort to have him hold onto hope, but it would have only delayed the inevitable and might have affected him even more adversely.

She had noticed his raspy voice when he spoke and had levitated a glass to him and asked him to drink. He didn’t even look at the glass she held in her magic, nor did he even try to open his mouth. Twilight and Spike did partake in the meals brought to them when it was time for lunch, though when offered food, silence was Magnus’ answer.

Celestia occasionally dropped in when she had time to spare, the solar diarch becoming increasingly worried about his welfare as his condition did not improve. Although Magnus was technically not a subject of the princesses, Celestia and Luna obviously cared greatly for his well-being, something that piqued Twilight’s curiosity. She knew that the princesses cared for all who lived in Equestria, yet somehow it seemed they showed extra attention to Magnus, most likely due to his situation and the fact that Star Swirl himself had asked them. She was aware that Celestia and Luna had known Star Swirl thousands of years ago, but the details of that relationship were of an uncertain nature.

As the hours passed, Celestia’s workload was reduced until only light paperwork remained. In her private office, she sat at her desk on a soft cushion with a stack of documents and a cup of mint tea. Half of her attention was on the paperwork, with the situation concerning Magnus often distracting her. Thus, she never heard Luna enter the office and sit down opposite her.

“Enjoying signing your name?” Luna asked playfully.

“Immensely,” Celestia replied and sighed, dipping her quill in ink. Looking over the scroll held in her magic, she peered at Luna. “You’re up early.”

“I decided on an early start to my day because I plan to see Magnus. How is he?”

“Unchanged.” Celestia signed her name with an elegant swirl of her phoenix feather quill, then placed the writing implement amongst her other quills. “He refuses food and drink, and has spoken only once to Twilight.” She sighed sombrely. “I’m worried.”

“As am I.” Luna placed her own cup of tea on the desk. “What shall we do? If he keeps refusing nourishment, we must take steps to ensure his wellbeing.”

“We cannot force him, at least not yet.”

“Then when? When malnourishment threatens? When dehydration lurks around the corner?” Luna’s sharp tone belied the rhetorical nature of her questions.

“It is natural that he grieves now. All we can do is support him in this trying time and be there for him. We can comfort him, speak with him, and in time, he will come around. You and I are intimately familiar with grief. Tell me, how many friends have we lost over the millennia? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?” Luna chose not to reply. It was true that they had known many ponies over the years, many of whom had passed onto the next life. Death was a familiar presence around them, though not one regularly broached.

“Star Swirl told us much about Magnus, yet it is only a fraction of a complicated creature such as him.” Celestia rested her head on her hoof and sighed. “What Star Swirl told us is only one piece of a large puzzle, not enough for us to help Magnus at the moment. All we can do is keep faith in him.”

“We shall never give up on him,” Luna responded with conviction. “We shall not fail the descendant of our oldest friend.”

Author's Notes:

Hey guys. Sorry for the long wait between chapters. Things have happened, been spoken of, and in the end I decided to publish this chapter unedited just to let you all know that this story isn't dead. (Things have taken a very long time lately, and sometimes I just don't want to wait.) I have another part ready to publish soon... ish, plus another that my editor will edit, plus yet another that I'm currently writing. After that comes a short intermission like chapter.

Thought I should also inform you all about my current style of writing and what I've discovered. First person is hard. Very hard. Trying to convey a persons emotion requires me to put myself in that persons situation and act out the various emotions as if they happened to me. I've discovered that this is extremely difficult in my case, which two of my chapters have suffered for. Trying to imagine a person breaking down, grieving, suffering etc is taking its toll. Another added effect is that sometimes my own personality slips into Magnus. So far I've managed to filter it out before publishing, but a few times it has slipped through.

To counter this, and also make it easier for me to write, I have decided to change the style from 1st person to 3rd person permanently. This will come into effect in about 3 chapters or so, when Magnus ventures into ponyland. I also hope that the change of view will also make the story progress a bit faster, meaning regular updates and so on.

So for those of you who like the story because it's 1st person: I'm sorry. For those of you who like the story, but hate the 1st person: rejoice!

Oh, and I also received several new likes and even a couple of followers since last time. Thank you ladies and gents, you are all awesome!

Chapter 23 - Living in Memories (Edited by JBL 07.12.2017)

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Twilight sighed, feeling the weight of the day settle heavily on her back. Despite her efforts, Magnus had remained silent. It was as if he had retreated into himself, shutting out everyone and everything.

He hadn’t eaten a scrap of food brought into his room, and hadn’t even gone to the bathroom. Twilight wasn’t sure how human biology worked; for all she knew, Magnus was either on the brink of dying or was healthy as could be. One thing she was certain of was that he could use something to drink—his voice had sounded scratchy earlier that day.

The door to the bedroom noiselessly opened and Celestia and Luna walked in. Twilight and Spike stood up to bow, but a raised hoof from Celestia stopped them. Such formality wasn’t needed. Both alicorns turned towards the slumbering human. Even now, his appearance was that of a man who had been stripped of everything meaningful to him, including his will to live.

“How is he?” Celestia asked quietly.

Twilight looked up at her. “I don’t know. He slept for maybe an hour after midday, then woke up and stared at the wall before falling asleep again. He’s been out for at least an hour now.”

Luna walked over to the bed and watched the unconscious human for a few moments before her horn lit up with a gentle cerulean glow. After a few seconds, her magic dissipated. “Good, he does not dream. I fear they will be nothing but nightmares when he eventually does. Perhaps now will be a good time to try and speak with him.”

Celestia nodded and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Luna. Twilight and Spike sat at the foot of the bed, watching the two alicorns curiously. “What are you going to do?”

“We must attempt to pull Magnus back from the abyss of grief he has found himself trapped in. If he continues to refuse sustenance, his health will soon be affected,” Luna whispered in reply, gently touching Magnus’ shoulder with her wing. The human barely moved, deep in slumber as he was.

Celestia remained silent, her attention focused on Magnus as she watched over him as if he was a helpless, scared, and injured foal. In a strange way, he was.

Twilight nodded in agreement. She guessed that Star Swirl had told the princesses about Magnus, things that no others were privy to. They had spent quite a bit of time together after Star Swirl had appeared, after all. She had secretly hoped to be able to speak with the legendary unicorn at length, although now she knew that the time he had at his disposal had been limited and he had spent all of it on Magnus in an effort to ensure his future in Equestria. Perhaps it was for the best since she wasn’t sure she would have been able to keep her composure or squeal like a school filly.

In hindsight, it didn’t matter. Star Swirl was gone, and all that remained of him was his descendant.

Celestia leaned towards Magnus, her muzzle nearly touching his cheek. His breathing was slow and even. The princess hesitated to wake him, but it had to be done.

“Magnus?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He initially remained motionless, but then his arm moved up to his face and rubbed his still-closed eyes. Slowly, they opened and were met by a pair of concerned gazes. His eyes didn’t move, fixed on a single position, almost as if he could see through the two sisters. The lifelessness in his eyes was as disheartening to those gathered as it was evident.

Luna leaned in closer to him, feeling pity blossom in her heart. His misery was like a miasma that choked the room. “We ask that you listen to us for now, Magnus, and speak only if you wish.”

“We cannot fully comprehend your loss,” Celestia began quietly, “but we want to help you in any way we can. We understand that you need time, and we fully respect that. We only ask that you try to eat something. None of us has any desire to see you perish from self-imposed starvation.”

Magnus didn’t reply, though that was to be expected at this point. Celestia and Luna were aware that ponies wracked with grief and sorrow would sometimes embrace silence, though it was rare. Usually it occurred to those who had witnessed or experienced significant trauma, and only time and eventually opening up would help ease their burden.

“It’s okay.” Celestia gently smiled and draped a wing over his body. “Take the time you need. As long as you listen to us, it’s okay.”

“It is natural for you to be unhappy; you have nothing to be ashamed of. It would indeed be a frightful individual who would be unaffected by what you have suffered.”

Magnus slowly blinked, his eyes seeming to glitter in the soft light of the afternoon sun. For a moment, it appeared as if he was on the verge of tears.

Celestia carefully nuzzled his cheek. It failed to rouse a reaction from him, though at least he didn’t flinch away from the physical contact. She could take solace in that, for now.

“They meant much to you, didn’t they?”

***

I blinked at that question. It was strange how those simple words could trigger a flood of memories from my past zooming past my mind’s eye. In every one of them, my friends were there.

I nodded slowly. “Ev… Everything.” My throat was so parched that I could only whisper. “T-They were…” I couldn’t say it; the pain would only increase. I shut my eyes, hoping that it would halt the flow of memories. It did not.

Something touched my arm, and upon opening my eyes, I saw Luna pressing her nose against it. The sympathy in her eyes shone through, and her touch felt warm, like a person, not a pony. “What were they to you?”

I moved my trembling hands to wipe my face, though there were no tears. Maybe I couldn’t produce tears at all. Maybe there was sorrow so great that tears could not do it justice.

“They w-were… family.” My breath hitched and my voice trembled. “I was an only child… They were the closest thing to… to siblings I had.”

Celestia and Luna gasped, and I heard a similar reaction from Twilight and the dragon from behind me. The way their eyes widened indicated that they had only now truly grasped the extent of my relationship with my friends.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” Twilight asked hesitatingly as she stepped into view.

I closed my eyes and attempted to clench them as tightly as I could. It was no use; the memories and accompanying images were there in an instant.

My breath hitched as I explained, “I’ve always known t-them. We grew up together… i-in the same neighbourhood. We played together in the s-same sandbox, rode our bicycles together, went to the same s-school, we celebrated birthdays together… It was just us.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. The tiny crystals embedded in the ceiling were like shards of memories hanging over us. There were hundreds of them, like stars, everywhere, all of them dear to me. Now, there was nothing but the unattainable past.

“At first it was just playing together, then we went to each other's birthdays. Then it was holidays, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, our sixteenth birthdays and turning eighteen and twenty. I don’t know how it happened, it just did. I… think it happened the year I turned eleven.” I swallowed the small amount of saliva in my mouth, moistening my throat so I could continue.

“It was Christmas. Because it was just Grandpa and me, we always celebrated alone. Adam knew that and asked his parents if we could come to their place. In that house—with Adam’s parents, his little brother, and his grandparents—Grandpa and I spent the holidays.” I could still recall the scent of the Christmas tree, the gifts under the tree, the taste of turkey, the laughter, the smiles.

A tear trickled down my cheek, and I reached up with a trembling hand, not realizing that I had started to cry. “I-It was the f-first time I had a sense of f-f-family!” I covered my eyes with my arm and gritted my teeth together. It was too much. Every memory was a needle in my heart, each person I could remember was one I had lost. I felt the wings of the alicorns surround me, though they did little to bring a feeling of protect and reassurance.

“Adam’s mother, Joanna, made the food. It was… It was turkey with potatoes, stuffing, gravy, everything. I never told Grandpa, but he was a terrible cook.” I let out a weak chuckle. “It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. That night, we stayed up late, Adam and me. We played Secret of Mana on the Super Nintendo, watched horror movies we weren’t allowed to see, and drank too much Cola.” I moved my arm away and opened my eyes, taking in the sympathetic looks on their faces.

“He said, ‘It’s like we’re brothers now’. That night… It was that night when I first thought of him like that. The thought never struck me before. I had… a brother.” I shook my head slowly and chewed on the inside of my mouth. “Each year after that, Grandfather and I would receive an invite to another of my friends and the same thing happened. I was just a teenager, but it made sense to me. They were always there for me. Grandpa liked the company too—he had been alone ever since Grandma died, and as social as he was, he enjoyed having people to talk to.”

“It must have been wonderful to have such great friends.” Celestia nosed my hand, managing a smile despite the gloomy atmosphere in the room.

Luna had a pensive look on her face. “Indeed, trusted friends are a true treasure.”

“They were—I mean they are. Whenever I visited, it felt like I was visiting family. I never had to knock on the door—I could drop by almost whenever I wanted and talk to them about anything.”

“You don’t have to be related to somepony to make them feel like family,” Twilight interjected. “Spike and I aren’t related, but I see him as my baby brother.”

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“Yup,” Spike said. “I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have Twilight as my sister.”

I laid my head to rest on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. In each one, I could pinpoint a vivid memory. I saw my first bicycle with training wheels, a shiny red one with a gift ribbon on the handlebars and Grandpa standing next to it with a smile on his face. In another was the first time Lisa kissed me, and me stuttering like a fool, trying to come up with something memorable and cool to say. Another revealed my eighteenth birthday. We had celebrated at Adam’s place since his parents was out of town, so we raided the liquor cabinet. It was the first time I had alcohol, and I got drunk off my ass on Jim Beam whiskey, paying the price for it the next day.

Now, memories were all I had left. That thought was more painful than any physical injury.

Twilight cleared her throat and took a step towards me. “Can you tell us of a good memory you have with your friends? Maybe you’ll feel better talking about them?”

Initially, I dismissed her suggestion, but gave in after a few moments. “There’s a lot.” I tried to think of one that made us all laugh. It didn’t take long. “A couple of years ago, Nick lived in a city called Butte to attend college. My friends and I decided to pay him a surprise visit, so we showed up at the apartment he rented. We brought beer and pizza and had planned a weekend of parties, but we didn’t know that Nick knew we were coming.”

I chuckled, though it sounded more like a wheeze from my dehydrated throat. “We stood outside his door, knocked and heard him yell that the door was open. We ran in, carrying six packs and warm pizza, but never expected what he had cooked up. He had borrowed a compressor, hooked it up to some valves, and connected it to a metal pipe filled with flour. He just stood there with a shit-eating grin and yelled “Surprise!”, then flipped the valve. The next second, we were covered in a layer of flour.”

I remembered how ridiculous we had looked, covered head to toe in flour. Even the entryway had seemed like it received a fresh coat of paint. We had just dusted off the flour, sat down to eat and drink, then headed to the nearest bar afterwards. Judging by the smiles on my audience’s faces, they could well imagine the situation.

However, talking about my friends, my family, didn’t help me feel better, the opposite, in fact. It was like my heart was an open wound, throbbing with raw agony that I had only truly experienced once before. That lazy day, the phone call, the denial, the grief.

And the stretcher with the cloth covering the body.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I was about to tell. I didn’t know why I felt the desire to do so, but I couldn’t keep it bottled up inside. I was already emotionally bursting at the seams.

“I was at work at the bowling alley one early afternoon. It was a slow day, just a few occasional customers. I was sitting at the cash register with a newspaper and a soda.” The ponies quickly caught on to the change in my voice, their ears swivelling towards me in an instant. “I got a call by a man called Alfred, a friend of Grandpa who used to visit him from time to time. Just by his voice, I knew something had happened. He told me… told me…” I grimaced, forcing myself to utter the words. “That he was dead…”

Instantly, the tenuous joviality from talking about my friends evaporated. The ponies looked at each other, seeming confused.

“Your grandfather?” Celestia asked hesitatingly.

I nodded. “I didn’t want to believe it; I thought he was lying. Grandfather had never been sick, never had any problems aside from migraine now and then. Now… I know what caused it.”

“I drove up to the cabin as fast as I could, ignoring the speed limit and nearly hitting a few cars. When I got there, there was an ambulance and two police officers already there. One of the officers tried to stop me, but I knocked him aside and ran inside. When I got there…” I could almost taste the raw despair that had enveloped me back then. “A stretcher… with a body on it, covered by a white shroud. There was nothing wrong with him, and then he suddenly died! I screamed at the paramedics, told them to do something, to revive him! They couldn’t… He had been dead for hours. His heart… just stopped.”

Celestia slowly dipped her head respectfully. “We are sorry for your loss. Losing a loved one is never easy.”

That was something I knew well enough. I had been useless for days following his death, crying all the time and unable to even help plan for his funeral. I didn’t know who did all the work, but someone obviously did. Even on the day of the funeral, I hadn’t quite come to terms with it. Only when the priest had sprinkled dirt on the coffin the stark reality clear the clouds in my mind.

Grandpa’s friends gathered for a memorial after the funeral but I hadn’t attended, instead heading straight home. I had spent hours just watching photo albums and home videos, anything to somehow regain his presence. I wanted so badly to believe he was still alive, to pretend if only for a moment.

Of course it didn’t work. He was gone, cold in the ground and silent. I had been a wreck for days, and throughout it all, they didn’t leave me alone. Lisa had been the first one to visit the next day. We spent the entire day talking about Grandpa, who she got to know during our days together as a couple. When evening came, Adam arrived. We reminisced about Grandpa, how he would scold us for our pranks, and of how many times he had to bail us out of trouble.

And so they came, one after another. Lisa, Adam, Jesse, Max, Renee, Nick, and Sammy had all loved him like a spare grandfather and were eager to share their memories with him. Hearing them call him that made my bond to my friends even stronger, because if they saw him as a spare grandfather, then they were my spare siblings.

They helped me when I was helpless. When I was trapped at the nadir of my life, they lowered a rope twisted from hope and pulled me up. They meant everything to me.

And I had lost them.

“Throughout the years, my sister and I have lost many we cared greatly for.” She looked away, a mournful expression on her face. I suppose it would be natural when one lived for centuries. “We remember them all. No matter who they were, they found a place in our hearts and minds where they will live forever in memory.” She then turned to me. “Life is precious. Grieve for the ones who are gone, but do not forget about yourself.”

Using her magic, Luna brought the dinner cart into the room, parking it next to the bed and lifting a glass of water over to me. “You need food and water. Please, drink a little.”

“Why?”

My question caught seemed to catch them off-guard, even the dragon looking surprised by the question.

“Why should I go on?” I clarified, intent on driving the point home. “Why go on when I have nothing?”

“Surely you must be joking.” Luna eyed me in bewilderment before taking a step forward. “We are… unfamiliar with how humans express their grief, but your statement is one we consider very troubling.”

“I don’t care,” I replied before turning over to face the other wall and the windows. The sun was up, birds were singing, and from all appearances, it was a pleasant day. For me, however, it didn’t matter. None of it.

Sometimes, there was no use in going on when you had nothing.

And I truly had nothing.

***

Celestia stared at Magnus in disbelief, not quite believing that she heard him correctly. She had gotten to know the human during the relatively short time he had spent in Equestria so far, and had quickly recognized from his mannerisms, humour, and occasional foul language, that he was nothing like a pony. Still, for him to say something like that…

“Magnus, this is a bad time to attempt a joke!” Celestia chided him to no avail. Having finished speaking, he had turned his back and resumed ignoring them.

The rest of them, on the other hoof, were in a mixed state of disbelief and shock. The fact that he had actually said it was disturbing enough, but the lack of emotion made it worse. There was no fear, no anger, no sorrow. There were few ways to interpret his statement, but considering the situation, it could only mean one thing. Magnus didn’t care about his life anymore.

Twilight couldn’t believe someone would actually say that about themselves, especially to the ones who had spent so much time trying to help him. She couldn’t take it and promptly cantered over to the other side, coming face to face with the hybrid. Standing up on her hind legs, she set her forelegs on the mattress and laid her eyes on Magnus.

“We know that you’re grieving right now, Magnus, and you have every right to be. I know it’s not easy losing somepony you love, but you can’t give up on everything, least of all yourself. Just look.” Twilight pointed to Celestia, Luna, and Spike, all of them displaying varying degrees of dejectedness.

“We’ all here for you. We all want to help you. We all—”

“You’re not them.” Magnus suddenly replied, cutting her off.

“No, no, we aren’t them,” Twilight admitted after a small pause. “But we want to help you. Just… please, stay with us. Don't give up. ”

Luna and Celestia trotted up next to Twilight, both of them looking down at the pitiful human. His careful breathing, eyes void of emotion, and his refusal to answer Twilight’s pleas told them that they were back to square one, and now it seemed as if Magnus had made up his mind, at least for now. Twilight was not one to give up so easily.

***

Twilight spent hours with Magnus, hoping that anything she might say would trigger a response from him. She asked about his friends, which they now knew he considered family, his grandfather, about Earth, even his hobbies in order to coax a response from him. Nothing worked; Magnus never spoke nor did he move at all. He barely even bothered to blink.

Celestia found herself reminiscing about the days following Luna’s banishment, of the sheer self-loathing and anger at herself for what she had done. She had wandered the ruined halls of the castle for weeks, wondering what she could have done differently and if there had truly been no other way than using the Elements of Harmony on her beloved sister. Meanwhile, the physical infrastructure of the castle and surrounding buildings had been in ruins after the battle, the nobility clamouring for power in the vacuum left by Luna, and even the royal guard and the army had begun to doubt Celestia. Worst of all, Equestria had been divided since some ponies had sided with Luna during the short conflict, refusing to lay down their arms in the immediate aftermath. It had taken weeks before peace descended on Equestria once more, and then Celestia had decided upon an undertaken she hadn’t done in centuries.

Celestia left Equestria for months, leaving the Council of Nobles to govern Equestria in her absence. Wandering into lands unknown, Celestia sought solitude to grieve, to reflect, and to come to terms with what had happened. When she returned, Equestria and her ponies were still there, the land had calmed, and each night when she raised the moon, Celestia saw the image of Nightmare Moon on its surface, a reminder of the battle and the sister she banished.

At the time, her depression had been significant, but not so much as to desiring death upon herself as Magnus did. Then again, she had her ponies and her sister had been returned to her. He had truly lost everything that mattered to him.

Luna also contemplated Magnus’ pain and found herself able to empathise. When she returned from banishment, weakened and confused, she had had to come to terms with new obstacles, technology being just one of them. The first time she witnessed a steam locomotive approaching Canterlot and the ponies sitting in the carriages, she had mistaken it for a monster that had eaten her subjects. After Luna had utterly destroyed the locomotive and torn open the carriages, she declared proudly to the frightened passengers that they were safe from the steam-belching monstrosity. Not understanding why the passengers were more afraid of her than the metallic beast, Luna had asked Celestia for an explanation. When she understood that the beast was not alive and was simply a method of transportation, Luna decided she needed to educate herself on the new age, though it took a while for her embarrassment to subside.

The state of the world had also changed. Before her banishment, the seven griffon kingdoms were frequently at odds with each other, which often resulted in war. This would occasionally result in one of the kingdoms deciding to invade Equestria, intent on proving that griffons were superior to all others. Seeking new lands, resources, sometimes even slaves, the griffons would invade with vast armies, only to end up signing a peace treaty. No army had ever made it halfway across Equestria. In time, they recognized the folly in attempting to do so, especially if there was a chance that the commanders of the Equestrian army were mares clad in black and silver armour, or shimmering gold.

Now the seven kingdoms existed no more. Six of them had merged and chose the path of peace, prospering under the watchful eye of the Goldwing dynasty of kings and queens. The last kingdom, Griffonstone, was poor, powerless, and bereft of leadership. It was a shame, as once upon a time, it had been a beautiful and prosperous country.

Despite the changed world, the advanced laws and technology, and new nations and alliances, there was one thing Luna had trouble letting go of—the friends she once had. Though they had been few in number, they had been dear to her, friends that supported her even when she felt less appreciated than her sister. As the Nightmare grew stronger, however, Luna had pushed them away. The last words she had hurled at them were ones she still regretted, and she so wished she could apologize for them.

Now, those friends were long gone. Some had passed silently into history while others had gone on to perform great deeds for both themselves and Equestria. She would never speak to them again, just as Magnus would never speak to his friends.

Indeed, Luna could truly relate.

Despite his silence that stretched into hours, despite their futile efforts, none of them wanted to give up. Instead, they would take shifts tending to Magnus every hour of the day.

***

“He seems fine, mostly,” Doctor Silverheart said as he approached the alicorns waiting in the living room, having conducted a thorough examination of Magnus. He had been called at the behest of the two elder alicorns in the middle of the night, both of them having grown increasingly concerned as time progressed.

“His skin seems to be a tad drier now than it was during his stay in the infirmary, as are his lips. They are all symptoms of mild dehydration, though I can’t be certain since we know next to nothing of how his body differs from ours. Frankly, my years as a medical professional are useless in this case.” Silverheart sighed, unhappy that he couldn’t help at all. “Is he dying? Is he okay? I don’t know!” The doctor slumped down, a defeated expression on his face.

Celestia nodded carefully. Of course, it could not be so easy since no medical examination had been performed on Magnus, and his inner workings were somewhat of a mystery to them all at the moment.

“What do your instincts tell you, Doctor?” Luna asked, hoping for at least a sliver of hope.

Silverheart looked over his withers at the motionless form in the bed. Part of him counselled him to wait until they knew more about his biology. The potion Magnus was administered had been a normal dosage, yet it knocked him out cold on the first try. What else could potentially harm him? Another, more rational part of Silverheart advised him to follow basic logic that applied to all mammals.

“Water, he needs water. If he won’t drink anything, then we can give him an IV solution. He’ll at least stay hydrated and get the basic nutrients he needs.”

Luna and Celestia looked at each other, and within seconds, an agreement was made.

“Do it,” Luna commanded.

***

Spike had completed his mission given to him by Twilight: go to the library and look for books on how to deal with various stages of grief. With the help of the castle librarian, Spike was now carrying a stack of books that dealt with grief in various species. In one of them might be an answer, though since Magnus was not a pony, Spike wasn’t sure how useful they would be.

Trudging along with his heavy load, Spike came to Magnus’ room. Thankfully, one of the guards saw that his hands were occupied and opened the door for him. “Thank you.”

“No problem, Spike.” Spike was well-known throughout the castle, having spent the majority of his childhood there, always following Twilight around ever since he could crawl. The two had been a common sight for everypony that had worked at the castle for more than ten years.

“By the way, how is the human?”

“Not good,” Spike replied with a dejected sigh. “He won’t talk or eat, and now it’s so bad that he’s been given an IV.”

The guard and his colleague nodded slowly, their ears wilting. “Poor guy.”

Magnus was a hot topic in the castle these days. Ever since Luna and Celestia's announcement regarding Magnus, hushed whispers lurked in every room of the castle. Some ponies believed Magnus to be another strange new enemy to Equestria. It wasn’t that difficult to imagine—the last year had been busier than the last two hundred years combined. Some ponies found Magnus to be exceptionally interesting since he was an alien and so unlike any other known species, while others were afraid of him. For them, the cow-eating rumours had sealed the nail in his reputation. What kind of world could he be from where cows were regarded as food and not friends?

The last day had seen a change in the VIP wing of the castle. Almost everypony that passed through could feel the sadness that radiated from one particular room. Everypony knew what had happened as well, the news spreading like wildfire.

Spike wandered into the living room, depositing the literature on the table before peering into the bedroom.

“And… Ta-da! Now I’m here! It’s called teleportation. It’s a nice spell to know if you’re in a hurry, good to have if you need to catch the next train. It’s difficult to begin with, but with lots of practise, you’ll get the hang of it.”

Twilight had teleported from one side of the bed to the other, attempting to lure a reaction out of Magnus. Now standing with a nervous smile, Twilight awaited a response. Usually youngsters would react in awe and wonder, but all Twilight got was a hollow stare.

Twilight had been at Magnus’ side for hours, trying everything to break him out of his catatonic state of mind. Now Twilight had resorted to performing various magic spells, hoping that an extraordinary, or maybe even an ordinary trick, would catch his attention. Having been at it for some time now, Spike thought that he recognized a bit of a showmare in Twilight.

Spike could tell that Twilight was extremely exhausted, what with the way she had bags under her eyes and her frazzled mane. She was working on a minimal amount of sleep, and she needed to rest soon. With a weary sigh, Twilight lowered her head and trotted towards the living room, meeting Spike halfway. She managed a faint smile as she passed him.

“Anything?” Spike asked, though he already knew the answer. Twilight simply wandered over to the couch and slumped down, yawning as her head hit the pillow.

“No.” She was barely able to keep her eyelids open. “I’ve tried fifty-four spells since this morning, and… nothing. I even turned the apples and oranges into frogs and birds. He didn’t even blink.” Twilight sighed miserably, looking to Spike. “I just… I don’t know what to do anymore! We’ve tried everything.”

“Maybe it’s something he needs to work out on his own,” Spike suggested. Twilight shot him a confused look. “This isn’t something we need the Elements of Harmony for, and magic can’t help here either. All we can do is make sure he’s okay while he figures things out on his own.”

“Maybe.” Twilight laid her head to rest on the pillow, yawning again. “But he shouldn’t have to starve himself for this. It’s just not right! After all, we’re all here for him.”

“But we aren’t his family, and I don’t think he considers us friends either,” Spike countered.

“No, I guess not,” Twilight admitted. “We’re all he has, though. I hope it’ll be enough.” She turned a blearily eye towards the clock. “Princess Celestia will be here in an hour or two. Can you keep an eye on Magnus while I get some shuteye?”

“Sure. Should I bring the books to his room?”

“There’s no harm in trying.” With a final yawn, Twilight closed her eyes. Within less than a minute, she was snoring softly.

Taking his task seriously, Spike felt his confidence rising, along with a small amount of fear. He had never been alone with Magnus before, though he doubted the human would do anything considering the state he was in.

Picking up the stack of reading material, Spike walked into the bedroom, depositing the books on the bedside table. Next to the bed stood an IV stand, a clear plastic bag hanging from it half-full with clear liquid. For a moment, Spike listened to the steady dripping of the water, watching the tube that ran from the bag and fed directly into Magnus’ body via a needle. Spike might be young, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew that Magnus needed water, and the IV did just that. What disturbed him was that he preferred to waste away instead of eating and drinking like normal ponies would. This did not deter him from his task in the slightest. Magnus’ expressionless face told him that he would not be interested in the books he had brought. Instead, Spike decided that perhaps it would be best if he could just be there for him in case he decided to talk, or wanted to listen.

Wandering over to the bedside, Spike clambered onto the large bed obviously not built for ponies and sat down on the mattress next to Magnus. Getting comfortable, Spike glanced at the hybrid. He looked somewhat pale, with bags under his bloodshot eyes and a perpetual faraway look in his eyes.

“Hey,” Spike started carefully. “It’s a nice day today. The sun is shining and the birds are singing, although… it feels like it’s a rainy day.”

Spike wasn’t even sure if he heard him. Usually the ears of a pony would flicker even slightly when somepony spoke, but with Magnus, it was difficult to tell. His ears slightly resembled a pony’s, but they didn’t move.

“They’re worried about you, you know? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I mean. Twilight too… and me. They really want you to be okay, not just staying here and—” Spike faltered, choosing not to give word to their fears.

Spike sighed before turning to the window, looking at Canterlot with a contemplative expression. Just behind the walls and a few blocks away was his childhood home, the house of Night Light and Twilight Velvet, his adoptive mother and father. It had been some time since he and Twilight last paid them a visit. He could almost smell Velvet’s cooking from the castle. Sure, the food at the castle was good, but a homemade meal just couldn’t be beat.

“I never knew my real mother and father,” Spike suddenly said, deciding upon a different route. “Twilight hatched my egg as part of her entrance exam to Celestia’s school. Princess Celestia took care of me for a while, you know. When I got older, Twilight brought me home to her parents, and somehow they became my parents as well. Twilight Velvet and Night Light, my mother and father, and Shining Armor, my big brother. They didn’t treat me any different from other foals.”

He glanced at Magnus, noting that his eyes seemed moist, almost like they were shimmering. Assuming it was a trick of the light, Spike continued, “Canterlot is full of different species. There’re always traders from other countries here, along with ambassadors, officials, tourists, and so on. One thing you’ll never see here is dragons. I’m the only one here. I think that… we are alike, you and me. I’m the only dragon here, and you’re the only human. But because I’m the only dragon doesn’t mean that I’m alone. Twilight, Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity—they’re my friends too. Maybe… Maybe if you could just give them a chance, I know that they would help you.”

With no response forthcoming, Spike huffed. The silence was getting on his nerves. All he wanted to hear was a single sentence just so he would know he made some progress.

“Look, I’m not pretending to know what you’re going through. I’m lucky enough that all my friends and my family are alive and close by, so…” Spike shrugged sheepishly. “I’m not good with this kind of thing. I mean, I’ve never done this before. Sure, I had to take care of Twilight before when she studied so much she forgot to eat and sleep. Sometimes I had to carry her to bed, but I’m not that strong. I planned to buy a small cart just for that.”

“But you.” Spike inched closer to Magnus’ head, looking down on him with pity. “You’re in a different situation, and I can’t even understand what you must feel like. Just by looking at you and seeing what you’re doing to yourself, I can tell it must hurt much more than any of us can imagine.”

Though Magnus seemed oblivious to Spike’s words, his right hand clenched slightly. Spike didn’t notice the minuscule hand movement, his attention on the window, contemplating what to say next. He had failed to find the right words. Nopony had managed to get Magnus to open up since yesterday, and Spike doubted he could do it.

Spike cast one glance at the unresponsive human and jumped down from the bed, his shoulders slumped. As he walked through the door, he paused and looked back with one hand on the door frame.

“I wonder what your friends would say if they saw you now.” With that, he walked away.

Magnus’ clenched fist immediately relaxed, allowing blood to reach his pale knuckles. His glistening eyes produced a single tear that rolled out of the corner of his eye.

“They wouldn’t like it,” Magnus whispered quietly to the empty room.

***

“Golden, food’s ready.”

“I’m on it.” Golden Summer bit into the specially crafted handle and began pushing the food cart out of the kitchen.

“Sure hope he eats something today,” she heard the assistant chef mutter as the kitchen door closed behind her.

Trotting through the corridors with the food cart, Golden Summer’s eyes took in every nook and cranny of the hallways. Every corner, every windowsill, everything was meticulously scanned by her expert eye, searching for dust or anything else that didn’t belong in the meticulously clean castle. As usual, everything was as it should be. Or rather, close to it.

She felt it the moment she came to the final hallway of the VIP wing, how the cloud of misery seemed to cling to her like a wet dress. She didn’t like coming here anymore. Just a few days earlier, the prospect of walking this particular part of the castle brought with it the thrill of meeting the human. Although Golden had been initially frightened, she considered him less of a threat after her first meeting.

As a foal, and continuing as a teenager, she was particularly interested in science-fiction stories. The books she read told of star ponies and strange beings from beyond the stars, wielding magic to rival Princess Celestia, performing daring deeds while at the same time having wisdom and strength beyond belief. Now that she had actually met an alien, she wasn’t exactly disappointed, just a bit… confused. That confusion turned into compassion after she had heard him shrieking that night. Rumours soon spread about Magnus not being able to return home, and now almost the entire castle knew.

She felt sorry for him.

Approaching the guards, she gave them a smile and received a nod in reply as one of the unicorn guards opened the door for her. Thanking them, Golden pushed the cart into the room and immediately spotted Princess Celestia standing at the bedroom door, chewing her lip worriedly. The princess seemed to notice her entrance and turned.

Celestia smiled at Golden, just like she always would, but now the maid realized how strained it was. “Thank you, Miss Summer.”

“It was my pleasure, Your Highness.” Golden bowed briefly to escape the alicorn’s gaze.

Celestia investigated the contents of today’s lunch before Golden coughed lightly. “Your Highness, may I ask something?”

“Of course, Miss Summer.”

“W-Well, it’s about Mr Powell. Just… how is he?”

Celestia met Golden’s gaze, a hint of curiosity in her magenta eyes. Pouring herself a cup of tea, Celestia skipped the usual slice of lemon, a tell-tale indication of how shaken she was.

“I wish I knew,” Celestia admitted after a lengthy pause as she stirred the tea with a silver spoon. “He’s lost so much, perhaps more than he can handle.”

“Oh…” Golden nodded slowly and glanced towards the door. Within the bedroom, she saw Magnus on the bed, next to which sat Princess Luna who spoke to him, although what was being said, Golden could not tell. Even the Princess of the Night bore an expression of anxiety.

“Um, well, I hope he comes around soon. I’m also a bit, um, worried.”

“Oh?” Celestia’s eyes and ears perked up ever so slightly.

“Yes, well, he seems like such a nice stallion, even though he’s a bit scary. I know there’s many amongst the staff who feels the same way.” Shuffling her hooves nervously, Golden found the courage to ask, “Maybe you could tell Magnus that we all hope he feels better soon?”

Celestia’s strained smile was instantly replaced by a more sincere one. Celestia had had her doubts concerning the staff’s opinion on Magnus, but those doubts were apparently unfounded.

“I will, Miss Summer. I believe he would find your kind words encouraging.”

***

“Hurry up, Vigil, our shift’s about to start!”

“Just gimme a second. My armour’s not tight enough.” The bat pony bit down on the strap of his armour, tightening it until his armour pressed on his back correctly. With one hoof, he grabbed his helmet and put it on his head. “Done.”

“Let’s go then.”

Both bat ponies hurried over to the weapon rack, grabbing a halberd each, the traditional weapon of the Night Guard, before quickly exiting the barracks. The castle was just a stone’s throw away from the barracks, located next to the mountainside. Crossing the training grounds, both stallions witnessed the sun descending, marking the start of their shift.

“Another evening, another… miserable night,” one of them muttered as the sun lowered.

“Hm? Something wrong, Sweep?” Vigil asked, eyeing his companion.

Sweep shook his head lightly. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”

“Something you wanna talk about?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Really?”

“Look, just give it a rest, okay?” Sweep replied, slightly irritated.

“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” Even as he said that, he continued to eye his partner. Eventually, Sweep felt compelled to give in.

“I’ve been thinking, okay?”

“About what?”

“About that thing, you know, what we guard.”

“What about him?”

Sweep chewed on the inside of his cheek, mulling over the words before exhaling. “I’m thinking about what I would do if I were in his shoes. How would I deal with losing my father, mother, and herdmothers, not to mention losing my siblings. Hay, what would I do if I could never see Nightwish and Shadie again?!”

Vigil hummed in understanding as they opened one of the side doors of the castle and walked inside, trotting down a long marble corridor.

“Not to mention Shadie is pregnant.” Sweep shook his head in exasperation. “I would never be able to see my future son.”

“You found out?” Vigil asked in surprise, to which Sweep nodded with a weak smile. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Sweep said as they continued for a moment in silence. “I would never be able to hold my son, never knowing what he will looked like, never see him learn how to walk, never hear his first words.” He sighed as they turned a corner. “It’s… soul crushing to think about.”

Vigil grunted, not really knowing how to respond.

“I just try to understand him, you know? But the more I try, the more depressed I get.”

Both Night Guards turned the final corner, immediately spotting the two Day Guards in their golden armour standing on opposite sides of the door. Walking up to the two guards, they moved with military precision, coming to a halt in front of them. Swivelling ninety degrees to face the Day Guards, they pulled their halberds close to their bodies and saluted.

“Corporal Sweep!” Sweep announced authoritatively, one meter away from his unicorn counterpart.

“Private Vigil!” Vigil said, mirroring his friend.

“Sergeant Proud Lance!” the unicorn in front of Sweep declared.

“Corporal Anvil Striker!” came from the pegasus in front of Vigil.

“The Sun is setting, the day is over,” Sergeant Lance proclaimed, as per the changing of the Royal Guard tradition. “The Day Guard will now stand aside, as the sun stands aside for the moon.”

With trained precision, Proud Lance and Anvil Striker turned to the right, took five steps, then turned to the left. Vigil and Sweep stepped forward, turned 180 degrees, before standing at ease, halberds held in the crook of their right forelegs.

“The moon is rising, night has come. The Night Guard stands vigilant, as Princess Luna stands vigilant in the night and in our dreams,” Sweep proclaimed, pride bubbling in his chest.

The two Day Guards saluted, then left without another word. After they turned the corner, Vigil whispered, “Don’t think about being in his shoes. Think about all the good things in your life. You gotta stay positive.”

Sweep didn’t respond since it was unbecoming to speak when on duty. His father had taught him that, along with a variety of skills and tips a senior Night Guard learned over the years.

However, he could still think of all the good things he had in life. Beautiful Nightwish and her lovely singing voice that he had fallen for. Shadie, her caring and compassionate nature a stark contrast to his own. They both were a part of him, a part that completed him. The little colt that was growing in her belly was due just before Nightmare Night. He liked his job, had many friends, two beautiful mares, and soon a little colt to care for. He had a nice two storey house with a little garden, a short trek to work, and his family was just a few hours away in Hollow Shades.

His life was truly blessed by Princess Luna herself. He could only wonder what the human had going for him when he was so brutally and mercilessly taken away from all he had.

***

With a single flap of her wings, Philomena soared even higher above the castle, watching all the ponies walking around far below. As all birds, she loved flying, just soaring above the mountain as free as can be. Normally she would do so for an hour or two, head back to her perch for food and water, then nap for a while before finding something else to do, such as speaking with the other creatures roaming the royal garden or sit in the throne room, watching court progress. Not many knew, but Philomena liked speaking with the other birds. They all had such interesting tales to share.

However, speaking to birds was not on her agenda today, nor had it been for the past few days. Philomena’s business was elsewhere in the castle, namely the creature that had caused so much distress.

Angling her wings downward, she dived towards a balcony on the third floor and came to a complete stop with a few powerful flaps, sitting down on the railing. Peering through the window glass, she saw Luna speaking with Twilight Sparkle. Judging by their facial expressions, they both seemed worried about something. However, they were not her target.

She flew over to a window on the left, landing gracefully on the windowsill before peering into the room. There she stood; Celestia, her mother and oldest friend. Philomena didn’t count time as ponies did, for she had no real need to. She wasn’t even sure exactly how long it had been since she first met Mother, only that she was the first being she had seen when she broke out of her egg. Memories of those days were a bit blurry, even after so long. What Philomena liked about Mother, aside from being her mother, was that she always radiated such warmth, almost like she was reborn again and again in flames just by being close to her.

In the bed next to her mother was the creature Philomena was so curious about. It was a peculiar-looking thing with pink flesh, orange fur, dark mane, and a unicorn’s horn and hooves. She had noticed this strange creature in the castle before, but because she didn’t know what it was, she preferred to keep her distance in case it was dangerous. Of course Philomena didn’t worry about her mother; Celestia had seen, fought, and emerged victorious from far more terrible beings than some pinkish thing. Honestly, this creature didn’t look like much at first glance. Still… caution always paid off.

The reason he was in her sights was because of how much worry he had brought into her mother's life. Not many knew, but Mother would often speak to her as a way of releasing stress. Philomena could not speak back, but she understood far more than anypony knew, and was glad to be a confidant for Mother. After all, Celestia had a stressful job, looking after all the ponies.

After sunset these last few days, Mother would return to her quarters and sigh deeply before nearly collapsing into bed. Then she would tell her how worried she was over the creature, saying how she felt that she had failed an old friend, and then proceeded to ask Philomena what to do. Philomena couldn’t give any answers, limited to only listening as best she could and rubbing her beak against Mother’s nose to make her feel better. Sometimes that was all it took, but lately it was not enough.

After a few days spent spying on the pink thing, Philomena had realized that it was the pink thing who was making her mother so sad. The pink thing was in bed, just as it always was, staring ahead and never moving. Philomena was sure it had seen her many times, so had initially attempted to stay hidden. However, the way its eyes never moved made Philomena think that it was blind, thus she didn’t bother hiding anymore.

As always, Mother looked sad in its company, and as always Philomena wondered what she could do to help. She could probably incinerate the pink thing, just burn away the problem, and then things would go back to normal. The problem was that it could make Mother even sadder, and Philomena didn’t want that at all. No, she had to find another way.

While Philomena pondered the situation, her mother walked out of the room to speak with the other two alicorns. Sensing her chance, Philomena pecked at the partially opened window until it fully opened and she could slip inside. A flap of her wings sent her towards the bed, landing neatly on the edge of the mattress. The creature didn’t move, nor did its eyes look at her. Philomena was satisfied; the creature was unaware of her presence.

Hopping a little bit closer to its head, Philomena glared at the creature. This thing made Mother sad, so sad that Mother had trouble sleeping. Now her mother didn’t get enough rest so that she could look after all the ponies. It made Philomena angry, angry enough that she raised her wing to slap its nose.

With that movement, the eyes of the creature shifted to her. Philomena froze; maybe the creature wasn’t blind after all. In fact, it was staring right at her. Expecting a hand to grab her, she jumped to the edge of the bed, away from its reach, and went over her limited options. None, however, were suitable for this situation because the pinkish thing hadn’t made any further moves. Its hands were still and its mouth didn’t open to reveal long, sharp fangs. Its eyes were still on her, and in those eyes Philomena saw something she didn’t expect.

When she was a hatchling growing up, Philomena would often see Mother crying over the one called Luna who, in time, she understood was Mother’s sister. Not quite sure of what had transpired between the two, Philomena understood that mother had to make a difficult choice, one that haunted her for centuries. Her earliest memories of Mother crying over Luna, she remembered a certain look in her eyes, one that spoke volumes. That emotion was a loneliness so strong that nothing, neither ponies nor beasts, could stir her. Mother, however, was strong, much stronger than anything Philomena could remember seeing in her long life. All it took was time and Mother was back to her old self again. Although occasionally that look of loneliness returned to Mother, Philomena could not recall seeing it after Luna had returned. Now it reared its ugly head in the eyes of this pink thing with the orange fur.

Maybe the pink thing was the same as Mother? Maybe it too had lost a sister or a brother? Philomena couldn’t be sure, but her desire to teach the creature a lesson soon faded. If it was sad and lonely, Philomena didn’t want to add to its sadness.

Deciding to return to mother’s room, Philomena turned around and was about to fly out the window when she remembered something. She carefully walked towards the creature’s head, and ever so slowly extended a wing towards its nose and gave it a gentle rub, but only for a second.

Turning back again, Philomena began her flight back to Mother’s room. The creature might have been sad, and might have deserved something better, but it wasn’t Mother. After all, beak rubs were for mothers and daughters only.

***

“Five days, Tia!” Luna exclaimed, weariness evident in her voice. “Today makes five days since Magnus last ate anything!”

Celestia heard her sister but couldn’t tear away from the task at hoof, namely raising the sun. Steadily, the first rays of dawn peeked over the mountaintops in the distance, bathing the top of Canterlot Mountain in its light. Setting the sun on its slow path across the sky, she turned to Luna, who was currently pacing in frustration.

“We speaketh to him, We offer the finest food the chefs can prepare, and We offer Our ears to him should he desire to speak!” Luna came to an abrupt halt, quickly turning to Celestia. “Yet he chooses laconism to speaketh for him!”

“Calm yourself, Luna. I worry for him too.”

Luna snorted. “Thou certainly dare not show it appropriately, considering the situation.”

“But I do!” Celestia snapped. Closing her eyes, she exhaled and attempted to modulate her tone. “I do. Raising my voice does nothing to help me, you, and least of all, Magnus. We do our best, you know we do, but it’s still not enough. Food and water only goes so far. What do you think his state of mind is like after all he’s experienced so far?”

Luna stared at her sister for a moment before looking away, shuffling her hooves idly.

“You went into his dreams?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

Luna merely shook her head. “We only touched the surface of his latest dream.”

“What did you see?”

“We did not see...” Luna lifted her gaze to meet her sister’s. “But We felt more sorrow and loneliness within him than anypony can hold alone.”

Nodding slightly, Celestia walked over to a large cushion and plopped down on it. With a sigh, she rested her head on one of her forelegs. Luna joined her, sitting down on another cushion.

“We try our best.” Celestia sounded both weary and frustrated. “We tried to talk with him, all of us. So far it has not worked at all. He has withdrawn so much into himself that self-preservation is no longer a concern for him.”

Settling onto her pillow, Luna exhaled and nodded. “That in itself is quite different from the way a pony behaves after receiving such terrible news. Maybe that is why we have failed.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia cocked her head.

“I mean that we treat him like we treat a pony, when in reality he is nothing like us, Tia. He might have the ancestry of a unicorn, but that is the extent of it. Have you not noticed?”

Celestia thought back to all of her interactions with Magnus, how he acted, how he spoke, how unfamiliar his body language was compared to that of any other species. Even his face was at times difficult, almost impossible to read. So far, they had treated him like a pony. Perhaps that was indeed the problem. After all, the cultures of ponies and humans sounded somewhat similar, but there could be immense cultural barriers that had yet to be spoken of.

“The walls he has raised around himself must be brought down. Only then can the real healing begin, which is why I thought of this pony.” Celestia unrolled a scroll, presenting it to Luna who leaned forward, reading through the contents and noticing the picture of an elderly earth pony mare.

“Doctor Mind Hack, Psychologist?” Luna murmured, before brightening. “Ah, yes, I remember this mare. She gained some fame after the changeling invasion, helping many work through their dark memories.”

Celestia nodded. “She has proved herself to be exceptionally skilled when it comes to aiding ponies to open up after traumatic experiences. She is possibly the finest psychologist in Canterlot.”

“An excellent choice.” Luna nodded resolutely. “When will you summon her?”

“She is currently in Las Pegasus, dealing with a family emergency. She will return in four days,” Celestia said with a sigh, immediately noticing Luna’s frown.

“Four days?” Luna raised an eyebrow. “Can Magnus wait four days?” Celestia felt her sister’s impatience, both in her mood and voice.

“She is the best choice I can think of. Every other psychologist in the ten closest towns has studied under her, and they all praise her skill,” Celestia replied before fixing her sister in a glare. “Unless you have a better idea.”

Luna looked away, feeling remorseful for displaying such irritation towards her sister. Still, she had reason to feel impatient; she simply didn’t want Magnus to wander through the same miasma of solitude she walked for a thousand years. Magnus didn’t have a thousand years to spare, thus it was of the utmost importance that he returned to the land of the living.

She cast her mind back to the many nightmares she had to banish after the changeling invasion. For months she had chased and destroyed images of dark pony-like creatures skulking in the shadows with fangs bared and hissing voices. The worst nightmares were the ones where the dreamer had seen a friend or family member encased in a cocoon and believed them to be dead. Fortunately, that was not the case in reality as the changelings had not killed anypony; they hunted for food and a dead pony could not provide love. Luna wondered if the sorrow Magnus experienced in his dreams was the same her subjects encountered in their memories.

Luna frowned. Perhaps sorrow was the answer, something she could work with.

“Tia, I have an idea,” Luna said, feeling her confidence soar.

“Oh? Please tell,” Celestia asked, feeling a bit intrigued at Luna’s sudden smile.

“You said that Magnus erected walls around himself, correct?” Celestia nodded. “What if we circumvent the walls and delve to the core.”

Now Luna had her sister’s complete attention. “How?”

Luna paused, taking a deep breath. She was loathe to even give voice to her idea, though she knew no other way to proceed. “His dreams. In the depths of his dreams, his subconscious lies open and exposed. That is where I can speak to him without his walls of silence interfering. If we cannot help him from the outside, perhaps the only way is from the inside.”

Celestia mulled Luna’s idea over. It was a good plan, seeing as Luna had spent considerable time in dreams and knew how to speak to ponies about their fears to the extent that she could very well be a psychologist. She had, however, forgotten something extremely important.

“Did you not vow to not enter his dreams without his permission?” she asked, to which Luna nodded firmly.

“I did.”

“You know he is still afraid of us.”

Luna stared ahead before finally sighing. “What other options do we have? I will not deny that I worry for Magnus, and I fear our vow to Star Swirl is withering every minute that passes without us taking action. I will ask Magnus, but if he remains silent, I will take it as permission.”

“And if you lose his trust because of it? What if he hates you for intruding?” Celestia asked, giving Luna ample time to think over her plan.

Luna couldn’t hide her discomfort over losing Magnus’ trust. She cared for him and felt that they had a good, if somewhat rocky start to their short friendship. Breaking a promise could result in potentially losing somepony who provided comfort and company which she valued so much.

Her mind wrestled with itself, weigh each option carefully. One led to saving a life and losing a friend, the other led to potential death and ultimately failure.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Luna hesitated before answering, “I… I choose his life. If I lose him as a friend… then so be it.”

***

Again and again and again once more. It was my routine these days, immersing myself in memories of home to the point where I wasn’t sure where one ended and another began. It started with the first happy memory I could remember, namely my sixth birthday. Grandfather had taken me to an amusement park and went with me on all the rides. The Ferris wheel, bumper cars, carousels, and that game where I had to shoot water into a clown's mouth to inflate a balloon. When we were done, we went hunting for food, and I got a kid’s meal consisting of a burger, fries, and all the soda I could drink. It might have been insignificant to some, but it was a happy one and that was what mattered to me.

It continued until my most recent pleasant memory, namely the evening I spent with my friends at Jerry MacDonnel’s pizza restaurant. We ordered three large pizzas with cheese, spicy meatballs, crushed taco shells, and pineapple, which we washed down with beer. We joked around, had several good laughs courtesy of Adam, and talked, just… talked about everything, from movies to the world economy. Sometimes spending time with my friends was like surfing YouTube—suddenly finding yourself on the weird side. And I enjoyed every moment of the time I spent with them.

God… I missed them so much that my heart seemed to physically ache. Maybe that could be attributed to the fact that I couldn’t remember the last time I ate or drank something. I shouldn’t worry so much about that actually; I woke up one day with a needle in my arm, and I hadn’t been thirsty since. It didn’t concern me in any case; I wanted this, to just live with my memories over and over until nothing else remained.

Because I had nothing but the memories now.

My ears picked up the sound of hooves. As usual, I didn’t bother checking since whomever it was always walked into my line of view. This time it was Luna and Celestia. They took a seat next to my bed, as usual looking down at me in concern.

“Magnus?” Luna said, as if hoping for a reply. I didn’t give her one, as I was about to slip back into the world of the past where I belonged. Despite my lack of response, she continued, sounding somewhat regretful, “I am afraid that I must break my vow to you when night comes.” That caught my attention briefly. “Should you keep your silence, I will enter your dreams tonight. Your grief is about to end you, and the only way we can think to help you lies in the depths of your subconscious.”

Oh, that was a new one. Prodding my brain, was it? Well, go ahead, Princess. At the moment, I didn’t care if you deep-fried my brain with your magic; as long as I was asleep and could remain with my memories.

I tuned out everything else as Luna continued to speak and slipped into my memories again. As usual, the first thing I saw was the big sign that read, A Carousel for Missoula, and the next moment was childish glee for the ride I was going to experience.

And I was happy.

***

Gazing out over a moonlit Equestria, Celestia felt uncertainty creep up on her, an unwanted feeling she did not need at this critical moment. What Luna was about to do was not illegal since she did this all the time. This was Luna’s calling, and she was exceptionally good at it. Over the many millennia that had passed since Luna discovered her gift, she had aided hundreds of thousands of ponies. She had never entered the dreams of a human before, which was the cause for Celestia’s apprehension. Who knew what was hidden in his dreams.

Turning away from the window, Celestia checked the clock on the wall. Five minutes past midnight. Time seemed to pass by so slowly when waiting for an opportunity. Twilight and Spike had been informed of what Luna planned to do, but the two youngsters had awoken early to tend to Magnus and were in no shape to stay awake any longer, thus they had retired for the night.

Celestia was proud of Twilight and Spike. Both had displayed a great amount of empathy towards Magnus, though it was largely futile. Celestia had wondered if the Element Bearers would have been able to help Magnus, but in the end, she decided against it. After all, both alicorns had made a sincere promise to their dearest friend, and they would not delegate it to anypony else as if he was a document to be passed around.

One thing Celestia was sure of was this this would not be a walk in the park, not by a long shot.

“Tia.” Celestia turned to the bedroom door, spotting Luna standing there. “He is asleep,” she whispered.

Wandering towards the bedroom door, Celestia peered inside, finding Magnus in the same position he always adopted: facing the window. His breathing seemed steady, his eyes were closed, and his body still. He looked quite peaceful whilst asleep, the only time he did.

“Is he dreaming?”

“Indeed. I can sense the formation of his dream. Within moments, he will find himself in his dreamscape.”

Celestia nodded as she looked at Magnus, then at Luna. “Are you nervous?”

“Nay.” Luna shook her head and closed her eyes before responding confidently. “In dreams, I have seen creatures that would surely scare the common pony to death, dreams so chaotic that even Discord would surely be impressed. I doubt a human’s can be any different.” Opening her eyes, Luna smiled, then turned to her sister. “Although… If you offer aid, I would welcome it.”

“I was about to ask if I could come with you.” Celestia smiled at her sister and gently placed her wing over Luna’s back. “After all, he is our responsibility.”

“That he is. This is… how do they say… a group effort? Yes, indeed a group effort.”

Celestia tucked her wing back to her body, then walked back to the living room and settled down on the couch. Before pulling a blanket over her body, she looked into the bedroom, seeing Luna sit down in front of the bed, a determined look on her face. Luna would never give anything but her best, both in the waking world and in dreams. Celestia was sure that Luna could have handled it alone, but truthfully, she also wanted to help wherever she could, even if it meant going into a dream with Luna. It had been so long since they had done this together, more than a thousand years in fact.

Celestia relaxed every muscle in her body, calming both mind and soul. Her exhaustion after so many days of hectic activity and the stress that came with it soon caught up with her, and within moments she was asleep.

***

Celestia suddenly found herself in a place she had not visited in quite a long time. An ethereal world of calming colours in varying shades of blue with motes of light of varying hues swirling about. It was as if the very world was alive and breathing, a living plane of altered reality. However, Celestia knew better. Luna had discovered the dreamscape ages ago, and after chasing away the dark creatures dwelling within, had declared herself its guardian. Here in the dreamscape, Luna was certainly all-powerful, dwarfing even Celestia’s own abilities.

Looking around, Celestia noticed the doors on both sides of her, thousands upon thousands of them, all unique. She did not know whose dreams the doors led to—that knowledge was unique to Luna herself.

For a moment, Celestia savoured the serenity that this place naturally emitted. However, her mission took precedence. “Luna?” Celestia called as she looked around. From further down the corridor, Luna came towards her, inspecting each door.

“I am here, Tia,” Luna said as she approached her sister. “Magnus’ dream is this way.”

Luna led the way while Celestia followed. Occasionally, Luna would halt at certain doors, peering at them closely before moving on. Her horn would glow before a blue spark jumped to the door, passing through it as if it was an illusion. Celestia knew what this was; Luna sent a part of herself into the dream, either to chase away a nightmare or give advice to restless dreamers. It was a perfect spell, otherwise Luna would run herself ragged each night visiting thousands of dreams.

Eventually they came to a door that stood out from all the others. While most of the doors were painted in vivid colours, the one they now stood in front of seemed to be made of decaying wood with dry pieces of paint chipping off.

“His dream,” Luna said quietly as she stared at the door, completely expressionless. “I sense… loneliness… grief… but also a slight amount of happiness turned sour. I do not understand.”

Celestia looked at the door. Despite its unnatural appearance, she could not sense any emotions coming from it. One thing was clear as day, though; the owner of this door was troubled.

Luna inhaled deeply as she placed a hoof upon the door, pushing it open. Beyond was nothing but darkness. Gazing into the abyss, Luna steeled herself.

“Are you ready?” she asked Celestia. The larger alicorn did not hesitate.

“I am.”

“Then let us go save our newest friend.” With those words, the two sisters stepped into the darkness.

Author's Notes:

Another chapter?!

Seeing that this chapter became a bit too sad I decided to add the sad tag. Some people have said that this story deserves it, and I see now that they were right.

This chapter is part of the previous one, but if I posted these two together I would end up with a chapter with over 22k words. Who reads that much in one sitting anyway? Originally it was shorter, too short for a single chapter, so I decided to add to it. One idea that I came up with was seeing how other ponies at the castle dealt with Magnus being there. It started with Spike talking to Magnus, then came Golden Summer, then the 2 Night Guards, Sweep and Vigil. I added Philomena at the last minute and was quite happy with how it turned out. Now, I don't know what type of relationship Celestia and Philomena has, but I like to think that Philomena sees Celestia as her mother, and as Phoenixes are reborn in flames I think Philomena is quite old, perhaps even centuries old even.

As for Magnus. Him reliving the happy memories of Earth, his grandfather, and his friends comes from personal experience. My grandmother suffered a stroke back in '98, which paralyzed the left side of her body. She became bound to a wheelchair and had to move to a old folks home that could give her proper care, but the damage to her memory was severe. She recognized her children, but saw them as young adults, and couldn't even recognize her grandchildren. Only when we told her who we were did she recognize us. She would sometimes think that she was young, although being over 80 years old, but sometimes she became aware of who she was and what had happened to her and broke down in tears.

She wasn't the grandmother I knew anymore. She became a strange old woman who looked like my grandmother. Often I found myself thinking back to who she once was and my memories of her. Before her stroke I would visit her every day, we would talk, sometimes have dinner together, play Yatzy and board games and she would tell me stories of how things used to be when she was young. I found it easier to think of my happy memories of her than actually visiting her at the home, a fact that I'm ashamed of. In my memories she was my kind, old, happy grandmother who never forgot a thing and would always smile. At the home she was a thin, confused, strange old lady with a crooked smile.

She died after 10 years.

I love you grandmother. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you on the final day of your life, but I couldn't bear to see you take your final breath. Please don't think less of me.

Chapter 24 - A Cold Sanctuary (Edited by JBL 07.13.2017)

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After stepping through the door and passing through the thin veil of darkness, Celestia and Luna found themselves in Magnus’ dream. A bright flash of light momentarily blinded Celestia, causing her to cover her eyes instinctively with her wings, before she lowered them to gauge her surroundings.

They stood in an open clearing in a dark and ominous-looking forest. A dirt road snaked its way up a hill, ending in the clearing they were in. All around them stood trees of varying heights and types, though they were all barren, not a single leaf or needle on them, giving them the appearance of looking dead or dying. The same went for whatever grew on the ground. Grass, shrubs, and moss seemed to have frozen to death. The icy wind howling through the forest only added to the gloomy atmosphere. Even the skies were hidden from view, a thick blanket of dark clouds making it impossible to see even a hint of blue or tell if it was day or night. In the distance, a large mountain range could be seen, the many peaks covered by snow and clouds. All around them were numerous mountains, though in one direction was a flat plain as far as the eye could see.

Behind them stood an old decrepit log house. The front door was torn off its hinges, windows were cracked, the walls were rotted, and the roof had caved in. In its prime, this house would have been considered homely and cosy, but now it only seemed foreboding.

“It is not supposed to look like this,” said Luna, causing Celestia to nearly jump, so preoccupied she had been with their surroundings. “This dwelling is influenced by Magnus’ emotions, namely his sorrow. The same can be said for this entire dream.”

Celestia looked around, absorbing the details of the dream. She didn’t doubt Luna in the slightest. This dream appeared harsh and oppressive, a twisted image of a person's depression.

Looking towards the forest, Luna promptly trotted towards its edge, finding a narrow trail leading into the depths of the forest. “He is this way,” Luna said as she stared at the trail. Tilting her head ever so slightly, she picked up on something else. “I believe we are trespassing.”

“How so?” asked Celestia, not surprised by how easily Luna could discern something like that in her domain.

“Perhaps not trespassing, but intruding,” Luna clarified. “What lies at the end of this trail is a sanctuary. This clearing, the house, this forest—it is where Magnus feels at peace. However, that is something he currently cannot find. He is at the end of this trail, deep in contemplation.”

Luna wasted no time and immediately stepped onto the dirt trail, Celestia following her. Passing by towering dead trees withered into depressing shades of brown, and dark grey grass and wilted plants that disintegrated when stepped on, Celestia took the opportunity to get a feel for this unknown forest. She had walked through many in her time, but somehow this forest, though just a dream, felt similar to the dreaded Everfree. The way the trees and plants grew wild reminded her of the ancient woodlands.

Continuing their walk in silence, the two sisters noted the unnatural silence of the forest. There were no birds or forest animals, only the cold wind howling through barren treetops that penetrated their coats and tossed their ethereal manes around. It felt so unnatural, as if winter was nearly upon them. Even thin dead branches scraped against them, as if trying to stop them, though it was ultimately a useless endeavour.

It did not take long before the forest opened up, revealing a much larger clearing with a pond in the middle. A small stream fed into the right of the pond, not even disturbing the water. Many types of aquatic plants were near the water’s edge, though they too seemed to have lost their vitality. All around the pond, the remains of what must have once been colourful flowers were visible, now withered into brown stalks.

“This place must have been beautiful before,” Celestia murmured as she approached the water’s edge. “I can understand why he would like this particular spot.”

“So do I. It is rare to find untamed, yet beautiful places in Equestria these days.” She searched around the perimeter of the pond and sighed before she spotted something.

“Sister, over there!” Celestia turned to Luna and saw her pointing at an outcropping of land poking into the water. Under a withered old oak sat Magnus, staring into the calm pond with an expressionless face, save for the longing in his eyes.

***

I glowered at the water, exhaling in frustration. Why was everything like this? I couldn’t understand any of it. This pond had always been a serene place, one where I could find answers to things that bothered or confused me.

At this very place years ago, leaning against this oak, I came to realize that Lisa and I were too different to make our relationship work, thus I decided to talk to her about it. She agreed with me.

It was at this location where I decided to drop out of college. My grades had grown worse every month, I was unable to focus on my schoolwork, I daydreamt of silly things that didn’t exist, and my headaches constantly interfered. I took a lot of menial jobs around town for a couple of years until I found steady employment at the bowling alley. I wasn’t getting rich, but it paid my bills.

Perhaps the best decision I had made.

It was also here that I came to accept that my grandfather was actually gone. He had been one of the cornerstones in my life, one that I could rely on, one that had always been there. Death was a fact of life, as certain as taxes. It had taken weeks, but I was able to work through it and came out mostly intact.

Now though? I couldn’t understand why I was here, or even how I reached here. How long had I been here? Did I really have important issues to contemplate? I didn’t think so.

Even this place had somehow changed. Spring was just around the corner, but it felt like winter was in the air. The wind was biting, the plants and grass had withered, and when I looked up, it seemed as though a mother of a storm was approaching from the Rockies even though it didn’t look like a typical storm. It resembled a foreboding blanket covering the sky, blotting out the sun and casting my surroundings in shadows.

It made me realize how eerily quiet the forest was, with the ever-present chirping of the birds silenced. I shivered, the awareness of how alone I was rapidly increasing.

Something was wrong.

The sudden crunch of leaves underfoot caused me to whirl around, and I instantly spotted two alicorns standing a few meters behind me, both of them staring at me.

“Princess Luna? Princess Celestia? What? How did you get here?” Standing up, I approached them while looking around, wondering what path they had taken. “How did you… wait! Did you find a way to Earth?” I exclaimed hopefully, even managing a smile. “I knew it! Twilight figured it out! She found a way back to Earth!”

“No, Magnus.” Just the sound of Luna’s cheerless voice was enough to put a serious dampener on my enthusiasm. “You are not on Earth. We are not on Earth.”

“What? Then… where are we?” How did I get here in the first place then? I felt a streaking pain in my head as that thought crossed my mind, startling me with its abruptness.

“We, all of this,” she said with a wave of her hoof, “is in your dreamscape.”

“My dream?” I swivelled around, taking in the twisted familiar surroundings. “You entered my dream without asking me?”

She nodded solemnly. “Yes, I knowingly broke my promise to you.”

I thought I could handle it if Luna suddenly showed up in my dreams, that I would be able to keep my cool. I was wrong.

“No, no, this isn’t true…” I clutched my head, my breathing becoming erratic. “Get out… Get out! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!” I screamed, my voice reaching a crescendo.

“GET OUT!”

The wind increased in intensity until it whipped around me in a frenzy, biting into my exposed skin. The rain began pouring down, stinging like a thousand needles piercing into me. That in turn made me more terrified, even as the temperature steadily began to decrease. I huddled together and attempted to seek shelter at the base of the oak. However, the bare tree provided scant protection as the rain struck me from all sides, leaving behind a burning numbness across my entire body.

“STOP! PLEASE STOP!” The air stilled in an instant, dying out like snuffed candlelight. The freezing rain also subsided to a light drizzle, leaving my clothes soggy and cold, with water dripping from my hair and into my eyes. Not waiting for a second assault, I slowly lowered my hands.

The immediate surroundings were frozen solid! A thick layer of ice covered the ground, the trees containing long icicles hanging from the branches, with a slick sheen on the pond’s surface. The air was still frigid, worse than any winter I had ever experienced. Every time I exhaled, a puff of frosty breath burst out of my nose and mouth.

I turned towards the alicorns. Their wings were tucked close to their sides, with rain dripping from their bodies. Small icicles had formed on the tip of their feathers as well. Luna’s horn was glowing, which I assumed was the reason why the rain had ceased.

Pointing a trembling hand, I asked, “Why? Why did you do that?”

She and Celestia splayed out their wings in one quick motion, freeing them from the formed ice and residual water. A quick whip of their tails and manes left them mostly dry. Aside from that, the cold didn’t seem to bother them.

Luna gazed at me expressionlessly. “This was not my doing, but yours.” Before I could open my mouth, she went on, “This is your dream. Without realizing it, you released your fears into the dreamscape, which resulted in that storm. I stopped the rain when I saw how it frightened and harmed you.”

Mouth hanging open, my eyes darted around at the frozen forest “I-I did this?”

“Yes. In dreams, fear can manifest in coldness. You fear us, and that fear manifested itself.”

I turn back to the alicorns, both of them approaching closer. Gazing down at my huddled body, she began to extend a hoof before retracting it. “Are we so frightening to you?”

I could only nod slowly, looking from her to Luna.

“Is it why you sought refuge here?” Luna asked, shifting her attention to the now ruined landscape around us.

“Yes... and no. This place… I used to come here a lot when I was younger. It was my sanctuary, where I could come and think. Now…” I sighed bitterly. “It’s all wrong.”

Luna closed in the short distance and loomed above me. Though I wanted to get some distance between us, I knew that there was nowhere to run at all. They had their wings and magic, and I only possessed a pair of weird legs. I didn’t stand much of a chance.

Luna glanced up to the skies, at the dark clouds rolling overhead. “Your grief has also manifested itself in your dream. The clouds, the forest, the dying vegetation are all symbols of the sorrow that has consumed you.”

There was some sense to what she said. It was like the world was in black and white, no joy to be found anywhere. I had always loved this clearing, but now it was like an empty hollow.

One thing was clear, however. They were intruders!

“You broke your promise.” I pointed an accusing finger at Luna, who turned at the sound of my voice. “Why?”

She met my words with an impassive gaze. “Because we want to help you.”

“May we sit with you?” Celestia interrupted with a pleasant smile. Not seeing any alternative, I scooted over. “Thank you.” They both took a seat at the base of the tree, although I still tried to keep some separation between us.

“How do you think you can help me?” I asked bitterly, drawing my legs close to my chest in an effort to keep warm. “You invaded my dream. That’s not helping.”

“It was all we could think of.” I looked over at Luna, staring reprovingly at her. She didn’t even flinch. “Understand that we possess scant knowledge regarding you and your bodily functions. Star Swirl told nothing of how long a human can go without food and water before perishing.”

“You showed signs of dehydration after two days. Doctor Silverheart recommended intravenous hydration after examining you,” Celestia added quietly.

“Three to five days without water, several weeks without food.” Sighing, I turned to Celestia. “How come you’re here too?”

Luna answered for her sister. “As I can go into your dreams, so too can I draw other ponies into them. Celestia desired to help, thus her presence.”

“It’s getting awfully crowded in here.” I scoffed. “Besides, what do you think you can do to help? You can’t, and that’s a fact. Neither of you, with all of your magical powers, can send me home to Earth.”

“No, we cannot send you home, but we also refuse to let you die,” Celestia said firmly. “We owe much to Star Swirl; the least we can do is help take care of you. You may believe that everything is over, that this is the end, that starving yourself to death is the answer, that refusing to speak to us is helping. Did you really think we would sit idly by while you withered away?”

I was so taken aback by Celestia’s scolding that I didn’t immediately answer. It wasn’t often that someone took that tone with me. Sure, Grandfather had gotten pretty mad at me a few times, but there was a difference between a scolding grandfather and an upset mare, especially when said mare was centuries old.

Once more, I scoffed at her. Turning away, I rubbed my arms in an attempt to gain some heat into my body. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Celestia still staring, with Luna looking much more sympathetic. Stupid alicorns, invading my dreams.

An awkward silence fell over us as we sat under the tree. Why couldn’t they leave me alone? Occasionally, I caught a glimpse of them looking at my direction; otherwise; they merely took in the scenery of the frozen forest.

“I am sorry.” I barely turned my head, faintly seeing Luna’s mane flowing in the corner of my eye. She sighed, her voice laced with guilt. “I made a promise to you, to not enter your dreams without your permission. When you refused to answer, I asked your permission and said that if you chose silence, I would take it as consent. You did not respond.” She glanced over her shoulder at me. “I am truly sorry, but I chose to act instead of being a helpless witness to your further decline into depression.”

So she had asked first? I could barely remember the last time I saw her. I had been so engrossed in my memories that I barely registered anything happening around me. I did remember some kind of bird, though. Perhaps it was my fault for not paying attention?

No, I was in the right. It still didn’t absolve her of guilt. Even if her motives were genuine, she had broken her vow. I made the mistake of looking over to her. A crestfallen expression dominated her face before she hung her head. Her wings and ears drooped, and she actually seemed miserable about the entire situation.

“I should have said something. Maybe you would have left me alone then. I didn’t ask for your help,” I said, evoking a wince from Luna. “Wasn’t silence a big enough clue?”

“You did not ask for help, that is true,” Celestia interjected gently. “However, what else should we have done?” She sighed deeply. “We know you have suffered a great loss—”

“Understatement of the century!”

“But do you truly want to die?”

That quickly shut me up. I hadn’t actively tried to kill myself, but I had made no attempts to keep myself alive either. Now that I thought about it, I had no idea what I really wanted, other than to go home.

“Well?” Celestia asked impatiently, narrowing her eyes.

I briefly stared at her before averting my eyes to the frozen lake. “I… I don’t know… I don’t know what I want. I want to go home, but I can’t. I don’t want to be here, but I’m stuck here anyway. I want to be where I belong, but it feels like I don’t belong anywhere now. I’m too… weird for ponies, an abomination for humans.”

Celestia’s hard stare softened and she hummed understandingly, though I doubted she truly could.

Leaning forward, I placed my forehead on my arms. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say or feel. I’m just… completely lost...”

They didn’t respond, thankfully. Their interference in my dream was disturbing enough. Maybe if I refused to talk to them, they would leave. I doubted it, seeing as they had already broken their promise in order to ‘help’ me.

The silence lasted for minutes, giving me time to contemplate my future. No matter how I thought of my options, however, they all seemed bleak. “I don’t know what to do.” I felt cold tears running down my cheeks, though I paid them scant attention.

A warm wing covered my back, and I saw it was Luna’s when I peeked up. Somehow, she had moved over to my right without me noticing. “On Earth, what would you do if you suddenly found yourself in a situation and did not know what to do?”

Until recently, that would have been a simple question with an easy answer. I would have turned to the one constant in my life, the one who had seen and experienced so much.

But… he was no longer here.

“I’d ask my grandfather,” I reply, quickly wiping away the tears.

Luna nodded, smiling knowingly. “Ask for the wisdom of an elder—a wise choice.” She stood and flexed her wings. “Can we go for a walk? The air is cold and moving will provide us with some precious warmth.” Celestia also stood and joined her sister.

The cold’s bite had certainly gotten more deadly, as I constantly shivered now. I would rather sit here as I had done for what felt like days, but I had no idea what Luna was capable of here, so I decided it was best to keep an eye on her in case she decided upon a trip down memory lane. Literally.

I got up on my hooves, the icy ground stinging the soft part of my hooves. With a wave of my arm, Luna led the way with Celestia at her side. She whispered to her sister, though I couldn’t discern their conversation. I was certain they were plotting something.

I trailed a few meters behind them, several times slipping on the ice and landing on either my back or my ass. Hooves provided nearly zero traction on slippery surfaces. Winter must be hell for ponies.

I kept my eyes on the ground, ensuring I took steady footholds. I was so preoccupied with my task that I didn’t realize where Luna had led us. The mossy ground quickly gave way to gravel as we stepped out of the forest and into the clearing. Straightening, I realized that we now stood before my grandfather’s cabin. The mere sight was depressing. The house had been destroyed, rotting down to its foundation. It certainly reflected my current mood: dead on the inside.

I quickly ran up to the ruin, brushing my hand against the decaying logs that once constituted my home. “Why did you lead us here?” The anger was evident in my voice. After Star Swirl haunted me here, I would rather they leave this place before they tainted it further.

Luna chose a question of her own. “This is your grandfather’s house, is it not?”

“It is. Why?”

“You are aware that it is not supposed to look like this?”

“I know! What are you playing at?”

“This is your dream, Magnus.” Luna walked past me, eyes scanning the decaying corpse of a house. “Dreams can play tricks on us. Sometimes we cannot tell the difference between the real world and dreams, but if you know that you are dreaming, you can change the world to your liking.” She turned back to Celestia and me. “Your sadness has turned your dream of home and familiarity into a cold and inhospitable version of what it truly is. Can you show us what this house truly looks like?”

I crossed my arms defiantly over my chest. “Why? And how?”

“Please, just try,” she pleaded. “Close your eyes and think of how it appeared when your grandfather lived here.”

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to give her what she wanted. Still, some small part of me, namely my curiosity, was curious to see if I could actually manipulate my dreams. My dreams usually weren’t so clear, and I almost never remembered any of them. The only exception was the one I had where I spoke with Star Swirl.

My curiosity finally won and I closed my eyes, picturing the cabin: a dark brown log house on a concrete foundation, with six steps leading up to the small porch. There were four windows on the front of the house, the light grey slate roof and stone chimney protruding from the centre of the structure. The totem pole Grandfather had carved standing outside like a sentry. Aside from the layout of the rooms, nothing else came to mind, except the smell.

“Well done! Behold what you have brought forth,” Luna proclaimed, sounding pleased for some reason. I slowly cracked open my eyes before they widened in disbelief.

The log house was just as I remembered, nothing out of place or extra added. I gawked for a moment before running up onto the porch and placing my hand on the door. I could feel the smooth wood under my hand. Even the tiny scratch on the bottom of the door was there, a result of me kicking the door once. Even the welcome mat was in place.

“How?” I asked, turning to meet their smiling faces. “Just… how did I do it?”

“In dreams, anything is possible,” Luna declared proudly as she and Celestia stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Perhaps we can go inside? It is quite cold out here and this house looks rather inviting.”

I turned to the door and hesitated. I could probably try chasing them away, seeing as they were intruders, but I doubted it would work, especially Luna. I remembered her telling me what she could do in dreams, and considering she had thousands of years’ worth of experience in dreams, her knowledge of how this place worked had to be extensive. No matter how much I disliked it, she was the real person in charge here.

I huffed in irritation. “Okay, fine.” I rubbed my hooves on the mat, pushing open the door and stepping inside. “And wipe your hooves before entering!” After entering the small hallway, I glanced over my shoulder and saw that they were actually complying. Although they could have just walked inside, I felt as if this was a small victory for me. I was willing to take what I could at this point.

I noticed the shoes on the rack and the jackets on the coat hanger. Though it seemed as though someone was here, I knew better. It was depressing to think about, so I wandered into the living room. Every piece of furniture was here, just as I remembered. I made my way towards one of the armchairs by the coffee table and plopped down in it, placing my hooves on the footrest.

A familiar odour of wood and dust, combined with the smell of cold ash coming from the hearth, embraced me. The marshmallow sticks sat next to the log basket, awaiting use. The furniture appeared and felt the same, though a thin layer of dust was visible on the coffee table. Grandfather was never eager when it came to cleaning, said it added character to a house and not seem like an Ikea catalogue.

I missed this place so damn much. I wished I could have kept it.

Celestia and Luna entered the living room, looking around at what had to be alien artefacts to them. The TV, the radio, and electric lights were just some of the things I wasn’t sure they had in Equestria. I couldn’t help but be amused at how misplaced they seemed in a human’s house.

“Pray tell, what is this? A window?” Luna asked, staring in puzzlement at the TV.

“A television.” If she asked me to turn in on, I swore to God I was going to imagine playing A Nightmare on Elm Street on it. Luckily, she lost interest and wandered over to the bookshelf, inspecting the books my grandfather had read.

Meanwhile, Celestia was studying the pictures on the northern wall. There were numerous images of my grandparents along with several pictures of my parents. There were also pictures of Grandfather, my friends, myself, and varying combinations of all three. What was noticeable was that there weren’t any of my parents and me together.

“There is much love, and many memories on this wall.” She was currently at the one of me sitting on Grandfather’s knee. I was about five in that one.

She wandered over to another section of framed photos, finding one of my grandparents and my mom, who was about two years old when it had been taken. Next to it was a photo of my mom and dad. She alternated her gaze between my parents and myself.

“Human resemblance is difficult to interpret, and I am unable to say which of your parents you resemble most, but I can see that you have your mother’s eyes and your father’s build.”

She had sharp eyes, I had to give her that. My eyes were the only thing I got from my mother, that and another ‘family trait’. The rest came my father, his single contribution to my life.

“What was your grandfather’s profession?” I turned to the west wall where Luna stood at the old worktable, inspecting the different tools that lay there, the tools of a craftsman, a craft that required skill, a delicate touch, and a sense of beauty. On a small double horn anvil was a half-finished silver leaf, with a completed silver chain next to it. He had never finished this necklace.

“He was a silversmith as well as an artist. He started making contemporary silver jewellery, but in recent years turned to nature for inspiration,” I explained while opening a drawer where he kept some of his finest work. Rings, necklaces, and other treasured pieces rested on velvet cushions, those which had held great value for him.

Luna peered into the drawer and used her magic to levitate a silver filigree ring with a square, deep red garnet centred in the middle. It was Grandfather's most precious work of art he ever made: my grandmother’s wedding ring. And Luna didn’t even ask for permission to touch it. After all, she was a princess. Who would say no to her?

I would.

I quickly snatched it away from her magical grasp, placing it back on the velvet pillow and slamming the drawer shut with a resounding thud. I then turned to Luna and leaned dangerously close to her muzzle, staring daggers at her.

“Don’t. Touch,” I managed through gritted teeth. Though not even slightly startled, Luna slowly backed away, understanding that she had messed up.

“My apologies,” she said contritely. “I should have asked for permission.”

Celestia had noticed our altercation, and when I turned to her, I saw the photo she held in her magic before she quickly placed it back in position and shifted away. My eyes followed the photo until it rested safely on the shelf, and when her magic faded, I stared directly at her, ensuring she received the same message as her sister.

My shoulders slumped and I trudged back to the chair, falling into it. Resting my head on my hand, I looked back at them. “Why won’t you just leave?” I muttered, sounding more weary than angry. “You make me imagine this house, ask me to invite you in when you could just teleport inside, then start touching everything because you haven’t seen them before.” Just as Luna opened her mouth, I interrupted her. “And don’t say you want to help, because you know what I want. This place, this dream, is as close to home as I can get.” I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, enjoying the silence and the scent of home. “If you can, place me in an artificial coma. Maybe I can dream forever. Maybe I can be happy.”

The silence was broken by a set of hooves on hardwood floor, coming to a halt in front of me. “As the Guardian of Dreams, I cannot in good conscience force you to live a lie, even if it makes you happy.” I opened my eyes to find Luna gazing down at me, not unsympathetically. “Life is meant to be lived, not spent deceiving yourself.”

Celestia gave me a warm smile. “We will never give up on you, Magnus, because we believe you can make a life for yourself in Equestria. You can be happy, you can rebuild your life, find new friends—all you need to do is try.”

I slowly shook my head in weary disbelief. Hadn’t they said all this before? Maybe in passing conversation once or twice? I couldn’t remember. I stood and walked over to the photos on the wall. Looking at them gave me a sense of belonging somewhere else, partly in this dream, mostly home on Earth.

“I wish Grandfather was here,” I muttered. He would know what to do and what to say.

“He can be.”

I blinked once, then twice before turning back to the alicorns. Luna smiled knowingly. “If you wish to speak to him, then I can assist you.”

“W-What?” I stuttered incredulously. “How?”

“If we may sit, I will explain how you can do it.”

My hands nearly started trembling at the prospect. To actually speak with Grandfather again! There was so much I wanted to say to him, things forgotten, things never mentioned. I couldn’t allow this chance to pass unclaimed.

“If you can do this, I… Please, sit wherever you want.” I gestured to the couches while I took the armchair. Luna easily fit onto one seat, sitting on it like a cat. Celestia seemed too large for the sofa, but managed to sit the same way her sister did, though her hind legs stuck out comically.

I could barely stop my hands from trembling, so eager was I, but I still managed to keep a straight face. Even though it might be a lie or wishful thinking, I was willing to see this one through.

Luna cleared her throat and set her eyes on me. “Sometimes, we are not aware that we are dreaming. We recognize familiar faces and locations, but we remain oblivious that we are asleep. We experience situations that should be impossible, but act as if they are real. Your reaction to Celestia and myself at the pond was appropriate—you believed yourself to be on Earth and thought that Twilight had opened a portal. However, if you are aware that you are dreaming, you can shape the dream to your liking. You masterfully recreated this house with your mind because you know it so well. Every detail of the house, even the scent and feel of it, was your doing. Even still, your grief shines through. I asked if we could stay inside to seek shelter from the cold, yet we find no warmth at all.”

Luna was right; even here, the frigid air nipped at my exposed skin. My breath came out as frosty smoke, even on the alicorns.

“Do you understand what I am trying to convey?”

I nodded. “I think you’re trying to say that I can make my grandfather appear.”

“Precisely,” she replied with an approving nod. “However, he will not be real. As with everything else in this dream, he will be a creation of your mind.”

“Oh.” My heart sank. “I was hoping that he would be… you know, real. Like, alive.”

Luna’s smile immediately faltered. “We shall not delve into the darkest arts of necromancy. Tis an abomination towards life!” she proclaimed, her old dialect seeping through. It took a matter of seconds before she regained her composure. What actually shook me was the hint towards necromancy being a real thing here.

“Now then, allow me to explain how to conjure your grandfather. First, empty your mind of all thoughts, except those of him. Remember his face, his body, his voice. Allow all of his habits and his mannerisms to come to your mind, as many as you can remember. However, one thing you must not do,” Luna said with a warning wave of her hoof. “Do not let your own influence enter the thoughts of your grandfather. In doing so, he will speak and act as he did in life.”

I nodded eagerly. “Okay, anything else I should do and not do?” I asked, anxious to get started.

She nodded. “You must also let him know that he has passed away, and that you need his guidance. Otherwise, he will be very confused.”

“Okay then.” I took a deep breath, preparing for the shock of a lifetime. “Here goes!” My hands shook with anticipation as I closed my eyes and thought of my grandfather. Immediately, his visage came to mind.

He was shorter than me, with a stocky build and a bit of a paunch, though nowhere near fat. His head was slightly squared with a pair of old but still sharp eyes and a well-defined nose. He had some wrinkles, especially around his eyes. He was always cleanly shaved—although our native ancestry didn’t provide much growth of a beard at all, I was luckier in that department. His skin was lightly tanned, as if he’d spent some time in the sun. His hair, almost completely grey, reached down to his shoulders and was well-maintained. Sometimes he wore it in a single ponytail. He preferred simple clothes. His usual attire was a faded red chequered shirt, a pair of durable and well-worn brown khakis, dark brown walking shoes, and he never went anywhere without his suede leather coat with fur lining.

Satisfied with how he appeared in my head, I went on to ponder what type of person he was. This proved to be much trickier.

What first came to mind was his patience, of which he had vast quantities. He almost never lost his temper—I could count on just one of my hands how many times he had truly been genuinely angry with me. He was also accepting towards all he met and never judged a person solely by their appearance. He strongly believed in second chances, saying that everybody deserved an opportunity to correct their mistakes.

One of his greatest traits was his way of accepting things. No matter what, he called it either fate or destiny and just rolled with it. When I decided to drop out of college, he didn’t argue. He was hospitable and approachable, which made him a popular character in town. People would often take time out of their day to have a chat with him about all manner of things, as Grandfather had many interests and kept up with current events.

There were numerous small details about him that I could easily recall: his bad leg and how he would support himself on his staff, how he always added a teaspoon of sugar to his coffee. Lastly, I included the most important detail; he was my grandfather. He raised me, provided for me, taught me life lessons, and was always there for me. Just thinking about him made my heart swell with pride and love.

“I think I’m ready,” I said with a smile. “What now?”

“Now, let him come into being. Imagine him appearing close to us, and he will surely find us,” I heard Luna say. I nodded and contemplated how I would tell Grandfather that he had died.

“Grandpa. It was a Tuesday morning it happened. Alfred came to visit you early one morning when he found you lifeless in the living room. He called for an ambulance, but it was too late. You had passed away hours earlier. Your heart stopped while you watched TV. The doctor said you probably never knew what hit you. I’d like to think you’re at peace, wherever you are. I miss you.

“But now I want to talk with you. I need you, need your help, now more than ever. Please, I know you must be here somewhere. Maybe you’ve gone for a walk and are about to come home, but please hurry. If you exist in here, in my mind, then you must exist in this dream.”

I constantly repeated the words in my head. I knew I could do it. He’d been gone for two years now, but today I could see him again. It was all the motivation I needed.

After nearly a minute spent in silence, I opened my eyes. Luna and Celestia were still on the couch, observing me. None of us moved, nor did we say anything.

And nothing happened.

I sighed in disappointment, slumping even further into the chair. “It didn’t work.”

“Oh, it did.” Luna shot me a cryptic smile.

She barely had time to finish her sentence when we all heard it. Someone was walking up the six steps onto the porch. One heavy step, one lighter, and finally the sound of a wooden staff on the porch deck. The sounds repeated itself in a pattern, namely that of a person with a limp supporting himself on a staff.

“It would seem somepony is at the door,” Celestia mentioned as both she and Luna glanced towards the door to the hallway.

My mouth slowly opened as I stared towards the entry hall. I dared not blink, dared not move, dared not speak. I knew those footsteps!

The steps came to a halt at the door before the sound of the door knob being turned was heard. The hinges squeaked lightly as the door opened and the footsteps approached. A slight grunt came from the hallway as the person removed his shoes first and then his jacket. Then the footsteps picked up again, and within seconds, he stood there in the middle of the doorway, looking down at his pants and trying to straighten them out, oblivious to us watching him.

I couldn’t believe it… Grandfather! He looked alive and well, just as I remembered from the last time before he passed away.

I slowly stood up as not to scare him, feeling both nervous and excited, but most of all excited. My throat was dry and my hands trembled as I took a careful step forward.

“G-Grandpa?” I carefully called with a shaky voice, feeling tears starting to form in my eyes.

He looked up and his eyes landed on me. From where he stood, he couldn’t see Celestia and Luna, but I was in plain sight for him. His brow creased slightly as he stared at me, his mouth slowly opening in surprise. Straightening up, he tilted his head in confusion.

“Magnus?”

Hearing his voice was what broke me. I closed the distance between us and warmly embraced him, catching him completely off-guard. With my forehead resting on his shoulder, I hugged him as tightly as I could, tears of joy streaming down my face.
For a second, he seemed confused, but soon I felt one of his hands patting my back. Even his scent was there, telling me that it was really him, or as close to him as possible. I didn’t care that I was crying, or that the alicorns were watching, only that this moment lasted as long as possible.

“There, there,” he murmured, pouring all his familiar and comforting warmth into his voice. I relished the sensation, feeling like a child again, free of worries and troubles.

Eventually, he placed his hands on my shoulders and took a step back. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at my horn. It didn’t take him long as he lifted the staff so that the horn on the staff and my horn were next to each other. He scrutinized both before lowering the staff. Then he took in my arms, the copper fur and thicker hands sticking out. Finally, his eyes went to my legs and down to my hooves. His eyes lingered there until he lifted his eyes to meet my own. I could clearly see the questions in them.

“Son, I… I don’t understand. What happened to you?”

I wiped the tears from my eyes, a tremulous smile on my face. “It’s a long story, Grandpa. I don’t even know where to begin.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay then, let’s… let’s sit down and then you can tell me all about it.”

I smile and turned around to head back into the living room. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I savoured the warmth of his touch. As we stepped into the living room, he noticed the two alicorns on the couch. He paused in the doorway, staring at the two smiling princesses. They did look rather funny when they sat like that.

“Well now, I’m not sure what to make of this.” He eyed them before turning to me. “Did Adam talk you into this? It’s an improvement over the fox kit you once brought home.” I chuckled, recalling how fond of animals he had been.

“No, Grandpa, this is what we need to talk about. I should probably introduce you to them first.” At hearing this, Celestia and Luna stood and walked over to us.

“Grandpa, this is Princess Celestia of Equestria.” She inclined her head slightly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Powell. You may call me Celestia, if you wish.”

Grandpa recoiled, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “It… talked? She… talked?” he stuttered.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Yeah, it’s… complicated. See, they’re aliens.” He turned to me, gaping at me as if I had grown a second head. “It’s true.”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed, Mister Powell, your grandson speaks the truth. Although I believe the term inter-dimensional beings would hold far more truth.”

Grandpa turned back to Celestia, and it was as though I could hear the gears in his mind churning. Slowly, he extended his arm to her. “It is… a pleasure, I think… Celestia, was it?” Celestia nodded, lifting her hoof and gently placing it in his palm.

I then pointed to Luna. “This is Princess Luna, Princess Celestia’s younger sister.” Luna stepped forward and proceeded to give him a dignified nod.

“Tis a pleasure to meet thee, Elder Powell. We hath heard many kind words spoken of thee by thy grandson. We are pleased to make thine acquaintance!” she exclaimed, reverting back to her olden speech. Grandfather just seemed puzzled by the entire thing.

“What did she say?”

“She said hi.”

“Oh.” He knelt slightly so that he could shake her hoof as well. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Luna.”

“You may call me Luna, Elder Powell.” Grandpa nodded and smiled nervously. Had I reacted the same way when I first met them?

“In that case, you may call me Joe, or Joseph, whatever you prefer, although most people call me Joe.”

With the initial introductions completed, we all sat down; the princesses on the couch while Grandpa and I took an armchair each.

“So, I expect you have an explanation for all this,” he began, then glanced at the princesses. “Oh, where are my manners. Are you hungry? I think I have something lying about.”

“No thank you, Joseph, I think we can manage,” Celestia replied.

“Nonsense.” Grandpa stood and hobbled his way to the kitchen. “You’re guests, no matter how strange you look,” he mumbled as he opened various cabinets, searching for something to offer the princesses. “I think I have something here. Magnus, get a fire going. It’s almost as cold in here as it was outside.”

“No no, we insist, Joseph, we do not require food.”

“Yeah, Grandpa, we have to talk about—”

“Apapap! Fire and food.”

“Yes, Grandpa.” I sighed as I made my way over to the hearth and started to stack dry twigs into a fire.

“He is very hospitable,” Luna noted as she peeked over to the kitchen where Grandpa was already hard at work fixing something to eat.

“No one has ever left this house hungry,” I warned them, much to their amusement. I lit a match and held it against the dry bark at the bottom of the stack. It quickly caught fire, and within a minute, the crackling of burning wood could be heard throughout the living room as a comfortable heat spread. Not long after, Grandpa returned from the kitchen with a plate with bread, butter, a variety of jam and cheese, along with a large bowl of fruit. He also brought a water boiler and a glass flask containing blackcurrant syrup, his favourite.

“Now then, maybe you can all tell me what all of this is about?” He sat down and poured some of the syrup into a cup, then added hot water into it. He blew gently as steam rose. “Who are you two and why do you look like that, Magnus?” I stalled for a moment, a more urgent question that I had to ask.

“Grandpa, you know that… you died, right?”

“Mhm, I know,” he murmured as he sipped his brew. “To tell you the truth, it’s really strange knowing that I’m dead, but it doesn’t seem that bad. At least my leg doesn’t act up anymore.”

I had forgotten that detail—his leg would ache now and then. It was nice to know that he wasn’t in pain anymore and that he could find something positive in this situation.

“Do you remember the last time we spoke?” I asked to which he nodded again.

“Mmm, I was showing you the ancestor spirit ceremony. I hope you paid attention.”

“I did, but… do you remember what happened to me when you touched my head with this staff?” I took his staff and held it up to my horn. “And do you remember what you said later?”

He went silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. “I said that you were going on a journey, and that I would pass away.” I didn’t say anything further, waiting for him to figure it out. He glanced at me, then the alicorns, who nodded to him. He pursed his lips ever so slightly. “At least one thing I said came true, and by looking at you, I think you’ve gone on a journey, haven’t you?” He laughed.

This was just like old times. I couldn’t even tell that he wasn’t the real deal. My memory had done a great job recreating him. “I did. I discovered a few things about me, you and mom too.” I took a deep breath. “We are part unicorn.”

“Unicorn?” He glanced down at my hooves, then my horn. “As in… how exactly?”

“If I may,” Celestia interjected. I nodded to her; she could explain far better than I ever could. “Thank you.” She stood up and walked over to stand before my grandfather, smiling gently as always.

“Almost five thousand years ago, a unicorn named Star swirl the Bearded was caught in a magical phenomenon called a portal. This portal sent him from our planet, Equus, and our universe to this universe and Earth. While searching for a way home, he became familiar with a tribe of your ancestors, and found love as well.”

“Love? As in… intimate?” He raised an eyebrow. God only knew what images flashed through his mind.

“Indeed. A female human became his mate, his wife. She in turn bore him a child; a hybrid, a union of unicorn and human. However, problems arose.” Celestia frowned sadly.

“The child needed magic to live and prosper,” Luna continued as she joined Celestia. “Star Swirl discovered that Earth is near barren of magic. His child suffered greatly because there was no source of magic strong enough to bond with, thus the child suffered headaches and a shortened lifespan. Star Swirl sought to rectify his mistake.”

Grandfather’s mouth hung open in surprise. Slowly he turned to me. “Is… Is this true?”

I nodded. “As far as I can tell, yes. Please go on, Princess Luna.”

“Star Swirl began investigating how he could return to Equestria. His discovery, however, was not what he hoped for. A portal to Equestria would take hundreds of years to appear, thus he was trapped on Earth along with his wife and child. This did not deter him in the slightest. He created the staff you hold, Joseph. He filled it with magic and his memories along with a construct—an artificial being created by magic meant to guide his descendants to Equestria by the time a portal appeared. However, when the portal appeared, only one descendant remained.”

Celestia and Luna turned to me and smiled. Grandfather’s gaze alternated between the alicorns and me before his eyes widened in realization.

“My God…” he muttered reverently. He once again held the staff near my horn for comparison. “I thought it looked similar, but… I never imagined this.” He scratched his head and leaned the staff against the chair. “But how... You look like… this now.” He gestured at me. “You looked human before. What changed?”

I held up my hand, displaying my thick fingers and furry arm. “It was the magic of Equestria, Grandpa. Earth doesn’t have enough magic; that’s why we both looked like ordinary people. I turned into this when I got to Equestria. The magic of Equestria completed me, in a way.” I opened and closed my hand a few times before lowering it. “That lack of magic is also the reason we've both lived with headaches our entire lives.” I grimaced at the memory of the pain that had haunted us, thankful it was now eradicated. “We needed magic to live, or else we would have died young. You always carried the staff around and somehow managed to absorb magic from it into you. I couldn’t do that—it’s possible I would never have lived to see my thirtieth birthday.”

All this time, his eyes were focused on my body until he looked up to meet my gaze. “Although it sounds unbelievable, I can’t refute the evidence in front of me, no matter how strange it may sound. I can see the physical resemblance both to them,” he jerked his head to the alicorns, “and to the staff. What else have changed about you?”

“I don’t know yet, but I plan to find out.”

“Good,” he said firmly.

Celestia and Luna wandered back to the couch, and for a few moments, we simply sat there in silence, listening to the crackling fire. It had been a long time since I had been able to do this. It reminded me of winters spent inside with a cup of hot cocoa, cartoons on TV and video games. With no cocoa available, I settled for the syrup. I poured some into a cup and add hot water, allowing it to cool.

Celestia and Luna also decided to test the syrup. While Celestia took to the drink almost immediately, Luna seemed much more cautious. After a careful sip, she smiled broadly and nearly drained the cup one gulp. “Marvellous! This beverage truly warms a cold body.”

“Wait, how do you know what it tastes like?”

“While Sister and I are here, your dream shares certain things with us. We know what this beverage taste like because your mind has told us. The same goes for language. Have you not noticed that we all speak our native languages, yet we all understand each other perfectly? At the moment we do not speak with words, rather with thoughts.”

“Huh, how about that.” I had certainly been too distracted to notice.

“While all of this is quite… unbelievable, and I’m trying my best to come to grips with this…” We all turned towards my grandfather. He was studying the horn on his staff with a curious expression. “I wonder why you called me here, son.” He turned to me and smiled sadly. “I know that I passed two years ago, and I have no problem with that. It’s just a fact of life. We are born, we live, and we die. Now I also know that this is a dream and that you made me appear for some reason. You want my help with something—I just need to know what.”

I leaned back in the chair, chewing the inside of my cheek. It still pained to know that I would never return to Earth, doubly so that my friends were forever lost to me. I had relied on my grandfather for many years, and I hoped his dream version would do the same.

“I can’t go back to Earth,” I explained with a shake of my head. “Coming here was a one-way trip. The portal opens once every seven-hundred and fifty years, and now it’s closed.” Grandfather’s face immediately fell as he realized the implications of my statement. “I’ll never see Earth again. I’ll never see another human again. I’ll never see Adam, Lisa, Nick, Max, Renee, Jesse, and Sammy again. I'm trapped in Equestria.”

Grandfather quickly turned to the two alicorns, shock written on his face. “Is this true? My grandson can never return home?”

Celestia nodded sadly, her ears drooping. “I’m afraid so. Our best efforts could not discover a way to return Magnus to Earth or force the portal to open. I… We made the decision to ensure the portal remained permanently closed so that nopony else would be lost in them. Your ancestor, Star Swirl the Bearded, said that the entire crew of his ship died upon arrival to Earth. It was not a decision taken lightly, but it had to be done in order to protect our subjects as well as humans.”

Grandfather mulled over her words for a while. “I see. You had others to protect as well. I understand.” He turned to me. “So, you’re stuck, hmm?”

“Yeah, and I… I…” Tears welled up in my eyes and I quelled a sob before it could be heard. “I don’t know what to do! I can’t handle this!” I stood and began to pace restlessly. “I don’t want to live around ponies! I don’t want to live in Equestria! I want to live on Earth, amongst people! I have things to do and dreams to fulfil! I don’t want this horn, these hooves, these ears, and this fur!” I turned to Grandfather and pinched the hairs on my arm hard enough that it stung. “Look at me!” I yelled, almost hyperventilating while staring at my grandfather in the eye. I sighed and shook my head. “What am I?”

In the corner of my eye, I noticed Celestia and Luna looking at me with disappointment. Maybe my words could have been perceived as somewhat racist, but they weren’t in my shoes. I couldn’t even wear shoes anymore.

Slowly, Grandfather stood, grabbing his staff as he did. Holding it in one hand, he met my wild eyes, as if searching for something. They were nothing compared to the face of stone he wore. It meant that I was about to receive a lesson.

“You have changed outwardly, son.” He placed his right index finger on my forehead. “Did something change in here?”

“No… not that I know of,” I muttered, working to regulate my breathing.

“Then you are my grandson, Magnus, in there.” He then moved his hand to my chest, placing it over my heart. “What has changed in here?”

“Nothing…”

“Then you are my grandson, Magnus, in there as well. You are still you.” He smiled as he went back to his chair and continued sipping his warm beverage.

I couldn’t even form a proper reply, only a steady stream of wretched stuttering escaping my lips. Even Luna and Celestia seemed taken aback by his simple statement. It was typical for him—provide an easy explanation and then wait for me to figure things out.

“GOD DAMN IT, YOU OLD COOT!” I screamed as loud as I could. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!” Despite my rage, my grandfather was unfazed.

“Isn’t it obvious?” He turned to the alicorns. “How long did our ancestors live before they died?”

“Most of them never reached the age of thirty,” Celestia answered. Grandfather nodded to her before looking back to me.

“Magnus, you are twenty-seven years old. If what I hear is true, you had perhaps three years left, at best.” He stood and placed his arms on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes. “I know how much you care for your friends. I know. Ever since Julia passed away and your father left, I’ve only wanted what was best for you. Do you remember what I said long ago? I didn’t want you to live in this forest. That’s why I bought the house in town for us. I was sure you could find someone around your age there, someone that you could bond with. And you did find someone, isn’t that right?

“Now, you could live for three years, and then what? I don’t know what happens to us after we die, but isn’t life worth living, hmm?”

I remembered this question—he had asked me the same thing many years ago. I had been miserable, angry, and had felt abandoned at the time. What my grandfather said back then made me see things in a different perspective.

“Life's worth living when you have something to live for,” I repeated, knowing exactly what he meant.

Wandering over to the photos on the wall, he retrieved one, smiling gently. I wandered over to him and placed my arm on his shoulder.

“Dad lost what he lived for,” I reminded him.

“He did.” He held the picture out to me. I gently accepted it, treating it with the respect it deserved. It was a picture of my parents at their wedding. Mom wore a beautiful white wedding dress, choosing to carry a variety of colourful mountain flowers instead of roses. Dad had on a black suit and white shirt with a light grey tie. He looked good in it. He had even cut his hair and trimmed his beard for the wedding. Mom’s belly was barely noticeable. They seemed so happy together. Every photo I had seen with my parents in them, Dad was always smiling, a complete contrast to the ones of him before they met.

Grandfather looks at the picture in my hands with sadness in his eyes. “When Julia died, Hrafnar lost his will to live. He couldn’t even take care of you. Now you speak as if life isn’t worth living. You are your father’s son, but please do not follow in his footsteps.”

I gently traced my fingers around the picture’s frame. They had been happy for a time, though it wasn’t enough. Grandfather always described my mother as cheerful and determined, never letting things keep her down for long. She was… inspirational, in a way. Dad was the opposite until he met her. Mom had been the reason Dad lived, but without her, he set himself on a path of self-destruction.

“Mom was Dad’s reason for living,” I whispered. “Everything I had on Earth was my reason.”

“Then find new reasons for living.” He patted my back a couple of times before wandering back to his chair. I reluctantly followed him to my chair and slumped down in it.

“Now…” Grandfather took a cookie from the food tray and bit into it. “You need a reason for living, and those are easy to come by for some, but for others it can be a bit difficult. I don’t know what Equestria is like, so maybe Celestia and Luna can fill us in on what their world is like.” He turned to the alicorns, who had remained silent during our conversation.

“If it will help our young charge, we would be delighted to.” Their faces brightened as they approached.

And so Celestia and Luna filled Grandfather in on what had happened to me after I came to Equestria, also giving me a few details that I hadn’t been aware of. One of them was that I had remained unresponsive in bed for five days. Their increasing uncertainty of my state of mind and health prompted their foray into my mind. When pressed, Luna mentioned that one’s subconscious always spoke, in a way.

I planned to have a little chat concerning my privacy with her. She had still invaded my dream, and I wasn’t planning on letting her get away with this intrusion, even if she did it for what she saw as a good reason.

When magic was mentioned, Grandfather perked right up. Luna gave him a small demonstration by levitating a few objects around, much to his surprise and amusement. Celestia explained in more detail how the lack of magic had affected us, while I reassured him that I was doing much better in that regard.

Then the subject of Equestria and ponykind in general came up. Grandfather actually scooted forward on his chair, captivated by her words. From unicorn magic to pegasi weather control he heard about, the crowning story how Celestia and Luna controlled the sun and the moon. They also spoke of the numerous species that lived on the planet, mostly in harmony with one another.

Luna also mentioned what Star Swirl had described humanity to be like. Apparently we lacked ‘harmony’, what with our frequent conflicts and propensity for violence. To me, it seemed as if Star Swirl had deliberately set out to make humans appear unfavourable in comparison to ponies, something both my grandfather and I frowned heavily upon. When Celestia then spoke of how peaceful Equestria and the rest of Equus were in general, it all made some manner of sense to me. Star Swirl had attempted to paint Equestria as alluring as possible to me.

Still, he was right in a way. Wars were apparently extremely rare on Equus, with conflicts usually being settled using diplomacy. The most telling fact was that I was still alive instead of being held in a cage or being dissected. Sure, Star Swirl had vouched for me, but Celestia had said that it wouldn’t have happened either way, which provided some measure of comfort.

Still, knowing about the Spirit of Chaos, the changelings, and the unicorn hunters told me that strife could and would exist on Equus, just not as frequently.

After about an hour, Grandfather had been filled in. With one hand resting on his chin and the other grasping his cup, he stared into the fire burning in the hearth, his old eyes blinking slowly as he contemplated their words.

“What a peculiar situation you’ve gotten yourself into,” grandfather mumbled under his breath. “Not so easy to fix, is it?” I nodded slowly, fiddling with my cup and a cookie. “Honestly, son, this isn’t something you can fix. The way I see it, there’s nothing you can do about it. You had maybe three years left before the end came, and then what?”

“I would die,” I replied glumly.

“Most likely, yes. From my point of view, you’ve gotten a new chance at life, one that many in our family never got.”

“I agree with you on that point, but I don’t want this!” I pointed at my horn. “I want to be normal!”

“And you are. It’s what’s on the inside, your character and courage, that matters. Besides, even if you looked like a normal human, you would still stand out, right?

He was right, loathe as I was to admit it. I would always look like this, for both good and bad.

“They will stare…”

“Then let them!” Luna proclaimed as she quickly stood up, a resolute look on her face. “Let them gaze upon you until their eyes bleeds. Let them stare until the hunger in their eyes has been sated.” Her fervour calmed somewhat, and she continued in a more modulated volume, “There is nothing wrong with your appearance, but you must understand that our subjects will be curious about you. Give it time and they will treat you as an inhabitant of Equestria. All that is needed is time.”

Celestia nodded firmly. “Luna is right. Ponies are curious, but also skittish by nature. Anything new and unseen will be treated with utmost caution. For example, Twilight wrote to me about a zebra that lived in the Everfree Forest who scared the inhabitants of Ponyville, simply because they had never seen one before. Now Zecora is considered a good friend to all of Ponyville.”

“And Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. He was once one of the greatest threats towards Equestria, nay, the world. His magic was even stronger than the both of us combined, but after his reformation at the hooves of Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, he is now an ally and friend to Equestria,” Luna added. “Of course, there have been unforeseen… setbacks…”

“The point is that you will be accepted. All that is needed is time, and if you are willing to invest your time towards acceptance, then you will find yourself welcome among us,” Celestia finished with a smile.

I buried my head in my hands. Maybe they were right; maybe I had overreacted a bit. The staff at the castle had made it obvious that they would stare at something new. It wasn’t as though I was innocent, having done my bit of gawking and gaping. Still, I might have a chance if that Discord character had been integrated into their society. Overall, these ponies seemed friendly once one got to know them, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up just yet. A few ponies didn’t represent the entire country.

“Sometimes I hate your logic, you know that, right?”

Celestia and Luna tittered while Grandfather guffawed heartily. The sombre atmosphere of the room eased somewhat, and I allowed a faint smile to creep up on my lips.

The laughter petered out as Grandfather took another cookie. “While you think about acceptance, we should discuss something else, such as your living arrangements. You do have a place to stay, right?”

“That is already taken care of,” Celestia replied quickly. “Magnus is welcome to stay in the castle for as long as he likes.”

“As long as Magnus is our responsibility, my sister and I shall see to his needs, whatever they may be,” Luna stated.

“Well then, that was quick.” He chuckled briefly. “Then maybe we can find something for you.”

I raised my head from my hands. “What? Me?”

“Mhm. Acceptance is not enough. Being separated from everything you have ever known will take time to overcome. It may take months and years, but you’ll be okay. I know you aren’t the type to give up so easily, son. For now, you should take the time you need to grieve and remember, and only when you are done should you look ahead. Only after your mourning is over can the healing truly begin.”

“But you need a goal, something to live for. Merely existing isn’t enough. What you need, what we all need, is some spice in our lives. And from what I understand, Equestria is quite the fairy tale world, isn’t it? Magic, dragons, creatures of every kind.” With a certain glint in his eyes, he leaned towards me. “Tell me, is there something about Equestria that appeals to you?”

I scratched my chin in consideration. Just about everything in this world was worth exploring, some more than others. In a new and unexplored world, most things would be uncharted territory, both the good and bad. I would have to throw myself into a new culture, and there were bound to be numerous misunderstandings along the way. However, there was one thing that stood out to me, something that even now was coursing through my body.

“Magic is awesome,” I responded after a while. “It makes me feel whole, you know? It’s like the most amazing life rush.” I grinned slightly. “It’s exhilarating.”

Grandfather’s brows furrowed slightly, his eyes twinkling. “Oh, really? I wonder if Alakazam will return.”

My blood froze in my veins as I gawped at him. He wouldn’t dare, would he? Oh, he would! A shiver of fear and embarrassment coursed through my body.

“NO! Don’t you dare, you old goat!”

Grandfather smirked as he brought the cup to his lips, extending his pinkie finger while slurping.

Five seconds passed by before I heard the dreaded question, posed by Celestia herself. “Who is this Alakazam? A friend of yours?”

“No one!” I quickly replied. My objection didn’t help, and I groaned as I spotted the grin on my grandfather’s face. Darn old goat...

“Yes, Alakazam was once a powerful wizard that lived around these parts. Although just a young boy, he was so clever and so powerful that he managed to defeat in single combat great wizards such as Madam Mim the Witch, Ursula the Sea Witch, and Maleficent the Sorceress, along with a host of various and dangerous monsters and beasts. He was a master of magic in his own right.”

‘Kill me. Kill me now.’

The two alicorns’ eyes widened, visibly impressed at hearing of the deeds the wizard had performed. I, however, was more focused on wishing I could be somewhere else right now. The only thing I was impressed about was Grandfather’s exceptional timing when it came to embarrassing me.

“But wait!” Luna held up a hoof, looking somewhat perplexed. “None of this makes sense! Star Swirl said that humanity lacked magic. How can this powerful wizard you speak of use magic so freely?”

“Oh, Alakazam never revealed how he attained his magic. No one knows how he came by it.” Grandfather turned to me with a smirk.

“...I really hate you sometimes…” I muttered.

Despite that, they refused to leave the subject alone. “If this wizard lived in these parts, why did Star Swirl never mentioned him to us? If Alakazam was so clever and so powerful, why did he never help you two? Surely, with his extraordinary abilities, perhaps he would have been able to help both of you with your lack of magic,” Celestia asked, appearing rather disturbed.

Once more, Grandfather turned to me with a smile. “Do you want to explain who Alakazam was, or should I find the photo album?”

“OKAY! You win!” Both alicorns’ gaze fell on me, surprised by my outburst, yet still awaiting an answer. I loved my grandfather to death, but sometimes he knew just what to say to either help me or embarrass me.

And he was skilled at the latter.

I pointed a warning finger at him while pursing my lips in annoyance. His grin quickly caused my faux anger to fade. If I didn’t tell them, he was sure to do it. “When I was five years old, I liked to pretend that I was a wizard,” I muttered. “And I continued playing wizard until I was twelve years old. It… was my favourite game. I even got my friends in on it as well.”

The silence following my confession was short-lived. Their poker faces held for a brief moment, then Luna snorted loudly while Celestia laughed gaily.

“You used to play wizard?” Celestia managed to ask as she eventually got her laughter under control. “You called yourself Alakazam?”

“Give me a break! I was a kid! What do you expect?” I shot back.

“You have photographs?” Luna excitedly asked Grandfather, to which he nodded. “Oh, Sister! We simply cannot let this chance slip away! Magnus must have looked adorable. Perchance he had a hat and cloak!”

“Now that you mention it—” Grandfather began but never managed to finish his sentence.

“For Christ’s sake! Can we get back to the original topic?” Celestia and Luna snickered lightly while nodding. “Thank you! Grandpa?”

His belly shook as he wiped at his eyes with one hand. “You need to laugh a little, even in this dark situation. Jokes aside, what else do you see as a goal for you?”

I contemplated the matter… for five seconds. “Nothing else comes to mind.”

“That’s okay, no need to rush things. Just let it come to you at its own pace and I’m sure you’ll find something more interesting than lying in a bed and letting life pass you by. All you need to do is take one day at a time. That’s how we all live; not seven days in one day, or a year in one month.”

One day at a time in a world clearly not made for me… could I do it or not? It was hard to say at the moment. The future was uncertain, now more than ever.

The future I wanted, my dreams, my desires, all had been laid to waste. But they would probably never have been fulfilled anyway. What could I have done in three years?

A nice house with a garden, maybe even a farm?

A broken dream.

A loving, caring, beautiful wife?

A broken dream.

Children…

Not going to happen now.

If, by some miracle, I had actually made my desires a reality, I would have left behind a house with a grieving widow and fatherless children that would cry out in pain, just like I had done all those years ago, a pain that no one would know how to fix.

Maybe… it was better this way. There would be no children to carry on the suffering that Grandfather, Mom, and I had to go through. Maybe it was for the best that I didn’t have a girlfriend or wife to leave behind. They’d have been left alone with nothing but a cold tombstone, photos, memories, and a mournful heart.

But there were some people that I hadn’t spared at all.

“I miss them.” Grandfather, Celestia, and Luna turned to me, the smiles on their faces fading upon seeing the despondent expression on my face.

“Your friends.” The sudden silence of the living room made Celestia’s voice sound like a tune played on a crystal glass.

“They meant everything to me.” I shook my head in silent disbelief. Even now, having realized that they were gone, I still found it difficult to accept. “I don’t know what to do about it, about them. It was just so… sudden.”

Grandfather leaned over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze just as he had done when I was a kid and had injured myself, or when I came home from school after running into some of bullies.

“That is the greatest loss you’ve suffered through all this.” He gazed at me solemnly. “I loved them as well, you know. I saw them grow up with you into fine young people, young men and women, different yet so alike. The kinship you felt to them is strong, and losing them like this is difficult. But they aren’t gone, not like I have. You are the one that disappeared without a trace, and I know that they will mourn you. In the end, they will go on with their lives, just as we all must do.”

Grandfather walked over to the picture wall, coming to a halt in front of a picture of him and my grandmother. It was an old black and white picture of them taken on top of one of the skyscrapers of New York.

“Some losses are harder to accept than others,” he quietly said as his fingers ran over the old photo encased in glass and wood. “We often feel tempted to give up.” He hung the picture back on the wall, running a finger gently over my grandmother’s face, as if caressing her. He had loved her dearly and spoke of her often. For him, she had been the only one. He never dated again, nor did he even show any interest in other women.

“But would your friends want you to give up just because they aren’t there for you?” His sharp eyes settled on me. “Would they?”

I knew they wouldn’t. We had supported each other through thick and thin, no matter what came our way. If one of us needed help, they didn’t even have to ask for help. When I decided to fix my old house, I had mentioned it to Adam and Max in passing. A few weeks later, when I had bought materials and was ready to get started, they suddenly showed up with hammer, nails, and crowbars, ready to help. The same happened on those days the migraines struck hard, leaving me a quivering mess of pain and nerves in bed. Lisa was usually the first one to hear about it and would drop by with something she brought from the drugstore, or some food since I was in no condition to cook for myself. She continued to do that even after we broke up. There was also that time Jesse was supposed to fix a car a customer had delivered in for repairs. Problem was that she had broken her leg before she could start. Instead, Max, Adam, Nick, and I helped her with the repairs while she hobbled around on crutches, giving us instructions and resulting in a satisfied customer.

Though I wanted to answer for them, I couldn’t. I wanted to hear my friends, my siblings as they were, tell me to go on, to live, to assure me that they would be rooting for me all the way.

However, they weren’t here, and the more I thought about it, the more depressed I became.

Propping my head up on my elbow, I released a heavy sigh. My forlorn expression was immediately picked up by Celestia and Luna, who looked at me as though I was some mistreated puppy. Grandfather placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be okay, son. You’ll figure things out.” He patted my shoulder once before heading back to his chair.

When I heard the chair creak as his weight pressed down on it, I quickly turned towards him. He held his salmon sandwich in his hand and took a bite out of it, chewing slowly. The scent of salmon was familiar, but what astonished me once more that he seemed alive and well. I had almost forgotten this was a dream, so vivid and lifelike it was. It made me realize that since I had brought him back, I could do the same for others.

I glanced at Luna, who was already smiling at me. “Go on, you can do it.” Somehow, she had already discerned what I had planned to do. Celestia seemed puzzled, while Luna merely smiled at her. “I believe we are about to meet some other humans.”

I managed a grin before I closed my eyes. I could already see the physical and intangible aspects that defined my friends before my mind’s eye. Lisa’s golden hair; Nick’s beard and slight corpulent build; Adam’s short hair and round face; Max’s height and muscular frame; Jesse’s tomboyish appearance complete with freckles; Renee’s raven hair and slim figure, and Sammy with his Iron Maiden T-shirt, glasses, and goatee.

Their personalities were already in my mind. It was as if they had been there all along, just waiting patiently for me to call out to them. ‘Hey guys, come on over to the cabin. Grandpa is here already and we’ve got something serious to talk about.’

The moment I opened my eyes, we all heard several pairs of legs walking up the stairs to the front door, then the sound of knocking. The alicorns and my grandfather all turned to the hallway, two of them looking surprised.

“Guests? At this hour?” Grandfather murmured. He was about to get up, but I stopped him.

“I’ll get it.” I hastened down the hallway, unable to hide the grin on my face.

The moment I reached the door, I hesitated for a moment, wondering how they would react upon seeing me like this. A stream of question would undoubtedly come, and I wondered if I should have let them know beforehand.

In the end, I had confidence that they would listen and accept me for who I was. It was just who they were.

Exhaling deeply, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open slightly before I was instantly sent reeling by a tackle to the stomach that continued pushing me backwards. I struggled for a second to keep my balance, but it was a battle that I had already lost. Finally landing on my back without suffering any injuries, I attempted to regain my bearings, only to hear a familiar laughter.

“Cannonball, asshole!” he shouted victoriously at my defeat. It only took a moment to understand what he referred to—a game we had been playing for years. We had to surprise each other by doing something completely unexpected to them. Over the years, I had suffered cheap pies to the face in public, air horn booby-trapped doors, along with other unexpected plans concocted by Adam. I had taken the last shot at him the last time we met, namely by adding a few drops of hot sauce to his beer. It seemed even my subconscious had remembered.

Adam howled like a lunatic as his grinning visage appeared before my eyes. His laughter faded as he took in my appearance, from my face down to my legs.

“Dude, why do you look like Mr Tumnus?”

Author's Notes:

Hello my dear readers! New update is here and some info for you.

1: I said I would post two chapters today, but unfortunately I can't do that, instead I'll post the next one tomorrow.
2: This chapter is not edited. Due to time and unforeseen consequences I've decided to release chapters unedited. I've gone through several editors, each with things going on that leaves little time for editing. For example, this chapter's been done for weeks already, but just a small fraction of it was ever edited. So I've opted to leave editors out of the story, at least for now. This decision is not final though, and although I know the story will suffer at least you guys and girls will get regular and quicker updates. One day I'll look back at this story and see how my writing has improved.
3: I'm currently working on an intermission chapter, which will be shorter than the regular updates. After that chapter, I'll switch to 3rd person writing, as 1st person has proved to be very tough, particularity when it comes to writing emotions.
4: Twilight hates chocolate milk.

Cup of Coffee

Chapter 25 - To Live My Life (Edited by JBL 07.25.2017)

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While Adam's wide eyes were fixated on me, I managed to rise and brush away the dust on my clothes. It was only when I was finished did he blurt out the first garbled questions, though he didn’t get far before the rest of the gang entered the hallway, laughing at something. That instantly ceased the moment they laid eyes on me, and the confusion and disbelief on their faces said everything. The sudden silence was disheartening. Usually a joke or two would be sent my way, someone would ask me about my day, or Lisa would come and give me a hug. She’d always been rather touchy-feely, especially towards me, both before and after we dated.

But not this time.

Instead, there was a barrage of questions about what had happened to me. I couldn’t even answer one before the next question came, building into a cacophony of queries. It took some time before I was able to calm them and persuade them to follow me to the living room. Keeping a wary eye on me, they followed me there, greeting Grandfather when they saw him. It was when they spotted Celestia and Luna did things take an unexpected turn.

The alicorn sisters received quite some attention, though it varied between mild amusement and askance. Lisa, being the animal lover that she was, became enamoured with “the wonderful horses with the totally realistic make-up props attached to them”, and of course wanted to pet them. What she—and the rest of them, for that matter—didn’t expect was Luna, gently but firmly, stating her preference for not being treated like a cat.

The reactions my friends displayed were varied, the most common being a shocked scream. With the help of my grandfather, I managed to calm them enough so that they were willing to sit down and listen, though they kept a wary eye on the alicorns.

After bringing chairs from the kitchen, they all sat down, keeping a respectful distance from the sisters while also staring at my body. For the second time that night, I retold the story of what had happened to me: from my visions, the journey, the orb in the sea, and me waking up in another world, all the way through my transformation and my treatment that cured me of my afflictions. They never once interrupted me, though the emotions on their faces once I told them about the portal and how I would never return were more than mere words could relay. I had never seen my friends look this upset before, except for Grandfather’s funeral. Strangely enough, they seemed to be okay with him being here, probably because I had told them beforehand when I had summoned them.

“And that’s the story, up until this point,” I concluded after half an hour of storytelling. My friends were stunned, to say the least. I couldn’t even imagine what was going through their heads, knowing that I wasn’t just human.

While they digested my story, I took a moment to study their reactions. Adam, for once, didn’t have his usual grin on display. He just sat there, hands folded in his lap as if locked in thought. He was most likely wondering what to do or say.

Lisa was another story. Holding her hands in front of her mouth in shock, she shook her head lightly, refusing to believe my words. Max, the gentle giant, sat in quiet resignation. Sighing deeply now and then, he seemed most concerned with the others. He’d always been a bit protective.

Sammy seemed to take it all in stride. He was the only one who smiled, sometimes mumbling how awesome it all sounded, except the part about me being in Equestria. A fan of fantasy movies and games, I had expected him to be quite positive towards the world I had found myself in. It seemed I was right.

Renee busied herself trying to comfort Lisa, but I could see that she wasn’t okay with this either. Sometimes she was notoriously hard to read, being one who tended to keep her cards close to her chest.

Jesse worried me. She had something of a temper, and when she was angry, her face would be dominated by a scowl as it did now. The heated glances she aimed at Celestia and Luna told me who she focused her ire on.

Rocking back and forth on his chair, Nickolas had his hands on his head while sweating a waterfall. He was easily agitated, but now it seemed as if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

I wasn’t wrong.

“Jesus Christ, dude!” he shouted and shot up from his chair, hurrying over to the liquor cabinet. Opening a bottle of scotch, he swallowed a mouthful and began coughing until his face was as red as a tomato.

“You okay there, Nick?” I asked worriedly. He could be a mean drunk at times.

“I don’t know! I-I think I’m having an existential crisis or something! I’m not really here! I’m in a dream!” Taking another swig of the bottle, his eyes locked onto me. “You’re an alien!” he blurted out, pointing the bottle at me.

“Part of me is.”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god! You’re not gonna lay a bunch of eggs, are you?”

Seeing that he was so distressed, I chose a familiar route to calming him down. “Yes, that’s right, Nick. Any moment now, a tentacle is gonna shoot out of my ass and embed itself into your cranium, laying dozens of eggs in your brain. In mere hours, those eggs will hatch and worms will crawl out to eat your brain, growing big and strong. The only problem is that in your skull the worms would starve to death.”

The first sound was that of Luna bursting into laughter, followed by Celestia’s beverage being suddenly spewed forth from her mouth. Then Adam began to chuckle, prompting the others to follow as well. It felt good to hear them laugh again, even if this was only a dream.

“Dude, that wasn’t cool,” Nick replied with a deadpan look.

“It was a little funny." I grinned. "Despite what you think, I’m still the same guy you grew up with, the same kid you bullied ages ago. This,” I pointed at my horn, “doesn’t matter that much. Up here,” I tapped my head, “I’m the same.”

“I guess you’re right,” Nick admitted after another swig. “It doesn’t look like you can bleed acid at least.”

I turned to the others. Lisa was still in shock, Renee trying to gain her attention. Jesse, however, was positively fuming. She stood up from the couch and marched over to the alicorn sisters, staring daggers at them.

“It was you two who gave the order to close that portal thingy.” It wasn’t a question. The underlying anger in her voice was evident, warning me that something was about to happen.

Celestia nodded hesitantly. “We did it to—”

Jesse smacked Celestia across her face as hard as she could, eliciting a sound like an uncooked steak being slammed onto a cutting board. The slap took Celestia by surprise as her head jerked slightly to the side. With widened eyes, she reached up to her chin and rubbed it with one hoof. A second slap caught Luna square across her muzzle. Luna’s reaction was similar to her sister’s, only that she didn’t rub her cheek, instead adopting a look of mild annoyance.

“BITCHES! GOD DAMN ASSHOLES! WHY?!” Jesse screamed at the top of her lungs. Red-faced with tears rolling down her cheeks, she stared accusingly at both sisters. Though I had weathered her temper before, I had never seen her so furious.

“Why?! Only a few days spent researching the portal before deciding at the drop of a hat to close it? You didn’t even try anything! You took Magnus from me! From us all! Look!” Jesse spun around and motioned to the others, their faces displaying grief and shock, the former brief bout of laughter and giggles having long since receded.

Celestia and Luna looked over each and every one of them, seemingly taking in the anger in their eyes. They seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, something I hadn’t predicted happening.

Celestia set her hoof down and sighed. “It was not an easy decision, but Luna and I both decided it was for the best, for humans and for every single inhabitant of our world. With the portal gone, none will ever be lost in them.”

“As non-magical beings, you cannot understand the basic functions of the portal, let alone attempt to recreate them. We possess knowledge of portal magic, but even we cannot understand how it connects our worlds,” Luna continued, directing her statement towards a still fuming Jesse. “Was it perhaps luck, mere chance, or higher powers at work? We do not know, but what we do know is that we, even with our magic combined, cannot force a portal to open.”

“Don’t give me that shit! You shut it down before even trying!” Jesse shouted back.

Luna got off the couch, marched directly towards Jesse, then stood up on her hind legs, holding her balance with careful flaps of her wings. “Lives were at stake, foolish child! Princess Twilight Sparkle, the one who closed the portal, did so when it nearly cost her and the expedition members their existence in Equestria! This incident clearly shows us that dispelling such volatile acts of magic was the correct course of action!”

Luna’s explanation only seemed to stoke Jesse’s rage; she closed the final distance, standing nose to nose with Luna, blazing eyes matching imperious stares.

“THERE WAS TIME, YOU DUMB BITCH! HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE TO CLOSE OFF THE ENTIRE AREA UNTIL A SOLUTION WAS FOUND?”

“Do not raise your voice at me, foal!” Luna snapped back, a dangerous edge to her voice. “What of other humans on Earth? The portals alter time itself, thus somepony from the future or the past could have come through! Magnus was not the only one in danger!”

“Then it’s their problem! Magnus is innocent in all this, but you two couldn’t even wait to close the portal! What, were you worried we would come to get him back? What he is to you, huh? To us, he’s our friend. To you? A pet? Research project? Something new and interesting, bitch?” Jesse practically spat the final word at Luna. The Princess of the Night wasn’t one to back down, instead puffing out her chest while the shadows around her seemed to get darker. It seemed as though things were about to get ugly, and the others weren’t keen on getting involved.

I was about to say something when Celestia intervened. “Calm down, Luna. Arguing won’t get us anywhere. You too, Miss Jesse. We are all here on Magnus’ behalf so that we may help him.”

Jesse’s head quickly swivelled to Celestia, pointing a warning finger at her. “Shut up! You’re just as guilty as your dumbass sister!”

Despite Jesse’s words, Celestia retained her composure. “Please, there is no need for that. You must understand that—”

“YOU STOLE MAGNUS!” Jesse raised her arm for another round of well-aimed slaps before I intervened. I shot up from the chair and closed the distance to Jesse in two steps, grabbing her raised arm with my hand. She struggled for a moment before turning to me, seeing her thin arm held firmly in my larger, orange-furred one. For a moment, her eyes lingered on my hand, as if noticing it for the first time. Eventually, her eyes went up to mine, the fire in her eyes sparking before gradually dwindling.

Releasing her hand, it limply fell to her side. With a sigh, she looked me in the eye. “They deserve it, that and much more. Why are you defending them for what they did?” She gave the alicorn sisters a final glare before going back to her seat.

Luna still stood on her hind legs, wings flapping slowly to help her balance as she continued to stare down Jesse. I guessed that it wasn’t often someone dared to strike her, being a princess and all.

“Sit down, Luna, I don’t want you two fighting here. This is my dream—if you two fight here, it might affect my brain. If you break something, I might forget how to tie my shoelaces.”

“Dreams do not work that way,” she responded irritably even as she sat down, finally rubbing her muzzle that had a visible red handprint. Celestia also had one on her chin, much more visible due to her white coat.

“Does it hurt?”

“The pain is not physically real, much like the taste of blackcurrant in my mouth,” Celestia murmured, giving the red handprint a final rub with her golden shoe. “You have been the target of her wrath before.”

“Accidentally shot out the windshield of her car with a spud gun,” I said as I wandered back to the chair. “I deserved it.”

Adam moved his chair next to mine and poked my horn with his finger. “This is just so weird.”

“I know, dude. Man, was it weird waking up with all this stuff.”

“I guess it was.” Another poke. “What did you think had happened to you?”

“That the ponies were animatronics. Then I thought that I had ended up in Cuba or something.”

“Cuba?” He snorted. “What do you think Castro wanted with you?” He continued his assault.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. I was much more concerned with the armoured ponies and their spears.” I received another poke for my troubles. “Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you poking my horn?”

“Just curious is all. Now that you have a horn, can we say that you are…” He leaned closer with a grin, “…horny?”

Everybody in the room released a collective snort at Adam’s stupid pun, myself included. At least it lightened the mood somewhat. “How long have you held that one in?” I asked with a shake of my head.

“About fifteen minutes,” he replied with a final poke. “I also planned to ask if you’d received a hoof and mouth shot yet.”

Another round of snorts and chuckles passed around the living room. For a moment, it seemed as if everyone was enough on the same page to dissuade further arguments from erupting. I was grateful Adam still could crack jokes in this dark situation; it made me feel less miserable. Despite knowing that this was still a dream, it felt real enough that it could lull me into a false sense of relaxation. Still, the silence that followed made things feel awkward.

Taking a look at the others, my eyes fell upon Lisa. She rested her head against Renee’s shoulder, her hands covering her mouth and nose. Her eyes were red and puffy, glistening from the fire burning in the hearth. Wet streaks from her tears were visible, obvious indications that she was still upset. I felt terrible for not talking to her yet, even when I noticed earlier that she was shaken. Renee noticed me looking at Lisa, nodding to the blonde girl resting against her. The message was clear: I needed to speak with her.

Carefully, I made my way over to the couch. Sammy, sitting on Lisa’s other side, moved away so that I could sit next to her. Lisa was so shaken that she didn’t even notice my hooves on the hardwood floor or my presence next to her, huddling close to Renee as if she was a lifebuoy.

“Lisa?” I hesitantly asked, hoping that she would at least acknowledge me. The others seemed to be concerned about her lack of reaction as well, even Celestia and Luna. I slowly placed my hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. It took a few moments before her head slowly turned towards her shoulder, finally noticing my hand. How alien it must have looked to her, larger and hairier than any human’s hand had any right to be.

Her eyes gradually lifted until they met mine, and she hesitantly moved her hands away from her face. With her blond hair and light-blue eyes, she was as gorgeous as I remembered.

“You okay there, Lisa?” A moment passed before she shook her head lightly. Her eyes wandered from my hands up to my horn, resting there for a moment before focusing on my now-pointed ears.

“I…” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know…”

“I know it’s strange, but it doesn’t hurt and I feel fine.” Her gaze landed on my face, examining and searching for something. She lifted her hand and carefully placed it on my shoulder, letting it rest there for a moment. Looking into my eyes, I could almost feel her asking for permission to go further, so I nodded. Her hand wandered up to my ear, touching slowly and gently, tracing the curves and point with a soft touch. Out of all of them, I had to admit that I missed Lisa the most. Even though we were through, I found myself reminiscing back to the moments we had spent together—every kiss, every touch, every intimate moment. Gods, I missed those days.

Her hand left my ear and travelled south. She placed her hand in my own, allowing it to stay there for a moment. Her hand looked so tiny compared to mine that it seemed downright fragile in comparison. I closed my hand, enveloping hers completely and squeezing gently. Lisa held her breath for a moment but relaxed when she felt my delicate touch. Perhaps she believed that my hand would feel rough or coarse, but the slightest of smiles graced her lips when she saw how careful I was.

“I…” she began, pausing for a moment to meet my eyes. Her tears had thankfully ceased, a lingering expression of regret in her eyes. “You… and I… We… didn’t know…”

“What do you mean?” I asked, more than a bit puzzled.

Lisa glanced around the room, realizing that it was full of people who were taking quite an interest in our conversation. “Can we… talk in private?”

I had a suspicion that it had to do with our time as a couple, which would explain her uneasiness. “Sure, let’s go to the guest room.”

Leaving the others behind, I brought Lisa with me to the guest bedroom and closed the door. This used to be my bedroom whenever I visited Grandfather, and by the looks of it, nothing had changed. However, reminiscing about that was pretty low on my list of priorities. Lisa sat down on the bed, cradling her head and sniffling. I sat down next to her, resting my elbows on my knees.

“It’s about the whole alien thing, isn’t it?” She hesitated before nodding. “You’re uncomfortable about us and what we had?” She nodded again. I sighed and held out my hand to her. She lowered one of hers and placed it in mine, giving it a light squeeze.

“It’s strange,” she began. “You’re still the same, but when I look at you… You’re something else. You’re a… a horse.”

“Pony, but I get what you mean.”

Lisa laid her head on my shoulder. “It shouldn’t matter. I mean, you are… you were human back then, and it shouldn’t bother me so much. But… it does. You’re so strange now. I just… I wonder...” She paused and sighed deeply, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “If we were still together, I… I don’t know… Maybe I’m being weird.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re being honest with yourself, and that’s not being weird. I have a hard time accepting it myself.” I rested my head against hers, taking in the smell of her hair. Roses, her favourite brand of shampoo. “We can’t go back in time. We have to live with what we did together. Neither of us knew the truth back then.”

“No, no we didn’t,” Lisa murmured.

I placed my arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer to me. Her eyes immediately drifted to my arm, and she began playing with the fur there, giving it a slight pinch.

“It’s so weird.” She spread the hairs to reveal my skin underneath. Even that had changed colour, becoming slightly copper-hued. “It doesn’t feel like horse hair; it’s smoother and more flexible. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re more human than pony.” When it came to horses, Lisa was the one to turn to. Her family owned a large farm just outside of town. In addition to growing crops, they also had several animals, such as cows, sheep, and four horses. Lisa had always adored horses. She was the one who took care of them and occasionally rode them into town. It wouldn’t surprise me that her love for animals in general came from the time she spent with them.

We sat on the bed for several minutes. Lisa investigated my arm and fingers while I sat with my arm around her, savouring the sensation of having her near me again. “It’s hard to believe,” she whispered. “All this time and no one found out. You, your mother, your grandfather. What if… you and I didn’t end it? What if we had a baby? What would we do?”

I took a moment to contemplate her question. We had only spoken of children once during the years we had been together. We had both wanted kids, but neither of us had been ready for the responsibility. The money I had earned would have never sufficed to maintain a household.

To answer her question, if I had discovered my heritage, I would have done everything in my power to ensure my children’s survival. Just like that, I found myself understanding Star Swirl slightly better. Life. It was all about life and its challenges, from father to child to grandchild, all the way from Star Swirl and his wife. It was about learning to live and cope with these challenges. Perhaps not the most profound epiphany of my life, but one worth taking notice of. Responsibility for one’s actions.

“If I became a father, I would have taken my child with me.” I looked down at Lisa and pulled her closer, feeling her arms tighten around me. It made my heart feel lighter. “No child should have to endure the pain I went through. No one.”

When she spoke, I could hear the smile in her voice. “That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You’re caring and loving.”

“And the other reasons?”

Lisa released me and looked up, a small smile on her face. “You’re kind, have beautiful eyes, and you don’t hurt to look at.”

I scoffed playfully. “I knew it! You just wanted me for my looks.”

“Mhm, I’m really into hooves and horns,” she teased. She went silent for a moment, then leaned back onto my shoulder. After a few minutes spent in silence, it felt that we had reached the natural conclusion to our time alone. There were still things to discuss with the others, and I had no idea how long this dream would last.

I stood up and held out my hand to Lisa. She took it and stood up. “So, are we okay?” I asked as I placed my hands around her.

She gave me a once over and nodded. “I don’t know yet, but it doesn’t frighten me as much now as it did before.” She placed her arms around me and squeezed. “But… I’ll be okay. In time.” Her head only reached up to my chest, something that she seemed to only now realize. “You grew. At least a foot or so.”

I stood on one leg, lifting my right hoof in the air. “Blame these.”

I put my arms around Lisa, giving her a heartfelt hug and kissing her forehead. Her hug was warm and caring, just as it had been when we dated. Maybe it was my own thoughts interfering, maybe it was wishful thinking, but it felt as if it was really her with me in the room. And that was all that I needed.

We both stepped back, breaking our embrace. “So, are you okay? Ready to head back to the others?”

She nodded. “I’ll be okay. Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, we left the bedroom and walked back to the living room. The others seemed relieved that Lisa was back to her normal self. As we settled down in our respective seats, Luna shot me a reassuring smile. I suspected that she somehow knew what Lisa and I spoke about, though my gratitude for her aid in helping me see my friends and grandfather again was enough to overcome any anger.

The moment I sat down, Adam began his usual chicanery. “Lisa and Magnus, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

I reached over and smacked the back of his head. “Nope, just settling something that’s between us.”

Adam rubbed the back of his head and winced. “Dude, keep those brick hands to yourself. That really hurt.”

“I hoped it would.”

“Jerk.”

“Asshole.”

“Turd.”

“Garden gnome.”

I had expected a disproportionate response, seeing as Adam was the shortest of the group and had been keenly reminded of it by the rest of us, but I didn’t anticipate him jumping on my back. With his arm firmly around my neck, he waved his other arm around like he was a rodeo cowboy.

“Hiii-yaaa!” he shouted as he waved his arm around. “Git going, lil’ doggy!”

Despite his weight, I managed to stand and began prying his arms off me. Unfortunately, he had gotten a pretty decent grip. “Get off me, you idiot!”

“Them cattle-rustlers’re crossing the Rio Grande! Hi-ho, Silver, away!” Adam shouted excitedly with a thick Texan accent.

“Adam, you’re a goddamn smurf! We don’t have time for this!”

“~I’m a poor, lonesome cowboy~”

Another round of laughter washed over the room, with even Celestia and Luna joining in, though I imagined that the sight of us romping about seemed bizarre. To the others, this was a normal occurrence whenever Adam and I got going.

Suddenly, I felt a thick arm wrap itself around my stomach, and then the world tilted upside down while a load was lifted from my back. When the world ceased spinning, I found Max’s left arm around my waist, holding me off the ground. Alex was hanging off his right hand, his legs flailing.

“Max, you’re interrupting me. I had almost broken him in.” Adam pouted.

Despite Adam’s joke, Max didn’t look amused. Instead, he dropped us both to the floor and crossed his arms. “We don’t have time for this,” he said sternly, marching back to his chair and sitting down, eliciting a groan from the furniture. “While you and Lisa did whatever back there, we all had a little chat. You made us up thanks to Princess Luna. We’re figments of your dream. We all know it.”

Max’s harsh tone took me by surprise since he was one who always minded his words. I stood up and walked back to my chair, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m sorry,” I muttered. Should I have told them? I hadn’t, and that decision seemed to have backfired into them being angry with me.

“Sorry?” Max waved his hand dismissively. “What for? We know we aren’t real, and none of us, except Nick, have a problem with it.” I glanced over to Nick, who still had the bottle of liquor in hand and a haunted expression on his face. “What we do have a problem with is that you haven’t told us why you called us here.”

A wave of relief washed over me. It seemed that my panic at angering them had been premature. “Well,” I began, resting my elbows on my knees and breathed in deeply. “Because I don’t know what to do.”

Max kept his eyes on me, waiting for me to continue. “And?” he asked with a raised eyebrow when I didn’t elaborate.

“And that’s it. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do with my life in Equestria, or even if I want to go on.” I sighed and looked over to the others, who appeared just as confused. They didn’t know me to be so uncertain and downtrodden.

“Can you explain a bit clearer?” Sammy asked.

I leaned back in the chair while placing my feet on the leg rest. I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “It’s… difficult to explain. It’s all I had on Earth. I had a job, a home, and a family: you guys.”

“Really?” Adam asked, sitting next to me. “You haven’t called us family in years. I mean, we always celebrated Christmas and stuff with each other, but… family?”

“It kinda stuck with me over the years, and made a strong comeback after Grandfather died. You guys…” My eyes settled on each of them, those who I would gladly call brothers and sisters. “You’re the closest thing to a family I have left and… not seeing you again, or seeing Earth or another human being… It hurts more than I can bear and… I don’t know what to do.”

The girls tried to smile even with tears in their eyes, while the guys just looked away awkwardly, not quite comfortable with how emotional things had become. None of them have ever been much for touchy-feely situations, myself included, but knowing that this was my dream, I felt the need to just get it off my chest.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Renee finally said as she held her hand over her heart. “That you still think of us as family, I mean.”

“Yeah, it’s… it’s cool, I guess,” Nick added as he took a swig of the bottle, his eyes shifting about nervously. “Especially after how I treated you back in the day.”

“Water under the bridge, pal,” I countered. He smiled and raised the bottle to me.

“So, what do you want from us?” Sammy asked. He alternated his gaze between me and the rest of the group. “We’re all here; you called us for a reason.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Help, maybe, advice even, just… something, I guess. Before you came, I told Grandfather the whole story, and he encouraged me to do something, to find a goal, to find something to live for.”

Sammy smiled. “Ah, you want us to do the same?” I nodded. Anything I received from my friends would be appreciated, even a conversation. Even if they wanted to convince me to live in Equestria, I was willing to hear them out. “Okay, not usually the help we give, but… we can try. Right, guys?” He looked to the others, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Right.” Sammy got up from the couch and assumed what I had come to label the “Sammy’s Patented Thinking Exercise”, which was him pacing about while rubbing his neck and sighing occasionally. It was something he’d done since fifth grade.

“Okay, okay, let’s see…” He looked towards the others for a few seconds. “Why don’t we all try to figure out something to say to help convince you, hmm? That way we can all add something.” They nodded in agreement. “Great, I’ll start.”

He walked back the couch and sat down, pushing his long hair behind his ears. “Okay, so you,” he pointed to me and grinned, “are in a world of ponies, dragons, minotaurs, and griffons. There’s magic and castles and so on.” The smile on his face became even wider. “You, my friend, my guildie, are in Azeroth, or Tyria if you like.”

I shook my head and sighed. Of all the things he could compare Equestria to, he chose games we used to play. “Sam, this world isn’t an MMO,” I answered somewhat irritably. “There’s no respawning here. It could be dangerous for me. I don’t know anything about this place. I might do something incredibly stupid.”

“Like going AFK in The Barrens on a PVP server?” he countered with a laugh. Even here, he would never let me forget it. “That’s not the point, buddy. This world is new, and it’s all yours to explore. Think about all the things you can do here. If you do nothing, then your life will be nothing. You might find something amazing and incredible here, but only if you’re willing to take a look. You can’t look around if you shut yourself inside a bedroom.”

I shot Sammy a deadpan look, even as I acknowledged that he was right. I truly didn’t know anything about Equestria and Equus. Part of that excited me, but a larger part reminded me that there were creatures out there that would probably like the taste of raw human. Despite that, Grandfather’s advice echoed in my head. I had to understand Equestria, understand Equus, understand it all to not be afraid.

“I… think I get what you’re saying. You think I should try living here?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely!” He beamed. “There are people out there who would willingly give an arm and a leg to be in your situation. You just beat them all by a billion light years across the finish line.”

‘Be the first,’ I thought. ‘See the world, see the unknown.’ My situation was a classical “do or do not, there is no try”, and Sammy was Yoda. Luke Skywalker had done it, and so would I.

“Okay, Sam, thank you,” I said after a moment.

He smiled and nodded. “Anytime.” He leaned towards Luna and whispered to her, “Is there a way for me to come to Equestria?” She smiled, but shook her head. “Aww, crap.”

Whilst watching them, I felt someone poke my horn again. “Dammit, Adam!” I turned, finding Renee standing in front of me, staring at my protruding appendage. She pulled up a chair and sat down right in front of me, poking my horn again.

“Why does everyone want to poke my horn?” I sighed.

“Now that sounds dirty,” Adam commented, eliciting a few chuckles.

Renee poked my horn again. “Does it work?” she asked.

“Ask Lisa.” I smacked him, causing him to yelp.

“As far as I can tell,” I answered as I pulled my arm back, then looked over Renee’s shoulder. “Princess Celestia, does my horn work properly?”

“As far as I can tell, yes. The moment Luna and I connected you to the magic of our world, you became part of Equus. Your magic is indistinguishable from that of other unicorns.” Despite her words, she seemed concerned. “However, it is also weak and untrained. You’ve never used magic before, thus I cannot say how much potential you have, or if you have any potential at all. You may be limited to simple levitation, as both Luna and I have seen you perform, or…” Celestia turned to her sister, who briefly glanced neutrally at her. “You may surprise us. We cannot predict the future.”

Renee nodded at Celestia, then turned back to me with a grin. “You’re a wizard.”

“Not you too,” I moaned. “No game or Harry Potter references. This is real!” I motioned to my body.

“I know,” she replied with a smile. “But ever since I got to know you, you’ve been interested in magic. We spent hours playing wizards when we were young. You were engrossed with David Copperfield and the illusions he performed. Heck, you even learned a few easy tricks in second grade and insisted it was real magic.”

“I was just a dumb kid...” I mumbled.

“Age doesn’t matter,” she countered. She leaned forward and held her hand under my chin, gently forcing me to look her in the eye. “Do you remember the time we all went to Yellowstone? The first night after dinner, we just lied on the ground and looked up at the stars, wondering what was up there. I said that aliens definitively existed and asked you what you thought was up there in space. Remember what you said?”

I remembered that trip, having been the first time I had been to Yellowstone. "To quote myself, 'I think that somewhere out there, something might exist, a force so mysterious and incomprehensible to us that we’d have no idea what to call it, except magic.'"

“Exactly.” Renee lowered her hand and smiled. “All my life I’ve heard you talk about magic as if it was a real thing. So many times over the years have I had to listen to you try to explain magic in movies, games, and books. More than once, I’ve mentioned that you are either a complete nerd or possess an overactive imagination.” She stared me in the eye, awaiting a response. She was right, however, and I saw no point in denying it. From The Hobbit to The Silmarillion, I had driven my friends weary with my constant fixation on the subject. “Now I know why you’ve always been so interested in magic,” she finished once she realized that I wasn’t going to defend myself.

With a smile on her face, she walked over to the couch the alicorns sat on and went behind them, then poked their horns. Celestia’s eyes grew wide at the sudden touch, her body stiffening. Luna reacted similarly, turning around to glare at Renee. “Please refrain from touching my horn. A thousand years ago, touching our horn without permission was ample reason to be sent to the dungeons,” Luna huffed.

Renee quickly pulled her hand back, now aware of her faux pas. “Sorry, Your Highness, I was only illustrating my point.” She turned to me. “It’s in your blood,” Renee said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “You come from a line of people, or in this case, ponies, whose lives revolve around magic. As Max mentioned earlier, we spoke with the princesses while you and Lisa were gone, and they told us a little about Equestria. Weather made by pegasi, food grown by earth ponies, and unicorns once raising the sun and moon—all which would have been considered miracles or acts of God.” She sat down next to me. “If there had to be another place for you to live, I’d say Equestria is the place for you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, then whispered in my ear, “Give Equestria a chance. Here you can follow your childhood dream.”

I returned her embrace, feeling the warmth emanating from her. “Thanks, Renee, I’ll consider it.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. We hugged for a while longer until she released me and patted my cheek. “Feeling better?”

“A little bit,” I replied with a smile. It was true; this intervention was doing wonders for my psyche.

Renee walked back to the couch, sitting down next to Lisa. She nudged her, but Lisa remained seated, looking like she was trying to figure out what to say to me. In any case, she was beaten to the punch as the chair creaked ominously when Max sat down in front of me. Crossing his legs and arms, he looked me over, then cocked his head to the side for good measure.

“I’ve had games from Sam, and Harry Potter from Renee.” I crossed my arms and gave Max the stink eye. “If you mention Gandalf, I’ll kick you in the nuts.”

The gentle giant just smirked at me and chuckled. “Nothing so simple, no. I have no problem with who or what you are.” His smile quickly vanished as he glared at me. “What I have a problem with is the shit you’re trying to pull off.” He scooted closer to me until he was up in my face. “Lying in a bed, feeling sorry for yourself, not eating and drinking.” He shook his head disapprovingly. “Never in a million years I thought I’d see you act like that.”

I scoffed. “You’re not in my position, Max. You’re not the one who lost everything.”

Max raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Where did I come from, Magnus?” he asked quietly. “Where did my family come from, hmm?”

At first I didn’t understand what he was referring to. Only when I began digging deeper into the recesses of my mind did I remember that, although my situation was decidedly unique, Max and his parents had been through something similar years ago.

His full name was Maximilian Gottlieb, and his family came to America from East Germany two years before the Berlin Wall fell. He had been just a toddler and couldn’t remember much about his family’s escape to the West, but what I did know was that his family had brought nothing with them except some clothes and a few photographs. After a short period of time spent in England, they managed to find a way to America.

Max’s father, August, had no special education of worth and had been forced to work at a McDonald's in order to support his family. His mother, Gisela, found work cleaning offices in the evenings while August took care of Max. They had lived in a tiny apartment in New York at the time, and luxuries had been in short supply. Still, they survived.

Through hard work, August took evening classes in management while Gisela worked her way up the ranks in the cleaning company. It paid off in the end: August was offered a well-paid job in management for a grain production company in Montana and moved there with Gisela and Max. The company Gisela worked for had an office in my town where she transferred to and worked her way up the ladder.

They had had something, left everything, had nothing, and then managed to build themselves a new life. They truly exemplified the American Dream.

“Sorry, buddy, I forgot for a moment,” I muttered, briefly averting my gaze.

He shrugged. “It’s okay. What's important is that you understand your own situation. This,” he pointed at my hooves, “is not the end. A few changes, a few new body parts, they aren’t that important, not in my eyes anyway. What’s important is that you, my friend, understand that a life can be rebuilt.” I nodded slowly and sighed. I must have sounded disheartened. He made it sound so easy.

He leaned forward and patted my shoulder. “It takes a lot of work, sure, but you can do it. I know you, and I know that you aren’t afraid to work. You have skills, you have the ability, and you have opposable thumbs, which no ponies have.” He grinned and nodded to the princesses, who were eyeing my hands with interest. Now that I thought about it, I remembered minotaurs had hands as well, so they weren’t really that unique.

“So,” he leaned back in the chair, “hard work, faith in yourself, don’t give up, and you’ll be okay.”

Once again I nodded, but didn’t smile. “But you guys won’t be there.” I looked over to the others. “None of you will be.”

They nodded sombrely. Though I could rebuild my life in Equestria in terms of the physical stuff, maybe get a job, I couldn’t fill the gap their absence would leave.

Max walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I know, bro. We’ve always been there for each other through thick and thin. But sometimes, we have to go alone to places unknown. You’re just going very far, that’s all. Far enough that we will never see each other again.” He patted my shoulder. “You’ll live,” he said with a sense of finality and walked back to his chair, sitting without another word.

I stared at Max for a moment. It made sense for him to be the absolute voice of reason. Out of all of us, Max had been the poorest kid on the street, up until around he was ten. He had learned the value of hard work from his parents and he never wasted money, tight as it had been at times.

Turning to the others, I expected one of them to take the chair, though none did. Lisa still appeared to be thinking of something while Nick chewed his fingernails, tightly clutching the bottle. Even Adam seemed to be serious, the perpetual dopey grin absent from his face. Meanwhile, Jesse and Luna had resumed their glaring contest, prompting me to intervene before things got out of control again.

“Jesse, something on your mind?”

Jesse had been so preoccupied that she almost jumped from her seat when I called her name. Quickly looking my way, she huffed and crossed her arms. “What? Oh, just… I can’t believe these two, these kidnappers,” she huffed, eying Luna in particular. “They’ve practically kidnapped you, don’t you realize?”

I rubbed my temples in exasperation. “I’m not happy either. Did you think I wanted this? That I wanted to be taken away from everything I’ve ever known?” I asked with a frown. “I was scared out of my mind when I woke up surrounded by armed ponies. All I could do was what they commanded, and honestly, having an angry princess interrogating me wasn’t exactly reassuring.”

“I am sorry for my behaviour.” Celestia bowed her head slightly. “Anger interfered with my judgement. It was not my intent to frighten you so.”

I nodded to her. “But they haven’t harmed me either. They've fed me, given me a place to sleep and the clothes on my back, along with medical attention,” I exhaled and rested my head in my hands. “Right now, they’re the closest thing I have to allies in this place.”

“Yeah right!” Jesse exclaimed angrily. “You’re coming down with Stockholm Syndrome. They treat you right, make you dependent on them, gain your trust, and then they’ll fuck you over!” Some of my friends seemed to share that opinion by their slight nods, though they didn’t outright voice it.

Luna glared even harder at Jesse. “We will do no such thing!” Luna nearly shouted and pointed her hoof at me. “Your friend, whom you call brother, is one of the last known direct descendants of perhaps the greatest unicorns to have ever lived, one who was a close friend to my sister and me. We promised Star Swirl that we would aid and provide for Magnus.” Pausing, Luna’s sharp eyes alternated between Jesse and the others, as if daring them to disagree. No one spoke up, though their sceptical demeanour didn’t abate.

When Luna spoke again, her voice was more subdued. “Shall Sister and I break our promise?” she asked, her eyes shifting over to Jesse. “Should we have him evicted from the castle to live off the streets and be at the mercy of the citizenry? Should he be forced to rummage through trash cans for food and live in parks or perhaps scrape a meagre living in the forests? No, he shall not!” She declared with a powerful stomp with her hoof.

“Rest assured that Magnus is under our protection, now and forever. He is a citizen of Equestria, if he so desires. He will have the same rights as any citizen, meaning that he will be able to apply for any job he wishes for, if he possesses the right qualifications. He will be able to purchase property, buy food, and receive an education. We will not deny him the right to a peaceful life. If he has nothing but contempt for Luna and myself after tonight, we will leave him alone and never bother him again,” Celestia finished.

We all looked to Celestia, attempting to prise out any signs of deceit from her. There weren’t any nervous twitches, sweating, or forced smiles, just a solemn expression on her face. She either had an impressive poker face or was telling the truth.

Jesse was far from convinced. “Yeah, just keep saying that. Someday you might convince yourself to do the right thing,” she scoffed. She turned to me. “Magnus, just listen to me. Keep your guard up, okay? Don’t let it down, not even for a moment. You said there were dragons there, right? This is a fight for survival. Keep on your toes and learn how to defend yourself, because someday you’ll need to.”

“Okay, Jesse, I hear you; keep my guard up.” I had to admit that Jesse had a valid point. Celestia had said that I would eventually be accepted, and maybe she and Luna could guarantee that their subjects wouldn’t try anything with me, but what of the other nations, of the other races?

From what I remembered of the day I spent looking at the various sapient races of Equestria, I knew that I was at a severe disadvantage. The griffons had their wings and sharp claws, minotaurs seemed to possess enormous physical strength, while the diamond dogs resembled domesticated werewolves. One should never approach an unfamiliar dog, and the size of their arms made it clear that they could easily tear me in half. Even the ponies themselves could be dangerous. What stopped a unicorn from lifting me with their magic and throwing me into a wall? A pegasus could easily fly above me and cave my skull in with a powerful stomp of their hooves. A kick from a strong earth pony could shatter my legs in an instant. They might be small, but they were powerful in their own rights. And what did I have to defend myself with? My wits and two living goddesses on my side.

My list of allies wasn’t that bad, now that I thought about it. Still, better safe than sorry.

“I'll do what I can to stay safe, Jesse, but the princesses are my greatest and only allies in my situation.” She frowned at me. “Like it or not, I’ll have to give trust them, even Luna.” I frowned at Luna, whose ears pressed slightly against her skull.

“Again, please forgive me for violating your trust.”

“We’ll see.” I then turned back to the last three who hadn’t spoken yet. Nick was still nursing his bottle, having nearly drained it. I decided to talk to him while he was still coherent.

“Nick?” He nearly jumped when I mentioned his name. He momentarily forgot about his bottle, which fell onto the floor and spilled its contents on the rug.

“What? Sorry, sorry.” He picked up the bottle and attempted to save the precious liquid, but its contents were unsalvageable.

“Don’t worry about it. The alcohol isn’t really here.” I tried to calm him, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“I know, and I don’t exist here either,” he replied with a shaking voice. “And knowing that I’m gonna be gone when you wake up scares the shit out of me.”

“Come on, Nick, it’s not that bad. You know, I made you from memory, and I think that you’ll return to my memory later. “

“Yeah, that isn’t comforting at all,” Nick replied sarcastically. “If you made me up in your mind, does that mean that if you think of something else, I’ll change into that? What if you think of a Xenomorph or a Predator? What if you think about Cthulhu and I become him?!” Rubbing his reddened face, Nick sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, bro, but… I’m too scared to think of anything to help you. Just… live, okay? Wasting away isn’t your thing.”

With a smile, I nodded. “That’ll do. Every bit helps in the end.”

Resting his head in his hands, Nick leaned forward, with Renee patting his back in an effort to comfort him. He looked like he needed it.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lisa finally focus on me. Turning to her, a flicker of a smile crossed her lips. “Magnus, I’ve known you for years, first as a nerdy little brother, then as my boyfriend, and lastly, as a friend again. I liked you when we were kids, loved you as my boyfriend, and love you as my friend. Just thinking about never seeing you again hurts in here.” She laid her hand over her chest, tapping it twice. Biting her lip, she wiped away a tear from her eye.

I could never handle seeing her cry, and tonight was no different. Standing, I walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. Taking her hand in mine, I sat as close to her as I could. She leaned on my shoulder, sniffled, and looked into my eyes.

“We weren’t meant to be, and now you… maybe you aren’t meant for Earth either. You would die if you stayed, but here you have a new chance at life.” A tremulous smile on her face, she placed her hand on my cheek. I leaned into her hand, savouring her warm touch, perhaps the last time I would be near another human.

“We can’t come with you this time; now you’re all alone,” she murmured sadly. “I still love you as a brother, and I don’t want you to die. I just want you to be happy. And maybe, maybe this is a new beginning for you. Maybe you can build a new life here if you really try.”

She sobbed and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face into my chest. I hugged her back, holding her as she silently wept. I would cry as well, but found myself unable to for some reason. I just kept my arms around Lisa, letting her cry until she felt she could go on.

Moments later, she pulled herself back and gazed at my face, her eyes reddened and teary. “You know, new beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

Her words struck me like a hammer. They were painful words, but carried with them immense hope, that somehow everything would turn out alright, no matter what. It left me speechless, unable to muster an adequate response. Instead, I hugged Lisa once more, burying my face on her shoulder as the tears flowed.

“Truer words have never been spoken before,” I heard Luna declare with a quivering voice, quickly followed by a teary sniffle that sounded like Celestia.

Eventually, our embrace ended. Although Lisa moved away slightly, I still held on for just a few seconds longer. After finally releasing her, she gazed at my face with trembling lips, wiping my tears away with her thumb. I did the same for her.

“I have hope in you. I know you can do this. All you have to do is try.”

I gave her my most reassuring smile. “I’ll try.”

She placed her hands on my temples and gave me a gentle kiss on my lips. “And you’ll be okay.”

I savoured the feeling of her soft lips on mine. How I’d missed her.

I prepared to stand when I noticed how unusually quiet my friends were. When I turned to them, they all beamed at me, Celestia and Luna as well. Even Grandfather sat proudly in his chair with shimmering eyes and a warm smile that brought back memories of my youth. They knew me, knew who I was, knew what I could do. Most importantly, they had hope in me, more than I had in myself.

Placing the palm of my hand on Lisa’s chin, I kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”

I returned to my own chair and sat down. Adam sat next to me, still looking thoughtful. Without saying anything, moved over to the chair in front of me, turning it around and resting his arms on the back of the chair. He was uncharacteristically quiet, with an unnaturally neutral expression on his face.

“Bet you expect me to say something funny, huh? Maybe a few jokes about your appearance or something similar?” he asked seriously.

“I was expecting something like that,” I answered.

He smiled briefly. “I planned to, but laughing doesn’t work in every situation, this one least of all. I often try to make people laugh in order to cheer them up. It feels better and safer than angry words. What harm can people do when they’re laughing?” He looks over to the others. “What kind of advice can I give that they haven’t already told you? Live and see the world you’re in? Learn magic? Survive?” He shook his head. “I can’t tell you what to do—I’m not good with advice. I can joke around, try to make you laugh, probably come up with something if you give me time, but something tells me that we don’t have that luxury.”

“So what can I do? What can I say?” Adam sighed and rested his head on his arms. “I’ve never been good at things like this. I can never find the right words.”

“I believe, young Adam, that whatever you say will be beneficial, as long as it comes from your heart,” Celestia suggested.

Adam looked at Celestia, slightly pursing his lips before nodding sombrely. His eyes wandered downwards briefly before he met my gaze. “Magnus, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been my best friend. You are my bro, my buddy. Ever since we were kids, I’ve always considered you a calm and life-loving guy.”

Adman had described me as many things over the years, but that was the one that he often used. Still, it was almost disconcerting how serious he was acting.

“‘Magnus loves life’, that’s my best description of you. You live life one day at a time, not worrying about making money or stressing like most people do. Most importantly, you, my brother, make an effort to be happy with what you have available.” Adam’s lips thinned as he grimaced and shook his head. “Then I hear you want to waste your life. Who are you? Where’s my brother?”

I opened my mouth to object, but quickly closed it. Had I really changed that much in such a short amount of time that even my own friend couldn’t recognize me? Had my grief turned me into something else?

“My brother wouldn’t just lie down and die!” Adam exclaimed loudly, his mouth twisting into a sneer. “My brother is stronger than this weak piece of shit satyr I see sitting before me! My brother fought against a condition that could have killed him for years before he finally triumphed! Every single day, my brother endured headaches so strong that the pain alone sometimes made him vomit, even pass out, but he always managed to stand up on his own when the pain lessened! So I ask you, satyr…” Still fuming, Adam leaned forward until he was in my face, his teeth grinding so loudly that I could hear it.

“Where. Is. My. Brother?”

I couldn’t answer, for I had none. I had never seen Adam so furious before, and frankly, it scared me. He was right, though. I had always managed to get up after having a particularly bad day of headaches, and he had borne witness to the times when it had been so unbearable when I had been reduced to begging my grandfather for help. Now, it seemed my lack of fight had tripped him off.

Slowly, he backed away, swiping a hand through his hair. “I thought I knew you, but I don’t. I always thought you were a strong guy, not physically strong like Max, but stronger emotionally and mentally, able to take whatever was thrown at you and still keep standing. Don’t you understand?” he asked, almost pleading with me. “Can you really just throw in the towel and give up on life just because we’re not there?”

A dull throbbing made itself known in my stomach as my chest tightened. Was it guilt I was experiencing? Were my actions so selfish that they had been exposed in front of my friends? The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I had actually considered leaping off one of the towers to end everything, but in the end, I didn’t do it. Even considering doing something like that back on Earth would have made me question my sanity. Now, having confessed it all to my friends made me feel like I had betrayed them in some way.

“Well? Speak up, Magnus!” Adam demanded impatiently.

“I… I’m sorry… I just—”

“You just what?” In one swift motion, he pushed the chair away and took a step towards me. “You just want to die because we aren’t there? That you’d rather die than live without us?” He pointed at Lisa, who jerked slightly. “Lisa, do you want Magnus to die?” he asked, to which she shook her head.

“No, I want him to live,” she answered in a heartbeat.

Adam then pointed at Renee. “Do you want him to live?”

“Of course I do.”

“Nick, the same question.”

“Live, of course.”

“Sammy?”

“Live and learn magic.”

“Max?”

“Live and learn.”

“Jesse?”

“Live so that he can one day get revenge on these two horned bitches.”

“And what about you two?” Adam asked he turned towards the two alicorns, who were observing Adam’s impromptu interrogation with interest. “Do you want Magnus to live or die?”

“I wish for Magnus to live so that he may learn where one part of his family came from and build a life of happiness for himself,” Celestia answered.

“I wish for Magnus to live so that he may experience a full life that was denied his line for centuries.” Luna paused for a moment, then added, “Perhaps in time, he may have a family of his own.”

Adam’s stern expression softened into a deadpan look. “Not quite there yet, Your Highness, ‘cause that’s just nasty!”

He then turned to the last person, who had borne silent witness to the proceedings. “Joe?” He made sure to modulate his tone, as he’d always been respectful towards my grandfather. “What’s your answer?”

Grandfather merely smiled. “Magnus has already decided—he just doesn’t know it yet,” he replied, as enigmatic as he was in life. As annoying as it was, it was nice to hear him speak like that again.

Seemingly satisfied with the answers he received, Adam once again made his way over to me. Resting his hands on his hips, he looked down at me with the same facial expression a parent had when chiding a child. “There you have it; no more excuses. We all want you to live—even the rulers of Equestria want you alive and kicking. Take a look.” He pointed to my friends.

The way they all looked at me was as though they had my back, telling me to choose the right path without saying a single word. Even Celestia and Luna sat there with knowing smiles on their faces, and in their eyes, I saw the same.

‘Choose life and find happiness. This life is not yet over; there’s still much to see and experience. It won’t be easy at first, but it will get better,’ I heard a voice in my head say. It took a second for me to realize that the voice was in fact my own, and the revelation felt like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Despite all that I had lost, I had managed to bring forth those who meant the world to me. Their encouragement, their love, and care overrode my grief, if only for a while, so that I could remember who I was back on Earth. Though my old dreams were now ashes, who’s to say I couldn’t have new ones? Who’s to say that I couldn’t create a new life from scratch? I couldn’t possibly sink any lower, so the only way from here was up. I thought—no, I knew I could do it. They believed it, and they knew me better than anyone else. It wouldn’t be easy, but starting a new life never was. There would be obstacles, both immediate and in the future, but eventually I would be able to walk around as a free man, free to choose my own path in life.

I realized then that the only thing that had held me back was me, but no more. Now more than ever, it was time for me to stand on my own two legs. My friends, my brothers and sisters, had held my hand for long enough, but now it was time to let them go and walk ahead on my own in a land where they couldn’t follow me. They had each other, and I knew they would be alright.

“I understand now,” I said. “It’s time to go on my own. It’s time to live.”

The relief on their faces was plain to see. It was as if they had expected the worst, an even greater indication that I chose correctly.

“That’s great! We finally got through to you!” Adam gave me an encouraging pat on the shoulder. The others came up as well, offering words of encouragement and hugs from the girls. Grandfather placed his hands on my shoulders as he positively beamed.

“In your despair, you strayed from the path, but found your way once again,” he stated, pride lacing his voice. “However, do not do live for us, live for yourself. Only then can you be happy.” He then gave me a bear hug, and I swore I heard him choke back a happy sob.

“I will, Grandpa.” I patted his back, feeling a bit teary-eyed myself. I was surprised to feel a wing touch my shoulder. Turning around, I found Celestia and Luna standing next to me, looking just as pleased as my friends.

“I am overjoyed to see you make the right decision, Magnus. All life has worth, and wasting yours would be terrible.” She smiled even wider as she looked around at my friends. “You have a good family to support you even in this time of need.”

“The very best,” I replied proudly, to which my siblings agreed heartily.

Luna stood proudly next to her sister. “You may not be bound to them by blood, but as far as I can tell, it makes no difference. You care for them as they care for you, and that is all that matters.” Luna’s smile suddenly dimmed. “However, remember that you created them from your own perspective. If they were real, it is quite possible that their opinions would be different.”

“Christ, lady!” Nick shouted next to Luna. “Don’t remind me that I have to go back into his head when he wakes up. I’m having a hard enough time dealing with being a dream as it is!” He then proceeded to flick her horn repeatedly.

Although it didn’t seem to hurt her, Luna flinched each time his hands struck her horn. “Please, corpulent one, you have nothing to fear. Returning to Magnus’ mind will not harm you at all. It will be as if you are falling asleep.”

“It’s like Inception, and it’s not helping!” Nick screamed as he flicked her horn repeatedly. Luna merely sighed.

“This is why I rarely tell ponies to create their friends in dreams. There is always one who objects to returning to the mind.”

Nick’s constant flicking and the sound it elicited, coupled with Luna’s deadpan look, was enough for us to burst out laughing. Even Celestia found some amusement in watching her sister’s horn be molested by Nick.

It was Sammy who noticed first what was happening around us. “What’s that?” He pointed to the wall. Turning to where he indicated, I saw ripples forming on the solid wood, like rings in a pond.

“The dream will end soon,” Luna stated as she stepped forward, studying the slow-forming ripples. “Dawn approaches, and you will soon wake up.”

‘No, not yet. I still have so much to say to them.’ It seemed as if hours, or even days had passed. Had it only been a single night?

“Is there a way to prolong the dream?” I asked, hoping that Luna had another trick up her sleeve… or shoe, or maybe in her tiara.

She shook her head. “There is, but I do not believe it would serve any purpose. You have spoken to your friends and family, listened to their advice, and you have decided to live. What else do you wish to do?”

There was one thing had bothered me for quite some time. I had said goodbye to them the day before I left and promised to return in a few weeks. Now, I could never do so in reality.

“I want to say farewell, a proper farewell.”

***

Magnus and his ‘siblings’ walked out of the cabin and into the small clearing where the cabin was located. Luna and Celestia followed them outside and came to a halt a few meters from the porch. The dark clouds had parted, leaving only a few white scattered clouds. Dawn had yet to arrive, though the dark skies above were slowly growing lighter.

No longer did chilly winds howl amongst the treetops; now it was only a slightly warm, mild breeze swirling in the forest. Around them, the ice that had formed on the trees and ground had begun melting away, forming tiny streams that flowed through the clearing. Even the trees and other vegetation surrounding them had changed; small green buds sprung forth from the limbs of trees while small green sprouts grew from the ground. It was as if spring had arrived on its own.

Celestia and Luna knew better. The transformation of the forest and the skies was a result of Magnus coming to terms with his situation. By accepting all that had happened, a change had come to his mind. The dream had turned from cold and dreary to hopeful and expectant, reflecting his inner emotions.

The two alicorns decided they did not want to disturb the final farewell and gave Magnus and his friends their privacy. Watching the small group of friends interact with each other, seemingly without a worry in the world, gave the two alicorns a sense of relief.

“It seems as if our young charge has made up his mind. Look how happy he is,” Celestia noted, watching Magnus being heaved up on Max’s shoulders as they laughed.

“He is happy when he is surrounded by them,” Luna replied. She had spent most of the dream observing how he interacted with his friends. It seemed that friendship amongst humans was different from that of ponies, somewhat rougher perhaps, yet it did not weaken their bond in the slightest. “They mean the world to him, as siblings often do. They are supportive, accepting, and forgiving. They are the best things that could have happened to him.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. Having a sibling was worth more than any treasure. From childhood games of hide and seek to more mature conversations as an adult—and perhaps the occasionally silly game—Luna was a constant in her life, as Magnus’ friends had been to him.

“What do you think will happen now? You can touch the minds of dreamers in this state. Do you think that he will find it easier to move past his grief?”

Luna closed her eyes for a moment as she prodded the human's mind. “No, he is fully aware that they are figments of his dream. He knows that their responses would vary if they were real, but at this moment, he does not care. For now, each voice, each touch, each silly joke shared is what commands his attention. And when he wakes up, he will take his first steps towards reclaiming his life. I think we should give him the time he needs.”

Watching the merry group of young adults interact with each other, Joseph limped down the stairs and stopped beside Celestia. Crossing his arms over his chest, he beamed warmly at the sight of his grandson. Celestia and Luna looked at Joseph, noticing his expression.

“Your grandson is a good colt,” Celestia said, momentarily forgetting to refer to Magnus as man. “You must be proud of him.”

“I have always been proud of him,” Joseph replied. “The last thing I said to my grandson was that whatever happened to him, I would always be proud of him. I’m even more so now that he has chosen life.”

“Raising your grandson on your own must not have been an easy feat, but I must applaud your noble effort.” Luna inclined her head slightly, then turned to the group of friends enjoying each other’s company.

“It wasn’t always easy. Often, I wished that my wife was there to help me. God knows Magnus needed a mother figure in his life instead of relying on an old man all the time.” Joseph turned to the princesses, his countenance faltering slightly. “I’m afraid that my grandson will feel alone. He is unique, not only in body, but also in mind and spirit. He has a human mindset, a human way of thinking and approaching problems, which I believe is different than that of a pony. Will that be a problem for him?”

Luna quickly moved to reassure him. “I do not believe it would. There are many races living in Equestria, many with ways of thinking different than that of a pony. Magnus will find his place amongst us. We will be there for your grandson, whatever situations he will face. Star Swirl depended on us to help, and help we will. We give you our word; Magnus will never be alone.” Celestia nodded in agreement.

Joseph’s contented appearance returned. “Then I am satisfied. Please, take good care of him.”

The elders returned to watching Magnus and his friends for several minutes. Eventually, the youngsters came back to them, stopping a short distance away.

“So…” Magnus’ voice quivered as he stepped forward and faced his friends. “I guess… this is it, then?” His friends nodded sadly. After a few moments of awkward hesitation, Lisa walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“You take care of yourself, okay?” she said with a tear running down her cheek. Magnus hugged her back and rested his chin on her head.

“I will, don’t worry.”

She released him and walked back to the rest. Then Sammy stepped forward. He reached out to Magnus and shook his hand, while the other came to rest on his shoulder. “Good luck, buddy. Go, live a good life.” Sammy then leaned closer. “If you learn how to use magic, just… stay away from the dark stuff, okay?”

A bark of laughter escaped Magnus’ lips. “I’ll stay away from anything dark and with tentacles.” Sammy nodded once and stepped back.

Max walked forth. Both Luna and Celestia surmised that he had an impressive physique, at least compared to the others. It seemed that hard work had been ingrained in his life. He reached out and shook Magnus’ hand firmly. “Good luck. You can make a life here. We believe in you,” he stated without showing much emotion.

“I’ll do my best, Max. You take care now; remember leg day as well.”

“Always,” the gentle giant responded with a grin. “I have a dream to make real; you do the same.” With that, Max returned to the others.

The next one to step forward was Renee. She slowly but firmly laid her arms around his neck, sniffling lightly as she did. “Be good, and ponies will be good to you. The princesses say that Equestria is a good world, and in good places, good things will happen.”

“I hope they do. I’ve lost so much already that I have nothing else to lose.” Magnus ran his hand gently through her hair. “Things can only get better at this point.”

“It will, just have patience.” Eventually, Renee slowly released him and walked back, standing next to Lisa as she wiped away a tear.

With visibly shaking legs, Nick approached Magnus. “I…” he began, but paused awkwardly. “I really, really, really don’t want to go back into your head. You always get some weird ideas, especially when you have a few beers in you. But…” His shoulders sagged. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what I did when we were young, and… I hope you can make a good life for yourself, okay? No weird shit, just a nice little house, a decent job, just something to make you happy.”

Magnus stared at his friend in silence for a few moments before replying, “A lot of things will change for me, but you helped me reconsider, all of you. I think—no, I know I can do something here. What that is… well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Nick nodded at hearing the slight swell of confidence in Magnus’ voice. He then shook his hand. “Good. I’ll just… see you on the other side.”

“See you there then.” Magnus nodded back at him.

Nick returned to his friends, still visibly trembling. His fear of returning to Magnus’ mind was evidently clear, but Luna knew that he would suffer no ill effects. That in turn reminded Luna that she had gone against Magnus’ wishes in invading his mind, and they still had a potentially unpleasant conversation ahead of them.

Jesse stepped forward with clenched fists. Stopping in front of Magnus, she cast a caustic glare at the two alicorns. “You…” she practically snarled. “Magnus.” Her eyes turned to her ‘brother’. “Be careful around those two. Don’t make any deals with them unless you know exactly what it entails. Strange dogs often bite the hand that pets them.”

‘Did that foal just refer to us as dogs?’ Luna pursed her lips tightly together, not wishing to ruin this final farewell by giving that foul human a piece of her mind. Still, Jesse was very protective of Magnus, which fuelled her anger. In a way, Luna could understand the sentiment.

“But…” Jesse grimaced slightly. “You might have to depend on them for a while. Just watch your six.”

Luna and Celestia raised a brow in surprise at her statement as Magnus laid his arm around Jesse, kissing her forehead. “I have a lot to learn here. I have to trust them in order to survive. If it makes you sleep easier, I’ll look over my shoulder for a while.”

“Good.” Jesse surprised Magnus by wiggling out of his grip, then proceeding to hold him in a headlock while rubbing her knuckles over his head. “And this is for scaring the shit out of us, you prick!”

“Ow! Stop! Jesse, let go!”

To the alicorns, the scalp massage Magnus received looked rather rough and unpleasant. Human customs, it seemed, were very strange. Magnus eventually managed to get the young female off him, and after a short hug, she walked away with a smile on her lips.

The last of his friends said nary a word as he walked up to Magnus. Adam’s eyes shimmered as his mouth opened and his voice whispered, “It’s hard… saying goodbye. I just… I… I try to joke, to make things seem less serious, but...” He shook his head mournfully. “You… You’re really going… away…”

Magnus nodded slowly as he stepped forward, grabbing Adam's hand and pulling him into a brotherly embrace. Magnus’ breath shuddered as his hands tightened around his friend. They were silent, but Celestia knew that Magnus’ mind was whirling more in that moment that it had ever previously done. Whatever fond farewells he might have uttered could never have been justified in mere words.

She realized that the one Magnus had mentioned most during his relatively brief time in Equestria was Adam. He was the first one he called brother, he had been Magnus’ first friend, and logic dictated that he was the closest one to him. A younger brother of sort.

It tore even more at her heart. A final farewell. Even though Adam wasn’t real, he meant more to Magnus that he could ever imagine. He and his friends had saved a life by simply being there.

Adam and Magnus eventually took a step back, still facing each other. Adam, still teary-eyed, attempted to grin, although his pain shone through. “Be good, bro.” He nodded weakly. “Go. Live. Be happy.”

“I’ll do my best. It’s a long road that I have in front of me.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Goodbye, Adam. I’ll see you later, brother.” Adam nodded and trudged back until he stood by his friends.

A moment of silence fell over the group. Siblings watched their brother, brother watched siblings, alicorns observed brothers and sisters bid one of their own goodbye, while a grandfather saw a new dawn rise in his grandson.

It was perfect, yet so sad.

Max glanced to his friends, then to the alicorns as he stepped forward. “We talked with each other back there.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “And we want to ask you two a favour.”

Lisa walked forward until she stood next to Magnus and grabbed his left hand. “Take care of our brother, please.”

Celestia and Luna felt a warm glow suffuse their bodies. They couldn’t help be touched that Magnus’ friends had made the same request as Star Swirl and Joseph.

“We will take Magnus under our wings and shall protect him as we protect our subjects,” Luna vowed.

A wave of relief washed over their faces upon hearing the alicorn’s words. “Oh. Good!” Adam suddenly said, sounding unusually happy. “In that case, I have a few pointers about our bro here.” He walked up to stand next to Magnus. “So, you need to feed him three times a day—his favourite food is pizza. He’s potty-trained, so forget the newspapers. Take him for a walk at least once a—” Magnus raised his right arm, and with one swift downward motion, struck Adam between his legs. He collapsed to his knees, his hands covering the point of impact as he gasped and wheezed in what sounded like equal parts laughter and pain.

If stallions and human males were biologically the same, Celestia and Luna now possessed newfound knowledge on human anatomy.

“You’re still a garden gnome, Adam,” Magnus said as he helped his friend up on his feet, chuckling as he did.

“We promise we will take Magnus for a walk,” Celestia stated with a giggle. “We may also consider finding suitable chew toys for him.”

“Jesting aside, I must remind you that you might awaken at any moment.” The ripples in the world around them were becoming increasingly prominent. “Magnus, are you ready?”

He nodded morosely and turned to his friends. “Well, this is it. I’ll just… go now… and wake up.” He turned around and looked to his grandfather. “Grandpa…”

“I know it’s hard,” the old man said as he walked to stand next to his grandson, “but let me make it easier. Do you remember the funeral speech that was recited at my funeral? Let me give you the transition to a new world. I think it would fit very well in this situation.”

Joseph stood straight and placed a hand on his grandson’s back, then pointed to the young ones. His voice took on a tone that sounded almost formal, perhaps with a trace of religiosity. “Born as a human and lived like a human,” he began. “Spoke like a human and acted like a human. Loved like a human and died as a human.” He gently turned Magnus around so that he was facing Celestia and Luna, then gave him a slight push in their direction. “Leave the worn path of your old life behind and head towards the new path of your new life. See the other end, see the new life that waits, and when you arrive, you are alive.” Celestia and Luna stepped aside so that Magnus stopped between them. He then turned around so that he faced his friends and his grandfather.

“Remember the life you left and mourn it not, for there is no death, only life. That is the truth of the Great Spirit.” With his speech concluded, Joseph folded his hands over his chest. “It’s fitting, isn’t it?”

“Your ways were never really my ways,” Magnus replied with a smile. “But today your cryptic words fit quite well.”

Celestia and Luna agreed as well, though they did so silently. The words spoken by Joseph were most likely part of his spiritual beliefs as a shaman.

“Princess Luna, what do I do now? How can they return to my mind?” Magnus asked, his voice cracking slightly.

“They will return to your memories when you wake up, which will happen now,” Luna said, hoping that Magnus was finally ready to part with his friends

Magnus turned back to his friends as the entire dream began to ripple, even his friends and grandfather, like reflections in water. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Guys… See you around, okay?”

They smiled back. The only one who did not smile was Nick, who clung to Jesse, obviously afraid. He wouldn’t be for much longer.

“See you around, brother,” they replied in unison, some of them waving to him.

Joseph nodded approvingly. “Goodbye, Grandson. Live in peace.”

Mere moments later, they turned into dust and vanished into thin air. Magnus fell to his knees and sobbed loudly as reality gripped him.

***

I woke. I did not jump up from bed, nor did I gasp or scream. My eyes simply opened. The room was no longer dark, the first light of dawn beginning to filter into the room, illuminating tiny specks of dust floating between me and the ceiling. I slowly rose and found Celestia and Luna at the foot of the bed, eyeing me carefully. I wasn’t surprised to find them there since I had spent the entire night with them. I knew that I should be angry with them, but instead, I was… thankful.

I still remembered everything from the dream. Not a single detail had blurred, as if everything that occurred had happened in real life. Somehow, what I remembered best was my promise to my friends and grandfather—my promise to make a life, to be happy. It didn’t matter if they were products of my own memory and imagination—they had been the greatest and most real versions of my friends that I could have thought of.

My silence and faraway stare caused Luna to take a step forward. “Magnus—” I silenced her by holding up my hand.

“Never go into my dreams again…” I stated.

She nodded, seemingly crestfallen. “As you wish.”

Satisfied with her answer, I sighed deeply and placed my hands over my face. God, it pained so much, knowing I would never see them again. I could help the sob escaping my throat as the truth crashed down on me again. Immediately, I felt the mattress compress near my legs as two warm necks softly nuzzled against my own, the wings of two goddesses wrapping around me.

I couldn’t tell why or how, but somehow I felt the need to gently press my neck back against theirs, and as I did so, I felt slightly more at ease, like it confirmed that I was safe and cared for. I liked it.

“It’s okay, shhh,” Celestia cooed. “It’s okay now.”

“We are here for you, Magnus. You will not face the world alone,” Luna assured me.

I had lost nearly everything: my family, my world, my possessions. All that was left was twenty-seven years of memories of a world and people I would never see again. All that remained was the sorrow of loss. Except for one thing.

My word. My promise. A promise to live, to experience, to build a life for myself, promised to the people I cared more for than anything else. My family.

I wouldn’t break my promise to them. I would die one day, but by then I’d be old and grey, not while I still had a life to live. It was going to be tough, but I would continue to struggle and break down any obstacles that stood in my path. I would live, not for my friends, but for myself.

As grief strengthened its hold on me and my tears started flowing, I wrapped an arm around each alicorn and held them close, hugging them for dear life. They returned the embrace, their declaration of support hovering around us.

I don’t think I would ever be alone again.

Author's Notes:

Whoo! There we go! One year and five months worth of writing finally on the internet. And this was only the first part

From here on out the chapters will be about trying to live in Equestria. How will he be received by the ponies? What type of job will he find? Will he live in Canterlot castle or will he find an apartment? Are there still members of the Galaxy family in Equestria?

By the way, the response from the previous chapter was insane. The next time I logged back in I had so many notifications; new watchers, my story ending up as either tracking, favorited or read later, and of course comments.

You guys are great!

Edit.: JBL continues to amaze me. His work in editing is a great boon to me, and should he one day decide to write a story of his own I'll drop everything just to see what he can conjure up.

Chapter 26 - Intermission 1 - Funeral (Edited by JBL 07.31.2017)

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One Week After the Dream.

The day gradually approached its end, the skies and the clouds adopting a slightly crimson hue as the sun neared the horizon. Usually, at this hour, Princess Celestia's workday would have concluded, and she would have dinner with her sister before retiring to her private quarters for rest, relaxation, and a few spare hours to spend on her hobbies. Aside from being an avid reader, Celestia had a private garden within the castle grounds. No gardeners were allowed there, only Celestia herself and a few select ponies, with every plant growing in her garden maintained by her. She found having a private garden was a pleasant way to keep in touch with the earth pony side of her. Flying, while mainly being a means of transportation for the common pegasus, was also a hobby that she enjoyed. She would soar above the clouds, watching the earth far beneath her, finding a nice fluffy cloud to rest on and simply observe life continue without her being needed for every single decision. Tonight, she could certain do with stretching her wings for a while.

Wandering into her quarters from the balcony, Celestia closed the glass doors and headed towards her closet. Opening it, she retrieved her saddlebags, cream and gold-trimmed as they were, along with a simple white traveling cloak. She folded the cloak and placed it in the saddlebags, then slung the bags over her back, ensuring that they would not interfere with her wings when flying. She then headed over to a cabinet filled with various items. Some were just souvenirs while others held far more value, being mementos of friends long gone and items from different eras. Amongst the various items, a lacquered brown wooden box stood out. Taking the box in her magic, Celestia opened the lid, revealing a horn resting on a bed of royal purple silk and rose petals.

It felt so surreal to her, looking at the horn of a friend resting on silk and flowers instead of being on his head. The small funeral Celestia and Luna held ages ago had been a simple affair. They had buried a box with some of Star Swirl’s favourite possessions, along with a painting of him. A common funeral gift in the Unicorn Kingdom at the time had been a gem filled with magic; Celestia and Luna had given Star Swirl one each, signifying his importance in the old unicorn realm. They also recorded their happiest memories of him on a scroll which they also buried.

However, Star Swirl would be laid to rest amongst his kin tonight, and Celestia and Luna would gain closure. It had taken nearly five millennia, but he had finally returned home.

Three sharp knocks sounded from the door, followed by a female voice, "It is Luna." Using her magic, Celestia opened the door to allow her sister to trot inside.

"Forgive my lateness, but I decided to see to Magnus before we departed," Luna commented as she walked up to her sister. Twilight and Spike had returned to Ponyville the day prior, having observed that Magnus was doing well, relatively speaking. They would return at a later date when Magnus was to be revealed to Equestria, bringing with them their Ponyville friends.

"That was very thoughtful of you. How is he?"

"He was sleeping.” Celestia fixed Luna with a questioning gaze. “I did not peer into his dream! I did not even touch upon it,” Luna defended before Celestia could ask further. “He speaks in his sleep, and his mumbling told me that he dreamt of home.”

Celestia nodded. The difficult part was over for Magnus, though that was scant comfort to one who had to rebuild his life from scratch. It would not be easy, but at least he wouldn't be alone. She visited him regularly, just to ascertain he was okay. At least he answered when spoken to, but only in short sentences, and he never initiated conversation. Quite often, she found him either staring out the windows or reading all the cards that came with the flowers that now filled his room. The compassion her beloved ponies displayed was touching. Occasionally, a faint smile appeared on Magnus' face when he read a card, and Celestia took it as a sign that he was on the mend.

Luna looked down at the box cradled in Celestia's golden magic. Frowning slightly at the morbid sight, she could not stop a tear escaping her eye. A good friend, a long gone companion, now nothing more than a horn and memories. The horn alone was disturbing, but one part of Luna was happy that at least now they had something physical of Star Swirl to lay besides his family.

Luna looked towards the balcony and the slowly fading daylight. "Shall we depart? Hollow Shades is quite some distance away."

"Yes, let's go." Celestia closed the box, placed it carefully within her saddlebags, and closed the flap.

"I spoke with the new Captain of the Guard, a young Captain Valiant. He was most distressed over us flying instead of taking a carriage, and even more disturbed over us going without an escort," Luna mentioned casually as they stepped out onto the balcony.

"I know, he requested several meetings with me today, desperately wanting at least four guards to go with us. I firmly declined his offer since the funeral is for friends and family only." Celestia sighed. "Sometimes, it feels like our little ponies think we are made of brittle glass."

Luna chuckled. "If only they knew of the adventures we had before we became Princesses. What do you think they would say if we revealed half of the battles we fought?"

"I do believe the Royal Guard would collectively resign since they would think we do not need them."

Luna snickered in response.

Spreading their wings, the two alicorns took to the skies and turned until they faced north-east, heading in that direction. While they flew, the time eventually came for the sun to set and the moon to rise. An appropriate-sized cloud served as a platform for them to land while they performed their centuries-old ritual. Once completed, they resumed their journey.

The moon had held reign over Equestrian skies for several hours when Celestia and Luna finally neared their destination. As they flew over the Foal Mountains and crossed into the misty forest, they saw several faint lights in the distance; Hollow Shades, the Nocturnal town, home of the bat ponies. Nearly every pony living there was a bat pony, with a smattering of the other Equestrian races making up the rest. It was not a huge town, being nearly twice the size of Ponyville. However, their destination was not the town itself, but the single source of light at the foot of the mountain just north of the town.

It did not take long before they arrived at their destination. Celestia and Luna landed at the edge of the forest, just a brief walk from their goal. Stretching their wings after such a long flight, Celestia opened her saddle bags and threw on her traveling cloak, making sure to cover her head with the hood. Luna opted instead for her enchanted cloak. Upon her command, a group of bats formed above her and dove towards her body, clinging to it until they turned to black cloth, thus completing her attire. Celestia sometimes wondered why Luna chose such a dramatic enchantment, but understood that it was part of the mystery of the night that Luna liked to be a part of.

They began walking towards the source of the light, and it soon came into view. Solid stone once made up the walls of the structure, with crenulations on top providing ample cover for both defence and offense. Now, the walls were crumbling, having collapsed completely in some places, moss and vegetation running rampant over it. Where the wall still stood firm, ivy concealed the stone while moss and other plants found homes within in the cracks. A deep moat had once existed around the walls, but was now completely filled with dirt and mud, with no sign of it having ever existed.

They approached the wrought-iron gate which stood open. While passing through, Luna paused to look at the symbol adorning the centre of the gate. It was a flat disk of black stone with an outer rim of silver. From the centre of the disk, five silver arms extended outwards in a spiral pattern from a sparkling circular diamond until they connected with the outer ring. In the spaces between the arms, the black stone was adorned by tiny sparkling flecks of various coloured precious stones. As Luna continued walking, the moonlight reflecting on the disk caused it to flicker and sparkle.

At one time, this symbol had been known across Equestria, signifying success, wealth, power, and magic. This was the ancient crest of the Galaxy family.

Continuing on, the two sisters found themselves in a courtyard, a cobblestone path leading towards the main building. A dried-out marble fountain with unicorns in various poses stood in the middle of the path, with benches surrounding it. Various trees and decorative shrubs once gave the garden around them an impressive flair of wealth, but no longer. The garden itself showed signs of neglect, with parts of it appearing like it hadn't been maintained for at least a hundred years, though there was a small section that had been well-maintained, judging by the freshly mowed lawn.

The main structure loomed ahead. The ancient four storey mansion was built close to the mountain, its back to a steep cliff, with the crumbling outer wall forming a horseshoe pattern around the mansion. It had changed numerous times over the years. The Galaxy family had first built it as a castle, then converted it into both a defensive structure as well as a home. Currently, the structure more resembled a building ravaged by time than the usual opulent mansions found in Canterlot. Still, shades of its former majesty and elegance were still evident in its late First Age of Harmony-era style architecture. Two circular towers loomed from the centre of the mansion while statues of gargoyles and various other creatures stood eternal guard on the roofs. Though diminished, it had not yet lost its glory.

"I remember a time when this mansion was a castle that protected Equestria's northern border," Luna murmured wistfully as she looked at the building. "Twas a time of strife, and danger, a time when strong fortifications were necessary. Alas, time changes many things."

"Indeed it does. Castles to protect Equestria's borders are no longer needed in this peaceful era." Celestia looked at the front door, each step bringing them closer. "Even noble houses are not impervious to changing times."

The conversation died as they approached the door. From windows came the soft glow of light from candles and oil lamps, indicating somepony’s presence within. Celestia lifted a hoof and knocked on the oak door, the sound echoing even outside. It did not take long before the sound of hooves approaching came from behind the door. Creaking loudly, the door opened, revealing a young bat pony mare. She was young, perhaps no more than seventeen, with a dark grey coat, inky blue mane and tail with two light red streaks, her mane held in a loose ponytail. She bore the face of a young filly who had just become an adult mare, and under her upper lip, two short fangs protruded. On her flanks was a collection of flowers and plants, with one flower being taller and bright white.

Standing there in the doorway, the mare stared up at the two larger ponies. “Um, hi? Who are—” Her eyes grew wide as she recognized the faces of the alicorns. She quickly bowed and lowered her head until it touched the ground. “Princess Luna!” she exclaimed loudly with a touch of awe. “A-And Princess Celestia!”

Luna smiled as she lowered herself slightly and placed her hoof under the mare’s chin, gently guiding her face upwards until she could look her in the eyes. “Hello, my little bat,” she greeted her softly. “What is your name?”

The young mare smiled back nervously. “He-Hello, Your Highness, I am Camellia.” Celestia had some difficulty deciding if Camellia’s jumpiness was because of them both, or just Luna. Most likely, it was her sister. Neither she nor Luna played favourites with their subjects, but the bat ponies held a special place in Luna’s heart, and vice versa.

“Hello, Camellia, is the lady of the house home?” Luna asked, to which the bat pony nodded eagerly.

“Oh, yes, yes she is. She’s always home,” Camellia said, sounding slightly more confident. “She’s been real quiet tonight though, but I can go get her.”

Camellia was about to turn around when another figure came wandering from behind the young mare. It was a pony wearing a dark brown cloak with the hood pulled over her head, with a horn protruding from underneath glowing crimson to keep a lit oil lantern suspended in the air next to her. She came to a stop next to Camellia, then looked to Luna and bowed slightly.

“Princess Luna,” the old mare murmured. Luna was polite and greeted her with a small nod befitting royalty. Then the cloaked pony turned to Celestia. Looking up at her, the sound of old bones creaking could be heard. “Hello, Celestia.”

“Hello, old friend,” Celestia replied with a smile. “It is good to see you again.”

“Likewise, ten years if my memory serves me right.” The sound of her voice was that of an old pony with decades of accumulated wisdom, yet still contained a hint of playfulness.

As Celestia and the hooded pony talked, Luna was struck by how casual their conversation was. A thousand years ago, such as exchange was most unbefitting of royalty, but seeing as times had changed and Celestia personally knew this pony, she deduced that it was part of the new age. It wasn’t a bad idea; in fact, Luna had personally requested the entirety of Ponyville to refer to her simply as Luna, in order to get closer to her subjects. So far, it had succeeded beyond her expectations.

“Well,” the old pony said, bringing Luna out of her ruminations, “we should get going. I’m not getting any younger just standing here.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. We have a friend to lay to rest, and you have family to bury.”

The two alicorns and the hooded pony began walking away from the door, though they reached no further than a few steps before Camellia came trotting after them.

“Grandmother, do you want me to come with you? You’re not as young as you once were, you know.”

The old mare turned to her, and from underneath the hood, a smile could be seen. “I think I could use some help. Thank you, Camellia.”

And so the group walked away from the old mansion. Upon reaching the outside of the wall, they stepped onto a well-trod road that led towards the town itself. Celestia and Luna did not even break into a sweat, but it was evident that the elder pony’s legs were not what they once were. Camellia walked alongside her grandmother and allowed the elder to lean onto her while at the same time placing her wing over her back for added support. Despite this, not once did the old mare ask to stop for a break.

After an uneventful and silent walk, the group came to a fork in the road. The old mare led the way and immediately took the right path which led them further into the forest. Not long after, they came upon a large natural clearing in the forest. A few large trees formed a sparse ring around them while hundreds of flowers were planted among headstones. At the entrance to the graveyard stood a solitary figure, an earth pony stallion with a coat as white as snow that contrasted sharply against his raven-hued mane. On his head, he wore a top hat, and on his back was a black cape. He bowed to them as they approached.

“Good evening, Majesties. I am Wreath, caretaker of the graveyard,” he intoned solemnly. He stood straight, directing his gaze onto the old mare. “I understand that you wish to bury a loved one, Baroness, is that correct?”

“Yes, Wreath.” The baroness stepped forward. “And I wish to bury him with the family in the crypt.” She set down the lantern, floating out a large iron key from within her cloak.

Wreath looked from the old mare to the key, then back again. “Very well, please follow me.” With Wreath leading the way, the small entourage followed him.

The graveyard was silent, with only the sound of the wind and night-time critters being heard. The silvery moon shone down upon the clearing, illuminating the numerous headstones. Some were clearly new, while others were so ancient and worn by the elements that the names of the ponies laid to rest had all but vanished. On top of each headstone, the cutie marks of the deceased had been carved, underneath which were the names, their date of birth and passing, along with a final message.

While passing by the stones, Celestia and Luna were reminded of the many friends they had to say goodbye to over the years. Longevity was a double-edged sword, and death had never gotten easier to deal with.

Eventually, the group came upon a stone building in the oldest part of the graveyard. Constructed of solid alabaster stone with ornamental statues on the domed roof, it was the final resting place of an ancient family, evident by the crest engraved onto the doors. The old mare walked up to the doors, inserted the key into the almost indistinguishable slot, and turned the key. Several muffled clicks came from the door as the locking mechanism was released. Wreath then stepped up to the doors, set his forelegs on them, and pushed. Gradually, the heavy doors opened wide. “Do you need an escort, Baroness?” he asked he peered into the darkness beyond the doors. “It is dark down there. You may trip and injure yourself.”

“That won’t be necessary, Wreath,” the old mare said as she held the lantern in front of herself, illuminating a chiselled stone staircase descending into the earth. “I’ve got my Camellia here, so I’ll be okay.” Although Wreath could not see her face, he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Very well, I shall await your return.”

With that, the group began their descent down into the crypt. At the bottom of the stairs came a long stone tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel was another flight of stairs, twisting further down until they came to another tunnel, this one leading the opposite way than the previous one. On the walls themselves were old murals painted on smooth stone, depicting generations of ponies playing under the sun, practicing magic, and sleeping under a brightly lit moon. The air was stagnant in the first room and became even mustier the further they descended. The walls had square stone plaques mounted on them with the cutie marks, names, birth and death dates etched on them. Some of the names were familiar to the alicorns, though most they did not recognize. The old mare stopped at one particular set of graves, bringing out a rose from within the cloak and placing it on a pedestal in front of the plaque, then allowing her hoof to rest on each for a few moments, mumbling to herself as she did. Celestia recognized the names on the graves as the baroness’ father, mother, and two herdmothers. After that brief stop, they continued until they reached the lowest level.

It was a small square room, the last resting place of the first family members to arrive in Equestria. On the wall, side by side, five thin stone plaques were set into the tombstones, five names carved into them: Marble Chisel, Woodsong, Silvershoe, Rosy Dawn, and Mountain Wisp. On the three other walls were other graves, the wives and husbands of Star Swirl's children.

“Celestia, the middle grave please. That way, he’ll be right in the middle of his children. I think he would like that.”

Camellia looked at her grandmother nervously. “Y-You’re going to open it?” she asked, slightly shaken. “Is-Is there something inside?”

The old mare nodded. “Yes, but only remains, nothing to be afraid of. It’s family, after all, and family never harms family.”

“O-Oh, okay,” Camellia murmured, seemingly reassured.

Celestia’s magic gently grabbed hold of the plaque with Silvershoe’s name, and with a muffled click, the plaque came loose and was gently set to the side, revealing a square hole behind it. The oil lantern illuminated the hole and the wooden coffin within. The coffin was cracked and dry, yet the flowers and stars painted on it was still visible even after five millennia.

With great reverence, Celestia brought forth the box containing Star Swirl's horn, holding it aloft for all to see. “Does anypony wish to say anything?” she asked with a quiver in her voice.

“Yes.” Luna stepped forth. She inhaled deeply, and bowed down, giving the box a gentle kiss. “Goodbye, my dearest friend. May you play under a gentle sun and sleep under a watchful moon forever more.” She then stepped back and wiped her eyes with a wing.

Celestia also gave the box a kiss. “Goodbye,” she murmured with tears running down her cheeks. “Our first, greatest, and best friend. Your long day of work is finally at an end. Now, you can rest peacefully in eternity.”

The golden glow surrounding the box was replaced with a red one, and lowered until it levitated in front of the baroness. Old, caring eyes peered forth from the hood. The box floated down until it was held in a pair of hooves, cradled gently against the mare’s barrel.

“Family is family,” she said warmly. “No matter the centuries that separates us, we are always family, one great herd.” She then held the box in front of her eyes again. “Rest now amongst your children, Star Swirl, for they are here with you.” Her red magic encased the box as she turned towards the last mare amongst them. “Camellia, do you want to say something?”

The bat pony had been so distracted, seeing the two immortal alicorns cry, that she almost didn’t hear what her grandmother said. She sat down on her haunches and looked at the box levitating in front of her, wondering what last words would suffice.

“I… um, I hope you are okay where you are now, and… and that you’ve met your family and friends again. And… that you’re happy now.” She looked to the hooded mare. “Was that okay?”

The lantern’s soft light illuminated the baroness’ face enough so that a smile could be discerned. “I think that was good.” She turned to the open grave and levitated the small box inside, gently setting it down on the casket. Celestia then levitated the stone plaque in front of the hole, and with a gentle click, the plaque was latched into place again. Luna’s horn glowed as she carved additional lines onto the plaque.

Star Swirl the Bearded

Born 1356 in the Third Dynasty of Unicornia

Died far from home, but surrounded by love

After the last line had been carved, the four ponies bowed their heads to the plaque, remaining so for nearly a minute. Afterwards, Luna walked up to her sister and leaned onto her, Celestia doing the same. The old mare gave a comforting nuzzle to her granddaughter, who draped a wing over her back.

After several long moments had passed, the old mare picked up the lantern and looked towards the stairs. “Now, let’s go out and get some fresh air. It’s colder down here than above ground.” The three ponies nodded solemnly and followed the mare, leaving the old crypt in peace once again.

Not once during the ceremony did Luna and Celestia mention the reason Star Swirl had returned to Equestria, nor did they mention his descendant. It was not yet time, but that day would come.

Chapter 27 - A New Day Dawns (Edited by JBL 11.20.2017)

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Two weeks after the dream.

From the open window came the morning song of birds, their merriment a stark contrast to the sorrow that the slowly awakening human had endured for the last two weeks. With a yawn, Magnus opened his eyes and slowly sat up in bed. He looked sleepily around the room, taking note of some of the flowers he had received. The sweet fragrance had been a constant scent in the bedroom and living room ever since the day he woke up from his dream.

He threw off the covers and stood up, noticing he had fallen asleep with his clothes on. It had happened a lot lately. He’d had problems sleeping for the last two weeks, and would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep again. During the day, he became sluggish and sometimes fell asleep on the couch. At least this time he woke up in his bed.

Magnus yawned again as he wandered into the living room and dropped down onto the couch. He sighed and looked around. Almost every single flat surface was covered with bouquets from ponies. The coffee table itself was only used for letters. There were probably more than three hundred in all, perhaps much more. He hadn’t bothered counting them. With nothing else to do, he picked up an envelope and took out a folded piece of paper, opened it, and began to read. The first thing he noticed was that the letters were written with what appeared to be crayon. In addition to the writing, there were also flowers, butterflies, and happy faces drawn on it. Although the crayon made the letters stand out, the writing had room for improvement. Curious about the sender, he began to read.

‘Hi, my name is Honey Bubble and I am eight years old. I heard my daddy and mommy talk about somepony who was very sad and that they were going to write a letter to make that pony feel better. I asked them if I could write one too and they said that I could. That made Mommy and Daddy very proud of me. Sometimes I feel sad, and when I do, my mommy gives me a lemon candy and a big hug. I like hugs and lemon candy. Mommy said that we could not see you, so instead I put two lemon candies in the envelope. One is to make you feel better and the other is a hug for you. I hope that they will make you feel better and not sad.’

‘A kid,’ Magnus thought as he stared at the words. ‘Even children are sending me letters with their condolences. I doubt a child could understand my situation. Still…’ He grabbed the envelope and dumped the contents into his hand; two hard candies wrapped in colourful wax paper. ‘It’s pretty thoughtful.’ He unwrapped one of the candies and tossed it into his mouth. It was sweet with a delicious taste of lemon.

After placing the letter back into the envelope, he tossed it onto a pile at the end of the couch. The pile of read letters had grown considerably during these last two weeks. What else was there to do? He had done nothing but stay in his room, attempting to come to terms with his situation. He was aware that his friends were still alive, knew that they would mourn him, and that he himself was very much alive. Nevertheless, the pain clung to him, though it was gradually beginning to subside.

He knew he would never see Earth, another human, or his friends again. And he had finally accepted it. It no longer helped thinking about home, for all it brought was homesickness that he could do without.

Two light knocks came from the door before it opened, and in came Celestia. “Good morning, Magnus,” she greeted him warmly with her ever-present smile.

“Morning, Princess.” Magnus nodded in her direction.

Celestia settled down on a large pillow meant for someone of her size. Magnus had noticed that although ponies did have chairs, pillows were obviously the more comfortable alternative.

“You’re still using my title, even though I’ve asked you to use my name,” she chided lightly, looking at Magnus. “Why is that?”

Magnus scratched his head and answered absentmindedly, “I don’t know.”

“In the dream, you also referred to Luna by her title.”

“If you say so. I still don’t know why.”

That Magnus was particularly withdrawn today did not escape Celestia’s attention. “You understand that we wish to help you, don’t you? Why avoid using our names, especially since you asked us to use yours? I’d rather speak to you as one person to another, rather than royalty to a subject.”

Magnus remained silent. They referred to him by his first name, true, but it was in the moments immediately before and after his dream that he had begun using their title. Perhaps it was fear, respect, or something else that caused him to unconsciously use their title. Nevertheless, Magnus saw Celestia and Luna as less of a threat and more of an ally, or perhaps even a friend, especially after they helped him in the dream.

“I’ll do better then.” Magnus looked towards Celestia, a faint smile on his face appearing briefly before fading. “Celestia.”

His reaction did not go unnoticed by Celestia. It was the first time in two weeks she had seen him smile. It was fleeting, but an obvious sign of progress.

“How do you feel today?”

“Same as yesterday.” Magnus sighed as he leaned back on the couch with his hands behind his head. “Not good, but not terrible either.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “You’ve gone through much this month, much more than any pony go through their entire life.”

‘She’s right,’ Magnus thought to himself, nodding absently. ‘I’ve lost everything but my life, and even that has been hanging by a thread for twenty seven years. Not to mention it was touch and go for a while here too.” Magnus tried to avoid thinking back to the five days he had spent in bed. His only lasting emotion of that time was shame, and it was a subject he avoided exploring even when Celestia and Luna prodded him to. It was a testament to how severely his frame of mind had deteriorated for him to consider suicide.

“How do you really feel?” Celestia asked.

Magnus remained silent for a few moments, mulling over her question. “Empty.” There was no emotion in his voice. “Like… there’s nothing in me at the moment, not in my head or heart. No happiness, no anger, no sorrow, just… nothing.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “It sounds like you are emotionally drained. With how much has happened lately, it comes as no surprise.” She paused for a second. “Do you remember Luna and me mentioning a psychologist? We can make arrangements for a session if you feel like you need somepony to speak with.”

Magnus shook his head. The princesses had mentioned a psychologist on several occasions, saying that she excelled at working on various types of trauma, and had helped numerous ponies in the aftermath of the changeling invasion.

“Won’t be necessary. I’ll manage on my own.”

“If you say so. But promise me that you will say something to us if you feel that you need help, okay?” Celestia voice was warm, yet there was a steely undertone that betrayed her seriousness.

“I promise.”

She nodded. “Good.”

There was a lull in the conversation afterwards, with Magnus returning to staring up at the roof with his arms behind his head. Celestia recognized the silence, one that both she and Luna had grown accustomed to over the last two weeks. She also knew that the only way he would speak now was when someone else initiated the conversation.

She observed him open an envelope and retrieve a candy, which he quickly unwrapped and popped into his mouth. “What is that?”

Magnus crumpled the wrapping and placed it on the table. “A wrapped hug,” he murmured as he held up the envelope to her. She levitated it over and slipped out the letter inside. Her heart grew warm as her eyes scanned the crayon-scribbled words.

‘Of all the little ponies that we protect, it seems it is always young colts and fillies that are the most well-meaning and considerate.’

“Do you see? Ponies do care about you and your misfortune. I’m sure none have wished you anything but well.”

Magnus rolled the candy around in his mouth, making it click against his teeth. “So I see.” He directed a lazy glance at Celestia. “But would little Honey Bubble and her parents say the same if they knew I wasn’t a pony?”

“Absolutely,” she answered confidently. “Why would they wish pain on you simply because you are different? Ponies may be wary and skittish towards the unknown, but I am certain that, with time, they will accept you.”

Magnus nodded slowly. He had previously asked this very question, and had received a similar answer from both Celestia and Luna. He was different, he knew that, and he would always be. He also knew that if a pony appeared on Earth, humanity’s reaction would be similar. However, one thing he had noticed was that ponies were different from people, not only in appearance, but in the overall way they acted. They just seemed… nicer than people in some ways. He also remembered the princesses talking about ‘Harmony’, which consisted of their way of life. Thinking hard, he remembered them; kindness, generosity, loyalty, laughter, magic, and honesty. If most ponies lived by those rules, then it was no wonder they were so nice. What would humanity be like if people lived by those tenets? He could only wonder.

Still, the idea of going out into the world and interacting with ponies kept bugging Magnus. Luckily, Celestia provided a nice distraction for him. “It’s been almost three weeks since you’ve been cooped up in this room, Magnus. Don’t you think it’s about time you go outside as well? Separating yourself from others isn’t good for you.”

“I know,” Magnus muttered quietly while sucking on the lemon candy. It was an idea that he had already been toying with. His assigned living quarters, though quite luxurious by his standards, was losing its charm. This was the longest time he had ever spent inside. He would usually play games on his computer or console, and even during winter, he found something to do outside, even when it was cold and snowing. Adam owned two snowmobiles that, though old, were extremely fun to drive, and he was always up for ripping up some snow.

“And?” Celestia inquired.

“And… it might be high time to return to the land of the living.”

“Splendid!” Celestia declared, her smile widening. “Perhaps you wish to join me for lunch in one hour? Luna is still awake; she and I have been working on something these last few days, something that we wish to discuss with you.”

Returning to a sitting position, Magnus set his eyes on the white alicorn. “Like what?”

“It concerns your introduction to the world and your integration into our society. We can discuss it more after lunch.” Celestia stood up and headed towards the door, but as she passed Magnus, she scrunched her nose. “I do not mean to offend you, but perhaps a bath might be in order.”

“Will do,” he replied.

Celestia left the room, and the moment the door closed, he raised his arm and sniffed before immediately drawing back. Sleeping with clothes on never did favours for one's body odour.

Rising, Magnus headed to his room to retrieve his clothes. During his convalescence, the rest of his clothing had been completed by Creative Stitch and delivered to the castle. From what Magnus could tell, they were well made and fit him perfectly.

He grabbed a set of clothing, then went to the bathroom, peering at his reflection in the mirror. He hadn’t shaved in a month and it showed by the layer of thriving stubble. He rubbed his hand over his face and decided that it had to go, but only after he had showered. His eyes stared back at him, an intense green that sharply contrasted against the dull variant they had been on Earth. Maybe that was another pony trait that he had inherited, given that ponies’ eyes possessed similar striking colours as well.

Divesting his clothes and stepping into the bathtub, Magnus turned on the warm water, allowing it to soak him thoroughly. While washing his hair, he felt something strange at the back of his neck. It was a trail of short hairs, denser and more distinct from his body’s hair. Unable to determine what it was, he quickly finished washing up before stepping out of the tub and began drying off. Walking back to the mirror, he turned his back to it and looked over his shoulder.

A line of hair, about five centimetres wide and vaguely cone-shaped, had grown all the way from his hairline down to almost right between his shoulder blades.

‘There’s… that’s a… a mane. I’m growing a mane…’

Magnus turned back to the sink and leaned forward until his horn touched the mirror. “Shit…” he muttered under his breath. He had hoped that there would be no more surprises, that the rest of him would be left alone. However, fate, along with genetics, had decided to go at him like a tag team. Currently, genetics was the one who threw the punches, although the mane was just a hard slap to his face.

Grumbling to himself, Magnus rifled through the cabinet until he found some hygienic supplies. After lathering his face with foam, he unfolded the razor, revealing a dangerously sharp thin blade that glittered like chromed steel.

‘Okay, now maintain a steady hand, and for God’s sake, be careful. Short, controlled strokes. This is not a disposable razor.’

***

With a freshly shaved face and only two small cuts, Magnus stepped out of his room and closed the door. The first ponies he saw were two guards standing next to the door, their spears over their shoulders. They didn’t even flinch when they saw him, maintaining their stoic facade.

‘Since I’m stuck here, I might as well try to get along with them, try to be friendly.’

With his mind made up, Magnus made his move. “Good morning,” he politely greeted them.

“Good morning, Mr Powell,” they replied simultaneously.

Satisfied with making first contact for the first time in weeks, Magnus set course towards where he believed the staircase were. He glanced back at the guards, who maintained their pace with ease. ‘Saying hello is pretty average, and asking about the weather is pointless since they create it. They already know my name; maybe I could ask for theirs. They’re guards, though. Are they even allowed to tell me? Well, I can always try.’

“So, what’re your names?”

The first one to speak was the red earth pony of the bulky variety. “Cloverfield, Mr Powell.” He kept his gaze straight ahead.

“Just call me Magnus. Using my last name makes you sound like a door-to-door salesman.”

“Are you sure?” the earth pony asked. “It’s simple formality, not to mention polite.”

“Eh, I like to be informal. No sir or mister or anything like that. Just Magnus will do.”

“As you wish, Magnus.”

Magnus smiled at his minor victory. “You from around here?”

“No, Foaldale, a town to the northeast.”

“What’s Foaldale like?”

“It’s great.” The earth pony allowed himself a brief smile. “Rural community, lots of farms.”

Magnus nodded approvingly. “Sounds like a nice place.” He turned to the other guard, a small, white, sinewy-looking pegasus. “What about you?”

“Cumulus Star, from Cloudsdale,” the pegasus responded.

“Huh, never heard of Cloudsdale before. Where is it?”

“Currently right between Canterlot and Manehattan, somewhere around twenty thousand and twenty-six thousand hooves.”

That answer was unexpected. He looked over his shoulder at the pegasus, almost expecting a smile, but the winged pony appeared even more stoic than his fellow guard.

“What do you mean by currently right between? Does it move?” he asked hesitantly.

“Cloudsdale is a city in the clouds,” the pegasus answered as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Magnus paused mid-step and slowly turned towards the two guards, who had also halted. Magnus lowered himself so that his face was level with Cumulus Star’s.

“Say again? And please, explain that to me as if I’ve never heard about a city in the clouds before.”

***

“Luna, for star’s sake, bell pepper isn’t as bad as you make them out to be.”

“Thou art correct, dear sister,” Luna’s sharp eyes scanned the vegetables that sat alongside her morning meal. “They are worse.”
There was one piece left somewhere, she was sure of it. Using her fork, she moved aside a lettuce leaf, uncovering the hiding place of the foulest of vegetables.

“Aha!” Her fork picked up tiny sliver and promptly deposited it onto a napkin. Smiling contently, Luna began digging into her meal.

Celestia shook her head, smiling at Luna’s antics. “You know you can ask the chef for salad without any bell pepper.”

Luna nodded, her cheeks bulging. “We could, but we do not wish to add to the kitchen staff’s workload.” With an impish glint in her eye, Luna grinned. “They are already overworked preparing thy sweet pastries.”

With a loud clattering sound, Celestia’s fork fell onto her plate. “I am not addicted to cake!” Celestia sniffed and assumed the haughty posture the nobles often adopted, her eyes closed and nose upturned. “I simply find cake the perfect ending to a hearty meal. And you must remember your language lessons, Your Highness.”

Luna’s smile vanished and a neutral expression took its place. She kept her eyes on Celestia, searching for a crack in her sister’s facade. Celestia maintained her haughty expression while staring back at her sister. For several seconds, they kept at it until Luna snorted. At the same time Celestia scrunched her nose, trying to reign in her laughter. It was the final straw for Luna, and she giggled. Celestia joined in not a second later.

For the common bystander, this act between the two monarchs had never been witnessed before. At the moment, they were merely sisters engaging in harmless teasing, not princesses with the burden of the crown, or celestial objects, to bear. Luna still had a copy of Ponyville’s Foal Free Press that had exposed her sister’s penchant for cake, along with a framed photo in her room.

As their giggling died down, the doors opened and in walked Magnus, hands behind his back and head lowered, seemingly deep in thought. Approaching the table, he looked up at the two alicorns.

“Good morning, Luna, Celestia.”

Luna was not surprised at his presence, as Celestia had already informed her of his pending arrival. Still, to see him up and about brought a smile to her face. “Good morning, Magnus. Please, join us.”

He nodded in thanks and sat down on a pillow with a heavy sigh. He looked over the food available on the table before settling on simple bread with jam, milk, and a cup of coffee. All the while, he maintained a strange expression, one that Celestia and Luna had problems deciphering.

“Magnus, is something wrong?” Luna finally asked. Magnus looked up from his food and shook his head.

“Nope. Everything is fine. What could possibly be wrong?” The sarcasm in his voice was positively dripping. “I just learned that you have a floating city in the clouds. Cloudsdale, what a fitting name. Perfectly normal.”

‘Of course, a city in the clouds would seem strange to him,’ Celestia thought. It worked both ways, however, since the technological wonders of humanity she had been informed of sounded stranger than the most mythological magic she had ever heard of.

“Oh! And I’m currently growing a mane as well.” Magnus leaned forward, enough so that the alicorns could see the back of his neck. He peeled part of his shirt away so that they saw a stripe of hair growing down his neck.

Celestia and Luna leaned forward to inspect him closer. Indeed, it resembled a mane that would grow down a pony’s neck. No doubt his heritage still had secrets locked within his body.

Luna tilted her head slightly to the side. “Is this not normal among humans?”

“No.” Magnus straightened himself and focused on his meal. “I mean, we can grow our hair long, but not in a stripe like that.”

Lunch was quite uneventful. Luna and Celestia chatted among themselves and attempted to include Magnus, but beyond yes and no responses, he was rather unresponsive. However, the two alicorns understood his situation, and were pleased enough at his progress that they didn’t push him. When their lunch was devoured, tea, coffee, and cookies were set onto the table. After pouring herself a cup, Celestia gave him a closed envelope.

“For me?” Magnus asked, to which Celestia nodded.

“Yes, I met Doctor Silverheart this morning, and I told him how you were willing to leave your room. He wrote this letter and asked me to give it to you when you had a moment to spare.”

He opened the envelope and read through the folded letter.

To Mr Magnus Powell,

Magnus, I heard from Princess Celestia of your predicament, and I’m terribly sorry that this happened to you. Please accept my condolences. I have no words that can accurately describe how terrible you must feel. As a doctor, I have delivered bad news to ponies and relatives of ponies I have cared for, and it is never easy. Hopefully, you can find solace in the fact that you are still among the living. This is more than many ponies can hope for when their health is at stake and no hope remains. I do hope that after all that has happened to you, you will find happiness coming your way.
Now, the main reason I asked our beloved princess to give you this letter is to remind you of our discussed medical examination. I have discussed your case with some of my colleagues at the infirmary in terms of what to look for and what procedures to follow. Due to your unfortunate circumstances the past few weeks, we had postponed your appointment until you recovered. Today, Princess Celestia informed me of your plans to leave your quarters. As a medical professional, I know that idleness is not recommended for a patient recovering from emotional trauma. I believe that focusing on something else other than your loss will help your recovery, which is why I suggest that we perform your medical examination as soon as you feel you are able.
You may visit me at the infirmary for further questions, as well as to set a date for your examination.
Doctor Silverheart, M.D.
Head Physician, Canterlot Castle infirmary.

After reading through the letter, Magnus folded it and placed it back in the envelope. Some of Silverheart’s concern was mooted, seeing as he had already decided upon a positive line of action.

He spotted the questioning looks on the princesses’ faces. “Silverheart gave me his condolences. He also said to focus on other things, such as the examination we had discussed. I’ll think I’ll go see him later and set a date.”

“I agree with him.” Luna nodded resolutely. “Set your mind on other things, your health first and foremost.”

“Yeah… Anyway, Celestia, you said earlier that you two wanted to talk with me about something.”

“Indeed I did.” She finished off her tea before continuing. “First, we have this for you.” From the end of the table, she levitated several documents over to him that he had not earlier noticed. He looked through the first page, noticing the word ‘citizen’ at the top of the page.

“What are these?”

“Citizenship papers for you. By signing these, you will be granted full citizenship of Equestria,” Luna answered.

“Oh. Mind if I read through these first?”

“Not at all, we have plenty of time.”

Magnus began reading carefully in order to minimize any misunderstandings. The first few pages detailed his rights as a non-equine citizen of Equestria. He was allowed to work, pay taxes, rent or own a house, start a business, as well as other numerous basic rights. The second to last page detailed his race, a general physical description, as well as the colours of his eye, mane, and fur.

The last page was reserved for his signature along a dotted line. He stared intensely at it. “It feels like…” He moistened his lips. “If I sign this, I sign away a part of my connection to Earth. I’ll no longer be a good ol’ fashioned Earthling, I’ll be a… an Equusling? Equestrian?” He glanced up at the alicorns, finding two understanding pair of eyes looking at him. “It’s... unreal.”

“We understand that this is a big step for you, and the hesitation you must feel. We will not force you to sign it. We will not force you to live in Equestria if you do not wish to do so. You are free to move to another country, if that is your desire.” Celestia’s warm smile faded slightly. “However, if you move, we cannot guarantee your safety. You will be a subject of the ruler of that country, not us. We cannot predict what welcome awaits you elsewhere.”

‘I understand: live under the protection of someone I don’t know, or live under the protection of two literal goddesses. It’s an easy choice.’

Magnus nodded slowly. “I understand. Do you have a ~pen~?”

“A what?” Luna asked.

“~Pen~,” Magnus repeated, only to hear him say the word in English. The word simply could not be translated. “Huh, that’s strange. You don’t have ~pens~, so the word doesn’t exist.”

“Interesting indeed. But tell us, what is a ~pen~?” Celestia asked.

“It’s a writing implement, like a pencil, only that it uses ink.”

“Ah, another human invention. No, we do not have a ~pen~. Instead, we use quills.” A brand new quill and an inkwell appeared next to Celestia in a flash of light, which then proceeded to float towards him. Grabbing the quill and ink from Celestia’s magic, Magnus shook his head.

“Gonna take some time to get used to teleportation. I guess there are probably ponies who use it for pranks around here,” he muttered to the amusement of the two sisters.

With quill in hand, he began filling out the documents. “Hope the clerk that has to read my handwriting can understand this. It’s hard to write Equish when I’ve only scribbled the letters a couple of times.”

“I am sure your handwriting will be fine. Is our language and letters that different from your native language and letters?” Luna questioned.

“Yeah, on Earth there’s no language that even comes close to Equish, or at least none that I know of.”

Magnus flipped through the pages and quickly stopped at one sticking point. “It says race here.” He looked to Celestia. “What should I write?”

“I believe that if you write ‘hybrid’, and ‘human and unicorn’ in parentheses after, it should be understandable.”

He filled in what Celestia suggested, then moved on to fill out what else he knew. However, when he came to height, his quill halted again. With the language gifted to him by Star Swirl, he was aware that height and distance was measured in hooves. That was a problem since he had no comparable knowledge of how long a hoof was.

“Question. How tall am I?”

Luna raised a brow. “Do you not know yourself?”

“Yes, I know my height in the metric and imperial system. What I don’t know is how it compares to your system.”

“Well, we can estimate your height. Sister, please stand up. Magnus, go stand next to Celestia.”

They both did as Luna commanded. The top of Celestia’s head reached Magnus’ shoulder. Luna tilted her head slightly to one side, then the other as she measured by eyes alone.

“Hmm, I estimate that your height is… between fourteen and a half to fifteen hooves, which is sizeable. Were you considered tall before you transformed?”

Celestia and Magnus sat back down. “My height was pretty average. I gained some height when I received hooves. You remember Max? He was pretty tall.”

Magnus filled out his height, then moved on to the other sections. Afterwards, he passed the documents to Celestia. “There, everything should be correct.”

“Thank you. I will have this delivered later to be processed. In two days, you will officially be a citizen of Equestria.” In a flash of teleportation magic, the documents disappeared.

“Now that the paperwork is finished, we would like to discuss what will happen during the coming days, namely how we shall introduce you to Equestria,” Luna interjected smoothly. “Since you are new to our world, and to minimize any adverse reactions, we believe that the best course of action is to hold a press conference.”

Magnus swallowed hard. “Press conference?” he parroted with no small amount of trepidation.

Celestia nodded. “Yes. At the conference, ponies will be able to see you, and you can tell them a bit about yourself and Earth, as well as answer a few of their questions. We will also be there to discuss the details of your arrival to Equestria, and of the portals.”

“I… see.” Magnus folded his hands slowly and placed them in his lap. “Is there a chance that we can not have a press conference? Or at least one where I don’t have to be there?” The questioning looks on Celestia’s and Luna’s faces prompted him to explain. “I’m not comfortable with crowds, least of all when I’m the centre of attention, which I undoubtedly will be.”

Celestia and Luna simultaneously made a noise of understanding. Celestia brought a hoof up to her chin. “I see. There is certain information we cannot hold back from the public, least of all your appearance in Equestria. You are simply too unfamiliar to pass as a foreigner from a distant land. Ponies will inevitably come to us about your presence. In my opinion, it is better to be open about this matter.”

Magnus hung his head, the images of flashing cameras, hundreds of ponies talking and shouting, maybe a few ponies fainting or panicking coursing through his mind. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

“I believe I have an idea,” Luna announced. Magnus and Celestia both turned to her. “What if we hold the press conference without Magnus, but at the same time, he grants a private interview to somepony impartial, such as a freelance journalist and photographer that we will hire? The interview, along with the photos taken, will then be distributed to the press.”

“That is an excellent idea, Sister.” Celestia nodded after a few seconds. “I have no objections with this line of action.”

“Neither do I. It’ll be easier to answer questions in a one-on-one interview. I just hope that the journalist will be honest and fair,” Magnus said. Compared to a press conference, this would practically be a calm and orderly affair.

“We will find someone suitable,” Celestia reassured. “As for the conference, I think that Twilight should be present. She was at the portal and helped close it, so I believe some of the questions will be directed at her. Also, as a princess, she needs some experience in dealing with the press.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “As for which one of us shall lead the conference... Sister, you are much more experienced when it comes to dealing with the press; perhaps you can do it? If Magnus needs someone with him for the interview, I can be there for him.”

Magnus thanked his lucky stars. At least he wouldn't be alone with the journalist. “I’d appreciate it, Luna. I’ve never given an interview before, and I have no idea what to expect.”

“Think nothing of it. I will gladly help you prepare for the questions. I gave one such interview some months after my return,” Luna said with a smile.

“Are we all in agreement then for the press conference?” Neither Magnus nor Luna had any objections. However, one thought came to his mind, one that he felt was important to air.

“I have a question,” he said, gaining the two alicorns’ attention. “It’s about what might happen after I’ve been ‘revealed’. What kind of reactions might come from the other countries and races?”

Both alicorns heard the underlying note of worry in his voice. He had expressed some fear concerning the other races, especially dragons, in the past.

Celestia was the first one to speak up. “I have no doubt that they will express interest in you. After all, you are not of our world. However, you will be under our protection. The kings and queens of the other nations rarely interfere in our private affairs, and we rarely interfere in theirs. Discord’s return, on the other hoof, was given very considerable attention abroad, due to him focusing his chaotic magic on Equestria as a whole.”

Magnus quirked an eyebrow. How could a creature that brought so much chaos merely be given attention and nothing else, especially when he was a threat to the entire world?

“I see,” Magnus drew out the last word. “But still, what kind of reactions could I, and you for that matter, expect?”

Either Magnus was concerned for his safety, or he was just methodical, Luna noted. Either way, they would provide him with answers. “The griffons, led by King Auron Goldwing of Griffonia, are our closest neighbours, aside from the Crystal Empire. I have no doubt he will be very interested in meeting you. He is not much older than you, as a matter of fact. He’s a rather modern and progressive ruler, in contrast to the conservative and militaristic griffon kings that ruled a thousand years ago. He will take no action towards you, of this I am confident.”

Magnus seemed to relax slightly. “Okay, that sounds reassuring. What about the Crystal Empire?”

“Oh, their prince and princess will meet you with open arms,” Celestia said with a smile. “You see, Princess Cadence is our niece, and Prince-Consort Shining Armor was Captain of the Royal Guard stationed in this very castle. They will surely welcome you as a friend.”

“That sounds good, great actually.” Magnus drummed his fingers on the table. “What about the rest of the countries?”

“Hmm, the diamond dogs, the inhabitants of the Granite Mountains, prefer to keep to themselves, so I doubt they will bother you at all. The minotaurs of the island kingdom of Minoa are different, as they prefer to keep abreast of the world’s current events. Their diplomat here in Equestria might ask to meet with you at some point.”

Magnus nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, but I can just say no to a meeting like that, right?”

Celestia hesitated slightly. “You can refuse if you wish, though I am curious as to why you’d do so. Most likely, their meeting with you would be to develop and pass on an informed opinion of your presence here.”

Magnus remained silent while looking from one princess to the other. “I know they might be curious about me, but..." He shook his head slowly. "I don’t want to be a celebrity. I don’t want to be famous because I’m from a different place, or because I look strange. I’d rather not make any waves. I just want to live in peace, not have diplomats, journalists, and photographers hounding me wherever I go.” He huffed in irritation. “Although, that’s close to impossible for me now. I mean, just going outside after I’m ‘revealed’ might only gain me a crowd following.”

“I can see how that might be troublesome.” Luna’s own return to Equestria had indeed made waves throughout the nation. It wasn’t only the overzealous journalists who hounded her, begging for an interview every day. No, the nobility had been in an uproar as well. Another alicorn princess appearing had shaken the careful balance of power that the nobles had maintained for centuries. The most influential of them feared losing what political power they held, while some feared for the future of Equestria with three alicorns ruling the nation. Luckily, their angst and concern had faded in mere months.

“Indeed, some ponies find fame a burden while others thrive in the spotlight,” Celestia acknowledged. “Whatever your decision, we will not force your ho—hand.”

Magnus immediately perked up. “Great, thank you. So, what about the rest of nations? What of the zebras?”

“They are very much like us ponies; hospitable and welcoming. Perhaps their shamans will find it interesting that your grandfather was one as well. King Mtawala may very well send one from their order to investigate further.” There were no magic users among the zebras. Instead, they had shamans. Spirit speakers and seers, many of them brewed and used potions to achieve effects that magic could not.

“The ponies of Saddle-Arabia have been allies for as long as Celestia and I have ruled,” Luna stated. “They are trustworthy, honest, and peaceful. They are the last ones I would suspect of approaching you with dishonest intent.”

By their assertions, his earlier assumption of this world being a safe and peaceful place seemed to be accurate, though of course there would be certain individuals who would be more than just interested in an alien.

“Maybe my introduction to the world can go without a hitch.” However, there was one race he had almost forgotten. “What do you think the dragons will say about me?”

Luna snorted. “I would be amazed if they ever hear of you. Dragons usually do not care for the affairs of anyone but their own. They can grow to immense sizes, are exceptionally strong, and can live for thousands of years. As a result, most of them do not care for those they consider weak and short lived.”

“In other words, I’m not even worth their time.” Celestia nodded in affirmation.

“There are also other countries aside from those we have spoken of; numerous smaller countries and city states spread throughout the world. I doubt they will seek you out at all for any purpose,” Luna added.

‘As long as I’m under the protection of Celestia and Luna, I doubt anyone will try anything.’ Even in this strange world he had been led to, he had found two individuals who would keep him safe. He was almost thankful to Starswirl, though he found himself directing most of his gratitude towards Celestia and Luna.

“Do you have any other questions before we move on?” Celestia asked. Magnus shook his head. “Good, then we can move on to the next part of your integration.”

“And what does that involve?”

“Before the press conference takes place, we would like for you to meet with five of Twilight’s friends; the Element Bearers. They are Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness; Rarity, the Element of Generosity; Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty; Applejack, the Element of Honesty, and Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter.”

Magnus managed to hold back his laughter, but only barely. “You guys really have a knack for names.”

“Different worlds, different naming traditions,” Celestia countered lightly. “Luna and I believe that the best way to integrate you into our society is for you to live in Ponyville for a while, which is where Twilight and her friends also reside.”

Luna hummed in agreement. “This will be valuable for you; they will teach you how to interact with ponies as well as how our society functions, along with certain basic skills. Although we know that our society and that of humans are similar, there are certain distinctions which you will learn during your stay.”

Uneasiness rocketed through his body at their words. The castle, beautiful as it was, also acted as a defensive structure for him, a place where he was untouchable and safe from harm. However, he also recognized the importance of integration. He knew their language, but could barely write their letters. He knew nothing of their currency or education system, and had no idea how pony society worked in general. Basically, he was going back to school, which he had detested once upon a time. However, this was necessary for building a life for himself in this strange world. He wasn’t about to slouch around the castle all the time. He hoped to find a job one day, and then perhaps find a place to live. The castle was nice, but he craved the comfort of a place to call home, a place that was his.

He mulled over his own thoughts for a moment. “I’m not happy about leaving the castle, but I know it’s necessary in the long run, so… I agree. I have to learn. As for the press conference, when do you plan to have it?”

“We have not chosen a date yet,” Luna replied. “Today is simply the first time we are discussing it with you. Now that we know your opinion, we can make adjustments and set a date.”

“Okay, and what about meeting Twilight and her friends?”

“We discussed it with Twilight the day before she left. When we have a date set, we will invite her and her friends here so that you can meet them. Her friends are not aware of your existence yet, so when you meet them, it will be a chance to make a good first impression,” Celestia answered. “A good first impression is important; we wish to avoid a repeat of the one you received of Luna and myself.”

‘Anger, chain and trials,’ Magnus thought as he nodded agreeably. ‘Yeah, getting a good start can do wonders for the rest of my ‘schooling’. Wonder what they’re like? Well, I’ll find out eventually.’

Magnus, Celestia, and Luna spent another hour together, discussing the events of the coming days. Minor details concerning the press conference was hashed out and agreed upon. Celestia and Twilight would lead the conference while answering questions from the predicted large crowd of ponies attending. Magnus would have an interview with one journalist and one photographer, both of whom Luna would source.

Then there was the aftermath of the conference. The two sisters would prepare to calm their subjects’ fears in the event of unrest, though they doubted it would come to that. Equestria had faced changelings, King Sombra, Discord, and Tirek, all of whom, unlike Magnus, had posed a significant risk to Equestria.

Magnus, curious as he was, wanted to know what Ponyville was like, considering he was going to spend some time there. He was relieved to hear that the town was fairly small, stating that he had never liked huge cities since they were often overcrowded. The fact that Twilight lived there also appealed to him, as he had spent some time with her and felt that he knew her enough to trust her. It was when he heard that Discord occasionally dropped by to visit Fluttershy that he had second thoughts. He had no doubt that he would end up encountering the chaotic entity, and dreaded the reaction he would elicit.

The meeting finally came to an end. Celestia had duties to attend to, and Luna, yawning, bade them good day before retiring to her chambers. With nothing else to do, Magnus, followed by the two guards, went to the infirmary to speak with Doctor Silverheart. An examination was quickly scheduled for two days’ time, much to Magnus’ relief. After growing a mane, he was somewhat anxious to discover what else had changed concerning his body.

After speaking with Silverheart, and craving fresh air and a change of scenery, he decided to go for a walk outside in the massive garden. The moment he stepped onto green grass, it was as if his worries felt lighter and less troublesome. With the blue skies above and the sun warming his skin, and surrounded by flowers and trees, he felt his pulse slowly begin to decrease to a pleasant, consistent thrum.

He wandered around for a while, lost in his thoughts, until he reached the large tree at the end of the garden where he and Twilight sat and talked weeks before. He sat down under the tree, leaned back against the trunk, and sighed. For a few moments, he took in the breathtaking view of the surrounding areas the castle grounds afforded him.

‘Beautiful. This country seems so idyllic and peaceful. I wonder if it will be like this in two weeks?’

Picking a small straw of grass from the lawn, Magnus held it in his hand, looking at the near weightless object. He focused his magic and felt it course through his body and up into his horn. He hadn’t used his magic in weeks, and somehow he still remembered, flawlessly, how to make something levitate. The straw was surrounded by a viridian aura, glowing softly before it slowly began floating in the air.

Holding his hand underneath the floating straw, he levitated it up to his face, the glowing magic faintly illuminating his facial features. As the straw turned in his magical grasp, Magnus turned away from it and instead looked over the country that he would now call home. There was still plenty to do, and much work ahead, but he was determined to face it all head-on. He was determined to understand, to live in peace, and to build a life for himself. The press conference, and learning how to interact with ponies, would just be the beginning.

Chapter 28 - The Examination (Edited by JBL 11.22.2017)

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Two days passed, during which Celestia and Luna discussed the conference and shared their ideas with Magnus. Eventually, a date was set. In two days’ time, Magnus’ existence was to be revealed to Equestria and the world, with the preparations already underway, from the janitors to the kitchen staff to the highest officers, in order to ensure proceedings went smoothly. In the largest meeting room in the castle, Celestia and Twilight would reveal to the world that the inhabitants of Equus were not alone in the vastness of space, news that was sure to spread far and wide.

Press conferences like this had rarely happened in the past, though two had taken place within the last year: when Princess Luna had returned, and when Twilight had ascended to alicornhood and became the newest princess of Equestria. Both times, the Royal Guard had blanketed Canterlot with enhanced security. Now they were planning for an event they’d never expected, and thus had to cater for numerous scenarios.

While this was all happening, Magnus was left with very little to do. He spent his days either by reading about Equestria and its ponies, practicing his awful penmanship, or learning how their system of mathematics worked. It wasn't that dissimilar from how he had learned it back on Earth, other than the different symbols and a few extra ones. He also made an effort to memorize their various measurements systems. For instance, one day and one year on Equus was approximately the same as on Earth. None of the countries on Equus had names for specific days, but there were still seven days in a week divided into five work days and two rest days. There was even a word for the last two days of the week, which translated perfectly to ‘week’s end’, or simplified as weekend. They measured temperature the same way as on Earth, but quantifying distances came in the form of hooves, the pony equivalent of feet. From what information his books gave him, Magnus estimated one hoof to be somewhere around half a foot.

All the while, the upcoming interview constantly played on his mind. He was certain there would be numerous strange questions asked of him, and he did his best trying to come up with answers that would be informative and straight to the point. In doing so, he hoped to avoid dragging on the interview for longer than necessary. Whether it would work or not, he was still uncertain.

Throughout the current day, his level of anxiety increased, and though he attempted to conceal it from Celestia and Luna during breakfast, they still managed to perceive it and queried the source of his worry.

“I’m meeting with Silverheart this morning,” he answered thoughtfully while picking at his food with his fork. “I’m afraid that they’ll find something, something that…” His voice slowly trailed off.

Celestia’s usual smile faded, replaced by a sympathetic expression. “You’re still worried about what you told us about hybrids, aren’t you?”

Magnus nodded while chewing on his lip. “It hasn’t happened before with any human that I know of. Conception shouldn’t even be possible.”

“Yet somehow, it still happens every few hundred years,” Luna said encouragingly. “And as far as I can remember, the hybrids I know of lived to an advanced age.”

“Have there been that many?” Magnus shot the sisters a curious glance.

“A few.” Celestia wiped her mouth delicately with a napkin. “The last one lived four hundred years ago, a hippogriff who was the child of a pegasus stallion and a griffon hen. I met him once, as a matter of fact. His name was Trueflight, and he lived in a small village on the border between Equestria and the city state called Griffonstone. He had the hind legs of a pony, his forelegs like a griffon’s. His head resembled a pony’s, but he had a beak instead of a snout. His body was similar to that of a griffon, but his tail was like a pony. He was an accomplished archer and hunter, having been taught by his mother. He frequently participated in the Equestrian Games archery competition and won several trophies. He was very old when he died.”

Magnus allowed himself a slight smile. “Sounds like he led an interesting and impressive life. How famous do you have to be to even get a special name like ‘hippogriff’?”

“The griffons themselves created that term, a combination of the ancient Griffonese names for ponies and griffons.” With one hoof placed thoughtfully under her chin, Luna continued, “I do believe there are at least four known hippogriffs to have existed. The first was said to have been born roughly two and a half thousand years ago.”

Celestia nodded. “Ponies and griffons are not the only ones known to create viable offspring. There are stories and legends dating back centuries, even millennia, that speak of children born of minotaurs pairing with diamond dogs, cows, and Saddle Arabians.”

“There is even one legend dating back to centuries before the pre-unification era that speak of an earth pony stallion and a dragoness conceiving a child.” Luna shook her head slightly. “However, as time goes by, details can be twisted and turned until the truth is hard to discern. Still, all legends tend to carry with them a modicum of truth, no matter how much time passes by.”

“Wow…” Magnus mumbled, awestruck, while smearing jam onto his toast. A pony and a dragon? That brought to mind a rather vivid image, which he quickly tried to dispel.

Luna smiled. “Yes, it is quite interesting, is it not? You should not worry so much; should the doctors discover anything harmful to your health, I am sure that they, and we, will find a way to help you, no matter what.”

Magnus nodded absently. He had no doubt they were willing to help. His addiction treatment was a testament to their medical abilities. He had no idea how good their surgery techniques were, though, or if they could treat genetic flaws that threatened his well-being. With magic being such a huge part of their lives, he had no doubt that some sort of magic could be used as well.

He was attempting to be positive, but there was still that sliver of fear in the back of his mind. Hopefully, it would soon be silenced.

***

With a simple push, Magnus opened the double doors that led into the infirmary and walked through, Cloverfield and Cumulus Star in tow. Immediately, he was assaulted by the white walls and sterile scent that had plagued him during his first few days in Equestria. He recalled there was a reception desk further in, and after a few moments of brisk walking, he came upon the waiting area. A mare donned in the guard’s uniform already sat on one of the seats, seemingly waiting her turn whilst cradling her foreleg. To the right was the reception desk, and a bespectacled mare sat there, looking down at something. Judging by the sound, she was making use of a typewriter.

He walked over to the desk, crouched, and tapped the bell to gain her attention. “Just a seeecooond,” the caramel-coloured mare replied in a cheery singsong. She finished typing her sentence then turned to her left, only to stare at a belt buckle.

“Up here, Miss,” Magnus said with a chuckle.

The mare looked up, spotted Magnus, then smiled. “Oh, hey, it’s the alien.” Her eyes suddenly widened and her hoof immediately found its way over her mouth. Slowly, she moved it away. “I-I shouldn’t have said that! Oooh, I shouldn’t have said that! I’m so, so, so sorry!” she wailed.

The last thing Magnus expected was for the mare to start crying because of a slip of the tongue. He crouched down until he was eye level with her. “Miss, I’m not angry with you. Technically, you’re correct in that I’m an alien, and you shouldn’t cry because of that.”

The mare sniffled loudly, and looked at him with teary eyes. “I-I shouldn’t? But I insulted you!”

He waved a dismissive hand at her. “Nah, alien isn’t an insult; it just describes someone born in another country, or someone from outer space, both of which I’m sure applies to me.”

“...Oh…” The mare removed her glasses and wiped her eyes. “So… you’re not mad?” she asked hopefully.

Magnus smiled at her. “Not at all.” The mare exhaled in relief, then smiled back at him. “Now, maybe you can help me.”

“Oh, of course! what do you need?” she asked as she put her glasses back on her muzzle, sounding as though she hadn’t been wailing moments ago.

“I have an appointment with Doctor Silverheart, but I’m not sure what time it was. He told me to be here early.”

“Doctor Silverheart and appointment,” she mumbled as rifled through a few papers. She quickly found the correct one. “Here it is! Let’s see… Magnus Powell?”

“That’s me.”

“Right. Let’s see, extended physical examination… Your appointment is for ten past nine.” She pointed to the chairs. “Just take a seat and the doctor will come for you when he’s ready.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

Magnus stood up to his full height and was about to walk away when he spotted the typewriter she had been using. It looked like a fairly normal mechanical desk typewriter, and maybe not the newest model, but what drew his attention was the fact that there was only three keys on it: two large slabs and one that resembled a spacebar. How could they use a device containing three keys for an alphabet containing over forty letters, ten numbers, and a wide array of symbols?

“Excuse me, Miss,” he called out to the mare and pointed to the typewriter. “How can the entire alphabet fit onto three keys?”

The mare looked to her typewriter, then burst into giggles. “You’re really not from around here.” Picking up the typewriter, she placed it on the desk so that Magnus could get a closer look.

The two large keys were slightly smaller than a hoof, and on the surface of each key were squares engraved onto it. On each square was a distinct character.

“It’s not a Griffonian or Minoan typewriter that you just press one key for a letter or number. Equestrian ones are all about where on the key to press.”

She tapped the tip of her hoof onto a key, making sure to touch only a square that contained a letter, and in response, a metal arm came up and stamped the corresponding letter onto paper. “See?”

Magnus shook his head slowly, amazed at how they managed to create such a compact typewriter considering the size of their alphabet. Fitting all those tiny moving parts in such a small casing was something of an engineering feat. Then again, if each key had only one letter and was big enough for a single hoof, the end result would have been a typewriter overly large and difficult to move.

He walked over to the chairs and sat down, taking a moment to relax before the show started. He had spent enough time in waiting rooms to draw parallels to Earth. There were the standard magazines on end tables for patients to read, calming works of art on the walls, and a few plants here and there. Cloverfield and Cumulus had chosen to stand by the entrance, looking as stoic as ever.

Waiting did little to quell Magnus’ conflicting emotions, which resulted in him tapping his hoof rapidly against the marble floor. There was anxiety that came from the fear that the doctors would find something detrimental to his health. Some excitement was mixed in as well, however, that something positive could be discovered. He wasn’t expecting superpowers or anything like that, but he maintained a faint flicker of hope that maybe he was even more unique now than anyone could guess just by looking at him.

In an attempt to calm himself, he reached into his pocket and found his red practice pebble. A few days after the dream, he had tried levitating it and found that feeling his magic course through his body helped him relax. After that, he had begun carrying it around all the time so that he could practice his magic. Staring at it, it didn’t take long before his horn began to glow and his magic aura surrounded the pebble.

By chance, Magnus had discovered just how extensive his magic could act. By concentrating deeply, he could feel his magic wrap around and cover the stone. He could also feel the worn texture of the pebble, though it had a couple of jagged edges that he could use to magically grip, instead of focusing on grabbing the entire pebble.

Gradually, the pebble began to move from his palm towards his fingertips, then made its way back again. The stone didn’t feel as heavy now as it once did, but that was all a matter of training his magic until it was strong enough. At least, that was what the magic book for foals taught him.

Magnus was so deeply embedded in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Silverheart calling out his name twice. Only when the doctor’s shadow fell over him did he react.

“What? Oh, good morning, Doctor Silverheart. I didn’t hear you.”

“Good morning. Are you okay? You seem a bit out of it.”

Magnus shrugged. “Nervous. Found out my magic can help me relax.” He held out his hand and moved the pebble around in his palm. “Don’t know why.”

Silverheart looked at the tiny pebble. “Well, whatever helps you. Are you ready for your examination?” Magnus nodded. “Then let’s go.”

“We will wait for you here,” Cloverfield told Magnus as he stood up and went with the doctor. Magnus nodded back at the earth pony guard.

Silverheart led the way through some corridors, with Magnus close behind. The human didn’t say anything at all, which Silverheart quickly picked up on. He glanced at the human and spotted the anxiety clearly written on his face.

“You said you were nervous. About the examination?” the unicorn prodded.

Magnus exhaled heavily. “I’m afraid that you’ll find something wrong with me, something that’ll shorten my life or outright kill me. Something… incurable.”

“Hmm, I can understand your anxiety. It isn’t every day we get someone as unique as you as a patient. We can’t know for sure if there are any complications borne from your unique physiology until we’ve examined you.” He stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to Magnus, regarding him with a serious expression. “I won’t lie—we can cure many illnesses, either through antibiotics for nasty infections, magical potions for magic-related illness and spells, or via surgery for broken bones, wings, and horns. If there is something wrong and none of these procedures help, know that there are many good doctors in the world, not only in Equestria.”

Magnus looked at Silverheart for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Thanks, Doc, it means a lot to me.”

“It’s my pleasure. Now then, we have a team waiting for us.” With that, Silverheart turned around and began walking again.

It took five minutes to reach the examination room Silverheart had prepared. Pushing open the doors, they stepped into a room that appeared to have been prepared for surgery. There was a large examination table in the middle of the room, a dazzling light shining down from the ceiling, and a multitude of tables close to the wall with various medical instruments on them. There was also two other doors that led into other rooms, as well as also several other machines that Magnus did not recognize. A trio of ponies in lab coats deep in discussion immediately turned to face them once they entered the room.

“Here we are,” Silverheart said as he stepped into the room and looked around. “Magnus, I’d like for you to meet the other experts that will examine you. This gentlecolt here is Doctor Crimson.” A light red pegasus with black hair stepped forward. Magnus crouched down to shake his hoof.

“Good morning, Mr Powell. Crimson Cloth is my name. I can’t say how exciting it is to be allowed to examine you!” he exclaimed eagerly, almost bouncing on the tip of his hooves.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Magnus smiled faintly.

“And this lovely mare here is Doctor Sparkling Star.” The bespectacled unicorn mare stepped forward and eagerly shook Magnus’ hand. She had a violet coat with a long light pink mane and tail, both in a ponytail. She seemed rather young compared to her colleagues.

“Hiya, just call me Sparkle. I specialize in all things magic, which means your horn and your body’s internal magical system.”

“And finally we have Doctor Sanguis Moon,” Silverheart concluded. He was an elderly bat pony, judging by the two long fangs protruding from his upper lip. His coat and mane no doubt had once been a dark sheen, though they now had a few grey stripes interspersed within them. With round monocles set on his muzzle, he had the appearance of an old-fashioned, no-nonsense type of guy. He casually stepped forward and shook Magnus’ hand, seeming quite disinterested in meeting him.

“Only Doctor Sanguis, Mr Powell. I am an experienced doctor, and how you are here, and not in quarantine due to the risk of hazardous diseases you present, is beyond me. Nevertheless, welcome to Equestria,” he bluntly said, revealing a rather thick foreign-sounding accent. Though somewhat taken back by the rough greeting, Magnus tried to take it in stride.

“I’m sure the princesses had it all under control, Doctor Sanguis,” he said as pleasantly as he could, not that it helped the sour mood the bat pony possessed.

Silverheart picked up a clipboard and a quill. “Great, now that you’ve met my colleagues, maybe we can get started with the examination. We have a lot of tests to perform.”

“Sounds good to me. Where should we start?”

Silverheart flicked through the papers on his clipboard, his quill dangling from his mouth. “I thought we could talk about the areas of interest first, namely your transformed body parts. Remind me, what were they?”

“Well, it’s my hands and lower arms; they’re larger and thicker than before, and my lower arms have also grown thicker. There’s also the fur.”

“Hands, lower arms, and fur…” Silverheart mumbled as he wrote it down.

“Then there’s my horn, obviously. My ears weren’t pointy before. I also had feet instead of hooves, and my lower legs weren’t this thick. I did have some body hair before, but most of it is now fur.”

Sanguis stood next to Magnus, staring at him with mild interest. Sparkle and Crimson, in comparison, looked like a pair of kids that were locked inside a candy store for the night.

“That should be all. Oh, I discovered that I’ve begun growing a mane; a wide stripe of hair running down my neck,” Magnus added and leaned forward, showing off his newly discovered hair. The four doctors leaned in closer to stare as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Silverheart also jotted this down. “Right. Okay. Was there anything else?” Magnus shook his head. “Anything else you’ve felt since you underwent these changes? Pain of any kind? Have you experienced any involuntary muscle movements in your body? Also, have you had any thoughts that you ordinarily would not have?”

Magnus mulled over the questions. For the most part, it was only emotional pain that he had encountered, which didn’t need any explanation. He relayed as such to Silverheart, who nodded slightly. There was also that thought he had entertained when he had learned he would never return to Earth, but he didn’t feel comfortable broaching that to the doctors.

“Good, good, I’m just trying to cover all my bases here. We might run into things as we move along.”

Silverheart returned to his clipboard, flipped through several pages, and mumbled to himself. Crimson and Sparkle seemed ready to dive into action, almost shivering with anticipation. Doctor Sanguis was the only one who kept his calm, seemingly finding the entire examination terribly boring.

“Hmm, I need some background info first. While I ask you questions, perhaps Doctor Sanguis can start off with blood samples. Doctors Crimson and Sparkle can listen to your lungs and heart.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Good, please remove your clothes and take a seat on the stool.”

Magnus began undressing, as it was necessary for the examination, and placed his clothes on an available table until the only article of cloth left was his boxer shorts. He was about to sit on the short stool when Sparkle spoke up.

“That one too.” She pointed at the boxers.

Magnus looked down at his black boxers, then up at the mare. The only mare in the room. “I, uh, I’d rather keep my shorts on.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Why?”

Magnus nervously rubbed his newly acquired, itchy mane, unsure of how to broach the subject. “Well… I am… different from stallions... down there,” he began meekly. “See, these guys, they have the… uh, the… They can sort of… hoist it up… and in.” He nodded towards the stallions. “I can’t, it’s all just… dangles there.”

The three stallions’ attention turned completely to Magnus at this little titbit of biological information and its stuttering description. Sparkle, however, remained unimpressed.

“Mr Powell, you have nothing down there that I haven’t seen before. I’ve heard of your ‘need’ to wear clothes all the time, and frankly, I find it silly. We rarely wear clothes, only when it's needed for work, or social gatherings, or winter. We are all doctors here and bound to the Ponycrathic Oath, which means we will never talk about your health or anything else concerning your body to anyone. That includes your penis, which you are so afraid of even mentioning.” She giggled. “Trust me, you will not surprise me or my colleagues.”

Magnus looked from doctor to doctor, hoping to find at least one that would back him up. None did. Reluctantly, he removed his boxers and quickly sat down on the stool with his legs crossed. The ponies never even glanced below his waist, which gave him some relief. Since ponies rarely wore clothing, he figured nudity wasn’t even a taboo. He hadn’t even seen a stallion or mare sneak a peek at a pony of the opposite gender. Either they never did, or they were taught from childhood that it was frowned upon.

“See, isn’t it nice to feel some air on your skin?” a smiling Sparkle said. Magnus’ response was to mumble about how cold the room was.

Doctor Sanguis fastened a strap around Magnus’ right arm, tightened it, and began looking for a vein, while Doctor Crimson placed a stethoscope on his back and ordered him to take a deep breath.

“Now, Magnus, I’ll ask you some questions concerning your medical history. We already have some knowledge due to the time you spent here earlier, though it’s not enough to create a complete medical history. Due to our limited knowledge on humans, we will establish your current physical shape as the baseline for all future examinations. Some of my questions might be a bit intrusive or intimate, but they are necessary.”

“That’s okay, Silverheart. Go ahead.”

“Good. Let’s see… We already know your name. Your age?”

“Twenty-seven. Ouch!”

Doctor Sanguis had inserted a syringe into his arm, and biting onto the plunger, he drew blood from Magnus’ arm. “I have taken blood samples from foals. Many never complained at all,” Doctor Sanguis chided.

‘What are the chances that a bat pony, who looks like Count Dracula in pony form, is the one to take blood from me?’

“Twenty-seven… Do you know your blood type?”

“I heard it about ten years ago, but I’ve forgotten.”

Doctor Sanguis completely filled the syringe and deftly removed it from Magnus’ arm. After placing a cork on the needle, he grabbed another syringe, inserted it into Magnus’ arm, and proceeded to draw more blood.

“Unknown…” Silverheart mumbled to himself as he jotted it down. “Have you suffered any injuries that required treatment or hospitalization? Aside from your aforementioned migraines.”

“Well, I broke my left arm when I was twelve years old. Wore a cast for four weeks.”

“Oh, how did that happen?”

“I thought I knew how to skateboard.” Magnus’ response elicited a round of light chuckles. “I also broke my right collarbone once playing football in school. It was a hairline fracture—only needed to carry my arm around in a sling for two weeks.”

“Right. Any allergies?”

“None that I know of.”

Silverheart flipped to the next page. “Any diseases that runs in the family?”

“Nope.”

“Quite a healthy individual, aren’t you?” Silverheart smiled before asking the next question. “How would you describe your body and current physical condition? Are you perhaps underweight or overweight? How would you consider your stamina and muscle mass. Are they normal?”

He thought about the questions for a moment. “I’d say my weight is normal for a man of my age and height, with perhaps some extra muscle, though not much. I’ve done some physical labour in the past. My muscles are normal, but I noticed some time ago that I’ve lost some stamina, like I’m carrying extra weight.” Magnus scratched his chin. “I think I noticed it when I was walking up some stairs in one of the towers.”

“Loss of stamina? Extra weight? That in itself does not sound worrying, but we’ll figure it out.” Silverheart frowned slightly at his clipboard. “Speaking of stamina and weight, do you exercise regularly?”

Magnus shook his head. “Nah, most of my exercise comes from a lot of walking, camping in the woods, stuff like that.”

“Ah yes, I believe you mentioned that to me during your treatment. You like to hike and fish, right?” Magnus nodded. “It’s nice going for a walk. My wives always want to go hiking in the Unicorn Range.”

‘Wives? It feels like I’ve heard that mentioned before, as in plural.’

Before Magnus could question Silverheart on his odd statement, the doctor had already moved on.

“What of your sexual history?”

Magnus paused before smirking. “The stuff of legends.”

***

After the doctors got the laughter out of their system, they got to work examining Magnus, but first they had to know where all of his internal organs were located. Silverheart provided an accurate outline drawing of his body, and with it, Magnus filled in and drew where his lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and other internal organs were located, with as much information on human anatomy as he could remember. The four doctors turned from doctors to eager students as they listened to Magnus’ explanation. Even Doctor Sanguis Moon allowed his sour mood to fade for a while.

Even with Magnus’ transformation, certain things hadn’t changed, such as his body temperature. His heartbeat was also a solid sixty-five beats per minute. This, however, caused some consternation amongst the medical professionals since the average heartbeat of a pony was thirty-five to forty-five beats per minute. Despite that, Magnus assured them that his heart was healthy and normal.

As the examination continued, Magnus had to take several X-rays that covered his body in its entirety since the doctors wanted a complete image of his skeleton. They also focused heavily on the parts of his body that had changed. Afterwards, he was taken into a different room with other medically trained ponies. Two unicorns performed what they referred to as a ‘magical scan’, which allowed the unicorns to somehow ‘see’ deep within his body. When pressed, they explained that it consisted of sending pulses of magic that would echo if any part of his organs didn’t work as normal. Much to Magnus’ relief, the scan back with a clean bill of health for his organs, aside from them shifting around to accommodate his larger body.

After noon, they took a break to have lunch. The infirmary had a cosy cafeteria that provided a wide variety of meals and juices for free. Upon entering the cafeteria, every single pony, both staff and patients, turned to look at Magnus. Of course, Magnus had already donned his clothing, so nudity wasn’t a problem, though there was still a twinge of self-consciousness from the eyes fixated on him. He tried his best to take it in stride, allowing the ponies to stare as much as they wanted. Princess Luna’s words were still fresh in his mind; ‘let them stare until their eyes bleed’. One day, they wouldn’t even notice him anymore, he told himself.

While the food was plentiful and appeared delicious, it was unfortunately all vegetarian. Magnus couldn’t help but sulk somewhat since he missed meat. The doctors picked up on his mood, and when pressed, he told them how he missed salami, bologna, steak, and pork chops. The last two he whispered quietly enough so that only the doctors could hear him. He also told them that meat was important to his diet, information they also considered essential.

After lunch was consumed, the examinations continued. This time, it was Doctor Sparkle that went to work, and she was nothing but thorough. She was going to check out his magic, his horn, and how it all affected his body. Since Princess Celestia had assured him that his magic was normal, he wasn’t worried when the overly eager Doctor Sparkle went to work on him.

That only lasted until he was ordered to sit in a chair. She strapped down his hands, placed some sort of metallic helmet that looked like a colander covered with wires and bulbs onto his head, and plugged it into a strange machine. She then took what seemed like a rubber sock with wires attached to it and forced it down on his horn, then plugged the wires into the machine. He didn’t even have time to object before the giggling unicorn pulled a lever on the machine.

Magnus wasn’t sure what to expect when he saw the lever being pulled, and he instinctively closed his eyes. However, absolutely nothing happened. There was no pain, shock, heat, or cold. The machine, however, released numerous whirring sounds, along with a wide assortment of beeps and boops, all while a steady stream of linked paper poured out of it with what like seismograph lines on them. In addition, the coloured bulbs attached onto the colander and the machine lit up like a Christmas tree, making the entire examination room resemble a disco in the late seventies.

Magnus inhaled deeply a few times and assured himself that everything was fine. After a few moments, Doctor Sparkle asked him to power up his magic so that she could get a reading. Later on, he was asked to do different things with his magic, such as attempt to levitate a book, which he was unable to do, though she quickly reassured him that it wasn’t a problem.

When he asked for a bathroom break, they gave him two cups in order to procure samples. Seeing no reason to object, Magnus obliged their request. After all, he was just curious as they were. Even though some of their procedures made him rather uncomfortable, he kept in mind that this was all for his own well-being, and was reassured by their professionalism.

***

It had taken a full day, but the last test was finally over and the last sample finally collected. Now they had a mountain of data on their hooves. Doctor Sparkle seemed overjoyed, repeatedly exulting over how much precious medical data they had to work on while clutching several clipboards to her chest. Doctor Sanguis had maintained his reserved attitude towards Magnus, though Crimson was liable to chat away amiably to the human. Silverheart, the leader of the team, rubbed a spot just under his horn while grunting.

“Never had to write so much in years; almost reminds me of medical school.” He winced slightly.

Magnus slipped on his shirt and smoothened it over, then rolled his head around to work out a few kinks. “Guess you had a lot of books to read through?” he asked, having a faint idea how many books a medical student had to study before being allowed to even touch a patient.

“Oh, a few.” Silverheart laughed. “Sixteen books in four years, numerous written papers, tests, and late hours spent studying with nothing but coffee and chocolate fuelling me. I have no idea how many times my classmates found me sleeping outside or at the local hayburger shops.”

“Made little time for student parties, huh?”

“I managed to get into a few here and there. I actually met my first wife at one. She later found me sleeping at the coffee shop she worked at.”

The group shared a short laugh before returning to whatever they were doing. Magnus, however, had a question that had only burned brighter as the day progressed.

“How long will it take before the results of the tests are available?”

Doctor Crimson was the one to speak up. “I’d say at least a week. We’ll have to send some of the data to Canterlot General for analysis; the infirmary is well-equipped, but Canterlot General has a better laboratory.”

Magnus paused for a moment; he was still a secret, but now ponies on the outside were going to handle his tests? “They’ll see those tests and wonder who they came from.”

“They will know in two days’ time.” Silverheart shrugged. “After the conference, you’ll be public knowledge. I doubt there’ll be a need for secrecy much longer.”

Magnus nodded; he had grown so accustomed to being a State secret that any mention of outside ponies triggered red flags. That wouldn’t last for much longer, anyway. Soon he could walk wherever he wanted: go outside the castle, browse stores, go to a public park, and do pretty much anything else a normal pony could. Terror and excitement both battled within him, with no clear winner.

“In any case,” Silverheart continued, “we’ll compile everything into one single presentation and inform you when we have an answer. Should we find something that doesn’t add up or we suspect is dangerous, we’ll inform you.”

“Thank you, all of you. I really appreciate the time you spent on me today,” Magnus said respectfully. “I’ve gotten some answers today, but I’ve also had some of my fears laid to rest. Thank you.”

Their reactions were varied; Sparkle looked like she wasn’t used to such praise, blushing and idly kicking at the floor with her hoof. The stallions nodded to him, Crimson and Silverheart adding a slight smile.

“Thank you for placing your trust in us. We may not be human doctors, but I’d say that we did our best with the knowledge and skills we possess,” Crimson stated. “I’ll bet that you are the most interesting patient we’ve ever had.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before he departed, hungry and in search of a meal. Silverheart followed him to the exit, where his two guards were waiting. Thanking the doctor once again, they parted ways. Once alone, his guards relayed a dinner invitation from the princesses. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse; the vegan meal he had eaten earlier in the day was pony-portioned, and his stomach was still bitter about the fact. The mention of a royal meal was all it needed for Magnus to pick up the pace, though their longer legs meant his guards were able to keep pace with him.

When he arrived at the dinner room, Celestia and Luna was already seated, their meals and several others being carried in by waiters. Celestia had a scroll in her magical grasp, while a quill scratched away at it. Luna was the first one to notice Magnus.

“Good evening, Magnus.” Celestia tore her attention away from the scroll at that and greeted him as well.

“Good evening, Luna, Celestia.” He hurried to his seat as servants placed a plate with a covered lid before him. He removed the lid, revealing fried fish with fresh vegetables covered in a spicy sauce. The aroma alone made his mouth water. He began digging in, not even noticing what Celestia and Luna was served.

Celestia finished her letter, rolled it up, and instantly reduced it to smoke which swiftly dispersed, though not with the wind. To Magnus’ eyes, it looked like the smoke had a destination in mind, the notion reinforced when it flew through an open window.

Swallowing his first mouthful, he turned to Celestia. “Can I ask why you burned the letter?”

Celestia poured herself a glass of water before setting her cutlery above her plate. The dish was unfamiliar to Magnus, but it looked like steamed vegetables with a side of freshly cut hay, and sprinkled with rose petals.

“I sent a message to Spike. When he was very young, I enchanted his fiery breath so that I can send letters to him. He is Twilight’s assistant and performs a variety of tasks, such as delivering letters to her. He can also send letters to me simply by breathing fire onto them.”

Magnus chuckled. “Small Dragon Messaging System, huh? That’s pretty clever.”

“I thought so too." Celestia laughed lightly. "It was difficult to teach Spike to differentiate between his normal draconic breath and his messaging breath. It took many months, and more than one singed mane, before he learned to control his fire."

For a brief moment, the image of Celestia with her mane on fire appeared in Magnus' mind, and he managed to choke back his laughter.

"How did the examination go?" Luna asked. Her smile faded, replaced by concern. "They did not find anything malignant, did they?"

"No, everything is fine." Magnus drummed his fingers on the table. "My heart is strong and my lungs are okay; everything else was normal. They still have a few things to analyse, though. In a week or two, I'll find out everything else."

"Splendid!” Luna exclaimed. "You have not come this far only to perish."

"I agree with Luna," Celestia added. "After all you've gone through, I doubt fate would be so cruel to mistreat you again."

Luna nodded. "Yes. Although there are questions left unanswered, I remain firm in my belief that you will live a long and prosperous life."

Magnus couldn't help but smile at the sheer optimism emanating from the two alicorns. They believed so much, and wanted so dearly for him to be okay that their infectious good mood rubbed off on him.

While they ate and chatted with each other, a puff of smoke suddenly appeared before Celestia. The smoke materialized into a scroll, which Celestia opened and read, her features brightening.

“Twilight is coming tomorrow morning, and she will bring Spike and her friends too.” She rolled up the scroll and teleported it away.

“The Element ponies, right?” Magnus asked. He knew they were important ponies, but he could not, for the life of him, remember their names.

“Yes. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy,” Luna said their names with reverence. “Our heroes, the Elements of Harmony, my saviours. We owe them much, for it was they who cleansed me of my darkness, saved us from Discord, befriended him, banished King Sombra to the frozen north, and utterly defeated Lord Tirek.”

Heroines. Saviours. Wielders of some strange friendship weapon. It was somewhat unsettling that he would be meeting and spending time with such esteemed ponies. “What are they like?” he finally asked.

Celestia merely smiled at his question. “They are good ponies, representing our highest values. I think you will like them.”

Magnus nodded, trusting Celestia's word. ‘Well, if I have to spend time with them in Ponyville, I really hope we’ll get along. Celestia and Luna’s won’t be able to bail me out of trouble when I’m gone. And that Pinkie Pie... Wasn't she the one who knew I was watching her?’

***

Earlier in Ponyville…

Spike had been lounging in his room in Twilight’s castle. Ever since the castle had appeared and they had gotten familiar with it, Spike had picked his own room and had decorated it to his own taste. There were comic book posters on the walls, comics on his own bookshelf, a chest for his private belongings, along with a cabinet for the few articles of clothing he owned. He also had a bed, a real bed for adult ponies, though he rarely used it. His old basket was still in Twilight’s bedroom, and he preferred sleeping in her room, close to her. Some habits died hard.

He also had a comfy chair that was perfect for his size, a gift from Shining Armor, his big brother, after he had saved the Crystal Empire. That was where he was sitting with the latest issue of Power Ponies when he felt his stomach bubbling.

He quickly flung aside his comic book, saving it from a fiery end, and belched loudly. With green flames, a scroll appeared and landed in his lap. He instantly noticed the golden seal of Celestia on the scroll.

He scooped up the scroll and scurried out of his room to find Twilight. He remembered seeing her in the library earlier, and knowing her, she would still be there.

The library was on the ground floor. Even though most of the books at Golden Oaks had been destroyed, Twilight had done her best to procure new ones. Tall bookshelves covered every wall, from floor to ceiling. At a table in the middle of the room, Twilight sat with several open books before her, deeply engrossed with whatever words they held.

“Twilight, a letter for you,” Spike said as he reached the table. Twilight didn’t respond. He was used to that since she had a tendency to tune out the world when reading. Out of curiosity, he took a peek at the spine of the book. The Noble Houses of Equestria was the title. It was an odd subject, but Spike had seen Twilight read about far stranger things. He had once caught her reading about the invention of paint.

Seeing that Twilight didn’t respond, Spike simply placed the scroll in the middle of the book, forcing her to notice it. “Hm? Spike?” Twilight finally asked when the precious letters were obstructed. Spike merely pointed to the scroll.

“Letter from Princess Celestia.”

“Oh, thank you. Sorry I didn’t hear you; this book about the noble families is actually quite interesting. Did you know that Starswirl the Bearded's family still exists? That means Magnus also has family here. I wonder if he’ll want to meet them?”

Twilight opened the scroll and began reading the flourished lines from Celestia’s impeccable magical writing. Altogether, they informed Twilight of news she had been awaiting for a while now.

She grinned as she stood up and turned to Spike. “Spike, we’re going to Canterlot!”

“Now?” Spike glanced towards the nearest window, the darkening orange-red sky signalling the lateness of the hour, which meant a distinct lack of trains.

“We’ll take the first train tomorrow morning,” Twilight declared as she cantered towards the exit. “I’ll go tell the girls and make sure they’ll be able to come. Can you start packing our bags in the meantime?”

“Sure.”

“Great! I’ll be back later!” Twilight yelled as she ran out of the castle and took flight, heading towards Sweet Apple Acres.

While flying, a thousand thoughts ran through Twilight's head. The discovery of the century, a new race, untold secrets of another world. Science, mathematics, history, physics, inventions, and thousands upon thousands of other things. There was so much to do, and so much to learn! However, first on her list of priorities came Magnus and his integration into the population of Equestria.

The next few weeks were about to become very interesting.

Author's Notes:

Hello there my dear readers. New update for you all.

First of all!

I'm not happy with this chapter. Not in the slightest. Come at me with critique; I deserve it. The reasons are many, but I'll list the obvious ones, at least obvious to me.

1: The change from 1st person to 3rd person. It feels distant to write like this, it feels like it's harder to connect with the main character, and I don't like it. I might go back to 1st person, just to get a feel for it so that I can compare them better. I might even write the next chapter in 1st person, then in 3rd person.

What do you like best? 1st person or 3rd person.

2: Lost my inspiration. I've been having a vacation recently, and was visiting my parents for 2 weeks. Later on they went on vacation and with an empty house and a fridge filled with food and soda, I felt like I could make some serious progress. I began writing, filled with eagerness, and guess what happens!

After two days of heavy rain and thunder a land slide happens. I lose power and with it, my internet, so I can't write. The next day the powerlines are repaired and I expect internet to come back. Turns out that Thor, the Lord of Thunder, decided that a internet antenna station was perfect for target practice. About a 1000 people were without internet for over a week. By the time I could go back online my writing lust had faded, which reflected onto this chapter.

Norse gods are dicks sometimes.

Anyway! Thank you everybody who reads and enjoy my story. Thank you, everybody who found my story worthy of favoring and a place on your shelves. Thank you, everybody whose following me.

Chapter 29 - The Element Bearers (Edited by JBL 11.25.2017)

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The steam whistle on the train’s engine released a deafening shrill as it slowly pulled out of Ponyville’s station. Passengers leaned out of the windows, bidding farewell to friends and family. Among them was Applejack, who waved goodbye to Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom. The energetic youngster ran along the platform, eagerly trying to keep up with the train.

“Bye, Applejack! Come home soon!” the filly yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Ah will, ‘Bloom! You be good now!” Applejack shouted over the cacophony of the chugging train.

“No promises!” Apple Bloom called back, a devious grin on her face.

Applejack laughed and leaned back in her seat. “I think mah sister’s up to no good. Rarity, did Sweetie Belle act weird this morning?”

“Yes.” Rarity adjusted her wide-brimmed sunhat specially made for the trip to Canterlot. “She actually managed to make toast without making a huge mess. Granted, she did make a mess, but only a small one. I suppose that counts as weird.”

Applejack chuckled. She had heard of Sweetie Belle’s talent for cooking, and figured that the filly had finally learned a few things around the kitchen. Still, she wondered if Ponyville would be in one piece when they returned.

“Rainbow, did Scootaloo tell you about their plans?” she asked the pegasus across the corridor. The only response she got was a loud snore. Rainbow Dash was fast asleep and drooling on the seat.

“Rainbow has been so busy lately. With all the nice weather we’ve had, she and the rest of the weather team had to pull in extra rainclouds from Cloudsdale so that the farms around Ponyville wouldn’t dry up,” Fluttershy explained from her seat next to the snoring pegasus. She gently lifted up Rainbow’s head and tucked a pillow underneath, ensuring that her childhood friend was comfortable.

“Well, maybe Ah’m just being a too cautious.”

That was when Pinkie, having been sitting next to Applejack, fell off her seat onto the floor and landed on her back. Her right ear began flapping back and forth rapidly while one of her forelegs began shaking. She began laughing loudly before ending the entire display with a ten second raspberry.

“Blblblblprrrrttrrtttrrrrttrrrrrrrrrrrrtttpthpth!”

“Pinkie! That is not proper behaviour among strangers!” Rarity chastised, her eyes darting to the passengers who had taken in Pinkie’s impromptu performance with confusion, though the fillies and colts in the cab were giggling.

“It’s my Pinkie Sense. I’ve been having combos ever since Twilight came to see me last night.” Pinkie got up and brushed away some dust before sighing, looking befuddled as she clambered onto her seat. “I’ve never had one like that. First I thought something had happened with Mr and Mrs Cake, but they were just fine. Then I decided to see if Pound and Pumpkin were okay, but they were sleeping. Then I thought that maybe Gummy was hurt, but he explained to me in vivid detail how happy he was. He even wrote me a song about it.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, then leaned out the window to see what was ahead. Nothing was on the tracks, and the train engine looked and sounded fine.

“So, you don’t know what this combo means?” Fluttershy asked, feeling a bit intrigued, but not so much that she seemed adventurous.

“No, but I know it’s a doozy. Not a doozy like a ‘Twilight-believes’ doozy, but a bigger doozy! A doozy king, maybe even an alicorn with a doozy for a cutie mark!” She gasped dramatically. “That means I get to throw a party for him!” Pinkie’s confusion vanished and she grinned widely. “An alicorn party with cakes and streamers and confetti and music and games and punch and—Is it a he or a she?”

Twilight felt the first prickle of trepidation as she listened to Pinkie ramble on. Even though Pinkie couldn’t interpret it, somehow her Pinkie Sense knew about Magnus. As astonishing and strange as the Pinkie Sense was, it had never been wrong before.

While her friends discussed the Pinkie Sense, Twilight looked out the window. Even as the landscape rapidly passed by, Canterlot stood like a beacon in the distance. The single mountain peak towered in the middle of a vast plain, the city like a tower in a sea of green. Every minute drew her closer to meeting Magnus again, and introducing her friends to him for the first time.

Twilight knew Magnus was at least somewhat comfortable around ponies by now. He had guards following him everywhere, he shared meals with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna almost every day, and he was fluent in Equish. Unfortunately, he had scant knowledge of Equestria itself, ponies in general, and social norms. He had a lot of learning ahead of him, and Twilight and her friends would be there to facilitate such knowledge. She had no doubt whatsoever that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be involved as well.

Still, she couldn’t shake the thought that an unforeseen event could impact that learning process, even up to the point where it damaged his integration into Equestria. Spike, having noticed Twilight gazing out the window and not participating in their friends’ discussion, deduced that something was weighing on her mind. Knowing it had probably involved with their upcoming meeting, he decided to take action.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” he whispered so that the others couldn’t hear him.

Turning away from the window, Twilight turned to Spike and sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m being silly and overthinking things, but… What if we give the wrong impression to Magnus?” she whispered back.

“Wrong how exactly?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know, just… something.” Twilight looked up at her friends. “What if Pinkie breaks some kind of social taboo that humans have? She might cause an incident. What if humans hate apples? Applejack won’t take that lying down. What if he hates clothes? Rarity will be so insulted that she might never talk to him again! What if he hates animals? Fluttershy will think he’s a monster! And what about Rainbow Dash? She’ll talk about flying and how she’s the fastest pony in Equestria! What if speed is the greatest insult to exist to humans? And—” Twilight’s brain screeched to a halt, her increasing panic assuming control. “What if he hates alicorns! And magic!” She turned to Spike, a wild glint in her eyes. “And dragons!”

The conversation around her instantly halted, her friend’s attention switched firmly onto her. Even Rainbow Dash jerked awake with a yelp.

“Darling, who’s afraid of dragons?” Rarity asked, her gossip sense tingling.

“And who the hay’s afraid of alicorns?” Rainbow demanded, yawning expansively.

Twilight began sweating as the realization dawned on her that she had almost uttered Magnus’ name. She grounded her teeth, angry at herself for being so careless, but that soon grew to desperation as she futilely tried to think of a way to answer her friends’ queries, even as the silence stretched on.

She cast a pleading look to Spike, who quickly discerned what she wanted. “Ahuizotl!”

Rainbow raised a brow at Spike. “What?”

“Ahuizotl, Daring Do’s arch nemesis.”

Rainbow shook her head and sat up, staring down at Spike. “Spike, I know who Ahuizotl is. I’ve read every single Daring Do book four times. I’ve pre-ordered the four next books in the series. I can tell you that Ahuizotl is not afraid of dragons. In fact, he managed to get a dragon working for him in Daring Do and the Diamond Dog King’s Collar. He’s not afraid of magic either; he’s used magical talismans and amulets a few times. I don’t know about alicorns since none have made an appearance in any of the books, and I personally doubt we'll ever see an alicorn in the books. I think Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and our very own egghead over here have the word ‘alicorn’ copyrighted,” Rainbow stated matter-of-factly.

There was a moment of silence before Spike turned back to Twilight and innocently asked, “Is Rainbow right?”

He finished his sentence by giving Twilight a wink. She looked at him, befuddled for a moment, before picking up on his hint.

“O-Oh, of course,” she stuttered, grinning at Spike. “I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but I believe Rainbow is correct. Ahuizotl managed to convince a dragon to work for him by promising him the diamond dog king's treasury. I forgot about the time when we actually met Daring Do and helped her foil Ahuizotl’s plot of using the Rings of Scorchero to create a heat wave that would last eight hundred years.” She gently tapped her chin, adjusting to her impromptu role. “I’m not sure about the alicorns, though. I’ll ask Princess Celestia when we get to Canterlot.”

“See?” Rainbow proclaimed loudly. “Twilight isn’t the only one here who knows a lot about Daring Do. And me knowing this isn’t because I’m an egghead; it’s because I’m Daring Do’s biggest fan. As for you, Spike, I think Power Ponies might be more your style.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Spike muttered, feigned defeat in his voice.

Realizing the conversation concerned a trivial matter, they began to discuss what they wanted to do in Canterlot after their meeting with the princesses.

Fluttershy wanted to see the animals in the castle garden again. Although she had a rocky start last time, she wanted to apologize to the animals and try again. Rainbow Dash decided on hunting down new goggles, and maybe grab some Wonderbolt paraphernalia. Rarity wanted to go fabric hunting when time allowed, and of course spy on what her competitors had in store for the autumn season. Applejack hadn’t really planned anything, but wanted to mill around a few stores to see if something caught her eye. The first thing on Pinkie’s literal list was to find party supplies since she was running low on streamers. Again. And confetti. Always low on confetti.

Twilight remained silent for a moment. When she was sure it was safe to talk again, she nudged Spike. “Thanks, Spike. You really saved my tail,” she whispered.

“Eh, don’t mention it—one of my duties as assistant.” Spike struck his chest with a claw. “As for Magnus… you're thinking of the worst case scenarios. He’s already spending time with the princesses, so that means he’s not afraid of them. We know he thinks magic is awesome, and he’s already met me and wasn’t that afraid. I know I’m just a baby dragon and—I’m getting off track here. Just… let things happen. Magnus has gotta learn, right? It’s not like we can interrogate him.”

“Yeah… you’re right.” Twilight nodded slowly. “We have to let Magnus get acquainted with the girls, and we’ll work on things from there.”

Twilight returned to staring out the window. Canterlot was fast approaching, and with it, the meeting.

***

It was currently noon. Luna had decided on a short nap so that she could greet Twilight and her friends when they arrived. Being in charge of the night meant a different sleep schedule than the rest of us, a schedule she had disturbed today. She had stayed awake for quite a few days since I had arrived in Equestria as well.

I had milled about the garden for a while, then spent some time in my room until Celestia came to see me. Twilight and her friends were about to arrive.

“Can you see it?”

I looked towards the direction Celestia pointed her hoof, then turned the telescope so that it pointed in the same direction.

I had expressed some concerns to Celestia regarding Twilight’s friends, feeling anxious about meeting ponies who had been unaware of my presence. Though she reassured me that they wouldn’t react violently, since it wasn’t in their nature, I still managed to convince her to take me to the tower so that I could get a first glimpse at them.

I adjusted the telescope until I could view the train itself, mildly surprised that Equestria already had steam engines. Despite possessing modern medical devices, the guards still wore metal armour and used spears, and their trains ran on steam power. It was just another reminder of the strange way technology evolved on this planet.

It resembled an old-fashioned locomotive, with six cars, a caboose, and the engine itself. True to pony style, every part of the train was painted in pastel colours. A crowd had gathered at the platform. Most of the ponies waited for the train to empty so that they could board. Suddenly, several ponies backed away and bowed. I adjusted the telescope and spotted Twilight Sparkle and Spike.

“I see her.” I chuckled briefly. “Twilight isn’t used to ponies bowing, is she?” Twilight seemed uncomfortable as she smiled and waved awkwardly, her moving lips indicating that she was talking to someone.

“She is young and hasn’t been a princess for long.” I glanced at Celestia and found her smiling, her eyes focusing on the direction of the train station. I wondered if her eyesight was so keen that she could see Twilight without the telescope. The distance from us to the train station was easily a kilometre and a half. “In time, she will get used to it, just as Cadence did, and just as Luna and I did. Bowing is simple protocol, a remnant from the era before the unification that carried onto Equestria. The Council of Nobles, the old rulers of Equestria, was treated as royalty, and bowing was demanded in those days.” Celestia sighed and looked wistfully towards Twilight’s direction. “Some days, I wish they could stop bowing, for at least one day.”

At that moment, I realized that being the ruler of Equestria might not be everything it was hyped up to be. It seemed as if it separated Celestia and Luna from their subjects. The burden they bore might be beneficial to Equestria, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much it benefitted Celestia and Luna.

‘For your sake, I hope they could stop for a week,’ I thought as I returned to the telescope.

Twilight and Spike had moved away from the train station, and it took me a while to find them in the streets of Canterlot. It wasn’t hard—I just had to find the ponies that waved, bowed, and stared. Twilight had stopped in the middle of the street and was talking to a filly and a colt, and whatever she was telling the two youngsters certainly had an effect on them. They seemed captivated by Twilight, and it looked to me as if she was enjoying herself.

“I think foals are made to look cute,” I told Celestia.

Celestia laughed in response. “Foals are delightful. They are young and innocent, and their only worries are whether or not their parents have dessert planned, and perhaps homework.” She paused for a second. “What about human foals? What are they like?”

“Well, for the first six months of their lives, they look like huge pink raisins that cry and poop. You guys look like kittens in comparison.”

“That… is an interesting image.”

I spotted Spike keeping close to Twilight’s hooves, and this time, I made out the five mares who were accompanying her to the castle. With a pink mane and coat, a poofy mane and tail, and a wide grin that didn’t exactly make her blend into the crowd, Pinkie was the easiest to identify. She was jumping in place, all the while looking around the scenery. Her head suddenly swivelled, and I swore she stared right at me and even winked.

I sighed and muttered, “Pinkie Pie.”

“What did she do?”

“She winked at me.”

“Just remember not to question her actions. Try and you will fail. Accept that some of her actions cannot be explained,” Celestia warned.

“Right…”

I gazed at the other ponies and found them looking nothing like the heroes I had expected. There was an orange earth pony with blonde hair and tail, a cowboy’s hat settled on her head. I could even make out her apple-themed cutie mark. Floating next to her was a light-blue pegasus whose rainbow mane and tail resembled the end result of a crash into a paint factory. Her cutie mark was a multi-coloured lightning bolt shooting out of a cloud.

There was an alabaster unicorn with meticulously curled purple hair and tail, the former covered by a large sunhat. Whoever she was, she didn’t travel with just a few essentials, judging by the sag on the baggage cart. Her cutie mark consisted of three light-blue diamonds. Next to her stood a butter-yellow pegasus with a lengthy pink mane and tail, the latter of which dragged on the ground. Her cutie mark seemed to consist of butterflies. For some reason, she seemed antsier than the rest, her eyes constantly darting around.

These were the heroes of Equestria? Six girls that seemed to barely have reached adulthood, yet somehow they’d defeated eldritch creatures, overpowered unicorns, bug ponies that fed on love, and one raging centaur? I had expected grizzled war heroes with scars and medals.

I stood up and casually rested my arms on the telescope, gazing at approaching mares. At the very least, I was no longer nervous about meeting them. Then the idea came to me. It was a simple straightforward plan, and even though it would be pointless, I just wanted to test it.

“Celestia, I have an idea I want to try out…”

***

Twilight and her friends walked through the large castle doors held open by two unicorn guards. They bowed to the group as they passed, as was tradition by the guards, both for greeting a princess, but also for the heroes of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, in Spike’s case.

“Here we are, girls, Canterlot Castle,” Twilight announced as they came to a halt in the large entrance hall.

“We’ve kinda been here before, Twi,” Rainbow deadpanned. “You even gave us a tour once. Three hours around the castle, two of which we spent in the library because you wanted to show us all the books.”

“Wasn’t it educational?” Twilight marvelled.

Rainbow chose not to reply. This was not the time or place to start debating literature. Besides, that was way before she became a Daring Do fan, and the library had every single book. First edition.

From one of the hallways, Princesses Celestia and Luna emerged, regal and elegant with welcoming smiles on their faces. The entire group bowed, except for Twilight, who simply nodded.

“Welcome,” Celestia greeted them. “We are glad you decided to accept our invitation.”

“Greetings, friends. I hope we did not tear you away from anything important. We are aware of the harvest season, Applejack, though we believe that is still at least two weeks away,” Luna added, her eyes on the farmpony.

“Thank you kindly, Your Highness. Ah reckon’ mah family can handle the farm for a few days without mah help,” Applejack replied with a bow.

Celestia eyed their luggage, especially Rarity’s. “You may leave your luggage here. I will see to it that they are taken to your rooms.”

Rarity bowed elegantly. “Thank you, Princess. Although we are only staying for a few days, I decided to pack for whatever occasion may occur.”

“I can see that,” Celestia murmured. She nodded to two staff members, who immediately sprang into action and began carrying the bags towards a hallway.

While Celestia spoke with the Element Bearers, Luna saw the opportunity to relay some important information. “Twilight, Spike, a word please.” Twilight and Spike followed her until they were out of earshot from the rest. “I trust Magnus still remains a secret to our friends?”

“He is, although I nearly blew it on the train.” Twilight smiled sheepishly.

“I managed to steer the conversation onto something else,” Spike added.

“Yes you did, and I owe you. You’ve more than earned a few crunchy gems.” Twilight wrapped her wing around Spike.

Spike’s proud smile grew wider the moment gem were mentioned. “Can I have sapphires? Maybe some lapis lazuli? What was it the buffaloes had? That was delicious!”

“How about a mixed bag of goodies?” Spike grinned in anticipation. Canterlot being the capital, and the centre of trade in Equestria, meant that the finest gems in the kingdom could be acquired.

Luna cleared her throat, realizing the conversation had somewhat derailed. “Rewards and snacks aside, I must inform you of a slight change in plans.”

“Change?” Twilight asked. She already had a list in her saddlebags with questions and information they would go through when meeting Magnus. This change was not part of it.

“Indeed. Magnus has a plan and believes his idea may give him clues about our mutual friends’ personalities. Seeing that they are five of Equestria’s greatest heroes, he wishes to test them.”

“Test them how, exactly?” Spike asked.

“You will see.” Luna smiled knowingly. “Personally, I find Magnus’ test to be quite intriguing. When we meet, simply greet him and act normal.”

With the information relayed, they returned to the others. Twilight especially was confused at hearing about the test, having no idea of its purpose. She had scant knowledge of humanity’s rituals when it came to greeting others, but remembered Magnus telling her that a handshake, or in the case of ponies, hoofshake, was quite normal. The mention of a test made her apprehensive.

“Now then, I believe you might be famished after your train ride. Perhaps we can all have lunch together.” Celestia began walking down a hallway, with the rest following her. Twilight and Spike slowed their pace until they walked abreast with Fluttershy. With the timid pegasus so shy, Twilight felt that she could use a helping hoof when they met Magnus.

Pinkie, exuberant as always, pronked up to Celestia and matched her pace by jumping sideways. “Ooh, do you have cookies? Do you have chocolate milk? I brought some cupcakes in case you wanted some specials from Sugarcube Corner.” She opened her saddlebag and produced a box with two dozen differently coloured cupcakes.

“They look delicious, Pinkie Pie. I believe these will be perfect for our meal. Thank you.” Celestia eyed the cupcakes with the intent of a predator.

The group chatted amongst themselves, turning around a corner and making their way down a long hallway. Halfway down the hall, another figure rounded the corner at the other end and came walking towards them. Twilight and Spike immediately recognized him.

Dressed in one of his tailor-made T-shirts and shorts, Magnus casually headed towards them, his gait relaxed and his arms swinging slightly at his sides. He looked straight ahead with a neutral expression on his face, seemingly not intending on slowing or stopping.

Applejack was the first to notice him, freezing mid-step at the sight of the strange creature. Then Rainbow Dash grounded to a halt as well, her wings rising ever so slightly, though Twilight didn’t know if it was due to fright or preparation for an attack. Pinkie screeched to a halt and gasped loudly. Fluttershy released a barely audible squeak and quickly hid behind Twilight, trying to make herself as small as possible. Rarity herself was engaged in conversation with Princess Luna and didn’t notice anything wrong until she turned at the approaching sound of Magnus’ heavy hooves upon the marble floor, at which point she stopped and stared.

When he was just a few steps from Celestia and Luna, he slowed and bowed politely to them. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, Magnus,” Celestia returned his greeting warmly, not slowing her pace.

Luna gave Magnus a courteous nod. “Hello, Magnus.”

When he was next to Twilight’s friends, he nodded to them. “Ladies,” he casually said before moving on. They didn’t respond, bewilderment written on most of their faces. Pinkie was the only one who grinned, then released a loud squeal.

Upon seeing Twilight and Spike, he smiled as he passed them. “Hey, Twilight, Spike.”

“Hey, Magnus,” the dragon eagerly responded. It took a moment for Twilight to react.

“Uh, h-hi, Magnus. How are you?”

“Just fine, thanks for asking.” Magnus then left them, heading down the corridor before disappearing around a corner.

Twilight and Spike slowly turned, remembering Luna’s words to act normally. Their friends, however, were a different story. They had all turned to stare at Magnus as he passed them, and now that he was out of sight, they stared down the corridor, their mouths agape, waiting for him to appear again.

Celestia and Luna stood behind the girls, watching their reaction with amusement. The silence lasted for several moments until Applejack shook herself out of her stupor and turned towards the princesses. Pointing a hoof down the hallway, she asked, “The hay was that?!”

“Oh, him? That was Magnus.” Celestia turned to Luna and whispered, “What do you think? Interesting, is it not?”

Luna nodded. “Very interesting, Sister. Our friends do not fear him at all. This bodes well for his future among us.”

“Magnus? That’s that thing's name? What is it, anyway?” Applejack asked again.

“The reason we called you here. You see, we need your help.” Celestia looked down the hallway and called, “Magnus, you can come back now.”

***

The moment I turned the corner, I halted, then leaned against the wall to peek at the reactions of the ponies. I took it as a favourable sign that none of them had attempted to chase after me.

I heard Celestia call out to me, so I strode out into the hallway and walked back to the group. The five mares still stared at me, a common reaction from ponies who had never encountered me before.

“A favourable outcome, do you agree?” Luna asked, to which I nodded.

I crouched down next to the five mares. The only ones who took a step back were the white unicorn and the farmpony. The rainbow-haired pegasus’ wings slowly rose from her back, and she narrowed her eyes at me. The pink mare whose actions must not be explained sat on the floor, almost shaking for some reason while grinning from ear to ear. I had seen five mares earlier, and spotted the fifth member of the group hiding behind Twilight, occasionally peeking from behind cover at me.

“A bit shy that one, eh?” I point at her, to which she quickly ducked again.

“A little,” Twilight responded. She stepped to the side, revealing the yellow pegasus in all her startled glory, who quickly followed Twilight and hid behind her again. “This is Fluttershy, one of my friends.”

I shuffled forward enough so that I could reach out and touch her if I wanted to, but refrained from doing so. It was time to prove I was not a scary monster. “Hello, Fluttershy, my name’s Magnus.” I made sure to keep my voice low, and my tone steady and non-threatening as possible. Gradually, her head came into view. Her eyes, shrouded by her long, pink mane, studied me for several seconds before ducking behind cover again with a faint squeak.

“She’s a little bit shy, but once you get to know her, I think you’ll like her,” Twilight explained.

“Okay, enough!” someone shouted. The rainbow-maned pegasus strode confidently towards Twilight, but kept her distance from me. “What’s going on? What is this thing? Do you know him?”

“I agree with Rainbow Dash, darling. I believe I speak for everypony when I demand an explanation,” the posh-looking unicorn said from her place next to Luna. She was drinking in my figure, and I noticed her eyes lingered for a moment on my torso and legs. “And what is this talk about ‘the reason you called us here’?”

“Yeah! And what about the cupcakes? They’ll grow hard and stale if we don’t eat them soon!” the pink pony added.

Even with confusion swirling around us, Celestia kept her composure perfectly. “Why don’t we all go to the dining room? There we will explain everything.”

I nodded, chiefly because I wanted something to drink and because it had soft cushions. Celestia and Luna led the way, with me just behind them. Heading to the table, I sat down next to Celestia, with Twilight on my right, the rest of the ponies and dragon arranging themselves around the circular table. There were two large glass pitchers of water with ice on the table, along with several glasses, which I helped myself to.

“Now that we are all seated, perhaps we can start with some introductions,” Celestia began. She placed a wing on my back. “This is Magnus, a guest of Luna and myself. He is from a faraway land, farther away than any of us has ever been. He will be living in Equestria for the foreseeable future.”

A few subdued hellos and one excited “Hi!” came from the ponies. Most of them seemed apprehensive about being here, I noted.

Celestia looked to the alabaster pony next to Twilight. “The unicorn on your right is Rarity, owner and proprietor of Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. She is a talented seamstress and is also the Element of Generosity.”

I nodded politely at her. “Miss.”

I saw a few conflicting emotions play across her face before adopted a carefully neutral expression. “Charmed, I’m sure.” From her posh tone, I deduced that Rarity probably belonged to the upper class. There was something about her that lent to that notion. It was probably her fabulously styled mane.

She smiled, or at least attempted to. Her lips curved, but the gesture didn’t reach her eyes. With ponies possessing such easily read faces, fake smiles were easy to spot.

“On Rarity’s right, we have Applejack. She works at Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, one of the largest apple orchards in Equestria. She is the Element of Honesty.”

I wasn’t sure about the farmpony’s expression. I didn’t get the sense that she was especially alarmed about me, just mystified at my existence. Nevertheless, she weakly tipped her hat to me. “Uh, howdy. As Princess Celestia said, Ah work on Sweet Apple Acres with mah family. We grow and sell mostly apples.”

What took me by surprise was Applejack’s rather thick accent. I’d never heard it since my arrival here, and I wondered if she was a foreigner. Not wanting to be rude, I nodded to her in return. “It’s a pleasure, Applejack. Is it a large farm you work on?”

“Uh, Ah’d say it’s big enough; we grow enough apples to feed Ponyville and even deliver some apples to this castle.”

“Then I’ve probably eaten apples you and your family have grown, which were delicious. Thank you.”

My praise seemed to catch her by surprise. “You’re… welcome.”

Celestia smiled. “I do not wish to sound partial, but the apples from Sweet Apple Acres are truly something.” Applejack nodded politely at the princess as she moved onto the next pony, which was the pegasus mare with the crazy dye job.

“This is Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty,” Celestia said. “She is one of Ponyville’s weatherponies and is also a Wonderbolt reservist.”

“Don’t forget fastest flier in Equestria,” Rainbow Dash added. She still hadn’t taken her eyes off me, and I didn’t like the intent behind her suspicious expression. It reminded me of the fury Celestia and Luna had directed at me during my first waking hours in Equestria. She leaned forward, eyes narrowed and wings slightly arched.

“The hay are you?” she asked impatiently, not bothering to hide the hostile tone in her voice.

“Well, I’m a human, and you already know my name,” I answered plainly, uncertain how to address her suspicions.

“Next to Rainbow we—” Celestia was abruptly cut off by the two huge blue eyes currently staring at me about an inch in front my face.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! You have a funny name, Magnus. Magnus, Magnus, Magnus. It’s funny to say. What’s a human? Do humans eat cupcakes? Do you like parties? Do you like balloons? My Pinkie Sense has been going crazy all day, and I think you’re the reason! The combos were funny, especially when my tummy tickles, because it feels like there’s a hundred butterflies in my tummy!” She gasped theatrically. “You have a horn, just like a unicorn! Are you a unicorn? Do you have wings under your clothes too? Why are you wearing clothes anyway? I like clothes, but when it’s such a nice day like today, I can’t wear clothes because it gets too hot and I get all sweaty, and I can’t be sweaty when I work at Sugarcube Corner. Sugarcube Corner is a bakery that has the most amazing baked goods like cupcakes and muffins and chocolate cake and strawberry cake and—Oh! We also make the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness! It’s sooooo delicious!”

She maintained her barrage of words, not even pausing to breathe. She eventually concluded her speech and just stared at me with a smile that would have made the Cheshire Cat seem normal in comparison. I assumed she was waiting for me to answer her salvo. Fat chance.

“Celestia? Help…”

Celestia giggled and reached out with her wing, tapping Pinkie’s shoulder. “Maybe you should sit down, Pinkie Pie. I don’t think Magnus is used to being this close to ponies just yet.”

“Aww.” She pouted and aimed at me with huge puppy-dog eyes. Her hair even sagged a bit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“No no, that’s… okay. You just surprised me; ponies usually keep their distance. And… they usually don't ask so many questions either.”

“You’re not mad at me?” I shook my head, and that was all she needed to break out into a huge grin once more, and her hair became as poofy as before. Almost faster than I could blink, Pinkie grabbed me in a tight hug, her hair in my face. It smelled like sugar and cakes, and for a split second, I swore I spotted a balloon in her mane.

“Ach! Help! Drowning in cotton candy hair here!”

With the others staring, Spike and the three princesses laughed at my predicament. I wasn’t worried since I knew that Pinkie could have easily crushed my ribs if she wanted to, being an earth pony, yet she wasn’t. I’d been in strange situations before, but being hugged by a pink pony was a first.

Also, Pinkie didn’t want to let go of me either.

“Um, Pinkie Pie, was it?”

“Mhm,” she mumbled back.

“Can you please let go of me?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I can tell that you’ve been very sad lately, so I’m gonna hug you until you feel better.”

I sighed. “Is this normal?” Every pony and one dragon nodded in unison. “Great…” Celestia had warned me about Pinkie Pie, so there wasn’t much I could do other than accept that I had a miniature pink horse glued to me. Still didn’t mean I liked it, though.

I spotted Celestia from the corner of my eye turning towards an empty chair. “Wasn’t Fluttershy here?” Celestia asked.

Luna, being closest to the abandoned seat, looked down and asked, “Fluttershy, will you not say hello to Magnus?”

A faint squeak came from under the table. I managed to move Pinkie over on my back, but she refused to let go. “It’s okay, accept the hug,” she whispered.

‘This is Equestria, and madness is acceptable here.’

With Pinkie on my back and her forelegs wrapped around my chest, I was able to lean down far enough that I could look underneath the table. The last pony, Fluttershy, was curled up on her cushion, looking like she was trying to hide in her mane and tail. While it probably was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen, it was also abundantly clear that she was afraid of me.

“I’m not that scary, am I?” I carefully asked. Some of the pink hair fell to the side, revealing one of her eyes. “I know I look strange, but I promise you I’m not dangerous. Won’t you come out?”

Luna’s head appeared next to Fluttershy. “You have nothing to fear from him, fair Fluttershy. Magnus is a guest of my sister and myself and have been so for nearly a month. You truly have nothing to fear.”

Raising her head, more of her mane fell to the side, revealing the inquisitive expression in her eyes. “Y-You don’t look dangerous…” she whispered.

“If he tries anything, just remember that I’m here!” Rainbow Dash declared, her head appearing next to Fluttershy. The wary pegasus turned to her, then to Luna, and finally to me. She struggled for a moment, then made up her mind, sitting back onto her cushion with a burst of confidence.

Rainbow Dash patted her shoulder. “See? Nothing to it.” A few words of praise also came from her friends, acting as if she’d accomplished some heroic deed. I merely shook my head slightly and glanced at Twilight, hoping she could give me a plausible explanation.

“She’s the shyest pony I know. The first time I met her, I could barely hear her tell me her name,” Twilight whispered.

“Do you feel better now, Fluttershy?” Luna asked, wrapping a wing around her. Fluttershy nodded and inhaled deeply.

“I feel a bit braver.” She ducked her head bashfully.

“That is good.”

“Now that the introductions have been completed, I believe you all have questions,” Celestia said.

“Yeah, Ah just want to know what the hay this fellow is.”

“And where did he come from?”

“I’ve never seen anything like him before.”

“Does he eat cupcakes?”

“His clothes look like they were hoof-stitched? Who made them?”

Luna raised a hoof, and the five mares fell silent. “Please, all your questions will be answered today. What you are about to be told may sound unbelievable, but it is the truth.” Luna turned her attention to me. “Magnus, do you wish to relay your story? If it’s still too painful, I can do so in your stead.”

Though it was true that it was still an open sore in my psyche, I now believed it would fade in time. “It’s fine; I can tell them.” I grabbed my glass and drained half its contents in one gulp. “It’s a long story,” I began, thinking back to that day Grandfather and I sat at the bonfire outside his cabin. “It all started with a staff that belonged to my grandfather…”

I told them everything; from the vision that started my journey to the boat ride into the Bermuda Triangle; from awakening in the infirmary to finding out I was related to a unicorn whose name was known far and wide, even five thousand years after he died. I briefly touched upon my breakdown, Celestia and Twilight helping to fill in the gaps. Together, we told them about how Luna taught me how to summon Grandfather and my friends to help me decide, and eventually, my decision.

There was silence when I concluded my tale, and I glanced around at the table to check the group’s reactions. Fluttershy had tears trailing down her cheeks, which had appeared when I revealed that I could never see my friends again. I think Rarity was partially in shock; her eyes wide and staring off into nothingness. Applejack remained somewhat stoic, though she seemed deflated when I mentioned that I considered my friends as family. Rainbow Dash’s reaction was more visceral, as her jaw hung open and her eyes bulged out.

“Y-You… You’re an alien!” she exclaimed with a shaking hoof pointed at me.

I nodded half-heartedly and clicked my tongue. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“This is… unbelievable,” Rarity muttered to herself, shaking her head. “Starswirl the Bearded? Really?”

“Yeah. It was a shock to me as well,” I admitted. “Where I come from, two different species can’t produce offspring. It shouldn’t be possible, yet here I am.”

Fluttershy sniffled loudly, wiping away tears from her eyes. “I-I'm so sorry. You’ve lost so much. But you’re lucky; if Princess Luna didn’t…” She stopped in mid-sentence and clenched her eyes shut.

“I would have drowned or floated out to sea, never to be seen again,” I answered for her. My bluntness came as a shock to Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie. She was still clinging to my back, but sometime during my story, she began stroking my head like I was a baby. I never even noticed when she started doing it.

Strangely enough, I now didn’t mind having her so close to me. Worse, I couldn’t understand why. Lisa had never been clingy like this, but she liked to cuddle up to me after a long day. Pinkie was different, though. I figured it had something to do with her unexplainable actions and behaviour, thus decided not to question her.

“This magic business…” We all turned to Applejack, who was frowning heavily. “It’s getting dangerous, Ah tell ya! Is there a chance for any more of these portal thingies poppin’ out of thin air?”

“No, Applejack. This is the first time one has been observed at a ley line, and it was closed by Twilight,” Luna explained.

“Aha! So that’s the reason you were gone for almost a week, right?” Rainbow asked Twilight.

She nodded, her ears pressing slightly against her head. “Yes. We closed the portal. It’s safest that way, for us and for humans. We figured that the ley lines could be much more active on our side than in the human world, which means humans from the future and the past could have come through as well.”

Pinkie gasped loudly next to my ear. “That means they would never see their families again either! That’s horrible!”

“You did the right thing, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured her. “If I became separated from all of you, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“So, who else knows about you?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“The entire castle staff plus the entirety of the Royal Guard, as far as I’ve been told. “

“Tomorrow, Luna, Twilight, and I will announce Magnus’ existence at a press conference. We have purposely kept him a secret, as we cannot know how Equestria and the wider world will react to him.” Celestia beamed at the five mares. “However, your reactions upon seeing Magnus have been heartening. We believe the news of his existence will be welcomed, considering the events that have befallen our country this last year.”

“Sombra, Discord, Tirek—yeah, I get what you’re telling us,” Rainbow replied.

Rarity tapped her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “You said ‘our reactions’. Was meeting Magnus casually in the hallway some sort of scheme?”

I raised my hand. “That was my plan, actually. You’re the first ponies outside the castle that I’ve met. I just wanted to see how you would react since you didn’t know about me. As a matter of fact, I was afraid that you would try to do something drastic, like try to attack me.”

“Why would we attack you, silly?” Pinkie asked, still clinging to my back. “Attacking somepony is no way to make new friends.”

I scratched the back my head awkwardly, which Pinkie took as an invitation to swat playfully at my hand. “Because you’re heroes of Equestria,” I answered plainly. They would know what I meant.

“Oh yeah, that. Yeah, we’re heroes, but we don’t fly around looking for bad guys to beat up.” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest proudly while Applejack nodded in agreement.

“So it was a test,” Rarity hummed. “Can we then assume that our invitation, although a pleasant surprise, also has something to do with Magnus, Princess Celestia?”

“You are correct, Rarity. After the press conference tomorrow, we will start the process of integrating Magnus into pony society. Ponyville is a closely knit town, and most of the villagers know each other. They also trust all of you. We believe Ponyville is the ideal town for Magnus to begin his integration, due to your hometown’s friendly nature. Can we count on you to help us and Magnus?”

There was a moment of silence while Celestia and Luna looked at the Element Bearers.

“Of course!” Pinkie shouted excitedly. “If we help Maggy here, then we’ll become friends!”

The two alicorn sisters smiled warmly at Pinkie, but I had my doubts it would be that easy. Friendships formed over a long period of time, not days, even with the nature of ponies being what it was.

“Thank you, Pinkie.” Celestia then turned to the group. Fluttershy traced circles on the table with her hoof, keeping her eyes downturned.

“I’ll help if I can,” she whispered and looked at her friends. “I don’t know how, but I still want to try.”

“Ah guess ah can help too,” Applejack added. “Ah’ve never turn down a pony who needs help, and ah won’t turn down a non-pony either. Dunno how much help ah can give since we’ll start harvesting the first apples, though.”

“Whatever help you can give, I’d appreciate it. I worked on a farm before, and I know time is important when it comes to bringing in the harvest.”

“Question. What kind of help are we supposed to give him?” We all turned to Rainbow. I was curious about that as well. Integration had been discussed, but not what it actually meant.

“I made a list just for that,” Twilight happily answered. A scroll appeared before her in a flash of purple light, and when unrolled, it stretched across the table, straight into Fluttershy’s lap. Twilight peered over the top of the scroll. “It’s mostly well-known and basic subjects that Magnus will learn as he spends time in Equestria. It involves socializing with ponies and learning about ponykind in general, maybe even language and math if he needs some help with that. Basically, the more time he spends amongst ponies, the more he will learn about us and our world. With our help, we hope his integration will be smooth.”

“And how are we gonna go about doing just that?” Applejack asked.

“It’s simple. We’ll spend time with Magnus each day doing ordinary things. One day he can spend with, say, Fluttershy, and learn about whatever Fluttershy wants to teach him, the second day he can spend with Rainbow, and so on and so forth. The important thing is socializing.”

I nodded in agreement. I could learn while staying here in the castle, but the staff had their work to do, and teaching me probably wasn’t in their job description anyway. I needed to go outside and mingle with ponies, and staying cooped up in here wouldn’t help me. I was curious as to what life outside these walls was like, and sometime down the road, I hoped to find a job and hopefully a place of my own.

I wondered what apartments went for here in the capital.

Rainbow hummed to herself, before nodding once. “Yeah, I’m in. Fastest pony in Equestria, Wonderbolt, Element of Loyalty, and teacher to an alien. How many ponies can say they’ve taught an alien about Equestria?” I didn’t doubt that Rainbow Dash only agreed because it would boost her popularity. Well, whatever. If it helped her, it helped me in the end.

Rarity seemed a bit uneasy with the whole affair. Taking a deep breath, she looked to her friends, who smiled encouragingly at her. “I must admit that I did not believe this would happen when Twilight told me I was invited to spend a few days in Canterlot. I expected tea with the princesses, perhaps perusing the stores, or maybe finding an exclusive new fabric perfect for my fall fashion line.” Rarity then turned to me and smiled. “But meeting a… What was the name of your race again? Hooman?”

“Human, “I corrected her.

“Ah, yes, human. I believe there must be much about our world that you do not understand. Fashion least of all,” she murmured as she gazed at my clothes.

“You might know a lot about clothes, but I prefer my clothes plain and simple,” I responded.

In response to my defence of my attire, she simply chuckled. “Oh, I believe I can make something better. Nevertheless, you can count on my help. I shall not let somepony who needs my help down.”

I nodded gratefully to her. “Thank you for your future assistance, Rarity.”

She waved a dismissive hoof at me. “Oh, think nothing of it. You need help, and I would not be the Bearer of Generosity if I denied you my assistance.”

“Wonderful, we hoped that we could count on your help in this matter. Integration is rarely an easy task, but I have utmost confidence in your ability to help Magnus,” Celestia declared proudly.

Luna nodded. “Indeed. There will be trials ahead, perhaps failure, but you will learn from these things. This you must embrace, Magnus. Pay close attention to what these six mares can teach you, and if I am not mistaken, I believe Spike can also teach you a thing or two.”

The little dragon puffed out his chest, then leaned towards me and tapped my knee. “Stick with me, and I’ll give you a tour of Ponyville when we get there.”

Reaching my hand, I gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder. “I’ll hold you to it, Spike.”

***

After we concluded our discussion, we had lunch. Fortunately for me, Pinkie Pie decided that the table was easier to eat from and climbed down. She even proclaimed that her hugs had made me feel less sad, but also mentioned that I was in dire need of hug therapy for at least a few weeks in order to be happy again.

I had no idea what that pony was on, but it probably had a high sugar content.

After lunch, Luna bade us all a good day and went to bed. I mentioned my worries about her disturbed sleep patterns to Celestia, who informed me that Luna needed no more than two nights at best before she was back to her regular schedule.

Celestia also had to leave, having several tasks to complete for tomorrow’s conference, as well as meeting with petitioners. She also had to prepare for whatever backlash that might come from the ambassadors of the other countries. She assured us that if any problems arose, she would deal with them personally.

That left me alone with Twilight, Spike, and their friends. Twilight decided that it would be best if we all could get to know one another as soon as possible, thus we ventured to the garden with two guards in tow. We coincidentally went to the same spot Twilight would go to when she read, namely in the shade of a large tree with a great view.

Rainbow Dash went first. She was from Cloudsdale, the pegasus cloud city, but moved to Ponyville a few years back. There she found herself a job as a weatherpony, part of a team that moved or destroyed rainclouds as necessary. She wanted to be a Wonderbolt, which was some sort of flight exhibition team. Having trained since she was young, she was now a reservist. She kept her distance from me, her suspicion seemingly unabated. She would react to every movement I made, which Fluttershy and Applejack definitely noticed.

Pinkie was next, and she clambered onto my back to resume her sadness therapy. She told me her entire life story, which she managed to go through in about a minute. What I managed to decipher was that she grew up on a rock farm. When I asked her what a rock farm was, she gave me an outlandish answer, but after some explanation, I managed to deduce that it was something resembling a quarry. She had lived in Ponyville for some time now, earning a living as a baker at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. She also worked as a party planner. Twilight mentioned that she was quite good, and that the first thing Pinkie had done when she arrived at Ponyville was throw her a welcome party.

My own opinion of Pinkie was… mixed. I believed she meant well, but she was rather clingy and often barraged me with questions. She even presented me with a cupcake and a muffin, asking me which one was my favourite. When I said that neither was, which was the truth, Pinkie wordlessly climbed off me and sat next to Twilight, never saying a word for a good hour or so. Later on, she climbed back on me and acted as if nothing had happened. Honestly, I had no idea what to make of that pink pony.

Rarity was a local ‘Ponyvillian’ and was the proud owner of a store named the Carousel Boutique. A seamstress and fashionista by trade, she made a wide variety of clothing for her clientele. She claimed she could make anyone fabulous and repeatedly promised to create something for me. I declined, not wishing to accept more handouts than necessary, though I hoped to one day have a job to afford to purchase my own clothing.

By the way she spoke and carried herself, I maintained my earlier opinion of her as from the upper-class. Aside from her constant attempts at offering me clothes, I found her to be polite and well-spoken. During our conversation, I accidentally cursed, and she took great offense to it. She informed me that she had a younger sister, and promised to wash my mouth if I taught her any new words, a threat I internally laughed at.

It was initially difficult to hear Fluttershy, soft-spoken as she was, but her volume increased as she grew more confident. She was also from Cloudsdale but moved to Ponyville as an adult. She was fond of animals and provided a variety of animal-related services, though she wasn’t a veterinarian. She possessed the ability to communicate with animals, giving her a greater understanding of them. I found it hard to believe, but she later proved her abilities when she asked a bird to sing, to which it duly complied. According to Twilight, animals roamed freely around Fluttershy’s home, and even carnivores sought her out if they were injured. I immediately took a liking to Fluttershy. Unlike Rainbow Dash and Pinkie, she was soft-spoken and considerate, and her fondness for animals reminded me of Lisa.

Applejack was also a local Ponyvillian. As mentioned before, her family mainly grew apples in their orchard, but also cultivated a variety of vegetables. She also revealed that her family was one of the largest in Equestria. She didn’t say much more than that. I also took a liking to Applejack due to her straightforward nature, though I discerned that the feeling wasn’t mutual. It could just be me being a stranger the likes of which she’d never seen before, or the fact that when I smiled, I showed off my teeth, which she constantly eyed.

They all leaned forward when it was my turn, as though I was about to relay stories about alien battles and epic adventures. I disappointed them except for Twilight, who already knew a fair bit about me. By the time I began speaking, she already had a sizeable stack of paper, ink, and quills at the ready while staring at me with an expectant and joyous gleam in her eyes. She reminded me of a young and naive high school student crushing on a much older teacher.

I told them of my hometown back in Montana and my fondness for camping and hiking, my grandfather, and of course my friends and how much of an impact they made on my life. When asked about my parents, I revealed that I had lost them both at a young age and that my grandfather had raised me on his own. Pinkie hugged me extra tightly at that.

Fluttershy had apparently been studying my teeth since she correctly deduced that I was an omnivore. When I mentioned liking meat, Applejack slowly scooted away from me. Honestly, I couldn’t blame her, not after the cow fiasco. The other ponies didn’t seem to mind, though.

I explained at length about America, though I omitted some things that might have casted me in a negative light, such as drugs and terrorism. However, I did tell them about the Civil War and the War of Independence. The ponies weren’t as naive as I believed, since they understood the concept of war despite their country being so peaceful. Twilight even added in a few history lessons, explaining some of their wars that had occurred centuries ago.

Apparently, presidents weren’t a thing in Equestria or in any other country on this planet. They all had kings and queens, or the various equivalents. The fact that a representative of a nation was chosen to lead the country every four years baffled them. Applejack was openly disdainful at the idea, stating that she would rather someone at the helm for life since ponies knew who they were dealing with that way, to which the rest nodded. I couldn’t disagree; if their system worked, no need to fix it. Still, they had the benefit of alicorns, whose immortality and benevolence was something ponies could trust in.

By the time I was finished, the sun was about to set and one of the guards informed us that dinner was being prepared. I promised Twilight, Spike, and their friends to answer their questions at a later time. Twilight suggested that they could ask their questions when we came to Ponyville, seeing as we would more time on our hands then.

During dinner, the ponies relayed our conversation to the alicorn sisters, which prompted them to ask me a few things for clarification. I was given fish again for dinner, and for the luxurious meal, I was more than happy to answer.

Celestia seemed impressed by humanity’s agricultural achievements and even asked for me to explain how a democracy worked. In the end, I believed she found the concept to be interesting, noting that it resembled the Griffonian way of having both a king and a senate. The senate would bring matters to the king’s attention, who would then decide on the course of action to take.

Luna was more interested in hearing about the moon landing and what humanity had discovered about the universe and its mysteries. Ponies knew about other galaxies and had observed two so far. They still relied on enormous telescopes that worked by lenses instead of mirrors to collect light, thus their best images were blurry. The largest telescope Equestria had was near Manehattan and was the size of a mansion. At one point, I mentioned the aurora and how it was created by Earth’s magnetic field. This was not the case in Equestria. Ages ago, Luna discovered that, by using her magic, she could capture the light of the sun during night and break it down into softer colours of the spectrum.

We also spoke briefly about the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the universe and came to a unanimous agreement that there was. I was the proof.

The one thing about fish was that it has always made me sleepy, and the Equestrian rainbow trout was no exception. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep in tomorrow since I had to prepare for the conference. I explained all of this to the gathering, and not long after, I bade them goodnight.

Upon arriving at my room, I brushed my teeth and prepared for bed when there was a knock upon the door. I opened it to find one of the guards standing there, and just behind him was Pinkie Pie.

“Mr Powell, one of the Element Bearers, Miss Pinkie Pie, requests a moment of your time.”

I looked at him, then at the expectant smiling pink pony. Who could resist such a smile and those big blue eyes? “Of course,” I replied. The guard stepped aside and Pinkie walked up to me. I crouched down so that I was about eye level with her.

“Hello again, Pinkie. How can I help you?”

Pinkie merely shook her head. “Nuh uh, I don’t need any help, but you forgot to take your medicine.”

“Medicine? What medicine?” I asked, wondering what she was up to.

“This.” She stood up on her hind legs, wrapped her forelegs around my neck and gave me a warm hug. I was surprised at first, but decided not to do anything; after all, Pinkie had spent a good amount of the day on my back, hugging me like my life depended on it.

Slowly, I placed one hand on her back, the other on her neck, and gently patted her. The hug itself only lasted for ten seconds before she released me.

“What was that for?” I inquired. Pinkie gave me her usual smile.

“One hug in the morning, one at noon, and one before bed. It’s Granny Pie’s patented medicine for sadness. Now you’ll feel better and have good dreams all night long. Good night.”

Without another word, Pinkie turned around and pronked down the hallway while humming a merry tune to herself. I watched her until she went around a corner and out of sight. Slowly I stood up, closed the door, and began walking towards the bedroom.

“There’s something wrong with that pony. Or something right. Either way, it was nice of her.”

Strangely enough, despite being nervous for the next day, I slept well and had a good dream that night. Perhaps Granny Pie was onto something.

Author's Notes:

Woo! Another chapter, and let me tell you, this one got stuck several times and was very hard to write. I tried several ways to introduce Magnus to the five remaining Mane Six, but the option I chose was the best one in my opinion. We've seen humans introduced to Equestria many times, and most often the human is either attacked by Rainbow Dash, bucked by Applejack, or run into the CMC whom believe the human is a monster from the Everfree Forest. Personally I think this little test was a fresh way to introduce the human.

Also, I noticed recently that a lot more people are reading my story and are placing it on their shelves, either as favorite or read later. Thank you all, it means a lot to me. And a big thank you to my new followers and new readers to my story.

Chapter 30 - Interview With a Satyr Part 1 (Edited by JBL 11.29.2017)

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Deviating from my usual routine, it was one of the maids who roused me at sunrise to inform me that breakfast would be served soon. Knowing that I had a long day ahead of me, I got up and began getting ready. Shaving with a straight razor was a challenge in itself, but I managed with only a few scrapes. Now that I had received all my clothes, I spent a few minutes choosing an outfit and even matched colours, eventually settling on a white shirt and a pair of knee-length black pants. Checking myself in the mirror, I came to the conclusion that simplicity was best, especially since I didn’t have any formal wear.

Pleased with my choice of attire, I opened the door and was about to step outside when I was assaulted by Pinkie Pie. She said “Hi!”, practically glomped me, and hugged me around my neck, stating that it was my morning medicine. Similar to last night, it lasted ten seconds before she dropped down onto the floor and cantered away while going “La-la-la-la-la-la!”

I just had to keep telling myself that she meant well.

Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and her friends were already assembled for breakfast when I arrived in the dining room. Rainbow Dash was there, though only in body. She had fallen asleep by the table, her head in a bowl of cereal, blowing bubbles in the milk. I chuckled, though no one else reacted at the sight. Either they were used to this sort of behaviour, or perhaps table manners were a very relaxed thing around here.

During breakfast, we discussed today’s schedule. Journalists from every newspaper in Equestria had received an invitation to the press conference, while freelance journalists would also be admitted. A similar invitation had been sent to the respective diplomats from each embassy. They would arrive in an hour or two. Once again, Celestia promised that she would handle any questions or requests from them. Luna mentioned she would find a third party for our interview, having ordered the guards to find a willing journalist and photographer among the freelancers who would be paid by the Crown for their service.

Whoever they found, I doubted they would be willing to pass up this chance.

***

The conference was only thirty minutes away, and my nerves were getting the better of me. My heart was thumping heavily in my chest, I felt hot and clammy, and cold sweat ran down my forehead. I didn’t want to do this. By all that was holy, I did not want to do this. But I had to.

Celestia and Twilight had gone to prepare for their speech, accompanied by Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity, leaving me alone with Luna, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. The latter pronked ahead, giggling at the stoic guards lining the corridors and trying to make them laugh. It didn’t work, probably because Luna was there.

“…Some of the questions might be complicated, so pause for a moment if you need time to reflect on your answer.” Luna had offered a stream of advice for the last half hour, being the most experienced one here when it came to dealing with the media.

“Think before answering, got it.”

“Good. I believe you will do well.” We walked no more than five steps before she laid a wing on my back, gaining my attention. “That reminds me of another subject,” she began, sounding more serious. “If questioned on who your ancestor was, do not mention Star Swirl. Simply say that you do not know.”

“Why not? I thought a lot of ponies would’ve already made the connection by now. You guys aren’t stupid, and his entrance wasn’t exactly subtle.”

“That might be true...” Luna responded, drawing out the answer. “However, due to his fame, some may refuse to believe you. You might be accused of using his legendary status to further your own standing. It is better to simply not mention him at all.”

I agreed with Luna, if for no other reason that doing so would only result in more attention on me. “Yeah. Besides, it’s not like I want anything to do with him. He already made a mess of my life since before I was born.” I kept my eyes locked on the end of the corridor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Fluttershy turn questioningly to Luna. I couldn’t see what Luna signalled to her, but whatever it was it made Fluttershy appear worried.

“Will you and your friends be able to keep quiet about Star Swirl?” I asked her. She walked up to me, matching my pace.

“We can. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna already asked us to not say anything to anypony about him.”

“Good. It’s my life now, not that old bastard’s. I won’t have his shadow hanging over my head for the rest of my days.” The trepidation I experienced was rapidly turning into anger, as it usually did when it involved Star Swirl.

“Although I cannot condone you denigrating Star Swirl’s name, I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive him,” Luna said from behind me. I didn’t bother turning around. “Everypony deserves a second chance.”

“Maybe they do.” I heard Luna’s satisfied hum and turned my head. “Everybody but Star Swirl.” Her moment of relief was dashed, and Fluttershy’s face mirrored her saddened expression.

We continued on for a while, eventually reaching the assigned room for the interview. Two guards stood outside while several others lined the corridor, reflective of the increased security presence today.

The room itself was the size of a family’s living room. A proper armchair had been brought down from one of the minotaur chambers, which was a relief for my ass. Cushions didn’t quite do the job. Luna was supposed to be with me for the duration of the interview, and a dark royal-blue cushion had been brought for her. A couch was also there for the journalist and photographer, along with a coffee table, a silver mug, glasses, and a vase with fresh flowers.

Walking into the room was enough for my fit of anger to be dashed, my anxiety roaring back. Walking over to the chair, I sat down and poured a glass of water to steady myself.

While sitting there and blowing my hair away from my forehead, the others seemed to notice my discomfort. Pinkie, true to her… strange nature, appeared next to me, presenting me with a huge grin.

“Do you need more medicine?” she asked me, holding her forelegs apart, ready for a hug.

I shook my head. “I doubt your hugs can fix what’s bothering me now.”

“Are you nervous?” Fluttershy asked as she and Luna walked up to me.

“Like you wouldn’t believe it. I mean, I’m one of the biggest secrets in Equestria—better yet, the world—and I’m about to go public. I mean, I can’t stop thinking about all the what-ifs and would’ve, should’ve, could’ve…” I leaned back in the chair, huffing in frustration.

“Calm yourself,” Luna commanded while walking in a circle around me. “It will just be you and two ponies simply asking questions. I will be here for support as well. Nothing can go wrong. You are safer here than anywhere else in Equestria.”

I nodded slowly, acknowledging her claim. “I know. I’ll just try to calm down my mind and my heart.” I inhaled deeply several times before relaxing every muscle in my body. The tension in my body decreased, but I still kept sweating.

“Just think of something happy,” Fluttershy suggested. “Whenever I’m nervous, I try to think of bunnies playing during the day, or being hugged close by their parents before they go to sleep in the evenings. Sometimes I even like to sing for my animal friends.”

“Or you can do what I do when I’m nervous, which is almost never, but sometimes it happens,” Pinkie interjected. “I throw a party with lots of friends, because I know that with so many friends around me, I can forget what makes me nervous and instead be happy. We play games, and talk with each other, and eat plenty of yummy food. We even have sleepovers sometimes.”

I cracked a smile. Their intentions were well-meaning, but misplaced. Food and cuddling with animals couldn’t magically alleviate my ailments. It was simply another thing that set me apart from ponies, and I wondered if it would become a major pattern in the future.

Luna nodded, seemingly satisfied that I had my nerves under control. “Now then, if you are certain you are ready, I will fetch the journalist and photographer. My sister and Twilight will begin the press conference shortly. While I am away, perhaps Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy can keep you company.”

“I’ll manage, thanks.” I reached into my pocket for the pebble and held it out to them. “I have my own way of settling fraying nerves.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie both looked curiously at the pebble in my hand. Luna knew what I meant, and had found it amusing that the simple act of levitating the stone had such an interesting effect on me.

“Very well. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, shall we go? I believe the others are waiting for you behind the conference room’s stage.” Luna began walking towards the door and came to a halt at the entranceway. “As usual, there are guards stationed right outside should you need anything.”

I nodded to her as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy followed Luna. At the door, the two ponies looked back at me. “See ya later, Maggy! Good luck!” Pinkie hollered with a wide grin on her face before pronking outside, giggling to herself.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay,” Fluttershy said. Rubbing her foreleg nervously, she said, “I was famous too, once. I was a model, but I didn’t like it, so I quit. The photographers followed me for a while, but soon forgot about me. Maybe you can have the same luck as I did.” Smiling meekly, she followed Pinkie out into the hallway.

Luna’s watchful eyes stayed on Fluttershy until the demure pegasus was out of sight. “They both care, you know.” A smile appeared on her face. “One who wants you to laugh and be happy once again; the other wishes nothing but kindness upon you.” I nodded thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything. Luna cleared her throat, then looked behind her. “I should go. Sister is about to start the conference. I will return shortly.”

“Good luck finding someone,” I called back to her. Just as the doors shut, I caught a glimpse of Luna’s confident eyes. They told me that she had everything under control, and it made me feel more at ease.

The doors shut with a muffled thud, leaving me alone with nothing but the furniture and my own thoughts. Before they could begin antagonizing me again, I held the pebble up in my hand and focused my magic into it. The chiming sound of magic filled the air as a green aura appeared at the top of my vision. Magic coursed through my body, the pleasant sensation soothing and relaxing my thoughts.

The pebble glowed green as I pulled it around in the palm of my hand, as I had done many times before. Feeling a bit bold, I brought my hand all the way up to my face. Holding the pebble in place, I slowly lowered my hand until it rested on my knee. The stone, however, still retained its position in the air, supported only by magic.

“Huh, would you look at that,” I murmured as the tiny pebble slowly revolved in mid-air. It was lighter now than it had been days ago. I couldn’t suppress my growing joy, and with a smirk, I declared, “I grow stronger every day.”

***

Twilight moved the curtains aside, sneaking a peek into the great hall. Rows upon rows of benches and chairs were placed from the doors all the way in the back to the stage at the front, upon which stood a low table and cushions for the princesses.

Even though the hall was about half-way filled, a steady stream of ponies and non-ponies were wandering in, finding seats for themselves. Journalists, photographers, and representatives from the other nations had special seats reserved for them. The diplomats, clothed in garments befitting their status and countries of origin, sat at front row to the left, idly chatting with each other, probably debating the nature of Princess Celestia’s announcement. However, she didn’t see any crystal ponies in the crowd. Shining Armor and Cadence were busy up north, and since the Crystal Empire was a protectorate and Celestia and Cadance were so close to each other, no embassy was needed in Canterlot. If they weren’t already aware of Magnus’ existence, they would soon be.

Releasing the curtains, Twilight walked back to her notes, flipping through them even as a slight pang of apprehension struck her. She took a deep breath and went through Cadance’s breathing exercises, which did wonders to calm her.

Celestia, having finished relaying instructions to her secretary, Raven, dismissed the unicorn when she noticed her former student performing the familiar exercise. Walking over to Twilight, Celestia asked, “Are you nervous, my former student?”

Twilight returned her hoof to the floor. “Not so much now, no,” she replied. Looking towards the curtains, she couldn’t help but feel a slight fluttering in her stomach. “Maybe a little bit.”

Celestia smiled. Twilight was young and had much to learn, but in time, she would become a natural speaker. She had written her own coronation speech herself, after all.

Twilight turned her attention to Celestia, a questioning gleam in her eyes, one that Celestia knew well. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Twilight.”

“Well, it’s about a book I recently read concerning the noble families of Equestria,” Twilight explained. “Some of the noble families that came to Equestria from the old kingdoms still exist to this day.”

Celestia nodded. “That is correct, although many families have faded from history, many more than you will ever find in history books. Some intermingled with other ponies out of love until noble blood and famous names meant nothing to them. Other families, unfortunately, produced no heirs and simply faded away.”

Twilight considered Celestia’s answer for a moment. “But the Galaxy family still lives. Magnus’ family.”

‘Curious Twilight,’ Celestia mused, joyful over her former student’s inquisitive mind. ‘Nothing can stay hidden from you.’

“Indeed, Twilight, the Galaxy family still lives. Or rather, she lives.”

“She?” Twilight asked inquisitively. “Who is she?”

“Baroness Brilliant Star, the matriarch of House Galaxy, and the last known heir. Currently, she lives at the family’s castle in Hollow Shades.”

“Brilliant Star? I’ve never heard of her, but the name...” Twilight brought her forehoof up to her chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. The name sounded so familiar; she had heard it, or perhaps seen it written somewhere long ago.

It was then her eyes shot wide open as her brain made the connection.

“Brilliant Star! As in Brilliant Star, distinguished professor and lecturer at your school? The unicorn mare who once was the vice-principal? That Brilliant Star?!” she exclaimed.

“The very same.” Celestia giggled at Twilight's shock. “Brilliant Star has been my friend for many years. Now she is retired, spending her days in peace with her family in Hollow Shades.”

“Amazing,” Twilight whispered, partly awestruck. She remembered seeing an old black and white photo of Brilliant Star, along with her fellow teachers and Celestia, the headmistress, hanging on the wall outside the lecturers’ lounge once. When she had asked one of the younger teachers who they all were, she had been told of their identities. Sadly, she knew very little of Brilliant Star except her name and some of her work at the school. There was no great contribution to magic, no famous written thesis, nothing new and revolutionary, but she apparently had been a skilled and knowledgeable wizard worthy of the title of vice-principal.

“I didn’t know she was a noble. Why did she work as a teacher?” It was almost unheard of for nobles to take jobs such as teachers and the like. Most of the nobility didn’t work at all, except owning businesses, preferring to let others work for them.

Celestia sighed, regret flashing briefly over her features. “The Galaxy family was once the most powerful family in Equestria. Even in Unicornia, they were a powerful house that held ties to the royal family. In their prime, it was said that they held more wealth and influence than many other nobles houses combined. Sadly, it was not meant to last.”

Intrigued by the story unfolding before her, Twilight felt like a filly once again, like the times she sat between Celestia’s forelegs, being told stories of magic and intrigue from Celestia’s life.

“What happened?”

Celestia frowned, her eyes focused past Twilight and into some unknown period of history. “The same that happens to all noble families, given time: they lost influence. Their wealth declined, their rivals attacked them on all sides, rumours about them flourished, and within a century, they had lost nearly the entirety of their power. Their businesses were in ruins, and lacking steady incomes, they soon had to resort to working for others. Their titles, however, remained intact. ”

“But what does this have to do with Brilliant Star being a teacher?”

“Brilliant Star chose to become a teacher, not because of her cutie mark, but because she was highly skilled and experienced.” Celestia chuckled lightly. “She is also the least aristocratic pony I’ve ever met. She ran away from home when she was a teenager and constantly went against her parent herd’s wishes. She even attacked me once.”

Twilight's jaw fell to the floor. If the marble floor wasn’t so thick, her jaw would have broken through until it hit bedrock.

Chuckling, Celestia remembered the bantering they would get up to back in the day with fondness. “However, she calmed down considerably over the years. When she was fifty years old, she accepted my offer as a teacher at my school, and settled down into a quieter life.”

It took a minute for Twilight’s brain to reconnect to its power source. Hoisting her jaw back into her skull, she began connecting the dots. Magnus had a family, which meant he wasn’t completely alone. The question was, would he want to meet Brilliant Star? It was up to him if he ever wanted to. Family bonds were strong amongst ponies, though she wondered if he would feel such a connection to this mare, being so far removed from the ‘parent tree’ as he was, and being only part pony.

“Do you think Magnus would want to meet her? She is the only family he has.”

“That remains to be seen. Remember that we’ve asked you to avoid mentioning who was Magnus’ ancestor. Magnus holds little love for Star Swirl, and I believe he would prefer not being reminded of him. Brilliant Star is very old and frail, and I fear for her health if she is told about Magnus too soon. The shock alone may cause her health to rapidly decline.”

Twilight acknowledged the truth of Celestia’s words. Great care had to be taken, especially concerning an elderly mare. Given that the mare had appeared old and grey in the photo, she could very well be over a hundred now.

“Whether he wants to or not, Magnus deserves to know,” Twilight argued.

“He will be told,” Celestia replied as she craned her head down to Twilight. “When it comes to Brilliant Star, I will speak to her personally and break the news to her gently. I doubt she wants a throng of journalists on her doorstep. It is my hope that they will agree to meet with each other, and that Magnus will discover that he is not as alone as he believes.” Celestia privately acknowledged that such a meeting would have to be one day in the future, for more pressing matters were at hoof.

Twilight nodded, appeased by Celestia’s reassurance. She wanted to be there for the meeting, to see how two different persons of different races, yet still family, would act, but thought better of it. They deserved a private meeting, should it happen.

A pony, one of the many in charge of putting together the press conference, walked into the room behind the stage. “Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight, all the seats are taken. You may begin whenever you are ready.”

“Thank you. Twilight, shall we?”

“After you.”

Following Celestia, Twilight walked out into the now-crowded hall and onto the stage. The crowd stood up when the princesses appeared, a few flashes from cameras going off in the process. Celestia took her seat and Twilight sat next to her, the crowd then seating themselves.

“Thank you for coming today,” Celestia began, gazing out over the crowd. Today was the day history changed. She knew it, Twilight knew it, and by tomorrow, Equestria would know.

Continuing on, Celestia’s regal voice carried her words to reach the audience. “Many times, I have sat in this hall, on this very spot, bringing news from far and wide to Equestria. These walls have seen and heard many things, both good and bad. What I am about to share with you today is something not even these walls have heard before.”

A few low murmurs came from the crowd, yet Celestia continued unabated.

“I believe each and every one of us has asked this question at some point in our lives. Long ago, ponies believed we were the only race that inhabited our world. Earth ponies thought themselves to be all alone on their great plains, as did the pegasus in the sky, and so did the unicorns on their lofty mountains. Then they met each other, and as time went by, they discovered that they had more in common than they originally assumed. Eventually, they even went so far as to found this kingdom together.

“As the decades and centuries progressed, we discovered that we were far from alone. Ponykind already knew of the griffons to the east, and from them, they learnt of a race that called themselves minotaurs. From the minotaurs, we learned of diamond dogs. Far across the western seas, the Saddle-Arabian ponies lived in their great golden desert, and to the east, the zebras lived on their far-reaching plains and jungles. In the fiery lands, the mighty dragons rested on their hoards. Our world is a big place, and there may yet be other races living in faraway lands. We simply do not know.”

If Celestia wanted the crowd’s attention, she had received it. Every pony and non-pony’s attention were on her, intrigued by her words.

“I believe it was the Prench philosopher Penseur Profound who first gave word to the thought: “Are we truly alone?” It is said that upon a moonlit night nearly two millennia ago, he gazed up at the infinite universe, stared at the sparkling stars above, and asked himself a greater question: “Since we live on this flourishing planet, surely there must be other planets where other species exist.” At the time, few believed him, and yes, some even branded him as a madpony. Now, so many years later, the question he posed is not so foolish. The idea of otherworldly beings living on other planets has found its way into books, comics, and films. In various form of media, the idea of what we refer to as ‘aliens’ flourish. The modern scientific community, not just in Equestria but in many countries, acknowledges that the question Penseur Profound asked himself long ago cannot be brushed aside as a flight of fancy.”

Pausing, Celestia looked at the audience. Eyes on her, tongues held still behind teeth, yet not a single voice spoke up in impatience. A few ponies’ mouths slowly opened, as if to ask a question, but nothing was uttered. A few eyes even grew wider at the implications.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia cleared her voice. Her next words would ring on for a long time.

“I am here today to tell you that Penseur Profound’s question has been answered. We are not alone in the vastness of space. There is life flourishing on other planets, and the resident of one such planet has found his way to Equestria.”

A moment passed in silence, then two, and finally, three. Celestia’s words echoed within the hall for a few seconds as the ponies, griffons, and other races heard her words repeat themselves twice. Mouths gaped, eyes grew wider, and the previous flashing of cameras ceased.

Silence.

And then four hundred individuals simultaneously began shouting, a ferocious din enveloping the hall. While Twilight shrunk in her seat, more than a little frightened at the sudden response, Celestia maintained her collected countenance. She had expected this to happen. Now she just needed a moment for the crowd to calm.

***

In a room adjacent to the conference hall, the door stood open, allowing the ponies within to hear and witness what happened within the hall. Several guards stood ready to intervene in case something happened. So far, everything had been relatively calm. That was until Celestia announced the existence of extraterrestrials in Equestria. Even though the crowd became unruly, the guards did not interfere, seeing as no one made any moves towards the two princesses on the stage. Among the guards, two other ponies did their best to escape. Both of them identified themselves as a freelance journalist and photographer who worked together. Out of nearly two dozen freelancers, these two were picked for the job.

“NO! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO HEAR THIS! I HAVE TO GET THIS STORY!” the earth pony mare shouted at the top of her lungs. A unicorn guard held her still while she struggled in his magic, her hooves finding no purchase whilst floating mid-air. Alongside her, a pegasus stallion clung to his camera while also struggling against two earth pony guards.

“Get off me!” the pegasus exclaimed with an angry glare. Waving his hoof at one of them, he threatened weakly, “I know Hoof-Fu!”

“That would be assaulting a guard,” one of the guards retorted nonchalantly. “Besides, you agreed to take a job for the Crown, didn’t you?”

The mare looked around and sneered at the guards. “That was before we were told that there are aliens from outer space in Equestria. This is much bigger!”

The pegasus stallion snorted loudly, shooting the guards an angry glare. “Yeah! You’re hindering the press! This is our job! We’re missing out on a great opportunity!”

Despite the mare and stallion protesting, the guards held them still. They knew what the two ponies had been hired to do, and when the moment they became aware of that, they would probably Prench kiss the guards for holding them back.

“I hear my sister has begun the conference.”

The guards turned, facing Princess Luna. They saluted as usual, even with the pair tightly in their grips. Seeing that the Princess of the Night stood before them, the pair could only lower their heads in respect, unable to fully bow.

“Guards, release them. I will take it from here,” Luna ordered. The mare was gently set down onto the ground while the guards holding the pegasus at bay stepped to the side, allowing him free movement.

Luna took a good look at the two. The mare had a grey coat and a black mane cut short. Her cutie mark was a typewriter, signifying a talent for writing. On her back rested a saddlebag filled with paper and quills, and on her head, she wore a hat with a white card labelling her as a member of the press. Her compatriot was quite thin for a stallion, but was taller than most. His white coat and two-toned yellow mane blended nicely together. Around his neck, he had a camera, and a tripod and rolls of film he carried in his saddlebags made them bulge. He also wore a white press card on a string around his neck.

“Good morning, my little ponies. What are your names?” Luna asked them.

The mare took a confident step forward and smiled. “Scoop, at your service, Princess Luna.”

Smiling, Luna nodded to her. “Welcome, Scoop.” She then turned to the stallion.

“Sharp Lens, photographer extraordinaire.” The stallion performed a flourishing bow and shot her with a cocky grin.

“Welcome, Sharp Lens.” Luna nodded politely to him.

The ruckus coming from the conference room suddenly increased in intensity. Luna’s ears perked towards the open door, picking up on Celestia’s description of Magnus. She would need to use her Royal Canterlot Voice. Poor ponies. She knew that Twilight Sparkle would soon regale the audience of how Magnus came to Equestria and also about the portal. The volume would certainly grow louder by then. This was no place to hold a conversation.

“Sharp Lens, Scoop, if you would follow me, I wish to offer the two of you a job.” She then turned and began walking, but didn’t hear the two ponies following. Looking over her shoulder, she saw them alternating their gazes between her and the conference room, looking torn.

“Em, your highness,” Scoop began hesitatingly. “It’s not that we’re not excited to work for the Crown, but…” She paused and began fumbling with her forelegs.

Seeing that his companion had lost her confidence, Sharp Lens took over. “There’s an alien in Equestria!” he exclaimed. “This is the biggest news since… ever!”

“I am aware of that. The job I wish to offer you involves him,” Luna replied. She began walking again, and after a few seconds, she heard the two ponies hurrying after her.

“H-Him?” Scoop asked, stuttering slightly. “What job are you talking about?”

Luna cracked a smile. “Interviewing him, of course.”

With her eyes focusing on the hallway that led to the room Magnus was in, she couldn’t see the two journalists, but she heard them stop and gasp. Looking over her shoulder again, the two flabbergasted ponies stared at her as if they couldn’t believe her words.

“Come now, we will speak as we walk.” It didn’t take more than a few seconds before she heard their eager hooves behind her, along with them whispering to each other. Sounding both excited and perplexed, she hoped that her guards had found right ponies for the job.

Scoop cantered up to Luna, matching her pace. The mare looked ahead, then to Luna, then to the guards that lined the hallway, then ahead again while trying to formulate a question.

“Why us?” Scoop asked. “This is great for our careers, but why us?”

“You two are what they refer to as ‘freelance’, are you not?”

“We are,” Sharp Lens replied, maintaining pace with Scoop and Luna.

Satisfied that the guards had indeed found someone ideal for the job, Luna continued, “My sister and I have spoken much of how our alien guest should be revealed to Equestria and the world.” Luna turned a corner. “It would not be fair for one newspaper to have an exclusive interview, which is why we have decided to hire you two to interview him. The complete interview, along with all photos taken, we wish to distribute to every newspaper in Equestria.”

“That’s very considerate…” Luna picked up on her mare’s hesitance and glanced at her

“You do not sound happy about it.”

“We are happy to get this opportunity,” Sharp Lens interjected. His smile faltered slightly. “But we are freelancers. We get paid for the interviews and the photos we get for the papers. We’re talking about an interview with an alien! The major papers will line up to kiss our hooves and throw bags of bits at us for what we can give them.”

Luna nodded. True, even these two had bills to pay, and bits were required in everyday life. Fortunately, Luna and Celestia had prepared for this. They were not about to demand work for free.

“The Crowns will pay you a generous fee for the interview and the photos. In addition, my sister and I will personally give both of you a royal recommendation for your services to the Crowns.”

Sharp Lens opened his mouth to speak, but Scoop’s hoof was quicker. She covered his mouth, gave him a glare, then turned to Luna and smiled innocently. “Can we have a moment to discuss your offer?”

Luna was slightly caught off-guard, not expecting them to hesitate. Back in the olden days, ponies would almost always agree with the decisions made by the alicorns. So much had changed in a thousand years. Still, they were free to accept or decline, and she wasn’t about to force them.

“Of course. Make haste; I believe the interview may last for a long time.”

Scoop and Sharp Lens quickly trotted a few hooves away and began furiously whispering to each other. One of them would propose something, to which the other one would object to and offer an alternative. After about a minute of debate, they returned.

“Princess Luna, we accept your offer,” Scoop answered confidently.

Sharp Lens nodded eagerly. “Yeah, and a royal recommendation helps too. We’ll be almost guaranteed to find a steady job at whatever paper that’s looking to hire.”

Luna smiled widely; it appeared that these two were looking for full-time employment. She was happy that the offer would help them. “Excellent, it pleases me that our terms are to your liking. Now, are you ready?” Luna glanced towards the end of the hallway and the door blocked by four guards. Scoop couldn’t stop grinning, but the confident expression Sharp Lens wore wavered.

“Uh, does it bite?”

***

“~Over the hand and between the fingers,
To the other hand it goes.
The magic knows the way to carry a stone,
With magic green and white.~”

While I sang, the red pebble floated over my hand, then passed between my fingers. It amazed me how much control I could muster with having only known magic for a few weeks. Maybe it was due to my unicorn heritage, or some type of instinct, that taught me finer control over objects. I didn’t doubt it; so much else had happened recently. For now, this little magical session helped me focus my mind elsewhere. Unfortunately, my solitude didn’t last long.

The double doors were opened by Luna’s magic, and she came strolling with a serene smile on her face and two ponies behind her. Their getup was almost stereotypical for two individuals working in the newspaper industry, with a camera, tripod, press cards, and notepads.

The moment they saw me, their gait slowed until they lagged behind Luna and finally stopped. They were like deer in headlights; frozen stiff, eyes as large as dinner plates, and mouths hanging lazily open. Their mouths tried to formulate words, but only a stream of unintelligible gibberish emerged.

“Magnus, I hope my short absence did not cause you unnecessary discomfort,” Luna asked while she approached. “After all, the castle is quite crowded today.”

“Nah, I was fine. I’ve found a nice way to unwind.” I floated the pebble over to Luna, but halfway to her, it began bobbing in the air before falling to the ground. Luna caught the pebble before it hit the floor and levitated it back to me.

“Magic has range,” she said. “With practise, your range will increase.”

I put the stone in my pocket and nodded. “Huh, gotta remember that.” I looked over to the two ponies at the door, still standing still like statues. “They the journalists?”

“Indeed.” Luna looked over to them. “They appear to be a bit speechless.”

“I have that effect on ponies; can’t understand why,” I quipped dryly.

Giggling, Luna walked back to the two ponies. “This is Scoop, a journalist.” She placed a wing over the mare’s back, who didn’t seem to notice Luna’s touch with how she was gawping at me.

Casually walking over to the stallion, Luna placed her wing over his back, jerking him to his senses. “And this is Sharp Lens, a photographer. Together, they will interview you.”

I nodded while looking at the two. “Freelance workers?” Luna nodded. “Okay. Might as well get the introduction over with.”

I made my way over to the ponies and crouched down to their level. The mare and stallion had kept their eyes on me from the moment I stood up until I was crouched in front of them, but not once did they make any move to avoid me or run away. I liked that. I saw both wonderment and fascination on their faces, like a child receiving its first teddy bear and then trying to figure out its purpose.

“Hello there.” They blinked a few times in response as though they were emerging from a dream.

“I-It talked… You talked!” the mare exclaimed in astonishment. “You talk just like us!”

“I do. I had some help learning your language.” Despite my ire towards Star Swirl, I could appreciate his help in this regard.

“T-This is amazing. Sharp, are you getting this?” The stallion next to her hadn’t even attempted to take a photo yet, but at Scoop’s query, he began fumbling with his camera. Somehow, most likely by accident, he managed to take a picture, though the lens wasn’t even pointed at me. However, the flash blinded me for a moment.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean that.” The stallion repeated apologized while he tried to get the camera under control, but only managed to take a few more useless photos in the process.

While I got my eyesight back, Sharp managed to get a firm grip on his camera, but the mare next to him seemed rather peeved. “Sharp, what’s wrong with you? We’re here for an exclusive interview, not to blind him,” the mare chided her companion, only to focus on me a second later. “Um, you are male, right? You do sound like a stallion.”

“I am male.” I rubbed my eyes, still seeing stars. Feeling that we had gotten off to a rocky start, I decided to introduce myself before anything else happened. “My name’s Magnus, Magnus Powell.”

I reached out my hand to them. Both ponies just looked at it for a second before the mare jumped at the opportunity, holding onto my hand with both hooves.

“I’m Scoop, independent journalist. Pleasure to meet you,” she greeted me eagerly. “And this,” she laid her foreleg over the stallion's back, “is Sharp Lens, my photographer. We always work together to dig up stories, and honestly, we make quite a team.”

I reached my hand out to the pegasus stallion. He hesitated for a moment, looking at my hand, but his curiosity won him over in the end. Grabbing my hand, he shook it eagerly.

“Sharp Lens, photographer. It’s nice to meet you, Mister… uh, Magnus, was it?” I nodded in confirmation. “Right, name sounds a bit strange, no offense.”

“None taken.”

Next to us. Luna cleared her throat. “Now that you have met Magnus, perhaps we can begin the interview. I believe you have many questions you want to ask.”

We walked with Luna over to the seating area and took our places. While Sharp Lens set up his camera on the tripod and readied his rolls of film, Scoop began stacking blank paper on a clipboard, while also readying quills and ink. In the meantime, Luna went through a few rules with Scoop concerning the interview. For instance, certain information would not be divulged due to its sensitive nature, while another was that I was free to not answer any questions I felt uncomfortable with. Otherwise, Scoop would have free reign.

I sat comfortably in a chair, one leg resting over the other while Luna sat on a star-ridden cushion that matched her coat’s colour. While Sharp Lens was finished with his equipment check, Scoop seemed somewhat flustered, constantly adjusting her papers while jotting down some notes.

“I-I have no idea where to start or what to ask. I’ve never even thought about something like this happening, let alone me having the chance to perform an interview like this.” She scribbled down a few more notes, then shook her head before scratching ink over them. “My questions won’t be in a specific order; I’ll just have to ask as I come up with them, I guess. You won’t mind, will you?”

“I have no idea what to expect from the interview, so whatever questions you have is fine by me.”

“Right.” She nodded rapidly. “That’ll have to do. Sharp, you ready?”

He shot her a lazy salute. “Good to go.”

“Good. Mr Magnus, Your Highness?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Please, begin when you wish.”

“Right, hope this’ll go well.” Scoop closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Nothing to worry about, just my entire career and the greatest story in history.”

I chuckled; she was even more nervous than I was.

“Okay, here we go.” Scoop opened her eyes and focused on me. It was as if her anxiety had melted away, and she appeared much more professional, which surprised me.

“As this is a momentous event in Equestria’s history—the entire world, in fact—you can appreciate that all of this is quite overwhelming for us. Nothing like this has ever happened before, as far I am aware. So, for the sake of simplicity, why don’t we start with your name?”

“Good start,” I said with a grin. “My name is Magnus Powell, and I’m from planet Earth, or sometimes called Terra, which also means Earth. I am twenty-seven years old, and of my species, I’m a male.”

“Good, good.” Scoop began writing on her notepad. Then the first flash went off; Sharp Lens had begun taking pictures. “And what are you? Your species, I mean.”

I idly scratched my chin. “Now that’s a bit tricky. Honestly, I’m mostly human, but also part unicorn. I’m what you call a hybrid.”

“Hybrid?” Scoop looked up from her notepad in confusion. “As in how?”

I looked to the alicorn next to me. “Princess Luna, you know more about them than I do. Would you mind explaining?”

Luna cleared her throat. “Of course. A hybrid is the product of two different species creating offspring. In this case, the offspring between a human and a unicorn. Hybrids are generally very rare, with one born every few centuries.”

Tapping her quill against her chin, Scoop’s eyes went towards my hooves, then my head. “So… that’s a unicorn horn? Those are actual pony hooves?”

“Yes, though I wasn’t born with them.”

Scoop stared at me for several moments, chewing on her quill while the gears in her head turned. “I don’t understand,” she admitted.

“Neither did I to begin with, but I’ll explain.”

For the umpteenth time, I retold my journey to Equestria, but omitted who had sent me on my errand to the sea, only stating that I’d had strange visions telling me to go to the Bermuda Triangle. When I reached the part where I was knocked unconscious, Luna took over.

She described the days encompassing when I was rescued and taken to Canterlot, during which a magical construct created by my pony ancestor, which she did not mention by name, appeared in the throne room to explain its action in bringing me to Equestria. Luna then went on to explain the impact magic had on curing me of my migraines and transforming my body. When Luna described the unicorn horn staff, Scoop was quick to mention that she was one of the reporters who had written about it, and had actually earned some cash on it as well. She also pieced together that I was the supposed unicorn hunter and then the foreigner Celestia had spoken about a few weeks prior. When Scoop queried why the public weren’t informed about me, Luna explained that the Crowns wanted to avoid spreading panic and rumours among the population, thus the reason for my secrecy.

Luna also revealed that the day of my trial was also when the castle had been closed to the public, also stating that a few of the nobility knew of my existence and were sworn to secrecy. They were now free to talk about it, though personally, I hoped they would keep stories about me to a minimum to avoid crazy stories appearing.

Luna later mentioned to me that it was unlikely that anyone would have made the connection to Star Swirl; hats, capes, and beard were in style during Star Swirl’s era, and due to various artistic styles over the years, no one actually knew what he looked like. Most works of art depicting him were inaccurate.

“This is astonishing, absolutely amazing,” Scoop gushed while her quill worked in overdrive. Sharp Lens moved around the room, taking photos from just about every angle. A few times he even mounted the camera on a device around his neck and flew near the ceiling to get some aerial shots.

“A magical gate that leads to a distant world! Incredible!” She then asked Luna, “Your Highness, now that this gate has been found, will this lead to possible contact with Earth? How do you and Princess Celestia propose to forge possibly diplomatic relations with humans? Are the leaders of the other kingdoms aware of the existence of the portal? Have you discussed it with them?”

Luna shook her head. “We will not make contact with humans,” she answered plainly. “The portal is gone, closed forever. It was simply too dangerous to be left alone, for it posed a threat to us as well as the humans. We have yet to inform the leaders of the other kingdoms about the portal, due to its closer proximity to Equestria, thus it was our problem to solve, not theirs. My sister will relay this information to the press at the conference.”

I expected Scoop to object to hearing that no one could visit Earth, but she just nodded while focusing on her notepad. The quill she held in her mouth suddenly came to an abrupt stop, and her eyes darted to me.

“That means… I, um, I was about to ask how long you planned to stay in Equestria, but…”

I clicked my tongue, my gaze drifting towards the sunlit windows. “Yeah… means I can’t go home. Ever.” I allowed my words to settle in the room. The others remained silent for a moment before Scoop reluctantly broke it.

“I’m very sorry to hear that. I… Did you have family?”

I exhaled softly, my conflicted emotions coming to the fore again. “I had several friends who were as close to me as siblings. My parents died years ago; my grandparents are gone too. I have no living relatives that I know of.”

“... Do you miss them?”

A lump in my throat made itself known. “Every goddamn minute of every goddamn day.”

Scoop didn’t say anything for at least a minute. The only sound heard was Sharp Lens’ camera occasional clicking along with Scoop’s quill scratching on paper.

“I only have one more question regarding this particular subject, and then we’ll move on, okay? How did you react when you were told of your situation?”

I crossed my legs and gazed at Scoop. “I screamed.”

A glint of comprehension entered her eyes. “You were the one who screamed loudly about two weeks ago, weren’t you? We were told that somepony at the castle had lost their family.”

“Twas I who released that statement,” Luna answered. Her façade was unsmiling, not that I expected her to when recalling the lowest moment of my life. “It was the truth. I simply held back information regarding who it was.”

“I see. Mr Powell was still being kept a secret at the time.” Scoop flipped over to a blank sheet, jotting down a number at the top of the page. “I’m aware that many ponies sent flowers and condolence cards to the castle. Have you received them?”

“Yes. I’ve read many of them, and there’s still a lot I haven’t gone through yet.” A faint smile fluttered across my face, and judging by the flash, Sharp Lens had captured it on film. “I have to say that it’s touching, really. There’re so many ponies telling me how sorry they are for what happened to me, to not give up, to stay positive, to find something worth holding onto. I will admit I have some trouble doing just that, but I try my best. Most of the time it’s hard, but… I hope that as time goes on, I’ll get over it, although I’ll carry the memory of Earth and people I knew and loved forever.”

“That is what is important.” Luna stretched out her wing, gently placing it on my shoulder

I shot her a grateful smile, then turned my attention back to Scoop. “I’ve received so much attention, so much support from so many ponies who don’t know me, that it gives me hope for my future. I want to say thank you to everypony who's showed me support, to those living in Canterlot, but also to the castle’s staff, as well as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Make sure that gets on print.”

“Oh, trust me, this’ll be in the papers by tomorrow,” Scoop replied with a short laugh. I saw her make a few adjustments on her clipboard. “Might have to edit this a bit, you know, find a way to really express yourself. You’re not a stallion of complicated words, are you?”

“No, I prefer to keep things simple and straightforward.” My own personality and growing up in a small rural town tended to make one refrain from long-winded, flowery speeches. My lack of a lengthy education might also have played its part.

“It may be easy, but it gets the job done,” Scoop commented. She rolled the tip of the quill from one corner of her mouth to the other. “Perhaps we can talk about humans. What exactly is a human?”

I took a moment to ponder the question. Keeping it simple would take the least amount of time, yet still be informative, without me sounding like an anthropologist.

“Simply speaking, a human is a mammal, belonging to the family of primates. Basically, humans are highly evolved primates.”

“So, like… apes?”

I tilted my head to the side, rubbing my chin. Although Earth and Equus had many things in common, I doubted everything was the same. “I haven’t seen what the primates around here look like, so maybe. Although most humans don’t like being called apes.”

Scoop nodded compliantly. “I’ll keep that in mind. While we are on the subject of humans, perhaps you can tell us about your world, um…” She flipped through the pages for a moment. “Earth.”

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my legs again. “Okay, choose a subject.”

Scoop’s grin grew ever wider.

Chapter 31 - Interview With a Satyr Part 2 (Edited by JBL 29.11.2017)

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She started with asking me to describe humans, which I started off by describing my original appearance. I also detailed the differences between men and women, as well as the diverse hair and skin colours humans possessed, to which Luna remarked that humans sounded a bit colourless. Seeing as she probably didn’t mean any offense, I didn’t respond. Given the startling variety of colours the ponies I had encountered had been, I suppose there was some truth to her statement.

Moving on, Scoop then asked me to talk a bit about human society. I began with how countries were led. I started off with the monarchy and named a few examples. I did not take into account that names such as ‘Belgium’ and ‘Norway’ sounded so foreign and had no proper way of being written in Equish, thus I had to spell it for Scoop, phonetically of course. I then continued on to the democratic system, citing a few examples. As expected, neither Scoop nor Sharp Lens knew what democracy really was, thus I explained it to them.

By now, Scoop already had a sizeable stack of papers sitting on the table before her. Looking at me, she rolled the quill back and forth in her mouth. “How many countries are there on Earth?”

I rubbed my chin in thought. “I can’t remember the exact number, but I think it’s somewhere around two hundred and fifty.”

Scoop’s quill fell an inch when her jaw dropped slightly. “That’s… quite a number. Astonishing!” She hurriedly jotted down my reply. “On a side note, do you know how many humans there are?”

“More than seven billion.”

Scoop’s jaw clenched so hastily that she bit her quill in half, spilling ink on her teeth. “S-S-Seven b-billion?” she stuttered.

It turned out that seven billion was a difficult number to imagine in sheer people, or in this case, ponies. The population of Equestria only ranged in a few million, after all, and the grand total population of Equus was unknown. My reply beget the question on how humanity could produce enough food to feed so many, which led to me explaining how technology and inventions had helped humanity plough fields, harvest crops and modify them to increase their yield, and farm in otherwise challenging locations. I also explained that humans were omnivores, placing emphasis on the fish and meat we eat and trying to avoid naming any animals that could hold a conversation with me. Luna came to the rescue, mentioning that a human’s diet was quite similar to that of the griffons. She also explained to me that griffons had fish farms and raised pigs for food, and they even set aside large forests for wild boars, turkey, and other game. That was not to say that they exclusively ate meat. There were many farms dotting the Griffonian landscape which produced various crops such as grains, vegetables, and fruit.

Hearing Luna describe Griffonia made it sound like a place I could fit right in. Perhaps one day I could visit.

Scoop centred in on how humanity had machines that aided us, and wanted to know how technologically advanced we were. I expected her question and was about to answer when I suddenly found myself hesitating. I asked for a break and excused myself to the back of the room. I didn’t know why, but I felt as though I needed to ponder this question carefully.

While standing there, I noticed some guards patrolling the grounds outside. They wore metal armour, carried spears made of wood and steel, the spearhead polished to a mirror sheen that glinted in the sunlight. Their weaponry and armour might be suitable for ponies, but humanity had long rendered them obsolete. Any rifle or pistol could easily penetrate it, not to mention how exposed their legs and bellies were.

Once again, the pace at which their development had developed struck me. With their own hooves, intellect, and the sweat of their brows, they had adapted to their own environment. I could potentially advance the technology of this world by centuries, maybe even a thousand years. Even my cell phone could be labelled as the greatest invention existing on this planet.

But would it be morally just? Could ponykind adjust to the sudden changes so rapidly? I thought back to humanity’s own industrial progress. People who had practised a certain trade had gone out of business due to mass production and automation. Would the same happen here if I gave the world access to the technology of mankind? I didn’t even know if they had factories, and most of what I had seen produced in this world, from food to books to medicine, was the product of skilled ponies. That meant that everything was made by hand or hoof, or grown and cared for. They didn’t have machines to help them; their steam trains were a fairly new invention, having been around for only a few decades.

I glanced outside at the blue skies and inhaled deeply. I had never breathed air as clean as this, not even when I had travelled as far away from cities and people back home as I could. Factories, cars, and combustion engines hadn’t had a chance to touch this world yet. Could I contaminate this world by technology alone? Was the knowledge in my head enough to pollute this world? Even if I could offer them help, others would probably not see it the same way.

The worse thing was, if I told them about my world and what humanity had invented, there was bound to be someone who’d want the scant knowledge I possessed in order to get rich. I’d probably never get another moment of peace again.

While I pondered what to say, Luna approached me with a concerned expression on her face. “I can see the conflict within you,” she said as she stood next to me. “Why does this question bother you so?”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, mulling over how to explain it to her. Why was this so hard?

“Not all technology humanity has created is beneficial. Some of the things we have created were at the expense of others, some inventions even created by-products that poisoned the air, the water, and the earth. I really don’t want to give the wrong impression to ponies, to the world in general, in case they already see me as a threat.”

“I… believe I understand your dilemma,” Luna replied hesitantly. She sighed heavily, a certain longing look in her eyes. “The world I left a thousand years ago was… different than this era.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “There were no plumbing, nor were there indoor toilets. If one had to relieve oneself, there were outhouses. Water was fetched from the well, and if I desired a warm bath, I had to wait for the water to boil. Now there are so many new things filling the world. Every day brings some new invention I hadn’t been aware of to the fore.”

“Nice to have indoor plumbing, right?”

She chuckled. “One of my many favourites. During winter in the olden days, the servants had to break the thick ice in the wells twice a day.” Smiling warmly, Luna turned to me. “Celestia and I are aware of the knowledge you have. You are intelligent, knowledgeable, and observant. A thousand years ago, you would have been hailed as a masterful sage, wise beyond years, and I am confident both Sister and I would make you our advisor in certain matters. You are more enticing than you think with the knowledge you possess.”

Never thought I would hear a pony tell me I was enticing. “Thanks,” I replied with a grateful nod.

Luna’s smile faded slightly. “However, the conflict you face is one I cannot resolve for you. All I can say is to do what you believe is right, for both you and for Equestria. Think matters over clearly before deciding.”

With those words, Luna turned around and left me alone with my thoughts. It felt like a millstone around my neck, such a heavy burden it was. I didn’t want to carry it, just wanted to throw it away.

“Luna.” I heard her hoof steps ceased, then approach closer. With a soundless sigh, I turned and looked down at the alicorn. “I don’t want complicated things, Luna. I hate complicated. If I give one hint concerning what I know, there is bound to be complications, not just for me, but for others as well.”

She kept her expression neutral. “Is this your decision?”

I nodded. “I don’t want to change the world, Luna. I just want to live in it. Peacefully, I may add.” Placing my hands on my back, I took a deep breath and stared deep into her eyes. “I’ve made up my mind. Human inventions belong to humans, not here.”

The pleasant smile that spread on Luna’s face told me I made the right decision.

“As I said, wise beyond years,” she complimented me.

Without another word, I strode back to the chair and sat down, Luna joining me shortly after. She kept her eyes on me, more now than before, but the slight worry in them had faded.

Scoop joined us with her notepad, grinning widely. “Had some time to think, I guess? Long interviews may require a break now and then.”

“They do.” I poured myself some water and gulped it down. “Some questions require heavy thinking.”

Scoop coughed politely. “Now then, where were we? Oh, yes, technology. Do you remember the question?”

I nodded, attempting to maintain a neutral façade despite the conflict churning in my mind. “Yes. I’d say our level of technology is perhaps similar to what you have, from what I’ve observed. That’s all I have to say.”

“Curious, isn’t it, that we are so similar? But what about other things?” Scoop pressed on. I could almost see the curiosity in her eyes.

“My answer remains the same; that’s all I have to say,” I maintained with a sense of finality.

Luckily for me, Scoop didn’t ask press further. I did catch Luna shooting Scoop a stern gaze just after I answered, which might have helped deter her.

Instead, Scoop ventured into a different direction, namely art. There were a lot of things that could be labelled as art, but I just named a few famous artists and the things they were best known for and left it at that. Art had never been my thing, thus my limited knowledge.

Then came another question, one that I hadn’t expected. “Who raises the sun and the moon on Earth?”

“No one—the celestial bodies do it on their own.”

With another quill bit in half, Scoop was lucky she had packed extras today. When she wiped some of the ink clean from her mouth, she asked, sounding distressed. “What? How?”

I wrung my mind, trying to cast my mind back to my school days. I had probably been staring out of the windows, daydreaming about wizards and warlocks. As usual.

“I’m not an astronomer, but I remember it has something to do with gravity. Basically, the planet spins on its own axis and completes one revolution in 24 hours, and in that timeframe the sun shines on one half of the planet and the other half is in darkness which is nighttime. If you wonder why the planet spins it's because the sun, Earth’s sun, is huge, about one million times larger than Earth, thus it possesses enormous mass, and in turn, gravitational pull which draws other objects towards it and causes it to go into an slight oval orbit around the larger object. This is the basics of my home planet's solar system.”

The room went so silent, I could hear a mosquito let one rip. Scoop and Sharp Lens stared at me like I was a madman. Luna was the only one that seemed composed, but I could see that she was interested even though I had previously told her about it.

“T-That’s not possible.” Sharp Lens shook his head in denial. “No, no, that can’t be. Planets just don’t move around willy-nilly.”

“I can believe and agree on some things you’ve explained so far, but this is just too much. This defies everything we know. All rules of nature are governed by magic in some way,” Scoop added.

“Not where I come from. We have rules of nature and physics. Apparently, magic is so weak on Earth that it really doesn’t affect humans, not by a huge degree anyway.” I looked at the stack of blank paper in front of Scoop. “If I can borrow some paper, I’ll draw you a model of the solar system Earth belongs to.”

Scoop practically threw the stack at me, along with an unused quill and unopened ink bottle. Putting the tip of the quill on paper, I managed to spill ink all over it.

“Got a pencil?”

I began sketching, all while Luna, Scoop, and Sharp Lens peered over my shoulders. Somehow, I felt like I was an artist painting a masterpiece, and the ponies were enthusiasts or appraisers judging my work. When I was finished with the sun and the planets, I added several small dots to represent the asteroid belt outside of Mars’ orbit. I even filled in the names for each planet, in a… somewhat correct order. The names made no sense to the ponies, and translating them was impossible.

After completing my drawing, the ponies stared at it in awe, Luna less so. Scoop carefully put the drawing away, making sure it was free of wrinkles and handled with absolute care, saying that the drawing would absolutely be in tomorrow's newspaper.

“You seem to know a lot about your world and how it works,” Scoop mentioned while getting her quill and paper ready again. “What type of education do you have? You seem to be a teacher, or perhaps a scholar with your knowledge.”

I laughed at that. “Oh no, I was neither. My education is quite simple for a person from my country. I had twelve years of basic education, then I went almost one year to… Oh, your language doesn’t have a word for that type of school. Anyway, I went to school for almost thirteen years, but I dropped out during the last year. I was employed at a bowling alley, and I’ve also worked as a farmhand and at a company chopping firewood. It wasn’t a lucrative business, but I was able to pay my bills and afford a few luxuries at times.”

I went on for a while in this vein. It wasn’t terribly exciting stuff, but Scoop asked and I was happy to answer.

Then I went on to explain that Earth didn’t have magic, and that humans believed magic to be fictional since there was no proof of it ever existing. Of course, now I knew better, but it seemed a bit surreal from my current point of view. The ponies also found it strange, but didn’t prod any further.

At that point, Luna suggested we break for lunch, which we agreed to. During the meal, Scoop light-heartedly commented on how I might have a problem buying food in the future, seeing that I was taller than any of them and ate more. I agreed that she had a point, and asked if Canterlot was expensive to live in. According to her, houses were expensive to buy, but renting was affordable. You couldn’t rent a mansion, but there were small apartments available if you searched. Sharp Lens suggested that, what with my height and such, I should look for a minotaur-sized apartment when the time came. Luna also revealed that haggling was normal for ponies concerning certain things. The prices of fresh groceries could be haggled, but items such as furniture and wares had a set price.

I made a mental note for the future. I had to start searching for a job, and when I had scraped together enough money, I’d want a place of my own. I know Celestia and Luna told me that I could stay for as long as I desired, but I’d grow lazy and fat if I remained in the castle. Room and board was free, and my laundry was taken care of. I didn’t want to be a freeloader for long, as it wasn’t my style.

While we were on the subject, I asked what type of currency Equestria used. With her magic, Luna teleported a coin into my hand. It was about the width of my thumbnail, and thicker than most coins. It had a very pale golden sheen to it, but was too light to be real gold. On both sides, it had the markings of the sun and the moon with two alicorns flying around them, who I instantly recognized.

“This is a bit,” Luna explained, blowing on her steaming-hot coffee. “It comes in values of one, five, ten, fifty, hundred, and one thousand bits. Introduced shortly after the unification of the three tribes, it has been our standard currency for almost five millennia.”

“It's not gold, is it? It’s too light.” I weighed the coin in my hand.

“It is a mixture of gold and silver that we call it electrum. Many kingdoms use electrum in their coins, but coins made of purely gold or silver is still very much in use. Equestria is the only kingdom that uses nothing but electrum for our coins. If one is in possession of gold or silver coins, they can exchange them at a bank. If you happen to be in possession of gems, you can often sell them to a craftspony who might have use for them, such as a jeweller.”

I flipped the coin, sending in spinning in the air. It landed quicker than I expected due to being heavier than a normal coin. I passed it back to Luna. “We use coins too, but most of our money is printed on paper.”

Scoop and Sharp snickered. They probably thought the value of the coins was decided by the material it is made of, instead of the financial market. In that regard, paper money would seem crazy.

After lunch, we got right back to the interview. Seeing that the time was nearing one in the afternoon, we figured we’d hurry.

Tapping the quill on her nose, Scoop hummed in contemplation. “How many races live on Earth?”

“You mean sapient races?” Scoop nodded. “Only humans.”

“Only one? There are no earth humans, flying humans, or any other variety?”

“Nope, only us ~homo sapiens~.” The term had come out in Latin. I felt that there was another equine language that would have been appropriate, but instead I went with the old familiar one. “However, there have been a variety of predecessors to modern humans in the past. There were probably also different races related to humans that existed some tens of thousands of years ago. They are long extinct though,” I added.

Scoop once more let her quill fly over the paper. May a deity of ponies have mercy on whosoever had to edit the sizeable stack. And she wasn’t done just yet.

“A question came to mind earlier,” she said. “You said that humans are the only intelligent beings on Earth, right? How did you react when you woke up in Equestria and came face to face with ponies?”

At first I laughed, not expecting the question. “Ehh, well, I was shocked, to say the least. First, I should probably explain something about a certain animal native to Earth called a horse.”

“Please, go on,” Scoop eagerly urged.

“As I said, a horse is an animal from my world. They look a little bit like you, but they are much taller, heavier, more muscular, and not as colourful as you are. Also, they cannot speak and think like you do. Horses only possess basic instincts, but humans and horses have been companions for thousands of years. We rode them into combat, they helped us do heavy work on farms, and we used them to transport goods across great distances. Earth ponies are the ponies who most resemble Earth horses.”

“Aha… So, you thought that the first ponies you saw were animals?”

“I did, until one of them spoke. I first thought someone was playing a practical joke on me, but when I realized it was a guard speaking, I nearly panicked. Of course, the spear levelled at me turned the panic to fear. It took some time for me to understand that the ponies were not horses as I knew them, but another race completely. Now that I’ve grown a bit accustomed to you guys, I’m not that afraid anymore, though I try to keep my calm at all times. I’ve seen things that shouldn’t be possible and acted out of fear because of it, but I hope that as time goes by, I’ll get used to what this world throws at me.”

Scoop eagerly scribbled down my response. “Can you give me a few examples of something that has frightened you?”

Three events instantly came to mind. “The first one is Princess Celestia raising the sun,” I said. “I panicked the first time she demonstrated her abilities. I was even afraid to stand in sunlight because of it.”

Scoop giggled in reply. “I think that may be valid since you come from a place where the sun and moon move on their own. But what are the other two?”

I glanced at Luna. “No offense, Princess Luna, but your dream-walking ability is the other one.”

“I take no offense, Magnus,” Luna assured me.

“How can that cause you fear?” a confused Scoop asked. “Do humans have nopony to watch over their dreams?”

I shook my head. “No, we don’t have any immortal goddesses watching over us in the night-time. If Princess Luna came to my dream it would mean—at least to me—that she violated my privacy. Dreams can be something like a… a private, personal space. It might be difficult to understand from your point of view, but to me, it makes perfect sense.”

I made little more mention of my earlier fear of Luna and her dream-walking ability. If I suggested that she could perhaps control me through my dreams, it could cause further trouble for both of us. I remember Luna telling me that there were still ponies who feared her when she came knocking on their dream’s door.

“I think I understand.” Scoop flipped over to a new page. “Different worlds, different customs and traditions. Your Highness, what do you have to say to Magnus’ statement? Do you feel personally insulted by his opinion?”

“Not at all,” Luna replied calmly. “I understand that our ways are different to what Magnus is comfortable with. I have already promised to leave his dreams alone. Perhaps in the future, Magnus will allow me to watch over his dreams. After all, he is a citizen of Equestria and under the protection of me and my sister. We would not want to treat him differently.”

At the last part, Luna looked to me with a comforting smile. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the day I allowed her into my mind was the day hell froze over.

“Well, I hope your dreams will be pleasant then, Mr Powell. Sometimes we all need a little help chasing away the boogeymare under the bed.” Scoop’s light-hearted statement elicited a round of laughter.

“Those are two examples of something that has frightened you. What is the third?”

My tongue refused to move. This one hadn’t been on my mind for quite some time now. Who knew what he was up to? Was he here, perhaps planning something for me? I couldn’t tell.

“If you don't mind, I’d rather not answer that.” I averted my eyes and coughed into my hands.

Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. Out of all the overpowered entities of this world, he was the one guy that truly made cold sweat run down my neck. From what I’d read, he could do anything he wanted with the snap of a finger. Worst of all, I just knew that one day I’d meet him face to face. Hopefully, he was as reformed as Celestia and Luna claimed.

“Well, okay, I won’t ask again.” Scoop shot me a weird look, yet continued on with the interview.

The conversation moved on to the weather, where I explained that humanity could not control ours despite all our technology. The fact that weather on Earth acted on its own appeared to slightly upset the ponies. Luna revealed that Equestria controlled most of the weather within its borders, aside from a few areas such as the Everfree Forest. Griffons could also control the weather, but the other nations did not, although they would hire weather teams.

After the interview, Luna told me that most pegasi regarded uncontrolled weather as a danger since they had controlled and manipulated it for so long. This belief had then spread to earth ponies and unicorns due to them living so close together for so long.

On the subject of weather, I explained some of the destructive weather phenomena we experienced on Earth, and the places they occurred. Scoop, Sharp, and Luna were shocked that humanity kept rebuilding in such places known for these extreme events. I ended up explaining human stubbornness to her, to which Luna elegantly countered that stubbornness and madness appeared to possess blurred lines to the human eye.

Honestly, that made me laugh. If only she knew how right she really was. While madness and brilliance went hand in hand, stubbornness might be their best pal.

By the time another hour had passed by, we’d gone through numerous subjects, such as early history of humanity and even ventured into the myths and legends of mankind. It was during the explanation of certain myths that I revealed something that garnered an interesting reaction from Scoop.

“We are what? Myths?” Scoop asked, not quite believing what she heard.

“Myths, stories, and fairy tales,” I explained. “Pegasi, unicorns, griffons, minotaurs, and dragons are all mythological creatures from various human cultures. They have been portrayed in a variety of ways, both good and bad, throughout history.”

Shaking her head in apparent disbelief, Scoop still wrote down what I said. “These are very strange coincidences indeed. Princess Luna, do you believe that ponies from our world might have travelled to the human world sometime in the past?”

Luna nodded. “From what Magnus has told us of his world, yes, I do. Our worlds appear to have much in common. I do not find it unlikely that one unfortunate pony, griffon, dragon, or otherwise might have stumbled into the human world, thus becoming the origin of their mythical beings.”

I nodded in agreement. It sounded likely that some pegasus had ended up in ancient Greece around 3000 BC, becoming the origin of the pegasus legend. The same could be said for all the others as well. If a fully grown winged dragon came to Earth, it could fly around the world. Maybe that was why almost every culture had dragons in their legends.

***

The clock finally read five in the afternoon. For the last eight hours, we’d been cooped up in this room. To say that I had grown tired of all the questions was putting it mildly, but I felt better about it since I only had to give one interview. I did, however, doubt that the media would willingly leave me alone. To them, I must seem like such a prize. I was willing to accept it for now. One day, they would give up. Hopefully.

Scoop stared at the stack of papers that was the record of the interview. She only had one quill left, and less than a quarter bottle of ink. There was no paper remaining. I could see that she was tired; more than a few times, she had to take a break due to a cramp in her jaw. I supposed that was a major drawback of using your mouth to move a writing instrument.

Looking through her papers, Scoop mumbled silently to herself, “I swear I didn’t ask that…” only to follow that with, “Oh, I did ask that.”

It was obvious that Scoop didn’t want the interview to end, but she’d run out of things to ask about. I’d given her enough information that she could write a short encyclopaedia about the human race, with plenty of general information but lacking in details.

“Sadly enough, this is my last question. If only we had more time…”

“I’d say eight hours is more than enough,” I commented dryly.

Clearing her throat, Scoop set her eyes on me, with a smile borne of the professionalism of her trade. “Mr Powell. Magnus. We’ve been told plenty about humans and about Earth. Now I would like to ask you about your own thoughts. Where do you see yourself in one year or maybe even ten years? What do you hope for?”

“That’s… a tough question.” I leaned back in the chair while crossing my legs. I had dreams once, plenty of them. None of them would ever come to pass now, but perhaps I could create new goals for myself.

“A house.” I kept my voice low and my eyes wandering. I had done this a few times during the interview, and I always found my eyes glancing at the windows, to the outside world. “Maybe with a garden, in a nice and quiet neighbourhood. Perhaps someplace secluded, with a good view, maybe with some fruit trees. As for a job… not an office job. Maybe someplace I can work with my hands, like… I can’t come up with a job right now. I don’t even know what kind of jobs there are out there. I’ll just have to find out.”

I drummed my fingers on the armrest before taking out my practice pebble from my pocket. Without effort, I levitated it into the air. Earlier, I had demonstrated to Scoop and Sharp that my horn wasn’t just for show. Of course, I had been asked about the dual colours of my magic, and I had replied that it was residual magic from the magical construct that had led me here.

“I like magic. I want to know more about it, maybe learn more spells. That would be awesome. See, I was really curious about magic when I was a child. I learned card tricks, simple sleight of hand, easy illusions. Stuff like that, you know?” I made the stone circle around my chair before landing in my open palm. “Now I have a chance to learn real magic, and I don’t plan to waste it.

“As for the rest of my future…” I trailed off for a moment, trying to find the words. “I hope to find acceptance. I’ve scared ponies here at the castle. Some of it was part of me not knowing any better while another part had to do with a pretty brutal culture clash, I guess. I hope that… when the day comes, when I leave the castle to find a place of my own in this world, I can walk down the street without frightening ponies, and without them stopping to stare at me. I hope to be able to buy food and not be treated differently from others. I hope that…” I paused, meeting the eyes of the three ponies who were absorbed by my words. “I hope to be treated normally, not just confined to the label of an ‘alien’. I want to be treated like an ordinary individual instead of an extraordinary creature that you know little of. That’s all.”

My words hung in the air for several seconds after I finished my statement. Scoop did nothing but stare at me while she rolled the quill to the corner of her mouth. The steadfast clicks coming from Sharp’s camera also ceased momentarily.

Scoop nodded slowly in acknowledgment of my words. “You just want to be treated normally.”

“I never wanted fame, just a peaceful life. I still want it, despite my situation. Perhaps I want it even more now.”

“I can’t say how easy or difficult your wish is,” Scoop said, elegantly moving the quill with her lips. “But I can say that it is ambitious, considering your situation.”

I afforded myself a smile, acknowledging the truth of her statement. Famous people were rarely left alone. Movie stars, musicians, and athletes were hounded everywhere they went. It was no wonder they lost their shit once in a while. Still, I might be lucky enough that the media here was more considerate than those on Earth. Stranger things have happened.

With a single dot at the end of the sentence, Scoop finished writing my reply. Checking over her work, she nodded firmly before placing the sheet of paper on top of the already completed stack. She then leaned over to grab a new sheet, but her hoof only grasped air.

Scoop heaved a disappointed sigh as she picked up the bundle that by tomorrow would be in every newspaper in Equestria. “I had so many questions to ask, and time passed by so fast.” She gently placed the papers onto the table with a dejected expression on her face. “If only I had more time, I could have done this properly.”

I glanced at the thick stack. It must easily have been a hundred pages or so, at least. Not done properly? Horseshit.

“Honestly, I think you did great.” I picked up the stack, flipping through the first pages. In the margins, she’d scribbled down additional notes, chief amongst them a description of my face. I supposed my face would be difficult for them to grasp.

I then added, “Your questions were honest and inquisitive. You asked for additional information, never tried to derail the subject, and acted professionally.”

The saddened expression faded, replaced by a hopeful look in her eyes. “Really? I did good?” she asked, smiling ever so slightly. “Never thought I would hear an alien tell me that I’m a good journalist.”

“You performed admirably, even with no time to prepare, Ms Scoop. As did you, Sharp Lens.” Luna stood up and flexed her wings after many hours of inactivity. “I am confident that the many photos you have taken today will surely slake the reader's curiosity.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Standing up, I stretched my arms and legs, feeling my joints pop. Scoop also got up and began packing away her things. “So, are we done then?” I asked, hoping that there was a chance a meal would be available soon.

“Actually,” Sharp piped up, having placed a fresh roll of film into his camera and closing the lid, “I got plenty of pictures from all around the room, but I never got any of the three of you that I liked.”

Scoop nodded. “Good thinking, Sharp. We gotta have a few last photos, something for the papers, you know? Something with Mr Powell standing alone, or posing with ponies. Yeah, that’ll be great.” Scoop eagerly tapped her hooves together at the prospect.

“I don’t mind posing for a few photos.” If the public saw me with someone famous such as Luna, but also with an ordinary pony, then perhaps that would help settle a few nerves.

“Neither do I,” Luna added.

“Fantastic. I’ve got a few poses that I think would be great.”

Under Sharp Lens’ trained eye, Scoop, Luna, and I ended up doing several poses together. We did one where Scoop pretended to interview me while Luna sat next to us, almost looking like a babysitter of sorts. Sharp also took several photos of me either sitting in a chair or standing in a relaxed posture. We then moved on to me standing next to Luna and Scoop. Seeing that Scoop was around the average height of a mare and Luna stood taller than most mares and stallions, a photo of all three of us gave a nice indication of my height. However, there was one series of photos that I personally liked best. One of them was me crouching in front of Luna, shaking her hoof and both of us giving each other a friendly smile. I liked it because it symbolized friendship and tolerance between different races. I hoped the rest of Equestria would feel the same. Another was my hand, palm open, gently holding Scoop’s hoof. I didn’t want to be portrayed as some kind of gigantic brute.

The photo shoot lasted less than thirty minutes, and not long after, Scoop and Sharp had packed their things, ready to leave. Luna had summoned someone to escort the two ponies to a different part of the castle where they could develop the photos and also rewrite the complete interview in peace. The princesses also had several ponies ready to assist Scoop with copying the interview as well as pegasi couriers to fly to various parts of Equestria to deliver the interview to local newspapers. It seemed Luna had the entire process planned out smoothly.

With a single nudge and swing of her head, Scoop’s saddlebags slid onto her back. They were lighter now than earlier today, but there was still a slight sag to them. Sharp had also packed away his camera and films, and as they were ready to depart, they both turned to me.

“When I woke up today, I expected to write another story of how Princess Twilight Sparkle had saved Equestria, or maybe that Prince Blueblood had finally found a mare to marry, or even a royal declaration stating Princess Cadenza is pregnant.” She shook her head and chuckled. “I was so, so wrong. Today has been interesting, enlightening, and educational.”

“Glad I could make your day interesting,” I replied with a nod. “Also, thank you for conducting the interview with a high level of professionalism. I admit I expected someone of lesser integrity.”

“Oh, stop it, you flatterer you.” Scoop waved a dismissive hoof at me, her cheeks gaining a slightly red tint. “I’m still glad to be the one to interview you. I went into this interview not knowing what to expect, and I was positively surprised. You are a very polite and nice human. I don’t know if this is what all humans are like or if it’s only you, but I’m happy to have met you.”

“Likewise, Ms Scoop.”

Sharp Lens stepped next to Scoop and held out his hoof to me. I made a fist and lightly bumped his hoof. I had seen ponies perform this particular gesture before. Sometimes it looked like a brofist, while other times it appeared to be akin to a handshake.

“Good luck out there, Mr Magnus. Equestria’s a big place, and the world is even bigger. Hopefully, you’ll find a place for yourself out there.” I could almost see the sincerity written on his face.

“Thanks, Sharp Lens. It feels good to hear ponies have faith in me,” I replied, giving him an appreciative nod.

The doors opened and a unicorn stallion walked in silently, stopping just behind Scoop and Sharp. I thought I’d seen him before around the castle.

“Ah, Kibitz, you have arrived just in time. We have finished the interview; will you see to it that Ms Scoop and Mr Sharp Lens are paid the agreed amount for services rendered? Also, have a guard escort them to their assigned rooms. There is much to do before the day is over.”

The moustachioed unicorn bowed to Luna. “Of course, Your Highness, I’ll see to it immediately. Miss Scoop, Mister Sharp, if you will follow me, please.”

Scoop and Sharp nodded to him. “Magnus, Princess Luna, goodbye. It was a pleasure.” She bowed to Luna, gave me a smile, then turned around and began to walk.

Next came Sharp. Hefting his bags onto his back, he grinned widely as he walked up to me. “Mr Magnus, today I was one of the first ponies in Equestria to meet and actually exchange a words with somepony from another world. When I tell my marefriend, she’ll never believe me. I wish you good luck in Equestria. Princess Luna, thank you for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have plenty of photos to develop.”

With those last words, he turned around and quickly caught up to Scoop, who was waiting for him at the door. They waved goodbye to us as the doors shut behind them. Being courteous, I waved back to them, but the moment the doors closed, I almost slumped down into the chair. Taking a calming breath, I felt my muscles relax, letting the tension ease away slowly.

The interview was finally over. Now it was up to the world to decide how they would see me.

***

With the interview over, Luna and I went to one of the castle’s common rooms. Most of the time, they served as places where the princesses could relax, entertain guests, and do whatever they fancied. When we arrived, Celestia, Twilight, and the girls were waiting for us. I was curious as to how the press conference went and asked them.

Long story short, the ponies lost their shit to begin with, but eventually calmed down when Celestia and Twilight explained my origins and journey to Equestria. According to Celestia, the various races that attended the conference weren’t exactly afraid, but perhaps slightly concerned as well as quite inquisitive. That came as no surprise. She and Twilight had spent nearly four hours answering as many questions, both reasonable and ludicrous, as they could. One of the craziest was concerning if foals should be allowed to roam outside anymore. Somehow, a few ponies had the idea that I was a flesh-eating monster that stalked the streets of Canterlot. Celestia’s reassurance that I was harmless put some of their fears to rest. Some even asked to see me, as if I was a zoo exhibit on display. Both Twilight and Celestia admitted to becoming slightly irritated when those questions came up. Still, they couldn’t blame them—ponies were curious about me, so that was understandable.

Overall, the conference went better than expected, although there were ponies camping out at the castle’s gate waiting for a glimpse of me. Some had even tried to sneak in, but those that tried were gently, but firmly, escorted off the premises by the guards and given a stern warning. The increased security was paying off.

What concerned me was that not a single ambassador had requested an audience with the princesses. I had been certain they would have swarmed all over the castle like flies over shit. If aliens landed outside the White House and the entire world knew, every ambassador would be calling the president nonstop. Still, I was in probably the most secure place on this planet, so I wasn’t too worried about anything they might be planning.

I then explained how the interview went and delved into the kind of questions I was asked. They seemed pleased to hear that everything went well. Even though they knew a fair bit about me already, they all wanted to read the interview tomorrow, Twilight especially. I thought that her thirst for knowledge had been sated when I told her about Earth before she had left on the expedition. That was apparently not the case. How much did she write about me back then? Probably more than the interview itself.

With nothing pressing on the agenda, we eventually all settled down for dinner. We discussed what tomorrow would bring, possible outcomes of the conference, and my upcoming journey to Ponyville.

Honestly, I had started to feel excited about the prospect. Seeing as two ponies who’d never met me before had warmed up to me so quickly, I hoped that staying in a town full of ponies would go just as easy. I was probably wrong, seeing as ponies probably had something similar to Murphy's Law. Still, it was progress for me.

My only worry was Discord, but I never mentioned it. He was an unknown element in my equation, capable of anything that came to his mind. My only solace was that a diminutive yellow pegasus mare could probably handle him.

That in turn made me wonder what kind of power she had at her command.

***

Sleep eluded me, resulting in me tossing and turning in bed for the better part of an hour. The temperature of the room was perfect, the bed soft, the comforter warm, and the room was silent. By all accounts, I should be slumbering like a baby, but all I found was restlessness.

With an angry shove, I pushed the comforter away and got up. Getting dressed, I walked into the living room and practically fell into a chair. I looked at the clock on the wall, noting that it was only ten past eleven in the night. Damn.

Though I could blame a wide variety of things for not being able to sleep, only one was true; I was nervous. Again. All the excitement from earlier had dissipated, and though I tried my best to stay positive, now that the moment was close, I had cold feet. Or hooves. Whatever.

Troubling thoughts invaded my mind. What if some ponies decided that I was dangerous and evil, and began spreading propaganda? What if I became the target of racism? It had happened already, long ago, but I’d gotten over that. After all, we were stupid kids who believed wrestling was real and that you became a ninja by owning a homemade nunchuck. All that had ever gotten me was a solid bump on my head.

I needed to get my mind on something else. I needed air. Maybe an evening walk could help me clear my head from these unwanted thoughts. Yeah, definitely a walk.

I went back to my room and found a thicker shirt that could endure the crisp night’s air. After putting it on, I noticed my cell phone sitting on the nightstand, still in pieces. I hadn’t tried turning it on for weeks, having almost forgotten about it. Maybe I should bring it with me, see if it worked. I quickly assembled the phone, put it in my pocket, and left the room.

In the hallway, I found the guards guarding the door. As usual. I wasn’t royalty or a foreign dignitary, so I didn’t expect a bow from them.

“Mr Powell, what are you doing up at this hour?” one of them asked.

I chose a direction and began walking, the guards quickly falling in behind me. “I can’t sleep. Figured I’d go for a walk or something.”

Wandering through the halls, I spotted night guards patrolling, but the usual train of maids and butlers were noticeably absent. My feet eventually led me close to the entrance hall where the guards stopped me.

“Mr Powell, there may be petitioners waiting for Her Highness, Princess Luna. Are you sure you want to be seen by them?”

I only needed a moment to think. “No, it would cause a scene. Is there a way we can go outside from here?”

“Of course, follow us.”

We backtracked and walked through another hallway. Signs on the doors indicated various storage rooms and the kitchen. Judging by the sounds, the kitchen staff was still on the clock. Traversing through a couple more hallways to circle around the throne room, we entered a large ballroom. A glass door led us outside.

Upon reaching the garden, I was met by the various aspects the night: chirping crickets, a rustling of faint breeze passing through, crisp mountain air, and a silvery moon casting its light down upon this world. Walking across the lawn was like balm on my hooves. Why did it feel so pleasant? Was it perhaps some sort of natural instinct within me that was now awakened? So much had changed in recent weeks that the possibility no longer seemed absurd.

I had walked the garden several times and decided upon a different path this time. I followed the wall of the castle for a while until a group of willow trees standing at the far end of the garden caught my attention. It looked somewhat out of place, so I decided to take a closer look.

Upon reaching the trees, I saw that they encircled a pond roughly thirty meters across. Fireflies flitted over the pond, darting and blinking softly. A cobblestone pathway ran around the pond, and to the side was an elegant wooden bench. Sitting down, I realized that the pond was fed by a small stream coming from someplace up on the mountainside, and at the other end, the water flowed silently to the edge of the cliff and fell down. A low wall prevented anyone from going near.

The guards, perhaps thinking I needed some time alone, had halted by the trees, easily keeping their eyes on me. Feeling a bit comfortable now that I was alone, I leaned back and filled my lungs with fresh air, feeling the stress of the day melt away. I preferred a slower route, both in my work and in my life. What the next few days brought me, I just had to handle, one way or the other.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. It would be a shock if it still worked, seeing as saltwater and sensitive electronics never blended well. After holding down the power button, I was pleasantly surprised when the screen lit up with the familiar sound of it powering on. Punching in my password, the phone booted and the old familiar menu popped up with all my favourite apps displayed. The battery was at roughly seventy-five percent, but as expected, there was no signal though I instinctively raised my hand in the air to try to get one.

After reading some of my old messages, I went into the gallery and began browsing. There were less than fifty pictures saved, as I had transferred most of them to my computer a few months back. There was one photo that stood out from the randomness; the one of me and my friends taken on our last evening together, the day before I left Montana.

We all sat around a table with a half-eaten pizza on it, each of us with a bottle of beer raised, posing for the photographer. The owner of the pizzeria, James, had taken the photo. He had always been a nice and polite guy.

Just a bunch of friends hanging out, enjoying a pizza and a few beers, and having fun in each other's company. It felt like such a long time ago.

A smile formed on my face as I looked at the photo, the memory of the dream flashing across my mind. My finger gently touched the screen, zooming in on all of us.

“Well, here I am, guys. Not exactly how I wanted it to be, but alive at least. Wish I could tell you in person, instead of talking to figments of my dreams.” I stared at the photo, nodding slowly with pursed lips. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. I got… I don’t know if they are friends or allies, but I have someone, somepony, looking after me. It’ll work out. Somehow. I know it. Everything will work out in the end.”

I pressed the home button on the phone, exiting the gallery. Pocketing my phone, I exhaled slowly. For several long minutes, I just sat there, staring at the pond and the stars and moon reflecting off its surface. I felt calm and at peace, but there was one thing that was missing, and I knew what it was.

Bringing out my phone again, I opened the music library to find one of my favourite artists.

***

“Truly? He really said so?”

Luna nodded. “I speak the truth. He appeared to be distressed because of Miss Scoop’s question, and when I finally asked him what bothered him, he revealed that while the technology and inventions of mankind may be beneficent, there are also significant disadvantages to them.”

“What kind of disadvantages?” Celestia asked, her curiosity piqued. Luna had just regaled her of a few parts of the interview that not been broached at dinner, subjects that needed to be discussed.

“According to him, by-products of these inventions can poison the air, land, and water. I may be wrong, but I believe he subtly meant to imply that his people suffered for them. Perhaps they too became poisoned because of these inventions,” Luna answered.

Celestia poured her tea, added sugar, and then slowly stirred the beverage with a silver spoon, a thoughtful expression on her face. Luna mirrored her sister's actions, but substituted coffee instead of tea. Noticing Celestia’s contemplation, she asked, “What is on your mind, Tia?”

Lifting her cup up to her muzzle, Celestia took a dainty sip, smiling as she lowered the cup. “I expected Magnus to introduce something of his world to us, perhaps as a way to make his life easier, or maybe even to hold his homesickness at bay. From what he had described, they could have been beneficial to our ponies as well.”

“Ah, yes. They do sound incredible. These chariots that move on their own, for example, with no need for rails.”

“Those too. I was thinking more in the way of inventions to ensure that nopony would never have to starve, magnificent advances in medicine, perhaps a cure for all ailments… So much that I wish for.”

She suddenly shook her head, and in one quick motion, the large alicorn was on her hooves, walking towards the balcony door. Using her magic, the door swung wide open and she headed towards the marble railing. Gazing over her moonlit kingdom, Celestia once again sipped her tea. Movement below caught her eye, and when she looked down, she spotted Magnus going for a walk, two night guards following him.

“But not if it means destroying what we have.”

Luna walked to stand next to her sister, a steaming cup of coffee in her magic. “In that, we fully agree.” She followed her sister’s gaze and spied Magnus. Where was he going?

With a sigh, Celestia’s eyes trailed the human as he slowly ambled along. Such a strange creature, yet with a good heart and, now she knew, a bright mind. “I expected him to introduce inventions to our world without thinking of the consequences. I was ready to encourage him, if need be. Now I see that I did not think far enough ahead. We may be wise, but even we can learn from one far younger than us.”

“We are not goddesses, Sister. Our subjects may see us as divine beings, but we are not. We are flawed. You are flawed.” Luna sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I am flawed the most. While I was trapped on the moon as punishment for my misdeeds, you kept Equestria together. In this great kingdom’s most dire hour, you kept a vigilant eye, defended our ponies, safeguarded the borders, and built a solid foundation for diplomacy, good relations, and trade with the other kingdoms. You worked for peace.” Drawing breath, Luna straightened and smiled at her sister. “You have done so much; do not let a small error in judgement weigh so heavily on your back, especially when the error never came to be.”

Celestia turned and bent down to nuzzle her sister, touching cheek to cheek. “Thank you. The pedestal our ponies has put me on is lofty, and sometimes I lose sight of the ground.”

“Then you need me to fly you down so that you can see the ground,” Luna replied with a chuckle. “After all, I have always been the strongest flier and you the strongest in magic.”

“Now now, let’s not argue again. We are no longer ten year old fillies,” Celestia warned light-heartedly.

In return, Luna flank-bumped her sister playfully. “True, we are millennia-old fillies.”

Both alicorns broke into a playful fit of laughter, a welcome reprieve from the stress the day had brought. Laughter reminded both of their younger days, and even though those were long consigned to the distant past, the sisters would always remember and cherish them.

Suddenly, unfamiliar sounds reached their ears. Their ears swivelled to the direction of the sound, and to their surprise, it came from the far end of the garden

“Do you hear that?” Celestia asked.

“I do; it is music.”

Curiosity overtook them, and after setting their cups down on the railing, they spread their wings and took off, determined to find the source of the music. Their search brought them to the willowed pond. Soundlessly, they landed at the closest tree. Further away, they encountered two guards vigilantly guarding Magnus. The willow pond was a special place that the princesses would sometimes visit to think and contemplate. The guards knew of this and thus kept their distance.

Magnus himself was seated on a bench. With his head leaning back and his arms and legs crossed, he had an odd, yet relaxed expression on his face. On the seat next to him was the human-made communication device from whence the music originated.

It was a steady, yet playful tune created by some unknown instrument, accompanied by the voice of a woman and a man. The music was so unfamiliar and otherworldly that the two sisters couldn’t help but listen. The music was clearly meant to be uplifting, judging by the light-hearted feel of the melody.

Slow at first, Celestia began bobbing her head in tune with the music, but soon she picked up the pace and Luna followed. It was clear to them that this music was not meant to dance to, only to listen, but they didn’t care. First it was just a simple step to the side, then back again, but when they became familiar with the tune, they grew a bit bolder. Moving their flanks from side to side, they spread their wings, swaying them rhythmically from side to side.

The magic of music was a well-known phenomenon of the world. No matter one’s age or species, all could feel music overtake them from time to time. However, this was different from the music phenomenon they were accustomed to. It had no rhyme or reason; it just existed. This did not deter Celestia and Luna as they swayed along with the music.

The song eventually wound down, the melody fading into the sound of the night. As the two sisters folded their wings back to their bodies, they witnessed a calm man staring out over a silent pond that reflected the stars, the moon, and a thousand fireflies dancing into the night. What they didn’t see was his smile.

Author's Notes:

Well hey, would you look at that! I finally published.

Out of all the chapters I've published so far, this was one of the most challenging ones. What questions will a journalist ask? How long will an interview take? The list goes on. I didn't want it to be too long, but I think it became unavoidable. I wanted it to be informative without becoming boring, but I think it became a bit boring anyhow. In the end, I'm somewhat happy with it.

In many HiE stories, the human doesn't give any new inventions to Equestria and the world we love to watch. They live happy lives, being a handyman, work at Sweet Apple Acres, or any other job. I've seen perhaps two stories in which the human gives new technology, ideas, and inventions to the world, and in these stories the inventions aren't that big of a deal. A pen, a special gear for a train, nothing big. I don't want Magnus to introduce big changes to Equestria, I have plans for him to achieve things on his own, not things others have made (but I might add something in the future, who knows?). Besides, Equestria is pretty well off already, so adding things aren't necessary.

Oh, got another bit of news. JBL, a member on fimfiction has offered to edit my story. He's already edited the prologue, which has been updated. He did a great job with it, so give him some sugar for his great effort. The rest of the chapters will be updated as time goes on.

And thanks to you all for reading my story and supporting me. You make me wanna write

Edit: fixed some false info I wrote into the story because I thought it was true at the time . Thanks to Kyllix for making me aware of my mistake.

Chapter 32 - Leaving the Marble Nest (Edited by JBL)

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I had been anticipating this day with a mixture of curiosity and dread. My interest centered on how a society, even the wider world, would react to the revelation that an alien existed in their midst. Writers and filmmakers had tried to properly capture how such a situation would play out numerous times over the years, in literature and film. In the end, all they could do was speculate and attempt to weave a plausible story of its occurrence. Now, I was the lead performer in this play of suspense and intrigue. Best of all, I had front row seats to see it all unfold, and the luxury of being ensconced in a castle while it happened.

Despite that, apprehension had dampened my enthusiasm. Over the course of several days, my mind had taunted me with dozens of scenarios in which I was dragged from the castle by some lunatic scientist, spirited away by a chaotic eldritch spirit, lynched by a rabid mob of citizens, or perhaps kidnapped by agents of a different kingdom. My rest had been uneasy for several nights as I was assaulted by these images. Celestia and Luna always made sure to say that they understood my situation, though I was unsure how true that was.

Still, I appreciated having them as beacons of comfort. Whenever I voiced my fears, they were quick to assure me of my safety and their protection. I knew that Star Swirl had been a good friend to them, but he must have been extraordinary for the princesses to keep their word after five millennia. I knew that it would be far easier for them if they just decided to toss me out of the kingdom or send me to some faraway land.

I was grateful that they possessed the character they did.

When I woke up the morning after the interview, I wasted no time in preparing myself before heading downstairs to meet with the others for breakfast. I was certain that I would dominate the newspapers, and I was not disappointed. A full-figure photo of me was splashed onto the front pages of every paper delivered to the castle, and there were a lot. Large bold letters screamed the headlines to their readers:

Alien in Equestria!

Creature From Another World!

We Are Not Alone!

Honestly, it reminded me of the type of headline one could have seen plastered on newspapers around World War II, with how exaggerated and dramatic they seemed.

I delved into a Canterlot newspaper, excited to see how the interview had played out for the press. What first caught my eye was its sheer length—fifty six pages in all, with photos of Luna and me, and of course Scoop as she had conducted the interview. It seemed as though they had decided to use every single photo Sharp took of us, as each page contained at least one picture. Judging by how the entire article flowed, Scoop had run the interview through an editing team. She had also remembered the sketch I had drawn of the solar system, judging by the picture of it emblazoned on one of the pages, below which a few lines of information were written. Judging from what was written below, my information about an actual solar system was ground breaking. Twilight later revealed that Equus, along with their sun and moon, wasn’t part of a solar system at all. No planet had ever been discovered near them, and unicorns had been keeping track of the night sky for centuries. My information about planetary bodies was a scientific breakthrough no one had expected.

After reading through the interview, I found a different journalist’s report on the press conference, along with the expected photos. There were plenty of ponies and other creatures visible as they were seated before the princesses. I spotted a zebra, a diamond dog, a minotaur, a griffon, and a towering, slender stallion who wore some rather opulent-looking garments. He reminded me of an actual horse than a pony. When asked about him, Celestia said that he was a Saddle Arabian pony and their ambassador to Equestria.

On the topic of ambassadors, none of them had made any demands to see me yet. I hoped they wouldn’t think I was worth the effort, but I knew that, sooner or later, they would come a-knockin’.

There were also a number of questions the ponies in attendance had asked Celestia and Twilight. The first question was a description of me since the princesses didn’t have a photo of me to display. From there, it went on to my diet, my demeanour, if I could speak Equish, and so forth. From what I read, Celestia and Twilight had done their best to answer the barrage of question, even the ones that were a bit out of the left field. Still, the conference report was considered generally informative. The writer didn’t jump to conclusions and didn’t indulge in liberties with the facts.

Strangely enough, there was nothing else of interest in the paper. I expected some interviews with scientists or perhaps even a few words from local ponies giving their opinion of me, but the newspapers were devoid of that type of content. Most likely, the papers had gone into print before they could do so, or perhaps they had worked overtime just to get the interview ready for today’s delivery run. If that was the case, then tomorrow's papers should be filled to the brim with everyone and their grandmother giving their opinion.

At the end of the conference report, I read something that brought a smile to my face. One of my fears was being chased by the press wherever I went, for it would surely destroy any hope of a normal life for me. Celestia and Luna were aware of that, and knowing that I needed time to be properly integrated, they had taken the liberty of informing the press that they were not allowed to seek me out or follow me. The same went for non-Equestrian reporters—if they had questions concerning me, then they had to go to the princesses. I had briefly considered throwing my hands around them and squeezing the life out of them with bone-crushing hugs. With one simple declaration, they had ensured that my personal freedom and privacy would be intact, as much as could be expected. If there was one thing Celestia and Luna had in abundance, it was foresight.

When Celestia went to court and Luna retired to her chambers, Twilight, Spike, and their friends kept me company for the remainder of the day. With nothing planned, we decided to prepare for the days ahead and our eventual journey to Ponyville. Twilight had already created a list of things I needed to know before leaving the castle, and she was quite adamant that I had to prepare in order to give a good first impression to ponies. Even though I smiled at how serious she was taking this entire thing, I agreed with her.

Thus began my preparations for becoming a citizen of Equestria.

***

The first day went by as well as could be expected. Twilight’s lessons regarding Equestria and its inhabitants were in-depth and highly detailed to the point where I almost fell asleep. I learned a few new things, but most of them I had already discerned. That was not to say I was ungrateful—it was better to be well prepared than caught off-guard. Her friends were also helpful, telling me about Ponyville and the ponies that lived there. It sounded like a nice little town, but I questioned the wisdom of the founders in having the town so close to a forest that contained so many dangerous beasts. Most of the creatures they mentioned sounded as though they had sprung straight out of mythology. As with so much else in this world, I resigned myself to the belief that this was just another exceptional coincidence.

When dinner came around, we all gathered together, Luna joining us for her breakfast. The day had been unusually busy for Celestia, though. Hundreds of ponies from Canterlot and nearby cities had flocked to her concerning my presence here. Most of them had been journalists who had heard the news and came asking for a second interview, but she kindly turned them away, reminding them that I had already given one. There had also been a steady stream of concerned citizens, most of them worried about my presence so close to them. She had managed to calm them by informing them that I was more afraid of them than vice versa. While technically true, it made me sound like a fearful kitten in a land full of miniature horses. That in turn made me more determined to understand these ponies, so I suppose it was a good thing, in a way. Knowledge was essential in reducing one’s fear of the unknown.

Grandfather’s wise words still guided me, even in this strange land.

***

As each day passed, I made sure to read the broadsheets that were delivered to the castle in order to keep track of the most recent news about me. Though I knew that the revelation of my presence would create an uproar, I had underestimated its intensity.

My visage dominated the front page of most newspapers up to the day when we were supposed to leave for Ponyville. There were a minimum of at least three dozen pages and articles that involved me, mostly interviews with scientists from just about every field one could imagine. Most of it was speculation on what I was, my demeanour and attitude, and most importantly, how an entire inhabited planet with a diverse ecosystem and one sapient race could exist with so little magic available. Just by Earth and humanity existing, a few magical theories had to be scrapped or altered. More than once, I read the line ‘alternate dimension’ and ‘alien planet’. I bet they’d love to speak to me at length, even if I couldn’t give them any more information than I had already revealed.

The portal also came under heavy scrutiny. Its very existence became the focus for the magical community to invest their time and effort, with some ponies voicing mild criticism for shutting it down, seeing as there was so much that humanity and the inhabitants of Equus could learn from each other. Twilight in particular received some flak because of that decision, which caused Celestia and Luna to intervene by releasing a statement stating that knowledge should not be levied with the cost of lives. That the portal had claimed one of their most famous wizards in Star Swirl the Bearded, along with several other ponies, had been central to the monarchy’s decision. Criticism on that front quickly died down.

The ponies had… mixed feelings about me, to say the least. Some of the negativity aimed towards me was because I was a complete unknown to them. Some even postulated that, seeing that I had appeared after Tirek’s defeat, I was one of his lackeys. Hopefully I would be able to change their perception of me, which meant interacting with them in various ways. It would take time, but I was willing to invest as much as needed to be accepted.

Luckily for me, the sceptics were vastly outnumbered. Judging by the reactions in the newspapers, I could tell that the majority of the population was actually progressive towards the idea of an alien living amongst them. Conducting interviews with the common pony to a few nobles, from shopkeepers to farmers, most of them regarded me with mostly interest and curiosity, pointing out that minotaurs and griffons had been included in their society for centuries. Reading this made me feel welcome, almost like hospitality and friendliness were exceptionally important to ponies in general. I doubted aliens would have received a similar welcome on Earth. Then again, their reception would be judged on their manner of arrival. I came here wounded and unconscious, so perhaps they pitied me?

The paper also ran interviews with some ponies who had delivered flowers and cards to the castle after they had heard me scream that fateful night. Although they didn’t know who it was back then, their opinion hadn’t changed at all. Some even said that they would do it again in a heartbeat if given the chance. I had a hard time believing it was true, yet in each interview I read ponies saying almost the same.

I knew that there were a few negative elements that saw me as perhaps dangerous or disruptive. However, no matter who you were, you always had your share of detractors. Instead, I would focus on mingling with those who saw my presence in a positive light. With so many wishing me luck, and with the support of six local hero mares, one dragon, and two literal goddesses, I felt as if things were finally going my way for a change.

***

The day had finally come. Five days after the interview, today was the first time I would be leaving the castle and going to Ponyville to start my integration in Equestria’s society. I was in my room, storing my clothes and necessities into my backpack. The pack had survived the portal and saltwater just fine. Sometimes, quality really mattered.

While stuffing the last of my clothes into the backpack, I took a moment to see if I had forgotten anything. Spotting my multi-tool sitting on the nightstand, I decided it might come in handy, so I stuffed it into a small pocket on the pack. My cell phone, although not being switched on since the night I couldn’t sleep, only had a quarter of the battery drained, and there was no way I would leave it here. It also went into my pack.

Looking through the dresser and clothes cabinet, I made a final check to see if I had missed anything. All that was left were my sunglasses. Seeing that today was sunny, I hung them from the neck of my shirt. With my backpack full, I placed it on the bed and slumped down with a sigh.

‘This is it. Today is the day I leave.’ The very thought of stepping outside, away from these granite walls that had insulated me from the stares and direct scrutiny of this world’s population, was nerve-wracking.

There was a light knock on the door before Twilight stepped in. “Will you be ready soon?”

“Yeah, just got done packing,” I replied, patting my pack. I leaned forward and rested my hands over my face, taking a deep breath. “I’m nervous, though. I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

Twilight chuckled and hopped onto the bed, sitting next to me. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I know ponies will stare, but they’ll just be curious.”

“I know they’ll stare, it’s just… I don’t know, maybe the anticipation? There’ll be a lot of ponies between the castle and the train station.”

That was one of my first tests that Celestia, Luna, and Twilight had devised. We weren’t going to use a flying chariot to get to Ponyville, instead taking the train, which meant I had to walk all the way from the castle to the train station. It was a distance of about two kilometres, with plenty of houses on the way straight through the local marketplace, and hundreds of ponies. It might be a rough start, and I equated it to throwing a kid into water to teach him how to swim. Normally it wasn’t recommended, but in my case it was better to jump in rather than crawl.

Twilight patted my back with her wing, even giving it a slight squeeze. Their wings are far more prehensile than they appeared. “I know they’ll stare. Believe me, they gave me a few looks when I became an alicorn. It’ll pass in time. In a few weeks, nopony will even look at you twice.”

I turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Really.” The sarcasm was almost palpable.

“Okay, okay, maybe they’ll look three or four times,” she replied with a short laugh. “My point is, when ponies get used to you, they’ll be more comfortable having you around. I know there are a few… stories going around, like the cow incident. You’ll just have to ignore it and push on.”

“And that’s what I’m supposed to learn in Ponyville.”

“Exactly. It’ll be hard work—you’ll have to study hard, interact with various ponies of different ages, and even participate in our daily routines, which means helping around with some work, learning about how we do things, and most important of all, socializing.”

She made it sound so easy, just listing it like that. I had a sneaky feeling that things would not be as straightforward as she wanted it to sound.

“Now.” Twilight jumped off the bed and landed on all fours. “Everypony is waiting downstairs. We really ought to go to reach the train on time.”

I nodded slowly as I stood up, grabbed my backpack, and slung it over my shoulder. “I’ve got everything I need. Let’s go.”

Together, we left the room and made our way down to the entrance hall where Twilight’s friends, Celestia, and Luna waited for us. By the time we rounded the last corner, we saw them all standing there, their things packed and ready. Approaching them, the group became aware of our presence and turned to us.

“Magnus, there you are. I hope you didn’t forget anything,” Celestia said as Luna and her walked to meet us.

“Nope, I got it all. All clothes that I own, as well as the toiletries I borrowed from the room. I hope you don’t mind.” My backpack wasn’t exactly loaded, though. In fact, I had space for more if I needed it.

Celestia nodded approvingly. “Good. As Twilight is a princess, she may travel wherever she requires without a ticket. This also goes for her friends and that includes you.”

“Free travel, eh? Being royalty has its perks, huh?” I grinned at Twilight, who smiled sheepishly.

“Actually, I prefer paying for my tickets,” she responded with a short laugh. “But I have to agree that sometimes it is convenient.”

“It is,” Luna nodded solemnly, “and today you are in luck. The guards have reported that there are only a few journalists in the city today. I believe you will find the walk to the train station to be somewhat unhindered. I do believe, however, that you may attract some attention.”

I nodded in resignation. “Yeah, that goes without saying. I’ll manage… somehow.”

Luna took a moment to study me, especially my eyes. I didn’t know what she was looking for, but I felt as though she could sense the discomfort that dominated me.

After a few seconds, she nodded. “If you’d prefer, we can send some of the guards to escort you.”

I shook my head lightly. “I’ve got to get used to it sometime. Today is as good as any. One day I hope to walk the city without scaring ponies or attracting attention.”

Both Celestia and Luna smiled approvingly. “Your attitude is admirable. I almost expected a bit more… protest,” Luna admitted. In truth, I would have preferred the escort, but this was similar to taking off a bandage—ripping it off quickly to lessen the pain.

“Before you leave,” Celestia interjected. “If you want to contact us for any reason, simply speak with Spike. With his dragon fire, he can send us letters that will reach us at a moment's notice.”

I looked to Spike, who had disappeared from Celestia’s side. Instead, he now stood next to Rarity, looking at her as if…

‘Well, look at Prince Charming over there. Seems like this interspecies dating thing is approved by everyone. Wonder how old he and Rarity are? She doesn’t seem to really notice him, though.’

I nodded to Celestia. “I’ll remember that.”

“Today is also the first day of the new week. At the end of the week, we will visit Ponyville to observe with our own eyes how you well you have progressed,” Luna added. “Mayor Mare of Ponyville has already received a letter from us which details the reason for your stay. I am sure that you will meet her during your time spent in Ponyville.”

It sounded like there was a welcoming party awaiting me. It wasn’t exactly something I looked forward to, but as long as there wasn’t a huge banner and an orchestra, I’d bit my lip and power on. Hopefully Murphy ’s Law didn’t apply here, but that bastard could show up at a moment's notice.

Now that I thought about it, he might be in league with Discord.

“Now then, I believe you must leave if you are to catch the train in time,” Celestia said as she stepped closer to me. “Remember, be patient, watch and learn, ask when in doubt, and do not be afraid to talk with ponies. You never know what you might learn from a stranger.” Just by the smile on her face, I knew she was onto something. She hadn’t been wrong so far.

I returned her smile. “I will. Thank you, both of you.” I said as I looked from one to the other, nodding to them.

I slowly turned around, facing the rest of the group. They stood there, watching me expectantly. They didn’t say a word, waiting for me to take the first step. I took it.

I stepped towards them, the giant wooden gate looming behind, manned by four guards. Just beyond that door there was a world waiting for me, a world that I didn’t know but was about to learn to be a part of. God, it scared me more than I wanted to admit. Still, I couldn’t stay in the castle forever. I had to go outside if I ever wanted a life for myself.

Without knowing it, one of the ponies had walked up to me. I only became aware of her presence when she suddenly spoke. “Nothin’ to be afraid of, Sugarcube. Just a few more steps and you’re outside.” I looked to my left, spotting Applejack standing next to me with a smile on her freckled face.

“AJ’s right, big guy! Just walk out there and be awesome, just like me!” I glanced at Rainbow Dash, who was hovering close to me. With a confident grin, she pointed a hoof at the door. “Or you can run; that works too. Race you to the train station!” She took off like a bullet, but came to a screeching halt at the closed doors. “Come on, open the doors! We gotta go!” She told the guards, glaring at the doors as though they had committed a cardinal offense against her.

Stirred into action, the doors were cracked open by the guards, allowing a thin ray of light to enter the entrance hall. I narrowed my eyes instinctively against it, though it didn’t take more than a few seconds to get adjusted.

“Come on! Just a hop, skip, and a jump! Woohoo!” Pinkie just about yelled in my ear. Somehow, she had managed to climb my back without me noticing. Maybe it was my nervousness that had distracted me.

Fluttershy and Rarity also trotted up to me, and by the look on their faces, I knew they had something similar to say. Holding up my hand to forestall their spiel, I looked to the princesses, chuckling wryly. “It seems I have a gang of cheerleaders urging me on.”

“That you do,” Celestia replied with a smile. “Now, off you go.”

I gave the two sisters as confident nod, turned around, and began walking. It took only three steps for me to stop and look behind. “Two weeks, right?”

“Just two weeks, Magnus, and then you will return to Canterlot,” Luna assured me.

“Okay, just making sure.”

I waved goodbye to the alicorn sisters and began walking again. By now, Pinkie had clambered down my shoulders and joined the others, and together we all stepped outside of the castle, with Twilight leading the way and Spike on her back. The first thing I spotted was a cobblestone-paved courtyard that stretched towards a gatehouse. As with the rest of the castle grounds, the courtyard was flanked by rows of flowers and decorative bushes as well as statues of ponies, these ones adorned with armour. When we came to the gatehouse, I paused for a moment while we were in the shade and looked out at the city I was about to cross into. There were ponies everywhere: stallions, mares, the young and old.

Taking a deep breath, I began walking again, stepping out of the shadows. Most ponies were preoccupied with their own activities, so no one had noticed us yet, but that was about to change. As we came closer to the houses, the number of ponies increased. A mare stepped out of the closest house, which seemed to be a store of some kind, a small paper bag in her mouth. She chanced a glance in our direction, her eyes first falling on Twilight. The beginning of a smile appeared on the mare's face as she spotted the royal alicorn, but it faded the instant she saw me. I expected a scream, but it never came. Instead, she simply gawked at me, the expression more aligned with curiosity than fear. The way her eyes never left me, it was as if she was transfixed by my appearance, but at least it didn’t seem to be hostile. I did my best to act as if nothing was wrong, our gazes meeting for the briefest of seconds before I averted my eyes. It was only as we passed and I exhaled heavily did I realize how long I had been holding my breath.

“So far, so good. That went rather well, don’t you think?” Rarity commented from my right, sounding rather positive about my first encounter with an ordinary pony. I didn’t respond, far more preoccupied with the large number of ponies ahead that hadn’t yet noticed me.

“Look, Mommy! Look at the strange minotaur!” the high-pitched voice of a child called out over the sound of the bustling street. It only took a second before I saw several heads turn my way and a collective gasp emanate from the busy street as every pony came to a complete halt.

“It’s the alien! The human is here!” someone called out as an eerie silence settled over the entire street, its inhabitants all focusing their gazes on me.

Our little group slowed to a crawl. It felt like the very air was loaded, and all that was needed was a single spark for it to explode. Someone screaming, a panicked shout, a warning to flee would all do just fine.

Sweat poured down my brow as the seconds ticked by, neither of our two groups willing to make the first move. “Twiiiliiight, we’ve gotta move. About to shit myself heeereee,” I whispered through clenched teeth. Rarity, standing next to me, backed away slightly.

Twilight spared a glance backwards at me. “We have to be careful to avoid instigating any panic, Magnus. They know who you are, but they aren’t familiar with you. We have to tread carefully.”

I groaned. “Okay, what should we do?”

“We’ll continue on as we planned. Just smile, be polite, and we should get to the train station without incident.”

In other words, act as though nothing was wrong. Brilliant.

Twilight took the lead again, with the rest of our group following close behind her. As we approached the crowd, the assembled ponies parted, giving us a wide berth. Though I expected as much, it didn’t stop the pang of isolation coursing through my body.

As we continued, increasing numbers of ponies approached from the side streets, large crowds forming at each intersection. Pegasi took to the skies, either hovering above or landing on rooftops for a better view. From the storefront windows and balconies, curious eyes followed our procession. Foals scampered to hide behind their parents, their eyes wide as they stared. There was a constant buzz of ponies whispering and talking to each other, and from the din of the crowd, I could discern individual voices.

“It’s the human!”

“He looks so strange, so tall.”

“So that is what a hybrid looks like. I expected him to look more like a pony.”

“Why is he with Princess Twilight? Is he moving to Ponyville?”

One thing I was grateful for was, while they were content to converse amongst themselves, not one pony aimed any of their comments directly at me. I was fine with that. At regular intervals, I attempted to greet the ponies, hoping for a positive response. I made sure to smile as I delivered every ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’, pretending as though I was in my comfort zone. Almost no ponies returned my greeting, though I heard some mumbling from a few.

Twilight’s and her friends’ reaction to the crowd was varied. Fluttershy, shy and timid as she was, looked as if she was about to faint due to all the staring ponies. Rainbow Dash appeared to relish the attention as she flew around confidently, even performing a few low altitude somersaults. Pinkie continued to jump around, giggling up a storm and waving at the ponies, several of whom hesitantly returned the gesture. Applejack didn’t seem to mind them as much, but Rarity continued to mutter something about being inappropriately attired to receive such a crowd, even as she fussed with her mane.

Applejack eyed the crowd. “Sure’s a lively crowd. Guess you’re making a big impression on them.”

“Not as much as they do to me,” I replied, keeping my voice calm and steady.

“Hey, give it a few days and they’ll come around,” Rainbow said confidently as she hovered close by. It seemed that was a mantra they were determined to keep going.

“Hey! You know what would make ponies like you?” Pinkie hollered in my ear. She had clambered onto my back again and was swinging from my neck like a tie, almost making me fall over. Accordingly, some ponies gasped at her bold move. Over the last few days, I was confident in my hypothesis that Pinkie had no understanding of the concept personal space. “A party, that’s what! Music, games, lots of good cake and food, and BAM! You aren't scary anymore!”

“Pinkie! Magnus isn’t scary at all. He’s just new here,” Twilight chided the pink pony, looking over at me apologetically.

“Really?” Pinkie asked, sounding surprised as she peered at the ponies all around us. “They look a bit scared.”

“That’s quite enough of that. I’m no jungle gym.” I grabbed a hold of her midsection with both arms and placed her on the ground. Surprisingly, she wasn’t that heavy.

“Aww, but you’re fun to climb, and you’re so tall too! I could see the edge of the world up there!” Her eyes grew wider, and she actually pouted at me. I quickly looked away. Even though ponies might look like plushies, I wasn’t about to let a mini-horse guilt-trip me.

There was a literal throng of ponies filling the long main street as we progressed to the train station. I no longer bothered to greet any of the gawkers, tired of not receiving any response. Now there were several photographers in the crowd as well, snapping pictures of us. I had a sneaky suspicion that there would be new photographs of me adorning tomorrow’s newspapers.

Instead of focusing on the press and nonresponsive ponies, I diverted my attention to the architecture of the city, an opportunity I had only been afforded from a distance. Nearly every building was constructed out of stone, with the occasional dwelling made of brick or wood. Most buildings had splashes of colour that helped give them some semblance of individuality. What also impressed me was how clean the streets were. In contrast to back home, there wasn’t a sight of litter anywhere, and most properties seemed well-maintained.

We arrived at the marketplace, which contained even more ponies milling about. Vendors, who moments earlier had been hawking the quality of their goods, fell silent as we passed through the open square. It was also the moment I saw my first non-ponies.

To the side of the market buildings, there was an outdoors cafe that we neared close enough that I could lay a hand on the railing surrounding the seating area. At one table sat a griffon, a minotaur, and a diamond dog, each of them with a meal before them. Their meals were not, however, on their minds. When we walked past them, they almost choked on their food. While I knew very well that it was rude to stare, I couldn’t help myself. I was simply captivated by their alien appearance. The irony was not lost on me.

The griffon was the one closest to me. It was a male, that much I could discern. Somewhat larger and longer than a pony and possessing heftier wings, he bore a ferocious countenance. The powerful beak and sharp talons were dead giveaways that this was a predator, not to mention the eyes themselves. Cats and eagles had perfect vision, and just by the way his eyes locked onto me, I knew that his weren’t any different. His feline half was light brown, his feathers white with a hint of dark brown at the tips while the feathers on his head were a bit grey. I wondered if it meant that he was perhaps older. Strange as it seemed, the feathers on his head were styled, giving him a windswept look. He also wore an ornate black and white cloth collar around his neck, resembling a miniature tuxedo, along with a crimson sash slung across his chest along with a monocle over one eye. The moment he saw me, the glass he held in his talons fell to the floor and shattered. The look of utter surprise on his avian face was impossible to miss.

The second non-pony was the diamond dog, and up close he looked less like a werewolf than I had initially assumed. The fact that he resembled an anthropomorphic white retriever played a large part. In fact, due to me associating retrievers as family dogs, he came across as a pleasant and mellow character. On the edge of his nose balanced a pair of round glasses, his torso covered by a black vest with silver trimming. He also wore a gem-studded collar around his neck. Long white hair flowed down his neck and shoulders, and of all possible choices of styling one’s hair, he had chosen a mullet. Similar to the diamond dogs I had observed from the tower, his hind legs were rather short compared to his forearms, which were muscular and ended in a pair of meaty paws. His reaction to me wasn’t as visceral as the griffon’s; his head tilted from side to side as he studied me with the curiosity of a puppy. The familiar canine reaction brought a brief smile to my face.

The last one was the minotaur, and he was a hefty guy. Even while hunched over in a chair that was obviously not built for someone of his dimensions, he towered above everyone else. A mountain of muscle and bone, he showed little reaction when he spotted me. With his massive arms crossed over his chest, one of his brows arched ever so slightly. His fur was light grey, with two black horns protruding from his head gleaming wickedly. The only piece of clothing he wore was a white tie with grey stripes, and around his neck hung a large golden medallion. It appeared as though clothes weren’t compulsory among the non-pony species, much like the ponies themselves. The minotaur didn’t seem curious about me—rather, I got the distinct impression that he was measuring me, almost like a bull sizing up a matador.

We quickly moved on, and after a few moments of walking, Twilight slowed her pace so that I caught up with her. “Those were the diplomats of the Granite Mountains, Griffonia, and Minoa,” she whispered. “The griffon’s name is Gerhard Graymantle. The diamond dog is Atlas, a relative of the king of the diamond dogs. The minotaur was Diligent Ambition, son of a governor of Minoa. I heard about them when I was Princess Celestia's student.”

Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the trio had once more returned to their conversation, although the minotaur still had his piercing gaze fixated on me. “What are they like? I mean, the diamond dog looked like an okay guy, but that minotaur…”

Twilight sighed. “Diligent Ambition is… well, very opinionated. He doesn't like radical changes. In fact, he actually wrote a short article in the Canterlot Times, openly criticizing Princess Luna due to her once being Nightmare Moon.”

“What?” the girls chorused behind us, sounding very surprised.

“Why?” Fluttershy asked, sounding almost offended that someone didn’t like the princess.

Twilight frowned. “Like I said, he doesn’t like changes. Perhaps he felt as if Minoa was threatened because Nightmare Moon existed.”

In my mind, that almost made sense. If the world was thrown into eternal night, growing food would be almost impossible, leading to widespread starvation. Few things motivated people more than food shortages. However, if he didn’t like changes, I could certainly bet that I was on his shit list.

“What of the other two back there?” I asked.

The frown on Twilight's face disappeared. “Gerhard Greymantle has been a diplomat his entire life. He’s been in Equestria for over thirty years and is a personal friend of Celestia. He’s actually very nice once you get to know him. Atlas, or as he prefer to be called, Lord Atlas of the Blizzard Mountain Den, is a distant relative of King Bolivar of the Granite Mountains. He’s been a diplomat for just a few years, but he’s got a reputation for being highly respected in his homeland. As the representative of the Granite Mountains in Equestria, he’s also responsible for the four diamond dog dens in Equestria.”

“I remember those ruffians,” Rarity said, annoyance lacing her voice. “Why, those hooligans forced me to dig for gems and expected me to haul a heavy cart. The yoke they forced me to wear was dirty, gave me blisters, and it was at least one hundred years out of style.”

“What do you mean?” It seemed as though Rarity had been on the receiving end of some unpleasant diamond dog hospitality.

The alabaster unicorn huffed in annoyance. “I was captured by them many moons ago. They had observed me locating gems with a particular spell I know. They intended for me to be their own personal gem finder. Luckily, my precious Spikey-Wikey was with me and alerted the girls to my plight, and together they rescued me.” With that last sentence, Rarity shot a grateful smile at Spike.

“Aw shucks, it was nothing.” I was surprised that his scales did nothing to hide his blushing.

“What you didn’t know is what happened afterwards,” Twilight interjected, garnering the group’s attention. “When Princess Celestia heard what happened to you, she met with Lord Atlas and demanded an explanation. He was unaware of the incident, but I heard that he later went to the den and spoke with the three leaders. If anything like that happens again, they will be charged with abduction and slavery and be sent to prison.”

As we continued, it became obvious that word had gotten around that I was out and about. There were literally crowds waiting for us at every street and intersection we traversed. Fortunately, my uneasiness concerning the crowds had subsided. Nothing untoward had been attempted, and I doubted anyone would try anything.

When we finally reached the train station, the train had already arrived, a line of ponies boarding. The orderly queue quickly fell apart as we were spotted. As usual, ponies gawked at me as we quickly made to board. The train and its carriages were as colourful as I expected. The engine itself was painted pink with swirly lines while the passenger cars were light brown with their roofs painted in the colours of the rainbow. It reminded me of a little girl's toy train.

The conductor stood at the train steps, checking the tickets of boarding ponies. However, our arrival had caused the line to come to a complete halt. Checking his pocket watch, the bushy moustached earth pony frowned and called out. “Keep the line going, everypony. We have a schedule to stick to!” That was the impetus to get the ponies on their way again.

When Twilight got to him, the conductor bowed to her. “Princess Twilight, welcome aboard. Are you going to Ponyville?”

She nodded back at him. “Yes, along with my friends.” She looked behind her, nodding at us.

“I understand. Please board and find your seats.”

Twilight and Spike went in first, followed by Pinkie and Fluttershy. When I stepped onto the train, the conductor barely spared me a glance. However, he did issue a warning. “Watch your head, sir. The doors might be a bit low for you.” His casual attitude surprised me.

“Thanks for the advice.” I ducked my head as I entered the car. The interior was quite roomy, with three rows of double-sided seats on each side. Three large windows on each flank ensured the sunlight streamed inside, while the lamps hanging on the walls would undoubtedly provide illumination at night. Following Twilight, we found available seats at the end of the car. However, they were clearly made for ponies in mind, thus I took up almost an entire seat. With limited space, Spike and I had to share a seat as he was the smallest of us. Ponies slowly streamed past us as they searched for their own seats, glancing at me.

“Some ponies just lack manners,” Rarity commented pointedly as one mare couldn’t seem to take her eyes off me.

Rainbow Dash stood up in her seat and directed a critical eye at the mare in question. “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

“Rainbow! Ponies are just curious. We knew this would happen,” Twilight chided.

Rainbow just huffed and sat down. “Doesn’t mean they should stare. One look and keep walking, that’s all I’m saying.”

I didn’t want to get involved in their debate, so I kept looking out the window. Fortunately, my seat faced away from the city, giving me a view of the lands below. It also allowed me to avoid meeting the gazes of the ponies who would continue to find me interesting.

After some time spent gazing out the window, everyone had finally found their seats and the conductor blew his whistle. With a jerking motion, the train slowly began moving, and it didn’t take long before I felt that we were on our way downhill. After thirty minutes had passed and we had entered and exited through several tunnels, I felt the ground level out. I was greeted by vast green plains all around us—we had successfully reached the bottom of the mountain. The train slowly accelerated, not at the speeds I was accustomed to on Earth, but it still beat walking. Looking out the window, I saw the mountain that Canterlot was built upon. It looked like an enormous stalagmite that had grown out of the ground, with a few waterfalls making their way down from the peak and the city itself. The city, and Canterlot Castle itself, appeared to have been built on a large plateau with parts of the castle hanging precariously over the edge. It was at least a few hundred meters from the castle to the base of the mountain. The architect behind the castle must have been whacked out of his mind.

After my eyes had their curiosity sated, I leaned back onto the seat and exhaled. Now I had larger issues to concern myself with, such as the imminent prospect of residing in Ponyville. Though somewhat apprehensive, pangs of anticipation rang through my body. After all, it was the beginning of a new life.

Author's Notes:

Well, this took a bit longer than I wanted. Better late than never, right?

I struggled for a long time with this chapter. Christmas came and went, and even though I got some writing done, I never got as much done as I wanted to. At times progress came to a snails pace. One sentence per day. Complete stop. Then, a few weeks back things just... flowed out of me. It still continues with my current chapter. Hope this'll last for a few months at least.

Finally we came to the part that I know many of you have looked forward: Magnus has left the castle! I hope that the upcoming chapters will take less time and perhaps be shorter than some of the walls of text I've posted earlier. Shorter chapters, frequent updates.

And in case you didn't know, I have a new editor. JBL is editing all my chapters now, new and old. I was a bit hesitant when he approached me, offering to be my editor, but I'm glad I took the chance. He is a word sorcerer. Check out the previous chapters, I guarantee you it will be a new reading experience.

Chapter 33 - Welcome to Ponyville (Edited by JBL 04.25.2017)

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The train chugged its way through the verdant rolling fields and hills of central Equestria as the ponies around me continued chatting with each other. At the moment, Rarity was waxing enthusiastically about the possibility of opening a boutique in Canterlot. Apparently it was something she had been planning for some time now.

I participated in their conversation and asked a few questions occasionally, but I had never been a fan of small talk. I kept myself busy, mostly by taking in the scenery as it passed by. Farms dotting the landscape in the distance, and a few times the train ran across a bridge or past a small stream. Even with the noise of the train, this part of Equestria seemed idyllic and pure.

“Hey, Magnus,” Twilight said, garnering my attention. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Are you nervous?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, but also a bit excited.” I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arm and stretching out my legs. It wasn’t a problem since most ponies curled up on their seats if they had one by themselves, or as in this case, sat on their rumps with their hind legs flat on the bench. “It’s a new place, full of ponies I don’t know. I really don’t know what to expect from them.”

Twilight smiled. “You’ll be okay. Ponyville is a friendly town. Plus, you won’t be the first stranger to pass by. There’s a zebra living in the Everfree Forest, and we’ve had a minotaur and a griffon who visited as well.”

“Speaking of the Everfree Forest,” Applejack chimed in, “there are timberwolves, manticores, cockatrices, ursa minors, parasprites, even Discord.” She chuckled. “Trust me, Sugarcube, you won’t be the strangest character we’ve had in Ponyville.”

“That’s a bit unfair,” Fluttershy added in what I had come to dub ‘her usual demure tone of voice’. “Some ponies call Discord strange, and while it’s true that he sometimes causes, um, chaos, he’s really sweet once you get to know him.”

‘And she had to bring him up now that I had forgotten about him. Dammit.’ That chaotic entity had somehow ended up settling in Ponyville, right where I was headed. Celestia and Luna had talked about him, but they had failed to mention what he looked like. In my mind, I had created what I would call a fairly good representation of a chaos spirit: start with some Lovecraftian whispers in the deepest recesses of the human mind where only madness existed, sprinkle a little bit of Warhammer 40K chaos onto it, and BAM! Discord.

Or I could simply wait and see what kind of creature he was, or ask Twilight. It didn’t matter—I would probably run into him soon enough. I had a strange feeling that I would know who he was the moment I saw him.

It was then that I noticed a pair of inquisitive eyes staring at me from the other end of the car. A little filly peeked over the bench at me, ducking for cover when I looked straight at her. She wasn’t gone for long, though, as she moments later couldn’t resist taking another peek. It was actually adorable the way she would duck and slowly reappear, those huge, innocent eyes peering at me while resting her hooves on the top of the backrest. While pretending not to see her, I started making funny faces to see if I could draw a reaction from her, at first going unnoticed by my traveling companions. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the little filly looking at me, obviously confused at first, but it didn’t take long before she started giggling each time I made a face. A mare that sat next to the filly—most likely her mother—took notice of her daughter’s laughter, and looked around to see what amused her so. I quickly assumed a bored façade, but the moment she looked away, I made a face which again caused the filly to burst into giggles.

While puffing out my cheeks, Pinkie burst into laughter. “You look like one of Fluttershy’s squirrels! They stuff their mouths until their cheeks are all puffy!”

The rest of the group all turned to me, catching my cheeks deflating. Looking at me with inquisitive eyes, they soon started chuckling alongside Pinkie.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked with a giggle, to which I nodded towards the filly. I made another silly face, and on cue, the filly began giggling once more. My little act made Twilight smile. “See? You’re not scary. You can make children laugh.”

I made a final silly face, which the mother caught sight of. At first she appeared to be horrified, but when she realized I was the source of her daughter's mirth, her expression faded and she did something I did not expect: smile.

I returned the expression. “Yeah, guess I jumped to conclusions.”

***

“We will arrive in Ponyville in five minutes. Please ensure that all your belongings are accounted for,” the conductor announced as he wandered through the car. Ponies began to gather their things. Most of the passengers only carried saddlebags which they had stuffed underneath their seats. My backpack had rested safely at my hooves for the duration of the ride.

“How long did that take?” I asked as I hefted my pack onto my lap. “Felt like it took forever.” Although Ponyville was somewhere around twenty-five kilometres from Canterlot, we hadn’t travelled in a straight line. We had made several brief stops near some farms, where a few locals had loaded cargo onto the train.

“About two hours,” Twilight replied as she picked up her own saddlebags.

‘Huh, it felt way longer for some reason.’

The train began to slow as we came out of a curve. I looked out the window and spotted the town and its train station just a few hundred meters away. It looked quite small from this distance. Most of the houses appeared to be constructed out of wood and painted in bright colours, a clock tower protruding from amongst the many roofs. Towering above all was a shimmering spire that reflected sunlight, which had to be Twilight’s castle. From a distance, it looked like a tree made of glass. I felt a shiver of excitement and trepidation run down my spine.

The train finally came to a stop at the station. As expected, there were ponies waiting on the platform. Picking up our luggage, we made our way to the door and exited. Twilight was the first to step outside. I hung back, steeling myself for what awaited me.

Finally taking that first step into a new town, I was met by the sight of perhaps thirty ponies in all, some of whom carried luggage, meaning they were waiting to board. What idle small talk I heard instantly transformed into utter silence the moment they saw me exit the train. As had become customary, they simply gawked at me before bursting into a flurry of whispers.

“The human is here?”

“Why did it come?”

“Perhaps it’ll stay with Princess Twilight?”

“Maybe that’s why Mayor Mare is here.”

Applejack nudged my leg. “Come along, Sugarcube, ain’t nothing to be ‘fraid of.” She then set her eyes on the crowd, frowning at them. “Y’all have nothin’ better to do that just look at him? Shame on you!” Applejack’s abrasive tone jolted the small crowd into action, with most of the ponies starting to board while some platform workers began loading and unloading cargo.

“The nerve of some ponies,” Applejack muttered under her breath.

“Now now, Applejack, they are simply curious. I do remember a certain mare that also couldn’t keep her eyes off Magnus when she first saw him,” Rarity commented with a titter.

“You were no better,” Applejack replied with a smirk.

While Applejack and Rarity continued their little verbal tit-for-tat, I looked around for where Twilight and Spike had gotten to. I spotted the pair speaking to an earth pony mare. She had a very light brown coat and two-toned grey hair and tail. She wore glasses and had a white and green collar around her neck. The mare’s eyes shifted from Twilight to me and back again.

Applejack nudged me and nodded to the mare. “That there is Mayor Mare. Why don’t you be neighbourly and go introduce yourself?” Seeing that she was someone of importance and had recently been in touch with Celestia and Luna, and probably had all manner of dealings with Twilight, I figured that Applejack’s suggestion had merit.

I walked towards the two mares, the rest of the group in tow. Twilight turned to us as we approached and did the introductions. “Magnus, this is Mayor Mare, the Mayor of Ponyville.” Her somewhat concerned expression worried me a bit. After all, she was suddenly saddled with hosting an alien in her town. Who needed that kind of stress? “Mayor Mare, this is Magnus Powell, the one Princess Celestia and Princess Luna mentioned in their letter.”

I crouched down so that I was at approximately eye level with the mayor and held out my hand. The mayor hesitated for a second before gently wrapping her foreleg around my hand and shaking gently. “Welcome to Ponyville, Mister Powell. We’ve eagerly been expecting you.”

“We?”

“All of Ponyville,” the mayor replied. This time she smiled, although it appeared slightly forced. “Just this morning I held a town meeting, explaining to the citizens of our town that you will be staying with us for two weeks. I thought it would be a good idea to give the Ponyvillians a fair warning that they will be seeing you wandering our streets. I hope that you’ll enjoy your stay in our fair town.”

“Thank you, I’m sure I’ll like it here.” I stood up and looked around. Other than the passengers and the ponies working the station, there wasn’t a crowd as I had expected. For once, I was happy I was wrong.

We started making our way into town proper, encountering a few curious ponies along the way. As expected, they came to a sudden stop when they noticed me, whispering soon ensuing. I knew that would happen, so I didn’t pay them much attention. The train station wasn’t far from the town itself, and we quickly came to the first houses. They were as colourful as I remembered looking through the telescope back in Canterlot. Every single house in sight was made of wood with thatched roofs. Surrounding each house was a small garden, with some homes possessing flower boxes on their second storey windows. While walking fairly close to a house, I took notice of the height of the entranceway and quickly came to the conclusion that I would have to do a lot of bending to enter any normal Equestrian house or store. Whatever place I decided to live in would have to be custom-made for me, or for someone my height. Outside the houses, there were ponies doing everyday chores, such as hanging up laundry, tending to the flowerbeds, with even one pony mowing the lawn with an old fashioned mower, the type you had to push.

After crossing a small bridge, we arrived at the town square, which the houses were arranged around, in the middle of which stood a tall, round, wooden building, much larger than any other house. Also present was a plethora of ponies. Market stalls were set up everywhere along with carts, tents, baskets, and open crates of produce, their owners selling their wares. Ponies of all types walked around, some standing in lines at stalls. We quickly drew their attention, and with a collective gasp, the buzz of whispers and conversation filled the town square.

From the other end of the town square, I heard someone yell, “The horror!” twice, and as quickly as it came, the voice became silent. I internally recoiled at that, the slur striking me harder than I would have thought possible. I could accept being called a creature because, technically, I was a creature of some kind, as were ponies. But horror? My earlier excitement faded slightly. I knew this would happen. Perhaps in the eyes of some ponies, I was nothing but an abomination.

I frowned as I looked in the direction the jeer had emanated. 'Let them think that. I know better. You and those like you aren’t going to get to me.'

We continued our walk through town square, heading straight towards the large building. Vendors and their customers left their stalls and began crowding around us, shooting careful glances my way. Mayor Mare and Twilight walked up the steps while I remained at the bottom with the rest of our group. The crowd gathered around us, keeping their distance from me.

Mayor Mare cleared her throat, garnering everyone's attention. “Fillies and gentlecolts, ponies of Ponyville. Earlier today, I told you all that we would have a very special guest visiting our fair town.” She then looked to me with a smile. “And he has just arrived on the train along with Princess Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. Our very own Princess Twilight would like to say a few words.” The mayor stepped aside, giving way to Twilight. The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves.

“Thank you, Mayor Mare,” Twilight said politely and cleared her throat, looking at the expectant ponies gathered before her. “As Mayor Mare mentioned, Magnus, the human from Earth, will be staying in Ponyville for two weeks, and during this time, he will residing with Spike and myself in the castle. He is here to learn from us, our ways, how we live, work, interact with each other, as well as our customs. During the first week, Magnus will spend one day each with my friends, during which we will all teach him various things. At the end of this week, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will visit Ponyville to see how much Magnus has progressed. I’m sure that Magnus will have gained a lot of knowledge by then.”

The crowd once again stomped their hooves at the mention of the elder alicorns. They must really be adored if even the mention of their names could incite such an exultant reaction.

“As for the second week, we haven’t really planned anything yet. We will probably figure something out by then. Don’t be surprised if you see Magnus going for a walk, or perhaps visiting the market. I’m confident there’s much in Ponyville he wants to see.” Twilight set her eyes on me and smiled, eliciting an immediate feeling of apprehension bubbling from within me. “Magnus, why don’t you come up here so that you can introduce yourself to everypony. Maybe you have a few words to say?”

‘A speech. In public. In front of at least a hundred ponies? Murphy is here!’

While Twilight’s friends excitedly cheered me on along with several other ponies, who probably wanted to hear the alien speak, I rapidly shook my head while hissing my refusal through clenched teeth. There was no way in hell I was going to improvise a speech. I had never done it before and I sure as hell wasn’t about to do it now.

More and more ponies joined in on the cheering, and while it was nice to hear that a few ponies didn’t appear be afraid of me, Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked, seeming bemused at my insistence at not speaking.

I leaned down so she could hear me. “I don’t like crowds, and I especially don’t like giving a speech in front of a crowd.”

Twilight heard me and focused her attention on the crowd again. “I’m sorry, everypony, but it appears Magnus is a bit shy. Maybe some other time then.”

The crowd let out a disappointed ‘aww’, though I quickly dismissed Twilight’s suggestion, confident I would never do it.

“In any case,” Twilight continued, “you’ll see Magnus every single day from here on out as he becomes acclimatized to Equestria. He has much to learn from us, and even though it may take some time, I’m sure he’ll be able to find his place among us. Wish him good luck!” The crowd let out a loud cheer along with stomping their hooves, the ground actually shaking from the impact. It was a pleasant change of pace compared to my earlier encounters with ponies. While the Ponyville ponies had gawked as well, it seemed to me as if they had quickly come on board with my presence. Mayor Mare’s warning earlier in the day might have contributed to it.

With the speech concluded, Twilight came down and joined us, and together we moved on. “Where are we going?” I asked as the crowd dispersed, resuming their routine. Some ponies simply couldn’t keep their eyes off me, most noticeably a trio of fillies attempting to hide behind a cart filled with apples.

“My castle. I’m sure you want to get settled in after the train ride. We can also have lunch if you’re hungry.”

“Sounds like a good idea. I haven’t had anything since breakfast,” I answered.

“Food sounds mighty fine, but Ah think Ah’ll head back to Sweet Apple Acres. There’s always something that needs doing, and Ah missed Granny’s cooking,” Applejack interjected as she headed down a street that presumably led out of town. “Ah’ll see ya’ll later tonight, right?”

“Oh, you betcha,” Pinkie replied, sounding excited. “It’s at seven tonight!” She turned to the rest of us. “Seven sharp! I have so much to do! Bye!” With those parting words, Pinkie sped away faster than the laws of physics should allow her to do, leaving a puff of dust behind.

While scratching my head, I wondered if a lifetime spent in Equestria would ever make me able to understand that pink pony. She seemed to be capable of doing things that shouldn’t be possible. The rest of the group smiled to each other knowingly, causing me to frown in consternation.

“Well, I believe I shall return to my boutique. Our stay in Canterlot has left me with some ideas I would like to get down on paper.” Rarity levitated her luggage. “Sweetie Belle usually comes home for lunch at this hour, so I need to prepare a small meal for the two of us. See you tonight. Ta-ta.” Rarity cantered away, several suitcases floating behind her. I didn’t even know unicorns could levitate multiple objects at once. I wondered how difficult it would be to do something like that. I should try it with pebbles.

Rainbow hovered next to us, looking up at the sky. “No clouds in sight; think I might head home for a nap. Sounds like we’re all gonna stay up late tonight.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes before looking back to us. “Probably Sugarcube Corner, right, Twi?”

Twilight giggled. “Pinkie didn’t say where, so I guess so.”

“Awesome! Catch you later!” Rainbow pumped her wings once before catching herself. “Oh yeah, Magnus, welcome to Ponyville. Make yourself at home.” She grinned before flying away towards the outskirts of town.

Since we were heading to the castle to unpack our stuff, Fluttershy joined us on our way, informing me that she didn’t live that far away from the crystal structure. Being a pegasus, she could easily fly there. I did notice that she spent most of her time on the ground, in direct contrast to Rainbow Dash.

“I hope my animal friends are okay,” she murmured while we walked, sounding rather worried. Then again, in the short time I had known her, I had come to assume that was her normal state. “Perhaps I should have returned earlier…”

“Didn’t you have someone to watch over your critters?” Spike asked. He had dismounted Twilight, preferring to walk.

“I did… I asked Discord. He’s done it before, but not for this long. I hope nothing’s happened to them.”

I had to suppress the urge to laugh. Having a chaos god take care of animals? From what I had been told of Discord, he didn’t sound like a likely candidate. No, I had the distinct feeling that the last time Fluttershy saw her animals was probably the last time she would ever see them.

We slowly approached the crystal castle, its location a bit away from the centre of town. It stood relatively far away from nearby houses, probably built there to avoid blocking out the sun from its neighbours. From a distance, it appeared unreal, like a solid block of crystal that had been slowly and perfectly shaped into an architectural masterpiece which had a barely visible rainbow aura surrounding it. Flags and stars decorated the castle, while details in gold gave it a flair of muted style. However, the colours of the crystal tree were impressive. Starting at its base, it had a dark blue coloration, the tints becoming lighter the higher the structure went. At the centre it was sky blue, but at the top it was almost the same colour as Twilight’s fur. Its shape—that of a tree—must have been carefully carved over a long period of time.

Thoroughly impressed, I whistled at the sight. “That must have cost a fortune to build.”

“Actually, it was free. Sort of. It grew from a box.” I looked over to Twilight, my mouth flattening as I awaited further clarification. She noticed and added, “It’s true. After my friends and I defeated Tirek, this castle grew from a crystal box.”

I nodded. It wasn’t the strangest thing I had heard so far. “Must have been one giant box of cereal then.”

“It was a crystal box, about the size of Spike,” Twilight replied, not even hesitating at the outrageous claim. I would have accused her of messing with me, or using her magic to play with the laws of physics, but I never got that far as a rather strange sight came into view.

From a road to our right came a bizarre creature sprinting towards us. It was not a pony, or any other creature I had seen so far during my stay. I actually had a bit of a problem telling what exactly this new entity was. It appeared serpentine in form, not like a dragon, but more like an actual snake. It even had a pair of wings on its back, though oddly they were not the same. One wing had feathers while the other looked leathery like a bat’s. The more I stared, the more misshapen body parts I noticed on the creature. One of its hands was an eagle's talon while the other looked like a large feline’s paw. One of its hind legs was a hoof; the other had claws. The creature had horns as well, those belonging to a goat and deer respectively. It had a long, scaly tail, but the rest of its body was covered in dark brown and grey fur. It even had a white goatee and bushy white eyebrows. Even with such short legs compared to the rest of its body, it towered over everyone, including me. Despite that, it looked comical as it lumbered over to us.

“Fluttershy, oh Fluttershy, thank goodness!” The voice was male and sounded relieved at the sight of our group. The pegasus smiled at him and happily called a name.

“Discord!”

My blood froze. He was here. The Spirit of Chaos was coming for us. For me. It was over. The greatest threat this land—no, this world—had ever encountered was here. There was no way I could avoid him, not when I was something strange to this land. Any moment now, I would be plunged into chaos.

In short, Discord wasn’t Fhtagn.

He decelerated and came to a halt before us. He didn’t even spare me a glance, instead focusing on Fluttershy. “I’m so glad that you’ve decided to come home, instead of gallivanting around in Canterlot, drinking tea that costs ten bits a cup and eating the cake that somehow escaped Celestia’s ravenous hunger. Your critters are in an uproar! Angel Bunny leads them, and frankly, I think they do not like me.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she gasped. “What happened? Did you forget to feed them?”

“Of course I fed them. I even followed your list: fish for the carnivores, seeds for the birds, and vegetables and fruits for the rest.” Discord crossed his arms, sounding offended. “It’s not my fault that your precious bunny can’t catch a bundle of carrots flying around your cottage.”

“Discord.” Fluttershy sighed, sounding like she was about to reprimand a child. “Angel doesn’t chase carrots. No bunnies chase carrots. You were supposed to give them to him on a plate along with some vegetables.”

“I tried; Celestia knows I tried several times. He merely kicked it away and demanded I make an outrageous dish consisting of oranges, cucumber, and pineapple with a dollop of whipped cream and one, exactly one, cherry on top. Do I look like a chef?” And with that, a chef's uniform, complete with apron and a hat, appeared on his body, a whisk and bowl gripped in his talon. There was no sign of magic, only a very brief flash of light.

Discord looked at his hands, noticed the kitchen utensil that had appeared, and threw them away unceremoniously while the clothes he wore vanished as abruptly as they had appeared. The chaotic spirit let out a rather ominous chuckle. “I then decided that if Angel refused to eat the food he was provided, then I would have him work for it.” He then proceeded to cover his face and held out his arm in a dramatic fashion. “Then they rebelled against me. Me, their provider. I, who gave them shelter, who protected them, who made them exercise by turning all the floors into treadmills.”

This was such an over-the-top act that no one could possibly take him seriously. Judging by the deadpan looks on everyone else’s faces, they had experienced his quirky behaviour before. His spiel over, he lowered his arms and grinned. “In short, your house is now Cottage Land, and Angel is the dictator. For life, or until you decide to come home.”

Some of the apprehension I had began to fade in the presence of the Spirit of Chaos. I had certainly come with preconceived notions about a creature that could turn the world into a twisted and demented version of Wonderland. But this? Flying carrots and floors turned into treadmills? The princesses had told me that the former villain had turned over a new leaf, but how extreme had his reformation actually been? What had he done in the past? What kind of character had he been when he conquered Equestria?

I shook my head slightly, which was all it took to garner Discord’s attention. His head snapped to me, his yellow and red eyes widened, and his grin faded into a display of mild confusion.

‘Shit! His vision is based on movement! Be a statue, be a statue, stay still for the love of God!’

I froze yet again and held my breath. Hopefully he would think his eyes had played tricks on him. That hope was dashed when he took a step towards me, looming like a kid eyeing an ant. His eyes roamed over me while he idly stroked his goatee with his feline paw.

“Fluttershy, what is this?” he asked, waving his paw and almost slapping me in the face.

“Discord, I want you to meet our new friend. His name is Magnus and he’s a human. He came to Equestria almost a month ago, and he’s been staying with the princesses in Canterlot.” Fluttershy then turned to me. “Magnus, this is our friend Discord.”

I didn’t move, instead opting to wait for the spirit to act first. With one arm on his back and the other stroking his goatee, he walked around me like a cat stalking its prey.

“A human? I’ve never heard of a human before. Neither have I heard of a Magnus.” After completing a full circuit, he stopped, eyeballing me from head to toe. I noticed his eyes lingered on my horn for a moment, then on my hooves.

“That’s because Magnus isn’t from Equestria, or this world for that matter,” Twilight stated patiently. Hearing that, Discord looked to the alicorn princess.

“That demands an explanation.”

“Well, Magnus is from another planet, possibly even a different dimension.”

“Ah, a dimension hopper! I haven’t seen one in… well, eons.” Discord grinned gleefully. “How delightful! Things were starting to get a bit boring around here. Perhaps you can spruce things up. Now, let’s take a closer look.”

Before I could react, Discord’s talons moved to my ear. I felt a slight itch in my ear for a second before he pulled back his arm, this time holding a scroll. He unravelled it. That broke my silence.

“What? How? You did… What?!” He pulled that out of my ear? I clasped my ear, shoving my finger inside to get rid of the itch. “How? What?” I shouted.

“He does things like that from time to time,” Twilight explained. “You’ll get used to him.”

“Utter and complete bullshit!” I retorted in disbelief.

“Such a foul language. Have you no manners? There are mares present.” Discord shook his head in mock disappointment. “Let’s see what you are.”

His eyes went down the scroll as he read aloud. “Father’s line: human. Mother’s line: human and unicorn?” His head snapped back to me as he smiled proudly. “You’re a hybrid!? This is fantastic!”

“How do you know that?!” I attempted to grab the scroll from him, but he simply held it over his head, out of my reach. “What is that?”

“A personnel file. Mine.”

“What’s so fantastic about hybrids?” Twilight asked. Discord replied by bodily lifting her up to his face and grinning.

“Because they are one being that came from two species.” He pointed a talon at me. “A horn that shouldn’t be there, hooves that shouldn’t be there, fur that shouldn’t be there—you get the point.” He gestured grandly at me. “You are a symbol. You are something exceedingly rare. You are… nature showing everypony that chaos can and will occur naturally, even with living, thinking, beings. It’s… poetically beautiful.”

I had given up trying to steal the scroll. Instead, I glared daggers at him. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

Discord dropped Twilight to the ground and slithered, actually slithered, around me like a snake, holding me tightly in his coils. “You see, little hybrid, I have a reputation that is somewhat tarnished. Perhaps the benevolent alicorn sisters have mentioned me?”

“Hng, they may have,” I grunted, struggling against my restraints.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Trying to take over Equestria, breaking out of my stone imprisonment—here’s a tip: avoid being turned to stone—it does a number on your spine—turning ponies into opposites of what they are, haha, it’s hilarious.” He released me and stood up straight. A paw was draped over his face as he sighed mournfully. “Alas, Celestia and Luna didn’t like my work. They turned me into stone and put me on display in their gardens. Now I am reformed and have promised to use my powers for good.” A sly smile appeared on his face. “But now you’ve shown up.” His smirk grew even larger as he stepped closer to me. “And I can’t let this chance go to waste.”

I instinctively took a step back, though it was all for naught. He snapped his talons and a bright flash of light blinded me. When I was able to see clearly once again, I quickly recognized that we were in the throne room that had hosted my trial. Celestia was seated, seemingly perplexed at my sudden appearance.

“Discord? Magnus?” she asked, sounding as confused as she looked. I glanced over my shoulder, noticing Discord behind me. He held his talon and paw under my arms, hefting me up in Celestia’s face like a doll. There were several guards as well as a group of ponies standing behind us, whispering amongst themselves. Had we just interrupted court? How did we get here? Weren’t we just in Ponyville?

“See, Celestia? Chaos can occur naturally. Look, a hybrid,” Discord announced cheerfully, shaking me like a kid with a toy. “He‘s mine now and you can’t have him.” He finished by blowing a raspberry at her, and in another flash of light we were gone.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in Ponyville, standing before Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy, with Discord beside me. My stomach lurched and my head spun. Did we just teleport?

“What... the actual fu— I didn’t even get the chance to finish as Discord placed his paw over my mouth.

“Now now, little brother, there are mares present. Fluttershy especially doesn’t like bad language. But not to worry, I can teach you how to improve your verbal library.”

I jerked my head towards the spirit, glaring at him and his stupid crooked smile. “What? Brother? What the fu— get your paw off my face!” I nearly fell over as I scrambled to get away from him, finding safety behind Twilight and Fluttershy. Hopefully Fluttershy could keep a leash on him.

“Discord, what are you talking about?” Twilight asked sharply, taking a step towards him, not looking amused at all. “What do you mean by hybrids and chaos? Are you implying that Magnus can use your type of magic?”

Discord crossed his arms. “Of course not, my dear Twilight. I have monopoly on chaos around here, and I am not willing to share. What I meant is that hybrids like my little brother here reminds me very much of myself. Look at my body, an absolutely delightful shape.” He flexed his mismatched arms and legs like a bodybuilder. What actually happened was that his arms and legs, even his tail, instantly became dotted with a variety of patterns: polka dots, stripes, even a few that looked like children's drawings. “You may not like it, but this is what peak chaos is supposed to look like. Now, look at Magnus.” Discord vanished and appeared behind me in the blink of an eye. Before I could protest, I once more found myself being hoisted into the air by his magic. I noticed that unlike unicorns, his magic did not seem to have an aura at all. Caught in his magic, I was turned this way and that like a showpiece. “Hooves instead of feet, a horn instead of a bare forehead, a moderate increase in fur. He has body parts that he never had before. Just a little bit of chaos on the outside, and it is delightful. A tiny bit like me, wouldn’t you say? ” He grinned and clapped his hands like an excited child. “There’s also something else inside you, but I won’t spoil the surprise. You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”

Unceremoniously, he dropped me onto the ground. At least he had the decency to make a huge pillow appear underneath me. Unfortunately, the pillow was stuffed with whoopee cushions.

I got off the pillow, dusted myself off, and pointed a threatening finger towards Discord. Any lingering fear had been washed away by the anger surging in my veins. He wasn’t some vengeful god, just a prankster, a joker, someone who did what he wanted just because he could. Just another common bully with rich parents and an army of lawyers. “Manhandle me one more time and I swear to God that I’ll—”

“You’ll do what?” Discord replied with a grin, grabbing me in a headlock. He then proceeded to give me a noogie. “Beat me up? Take my lunch money? Tattle to mommy? Don’t forget little brother, I am the big brother now and this is what big brothers do.”

“You are no brother of mine,” I growled at him, attempting to break free. “You. Are. Not!”

With a final pull, I managed to get free from his grip and gain some distance from him. While he merely observed me with an amused smile, I clenched my hands so tightly that my knuckles popped. I wanted to bare down on him, strike him down, pound his face in with my hands until that one crooked fang of his popped out of his mouth. It never came to that.

“Enough, you two!” Twilight shouted as she stood up on her hind legs and placed her forelegs on my chest, keeping me from moving forward. Fluttershy similarly flittered in front of Discord, her hooves on his chest, keeping him from doing anything. That grin of his faltered when he saw Fluttershy look at him disapprovingly.

After making sure I wasn’t about to charge Discord, Twilight released me and stood on all fours, looking at us. “You are not about to fight each other. Discord, I expected you to be more courteous towards Magnus. He’s here to learn, not be intimidated and feel threatened by you. And you,” she turned her gaze to me, “will calm down.” She paused for a moment to ensure her message had gotten through. “Now, we will go to the castle for lunch, and you, Discord, will go with Fluttershy and help her with her animals. Do you understand?”

I took several deep breaths, gradually relaxing my hands and arms. “I understand.”

“As do I,” Discord said solemnly.

“Good.” Twilight inhaled and exhaled several times while extending her foreleg. “Spike, Magnus, let’s go.”

Fluttershy and the Spirit of Annoyance made their way in the direction Discord had galloped from. “Goodbye, see you all later,” Fluttershy called to us.

“Later?” Discord asked her. “Is there to be a—” Fluttershy quickly held a hoof over his mouth. She nodded and whispered something into his ear. Discord’s grin was proof enough for me that something unpleasant was in the works for my future.

After watching them leave, I followed Twilight and Spike towards the castle, my anger dissipating. “I’m sorry about Discord,” Twilight said, opening the doors to the castle. “I should have prepared you better.”

I stepped inside, glancing at Twilight’s apologetic face. “You have nothing to apologize for. Discord should apologize for being a pain in the butt. How can you stand him?”

“Time and lots of patience. Still, he does have a good side, despite his behaviour.”

“With what he can do, he probably threw that side in the trash.”

We found ourselves standing in the entrance hall of the castle. Similar to the exterior, the inside was also made of purple crystal. To the left and right were several halls that presumably led further within the castle, with doors leading to rooms at regular intervals. A grand staircase led to the upper floors. There were tapestries decorating the walls, as well as crystal pillars, with green-tinted crystal windows allowing light to fill the halls with daylight.

In my opinion, this castle looked great, but perhaps a bit… too gaudy. Still, I was merely a guest, not an interior decorator, and I was thankful for Twilight letting me stay.

“Home at last.” Twilight took a deep breath, visibly relaxing at being home. “Spike, could you start making lunch for us? I think there should be something left in the ice box.”

“Sure, I’ll whip something up for us.” Spike scampered away down one of the numerous hallways.

“In the meantime, I’ll show you to your room.”

I followed Twilight through the halls and up the stairs, all while taking in the architecture. All this had come from a small box? Well, she had been there and I was not. I had no other choice but to believe her. Magic must have been responsible for this place. However, I noticed something missing here that I saw plenty of in Canterlot.

“Don’t you have guards? And maids? It must take forever to mop the floors around here.”

Twilight merely smiled. “I thought the same thing when I moved in here, but I spent some time researching a few spells to keep the place clean. It’s not really an issue anymore—we just do light dusting from time to time and mop the floors every few weeks. As for the guards? Well, Princess Celestia offered to have a barracks constructed near the castle, but I’m not sure I want fifty guards living so close to me. I like my privacy. Maybe one day I’ll say yes, but until then I’m quite comfortable with just Spike and I living here.”

After turning a few corners, Twilight opened a door and beckoned me inside. Upon entering, I found myself standing in a bedroom. It wasn’t as spacious and luxurious as the one I had in Canterlot, but it felt more homely. There was a single bed, unfortunately not built to accommodate my size. There was also a dresser with a mirror above it, a single bookcase, a few shelves, a single chair and desk, and a nightstand next to the bed. The far wall had one large window, allowing daylight to flood the room.

“Here we are, your home for the next two weeks.”

I whistled as I walked in. “Nice. I could fit my entire living room inside here.”

“Don’t humans build homes that fit them?” Twilight asked.

“Some do, but my grandfather built his house on a budget and small parcel of land. When he moved out of town, he gave the house to me. For just one man, it was a decent bachelor pad.”

I dropped my backpack on the bed, and rested my hands on my hips, looking at the small bed. “A bit small for me, but I’m sure I can make it work. I can even sleep on the floor, no problem. Got a sleeping bag?”

“Oh, right. I can fix that.” Twilight trotted over to me and pointed her horn at the bed. Her horn glowing, she directed a beam of some sort at the bed, which began to increase in size until it was more than large enough to accommodate me. She powered down her horn and took a look at her handiwork. “That should do it.”

With my mouth hanging open, I looked at the bed, then at Twilight. She had just increased the size of the bed by almost three times and didn’t even break a sweat! “You gotta teach me that. When the time comes that I find someplace of my own, I might need to increase the size of a few things.”

“Just a normal size enhancing spell. This one will hold for at least a few days until I need to cast it again.” She then looked around the room. “Anything else I need to adjust for your size?”

I followed her gaze. “No, everything looks okay to me.”

“Okay then, I’ll let you unpack and rest. I’ll come tell you when lunch is ready. If you need to use the bathroom, it’s down the hall, last door on the left.” She smiled as she closed the door.

Looking around, I exhaled deeply. Alone at last. A ten minute nap sounded great just about now. I removed my backpack from the bed and dropped it next to the dresser, seeing that I could unpack later. However, the window drew my attention. Walking over to it, I almost had a bird's eye view of Ponyville. The town was much larger than I imagined. Houses and small farms stretched on for much farther than I had seen from Canterlot. There was even a cloud at the edge of town with rainbow waterfalls falling from it. Perhaps it was a recreation facility, like… a park? For pegasi? That sounded reasonable. I imagined there were at least a couple hundred ponies living here. They milled about in the streets, going wherever they wanted. A few of them even saw me and eagerly waved to me. I waved back, noticing that this town felt a bit more relaxed than busy Canterlot. Maybe Ponyville could be a place to settle down one day?

Moving away from the window, I walked over to the bed when I heard the sound of someone knocking on glass. I turned around, expecting a pegasus at the window, but there was none in sight. Once more the knock came, but this time I pinpointed where it came from, namely the dresser. I walked over to investigate and had laid my hands on the top drawer when a familiar and annoying face shot out of the mirror. I let out a yelp as I fell backwards, landing on my ass on the crystal floor.

“Getting familiar with Equestria yet, little brother?” Discord asked with a smirk, half of his body hanging out of the mirror and his elbow resting on the dresser.

I sat up and rubbed my aching butt. “Go suck a fat one, Discord.”

***

Twilight entered the kitchen where Spike was already at work preparing lunch. With his apron on, he was busy chopping vegetables.

“What are we having?” Twilight asked.

“Thought we’d go for vegetable soup. It’ll go well with the garlic bread I found in the fridge,” Spike replied as he scooped up a clawful of carrots, depositing them into the steaming water.

“Need some help?”

“Nah, I got it.”

“Well, at least I can get the bowls and spoons ready.” She turned to the cabinet when she noticed a rolled scroll on the table, instantly recognizing the Royal Seal of the Sun. “Spike, when did this come?”

Spike looked over his shoulder. “A few minutes ago.”

Twilight unraveled the scroll and began reading:

Dear Twilight,
I just saw Discord appear in court with Magnus. He declared that Magnus belonged to him before disappearing again. Do you have any idea what Discord is referring to?
Always your friend,
Celestia

Twilight quickly got out her quill and parchment. From Discord’s words, she only knew one thing to say.

Dear Princess Celestia,
This may sound unbelievable, but I think Discord has adopted Magnus as his brother of some sort. Strange as it sounds, Discord seems to believe that hybrids are chaotic, and that Magnus somehow reminds him of himself. At the moment, I don’t think that Discord is plotting anything, but nevertheless, I will keep an eye on the two.
Your faithful student and fellow princess,
Twilight

***

Despite Discord’s being an asshat, I managed to squeeze in a power nap. Although he found it funny to simply hang out in the mirror, he was eventually forced to help Fluttershy. Somehow, she found out he was trying to escape his responsibilities and had given him a stern talking to.

As promised, Twilight woke me some time later and together we went down for lunch. I never imagined Spike for a cook, but he made a pretty decent soup for us. Combined with some garlic bread, it served as a hearty lunch.

“My compliments to the chef.” I nodded to Spike as I carried the empty bowl over to the sink and turned on the water.

“Thank you,” he responded proudly, emptying his own bowl. I took his utensils and placed them alongside mine in the sink. “Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll do them later.”

“Nah, the least I can do is the dishes. I think I got a bit spoiled in Canterlot.”

“That tends to happen,” he replied with a laugh. “The soap is under the sink.”

While I began my task, Twilight walked over with her bowl and placed it in the sudsy water. “You know, you are a guest here.”

I looked over to her and placed a clean bowl on the drying rack. “And guests help sometimes.” My reply was all Twilight needed to hear and she walked back to her chair.

As I continued my task, a thought popped into my head. “I didn’t know you could cook, Spike. Where did you learn?”

“Mom,” he answered, “and some I learned by observing and reading. I had to learn because sometimes Twilight became so obsessed when studying that she forgot to eat. It kind of fell on me to feed her when we lived in Canterlot.”

Twilight blushed. “Okay, okay, I know that sometimes I went a bit overboard.”

It seemed I was spot on about Twilight being a studious one. Still, forgetting to eat? That was a new one. Then again, I had never been an academic type.

“Wait.” I turned around, facing Spike. “Your mom? In Canterlot? I can’t remember seeing any fully grown dragons there.” I scratched my head. How could I have missed a dragon? Maybe a dragon could live inside the mountain?

“He’s talking about our mom,” Twilight said. “Her name is Twilight Velvet, and our father is named Night Light.”

My head scratching continued.

“Our parents are ponies.”

“Oh, I see. You’re adopted?”

Spike nodded and belched a tiny green flame, which Twilight did not approve of, judging by the look she shot him.

“Sorry, Twilight. Yeah, I am. See, Twilight hatched me from an egg during her entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was raised in Canterlot Castle by Princess Celestia and Twilight during the first year, and when I turned just over a year old, I moved into Twilight’s parents’ place,” Spike explained, patting his belly.

“Oh, I understand now. A few things just didn’t add up to begin with.” I drained the water and dried my hands using the dish towel, then walked back to the table and sat down. “Is it normal for ponies to adopt non-ponies?”

“It’s good to see you show interest towards our society.” Twilight smiled approvingly. “To answer your question, no, it's not, but it happens from time to time. Most non-pony children are usually sent back to their homelands, as they usually have family there to raise them. If no family can be found, a pony family can adopt them. But Spike is an unusual case.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Because I might just be the first dragon adopted by ponies,” Spike answered as he got off his chair, walked over to the food cabinet, and came back with a bowl full of coloured glass. He licked his lips as he selected a piece of glass and then, to my utter surprise, crushed it with his small teeth, chewing and swallowing. I cringed, imagining the razor-sharp shards digging into my gums and cutting my throat. Spike noticed my look. “What? It’s just dessert.”

“Doesn’t that hurt?” I asked while pointing at a clear piece of glass the size of a marble he held in his claws, holding back a grimace.

Spike just looked at the piece of glass, then to me, and shook his head. “Nope, it’s delicious. Want one?” He offered his bowl to me.

“No thanks, glass isn’t on my diet.”

“It’s not glass,” Spike replied. He wrapped his long tongue around the shard and drew it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing. “That was a diamond. And these are rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and turquoise.” He pointed out each individual gem.

Spike emptied his bowl in just a minute while I simply stared in disbelief at him. He even licked his lips afterwards. It was only Twilight’s voice that managed to rouse me from my incessant gawking.

“Magnus, if you want, we can go sightseeing later. I can give you a tour of the castle now, if you want to.”

I nodded slowly. “Sure, I’d like to see more of this place.” I stood up and followed Twilight while Spike went to do his own stuff, a thought drifting into my mind.

‘Food expenses must be through the roof around here.’

***

Twilight gave me a tour of her castle as promised. While it was smaller than Canterlot Castle, it felt more homely due to the decorations her friends had provided. Although the crystals looked cold to the touch, the temperature of the interior always felt just right, probably because of magic provided by Twilight or the castle itself.

It became clear to me that Twilight hadn’t lived here for long. Some of the rooms were vacant, though Twilight explained that she had plans for them. A few rooms she’d designated as her own laboratory and for her studies. She also showed me her throne room, though instead of one throne, there were six high-backed crystal seats and a smaller one. Each of them had a cutie mark on them, symbolizing Twilight and her friends’ places. She explained that this was where she met with her friends whenever there were friendship problems to be solved. Apparently, a magical table rose from the floor whenever a problem occurred. When I asked for the definition of a ‘friendship problem’, Twilight explained it as anything that could cause two or more ponies to lose or endanger their friendship to each other. At those times, the table would ‘choose’ someone in her circle of friends to go find the ponies and assist them.

Once again, it became clear to me that ponies seriously valued friendship, more so than humans. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why. Friendships came and went, and although some lasted, ponies seemed to take it to the extreme. I wondered why.

Finally, we reached the last room that was Twilight’s pride and joy: the library, a large circular room with a lofted ceiling filled with bookshelves that reached a few meters upwards. There were reading tables conveniently placed around the room while banners with a tree motif made as decoration up on the walls. It seemed simple, yet elegant for her, as I had already understood Twilight was somewhat of a bookworm.

Twilight smiled as she looked around the immaculate library, breathing in the scent of old books hanging heavily in the air. “My favourite room in the castle. Here you can come whenever you want to and read and research whatever you find interesting. I can imagine you may want to find some answers during your stay. If you want to know anything, you can most likely find the answers here or simply ask me.”

I whistled impressively as I looked around. “Nice collection. Bet it took some time to find all of these.” I wandered over to one of the shelves and looked at some of the titles on the books spines. There was Herbology for Beginners, The History of Zebrica, The Art of Flying, 101 Steps to Become a Painter, and several others that were meant to be both educational and informative. I already knew I would be spending some time here.

While perusing the book selection, Twilight walked next to me and cleared her throat. I noticed the curious expression on her face, one I had learned to associate with ‘I have questions’. “I wanted to ask: do humans have books as well?” she asked innocently.

“Oh yeah, books have been around for a long time on Earth already, and when typesetting was invented, it became somewhat of an industry,” I answered, drawing from my knowledge gathered from countless hours spent watching the History Channel, Discovery, Wikipedia, and documentaries. Most days when the headaches were bad enough that I didn’t bother leaving home, I usually laid down on the couch, flipped on the TV, and watched whatever was on. My answer piqued Twilight’s interest, judging from how her smile widened. I then added, “Of course, typesetting is old-fashioned nowadays. There are—Oh, I should have guessed, no words for that exists in Equish.”

“What words?” Twilight asked, looking even more interested.

I scratched my head, wondering how to go about explaining how digital printing methods worked. The Equish language had no interpretation for words such as computer, digital, binary, or any other high-tech inventions that were common back home.

“Okay, this might sounds strange, but imagine a machine that can read letters, but can’t understand them. Then imagine that machine ‘speaking’ to another machine, telling it what to print on paper. That’s basically how modern printing machines work on Earth.”

“Speaking machines?” Twilight gave me a weird look. “Is it some type of invention born of science?”

“Somewhat, I guess. There’s a lot that goes into making such machines, and don’t ask me how it works—we’d be here all day, and I don’t have all the details.” It was true—I could barely use Steam. Changing components in a computer was Latin to me.

I saw that Twilight wanted to ask more, what with her twitching eye, but she forced herself to be satisfied with my answer. How do you explain binary codes, microchips, motherboards, programs, and stuff like that to someone who was unable to grasp the basic concepts, let alone with a massive language barrier?

I moved along the shelves looking for something to read, with Twilight following close by. Finally, she asked, “Is there a particular subject you’re looking for?”

“Magic,” I answered without missing a beat. I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, the subject suddenly just popped into my head.

“Aha, now that I can help you with.” She trotted to the other side of the room and I followed her. She picked out a few books, looking at the titles. “I’ve noticed that you’re interested in magic,” she casually said while pulling out a few more books. “Did you always have an interest in magic?”

“Ever since I was a kid.” I had never asked myself why, but now that I knew a bit more about myself and my heritage, I believe it was the unicorn deep inside me that fought to sate its interest.

Twilight smiled at my answer. “Many fillies and colts that receive a cutie mark that’s related to magic usually have a deep interest in magic from early foalhood.” She finally found a book and held it up to me. “Maybe that’s why you’ve always been interested in magic. Perhaps you’ll get yours one day.”

I wandered over to one of the reading tables, sat down, and opened the book. “Humans don’t get cutie marks. Some people might get a tattoo, like an image, a few words, anything really, but that’s usually to remember or commemorate something or simply because they think it looks cool.” I shrugged and looked at Twilight. “But when it comes to cutie marks, I’d rather not have one.”

Twilight found a book for herself and sat down on the opposite end of the table. “Why not?” she asked while opening the thick book. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that signifies what you’re really good at?”

“You can get good at anything if you’re motivated and spend enough time and effort.”

Twilight thought about my answer before she nodded slowly. “I’m not sure if I agree with your statement, but we can discuss that some other time. Why don’t we relax with a good book before we head out to explore Ponyville?”

“Sounds good to me. I’m so full I’d rather not move around too much now.”

The silence lasted all but a few moments. “I have a proposition.” I looked up at her. She had a few blank scrolls next to her, along with a quill and ink. “From what I’ve heard so far, humanity sounds very interesting, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to hear more.”

Chuckling, I answered, “I figured you to be the studious type. After all, it’s not like it was difficult. I remember how you scared me in the castle gardens. Remember? The scrolls and quills appearing out of nowhere?” I grinned, hoping she would understand that I was teasing her. Judging from her smile, I was successful.

“There’s nothing wrong with pursuing knowledge,” she argued, sticking her tongue out at me. “What I propose is that each evening, when we’ve had dinner, we sit down and talk about Earth and Equus. We ask each other questions back and forth, expanding each other's knowledge.”

I thought about it for a few moments. “I like the idea. Like a questions game: you ask me a question, I ask you a question. Same topics, right?”

“If you’d like,” Twilight replied, smiling eagerly. “Why don’t we start right now?” I held up the book she picked out for me and smiled, her eagerness fading into faint disappointment. “Right. You wanted to read and relax.”

I went back to my book as Twilight stuck her muzzle in her own. I chuckled internally at her inquisitiveness to discover more about Earth. I would gladly tell her, but I would be sure to filter out a few things. I didn’t want to plant strange ideas in her mind, like the Internet, for example. What would ponies put on the Internet anyway? Videos of people hurting themselves didn’t sound like something they’d do. No, there would probably cat videos.

Millions of them.

Chapter 34 - Not Like Home (Edited by JBL)

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I had never been much of a reader, but there have been exceptions such as The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter, as well as a few others. What they all had in common was magic. Honestly, the cover of the book could have a sticker on it that said ‘contains magic’, and it would have immediately caught my eye.

Now that I had a book in front of me that went into detail concerning actual magic, the first uses of magic, as well as its history… Well, I couldn’t stop reading. The fact that I now knew magic was real added another layer, namely reality, to the experience.

The book I was perusing concerned the history of magic as well as the first discovered spells. A warning was printed on the third page, stating that most of what was known of early unicorn society wasn’t entirely accurate, even the magic contained in the book. However, some time before the unification of the three tribes, some sources were considered somewhat valid, which lent some credibility to the book. With the invention of an alphabet and preserved writings found written on ancient scrolls, or engraved on thin wooden boards and carved into stone or metal, ancient history had been preserved.

I found it strange how the first kingdoms came to be in this world, compared to early human civilizations. Some of the oldest kingdoms existed thousands of years before the pyramids of Egypt were built. According to the author, the earliest theorized kingdom, at least among ponykind, was an earth pony dominion whose foundation was at least eight thousand six hundred years ago, according to ancient stone carvings. That beat the Mesopotamian civilization by over three thousand years! Then again, all I had to go by was human history, and I had no idea if humanity developed faster or slower compared to all other races. Still, even though the history of the first ponies was of some interest, the main topic of the book was much more appealing.

Magic had always existed, but it hadn’t been named as such until roughly 8400 years ago at the age of the first unicorn kingdoms, when a group of unicorns built a temple devoted to the study of the power they held. The ‘power’ the unicorns were familiar with was named magic, and the unicorns proclaimed themselves descendants of the gods, as common belief at the time was that only gods could use magic. Further study of magic revealed that the ritual the unicorns used to raise the sun and moon was actually magic being funnelled into the celestial bodies by thousands of unicorns at once. Later on, the belief that unicorns were descendants of gods simply faded as it was discovered that all creatures had magic within them.

As time progressed, an academy was founded and unicorns gathered to teach, learn, study, and develop their powers further. This in turn gave rise to the creation of spells. Some unicorns already knew several spells, but they were loath to teach their secrets to others, preferring to keep their powers to themselves. However, in time, they eventually were revealed. With the founding of the academy, the teaching of spells became commonplace, giving rise to an aristocracy of unicorns with powerful abilities, usually in the form of cutie marks and the boons they provided.

According to the book, the earliest known spell that unicorns learned was telekinesis, which was the ability to manipulate one object or several through magic alone. There was also the first offensive spell ever created, a bolt of magic that struck its target with pure energy. There were several variants created in the centuries to come. A shield spell was later developed to protect oneself from spells.

The development of spells, teaching, learning, creating, and study of magic continued for thousands of years, all the way until the unification of the three tribes, and still carried on to modern day. However, the truly golden age lasted over a thousand years, from 1250 PU (Pre-Unification) until 250 AU (After Unification). This age was referred to as the Pre-Classical era, in which many powerful unicorns lived and taught their craft, the most famous of them being one Star Swirl the Bearded of the Galaxy family.

Even the part about my ancestor I couldn’t skip over, not when I saw how much about his magic had been detailed. Star Swirl had indeed been a legend in his own time. While he had mastered Illusions, offensive, and defensive magic, and problem solving with ease, Star Swirl was best known for being a conjurer, a genius when it came to magic. He mastered every spell he came across and could outperform archwizards at a young age. He was also known for having an analytical mind, as well as being both powerful and resourceful. At the age of thirty-four, he became the youngest archwizard ever of the Golden Horn Guild, a high-ranking society of wizards in Unicornia.

Even though my animosity for Star Swirl hadn’t abated, I couldn’t help but be impressed by his feats. The book had an entire chapter dedicated to that bearded goat, praising him for both his wisdom and power. After reading the entire chapter, I had the distinct feeling that the author probably had a hard-on for Star Swirl’s long dead ass, what with the constant fangirling.

I was about to delve into the secrets of basic spell-casting in the new chapter when someone laid a hoof on my shoulder. Being so engrossed with the book, I didn’t notice anyone was there until Twilight’s face appeared before my own.

“Hellooo? Are you there?” she asked, waving a hoof before my eyes, snapping me back to reality.

“Yeah. Sorry, I was...um...” Laughing slightly, I held the book up to her. “Do you know how awesome this is?” I placed it down and sighed contently. “It’s like… all the things I’ve ever imagined falling into place. I just can’t stop reading.”

Spike picked up the book and looked at the cover. “We noticed. You were even more out of it than Twilight when she’s in her zone,” he commented.

I placed a slip of paper onto the open page as a bookmark before closing it. “It’s different from other books, especially when you know magic is real.” I rolled my head side to side, standing and stretching my legs and arms. “Knowing that it’s real and not fantasy makes it so much more appealing to me. It makes me think of possibilities.”

“And now you’re starting to sound like somepony I know.” Spike eyed Twilight knowledgeably.

She smiled and laughed. “I have to agree, you sound pretty enthusiastic about magic. I wouldn’t bet against you deciding to study magic somewhere.”

I shrugged. Maybe someday I could find someone willing to teach me, but I had my priorities set in stone for the moment: first a job, then someplace to live.

“Anyway, was there something you wanted to talk about, Twilight?” I doubted she would interrupt my reading without reason.

“I was about to suggest we go for a walk around Ponyville so that I can show you around. The sun will set soon, and I thought we could swing by Sugarcube Corner on our way back. What do you say?”

I nodded in agreement. “Sure, I need to stretch my legs anyway.” I didn’t say it, but I also needed to familiarize myself with the town. Although Ponyville wasn’t huge, there were enough roads and houses that one could easily take a wrong turn somewhere.

With Spike on her back, Twilight led the way out of the castle. The moment we stepped outside, I saw that we’d been in the castle for hours already. The sun was about to set, colouring the sky in various shades of red and yellow.

“How long has it been since lunch?” I asked while following Twilight, who seemingly had a destination in mind already.

“About five hours. You seemed pretty engrossed in the book, so I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

‘Huh. Well, it was an interesting book after all.’

I followed Twilight while she told me about the town itself. The streets were emptying, occasionally encountering a few ponies on their way home. Some of them were even polite enough to greet me. While I appreciated their words, I kept wondering if their welcoming nature was true or simply a facade. In the end, I decided I didn’t care. After all, I was merely visiting. It wasn’t like I was looking for real estate anyway.

Twilight guided me around Ponyville, first showing me town hall and the market, which by now was almost empty. Although a princess, Twilight told me that Mayor Mare effectively ran the town, even admitting that being in charge of Ponyville required skills that she didn’t possess. I suppose that being an all-powerful alicorn didn’t mean she succeeded at everything she tried her hand at. Or hoof.

Moving on, we wandered onto the outskirts of town. What I first assumed to be an ordinary forest turned out to be the apple orchard that belonged to Applejack and her family. There were hundreds of trees as far as the eye could see, all of them laden with fruit that would soon be ready for harvesting. According to my guide, Applejack’s family were the first ponies to settle on this land, bequeathed to them by Princess Celestia herself. While looking over the enormous orchard, I wondered what Applejack would teach me while I spent time with her. Knowing that running a farm required hard work, I had no doubt that some manual labour was in my future. It suited me just fine since Canterlot had made me a bit lazy.

Continuing on our trek through town, I spotted something strange on the outskirts—a lone cloud hanging about fifty meters above ground with rainbows pouring from it like waterfalls. It was the same cloud I remembered seeing from my room in Twilight’s castle.

I stopped and squinted at the peculiar sight. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing at the cloud.

“Rainbow’s house,” Spike answered. “Rainbow Dash is the only pony in town to have a cloud house.”

“A cloud house?” I scratched my head in confusion. Sure, I knew about Cloudsdale, and I knew that pegasi constructed houses there, but I imagined something more solid for building materials. “How does that work?”

At this point, Professor Sparkle spoke up. “All pegasi can manipulate clouds, but they can also shape them. They can create thunder clouds, rain clouds, and even make fog, but building houses requires densely packed clouds in order to prevent rain from falling through and isolate against cold, wind, and heat.”

I stared expressionless at the professor. “So… pegasus magic?”

“Basically, yes, passive magic in their case, same as earth ponies.” Twilight chuckled.

I remembered reading about magic in ponies. While earth ponies, pegasi, and bat ponies had something called passive magic, unicorns had active magic, meaning they only used a significant amount of magic when casting. At the same time, all ponies continually used a small amount of magic, whether they wanted to or not. In the case of unicorns, their magic drain was significantly higher. It was the same reason I had suffered for so long, as had my grandfather and possibly my mother.

We moved on, Twilight pointing out various businesses and stores. For such a small town, there was actually a fair bit of them as well, though they lacked the neon signs and obnoxious billboards back home. I noticed that most of the stores specialized in one thing or the other, such as one called Quills and Sofas. That was an odd combination. There was also a store called Barnyards Bargains that was like a miniature supermarket, though with a much sparser selection.

Twilight also showed me Rarity’s store, aptly named the Carousel Boutique. The building had an interesting architectural design, having a cylindrical shape with decorative pillars and sculptures on the outside as well as being very colourful. In my own opinion, the paint job was a bit too garish for my taste.

We didn’t venture inside. Seeing as the lights were off, she was probably not home. Moving on, we once again came to the outskirts of town and walked along a dirt trail. It didn’t take long for us to reach an idyllic location where a cottage in a small clearing with a few trees around it was located. The cottage itself looked more like a tree, what with all the leaves and greenery growing on the roof. Not only that, but the house and the surrounding trees were covered in birdhouses. Out of all the places in Ponyville I had seen so far, this place looked so peaceful and calm that it made me relax almost instantly.

“I’m guessing that Fluttershy lives here,” I told Twilight.

“That’s her place. How did you know?”

I looked at the birdhouses, listening to the various sounds of animals around us. “Just a hunch.”

Seeing that Fluttershy wasn’t home either—along with Discord, lucky me—we decided to head back into town. While walking, I looked up at the sky. Finally the sun had set, its final rays fading from the mountains in the distance. Mere seconds after the sun's rays were gone, the moon rose over the mountains, bathing them in soft light. ‘Idyllic,’ I thought to myself, ‘yet the sisters makes it look so easy. Celestia said they aren’t goddesses, but seeing their powers at work makes me wonder. Maybe they really are goddesses and just said they weren’t to put me at ease.’

We reached the marketplace and walked down a wide street until the most bizarre building I had ever seen came into view, a house that would fit right in in Wonderland. It was a tall three storey building with what looked like gingerbread for roof tiles, candy canes as pillars next to the entrance door, and cake frosting on the roof. The cherry on top was the uppermost floor that looked like a cupcake complete with fake candles.

‘Yup, that’s Diabetes Corner right there,’ I thought to myself in amusement. I had noticed that ponies had some interesting architectural choices popping up now and then. This building took the cake. Literally.

The lights were off for some reason. Maybe it was closed? After all, the sun had set. “Doesn’t look like it’s open anymore,” I said, turning to Twilight. She and Spike looked at me with smiles on their faces.

“Maybe somepony is here? Why don’t you open the door and have a look,” Twilight suggested.

I shrugged, seeing no harm in doing so as I slowly pushed open the door. The entire room was so dark that I could barely make out a few shapes.

“Hello? Are you guys still open?” I called out into the dark.

As soon as I uttered those words, the light was flipped on, ponies jumping out from behind the counter, tables, chairs, and whatever they could find to hide behind. Pinkie leapt from behind the counter, landing in front of me, balancing on her hind legs and smiling as wide as she could while confetti and streamers rained from the ceiling.

“Surprise!” all the ponies cheered.

A loud slam echoed around me, and for several silent seconds, I just stared at the door I had closed, attempting to figure out what the hell had just happened. The room going from dark to bright didn’t surprise me, but the ponies had managed to.

Problem was, if this is what I thought it to be, then I was way out of my comfort zone.

I slowly turned around and stared at the pony and baby dragon standing behind me. Twilight and Spike looked back at me, their smiles gradually shrinking when they saw my own expressionless face.

“What’s going on?” I asked flatly while crossing my arms.

Smiling awkwardly, Twilight said, “A surprise party for you. Pinkie’s been planning this ever since she met you back in Canterlot. She does this for everypony that visits town.”

I stayed silent, contemplating the situation. ‘A surprise party. For me. Oh no... Nonono! Crap! I never asked for this.’

“Do… Do you not like it?” Twilight asked, sounding and looking as if she was on unfamiliar ground. Even Spike looked uncomfortable. “I admit that I don’t know anything about human parties or festivities, but—”

I sighed and held up my hand as I stepped away from the door. “Don’t get me wrong, I do like a party.”

Twilight smiled. “Great! Then we can head inside and—”

“Small parties, Twilight, small. And with people I know.” I nodded towards the door. “There’s no one inside that I really know.”

Twilight gave me a confused look. “But Pinkie arranged this party for you. She’s there, and so is Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Spike and I will also be here. We know you.”

“In my own opinion, not nearly enough to warrant a party, not like the people I know best. And the others in there I’ve never seen before.” I may have sounded harsh, but at least I was honest. As for the party? I disliked large gatherings, to be frank. Whenever I had thrown a get-together, I only invited people I knew well, such as my friends and other people I had known for a long time. Grandfather never had to worry about me filling the house with drunken teens whenever I was young and he went away for the weekend. I had always had a low max limit to how many people I invited, and I liked it that way. Having twenty or thirty people in one house just made everything noisy.

The creaking of the door caught our attention. Pinkie pushed it open and stood in the doorway with a puzzled look on her face. “Did we surprise you? I’m sorry. You shut the door so quickly that I thought we scared you,” she said, looking all innocent.

I knew very well what I was sent to Ponyville to do; learn. However, attending parties was not part of that, as far as I knew. I shook my head. “No, Pinkie, you didn’t scare me. But about the party…” I paused for a moment to carefully collect my thoughts. Poor kid probably went to a lot of trouble to make all this happen. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not coming.”

Pinkie gasped. With how her ears drooped and the miserable look in her eyes, as well as how her mane appeared to lose some of its volume, it was as though I had physically struck her.

“W-Why?” she asked, her voice quivering. “Is it the balloons? Too many? I can remove some if you like. Maybe I can get rid of some of the streamers if you hate streamers too. A-And the cupcakes, cookies, and games. W-We don’t need to eat or drink or listen to music or play fun games if you hate them. We c-can find o-o-other ways to have fun.”

Needless to say, seeing Pinkie Pie on the verge of tears caused shards of guilt to pierce my conscience. She looked like a kid witnessing her favourite toys being destroyed before her very eyes. I had to try to salvage the situation.

I knelt in front of her, looking into her eyes. I even managed a smile. “No, Pinkie, I’m sure the party you’ve prepared is pretty good. The thing is, I don’t need a party. I don’t want a party. I’m perfectly fine without one.”

She looked at me with teary eyes, further inflating my sense of guilt. “But I a-always throw a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party for everypony that visits. Even when Gilda was mean, she came to the party I threw for her.”

“I don’t know who this Gilda is, but let me tell you a little thing about me.” I placed my hands on her withers, giving a very light squeeze, hoping she would interpret it as comforting. This mare needed to hear it all—perhaps then she would understand. “I don’t like big parties, especially the ones where I don’t know anyone.”

“But you know us! Aren’t we f-friends?”

“Knowing someone, or in this case, somepony for less than a week doesn’t make us friends. Maybe that is how it is for you ponies, but for humans like me, making friends takes longer.”

Pinkie looked even more devastated. “We… We aren’t friends?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Acquaintances maybe, but not friends. As I said, it takes longer for people like me.”

The look of saddened disbelief on Pinkie’s face told me that I had made things even worse. Her ears drooped even lower and her mane lost more of its volume, almost like a balloon deflating.

She took a few steps backwards, away from my hands. “Okay.” It was disconcerting how hollow her voice was, when compared to its normal cheeriness. “I… I’ll tell everypony that the party's cancelled. I just… thought we were friends since, you know, you were nice and I gave you hugs to make you feel better when you were sad.” She turned around and walked towards the door. “But I just made a mistake, that’s all.”

A few curious onlookers had gathered at the door, Rainbow and Applejack being two of them. When Pinkie walked in, they immediately noticed her stricken look and began to ask what had happened. I didn’t hear the answer before Pinkie shut the door.

Sighing, I stood up and put my hands in my pockets. I felt bad for saying I didn’t want to come, especially since Pinkie took it as a personal offense, but I would have felt even worse being forced to go to her party. After all, it was only a party. I couldn’t understand why she took this so seriously.

“So… that’s that, I guess.” I looked to Twilight and Spike, both of them seemingly disgruntled. “What? I just told her that I didn’t want a party. I didn’t know she was planning one.”

Sounding unhappy, Twilight merely said that we should wait there and headed inside, leaving Spike and me alone. “Nice. Way to go, Magnus,” the little dragon snarked, crossing his arms.

“What? I just said that I didn’t want a party. Is it against the law to say no?” I was getting genuinely confused by now.

With a sigh, Spike turned to me, giving me the stink eye. “No, Magnus, it’s not against the law. Ponies can say no if they want to. But Pinkie’s been planning this for almost a week. She’s the Element of Laughter and loves making ponies laugh and smile. It’s who she is; it’s even her cutie mark. She throws parties regularly just because she wants to. If somepony’s sad, she’ll go out of her way to cheer them up.”

He huffed as he pointed a claw at me. “Look at you, at what has happened to you lately. You’ve lost just about everything that matters to you. Your friends, your home, your home planet even. You’re stuck here… for life. Anypony would be sad if that happened to them. We’ve all seen you this last week, you know. There’re times when you get this faraway look in your eyes, and we all know that you’re thinking about your home.”

His irritated look faded as he turned towards Sugarcube Corner, his voice losing some of its sting. “Pinkie has seen you too. She knows you’re sad, and she wants to make you feel better. She can’t stand seeing anypony unhappy, so you were like a beacon to her. She knew you needed some cheering up, so she put this party together for you.” With a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped. “And you just told her that you didn’t want a party. You rejected her offer to make you feel a little bit better.” He looked up at me. “So, yeah. But it’s your decision.”

For a long while, I couldn’t do much more than just look at Spike. A baby dragon he was, but hell, he was much older mentally than I could imagine. Heck, he even gave me flashbacks to a few times I had really disappointed my grandpa and got a stern talking to. Not the ‘son, I am angry,’ but the ‘son, I am disappointed’ version. The way Spike explained it made me sound like a Grade A asshole.

“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath. How could this happen just by saying I didn’t need a party? If I knew beforehand, I could have explained it to Pinkie in a way she might have understood. Now she was upset because of me, not to mention all the hard work she had no doubt put into this. The rest of the ponies in there probably knew about it by now, and it would likely turn them against me. The last thing I needed was being known as the alien that made Pinkie Pie cry.

“Spike.” The little dragon turned around and looked up at me. I stared at the door to the store, wondering if this could work. “If I went inside, apologized to Pinkie, and said I wanted to attend her party, would that salvage the situation?”

Spike thought about for a moment, looking at me quizzically. “Are you being honest right now?”

I shook my head lightly. “No, I really don’t want to go, but making the bubbliest mare in town cry will make the rest think I’m some sort of monster.”

“So just pretending, right? Faking it? Lying?” Despite his young age, Spike was good at giving me a disapproving glare.

“Saving what’s left of my reputation which has almost been destroyed after being in Ponyville for less than twelve hours,” I answered calmly.

Spike glared at me for moment, then put his claws under his chin. “Fine, fine. Honestly, I don’t think it’ll work, but you could at least try. Give it some effort, try to have fun, maybe you’ll like the party.”

“I can try…” I walked to the door, trying to come up with a decent apology. A few options came to mind quickly, but I decided that I should just be honest and try to enjoy myself. I doubted I could, what with so many strangers around me.

Knocking loudly on the door, I waited with bated breath for someone to open. It only took a few seconds. An earth pony mare opened the door, looking downright furious when she saw me. She was a bit chubby, had a light blue coat, her light red mane and tail reminding me of cake frosting.

“What do you want?” she asked harshly. I looked behind her; the store was filled with ponies of all types. In their midst stood Pinkie, being comforted by Fluttershy and her friends surrounding her. Most of them didn’t seem happy at my presence, least of all Pinkie’s friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash especially.

I looked down at the mare again. “I want to apologize to Pinkie.” Her glare did not diminish. “Spike explained a few things to me, about Pinkie and what she does around town and for everybody here. Can I talk to her please?”

The mare shot me one final acidic look before glancing over her withers towards Pinkie. She had stopped crying and sat on her rump, wiping away a few tears with her hooves while focusing on me. Fluttershy sat next to her, a wing draped over her back. Standing up, Pinkie walked over to stand next to the mare.

“It’s okay, Mrs Cake, I want to hear what he has to say.” Pinkie attempted a smile, though it was obviously difficult for her to do so.

The chubby mare huffed at me, but smiled warmly as she looked to Pinkie. “Okay, Pinkie, but just say the word and I’ll throw him out.” With that said, she went back to the crowd and stood next to a skinny, yellow, earth pony.

I sat down on the floor right in front of Pinkie and looked into those large blue orbs, searching for the right words. I had never been a good speaker, and with such a crowd gathered, the words didn’t come as easily as I hoped.

“Pinkie,” I began quietly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how much all of this, this party and stuff, means for you. Spike told me that you give everyone a party like this if they’re new to Ponyville.”

She nodded softly and sniffled. “I do. Everypony gets a ‘Welcome-to-Ponyville-Party’. That way they can meet and befriend us if they don’t know anypony already living here. It’s my way of welcoming them.” She added a small smile at her last sentence.

“And that you try to cheer everybody up.”

“I don’t like sadness,” Pinkie replied. A melancholy look passed over her face so quickly that I barely saw it. “When somepony is sad, they’re not happy, and when they aren’t happy, they miss out on smiling, laughing, playing, singing, and so much more.”

Just hearing Pinkie explain it like that, it sounded as if she had been fighting depression sometime in the past. She knew a lot about not being able to smile. “I didn’t know you do all those things,” I explained. “And I certainly didn’t know you planned a party for me. See, I’m one of those types that prefer small parties, the type where I know everyone. If there’re too many people there, I feel uncomfortable, and if I don’t know anyone there, it’s even worse. I had few friends back on Earth—I only had my closest friends—those who were like siblings to me. Of course, I had other friends as well, but they were not as close to me as my ‘siblings’.”

Pinkie continued to stare up at me, her disquiet still evident on her face. “Is… Is that why you said we weren’t friends?” She sniffled. “Just… acquaintances? Because you haven’t spent much time with us?”

I nodded slowly. “For humans, it takes time before we call someone friends. There are some who gain friends easily, but I’m not one of them. For me, it takes time. Even because of everything Celestia and Luna have done for me, I’m not sure if I can call them friends or simply allies.”

“But they helped you,” Pinkie protested quietly.

“Yes, they did, and they’ve helped me a lot. But… things take time. I’m not used to everything in this world yet. It will take a lot of time and effort before I can call this world my new home, and because I’m not quite comfortable around ponies yet, I think it will take time before I can call a pony my friend.”

“You have to try! You can’t be friendless!” Pinkie stated rather fiercely.

I chose to avoid answering Pinkie’s statement. If only she knew how many people went through their entire lives alone back on Earth. With how adamant she was about friends, telling her about it would probably devastate her.

However, our conversation had gotten somewhat off-track. “Now that you know more about me and my reasons for not wanting a party, do you accept my apology?”

I expected some time for her think, for her to wonder if she should accept or reject my apology as all people do. After all, it was only natural. What I didn’t expect was her mane to instantly regain its volume, followed by a strange inflating sound as she grinned as if she’d just received the greatest news of all time.

“Of course I do, Maggy!” she exclaimed animatedly. Giggling, she threw her forelegs around my neck, taking me completely by surprise. “Friends forgive, but we aren’t friends yet, but I know we will be. We’ll just have to work on it.”

Her sudden change of mood left me uncertain of what to say, so instead I chose to pat her back and neck gently. I was glad to see her return to her usual smiling self. While she giggled up a storm, promising that we would indeed be the best of friends and calling me Maggy all the time, I looked to the crowd. They all seemed relieved that the situation had been solved. Even the chubby mare seemed happy with the outcome.

“—and we’ll have picnics and play hide-and-seek and I can teach you how to bake all types of yummy cakes and we’ll decorate them with frosting that says ‘future best friends’ and—Oh, do you know how to make human cakes? I don’t, so you have to teach me and...” Pinkie went on and on, seemingly having already planned out how she and I were supposed to spend our day. With all the activities she had in mind, we would need a few weeks at best.

“Yeah, that sounds great, Pinkie.” I patted her neck again and gave her a slight push backwards, trying to pry her away from me. She got the message and stepped back, her grin still in place.

“Awww,” came the sound of the crowd watching us. They looked genuinely happy that Pinkie and I had reconciled. I was as well, seeing how happy Pinkie was again, but more so, I was relieved that I had dodged a proverbial bullet. If Pinkie became depressed because of me, word would soon spread to the entire town that I was to blame. Making enemies was not what I was here to do.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered before freezing in place. “Wait! The party!” She looked to me, her smile shrinking slightly. “Will you still come to the party?”

More than anything, I wanted to leave, to go somewhere else and relax. I sighed as I looked the ponies waiting for my answer. Pinkie’s friends also looked quizzically at me, wondering what my answer would be. Spike had also entered the store, standing next to Rarity.

“Being here with so many would make me feel uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, I’m not comfortable at all right now.” I turned to Pinkie and sighed again. “But I will at least try.” I allowed myself to crack a small smile.

Even for such a little mare, Pinkie’s gleeful cheering was louder than a foghorn. And twice as adorable.

***

With everything settled, I had to take a look at what Pinkie had managed to put together in such a short amount of time. What she’d whipped up was nothing short of impressive. There was a veritable mountain of food and drink available for all: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, candies even, all decorated with enough frosting and sugar to make Willy Wonka depressed. Knowing that Pinkie worked at this bakery, I now had a pretty good idea of what drove her behaviour. Being around all this sugar all day, I guess that Pinkie’s blood sugar levels must be somewhere around pure sugar and thin cake frosting. As for drinks, she served various fruit juices, punch, soda, and other colourful liquids that smelled quite sweet and aromatic.

When it came to decorations, she had plenty of streamers and confetti just about everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling was a banner that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ in vivid letters. If that wasn’t enough, she had enough balloons around the house that it looked like she was trying to recreate Up. In addition, Pinkie had also set up some games for ponies to play, of which Pin the Tail was rather popular, judging by the amount of ponies that wanted to play.

A steady throb of bass resounded from a corner where a spiky-haired, sunglasses-wearing DJ had set up her turntable and speakers. The mare gave me a lazy salute when I walked by. I found it funny that the music the ponies played sounded so much like the sort you would find in a club back on Earth.

Being used to human parties and what you would usually find at one, I went to look for the one thing you could always seek refuge in, namely alcohol. A cold beer sounded just the ticket, though I could settle for a glass of wine. I eventually made my way back to the refreshment table.

However, there was none. No beer. No wine. No vodka. No whisky. I made a round around the table, sampling every liquid on display. Nothing contained alcohol. I knew from my reading in Canterlot that ponies actually made beer, wine, and the like, so I knew alcoholic beverages existed. Here, it was completely absent. Perhaps it was some part of their customs? That parties were to be free of alcohol? Honestly, it sounded dumb. Alcohol was a staple of parties, wherever you were.

Then it finally dawned on me, and I admitted to myself that I should have noticed sooner. The balloons, the streamers, the pastries, the fruity drinks, the games for kids… This wasn’t a party for adults—it was for kids. How come I didn’t notice sooner?

Realizing that my plans for a human party were out of the question, I resigned to just enjoying myself. I grabbed a cupcake and a glass of apple-flavoured soda and sat down at a table to enjoy the baked goods, and imagined myself being at a party back home. A real one, with beer and great music coming out of the speakers, specifically 80’s rock and metal. Damn, the 80’s had some good music.

However, my imagination failed me. It all was so bizarre; colourful equines all around, chatting with each other, sugary baked goods, equally sugary non-alcoholic drinks, human-sounding beats that were in fact not human at all. I felt like I was a guest at some extremely bizarre kid’s birthday party, and worst of all was that I felt increasingly out of place as each minute ticked by. And it was about to get worse.

All the while, I had plastered a smile on my face. It was as fake as my desire to be at this party. Even though Twilight and her friends were only a mere arm's length away, they couldn’t tell that my smile wasn’t genuine. They even came up to me and asked me if I had a good time, asking if they could get me anything. I had noticed that ponies had problems reading my body language, especially my face. I had no such problems, what with pony’s facial expressions being so clear. Unfortunately, ponies took my false smile as an invite to come up to me and have a chat.

One by one, ponies came to me to say hello and introduce themselves. They were all polite and as curious as one could imagine. Amongst them was a local candy maker, a doctor, a nurse, along with a female cellist of some fame. Interestingly, she was friends with the head-bobbing DJ, whose name I got from Rainbow Dash. There was also Lyra Heartstrings, a unicorn who was also a musician. For some strange reason, the mare never looked me in the eye, instead focusing on my hands. I knew that minotaurs only had eight fingers compared to my ten, so perhaps she found it interesting or simply strange. Mr and Mrs Cake, the owners of Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie’s employers, also stopped by to chat with me. Mrs Cake apologized for her anger earlier though I didn’t blame her, instead mentioning cultural and personal differences, as well as opposing personalities when it came to parties.

I had to give it to them; the Ponyville ponies collectively did their best to make me feel welcome. Not once did I hear a single bad word or name thrown my way the entire evening. However, I still grew more uncomfortable as the party progressed, especially when a few requested photos of them with me. After the party had progressed for perhaps an hour and a half, maybe even two, I felt that I had reached my limit. Here I sat, a grown ass man, at a party I didn’t want in the first place, surrounded by equally adult sentient ponies playing kids’ games! I looked around, taking in how bizarre it all appeared. It was just another reminder of how different we were.

I was currently seated at a table, pretending to listen to a random couple talking about something that had happened recently. What the story was about, I had no idea, having long since filtered out their voices.

“—and then Caramel managed to spill the seeds. Again!” the mare said as the stallion next to her began laughing. I just cracked a smile and nodded in fake amusement.

I emptied my glass of punch and looked towards the clock on the wall, noting that it was already half-eight. Good enough. Now I just had to find Pinkie and thank her for the party, then tell Twilight that I was going back to the castle.

“Well, it’s almost getting late and I think I should be going to bed soon. Pretty sure Princess Twilight won’t let me sleep in tomorrow,” I said as I stood up from the table. “Thanks for the company. I’m sure we’ll meet again. Good night.”

Both the mare and the stallion gave me a smile and bade me good night as I left their table. Twilight was the closest to me, currently talking with Rarity and Applejack, so I headed towards her.

“Hey, can I interrupt you all for just a moment? I need to talk with Twilight,” I said upon reaching the three mares.

“Sure.” Twilight followed me over to an unoccupied corner. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

I crouched next to her. “Listen, this party is nice and all, but I just want to go back to the castle.”

“You want to leave already?” Twilight looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s still early.”

“Yeah, I know it’s early, but I just want to leave.” Twilight opened her mouth to argue, but I quickly continued, “If you have the keys for the doors, I can let myself in and leave them open for you and Spike.”

Twilight looked like she wanted to object for a moment before sighing. “Okay, if you’re sure you want to leave, then we can leave. Let me find Spike first.”

“Good. I’ll need to thank Pinkie for the party before we leave.”

Twilight went back to Rarity and Applejack, probably to say goodnight to them before finding Spike. I went looking for the pink party pony, and she wasn’t hard to find. She was currently entertaining some ponies by juggling various items, some of which were cupcakes. Even without fingers and hands, Pinkie was a damn fine juggler.

The crowd stomped their hooves in approval of Pinkie’s act, and I joined in, applauding her. The sound of my hands must have sounded strange amongst the stomping hooves, as everybody’s eyes fell on me.

“Hiya, Maggy!” Pinkie squealed the moment she saw me and leapt forward. I barely had time to catch her before she slammed into me.

“Hey, Pinkie, this was a pretty nice party.” I wasn’t lying—for a kid’s birthday party, it was much better than my sixth birthday.

“I always do my best for my friends,” Pinkie replied with a wide smile.

“Yeah, that’s good. Um, I just wanted to say that I’m leaving now.”

Pinkie’s smile faded ever so slightly. I placed her down on the floor and she immediately looked at the clock. “Already? But we’ve barely started.”

“Yeah, I know it’s a bit early to leave, but honestly…” I leaned closer to her and whispered, “I’m not comfortable around so many strangers. Do you remember me telling you all that I hate attention?”

Pinkie’s mouth formed an ‘oh’ shape. “Ooh, I understand. Not really though; all these ponies are your future friends.”

“Maybe they are, and maybe not.” I looked around me. I couldn’t say I saw anyone whose name I could remember, only Twilight and her friends. “Point is, thanks for the party, but I’m leaving now.”

Pinkie pouted ever so slightly. “Aww, I wish you could have stayed longer. But this is your party, and you can leave whenever you want to. At least you had fun, right?”

‘No booze, no consoles with competitive games, no pizza, none of my friends, and no music that I like.’

“Yes, I did.” I even smiled in approval, though it frayed at the ends. Thankfully, Pinkie didn’t seem to be able to tell as she stood on her hind legs and hugged the stuffing out of my midsection.

“You have to take your evening medicine before you go. And tomorrow, I’ll be just outside the castle to give you another hug before you leave.”

I patted Pinkie’s head. If there was such a thing as caring too much about someone's happiness, then Pinkie was badly afflicted.

***

The streets were empty by the time Twilight, Spike, and I made our way back to the castle. The music coming from Sugarcube Corner faded with each step until all we heard were the sounds of the night. We were in fact the first to leave. The ponies at the party were kind enough to say their goodbyes to me as we left, showing that they weren’t angry at me anymore. I actually felt relieved by that simple gesture.

Spike was fast asleep on Twilight’s back. Poor guy must have eaten too much, and that was kind of strange. During the evening I saw him eat so many treats that in all fairness he should be acting like a propeller instead of snoring, what with all the sugar in those treats. Then again, sugar could affect him in other ways. Seeing as how he ate more than a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of gems earlier today, perhaps sugar had no effect on him at all. A wise man once said something that I thought fitting in my situation: “Much to learn, you still have.”

In contrast, Twilight cantered along at a leisurely pace while I followed her with my arms resting on my back. I had much on my mind; I was sure that at one point, my disliking of Pinkie’s party would surely come to light, and most likely Pinkie would be disappointed with me lying to her. Still, there wasn’t much I could do. It wasn’t like I wanted a party. I had a million things to worry about, and a party was not at the forefront of my mind.

“It was a nice party, wasn’t it?” Twilight suddenly said, breaking the silence. “Pinkie throws parties several times a month. Did you know she knows each and every pony in Ponyville? She even knows their birthdates so that she can throw them birthday parties.”

I hummed in agreement. “I’ve been to a similar party like this one before.”

“You have?” Twilight looked to me with that knowledge-thirsty expression on her face.

“Mhm, when I turned six,” I answered and looked to Twilight. “By human standards, Pinkie’s party was a birthday party for children, not a party for adults.”

A slightly perplexed expression appeared on Twilight’s face. “That’s how all of Pinkie’s parties are. Are you saying that you didn’t like her party?”

I paused for a fraction of a second. “No, I didn’t like it. As a matter of fact, I felt uncomfortable every single minute I spent in there.”

My words hung in the air for a few seconds. It gave Twilight the time she needed to formulate a reply. “You lied to her,” Twilight said in an accusatory tone, yet there wasn’t a hint of anger or annoyance in her voice, only disappointment.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “Yes, because I didn’t want her to feel as if she wasted so much time and effort for nothing. I never wanted a party in the first place, and when I told Pinkie and saw how sad she became... Spike told me a few things about her. Pinkie wants—no, needs to throw parties to cheer everyone up. Basically, I rejected her offer of cheering me up. You saw her, she cried in there, and ponies grew angry at me.”

Twilight huffed crossly. “So you came to the party because you wanted to cheer Pinkie up. Is that the only reason?”

“Partially, yes. But I also needed to keep my reputation safe and sound. Having the entire town as well as the mares who are supposed to teach me things angry at me isn’t productive.” I looked to Twilight. She didn’t seem as angry as before, instead adopting a thoughtful look. “Besides, I tried to have fun, but it’s difficult when I don’t know anyone, and her type of parties are nowhere similar to the type of parties I’m used to. I barely even know you and your friends, even though we’ve spent time together.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “Are all humans like this when it comes to parties? And friends?” she inquired.

I shrugged. “Some people are real party animals, some aren’t. Take me for example; I don’t like crowds and I don’t like being the centre of attention. Imagine being in my stead, the eyes of the world are upon me.” I shuddered, even though the evening was quite warm. “I like my parties small and with few people, only the ones I know really well. As for friends, I think you could say that I choose my friends carefully.”

Twilight gave a half-hearted nod and turned to look ahead. We were getting closer to the castle. The silence was interrupted only by Spike snoring and a single question.

“What are human parties like?”

Twilight’s question brought to mind a few that I went to, along with the copious amounts of alcohol that came with each party. Not to mention the hangovers. Ugh, that was why I only drank until I got just a bit more than tipsy. It had taken a lot of research to figure that out.

“Whether they are big parties or small, perhaps just a few people, some things remain the same, namely alcohol. Beer, wine, the stronger stuff that will blow your socks off, or in your case, horseshoes. Depending on the party, food might not be served, only drinks. Music is mandatory, of course. As for entertainment? Well, there are many forms of entertainment, like these small machines that we can play games on.”

“Like board games or party games?” Twilight asked, her interest piqued. I was surprised to see she wasn’t taking notes.

“Eh, not quite. They are… um, it’s difficult to explain what type of games they are when your language doesn’t have a word for it. Safe to say, with one such machine, we can play many types of games. Fighting games, competitive games, those types.”

Twilight hummed to herself. “Human parties don’t sound like the type of parties we ponies have. Sure, we have parties with alcohols such as cider, wine, and stronger drinks, but it’s usually in moderate amounts, but that’s not to say that some ponies go a bit overboard. We do have bars, you know. In fact, a mare named Berry Punch owns a bar on the other side of Ponyville.”

“Good to know. I might visit one day.”

“Other than that, Pinkie always arranges her parties so that everypony can eat and drink what she serves. I don’t know if you noticed, but there were a few young fillies and colts at Pinkie’s party. In case you didn’t know, we have an age restriction on drinking alcoholic beverages.”

“As do humans.” I had actually seen some young ponies at the party, but they usually kept their distance to me. Children could be shy around people they don't know. Parents probably told their kids not to talk to strangers. Good advice.

We finally reached the castle. Twilight opened the large doors for us and closed them after we got inside. “Well, here we are. I should go and put Spike to bed. I’ll stay up for a little while longer,” Twilight said.

“Okay, I’ll just go to bed then. When am I supposed to get up?” I answered, walking towards one of the hallways where a set of stairs were located.

“I think seven should be good. It’ll give us plenty of time to prepare before we head out.”

“Seven it is. Good night then Twi—”

“Wait.” I stopped and turned to Twilight. She had a thoughtful look on her face as she looked at me. “You should tell Pinkie the truth.”

Sighing, I nodded slowly. “I should,” I said after a few seconds to think. “But… she would be unhappy with me. You saw what happened to her tonight. I know she means well and all, but I didn’t need all that hoopla. I’m here, aren’t I? Sure, a welcoming party was a nice gesture, but saying hi would have sufficed as well. If she starts crying again, I’d feel as if she’s using her tears to push me into another party.”

Twilight shook her head, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “You really think Pinkie Pie, my friend, the happiest mare in Ponyville, would guilt you into attending her party?”

I mulled over the idea for a few moments. That was basically what had happened tonight. She cried, I felt bad, and to make her feel better, I went to her party against my own wishes. Basically, she guilt-tripped me. Not on purpose—she didn’t seem like the type to do that.

“Not deliberately,” I finally replied.

For the next few seconds, Twilight looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. A raised brow, her head slightly tilted to the side, trying to figure out what I was, if I was intelligent, if I would try to eat her or not. I knew then and there that I shouldn’t have answered her question. No matter that she was a pony, she was female and I had just activated her trap card.

She put her hoof over her face and exhaled. By the time she lowered her hoof again, she shook her head and simply looked tired. Extending her foreleg, she breathed in and out deeply several times in a row.

“I know you haven’t been long in Equestria,” Twilight began, sounding exhausted, “and you haven’t known me and my friends for long. I understand that you’re wary of us and our ways. I guess that if I ended up among humans, I would be cautious as well.” She put her hoof down and looked up at me with the same glare that my old math teacher, Mrs Simmons, gave me when I just couldn’t get a math problem that kids younger than me would understand. I had always been lousy with numbers. “But you’re wrong about many things. Pinkie would never manipulate you into attending her party or anything else. She only wanted you to make friends and be happy tonight.”

I felt my shoulders sag under the truth of Twilight’s speech. I knew she was right; Pinkie’s behaviour didn’t suggest a manipulative person. For all her strange quirks, the pink mare only wanted to throw me a party to welcome me to Ponyville and to have a good time. Problem was, I never wanted any of that. I was just fine without a party. Party or no party, I didn’t care. So I resorted to lying to cheer Pinkie up and forced myself into a position I disliked intensely. Everything seemed to work out just fine, but it was still a lie.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and carefully nodded. “So if I told Pinkie that I didn’t like her party, and that I never wanted to be there, what would happen then?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight answered. She stayed silent for a few seconds. “But I think she would be upset with you for a little while. She doesn’t like anypony lying to her. I think that you should spend a few days thinking about it, and then speak to her. The longer the lie remains, the harder it is to tell the truth.”

“But would she reject me completely?”

“Of course not,” Twilight quickly replied, cracking a small smile. “Pinkie only wants for you to be her friend, and friends don’t lie to each other. She loves making friends—why do you think she’s friends with the entire town?”

It felt as if a small weight was lifted from my shoulders. If she was that forgiving… well, then I would think of a way to speak to Pinkie. When time permitted.

I chewed my lip and nodded. “I’ll think of a way to break it to Pinkie and make it up to her.” Heck, I even had a good idea in mind as well. Though it could perhaps be seen as bribery, I think that the pink party mare would approve of my plan.

Twilight smiled in relief. “That’s all I ask; be honest with your friends. I know that you don’t see us as friends yet, only acquaintances, but that will change in time.”

I smiled back. “Yeah, it might.”

Before either of us could say another word, Spike released a loud snore that echoed through the crystal halls. Hell, that was loud. Actually reminded me of the sawmill I worked at during the winters.

Looking at the baby dragon on her back, Twilight smiled. “I better get Spike to bed. He’ll get cranky if he doesn’t get enough sleep.”

“That’s kids for you. Sounds like it’s the same for baby dragons.”

“Oh, are humans like that too?”

I cracked a grin. “Yeah, I’ll stomp around the hallways and climb the walls tomorrow if I don’t get to bed now.”

Twilight giggled as she walked down one of the hallways. “Good night, Magnus. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night,” I called back with a smile on my face and began walking towards my bedroom.

I was relieved that my little issue had been partially worked out. I wanted to talk to Pinkie Pie and set things straight. I just needed to plan it out and choose my words carefully, and things would be okay between us. Twilight was right; honesty was key here, not just in relation to Pinkie but to everybody else as well. I had to start thinking more when I interacted with ponies, perhaps… try to think of things from their point of view? Yeah, that would be a good idea. Problem was, how do ponies think? Maybe I should pay attention to them, how they talk, how they think, how they behave with each other? Yeah, definitely should.

While walking towards my room I passed the open door to the library. I cast a sideways glance into the room and noticed that the book I started reading still lying on the table. Twilight would probably not miss it if I brought it to my room for some light reading before falling asleep.

Walking into the library, I took the book from the table and left for my own room. After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at the bedroom. I left the book on the bed and brought my toiletries to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash up a little bit.

Afterwards I returned to the room, dressed down to my boxer shorts and got into bed. I could feel Twilight’s magic lingering in the bed. Somehow, it felt as if it stood in a huge library. It felt… silent, warm, yet interesting at the same time. I could not understand why.

Shrugging away the strange sensation the bed gave me, I opened the book and began reading from the bookmark. It was a new chapter.

The Basics of Spells during the Pre-Classical Era.

“Huh, now this looks interesting. Hope magic doesn’t need math to work, otherwise, I’m screwed.”

Author's Notes:

Heyyoo! It's that time again! New chapter and more pony-human interacting.

This chapter I had planned for a while. I didn't want a typical 'human comes to Ponyville, meets Pinkie and enjoys the hell out of her party' kind of thing going, instead I took another, less traveled route. I can't remember a single story that compares Pinkie's parties with a kids birthday party. Comparing a Pinkie-Party and a human party, there are always differences, essentially, Pinkie's parties are usually for kids. I mean, cakes, candy, and stuff like that are for kids most of the time. But the show was meant for kids in the first place anyway, so I think Pinkie serving Jaegerbombs wouldn't pass through censoring. Growing up in the countryside, I've been to a few parties that required wheelbarrows to ferry people home. Where I grew up, just about every third household had a still in the basement, so that explains a few things concerning the types of parties I went to.

Still, I like how this chapter turned out. Not the full 100% acceptance, but not complete denial either.

As always, thank you for reading, and a big thank you to those that have given my story a like, and those that found me worthy of following. As always, constructive criticism is always welcome.

PS: Found a gif of JBL hard at work editing.

Chapter 35 - Starting Easy With Kindness (Edited by JBL 06.12.17)

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Growing up in a small town, I never had the luxury of picking any job I wanted. People in big cities had that going for them; there was all manner of businesses to choose from if you had the necessary requirements, and in many places you could work your way up the system. In a town where there was a couple thousand people maximum living there, the options were limited for a guy without a proper education. Working at a gas station, flipping burgers, being a cashier at the local supermarket, or waiting tables I could do, but those jobs were already taken. Working at the bowling alley had been something that I found myself doing, though I didn’t mind at all. I tended the register, cleaned the lanes at the end of the day, put away shoes that smelled like sulfuric acid, and sold ready-made pizza, ice cream, and soda to hungry customers. What I liked most were the hours. The alley opened at three in the afternoon, and I always had time to sleep in on mornings. My co-workers and my boss had always been supportive people. They knew about my condition and were understanding whenever a bad day rolled around.

In Equestria, I noticed that most days I woke early, the desire to sleep in restricted to the occasional morning. Today would have been one of those days if it wasn’t for Twilight. She woke me at seven, told me to get dressed, and before I had fully wakened, we were already out of the castle. The moment the doors opened, I was assaulted by Pinkie. She jumped at me, gave me a big hug, then pronked away while greeting us as if nothing had happened. I felt a familiar line by Johnny Depp come to me: “Something very wrong with that horse”. Or more likely, something right.

“Ugh,” I moaned, walking down the road with Twilight beside me and rubbing my eyes. Ponies were already awake, opening their businesses and readying their stands at the marketplace. Some shot me odd glances as we passed, probably because I sounded like a zombie.

“I thought you went to sleep early.” Twilight laughed lightly at my bedraggled appearance. Spike sat on her back, looking only slightly more put-together than me.

“Book. I took a book from the library before I went to bed last night. Read almost two hundred pages.” I paused for a second to stretch my limbs.

“Books tend to have that effect on certain ponies.”

“And me,” I muttered.

We continued on, Twilight cantering eagerly down the road and me stumbling along. From behind my heavy eyelids, I noticed we were heading away from Ponyville. The fresh morning air gradually fought against my grogginess as we drew closer to our destination. I knew we were going to Fluttershy’s, as Twilight had mentioned it during breakfast. Or it could have been a dream, I don’t know. Soon enough, I recognised the idyllic environment of Fluttershy’s cottage.

The birds were already in the middle of their morning song as we approached, but their merry tunes swiftly ceased the closer we got. Peering at the trees and the birdhouses, I saw the flying critters’ curious eyes fall on me. They’d never seen anything like me before, but at least they didn’t fly away.

We crossed the small bridge and approached the door. Twilight knocked and waited, and it didn’t take long before we heard hoof steps approaching from within. The door opened, revealing a pegasus that seemed certainly more well rested than me.

“Good morning, Fluttershy.”

“Good morning, Twilight.” She looked to Spike and me. “Good morning to you as well, Magnus and Spike.”

“G’ morning,” Spike and I replied in sleepy unison.

She eagerly stepped aside. “Come in, I was just about to feed my little friends. We can have tea first.”

Twilight and Spike walked inside without hesitation and I followed. Her door was a bit low, so I had to duck slightly to get under the door frame. Inside, the first that struck me was the heavy odour of animals that hung in the air, but not uncomfortably so.

The interior of her house was small yet cosy, all of her furniture pony-sized and practical. We had stepped right into her living room. To our left was a doorway that led into a kitchen while next to the door was a staircase that led upstairs. A hearth stood to our right, and straight ahead there was a small lounge area, consisting of a chair, a small table, and a sofa. A white rabbit was relaxing in a basket next to the chair. The little bunny stared straight at me, but made no attempt to run away. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the way that bunny looked at me… It was different somehow.

There were bags of animal feed stored throughout the house, and I almost stubbed my hoof as we passed one. Birdhouses hung from the ceiling, as well as small walkways under the ceiling that led to parts unknown. A pair of white mice used the walkways to scurry to safety into a hole carved out of the wall the moment they spotted me. If I was back on Earth, I’d say this place had an infestation problem. Considering their owner, they probably lived here.

While we took our seats, Fluttershy went to the kitchen and came back with a tray of tea in her mouth which she carefully placed on the table. “Magnus, do… do you drink tea?” she softly inquired.

“I do, thank you.” I took a cup from the tray, sipping the brew. “Berries? Very good.”

“Thank you.” She still sounded cautious, though at least she shot me a smile. She passed a cup to Twilight and Spike and sat down, taking a cup for herself.

“So, have you given any thoughts about what you and Magnus are going to do today and what you're going to teach him?” Twilight produced a quill and paper.

Fluttershy slowly swirled the tea in her cup while blowing gently on it. “I don’t really know. Maybe he can help me with the animals, if he wants to, that is. I also need to buy more food for my furry friends as well.”

“Helping? That’s a good start.” Twilight jotted down a few notes. “But what about what you can teach him?”

The yellow pegasus sat in silence for a few seconds before facing me. “Maybe… you want to learn about animals?”

Twilight pondered for a while. “That could work. Equestria is home to many different species of animals, and who knows; maybe Earth has similar types of wildlife. To be honest, I was expecting something else, but I think that’ll suffice for now. Maybe you guys can come up with something else later. Remember, Magnus, ask if you want to know more about anything. We’re here to help.”

I emptied my cup and placed it on the table. Twilight’s advice was sound, though I had already decided upon that path last night. “I’ll remember that.” I looked at my cup, then to Fluttershy. “Good tea—can I have some more?”

***

Twilight and Spike left shortly after, saying that they had some things to take care of. Twilight promised to return after a few hours and that she had no doubt that I was in capable hooves. Fluttershy herself didn’t look too confident, but said that she was happy to help anyway.

We walked outside, seeing Twilight and Spike off. The moment they left, there was an awkward silence between me and the shy little pony. Her pet bunny sat on her back, still staring at me. The way it stared unnerved me for some reason, those beady eyes watching my every move. I waited for Fluttershy to speak first, perhaps a hint of what we were supposed to do, but nothing came forth.

“So, where should we start?” I finally asked, breaking the silence between us and folding my hands behind my back.

Fluttershy turned to me. “Um…” She looked around the immediate area. “M-Maybe we can start feeding my animal friends?”

There wasn’t an animal in sight. She probably had a pen or enclosure for them somewhere nearby. “Sure, where are they?”

“They usually come to me when it’s time for breakfast, but they aren’t here now. I don’t know what could have happened to them.”

The little bunny on her back climbed up onto her head with his little paws, grabbed a hold of her ear, and released a stream of chittering noises. In return, Fluttershy gasped.

“They are?” She quickly looked at me. “I-I’m so sorry, b-but the animals… They are afraid of you.”

“Oh. Yeah, I should have seen that coming. They haven’t seen anything like me before, so they don’t know what to make of me.”

“But don’t worry. Once I have a chance to speak with them, I can convince them that you are not dangerous,” Fluttershy replied, some confidence actually creeping into her voice.

“Good. By the way, how do you know they’re afraid of me?”

“Angel Bunny told me.”

“Angel?” I looked at the white bunny on her back, who now had his tiny forearms crossed over his fluffy white chest. “Your pet?” She nodded slowly. “You can understand your pet bunny?”

She nodded again. “I’m sure I mentioned it in Canterlot. B-But I could have made a mistake.”

“No, you told me. But I thought it was more like a… symbolic thing… or something.” To be honest, I thought that Fluttershy was a hippie or the pony equivalent of a hippie at the time. A mare who was in contact with nature, speaking with the universe, tripping on acid, hugging trees—whatever it was that hippies did. That she could actually understand animals came at me like a fastball out of nowhere.

I glanced at her pet, Angel. I had never seen a bunny or a rabbit cross its forelegs. Could they do that? His entire demeanour, it was almost as though there was a measure of sapience in him.

“Out of curiosity, what does Angel think of me?” I asked.

The bunny once more began ‘speaking’ to his owner, and the more he went on, the redder Fluttershy’s cheeks grew.

She gasped. “Angel! T-That’s no way to speak to guests!”

She turned to me hesitantly, but I held up a hand. “Save it, I have an idea of what he thinks of me.”

***

After a small lecture from Fluttershy about how to treat houseguests, Angel gave a few subdued squeaks that his owner interpreted as an apology. Being the better man, I accepted the apology, only for the bunny to stick his tongue out at me the moment Fluttershy turned away.

Fluttershy began her search for the missing animals, Angel keeping her company. Since her animals were wary of me, I suggested hanging back while she rounded them up. She didn’t take long to find the first critters.

The birds had taken shelter in the birdhouses and the higher branches of trees. Fluttershy spent a good amount of time talking them into at least sitting on the lowest branches, and even then they kept their eyes on me. Next, my teacher began flying around to burrows and dens in the immediate area. I couldn’t see what creatures had taken refuge in there, but Fluttershy knew; she spoke softly into the holes, reassuring the residents that I wasn’t dangerous and that it was safe to come out. A badger, some snakes, a few foxes, a family of bunnies—it was like a miniature petting zoo. Even a few butterflies appeared from a nearby flower bed, though they all kept their distance. Fluttershy assured me that they only needed some time to get to know and approach me. I was willing to invest time doing that, if only to get a closer look at them.

The strangest thing was how the animals seemed to coexist. Normally, a few rabbits would be the main course for a fox, and the snakes would surely go for the mice. It never happened. The animals went about their business, never worried about their natural predators being so close to them. Hell, a few mice actually burrowed into one of the foxes’ fluffy tails, all while the fox made sounds that could almost be interpreted as laughter. It was surreal.

“Fluttershy.” I placed a hand on her back as she walked by me, halting her. “Why aren’t the animals trying to eat each other? Some of these animals are prey and predator. How are they so calm around each other?”

She turned to look at the bizarre sight behind me. “I’ve known many of these critters since they were born, and many have lived near my home for years. I guess that since they’ve lived so close to each other, and with me taking care of them, they’ve become friends over the years,” she explained. “Some of these critters are carnivores, but they often come to me for their dietary needs. For example, the foxes are quite happy with dog food, while some of the other carnivores hunt in the Everfree Forest.”

“What about the smaller animals in there?” Surely, some of the predators would come out of the forest from time to time with blood around their mouths.

“I can’t change their nature. It would be wrong,” Fluttershy said after a brief pause while looking at the somewhat gloomier forest nearby. “They hunt in the forest, but never those who come here. When they visit me, they know they need to behave around each other.” With those last words, she continued on towards a small shed nearby.

I followed her and saw that she had several bags of food stacked inside, marked for specific animals. “Now that all my critter friends are here, we can give them their breakfast.” She began hauling one of the bags out of the shed towards me, struggling a bit. “This is for my chickens. Maybe you can start feeding them first, then we can move onto the larger animals.”

I hefted the bag onto my shoulder with ease and smiled at Fluttershy. “Just point me in the right direction, boss.”

With Fluttershy leading the way, we went behind her house. She had her very own chicken coop with a low fence surrounding it. As expected, a few hens were present, scratching and pecking at the ground. Fluttershy flew ahead to inform her chickens about my presence. Though they were somewhat wary at first, the sight of food under my arms quickly brought them around. Under Fluttershy’s supervision, I scattered some of the feed on the ground. They paid little attention to me as they turned their attention solely on their food.

With the hens fed, we moved onto the larger animals, the birds specifically. Fluttershy had an idea for that: I was to crouch down with bird food in my hands while she spread some of the seeds close to me, hoping that if the birds thought I was safe and ate from my hands, then the rest of the animals would as well.

A tiny yellow bird was the first brave one. Miss Song, as Fluttershy later said her name was, kept a wary eye on me while she ate a few seeds. When she saw that my hands were filled with food, she took a couple of hops towards me, eating the seeds that were closer to me.

“That’s it, Miss Song, Magnus has his hands full of yummy seeds for you,” Fluttershy spoke softly. The bird looked to Fluttershy, then to me, then back to Fluttershy. She kept looking at the seeds in my hands, and after a few moments of deciding, she landed on my fingers with a few flaps of her wings and began pecking at the seeds.

I’ve had close encounters with animals before, but there was something strange about having a wild animal eating from your hands, even if that animal lived close to people and was somewhat used to them. In the forest around my grandfather’s cabin, there were plenty of them roaming around. I used to leave food out for them at times, and I even managed to lure a fox kit home by leaving a trail of sausage slices. However, closing the door was a mistake since it panicked when its escape route disappeared. The curtains were shredded to rags, it broke a window, and shat on the carpet in terror. Grandfather only laughed when he came home and saw the mess. Apparently, he had done something similar when he was a kid.

More birds came closer, all exhibiting various stages of bravery. In the end, I had birds sitting in my hands, on my shoulders, and even one that decided my head was an ideal place to roost.

Fluttershy giggled softly as I sat motionless in order to avoid scaring the birds, carefully moving my head to keep track of them. “See? You’re very good with animals.”

‘Don’t shit on me, don’t shit on me, don’t shit on me.’

***

We were almost done by the hour mark, having fed just about every animal Fluttershy cared for. The bunnies and rodents were happy with salad and carrots, while some of the omnivores, such as the otters and the badgers, wanted fish. I only had two birds left, a proud-looking eagle and a hawk. Fluttershy provided me with a bucket of fish for me to give these two aerial predators. Surprisingly, I had made feeding them into a small game.

Throwing a fish into the air, the hawk acted with lightning reflexes and snapped the fish in its claws before it could land on the ground, flying over to a tree to begin its meal.

“Quick one, aren’t you?” He paid me scant attention, focused on its food.

“Next one, go!” I picked up another fish from the bucket and threw it higher. The eagle took off and grabbed the fish with his talons in one quick move before landing on the branch, starting his own breakfast.

“And that’s all, guys, no more fish left,” I said to the two birds of prey. Fluttershy spoke to all her animals, and I did the same, though I never expected an answer. I figured that the animals were used to Fluttershy talking to them, so I simply tried to follow her example. When in Rome and all that.

I turned around and began heading back to the house when a deep growl emanating from nearby. I knew that sound, had heard it before, and when I turned my head towards the direction of the sound, I knew what to expect.

A large brown bear stood just thirty meters away, growling at me and baring its teeth. I froze in my tracks. Fluttershy never said anything about having a bear as a friend, and I knew that bears would go near civilization for easy access to food by rummaging through trash cans. That was probably what this one was aiming to do. However, with me standing in its way, it was faced with something new and unusual.

The bear didn’t back down, nor did it attempt to avoid me. I felt as if it was sizing me up, perhaps for a meal even. I didn’t see any cubs near it, so it was probably not a female. If that was the case, it would have already attacked me. I stood my ground since I knew that running was pointless, having watched enough documentaries to recognize that bears could easily outpace humans.

I turned towards the beast, bucket in hand, readying myself to act. I knew what to do, though I was understandably terrified. He was stronger, faster, and a single swipe of his paw could break my neck like a twig. I never had to face a bear before, having only seen them in the flesh at a safe distance with high-powered binoculars.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fluttershy’s cottage. ‘Thirty, maybe forty meters. If I can get there, I’ll be safe, at least safer in there than in the open. Don’t run, just casually walk.’

I began inching sideways away from the bear towards the cottage, but I never took my eyes off of it. However, the bear continued to meet my gaze, the soulless blackness in them unnerving me. To my horror, my caution was for naught as its growling turned into outright snarls and it began to charge at me! Turning towards the bear, I spread out my arms, widening my stance and making myself seem as threatening as possible.

“Hey! I shouted as loud as I could. The bear came to a halt. ‘Thank God, it was a bluff.’ I read once that bears sometimes performed a ‘bluff attack’, nothing more than a fake charge to see what their prey would do. If their opponent ran, they would be considered food, but if they stood their ground, they might fight. Bears were less likely to waste energy fighting something that could and would fight back.

Using the bucket as a drum, I violently began to slap the bottom of the bucket, generating a series of loud thuds. “The fuck you think you’re doing?! Get out of here! Now! Get! Shoo! Fuck off!”

The bear’s growling ceased and he closed his mouth. For a moment he actually looked confused, almost like he didn’t expect me to make such a racket.

“Didn’t you hear me? I told you to fuck off! Now!”

“What’s all this noise?” I briefly turned my head and spotted Fluttershy come flying from behind the house. She saw the bear standing a bit away from me, and then did something that I didn’t expect, namely fly towards it. I was too late to stop her; she flew right past me. My heart lurched as I expected to bear witness to Fluttershy being mauled by a bear. The bear rose to his hind legs, standing imposingly as the lithe pegasus approached him. Instead of what I feared, she gave the bear a hug and received one in return. I was dumbstruck at how gently the bear wrapped his massive arms around her.

“Good morning, Harry,” Fluttershy said without a care on the world, actually sounding happy as well. “How was your visit? Is your brother well?”

The bear made several growls in reply, a few sounding almost… positive somehow.

“He is? That’s very good to hear.”

Meanwhile, I was scratching my head while attempting to figure out what the hell was happening. The bear had been aggressive towards me, but when Fluttershy arrived, he turned into a quarter-ton teddy bear. Just what the hell was going on?!

“Fluttershy, is this bear another of your… friends?” I asked slowly, remaining where I stood, the bucket still gripped tightly in my hand. Despite his reaction to Fluttershy, I couldn’t forget how it had rushed towards me, those flashing white teeth...

She nodded. “He is. This is Harry, one of my bear friends. He lives just a short walk into the Everfree Forest. Harry, this is Magnus. He’s here today to help me,” she introduced, as though the bear was just another pony.

Figured that he was one of her friends. “Uh-huh. Then why was he growling at me?”

“He did?” She turned her attention towards the bear. “You growled at Magnus?”

The bear gave a long series of low growls and grunts. It didn’t sound like a language to me, but the way Fluttershy nodded told me she understood him perfectly.

“Harry says he thought you were here to hurt me,” Fluttershy explained. “He had just visited his brother who lives a bit further into the forest and was on his way here when he saw you. He didn’t know who or what you were, so he wanted to scare you away.”

I dropped the bucket with a loud clang and exhaled violently, feeling relief wash over me. I had been pretty damned sure I would not live to see tomorrow. Who the hell had a huge bear like that as a ‘friend’ anyway?

“Well, he succeeded because I’m close to needing a new pair of boxer shorts.”

Fluttershy didn’t understand the joke, judging by the slightly confused look on her face. A few low growls came from the bear, and she interpreted what he said. “Harry says he is very sorry for scaring you.”

I shook my head, resting my hands on my hips. Frankly, I was just happy to be alive. “Yeah, no, don’t worry about it. It’s all good.”

The bear seemed pleased with my acceptance. When he bared his fangs again, he looked a lot less threatening, almost like… a smile. It was accompanied by that strange demeanour that I had noticed on most of Fluttershy’s animals, was once again present. It was as if… as if…

‘Those eyes, that smile… Oh… Oh… Oh my God!’

***

Sapient. They were all sapient to various degrees. I was used to animals from Earth that possessed only basic instincts, perhaps a smidgen of intelligence. These animals were a whole other story, frightfully so. It was that spark in their eyes that unnerved me the most, like those of a thinking, breathing, intelligent human set onto a beast. Just by looking at her animals, I could almost see the thought processes going on in their minds. Most notably, this level of sapience was most demonstrated with Angel and Harry. I didn’t know the depth of their intelligence, but they definitely were smarter than any Earth animal.

This revelation shocked me so much that I had to sit down and began watching them scurry about the cottage. After some time spent observing them, I began discerning certain patterns in their behaviour. When Fluttershy spoke or interacted with them, the animals acted happier and their faces would shift into the appearance of what seemed like smiles. The few mice that scurried past me had expressions of joy on their tiny faces as they played in the tall grass, though it was difficult to truly discern. Even the otters living underneath the bridge down from Fluttershy’s cottage possessed very animated facial features, currently looking somewhat contented as they lay basking in the sun.

I was completely stunned by this discovery, but was actually much more weirded out. I was accustomed seeing these expressions on the faces on humans, and only more recently on ponies. Now I had to add animals on that list.

Some of the other animals, such as the birds, couldn’t smile due to having beaks, but that didn’t stop them from trying. A few robins flew around the trees, looking like they played tag, and when one of them stopped fairly close to me, I could see it in its eyes how much fun it had. Even the songs they whistled, once assumed to be the usual melodies associated with birds, gained a human-like aspect to them.

It made me think of other animals as well. Did they all possess this level of sapience, or were there some animals that only had basic bestial instincts?

***

“Are you okay? You’re very quiet,” Fluttershy asked as we walked side by side towards Ponyville. She seemed to be rather concerned at my continued silence after I told her of the difference between the animals on Earth and the ones on this world.

“I’m okay, I just shocked at how clever your animals are,” I replied.

She hummed. “They are very smart.”

I chuckled and shook my head slowly. “It’s not that they’re just smart, it’s the fact that they are way more intelligent than any animal back on Earth. I doubt you would be able to talk to and understand animals where I’m from.”

“Are they really so different?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Well, there are some animals that we humans consider very smart, but your animals are way beyond that level. I think that critters around here could quite possibly fall into the sapient category, meaning they’d be treated more as people instead of animals.”

Fluttershy thought about it for a moment before asking, sounding concerned, “Do humans treat animals differently based on how smart they are?”

“Not at all. Most people have pets, and we treat them as family. But… You remember how I said that humans are omnivores?” She nodded. I figured she would the truth would reveal itself sooner or later, so it would better to hear it directly from me. “Well, with seven billion people on the planet, we need a lot of food, and some of that food is meat.”

Fluttershy’s ears drooped as her eyes looked at the ground. “Oh.” She sounded a bit downtrodden. “You have farms where you raise animals for food, don’t you?”

I nodded and sighed. “Yeah, we do.”

Fluttershy remained silent for a good five minutes while we approached Ponyville. Our conversation had turned down a path that I thought was rather dark for the pegasus, so I elected to hold my tongue. There were omnivores in this world too, and I suppose she knew what happened at slaughterhouses. That would be this little animal lover’s worst nightmare.

I looked to Fluttershy, deciding to change the subject. “I had a cat when I was younger,” I began. Fluttershy immediately looked up to me, her interest piqued. “A big ~Maine Coon~ I called Hunter.”

“A ~Meen Koon~?” Of course an American race of cats didn’t exist here, so neither would the name. Ponies weren’t good at mimicking the human language at all. The few times Twilight had attempted to speak English, she butchered the language so horribly that grammar Nazis all over the world would have had a field day behind their keyboards.

“Yeah, it’s a special breed of cats. They grow to be pretty big and fluffy. Anyway, I got Hunter when I was about eleven years old. Grandfather said it was good to have a pet growing up, said it taught me responsibility. Hunter would sleep in my bed every night, and meow loudly into my ear in the mornings. And he had the bushiest tail you’ve ever seen.”

Fluttershy’s eyes got brighter as I continued on, thankful that I had found something that had captured her interest. I told her everything about Hunter: how he liked to snooze on the couch, how mischievous he could be, nudging cups, the remote, and everything off the table. As a cat, Hunter was also a predator, but he was the laziest cat in existence. He refused to chase mice unless they walked straight past him. No, Hunter was fonder of boiled fish and chicken, but he liked going for long walks as well, thus he never gained much weight. I could let him out in the morning and he’d come back at night. Where he went, I never found out. Then, one day he didn’t come home. Grandfather and I went out to look for him, got my friends to search as well. We put up posters everywhere, but no one called. Hunter was just gone. I was dejected for a long time afterwards. Grandfather tried to cheer me up by saying we could get another cat. I refused; Hunter couldn’t be replaced. That was the last time I had a pet. I was eleven when I got Hunter, fourteen when he vanished.

All the while, Fluttershy listened intently while I droned on. She would ask questions about everything my cat did and about his preferences. She really had a large heart where animals were concerned. Looking at Fluttershy, she reminded me a lot about Lisa in many ways. That thought alone made me wonder if humans had pony counterparts in this world. I amused myself by imagining that Equus was Earth a million years into the future. A silly thought, but humorous nonetheless.

We reached Ponyville in due time, the town brimming with ponies. The market square had filled up with carts and stands where ponies sold their produce and customers stood patiently in line. The usual whispering and murmuring about my presence once again started, much to my chagrin. Fluttershy didn’t seem overly fond of the attention either. She tried to hide behind her mane, only a single eye peeking out at the ponies all around us. She even released a nervous squeak as a scarlet-shaded stallion suddenly swivelled around simply to stare at us. We hurried on until we had left the market behind.

We kept walking until the crowd petered out and we arrived to our destination, namely a pet store. The moment we walked in, I noticed a distinct lack of pets, which seemed rather contrarian for a business of this nature. Instead, the store had just about everything a pet could ever need—cages, pet beds, toys, bird feeders, fish bowls, glass cages, terrariums, to name a few.

A stallion manning the counter was the only employee I spotted in the store. He was currently receiving bits from a mare that had just bought a glass bowl with a goldfish in it, a filly prancing around the mare and giggling at the little goldfish swimming around. Both mother and child were too busy with the fish to even notice me. The stallion brightened when he saw Fluttershy though.

“Hello, Fluttershy, are you here for the weekly supplies?” he politely asked.

Fluttershy smiled at the stallion. She was familiar with him, that was obvious enough. “Yes, I also need a few medical supplies as well, um, if you have them.”

“Certainly.”

Then his eyes fell on me, and he walked around the counter to meet us, his smile never shrinking. “Hello there, uh, I’m afraid I don’t know your name. Are you here for pet supplies as well?”

“Afraid not, I’m here to help Fluttershy.” I nodded in her direction. She was already browsing the shelves, having found some type of pet basket that had piqued her interest.

“Oh yes, I remember my missuses mentioning last night that you would be staying in Ponyville for some time. Ah well, it’s nice to see another friendly face around town.”

I was a bit taken aback at how friendly this guy was. I almost expected him to insist I leave the store before my presence dissuaded customers. “Thank you, it’s nice to feel welcome.”

“Well, Ponyville is a friendly town, and with so many friendly ponies around, it kind of rubs off on you,” he said, turning to Fluttershy. “Now then, Fluttershy, tell me what you need and I’ll get right on it.”

***

We left the store with plenty of food for Fluttershy’s critters and some first aid supplies. It seemed she was capable of patching up any injuries her charges incurred. However, she wasn’t a licensed vet—that honour fell on Doctor Fauna, another mare in town.

With all the stuff Fluttershy bought, it looked a rather cumbersome load to carry all the way back to her house. Fluttershy offered to help with one of the bags, but since it was half the size of her, I decided to take the load upon myself. They looked heavy, but as soon as I got them up on my shoulders, I judged them to be manageable. Fluttershy carried the rest in her saddlebags.

To get back, we had to cross through the market again. We got the crowd's attention just like last time, but knowing that I was the subject of their attention, I tried my best to act like they weren’t there. No matter how much it bothered me, I looked forward to the day when no one would stare at me.

We got roughly halfway through the market when we found a familiar orange farm pony at her stand. She waved a hoof when she saw the two of us.

“Fluttershy, Magnus, over here!” Her stand had nothing but baskets filled with apples all around her, a few of them empty. The bag of bits resting on her counter indicated that her day had been productive so far.

“Hello, Applejack,” Fluttershy greeted her with a smile when we got near her.

“Hey, Applejack,” I said, her wares catching my attention. Nice, large, shiny, red apples. Damn, I missed apple pies from home, especially the ones Adam’s mom made. Her pies had always been thick and juicy, and I had always ended up with around my mouth being thoroughly sticky.

Applejack seemed to have noticed where I was looking, and with a flick of her foreleg, she grabbed two and lobbed them at us. I barely managed to grab it in time, but had to put down my bags in order to eat it.

“Ya look hungry. Twilight not feeding you right?”

“Well, Spike’s the cook, and a damn good one too.” I bit into the apple, savouring its crunchiness and thankful it wasn’t sour. It would go great in a pie and some vanilla ice cream.

Applejack chuckled at my reply. “Ah don’t think Ah’ve ever seen Twilight cook before. ‘Course, that must have been because of her studies. Always her nose in a book, not looking after herself. Say, that gives me an idea on what to give her for Hearth's Warming Eve. A cookbook would suit her just fine.”

‘Sure sounds like Twilight. Then again, I’m sure she would read it, but I’m not too certain she would actually cook anything.’

“So, Fluttershy, what’re teaching Magnus today?” Applejack asked while I finished my apple, core and all.

Fluttershy slowly chewed her apple and swallowed, her actions certainly more daintily than I could have done. “Oh, I haven’t really taught him anything, but he has helped me with my critters today. Oh, did you know he once had a cat?” Fluttershy positively beamed.

“Really?” Applejack looked to me with a raised eyebrow. “Didn’t figure you for a pet pony, uh, I mean, person.”

“Only ever had one cat, never got around to getting another one.” I once toyed with the idea of getting a dog, but never found one suited for me. Plus, dogs required going for a walk every day, and it wasn’t always that I was in shape to head outside on a daily basis.

“By the way, Twilight and Spike dropped by earlier,” Applejack interrupted my musings. “Looks like Ah’m gonna be your teacher tomorrow. Not sure what Ah’m supposed to teach ya, but Ah guess Ah’ll figure something out. Farm’s awfully busy nowadays.” She nodded to the baskets full of apples.

“Harvest begun?” It was the end of summer, the usual time when farmers would begin reaping their produce. Though I had never asked, I did assume it to be the same here as on Earth.

Applejack nodded. “These are just the early harvest. We don’t start properly until next week. Mah brother harvested these this morning, Ah’m sure you met him at Pinkie’s party last night. Red earth pony, kinda big, never talks much.”

Scratching my head, I thought back to last night. Sure, there had been plenty of ponies, but after a while they all kind of blurred together as boredom set in and my desire to leave had gotten stronger.

“Sorry, but I can’t remember them all,” I explained sheepishly.

“Don’t you worry about that. Ah’m sure you’ll meet him tomorrow.”

“Excuse me, are you two buying or simply wasting time?” an irritated voice snapped from behind us. Fluttershy and I turned around, finding an earth pony mare impatiently tapping her hoof. She had a matching sour look to her face to go along with her voice.

Fluttershy clearly recognized the mare judging by her reaction, almost shrinking in her presence. Applejack seemed to know her as well, her usual friendly smile diminishing ever so slightly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold up the line,” I replied while stepping aside.

“Yes, we’ll just return to my cottage now. Bye, Applejack,” Fluttershy said quickly with a wave of her wing and began trotting away.

“Guess that’s my cue. See you tomorrow, Applejack.” I bent down and hoisted the bags back onto my shoulders, following Fluttershy. The unknown mare shot me a hostile glare as I passed her by.

“Bye you two,” Applejack called back, then spoke to the mare. “Hello, Mrs Rich, what can Ah get you today?”

“Perhaps something that can rid this podunk town of that horrendous creature,” she said loud enough that her words could carry over to me.

I paused in mid-step, though Fluttershy continued on until she realized I wasn’t following her. ‘Did I hear that correctly?’

Seeing that she had my attention, she shot off another barb, “Perhaps you have some form of pest repellent at your quaint little farm that will work on it.”

Fluttershy released an audible gasp and she quickly looked over her shoulders at me, one hoof covering her mouth.

This day had started so well. All it took was one mare to bring my mood down several notches. It seemed that I wasn’t as impervious to their behaviour towards me as I had hoped.

With a heavy sigh, I turned around. The mare seemed to be finished spewing her vitriol about me and ordered a dozen apples from Applejack. The farmpony herself looked directly at me. She knew I had heard the words, as she looked absolutely stupefied.

The mare was an earth pony. Her coat was pale pink, her mane and tail purple, and her cutie mark was a diamond ring. I stared at her long and hard, engraving her imagine within my mind. I didn’t intend on forgetting her anytime soon.

I turned back around and began walking. Fluttershy looked up at me when I passed her, noticing my stricken look. “D-Don’t listen to her,” Fluttershy stammered while catching up with me. “You’re nothing like what she said.”

“I know,” I quietly replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. People like that existed everywhere, even here in this land, among these colourful equines. It was a harsh reminder that no matter how peaceful this world seemed, it was foolish to believe that everyone here cared about my well-being or even my existence.

It was one I would do well to keep remembering.

***

Our walk back to Fluttershy’s cottage was one made in silence, at least on my part. Fluttershy did her best in trying to be supportive, telling me that Spoiled Rich was just one pony and that I shouldn’t listen to her, and that the rest of the inhabitants of Ponyville were glad to have me here. Although she made a commendable effort to cheer me up, my mood wasn’t so easily repaired.

After getting back and storing the supplies Fluttershy bought, she started making lunch. It consisted of a few simple sandwiches with eggs, tomato, cucumber, and cheese, and even though I had to remove a few flower petals from them, they were delectable.

While we ate, some of the animals entered the kitchen. While earlier they kept a safe distance from me, they now appeared somewhat willing to approach me. I hadn’t smiled nor spoken much since our return, and I wondered if the animals had picked up on my mood. Even Harry the bear had an uncertain look in his eyes as he stuck his head inside the window, peering at me strangely. Since these animals were intelligent, I suppose that they could also feel and display empathy. Even Angel seemed to be affected, as he avoided taking any pot shots at me or shooting me any glares as he sat on the table, next to Fluttershy’s plate. He uttered a stream of chattering at Fluttershy, to which she replied, “I’ll tell you later.”

After finishing our lunch, Fluttershy made lemonade and invited me to sit with her in the living room. After getting comfortable, she sat down in her chair and took a deep breath, nervously rubbing her hooves together.

“I-I know that our trip in town didn’t go as I hoped it would, and that Spoiled Rich hurt your feelings, but you should know that not everypony is like her.”

I nodded. “I know.” Her words weren’t that easy to forget. This wasn't the first time I’d met people like her. School and high school had more than its fair share of stuck-up assholes. As a kid, I knew that children and teenagers weren’t all nice, but as I got older, I learned the same could be said for adults, perhaps even more so. In the end, I realized that not talking about those people was the best course of action. They were simply not worth exerting any amount of time or effort on. As far as I was concerned, their lives would be better put to use planting trees to replace the oxygen they wasted by existing.

Leaning back, I rubbed my face with one hand and exhaled. “Let’s just forget about her, huh? Maybe we can talk about something else. Do you have something you want to teach me?”

Fluttershy smiled faintly before giving a short nod. “Okay, let’s try that. Um… I don’t know what could be useful for you, though.”

“That’s okay, anything you can think of is useful for me.”

She mulled the matter over for a moment. “Oh, I know. There’s something everypony knows, but you’re new here.” She pointed a hoof to the window. “That forest out there is the Everfree Forest. You should never go in there unless you’re with somepony who knows their way around the most common paths. It’s very dangerous.”

I looked out the window. From inside the cottage, the forest looked ordinary, if a bit wild. The trees were tall and gnarled, and the nearby foliage made it seem like a hike through the forest would be an arduous journey.

“What makes it so dangerous?”

“The animals in there are wild and dangerous, but some of them are my friends and they live there. However, there are animals that are not so nice. There are big, scary hydras nesting in the swamps and cragadiles that like to camouflage themselves as rocks in order to hide. Timberwolves roam the forest as well, and they never travel alone. Sometimes they come a bit close to Ponyville, and one time they came out of the forest in order to attack the Apple farm. Even if they’re smashed, they can form into one giant timberwolf.”

I asked for clarification about the animals, and the animal expert continued with her explanation. Hydras were exactly what I expected: multi-headed reptiles that grew to an immense size. The cragadile was a crocodilian beast with tough skin that dwelled in shallow waters and sometimes crept up on land in order to hide among rocks to ambush unsuspecting prey. Timberwolves were similar to normal wolves except for the fact that they were composed of sticks, wood, and leaves, and emitted a foul stench that gave them away. A pack predator, timberwolves were some of the most dangerous predators of the forest, seeing as they had the audacity to come close to Ponyville while the rest of the beasts were content avoiding civilization. She went on, regaling me about a creature called a parasprite which had caused no end of trouble for her and her friends, as well as several creatures that had its existence, at least for me, in the pages of a book on mythology, such as cockatrices and manticores. She also added that at least one fully grown dragon lived in the forest, but she didn’t know exactly where. That didn’t exactly fill me with confidence about my safety.

Finally, Fluttershy spoke of the largest and perhaps most dangerous beast living in the Everfree Forest: the Ursa Major. It was a leviathan of a bear that had a coat resembling the night’s sky. She had actually encountered a cub once that was large enough to step on houses!

The shiver that ran down my spine when told about the dragon paled in comparison to hearing what that beast could do. The memory of Godzilla and its path of rampage flashed through my mind. Luckily, the Ursa Major and its cub, the Ursa Minor, were so rare that the one seen in Ponyville was the first sighting in over forty years. Still, its visit demolished several houses, causing a few ponies to have to live with friends and neighbours for a couple of weeks while new homes were erected.

I found myself admiring Fluttershy and her strong principle of kindness towards beasts, as well as the fount of knowledge that she possessed that belied her relatively young age. The more she spoke, she increasingly reminded me of Lisa, as if the two were made in the same mould, although Fluttershy had significantly more animals to care for than Lisa had. She only had a few horses and a dog while Fluttershy had an entire menagerie.

Fluttershy also wanted me to tell her of animals on Earth and what they were like. I described what types of animals we kept as pets as well as the wide variety of wild animals that existed, though I refrained from mentioning what we kept as livestock, having learned from my mistake. I also mentioned horses, a subject that caught her interest. I honestly thought she would think of the subject of unintelligent horses with some degree of unease. Instead, she almost had the same look in her eyes as Twilight when she desperately needed to know something.

I have her a brief history of the domestication of horses, as well as their general physiology. I also mentioned ponies from Earth, those cute little things that six year old girls loved so much, seeing as they were the closest analogy to Equestrian ponies I could think of. My little comment regarding children actually made Fluttershy grin. When I asked her about it, she admitted wanting to see how they looked and wondered if they would have liked a ride on her back. Of course, I then had to describe babies to her. Detailing them as little pink raisin things that cried a lot covered most of it, though, earning me another smile from Fluttershy.

An interesting fact we both realized was that our two planets were very similar when it came to fauna. Two very different planets, separated by time and space, yet somehow both contained much of the same animals. It was almost as if beasts from one planet had migrated to the other. With the existence of the portals, the idea of that happening wasn’t hard to imagine. That could explain the mythological existence of hydras, manticores, and even pegasi and unicorns.

As the hours passed and the clock reached six in the evening, Twilight and Spike returned as promised. We all remained a while longer as we shared our day’s activities. The details of our conversation also garnered Twilight’s interest, seeing as she immediately summoned a quill and scrolls into existence and began feverishly scribbling notes. Like Fluttershy, my details regarding horses also interested Twilight, although my description of their intelligence seemed to make her uneasy. I could understand how she felt. If I came here and found humans to be nothing more than mindless beasts, I’d also be unsettled.

The sun was about to set when we finally left Fluttershy’s cottage. She followed us to the door and we parted ways with a ‘see you tomorrow’, followed by a smile and a friendly wave. Crossing the small bridge close to her cottage, I spotted the bear wandering around Fluttershy’s property. The bear saw us and actually raised his paw. The rapid motions he made with that huge paw resembled someone waving goodbye.

‘Wonder how long it will take for me to get used to that…’

***

Like yesterday, Spike prepared dinner, once more impressing me with a vegetable casserole. Although it lacked in meat or fish, he somehow made it rather tasty. After dinner had concluded and I had done the dishes, we all sat down in the library to relax. Spike had a small bowl of gems he was munching on and a comic to read while Twilight disappeared off to somewhere. Seeing as I finally had some peace and quiet, I decided to practise my magic.

Finding the pebble in my pocket, I levitated it off my hand and held it in place mid-air. Rotating it around all three axes, I felt that my control over levitation had improved slightly. The stone didn’t seem as heavy as before, but I regularly had to take breaks in order to avoid exhausting myself.

“That looks so weird,” Spike commented from his comfy pillow, stuffing a ruby into his mouth.

I rotated the stone once vertically before turning it horizontally. “What does?” I asked.

“Your magic. It’s two colours. I’ve never seen it before.”

That comment made me frown slightly. “Yeah… the white part is Star Swirl’s magic.”

“Star Swirl?” Spike sat up, momentarily forgetting his comic. “How’d you get it?”

“He came to me in a dream after I found out he was my ancestor.” I continued to turn it on its axes, though I now began to feel a pronounced strain. “I thought it was just a dream, but he was there, or at least his spirit was. He gave me the white ribbon in my magic.” I gestured up to my horn, Star Swirl’s white aura encircling my own like a ghostly silk trimming. “According to Princess Celestia, it was sort of a gift back in the era Star Swirl lived in. Luckily, it will fade in time.”

“Huh… That’s actually pretty neat,” Spike commented with a smile.

I scoffed. “I disagree. It’s like a constant reminder. ‘Hey, look at this. Now you’ll remember me as the guy who ruined your life. Enjoy.’” I allow the pebble to float down into my hand, closing my fist around it.

Spike looked at me for a second before leaning back again. “Uh… well, yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it. Although, that sounds depressing. Why wouldn’t you be happy with his magic as a memento? After all, he’s the reason you’re alive.”

“It is also a reminder of everything he did to me, my family, my ancestors. You have no idea how it feels to lose everything you’ve ever cared for, and I hope you never have to either.”

Spike went silent, and I slapped myself internally for taking out my resentment on him. Luckily, he did not seem to take offense and instead focused on his comics while I stuffed the pebble back into my pocket. Heading over to the shelves, I searched for some new reading material since I’d soon be through the book about the history of magic. Perhaps something about spells? Maybe some exercises or something to strengthen my magic? Thankfully, Twilight’s library was well-organized.

Moving along the shelves, I finally found a book about maintaining one's magic. The index showed several techniques a unicorn could perform, several of them specifically made for beginners. In other words, perfect for me. Returning to the table with the book in hand, I had barely managed to sit down before Twilight came bursting through the doors with a whole heap of scrolls, quills, and inkwells floating behind her. She came to a screeching halt, looking around before spotting me.

“There you are!” she exclaimed excitedly, cantering over with a wide grin on her face. She carefully placed her writing material and implements into neat stacks on the table before finally taking a seat on a cushion, flashing me a familiar smile. “I thought we could do the exchange of information we talked about last night. Now.” She was almost vibrating out of excitement.

I gave my book a final glance before closing it and placing it on the table. “I did say that, didn’t I?” I leaned forward with my hands folded, resting them on the table. “Now would be a good time since I also have questions.”

Twilight practically beamed. “Great! I have so much to ask of you. The gathering and sharing of information, I think, is paramount to learning about each other.”

“Maybe. Just know that there are things I wouldn’t want anyone to know. I will filter out a few things.”

She nodded quickly. “Yes, and that’s the first thing I wanted to ask you about.” She unfolded a scroll and readied her quill and ink. “During the interview, you refused to elaborate on the inventions of humanity. I know, as do Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, that humans have made great progress in terms of science and technology, yet you’ve kept it a secret. Why is that?”

I knew that someday it would come back and bite me in the ass. With Twilight having helped me as much as she did, she truly deserved an explanation at the very least. I sighed, looking at her seriously. “I figured it was for the best at the time of the interview. Ponies and everybody else didn’t need to know everything about humans since it would cause problems for me in the long run. If everybody was told everything about humans and our inventions, I’m afraid that I’d never have a moment's peace again. Ponies, griffons, and whoever else would constantly be on my back, asking if I knew the solution to this problem or that. One incident I thought of, at the time of the interview, caused a lot of problems back on Earth well over a hundred years ago, resulting in a lot of people losing their jobs and livelihood. I wouldn’t want that happening here.”

Twilight frowned slightly. “Wow. That sounds more than a bit ominous.”

“Actually, it wasn’t that bad. Still, my point remains. It would cause problems.”

“But don’t you think that you could improve the lives of many ponies—scratch that, many races, all over the world by sharing ideas?”

I chewed on her suggestion for a few moments. Perhaps some inventions could be introduced, something harmless that wouldn’t adversely affect the people of this world.

“Maybe I could, but if that ever happens, I’ll think about it for a long time before doing anything.”

Nodding, Twilight wrote down my reply. “If you ever decide to introduce any human inventions, I call dibs on being the first to know and see them.”

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I’ll remember that.”

“Now then, onto the questions. Uh, can I go first?” I nodded. “Great. Do you know how long humanity has existed?”

Resting my head on my hand, I thought back to countless hours spent in front of the TV. I had watched plenty of documentaries that had to do with the origin of mankind, and just about all of them came to the same conclusion.

“The human race, called ~Homo Sapiens~ in ~Latin~, an old language of my world, is about two hundred thousand years old.”

Twilight gasped. “Two hundred thousand years old?”

“Mhm, early humans lived in a hunter-gatherer type of nomadic tribal society. They probably preferred living near the animals they hunted, and of course nearby sources of fresh water were also vital. However, they also ate different types of food such as fruits, berries, edible roots, and so on. All of these formed the basis of the first human tribes.”

Twilight’s quill moved frantically over the scroll. “Fascinating. I guess that being an omnivore made finding food easy.”

“I wouldn’t know since I’m not that old, but it’s a good assumption.”

Twilight finished writing, then looked up at me. “As promised, it’s your turn to ask.”

I scratched my head, thinking of what could pose as a good question. “Same question as yours. How old is the pony race?”

“That’s a bit difficult question to answer.” She levitated a book from the shelves over to herself, then opened up the book to a specific page. “The age of modern ponies has been debated in the Hippology circles, but most researchers believe that the modern pony—Equus Magicae, which is Pony Latin and describes all ponies, no matter their race—is somewhere between one hundred thousand and one hundred and twenty thousand years old, depending on the depth and layer of remains and fossils that have been discovered. However, as you can see in this book, remains have been found of what many believe is the common ancestor of all ponies.”

Twilight levitated over the book, the open page depicting several drawings of a somewhat larger pony next to a unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus. However, the larger creature only had a few similarities compared to modern ponies. Its eyes were smaller and muzzle longer. Its body was also marginally wider while its legs were also thinner.

“Interesting.” Ancestors to ponies resembled horses from Earth to a degree, but none of the many drawings had any hint of a horn or wings.

Handing the book back to Twilight, she levitated it back to the shelf and readied her quill. “My turn. When did the first human civilizations begin?”

“Well, accounts differ as archaeologists continue to discover new things. For example, there was this ancient ruin that was unearthed a few years back, and it dates to at least twelve thousand years ago. But the first true civilization was probably the ~Mesopotamians~ around six thousand years ago. They are credited as the first people to refine and formalize agriculture, animal husbandry, art, writing, construction, and so on.”

Her quill flew across the parchment as Twilight continued pressing for more details. I told her all I could recall about the more famous civilizations. The Egyptians, the Romans, the Greeks, the South American kingdoms such as the Inca and Aztecs, the time of the Chinese kingdoms, ancient India, as well as the European Germanic tribes. I did filter out a few things as we progressed through the ages, but for the sake of understanding, I also told the alicorn about the wars that had changed and shaped the world. I was of the firm opinion that one could not learn about human history without learning about the wars and conflicts that shaped it. While not a pleasant subject in itself, wars had thoroughly defined humans and human history.

My entire ‘lesson’, as Twilight called it, lasted over an hour and a half. During that time, she managed to fill forty scrolls. When it was my turn, I asked about the history of pony civilization, as well as how the other kingdoms’ races came to be. Twilight, being the studious pony, had much to tell on the subject.

The oldest country on Equus was Saddle Arabia. The current Sultan of Saddle Arabia was a direct descendant of a direct dynasty six thousand years in the making. The country was mostly desert, but had several vast green patches and oases where towns existed and farms thrived. Twilight was quick to admit that she wasn’t adept at foreign languages, thus she couldn’t even pronounce the capital’s name, but she provided a loose translation that meant something like ‘Desert Jewel’.

Next on the list were the diamond dogs. Their homeland was a faraway region called Granite Mountains someplace across the eastern sea. The land was a massive mountain range dominated by snow-capped mountains and deep river valleys, interspersed by large forest regions. Diamond dogs had few towns above ground, with the majority of their cities built deep underground. No one knew when their species came to be, not even diamond dogs themselves. Each town and den had a chief, an alpha, but all alphas obeyed a central authority, the Alpha of Alphas.

The kingdom of the griffons, Griffonia, was once six independent kingdoms. After warring for centuries, they eventually signed a ceasefire, which turned into peace and an alliance after many years. Through various means, such as marriage, hidden alliances, and the passage of time itself, only one griffon king remained and he joined the six kingdoms into one, founding Griffonia. A seventh kingdom, Griffonstone, refused to join, choosing to stand alone. Now Griffonia prospered and was an ally of Equestria while Griffonstone had been reduced to little more than a city state.

Minoa, the land of the minotaurs, was an island nation located in the warmer regions of the eastern sea. Consisting of thirteen islands, all had a minor king. However, each potential king candidate had to pass several trials to prove himself worthy, and each king could only hold office for ten years. The minotaurs also had a grand king, one who was chosen for life. Only the minor king who could defeat the other minor kings could hold this office. According to Twilight, this form of ruling had always been the way of the minotaurs. They favoured physical strength, courage, and shrewdness in their rulers, thus this method of ruling ensured powerful rulers.

The zebras lived on the continent of Zebrica, one of the largest landmasses known to ponies. The entire continent was covered by savannah, jungles, along with patches of desert. The zebra mostly lived in small towns and villages in tight-knit communities, with the capital and home of their rulers located far inland. Along their expansive coastlines, many port cities had been built that facilitated flourishing trade. According to Twilight, the Zebrican king and queen were good friends with Princess Celestia, having visited her many times.

The interesting thing I noted about most of these races was how little of their history had survived. Even from what I had read on the history of Equestria, while the ponies had recorded some of their history, they all originated from the same place, namely the pre-unification kingdoms, so there wasn’t a plethora of sources.

When we finally called it a day, I was almost sleepwalking in the direction of my room. I felt as if I’d been attending an entire semester of history in only a few hours. Damn that purple alicorn for being so hyped on teaching me things. And damn me for being interested in it and asking for more information.

Finally reaching my room, I quickly got my clothes off and crawled underneath the covers. Yawning a final time, I stretched my arms and legs before relaxing, feeling the stress of the day wash away. Turning onto my side, I cracked an eye open and looked at my room, bathed in darkness. Discord was nowhere in sight. Thankfully, I hadn’t seen him all day. Maybe I was old news to him already? One could only hope.

I was about to shut my eyes when I noticed the clock on the nightstand. Half one in the morning. Twilight had mentioned we would be at Sweet Apple Acres at seven, which was when the Apple family started their day.

Tomorrow was going to be a looong day… if I survived the day at all.

Author's Notes:

New chapter already? I thought this was pretty fast, at least by my own standards. I'm already hard at work on the next one. Expect it suddenly.

So, animal intelligence... Yeah, Equestrian animals are smart, smarter than earth animals. While it may just be because MLP FiM is a cartoon, I decided to roll with their animals being very smart. It sorta fit. And Harry's brother? Maybe it was the bear in Fluttershy Leans In. I think so.

Also, I had to refresh my history lessons from years ago by studying human history. I found a few short clips and documentaries on Youtube. The old ruins mentioned by Magnus are the ones they found in Turkey a few years ago called Göbekli Tepe. They were built around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. History is awesome.

Once more, leave constructive criticism if you like, and if you like my story, leave a like as well. Thank you to all my followers and readers. Stay awesome.

JBL still works wonders for my story. And JBL, I'll do my best to write in past tense.

Chapter 36 - Honest Experience (Edited by JBL)

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Slogging our way through the empty streets of Ponyville at an ungodly early hour, Twilight and I yawned in perfect sync. Our study session had been a terrible idea in hindsight, seeing as we finished our exchange of information in the early hours of the morning, only to wake up a few hours later to shuffle off to Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight looked the same way I felt: bags under her eyes, a slightly frazzled mane, and long yawns occasionally escaping her lips. I wasn’t really sure she was awake at breakfast. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember eating breakfast at all.

“Twilight?”

“Huh? What?” She blinked her eyes wearily.

“Let’s never stay up this late again.”

“Deal.”

“Didn’t I tell you to go to bed at a reasonable hour?” Spike snarked as he walked beside us, noticeably more refreshed than Twilight and me. I didn’t even notice him saying goodnight last night.

“Didn’t hear you,” I replied, rubbing my face.

“Too busy, human history fascinating,” Twilight answered robotically.

Spike shook his head, mumbling something about there now being two of her. I wasn’t awake enough to make sense of him, though. Who made sense at six-thirty in the morning anyway?

Somehow, we managed to find our way towards Applejack’s farm through the nearly empty streets of Ponyville thanks to Spike being our guide. Few ponies were up this early. I just couldn’t understand morning people. Why did they hate sleep?

Eventually, we left the centre of Ponyville, reaching the outskirts of the town. It didn’t take long before we came to the first row of apple trees flanking the road, a clear sign that this was Apple country. A white painted fence went along the entire stretch of road until we reached the farm itself. It had a welcoming gate shaped like an arch, with vines growing on it. The main house had the appearance of a barn, though was much better maintained. Painted bright red, it had clean windows and flower boxes at each window. The immediate area had some crops like lettuce and tomatoes planted, and I could hear the clucking of chickens nearby. The entire operation seemed rather orderly, unlike the farms I was used to. There wasn’t any oily and dirty machinery nearby, nor did the odour of diesel and oil hang in the air. There was only the smell of fresh air scented with apples, punctuated less pleasantly by the odours wafting from the nearby pig pen.

Wandering up to the door of the house, Twilight knocked three times and stepped back. The sound of rapidly approaching hooves on a wooden floor came from inside, followed by a young voice. “Ah got it!”

I expected to see Applejack, but instead it was a filly that opened the door. She was around half the size of Applejack, had a pale yellow coat, and red tail and mane, the latter of which had a bow of the same colour. Spotting Twilight and Spike, she immediately broke into a smile.

“Hi, Twilight, hi, Spike,” she greeted excitedly. It was then that she noticed me standing further back. Her smile quickly faded into an uncertain expression. “Um… hi…?” She slightly retreated inside.

I gave her a wave, yawning as I did. “Morning, kiddo.” She was one of the first pony kids I had seen up close. She was short in stature, and her large, innocent eyes made my heart lurch with how cute she was. Just looking at her, I imagined her and ponies her age playing and jumping around like fillies and colts released from their barns during the first days of spring back on Earth.

“Good morning, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack home?” Twilight asked, stifling a yawn.

She nodded. “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen, come on in.”

I stepped inside and immediately knocked my head against the low door frame. Unfortunately, the frame hit just below my horn, a spot I had learned was sensitive. A stream of profanities escaped my mouth while I rubbed my forehead. Fortunately, it came out in English. The Equish language didn’t have much in the way of profanity in it, anyway. Wouldn’t want to teach a kid new and exciting words.

Apple Bloom craned her neck to look up at me, stifling a giggle while I rubbed my head, hissing through my teeth. “Gotta be careful, mister, you’re a bit big for our house.”

“Thanks for the tip, kid,” I replied, looking down at her with a strained smile.

While getting my bearings, I looked around the homely living room we had entered. The furniture had that comfortable worn-in appearance to them, the oldest of which was a rocking chair that stood in the corner. Pictures of ponies were hung on the walls, both in colour as well as in greyscale. Some of them featured Applejack, along with a red-coated stallion and an elderly green-coated mare, while some newer ones also included the filly, Apple Bloom.

All in all, it both looked and felt cozy, as though a family had lived here for generations.

While I took in my surroundings, Applejack entered the room. “Morning, y’all. Looks like you two were up all night.”

“That’s because we did.” Twilight sleepily smiled at Applejack. “Did you know that the ~Roman~ Empire once ruled over more than half of Earth’s population?”

Applejack gave Twilight a confused look. “Ah… didn’t know that, but Ah know you two need some coffee. Come on into the kitchen; Granny made more than enough for all of us.”

Applejack didn’t have to ask twice, especially if my appearance mirrored that of Twilight’s. Apple Bloom quickly darted past us into the kitchen where the scent of freshly cooked food emanated.

Stepping into the kitchen was like stepping into a time machine back to a rural kitchen placed in the early 20th century. There was a stark absence of modern kitchen appliances, with most fixtures and fitting being made of wood, even the cast iron stove. Right in the middle of the kitchen stood a large table with chairs around it, around which were two ponies I hadn’t seen before. One was a large red earth pony with straw-coloured mane and tail, the second an older lime-green earth pony mare with hair so grey it had turned white. I recognized both from the pictures in the living room. Strangely enough, neither of them seemed afraid or fearful, instead smiling at me as if they expected me. It was likely Applejack had already told them about me.

When we walked into the kitchen, the stallion got off his low chair and went around the table to meet us. The alicorn and her assistant greeted the stallion, receiving a brief nod in reply. Then he stepped up to me, smiling and reaching out his hoof.

“Magnus, this here’s mah brother, Big MacIntosh,” Applejack said. I crouched down, balled my fist, and bumped it against his hoof. I had quickly gotten accustomed to this strange way ponies had of greeting each other.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr McIntosh,” I said with a smile.

“Eeyup,” was his only response as he returned to his seat.

“Now what’s all this, then?” The voice came from the old, wrinkled mare who had walked up behind Applejack. She had a patient, grandmotherly smile plastered on her face. “You gotta bend down so Ah can see you, young’un. Mah neck gets stiff if Ah stare up at the sky for too long.”

My lips curved upwards even as I crouched down, my fist extended to her. “Sorry about that, Ma’am.”

She gave my hand an odd look. “Ma’am? Now that’s very formal an’ all, not like how we do things ‘round here. Granny Smith will do just fine, young’un.” She touched my hand with her thin, wrinkled hoof, then proceeded to eye me up and down for a few seconds. “Strangest looking minotaur Ah’ve ever saw.”

I chuckled while Applejack stepped in to correct her elder. “No, Granny, this here is Magnus, the human from another world,” Applejack said before looking to me. “This is our grandmother, Granny Smith.”

I nodded politely. “Mrs Smith.”

“Granny. Granny Smith is mah name. This ain’t Canterlot, sonny.”

“Granny Smith then.”

“The lil’ filly behind you is our little sister, Apple Bloom.” Applejack pointed to the filly who had already taken a seat at the table, eagerly awaiting her breakfast. “Apple Bloom, come say hello to Magnus.”

Jumping off her low chair, the filly trotted over to me. Still crouching, I reached out my hand to her. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” I said, giving her a smile. She hesitated for just a second before bumping my hand.

“Hello. What kinda name is Magnus? It’s strange.”

Kids—they could be refreshingly blunt. I bet people who worked at daycare centres copped a lot of unwarranted opinions from their charges. Unfortunately, Applejack didn’t see it that way.

“Apple Bloom! Jes ‘cus he has a mite unusual name doesn’t mean you have to point it out.”

“But it’s true, though. He has a weird name,” the filly argued.

“Unusual, the word is unusual, Apple Bloom.”

The filly pouted. “An’ unusual is just another word for strange.”

The two siblings went back and forth for a while. Applejack was adamant that my name wasn’t weird, while Apple Bloom proclaimed that my name was indeed just that and that my parents should have given me a pony name. Their debate, however, soon came to an abrupt end.

“Breakfast is ready!” Granny Smith called out as she placed bread on the table. “We have enough for everypony, you three included,” she said, pointing to Twilight, Spike, and me. We wasted no time in sitting down with the family. Though we had eaten earlier that morning, I wasn’t going to pass on some home-cooked food. Just the scent of freshly baked bread was enough to make me salivate.

Their breakfast spread was varied, but at the same time limited. Although there was plenty of food such as vegetables, fruit, bread, and jams, most of it was apple-based. All of the baked goods had apples in them, the bread had a faint taste of apples, even the salad was fifty percent apples.

Luckily for me, their coffee was free of any apple influence and strong enough to bring me fully into the wakened world.

***

After breakfast, it was time to start the day at the farm. Big McIntosh left the house to start his work outside while the youngest member of the family ran upstairs. While Granny Smith cleaned off the table and Applejack helped her, Twilight, Spike, and I retreated into the living room.

“I’m not sure what Applejack has in store for you,” Twilight said, now looking more composed after getting a decent meal in her. “Who knows, since you worked at a farm, I’m sure that you two can find something you both have in common.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure that what I knew of farming would be that helpful around here. Honestly, I just used to drive a tractor to collect grain from the combine harvester and then delivered it to the silos. I had no experience working at an apple orchard at all. If the Apple family had any machinery around, I could probably help, but since ponies didn’t use tractors at all…

“I’ll keep my ears open to everything Applejack can teach me,” I replied, watching as said mare entered the living room.

“Good.” Twilight turned to Applejack. “I’m sure you two are eager to get started, so Spike and I will leave you to it. I’ll come pick you up at six, okay?”

“Fine with me, although I’m sure I could find my way back on my own.” Sometimes, Twilight made me feel like a kid at school waiting for my parent to pick me up.

Twilight nodded and headed outside, with Applejack and I following. We bade each other goodbye, and it didn’t take long before Twilight and Spike walked through the ivy-covered wooden gateway. Applejack took a deep breath, looking out over the farm.

“Nothin’ like a bit of fresh air to get the day started,” she said with a smile.

I smiled too, knowing a bit how she felt. There was a major difference between living in a city the countryside. Life seemed a bit more calm and idyllic.

Coughing into her hoof, Applejack peered up at me, an uneasy expression on her face. “By the way, about yesterday. That mare at my stand…”

I knew instantly who was referring to; Spoiled Rich, bitch extraordinaire.

“What about her?” I asked, wondering where this conversation was heading.

“Ah should have said somethin’. Ah should have defended you.” Exhaling, Applejack looked at me guiltily. “Ah should have stood up for you, but Ah didn’t. Ah was just too darn shocked to hear Spoiled Rich talk about you the way she did, not even knowing you, and Ah’m sure she knows what you’ve been through.”

Resting my hands on my back, a faint frown appeared on my face. Yesterday, I had thought it was weird that Applejack didn’t defend me, not even telling that mare to fuck off. Now I knew why. It shocked me too, hearing Spoiled Rich say that, fully aware that I could hear her. I wasn’t the only one. Fluttershy had fussed over me for a long time, trying to cheer me up. As far as I knew, Twilight didn’t know about it at all. I preferred it that way. She didn’t need to know everything that happened to me—I’d been babysat enough lately.

“Don’t feel bad about it, Applejack, though I appreciate you telling me you’re not responsible for her actions. Honestly, I’ve known for some time now that me simply existing here would make some ponies upset. However, I refuse to let a three feet tall pile of stacked shit break me.” Applejack let out a gasp at my language. In return, I cracked a smile. “So if you feel guilty, don’t. Spoiled Rich is a simple-minded mare who just happens to be good for one thing: producing manure.”

Applejack remained silent for a few seconds before allowing herself a satisfied smile. “Thank you. It’s been gnawing on me ever since yesterday.”

“You’re welcome.”

“By the way, please watch your language around mah sister, and Granny. Apple Bloom doesn’t need to learn those words, and Granny Smith isn’t fond of cussing.” I mimicked a zipper over my mouth. “Well, can’t just stand here, Ah got an apple orchard to see to. Ah guess Ah can teach you a thing or two while we walk.”

Just then, Apple Bloom galloped past us with saddlebags on her back and an eager smile on her face. “Bye, sis, bye, Mister Magnus,” she called out while sprinting down the road as fast as her short legs could carry her.

Applejack waved to her sister. “Bye, Apple Bloom, have a nice day at school.”

“See you around, kiddo.”

Seeing her head to school reminded me of my school days. Apple Bloom was all smiles and eager to learn, a complete opposite of my experience. I had never liked school much because I had struggled with so many subjects, math the greatest challenge. Numbers just became all jumbled up in my head. As far as I knew, I didn’t have a learning disability, I just didn’t like math at all.

“You have an adorable sister.” Applejack was still smiling fondly as the filly scampered away.

“The best,” she replied proudly.

“I really can’t tell the age of ponies yet, but I can tell the difference between young and old,” I explained. “How old is your sister, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“She’s eight years old, and in that special age when colts and fillies want to find their cutie mark. Apple Bloom and her friends tried a lot of things in order to earn them, though so far they haven’t succeeded in doing much else than cause a heap of problems around town.”

I didn’t consider asking, knowing that kids sometimes wanted to try and emulate adults. As a kid, there was a brief period of about a week or so when I wanted to be a carpenter and build houses. I practised hammering nails into everything that was made of wood. That had included grandfather’s chopping block. It took some time before he figured out why his axe had become blunted so quickly.

Applejack started walking towards the nearest patch of apple orchard while I followed like an obedient dog. Then an obedient dog turned up. A small one, reminiscent of a short haired-collie, came running like a bat out of hell out from the orchard, straight for Applejack. With its tail wagging and tongue hanging out, the little dog ran circles around us, barking and yipping.

“Winona! Calm down, girl, what got your tail in a twist?” In response, the dog tilted its head while looking at me inquisitively.

“I think she’s wondering what I am,” I responded. The dog wasn’t afraid of me, that much was clear. I crouched and held my hand out so that the dog could inspect me as she pleased. “She doesn’t bite, does she?”

“Nope, Winona is the nicest dog around, aren’t you, girl? Yes, you are!” Applejack said, immediately going into full dog owner mode. “Wanna meet Magnus? Wanna meet him? Go on, girl, say hello.”

Winona sniffed my hand a few times, barked, and wagged her tail before she began to circle around Applejack again as we resumed our walk.

Her appearance had made the gears in my mind turn. Winona was awfully diminutive for a dog, and she wasn’t a Paris Hilton pocket pooch either. She somehow reminded me of a sheep dog, not a lapdog. However, if I took the size of ponies into account, she was a normal-sized canine. Thinking about it, I remembered Fluttershy’s critters being awfully small as well. Had I grown, or was it perhaps that the sizes of the animals in this world had been reduced? At least Harry was normal-sized for an adult brown bear.

It was a brief walk towards the nearest orchard. The trees seemed healthy insofar as I could tell, and it didn’t take long before Applejack began relaying her family’s history.

Her family had come to this area a hundred years ago. Her grandmother, Granny Smith, had been just a filly back then when her parents were granted this land from Princess Celestia herself. It took a considerable amount of time and back-breaking labour to clear the land and plant the saplings, and the first few years were hard, but their labour eventually bore fruit, literally. I was actually more impressed by the fact that Granny Smith was over a hundred years old. Still, Applejack kept on going, telling me all about the farm while we walked between trees laden with fruit. Though the apples beckoned invitingly to me, I had my fill from my earlier breakfast.

Eventually, our conversation drifted to what Applejack had planned for the day. “Ah’m gonna check up on the apples trees over at the far end of the orchard. We’re gonna start harvesting next week, so Ah gotta make sure that all the apples are ready for harvest. If any apples aren’t ripe yet, Ah mark the tree so that we know to harvest them last. Big Mac is doing the same over on the west field,” Applejack explained. As we passed the trees, she gave them a quick look before nodding and moving on. Occasionally, she spotted apples that weren’t quite ripe yet, efficiently marking them with a stick leaning against the trunk.

“Do humans grow apples?” Applejack asked while marking another tree.

“Yep. Although the climate where I lived was a bit cold for apple trees, my home country grows all types of fruit. Apples, oranges—you name it, people had a farm for it,” I explained.

“Sounds mighty interesting. How do you harvest the crops?”

“Back in the day, we used our hands like this.” I reached up to the nearest branch, easily reaching the apple hanging there. “To reach the fruit higher up, we used ladders. Nowadays, we have machinery to help us in most of our farming.”

“Machinery?” Applejack frowned and huffed. “Not quite how we do things here at the farm. The best apples are the ones harvested with good ol’ muscle power; we just give the trees a good ol’ buck.”

“A buck?”

“Mhm, like this.” Applejack wandered over to a tree that was almost devoid of fruit. The bark on the tree had silvery moss growing on it and the branches were old and gnarled. She turned around and reared up on her forelegs while kicking straight backwards with her hind legs. The trunk shook violently and two apples fell down from the tree. “It works a lot better when the tree is full, though. We also place baskets underneath the tree to catch the apples as they fall down.”

‘That was a helluva good kick,’ I admitted to myself. I felt the ground shake slightly when she made contact with the trunk. Although a lot faster than simply picking the apples from the tree, I expected a full day of harvesting would take its toll on a pony.

But Applejack was an earth pony. I remembered reading the book about the different types of ponies, which stated that earth ponies were the strongest. How strong, I had no idea.

“Applejack, I have a favour to ask.”

“Go ahead, Sugarcube.”

“Show me how strong earth ponies are.”

She turned around, a single hoof pushing her hat up, revealing her confused visage. “‘Scuse me?”

“I know it sounds strange, but I read somewhere that earth ponies are the strongest. Now I’m wondering just how strong you are. So please, show me. It’s for the sake of knowledge.”

Applejack shook her head and sighed. “Ah think you’ve been spendin’ too much time around Twilight.”

“Please?” I didn’t want to beg, but as long as I didn’t resort to puppy dog eyes, I was in the clear.

The farmpony eventually cracked a smile. “Shucks, Ah guess there’s no harm in showing you.”

Grinning, I knelt on one knee and leaned forward while crossing my arms over my chest. With my kneeling leg extended backwards, I dug my hoof into the earth to add some resistance, while my other leg acted as a stabilizing force. Removing her hat, Applejack lowered her head, butting her head against my arms tucked across my chest.

“Ready?”

“Go for it.”

I knew I had gained some weight after coming to Equestria. Hooves were heavy, and I knew my bones had thickened somehow by the physical change I underwent when coming to Equestria. I was uncertain of how much I weighed since ponies used a different system of measuring weight, but a hundred kilograms didn’t sound that far off.

That wasn’t even a challenge for Applejack. Her first initial push against my chest almost sent me scrambling backwards, making me lose balance for a second. Digging the tip of my hoof into the ground, I held on, but it didn’t faze her. Managing to get my other leg behind me, I planted my second hoof into the earth, hoping it would slow her down. She didn’t even notice it.

“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” I exclaimed, feeling the pressure of the earth building in my legs. She immediately ceased and placed her Stetson back on her head.

“That good enough for you?” she asked, grinning victoriously.

Standing up, I brushed away some twigs and grass that had caught onto my pants. When I looked at the point where we started, I realized that Applejack had pushed me ten meters backwards. There were even two small furrows in the earth where my hooves had tried to find purchase.

I stared in awe at the tracks, then to Applejack. “Yeah,” I nodded in respect. “That was unbelievable.”

She walked behind me, pushing up her hat while passing me. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Thank ya kindly, but honestly, Ah’m not that strong. Big Mac’s stronger. He once pulled a house off its foundation.”

My head whipped around, staring at the apple farmer while she walked over to another tree, marking it with a twig. Her brother did what?! Pull a frickin’ house? Seriously?

I shook my head slowly while looking at the two furrows left behind. I didn’t doubt her in the slightest. After her show of strength, I now had a clear measure of an earth pony’s physical prowess. Pound for pound, they were much more powerful than humans, inhumanly powerful. Max would stand no chance against Applejack, even less against her brother. I once thought that earth ponies were unlucky since they couldn’t fly or use magic, but their physical abilities more than made up for it.

That in turn made me wonder how powerful ponies could become if they went to the gym every day. A brief image of pony Arnold popped up my head, yelling “Get to da choppa!”

Applejack couldn’t understand why I suddenly started chuckling.

***

Applejack made quick work marking the trees. She explained that she and her brother had already taken care of the other parts during the past two days, and that this part was the smallest part of the orchard remaining. During the hours spent with her, she taught me how to recognize fruit that needed some extra time to become ripe from those that were near perfect for harvest. I wondered how this knowledge would help me, but I didn’t object from participating at all. Every little titbit of information helped me, or at least that was what I told myself.

Our continuous exchange of information regarding agriculture was also a subject both of us found somewhat interesting, Applejack more so than me. Having told her about how many humans there were back home, she was curious about how we could provide food for everybody and how human harvesting methods worked. I explained our diet to her, mentioning eating meat and fish. After I explained that we used machinery for most of our agricultural work, she scoffed, stating her dislike for machinery replacing an honest day's work. She even went as far as comparing a modern day farmer to an office worker when I told her of combine harvesters and how the farmer sat comfortably in the cabin to operate the machine in all kinds of weather. Her stubborn nature in this regard reminded me in some ways of a Luddite.

I wisely stayed away from the topic of genetically modified crops, knowing that she would definitely have strong opinions concerning that, perhaps something along the lines of ‘tampering with nature’.

Leaning a stick against the last tree, I stood up and brushed debris off my knees. Applejack had already finished her part, and as usual, she inspected the tree I had marked, ensuring I had paid attention to her directions.

“And that’s that,” she said with a nod. “All done. Now, all we gotta do is wait for the apples to ripen, and then they’ll be ready for harvest.”

“That’ll take a few days of hard work. Do you do all the work yourselves?” I asked, looking around at the trees brimming with apples. For two ponies to harvest all of this would take a couple of weeks at the bare minimum. I doubted Granny Smith would be much help, seeing as she was well over a hundred years old.

“Mostly,” Applejack answered. “Every few years, we get a bumper harvest, and then we usually hire help. Last year, we ended up with a lot more than usual, and Big Mac was injured at the time.” She looked away, her voice becoming uncharacteristically low. “Ah tried to harvest it all in mah own. It… didn’t work out so well, so the girls offered to help. Got it all done in a couple of days.”

We headed back to the barn, making idle conversation as we walked along one of the fences that separated the orchard and the main road leading from the farm to Ponyville. It was at that moment I spotted a herd of cows grazing in an enclosed pasture at the other side of the road. It reminded me of the farms back in Montana. The cows looked well-groomed and healthy, with just enough weight to them.

Then one of the cows raised its head and spotted us. “Good morning, Applejack. Who’s your friend?”

For a few seconds, I couldn’t do much more than simply gape in shock. The cow had spoken as clearly as any person, and she even had a slight accent, one I couldn’t place. I was completely flabbergasted, to say the least. The cow even had somewhat of a feminine look to her face as well, just like the mares I had encountered. Although I knew cows were sentient, intelligent beings, hearing one talk was still a complete surprise. Here was a creature I regarded as food, but that train of thought derailed in a split second.

Applejack tipped her hat to the bovine while approaching the fence. “Howdy, Daisy Jo. This here’s Magnus, the human who arrived in Equestria some time ago.”

The cow looked at me and gasped. “It is?” She whipped around and shouted to the rest of the herd. “Girls, the human we read about is here!” It was all it took to get their attention, and seconds later they all came galloping, gathering at the fence. I immediately noticed their size. I was right concerning animals in this world; the cows were much smaller than their Earth counterparts, just over half their size.

“He’s so tall.”

“Not strange looking, though.”

“Almost a bit like a pony, if a pony walked on two legs.”

“Is his mouth supposed to be open like that?”

“Maybe he’s hurt?”

“No, his mouth was closed earlier.”

They spoke eagerly among themselves while at the same time bombarding me with questions at a rate I had no chance of answering. Applejack was no help; she had merely taken a step back and chuckled to herself at seeing the situation I was in.

“We heard that your world and ours are the same. Does your world have cows too?”

“Uh, yes, but—”

“Do you like Equestria?”

“I mean, it’s nice and—”

“How about the food?”

“I can’t say that—”

“Do you eat grass?”

“No, but—”

Fortunately, Applejack came to the rescue after she noticed my obviously stressful situation, though she probably had to compose herself first. “Girls, settle down please. Ah think Magnus is a bit overwhelmed when you’re all shouting.”

The voices of the cows slowly subsided until they were all silent, each of the bovine looking at me expectantly.

“Well, Magnus, are you up for a chat with the friendliest cows you’ve ever met?” Applejack asked.

Once I got my thoughts in order, I nodded. Sure, why not speak with them? After all, this was probably the most surreal moment in my life so far.

***

Who knew cows were so talkative? It turned out that cows weren’t that different from ponies, at least when it came to simple conversation. I answered their questions as best I could, keeping my answers simple. On the inside, my brain was freaking out. It all boiled down to me having a conversation with what I once upon a time would call a ‘future medium rare’.

Even after Applejack and I left after bidding the herd goodbye, I was having difficulty reconciling their human-like demeanours and personalities with their former status as food. All I could think of was the line between food and person, now blurred beyond all comprehension. My former cravings for meat was gone, turned into a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even thinking about a nice, juicy steak made me feel like throwing up. When we got back to the farm, I needed to drink water to calm down my stomach. It didn’t help much, and I tried to put it in the back of my mind.

I helped Applejack load up a cart of apples for the market, seeing as she was heading into town after lunch. I was going with her, because ‘Ah’ve a few things to teach you ‘bout buying at the market’. Basically, Applejack wanted to teach me how to find the best vegetables and fruit, and how to haggle. The latter could actually be a very useful skill to have, seeing as it could help me save a few bits here and there.

Before we ventured into town, Granny Smith made us lunch. The only problem was that she had used a lot of milk this time, and I knew where the milk came from. A steaming bowl of oat porridge was placed in front of me, smelling of apples, cinnamon, and sugar. The meal looked great, but one thing was on my mind.

‘I know perfectly well where the milk came from. Drinking this milk is like… I don’t know, mother’s milk… Yuck.’ I looked up, seeing Granny Smith looking at me expectantly, wondering why I hadn’t eaten anything yet. I forced a smile and focused on my porridge again. I had to eat since I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. ‘Come on! It’s cow's milk, just like you buy at the store! Get a grip!’

Slowly, I scooped up a bit of porridge and put in my mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. It tasted as it smelled: fantastic. Granny Smith had to have a black belt in cooking.

‘A cow’s udder is basically one breast with four nipples!’

Sometimes I hated my brain.

***

After eating lunch, and clean up the mess I made whilst apologizing for spraying my mouthful of food on Big Macintosh, Applejack and I headed outside. Hitching herself up to a wagon that acted as a market stand and could transport baskets at the same time, we headed towards Ponyville.

“Yeah, the ponies in town sure love apples. We sell to just about everypony. ‘Course, lotsa apples are sold to Sugarcube Corner, and we send em to other towns as well. Granny made a deal to deliver to Canterlot Castle when she took over the farm years and years ago. We ain’t the only apple farmers around though; the Apple family is huge, and we have apple orchards all over Equestria,” Applejack said as we pulled into town and her designated spot, smack dab in the middle of the market square. We of course attracted some attention from the other vendors, seeing as they probably didn’t expect me to accompany Applejack today.

While Applejack unhitched herself from the cart, I pulled out the supporting legs built into the cart, steadying it. “Sounds like family reunions are a big thing for you guys.”

“It’s a real hoot-a-nanny, Ah tell you,” Applejack replied with a grin, taking a basket from the cart and placing it on the ground. “Cousins, uncles, aunts, second cousins—you name it, it’s a real shindig. Last time we had a reunion, we had it at Sweet Apple Acres. The family came from all over Equestria. Lotsa delicious food, music, dancing, news from far and wide—we even raised a barn in just a few hours.”

I placed the last baskets on the ground while Applejack set up an awning over the stand, providing some shade for her. If I wanted to get under it, I had to crouch, and it would leave less space for her, thus I decided to stand.

“Must be nice, having so many uncles, aunts, and cousins,” I said, sitting down next to her.

She smiled, waving to a random passerby. “It is, and the family’s still growing.” She then looked at me. “What about you? You have any family?”

“You already know about my friends, but other than that, I don’t have anyone.”

“No one at all?” Applejack asked, sounding surprised. “You told us about your friends, but what happened to your parents?”

“Mom died when she gave birth to me, and my dad just left.” I shrugged. “As for his parents, I never knew them.”

She gasped. “Yer own dad left you? How could he do that?” Slapping her hoof onto the stand, she scoffed. “What kind of parent abandons his own child?”

I didn’t reply, knowing that Applejack was trying to dig for information. It had only been many years later that I found out my dad’s story and the life he had lived. The first time I visited his and my mom’s grave was the first time in my life I had truly missed him.

***

The afternoon rush had been in full swing for an hour or so now, and ponies trickled into the square at a steady rate, all searching for the best bargains. That included purchasing apples from Applejack, and even though it started somewhat slow to begin with, business quickly picked up. I got the distinct feeling that some of the customers mainly wanted to stare at me, all while using Applejack’s wares as an excuse.

All the ponies seemed to be on friendly terms with Applejack, with a multitude of greetings and pleasantries. It was the perk of growing up in a small town where everybody knew everybody, I supposed.

There was also the occasional haggling going on. A couple of stallions and a few mares weren’t satisfied with the quality of the apples, and attempted to push the price down. Applejack valiantly defended her apples, emphatically retorting that they were perfectly fine, and grown with care and love. A few customers also asked me for my opinion regarding the apples, and I answered honestly that the apples were better than the ones I had back home. It was enough to make ponies pay the asking price. Honestly, I had never tasted apples straight from the tree, without any insecticides or pesticides.

Eventually, the stream of customers trickled down, which gave Applejack a breather. “Looks like Ah got a break. We barely got any apples left.” She looked back at the last basket, which was less than half full. She nodded to herself in satisfaction. “What do you say to me teaching you how to find some good bargains, and how to pay a reasonable price?”

“I won’t refuse the lesson.” I stood up and followed Applejack around the market, checking out the various stands. Fresh fruit and vegetables wasn’t the only things for sale, as I noticed some stands that had jams, drinks in glass bottles or clay jugs, as well as a stallion who just sold firewood.

“There, that stand.” Applejack pointed at one stand manned by a yellow mare with an orange mane. She obviously sold carrots, judging by the baskets of the root crop around her stand. It also featured prominently on her flanks as her cutie mark.

We headed over towards her, Applejack greeting her amiably. “Howdy, Carrot Top.”

The mare broke into a smile at seeing Applejack, not diminishing as she noticed me. “Applejack, hello. You too, Magnus.”

“Hello.” I nervously scratched my head, wondering at her casual greeting. Had I met her at Pinkie’s party?

“How’re things today?” Applejack asked, looking over the mare’s selection.

“Pretty well, I suppose. This is my first batch of Golden Granite carrots. I thought they would grow poorly in rocky soil, but they seemed to like the challenge of my backyard! If they sell well, I might plant a few more next spring.” She wrapped her foreleg around two carrots, holding them out to us. “Would you like a taste?”

“Don’t mind if I do, thank you.” I accepted her carrot and chewed it thoughtfully. It tasted just fine, perhaps a bit crispier than normal carrots.

Applejack also accepted a sample, quickly dispatching it inside her mouth. “Mite unusual from your normal carrots, but good anyway.” Finishing her carrot, top and all, she returned to her original agenda. “Ah wonder if you could help us a bit, Carrot. See, Ah planned to teach Magnus here a few things today, one of them being how to haggle. Could you help us by being the vendor and Magnus the customer?”

“Sure, I’d be happy to help,” the mare answered.

“Go on, Sugarcube, be the customer.” Applejack gave me a nudge towards the stand.

I stepped forward and gave her stock a glance. “How much is it for a dozen?”

“A dozen carrots are six bits.”

I nodded idly while pondering my next move. What first came to mind was how little I knew of Equestrian money compared to US dollars. I didn’t even know what I could buy with one bit or a hundred. Sure, I had paid attention to the transactions between ponies and Applejack at her stand, but due to the flexibility of the prices, I had no way of knowing the standard value of a bit.

“Six? That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” My answer was mostly guess work. After all, I was trying to push down the price.

Carrot Top immediately shook her head. “Not considering the amount of work I put into my new crops. Fertilizer, weeding, and a lot of love and care went into making my carrots grow.”

I scratched my scruff while wondering what new angle to try. True, she probably spent money on fertilizer, and weeding the crops also took time. The ‘love and care’ part wasn’t something that could be measured in one's wallet, though.

“Okay, now I don’t know what to try. Teach, I need help.”

“Yep, just follow mah lead.” Applejack leaned forward, taking a closer look at the carrots, turning a few over in the process. “Look for the little things: spots, bruises, anything that says this crop ain’t top notch. But since this is Carrot Top’s crops, Ah doubt we’ll find anything.” Carrot Top beamed at the compliment. “Still, she also said that this is a new crop for her, meaning the carrots might not be all that. Since it’s mostly an unknown, you could push her price down by focusing on that.”

“Applejack is right; they are a new breed of carrot around these parts. If they sell well, I’ll sow new ones next year, but if they don’t, I won’t,” Carrot Top confirmed.

I nodded while pondering my new strategy, taking a closer look at the crops on display. Carrot Top had given me a free sample, and it was pretty good, so she had that going for her. I then proceeded to inspect the crops, looking for flaws and imperfections. I found too few that to mention them would just be nitpicking. Another point for her. Maybe I could use a bit of advertising?

“Hmm, if this is a new type of carrot, I’d say four bits for a dozen. If I like them, I’ll buy more. Heck, I’ll even recommend them.” I stood up straight, crossing my arms. “Do we have a deal?”

Carrot held a hoof to her mouth while she looked at her selection, humming to herself. “Well, my customers have only bought my regular carrots today, and few have taken an interest in my Golden Granite.” Lowering her hoof, she smiled. “Sure, we have a deal.”

I fist-pumped, enjoying my small, but first, victory. I’d had so much going against me lately that even something insignificant like this going my way felt like I had won the lottery.

“Atta colt, now you’re learning!” Applejack bumped her hoof against my thigh.

Carrot Top applauded briefly. “Haggling is easy when you get the hang of it, but remember not to push the price too far down, otherwise you might get a bad reputation and the vendors will raise their prices just for you.”

Applejack nodded. “You gotta remember that ponies have families to feed and bills to pay too.”

***

After we departed from Carrot Top’s booth, we went around to the other stalls, whose owners were equally accommodating once Applejack explained the situation. She even said that I had a thirty bit budget to work with, stating that that amount should be more than enough to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two or three days. She also added an extra challenge by making me visit the stands that sold more expensive foods. My attempts were not completely successful, though; I attempted to haggle on the price of cherries, which were quite expensive, at least in my eyes, or perhaps it was the stallion selling cherries who deliberately increased the price. It only ended with me having to pay triple the stated value. In my own weak defence, I had spent too much already.

At least I gathered some much needed experience, which I was sure would be helpful in the future. After all, wherever I decided to live, I had to pay for food, rent, and one other expense which ponies didn’t have to worry about, namely clothing. Saving as much as possible especially for winter clothing was important. I had no idea how bad winters could be around these parts, but I had been through several back in Montana.

The market eventually began winding down, Applejack selling out her remaining produce in the meantime and ending up with a fat sack of bits as her rewards. Running a farm took effort and significant expense, especially if it had been a bad year. God knew I had seen some poor fields back home from time to time.

I was helping Applejack pack up her stand when I heard a familiar voice behind me. “Magnus, Applejack, hello!”

Both of us looked over our shoulders as Twilight came cantering towards us, saddlebags on her back bulging.

“Hey, Twilight. Got some last minute shopping done?” I pointed at her saddlebags; one flap was open, revealing bread and fruit.

“Sometimes I forget to buy food, especially if I have a project I’m working on,” Twilight replied with a sheepish grin. “And as usual, I get the leftovers, which is why Spike is the one doing the shopping for me.”

I could believe that, especially after experiencing Spike’s culinary delights.

Applejack chuckled. “That’s what you get. Ah swear, sometimes you’re like Rarity when she’s in her ‘zone’.” She playfully poked Twilight in the side.

“Not always,” Twilight replied, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Anyway. Magnus, what did you learn today?”

I picked up the last empty baskets, placing them on the cart. “Applejack taught me how to haggle, and I learned a few things about farming practices. Not sure how much use I’ll have for knowing about farming, but haggling is a valuable skill.”

“Maybe you’ll want to run a farm one day; could be useful to know how to do things.” I shrugged at Applejack’s suggestion. Running a farm here was so much harder than back home with no machinery available, only manual labour. Not that I disliked hard labour, oh no, but I had my limits. After all, there was a reason farming here was done mainly by earth ponies. Their innate earth pony magic was probably so strong that they could make wheat grow in a quarry.

With her stand disassembled, Applejack strapped the harness around her midsection and secured it, the ease with which she did it speaking of years of experience.

“Well, that’s that for today then. Ah’ll be heading home now. You two are welcome to join me home. Ah bet Granny’s got something delicious cooked up for dinner.”

I didn’t even consider declining her offer. Granny Smith was a helluva cook, even though it was all apples. Unfortunately for me, Twilight had other plans. “Thank you, Applejack, but Spike’s already making us dinner at the castle. I also have a few things I wanted to talk about with Magnus.”

“Aw, dammit.”

“Don’t worry, Sugarcube, Ah’m sure there’ll be another day.” She patted my thigh in sympathy.

I hoped there would be. The food at Canterlot Castle was great, and Spike was also a damn good cook, but there was something about Granny Smith’s cooking that topped them, perhaps experience.

I thanked Applejack for her company throughout the day, which I did in fact value highly. She seemed to be a down to earth type of person, and I genuinely liked being around her. I don’t know why, but she seemed to be the most… humanlike… of the six mares I had met.

With our goodbyes said, we parted ways and headed back to the castle. While walking, I noticed Twilight was almost walking on the tip of her hooves while grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. I had no doubt in my mind that she had something planned. I would find out soon enough.

***

After dinner, I retired to the library in search of something to read, which had become something of a daily occurrence for me. My current area of interest were early spells, which worked by combining words, thoughts, will, and imagining the spell you wanted to cast. Nowadays, things had changed. Will was still needed, along with knowledge of the spell, the amount of magic required to cast it, as well as training. A small note also mentioned that some unicorns relied on emotions to cast spells. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the spell. However, most of the spells described in the book were obsolete since newer and more effective spells had been created. Much to my dismay, a certain amount of math was actually required for some complex ones, meaning I was up shit creek without a paddle.

‘There should probably be a spell book somewhere around here. I would be surprised if there wasn’t,’ I thought, glancing around at the massive volume of books surrounding me.

My quiet moment was interrupted by a certain alicorn with a giddy smile on her face galloping into the library, trailing scrolls and paper behind her. She slid to a halt in front of me, taking a moment to regain her breath. During dinner, she asked me what I thought of Applejack and her lessons, as well as Applejack’s family. Other than taking note of my responses, Twilight had remained unusually quiet. Most likely she had been planning whatever she now had in mind.

“Something on your mind, Twilight?” I asked, leaning forward. I was certain she had questions. After all, when didn’t she?

“Yes, questions,” she panted. “Your device.”

“Device? You mean my ~cell phone~?”

“Yes, your sell fff-f-f… that.”

Sometimes it was really amusing hearing a pony attempt to speak English. They just didn’t have the vocal cords for certain words.

“Well, what questions do you have?”

“I want to see it and what it can do!” Twilight exclaimed with a grin that bordered manic.

I hummed to myself for a moment while considering her request. “Sure, it’s in my room. Let me get it.”

Twilight’s horn glowed for a split second, and in a flash of light, my phone was on the table in front of me. I looked up at the youngest princess, wondering how she knew where it was. “Walking would take too long,” she explained, hopping in place out of sheer eagerness.

“Impatient much?”

“No, just very, very, curious.”

Smirking at how she was living up to her bookish reputation, I reached over to the phone, picking it up and weighing it in my hand. “So, this is a mobile ~phone~, a communication device. Just about every human can buy one if they have the money for it.”

Twilight was already taking notes with her quill. “How does it work? Magic-filled gemstones? Runes? Enchantments? Golemancy?”

“Uh, no, it uses electricity.” I opened the cover on the back, exposing its inner workings. I popped out the battery and handed it over to Twilight. She accepted it gingerly, treating it as if it was a priceless artefact. “This is the power source, a battery. It holds an electric charge that can last for days, depending on how much I use the ~phone~.”

She stared at the battery in awe. “Incredible! It is so small, though. We have batteries too, but they’re…”

“Crude?” I suggested, helping Twilight along.

She nodded. “And big. The smallest battery Equestria has ever developed is half the size of a cart, and it can power an electric bulb for thirty seconds, perhaps fifty under ideal conditions. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but many buildings use magical lights. Basically, it is a type of transparent quartz with a special rune carved into it, drawing in magic from the area around it, converting it into a basic light spell. It’s very efficient and lasts for years.”

I had to admit that it sounded amazing. Basically, it was free energy, the dream many scientists on Earth could only fantasize about. It made me wonder what other achievements ponies had made in the fields of electrical engineering. Probably minor ones since their batteries were woefully inefficient, but they had it all covered with their magic.

Twilight returned the battery, then noticed the rear cover plate. Touching it with a hoof, she seemed surprised that it moved under her hoof. “This material is so light. What is it called?”

“~Plastic~,” I answered, picking up the black plastic cover. Of course, it came out in English. That probably meant that ponies didn’t have oil wells, since plastic was usually made from crude oil. “It’s a synthetic compound that can be turned into different shapes. It’s lightweight and used for almost everything back on Earth like bottles, containers, bags, stuff like that.”

Her quill rapidly moved across paper with a speed exceeding a printer, Twilight’s eyes then fell on the inner workings of the phone. The exposed circuit board, the shaped metal as well as the copper contacts intrigued her greatly, and I saw the questions churning in her head.

“Don’t ask me how it all works. It’s a bunch of electrical signals going through tiny metal parts and somehow it all makes this thing work,” I forestalled. I didn’t even know the proper names for those tiny thingies on a circuit board.

Though she was slightly put out by that, she quickly rebounded and asked if I could demonstrate how my phone worked. I pressed the power button, causing the screen to light up and a brief sound to play. Twilight was instantly at my side, looking at the phone intently while simultaneously taking notes.

“It plays music too?” She gasped.

“Amongst other things,” I answered. She would probably freak out in a while and I had a front row seat. It would be like showing a caveman a flashlight. Then I realized I had been the caveman a few weeks back when I learned about magic.

Karma.

The PIN-code display popped up, and I quickly typed in my password. “What were those symbols?” Twilight asked while the phone started up.

“Human numbers, zero through nine. We also use a ten number numeral system, similar to yours.”

The phone took a few more seconds to start, due to its age. The only new thing on it was the battery I bought a few months back, and it still held a decent charge. I wouldn’t want to expend all the juice for nothing. No, I had things on the phone that I wanted to get out somehow, the photos the most important of all. The ponies had cameras, so maybe they could take pictures of the screen while displaying the photos stored on it.

“Now this is the menu screen, and these are ~apps~.” I pointed out a few of them. “This one can play music, this one is a type of filter for photos—”

“That’s a letter!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly, pointing her hoof at the screen, accidentally touching the message icon, which resulted in the message list popping up. “W-Where did it go? What happened?” she asked in confusion, sounding like she was afraid she had done something wrong. While it would have been fun pretending she broke something or damaged my phone in some way, it would most likely make her sad or maybe even cry, and I wouldn’t want that.

“Whenever I want to access something, like the messages I’ve received or sent, I just lightly tap the letter icon with my finger, like you just did with your hoof. These are a list of my recently sent and received messages.” I tapped the most recent one; it was from Lisa, simply asking me where I was, just hours before I had arrived at the boat rental place in Florida.

Twilight paid rapt attention to me explaining the messages and the letters of our alphabet. She was of the opinion that English sounded simple due to our short alphabet. I had to agree with her.

“It’s like… like this device is an inanimate technological version of Spike,” she said. “It’s like two dragons communicating with each other over great distances with scrolls they incinerate. It’s amazing!”

I then went on to explain how a cell phone worked, mobile phone signal towers, and how I could call people on the other side of the globe if I wanted to. The more I explained, the wider her eyes grew. I then decided to blow Twilight’s mind. Although I didn’t have a signal or Wi-Fi—yes, I tried—I attempted to explain the internet to her.

“This symbol,” I tapped the Google Chrome browser, opening it to reveal no connection, “is called a ~web browser~. By using this, we can access something called the ~internet~. Imagine a library filled with books, movies, music, pictures, and so on. That is what the ~internet~ is. You can look for anything you want by simply typing it here, and then you’ll get perhaps a few million search results.”

I looked over to Twilight. She hadn’t moved in minutes; even her quill had stopped writing. Her eyes remained fixated on a point I couldn’t see, and her mouth was ever so slightly open, a single drop of drool slowly dribbling its way out of her mouth and falling onto my thigh. “Twilight?” I waved my hand in front of her eyes. It took a few seconds before she reacted.

“Y-You… have a library… on this device?” she asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

“No, but I guess I can access a library of sorts.”

“Any… Any library?”

“I guess so.”

“And any subject you want to research?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

She was stunned. Completely speechless. She kept staring at my phone as if it was the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. I guess I had finally broken her.

Spike happened to wander by the table, noticing Twilight’s completely vacant expression. “What happened to her?” he asked.

I waved the phone in front of Twilight’s face. Her eyes tracked every movement.

“I said that I could access libraries with this thing.”

“Oh, yeah, that should do it.” He then wandered off again. Judging by his nonchalant attitude, I guess he had seen this happen before.

Looking back to Twilight, she was still tracking my phone. Turning on the camera, I held it toward her and said, “Smile.” The light flashed briefly, turning the alicorn’s irises into pinpricks. With the sound of the photo taken, she shook her head and came back to her senses, quickly focusing on the phone again.

“What was that light? And the sound?” I turned the screen to her, showing her the picture I took. Her eyebrows went up to her hairline. “It can take photographs as well?!” she exclaimed loudly.

“And record films too.”

Twilight’s shoulders slumped while she looked at my phone with complete disbelief written on her face. “Music, films, photographs, libraries, messages, long distance communications… Next you’re going to tell me that it can make you breakfast as well!”

“No, it can’t make breakfast, but I can order food by calling certain numbers that leads to a restaurant or a fast food place,” I explained while looking through the phone at what else might interest her. “Anything else you want to see?”

Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof while gazing at the different app symbols. Some of the symbols were universal, such as music notes which she clearly recognized. “You said that it can play music; can you play a song? Something very human maybe?”

“Sure.” I accessed my music library, scrolling through a few tunes, hoping to find something that would satisfy her. One title immediately sprung to mind, and I wasted no time finding it.

A soft tune flowed from the speaker. Starting easy with female vocals, the piano joined in, gently as could be. Then the effects came in, adding more to the feeling of the song, the drums and the brass section giving it life while the string instruments tied it all together. A bit epic in itself while sounding amazing.

Next to me, Twilight sat with her ears swivelled towards the direction of the phone, listening intensely. Swaying from side to side with the music, she bobbed her head with the tune, a flicker of a smile on her face as she closed her eyes.

The song ended and Twilight sighed contently. “Beautiful. Is all human music like this?”

“No, there’re many different genres; classical, rock, heavy metal, reggae, and many more. I can’t even begin to name half of them.”

“Our music is the same. Although classical music is very popular in Canterlot, we also enjoy more modern music. Do you have anything with singing? I would like to hear something with your language.”

I nodded and began scrolling through the list. The choice was easy, namely one of my favourite artists. It didn’t take long before Parov Stelar’s All Night sounded throughout the library. Although he was relatively new on my list of favourite musicians, I liked his electro swing style.

Both of us started nodding to the beat in sync. Twilight’s tail even began swishing from side to side, hitting my thigh. She actually got so caught up with the music that she stood up and began dancing. Now, I was no dancing expert, but I was sure that ponies could dance. I was also pretty damn sure that Twilight couldn’t. Like, at all.

Standing on her hind legs, she waved her forelegs around, and with her wings spread she hopped around, trying to follow the beat as best she could. A+ for effort and all, but… Just no!

When the song ended, Twilight sat down again, grinning from ear to ear. “More!” she commanded.

***

I played a couple more songs for her, “samples of culture” she called them. I agreed with her on that one; music couldn’t do much harm. It was entertainment, after all. However, I decided to turn off the phone after a while. I could probably play all night if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to drain my battery any time soon. The photos on my phone I wanted to get out and have framed if possible. I also had a few photos in my wallet that I wanted to preserve. The problem was finding someone who could help. And how much would it cost? I was completely penniless, and jobs like that would probably cost a pretty penny. I would have to wait until I found myself a job somewhere.

Asking Twilight, she couldn’t tell who could make copies of photos in Ponyville, but she gave me the name of one mare who would know, and I resolved to ask her tomorrow.

After all, Pinkie Pie knew everypony in Ponyville.

Chapter 37 - Pinkieness and Songs (Edited by JBL)

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I awoke early in the morning. There was no Twilight knocking on my door, or an alarm clock beeping incessantly. Instead, I was alone, everything silent for a change. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, simply exulting in the feeling of waking after a good night's rest at my own pace. However, I quickly became aware of a weight on my body.

Daring to open my eyes, I was met by two large, blue eyes, a wide smile, and a pink poofy mane. “Hi!” Pinkie shouted and glomped me before I even had a chance to properly wake up.

I released a frightened yelp as I shot up and scooted back against the headboard, causing the pink intruder to tumble off me and land on the floor in a pile of giggles and curly pink hair. She sat up, brushing her mane out of her eyes and giving me the brightest smile she could.

“Good morning! I thought you would wake up early, but when the sun rose, you weren’t waiting at the door to Sugarcube Corner, so I thought that you totally overslept, so I came here and found you asleep and you looked like you were having a good dream, so I didn’t want to wake you, so I decided to wait until you woke up, and then you could tell me about your dream! OH! I also had a dream last night! I accidentally baked a castle at Sugarcube Corner when I wanted to bake a strawberry sponge cake, and that’s a bit silly because you never use blueberry when you make strawberry sponge cake, and I think that’s why I baked a castle, but when I woke up, I really, really, reeeaaallyyy wanted a blueberry sponge cake, so I baked one.”

Faster than I could say ‘what’, Pinkie was holding a small cake that smelled like blueberry in front of my face. “Want some?”

Looking from the cake to Pinkie, I rubbed my eyes in equal amounts of disbelief and in an effort to clear the sleep from them. My brain had received quite the shock from waking up with a pony on top of me. I settled on one burning question amidst the confusion. “How did you get in here?”

“I climbed through the window,” Pinkie responded with a grin. “I first planned to just walk in through the doors, but I’m not sure doors are in style right now, or if they’ve ever been in style, because Rainbow Dash always flies in through the window. Then I decided I wanted to try using windows just like her.”

I looked to the window. It was open, displaying a twenty metre drop to the ground. Polished crystal didn’t provide any grips either.

“How?”

“Like this!” Forgetting about her cake, Pinkie bounced over to the window, lifting two pairs of what I could only describe as suction cups horseshoes. In a few seconds, she had put them on and began climbing the wall like a pony version of Spiderman, a sucking sound emanating with each step. She reached the ceiling whilst walking upside down, giggling and laughing out of sheer exhilaration. Or insanity. I couldn’t tell.

“I have suction cup shoes hidden all over Ponyville,” Pinkie boasted as she climbed down on the other side of the room. “You want a pair?”

Shaking my head, I swung my legs out of the bed, planting them firmly on the floor with a loud clop. “No, and when I get my clothes on and I’ve had time to freshen myself up, you are I are gonna have a long talk about personal boundaries.”

***

“So humans don’t like being woken up when somepony lies on top of them?” Pinkie asked, looking thoroughly confused.

“No, and being looked at when we sleep is considered creepy.” Actually, I liked waking up with Lisa on top of me, but Pinkie didn’t need to know that.

“But you looked cold since you don’t have any fur. I don’t get it,” Pinkie replied, frowning in thought. “My sister, Maud, once stayed awake watching me sleep because there was an interesting rock she hadn’t seen before stuck in my hoof. She didn’t want to wake me, so she decided to just watch the stone all night. You didn’t have a stone in your mane, or cake either.”

Pinkie. She made absolutely no sense at all. Either she was insane, grew up with a strange family, or she mistook LSD for sugar once upon a time and still hadn’t returned to reality. Her mouth ran a mile a minute, always talking, blabbering, yapping about this and that while being thoroughly confused by everything a normal human would find reasonable. Did she even think like a normal person? Or pony? Remembering Celestia’s advice from weeks ago, I concluded that Pinkie fitted into an entirely new category by herself.

Somehow, that made much more sense in a surreal and absurd kind of way.

I shook the thought away. She wasn’t quite normal, but she meant well, as far as I could tell. My personal fiasco from her party was still on my mind, and I had already planned to talk to her about it later today.

This early in the morning, the streets were filling up with ponies. It appeared as if I had become something of a common sight, seeing as the denizens of Ponyville only glanced at me for the most part. I was okay with it since it meant that the ponies had begun accepting me in their town. Fascinating really, how quickly they had grown accustomed to my presence. My wild predictions about torches and pitchforks were long forgotten.

We reached the same street that Sugarcube Corner was on, the building standing out among all the other houses. Pronking ahead, Pinkie opened the door for me, and I walked in. The interior had slightly changed from the day of the party; the few tables and chairs having been moved closer to the wall, leaving a large open space for the counter and the baked goods on display behind the glass. No one was here yet though.

“Come on, you’re invited for breakfast,” Pinkie said happily while heading for a door behind the counter. I now understood why she was in a hurry to leave the castle, and why I wasn’t even allowed to have anything to eat: she had planned this.

Following her, we entered a large and well-equipped kitchen one would expect to see at a bakery, many of the appliances bearing a strong resemblance to their Earth counterparts. However, this kitchen wasn’t our destination as we walked through another door and up a set of stairs, arriving at what looked like a cozy living room. The sound of two ponies talking came from the next room, followed by the laughter of two children.

I followed Pinkie into the next room; it was a smaller kitchen than the one below, and around a table sat Mrs Cake, the older mare I had met at the party, spoon-feeding two tiny adorable foals, who, judging by their size, must have been the equivalent of babies. Standing by the stove and preparing food was Mr Cake.

“Mrs and Mr Cake, I’m back, and I brought Magnus,” Pinkie announced as she trotted inside the kitchen, making adorable baby noises at the two toddlers in their high chairs. The Cakes swiftly looked my way, the children as well.

“Good morning, Magnus,” Mrs Cake greeted with a smile. “Pinkie mentioned yesterday that you were going to spend the day with her, and she wanted to invite you over for breakfast. Please, have a seat. There’s more than enough for everyone.”

“Thank you.” I was a bit surprised at Mrs Cake’s friendliness. I thought that she would at least harbour something of a grudge for making Pinkie cry, but that clearly wasn’t the case. Pinkie had already taken a seat at the table, so I sat next to her. The chair was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze in with some effort.

“Another batch of waffles is ready. Would you like some, Magnus?” Mr Cake asked, balancing a plate on his hoof.

“I do, thank you.” He placed the plate in front of me before sitting down next to his wife to enjoy his breakfast. There’s wasn’t any doubt that Mr Cake was an excellent cook, judging by the scent of the waffles. After drenching them in maple syrup, I began digging in with gusto. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just perfect.

“Delicious,” I nearly moaned while chewing my first meal of the day.

“Family recipe,” Mr Cake replied proudly and rightfully so.

While we ate, the Cakes and Pinkie conversed. Pinkie asked for half the day off, saying she had some party she wanted to prepare for as well as a few other errands. The Cakes happily obliged to her request, obviously well aware of her penchant for parties. As for myself, I mostly listened. The Cakes themselves weren’t that interested in asking me questions, which I was thankful for. However, two other ponies at the table had taken some interest in me, namely the foals.

Both of them peered at me with childish interest, a blue-eyed, off-yellow unicorn foal with orange hair and a bow in it, and a tiny pegasus with a very light brown coat and much darker hair. The two were so cute, sitting there all wide-eyed and in diapers, I couldn’t help but smile at the sheer adorableness.

“They’re curious.” Mrs Cake was encountering a difficult time feeding them when I was the centre of their attention. “They haven’t seen you before.”

I looked to the two younglings, smiling at them while leaning closer. “Hey there, you two, what are your names?”

The little unicorn let out a gasp and turned to the sibling, then back to me and gurgled a few words that none of us could understand. He, or she, was much too young to even speak.

“This is Pumpkin Cake and her twin brother, Pound Cake,” Mrs Cake informed me, managing to gain the attention of the pegasus colt long enough to give him a teaspoon of baby food.

“Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, hmm?” I found it a bit strange that the Cakes, both being earth ponies, could produce unicorn and pegasus foals. Obviously there were some genetics, or tomfoolery, at work here.

Pumpkin uttered a few enthusiastic words, none of which I or her parents could understand, while she reached her forelegs up at me, obviously wanting something. Obliging the filly, I leaned close enough so that she could touch me. Her specific target, however, was my nose. She clamped down with both of her tiny hooves, not enough that it hurt, and began squeezing it.

I decided to play along, and with a high-pitched, nasally voice, I declared, “Help, help! A filly has my nose and wants to eat it!”

While her parents and Pinkie smiled at the scene unfolding before them, it took the wide-eyed filly a second before she too burst into giggles alongside her brother, tugging even harder. Her brother also wanted to try, mimicking his sister by reaching his forelegs at me. Of course, I let him tug my nose as well, and he was equally enthusiastic over their newly discovered hobby, giggling the way only a toddler could when faced with the funniest thing in the world.

“Noo! My nose is falling off! Nose for the nose gods!”

I let each have a few turns, even as Pinkie wanted to join in. I pretended I didn’t hear her, thinking about earth pony strength and torn off noses. All the while, I felt as if I’d learned something new: pony toddlers were the cutest thing ever.

***

Pinkie and I left Sugarcube Corner, now heading into Ponyville proper. Pinkie Pie stopped for a few seconds to talk to everyone we encountered, and even introduced me to them. She really did know everybody in town, and everybody knew her. It was as if everybody smiled just by meeting her. Yeah, she really livened up this town.

“So, what’s on the plan today, teach?” I asked after Pinkie had introduced me to more of her friends.

“A party!” she exclaimed and jumped into the air, allowing confetti to fall like rain around her. I never found out how she did it. “And it’s a Cute-ceañera, one of my favourites! Tootsie Shoes got her cutie mark yesterday, a silver horseshoe, and I think it means she’s going to be a famous farrier, or maybe even a horse shoe designer.”

I wracked my brain, hoping to remember that word mentioned before somewhere, but I drew a blank. “What is a Cute-ceañera?” I asked, hoping to shed some light on the subject.

Pinkie gasped dramatically. “You don’t know what a Cute-ceañera is?”

I shook my head. “No, I’ve never heard about it before.”

Pinkie’s usual pronking about came to a halt, and she showed off her own cutie mark. “A Cute-ceañera is a celebration for when a pony gets their cutie mark. It’s a really, really, really big deal for fillies and colts since it means that they found something they are super-duperific good at, and that’s always a good reason for a party.”

To me, it sounded like some sort of strange coming of age ceremony. Still, I had seen ponies with marks that were far too young to be considered adults, so it probably meant something else, perhaps closer to being a teenager.

“Okay, I think I understand what a Cute-ceañera is now. What do we do now?”

“Party supplies!” Pinkie called out with a grin and headed towards a store. “For your party, I exhausted a lot of my party supplies so I have to stock up. Confetti, streamers, banners, and crayons for banners.”

She led me towards the store and pronked inside, timing her jumps to avoid knocking her head into the frame. The shelves were crammed with party games and paraphernalia of every conceivable kind, many of which I doubted existed on Earth. They even had piñatas in the shape of ponies and animals. This didn’t just look like some party store, but rather one that aimed to cater for every conceivable event.

The cashier immediately recognized Pinkie, giving her a friendly wave. It came as no surprise to me that Pinkie was a regular here. She grabbed a shopping cart and sped off, running alongside shelves while eagerly picking out anything she liked. She even enlisted me in finding cupcake-scented confetti for her ‘party cannon’, whatever that was. I had a hard time finding the confetti, but eventually wound up in the back of the store. What I saw there came as a huge surprise to me.

Cannons, actual cannons. Although painted in a colourful scheme, they looked a lot like the type they used hundreds of years ago. And this was sold in a party store?

However, upon closer inspection, I discovered that the cannons weren’t real. Reading from a label hanging on one of the cannons, they were made of some type of durable wood and metal, and that gunpowder wasn’t used in them. Instead, they had some type of enchanted spring that re-cocked itself after each shot. They weren’t cheap either; a hundred bits per artillery piece.

Lucky for me, Pinkie’s ammunition of choice was stored next to the cannons. I grabbed a large container of confetti and went to find my pink companion again. By the time I caught up with her, she had filled her shopping cart to the brim with party supplies and wore a huge grin.

“Hello, Pinkie, and hello to you as well, Mister Magnus,” the cashier greeted us as we walked to the counter. Another pony who knew my name. I could briefly remember her from the party. She stood out, being quite tall for an earth pony. “Another party, Pinkie? Who’s it for?” the cashier asked while reading the prices to the sound of the old mechanical cash register.

“Tootsie Shoes. I’m in charge of her Cute-ceañera,” Pinkie answered. A jar of party whistles next to the cash register caught her eye, and she added a few to the considerable pile of supplies.

“Oh, I heard, a horseshoe even. Maybe she’ll be an apprentice to Caramel some day.”

When it was time to pay, Pinkie showed a new and very Pinkie side of herself. She reached into her enormous pink poofy mane and withdrew a bag of bits from it, handing it over to the cashier.

Meanwhile, I just stood there, staring at her mane in equal parts wonder and befuddlement. I knew I would probably get an insane answer, yet I asked anyway.

“Pinkie, what else do you store in your hair?”

“Bits, balls, a balloon, cake, a book, a pair of fake wings, and confetti. The usual.”

Well, if that was what Pinkie considered the usual, I shuddered to think of what she would label as bizarre.

***

Leaving the store, we made our way across town. Pinkie had gotten a cart from somewhere and was in an unusually good mood. She was like this a lot, all smiles and laughter, and generally being extremely friendly to every pony we encountered. Her good mood was infectious, as I felt a cheerier just by being around her. Element of Laughter indeed.

However, my mind wandered in a different direction, namely the party she had thrown for me. Now, I had been to good parties and bad ones, but for some reason, ponies took them more seriously than I would have imagined.

“Pinkie, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what do you want to know? Ooh, I feel like Cheerilee now! ‘Please repeat after me; parties are fun’!” she exclaimed happily, even sounding uncannily like a mare I remembered meeting at my party.

“Parties are fun,” I parroted. “Well, it’s actually about parties.”

“A topic I know everything about!”

I chuckled. “I’m sure you do. But my question is this: most ponies, if not all, seem to love parties. Is that a cultural thing, a pony thing, or perhaps it’s just you throwing great parties?”

Pinkie froze. I began to wonder if I had said something wrong, perhaps offended her in some way, until she unhitched herself from the cart, turned around, stood on her forelegs, placed her forelegs on my chest, and stared me right in the eye. However, she wasn’t mad or frowning at all.

“I’ll tell you why we ponies love parties.” She grinned and stood back on all fours.

I expected a thorough, or perhaps a very Pinkie way of explaining why she and ponies loved parties. What I didn’t anticipate was Pinkie to burst into song out of the blue. While bewildered to begin with, I simply explained it as Pinkie being herself. Strangely enough, it seemed as if she knew the song by heart. She probably had been rehearsing. Even weirder was that I swore I heard music coming from somewhere close by, a tune that matched Pinkie’s song perfectly. There were several houses in the immediate vicinity, and more than a few of them had the windows open. Probably a record player playing somewhere.

She started off by singing about how ponies went about their daily lives, doing their chores and working, but sometimes also wanted to have fun and meet new ponies. Her tune was upbeat and lively while also quite catchy.

A small crowd began gathering around Pinkie while she sang. They seemed to like her song, as they swayed in tune with the song, bobbing their heads and swishing their tails from side to side. What got me was that when the chorus came, they all sang with her in perfect sync. There wasn’t a sour note coming from anyone. It was like they all knew the song by heart.

I was astonished. Did Pinkie arrange all this? Had she found a bunch of random ponies and taught them this song because she knew I would ask this question, just so she could throw a random musical number? It was plausible, considering the pony in question…

She started the second verse. It was all about parties, how ponies could meet strangers and get to know them, play games with them, enjoy food, listen to music and dance, and become friends in the process. When the second chorus started, all the assembled ponies joined in again, with more gathering around us. Rainbow Dash had landed in the crowd and joined in, singing to her heart's content, and Rarity had also showed up from somewhere, adding her voice to the choir.

By this point, I was utterly flabbergasted. Then it became much worse.

I heard the song in my head.

As Pinkie belted out her song, somehow the lyrics popped up in my mind mere seconds before, like a stray thought. The lyrics matched up perfectly. Even when she was supposed to hold a tone for a few seconds—yes, I felt it in my mind too—she held it. Perfectly.

I wasn’t exactly afraid, but I was definitely unsettled. How could the lyrics appear in my head? Why did I hear instruments? Why did everybody sing together? A single thought came to my mind, and strangely enough, I found some solace in it. ‘Ah, yes, I’ve lost my mind. With the amount of stress I’ve been under recently, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Wonder if I can get a padded room with a view. Maybe I can get a colouring book and crayons? Nah, I’ll probably eat the crayons and poop the rainbow. Let’s hope I’m not violently insane—wouldn’t want to hurt anybody.’

By the end of the song, I had resigned myself to spending time strapped in a straitjacket designed by Rarity while sputtering absolute nonsense. I would probably be treated well, so that was okay with me. Then the last part of the lyrics popped into my head. Somehow, I knew I was supposed to sing it. It just felt like, ‘hey, this is your part, better warm up those rusty vocal cords’. However, insane or not, I refused. I had never sung a song in public, and the weather forecast for the deepest circle of hell would promise a blizzard before I set that particular precedent.

I crossed my arms, daring my mind to take control over my voice, just waiting for my part to come. A second before my part came, Pinkie looked to me expectantly, but I clamped my mouth shut. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a deep, bass voice belonging to a dark grey pegasus stallion with a silvery mohawk sounded next to me, taking over the part I was meant to do. I was certain he hadn’t been there a moment ago.

A few moments later, Pinkie finished the final piece with relish, ending with a long, drawn out note that slowly faded away. At the moment the song no longer played upon the ears of mortals, the assembled ponies all went back to what they were doing previously, as if nothing had happened, except that everyone seemed to be in a better mood. Rainbow and Rarity walked over to Pinkie, complimenting her on what a ‘lovely’ and ‘awesome’ song she had performed, even claiming that it perfectly described her parties to a tee.

After parting with her two friends, Pinkie returned to me and hitched herself back to the wagon. “Now you do understand why we love parties?” she asked while pulling the wagon effortlessly, wearing her signature smile.

I nodded with a crooked smile. ‘Not in the slightest, and when I get back to Twilight’s castle I’m gonna sit in a corner, curl up into a ball, suck my thumb, and mutter All Star until Shrek appears.’

***

Somehow, Pinkie had picked up that I was a bit shaken in the immediate aftermath of her performance, seeing as she inquired how I felt. I answered honestly that I wasn’t feeling well, upon which Pinkie immediately decided to remedy that with a cupcake straight from her mane. Despite where it came from, I ate it, and for some strange reason, I felt better almost immediately.

Whatever brand of hairspray Pinkie used probably contained a few substances that were illegal back home. Still, it did the trick.

We then went on to prepare for the Cute-ceañera. It was close by; a two storey house with a lovely garden outside, a father, and one eager filly with a brand new cutie mark she wanted to show Pinkie. She was so hyped up over her cutie mark that she didn’t seemed fazed by my presence.

I found it quite adorable, to be honest. She was so full of energy relaying her story that must have been retold numerous times that day alone. I figured that cutie marks held much more meaning to ponies than I had initially assumed. I faintly remembered Twilight mentioning that it was the portrayal of a pony's soul and destiny. Safe to say, I found her explanation a bit unbelievable.

As for the party decorating, it was done in about an hour. I helped hang up some banners in high places while Pinkie did the rest, meaning she stuffed decorations into her party cannon, then proceeded to shell the entire garden and living room. Considering who the gunner was, I didn’t even react when everything landed on their designated spots where they would look best.

After we were done decorating, it was almost noon and time for lunch. Pinkie, perceptive as she was, had already packed a picnic basket and promptly decided that we should eat outside since it was such a sunny day. She led me to a park area just outside of town, no more than five minutes away from the town centre. On top of a minor hill, we had a wonderful view of the entire town while a small stream ran nearby. We weren’t the only ones here; other ponies also used the park as a place to eat lunch or relax. A warm breeze blew gently from the south, making this place feel as quiet and calm as the forests back home.

While Pinkie unpacked our lunch—which unsurprisingly consisted of a lot of sugary treats—I spread out the picnic blanket in the shade of a tree, and soon we were both comfortable.

“Cupcake?” Pinkie held a tray up to me, filled with cupcakes with a rainbow array of frosting. I picked a red one, hoping it was strawberry. I was lucky. Even adjusting to baked goods in Equestria took some time. Sure, they were good, delicious in fact, but their sugar contents were higher than their Earth counterparts, and eating too much sugar always made me feel queasy. Still, I thanked her for the cupcake and ate it before taking another.

Next to me, Pinkie lifted an entire cake out of her basket. I was sure it shouldn’t fit in there, but that didn’t stop Pinkie from almost unhinging her jaw and stuffing the entire cake in her mouth.

“Good, isn’t it?” she mumbled, crumbs spewing from her mouth.

“Yeah, maybe a bit more sugar than I’m used to, but good anyway,” I replied, taking my time to savour an apple-flavoured cupcake.

I expected Pinkie to offer more in the way of conversation while we ate, seeing as she was without a shadow of a doubt the chattiest individual I’d ever met, but the speed she stuffed her mouth with made any attempt of conversation futile, unless I wanted to be covered by crumbs, cream, and frosting. That wouldn’t stop me anyway, because I had something I wanted to talk to Pinkie about, namely her party. I had a good idea on where to start, but the fact that I’d lied to Pinkie in the first place made me feel a bit ashamed.

She sat next to me, cheerful as can be, going through a full plate of cupcakes in seconds, all smiles while I had to deliver the truth to her. “Pinkie, we need to talk,” I said, finishing off my second pastry. I didn’t even have to make an effort to sound serious; the topic was enough.

“About what?” she asked innocently, making me cringe internally.

“It’s about the party you organized for me.” I took a deep breath. “Remember what I said about the kind of parties I like?”

Pinkie nodded vigorously. “You like small parties, and you prefer to know everypony there.” Her smile faltered ever so slightly. I think she knew what I was about to say. Still, I hardened myself, and hoped that she would understand.

“At the party…” I paused for just a second, looking out over Ponyville. I could feel Pinkie’s eyes on me. “There were just so many ponies, and I barely knew anyone. It felt like I had stumbled into a party at some stranger’s house, as if I was a stranger just standing in a corner and…”

I made the mistake of looking at Pinkie. She had put the empty plate down and was watching me, her smile gone, yet she didn’t frown. “...You didn’t like my party?” she asked slowly, her voice just above a whisper.

“No.” I shook my head slowly. “I’m sorry. I tried, but—”

“I know you didn’t like it.”

My eyebrows shot up reflexively. She knew? How? And she never said anything, yet kept the party going? Why?

“How did you know?”

Pinkie smiled faintly while she looked to Ponyville. The town was silent at the moment, as if it too was awaiting her answer.

“You didn’t smile. Only your mouth smiled, but not your eyes. I can tell a fake smile from a real one, and you’re not so different from ponies when you smile, you know. I remember seeing you smile in Canterlot, when you told us of your friends. At that moment, I knew what your real smile was like, and when you tried to smile at my party, I knew it was fake.”

“Then… why did you keep the party going?”

She looked up to me, that faint smile still visible. “Because I thought you would like it if you were there for long enough. Nopony has ever not liked one of my parties… well, except for Gilda. She was coming around, but she was in a really bad mood when she left, though.”

She sighed and her ears pressed against her skull, signalling the downturn in her mood. It was something I had learned from watching pony body language.

“But you’re different. You said it yourself; you only like small parties and with ponies you know. I know there must be something else too, because you ate so little and didn’t drink as much punch as other ponies. Maybe it was the food and the drinks, or maybe it was the music. I just don’t know.”

She looked away, a faint sniffle coming from her as she looked down at her own hooves. “I just wanted you to have fun and make friends since you’re all alone. You were so sad; it’s not right. Nopony should be sad, and nopony should ever be alone.”

‘Pinkie…’ I felt a painful pang in my chest. She might be weird, and more than a bit strange, but she had a heart of solid gold. She just wanted ponies to be happy, myself included. Come to think of it, it wasn’t that difficult to understand. She was the Element of Laughter, after all. I still remembered Spike’s exact words: she couldn’t stand seeing anyone being unhappy and would do whatever she could to cheer them up.

“I’m sorry.” I crossed my legs, resting my elbows on my knees. “I tried, but I just couldn’t have fun. It just wasn’t my type of party.”

“If you tried, then it’s okay, Maggy.” She didn’t seem angry, at least. “I know a lot about parties, but you just proved to me that I can still learn about otherworldly, human parties.” She turned to me. “Maybe you can tell me about human parties? What did you and your friends do?”

It was actually somewhat unsettling, seeing her sit still and carry on a normal conversation, given that she had been a bouncing ball of unceasing energy just a few minutes before. This was the most un-Pinkie I had ever seen her act, and it felt almost wrong. Still, if telling her about the kind of parties I used to attend would cheer her up, maybe even give her a few new party ideas, then it would be worth it.

There was one type of party that instantly came to mind from back home, the spontaneous summer parties that just tended to happen during weekends when we all had some free time on our hands. It usually started with a text message, telling us to meet at the messenger’s place, and then evolved from there.

“Sure,” I said, smiling at the pink fur ball. “I can tell you about human parties.” As it turned out, spontaneous parties were Pinkie’s specialty because one never needed a specific reason to party. She also wanted details, such as what we used to eat. Pizza was my answer, because who the hell didn’t like pizza? She even wanted to know what type of pizza as well.

“Thick crust of course, not that flatbread ~Italian~ thing. And cheese, tomato sauce, ham or meatballs, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper,” was my answer. Honestly, pizza with a thin crust was for pagans and heretics.

“Pizza? We have pizza!” Pinkie’s smile had returned in full, and even her mane looked brighter for some reason. “But what do you usually drink at parties? I noticed you barely touched the punch.”

“Well, I would be tempted to say some type of alcoholic beverage, but not all people drink alcohol for various reasons. Generally speaking, there’s always someone who drinks soda, and I like soda as well. But me, I’m partial to beer, and if I feel like it, perhaps something stronger.” Honestly, I wasn’t about to tell Pinkie how I learned to drink until I got the right buzz. Too many times waking up in either in a field at midday, or in someone’s bed with no one beside me did that. Not to mention the hangovers.

Pinkie put the tip of her hoof to her mouth, even scrunching her muzzle ever so slightly while thinking. The serious look on her face was actually pretty funny, and in a way, adorable.

“Hmm, I never serve alcohol at my parties, seeing as there are always fillies and colts present. Can’t let them get into the cider, no siree! But I have thrown a few parties with only grown-up ponies, and they all love cider.”

She then went on to ask what we did at parties, and I did my best to explain the video games we played, such as Tekken, which took a few attempts to convey. Fortunately, she was able to grasp the concept and immediately dubbed it ‘Fights-That’s-Not-Really-A-Fight’ games. Board games were easier to explain, especially with the amount of Risk I’d played, and according to Pinkie, they were very popular in Equestria. Movies, for the most part, were harder to come by. Since they didn’t have TVs, most ponies went to a movie theatre if they wanted to watch a film. Movie projectors were expensive and not many could afford to own one privately.

“What about music? You like music, right?” Pinkie asked after we had gone through the entertainment bit.

“Sure, I like music. The stuff that the DJ played—”

“Vinyl Scratch.”

“Right, what Vinyl Scratch played was good, and a lot like modern Earth music. I wouldn’t mind hearing more.”

Pinkie grinned. “If you’d like, I can introduce you to her. She has a huuuge record collection, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind playing some for you. She’s my go-to pony for musical entertainment.”

“Sure, I’d like that.” My phone battery would run out one day, and I was curious about what other musical works existed in Equestria. I wondered if ponies listen to metal? Maybe they got some ponified—where did that word come from—bands from Earth? Iron Maiden? Iron Mare! Maretallica? Poniez?

Still, I had one last question remaining. I looked to Pinkie; her good mood had returned in full as though the wrinkle in our conversation had never existed. “So, Pinkie, are we okay?” It was obvious she didn’t hold a grudge, but I still felt I had to ask.

She nodded, scooted closer to me, and gave me a hug. Still felt a bit weird hugging a small horse. “We’re okay; we’re always okay.”

I wrapped my arm around her and gave her a soft squeeze. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

“You’re welcome, Maggy.”

I still had one final surprise for her, one that I hoped she would like. With all the parties she created around here, something sweet for the tongue and stomach would most likely be appreciated. She worked as a baker, after all.

“Want to learn to bake a cake from Earth?” I asked, knowing what her response would be.

She went from hugging me to jumping straight into the air like a rocket, with confetti flying from her mane. I was pretty sure I heard the blare of a party horn emanate from her. “Would I ever?!”

***

After returning to Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie went into Pinkie Overdrive, darting around and explaining to the Cakes what we doing, to which they were immediately on board. An extra-terrestrial cake must have sounded like the chance of a lifetime to them. Still, they had cakes to bake and one of them had to man the register, so they couldn’t help us. However, they gave Pinkie and me free range of the kitchen. Even though what we were about to make was a simple chocolate cake, I hoped it would prove pleasing to their palates.

I actually had some training when it came to cooking, strange as it might sound, but after moving to my own place and living for several years on microwaved meals, noodles, and any other quick-fix recipes, I grew sick and tired of such foods. Although they contained the necessary nutrients, I always found them to be tasteless and bland. With some training and time spent in the kitchen, I managed to prepare decent meals for myself, which was also how I learned to bake. Bread was easy enough, but chocolate cake had taken some time to perfect. In the end, all I needed was practise, as with everything else in life.

After finding me an apron, which didn’t do much more than cover my chest, Pinkie began bringing out the ingredients, as well as a large bowl while skipping about the kitchen.

“Hurry up, the sooner we get baking, the sooner we get to the tasting!” she exclaimed happily, trotting in place.

There was no stopping the pink ball of energy. “Just calm down, Pinkie, we’ll get to it now.” I had made this type of chocolate cake several times, and was amazed at how well I could remember the recipe. Normally, I always had an open cookbook in front of me so that I could avoid skipping a step.

I rubbed my hands together. “Okay, so, we’ll start by finding the ingredients. For the batter, we need flour, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, milk, and butter.”

Pinkie rushed into action to find the ingredients, working her way through the kitchen like a pro. In just a few seconds, she had the ingredients laid out in front of me.

“Great, we also need a mixer for the batter. Maybe you can start by heating up milk and butter while I mix the dry ingredients. Just three cups of milk and a hundred ~grams~ of butter.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie.” There was a moment of silence where Pinkie didn’t move, before the question came: “What’s a ~gram~?”

‘Darn, the measurements! Why couldn’t Equestria and Earth have the same measurements? We’re only separated by the entire universe or a simple dimension… whatever comes first.’

There was some difficulty in the conversion since a human cup was larger than a pony-sized cup, so I had to resort to estimates. I ended up writing down the entire recipe again, this time in accordance with Equestrian measurements.

While I mixed the dry ingredients, Pinkie returned with the milk and melted butter and poured it into the bowl. Luckily, Sugarcube Corner had some modern kitchen utensils which didn’t run on electricity. While the mixer took care of the batter, Pinkie and I covered a square baking pan with parchment paper. Wouldn’t want the cake to stick, right?

When the batter was done, we poured it into the pan and spread it evenly. Well, I did most of the work because Pinkie just stared at the mixing bowl until the moment I put it down, then dove headfirst into the bowl. I chuckled while watching the pink pony lick the entire bowl clean in a few seconds. Mrs Cake stood by the door, a hoof covering her mouth while giggling.

“Has she always been like this?” I asked Pinkie’s employer.

Mrs Cake smiled. “Oh yes, ever since I’ve known her. Somehow, I doubt she’ll change.”

***

The scent of the freshly baked cake filled the kitchen. The aroma of frosting covering the entire cake was especially heavy, with a dark appearance that was almost black. It was topped off with a generous sprinkling of coconut. The cake had done me proud, looking fluffy but not overly so.

The Cakes had each taken a slice of cake, chewing it like they were Gordon Ramsey, and I had to admit that I was worried they’d laugh at my efforts. So far, they had not, even though they were slowly working their way through their slices.

The twins sat on the counter, the nearly empty bowl of frosting between them as they had the time of their lives. What worried me was the amount of sugar in the frosting, and the fact that I had used coffee in it. On the other hand, it would be quite a show, seeing the two of them zipping around.

I knew that I had least had Pinkie’s approval, judging by the amount of icing coating her mouth as she gobbled slice after slice. Taking a slice for myself, I leaned back in the undersized chair, chewing it slowly to savour the taste. “Do you like it, Pinkie?” I asked, looking over to the sugar fiend.

She quickly turned to me with a chocolate-covered grin, made a strange squeaking noise, nodded, and then went back to her massacre. At least one pony was pleased.

I then looked over to the owners of Sugarcube Corner. “Mr and Mrs Cake, is my cake up to your standards?”

Mr Cake swallowed and licked his lips in delight. “It was delicious, but maybe light on the sugar in the batter. But the frosting—”

“Perfect!” Mrs Cake exclaimed. She nibbled on the last piece, only licking the frosting off. “Creamy, yet light. It helps balance out the cake, and the slight hint of coffee adds a subtle flavour along with the coconut.”

Mr Cake grinned. “Well, there you have it. My Cup Cake has been doing this longer than me. Trust her when it comes to cake.”

I was happy in the knowledge that at least chocolate cake from Earth was a winner here, even amongst professional bakers. Maybe that could be some kind of first contact thing: offer cake as a sign of non-violence. Unless it was diamond dogs—that could be a sign of war.

Pinkie had worked her way through half of the cake in the meantime, having abandoned her chair for the floor. My day with her had been a success, at least by my standards. We had worked out the party issue, I‘d taught her how to bake a chocolate cake from Earth, and I’d told her of the kind of parties I was used to.

But what had I learned from her? Honestly, not much. Well, I knew she had an iron stomach, could eat her own weight in cake, and was probably immune to diabetes. Her eccentric behaviour and energy probably came from all the sugar she consumed each day. Still made me want to see Pinkie react to espresso or energy drinks…

Nevertheless, it had been an interesting time with the hyperactive mare, though to say I was mentally exhausted was putting it mildly. I could probably spend more time with her, maybe build up some type of immunity to her, though that would be a stretch and a half. In the end, my suspicions about her had been way wrong, just as Twilight had maintained.

Finishing my cake, I looked up at the wall, noting that it was almost four in the evening. “Pinkie, was there anything else you wanted to teach me today, or can I return to Twilight’s castle?”

The pink party pony had chocolate frosting covering her face when she turned to me, and extended her exceptionally long tongue to lick her entire face clean. As far as I knew, horse tongues weren’t that long, though my knowledge concerning horses wasn’t that impressive anyway.

She put a hoof to her lower lip, scrunching her face adorably. “Hmm, not that I can remember. We fixed decorations, made a cake, talked—OH NO!”

She sprung up and sped out the door and headed upstairs. In a matter of seconds, she was back again, trotting in place while looking anxiously at me. “I almost forgot I was supposed to entertain the children at Tootsie Shoes Cute-ceañera! I have to hurry or I’ll disappoint them!” She stopped trotting and pointed an accusing hoof at me. “I blame your chocolate cake for making me forget!”

And with those words, she once more sped away, leaving the swinging doors squeaking and a faintly pony-shaped cloud of dust behind.

‘That isn’t possible! This is real life, not some kid’s cartoon! Why?!’

While I sat there in befuddlement, Pinkie returned, holding the doors open. “Unless you wanna come with me!” She beamed.

Holding up my hands, I shook my head nervously. “Oh no, Pinkie, I’m a stranger to them. Besides, it’s the filly’s big day, not mine. Wouldn’t want to steal the spotlight.”

“Okay then. Dismissed!” She even saluted to me.

And with those words, she was gone again, leaving me behind. I swore I would never attempt to understand her—that path led to madness. Or sugar. Or madness on a sugar rush.

After hanging the apron back on the wall and bidding goodbye to the Cakes, I decided to head back to the castle. Turning in early today sounded like a good idea, but I doubted that Princess Questions would allow me to. It didn’t matter anyway—I needed her to commit me to a mental institution. That song number earlier today still crept me out.

That was when I caught the sound of two toddlers experiencing the combined rush of caffeine and sugar coming from Sugarcube Corner.

“EEEEEEEEHHHH!”

“AAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

“Forgive me, Mr and Mrs Cake,” I uttered before bursting into laughter.

***

By the time I entered Twilight’s library, the pony in question already had her nose in a book, several others stacked neatly beside her table. She also had a blackboard next to it filled with numbers, equations, and other markings that made no sense to my fatigued mind.

Unfortunately, my exhaustion had caught up with me, so I sat down opposite her while my head slumped onto the table with a bang. She must have been completely absorbed in her studies, because she released a frightened yelp at the sound of my horn hitting the hardwood table.

“Magnus?!” she shouted. “Why—Are you and Pinkie done already? I thought you were supposed to be with her for at least a couple of hours longer.”

“Yeah,” I answered lazily. “Cutie mark party… she’s entertaining.”

“Oh, well, that would explain it.”

There was a long pause between us. I liked the silence. No Pinkie blabbering away, just sile—

“Are you okay?”

Leaning my head to the side, I gazed at the purple alicorn who had adopted a confused expression. I sighed heavily. “I’m tired. My head is tired, my ears are tired. I just want to sleep, that’s all. Oh, and I’m currently going insane.”

There was another lengthy pause. “What happened?” she asked carefully, her voice laced with concern.

“Well, where should I begin? It all started when Pinkie suddenly started to sing about why ponies loves parties, but then other ponies flocked to her and started to sing with her, and I swear I heard music that matched her song come from somewhere. Then I heard, or knew, the words of the song in my head. I even knew what to sing. Not like hearing voices, I know, but the lyrics for a song. Pretty similar, right? So, I’m currently experiencing mental instability.” I sighed and closed my eyes. “Know of any good mental institutions around here?”

I lifted my head slightly to look at Twilight. Instead of appearing flustered at my predicament, she instead wore a smile so wide she could compete against Pinkie, all while clopping her hooves together excitedly.

“You had a Song Moment?!” she exclaimed merrily, leaving me questioning what had possibly made her so thrilled. She quickly grabbed a quill and parchment and asked, “What was the song like? How did it make you feel? What was your part of the song? The lyrics, I mean. How did you feel afterwards?”

Staring at her, I blinked twice. “Upbeat. Confused. Can’t remember. Doubting my sanity.”

“What?” Twilight cocked her head, her eyebrow shooting up almost into her bangs. “A Song Moment made you confused?”

This time, it was my turn to cock my head. “What the hell is a Song Moment? Is that what you call insanity?”

Another pause entered the conversation while Twilight and I frowned at each other. It was Twilight who asked first. “Humans don’t experience Song Moments, do they?”

“I don’t even know what a Song Moment is!” I nearly yelled in frustration.

“Oh, I see. Well, this requires an explanation.”

She walked over to the bookshelf, levitating down books while reading their titles, before she finally found the correct one. Floating it over to me, I read the title: The Mystery of Song.

“You should read this when you have time to spare. I can understand that a Song Moment can cause some confusion to somepony who doesn’t know about it,” Twilight began, going into lecture mode, “but the Song is completely natural, and everypony will experience one on average at least six to eight times a year, if not more. A Song Moment is basically a moment in a pony's life when they suddenly feel the need to sing about their current situation, usually when their emotions are high or in turmoil. The ambient magic that exists all around us can cause music to manifest out of thin air as well, and can even cause ponies to play instruments if they have the talent for it. Anypony nearby can also hear the music, and they may join in on the song, voluntarily or involuntarily. Now you know what a Song Moment is.” She giggled gleefully. “I didn’t even know humans could experience Song Moments. This must be preserved for posterity!” With that, she reached for her quill.

I slowly sat up straight, staring at Twilight while wondering what kind of loopy-land Equestria was. Spontaneous flash mobs that burst into song and dance? Yeah, this all felt like the setting of some weird cartoon. All the Disney movies had random musical numbers—why not this place as well? Colourful ponies suddenly started singing about their feelings and stuff and no one batted an eye. All normal here. Yessiree.

“So,” I inquired carefully, feeling slightly relieved I wasn’t insane. “Ponies just start singing out of the blue and it’s considered normal?”

“Of course,” Twilight answered. She looked up, her quill still scribbling away. “Since you asked me, I deduced that humans don’t experience Song Moments at all. Perhaps it’s your newfound magic that’s allowed you to hear the Song.”

“But… I didn’t sing,” I explained.

“Because you chose not to,” Twilight answered. “You will always have the choice of participating, but there may come a time when you will sing your own song, and you will have no choice but to sing, whether you want to or not.”

Sighing, I rubbed my face in exasperation and promised that the next time I heard a song, I would run away. Far, far away. For me, singing in public was the most embarrassing thing I could imagine. I could do without anyone judging my singing ability, thank you very much.

I had to admit it, this world was a far cry from home. A person of impeccable logic and reason would only find whispers of Earth while being forced to grapple with the most bizarre scenarios. Even the most religious person would look at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, witness what they could do with their magic, and find their faith tested to its breaking point.

I felt rather tested myself. I was doing okay so far, but who knew what the days and months held in store for me.

“This world is weird,” I muttered under my breath. Twilight didn’t hear me as she was busy with recording our conversation. I knew she had more questions, but sleep was a seductive temptress right now.

I was about to get up when a topic from earlier that day flashed across my mind. “Twilight.” I knocked on the table, rousing the alicorn from her writing. “I have another question, about friendship.”

She looked up, her quill ceasing to write. “Go on.”

“If I say that ponies value friendship highly, am I right or wrong?”

Twilight merely smiled. “You’re absolutely correct. How did you come to that conclusion?”

“It came up earlier during the day, and I’ve seen a few examples as well. To me, it seems as if you put much more value to friendship than humans do. That’s not to say that we don’t, but you all seem to take it very seriously. Pinkie’s party, for example. She was adamant about me making friends.”

Twilight mulled over the question, and from the look on her face, a lecture was incoming. “It’s true that ponies value friendship, but that goes back a long way to the age when ponies didn’t speak or think as we do. It was when earth ponies lived in the fields and forests, when pegasi lived high in the clouds and only visited the land to forage for food, and when unicorns lived high in the mountains or in the forests. When ponies moved in herds, or family groups.

“Imagine a single pony of any species living on its own. It would be an easy target for predators, finding food on its own would be difficult, and defending itself against a stronger foe would be almost impossible. However, if that pony was part of a larger group of ponies, he or she would be protected by the entire group. A predator would think twice before attempting to attack a group of, say, thirty ponies fighting for their lives. A group, herd, or family unit, also made it easier to find food and water. The same concept applied to socializing and finding a mate.”

“Mate? As in husband or wife?” I asked, wondering about her choice of words. I quickly remembered who I was speaking with; of course Twilight would choose the proper terms befitting her scholarly nature.

“Yes.” Twilight nodded enthusiastically. “However, if a pony did not behave and attacked other ponies or made enemies in the group, there would be a risk that the group would fall into disharmony and eventually splinter, which in turn would risk the lives of the entire herd. Before that happened, the troublemaker would be labelled an outcast and left behind, making survival difficult. Therefore, socializing and forging bonds with the ponies in the group was essential for a newcomer. Helping find food, protecting foals, keeping an eye out for predators—our early ancestors did all these things, even yours.”

I pondered her words for a second until I noticed my legs. “Oh yeah, unicorn heritage, right?”

“Right. You see, in our society, we still consider friendship and companionship as vital, due to our innate herd instincts. It’s extremely rare for a pony to prefer living alone, far away from a village or town. Even remote farms around Equestria usually have several other farms close by. That’s how close we ponies are to each other. We just aren’t meant to be alone, we crave—no, need other ponies around us.”

“I think I get the picture.” So, it was all due to instincts. A herd mentality, an extremely strong one too, to have lasted this long. It made sense; wild horses back home were pretty much the same, at least as far as I could remember. “That partially explains Pinkie’s behaviour.”

Twilight chuckled. “Yes, but only partially. Pinkie loves making new friends. As to why she hugs you every morning? Contact, not talking, but actual physical contact is also a trait we retain from our distant ancestors. Nuzzling and hugging are just two ways we display affection towards another and confirm our relationships. It also helps strengthen the bonds between two ponies.”

“Woah, rewind there!” I exclaimed, holding up both hands. “I might end up singing one day; are you saying that I might also go around hugging ponies because my instincts tell me to? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would be for me?”

Twilight chuckled while waving a dismissive hoof at me. “Maybe, I don’t know. We have no way of knowing how deep your unicorn instincts go in terms of clashing against your human nature. As far as I’ve seen, you don’t really behave like a pony at all.”

I nodded slowly, sorting my thoughts properly. “So, Pinkie hugs me because she wants to be friends and because she wants me to feel better about my situation, right?” Twilight nodded. “But you and your other friends don’t, and as far as I can remember, neither did Celestia and Luna.”

Hesitating, and looking away as well, Twilight pursed her lips ever so slightly. “Um… as you said, friendship can take time to build, and we didn’t want to force anything on you. After all, you have a lot to learn about us. But there’s also another reason.”

“Which is?” I asked, leaning forward, genuinely curious.

“We can’t understand you,” she replied with a sigh. She rubbed her hooves nervously while occasionally peeking at me. “You see, we ponies communicate with words, but we also pay attention to body language. Ears, eyes, mouth, face, tail, subtle movements of the legs, hooves and flanks, even the slightest movements of a pegasus’ wings, an earth pony's body, or how unicorns move their heads gives us additional information about the pony we’re speaking with. It’s like speaking two languages at once.”

Ah, that would explain a few things. Ponies were rather easy to read at times, those big eyes an open book, and their facial expressions were so animated that they could hardly conceal their emotions. Celestia and Luna, though, they usually acted so calmly, except for when I stood before them at the trial. They had visibly radiated anger then, especially Luna. I bet that over a few thousand years, they’d managed to create a hell of a poker face.

“But you can’t understand me based on body language, right?”

Twilight rubbed her hooves together and nodded. “Nopony has seen or interacted with a human before. We simply don’t know what to look for. Your face and body is like a book in a language nopony can decipher. You don’t have a tail, your ears don’t move, and your eyes are so small that we really can’t tell what you’re thinking about. Even your facial expressions can be misinterpreted. There’s an old story about the first diamond dogs arriving in Equestria. A simple smile from their ambassador caused panic because he displayed his fangs. You don’t have a pony’s teeth either; your canines are a bit scary. All we have to go on is your voice and how it changes pitch and volume, as well as a few obvious body movements. Because of that, understanding you can be difficult, and a little frustrating.”

“I see. Body language can be tricky from time to time.” I crossed my arms over my chest, recalling how I had assumed some ponies I had spoken with to be standoffish. They just couldn’t understand me as they would with their fellow ponies.

“I’m already as much of a pony as I can possibly be. It’s not like I can just change myself or add habits,” I pointed out.

Twilight shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t be fair if you had to change part of who you are. All we have to do is spend time with you in order to adjust. We might be a bit confused about you from time to time, so we might ask questions.”

Her comment made me laugh. “I’ve had so many questions so far, I think I can handle a few more.”

We spoke for a while longer on the subject, but my exhaustion soon reached a point where I could barely keep my eyes open. Fortunately, Spike returned after spending the day helping Rarity find gems, an errand he was glad to help with, according to Twilight.

While Spike got dinner going, I helped myself to some strong coffee and offered to help the dragon. He knew his way around a kitchen and politely declined, stating that today’s dinner was simply and quick to cook. He was right, and it didn’t take long before we all sat around the table, gorging on spaghetti with fried sweet potatoes and steamed root vegetables.

It had been a while since the last time I ate meat, which was back in Canterlot when I had been released from the infirmary, and I had to admit that I really wanted something juicy and fried, or maybe even barbequed. Where was my fishing pole anyway? Did it sink or was it saved by Luna’s crew? Meh, I could always go old-school and try spearfishing. Fishing was allowed around here, and I doubted they’d see spearfishing as inhumane. I just had to make sure that Fluttershy wasn’t around.

After dinner, I felt that the coffee hadn’t provided as much of a boost as I wanted, and I excused myself to go to bed. By the time I reached my room and got into bed, I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.

For some strange reason, all the images I remembered from my dream were pink and smelled of sugar.

Author's Notes:

It's new chapter day!

Well, this one was both fun and difficult to write. Pinkie is Pinkie, and writing Pinkie is difficult because of her behavior. Where do I set the limit? How random can she be? What can't she do? How do she keep her mane so fluffy? I had to tone her down a few times when writing because I went overboard, but I'm satisfied with the end result.

Singing in MLP FiM fics. A topic of heated debate or acceptable? Some hate it, some love it. Me? I like them now and then and wanted to incorporate them into my story.

Pony behavior was also something I wanted to add in, just to add the distance between humans and ponies. I've seen it done several times and I like the idea of pony herd instincts, living close together, and disliking being alone. It makes them seem a bit more believable while at the same time acting as a weak parallel to real horses.

As usual, JBL is the wizard who transforms my dry text into something readable. It's sorcery

Also, a huge thank you to all my readers and new followers. You guys are great!

Chapter 38 - What a Generous Day (Edited by JBL)

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The weather was pleasantly humid, especially after last night’s rain. It was more akin to a spring morning, though it was still late summer. Soon the leaves would litter the ground and the familiar chill would set in, but that was weeks away.

I scratched my chin, causing Twilight to stare at me in fascination, and Spike with wonder. “It’s so weird how quickly your facial hair grows back,” she commented. “A stallion’s facial hair growth compared to you is like a snail versus Rainbow Dash.”

“Slow?” I barely managed to stifle a yawn.

“Mhm, a stallion can take a year to grow a moustache, but it looks like it’ll take you a few weeks.”

A familiar giggle-snort sounded from the passenger clinging to my back. Pinkie had, as had become customary, greeted me this morning at the castle’s front door in order to give me my daily dosage of medicine, and since we were heading in the same direction as Sugarcube Corner, she begged me to give her a piggy-back ride. I hadn’t even answered before she had latched onto my body. She was more like a baby; crawling from my back to my chest, even sitting on my shoulders at times. Fortunately, she wasn’t that heavy.

Spike scoffed and kicked a pebble away. If he wore pants, he probably would have stuck his hands in his pockets as well. “Wish I could grow a moustache. It would look good on me. Maybe Rarity wou—I mean, maybe ponies would treat me more like an adult.”

I shot Twilight a questioning look while mouthing, ‘He’s got a crush?’, to which she nodded, stifling a giggle. So, Spike had a crush on Rarity? That explained why he had been all lovey-dovey and helpful the day we left Canterlot—he’d wanted to impress her. Well, window-shopping was okay, but the age gap between them was considerable.

“Aww, don’t worry, Spike,” Pinkie cooed. “Someday, Rarity will notice you. You’ve just got to grow up more, that’s all.”

Spike scoffed again, mumbling something under his breath.

“Halt! This is my stop,” Pinkie hollered next to my ear. She jumped down from my back, trotting next to me with a mile-wide grin on her face. “Next time, you have to run! I’ll bet you’re super-duper fast with those long legs.”

“But they’re heavy,” I complained half-seriously. If I was going to get accustomed to these new legs, I would have to start training. A full day of walking around was exhausting, but running would be more of a challenge.

We said our goodbyes as Pinkie sped off, disappearing around a corner. I wondered if all ponies were capable of making that weird pronking sound.
“Anyway,” I noticed that we weren’t taking the usual route towards the market, instead following another path north, “who’s supposed to be my teacher today?”

Twilight pointed to a cylindrical, rather opulently designed building up ahead. “Rarity. I spoke with her yesterday, and she was so excited to spend the day with you. Not surprising since you wear so much clothes.”

That was a fair assessment. It probably wasn’t an exaggeration to assume that I was the most clothed being on this world, and considering how I would need a variety of clothes for summer and winter, Rarity and I would likely be seeing each other quite often. The only question would be her prices, which was another reminder that I soon had to find a job.

Instead of knocking on the door, Twilight and Spike walked right in, causing a bell above the door to chime. A sing-song voice called from somewhere upstairs, “Come in, I’ll be down in a moment.”

While waiting, I took a few moments to look around the room. I knew Rarity was a seamstress and designer, and expected to find rows upon rows of garment racks. In that regard, I was right. She also had several pony-shaped mannequins placed around the room which were proudly draped in dresses for mares and suits for stallions. I only spared those a momentary glance, seeing as I had scant interest in fashion.

“Good morning, everypony,” Rarity called out as she descended the staircase.

Spike took one glance at her, and I could almost see him melt away. “Hey, Rarity, you look nice today, especially your mane,” he complimented her, attempting to sound suave.

Fixing an invisible imperfection in her mane, Rarity tossed her head slightly to the side, making her curls bounce and sparkle. “Why thank you, Spike. It’s a little something I bought in Canterlot, a mane shampoo made from desert flowers all the way from Saddle Arabia. It has such an exotic scent to it.”

“Maybe I should try it as well,” Twilight said. “I was never particularly interested in mane maintenance when I lived in Canterlot.”

“I highly recommend it, darling. After all, you’re a princess, an inspiration to many. That also means taking care of your appearance.” Rarity glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, but where are my manners? Come with me into the kitchen, and I can make us some tea.”

Whilst walking there, I took a gander at the rest of the interior of her house. It doubled as a store and a home, with the store itself being on the first floor. Rarity’s home also revealed signs of the owner being a neat freak. The floors were immaculate, not a single speck of dust floating through the air, and her furniture appeared to be brand new, as if they’d never been used before. Even the colours meshed together perfectly; the bold intermingling with the subtle. Everything just screamed ‘classy as fuck and you know it, peasant’. Somehow, I had the feeling that creating a mess here would be a sure-fire way of endangering my life.

Her kitchen was the same; clean as a whistle. I mused on the fact that the house was an accurate representation of the owner. I knew from back in Canterlot that Rarity was hardcore about her appearance, especially her mane. It had to be posh and styled at all times; anything less was simply unforgivable. I even had the dubious honour of witnessing her find a split end in her mane. Never seen so much drama before.

***

After we finished tea, Twilight and Spike bade us farewell so that whatever plans Rarity had in mind could commence. We walked out into the parlour where her clothes were on display.

“So, Rarity,” I began, eyeing the numerous racks around us, “I’ve a hunch that what you’re going to teach me involves clothes.”

She laughed daintily, a hoof held to her chest. “Ahaha, well yes, I do have plans for you, darling. Garbed as you always are, you would be my ideal customer, and I am sure that if we spoke at length, my mind will simply overflow with ideas.” She stalked around me, eyeing me up and down. “You do have an interesting body shape, and I must confess that I have played around with a few ideas, perhaps even drawn a few sketches as well. However, that is not what I have in mind right now.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. She walked towards the door and opened it, motioning for me to follow.

“I mean that you’ve been through much lately, haven’t you?” I followed her outside, and together we headed into town. A few eyebrows were raised when ponies spotted us together, though most ponies just nodded in greeting. “Your stay in Canterlot, when you received terrible news, your subsequent recovery, your concern about reporters and your privacy, and coming here not knowing what would happen.” Turning a corner, a rather peculiar structure came into view. It resembled a huge tent, but was obviously made of wood, and above the door hung a large sign that depicted a mare with a long flowing mane. The letters underneath read ‘Ponyville Day Spa’.

“I believe that today is a day for you to be spoiled.” She smiled, heading straight toward the building. “First, we will begin with a bit of relaxing, and in between, we can talk.”

I immediately felt a disturbance in the Manly Force, urging me to turn around and flee. It was already too late, for Rarity had already opened the door and was waiting for me to catch up. I hesitated, and for good reason. Men did not go to a spa—men went to the gym, worked on cars and engines, chopped wood, wrestled bears, and generally did things that were stupid but awesome at the same time. However, I reckoned that I could still enter the building and avoid destroying my manliness, or so I hoped.
We entered the building, the scent of soaps, oils, and an assortment of beauty products instantly staggering me. The waiting room’s main feature was a blue earth pony mare with a pink mane who stood behind a desk. She positively beamed when she spotted Rarity.

“Rarity!” she exclaimed in an unfamiliar heavy accent, trotting out from behind the desk and giving Rarity a kiss on each cheek. “It is wonderful to see you again.” She then turned to me. “And Mister Powell as well.” She held out a hoof. I crouched down, giving her hoof a gentle shake.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss...”

“Lotus Blossom is my name, but you can call me Lotus. I am the owner of Ponyville Day Spa alongside my twin sister, Aloe. It is nice to finally meet you. I was at your party, but we never had the chance to speak.”

“Oh, um, there were a lot of ponies there, and I can’t remember every name and face,” I explained awkwardly.
Lotus merely waved a hoof at me. “Do not worry, I understand.” She then addressed Rarity, “As you can see, it is early morning and no customers yet, so you two have the entire spa for yourselves.”

Trotting over to a door covered with a curtain, Lotus pulled it aside, revealing a larger room. Rarity was the first to head inside, with me following close behind. The room was painted in bright pastel colours, and possessed a powerful scent of exotic flowers and oils. Steam rose to the ceiling from a large wooden bathtub in the middle of the room, which was surrounded by a dais with stairs leading up. Surrounding the tub were several comfy-looking spa tables for clients to relax on.

“And here we are, the most soothing place in all of Ponyville.” Rarity took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, as though her stress was already melting away.
I took a few moments to drink in the atmosphere of the entire spa. “Nice.” I gave an impressed whistle.

“Thank you. My sister and I have spent much time and effort to make this spa a place of relaxation for everypony,” Lotus explained, her pride evident through her thick accent.

Rarity nodded in agreement. “I come here often, as much as twice a week sometimes. I’ve already paid for us, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“What? You paid?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Spas weren’t cheap, as far as I knew.

Rarity waved her hoof dismissively. “I am the Element of Generosity, and I also know that you need to unwind. Now, all we shall do is relax, and be pampered and spoilt.”

She walked up the short stairs to the bathtub, sticking a hoof in it. “The temperature is perfect for a gentle soak in the tub. I recommend at least thirty minutes in here before we move on to something else.”

I stuck my hand in the warm water, feeling its warmth soak into my fingers. Sure, I could go for a dip. In private.

“That would be nice, but…”

Rarity’s smile shrunk ever so slightly. “But what, darling?”

During the time spent in Canterlot, we had discussed various topics, including clothing, but the main subject of why I wore clothes had never been brought up. “Well, there’s this thing about us humans; we don’t bathe nude in public, and I don’t have swimming trunks or anything like that, so I think I’ll rather sit this one out.”

“What?” Her face visibly fell at my words. “But this is a luxurious bath, with the finest bath salts and oils. You simply cannot let it pass you by without giving it a chance!”

I sighed and prepared to give a lesson on human etiquette, noticing Lotus standing close to me and giving her undivided attention.

“Rarity, listen to me. I grew up in a world where walking around nude is either heavily frowned upon or outright illegal. The only times we humans are completely naked is either when we’re bathing, or when we’re engaging in some… hanky-panky with our girlfriend or boyfriend.”

Her face immediately flushed, as did Lotus’, and she raised a hoof to object, but I wasn’t done. “I’ve followed that rule for my entire life. I simply can’t unlearn it or undo it with the snap of a finger, even if things are different around here.”

Rarity slowly lowered her hoof, realization dawning on her face as my words sank in. “I see your point. It would be unfair to force you to do something you are not comfortable with.”

I nodded to her. “Thank you for understanding. There’s another thing, though. Men usually don’t go to the spa. Not that it’s illegal, mind you, it’s just that it’s more of a womanly thing.”

Shaking her head, Rarity made her way down the stairs. “I finally understand this nudity taboo of yours, and frankly, it makes sense in a very strange way. Now you’re saying that males never visit a spa?”

I crossed my arms and nodded. Rarity looked up to me, waiting for an explanation. “Well, like I said, only women visit spas. It’s difficult to explain but it has something to do with our masculinity. Looking pretty, having silky smooth skin, and all that stuff—it’s simply not manly.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Manly?”

“Um… stallion...in...ly?” I blew a puff of air out of my mouth. “Okay, visiting a spa puts a man's masculinity at risk, not literally, but figuratively. Women go to spa, men do not. It’s the easiest explanation I can give you.”

Rarity and Lotus spent a few seconds gazing at me with a blank stare before both began laughing. “Oh darling, both mares and stallions frequent spas in Equestria. It’s not a matter of femininity or masculinity, merely a means for relaxing or caring for your body.”

“Rarity is right,” Lotus chimed in. “We also provide hoof treatments, horn filling, and even feather oils. We cater to a large clientele consisting of many races. I am sure we can find something you’ll like.”

I spent a few moments pondering what to do. I could probably just say no if I insisted; Rarity seemed like a reasonable mare, if a little pushy at times. Lotus seemed much more agreeable. However, a long soak in a tub sounded great as well.

“When in Rome…”

“What was that, darling?”

I looked from Rarity, to the tub, and back to her again. “Okay,” I finally conceded, but raised my finger. “I won’t go in completely naked though.” I turned to Lotus. “Do you have a room where I can change my clothes and a large enough towel to wrap around my waist?”

Luckily for me, Lotus found a large enough towel and even escorted me to a changing room in the back. Leaving my clothes on a table, I returned to the spa, naked sans the towel around my waist. Truth be told, I still wasn’t very comfortable, and had spent a few moments in the changing room willing myself to step outside.

When I returned to the main room, Rarity was already in the tub while Lotus poured bath salts into the warm water. There was also another pony present that hadn’t been there earlier. She introduced herself as Aloe, Lotus’ twin sister. They looked exactly alike, except their colour schemes were reversed. They even had the same cutie mark and their voices were a perfect match.

I took extra care to hold my towel in place while stepping into the tub, lest it fall off. When I finally settled inside, the waterline barely reached my stomach. It was much easier to sit in the middle, since it was deeper there, the water reaching my chest.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it darling?” Rarity asked, her mane covered by a towel.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the warmth of the water and the salts working on my skin. “Still feels a bit weird,” I murmured, rubbing the warm water over my shoulders. A sudden touch almost made me jump, and my head swivelled around to spot a sponge held in Rarity’s blue aura. “What are you doing?”

“I just thought you needed help,” she answered calmly. “Even though all homes have bathrooms, nearly every town and city possesses public baths. You have no idea how difficult it can be for an earth pony or a pegasus to wash their backs.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need help.” I grabbed the sponge and demonstrated the reach of my arms by scrubbing my back.

Rarity took another sponge and began scrubbing right between my shoulder blades. “You missed a spot.”

I sighed slightly, unsure whether I liked all this touching. Ponies were like this, I had noticed. Pinkie, especially, had no concept of personal space.

Aloe came by, asking if we needed anything. It turned out that they served refreshments as well. Rarity asked for ice tea, though I declined a drink. After Aloe left, I noted aloud that the twin’s accents made them somewhat difficult to understand. Rarity’s response wasn’t what I expected.

“If you spend enough time here, you’ll understand them perfectly. Besides, their accent isn’t any harder to understand than yours.”
“I have an accent?” I concentrated and slowly enunciated the words. “I can’t hear it.”

“But you do, darling. I have met ponies from all over Equestria, and even from other countries, and I can place most accents quite accurately. Yours, however, I could not.”
“Huh, I wonder where it came from.”

Rarity smiled faintly while taking a sip from her drink. “I asked Twilight if she recognized it, but she didn’t, surprisingly enough. Instead, the answer was revealed by Princess Celestia. You, darling, have a northern Unicornian accent, a thousand-year old accent that faded over the many years after Equestria was founded. According to Princess Celestia, Star Swirl had the same accent, and his family was from northern Unicornia. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to imagine that you received it from him along with our language.”

I sank down in the water until my head was barely above the water line, pondering Rarity’s revelation. In the end, I was fine with it since ponies could still understand what I was saying.

After some time, it was time to switch to another activity. Returning from the changing room once we had dried off, I was instructed to lie down on the spa table by Lotus. Rarity was on a table next to me, her hooves being filed by Aloe, and apparently I was in for the same treatment. Lotus began by studying my hooves thoroughly.

“Oh, you do not wear shoes? Hmm, there is not much wear or damage,” she noted. “You just need a light filing.” Holding a fine file in her mouth, she began to work, sending minute vibrations through my hooves.

“I was never told about shoes. I didn’t think you wore them.” Celestia and Luna were the only ponies I had seen donning them, along with the hoof armour the guards wore.

“But we do,” Rarity responded. She levitated over a single horseshoe, painted white to match her fur’s colour. “Most ponies wear horseshoes, but they are painted to match our coats and prevent rust. My shoes are designer-made to easily slip on and off without having to use nails. That way, I can change shoes to fit the occasion.” She held up a hoof where a shoe was attached the bottom of which the paint had worn off.

“There are a wide variety of shoes to choose from, both for durability and aesthetic,” Rarity lectured while Aloe filed away at her hooves. “For instance, Silver shoes work well with most dresses and are quite trendy among the nobility. Bronze shoes are also popular, as they are less costly and can easily be engraved with a variety of patterns. Steel, however, is the most common choice, as it is a material that will last for a long time. Then there are those who prefer not to wear shoes at all, our dear Rainbow Dash for example.”

After my hooves had been filed and polished with wax, Lotus asked if I wanted my horn done as well. According to her, it had a few blemishes that could easily be attended to. Seeing nothing wrong with it, I laid down on my stomach with my hands under my chin to allow her easier access.

Running a hoof over my horn, Lotus hummed to herself while inspecting the bony appendage. “A few bumps and a very dull point. I recommend a full filing to smooth out the shape, a more defined groove, and a slightly sharper profile.”

“Why the sharper profile?” I asked.

“It is a style that is currently gaining ground in Manehattan. I’m certain it’ll be more prominent in Ponyville in a few weeks.” Never thought I would be caught up in the current trends of Equestria. I had assumed it would make spellcasting easier, not a fashion statement.

Unfortunately, the horn filing proved nightmarish. The sensation of the files, ranging from medium coarse to very fine, was akin to someone using a slow rotating angle grinder on my skull. Luckily, all horns were completely void of sensations, though they could transmit vibrations easily. In the end, I wound up with a horn that was much smoother and pointier, though not enough to accidentally harm anyone. Wouldn’t want an accident, after all.

***

When I had walked into the spa two hours earlier, I was certain my masculinity was under threat. I now stood corrected. Similar to horses from earth, proper hoof care was important for one’s well-being. Lotus and Aloe relayed a few horror stories from neglecting to do so. For example, a badly split hoof was excruciating and required immediate treatment in order to prevent the crack from growing. The removal of small foreign objects was also important. A pebble wedged in could quickly become a significant irritant. They even had home hoof-care sets for sale, but I declined Rarity’s offer to purchase one for me. When I needed one, I wanted to pay for it myself.

Beside me, Rarity walked with her head held high and a relaxed expression on her face. “Tell me, darling, do you feel as though your masculinity has diminished?” she asked playfully.

I let out a rueful laugh. “Not really, no. It was more like a health-care class combined with a bath. You planned it that way so that I would learn something, didn’t you?”

Rarity allowed a sly smile to appear on her lips. “I may have. Sometimes, the best way to teach someone is to let them learn from professionals. Aloe and Lotus really are the best ponies in town to teach you.”

She was right. Aloe and Lotus were fantastic at their craft, utterly professional and accommodating to their customers. I might just grow accustomed to visiting the spa for hoof treatment a few times a year, out of necessity if nothing else. The pictures of neglected hooves they had shown me flashed through my mind, causing me to shudder.

“So, what’s next on the agenda?” Rarity seemed to have a destination in mind, one that took us down the main street.

“Shoes.” She pointed at my hooves. “You need shoes in order to protect your hooves from wear and tear. Everypony wears them. Well, almost everypony—some pegasi outright reject shoes, no matter their material or beauty.”

“Okay, and where can I get shoes?” Honestly, shoes didn’t sound that bad aside from the method they were attached: nails and hammer. That was a harrowing prospect.

“A pony named Caramel. He is Ponyville’s farrier and shoemaker. Due to your hooves being so large, you’ll likely need custom-made shoes.”

“That sounds expensive.”

“Pish-posh.” Rarity halted and opened the door to a store, causing a bell to chime. There were several wooden cut-outs of horseshoes on a plaque above the door. “Caramel owes me a small favour, and I believe that now is a good time to cash in on it.”

Arguing at this point would be futile since Rarity had clearly made up her mind. Honestly, all these handouts were getting to me.

Shelves lined the walls of the store, filled with a variety of horse shoes styles, some even resembling high heels that would go with a dress. The store even had benches for stallions to sit on while their mares tried on a hundred pairs. A cash register and counter stood at one wall, a light amber earth pony with a brown mane standing behind it and reading a magazine. He looked up and spotted us, a smile coming to his face.

“Hello there.” He walked around the counter. “How can I help you today, Rarity?”

“Hello, Caramel. I was wondering if you have shoes in your establishment that would fit my friend here.”

Caramel looked up at me, then down to my hooves, studying them for a moment. “Hmm, I might. Why don’t you take a seat while I get my tools?”

Caramel walked into the back of his store and returned moments later with a wooden board with measuring lines carved into it, as well as small wooden walls mounted on screws. Placing it in front of me, he instructed me to set my hoof on it. He then began twisting the screws until my hoof was locked into place. Taking my measurements, he then wrote down the width and length of my hoof on the board.

“Well, I can safely say that your hooves are the largest ones that ever walked into my store.” He chuckled. “I’m afraid Big Macintosh has lost the town record.”

“You’ll have to make shoes from scratch then?” I knew that wielding a hammer couldn’t be easy for an earth pony, unless they had a power hammer or something. Maybe I could help him?

Caramel rubbed his cheek. “Maybe not. I might have something in storage.” He went into the back of his store and returned with a flat, dusty, cardboard box. He opened it, revealing a pair of horseshoes that were wide and seemed rather hefty.

I picked one up and weighed it in my hand. They were heavier than they appeared, and thicker than any horseshoe I’d ever seen before. They had no distinct pattern underneath, but the tip at the toe was quite wide. These were probably shoes for a real workhorse. They had no paint on them, only a matte finish that barely gave any reflection.

“These are the largest pairs I have,” Caramel explained. “I made them years ago, but the customer never came to pick them up. I remember the guy clearly; a huge earth pony, real clumsy too. I think that with a little tweaking, I can make them fit you.”

“That would be wonderful.” Rarity scrutinized the shoe held in my hand. “What do you think, Magnus? Do you like these? I admit, they are a bit plain and lacking in modern style—”

“No no, I like these,” I cut her off. “I’m not much for style, to be honest, but if they’re comfortable to wear, that’d be fine.”

Rarity gave me an appraising glance. “Very well, simplicity is a style in itself. How much are they?”

“No charge,” he responded cheerily. “They’ve been taking up space for a long time, and I’ll be glad to get rid of them. Nopony around has hooves as big as these.”

Caramel had to take another measurement while holding the shoe against my hoof, which revealed he would have to adjust the shoes wider in order for them to fit me comfortably. It would take time to hammer them into shape, harden them, and finally grind them to a satisfactory finish. While Caramel worked, Rarity revealed another plan she had in mind: gem hunting.

Apparently, she and Spike had gone searching for gems a few days ago, and had brought back a decent haul. She explained that she use gems as decorations on her designs, but the last gem hunt yielded almost no gems of a specific colour, which was what she wanted to search for.
I smelled an opportunity to earn some cash and gladly said yes.

***

An hour later, we stood on a desolate field somewhere east of Ponyville, a place called Rambling Rock Ridge. It was barren and rocky, but according to Rarity, this was a good place to look for gems. She didn’t need that many, so all we had with us was a shovel and a cloth pouch to store the gems in.

“So, what gems are you looking for?” I asked, eyeing the dusty landscape around us. Given that gems were common in this world and Rarity was searching for a specific colour, this could take a while.

“Sky blue aquamarine. It is not terribly uncommon, and I haven’t looked in this particular section of the field yet.” She lit up her horn and pointed it at the ground as she began walking around.

“What is that magic you’re using?”

“One of my special talents; a gem-finding spell. Whenever I use it, I can easily find gems,” Rarity explained.

“Neat. How does it work?”

“Twilight explained it to me once. Magic from my horn spreads outwards, permeating everything. Gems can store magic within them, and whenever my magic comes into contact with a gem, it glows strong enough to shine through the earth.” Sure enough, the ground in front of her was glowing. Strange thing was, the return glow had the appearance of gemstones, even through thick dirt.

“Ah, there we are. Would you mind digging them up?”

I strode over with the pony-sized shovel, stuck it in the ground, and began digging. The shovel was small, but it got the job done. In less than a minute, a cluster of gems could be seen. To my surprise, these were perfectly cut, as though a gem cutter had just buried them and walked away. I knew that some crystals had a molecular bond that gave them certain shapes, but these were definitely weird.

They were all different colours. I picked one up, a bright red gem the size of a baby’s fist. It must have been a ruby, though I was no gemmologist. If this was Earth, I would have been rich. Unfortunately, I was in Equestria where gems were common. For all I knew, this gem couldn’t even get me a haircut.

“Hmm, pity.” Rarity sidled up next to me. “No sky blue aquamarines. I have enough of these at home. Just leave them there; somepony else might come along looking for them.” She strode away and lit up her horn again.

“Wait, Rarity!” I called out. “How much exactly do you think this gem is worth?” If she didn’t want them, hell, I’d be happy to take them off her hands. This could be a way for me to earn some cash.

Rarity studied the gem for a moment before shrugging. “I know what gems will complement my dresses and suits, but not their exact worth. You would be better off consulting a jeweller or gemmologist. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?”

I held up the stone up to my eye, the sunlight dancing within the precious gem. “Because I could sell these and get a head start on getting my own place to live.”

Rarity hummed to herself. “Well, there is a jewellery store in Ponyville. You could visit the proprietor and sell them to her if you wish.”

I grinned and pocketed the gems, following Rarity to where the next pile of gems lay hidden beneath the soil. We wandered around, digging around a few places and finding some of the gems Rarity wanted. The aquamarines had a pleasant blue coloration to them, like fragments of a cloudless summer sky, all of which went into Rarity’s pouch. I also stuffed my pockets with gems Rarity didn’t want. Eventually my pockets became so full that I began to select the most flawless ones while discarding the rest. I grumbled while blaming myself for not bringing a wheelbarrow.

The serenity of the dusty field didn’t last for long. “Whiny pony!” someone shouted. I was on my knees, scooping out a handful of gems when I heard the voice. Looking up from the hole, I spotted three hulking anthropomorphic dogs standing about thirty meters away from us.

The first one had grey fur, wearing a red vest and a leather collar around his neck. The second had light brown fur, a grey vest, and a collar, as did the third dog, who was grey and the largest of the trio. They were hunched over, balancing on their arms for support, their forearms thick and muscular with claws on their stubby fingers. I didn’t like the malicious gleam in their eyes, nor the way they were grinning. The fact that they looked like werewolves, minus the drooling and bloodied fur, was also a concern—never trust a strange dog, after all.

Rarity had also noticed the dogs. “Oh, those ruffians.” She huffed in annoyance.

“Friends of yours?” I inquired.

“Diamond dogs from a nearby den. I do not mingle with their sort.” She glared at them with disdain. “They kidnapped me once and enslaved me to use my magic to find gems for them. My friends came to the rescue, but I managed to escape the dogs by… unconventional means.”

I wondered what she meant by ‘unconventional’ as I observed the dogs. They were whispering amongst themselves while pointing at Rarity, but judging by the glances in my direction, I didn’t doubt that they were equally or perhaps even more interested in me.

When they casually began walking towards us, my mind kicked into high gear. ‘What to do if they attack? I’ve got the shovel which can do some damage. Plenty of stones nearby as well. Outnumbered though, odds are not good. Doubt we can run—they look pretty fast. One of us can go for help. Rarity has magic; maybe she can teleport and get Twilight.’
I did my best to hide my rising anxiety as I stood up straight while holding the shovel ready. The dogs advanced on us, stopping just a few meters from us, grinning mischievously.

“It’s the whiny pony, boys!” The dog in the red vest smirked while leering at Rarity. He then looked to me. “She left her little lizard at home and brought something new.” He supported himself on his knuckles while walking towards me, only to be stopped when Rarity moved to stand between us.

“Is there anything we can help you with?” she asked sharply.

“Silence, whiny pony!” the dog barked. He shoved Rarity aside and continued towards me until he was just inches away. Even though he was hunched over, it was obvious that he was stronger than me in every way. He leaned even closer and began sniffing the air around me, eyeing me up and down. I didn’t even move since it was a gesture dogs usually did when they encountered something strange. However, he didn’t wag his tail like dogs usually did, and that was a sure sign of trouble. I saw Rarity at the corner of my eye, watching the whole affair with concern, her horn already glowing.

“I don’t know your smell, haven’t smelled it before! What are you?” he demanded in his gravelly voice.

“Me? Well, I’m a human,” I responded flatly. My mind raced to devise a solution where we kept our hides intact. Perhaps I could… do what this guy did? It was how dogs greeted each other. It was a simple start, but—

A plan flashed across my mind’s eye. It required bullshittery of the highest degree, a silver tongue, truth about human history, and knowledge about dogs. If it went well, I could return to Ponyville with unsoiled pants.

I slowly leaned towards the dog while sniffing the air eagerly, drawing in its scent. The unpleasant scent of moist dirt and unwashed dog caused me to wrinkle my nose. The dog was surprised at my actions yet stood perfectly still until I was done. The whole ordeal was over in just a few seconds.

I tilted my head to the side. “You’re a diamond dog, aren’t you? You smell like one.”

The dog blinked in confusion, then looked back at his pals, who looked at each other before shrugging, then back to me. “We are diamond dogs, yes! Why do you want to know?”

I gave him the broadest smile I could muster, spreading my arms out wide. “Heheey! That’s great; glad to see some friendly faces!” I grabbed his paw and shook it eagerly with both hands. “I thought there were only ponies living in this land. Name’s Magnus, by the way. You are?”

My eager reaction was obviously not what he had been expecting. He appeared so confounded that he simply looked down at his paw being held with both my hands. “Rover,” he answered confused.

“Hah! Glad to meet you, Rover! How are you?” I gave him a friendly pat on the back before looking over to the two dogs behind him. I walked over to them, smiling and repeating the same spiel I had given Rover, getting their names in the process: Fido and Spot. From the outside, it might have looked like I had met some old friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Inwardly, I groaned at their stereotypical canine names.

I heard one whisper to the other, “Do we know this guy?” All that told me was that my slapdash plan was working, so well in fact that Rarity decided to intervene.

“Magnus, do you know these dogs?” she asked hesitantly. Rover stood next to her, looking as befuddled as Rarity was.

“No, not these guys. I just met them,” I explained, taking my arms off Fido’s and Spot’s back. “But we have diamond dogs where I come from. As a matter of fact, humans and diamond dogs have been the closest of friends for thousands upon thousands of years.”

Was I lying? Damn right I was. While there was no such thing as diamond dogs on Earth, humans had domesticated dogs thousands of years ago.

“You have? You never told us.” Rarity eyed me suspiciously.

“Human? I never heard of human before,” Rover interjected.

“That’s because I’m from a land very far away, friend.” I placed my hand on his shoulder, giving him a friendly pat and an earnest smile. “You guys have been my race’s friends for ages. We helped each other hunt and protected each other in times of war and peace. Your sense of smell is legendary; you can track someone for days. Do you have any idea how many humans your kind has saved over the years? We owe you much.”

Silence reigned for a moment while my audience pondered my words. “I do have a good sense of smell,” the brown dog, Spot, mentioned while rubbing his nose, actually looking proud of himself. “I can always smell when food is ready, even in the deepest tunnels.”

If there was a god of bullshittery and lies, he was definitely on my side, at least for now.

***

On a cloud above the human, pony, and dogs, Discord sat with a slice of pizza topped only with pineapple and a large cup of fizzy paint thinner, watching the latest episode of the ‘Daily Human Show’.

“Mediocre,” he mumbled.

***

“And let’s not forget the heroes of the diamond dogs,” I announced loudly, gaining the undivided attention of the dogs. “Balto, the hero of Nome, who saved many lives when he crossed an unbelievable distance in a freezing blizzard, carrying medicine to a city of humans!” I paused for dramatic effect. “Lassie! Oh, she was truly a wonder dog who warned her friends of danger, and even saved a child from a burning barn! What couldn’t she do?”

The way the dogs’ frowns turned into faint smiles told me I was on the right track. I couldn’t believe this bullshit actually worked!

“Do you know who Laika was?” I asked my audience. The dogs shook their heads. To my surprise, Rarity shook hers as well. “Well then, let me tell you about the first being to travel into space. It was not a human; no, it was a brave hero of a land called ~The Soviet Union~. Her name was Laika, and she was a diamond dog.”

***

They bought it all, hook, line, and sinker. It eventually got to the point where my audience seated themselves in front of me, eagerly lapping up my every word. While Rarity preferred stories about noble canines, the three diamond dogs were far more interested in hearing about dogs serving in wars. So I told them of brave dogs on the front lines, charging enemies with a courage and ferocity man could never achieve, as well as the role dogs played in ensuring dangerous substances were sniffed out before they could harm people.

Inevitably, I began running short on stories to impress the dogs with. Instead, I shifted to telling the three dogs about the bond between dogs and humanity, how we shared houses and raised our children under the same roof. Even as the diamond dogs nodded in approval, I wondered if I had gone too far.

Luckily, it was at this point that Rarity intervened, stating that we should head back to town. It was past the lunch hour, and my shoes would be ready at this time. Judging by her nervous tone, she really wanted to return to the comfort of her own home. The three dogs, however, were actually sad to see me go, whining like puppies when it was time for us to leave. I excused myself by saying that I was only in Ponyville temporarily, and while I would like to visit, it would be a long time before I would find the time to do so.

When Rarity and I walked away, the three dogs waved their goodbyes to me. “Did you hear? He said I have a friendly face. Not even my own mother would ever say so!” I heard one of them proudly state.

“I wanna work at one of those ‘air ports’,” another chimed in. “Maybe I can be a hero and find dangerous things hidden away in barrels and crates!”

“Amateurs!” another announced loudly. “When we get back to the den, I’m gonna be like Laika! I’m going to space!”

When we were out of listening distance, Rarity chanced a discreet peek over her shoulder, then to me. “Those stories, were any of them true?” she asked.

“Every single damn one was true.” I then chuckled. “But every single diamond dog in those stories was a normal dog. Some of those dogs aren’t even real. It was worth telling them lies if we could get back to town unscathed.”

Rarity agreed, though she did mention that they probably had only intended to harass, not kidnap us. Apparently, Princess Celestia had heard by way of Twilight’s letters of Rarity’s kidnapping, and had personally visited the diamond dogs to have a conversation with them.

Better to tell them lies than them getting another visit by a displeased sun goddess.

***

We headed straight to Caramel’s store, the stallion himself waiting eagerly with my steel shoes that had been adjusted and had a layer of clear matte lacquer applied. He first wiggled them into place, making a few slight adjustments. While standing on all fours, I had to extend one leg backwards on a special bench so that he could nail my shoe into place. I tried not to be a wuss, but when I saw the box of nails, I asked if it would hurt. Caramel smiled, stating that except for the gentle hammer blows, I wouldn’t feel a thing. Looking at Rarity to ease my mind, she gave me a reassuring nod, stating that she had been just as nervous when she got her first shoes. Apparently, fillies and colts heard some scary stories concerning shoes when they were young.

Still didn’t stop me from whimpering at the first hammer blow.

***

Horseshoes felt strange on my legs. There was extra weight, the hard surface, and a bit less grip than my usual shoes or even barefoot for that matter. Not to mention the constant sound of steel on solid ground. I had even developed a fear of the nails being hammered too far in, being just a hair’s width from striking a nerve or something. To say I had been walking on eggshells the way back to Rarity’s boutique was putting it mildly. There had to be better shoes around than these, and I reminded myself to search for an option that was softer on my legs and joints than these steel lumps.

Rarity led me to her personal area of the boutique, specifically the living room. It was tastefully furnished, much like a modern living room, except for a lack of electrical gadgets. The paintings and flower decorations made up for it, though. She even had a small bookshelf filled with books on clothes and fashion.

“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring us some tea,” she told me the moment we stepped inside.

I took a seat on a chaise lounge Rarity had in her living room while she went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for us. She returned a few minutes later with a full porcelain tea set, sugar, and lemon.

“Now then,” she began as she sat down on another chaise, tucking her forelegs closer to her while pouring us warm tea. Eyeing my clothes, her smile grew like that of a connoisseur appraising a particular work of art. “Let’s talk garments.”

I looked down at my white T-shirt and blue pants. “My clothes? Is there something wrong with them?” I’d been wearing Creative’s clothes for some time now; they were actually pretty comfortable.

“Not at all, darling. Although they seem a bit… plain to me.” She scrutinized my outfit with a critical eye. “Did you request them to be this way?”

“I did. These are casual clothes where I come from. It’s what most people wear every day.”

“Casual clothes,” Rarity repeated, almost like she was tasting the word for the first time. “Well, if I must be honest, I will say that ‘casual’ isn’t really popular in Equestria. Most of us prefer ‘au naturel’ over casual, but of course there are exceptions, and at those times, we prefer style. I have no doubt that you’ve seen suits and dresses during your stay in Canterlot.”

I thought for a moment. “At my hearing. There was a bunch of ponies in formal suits and fancy-looking dresses there.”

“Aha, probably nobility. The nobles of Equestria prefer expensive suits and dresses as everyday wear to display their status and wealth. That is not to say that the common pony doesn’t own finer wear for special occasions. Out of curiosity,” Rarity leaned closer to me, a smile that was eerily similar to Twilight’s face when she had questions, “what is fashion like when it comes to humans?”

“Fashion, huh?” I blew a stream of air through my mouth. Sipping my tea, I took a moment to reminisce over the various styles back home. “Well, with so many people and different cultures, fashion changes from one continent to another. Western clothing is probably the most widespread style.”

“Western?” Rarity repeated.

“The specific culture I hail from,” I replied, not taking into account my native heritage. “Finer clothes, such as suits, all look similar in terms of style. Suit jacket, suit pants, a shirt, tie or bowtie, and of course, shoes. Come to think of it, most of the suit jackets those nobles wore looked a lot like western-styled jackets.”

“I see,” Rarity replied with a knowing smile. “It would seem that even our fashion styles are somewhat similar. Interesting indeed.” She hopped off the chaise and cantered to another room, returning with a few sketches held aloft in her magic. “Do these sketches look like something a human would wear?” she asked as she passed them to me.

I looked through her sketches, each one depicting a pony with different garments, but all of them fit nicely into the occasion they were designed for. There were suit jackets, vests, dresses, and skirts, but except for the jackets and vests, I had no experience with the rest. Certain garments just couldn’t carry over to the human body, no matter how much I tried. The typical dresses celebrities wore on TV were plain in comparison to the artistic works Rarity had sketched. Just remembering the dresses she had on display in her store, I had to wring my brain to dredge up anything from Earth that was similar. It served to remind me that Rarity was a seamstress and fashionista, and a damn good one at that.

‘Then again, this is another world. I can’t expect every style to be similar to home. Plus, given that they’re normally nude, they probably like to go all out when they do wear clothes.’

“Honestly, the jacket suits and the vests are the only ones that I can place because they’re so similar to men’s clothing.” I eyed the sketch of a mare wearing one of the more elaborately layered dresses, complete with roman-styled sandals on her hind legs. “I don’t know what a woman would look like wearing this. I guess that pony fashion is so unique that it’s hard to even imagine.”

Rarity looked at the sketch, and a grin slowly grew on her face. “Oh, I am so happy to hear that, darling! Unique, yes, it certainly is, but so much that it is hard to imagine? By Celestia, has my fashion made you speechless?” she exclaimed with more than a hint of elation.

“Well, it’s either that, or it could be that I don’t really care for fashion at all,” I answered bluntly.

Rarity gasped, staring at me in horror. “You don’t care for fashion?! You, who wear clothes every single day, do not care?!”

“Nope.” I sipped the remainder of my tea, extending my pinkie finger. “Can’t say that I do, only that I wear clothes that I like.”

Rarity could barely hold herself together, pointing an accusing hoof at me. “B-But why? You said that all humans wear clothes!”

I spoke calmly, hoping my words would prove logical to her overly dramatic mind. “I did say that, but not all people care for fashion. I’m a prime example; if my clothes are comfy and they’re in a colour I like, that’s good enough for me. Of course, there are people who do care for fashion and go to great lengths to look their best every day, but everyone’s different.”

Slowly, Rarity lowered her hoof and her breathing became steadier. “Yes… Yes, of course. The taste of the individual. I’m afraid that I might have projected certain tastes and desires upon you. A race that wore clothes of the highest quality and cared greatly for fashion was a dream for me. So many different garments, so many fabrics, so many ideas,” she finished with a deep sigh and a forlorn expression on her face.

Mulling over her words, I realized Rarity had made a fair assumption. It certainly wasn’t wrong of her to expect that of me; the alien race with their fantastic futuristic clothing, styles no one had heard of, and fabrics and colours that would make a rainbow look dull in comparison. Hollywood had certainly adopted that approach when it came to making movies.

“I can understand your expectations, Rarity. To me, it sounds like clothes are meant for special occasions and to look as good as possible for you ponies. For humans, clothes are part of ordinary life. It’s as common as food and water. You shouldn’t feel bad about it at all; it was a fair assumption.”

She turned to me, guilt fading from her face. “Thank you, darling. I thought I had made a fool of myself for believing so.” She smiled at me, which I returned, sensing the situation had been defused.

“Goodness me, my tea is getting cold.” Rarity scooped up her cup and daintily began sipping, shooting me sideways glances. I had a faint idea of what she wanted to ask me of, considering her profession. Having provided me with shoes and paid for the spa session this morning, I was willing to play along.

“Anything else about human clothes you want to ask about?”

“Oh, heavens no. I should be teaching you about Equestria, not fulfilling my own personal desires,” she quickly answered, though the longing tone in her voice and constant twitch in her left ear gave her away.

I leaned closer to Rarity. “Ever heard of… ~denim~?” I even added a bit of huskiness to my voice.

Her head slowly turned, her large curious eyes fixated on me. “De-Denim?”

I nodded. “It’s a fabric.”

Swallowing and placing her cup back on the table, Rarity nodded hesitantly. “Yes, please.”

“Maybe you want to hear about ~Gore-Tex~ as well?”

Rarity inhaled deeply. “T-That sounds… exotic.”

“And ~Polar Fleece~ perhaps? It’s made of a material called ~plastic~ and is light, soft, and easy to wash.”

A faint red blush appeared on her cheeks. “Oh! Oh my!” She grabbed a nearby magazine from the table and began fanning herself.

I was having way too much fun; the more fabrics I mentioned, the more flustered she grew, and for a moment, I wondered how far I could go. In the end I decided to just gun it.

“Microfiber has become popular in the last few decades,” I casually mentioned while inspecting a fingernail.

Rarity’s magazine fanned faster.

“And let’s not forget ~spandex~. It’s very elastic, and wearing something made from spandex shows off the body’s contours, bulges, and any other areas of interest.”

Rarity gasped, then jumped off the couch and ran out of the room. I sat alone, wondering if I had taken it too far. Apparently I didn’t, because Rarity returned moments later with a fan. She placed it on the table, turned it on, then jumped back onto the couch with a notepad and pencil, the fan blowing a stream of cool air at her, making her curls wave ever so slightly in the breeze.

“Go on.” She fluttered her eyelashes, her voice so husky she could pull a dog sleigh.

***

Rarity was over the moon when I began telling her of the different types of fabrics and the clothes used back on Earth. There were considerable gaps in my knowledge, though according to her, I managed to relay a plethora of information. From suits and dresses to casual and gym wear, Rarity wrote down every single sentence, often asking questions to further clarify my responses.

A stroke of inspiration struck her during our conversation; she wanted to make me clothes. For free. When I refused, she pleaded and whined until my ears ached, stating how much of a challenge it would be for her. I finally understood why the diamond dogs referred to her as ‘whiny pony’.

However, I stood my ground, not wanting to accept any more handouts. I’d been in financial binds before and came out fine in the end. Now that I knew where to find gems, I could always search for myself and find someone to buy them. She was just a stubborn, declaring that she was the Element of Generosity and that she could make me a wonderful suit free of charge.

Mentioning that I hated wearing suits was probably not the brightest idea at the time.

In the end, she conceded that I would pay for my clothes just as anyone else, though her tone was rather clipped. Still, it was better than her wasting her time on a suit I would never wear.

By the time I left Rarity’s place, it was around four in the afternoon. The walk back to Twilight’s castle was done in silence, my mind absorbing the conversations I’d had with Rarity. I actually appreciated the hoof and horn care lessons due to them being directly related to my health and comfort. Still, the split hoof stories sent a shiver down my spine.

By the time I reached the castle, Twilight was buried in a pile of papers, books, and a blackboard filled with equations and numbers, just like most days I had stayed with her. Whatever project she was working on had her complete attention, but not enough so that she didn’t hear me say hello. Seeing that she was busy, I decided to get out of her hair, and after finding a new book on magic to read, I headed up to my room. I stored the gems I carried into my backpack and settled down to read, but the events of the day caught up with me, and I soon drifted to sleep.

***

After a short nap, I decided to sit by the window and observe the small town life unfolding before me. Ponies went about their business while fillies and colts ran about, causing trouble. Ponyville had a certain charm to it, I had to admit. Much like home.

There was one thing I had just seen that made me give the stallion in my sight a respectable nod and a worthy applause. That guy was smooth as hell and a real player. I applauded him, because what he just did was risky, but he escaped trouble by nothing short of divine intervention.

There was a gentle knock on the door before Twilight came trotting in. “Hey,” she greeted me. “I was busy with a project downstairs and didn’t see where you went, but I noticed a book was missing so....”

I pointed towards the nightstand. “Techniques for increasing the amount of magic one can hold. ‘The magic pool’, as you call it. Interesting stuff.” Even though I’d been in Equestria for a relative short period of time, I had picked up a few things on magic, specifically how to increase one's own magical reserve. The more magic you had, the more spells you could cast within a short amount of time. The problem was, those techniques took time to master.

Twilight glanced over to the nightstand just as I returned to peering out the window. “That’s a good book for novice wizards,” she noted. “By the way, how was your day with Rarity?”

“Informative. I learned how to take care of my horn and hoof, as well as some general health care tips. I now also know a lot about fashion—can’t imagine where I picked up that from,” I added with a grin. “Oh, and I also got these.” I lifted a hoof up, revealing the unpainted steel horseshoe on the bottom of my hoof.

“Oh, you got shoes.” A surprised expression flashed before her eyes. “After you told me about human footwear, I didn’t think you’d want horseshoes.”

“It was a gift; it would be rude to say no. They were also free.”

Returning to the scene unfolding outside, I grinned. Damn, that guy was slick.

“What are you looking at?” Twilight asked, coming to stand beside me.

“A legend.”

“Legend?” Twilight peered out the window. “Where?”

I placed an arm on Twilight’s withers and pointed at a specific house, and the three ponies standing there. “See that pegasus stallion, the one with the silver mohawk and black coat?”

“Mhm, that’s Thunderlane. What about him?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what happened a while ago.” I couldn’t help but grin. “He’s been standing there for a while with a picnic basket, obviously waiting for someone. Then the mare to the right came around the corner.”

“Flitter.”

“Right, Flitter. Well, he walks up to her and gives her a kiss, right on the lips. Not the friendly type of kiss though. I’m pretty sure they’re dating.”
Twilight glanced at me. “He and Flitter have been dating for over a year now.”

I nodded with a smile. “I thought so. Well, right after their kiss ended, the mare to the left came around the corner on the other side. And what does Don Juan do? He kisses her too! Right in front of his girlfriend!”

Twilight looked again at the trio. “Girl? Oh, you mean marefriend. That’s Cloudchaser, Flitter’s sister.”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms on my chest. ‘Sisters?! You smooth mother…’

“Impressive. Most impressive. Anyway, here’s my theory: he’s dating Flitter and they’re official since you know about it. However, he’s also got a thing going on the side with Cloudchaser. How he got away with kissing her right in front of Flitter, I’ve no idea.” I turned to Twilight, waggling my eyebrows. “Basically, he’s got two girl—I mean, marefriends.”

Twilight giggled at my eyebrows before looking down at the trio now moving away from the house. The playboy had one wing over each mare. A risky relationship, but the guy somehow managed to work both mares, and even went out on a picnic with his girl and inviting his second girl to come along. When his official girl found out, she was going to raise some hell and bust his balls.

“It is unusual, yes,” Twilight agreed. “A stallion being in a relationship with two mares who are also sisters is very unusual, but not illegal. I really think they should find a third mare to join their herd, just to even things out a bit. Can’t imagine how awkward things can be during… um, you know.”

Having a purple coat did nothing to hide a blush. That, however, was not was I was focusing on right now.

“A third?” I exclaimed. “Christ, Twilight, he’s already in a bad situation being involved with his girlfriend’s sister without her knowing. No need to turn up the heat in hell.”

Twilight chuckled as she looked at me. “I take it you didn’t know ponies are polyamorous?”

“Polyamorous?” I scratched my head. “As in, more than one partner?” How did that work? I imagined such relationships were filled with drama and not worth the hassle.

“That’s correct. Ponies, zebras and Saddle Arabian ponies are all polyamorous. I thought you’d have noticed by now just by walking about. I’m sure Star Swirl mentioned it in Canterlot when he first appeared.”

“I thought that the language wasn’t entirely correct, or perhaps he messed up the translation or something,” I explained.

Twilight suddenly clapped her hooves together eagerly while grinning broadly. “This calls for a lesson!” she exclaimed.

Exhaling heavily, I waved a hand towards the door. “Yeah, go on, can’t wait to hear this.”

We went back down to the library where most of my talks and lessons with Twilight had taken place. The library still looked like someone had dropped a grenade into a pile of papers and books. Collecting some of her work and stacking it neatly, Twilight cleared a table for us. She also found a stack of books which she placed on the table, obviously being learning material for me. She reminded me of a first grade teacher the way she sat there, all happy to play teacher and student with me.

“Now then, like I mentioned before, ponies, and for the record, almost all equines, are polyamorous. Can you guess why?”

I did know that horses formed herds in the wilds—a bunch of mares and stallions who would fight over the right to mate. “Because stallions are horn dogs?”

“What’s a horn dog? No, wait, I can ask about that later. Back to the subject at hoof. Long ago, ponies formed larger herds and smaller family units. There’s been plenty of archaeological evidence have supported this belief. I think you can say that our culture is formed around the herd, the basic family unit. However, the other reason is our birth rates. Haven’t you noticed when you’ve been outside?”

I thought back to all the times I’d walked around ponies. Most of that time was up in Canterlot Castle, which drew a blank. However, when I thought of Ponyville, a few things came to mind. Most of the ponies I had seen were mares. I’d thought until recently that maybe most stallions were at work, but that was obviously not the case.

“Now that you mention it, I’ve noticed that there seem to be more mares than stallions,” I answered. “So there are more mares born than stallions?”

Twilight nodded. “Three out of four foals born are female. The numbers are similar among zebras, though the number of stallions in Saddle Arabia is slightly higher. What about humans?”

“Roughly around fifty-fifty, I think. We’re all mostly monogamous as well. Polygamy is illegal in most countries, but some religions allow it, as well as some distant tribes in faraway countries. Still, I think most people frown upon the concept because they think it’s illegal, kind of like cheating on your girlfriend or wife. One man and one woman, that’s how it is.”

“But if they frown on it, why were you so excited to see a stallion with two mares?” Twilight asked inquisitively.

“Because a man can dream.” I waggled my eyebrows again. “Having two or more girlfriends is a fantasy among most men, considering what might be going on in the bedroom. Still, it’s just a dream, one that’s very difficult to achieve.”

By this point, Twilight had equipped her trusty quill and was scribbling away while avoiding my gaze, which somewhat hid her blush. “Interesting. Morals and law guiding relationship among humans, but males fantasizing about multiple mares? How should I interpret this?” she muttered to herself.

“Question.” Twilight glanced up from her paper. “How does a relationship involving multiple ponies—”

“Herd. We call it a herd.”

“Herd then. How does a herd work? Isn’t there a lot of drama or jealousy with so many individuals?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not usually, no. Because of our inherent nature to form strong bonds and communicate, herds are usually very strong and stable. Of course there might be arguments from time to time, but that’s part of a relationship.”

Well, Twilight was right in that regard. No relationship was perfect.

“As for how a herd works,” Twilight continued. “The most common one consists of one stallion and between two to four mares. It usually starts when a mare and stallion starts dating. If the relationship goes well, the couple might decide to expand the herd by adding a second mare after a few months, most of the time a common friend. There are herds that consist of more than four members, but those are becoming less frequent these days. They were much more common a few centuries ago.”

Resting my head on my hand, I couldn't help but wonder how confusing it had to be for children to grow up in such a family. Yeah, one father I could imagine, but several mothers?

“Tell me, how does it work when raising children in a herd? Who do the kids call mother when there are multiple mares?”

“They refer to their own mothers as just that; the other mares are usually referred to as herdmothers. Because of this, I think you can understand that some families can be large.”

I only nodded. After all these weeks, I was still attempting to apply human morals and traditions to a world that had never even seen humans before. There weren’t any religious or disapproving people to frown on the concept of polyamory among these adorable magical aliens. It had simply happened because nature dictated it was the best way to solve the problem of mares being lonely.

“However,” Twilight added with a raised hoof. “Not all ponies chose polyamory. There are those who choose a monogamous relationship, my parents being two of them, so don’t think we’re all the same when it comes to relationships.”

I nodded idly, wondering how large certain families could become in time. I remembered Star Swirl saying that he had children, so perhaps he had descendants here as well? That would make them—

I abruptly cut that train of thought. It was stupid, really. No one cared that much, especially after so long. I was on my own, as I’d been for some time now. I’d manage as I always had.

“Magnus?” I looked up to Twilight, who traced circles with her quill, an expression on her face that I had grown familiar with. “Now that I’ve taught you some of the basics of herds, can you tell me what human families are like?” She teleported in a thick stack of paper. “I’ve been writing down everything you’ve told me about humans, every single detail, and I’m trying to make a compendium of sorts. Something that I can look back at one day, read again, add more information, that sort of thing.”

I leafed through some of the pages. Twilight was nothing but thorough: colour coded pages, numbers next to one paragraph indicating more research or interviews needed to bring clarity. Even a few books were mentioned, indicating similar customs and traditions. By the looks of it, Twilight had even spoken to her friends on their experiences interacting with me.

“Looks like you’re researching for a book.” I pushed the pile towards her.

“No no, this is purely for interest and research. I don’t plan on writing a book about you… unless you have any objections.” She added the last part in a whisper, nervously restacking the pile of information.

I mulled on the idea for a second. I couldn’t find anything wrong about it; she was simply curious. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Besides, she let me stay in her castle and had helped me a lot ever since I came here. Still, I had some reservations.

“For your interest, I’ll consider the proposition,” I replied before quickly adding, “but I’d like my private life to remain private.”

“Great!” Twilight clapped her hooves together like an excited child, positively beaming as she grabbed her quill. “Remember, be as thorough as you can.”

“Of course. For science, right?”

“Right. Now then, how do humans procreate?”

“...”

“Magnus, your cheeks suddenly turned red. Are you feeling well?”

Author's Notes:

Happy new year everybody, and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

First off, I want to give a big thank you to JBL for his advice during this and the next chapter, and a big thank you to truekry for verbally kicking my ass. I really needed that.

Rarity chapter! Yeah, I kinda dreaded writing this one. Rarity can be a difficult character at times, but I think I had her pinned down pretty nicely this time. A bit of darling here, a bit of clothes talk there, and add a hint of drama, and BAM! Rarity. The diamond dogs was a handy little idea that came in kinda late. Would you expect the human to fight his way through 3 dogs who work in the earth all day, digging with their bare hands and that can dig through earth like a fish through water? Nope, that's where lies and deception comes in. I had to goggle famous dogs in order to find some good names, although Lassie was the first dog I could think of.

And the horse shoes? Troubleshoes might never have visited Ponyville before, but I at least hinted towards him passing through once. Now Magnus got his shoes. I imagined having nails pounded into my feet at the time, can't feel too nice though.

Got more thumbs up since last chapter, as well as people favoriting my story or putting it into their shelves. Thanks everybody!

PS! Bad Mondays by Handyman. Easily one of my favorite stories here. Well written, funny, great characters, totally worth a read.

Chapter 39 - The Rainbow Disaster (Edited by JBL)

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In retrospect, I was glad to have extracted that promise from Princess Luna to not look into my dreams without permission. The night after my conversation with Twilight regarding human mating, families, and marriage, I’d experienced some rather… enjoyable dreams involving me, a bunch of girls in swimsuits, a large amount of whipped cream, and a bouncy castle. The dream had also been in slow motion, which gave me plenty of time to take in the details.

For breakfast, we were currently munching on the excellent French toast Spike had made, although they called it Prench toast after the country of origin. This was supposed to be the last day I spent with my teachers. Next week, I’d mostly be on my own, putting into practice what I’d learnt around Ponyville. The princesses were coming from Canterlot tomorrow to check on my progress, and I had to admit that things had been going smoothly, especially since none of my worst fears had materialized. It felt invigorating somehow, feeling so welcome in such a strange society, and I was looking forward to the next challenge.

After breakfast, we headed out of the castle. I looked around, but a customary sight was nowhere to be seen.

“That’s strange,” I commented while walking down the steps from the front door.

“What is?” Twilight asked.

“Pinkie. She isn’t here.”

Twilight and Spike looked around as well. “Now that you mention it, it is strange. She’s been here every morning.”

“Maybe she’s got something else planned?” Spike suggested.

Considering that idea, I found it rather believable. I mean, she’d done nothing but surprise me every damn day, but I guessed that even Pinkie had her limits. Maybe—

“Surprise hug!”

A pink ball of fur that smelled of sugar flew out of a nearby bush, followed by a war cry. “Weeeeh!” She hit me like a wrecking ball right on my chest, sending me tumbling backwards until I lay flat on the ground with her forelegs around my chest, hind legs around my waist, and my face full of pink hair. Pretty sure I saw a balloon in the pinkness for a split second.

“It’s an alternative to hugging the sadness away,” Pinkie happily declared, nuzzling my neck while I gasped for air. “Surprise hugs; hug the sadness before it can escape. That way, sadness won’t be sad and can become happiness.”

Then again, I could be wrong.

***

“Looks like Rainbow got an early start today,” Twilight commented while we made our way towards the park. I glanced up to see a nearly cloudless sky.

“I remember being told that Rainbow is a weather pony.” No sooner had I said that when a rainbow-coloured streak shot across the sky, colliding into the remaining puffy clouds and destroying them on impact. “She’s in charge of the weather, then?”

“Along with fifteen other pegasi. Rainbow is part of the weather crew in Ponyville and the surrounding area. They maintain the weather, adjust it according to demand, and break up wild clouds from the Everfree Forest,” Twilight explained. “If I know Rainbow Dash, she’ll come to the park to practise after clearing the skies or to take a nap.”

While we walked, I noted the speeds Rainbow Dash maintained as she destroyed the clouds with ease. Twists and turns, loops and barrel rolls, her speed was impressive, bordering impossible considering the fact that she lacked a jet engine strapped to her back. The G-forces pushing and pulling on her body must have been greater than what a Formula 1 driver or even a fighter jet pilot was subjected to. How did she even remain conscious?

“Rainbow!” Twilight shouted, waving a hoof at the speedster in the sky. Rainbow flew headfirst into a cloud, hooves stretched out in front of her. Only after the last cloud was gone did she turn towards the ground, spotting us. She went into a dive straight towards us, with a speed that at first was impressive, but when she showed no signs of slowing down, I became nervous. For a second, I considered heading for cover; if she collided with any of us, we’d be dead on impact. Another thought crossed my mind: so would she.

Luckily, Rainbow had everything under control, as at the last second, she pulled up, sending a blast of air right at us. Two seconds later and she would have met her maker.

“Gotcha!” she exclaimed with a tomboyish snigger, touching down behind us. She took one look at us and broke down into more laughter. Spike and I didn’t get it until we turned to Twilight, or more specifically, her hair. Honestly, Pinkie’s wild mane couldn’t hold a candle to Twilight’s. Rarity would probably say that twigs and leafs were too bold a choice for mane decoration.

“You look hilarious, Twi. Hey, Spike, hey, Magnus,” Rainbow finally managed to say after her bout of laughter came to an end.

“Rainbow Dash.” Twilight smoothened out her mane, removing the arboreal debris. “Was that really necessary?”

“Yeah, gotta show the big guy what I can do,” she replied proudly as she looked to me. “What do you think? Awesome, huh?”

“Yeah,” I replied with a nod. “That was pretty cool. Also, how’re you able to keep conscious when you pull off those G’s? I mean, I’m not an expert at flying, but from what I saw, you should have fainted a few times.” Honestly, if Rainbow was a human, her brain would be pouring out her ears by now.

“Heh, I’m a pegasus—we’re built for flying.” Rainbow shot me a cocky grin. “A few G’s any old pegasus can easily take, but with my kinda training, I’m waaay tougher.”

Well, if experienced fighter pilots could, I guessed a natural born flier could as well.

However, I wondered about another thing as well. Rainbow was not the first pegasus I’d seen; the Royal Guard up in Canterlot had several in their ranks. What little I knew of birds surmised that the wing to body-weight ratio of pegasi didn’t add up. Their wings should be much larger and wider to carry them.

“Hey, Rainbow, I’ve a question.”

“Already? Sheesh, you’re a fast one.” She spread a wing and began adjusting a few feathers not aligned the same way as the rest. I didn’t even know pegasi preened their feathers, and to be honest, it looked a bit weird when a pony did it.

“How are you able to fly? Aren’t your wings a bit small to carry your body? I guess that things might be different here, but if you were born on Earth, you shouldn’t be able to fly.”
Rainbow spat out a feather, then ruffled her wings in one trembling motion while a shudder went down her back. “What? I couldn’t?! What the hay kinda world is Land anyway?”

“It’s actually called Earth,” Twilight answered for me.

“Earth, Land, both are the same thing!” Rainbow snorted in dismissal. “Well, our wings fit us pegasi perfectly, thank you very much. My wings might be a tiny bit smaller compared to the average pegasus, but they’re perfect for swiftness and high speed manoeuvres. Big wings equal long distance flying and being able to carry a lot of weight.”

I had an inkling that I’d walked right into a touchy subject. Maybe pegasi had a thing about their wing size just like us men and our dicks? I wisely decided to keep my trap shut while waiting for her to continue.

“Weight has almost nothing to do with it too, you know. All pegasi have hollow bones that are just as strong as other ponies, but lighter. When we fly, we use some magic as well, but the rest is all practise, muscles, stamina, and awesomeness. And I happen to have a very high awesomeness ranking,” she concluded with yet another cocky grin.

Her explanation certainly settled that issue. I concluded that if a pegasi was drained of magic, they wouldn’t be able to fly unless they were a superbly skilled flier.

Twilight alternated her gaze between us, a satisfied smile on her lips. “Well, it looks like you two are getting along well. Pay attention, Magnus, I think Rainbow can teach you a lot of things you’ll definitely find practical.” Twilight turned to the pegasus. “And Rainbow, you have to actually teach Magnus, not just make him sit here and cheer you on while you practise a new trick or routine.”

Rainbow grinned sheepishly while letting out a nervous chuckle. “It never even crossed my mind.”

Spike wandered over to me and tapped on my leg. I knelt down and he whispered, “Rainbow’s the fastest pegasus in Equestria, and she wants to be a Wonderbolt. You’ll know who they are by the end of the day, I guarantee it.”

“Who are the Wonderbolts?” I whispered back to Spike.

“Aerial acrobats, stunt fliers, and racers who perform all over Equestria. They really are the best fliers around.”

‘Well, could be worse: the Wonderbolts could have been a boy band and Rainbow a squealing fan girl. Do they call it colt band here, I wonder?’

***

“Alright, pay attention! Today I’m gonna teach you awesome stuff, cool stuff, radical stuff!” Rainbow paced back and forth, keeping her eyes locked on me like a hawk. She was acting like a drill sergeant about to tear into some poor greenhorn. “First off, I’m gonna teach you about the weather. You know that all the weather in Equestria is taken care of by us pegasi, right?”

“I’ve been told so, yes,” I answered before adding, “but I haven’t been told the reason for it.”

“And that’s what I’m here to teach you!” Rainbow exclaimed with a grin. “You see, without us pegasi, the weather goes all kinds of crazy. Clouds form out of the blue, winds out of nowhere, and suddenly we’re dealing with a tornado or a storm. Did you know that, in other parts of the world, they let spring come on its own, as well as winter, and they never even bother to try to control the weather?” Rainbow did a good job of suppressing the shiver that ran down her back, although the way her feathers rustled ever so slightly gave it away. “It’s crazy. You’d think that Discord was still pulling pranks.”

I merely shrugged. “It’s not that bad. The way you’re describing the weather is just how it is back home. We don’t have pegasi to control the weather; things just happen on its own.”

“Yeah, I heard when you said that up in Canterlot. Honestly, it sounds creepy, like the Everfree Forest. Uh, not that I’m afraid of the Everfree Forest or anything,” Rainbow quickly added. “Anyway, I’ll tell you why we keep the weather in order. Look around.” Rainbow pointed towards Sweet Apple Acres in the distance, then moved her hoof towards other farms dotting the landscape. “Equestrian farms need the weather to be perfect in order to grow food. Apples for cider-making, wheat for baking, green clovers for cows, all that stuff. We pegasi did this since before the unification of the three tribes. If we didn’t keep the weather in order, ponies wouldn’t have as much food to go around.”

Having worked at a farm, I was well aware of the need for good weather and water for crops to grow. Sweet Apple Acres was a perfect example of optimal weather and rain; the trees looked healthy and the apples were large and shiny.

Rainbow wasn’t done yet. “Just keeping farms supplied with sun and rain isn’t all we do. We also gotta keep the weather stable so it doesn’t spin out of control. A thunderstorm has to be carefully managed, or else it can turn into a freak storm that just grows until it’s huge. We also keep an eye out for wild storms coming out of the Everfree Forest.” She pointed at the forest in the distance, another minor shudder travelling down her back. “That place just isn’t natural.”

‘How can the natural cycle of things be creepy? It’s the most natural thing in the world.’ I thought to myself. “So, all the weather in Equestria is managed by pegasi?” I asked. “Even the seasons? Just for farming and to keep bad weather at bay?”

“Of course! You have no idea how much damage a storm blowing in from the sea can do if the weather ponies aren’t aware of one coming. Ever heard of flooding? The weather factory in Cloudsdale produces all the snow clouds needed for snow to fall. Princess Celestia also moves the sun a bit further away to make the weather colder. which helps move the seasons along. Can’t make it snow if it’s too warm, you know?”

‘Valuable information.’ Ponies had mastered nature to a degree humans could only hope to achieve one day. As for Princess Celestia, how powerful did you have to be to be able to move the sun further away from the planet, and how accurate must she be? It sounded risky, but she must know what she was doing.

Rainbow’s knowledge of how the weather works was also impressive. “How do you know this stuff? Is it common knowledge?”

“Weather lessons in flight camp. All pegasi learn how to work clouds in flight camp, so it’s pretty much basic knowledge.”

My curiosity satisfied, I stood up, brushing grass off my pants. “How do you control the weather? Can you just create a cloud from nothing?”

Rainbow began flapping her wings until she was at head height with me. “How about a demonstration?” Looking around, she searched for a cloud, but she had done a good job removing them all this morning.

“Dang it, just one little cloud, that’s all,” she muttered, shielding her eyes from the sun with a foreleg. “There!” I looked to where she was pointing; a lone grey cloud came floating with the breeze from the forest in the distance. “A wild cloud from the Everfree. It’ll have to do. Come on!”

Rainbow’s entire body tensed, especially the muscles around her wings and back. Like a spring released, she blasted away in a single burst of speed, going from simply hovering in the air to a distant speck in mere seconds. The choppy wind from her rapid departure whipped around me while I stood there, mouth agape in astonishment. She’d accelerated faster than any vehicle I knew, even a fighter jet taking off from a carrier. The G forces she was subjected to during that take off should have killed her.

However, she was alive and well when she flew back. The dust in the air didn’t even have time to settle before she appeared before me again with the same speed she had left.

“You coming?”

It took me a moment to hoist my jaw back into place. “Uh… sure. Just… give me a moment to collect my bearings.”

I began jogging across the park and then the fields outside town while heading towards the stray cloud on the outskirts of town. Rainbow had slowed enough so that we were side by side, and judging by the look on her face, she was not having fun at all. She looked downright bored and even her eyelids were drooping.

“Pretty sure my pet tortoise can outrun you,” she mocked with a yawn. “Seriously, I’m about to fall asleep.”

I tried to focus only on breathing, though I frowned at the tone in Rainbow’s voice. “Gimme a break, Sanic,” I replied, panting like a dog. “I used to be lighter before my legs and arms got heavier. Not to mention the steel nailed to my hooves. Give me a forest or cross-country and I can walk all day. Running isn’t my thing.”

“Yeah, like walking is sooo hard,” Rainbow replied sarcastically. She pulled ahead and turned around, flying backwards while resting her forelegs behind her head. “It’s just one leg in front of the other all the time. Yeah, so difficult.”

I scoffed at her, focusing on breathing. I was never good at pacing myself, or exercising to really train myself. Strapping a heavy backpack on me to walk through a forest or mountainous area, though, was never a problem. Can’t say it built my stamina, though.

We eventually reached the edge of the forest. While I tried to regain my breath, I made a silent promise to find time to train. Since there weren’t any cabs or cars or even buses nearby, all my traveling would have to be on foot from now on.

Rainbow hovered next to me while I panted like a dog, covering her mouth with her hoof. “Awesome… Well done.” She snickered. “You just stay here while I go get the cloud.”

“Not… going… anywhere.”

Rainbow flew upwards until she found the aforementioned cloud. To my surprise, it wasn’t that high up in the air. Seriously, forty, maybe fifty meters in the air, and there it was. I had seen normal clouds here, like Earth normal, thousands of meters up in the sky, so what was up with this one?

Rainbow pressed her belly against the cloud and grabbed a hold of it, her wings propelling her forward while she guided it. It took her next to no time to bring the cloud to ground level. She came to a halt and stood on the cloud. What I first noticed was how it appeared firm to the touch and the water vapour held its shape amazingly well, but when I touched it, it felt moist and a bit chilly, almost like thick mist. It supported Rainbow’s weight just fine, but I saw that she had sunk slightly into the cloud itself before it somehow firmed up.

I shook my head in amazement at the sight of the impossible happen before me. “Unreal. It looks like foam, but it’s actually a cloud.”

“It’s not like clouds are fake.” Rainbow stomped a hoof into the cloud. In response, a small patch of cloud came loose and instantly vaporized. “This is a wild cloud, one that formed in the Everfree Forest by itself. Clouds made in Cloudsdale are easier to manage and form into rain clouds, snow clouds, mist, and whatever we need them to be.”

“Made in Cloudsdale?” I looked at Rainbow and cocked a brow. “You can make clouds?”

“Mhm, at the weather factory. It’s a huge factory where they make rain, snow, rainbows, storms, thunderclouds, thunderbolts—hay, they even make tornadoes if they need one somewhere. I heard that they’re planning to expand the factory by making a sandstorm department to use in the south.”

I couldn’t even imagine what such an operation would look like, but my guess would be pegasi magic, a lot of pegasi magic. Also, who the hell needed a sandstorm?

“Is Equestria the only country that controls the weather?” I prodded the cloud to find a solid spot, but to no avail.

“Nah, I know that a few other pony countries have them, and I’m sure that griffons have them too; they can also manipulate the weather. I think my friend Gilda’s uncle works at one.”

“How do you make clouds rain? How does it work?” I asked.

“We just give them a good buck.”

“A buck? Like a kick?”

“Yeah, I’ll show you.”

Rainbow looked her cloud over and then began packing it tightly together, causing the cloud to steadily turn grey. “I gotta pack it together first so I can squeeze some rain out of it,” she explained. When the cloud was the size of a footstool and a rather ominous grey, she gave it a kick with her forelegs. In response, a small shower of water fell from the cloud itself. It stopped raining after just a few moments.

“Amazing,” I mumbled, grinning like a kid. “I bet the weather forecast is a breeze around here.”

Rainbow grinned and gave the cloud a much stronger buck, dispersing the cloud into vapour that left a lingering rainbow in the air.

Rainbow also knew a lot about how ancient pegasi made weather; they used wild clouds and ‘tamed’ them somehow to suit their own needs. Heck, they even made supersized rain storms, gale storm winds, and tornadoes in order to batter their enemies ages ago. Weather warfare? Now that sounded dangerous.

However, history lessons weren’t much on her schedule today. After her teaching me about weather, she had another activity in mind: chillaxing.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve made rain every night for a while now, and every morning, we gotta clear away any lingering clouds so that they don’t mess up the day,” she explained while getting comfy up in a tree branch, grabbing some leaves and forming them into a rudimentary pillow. “Getting to bed late and waking up earlier than Applejack means I haven’t slept much lately, so relax and do whatever you want. I need a power nap in order to make it through the day. We’ll do something else later.”

“‘Kay, I’ll just…” I looked around me; Rainbow was resting in the only tree around. There were a few bushes, a few hundred meters to town, and not much else. “…Find something to do.”

It only took seconds before I heard Rainbow snoring lightly from up in the tree. Sure, she was meant to teach me today, but I understood her situation. I wasn’t mad or anything—hell, I actually welcomed the chance to do something else without a teacher around me or Twilight asking questions. Besides, I figured that I had gotten a pretty good handle on Equestria by now, at least the basics.

I wandered around, for a while, peering into the nearby brook, checking out some of the unfamiliar flowers that grew nearby, feeling the gentle breeze on my skin. I laid down on the ground, arms and legs spread out, the tall grass tickling my skin and fur. It was an odd sensation against my fur, but not unwelcome. We were far enough from town that I couldn’t hear any voices or the sounds that were associated with ponies bustling about.

‘So peaceful. No social media interrupting my day with news of something new and terrible happening in the world, just like it does every single day. No TV, no internet, no cars, no planes in the sky. If only the guys could be here… Bet we could go fishing somewhere.’

While lying there and staring up at a blue sky, I inhaled deeply as a smile touched my face. I remembered Grandfather saying that Mom had loved the outdoors too. I wondered what she would say if she was alive and came with me. What would she think of this place? She would have been a hybrid as well. What would she say to transforming like this? I vaguely remembered the dream I had about Star Swirl, about people like me, some resembling bipedal ponies, other looking close to human… It had been a strange dream, even more confusing when I woke up. All those people had lived brief lives and died on Earth.

Now, my days on Earth seemed so long ago, yet it was only about… what, six weeks? I couldn’t remember; the days had passed so quickly now that I was out of the castle and had things to do. It was good; it kept my mind off my homesickness. Perhaps this was part of the princesses’ plan?

I grabbed a handful of grass and began levitating a single green straw just above my head, twirling it around lazily. An idea floated across my mind. I had read a book last night which made me believe that levitating two objects at once was not as hard as I first believed. Deciding to test it out, I held another straw next to the floating one and began pouring my magic into it, searching for a place to grasp it by. A faint, almost invisible green and white aura began to form around the straw. The already floating straw bobbed in the air as my hold on it diminished. I quickly shifted my attention back to the first straw, re-establishing my hold on it. I ever so gently shifted my focus over on the straw I wanted to levitate. Slowly, I moved my hand down to the ground and the straw held its place in the air, bobbing up and down until I lost my mental grip on it and it fell. A minor, yet short-lived victory.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over me, I continually repeated my efforts, and each time, I was able to make it float just a second longer than the last attempt. I felt the weight and the strain on my horn, but the reward was much more tempting than giving up. Then I finally made it happen. Before my eyes, two straws levitated around each other. I quickly surmised the correct approach; divide the magic evenly between two objects, focus on both, and hold them firmly yet gently.

‘Another tiny achievement for me,’ I thought with a grin on my face as the straws fell down on my chest. I closed my eyes and placed my hands behind my head. The strain on my horn was enough that I needed to rest for a moment. I’d call it a victory nap.

I drifted off to the sound of birds and breeze, hovering just above unconsciousness while the sun warmed my body. I don’t know how long I laid there, but another sound caught my attention. At first I thought it was wind, but the sound was steady, rhythmic almost, like… wings?

I squinted through one eye when the sound was almost on top of me. It was Rainbow Dash and she had another cloud, though this one was wickedly dark, almost black. Raindrops dripped from it while blue sparks crackled from within. Thundercloud was the first word that came to my mind. She grinned mischievously and her narrowed eyes locked onto me. Raising her forelegs above her head, she slammed them onto the cloud, making it crackle violently for a split second. My eyes shot open in an instant the second I saw the first electric spark rumble violently inside the dark cloud. I don’t know if it was instinct to jerk away from danger or just pure luck that saved me, but I managed to roll to the side so that I was face down, then pushed away and to the side from the ground with my arms and legs. A moment later, I heard the distinct sound of an electric arc behind me, followed by a brief flash of heat on my back.

Standing on all fours, I stared at where I had been lying moments earlier. A faint trail of blue smoke rose from a blackened spot on the ground, followed by the acrid odour of burnt grass. Then the laughter came.

“So close, almost got you!” Rainbow sniggered heartily on top of her cloud. “So close! You know, for a big guy, you sure can move fast when you want to!”

She rolled around on the cloud, laughing her ass off as I speechlessly stared at her, adrenaline surging through my body after my escape from certain death. I almost died—No, I was almost killed! By Rainbow Dash! How could she? Why would she?

“I knew the cloud was too heavy; that’s why you heard me, right? I’ve never been good at stealth fly—”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, YOU PSYCHOPATH!”

Rainbow’s bout of laughter instantly died, and her gleeful face fell. For a brief moment, she appeared confused. “What? It was just a prank.”

I stared incredulously at her, then to the still crackling thundercloud. “BY KILLING ME?” I screamed.

“HEY!” Rainbow shouted back, sounding riled up. “Don’t you talk to me like that! What, you can’t handle a simple prank?”

I stared slack-jawed at her, my rage blazing uncontrollably. “You call killing someone a prank?!”

Rainbow glared at me with bared teeth and flew right into my face, pressing her muzzle against my nose. “Get over it! You can’t even handle a lightning bolt? Fillies and colts can handle a zap! Are you that much of a wimp? Lightning doesn’t kill; everypony knows that!”

“LIGHTNING KILLS! DON’T YOU EVEN KNOW? WHAT, HAVE YOU BEEN FLYING SO HIGH THAT YOU’VE GOTTEN BRAIN DAMAGE FROM THE LACK OF OXYGEN?” I shouted back at her as loud as I could.

Rainbow pulled back a bit. Crossing her forelegs over her chest, she gave me a mocking sneer. “Lightning doesn’t kill, you big wuss. I’ve never even heard of anypony getting remotely injured by lightning. So,” she flew down to my face with the same scornful expression, “you’re afraid of lightning. I gotta remember that for future pranks.”

She was insane. Rainbow Dash was certifiably insane. She had attempted to murder me for fun, no other reason needed. I had to get away from her. Stumbling backwards, I kept my eyes on her in case she tried anything else. I had no idea what I’d done to make her angry enough to try and kill me, but the only thing on my mind was getting enough distance between me and her. Twilight’s castle was the safest place to be, so I decided to go there, and fast.

“You’re insane,” I said, an odd calmness washing over me as I pointed a finger at her. “I’m leaving, and you’re not following me.”

Rainbow shook her head while laughing. “Ohoho, this is too good! Sure, you’ll get a shock, but I’m telling you that it’s impossible to be killed by a lightning bolt. You’re overreacting so much!”

I judged the distance between me and Rainbow to be sufficient enough, so I turned around and began a quick jog back towards the castle in the distance. I only had to cross through town first. Hopefully, she didn’t want any witnesses to her attempt on my life.

“Hey! Where you going?” I heard her yell behind me. “We’re not done yet! Come on, don’t you get it?” Her last sentence was louder. I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, she was flying after me. I was still in the open and she didn’t bring her cloud, but with her speed and hooves, all she needed to do was strike my skull, neck, or spine for it to be the end of me.

Knowing that I was being chased by someone who wanted me dead was great motivation for my survival. I went into a full sprint, the bushes and trees becoming a blur as I dashed past them, each time a hoof striking the ground sending tremors up my legs. It felt as if the limit for how fast I could run was pushed further away, like I had much more to give, but that train of thought vanished when I heard Rainbow just behind me.

“That’s more like it! You really can run!” she shouted awfully close to me. I didn’t dare glance behind me, instead increasing my speed, adrenaline fueling me beyond my limits.

She flew up next to me, her forelegs extended while her wings flapped and the wind whipped her rainbow-coloured mane around. For the first time, traces of concern appeared on her face. “Why are you running? Are you that afraid of lightning? If you are, I’m sorry, okay?”

I looked briefly to the side, spotting the speedster next to me. ‘Think, man, think! I have to stop her somehow! I gotta get to Twilight; hopefully, she can restrain Rainbow and call the guards! But how? Rainbow’s strong and fast, but she’s gotta have some weakness!’

Her left wing almost brushed against my shoulder as it flapped rapidly. It gave me an idea; Rainbow was flying almost all the time. It was the source of her speed. Take it away and she’d be grounded. I only had one chance to hit. If I missed, she would just move out of my reach and then could do whatever she wanted to me. I struck out with my right arm as quickly as I could, striking what would be the wrist of her wing with my fist. The moment I made contact, she wobbled violently in the air, and when I saw her spin out of control, I knew I had made the right choice.

With a loud yelp, Rainbow crashed head-first into a bush right before I came to the wooden bridge that led into town. I didn’t bother looking to see if she was alive or not; after all, who would check on their would-be murderer?

I continued into town, jumping over frightened ponies in my way, scaring pedestrians and sprinting through narrow alleyways, my steel-shod hooves creating a steady thud. Occasionally, I checked the skies to see if my pursuer was there. Although there were a few pegasi around, none resembled Rainbow.

Daring to stop in an alley for a breather and to get my bearings, I spotted the infernal pegasus in the skies. Shielding her eyes with a hoof, it was obvious she was searching for me, and she did not seem happy. I pressed myself against the wall, hiding under an overhanging roof while desperately checking for a way out. One end of the alley led towards the outskirts of town, but the other led towards the market and a crowd of ponies. Over the houses of the market square, I could discern the topmost spire of Twilight’s castle. However, it was quite a distance, and running in the open would be the same as waving my arms and shouting ‘over here’. I needed a plan, and Lady Luck delivered it to me.
At the other end of the market square was Applejack next to her apple-laden cart. Maybe she could help me, or somehow stop Rainbow? It was doubtful, seeing as Rainbow’s crash had done naught to slow her, but I had few other options.

I drew rapid breaths while readying myself for another sprint. My adrenaline was still pumping, which would give me the boost needed to reach the castle. Dashing out from the alley, I bolted towards Applejack, unintentionally scaring a few ponies. Their surprised screams drew Applejack’s attention, and she smiled when she saw me, though it quickly faded as she saw the expression on my face.

“Sugarcube, what’s wro—?”

“It’s Rainbow! She tried to kill me! Stop her, please!” I shouted as I ran past her stand and towards the castle.

“Kill you?!” Applejack seemed horrified at the mere mention of the deed. She quickly ran after me and caught up. “Whaddaya mean kill you? What did she do?” I didn’t even get a chance to answer.

“AJ! STOP HIM!” a voice shouted from above, followed by the sound of rapid wings beating in the air. At this point, that sound was going to haunt me.

Once more, however, the fates were kind. “Ow! AJ, what’s the big idea?” Rainbow shouted. Curiosity got the best of me, and I glanced over my shoulder. Applejack had gotten her mouth on a rope and actually lassoed Rainbow’s leg, effectively halting the rainbow killer and drawing her attention.

‘Merciful Applejack, I’m gonna kiss you right on the lips for saving my ass.’

I never stopped sprinting, not before I reached the doors to the castle and swiftly slammed them shut with a loud thunderous boom. I was safe, at least for the moment. Now to find Twilight—she’d know what to do.

The mare in question found me first. She appeared in the doorway that led to the library with a questioning expression on her face. “Magnus?” she inquired carefully, recognizing the distress pouring from my body. “You look terrible! What happ—?”

“No time!” I shouted as I began dragging different pieces of furniture and anything that I could move to block the door. “Call the police, royal guards, army, Mr Ed, anyone! Rainbow tried to kill me!”

There was a moment of silence, only broken by the shrill sound of a crystal bench being dragged across the floor, before Twilight gently asked for clarification.

“Rainbow tried what?!”

***

In my own defence, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I mean, blocking a huge ass door with furniture? Come on! All Rainbow had to do was find a window and BAM! She was in. It didn’t help when Twilight pointed that out after I had explained the entire incident to her. That was why I ran away to find another room to hide in, namely the kitchen. There was only the one door and there were cutlery, rolling pins, frying pans and an assortment of other kitchen utensils that would be suitable as a makeshift weapon.

Before I went into hiding, Twilight teleported away, and I hadn’t seen her since. That was fifteen minutes ago. I’d spent the time preparing for a battle, just in case Twilight was swayed by whatever honeyed words Rainbow produced.

Still, it was Twilight’s castle and she knew the layout of the place. Somehow, she probably knew where I would hide. When she opened the door to the kitchen, I stood prepared.

“There you are.” She sounded relieved upon spotting me. “I was… What are you doing? Why have you made a mess in the kitchen?”

I had stacked an assortment of objects against the door, which collapsed into a pile of rubble when Twilight pushed open the door with her magic. I’d also found sacks of flour, sugar, and oats in the cabinets which I had used as sandbags to create defensive positions between the table and the stove.

“Defence.” I pointed to my shoddy structure.

“And why do you have a pot on your head?”

“Helmet.”

“Uh huh… And the lid?”

“Shield.”

“The rolling pin?”

“Mace of Baking.”

Twilight stared at my weapon, her eyes going wide. “The nails in the rolling pin?”

“Plus five damage.” I pointed to the broken chairs in the corner. “I broke the chairs for nails and used a frying pan as a hammer. I can fix them… I just don’t know how yet.”

Taking another look at the mess I had made, Twilight blew air through her mouth in silent defeat and shook her head. “Look, Rainbow and Applejack are upstairs, and we’d like to talk to you. Rainbow told us everything.”

“She confessed to attempted murder? Great, when’s the trial?”

“There won’t be one,” Twilight answered plainly. “Rainbow told us how scared you are of lightning, despite lightning being harmless. I don’t know why you are so scared of it. Is it the loud sound? The flash? The tingling feeling all over your body? I don’t know, but the fact of the matter is, it simply can’t cause us any serious injury, not even mild injury.”

I tossed my makeshift shield on the counter with a loud clang, my helmet and Dead Island-esque weapon following. “Bullshit!”

“Do you have to swear?” she chided, turning on the spot. “Come, you should hear what we have to say.”

I hesitated to meet the local Jack the Electrocutioner again, but reasoned that since both Applejack and Twilight would be there, they would probably be enough of a buffer. A level of trust was needed, which was why I relieved myself of all the weapons I carried, even those I had concealed on my person. Why did Twilight even have a meat cleaver in her kitchen anyway?

We made our way from the kitchen, up the stairs into the main hall, and turned to enter the library. Applejack and Rainbow both sat at the table. While Applejack had a somewhat neutral expression on her face, Rainbow seemed downright pissed at me.

Twilight found herself a seat while I took the one furthest away from Rainbow, glaring daggers right back at her. Our visual battle did not go unnoticed by the other two.

“So…” Twilight alternated her gaze between us. “I… um, I realize that since you’re new to Equestria, you’ve observed a lot of things that are different from Earth, one of those things being our pegasus-controlled weather. Rainbow explained to us that she was teaching you this exact topic earlier today.”

“That’s true,” I responded curtly.

Twilight nodded carefully, turning to Rainbow. “I did. I even gave him a lesson on how we change the seasons, and then he freaks out because of a prank.” She glared at me. “Chicken.” Applejack nudged Rainbow with her elbow. “What? I’m just saying it!”

“Now, Magnus,” Twilight looked to me. “Do you feel comfortable explaining your reaction to Rainbow’s prank? I mean, okay, it’s not exactly high comedy, but you were positively terrified when you stormed into the castle.”

I leaned forward, folding my hands on the table while upgrading my stare from daggers to bastard swords. Time to teach them how the real world worked.
“Because a single lightning strike can kill a human with ease.”

My answered echoed in the vast library, two ponies staring at me as if I they were unsure whether to believe me or not. One pony just chuckled.

“See, there he goes again.” Rainbow waved a hoof at me. “Why don’t you just admit you’re afraid of a little shock?”

I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from cursing her. What did she know? She had never been to Earth.

“Rainbow, can you be quiet? I want to hear Magnus’ side of the story,” Twilight said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“That he’s afraid of a tiny zap?” Rainbow leaned back in her chair with a smug expression.

“That’s enough, Dash!” Applejack punctuated her statement by slamming a hoof down on the table. “He’s trying to explain, and it ain’t no good if you’re just gonna interrupt him. Although,” Applejack’s eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded me, “Ah ain’t never heard of anypony getting killed by lightning.”

I swore internally. I wanted so badly to teach Rainbow a lesson, to make her eat her own words. But how? While Applejack and Twilight might believe me, Rainbow never would. God damn this world of magic. The differences were going to kill me, I just knew it. I had to start somewhere, and the place to start was obvious.

“Twilight,” I strove to keep my voice level, “you said that ponies and all other creatures on this world are immune to lightning, right?”

“I said that, yes, and I’m correct,” she answered matter-of-factly.

“How?”

Twilight’s muzzle wrinkled slightly, as though bemused by the very nature of the question itself. “To put it simply, the energy released by a lightning bolt hits the thaumatic field that—”

“~English~, Twilight.”

“I would if I could, but I don’t know ~English~.”

I sighed. “Equish then, smartass. And explain it so that I can understand.”

She nodded, though not before frowning at my language. “Magic exists everywhere, including within us. As a matter of fact, our bodies radiate magic. When a lightning bolt strikes us, the lightning hits our magic-saturated bodies and is then immediately diverted into the ambient magic around us. A small part of electricity is absorbed into our bodies, which results in a minor electric shock. However, some living things can be seriously affected by lightning, due to their low magical levels. Trees, for example, aren’t that well protected and can catch fire, or the lightning can splinter bark and break branches.”

I nodded idly. There was probably more to it than the preschool explanation Twilight had given me, but it was all I needed to hear. They weren’t afraid of lightning because no one had been killed by it.

“That still doesn’t explain why you are so afraid of lightning,” Twilight said while looking to her friends. Applejack nodded while Rainbow just smirked at me while mouthing ‘chicken’.

I composed myself and leaned onto the table while recalling as much as I could about electricity and lightning in general. Although my knowledge was limited, I did remember the dangerous stuff, and that was what mattered.

“Like I told Rainbow, we humans can be killed by lightning and electricity in general—”

“She told me you said that, but it’s not possible,” Twilight interjected. “It goes against all thaumatic laws and theories in existence.”

“Impossible here, maybe, but not on Earth. As a matter of fact, a single lightning strike can kill a group of people with ease.” Two of the ponies at the table gasped audibly, while Rainbow’s smirk began to fade. “Each year, hundreds of people all across the world die due to lightning.”

A spiteful thrill jolted through me when I saw how Rainbow Dash’s demeanour had shifted. Someone wasn’t cracking any jokes now.

“B-But that’s just not possible!” Twilight stammered. “Just a few months ago, I studied different weather phenomenon in Equestria, and not once did I ever read about ponies or griffons or any creature killed by lightning. Magic protects all of us by diverting most of the energy into the ambient magic all around us!”

For someone so obviously brilliant, Twilight was constantly missing the point I was making. “What is it humans normally doesn’t have?”

“You said it yourself; humans and Earth doesn’t have—” She paused mid-sentence, realisation dawning on her. I didn’t think it was possible for a pony to go pale given their colourful coats. “Magic,” Twilight almost whispered. “You—How? How can lightning kill?!”

I smiled grimly. Now at least I had Twilight’s full attention. She already believed me, Applejack as well, judging by the expression on her face. Rainbow wasn’t quite there yet, but she would be. Soon.

“I’ll explain that. Now, I don’t know how you measure electricity, and I simply can’t come up with a word in Equish that says anything about measuring electricity. I can tell you how we humans do it. See, there are three ways we measure it—I can’t remember in what way we use them—which are called ~volts~,~watts~, and ~amperes~. I’ll be getting back to them in a minute.

“A few general facts as well: a lightning bolt is extremely hot, about twenty thousand degrees and above, several times warmer than the surface of the sun. Metal evaporates at those temperatures. An average lightning strike can be between one hundred million to two hundred million ~volts~.”

For once, Twilight wasn’t taking any notes. She seemed stunned, her ears the only part of her moving as they focused on me.

“Now then. We humans can handle ~volts~ relatively well. We can survive a lightning strike if we’re lucky, but the killer in electricity is ~amperes~. Less than one ~ampere~ can interrupt the electrical signals that makes the heart beat, enough to stop the heart completely, and a lightning bolt has more than enough to finish me off. However, the heart is not the only organ in danger. The skin can be scarred or completely burnt off, flesh can be cooked, and in worst case scenarios, lightning can carbonize tissue, even bones. Worst case scenarios are very rare, thankfully. The heat generated from lightning is also hazardous, as it heats up the air. Imagine a lightning bolt striking me in, say, the chest. My lungs are full of air, and when the air heats up, it expands.”

Twilight shakily held up a hoof, like a child in school answering a question. “Y-Your lungs would rupture by the expanding air…” There was a greenish tinge to her face as though she was about to throw up.

“That’s an A to the purple mare on the first row.”

Rainbow seemed frozen in her chair. She wasn’t even blinking.

Applejack, however, slowly took off her hat and held it to her chest, looking like she was about to pass out. “Sweet Celestia and Luna,” she muttered under her breath.

“N-No. No no no.” Rainbow had found her voice at last, and she shook her head furiously. “No, that’s not true. Twilight, it isn’t true! It can’t be!”

“...I…” Twilight struggled to find words as she gazed at Rainbow, the mare standing with her forelegs on the table with a mix of nervousness and fear on her face, waiting for Twilight to respond. “W-We don’t know, Rainbow.”

“Whaddaya mean you don’t know?!” Rainbow shrieked.

There was a stricken expression on Twilight’s face. “Magnus and his people are the only ones who would know; we are protected by our magic.”

“And we’ve lived with nature’s wrath over our heads for ages.” I locked eyes with Rainbow Dash. “Long ago, we thought lightning to be acts of the gods, and we learned to respect that awesome power that could kill and burn. It was relatively recently that we began to truly understand the weather and figured out the true nature of lightning.” I cracked a cold smile. “Still, we know better than to stand outside during a lightning storm with a metal pole in our hands.”

Rainbow stared at me, her eyes growing wider. She opened her mouth, then closed it when she couldn’t say anything, looking to Twilight for support. The mare looked totally lost in a subject she had no idea how to manoeuvre in.

“I’m completely out of my element. Magnus is the teacher now.” Twilight looked to Rainbow. “For all of us.”

“There are also the long term effects to consider,” I added.

“There’s more?” Twilight asked, sounding even more subdued. “How bad can it possibly be?”

“Pretty bad. The worst injuries are to the circulatory system and the central nervous system. The heartbeat can become irregular, even causing cardiac arrest hours later. There’s also damage to the brain to consider. Amnesia, long term confusion, irreparable brain damage, ruptured eardrums caused by the sound and air pressure of the lightning, problems sleeping, dizziness—the list goes on.”

Twilight looked like I had told her that her entire life was a lie, while Applejack mumbled something under her breath, still clutching her hat. Rainbow Dash seemed on the verge of completely shutting down. Her eyes were red and shiny, almost on the verge of tears, while her forelegs trembled on the table.

“And that’s about it, I guess. Now do you know why I reacted like I did, Rainbow?”

Directly addressing her was what needed to rouse her. She stared at me, blinked twice, then scrambled out of her chair and tore out of the room as rapidly as she could, one foreleg clutching her stomach, the other covering her mouth. Just as she left the room, I heard her retching. Applejack immediately sprang into action and followed Rainbow out into the hallway.

I didn’t even think Twilight noticed the other two leaving the room. For a moment, I almost regretted telling them everything, but they needed to hear it. Not for their sake, but for my own safety, no matter how grisly the truth sounded. If it meant that someone had to puke their guts out, I was fine with it.

***

Rainbow didn’t go far. We found her in the nearest bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach. Twilight went inside, leaving me leaning against the wall in silent contemplation.

Half an hour elapsed, during which Rainbow stopped retching. Only the muffled sounds of gentle conversation and consoling came from inside, together with muffled sobs. From what I managed to piece together from the titbits of conversation I picked up, Rainbow was both upset and scared out of her mind over what she did, or what could have happened to me. Basically, her prank had almost backfired in a significantly dangerous way.

As for me, I had time to think.

I realized that, because the magic of this world protected everyone here, my reaction must have appeared overly dramatic. Since magic protected them, I wondered if it applied to me as well. Honestly, the idea of being voluntarily struck by lightning just so I could find out didn’t appeal to me.

If I had to be honest, the fact that the lightning was, in all seriousness just a prank, put my mind at ease, at least somewhat. As innocent as tricking someone into pissing on an electric fence, anyway… But how could I have known that it was just a prank? From my point of view, it actually seemed like Rainbow wanted to shove a lightning bolt up my ass. Maybe if I’d paid attention, I would have noticed that she seemed just fine after kicking the cloud, so she most likely didn’t feel it at all. Still, I certainly didn’t feel guilty for Rainbow puking her guts out. She scared the shit out of me; I just returned the favour by telling the truth.

The door opened and Twilight came out, looking a bit frazzled. “How are you holding up?” I asked her, gliding down the wall until I sat on the floor.

“Better than earlier,” she replied quietly.

“And Applejack?”

“Still with Rainbow Dash, though I think she’ll think twice before going out during a thunderstorm. Applejack’s a tough pony, but you really scared her.”

“What about Rainbow?”

Twilight glanced at the bathroom door; the sobbing and muffled voices had subsided into the occasional hiccup.

“She feels terrible. She thinks she nearly killed you, and she’s worried you're angry at her.” Twilight turned to me. “Are you?”

“Angry at her?” I spent a few moments to consider her question. “I was, to begin with, but not anymore. She’s probably done this before and thought I was the same as you guys. Can’t blame her for it. I can handle a joke or two, but a lightning strike? As far as I’m concerned, it isn’t a prank.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “You know that your magic will protect you from lightning, right?”

I nodded. “I thought about it, and while it’s nice to know that I can handle a strike and get nothing more than singed clothes and burnt hair, I don’t want to test it any time soon.”

The door creaked open again. Rainbow came walking out with Applejack behind her, thoroughly downtrodden, her mane bedraggled and her eyes even redder than before. She gave half a glance to Twilight, but she refused to even look in my general direction.

“I… I’m going home. I have things to do.” The usual confidence in her voice had all but evaporated. She said nothing else as she trudged down the hall towards the door.
Twilight wasn’t one for letting Rainbow simply walk out. “Rainbow, wait!” She cantered after Rainbow, but the pegasus reached the doors first and left.

“Let her go, Sugarcube,” Applejack said as the front doors slammed shut. “She’s got a lot to think about; told me she wanted to be alone for now.”

Twilight regarded the doors. “But we—” she protested, only to be cut off by Applejack putting a hoof around her neck in an embrace.

“Ah know, Ah know, we won’t leave her alone forever. For now, we’ll just give her some space. Knowing her, she’ll be flying in no time. We can talk with her then.”

Twilight conceded to Applejack’s sage advice with a dejected nod of her head before turning to go back to the library.

“Rainbow’s afraid, Ah recon,” Applejack mentioned offhandedly, adjusting her hat. “Afraid you hate her for that prank of hers, afraid you’ll never want to talk to her again. More than anything, she’s terrified knowing she almost killed you.”

“The truth hurts.” I sighed and stood up, stretching my legs. “You all know my mind-set towards lightning now, know why I ran, why I accused her of trying to kill me. If I knew more beforehand, we could have avoided this mess in the first place.”

Applejack regarded me, a slight hint of hope in her eyes. “Do you forgive Rainbow then?”

I hesitated. Honestly, I knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park from the start, but the reception I had received in this town made me forget how little I actually know about how this world worked.

“I’d say Rainbow and I are back to square one. Not friends, not enemies. Right now, I don’t want to talk to her.”

Applejack maintained a neutral expression and nodded. “Not exactly what I expected to hear, but… fair, Ah reckon. As for Rainbow, she’ll probably be at her house or on a cloud someplace up high, if you plan to talk with her.”

“It’s not like she’s hard to miss.” Honestly, I really didn’t want to talk with Rainbow any time soon. Yes, it was a prank. Yes, I really thought I was about to die. No, I wasn’t happy with Rainbow.

Applejack chuckled lightly, even with the seriousness of the situation. “Well, ain’t that the truth. Anyway, time for me to get back to my cart. Ah’m missing out on customers.”

She cantered to the door, looking like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Just as she stepped outside, she hurriedly backtracked inside and peered carefully up at the skies while holding onto her hat. “Just being careful,” she said with a sheepish grin before leaving.

I headed back into the library to find Twilight sitting at the table, this time without a book in front of her, a conflicted expression on her face.

“Are you worried about Rainbow Dash?” I asked.

She took a moment to answer. “Yes, and I’m worried about you too.” Twilight avoided meeting my gaze.

I nodded idly. “I’m not angry at Rainbow, but I’m not happy with her either. As far as I’m concerned, we’re just two people who know each other’s names.”

A few moments passed by as we sat in silence, before Twilight finally sighed. “I’m the Princess of Friendship. I help ponies repair their bonds and restore harmony, but I don’t know where to start with this.” She looked at me with hopeful eyes. “Maybe if you and Rainbow just sat down and talked—”

“No.” Twilight’s hopeful expression faded.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to talk with her. With how things stand right now, I doubt we’d say anything constructive to one another.”

Twilight remained silent for a few seconds. “I’ve failed,” she nearly whispered with clenched eyes. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna placed you in my care so that my friends and I could teach you about Equestria. I’ve never been a teacher before. I was so happy to finally be one.” She shook her head. “But I failed. I’m a terrible teacher.”

“Rainbow failed.” Twilight lifted her eyes to meet mine. I frowned, not at her, but at the wrong turn the day had taken. “Rainbow was supposed to teach me today, not you. I don’t know what she had planned for the rest of the day, but she failed, not you. Don’t take the blame for what others did to me.”

She didn’t answer, averting her eyes to the table once again. I had no idea what was going through her mind right now, but the way she adored the princesses, she would probably take full responsibility anyway.

Standing up, I walked over to Twilight and crouched behind her. Placing a hand on her withers, I gave a light squeeze and exhaled. “You are a good teacher, Twilight,” I began, my voice calm and even. “You’re smart, knowledgeable, and patient. Sometimes you get a bit stuck on the details, but it’s a good thing too. That way, I’ll definitely remember things.”

She remained silent as I rubbed her withers gently. I could tell that she needed someone who knew her better than me, such as her friends or maybe even Princess Celestia. Hopefully, she would talk with Twilight in the morning.

“You are not responsible for the actions of others, Twilight,” I reminded her, to which she nodded hesitantly.

I left the library, seeing as there wasn’t much else I could do. Words never were my strong suit. Still, I hoped that Twilight would be alright, and that she and Rainbow would speak to each other again, and soon. They seemed like such good friends. I would hate to be the one who drove a wedge between them.

Making my way to the kitchen, I spent some time cleaning the mess I had made, as well as trying to the fix the chairs I had broken. I needed to get my mind on other things, not this catastrophic day.

Author's Notes:

And there we go; the last teacher chapter. Perhaps not the ending you hoped for, but I felt this one went well. Gotta have a bit of conflict to avoid stagnation. Big thanks goes to JBL and truekry for getting my head straight.

Hopefully this'll be the last wall of text in a long while. I hope to write shorter chapters after this one and to post new chapters more often, but since I'm a detail whore, don't get your hopes up.

And about this chapter... yeah, the prank and lightning bolt thing has been used before. It's old news, been done before. Sue me, it's getting hard to come up with new ideas these days.

Also, I copy from google docs, why doesn't the paragraphs show up? I have to manually set paragraphs and it pisses me off.

New readers flock to this story, and it finds homes in shelves here and there. I get thumbs up and thumbs down. Soon, I'll have enough followers to found my own religion: the One True Church of Newly Shaved Hamster Juggling. You are required to wear lampshades on your heads and wear bedsheets at all times. Cotton only. Satin for Sundays.

And as always, thank you to all for reading and thumbing up my story. it means a lot. No, it really does.

Chapter 40 - Lunch and Revelations (Edited by JBL)

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Magnus had an early start the next morning, with the sound of cantering metal-shod hooves upon the crystal floor rousing him from his sleep. When he managed to leave his bedroom with a clean set of clothes bundled under his arm, he encountered Twilight with a harried look on her face. She rushed about with her checklist, ensuring everything was in order in anticipation of the princesses’ visit. Spike ran after her, brushing away dust wherever it was needed. To Magnus’ surprise, a bucket with sudsy water and a mop was levitated after Twilight, eagerly mopping the floor at a pace a seasoned cleaning lady in her mid-fifties could only stare in awe at.

The scene from Sword in the Stone came to mind, the one where Merlin made the entire kitchen come to life, scrubbing and cleaning everything.

“Rubbity, scrubbity, sweepity…” a sleep-deprived Magnus mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the bathroom.

After washing up, it was time for breakfast, though his usual routine was unavailable to him. See, the kitchen was filled with delicate baked goods, lunch items, tea, and other beverages straight from Sugarcube Corner and the capable hooves of Pinkie Pie. Twilight, wanting everything to be perfect, denied Magnus entrance to the kitchen, fearing that he would make a mess similar to yesterday, or even eat the food meant for the princesses. However, due to being who she was, she had already prepared a backup plan. She gave him a few bits and asked him to eat at Sugarcube Corner, also requesting that he look for her friends and tell them to show up at the castle later.

And so it was that Magnus ate a baguette with potato salad, cheese, and accidentally daffodils while passing on the message to Pinkie. He then walked around town, searching out the rest of them and doing the same. Rainbow Dash wasn’t easy to find, but he located her on a cloud high above the park, due to her rainbow-coloured tail hanging over the edge. The distance was far too great for Rainbow to hear him, thus he had to enlist the help of a random passing pegasus to deliver the message. When the pegasus returned, she mentioned that Rainbow seemed a bit down and asked Magnus if he knew what was wrong, though he feigned ignorance. As far as he was concerned, what happened was between him and Rainbow Dash. No need to spread a rumour throughout town. With the message delivered, he returned to the castle to await the princesses.

***

“There they come!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly and pointed a hoof to a spot in the sky. Everyone invited had gathered outside the castle to welcome the royals, as had the rest of Ponyville. Mayor Mare stood at the front of the crowd, nervously adjusting her collar and glancing around to check if there was anything amiss.

Straining his eyes, Magnus spotted two specks in the distance quickly approaching until he could clearly make out a pair of chariots, each pulled by pegasi guards. The chariots came in low, reducing their speed until they touched down gently in the middle of the town square to the rejoicing of the crowd.

Magnus took notice of the chariots, specifically their aerodynamic shape. A wheelbarrow would have a greater chance of flying than these chariots, although he surmised that the fliers pulling them probably had something to do with it, and undoubtedly some magic as well.

Celestia’s chariot resembled a mobile throne, complete with a high backrest, emblazoned in her gold and white colours, and was pulled by her stern-looking guards. If Batman was a pony, he would ride Princess Luna’s chariot. Sleek and streamlined like a Formula 1 car, the chariot was dark blue and had a somewhat gothic appearance, enhanced further by the pair of bat ponies pulling her chariot.

The two princesses disembarked to cheering from the crowd and were met by elated foals giving the sisters bouquets of colourful flowers. Celestia and Luna were obviously delighted to meet with them and spent a few minutes speaking with the eager youngsters while Twilight and company waited. Then, Celestia and Luna met with the mayor, exchanging a few words before making their way to a podium that had been erected in the town square. They proceeded to each give a brief speech. Celestia stated how wonderful it was to visit Ponyville once more and how much she had heard of the town from Twilight’s letters. Luna’s speech was a bit more subdued, though she mentioned something about how Ponyville was the place she had learned to have fun, and was looking forward to having more fun each time she visited, whatever that meant.

With the conclusion of their speeches, the princesses and their retinue made their way towards Twilight and company. While the ponies and baby dragon bowed to them, Magnus settled for a polite nod. Although he was grateful to the princesses for their help, bowing wasn’t really his thing.

“Hello, everypony,” Celestia greeted the group with a smile. “Please, there is no need to stand on ceremony. We are all friends here.”

The ponies stood up, friendly smiles all around except for one. Magnus noted that Rainbow seemed nervous, possibly because she knew what would be spoken of later on.

“Thank you, Princess. I’ve prepared lunch for us all inside,” Twilight said.

She led the way, followed by Celestia and her friends. Luna slowed until she walked side by side with Magnus. “I hope that Ponyville has been kind to you, young Magnus,” she said, a small smile gracing her lips.

Magnus shrugged. “Oh, it has. There have been a few bumps in the road, big and small, but all in all, I’ve been busy learning. I never thought there would be so many differences between two countries, two cultures, even though they are so similar.”

“Curious, is it not?” Luna replied. “Many countries on Equus are similar in many aspects, such as architecture, arts, and even language. I believe that if you decide to see other countries one day, you will perhaps find more similarities to Earth.”

Folding his arms behind his back, Magnus grinned. “I’ll have to get familiar with Equestria first. After that, we’ll see.”

***

Magnus had assumed that the lunch prepared by Twilight would be a formal event. Dresses, extended pinkies, starting with the utensils farthest from the plate, and to top it all off, conversation topics so dry you could light a candle with a single sentence.

It wasn’t.

Not quite, anyway. Rarity had impeccable table manners, as far as he could tell, always sipping her tea daintily and eating only small amounts of biscuit at a time so that she could pitch in on the conversation. Fluttershy acted similar to Rarity, but she was much too shy to significantly contribute to the discussion.

Celestia and Luna acted as princesses did, easily controlling the flow of the conversation and displaying perfect manners, though Magnus noted that Celestia’s faded ever so slightly when dessert—a chocolate cake—was set on the table. Twilight, he noted, was like a reflection of Celestia. Having spent so much time around her, he surmised that Twilight had picked up a few things over the years. Still, her nervousness shone right through.

There were also the complete opposites. Pinkie was her regular self, meaning she vacuumed the table for sugary treats near to her, splattering the table with crumbs, frosting, and leftover food that managed to avoid her maw. This, however, didn’t seem to be a problem for the princesses. As a matter of fact, Celestia and Luna looked downright amused by Pinkie’s antics. After all, a brief impromptu food fight with Applejack made Luna laugh heartily while Celestia couldn’t hide the amused smile on her face.

It was an informal affair, more resembling a group of friends that suddenly decided to meet up and have lunch. It took Magnus back to his days on Earth.

However, there was one pony who didn’t participate as much as the rest. Rainbow merely poked at her food with a hoof, looking at it with disinterest, and not even touching her tea.

Magnus had noticed this, and having an inkling as how horrible she had to feel right now made him feel bad too. Sure, he had felt a sense of victory over Rainbow yesterday and had achieved a level of vengeance, but looking at her now, he couldn’t help but feel his victory was hollow. Perhaps it was the fact that the ponies seemed so small compared to him, like children almost, even though they were adults. Their large eyes and faces, capable of so much emotions and expressions, even managed to convey sadness in a way that a normal human being would find difficult.

“Rainbow Dash, is there something wrong?” Princess Celestia asked, her eyes resting on the blue speedster.

Rainbow looked up, jolted by the princess’ voice. “No no, I’m okay—just had a big breakfast, that’s all.” Rainbow faked a smile and drained her cup in one large gulp.

Magnus glanced at Celestia, and instantly realized that she knew something was up. Her eyes rested on Rainbow as she drank her own tea, like she was looking through her. She wasn’t the only one; all her friends had shot her confused glances aside from Twilight, whose attention was captured by the other princesses.

Eventually, lunch wound down, and when the food had been cleaned off the table, Celestia spoke. “Now then, perhaps we can talk about what transpired this last week. I am sure that you’ve all taught Magnus something that he found both interesting and educational.”

“Oh, we have. I’ve spent many evenings and afternoons with him, and we’ve both learned so much from each other. Magnus spent his first day with Fluttershy.” Twilight looked to the pegasus, who nursed her cup of tea. “Do you want to tell the princess how it went, Fluttershy?”

The pegasus nodded and smiled slightly, then explained quite passionately, “I taught him about animals and how to care for them. At first, they were scared of him—they had never seen a human before, you see—but after Magnus helped me feed them, they knew he’s not a bad pony, um, person. Oh, and did you know that Magnus once had a cat? He said it had the bushiest tail ever!”

Everyone couldn’t help but crack a smile at her enthusiasm. “Animals in Equestria are super-intelligent compared to those on Earth. It was a shock to learn and even see with my own eyes,” Magnus added. It certainly played on his mind every time he encountered a dog or saw birds flying about.

“Truly?” Luna asked, to which Magnus nodded.

Fluttershy went silent for a moment before her smile faded. “There was an incident in the marketplace, though...”

“Incident?” Celestia queried, her curiosity awakened.

“We don’t need to talk about it,” Magnus quickly interjected, not wanting to bring up the hateful pony.

Celestia’s curiosity was piqued, as were the others. “Magnus, what happened?”

He sighed. “Just a pony who thinks I’m a monster. Don’t bother asking; I’d rather forget her.”

Celestia kept her eyes on Magnus for a few moments, wanting to ask for more information, though they eventually softened. “As you wish. We won’t push further.”

Next up came Applejack, and she explained how she had taught Magnus the basics of farming and how to haggle, and how she had introduced Magnus to some of the other ponies in town. Pinkie went into exhaustive detail about their day together, all without stopping to breathe. She even explained how she had started to sing her song about why ponies loved parties.

“I didn’t participate in the song,” Magnus added.

The ponies around the table raised a surprised eyebrow. “Why not? Everypony loves to sing,” Celestia stated.

“I am interested in hearing your reasoning as well,” Luna added.

“Well,” Magnus self-consciously crossed his arms over his chest, “I don’t have a singing voice, and I think it’s embarrassing to sing in public as well.”

“Oh pish posh, I believe that you must have a lovely voice.” Rarity looked to her friends for confirmation.

“Even if I did, I’ve promised myself to never participate in that singing thing.”

Celestia chuckled. “And if a moment of song comes to you one day, what will you do then?”

“Run away or stick my head into a bucket of water,” Magnus immediately answered.

Pinkie also mentioned how Magnus didn’t like large parties, upon which he took a moment to explain his dislike for crowds. Then, Pinkie explained that the chocolate cake they had eaten was actually Magnus’ recipe. That was a surprise for everybody, since they’d all assumed it was one of Pinkie’s creations. Sure, she had baked the cake and even improved it, but Magnus had been its originator. Still, the cake was a hit with everypony.

“We also had a talk about friendship later that day,” Twilight recalled after Pinkie finally took a moment to breathe. “According to Magnus, we ponies seem to value friendship more than humans.”

“I would not think so. You valued your friends highly, did you not?” Luna asked Magnus.

He nodded. “Yeah, I did and still do. Pinkie was the first one to clue me in; at her welcome party, she was pretty insistent that I make friends, almost as if I had to make friends, as soon as possible. Twilight gave a good explanation as to how and why, though.”

“Then I hope that you have made friends here in Ponyville already,” Celestia said. “Good friends are invaluable. They make our lives better in every way.”

Shrugging, Magnus leaned back in his seat. “I think I can say that it’s a work in progress.”

Rarity then took over, recalling their day together at the spa, and how she had taught him the importance of hoof care. Everyone gathered nodded, sans Rainbow Dash. Even Magnus nodded, though he muttered about that being the last time he bathed naked with a pony, which Luna’s ears picked up.

“Why not? Bathing is a good way to relax and spend time together.”

“Nudity taboo,” Magnus replied. He then gave the same lesson he had taught Rarity to everyone present. Silent nods of understanding went through the crowd as Magnus explained how he was brought up, how humans treated nudity as a taboo, and its various implications in a male and female setting. That brought Twilight into the conversation again, this time mentioning the discussion she’d had with Magnus about herding.

“Twilight, would it be too much trouble to ask for a copy of the notes you have gathered during these days spent conversing with Magnus?” Luna asked, before quickly looking to Magnus. “With your permission, of course.”

“Sure, I don’t mind, as long as it doesn’t go public,” Magnus answered.

“Now then, I believe we only have one pony to go.” Celestia turned to Rainbow Dash. Magnus did the same, and saw how the pegasus almost shrank in her seat while trying to focus on anything else other than the princess. Even Twilight and Applejack looked like they had frozen in their seats.

“...It went… okay.” Her cocky tone of voice had all but faded.

Celestia’s and Luna’s smiles turned into confused frowns, seeing as Rainbow almost deflated under their gaze.

“I… told him about how we make weather… and the seasons,” Rainbow continued, her voice quivering and her eyes fixated on the table. “And we talked… about some things. And I thought… t-thought… it would be…” Her voice faltered before dying off completely. She blinked, her eyes shining with moisture.

By now, everyone gathered were aware that something had gone awry. Their smiles had vanished, replaced by a mixture of inquisitiveness and worry. Twilight winced where she sat, while Applejack tried to think of the right course of action, though none came to mind.

That feeling of vindictiveness had evaporated, and once more, he felt that sense of uneasiness at Rainbow Dash’s state swell in his chest. Half-groaning to himself, he made his decision.

“I didn’t know that magic protects you guys!”

“I should have been there to supervise them!”

“Rainbow didn’t know about humans and lightning! None of us did!”

Twilight and Applejack had stood up from their seats, their forelegs on the table, one speaking in defence of Rainbow, the other attempting to take responsibility.

The two alicorn sisters seemed bewildered at the sudden exclamations and looked to the three who had spoken up, now knowing without a doubt that something serious had happened. The others were staring at Applejack, Twilight, and Magnus in confusion, none more so than Rainbow herself.

“Twilight, what happened yesterday?” Celestia asked, deciding to grab the reins of the conversation.

Only now did Twilight understand that she had shouted at Celestia, and her ears firmly pressed against her skull as she backed down. “Magnus didn’t know,” she said, visibly uncomfortable. “Rainbow didn’t know either. It was supposed to be a silly prank. None of us knew that lightning can kill or seriously injure a human.”

“Kill?” Luna exclaimed and frowned, setting her eyes on Rainbow, who still appeared dangerously close to tears. “Loyalty! What did you do?”

“Calm down, Princess Luna. I wasn’t told everything about this world—that includes the weather and the magic I now possess,” Magnus said, attempting to mollify her.

Still frowning heavily, Princess Luna directed her gaze towards the human. “Then please, explain. I wish to hear what transpired between you two.”

And so he did, recounting the events of the day prior and the effects that lightning could have on the human anatomy, though he did omit any overly grisly details. However, the mere mention of a person dying by lightning was enough to make everyone gasp in shock and horror.

“And that’s all that happened yesterday,” Magnus finished as both princesses stared at him. “I thought Rainbow wanted to kill me, and I ran for my life. She tried to stop me and explain, but I was so afraid that I completely ignored her.”

Magnus leaned back in his chair and looked around. Those who had previously been unaware of the incident seemed slack-jawed by the revelation. Rainbow herself had sunken even deeper into her seat, but her eyes were focused on Magnus.

“All in all, this entire thing was caused by a lack of information,” he said. “A misunderstanding because you all thought I was the same as you. I’m not, in case you were wondering.”

The room became silent as everybody pondered the grim revelation. Celestia sat locked in thought while Luna continued to glare at Rainbow. Finally, Celestia glanced around at her audience and spoke, “Now that I have heard all the facts, it is as Magnus says. He was not aware of our magical resistance towards lightning, and we were not aware of how dangerous lightning can be without magic to protect us. Although we are aware that living beings that possess a smaller amount of magic than a pony can be injured by a strike, neither of us took this into account when we learned of Magnus’ lack of magic. Star Swirl never told us about it either.” She paused for a moment as her eyes travelled to Rainbow Dash, the pony visibly swallowing the lump in her throat. “None are to blame for this incident, for all share an equal lack of knowledge.”

“But this begs a different question.” Everybody turned to Luna, her steely eyes still fixated on Rainbow. “Were you not asked to instruct Magnus? Were you not one of six ponies asked to teach Magnus of our world? I wonder, what did you intend to teach him by a lightning strike? What did he learn from your trickery?”

Rainbow didn’t respond, visibly deflating at Luna’s harsh tone of voice.

“Well?” Luna asked impatiently.

Magnus raised a weary hand, catching Luna’s attention. He sighed internally. “Luna, if there’s anyone who should be mad at Rainbow Dash, it should be me. And believe me, I’m still pissed off.” He glanced at the pegasus in question, who shrunk back slightly. “Still…” He bit the inside of his lip and continued, “I told Twilight that Rainbow and I were back at square one, which means working on letting go of my grudges. I appreciate your support, Princess, but I don’t want to escalate this more than it already has.”

Luna glared at Magnus, then slowly shifted her gaze to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus still looked visibly uncomfortable at being the focus of the Princess of the Night.

With a weary sigh, Luna nodded and her frown diminished. “Although I would like to pursue this matter further, it seems that there would be little to gain other than more frustration and grief. We shall speak of this no further.”

Rainbow’s shoulders sank out of sheer relief, and her tense muscles visibly relaxed under her taut blue fur. Even the feathers on her wings seemed to sag.

Nods of approval went around the table, yet the silence remained for a while. Even though conversation picked up again after a few moments, Magnus felt as if some damage to the group’s morale had already been inflicted.

***

“Well, my friends, it is time for Luna and I to return to Canterlot,” Celestia said, her serene smile once again dominating her kind face.

The entire group had gathered in the entrance hall of Twilight’s castle to see the princesses off. “It was my pleasure, Princess, although I wish we could see each other more often,” Twilight said.

Luna nodded in approval, yet she still seemed slightly troubled. “We meet not often, though it is always good when we can all find time to spend together, my friends. And it would seem that Magnus is in good hooves here in Ponyville.”

“Yes, you have learned much during your stay,” Celestia said to the human.

He looked down to the six mares and dragon, his lips curving. “I have good teachers, but I think I’ve barely scratched the surface so far.”

“That is true, but each day brings new discoveries,” Celestia advised.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I still have some things that I want to discuss with Magnus. Math, for example. Judging by what Magnus told me, we teach math a bit different than what he is used to. He might not understand our system, so I’ve planned a two day course in basic and advanced math.”

Magnus felt a cold chill run down his spine. “Now now, let’s not—”

“What a wonderful idea,” Celestia agreed. “Math is far from a useless skill to have.”

More ideas came from the others, such as advanced party planning from Pinkie and seasonal clothes from Rarity, and even Fluttershy pitched in with pet care, in case Magnus ever wanted a pet.

“Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow, still rather subdued, turned to Princess Luna, who had adopted a neutral expression. “May we speak in private?”

Rainbow nodded hesitantly. “Uh, yeah, sure. Let’s go over there.” She pointed a wing further down the hall.

Luna and Rainbow walked away, leaving the others slightly puzzled. “What are they gonna talk about?” Pinkie asked as the two reached the doors farther down the hall. Her ears drooped, fearing that Princess Luna was going to yell at Rainbow Dash again.

“I believe my sister merely wanted to clarify a few things with Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said somewhat vaguely. Luna’s face was unreadable from this distance, and it was impossible to hear what they were speaking about.

Pinkie wiped her forehead dramatically. “Phew, that’s great! I was planning something to cheer up Rainbow Dash, but that would involve getting the Wonderbolts, Discord, a barrel of cider, a suit of armour from the castle ruins, and eight Royal Guards. Not sure if the guards would agree though.”

Celestia giggled lightly at Pinkie’s suggestion before directing her attention to Twilight and Magnus. “I have something to discuss with you two. As you both know, only one week remains of your stay here, Magnus, upon which you will return to Canterlot by train. I would like for you to come as well, Twilight.”

“Why is that, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“During the past three days, I have had the ambassadors for the griffons, the zebras, the minotaurs, the diamond dogs, and the Saddle Arabians approach me with the intent of speaking with Magnus.”

“What? Why?” Magnus asked, feeling a sudden onset of nervousness. Why the sudden interest? A few ideas sprung to mind, most of which weren’t pleasant.

“My guess is that they simply want to know more about you. In addition, my niece, Princess Cadance, and her husband, Prince-Consort Shining Armor, will be arriving in Canterlot for a brief visit in five days.”

“Cadance and my BBBFF are coming to Canterlot?” Twilight exclaimed with a smile. “Oh, now I have to go to Canterlot to meet them! It feels like forever since I last saw them. By the way, why do you want me to meet the ambassadors?”

“Because you are one of the few ponies who have been around Magnus for a significant time. If some of the ambassadors begin to feel apprehensive about him, I believe you’d be able to allay any of their fears. After all, you are the Princess of Friendship,” Celestia answered.

“I-I don’t know… can’t say I like the idea of being placed under the microscope again,” he stammered, the uneasiness at walking out of Canterlot Castle the first time ringing in his mind.

Celestia nodded understandingly. “You are, of course, free to say no, but I believe that this meeting is a way to inform the rest of the world that you have no ill intentions. We have had enough incidents in Equestria lately to make many kingdoms nervous. When we decided to release Discord from his stone imprisonment in order to reform him, many thought Luna and myself insane. Now, Discord is a friend and ally.”

Magnus admitted that Celestia had a valid point. If the kings and queens of the world thought he was contemplating destruction and mayhem, then it would be in his best interest to disprove that fear. However, he would be placed in the spotlight yet again, like some freak at P.T. Barnum’s Circus, all to satisfy the curiosity of this world’s inhabitants. He had been agreeable far too often recently, all for the sake of progressing his own integration. His own peace had been shattered enough.

He folded his arms across his chest. “Sorry, Princess, but I don’t want to meet them. The interview I gave should be enough for them, for now at least. I don’t think I can go through that again so soon.”

That was not the answer Celestia hoped to hear, and her face reflected it as she frowned slightly in disappointment. “As you wish, although Luna and I believed you would find this meeting interesting. It would be the first time you meet non-ponies,” Celestia replied after a few seconds of silence.

“I’ve seen non-ponies before,” Magnus said, recalling the griffin, diamond dog, and minotaur that had seen him the day he left Canterlot.

Luna and Rainbow Dash chose that moment to return to Twilight and the rest of her friends. Luna still had that carefully adopted neutral expression on her face, and while Rainbow Dash still resolutely avoided meeting his gaze, she no longer seemed to be perpetually shrinking back, though her wings seemed to be rigidly held against her sides. He briefly wondered about the details of their conversation.

“Well, my friends, I believe it is time we are on our way. Magnus, would you please walk us to our chariots?” Celestia said. He willingly obliged and followed the two sisters out of the castle, where their guards were waiting and quickly fell in behind. Celestia whispered an order to one of the guards, who immediately hurried into town. Their chariots had been moved from the centre of town to a small field a stone's throw away from Twilight’s castle for easier take-off.

“Tell us, Magnus, how do you like Ponyville?” Celestia asked after a few moments of silence. “Do you think that you would like to live here?”

Walking between the two sisters, Magnus’ hands rested on his back as he twisted his neck to work out some of the kinks. “It is a nice town,” he began, gazing at the cosily-built homes that they passed by. “Small, quiet, most the townsfolk are friendly. Sure, I would probably like living here. However, I’ve noticed one problem when it comes to this place.”

“And what would that be?” Luna asked.

“A lack of jobs. I’ve yet to see a single “Now Hiring” sign in any of the store windows. I even checked the local newspaper the other day and the notice board outside town hall when Applejack and I were at the market. Nothing. Everybody already has a job, and I doubt a new business is about to open any time soon. This town isn’t exactly booming.” On top of that, the fact that he hadn’t seen any houses being built probably meant that ponies weren’t moving here either.

Celestia hummed to herself. “I’m sure we can help; perhaps I can talk to Mayor Mare and—”

“No.” Magnus halted in his tracks and sighed. “No, Princess. You don’t have to create a job out of the blue. There are some things a man has to do on his own—finding a job and a place to live are two of them. Besides, I’m sure a city like Canterlot is bound to have a job available for someone like me.”

The two alicorn sisters exchanged glances, then back to Magnus before they resumed their journey. Luna chuckled briefly. “You have pride. And you are determined to seek out a job as well as a place to call home on your own, even if we were to offer you help.”

Magnus cracked a grin. “Well, I’ve felt like all my needs have been taken care of for a long time now. It’s time to do things on my own for a change.”

Celestia nodded. “Perhaps it is. You have your own life to think of and your own dreams to fulfill. And speaking of needs, Doctor Silverheart approached me yesterday and informed me that the results of your examination have all been analysed and verified. He wishes to see you as soon as you return to Canterlot.”

“He did?!” Magnus exclaimed. The array of tests he had undergone had slid into the back of his mind and had nearly been forgotten. The constant worrying over some life-threatening illness or lingering consequence of his lineage had been a tumor in his mind for days afterwards. The time spent in Ponyville had actually helped him forget.

“What did he say? Did they find anything?” Magnus inquired nervously.

“Don’t worry, you are perfectly healthy,” Celestia answered, her calmness the exact opposite of Magnus’ mood. “Although, Silverheart did explicitly express his desire to speak with you concerning some test results. He was quite adamant about it.”

Magnus took a deep breath. “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all…” he muttered sarcastically, much to Celestia and Luna’s amusement.

They reached the chariots, but the princesses didn’t board, instead turning around to face Magnus. A brief lull enveloped the group as Celestia and Luna took a few seconds to simply gaze at the human.

“Guards, leave us, but stay close. We will depart soon,” Luna told the guards. They saluted and trotted out of hearing distance.

“Magnus,” Luna began, her voice sounding serious. “There is something else we wish to speak with you of, something that you may find interesting.”

Magnus looked from alicorn to alicorn, his curiosity rising. “Okay? And that is…”

Luna glanced at her sister, who nodded slightly.

“You have family here in Equestria.”

For a moment, Magnus simply continued to look at Luna as if still waiting for her to speak. A minor upward movement of his eyebrows was all the reaction he displayed. The two princesses eagerly awaited his response. They had spoken of this moment many times, wondering what Magnus would say or do, and even how to break the news to him. In the end, they had simply decided to tell him at the appropriate moment.

Finally, Magnus’ brain managed to process the information he had been given, although what he said could probably have been a bit more eloquent.

“Eh?”

“Family,” Celestia repeated, giving him an understanding smile, aware of what a shock it must have been to him. “You have family in Equestria.”

Magnus nodded slowly, shuffling his feet. “Family,” he parroted sluggishly. ”How exactly?”

“The descendants of Star Swirl’s offspring. They also moved to Equestria after its founding and settled here, where they prospered and spread far and wide,” Luna explained.

“However, that was long ago,” Celestia continued. “Now, only two known descendants of Star Swirl’s lineage remain. Your relative is an elderly unicorn mare that resides in the Galaxy family’s castle in a forest village called Hollow Shades. Her name is Brilliant Star.”

With a slightly dazed nod, Magnus meandered over to Celestia’s chariot and sat down on the edge of the finely crafted vessel, the wood creaking under his weight. Normally, a pony would never even think of using the sun princess’ chariot as a seat, but Magnus’ mind didn’t consider the act itself and Celestia didn’t voice her objections to her personal chariot being treated as a common park bench.

With folded hands resting under his chin, Magnus peered up at the two princesses stoically. “Why are you telling me this, hmm?”

If the two alicorns were surprised at Magnus’ question, they didn’t display it. They were, however, taken aback at his tone of voice. Truth be told, they expected a somewhat happier reaction.

Celestia lowered her head until she was at eye level with the man. “We know that you are alone, Magnus. You are the only human in the world, and you must feel alone, even though you are surrounded by ponies who wish you well. Brilliant Star is your only known relative here, no matter how much time and blood separates you. We only wished to ask if you would be willing to meet with her.”

“She is your only link to family in Equestria by blood,” Luna walked up to stand in front of Magnus. “From what my sister has told me, Brilliant Star is old and wise, and respected by the ponies of Hollow Shades. She travelled the world for many years, meeting with many different creatures, and is known for her welcoming demeanour. I am certain you will not be treated any differently from those she has met.”

Magnus remained silent for a while, pondering the news. ‘Family,’ he thought. ‘A pony, an old mare too, living in a castle. Why do they want me to meet her? Why now?’

“Why didn’t you tell me about her before?”

“It was my suggestion to withhold this information from you,” Celestia explained. “I suggested to Luna and Twilight that we wait until you became comfortable around ponies before telling you.”

On some level, Magnus understood. He’d had a lot on his plate lately, being hospitalized and interrogated, learning to cope with who and what he was while dealing with how to live in magical ponyland and all its craziness. Topping that with the revelation of a pony relative would have been too much for his stressed mind.

“Does this mare know that I’m “related” to her?” he asked, making quotation marks with his fingers, which looked silly since Equish quotation marks were different from English ones.

“No, she does not. We wanted to first ask if you wished to see her. If you agree, then we will tell her about you,” Luna answered.

“And how can you be so sure she wants to see me?”

“Because I know her,” Celestia said with a fond smile born from many pleasant memories of the mare in question. “Long ago, I founded a school for gifted unicorns in Canterlot. I knew Brilliant Star before she was hired as a teacher at the school, and we have maintained our friendship ever since. Believe me when I say that she is very family oriented. I am confident she will welcome you with open forelegs.”

Luna added, “After you gave the staff to us, we removed Star Swirl’s horn from it and travelled to Hollow Shades to give him a proper burial. Brilliant Star attended, and I saw her weeping for a pony she never knew.”

With that said, Luna and Celestia awaited his decision. He had much to mull over concerning this mare he never knew of until just recently.

He remembered what Twilight had told him of how ponies viewed family, that their family ties were strong. But strong enough to last five millennia? He doubted that. Then again, the princesses hadn’t lied to him yet. He had begun to feel as if the two alicorn sisters were trustworthy individuals some time ago, although he wasn’t particularly fond of their secretive nature concerning certain details.

The mare they mentioned also made him think about his own roots. Magnus had often wondered if he had any other relatives out there in the world and had posed the question to his grandfather. The old man had sombrely informed him that Magnus was the only family he had left. Magnus’ grandmother and Joseph’s wife, Ann, had been an only child. Hrafnar, Magnus’ father, had left Iceland at a young age and set out to sea, spending years working aboard cargo ships and visiting many countries before finally meeting Julia, Magnus’ mother, in San Francisco years ago. According to Joseph, Hrafnar never spoke of his family under almost any circumstances until he had finally broken his silence one day and told Joseph everything. It wasn’t a tale of adventure, rather, it was one of escape from a toxic and hostile household. As a teenager, Magnus later saw a VHS tape recorded by his father in which he explained everything that happened to him. It was after seeing this personal recording that Magnus forgave his father for leaving him at birth.

The only one that remained from his barren, nearly extinguished family tree, was this unknown mare living in a castle. Magnus admitted to himself that yes, she must be related to him somehow if the princesses said so. But who was she? What was she like? Would she welcome an alien into her house or chase him away with a broom? Would she even care if some ‘relative’, separated by millennia and perhaps even a separate universe or dimension, came knocking on her door?

Magnus had no answer. It was overwhelming to even contemplate, and he would rather not think about it now.

“I need time to decide,” he said, looking up at the princesses.

Celestia nodded. “We understand. This is a great step for you to take. Take what time you need to decide.”

With that said, Luna and Celestia stepped aboard their chariots and the guards hitched themselves to the shaft and drawbar moments later. Another guard came trotting up to Princess Celestia’s chariot, carrying a colourful cardboard box labelled ‘Otherworldly Chocolate Delight’ and handed it to her respectfully.

“I must say, you truly make a delicious cake,” Celestia smiled fondly at the cake placed in front of her. “If you find yourself in need of work, perhaps I can find a spot in the royal kitchens.”

“Glad to see my small contribution is helping your diabetes come along, but I don’t think baking is my thing,” Magnus replied absentmindedly.

“Pastries aside, I believe a visit to Hollow Shades and Brilliant Star will do you good. Please, consider our proposal.”

“I can promise you that much.”

“Then we have done all we can,” Celestia answered, nodding to the pegasi at her chariot.

Luna’s chariot was pulled next to Celestia’s by the pair of bat ponies. Luna herself looked over to her sister, spotted the cake box, and shook her head. “Again?” she asked, although not sounding surprised.

“What? It was good,” Celestia replied defensively.

Luna smiled good-naturedly at her sister before taking in Magnus and his sombre demeanour. “Rainbow Dash and I had a rather… insightful and straightforward conversation, and I do believe she is aware of where she now stands.” Luna shot him a grin with a bit too much teeth. “With that said, I believe that your friendship, such as it was, is salvageable if you wish to pursue it.”

Magnus nodded briefly, kicking away an errant pebble digging into his steel-shod hoof. “Like I said, I don’t feel like talking to her just yet.”

“Yet you defended her earlier. You, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle all spoke in her defence,” Luna added, giving Magnus a questioning look. “Why is that?”

“I’d rather not say.” Magnus wasn’t about to tell the princesses that the reason he spoke up was because, in a moment of weakness, he’d felt as if Rainbow had resembled an innocent child, or perhaps an adorable puppy or a kitten being yelled at. The royal sisters exchanged a smile, looking as though they were reading each other’s mind, perhaps even suggesting something.

“NO! It’s not like that!” Magnus exclaimed vehemently, just in case the princesses were considering a line of thought that was rather unpalatable.

“We did not say a word.” The smirk on Celestia’s face suggested that she was thinking the exact opposite, and the same went for Luna, what with the way she covered her grin with her hoof. Magnus, for this part, merely shook his head and groaned.

“Well then, I believe we had better be off before Magnus starts to blush. We look forward to your return to Canterlot, and your answer concerning Brilliant Star,” Celestia said once she had managed to erase the smirk from her face.

Nodding, Magnus waved her away. “I’ll give it some thought.”

The guards pulling the chariots first began to trot, and soon they galloped across the field while flapping their wings. As if defying gravity, the chariots rose into the sky at the same time the ponies took off. Soon, the chariots and the princesses were distant dots in the sky as they headed towards Canterlot.

‘It bothers me that those heavy chariots can fly. Magic, definitely magic…’

Turning around, Magnus began his walk back to Twilight’s castle, yet his mind wasn’t on the castle or the party awaiting him. No, it was on his mysterious elderly relative who lived in a castle, in some forest that sounded like a place the Hessian Horseman called home… or haunting ground.

The last known pony to be related to him, the princesses had said. Brilliant Star, a friend of Celestia. Who was she? What was she like? Deep down, Magnus was intrigued. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to find out. Curiosity was a powerful emotion.

Author's Notes:

Well, here we are again. Second update of 2018, although I hope that updates will come quicker from here on out. Chapters will be shorter starting from the next one.

As you may have noticed, I've changed back to 3rd person, permanently this time. It's a lot easier to write, to get the right words out, to distance yourself from the characters but still being there, so to speak. Like, being a spectator to events unfolding. I.E., much easier.

When writing this, I walked into a trap so obvious I'm ashamed I didn't see it. What was the trap? JBL can explain it.

Yeah, okay, Magnus' white-knighting for Rainbow Dash honestly pissed me off. I hate it when a pony does something like that to a human, and he ends up defending them. It's one of those damn tropes/cliché I always see in the early years of mlp fanfiction, and I'd hoped to never have to see it again. On top of that, Luna ends up apologizing to Rainbow Dash for having the audacity to raise her voice? C'mon man. Basically, the way you've written it, RD cannot face even a frown of disapproval or a harsh word because she feels just terrible for what she did

White knight... I could just as well have given Magnus a fedora, black trench coat, and a katana made of superior Nippon steel, folded ∞ times, and every time he meets a mare he tips his hat to her; "M'are." JBL, you hereby have permission to chew me out, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman style if I ever do this again. All of you reading this are my witnesses. Thankfully, JBL fixed it for me, replacing my wordvomit with carefully sculpted sentences.

As usual, thank you to all my readers for finding my story interesting enough to read and for giving me thumbs up. I eat thumbs for a living you see. Also, to all you who've decided to follow me since the last update and to give my story a home on your virtual shelves: Thank you very much.

PS: The cake is not a lie. The chocolate cake Magnus and Pinkie made is the same one they have for dessert in the castle. It is a real cake my mother makes sometimes, although I may have messed up the recipe somewhat.

PPS: Artist rendition of JBL editing stories.
Begone, spelling errors and often repeated words!

Chapter 41 - Saving the Past (Edited by JBL)

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Magnus slept in the next day, though it did little to ease the grogginess he felt when he did wake up. It had taken quite some time for him to fall asleep when night came, due to his mind being occupied by the revelation of the elderly mare he was supposedly related to, although the word ‘related’ was a stretch. There was so much that separated them: five millennia, an entire universe or dimension, with the bloodline thinning each and every generation on both sides.

Still, Magnus had decided to push these thoughts away for now, as he had other plans today. He wanted to salvage his past.

While searching through his possessions in his room, he had found his cell phone and remembered all the photos and videos stored on it. He wanted to save the photos somehow, both on his phone and the ones in his wallet that he had remembered to bring with him from Canterlot.

‘They have cameras around here. I wonder, maybe it’s possible to take a photo of the phone while it’s displaying the photos stored on it. The same should go for the photos in my wallet,’ he thought while browsing through the photos on his phone. It still held a decent charge—his investment in a new battery a few months ago had paid off. His last battery had to be charged once a day.

It was an easy decision for him to make. Salvaging the past was important to him and no cost was too great, which was why he remembered the gems he found the day when he had helped out Rarity. She had mentioned that he could probably sell them to a local jewellery maker in Ponyville who would also appraise them for him.

Magnus emptied his backpack of clothes onto the bed. There were no more than twelve gems in total, but he made sure to wash the dirt off them in the bathroom to make sure they would look appealing to the jeweller before he shoved them into his backpack.

Slinging it on his shoulder, Magnus walked downstairs to find Twilight in her study. As usual, she sat with her blackboard filled with weird equations, and several thick books rested on the table while she herself was busy scribbling down her thoughts on paper.

“I’ve seen you work on this almost every single day since I came here,” Magnus commented, announcing his presence to the alicorn. Walking up to the blackboard, he endeavoured to make sense of all the numbers and equations but might have well tried to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, so alien were the symbols to him.

Twilight looked over to Magnus and the blackboard. “Oh, that’s the result of the scan of the remnants of the portal you came through; all the information we managed to pick up.” She stood up and trotted over to the blackboard. Picking up a pointing stick, she directed it to the various numbers. “This here is the normal ambient magic in any given area, far away from a ley line. These numbers show the magical energy lingering around a ley line, while these are the same numbers broken down using Glamour’s Third Thaumatic Rule of Magic, which would be needed to open a portal and maintain it for a specific time.”

Twilight began to pace, chewing on her lip as she did so. “As you can see, we would need an enormous amount of magic to open a portal between two destinations three hundred hooves apart and maintain it, much more than any ordinary unicorn could accomplish. Even seasoned wizards would find it extremely taxing.” Twilight pointed to an equation resulting in an absurdly high number, which took up almost a fourth of the blackboard’s space. “This is the estimated magic required to open up a portal between, say, Manehattan and Las Pegasus. As you can see, it’s a daunting amount and not efficient at all, thus making teleportation spells much more economic, thaumatically speaking, since teleportation only requires one unicorn.”

Magnus looked from the blackboard over to Twilight with a confused expression on his face. ‘It’s like she thinks I understand what she means.’

“What does thaumatic mean?”

Twilight smiled. “Well, thaumatic is another word for magic that comes from old pony Latin, the language commonly spoken by all three pony tribes long before the unification. Some of the old words are still in use today.”

Nodding, Magnus turned back to the blackboard. “Huh, I see. So, all this is an effort for… what, exactly? Are you still trying to find a way to create a portal to Earth?” he asked, a smidgeon of hope in his voice.

Twilight grimaced and shuffled her hooves. “Yes. No. Maybe? I-I don’t know, honestly. I’m trying to analyse everything we found out at the site; maybe a hidden clue or something, something that can tell us more. But so far, everything’s been crystal clear.” She sighed and glanced up at Magnus. “As it stands, there is no discernible way to create a portal to Earth… I’m sorry.”

Pursing his lips, Magnus turned back to the blackboard so that Twilight wouldn’t catch the disappointment in his eyes. So many numbers, so many variables, so many… numbers. He was never good at math, and if magic was more like math than anything else, he wasn’t sure if he’d continue to pursue advanced learning on the topic.

Still, he was grateful for her efforts. “Thanks for trying, Twilight.”

“It’s what friends do,” she replied, perking back up. Taking notice of Magnus’ backpack, she asked, “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I found some gems when I was with Rarity a few days ago, and I plan to go to the jeweller to see if they want to buy them. Problem is, I don’t know where the store is.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem,” Twilight began enthusiastically cantering towards the doors. “I can show you the way. I need some fresh air anyway.”

Happy to have a guide, Magnus followed Twilight outside, and together they began their trek into town. While Ponyville itself seemed mundane enough, what soon caught his attention was that Spike wasn’t tagging along with Twilight today. He had seen Spike leaving the castle occasionally, and often enough he was either at Rarity’s to help her, or sometimes he went to hang out with Applejack’s sister and her friends.

However, when Magnus glanced at Twilight, he noticed that something seemed to be troubling her, as she hardly paid any attention to her surroundings or the ponies greeting her.

“Something wrong, Twilight? Looks like you’ve something on your mind.”

Twilight eyed Magnus for a second, giving an unconvincing smile that quickly diminished. Exhaling, her eyes sought out the direction of Rainbow’s cloud home.

“It’s about Rainbow Dash, and what happened. It still bothers me that you two aren’t on speaking terms. You had such a good start to your friendship.”

Magnus shrugged. “Shit happens. What happened was deliberate shit, but shit nonetheless.”

Twilight shook her head and huffed. “Your language is awful and coarse. Can’t you at least try to not swear so much? Besides, aren’t you at least a little bit worried about what might come of this?”

“Not at all.”

Stopping abruptly, Twilight stared up at Magnus in disbelief. “How can you be so callous about it? This is a friendship situation, one that can be mended if you only decide to talk to her.”

Magnus also halted and crossed his arms defensively. “I’m callous because stuff like this isn’t a priority to me. I’m really not that interested in running around, making as many friends as possible in the shortest amount of time. I’m not Pinkie Pie, you know.”

Raising a hoof, Twilight tried to object. “But—”

Sighing audibly, Magnus crouched down in front of Twilight. “You told me how important friendship is for you ponies, but really, it isn’t a priority for me. Friendships form and break all the time among humans. While these things may happen in a specific way for you guys, it’s different for humans. I choose my friends carefully, and I let things unfold on their own. It’s my way, and I can’t simply change that on a whim.”

Still standing with her hoof raised, Twilight pondered a response. A few suggestions bubbled within her mind, but logic dictated that the firmness in Magnus’ voice meant that he would not be swayed, at least for now. Lowering her hoof, she sighed. “Fine. But this isn’t over yet.”

The pair continued their journey through Ponyville, this time in silence. Magnus understood Twilight’s reluctance towards his attitude against Rainbow. With her being the Princess of Friendship, this situation was a real conundrum to her, one that she needed to fix somehow. Still, Magnus wasn’t worried. In his experience, this would either work out, or he and Rainbow would only be mere acquaintances. Either way was fine with him.

“Hey, Twilight, can I ask you something?”

“If you must,” Twilight replied rather curtly.

“Is it hard to learn new spells?”

The slight chill in Twilight’s voice faded slightly. “It varies from pony to pony. Some unicorns pick up new spells quite easily, but others can have some trouble with the same spells. The difficulty of the spell also needs to be considered. Some are easy to learn on your own, provided you have basic knowledge of magic, while you’ll need an instructor to help you other spells. It’s about the required amount of magic, finesse, the strength of your magic, as well as the thaumatic pool you currently possess, also called magical endurance,” Twilight explained, taking care so that Magnus could understand her. She shot him a slight smirk. “Are you planning an education in magic already?”

Magnus grinned while shaking his head. “No, more like finding a new spell to learn. I think I’ve got the basics of levitation down now, but my strength, endurance, and finesse need to be worked on.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll build magical strength and endurance the more you practise magic. As for finesse, there are easy training methods for that, such as threading a needle or stacking matches with magic. When it comes to spells, levitation is the easiest to learn. Most fillies and colts are able to do it when they’re three or four years old. However, they aren’t adept at it, and usually it’s a parent who helps them along.”

“Just like a parent helping a child learn how to walk.” Magnus turned his attention to the path ahead. They turned a corner, and at the end of the street was the jewellery store in sight. Gold and silver made the entire window display sparkle in the sunlight even from this distance.

“What’s the next easiest spell to learn?” Magnus inquired.

“The light spell, I suppose. It’s a basic spell that shines a light from your horn, illuminating a small area around you like a lantern. It’s doesn’t drain a lot of magic, and can be taught quite easily.” Twilight opened the door with her magic and stepped into the store. “Want me to teach you?”

Magnus grinned. “I was hoping you’d ask me. Yes, I would like that very much.”

Entering the store, Magnus found himself surrounded by precious metals and gems turned into art. Rings, necklaces, brooches, earrings, and various others jewellery sat on silk pillows behind glass cases for all to see. A few customers were already inside the store, mares and stallions, singles and couples, all searching for that perfect gift for a special someone.

An elderly mare with a greying blue coat and pale green hair stood behind the counter, smiling at the new arrivals, the alicorn specifically.

“That’s Miss Jewel, the owner. Why don’t you go talk to her while I look around for a bit?” Twilight told Magnus. He nodded and walked up to the counter. The mare craned her neck to peer up at the human, giving him a nervous smile.

“Um, hello there, Mister Human. Are you looking for anything specific?” Her high-pitched voice betrayed that she was getting up there in age, though the elegance in her voice belied that assumption. Magnus wondered if the mare thought him to be a bull in a china shop, considering the fragile and precious jewels and metals surrounding them.

Giving the mare a friendly nod in order to put her mind to ease, Magnus replied, “Not looking today, Miss Jewel. Rather, I want to sell you some gems, if you’re buying of course.” He opened his backpack and retrieved a couple of gems, which he placed on the low counter in front of him.

Upon seeing the gems, the mare’s focus shifted to them in an instant. She picked one up, eyeing it critically while turning it around in her hoof, humming to herself.

“An emerald. No interesting shape, a few scuffs and scratches. Quite common, if I may be so honest. Where did you find this?”

“Near Rambling Rock Ridge. I was with Rarity searching for gems and decided to keep a few good-looking ones myself. I have several more here and would like to have them appraised and sell them to you if you’re interested.”

“Ah, I see.” She paused for a second, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Well, I would be happy to appraise them for a small fee, and if I decide to buy them, I can deduct the appraisal fee from the price I wish to buy them for. Would that be sufficient?”

“Sure. I don’t have a single bit to my name, so your suggestion sounds perfect for me.”

The mare nodded in satisfaction and pulled a wooden tray from under the counter. “Excellent. Just place the gems into this tray and I’ll take a look at them. It’ll take some time, so feel free to have a look around my store in the meantime.”

Doing as she suggested, Magnus placed the gems into the tray, upon which the mare headed into the back of her store. A younger mare who had helped a couple earlier took her place behind the counter.

Having spent time watching his grandfather work on necklaces and rings years ago, he could tell that the creator of the jewellery surrounding him was skilled. However, while Joseph focused heavily on engraving motifs from nature and mostly used precious metals, pony-crafted jewellery focused more on gems of various types and sizes. From golden brooches with one large red ruby surrounded by small diamonds to earrings made entirely of a single finely cut gem, aside from the fastener, gems seemed to be highly favoured.

“I remember you telling me that your grandfather was a jewellery maker,” Twilight noted, appearing next to Magnus as he admired a unicorn mannequin head, a beautiful silver filigree ring with a single black gemstone in the middle set on the horn. “Do you have any experience making jewellery?”

Magnus shook his head. “Only once. Silver and gold is very expensive on Earth, far too expensive for someone with no experience to play around with, not to mention the price of gemstones.”

She cocked her head inquisitively. “Oh, I see. But what did you make then?”

“A simple ring. I only had to melt the silver and then pour it into a mould my grandfather had lying around, under his supervision of course. It turned out terrible.” Magnus laughed. “Not enough heat, you see, and I didn’t knock on the mould to dislodge the trapped air bubbles. It looked like worms had burrowed into the ring itself. Still, after my grandfather had a chance to work on it, it turned out okay. I think it’s still in a drawer back home in my house, on Earth.”

Twilight suppress a short laugh. “Maybe jewellery making isn’t your special talent then?”

Looking to the alicorn, Magnus grinned. “Are you referring to cutie marks now?”

“I may. Who knows, you might get one someday, maybe even a jewellery-making mark if you try again. Cutie marks sometimes don’t appear on the first attempt.”

Looking back to the silver filigree rings brought a memory to Magnus’ mind. “When I woke up after Princess Luna found me, someone had slid a ring on my horn. I tried to touch it, but all it did was cause me pain. Why would unicorns wear rings if they hurt so much?”

“It was probably a magic suppression ring. Unicorns who are arrested are fitted with an enchanted ring on their horn so that they are unable to use magic, in case they try to teleport away or harm somepony,” Twilight explained. “My guess is that the royal guard probably thought you could use magic and wanted to make sure you couldn’t do anything.”

Magnus hummed. Twilight’s answer had served to educate him on one particular topic: the ability to enchant objects existed here. A fleeting image came to his mind; a wizard's staff crackling with electricity.

It made Magnus grin.

***

Half an hour had passed since Twilight and Magnus had entered the store. They both sat down and had a drink of water while waiting, conversation flowing casually between them.

“So let me get this straight,” Magnus sat up straight on the chair, having unconsciously slouched down, “if you want to teleport, you don’t have to worry about ending up halfway into a wall?”

Twilight shook her head with a smile. She had been educating Magnus on quite a few spells during their conversation, and she was surprised to discover that Magnus actually knew a fair bit of them. When asked how he knew so much when he was from a world almost devoid of magic, Magnus explained that humans had created a wide variety of games and movies that featured magic, and the type of spells they had made up through pure imagination was unnervingly similar to already existing spells created by ponykind.

“No, the spell has a built-in safety feature that ensures you won’t fuse with an object upon arrival at the designated spot,” she explained, taking care to use basic terms so that Magnus would understand. Quite a few times, she’d gone on as if she were speaking to a fellow wizard of equal intellect and knowledge, leaving Magnus scratching his head.

“That’s actually pretty clever. How far is it possible to teleport?”

Placing her hoof under her chin, Twilight mulled over the question for a second before answering, “Most unicorns who learn teleportation can teleport a hundred hooves or so, but if you have a sizeable magic pool, you can teleport much further. I can teleport from my castle to Sweet Apple Acres without a problem. My best distance is… probably someplace halfway between Ponyville and Canterlot. I’ve never tried to test my maximum distance before.”

“I see, the length is determined by the amount of magic you have available.”

“Correct. Most archwizards who’ve studied magic and trained their entire lives are capable of teleporting several kilotrots. When I was a filly studying under Princess Celestia’s tutelage, I once asked how far she could teleport. She told me that one time there was a crisis centuries ago, and that she had to teleport from Canterlot to Manehattan. That’s a day and a half by train.”

Magnus grinned for two reasons. The first one was the obvious worshipful tune Twilight used whenever she spoke of Celestia. The second was that it gave a good measure of Celestia’s magic compared to that of ponies, as long as ponies didn’t move the sun.

“However, the distance you want to teleport isn’t the only obstacle. The further the distance, the magic required grows exponentially. So you see, Princess Celestia is by far the most powerful magic user I know of.”

Magnus rubbed his chin. “What about Discord? He teleported me and himself to Canterlot and back in the blink of an eye and still had the energy to smile like a damn lunatic.”

Twilight grimaced. “Eeh, I don’t know, honestly. I haven’t had a conversation with Discord where we talked about magic, so I can’t really say if he has any limits at all, or even if thaumatic rules apply to him. Since his domain is chaos magic, I doubt he obeys those rules at all, if there are any to begin with.”

‘Well, that does sound like Discord; taking rules of nature and spanking them to his will. Wa-pish!’

There was a lull in conversation, broken by the return of Miss Jewel as she appeared with the box of gems on her back. She waved Magnus over, and they walked over to the counter.

“Well then, I’ve appraised the gems you gave me. Some of them are of decent quality, with few scratches and blemishes, which I can certainly use. However, most of these gems have small discolorations inside of them and at least three have minute fracture lines within which will cause some trouble if I attempt to cut them into smaller pieces.”

She picked up a clear hexagonal crystal the length of a carrot. “This one is interesting. This is crystal quartz, a fine but common mineral that is actually not a gem at all. Still, it has its uses as a polishing compound if ground to dust and mixed with fine clay and water. It is also sought after as it is easy to work a light enchantment into, making it a fine choice for inexpensive lamps, other light sources, or simply as a pendant or brooch that can emit a low glow of light. Still,” she placed the quartz back into the tray, “it’s a common enough material, so its price would be relatively low.”

Magnus nodded as the mare spoke. He already knew the price would lower because of the impurities. Also, the quartz was not the diamond he had assumed it was. He thought he had struck paydirt that day with Rarity. He should have known that luck never came easy to him.

“I understand. What can you offer me?”

The mare looked down at the gems, moving some of them to the side while tilting her head slightly. “I’m willing to pay one hundred and twenty bits for these gems as they are. I do have some work ahead of me cutting and polishing them, and then they will lie in a box until I make a ring or necklace.”

That wasn’t a bad offer, Magnus thought to himself. By now he’d learned more about the Equestrian economy and the value of their currency. The sum was more than he expected for imperfect gems. Perhaps if he had chosen more carefully, he could have gotten a better price, and even more if he had remembered to bring his backpack the day he and Rarity went gem digging.

“If I came back tomorrow or another day with more gems, would you be willing to buy them?” It wouldn’t necessarily be fulfilling work, but he’d be satisfied with acquiring a somewhat steady stream of income.

Miss Jewel shook her head, dashing those plans. “No, I’m afraid not. I already have a decent selection of gems in store. These you brought me will be sitting in my storage room for a while before I decide to use them. I am not a hoarder of gemstones.”

Well, he had to ask, and he got his answer. Slightly disappointed at his stream of income vanishing, Magnus stretched out his hand towards the mare. “Alright, we have a deal.”

Miss Jewel gingerly shook his hand and smiled. “Perfect.”

***

“Now that you’ve earned your first bits on your own, what do you plan to do with them?” Twilight asked while watching Magnus attempt to fit the bag of bits to his belt. It wasn’t an easy task, as the bag slipped out of the poor knot Magnus had tied. Ponies used saddlebags for transporting things, while bipeds, such as minotaurs and sometimes diamond dogs, used belts with hooks to attach bags to them.

Cursing under his breath, Magnus gave up on trying to keep the bag on his belt and instead stuffed it into his backpack. “I need to find a photography studio,” he replied, looking around at the store windows as they passed by. He had completely forgotten about asking Pinkie if she knew a photographer in town the day he spent with her. “I have some photos in my wallet and on my ~phone~ that I want to save. Hopefully, the photographer can take pictures of the photos displayed on the screen.”

Twilight nodded, Magnus having previously explained the reason why he wanted to do so. Having a sizable collection of photos taken ever since she arrived in Ponyville, she knew precisely where they should head.

“I know a photo studio not far from here, run by a stallion named Snapshot. I’m sure he can take care of that. I’ve used him several times before and he can even frame the photos for you.”

Magnus let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Twilight. Lead the way.”

It was a short walk to the photo studio, a cosy two storey building nestled between a flower store and a family home a stone’s throw away from the market. It was easily recognized from the sign that declared it as Snapshot’s Studio, along with the cameras, photos, and frames on display in the window.

Upon entering, a bell above the door chimed, and Magnus looked around the store. A wide variety of photos were on display on the four walls, depicting all manner of motifs. From ponies to landscapes, it seemed as if the photographer knew what made for a good picture.

The owner quickly appeared at the sound of the bell. It was a pegasus stallion with a slight off-white coat and an orange mane with red highlights. He had a stylish bow tie around his neck, and his cutie mark was, to no one’s surprise, a camera.

“Why hello, Princess Twilight! And the human as well? Magnus, was it?” he greeted the pair with a slight bow and an awfully optimistic voice. “How can I help you today?”

“Hello, Snapshot,” Twilight responded. “It’s not me who's your customer today.” She nodded towards Magnus.

He stepped up to the counter. “Hello, Mr Snapshot, I have some photos I’d like to have ‘saved’, for lack of a better word.” He produced the photos from his wallet and placed them on the counter.

The photos had taken some battering from their involuntary dip in the sea. The photos were bent and bulged from having absorbed water and then dried. The photo of his parents was more than twenty five years old and had some crinkled edges, water damage, and had a slight bend down the centre.

“Humans? How interesting.” Snapshot stared at the photos with interest. He delicately picked up a pair with his wings, manipulating the feathers almost like fingers.

“My family,” Magnus stated, running a finger gently over the photographs. “Is there any chance of saving these?”

Snapshot tilted his head, holding the photos up towards the light from the window. He winced. “Uh, not really. The water’s done a number on the paper. Really glossy photo paper too... very nice. I’d like some of this stuff.” Magnus felt his heart sink.

Snapshot placed the photos back down and looked up at Magnus with a smile. “However, I can take pictures of these photos. I just need to flatten them out a little, get rid of any creases, and they should be good to go.”

Magnus sighed in relief. “Can you enlarge them too?”

“Of course. Do you have any specific size in mind?”

Magnus glanced around the shop, specifically the frames hanging behind the stallion. He wanted them large enough so that they could hang on a wall, just like home. He spotted a decently-sized wooden frame right behind Snapshot’s head. According to the price tag, the frame was reasonably priced.

“That one.”

Snapshot turned and looked at the frame. “Ah, good choice. That frame’s made of pine and sanded down smooth. Our cheapest model too. Don’t worry, it’ll last for ages.”

“Can you fix up the blemishes in this one? Perhaps fix the colours a bit? As you can see, it’s an old photo.” Magnus pointed to the photo of his parents that he greatly valued since it was the only one he had of them. He had several more at home on Earth, but here he only had this.

Snapshot tilted his head a bit while rubbing his chin. “I can’t make it look like new, but with a bit of time, I guess I can make it look prettier, maybe fix the colours a little with some restorative magic, courtesy of my wife.”

Magnus knew the price was steadily rising the more he asked. It would be money well spent, as far as he was concerned. The past was worth saving, the memories even more so. They were all he had now.

Next came the million dollar question. Magnus’ phone had a plethora of pictures on his phone: his house, his car, his friends in various situations, his grandfather’s cabin, his grandfather himself, landscapes of home, and much more. However, he knew that taking pictures of a screen could occasionally produce a blurring effect due to the frame refresh rate.

“That’s great! I have one more question. I’ve got this device with me.” He picked up his mobile phone, turned it on, punched in the code, and in a matter of seconds, the display was lit up. Now that he was used to his fingers having grown thicker due to the transformation, his dexterity with his fingers was back to its old self.

Even though Twilight had seen the device before, it never ceased to amaze her. How could humans make such advanced technology without magic? She knew the answer was that humanity was a lot more technologically adept than ponies, but still…

Even Snapshot was surprised at the phone. Standing with both forelegs on the counter, he stared in wonder and amazement at the alien device. “How… What… What is this?” he managed to stutter.

“Well, it’s many things in one. It can take pictures, record films, perform complex mathematical calculations, and even allow me to talk to someone over great distances, if that person also has one of these. However, it’s mostly useless now. The thing is, I have several pictures on this device that I’d like to save, by any means necessary.”

“Pictures?” Snapshot looked up, still wearing a flummoxed expression. “On this thing? How can it do that? How many pictures?”

Magnus grinned. “I don’t know the entire process of how it takes pictures and stores them on it, but the thing is, I want to save the pictures. Let me show you.”

He clicked his way to the image gallery, revealing rows upon rows of pictures. He tapped on one, enlarging it until it filled the entire display. It was a photo of the last day he spent with his friends. They all sat around a table, with a large pizza and bottles of beer between them.

“Amazing…” Snapshot whispered in awe.

“Yeah, pretty neat,” Magnus replied, cutting straight to the chase. “The problem is that I have no way to get this image out of this thing. Would it be possible to take photos of the images on this device just by taking a picture of the screen?”

Snapshot was transfixed by the phone, as if he was staring at some ancient, legendary treasure. Magnus waited patiently for his reply, coughing to regain the pegasus’ attention after almost half a minute had passed by with no response.

“Uh, what? Take pictures of the pictures on this device? Uuh…” He scratched his head nervously. “I have no idea. I’ve never done this before. Nopony has.”

“I understand that, but do you think you can try, just a small test?”

Snapshot considered the proposition for a few moments. “Sure, we can try. If you’ll just follow me into my studio…”

Said studio was a medium-sized, windowless room with white walls, light equipment such as white umbrellas to soften the bright light, tripods, lenses, and of course, a multitude of cameras. He even had backdrops depicting various landscapes and motifs.

Snapshot walked over to a table and picked up a camera that he hung around his neck. “Just put the device on the table over there and choose a picture, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Magnus did as he was told and placed the camera screen up on the low table. He noticed that the screen was a bit smudged and asked Snapshot if he had some type of cleaning solution for windows and a lint free cloth. Snapshot was happy to help, and just a few moments later, Magnus’ mobile phone screen was smudge free.

Snapshot took to the air, hovering above the table, his camera deftly pointed at the phone screen, and his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated. His movements were the complete opposite of Rainbow Dash. While Rainbow was about speed, Snapshot’s wingbeat was so controlled and slow, it was almost as if he was simply floating mid-air.

“Ah, I see. The screen on your camera gives off a faint light. That could cause a problem. Let me try something…”

Snapshot flew over to a switch on the wall and turned off the lights. The room was cast in darkness, only the screen glowing. He returned to hover over the table while peering through the viewfinder.

“Still a bit bright. Let me try something else.”

***

After an hour of trial and error, Snapshot was able to figure out the correct balance between light and dark. The end result was an image perfectly centered, free of any glare caused by light or reflection. Not even the blur caused by the screen’s refresh rate had appeared, nor were there any edges of the phone itself visible.

“There, that’s as good as I can do,” Snapshot said, visibly pleased with the result.

Magnus held the photo in his hands, smiling, feeling relieved that this memento of home and precious memory was finally safe.

“It’s perfect,” he said happily. “I was a little worried that this wouldn't work, but damn, you really pulled through. Would it be possible to have this photograph enlarged to fit the frame I chose earlier?”

“Not a problem at all. I just have to use a different camera, maybe even use a tripod to get a perfectly still image without any movement blur. Not quite satisfied with this one, if I have to be perfectly honest. Hovering while taking photos can be a hit and a miss sometimes—tripods are much better.” Snapshot pointed to his other photography gear standing to the side.

Magnus nodded. Snapshot was skilful and professional to the letter. Now came the next big question. “How much would it cost to take a picture, enlarge it, and then frame it? I have several more pictures on the device that I’d like to keep.”

Snapshot spent a second doing the math in his head. “Well, let’s see. A single picture, enlarged, framed… I’d say ten bits a piece.”

Ten bits. It was a bit more expensive than Magnus hoped for. With his current financial situation, he’d only get twelve pictures. He would have to resort to haggling, no matter how shoddy his skill was.

“Any chance you could go lower? I only have a hundred and twenty bits and a lot of photos I want to save. Perhaps a discount is possible?”

Snapshot wasted no time in replying. “Sure. Ten photos are a hundred bits, and for every ten photos you want developed, I can knock off five bits.”

“Any chance you can go lower?”

Snapshot shook his head. “No, I’ve got to make a living too, you know. Photographic paper costs a lot.”

“He’s right,” Twilight said, having been a silent bystander while the photography session took place. “Plus, he did spend a lot of time to make corrections to the lighting in here. Somepony makes the frames too.”

Magnus wanted to give Twilight a glare, but held himself back. They were both right in their counter arguments. Plus, the repairs to the water-damaged photos would also cost a pretty penny. Still, he desperately wanted to save the rest of the pictures, the last physical reminders of his past.

“Alright, alright. Let me think for a moment.” Magnus started pacing back and forth while tapping his skull with a finger. There were a fair number of photos, and some he could afford to lose as they weren’t that valuable. However, the rest were a veritable treasure to him.

“I need a job, something even I can do, something that pays well for a few days’ work,” he muttered to himself. Magnus stopped pacing and turned to Twilight, asking hopefully, “Anything you need doing that I can do for a few bits?”

She shook her head. “Not really, I’m afraid. There aren’t really that many chores to do around my castle, and Spike can do most of them competently. He’s very dedicated to being my assistant, enough so that he once got jealous of my pet owl. However, I can take care of the bill for you.”

“Like paying for me?” Magnus asked, his voice taking on a firm tone. “I don’t like owing money, not even to friends. And this,” he pointed to the picture, “is a lot of money.”

Twilight’s heart sank a bit at hearing her proposal rejected so quickly. However, Magnus referred to her as friend, which meant that he was softening up a bit around the edges, even towards ponies that he had been so careful around. It was a step in the right direction, even though he was as stubborn as a particular earth pony who wanted to clear out an entire apple orchard on her own.

“I have a proposal,” a chipper voice interrupted. Magnus and Twilight both turned to Snapshot, who stood there with a cheery smile. “It’s clear to me that you really want the pictures saved, at any cost even. After all, photos are memories, and I’ve read enough about you to know that you must be terribly homesick, Mr Magnus. Perhaps a payment plan would be in order?”

Looking at the pegasus with scepticism in his eyes, Magnus asked,” What kind of payment plan?”

“It’s a deal I sometimes offer ponies. I can take the pictures and keep the negatives, then when you have enough bits saved, I can develop the photos and frame them. You pay when you have bits, and you choose how many pictures you want, easy and affordable. How does that sound?”

Magnus didn’t even hesitate to agree. It was a much better deal that he could ever hope for.

***

It was late afternoon by the time Magnus returned to Twilight’s castle. The sun was on its downward path towards the horizon, yet many hours of the day remained. The photography session had taken time, as there were quite a few photos Magnus had to go through. Twilight decided to return to the castle after half an hour, stating that she wanted to visit her friends before the end of the day.

Magnus made photos of his parents and his grandfather a priority, then his friends, and lastly mementos which included his house, Joseph’s cabin, and the lake near the cabin. A grand total of thirty-eight photos were taken, all of which Snapshot promised to take care of the negatives until such a time Magnus could afford to pay for them all. He paid in advance for five photos; Joseph and him, his parents, Lisa and him, a group photo with his friends, and one of him sitting on his grandfather’s lap. Snapshot promised to have them all ready before Magnus returned to Canterlot. The restoration of the photos was pricey, but Magnus still had forty-five bits in his pocket.

All in all, it had been quite a productive day.

Upon returning to the castle, Spike had made dinner; thin slices of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and carrots in a pan, covered with a sprinkling of cheese and a generous amount of cream. Dark bread and butter were served along with the dish. While Magnus had never been a vegetarian, Spike’s meal was phenomenally good. As usual, Magnus offered to help cleaning up the dishes.

After dinner, Spike scampered off to his comics while Twilight and Magnus sat down in the library.

“Now then,” Twilight began as she sat down, “you asked me earlier today to teach you the light spell. I will, of course, and I’m also interested to see how somepony who has never known about magic until recently approaches learning a spell.”

Magnus sat down opposite Twilight. “Well, you said the light spell is easy. Can’t say that I’m not excited.” The sheer enthusiasm in his voice was impossible to hide.

Twilight giggled. “It is, I promise. Let me show you a quick demonstration.”

Twilight’s horn lit up, the aura covering her horn from base to tip. She kept her magic steady for a moment, and then a ball of light smaller than a ping pong ball appeared at the tip of her horn. The light was soft, not like a flashlight, but more like a large, bright candle.

“See? It’s easy. There are a lot of different light spells—some can direct light in a certain direction while others create balls of light that can be moved around. This one is the easiest one to learn.”

Magnus rubbed his hands together, excitement bubbling up within him. “Okay, I’m ready. How do you do it?”

“First, you must harness your magic and move it to your horn and hold it there.”

Following Twilight’s instructions, Magnus took control of his magic and felt it move through his body, the sensation still strong within him. His magic knew the way to the horn, and he felt it congregate on his forehead and being funnelled through his horn. The sound of magic chimed the second Magnus spotted his green magic surrounded by the ribbon of white at the top of his line of sight.

Twilight was all smiles as she saw his magic, specifically the white ribbon. She had seen it previously, but Star Swirl’s remaining magic was still a spectacle to behold.

“There you go. Any problems holding it?” she asked.

Magnus felt the strain, but it was significantly lighter now than it had been weeks prior. Simply focusing his magic had become easier, and the practise he had squeezed in from time to time had also helped.

“Nope, I can do this for a while,” he replied, basking in his magic.

Twilight nodded. “Good. Now, while holding your magic, you must try to divert it towards the tip of your horn.”

“How?”

“Your magic obeys you; your magic is part of you. You can simply direct it to the tip of your horn.”

Doing as Twilight instructed him, Magnus began the task asked of him. However, it proved to be somewhat tricky. Usually when he used his magic, like in a levitation spell, he always felt as if he was pushing it. He recalled a certain piece of advice that Princess Luna gave him; to let magic flow at its own pace, which brought a new concept on magic to his mind, at least when it came to this spell.

“I think I get it. It’s like… an extension of my body, a limb that hasn’t been there before. I see now! My magic is me! A limb, but one that is incorporeal, shapeless, formless. I should be able to move it as easily as I move my arm. In theory, at least...”

Closing his eyes, he focused intently on his magic, feeling how it moved, how it felt, how it was a part of him deep, deep down. It was there, as clear as day, like a limb had fallen asleep, but without the needles and pins that usually came with the experience. The more he poked and prodded his magic, the more alive it felt, yet it was by no means an easy task. Still, he managed a smile.

“It’s difficult,” he said, feeling moisture gathering on his brow.

“Just keep trying. I can see that you’re doing it correctly,” Twilight encouraged him.

Magnus gradually directed it, felt it move, but didn’t push, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that his aura had moved towards the tip of his horn.

Adding more magic, he felt a slight warmth and pressure building at the tip of his horn. Although his horn was made of bone, he could still feel certain things from it, most prominently magic itself. He felt it travel up and around the grooves, round and round, until he felt as if his magic collided at the tip of his horn, at which point a ball of light appeared, though it was smaller than the one Twilight had produced.

Twilight applauded by tapping her hooves together. “Look! You did it! And on your first attempt too!”

Feeling a huge sense of accomplishment, Magnus grinned. “Let there be light…” He looked over to Twilight, who smiled approvingly. “And you did this in… a fraction of a second?

Twilight giggled. “I have a lot of training. You just started.”

Magnus nodded in approval. She was the Element of Magic; he was the Element of Noob.

‘Still…’ he thought, looking up at the ball of light on the tip of his horn. He could feel his magic burning away, though it was nothing compared to the excitement coursing through his body. ‘That’s another spell in my book. Come to think of it, I should buy a notebook and write this stuff down.’

Chapter 42 - The Musical Mares

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Lunch had always been a simple affair for Magnus. He had grown up with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an evening meal. If he wanted something to eat between meals, his grandfather always had fruit in the house. Lunch especially had never been a big deal for him. Bread and a simple spread like jam or cheese had been sufficient. That hadn’t changed now that he was in Equestria, as he eyed the bread, jam, cheese, lettuce, and milk before him. Despite him residing in a crystalline castle, the meal was so unlike the extravagant affairs served to him in Canterlot.

This was how Magnus found himself with Twilight and Spike, as his brain had finally been given a moment of respite. Twilight, despite what he had hoped, had earlier made good on her promise to teach Magnus about Equestrian math. Addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions—they all followed a somewhat similar system compared to what he had learned growing up, but it all appeared vastly different on paper.

As stated before, Magnus didn’t have a learning disability or a problem with numbers in his head. No, he just didn’t like math.

After a few hours cooped up with Twilight and more than once considering jumping out of the windows, she had mercifully decided that he had learned enough for the day. While relaxing afterwards, he fell into a conversation with Spike. It turned out that the baby dragon had a collection of comics that he was eager to show off to the human. Magnus easily spotted the similarity towards both Marvel and DC superheroes, the Power Ponies in particular the most blatant. Spike was clearly an avid reader and collector of the comics. While not a particular fan of superhero comics, Magnus could still whittle away some time just by reading a few, though the plot and action were a bit tame compared to their Earth counterparts. A villainous mare who wanted to turn everybody bald was pretty boring compared to one of the Joker’s many cruel games.

Magnus had also spent the morning practising his new spell and had slightly improved on his efforts. He was able to cast the spell within seconds now if he concentrated. He had also discovered that the magic drain of the light spell was more pronounced than the levitation spell. When asked about it, Twilight stated that the brighter and stronger the light, the more magic he would consume.

Now it was lunch that Magnus was focused on. The milk bottle was empty and he was thirsty. At this point, he had mostly gotten used to the milk coming from talking cows, as long as he didn’t linger on that detail too hard.

“You have some more milk?” he asked, holding up the empty milk bottle.

Sinking his pointy teeth into a jam and gem sandwich, Spike munched away and pointed at the fridge. “In the refrigerator,” he mumbled while pieces that looked like broken glass flew from his mouth, making Magnus shudder.

Equestrian refrigerators had puzzled Magnus when he found out about them, for they didn’t run on electricity at all. Some older models were simply ice boxes, which were slowly being phased out. The newer model, the same type that Twilight owned, was a metal storage container that resembled a refrigerator. The interior of the box had magical runes carved into them at discreet locations, which kept the air cool at all times, aided by the physical insulation built into the appliance. The runes needed refreshing once a year, but that wasn’t a major problem since most ponies knew a friendly unicorn who could recharge the runes for free. Most new models of stoves worked in a similar fashion by heating up the metal to a certain degree, although many ponies still swore by the old wood or charcoal-fuelled stoves, claiming that the food tasted better the old-fashioned way.

The same went for light fixtures. What appeared to be fluorescent tubes and bulbs were in fact a special type of crystal that emitted light. With the help of a small runic enchantment carved into the crystals and a similar enchantment on a crystal matrix plate—whatever that was—magically connected to the crystals, and protected behind a white wooden cover looking like a light switch, it gave the illusion of the lights running on electricity. Twilight explained how it all worked, but the details went so far over Magnus’ head that he couldn’t even see them with a telescope.

Heading over to the magical fridge, Magnus opened the door.

“Hi!”

He released a frightened yelp as he scrambled backwards, scaring the daylight out of Spike and Twilight. He ended up tripping over his chair and falling into a heap on the floor.

Extricating herself from the fridge, Pinkie frowned at Twilight and Spike before marching over to Magnus, all while stomping her hooves. She didn’t look particularly pleased, which puzzled Twilight and Spike.

Standing over Magnus, she glared at him. “You had a party last night, and you didn’t invite me!” she accused accusingly.

“Party?” Magnus sat up and rubbed the back of his head. “There wasn’t a party here last night.”

“He’s right, Pinkie. We didn’t have a party. After we got back from town, I taught Magnus a new spell. Other than that, we mostly talked or read,” Twilight interjected.

Pinkie turned her head so quickly to face Twilight that her neck cracked, causing Spike to wince. “Oh no, you didn’t! I saw it! I saw the lights coming from one of the rooms! You even had a disco ball, and I know you don’t own a disco ball, and that means you bought one in town yesterday! And you didn’t even have music playing! A silent party? What is that?!”

Sitting up cross-legged, Magnus raised a hand. “That… might have been me. I practised the light spell before I fell asleep. My magic got a bit low at the end, which caused the light to flicker.”

Still frowning, Pinkie’s frown diminished slightly even as she narrowed her eyes. “Pinkie Promise you didn’t have a secret party?”

“I swear.” Magnus held out his hand, his pinky finger extended. On that note, he wasn’t sure how Pinkie could do a Pinkie Promise with hooves.

Pinkie merely glanced at his hand. “Then repeat after me, and you have to do the motions too! They are vitally important!”

Performing a series of gestures and motions, and even going so far as to touching her entire eyeball with her hoof, Pinkie chanted, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

‘Catchy. And... it’s very Pinkie.’

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Magnus repeated, ending the chant by gently touching his eyeball.

Pinkie’s entire demeanour changed in an instant. Her frown was replaced by a huge smile, and her pink coat somehow seemed to brighten up.

“Great! Now I believe you. Oh, is that strawberry jam?”

Pinkie made a single bound over to the table, landing on an empty chair, and stuck her entire muzzle into the strawberry jar, her tongue working like a tornado inside, licking up all the jam.

“Is this normal?” Magnus asked Twilight the moment Pinkie had licked the entire jar clean in a matter of seconds.

Twilight and Spike both exchanged bemused glances. “With Pinkie, sort of,” Twilight answered.

“I should’ve guessed.”

***

“So why were you hiding in the fridge?” Magnus asked. After extricating himself from the floor and sitting back down, Pinkie joined them for an extended lunch. Though she never told them why she was in the fridge, Twilight and Spike didn’t question her about it. Logic dictated that they were used to it, oddly enough.

So, it was quite natural that when Magnus went outside, Twilight and Pinkie followed. Twilight particularly wanted to spend more time with Magnus today since the human had a special errand in mind, one that perhaps would allow him to save more of his memories of Earth.

Pinkie pronked here and there as was customary while Magnus and Twilight walked. She eagerly greeted everyone they passed by, never showing signs of tiring.

“I wasn’t hiding, I was just waiting for you to find me so I could confront you,” Pinkie replied in her usual cheery voice.

“And the fridge was the first logical place to wait for me?”

“Everypony needs to eat,” Pinkie retorted as she bent down to smell a flower.

“...Fair enough.”

Magnus faced Twilight, who had followed their conversation. He mouthed to her, ‘seriously?’ She replied by whispering, “She once hid behind the books in my old library.” Magnus simply acknowledged that he would never get a sane answer out of Pinkie. Probably not one from Twilight either, seeing as she had spent so much time with Pinkie that she had simply accepted her insanity.

“So what did you have in mind today, Magnus?” Twilight asked as they walked through Ponyville. Magnus inspected the stores they passed, searching for one store in particular.

“Music.” He picked his phone out of his pocket, showing it off to Pinkie and Twilight. Twilight was still mesmerized by it, and Pinkie just went ‘ooh, shiny’. Now that the photos he wanted to keep were safe at Snapshot’s studio, he could devote the remaining battery life to saving some of his music. “Is there a record store or something like that in Ponyville? Someplace where I can record my music?”

Twilight answered, though it wasn’t one he wanted to hear. “There is a record store, yes, but they only sell records. I don’t think anypony in Ponyville has a studio to record music in. There are a few musicians living here, but whenever they record something, they usually go to Canterlot, Manehattan, or Las Pegasus.”

Nodding, Magnus pursed his lips. Canterlot was sure to be expensive, but probably much more so when it came to recording music. A lot of work went into making a record. They had to apply a perfect layer of veneer to metal disks, engrave the disk, apply several layers of liquid metal, clean it thoroughly, and then begin the pressing of the records. To create a single record, the price would likely be out of his reach.

“What about DJ Pon3?” Pinkie spoke up. Magnus and Twilight both turned to Pinkie.

“What about her?” Twilight asked.

Pronking in place, Pinkie said exuberantly, “DJ Pon3 is a DJ, right? She makes all of her own music at home. I know her, and I know she has a lot of funny-looking music equipment at her home. Why don’t you ask her for help?”

“That’s a good idea! What do you say, Magnus? I’m sure that Vinyl can help.”

Magnus pondered for a moment. Sure, the idea was good, but as a musician, she’d probably want a fee for services rendered. Still, he had some bits jingling in his pocket, and it wouldn’t hurt just to meet the DJ and ask for an estimated price.

“Why not?” Magnus said with a grin. “Lead the way, Pinkie.”

***

Pinkie and Twilight led Magnus to the outskirts of town and a peculiar-looking house. It was painted in two different colours straight down the middle. One half was painted in shades of blue while the other had more earthy tones. There were more clues that a musician resided here: the flower boxes at the windows were painted to resemble piano keys, and the tree on the lawn in the shape of a musical note.

Twilight knocked on the door, and mere moments later, a raven-maned grey earth pony mare with a pink bow tie around her neck opened the door. Aptly enough, her cutie mark was music associated; that note which resembled a stylized G, although Magnus didn’t know its true name.

“Octavia, hi,” Twilight greeted the mare.

“Princess Twilight, Pinkie Pie, hello.” She craned her neck upon noticing that Magnus was also with them, and reacted with nothing more than a raised brow. “And hello to you too, Mister Human.” Her tone was friendly enough, though there was a detectable trace of stuffiness. She had an unusual accent that reminded Magnus of the way the British upper class was presented in movies and TV shows.

“Magnus, this is Octavia Melody, one of the musicians living in Ponyville. Octavia, this is Magnus,” Twilight said.

Magnus nodded slightly to the mare. “Miss Melody.”

She nodded back and smiled. “A pleasure. Come in, and please, excuse the mess. I’ve been pestering Vinyl to clean up her share of the house for days,” Octavia said with an annoyed huff.

‘I see. There are two mares living here. That explains the house.’

The moment they stepped inside, the split personality of the house’s residents became even more evident. One side of the house was neat and tidy, reminding Magnus of a Victorian-era home, complete with portraits of other earth ponies in formal clothing. The other side looked like a bachelor, or rather, bachelorette’s pad. There were empty milk bottles, cider bottles, a plate with half-eaten sandwiches, bookcases filled with records, and posters of various bands.

“Please, take a seat.” Octavia gestured to the couches in the centre of the living room. It almost looked like a compromise of tastes had been agreed upon there, neither expensive nor messy and tattered. What they did have in common was a musical theme, with the furniture having a note pattern.

After they sat down, Octavia asked if they wanted some tea. Magnus declined, but Twilight and Pinkie agreed. Twilight only had a small squeeze of lemon in her cup, while Pinkie added what seemed like a full cup of sugar cubes into hers.

“Now then, may I ask what warrants the visit of a princess, our very own party mare, and a human?” Octavia asked after they all had settled down.

“Actually, we were hoping to talk to Vinyl. Is she here?” Twilight asked.

Octavia nodded. “Indeed she is, but as usual, she does not wake up until at least two or three in the afternoon. The lazy, lovable bum.” She huffed, but smiled nonetheless. “Perhaps I can assist you?”

“Maybe you can. You see, it concerns music, or rather, the preservation of music. Magnus can explain.” Twilight gestured to the human.

Taking his cue, he removed his phone from his pocket and placed it on the table, immediately garnering Octavia’s interest. Her eyes roamed over the strange and foreign device.

“This contains a lot of music,” he started, turning on the power, and after a few moments, clicked his way to the music library he had stored on the phone. “There’s probably somewhere between a hundred and a hundred-and-fifty songs stored in here, music that I want to save. This device runs on electricity, and one day it’ll run out with no way of recharging it.” Looking up, he stared Octavia in the eye. “I want to save as much of it as possible.”

Octavia’s eyes widened as her mouth fell open. “My goodness! So much music!” To her credit, she quickly composed herself, though there was still a trace of awe in her expression. “Ahem, yes, it sounds incredible indeed. Yes, yes… Music… from another world. Absolutely astonishing.”

Exhaling with a brief laugh, Magnus leaned back on the couch. Every time he turned on his phone, there was always someone who wanted to see what it could do. “Alright, what’s your favourite genre of music?” he asked, chuckling.

Her eyes went wide. Twiddling her hooves, Octavia peered up at him uncertainly. “Oh no, there is no need. But… if you have anything classical, I wouldn’t mind hearing it.”

“Classical, classical, let’s see…”

“Oh! Pick that one!” Pinkie hollered from Magnus’ shoulders which she had climbed up on.

“You can’t even read English, Pinkie.”

“No, but those letters look funny.”

Searching through the list, Magnus had a hard time finding anything classical that might be to the mare’s taste. It just wasn’t his type of music, so he hadn’t downloaded much of that stuff. A lot of 80’s metal and mainstream songs were there, along with a lot of modern stuff in a variety of genres. Finally, he found something that at least sounded classical, even though it was from a game.

The music flowed easily from the phone, a gentle mix of classical instruments creating soft, yet firm music, one that Magnus easily imagined being played at a ball in Canterlot Castle. He tried to imagine Celestia and Luna dancing to it whilst dressed in extravagant dresses, and surrounding them, mares and stallions, all wearing their finest. The problem was that he had no idea how ponies danced, or how they would even move to something like waltz, let alone something from Final Fantasy 8.

That, however, wasn’t a problem for Octavia. When the music first began, she appeared surprised at first, but then grew quite pleased with it. As the song progressed, she closed her eyes and moved her hoof in sync with the music, acting as the conductor.

Twilight approved as well. She swayed from side to side, listening to the tune without analyzing it. The only one who wasn’t taken by the waltz was Pinkie. She rested her head on her hoof, blowing away a few curls from her face while appearing bored.

The song ended and Octavia opened her eyes with an approving smile. “Marvellous, simply marvellous. A waltz performed in three-quarter time. The tempo, refined and not rushed at any part. The fine accent of the string instruments as the main piece. This orchestra must be quite famous on your world.”

Suppressing a chuckle, Magnus replied, “Yeah, I’d say more than a few people have heard this song before.”

“He has even more music, many more genres that I’ve never even heard of before,” Twilight added.

Octavia raised a brow. “Oh? Then perhaps you have something that can lure Vinyl out of her bedroom. Perhaps something with bass? After all, she is the one you are looking for.”

Magnus grinned and mused on how a bass heavy song could wake up Octavia’s roomie. If played loud enough, then yes, bass could make rust fall off the side of a sunken battleship. His phone wasn’t capable of that, however.

Navigating through the menu, he clicked on the first song he found that he knew had at least decent bass and cranked up the volume to max.

“~She’s got a fetish for fine art…~”

The soft voice speaking in an alien tongue and the string instrument was a trap. The moment the ponies thought it faded, the bass kicked in. Magnus noticed that the living room carried music exceptionally well, even so far as to amplify it. He hadn’t noticed it during the waltz, but now that the Ken Ashcorp remix did its thing, it became evident.

Pinkie went wild. She jumped down from Magnus’ shoulders and began dancing, throwing her forelegs about wildly while jumping around and wiggling her rump and tail to the beat. During the build up to the next verse, she did a moonwalk, having the time of her life.

Even though Twilight didn’t go as wild as Pinkie, she smiled and bobbed her head to the music. “It’s catchy!”

Meanwhile, Octavia looked unimpressed. Perhaps it just wasn’t her type of music. Around halfway through the song, Octavia’s eyes shifted to something behind them. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Vinyl, the very same unicorn that had been in charge of the music at his welcome party. She had a white coat, two-toned blue hair in a spiky hairdo, and a musical note as a cutie mark. She also wore purple shades with black rims. She didn’t react to the music, simply standing and listening until the song ended. When it did, she grinned and tapped her hooves to the floor, changing the speed and number of taps in a row, alternating between forelegs and hind legs.

“Vinyl says good wubs,” Octavia translated.

“Wubs?” Magnus asked and glanced over to Vinyl, who gave him and Twilight a lazy salute. “By the way, hello Miss Vinyl.”

Vinyl shook her head and tapped her hooves several times once more. “She says drop the ‘Miss’ part,” Octavia said.

Pinkie pronked over to Vinyl, said hi, and proceeded to informed the unicorn mare of how much music Magnus had on his phone. Vinyl grinned and nodded at the appropriate times.

“Vinyl never uses the word bass. She says wubs,” Octavia clarified.

Vinyl left the others for the kitchen, and by the sounds of it, began rummaging around in the fridge. The clatter of milk bottles and a bread box opening made it evident that Vinyl was preparing breakfast at two in the afternoon. She was even worse than him.

“What was all the hoof tapping she did?” Magnus asked. To him, the tapping made no sense. It was just a series of clops and taps with no rhyme or rhythm.

“It’s called hoof language,” Twilight answered as she drank her tea. “Ponies who are deaf or mute tend to use hoof language to communicate.”

“Or they write notes,” Octavia added, glancing over to the kitchen. “Vinyl was born mute; her vocal chords never developed fully. She always carries a notepad and pencil with her so she can communicate with ponies.”

Right at that moment, Vinyl returned carrying a plate with two sandwiches and a bottle of milk. She made a series of taps on the floor with her forehooves before taking a seat next to Octavia and began munching away.

“She says she doesn’t need language to express herself. She only needs her music,” Octavia translated.

Magnus was surprised at the ingenuity of hoof language. It appeared simple enough, and even deaf ponies could understand someone through watching the hooves or perhaps feeling the vibrations from them as they struck the ground.

“Well then, if music means that much to you, Vinyl, then perhaps you can help me.”

Vinyl nodded while munching, and made a circular motion with her hoof for him to continue.

“It’s about this thing.” Magnus picked up his phone and showed it to Vinyl. She leaned forward and pushed up her shades while studying the phone with a curious expression. “It contains a lot of music from my home, more than a hundred songs in a variety of genres. I want to save them all.”

He pointed to the battery icon on the screen, revealing it to be at seventy per cent.

“However, there is a problem. This thing runs on electricity, and one day it’ll run out.

Magnus had had a brief talk with Twilight regarding batteries and recharging them earlier that morning. Electricity wasn’t a new idea, but at the moment it had very few to absolutely no uses. No appliances ran on it and no lights were powered by it. Batteries were huge and couldn’t hold much of a charge. They had something called a lightning reactor though; basically, an enchanted crystal sphere containing a small but powerful thundercloud. With copper wiring connecting the sphere to some sort of crude electric engine, they were able to power airships. Problem was, they were difficult to create and expensive, thus, only a handful could afford them.

Non-equine kingdoms didn’t have access to magic lights, so they used oil lanterns or imported magical light crystals from pony nations, mainly Prance and Equestria. In other words, mobile phone rechargers were a pipe dream. Hell, even voltmeters weren’t invented so that they could measure the electrical output of the battery.

Magnus placed the phone onto the table. “So there you have it. It’s about saving music from my home.” He leaned forward, maintaining eye contact with Vinyl. “Can you help me?”

Vinyl stared at Magnus, then at the phone, and back to Magnus again. Taking a swig from the milk bottle, she used her magic to levitate a notepad and pencil from her mixing table over to herself and spent a few seconds writing. When she was done, she turned the pad over to Magnus. Pinkie and Twilight leaned over to see what she had written.

Sure, we can try. Can’t guarantee the audio quality, though. That music player of yours plays kinda low, not to mention it sounds worn out.

“Yeah, it’s an older model,” Magnus replied, feeling a bit relieved that Vinyl would at least try.

The DJ jumped off the couch and walked over her mixing table. She waved a hoof at Magnus, gesturing for him to follow her.

Vinyl began rummaging through some drawers, picking out a variety of music equipment, such as headphones in her own mane colour with her cutie mark painted on the sides, cables with plugs in different shapes and sizes, a microphone, a triangle, harmonica, a kazoo, music sheets, and a handful of notes that had the word ‘ideas’ written on the top of them.

Vinyl turned to Magnus and presented the cables to him. She gestured her horn towards his phone, then to the cables.

“The cables? Oh, you want to see if they fit?” Magnus asked, to which Vinyl nodded. “Let’s give it a try.”

That idea was shot down pretty fast. The tiny audio port on the phone was unable to fit even the smallest of Vinyl’s audio jacks, not to mention the cable jack wasn’t a two-contact plug, instead being a whole heap of copper contact plugs.

Vinyl shook her head with a huff and tossed the cables over her shoulder, all while Octavia, Pinkie, and Twilight looked on. Putting her hoof to her lip, she paused for a second while eyeing her remaining music equipment and mixing table. Her shades made it difficult for Magnus to guess what she was searching for.

Vinyl suddenly gasped and grinned at Magnus. She rushed over to her mixing table, turned it on, and began plugging in some cables to it. The other end of the cables she connected to a strange metal box labelled ‘Audio Collector. Warning! Fragile!’

After hooking up the cables, Vinyl connected one to a microphone and the other to the box. After placing the microphone on a side table, she gestured to Magnus and the pocket he kept his phone in.

“What? Should I play a song?” he asked.

Vinyl nodded and grinned excitedly. She quickly made a series of taps with her hooves.

“She wants you to play something ‘awesome’,” Octavia translated.

Magnus raised a brow as he studied Vinyl. She waited, clearly having problems standing still. “Awesome, huh? Well, get ready for an eargasm.”

Moments later, a song that was among Magnus’ long list of favourites flowed from the phone’s speakers as it lay next to the microphone. No one spoke or moved, as silence was needed for the audio recording to turn out as perfect as possible. The reactions of the ponies was something to behold; as one, they all simply plopped their rumps down and listened, all while swaying slightly from side to side. Perhaps they thought that he would play something with heavy bass or metal. No, what came from the speakers was relaxing. Even Pinkie remained seated, oddly enough.

The tune was slow and carried with it a calm rhythm, one that made a racing heart steady, caused stress to fade, and made the mind drift to places where it could be at ease. Music like this had been Magnus’ favourite for a few years now. Even though he usually preferred to listen to something heavier, a bit of chillstep was always welcome.

When the song ended, the ponies remained seated, relishing in the lingering serenity the music had provided, until Vinyl herself stood up and turned off the recorder. Moving deliberately, she turned around to face Magnus, pushed her shades up to reveal her eyes, and grinned. Lifting one hoof, she froze for a second as she simply glanced down at her hoof. She remained this way for a few seconds until she lowered it again and sat down.

“Speechless?” Magnus asked with a smile. It took a second before he understood what he just said to a mute. Vinyl, luckily, didn't take offense.

She simply grinned back at him and nodded. Grabbing her notepad, she scribbled down a brief message to Magnus.

That was pretty cool. I’ve never heard anything like it.

“Yeah, it is. It’s the kind of music that’s perfect for relaxing after a long day or whenever you’re stressed out. Just sit back and listen, that’s all.”

“Although it was certainly not my choice of music,” Octavia said after standing up and going back to the couch, “even I must admit that I enjoyed it. It felt so relaxing.”

“Meh, it was okay,” Pinkie muttered, her hoof resting under her chin. “I don’t think it’s party music. You can’t dance until your hooves get tired to that, and it doesn’t sound fun at all.”

“Well, I think it sounded wonderful!” Twilight exclaimed with a contented smile. “It felt magical somehow. I wonder, perhaps humans can imbue magic into music? It’s not unheard of in Equestria. Humans can’t use magic like unicorns can, but maybe they can imbue small amounts of magic into music.”

“Maybe.” Magnus glanced over to the recording box and Vinyl, who connected some cables to her mixing table and speakers. “What about the recording? How did it go?”

Vinyl nodded and tapped the floor a few times in response. “She’s going to play it back now,” Octavia translated.

They waited anxiously for the recording to play back, and when it did the result was… well, atrocious was one way of describing it. The music echoed terribly, as if it was played in one huge room, which it had been. Vinyl and Octavia’s living room carried sound too well, to the point that the echo completely ruined the recording. Vinyl didn’t play much more than thirty seconds or so before she shut off the recorder with a discouraged shake of her head.

With a downcast expression on her face, she wrote a short message.

I can’t record it here; too much echo. Music deserves special attention to be perfect, and I don’t have the proper equipment. Nopony in Ponyville does. Not to mention the background noises. You need special filters and an isolated room.

Magnus swore internally and sighed before passing the note to Twilight and Pinkie.

“No luck, I take it?” Octavia asked, to which Vinyl shook her head unhappily. “Oh, I see.”

After reading the note, Twilight spoke up. “Well, there must be some way to preserve your music. Perhaps Princess Celestia could give you a Culture Preservation Grant for saving the music on your device. Then you could afford a good studio.”

“Maybe,” Magnus replied as he picked up his phone. That would surely take care of one major problem. Another problem was that the phone’s charge would deplete rapidly. A few hours playing at best and then his phone would be dead.

Then the sound of a series of excited hoof taps came from Vinyl. The unicorn mare grinned wider than before while tapping her forehooves excitedly.

Octavia smiled gleefully. “Of course! He can help.”

“He?” Magnus parroted. “Who’s he?”

Vinyl began to tap her hooves, but gave up after just a few taps. She grabbed her notebook and began writing.

LP, my big brother. He runs a professional studio up in Canterlot named Cool Sounds. He was a DJ when I was a filly, and he still plays now and then. He’s got plenty of experience recording music, and he’s got the contacts for making records. Trust me on this, he’s the pony you want.

Magnus read the note, feeling hope return as he passed it to Twilight. A professional studio sounded great. And with the name LP, Vinyl’s brother probably knew records inside and out.

“But it would cost me a pretty penny—er, bit, wouldn’t it?” Magnus asked. No one would do something like this for free.

“It sounds as if you wish to keep this music to yourself.” Magnus turned to Octavia, the mare stirring her tea with a teaspoon while staring at him quizzically. “Why would you not share it? From what I’ve heard so far, I am confident your music would interest somepony. Perhaps a way of paying for the music would be to release it. Ponies are bound to like it, perhaps not all the genres, but some at least.”

The easiest answer had been staring him in the face the whole time and he’d never even thought of it. He almost facepalmed at his own stupidity. Why not release it? It would solve the greatest problem of all: paying for the whole deal. Given the variety of genres he had on his phone, he was certain that a cross-section of ponies, and maybe other races, would find something to their tastes.

“I’m an idiot. Why didn’t I think of it myself?” Magnus slapped his forehead lightly. “It’s so damn obvious. Thank you, Miss Octavia.”

Octavia smirked and sipped her tea. “Oh, it was nothing. Quite logical, really.”

Vinyl yanked on Magnus’ arm. When he looked down at the unicorn, she held a note out to him.

My brother’s studio in Canterlot is at #40 Sleigh Bell Street, big brick building with a neon sign outside. I can send him a letter and tell him about you and what you want.

“I would appreciate it. Thank you, Vinyl, for your help, both of you.” He glanced over to Octavia with a grateful nod of his head.

Vinyl tugged on his shirt again to regain his attention and pointed to his phone, moving her hoof in a circle motion. Magnus understood.

“Yeah, I can play some more.”

***

“That went well,” a satisfied Twilight Sparkle stated, trotting down the road towards Ponyville alongside Pinkie and Magnus. “Your photos are saved, and now you’re well on your way to saving your music too.”

“Yeah, this went so much better than I could possibly hope for,” Magnus replied, exhaling in relief.

“I hope you have party music on that thingy-ma-bob! I could really, really, reeeaaally use something new to make ponies cut a rug, something that’ll make their hooves move like caraaaazy!” Pinkie exclaimed, pronking in circles around Magnus like the energizer pony she was.

“I should have something good in here,” Magnus said, wondering what kind of reception Party Rock Anthem would have in pony society. It was sure to be a hit with Pinkie at least. “Pony rock anthehehem,” he chuckled under his breath.

Still, a major problem remained, namely the battery. Magnus sighed. He had played a couple more songs for Vinyl and Octavia, since they were so helpful, but had to stop when the battery began to drain. Sure, he still had hours left before the battery was empty, but there was still a lot of music he wanted to save. Still, choosing this time wouldn’t be as hard as it had been with his photos.

“Problem is the battery. It’ll drain fast when recording starts. I can probably squeeze an extra hour or two out of it if I store the ~phone~ someplace warm and avoid using it.”

“Why not place it in the oven?” Pinkie suggested.

“Too warm,” Magnus replied. Lithium batteries and extreme heat never got along with each other. He didn’t want to blow up an oven and find out how much he needed to pay to replace it.

“Perhaps we could use magic to recharge it,” Twilight suggested, turning to Magnus. The mare's grin was quite unsettling, the classical 'I-need-to-learn' grin Twilight used quite often in his presence. “If we tried to study your ~faoone~, there is a chance we could find a way to charge it.”

Magnus mulled over the possibility. Sure, perhaps it could work. With some luck, Twilight could potentially create a spell that stuffed a precise amount of electricity into the battery that would recharge it.

On the other hand, the battery could explode or the circuits could all fry in an instant, rendering the phone into nothing more than a fancy paperweight.

Magnus weighed the phone in his hand, wondering what to do. “I’m just worried that something will go wrong, Twilight. I trust you, but I’m not sure if magic and technology like this can get along. What if something does go wrong? What sort of chaos would that cause?”

“Did someone mention chaos?” a mischievous, disembodied voice piped in.

Magnus felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that voice. How could he forget? The one being that with a snap of his fingers could cause bedlam the scope of which would make Magnus shit himself, figuratively and literally.

A light drizzle of rain fell from the otherwise blue sky. Brown rain, strangely enough. A drop fell on Magnus’ lips. He tasted chocolate milk.

“Discord,” Magnus hissed as his group strained their necks upwards, finding the chaos spirit lounging mid-air on a winged chaise lounge. “What do you want?”

“Ooh, so suspicious.” Discord snickered as the lounge vanished in a puff of giggling butterflies, slithering his way down to the ground. “Can I not come to say hello, little brother? Why, you’ve been so busy these days, I haven’t had a chance to come talk with you.”

Magnus squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest, standing defiantly in Discord’s presence, though it was a thin facade. Magnus still held a healthy amount of fear for him, no matter how ‘reformed’ Discord was.

“I’m suspicious because I’ve heard a lot about you. And we’re not related! I’ve nothing to say to you, except to tell you to stay far away.”

Discord waltzed right up to Magnus and peered down at him with a crooked grin. “Oh, come now, that’s no way to talk to your big brother. After all, you never know how much I can help you.”

“You can help by staying far away from me.”

“Now now, you two, settle down,” Twilight interrupted. She walked to stand between the two. “Magnus, Discord is reformed now. He won’t hurt or do anything to you because he knows Fluttershy will find out about it, and he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Fluttershy’s feelings, right?” Twilight stared pointedly at the chaotic spirit. Discord’s crooked grin diminished slightly.

“Well, yes. I’m reformed, acting only in the name of harmony, rainbows, butterflies, all that stuff,” Discord stated in an aloof tone as he stood up to his full height before pointing to a medal pinned to his chest, one that wasn’t there moments earlier. “I have been so nice lately, I even got a Good Boy medal. Look.”

Twilight took a glance at the medal, seeing that the medal had Discord’s face on it and his paw giving a thumbs up. She should have expected something like that, she thought.

She then turned to the human. “And Magnus, even though you and Discord don’t get along, being a tiny bit friendlier won’t hurt. Even Discord has feelings.”

Magnus snorted dismissively. “Whatever. As long as he stays away, we’re fine.”

Magnus began marching away, not saying another word. Pinkie and Twilight kept their gazed on him for a few seconds.

“Wow, what’s up with him?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t trust Discord, or even like him,” Twilight answered, turning to the spirit in question. “Maybe you can try to tone down your shenanigans down around him? Being a bit friendlier towards him would also help.” She and Pinkie turned to catch up to Magnus. Twilight peered over her shoulder. “You can try, Discord, okay? I’ll talk to Magnus about his behaviour towards you as well.”

Twilight and Pinkie hurried after Magnus while Discord remained behind. They quickly caught up. Trotting next to Magnus, Twilight noticed the serious glare on his face.

“Does Discord really bother you that much?” she asked quietly.

Magnus frowned even harder. “Yes. He’s as annoying as a ~internet~ troll, and all that magic of his is controlled by the brain of a madman. Basically, he’s Sheogorath on Peyote. Or Q from Star Trek, just infinitely more annoying.”

Twilight wondered who this Sheogorath person was. She tried to remember if Magnus had mentioned the name before but quickly concluded that he had never done so. What was this Star Trek, and who was this Q? And trolls? Being the educated pony she was, Twilight was well aware of the existence of trolls. They were a magical race of creatures made from rock and stone, known for their size, strength, and rather simple minds. But how could trolls live inside this mythical information network that humanity had created? She didn’t reject the possibility of some sort of technology troll borne from the inventions of mankind.

“Don’t worry about Discord; he can be a lot of fun if you get to know him. You should ask him to do impressions—he’s good at them, and storytelling too because he’s been to a lot of different places,” Pinkie added. Twilight raised a brow at Pinkie’s statement. Apparently, the pink pony knew Discord better than Twilight assumed.

Magnus merely frowned harder. From behind them, they heard Discord call out in a sing-song voice, “Little brother, I think you dropped something.”

While Twilight and Pinkie halted, Magnus felt he shouldn’t listen to Discord, as simply ignoring him was better. However, something made him stop and look behind him, and he blinked his eyes in confusion.

There was a thread running from his pocket all the way to Discord, who held the other end of the thread. It wasn’t made of metal or cloth, instead resembling a white and blue electric current, braided, twisted and stretched like a cotton thread, with sparks flying from it at regular intervals.

“What the…” Magnus attempted to touch the thread, only to be rewarded by a stinging static shock. “The hell is this? What are you doing?” he frantically demanded while pointing at the lightning bolt hanging from his pocket.

“Oh, this little thing?” Discord asked as he tugged the wire, making a few inches come out of Magnus’ pocket. “It’s just the electricity that makes that device of yours run.”

Magnus paled. He quickly reached into his pocket, ignoring the shocks he received, and pulled out his phone. Sure enough, the electric current ran from the power intake port, all the way to Discord’s paw. Worse was, the battery level was now at just five per cent.

Slowly, Magnus raised his gaze towards Discord, staring at the spirit with nothing but fury and contempt. “First you attempt to claim you’re my family, when you’ve done nothing but annoy me,” he stated, his voice filled with rage as he slowly advanced upon the corporeal mass of chaos. “And now, when I try to save what little I have left of my home, my people, my culture, you try to destroy it?! Why?!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. He clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles cracked as the bones braced for a strike. However, it never came.

Twilight and Pinkie ran up beside Magnus, the alicorn looking upset. “Now I have to side with Magnus, Discord! Why are you trying to destroy his music?”

“Yeah, even you would like some of the stuff he has,” Pinkie added.

“Oh, don’t act as if I’m doing something bad. All I’m trying to do is act according to what you said, Princess, but in my own way,” Discord said with a Cheshire grin, patting Magnus’ head. “And if you’re planning to hit me, be my guest. Just be prepared to live with a hand made of jello for the foreseeable future.”

Magnus hesitated for a second. He could probably live with only one hand. The pleasure of rearranging Discord’s crooked tooth was awfully tempting.

Quickly grabbing Magnus’ phone, Discord twirled it in his talons. Magnus attempted to grab it back, but Discord simply held him at tail’s length… with his tail. “You see, my dearest friend Twilight convinced me to be nicer to you, what with you being new here and all.” Discord even pinched Twilight’s cheek slightly. “Look at that, so pinchable,” he warbled like an old lady, complete with a grey, curly wig and half-moon glasses.

Magnus had ceased struggling against the scaly tail, instead holding out his hand. “Give. Me. My. Phone!”

Discord merely waved his paw at him. “In a minute. Now, being the decent, upstanding citizen of Equestria that I am, I thought that I would help you with this device of yours. For you see, I listened in on the conversation you had with the DJ pony and the cello pony. You want to save your music! But this thing,” Discord shook the phone sadly, “might run out of electricity soon. How absolutely tragic.”

“And because of you, you brainless piece of shit, even less can be saved, now that you literally pulled the electricity out of it,” Magnus retorted with a sneer.

Doing a mid-air forward flip while levitating in the air, Discord ended up face to face with Magnus, a smirk on his lips. “But what can be pulled out can also be stuffed back in. Just watch.”

Suspending the phone in mid-air, Discord grabbed the sparking electric arc and coiled it around his talons until it looked like a ball of yarn. “Just need to borrow this,” Discord said nonchalantly and leaned over to Magnus, grabbing something from his head and yanking it loose with a loud pop. When his paw came back, it held a pale white unicorn horn. Instinctively, Magnus’ hand shot towards his forehead, finding empty space. His horn was gone. Discord… had taken his horn. Immediately, Magnus felt a great sense of unease and loss so strongly that he almost felt like crying. He had no idea where the sensation came from, yet the shock of what had just happened prevented him from doing or saying anything. All he could do was just stand there motionlessly and watch as Discord used his horn to stuff the bundle of electricity back into the phone, like a reversed toilet plunger.

“Almost there…” Discord worked the horn like a plumber, complete with sound effects, a black moustache, overalls, and a familiar looking multi-coloured hat with the letter D on the front. “And… there! All done.”

Magnus’ phone seemed the same held in Discord’s talons. Eyeing it critically, the Spirit of Chaos inspected it like an art critic, stroking his goatee. “Hmm, almost. It lacks a certain… je ne sais moi!”

Magnus was still too shocked to even move, but his vocal faculties had returned. “Y-You just… my horn,” Magnus stuttered.

Discord hummed at hearing Magnus speak. “Your what? Oh, yes, here, thank you.” As easily as he plucked his horn from his forehead, Discord reattached it, this time twisting the horn back on like a bolt. “Make sure to tighten it after five hundred kilotrots or fifty spells, whatever comes first.”

Magnus instantly reached for his horn, making sure it was really there, and exhaled blissfully when he discovered that his horn was back in place. He even tried to twist it to make sure it wasn’t some false replica. After what he just saw Discord do, Magnus had to make sure, even going so far as to try his magic and see if it still worked. When he saw the telltale green glow with a white ribbon around it, he uttered a silent prayer of thanks to whoever bothered listening.

“Ah, now I know!” Discord suddenly exclaimed. Holding the phone flat between his paw and talon, he inhaled deeply, held the phone up to his lips, and blew into it. In response, the phone inflated as if it was a black balloon, growing larger and longer.

Magnus’ jaw fell further than it ever had before. This blatant display of telling basic physics to hit the road was almost too much for his already burdened mind.

Discord struggled with the smartphone balloon for a second until it was the right size. Then, he began shaping it, twisting and tying it off like a circus clown making a balloon animal. When he managed to get the former phone into a somewhat square size, he detached his crooked tooth with one hand and popped the balloon phone with it.

Magnus’ brain began to sweat and itch.

“Finished! A new masterpiece!” Resting in his paw, Discord held Magnus’ phone and held it out to him. The human instantly grabbed it and began checking it over. It seemed the same as before; all the scratches and minor dents were still there.

“W-What did you do to it?” Magnus asked frantically. Pinkie and Twilight were instantly at his side, looking at the phone with equal interest.

The Spirit of Chaos placed one arm behind his back and inspected the talons on his other casually. “You were afraid the battery would run out. I took care of it. Now it runs on chaos magic, permanently.”

“Chaos?” Magnus stared at the phone’s display. The battery symbol was gone, replaced by Discord’s smirking pixelated image.

“Of course. And it won’t run out.” Discord leaned down to Magnus, their faces inches apart. “Ever.”

Magnus gazed down at his phone in equal parts giddiness and fear. “W-What about—I mean, is everything still here? My music, the photos, the videos?”

“Of course! Did you think I would just destroy it all just for fun?”

“Yes!”

“Why, I never!” Discord exclaimed, sounding almost affronted. “Perhaps once upon a time I would, but not now. Reformed!” He pointed a finger at himself. “Look up that word in the dictionary, little brother. You’ll find my portrait next to it.”

Clutching his phone, Magnus allowed the relief to simply flow through him. He even checked the photo album, played a short video and a few songs, just to make sure. Everything worked flawlessly.

Still, Magnus knew perfectly well who he was dealing with; a trickster, a trollish admin in the sandbox game called life. Beware the Greeks bearing gifts.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, eyeing the gift bringer suspiciously. “There must be a catch, I just know it!”

“There’s no catch—I did it all out of the goodness of my heart. After all, I had to get some of that goodness out; it took up precious space for chaos,” Discord replied with a gleeful chuckle. “However, I can’t say what will happen when it comes to mixing your technology and my magic.” Stroking his beard, he sat down on his own tail which curled into a rough chair-like shape, grinning like a child. “Anything might happen. I can hardly wait.”

Twilight looked at the phone, pleased that some friendship progress was made. She hadn’t expected Discord to make the first move. Sometimes, he could be surprisingly helpful. “Well, whatever may happen, I’m sure it can be manageable. If not, you can probably take the magic back, right Discord?”

Discord nodded.

Magnus still held the phone tightly. He was actually happy now that his memories were salvageable. If Discord was right in that his phone would never run out of magic, then perhaps there would be a way to save the videos one day.

“...I… uh.” Magnus coughed and pocketed his phone, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the gift. “I don’t know what to say. I mean—” Discord’s gift was, well, fantastic to say the least. Time was no longer an issue for him anymore.

He knew he had acted like an ass towards Discord, and rightfully so. Discord was annoying, problematic, unpredictable, completely unreadable, and Magnus always felt as if he was about to play some mean trick on him. After all, he once tried to take over Equestria, and later, sided with Tirek when he tried to steal all the ponies’ magic.

And now he did this. For free. No charge. Magnus didn’t even ask for help.

Magnus slowly raised his hand and held it out to Discord. Twilight and Pinkie gasped loudly, turned to face each other for a split second, then turned back, followed by some sort of squeaking sound coming from their throats. Discord simply regarded the human’s hand for a moment before reaching out with his lion paw.

And they shook hands.

Magnus nodded ever so slightly, just a bob of his head. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

Discord smiled back, but his smile was more genuine. “The pleasure was all mine.”

***

After parting ways with Discord, Twilight and Magnus returned to the castle, while Pinkie and Discord went out for fun, or shenanigans as Discord said. He and Pinkie were surprisingly close. Discord even whispered to Magnus that she was one of a handful of ponies who really enjoyed his tricks, especially the sugar-based ones.

Back at the castle, Magnus returned to the library and continued to read before Twilight offered to help him fine-tune his magic by teaching him a few precision lessons. They were easy at first glance, but threading a needle at ten feet was much more difficult than it seemed. Still, it would help Magnus in the long run.

Eventually, dinner came and went, and then it was bedtime.

Magnus fell asleep easily while listening to some music while doing some light reading. His phone worked normally and the pixelated Discord face on the phone never displayed any sign of the now chaotic battery draining. It felt nice not worrying about that detail anymore.

That night, he dreamt of snowy landscapes and driving a snowmobile through fluffy snow. Back in Montana, driving a snowmobile during winter was quite common. Although he didn’t own one, he could always borrow an old one from Adam’s dad since he owned two.

The dream came to an abrupt end when something loud jerked him awake.

He sat up in bed drowsily and rubbed his eyes. He heard music, a familiar tune as well. Barely able to muster a coherent thought, he looked around and saw the source of the music.

His smartphone, normally resting in his backpack or on the nightstand, stood in the middle of the room. Stood, as in the phone had grown two short stick-shaped legs and arms. Doing a pirouette, the phone danced around like a ballerina to the music, twirling here and there while Magnus tried to understand what was going on. He was much too sleepy to understand the concept of a phone with legs, thus he assumed that he was still asleep.

Reaching for the phone the moment it danced closer to the bed, the bipedal smartphone easily jumped away with grace and speed of a ballerina, landing at the door. Easily opening the large wooden door, the phone sprinted down the hallway as quickly as it could while Can Can music blared louder than the phone’s speaker could achieve.

Magnus sprung from the bed, but only managed to collide with the door, knocking his head, the pain causing him to awaken fully and realize that the rapidly retreating music was real.

It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots.

Magnus gave chase once more, running down the hallway only wearing his boxers while the phone sprinted around a corner further down, still playing annoyingly cheery music.

Just as he reached Twilight’s bedroom door, the mare herself came out. Rubbing her eyes and with a bad case of bed mane, she looked around with a drowsy gaze.

“What is that racket?” she asked with a mighty yawn.

Magnus sprinted past the door. “Discord!” he shouted back at Twilight. “And when I get my hands on my phone, I’m gonna shove it down his throat!”

Twilight was so groggy that she hadn’t even noticed that Magnus ran past her only wearing his underwear. “...’kay,” she mumbled, closed the door, and went back to bed.

Magnus managed to catch his phone an hour later in the kitchen, just before it started to play the Benny Hill theme song for the fourth time.

Author's Notes:

Hello folks. Another chapter, and this one I had planned for a long time. Introducing Magnus to Vinyl and Octavia was a long time coming, and the two musical mares will appear sometime in the future, although I can't say when at the moment. According to the comics, Vinyl has a big brother named LP, who is roughly the same age as Shining Armor, and I thought he would be a buddy figure to Magnus in the future.

And yeah, music is nice to listen to sometimes while reading. Go figure.

And be honest; did you really think Discord's Slaneesh Battery would come without consequences?

As usual, all editing credits goes to JBL. The man's a sorcerer I tell you!

Big thank you to all my readers, new and old, and thank you for watching me, putting my story in your favorites section or wherever you place it. It means a lot to me.

Chapter 43 - Almost a Normal Day

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Magnus slogged his way through the streets of Ponyville in the warm afternoon breeze. He was tired and more than a bit grumpy. Being rudely awakened by his animated phone and chasing it through Twilight’s castle at three in the morning did that to a man. From Can Can to Who Let the Dogs Out, it wasn’t until Benny Hill’s theme song repeated itself four times before he finally managed to corner his traitorous phone and shut it off.

It was also the reason he was currently on his third circle around Ponyville, searching for Discord to deliver the vengeance of a sleep-deprived man unto him. When he had trekked to Fluttershy’s house that morning, the timid mare had said that she hadn’t seen Discord since yesterday evening when he suddenly dropped by for tea. According to Fluttershy, Discord was rather pleased about something, and when she inquired about his good mood, he told her that he had guaranteed amusement for months to come. That comment alone made Magnus feel uneasy.

He had hurried back to the castle, only to find his phone playing with itself—no, not like that. It had been playing Solitaire and managed to beat his high score. The phone was now safely turned off, only to be used under special circumstances.

After having some time to think while stalking the town in search of Discord, Magnus pondered his phone’s behaviour. The music his phone played were all songs he had heard before, specifically when on a Youtube binge, thus he concluded that his phone could only play audio that had previously been played. However, he could not be sure of it. Perhaps it was simply because those songs were in his browser’s history. He decided to clear the history when he returned to the castle later since he had also been to some web pages that featured adult entertainment. Hearing heavy moaning coming from his pocket one day would cause questions of a sort he didn’t want to answer.

Reaching town square, Magnus sat down by the fountain and yawned, lazily eyeing the passing ponies. He still attracted attention, but much less than he did a week ago. It felt good, he thought to himself; he was becoming a familiar face. While some of the fillies and colts still gawked at him with interest and curiosity, he was okay with that. Children were naturally curious.

“What to do, what to do…” He hummed to himself. The search for Discord was completely fruitless; the bastard was probably far away by now, laughing at his latest creation.

“Discord: annoying people,” Magnus mocked in the likeness of the commercial.

Magnus decided he had to get his mind on other things. He’d brought his bits with him when he ventured outside today. Perhaps it was time to spend them on something. He didn’t want to buy a souvenir only for it to collect dust on a shelf. Perhaps there was something in one of the stores around the town centre that could prove to be useful.

Getting up, he walked down the streets while checking out the various storefronts. Sugarcube Corner? Nah. Quills and Sofas? Nope and nope. The Doctor’s Lab of Science and Inventions? Hmm… he’d put a pin in that one. Hair Curl’s Salon? Now that sounded interesting. Not that he needed a haircut just yet, but perhaps they had razors for sale.

Venturing inside, the hairdresser salon seemed rather similar to those back home. There were shelves filled with a variety of shampoos, balms, and other hair care products, and of course, combs and hairbrushes in different colours and sizes. They didn’t have chairs, instead providing two chaise lounges situated at one side of the room where a mare rested while another mare worked on her mane with a brush and scissors while making conversation. On the other side were no chairs or lounges, instead having an empty space with thick carpets in front of mirrors. The stallion sat on the carpet with a hairdressing cape around his neck while a pegasus mare stood on a slightly raised platform around the stallion, working a scissors and comb with her wings almost like fingers. The scene wasn’t new to Magnus—he had witnessed similar acts of dexterity by pegasi before. He’d also seen ponies pick up things with their tails somehow. Applejack had picked up a stick with her tail the day he had spent with her, and he had also seen Pinkie carry items within her curly mane.

A mare with long wavy, shiny mane approached him, her entire demeanour radiating friendliness. “Hello there, are you here for a haircut?” she asked politely.

“Not today I’m afraid, though I was wondering if you sold shaving implements?” Magnus scratched his chin, the black stubble erasing his previously unshaven appearance. Despite being of Native American heritage, his facial hair growth came from his father, who had sported a thick bushy beard. “As you can see, I’m in need of a shave before the lower part of my face starts to look like an overgrown forest.”

“We most certainly do,” the mare replied. “Just step this way, please.”

A few minutes later, Magnus left the salon with a new straight razor, a razor strop, and shaving foam all in a small paper bag. They also had safety razors with a length adjustment, but they would never touch the skin itself because a stallion would never shave off all the fur on his chin. That was also the reason he was unable to find aftershave balm. The razor he ended up buying was the cheapest one in the store, thus he saved a bit of money. Despite that, the mare insisted the razor was perfectly fine, and Magnus was inclined to believe her. Dishonesty, he felt, was rather uncommon among ponies.

‘That takes care of shaving. Now, let’s see if I can find a store that sells notebooks and writing implements. Preferably not quills.’

Once more, Magnus walked the streets in hope of finding a place that sold office supplies. After asking for directions, he ended up at a bookstore that had a wide selection. When he left, he carried another paper bag containing two pencils and a medium-sized notebook bound in faux black leather, ready to have his notes on the only two spells he knew written down in it.

Although his modest amount of bits had decreased slightly, he still had a decent amount left. Now he wanted to use it on something he hadn’t had in a while. It was such a nice day, sunny with a warm breeze. The weather almost begged him to sit down and relax with a cold one.

Remembering Twilight mentioning that the bar was on the other side of town, he set his sights there. Walking away from the town’s centre, it was a brief four minute walk until he spotted the local watering hole. It was a modest bar-slash-cafe, with tables outside and chairs made in the shape of giant mushrooms. Quite a few ponies were already seated, some having congregated into small groups that talked and laughed while others sat alone and enjoyed their lunch.

Luckily for Magnus, the cafe had benches too, a small blessing for him. Some were occupied by ponies simply lying down on them to eat and rest, not sitting like a human would. You just couldn’t lean back and relax on a mushroom without a backrest. It didn’t take long before a waiter came to take his order, and after requesting a cold beer, Magnus handed the waiter four bits and leaned back to soak in the sun. He closed his eyes and simply listened to the sounds of the world. What became clear to him then were the whispers that reached his ears.

“Looks strange, but seems nice…”

“Stayed in Canterlot for weeks…”

“He probably misses home…”

“It didn’t look like he enjoyed Pinkie’s party…”

“I heard he can barely use magic…”

“Your beverage, sir.”

Magnus opened his eyes, finding a glass mug filled with the frothing liquid of the gods on his table. He’d hoped that the beer mugs were large enough for a human, but that was not the case. Nonetheless, he wasted no time in sampling his first Equestrian beer, sloshing it around in his mouth to really bring out the taste. It was light and full of flavour, golden like honey in colour, and with a decent hint of hops and wheat.

Taking another hearty sip, Magnus leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes while resting in the sun. He felt like he was back home the moment he managed to block out the idle chatter going on around him. He was in his sun chair in his backyard on a warm summer day, his laptop next to him playing music while he nursed a cold one, just soaking in the breeze coming down from the Rockies. Homesickness washed over him, unavoidably. But right now? This moment? It wasn’t so bad.

“Hey, Magnus.”

Unless someone decided to interrupt him.

Magnus cracked open one eye, staring at the owner of the voice. It was Spike. The little guy had been with Twilight earlier when he left, helping her take care of her library. Evidently, that task was now completed.

“Hey, Spike.” Magnus scooted over, tapping the empty space next to him. Spike accepted the invitation, clambering up onto the bench and placing his backpack next to him. “Done with helping Twilight?”

“Yeah, rearranging the books takes time, but today was easy. We got the library under control now. It helps to know the system Twilight uses.” Spike went silent. Magnus could see that Spike hesitated, appearing to search for the right words to continue the conversation. “She told me that… um, she cancelled the research into the portals.”

Magnus nodded solemnly. “I know.” He sipped his beer, savouring the slightly bitter taste. “She wasn’t getting anywhere, said she just couldn’t figure them out as there were no clues anywhere in the tests or samples they took. I asked her to stop. She’s the Element of Magic; she understands these things. If she can’t figure it out, no one can.”

Spike snapped to face Magnus, visibly surprised. “You’re giving up? Going home, I mean!”

This time, it was Magnus who hesitated. He had seen how hard Twilight worked every day, how the notes piled up, how she would fill a blackboard during the day and stare at the magical formulas until evening time before sighing deeply and grabbing a sponge to erase it all. She investigated, read old books, made notes, reread books, checked the notes from the investigation, tried again, started something new, pursued theories, and found out it led nowhere. There just weren’t any possibilities left. Home was simply beyond him.

“Yeah,” Magnus replied after a lengthy pause. When he didn’t continue, Spike simply nodded and remained silent for a while.

“So,” the baby dragon began, seeking to break the uncomfortable silence, “what have you been doing today?”

“Not much. I finally found a razor at the local hairdresser, and I bought a notebook for the two spells I know.” He gulped a mouthful of his drink. Equestrian beer was actually pretty good compared to some of the brews back home. “Plus I finally found beer. So far, the day has been good to me. How about you?”

Spike reached into his backpack, bringing out a brand new comic while grinning. “I bought the latest issue of Power Ponies; it’s the return of The Jester, one of the first and most popular villains in Power Ponies’ history.”

‘If that isn’t a ponified Joker, I don’t know what is,’ Magnus thought with a slight shake of his head.

Spike carefully placed the comic back into his backpack. “I’m gonna save this one for later. What else do you have planned for today?”

Magnus shrugged. “Nothing. I’ve found what I needed, so now I’m just sitting here, waiting for an idea to pop up. The weather’s too nice to sit inside and read about a new spell. God knows I’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

Spike chuckled. “Twilight does that a lot, no matter the weather. But what would you usually do back home on a day like this then?”

“Well, that depends. Maybe play some ~video~ games, go for a walk, visit friends, go bowling, or maybe even go fishing.”

“Fishing? As in real fish? Not seaweed or water plants?” Spike asked.

“Yeah. I even had my fishing pole in the boat before I was sucked into the portal, thinking I could catch something while I was out there. I think it came with me into the portal, and if it did, I’m sure the princesses know where it is. Shame I don’t have it here, else I would’ve found a nice place by now.”

Spike scratched his scaly chin. “You know, I have a fishing pole, but I haven’t used it in… I don’t know how long. Dad bought it for me a couple of years before Twilight and I moved here. He used to take Shining Armor and me to the foot of Canterlot Mountain; there’s a river with a few good places for both fish and water plants.” His face suddenly lit up. “I know! We can go fishing, you and I. Maybe I can ask Princess Celestia if she has it, and maybe she can send it.”

Magnus turned to face Spike. “Seriously? You can do that? Wouldn’t asking something like that be a little… too much? Having a Royal Guard or a messenger or something like that fly all the way over here just to bring a fishing pole and tackle box?

“Nah, it’s no problem. Don’t forget I can send letters to her using my enchanted flame breath I can also receive larger items. I don’t think a fishing pole would be too much—that is, if she has time.”

Magnus silently admitted that he had completely forgotten about Spike’s ability. Lifting the mug to his lips and draining it in one chug, Magnus slammed it back on the table. “If you can do this for me, then we’re going fishing,” he happily declared.

***

A while later, they were back in the castle and heading straight for the library, the one place where Spike was sure to find paper, quill, and ink.

“Twilight, are you here?” he called upon entering. There was no answer. “Guess she went outside then.”

Scampering over to one of the tables, Spike grabbed the necessary items and began writing a quick message.

“Asking for your fishing pole… Anything else?” Spike asked.

“I need my tackle box too. Can’t catch anything without a lure.”

With a nod, Spike completed the short letter. “There, all done. Now to send it.”

“Wait!” Magnus exclaimed and held out his hand. “Can I see it before you send it?”

Spike gave Magnus a questioning glance, but handed him the scroll anyway. Unrolling it, Magnus took a gander. Spike’s handwriting was excellent, the letter well-written, if a bit formal, but just to be sure Spike wouldn’t get into trouble for it, he grabbed a quill and added an extra line underneath.

PS: I forced Spike to send this.

Magnus

“Just had to add a little message to Celestia,” Magnus said as he handed the scroll back.

Spike accepted the scroll and blew green flames on it. The scroll turned to ash and smoke and flew away in a second.

A few minutes passed by with nothing happening. Then Spike began to cough. Closing his mouth, his cheeks bulged until he could no longer contain the pressure. He burped a huge green flame upwards that materialized into a fishing rod, a tackle box, and one scroll.

“I’m not gonna get used to that anytime soon,” Magnus commented as he felt the heat of the flames.

He recognized his fishing pole and tackle box immediately, inspecting them where they fell. Thankfully, there wasn’t a single scorch mark on his possessions.

“She found it! Remember to thank her when you go back to Canterlot. Let me just get my pole and we’re ready. Oh, I gotta write a note to Twilight and let her know we’re going fishing.”

With that said, Spike ran along to find his own fishing pole, leaving Magnus to look over his own equipment. Spike hadn’t seen the scroll as it ended up behind the tackle box. Magnus, however, saw it and unrolled the scroll to see what it said.

Dear Magnus,

If you forced Spike to send a letter, I would have known the moment I received it. It is, however, sweet to see you attempt to take responsibility in case you thought I would reprimand Spike for using his ability as a common delivery service. I would never do that. Did I not tell you that if you wanted to contact me or Luna, Spike would gladly help? Of course, it also includes returning your belongings.

That reminds me. The remains of your boat as well as other items that were found along with you in the sea is still stored in the castle. I thought that perhaps there was something there you would like to keep before we dispose of the rest.

Good luck.

Your friend,

Celestia.

Magnus glared at the scroll, but exhaled in relief. “Clever girl,” he muttered.

***

“This looks like a good spot,” Spike said. As the guide, he had led Magnus to a medium-sized river about twenty minutes from Ponyville, away from the noise of the town, where only the sounds of birds, the buzzing of insect wings, and the wind could be heard. The river meandered at this spot, and the sandy banks of the river were dotted with shrubs and green reeds. Insects flew across the water’s surface, where they were intermittently caught by a jumping fish.

“Correction: great spot,” Magnus replied, eager to get the lure into the water.

Further down the river, a large flat stone stood next to the slow-moving water, a perfect spot to sit on. They sat down and opened their tackle boxes to fish out their lures, casting them out into the middle of the river. Spike used a small rubber worm and a floater while Magnus decided on his dry fly lure for a slow river like this. Even though his fishing pole wasn’t meant for fly fishing, he managed to get the lure almost as far out as Spike’s, watching as the lure slowly floated down the current. When it had travelled a bit, he reeled back in, and with a couple of elegant whips of the rod, the false fly flew through the air and up the current a few meters before settling with the tiniest of splashes.

“This is nice,” Magnus commented, a lazy smile spreading on his face. That same old feeling slowly came to him, that of stress fading, of relaxing, of just patiently waiting for a fish to take the bait.

“Yeah. Who taught you how to fish, by the way?” Spike asked while reeling in his lure and throwing it out again.

“My grandfather. Think I was about four or five the first time he took me fishing. He made a simple pole from a sapling, tied a line to it and a hook, and out we went.” Magnus’ grin grew wider. “I remember how excited I was the first time I felt a fish taking the bait. I shouted and yelled, not knowing what to do, so he had to pull in the line while I just watched. It was just a tiny trout, not even worth making dinner out of, so we let it out again.”

Spike smiled and let out a relaxing sigh. “Dad taught me and Shining. He taught me how to use earthworms, just like the griffins do, while Shining was taught how to use a plant-cutter lure, and how to avoid losing the plant in the current. He lost plants plenty of times, and refusing to let it go, he went diving into the water after it, just so he could show it to Mom and she could add it to the dinner.” Spike laughed.

“I guess we all want to show our parents how good we are at fishing,” Magnus commented as he threw the lure out again.

Spike nodded and silence fell over the two, the only interruptions being the swish of the lures as they were thrown out again.

“What was it like growing up in a pony household as a dragon?” Magnus suddenly asked. He had actually been curious as to how Spike was raised, and what it was like when there were such differences between him, his parents, and his siblings.

“Actually, I spent my first years in Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia cared for me the first few years, and she also taught Twilight to care for me. One day, Princess Celestia invited Mom and Dad to the castle for a parent-teacher picnic in the castle garden. Twilight was there of course, and she wanted them to meet me. It kind of took off from there. Twilight would ask Mom and Dad if I could visit and have a sleepover in their house for a night, and later, a weekend. They agreed, and I began spending more time in their house than in the castle as time went by. About three years later, they formally adopted me. They’re the best!” Spike answered with a fond smile.

‘From being raised by a princess to being adopted by two ponies. At least Spike was well cared for, being given love and attention from parents, and getting a sister and brother too’, Magnus thought.

“There were a few issues over the years, such as my diet,” Spike continued. “Dragons need to eat meat once in a while. Princess Celestia fixed that by sending Mom and Dad fish and meat once a month, and she even sent gems too. Gems are important for young dragons; it’s most dragons’ primary food source, and helps build our bodies, such as making our scales tough.”

“What about growing up a dragon in pony society?” Magnus asked. Surely there had to have been some issues over the years. Back on Earth, people who were different were quite often singled out from the rest, and most of the time it happened at schools. “Wasn’t there any problems?”

Spike shook his head. “Not really, no. Canterlot is always visited by non-ponies, so the ponies there are used to seeing creatures from other races. A dragon is very rare, sure, but ponies got used to seeing me out and about as the years went by. Mom and Dad always made sure to bring me out to play in the park or for ice cream on warm days.”

Magnus nodded in understanding. Ponies had gotten used to him. It was that easy. It was the same process Magnus was now going through. The more ponies saw him, the more they got used to him, until he was part of the local community, the neighborhood, the city, just another face in the crowd.

“What about you? What was it like growing up on Earth?” Spike gazed up at Magnus with a childish look of curiosity on his face.

Memories surged forth from Magnus’ mind. Many good, and some bad ones, but the good ones far outweighed the bad.

“It was great. I’m from a small town, you see, small by human standards that is—only a couple thousand people spread out over a large area. There were farms on the outskirts, but the centre of town itself consisted of houses, schools, stores, cafes, a small movie theatre, and a couple of fast food places. Nothing special, kinda boring at times.

“I grew up in a neighbourhood close to the outskirts of town. My grandfather built a house there with my grandmother almost forty years ago. It was a cozy home, a garden patch in front of the house and a larger one in the backyard. and a fence surrounding the property. A lot of the people on that street had children, some of them my age who I got to know as I grew up. School was just a fifteen minutes’ walk away.”

“What about growing up with your grandfather? What was he like?” Spike inquired.

Magnus smiled as he reeled in the line and threw it back in. “Kind, caring, patient, lots of stories to tell and some words of wisdom taught to him by life itself. The usual grandfatherly type. But he wasn’t usual for me; he was my grandfather, my everything, the only constant in my life. He raised me,” he finished. Words couldn't describe how much he loved the old man. How could he even try? Such words couldn’t come easy, no matter how much time he had to think of an answer.

Once more, silence fell, but not for long.

“What about your parents?” Spike asked innocently. “I know that they are… Actually, I shouldn’t have asked. Just forget it,” he stated hastily and focused on the red and white floater bobbing in the water.

Magnus glanced at Spike from the corner of his eye. The little dragon shifted his weight uncomfortably, appearing nervous from his innocent question.

“You can ask,” said Magnus. He wasn’t particularly afraid of talking about his parents; he simply left out certain details. Family affairs and all that—people didn’t need to know.

Spike gazed up at Magnus for a few seconds, as if considering somehow that it was in fact okay to ask such a question when he knew that his parents were no longer amongst the living.

“If you’re sure…”

Spending a few seconds to gather his thoughts, Magnus took a deep breath and began, “My mom’s name was Julia. She had long black hair, and she was beautiful. She dreamt of being a florist and opening up her own florist store. My grandfather would always tell me about her when I asked. She was kind, loved flowers and plants, played the guitar sometimes, a very social and approachable woman, in contrast to my father.”

Magnus’ smile then diminished. “My dad's name was Hrafnar Hjaltisson. He was from an island country called Iceland. He became a sailor when he was fifteen years old and sailed the seas for several years aboard a variety of ships. I never knew him, but grandfather did, and he told me plenty. My father was the silent type, always looking like he carried a great weight on his shoulders, often sitting in a chair and brooding and thinking over this and that. He was also very tall, and unusually strong. Combine those two traits with his long hair and bushy beard, he looked more than a bit intimidating.”

Magnus then smiled again. “That didn’t stop my mom from falling in love with him, though.”

“My mom lived in a city called San Francisco at the time, where she was a student at some university. My dad was in the same city for a week when he and his shipmates decided to go bar hopping. Incidentally, my mom and dad met in the same bar. There were a few women in my hometown—friends of my mom—who was there when they met, and they all tell the same story; my parents fell in love the moment they spotted each other. They spent the entire night at the bar just talking. When the bar closed, they went for a walk and ended up on a park bench where they continued talking. At dawn, they both went to a small cafe for breakfast and agreed to meet that same evening, which they did. Dad signed off the ship four days later and moved in with my mom in her tiny apartment. While mom finished her studies, dad took a job at a ~car~ repair shop, fixing engines. I heard he was always good with mechanical stuff.

“Later, they both moved to Montana, the place I’m from, and found a small apartment for rent close to my grandfather’s place. After working steady jobs for a few years, they managed to get a loan and bought an old house with enough land out on the countryside. They renovated the house with the help of some friends, and when they found out I was on the way, they married pretty quickly.”

Magnus left the sentence hanging for a while, swallowing saliva to wet his dry throat as his smile faded away to a hardened, yet melancholy expression. When he continued, his voice held a tone of finality.

“And that’s it.”

Magnus said no more. He reeled in his line and threw it out again.

Spike immediately felt there was more to it than that. He noticed Magnus’ face, and knew there was something his human friend didn’t want to talk about, and most likely it was how his parents passed away. It wasn’t a subject he wanted to bring up now, not when they were having such a good time.

He wisely decided to ask nothing more about things he thought Magnus might find depressing. After all, they were here for the fish, not for sadness.

***

With a hard whack on the head with a stone, the rainbow trout was rendered unconscious, and with a precise slice of the knife, its life departed this world. With practised ease, Magnus began cleaning the fish, removing its insides first before scraping off the scales, and finally removing the head and tail and throwing them out into the open field. It would be a good meal for any nearby birds.

“Nice catch,” Spike commented from behind Magnus as the human slid a debarked twig through a cut in the fish’s flesh, leaving it to hang next to another trout, “but still a bit smaller than mine,” he stated proudly.

With a sigh, Magnus stood up and turned to Spike, levelling a deadpan stare at him. The dragon had only caught one fish, and by some divine intervention, it had been the boss of the river; a huge trout as long as Spike stood tall, now currently hanging from the end of his pole, gutted and ready to become dinner.

“Keep talking about your catch like that, in a few weeks the trout will have turned into a whale,” Magnus commented with a shake of his head, yet it was all in good fun. Spike admitted that he had actually never caught a fish this big before in his entire life, and to him, this was quite the achievement.

“Maybe it will,” Spike answered with a toothy grin that made Magnus laugh. Spike would probably talk about this fish for decades to come. This wasn’t the infamous one that got away, this was the one he actually caught.

The two fishermen packed up their equipment and began their walk back to Ponyville. By Magnus’ estimate, they had been out for at least three hours or so. Their spot didn’t yield anything, thus they walked up and down the river until they found a better spot.

Upon entering Ponyville proper, a few ponies noticed the fish hanging from their poles, scrunching their noses at the sight. This didn’t go unnoticed by Magnus.

He bent down to Spike. “I guess ponies don’t like fish.”

“Nope.” Spike shook his head. “They’re okay with fishing, but most ponies don’t like the smell of raw fish at all. Some ponies can’t stand the smell of cooked fish or meat either.”

‘Must be their herbivore nature,’ Magnus thought to himself.

“Well, their loss, cause we are gonna have an awesome dinner. Do you know how to filet a fish?” Magnus asked, a certain recipe already on his mind.

***

It was late evening and the sun had long since set. Dinner had been prepared and devoured, and since Twilight wasn’t much for fish, she made do with a simple omelette. She was used to Spike eating fish, and the smell wasn’t a problem for her at all.

The well-known effects of eating fish had affected Magnus and Spike, namely sleepiness. The little dragon was very susceptible and had decided to cure himself of it by going to bed early. Magnus solved the problem with strong coffee, and while it was a temporary solution, it would allow him more time to stay up and read. Twilight herself had joined him, and together they sat with a book each, occasionally asking each other a question or two, but mostly they sat in silence as they usually did when reading.

The topics for the evening were many and diverse, from the history of the countries of the world, to the people living in them, and to some topics closer to ‘home’, namely Equestria itself, its founding, and early history. It was while reading one particular passage that Magnus came across a certain family name: the Galaxy family, Star Swirl’s kin. While holding absolutely no love for the accursed unicorn, curiosity proved to be stronger force in Magnus’ mind.

The chapter detailed the story of the family ages ago and their accomplishments in Equestria. Many among the Galaxy family were considered great wizards in their own right, but they were much more than that. They were knights and generals who had fought for and commanded armies for Equestria. They were landowners, ponies of exceptional wealth and influence who maintained their own private armies, and owned their own merchant fleet that crisscrossed the seas and traded with distant lands. Being part of the Equestrian nobility, they held titles as well; Counts and Countesses of Hollow Shades, parts of Fillydelphia, the entirety of the island of Manehattan and the lands to the north up to the borders of the Crystal Empire, and to the west as far as Neighagra Falls. After consulting a map about the whereabouts of the named locations, Magnus estimated that the Galaxy family’s lands made up roughly a fifth of Equestria at the height of their power. The book even stated that their power and influence were second to that of the Crowns.

Magnus couldn’t help but be impressed at their accomplishments. However, as he read on, he found out that not everything went well with the family.

Their downfall began over a thousand years ago, according to the book. The author couldn’t specify the exact reason, but stated that waning influence, trade agreements being cancelled, and intrigue, fraud, and conspiracy amongst the nobility was most likely the main reason, as the numerous noble families at the time were at odds with each other when it came to gaining favour with the princesses and other noble houses. As time went on, the Galaxy family lost all of their influence, their wealth steadily began to vanish due to the upkeep of their castles, their ships, and everything else that they owned, not to mention paying their workers as well. Even though they owned mines that provided silver, gold, and iron, as well as gem quarries, these sources of income also began to dwindle. It didn’t take long before the Galaxy family was nearly bankrupt. It even went so far that a Galaxy Count traded his hereditary title for that of a Baron and a decent sum of money in order to safeguard what little remained of their holdings, and even sold much of their lands to other noble families in order to stay afloat. Now, the author stated, the family’s sole member was an almost unheard-of baroness, and the estate the family currently held was the entirety of the forest of Hollow Shades, the village by the same name, and the family castle, Stargard Castle.

And so it happened that the fabled Galaxy family, once upon a time the most powerful noble family in Equestria, fell into ruin. From riches and power to rags and forgotten to the sands of time.

“What a downfall,” Magnus said to himself as he finished the chapter. Although Princess Celestia had told him a few things, Magnus now found himself knowing just a bit more about his distant ‘family’, if they—or she—could even be called that.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, looking up from her own book.

Magnus barely glanced up at her before focusing on the book again. “Nothing,” he said. “Just read something interesting here.”

He felt Twilight’s questioning gaze upon him, almost interrogating him with her eyes. He wondered if she knew what he knew, if she knew this mystery mare. He still hadn’t thought about if he wanted to meet this Brilliant Star, and truth be told, he had simply pushed it away from his mind so that he didn’t have to think about it. In all honesty, Magnus didn’t know what to do about this situation and the mare herself. He acknowledged that he could use some advice, and Twilight was a good listener from time to time.

“Celestia told me I have a relative in Equestria,” Magnus said after a long silence. He closed the book and laid it to rest upon the table before looking at Twilight. “Did you know?”

Twilight's eyes looked up from her book. She closed it and set it aside before adopting a more serious posture. “Yes. Celestia told me some time ago. I recognized her name; she was once a teacher at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Her name is Brilliant Star.”

Magnus nodded. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna asked me if I wanted to meet her, seeing as she’s probably the only relative I have in Equestria. Problem is…” He sighed, “I don’t know if I want to.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked.

“Well, just consider how much time separates us. Heck, I could just as well be related to you, or Rarity, or anyone really, and it wouldn’t make any difference. There’s not much in the way of family bonds to care for anymore. Honestly, Brilliant Star is a stranger to me, and I am the same to her. It would be different if she were someone I knew from before, like an aunt, or grandmother, or something like that. As it stands, we have absolutely nothing in common.”

“That is true…” Twilight replied after a short pause, though when she spoke next, it was with encouragement. “But don’t you think it would be worth a try? You don’t know what she’s like. Who knows, maybe you’ll find that you have something in common with her after all? And as you said, she is your only known relative in Equestria, maybe even the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that there is somepony out there that you have some form of connection with?”

Magnus hesitated in formulating a reply, his thoughts churning in his mind. Twilight was right in a few regards, namely in that he didn’t know Brilliant Star at all. Did they have something in common? Probably not. They weren’t even the same race. Were they related? Celestia and Luna said yes, but Magnus’ gut feeling said no. Did they have a connection? Not at all, except having the same ancestor, and that wasn’t something to be proud of. He’d rather no one know about that.

He was no closer to an answer now than before, and it bothered him. It wasn’t an easy decision to make at all. He needed more time to think and make up his mind.

He stood up and stretched his arms and legs. “I’m going for a walk to clear my head. Be back in a while.”

Twilight’s eyes followed him as he walked towards the door. “Okay... I’ll be up for a while longer then.”

Magnus took two steps before Twilight spoke again. “Magnus. If you want to talk about it, about Brilliant Star, about anything really, you can always count on me and my friends. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Magnus replied with a glance over his shoulder. It felt assuring, somehow, that he had someone to talk to about these things.

After a while, Magnus was once again walking the streets of Ponyville. The evening air still held residual warmth from the day, and a slight breeze blew through the streets. The street lanterns and the warm light from numerous houses made the small town feel both vibrant and alive even though it was late in the evening. At this hour, few ponies were out on the streets. Conversation or company was not what he was looking for now anyway. Answers perhaps, a clue, something, anything really, that could help him make up his mind.

He walked past houses, occasionally catching a glimpse of the ponies that lived there. At one house, he saw a smiling and happy looking grey pegasus mare with blond mane and tail carry a sleeping unicorn filly on her back up some stairs and out of sight. In another house, he spotted a pair of what appeared to be teenage ponies yawning as a stallion, a mare, and a second mare—their herd mother perhaps—say something to the younger ones, most likely telling them to go to bed. At another house, he saw an earth pony stallion and pegasus mare—both of them looking quite old—speaking with a younger pair of ponies, all four looking excited about something. Magnus understood why when the younger mare rubbed her slightly bulging belly gently: pregnancy.

In each house Magnus passed, he saw families together: children, parents, herds, young and old. It was nice to see ponies so happy and content, but for Magnus, it felt as if it was ages the last time he felt like they did now; a sense of belonging, of being surrounded by loved ones.

He wandered to Ponyville Park and sat down on a bench facing town. His mind lingered on Earth, on everything he knew there, and some things he never did find out. One of those things was actually about family, and once upon a time, Magnus wondered if he really was as alone as he thought.

His grandfather was an only child, as was normal with those who carried the unicorn blood—the same went for his great-grandfather. His great-grandmother had died of a stroke around the time his mother turned five. The end result was that he had no living relatives on his grandfather’s side of the family. His grandmother, though, was said to have family somewhere in Canada. Joseph once told Magnus that he tried to find them after his wife died, just so Julia would know she had relatives too, but the address no longer existed and the phone number he had directed him to a gas station in Halifax. A letter sent to Halifax City Hall, asking for help in locating the rumoured family members ended up futile. After months of phone calls and letters, Joseph gave up.

Still, Magnus’ family had two sides, one American and one Icelandic, and Magnus knew a bit about his father’s family. He even knew roughly where on Iceland Hrafnar was from; someplace on the eastern coast, but Magnus couldn’t even pronounce the name. A video tape his father left behind described the place as a small hamlet surrounded on two sides by mountains, a vast sandy plain, and the sea to the east. The place had a few farms, some houses, the coast and piers with fishing boats, a cafe, a school, and a small general store. Not exactly the centre of the world.

Then there were Hrafnar’s parents. He had mentioned them in his video tape, but never by name, only by deeds. So deep ran his hate for them and so badly did he want their names to be forgotten that he never mentioned their names to anyone, not even Julia or Joseph. Magnus was shocked to hear his own father tell what his parents were like and how they treated him growing up. It was a wonder he grew up in the first place.

After watching the old VHS tape, Magnus swore to never even attempt to contact his father’s parents. Who needed people like that in their lives?

Hrafnar’s upbringing, sadly, scarred him for life. One would think that such a tall, strong, and intimidating man would be tough as nails. He was, but only on the outside. Inside, he was hurting. His silent demeanour was a result of his horrible upbringing. Speak, and get yelled at. Complain, and get smacked around. Talk back, and get locked up in the basement for a day or two.

However, one man had helped Hrafnar grow up to be a decent person, one man who took him under his old and frail wing, told him about the world, showed him kindness, sheltered and fed young Hrafnar when he was thrown out of the house or escaped, day or night, summer or winter, and in the end helped Hrafnar escape his tormentors. The man whom Magnus was named after. The one who saved Hrafnar’s life. What better way to pay homage to such a good man than name your firstborn after him?

Yes, perhaps Magnus had distant family, but he also had closer ones whom he would never associate with. Star Swirl probably knew since he told the princesses he had no relatives.

It was years ago that Magnus asked Joseph if he had family. At the time, he said no, that Magnus was the only one he had. Now, Magnus knew, he actually had someone—somepony—who he was very distant related to, to the point that it didn’t even matter.

But the old unicorn mare, this Brilliant Star, had actually drawn some interest from Magnus by simply existing. Once, Magnus desired family, relatives, someone he could relate to on a deeper level, just like family members could. Aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, just like everybody else had, just like his friends, the ones he considered brothers and sisters. He called them that, but they had families of their own, large ones in some cases. They were never related to him in the first place, and of course Magnus knew, yet still called them his siblings because they meant that much to him. His friends allowed him to because they knew how lonely he was and how much he wanted a family.

But those bonds were now… well, not shattered, but at least faded. He was dead to his brothers and sisters, and he knew they shed tears for him, not knowing he was alive and well very far from home.

And here he sat, on a park bench in Ponyville late into the night, staring at the small town, one by one the lights in the houses dimmed or were turned off. Alone. The only human on Equus. Unique in more than one sense of the word.

Yet Brilliant Star remained on his mind. An old mare in a castle, said by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to be a kind and welcoming old lady. The only known real relative he had in Equestria. The blood had been watered down, yes, Magnus realized that, but a nagging thought in the back of his mind asked, ‘Does it really matter?’ His friends weren’t related to him by blood, and it didn’t matter then.

Then why was he so unsure now?

Was it the fear of rejection, that the mare didn’t want anything to do with a freak like him? Maybe it was because the mare was not a human, but a pony? Perhaps it was because he felt that he would never fit into Equestrian society, even less in the company of an old mare? Or perhaps there was another reason, a hidden one he had not thought of yet.

He thought long and hard, but no answer presented itself. Not even when Magnus returned to Twilight’s castle sometime after midnight was he any closer to a reasonable answer.

Chapter 44 - Watching and Wanting

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The next couple of days were quite normal for Magnus, and as a result, he fell into a comfortable routine. He woke up in the morning, had breakfast with Twilight and Spike (Twilight proved to be an early bird as most ponies were), read or studied, or Twilight taught him something new. His grasp of Equestrian math wasn’t quite there yet, but he was at least improving. After noon, he would head outside with Twilight and/or Spike and find something to do. He saw nearly all of Twilight’s friends again in social settings, one event being a visit to the spa once more alongside Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity. This time, however, he decided to simply sit it out in the comfort of one of the spa benches. That didn’t stop Rarity from trying to surprise him with a face mask consisting of mud and cucumber slices. Her trick fell short, however, as hooves were anything but silent.

There was one conspicuously absent pony from Twilight’s friends, though. Magnus often saw Rainbow Dash flying around Ponyville or resting on those weird low-hanging clouds that existed in this world. He ignored her, as he had nothing he wanted to say to her. Whenever the two met on the street, Magnus pretended he didn’t see her. More than once, he’d seen Rainbow hesitatingly approach him in an attempt to strike up a conversation, her mouth barely opening before he continued on his way. The more he ignored her, the more dispirited Rainbow appeared the next time he saw her. She truly seemed like she wanted to make amends. This fact Magnus also deliberately chose to ignore.

Twilight was determined to mend their broken friendship. She kept suggesting ways to start over, even going so far as to ask Magnus to meet her at the park under the guise of her needing to practice her flying. When Magnus showed up, Twilight was missing and Rainbow Dash was there.

The only thing Rainbow said was, “Where’s Twilight? She told me to come here so we could fly together.”

After a short explanation from each other—the first words they had exchanged in days—they understood what was going on, and Magnus quickly left. He couldn’t be mad at Twilight; she only did what she assumed to be best for the two of them. As the Princess of Friendship, it was kind of in her job description. Still, he wished Twilight would simply stay out of his business; he chose his own friends.

Other than those minor incidents, Magnus was quite content with the current situation. He learned, he read, and he tried to interact with ponies each day by browsing stores and going to the marketplace. So far, that had worked out pretty well. Ponies were a hospitable and welcoming bunch, and at times, very social. They loved chatting, especially this one mint-green unicorn Magnus met when he went for a walk. She had read his interview several times, and was prepared when she ran into him; she had questions about everything concerning humans. Curiously, her main interest was about his hands. According to her, they were interesting because he had five fingers, not four, as was common with the races possessing the appendages on this world. She told him that it must be so much easier to play the harp and guitar with two extra fingers. She even asked if she could touch his hands. She was a bit of a weirdo, Magnus decided, after the mare left with a huge grin on her face.

All in all, Magnus felt as if he was really starting to fit into pony society, weird as it was.

Increasingly, he found his thoughts drifting to Brilliant Star, his relative. What their relation was exactly, Magnus had no idea, and he doubted anyone else could say for certain. What he thought of was what to do about her. Say yes and visit her, or say no and just forget about her.

One part of him was curious about her, and Magnus admitted to himself that he wasn’t exactly opposed to the possibility of a meeting anymore. The other part, however, was strongly against the idea. To him, it didn’t matter how well Celestia knew her or how highly she spoke of her—Brilliant Star was a complete stranger, an unknown pony, an X in the equation that was his life, and Magnus was, as earlier mentioned, lousy at math. Whenever his mind stalled on this predicament, he stowed it away for another time, the feeling of confliction increasing each time.

Twilight was naturally interested in hearing what he planned to do about Brilliant Star, and each time she asked, Magnus replied, “I don’t know yet. I need time to decide.” That usually made her back off for a while.

Still, his predicament continued to be a thorn in his side as each day passed. Sometimes he asked himself what would be wrong in meeting the elderly unicorn. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, he had answers for that. Firstly, he would be out of his familiar surroundings, and had to go this new town, Hollow Shades, filled with new and unknown ponies. After asking Twilight what she knew of the town, she told him that it was mostly inhabited by bat ponies who remained awake at night and slept during the day, meaning that if he went there, he’d have to adjust his sleeping patterns. Additionally, he’d be without Spike in case he needed to get in touch with the alicorn sisters. The list went on.

Despite that, Magnus had known for some time now that those were just excuses he invented out of a fear of the unknown. The town, the bat ponies, they were not a problem. As for the sleeping during day and being awake at night thing? That was a normal weekend for him. Constantly having Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on speed dial? He wasn’t a kid anymore that needed to hold a grownup’s hand.

No, the only issue was Brilliant Star, and she was much more difficult to solve. Thus, Magnus carefully bided his time and tried to analyse his own feelings on the matter.

***

The day after tomorrow was when Magnus was scheduled to return to Canterlot. For now, he had a more pressing interest on his mind. All his concentration went into a new spell he had discovered in a book earlier that morning, one that was actually quite useful for all unicorns.

It was called Sparks, a pretty basic and, according to the book, easy spell useful for lighting a fire, such as a campfire or the hearth one early winter morning. It basically made his horn spout a shower of sparks in a slender coned shape in front of him. Of course, ponies had other ways to light a fire—long matches, and a form of lighters they could operate with their hooves or mouths. There were also better spells for creating a fire, such as a simple fire spell that produced a small flame, but Magnus simply didn’t have the magic necessary for maintaining that spell for even four seconds. Fire spells, Twilight explained, were known for being magic consuming, as magic had to be converted into heat. Thus, Sparks was simply the better option for Magnus.

“Easy now,” Twilight cautioned, watching with anticipation. Each spell Magnus had learned so far had been rather basic for unicorns, and apparently that was the same for Magnus. Twilight reasoned that a race that didn’t know magic shouldn’t be able to learn spells this quickly, but she also supposed that the pace Magnus learned was from his unicorn heritage. “Now, aim your horn down at the target.”

“A gem says he won’t make it this time either,” Spike wryly commented from the sidelines.

His horn glowing, Magnus maintained his focus and slightly lowered his head. His target was a wooden board with a bull’s-eye painted on it.

“Aiming is hard when I’m bipedal,” Magnus riposted through gritting teeth. “Unicorns have it easier since you’re quadrupeds.”

“That’s just something you have to get used to,” Twilight quipped.

His horn’s glow grew more intense, his magic building until he had gathered the required amount. Green and white swirled around his horn in a magical dance that still made Magnus smile with glee.

“There you go. Now, release the spell.”

Lowering his head a bit further until he saw the tip of his horn align with the target board, Magnus released the spell. Something else happened that no one would have expected, except perhaps Discord. Magnus’ cell phone was in his pocket, as he had used it earlier in the day to listen to some music. It wasn’t turned off since it had behaved itself and stayed silent for days, only occasionally playing a bit of sound or music by itself. But now the phone suddenly decided to announce its presence, and the sound it played was perfect for the situation.

“HADOUKEN!”

From his horn, a shower of sparks erupted and was violently pushed forward, pelting the target board and leaving plenty of small burn marks. The sparks that fell to the crystal floor smouldered for just a second before vanishing without a trace.

Magnus promptly doubled over in a fit of laughter while poor Twilight and Spike stood there, not understanding what was so funny.

“Hahaha, that was perfect!” Magnus exclaimed while patting his pocket. “Who’s a good phone? Yes, you are!”

Twilight shook her head in exasperation. “I have no idea what your device just said, but you’re learning at least. I only had to explain how to do it twenty times, and it only took you ten attempts before you got it right.”

Magnus’ shoulders slumped. “Way to break down a man's confidence, Twilight. Plus, you have to take some blame yourself. Tell me to point my horn in the right direction first of all.”

“I feel as if that shouldn’t have to be explained.” Spike turned around, taking in the sight of charred books from an earlier mishap.

An errant strand of Twilight’s mane suddenly frazzled and struck out, joining its many brethren. “Accidents happen,” she stated with a slight tremor in her voice. Normally she would have reacted more… erratic after seeing her books being burned, the memory of Tirek blowing up her library tree still on her mind, but the minor burn marks only required an inanimate restoration spell to repair them. “Still, at least you’re improving. How does your magic feel? Do you have anything left?”

Magnus gently probed his reserves. It was a difficult sensation to describe, like being hungry without being actually hungry, or tired without being tired. Contradictory in itself, but it described the feeling well.

“Think I’ve got enough juice for another shot or two.”

“Then try it again; practise makes perfect,” Twilight said.

Magnus once more lit up his horn and aimed it at the board. Creating the spell, or ‘preparing it’ as Twilight called it, required effort and focus. One couldn’t simply utter a few words and shoot sparks—that was in the old days. No, Magnus had to learn how this kind of magic worked on the basic level, which meant that Twilight had to simplify it in a way Magnus could understand.

Basically, half the magic of the spell burst into tiny burning particles while the other half rapidly pushed it forward. It all happened simultaneously.

When his aim was dead center, Magnus let the spell fly. Sparks erupted out of thin air and flew towards the plywood board. Or, that was where they would have landed had it not been for a series of unfortunate events. Neither Magnus nor Twilight had thought much of the fact that the target board had been placed in front of the library doors, and neither of them could have known that someone would come to see them in a hurry. Applejack suddenly barged in, knocking aside the target board and stood in the way of a barrage of red hot sparks. They showered her entire body, her hat taking the brunt of it.

“OW! What the hay?” she shouted in surprise.

“OH SHIT!” Magnus cursed, wincing. They all rushed to Applejack’s aid, stomping out any remaining embers, while Applejack used her hat to brush off the remaining pieces. The smell of burnt hair quickly became prevalent, and it didn’t smell any better than burnt human hair.

“The hay are you doing?! This some kinda weird human welcome you two’re practising?” Applejack asked as she stood up, shooting Magnus a rather displeased glare.

“I’m so sorry, Applejack, I was just practising a new spell Twilight taught me. You knocked the target away when you barged in,” Magnus explained frantically while checking Applejack over. She appeared unharmed, although her hat had a few minor blackened spots, as well as her chest and forelegs.

“Are you okay? Anything still on fire? Should I get some ointment?” Twilight asked worryingly, just as Spike returned with a first aid kit in his claws.

“Ah’m fine. That was nothing; you just surprised me is all.” Applejack placed her hat back on her head. “Ah came here to ask if y’all would help us at Sweet Apple Acres. We’ve spotted a nasty outbreak of apple rot over at the east field where it borders the Everfree Forest, and we need to get as many apples harvested as possible before it spreads to the rest of the trees. Ah’ve already talked to the girls and they’ve agreed to help.”

“Of course we’ll help, right?” Twilight happily agreed as Spike gave her a nod.

“I’ll help too,” Magnus added. “I nearly set you on fire—helping is the least I can do.”

For the first time since she arrived, Applejack smiled. “Ah knew Ah could count on y’all. If we all work fast, we can get the entire east field harvested before sunset.”

***

Twenty minutes later, Twilight, Applejack, Spike, and Magnus arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. From a distance, Magnus could see that the farm was busier than usual. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were already working, both of them hauling wagons filled with empty basket into the orchard.

“Here we are, now we should find jobs that you two can do,” Applejack said as they walked through the archway that led into the farm. She led them over to the barn where Granny Smith sat on a low stool with baskets of apples in front of her. The elder inspected each apple thoroughly before sorting them into two different containers, one barrel filled with healthy and shiny apples, while the other was an old basket filled with apples with large brown spots that frankly seemed sickly. Granny Smith was so preoccupied with inspecting the apples that she barely noticed the newcomers.

“Granny here is checking the apples for apple rot. The good ones end up in the apple cellar while the bad ones we throw away.” Applejack then turned to Magnus and Spike. “Maybe you and Spike can help Granny sort ’em. Rarity and Fluttershy should arrive later to help you.”

“Sure. We should probably get some hints as to what apples are acceptable for eating though.”

The baby dragon and the human took a seat next to the elderly earth pony. Granny Smith gave them a sideways glance before holding in front of their noses an apple that looked sickly and unappetizing.

“Lookit this, look young’uns! This here’s the enemy!” Granny announced in a creaky voice, her equally ancient eyes narrowing dangerously while staring down the sickly apple. “Foul thing, apple rot. Taints the entire crop if’n given the chance!”

Seeing that Spike and Magnus were being given their marching orders, Applejack began walking with Twilight towards a pair of wagons standing by the barn. “Now that we have two more to sort the apples, we should make some headway. Grab a wagon, Twi, and let’s get to work.”

Applejack and Twilight wandered into the orchard while Magnus and Spike began sorting apples. Both carefully inspected each apple, checking for brown spots, and if it passed, they chucked it into a barrel already half filled with healthy apples. Granny Smith herself watched the two like a hawk. One thing Magnus was sure of, Granny didn’t need glasses; she checked her own apple as well as the ones her two co-workers held.

“Wrong!” Granny suddenly shrieked just as Magnus chucked an apple into the barrel, followed by a green hoof tapping his knee. “That one’s fouled!”

Granny got up and picked up the apple, holding it up for Magnus and Spike to see. “Right… here!” She pointed out a tiny brown spot, so minute that it was nearly invisible. “This here is apple rot. This is all it takes to foul up the entire harvest.” She threw the apple behind her and with an elegance that did not belong to such an old mare, kicked out with her hind leg, sending the apple flying directly into the basket of sick apples. Her display, however, was not without consequences as a loud click sound came from her thigh.

“Ow, consarnit!” she hissed while hobbling back to her stool.

“You okay, Granny Smith?” Magnus asked, shooting her a concerned look.

“Ah’m fine, just mah hip acting up. Now look over those apples you threw in and take a closer look!” she muttered angrily. “Ah ain’t gonna have a repeat of seventy years ago!”

Magnus’ impression of Granny Smith from the day he met her as a grandmotherly type that never got angry was quickly being dashed. Granny was quite upset, and judging by the speed Spike moved over to the apple barrel, he had never seen her like this before either. He wisely followed the baby dragon’s example, swiftly retrieving the apples.

Once more he inspected the apples, this time scrutinizing them even more carefully. Sure enough, a few apples had tiny brown spots, resulting in them being thrown into the reject basket.

They worked for a while in silence, all of Magnus’ and Spike’s focus being on the apples. The glances Spike and Magnus exchanged indicated that this kind of behaviour from Granny was bizarre.

“Granny Smith,” Spike suddenly asked, giving her an inquisitive glance and breaking the silence. “What happened seventy years ago?”

Spike’s question was one that Magnus also wondered about. Whatever happened back then was the source of Granny Smith’s recent outburst.

The elderly mare sighed, tossing an apple into the barrel with the good ones. “Worst case of apple rot we ever saw here in Ponyville,” Granny Smith began, her voice low and calm. “First time too. We all thought the harvest was safe in the barn, stored safely for winter. Jes’ a few weeks later, all the apples were rotten and smelled so bad that we had to bury ’em in the Everfree Forest. With the apples gone, we didn’t have much food that winter, and we couldn’t sell apples either to buy more. Wasn’t much food to go around, honestly. Crops went bad lotsa places in Equestria that year. We called it ‘the black year’ ‘cause of all the farms looking black and barren from a distance. We all pitched in wherever we could and began to harvest as much hay as we could. Wasn’t much to find either; fall had come and the grass was either withered or dying.”

Granny sighed deeply and paused, a faraway gleam in her eyes. “Princess Celestia sent food to Ponyville by the wagons, but there wasn’t a lot to go ‘round on account of so many places being affected. Rumour has it, the princess didn’t eat the entire winter while there was a food shortage. Mah pa lost a lot of weight those months. He ate little, but made sure us children, mah herdmothers, and mah ma had enough.” Granny wryly smiled and turned to the two youngsters. “That’s why we hafta be careful. That’s what those’re for.” She pointed an old and wrinkled hoof at the vegetable rows growing on the fields away from the barn. Rows upon rows of healthy cucumber vines, tomatoes, and lettuce basked in the sunlight. “Ah ain’t gonna see another skin and bone pony anymore. Ah saw my pa; Ah ain’t gonna see Applejack, Big Mac, or Apple Bloom lookin’ the same.”

Granny went silent again and returned to her work, inspecting each and every apple carefully. Spike and Magnus sat silently next to Granny, sombre comprehension written on their faces. When the two began working again, they both spent fifteen seconds extra on each apple.

***

Hours passed as Spike, Granny Smith, and Magnus worked. The two fresh members of the team quickly found a rhythm to the job. It wasn’t much later after they arrived that Rarity and Fluttershy showed up, and with them on the apple inspecting team, the work went a lot faster. Some light-hearted conversation was a welcome break to the monotony. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack returned in steady intervals with apples to be sorted. With the work progressing quicker, Magnus had to carry barrels with apples down into the cellar for storage. Down in the cold cellar, space quickly filled up until barrels were stacked on top of each other. When mentioned to Granny Smith, she made an idle comment about Big Mac having digging work ahead of him next year.

There were also other surprises in store for the harvest, or rather, the helpers. Occasionally, Magnus spotted a purplish cloud of apples rise above the trees in the distance, the work of none other than Twilight Sparkle. Magnus had no idea how many apples she levitated at once, but there must easily have been a couple of hundred or more. The level of finesse and raw power to levitate so many objects at once was astonishing. It was simply another testament to Twilight’s supreme abilities and control over her magic.

The alicorn made good use of her magic, evident by the speed the apple deliveries were made. Rainbow and Pinkie came running back to the barn with the carts and then raced each other back. Rainbow was a quick runner, even though her forte was flight, but even she had her limits, as Magnus noticed when she began falling behind Pinkie after a few hours. Pinkie was her usual self; filled with seemingly endless amounts of energy. She even managed to make pronking with a wagon look easy. Although Rainbow was in great shape, Pinkie was still an earth pony, one that ran on nothing but pure sugar. Safe to say, Rainbow was outclassed.

There were also three other helpers at the farm now who had just finished school for the day. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were present, helping the adults gather the apples. The moment they arrived, the trio procured a smaller empty wagon and together they hauled it into the orchard, intent on getting their cutie marks in apple farming. According to Granny Smith, this wasn’t the first time, but the fillies were determined to try once more since cutie marks could sometimes appear on a second attempt. Apple farming, however, was probably not their talent as all three were required to pull the heavy wagon, but they worked well together, if a bit disorganized.

***

A good while later Granny Smith sent Magnus into the orchard to call the others in for a short refreshment break. Magnus gladly took the opportunity as it gave him a chance to stretch his limbs. Sitting still while staring at apples was actually more boring than it sounded, no matter how important the task was.

Wandering through the orchard, he only had to follow the sound of voices as well as the sound of hooves slamming into tree trunks. It didn’t take him long to find the ponies. Twilight levitated apples from the trees and deposited them into empty baskets. Applejack and Big Mac did it the old-fashioned way; bucking the trees. Rainbow and Pinkie patiently waited with their wagons while the three fillies eagerly ran around to fetch the now full apple baskets and haul them onto the carts. The baskets were heavy and the fillies weren’t as strong as they were willing, thus adult help was needed.

It was while observing them that Magnus decided to stop and watch them from afar for a moment. It was the Apple siblings that had caught his interest. They worked together, laughing, making a silly game out of harvesting the apples, all while the others looked on. Big Mac bucked the trees while Apple Bloom balanced a basket on her head and tried to catch the apples. Applejack participated as well, competing against her younger sister, and while Apple Bloom tried the best she could, fuelled by the youthful energy of childhood, Applejack still won the game. Even though she lost, Apple Bloom smiled from ear to ear, happy to play with her sister while working, all accompanied by the laughter of the others.

And of course, Apple Bloom wanted to try haul the wagon. Even from the distance, Magnus heard Apple Bloom proclaim, “Ah know Ah can haul the wagon on mah own. Ah’m a big pony!”

“‘Course you can, Ah don’t doubt you,” Applejack replied with a smile. “But you’re still a little pony. In a few years, you can haul wagons all day long and not get tired.”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed jovially.

Still, Apple Bloom insisted, and finally had the straps fastened around her diminutive midsection and attempted pulling the wagon. Surprisingly, the filly succeeded, although she worked hard to do so. The heavy wagon moved a few feet before coming to a halt, to Apple Bloom’s surprise. She hollered and laughed because she hadn’t managed to move such a heavy wagon before. It was reason enough to celebrate, and proudly Big Mac paraded his younger sister around on his back to the cheering of the others.

The scene touched a nerve in Magnus, and he couldn’t help but smile from seeing the events unfold. It brought memories from his own youth to his mind, memories of his own achievements, major and minor, such as riding his bicycle without training wheels for the first time. Back then, his grandfather was the only one to cheer him on, but here, Apple Bloom had her siblings, her friends, and her grandmother—all good, kind ponies—to witness her accomplishments and all that would come in the years to follow.

Magnus, on the other hand, now had no one.

Or was that true? Unbidden, the name Brilliant Star popped up in his head. For once, Magnus let the name simmer in his mind. He didn’t chase the name and its meaning to him away, not even when he finally went up to the ponies and told them that Granny Smith had prepared food for them. Not on the way back, and not even when he sat beside Twilight and Pinkie to eat did he try to think of something else.

‘What if?’ he thought while stealing occasional glances at the Apple family eating and laughing together. ‘What if I decided to meet her?’

***

As the evening progressed, the workload began to slowly lessen until Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac walked out of the orchard, hauling three carts behind them. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had gone home as dinnertime had approached. Rainbow and the two elder Apple siblings all looked exhausted, sweat giving their coats a sheen in the setting sun. Pinkie pronked as usual, although she didn’t reach her maximum height, and Twilight looked just fine. Magic, Magnus knew, was more of a mental strain than a physical one.

“This here’s the last load of apples from the east field,” Applejack announced as she, Rainbow, and Pinkie unhitched themselves from the wagons, wiping the sweat off of her forehead with one hoof. “All we got left is the north field, and that one’s much smaller. Big Mac and Ah can handle that on our own.”

“Well ain’t that good news!” Granny stood up and smiled, her hips creaking from sitting still for so long. “Ah knew we could do it if we all chipped in! The harvest is saved!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed happily.

“It was a lot of work,” Twilight stated. “But it was a team effort, and now you have all the apples you need until next year.”

“Best workout I had in a long time,” Rainbow said. Even though she stood still, she slightly leaned forward as if the heavy cart was still hitched onto her.

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Just the last few baskets and it would be all over. Hours upon hours upon hours of staring at shiny red apples were a real strain on the eyes.

“Can you see anything but the colour red?” he asked Spike.

“Do apples come in other colours? I think I’d prefer reshelving day over this,” Spike muttered sarcastically.

Fluttershy and Rarity both giggled at the duo’s groans. The two mares hadn’t complained at all; instead, they kept a lively conversation going on almost the entire time. Even Granny Smith merrily joined in, her mouth and ears on the conversation, but her eyes firmly on the apples.

“Oh, it was not that bad. Why, this actually gave me a few ideas; ‘Harvest Apparel’. I’m sure I can come up with something fashionable and elegant for celebrating a good harvest,” Rarity chimed in.

“And it’s always nice to help other ponies,” Fluttershy added. She then addressed the matriarch of the Apples: “Maybe I could gather and spread some apple seeds from the bad apples over the Everfree Forest; that way my furry friends will be able to find more food in a few years.”

“Go ahead, Fluttershy, we ain’t gonna use those apples. The apple rot don’t affect the seeds none,” Granny Smith answered and began walking towards the house. “Now then, ya’ll help sort the last apples while Ah get dinner going. Ya’ll invited fer dinner! And Ah won’t take neigh for an answer!”

“Ah can help you!” Apple Bloom exclaimed and, although looking a bit tired, happily cantered after her grandmother.

“Well, Ah guess ya’ll invited fer dinner then.” Applejack began moving the baskets off the carts, setting them on the ground. “The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can have some grub. Let’s get to it then.”

With everyone sorting the remaining apples, the baskets were emptied in record time. Applejack and Big Mac proved to have the same sharp eyes as Granny Smith when it came to sorting apples. Even Spike showed his newfound powers as an apple expert, lecturing Twilight when it came to knowing what apples were good and which one were bad. This in turn was subject to much laughter, especially from Applejack.

“Lookit that! The teacher’s being taught.”

When the final barrel was carried into the cold cellar, Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. He was used to hard work from home, not from the bowling alley, but from his fall and winter job which involved sawing, carrying, and stacking firewood for sale. This, however, made him wish for machinery to do the job. No one ever said that running a farm was easy, especially when it was all manual labour.

After some time, Granny Smith came out onto the porch. “Soups on, everypony. Come and get it while it’s hot!” That was all it took to cause an orderly stampede since everybody had worked up a hunger from the day.

However, certain rules had to be obliged first. “Not so fast, young’uns. Go wash your hooves first.” Granny’s tone of voice brokered no objection, and in a single file, they all walked inside and headed to the washroom to clean the variety of appendages they all possessed; hands, hooves, and claws. Only when all were clean did Granny allow them a seat at the table.

Granny and Apple Bloom hadn’t been inside for much more than thirty to forty-five minutes, but in that time, grandmother and granddaughter had made more than enough for everybody. A large bar pan filled with steaming warm vegetables, stacked with sliced carrots, spinach, celery and onions, bathing in a mix of eggs and cream, and covered with cheese, and spices stood on the table alongside an apple-based salad, bread, and butter.

To say that it tasted delicious was an understatement, even when lacking in meat. Granny Smith had truly perfected the culinary arts.

Conversation and laughter flowed freely while they ate, the mood mellow due to the effort they’d all put in. Magnus also contributed to the conversation, a change from his usual mode of simply being a listener. His seasonal job as a farmhand had given him some experience as well as many funny stories to share, and humorous farm-related stories was something both the Apples and the others could appreciate, further raising the festive mood at the table.

Magnus was seated next to Rarity and Apple Bloom, and with good food and company, conversation came naturally. Rarity showed an unusual interest in how humans grew food, which was very much unlike her, but Magnus figured that the topic came up due to the work they had done during the day. Apple Bloom however, had a different topic on her mind. She had heard something from Applejack, a rumour that she wanted confirmed.

“So humans don’t get cutie marks at all, Mister Magnus?” the filly inquired. She was a bit obsessed with the magical butt marks. Magnus remembered the whacky stories from Applejack about the Crusader’s hare-brained schemes to gain them.

He finished chewing before answering, washing down his food with a glass of water. “No, but we can get a tattoo if we want to. It’s not a cutie mark, but we can get any symbol we want. Some humans get them because they want it to represent something, or they get one just because it looks cool. There might be some people who get one because it symbolises their work or something they’re good at.”

Apple Bloom gasped. “Anything?” she asked, her big eyes sparkling.

“Mhm, anything they want. Long ago, people got tattoos because it represented something about their religion, their tribe, or their achievements in life. I guess that someone also thought that tattoos were linked to magic, but that wasn’t true at all.”

Apple Bloom practically beamed with excitement as she turned to Granny Smith. “Granny, Ah want a tattoo!” she exclaimed.

While the Apple siblings nearly choked on their food, Granny Smith merely chuckled lightly while smiling fondly at the filly. “It ain’t gonna show on us ponies; our coats cover it all up. Unless you wanna shave off your coat every ten days or so.”

“S-Shave off mah coat?” Apple Bloom stuttered, her uncertainty shining through. “Ah don’t wanna be bald all over! I don’t want a tattoo anymore.”

“Well then, lil’ apple sprout, it’s a mighty fine decision you’ve made. You see, minotaurs can have them, but their coats are thinner in places and it shows through. Why, Ah remember my grand uncle Ambrosia Apple when he was young. He sailed to the minotaur lands a long time ago and came home with one of ‘em tattoos that looked like a starfish on his shoulder. He was so proud, he began shaving off the coat covering it to show it to ponies. ‘Course, when he got old and wrinkly, that starfish sagged so much it looked like an octopus.”

A round of laughter followed, with many clearly imagining what it would look like.

“Mister Magnus, do you have a tattoo?” Apple Bloom asked, to which Magnus shook his head.

“No, I’m not that big of a fan. Besides, tattoos are permanent; you can remove it, but it’s very painful.” He wasn’t about to explain to a kid how a laser burned away the skin to reach the ink below.

Eventually dinner came to an end. Everyone had their fill, their hunger satisfied. One would think that at the end of a banquet like this, no more food would be served. At least Magnus thought so. But a devious old mare had other plans.

“Ya’ll did such fine work today, Ah think we need a little extra something. How do apple crisps with whipped cream sound to ya’ll?”

No one said no.

***

Everyone was literally stuffed. As soon as dessert had been consumed, they all chipped in to help clean up. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom had prepared dinner, so they were asked to leave the kitchen and rest in the living room. As a team effort, doing the dishes went in a jiffy, and when they were done, they joined Granny and Apple Bloom in the living room.

Due to his size and the fact that he alone would take two limited spaces, Magnus opted to simply sit on the floor and lean against the couch, same as Big Mac, Applejack, and Rainbow.

The Apple’s hospitality shone through again as Granny Smith offered them all to stay for a while to allow their food to digest in peace and quiet instead of walking or flying home so soon. Conversation flowed once more as if it never ceased in the first place, with many different topics being spoken of amongst friends. Granny even regaled them with stories of her youth and times gone by, and even though the elderly mare got more than a bit sidetracked from time to time, she was a well of knowledge, particularly when it came to Ponyville itself. It made sense, seeing as she was one of the first ponies to settle there more than a hundred years ago.

But talking wasn’t the only activity being performed this evening. At least one pony had something else in mind.

Perhaps it was the sugar-rich dessert, or maybe it was all the talking that made her bored—the fact remained that Apple Bloom silently snuck behind the couch and stealthily made her way behind her brother before adopting a pouncing stance, all while everyone else looked on. The filly held a hoof in front of her mouth, silently shushing her audience. Everybody had an inkling of what she planned to do. With her tail and butt wiggling like a cat, Apple Bloom launched herself onto Big Mac’s back with a gleeful holler, surprising a few ponies that hadn’t noticed Apple Bloom sneaking around. Big Mac let out a surprised yelp and then began laughing, all while playfully trying to get his sister off his back. The little filly, however, wasn’t even slightly deterred. She scrambled her way to Big Mac’s neck, all while avoiding his searching hooves. She eventually succeeded in making her way to the top of Big Mac’s head and covered his eyes with her forehooves.

It was merely play fighting, an age old tradition between siblings. By the looks of it, Apple Bloom had done this before and knew Big Mac’s tricks. The stallion tried to get her off, but Magnus could see that Mac didn’t put as much effort into it. After all, where was the fun if he merely shook his sister off after a few seconds?

“Ah gotcha! Surrender!” Apple Bloom cried with a victorious grin.

Ponies laughed at their antics, and Rainbow even tried to give Apple Bloom a few pointers, such as trying to get Big Mac into a headlock while Fluttershy urged Mac to be careful with his sister. The stallion had everything under control, being careful at what he did.

Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair, watching her grandchildren at play with an serene smile on her wrinkled face that shone with love. Applejack had a similar, but more playful expression, as if she was likely to join in any moment now.

“Do you surrender, big brother?” Apple Bloom asked again, clinging to Big Mac like a flea.

The red earth pony just grinned, and with a forward flick of his head, Apple Bloom came tumbling forward, landing on her back and straight into Mac’s forehooves.

“Nope!” he stated and leaned his head towards her belly, letting his long locks of hair tickle Apple Bloom’s belly.

The filly screamed with laughter. “No! Stop! Hahaha, Ah won’t give up! That’s not fair!” she cried out while flailing her legs wildly.

“Eenope!”

Their roughhousing caused more than a bit of amusement and laughter. Big Mac’s deep, rumbling laughter and the ever increasing list of tricks he employed to make Apple Bloom howl with glee was impressive. No cuter, however, was Apple Bloom herself. She laughed and giggled up a storm with her high-pitched voice, flailing her hooves wildy in order to escape, but Big Mac held her firmly in place. It seemed as if Apple Bloom would never escape the tickling torture.

It was at that moment Applejack intervened. Tossing her hat aside, she jumped on Mac’s back, surprising the stallion which bought Apple Bloom time to escape. Like a cowboy wrangling cattle, the cowpony managed to get her forelegs around his barrel and then forcefully and swiftly rocked to the side, which resulted in Big Mac falling with her, ending up on his back underneath Applejack. Once on the floor, Applejack held him firmly in place.

“Now Apple Bloom! Go for it!” Applejack cried out.

A moment of shock passed over Big Mac’s face as Apple Bloom victoriously strode on top of his broad barrel. With his eyes wide open, Big Mac shook his head while the filly approached. “Eenope! Nope! Nope! Nope!”

Apple Bloom slowly shook her head, her tail swishing from side to side like a pendulum of impending doom. “Well, Ah say Eeyup, Big Mac.”

Apple Bloom’s revenge was merciless. The little filly knew exactly where Big Macintosh’s major weakness was; he was extremely ticklish. Just simply brushing her tail across Big Mac’s chest resulted in the stallion breaking out into a fit of laughter, squirming like a worm on a hook, unable to escape Applejack’s iron grip. He was pinned, and everyone knew it. Hearing Big Mac’s deep voice shift between hysterical giggling and full blown laughter only made everyone laugh harder.

While Magnus was also amused by the scene unfolding before him, his mind began to drift. Apple Bloom was so lucky to have it all: a loving brother and sister, a caring grandmother filled with love, and a whole bunch of friends that cared about her. The scene caused him to ask himself a single question.

‘Would it matter? Human or pony?’

***

It was late by the time Twilight, Spike, and Magnus headed back, close to ten in the evening when they entered the castle, the crystal structure almost glowing in the light of the moon. Twilight only looked slightly tired, but Magnus was near exhausted due to the work effort he’d put in during the day. Spike was in no better shape; he yawned, said goodnight, and went to get himself ready for bed, all in less than ten seconds.

“I think I’m going to do a little bit of light reading before I go to bed,” Twilight said as she wandered towards the library. “What about you, Magnus? Are you going to bed now?”

“Yeah. With these new heavy limbs, I get beat a lot sooner,” Magnus explained with a yawn. “Good night, Twilight.”

“Okay, good night,” Twilight called after him.

The walk to his room was slow, as Magnus took his time, his head filled with various thoughts. Upon entering his room, Magnus did not lie down to sleep. Instead, he simply sat down on the bed, elbows resting on his knees while considering the thought that had rested on his mind for the past few hours.

Seeing how close the Apples were made him remember when he was younger, and the frequent visits to his friends’ homes. They all had parents as well as siblings and came from large families, having numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and lastly, grandparents, some of whom were no longer among the living. He had met many of them personally, and knew many quite well ever since childhood. Now, he missed them all terribly, but knowing that they weren’t dead brought him some comfort.

However, the visit at the Apple’s also made Magnus remember something else from his youth, a question as old as he was. There was a time when he had asked himself if he truly had no one but his grandfather. The answer to that question was always no, and his grandfather’s research into family members confirmed it. From time to time, Magnus would look through old photo albums belonging to his grandfather, seeing his parents when they were alive, as well as photos of his grandmother and grandfather when they were a young couple in love, and even his great-grandparents in an old-timey, grainy, black and white photo. It was at those times he wished he had a family, a real one. Blood relatives. Living parents to call mom and dad, someone to call uncle and aunt, and people his own age he could call cousins. Even when he was young and didn’t understand death, Magnus wished that his grandmother was still alive so that his grandfather wouldn’t be so lonely. That, and he knew from his friends that grandmothers always had candy or chocolate in their purses. But all he had was his grandfather, and friends he referred to as siblings, even though they really weren’t. That was what was missing from his life; a real family.

With a sigh of frustration, he rose from bed and walked over to the window, opened it, and looked outside. The town was silent, and other than the street lamps, only a few houses still had lights coming from them. Turning his gaze to the west, he saw Sweet Apple Acres in the distance, bathed in moonlight, home of the Apple family. A loving family, caring very much for each other, just as he himself cared for his adopted siblings. They reminded him of his friends’ families in a way.

But then he looked to the east, roughly the direction he knew Hollow Shades to be in. There was the home of Brilliant Star. A pony he knew only by name and a few other details: she was old, lived in a castle, was a minor noble, used to be a teacher, but that was it. He did not know her at all, just a complete stranger.

He admitted to himself that he was curious about her—who wouldn’t be? However, there were things that held him back. She was a pony, and he wasn’t. She was old, and he was young. As was normal with old people, they were set in their ways, and that probably went for old ponies as well. Being told she was related to a primate was most likely not something she would take kindly to either.

And still Magnus gazed to the east. It was as if something compelled him to behold that direction. He knew a bit about where his parents’ families came from, but this part of the family tree was unknown territory, just a single pony alone in a castle.

‘What if I went to Hollow Shades? Just think… what if?’ He once again weighed the pros and cons, yet his resolve remained indecisive. With a huff, Magnus stood up and began to pace and forth. ‘This is never going to work. Each time I try to decide, my mind always gets messed up with too many facts and too much thinking. It can’t go on like this; it’s either yes or no. No debate. Make it simple!’

He walked back to the window again and rested his elbows on the windowsill. He looked to the east. ‘I go to Hollow Shades and find an old, grumpy pony who doesn’t want anything to do with me. I go there, she tells me to hit the road, and she can go back to being grumpy and alone again, and I go back to Canterlot, find a job, and later, a place to live.’

Then he looked to the west and Sweet Apple Acres. ‘Or I could go to Hollow Shades and find… something else.’

Magnus stood for many long minutes at the window, his gaze transfixed to the east. He then sighed and closed the window. “If I never go, I’ll never find out what would happen in Hollow Shades. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance and hope for the best.”

He then left his bedroom. He had a letter to write, and hopefully, Spike hadn’t dozed off yet.

***

Steam wafted from Celestia’s private bathroom as she exited. The Sun Princess’ illustrious mane and tail were each wrapped in large towels made of premium Saddle Arabian cotton. After a long day of work, a soak in a warm bath worked wonders on her body. Her throne—even with a large soft cushion—was far from comfortable to sit on for hours on end, and in that, Luna agreed with her. Luckily, the redecorations of the throne room were scheduled for next year. Both princesses would be getting new thrones, and comfort was their main priority.

Releasing a relaxed sigh, Celestia carefully unrolled the towels, letting her damp sunbeam-collared mane and tail down before taking a seat at her vanity. Picking up her combs and brushes with her magic, she began gently brushing her mane and tail.

‘I wonder what my little ponies would say if I decided to cut my mane short one day. I believe Discord would certainly approve. After all, he once stole my tail.’

Just then, a puff of smoke flew into her chambers and materialized into a scroll before her eyes and fell onto the vanity.

‘A letter? At this hour? I hope nothing happened in Ponyville,’ Celestia thought as she picked up the scroll and unfurled it. She noted that it didn’t have a ribbon tied around it, as most of Twilight’s letters had.

She carefully read through the scroll once. Then, she reread it while a smile grew on her face. “I hoped you would say yes, dear Magnus.”

Author's Notes:

Well, this took a helluva long time, didn't it?

I'll be honest: this chapter was probably the most difficult one for me to write. I started over several times, rewrote, became dissatisfied, changed things, got tired of it, deleted it all and started over again. Finally, I decided that Magnus seeing the Apple siblings interacting would be a good way for him to simply start reconsidering Brilliant Star in more favorable terms. The rest came on its own. Of course, real life things also got in the way.

I've been taking a car wrapping course on the other side of the country, been working overtime, and came home most days too tired to write efficiently, just staring at the screen and go "Nah, not tonight." Now though, I find myself with a little less to do. As a matter of fact, the next chapter is more than halfway done.

As usual, thank you to all you lovely readers who find my work decent enough to give it a chance and a read. Also a huge thank you to all my new and old followers and watchers. You lovely people make me wanna write.

And extra big thank you to JBL for editing. The man's a Wordlock. It means he summons good and decent sentences and banishes horrible ones. Thanks JBL!

Chapter 45 - Last Day in Ponyville

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“Careful… careful…” Twilight nervously chewed on her hoof while at the same time using her magic to levitate a quill and paper to take notes. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Magnus and the straight razor he held in his hand. The blade was sharp and could inflict serious damage with a single errant move. Sure, they used razors like this in hospitals to shave the coat of patients before surgery, but the nurses who wielded them were trained in handling the implement. Now, she was watching a human use it without any special training and the procedure was nerve-wracking to behold. Still, that didn’t stop her from taking notes. Already she had asked several questions regarding human facial hair, its meaning, and if all humans could grow a moustache and beard.

Slowly, the sharp blade moved against Magnus’ skin, dangerously close to his throat. Ever so gently, it scraped against skin, cutting cleanly the stubble and longer hairs until the blade built up a layer of foam and needed rinsing. Hot tap water solved that problem.

“Think I’m getting the hang of this now,” Magnus stated while he rinsed off the sharp edge. Knowing how dangerous it could be, he used utmost care when shaving. He wasn’t a stranger to a straight razor, having tried it before, though he preferred the safety razor due to it being easier to wield.

Stretching the skin under his chin, the blade once again moved closer to remove the rest of the stubble. However, his earlier success made him bold and that boldness drew blood.

Magnus winced as the razor cut skin while Twilight gasped and covered her mouth with her hoof. Fortunately, the cut was shallow but stung like the dickens. To him it was nothing, just a price to pay for having a cleanly shaven face. After all, at the age of twenty seven, a man that shaved regularly would have cut himself many times. To his spectator, however, it was much more different.

“You cut yourself!” Twilight exclaimed in horror and winced at the sight of a drop of blood that fell into the sink. “You should let me shave you. I have better control over my magic than you have over your hands.”

“Absolutely not!” Magnus stated firmly, looking at the reflection of the alicorn in the bathroom mirror. “I don’t doubt your magic, but I draw the line at handling a razor near my jugular.”

“Then at least let me put a spell on it to prevent you from accidentally cutting yourself,” Twilight pleaded. Magnus promptly ignored her and began another careful stroke from his throat up to his chin.

“Oh, I can’t watch this! I just know something will go terribly wrong.” Twilight covered her eyes with her hooves, but couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the strange—and potentially dangerous—custom being performed before her eyes. She had seen her father getting a shave, but he usually went to the hairdresser to get it done, and stallions only shaved once or twice a year.

“Magnus? Twilight? Where are you guys?” Spike called out as he entered the bathroom, finding his big sister covering her eyes and Magnus wielding a razor near his throat. It was a strange and bizarre sight to the young dragon. “Ah, is this a bad time?” he asked innocently.

“I’m observing a human custom from up close, Spike. This has never been observed by ponies before!” Twilight stated quickly. “And it’s not something little dragons should see; it’s very bloody!”

Magnus rolled his eyes at Twilight’s exaggeration. “And I’m just shaving. What’s up, Spike?”

Spike nodded slowly. “Okay…? Um, you have visitors downstairs.”

Visitors? That certainly surprised Magnus. Who would want to see him? He hoped that it wasn’t some nosy journalist who’d finally decided to break Celestia’s command of leaving him alone; he liked the current status quo. No one bothered or harassed him, and no one had tried to kidnap him for nefarious purposes. So, who could it be? There was only one way of finding out.

“Tell them that I’ll be down in a few moments.”

After several more minutes of dread, Magnus and Twilight made their way downstairs to find out who the mysterious visitors were. When they reached the main hall, Spike was talking with them. It wasn’t journalists or mad scientists, it wasn’t the next harmony-threatening disaster to strike Equestria, and it wasn’t even Discord. From what he’d heard from their sisters, however, these three had an unusual talent for getting into trouble just the same.

“Hi, Magnus!” Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo chorused, smiling innocently.

“Hello there.” Magnus knelt in front of them so that he could look them in the eye and showed them a smile in return. “You wanted to see me?”

The fillies nodded. “Ah told mah friends about you; Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle here,” Apple Bloom began, gesturing to the other two. “And Ah told them what you told me yesterday about cutie marks, about how humans can’t get one.”

“And that’s a bit sad,” Sweetie Belle intoned, staring dejectedly at Magnus. “We’re sorry you can’t get one.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, we are. We won’t try to see if you can get one, but we wanted to ask if you can come with us today. We have a lot of ideas for cutie marks we can try out, but some of them need an adult.”

“And that’s where you come in,” Apple Bloom continued. “Everypony we know is busy today, and can’t help us. You can be our adult supervisor!”

“Plus, if you supervise us, maybe you can come up with some ideas we haven’t tried yet,” Sweetie Belle finished.

Before Magnus could even say anything, the three fillies shot doe eyes in unison at him that rivaled the most adorable kitten while smiling and pleading, “Pleeeaaaasseeeee?”

Magnus felt his resolve crumble and turned to Twilight for aid. She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t go with them. Spike and I have errands to do today, one of them is a visit to Zecora in the Everfree Forest, and I’m not about to bring someone who isn’t familiar with it in there.”

***

“How did this happen?” Magnus asked himself not for the first time while following the three rambunctious fillies through Ponyville. Babysitting certainly wasn’t on his agenda today. He had already planned to visit Snapshot and pick up his framed photos, maybe go for a walk and find something interesting to do, or perhaps read a book. Instead, he somehow ended up supervising three fillies who had an extreme obsession with finding out what their special talents was. At least he remembered his bag of bits before leaving the castle; he could pick up the photos on his way back later.

His wards ran around his legs, just as they did when they left the castle, telling him all about what they had tried and failed at in the past. Their previous failures had not deterred them at all; instead, it fuelled them on to attempt more unorthodox methods.

“We also wanted to try to build a catapult a while ago, but we weren’t so good at it,” Scootaloo mentioned as she and her friends skipped ahead.

“Ah think we did good work on it. It worked, didn’t it?” Apple Bloom rebutted.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Uh huh, but there was a construction error somewhere, and we don’t know what happened. At least Spike landed in the pond.”

Magnus shook his head and chuckled. “My god, what have I gotten myself into?”

“Supervising!” they happily replied before standing shoulder to shoulder and loudly exclaiming, “Cutie Mark Crusaders being supervised!”

“That’s probably needed,” Magnus mumbled to himself.

The fillies led Magnus to the outskirts of Ponyville, past pastures where cows grazed and had lively, and judging by the laughter, amusing conversations. Some of the bovines recognized the trio and waved a foreleg at them as they passed, which the fillies eagerly returned.

Eventually, they came to a wide open area, empty except for a few wooden crates standing alone and a little red wagon.

“Here we are; our first attempt for the day,” Scootaloo announced. “It took several trips with our cart before we got it all here, but it should be worth it.” She then joined her two friends as they began to open the crates.

Magnus walked up to the crates and bent down to take a closer view. “So what’s the first project you have planned? Does it have to do what’s in these box…” His words died on his tongue as he saw the stencilled words on the crates and a vaguely familiar pictogram he associated with New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July; that of an explosion. “A fireworks’ kit?!” He swiftly turned to the fillies who were eagerly laying out small boxes in different colours, thick cardboard tubes, guiding sticks, and a bundle of green cord. “You three are gonna make fireworks all by yourselves?!”

Apple Bloom nodded eagerly. “Yep. We saved up bits so that we could buy it. We had to talk our sisters into it, though. Mah brother ordered this kit and it came yesterday with the train. If we get our cutie marks in being fireworks experts, we can make fireworks so beautiful we can do shows in Canterlot, Manehattan, Las Pegasus—everywhere!”

“And maybe even the princesses will ask us to show them our fireworks at the Grand Galloping Gala,” Sweetie Belle added, her voice breaking at the end out of pure eagerness. The unicorn filly then picked up a thick cardboard tube, longer than her body, that had a guiding stick attached to it. She grinned, causing the hairs on Magnus’ arms to stand on end.

‘What’s this chilling emotion I suddenly feel?’

Although a small part of Magnus felt great excitement when it came to creating something potentially destructive that could make a big boom, his logic and reason took control. If he was to keep these little filly Oppenheimers safe, he had to consider their well-being first of all and check if this kit was secure to use in the first place.

He let out a sigh. “Okay, I’ll help you with this. But!” Magnus held up his hand, his index finger extended as a warning. “I want to read the manual and see if this kit is safe to use, and how to use all this correctly. Got it?”

The fillies exchanged questioning glances, their unpacking paused before they turned back to Magnus again and nodded. “I guess that’s fair. You’re our adult supervisor after all,” Scootaloo said.

Magnus took his time reading through the instruction manual and eventually he had to concede that the kit was safe. It even stated that the kit was for nearly all ages, but young ponies should have an adult present. Black powder thankfully wasn’t one of the ingredients included to create all the colours of the firework, but many other strange things were. Dried rainbow was one such ingredient, and how ponies managed to get a hold of said ingredient made Magnus’ brain itch.

After a few moments spent wondering if this world was shitting him, Magnus gave up and turned to the three fillies who were eagerly waiting for him to give them the all-clear. “Well, this looks okay to me,” he said as he sat down on a rock. “Go on girls, build your fireworks. When the time comes to set it off, we still have to retreat to a safe distance, alright?”

The fillies whooped and hollered and dove right into building their first rocket, the excitement sparkling in their eyes. They even acted very professional about the whole thing… for about a minute.

“Should we make a big rocket or a small rocket first?” Sweetie Belle asked. She held a large tube while Scootaloo held a smaller one.

Apple Bloom hummed to herself while she alternated her gaze from tube to tube, when suddenly, she grinned. Once more, Magnus felt a chill run down his spine. “We’ll make a huge one!”

‘One part of me wants to object, but this other part of me wants to see where this goes…”

***

Pronking through town, Pinkie hauled a wagon behind her filled with all manner of baked goods, evidence that she wasn’t the only one in Ponyville with a sweet tooth. She only had one more delivery to complete before she needed to return to Sugarcube Corner to make something really special.

That was when her world was rocked. The only warning she got was from her Pinkie Sense; pinchy ears. She knew what it meant and immediately covered her ears.

A loud thunderous KA-BOOM resounded all throughout the town! Ponies near and far jumped in fear, with some even taking refuge underneath wagons or inside the closest building. When the sound died down, silence fell across the former sleepy town of Ponyville. In mere seconds, small crowds had formed with everypony trying to figure out what had just happened.

Pinkie was one of a handful of ponies who didn’t dive for cover. She stood in the middle of the street, the cart still attached to her harness and her mane and tail curliness doubled. Gently moving her hooves away from her ears, she shook herself lightly as she checked around to see what had just happened. The colourful mushroom cloud rising from a field on the outskirts of Ponyville was a big clue.

“Guess the fillies got their fireworks kit.” Pinkie grinned and once more cantered towards her next destination.

***

“Well, Ah think Ah speak for all of us when Ah say that fireworks experts is not our special talents,” Apple Bloom stated as she, her two friends, and Magnus wandered into the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, heading for their clubhouse.

“Yeah, we got nothing to show for it,” Sweetie Belle murmured, seeming dejected from their failure.

“Except for a big boom,” Scootaloo added with a huge grin, turning to their adult supervisor for confirmation. “What do you think, Magnus? Wasn’t it awesome?”

The human didn’t respond, not until Scootaloo poked his leg. He glanced down at the filly. “WHAT? Did you want something, Scootaloo?” he shouted.

“I said, wasn’t it awesome?!” Scootaloo shouted back. Their adult supervisor was the last one to head for cover behind a large rock after the fuse was lit. Somehow, the fuse turned out to be defective as it burned much too quickly.

Magnus shook his head. “I can’t hear you! Hold on! Let me try something!” Holding his fingers over his nose, he took a deep breath in an attempt to make his eardrums pop, like a diver trying to equalize the pressure. Surprisingly, it worked, as just after a few seconds, Magnus heard a loud pop in his head and the sounds of the world returned in full. “Oh, there we go. God, I missed hearing things.”

“Anyway,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah think we should go onto the next step of our plan.”

Sweetie Belle nodded sagely. “Yeah, it wasn’t a good idea to use an old apple barrel for a tube and a fencepost as a guiding stick.”

“Sorry, girls, I should’ve said something,” Magnus admitted. In the heat of the creation process, his curiosity took over and he wanted to see what would happen. Years ago, he and some of his friends had attempted to make explosions just for the fun of it. Their finest attempt was filling a huge metal barrel with a mix of oxygen and acetylene gas and then placing the whole thing in an old outhouse at an abandoned farm near town. The largest piece they found afterwards was half the outhouse door. “If your sisters get mad at you, just say that I was responsible.”

“No can do, we are responsible Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo cheerfully replied.

‘Honest to a fault, even if it means they’ll be grounded until they’re senior citizens.’

They reached the clubhouse and Magnus was of course invited in. It differed from a treehouse built by human children, in that it had a ramp leading up to the structure. It made sense, as a ladder would be difficult for a pony to climb. The inside seemed quite cozy, with curtains, actual glass windows, a small table, as well as different decorations on the wall, one being a huge poster filled with a variety of symbols resembling cutie marks.

Apple Bloom made her way over to said poster and crossed out a mark that depicted a rocket. “Fireworks cutie mark was a bust. Let’s move over to the next one.”

While the three fillies debated what to try next, Magnus sat down in a corner to rest. He still wasn’t quite adjusted to his new legs. While sitting there, he perused the list of things the infamous Cutie Mark Crusaders had attempted before. The list wasn’t written in words, rather, what they had tried was drawn in the likeness of a cutie mark. There was the mark of a hammer and nails, obviously something that had to do with carpentry; a mark depicted a hang glider which needed no explaining. There were paintbrushes, parachutes, a punching bag, a white uniform and black belt, and an assortment of others. Just how long had they been doing this?

Then the enthusiastic voice of Scootaloo cut in. “Then it’s settled. We’ll ask Hard Hat if we can try to be roofers!”

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Well, okay. That doesn’t sound so dangerous. If they don’t get a cutie mark from it, they’ll at least have the job experience.’

***

The three fillies stood on top of the half-finished roof of a second story house. The house was nearing completion and the only thing that remained was finishing the roof. Hard Hat, the building foreman, had allowed the three fillies up top so that he could teach them how to lay bundles of straw to make the roof watertight. At least, that was what was supposed to happen…

“Ah thought you had the crate of straw, Sweetie Belle.”

“And I thought Scootaloo had it,” Sweetie firmly stated, yet still peeking down at the street level.

“I never had it. I was busy placing the straw just like Hard Hat told us to,” Scootaloo replied.

The three fillies stood at the edge of the roof, carefully peering down at Magnus. A steady stream of words in an unknown language came from below.

“That’s gotta hurt,” Scootaloo commented. “Good thing Hard Hat had enough hard hats for all of us, even one for Magnus too.”

“Mhm. What do you think he’s saying?” Sweetie asked.

Apple Bloom hummed to herself for a second. “Ah think he’s cussing, ‘cause he sounds just like Big Mac that time he stepped on a rusty nail.”

***

Back at the club house, Scootaloo crossed out the roofing cutie mark. “Now what? Any ideas?” she asked Sweetie and Apple Bloom.

Magnus sat leaned against the wall, nursing the bump on his head with an ice pack, courtesy of Granny Smith. He could feel his own pulse on the swelling and sucked air through his teeth each time it throbbed.

‘It was just an accident,’ he thought to himself. The hard hat had worked as intended and took the brunt of the damage. Nevertheless, the three fillies had apologized to him, and being a responsible and understanding adult, Magnus forgave them because he knew it was an accident.

After a while, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle still hadn’t decided, and Magnus could see on their faces that they were getting bored.

‘Maybe I can suggest something then. They asked me for ideas earlier, so maybe something that can work off a bit of their energy.’

“Hey, girls,” Magnus said, getting their attention. “I have an idea for something you can try. Ever heard of ~soccer~?”

***

After receiving a rundown of how soccer was played, the CMC were immediately on board with the idea. How cool would it be to have an alien sport for a cutie mark? They simply couldn’t resist. The fillies were quick to round up a few extra classmates in their game of ‘hoofball’. They called it that after hearing how the game was played, as the word ‘soccer’ had no direct translation to Equish.

Some of the fillies and colts were a bit hesitant in playing with the relatively strange, towering human, but after the CMC vouched for him and they got the chance to speak with him and seeing he was a pleasant person, they were eager to play. The teams were divided equally. Magnus was assigned being a goalie and had performed his job admirably… up until now.

It happened when the referee, a scrawny little pegasus colt named Featherweight, called a penalty buck, and the filly to buck the ball was an earth pony filly named Lily Longsocks. Everyone gathered knew of Lily’s unusual strength, everyone except Magnus. Although he did stop the ball from passing between the posts they used as a goal, it wasn’t his hands that caught it.

The CMC were quick to check on Magnus when they saw him go down. That was five minutes ago and he still hadn’t gotten up. Unable to speak, he was kneeling in the grass with his head resting on the ground, his horn buried in the dirt and his hands tucked someplace the fillies couldn’t see. The only sound they heard was an occasional faint high-pitched squeak.

On the sidelines stood the colts, pale, and with a grimace of sympathetic pain on their faces.

***

Back at the clubhouse, Magnus’ new ice pack was tucked underneath his pants so that the fillies couldn’t see it. Although the pain had lessened slightly, he was sure that on the off-chance he was still able to father children, they would be born screaming louder than usual.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Sculptors! Yay!”

***

Thirty minutes later, Magnus once more had an ice pack, this one resting on his hoof. While carving a block of stone at Chiselmark’s studio, the CMC managed to tip over a hefty block of marble while eagerly chipping away with hammers and chisels. Fortunately, the block tipped away from the fillies. Unfortunately, the block tipped towards Magnus and struck him right on the tip of his hoof.

***

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Newspaper Printers! Yay!”

***

Magnus’ pants, part of his shirt, and all the fur on his legs were now covered in black ink.

***

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Lumberjacks! Yay!”

Magnus considered himself a careful man, and knowing a bit about the dangers of felling trees from his winter job, he kept a very close eye on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo while they chopped down a small tree. Somehow, the tree fell on another tree, changed direction, and almost fell on him. The only damage he sustained was to the back of his shirt as the branches tore a piece out of it. He himself was unharmed.

By now, Magnus was dead sure that Discord was somewhere nearby, and even though he went hunting for him, the Spirit of Chaos was nowhere in sight.

***

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Firefighters! Yay!”

Taking every possible precaution he could think of, Magnus built a tiny bonfire on a pile of stacked stones in a shallow part of the pond near Sweet Apple Acres. There the fillies could practice extinguishing a fire without any incident whatsoever. Nothing should be able to go wrong here. Apple Bloom found some old pesticide hoof pumps in the barn, filled them with water, and then the fillies could douse the fire. It was a foolproof plan.

Staring in disbelief at the burning pond, Magnus, his hands resting on his hips, shook his head in disbelief and turned to the CMC. “How?!”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo gave each other unsure looks before shrugging. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle unscrewed the cap on the pesticide pump and sniffed the contents. She quickly pulled her muzzle away. “Ew, this isn’t water. I think you switched the pumps, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom plucked the pump from Sweetie, smelled the contents and grimaced. “Ah just filled up three from a pile of these things! There were so many of them, Ah guess Ah could have switched them when Ah left! What is this stuff anyway?”

Magnus took the pump from Apple Bloom and read the label on the side. ‘Contains 80% alcohol.’

***

By the time the fillies called it a day, they were still without cutie marks. Still, they were unharmed and their coats weren’t covered in anything that required a long soapy bath or vigorous scrubbing. All they needed now was a meal and a good night's sleep. The same couldn’t be said for their supervisor, however...

“Finally,” Magnus nearly whimpered as he dragged his hooves after him, spotting Twilight’s castle appearing from behind the last house, happiness nearly overwhelming him. “Safety!” he exclaimed while ponies watched him limp towards the crystal castle, all in wonder of what had happened to the human.

Each and every article of clothing he wore was either partially torn, had new holes in them, and was splattered with generous amounts of ink all over it. That included his legs as well, from his knees all the way to his hooves. The only unharmed thing he carried was the paper bag with the framed pictures he had picked up at Snapshot's studio a few minutes ago. His hoof still ached, the bump on his head didn’t hurt as much now, and his groin was less tender, though it still hurt to walk. Not to mention a few bruises, scrapes from a run-in with a rose bush, bee stings, and the pain in his ass. The last one was the CMC’s last attempt of the day; sheep herding. The ram didn’t like ponies near his girls, and showed his displeasure by trying to ram Sweetie Belle. Magnus managed to push away Sweetie at the last second, but had to take the full force of the ram’s head and horns to his backside.

“Any moment now! I’ll soon be safe from the Three Fillies of the Apocalypse!” Magnus whispered maniacally. With a psychotic giggle, he laid his hand on the brass doorknob and pulled open the door.

“SURPRISE!”

*BOOM*

The world went white, nearly. Off-white, almost like whipped cream with a hint of red, then Magnus was pushed violently backwards. Although the split second he lost balance felt like a minute, he had plenty of time to ponder the events of the day, and came to the conclusion that the universe, the fates, and everything deity-like in existence had decided to tag team him today.

His stumbling came to an end as he landed on his butt halfway down the short stairs, the pain the ram caused flaring up again. At the doors, Pinkie whooped and hollered with glee. “Were you surprised, huh? Were you?”

Behind Pinkie stood Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and lastly, Rainbow Dash, all of them smiling. “Ah think he was,” Applejack commented with a laugh while they stared at the unmoving shape of the human who sat still on the stairs, his face covered with a mix of strawberry cream and cake with rainbow sprinkles to add a little colour.

Magnus didn’t say or move an inch. His silence dragged on as the girls gave each other unsure looks. Finally, Twilight made her way down the stairs until she stood right in front of the human. “We tried to talk Pinkie out of loading her cannon with strawberry cake, but she insisted. She’s been keeping this surprise secret for days now.” No words came from Magnus, only silence. “Um, Magnus? Are you alright?”

A hole appeared in the cream covering Magnus’ face, and the presence of teeth and a tongue indicated it was his mouth. He took a deep breath, closed his mouth, and brought his hand to his face, a finger covering something. With a sharp exhale, one of his nostrils was cleaned of cream. He repeated the procedure on the other one and sighed. “Why is there strawberry-flavoured cream in my sinuses?” he asked, his voice filled with a calmness that a zen-master would acknowledge with a courteous nod.

“Because you’ve been running around with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom all day! You gotta be exhausted, and you have to have some energy for tonight!” Pinkie gleefully stated. “Also, chewing takes too long. Just shoot the cake and sugar down into your tummy! I tried it once! I call it ‘Express Sugar Delivery’, no need for chewing!”

“...Of course… Silly me, what was I thinking?” Magnus wiped away the cream from his face, too beaten and tired to even bother to be angry. He shook the cream out from his hair and looked up at Pinkie. The mare was so excited, she couldn’t stand still; she was literally vibrating. “Okay, I gotta ask; why do I need energy for tonight?”

“Ah-ah-ah, not yet,” Rarity quickly cut off Pinkie, who had opened her mouth. “You need to clean yourself up first of all. Just look at the state you are in! And your clothes! Oh, stars, what happened to them? And what happened to you?”

Slowly, Magnus stood up. “Your sisters did. They are adorable, but dangerous to look after.”

The mares giggled at Magnus’ comment, not to mention his disheveled appearance. “You must be exaggerating. Go upstairs and fill the bathtub and you can wash off all that grime, put on a fresh set of clothes while we get the rest of the surprise ready,” Twilight suggested.

Too weary to protest, Magnus picked up his bag of framed photos, followed her in and headed upstairs while the others, Spike included, went to the library, whispering and smiling secretively. Obviously they had something planned. What that could be Magnus didn’t know. Nevertheless, a warm bath sounded good right about now.

‘Exaggerating? Bah! That’s like saying Hitler threw a temper tantrum in ‘39.’

***

A warm bath did do wonders to an abused body. Who would have known? A clean set of clothes and brushed teeth also went a long way into helping him put the memory of today’s events behind him, as well as allowing him to remove a wedged thorn from between his teeth.

By the time Magnus made his way down to the library he felt like a new man, ready to… well, not take on the world, but at least he felt prepared for whatever Pinkie had arranged. He guessed that it was probably party related somehow. He knew from Twilight and the others that Pinkie would throw a party for just about everything, and since he was leaving tomorrow, a goodbye party didn’t sound too far-fetched.

Magnus reached the library doors and pushed them open. Inside stood Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and of course, Spike. However, there were two other ponies Magnus had met earlier, namely Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. All of them were engaged in conversation when he entered but quickly turned around when they heard him.

Magnus took two steps in and noticed how the familiar library had changed. For starters, the round tables around the room had been pushed together, with pillows for everyone to sit on. On the tables, there were copious amounts of various drinks, but also a somewhat modest cake. Best of all, on large serving platters on the tables was two steaming fresh pizza straight from the oven, and its delightful scent threw Magnus for a slight spin.

On the side of the room stood a wooden barrel on a stand, with a spigot attached to it, and plenty of mugs ready to be filled. There were even a few corked brown bottles there.

But it didn’t end there! Vinyl had been busy too; her music setup was pushed up against one of the walls, with speakers and mixing table and a whole lot of records to boot. And if that wasn’t enough, the ponies had also hung a projection screen on one of the flat walls with an old-fashioned movie projector, and in front of the screen were couches and pillows to lie on. It was like a home movie theater!

Magnus was speechless as he looked around the room at all they had done. “What… have you…?” He locked eyes with Pinkie, the mare beaming at him. “Pinkie? Is this your surprise?”

She nodded and smiled. “Since you didn’t like my first party, I decided to do another one that you’d like. I planned this ever since I asked you what human parties are like and what kind of parties you like best. The girls helped too, you know.”

“You all knew Pinkie was up to this?” Magnus asked the assembled ponies.

“Of course. We’ve been helping Pinkie for days,” Twilight answered. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders offered to help keep you busy today while we prepared everything.” Twilight pulled out a checklist and read over it once. “At least, this should be everything, according to Pinkie’s description. We all pitched in where we could.”

Pinkie pronked over to the tables where the pizzas and a cake stood ready to be devoured. “Fluttershy helped me with the cake and pizza today. Rainbow did her part too.”

Rainbow nodded and rubbed a foreleg, shying away from meeting his eyes. “I… I flew to Cloudsdale yesterday and bought meat from a griffin vendor. Pinkie said that you like it on pizza.”

Magnus’ head snapped to the tables and the pizza. “It has meat?” he exclaimed, now knowing why the pizza smelled so good. It looked like… BACON! Food of the Gods!

“Uh, yeah, it’s um… pig. I hope you like it,” Rainbow replied weakly.

“And Applejack brought something special from Sweet Apple Acres!” Pinkie announced.

“Ah sure did.” Applejack walked over to the barrel and tapped it with a hoof. “Sweet Apple Acres Cider, two years old. Sweet tasting with a good buck to it.”

“And you said you like beer, so we found that too!” Pinkie danced over to the table, waving at the brown bottles. “Not my cup of sugar, but you’ll like it!”

“I, for one, decided to pull in a small favour from Mayor Mare.” Rarity walked over to the screen and the movie projector. “She graciously allowed me to borrow the town’s movie projector and screen for the day. Sadly, the amount of film reels town hall had was low, but I suppose a little old-fashioned comedy fits all audiences, don’t you think?”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Magnus stuttered, more than a bit in awe at the surprise they had worked on. “But where do Vinyl and Octavia come in?”

“Pinkie Pie asked us to join tonight,” Octavia spoke up. “Pinkie said, and I quote, “You all looked like you clicked when we came to visit the other day. Magnus likes music, and so do you!”” She even managed a decent impression of Pinkie’s way of speaking. Vinyl shoulder-bumped Octavia. Standing on two legs, she mimicked doing… something? “And of course, Vinyl decided to bring the music,” Octavia added.

“So, that’s it.” Twilight smiled at Magnus. “We all helped make a human party, the kind you like. What do you think?”

Magnus was unable to form an immediate response. He was overwhelmed at what the ponies had done to make him feel welcome. The last thing he expected was for Pinkie to plan all of this in order to make him feel welcome after the first failed welcome party she threw for him almost two weeks ago.

There was good food, drinks, music, movie, ponies he could call… well, at this point, they were no longer acquaintances. Perhaps they were… friends?

“I…” Magnus searched for the right words, but failed to find any that were adequate. “I mean, what can I say? All this just to make me feel welcome?” He rested his hands on his back while simply staring at everything they had pulled together to make this happen.

Well, he wasn’t in a position to reject this party, not anymore. This was as close to a Saturday evening back home as he could get, and home was so far away right now. It had been a long time since he just kicked back and relaxed with a cold one and good company. Tonight was as good as ever.

Taking a deep, invigorating breath, he looked at each and every one of the assembled ponies. “Thank you, all of you. This… It really means a lot to me, that you would go to this length in order to make me feel welcome.” The ponies gave him understanding smiles in return, knowing that their efforts had truly paid off.

“Sooooo,” Pinkie inched towards him, wiggling her eyebrows. “Does this mean you like it?”

Magnus chuckled and knelt in front of Pinkie, patting her curly mane. “Yes, Pinkie, I definitely like this.”

Pinkie jumped into the air and pumped her hoof in triumph. “Woohoo! Still got it!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “Oh, and can you do that thing again? With your hand in my mane? It felt nice.”

***

The new party had just about everything Magnus could have hoped for, with a few minor adjustments. The cake was pretty good, but as with most pony pastries, was slightly too sweet for his tastes. Still, one slice and he was good to go into the next course, which was the pizza. While beef was his favourite meat on pizza, salty bacon was a close second. Even though Pinkie and Fluttershy made several, one with meat for Magnus and vegan for the others, it tasted really good. He didn’t think they would have gotten it right, being herbivores and all, but one bite ensured that their efforts far exceeded his expectations.

After the food was devoured, the alcohol beverages were brought out. The ponies all favoured the cider, and Magnus the beer. Spike didn’t mind only having only soda, given his age. And was common when alcoholic drinks were present, conversation flowed freely and laughter was guaranteed. Quite often, Magnus was asked to tell about something from Earth, and he gave what he could offer. Stories were abundant, especially the funny ones from his youth.

And he had several.

“So there we were, Adam and I, trying to make alcohol for the first time, using Adam’s dad’s old still. No fancy mash, just water, sugar, and yeast, which we had left to ferment for a few days. We poured it all into the still in the old shed behind the house to cook. Not even two hours later, Adam’s dad came home and asked us why we left the garden hose running outside. We were just sixteen and didn’t have the guts to tell him we were using his old still, so Adam just said he used it to wash his bicycle but forgot to turn it off.”

“‘Well, no harm done. I just turned it off for you. Can’t waste water,’ the old man said. It was then that Adam almost turned white. Now, if you didn’t know, you need cold water to condense the alcohol, and if you don’t have cold water, the alcohol turns to steam. And it just so happened that we used the garden hose to run water into the shed.”

“Ah can already see where this is going,” Applejack chuckled and pushed back the brim of her hat with a wooden mug of cider in hoof.

“Yeah, exactly. Adam and I both sprinted outside to turn the hose back on, but before we reached the door, we heard this loud thud coming from behind the house. The still blew up, taking with it the shed, the lawnmower, and tools worth hundreds of dollars. Adam was grounded for two months, and I got three. I also had to pay off the damage I helped cause. You have no idea how many odd little jobs I did around town the next six months,” Magnus explained, a bottle of beer in hand while chuckling to himself. He still remembered that explosion vividly, and each time he thought back to it, he laughed. He wasn’t the only one, as the ponies all laughed. Even Vinyl joined in, though it was weird seeing no sound escape her.

‘Heh, well, at least they’re having as much fun as I am.’

***

The Equestrian movie industry was a surprise to Magnus, in that he was shocked it even existed. To be honest, he didn’t expect much. Still, watching old black and white movies with slapstick comedy involving magic, flying, and earth pony strength was a lot funnier than one could imagine. However, the movie clip that made Magnus laugh the most was similar to an old Abbott and Costello skit, and it involved two earth ponies named Round Barrel and Tall tree discussing a game called Buckball.

“Who’s the earth pony, What’s the pegasus, and I don’t Know the unicorn,” the pony named Tall Tree stated matter-of-factly as he listed the names of the team members to Round Barrel, who grew more and more frustrated as he many times over asked the names of the ponies involved, as well as the team’s spare members, but simply got nowhere.

By the end of the clip, Magnus had tears rolling down his cheeks.

***

Vinyl eventually opened the night’s music with a few of her own creations; bass-laden upbeat tunes which were suitable for a bit of dancing, and some more relaxing and laid-back. Ponies took to the dance floor to shake a leg, and Magnus discovered that ponies liked dancing, or at least moving to the tunes being played. The only one who hesitated was Fluttershy, and Octavia was content to sit on the couch with a mug of cider. Magnus too was asked to show how humans dance, but he gently declined.

‘If they knew that I grow two left feet after all the beer and cider I’ve had so far, they would definitely wanna see me dance. Still, I doubt I can be worse than Twilight.’ The poor mare waved her fore and hind legs around so much, Magnus wondered if he should leave her to dance or try to restrain her in case she had an epileptic seizure.

After playing her music for a while, Vinyl approached Magnus, and through the use of written notes, explained that she had something she wanted to show him. It appeared as a simple black box with metal edges, the type musicians and their crew use when transporting instruments, cables, and other delicate devices. However, this box was padded with sound-insulating material on the inside and also contained a single microphone hooked up to her mixing table. Vinyl explained that the box was a crude, homemade version of the advanced setup her brother used to record music. It was in fact a miniature sound studio!

Eager to test it, Magnus and Vinyl simply had to try. Fortunately, Magnus’ cell phone was in a good mood, and after once more sprouting legs and arms, it jumped into the box and… began warming up by performing stretching exercises.

Vinyl pushed up her sunglasses and gave Magnus a confused gaze. “Discord’s work.” Vinyl’s mouth opened slightly as she nodded.

“Okay then, little buddy, give it your best shot. Start with… can you play Jump, by Van Halen? It wasn’t stored on the phone.” He received a thumbs up from his phone. “Great! The stage’s yours.” As the lid closed, Magnus looked to Vinyl. “Never gonna get used to that; too weird.” Vinyl covered her mouth with a hoof and giggled silently.

Moments later, the sound of music from the eighties sounded from Vinyl speakers, making all the ponies and one dragon’s head turn to the source of this unfamiliar music. It took but a moment before they found that this new music was also extremely danceable, despite being sung in an unknown language. After Magnus explained the lyrics to whoever wanted to hear, it made much more sense. That was why Pinkie began to jump around like a madman, all while singing “Go ahead and pronk!”

The evening rolled on as popular music from Earth’s eighties and nineties rocked a crystal castle on a planet populated by mythological creatures. So it was then that Magnus went to fill up his mug with chilled cider, sat down on the couch, chugging the cold beverage and told himself, “Life… isn’t so bad.”

***

“So… to con—hic—clude, the-they don’t think it be that way…” Magnus inhaled deeply, clearing away some of the mysterious fog that surrounded him before exhaling and finally draining the rest of his cider. “But it do.”

Pinkie gasped. “Wooooow… that’s so deep…” She was leaning over the table, resting her head in her hooves with a silly grin on her face. She too had been drinking, but a lot less than him. Still, she was being the same ol’ Pinkie, just a bit more relaxed. “You should meet my sister, Maud. You’re just as poetic as her.”

“Maybe I will, one day.” Setting down his empty mug, Magnus rested his head on his hand and burped. Pinkie was fun to talk to, especially when he’d had more to drink. She made sense then, in a weird way. If only he remembered what they were talking about.

He sighed deeply in his alcohol-induced bliss. He was drunk, that much was clear, but not so much that he had to vomit or pass out. No, he had had just enough. Now, everything was funny, and he knew from experience that he shouldn’t drink any more, else he had hell to pay tomorrow.

The party was coming to its end. Spike had gone to bed, and Fluttershy and Rarity had gone home, Rarity using her friend as literal support to keep her course straight. Applejack was still standing relatively unscathed, though he was positive that she’d drunk twice the amount he did. Only the slight wobble in her step and her laughter betrayed her intoxication. Pinkie was ready to continue, as if there was any chance she’d leave now.

As for the rest? Well, Twilight and Octavia had both fallen asleep on separate couches, the first one proving to be a lightweight. Twilight had somehow created a nest of books that she snored in the centre of. There was even one precariously balanced book on the tip of her horn.

‘How long has that been th—oh yeah, we were playing Jenga a while ago.’

Octavia had probably tried to keep up with Vinyl and failed. The DJ had been drinking with both forelegs and her magic, and still looked like she was at a rave party. He still wasn’t sure where she got those glow sticks from.

Then there was the final pony, who Magnus had kept an eye on as she sat with Applejack. She just watched her friends dance, ate a cold slice of pizza, and nursed her cider. She’d only interacted with her friends half-heartedly and danced when Pinkie literally pulled her to the dance floor. She hadn’t even been drinking much at all, just sitting there and sulking like she’d just heard that flying wasn’t cool anymore.

In short, Rainbow Dash wasn’t having fun. As a matter of fact, she seemed downright miserable. Even though Magnus disliked Rainbow after the shit she pulled, he didn’t exactly see her as friend or enemy, just a pony he disliked due to her past behavior and one who he tried to avoid.

Now though, Rainbow looked absolutely pitiful. Like an abandoned kitten in a soggy cardboard box on the side of the road with cold wind blowing dust and debris around her, she gazed from one pony to another, searching for someone who would talk with her. Applejack was merely the last one out of a long line of friends who had attempted to cheer her up. Although it worked, cheering up Rainbow only lasted for a short while, as long as they got her mind on something else.

It was one thing about ponies that Magnus had pondered over, something that was absolutely true, even when it came to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna; their overall adorable appearance, expressive faces, and large eyes made them look like kittens or puppies in a way, like they were sending out signals that they were small, helpless, and needed shelter and comfort. Those thoughts ran through his mind as he stood up, wondering why he was thinking about what he was about to do. Did he feel sorry for her? Not really. Did he have any comforting words for her? Bah! Was he currently eloquent enough to get Rainbow out of the ditch she was in? He burped loud enough to drown out the music.

“Gonna see how the local taser is doing, Pinkie,” he slurred as he stood up. “And gotta tell Twilight something’s wrong with the floor; it’s slanted, contractor messed up.”

“Okaaayyyy,” Pinkie giggled-snorted.

Magnus homed in on Rainbow. She was too occupied with Applejack that she didn’t see him approaching. Applejack, however, did.

“Gonna get me some more cider, Rainbow, and look after Pinkie; she’s stacking more books on Twi.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll just sit here.” Magnus heard the disappointment in Rainbow’s voice as Applejack left. Perhaps the fact that the apple farmer had talked to her was enough to stave away some of Rainbow’s misery, and now that she left, Rainbow was alone with her own thoughts again.

For a moment, the rainbow-maned pegasus simply sat there, dejectedly staring into her mug. Then Magnus fell into the seat next to her, startling her. He exhaled slowly through his lips, blowing a lazy raspberry and said nothing. Neither man nor pony said a word, and the silence quickly became awkward.

Magnus lazily turned his head to Rainbow. “You messed up.”

Rainbow’s head sagged. She looked away and nodded weakly. “I… I did. I thought it would be a funny joke.”

“If I knew how this world worked, then yeah, I think it would've been funny. But when something like that can kill a man… Not so funny then, knowing you barely dodged the Reaper’s scythe.”

Magnus sighed and turned his attention to Pinkie and Applejack. Pinkie stacked the books while Applejack fetched more.

“I can handle a joke or prank just fine, but pranks around here, they’re different. What Pinkie and Jackie are doing right now? That’s funny.” He chuckled and turned to Rainbow Dash, who still avoided his gaze, staring quietly at the floor. “But a lightning bolt? I thought I was gonna die!”

He shook his head and sighed. “Still, you keep trying to find me around town, even when I avoid you or cross through an alley to get away. We agreed that we were back at square one, not friends, not enemies. I’m not the kinda guy who just stops a random stranger on the street just for the sake of conversation. I’ve actively avoided you. So, why do you try to talk to me all the time?”

Rainbow sat still, just moving her mug around to make the golden liquid swirl. “B-Because… I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Magnus blinked. “What?”

Rainbow nodded. “I never said I’m sorry, you know, not properly. That day when I left the castle, I never apologized to you. I can’t remember what I said, I was just... I can’t even remember flying home! I just sat in my bedroom, staring at the wall, thinking how I almost killed you. I did that all night. And when I fell asleep, I had these terrible nightmares.”

“About?” Magnus asked, his curiosity awakened. The whole incident had apparently affected Rainbow Dash more than he imagined.

“About you dead in the grass because of me, covered in burns and blisters and your clothes burning.” Rainbow sniffled. “Princess Luna has helped me in my dreams. She’s chased away the nightmares each night, but the next night, I have them all over again. I nap on a cloud or in a tree every day, but the nightmares return, and Princess Luna isn’t awake to help me then.”

“So what did she tell you to do?”

“She told me that I should apologize to you, like, really do it, not just mumble it to you, but ask your forgiveness. The nightmares might stop then. But every time I’ve tried, you ran away. I didn’t want to chase you either, ‘cause you’d think I was trying to hurt you again.”

“...Oh.” Now things made a bit more sense, at least as much sense as the alcohol in his system allowed him to. It was no wonder why Rainbow stalked him each and every day; she suffered nightmares during the night and the day.

‘A fitting punishment, if there ever was one,’ Magnus mused.

Now he had another dilemma to deal with. He didn’t want much to do with Rainbow in the first place, but he didn’t want to be the source of her misery either. After all, he was leaving tomorrow and chances were that he wouldn’t be coming back in a while, which meant that Rainbow’s nightmares and guilt would continue to gnaw at her.

Scratching his chin, he glanced down at Rainbow. After a closer look, he noticed that she looked like she hadn’t slept well in days—bags under her reddened eyes, droopy wings and ears. She really looked helpless and lost. Not even her friends could help her out of her funk. Ultimately, he realized it was his decision to either forgive Rainbow and let the both of them move on with their lives, or he could let her suffer the consequences of her actions.

Magnus mulled over his options for a moment. While letting Rainbow stew in her misery sounded tempting, he didn’t want Twilight and her friends to get involved to get them to patch things up.

However, all it took for Magnus to make up his mind was look down at Rainbow. “Like an abandoned kitten,” he sighed.

Magnus stood up and walked away from Rainbow. He could feel her eyes on his back, as if she was watching her little ray of hope disappear. Pinkie and Applejack were also looking on, their faces sagging with disappointment. However, Magnus didn’t go further than the keg. He filled two mugs, walked back to the couch, and sat down again. He held out a mug to Rainbow Dash.

“Take it,” he commanded. “The one you’ve got is warm.”

Rainbow looked at the mug, then at Magnus, and hesitatingly did as he asked. “Cheers,” he said, holding his mug to Rainbow. She slowly lifted her mug to his, barely making contact. Magnus wasted no time and eagerly drained half the mug while Rainbow barely touched hers.

“Oh, that’s a good one.” Magnus felt the chilled cider, smooth as butter, working its way down to his stomach, smiling broadly before facing Rainbow. “Now, onto you, Blackbird.”

“I‘m not Blackbird; he lives in Cloudsdale,” Rainbow muttered.

“Don’t give a shit. This is about you and me.” Magnus leaned closer to Rainbow and flashed her a drunken grin. ”Now you can apologize.”

Rainbow blinked once, then twice. “Really? You’ accept?” she asked, her voice full of hope.

Magnus nodded and burped.

Rainbow stayed silent for a few moments while she gathered her thoughts, and when she was done, she looked up to Magnus. “I-I was so sure it would be a fun prank. It’s what I do with my friends sometimes, especially Pinkie. I thought it would be a way to make you laugh, seeing as you sometimes seemed so sad. But I never knew it could turn out so bad.” The next words she said, Magnus was sure that Rainbow’s eyes were shimmering, but that could have been the alcohol playing with his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Magnus looked at Rainbow, then he took a swig of the cider and burped. “Apology accepted. Now drink; you’re too far behind everybody else. Drink like you mean it.”

A few seconds of silence followed, and then Rainbow launched herself at Magnus, hugging his chest as if her life depended on it. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed loud enough to make Pinkie and Applejack turn around to see what was going on. They both smiled when they saw that the situation between them had been resolved. Magnus though, he just pointed a hand at Rainbow and shrugged.

But Rainbow was far from done. She hugged him tighter and repeatedly apologized. She also announced how she was going to be more careful in the future, along with a string of words he couldn’t clearly understand on account of Rainbow’s voice being muffled by her muzzle being squished onto his chest.

“Aw, come on now, Speedy Gonzales, you’re being overly emotional,” Magnus said, rubbing Rainbow’s unruly mane. She ignored him for a while, and when she was done, she extricated herself from him, rubbing her eyes, and flashing him a confident grin.

“Awesome! You forgiving me, I mean. I just wish we’d have more time together, just like you had with the others. I had plans for our day together, you know?”

“Oh? And what were these plans of yours?” Magnus asked, finishing off his cider.

Rainbow drained the last of hers, and released a loud belch. Very unladylike, but perhaps very Rainbow-like. “Showing off my moves first of all, but I also planned to show you how we make weather, where to check your local weather schedule—in case you had plans for any outdoors activity—and I also planned to teach you about the Wonderbolts. Guess we can’t do that now,” she finished, her excitement slightly subsiding.

“Yeah,” Magnus replied quietly. “I’m not gonna stay in Ponyville; I might just plan to make my home in Canterlot somewhere. But I’ll probably visit, and if it takes too long, I guess letters works too.”

“Letters are okay, but until then…” Rainbow jumped off the couch, snagging Magnus’ mug and galloping over to the cider keg, filling up both before making a leap into the air and gliding back to him, presenting him with a full mug. “I think we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Throughout the night, Magnus and Rainbow talked about many things and emptied many mugs of cider, even after Applejack wobbled home. Pinkie never left the castle; she joined pegasus and human on the couch, listening and chiming in on whatever they talked about. But what Pinkie saw that night was Magnus and Rainbow’s friendship, once dead, being slowly awakened, and it warmed her pink heart seeing two once not-friends, slowly becoming friends again. They weren’t quite there yet, but it was progress in the right direction.

Magnus would have regrets concerning this night, but he wouldn’t be aware of them until the next day and his inevitable hangover.

Author's Notes:

Happy new year everybody! I hope you all had a nice Christmas celebration with good food, good drink, and good company. I know I did. Even though I only live an hour or so away from my parents, I don't visit as often as I used to, but it's good to come home once in a while to unwind. There's no sound of traffic, or people walking by, or any city noises. Instead, there's just the sound of... well, nothing, except the wind I guess. Perfect in order to relax.

So, this chapter. Don't know what to say about it, other than a few things. The CMC situation was one thing I wanted to add. The Crusaders are a good source of fun, especially cutie marks plans. Maybe I went a bit far with this one, but seeing as I think it was Rarity who mentioned in one episode that the fillies have a special talent when it comes to being covered in tree sap, their plans in this chapter was okay I guess.

Pinkie's new party I've had planned since day one, and I celebrate this chapter as a milestone of sorts, a human party in Equestria. Although we never see ponies drink alcohol, I'm sure they have it anyway. I doubt Princess Celestia instituted prohibition. I'm not sure what to make of Equestrian movie industry, but I think it exists. In case no one got it, the film clip Magnus laughed over was the Abbot and Costello baseball routine, which you can find here.

The Rainbow situation has been resolved too. I chose this because canonically speaking, the rest of the Mane Six would certainly do anything they could to make sure Rainbow and Magnus would become friends again, and Magnus just leaving Rainbow suffering wouldn't be true to his character.

As usual, JBL is the editor of this chapter, and I appreciate his skills immensely. Thanks JBL!

Also, a huge thank you to my readers and my followers, old and new. I look forward to reading your reactions to every new chapter!

Chapter 46 - In Stargard Castle

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It was shortly after sunset when Princess Celestia boarded her chariot, carrying her personal saddlebags with her. Four Royal Guard pegasi were already hitched to it, and as soon as their princess was safely seated, they galloped to gain speed. With powerful strokes of their wings, the chariot gently took off from the castle courtyard. Behind her and to her sides, another four pegasi flew in position, acting as escorts on tonight's journey. Their destination was Hollow Shades.

With the moon rising over the mountaintops, Celestia knew full and well that Hollow Shades would be waking up by now, just like any other pony village would start their day in the morning. Since Hollow Shades was populated by mostly bat ponies, their day started at moonrise. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns eventually fell into the nocturnal lifestyle of the forest village the longer they stayed there, and the town was quite unique in Equestria because of this. Even the local baroness was a night dweller these days.

The journey was one of silence and Celestia cherished it. It allowed her to simply gaze upon the scenery which consisted mainly of numerous farms and hamlets between Canterlot and Hollow Shades. On her left, she could see the lights from Ponyville, and on her right she beheld the lights from the settlement of Foaldale, just south of the Foal Mountains.

As they crossed over the Foal Mountains and into the forest of Hollow Shades, the wind stilled into a whisper. This was bat pony country, their forest and their domain. They were naturals when it came to stealth, and the night and the shadows was their element. It was no wonder the bat ponies adored her beloved sister so much; she was akin to a goddess to them, the physical embodiment of the night.

In the distance, the lights of the township of Hollow Shades came into view, and the closer they neared the town, the greater the sensation of being watched crept upon Celestia. Even her guards became more alert. Their eyes carefully scanned their surroundings and their ears swiveled constantly to discern any sound. It would be mostly for naught, though; a flying bat pony in the night was difficult to spot, and Celestia had no doubt that there was a young bat pony out there who wanted to play hide and seek with the visitors. While Celestia wished she could spare some time to do just that, her business at Stargard Castle held priority. Brilliant Star had received the letter and expected her.

Just after passing over the town, Stargard Castle came into view. There were lights in some of the windows, so obviously the baroness was home. The chariot began its descent, gradually circling to scrub off some speed. As light as a feather, the guards touched down, their gallop slowing to a canter and then finally halting completely outside the black cast-iron gates set into the ancient, overgrown, crumbling stone wall.

Princess Celestia disembarked, levitated her saddlebags over her back and began the walk towards the door. The four escorts fell in behind her while the chariot guards unhitched themselves and took up positions around the chariot itself. The iron gate opened easily with a push of magic, its hinges creaking ominously in the night. As usual, the garden was quite overgrown, not as it once was. Long ago, it was a testament of the inherent magic of earth ponies, each flower and bush and tree tended to with great care. Now it reminded her of the Everfree Forest, sans the dangerous beasts and wild magic that permeated the area. This garden still had a few places that were carefully tended to. Brilliant Star had never been a botanist or gardener, but her late husband and one of her herd wives had been once upon a time. Still, despite being overgrown, the garden carried with it a certain dignity, like a regal pony in its advanced age.

Celestia approached the door and used the brass knocker to alert the owner of the castle. It didn’t take long before she heard hooves rapidly running to the door, and then the pony behind the door struggling to open them. When the door finally opened, it wasn’t an adult who answered, but a bat pony colt, no more than five or six years old, too young to even have a cutie mark. His short stature was obviously the reason why he struggled so hard to open the door; he simply couldn’t reach the door handle. He was quite diminutive, with tiny bat wings folded to his sides, a charcoal black coat, a mop of dark purple mane on his head, and a frizzled tail. The colt stood completely still, just staring up at Celestia with large eyes, looking at her in wonder, and his mouth slightly agape, revealing two tiny fangs.

“You’re tall,” the colt said with a high-pitched voice and as honest as only children can be.

Celestia smiled and lowered herself until she was nearly lying on the ground, just so she wouldn’t appear so intimidating. “You are quite observant,” she said with a warm smile that spread all over her face. “What is your name, little one?”

“I’m Cloudy Moon. What’s your name?”

“It is very nice to meet you, Cloudy Moon. My name is Celestia.”

The colt stared at Celestia for a moment, then asked, “Are you a princess?”

“I am. You’re a perceptive colt, aren’t you? How did you know?”

“Because you have a tiara and wings and horn and-and-and you have a lot of pretty jewels,” the colt said with a slight stutter of excitement. “My mommy says there are four princesses and they live on a mountain.” The colt suddenly gasped. “Are you Princess Luna?”

Celestia had expected this question, and it didn’t bother her in the slightest. Even the foals of Hollow Shades knew about Luna before they learnt of her own existence.

“No, Luna is my sister. I’m sorry if you wanted to see her instead of me, but perhaps she will visit Hollow Shades in a week or two.”

Cloudy Moon pouted for just a second, then began jumping around with childish glee at the mere mention of Luna. “Yaayyy!”

Celestia smiled at the display, before seeking to get back on track. “Cloudy, can I ask you a question?” The colt nodded eagerly. “Is Brilliant Star home?”

“Gram-Gram is foalsitting me. Are you here to visit her?”

“I am here to visit her, yes. Can you show me where she is?”

Cloudy gave a hop and skip out of sheer excitement. “I can! She’s in the living room! I can show you where it is!” he explained happily.

The colt pushed the heavy door wide open and galloped back into the entry hall, waiting for Princess Celestia to follow him. She instructed her guards to wait outside while she spoke with Brilliant. The moment she walked in and closed the door, she felt as if she had stepped back in time.

The great entry hall was as she remembered, and by its appearance, it hadn’t been subjected to any overhaul or rebuilding in ages, only careful maintenance to preserve its old glory.

The grand staircase was straight ahead, wide enough for four ponies to walk shoulder to shoulder upstairs. Made of dark oak, its many layers of lacquer sparkled in the light of the old crystal chandelier hanging overhead. The walls were covered in aging wooden panels, each carefully carved with a fine star pattern, and a heavy layer of lacquer preserved the panels against rot and dampness. Once upon a time, the floor was a stone pattern work, alternating between blue slate, white marble, and a rare type of very hard Muscovite with a silver coloration, carefully polished to a near mirror-like surface. Now, however, thick oak boards had been laid down instead, sanded and painted with many layers of lacquer, but it didn’t cover up the wear and tear of metal-shod hooves. On the walls hung timeworn tapestries, bearing signs of being restored by needle and thread, the largest having the Galaxy family’s crest embroidered on it with silver, gold, and blackened copper thread, and decorated with gemstones of many colours set in white silver settings. Sadly, the tapestry was not in the greatest condition; like the family whose crest it bore, the fabric masterpiece had faded and begun to fray, despite the skills of whoever had attempted to repair it. Paintings also adorned the walls, the likeness of ponies from ages past and even some that were relatively new, only about a century old or so.

From the main hall itself, there were a few corridors leading elsewhere, and besides the staircase were two open doorways, one of which Cloudy stood waiting. “Gram-gram is in here.”

Celestia smiled and followed the eager colt, who ran ahead. She followed him, entering a very large living room. It too also had wooden panels on the walls, but here they were much simpler in design. Shelves and various curio cabinets stood along two of the walls, filled with a variety of books and other knick-knacks. One entire wall was reserved for photos and portraits, many of them containing the current baroness in them, either standing next to her parent herd, or alongside her deceased husband and herdwives.

The ceiling itself was lofty and the windows were tall and majestic, made of old glass, some of which were collared. Rugs provided a barrier against the wooden floorboards, and unlike many things in this castle, they were actually new. Set against one side of the room was a cozy seating area formed into a square shape, with several couches, chaise lounges, elegant chairs, and a short table for the lady of the house to entertain guests.

Finally, there was the fireplace, a solid creation of engraved black stone and a spark catcher of wrought iron. There, a fire burned merrily, giving off a reddish-golden glow and illuminating the room. In front of the fireplace stood several pillow chairs, resembling ordinary pillows but with a backrest to add. Near one such pillow stood a table holding an old tarnished silver platter, complete with fine porcelain teacups, a silver kettle, cream, sugar, and lemon slices. It was to one of the chairs that little Cloudy Moon ran up to and spoke enthusiastically, “Gram-Gram, there’s a princess here!”

“Oh, there is?” an old mare’s voice responded. “What does she look like?” The pillow chair was facing the fireplace, and Princess Celestia couldn’t see the baroness, but her voice was unmistakable.

“She’s really tall and she’s white, she has beautiful mane, and she has a horn and wings,” Cloudy Moon said, occasionally peeking at Celestia to confirm he was right.

“Mmm, I know who she is. Why don’t you go get your crayons and paper, and draw something by the couch? The princess and I must talk.”

“About what?”

A thin almond-coloured foreleg appeared from the chair’s backrest and proceeded to gently ruffle the colt’s mane. “It’s grown-up talk, Cloudy, the boring kind.”

"Aww," Cloudy pouted. “But can I draw something for the princess to take home? I can draw something for Princess Luna too.”

A chuckle came from the chair. “I think they would like that.”

Cloudy Moon let out a happy giggle and ran out of the room, obviously to get his artistic tools, leaving Celestia by the door.

“Well, Celestia? Take a seat,” the baroness invited.

The princess walked over to the cushions and sat down on the one closest to the baroness, placing her saddlebags by the chair. It had been years since the last time she used this type of cushion chairs; some ponies felt that they were hard on the posterior while others adored their old charm. The baroness belonged to the latter.

Celestia turned to the baroness; she was filling a cup with tea and used her magic to levitate it over to Celestia. At the same time, she used her magic to handle knitting needles and yarn. It seemed that she was making a scarf.

“I was surprised when I received your letter. Even more when you asked to meet me again. ‘What could Princess Celestia want?’ I asked myself. Considering we recently buried the lost remains of Star Swirl, I’m inclined to think it has something to do with him, or it could simply be that you wanted to catch up with me. It has been ages since we last sat down to just talk over a nice cup of tea.”

Celestia allowed the flavour of the tea to wash over her taste buds. Forest berries, a local specialty in Hollow Shades. “It has. Sadly, the court leaves me with very little spare time. There is always something that needs doing.”

Brilliant hummed. “I suppose so. I would think that having your sister back would allow you to take a vacation. That protégé of yours, Princess Twilight, isn’t she fit to take over the reins, so to speak, at least for a week while you spend time on yourself?”

“Luna is still adapting; much has changed in her absence. As for Twilight, she is still young, but she will learn. Although she has done great deeds for Equestria, I feel that she needs time before she is ready for royal responsibilities. Nevertheless, I am confident she will become a good and wise ruler of Equestria,” Celestia stated with not a single doubt in her mind. Twilight had achieved so much already, only time would tell what other great deeds she would go on to accomplish.

“We’ll see. Well, not me, but you and Princess Luna,” Brilliant quipped with a mischievous grin. “Why don’t you tell me why you really wanted to see me, Celestia, hmm? I promised Cloud that we would go into town later and visit the bakery. You know foals; very impatient when it comes to sweets, and Cloud loves cinnamon buns.” Brilliant then focused on her knitting once more.

“I suppose I should.” Princess Celestia nodded and took a deep breath. Now was the time for the truth. “Have you heard of the human that my sister found in the sea several weeks ago?”

Brilliant hummed and nodded. “I have. Strange business, that is. Made quite a stir, hasn’t it? For weeks it was the talk of the town. Who knew that life existed elsewhere, other than our world? Then again, many ponies over the many eons have asked themselves the same question, and every time it was answered, such as when the minotaurs came to Equestria long ago, and again by the zebra and diamond dogs. The world is full of surprises.”

“It is. But there is more to the story, as I have no doubts you have heard; a magical construct followed Magnus the human to our world, a construct in the likeness of its maker, and what was truly special was that the construct was imbued with the memories of the maker.”

“Oh? I didn’t know it was possible.”

Celestia paused. “It shouldn’t be, but the maker had the determination and was wise enough to make it work, somehow. And he had the power to do so; the maker was Star Swirl the Bearded.”

The knitting needles of Brilliant Star, which had been tapping against each other all throughout their conversation, suddenly halted, and Brilliant’s warm smile fell as she turned to Celestia, obviously confused. “I… I don’t understand, Celestia. What are you saying?”

***

Brilliant Star’s magic glowed around the photo of Magnus, Princess Luna, and the journalist. She held it seemingly steady, but Celestia’s sharp eyes caught the occasional flicker of her magic, usually a sign of distraction. The old mare’s eyes also squinted slightly as she stared at the photo, carefully examining the human-pony hybrid.

After explaining to Brilliant all about Magnus and how the two were related by way of Star Swirl, the elderly mare still remained silent and had been so for quite a while. Celestia didn’t want to interrupt; she gave Brilliant Star the time she needed in order to process the information. Finally, Brilliant broke the silence.

“A human, you say?” Brilliant asked, not looking away from the picture.

“Yes, that is the name of his kind. Star Swirl’s construct told us much about them. They are the only sapient beings on their planet, unlike us ponies who have many others that we share our world with. Their world is very similar to ours, with one major exception; Star Swirl said it was nearly barren of magic, only enough to sustain life. There are no humans who can use magic.”

Brilliant nodded absently, but never tore her gaze away from the photograph. “Long hair on his fetlocks—it runs in the family, at least amongst the stallions,” Brilliant observed. “My father had it as well. He believed we came from the Friesland region of the old unicorn kingdom. At least all those old stories say so. But what of his kin? His human kin?”

“Sadly, there are none left.” Magnus had revealed much of his closest family, but many he had never mentioned. “His grandfather raised him. His mother passed away, along with his father. His maternal grandmother passed before he was born, and he has never mentioned his paternal grandparents. We do not know what became of them.”

“He has none left on his own world?” Brilliant murmured.

“No.” Celestia shook her head. “You are his closest living relative. He has no one here, Brilliant. I know he feels separated from us, from ponykind, despite his connection to us. He is a stranger in a strange land. Our world is so different from his in great many ways. Even some things that are natural to us are alien to him. It has frightened him more than once. I believe he hides it well, but he fears Luna and me because we can raise the sun and the moon,” Celestia explained before continuing, “Luna and I hope that he can make a life for himself here amongst us. He has stayed in Ponyville for the last two weeks with Twilight Sparkle and her friends, simply to learn about us and get comfortable around ponies. There have been… issues, but I believe they can be solved with time and patience. All he needs is time to settle, to grow accustomed to us and our ways, but I also firmly believe he needs somepony who can act as his anchor to Equestria, somepony who can tell him where his second kin came from.”

Brilliant didn’t smile, her face still covered in a layer of confusion caused by Celestia’s revelation. “Does he know about me?”

“Yes. I revealed that he had distant relatives in Equestria and told him your name. I asked him if he wanted to meet you, but he dismissed my inquiry, saying that after all this time, any relation would be next to nothing.”

Brilliant hummed. “What made him change his mind?”

“That I cannot tell. In my experience, Magnus can be quite stubborn. To be perfectly honest, I thought he would dismiss the offer of meeting you. When he changed his mind, I was pleasantly surprised.” Celestia had told nopony but Luna, but his dismissive and outright demeaning way of referring to Star Swirl and his human mate had led her to believe that he would refuse this meeting. It didn’t take a genius to conclude that Magnus did not approve of relationships between different species, an archaic opinion in this modern age.

“And what made you think I would meet this... colt?” Brilliant asked, eyeing Celestia suspiciously. In response, Celestia glanced over to the couches, where Cloudy Moon lay on the floor with a sheet of paper in front of him and with a crayon in his mouth, eagerly working on his next masterpiece.

“Need I say more, my dear friend? You are a herdmother, herd-grandmother, and herd-great-grandmother. You are a family mare,” Celestia stated with a smile.

Brilliant chuckled but nodded in approval. “Yes, I think you have me there, hmhm. It would be interesting to meet this odd fellow and to hear him speak of his world and his human kin.”

Brilliant put the photo down on the tea table and picked up her yarn and needles, idly working on the scarf. “Tell me about him. What is he like?”

Celestia paused to think back to the conversations she had had with Magnus and the impression he had left. What was Magnus really like? She had yet to see him relaxed and comfortable, as if he had lived in Equestria for years. So far, all interactions and conversations with him had been as a new creature to Equestria. Hopefully, that would change in time and she would get to know him better.

“Well, as I said, he can be stubborn, but he is also surprisingly accepting of the changes he has undergone recently, aside from being separated by his closest friends. They were like brothers and sisters to him, you see. As one can imagine, he was also very close to his grandfather. When Luna and I told him that he could not return home, it nearly broke his spirit.”

Brilliant shook her head. “The poor colt.”

“He is also very fond of life outdoors, such as camping and fishing. I believe he told me that it stems from his mother and grandfather; both of them were also fond of the wilds. He also has a deep fascination with magic; I think it stems from lacking it since childhood. He has learned levitation and how to focus his rather meagre amounts of magic mostly on his own within days of coming to Equestria,” Celestia explained.

Brilliant turned to Celestia, a spark of interest ignited in her. “Oh? All on his own?” While such focus came naturally to unicorns at a very young age, it was nearly unheard of that other creatures could do the same.

Celestia nodded. “It was quite fun to watch him learn a spell by trial and error. Luna and I offered a few helpful hints along the way, but he did all the work. He was so excited when he managed to make the tiniest stone levitate for just a few seconds, he almost acted like a colt who received his cutie mark,” Celestia finished with a giggle. Brilliant joined in as well.

“Little fillies and colts will always be the same, no matter where they come from,” she said.

“He has also begun looking for a job and a place to live. I thought he would like Ponyville, but there seems to be a lack of jobs there.”

“Well, it seems that even though that sleepy town got its own princess, a city haven’t sprung up around her yet,” Brilliant commented.

“Give it some time,” Celestia commented with a small grin. “Magnus mentioned that he plans to live in Canterlot, as he believes he can find a job there, and no doubt he can find a place to live too. For now, he is welcome to live in the castle for as long as he likes.”

“Good, good, the colt needs a safe place to live.” Brilliant nodded in approval and picked up the photo again, her eyes gazing at the bipedal figure in the centre. A faint smile formed on her lips the longer she looked at him. By the union of unicorn and human, this odd, tall creature came to be. Brilliant had to suppress her urge to laugh; a few hundred years ago, this kind of offspring would be the shame of the family. Now, not in the slightest. But a thousand years ago? Two thousand years? Three? This creature would be left in the forest to die as an infant. What made her urge to laugh grow stronger was the fact that this Magnus character came from the most powerful unicorn ever produced by the Galaxy family, namely Star Swirl himself. Brilliant could imagine her self-important grandfather rotating in his grave a short walk away from the castle. Always such an old school noble, that one was.

“I think it would be interesting to meet this colt, to see how far from the mother tree this sapling has grown, so to say,” Brilliant said after a long moment of silence.

Celestia practically beamed at hearing the news. “Wonderful! I will make arrangements upon my return to Canterlot.”

“Can we wait with setting a date? I would like to send letters to the children and grandchildren so that they can meet him as well,” Brilliant asked.

“Of course. I believe Magnus would like to get acquainted with Canterlot in the meantime. Luna and I will take good care of him, as we promised Star Swirl.”

With the matter settled, Brilliant Star refilled hers and Celestia’s teacups. An agreement had been made, and Celestia looked forward to see what would come of this meeting of very distant relatives. With both Brilliant Star and Magnus being quite friendly individuals and both valuing friends and family, she hoped that perhaps a bond could be forged. What that bond could be, only time would tell.

“Gram-Gram! Look what I drew!” Cloudy Moon said excitedly as he galloped to his great-grandmother with a paper hooked onto the tiny claw extending from one of his wings. Brilliant accepted it and took a gander.

“Aww, what a good artist you are,” Brilliant commented, smothering Cloudy with a shower of nuzzles. “Look, Celestia. He drew us.”

Celestia levitated over the drawing and smiled. While Cloudy’s masterpiece might not make the Canterlot Museum of Art, stick ponies drawn with the correct-coloured crayons was still highly valued by great-grandmothers of colts, and to Celestia herself of course.

Cloudy Moon, however, the target of vicious great-grandmotherly love, objected. “No, not in front of strangers!”

Sadly for Cloudy, the nuzzling assault continued as he struggled to get away from his great-grandmother's magical grip. Then he suddenly stopped attempting to escape the love attack as his eyes saw something else.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“Who?” Brilliant asked. Cloudy pointed to the photo still held in Brilliant’s magical grasp.

“That one, between the princess and the other pony, the funny-looking one. It looks weird.”

“Oh, he does look a bit strange. But do you know who that is?” Brilliant asked, pulling Cloudy up onto her lap. “That,” Brilliant gave Cloudy a final nuzzle, “is a long lost family member.”

Chapter 47 - Return to Canterlot

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“Ah reckon the train should be here any moment now,” Applejack stated as she and her friends stood at Ponyville’s train station. She was in good shape despite last night’s revelry.

“I hope it’s not delayed,” Fluttershy added with a hint of scepticism. “You rarely see your brother and Cadence, Twilight, with how busy they are in the Crystal Empire. I just hope that you get to spend as much time as you can with them.”

“To party!” Pinkie exclaimed in a shower on confetti.

“No! No more partying for me, please. I could use a day or two to recover properly. Why, last night did a number on my mane and my complexion!” Rarity added behind a large yellow sunhat and fancy sunglasses. If one squinted just a little, they would notice the fashionista was not quite herself today. The occasional wince she displayed followed by gently touching a hoof to her head were evidence enough.

A groan came from behind them. Although Twilight wasn’t vain or did much aside from brushing her mane and tail and generally keeping a tidy appearance, today was not such a day. “I have to agree with Rarity; no more human parties for me please. One minute I was talking with Magnus about my theory regarding metaphysical cross-world or cross-dimensional cultural identities, such as certain names and places in Equestria and his home country being similar, and all he did was smile and offer me a mug of cider every ten minutes or so.” Opening her saddle bags, she gulped heavily from a water bottle she brought with her. “Then I woke up this morning in a bookfort, with a stack of books, the entire history of Equestria on top of my horn.”

“And how it all happened is a mystery,” Applejack said as she and Pinkie snickered.

Spike, standing next to Twilight with his arms behind his back, looked at his sister and chuckled. “You look a bit like Shining did the day after he graduated the guard.”

“And Magnus wasn’t much help this morning. I could barely wake him up. Thank Celestia he packed yesterday.” Twilight peered behind her. Slouched against the wall was Magnus as he snored heavily, his backpack next to him with the fishing pole strapped to the pack, and himself wearing his sunglasses. Surprisingly enough, Rainbow was there as well, fast asleep and using Magnus’ lap as a pillow. Rainbow had also spent the night in the castle, curled up on the couch. When morning came and it was time to go, Rainbow mumbled something about wanting to say goodbye, but Twilight was sure that Rainbow wasn’t even fully awake when she said that. She was further surprised to see Rainbow sleep-flying to the station.

The rest of the ponies turned to look at the two and let out an ‘aww’ at the sight of the two sleeping drunkards. Even Rarity gave a knowing hum and smiled at the way Rainbow acting. Pinkie smiled even wider. She had told her friends how Magnus had forgiven Rainbow last night, and the good news was well received, most of all by Twilight. It meant that a friendship problem didn’t need solving and that Princess Celestia wouldn’t be disappointed by her.

It didn’t take long for the train to arrive. It slowed as it entered the station, the brakes letting out a high-pitched screech as it came to a full stop. The sound was enough to rouse Magnus, and slowly his bloodshot eyes opened. The first ones he saw were Twilight, Spike, and their friends.

“...Ngxrh…” he muttered as he returned to the world of the living and met his hangover and headache head-on. “Oooh nooo… What time is it?” He groaned as he looked around and scratched his head. Due to the hurry to get to the train station, Magnus hadn’t even had the chance to visit the bathroom to brush his teeth or comb his hair, the latter looking like a bunch of rabid wolverines having used his head as a Fight Club during the night.

“Good morning, it’s nine in the morning,” Twilight said.

“...Nine…” He shook his head. “Call Celestia, tell her I’m dead or something. Send flowers and ~aspirin~…” With that, Magnus closed his eyes again and leaned back onto the wall. His rest, however, was short lived.

“Oh no, you don’t. We have to board the train now.” Twilight proceeded to tug on him with her magic.

Magnus muttered a few angry words in his own language and tried to stand up, only to find he couldn’t. He looked down and found Rainbow sleeping in his lap. He pushed up his shades and blinked slowly while his brain tried to assess the situation. “... Not the weirdest thing I’ve woken up with… but enough to be in the top five,” he stated casually as he pushed Rainbow away. Not even hitting her head against the platform planks was enough to wake her up, as Rainbow happily snored on.

He stumbled onto his hooves and grabbed his backpack and slung it onto his back before turning to the rest of the ponies, all smiling expectantly at him. He simply rubbed his face and sighed. “I’ve a hangover from hell, so don’t expect a speech, so, yeah… Thanks for everything and stuff. It was nice to visit.”

“Ain’t no problem, Sugarcube. It was nice to have you here,” Applejack said amicably.

“You’ll come visit again, won’t you?” asked Fluttershy.

“Probably. I’ve still some photographs to pick up; I just have to earn some bits first.”

The train’s whistle blew, and the conductor called out, “All aboard!”

“Come on, Magnus, we gotta go now,” Twilight said, tugging on his sleeves.

He nodded to her and turned back to the assembled, smiling ponies. “Yeah, so… See you all again sometime.”

Pinkie, being who she was, launched herself at Magnus and began hugging him around the waist. Couldn’t let a friend go without a hug, right? And Magnus took it all in stride. “Yeah, yeah, Pinkie, I’ll miss you too,” he said, patting her head.

Pinkie finally let go, and joined the rest in watching their friends board, eagerly waving goodbye.

“Good bye. Come visit again, Magnus.”

“See ya’ll back soon.”

“Don’t forget us”

“...zzz...”

“We have to party again sometime!”

After their goodbyes was said and done, the trio made their way into an available wagon and sat down on the first free seats they found. Magnus simply fell down onto the seats, taking up three spaces as he tried to get comfortable, and even then his legs dangled over the edge. It wasn’t easy with the size difference, but it mattered little to him. Just as the train began pulling out of the station, the gentle rocking of the wagon sent him off to his much needed slumber once again.

***

“Next stop, Canterlot!”

Magnus groaned as his eyes opened and he slowly sat up in his seat. His head felt marginally better after some shut-eye. In front of him sat Twilight as she dozed against the wall, and beside her sat Spike with a comic book.

Magnus rubbed his head, and upon noticing his shades sat crooked on his nose, straightened them. “Ugh, hey, Spike. How long was I out?”

Spike looked up from his comic. “Hey, you’ve been asleep for about two hours or so I guess. Feeling better now?”

“A bit.” He looked out, seeing nothing but rock from his window. He guessed the train was on the final climb before they reached the station.

“Canterlot,” he sighed. “Feels like it was months since I left.” Ponyville was such a peaceful place; ponies there didn’t bother him. He was generally left alone, but here in the capital? He was reasonably sure it wasn’t going to happen. Nevertheless, he had become better at dealing with ponies since then. Why, he even looked forward to exploring Canterlot and seeing the sights. If he was going to make Canterlot his home, he would need to know the layout of the city. At the same time, he’d garner an idea of what the housing and job markets were like.

By the time the train pulled into the station, Twilight was already awake and seemed much more refreshed. She even found time to brush her mane and tail before disembarking. As expected, the train platform was filled with ponies of all types and several other creatures, but the moment Twilight and Spike came into view, the ponies bowed and began cheering. The cheers however, became silent the moment Magnus stepped out into the sunlight and the ponies began whispering.

“It’s him!”

“He was in Ponyville.”

“Princess Twilight took care of him.”

“He came back; I thought he would stay there.”

“He can hear you all!”

The murmurs ceased, as those last words were said by Magnus. For a blessed few seconds, there was silence. For a moment he simply stood there, staring at the crowd challengingly. He hefted his backpack onto his back and sighed. He just wasn’t in any mood to play twenty questions with a bunch of curious ponies, and being mobbed by them wasn’t on his mental to-do list. No, his first priority was to get back to the castle, find something to eat, and then sleep for another few hours.

With Twilight leading them, the crowd parted and the whispers began once more, with some ponies still bowing to Twilight as she passed. Magnus noticed the look of discomfort on her face and the fake smile, and as soon as they cleared the train station, he had to ask, “Not good with crowds, Twilight?”

“I don’t mind the crowd at all, but all the bowing and scraping, all the royal etiquette.” She sighed. “It’s too much. I wasn’t always a princess, and then I suddenly found myself with a tiara on my head and these wings on my back.” She flapped her wings slowly to demonstrate. “Sometimes I think my life was easier before I became an alicorn.”

Magnus shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m sure Princess Celestia also had to grow into her role, she and Princess Luna. Do you think they were born with tiaras? Would be awful on their mother; a lot of pointy ends on those things, especially Luna’s.”

Twilight stifled a laugh. “That wasn’t nice to say.”

“Maybe not, but you wanted to laugh,” Magnus countered, making Twilight giggle.

They continued walking for a while, through the marketplace and past fancy stores selling all manner of goods, all while ponies ogled them. It didn’t bother Magnus as much as it once did; Ponyville had been good training grounds. Occasionally, he’d glance at store windows for a sign or poster saying ‘We’re Hiring’, but there were none. Still, it didn’t bother him; there were many other places to find work in this city.

After a short walk past the marketplace, they came to an intersection which led to a residential area, and here Twilight and Spike stopped. “We’re not going to the castle yet; I’m sure Shining and Cadance are visiting our parents,” said Twilight, looking a bit eager. “They haven’t been to Canterlot in some time now and we’d both like to go see them. I’ll come to the castle later, okay?”

“Sure.” Magnus nodded. “It’s not like I can lose my way from here.” After all, the castle loomed over the city, and the only ones who could not see it were probably blind or needed telescopes for glasses.

Twilight and Spike bid their goodbyes before wandering down the street to their parents’ house, both with an extra skip in their steps. Magnus also continued on his way, and in a mere fifteen minutes he arrived at the castle gates, passing through the gatehouse without the guards stopping him, only giving him an inquisitive glance before resuming their duties. As expected, the great doors to the castle stood open, where two guards stepped forward.

“Halt! State your name and business at the castle!” one of them proclaimed.

Suffering from a hangover and its ill effects on one’s mood, Magnus replied, “Wicked Witch of the West, here to steal Princess Celestia’s golden shoes. I’ve got a two o’ clock audience.”

The guard’s face immediately soured, then just as fast he appeared confused. He opened his mouth and raised his hoof but suddenly hesitated, and his mien turned to one of confusion. He then turned to the other guard. “Does the princess have an audience with a witch?”

The other guard seemed just as bewildered and scratched his helmet. “I don’t know. Do witches even exist?”

At this point, Magnus facepalmed hard. How could the guards not know who he was? He wanted nothing more than to just get to bed and sleep out the rest of his hangover. Thankfully, help came in the form of laughter and a voice.

“Boys, I’m sure he’s just messing with you.”

As one, the guards snapped to crisp attention with a salute. Magnus turned to the gates where the voice came from and spotted two ponies walking towards him. One was a smiling unicorn stallion with white coat, his mane and tail in various shades of blue. The other was also a unicorn mare, a very very pink, unicorn mare who wore a kind smile. Her coat was pink, her eyes pink, and although her mane and tail were in three different colours that were in fact, not pink, they somehow gave her an overall pink coloration. This mare was the embodiment of the colour pink. Even though Pinkie was very pink, this mare beat Pinkie in overall pinkness, but not in Pinkieness.

While Magnus stood there ruminating, the mare and stallion approached him, both of them smiling at him.

“You have to excuse these two; they just finished their training yesterday and were probably not told that you were coming today. Add to it, today’s Ambassador Day, in which Princess Celestia has her monthly meeting with the ambassadors to Equestria,” the stallion explained.

Magnus didn’t immediately respond, because he had just realized that the pinkest of mares also had wings. She was an alicorn! This had to be Princess Cade…something-or-the-other and her hubby, Twilight’s big brother!

Then said alicorn spoke, her voice sweet to Magnus’ ears. “You must be Magnus, aren’t you? I hope I got your name correct; it is a strange name in Equestria. My name is Cadenza Mi Amore, Princess of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. You can simply call me Cadance.”

She stepped forward and reached out her hoof to greet him while Magnus mirrored her and introduced himself. “Pink.”

“Excuse me? I was sure that your name was Magnus,” Cadenza said, obviously confused.

“Ahh, no, no! My mind was someplace else! You’re right; my name is Magnus, Magnus Powell,” Magnus hastily stated, feeling a bit embarrassed about his blunder. The Princess however, didn’t seem to take offence.

“A pleasure. May I introduce you to my husband, Shining Armor.”

“Married? So you must be a prince then, Prince Armor?” Magnus asked the stallion as he bent down to shake his hoof.

“Technically yes, Prince-Consort of Cadie here, which makes me a Prince of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. It all came with the marriage, despite how much I objected. My duties as a prince are mostly ceremonial, with some extra paperwork added in,” Shining Armor explained with a laugh. “I still prefer to work with the Crystal Guard though. Once a guard, always a guard.”

Magnus nodded and smiled. ‘I see; a military ma- stallion. Probably saw his fill of guards in the city as a kid and got inspired by them. Never hassle a guy who volunteers; they usually got more guts than the average Joe. Wait, wasn’t this the one who got tricked by that changeling queen?’

Wisely, Magnus kept his mouth shut, not wanting to bring up any bad memories, least of all that this young prince was kept under a spell. Twilight had explained a few things during his stay in Ponyville to him, one of those being the changeling invasion a couple of years prior. God only knew what happened to Shining Armor during that time. The very thought made Magnus shudder.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, but we really must be on our way,” the Princess of Pink said.

Shining nodded. “Yeah, we’re on our way to my parents. We’re having lunch with them today.”

“Then you’re in luck; Twilight walked me most of the way, but a while back she left me to go to your parents’ place, saying she wanted to meet you.”

“Then we’d better go, Cadie. Mom’s probably made more than enough for all of us, and it’s been so long since I had some of her stuffed eggplants.” Shining suddenly appeared very eager.

His wife nodded. “Yes, let’s go. It was nice to finally meet you, Mister Powell. I’m sure we’ll see each other during dinner tonight.”

“Well, I’ve got no other place to eat, so I guess so. See you both soon.”

Magnus waved goodbye to the Princess of Pink and her military-minded husband, watching them as they wandered through the gatehouse and out of sight. In his opinion, they were rather pleasant, polite, and well-spoken. All in all, a likeable couple.

Just then, his hangover-induced headache returned to remind him of last night, and he returned to his original mission; sleep. He had no more time for sarcasm or sassiness, and turned to the guards. “So, may I pass?”

Luckily, the guards allowed him in, after consulting with a senior guard who knew he was coming today, and was then escorted through the castle gates. The gates to the throne room were closed and security was tight, and there were no ponies standing in line today, due to the meeting with the ambassadors. He was met by one of the castle staff who showed him to his room.

The room was the same he stayed in earlier, and it seemed nothing about its appearance had changed. Even the minotaur-sized furniture was there. The windows stood open to let fresh air in, and there were even fresh flowers in a flowerpot on the coffee table. Without missing a beat, Magnus walked into the bedroom, placed his backpack next to the bed and lay down on the soft mattress. Sleep didn’t come at first, as he just lay in bed, ruminating on his stay in Ponyville, the ponies he had met and gotten to know, and all he had learned. Now, he was back in Canterlot, behind stone walls, with more things to do in the days ahead. He already had plans. Tomorrow, he wanted to see Doctor Silverheart to see if the doctors had discovered anything abnormal about his new body parts. There was also the issue about the parts of the boat and some of his belongings in storage. While most of the wreckage was good for scrap, perhaps he could find something useful there. That, however, was for another day.

***

Magnus woke up an undetermined amount of time later, feeling much more refreshed. After quenching his thirst with water from the sink in the bathroom, he decided to unpack his belongings. His clothes went into the wardrobe while his fishing pole was neatly disassembled and stashed into the back. Lastly, he came to his photographs and frames. Each one was neatly wrapped with a protective layer of cardboard around it. One by one, he unwrapped the photographs and looked at the work Snapshot had done, amazed at the overall quality. While not as good as a developed photo back home, they were impressive nonetheless. Although they were essentially close-ups of his phone screen, the pictures were all clear and there were no lens flare or reflections to indicate that they were photos of photos. Just looking at them made him remember a different time, those lazy days spent at home in Montana. It brought a smile to his face. At least these memories were safe.

One by one, the photos were placed on any available surface in the room, adding a flavour of homeliness. Lastly, he unwrapped the final photo, one he hadn’t seen at Snapshot’s studio. He wanted it to be a surprise for himself. Snapshot had assured him that this one was as close to perfect as possible. Holding his breath, Magnus carefully unwrapped the final photo, his eyes widening at the phenomenal work Snapshot and his wife had performed.

In the photo, his mom, Julia, and his dad, Hrafnar, smiled back at him, his father having his arm wrapped around his mother’s shoulders, and his mother holding his father around the chest. They were happy back then, young and in love, and their smiles reflected that. The creases that were in the original photo were gone, and the colours appeared fresh and vivid. One could be forgiven for thinking that it had been taken yesterday, so good was the quality. If Magnus didn’t know any better, he’d think that the ponies had Photoshop or a similar program. This, however, was all the work of a unicorn with the magical ability to restore an old wrinkled photo to appear brand new. Safe to say, his respect of the mare, whose name he didn’t know, was now pretty damn high.

Magnus softly touched the faces of his parents and smiled. “Hey mom, hey dad,” he nearly whispered. “Here I am, far away from home, far away from the farm you two once bought, the place you planned to live out your lives. Wish you were here; pretty sure you two would like Equestria, you especially, Mom. I know I do—it’s different from Earth, but… good different.”

He paused, just gazing at his parents for a long time. “I’d like to have known you in person, instead of all the pictures and the home movie tapes you recorded so long ago.”

With a sigh, he placed the photo on his nightstand, a space reserved for this picture in particular, and sat on his bed, looking at each of the framed pictures in the bedroom, his hands supporting his head. So many memories...

There was a knock on the door, and in came Princess Celestia, first into the main room, and upon spotting Magnus through the open door to the bedroom, smiled and walked in. “Welcome back, Magnus,” she greeted him.

“Thanks,” he responded simply.

Although his reply brief short, the Princess took no offense. Instead, she glanced around the room at the new additions.

“You managed to save your pictures.” She beamed, going to each and every one of them and staring intently at the memories in wooden frames. “They meant much to you, that much I can tell. You smile in all of these; you rarely smile here.”

“Well, I don’t have a lot to smile for these days,” Magnus replied. “But the pictures help me.”

Celestia moved on to other pictures, eventually ending up at the bed and the last photo, the one with Magnus’ parents. She picked up the photo and smiled. “I was correct in your dream, and I am correct now; you have your mother’s eyes and your father’s frame.”

Magnus smirked and rubbed his hands. “Mom was popular and beautiful; that’s what her friends told me over the years. Dad was both tall and strong, also a loner, and not a bad fistfighter either. Comes with being a sailor, I guess. He ended up in trouble in almost every port he visited, either by drinking or by fighting and beating someone senseless.”

“He was a violent man?” Celestia asked. By his appearance, he was indeed tall compared to the human female and appeared very strong. His physique and large blonde beard and long hair nearly made him look like a brute, but his eyes and smile said otherwise. Magnus did indeed possess his father’s build, but he did not have the same amount of muscle.

Magnus shook his head at Celestia’s question. “No, he had a lot of bad memories, a lot of demons that only mom could chase away. When she died, those demons came back, stronger than ever and began destroying him. He left.”

Celestia picked up the seriousness and finality of Magnus’ reply, telling her that this was not something he wanted to discuss further. She would not press him.

Putting the picture back onto the nightstand, Celestia turned to Magnus. “When I heard that you had already returned, I decided to come see you. It appears Ponyville was good for you. What do you think yourself?”

Magnus mulled over the question for a while. “Well, I got used to being around ponies all the time, so that part worked. They also got used to me pretty quickly, so I guess I can say it works both ways. As for communication? I was wrong.”

“How so?”

“It’s about the talking ponies thing,” Magnus began. “I thought it would be a lot more different. Remember what I told you about horses from Earth?” Celestia nodded. “Yeah, I gotta admit, I expected something else entirely, but that wasn’t true at all. You ponies, at least those in Ponyville, are for the most part, just like humans. Small, quadruped humans in a lot of different colours, and overall, nicer and more polite in a sense.”

“Aren’t humans polite and nice to all they meet?” Celestia asked, her curiosity rising.

“Most folks are decent and nice, and then there's the rest.”

Celestia understood. She had met her fair share of creatures over the many millennia she and Luna had lived. Each race had their own characteristics. Griffons, for example, were quite often greedy, warlike, and highly valued land as hunting grounds. That was the main reason Griffonia was such a large country. The minotaurs were also aggressive, due to their many wars with the griffons and diamond dogs in the past, but above all they valued their own personal honour and pride, as well as physical strength.

The diamond dogs had always had a reputation for being slavers, and it persisted to this day. Celestia would not deny that she too had disliked the diamond dogs in the past, but after spending some years living in their kingdom in the Granite Mountains long ago, she had gained a better understanding of them. She even allowed their outcasts to build dens in Equestria, in which they lived new lives. They would, of course, be expected to behave, unless they wanted her to pay them a visit.

Dragons, for the most part, were solitary. They wanted little to do with other creatures, and were mostly preoccupied with protecting and enlarging their treasure hoards.

The zebra were akin to ponies in many aspects, but they had a reputation for being tougher than most, due to the harsh land they called home. The vast savannahs of Zebrica were dangerous, especially at night, but the zebras living in small villages would gladly offer lodgings to travellers for free, such was their hospitality. They were also a species steeped in the mystic, believing in spirits of various natures. Their shamans, so-called spirit speakers, were revered by their people for their wisdom and for their ability to interpret the will of the spirits.

And finally, there were the Saddle-Arabian ponies. They were a peaceful lot, honourable, and counted as the hardiest amongst equines. One would have to be in order to survive in a harsh, unforgiving desert. Despite that, the Saddle-Arabians flourished among the dunes. Their villages and towns, often possessing beautiful gardens with richly decorated statues, were built around oases, which provided places to grow crops and plenty of water. Hospitable and generous, the Saddle-Arabians weren’t fond of conflict, but their army was vast and well-equipped. No army had ever taken Saddle-Arabia.

“I understand. Not all creatures act the same; we are all different,” Celestia mused.

Magnus nodded. “Heard that you had a meeting today. Have the ambassadors been on you about me?”

“Some have, but most respect your wishes. The minotaur ambassador has been most adamant in wanting to meet with you. He is quite persistent, and I doubt he will give up so easily.”

“Do you know why he’s so interested in me?”

Celestia sighed. “Ambassador Diligent Ambition has always looked for threats, even when there are none. And when threats arose in the past, he was always the first to place the blame on somepony. The changeling invasion, Tirek, Discord, my sister’s return and redemption. Even when Twilight was coronated, he openly criticized her for being too young and naive to be of use to Equestria.”

“Sounds like a real dickhead,” Magnus commented.

“Must you always use such rude words?” Celestia lamented.

“Yes, when someone deserves it,” Magnus shot back.

Celestia shook her head. “You are impossible, but I haven’t given up hope that you’ll stop swearing one day. At least try to control your language in public. I would not want some of those words coming from the mouths of fillies and colts.”

“That goes without saying.”

“Good.” Celestia stood up, giving her wings a slight flap. “Now, I must return to my duties. You are of course invited for dinner later tonight. My niece and Shining Armor will be there, as well as my nephew. Twilight will also be there, but Spike will not be attending. If I know Twilight Velvet well enough, she has missed her youngest son to the point that she will not let him out of her sight for a few days or so. I expect gemstones and homemade cooking for him, and he does love Velvet’s blueberry-covered sapphires.”

Magnus was surprised in that he hadn’t heard mention a nephew in the past, but he didn’t bother to ask. After all, he would meet this pony later and gain a first impression for himself.

“Sounds great. See you then.”

With that, Celestia left, leaving Magnus alone again. Now that he was nearly back to normal, he went searching for something to keep him occupied.

***

Magnus was not one for a suit or formal wear when it came to dinners and similar events. In fact, he despised suits. Despite this, he felt he was at least required to appear somewhat groomed when in the presence of such a collection of royalty. After seeing to his hygiene, he chose a soft, grey, linen buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black pants and made his way towards the usual dinner area in the castle, impressing himself that he hadn’t forgotten his way around the castle. Arriving at the dining room, the doors stood open, and he spotted a few familiar faces.

Princess Celestia was already there, as was Twilight. Next to her sat Princess Pi—Cadenza and Prince-Consort Shining Armor, all engaged in lively conversation while the servants set the table with cutlery, drinking glasses, and plates.

“Ah, Magnus, please come in,” said Celestia, noticing him standing in the doorway. “We were just talking about you.”

“I deny everything,” Magnus joked as he took his place at the table. “Except if it paints me in a good light.”

A light wave of laughter sounded and was replaced by chatter once more. It didn’t take more than a minute or two before Magnus heard the sound of hooves from the doorway. He looked over his shoulder and saw Princess Luna approaching. But she wasn’t alone as a stallion walked next to her.

He had a similar body shape to Shining Armor; a broad barrel chest, blond mane and tail, with his wavy mane looking groomed and preened to absolute perfection. He also wore clothing in the form of a suit collar around his neck and a bowtie, a flower pinned to the collar adding a bit of colour. He, like all ponies, also had a cutie mark, one that resembled a compass rose.

Princess Luna was the first of the two to notice Magnus, and she beamed when she spotted him. “Magnus, we wish to extend our welcome to you, now that you have returned. I do hope that the remainder of your stay in Ponyville was pleasant after our visit.”

“Oh, it was,” said Magnus as he stood up to his full height, giving Luna a nod. “It was pleasant and peaceful. Plus Rainbow Dash and I worked things out. We’ve decided to start over with letters instead of lightning bolts.”

“Wonderful. I had hoped that you two would be able to reach an agreement.” Magnus nodded idly and noticed the stallion beside her, or rather, the expression on his face. While earlier he appeared nonchalant while talking with Princess Luna, now his mouth was slightly open and he kept staring at him. He didn’t even blink.

Princess Luna noticed where Magnus’ gaze lay, and decided to introduce the two. “Ah, I believe you two have not met yet. Magnus, this is Prince Blueblood, my nephew. Go on, nephew, do not be rude. You are a member of the royal family and, as such, must be an example for others to follow.”

Stirred by Princess Luna’s voice, the stallion shook himself out of his stupor. “Ah, I beg your pardon, Auntie, I was merely distracted. Ahem, I am Prince Blueblood the XII of Equestria. You must be the human I have heard and read so much about.”

“That’s correct, although I’m sorry to say I haven’t heard about you until now, Prince Blueblood,” Magnus replied and bent down to shake his hoof, as he had learned was a customary greeting. For a second or two, the prince just stared at his hand as if it was something unknown and dangerous, but eventually reciprocated the greeting. While doing so, the prince displayed a smile that Magnus found somewhat familiar but simply couldn’t place.

“I take no offense, good sir. You are new to Equestria; I cannot expect you to know who everypony is just yet,” the prince said, his tone of voice friendly. So friendly in fact, that Magnus felt just slightly suspicious.

After the introduction everybody sat down to eat. Magnus was one seat away from Celestia, expecting that Luna would sit there. Instead, Prince Blueblood rushed to occupy it, smiling at Magnus while sitting down. It was the same smile he had earlier, the one that Magnus vaguely remembered from somewhere but simply couldn’t place. Princess Luna didn’t seem bothered by the prince at all; she smiled in amusement, as did Princess Celestia.

When the staff served dinner, Magnus was in for a huge surprise. While the ponies ate some sort of potato stew with carrots and celery, Magnus was served a type of food he sorely missed, namely pork chops with a sauce made of chives, steamed potatoes, and fresh vegetables. The smell alone nearly made him drool. He decided that this meal alone was worth a small prayer.

“In the name of the Lord, let’s eat!”

Well, Magnus wasn’t very religious, and this he decided was close enough.

Idle chatter soon began, and Magnus was more than content with just listening. However, as the most unusual guest at the table, questions soon came for him.

“How do you find Equestria?” Prince Blueblood asked.

“I didn’t find it, I was dropped into it,” Magnus quipped, getting a few chuckles from the ponies. “Seriously, it’s nice, though very different from Earth. With the way you guys control the weather, it’s very comfortable, and to a certain degree, a bit predictive. More than once, I’ve wondered what the weather’s gonna be like, but you seem to favour sunny days and blue skies, with a bit of rain during the night.”

“A nice, warm, summer day is always favourable, but the Crystal Empire is different; the weather there cannot the tamed,” Princess Cadance stated. “The snowstorms in the north rarely abates due to its location. The cold winds blowing from there also bring blizzards. Only in the summer months do we get a few clear weeks from time to time.”

Magnus nodded. To him, it sounded like the Rockies in the winter. How many days had he spent outside his grandfather’s cabin, sledding, making snowmen, skiing, and as he got older, borrowed a snowmobile from one of his friends and tore through fresh powder snow. The memories…

“But there are also some things I’ve seen that shouldn’t be possible, things that defy the normal rules of nature where I’m from. Rainbow Dash for example; I saw her fly, and by the speed she held, a normal human being would die from the G-forces alone.”

“Die?” Shining Armor exclaimed, puzzled. He wasn’t the only one.

“Maybe it is because humans aren’t built for flying as opposed to pegasi, or because this world works by a different set of rules. Personally, I think it’s the latter. See, I’ve met Pinkie Pie, and she ignores the rules of nature on a daily basis. How she does it and why, no one knows but her. Actually, scratch that, she probably doesn’t even know.”

There was a moment of silence as the ponies pondered the theory. Then one pony spoke, and his statement was perhaps the most intriguing one. “If our two worlds work by different rules, then perhaps you are under the same rules as we are,” Prince Blueblood stated.

Magnus’ head turned towards the prince. “That… actually makes a lot of sense.” Yeah, why not? The basic rules of nature all creatures had to obey, at least on Earth. Here, though, he was under the same rules as the ponies and every other creature! Prince Blueblood’s theory made perfect sense, at least from a layman’s point of view.

“I’m glad that I may have shed some light on anything you may have wondered about, but I must admit that I am very curious about both you and your home world. I’m sure you understand my curiosity. May I ask, good sir, what you former home was like?” Prince Blueblood asked. He still had that smile of his that made Magnus feel a tingle down his spine. Why did he feel this way? Perhaps the prince was just a cheery kind of guy? No, it was something else.

Magnus finished chewing his mouthful of succulent, juicy pork. What was the spice they used on it? “It was a small town by the standards of my country. Rural, a lot of farms on the outskirts, but lively, especially during weekends. Some people would call it boring, but it suited us just fine. I can’t really say that we lacked anything important.”

“Sounds like a charming little hamlet.” Prince Blueblood lightly dabbed his mouth with his napkin. Then, he fixed his eyes on Magnus. “But I would like to know something else, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

The prince hesitated for a moment. “I’m not sure how to formulate my questions as not to offend you, but I still feel the need to ask. Your body, I understand that you underwent some transformative changes. You did look different, isn’t that correct.”

While the question was perfectly normal to ask, Magnus felt a bit uneasy when he saw Princess Celestia’s smile. It seemed as if she’d been expecting this one. Strangely enough, her expression was mirrored to varying degrees on the others except Twilight, who appeared just as confused as Magnus.

“I did. I had feet instead of hooves, feet with five toes, and my legs weren’t this hairy. Plus I didn’t have orange hair. My ears changed too—they weren’t pointy before. Something happened with my hands, arms, and fingers as well.” Magnus held up his hand and moved his fingers. Each digit was thicker than before he came to Equestria, and his hands almost looked oversized. The current hypothesis he had was that his bones had grown thicker for some reason. All ponies had uniformly thick forelegs and hind legs, so he theorized that this was some pony trait he had inherited. “That reminds me! I had a full physical performed on me by Doctor Silverheart before I left Canterlot. I should go see him in the morning.”

“You should. I expect he has many interesting things to tell you. He already assured me that you are in good health,” Celestia stated confidently.

Dinner progressed as well as one could expect, as did dessert. Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight spent much of their time talking with each other. Magnus got the impression that Cadance and Twilight were very close, and to him, it almost looked like a girl’s night out, sans the drinks. Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Magnus did not sit in silence either; the two sisters were interested in hearing how the rest of Magnus’ stay in Ponyville went, and he was happy to tell them about the more interesting things he had experienced. All this time, Prince Blueblood mostly listened, but now and then he would ask Magnus a question or two, which led to more questions. Funny thing was, all his questions concerned Magnus and his altered physical appearance. Another constant was the prince’s smile, which left Magnus feeling distinctly uneasy. It was almost like a child who had met his or her idol, or something in that direction. For a while Magnus thought that Prince Blueblood was just a bit socially awkward or simply not good with strangers, but the enthusiasm he spoke with said otherwise.

After dessert, Magnus had to use the restroom and excused himself. Upon returning to the dining room, he had to stop in the hallway in order to get rid of something in his hoof that had been annoying him. While leaning onto the wall, he spent a minute prying a few pebbles out of the small opening between his hoof and horseshoe. While standing there, he suddenly became aware that he wasn’t alone. Sure, there were guards patrolling and castle staff members going about their business, but none of them attempted to hide behind potted plants like the pony down the hall did. Said pony wasn’t very good at it either. The blonde mane and the rump with a clearly visible cutie mark comically sticking into the air higher than the plant was a clear giveaway. He appeared downright bizarre, and it was at this moment that an errand thought came to Magnus, and frankly, it explained a lot of things. The smile, the interest, his body...

Prince Blueblood had a particular interest in him!

With this sudden realization fresh in mind, Magnus hurried back to the dining room, hearing hoofsteps sneaking behind him. The thought of a small horse, and a stallion even, taking an interest in him, romantically or simply because it was a fetish, quickly became a horrifying prospect. A few images ran through his mind, and all of them were in the ‘Nightmare Fuel’ category.

The moment he came back to the dining room, Magnus made a beeline to Princess Celestia. She was engaged in conversation with Princess Cadance, but not for long.

“Excuse me, Princess Cadance. Princess Celestia, we need to talk in private,” Magnus quickly stated. Celestia gave Magnus a confused look, but still stood up and followed Magnus to the other side of the room. When they stood sufficiently away from the others, Celestia noticed how agitated Magnus was. He was wringing his hands and looking over his shoulders at Prince Blueblood hiding behind the entry doors. It was no surprise that Blueblood had suddenly become so interested in him if one knew about his special hobby.

“What is wrong, Magnus? Are you feeling well? Was it the dinner?” she asked. Perhaps the meat she had procured from Cloudsdale had been spoiled, and now the poor human felt its effects.

“No, no, the meat was perfect! But, it’s something else,” Magnus stated, even waving his hands across his face in denial. “...I… Okay, how do I put this…? Remember what I told you about human relationships?”

“I do. Are you—” Celestia stopped herself mid-sentence and fought hard to not smile. Could it be true? Had Magnus found a special somepony? Was he already so well integrated into Equestrian society that he already had his eyes on a mare? No, that could not be it. He had mentioned his disdain of interspecies relationships a few times, so it could not be it.

“Great, you remember. Here’s another interesting little bit of news: I’m straight. Girls only, human girls that it. Not men, and certainly not stallions. So please, could you tell your nephew to stay away from my ass?”

Celestia raised a single brow. “Ass? As in a donkey?” For a brief second, Celestia wondered if Magnus had befriended one of the donkeys living in Ponyville, or perhaps this was another of his strange euphemisms.

“No no, as in butt. Ass, butt, it means the same thing in ~English~. I’m sure that your nephew has a fetish for me.”

Celestia was once more confused, and looked over to Blueblood, now silently sneaking up on Magnus. The red velvet rug helped mask his approach. Then understanding dawned on her. Oh, what a misunderstanding. Magnus had completely misread Blueblood. She couldn’t help but let out a snort, much to Magnus’ confusion.

“Oh, Magnus. I am afraid that you have misunderstood. My nephew is not interested in stallions, so I can assure you, your flanks are completely safe. No, my dear nephew has a hobby that few know of. You see, ever since he read his first book about hybrids, such as hippogriffs and dragon ponies, Blueblood has been fascinated by them. He owns a vast collection of written works about them, which also included portraits, items that belonged to them, tales written by contemporaries of the hybrids during the years they lived, as well as many other things. He is, in fact, one of Equestria’s leading experts on hybrids.”

Magnus let out a sigh of relief. “He wha?” he asked eloquently.

“Blueblood is interested in you because of what you are. You are one of his hobbies come true. Remember, no hybrids have existed for four centuries, and here you are, a living hybrid standing in front of him. It is no wonder you have caught his interest.”

Magnus scratched his head, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. At least he didn’t have to put up with chocolate, roses, and a serenade outside his bedroom window. “Oh… That’s a relief. But what am I supposed to do about him then?”

“I suggests you befriend him,” Celestia stated with a smile. “In time, he will forget about you as an object of his hobby and see you as a friend instead.”

With that, Celestia turned around and walked back to the table and continued her conversation with Luna and Cadance as if nothing had happened.

Magnus, confounded, still stood at the same spot, watching as Celestia walked away. A squeak sound came from behind him, and he turned around. Prince Blueblood stood there, a huge smile on his face, just staring at him. It was then that Magnus remembered that smile. It was almost the same smile Twilight had when she spoke with him for the first time. The infamous I-Want-To-Know smile. The smile of knowledge, of endless questions, of days spent talking and talking without end. There was only one thing he could say in this situation.

“Oh God, there’s two of them.”

Author's Notes:

Yoooo! Back again with another chapter!

Not really much to say about this one, except for one detail and that is Prince Blueblood. I had the usual plans for him to begin with; a jerk, like so many other writers portray him as. His one appearance in season 1 was his one shot at a first impression and we all know how that went. I was planning on going the same route, until I had an idea which I pitched to JBL, and that was portraying Blueblood with a very unusual hobby, which I thought would lead to many funny situations. At the same time, it would also paint Blueblood in a new and somewhat positive light. I still think the idea was good, as there's so many "Blueblood is a jerk" stories out there, and a little of bit of variety is important.

As usual, JBL has edited my story, so give him so credit too.

And also, a big thank you to my readers, my followers, and those who saw fit to put my story on their shelves. Thank you everybody

Chapter 48 - This Body of Mine

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It was quite the normal day in Canterlot, especially weather-wise. The ponies at the Canterlot Weather Station made sure of that. In the castle, ponies went about their jobs; guards guarded, maids cleaned and made beds, gardeners made sure that the royal gardens looked their best, and the kitchen staff were now preparing for lunch, and later dinner. Princess Celestia was busy in court while Princess Luna slept peacefully as usual during the day. Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadance, and Prince-Consort Shining Armor had left the castle early to visit Twilight Velvet and Night Light, Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents. Yes, everypony were busy doing their own thing.

Everypony? No, not quite. At least two individuals had some leisure time on their hands. Well, only one of them did in fact have hands; the other had hooves that tried to be silent as he stalked his object of fascination with… varying degrees of success.

Magnus was on his way to the infirmary to speak with Doctor Silverheart regarding his physical. Earlier, he felt relieved and excited at the same time, due to what he heard about his results. He was healthy, but the doctors also found some interesting things as well, and to Magnus, that could mean two things: interesting in a good way or interesting in a bad way. Due to him growing up with constant headaches, he had always been somewhat of a worrywart concerning his health.

But those feelings of relief and excitement had dissipated an hour ago, annoyance taking their place. The cause? Prince Blueblood. As it turned out, Prince Blueblood was not attracted to Magnus in a romantic or fetish kind of way. No, he was just geeking out, hard. Who could have known that a Prince of Equestria had a hobby so obscure that almost no one else had the same interest? It wasn’t that Blueblood collected written works, drawings and paintings, stories of hybrids told by ponies and other creatures that knew them that bothered Magnus, but the passion—if it could be called—and lengths that Blueblood went to. Last night after Magnus was told the truth about Blueblood, the prince refused to leave Magnus’ side, always following him, observing him, and occasionally making that squeaking sound. And of course, Blueblood wanted to ask questions, so many questions. He even wanted a lock of his hair for his collection. That was where Magnus drew the line. He was okay with Blueblood’s hobby, but dear god…

And Blueblood still wasn’t satisfied. Magnus glanced over his shoulder and spotted Prince Blueblood stalking him, tip-toeing from column to pedestal, hiding behind them while trying to be stealthy with a binocular-like contraption around his head and a camera floating in his magic. Every few seconds the flash went off, signalling that Magnus was once again caught on film. And always with that smile, the so-called “Twilight Sparkle” smile that he was sure Twilight had the copyrights to.

Attempting to ignore Prince Blueblood, Magnus eventually found his way to the infirmary. Since there were no patients in the waiting room, Magnus made his way to the receptionist desk. The mare behind the desk was busying herself with her typewriter when he approached.

“Excuse me, Miss, is Doctor Silverheart available?” The mare practically lit up when she saw him.

“Mister Powell, it’s wonderful to see you again,” she said cheerfully. “Doctor Silverheart is making his rounds right now. He should be done in a while. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll notify him as soon as he’s done.”

Magnus thanked the mare and took a seat at the waiting area. The seats once more reminded him that he’d need to have furniture made that would fit him when he found a place of his own. Pony chairs and furniture were pretty comfy, yes, but he always felt like he was almost sitting on the ground.

Boredom quickly found him. There were no magazines here today, and with nothing to do, he began to ponder on what the future had in store for him.

First, there was finding a job. Magnus was well aware that he had to take any job he found, at least first so that he’d have an income, and later he could find a job he liked more and paid better. Problem was, there weren’t many jobs he’d had, so his work experience was rather thin. His first job was working at the bowling alley, a job he still had before he vanished from Earth. Maybe that was something he could do here? He had also helped out on a farm, but there were no farms in Canterlot. Another job he’d had was cutting, cleaving, and stacking firewood for sale, but that was seasonal. Maybe that was an option, boring as it was, and with little hopes of promotion. According to Twilight, some houses still used wood for their kitchen stoves, so maybe it could work out better here. Still, Magnus didn’t have much in the way of higher education, so his future employment did look a bit dim.

Secondly, there was the matter of finding a place for him to live. Unsurprisingly for a city made by ponies for ponies, the dimensions of the houses were ill-suited for his body type, so he’d have to either have one outfitted to fit him, or find one previously owned by a minotaur. There was also the matter of price. A house was expensive in Canterlot, it being the capital and all, so he’d have to settle for renting something until he had a chance to save up some cash and afford a loan.

The third matter on his mind was Brilliant Star. Magnus still had no idea why he made the decision to visit Hollow Shades and Brilliant Star. He had very little in common with her, as far as he knew, except for sharing an ancestor. Even the day after he had Spike send the letter to Princess Celestia, he had to sit down and ask himself ‘why’. All those thoughts and ideas he had that evening when he made up his mind could very well end up not being true at all. And still… he wanted to visit. Honestly, that evening was just full of wishful thinking, but somehow, he was glad he made his decision. He could just get it over with in a hurry if things went south.

Magnus sighed. All this thinking just made his mind wander after a while. Being ripped away from everything and everyone he had ever known could do that to a guy. Fortunately, here he had an apt distraction in the form of a pony prince that had stuck a mirror on a stick through the doors to the waiting room and was currently spying on him.

“Are you getting a good view, Prince Blueblood?” Magnus asked loudly, seeing the reflection of the prince in the mirror.

There was a long moment of silence in which Magnus saw the confused appearance on the prince’s face. “Yes I am, thank you for asking, good sir,” came the reply.

‘This whole country is mad,’ Magnus thought. Either that, or Discord had pulled off some pretty sneaky mental magic. The draconequus could probably do stuff like that.

Locked in his own thoughts, Magnus was pulled back to the present by a familiar voice. “Magnus, good to see you again.”

Magnus looked up, seeing none other than Doctor Silverheart standing before him with a smile on his face.

“Doctor, good to see you again,” Magnus replied and stood up. “I heard about the test results coming back, and frankly I’m a bit anxious to hear what you guys found out.”

The doctor nodded. “Straight to the point, I see. Very well, come with me to my office. No sense in beating around the bush.”

The doctor led the way through the corridors while Magnus followed, and soon they came to the doctor’s office. His name was on a brass plaque on the door. As soon as they stepped in, Magnus felt like he was transported to a doctor’s office on Earth. There was a desk and chair at the far wall, filing cabinets, a shelf with books, two chairs for his guests or patients, an exam table, and charts on the wall depicting pony skeletons as well as internal organs. And finally, on the wall behind the doctor, rows upon rows of diplomas and awards.

“Now then,” Silverheart said as he took his place behind the desk. “Please, take a seat and we’ll begin.”

Magnus crouched and was about to sit when he suddenly froze and slowly turned his head towards the door, narrowing his eyes. “Just a moment,” he said and walked over to the door as silently as he could, even going so far as to hold his breath in order to keep noise down. At his desk, Doctor Silverheart looked confused at his patient’s strange behaviour.

When Magnus reached the door, he carefully got down on his knees and lowered his head until it was about the height of a pony’s head.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Magnus screamed at the top of his lungs while simultaneously banging the door with both of his hands, making a terrible racket. Nearly at the same time, a frightened scream came from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of somepony falling over, then scrambling to get up, evident by the frantic sound of hooves upon marble floor, and finally, the sound of somepony running away as fast as they could.

Magnus grinned as he stood up. “Got the lil’ shit.” He turned to the doctor, who remained seated, but now looked a bit frightened, judging by his appearance. “Prince Blueblood,” Magnus said. “He’s been stalking me since last night. He’s got a thing about hybrids, and by the looks of it, alien hybrids like me.”

“I… see?” the doctor replied after a few moments. “I… well… I thought you were having a fit or... never mind. Please sit, and we can begin.”

Magnus took a seat and waited while Doctor Silverheart rummaged through his drawers, finally extricating a huge folder which he placed on the table. If that folder was all about him, Magnus thought, then the doctors must have had a lot of data to play with.

“Well, I can safely say that this is the most interesting medical journal I have ever read. You are most interesting, both inside and out. Trust me when I say, you have baffled both doctors and experts in many fields.”

“How so?” Magnus asked.

“I shall show you in but a moment. For now, let’s start at the beginning.” Doctor Silverheart opened the folder and flipped through the first pages. “When the first results came in, we all believed that a mistake had been made, so we ran the results again. The tests came in with the same results as before. Let’s start with your blood type. You are AB positive.”

Magnus nodded. How many blood tests had he taken over the years? Too many to count, but not once had he been told what his type was. He did know that AB positive was a rare type, though.

“And we are compatible to you.”

Magnus blinked. “What?”

“We are compatible to you. Should you ever need a blood transfusion, you can receive pony blood.”

Magnus shook his head. It shouldn’t be possible, but lately, many things that shouldn’t be possible had in fact proven to be so. “How?”

“We don’t know,” Silverheart began. “You don’t look like us, we have very few similarities, you are—biologically speaking—different from us in most ways, yet your body can accept pony blood.”

“That… That is unbelievable,” Magnus mumbled in surprise. Surgery of any kind was something he hadn’t taken into account when he came to Equestria. Who knew what could happen to him in the future? Still, he felt a certain kind of safety in simply knowing this.

“It really is.” Silverheart nodded. “Blood transfusion is a relatively new procedure, invented around forty years ago. Pony blood will not work on other races as the differences are too great. But you? It’s simply astonishing. It shouldn’t be possible due to the vast biological differences.

“However,” Silverheart continued, his former gleeful voice dampened, “you can receive blood from us, but you can’t donate blood to ponies. There are some strange things with your blood that the haematologists can’t pin down. It’s… well, a mix, really. Some of it is clearly pony-related, but the other parts are unknown to us. Our best educated guess is that it is solely human in nature.”

Magnus merely nodded, well aware that no pony doctor had ever studied a human’s anatomy before. Educated guesses were the best they could do.

Silverheart flipped over to a new page and cleared his throat. “Let’s see… Oh yes, this one. Your fecal, urine, intestines, and stomach acid samples also returned some interesting results. It would seem that you have been in contact with ponies enough to pick up some of the same bacteria that we have in our stomachs and digestive system. Your intestines are also similar enough to ours that you can safely eat and digest everything we eat, even plants.”

“I can eat hay and flowers?” Magnus asked.

“I’m sure you can, but you told me that they don’t taste good. I can only guess that your taste buds are unchanged. Pity, rose petals are perfect after dinner treats,” Silverheart said with a sad shake of his head. Magnus already suspected as much; his changes were internal as well as external. It would be silly if they weren’t.

“Next, we have your ears. Now, you’ve already guessed that your changed ears are more like the ears of a pony than human.”

Magnus touched his fingertips to his ear, feeling its texture. It felt like skin and cartilage, but a bit more flexible, and there was a miniscule layer of very fine hairs on it that was nearly invisible. “I guessed as much.”

Silverheart continued, “And then there’s the hair covering your arms and legs. It is nearly identical to the coat on the body of your average pony, if just somewhat thicker and longer. It isn’t unusual for some ponies to have a longer coat, but yours is above average length and thickness, and is quite similar in structure to the hair on your chest and head. Technically speaking, it isn’t a coat then, just normal body fur.”

Magnus nodded, not wanting to discuss semantics with him. Body fur, body hairs, what was the difference anyway?

Silverheart flipped over to a new page, and immediately his smile grew wide. “Aha, now these are interesting. I’ve been looking forward to this.” Using his magic, Silverheart levitated a set of X-ray photos out of the folder and held them up to the light of the window so that Magnus could see them. It was easy to see it was a human skeleton. The first one was his skull.

“Your cranium,” Silverheart said as he got out of his chair and trotted up to the window. “Come, see for yourself. See any changes?”

Magnus walked over to the X-ray and studied it. Although not a doctor, he could easily recognize differences between a normal human skeleton and his own. “Yeah, the base around my horn is thicker than a human skull. It should be somewhat uniform in thickness all over.”

“It’s called the foundation; it’s the base of the horn,” Silverheart explained. He picked up a small pencil and pointed out the base itself and the horn. “As you can see, the thickness helps support the horn. It is very rare for unicorns to fracture the skull. Sometimes, it’s the horn itself that either breaks or cracks.”

“And this looks normal, in my case?”

“It does. The thickness of the base is normal compared to your size and it doesn’t even come close to your brain. Your horn and base are perfectly normal,” Silverheart assured.

Next up, Silverheart levitated another X-ray, this one being Magnus’ hand. “My hand. I’ve been wondering what happened to it,” Magnus said, leaning closer to the X-ray. He immediately noticed an increase in the mass of his finger bones. Additionally, there was another mass surrounding his finger bones, all the way up to his knuckles, but this mass was almost completely solid. Even the smaller bones in the hand and wrist had grown thicker. “Aren’t bones supposed to turn up somewhat translucent on X-rays?” he asked. Maybe Equestria had some kind of different X-ray procedure compared to Earth?

“They do,” Silverheart said with a nod. “The ones in your hand did not. We suspect it has something to do with the way you transformed when you came to Equestria. But this also explains why you said that your legs felt heavy, and I imagine you've felt the same way about your arms while you were in Ponyville.”

Magnus’ head snapped to the doctor. “How did you know?” Almost every night, Magnus went to bed feeling a bit tired all over, especially his arms and legs, and on those days he walked a lot or did manual labour, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Silverheart smiled. “I figured it would. Let me explain.” He pulled out the rest of his X-rays of Magnus’ arm, all the way up to the shoulder, and held them up to the window. “Your hand, lower arm, upper arm, and shoulder. Notice the increase in bone thickness. Does this look normal to you?”

Magnus shook his head. The bones of his arms had grown, judging by the X-rays. Even a large part of the bones in his shoulder and back had grown thicker. “No, it doesn’t. They should be thinner. What does this mean?”

“The radius, the ulna, the carpals, and the humerus—their thickness isn’t consistent with what you told us. They shouldn’t be this thick. This is not normal.”

At hearing that, Magnus felt uneasy.

“And here we have your legs.” He held the X-rays of Magnus’ legs up to the window. “The femur, the tibia, the fibula look thicker too, don’t they?”

Magnus nodded. “And longer too, especially from the heel and to the bottom of my hooves.”

“That’s because you have hooves. According to what you told us, you were plantigrade before and now you are unguligrade. The bones commonly found in primates’ feet are gone, replaced by pony counterparts. But look at the knee joints and the pelvis too; where the femur connects to the pelvis. There’s significant thickness, much more than what we would expect of somepony your size. All of your joints are the same; much stronger and much more robust than what is necessary. These are clearly meant to support somepony that’s heavier and larger.”

Magnus nodded while examining the areas mentioned by Doctor Silverheart. Truth be told, he had no clue what the hell was going on with him. Something had changed, big time.

“What… What does this mean?” Magnus dared ask, not once tearing his eyes away from the photos, visions of bone cancer and rare diseases floating around in his mind.

“I have a theory,” Silverheart said after a few moments of silence, peering up at Magnus with an unsure facial expression. “But… it is outlandish. The only ponies I’ve told are Doctor Crimson and Doctor Moon. They support my theory as well, but… honestly, we are in uncharted territory here. This is educated guessing.”

“As long as you can offer me even a remotely viable explanation, I’m willing to roll with it,” Magnus quickly stated. Just looking at the photos and not knowing what was going on with him, he felt the need for a doctor to calm him down and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Silverheart took notice of his agitated tone of voice and nodded. “Okay, this will sound strange, but just listen.” He then walked over an anatomy chart hanging on the wall depicting a pony skeleton with the names of the various bones on it.

“A pony skeleton,” Silverheart began, using his pencil to point it out. “No matter the tribe, all are very similar, even though pegasi and bat ponies have hollow but very strong bones. There are differences, of course. It’s common knowledge that of the three main tribes, pegasi are usually just a bit smaller and lighter, unicorns grow a bit taller and often have a somewhat slender build, and that earth ponies are the tallest, strongest, and physically speaking, most durable of all. This, however, isn’t always true, as ponies of mixed tribes can have traits of both. For example, there are pegasi with earth pony fathers or mothers that can grow tall and exceptionally strong.”

A brief image of an extremely muscular white pegasus stallion in Ponyville came to Magnus’ mind.

“But even with these differences, pony skeletons remain almost identical. Look at the hind legs on the chart; the tibia is almost half the thickness of the hind leg while the femur is just slightly thinner. The forelegs are the same; the cannon bone is almost half the thickness of the foreleg while the radius bone is thinner.”

Magnus listened intently while Silverheart explained, his eyes following the pencil pointing out the mentioned bones. He couldn’t see the pattern forming yet.

“Now look at the X-Rays, Magnus. Do you see?” Silverheart pointed out the skeletal images. “Your bones have changed, going from thinner bones to thicker ones.”

“I see that! Get to the point, please! Is there something wrong with me?!” Magnus snapped, his patience fraying.

Instead of responding with the professionalism of a medical expert, Doctor Silverheart exclaimed with a smile on his face, “Not at all! Your skeleton simply mimics ours! It’s basic hereditary biological traits, nothing more! Key areas of your skeleton clearly mimic that of a pony! Thicker bones in your arms, thicker bones in your legs, just like a pony!” Silverheart paused to catch his breath and continued in a far softer tone. “Your body has adapted to be like ours due to your pony heritage, and because you are larger and heavier than us, your bones and joints have grown sturdier during your transformation in order to compensate for the extra weight that should be there if you were a pony more than three times the size of an ordinary pony. But you are only part pony, but it doesn’t matter because of your biology. Your body tried to emulate that of a pony anyway. That is why your bones are so much thicker; biological traits.”

Magnus stared at Silverheart in silent disbelief. The unicorn nearly trembled with excitement. Slowly, he turned to look at the X-Rays and the chart. Silverheart’s theory sounded like something out of a comic book or perhaps a sci-fi novel in the context he presented it in, but in the end, it made some manner of sense when he thought back to the population on Earth. Like a child born to parents of different races, the child’s appearance would not be dominated by a single race, instead being somewhere in the middle. Another example being very tall couples sometimes having tall children. Max was a prime example to that; his father was just over two meters tall and his mother around 190 centimetres tall.

However, with the evidence suspended in magic in front of him, no one would brush Silverheart’s theory aside without giving it a second thought. It could explain why his legs had felt heavy, and why he lost his breath ascending the astronomy tower several weeks ago. His body was simply not used to the sudden extra weight. He nearly slapped himself for forgetting such a basic yet obvious explanation. He had been looking at himself in the mirror every morning for weeks, and not once had it occurred to him.

“Do you believe me?”

Magnus turned to Silverheart after several long moments spent examining the anatomy chart and his X-rays, comparing notes so to speak. “It sounds crazy and biologically impossible compared to everything I’ve learned from biology classes in school and from everything I’ve ever read. Yeah, I believe you.”

Silverheart exhaled slowly and nodded. “I know it sounds pretty far out there, but let’s face it; we’re walking on uncharted grounds here. Not only are you alien to us, but you’re also a hybrid, and one has never been examined before. What I propose is concluded from observation and educated guesses from a doctor’s point of view.”

“And how sure are you of this theory? What evidence do you have? I mean, what of other hybrids?” asked Magnus.

“I asked myself the same question after I received the reports, and on a hunch I decided to ask a primatologist at Canterlot University. While the primates that live in Zebrica and those on your world might be quite different, I found enough similarities in skeletal structure to support my theory, at least slightly. And Princess Celestia herself told me that the last known hybrid, a hippogriff born to griffon and pegasus parents, did look quite bulky and almost unnatural compared to ordinary hippogriffs.”

“What do you mean by ‘ordinary’?” Magnus asked, very confused at the terminology used. He remembered Celestia mentioning that hippogriffs were very rare, but if so, then how could hippogriffs be ordinary?

Silverheart gave Magnus a questioning look. “Oh, you didn’t know about ordinary hippogriffs?”

“No, are there more than one type?”

“Of course. There are natural born hippogriffs called ordinary hippogriffs, and there are hybrid hippogriffs. The natural born ones live somewhere far to the south, according to Princess Celestia, and they are a species in their own right. The offspring of griffons and ponies are called sometimes called false hippogriffs, and they are so rare even Princess Celestia can only remember a few of them throughout her life. Generally speaking, they are simply called hippogriffs, due to them looking nearly identical to the natural born ones, with a few exceptions of course.”

Magnus nodded while taking a seat. While the revelation of hippogriffs was new to him, it wasn’t what he focused on. Instead, it was the fact that Silverheart’s theory was in fact, quite sound, as long as he disregarded everything he learned back on Earth. Looking back to the pony skeleton chart, Magnus found it difficult to disagree to the doctor team's findings. Ponies had pretty thick bones compared to their small, light bodies. And as far as he knew, the gravity of Equus was pretty much the same as Earth’s. Maybe it was just some fluke of evolution that made their bones thick; less chance to break something and increasing the chance of a long life. Mother Nature was a strange artist sometimes. The age of the dinosaurs was simply her Deviantart stage, but what were Equestria then? Her surrealism stage? Considering Discord, yes, most likely.

While staring at the chart, Magnus was suddenly given a steaming hot cup of coffee from Doctor Silverheart. Taking it gingerly, he blew on it and took a small sip. Where did the doctor get it from? He didn’t have a coffee maker in his office.

“Feeling a bit better now?” Silverheart asked as he took his seat behind the desk.

“A bit, yeah,” Magnus replied, taking a moment to calm down. “It just… It feels weird, you know, to hear of all these changes and not feeling much different. I’d expect to feel different, move different, walk different, but it all just… it feels natural, despite all that’s happened to me.”

Silverheart nodded slowly. “We are very much at home in our bodies. Even the change you went through couldn’t change that. Technically, you’ve been two different beings in your life, the first before you came to Equestria, and the second after you came here. But that is no reason to worry, as long as you’re healthy. And should something happen, well, I am here to help,” he concluded with a friendly smile.

Well, Silverheart was a good doctor, well spoken, and knew what to say in order to allay the fears of his patients, and that was all Magnus needed to hear. But they weren’t done yet.

Picking up Magnus’ journal with his magic, Silverheart said, “Your journal contains several more secrets I have to show you. It is interesting, and I promise you, they are all harmless. Interested?”

“Need you ask?” replied Magnus. It was safe to say that after all he’d heard so far, he was more than willing to listen to the rest.

Silverheart chuckled. “That’s the spirit.” He picked out the X-ray of his hand, giving it to him. “You see this greyish mass around your fingers?”

Magnus held up the photo of his hand, clearly showing the bones of his hand. When he looked closer, he noticed something that appeared almost completely white on the X-Rays. Whatever it was, it was much denser than bone.

“You mean this mass around my finger bones?” Magnus asked, looking to the unicorn for confirmation.

“Yes, now look at this X-ray of your hooves.”

Silverheart gave Magnus another X-ray, from his knees down to his hooves. His legs had increased bone mass, same as his arms and fingers. Several of the smaller bones in his feet were completely gone now that he had hooves. Some still remained, but had shrunk to the point that they no longer were in contact with the bones that were once next to them. Whatever function they once had was probably no longer relevant. Magnus reasoned that it was probably because of the many generations separating his pony ancestor and human ancestor, thus the bones were probably even smaller long ago, but had grown larger due to more human genetic material replacing pony material since then. He had never felt any pain in his hooves either, thus he concluded that maybe they were supposed to be there for some reason after all.

The next point of interest that caught his attention was his hooves. He walked on where his toes once were, now turned into a solid hoof. Basically, the soles of his feet had elongated, adding additional height to him, at least a good foot or so, giving him an almost gangly appearance.

In the middle of his hoof, there was a roundish shape of some type that he didn’t recognize. “Is it this thing?” Magnus said, pointing out the area.

“No, that is the ‘cushion’. It contains blood, and help ponies when we run. It acts as a pump, pushing blood from our hooves to our legs and to our hearts, and then back again when we run. It circulates blood faster, bringing with it oxygen much faster than our heart alone can do,” Silverheart explained. Now this was news to Magnus, and he began wondering if his hooves were the same. That might explain the boost of speed he had the day he ran from Rainbow Dash, or it could simply have been adrenaline-fueled panic.

But alas, Magnus didn’t find anything else of interest. “I give up. I can’t find anything unusual. A little help, please?”

“The mass around your fingers,” Silverheart paused, looking at Magnus. “It’s keratin, the same material that make up our hooves.”

Magnus looked down, and for a second, he just stared. Then he looked at the X-ray of his hand, then back to his hooves again. His eyes locked onto the thick keratin that made up his hoof. In his mind, an equation took shape.

‘Feet = hooves. Fingers = hooves + fingers - parts of the hooves...’

“My finger bones are surrounded by keratin?”

Silverheart laughed and shot Magnus an amused look. “Your hands tries to be hooves. Isn’t it strange?”

Magnus shook his head and leaned back in the chair with a smile borne of surprise and relief on his face. Although he was curious about the report and what they found out, he could scarcely believe his changes were so extensive.

“Wait.” Magnus held up his hand. “If I have hooves, or rather, remains of hooves in my hands, how do you explain my fingernails?”

The doctor took a deep breath, bobbing his head from side to side in thought. “I don’t know, really. Honestly, at this point, my guess is as good as yours. However, the keratin in your fingers is not the normal type you’ll find in your hooves. Bone, you see, is usually just a little bit porous, but in your case, the keratin and bone have melded together and become nearly solid.”

Magnus held up his hand, opening and closing his fist. He felt no discomfort at all, nor pain. In fact, it felt quite natural to him, despite the thickness of his fingers. “So… my finger bones are tougher than ordinary bone?”

“Pretty much, yes. I doubt you’ll have to worry about breaking a finger anytime soon. Not that I want you to try it!” Silverheart hastily added.

“Wow…” Magnus flexed his fingers, tapping a finger over his knuckles. He could feel the sinew going underneath some kind of shell, as if a shield covered it. Another mystery to his body. At least it wasn’t dangerous to his health. “This is actually pretty cool.”

Silverheart nodded and returned to the journal. “Now, this next part concerns your magic. Tell me, have you practiced it while in Ponyville?”

“Oh yeah, Princess Twilight taught me a new spell, and I’ve been practicing levitation as well.” To say he practiced was an understatement. When he wasn’t practicing, he mostly sat with his nose in a book, reading to his heart’s content. There was so much to learn, so many techniques, literally a race’s entire study of magic to learn from. Numerous times while in Ponyville, he wondered how far he could go compared to unicorns who had lived their entire lives with magic.

“Oh? How did it go? Any improvement?”

“Well, I can levitate a small pebble for maybe half a minute to a minute by now, but I feel completely drained afterwards. The spell she taught me makes my horn shoot sparks; I can cast it four or five times before I have to take a break.”

The doctor nodded. “A small improvement, that’s good. We got the result on your magic back from Doctor Sparkling Star. This is what she had to say, and I quote:

“The patient’s thaumatic levels are subpar for a unicorn of his age. This is clearly attributed to him never before being exposed to magic at all, and never having a chance to train or use his magic. At current level—0.3 - 0.5 on the thaumatic scale—he is no stronger than a foal between the ages of 1 to 2 years. With proper training—concentration, focus, and motivation—he should regain normal levels within a year or two and should suffer no permanent ill effects.

“The chances of the patient experiencing surges are still unknown. When asked about particular types of surges in his kind (human), the patient was unaware of what a surge was and explained that his kind did not experience any, magical or otherwise. As surges are more common in foals and very rarely in teenage ponies, and virtually non-existent in adults, I believe it is safe to assume at this point that the patient, at age twenty-seven, will not experience surges at all.

“Thaumatic tests, scans, and analysis of his horn and thaumatic paths through his body returned normal results. No obstructions, deviations, or imbalances were detected. It is therefore my professional opinion that the patient is—thaumically speaking—at normal health.”

Silverheart put the journal down. “In other words, your magic is normal, but very weak at the moment.”

“Oh thank God! I was getting used to this,” Magnus said with a sense of relief, and made a show of lighting up his horn. It glowed as normal.

Silverheart looked up to his horn. “I can imagine, as can most unicorns throughout Equestria. How you have lived the entirety of your life without magic, I can’t even begin to imagine.” His eyes narrowed as he stared at his magical aura. “It seems as if a small part of the white in your magic is fading. I remember it being much brighter before.”

“It does?” Magnus looked at his reflection in a mirror on the wall. Indeed, the white ribbon of magic around his horn did seem a bit faded compared to how it had appeared a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t something he usually would pay attention to, knowing full and well who it came from, and that was why he mostly ignored it. Now that he thought about it, the sensation that came with using magic had also faded somewhat.

“Yes, but that was bound to happen. Princess Celestia said something about it being a gift of some kind, but she wouldn’t elaborate further, simply saying that it was a private matter.” Magnus nodded, thankful that Celestia hadn’t mentioned Star Swirl.

Silverheart hummed a bit as his eyes scanned the pages before him. “Very well. Let’s continue, shall we? Let’s see… Musculatory system is responsive and normal, as far as we can tell, your nervous system is also all clear, lungs and heart is in order, according to what you could tell us… And… that’s all.” The doctor looked up at Magnus. “You have a clean bill of health. Nothing wrong with you at all.”

Magnus felt the proverbial weight lifted off his shoulders as he sagged in his chair with relief. Healthy. That was it. He was healthy. A simple word that meant more than its weight. No more incessant headaches pounding in the back of his skull ever again and no more worries about his mixed heritage. He was quite literally as healthy as a horse. He couldn’t help but sigh and smile as the final yoke was pulled away from his shoulders.

“Relieved, I take it?” Silverheart asked with a knowing smile.

“Yes, I’ve spent so much time thinking about all of these,” Magnus gestured to his hooves and horn. “That I couldn’t help but think that something would be wrong. It’s been gnawing at me like you wouldn’t believe it.”

“We all think about our health sometimes, some more than others. It is a normal concern. You are not different in that regard, especially when we consider what you’ve been through. And taking care of your health is something you should also consider, especially in the future.”

“What do you mean?”

Silverheart stood up and walked around the desk to stand next to Magnus. He tapped his leg with a hoof. “Your increase in bone thickness and the fatigue you feel from it. I take it you didn’t feel it back on your home world?”

“No, I was… well, not an athlete, per se, but walking for hours didn’t cause me to feel tired that easily.” He could work for an entire day and could still pack his bag, hike up into the forests and mountains, and pitch his tent near a suitable lake or river for the weekend. While not a strong man, Magnus was well aware of his strong legs and ability to walk for hours in both rough and even terrain.

Silverheart hummed. “You’re carrying additional weight now, remember that. If you led an active lifestyle before, I believe that you will now find it a bit hampered. In order to improve your leg muscles, arm muscles, and stamina, I recommend training.”

“You mean going to a gym four times a week?”

“No no, that would be a bit much so soon. No, I’d say… go for a long walk each day, familiarize yourself with how your new limbs work. Swimming is a good way to exercise as well. Your arm muscles and leg muscles all work together when you swim. Running is also good exercise and it helps build stamina, but I would recommend waiting with that until you are confident in your trot, canter, and gallop.”

Magnus nodded slowly. Training would certainly benefit him in a number of ways. He had never gone to a gym before in his life, and all his physical exercise came from his outdoors adventures. Still, a long walk each day was something he could certainly manage, and swimming wasn’t a problem for him.

“I’ll take your advice to heart, Doctor. I can’t join a gym yet because I don’t have the finances for it, but a long walk each day, I can manage just fine,” Magnus said, to which Silverheart gave a satisfactory nod.

“Good.” A short pause followed as man and pony looked at each other. “Well, there is nothing more for me to say about your journal or general health; we’ve gone through it all.”

Magnus gave a short nod and knelt in front of the doctor and held out his hand. “Thanks, Doctor Silverheart, for everything. You’ve helped me more than you know, once again.”

Silverheart hooked his foreleg around Magnus’ hand and the two shook. “It was my pleasure.”

***

Through marble hallways, Magnus walked back to his room in silence. There was much on his mind, though hardly any of it was negative. Instead, it was all a strange mix of curiosity concerning his body. Sure, he had given his new limbs much thought for weeks since he came to Equestria, but the fact that he felt very much at home with hooves and horn and pointy ears and fur, made him forget about them very quickly.

Instead, he focused on the fact that he was finally healthy. There would no longer be countless doctor visits that spanned the range of modern healthcare: from neurologists to allergists. No longer would he be forced to swallow pills that contained some of the world’s dangerous opioids just to get through the day, only to have to switch to something stronger when his body invariably built up an immunity.

But now? Oh, how he loved knowing he didn’t have to take any more god-damned pills.

He finally came to the VIP quarters where his own room was located. Knowing that Princess Celestia was busy, he didn’t want to bother her. Neither was Twilight, her brother, and her sister-in-law back yet, having been told that they would be out of the castle most of the day, as the siblings’ usual duties kept them away from their parents most of the time and now they wanted to spend some family time.

Walking into his apartment, he shut the door behind him and took a look around, making sure he was alone. He then walked into his bathroom, undressed until he was naked as when he was born and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

It was a mix of the familiar and certainly humanoid parts, but also the unfamiliar. There was no way anyone would think he was wearing special effects makeup or animatronic parts; he looked way too realistic for that. The way the fur on his arms and legs all laid in a uniform direction, the transition from copper-coloured fur to human skin, his pale horn, his ears, and of course, his hooves.

He held a hand up to his face, making a fist and slowly opening it. The way the skin moved, how the sinew pulled taut and relaxed, how the muscles tightened. Touching a finger to his other hand, he felt the bones underneath the skin. Hard, unyielding, his thick fingers had not lost their dexterity. He could still pick up a grain of rice or a needle from a flat surface without trouble.

He moved up to his wrist, where his fur began. Thick and long copper fur at the wrist, but not coarse, almost like human hair, just denser. Further up, the fur growth was a bit shorter and at his elbow formed a tuft of hair. His upper arms were relatively hairless, but the thick bones he possessed made him look stronger than he actually was. And finally, his shoulders. He hadn’t noticed before, but after feeling around a bit, he felt as if his shoulders and shoulder blades were also thicker. Turning his back to the mirror and looking over his shoulder gave him all the proof he needed.

He moved onto his ears. Not quite human, but not quite pony either. He had pointy ears, almost making them look like pointy elf ears. They were also softer than normal human ears. Perhaps the cartilage in pony ears and human ears were different.

He sat down on the toilet lid and began investigating his legs. Ponies did indeed have thick legs compared to their Earth counterparts, and this trait had been passed down to him. His hooves were hard, as expected, and the soft part under his hoof was still ticklish. His long fetlocks had the same colour as the rest of his fur. Up to just under his knees, the fur was of uniform length, about half an inch or so, and very thick and dense.

Standing up again, Magnus looked at his own reflection once more. Strange as he looked, he was at peace with his own appearance. After all, it could have been worse.

“Ah, isn’t it strange?” a voice suddenly said. Magnus spun around, hearing the voice behind the shower curtain. He pulled it to the side, finding none other than Discord himself in the bathtub, wearing a pink frilly shower cap, scrubbing his back with a scrubber, a rubber duck looking like Princess Celestia in claw, and the tub filled to the brim with checkered-pattern soap bubbles and what smelled like used engine oil. Magnus rushed to his clothes, covering his crotch with his shirt.

“Discord, you asshole!” he shouted.

“Tut tut, little brother! Language...” Discord calmly said. “What would Celestia and Luna say, hmm?” he smirked. “Now, as I said, it seems you’ve reached a certain age, haven’t you? Completely normal one day, and the next day you wake up to find out all manner of things have happened to you. Hair growing in new places, magic sprouting from you, exploring your body—”

“Get the fuck out of here, you son of a bitch! I’m not interested in playing your games! This is a bathroom and that means private time! I was alone here and then you appear out of frickin’ nowhere while I’m naked, you goddamn perverted jackass! Get out!”

Despite Magnus’ righteous anger, Discord was unimpressed. All he did was climb out of the tub, pull the drain plug out, and began drying himself off with water that somehow solidified when he pulled it out of the showerhead. “Now now, little brother, mind your temper. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I don’t care! Get the hell out!”

Discord merely smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, I don’t think I will; you have such potential for fun and entertainment in you. Now what could I do to liven up the place. Any ideas?”

“Yeah, crucifying you!” Magnus protested, slinging a few verbal abuses at Discord while he was at it.

Despite the swearing, Discord stood with a talon under his chin, facing the human while insult after insult was thrown his way. None of these were very effective; after all, Discord had watched Magnus for several days now and had understood his potential for foul language. That in itself wasn’t very entertaining or chaotic, but there were other things that could get a reaction from him, and Discord knew exactly what card to play.

“You don’t find it odd that you desperately clothe yourself all the time while most ponies do not?” Discord mentioned in an oddly casual way while smirking even harder.

“Clothes are part of human culture, you snake-like shit, and it’s none of your business! Now get the hell out before I drown you in the toilet!” Magnus threatened the best he could. Still not effective.

Resting his arms on where his hips were presumably placed, Discord said, “I think it is time for another lesson in cultural integration, don’t you think? How about removing all of your clothes, hmm? Learn how to be a pony, what do you say?”

The second after those words left Discord’s mouth, he snapped his fingers and a loud pop sound came from Magnus’ private area. He looked down and the shirt was gone. Not only the shirt, but his underwear and pants were gone too.

“There you go; all your clothes are gone, even the ones in your dresser. How about… a day walking around as a pony. Get you a bit closer to your roots,” he suggested while showing off his honest-to-god helpful smile and patented Halo of Honesty above his head.

***

It was lunchtime and Princess Celestia sat alone in the dining room, a valuable break in order to have lunch, a cup of tea, and clearing her mind before taking on the rest of her duties for the day. This consisted of hearing petitions from her ponies from across the kingdom. No problem was too small for her to listen to and give advice, and it just so happened to be Princess Celestia’s favourite duty of the day. While the life of a princess was sometimes a lonely one, meeting with her little ponies was one of the highlights of the day.

Celestia had just filled her cup with lemongrass tea and taken her first spoonful of tomato soup with bread when the doors to the dining room flew wide open and Discord ran in—not flew or floated or teleported—but ran, closed the doors behind him while grinning from ear to ear. He stopped at her table, heaving for breath while chuckling, then looked at her.

“Good afternoon, Celly, lovely day, isn’t it?”

Celestia gave him a curt nod. “Good afternoon, Discord. It is indeed a fine day. What, may I ask, brings you to interrupt my lunch?” She wasn’t angry—after all, this wasn’t the first time Discord barged in on her. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even court had been interrupted by him in the past, and she knew better than to lecture him. It would be a futile effort. Fluttershy was the only one who could talk some sense into him.

Discord gave a half-hearted bow and took a deep breath. “I apologize, but this was the closest room to seek refuge in.”

“Refuge? From what?”

“WHERE ARE YOU!” a voice roared just outside the doors, loud enough to make Celestia nearly jump from her seat.

“That,” Discord said and laughed.

The very next moment, the doors were kicked open, and in the doorway stood Magnus, a white shower curtain wrapped around his waist, armed with a spear, and with a look of absolute fury on his face.

“There you are!” Magnus exclaimed with a manic grin while hefting the spear onto his shoulder. “Now stand still, this will only take a day or two,” he stated with an oddly calm tone of voice.

It didn’t take Princess Celestia more than a second to figure out Discord had done something to Magnus, but what he did was a mystery. “Discord, what have you done?” she asked with a sense of urgency in her voice while Magnus advanced on him, running a finger over the edge of the spear.

“Oh, just a bit of brotherly bonding, as brothers do,” Discord explained as he moved to stand behind the princess, his paw and talon resting on her withers. “And please don’t move, I’m trying to escape, but also give him a fair chance to catch me, not that he ever will, but I like to keep him believing he can.”

Then came the sounds of galloping ponies from behind Magnus and five guards appeared, four of them armed with spears, and one without a spear.

“There he is!” the unarmed guard said, pointing a hoof at Magnus. “He stole my spea—Princess Celestia!” As one, the five guards bowed their heads.

While Princess Celestia didn’t respond, she had already understood what had transpired: Discord had teased Magnus, Magnus lost his temper, chased after the Lord of Chaos garbed in only a shower curtain (for reasons unknown), stolen a guards spear to exact his revenge, and then Discord led Magnus to her dining room with five guards, and here the final scene was meant to unfold.

And still Magnus was advancing on Discord, a raging grin on his face. “Come here, pal, gonna show you something.” Magnus pointed the stolen spear at Discord.

“Go right ahead, little brother, but where will I go; here, or here?” Discord replied, moving from Celestia’s right side to her left side. “It would be so easy to run from you, now that you carry a bit of extra weight. You are so slooooow.”

With a furious scream of frustration. Magnus ran forward, spear raised over his head like a club, moving to Princess Celestia’s left side. Discord was already on her right side and made his escape from Magnus’ reach. The guards also sprang into action, trying to restrain Magnus, but none of them were a unicorn and so they could not get a grip on him.

But Magnus would not give up and attempted a leap over the table, trying to get closer to Discord. Sadly, he had not tied his shower curtain skirt tightly enough, which resulted in him accidentally stepping on it, untying the weak knot tied to it and falling over the table. In but a moment, he was up on his hooves again, and in his mad dash after Discord, he managed to step into the edge of the soup bowl, launching its contents into the air, half of which landed on Celestia while the other half landed on him.

Discord was already out the doors, laughing so hard he was wheezing, with Magnus running after him armed with a spear, screaming obscenities, completely naked, and his back and flanks covered in tomato soup while being chased by five guards, one of them commanding Magnus to return him his spear or be prosecuted for stealing from a member of the Royal Guard.

And just like that, the dining room was empty again, sans Princess Celestia. Her mane covered in tomato soup, a shower curtain covering all the food at the table, her tea spilled, and down the hall she heard the voices of two trouble makers growing fainter as they got farther and farther away.

“Get back here, you prick! I’m gonna turn you into a rotisserie chaos noodle!”

“Gotta catch me first! You know, running is good exercise for you, now that you’ve packed on a bit of weight!”

“You’re gonna lose weight too after I’ve flayed you!”

“Oh, you want my skin? Speak with Rarity, she can probably make you a Discord Costume for Nightmare Night! Who knows, maybe it’ll be all the rage for fall fashion!”

“Ever Heard of Vlad the Impaler? Why don’t you stop and I’ll show you a bit of human culture?”

“Give me back my spear!”

“Look, little brother? You’re integrating so well! Your shower curtain is gone!”

“...”

“AAAAAARGGH!!!”

Silence fell over the dining room once again, leaving Princess Celestia with a bold new red colour to her sunlit mane and a ruined table of food, covered by a shower curtain. For a moment she just sat there, looking forlorn at the ruined soup she had been looking forward to, and her tea, now dripping onto the floor.

She sighed deeply. “It is nice to have long term visitors at the castle; things have been silent of late.”

Author's Notes:

Hey folks. Cup of Coffee here once again with a new chapter.

I finally got to this part of the story, and I guess that many of you have been wondering what changed inside and outside of Magnus' body. It took a while to get here, and I actually wrote this part more than a year ago I think. At the time I was experimenting and thinking about what could have happened to Magnus, and luckily, I scrapped a few ideas that were going too far. One idea was a double set of muscles, which would have doubled Magnus' strength as the story went on, and even made him stronger over time as he would train. Another was an 'upgraded' nervous system, which would improve his reflexes and allow him to think faster, but this one I also scrapped because I had no idea how he could use something like that. Instead, i scrapped all the idea, except for the stronger bones and solid bones in his hands; they were supposed to be there all along.

And I knew I had to add a bit of fun into this chapter, hence Discord. Originally, I meant to have Discord trick Magnus, naked, into a formal dinner held by Princess Celestia, in which the guests were the ambassadors, but the same scene would still unfold. After thinking about this, I decided to scrap it because I once read a story in which something similar happened. Human, naked, halberd, chasing Blueblood, ambassadors and other members of high society, making a mess and then disappear. Don't wanna plagiarize.

Anyway, i hope you all liked it.

As always, JBL is my editor, and a master at his craft. Go over and give him some love.

And finally, to all my usual readers and my new ones, as well as all those who have chosen to give my story a place in their libraries, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are all awesome

Chapter 49 - Matador... or not

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“Thanks for coming with me, guys. I appreciate the help,” Magnus said to the ponies following him. Twilight, Prince Armor and Princess Cadance had decided to accompany him that morning to the storage area the remains of the small boat he had rented back in Florida was kept. Magnus suspected that their deciding to help him was an excuse so that they could see what things were stowed away. Ponies were a curious lot.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Twilight beamed, skipping along the marble corridors like a kid on his way to the ice cream truck. “Who knows what we’ll find? Cultural artifacts maybe, or books even? Ooh, the suspense! I can hardly wait!”

Some were more curious than others, though.

Magnus chuckled at Twilight’s behaviour and leaned down to the prince and princess walking alongside him. “Has she always been so—”

“Yes,” Prince Armor and Princess Cadance replied at the exact same moment, both chuckling at Twilight skipping down the corridor, listing all the possible things Magnus had stashed away, some more credible than others.

“Ever since she found out that there were other books than fairy tales and colouring books, Twily’s been a bit obsessed about knowledge and learning,” Shining Armor said.

“When I was her foalsitter, the usual fairy tales wouldn’t work on her. I had to read her magical theorems and the 8th edition of Aurora Light’s Guide to Magic Spells, her favourite,” Cadance added.

Magnus straightened up. “Wow… A prodigy from an early age, huh?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Yeah, she loved school, and when she was admitted to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, she just about forgot about her friends. Mom had to pry her books away just to get her out of the house once in a while. Twilight going to Ponyville was probably the best thing that could happen to her.”

Although Magnus tried, he couldn’t imagine Twilight as an asocial bookworm, not after seeing her surrounded by her friends. She looked right at home with Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

“By the way, where’s Spike? Haven’t seen the little guy in a couple of days now.”

“At home, being spoiled by mom,” Shining Armor answered. “Spike’s the youngest of us, and whenever he visits home, mom gets a bit… mommy, if you know what I mean.”

“Cherished, cuddled, the youngest child? Yeah, I had friends who were the youngest.”

“Heh, yeah, mom gets a bit like that. Dad just finds it funny, the way mom pampers him. And mom never likes it whenever Spike goes with Twilight on one of her adventures.”

Magnus had to agree to that. While he wasn’t particularly familiar with the heroic deeds of the Element Bearers, he’d heard enough to know that Spike had no business being involved with that, what with him being just a child and all. He wasn’t exactly sure how old Twilight and her friends were, but he had some notion that she was younger than him.

“By the way, what was it that happened yesterday with you and Discord? Aunt Celestia said that there was some altercation between you and him,” Cadance suddenly asked.

Magnus’ gait slowed for just a second as he thought back to yesterday. As far as anger went, he saw himself as an individual who rarely lost his temper, but Discord was a master at breaking his inner peace with his utter inane bullshittery.

“Discord,” Magnus sneered, “claimed he was ‘helping’ me when he was just being an asshat. He knew exactly what he was doing, which was pushing me around, trying to force a reaction out of me. He teleported my clothes away, saying he helped me integrate by forcing me to walk around in the nude. So, I lost my temper. Severely. The most logical thing I could think of at the time was draping the shower curtain around me and stealing a guard’s spear so that I could kill him. Doubt I could have done that, but threatening him would have worked too, until he turned the spear into a beach parasol.”

Cadance and Shining giggled at hearing that. “Discord is an unusual kind of person. But how did you end up ruining Celestia’s lunch?” she asked.

“In my defence, I was pursuing Discord, and it was his own fault he chose to hide in the dining room! If he would have just taken his punishment like a man, we could have avoided it altogether,” Magnus objected with a huff, stuffing his hands in his pockets and grumbling under his breath. “And mishaps happen. She caught us in the gardens ten minutes later anyway. I’ve already apologized to Princess Celestia for ruining her lunch, spilling tomato soup on her hair, exposing my naked butt to her, and stealing from the guards. All charges were dropped. And yeah, she gave Discord and I a good talking to.” Magnus shuddered. Yesterday in the garden, suspended in gold-coloured magic, Magnus felt more than a tingle of fear when he saw Celestia approaching him with a mane full of soup, a steely gaze, and ten guards at her heels. And the talk he was subject to? He felt like the day he was ten years old and in the principal's office for accidentally breaking a window with a rock. Surprisingly, he got away pretty much scot-free. “Honestly, I gotta give some credit to Celestia, though, she’s awfully forgiving.” What Magnus did not mention was that he was pretty much prepared to go to the dungeons for a few days, as long as he got his clothes back.

“You weren’t there when she told the story to Aunt Luna last night. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my aunts laugh so hard,” Cadance commented with a chuckle.

That comment made Magnus think. What would have happened if he ran through the president's office armed with a weapon, accidentally exposing himself before running along as quickly as he came? National outrage, that’s what, and probably a decade or two in jail. But here? A stern talking to, and now he learned that both Celestia and Luna laughed their asses off at it all. Yes, Celestia was likely more forgiving than Mother Theresa herself.

The group eventually came to the hangar area, part naturally formed cavern, part shaped by tools. Along one side of the hangar was a variety of sheds and work stations, and on the other side was a temporary storage area. There were barrels, crates, and many other items one would find on board an airship, although some of the items’ functions eluded the human. In the centre of the hangar, tied down to the stone floor with thick chains and lengths of solid, thick rope, were two large airships, one in details of blue and silver, the other one white and gold. The white one Magnus recognized as the same ship he saw leaving and returning to Canterlot weeks earlier. Although the size of their balloons suggested the ships could barely lift off with the ship-sized hull underneath, he was certain that there was some magic at work in order to make them fly.

Shining Armor led the way over to the storage area, obviously knowing the way since he used to work here. He stopped before a large iron door set into the rock that was chained with a heavy padlock and had two guards, both of whom saluted the moment the royals stopped before them. As expected, the senior princess addressed the guards.

“Sergeant, Mister Powell here, the rightful owner the remains of the ship and items stored in the room behind you, is here to reclaim them. Please, unlock the door.”

“At once, your Highness,” the guard crisply saluted and began removing the chains. Magnus took notice of the way the door was unlocked; one guard had a key, while the other used his magic to do something to it.

After the door was unlocked, Princess Cadance led the way in. Moments after entering, light crystals on the ceiling illuminated the room, displaying several shelves along one side of the room, while in the centre was the remains of the boat itself. Magnus walked up to it and crouched to inspect the pile of completely wrecked and flaking plywood. The sight itself sent a shiver down his spine. He only had faint memories of the tornado of debris flying around him, his last memory of it seeing a part of the bow flying towards him.

“Can’t believe I survived this,” he murmured, picking up a jagged and splintered piece of wood. He was lucky to get away with only two small scars.

“It looks pretty bad,” Twilight said, walking up to him and sitting down. She manipulated a piece of wood with her magic, turning it around to inspect it thoroughly.

Princess Cadance looked over her shoulder, seeing that the guards were still at the door, out of earshot. “Aunt Celestia said the same thing happened to the ship Star Swirl was on. Those poor ponies didn’t survive, but you did,” she said with a low voice. Magnus felt a wing on his shoulder, like a hand patting him. It kind of felt secure, comforting somehow, like a loving touch.

“First time in my life I had such luck,” Magnus replied and began rummaging through the pile. There was nothing of value to be found, however. “By the way, how did you know about Star Swirl? Celestia and Luna tell you?”

The married couple nodded. “Yes, and they also told us how you feel about him. Your secret it safe with us,” Shining Armor replied. Magnus stared at the two before finally giving a slow nod. Although he wasn’t overly thrilled about more ponies knowing about it, the cat was out of the bag now, and besides, Princess Cadance and Prince Armor seemed like trustworthy ponies.

“Doesn’t look like any of this is useable. What do you want to do with it?” Shining Armor asked.

Magnus regarded the pile with disinterest. “Throw it away or burn it. There’s nothing useful here.” Shining gave a nod and waved the sergeant over, and was about to give him an order when a sudden thought popped into Magnus’ mind. “Wait a second. Do you guys have a way to deal with dangerous waste?”

Shining Armor glanced at his wife and Twilight before replying, “Yes we do. Why? Is there something dangerous about this stuff?”

“Maybe.” Magnus picked up a chunk of wood with flaking paint, picking at it with his fingernails until a thumbnail-sized piece of old paint flaked off. “Modern paints are usually harmless to marine life, but older stuff like this? I honestly don’t know. I’d suggest caution.”

“You got that, Sergeant? Send word that the remains of the boat are to be disposed of in a safe and secure manner. Treat it as potentially toxic waste,” Prince Armor commanded the guard, who nodded in reply.

They then moved onto the other stuff on the shelves, a mishmash of items. A broken oar, a fishing net torn to pieces, the jacket he wore when he set out to sea—now cut apart by some bladed tool—, the remains of his shoes—also torn apart, probably when his feet turned to hooves—, a small toolbox for the boats engine, its lid caved into the box by some impact, and the tools missing. Nothing was salvageable. With a heavy sigh, Magnus took his old jacket from the shelf and checked the pockets. There was nothing inside them, and the jacket itself was more or less useless in its current state. Still, perhaps he could have some use for it. With winter soon on its way, perhaps he could use it as a template for making proper winter clothes.

While checking out what was on the shelves, the three ponies were also interested in the alien artifacts. One in particular drew Twilight’s attention.

“What’s this? Some sort of container?” she asked while levitating a red, rusty jerry can.

Magnus turned to Twilight, seeing the object she held. “Yeah, we use these to store fuel in. The boat had an engine that ran on this stuff.”

“Fuel,” Twilight parroted while turning the can around. “You mean coal, like a steam engine? How can you fit coal in this?”

“The fuel isn’t coal, but a liquid, oil that’s been refined through some process I’m not familiar with. I can show you how it works, though.” Magnus took the can from Twilight and opened the cap. All the gas was gone, but the can still held plenty of fumes. “Do any of you have a… never mind, I have a light of my own.”

Holding the can with one hand, Magnus made sure to point the lid away from the ponies, and then lit up his horn. At first, he had a bit of a problem with remembering the spell, but after a few moments spent thinking, it all came back to him.

“Watch this, and you better duck,” he said with a grin to the spectating ponies, who took a few steps backwards as he unleashed the spell towards the can. A shower of sparks flew from his horn, straight at the lid. A fireball suddenly erupted from the can as the fumes caught fire and rose to the ceiling before dying out a second later. Fire still lingered from the lid of the can, but Magnus let the fire burn away the fumes until they died out by themselves.

“How about tha—” He turned to the ponies. As expected, the ponies were caught off-guard by the fireball, judging by the surprised looks on their faces, but what he didn’t expect was a red bubble surrounding them, the reason his words died in his throat.

“What in the wide world of Equestria!” Twilight exclaimed while staring at the jerry can. “What was that?!”

“Never mind that, what is this?” Magnus said, astonished, while touching the red bubble surrounding them. To his utter surprise, the bubble was hard and unyielding to the touch, but looked as flimsy as a soap bubble. He even knocked on the bubble and it produced a sound that was neither wood nor metallic. Even pushing the bubble with both hands felt like he was trying to push a boulder weighing several tons.

“This is my special talent: protection,” Shining Armor explained with a proud smile as he tapped a hoof to the shield, producing an echoing sound from within. A moment later the shield quickly vanished without a trace. “It’s part of the reason I joined the guard; so that I could protect ponies, but it has a double meaning, as I’m also good with shield spells.”

Magnus didn’t reply, as he was quite naturally awestruck by the sight of the spell. “Can you do it again?”

***

“So let me get this straight: You produced a shield spell that covered the entire city.”

“Correct.”

“Which requires large amounts of magic.”

“Yes.”

“And you kept this spell going for… how long again?”

“Four days without rest. It was a constant drain, even when I slept.”

Magnus whistled. “... God damn! Weren’t you tired?”

Shining nodded while looking straight ahead. “I had horn aches and headaches on the second day; only got worse from there. I’ve never been so drained before in my entire life. I spent two days in bed recovering. But I had a good nurse.”

Cadance, walking alongside her husband, leaned onto him as they walked. “And she never left your side for a second, and provided you with exactly what you needed.”

Shining faced her, and rested his head against hers while smiling. “And more,” he added, giving her a kiss.

Twilight walked next to Magnus, smiling happily at her brother and sister-in-law. Magnus had to wonder just how powerful Prince Shining Armor really was, and if great magical powers ran in their family. Twilight was powerful before, as he had been told, and even more so now that she was an alicorn, but Shining Armor wasn’t exactly weak either, despite not being an alicorn. So, either both had to train very hard, or both were naturally gifted. If only he could meet their parents, he’d be able to draw a solid conclusion.

But that was for another time. Now, they were on the city streets of Canterlot to see the city, something Magnus had been looking forward to for some time. Naturally, their presence quickly became known. Two alicorn princesses, a prince, and a human simply couldn’t walk outside without anyone noticing. A crowd quickly gathered, but had begun to disperse after a while, with some ponies still following them, most notably fillies and colts as well as some adults. The eight guards escorting them while keeping a discreet distance helped a bit. The most persistent of the few were not the normal everyday ponies, as Magnus expected. Instead, it was the well-dressed mares and stallions, the cream of the crop, the nobility that attempted to get closer to the alicorns. And they weren’t simply there for a chat about the weather.

“Pardon me, Princess Cadenza, I would like to ask you about a business proposal which would need your approval—”

“Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight, as the former protege of Princess Celestia, could you perhaps sway her Highness to readdress some of the old tax reforms? My herd and I require a tax break in order to build our second summer home at Rainbow Falls.”

“Princess Cadenza! Are you and your husband perchance looking to expand your herd? My daughter is of age and—”

There was a flash of light blue magic and all sound ceased to be. The sudden silence came as a surprise to Magnus, and he saw that the air around them had a faint blue hue to it. “Was that a spell?” he asked and looked over his shoulder. The mouths of the ponies behind them still moved, but nothing was heard from them. “Some kind of sound cancelling spell, I’m gonna guess.”

Princess Cadance heaved a weary sigh, her smile non-existent. “Yes, it works wonders every time I go for a walk in Canterlot. I don’t mind children and adults wanting to meet me, but sometimes it’s nice to walk in peace and quiet. I’m lucky in that the crystal ponies have few nobles, and the few we have are from a thousand years ago; they come from a time when belonging to the nobility meant more than wealth, influence, and grandeur.”

“I see… The complete opposite of the modern nobles?”

Cadance gave a faint smile and leaned onto her husband. “They were even worse before our relationship became public. Cadie was the most sought after mare in all of Equestria, right after Princess Celestia. I think you can guess what I meant,” Shining Armor explained. Magnus immediately imagined a long line of young stallions standing before the castle each and every day, dressed to impress, and with a bouquet of flowers with them. It wasn’t that far-fetched; although not being the exact same species, Magnus could tell by simply looking at Cadance that she was quite attractive.

Magnus nodded and turned to Twilight. “What about you, Twilight? Are they like this to you too?”

She shook her head. “They never get the chance. I spend most of my time in Ponyville, and there I can still be Twilight. I can’t say I miss Canterlot that much.”

Eventually, the crowd at their heels began to thin until the small group could walk in peace and quiet. The nobles had finally understood they would get nowhere. Magnus had also seen a pair of the guards addressing the following ponies, perhaps explaining to them that this was not a wandering courtroom. When the faint blue coloration around them faded, Magnus knew they were in the clear.

“Where should we go first? Anything in particular you would like to see?” Shining Armor asked as they walked onto the main street that ran right through the city, from the train station to the castle gates.

Magnus pondered the query for a while. “Well, I haven’t seen the sights yet, so anywhere is okay with me. I’m probably going to live in Canterlot, so getting familiar with the city is a good start.”

“Then the main street is a good place to start.” Twilight trotted ahead of them and began pointing out a variety of stores. “This is Sharp Scissor’s hair salon, in case you want a haircut someday. Mom and dad always brought me and Shining here when we were younger. And down there is Donut Joe’s place; he’s got the best coffee and donuts in Canterlot.”

Magnus took note of the places mentioned; he always could use a good cup in the morning. As for a haircut? Well, he could use one fairly soon, but letting ponies—and specifically their lack of fingers to use scissors near his head—was enough to make him pause to reconsider.

Twilight naturally became the guide for Magnus, with Shining Armor and Cadance chipping in occasionally, but for the most part, they were okay with Twilight playing tourist guide. Of course, the market was the centre of town, the peddlers there hawking their variety of wares, and there were nearby bakeries to buy pastries of all different types. There were also several cafes in the vicinity with ponies sitting outside to eat, drink, and talk with each other. From the market, streets branched out in all directions, leading to several other districts, such as the residential district of the rich and wealthy, the ordinary residential districts (there were several), the entertainment district containing clubs, bars, theaters, movie theaters, and the famous Restaurant Row, a street containing nothing but restaurants.

After passing the market, Twilight then began leading them through other parts of the city, eagerly reciting the history of specific government and public buildings they passed. Safe to say, Twilight was a walking encyclopaedia, and not only when it came to magic. What struck Magnus the most was the city itself. The houses and their specific architectural style and pastel colours vaguely looked like houses on Earth, but their style was not. Just about every public and government building they passed was made out of white marble and was striking in their flawlessness. Brass-capped roofs, flags, brightly-coloured flowers, trimmed bushes, ornamental trees—everything was made to look perfect. Even the streets were free of litter, not a bottle or wrapping paper in sight and no chewing gum stuck on the benches. Yes, Ponyville was a far cry from Canterlot, but as the capital of Equestria, perhaps the city had to impress all who visited. And as a tourist, Magnus goggled at every building, every statue, every site Twilight pointed out and more. Equestria was certainly a fantasy land, like something out of a fairy tale, with a rich, beautiful, and unique culture that any human civilization would have a hard time recreate. All he could do while walking, with Twilight’s voice like a buzzing in the background, was stare at everything for the first time.

***

It was a few hours later, when Twilight’s voice started to sound a little hoarse, that Cadance and Shining Armor suggested they find a cafe for some refreshments. Wandering near the marketplace, they found a cozy cafe and sat down at an available table outside under blue skies and shining sun. The guards themselves stayed in groups of two, taking up positions nearby and trying to blend in.

When they were seated, Magnus noticed that the amount of ponies wandering the streets had increased from earlier. Now, there were a lot more fillies and colts outside, as well as those who looked like teenagers. He guessed that school was out for the day, judging by how most of the younger ponies carried saddlebags on their backs. And as there were more ponies outside, Magnus drew more curious glances from the ponies walking by than earlier. Fillies and colts stopped and stared, eyes wide with wonder, while the teenagers walked by in little groups, whispering to each other, giggling and laughing while staring at him. At this point, Magnus had grown used to the staring, knowing well than it would last for a long time to come, so for now, he’d let them have a good look.

“Don’t bother with them; they’re just curious,” Princess Cadance whispered, having also noticed the ponies walking by.

“I try not to. I’ll draw a crowd wherever I go, but someday I might get the chance to walk through Canterlot without making it look like the circus is in town,” Magnus replied.

“The crystal ponies are a bit the same. They are from a thousand years ago, when the griffons were more hostile and clashed frequently with the Empire. The first time a griffon tourist came to the Crystal Empire, the old guards gathered to ‘repel the invaders’. We had to give the entire population a crash course on what’s been happening the last thousand years.” Shining Armor chuckled while browsing the menu.

A waiter dressed in a snappy vest and collar soon came to their table and took their orders. While waiting for food to arrive, conversation continued. However, Magnus became aware of a group of patrons at the other end of the outdoor cafe, all three having their eyes fixed on him. It was a minotaur, a griffon, and a diamond dog. Magnus stared back, and then realized that these three were the ambassadors he saw the day he had left Canterlot.

The griffon was an older male with greying feathers on his head, and a monocle and a sash over his chest. The griffon just stared at Magnus with curiosity, tilting his head slightly to the side. As Magnus stared back, the realization that this was an actual living creature struck him. While he had seen drawings and art of griffons, seeing an actual real one was simply stunning. Realistic impressions did not do them justice at all.

The minotaur was no less impressive, especially the mountain of muscle that adorned his body. His head was like the one of a bull, though as with the griffon, human-like intellect shone through. Not to mention, the visible disgust in them when the bull stared at Magnus with his arms crossed over his chest and snorting steam from his nostrils.

Last came the diamond dog. He had the appearance of a white retriever, and in general, he seemed the least threatening to Magnus. In fact, he just appeared curious, as if he would any moment rise from his seat and walk over to him to smell his hand. Unlike the diamond dogs he met the day he spent with Rarity, this dog looked like the kind of guy he could talk music with while having a beer. The very idea brought a smile to Magnus’ face.

“What are you smiling about?” Shining asked upon seeing Magnus crack a small smile.

“The ambassadors,” Magnus said, nodding towards them. “The dog and the griffon look okay; not sure about the minotaur though. Looks like he has beef with me.”

Twilight, Shining, and Cadance turned to look at the three over at the other end of the cafe, and Cadance said, “Oh, them. I’ve met Gerhard Greymantle a few times. He is a good griffon, having served Griffonia for many years as their ambassador to Equestria. Sir Atlas, the diamond dog, is also a pleasant character. He was raised in the king's palace in Granite Mountains because he is a relative of their king, King Bolivar the Old. I believe he got his position because of his closeness to the king, but he was a good choice nevertheless. He is civilized, unlike the ones that kidnapped Rarity once.”

Magnus simply nodded while listening to Cadance talk, his eyes still on the trio of non-ponies, amusing himself by being the first human to see as much as four intelligent alien species at the same time. It was surreal to him, but also exciting, and he wondered how humanity would react if Earth and Equus somehow became linked by a portal that stayed open permanently. A lot of talking, most likely, but also scientists that would tear their hair out just by trying to figure out how Equus worked, and how its denizens could bend the laws of nature at their whim. Twilight would have a field day with them.

And speaking of Twilight. “Magnus, I was wondering, could you tell me more about the engine you said was on your boat and the fuel it used?” Cadance’s and Shining’s ears turned to him the second the question was posed.

“Sure I can. So, here’s the basics about a ~gasoline~ powered engine,” he began.

After a lengthy explanation concerning the inner workings of gasoline engines, and also how gasoline was created, their food and drink finally arrived. Today, Magnus settled for a simple tomato and egg sandwich, although he yearned for some meat to add on it. Salami, bologna, bacon—anything would work at this point, but sadly, meat simply wasn’t on the menu, a fact Magnus was forced to accept.

After nearly thirty minutes of casual chatting, they were about to move on when nature called. “I need to use the toilet; I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said as he rose from his seat and headed for the cafe’s interior in his search. Although the cafe was pretty small on the inside, he quickly saw a sign of a mare and stallion silhouette on a white background and an arrow pointing to the side.

Just as he came to the restroom, a stallion left, a clue that he was on the right path. Even cafe restrooms in this world were very much like those back home; tiled floor and walls, three sinks in a row, and four stalls, but lacking urinals. Stallions would probably have problems standing on their hind legs, and hooves would be messy. Taking the first stall, Magnus went on to do his business in utter silence; there was no one else in the restroom.

Finishing up, he went back outside to wash his hands, swearing silently as he had to crouch to reach the sink low on the wall. He just knew that Equestria would someday end up sending him to a chiropractor.

Just as he was drying off his hands on a paper towel, he heard the door behind him open and heavy hooves on the floor. At first he took no notice, but after living around ponies for weeks by this point, he was used to hearing four hooves, but what he now heard was only two hooves. He peered over his shoulder, and there stood none other than the minotaur ambassador, arms crossed and blocking the door, with a none too friendly sneer on his face.

At first, Magnus paid him no heed as he continued drying his hands, all while he heard the bull breathing behind him. When he was ready to leave, he tried to go around the bull, but he moved to block him. Not deterred, Magnus tried to go to the other side, but the bull still moved to block his path. At this point, Magnus began feeling a bit intimidated, seeing as the minotaur was probably nearly three times as heavy as him and several times stronger, not to mention he was absolutely huge. Still, he doubted that the bull would start a fight, not here, not when there were three royals just outside and god knew how many bystanders.

Looking up at the bull, Magnus asked, “Would you please move out of the way so I can leave?”

The bull didn’t budge, and instead leaned forward, his huge stature casting a shadow over Magnus. “You should leave,” he grumbled in a very deep, bass voice. “Find your way home.”

Nearly caught off-guard by his voice alone, Magnus kept his cool. “Oh, believe me I would if I could. But I can’t. I’m stuck here. I can’t go anywhere.”

“Try harder,” the minotaur responded gruffly, with steam coming from his nostrils. “Problems are drawn to Equestria. You are just another problem. So leave.”

A switch clicked in Magnus’s head. He remembered Twilight talking about this guy, the one who criticized Princess Celestia about Princess Luna’s return, and also criticized Twilight herself, Discord, as well as any other problem that arose in Equestria. Now he was targeting Magnus, thinking he was the next disaster to strike.

Taking the higher road, Magnus said, “There aren’t any other way home for me. They’ve tried, believe me. Princess Twilight did her best, and if she can’t figure it out, then I don’t think anyone can. Perhaps one day, a way can be found, but until then, there’s nowhere I can go.”

“Convince the princesses!” the minotaur grumbled and pushed Magnus backwards with such force that he nearly fell on his ass. “Changelings, the Chaos God, dark magic unicorn tyrants, the Living Nightmare—all these monsters have come, each of them with the power to bring ruin to all. Equestria draws these monsters to it, and now you! I won’t stand idly by while you scheme. I say it again: convince the alicorns to send you back to where you came from!”

Magnus was completely unprepared for the push, and was taken by surprise at the little effort the minotaur had used. It was a reminder at how out of his league he was compared to him. If the bull wanted to, he could easily break his arms, but he doubted it would come to that.

Now, Magnus wasn’t one to simply be pushed around. Although he had been bullied as a child from time to time, his grandfather had taught him to solve problems with words, and surprisingly often it worked. But sometimes words failed, and then a fight would be unavoidable, and it was from these encounters that Magnus had learned a little bit about defending oneself and how to throw a punch or two. Although completely unmatched, Magnus decided to use his mind, starting with the minotaur.

‘Enormous upper body strength, just like Max. He’s strong, but chances are all that muscle slows him down. Short, thin legs would lead to the same result, but that won’t affect me. Avoid arms at all costs, dodge and weave, then bolt for the door. In case he grabs me, go for the eyes.” Then Magnus took in his surroundings. “Not much here I can use to defend myself with. Maybe the wastebasket can work; throw it at him and try to escape. Calling for help will always work. In worst case scenario, break the mirror; one good shard is a good way to keep him at arm's length. Keep him away, then escape.”

“Well?” the minotaur’s voice rumbled as he took a step forward.

Not to be outdone, Magnus also took a step forward and lowered the tone of his voice, making it deeper, while also slowly clenching his fists. “You shouldn’t push me, Happy Meal. Where I’m from, we eat creatures like you for lunch. Ever heard of beef? What about hamburger patties? Does that ring a bell in that thick skull of yours?”

“What did you call me?” the minotaur hissed through clenched teeth, a vein bulging on the bridge of his muzzle.

“Happy. Meal. What, am I speaking too quickly for you? Though you’d be more like a sad meal, like a vegan dinner at Thanksgiving. What, do you think you scare me, is that it? Well, tough shit, pal. There are things far scarier than you around. What do you even know anything about humans?” Magnus paused, though not to give the minotaur a chance to respond. “For example, I can bite you. I’m not venomous, and although a simple bite can’t kill, the infection that will surely follow will be a bitch to deal with. And considering my saliva is practically loaded with bacteria unknown to this world, how would doctors treat a bite from me? Answer: most likely they can’t. By the time the infection runs its course, you’ll either be dead from fever, or the body part I bite will have to be amputated. How do minotaurs deal with having only one arm? What if I bite a leg? Do you know any good carpenters who can make you a peg leg?”

For a change, the minotaur was at a loss for words. But Magnus wasn’t done yet.

“And look at where we are. One restroom at a cafe in the middle of Canterlot. Princess Twilight, Princess Cadance, and Prince Shining Armor know I’m here, and your ambassadorial buddies all know you went in here. Come to think of it, how many ponies saw you walk in here? Have you thought about that? If you decide to beat me to death, how will that affect your career? I’m guessing the princesses won’t be happy at all. And what about your king? I’d say diplomatic immunity might get you out of Equestria, but what about when you return home? Do minotaurs have death penalty for murder? Either way, It’ll be a mess all right, diplomatic relations falling apart and all that, just because you’re afraid of me and decided to beat me either to death, or hospitalize me for who knows how long. Your king might decide that the best way to show some goodwill is to ship you back here in chains so that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna can sentence you for the murder or assault on one of their subjects. What do you think your chances are?”

The minotaur remained silent, his arms resting at his sides while a thoughtful look crossed his face.

“And we still haven’t gotten to the best part, fucko. Look at me.” Magnus held his arms wide open, gesturing to his body. “I’ve been in fights, yes, but never for my life, but if you decide to attack me, you can be damn sure I’ll fight as if my life depended on it. I’ll punch, kick, bite, headbutt—hell, I’ll use this spear on my head just to survive, because that is what I want to do; live… peacefully, I might add.” Magnus paused as he looked up at the minotaur. “So please, let’s just go our separate ways, okay? Live, and let live.”

Magnus said no more, waiting for the bull to make his move. Inside, he hoped that he would just step aside. If not, he’d be in a world of hurt. His adrenaline had begun to pump long ago, his heart beating like crazy. He felt as if something was about to happen and clenched his fists, readying himself for anything.

The minotaur remained silent for a few more seconds. Then, the thoughtful look on his face vanished in the blink of an eye, and he set his furious eyes on Magnus. “If you will not leave willingly, then I shall force you! Prison is a small price to pay in order to keep the world safe,” he shouted, an ugly scowl on his face. In less than a second, the bull pulled back his right arm, ready to strike, and in that very same second, Magnus raised his arms to block the punch while at the same time backpedalling. When the fist came at him, Magnus realized he was still within range and that he would get hit. Time slowed down as the huge clenched fist approached him. His arms raised to block, Magnus could do nothing but wait for the impact.

It never came. In the flurry of activity, Magnus vaguely saw a white shape appearing before him. Instead of a bone-breaking crunch, there was a slap, like a slab of meat hitting a cutting board. A large white paw, splayed wide open, held the angry minotaur’s fist, having stopped it mid-strike. It was the diamond dog ambassador who now stood between man and bull, back towards Magnus, his hind paws digging into the tiles.

“Atlas! What is the meaning of this?” the minotaur shouted angrily as he tried to pull back his hand from the diamond dog’s paw, struggling to no avail.

“Stopping an assault, Diligent,” the dog replied sternly and nodded towards the bull’s right side. “If your strike landed, you would be in a lot more trouble.”

The bull turned his head to his right, and Magnus sidestepped to see who was there, slowly lowering his arms. He was instantly relieved, but the minotaur ambassador’s livid look grew pale. Behind him stood Princess Twilight, Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, the griffon ambassador, and beyond the doorway, in the cafe, stood the eight guards. The entire crowd frowned at the minotaur.

Finally, the diamond dog released Diligent’s fist, and the bull hastily pulled it back, still looking at the guards and the royals, understanding that he was, or was to be, royally screwed. The look in his eyes said it all: he was done for.

“Ambassador Diligent Ambition,” Princess Cadance spoke, her eyes on the minotaur, steel in her voice. “I kindly request that you attend a meeting in Canterlot Castle with myself, my husband, my sister-in-law, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna this afternoon at exactly six before sundown. Guards, please escort the ambassador back to the Minoan embassy.”

With a defeated look on his face, the minotaur complied, turned around, and walked willingly towards the guards. When he reached the door, he turned halfway around so that he could look Magnus in the eyes. “This! Is not over!” he spat, grinding his teeth.

At the time, the best thing Magnus could do was display a shit-eating grin and wave the minotaur goodbye as he was escorted away. As soon as the bull was out of sight, he let out the breath he had been holding for the last thirty seconds, the adrenaline high he was on slowly dissipating. “Oh! Oh shit, I thought he was going to break me in half!”

Twilight was the first to rush over to him, followed by her brother and Princess Cadance. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Magnus shook his head while taking several deep breaths. “I’m okay, just scared, and glad that it’s over. But how did you know I was in trouble?”

“Ambassador Graymantle warned us,” Twilight said, looking to the griffon, who stepped forward while adjusting his monocle.

“Ah, yes, yes I did,” the griffon began, sounding a bit reserved and with a touch of upper class. “Ambassador Diligent has been quite vocal ever since your revelation. He seems to believe that you are the next catastrophe to befall the world. Even today when we met, all he would speak of was you and whatever ‘evil plans’ you were plotting. So, of course when you arrived in the lovely company of Princess Twilight, Princess Cadance, and Prince-Consort Shining Armor, he said and I quote, “Now he has bewitched the royalty of Equestria. Weaklings who dare not dispose of a clear and present threat. If the elder alicorns will not take action, then I shall.” Then he followed you here.”

Magnus nodded while the griffon told the story. “And what about you?” He turned to the diamond dog.

The dog took off his small John Lennon-like glasses and began cleaning them with a small white handkerchief he took from his vest pocket. When he spoke, it lacked the gruffness the diamond dogs near Ponyville had. His voice was more like that of a guy who had been smoking and drinking whisky for many years. “While Gerhard went to warn the prince and princesses, I followed Diligent and waited outside the door. I was hoping you two could solve it without us intervening, but Diligent, he’s extremely stubborn, even by minotaur standards. The moment your speech ended, I had already opened the door to rush in, and the royals and guards were behind me.”

“I see…” Getting the bull talking was the right move. If he hadn’t, the minotaur might have done something sooner. “But how did you block Diligent’s punch. How did you move so fast?” At the time it happened, adrenaline was rushing through his veins, and with a beating close at hand, he was so focused on the minotaur that he had barely seen the dog move into position.

At this question, the diamond dog grinned. “Former Kingsguard. Paw-to-paw combat is mandatory. I was an instructor.”

Magnus stared at the dog, then began to chuckle. “Well, I owe you, Ambassador Atlas, and you too, Ambassador Graymantle, for saving my hide. I don’t know what I can do to repay you, but for now I hope you’ll accept my gratitude.”

“Dear me, it was nothing, just a few simple words,” the griffon said, almost sounding bothered by Magnus’ grateful words.

The diamond dog slapped Magnus’ shoulder in a friendly manner while smiling. “Don’t worry about it. Buy me a whisky on the gems sometime and we’ll call it even.”

“Whiskey on… right, I’ll do that. But what now?” He turned to the trio of ponies. “What’ll happen to Diligent? Will his diplomatic immunity protect him from attempted assault?”

“No,” Cadance answered simply.

“Even ambassadors are subject to the laws of Equestria, as is anypony else. Assault, even attempted assault, is a crime that their immunity can’t save them from. Ambassador Diligent Ambition will most likely be expelled from Equestria for this,” Shining Armor elaborated.

“As for you two,” Cadance turned to regard the diamond dog and the griffon. “Will you be willing to give a written testimony regarding what happened here and your roles in it?”

“Sure,” Atlas quickly replied with an eager nod.

Gerhard coughed and straightened his sash. “I… am sure that Minoa can find somegriffon else better suited to the role of ambassador. It requires a bit of finesse and etiquette, not to mention charisma to fill such a role, and Diligent Ambition possess none of these qualities. Yes, I am willing to both write and sign my testimony.”

“Good. Magnus, are you willing to testify directly to us? I understand if you would rather not meet Diligent again.”

“Sure, the sooner we get back to the castle, the better.”

After returning outside, Ambassador Atlas and Ambassador Graymantle wrote their accounts and signed them at the table, now sitting alongside Twilight, Cadance, Shining, and Magnus, sharing their table. And as soon as the testimonies were written, life returned to normal to them, except for one.

Magnus was shaken, even though he hid it well. Somehow, Twilight picked up on his uneasiness, and from time to time asked him if he was okay and if he wanted to go back to the castle. He responded each time by saying he was okay, but he could see it on her face that she didn’t quite believe him; neither did her brother and sister-in-law. In truth, he was coming to terms with the fact that Ambassador Diligent was so steadfast in his belief that Magnus was dangerous that he was ready to beat him, perhaps even to death. Understanding this was a serious wake-up call to him.

But another revelation came to him, one that made him smile.

He was afraid of dying.

Weeks ago, while grieving over his lost life on Earth, he considered ending his life.

Now, he wanted to live a long life, maybe travel a bit, see what Equus had to offer him, find a job he could be happy with, a nice home, and perhaps learn more about magic. He wanted to live.

And the thought made him happy.

Author's Notes:

Hey! Another chapter? So soon? Yeah, I was surprised too. JBL is surely a wizard dabbling in the editing arts!

Looks like things are picking up speed nowadays. we're done in Ponyville and we're branching out into the world, and soon we'll be in Hollow Shades to see its wonders and meet its inhabitans (Eeeeeeeeeeeee).

I had to add the part about checking out the boat, and even though Twilight took a bit off, I found it charming and very much in character for her to geek out over things from another world. And a walk around Canterlot was also a nice little reprieve from the castle and all that happens there. I don't expect the princesses going out on the streets that much, and as we've seen, Celestia and Luna always travel around in chariots. Dunno if that's true to Cadance though, but I think she's a bit more 'preferring to walk there' kinda mare.

Enter Gerhard Greymantle, Atlas, and Diligent Ambition. One of them had to be the bad guy, and what better than a quarter ton of muscle and attitude. I knew early on that I wanted Gerhard to be an upper class kinda guy, and his appearance, the sash and monocle kinda came naturally. Atlas I wanted to be a sympathetic character as opposed to the diamond dogs we've seen so far. I've known quite a few musicians that look and act like him over the years(Yes, my city is very interesting since it has a huge musical environment). And the Tom Waits link was JBL's idea. It's pretty much as close as you can get, although I imagined his voice a little bit softer. Also, this chapter also gave Cadance the chance to show her AUTORITAH! not over the top though...

As always, a huge thank you to my readers, and a thank you to all who gave my story a place in your library. You make me wanna write

Chapter 50 - My Little Job

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The pony bowed deeply before Princess Luna, his audience and his request granted. The Princess of the Night gave him a faint nod in return as well as a smile. It was a minor matter, but Princess Luna was happy to help. Her scribe would see to the paperwork as she followed the happy farmer out of the throne room.

Letting out a content sigh, Luna smiled. Tonight was such a busy night; ten petitioners in four hours. It was unheard of. A thousand years ago she was lucky if she got one in one year. Truly, times had changed.

“Sergeant, are there any more petitioners waiting?” Princess Luna asked her trusted bat pony guard who was in charge of security while she held court.

“That was the last one, your Highness,” the bat pony replied.

“The last one…” Luna rested her head on a hoof while staring out into the throne room. There were twelve of them; ten guards, and her assistants who managed paperwork and transcribed conversation between the princess and any petitioners.

For now, silence reigned, a usual aspect of night court. Every evening, Princess Luna would prepare for the night, hanging up lavender around the castle and the throne room, the scent helping ponies relax, and eventually, fall asleep more easily when they returned home. All of the paperwork left for her by Celestia had already been done. Mostly it consisted of documents that needed Luna’s approval and signature, with a few legal documents that she needed to review.

Speaking of legal, Luna had also spent time reading about the new laws that had been introduced to Equestria during the last thousand years. While some brought up valid points that should have been foreseen long ago, others were as dry as a noble’s sense of humour. And tonight, the princess did not wish to read about more laws.

Boredom settled in. Night Court was sometimes tedious, but it was a duty that Luna intended to fulfil. She was a princess, a ruler of Equestria, and was responsible for the land during the night, and that was an obligation she would never desert.

Closing her eyes, Luna checked the Dream Realm, searching for nightmares but finding few. A colt dreaming of a monster under his bed, a mare fearing that her husband had an affair, a griffon losing his wealth, and one very strange dream coming from a diamond dog who wished to go to the moon, but every time he reached for it, it drifted further away. The last one Luna found particularly odd. Nevertheless, she sent a mental copy of herself into each dream to calm their fears and chase away the night terrors, and in moments the Dream Realm was peaceful once more.

Opening her eyes, she decided on a change of pace. Luna stood up from the throne and descended its steps. “It seems to be yet another peaceful night. If any more petitioners come, find me in the garden; I shall go for a walk.”

With that, Luna left the throne room with four guards in tow, and after a short walk, she found herself in the nightly silence of the castle garden. The moon was still shining bright, and the stars sparkled and shimmered on the dark canvas that was her night sky. She could also hear the sounds of bat wings in the sky. The bat pony guards were ever watchful, just as their forebears had been, all the way back until the day the bat ponies first came to Equestria all those years ago. There were not as many of them back then, but now their numbers were greater, and they had spread all over Equestria and beyond. It warmed her heart that her beloved ponies still held her in such high regard, even after all these years.

Luna wandered across the garden, past statues of heroes and important ponies of the past, some of whom she had known. She wandered past beds of flowers of many hues and decorative bushes, all while enjoying the silence of the night. However, there was one sound that made her ears perk up and turn towards the direction it came from. She quickly recognized the sound of two heavy hoofsteps, and the owner of those hooves humming to himself, and decided to see why Magnus was still up in the middle of the night.

She followed the sound and found him wandering moments later, hands in his pocket, fully dressed, staring up at the sky with a smile on his lips, and with soft music coming from somewhere on his person.

“A beautiful night for a walk,” she said softly, announcing her presence so as not to frighten him.

He turned to her and nodded in greeting, seemingly unperturbed. “Good evening, Princess,” he responded before turning his gaze upwards.

“Still you refer to me by title? Even my sister? Have we not spoken of this?” she asked with a smile.

Magnus chuckled. “I’ll try to remember that for future reference. I thought you’d want to hear your title first.”

“I hear titles spoken in every sentence every time I speak with the nobility. It is refreshing to hear my name spoken by my friends. Twilight Sparkle once theorized that when two ponies call each other by name instead of title, friendship has a 68% greater chance to occur in the near future, and as the Princess of Friendship, I am inclined to believe her.”

“Figures she would research something like that.” He laughed before looking up again.

Luna walked closer, and she too turned her face skywards. “What are you searching for?”

“Just wondering if I’m really in another dimension or if my home is somewhere up there. Guess it doesn’t really matter anymore,” he replied with a sigh.

“Perhaps not.” Luna knew that Magnus was still homesick, and it would take a long time before he got over it. Perhaps he never would. The imprint of his home would follow him for the rest of his life. Only time could heal those unseen wounds, if they would heal at all.

“Why are you not asleep?” she asked, wondering why he was still up.

He shrugged. “Have a lot on my mind, I guess, and just couldn’t fall asleep.”

“Is it because of Ambassador Diligent Ambition?”

“Partially.”

“Mhm. Yes, you were not there when we spoke with him, and it was not an appropriate topic at dinner either, so you do not know what became of him. I am happy to announce that he has been banished from Equestria.”

Magnus’ head immediately snapped to stare at Luna. “He was?”

Luna nodded. “Yes, on charges of assault and threats. He left Canterlot this evening, and in two days’ time, he shall be on a ship to Minoa. The position of ambassador has been granted on a temporary basis to another member of the embassy. I expect that another ambassador will come to Equestria in a month or two. In any case, Diligent was a very poor choice to represent his homeland.”

“I heard a bit from Twilight and Cadance; sounds like he had an axe to grind with everyone and everything.”

“A strange way to describe him, but fitting. Yes, he was briefly captured by changelings during Cadenza and Shining Armor’s wedding, and was held prisoner in a cupboard by a potted plant and an entire set of cutlery after Discord’s brief reign of chaos. He was also strongly opposed to my presence after my cleansing of the Nightmare. He saw only potential threats everywhere he looked.” She sighed. “Perhaps it is for the best that he returned to his home islands. There, he might find some peace in his surroundings.”

“Or he’ll find a tick that he suspects will overthrow the kings of Minoa,” Magnus replied sarcastically, eliciting a brief bout of laughter from Luna.

While they stood there, gazing at the stars, with Magnus’ companion cell phone playing music, there came a gust of wind. While the cold night wind did nothing to Luna, she noticed Magnus shivering, and even saw goosebumps on his arms.

“You must be cold. Why not go inside? I can get a member of the kitchen staff to bring you something warm to drink,” she suggested. Magnus merely shook his head.

“Warm drinks won’t work when winter comes. Autumn’ll be here soon, right?”

Luna nodded and turned to gaze over the moonlit landscape that was Equestria. “It draws close, yes. In two weeks or so, the leaves will start to change and then fall. The weather will steadily grow colder until the first snow will fall.”

Magnus hummed. “The weather’s already getting colder; I can feel it. And I’ll freeze. Problem is, I’ve no money yet, and I need to buy better clothes for winter. When Creative Stitch made these clothes, I didn’t think about asking for warmer clothes.”

Luna looked at the clothes Magnus wore. True, they would be a poor choice for winter attire. A so-called ‘tee-shirt’ and short pants would not be fitting for a human and their furless skin in snow and wind.

“That will not be a problem. As stated before, Celestia and I will take care of your needs. Now, tell me—”

“No.” Magnus cut her off and turned to her. “No more handouts. No more free stuff. I’ve been given stuff left and right ever since I came here. For once, just once, let me work so I can buy my own clothes. Any chores around the castle, anything that I can do. And no extra salary either. An honest job and an honest wage, that’s all.” The tone of his voice brooked no objection, and Luna saw it in his eyes that he was completely serious. Well, if he wanted to work to support himself, then she would see to it.

“Very well,” Luna responded after a moment spent thinking. “Although I cannot think of a job that would naturally fit you, I will confer with my sister in the morrow. I am confident we can find something for you to do.”

Magnus let out a relieved sigh and smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

“T’was my pleasure. Now, shall we continue on your walk or shall we stand here?”

“We can walk; I’ve got something else I want to ask you, if you have the time,” Magnus said while he chose a direction and began walking next to Luna.

Luna smiled. “So many questions,” she said, trying to imitate his now serious voice.

“Mhm, I got plenty.” Magnus chuckled before growing serious. “I want to know about the Galaxy family.”

Luna turned to look at Magnus; he gazed forward, eyes on whatever destination he had in mind. Perhaps he was finally thawing concerning his pony family.

“What do you wish to know?”

“Everything,” Magnus replied. “How long have they existed?”

“A long time,” Luna began. “The first mention of the Galaxy family was during the Golden Age of Kings six millennia ago, when the kings of old were just and wise, and gathered unto them the very wise in many different topics; law, rule, war, magic, philosophy, traders, gatherers, and explorers. Among these many teachers was a minor knight of the gentry named Oaken Scroll, a wise teacher of magic and philosophy, and for his efforts that lasted nearly three decades, he was granted the title of baron, thus becoming the first of his family to receive such an honour. His family would from that point rise among the ranks of the nobility over many years. By the time they left Unicornia, they held the title of Marquis of Shimmering Peaks—a prospering piece of land—and after the founding of Equestria and the reforming of the nobility, they became the Counts of Hollow Shades. Perhaps a downgrade of their former noble titles, but they were still counted as the most powerful, wealthy, and influential family in Equestria.”

Magnus nodded. “So at least six thousand years. Quite a while in other words. I did read a bit about them in Ponyville, and it sounds like they were very powerful back in the day.”

Luna smiled and spoke with pride, “More than you can imagine. For centuries they were the steadfast defenders of Equestria’s eastern borders, a bulwark against griffon armies. The Galaxy family and their armies were always first to face the invaders when they came, and their tireless efforts saw many castles built in the east during their time. It saddens me that they fell from grace.”

“What about the current baroness, Brilliant Star?” Magnus asked, tearing Luna away from the memories of a distant family line.

“Baroness Star? That is a question I am afraid I cannot answer. Although I only met her once, she appeared to be a kind and pleasant mare. Old age is upon her and her body is frail, but her mind is still sharp.”

Age. Such a strange word, now that Magnus thought about it. One day he’d grow old too, and what would happen to him then? Would he be suffering from dementia, not knowing where he was and surrounded by ponies? It would be hell, waking up each day and not knowing anything. Or stuck in an old folks’ home? With a little bit of luck, he’d die before that happened to him.

But Luna wasn’t done. “However, the baroness is in luck, for she has family near to her.”

Magnus was visibly surprised; this was news to him. “I thought she didn’t have family left.”

Luna shook her head. “She does not, not by blood. Celestia said that Brilliant is the last Galaxy, but as she grew older, she married into a herd and became herdmother to several children and grandchildren. I believe she now has quite an extensive family around her, mares and stallions she fondly calls sons and daughters, and children of many ages she calls grandfoals and great-grandfoals.”

“Oh, that’s good. God, that would be lonely, not having family at that age. But how old is she, do you know?”

“I believe sister said that Baroness Star is now in her 118th year.”

“What?!” Magnus exclaimed. He was utterly surprised. As far as he knew, horses did not live long that long, not even ponies. The record was something around sixty, but then again, these ponies were very different from the ones on Earth.

“Indeed, does her age surprise you? Judging by your reaction, I believe that ponies from Earth may have a shorter lifespan?” asked Luna.

“Yeah, they usually don’t live that long. Average is something around twenty five or so, thereabout.”

“Only twenty five?” Luna exclaimed, horrified. “Mother’s name, how can a pony live a full life when they have barely—oh, yes. A difference between us and ‘them’. Forgive me my shock.”

“No problem, I get things mixed up all the time. But now I’m even more curious and I gotta ask, how long do ponies live and at what age are ponies considered adults?”

Luna hummed to herself for a moment. “T’was different a thousand years ago. A pony was considered an adult at age fourteen, but now we consider mares and stallions adult at age sixteen. In the past, a pony would be lucky to live past seventy, but in this modern age, ponies can live a hundred years with ease.”

It sounded like ponies had longer lifespans than humans, most likely thanks to their advanced medicine which could stave off a long list of diseases and illnesses. And more likely than not, a bit of magic went a long way.

Well, now he knew more about Brilliant Star at least. A very old mare, and she had stepchildren as well. That was good. To Magnus, the saddest thing he could imagine was lonely elders stuffed away in homes, rarely getting visits from their children and grandchildren. As a child, he’d accompanied his grandfather to an old folks’ home to visit a friend. All throughout the hallways, he remembered seeing the elderly, men and women alike, looking so lonely.

Perhaps it was the same for his father, Hrafnar, when he escaped from home the days when his parents drank and argued well into the night. He’d heard bottles breaking, shouting, and the sound of furniture being thrown about. He had escaped through his bedroom window and ran away at those times, and he always found refuge with the old, kind, lonely, widowed fisherman living down the road, the same man who had saved Hrafnar’s life long ago.

The old man named Magnus.

***

True to what was said the night before, Celestia and Luna had discussed possible job options for Magnus early in the morning, and yes, they did find something he could do. It turned out that Canterlot Castle employed janitors, a whole host of them, and they performed the same jobs that any normal human janitor would do. It was with one of these janitors that Magnus was assigned to this morning.

Spick Span was a pegasus stallion, white fur with short blue mane and tail, clad in blue overalls, and his cutie mark was a toolbox. He was a pony of few words, having said little in the short amount of time he and Magnus had spent together.

“Keep up, colt,” he barked over his shoulder at Magnus, who followed him carrying a wooden crate labelled ‘Fragile’, while the pegasus carried a toolbox on his back, supporting it with his muscular wings.

“Right behind you, boss,” Magnus happily replied. Now that he had his first actual paying job, he was dead sure not to mess up a single step of the process. After all, a good first impression was important.

However, with this first job, Magnus wasn’t really sure what he was going to help Spick Span with. All he was told that morning was that a job was found for him, and that he should report to a janitor named Spick Span for work. After he found him, he was told to pick up the crate and follow.

And instead of working inside the castle, they went outside, behind the castle, to the section closest to the mountain where there was a large open area and several large two story buildings, all identical in size and shape, and some other, smaller buildings. Several large groups of guards stood at attention while other guards, wearing armour that looked a bit different and with small differences in colour scheme barked orders at them.

‘Okay, this must be the castle barracks then. Looks like the sergeants woke up on the wrong side of the bed today and are looking for some unlucky bastard to P.T. until they throw up,’ Magnus concluded.

They went inside the closest buildings, passing some doors marked ‘Officer’ and with a name on it, and continued on until they came to a different door marked with a number. Spick Span didn’t even knock, just opened the door and walked right in.

Inside the admittedly cramped room were three bunk beds, one on each side of the room, a table and six chairs, and six wide lockers. Above each bed hung small cork bulletin boards decorated with pictures, letters, and other personal belongings.

Spick Span dropped his toolbox unceremoniously down on the floor. “Here we are; first room. Now be careful when you open that box, colt. The crystals are fragile.” He opened his toolbox and threw a crowbar to Magnus.

Magnus began to pry the box open, and when he opened the lid, he found several crystals rods inside, about half a meter in length, each rod polished to a mirror sheen, and with a strange inner light emanating from them. A generous amount of wood shavings protected the fragile rods.

“What are these?” Magnus asked as he picked one up carefully. Despite the inner glow, they were cool to the touch.

“Sunstone crystals,” Spick Span replied as he flew up to the ceiling and began removing a protective glass covering, revealing three crystal rods mounted in a metal fixture. “We use ‘em for indoor lights. They wear out over time and then we hafta replace em. Gotta recharge em by magic or leave em in sunlight for a couple o’ months. Here, take this rod and give me a new one.”

Magnus took the old rod, seeing that its inner light was almost completely faded, and handed Spick Span a new one. The moment the new crystal rod was inserted into the fixture, its inner light grew in intensity.

“That’s amazing. How are these made?” Magnus asked. Despite inspecting the old rod, he saw very little that could indicate toolmarks, apart from the end, which looked like they were cleanly cut through and then polished.

Spick Span let out a few low volume mumbles while he struggled to extract the next rod. “Consarnit… Rock farms, mines, and also the Crystal Empire. Those crystal ponies are masters of crystal craft. The ol’ rods we used? Pfft! Wore out in a couple o’ months, and half the time they were too fragile. These new ones? Stronger and lasts longer. Come on… There. Now give me a new one.”

Magnus and Spick Span spent the first half of the day replacing sunstone crystals in the barracks, getting complaints of other things that needed fixing from the officers who were there. It was nothing major; a leaky faucet, a water pipe in the basement that was rusted, squeaky doors, etc. All the while, Spick Span wrote down everything in his notebook, stating that he would look into it the first chance he got.

When lunch came around, Magnus and Spick Span ate in the castle cafeteria, reserved only for the castle staff and the soldiers and officers off duty. There was a line before they got their food, and as expected, it was mostly greens, but also some warm food. Not to mention, Magnus turned a few heads when he entered.

After finding a seat, Magnus ended up eating alongside Spick Span and some of his colleagues.

“Hey Spick, how’s the new guy doing?” a brawny, blonde-furred earth pony mare asked while munching on a sandwich.

“He’s okay; asks alotta questions though. Can hardly get work done when even a leaky shower head gets him going,” Spick Span answered with his mouth full of omelette.

“I was just saying how weird it is when mares and stallions use the same shower,” Magnus defended himself. “Where I come from, males and females use separate showers.”

“Why?” a unicorn stallion next to Magnus asked.

“Well, ‘cause males and females are different, different parts, you know? There’s also a nudity taboo and all that. We also think a bit different when it comes to nudity than you do. If a woman or a man walked around naked, it would send out a lot of different signals.”

“Such as?” the female earth pony asked.

Now Magnus was very sure his face turned red. “Well, um… Since humans wear clothes at all times, being nude are for certain occasions only. Bathing, showering—”

“Sex?” the mare suddenly asked, loudly too. A few ponies at the nearby tables turned their heads.

Definitely red face, yep. “Yeah…” Magnus admitted with a nod of his head.

The mare nodded. “So since we never wear clothes, does that mean you think we’re ready to go at any moment? I know a place in the cellars where we can be alone.”

***

It had been a long day when Magnus finally returned to his room. He had worked for hours, mostly carrying stuff for Spick Span. He also helped fix some leaky pipes, changed more sunstone crystals, installed a new door for a guest bedroom in the castle, helped clean out a storage room, unclogged toilets and drains, and used a wire brush to remove rust from old hinges that were still serviceable. To top it all off, he was constantly teased by Spick Span because of a certain comment. Turns out, the mare, Goldie Wrench, was an insufferable flirt towards just about anyone, and Magnus had now simply become her intended next conquest, and by God, he would do everything in his power to avoid that mare.

Well, it was no use being bashful about her comments now. It had already happened, and tomorrow was another day.

***

The next day proved to be more than a bit different. Magnus now found himself more than seventy meters above ground level, a safety harness around his waist and chest, a good length of rope going from his harness and secured on top of the roof of one of the tallest towers in the castle. Spick Span had flown ahead to secure the rope up top, and when he was done, Magnus began climbing up a long ladder with a heavy load of brand new gilded roof tiles in a wooden crate on his back.

Despite being so high in the air, one would think that anyone would be close to changing their underwear when they got down. Not Magnus, no, he was in fact enjoying himself.

“This is awesome!” he cackled while climbing the ladder. A quick look around revealed the magnificent view he had, basically being on the highest peak of all of Canterlot, except the mountain itself. “I can see my future house from here!”

“Yeah yeah,” came the lazy reply from the top of the ladder. Spick Span stood there, waiting for Magnus to reach the top with the tiles. He had flown up with the toolbox and tied the rope as he wasn’t strong enough to carry the heavy tiles as well. “I know you’re having fun and all, but we’re on the clock here. We’re gonna have rain later, and if we don’t get this leak fixed, we’re gonna be up here all day, and I don’t like being wet.”

Magnus finished the climb and reached the roof, but as soon as he stood up, he found the tiles to be very slippery, so slippery in fact that he began sliding backwards towards the edge. He was smart enough to go down on all fours in order to get a better grip. He blamed his steel shod hooves for that. If he still had feet, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Done?” Spick Span asked with an amused smile. After making sure he wouldn’t slide anymore, Magnus nodded. “Good. Now come on, the leak should be near the top.”

Spick Span led the way to the very top of the round tower, where Magnus’ safety rope was tied with a strong knot. As far as Magnus could see, the tiles all seemed to be in good condition. Brass was a good material, but the gilding seemed a bit much.

“Here.” Spick Span pointed out a specific tile. It was cracked down the middle. Spick sighed. “And not a good place either. Now we hafta remove at least a dozen tiles just to fix this broken one.”

He reached into his toolbox and began rummaging through it, eventually finding what looked like a hammer, but made for some specific purpose.

“Anything I can do to help?” Magnus asked.

“Not right now, no. Just keep an eye on the tiles when I pry ‘em off. If one falls over the side and hit somepony below…”

“Gotcha. I’ll take care of them.”

While Spick began removing the tiles one by one, Magnus held onto each one with his hands just to keep them safe. Other than that, there wasn’t much else he could do. He had worked on a roof before, specifically, his own roof back home. But he had shingles, not gilded brass tiles. This kind of work was way out of his league, but that didn’t keep him from watching and learning as Spick worked.

Eventually his mind and eyes began to drift towards the city below, and he found himself looking at the residential areas. Some had large auspicious mansions while others looked like three storey apartment buildings. Perhaps it was a place like that he’d live in someday. ‘Course, a lot of things needed replacing then. No, a small house might be what he needed, but work came first.

Lately he had thought a lot about what kind of job he could do. An office job was not in the equation. He could settle for waitering tables in a pinch, and maybe manning a cash register. Perhaps somewhere he could work with his hands? He had some minor experience with carpentry due to his own house. Fixing his grandfather’s old place took time and money, and god knew how many hours spent on Youtube watching DIY videos in order to save money instead of hiring a professional. Having friends who were willing to help was also immensely helpful.

But that was still some time away. It had been days since Celestia spoke with Brilliant Star, and the old mare had asked for time in order to set up a meeting. He expected an answer any day now.

“Hey, you daydreamin’ again?” Spick Span shouted as he threw a light punch at Magnus’ shoulder.

“What?” Magnus asked, torn away from his thoughts. He then noticed that Spick had uncovered a wide section of the roof. “Oh, yeah, the tiles.”

***

The days went by quickly, now that Magnus had something to occupy himself with. He worked six days and had the last day of the week off. On the second week, he was sent to do jobs on his own. They weren’t difficult though, just some minor jobs that anyone could do. Despite this, Magnus felt useful as he longer just sat around.

After work was over, he would spend time with Twilight, Spike, Shining Armor, Cadance, and also Celestia and Luna if they had a moment to spare. Usually, the two sisters were kept busy due to their numerous duties, but Magnus met them every morning for breakfast and every evening for dinner.

It was during these days that Magnus got to know Shining Armor and Cadance a bit better, and also began to use their first names. None of these royals were much for the use of titles, Magnus discovered.

Shining Armor wasn’t quite as military-minded as Magnus was led to believe. He was a prince, yes, and he quite enjoyed the life of a soldier, as he was still the leader of the Crystal Empire’s guard force, the Crystal Guard, but the stallion had other hobbies, such as comic books and board games. As Cadance mentioned, Shining still ran game nights with some of his guard buddies in the Empire. When Magnus explained video games to him, Shining Armor practically lit up. Skyrim, especially, spoke to him. The thrill of adventure, treasure seeking, defeating evil foes and the wandering undead, and seeking one’s destiny? Oh yes, Shining had stars in his eyes.

Cadance was also a nice mare and very polite, well-spoken too. Magnus liked her from the very start, due to her kind personality. She strongly reminded him of Lisa in that regard. As the Alicorn of Love, she was of course, interested in hearing about how humans expressed affection. She referred to it as ‘broadening her horizon’, and as love was her thing, she wanted to learn. Magnus listed a few, such as kissing of course, hugs, and any other things a couple romantically involved would do. He also explained how humans would date, mentioning the usual clichés such as flowers and chocolate, a dinner and maybe a movie as the usual first date, and Cadance said that the same applied among ponies, but with a few differences. Both stallions and mares would bring flowers for each other, but they were for eating, a light snack before dinner. Chocolate was meant to be for later during the date, if both parties decided to stay together for the night. However, with Magnus’ young age and his relative inexperience with dating, there really wasn’t much more he could add. Nevertheless, he got along with Cadance very well.

A few days later, Cadance and Shining Armor left for the Crystal Empire. Although the Empire could function just fine on its own for a while, something would usually come up that required their attention, such as paperwork or ambassadors requesting an audience. Magnus was there at the train station the day they left and bade them goodbye until next time. Cadance and Shining extended him an invitation to visit when he was able to, and Magnus promised he would come when he was able to. Who would miss out seeing a city made out of crystal? Also, at the end of the week, Twilight and Spike had to return to Ponyville in a hurry. It was something about a friendship crisis happening and it required her immediate attention. Such was Twilight’s life, Celestia explained. As the Princess of Friendship, Twilight was integral to many ponies, more than she knew herself, Celestia told Magnus.

***

At the end of the sixth day of work, Magnus went with Spick Span to the office of the Chamberlain, the pony who oversaw the payment of the castle staff, and received his salary. Three hundred bits, which wasn’t bad. Magnus hadn’t even asked how much he would be paid, but this was more than he expected.

The next day, he left early to look for a special pony, one who he had met before. After asking for directions, he found the store—The Creatively Cut Cloth. The store was very colourful and fancy on the outside, and when he stepped inside, he was greeted by rows upon rows of mannequins, not only of ponies, but of griffons, minotaurs, and even diamond dogs, all of them wearing some form of clothing. Yes, it was a sure sign Creative Stitch dealt with many races for customers.

Magnus had barely stepped inside when the aforementioned stallion appeared at the counter. “Mister Powell, what a delightful sight!” he exclaimed before looking Magnus up and down. “And you still wear my clothes! Wonderful! Tell me, are they to your liking?”

Magnus was wearing one of his short black pants, a black t-shirt, and a long sleeved white shirt over it. “Hello, Creative. Yeah, I do. Not too wide and not too long, just perfect.”

“Well, that is just wonderful.” Creative smiled as he walked around the counter. “I knew the moment I saw you that you would be a challenge to clothe, and I pulled through,” he said with a proud grin. “Now, what can I help you with? Are you in the market for something new?” He walked over to the mannequins, pointing out various garments in the colours of the fall, mostly red, gold, yellow, and brown. “I’m currently working on my fall line, and I have a few suggestions that I think you might like.”

“I’m sure you do, but today I’m in the market for jackets. Winter is coming soon, and I’ve already begun to feel the chill in the air.”

“Already?” Creative questioned. “That’s odd. I didn’t feel a thing this morning. Then again, I do have a nice coat of fur.”

“And I have very little of the sort,” Magnus riposted. “So, think you are up to the challenge? This time I’ll pay out of my own pocket.”

Creative spun around, facing Magnus. “Aah, I see. You have already found a job, I take it?”

Magnus shrugged. “Sort of. I’ve been doing odd jobs around the castle for a few days now and today was payday.”

Once more, Creative’s face lit up. “The castle! Glamour, the Grand Galloping Gala, those handsome guards! Oh, what I would do to work in the castle. But enough daydreams. Tell me what you need and we can start measurements.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Creative took Magnus’ measurements of his upper body, but also of his waist and legs. With winter on the way, Magnus figured he’d need some pants suited for cold weather as well.

Magnus decided on a jacket suited for fall and spring, windproof and a nice layer of wool on the inside to keep him warm. Creative did a quick sketch to show Magnus what he had in mind, and what he drew looked like a dark brown Bombardier jacket. Magnus liked the design so much he agreed to Creative’s suggestion. Next came the winter jacket. Creative didn’t fail there either. What he drew looked like a hooded parka with faux fur, though instead of goose down, it would be filled with soft wool to trap air. Although the design looked familiar, Magnus had his doubts, so Creative gave him a jacket meant for a pony so he could try. Although there was no way Magnus could get the small jacket on himself, he did get an arm through one of the forelegs and could feel how warm the wool really was. After this little demonstration, Magnus was convinced and ordered a winter jacket as well.

With fall on the way, Creative had his schedule almost completely filled and there was no way he could make both jackets ready in a week, but he could make the fall and spring jacket ready in a few days, which would give Magnus some warmth when he left for Hollow Shades. After all, he’d need it. Hollow Shades was a bit to the north and sure to be colder there.

Magnus paid half for the jacket in advance and would pay the rest upon completion. He thought about ordering pants as well, but the two jackets combined would already eat a chunk out of his earnings, so he figured he’d wait with pants until the first snow fell. By then he’d surely have a job. Before he left, Magnus asked Creative Stitch if he made mitts for winter use, but Creative did not. He did tell Magnus that an elderly mare just down the street made all manner of mitts, scarves, and hats of high quality which she sold in her store. That store became his next destination.

***

It was in the middle of the second week of Magnus’ job. He worked together with a few other janitors in a hallway, removing a crystal and gold chandelier from the ceiling for repairs. The plan was for one of them to tie a rope to the top of the chandelier, hook the rope around a pulley temporarily fastened in the ceiling, and then loosen the bolts one by one.

“Got the last bolt,” Spick said as he flapped his wings high above the floor to inspect his work. “Go ahead, lower it.”

Magnus and two earth ponies slowly began giving more rope while a unicorn held the chandelier in place with his magic. Inch by inch, the chandelier carefully descended. After all, it was several hundreds of years old, not some cheap brass thing you’d find at a dollar store. After a few painfully slow moments, the chandelier was moved into position on a wagon for transport.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Magnus let out a sigh of relief. If that damn thing came crashing down, he’d probably have to work in the castle until he died to cover the repairs on that heap of gold. And yes, gold was a lot heavier than he expected.

Just as they were finishing up, none other than Princess Celestia rounded the corner. Magnus’ fellow workers all bowed deeply to her. The only one who still stood was Magnus, but he did give her a small yet polite nod.

“Hello, everypony,” Celestia greeted them warmly. “May I borrow Magnus for a few moments?”

Spick Span was the one to reply, “Of course, your Highness, take as long as you need.” Magnus had never heard Spick speak with such reverence before.

“Thank you. Magnus, shall we?” Celestia beckoned Magnus to follow.

“You seem to enjoy your work. Did you do something similar on Earth?” Celestia asked as they wandered down the hallway.

“Nothing like this, no. But it beats sitting around all day. I’m afraid that living in this castle was gonna make me lazy, so I just had to do something other than reading.”

Celestia smiled. Finding a job for Magnus was a good idea to work out some of his idleness. “I am happy to hear that. Unfortunately, it would seem your job will be disrupted now.” Celestia then presented Magnus with an envelope, which he just gave an odd look at before taking it. The envelope had a strange black wax seal on it, several spiralling lines coming from the centre before meeting and forming a perfect circle.

“What’s this?” he asked Celestia as he broke the seal and pulled out a letter and unfolded it. All while doing this, Celestia merely smiled and never said a word. Nevertheless, Magnus began to read the intricate letters and moments later his eyes grew wider.

Magnus,
My name is Brilliant Star and I am your sole living relative.
I was surprised to hear it, because I believed up to this point that I was the very last direct relation of the Galaxy family known. That is, until you arrived into our world.
I will be honest with you and say that I do not know how we should proceed from here. I never expected something like this to happen to me, as I am sure you never expected the same. In this, we are the same, you and I. Strangers, yet sharing a bond that stretches beyond our known boundaries.
I am curious about you, young one, and I would like to meet you and see if we have anything in common. Five days from the day you receive this letter, my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will all meet in my castle in Hollow Shades for a hastily put together family reunion. If you would like to come visit me for an extended stay, I will welcome you not as a stranger but as a distant relative, for is that not what we are? And from there, we will just have to see where the road takes us.
Brilliant Star

Magnus read the letter, then reread it once more. He did not expect such warm words from a letter, let alone a mare he did not know. But he knew that from this moment forward, his life was about to get more interesting.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! New chapter here and we finally get a reply from Brilliant Star.

Now, I had no idea how to write that letter and I experimented a lot, but I figured that all things must start smoothly and easily and a straight forward letter was the best thing. Personally, I think it works better than some long winded five page speech.

I also figured it was about time Magnus found a job, not a permanent one that is, but one in which he can earn some cash on his own to buy stuff. A man has his pride after all, and handouts is no way to make a living. Being a janitorial assistant is a good place to start, but don't think that Magnus will be a janitor forever. I have plans.

Shoutout to JBL for editing my story. I'm telling you, the man can work wonders.

Also, a big ol' thank you to all my dear readers and followers

Chapter 51 - Journey to Hollow Shades

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The next few days went by in a blur now that a date was set. Magnus was released from his job to prepare for his travel to Hollow Shades, but there wasn’t really much to do other than packing. The only burden imposed on him was his own thoughts.

What should he say when he met Brilliant Star? He spent many days pondering this simple yet difficult question. No words or speeches he imagined would suffice or held any real meaning for such a first meeting. How had people dealt with this before, when they found out they had relatives previously unbeknownst? Alas, he couldn’t call upon their experience, and thus an answer to his quandary eluded him.

He did find some minor comfort in the letter Brilliant Star had personally written to him. Her words were simple and honest, yet warm and welcoming. He had read through it dozens of times after he had received it up to the day of his departure from Canterlot. What also surprised him was the fact that Brilliant Star was making a family gathering out of it, and that she had several children yet none was hers, according to Luna. Personally, he felt as if he had no business attending such a gathering, but it was too late to change his mind now.

Another problem, though minor, was the necessity of turning his sleeping schedule around. Hollow Shades was a bat pony village, thus all the inhabitants were nocturnal, even the local baroness. What this meant was that Magnus had to wake up at six in the afternoon and then stay awake until around 10 or so before noon. Safe to say, it wreaked havoc on him, and even on the day of his departure, his body still hadn’t quite adjusted. Tiredness and minor naps now and then was a constant companion of his.

***

The day of departure had arrived at last. Hefting his backpack onto his shoulder, Magnus checked himself over to see if he had everything.

‘Backpack? Check. Bit bag? Check. New jacket?’ Magnus tugged on his new bomber jacket. The outer layer was made out of brown faux leather and was waterproofed while the inner lining was made out of a thin layer of wool. In other words, not too warm and not too cold.

‘Check.’

Making his way down to the entry hallway, he peered out the windows, realizing the moon was already high in the sky. The past few days had done a number on him; forced sleeplessness, large amount of caffeine, and a fraying of his nerves and temper. Not exactly his usual modus operandi.

Arriving at the entry hall, he spotted Celestia as she waited for him. “There you are,” she said with a smile. “Did you remember everything?”

“Pretty sure I have everything.” He patted his backpack.

Celestia nodded, then noticed his jacket. This was the first time he had worn it after picking it up yesterday. “That doesn’t seem like something Rarity would make.”

“She didn’t, Creative did. I gotta be honest, I prefer Creative over Rarity. She tends to add gemstones to everything, and I’m not a fan of sparkling clothes, at least when I’m the one who has to wear them.”

“Well, we all have our own tastes.”

Magnus nodded as he looked around. “Isn’t Luna here yet? Won’t we miss the train?”

“We are not traveling by train.” Magnus turned around and saw Luna approaching with two of her guards. “Tonight we shall travel by chariot.”

“Chariot?” Magnus questioned, remembering the black and dark blue Gothic Batmobile flying chariot Luna had visited Ponyville in. “Does it have seat belts?”

Luna chuckled. “You will find it difficult to fall off, unless you wish for it.”

‘Well, that’s comforting at least.’

“Now then, before you leave, while Brilliant hasn’t specified how long your visit would be, I know her well enough to say that you can stay for as long as you like,” said Celestia. “Luna and I will visit when we can, and if you at any point wish to return with us, then you may. You have already told us of your plans to settle in Canterlot. Has that changed?”

“No, it hasn’t,” Magnus answered. Canterlot simply had better job opportunities than anywhere else he knew, even if living there was a bit more expensive than, for example, Ponyville. Besides, a city usually had more to offer than a small village in the woods.

Celestia nodded. “I understand. Then I believe there is not much for me to say than enjoy Hollow Shades, and I sincerely hope you and Brilliant will grow closer as each day goes by.”

“We’ll see,” Magnus replied, not too sure about the future. The best that could happen was most likely he’d get to know some old mare in the woods.

“Then we shall make our leave. Come, Magnus, tis time to fly,” Luna announced with a smile as her wing gently guided him towards the doors.

“Wish I had wings to fly with. Be seeing you, Celestia,” Magnus said as he and Luna walked towards the door. Behind them, Celestia waved them goodbye with a wing.

Out in the castle courtyard stood Luna’s ‘batmobile’ with four bat pony guards stood ready to pull it, ten more there as Princess Luna’s escort. Without waiting, Luna climbed aboard her chariot and patted the spot next to her.

Magnus gave her seat-slash-throne a single glance. “Yeah, a pony and a human in that seat will be a tight fit. I’ll just sit on the floor.”

Luna stared at her seat, and after a moment to consider, she gave a nod. “Perhaps you are right. Now, embark and we shall be off.”

After climbing aboard and finding a suitable place to stuff his backpack, Magnus sat down on the floor of the chariot, making himself as comfortable as he could.

Luna’s guards sprang into action at her command; the guards pulling the chariot first started at a gallop, then gradually sped up until they began flapping their leathery wings. Slowly but surely, the chariot took off as smooth as an airplane taking off. The escort guards quickly took up positions around the chariot, some behind them, some at their sides, and two taking the lead. As soon as the chariot crossed over the castle wall, they turned north and within a minute they left Canterlot behind.

Although not secured with seat belts or rope, Magnus felt some kind of force holding him firmly to the chariot despite the wind causing some minor turbulence. He had no problems moving despite what kept him onboard; his arms and legs were free, and even when he shifted his weight to sit on his knees, he could not feel any force pushing him down. Whatever this magic was, it only made sure he wouldn’t fall out.

Any concerns with the enchanted chariot was a passing thing, though, as the scenery below caught his attention. Canterlot at night was a multitude of lights from street lamps, every window emanating a warm glowing light, and the ponies still outside going for an evening walk. Canterlot definitely had a nightlife. And before them was Equestria by night, illuminated by the moon and the stars, a spectacle to behold.

“See? This is why I wish I had wings!” Luna merely chuckled at his enthusiasm.

Leaning back and enjoying the ride, Magnus buttoned his jacket as the wind began to nip at his skin. The chariot was still climbing higher and it was bound to get chilly.

Princess Luna noticed Magnus sudden silence and asked, “Are you nervous?”

Magnus gave a barely perceptible nod. “Yeah… Been nervous for days now. Been asking myself a lot of questions. Almost went to see you and Celestia to call this visit off a couple of days ago.”

“Why? Do you not believe it will go well? Do you fear that Baroness Star will turn you away?”

“I believe a lot of things, that’s why I’m so nervous.”

“Well, I for one believe you worry too much. Sit back and relax, and try to remain positive. All manner of outcomes can result from this meeting.”

Magnus mumbled a reply in his native language and remained silent for a long time as the journey continued, simply enjoying the ride while looking down at the land below. What a sight it was.

A curious sound made itself heard onboard the chariot, one that the guards and even Princess Luna hadn’t heard before. While the princess turned around to locate the source, Magnus simply put his hand in his jacket pocket and picked up his strange otherworldly device which had made the sound. The entire front of the device was covered in a soft blue light as were its many symbols. A small illuminated square had appeared on the device.

“Your… instrument? I believed it to be not working anymore. Does it not need lightning to work?” Luna commented as she leaned closer to check what Magnus was doing. His fingers moved across the screen with practiced speed.

“It nearly was, but Discord made it work somehow with his magic. He helped me save the pictures I had on it. I have no idea if he meant for it to happen, but my ~phone~ is, well, it’s sentient now. I haven’t used it in a couple of days now so it’s hungry for attention,” Magnus said.

“Discord,” Luna nearly hissed. “No wonder it reeks of his foul magic.”
“Come on, Princess Luna, it’s not that bad. He’s—aww, look, you hurt his feelings.” Magnus held his phone up to Luna. The screen had a square white box on it with the following symbols:

:-(

“Besides, this lil’ guy loves to play. Give him a chance. Here, you take him and ask him to play something that you might like.”

Luna stared at the phone. While Discord was an ally of Equestria now, she had little love of him due to his past actions. “I would rather not. I am wary of his tricks, and your device may contain more of his trickery.”

Magnus shrugged. “Well, I tried. Okay then, lil’ buddy, how about some Crush the Castle?”

Focused as he was on his phone, Magnus didn’t notice Luna giving his phone short glances as he started the game. Intrigued, she leaned just a bit closer to see what it was and saw something she recognized from long ago. It was a trebuchet that flung boulders at strangely built structures. Stranger was, Magnus controlled the siege weapon deftly with his fingers by touching the screen.

“This is a game?” Luna asked as a boulder fell through the roof of a shoddy castle right on top of a human that vanished with a scream and a splatter of blood.

“Yeah, I used to play this all the time a few years back.” Magnus offered Luna his phone and started the game from the beginning. “You wanna try?”

***

“Are we there yet?”

Luna peered up from the phone, now having learned how to use the game with the tip of her silver-shod hooves. “Not yet—we have only flown for an hour. It takes five hours by chariot to Hollow Shades, almost twelve by train.”

“‘kay.”

“Huzzah! Another castle bites the dust! Thy architects art fools and thy masons cannot carve a stone to sink!” Luna cheered as she completed another level.

Magnus chuckled and sunk back to his silence, mostly so that he could watch the landscape below pass by. From this high up, he could see for miles in all directions. Rarely did he see a house stand alone on the gigantic plains that made up central Equestria. Instead, there were many smaller villages and communities, farms for the most part. Ahead loomed a mountain range, a far cry from the Rockies back home, but still tall enough to provide for a fun activity, namely hiking.

But Magnus also knew that behind those mountains was the forest called Hollow Shades, and within that forest, the village that went by the same name.

“Luna?”

“Hm?”

“Tell me about Hollow Shades. When was it founded?”

Princess Luna put a hoof to her chin, obviously thinking back. “As a village, it was founded over fourteen centuries ago by the bat ponies. Before that, the forest had no name, but over time, it adopted the name the bat ponies gave it.”

“And the Galaxy family? When did they get there?”

“Just after the unification of the three tribes, nearly five millennia ago. The nobles of the old tribes gathered to carve up the new land into fiefdoms, one for every noble family. Starswirl’s children chose the grand valley that would become Hollow Shades and there built homes for themselves, and several decades later built the first Stargard Castle.”

“The first?” Magnus queried.

“Oh yes. You see, the first castle was added unto many times over the years. The current structure is not the original, I believe nothing remains of the first castle after so many new additions and repurposing. Nevertheless, Stargard castle is still impressive and majestic, which you will see for yourself when we arrive.”

***

The chariot had just passed over the mountain range and into the forest, and the land below them was covered in darkness. Although flying high above it, Magnus felt as if the forest was alive somehow. He could feel it; he was being watched.

It didn’t take long before a light became visible in the distance. It was simply a few scattered lights, like fireflies over a meadow, blinking in and out of existence. Magnus surmised that the trees probably blocked the lights from houses.

As they drew nearer, however, Magnus heard something coming from the forest below. At first he thought it was a nightly creature, but the screeching sounded different from anything he’d heard before.

“EEEEEEEEE!”

The last sound came from directly below them, and Magnus leaned out of the chariot in order to see what was below. All he saw was darkness.

“What was that?”

“The children of the night,” Luna answered calmly with a serene smile. “Bat ponies playing; it sounded like foals. Mayhaps they are playing hide and seek this night.”

“So why are they screaming?”

“Bat ponies have excellent sight in the dark, but they are also capable of seeing with sound, which is called echolocation. When they screech, they listen to the sound as it returns to them and can thus interpret their surroundings better. I believe you can call it a ‘mental image’ of sorts. This makes bat ponies the greatest fliers when it comes to unknown terrain; no pegasus can match their skill in the woodlands or even the darkest caves.”

After thirty more minutes of flying, they flew over the village itself. Although the forest canopy covered most of the town, he could still make out some details. The streets were lined with street lamps, and from the dim lights he spotted what seemed like a market square with ponies wandering around. Even in the light, the bat ponies blended in, making them even harder to discern.

There were houses too, and from up high, they looked like stone or brick houses built at the trunks of trees. However, some of the lights came from somewhere up in the trees as well. Just for a split second, Magnus swore he saw windows amidst the dense cover of leaves, a window on the tree itself.

“Do the bat ponies build treehouses too?” Magnus asked while still gazing down, seeing more windows set into trees.

“Sometimes they do,” Luna affirmed, “but bat ponies are also highly skilled when it comes to hollowing out large trees without killing the tree itself. One such tree once existed in Ponyville, and Princess Twilight Sparkle resided there. Sadly, the tree was destroyed by Tirek during his rampage.”

Magnus scratched his head while wondering how the bat ponies could even do that. While some trees weren’t exactly fragile, hollowing out a tree would be a sure way to make the tree die, no matter was species it was.

Continuing on, over, and away from town, the chariot travelled north until the bat ponies began a controlled descent, occasionally circling to scrub off some speed. Then, suddenly, it was there.

In a large clearing in the forest, at the foot of a small mountain, it stood; Stargard Castle. From his vantage point, Magnus could drink in the entire structure. Although just a fraction of the size of Canterlot Castle, Stargard was still impressive. It stood next to the mountain, a steep cliff behind it and a wall surrounding the main structure in the shape of a horseshoe, with the ends of the walls connecting to the nearly 90 degrees angled cliffs, making a natural wall. The main (and only) building, the keep, stood in the middle. The moonlight gave away its colours, that of aged grey and black stone. Two round towers rose from the far ends of the keep.

The chariot finally touched down on a dirt road outside the castle, coming to a careful stop. Magnus was the first to disembark, taking his backpack with him. He began to stretch his legs and arms, his back in no better shape either.

Luna jumped off and smiled as she looked to the castle. “Shall we?” Magnus gave a nod and began following her and her guards.

They approached the wall, and now that Magnus’ eyes had fully adjusted to the night, he could clearly see the state it was in. It certainly wasn’t a defensive wall anymore. You couldn’t keep a cow out of this place. The walls had collapsed in some places and plant life had taken root.

An iron gate was set into the stone wall, and the gates stood wide open. The more Magnus looked at the gate, the more certain he became that it had once been a gatehouse, as there were signs of it once having a portcullis. However, what made him stop for a closer inspection was the symbol set into the gates. It resembled an artistic representation of a galaxy. It was a black disk with silver arms coming from a white gem in the centre, and tiny gemstones in different colours everywhere on the disk.

“The Galaxy family’s crest,” Luna said wistfully, having noticed where Magnus’ attention lay.

They moved beyond the wall and another aging wonder greeted Magnus. Although the courtyard was somewhat dilapidated, it still bore marks of ancient royalty with the cobblestone road leading up to the keep, the fountain in the middle of the courtyard itself, and the overgrown garden itself. Even the keep was an aging wonder of gothic architecture: flying buttresses, complete with arched windows, carved stone, and even gargoyle-esque statues on the roof.

“Looks like the Addams family lives here,” Magnus commented offhandedly.

“No, this is the ancestral home of the Galaxy family, Stargard Castle,” Luna replied as she walked ahead up to the door and turned around, oblivious to the joke. “Now the next step is yours.”

Swallowing, Magnus made his way up the steps to stand in front of the door. Raising his hand, he hesitated. Luna touched a wing to his back. “Go on, everything will be fine.”

He gave her a sideways glance before inhaling deeply and used the brass door knocker.

The seconds ticked away slowly as he waited, each second feeling like ten minutes. It was too late to reconsider now. He looked to Luna for support, and all she did was wait like he did and smile.

A crimson magical glow appeared around the door handle, and the hinges creaked as the door began to open. And there she stood; Brilliant Star. She looked old, even older than Granny Smith, and she was rail- thin and frail-looking, but appeared slightly taller than most unicorns. Her coat was a shade of off-white, leaning towards very light brownish-yellow, and her mane and tail had gone completely white with age. Her tail was long and fell straight while her mane was a bit curly at the tips and fell down to her neck. She wore small half-moon glasses on her muzzle, and even though her eyes seemed old and tired, there was kindness in them.

Her entire face radiated hospitality and warmth. Not even once did she seem surprised to see Magnus. Most ponies would stare at him the first time they saw him, but Brilliant was completely unfazed.

Brilliant looked up at him with a smile. “Hello,” the old mare said with a clear yet weary voice. “I’ve been expecting you. And good evening to you too, Princess Luna.”

“Good evening, Baroness Star,” Luna greeted with a short nod.

Brilliant nodded and smiled at the princess, then turned to Magnus. “I think you must crouch so I can reach you, young colt. I’m not as young, as you can see.”

Magnus didn’t say a word, but he did crouch until he was at eye level with the old mare. She reached out with a hoof towards him, and hesitating just a second, Magnus reached out with his hand and gave her hoof a gentle squeeze.

“Hello, my name is Brilliant Star,” she said patiently.

“Hello, Brilliant. I’m Magnus Powell.” He was impressed that his voice did not shake.

“Magnus,” Brilliant said with a slow nod. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” She finished by giving his hand a final shake. “Come in, can’t stand out there all night.”

Magnus smiled at her hospitality and stepped through the tall doorway, and was greeted by the castle’s entrance hall. It looked like a Victorian era manor’s hall yet different somehow, as if it was constructed in a manner far older, with artistry on the walls, dark wooden interior, and of course paintings, all of which looked centuries old. The lofty ceiling was more than three times as tall as Magnus, and each door he saw in the hall was tall enough that he could step through without having to bend over.

“What elegance,” Luna murmured softly. “As if I stepped back in time.”

Brilliant led Luna and Magnus through a door in the entrance hall that led to a large living room, one that looked newer, quite comfortable and homely to his tastes. After he and Luna found a place to sit, Brilliant floated over a tray with tea and cups and began pouring tea.

“Now then,” Brilliant said as she sat down on a small chair next to Magnus, turning her kind eyes to him. “Let’s take a look at you.”

For a long while, she did just that. Up and down, sometimes focusing on one specific part of his body. His hooves for example, and even his ears.

“Well well, aren’t you an interesting one,” she began as she sipped her tea. “I do see some family resemblance here and there. You have long fetlocks; it runs in the family, you know.” She wiggled her hind legs just a bit, showing off her own. “And your ears too; that little extra length at the tips.” Magnus looked at her ears; true enough, the tip of her ears were just a little longer than most ponies he had seen.

Magnus had trouble finding the right words, eventually saying, “I’m uh… not sure what to say.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Brilliant laughed in the way only old women could. “Neither am I. I simply try to find something interesting to say,” she admitted. “I have thought so hard all of yesternight and tonight on what I should say, and now, all I can say is that you have long fetlocks and we have the same ears too.” She leaned back in the chair and laughed heartily. “Well, there we have something in common. It’s a start.”

Feeling a bit more at ease, Magnus sipped his tea. It was a strange yet pleasant mix of berries. This mare wasn’t a stern ass like those nobles he had faced in Canterlot weeks ago; this mare was actually nice and didn’t have that ‘holier-than-thou’ vibe. She didn’t wear fancy clothes that screamed ‘look how rich I am’ and she wasn’t afraid to admit how she had felt about this encounter. Things looked promising. All the while, Princess Luna was a silent supporting bystander.

“Now then, young colt, tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up?”

“In a country called the United States of America. I lived in a small rural town.”

“Hmm, a farming community, I believe? What about your parents?”

“Dead.” Magnus sighed. “My mom died shortly after I was born. My dad left me shortly after. He died several years later.”

“Oh! Oh dear, I’m so sorry.” Brilliant gently placed a small wrinkled hoof on his knee, patting him.

“It’s okay. My grandfather raised me well. I owe him everything.” Magnus patted Brilliant’s hoof back, eliciting a smile from the old mare.

Meanwhile, Luna watched the two. Celestia had indeed been right; Brilliant was an unusually welcoming pony.

“Please, tell me about your grandfather. What was he like?”.

Magnus didn’t waste a second. “The best man I’ve ever known.”

Brilliant nodded. “That’s good. What about your grandmother?”

“Also dead, I’m afraid. I never knew her, but after she died, my grandfather never looked at another woman.”

Brilliant smiled as she gave a slow nod in reply. “Ah, love, true love, the one that makes all other mares and stallions grey in comparison, no matter how beautiful they are. So precious and rare in this world.”

Brilliant was keen to know all about Magnus, especially where he grew up, and she, like all others, had much to ask about. This continued for another half an hour or so.

“You said in your letter that you have family, Mrs Star, and that they would be here.” So far, he hadn’t seen hair or hide of any other ponies around.

“They will be here tomorrow night. Some of my family actually live in the town,” Brilliant answered. “That reminds me...”

Her horn lit up and from the wall came several photos floating down. “Look, this is almost all of us.” She held one of them in front of Magnus. Brilliant was surrounded by a group of ponies, a majority of them bat ponies, but also pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns of varying ages, even a few toddlers. “That one was taken around… oh, five years ago if I remember correctly.”

The next one was an aged black and white photograph, showing Brilliant as a young mare, dressed in a turn-of-the-century-looking frilly summer dress and a sunhat. “And this one is of my parent herd and me. I was around twelve when this one was taken.” Magnus had to stop himself from going ‘aww’, due to how adorable Brilliant looked. Her father was a tall and skinny unicorn with a huge moustache and a top hat, though his coat and mane colours were impossible to tell due to being a black and white photo, but he did look old, and the other mares also looked like they were above child-bearing age. The other mares in the picture were all unicorns, also wearing dresses and fashionable hats.

“My mother,” Brilliant pointed out a mare, one with long curly locks of hair. “Her name was Aurora Night, and that is my father, Quick Quill. Those two were my herdmothers, Gossamer Mist and Beauté. Beauté was Prench, you know, awfully fussy about her looks.” Brilliant chuckled.

The only one in the photo that didn’t smile was Brilliant’s father. As a matter of fact, he appeared awfully stern. “They look happy, but your father looks like he didn’t want to be in the picture at all,” Magnus commented.

Brilliant laughed. “Oh no, he was never one for taking photos. He was a hardworking stallion, working from dusk till dawn, and often past then. And he was always so serious; I can’t seem to remember him laughing often either. He was what they call a workaholic.”

“I see. But, were you an only child? Do you have siblings?” Magnus asked. One male plus three females should equal more than one child.

Brilliant smiled as she took her time to pour another cup of tea for them all. “I once had a half-brother and half-sister. My father married late; he met my mother when he was fifty-five years old, and when I was born, he was over sixty. By that time, my mother was too old to birth any more foals. They met Beauté the next year and Gossamer Mist two years later. Gossamer had two adult foals from a previous herd and had passed her foal-bearing age when she met my father, and poor Beauté was barren, the poor dear. She was so very fond of foals. Did you know she was the teacher here in Hollow Shades for several years? Oh, I can still remember her smiling when she went to work early in the evenings and being so sad when she came home in the middle of the night. She wanted a foal of her own so much, it hurt her to work around the little ones at school. How she could go on like that every single day, I can never understand.”

The atmosphere of the room grew more sombre as Brilliant narrated her family’s ancestry. Magnus glanced over at Luna, who looked like she was also affected by the story, seeing how her smile had turned into a sad frown.

“What about Gossamer Mist’s children? Have you had any contact with them?” Magnus asked carefully, trying to steer the conversation away from Beauté’s sorrow.

Brilliant shook her head slowly. “No. By the time I was born, her children had moved to Prance with their parent herd, grown up and started families on their own. Gossamer often sent letters to her children, but she missed having them close. She always suspected that the parent herd moved just to get back at Gossamer, those vengeful old nags and that useless old gelding.”

Magnus was taken aback at Brilliant’s strong language, having an inkling that this issue had been on her mind for a long time. Not to mention what a complete dick move pulled by the parent herd. It wasn’t just humans who would go to great lengths for the sake of vengeance.

Then suddenly, Brilliant clapped her forehooves together. “Oh, listen to me prattle about a sad past when this is supposed to be a happy occasion. I almost forgot to show you this.” Brilliant’s smile returned in full as she levitated another picture from the wall down. The picture was of a younger-looking, but still elderly Brilliant, flanked by a stallion and two mares, all of them appearing to be senior citizens, and this picture was in colour. Judging by the buildings in the background, the picture was taken in Canterlot. Brilliant was easily recognizable standing in the middle, and next to her stood a dark grey bat pony stallion with an elegant upturned moustache and neatly combed hair, half between grey and faded purple, and with a red tie and bowler hat. Of the other two mares, one was a bat pony mare while the other was an earth pony. The bat pony had a playful look about her, despite her age. Her coat was a deep grey and her mane and tail white with age. The earth pony was tall and elegant with a golden coloration, and her long and straight mane and tail had a hint of red in them despite all the grey hairs.

“My herd,” Brilliant whispered. She smiled, sniffled, and wiped at her eyes with a hoof. “My husband, Evening Wind. My wives, Midnight Flower and Mossflower. Oh heavens…”

It took no time for Magnus to understand that they were no longer amongst the living.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his hand hovering an inch above Brilliant’s withers, unsure of what he should do. Magnus was fully aware of ponies being rather touchy-feely, but he just didn’t know if it was appropriate as he was a stranger to her. He eventually placed his hand on his knee again, an action that was noticed by Princess Luna.

“Thank you. It’s been years, but I just miss them something awfully now and then.”

“You do look happy with them.” Somehow, the four ponies in the picture looked like they belonged together, something about the way they stood so close, shoulder to shoulder.

“Oh I was. Faust knows I was. I lived in Canterlot for a time long ago. It was there I met them. Midnight Flower was such a flirt; it was her I met first. Then she introduced me to Mossflower, a good and down-to-earth mare, and then both of them introduced me to their stallion. Evening looked so handsome in that tie and hat of his, and stars know he knew how to charm a mare. I was married into the herd four years later.”

Slowly, Brilliant placed the picture on the table and sighed while smiling sadly. “But time takes away things over the years, even those we love most. Such a cruel thing it is.” She turned to face Magnus. “And I’ve been told you have lost loved ones too. It’s not easy, is it?”

Magnus shook his head. “No, it’s not.” He pulled out his wallet and took out some of the pictures he kept within and showed them to Brilliant. “This was my grandfather.”

Brilliant’s sad smile turned to a curious one. “Oh, I see. The way he smiles, he looks like a kind one.”

“He was; kind, caring, and my father figure,” Magnus chuckled and showed her another picture, this one of him and his friends. “That’s me and those guys and girls went to the same class as me, and some even lived on the same street. We pretty much grew up together. In fact, we grew so close over the years that I at one point began referring to them as my siblings. I got to know their parents pretty well too; my grandfather and I even began spending a few holidays with them.”

Brilliant smiled as she looked at the picture, tilting her head to the side. “They look… strange. I guess humans come in all different shapes and sizes.”

“But not as varied as us ponies,” Princess Luna interjected. “From what I have seen in his dream, I am inclined to say we are more colourful. All of Magnus’ friends had nearly the same skin colour.”

“You’re correct, Luna. But humans can vary in skin colour, from very dark to very pale, almost white. Our hair colours also differ, from various shades of blonde, black, brown, and red,” Magnus added.

He then showed Brilliant the last picture. It had been beautifully restored by magic. No creases, bends, or colour faded anymore. This picture especially made Brilliant take a closer look, and for a few good moments, she scrunched her face while inspecting the two humans in it.

“They are your parents, aren’t they?” she finally concluded.

“Yes. That—” Magnus pointed out his tall, burly, and bearded father, “—is my dad, Hrafnar, and that is my mother, Julia. My mom was my grandfather’s only child.”

Brilliant carefully scrutinized the picture for a while. “You know, I almost recognize your mother. Some of her facial features… if I imagine her as a pony…”

Brilliant then stood up and levitated the photograph back to Magnus with an excited smile. “Come. There is something I wish to show you.”

Magnus and Luna followed Brilliant out of the living room. Leading the way, Brilliant first headed into the entry hall and wandered past the doors down a long hallway. The walls were covered in panels made of lacquered wood with an intricate and mystic pattern, brass sconces illuminating their way with sunstone. Brilliant even had old suits of equine armour on display in shallow recesses in the hallway, with the helmets having holes for their horns, and even plate covering their tails. Some were full suits of plate while others were chainmail or even scalemail. There were also other decorations on the walls, such as tapestries and paintings of landscapes and ponies in powdered wigs and articles of clothing that looks like they belonged to the Renaissance and Victorian era.

“Are you an art collector?” Magnus asked.

“Not really, but some of my ancestors were,” Brilliant replied. “My late husband painted most of the landscapes you see on these walls. He was quite proficient and very patient, and when he was focused on painting something, you could shout in his ears and he still wouldn’t hear you. It got worse in later years when he was almost deaf,” she finished with a chuckle.

Magnus laughed too and checked over his shoulder. Luna followed but seemed distracted. She watched the walls, the ceiling, and the paintings, but had a faraway look in her eyes.

“You okay there, Luna?”

“...What? Oh, yes. I was… It has been a very long time since I was a guest here. Still I remember these halls with perfect clarity. But the last time these walls were bare stone, and instead of brass, the sconces were gold. Some of the portraits we have passed by, the ponies in them, they walked these halls alive and well.”

“Oh.” Magnus looked at the wall, an old painting of a unicorn in a robe that made him look like a pimp my ride version of Gandalf. It was strange to think that he was in fact related to these ponies.

They reached their destination, an otherwise inauspicious double door, and applying her magic to them, Brilliant opened the door and walked in. She stopped a few steps in, turned around, and said, “Welcome to the Grand Gallery.”

Magnus made it two steps before he froze in place and could do nothing but stare as he was rendered speechless.

To say the gallery was huge was a clear understatement. From floor to ceiling, Magnus estimated it was more than eight meters, from wall to wall a distance of perhaps twenty five meters, and the length was at least double the width.

However, the size was nothing compared to what the room was filled with.

Every single wall in the gallery was filled with paintings, some new and some that looked centuries old. There were even wood prints of ponies on canvas, a method that was over a thousand years old! On the wall at the far end stood two large windows that went from the floor and all the way up to the ceiling, with parts of the glass made out of coloured glass of many hues. But that wasn’t all that hung on the walls.

Old tapestries depicting a number of ponies, banners, and standards, and each and every one had the Galaxy family’s crest on them.

An entire length of wall was dedicated to shelves, filled with a number of books and even scrolls. A lectern stood next to them with a comfy-looking chair in front of it. Along the walls stood weapon racks secured behind glass, where spears, halberds, axes, swords, maces, daggers, and a number of other old weapons, both familiar and exotic, some known to Magnus and some that eluded his understanding. There were even several glass display cases in the room where strange items stood on display, chief amongst them a huge display case which held a full suit of exceptionally ornate brownish-yellow armour for a pony, inlaid with gold, silver, and gems, and carved with intricate patterns, complete with a similarly styled helmet with a hole in it for the horn, an oversized rectangular shield of the same material, design, and colour, as well as a long shining spear and a short sword in a scabbard.

Finally, in the centre of the room, there stood a freestanding cast iron oven, surrounded by couches, chairs, and end tables. From the ceiling hung several chandeliers, illuminating the room in warm light.

However, as Magnus hoisted his jaw back into place, he began noticing several little things that betrayed the splendour of his room, namely that it seemed a bit broken down. Some of the glass display cases had cracked glass, the furniture looked well-worn and had small holes, as if they were modern and new a century or more ago. Even the bookshelves were a bit wonky, sagging on one side, and the wood they were made of had cracked. Even the carpets decorating the room had small holes in them and their colours were heavily faded.

It was then that Magnus understood something. ‘I see now. Brilliant’s not using this room as much, but the living room looked just fine. Maintaining all this must cost a fortune. I guess she’s only maintaining the rooms she uses on a daily basis, while all this is falling apart. It’s a shame. All this would be better off in a museum.”

“Glorious!” Luna exclaimed with glee, the first to break the silence. She eagerly began pacing the room, looking at this and that, all while having a content smile on her face. “I remember this was the banquet room once. My sister and I were hosted here by Countess Dusk long ago. Here we enjoyed a bottle of fine wine from the green fields of Prance and had Calissons as an after-dinner treat.”

“You are indeed correct, Princess Luna. It was rebuilt a little more than seven centuries ago by Count Silverdust. It was one of the last major refurbishments done to the castle,” Brilliant stated.

“This is great, it’s like a museum,” Magnus said, now having found his voice. “Is this part of a collection or something?”

Brilliant chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Of a sort. Nearly all these items are part of the castle’s collection. Artwork, literature, and some items that belonged to my ancestors. Now, come over here, Magnus, I want to show you something.”

Magnus walked over to Brilliant, who stood in front of a painting hanging high up on the wall. Using her magic, she carefully levitated it down. The painting was of a young mare with long raven black hair in a thick braid, amber coat, and with a cutie mark of a silver spiral with a star in the centre embroidered on a long elegant white dress, and was depicted resting on a couch that looked very similar to the ones in the room.

“Who is she?” asked Magnus.

“My great-great-grandmother, Baroness Pirouette,” Brilliant replied. “I thought she looked like your mother, if your mother was a pony.”

Taking out the picture of his parents, Magnus looked at it before looking at the painting of Pirouette. He studied the painting, then his mother, and the painting again. If he could just imagine his mother as if she was a pony; the same hair colour, the eyes, and something about their mouths....

“It’s weird, but I can almost see a slight resemblance!” he laughed. “They have the same eyes and the same hair colour! Their smiles even look a bit similar too!”

“Indeed they do,” Luna added, having walked over them. “Shall we call this coincidence or a family likeness then?”

“Oh, coincidences happen all the time, but eyes never lie, Princess Luna,” Brilliant objected.

Magnus had to agree; this seemed a bit more than coincidence. From the strange dream he had with Star Swirl, he vaguely remembered seeing his mother, and in that dream, she had amber coat on her legs and arms, just like Lady Pirouette. Could it be that coat colours were genetic?

“There is also something else I want to show you, Magnus, and this I think will tickle your interest.” The elderly unicorn suddenly jolted him from his musings.

She walked over to the far wall where a long tapestry was hanging from all the way up under the ceiling between the two large windows. As Magnus craned his head to look up, he noticed that the tapestry was rolled up into a thick bolt and that a metal rod ran through it. There were also metal rails on either side of the bolt that ran right down to the floor

Brilliant then began to operate an old metal crank with her magic on the floor, and slowly the bolt began to unfurl down towards a metal rod near the floor where it was rolled up. For a moment Magnus wondered what it could be, but as soon as the roll began to display the roots of an elaborate stitched tree with an enormous number of branches and names, it suddenly became clear to him.

“It’s a family tree?!”

Brilliant nodded as she unveiled the enormous fabric art. “This family tree was started four-and-a-half millennia ago by one of my ancestors. All the names of the family are on this, from the early days of the Unicorn Kingdom over six millennia ago, all the way to the present day.”

She continued cranking, unveiling more and more of the family tree. The background was split in half down the middle, one side being the shade of a night sky complete with sparkling stars, auroras, a full moon, and even an artistic rendition of a galaxy, and the other half decorated with a golden sun, blue skies, rainbows, and clouds. The tree itself, ornately stitched and decorated, was of a deep brown coloration and had branches sprouting from it everywhere, complete with green leaves of many different green colorations, from bright viridian to dark green. Situated on each branch was a fabric nameplate in golden yellow colours in the shape of a waving flag, like those found on coat of arms, and inside each nameplate was a name stitched in a highly stylized font. The first name began at the trunk, but the font was so difficult to read, Magnus couldn’t make out the name.

“What does that first name say?” Magnus asked as he knelt by the family tree to inspect the name.

“The first known name of our line.” Brilliant smiled as she sat down next to Magnus, pointing out the different letters. “It says Oaken Scroll, first Baron of Shimmering Peaks. Born in the 5th year of rule under King Falling Star the 2nd, died in the 20th year of rule under Queen Gem the Prosperous. Year 340 - 414 in the 3rd Dynasty.”

“The founding father then?”

“Just so. I don’t really know much about him, I’m afraid; knowledge has a tendency to wither away as the years go by.”

Luna walked to stand by Brilliant. “The Galaxy Tapestry Tree… It still exists!” She seemed absolutely gobsmacked.

“I take it this is famous then?” Magnus asked. It had to be in order to elicit such a response from Luna.

“More than famous; it is nearly a fairy tale,” Luna replied, still spellbound by the tree. “The price of this artwork cannot be counted in gold, silver, or gems. If I remember correctly, the threads are made of dyed star-spider silk, and enchanted to never wither. The sun embroidery is made of golden threads, and the moon and stars from silver. A continuous line, unbroken. This is the second time I have seen it. To be honest, I believed it to no longer exist.”

“You know more about it than me, princess.” Brilliant chuckled. “I’ve added a bit to it and re-enchanted it once, but star spider silk is nearly impossible to come by these days. Those little critters are only found in difficult places such as the Everfree Forest, and I’m too old to go gallivanting around that scary place.”

“Still,” she touched a hoof gently onto the tapestry, “I make an effort now and then in order to make it presentable.”

She continued cranking, revealing more and more names.

Magnus, likewise, was awestruck. “This is unbelievable. And magic keeps it all from falling apart?”

“Not only magic, young friend. Star-spider silk is quite durable, and it allows for enchantments due to the spider’s magical nature. This makes the silk a perfect fabric that will last for ages. It was considered the pinnacle of luxury clothing ages ago. Celestia and I once received such dresses made of this silk at our centennial celebration as Princesses of Equestria,” Luna replied.

“And my ancestors knew how to take advantage of that silk. They bought land which had star spiders in them, guarded them well, and provided for the spiders with insects so that they could harvest the silk the spiders otherwise would have used on their webs. They clothed themselves in it as kings and queens and sold it to all who could afford,” Brilliant added while cranking.

Name after name revealed themselves, mares and stallions alike. The years, centuries, and even millennia passed by slowly as Brilliant cranked. Star Swirl’s name then came up and Brilliant stopped as his name reached the bottom.

“I have to add an extra branch here, maybe have it wander off the tapestry and then enter again closer to the top.” She touched a hoof to Star Swirl’s branch while turning to face Magnus.

Magnus frowned. “I can’t really stop you, can I?”

Brilliant’s smile faded. “Celestia told me that you are angry with Star Swirl. Does it really run so deep?”

“More than you know,” Magnus murmured.

Brilliant just shrugged and began cranking again. “Well, get rid of that anger. You are in my house now, and I won’t have any sour faces in my home.”

Magnus still frowned but after a little while he forgot about being angry as there was something far more interesting in front of him. While Brilliant cranked, Luna informed him of various ponies whose name was on the tapestry.

There was Comet the Elder, who pioneered magic conservation by rewriting a number of spells. Firestar, the mare who enlisted as a lowly town guard despite being nobility, and later ended up as knight and commander of Equestria’s eastern military forces. Lady Sunshine and Lady Moonlight, the identical female twins who ruled the Council of the Moon and Council of the Sun in order to raise the sun and the moon, without a doubt the most powerful unicorns in their time. The brave knight Count Bronze Lance, who defended Equestria against a griffon invasion by the Ironfeather Kingdom with his 3000 soldiers until Princess Luna arrived with the main army, and consequently crushed the invaders. Opal Shine the wizard, who became an Arch Wizard of the Four Towers Magic Council at the age of fifty five, and held the position for another thirty years.

Oh yes, the Galaxy family tapestry had many famous names on it. Knights, counts and countesses, barons and baronesses, wizards, and the unimaginable wealth, power, and influence that came with those positions. The Galaxy family had it all.

Even those they didn’t want to acknowledge, who brought shame on the family, which Magnus came to be aware of as Brilliant cranked away, one branch revealed itself with the name burned away, leaving only a large black mark.

“Wait, hang on. What happened here?” Magnus asked, pointing out the burned spot. Judging by how localized the burn was, he doubted it was damaged in a fire. There were no other burn marks on the tapestry.

Brilliant and Luna looked to the spot he pointed at. “I tried to find out who that was long ago. The archives have the mother and father listed, but the page mentioning the child was torn out. I can only guess he or she did something horrible or brought great shame to the family. Many noble families did this in ages past. The child was essentially banished and forgotten.”

Magnus nodded as he planned to leave it at that. Then he saw Luna. Her ears stood straight, her eyes narrowed as she blew a light stream of air through her nostrils, and she scuffed a silver shod hoof over the carpet. Her entire stance signaled aggression.

“Luna, do you know who that pony was?”

Luna stared at the burned spot, then gave Magnus a slight glance. “Yes. It was a bad pony. Never ask again.”

Her curt answer said it all, though it made Magnus feel as if he was the object of her displeasure. He wisely decided to follow her advice and left the topic alone.

***

Hours went by as Brilliant, Magnus, and Princess Luna once more returned to the living room. Much was spoken of, such as how Magnus felt about being in Equestria, how he felt about staying forever, and even about what his plans were. He replied as honestly as he could to all the questions. His staying forever was a topic he wasn’t comfortable with, seeing as how he missed Earth and his ‘siblings’; the homesickness was still too fresh. His plans, however, were still just plans, nothing set in stone yet.

Brilliant listened raptly as he continued relaying the events of his life. As expected, Magnus demonstrated his magic for her. Although weak, it wasn’t something Brilliant even mentioned. What drew her attention was the white magic ribbon flowing around his horn. When Magnus hesitatingly mentioned how it happened, Brilliant didn't say a word, instead she just smiled knowingly as she chewed on a biscuit.

And while Brilliant and Magnus spoke, Princess Luna was a bystander, observing how these two beings, although family and separated by inconceivable distances and time, interacted as simply two ponies. Brilliant was including and warm, and she treated him as simply another pony. Magnus, although being a bit reserved when they first arrived, slowly opened up as the night progressed; he smiled more and spoke eagerly as the hours passed by.

Oh yes, this bode well for both of them.

It was in the very early morning hours when Luna felt it was time to depart. Magnus was in good hooves here in Stargard Castle. Besides, in only an hour, it would be time for the moon to set and the sun to rise.

After announcing her plans to return to Canterlot, Magnus and Brilliant followed her to the door to say goodbye.

“Tell me, Magnus,” Luna said as she paused in the doorway and turned to face him. “Do you still feel as a stranger in Baroness Star’s home?”

Magnus thought for a few moments before saying, “I really don’t know.”

Luna smiled at hearing his answer. “I hoped to hear you say that. Listen to Brilliant; she is a good pony. Listen, watch, and learn. I have no doubt that you will return to Canterlot with an altered mindset towards both her and your extended family.”

She then addressed Brilliant Star. “Baroness Star, I will now leave Magnus in your capable hooves. Should you or he require anything special, the Crowns will be more than willing to help.”

“Oh, I think we will be just fine,” Brilliant replied with a smile. “Hollow Shades is a quiet town, not like Ponyville.”

“Then I believe I am done here. My sister and I will return in one week to visit and see how things have progressed. Goodbye, Magnus, Baroness Star, and may the forest protect you.”

Magnus and Brilliant stood side by side as Luna walked towards the gate, her loyal guards in tow, until the Princess of the Night crossed through the gate and vanished from view.

“‘May the forest protect you?” Magnus parroted. “What was that about?”

“An old bat pony saying, common in Hollow Shades.” Brilliant chuckled as she closed the door.

Town, yeah. Magnus was a bit interested in seeing town itself. However, if Hollow Shades was somewhat opposite of the rest of Equestria, most of the stores would probably be closed by now, as it would be late afternoon for the bat ponies. Not to mention, Magnus was still partially running on normal daylight time. He never really did get it right to turn the days around, which explained why he was a bit tired.

“Are you sleepy already?” Brilliant asked after seeing Magnus yawn.

“A bit. I had to change my sleeping schedule a couple of days ago in order to fit in better here,” Magnus explained.

“Then let me show you to your room.” Magnus’ backpack suddenly came floating through the door of the living room, glowing crimson of magic, and landed in his open arms.

For a second Magnus was confused. Shouldn’t unicorns need to see the object they wanted to levitate in order to make it levitate?

While pondering this, Brilliant wandered towards the staircase and Magnus followed. The stairs were large and tall and it would be a challenge for an old mare such as Brilliant.

“Do you want so—” Magnus got no further as Brilliant’s horn lit up, the magic enveloped her, and the old mare suddenly lifted off the ground, levitated up the stairs, and landed safely on top of the stairs.

“What did you say? I’m afraid my hearing isn’t so good,” Brilliant asked, holding a hoof up to her ear.

“Oh, it was nothing.”

Hurrying up the stairs, Magnus followed Brilliant through the second floor hallways to the right. The second floor hallway was short and similar to the first floor one, minus the armour standing in recesses, and only had six doors, three on the right and three on the left, and one door at the end.

“This is the main bedroom wing. My bedroom is the first one on the right. The bathroom is the door at the end,” Brilliant explained as they went.

They reached a door, last on the right, which Brilliant stopped at and opened with her magic.

“This will be your room,” she said as she stepped through and a light turned on inside.

While not a huge room like the one he had in Canterlot, this room was far from cramped. He had a canopied bed large enough for three people, a chair and desk, a shelf, dresser, and a large window facing out towards the courtyard. The walls were covered with pastel wallpaper, and the floor had a large rug on it.

Magnus stepped inside and he almost wanted to sigh. His own bedroom back home on Earth was so small, and here in Equestria, everything was large. Was he being spoilt on purpose?

“Thank you, Brilliant. This is more than good enough.”

He placed his backpack at the nightstand and sat down on the bed to test it. Oh yeah, he’d sleep well here.

Brilliant smiled. “No need to thank me, Magnus. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Can’t have you sleep outside under a tree now, can I?”

“Who knows? If I don’t behave, I might have too,” Magnus quipped.

Brilliant laughed a little. “Don’t be silly. I would never do that to a family member.”

Magnus smiled out of amusement, but he didn’t fail to hear what Brilliant said: Family member. Was she really seeing him that way, after just a few hours? She was very nice to him, very polite, and really wanted to know more about him. The more he thought about how the night had gone, the more he felt as if he had spent the night talking with an old relative he hadn’t seen since he was a boy.

But truly, that had never happened to him before. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I’ll leave you to sleep then. If you wake up before me, the kitchen is the room next to the living room downstairs. You’re welcome to help yourself. There’s bread and fruit in the cupboard if you get hungry, and milk and butter in the refrigerator.”

“Next to the living room, got it. Thank you again, Brilliant. I think I’ll just sleep now.”

Brilliant smiled and left the room. Just as she closed the door, she said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning… I mean, night, or… What do you say around here? I’m confused.”

“Good morning in the morning, and good night during the night. Good morning, and sleep well.”

The door closed and Magnus was alone in his bedroom in a five millennia old castle.

“That sounds clarifying and confusing at the same time,” he told himself as he laid down on the bed.

Author's Notes:

Heyyo!

It's been a while, hasn't it? Summer passed us by, and now the leaves are falling. Before we know, snow's falling too, and then suddenly, Christmas! Until then, I hope to crank out a few more chapters.

So, I know many of you've been looking forward to this chapter; Magnus finally meets Brilliant. I gotta admit, this chapter was one of the harder ones. First, I had to look back on how I wrote Brilliant Star in earlier chapters and try to incorporate her into what I imagined her to look like. Then it was time to flesh out what she exactly looks like. I'm quite happy with what I ended up with. She's warm and welcoming, has a warm appearance with warm colors, and hospitable. I'm happy with her.

Stargard castle has been on my mind since early summer. I googled castles, both real and fantasy ones, but I didn't find one I liked to show you as an example. So for now, Stargard castle exists as a description. However, the old crumbling wall in the shape of a horseshoe was something I came up with very late. Adds a nice little touch, doesn't it?

And now for some news.

JBL and I both have things going on in our lives right now. I won't tell what, but the next chapter and the one after that might be delayed. Just be patient; the story will continue in due time.

And as always, give an applause to JBL for being a master of words.

And secondly, a big thank you to all my readers and followers. I'm doing this for all of you

Chapter 52 - Hollow Shades

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It was early afternoon when Magnus woke with a start. Sitting up and scratching his head, it took a few moments before he recognized his new surroundings. The bed, the room, and the old flower pattern curtains covering the windows all didn’t register before the events of the day prior came flooding back.

After getting his clothes on, he walked over to the window and pulled away the curtains, getting his first glimpse of Hollow Shades by day, and was not disappointed.

The forest was green and bright, and the sunlight danced through the leaves. The garden below still looked overgrown, but now that the sun was up, he could see the many colours in it. All in all, the garden looked free and untamed by any hand or hoof.

After finding his toothbrush, soap, and towel, he made his way out into the hallway in search of the bathroom. Before doing so, he paused in the hallway to listen for any sound. Perhaps Brilliant was awake. But after a good minute of listening, he concluded that he was the only one up and promptly walked down to the end of the hall for the bathroom.

And as he suspected, the bathroom was in the same style as the rest of the house. A polished stone floor and walls was set in white stone, a large stained glass window, a marble sink, and a large ornate copper bathtub against a wall with steps leading up to it. And it all seemed to belong to the same age, Victorian era or older.

While brushing his teeth, Magnus wondered how wealthy the Galaxy family was in their heyday to afford all of this. Castles, an army, ships, luxury, rubbing cheeks with the finest, and probably a whole lot more. The Rockefellers of Equestria or perhaps closer to King Croesus?

After finishing his morning duties, or midday duties as they now were, he decided that now was a good time to find something to eat, and so he went down in search of the fabled kitchen. However, he made sure to walk silently in order to not wake up Brilliant, a feat not easily accomplished when one has hooves. Luckily, the carpet in the hallway helped him out.

After finding his way to the downstairs living room, he easily found the door that led to the kitchen, and there he found another surprise.

It turned out that the kitchen was much larger than his entire living room, kitchen, and bedroom combined back on Earth, painted in black, white, and light blue colours. There were a few modern appliances, such as a magic-powered stove and fridge. There was also a wood stove as well, similar to the one the Apple family had.

After finding some bread, butter, milk, and jam, Magnus sat down at the kitchen table for his breakfast. Although a bit uncomfortable to sit at such a low table and wooden bench, he felt at peace. Just like home, he would have breakfast at the kitchen bench, usually standing, and reading through the news on the Internet. Those days seemed so long ago. He pondered the idea that perhaps he was already fitting in so well that he began forgetting about his old life.

Sitting there, he had to take in his surroundings, imagining how it must have been hundreds of years ago. Cooks working on preparing food, perhaps for a banquet or some other high-end event, maids preparing the plates, handling hot meals, while other maids kept the kitchen clean and tidy at all times, and perhaps a servant or butler fetched bottles of wine from the wine cellar. Couldn’t have been nice for the staff. As far as he could remember, the maids back in the day weren’t treated very nice and their pay was also crap, if they got paid at all. Their workload was also enormous compared to what they were paid. Lastly, the masters of the castle or mansion usually never treated their staff with respect. To them, the staff was inferior in all ways, simply because they weren’t born with a silver spoon up their asses. Was the Galaxy family the same way back in the day?

Did they even have a—oh yes, there was a door in the kitchen with a sign that said "wine cellar". What an interesting place.

After eating and cleaning up after himself, Magnus began searching for something warm to drink, preferably with caffeine. Back home he always began the day with coffee, and that was a habit he had no intentions of quitting.

Figuring out the magical stove was easy enough; he’d seen Spike using the one back in Twilight’s castle enough to understand it was almost the same as electrical stoves. Finding a pot to boil water in was easy too. Sadly, it seemed as if Brilliant wasn’t a coffee drinker; all he could find was tea. On the upside, the smell of the dried tea was both inviting and sweet.

After pouring the hot water into a teapot, he returned to the living room with his tea. A newspaper lay on the coffee table, and seeing it was better than nothing, he took it and began reading. To his surprise, it was the same newspaper that revealed his existence, the press conference with Celestia and Twilight, and the lengthy interview with him and Luna as moral support.

After leafing through the paper, Magnus noticed how worn the paper was. Someone, or somepony, had used this paper a lot, and the most wear and tear was on the pages about him. Brilliant had probably been reading about him after she found out she was related to him.

After putting the paper away and sipping his tea, he surmised that he’d probably do the same. Why not know as much as possible about someone after getting such news?

***

The sun was just about to finally set for the day when Brilliant appeared in the living room door and saw Magnus sitting there.

“Good afternoon,” she smiled, announcing her presence. Magnus was engrossed, nose deep in a photo album, and looked up when he heard her.

“Oh, hey, good afternoon. I, uh, hope you didn’t mind looking through your photo album. It was just sitting there and I—”

“No no, I don’t mind at all.” She chuckled as she walked closer and took a gander at the album. “Oh, that’s a good one. Most of those pictures are from… I think, six or seven years ago, before my great-grandchildren arrived.”

“I noticed some differences here,” Magnus said with a nod. After looking through the album, he had found out quite a bit about Brilliant’s stepchildren. However, one mystery remained. “You told me last night that your herd consisted of you, a bat pony stallion and mare, and one earth pony mare. How come your stepchildren are all bat ponies?” Magnus asked; he didn’t rule out adoption.

Brilliant sat down on a chair, letting out a strained sound as she got comfortable. “We ponies either come out one way or the other. One unicorn and one pegasus can’t create an alicorn; it’s one or the other.”

Magnus nodded as he digested the info. It was easy enough to understand, but somehow didn’t add up. However, by this point, he understood that ponies—and this world for that matter—worked by different rules altogether, and so further inquiry would be fruitless. This world was so different from Earth.

Brilliant looked over to the teapot and lifted it with her magic. Magnus hadn’t refilled it after emptying it. The old mare stood up on shaky legs. “Let’s have breakfast and then we can go into town to buy some groceries. The castle will be full tonight.”

“I can help,” Magnus stated as he stood up and followed Brilliant. “If I’m gonna stay here for a while, the least I can do is help.”

***

An hour and a half later, Brilliant closed the castle doors with her magic. Draped around her neck and back, she wore a white wool knitted shawl. Now that the sun was setting, the chill of the evening, and later night, would set in. In her magic, she carried a small purse as opposed to a bit bag.

Magnus too was leaving with her to go into town. He wore his signature short black pants and his jacket. Just in case he saw something in town he’d like, he remembered his bag of bits.

“So how long will it take to get to town?” Magnus asked as he and Brilliant walked away from the door.

“When I was younger, it would take me around twenty to thirty minutes. But these days, I can’t manage the walk,” Brilliant explained as she reached the fountain, but instead of continuing forward, she turned to the right. “These days, I have another way to get to town.”

Magnus followed, and standing beneath a large tree, covered in its shadow, he noticed a shed with double doors he hadn’t seen the night before. Using her magic once more, Brilliant opened the double doors and sent a small magical orb of light to hover just below the ceiling.

“Is that… a ~car~?” Magnus asked, thoroughly surprised at the oddly specific car-shaped wagon standing in the shed. All this time, he was under the impression that Equestria, and no other country in this world, had cars.

“A what now?” Brilliant asked as she once again resorted to her magic, pulling the heavy looking car out of the shed effortlessly.

Magnus now realized that it was in fact not a car, but some type of covered wagon that resembled an old car, perhaps something from the turn of the century. It was bright blue in colour with a white canvas roof on four wooden posts, tires made from thick wood, and reinforced with sturdy wooden spokes. It had a single oil lamp at the front, and lacked the hood that actually cars usually possessed, being nearly completely flat at the front. Furthermore, it didn’t have the same riding height as opposed to a car; its bottom being mere inches above ground.

“A ~car~, it’s a type of self-propelled wagon from Earth,” Magnus explained.

“Never heard of a ~car~before,” Brilliant said as she lit the oil lamp at the front with a spell that produced a flame the size of a candle. “Woodchuck and Blizzard, two of my grandsons, built this for me some twelve years ago when my legs started to get bad. They got the idea from the foals participating in the Hollow Shades Derby and asked me if I knew a spell to make a derby cart move on its own, which I did. So they made this cart for me, and ever since then, I can go to town whenever I want. It made my life so much easier,” Brilliant explained with a smile as she used her magic to lift herself into the cart’s driver seat and positioned herself behind the wheel.

As she did so, Magnus noticed Brilliant’s cutie mark for the first time. While he was told by Twilight during his stay with her that ponies often looked at each other’s cutie marks, he himself made an effort not to, as it was a bit close to whatever they had under their tails. Nevertheless, he would often find himself sneaking a look at ponies’ marks in order to understand what their talent could be. Brilliant’s cutie mark was a pair of scrolls, crossed like the bones in a classical pirate flag, and the cutie mark also had four stars; one above, one below, and one on the left and right. He could only guess at its meaning.

Magnus then climbed into the cart. Space, however, was a bit difficult as the cart was made to hold four ponies at best, so he sat in the back, almost taking up the entire back seat.

Brilliant’s horn began to glow crimson, and this time she maintained the glow around her horn for a few seconds. Then the crimson magic flowed from her horn and enveloped the cart before seemingly melting into the wood.

Without sound or warning, the cart began slowly inching its way forward until it reached the middle of the courtyard. Brilliant steered the cart like a car, turning the wheel to the right with her magic at the fountain and heading towards the gatehouse, and as soon as she got past the wall, she turned to the left and onto the road.

“There we go, it’s all smooth sailing from here to town,” Brilliant said, peering over her shoulder at her human relative.

Magnus was enthralled, a normal occurrence when he saw a new type of magic in use for the first time. The cart produced a pretty good speed, faster than a jog and slower than a sprint.

“What kind of spell is this? I’ve never seen it before or heard of it,” he asked, leaning out of the wagon to see what was actually happening. He noticed the wheels had a faint red aura surrounding them.

“It's called a “Come-To-Life spell”,” Brilliant answered, carefully turning around a small bend in the road. “Not a lot of ponies use it because honestly, it’s more of a novelty.”

“Okay?” Magnus answered, pondering carefully. “So how come carts and other things aren’t powered by spells like this one?” In Magnus’ head, this was one of the more useful spells he’d seen since coming to Equestria. Why wasn’t there more spell powered carts and wagons around?

“This spell requires a lot of magic to cast, and even more to sustain it,” Brilliant explained. “I can hold this spell just fine for a couple of hours or so. Most unicorns usually don’t train their magic as much as they did back in the old days, unless they have a job that needs their magic. And it gets harder the heavier the object you want to move. This little cart is light for that reason alone. A train and wagons would need many unicorns trained in the use of magic to sustain the spell, and even then they might not make it move for more than half an hour at best.”

Magnus sat upright again, satisfied with the explanation he was given. It made sense; like a heavy car needing a stronger engine to move it. His old Ford was heavy and had a strong engine, and it wasn’t like he could make it move with a go-kart engine anyway. Even magic, amazing as it was, had some limitations to it.

With the lamp shining ahead, illuminating the road with its weak light, Brilliant drove and talked about various topics, specifically about her children arriving later during the night. They would come with the night train from Fillydelphia, Manehattan, and even Canterlot later. Some even lived in Hollow Shades as well, and Brilliant explained to Magnus that he might meet some of them in town.

The deeper into the forest they delved, Magnus noticed that the trees became taller and thicker at the trunk. The forest around Brilliant’s castle was pretty tall, perhaps ten to fifteen meters in height, but now the trees were getting closer to twenty meters, and the number just grew.

The short drive soon came to an end as the town came into sight and Brilliant’s cart began to slow down to a walking pace. By Magnus’ estimation, the trip took around eight to ten minutes. The first few buildings were normal houses like the type one could find in Ponyville, but they were also built with stone as well, and some even had decorations made out of carved wood. And the closer to the town centre they came, the more the houses changed; from wood and very little stone to almost the entire houses made from stone held together with mortar. And above, among the treetops, there were entire tree houses and homes carved into the thick trees, some at the trunk and some further up. Wooden walkways went from one tree to the next, like a street high above ground level, and lamps lit the way.

As exciting as it was for Magnus, he soon found his eyes drawn to ground level and the myriad of ponies wandering about. Nearly every single pony was a bat pony, and despite the few bat ponies he had seen in Canterlot, here he saw that the bat ponies were far more diverse when it came to their colours. Grey was the primary colour of their coats, but until now he didn’t realize just how many shades grey came in. Their mane colours were also much more diverse.

Then the first voice spoke up; an elderly bat pony stallion with a cane and hat came walking towards the cart and saw Brilliant and was about to say hello when his facial expression shifted to one of surprise.

“Good evening, Brilliant,” the stallion said carefully, tipping his hat to her with the help of his wing, his eyes shifting from Brilliant to Magnus and back again. “Are you aware that there is something strange in your cart?”

“Good evening, Whittler. Yes, I know; Princess Luna and Princess Celestia sent him to me for a visit,” Brilliant answered plainly as if she was talking about the weather.

“The princesses did? What an odd thing to do,” the elder stallion replied perturbed.

“No, not at all. You see, he is family.”

There was a slight pause from the stallion, followed by one of his eyebrows traveling slightly upwards.

“Oh. I see. Well then, Brilliant, have a good night.”

“Thank you, Whittler. And a good night to you as well.”

And with that Brilliant and Magnus continued on. Just as they passed the old stallion, Magnus heard him mutter something about old age and the mind.

He let it slide, more focused on the thought that Brilliant already referred to him as family. Didn’t she do the same last night? He was already well aware of ponies growing strong bonds of friendship in a surprisingly short amount of time, but did that extend to family as well? In the case of Brilliant, did that even extend to people she hardly knew?

As Brilliant drove into the town centre, she and Magnus drew more and more attention from the ponies. It became so silent that Magnus could hear a mosquito fart. Then the whispers and hushed voices began as had occurred in Canterlot and Ponyville. Ponies of all ages and genders flocked together in small crowds to observe their passage through town. He couldn’t wait for the day to come that he became old news.

The town centre which they drove into was just a bit larger than Ponyville’s market square, but there were fewer houses one could see. Lights further into the forest revealed more houses there, and some houses up in the treetops, and there were plenty of paths leading into the forest, acting as streets. At regular intervals, lampposts illuminated the streets and surrounding area with a soft glow, artfully made out of cast iron. A large four storey building at the southern end of the square was obviously the town hall, seeing that it had a very ‘official’ look about it.

Brilliant parked her cart near the town centre where ponies had set up their stands. The usual sounds one would hear from ponies all chatting had all but ceased as Magnus got off the cart. He looked around, seeing nothing but equine eyes staring at him.

“Oh, pay them no mind, they are just curious,” Brilliant said as she levitated herself off her vehicle. “But if you want them to stop, you can just try to stare back at them.”

Magnus chuckled at the ‘advice’; he wasn’t about to make ponies feel uncomfortable, no matter how tempting it was.

“So, where to first?” he asked.

“Butter Dough’s bakery. When you get to be my age, there are always foals about craving sweets.”

Brilliant led the way through the crowd that parted as she approached them, heading straight for a two story house, the lower half made of stone and the upper of wood. A sign containing the name “Straight From the Oven” hung outside in the shape of a breadbasket. As soon as Magnus walked inside, he was hit by the scent of freshly baked bread and other goods. A few ponies were already inside, patiently waiting in line at the counter, not having noticed him yet. Like any customer, Brilliant went to stand in line and Magnus followed her, standing behind her.

In contrast to Sugarcube Corner, the interior of this bakery was somewhat subdued when it came to colours, but it had a rather homely feel to it, as if he’d just walked into someone’s kitchen. There were a few shelves with different types of baked goods packaged in paper bags, and the glass counter had sweet pastries on display.

A scream suddenly sounded through the store as the first customer had gotten what she wanted and turned around, only to spot Magnus standing there. The mare, a diminutive bat pony mare, dropped her bag, flared her wings, lowered herself into what looked like a pouncing position, and hissed at him with fangs bared.

Of course, the scream had drawn the attention of the entire store, and suddenly Magnus found himself once again as the centre of attention. The customers began to back away from him, acting like they’d just noticed a bear had wandered into the store.

But again, Brilliant proved herself to be quite nonchalant about the whole thing. With a path to the counter cleared, she walked right up to the confused bat pony stallion manning the cash register.

“Good evening, Butter, do you happen to have flour today? My family is coming to visit and I need to bake. I also need two boxes of mango tarts.” She glanced over her shoulder at Magnus. “Magnus, would you like something? I recommend a slice of blueberry cake. It’s crunchy and has the finest sugar and cinnamon flavour.”

Magnus was still dumbstruck at how Brilliant handled the situation. She ignored the crowd, the stares, the silent whispers, and even the mare, whose wings were slowly lowering back to their place, having a very confused mien on her face. She didn’t even try to speak to the ponies, to reassure them that everything was okay.

“I…uh, the cake? Yes please, I’ve some bits so—”

“No no, I’m buying,” Brilliant quickly protested.

As soon as Brilliant was handed the wares, she levitated the flour bags to Magnus. “Thank you, Butter. Magnus, could you carry these to the cart? We still have some shopping to do.”

After thanking her for the cake, Magnus took the flour sacks and followed Brilliant, sacks under one arm, and a paper napkin with a slice of juicy cake in the other. Brilliant still didn’t say a word as she walked outside. At the door, Magnus turned around; the ponies still stared, mouths wide open and visibly confused. Even the mare, formerly scared, now looked like she was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Any and all traces of fear were gone.

Magnus came to the conclusion that either Brilliant didn’t care what the inhabitants of Hollow Shades thought about him, or that she liked to confuse them. So why not join in?

He bit off a large piece of the cake, chewed, and swallowed. It was crunchy on the outside, and soft, sweet, and juicy on the inside. “Oh wow! This is good. I might come back for more. Thanks, and see you around.” He chuckled as he closed the door behind him.

The second the door closed, he heard voices from within, the most common phrase spoken asking, “What the hay?” Even the ponies outside still stood in groups, their attention fixated on Magnus as soon as they spotted him. But Brilliant didn’t say a word; she just smiled as if she was on an early morning grocery shopping spree.

After leaving the baked goods at the cart, Brilliant then headed for other stores as well as the market square and the various stands. The same scene unfolded at each one. Some ponies backed away, some were curious enough to stand their ground, while some ponies took to the sky and branches in order to get a bird’s eye view of the drama unfolding below.

Of course, the ruckus inevitably drew the attention of the town’s highest authority.

After leaving a store that sold candies, a stallion waited outside for them. He was a bat pony with impeccable combed long mane, a white and black collar with a red tie, and a cutie mark depicting a book with the word ‘law’ written on the cover.

“Brilliant,” the stallion asked with a tired expression on his face and a small shake of his head, “what are you doing now? Why do you have the human here? I had ten ponies storming my office just minutes ago. Would you please care to explain?”

Despite the pony’s grouchy attitude, Brilliant greeted him with a smile. “Good evening, Mayor Wordsmith. I was simply doing my usual grocery shopping with Magnus here. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

“The fuss is,” the mayor continued, sounding even more exasperated, “why is he here?”

“Because he is visiting me,” Brilliant answered plainly. “Is it against the law for a human to visit his relative?”

Mayor Wordsmith crooked a brow at the statement. “Did I hear you right? Relative?”

Magnus was now sure that Brilliant was of the more playful and pranking variety of ponies. To answer a question with an answer such as hers without elaborating was deliberate trolling.

“Why yes. He is my relative,” Brilliant continued. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about. We are only shopping. It’s not his or mine’s fault if ponies get jumpy around him. He’ll be staying for quite some time at my castle, and like it or not, he can go wherever he wants to, even in town.”

Mayor Wordsmith sighed and rubbed his head with a hoof. “Okay, okay, I know, you don’t have to recite the law to me; I know it word by word. I was only checking; it’s my responsibility after all.”

“And a fine job you are doing, keeping us all safe,” Brilliant assured. “Oh, by the way; please don’t mention it to everypony around town, at least not until tomorrow. My family is coming to visit, and we’re making it a surprise for them.”

“A surprise too? Well, far be it for me to ruin a surprise,” the mayor added, looking a bit more relaxed as he looked from Brilliant to Magnus, regarding him for a moment with curiosity.

“Well then, I guess there isn’t much to be said from me, other than to welcome you to Hollow Shades, Mister Powell. I am Wordsmith, the mayor of our little town.”

Magnus bent down to shake the stallion’s hoof. “Pleasure to meet you, Mayor Wordsmith. I’ll try to keep the riots to a minimum by sneaking around instead of walking plainly,” he said jokingly.

“Sneaking? Here? Good luck with that. You might get some kids to think you’re playing hide and seek if you do that,” Wordsmith added, laughing.

“Now then, to clear this up.” Wordsmith turned to address the numerous ponies that had assembled behind him and gave an impromptu speech about Magnus being a visitor to town who would stay for a while. After his speech was concluded, he left to return to his office. Despite his speech’s briefness, Mayor Wordsmith’s name was true to his golden tongue. He was a fantastic orator; he could probably tell people to go to hell and they would look forward to the trip there.

After the speech, a few ponies were brave enough to approach Brilliant, asking her why the human was with her especially. Brilliant’s reply was simple and honest: “He’s helping me with my shopping.” But she never mentioned to anyone their relation. This made Magnus wonder. She told the old stallion—why not the rest of the townsponies? Well, they would find out soon enough. By tomorrow or so, when Brilliant’s family had met him, word would soon spread. That little fact didn’t especially bother Magnus.

***

Bumping along the dirt road, Brilliant’s spell-powered cart made its way back to the castle. In the back, Magnus sat thinking.

He had learnt a lot in town. For example, the bat ponies were wary towards newcomers. However, they were more curious than their earth, pegasus, or unicorn brethren, and also bolder. While initially keeping their distance, by the time Brilliant and he made their way back to the cart, they didn’t actively avoid him. Hell, some bat ponies even made low flying passes right over his head and he never heard them coming.

All in all, his first foray into Hollow Shades was a success. No riots, no pitchforks, and no cages. It went well, all things considered.

Brilliant had mentioned that he might meet some of her children and grandchildren in town. That unfortunately didn’t happen. Nevertheless, they’d be in for a surprise later on.

Upon their return to Stargard Castle, Magnus helped Brilliant with her groceries and carried them inside. Just as he helped stow away her goods, he noticed Brilliant’s cutie mark again; the crossed scrolls and the stars. What talent could they signify? The scrolls could be knowledge or magic spells, or maybe even a pair of rolled up maps. What then did the stars signify? Twilight had stars on her mark, as did Shining Armor on his, and both of them excelled at magic. Could stars represent magic in some form?

“Brilliant?”

“Yes, dearie?”

"Dearie?"

“What does your cutie mark mean?”

Brilliant closed the fridge and turned her head towards her flanks, watching her mark. “It means that I have a talent for understanding and casting ancient, archaic spells.”

“How did you get it?”

Brilliant put the kettle on and lit the fire in the oven with a small magical flame.

“When I was young, I loved to go exploring this old castle,” she began, taking a seat by the kitchen table, Magnus joining her. “I went high and low from dusk to dawn, exploring the basement, the attic, all the old rooms. This house was a playground for me. Then one day while exploring the basement, I accidentally dislodged a stone and uncovered a secret compartment. In there, I found an old and dusty tome, and overcome by curiosity, I decided to read it. Although the pages were old, worn, damp, and covered with mould, I managed to decipher a single spell with the help of some of the old books in the gallery. At that moment, this mark appeared on my flanks,” she finished with a happy beam.

Magnus smiled; what a surprise for her. A new spell, her mark, and finding a secret room on the same day.

“So what did the spell do?”

Brilliant leaned back, thought for a second, and then began laughing. “Oh, it created a ball of lightning that I couldn’t control. It burned the grass, the trees, and nearly melted the gates before my parents discovered what was happening and got it under control. I was grounded for a month because of it, and my father sent me to Canterlot so that I could learn control from an archmage. I was only there for a few months before I was allowed to return, and by then I could control the spell.”

"Did Brilliant just tell me she summoned a ball lightning?" He’d heard of the phenomenon—one of the strangest, unexplained, and potentially dangerous electrical phenomena to exist. No one was really sure why they formed or even how they could exist in the first place.

Safe to say, he was officially impressed.

“That’s amazing. But what happened to the spellbook you found?”

Brilliant chuckled as she used her magic to take the whistling kettle off the stove, floating it and two cups over to her and Magnus. “The original was donated to Princess Celestia, who asked her experts to analyze the book and the writings therein, and to preserve it in the Canterlot archives. I was later given a brand new copy of the book by Celestia herself. It sits locked behind glass here in the castle.”

Magnus nodded, but was puzzled. Who wrote such a spell, and why? What was its purpose?

Brilliant tilted her head to the side slightly, regarding Magnus with curious eyes. “You look as if you want to ask me something.”

Magnus was impressed; how could she tell so fast? Even the ponies he’d known the longest had a hard time interpreting his facial expressions. “I was. I was wondering what uses does such a spell have?”

Brilliant smiled again, but this time her smile faded quickly and she adopted a more serious visage, cradling her cup of tea. “Most likely a war spell. This one was probably meant to disable large rank and file formations or perhaps break open a hole in formations. Faust knows, some unicorns ages ago created terrible magical spells for use in wars. Thank Celestia and Luna that we have not seen a war in centuries. War spells are terrible creations.”

Magnus nodded; he couldn’t agree more. Wars are terrible, yes, and even though some weapons are meant to be a simple deterrent, everything had its limit. But then, what limits did magic have when it came to wars? Best not to think about it.

Brilliant cradled her cup, sloshing its contents slowly while gazing out the window. “The family should arrive sometime later, and I will have many mouths to feed. I will need help.”

Magnus stood up. “You don’t need to ask.”

***

Brilliant and Magnus worked for a few hours, well into the night preparing dinner for the many expected guests. Brilliant once again showed another talent of hers; cooking. With magic wielding a knife, she peeled and chopped vegetables at blistering speeds and deposited them into a pot of water and herbs. With magic, she mixed flour, water, yeast, and salt, and kneaded the dough to make fresh bread for them to eat with the soup.

While Brilliant did all this, Magnus did his best to help: mixing butter and garlic to make garlic butter, and chopping up fruit and whipping cream for dessert. Compared to the speed Brilliant displayed, he was hopelessly outclassed. Still, upon seeing the multitasking Brilliant was capable of with her magic, and doing all this while seated at the kitchen table sipping tea, he couldn’t help but admire her exceptional skill at magic. Her control was perfect as far as he could decipher, honed over god knew how many years wielding magic, and not once did she slip. Although Magnus had seen Twilight use magic several times, he now knew that experience was a better teacher. Twilight might be an alicorn and a powerhouse, but she just couldn’t bring decades of experience to the table. Power did not trump a century of living.

When dinner began nearing completion, Brilliant asked Magnus to set the table in the dining room. He happily obliged, and after being told where the dining room was, he went to the west wing of the house.

And as the rest of the house, the dining room was, for lack of a better word, magnificent. It was long with four large windows at the far end, and had several old, Persian-styled rugs covering its stone floor. The walls themselves were covered with aged wallpapers that must have gone out of style at least a century ago, yet that did little to diminish its splendour. An ornate table large enough to seat at least fifty ponies, and the fine chairs pushed up to it was of the same style as the table itself, looking Victorian age or even older. On the walls hung paintings of previous generations as well as some landscape paintings, and below stood several cabinets filled with plates, glasses and cups, cutlery made of silver and gold, and embroidered napkins.

This ancient castle simply impressed him more and more. Yet even with all this finery, he did notice a few minor holes in the carpets, the worn wood on the cabinets, and notches in the table and the chairs. Yes, the castle’s interior was beautiful, but the closer he looked, the more flaws he noticed. They were, he assumed, signs of the family’s fall and lack of funds to repair or replace them. A terrible shame, to let such fine things deteriorate.

Finally, after hours of work, everything was ready for the ponies to arrive. While the soup was kept warm on the stove, Brilliant and Magnus sat in the living room, chatting about various topics while waiting for Brilliant’s family. Then, somewhere around four in the morning, there was knocking on the door, echoing around the entire castle.

Brilliant was out of her chair in an instant, eager and with a wide and happy smile on her face. “There they are,” she stated. “Now you just wait here, I want to surprise them.”

Magnus remained seated in the living room as Brilliant headed out into the hallway. He heard the door open followed by joyous voices and greetings in the entry hall. From the sounds of it, it sounded as if there was a crowd; many voices, from elderly mares and stallions to the very young.

It was around this moment that Magnus began to truly feel nervous. He knew well by now that Brilliant was perhaps the most welcoming pony he’d met in Equestria so far, but what about her children and grandchildren?

"Well, too late to change my mind now. All I can do is wait and see what happens."

What felt like minutes passed, and still the ponies were in the hallway, greetings and well-wishes being exchanged. Magnus sat in a chair, patiently waiting, his eyes focused on the doorway leading to the hall.

Then the door was slowly nudged aside ever so slightly and a pony appeared in the doorway, but not an adult. A bat pony foal in diapers, sucking on a binky, and staring right at Magnus with huge, inquisitive purple eyes. The foal had an inky dark, almost black coat, and a short dark blue tail, and atop his head was a small mop of hair in the same colour.

Magnus was surprised at seeing the foal, who was just about the cutest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Slowly he scooted himself off the chair and down onto the floor, sitting cross-legged.

“Hey there, little guy,” Magnus said softly with a smile, making himself appear as non-threatening as possible.

The little foal’s binky fell out of its mouth as it turned and sped off as fast as those short legs could carry him.

“Great; just met a little foal and now it’s running to its mom to cry,” Magnus muttered, feeling a bit disheartened.

But just a few moments later, the foal returned to the door, this time walking backwards towards Magnus, dragging a book in its mouth. The foal dropped its book, turned around, and after seeing Magnus was still there, began dragging its book back to him, obviously struggling a bit.

The foal stopped just inches from Magnus and dropped the book. Staring up at Magnus, the foal tilted its little head from side to side. “Ga-ga,” it said, stomping a hoof onto the cover of the book. It was a children's book with the cover of it looking very similar to The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

“Ooh, that’s a nice book you have there. Is it yours?” Magnus asked the foal.

The foal nudged the cover, managing to flip over to the next page and once again stomped the book. “Ga-ga!”

“Do you want me to read it for you?” Magnus asked again, amused at the little one’s antics. “Okay, I can read.”

He grabbed the book from the floor and held it open in one hand, low to the floor so the foal could see. The foal, however, had other plans. First, the foal ran back to the door to get their binky back, and with said binky in place, ran on short legs back to Magnus. Then came another surprise! Struggling mightily, the foal began climbing into his lap, even utilising the tiny claws in the thumb of his wings for a better grip. Despite it feeling like a kitten's claw on skin, Magnus was much too amused to even wince as the little claws dug into his skin; he just smiled as the foal finally got comfy on his lap.

“Ga-ga,” the foal uttered, looking up at Magnus, pawing at the book.

Magnus had to smile at the little adventurer. “Well, aren’t you a fearless kid, hm?”

“Ga-ga.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll read. Ahem! Once upon a time there was a little caterpillar,” he began, feeling amused at the foal on his lap. If he was told half a year ago that he’d read a story to a bat pony foal in a castle on another world, he would probably just laugh and ask what they were smoking. Now, however, it was happening and he enjoyed it immensely, laughing on the inside at the absurdity of the situation, but also of how adorable the black ball of fur, mane, tail, and wings was, the way he or she just sat there, sucking on a binky, completely engrossed with the story of a caterpillar instead of the fact that he or she was sitting in the lap of an alien.

And he kept reading page and after, reading slowly so that the foal could follow and even see what was happening on each colourfully illustrated page. He only paused when he heard the voices in the hallway suddenly draw closer and then cease in an instant. He looked up, finding a crowd of ponies there, all staring at him with obvious surprise and mouths wide open, with Brilliant standing in the middle, happily smiling at the sight of a foal on the lap of an alien.

The foal looked up at the assembled ponies and plucked out its binky with one of the wing claws. “Ga-ga.”

“Mhm, you’re right, kiddo. They look a bit ga-ga,” Magnus agreed with the baby before looking back at the ponies. “What? Never seen a human read a foal a story before?”

Author's Notes:

Hello girls and guys! Been a while, ain't it? Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long. Well, let's jump right in.

Gotta be honest first. When I published the last chapter, this one was already done. I decided to wait for a bit to release this or else there would be a huge gap of time between this chapter and the next.

Next chapter is soon done and will need editing first. However, things got in the way. What things, you ask? Well, World of Warcraft Classic. I've been playing for two months now and enjoyed it immensely for a while. Now though, it's already boring and I consider quitting it altogether. It simply isn't what it once was.

As for this chapter. Yes, this one was fun to write, and I gotta admit I struggled to find out what Hollow Shades should look like. On the official Equestria map, Hollow Shades is in a forest, but in the show, it was transformed into a desolate looking place with stone and stuff. I decided to go for the natural approach; a forest village. Some of the greentexts on 4chan depicted it as a idyllic midnight village, and I gotta say that's how I see Hollow Shades too. We'll take a closer look at Hollow Shades and batpony community in later chapters.

And as always, a huge thank you to JBL for editing. An equally big thank you to you, my readers, and those that choose to follow me and put my little story on their bookshelves.

Chapter 53 - Meet the Family

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Magnus’ reception was what he expected, to say the least. They explained that they had heard the news about his arrival from ponies in town on their way to the castle, and of course that triggered a wave of confusion amongst Brilliant’s family as well as demands of explanation.

After her family found a place to sit, Brilliant began explaining it all to them, starting from the beginning. She also revealed who Magnus’ ancestor was, and wasn’t that quite the surprise for them? Her children, grandchildren, and some of her great-grandchildren who were old enough, were familiar with the stories concerning him, seeing as he was still a celebrity thousands of years after he died.

All in all, Brilliant’s family and their spouses took it very well. Once the initial shock had worn off, many had queries directed at Brilliant, and even more to ask Magnus. At one point, Brilliant stepped in and stated that him being here was not a game of questions and that Magnus wasn’t here as a sideshow but as a guest and new member of the family. That was enough to halt the endless parade of inquiries and allowed for all to sit for a nice meal.

But introductions were also in order, and Brilliant’s family was quite large.

The majority of her family were bat ponies, with a smattering of the three other pony races mixed in. Her stepchildren consisted of two bat pony stallions, one bat pony mare, and one earth pony stallion. The rest were mixed.

Their names became a flurry as they introduced themselves to Magnus. He missed the usual naming conventions of home. Heck, even a Chad or a Kyle would suffice. That sadly wasn’t the case here.

Another note of interest he discovered was that ponies usually didn’t have a common last name. Some families did have surnames, but it was an uncommon practice. Mostly it was used by the nobility to denote them as belonging to a particular noble house or family. Brilliant’s children didn’t use the Galaxy name at all.

From there on out, the night and early morning passed by with an undercurrent in the atmosphere that Magnus could not quite place as they ate dinner. Brilliant’s family regarded him with a mix of curiosity and awe, as well as a bit of apprehension. Regardless, he tried to explain it as just a big surprise being sprung on them. What should they do? Welcome him as just another pony? Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

***

It was late afternoon when Magnus woke up. Turning his sleeping pattern around was easier said than done, and he suspected it would be some time before he would awake at a reasonable Hollow Shades’ hour.

Donning his clothes, he grabbed his toothbrush and headed for the bathroom. Just as he stepped into the hallway, he heard the rush of little hooves on carpet and noticed a maroon tail vanishing around the corner. The children were awake already, or at least one of them.

While brushing his teeth, he saw in the reflection of the mirror a small colt and an even younger filly spying on him in the doorway. He pretended to not see them while brushing, wondering how long they would be there. Probably a while, as all the children last night had stared at him in wonderment.

After he was done, he walked into the hallway, and by this time, the filly and colt had gone into hiding. Not well enough, as he noticed two small bulges on a long tapestry hanging on the wall all the way down to the floor.

Smiling to himself, he crouched beside it and asked, “Are you two playing hide and seek with me?”

There was a moment of silence. “Nooo?” came the reply from a colt.

Stifling his laughter, Magnus asked, “Are you spying on me?”

“No…”

“Yes!” came the eager reply from the filly.

“Ssh!”

“But we are, Midnight.”

“We don’t want him to know, Nightflower, that’s why we’re spying on him.”

Magnus couldn’t help it and started to laugh. “Why don’t you two come out from there, hmm? You can spy on me later, okay?”

There was a moment of silence before the tapestry moved and the two ponies, a colt and a younger filly emerged, both wearing guilty expressions. Magnus recognized them from the night before as Midnight Flash, a bat pony colt, and his little sister Nightflower, also a bat pony. Midnight Flash was around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, had maroon tail and hair, dark grey coat, and had no cutie mark yet. His little sister, Nightflower, was maybe two or three years younger, had a light purple mane and tail with two blue stripes, a very light, almost silver grey coat, and sported pink ribbons tied in her pigtails.

Magnus smiled at the pair, still crouching. “Good morning, you two. Is there anypony else awake already?”

Midnight Flash nodded and Nightflower eagerly said, “Mommy and daddy. They’re making breakfast in the kitchen. Mango jam!”

Magnus nodded sagely. “Mango jam, ya say. You like mango jam?”

Both Midnight Flash and Nightflower nodded in unison and grinned from ear to ear. “Mangoes are the best!” Midnight Flash stated with utter confidence.

“Well then, maybe breakfast is ready. Maybe your mommy and daddy are eating it all up already?” He barely had finished his sentence before the two siblings were racing down the hall and down the staircase. With an amused smile on his face, he followed them.

An amusing fact he learned last night was that bat ponies loved fruit, especially mangoes. It wasn’t something like “Oh, mangoes. Neat,” but more like, “MANGO!!! RAWR!!!” This he came to see for himself at dessert. When the fruit was served, the fillies and colts threw themselves at the fruit bowl, much to their grandparents’ amusement, and of course to Brilliant Star herself, and to the horror of their parents, who glumly watched their offspring display an utter lack of table manners. Still, while the adults had table manners, their manner of eating mango was pretty much the same as the kids; like a school of piranha devouring a bleeding pig.

The moment he entered the kitchen, Magnus found the kids already at the table, munching on mango jam with a slice of bread underneath. Next to the kids sat a stallion and a mare, while another mare stood at the stove, putting a kettle on.

There was a brief moment of silence as Magnus appeared, but he was quick to break it. “Good morning,” he said with a smile.

There was a brief pause before the two mares and the stallion replied with, “Good morning.”

“Will you be joining us for breakfast?” the mare at the stove asked with an uncertain smile.

“Yes please.”

Making his way over to the large kitchen table, Magnus sat down. The table had been set for breakfast and there was hot coffee on a pot. Pouring himself a cup, there was an uncomfortable silence that stretched on as the mare sat down next to the stallion and the other mare.

“Did you sleep well?” the stallion asked, breaking the silence. Magnus remembered him from last night as Winter Wind, a skinny and tall bat pony stallion with a deep grey coat, icy blue tail and long mane and his cutie mark was an icicle growing from a dark cloud. He was also Brilliant Star’s oldest grandchild.

“I did,” Magnus replied as he buttered a slice of bread and added a liberal amount of cheese. “This castle is very silent. Must be the thick walls.”

“Maybe even better than Canterlot Castle?” one mare asked. Her name was Free Flight, a bat pony mare and one of Winter Wind’s two wives and mother to Midnight Flash. She a red and white spiky mane, not unlike Vinyl Scratch in Ponyville, and her cutie mark was a pair of gilded wings. Whatever her talent was, Magnus had no idea.

Biting down on his breakfast, Magnus chewed and swallowed before saying, “Not really. In Canterlot, I could hear the guards walking through the corridors, and their armour is far from silent.”

His reply lured out a collective smile from the herd he had breakfast with. And speaking of breakfast…

“How come you are up already? I thought bat ponies would sleep at least for a few hours more.”

“We live in Manehattan,” the second mare said. “We all have jobs that involve normal hours, and there are no schools in Manehattan that are open at night, so we had to adjust to being awake during the day.”

“I see,” Magnus replied to Silverlink’s answer. Silverlink had a very shiny silver grey coat, matching her jeweller’s kit on her flanks, and emerald green tail and mane, both braided into an intricate pattern. She was the mother of Nightflower.

Breakfast eventually winded down, and after helping to clean up, they all retreated into the living room to relax. The children settled down on the floor with colouring books and crayons while Winter Wind, Silverlink, and Free Flight sat down on the couch with tea.

The atmosphere quickly turned awkward. Magnus felt like a third wheel just by being there, idly drinking coffee while lounging in a chair by the fireplace, now burning brightly. He felt as if he should say something, but anything he said would be nothing more than idle talk, just noise to cover up the silence, and if it was anything he disliked, then it was small talk about the weather or last night’s game.

Safe to say, the silence was grating, so Magnus made the decision to make some noise. “So…” Magnus began slowly, swirling his cup around in small circle motions. “What do you guys do for a living?”

The herd in the couch looked up, and the stallion, Winter Wind, glanced at each of his mares, smiled, then closed his book. “I’m a weatherpony in Manehattan.” He tapped a wing claw to his flank. “My mark means I’m good at shaping ice; from icicles to snowflakes, my specialty is creating freezing rain.”

“Weatherpony,” Magnus parroted, scratching his head. He did that a lot after coming to Equestria. “And how do you make snowflakes? That’s impossible. They’re so small.”

“You need patience, the right tools, freezing temperatures, and a good microscope in order to see the details,” Winter explained.

Magnus shook his head in disbelief. “No no no, I mean, you shouldn’t have to. Snowflakes form naturally. No two snowflakes are alike.”

Winter’s explanatory smile faded as he looked to the mares flanking him, as if asking them if they understood what Magnus meant. “Um, no. If naturally formed snow falls, the snowflakes are flat and perfectly spherical. At the weather factory, snowflake shapers carve them into different shapes following a variety of different geometrical patterns. We have tens of thousands of shapes to choose from, but we try to make each as unique as possible. The chances of two different snowflake shapers creating the exact same snowflake are nearly impossible.”

Magnus wasn’t even going to nod; he wanted to throw his hands in the air and explain in detail, but as with many things these days, he knew better than to argue. So much was different in this world. Even something as natural as snowflakes had to be made. Was Mother Nature a lazy bitch around here?

“You said snowflakes form naturally?” Free Flight asked, now having taken an interest in the conversation.

“Snowflakes forms naturally on Earth—no one works them into shape. It’s all the work of nature,” Magnus explained as he thought over the, honestly, mind-boggling work that went into creating a winter’s worth of unique snowflakes. He then looked at Free Flight’s mark. “What do you do for a living, Free Flight?”

The bat pony mare smiled and looked at her flank. “I’m a flying instructor and wing therapist in Manehattan.”

Flying instructor? Now that piqued Magnus’ interests. “What does your job involve? Teaching flying itself?”

“Partially. Some children learn later than most how to fly, and by that time they’ve tried so hard to fly that they might have gained some bad habits that could impair their ability to fly. We also help children who hurt their wings to fly again.” To Magnus, it sounded like training with physical therapy mixed in. Perhaps that could be something Scootaloo in Ponyville could need. The little orange hummingbird always flapped her wings but not once had he seen her even take off or even hover slightly.

Magnus set his eyes on the last mare. “What about you, Silverlink? I recognize your mark as parts of a jeweller’s tool.”

Silverlink was watching the kids draw when Magnus called her by name, and quickly looked up when she heard him. “What? Oh, yes, I’m a jewel maker. My speciality is gem carving, I prefer rubies and emerald, but I also work a little with jade. How did you know my mark was a jeweller’s kit?”

“My grandfather.” Magnus leaned back in the chair, relaxing a bit now that the conversation was flowing a bit better. “He was a silversmith, and a good one too.”

“Really?” Silverlink sat up and straightened her back, looking more interested in the subject. “Did he have a specialty? Rings? Necklaces perhaps?”

“A bit of both, I guess. He excelled at filigree work, but he was also good at taking inspiration from nature.”

Silverlink clapped her hooves together happily. “Oh, I would have loved to see some of his work. Filigree may be simple to make, but it can take oh so many different shapes.”

She practically flew out of the couch and out through the door. Magnus looked to Winterwind, who chuckled. “Now you got her going. Hope you can draw.” He laughed alongside Free Flight.

A minute or two later, Silverlink returned with a sketchbook and quill in her mouth and dropped them in Magnus’ hands, smiling expectedly. “Can you please try drawing one of his works, if you can remember any of them?” she asked, her huge slitted eyes shining.

Magnus wasn’t exactly in a position to say no, not to eyes like that, so he grabbed quill, paper, and ink and began drawing. Although not an artist, the drawing he made was quite true to the ring he had in mind; the wedding ring his grandfather gave to his grandmother.

It was a beautiful design. Squared silver rods, triple braided and double braided filigree, and in the centre a square cut garnet. Once it rested on Magnus’ grandmother’s finger.

“My goodness. Simplicity, yet so elegant,” Silverlink commented, intently studying the drawing. “Could you draw another? Please?”

"Again with the doe eyes? Why are their eyes their go-to weapon of persuasion?" Magnus ruefully thought to himself. But the truth was, he didn’t mind as long as it made the awkward silence go away.

***

Later on that evening, everypony had gathered in small groups around the castle in various rooms. Some ponies relaxed in the living room, talking, chatting, and catching up with what was new and what had happened since last they met. Others met in the gallery or other rooms meant for gathering, reading and playing games. And speaking of games, who knew that the old castle could be so lively with so many little fillies and colts running around, playing games and whatever else came to their minds? Almost a museum, the castle held untold opportunities for inquisitive fillies and colts.

Yes, everypony enjoyed themselves, even Magnus.

While Magnus generally felt out of place in this world since he was the only one of his kind, even in Brilliant Star’s castle, he felt it as well, but not as strongly. Now that he’d gotten to know ponies and break out of his shell of awkward silence, he found that Brilliant's family, although inquisitive, didn’t harass him with endless questions, just as Brilliant had asked them. And for that, he was grateful.

Currently, he was in the gallery, sitting alongside two of Brilliant’s grandchildren and talking with them. These two were roughly Magnus’ age.

“So you plan to live in Canterlot?” the bat pony stallion named All Star asked. He had the appearance of an athlete, had a spiky black mane and a number of sports paraphernalia as well as a wrench as a mark.

“That’s the plan,” Magnus answered, trying to control All Star’s little bundle of joy crawling all over him. The bat pony colt was the same guy who had wanted Magnus to read for him the night before. Shooting Star was his name, and what an active little fella he was. “Seems like Canterlot—Woah, easy there kid—just has more to offer in terms of job opportunities.”

All Star laughed, seeing his son, only five months old, try to climb onto Magnus’ shoulders. “Want me to take him off you?”

“Nah, this is fi-III-ne!” Magnus yelped as Shooting Star dug his little wing claws into his shoulder, much to his father, All Star and All Star’s brother, Power Chords, amusement. It wasn’t the first time the colt did it, and it would certainly not be the last.

Weird as it sounded, Magnus didn’t mind being used as a jungle gym by a bat pony. Shooting Star was adorable enough to give him diabetes, and would just as easily climb on Magnus as on any member of Brilliant’s family. Funny enough, this actually made Magnus feel as if he didn’t stand out as much. If a five month old child could accept him that easily, then things were indeed looking up.

“Canterlot is great!” Power Chord suddenly said. He was as black as midnight with a long grey and white striped mane and tail, and with a burning electric guitar as his cutie mark. He seemed like a stereotypical metalhead. “There’s all the bars, the clubs, all the best places to play a gig, and the nightlife! Wow, Canterlot is pretty close to Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Phillydelphia if we’re gonna talk about partying.”

“I haven’t seen much of Equestrian nightlife yet, though, but I can imagine,” Magnus responded.

“No problem; we’ll show you around one day. Both of us live in Canterlot so we can give you a tour,” said All Star.

“I’d appreciate it,” Magnus replied earnestly.

Little Shooting Star finally made the difficult climb onto Magnus’ shoulder, and supported by Magnus’ hand, the colt sat on his shoulder, grabbed a hold of his ear with both forehooves and began gnawing on the tip of his ear.

“Ow, hey kid; easy there,” Magnus warned, booping the colt on his nose. It just didn’t work. Thankfully, the kid didn’t have a strong bite and his stubby fangs were too small to draw blood.

All the while, All Star and Power Chord laughed at the sight.

“So, what do you all do for a living?” Magnus asked, drawing the attention away from the nibbling colt.

“I’m a musician,” Power Chord said, tapping a wing to his flank. “I’m the lead guitarist in a band called Hot Trots.”

“That’s cool. What kind of music do you play?” Magnus inquired.

“It’s called rock music. Heard of it? Some ponies think it’s just a bunch of noise, but what do they know? We’re also working on our first record these days,” Power Chord replied confidently.

Magnus nodded and looked to All Star. “What about you? I’m guessing from your cutie mark that you’re an athlete.”

The aforementioned pony grinned. “Not really. I manage a sporting goods store in Canterlot. We sell and repair training equipment, training clothes, everything you need to stay in shape. This beauty appeared when I repaired some old training gear belonging to the old Night Guard station here in town. A few years later, one of the guards there said she had a sister in Canterlot who was looking for ponies to help her out in her store. I got the job and moved to Canterlot the next week.”

“It kinda came naturally to you, fixing stuff,” Power Chord laughed, turning to Magnus. “He always tried fixing stuff around town, even things that didn’t need fixing. Remember the water wheel at the smithy? That wheel never ran as fast as it did after you ‘fixed’ it. Then he began working on training equipment, and began training, just because of a certain filly in town.”

“Shaddap!” All Star shouted, slapping his brother lightly on his withers It didn’t take long before he also began laughing alongside Power Chord.

“And look! Here comes that filly now!” Power Chord grinned, nodding to the entrance door. Two bat pony mares, one of them carrying a small filly on her back walked in with a few other ponies, such as All Star and Power Chords father and mothers.

“Look, Blueberry; there’s daddy,” said the smiling mare with the filly on her back. The little filly promptly jumped off her mother’s back and began galloping towards her father. However, Blueberry made it no more than a few feet before she suddenly noticed Magnus and promptly ran back to her mother, hiding behind her legs.

“You’ll have to excuse Blueberry Twist, Magnus; she’s a bit shy,” the mare with dark amber mane said. Her name was Sugardrop, and she was a waitress in Canterlot and married to All Star. Blueberry Twist was her and All Star’s daughter and firstborn. The other mare was Moonrise Wonder, also a bat pony, and the second mare in All Star’s herd. Also, she was Shooting Star’s mother. Her coat was unusually light in colours, a very light grey, close to white, and her mane and tail was a combination of blues, greens, and a splash of red.

“Kids can be that way when it comes to strangers,” Magnus replied, feeling the colt on his shoulder shift. “Well, almost all,” he chuckled, steadying the diminutive human climber.

Shooting Star had seen his mother and wanted to go to her, fussing lightly as he tried to reach out for her. The colt began wiggling his rear end like a cat ready to pounce, and with a little flap, spread his wings, and prepared himself to jump. Magnus was about to stop him when Moonrise Wonder spoke up.

“Don’t worry, Magnus; bat pony children do this all the time. It’s how they first learn to fly: by gliding short distances. Blueberry Twist did it too,” she explained, smiling at her little wonderful kid. “Come on, Star, you can do it! Fly to mommy.”

With a short jump, Shooting Star was airborne and began a short glide of no more than three meters towards his mother, who easily caught him in her forelegs and began cradling him. However, it quickly became evident that Shooting Star was hungry. He wanted to go down to the floor, and the moment he was on solid ground he began seeking out the local cafeteria, wanting his meal au natural.

It was about this time that Magnus saw fit to leave. Although he wasn’t one of those who saw a woman breastfeeding in public as shameful or indecent, he himself wasn’t sure about the social norms applying to him in this case, and not wanting to make a blunder or faux pas in any way, shape or form, he excused himself, explaining he was going to the kitchen for something to drink.

He made it to the hallway when one of the older members of Brilliant’s family caught up to him, saying in a gruff voice. “I think I’ll join you; been talking so much, my throat’s drying out,” the older stallion said, slowing down to match Magnus’ pace.

Magnus had barely spoken to this stallion, but knew his name and a bit about him that he picked up over the day. Copper Nut was married to one of Mossflower’s daughters, and used to be a plumber in Hollow Shades, but now he was retired. Magnus estimated that Copper Nut had to be somewhere in his late sixties to early seventies, had a dark brown coat, blond hair that had begun fading, a moustache, and a metal pipe and some tools for a cutie mark.

“I wouldn’t mind the company,” Magnus replied. Now that he began to open up a bit more, he certainly didn’t mind conversation. “Nice to change the subject for a bit. That, and Shooting Star has some seriously sharp claws.”

Copper Nut guffawed. “I’d think so. Goodness, when my kids were growing up, I think I constantly had tiny red spots on my back. But that’s children; they always look for a way to get up high so that they can try to fly.”

Magnus smiled. “It gets that bad, huh?”

“It gets worse when you live up in a tree like most bat ponies do. If you ever walk into town, be sure to keep one eye on the sky. You never know what’ll drop on your head. And because you are so tall, foals might aim for you as a landing spot,” Copper Nut ended with a loud bout of laughter.

“I’ll keep an eye on the sky then.”

After coming to the kitchen and putting the water to boil, Magnus and Copper Nut sat down at the table while waiting for the water to be done.

“Harvest Day is in a few days,” Copper Nut mentioned, looking out through the window. “Has Mother asked you to come?”

“Harvest Day? No, she didn’t. What’s Harvest Day anyway? Some kind of festival?” Magnus inquired. He wasn’t even aware of any farms in town anyway, and as far as he knew, none of Brilliant’s family was involved in any agriculture either.

Copper Nut smiled thoughtfully. “Each fall, just like now, all of Hollow Shades’ people go into the forest to harvest wild berries, herbs, and mushrooms. At the end of the day, we make dinner of what we find, and the rest is preserved for winter. It’s a tradition that’s been going on in Hollow Shades for a long, long time.”

“That sounds nice,” murmured Magnus. His outdoors experience had taught him a few things over the years, and if he were home in Montana, surviving outdoors wouldn’t be a problem. Here though, he seriously doubted his chances of surviving a week in an Equestrian forest without any knowledge of what was safe to eat and what was dangerous to his health, not to mention what animals were out there. Besides, freshly picked berries stirred into vanilla ice cream was great, and mushroom was a fantastic addition to any soup or meat dinner. “I should ask Brilliant if I can join too.”

“You should; it’s a good way to get to know ponies. The entire town will show up,” Copper Nut encouraged him. “We’ll split into groups and spend the entire day together searching for anything edible. It’s a good way to get to know your neighbours. But I doubt Mother will come this year,” Copper Nut sighed. “She’s getting older, and walking through the forest is just getting harder for her. Last year we had to let her ride home in a cart.”

Magnus nodded. Time, even here, was an unforgivable bitch. In one way, he was glad that he hadn’t seen his usually active grandfather wither way. Joseph, once strong, would have hated to grow feeble and weak. Even his bad leg couldn’t slow him down. Forest or mountain, he’d conquer them all.

The kettle whistled and Magnus stood up to bring the hot water, tea, and two cups back to the table. After man and stallion had a cup each of warming liquid in front of them, they sat in silence for a while. Copper Nut still gazed out through the windows into the night.

“It was a shock for us.”

Magnus looked up, blowing on his tea. “What was?”

“You.” Copper Nut turned to Magnus. “We read about you in the papers. We all wondered who you could be, but none of us could have imagined you being related to my mother. Imagine our surprise when we saw you in the living room reading to Shooting Star.”

“I guess that looked a bit strange, yeah,” Magnus admitted. Having a stranger like him in the house, taller than ponies, sitting there with a few months old foal on his lap. He was surprised that Shooting Star’s mother hadn’t taken immediate action.

“And what we heard in town yesternight. Some ponies told us that you were in town with Mother, that she bought you cake, that you helped her with her groceries. If I’m to be honest, I had some doubts about you.” Copper Nut slowly sipped his tea, swirling the liquid around before looking up. “Then my mother vouches for you, and even the three princesses too. That’s good enough for me. Can't say the same for some of the others though.”

Magnus’ eyes shot up. “What do you mean?”

Copper Nut sighed. “Some members of the family are just a bit unsure about you. They… they can’t… how did they put it… figure you out. They can’t read you like we do other ponies. The way you talk, act, your face. You’re not a pony, they said, and that makes you difficult to predict.”

Magnus exhaled, resting his head in his hands. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. Even being what he was caused problems.

“Hey now, it’s not that bad.” Copper Nut leaned across the table, patting Magnus’ hand with a hoof. “Even I can’t figure you out the way Mother does, but I can tell you’re not a bad character. And so far, you’re doing good. The kids are warming up to you, Mother probably did days ago just by reading about you, and All Star, his wife and girlfriend, Power Chord, and some others are all interested in getting to know you. All it takes is a little time, so don’t hang your head like that. Things’ll turn around before you know it, all you have to do it be patient,” he finished his reassuring speech with a smile.

Magnus nodded, grateful for Copper Nut’s advice. Sure, time he had plenty of, and whatever activities the coming days held, he could probably work with what happened.

“Thanks, Copper Nut. Didn’t know my ugly mug could frighten ponies.”

“Heh, compared to some ponies I know, you are the image of Princess Luna.”

Magnus couldn’t help but laugh a little. At least Copper Nut knew his kind of humour.

“Yeah, I’m a pretty human princess with a tutu and—”

Magnus’ next word never came out as something briefly caught his eye. Copper Nut saw Magnus’ joking smile vanish in the blink of an eye.

“What’s wrong?”

Magnus stared at the window behind Copper Nut, not moving his eyes away from it. “I swear I just saw someone lurking outside the window behind you.”

Copper Nut spun around and stared at the window. “What did you see?”

“I’m pretty sure it was a pony, a bat pony, one with white hair, peeking through the window for a split second.”

“White hair…” Copper Nut turned back to Magnus, asking, “with a thin white moustache too?”

“He might have. In fact, I’m pretty sure I saw something white beneath that nose.”

Copper Nut sighed and jumped off his chair. “It’s him again. Princess Luna’s tail, why won’t he stop?” he stated, sounding both angry and exasperated.

“Him? Him who?” Magnus asked, following Copper Nut.

Copper Nut walked straight into the living room where Brilliant Star and some of her children and grandchildren sat engaged in lively conversation. Without a word said, the earth pony stallion walked up to his step-mother and whispered in her ear. Brilliant’s face fell for a just a moment but she quickly smiled again.

“Excuse me, there is something I need to do,” she said and got up.

Brilliant headed straight into the entry hall and stopped. “Where did you see him?” she asked, her voice serious while opening a small door, revealing a small broom closet. Magnus was a confused and silent bystander, wondering what was going on. Was it a burglar, a peeping tom, or the local nutcase?

“Outside the kitchen. Magnus saw him,” Copper Nut replied, his voice as serious as his mother.

“That old bark biter, now he’s gonna get a spanking.” Brilliant proceeded to levitate out several brooms which she placed on the ground in front of her. Then her horn began glowing crimson and the glow enveloped the brooms. One by one, the brooms stood up in a line. Brilliant then walked to the door, opened it and stepped aside.

“Sic ‘em.”

In a single swift motion, the brooms took to the air and flew out the door like witches brooms out of hell, vanishing in the darkness. Ten seconds later, what sounded like a yelp was heard outside.

Magnus was at the door in an instant alongside Copper Nut, and what Magnus saw outside made him speechless.

An older bat pony with white hair, white moustache, and bluish-grey coat was flying towards the gate as if his life depended on it. Or at least, his flanks. Just behind him, the brooms gradually caught up, spinning like crazy, giving the bat pony an epic spanking. Each rotation of a broom resulted in several small, but probably, stinging hits. It was like a flying fan with fly swatters instead of fan blades and computer guided accuracy.

Copper Nut and Magnus completely lost it, and they weren’t the only ones. Half of Brilliant’s family had seen what was happening and now stood behind them, looking at the spectacle unfolding.

But the bat pony finally managed to get away. He reached the wall, nearly colliding in the process and finally tumbled behind the wall and out of sight. As if on cue, the brooms flew back to Brilliant, their magic fading and they dropped lifeless to the ground.

The bat pony emerged outside the gates, snarling, grumbling, and waving a curled up hoof at them.

“This isn’t over, Brilliant! You hear me?! You’re up to something! Once a criminal, always a criminal!”

“This will be over if I catch you sneaking around my castle one more time, Nocturne! Next time I’ll raise a mast on my castle and tie you to it for two days! Now get outta here or I’ll tell Moon Kisser you’re seeing me in secret!” Brilliant shouted back angrily.

The bat pony gasped. “Y-You wouldn’t dare!”

“I wouldn’t?” Brilliant smirked, her eyes half-lidded. “Try me, you saggy old branch crasher!”

The bat pony stood his ground outside the gate for a few moments, staring daggers at Brilliant, then turned around and began walking. “You belong in prison!” he shouted back before he vanished from sight.

The laughter had long since died down just after the verbal barrage began between the two. With a huff, Brilliant picked up the brooms and floated them back to the closet, closing the door with a sigh.

“Sorry you had to see that, everypony. Why don’t we go back to what we were doing and try to pick up where we left, hmm?”

She shot Magnus a brief glance as she passed him, heading back into the living room with some of her family in tow. Magnus himself was more confused than anything and more than a bit curious. According to Copper Nut’s reaction, he was intimately aware of what was going on. That made him the pony to ask.

“Copper Nut, you got a minute,” Magnus asked the earth pony just as he was about leave.

The earth pony stopped and turned. “What’s on your mind?”

Magnus knelt and looked around; none of the others were near. “What the heck just happened? Who was that pony?”

“Mother’s nemesis,” Copper Nut replied with a heavy sigh and sat down in front of him. “Sometimes, Nocturne Watch tries to spy on mother because he thinks she is up to something involving crime. Mother usually manages to dissuade him with a variety of methods, such as the brooms you just saw or by threatening to tell Nocturne’s wife, Moon Kisser.”

“Why? Why does he accuse Brilliant of being a criminal?”

“Because she once was.”

Magnus had to make a double-take. “She was? When?” He had difficulty even imagining Brilliant as a criminal of any kind. The sweet little old mare as a mafia boss or a thief? It was unthinkable.

“Long ago. Mother’s been on the right side of the law ever since. We all know about it, but we never speak about it, for obvious reasons.”

Standing up, Magnus rested his hands on is hips. Brilliant Star, noble of Equestria and a former criminal. It was hard to imagine her as anything but a little old mare in a castle.

“Surprised?” Copper Nut asked, standing up. “I’d be too, if I didn’t know my mother,” he said, wandering off, but suddenly stopping. “By the way, we don’t talk about it. Ever.”

Magnus nodded. “Ever?”

Copper Nut smiled. “Ever.” And then he walked off.

Back at the entry hall, Magnus scratched his head at the night’s biggest revelation. A criminal? That was new. At least Brilliant’s name wasn’t removed from the tapestry.

Author's Notes:

Hey all, and a happy new year to all of you!

Finally a new chapter up and about. Not gonna lie, feels like things takes longer these days, but hopefully the quality remains the same. Next chapter is being finalized as I write this.

Magnus finally meets Brilliant's family, or rather as we would call it, her step-children and their kids. And it goes pretty well. I knew I had to make something of the foal at the end of the last chapter, and I think he turned out pretty adorable. Bat pony kids, now that is a source of ideas.

And Brilliant? A criminal? How? Why? When? Where? We'll find out in due time.

JBL is the editor, as usual, and how he does it I can't imagine.

As usual, thank you for reading, new readers and old, and thank you to new followers. May this new year bring happiness to you all

Chapter 54 - harvest day

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Over the next couple of days, Magnus had a lot on his mind; the ponies he’d gotten to know, but also the fact that Brilliant Star had once been a criminal. As Copper Nut told him, no one would speak of it, and Magnus wisely never asked anyone. Instead, he began to look for signs of what kind of criminal activity Brilliant had once been part of, something that could tell him if Brilliant had perhaps once been a con artist, a burglar, a bank robber—anything really. However, Magnus’ inexperience when it came to criminals was glaringly obvious; he had no idea what to look for. Brilliant was kind, caring, and held great empathy even for him, so what kind of criminal had she been? Selling illegal cookies? Cheating at Bingo? He seriously doubted she had been a hardened criminal in her youth. Celestia hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort to him either, and by now he trusted her enough to safely say that whatever Brilliant had done had to be in the past.

During these days, Magnus also tried to spend more time with Brilliant’s family and making an effort in getting to know them all. After what Copper Nut told him—that some of Brilliant’s family were uneasy and even tried to keep their distance from him because they had a very hard time figuring him out—Magnus began to be more observant. It didn’t take long before he noticed the signs and could single out those who were distrusting and even a bit afraid of him.

One pony would simply leave the room and go elsewhere whenever he came in, some would try to sit as far away from him as possible, or would not say a word unless they were spoken too, no matter how chatty Magnus knew them to be. In two days’ time, he could pinpoint how many of them were in the mistrusting camp, and was surprised to find out it was only six ponies. Thankfully, they were adults and not children. Adults he could deal with, but fearful children crying was another matter completely.

As for the other ponies, they were all pretty much nice, upstanding ponies; bat, earth, pegasus, and unicorn, and each day, Magnus would spend time getting to know them all. After just two days, he knew the names of them all.

Each day something different happened in Stargard Castle. Although Brilliant never planned for any activities, her family more than made up for it. Some of the younger ponies went exploring the castle, some went outside for walks and playing almost every night, and some found other means to entertain themselves and others with. Board games were played each day. A few of Brilliant’s grandchildren were fans of a board game, reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons, and a game that was eerily similar to Monopoly, only its name being Monopony. The children were constantly underfoot, playing games or being hyped up on sugar, thanks to Brilliant herself. One thing Magnus noticed was that bat ponies had an affinity for fruit in all its forms, mangoes especially. Either eaten straight as a fruit or as frosting on cakes or filling in cupcakes or muffins, the bat ponies devoured them like a school of piranhas going to town on a buffalo crossing a river. But that was just the kids. The older bat ponies were also fond of mango, some of them to the extreme.

At one point, Magnus even saw with his very own eyes one of Brilliant’s children, a mare, and a senior citizen at that, pounce on a mango in the kitchen and eat it greedily in a matter of seconds. Thing was, the mare thought she was alone, and when she had ferociously devoured the mango and turned around, Magnus backed away slowly into the hallway before releasing his laughter which he had held in for a while. This, he heard later, was actually a common thing for bat ponies to do, especially foals.

Thus, Magnus came to the decision that bat ponies were a bit silly.

***

It was the early evening of Harvest Day. Magnus had clothed himself for night, wearing his jacket and long pants. Brilliant’s family as well as Brilliant herself were also getting ready, clothing themselves for the night, carrying saddlebags with buckets instead of bags, and carrying berry rakes made out of wood. Brilliant had been asked if she wanted to stay at the castle, but the stubborn old mare was having none of that, and she loudly stated so.

“I’ve participated in Harvest Day for decades, and it’ll be at least a decade more before I decide to stay at home,” she had declared.

While the ponies were getting ready, Magnus waited patiently, playing with one of the foals to pass the time. He tugged on a string, the other end of the string tied to a mango, and pulling it around a corner slowly. As expected, a bat pony filly named Blue Wind followed it, sneaking like a cat around the corner, stalking the mango, her normally slit eyes widened like those of a cat tracking its prey. The poor mango stood no chance as Blue Wind wiggled her butt, pounced, and gulped down the mango, sans string. This was seen by quite a few of the family and was reason for a few laughs.

“Moar!” she exclaimed excitedly, waving her little forelegs at Magnus.

“I think you had enough now, Blue. I don’t think your mommy will let me feed you more mangoes, not when we’re going outside.” Magnus smiled as he stood up.

“Nuuh! Moar mango. Mango smol, Bloo tol!” Blue Wind complained, sitting on her hind legs while reaching up for Magnus.

Reaching down, he picked up little Blue Wind like a cat, cradling her in his arms. “It was a small mango, yes, but that means you have space for many more mangoes in your tummy later today, okay?”

“Many mango?” Blue gasped, her eyes and irises growing larger. “Bloo can wait for many mango!” she exclaimed happily. The concept of even more mangoes was enough to satisfy the filly, at least for the moment. Magnus wasn’t making idle promises either; he’d seen some of Brilliant’s grandchildren smuggle a box of the stuff into the castle last night.

“Atta girl! Now, where do you want to land?” Magnus walked over to the nearest pony, that being one of Brilliant’s children, and leaned down to him. “Wanna land on grand-uncle?”

“Nuuh! Wanna sit on da-da!” Blue complained as she tried to run away while being held under her armpits and hind legs.

“Or… maybe land on great-granny?” Magnus proceeded to hover Blue over Brilliant, who smiled up at her great-granddaughter.

“Nuuuuuu! Da-da!” Blue giggled.

Magnus then went from pony to pony, asking Blue if she wanted to land on them, and Blue protested more and more, giggling up a storm as she went from pony to pony, wiggling to get free. Finally, Magnus placed her on her father’s back, and the filly proceeded to nuzzle into his mane, almost trying to hide in it while still giggling.

“Alright then, everypony, we all ready?” Brilliant asked, adjusting her saddlebuckets with her magic. Nods and yes went all around, and they walked outside into the brisk evening air. Wagons were ready outside, and some ponies hitched themselves onto them, letting the foals ride on them. Brilliant also had a spot in a wagon, one she didn’t decline. Despite loudly saying she was going as well, her children insisted she could ride in the wagon because of her unsteady legs. That argument was not up for debate.

As a group, they all left the castle grounds and headed south, straight into the forest. Some ponies carried lanterns to light up the way for the non-bat ponies. While walking, Magnus paid attention to the forest around him. Although dark, he felt as if this forest was very peaceful and not dangerous in any way. No sounds were heard, except for those of nightly creatures, such as the chattering of bats in the sky.

Magnus noticed recently that the usually warm days had begun to grow colder, and now that they trekked through the forest, he saw leaves falling from the trees in yellow and red colours. Fall had arrived.

“The forest’s nice during fall,” a voice spoke up beside him. A mare, one of Brilliant’s grandchildren, walked beside him with a smile. Her name was Dawn Dew. A bat pony of small size, black coat, golden eyes and reddish-purple mane, she was surprisingly small for an adult.

“It is,” Magnus said wistfully, his mind on the forests and mountains back home. “Almost reminds me a bit about Montana. Although, this forest feels strange, like, it’s welcoming in a weird way.”

Dawn Dew laughed, saying, “Maybe it’s because we bat ponies have lived here for so long. This forest belongs to the bat ponies of Hollow Shades, and we take good care of it. It’s our home; we take good care of our homes.”

“That explains it. No one likes a mess in their own house.”

Magnus let his eyes wander for a while. From the light of the lanterns they carried, he noticed the berries growing wild and dense among the heather underhoof. However, the lanterns were not so close that he could see their colour or what type they were.

“Dawn, what kind of berries are these? One of the types we’re looking for?”

The bat pony glanced down for a brief second. “Blueberries. This could be a nice patch to forage in. But we’re going further into the forest; they grow larger the further in we go.”

Magnus hummed and continued walking. “Seems like you know your stuff. You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

Dawn fell in line next to him, saying, “I know because I have a berry farm in this forest; many ponies around these parts do. As a matter of fact, Hollow Shades sells berries to many cities around Equestria.”

Magnus glanced down to Dawn’s hips. Sure enough, her cutie mark was a cluster of blueberries. “I didn’t know that. Is berry farming profitable?”

“We make do. I mostly harvest and sell lingonberries and bog bilberries. Some ponies don’t like them as they are, but add a little sugar and make jam out of them and I guarantee they’ll sell,” Dawn explained happily while cantering along.

Magnus didn’t doubt Dawn at all. He knew well how delicious fresh picked berries could be. He’d visited Glacier National Park several times and there were several good places to find wild raspberries, blackberries, and even strawberries, enough for a grown man to eat his fill and then some.

“Sounds like a man, or a pony, wouldn’t starve in this forest at all. What other types of edibles can I find in this forest?” he asked, looking around.

“Oh, a whole bunch. There are mushrooms, roots, some herbs to spice up your food, maybe the occasional fruit tree, but they are very rare since we’re so far north of the main fruit tree growing lands.” Dawn stopped and pulled at Magnus’ leg with her forehoof, stopping him. “But don’t pick any mushrooms in this forest. There are some that are very dangerous; some can make you very sick while others are likely to kill you. You have to know which ones are edible and which ones are not,” she warned him sternly.

“Thanks, Dawn, think I’ll let the experts deal with any mushrooms we find tonight.”

The group continued their trek through the forest, and it soon became evident they were not alone. Magnus spotted several lights moving far away in the forest, other ponies of Hollow Shades searching for anything to put on their tables. With the amount of berries he’d seen so far, and even some ponies in his group making brief stops to pick mushrooms, he had no doubt that the forest was a veritable breadbasket, or in this case, fruit and vegetable basket.

Eventually, they reached deeper into the forest. A large clearing marked their place to begin. As they all gathered around, Brilliant stepped up onto a large stump and cleared her throat.

“Everypony, it’s another fine fall evening and another good Harvest Day. I’m happy to see so many beloved faces, new and old,” she began, her voice loud and clear. Magnus saw her eyes briefly glance at him. “Hollow Shades’ Harvest Day has been celebrated each year for over a thousand years in Hollow Shades, even since the bat ponies first came to Equestria, and their first year here, a year that almost ended in disaster, due to a food shortage. But the forest saved them the first year, and by the second year, they had plenty of crops to harvest. Still, that didn’t stop them from gathering food in the forest.”

Magnus looked around; all the ponies smiled, but the bat ponies wore wider smiles, obviously proud of the fact that they started it all.

“And ever since that day, we ponies of Hollow Shades follow the traditions that began as a necessity, but have since become tradition. The forest will provide for us as it always has. Now then, let’s sort out the groups.”

Brilliant then began to divide them all up into groups, ranging from four to five ponies, all of them equipped for gathering whatever edibles they could find. Magnus was assigned a group and given a lantern, bucket and berry rake, and together with four ponies, he set out into the forest, with the others going in different directions.

Magnus’ group consisted of Power Chord, two teenage ponies, a mare and stallion, cousins to each other, named Daisy Dumpling, a unicorn, and Sweet Corn, an earth pony. Sweet Corn was a botany student, thus he became the pony in charge of the mushrooms. The others simply had to point out any mushrooms they found and Sweet Corn would check them over to see if they were edible.

The last one, an adult pegasus mare, stood out, at least when it came to Magnus’ view of ponies. For instance, she wore clothes. Always. Second, he didn’t even know if the concept of subcultures was a thing here, but Inky Rose could easily fit into the Goth category. Her all black outfit with spider web decor as well as her subdued mane and coat made her all but invisible if she walked out of the reach of the lantern light. Furthermore, Magnus was well aware that she was one of the ponies who just wanted to leave when he was nearby. It was a wonder she didn’t protest back at the clearing. All she had to do was say no, and she’d be swapped for someone else, but she never said a word.

After a short walk away from the clearing, they found a nice patch of relatively open ground where the blueberries flourished like stars in the sky amongst the heather.

“This looks good,” Daisy Dumpling said, levitating her saddlebuckets off and depositing them on the ground. “You all okay with this place or should we check somewhere else?”

“This looks great!” The group turned toward the owner of the voice, that being Power Chord; he was already seated on the ground, scooping up berries and chewing loudly. “I say we empty this place, right into here.” He patted his belly.

“I like this place,” said Inky, the first words she spoke that evening, at least so Magnus could hear. “It’s dark, a bit dreary, and that dead tree over there gives this place character.”

Magnus stared at Inky. ‘Thank you for your input, Wednesday Addams,’ he thought. Inky sounded very dark compared to other ponies, but the rest of the group didn’t say a word or stare at her like he did, so that meant they had to be used to Inky’s unique personality.

“That settles it; we start here,” Sweet Corn announced, already walking around with his lantern, looking for mushrooms.

And so they began foraging. Magnus began eagerly, kneeling and raking his berry picker across the heather and moss, but soon remembered how monotonous work picking berries was. Just rake, rake, rake, deposit berries into the bucket, and start all over again. Still, the effort would be worth it. He’d heard some of the ponies talking about what Brilliant had in store for tonight. Not only that, but some of her immediate family were apparently excellent cooks too. One of her granddaughters, Silver Casserole, was a chef in Manehattan, employed at some high-end restaurant catering to the 1%. With a resume like that, she’d have to have a black belt in cooking.

But monotonous the work was, no matter what.

Magnus looked around; everypony was hard at work, picking berries, chatting to each other, while Sweet Corn went from tree to tree, inspecting mushrooms and picking a few.

The closest pony to him was in fact Inky Rose. She was nose-deep in heather, her berry rake strapped to her foreleg, raking and looking completely disinterested in her work. Interesting enough, she wasn’t paying attention to Magnus, and a plan formed in his mind.

While Inky was focused on the task at hand, Magnus began working his way towards her back, raking up berries as he went and making a trail towards her. When he was just a few short steps from her, he knelt in the moss and continued working as if nothing had happened, but now he was close enough.

“Why are you afraid of me, Inky Rose?”

The pegasus mare gasped and spun around, knocking over the bucket with berries, spilling them on the ground. For a few seconds, Inky stared wide-eyed at Magnus, then at the bucket of spilled berries, and then back again. Although she didn’t exactly look terrified, she certainly seemed unsure about the whole thing.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you like that.” Magnus began scooping up the spilled berries into Inky’s bucket. “Still, I’m curious as to why. Makes me feel awful being scary to you when I can’t help it.”

Inky did not respond for a few seconds, but finally she sighed. “It’s a… nothing you did. I’ve… I’ve a bad experience with tall bipeds.”

“Wanna elaborate?” Magnus asked, glancing at Inky. “Bad boyfriend?”

Inky’s normal coat color blushed red on her cheeks, and when she spoke she lacked her normal almost indifferent voice. “No-no! I don’t have a coltfriend anyway! It’s…” She sighed and sat down on the mossy ground. “It’s silly, but I can’t help it. I’m afraid of tall bipeds, it’s a phobia.”

“You’re afraid of tall two-legged creatures?” Magnus crooked a brow, wondering just how that could’ve happened.

Inky nodded. “Yes. I’ve been afraid of bipeds for years. I always feel nervous around them. Minotaurs, diamond dogs, even some tall ponies. I always feel as if they are about to fall if I’m close to them, and I’m afraid I’ll be squashed under them.”

Magnus had to agree—it was a silly phobia, one he hadn’t heard of before, but apparently real enough to make Inky Rose feel uncomfortable around him.

“How did you get afraid of tall bipeds?”

“I’m a seamstress, I’ve been making dresses since I was a teenager,” explained Inky. “I began working as an apprentice tailor in a store in Phillydelphia. One day, when I was about fourteen, we had a new customer, a minotaur, visit the store I worked at. He wanted a full suit, jacket, vest, and shirt, tailor made for him, and the store owner asked me to deal with the customer.”

“That minotaur was my first non-pony customer and I was happy to make something new and interesting,” Inky explained with a smile, which quickly vanished. “But during the fitting, I accidentally pricked him with a needle in a sensitive spot. He jumped, lost balance, and he fell from the fitting platform he stood on. He fell on me.”

Magnus cringed; he had first-hand experience with minotaurs and knew a bit about how much a grown bull could weigh. But a grown bull falling on a pony?

Inky shook her head. “He was heavy, so much heavier than I could ever expect. I broke both of my wings that day; two bones in my right wing, three in the other. Do you know how sensitive wings are? How many nerves are in them?”

Magnus shook his head. He had absolutely no idea, but considering how vital a part of a pegasus the wings were, he could easily conclude that breaking a wing could easily rank pretty high on the pain scale.

“I was in the hospital for weeks. I even had to learn how to fly again. I was grounded for over a year afterwards,” Inky continued with a sad voice. “Ponies do not lose balance so easily. Four legs, you know? But bipeds? I couldn’t even go close to bipeds after that. I still can’t.”

When it became clear she had said all she had to say, he spoke. “I’m sorry it happened to you, Inky. I really am.”

“It’s nothing you did, Magnus,” Inky replied and looked up, the beginning of a small smile on her face. “You can’t help it. I’m the one with a problem. I’ve spoken to psychologists about my problem, but it doesn’t help at all. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression these last few days. I think you’re an okay human, but it’s the, you know, height.”

“It’s okay, Inky, I understand.” Magnus smiled. “I thought you were afraid of me because I’m human. Some ponies actually are.” He wasn’t about to tell Inky that it was because he mentioned eating cows. Things were somewhat balanced right now, and he didn’t want to tip the scales any more.

“So, are we okay?” Inky carefully inquired, to which Magnus nodded.

“We’re okay. From now on, I’ll try to keep myself in your line of sight and make sure you see me whenever I enter a room you’re in. I’ll also keep a bit of distance between us if it makes you feel better.”

“Thank you,” Inky murmured, looking visibly relaxed to the point that Magnus saw her muscles loosening, easing away the tension she held on to.

As they got back to work, chatting and raking berries, the general atmosphere between him and Inky felt better, more relaxed and casual. Not only that, he wondered if perhaps Princess Luna could help Inky Rose with her phobia. It couldn’t hurt to ask.

***

As the night progressed, Magnus and his group slowly began filling their buckets to the point that they had to return to the meeting spot in the forest to leave the full buckets with the wagons and get empty ones. They were not the only ones; when they reached the clearing, they found a few full buckets and some ponies leaving with empty ones. Clearly, the rest of Brilliant’s family had had as much luck as they did.

With empty buckets, they chose a different direction to look for more edibles. However, as the night went on, it became clear that the entire forest was full of ponies. Many lights were visible among the trees, and chance meetings frequently began to happen between Magnus’ group and ponies from the village. Word of Magnus being in Hollow Shades had spread far and wide and there was absolutely no lack of inquisitive ponies who wanted to say hello to the human. Most were simply curious about him while others asked the rest of the group why he was with them.

It was at this point that Magnus became aware of something Brilliant had told her family, and that was that they could now tell ponies that he was part of their family. Still, Star Swirl’s name was never mentioned. When told that Magnus was part of the Galaxy family, as Power Chord happily informed the ponies they met, ponies at first became surprised and then happy on behalf of Brilliant. The townsponies had known for a long time that she was the last of her long family line, and now that there was another ‘Galaxy in the castle’ as some ponies mentioned, it was certainly a time to be pleased on behalf of Brilliant Star. This Magnus saw as yet another sign of pony families being so closely knit.

As was usual with all the attention, Magnus took it all in stride and patience, but after several interruptions over the course of two hours, even he felt the need to go into the depths of the forest, an excuse to look for an edible leaf or something. Nevertheless, he endured as far as he could. After all, it was for the sake of integration.

Truth be told, he was actually happy to be seen joining in pony activities and traditions; the more normal things he did, the more normal he’d be in pony eyes and society at large.

***

Many hours later, the moon had begun its slow descent. The number of lights in the forest had waned as ponies began to return home with their bounties.

For Brilliant and her family, it was a successful haul. In all, they had gathered enough so that everypony, even ponies from out of town, could bring back home and eat throughout winter. And according to Brilliant, this year had been the best in two decades.

Magnus’ group had been especially lucky stumbling over several large bushes of raspberries deep in the forest. Lucky in that Magnus was very fond of raspberries. A good couple of hours had been spent filling up several buckets, and now trudging through the forest, Magnus, Power Chord, Inky, and Daisy Dumpling carried their precious cargo with them while Sweet Corn had found plenty of edible mushrooms.

The walk back to the castle was filled with talking, laughter, and snoring coming from the carts they brought with them, filled with sleeping fillies and colts, their tiny bellies bulging with all the berries they ate. As children went, they had spent the time outside playing with each other and running around the forest and sometimes snatching delicious berries from the buckets the adults had filled up whenever they got hungry. Now, they were all tuckered out and sleeping soundly.

Upon arrival, the adults carried everything inside, storing the food in the cold basement for tomorrow since it was too late to start sorting everything and make dinner out of it this close to morning. Then everyone would help sort the berries, mushrooms, and herbs, and prepare everything for preserving. The berries would be jam, the mushrooms pickled, and the herbs dried.

As for Magnus, he had been quite happy traipsing around the forest for an entire night. The air was fresh and crisp, the sounds of the night had reminded him of nights in the forest in the past, back in the forests of Montana. His company had been pleasant and fun, as everyone had something to tell, either stories or silly little jokes.

But something special happened to Magnus this night, something that never crossed his mind at all. For the first time since coming to Equestria, he hadn’t felt homesick.

***

The next evening everybody was busy. In the kitchen, Brilliant held court in the kitchen with an iron-shod hoof, directing one of her children and several grandchildren on how to prepare food for winter. Berries boiled merrily in pots and cauldrons, becoming jam and jelly, mushrooms were sliced and submerged in brine and vinegar alongside onions, pepper, and fresh herbs, while in a pot on low heat, herbs were carefully and slowly dried out to last over winter.

All this Magnus witnessed for himself as he carried small buckets of cleaned and sorted berries into the kitchen. Brilliant was a hard ruler of the Land of Kitchen, but her reign was effective. Under her leadership, the precise amount of sugar was added and the contents of the pots bubbled at the correct heat, and the stirring done by two of her grandchildren was done with adequate speed and force.

Magnus didn’t even know there was a wrong way to stir hot jam until it was sufficiently cooled enough.

“More lingonberries, Brilliant,” Magnus said as he entered the matriarch’s domain and dumped it into a large pot soon ready for the stove. Their total haul was more than enough for everybody.

Brilliant walked over to the pot, peering into it with a trained eye, perhaps looking for any invisible impurities. She hummed to herself, “Good, good, the next batch will be ready soon. The raspberries?” she inquired, looking up at Magnus.

“We’re working on them; should be ready soon.”

Brilliant gave a satisfactory nod. “Good. Now raspberries are tricky; they need the perfect temperature, or else the taste will evaporate too. It’s all in the juices.”

Magnus didn’t doubt her. Just the sheer scent in the kitchen convinced him that Brilliant knew her stuff.

Although Brilliant’s entire family could fit in the living room, it would have taken too much space, not leaving enough for the edibles and buckets, so they ended up using the living room and the gallery. Magnus’ place was in the living room along with several of Brilliant’s grandchildren around Magnus age, and alongside ponies around his own age conversation went from topic to topic that they had some common interest in.

Magnus sat down and began sorting and rinsing berries in cold water before throwing them into an empty bucket, all while talking about random topics.

“Magnus, you been into town yet?” one bat pony stallion named Silver Nugget asked, deftly manipulating his wing claws to pick up individual berries and washing them.

“Yeah, just helped Brilliant with her groceries. Didn’t have time to look around much,” he replied, focused on his work.

“Well, not really much to see in town, to be perfectly honest. No wonder some ponies tend to move to other cities. Manehattan is as much alive at night as Hollow Shades is,” a bat pony mare called Smoky Frost said. “I like living there, so much more to do there than here.”

“The reason I asked,” Silver Nugget continued. “We’re planning to head into town tomorrow morning. Hayburgers first and then go to Cold Brew’s bar. Heard that some local ponies are playing. Wanna come?”

“Don’t have to ask me twice. I could go for a cold beer... or ten,” Magnus replied, feeling eager to taste what bat ponies could brew, considering their love for fruit. Probably a lot of colourful drinks.

“They also have a jukebox. Know what it is? Like a record player, but it can play records one after another,” said Power Chord.

“I’ve heard of something similar.” Magnus cracked a smile, thinking of his phone resting in his pocket.

“Well then, we’re all in then?” Silver Nugget looked around at his assembled kin. No one shook their head. “Alright, tomorrow we’ll drain Cold Brew’s inventory dry!”

***

Night began to turn to morning by the time all the berries had been rinsed, cleaned, and cooked, and the entire house smelled of sweet cooked berries of different varieties. Now it all rested in glass jars, five for each pony and man, one jar of pickled mushrooms, and also small vials filled with dried herbs to season whatever warm foods were made during winter.

With the provisions for winter ready, Brilliant and some of her cooking-minded children and grandchildren got to work making dinner.

By the time dinner was done, the scent of berries had been replaced with the smell of a three-course dinner. A creamy soup made of mushrooms and seasoned with fresh herbs. Vegetables on skewers and spicy seasoning grilled in the oven and with a sweet and sour sauce drizzled over it. And the dessert? Warm raspberry and lemon pie with ice cream.

With such a dinner and the recent Harvest Day over with, the atmosphere in the castle was positively throbbing.

“Now children, settle down.” Brilliant knocked on her glass with a teaspoon, getting her family’s attention and stood up, all conversation ceasing in an instant. “I’m not one for speeches, so I will keep this short. We have worked hard these last two days, all of us, bringing in the forests bounty. Now we can have a taste of warmer days when the snow comes, something to remember another year passing.

“Seeing you all here fills my heart with joy. The familiar faces…” Brilliant looked to her step-children, or herd-foals as Magnus had heard the term used a few times.

“The young ones….” Brilliant then turned to her grandchildren, numerous in number as they were, as well as their spouses.

“And finally, the very youngest,” Brilliant smiled at the great-grandchildren, especially the foals, babbling to each other in their high chairs, their faces covered with tiny bits of food. But the old mare’s eyes also rested on Magnus for the briefest of moments, smiling warmly, and this Magnus noticed. Did she mean to imply that she saw Magnus as part of the family already, as the youngest member? Sure, the youngest foal was five months old, and Magnus was twenty seven, but he had been in Equestria for just a couple of months. Still, if that was the case, then pony family bonds were stronger than he thought.

“All working together to make this meal before us, and to help each other with food over winter. So,” Brilliant levitated her glass into the air, “I wish to propose a toast to all of us. To us, and to this fine dinner before us. Well done everypony.”

As one, the many ponies and one human raised their glasses into the air and toasted each other and dinner. And without further ado, it was time to dig in.

***

It was late in the morning when the Harvest Day celebration dinner began to wind down. Everyone had had their fill and then some. Even then, after dinner, when the children were put to bed, the adults moved to the gallery where they enjoyed a few glasses of wine and something stronger from Brilliant’s wine cellar.

‘Laid down by my grandfather. Should be good by now,’ she had said and opened a bottle of wine older than her.

While Magnus wasn’t a fan of wine, he did like the contents of the dusty old bottles brought from the cellar. A rich taste of grapes, yet highly intricate in its many flavours, so many in fact that he tasted some he didn’t know existed.

But if the wine was good, Magnus loved the fruit brandy. A favourite of Brilliant’s late husband, the brown liquid had a strong initial taste, but mellowed quickly, like silk on the tongue, tasting of pears and grapes. Oh yes, it instantly became his favourite.

But after such a rich meal, good drink, and hours spent in good company, the party began to wind down and it was near noon when everyone returned to their assigned rooms for a good night's sleep.

Shuffling into his room, Magnus closed the curtains and began to undress. Tonight had been a good night. While the work was monotonous, the end product was definitely worth it. And the company wasn’t bad either.

Now that Brilliant’s family had begun to warm up to him, he wasn’t plagued by endless inquiries as he had so many other times. No, he wasn’t treated as something special, not like a dignitary or someone of high social value. He was simply treated as… a guest, or perhaps even something other than a guest.

He had seen it during the night, how the ponies conversed with each other, acted towards each other, and even joked around when a bit of wine and brandy had been consumed. There had been laughs all around and the atmosphere had felt warm and pleasant.

Even better, he didn’t feel separated by it and them because of his race. He felt included, welcome even, by Brilliant’s family. He wasn’t Magnus the human there, he was simply Magnus. They had paid no attention to the horn or the hooves, never mind the bipedalism, just friendly talk and laughter, as well as some funny stories from past gatherings of the family.

Magnus had to admit when he finally laid his head on the pillow and pulled the duvet up to his chin and closed his eyes: things went very well.

***

“Magnus, wake up!”

The human was rustled from his sleep, barely able to form a coherent thought, but managed to open his eyes. Blinking a couple of times, he saw a pony standing over him, on the bed.

“Power Chord?” Magnus muttered, blinking wearily.

The bat pony didn’t look as sleepy as Magnus felt. On the contrary, Power Chord was wide awake and looking shocked.

“Power Chord, what—why—” Magnus turned to the nightstand and the watch there. “I’ve only been asleep for two hours!”

“I know, I know,” Power Chord excused himself and jumped down. “But we have a problem.”

“A problem, yeah, a man can’t get a good night's sleep around here because ponies are waking him up!” Magnus grumbled and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“No, we’ve a bigger problem.”

Rubbing his face, Magnus huffed. “I can’t see what can be a bigger problem right now,” he complained, looking back at the warm bed.

“Come over here and see for yourself,” Power Chord replied and walked over to the window. “And uh, since you like keeping yourself covered, might wanna put on some pants first.”

Throwing his hands in the air, Magnus put his pants on and walked over to the window.

“Before you look outside,” the bat pony said, “I have no idea who said anything.”

Sighing, Magnus pulled the curtains aside and immediately wished he didn’t.

“There he is! Starswirl’s descendant!” several voices cried out at once.

Ponies. There were ponies. Everywhere. A huge crowd. Hundreds of them. On the ground. In the air. Even inside the walls.

And then the flashes began, flashes from cameras on the ground, from pegasi in the air, and from cameras levitating right outside his window.

And the last thing Magnus saw before he closed the curtains was a hat on a pony’s head, a hat that had a small card in the brim that said one word.

Press.

Castle Stargard was under siege.

Author's Notes:

Hey everybody! Long time no see, huh?

So, the obvious first. 4 months since the last chapter. You might wanna ask me, "what's wrong with you?" Well, nothing really. I've been writing a bit every single day, but I'm a slow writer at times, and I also have a life and job outside of fimfiction. Sometimes I come home from work, make and eat dinner, relax for an hour or two and then open up docs to continue writing... only to end up staring at the screen for a while and then go on youtube to watch some bs.

But on other days I do the same, but when I open up docs I can write a few pages in a single evening. Inspiration strikes me strangely at times. Gotta confess, I often think about writing when I'm at work, sometimes even writing pages in my head. Then I come home and everything is gone. Maybe I forgot, maybe I'm too tired, or I'm simply having difficulties translating my thinking into words. I dunno, but I'm not quitting anytime soon.

As usual, a big thank you to JBL for his excellent editing work.

And lastly, thank you to my readers, my followers, and everyone that find my story worthy of a thumbs up

Chapter 55 - Under Siege

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In the forest of Hollow Shades, a short walk from the town bearing the same name, something unprecedented was happening, something that had not happened since the old days. Stargard Castle was under siege.

The last time was by a griffin army numbering around eight hundred soldiers almost 1100 years ago, but it lasted for only a week or two before the Equestrian army had driven them off.

Now, however, it was not some foreign army laying siege to Stargard, but an army of journalists and photographers from just about every newspaper in Equestria. They were massed outside the crumbling and ivy-covered walls, and some had already ignored the walls and gate and walked straight into the overgrown courtyard, and the airspace above the castle was filled with pegasi. Accompanying the media ponies was the constant flashes of cameras and the sound of cameras being wound up as spent rolls of photo film were being replaced for new ones.

As if that wasn’t enough, now there were ponies at the door, knocking loud enough to wake up everyone, shouting, asking to see Magnus and Brilliant Star. However, everyone was already awake as news had travelled fast in the castle. Brilliant and her family were already wide awake, gathered on the second floor sitting room, its windows facing the courtyard.

Copper Nut pulled aside the curtains and was immediately blinded by the flash from a camera belonging to a nosy photographer right outside.

“It’s no use; they’re everywhere,” Copper Nut lamented, rubbing his eyes. “They’re all over the courtyard.”

“And behind the house,” Winter Wind added, entering the room. “I tried the back door at the old vegetable garden, but they’re there too. They all said the same thing; they wanted to interview Magnus, and you too, Granny.”

Brilliant looked at her grandson, sighed, and pulled away the curtains ever so slightly, just enough so she could see the crowd outside, but not so they could see her. She estimated them to be in the hundreds, and from down the road she spotted even more of them coming: journalists, photographers, and even a few ponies with those new-fangled cameras that could record on film.

“What about the air?” she asked.

Free Flight shook her head. As a flying instructor and the fastest flying pony in the family, she knew all the tricks. But all the tricks she knew didn’t account for this.

“Covered,” Free replied, sweat shining on her body. “I tried to get to the guard station, but those pegasi have the entire airspace above the castle and surrounding area filled. They even wanted to interview me! We can’t get out, not while it’s light outside. If it was night, then it’d be different.”

“So we are surrounded.” Brilliant let the curtain drop into place and turned around. Her entire family stood there, all of them looking concerned at the current situation. Even the children huddled close to their parents, their faces mirroring that of their parents. She had never expected this to happen.

Foggy Night, one of Brilliant’s step-children, short and with a few greying hairs, stepped up to her mother-in-law and placed a leathery wing on the aging mare’s back, patting her gently. “What can we do, Brilliant?”

Brilliant managed a small smile at her step-daughter. “I guess we can’t do anything but wait until nightfall. Then, one of you must sneak away from here, get to the guard station on the other side of town and get them here to disperse the crowd. If we try to walk outside now, they’ll be like a pack of wolves that smells blood. They won't give up so easily.”

“So all we can do is hide? Pull the curtains closed and wait?” one of her grandchildren asked, receiving accompanying nods from the others.

Brilliant nodded. “It would seem so. Best we can do for now is stick together and—”

Something was amiss. Her family was here, all of them, all ponies. But the one that stood out the most was not.

“Magnus?” she called out, but there was no answer. Her family also noticed the man was gone. “Where is that colt?”

Sugardrop raised her hoof. “I saw him a while ago at the staircase, just after you told us to gather here. He was right behind me, but then I saw him run downstairs. I thought he wanted to use the bathroom.”

“Then I think we should go downstairs too,” Brilliant interjected, still mulling over what to do in the meantime. “Let’s go to the gallery; the windows there face the back and the curtains are thicker there. Besides, all the board games are there—we can play some games to pass the time,” she added, hoping to take the children's minds off of the crowd outside. It hurt her heart to see the little ones looking so frightened.

As a single group, like the great herds of old, Brilliant Star, the elder, lead the way down to the first floor, passing by numerous windows in the hallway, pulling the curtains with her magic, blocking anypony from seeing inside. Still, the clamour of the ponies outside still came through. Her patience was wearing thin.

When they finally reached the gallery, Brilliant pushed the doors open and they all entered. It was here they found Magnus.

He paced back and forth, mumbling to himself in his strange language and with a look on his face that was almost impossible to pin down due to how quickly it changed. One moment he appeared desperate and fearful, but then it morphed to anger before going back again.

It took just a moment for Brilliant to connect the dots. Magnus felt as if he was cornered. There was no way out for him, nowhere to go. It was like looking at a caged animal, one that wanted to be free, that paced its cage impatiently, looking for any and all means of escaping.

“Magnus? Sweetie?” Brilliant asked softly as she walked over to him, her family moving to sit down, all aware of the human in their midst. Luckily, the children were too young to understand. Magnus’ muttering ceased and his frantic eyes locked onto her. “It’s going to be okay. Nopony can hurt us. We’ll be safe here.”

At hearing Brilliant’s soothing words, Magnus fell onto the couch. “They… They won’t leave me alone…” he nearly whispered, shaking his head while staring straight ahead, his eyes empty and glazed over. “They never will. Can’t do anything, can’t go anywhere.”

The human seemed to physically deflate as he uttered those final words.

Brilliant closed the final distance, patting his knee in an attempt to comfort him. Then, more members of her family approached the distraught human, offering words of comfort, telling him it would be okay, somehow. Even the children picked up on Magnus’ mood and tried to help, but it wasn’t much they could do, other than touching him with a tiny hoof.

“What I can’t understand is how they found out,” Power Chord stated. He moved the curtains ever so slightly to the side, getting a peek at what was happening outside. The backyard garden was crawling with journalists, taking photos of everything, even the weeds, while a few pegasi hovered outside the second storey windows.

The statement turned a few heads. “That is a good question,” Silverlink asked. “We all agreed to keep silent about Magnus’ relation to Starswirl.”

“Yeah. And judging by all those reporters out there, someone talked,” Winterwind added.

The ponies fell silent and began looking around at each other. Magnus did too. Someone had blabbed; someone blew his chances of being left alone, and now there was a horde of muckrakers preying on him.

Not a single pony spoke up and confessed to their indiscretion. Guilt, though, was easy to spot.

Camellia, one of Brilliant’s granddaughters, hadn’t even entered the room. She stood in the doorway, an apologetic expression plastered all over her face, for all the world seeming like she wanted to run away and hide. Gradually, more and more eyes fell on her until everyone stared at her.

“Honey? Are you okay, sweetie?” a concerned Hammerstrike, her father, asked.

But Camellia shook her head, eyes clenched shut.

“Camellia?” Brilliant questioned, taking a step forward.

“It was an accident,” Camellia sniffled. “It just came out.”

“What came out?” Brilliant questioned.

At this moment, Camellia’s parent herd approached their obviously guilty daughter and began comforting her, but it did little to take away their daughter’s burdened conscience.

“In the forest during the Harvest Festival,” Camellia began, crying silently. “I met a few of my friends. We talked for a bit, and they wanted to know about Magnus, what he was like and stuff. I accidentally let it slip that Star Swirl was Magnus’ forefather.”

Magnus shot up from the couch. “How the hell is that an accident?! Do you realize what you’ve done?!”

Magnus’ sudden shout caused some of the children to cry and fuss, but Magnus was far too irate to even notice. The foals’ parents, however, did, and they shot angry glares at him.

“You keep your voice down!” Brilliant snapped back, her voice equal to Magnus’ own in volume, taking him by surprise. “You’re scaring the children. Do you think this could have been kept secret for all your days? Sooner or later, the manticore would have escaped the cage, somehow. It always does. Now you sit down, be quiet, and let Camellia continue.”

“No no no, this is far from over,” Magnus objected vehemently, shaking his head. “I—”

“Be quiet! We’ll talk about that later,” Brilliant cut him off. “Right now, Camellia has something to tell us. We will settle this later.”

Stewing in his anger, Magnus inhaled deeply. “Fine. But you can bet we will talk.”

With Magnus now under control, Brilliant once again turned her attention to the weeping Camellia. “Go on, dear.”

Camellia sniffled and hiccuped. “I told them I shouldn’t have said it, that it was a secret, and I asked them to not say anything to anypony, but they must have told someone.”

“I see,” Brilliant nodded, smiling. “It was just an accident. It can happen to anypony. But who was it you told it to?”

“Heather Flower and Grapevine.”

Brilliant just smiled, but now she understood everything perfectly, how all those newsponies found out. Terrible news. Nevertheless, she kept her cool.

“Thank you, Camellia, that explains everything.”

The teenage mare wiped a tear away and hiccuped. “I’m sorry, Magnus. It was an accident, I swear on Princess Luna’s crown.”

Magnus was in no mood for reconciliation. “And how could two ponies alert the entirety of Equestria’s media, huh? Explain that!”

“Because,” Copper Nut huffed, tiring of Magnus’ foul mood, “Grapevine is notorious for being unable to keep a secret. Add to that, Grapevine’s mother is Rumor Mill, who is even worse, and she runs the town’s local newspaper. It’s also a well-known fact around here that she has pen pals all over Equestria who she writes to every few days. Wouldn’t surprise me if she knows some journalists too. And if she found out about you and Star Swirl, then I bet she couldn’t keep her mouth shut for even a second.”

“In conclusion: you made Equestria’s headlines, again,” All Star finished.

Magnus fell onto the couch and almost deflated as he realized the scope of the situation. Well, he wanted an explanation and he had it. By tomorrow, he’d be on the front page once again, and for all the reasons he wanted kept secret. Star Swirl had made his life a living hell all over again, this time by a series of proxies.

“God dammit,” Magnus sighed. “So what now? Arm ourselves and fight them off?” he suggested, looking around. They certainly had enough weapons for that. Personally, he’d been eyeing a sweet-looking battleaxe before Brilliant and her family came in. His suggestion, although not meant to be serious, caused a few ponies to give him weird looks.

“We will,” Brilliant stated firmly, her voice growing firm and hard as she looked around at her family. “But we will do it my way. I may be old, but I am still Countess Brilliant Star, Mistress of Stargard Castle, and I am far from powerless.”

Spreading her forelegs a bit apart, Brilliant closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Her horn began to glow as she called on her magic, growing brighter and brighter until a wave of magic was released from her horn, spreading outwards like a rapidly growing sphere in all directions, passing through ponies and furniture and the walls. Instinctively, Magnus held up his hands to shield himself from whatever the spell was, but it passed cleanly through him, and all he felt was a slight warmth as it passed. After the wave was gone, there was silence as the ponies and Magnus looked around and waited for whatever spell she cast to take effect.

“Attention!” Brilliant suddenly shouted, louder than Magnus expected an old lady to summon. “Stargard Castle is under siege. One and all, come to the gallery for weapons, but today no blood shall be spilled nor shall anypony come to harm. Defend the castle and drive out the intruders!”

And then there was silence but not for long. From somewhere outside the room came a terrible rattling sound of metal, as if someone tossed metal buckets around in a steel barrel. Even stranger, it sounded as if it wasn’t just one barrel, but multiple. The sounds came closer just until they were right outside in the hallway.

“What is that sound?” Magnus asked, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Just wait, you’ll like this,” a grinning All Star replied. “I saw grandmother do this once before. Back then she did it just to entertain us kids; now she’s doing it to protect us.”

Magnus looked to All Star, then to the ponies around him. Most of them were grinning, all except the children, who huddled closer to their parents. All of them knew what was going on, but he, like the kids, was clueless.

Just as Magnus turned back, several suits of armour appeared in the doorway, the same ones decorating the hallways, all of them encased in a red field of magic, Brilliant’s magic. Then they walked straight into the gallery and lined up in front of Brilliant, like soldiers awaiting orders, unmoving and silent, twelve in all.

The adults grinned and the children hid behind their parents’ legs, a bit wary and some of them scared of the noisy and imposing armours.

“It’s okay,” Brilliant soothed the children, speaking warmly to the little ones. “They aren’t dangerous. You can touch them if you like.”

Assured by their grandmother’s words, a few of the braver little fillies and colts dared to go up to the armours and touch a hoof to them. The suits didn’t move, nor did they acknowledge the children. They stood silent and unmoving like statues.

Brilliant unlocked the glass door to one of the weapon racks and began levitating spears to each of the armoured ponies, who grabbed them without question or comment easily even with armoured forelegs. Curiosity overtaking him, Magnus walked over to one of the suits and lifted the visor on the helmet, wondering who was in them.

“This… There’s no one in this suit,” he stated, turning to Brilliant. “How?”

“The same spell I used to make my cart move; a Come-To-Life spell. That spell works on many things, even old armour,” she answered, a sly smile on her lips.

“Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee,” Magnus whispered, in awe of the old mare’s brilliant scheme. “And the spears?”

“The spearheads are of wood and painted to look like metal. They look nice on display. But the ponies outside don't know that.”

Magnus understood perfectly; scare tactics. And now he had a good inkling at what Brilliant was planning. She was a clever old fox full of surprises.

After the enchanted suits of armour were given a fake spear each, they were ready to be deployed.

“I think we’ll stay behind with the children,” said Silverlink. “Children don’t need to see what you plan to do.” Some of the other mothers and some fathers nodded in agreement.

Winter Wind’s head snapped to his wife, then to his second wife, Free Flight, staring at them, pleading with his eyes. “But, but… armour!” he pleaded.

Free Flight and Silverlink looked at each other, sighed, yet still smiled at their stallion. “Go on then, have fun,” Free Flight said, waving a hoof at him.

“YES!” Winter Wind was off the couch and following the rest in an instant, smiling gleefully along with a few other mares and stallions who wanted to see.

Brilliant then led the suits into the hallway, some of her family coming along to watch the spectacle unfold. Magnus was among them. This he just had to see. He hadn’t seen anything similar since he saw Bedknobs and Broomsticks when he was a kid.

Arriving in the entry hall, Brilliant gave commands to the suits; four onto the keep’s roof to keep any pegasi away, as there was an old door there that led to the castle interior, two to guard the gatehouse and keep ponies from passing through, only to let ponies out, and the rest to chase away the ponies and later patrol the castle grounds for any intruders. And under no circumstances should the enchanted armours attempt to seriously harm ponies or draw blood. However, they were free to deal out a harsh smack to the flanks of any stragglers. The last order she laughed while giving.

“They’re ready now,” Brilliant turned around with an impish smile on her lips. “Now all we have to do is open the door and they’ll handle the rest.”

“I know this spell takes a bit out of you, mother. Are you okay?” one of Brilliant’s stepchildren asked, a grey-haired bat pony mare called Midnight Gust.

“I haven’t tried this spell in a while with so many things at once, but I can manage for a good while longer,” she answered.

Magnus had to take a look at Brilliant while she held the spell; she did look to be under some kind of strain, not physical but mental of some sort, the way her eyelids kept twitching and slight shake in her voice.

“I’m sorry you have to do this, Brilliant. It would have been better if I hadn’t come here in the first place,” Magnus apologized. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a senior struggle so hard for his sake.

“Don’t you apologize to me, colt,” Brilliant immediately replied, touching a hoof to his leg, looking up at him. “You haven’t done anything wrong, and don’t you apologize for visiting me either. The only ones who should apologize are those tabloid smear diggers out there, disturbing us in the middle of the day. Now open the door and we can get those nosy ponies out of here.”

Magnus went over to the door, looked back at Brilliant and the rest; the old mare grinned and nodded. Taking a deep breath, Magnus threw the door wide open, only to have something fall on onto him and hit his forehead hard enough to make him see stars and fall on his ass, with the something falling onto him. Holding a hand to his throbbing forehead and hissing through clenched teeth, he looked up at what hit him and found a grinning pegasus lying on top of him, with a huge camera held in his forelegs, and behind him again several other ponies, their cameras flashing like disco lights.

“The human! Goodness, just the one I was looking for!” the pegasus exclaimed and snapped a photo of Magnus while sitting on his belly. “Is it true that you are a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded?” he inquired, completely oblivious to the fact that he had knocked the subject of his interest on the head with his camera.

“Mister Powell, a comment for the Manehattan Post? How do you feel about your relationship to Star Swirl the Bearded?” another pony behind the pegasus shouted.

“Mister Powell, Mister Powell, what is the nature of your visit to Hollow Shades? Is it an attempt to reconnect with your remaining family?”

“Mister Powell, Quick Quill of the Las Pegasus Gazette! Are you a charlatan attempting to gain favour with an old forgetful mare, perhaps in order to curry favour with Equestria’s nobility?”

And they just kept asking! Journalists, photographers, all of them shouting over each other, yelling until Magnus felt he was being interrogated by bad cops and badder cops. Some questions came close to being downright derogatory and insulting. Their voices blended together into a cacophony of inaudible buzzing.

And still Magnus was on the floor, surrounded by ponies. Behind him, those who had taken him in without question as if he was another pony, and in front of him those who tormented him. He was torn between fear and anger at this moment, not knowing what to do. Moving his hand away from his hurting forehead, he looked at his hand and found his fingertips red. Moving his other hand to his head, he touched where he was hit and felt something warm running down his forehead. He was bleeding.

At that moment something snapped within Magnus’ brain. He wanted to be left alone, but these ponies didn’t want him to. And now they had assaulted him! This was it; he had reached his limit! No more nice guy, no more being pushed around! If they wouldn’t leave him alone, then he would make them leave him alone, by force.

Magnus pushed the pegasus away and rose to his full height, a vein on his head throbbing, teeth gritting, and fists clenching until they let out an audible cracking sound. Without a word, he grabbed the pegasus’ camera with one hand and smashed it as hard as he could against the stone wall next to the door, sending pieces of it flying.

“My camera! I just bought it! You’ll have to pay for th— AAAH!”

The pegasus got no further, as Magnus picked him up with both hands, lifted him over his head, and with a grunt threw the squirming pony right at the ponies blocking the doorway. He hit his targets, sending a few ponies falling over, a mishmash of legs and wings sprawled over the steps.

Turning around, he walked a few steps and glanced at Brilliant and her family. They looked equal parts shocked and angry, probably not expecting to see this side of him.

“Send them,” Magnus sneered, pointing at the enchanted suits of armour.

Without another word, Magnus spun around and ran as fast as he could towards the doorway, his upper body lowered, shoulder first and bracing for impact, like a rugby player going for the tackle of the season, aiming for most bones broken in a single hit. The downed ponies at the doorway weren’t his targets, but the ones who stood behind them were. The moment they saw Magnus coming at them, they began to scatter, but a few were hit directly as Magnus came barging through like a freight train with no brakes.

Having crossed the first blockade of journalists and photographers, Magnus showed no sign of slowing down, quite the opposite in fact. Still sprinting, he ran straight towards the closest group of ponies to him, and as earlier, the ponies tried to get away. Pegasi took to the skies, and earth ponies and unicorns began to flee. In mere moments, half the courtyard was in a panic.

Bowling over a group of earth ponies, Magnus snatched cameras held by hoof or around necks and threw them on the ground, where they were either crushed underhoof or fell apart upon impact with the stone path.

Another opportunity showed itself by means of a fleeing pegasus. With a jump and careful timing, Magnus caught a hold of the pony’s hind leg, pulled him down, and tossed him head first into an overgrown shrub. Next came a group of unicorns; a few vanished in a flash of light and the rest began to flee, shouting something about a crazed human, music to Magnus’ ears.

In the corner of his eye, he spotted the enchanted suits of armour at work. They ran around, herding the journalists up, fake spears pointed at their targets. It was enough to make even the most newshungry pony turn tail and run for the gate.

In just a few hectic moments, the newsponies were all on the run, almost stampeding to get out of the courtyard. Most of the pegasi had already flown over the wall or hovered above to see the spectacle going on while unicorns and earth ponies ran for the gate or climbed over the shoddy wall to their escape. Immediately, two of the enchanted suits of armour took up positions at the gate, standing guard, only moving to let escaping ponies through.

Magnus was still running on full steam. He aimed for groups of ponies and ran full speed into them, but the ponies had begun to scatter so his list of primary targets had begun to run low, so he switched to secondary targets: the stubborn ones. With so many ponies, there had to be a few that tried to hide or sneak away to get a few shots of the chaos happening, and it was those that became his next targets.

Slowing down, Magnus scanned the courtyard for ponies with more brawn than brains, and he found such a pony. A unicorn mare was hiding over by an overgrown bush, a camera hovering in her magic, and the flash going off at regular intervals. She was completely oblivious to Magnus sneaking up on her.

The moment her camera was snatched out of her magic, the mare spun around, only to find herself face to face with a furious man, one who was nearly frothing at the mouth. She visibly shrank back as Magnus came closer, and at the last moment finally regained her wits and ran screaming for the gate, completely forgetting the tool of her trade. It didn’t last long anyway, as it met its demise at the hands of Magnus.

The efficiency of the armour was better than Magnus expected. With most of the ponies chased away, the suits began hunting down those in hiding, driving them out from behind trees and bushes and elsewhere.

Slowing down, Magnus took stock of the current situation, panting, scanning for any remaining newsponies, but the ones that were left were either fleeing from the armoured suits or flying above, taking photos of him. Snarling at the fliers, he picked up a handful of small rocks and began throwing them. Anger wasn’t a good motivation for hitting a flying, moving target and no stone connected with their intended recipient.

“Get the fuck out of here, you fucking flying rats!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Do you think my life is front page material? What am I to you, your next big paycheck? FUCK OFF!”

Turning around, he began marching back to the house, kicking and destroying cameras left behind by the fleeing ponies. Brilliant and her family stood at the door, still wearing expressions of shock and disbelief at what had just happened. Brilliant herself was positively fuming.

As Magnus stepped inside, Brilliant stepped down and passed Magnus without saying a word, marching straight towards the gates. The human was met by a towel handed to him by a younger pegasus mare, Silky Touch, a herd member of one of Brilliant’s grandchildren.

“You’re bleeding. Come inside and let’s take a look at you.”

Thanking the mare for the towel, Magnus pressed it against his forehead, wiping away some blood. “How does it look?”

“I think you might need stitches. I can do that for you; I just need to get to the hospital for some supplies. If Brilliant can get rid of these ponies, I’ll be back in a hurry,” she replied.

“That’s a big if,” Magnus muttered and turned around. Brilliant had reached the gate. Now to see what the Lady of the Castle had planned.

***

Pressing the towel against his forehead, Magnus had begun to feel the pain. His adrenaline had worn off and the cut on his forehead stung pretty bad.

“That’s it, just hold it in place and keep up the pressure,” Silky Touch advised him. She’d found some basic first aid supplies in the house and used a swab of cotton, tweezers, and disinfectant to clean the wound on his head.

“Has it stopped bleeding yet?” Magnus asked, sitting on the floor in the living room. Most of the family, the kids included, were still in the gallery. They didn’t need to see what was going on; blood might make them afraid, Magnus concluded.

“Not yet,” said Copper Nut, handing Magnus a clean towel.

“But that was pretty awesome,” All Star suddenly said, grinning. “The way you picked up that pony, I haven’t seen anything similar since I watched The Mystery Mare defeat Masked Marauder in that wrestling match two years ago.”

“If a trainer from the EWF was here, they might have gotten you a job,” Silverlink joked. “What would your wrestler name be? The Tall Titan?”

Magnus chuckled through the pain and changed the bloodied towel for the new one. Yes, he might have lost control out there a while back, but he didn’t regret it one bit. He was attacked and he defended himself. It was self-defense. Never mind if they broke bones or wings. They had pushed too much and he had pushed back. Not exactly Falling Down, but close enough. To hell with the consequences.

“Remove the towel please.”

Sadly, disinfectant on this world stung worse than the ones back home on Earth.

While Magnus was administered aid, Brilliant Star entered the living room. The furious look on her face had dissipated and she looked calm and complete, yet did not smile.

“I couldn’t get the film and footage from them,” Brilliant stated before turning around, looking at the small crowd before her. “And they have more film ready to be used, and I can’t force them to leave. They are just outside the walls and some of them have even brought tents.”

Magnus closed his eyes and cursed silently. “So we’re still trapped.”

Brilliant shook her head. “I am Baroness Star, and as a noble, I have some authority over Hollow Shades. Once night falls, I can write a letter and someone can fly over to the guardstation and deliver it to Captain Moonrise. As the pony of highest noble rank in Hollow Shades, I can ask him to assemble the town guard and have them clear the surrounding area for disturbing the peace and intruding on private property.”

“And leave Hollow Shades?” Magnus inquired.

Brilliant shook her head. “My authority does not go that far. They haven’t done anything wrong in town, only intruding on the castle grounds. But my magic cannot keep the armour animated for days. In a few hours, the magic will fizzle out and then the suits will become nothing but ornaments again.”

“I still think that axe I saw earlier in the gallery looks nice…” Magnus commented offhandedly.

Brilliant walked over to Magnus and looked at the wound on his head. It still bled, but less now than earlier. “A scar at the most. You will heal.”

“He’ll still need stitches, and you don’t have much in the way of medical supplies, Brilliant,” Silky mentioned. “When it becomes dark, I’ll fly to the hospital and bring a proper first aid kit back.”

Magnus didn’t give a crap about whether or not the wound on his head would leave a scar. What he cared about was getting the media as far away from him as possible. Although he himself was the target of their interest, he didn’t like that Brilliant Star, old and frail as she was, was also bothered by them. And the castle also had children in it, children who by now should be asleep and be able to go outside to play at night, but couldn’t because there was a plague just outside the castle walls.

Sighing dejectedly, he pondered a solution to their problems, but quickly realized that Brilliant’s plan was the sound one; wait for night and get the guards from town.

If only someone knew what was going on and was on their way to help.

***

In the small field, on the other side of the road going outside Stargard Castle’s walls, the journalists from just about every single newspaper in Equestria had gathered to pitch their tents. The reason for this was because the small hotel in town was already filled to capacity. While a small tent village was in the process of being erected, most of the photographers hovered about the walls, taking photographs of the old stone structure, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive human wandering its halls through the windows. Some had even climbed trees in order to get a good view.

And the journalists themselves were busying themselves with writing fanciful stories, writing and editing interview questions for when the time finally came that the inhabitants, especially the human and Baroness Star emerged. After all, they couldn’t stay inside forever. Sooner or later, they had to come out.

However, no one dared to climb the walls or go too close to the gate. The enchanted suits of armour kept a stern watch. Two suits stood motionless at the gate, and if anyone came close, the helmets would turn and follow whoever walked by. Inside the walls patrolled even more suits. Earlier, one unicorn thought he was being smart when he teleported onto the other side of the wall, only to teleport back moments later with red marks all over his flanks.

But one pony in the crowd was familiar with magic and knew what was going on, and he said that the suits had a spell cast on them and that the magic binding them would run out soon. Whether the magic was supplied by the human or by the baroness didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it made the story all the more juicier, and the journalists hungrier. They were assured that their patience would finally pay off.

“WHAT GOES ON HERE?!” a voice suddenly boomed from the heavens, louder than anything the ponies camped outside the castle had ever heard before. As one, they looked up to locate the source and saw none other than Princess Celestia herself hovering high above, accompanied by a group of pegasi as well as the local bat pony guards.

The mighty alicorn landed in the middle of the tent village and her guards quickly landed around her, forming a protective barrier. The alicorns stern gaze settled on the now bowing ponies, and those who looked up to meet her eyes knew then and there that they had made a mistake and wisely looked away.

“Did we not make it clear to you that Magnus was not to be bothered?” Celestia asked, holding back from going full RCV. “Yet here you all are, surrounding Baroness Star’s family home, like timberwolves stalking their prey! Laying siege to her castle! And for what?”

Even among the media ponies, some found the courage to speak up.

“But Princess,” one mare managed. “The human is a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded.”

Celestia’s stern eyes snapped to the mare.

“And that we have known for a long time. We asked for you all to leave him alone so that he can find the time to settle in, and now that the time was right, give Magnus a chance to meet his kin. But you all found out somehow.”

Wandering forth, Celestia passed by ponies prostrating themselves before her, her guards keeping a vigil eye. Her gaze landed on ponies here and there, staring at them for just a moment.

“Weeks ago, We the Crowns asked that Magnus be left alone. He was taken from his world, taken from his friends, taken from everything he held dear. Perhaps his remaining kin could offer some solace in his time of grief. Yet here you all are, hounding him! Shall he never know peace again, just because of who his ancestor was? Shall he be robbed of a chance to live a peaceful life, simply because you wish for all the world to know everything there is to know about him?” she nearly yelled before her eyes suddenly narrowed, and when next she spoke her voice was cold.

“Or is it greed that guides your actions?”

The field became dead silent. You could hear a fly buzzing around, but somehow, even the insects and the birds in nearby trees didn’t so much as produce a sound. And least of all, the ponies.

Celestia strode forth, passing bowing ponies and tents until she reached the road in front of the castle walls. Here, the alicorn turned around and looked at her subjects, who had disappointed her so.

After taking a few moments to let her words sink in, Celestia spoke again, and this time the volume of her voice was back to normal but still stern, like a mother who had just scolded her child.

“Perhaps you will see the error of your ways now and return to your homes, or perhaps you will try again, at some later point in time, to approach Magnus and bother him once more. Therefore, to ensure Magnus Powell, Baroness Brilliant Star, and her family peace of mind and body, I shall issue a Royal Proclamation: No journalist or photographer is ever again to approach the human, Magnus Powell, Baroness Brilliant Star, as well as her family with intent to interview them or procure photographs of them. If they wish to be interviewed or photographed in the future, they will seek you out and not before. I have spoken.”

The field grew silent once more as Princess Celestia finished her speech. Her statement was absolute; no one would willingly break a royal proclamation. And that was her plan all along. Now, no one would break their privacy anymore, and no newspaper could even print an interview or photo of them without breaking the proclamation.

And the journalists knew it too. First one, then two, then even more, they stood up, bowed, and began packing their belongings with crestfallen faces, knowing that they had no more business in Hollow Shades.

As Princess Celestia watched, she knew that this was for the best. Magnus deserved his privacy and the peace he wanted, and the same went for Brilliant and her family.

Celestia was about to enter the castle grounds when she was suddenly approached by a group of ponies.

“Excuse us your highness, but may we speak with you?” one of them carefully asked.

***

“Well, I wished for someone to get rid of the journalists, and who do we get? Princess Celestia herself!” Copper Nut exclaimed while peering out the windows on the second floor, grinning from ear to ear.

The entire family, sans children and some of their parents, had gathered up on the second floor, having been alerted to Celestia’s presence by her voice alone, and witnessed Princess Celestia scold her subjects. Even Magnus, still pressing a towel to his head, had come up to watch.

“I was hoping for the town guard, but I guess a goddess or demi-goddess also works,” he said with a grin. “Look at them! A stern sermon and they pack up their shit and leave.”

Brilliant stood next to one of the other windows, nodding sagely. “Celestia has a special way with words. She can talk down a dragon if she wants to.”

“I’ve a feeling she’s done just that,” Magnus commented, to which Brilliant flashed a knowing smile.

Silky Touch opened one of the windows and jumped up on the windowsill. “Now that these journalists are leaving, I can fly over to the hospital and get a proper first aid kit. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she said before pumping her wings and flying towards town.

“And now that we finally have some peace and quiet, we can put the children back to bed,” All Star added, and he and his wives left with him, each with a sleeping foal on their backs.

Brilliant was still peering outside, and saw Celestia move to the gate. Her enchanted suits of armour still blocked the way, and the princess did not make a move to force her way through, even though she was perfectly capable of doing so. Instead, the alicorn looked up at the castle and stared directly at Brilliant.

“It looks like Celestia wants to pay us a visit. Why don’t we go downstairs and meet her?” she said as she turned around and walked out of the room.

Magnus went over to the window and looked down. The suits were all returning to the house, and Celestia herself strode through the small courtyard with her entourage of guards close behind. But behind the guards was also a small group of journalists too.

Magnus’ blood began to boil again. Hadn’t he been clear enough earlier? Did he have to write “Fuck off” on a baseball bat and clobber them over their heads with it until the words took effect? And why did they follow Celestia? There was only one way to find out and that was going downstairs to speak with her.

By the time he reached the staircase to the ground floor, Brilliant and her family were already there. Brilliant’s family bowed but Brilliant herself did not. Celestia’s guards were not there and, thankfully, neither were the journalists.

“Heyo princess,” Magnus greeted Celestia with a casual wave as he walked down the stairs. Much to his surprise, the alicorn didn’t look amused at his manner of greeting her.

“Magnus,” she said, acknowledging him with a curt nod. “It would seem as if your secret is no longer a secret.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Magnus stated dryly, still holding the towel to his head while nodding. “The journalists found out, but I’m guessing all of Equestria knows by now. How bad is it?”

A flash of golden magic appeared briefly, leaving several newspapers levitating before the alicorn. “See for yourself.”

Grabbing a few newspapers, Magnus checked out the front pages and found the following:

The Human: Descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded?! And varieties thereof, all in big bold letters.

“God dammit,” he sighed, handing the papers back to Celestia.

“I became aware of them this morning,” said Celestia, making the papers vanish. “I know you wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible. I do not know how it became public.”

“My great-granddaughter, Camellia,” Brilliant interjected. “She accidentally told some friends, and they told another, who knows many ponies around Equestria and probably sent them letters about it.”

Celestia nodded, satisfied with the explanation. “I see. Perhaps it was for the best that your secret came out now. It would have been next to impossible to keep it a secret for years, hardly even decades.”

Magnus simply grunted in reply. “But that out there, that was exactly why I wanted to keep it a secret. If it wasn’t for you laying down the law, I’d never have a moment’s peace ever again. That proclamation was pretty good work, by the way. Thank you for that.”

Celestia smiled. “It was my pleasure.” She then looked to Brilliant. “And Brilliant, I see you still hold great control over your magic. Using old armour to defend your home? Inventive. If only Magnus would have kept his anger in check, we would not have to go through this.” She looked sternly at Magnus.

Magnus gave Celestia a confused look. “What’d I do? And why did those journalists follow you here?”

“I was told by some of the ponies outside that you assaulted them. According to one pony, you destroyed his camera, picked him up and threw him at others. One said that as he attempted to fly away, you grabbed his leg, forcing him to land, at which point you threw him into a bush. Then, as many told me, you went on a rampage! Is there any truth to this?” Celestia demanded to know, her voice strict.

Magnus nodded. “Yes. I defended myself.” He then stepped forward, stopping only inches away from Celestia’s muzzle and spoke, his tone equally serious and eyes not blinking. “I destroyed that pony’s camera for two reasons: One, he knocked me on the head with it. Two, after I was knocked down, he took a picture of me. He never even apologized or asked if I was okay!”

If Celestia was taken aback by Magnus’ harsh tone of voice, she never showed any signs of it. “Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?”

Magnus tore away the towel, put a finger on his wound and shouted, “DOES THIS LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT?”

An open wound in the shape of a small crescent right under his horn, perhaps from the metal protective ring around the lens. It was deep and bled, but not much. It would require stitches in order to heal properly.

“This… They failed to tell me of,” said Celestia, staring at the open wound, the fire in her voice had died away. “All they said is that you assaulted them.”

“I was attacked and I protected myself from further attacks! Isn’t that allowed?” Magnus exclaimed. But right after saying so, he sat down on the staircase, his shoulders slumping. For a few moments he didn’t say a word, merely breathing deeply while blood trickled down his forehead, onto his face.

“And I lost my temper,” he said, sounding defeated, looking up at Celestia. “And I am so goddamn tired of being the fuckin’ centre of attention all the goddamn time. Being surrounded by ponies screaming at me, I feel as if I’m in a cage, being interrogated. I just want them to leave me alone. Why is this concept so difficult to understand?”

The halls of the castle echoed with the finality of Magnus’ speech. The defeat in his voice, the tiredness, as if all his progress so far on Equus had all been for nothing. All because Star Swirl’s legacy haunted him.

Brilliant and her family had no time to form words of comfort for him. The only one in the room who knew a bit about how he felt approached him and sat down in front of him.

“Magnus, look at me.”

And Magnus looked up with weary eyes.

Celestia began carefully wiping away the blood on his face with the towel, being very careful as not to disturb the wound and cause him further pain.

“For a thousand years, I felt I was the only one in the world too. Although surrounded by ponies, I was the only alicorn. Immortality may seem a precious gift to many, but too often, I have felt that it makes me lonely,” Celestia said softly, hoping that Magnus would understand the consequences of living for millennia. “And I, like you, have also been the centre of attention for a very long time. I understand better than most that it can be so very tiring. My crown, the throne, the castle—they all feel like a great gilded cage sometimes. The face I wear so much is the one I show the world and my ponies, but immortal as I am, even I prefer solitude and space from the world from time to time. Yes, even I need to vent now and then, but I choose other ways. Violence, as you chose, is not a constructive way.”

One of Brilliant’s family brought a washing bowl with lukewarm water and placed it on the floor next to Celestia. The alicorn rinsed some of the blood off and wrung it before continuing cleaning away blood.

“Perhaps it was an accident and perhaps not. The fact remains, he harmed you and you harmed him in return. I shall find out the details in the meantime. But you still attacked several ponies, and I cannot overlook that. They did not harm you in any way, but I will agree in that they intruded on private property and disturbed the peace. That, however, does not excuse your actions. Do you understand?”

Magnus merely nodded.

Celestia cleaned away, wiping away blood drops from under Magnus’ eyes. She sighed. “And because you attacked ponies who were innocent—although they greatly annoyed you—I have no choice but to sentence you according to the law.”

A gasp went through the small crowd of ponies surrounding them. The only one who seemed to take it in stride was Magnus, oddly enough, as he was the accused one.

“Celestia!” Brilliant exclaimed, taking a step forward, only to be met by a huge white wing held up.

“I am sorry, but that is how it must be.”

The white alicorn exhaled deeply, staring at Magnus with apologetic eyes.

“For assault upon several ponies, I sentence you to six days in prison. If the pony who allegedly attacked you is found to be innocent, you will receive one more day. If we find him to have attacked you on purpose, I will remove one day. For destruction of private property required for the victims’ livelihoods, I sentence you to two weeks of labour to pay for the items destroyed.”

The only reaction that came from Magnus was a slightly raised eyebrow.

“However, there is a precedent,” Celestia continued. “Although you assaulted ponies, their injuries are less than one would get at a rough game of sports. If you are willing to apologize to the ponies you assaulted, I can and will remove the one week of imprisonment.”

Heads turned from Celestia to Magnus, awaiting the human’s reply. Magnus sat in silence, head resting in his hands for a few moments. Finally, he looked up at Celestia.

“So if I apologize, I will only have to work unpaid for two weeks?” he asked.

Celestia nodded. “Although we ponies are peaceful, assaults have happened in the past. We try our best to be forgiving and move on. Ponies can surprise you if you give them the chance.”

“Hmm, I see,” Magnus nodded and stood up slowly, taking the towel from Celestia and pressing it against his forehead. Leaning forward, he smiled at the alicorn.

“I’d rather strip naked, butter myself up good, roll around in barbecue sauce, crawl across red hot coals straight into a cage filled with starved wolves rather than apologize to these parasites that tried to turn my life into a living hell.”

A moment of silence followed as Celestia gave Magnus a baffled stare. He still smiled, but the princess did not. A short snort came from one of the ponies next to them, ignored by both human and alicorn.

“I understand,” Celestia replied after a short moment of silence. She stood up and turned. “Your sentence is to be served in the dungeons of Canterlot, starting today. I will be waiting outside; go fetch your belongings.”

Magnus still smiled as he turned around and was about to walk upstairs to his room when he heard a firm voice, “Magnus will go nowhere!”

So loud was the voice that it actually took him by surprise, and when he turned around again, he found Brilliant standing before Celestia. While Celestia appeared a bit puzzled, Brilliant was absolutely pissed.

“Brilliant?” Celestia calmly asked.

Brilliant took a step forward. “I said, Magnus will go nowhere. He will stay exactly where he is.”

Despite the fire and steel in Brilliant’s voice, Celestia did not appear threatened at all, merely confused.

“He must. He chose prison, and prison it will be.”

“And I fully support his decision,” Brilliant snapped back. “But the law states otherwise.”

“I know the law!” Celestia answered, now sounding annoyed. “I have been a defender of Equestrian law for eighteen hundred years.”

“Oh yes, the law of Equestria. One law, three tribes!” Brilliant argued back, staring daggers at Celestia. “But you forget that you stand in the one place where you have less say than you think you do.”

Celestia was a bit puzzled. How could her word not have as much weight in Hollow Shades as elsewhere? Then it dawned on her and she gasped.

“You cannot possibly mean—”

“Four tribes, two laws! I invoke the Law of Night.” Brilliant smirked, the fire in her eyes a glimpse of the headstrong mare she must have been in her younger years. “Perhaps our friendship has made you forget the titles I hold, so I will help you remember them: Baroness of Hollow Shades, Head of House Galaxy, Mistress of Stargarde Castle, and last but not least, Keeper of The Two Laws.”

The old mare and the alicorn stared each other down, and on the side lines stood Brilliant’s family and Magnus. While the family seemed to know what was going on, Magnus was completely clueless so he waved a hand in front of their faces.

“Yeah, sorry to disturb you, but what the hell are you two talking about?”

“An old law from the old homelands of the bat ponies. It exists alongside our own Equestrian law,” Celestia replied, her eyes still on Brilliant. “In Hollow Shades, and Hollow Shades only, the Law of Night and the Law of Equestria exists simultaneously.”

“Confusing. And how does that work?”

For the first time since they began arguing, Brilliant turned away from Celestia, and instead of daggers, her eyes radiated friendly warmth.

“If a crime is committed in Hollow Shades, only one of the two laws may apply. Over many centuries, the Law of Night has become very similar to the Law of Equestria, but the Law of Night still maintains several differences. In this case, as the highest ranking noble of Hollow Shades, I can also be a judge and pass verdict without need of an official judge and jury, and….” Brilliant turned her eyes to Celestia and smirked, “without need of a princess. After all, I was a witness, and I was here first. If we want to nitpick—and I DO want to nitpick—I will judge you myself.”

Magnus began to see the picture, and what a beautiful masterpiece it was. Celestia herself was being outmaneuvered by an old sly mare. He couldn’t help but grin.

But Brilliant wasn’t done yet. Oh no, the old mare had one final argument. Slowly walking around Celestia, Brilliant spoke confidently.

“Unless Princess Celestia wishes to use her authority to override the Law of Night. She is perfectly capable of doing so, although she once swore to never interfere with the Law of Night, unless the circumstances were dire. However, if she feels that today’s need is indeed dire, she must speak with the High Judge of The Law of Night, the one who fought for the bat ponies to keep their law alongside ours. And seeing that our beloved Princess here is quite literally the opposite of the High Judge, who is strongly in favour of the bat ponies keeping their law, I doubt that she will want to argue for the law to change more than it already has, and instead let the local noble deal with the so-called criminal.”

Magnus slowly opened his mouth and turned to Celestia. “Oh damn, Luna is the High Judge?” he exclaimed.

Sighing, Celestia turned to Magnus and nodded. “She is, and has been the High Judge ever since the bat ponies came to Equestria sixteen centuries ago. The bat ponies won’t let anypony but her be the High Judge. And I know Luna enough to know that she will not let the bat ponies lose any more of their culture than they already have.”

Celestia turned her focus back onto Brilliant, and after a moment of deliberation, she nodded. “Very well, Baroness Star. As the highest ranking noble in Hollow Shades, you shall be the judge. And I agree to this out of curiosity; what neighpotism will you conjure up?”

On the sidelines, Magnus fist-pumped and whispered, “Yes.”

Brilliant gave Celestia a victorious smile. “No neighpotism at all. One week of prison, and two weeks of labour. The sentence will start as soon as possible in the nearest dungeon.”

“Wait, what?!” Magnus exclaimed, forced back to the realism of the situation and upon hearing his verdict. There was no change at all to it!

If there was one pony who was unamused, it was Celestia. She crooked a brow and stared at Brilliant. “Did you do all this just to have the satisfaction of beating me at something?” she deadpanned.

“No, just to change a detail,” Brilliant answered with a smile.

“And what detail would that be?”

A few minutes later and one floor down later.

“This is a dungeon cell?!” Magnus exclaimed upon seeing his prison cell.

They stood in the castle dungeon, staring into a spacious room decorated like a bedroom, complete with a small desk, lamp, four beds, and just about everything one could find in a bedroom. A small window high up on the wall near the ceiling let daylight in, giving the room a special kind of atmosphere, the kind where one could see small specks of dust floating in the light. And there was no trace of stone walls, only wood panels.

“It was three dungeon cells, now it is a bedroom,” Brilliant stated while wandering around the room. “My great-grandfather had the walls knocked down, stone boarded up, and two of the doors bricked up to make extra rooms for guests long ago, but he never bothered filing the correct paperwork, so if you look at any official documents concerning this castle, you will see that it is listed as having ‘proper dungeons reserved for lawbreakers, offenders, criminals, thieves, and convicts to serve their just sentences in.’”

Brilliant then turned around, looking at Magnus. “Winter Wind, Free Flight, Silverlink and their children can move into your room. This is where you will serve your sentence in. You will not be allowed to leave this room. You will eat here. And the bathroom is at the far end. I will find a bell for you to ring if you need anything. And look, here the correct door is being fitted. I knew I had the old cell door lying around somewhere.”

Magnus turned around, seeing Copper Nut, All Star, and Winter Wind removing the old oak door, replacing it with an old, rusty, barred, prison cell style door.

“Now then,” Brilliant said, walking up to Celestia, still smiling. “Is this cell good enough, or shall I find some straw, a plank bed, and a pisspot?”

Ever since they came down here, Celestia’s jaw dropped the moment she saw the state of the cell and had remained silent while Brilliant explained her intentions. Yes, Magnus would be confined to this room and the door would be locked at all times. It was officially a prison cell, just a very nice one.

Blowing a stream of hot air through her nostrils, Celestia was clearly not amused, almost bordering peeved while staring at Brilliant. “So this was your plan.”

“Yes, because Magnus had not finished his visit yet,” Brilliant answered informally, giving Celestia a smug look. “Did you think I would let him spend time in that cold dungeon of yours in Canterlot? It’s been over ninety years but I still remember the cold stone on my coat and the stench from that rusty bucket. I will never forget what I lost during those days.”

The words—although simple, yet told a bit about Brilliant’s past—made Celestia recoil, as if she was physically slapped in the face. She slunk back and the annoyance in her eyes instantly perished, and for a brief moment, Magnus swore he saw regret in Celestia’s eyes. Magnus knew then and there, just by looking at Celestia, that she gave up.

The alicorn gave the room one final look before giving a slow nod. “I accept this room as a prison cell,” she said, her voice lacking its usual calmness, sounding almost neutral. “But I expect you to be a warden now too, Brilliant.”

“I won’t, but I will look after Magnus,” Brilliant quickly fired back.

Celestia gave a firm nod and headed for the door. “Then we are done here. I will have Captain Moonrise conduct an investigation into the attack upon Magnus. Good day, my little ponies.”

And without another word, Princess Celestia left without looking back, only the sound of her metal-shod hooves upon hardwood floor fading as she took her leave. And all the time, no one spoke a word. Copper Nut, Winter Wind, and All Star simply stared at Celestia as she wandered down the hallway, then glanced back at Brilliant before continuing working on the door.

Magnus had to admit to himself, he was speechless. Celestia herself was outmaneuvered, or perhaps even, outspoken by Brilliant. It also seemed Brilliant held some sort of hold over Celestia, something from long ago, when Brilliant had been imprisoned in Canterlot. Just what had happened all those years ago? What had Brilliant done to deserve prison? And what happened between Brilliant and Celestia? Something bad obviously, but apparently the alicorn and the old mare had made up since then. And now, because of Magnus’ crime, old feelings had flared up.

“Brilliant,” Magnus said softly, kneeling before Brilliant. “Are you okay?”

Brilliant had been looking at the door after Celestia left. She didn’t look angry, but not happy either, just tired.

“I’m alright,” she replied, sounding weary. “Will you be okay here? I can move you to another room if you want now that Celestia has left.”

Magnus was quick to decline; he didn’t want any more bad blood between her and Celestia. “No no, this’ll be fine,” Magnus replied, hesitating before saying, “Listen, I’m sorry if I’ve broken something between you and Celestia.”

Brilliant merely smiled half-heartedly. “You haven’t. We go through this every eight to ten years or so. In a few weeks, we will probably drink tea upstairs or she invites me to stay in Canterlot Castle for a few days to talk things over.”

Brilliant began walking for the door, saying, “I think I’ll go rest for a while now.”

Copper Nut was quick to react. “I can follow you upstairs, mother,” he said, walking alongside the old mare.

Now that the door was in place, Power Chord used an old iron key to lock the cell door. He shook his head. “This isn’t right.”

“Nope, it isn’t, but it was my choice,” Magnus replied. “Celestia wanted me to cave in, but no way in hell I’d do whatever she tells me to, even if I could have gotten off easier. I’ve been pushed around for too long.”

All Star nodded slowly, understanding what Magnus meant. “I’ll go find a bell and some string and tie the bell at the top of the stairs. That way you can pull the string and we can hear the bell ringin. Want me to bring you something?”

Magnus sat down on the bed, sighing before smiling. “Can you find the notebook and pencil in my old room too? And I'd like reading materials. Can you find something about magic? Perhaps some books about spells for beginners?”

“I don’t know much about magic, but I can ask some of the family to help me. I’ll be back later.”

After All Star left, Magnus sat alone for just a few moments before he heard a set of hooves coming from down the hallway. At the door appeared Silky Touch, a first aid kit tucked under her leathery wing, looking a bit puzzled at the appearance of the bars and Magnus behind them.

“Magnus? What the hay happened here?” she asked.

“I stood up for myself,” replied Magnus before grinning and laughing. “And I don’t regret it one bit.”

Author's Notes:

Hey again. New chapter! Enjoy.

Today I want to do something different. Usually I tell a little about the chapter, how I wrote, what it was like, what inspired me, but not today. Today, I want to ask something I've wanted to for at least a couple of years:

Are there any artists reading this story?

Ever since I began writing this story, I've known what Magnus look like in my head. However, what would he look like if drawn by an artist, someone who actually knows how to hold a pencil or a stylus for a drawing program? Someone who knows shade, drawing, pencil width, etc etc.

What I'm saying is, I'm looking for someone to draw Magnus. If you're interested, send me a PM and we'll talk. I would like to see examples of your art style as well, so if you have some of your works posted on derpibooru or Deviantart, link me a few if you want.

As usual, JBL is a fantastic editor! Go give him some sugar for his efforts.

And as usual, thank you to my readers, followers new and old, and all who find my story deserving a place on their bookshelves. You make me wanna write

Chapter 56 - Serving the Sentence

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For many, the word ‘prison’ brought up a plethora of images, such as a tiny room, bars, a metal toilet, and getting shanked in the yard or on said toilet. The showers should not be mentioned, for obvious reasons.

Magnus had no such problems at all. His room was perfectly fine, thanks to Brilliant’s quick thinking. He had everything he needed right where he was, except for the freedom to move around wherever he damn pleased. Being locked up, however, presented some minor problems.

During the day, everyone slept soundly. As a day creature, though, Magnus occasionally woke up during the day. That was a problem when he had to use the bathroom. While there was a bathroom further down the hall in the basement, he had to pull a string which was tied to a bell on the first floor so that someone could hear him. During the day, no one was awake.

As the cell door was old, so too was the uncomplicated lock. It took Magnus less than five minutes to pick the lock with the help of a fork. Thus, his bathroom situation was solved. However, he only broke out once, not wanting to make Celestia lose trust in Brilliant.

Boredom was never an issue either. Brilliant had a well-stocked library, containing just about as many books as Twilight had. While some books were old and fragile, some were new, and some of them were even about magic. As the days passed by, it became obvious to everyone that Magnus’ interests revolved around everything about magic. He read and trained in the techniques he read about, while also practicing his magic conditioning exercises. Sadly, most of the spells he read went above his head, but he got the general gist of them, as well as being aware of his own shortcomings. He just wasn’t strong or knowledgeable enough. To remedy this, what he really needed was time. And books. Lots of books.

Eventually, he managed to keep to the normal night time hours after a few days, was fed three meals a day, some fruit in between if he wanted a snack, and he had visitors almost constantly in the form of Brilliant, All Star, Power Chord, Copper Nut, Winter Wind, their wives and girlfriends, and the children. He played card games with some of the ponies around his own age and indulged in some music, both his own and the ponies. The children came to visit several times each day, playing peek-a-boo at the cell door, and to mess with the kids, Magnus would hide from them, either under the duvet, behind furniture, or simply hide right at the door and then jump out and shout “BOO!” It got the children laughing and fleeing with screams of delight every time.

Some of the older ponies in the family also came to visit. While it could be considered to be idle talk, it made Magnus feel less imprisoned and more normal, as if he was just seated somewhere and they were acquaintances coming over for a chat. As the days passed by, Magnus came to see the ponies less as strangers.

While he never said so, he truly appreciated their efforts in making his imprisonment appear invisible. While he had visits, the door was never locked, always being left open. To Magnus’ own effort, he never left the room while they were there; Princess Celestia had trusted Brilliant and her family to look after him, so he remained inside to avoid them getting into trouble.

There was one pony who did not come visit him.

He heard it from Brilliant first; Camellia was severely distraught. She was depressed, blaming herself for Magnus’ imprisonment. While she was not the one who threw him in jail, it all started with her, if one followed the trail back far enough. Ultimately, she was not the one to blame—Magnus himself was. His anger, coupled with his frustration over the situation, was the main culprit.

Brilliant spoke with him, as did Camellia’s parents. While Magnus was not ready to forgive her, he agreed to think about it, and when the time came to forgive, he would approach Camellia about the situation.

Princess Celestia also came through on her promise. There wasn’t even a mention in any paper after the alicorn’s visit to Hollow Shades—no pictures, no interviews, nothing. There were, however, plenty of letters sent to the different newspapers from Equestrian citizens expressing a variety of opinions. They ranged from ponies who had no trouble with a human being related to Equestrian nobility, to fire-and-brimstone speeches about how Equestrian nobility was in decline, and how the monarchy should take action. Magnus wasn’t concerned and neither was Brilliant. A lot of hot air from hot air balloons, as she put it. Most ponies were decent ponies and the Equestrian nobility were more business ponies than actual old-time high society wastrels.

The investigation into Magnus’ assault was also carried out by the town guard captain of Hollow Shades. After several interviews by the journalists present, Brilliant and her family, and also Magnus himself, the assault was declared an accident. The pony who knocked Magnus on the head with the camera had been listening at the door, leaning on it, and when the door opened, he had fallen right on him, accidentally knocking Magnus on the head. With the investigation concluded, Magnus was given one extra day in prison.

After seven days, Magnus was released to start working to pay for the items he destroyed.

***

The moon had just risen over Hollow Shades as the small group came into town. Magnus walked alongside the cart pulled by some of the stallions while Brilliant and some of her family were passengers. Brilliant entertained the children with stories and minor magic tricks while the parents spoke. Copper Nut and Winter Wind pulled the cart, talking with each other.

Their little journey into town had a combined purpose; visit the stores to refill the pantry, and for Magnus to begin his work.

After arriving in town and parking the cart, the mares and stallions took their children shopping. Brilliant began to walk, heading away from town square with Magnus following her.

“A little bat-winged bird told me that you found some work that I can do, Brilliant,” Magnus said as they wandered past houses, heading deeper into the forest. As his warden, it was up to Brilliant to find a job for him, part of her duty as highest ranking noble and judge.

Brilliant nodded. “I spoke with some ponies around town, and found a job that you can do. It may be menial, but it is necessary for our little village’s economy.” Brilliant took the next right, leading them further into the forest. “Tell me, what resource from Hollow Shades do you think is most valued for our town’s economy?”

Magnus didn’t even have to think. “Lumber is a sure bet.”

“Correct, Hollow Shades is mainly a logging town. There are two different logging businesses in Hollow Shades; Blackwood Birchbark and those he employ take care of the western part of the forest, and Conifer Moss and her employees operate in the eastern part of the forest.”

“Sounds like cause for competition.”

“Oh they are. Always bickering while on the job. But at the end of the day, they become just Blackwood and Conifer, go home together, make dinner together, and eat together. They married thirty or so years ago.” Brilliant laughed. “Always knew their quarrels hid something else.”

The road they walked on led them by houses on the ground and in the trees, and slowly the amount of houses became scarcer until there were none left, only the road. At the end of the road stood a large two storey square building, looking nothing like a home, but something like a mix of a wooden office building and a warehouse. Several wagons stood outside, alongside axes and large saws, and next to the house stood several stacks of logs, cut and ready to be sawn. Some stood under the roof to dry.

“This is Blackwood’s office. He should be waiting inside for us,” said Brilliant as she opened the door once and strode right in.

The inside had a simple reception desk by the window, a few hallways leading elsewhere, and further in the back stood several other desks where ponies—mostly bat, but also a few of the other tribes—sat working with pen and paper and typewriters.

The receptionist, a short bat pony mare with rather oversized glasses noticed them. “Hello, Brilliant. He should be waiting for you in his office,” she stated cheerily. Brilliant thanked her and moved on down one of the hallways with Magnus in tow.

They made just a few steps into the hallway when a bat pony stallion with a few greying hairs and a steaming cup of coffee hooked on his wing claw came out of a room next to them. He had a short buzz cut, a cropped tail, a red and white chequered shirt, and a huge double bit axe for a cutie mark. To top it all off, he had a very deep brown coat, dark red hair, and a face that looked as if it was cut out of solid granite, the no nonsense kind of facial expression.

Brilliant smiled at the stallion. “Good evening, Blackwood.”

“How do you know what kinda Luna-damned day it is?” he almost snarled back, walking straight past Brilliant and Magnus, not sparing either of them a glance.

Magnus looked after the stallion, and almost had to laugh at the greeting he gave them. Not quite like other ponies, but different, in a refreshing sort of way. As for Brilliant, she chuckled at him.

“This is Magnus, my relative, remember? He’s here for the job I spoke with you about.” She turned and walked after the bat pony.

The bat pony, Blackwood, stopped, turned around, looked up at Magnus, showed no significant facial expression, and sipped his coffee. “Looks like a wuss,” Blackwood stated, turned around and began walking.

Magnus wasn’t about to simply let those words fly. “Oh, good. Guess I’ll fit right in then.”

Blackwood stopped, and Brilliant covered her mouth to suppress a surprised giggle. Magnus could almost hear the sound of rusty hinges as the bat pony slowly turned his head to stare at the human with narrowed eyes.

“What did you say?” Blackwood hissed.

“I said,” Magnus casually crossed his arms over his chest, “I’ll fit right in.”

Blackwood’s eyes narrowed even more. “Ku velki duul thaross, ka suta ba’el ta, Brilliant!” Blackwood rasped in a language Magnus hadn’t heard before. Whatever he said, Brilliant didn’t like it.

“Don’t you ~thaross~ him, Blackwood,” she said angrily, stepping in front of the bat pony. “And you said he would get the job, so bursa, lus meri tei bel!”

“Yeah, what she said… whatever she said,” Magnus agreed, despite having absolutely no idea what they had said.

Blackwood stared at Magnus, then at Brilliant. Letting out a heavy sigh, he said in a raspy voice, “Follow me.”

While they followed Blackwood, Magnus bent down and whispered to Brilliant, “What was that language?”

“Transylmanian, the original language of the bat ponies. All bat ponies speak Equestrian, but in Hollow Shades they also teach children to speak Transylmanian at an early age.”

“Okay, and what did he say?”

“That you had a big mouth and that he wanted to buck you. I told him that there would be no bucking, and that he should put you to work. Oh, and you should perhaps be a bit nicer to Blackwood. While he is the one giving you work here, he can also give you the worst jobs.”

Magnus simply nodded. It was best to stay on the manager's good side while at any job. Lip would get him nowhere, but he wouldn’t be a pushover either. A fine balance was needed.

Blackwood led them outside to a smaller shed, where the stallion picked up a large cloth saddlebag and a lantern and placed them in front of Magnus.

“Your tools. Go pick nuts,” said Blackwood.

Glancing down at the saddlebag and lantern, Magnus parroted, “Nuts?”

“Nuts.” Blackwood pointed a wing to the west. “Go pick nuts.”

“Alright, and where can I find nuts? Any specific type you’re looking for?” Magnus asked. He didn’t want to come back with just any type—there probably was a specific sort he would be searching for, and the tree the nuts came from probably grew at a specific place.

Covering his head with his wings, Magnus heard a strained growl and hissing come from underneath the wings, before they suddenly spread open again. “You’ll find nuts underneath trees, you absolute corkhead! Go pick black nuts in the forest!” Blackwood picked up a twig with his hoof and threw it after Magnus. “GO! SHOO! Return in five hours with the saddlebags filled, and you will go back and pick more until you return with the bag filled a second time before you are done!”

Easily dodging the twig, Magnus hurried on his way. “Eat shit, you grumpy old fuck! Screw balance!” he shouted as he ran down the western road, saddlebags slung over his shoulder, lantern in one arm and his other arm held out with his middle finger extended.

***

The walk through the forest was largely uneventful, save for the occasional bat pony flying overhead in the darkness. Occasionally he heard the screeching sound the bat ponies sometimes made coming from someplace in the forest. He heard some of the children in the castle made that sound when they flew around, hyped up on sugar.

The road was easy to make out in the dark, and while walking, Magnus came across a group of loggers at work. They had heard of him, and knew who he was. By now, the entirety of Hollow Shades knew that he was related to Brilliant, and they, like children, were curious, but far from afraid. After explaining his purpose in the forest, they gave him directions to a place they knew was a good place to find those mysterious black nuts. Thanking them, Magnus left, but only after getting a good look at how ponies cut down trees.

Axes were used, but also large crosscut saws that required two ponies to operate. First, they felled the tree. From there, a crew swiped across the log with axes, removing branches before finally cutting off the crown, and then they used chains and rope to manoeuvre the log onto a low but sturdy cart and hauled it back into town.

‘All done by muscle, no machines. I wonder, how would Equestria change if I introduced a few modern inventions?’ Magnus thought to himself while wandering through the forest. While it would be beneficial in the long run, somehow, the way ponies did things the old fashioned way appealed to him. No machines, no noise, just good old-fashioned muscle power.

“Christ, been here for… what, a few months and I’m already liking it instead of missing all the stuff I had at home. Wonder what the others are doing now…”

After reaching a fork in the road, Magnus headed straight into the forest, following the directions given to him by the loggers. The trees in this part of the forest consisted of tall spruces and pines, but also trees that looked like birches, but they were much taller and wider than the birches he had seen, and they had a dark brown colour instead of white. These birch-like trees were the ones he was looking for.

Holding his lantern up, he lifted the glass globe and began to focus his magic. His time spent incarcerated had earned him something new. With practice, failure, hard work, and help from the unicorns in Brilliant’s family, he had learned a new spell, one he was eager to try.

When his horn began glowing, he gathered up a sufficient amount of magic, cautious in the process. First, with his horn aglow, he began concentrating his magic as much as he could, feeling it, compressing it, holding it together. Then, he stared at the lantern’s wick, his intended target. Now came the tricky part.

While holding his magic together, he did as Brilliant had told him; reshaping magic into an element, in this case, fire. Converting magic to heat was tricky at best for a beginner such as him, even when he knew the formula. It was like balancing an acetylene torch; get the balance between the two gases right and it burned without problem, but get it wrong and bad things could happen. In this case, he needed to balance magic and the oxygen in the environment around him correctly.

But balance was hard, even when his will and mind was involved. The problem was his eagerness, and that he needed to control, which was difficult for a man who had dreamed of magic since he was a child. But Magnus had learned his lesson the hard way in the castle dungeon, and now he was ready to try solo for the first time.

After several moments spent adjusting the spell and balancing his magic, he unleashed the spell in a spectacular feat of flame the size of a burning match that lasted for an entire second. And the wick caught fire too.

“Five minutes doing this, and unicorns can do it almost instantly,” Magnus said as he stood up, lowering the glass globe and adjusting the wick while grinning. “Still, I am the only human who can do this!”

Now with a little light, he began searching for the elusive nuts. He found one quickly. It was small, about the size of an acorn, black and with a slight reddish-brown sheen to it. He quickly realized that the one he found was simply beginner’s luck. The nuts were hard to spot hiding among the moss and ferns, and only with the lanterns light bouncing off of them could he spot them.

With little else to do other than look for nuts, and not having brought his chaos-enchanted cell phone with him for entertainment, Magnus found a rhythm. Bored yet steadily he worked, eventually finding enough nuts to fill one part of his saddle bags after several hours of work. He realized pretty quickly that if he was to fill two saddlebags in one day, he’d have to pick up the pace.

***

Much later during the night, Magnus managed to fill his bags and returned to Blackwood’s lumber mill to offload his haul. The bat pony was not impressed; his stone-faced facade was ever present, and he spoke only a single sentence when he saw Magnus.

“Eat lunch and get back to work.”

And eat he did. Magnus doubted they had a cafeteria at the lumber mill, so he was smart enough to prepare some food before he left the castle. A few slices of bread with jam, an apple, and a bottle of delicious fruit juice would last him until dinner.

Later that night, when the moon was starting to descend, Magnus was searching through an area of the forest, deeper than he’d been in before. He could see no light from town or any other house other than the fireflies dancing amongst the trees, and his only company was the wind in the trees, the screeching from actual bats flying overhead, and the hooting of owls.

As usual, Magnus was ruminating about the various issues he faced while idly searching when he suddenly heard another faint sound, one that wasn’t from any woodland animal. Standing up straight, he glanced around, attempting to pinpoint where it came from, and when he determined the direction, he headed towards it.

After walking for a while and traversing a narrow stream, he could make out more clearly what the sound was; music. Flutes, xylophones, and definitively strings. He came upon a clearing that was lit by candles. On a stump stood an old-fashioned windup gramophone playing a calm and peaceful slow tune. But the music and the candles paled in comparison to the sight in the centre of the clearing.

A bat pony mare, diminutive in size, with a completely black shiny coat and a long mane and tail of darkest purple with streaks of blues, stood there. Her cutie mark was that of a pair of silver sparkling bat pony wings, its purpose first eluding Magnus to begin with. That changed quickly.

With closed eyes and a slight smile, the tiny mare flew effortlessly, her wings barely beating at all, yet still held her aloft with the barest of movements. Her forelegs and hind legs moved slowly, forwards and backwards, side to side, sometimes in various other motions that seemingly held no special purpose other than moving with the music.

Her graceful motions, her seemingly impossible ability to fly with the barest movement of her wings, was beautiful to watch. Fluttershy, demure as she was, was quite graceful when she flew. This little mare, however, was like a dancer in the air compared to Fluttershy. If Rainbow Dash was the epitome of speed in the air, then this mare was grace and elegance.

Then Magnus realized it. The music, her movements, her mark—this mare was a dancer, but instead of dancing on the ground, she danced in the air. It was like an aerial ballet. No unnecessary movement, no fumbling, only silent, balletic, delicate flying.

Magnus was stunned and spoke no words in fear of interrupting the mare. Instead, he slowly sat down on the moss to watch the entranced mare perform her dance. While no fan of ballet or its music, the sight before him was captivating. For a moment, he almost thought he’d come across a dancing fey in the forest.

Ever so slowly, the music wound down and finally there was silence. Just as the final tunes faded in the silence of the forest, the little mare gave her wings a final flap, spreading them wide while slowly landing gracefully without a sound, eyes still closed.

Magnus, not having said a word or made a sound, decided that now it was okay for him to speak. “That was amazing,” he said, truly meaning it. However, the mare reacted differently that he’d expected.

Letting out a frightened shriek, she jumped in fright and sped into the forest quicker than Magnus thought she could fly. She was gone before he could even say another word.

Quickly getting to his feet, Magnus shouted, “Hey, I’m sorry. I just wanted to say how amazing your dance was.”

No reply came other than the hooting of owls.

“Aaaaaaand she’s gone… I should have said something sooner, maybe should’ve made some noise to let her know someone was coming. But nooo! More skittish than Fluttershy…”

Letting out a sigh, Magnus turned around to head back to his saddlebags and lantern. With time running out, Blackwood would not be happy, not that he was a happy guy anyway.

***

Of course, finding his way back to the saddlebags and lantern proved a bit more difficult than Magnus initially believed. He’d walked farther away than he thought, and after meandering the forest for a good half hour, he finally found his bags.

But time was running out, and even though he looked harder and quicker than before, he only had two hours left of daylight when he finally filled the bags and returned to Blackwood’s lumberyard. The workday was over and there was no one at the building, so all Magnus could do was leave the bags and lantern at the same shed Blackwood found them in, and hope that the stallion wouldn’t be all sulphur and vitriol the next day.

The walk back to the castle was largely uneventful, aside from a few bat ponies here and there watching him pass by and saying hello. Hollow Shades was quite interesting due to the town and its inhabitants being so different from the rest of Equestria, at least Ponyville and Canterlot. While both Canterlot and Ponyville was very colourful, near pastel almost, Hollow Shades was subdued in a Tim Burton way. Truth be told, the town reminded Magnus of the town near Dracula’s castle in Van Helsing, the one with Hugh Jackman.

And the fact that the town was so dark, so different from the rest of colourful Equestria gave it its charm, Magnus mused to himself.

***

“How was work? Decided to become a logger yet?”

Magnus glanced up at Power Chord, chewing his veggie lasagne, and gave the bat pony an unamused look. “Go eat sh—” The humans eyes fell upon the foals sitting next to him, playing with their food. “Something else, Power.”

Out of all the ponies in Stargard, Power Chord was one of a few ponies who would joke around about Magnus’ sentence. Both had somewhat similar sense of humour, with Magnus perhaps having a bit darker theme, as well as the occasional reference to human humour that no ponies understood.

“No thanks, granny’s lasagne is the best; won’t even go to a fancy place on Restaurant Row for something else,” Power Chord retorted and chuckled.

“Honestly, logging might not be my line of work, at least when that perpetual sore a—rear is in charge,” Magnus added.

A few coughs and muffled laughs came from the ponies around him.

“Oh, Blackwood’s not that bad,” said Copper Nut. “I once saw him and his wife in a restaurant in town. I’m all for cuddly talk, but they could make cotton candy out of thin air the way they spoke to each other.”

“And probably vinegar at work,” added Magnus.

As usual, conversation and laughter came easy, and Magnus also contributed by telling how his workday had gone. Turns out, picking nuts was the worst job the loggers could do, although bat ponies had an easier time finding them due to their great night vision.

Brilliant also told that she had spoken with Blackwood after Magnus left, and the next day he'd be planting the nuts in the forest where trees had been cut down, and sometime in the future, maybe fifty or sixty years later, the now fully grown trees would be cut to become lumber again.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Brilliant suddenly piped up, wiping her mouth with her napkin. “I spoke with Iron Tower today, the town blacksmith, and he told me he had some work that needed doing. I convinced him to take you in for work at his forge for four days.”

“Hmm, that fills up this entire week then. What about next week?”

“I just need to ask around a bit, I’m sure I can find work elsewhere for you. Hollow Shades might not be the largest town around, but there is always something that needs doing,” Brilliant replied.

Magnus nodded and continued eating dinner. Soon, his thoughts drifted to the strange mare he saw in the forest that night, the mysterious dancer. He wanted to know more about her.

“I saw something unusual in the forest today,” he began, picking through his food. “A mare, kinda young-looking, dancing in the forest surrounded by candles and with a record player.”

“That would be Moonbow, Maestro and Light Pillar’s daughter,” Copper Nut answered quickly, looking up from his food. “Maestro is a conductor and composer who lives in town, and Light Pillar is the town’s dancing teacher. Quite a good dancer, from what I hear. Not too bad on the eyes either,” he finished with a grin, earning him a glare from both of his wives that promised he would be sleeping on the couch.

“You saw Moonbow dance? So few have seen her dance, only her parents have, and they praise her skills,” Winter Wind inquired enthusiastically.

“I hear she is a great dancer, just like her mother,” Free Flight said, eagerly continuing, “Somepony told me that she’s trying to get into the Equestrian Dance Academy in Canterlot, and there’s also a rumour that she might try for the Aerial Ballet in Cloudsdale.”

“She can try, but to be perfectly honest, I doubt she can get in; the poor filly suffers from terrible stage fright,” said Brilliant sagely before shaking her head. “Terrible loss; I heard from Light Pillar that Moonbow might be the finest ~Noctisieru~ in a century, and the filly is barely sixteen.”

Magnus nodded and swallowed his food. “Hmm, I believe the stage fright thing; I tried to be a silent spectator, but when I wanted to compliment her on her dance, I accidentally frightened her so much she flew away, leaving her record player behind. What does ~Noctisieru~ mean anyway?”

“Oh, it’s an old Transylmanian word from long ago. Loosely translated, it means ‘one who dances at night’. It is the traditional dance of the bat ponies, as old as the bat ponies themselves are. It’s said that it was a way the bat ponies used to show reverence to the night and the moon long ago. Soft movements like the moon slowly moves, calm and peaceful as the stars, and as silent as the night itself,” explained Brilliant, looking up at her family. “It almost sounds like worshipping, doesn’t it?”

A round of nods and agreement went around. Magnus nodded too.

“Sadly,” Brilliant continued with a sigh, “there’s so few bat ponies that dance these days. ~Noctisieru~ is almost a dying art. It’s a shame; I remember when I was a filly, so many bat ponies used to dance in the town square at night, at parties, and even at the Midwinter festival. You have to search a long time for a good dancer these days.”

“That’s sad; it was really something to see,” said Magnus, picking at his food. “But wouldn’t pegasi be able to learn it too? It is basically slow flying, isn’t it?”

“Oh, it’s a bit more than that,” said Silky Touch, seated next to Magnus. “We bat ponies fly differently from pegasi. Our flying is much more silent, slower, and due to the skin of our wings, we can catch air a bit easier, which makes hovering easier. Pegasi are faster than we are, and their wing bones are thicker, meaning they can withstand the stress of fast flying easier, while our wing bones are thinner. If we tried to exert ourselves like a pegasus, chances are we might break a bone. See?” Silky spread her wings, making them seem translucent against the light behind her. Her wings were covered in very fine, short hairs, and the blood coursing through her veins made her wings have a faint red coloration. Also, the bones of her wings were as thin as a pencil, making her wings seem like a hand with thin, long fingers.

“I see. Guess that means bat ponies might not be eligible for the Wonderbolts either then,” said Magnus.

Silky looked up and shook her head. “There have never been a bat pony Wonderbolt.”

Magnus merely nodded at Silky’s answer. Their bones might be strong, but they could also be fragile under the correct, or rather, wrong circumstances. And if they couldn’t generate the speed for flying fast, then everything was self-explanatory.

And the dancing also made sense when their wings were explained. Bats weren’t known for their speed, while a falcon in a dive could reach exceptional speeds. Even sadder, though, was the fact that bat ponies appeared to lose some of their culture, such as their dance. That fact also reminded Magnus about what Brilliant said to Celestia the day he was incarcerated, that Princess Luna fought for the bat ponies keeping their own law alongside Equestrian law, and that Luna wouldn’t let the bat ponies lose parts of their culture. Did this mean that Celestia might have once tried to ‘Equestrianize’ the bat ponies? Like Americanization did to the natives of America? Had the benevolent princess attempted to rob the bat ponies of who they were, their culture?

Magnus shook his head; no, Celestia didn’t feel or appear to be that kind of person. Still, it was over a thousand years ago and things could have changed. What was Celestia like long ago? Hell, what was the bat ponies like long ago?

Chapter 57

View Online

It was sometime in the afternoon, maybe around five or so when Magnus left the castle on his way into town, the first autumn leaves falling all around him as the forest changed its hues from vibrant greens to various shades of red and orange. To make matters worse, he’d overslept as well. That was not a good way to make a first impression on the pony he’s supposed to work for these next few days. But in his own defence, the last few days he spent working for Blackwood had been pretty hard on its own.

Each day had been the same; get up early, get to Blackwood’s lumberyard, pick up a lantern, a map, and hurry his way out of town to the designated spots on the map where his job sat waiting for him. His job these last few days had been pretty monotonous, but important all the same. It was a part of the forest industry; replanting the forest, and the areas cleared of trees were far from each other.

Just before heading into the forest towards town, Magnus cast a glance over his shoulder towards the castle. He hadn’t seen it in daylight before, and to be honest, it looked better in the dark. At night the cracks in the stone weren't visible and you couldn’t see how run down and worn the castle actually was. It almost seemed as if the night itself helped cover up the fall of the Galaxy family.

One detail stood out, one that wasn’t visible during the night. Behind the castle, there was a sheer cliff that was part of a small mountain. The mountain Magnus was aware of, but he hadn’t noticed the grey tower atop it, as grey as the stone it stood on. The distance was too far away to give any details, but it was as weathered as the castle, maybe even more. A guard tower it was not, but perhaps a watch tower. Feeling intrigued, he decided that he wanted to spelunker when he had time.

That would have to be put off, though, because something else was happening at the castle today. The family get-together was coming to a close, and tomorrow morning they would all board the train and return to their homes in cities and villages all over Equestria. Tonight was the last night Brilliant and her family were spending together for a while, and Brilliant had plans up her sleeve. What it entailed Magnus didn’t know, but he assumed it would be some kind of dinner.

Unfortunately, the planned bar visit Magnus was supposed to go on with the ponies his own age never came to pass, something he regretted. He had the distinct feeling that he would’ve enjoyed it; a chance to have a few cold ones with his peers, albeit from a completely different cultural background, something he hadn’t experienced in a while. Immortals, national heroes, and old ponies didn’t count.

Still, it wasn’t a complete loss. Over the days, Magnus had managed to establish a rapport with Brilliant’s family and get in their good graces. Hell, he had even gotten some addresses if he was ever in their neighbourhood and wanted to drop by for a visit. In his book, that was exceptional progress!

Not everything had been progressing. Magnus still hadn’t spoken to Camellia yet. He knew the filly was still upset and her parent herd weren’t happy either; they knew it was an accident. Hell, the entire family knew that for that matter, so why did he refuse to speak with her or forgive her? Truth was, Magnus had already forgiven Camellia; he just didn’t want to tell her he had forgiven her. He wanted to be angry at Camellia, to spitefully teach her to respect his wishes, a petty desire to cause her emotional pain to drive the point home.

It was the first time he had done this in Equestria, but not the first time in his life. Magnus was many things, positive things as well as negative. One of his negative traits was his vindictiveness and ability to hold a grudge. Even now, at the age of twenty-seven, he still held a grudge towards Jamie Larson from fifteen years ago who had called his grandfather an old nutcase when he found out he had a belief in spirits and shamanism. Even though it might have been only words, they were set in stone for Magnus, and he hadn’t spoken to Jamie since, even if they had been kids at the time.

Camellia’s case was different. It was an accident, yes, and the truth would have gone public eventually. His origin was a time bomb on unstable explosives, and Camellia’s accidental revelation was the trigger. Thanks to Princess Celestia making a royal decree, he was assured to be left alone. The alicorn's actions had made his life a hundred times easier. Ponies rarely stared any longer, and the sense of freedom Magnus felt was liberating, completely different from just a few weeks ago. Back then, he felt as if he constantly had to look over his shoulder, fearing that some paparazzi would be spying on him.

As for Camellia, it was time she was let off the hook. Magnus made a mental note that he would speak with her later, sort things out with her, her parent herd, and Brilliant as well. Holding onto that spite would only hurt his relationship with Brilliant’s family in the long run, and he didn’t want that now that things were looking up.

Upon reaching town square, Magnus noted that Hollow Shades looked quite different in moonlight as opposed to the waning sunlight. During night, the town looked dark and Tim Burton-esque, charming in a subtle creepy way. But in daylight…

There was no nice way to say it, but Hollow Shades wasn’t as well off as Ponyville and a far cry from the glittering spires of Canterlot, and the state of the buildings became clearer now that the sun shone through the forest canopy upon every house. Except for the treehouses, almost every building had a thin layer of paint peeling off of it or a few cracked wood board sidings. A few nearby stone houses also showed signs of missing repairs, such as crumbling mortar and cracked stones that should have been repaired or replaced in some way. While the houses weren’t in a state of disrepair, basic maintenance certainly could have been made.

Magnus had figured out some time ago that a town relying mainly on lumber and wood products couldn’t stay prosperous with so many villages all over Equestria also producing lumber. Sure, the bat ponies grew some food, but that and the forest were hardly enough to make the town thrive.

Slowing down a bit, Magnus looked around. The streets were almost completely deserted, and the houses—in their dreary state—made the town look like a western ghost town but in a forest instead of a dusty plain in Arizona. It was a sorry sight. What did this town look like in its prime, when the Galaxy family was wealthy? Something like Canterlot maybe, but darker? That was a pretty cool image, Magnus thought to himself, as he picked up the pace again.

The thoughts about town vanished from his mind the moment Magnus saw the site of his employment come into view. It was a stone building, larger than a barn, with a single floor, a large double door like a barn, and a chimney from which white smoke rose steadily from. It was surrounded by trees, and ivy and moss grew on the stone, and nearby a small stream ran calmly.

After knocking, Magnus opened the door and looked inside. An old scent hit him, that of charcoal and smoke, that of a forge.

“Hello? Anyone here?” he called loudly to announce his presence, stepping inside and taking a quick look around.

Aside from being empty, the smithy looked like it had been plucked out from an old history book. Two coal-fired forges stood burning, but by the looks of it, they had been lit recently as the coals hadn’t completely caught fire yet. There were also four anvils, one on each side of the forges, and at the wall stood a tool rack with plenty of hammers and tools in all shapes and sizes as well as several other blacksmithing tools, some of which Magnus knew their purpose for, and some which were unfamiliar to him.

‘Weird. According to Brilliant, the blacksmith here is supposed to be an early bird.’ He barely had time to finish the thought when a voice came from behind him.

“You’re late.”

Magnus turned around; by a door leading to another room stood a bat pony, but what a specimen he was. By far, he was the strongest-looking and tallest bat pony Magnus had seen so far. Taller than Princess Luna, but shorter than Princess Celestia, the bat pony looked as if he’d known nothing but gruelling hard work of the kind that built muscles all his life. He possessed a muscular body, eyes the colour of burning coals, a charcoal black coat, and ashen grey mane and tail, and a leather apron tied around his neck and barrel. His cutie mark, of course, was a large iron anvil with tools resting on top of it. He was missing a fang as well.

“Yes, sorry about that, but I’ve gotten used to the night time hours of Hollow Shade. You might be the only pony around here who wakes up while everyone else is still sleeping.”

“Part of the job; the forge has to be hot and ready before the rest shows up.” The bat pony walked over to a huge double bellow and pumped them, causing fire to erupt from the nearby forge. “I’m Iron Tower, the town blacksmith, and I doubt you need to tell me your name, isn’t that right, Magnus Powell?”

The way Iron Tower spoke Magnus’ name was without any sneer like Blackwood did, or awe or curiosity as other ponies said. In fact, despite his deep tone, Iron Tower sounded like a normal guy.

“Got my name in one. Brilliant described you, said you would be easy to recognize.”

Iron Tower smirked. “Ponies keep saying that, don’t know why though.” He turned away from the burning coals and walked over to the door. “Come into my office and we’ll talk.”

Iron Tower’s office was small, cluttered, and looked like a dingy car mechanic’s cubbyhole. The huge stallion squeezed himself behind a desk and sat down, making the chair squeak for mercy. Likewise, Magnus sat down on a rickety stool in front of the desk.

“Coffee?” Iron offered him from a cast iron pot. “It’s hot, fresh from the forge.”

“Yes please.”

Iron Tower grabbed a nearby dented tin cup, blew dust from it, and began pouring. While pouring, Iron Tower started speaking, and his voice took on a serious tone. “I heard from Hammerstrike that you beat up some reporters at the castle. Now that sounds like the work of a violent criminal.” He pushed the cup over to Magnus.

“You know Hammerstrike?” Magnus asked, a bit surprised the blacksmith knew Camellia’s father.

“I’ve known him for years because he works here. I gave him time off so he could spend his time with the family reunion,” Iron Tower replied coolly.

Magnus thought back, and realized he should’ve known. Hammerstrike wasn’t exactly the type who could hide in a crowd. Out of all of Brilliant’s family, he was the tall and strong type, the blacksmith archetype. His cutie mark, a hammer and engraving chisel, clearly gave away his talent.

“They wouldn’t leave me alone. Then I was attacked. A man can only take so much before the pressure reaches a critical point,” Magnus replied seriously. Word travelled around town fast. But if Iron and the town knew this much already, then he probably also knew the truth. “But the attack on me was proven accidental. I… lost my temper,” he finally admitted.

Iron gave Magnus a slow nod. “I can imagine it would get on your nerves after a while; can’t really hold it against you though. Accidents happen.”

Magnus nodded. “I’ve been under a lot of pressure ever since I came to Equestria. Let’s just leave it at that.” He wanted to get to work instead of talking about the long time spent behind bars, turning him into a hardened criminal who played peek-a-boo with foals.

Iron Tower seemed to pick up on Magnus’ mood. “I can only imagine.” He drained the last drops of steaming hot coffee. The stallion didn’t even flinch, even though the coffee must’ve been near scalding hot. “Let’s talk work, shall we?”

Magnusgrinned. It had been some time since he last worked with metal. Yes, he had tried his hand at welding and handling an angle grinder before at Jessie’s shop, but that was pretty far from blacksmithing work.

“What can I do?” asked Magnus.

“I’m going to be honest with you.” Iron refilled his and Magnus’ cup. “We just finished our yearly order of armour and weapons for the new recruits in the Night Guard in Canterlot. Most of their armour and weapons are created here, in this very smithy. Right now, we won’t have much to do until the last of the harvest is over. Then, we’ll have a pretty decent amount of work for several weeks.”

“I see. What kinda work do you get during winter?” Magnus asked, not bothering to ask what Hearth’s Warming was.

“Mostly repairing farming tools. We also make and sell tools, and no blacksmith business will ever say no to making nails, nuts, and bolt––anything of iron, really.”

Magnus listened raptly while Iron explained. For a while, he hoped to hear how they made greatswords and all manner of exotic and enchanted weapons, and then he was pulled back to reality at the mention of tool making and repairs. Magnus was no idiot; making just about anything out of iron and steel and performing repairs was the bread and butter of blacksmiths. No blacksmith ever made only one thing and made a comfortable living out of it. Well, perhaps on Earth some did, but they could hardly be called wealthy.

“But for today,” Iron continued, “your first job will be getting down to the train station and get me my metal. Without it, we can’t make anything. There’s a wagon outside you can use for transporting it here. Get going; the others will be here in an hour or so.”

Magnus rose from the chair, finally glad to do some work, even if it was basically being an errand boy. It wasn’t like he had any blacksmithing skills anyway, and watching Man at Arms didn’t count.

Magnus found the wagon right outside the smithy, a large four-wheel construction, probably made by the smiths themselves at one point, judging by how sturdy-looking it was.

Then came the conundrum of how to fasten the wagon to himself. At this point, Magnus had to slow down and think. No yoke would go around his neck, and even if one did, it would be like pulling the wagon uphill by his neck. No, the best way to haul a wagon would be from either his waist or preferably his torso. Some way that could provide stability, while at the same time allowing him to use his entire body without messing up his back, would be most efficient.

Luckily, the two shafts going from the wagon had an adjustable leather bellyband fastened to them as well as a couple of lengths of rope that would probably be tied onto a yoke. This gave Magnus an idea; all he needed was an extra bit of rope, and that he was sure he saw in the smithy. Heading back inside, Iron Tower gave the human an odd look as Magnus returned, looked around, grabbed a length of rope, and left again.

“It’s for the wagon. I can’t really pull it all that well, so I gotta improvise,” Magnus explained to Iron Tower as he left.

Outside, Magnus enacted his Macgyverism. Buckling the belly band and securing it firmly around his waist, Magnus gave it a good tug to make sure it was nice and tight. Then, he used the extra length of rope, tying it together with the other two ropes going from the wagon into making a makeshift rope harness that went across his torso, under his arms, and over his shoulders. The rope contraption was extremely amateurish, but it served its purpose. Now Magnus could pull the wagon a bit easier using his entire body instead of putting a lot of strain on his waist, which would undoubtedly cause some back problems in the end.

Still, Magnus had to yank himself forward in order to get the wagon moving. His contraption made the wagon okay to turn with, but overall, stopping would be a bit of a problem.

“Let’s just hope that there aren’t any hills on the way to the train station, otherwise, this could get ugly,” Magnus muttered to himself as soon as he got the wagon moving.

***

Iron Tower walked out of the blacksmith shop, stopping in front of a sweat-drenched human. Magnus was hunched over and gasping for air with the rope harness and belly band still attached to him. The state of the human puzzled the blacksmith.

“I expected you back sooner. I was about to send one of my apprentices out to look for you. Did you run into problems?” Iron asked, giving Magnus a confused look.

Magnus gasped and his bloodshot eyes opened wide, staring at the bat pony as if he was crazy. “Hell yeah I had problems!” Magnus exclaimed while twisting his way out of the harness, only to end up tangled in the ropes.

“That thing!” Magnus pointed to the wagon, stacked with a variety of ingots of different sizes and different types of metal. “That thing weighs a goddamn ton! And the train station is on the other side of town!”

Well, probably not a ton, but at least several hundred kilograms. By the time Magnus had finished loading, the poor wagon sounded as if it was about to break apart at any moment, but it beat the weighty odds without problems.

“Well, yes, metal weighs a lot. And that is a normal shipment,” Iron Tower replied casually before giving Magnus a suspicious look. “Wait… Are you telling me that despite you being much taller and larger than a pony, you’re actually weaker than, say, an earth pony?”

Magnus blinked twice. “An earth pony can break me in half!” he nearly shouted. “Earth ponies have incredible strength compared to me! I’m pretty damn far from strong compared to an earth pony!”

“Oh,” Iron replied after a short pause. “I thought that you’d be stronger, that you could handle this alone. Usually we send a minimum of two ponies to haul back iron shipments. But why didn’t you come back for one of us? If you did, you wouldn’t have had to struggle so hard with this.”

“Because…” Magnus took a step forward, only to come to an abrupt halt as the ropes he was tangled in held him back. After a few moments spent cursing the origins of the ropes and the one who twisted them, he managed to free himself. “Because I thought this was the normal load that a single, I say, a single pony around here can haul, and I don’t want to be any lesser! A man has his pride, and I damn well have mine!”

Iron Tower listened and finally smiled. “Good, that’s very good! That kind of will is something I can understand and respect; hard, unyielding, like iron. Just needs some pressure, a bit of heat and gentle work and we can forge you into an honest hardworking pony, err, human.”

Iron gave the wagon a passing glance before turning around and walking back inside. “I’ll get Chisel and Bronze Shoe to help you unload, then you can take a short break.”

Magnus nodded and nearly fell down on the wagon, wiping sweat from his brow. At least he was able to get Iron to understand his position, and also not being chewed out the first day on the job. As for becoming a blacksmith, well, it sounded interesting. With a little experience, maybe that was something he could at least consider.

***

“Magnus, I need more coal! My forge is so cold I can see icicles forming on it!”

“More coal coming! Give me a moment!”

“Work the bellows, human! I need forging temperature, not quenching temperature!”

“Be right with you!”

Whatever dreams Magnus had of being a blacksmith were quickly put on hold the moment he was done with his break. As soon as he stepped back into the forge, the smiths needed his help. Whether it was getting more coal from the coal bins, manning the bellows, or even using a pair of tongs to hold a piece of metal still while they worked it, it was all part of his job description. But when his help wasn’t needed, all he did was stand aside to let the blacksmiths work in peace and be available at a moment’s notice to anyone asking.

There were six blacksmiths working in the smithy; Iron Tower was the master blacksmith in charge of the smithy and its workers. Hammerstrike, still on leave, was the second most experienced pony working there. Iron also had four apprentices working under him who did different tasks, such as the nervous mare who had worked there for a year and made nails, nuts, and bolts, up to the calm and cool bat pony stallion who was in the fourth year of apprenticeship, making a variety of tools. There wasn’t a single power tool in sight in the smithy. Sure, they existed but as Magnus had found out, power tools were very expensive, often large and cumbersome, and relied on an outside power source to power them, like windmills and waterwheels. Lathes, for example, weren’t common this far out in the countryside, but they had them in larger cities though.

‘And still, they’ve mastered metalworking the old fashioned way,’ Magnus thought to himself as he stood to the side, watching the ponies work.

Their tools were highly specialized for use by ponies. Leather loops and metal bands bent to shape made some tools usable by hooves; simply slide your hoof into the loop and the band held it in place. Some tools were also designed to be held in the mouth; the grip was replaced by a softer type of wood and often wrapped in cloth or rubber to spare the teeth. Hammers were different, especially when they were used to hammer red hot metal. Some hammers were designed to be held in the mouth or fastened to the hoof. The larger hammers required a pony to stand on their hindlegs while working, and by Magnus’ own observation, looked awkward and unwieldy. The smith sat on a low stool in front of an anvil, pumping a foot treadle that turned a drive wheel via a crankshaft and a connecting rod. By way of gears and shafts, the motion operated a hammerhead mounted on an axle which pounded the metal quickly and precisely, though lacking the power of a power hammer, but enough to make it work.

Their ingenuity astounded Magnus. Opposable thumbs weren't really that big of a thing when necessity was the teacher. Everything went smooth as far as Magnus could see, so he took the opportunity to lean against a working table and simply watch the smiths work.

While standing there, the door to the smithy opened and an elderly bat pony stallion walked in as if he owned the place. At first, Magnus thought it was a customer and was unsure if he should do something, but as soon as he saw the elderly pony nod and smile to Iron Tower, he knew Iron had everything in hand.

The elder pony also noticed Magnus, and instead of being frightened, he gave the human an acknowledging nod. Not wanting to be rude, Magnus gave the elder pony a nod in return. A nod spoke more than words, seeing as the sound of hammers shaping metal in the shop caused such a noise that it would drown out the voice of an old pony.

The old stallion then began walking around the shop floor, looking as if he was inspecting the workers. He stopped at each anvil and each workstation and simply watched the ponies work for a few minutes, but never once said a word. The way he acted was a bit strange, almost like he was a teacher or supervisor making his rounds to make sure everything was in order. It took a fair few minutes before Magnus connected the lines; he simply wasn’t used to looking at cutie marks.

The old stallion had a glowing hot hammer as a mark, one that stood proudly out on his flanks. From this, Magnus surmised that the old stallion might have worked here once upon a time and was just visiting to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Magnus was called on to help one of the apprentices and by the time he was done and returned to his spot, he found the old stallion now seated by one of the nearby worktables, nursing a cup of coffee while observing the work being done.

Magnus could tell that his age wasn’t as advanced as Granny Smith or Brilliant Star. Time had withered away at his body and made him gaunt. He walked with a limp, and he supported himself on a cane held with one of his forelegs. Once upon a time he must have been strong; he looked the type. Tall and sinewy looking, like an old oak. His hide, sagging and wrinkled, looked two sizes too big, meaning he must have been packing some serious muscle in his youth. His coat was dotted with old scars and patches of missing coat where it looked as if the coat had been burned away. Some of the other smiths had the same marks on their bodies, meaning that the old stallion used to be a smith once upon a time.

Now, though, the old pony’s working days were over and it showed in his eyes. The way he kept looking at the forge, how his ears twitched each time a hammer struck metal, the way his eyes shimmered and how sparks reflected in them. He wanted to work, but couldn’t for some reason. Perhaps his cane was to blame; some injury or failing health. Still, the look in his eyes made Magnus feel sorry for him. It was as if the old pony came here to reminisce about his youth.

***

At around two or three in the morning, the workday at the smithy was over. Because Magnus showed up early, he was allowed to leave early. Each day after he was to show up at work at the same time, light up the forges, take stock of the coal bins, and if they were starting to run low, head on over to some pony called Night Glow and get more coal. Other than that, do anything the smiths asked of him.

Now though, Magnus only had one thing left to do and that was getting back to Stargard Castle for a shower before the final day’s festivities began.

Upon walking through the old gatehouse, he was met by rambunctious foals playing hide and seek throughout the castle grounds, fillies and colts hiding high and low in bushes and trees while a couple of adults kept an eye on the little rascals, now a common and friendly sight for the human. For Magnus, it offered the greatest sense of normalcy and acceptance; the children hollered hello as they ran by and that was it, nothing else. It was as if they’d always known him. Of all the ponies except Brilliant Star, the foals had taken to Magnus the fastest.

Upon entering the castle proper, the warm atmosphere of the stones met him as well as the now familiar sense of peace that somehow was part of the castle itself. The first pony to spot Magnus was Hammerstrike, the stallion leaving the kitchen just as Magnus came in.

“So, this is what a human blacksmith looks like.” Hammerstrike laughed, looking Magnus up and down. His clothes were clean when he left, but hauling coal, ingots, and cleaning up a dirty shop took its toll on clothes, skin, and coat.

“The joys of being the fetching dog for the blacksmiths.” Magnus took off his jacket and hung it up on the clothes hanger amongst the other outer garments. “But I can’t complain; it beats the hell out of planting nuts.”

“Maybe that’s a career choice for you, though maybe not in Hollow Shades; Iron’s business isn’t exactly booming. Between him, me, and the apprentices, the shop survives and that’s it. He won’t be expanding anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I understood that much.” He had kept his eyes and ears open during the day and soon found out that the blacksmithing business in Hollow Shades was not enough on its own, which was why Iron got work from nearby villages as well. That way he kept his shop open and could hire and pay his apprentices. But expanding the business was far from possible.

“Anyway, now that you’re here, maybe you want to lend a hand? We still have some things to do before dinner is ready.”

“Sure, I’m just gonna shower and I’ll help as quickly as I can.”

***

After cleaning himself up, Magnus began helping around where he could. The entire family had pitched in all throughout the day. According to ponies, Brilliant always went out of her way to make the last day dinner a grand thing after a family gathering, a real send-off. That meant the best food, the finest drink, the best desserts, even the finest china and embroidered cloth napkins. Just about everyone chipped in where they could, whether it was in the kitchen, dining room, or someplace else entirely. With so much going on, Magnus felt a bit useless with nothing to do.

He entered the kitchen and was met by the scent of food being prepared. As usual, Brilliant oversaw everything, her place by the stove, overseeing a number of pots and pans boiling and hissing, while some of her children and grandchildren cooked the food. “Anything I can do to help, Brilliant?”

The elderly mare looked over everything going on around her and shook her head. “Not really, no. I think we have everything well in hoof.”

“Oh. Just wanted to ask. Everyone’s been helping all day and I—”

“Actually, there is one thing, now that I think about it,” Brilliant suddenly interrupted him, tapping a worn-down ladle to her chin. “I thought we could have some wine for dinner, and I think it’s high time we break open one of the old barrels. If you could go down to the wine cellar and bring one of the small barrels, then we should all be set.”

“I can do that, sure. Which barrel and where?” Magnus asked as he opened the door to the wine cellar. A blast of chilled air hit his face.

“All the way in the back,” said Brilliant. “A barrel labeled H.S. 890 C.R. It’s a raspberry wine called Old Ruby Fruit.”

“Old Ruby Fruit, gotcha. What does the H.S. and all that stand for by the way?” asked Magnus. He found a small oil lantern hanging on a hook just beyond the door and began the process of lighting the lantern with his magic.

“Hollow Shades, year 890 of Celestial Reign. That means in the 890th year of Princess Celestia’s reign, 890 years after Princess Luna was banished.”

Magnus managed to light the lantern and adjusted the wick until he got a brightly burning flame. “110 years old plus, Christ. Be back in a while.”

The descent into darkness went quickly, with the exception of the slippery stone stairs. Each step had a worn groove in the middle, wear and tear by tens of thousands of hooves over the years, and from the depths came the sound of water dripping slowly.

Finally making it to the bottom, Magnus was momentarily taken aback by the size of the wine cellar. Four eighteen-wheelers could be parked side-by-side in the cellar, and by the walls stood huge barrels on stands, each fitted with a spigot. Under the great vaulted stone roof in the centre of the room stood long wooden wine racks laden with glass bottles, some full and some empty, but all with a layer of dust on them. There was enough space to fit thousands of bottles, and the dark and the cold ensured perfect temperatures. There was also a certain dampness to the cold cellar air, and from small outcroppings on the stone walls, dew gathered and fell drop by drop and the sound of each drop echoed throughout the cellar.

Making his way to the back, Magnus found the barrels Brilliant mentioned. It wasn’t just one, but several of them standing there, and they were in pretty good condition as opposed to the large barrels, some of which had begun to rot away.

“Let’s see, H.S. 890…” Magnus mumbled to himself while he began checking out the labels on the barrels. They were written in the same script, a flowing font that was a bit difficult to decipher.

“H.S… and is that 935? Yeah, damn, wrong one. This one? No.”

While investigating the barrels and reading each label out loud in his mind, Magnus suddenly became aware of the sound of hooves on stone in the dark. Somewhere down here was a pony who must have followed him. Turning around, he looked for the light of a lantern but found none. Of course, if it was a bat pony, then it made sense. They could see well enough in the dark.

“Hello? Who’s there?” Magnus called out into the dark as the sound came ever closer to him.

Rounding a wine rack, Camellia came into view, and she looked just as surprised to see him as Magnus was to see her.

“Oh, it’s you! I, um, I’ll just… Grandmother asked me to bring some mango liqueur for the pudding and…” She stumbled over her words while looking up at the wine rack. “I’ll just... find it and not bother you.”

Camellia walked closely to the shelves as she passed Magnus, trying to keep her distance in the narrow confines and doing her best to avoid his gaze. The filly’s defeated look near instantly reminded Magnus of what he had thought of earlier that day.

“Camellia,” Magnus suddenly said, making the filly stop, though she still averted her gaze. “I’m not mad at you anymore.”

The filly nearly spun around, staring up at Magnus with a surprised look on her face. “Re-Really?” she inquired hopefully.

“Really.” Magnus pulled out a barrel and sat on it, motioning to Camellia to sit as well. The filly took to the air and landed gracefully on a barrel so that she was nearly at eye height with him.

“I guess I should explain it to you first.” Magnus sighed, making a little steeple with his hands. “Ever since I came to Equestria, I’ve been terrified of never being left alone. I’m terrified of being locked up, terrified of being chased by curious ponies and journalists wherever I go. But coming here to Hollow Shades, I haven’t been treated that differently. Actually, I enjoy being here.”

Camellia listened, nodded, and smiled at appropriate times, even saying, “You know, Grandmother’s been speaking with ponies in town, and us too; told us not to bother you too much and not to stare.”

“That would explain a few things.” The inhabitants of Hollow Shades had gotten used to him suspiciously quickly.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I really liked being here in this castle, surrounded by ponies who treat me like one of them. It made me feel hopeful for the future, happy even, maybe I could walk the streets one day and not make anyone turn their heads. Honestly, it’s been the most positive thought I’ve had in… god knows how long. And then…”

Camellia swallowed. “Then I ruined everything,” she said quietly.

Magnus nodded slowly. “It was like a nightmare come true. I felt so hopeless, almost broken, like all my effort to stay hidden was destroyed. I was angry and afraid. I guess… I needed someone to blame for everything falling apart; the journalists and you were natural targets.”

And I was wrong to blame you,” Magnus continued after a short pause in which he sat staring at the guilty little bat pony. “No one’s perfect. Not me, not you, not Brilliant, not even Celestia and Luna.”

Camellia’s eyes widened. “But Princess Luna—”

“Jumped the… um, crossbow, when she picked me out of the sea and found the unicorn horn staff that Starswirl made. She reached a very wrong conclusion based upon exceptionally weak evidence. Never assume someone’s perfect.”

“Oh, that makes a little sense. Only because you owned that staff doesn’t mean you would have hurt a unicorn,” Camellia concluded.

“Yeah. So,” Magnus stood up and held out a balled fist to Camellia, “wanna forgive and forget?”

Camellia looked at his fist, then up at the human. Flapping her wings, she hovered at his height for a second before giving him a little tap on his knuckles with her hoof.

“Friends.” She beamed at him.

Man and mare stood for a moment, giving each other a warm smile that quickly turned awkward.

“Oh! The liqueur!” Camellia suddenly blurted out. “Grandmother needs it.”

“Thought I saw some over there when I first came here. You should check those.” Magnus pointed to the wine rack at the other end before turning back to the barrels and continuing his search.

The mare hovered over to the rack, her beating wings sending up a cloud of dust from the bottles. “I think these are the right ones.” She spluttered a bit. “The labels are really old though and it’s all written in old cursive.”

“Don’t ask me for help; you’re the local, and I can barely read Equish cursive.”

It was while standing there reading labels that Magnus suddenly had a small moment of clarity, and to be perfectly honest, he nearly slapped himself for not seeing it sooner. It would seem the old mare was tired of waiting and decided to help things along a bit. She sent him down to find a barrel of drink for dinner, and then she sent Camellia in search of something too when she easily could have asked Magnus to find the liqueur. She set it up! Brilliant planned for this to happen, not knowing that Magnus had already planned to speak with Camellia.

“Clever girl,” Magnus muttered under his breath.

***

As it was the last time Brilliant’s entire family was gathered under a single roof for the foreseeable future, the dinner was exceptional, a co-op between the ponies in the family who had some cooking skills.

Several types of root vegetables cut into small pieces, lightly browned in a pan and drizzled with white wine, then whisked together with egg whites until they became light and fluffy. The entire thing was then transferred into a large square oven pan and covered with a layer of white sauce with curry and herbs. Finally, the entire thing had been slowly baking on low heat for a couple of hours.

However, that was only the main course. The first course was a light mushroom soup made from mushrooms picked during Harvest Day, and the dessert consisted of homemade ice cream with forest berries and topped with icing sugar and minty leaves. It all went down with ease, some easier than others, especially in the case of the desert, a hit with the children.

By now, Magnus had grown used to dinner in Stargard Castle; despite the fine dining room, the silverware and fine china, and of course great food, it didn’t feel like a fancy castle dinner. If anything, it felt more like a tasty dinner at some warm, kind-hearted, elderly person’s home. The atmosphere of a comfortable safe home filled every room of the castle, and in such a place conversation and laughter flowed easily.

“Tell me, Magnus, how did you like working at the blacksmith’s shop?” Brilliant Star asked, the elderly mare pushing up her glasses with her magic while simultaneously scooping up a small mouthful of baked veggies in white sauce.

Seated next to Brilliant, Magnus finished chewing and washed it down with water. “It went well, didn’t do much other than be available, carry coal, work the bellows, and make sure the place was tidy looking at all times. Also had to use the hammer a few times. Having arms and hands to swing a hammer has its benefits.”

Brilliant hummed and went back to her food. “I remember when I was young. Oh, there was always a lot of noise coming from that building. There used to be so many smiths working there, always making, always forging, always repairing. My father used to tell me what it was like when he was young, and when his grandfather was young. They made armour and weapons for the Night Guards and all future Night Guards. Adolescent ponies who wanted to be Night Guards went to the smith and had their measurements taken for their own armour. Maybe you can be a blacksmith if you want.”

“Maybe. I like working with my hands, but I’ve already decided to settle in Canterlot, so I gotta find something there.” Working as a smith sounded good, but were there even blacksmiths in Canterlot? And what was the pay like? Blacksmiths often specialized in things too.

“What else do you think you want to do for a living?” asked Camellia who sat two seats over with her parents. After news of her and Magnus mending their relationship had made its round, her parents appeared visibly at ease.

“I dunno. Back home, the jobs I worked weren't exactly something to make a career out of. Bowling alley, seasonal worker—not exactly well paying jobs. I got by with them, but having a job that earned me some cash and secured my retirement would be great. Speaking of, does Equestria have an official retirement age and pension?” he asked no in particular. Once, there was no such thing as a pension in America, and then you had to work until you received your pine suit or relied on your children to support you, although that was rare as the estimated lifespan was low.

“We have a pension, yes, but retirement age differs from pony to pony. It is very subjective, you see; sometimes, ponies love their job so much that they decide to not retire at all,” Brilliant answered.

“I'm already retired, but hey, sometimes somepony has to take care of the pipes around here. Still got my toolchest around,” Copper Top stated with a grin.

While it was good to hear that his future was somewhat taken care of already, Magnus decided to look into the matter when he came back to Canterlot. It paid to prepare for the future. As he had no idea how much he’d have saved at the proper retirement age, the matter made him curious.

“By the way, what do you plan on doing once you get back to Canterlot?” All Star asked, sitting nearby. “We live in Canterlot, you know; we could meet up one day, have lunch or something. We’d like to invite you over for dinner too when you’re free.”

“I’d like that, All Star, thanks,” Magnus responded cordially. He liked the pony, as so much because they were roughly the same age, but All Star was a very laid back character overall which reminded him of some of his friends back home on Earth.

“As for what I’m gonna do,” Magnus continued, “finding a job is first. I gotta take what I can find first of all. Then it’s looking for a place to live. Canterlot Castle’s nice and all, but I’d like some place of my own first.”

“You could talk to the princesses,” one of the older ponies, one of Brilliant’s stepchildren suggested. “I’m sure they could help you with both.”

“They could, and they have offered. Seeing as they’re princesses, I think they could fix both in a few minutes. But I also need to do things on my own too. I can’t rely on others all the time.”

“I know how you feel,” All Star stated before falling silent for a few seconds. “Hey, I know a few ponies. I can ask around, hear if somepony knows about a place or if anyone needs an employee.”

Magnus thought for a few moments, and figured out that kind of help was okay. All Star couldn’t guarantee either, but it was a chance. “That’s help I can live with.”

After dinner wrapped up and dessert was consumed, ponies retreated to the gallery to digest and relax. There they sat around, spoke, and simply waited for the time to leave. Some of the foals had fallen asleep nestled close to their parents, and the rest of the very youngest looked as if they were about to visit Luna’s realm too.

“I’m sleepy, daddy,” Winter Wind’s daughter, Nightflower said, yawning, walking up to the couch her father rested on while rubbing her eyes with a hoof.

“Come here, sweetie.” Winter leaned down and held his foreleg out. The little filly curled her tail around his foreleg and Winter lifted her up by her tail and laid her out close to his belly, wrapping a protective wing around her. Magnus had seen this type of behaviour before. Bat ponies––at least foals—sometimes tended to sleep upside down, if they could latch their tails around something. He was told this after he found a pair of foals sleeping upside down hanging from a curtain rod in the living room.

“Should be about an hour now,” said Power Chord, glancing up at the old grandfather clock ticking faithfully away as it had done for decades. They all sat around the old cast iron fireplace, listening to the fire crackling while the autumn wind blew outside.

“You're all going on the same train, huh?” asked Magnus. As far as he knew, the train stopped in Hollow Shades twice a day; once in the morning and once near six in the afternoon.

“Yeah, first to Canterlot, and there we’ll switch to separate trains, going east and west and wherever. We’ll be back for Hearth’s Warming of course.”

“That reminds me,” Brilliant suddenly piped up, looking around at her family. “You are all welcome to spend Hearth’s Warming Eve here as usual.

“Hearth's Warming Eve?” Magnus had heard of a few different holidays ponies celebrated, but this one he wasn’t sure of. Had it been mentioned in passing?

“We celebrate the founding of Equestria,” Brilliant explained while she knitted away on what looked like a colourful wool cap. “We decorate our homes inside and out, and we also bring a small tree indoors that we also decorate to look nice, shiny, and colourful. During Hearth's Warming Eve, each town and city puts on a play to reenact how Equestria came to be; in Hollow Shades it is the schoolchildren that make the play. And finally, on Hearth’s Warming, we raise the Equestrian flag and then celebrate with food, and of course, we exchange gifts. Doesn’t that sound fun, hmm?”

At those final words, Brilliant looked directly at Magnus and smiled. For a moment, Magnus became sure that the wool cap the old mare was knitting was for him, even though it looked rather small.

“We’ve a similar holiday back on Earth; we call it ~Christmas~. It was originally meant to be a celebration of the Winter Solstice, but over time became a religious holiday. The way you describe Hearth’s Warming Eve sounds just like ~Christmas~, with a few exceptions of course.” Magnus had never celebrated the religious aspect, but the chance to have a bunch of people gather together, hang out, eat great food, and have fun.

“They do sound very similar, much like many things our worlds have in common, as you’ve explained earlier,” said Silverlink, resting beside her husband, looking thoughtful. “I have to ask, do you have a holiday or something similar in which you dress up in costumes and tell scary stories, or decorate your house to look scary?”

Magnus nodded. “We call it ~Halloween~, it was also a religious holiday once; ‘All Saints Eve’. In the modern age, people—children mostly—dress up in costumes and go door to door, asking for trick or treats, candy or pranks basically. We carve pumpkins to look scary or funny, and do just about what we can to make things scary and amusing. I assume you have something similar since you asked.”

“Nightmare Night,” a few ponies said in unison, flashing broad fanged smiles.

“It’s pretty much the same as your ‘Hallo Veen’, up until Nightmare Moon,” Power Chord explained. “We dress up so Nightmare Moon won’t recognize us and then we gather candy and offer some of it to her so she won’t eat us. At least, that was what we were told when we were little. Still, it’s a fun holiday filled with games and stuff.”

“Nightmare Moon? What does she have to do with this holiday?” asked Magnus, genuinely curious about how Luna’s evil alter ego became a holiday.

“It’s an old celebration from a thousand years ago,” Brilliant said, letting her knitting project lie still for a moment. The old mare looked around and found that every mare, stallion, and human looked at her expectantly. “When Nightmare Moon was defeated and banished to the moon, a celebration was held on the anniversary of her defeat each year after. I think I read somewhere in an old book about Equestrian ponytales here in the castle that the first celebrations didn’t involve costumes, only a feast. They only added costumes a couple of decades later when it was said that an earth pony spy working for Princess Celestia was discovered and managed to evade Nightmare Moon by dressing up as a unicorn mage and escaping the castle grounds, complete with a painted carrot on his forehead to complete his disguise. Thus, the tradition of costumes was born.”

The assembled ponies and sole human chuckled. A good story, Magnus thought, if a bit hard to believe. A carrot and a unicorn horn were quite different; even painted, there would be a visible difference in surface texture.

“Nightmare Night sounds like it could be fun. What kind of celebrations happen in Canterlot?” asked Magnus, addressing Power Chord. Back in his native hometown in Montana, it was the usual stuff, but also parties happening at every young adult’s house.

“Oh, there’s plenty of things to do for ponies of all ages. There’s several games held in the park, spooky treasure hunts, the midnight parade, some bars are open all night and there’s always some kind of theme to them, and there’s even a costume contest. I actually placed third last year!” Power explained before adding, “I was a statue. I posed in the park for an hour before anypony discovered I wasn’t a new statue.”

“Can’t say I’ve won any contests like that; some people take their costumes to the extreme.” He tended to go a bit traditional for his outfits, but sometimes he went the extra mile. Last year he was a werewolf, and he wore four long fake fangs, claws glued to his fingers, large claws glued to a pair of old sneakers, and spirit gum and fake fur all over his face instead of a five dollar rubber mask. Looked nice, but the spirit gum was a pain to remove.

Now that the topic of conversation turned to a pony version of Halloween, conversation really picked up the pace. Everyone present, foal and adult alike, was a fan of Nightmare Night, and the topics went from costumes of past years to planned costumes for this year's celebration, and what the different ponies had planned for this year's celebration. While most costume ideas seemed tame, a few sounded pretty good and intricate, like a costume with stilts.

Some of the ponies close to Magnus’ age also talked about their own plans. All Star threw a party each year, and Power Chord and his girls often went to bars with their friends. The older ponies were content to dress up, watch the parade, and just hang out with friends or family.

But as everyone spoke with each other, no one noticed that Magnus chose not to interact with them. Instead, he found himself watching the ponies around him with fascination while pondering the time he’d spent with them, a cup of coffee in one hand and his head resting on the back of his other. He often found himself doing the same in Ponyville.

But it was different this time compared to Ponyville. He wasn’t in Hollow Shades strictly to learn, but to meet the last known living blood link to one of his ancestral worlds. Here, it was just time passing and he went with the flow. No rush, no pressure, just being there was enough, just being… one of them. It was a family gathering, and even though he was so far removed from this tree that he felt no family link at all, he didn’t feel like an outsider anymore, nor was he treated like one. He was treated as a pony, as one of them, and to them it didn’t seem to matter what he looked like. Sure, there had been a few bumps in the road due to his unique appearance and demeanour, but all those things had either been dealt with, mended, or was no longer an issue.

A simple chat over a cup of coffee one early morning. Talking music, sports, hobbies, books, and movies. Even playing a few games of hide and seek with the foals when they asked him to play. You never got too old to hide behind the curtains. What he found out after having spent so much time with so many different ponies was that they weren’t that different from humans. Some differences were apparent though; when Magnus spoke Equish he often brought human idioms and terms to the language which could cause a bit of confusion, and to be sincere, his voice sounded gruff compared to ponies who for the most part were honestly, very soft spoken. A pony cursing was as rare as bird teeth. And he had learned that some species of birds in this world did indeed have teeth.

And the tiny little details just kept coming, but Magnus had grown used to most of them. He had settled in quite nicely among the ponies, if he was being honest with himself. His situation wasn’t as bleak as he envisioned back in Ponyville, that evening in Twilight’s castle.

He’d been shocked back then, learning there was someone with a connection to him in this strange and wonderfully magical world, even after five thousand years. That shock lingered for days as thoughts churned in his mind. Rejection, an outright dismissal, a door slamming in his face and yes, even chased from the castle were things he’d envisioned back then.

But that night he had sent the letter to Celestia and Luna, saying he would like to meet Brilliant. He had taken a gamble that he was sure he’d lose; he had simply wanted to get it over with and focus his efforts on something else, like a job and a place to live. Either he’d find some modicum of acceptance he could work with or he’d be outright dismissed due to his unponylike body and mind-set. But acceptance was what he found in Brilliant, almost instantly.

And now, days later, he sat with ponies of all ages and sizes around him. He knew them and they knew him. Acceptance from them all. It was far more than he ever hoped for all those weeks ago back in Ponyville.

‘Well, almost everything. But one thing at a time; a home, a job, and magic comes next,’ Magnus thought to himself, smiling as he did.

“Now what makes you smile like that?”

Magnus was roused from his thoughts by the mention of his name. He looked up and at the one who spoke to him.

“Sorry, what did you say, Brilliant?”

The old mare sat in her comfy chair, her half-moon glasses on the tip of her nose and her yarn and needles in her lap. “You’ve been sitting there for a good five minutes, looking around at us and staring into thin air, smiling like a fox smelling a mouse.”

Magnus looked around; sure enough, Brilliant wasn’t the only one who had noticed him. Almost everypony had seen him, and they too looked as if they were waiting for an answer.

Drawing a deep breath, Magnus sighed. “Been thinking about recent events and how things have turned out for me.”

“Mhm. And how have things turned out?” Brilliant inquired carefully, almost leaning forward in her chair.

Sighing once more, Magnus took a few seconds to formulate his answer.

“Things aren’t as bad as I thought. Things are… okay.”

Chapter 58

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Only a day had passed since the family gathering had climaxed, and the castle felt almost completely empty when Magnus woke up. It was an unusual silence compared to the usual noise of children playing and running around the castle. At breakfast, he was the only one at the table due to Brilliant sleeping in. An old mare needed her rest, and Magnus did his utmost to ensure she would sleep in peace. Later on during the night, when he returned to Stargard Castle, Brilliant welcomed him back, inquired as to how his day had been, and had prepared a small meal for him and her. Still, the castle felt unnaturally quiet.

Magnus surmised it was because the entire castle had been filled with life for so many days, and he had simply grown used to it. Now that everypony had left, it felt as if the ancient halls could only whisper the echoes of past voices, laughter and life. Once upon a time the castle might have reverberated with those sounds of the living, but now it was only Brilliant living here. Luckily, the old mare wasn’t completely alone; she had plenty of family living in town and they came to visit almost every day.

Tonight, it was only Magnus and Brilliant in the castle.

They both had retired to the living room where they sat with a cup of tea and had woven a tapestry of meandering conversation. Now those threads had exhausted themselves and they both sat in silence. Brilliant had found her yarn and needles and had begun knitting to pass the time, the local newspaper levitating before her eyes.

Magnus had to admit, he was bored. He wasn’t much for small talk now that Brilliant had found herself something to do, and the silence that fell upon them felt simply awkward. Magnus felt he had to do something instead of just sitting there, sipping tea and staring into the fire. Problem was, he didn’t know what to do.

“Not feeling good, dear?” Brilliant asked, noticing his silence and the way he sat with his head resting on the back of his hand.

Magnus hummed. “A bit bored, that’s all.”

“Try reading,” Brilliant suggested. “After all, the shelves in the gallery are stocked with books.”

Magnus hummed again. Yes, the gallery. He’d looked through those shelves several times, but tonight he didn’t feel like reading. He wanted to walk, preferably outside.

He looked out through the window; fat water droplets splashed against the window panes. Going for a walk in the chilly fall rain didn’t sit well with him; not because it was raining, but because he didn’t have rain clothes. He’d be soaked in five minutes.

Still… he didn’t have to walk outside. “I think I’m gonna go explore the castle. I haven’t seen everything yet.” Magnus stood up and placed his teacup on the saucer. He hadn’t had much time to go exploring due to there always being something going on when there were so many ponies around.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. There’re so many nooks and crannies to explore, you never know when you find something. In fact,” Brilliant put away her knitting project and stood up, “I want to come with you. It’s been a while since the last time I just wandered around the castle.”

Magnus smiled. “I’ll be happy to have a guide. You know this place better than anyone.”

They wandered into the entry hall, the major intersection of the castle. Corridors led elsewhere and the stairs led up to the second, third, and fourth floor.

“You want to explore; you choose where we go,” Brilliant told him.

Humming in response, Magnus looked up the grand staircase. He had mostly stayed on the ground floor and second floor as well as staying a few days in the basement. The third and fourth floor he hadn’t seen yet, due to them simply not being in use.

“How about we work our way up? Floor by floor, until we reach the top of the castle?” He stared up at the balustrades high above that marked the different floors.

The old mare nodded. “That we can do. However, I think we should dress a bit better. The upper floors are locked off and can be a bit chilly.”

A few moments later, Magnus was dressed in his brand new jacket and Brilliant wore a thick wool shawl around her head and back. They first walked up the stairs–well, Magnus walked and Brilliant levitated herself up the stairs—and then began the climb towards the third floor.

The third floor was sealed off, locked by a large door. Brilliant easily pushed it open and stepped inside, where she conjured up a few magical orbs of light that illuminated their path. The ease in which she used every single spell still continued to amaze Magnus. As on the second floor, they stood in a wide corridor that went left and right, interspersed with doors on both sides. From what light the orbs produced, Magnus saw bare wooden walls and bits of stone where the wood panels had gone missing or had broken for some reason, and outlines of paintings that once added a bit of decor. Brass sconces also decorated the walls, but they had corroded and turned green. Even the floor was bare, only covered by worn down wood. In some places, the wood was completely worn away, revealing stone slabs underneath.

“This is the third floor. Long ago the family used this and the fourth floor as their bedrooms. Some members and their herds lived permanently here, having turned several rooms into apartments. The third and fourth floors haven’t been used in centuries,” Brilliant explained as she chose a direction and began walking. Dust hung heavy in the air, and the air itself was cold and damp.

“Do you know how many lived in this castle?” asked Magnus as he followed the elderly mare. At the first door they came to, Magnus got curious and opened it, peering inside. Through the dim light, he saw an empty room. There was absolutely nothing inside—no furniture or decorations of any kind, only a window and a narrow beam of moonlight that pierced through the heavy rain clouds outside.

“Oh, I guess something between ten and thirty ponies. Stargard Castle wasn’t the only castle our family owned. Some of them lived in other castles, and in the past, some of them lived in the old capital, Everfree City. In our heyday, we built and lived in fifteen castles all over Equestria, from Diamondstone Castle on Nickering Heights in Manehattan, to Horn Castle in the Unicorn Range. Now, Stargard Castle is the only one in the family’s possession.”

“What about the other castles? What happened to them?”

Brilliant walked on, continuing the trek towards the east end of the castle corridor. She spoke matter-of-factly, but sounded like she spoke of old memories. “When the family lost power and influence ages ago, we had to trade some of the land we owned to other wealthy families. That meant the castles as well. While some of the castles are now nothing but ruins—and some have been ravaged by time and the elements completely—the only two castles that are still standing is Horn Castle in the Unicorn Range mountains and Bluestone Castle, north of Manehattan along the coast. Horn Castle is owned by the Thunderstorm family, a family of pegasus nobles, and Bluestone Castle is owned and run by the Equestrian army and functions as a small garrison and training camp.”

“That’s sad, that history couldn’t be preserved, I mean. Is there nothing that could have been done to save the old castles?”

Brilliant shook her head. “Sadly, no. Some of the castles that were sold to other families fell to ruin as the families themselves also fell into poverty and obscurity. Luckily, Bluestone Castle is well preserved; the Equestrian army has kept a garrison there for over five hundred years.”

Reaching the end of the corridor, Brilliant pushed open the door. It creaked on rusty hinges and as soon as the door opened fully, a blast of cold air came from within. The room was huge, as big as the living room on the first floor, and its former use became immediately clear.

It was a bathroom, or rather, bathhouse. In the centre of the room stood a huge bathtub made of several white, square cut stones, set tightly together with mortar. Magnus looked inside, noting that its depth could have been maybe a meter at most, and there were steps leading up to and into the tub from all sides. The floor was covered in azure blue and flawless white tiles, and the walls and ceiling was covered in tiles of many shades of blue, from sky blue to deep, sea blue, forming patterns reminiscent of waves and a clear sky horizon.

“This was once the private bathroom of the Count and Countess of the castle and their immediate family. Guests were also allowed to use this bathroom, especially if they were of high rank and importance. I know for a fact that both Celestia and Princess Luna have used this room in the past,” Brilliant informed Magnus, falling into a role of tour guide and trivia master.

“Did they visit often?” Magnus had to ask. He didn’t know if the two sisters were the type that travelled a lot to visit, but as rulers of the kingdom, perhaps they did. Luna, he guessed, due to her connection to the bat ponies, might have been a frequent visitor in these parts.

“I don’t know, the castle records don't mention them visiting often, but I guess that they might have stopped here when traveling to and from the Crystal Empire, or when there was business with the bat ponies,” explained Brilliant.

Magnus hummed in reply. From what he remembered from maps he had seen in Canterlot, Hollow Shades was one of the last towns before the Crystal Empire, and might have been a good place to stop by for travellers.

“Let’s move on; we have much more to see.” Brilliant turned around and pulled the magical orbs of light with her, leaving the ancient bathhouse in darkness once more.

The other end of the house was pretty much the same; bedrooms and apartments. The fourth floor was just a bit different. Empty rooms, big and large, but some were filled with old and dusty furniture, damaged in some way or another, the smell of mould and mildew permeating the air. Some rooms even functioned as storerooms for ancient decorations, such as tapestry wrapped tightly together to prevent damage, and rows upon rows of paintings wrapped in burlap, and yet another room stored ancient instruments that once filled the castle with music. Clarsachs, harpsichords, brass instruments and stringed ones; the old family members seemed fond of music, or maybe it was only for special occasions. As far as Magnus could remember, ancient nobles on Earth weren’t especially—

‘And there I go again; comparing Earth and Equestria.’

Finally, they reached the attic, the unused final floor before the roof, and it was dark and empty. The air was cold and damp, and from somewhere in the darkness came the chittering sounds of bats. The room possessed a lofty ceiling, and pillars and huge arches going from wall to wall, obviously a vital part of the roof construction. The finely-shaped stones drew Magnus’ attention, and he walked away from the stairs leading up to the roof to take a closer look. Upon coming closer, he noticed that the stones were in fact fused together. What made it appear as if the arches and pillars were made of multiple stones was a small seam-like shape on the stones themselves.

“Interested in architecture, are you?” Brilliant Star asked him with an amused tone of voice, slowly following him around as the human laid a hand upon pillars and arches, staring at everything the magical light revealed to him.

“A bit.” Magnus stroked two stones seemingly fused together by some force. “I’ve been wondering now and then ever since I came here. Some of the rooms on the first and second floor are pretty big, but they have no supporting pillars. The same goes for the third and fourth floor, and since all the ceilings I’ve seen so far are mostly flat, the ceiling shouldn’t be able to support anything the way an arched ceiling should. The gallery is an example. These pillars are the first ones I’ve seen. And seeing as this castle is basically a rectangle in shape, except for the flying buttresses outside, I’m wondering how some of the rooms in this castle are even standing. All I know about ancient architecture—and it’s not much—tell me that some of the rooms below shouldn’t even exist.”

Brilliant walked forward, placing a hoof upon one of the massive arches that held the roof up. “I’m surprised you noticed. Most ponies do not see it. Let me ask you, do you know which of the pony tribes throughout history are the best builders?”

Scratching his chin, Magnus thought for a few moments. “Unicorns, I suppose. Magic can do wonders. I think that there might be some type of spell that can fuse stone together. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t.”

“You are right about the spell,” said Brilliant with a smile and a nod, “but historically speaking, the earth ponies were—and are still—the best builders, architects, and engineers amongst the tribes.”

Magnus was visibly surprised. “How? How can earth pony strength beat magic when it comes to building?”

Brilliant chuckled. “That’s a very unicorn point of view, and very old-fashioned. Even a few hundred years ago, what you just said would be frowned upon. But the fact that earth ponies do not have magic like you and I do is what made them the best builders.”

“I knew it; still being a bit racist,” Magnus muttered silently to himself, thinking back to comments he had made what felt like years ago.

Brilliant walked forward, under arches and beside pillars, touching each stone gently. Despite their old age, nary a crack was visible on the ancient stone. “While pegasi built their cities in the skies, away from us landlocked ponies, they had little use for strong fortifications, except for their sky forts near griffin territory. Unicorns in the old kingdom wished to display style, wealth, extravagance, magic, and power, which they felt reflected in their castles, forts, and houses. Earth ponies, however, relied on fertile earth and solid stone. They tilled the earth and shaped stone, dug deep foundations, mined for iron, and forged durable tools to aid them in their building. As a result, their castles and fortifications were extremely durable and well made, reflecting the earth ponies themselves.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with this castle?” Magnus asked, wondering if Brilliant had gone off track during her explanation.

She turned around and pointed at the arch above her. “I suspect an earth pony master architect had a hoof in the construction of this castle—he or she might have been hired to build this castle. These massive arches are a classical display of ancient earth pony master craftsmanship. The arch was further strengthened by geomancy spells, geomancy being a type of magic that has to do with stone, such as shaping and even fusing two stones together to make one stone. That is how these arches and pillars were made and strengthened, a cooperative display between earth ponies and unicorns. Many years later, another fantastical display of castle construction was completed, one much greater than this castle. Canterlot Castle had all three tribes involved in its construction; an earth pony architect built it, unicorns enchanted it, and pegasi made it weatherproof,” Brilliant explained.

Magnus nodded, giving a low whistle that echoed. A fantastic piece of craftsmanship which combined the best of two tribes. Now it made sense, except for a few things.

“How about the flat ceilings downstairs? Are they also tricked out with magic too?”

“They do not support anything—the ceiling panels are only panels. The secret is behind the panels.” Brilliant grinned. “My father had some of the panels in one of the downstairs hallways changed when I was young. When the carpenters removed the ceiling panels, they discovered that the original ceiling was constructed as one continuous arch that supports the ceiling the entire width of the hallway, albeit at a lower angle than here. Have you not noticed the thickness between the ceiling on the first floor and the floor on the second floor is quite thick? The arches supporting the ceiling are all hidden behind panels painted and carved in order to look more elegant.”

“And the arches all over the castle in every room make sure that the weight pressing down from above is spread out and down! And when the weight reaches the outer walls, the buttresses spread the weight all the way down to the ground! The castle walls bear minimal weight!” Magnus finished, awestruck as he realised the ingenuity he was presented with. Stargard Castle was an engineering masterpiece! A phenomenal piece of work combining master masonry, master magic, and master architecture. And it all predated anything built by humans! The first building that he knew of that utilised arches, vaults, and flying buttresses was Notre Dame in Paris, and that cathedral was 800 years old. But here stood a castle, built in the pony equivalent of Gothic architecture, and predating anything similar built by humans by who knows how many centuries.

After hoisting his jaw back into place, he and Brilliant continued up onto the roof. Rain would have made their clothes wet in a matter of moments, but Brilliant knew how to handle a bit of water.

Her horn shimmered, and in the blink of an eye a half sphere of magic, a shield similar to the one Shining Armor could conjure, appeared over their heads, blocking rainwater from soaking them. Magnus tapped his knuckles on it, making the half-shield ring like a bell.

“I didn’t know you could do that with magic shields.”

“A beginner can’t. I, however, am far from a beginner,” Brilliant quipped with a sly grin.

“Well whatever, you gotta teach me the basics of that one. Handy spell to have.”

The roof was constructed in such a way that the centre of the roof was raised just a few degrees higher than the rest, meaning that rainwater would flow out towards the sides and into stone rain gutters and, from there, would be transported to stone gargoyles that leaned over and out away from the walls. On all sides, gargoyles depicting all manner of monsters and even sapient creatures vomited water away from the castle's walls. In the centre of the roof stood an undersized open tower, with a shingled roof above it. It was far too small to be a watchtower, as the roof of the keep was good enough.

In the distance, Magnus could make out the lights of Hollow Shades. Even farther away, lightning strikes and thunderbolts lit up the landscape and the mountains that surrounded the entire forest and region of Hollow Shades. In one way, even in darkness and rain, the forest kept its natural charm.

Magnus wanted nothing more than to pack his stuff and just vanish into the forest for a few days, just wandering, exploring, living off fishing and whatever nature could provide him with. He was far from a novice in the wilds. His grandfather had taught him various skills in order to live in the forest. In his youth, Joseph had been to many places and learned many tricks which he passed onto Magnus. Building shelter during summer and winter, where to forage for food, trapping, and many other wilderness survival skills had been passed on to Magnus, who had absorbed them eagerly.

This world, Equus, was different. Strange beasts, strange and unknown plants, some of which Magnus wasn’t sure he’d be able to recognize if they were edible or not, and not even which plants could be used for medicine, if it came to that. That was a situation he aimed to fix. Not now, not tomorrow, but in time.

Walking over to the parapet, Magnus knelt by them and looked over the walls. It would be a decent drop if he fell, but far less than in Canterlot. Below, the garden looked more like an untamed patch of ancient forest rather than a garden, except for that tiny green spot near the front door. He had heard from some of Brilliant’s family that the old mare liked to sit there in good weather and enjoy a cup of tea on warm summer nights. To be honest, he would have liked the same, except in the sun.

Brilliant inhaled deeply, looking from left to east. Nothing but forest, and in the distance, mountains. “From these walls, generations of my ancestors and your kin have kept watch,” she said proudly, exhaling and smiling. “Guardians of the county of Hollow Shades and beyond, willing defenders of Equestria in times of need, builders of castles, founders of villages and towns, explorers, merchants, diplomats, wizards and mages.”

Magnus hummed, filling his lungs with crisp evening air. “You sound nostalgic; did you grow up hearing that? Do you wish that the old fame and glory was still relevant today?”

Brilliant didn’t immediately respond, instead looking thoughtful. “I often heard my father talk of the olden days, and he heard it from his parents, and they from theirs. At one point, I guess someone wished for the old days to return; the fame, wealth, respect, and it rubbed off onto their children. My father worked toward that goal most of his adult life. He was a banker, you know, not quite wealthy but he could afford a few things. He sought connections, wealth, a way to restore some semblance of nobility to himself, his wives, me. When he was a child, this castle was in worse shape, but he spent a small fortune restoring parts of it when he got older. It is due to him that the castle is not a drafty ruin,” she said, sounding proud at her father’s work, rightfully so. “But the fame and glory, never.”

“Why not?”

Brilliant turned to Magnus. “Both are a slow-working poison,” she stated firmly. “Look at the nobles in Canterlot; they constantly play the game. Influence, wealth, fame, kissing up to each other and the Crowns, deathly afraid of losing even a little bit of influence. A wrong word, a sentence misspoken, even wearing the wrong clothes, and everything they’ve worked towards can break apart. That is a game I never want to play.”

“I… I’m afraid you lost me,” Magnus admitted, wondering what game Brilliant hinted at.

“The game,” Brilliant began with a sigh. “The constant game played by the nobles of Equestria. We Galaxy once played the game too, and we played it well for ages. The game is many things, but in essence it is what the nobles crave and fear losing; influence with the royalty and each other, bits, property, fame, glory. It can be played about anything; the finest dress or suit in Equestria, the newest carriage, the finest and most luxurious mansion, the money to spend on anything you can possibly desire. It is a game that has been played ever since Equestria was founded, but ages ago it was all about influence and power.”

“Some kind of contest then? A power struggle, only civilized?” Magnus queried, various ideas popping into his mind. This kind of game of influence was common in various European kingdoms a few centuries ago. Whoever stood closest to the throne was the winner, and also, the most dangerous one, because he or she had the ear of the ruler. A sneaky, underhanded, and charismatic person could easily influence the decisions of the ruler to their own advantage and they often did.

“Of a sort. These days, it is mostly a game of influence, wealth and showing off, but go back a few centuries and it was quite different.”

“Sounds like an expensive and difficult lifestyle.”

“Oh, it is. I consider myself lucky in that regard; I am too poor to play such a game,” Brilliant replied, laughing merrily the way only an old woman can.

***

On their way down from the roof, Magnus asked if there was more to see in the castle, and according to Brilliant there was.

The basement, parts of which had been converted into extra guest rooms, held a secret that had yet to be discovered. According to some ancient floor plans found by Brilliant’s father years ago, there were two basement levels; the one with the cells turned into bedrooms and another one below that. However, the passage to the second level basement had been sealed off sometime in the past, and not even Brilliant knew where the door had been and the floor plans gave no clues as to where it could be. Not even knocking on stones to listen for a hollow space behind them helped; the walls were simply too thick.

However, there was one place left for them to explore, a place rarely visited by anyone, and that place was at the west end of the house.

At the end of the first floor corridor stood an oak door, unassuming and somewhat shoddy in appearance. It hadn’t been painted or treated in any way. In fact, it looked way too common to be in this castle.

“Where does this lead?” asked Magnus, pushing open the door, eliciting protests from the rusty hinges. The corridor beyond was dark and cold.

Brilliant came behind him, her orbs of light floating around her. “This was once the servant quarters,” she said and took the lead. On both sides of the corridor were doors, resembling the door leading here.

Pushing open a door, Brilliant and Magnus walked inside. The room was square, had a small window, was plain and simple and the walls, ceiling, and floor was made of stone, and with no furniture.

“The servant staff lived in these rooms, two in each. They had two chairs, a table, and shared a dresser for their working clothes,” explained Brilliant. It was freezing cold and damp, and whoever lived here must have lived a hard and cold life, working from sunrise to sunset on a meagre salary.

They left the room, walking further down the corridor, passing several rooms similar to the first one. At the end of the narrow corridor, they came to a much larger room, rectangular in size with four large windows and a large hearth complete with rusty old chains and metal rods on which cooking pots could hang over the fire.

“This is where the servant staff spent their free time. Here they could cook their own food, wash their clothes, and sleep if they so wished. I once read that there was a large table here that could sit twelve or so ponies and benches for them to sit on, but it must have been thrown away, likely due to the dampness here. It must have begun to rot,” Brilliant explained, walking over to the old hearth, peering up the chimney. “This old chimney is wide open. I should have it closed—who knows what can crawl down here, not to mention the dampness.”

Looking around at the cold and uncaring stone walls and floor, Magnus sighed. Sure, he knew perfectly well what conditions the peasants and serfs lived under during the dark ages and further through the centuries. Now he knew that the same happened here in this colourful and magical world. But standing in the coldest place in the castle, knowing that little ponies lived in such a cold place gave him chills; it just didn’t feel right. They were so small compared to him, so fragile looking, almost like children.

“I don’t like this place,” he firmly stated with pursed lips. “How was the castle staff treated back in the day?”

Brilliant turned around, and by the look on her face, Magnus knew the answer. “I’m sad to say, servants weren’t particularly well treated. They weren’t mistreated, but they were certainly not seen as equals. To the ponies who worked in castles such as this, it was a way to put bread on the table. To the lords and ladies -not just here, but elsewhere too- servants and peasants were beneath them, and sometimes they treated them as if they were lesser beings. This is particularly true when it comes to unicorn nobility.”

“So, bad pay, derogatory comments, treated as mud under a hoof? That sort of thing?”

“Yes,” Brilliant admitted. “Even after the founding of Equestria. But after Celestia and Luna became princesses, they created several laws that ensured such treatment would not happen, anywhere. Those laws are still in use today, although modernized. These days, butlers, maids, and ponies working in castles, mansions, and the like, have laws that protect their rights and guilds that ensure they have jobs, are well paid, and have legal representation. Being a butler or a maid is no longer seen as a lower class job, but is in fact, quite well-paid and a respected line of work.”

Magnus nodded, pleased that things weren’t as bleak now as it once was. “That’s good to hear, but these rooms still feel wrong, so different from the rest of the castle.”

“That they do,” agreed Brilliant. “But you see, not all the ponies that worked here used these rooms. Maybe in the beginning they lived here, but much later, they lived in their own houses. Long ago, there was another castle wall surrounding this castle, and that wall went further out than the one we see today. Within the old wall, ponies built their homes and plied their trade as workers and labourers. After the bat ponies came to Equestria and founded Hollow Shades, ponies moved there as it became a more centralized place of living—in short, a proper village instead of a collection of huts and shacks surrounding a castle. Still living close to this castle, coming here to work was simply a short walk, and these rooms became sleeping quarters for those that began their work early or worked through the night.”

Magnus nodded in understanding. “I see; sleeping quarters for the night shift and the shift that started work very early, say, kitchen staff and ponies that lit up the fire in the living rooms and heated up water for washing clothes, right?”

“Just so,” Brilliant stated with a nod. “I’m afraid that this concludes our tour, unless you want to go exploring on your own. I’m sure there are more secrets in this castle. It is, after all, very old.”

While the prospect of going spelunking on his own was enticing, Magnus felt he had seen all there was to see for now. He was sure, like Brilliant said, there might be more secrets hidden somewhere, but then he’d be here for decades maybe. “I think I’ll pass.”

Now having seen the entire castle, Magnus and Brilliant left the old, cold servant quarters, and made their way back to the living room. However, they didn’t get that far.

Brilliant walked slowly, and Magnus knew well and full that the old mare had some health issues. Now and then, she would hiss through clenched teeth and stop for a moment to rub her hip, which seemed to be her major issue. The first time she had done this, Magnus had asked if they should go back, but the old mare had refused.

“Just my hip acting up, it’ll pass,” she had said.

But now Brilliant had to concede. “I need to stop and rest for a few moments.” Pushing open the doors to the gallery, she limped over to the centre of the room and sat down on the old couch, pulling a comfy wool blanket over half her body. The gallery was already warm and cozy, thanks to the wood burning stove in the centre of the room.

“You okay? Want me to get you something?” Magnus asked.

Brilliant smiled. “Oh, I think I’ll be fine; just let me rest for a little while. I wouldn’t say no to a little bit of tea, though.”

“Say no more; I’m on it,” Magnus replied eagerly. Fetching tea and cake after a grand tour of Stargard Castle was the least he could do.

He first went to the living room for the teapot, and as expected, the water within was cold. He then went to the kitchen, filled the kettle and set it to boil while he gathered up the rest. Sugar, lemon slices, Brilliant’s favourite brand of tea, two cups and saucers, and a small tray with an assortment of cookies and cake slices. When the water boiled, he poured it into the teapot and carried everything back to the gallery.

When he came in, he noticed Brilliant had moved. She no longer sat on the couch, having moved to the rear of the room, sitting on one of two large comfy chairs near the tall windows and the family tree tapestry.

Setting the tray down on the table near her, he poured water for her. “Brought some cookies too. Dunno if you wanted some, but here you have just about everything you need for tea.” Magnus sat down on the other chair.

Brilliant smiled as she took out a tea bag and plopped it into the cup. “Thank you. I may not have asked for cookies, but I certainly won’t let them go to waste.”

Man and mare then sat in silence, drinking their tea while the rain splashed onto the windows. Occasionally, flashes of lightning lit up the skies outside and the little mountain behind the house, or was it just a steep and rocky hill? Not sure of the correct terminology, Magnus at least saw the outlines of the tower on top of the mountain.

“That tower up there, what is it?”

Brilliant followed where Magnus was looking. “Oh, that. It’s an old lookout tower. From it, you can see other towers and beacons that we used long ago.”

“Beacons? You mean signal fires?”

Brilliant nodded. “Yes. Have you noticed how Hollow Shades is surrounded by mountains on almost all sides? Long ago, my ancestors built several watchtowers of stone on top of certain mountaintops surrounding the entire forest as part of a defensive system. If an enemy army approached, the guards on top of the tower could light a large bonfire whose flame was visible over long distances, and the lookouts on top of the tower up there could see the fire and warn the lord and lady of the castle. In case they were unsure which tower lit the fire, there is a series of holes in the walls up there that if you look through them, you can see each and every tower, and the direction and which tower and mountaintop you can see is carved into the stone next to the hole.”

“Smart,” Magnus said with a nod of his head. “I guess even peaceful Equestria needed watchtowers once upon a time.”

“Yes,” Brilliant said simply, lacking emotion and tone. “Equestria’s past was very much different than it is today.”

Magnus got the feeling that Brilliant wasn’t telling him everything, most likely because she knew what bloody stuff her ancestors had gotten into. But that didn’t bother Magnus at all; humans had done some horrific stuff too, and this wasn’t a competition. All civilizations have their good and bad stories, even small colourful ponies.

While sipping his tea, Magnus looked to the side and the tapestry that hung between the windows. It had been rolled up since the last time he looked at it. He had only seen part of it the day he came here, and now that he had time, he wanted to take a closer look at the family tree, a look at more recent history.

Lighting up his magic, he attempted to operate the crank from a distance with his newfound abilities. That, however, was not entirely successful. No matter how much he struggled or worked his magic to get a better grip, to wrap his magic around the crank, he couldn’t even make it budge. It was simply too much for him.

“Heavy?” Brilliant asked him with a slight smile.

“Feels like I’m trying to balance this castle on my horn.” Eventually he gave up and walked over to the crank and began to turn it.

“Don’t feel bad; all you need is time and training and you’ll get there. Nopony has ever become a master in mere weeks,” said Brilliant encouragingly.

“I know, but after how much time I spent imagining magic when I was younger, I sort of hoped that imagining counted as some sort of training,” Magnus grumbled.

Turning the crank, the cloth family tree revealed itself, and the first named pony appeared, that of Oaken Scroll. Next to him were two names, both sounding feminine as far as pony naming traditions went, and below, their four children.

The more Magnus unrolled the tree, the more names appeared. Under each name was embroidered the year of birth and death. Some lives were long and some much too short. He quickly realized that infant mortality rates had been high once upon a time, and not even magic could help the little ones. A sad truth, but the same happened on Earth as well.

As generations revealed themselves at the top and disappeared into the roll near the floor, a charred patch on an otherwise name-filled piece of silk appeared. Here Magnus stopped cranking.

Who was this unknown pony? What had he or she done? What manner of crime deserved their name to be struck from a family tree? Luna knew who this pony was, and probably Celestia too, and the former refused to say anything about it.

Judging by the dates of the names surrounding it, the pony had lived sometime roughly between 1125 to 1175 years ago, and their parents were named Luminous Wind and Aurora Ribbon. The unknown pony had had a sibling named Lightshower.

“Still curious about that one?” Brilliant asked, having noticed what drew Magnus’ attention.

“A bit. Unusual to see a family tree so complete, and then someone going to such lengths to destroy one pony’s name.” He looked over to Brilliant. “Did you ever try to find out anything about this one?”

Slowly taking a sip, the old mare nodded. “I did. All the books about family history I have didn’t mention that one at all. A few pages have even been torn out. I know that Celestia and Luna know who that pony was, maybe even knew him or her well, but Celestia is even more tight-lipped than Luna. Perhaps it is for the best to let that one go; some things are better left forgotten.”

Magnus turned back to the tapestry, and after one last look at the charred bit of silk, he shrugged and continued cranking. Name after name came and went, long lives and short ones repeating themselves.

Then Magnus noticed something odd about the names on the tapestry and how often names appeared. One would think that one stallion and one mare or several would produce a multitude of offspring, and they had, but somewhere around a thousand years ago, several names appeared alone on the embroidered silk. They took no spouses and had no children; they lived their entire lives alone!

“Brilliant, what happened...” Magnus was about to ask, but noticed that Brilliant was already watching him, neither smiling nor frowning.

“Keep going,” she said, motioning with her hoof towards the tapestry.

Magnus didn’t understand but did as she asked him, hoping for an explanation to reveal itself. Turning the crank revealed a similar fate becoming somewhat of a trend, the amount of family members reducing in numbers dramatically.

‘What happened here?’ His first guess was disease, but he doubted that a disease would work like this over such a long period of time. His second guess was infertility, but none of the ponies had partners either, which seemed like a deliberate choice on their part, obviously resulting in no foals.

Whatever happened, something caused ponies to not have children and not marry either, and there could be a hundred different causes. Was gelding a punishment in Equestria? That sounded like a plausible explanation, but such a punishment sounded very unponylike.

Then another event happened before Magnus eyes, one even stranger. On the tapestry stood thirty names side by side; brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins—as far as Magnus could see, all belonging to roughly the same generation. Their dates of birth were stitched in a clear and easily readable font, but the Equestrian equivalent of a question mark stood in place of their date of death, and none of the ponies except one had offspring listed. That one, likely to be a mare due to the feminine-sounding name, was the only one of that generation who had a year and date of death listed. That pony had in fact married and had two children, but even though both children created offspring, only one reached old age.

This sudden disappearance of so many ponies utterly confused Magnus, and he turned back to Brilliant, intent on finding out what had happened.

“What happened here, Brilliant?” He gestured to the tapestry. “How did so many ponies suddenly vanish? Why don’t they have years of death listed? Why did so many ponies not have children?”

Brilliant remained silent and looked towards the tapestry, a tired expression on her face. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Because of the name that is burned away.”

Shaking his head in confusion, Magnus stood up, his curiosity burning. “Huh? What’d you mean?”

Brilliant sat still, hesitating for a few brief moments, before finally closing her eyes, sighing, and standing up. She walked over to the bookshelf and lit up her horn. At the top shelf, she used her magic on a book with a red cover, one among several, but she didn’t pull the book out. Instead, she pushed it in. A click sound came from the shelf somewhere, and a small split appeared between two wooden boards between two of the shelves.

Using her magic, Brilliant opened up a section of the shelf, revealing it to be a hidden door, and beyond, a dark room. As Brilliant walked in, Magnus walked closer to take a look. The room was tiny, and there were more shelves in it, filled with more books, scrolls, old chests, and other reading materials.

“I keep the most fragile books here, along with things that are best kept… hidden.” Brilliant emerged from the room with a single book, huge and black and obviously very old, judging by the cover. “Whatever that burned away name did, it was so terrible that it has plagued our family ever since. Many decided to… pay for the crime, with their own bloodlines.”

She levitated the huge book over to Magnus, blackened leather with gilded edges and a silvered clasp holding it shut. Opening it, Magnus read the first few pages. Even though the writing was old-fashioned and difficult to interpret, he was shocked to find that it contained admissions of guilt, written by several different ponies over many years, centuries even, in which the ponies stated that they would end their line as atonement for the crimes perpetrated by ‘The Burned One’, a word that recurred many times across several centuries, a reference to the named burned away.

But that wasn’t all. Several accounts written down stated that due to so many knowing that a terrible crime had occurred, nopony actually knew exactly what happened, and there was no mention in the book itself what the crime was. In the end, it didn’t matter; the name Galaxy had become infamous and synonymous with foe, enemy, terrible, traitor, and many other words of similar description. This, some accounts said, was the main reason nopony wanted anything to do with them—not even finding a spouse was possible in some cases. But many others went as far as saying that they chose to end their bloodline as punishment for the crimes of the past.

Flipping over to the final pages, Magnus found one last entry, but this one, unlike the others, was not an admission of guilt, rather it was a statement. The writer was one Baroness Corona and her statement in particular caught Magnus’ eye.

We have decided to stay, my beloved husband Piercing Gaze and myself. Yesterday we attended the family meeting in the castle and held a vote on the future of us all. We could all feel it, the tension in the air, like before a mighty spell is cast. The words that choose all our fates. But my devotion was clear before and it still is. I am the only one that wishes to remain, but all the others have chosen anonymity.

So be it.

We shall remain and we shall be the Galaxy family, the only known ones. We shall endure the scorn, the malice, the unkindness directed at us, and we shall answer with nothing but kindness and good deeds. Our own actions shall speak for us, not the unknown deeds of some phantom haunting us from centuries ago. We shall be who we once were and we shall be ourselves.

The others will depart for Manehattan in two weeks’ time. From there, they will go elsewhere, and we will not know where they go. But before those days come, we shall celebrate together, one final time, and it shall be a party to remember to the end of our days. We shall divide what little remains of the remaining funds of the family among everypony. That way they can all start new lives with new names somewhere else, unburdened by the crimes of the Burned One, whose presence has stained our good name for so long.

In my heart, I wish to scream and yell, to scream at how unfair it all is, because I do not wish to lose my brother and sisters. But in my head, I can see the logic of it all. They wish for spouses and children. They cannot have it here when their names are tainted by a house of treason and terror. For many years, I have seen my beloved siblings spat at, their names cursed by the Mare in the Moon and even The Spirit of Chaos. Now, for the first time in many years, I see hope in their eyes and I wish them a lifetime of happiness, laughter, joy, and the sound of foals at play.

As for me, I shall stay in Stargard Castle and be Baroness Galaxy and I shall endure for the sake of us all. Perhaps one day, my children or my grandchildren can one day walk free without the weight of the name of our House on their withers. I can only hope.

-Corona Flash-

Baroness of Hollow Shades and Head of House Galaxy, written on the 10th day of Spring in the 610th year of Our Princess Celestia

Closing the book, Magnus exhaled. Things were now much clearer, a mystery mostly solved, but still… god damn!

“Wow…” he whispered, turning to Brilliant. “This is… I’m speechless!”

“I reacted much more harshly when I read this book many years ago. The Burned One destroyed us all—name, reputation, everything. The crime committed was burned into the collective psyche of Equestria, none allowed anypony to forget.” Brilliant shook her head, exhaled and sounded tired, and allowed herself a brief smile as she sank down into the comfortable yet worn couch. “But time is the greatest healer. History has largely been forgotten, and that is for the best. Celestia has never spoken of what happened; neither have Luna, as far as I know. I prefer it that way. I… we have a chance to heal now, to let the past become a fading scar and eventually become forgotten forever.”

Magnus nodded, his mouth drawn into a thin line. He could hardly believe it. Not just the crime, but the punishment the family members levied upon themselves. Ending their bloodlines? Choosing not to have children? Not even taking a spouse? He was unsure if it was duty, honour, an extreme sense of justice, immense guilt, or madness that had dictated their actions.

“Brilliant, do you blame yourself for what happened so long ago?” he asked carefully. If she did, he wasn’t sure what to do. Passing guilt from parent to child was complete insanity. No one deserved that kind of emotional luggage.

Luckily, the kindly mare shook her head and smiled. “Not at all. Neither did my parents or my grandparents. Equestria has mostly forgotten that something terrible once happened that caused our downfall, just like they once forgot that Celestia had a sister, and that took even less time—only a thousand years. Best to not speak of such things; no use in tearing open an old wound.”

Magnus had to agree; leave a wound to heal instead of picking at the scab. “But what about your family?”

“They know, but never speak of it,” Brilliant answered, further saying, “All families have their dirty little secrets, believe you me. The youngest ones don't know either.” Eyeing the black, heavy book, Brilliant sighed, and in a flash of light, the book disappeared and didn’t appear on the shelf either. “Best not to let them know accidentally either. Foals say the darndest things.” She chuckled humourlessly.

“On that, I wholeheartedly agree with you.” He didn’t even ask what she did with the book. Brilliant was smart, hopefully smart enough to completely disintegrate it.

Still, some mysteries remained, and Magnus was curious. He now knew that the Burned One was the cause of House Galaxy losing everything, but he wanted to know how exactly. “About your family—”

“Our family,” Brilliant firmly but gently corrected him

“Our family,” Magnus repeated, returning her smile with one of his own. It still surprised him how quickly she added him into her own family. “The Burned One caused a lot of misfortune to our family. What I wonder is how and why he or she did that, even after they lived. Celestia and Luna told me a few things about the Galaxy family and some things I’ve found out on my own, how they were extremely wealthy, had titles and stuff, but lost it all in very little time.”

“It’s true we were wealthy once,” Brilliant agreed, “but the fact of the matter is that I have no wealth. I have a teacher’s pension, that’s it. It allows me to buy whatever I need and maintain a small amount of this castle. But as you said, yes, the Galaxy family was once the wealthiest family in Equestria.”

“Where did the wealth come from?”

“Trade, mostly, accumulated over a very long period of time, within Equestria and abroad. We once had a great fleet of trading ships that sailed up and down the Equestrian coast. In time, ships sailed elsewhere in search of profit and goods. For ages, our coffers overflowed with gold, silver, and lustrous gemstones, as well as every single exotic and expensive commodity you can imagine,” answered Brilliant, not stopping to think for a second. “But after the crimes of the Burned One came to light and became known to all, the name Galaxy became infamous. Ships that carried our name and sigil were denied entry to ports. Trade agreements we had brokered became void, which opened up the chance for other Equestrian merchants and traders. Many other noble families turned to shipping and grew wealthy on it.”

“Okay, so that explains why the wealth stopped flowing.”

“Only part of it; we had trade within Equestria too. Mines producing metals and gems, farms, raw materials, anything you can imagine. But that also stopped as the years went by. Mines producing gold, silver, and iron dried up. By this time, our influence with the other families had become close to non-existent, and they, like vultures, circled the lands we called ours. Each time our coffers ran dry, we had no option but to sell lands to other noble families in order to maintain what we had.”

“That sounds unusual to do,” Magnus mentioned. He hadn’t heard of something like this happening before, not on Earth anyway.

“For nobility, it is very unusual, but not illegal. In fact, it’s not worse than a pony who owns a large property dividing up his property in order to sell parcels. A ruling princess must, however, oversee the trade and ensure its fairness, not only to the nobles, but to the subjects living in the traded lands too. Their livelihood must be protected and ensured to continue uninterrupted,” Brilliant explained.

“What about the demotion in title?” Magnus asked.

Brilliant laughed heartily. “Demotion? I would like to hear titles being referred to as military rank at the Grand Galloping Gala. My stars, that would be a sight.” Using her magic to remove her glasses, Brilliant wiped at her eyes, chuckling as she did. “It’s true that we had a different title once, that of Counts and Countesses, but those titles were also bartered centuries ago.”

“How did that happen? I thought noble and royal titles couldn’t be sold like that, not real ones anyway.” Magnus had heard of those titles being sold on the Internet, a tiny plot of land for a hundred dollars, making you landowner and giving you a title to boot. Worthless things, really, just for shits and giggles only.

“That was also a sale, or trade, to be perfectly honest.” Brilliant set her half-moon glasses back on her muzzle. “Centuries ago, the only land we had left was Hollow Shades and this castle. As usual, bits were in demand for many things, that of trying to maintain a noble lifestyle especially. But with empty coffers and bitbags devoured by moths, my ancestors grew desperate enough to seek an audience with Princess Celestia and explained their difficulties to her. From what I know, Celestia didn’t like that their titles should be bartered like some peddler’s goods, but she made an exception for them, due to their former good standing with the crown and the ponies of Hollow Shades.”

“I’m guessing someone really wanted to be a count. I mean, you’re a baroness now.”

Brilliant nodded slowly. “One baroness wanted the title, yes. A neighbour in fact, from across the mountains in the south. Baroness Flax Seed, a relatively 'new’ noble in the farming community of Foaldale, expressed her desire to buy the title. She offered a generous sum of bits and her own title of Baroness in exchange, thus the trade was sealed with Celestia’s blessing. Sadly,” Brilliant sighed once more, sounding tired as she raised her eyes to look upon the tapestries and paintings hanging around the room, as well as the family tree tapestry, “it only slowed the inevitable. The bits were spent within a few decades, and the title means little to nothing today, and even this castle is decaying away around me. But such are things; nothing lasts. Even noble titles can wither and rust,” she finished with a sigh.

Brilliant concluded her speech and poured herself a new cup of tea and began stirring it with a silver spoon. Meanwhile, Magnus had been given much to think about. Even though he now roughly knew the entire Galaxy family history, what stuck to him was Brilliant’s concluding words. They sounded hollow and sad, almost like the few final centuries of the family itself, trying to hold onto the past. Although she didn’t say so and had even denied it, Magnus was sure that at least some small part of Brilliant wished otherwise for herself and her family. If it was the glitter and glamour, or maybe the honour and glory, he couldn’t tell.

“I have to ask,” Magnus ventured carefully, “was there no one that was willing to help throughout all these years?”

“There was, once.” Brilliant blew on her tea, sipping gently. “We once had allies. In fact, most of the nobility in Equestria would’ve come to our aid due to alliances by marriage, be it in matters of war, debt, or any other crisis. In fact, go far enough back in time and I’m sure I am related to every single noble family in Equestria, and maybe in some other pony kingdoms and city states too. None would or could confirm it these days anyway; too much time has passed and things are forgotten. But because of whatever the Burned One did, all those alliances, friendships, deals struck and signed in golden ink were destroyed and made void. Yes, even marriages were annulled, I know. None would ever again claim any alliance of friendship with us, fearing that their reputation would suffer like ours did. So no, none would help.”

‘God, what the hell happened all those years ago?’ Magnus thought. What had the Burned One done that made the Galaxy family a pariah rejected by all and everything? All they had, what they worked towards, what they had achieved was gone overnight.

A few ideas came to Magnus’ mind. An assassination attempt on Celestia or Luna might’ve caused it, seeing as the two alicorn sisters were so highly revered among ponykind. A murderer too, maybe a sadistic serial killer, maybe cannibal, a pony version of Elisabeth Bathory perhaps. But these were only ideas and theories, nothing solid. And seeing how low the Galaxy family was brought by this unknown pony’s actions, perhaps forgetting about this pony was the better idea.

“Still boggles the mind, just thinking how much your family had and lost in such a short time,” Magnus commented, going back to the family tree tapestry and unrolling more of history, getting closer to more recent years.

“Our family. And I try not to think about it; I never had such riches anyway so it doesn’t bother me,” Brilliant replied, picking up her tea cup again, sipping daintily. “Oh, looks like you’re getting close to modern times. There is my great-great-grandmother, Pirouette, the one who looked so much like your mother. Would you like to hear about her?”

Magnus looked at the name, a baroness from nearly two centuries ago, and according to the painting, yes, she had some traits of his mother, Julia. Truth be told, even though he never knew his mother, he knew plenty of her from Joseph, even some of her hobbies, likes and dislikes. And for a moment, Magnus wondered if perhaps Baroness Pirouette was the same.

“I would like that.”

Chapter 59

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Brushing the dirt off his hands, Magnus looked around. The tools were in place, coal bins had been topped up for the rest of the day, the floors had been swept, and lastly, bits of metal, big and small, had been swept up and deposited into a barrel for melting down at a later date. Yup, things were in order.

“Hey, Hammerstrike, I’m done with the chores. Was there anything else you wanted me to do before I left?” Magnus called out over the din of the workshop, being the sound of hammers, files, and an assortment of other tools the usual fare for a metal working shop.

At the far end of the smithy, Hammerstrike sat by a treadle grinding wheel, performing the finishing touches on a pickaxe. At hearing Magnus, he stopped the wheel and looked over his shoulder; not at Magnus, but at the floor. When Iron Tower wasn’t around, Hammer was in charge.

“Looks good to me. Alright, you can go.” Hammer turned around to continue his work. “Oh, before you go. Tell Brilliant that the two of you are invited to dinner later this week, second to last or last day this week, okay? I’ll talk with the ladies and figure out a date.”

Magnus waved his hand, signalling that the message was received, as he picked up his jacket from the nail it was hanging on by the door. “I’ll tell her. See you tomorrow.”

Putting his jacket on outside, Magnus made a beeline for the small stream next to the smithy and dipped his hands into the cold water to wash away the rest of the dirt from his hands. Still, the work made Magnus feel useful. He knew now that there were jobs a human could do around here. Several weeks ago, when he began entertaining the idea about a job, he felt somewhat dismayed. Magic, he thought, was certainly a better way to do things around here. What couldn’t it do? As time passed, he learned that even though this world was a magical one, magic wasn’t used for everything. No, physical labour was necessary, and that was something he could do. Yes, even minor work had given him some positive experiences to bring with him into the future.

After washing his hands, Magnus headed towards town, hands in his jacket pockets and eyes aimed upwards, not in a hurry. Tonight was especially nice to be outside. The moon was full, the stars were twinkling, not a cloud in the sky, and the air was cold and crisp, just the same as it was back home in Montana, mere weeks before the first snow fell. He almost expected to hear the crows flying high and cawing. Snowcallers, his grandfather had called them. You always heard them before the snow fell, rarely in spring or summer.

‘Won’t be long now,’ he thought to himself. ‘Gotta wonder what ponies do during winter. Probably won’t sit inside all day. Do they have skis?’ Already, he was making brief plans for winter activities for himself, skiing being one way to get around outside in deep snow. He’d never been a fan of snowshoes; too bulky and slow, while skis were sleek and light to get around on.

The first few houses quickly came in sight, and mere moments after that, Magnus wandered through the streets of Hollow Shades. Both bat ponies and non-bat ponies milled about. It was like Ponyville, if the sun and moon had changed places—a lot of activity and ponies about, but in moonlight and starlight instead of sunlight.

As usual, Magnus drew a few looks, but as soon as he saw them wave or say good night, he recognized it was friendliness instead of curiosity, although those foals huddled together across the street, spying on him, looked like little bat pony versions of the CMC. Incredible how cute foals became even with those tiny stubby fangs and batty wings.

Upon reaching the town square, Magnus stopped and looked around. He originally had planned on going straight back to the castle, but then he’d be alone. Once a week, Brilliant would head into town and meet with old friends of hers. Hollow Shades had a Seniors Club that’d meet up once a week for a variety of activities and hobbies together at a community building next to the town hall, and tonight was the night they’d meet. Although he could just go back to the castle and find a big secret book on incredible magic, Magnus felt the desire to be outside for now. He’d been cooped up too long in the castle, and now that the weather was nice, he intended to capitalize on it.

Picking a street at random, Magnus began to walk, just to see where the road led him to, and he soon began to gaze in wonderment. Both sides of the road were lined with large trees with thick trunks, which had homes carved into them. It was amazing to see; a multi-storey home carved out of the interior of a huge tree, with windows and a front door, and even balconies. And strangest of all, the tree was still alive, despite having such ‘damage’ done to it.

With homes built into a tree, architectural style was impossible to see, at least from the outside. He had no idea what it looked like on the inside, but he knew that he’d see one soon. Hammerstrike and his family lived in a treehome, but he didn’t know exactly where in town. The point being, Hammer had talked about inviting him and Brilliant to dinner one day.

Reaching the end of the street, Magnus walked along one of the crossing roads and up a few streets until he found one that looked interesting enough to him. The houses were different here; some were treehomes, others were houses built among the branches of trees, and others again looked like the standard wood or black stone construction.

While looking a bit worn down, the homes of Hollow Shades seemed cozy enough, Magnus thought while walking slowly along the street, watching with great interest the neighbourhood around him and the ponies that lived there. Of course they easily noticed him wandering through the street, stopping what they were doing in order to stare at him for a few moments. Some of the bat ponies worked outside, tending to their dead or dying gardens, making compost or other chores, and others just sitting outside, enjoying the moonlight as if they sat in the sun.

Ending up at the market square again, Magnus once more chose an interesting street at random and headed down the street for some exploration. Repeating this procedure several times, he began mapping out Hollow Shades in his head, sorting out streets, houses, stores, cafes, restaurants , and the local bar. For a town that was roughly twice the size of Ponyville, it didn’t feel that much larger, mostly due to the trees everywhere obstructing the view of just about everything.

And opposed to Ponyville, the airspace above Hollow Shades was filled with flying ponies. The often-heard short screeching sounds they emitted stopped any collisions from happening, and their excellent night vision also helped a great deal.

After wandering around for about an hour or so, Magnus ended up at what he thought to be the south end of the town. This area was quite open compared to the rest of town, and the presence of benches, ponds, little streams, and playground equipment, as well as the copious amount of ponies sitting about told him that he found the local park. Picnics, stargazers, foals playing on playground equipment and playing games such as hide and seek— all this happened during the middle of the night. For a man used to the waking hours of the day, all this was a bit bizarre.

Following the softly lit path, he gathered the attention of some of the locals.

“Hello,” one smiling bat pony said to him.

“Nice night, isn’t it?” said another.

“Eeeee!” cried a few colts, jumping out from a bush in an attempt to scare him before running off, giggling mischievously .

It felt nice to be treated like a local and not as the newest thing in town.

Following the path and the lamps lighting up the way, Magnus came upon a strange-looking feature in the park. On a small hill stood a tall hedge with a gate set into it, and an ornate brass sign above the gate that said Hollow Shades Memorial. Wondering what this memorial was for, Magnus opened the little gate and went in. Beyond the gate was a wide open area, rectangular in shape and about as big in size as the town square. A variety of bushes and flowers, now dead or withering as summer was well and truly over, had been planted everywhere along the sides and in large flower pots, and several benches were placed within the hedge rectangle. Magnus felt as though he had walked into a church, especially since all the benches faced the same way, towards a large and wide pedestal which had five statues standing on it, one of which was very familiar. Behind the statues stood a large flat slab of black stone, reminiscent of obsidian, and it had unknown symbols carved into it. Upon closer inspection, the symbols appeared to be inlaid silver.

“Luna,” Magnus murmured as he walked closer to the pedestal. The statues were all life-size and the center one was the Princess of the Night herself, easily recognizable even in stone. She stood in a relaxed pose, as if the troubles of the world didn’t exist for her, gazing smilingly down at whoever stood in front of her. Magnus had no doubt that whoever carved these statues must have been a true master, worthy of a name even during the renaissance; the lifelike quality was uncanny and there wasn’t even a single mark of a tool or file anywhere on the statues. The statues were polished to the point that the surface of the stone was like glass.

Beneath Luna’s statue there was a silver plaque, polished to a mirror finish, and inlaid with letters of another metal, jet black, contrasting perfectly with the silvery background. The letters read:

Luna, Alicorn of the Moon and Princess of the Night

When we were doomed, you saved us

When we starved and thirsted, you led us to food and water

When we were homeless, you gave us a home

For these things and so much more, we are eternally grateful

“You saved them?” Magnus said out loud, looking at Luna’s statue.

On both sides of Luna stood statues of four other ponies, but these were dressed differently. The two on Luna’s right wore armour resembling the Night Guards’, appearing older in style and seemed practical instead of ceremonial.

The bat pony guard on Princess Luna’s far right was about the height of an average pony, looked strong but not overly muscular, had large wings tucked against his sides, and a tiny bit of mane peeked out from under his helmet. He also had an eye patch over his left eye and exuded a stoic appearance. Below his statue was a similar plaque to the one below Luna’s statue.

Prince Sunshine Smiles of Transylmania

Son of King Mystic Moon and Queen Lullaby

The first true Night Guard to our saviour, Princess Luna

“Interesting.” Magnus moved over to the statue closest to Luna’s right, that of the other bat pony guard.

Adorned in the same armour as Prince Sunshine Smiles, he was skinnier and taller, with wide open eyes, extra-long tufts of hair on both ears, and a sort of playful attitude to him, evident by his little smile, carved perfectly in stone. There was also a plaque below his statue too.

Prince Frolicsome Meadowlark of Transylmania

Son of King Mystic Moon and Queen Lullaby

The first true Night Guard to our savior, Princess Luna

Nodding, Magnus was pleased, having figured out the mystery as to why these two had statues made for them. Evidently, they were the first bat ponies to join the Night Guard directly under Luna, but they were also brothers, and royalty too.

Moving over to Luna’s left, he began investigating the two other statues, that of a stallion and a mare. The stallion looked old and wise, due to his long hair, short beard, and wrinkles, but the way he stood, leaning slightly forward, one hoof raised and wings spread, made him look as if he was ready for battle. His narrowed eyes and bared fangs added to his fearsome appearance. He, like the other two, also wore armour, but his was made to cover more of his body. He also bore weapons; the leading edge of his wings sported curved blades like a sabre, secured to his wings with some kind of contraption, and metal boots on his forelegs and hind legs. His shoes sported deadly curved blades, two on each boot and as long as a dagger. Whoever got sliced by those would likely not live long.

Underneath his statue was a plaque with a description that was quite odd.

King Mystic Moon of Transylmania

Last and eternal king of Transylmania

Fought alongside Princess Luna at the Battle of the Beast and saved her life. His sacrifice allowed the Tear of the Moon to fall

He eternally rests in the land of our tribe as was his wish

Magnus scratched his head as he finished reading the plaque. The words engraved on it were strange, to say the least. Battle of the Beast and Tear of the Moon? This required a thorough explanation. Perhaps Brilliant knew what it meant?

Finally, there was only one statue left, on Luna’s far left. It was a mare, seemingly younger than the stallion but older than the other two, evident by a few wrinkles on her face. She had long wavy hair that almost reached the ground and an elegantly braided tail. She had a kind motherly smile on her lips. Magnus had no doubt that in life she must have been a very good pony; she had that look about her. On her body she wore clothing, a tunic-like garb that wound around her neck, back and barrel. She, like the rest, also had a plaque dedicated to her, and like the former plaque, this one also befuddled Magnus.

Queen Lullaby of Transylmania

By her gift of sight, she saw our salvation and gave wise counsel

In our new homes she guided us with wisdom and patience, but often wept for those lost in our old homes

And she cried with joy each time a foal was born to us and so we did our best to make her joyful to the end of her days

Separated by borders no living being can cross, queen and king now watches over us from the endless stars above

If Magnus was confused earlier, now he had absolutely no idea what he was standing before. Was it a grave, a monument, a memorial park, or something else entirely? He had no idea what this place was, but he knew it was significant. The inscriptions on the statues explained a bit, but raised additional questions.

The polished black stone slab behind the statues was filled with symbols. The subtle spaces between strings of letters told Magnus that this was a language, but one very different from Equish, most likely it was the native language of the bat ponies, Transylmanian. However, no translation into Equish was on it, so it was impossible to know its meaning.

Several thoughts crossed his mind as he sat down on a bench close to the pedestal of statues. What land was Transylmania? Where was it located? How did these bat ponies come to Equestria? How did two princes end up as guards for Luna? How was Luna a savior to them? What did the stone slab say?

So caught up was Magnus in trying to solve the mystery in front of him, he failed to notice the pony entering the memorial garden. Not until the pony suddenly stood next to him and spoke did he react.

“I have noticed you often look thoughtful these days. Today is no different.”

Startled, Magnus quickly looked to his side, finding the living version of the statue standing next him. “Princess Luna!” he said, quickly getting up on his hooves. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

The Night Princess smiled. “I made an effort to stay silent. Those who come here often come in silent reverence. May I sit with you?”

Magnus motioned to the bench and scooted over to the other end and sat down. As Luna sat down, she smiled up at the statues and did something he didn’t expect a princess to do.

She inclined her head to the four statues. Not a formal, cold bow, but a respectful one.

“I should have come sooner, to see how you fare, but my duties have been many and plenty recently,” Luna turned back to Magnus, gazing at the stitches on his forehead. “Then one late afternoon we woke up to find you in the papers yet again. Sister explained everything, including your outburst.”

“Outburst is just a polite way of saying I was very angry,” Magnus stated simply and honestly. He had explained this simple fact so many times by now, he’d resorted to using a single sentence without any further explanation.

“And losing one’s temper is understandable, but not taking it out on others.” Luna turned to the statues. “In hindsight, I believe Baroness Star intervening as she did was the correct course. While my sister wanted to bring you back to Canterlot to serve time in the dungeons there, the Baroness’ quick thinking and knowledge of the old laws assured you that you would spend more time with her and her family while also serving your sentence.”

Nodding, Magnus had to agree. “Clever old girl, isn’t she? She’s impressed me, you know? Yeah, she might be old, but her mind is still quick and sharp like a razor.” He leaned back on the bench and chuckled. In retrospect, it was rather humorous that Celestia, immortal and royalty, had been legally outmanoeuvred by a pony who was the oldest mortal being Magnus had ever met. Yeah, the irony was very real.

“The Law of Night is required learning by the nobility of Hollow Shades.” Luna smiled. “It pleases me to hear that it is still respected and held to a high standard. Speaking of law, how does your sentence go? You are working now, are you not?”

“Yeah, I’m working for the local blacksmith in town,” replied Magnus, explaining further what work he did while Luna was a patient listener.

“It sounds as if you have begun as an apprentice to the metalworker. In olden times, the first tasks of the apprentice were to watch, listen, and do simple tasks while the master explained every step of the way. I am unsure of how it is done in this modern age, but I would like to think that some things do not change.”

“I haven’t been explained much; guess that means I’m not meant to be an apprentice. Not that Iron Tower gets much work anyway, or this entire town,” said Magnus, hinting to the state of Hollow Shades.

Next to him, Luna nodded solemnly. “I believe I know what you mean.” She sighed. Magnus had an inkling as to what Luna must have been thinking of. Hollow Shades had been quite the bustling prosperous town in ages past. Nothing was immune to change in the course of one thousand years, however.

Leaning back, Magnus inhaled the crisp night air, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. Luna still stared at the statues of the four ponies, smiling faintly.

“You knew them.” It was obvious, according to the words carved into the plaques.

“I did,” Luna confirmed, her little smile growing wider. “Sunshine Smiles and Frolicsome Meadowlark; the best friends I ever had. On duty, they were the greatest Night Guards to ever exist. Courageous, swift to act, always speaking honestly, and never did wrong by actions or words. To this day, my Night Guard still measures themselves against the standards set by Sunshine and Frolicsome.”

“From what the plaques say, it sounds as if they really set the bar extremely high,” Magnus murmured, not really knowing much about the standards of the guard, but if two ponies that lived ages ago were still held as the greatest guards to ever live, then they had to be damn near perfect.

“But they were different when not on duty or in uniform,” Luna continued. “Frolicsome could always make me laugh, no matter the circumstances. He would jest, sing and dance at the strangest of times, all to entertain his fellow ponies,” Luna giggled happily.

“And then there was Sunshine. Oh, a braver pony there never was, but also courageous and daring; if he did not become a guard, he would certainly have become a great explorer, adventurer, or wandering hero. What adventures we had together,” Luna finished with a happy sigh.

“What about the king and queen?” Magnus asked.

At the mention of the king, Luna’s smile faltered. “I hardly knew King Mystic, but he deeply impressed me with his determination and courage. Queen Lullaby, however, I knew for several years before she passed away. A wiser and kinder pony you could not find. She was a born leader to the bat pony tribe, a true inspiration.”

Magnus nodded and smiled. As her smile fell when she spoke of the king, her smile returned when she spoke of the queen. Luna’s good mood when talking about these ponies was a bit infectious.

“Luna, can I ask why two ponies decided to become guards when they could’ve been royalty? Has it something to do with you saving them?”

Luna shifted her gaze from the statues to the plaques. “I see you haven’t heard the full story of the founding of Hollow Shades from Baroness Star yet.”

“Not really, no. Only thing I’ve figured out so far is that the bat ponies aren’t native to Equestria; they weren’t part of the founding tribes.”

Luna nodded. “That would be correct. The bat ponies are in fact from a land far to the south, but came to Equestria… 1633 years ago on a winter night. But they did not come all at once, just my two friends and a few sailors. But their errand was not as explorers or diplomats, but in search of help.”

“Help?” Magnus looked from the statues to Luna; she had a faraway look in her eyes, thoughtful and with a bit of melancholy in them. Something bad had happened, and Magnus was too curious to leave it alone, so he asked.

Blinking slowly, Luna shook her head and smiled. “I would be doing the bat ponies' ancestors a disservice by not telling the story of their great sacrifice and heroism. You would be told the story anyway, sooner or later, and as I was there, my retelling would be the most accurate one you could ever hear.”

Clearing her throat and taking a moment to recollect her thoughts, the Moon Princess began with her human friend as a silent listener.

“Long ago, the bat ponies lived on a vast island far, far to the south, across the seas. On their island, by mountains, jungles, and forests, they fashioned their kingdom of Transylmania over time with the muscles of their bodies and the sweat of their brows. They built grand treetop villages, hollowed out trees for homes, grew vast fruit plantations, made great temples of stone, and thrived as a tribe. But the jungles and forests could be dangerous, filled with many types of beasts as they were, and as a result the bat ponies became fierce warriors. Taking advantage of the natural darkness of their deep forests, jungles, and even night itself, they mastered their environment to its fullest. And such they had lived for ages.”

“By the time of this story, their kingdom had been at peace for a long time. Nopony could have foreseen the calamity that suddenly rose from the sea and crawled onto land.” Luna’s brows furrowed and eyes became hard like steel.

“Calamity?” Magnus crooked a brow. “Some type of creature?”

“Indeed a creature, but a terrible one. A crablike monster of gigantic proportions from the deep oceans, pale as the winter snow, one like it has never been seen before or after. Its shell was much thicker and far more durable than a fully grown dragons’ scales, its pincers large enough to crush a galley with ease, and the size of its body was larger than a fortress. Truly a creature worthy to be called a Monster.”

“It caused destruction wherever it went,” Luna continued after a short pause. “It broke down trees and ate them, ravenous in its hunger, devouring all in its path. However, because of its immense size, it was easily spotted and the villagers evacuated to safer places. King Mystic Moon sent his bravest warriors to deal with it, for the beast had crushed villages and destroyed and eaten the ponies’ fruit orchards. Two thousand warriors he sent, each and every one lethal in combat.” Luna paused, longer than before. “Less than five hundred returned. Its natural defences were so strong that the bat ponies’ bladed shoes and wingblades could do no harm, and its sudden bursts of speed could take their best fliers by surprise. In addition, it was highly aggressive and… hungry.”

Magnus swallowed, feeling an icy chill run down his spine. Being eaten alive was one of his greatest fears. And fifteen hundred ponies died in a single day. All he could do was hope that they died quickly.

“So… what happened next?” he asked.

“The bat ponies changed tactics,” Luna replied. “They began bombarding it from an altitude with stones, but the monster's thick shell could not be cracked. Spears and heavy harpoons fared the same, nary a scratch. Fire did absolutely nothing, other than burning away parts of the forest, simply enraging the creature as its food source became ash.”

“Hope diminished each day,” continued Luna with a sad shake of her head. “To defend his subjects and their valuable and diminishing crops of food, King Mystic Moon sent warriors out daily in attempts to find a weak spot they could exploit, or to draw the beast away from villages to buy time to evacuate. But the end result always became the same; fewer warriors returned each time they were sent out. But the situation would become even worse. Sooner or later the beast would attack their mighty capitol of stone; the fortified temple city of Vesper where the refugees gathered, when all other sources of food ran out.”

“However,” Luna suddenly said, smiling and turning to Magnus. “There was hope.”

“How?” Magnus asked with a raised brow, having become invested in the story. So far, the story, actual events even, had been about nothing but absolute terror.

“Queen Lullaby, wife of King Mystic Moon and mother of Frolicsome and Sunshine. She had a rare gift; the ability to dream of events to come. Some called it future vision, future sight, or precognition, but they all mean the same. Shortly after the monstrous crab wandered ashore and the true scope of their situation became clear, Queen Lullaby had a dream. In it she saw her two sons embark on a ship and sail north, and upon their return, a grand fleet followed them, and the night cast the fleet in darkness. But in the skies above the moon shone down, a full moon with a crescent moon in it, and the moonlight guided their way. The queen had absolute faith in her visions and knew that her dream was a sign that their people could be saved. She told her husband and sons about what she dreamt, and her husband reluctantly agreed to send his only children in search of help. Mere days later, a ship set sail from their island kingdom carrying Prince Frolicsome Meadowlark and Prince Sunshine Smiles to the north in search of aid.”

“And that’s where you come in, right?” asked Magnus.

Luna nodded. “Yes. Their ship reached our shores in the second month of winter. It took them more than ten weeks to reach Equestria. They landed on our west coast, at a small village called Applewood. These days, Applewood is a sizable city.”

“I guess the bat ponies' appearance caused a bit of an uproar?” Magnus ventured, having a little experience in first meetings and first impressions.

“Oh, they did. Some believed that the newcomers were pirates or slavers, even pony monsters with their fangs and frightening wings. The local militia forcibly apprehended the two princes and the crew of their ship and brought them to the Everfree Castle in chains, to be brought before my sister and myself. Fortunately, Celestia was away at the time and the one they were brought before was me,” explained Luna, suddenly looking thoughtful, staring into thin air.

“I had never seen ponies like the ones that were brought before me that night in the castle in Everfree city. Dark in colour, each and every single one, with long pointy fangs, and wings with no feathers. They moved so silently that if my back was turned, I would not hear them were it not for the chains around their legs.

“I did not know their language, nor had I heard anything like it. We had to use translation spells to understand them. My first impression of the newcomers was… well, I was wary, but then flattered. So few ponies in those days spoke highly of the night, or even spoke of it at all, accustomed as they were to sleep away the night and not see its wonders, yet here were two strangers and their entourage, telling me that they stayed awake all throughout the night and slept away the day. They even venerated the moon as their deity; the Silver-Eyed Goddess called Nyx, mother of the stars.”

“Did you feel more at ease with them than with your own subjects?” asked Magnus, curious as to what Luna would answer, seeing as they worshipped the moon.

“Not initially, no,” Luna replied after a moment to think, but then smiled broadly. “But after some time spent speaking with them, hearing how they venerated the night, and the immense gratitude they offered me after hearing—and seeing—me command the moon to move, I felt absolutely delighted! Such honours I had never been given before; not even my sister had been offered words of such unparalleled praise.

“However, when the matter of their plight was explained to me, I knew I had to act fast. Nopony knew how long the bat ponies could last against the monster in their kingdom, and leaving them to their fate was simply out of the question. That very morning I sent missives to the Equestrian fleets in the east and west, commanding them to ready vessels to sail and fill their holds with food and water, enough to last for months. Transport ships, galleons, galleys, many different military ships made ready to sail. When word spread, many civilian trading vessels surprised me by also volunteering to join.”

“That’s some amazing commitment,” said Magnus, impressed by how the shipping community also wanted to help. “Altogether, how many ships sailed?”

“If my memory serves me correctly, over a hundred ships of different sizes, from the west and east,” Luna answered. “It all happened so fast, days flew by in a hurry, I nary slept at all, only to speak with Celestia and tell her of what was happening. But things finally came together and our two fleets agreed upon a meeting spot, a small island just south of the landmass Equestria is on. Two weeks later, everything was in order and we set sail. Equestrian ships were built far better and we were better sailors and navigators than the bat ponies. Even though we made better time, we still struggled finding their island. The bat ponies had not kept detailed maps of their voyage; to this day, I believe they were simply lucky to find Equestria.”

“But you did find their island, right?”

“Yes, we spotted smoke on the horizon after seven weeks at sea,” Luna said grimly. “We wasted no time and set an immediate course for the smoke and found large swathes of their island ablaze. Fearing the worst, I ordered my soldiers to be ready for battle and had my armour brought up from the ship's hold and readied myself for battle. However, we found no monster waiting for us. We quickly made our way onto the island and with the two princes as guides, we found the path to Vesper.”

Luna closed her eyes and sighed, and when she opened them again, she had a faraway look in her eyes, as if she still saw something from long ago. “The remaining bat ponies were safe, but their stocks of food had begun to run low and rationing was in effect. Nearly all their warriors had been spent, luring the monster as far away from the capital as they could in order to safeguard the civilians. Sadly, many villages were lost and many innocents lost their lives. When there were too few soldiers left to draw the beast away, the king decided to burn the forests and jungle to make smoke thick enough to confuse the crab monster and harm its breathing. The desperate tactic worked; the beast kept its distance. Our arrival was incredibly fortunate, as the fires were dying on that final day.

“We met with the king and queen,” Luna continued, turning to Magnus. “Both were happy to see their sons again, and happy to see us as well. Our ships had been spotted from the highest tower, and the king had prepared for our arrival. We immediately began making plans on how to proceed. Our first plan was to fight the monstrous crab somehow, but after hearing the mighty struggles the bat ponies had faced, I began to rethink our approach. Fighting the beast with our limited numbers would surely be a bloodbath, in the crab’s favor. We never reached any further in our discussion; scouts reported that the monster was advancing on the fortress city itself. I asked to see the beast with my own eyes; I hoped to spot a weakness I could exploit and bring it down decisively.”

“What did it look like, aside from being white and huge?” His imagination had made a few mental sketches.

“Six massive legs, thicker than the thickest tree trunk, and pointy. It sank into the ground wherever it walked. Four eyes on stalks, moving like the necks of a hydra from side to side and even capable of looking backwards, and two long antennae that searched along the ground for anything to eat. Two massive pincers, one larger than the other, but both large enough to lift and crush ships with ease, and a mouth as wide as a castle gate, both sides of the mouth were covered by much smaller pincers to grab and mash food with. I saw it tear up a tree root and tear it apart with ease just to eat it. It was truly a terribly hungry monster.”

Magnus shuddered. It sounded like a cross between a lobster and a crab, a walking nightmare alright, something Godzilla would fight for the last twenty minutes of a movie, getting wounded and then making a comeback at the end.

“Did you find a weakness?”

Luna shook her head. “I could see no obvious weak spot. Furthermore, the beast quickly drew closer and we had no time to make a detailed battle plan. All we could do was start an evacuation to the ships and bring as much food and water with us as we could. The supplies we brought with us had begun to dwindle, and as such, every drop of water and every single bit of food we could bring counted, in case the battle with the crab monster would last long. But we quickly realized that we would not make it; the beast moved quickly on land, and if it reached the ships, it would certainly destroy them, leaving us stranded with the beast.”

Magnus had to agree that getting to the ships would be smart, but the ships might’ve also had heavy weapons on-board.

“Weren’t the ships equipped for a fight?”

“Some had ballista and catapults on-board, yes, but they would not have been effective against the monster; its shell was too thick. Besides, the ship was where the bat ponies were headed,” Luna replied, looking back at the statues, inhaling deeply of the cold night air.

“I quickly understood that we had to draw it away in order to buy time for a successful evacuation, but the reputation of the beast was well-known, and I would not risk the soldiers I brought or the sailors on a suicide mission. The crab beast knew how to counter flying ponies, and earth ponies would stand no chance on hoof. Unicorns, I thought, might have stood a better chance with our combined magic for defence and attack, but we did not have that many unicorns with us to make a significant difference. That is why I decided to face the beast alone.”

Magnus raised a brow and turned to Luna. “You did what?” The princess looked determined, grim and steely-eyed. Maybe she wore the same facial expression back then? Still, going up alone against a gigantic, flesh-eating crab had to require balls the size of the full moon.

“I had two distinct advantages; my wings and my magic, and only one of these the crab knew how to counter. While staying out of its range, I could bring my full magical might upon it, striking it with all the spells in my vast repertoire. With its attention on me, the guard I brought could help with the evacuation and help gather more food and water before we had to flee the island,” Luna explained.

“Didn’t your soldiers protest, you going up alone against the crab?” Magnus asked. As far as he knew, bodyguards would never leave a VIP, and he doubted the Royal Guard would leave their princess.

“They did at first, but saw reason. None could fly and bombard the beast with magic at the same time. Furthermore, more attackers meant a higher chance of somepony dying, and that was something I wished to avoid. Even Princes Frolicsome Meadowlark and Sunshine Smiles expressed their desire to fight by my side, and the venerable King Mystic Moon was already dressed for battle. But as I mentioned, their aid would be better used for helping their ponies.”

“I set out alone, flying towards the ridge where the crab climbed, on its way towards the fortress city,” the princess explained, pausing for breath. “I will not lie; I was afraid. Only fools claim they do not fear when faced with mortal peril. However, fear is good; you refuse to take chances that could very well mean you end up hurt or dead, and this time I could not take any chances, not with so many counting on me.”

Luna paused, as if setting the scene before her mind's eye. “I flew high and silently, moving behind the crab and lined up for a vicious assault. The crab moved with determination, the temple city its goal. I think it may have seen, heard, or smelled the many ponies still in the city, thinking them to be an easy meal. I, however, thought otherwise and assaulted the monster with my magic.”

Magnus was on the edge of the bench, completely enraptured with the story by now. Forgotten was the story of Gandalf and the Balrog, Merlin, Harry Potter, every single magical character Magnus had ever heard of, seen in movies, read about, or played in games. All these characters had become nothing when Luna told of her own battle and her own magic versus that of a monster from the depths.

“What magic did you use?” he eagerly asked, hoping to gain some insight into alicorn level magic. His head was filled with so many possible and impossible spells; he could hardly think and listen to Luna at the same time.

“My first attacks were varied. Simple, but powerful blasts that can be compared to a powerful strike or buck, standard spells taught to the unicorns of the guard. Then I followed up with a variety of elemental spells; fire, ice, stone and rock, wind, and many others. However, my first attacks did little. The monster's shell was exceptionally durable, and to my surprise, quite resistant to magic.”

Magnus was about to ask more when Luna turned to him, saying, “Remember, my young human, that there are beings in this world that can resist magical spells to different degrees.”

The sentence Magnus was about to utter quickly died in his throat and the hand with the extended pointing finger he had raised was slowly lowered. “Oh.” As a kid, and even recently, he’d have thought that nothing could stand against magic, unless it was a defensive spell. “So, what did you do?”

“Although my spells did little, my plan was to buy us time, and now with the crab focusing on me, the plan worked. All I had to do was fly high and bombard the crab with whatever spell bothered it the most.”

Upon hearing this, Magnus had to laugh. “You simply bullied it!”

Although Magnus laughed, he quickly shut up when he saw the look Luna gave him; she looked downright insulted.

“I’m sorry about that; I shouldn't have laughed at something so serious,” he apologized sincerely.

“Call it what you wish, the point is it worked,” the princess replied coldly. “The monster was distracted and resorted to hurling rocks and tree stumps at me, which I easily dodged or caught with my magic and threw back at it. This is what I did for almost three hours, at which time I received a signal, an easily visible magical flare sent high in the sky from the shoreline. The ships had finished loading the ponies and were ready to leave the island. It was the evacuation signal I was waiting for.”

Although thoroughly impressed, Magnus felt a bit cheated. A battle against a huge, magical-resistant monster, and all Luna did was distract it. He hoped for something more, something… fantastically magical.

“However,” Magnus almost felt his pointy ears wanting to turn towards Luna, the way her grim voice took on a bit of an edge. “On my flight back to the ships, I spotted from high above a great threat we had all missed. The entire bay, and much further out, was very shallow. A yellow sandy bottom with red reefs, stretching for many kilotrots out at sea. The ships were laden with refugees and supplies, thus they were slow. Below me, the crab monster had followed me instead of going to the now empty city. My heart grew cold when I saw it run by me, going directly for the ships. I heard the ponies on the ships scream when they saw the crab enter the water and pursue the ships. They were frightened beyond comprehension. The little ones, they cried...”

Luna’s eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. Her voice grew hard and sharp, and she spoke as if she was back on the battlefield. For a moment, Magnus swore he saw a puff of frost smoke exit her nostrils.

“I was beyond enraged! ‘How dare this foul beast threaten my beloved subjects! How dare it threaten my newfound friends!’” she exclaimed angrily. “What little fatigue I had suffered from the earlier battle felt distant when I reengaged the crab head on. I cast every spell to break shields and sunder armour I knew, and I poured on power in every offensive spell in my vast arsenal. My fireballs suddenly held a core of liquid fire exploding against its shell, spikes of ice became frigid winds that battered its defences and even froze the water below it solid in mere seconds, and the reefs themselves rose out of the water and became spiked fences to contain the beast. My second wind combined with my anger bore fruits; the beast was forced to retreat from my onslaught.”

Despite nodding eagerly and listening without interrupting, Magnus cheered internally! Now this was the kind of stuff he wanted to hear! Great magical powers destroying a monster, like something out of his childhood fantasies and adventures so long ago. He could easily imagine watching the battle between Luna and the crab monster. Luna versus the crab, Gandalf versus the Balrog. What also surprised him was the fact that it sounded as if Luna’s anger lent power to her spells.

“So,” Magnus ventured, barely keeping his excitement under wraps. “How did you kill it? Cooking it in fire or freezing it solid before shattering it?”

“Neither,” Princess Luna answered with a slight shake of her head. “Despite my anger, my forceful assault was still not enough to penetrate its hard shell. All I could do was keep it at bay, not destroy it, and with each passing moment the ships went further and further away. If I went after the ships, so too would the crab also follow and become their doom. If I stayed, I would eventually tire, and there was not a single cloud in sight to rest on.”

“Oh, that sounds really bad.” He could imagine running out of magic in a battle, at least in games. When he played World of Warcraft, he’d been in every endgame boss fight as his mage main, and going OOM in a fight had happened plenty of times, without any consequences other than guildies getting upset. But the same thing happening in real life was worse by indefinite margins.

Luna nodded. “It was. After mere minutes of calling upon all of my magical reserves, I felt magical fatigue slowly crawl closer and my stamina lessen. My movements slowed and my efforts to dodge the attacks worsened. I truly feared that I had met my demise. But it was at that moment that another pony intervened and drew its attention away from me,” Luna said proudly, turning to Magnus. “Mystic Moon, king of the bat ponies and ruler of Transylmania refused to stay safe on-board the ships with his subjects while I battled the beast on their behalf. He flew in, swiftly and silently, hind legs first and wearing bladed warshoes, and with a mighty buck struck one of the eyestalks of the crab. Although he could not harm it, the crab was shocked at such a sudden attack upon its eyes and showed signs of discomfort, resulting in it retreating further onto land.

“King Mystic and I spoke now that we had a brief moment of respite, and I asked him why he was not with his ponies. He told me that he was eternally grateful for saving his subjects from the crab monster, but adamantly stated that leaving me to take on the bane of his kingdom alone was against all he stood for.” Luna smiled warmly at the statue of the old king, as if seeing an old friend again for the first time in many years. Now that Magnus knew a bit more about what kind of pony King Mystic was, he could guess that the ferocious battle stance the statue posed in was actually how the king looked in that battle; determined and dangerous.

“What could I do but admire his resolve?” Luna asked. “I gladly welcomed his help against the beast, but we both knew very well that if we did not kill the monster soon then we would surely both tire and make a fatal mistake. Time was of the essence and my mind was hard at work attempting to find a way to break the crab. I had tried brute force, but the shell was too thick and too resistant to magic. I tried intricate spells of the mind, ones to deceive the eyes, but its defences were also there. Even simple illusions failed to work on it; perhaps its eyes could not see them? King Mystic’s finely crafted wingblades were honed to a razor's edge and could cleave a pony in half in flight, but they blunted and bent due to his repeated attacks. I understood then that our battle tactics would never work. We were doomed from the very start.”

“So how then?” Magnus asked, some of his impatience leaking through into his voice. “I mean, you’re here, the bat ponies all survived, and I haven’t heard anything about Twilight and her friends using those element thingies on some crab recently. You killed it, right?”

A toothless smile spread on Princess Luna’s face, one that looked out of place on the alicorn. She looked satisfied, but in an odd way, like a cartoon cat watching its helpless prey squirm, knowing she could kill it at any moment. Truthfully, Magnus suddenly felt uneasy by the dark alicorn's predator-like smile.

“Did you know that floating through space, there are a number of rocks in different sizes?” Luna questioned Magnus, looking up at the sky, and her silvery moon. Magnus also looked up at the shining orb high in the sky, wondering where she was going with this sudden and odd statement. “It is true. Sometimes, such rocks fall towards the planet at such speed that they catch fire; we call them shooting stars. If there are many, we call them meteor showers. Long ago, not long after I became a princess as a matter of fact, I would often wander upon the surface of the moon. To explore, to look upon Equus, and sometimes to visit the dark side to behold the endless universe and all its stars, unhindered by the light of the sun. Sometimes, I would amuse myself by tossing moon rocks into orbit, pondering why all the rocks I threw would circle the moon itself. No matter the size of the rocks, the smallest grains to the greatest boulders, they would all circle the moon. Even not on the surface of the moon, I could influence the rocks with my magic because they were still part of the moon itself.”

“Gravitational pull. Everything that has mass has gravitational pull. The rocks you threw have little mass and the moon has a lot, naturally they’ll be attracted to it and end up in orbit,” said Magnus, drawing on his own knowledge he picked up back home.

Luna gave Magnus an odd sideways look at his confusing statement, but continued nonetheless. “At the time of my fight with the crab, I desperately searched for a way to finally end the crab monster and the rocks I experimented with so long ago came to mind. I quickly formed a plan, one that was both complete and utter madness, but also desperate. It was a gamble to be sure, a desperate one, but I saw no other way and quickly explained my plan to King Mystic. He was equally shocked, but agreed to do his utmost to ensure our survival.”

“What was the plan?”

“Two parts we both had to play,” Luna began. “King Mystic would distract the beast and keep it in a small area. Meanwhile, I would search for a stone of proper size and bring it down onto the beast, ending it once and for all.”

Magnus’ jaw dropped and he was speechless, but his thoughts raced frantically. ‘Oh my good God! Are you shitting me?! Luna had a ‘Sephiroth Black Materia’ moment?! She actually dropped a meteor onto a crab?!’

Luna, not aware of Magnus staring at her in awe nor of his thoughts, continued retelling her story. “I had more than enough magic left to command the moon; it is quite easy due to my connection to it, no harder than lifting a boulder at a very long range. As I stretched out with my magic, I felt the moon respond to my command. The heavens became as dusk when the moon rose in the middle of the day, equally light and dark. King Mystic was so surprised to see the moon that he nearly got hit by the crab, but quickly reminded himself of the plan we devised. So also I began searching for a stone circling the moon, while standing on Equus. It was so difficult, like searching for a tiny grain of sand in a room of immense size, while the room is cast in complete and utter darkness. I was forced to feel with my magic, to search without eyes or feel as one can with hooves or feathers.”

Magnus tried to imagine the task Luna had, but quickly found he couldn’t relate. He didn’t even know that he could feel with magic, or what it would feel like. All he knew was to somehow wrap his magic around objects. But on a related note, he now had a new measure of the skill and magical prowess Luna possessed.

“After much time spent searching, I finally felt my magic close around something. A stone, perhaps the size of a cottage or a wagon home, good enough to shatter a magic-proof shell. Then I began my task of bringing it closer to Equus. The control I felt over the boulder was as light as a feather. It felt like the moon, only so much smaller, like it had little weight at all. But aiming was much more difficult than I had imagined. I was the haft of a flail, my magic the chain, and the stone was the iron ball at the end of the chain. The length of the chain changed as I brought the stone in faster and harder, the crab moved about, and moment by moment the stone came closer and closer. After just a few minutes I could see it with my bare eyes in the sky; a large star, moving rapidly across the skies trailing a tail of fire in its wake.”

Magnus closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it would have been like to be there, to see it happen, and then looking up and seeing a meteor coming straight towards you. Fear, he felt, wasn’t quite the correct word to use; it lacked something. Abject horror and certain doom sounded much better. How could you defend against a meteor? You couldn’t—all you could do was utter a quick prayer before everything ended.

“I was about to warn King Mystic that the meteor was on its way when it happened.” Magnus opened his eyes and looked to Luna, alerted by the sudden change in her voice. The night alicorn had a downcast look on her face, complete with sad eyes. Magnus knew that something terrible had happened. “King Mystic was a brave warrior and excellent flier, and for Faust knows how long he had kept up with the crab and not suffered a single injury, despite his age. All it took was the crab to land a single lucky hit, and sadly, that is what happened.”

Luna shook her head sadly. “He took the full brunt of the crab’s giant pincer, straight to his side. His armour and helmet was crafted by their finest smiths, but no armour could have saved him from the impact. I never heard him scream, he just flew lifeless through the air and disappeared into the underbrush of the jungle.”

Magnus looked away from Luna, towards the statue of the ancient king. He doubted the fierce warrior was the type that would’ve liked to die old and weakened by age in a bed.

“With the only one that distracted him gone, the crab never even bothered with me, as I had stayed out of the fight for a while,” Luna explained. “Now driven by hunger, it set off towards the beach once more, intent on chasing down the ships. At this moment, I had two choices; go search for King Mystic and lose control of the meteor, or leave him for the sake of everypony else and destroy the crab. It was… an easy choice, I am sad to say. He wished to protect his subjects, even with his life, otherwise, he would not have participated in the battle.”

Magnus had to nod in agreement. A warrior like him knew full and well what the possible outcomes would be, and still he fought. The more he heard, the more his respect grew for the old king.

“The crab was but a few kilotrots from the beach when I felt my control over the meteor begin to wane as the remains of my magic was nearly drained. It travelled so fast, directing it became nigh impossible. Only by using my final reserves of magic left could I give the meteor a final push to ensure it would strike true, and strike it did,” the princess stated firmly, a wicked smile adorning her lips. “The flaming stone struck right in front of the crab! Large boulders were tossed skywards, plant life nearby obliterated, unimaginable amounts of dust and dirt clouded my vision! The cloud spread outwards like a thick carpet, blocking the land below me from view. But above it all, I saw pieces of the crab monster fly through the sky; pincers, antenna, and legs. The monster was finally dead. King Mystic, his subjects, and his warriors who died to defend their tribe were avenged!” Luna concluded with no small amount of satisfaction.

Although Magnus sat stock still, playing the role of silent listener, his mind worked in overdrive and his mental self-image did cartwheels across his brain. So awesome! He couldn’t even imagine such a scene taking place in Hollywood! But that place was known for works of fiction, while what Luna did was actually true.

“So,” Magnus said carefully, trying to keep his composure. “With the crab dead, you could all return to the island, right?”

Luna glanced towards Magnus and shook her head, her former gleeful expression fading. “No, that accursed beast had one final evil trick to play, one that none could have foreseen. The bottom of the sea is a strange and unexplored place, and whatever the crab once ate deep in the abyss, whatever it made its diet of, had poisoned its flesh and blood to such a degree that the moment its shell was destroyed, a sickening green miasma erupted from its remains, now scattered over a vast area. Even high up in the sky as I was, I felt its effect. A lungful of that foul air caused me to feel as if I was being strangled. There was no air to breathe around me, and only by flying as high as I could did I manage to find air to breathe, yet the effects of the foul fumes affected me. I felt dizzy, sick to my core, my eyes watered and my nostrils and lungs felt as if they were as hot as dragon flame.”

Magnus was once again shocked speechless. The monster crab rightfully deserved its moniker; monster, in the truest sense of the word. Hard to kill, a destroyer and devourer, and even in death it could strike back one final time. He had to ask himself, does more of these giant crabs exist? And if they did, could Luna kill one easier this time around?

“How… how did…” Fumbling for words, Magnus settled for gesturing towards the alicorn.

“I live?” Luna questioned and got a nod as an answer. “High above the ground, I could barely see the ships so far away through the tears in my eyes, so I knew what direction to go. I was fatigued; my magical reserves were depleted, my lungs burned, my stamina was almost completely gone, and the effects of the sickening cloud became worse. To this day I have no recollection of how long it took me to catch up with the fleet, but I did reach them. According to the captain of the ship I landed on, I was unconscious by the time I fell from the sky and landed upon the deck. I was hurried below deck and remained unconscious for three days while the healers tended to me. It took me days to fully recover.”

“I can imagine that being an alicorn, your constitution is exceptional, compared to an ordinary pony,” said Magnus, referring to alicorns having traits from all three types of ponies, but also that they were so drastically different in many ways from mortal ponies.

“It is better than most,” Luna replied with a brief smile. “But even my sister, my niece Cadenza, Twilight, and myself can become sick. I have suffered broken bones, injuries, been bedridden by sickness and disease, been afflicted by plague, the common flu and even the cold, but have always recovered.”

Magnus made a note of Luna’s reply. Although seemingly immortal, the alicorns could in fact get sick just like everyone else. Were they ageless then, or extremely long-lived?

“What about the island, and the bat ponies? They never got back to their island then, did they?” Magnus inquired. Seeing as the bat ponies came to Equestria, their home island must have been in pretty bad shape after the crab’s rampage.

Luna sighed. “Sadly, no. As soon as I could stand unassisted, I wandered up onto the deck of my flagship to see the damage, even though I had been told what was happening at the island. The foul fumes had engulfed the island in a deadly mist. The remains of the crab were still there, rotting away, releasing their fumes, and would do so for a long time to come. With no other choice, it was decided to return to Equestria.”

“It must have been hard on the bat ponies, to see their home so close, but not being able to go back,” said Magnus, reminiscing on his own home and all he held dear and close to heart. Just thinking about what the word ‘home’ meant to him made his heart ache.

“Indeed, many tears were shed, both for their lost homes, but also for their fallen. The seemingly only bright spot in their hopeless situation was the fact that no children perished, as they had all been evacuated to the capitol when the monster began its rampage,” replied Luna. Although never mentioned during Luna’s retelling, Magnus had assumed that foals died, but hearing that every single foal actually survived those terrible days warmed his heart. They were so small, so innocent, like kittens.

“My friends Sunshine and Frolicsome were nigh unconsolable,” Luna continued. “They both loved their father dearly and would mourn him for a long time. Queen lullaby however, was different. Although she kept her sorrow in check, she put on a brave face for her subjects, who now looked to her for guidance. Only many months later did she allow her tears to flow freely. She was a strong mare.

“But our troubles were not yet over. Now we had many ships filled with bat ponies, and that meant many mouths to feed. Although the bat ponies had brought with them as much food and water as they could, and we had resupplied what we could, it would not last long. We estimated that we had only enough to last us all one week, at best. Thus, we were forced to search for nearby islands where we could resupply water and look for food. Scavenging for fruit, berries, anything that could sustain us. Even with laden ships, our supplies did not last long. Our journey would last much longer than any of us had anticipated.”

Magnus had already guessed that the return trip had to take longer. Constantly resupplying was necessary, but the ships were probably also very heavy and very slow with so many ponies on board.

“How long did it take you to return to Equestria?”

Luna pondered for a brief moment. “Nearly four months, if memory serves me right. The time spent during the voyage was one of constantly sending pegasi up high to scout for an island, seeking shelter from rough seas, as well as making repairs to our ships when the need arose. But the many weeks at sea also gave the bat ponies time to come to terms with the loss of their home. I gave the queen and the two princes my word that Equestria would offer all the help we could, whether it be lodging, food, or any supplies they required to make new homes. In addition, each night I conversed with Celestia on what to do and made preparations for our arrival.

“But the long days passed were not only spent in mourning and grief,” Luna added with a relieved smile. “Many days I spent conversing with Queen Lullaby and Princes Frolicsome and Sunshine. From them I learned many things, and they learned from me about Equestria. Many of the sailors and soldiers on board also became friendly with the bat ponies themselves, learning that they were not so different from them, despite their appearance. Many friendships were made during those dark and sorrowful days. Many orphaned foals were also adopted into new families during the voyage, which also raised morale considerably amongst the ponies.”

“So something positive came out of all the loss?” said Magnus. After so much happening to the bat ponies, they really needed a break. “How did it go when you came to Equestria?”

“By the time we arrived, word had spread far and wide,” began Luna, leaning back on the bench. “A new tribe of ponies, scary looking with their slit eyes, batlike wings, fangs, and darker colors, as opposed to so many others. There were many ponies who were very frightened of them, due to their natural differences to pegasi, earth, and unicorn ponies. Some were so frightened they refused to even go near them.”

Magnus was instantly confused. “Why?”

Heaving a sigh, Luna turned to Magnus. “As long as ponies have existed, creatures in the dark—predators—have stalked the night. Ponies feared the night because of these predators who hunt in the dark with their sharp claws and glistening fangs, so any creatures that preferred the night over the bright day were seen as dangerous and something to be feared. Simply put, it is our instinct to fear carnivores. So too did our subjects believe the same about the bat ponies. But the sailors and soldiers who befriended the bat ponies on the voyage did their best to vouch for them, often speaking publicly in their defence, saying that they were the same as us. While some heeded their good words, fear remained in many others, and the arrangements my sister did to accommodate our newfound friends proved very difficult as soon as our subjects saw our new friends with their own eyes. Mayors, village councils, elderponies—many came to my sister, refusing to house the bat ponies or even allow them to live or even go near their villages.”

Hearing ponies, small and adorable as they are, speaking and behaving like this reminded Magnus of what he’d learned about racism back on Earth. Anyone not looking like the locals were almost instantly ostracized. Blacks, Asians, Romani, Muslims, it didn’t matter their personality, religion, their beliefs or moral code; everyone who was not ‘One of Us’ became ‘One of Them’. Country and continent didn’t matter at all, racism happened on Earth, and continued to happen to this day. Magnus felt incredibly disappointed in the ponies.

But a bright spot in what happened in Equestria so long ago was that this racism against bat ponies seemed to have disappeared. However, what did the two sisters do about it all those years ago?

“Wasn’t there anything you and Celestia could’ve done?” asked Magnus.

“We tried,” Luna replied. “While we tried finding a solution, a tent village was created north of Las Pegasus in which the bat ponies could live while my sister and I attempted to persuade village leaders. However, they were stubborn and set in their ways. In a fit of impatience I sternly asserted that if the villagers did not let the bat ponies live amongst them, I would force them to do so. That... did not have the desired effect.”

“What do you mean?”

“I nearly caused several villages to secede,” Luna replied meekly, looking a bit ashamed. “I thought better of our subjects; I truly believed we were past the days of war, of animosity, of bigotry, between the three tribes. All it took was another tribe of ponies to appear and the ugliness of the past reared its hideous face once more. My utter frustration with our subjects was disheartening. I have never been a good speaker; that gift of charisma belongs to my sister.”

Magnus could imagine Luna standing before a group of ponies, yelling and nearly threatening them. He still remembered her face clearly that day he stood before her and Celestia in the throne room. At that time, he could almost feel the cold rage emanating from her. Even though she appeared calm, there was just something about her that unnerved him. But for the ponies to be on the receiving end of her frustration and anger, well, that had to be a very different experience.

“I know that the bat ponies ended up having homes here in Equestria; I celebrated Harvest Day with Brilliant and her family. Great food, and nice to do something together with them. So how did they settle in Hollow Shades?” He had somewhat of an inkling that the Galaxy family had something to do with that. After all, they had owned large parts of Equestria back then.

“Ah, now there is a good tale,” Luna remarked with a wide smile. “It just so happened that a certain captain on one of the largest trading ships that sailed south with us was one Count Sea Spray, which just so happened to be, at the time, the head of the Galaxy family. He saw the destruction of the homes of the bat ponies first hoof and felt immense pity for them. Upon hearing of the village leaders refusing to let the bat ponies live in their villages, he gifted the entire forest of Hollow Shades to them. A grand gift, if I may say so myself.

“Within a week, the bat ponies began their trek towards Hollow Shades, and upon arriving began building their homes. Some preferred to build their homes upon the strongest and sturdiest branches, while some used tools to hollow out tree trunks and make cozy homes out of them. Meanwhile, my sister and I sent wagon loads with food and various supplies for the bat ponies. But the food would not last them all throughout the upcoming winter, thus the bat ponies began foraging the forest for food, inadvertently creating the festival known as Harvest Day. The next year many plots of land had been cleared, ploughed, and seeded to grow enough food for the bat ponies.”

“That was immensely generous of the Count,” said Magnus, extremely impressed with his altruism. The forest was not a small parcel of land either. He didn’t know how many square kilometers, but hey, the bat ponies could build a large human-sized city in the forest if they so wished and have plenty of land to spare. That long ago, the Galaxy family was at its peak, meaning they also had enormous amounts of land to spare.

“It truly was,” Luna agreed. “Each and every day, over months and even years, their new home grew by leaps and bounds. I am not sure how many bat ponies lived in Hollow Shades at the time, but their new village, or shall I say town, was at its heyday more than ten times larger than it is today. The small settlement surrounding the castle became over time part of the new village of Hollow Shades, and its villagers also came to befriend their new neighbours. A few locals did not like the bat ponies at all, but the Count gave them the option to stay or leave. While some moved elsewhere, most ponies stayed. Ever since, the bat ponies and the Galaxy family have been good friends. And here, the seed of new friendship took roots and grew. Our subjects grew accustomed to the bat ponies, and within ten years the old mistrust was almost completely gone.”

Glad that things had sorted themselves out for the bat ponies, Magnus was curious regarding a few minor details. “What happened to the Queen and the Princes then? Did Queen Lullaby continue her rule over the bat ponies?”

When Luna didn’t answer and even looked bothered by his query, Magnus began to wonder if he had asked the wrong question. He was about to retract his question when Luna groaned.

“I hoped you would not ask that,” she began. “Yes, Queen Lullaby ruled for some time, but after four years she abdicated. When I asked her why she wished to step down, she told me that they no longer had a need for a queen, that they had somepony better than a queen. When I pressed further, she explained to me that the bat ponies looked to me for leadership, and that they had started building a temple for me. They... worshipped me, prayed to me, made intricate ceremonies all in my honour.”

“They thought you were a goddess?”

“Yes,” Luna answered, looking unsettled. “I am not a goddess, nor is my sister. I cannot hear prayers; I cannot fulfil wishes. I cannot see beyond life and death. Worship bothers me as ponies believe me to be something I am not. I am an alicorn, and alicorn does not mean deity.”

“Was it really that bad?” Magnus asked, wondering why Luna was so opposed to being treated like a goddess.

Luna turned to Magnus, frowned, and said, “When my sister and I defeated Discord long ago, we were not princesses, just high-ranking citizens of Equestria. Discord’s powers were great, so great in fact that many believed him to be a god, and since my sister and I managed to defeat him with the powers of the Elements of Harmony, those very ponies who believed Discord was a god, suddenly believed us to be greater goddesses, deities of the highest magnitude. Those ponies travelled all over Equestria, speaking of our divine power and telling exaggerated stories of our greatness. Within five years, temples had sprung up all over Equestria, and Sun and Moon cults were everywhere. Ponies prayed to us, self-proclaimed priests and priestesses held grand sermons every sunrise and moonrise, and offerings were made all in our name. Yes, believe me; cults and worship are more trouble than they are worth, especially when they are aimed at you. You know this; you prefer to be left alone. Would you like to be treated as a divine being wandering the land?”

“Well…” Magnus slowly uttered, then had a second thought. If he was treated like a god, anything he’d say would be taken literally, and seeing that he had the occasional brainfart, he was sure he’d cause trouble of the magnitude Discord would be proud of. “Forget I said anything.”

“Wisely spoken,” said Luna, having watched and listened to Magnus’ further reply. “My sister and I worked hard to stamp out the cults dedicated to us, and the temples built for our worship were repurposed for other uses. The same I did here in Hollow Shades. As for the queen, she abdicated peacefully and lived the remainder of her life in this very town, working hard to help her former subjects rebuild their lives as the matron of an orphanage for the foals from Transylmania. With so many of her subjects dead in their old homeland, she also made sure to celebrate each new life entering this village. By the end of her life, she told me she knew more than 800 new names. She died very old.”

That was a good way to spend her sunset years, Magnus thought; helping rebuild shattered lives, building dreams and watching life bloom. As a ruler, Queen Lullaby had a duty to her ponies, but there was little she could do against the crab monster. Spending the rest of her life making sure her former subjects would grow and prosper in their new land was the next best thing she could do.

Then Magnus looked ahead at the large pedestal with Luna and the two princes. “What about Sunshine and Frolicsome? They became your new guards, right?”

“They did, and they did it in a grand—and I must admit—surprising fashion,” Luna chuckled, smiling warmly. “Three years later, after the bat ponies had made their first homes in Hollow Shades and had planted crops, Frolicsome and Sunshine came to Castle Everfree to see me. In court, before a hundred nobles, Prince Sunshine Smiles and Prince Frolicsome Meadowlark prostrated themselves before me, publicly relinquished their claims to the throne of Transylmania and instead pledged themselves to me as my knights for the rest of their lives as a reward for helping them in their time of dire need.

“To say I was surprised was putting it mildly. I was not seeking a reward and I told them so. No reward was necessary. But the two princes were adamant. They would not take no for an answer. From that day until the day they drew their last breaths, they would be my personal guards, my knights, my protectors.” Luna’s smile grew wider. “How could I say no? I accepted their services then and there. I knew them well enough by then that I knew they would never accept my refusal, stubborn as they both were, and sincere in their words.

“But Frolicsome and Sunshine were not the last. Over the coming decades, more and more bat ponies sought to join the Royal Guard, to protect and guard me as I once protected them. So many applied, in fact, that around twenty years later, half the Royal Guard consisted of bat ponies. Still, some of my sisters' guards were wary of the bat ponies, and tensions arose. The bat ponies favoured me, paying little attention to my sister, while the rest, used to being awake during the day, tended to favour my sister. To ease tensions, the Day Guard and Night Guard were formed, my guards and sister’s guards, working together to safeguard us. But the bat ponies joining the guard also worked well to introduce them to the rest of Equestria. Fierce fighters, the bat ponies were often dispatched to outlying villages to fend off beasts, thus earning the trust of our subjects. It did not take long before mistrust of the bat ponies had all but faded.”

After having listened for so long, now knowing the events that transpired ages ago, Magnus had a good understanding of the bat ponies, what they went through, their struggles, and finally, their steely resolve. He rose from the bench, stretching his arms and legs after sitting still for so long. He then wandered over to one of the flowerbeds, picked up a few dead flowers that still had a few colourful petals on them and placed them at the base of the statues of the two former princes, the abdicated queen, and the king himself. After hearing what sacrifices they made, what they gave up, what they suffered, and how they found the strength to continue, a single dead flower for each was hardly enough, but it was all he could do now.

“There’s a lot of legends and myths among humans,” said Magnus, his voice unusually low and reverent, as if he stood in a church, knowing that wasn’t a place to raise his voice, “but what you just told me just about beats anything and everything I ever heard, simply because I know it to be true. If this was told on Earth, people would assume it to be the myth of a god or a fairy tale.”

“I assure you it is not a fairy tale,” Luna stated sharply, standing up and joining Magnus. “The bat ponies suffered much, and making light of their suffering by claiming it was all a fairy tale is dishonouring. The lives lost, the brave warriors that lured the crab away at the cost of their lives, the sacrifice of King Mystic, the journey to Equestria, the hostility they suffered, and the two princes that gave up their titles for my sake—none of it is made up.”

“I never said it was a fairytale,” Magnus countered. “Back home, unicorns, pegasi, griffons, dragons, and magic are the stuff of fairy tales. But seeing as all those things exist here, I truly believe that all this happened, no doubt in my mind. It’s just… for me, not used to these kinds of things, it’s difficult to express in words the, I guess you could say, awe. The respect I now have for these four, but also for you, for all you did for them.”

“Oh. I see. Well, I did not do it all alone; my sister helped more than I have mentioned,” said Luna, her former sharp tone dulled. Magnus was already sure Celestia would’ve helped; sitting idly by while Luna did all the work didn’t sound like her.

“What happened to your two guards anyway?” After hearing how the two former princes began their lives, he hoped for a happy end for the two of them, not one where they died in battle or something like that.

Picking up a pair of dead flowers, Luna enveloped the two of them with her magic, and their colours returned to their former glory, that of silvery white and blue. She placed them at the pedestals of her two friends, and spoke, her voice calm and level.

“After a long life filled with duty, adventures in foreign lands and in Equestria, friendship and love, Sunshine and Frolicsome died of old age. Sunshine was 87 when he died, Frolicsome followed his brother four years later at the age of 93. They were both married to three mares each, had multiple children and grandchildren. They had earned almost every award in service during their lifespan, but they refused every promotion offered to them, fearing that they would be posted someplace away from me. They remained hoof ponies in the Royal Guard their entire lives. At their funerals, the entire bat pony population attended, as well as the entire Royal Guard, myself, my sister, and many nobles who knew them.”

Magnus expected Luna to not say anything else after speaking so highly and emotionally about her friends, but that’s where he was wrong. Without a word Luna walked over to the statue of Queen Lullaby and spoke.

“Lullaby Song, nay, Queen Lullaby, saw nearly a hundred summers come and go. Her heart was pure and great, and beat stronger than any drum for her ponies. She suffered greatly after coming to Equestria. Many a night I was with her, fending off her nightmares born of grief and desire to join her husband. In the end she grew stronger both in mind and heart, and her desire to help her ponies find happiness grew. She helped build homes, she helped plant and harvest crops, raised funds from the Equestrian nobility to improve their new town, and from time to time I still hear her laughter in my dreams whenever she saw a new foal born to her ponies. In the end, she passed away one summer's eve and was at peace. Rest well, my friend.”

With that, Luna picked another flower from the flowerbeds, used her magic on it and the flower’s colours returned and was carefully placed at the queen’s pedestal.

Then she moved over to the statue of the king. Another flower was picked and its colours returned by her magic.

“Mystic Moon was a warrior king, perhaps the last true warrior king I knew. Fearless, ready to sacrifice his life if need be, he fought valiantly to the very end.” Luna began, her voice strong and without sorrow. Carefully, she placed a hoof upon his pedestal. “Your memory remains in your ponies, that of a warrior and a noble king, one who fell in defence of his subjects. Your ponies are still here, my old friend, and they remember you,” she said, placing the flower on his pedestal.

Magnus felt as if he was witness to some sort of memorial ceremony. After so many years had passed, he thought that the pain of losing friends would eventually fade, but seeing Luna becoming emotional over ponies that she knew over 1500 years changed his mind.

Then again, perhaps alicorns experienced time differently than mortals. Perhaps to her, it felt like a couple of years ago, but that wasn’t something he wanted to ask her of right now.

Still, the sorrow was still there. That made him think of his own future. Would he stand before a homemade memorial to his friends, many years from now when his body was frail and hair grey or gone? Would his homesickness still be there? Would he still miss his friends? A part of him said yes, but another part of him hoped that he didn’t so that he wouldn’t have to go through what Luna did, what Celestia did, all the friends they had lost over the years. Immortality, it would seem, had some aspects that were overrated.

Having placed a small enchanted flower at each of the statues, Luna moved closer to the centre one, that of herself and the stone slab behind her and her two guards.

“Have you learned any Transylmanian during your stay so far?” she asked, gazing up at the black stone slab, its polished surface like a mirror and silver lettering reflecting the moonlight and starlight.

Magnus moved to stand beside her, also looking at the unknown letters. “I was insulted in Transylmanian some time ago, but I doubt that counts.”

Luna smiled in amusement. “It does not. You should attempt to learn the language; it is very easy. Then you could understand what is inscribed on this stele.”

To Magnus, the intricate letters looked nothing like anything he’d seen on Earth, nor did it look like the Equish alphabet. He had luck with learning the language when he came to Equestria, thanks to Starswirl, and he knew some Lakota from his grandfather, having picked it up as Joseph tended to speak Lakȟótiyapi from time to time, but other than that Magnus had never studied any language at all.

“What does it say?”

“It is a retelling of the events that happened at the time of the bat ponies’ exodus to Equestria. It is written in a very old poetic style, traditional to the bat ponies at the time. This stele was erected some 40 years after they settled in Hollow Shades.” Clearing her throat and speaking formally and clearly, Luna translated the silvery language to Equish.

“Once our home, loved and cherished, olden earth and warming winds, sweet air and fragrant water, brightest days and quiet night, was our days

Darkest depths sent its destroyer, crushing home, village and kin, roaring bloodthirst, fearsome foe, unstoppable and skin like stone, fear struck our hearts

The horn of war, silver chime, king sent his mightiest to fight, brave and bold, clad in iron, making war, but tears shed in every home and hamlet

Rampage across forest, waters, village and fells, unstoppable fury and ravenous hunger, the end drew near, and too few stood left to fight

Across water dark, deep and treacherous, the queen saw far, crossing goddess sent by Nyx, mighty by strength, ferocious by wing, and daughter wielding magic strong

Fleeing to safety, across waters blue, salvation in sight, but beset by our hated foe, side by side, king and princess, waging war for the innocents, furious flame and winds of coldest death

But death came on swift wings for our graymaned king, battered and broken he fell in battle, yet his courage never wavered, for cowardice he did not know and felt no shame

Shedding tear, the princess cried, a cry to her mother, whose pain she heard; the moon became her eye and the tear of vengeance fell in fiery rage

Shattering earth, splintering log, breaking shell and rending flesh, mourning ended the destroyer, but no celebration came and the air once fair became the breath of death

Poison in her chest, the daughter of Nyx escaped the pony of bones, finding refuge among us, safe on waters unruly waves, sickness slowly left her, she saw our devastation and wept

Moons passed on water, despair at our hooves, sorrow heavy in our hearts for all was gone, yet hunger and thirst never took one, for the princess of the faraway lands guided us

The land of moon and sun promised hope, but harmony was not in all, inhabited by hostile few, wished we died in shattered homes, to never speak or fly again, to never dance in the dark of Nyx, or sing our songs of old

By generous hoof and kind heart, one who knew our plight, lavish lands and lush forest given to us, our homes to build, our food to grow, and our songs of old to sing again forevermore

To one and all, children of the night, speak often of our tales of woe, to not forget ancient home or kin in Nyx embrace, and never forget who threw down our hated foe, who slew it and avenged our kin

To Luna, Princess of Equestria, we give praise.”

“Wow,” Magnus uttered after several silent seconds. There was a clear distinct style to the poem which made it sound old. A lot of details were left out, but the gist of it was clearly understandable even after so many years. “They really worshipped you back then.”

Luna sighed, but by the sound of it, it was a happy sigh. “They did. Daughter of Nyx was my title amongst the bat ponies for decades after. The moonstone I hurled at the crab monster they interpreted as their goddess crying for their fallen king. It only fed into their adoration and belief. But in this modern age, such worship has long since been forgotten, and I have no wish to see it resurrected again.”

“Hm, I understand. But why did the bat ponies decide to settle in Equestria permanently? Didn’t they want to return home when the toxic cloud had dissipated? Surely it would be possible to find plants from any nearby islands and regrow the forest they lost.”

“We were unable to even set hoof on the island,” said Luna. “Some bat ponies still wanted to return to their home kingdom to rebuild and bury the bones of their dead. Five years after the bat ponies came to Equestria, I ordered an expedition back to the island to explore. They could not even get close to the island; the foul stench of the rotting carcass still fouled the air, and even the toxic fumes remained. All they saw of the island was a greenish mist on the horizon. A pegasus was sent high into the sky to observe the island from a great distance. All he saw was a dead land in which nothing had begun to grow. We thought that the fumes emanating from the decomposing crab had somehow poisoned the land itself, rendering it barren for the time being. The bat ponies could do nothing but wait.”

Magnus had a hard time believing it; after five years the crab was still decomposing and the land had still not recovered?! What the hell had the crab been eating? Considering the enormous size of it, decomposition would take time, but five years?

“I sent expeditions once every ten years, but they all reported the same. Later I sent expeditions once every fifty years. When the wind was right, they could get closer, but not walk ashore, and any plants had yet to grow. Even the land itself had yet to recover from the decaying carcass. As the decades passed and became centuries, fewer still wished to return, now seeing Equestria as their true home. At one point, I felt as if nopony wanted to return, and I even asked the villagers of Hollow Shades if they wished to return to their ancestral homeland. While some expressed some interest in seeing their ancestral homeland, the majority had no desire to resettle; Equestria was their home.”

“But that was over a millennia and a half ago. If I had to make a guess, I’d say someone wanted to see where they came from. I know I would. When was the last time you or Celestia sent someone to check on the island?” Magnus asked.

Luna let out a sad sigh, and Magnus knew that something had happened. “977 years ago,” came the sad reply. “The records with the coordinates to the island were lost in a major fire in the archives and no other records exist. Celestia knows; she searched for decades, every depository of documents in Equestria was turned upside down, but no records concerning the whereabouts of the island were found anywhere.”

Magnus was momentarily stunned into silence. A moment of carelessness or accident and just like that, the bat ponies had forever lost their homeland. Despite it becoming uninhabitable, it was still the place they all came from.

Magnus shook his head. “Weren’t any expeditions sent out to search for the island?”

“Celestia did order expeditions out, yes, and although they managed to map parts of the southern seas, they failed to find Transylmania. In that part of the southern seas, there are hundreds of islands. While some are habitable, others are claimed by other intelligent creatures who are very protective of their land, and others yet are inhabited by fierce and ferocious beasts that would make settling exceptionally difficult,” Luna explained, her ears drooping. “There are times I feel as if we failed the bat ponies. They were saved from their demise, but in return they could not return to their ancestral homeland. They lost so much.”

“They did, but they are alive.”

Luna looked at Magnus. The human sat with his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

“They lived. Not only that, but they thrived, and they’re still here,” Magnus began, gesturing towards the direction of town. “All these years later and they’re still around, even after everything they lost, but they pushed through the grief, the sorrow, and even the initial hostility they were faced with, and came through unscathed. They hit rock bottom and from there the only way was up. But they weren’t alone; they had each other and they had you and your sister.”

Luna let a small smile grace her lips. “Thank you for reminding me. Thinking of their past and their losses has a way of bringing melancholy into my mind.”

Magnus shrugged. “The way I see it, the bat ponies are still rebuilding in a way. Their numbers still look few, but I think time can take care of that.”

“Few?” Luna asked, before beginning to laugh, much to Magnus’ confusion. “Do you believe that bat ponies only live in Hollow Shades?”

“Uh, no? I saw some of them in Canterlot, so I guess they have a small population there. Probably elsewhere too,” Magnus explained, drawing on his own recollection of seeing bat ponies back at the castle.

Luna smiled and let out a final chuckle. “Oh my dear human, you have so much to learn. Over fifteen centuries have passed since the bat ponies came to Equestria in a hundred ships. Their numbers were few then, compared to how many of them once lived. A century later, their numbers had swelled considerably. Today, I have no idea how many bat ponies there are, but you can find them in every major city in Equestria, and abroad too. You will find bat ponies in all pony kingdoms and all city states throughout the world, as well as other non-pony countries. Many think as you do, because they are asleep at night and rarely see bat ponies, but wander Canterlot or any other Equestrian city at night and you will be surprised. And Hollow Shades is not their only town; the area around Horseshoe Bay on the eastern coast holds many small villages in which the majority of inhabitants are bat ponies. The area is especially sunny there and the air humid, perfect for growing all manner of fruits which they delight in. So no, the bat ponies are far from few,” Luna finished with a chuckle.

Magnus felt dumb, having assumed that the bat ponies only lived in one town. After so many years, it would be natural that they moved around and settled elsewhere. If they didn’t, Hollow Shades would be the size of a huge city.

“Much to learn, you still have,” Magnus quoted, but refrained from doing the voice. This world still held so much to learn, even things so close to him and in plain sight that he couldn’t see it.

“Indeed you have, my friend,” Luna responded.

With a smile, the night princess stood up and gave a short but respectful bow towards the four statues. “While it is good to visit this memorial again and pay homage to my ancient friends, I believe there are places in this village that can cater to my current need.”

“And what need would that be?” Magnus asked as he rose from the bench, following Luna who marched towards the memorial’s exit.

“I hunger,” Luna replied cheerfully. “Come, my friend. We shall find a vendor of delectable pastries. My guards tell me that many traditional Transylmanian recipes are still held in high esteem in Hollow Shades; recipes passed down from their old homeland. And if we are lucky, we might be able to locate a bakery that sell star fruit pies; I remember them to be especially juicy.”

“I know of a bakery in town that has some pretty good blueberry cake. I can show you the way,” Magnus offered the princess, remembering the day he visited town alongside Brilliant.

“Please do.”

As soon as they crossed through the gates, Princess Luna and Magnus were met by quite a sight. Somehow, word had gotten around town that Princess Luna was visiting, and in turn almost the entire town had shown up outside, mare and stallions, young and old, all of them keeping a respectful distance to the memorial and the four bat pony guards guarding the gates. But as soon as they saw the princess, the crowd erupted into cheers and hollering, supportive clamouring and joyful calling of Luna’s name and title.

Magnus had no doubt; even after all these years, the bat ponies loved Luna. He saw it on their faces, their eyes, their smiles, their voices, you couldn’t fake adoration like theirs.

“Looks like your subjects have decided to come and show their devotion and support for you,” said Magnus with a grin.

When Luna didn’t reply, Magnus looked at the alicorn. She was obviously surprised, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Her wings had spread wide and one of her forelegs slightly raised, and somehow her entire body looked as if it had tensed up.

“This is my second visit to Hollow Shades after my banishment,” she said after several long seconds of silence, her foreleg slowly settling onto the ground. “And my first time seeing the descendants of Transylmania in over a thousand years. They still… honour me? Even after I nearly cast Equestria into darkness?”

Magnus noticed Luna swallow heavily. The alicorn looked deeply affected by the show of love the bats showered onto her. Perhaps she expected them to hold a grudge against her for what happened a thousand years ago, but that was clearly not the case.

In any case, the alicorn was rooted to the spot when she should’ve walked forward and met with her most beloved subjects. Was she really so surprised that she was still loved that her legs had completely seized up?

That theory went out the window as Luna began walking forward, slowly at first, towards the crowd of bat ponies. She stopped after a few paces and turned her head to Magnus.

“I am sorry, but pastries…” she began apologetically but was cut off by the human.

“I know,” Magnus replied, smiling and with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Go, meet your bat ponies.”

Luna smiled, gave a single nod in return and turned back to face her subjects, taking small steps first. The first ponies to approach her were surprisingly the children, their big eyes wide open and smiling like children seeing their favorite hero, and in a sense, she was exactly that to them, although they may not have known why. Nevertheless, their slow trot turned into a full stampede as the entire first few lines of fillies and colts surged towards her and in mere moments Luna was surrounded by tiny ponies.

Magnus chuckled as he walked past the crowd of ponies, looking back to see the mighty alicorn of the night get swarmed by miniature bat ponies, all asking questions of why this and why that while the adult ponies were watching the whole scene unfold. Coupled with the completely startled facial expression of Luna that melted away into a patient smile and kind eyes turned the scene into a heartwarming display of the herd nature that Magnus knew ponies were capable of.

And to Magnus, it all looked perfect.

After clearing the crowd, Magnus came upon a familiar pony that stood all the way at the back. Brilliant sat there alone on the lawn, looking at the crowd and Luna with a motherly smile.

“About time she paid the town a visit,” the elderly mare said as Magnus walked up and sat down next to her. “I know she used to come visit a lot back in the day. Let’s hope she’ll make a habit out of it.”

Magnus looked over to the princess, a mighty alicorn surrounded by children, answering their many questions, showing them her crown and gorget, and pointing up at the moon while telling the children something. All in all, Luna looked to be in her element.

“From my point of view, it looks like she’ll visit more often,” Magnus answered.

Chapter 60

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Time passed quickly for Magnus while staying in Hollow Shades. Having a job, albeit a temporary one, was a fruitful way to make the days pass effortlessly. It also helped that he learned a few things regarding the metalworking trade, not enough to be an apprentice, but enough to know the difference between two similar yet different tools.

The days he returned straight to the castle, he would help Brilliant make dinner and together the two would eat and talk about each other's day. Magnus spoke of his work while Brilliant relayed her recent visit into town and the latest bit of news, although, as small towns went, little actually happened except for the latest gossip. Almost every single day she would head into town, meet with old friends over a cup of tea or two and some sugary pastry, or she would visit the local senior’s club. Not an old folks’ home, mind you, but a place for the elderly to meet up and do something together.

Despite her advanced age, Brilliant Star was far from helpless and got around town in her magically powered cart and was a familiar sight in the small dark town. In their conversations, Brilliant would tell Magnus about their family’s history. Achievements, past fame and glory, heroics — all bits of information that helped Magnus paint a clearer picture of what the pony side of his family was like and had done. As time went by, it became clear to Magnus that the Galaxy family was once an important building stone in Equestrian history and that was something that the old mare was actually proud of, although their deeds meant little to Magnus. After all, he was such a recent addition that he would feel embarrassed to claim their achievements as his own.

And then there were the days that Magnus would not return to the castle, not right away anyway. He liked to walk around town and explore, and had gotten quite familiar with the little Tim Burton-esque hamlet, and in turn the citizens had gotten used to seeing him around. He still drew some looks and curious stares, but as they decreased as the days progressed.

As each day drew closer to his final day at the smithy, Magnus’ thoughts drifted towards Canterlot and what he had planned for himself there. He already knew that he was allowed to stay at Canterlot Castle as a guest to Celestia and Luna for as long as he wanted, but having a place for himself meant having a home. Magnus liked the privacy of his own home, having become a homeowner at quite a young age. Even a bit worn, his house back in Montana was still his own.

A man's home was his castle, as the saying went.

A job was first on his list of priorities. With a job, he could afford everything else. He couldn’t find one in Canterlot if he stayed in Hollow Shades, so he had begun thinking of going back to the capital. Hollow Shades was pleasant and Brilliant was a nice old mare and a gracious host, but Magnus had to think ahead. Fall had arrived, coloring the forest in shades of red and orange. It wouldn’t be long before the first snow fell, and by that time, he hoped he’d have settled in somewhere, a true new start in this magical world.

But the final day at the smithy had finally come and so was Magnus' punishment, two weeks of labour to pay for the cameras he had destroyed. He had admitted to himself that he’d overreacted that day, but he couldn’t say he was sorry for breaking the cameras or scaring the ponies.

Sometimes enough was enough.

The last day at the metalworkers shop was like any other day, and when he walked out the doors, it was without fanfare, just friendly waves and parting well wishes. As far as Magnus could see, the smithy would’ve worked just fine without him. All he had done was menial labour anyway.

And with that, he headed back to the castle.

***

“Brilliant, I’ve been thinking.”

The old unicorn looked up from her bowl of tomato soup which she had made for the two of them, a small meal that would last until later that morning. She and Magnus had been invited over to Hammerstrike and his herd's home for dinner, a plan a few days in the making.

“Oh?”

Magnus nodded. “I think it’s time for me to return to Canterlot. I need to find a job there, and a place to stay.”

Brilliant didn’t look surprised. “I figured you would go back sometime soon,” she said, scooping up a spoonful. “But honestly, I would have liked to keep you here for just a while longer.”

“I would have liked to stay longer too, but I have to find a job soon,” Magnus replied. “I’ve certain things I need to take care of before the weather grows colder, especially when it comes to clothes, but also to realize my plans for a place of my own.”

Brilliant nodded. “I understand. You will also need winter fuel, cooking utensils, furniture and the like. Can’t sleep on the floor, you know.”

“Depending on what kind of job I find, I won’t rule it out. I can sleep on a couch if needed, provided the couch is big enough for me.”

“A proper bed is important. You are still just a colt; you need a good night's sleep.” Brilliant smiled warmly.

Magnus shrugged. “With my luck, I might have to settle for a mattress. Worst case scenario, I’ll have to stay at Celestia and Luna’s for longer than I thought.”

Brilliant nodded and went back to her soup, finishing off the small amount that remained. Afterwards, she dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin.

“You told me about your home a while back. You grandfather, Joseph was it? He moved to his cabin and sold you his house, is that right?”

“He did. Just a thousand ~dollars~; he wanted me to have a good start in life and not drown in debt. One thing I can say about Grandpa, he wasn’t greedy, never ever. The money I paid him was just enough for him to cover his moving expenses to his cabin. I’m sure he planned it all in advance.” Magnus laughed. “My house wasn’t really a mansion, but a place that felt like home,” he finished, going silent and thoughtful for a few brief moments as his smile faded ever so slightly, eyes on his bowl, idly stirring his soup.

“I had such plans for it once upon a time, you know.” Magnus sighed, thinking back. He grew up in his house and it had always felt like home. Maintenance and repairs wasn't something he could afford right away after he bought him, but he was determined to fix it anyway. “A new coat of paint; a warm red color, but I had to change the wood siding first. I had already changed the roof. One of my neighbors had terracotta roof tiles in a nice reddish-brown color that looked nice in the evening sunlight, almost like it was glowing. I was lucky to find some cheap shingles in the same color, but it wasn’t the same. A couple of years spent saving up some cash, and I could’ve torn down the old inside walls and set up new ones. I wanted white walls in the kitchen—would've looked nice with the old wood cabinets I already had, and maybe a very light blue for the living room.”

Letting out another sigh, Magnus scooped up the last few spoonful's of soup and swallowed. Brilliant looked at the young man. Ever since he had come to her castle, she had learned how to read him, his facial expressions and the emotions they conveyed. She had travelled far and wide in her day and seen and met many different creatures, more than most ponies had seen, and she knew that it was longing written all over it.

“You sound as if you’ll never get to experience having a home of your own again.” Magnus looked up and found the old unicorn smiling at him, shaking her head at him. “We all have dreams. Some are born in our younger years and some while we are old. Some might never come true while others are far easier to achieve. From what I have learned about you, who you are and what you are, I can tell that you will one day have a home, one that is your dream home. You are young and far stronger than many I have met in my long life, and your mind and will are your greatest strengths. After all you’ve been through, you still carry on, even after all you’ve lost. A house to truly call home is easy in comparison. That is how I know you will one day have the home of your dreams. You will not give up so easily.”

Magnus looked at Brilliant, a small smile growing on his lips. “Thank you, Brilliant.” While he did appreciate her words, he didn’t have the same positive outlook on his own life as she did. While his first start as a homeowner was relatively easy, starting over from nothing was a far greater challenge, especially when you didn’t have anything but the clothes on your back, and not all of them had he paid for by himself.

Brilliant began cleaning up after her and Magnus helped. The dishes were done in a matter of moments. After they were done, Brilliant let out a small yawn.

“Goodness me, I think I need a nap if I’m going to make it until we leave for town and Hammerstrike’s dinner invitation. Would you wake me up in, say, an hour and a half?”

“Of course,” Magnus replied. Brilliant always woke up early and wasn’t one to sleep in. It hadn’t happened while he was here anyway. The old mare then walked into the main hall and levitated herself up the staircase, and the last Magnus heard was her hooves on the carpeted floor and the door to her bedroom closing.

Now alone, Magnus decided to head into the gallery and spend some time there. It was without a shadow of a doubt his favourite room in the castle. It was like a museum, filled with all kinds of things that tickled his fancy. You could walk around for hours and just look at things or find something to read.

Just then, a familiar sound came from his pocket. His mobile phone, now a sentient diminutive electric being on behalf of Discord, emitted a message notification tone whenever it wanted to walk instead of being carried around in his pocket. The first time it had happened was over a week ago during work, and Magnus became frantic, believing that somehow he managed to get a mobile signal from Earth and a message. While he was deeply disappointed when he found out the truth, he could hardly fault his phone. After all, the little guy was quite lonely. Who talked to their phone as if it was a very smart pet?

“There you go, just don’t break anything,” Magnus warned his phone as he set it down on the floor, well aware of who the one responsible for animating it was. He received a thumbs up in reply, and the phone wandered around like a guest at the Smithsonian, only watching, never touching, with its little stick-figure-like arms resting behind its back.

Surprisingly, he had gotten used to the little guy in a surprisingly short time and to know its quirks. Most of the time, the phone spent its time dormant in his pocket or left on the nightstand, listening to music stored on the phone or playing games stored on it, its favourite being Flappy Bird and Angry Birds. But now and then, it got restless. It didn’t get into or make much trouble, just walked about. The first time Brilliant had found the phone wandering on its own was when Magnus was working. The phone and the old mare hit it well off almost from the start, and by the time Magnus had returned from work, the phone was showing Brilliant pictures and video clips stored on it, some of them Magnus was sure he had deleted long ago but the phone somehow found them. While nothing egregious, the pictures and videos she saw were enough for her wanting to know more about the life Magnus lived on Earth, which provided a lot of topics during mealtimes.

“And no Discord-like shenanigans either!”

The phone turned around and showed an emoji on its screen. “:-p”

“Smartass.”

But his electro-chaotic companion had a point. The gallery had more than just a vast collection of literature. Equestrian history in the form of paintings, tapestry, and glass display cases with various artifacts, safely stored behind glass, told stories of a culture going further back in time than the pyramids of Egypt.

Looking up at the walls and its vast collection of paintings, Magnus let his eyes drift from painting to painting. Ponies long gone and some more recent, there was even that one of a mare that held some strange resemblance to his mother. Even now he found the similarity odd, that certain facial features somehow translated from human to pony. It made him think for a moment: what would he look like if he was a pony. Would he even recognize himself in the mirror? Would a 100% normal human look at a pony and see the same as him or would they see something else, something more animalistic? It was an odd thought for sure, but he was quite certain that turning into a pony was possible.

After looking at the portraits for a while, Magnus decided to investigate the display cases. He had taken a browse days earlier, but never really investigated them in depth.

The main showcase was to the right of the room; a large glass case holding a complete suit of armour, gilded with silvered details, scrollwork, engraved sun, moon, and star patterns. The suit was meant to cover as much of the body as possible, and with the suit being full plate, there weren’t many weak spots on it. The helmet had a worn and faded red plume on top and holes for the ears and six metal blades arranged in a circle around the hole for the horn for added protection. The faceplate had a number of symmetrical holes to allow for breathing and two narrow slits allowed the wearer to see.

The armour also had a large matching oval shield made in the same type of material and style resting beside the suit. The shield appeared to be meant to be held sideways to cover as much of the pony as possible, as the grip was mounted opposite from how a human would hold it.

With the shield also came a short sword, made in the same style as the armour and shield, looking similar to a long gladius, although possessing no wooden parts or leather wrapped handle. The handguard was made of one large flat piece of the same material as the shield, and the handle was dull like aged silver but finely engraved with ancient letters that Magnus couldn’t read.

Lastly, a masterpiece of a spear was the final piece that was made of the same material and style as the aforementioned armour and weaponry. Consisting of a narrow leaf-shaped spearhead and two smaller spikes protruding from the base of the spearhead, the spear appeared to be less stylish than the shield, sword, and armour.

Hanging on the wall above the display case containing the armour was an old painting of the pony whose armour it belonged to, since in the painting he was wearing it too, with the shield resting beside him, his sword in a scabbard around his barrel and the spear resting over his shoulder with one foreleg on the haft. A small brass plaque on the frame identified him as Count Nova Shine.

He was a unicorn of course, with a long and narrow horn and long red mane which matched his tawny-orange coat. He looked quite young on the portrait, perhaps early thirties as far as Magnus could tell, despite his problem telling ponies’ ages. The unicorn was depicted with a look of pride and haughtiness, reminiscent of English Royalty during Tudor Era England, especially the famous portrait of Henry VIII.

During Magnus’ stay with Brilliant, the two of them had spent considerable time and many late mornings talking about almost every subject under Equestrian skies. Even the topic of pony warfare had popped up a couple of times, due to the fact that they were seated in the gallery at the time, surrounded by ancient tools of war. Brilliant proved herself to be quite knowledgeable about warfare too and she had much to say about the subject.

In warfare, unicorns were often delegated to the role of using magic, everything from spells meant to target a single individual, to area-of-effect spells to different supportive spells to evacuating the wounded from the field of battle. However, not all unicorns were at their best with complex spells but every unicorn had some talent in telekinesis. Some unicorns, mares and stallions alike, would receive special training in the use of pony melee weapons, often using them in tandem with a shield to provide extra protection. As Brilliant had told him, unicorns using only magic in battle might have been true thousands of years ago, but unicorns in the Royal Guard or army these days didn’t place such limitations on themselves.

Wandering along and inspecting the weapon racks and glass display cases, he found other examples of weapons, not only from pony cultures, but also from other pony nations and other races. One weapon rack locked behind glass held a number of weapons made and used by griffons. A metal plaque on the case stated that the contents were taken as prizes from a battlefield a few decades after Luna’s banishment.

There was a long, curved, single-edged sword, not of Asian design, but looking closer to European Middle Ages, not too dissimilar to the German Grosse Messer. Despite its worn appearance and age, the sword still appeared sharp, but the wooden handle had all but withered away. A dagger with a straight blade, long and pointy, unadorned steel and wooden handle that was in very poor condition. A small dented round shield, a buckler, meant to be held with one hand.

But the main attraction of the griffon weapon display was a bow of impressive craftsmanship. Large enough that Magnus could use it with ease, the bow looked as if a Mongolian archer and an English longbowman had worked together to combine the best of two worlds. The age of the bow was apparent, as were the cracks, and the thin layer of lacquer covering the bow was worn away in places, and here Magnus saw several thin layers of materials, revealing several types of wood in different colours and also what looked like bone as well. He concluded that the bow was a type of laminate/composite hybrid, meaning incredible draw strength was required to fully draw the bow.

Moving on to the other glass cases, each one held a few weapons or pieces of armour taken as loot from an ancient battlefield or simply held no description other than what race made and used them.

The minotaur display was set against a wall, as the huge weapons within had to be supported against the rack on the wall. The huge swords, axes, and maces all required the use of both hands. However, no human could effectively use the weapons due to their enormous weight and size.

The weapons displayed in the diamond dog case were, quite simply, ugly in appearance. Swords, maces, daggers, and iron gauntlets with spikes on them lacking any decoration and finery, they were all simply practical. The weapons were, after all this time, completely free of rust, hammer marks roughly polished away, and the sharp edges still sparkled in the light of the gallery’s many chandeliers. Their lack of wear and tear after so much time had passed must have meant that the diamond dogs’ metallurgical skills were very high.

Lastly, a display case held a number of pony weapons. A variety of swords of different types, double-bladed daggers meant to be wielded by magic, curved wing blades of different designs, short and long lances used by earth pony cavalry, and combat shoes with blades and spikes. Most of the weapons were polearms, as Magnus had been told by Brilliant that spears and the like were favoured weapons of ponies due to their ease of making and relatively little training they required. A forest of spears could stop nearly any charging army, she had said. The different sub-races had developed their own weapons suited to their strengths, abilities, and culture. The earth ponies favoured spears, lances, and iron shoes that increased the efficiency of their kicks, unicorns could wield a number of weapons due to their magic, and pegasi and bat ponies preferred bladed and spiked armoured boots and thin razor sharp blades that they attached to their wings.

The sheer variety and ingenuity that went into the inventing and crafting of weapons belonging to so many different races and cultures surprised Magnus. Even ponies weren’t strangers to war, despite their friendly and honestly adorable appearance.

Pondering the races of Equus, Magnus moved on, taking a peek at the other display cases and their contents. There was a variety of jewelry, talismans, and outright obscure items which defied his understanding, at least until he read the plaque on the side which said that the items had once been enchanted but that their enchantment had long since worn off. Then there were ancient scrolls and books, so old and worn that they were no longer readable. Tablets of different materials, telling of an ancient story or myth inscribed on it, figurines carved out of semi-precious gems, the list went on and on.

So caught up was Magnus that he lost track of time, and only came to his senses when he felt a tugging on his fetlocks. His mobile phone stood by his hoof, tugging on his hairs and the display showed the timer which had reached zero.

“What? What’s with the timer?” Magnus asked. He hadn’t set the phone to ring.

The phone pointed upwards and made a sleeping motion, both arms held on its side, as if imitating being asleep.

“OH! Brilliant, right! Thanks, little guy.”

Picking up his phone, it gave Magnus a thumbs up before sliding into his pocket.

Leaving the gallery, Magnus made his way to the main hall and up the stairs to the second floor and Brilliant’s room. Knocking carefully on the door, Magnus called out. “Brilliant? Are you awake? It’s been an hour and half.”

There was no reply. Magnus waited patiently, knowing that it might take an old mare a moment or two to get up or wake fully. But when no sound came, not from hooves on the floor or her voice, he knocked again.

“Brilliant?” he asked again and received no answer.

For several long moments, no sound was heard and Magnus grew concerned. Brilliant was very old and had bad legs. Did something happen to her? He feared the worst, which was why he decided to open the door and look inside.

Brilliant’s room was the master bedroom of the house, at least that was what it looked like inside. It was large and covered in carpets, and with three large windows facing the courtyard. Between two windows stood a small fireplace carved out of black stone, big enough to warm the entire room, and in front of the fireplace stood a large comfy chaise lounge, large enough to seat several ponies, and a table in front of it. The right side of the room had several wardrobes pushed against the walls as well as an old, but stylish vanity, complete with a large mirror.

Finally, to the left side of the room, was Brilliant’s bed. It was huge; an old, large, and stylish canopy bed draped in light blue curtains and with white linens. It looked good enough for a king, and more than enough for a pony herd. Even Magnus himself would’ve had more than enough room in it with some to spare.

However, Brilliant was not here either.

Leaving her room and closing the door, Magnus found Brilliant coming from the other end of the hallway, already wearing a shawl on her head and what looked to be a knitted wool cape in the shape of a horse blanket on her back, fastened around her neck with a pair of buttons.

“Were you coming to wake me up?” she asked and received a nod in reply.

“I was. Wondered where you had gotten off to,” said Magnus, feeling a bit of relief wash over him. For a moment, his mind had begun to drift to other, dark places, and a memory of a body on the floor.

“I woke up just a while ago. When you get to be my age, you sleep lighter and for not as long. However, a good nap is needed now and then.” Brilliant led the way down to the entry hall. “I decided to get ready before we leave for town. A warm shawl and cape should be enough for now. The north wind gets a bit chilly this far north. The Crystal Empire isn’t far away, you know.”

The wind made itself known, a gust playing with the windows and howling around every corner outside.

Magnus shuddered. “Can’t say I like fall weather like this.” He took his new jacket from the hanger in the hallway and put it on. The inner wool lining was perfect in weather like this, nice and warm. “I prefer summer when it’s green and lively.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Magnus gave a contented smile, even though his coming to Equus had cheated him out of a perfectly good summer. It was April when he had left Earth, and late summer when he came to Equestria. “Summer, sun, the weather’s warmer, everything is green and good. Things grow, all that good stuff. Can go fishing, camping, hiking, and walk in the forest.”

Brilliant smiled knowingly. “Then I think you will like Hollow Shades when summer comes around then.”

Yes, Magnus had already figured out that Hollow Shades would be beautiful come summer, and he already had a few plans for when that time came around.

***

The ride into town was a short one, but a bumpy one. The rain had turned the dirt road into a wide path of puddles and holes that constantly rocked the cart. Brilliant’s magic cart still amazed Magnus to no end. An endless line of possibilities came to mind as he thought of everything that the Come-To-Life spell could be used for. However, one specific possibility was darker than the others, and he wasn’t sure if it would fall under dark magic or necromancy. Who else to ask than the wiser one of the two.

“Brilliant, this Come-To-Life spell of yours,” he ventured, carefully choosing his words. “This may sound a bit morbid, but can it be used to reanimate dead bodies?”

Brilliant, normally occupied with watching the road, looked over to him, one eyebrow raised. “Now that is an odd question? Why do you ask?” She eyed Magnus with a suspicious look.

“Call it academic curiosity. If I one day manage to learn this spell, I want to know how it works, on what it works, and specifically what not to use it on. I’m sure there are some magical taboos I don’t want to inadvertently break.”

Brilliant’s usually warm smile vanished, and she went silent, as if gathering her thoughts. “There are taboos, yes, but you don’t have to worry about that. You lack the knowledge of such spells and that means you cannot break them.”

“Good to know, but what about the spell?”

“Simply answered, no. As far as I know, the Come-To-Life spell was created in such a way as to not reanimate bodies. There are spells that can do that though, dark magic of the worst kind, and the sooner you learn how to identify such magic and stay far away from it, the better. All they do is animate the body or the bones, similar to how my spell makes this cart move. Some ponies long ago believed that evil unicorns enslaved the souls of the dead when they raised dead bodies, but that is just an old pony tale.”

Approaching town, Brilliant leaned over and lowered her voice. “Best not talk about dark magic or necromancy in public, or with anypony for that instance. It’s a good way for ponies to grow suspicious of you. Ponies gossip, you know?”

Magnus nodded, satisfied with the knowledge bestowed upon him and promised himself to not talk about it. Now he understood why Luna reacted so strongly all those weeks ago when he asked her about necromancy; it was dark magic, and neither she nor her sister seemed overly fond of that stuff. Also, not knowing the spell benefited him.

At least he wasn’t the next Kel’Thuzad. He never liked the Eastern and Western Plaguelands back in the days he played World of Warcraft. Sure, the zone had a good atmosphere and music that made the zone creepy, but good God, what a chore.

Even though it rained and the wind blew, it didn’t stop ponies from being outside. The market was closing, and the last customers made their purchases before heading home, dressed in raincoats or with umbrellas on a saddle-like device on their backs. Fillies and colts, dressed for the weather, still played outside, jumping in puddles or darting from tree to tree for shelter while playing a game of tag. Idyllic and peaceful, even if the weather was not.

Hammerstrike’s home was on Cypress Street, a street with tall trees with enormously thick trunks and tall enough to have at least two floors. Each tree was a home, some of which had additions built into them, making them look like tree houses built on branches, but of much greater quality than a group of children could make. Hammer and his herd's home looked like a giant walnut tree, a thick trunk with a deep rich brown colour, and a lush crown which still had a few green leaves clinging to it. Through windows in the trunk shone a warm light, promising a comfortable interior.

“Here we are,” said Brilliant, parking the carriage on the side of the road and carefully walking off, making her way towards the door.

Magnus jumped off, staring wide-eyed at the treehouse. “It looks amazing, and cozy too, from the outside.”

“You have never been in a house like this, have you?”

“No, this is my first time,” he replied, following Brilliant towards the red painted door, illuminated by the burning lantern hanging near it.

Just a few seconds after knocking the door opened and a mare stood there. She was a bat pony mare with curly mane and tail of a deep brown and greyish blue coat and hazel eyes. Swirly Burl was her name, the first wife of Hammerstrike.

“There you are!” she exclaimed with a friendly smile as soon as she saw Brilliant and Magnus, immediately going in for a hug with Brilliant, one which was happily returned.

That hug, however, only went as far as Brilliant. Swirly Burl was in fact one of the ponies that had a problem with Magnus. Not that she didn’t like him or anything like that. No, she just couldn't figure him out like she could ponies or other creatures she was familiar with. Magnus had noticed just after Copper Nut told him a few weeks back, how the mare would sometimes stare at him or simply look as if she was wringing her brain over him, trying to solve him like a puzzle and getting nowhere. Frustrating to say the least.

“And Magnus too,” Swirly said after breaking the hug with Brilliant, gently touching a hoof to his leg.

“Hello, Swirly, how are you?” he replied with a smile. Swirly was a nice mare and pleasant to talk to, like an early sixties housewife, the good kind.

“Oh, just good, thank you. Now come in, you two; it’s cold outside and dinner will be ready soon.”

Moving aside, Brilliant and Magnus walked inside, ever vigilant against the low doors. He had knocked his head and horn a few times so far, and knocking one's horn against the doorframe hurt the most of the two.

The inside of the tree was as cozy as a cottage and felt like one too. Although there were no flat walls due to the curvature of the tree as well as the ceiling, the floor was the only flat surface.

The first room was a spacious living room with furniture of different kinds, curtains at the windows, shelves carved into the tree itself with books and ornaments, pictures on the walls, and a cast iron stove kept the room warm and nice, the flue pipe going through the walls and being insulated with thick layers of hardened clay. Two sets of stairs led further up the interior of the tree, and looking up Magnus had a wide view of the interior of the tree. The ceiling was lofty and the entire house felt extra spacious due to the height of the ceiling. All the lights in the living room had been dimmed; bat ponies eyes were sensitive to light, thus many bats tended to have a sort of twilight aesthetic in their homes.

From one of the open doors in the living room, Hammerstrike peeked out, an apron around his neck and a ladle hooked on one of his wings thumb claws.

“Hello, Mother, Magnus. Welcome to our house.” He left the kitchen to give his stepmother a quick hug and a hoof bump to Magnus.

“Evening Hammer. Didn’t know you could cook.” Magnus pointed at the ladle in his wing. Hammerstrike was perhaps the tallest of Brilliant’s family, and he had the strength to rival an earth pony. However, some of his physical stature seemed diminished by the frilly apron he wore.

“It’s a hobby. Hammering and working metal all day takes its toll, so sometimes taking time to carefully prepare dinner is my way of relaxing,” replied Hammer, walking back to the kitchen and began stirring the contents of a large pot.

Magnus looked after the pony and caught a glimpse of the kitchen. It was large, looked homely, almost old-fashioned with a lot of wood furniture and a modern stove and fridge. The kitchen table was set for five, and the only thing missing was the dinner Hammer was finishing.

The scent that came from whatever Hammer was making was pleasant, but Magnus already knew it didn’t contain meat or fish of any kind. So far he had been eating a lot of eggs and dairy products to keep up with his normal protein intake, and to be perfectly honest, he had begun craving meat. Still, pony food was good enough to fill a belly, as long as they kept hay and flowers out of it. Despite being able to eat them, they had either no taste, or tasted like greenery.

Brilliant and Swirly had each taken a seat in the living room and were chatting as normal while waiting for dinner. However, Magnus knew Hammer had three wives.

“Where are… um, what were their names again…” Magnus tapped his head. One was definitely named after a flower. “Foxglove… and Night Phenomenon?”

“Problems with remembering their names?” Swirly chuckled, obviously remembering the first time he was introduced to them. To Magnus, some pony names were harder to remember than others. “They’re still upstairs getting ready.”

Magnus nodded. Foxglove was a mare that cared very much about her appearance. Her mane was at all times impeccably coiffed, and Night Phenomenon tended to wear clothes much more than other ponies he had seen. From what he remembered back at the castle, she always tended to wear colourful scarves, and the few times they had been outside, like Harvest Day, she preferred stylish capes on her back.

Magnus walked around the room, exploring and taking a closer look at photographs and what they decorated their home with. Like most ponies, Hammer, Swirly, Foxglove and Night were rather family oriented. Having four children in total, their photos had a place of honour up on the wall. Small tourist trinkets from various cities around Equestria were displayed on shelves. They even had a tiny statue that had an uncanny resemblance to the Statue of Liberty. The Pony of Unity, the plaque underneath it said.

But Magnus couldn’t understand how ponies could hollow out trees yet not kill it outright. The floor was smooth, like it had been sanded down, and the walls looked the same. Touching a hand to it, he couldn’t feel any tool marks, but he could see the grains of the wood itself, and covering it was a thick layer of transparent lacquer. Could this be the secret? Some way to seal the moisture?

The chattering behind him increased in volume, and turning around Magnus found Night and Foxglove descending the stairs, eagerly greeting Brilliant and him. Foxglove had her mane in a thick braid, suiting her red hair well and almost black coat. Night Phenomenon had deemed the dinner as a good occasion to wear a black skirt with white trim and white blouse. It looked good on her, matching her deep blue coat and deep green mane and tail, almost like the aurora.

While Night sat down next to Brilliant and Swirly, Foxglove walked over to Magnus, stood up on her hind legs and gave him a light hug, which was still a strange experience.

“Welcome to our home,” she said after getting back on all four hooves, before looking at the wall behind him. “What were you looking at? You had your hands on the wall.”

“Trying to figure out how you can hollow out a tree and not kill it,” Magnus replied.

“Oh? Have you discovered our secrets yet?” she teased. “You know, I am in the business on how we do it.”

Magnus began thinking back to the few conversations he had with her, specifically if he had asked her what she did for a living, and came up empty.

“I’d say some sort of bat pony magic or ability," he guessed.

Foxglove chuckled. “Ah, close, but not quite. There is no magic included, but I think we can say it is an ability of sorts, or rather, skill.”

She walked past Magnus and touched a hoof to the wall, rubbing gently. “See this lacquer on the wall? It is a special recipe hoofed down between us bat ponies; sap from a variety of trees and a few other ingredients. It takes a long time to make, but it can last for a century.”

“I did notice the shiny surface, but I didn’t think lacquer could make such a difference.”

“It does, and the lacquer does have some special abilities, but extra care must be taken when the interior of the tree is carved,” explained Foxglove. “Carving can only be done during winter, when the tree is laden with water and the temperatures are below freezing, and the carvers must be careful not to hollow too much of the tree; enough grain must remain to make sure the tree can transport enough water to its branches. It must be done quickly, and as soon as a room is completed, the lacquer is applied so that the tree doesn’t lose so much moisture. Four or five layers are enough for it to dry in a matter of days.”

“Aha, I see,” said Magnus with a sagely nod, but in reality, he didn't. He was pretty sure that on Earth, doing this would not work at all. However, considering all the impossible things that were possible in this world, it sort of made a level of sense.

“It is a very old way of making a house. Our ancestors brought this method back from the old land, but we think they changed the way they did it because the old land was said to be tropical," she explained before sighing. "Sadly, tree carving and sap boiling, which I do, is an art that is slowly vanishing. It can take half a winter to carve a tree large enough for a herd of four and the foals, and collecting enough sap for one treehome can take as much as eight months. You can see why houses made of brick and stone are also increasing in our town. However, a properly made treehouse will last for at least three hundred years. Our house is a good example; it was completed one hundred and ninety four years ago.”

Magnus looked up from Foxglove and looked around the room. It looked new, it smelled like fresh forest, and the atmosphere was nothing like any log cabin or forest shack he had ever set foot in. The house actually felt alive in a strange way which, considering it was still alive…

Hammerstrike eventually stated that dinner was finally done and they all took their seats. The bat pony proved himself an able cook with a dinner of his own creation; a variety of local root vegetables covered in batter made of roasted chestnut flour and spices, fried in a pan with butter and served with salad and rice and a tropical fruit juice for drink. Dessert was as easy as they come; a variety of half-frozen berries with a drizzle of sugar and loads of cream.

Magnus happily chewed on the dessert, savouring the berries crushed between his teeth and letting their juices fill his mouth. They still tasted fresh and of late summer, and on a rainy chilly night like today, they were perfect.

Hammer gave him a few glances now and then, Magnus noticed, probably to see if his cooking was up to a human's standards.

“Good?” he asked.

Magnus swallowed the berries and scooped up more. “Tastes like summer,” he happily replied.

“Is this something a human would normally eat?” Night Phenomenon asked, daintily eating tiny spoonfuls at a time, like a proper lady at a fancy dinner party.

“Some people do. Desserts vary between cultures, countries, and places back on Earth, as do types of foods. Some of the things I make… made, for dinner, certain people would frown upon, or outright be disgusted by, and vice versa,” Magnus replied.

“What do you mean? Meat and fish?” Foxgloved asked, to which Magnus nodded.

“Humans are omnivores; if the situation calls for it, or if we are starving, we’ll be willing to eat just about anything. But normally, however, not all people like fish, or meat for that matter. Vegetarians, for example; while they might like the taste of meat, they may object to eating it due to the conditions animals are raised in.”

Hammer and his wives gave each other a sideways look, and Magnus noticed it. Meanwhile, Brilliant happily ate as if the topic didn’t even faze her.

“The conditions the animals are raised in are… not good?” Night ventured, carefully selecting her words.

Magnus sighed. “People expect farms where animals are raised for food to be held to a high standard, and while many farms keep to these standards, some do not,” he concluded. There was no way he would talk about slaughterhouses with these ponies, and certainly not about the places where animals were mistreated before they were killed off.

“Oh, I see. I understand,” Night replied, and judging by the look on her face, as well as that of Foxglove, Hammer, and Swirly, they understood what he meant.

“It is an interesting topic,” Brilliant interjected suddenly, using her magic to push the empty dessert bowl away, and seemingly undisturbed by Magnus’ explanation. “I once tried meat in Griffonia; I didn’t know what I was ordering and I can’t say I liked it enough to try a second time. But Magnus, when it comes to food and morals, what type of person are you?”

Magnus gave it a few moments to mull over Brilliant’s query, and the answer was obvious to him. “I eat what I like because I like what I like. We all need to eat something. What we choose to eat is entirely up to ourselves and what morals we follow. That’s not to say that I’m an immoral person because I like meat, I just hope that whatever I ate had a good life.”

His answer hung in the air as each of the ponies assembled around the table had a few moments to think his reply over. “A sensible answer, I guess,” said Hammerstrike, sounding as if he wanted to leave the topic alone for now.

After the topic of food had passed and dessert had been consumed, they all retired to the living room for a cup of tea and more chatter. Magnus added to the conversation where he could, but mostly he fell back to his usual routine when it came to small talk and gossip; he listened.

The head teacher at the school was planning to retire soon and the new head teacher was most likely the assistant teacher. The mayor was planning to travel to Canterlot and meet with Princess Celestia to ask for additional funding for new medical equipment for the local hospital. Old Mrs. Snowdrift's lumbago was acting up again, and Earth Shatter’s eldest son had recently been seen visiting the local guard station with some papers tucked under a wing and leaving with a huge smile on his face.

It all reminded Magnus of his own little town back in Montana. Every other day some of the local elders would meet at Harriet Becker's Bakery for coffee, tea, and something sweet to eat, and then proceed to solve the world's problems all while sounding like a chicken coop.

Just small town things. Just thinking about it made Magnus’ homesickness act up. He really missed his hometown and the thought of his peaceful hometown nestled with the plains to the east and the Rockies to the west put a serious dampener on his mood.

Just then, Magnus was tossed back to the present when Hammerstrike spoke.

“Anvil visited the smithy again today,” the burly stallion said, looking a bit bummed out. “He just came in, sat down, had a cup or two and watched us work like he always does, then left, looking as miserable as when he left.”

Brilliant shook her head sadly. “He just can’t stay away, can he? Well, I guess that’s what happens when you've grown up in the smithy. You miss the place, the air, the atmosphere. Can’t really blame him though.”

“You think he comes back every day just to remember? He has grandchildren; would it hurt him to spend some time with them?” Foxglove added with a small shake of her head.

Night lifted her teacup to her lips and sipped it daintily. “I know he foalsits them from time to time, but I heard from Sparrow Song that he rarely tells them fairy tales. Most of his stories are about metal he shaped and armour he repaired. If he ever tells them an actual fairy tale, it’s the ones about blacksmiths making something amazing, magical or beautiful to help a hero or heroine. Luna’s tail,” she finished, an odd thing she swore to as well.

It didn’t take Magnus long to figure out who they were talking about. He had seen one character come into the metal working shop just about every day and just watch them work.

“This Anvil you’re talking about, is that the old bat pony stallion who came into the smithy every day? Rarely spoke a word?” asked Magnus.

Hammerstrike nodded solemnly. “Glowing Anvil, Iron Tower’s father. Their family’s been in the metalworking business for ages. Glowing is… was a master blacksmith, probably the best one in Hollow Shades for a few centuries at least.”

“So he’s retired, that’s why he isn't working anymore? Is he regretting retiring?”

Hammer sighed and emptied his cup. “There was an accident about six years ago.” He paused, staring ahead as if he replayed a memory in his mind. “Anvil had bought an old disused set of train wheels complete with axles and wanted to cut them into smaller pieces. See, train wheels and axles are nothing but good metal; a good investment. So, we helped him get the wheels into the shop and used chains and pulleys to lift one up and into the forge to heat up and make them easier to cut. Then… the pulley chain snapped.”

Magnus felt an involuntary tremble run down his spine. Had Anvil stood underneath the wheel when it broke loose?

“The wheel bounced off of the forge and went straight towards Anvil. Broke both of his forelegs. It was… bad. Bone fragments piercing his skin and…” Hammer stopped, shaking his head. It became clear to Magnus that the accident had affected Hammer badly.

“Half the town heard him scream.” Foxglove offered a comforting hoof to her husband. “I was nearby and was one of the ponies that carted him off to the hospital. Silky Touch was working that day at the hospital; she told me that it was one of the worst injuries she had ever seen. Both of Anvil’s forelegs had multiple fractures; he was close to having to amputate both of his forelegs. Doctor Pulse worked on him all throughout the night and well into the day and managed to save both his legs—nothing short of a miracle if you ask me.”

“A miracle, yes.” Hammer nodded, using the thumb claw on his wing to lift the teapot, filling his cup. “We all went to visit him a couple of days after. Despite the accident, he was in a good mood and blew it off as a common injury, something all blacksmiths must go through at least once, and said he’d be back before we knew it. But… his stay became longer than anypony could imagine.”

Magnus furrowed his brows. “How long?”

“Six months.” Hammer passed the pot over to Brilliant, who filled her cup. “Severe nerve damage and complications from the fractures that required even more surgery, not to mention a rather severe infection. He was confined to his bed for all that time and time took its toll. I swear, I saw the difference in him each time we visited. He lost muscle mass, got thinner, he even began to appear meek, not like the stallion cut from stone we knew.”

Six months could surely take its toll, Magnus guessed. He had plenty of visits to the hospital under his belt due to his long lasting headaches, and was even admitted to the hospital when he was a teenager after an intense case that lasted for weeks, which he now knew was related to his lack of magic. Transported to Northern Rockies Medical Center, a tumour or some form of brain damage was suspected and he underwent numerous tests, but the doctors had found nothing. Two weeks, monitored each and every day and ordered to remain still just in case and coupled with lousy hospital food made him lose a small amount of weight, and also made Joseph’s wallet lose weight. But six months? He couldn’t even imagine the boredom he’d suffer.

“Then there was the nerve damage,” Hammer continued with a sigh. “When he was finally released from the hospital, he had to learn how to walk again, and he was as thin as you saw him at the shop.”

“I didn’t even recognise him when I first saw him after the accident, so I went over to say hello to him, thinking he was new in town. I was so embarrassed,” Brilliant added.

“Anvil wanted to get back to work, but he’d lost all strength in his forelegs. You have to be able to use your forelegs properly in order to be a blacksmith, but the best Anvil could do was use the tongs to move metal around and barely do that. No more hammering, no more heavy work, no more head of the forge and shaping steel. He went from being the best blacksmith to being -in his own words- useless. It affected him greatly.”

“So he was forced to quit,” said Magnus, understanding what happened to the old blacksmith.

“He was.” Hammer nodded. “But a forced retirement was not something he had in mind. He loved working metal, still does, but he can’t. The smithy doesn’t get much work other than what we have, but we had a bit more work that only Anvil could do before his injury; he was that good. But having to hire somepony to help him all day would cut back on our salaries. He knew that as well and willingly retired so that the rest of us could get by and not have to cut back.” said Hammer, doing a sort of air quotes movements with his hooves when saying willingly.

“Retirement also affected his mood,” Night Phenomenon continued, accepting the pot from Brilliant. “It’s been some time since anypony has seen him smile; I believe he’s depressed. It also seems to have affected him physically. You might think Anvil is old, but he just turned sixty six years old.”

Magnus blinked, not quite believing what he heard. He had guessed Anvil was a bit younger than Brilliant, perhaps ninety plus, but only in his sixties and looking so old? It made some manner of sense; Anvil did look as if he had worked hard his entire life. He must’ve been a muscular pony once, but his hospital stay had effectively forced him to lose weight and muscle mass, thus explaining his saggy skin adding wrinkles to his face and body and made him very thin and wiry.

“Anvil sounds like the kind of pony who could very well teach the next generation of blacksmiths. He must have a lifetime of experience behind him. Hasn’t someone suggested that to him?” Magnus inquired, hopeful but was quite certain the old pony had heard such an offer and rejected it.

“He’s heard that several times before,” Hammer replied. “But he always says that he’s not a teacher or doesn’t want to teach. He spent his entire life in the forge, and he would like to stay in the forge for many more years to come. These days, all he does is sit there and watch us work, just reminiscing, wanting to come back.”

‘I think I get the old pony then,’ Magnus thought to himself. Anvil loved his job; it was even in his cutie mark. He was born to work and shape steel and now he couldn’t do it anymore. As a pony that loved his job, not being able to do it anymore would be devastating.

And also on a deeper level, Magnus understood Anvil quite well.

When Magnus was young and his childhood fantasies were very real, playing wizards was his favourite game. Imagining magic, sorcery, spell and incantations was something he was very good at, even Joseph had commented on his grandson’s very vivid imagination. But then Magnus grew older and he learned about the world and one terrible truth.

There was no such thing as magic.

Magicians on TV used sleight of hand and misdirection to fool their audiences. Illusions weren’t magic, card tricks weren’t magic, mind reading wasn’t magic, nothing was magic! It was all tricks, hidden compartments, not seeing what you thought you saw, and an accomplice, an assistant placed in the crowd that chose an already cleverly marked card from the deck.

Realizing this at the age of twelve had been a devastating turning point in young Magnus’ life. All he had ever wanted was fake and the revelation caused the young boy to become depressed, and for several weeks he shut himself off from the world, pretending his headaches were so bad that he had to stay at home, submerging himself in games, films and books to forget the real world outside his window and forget how the world had lied to him all his life.

It was a tough time in his short life, but he gradually had to accept that that was what the world was like. He had to move on in a magicless world and leave his childhood dreams behind.

This was how Magnus understood Anvil; the old stallion had his dreams shattered and now had to find something else to do, and Magnus had his own dreams shattered and had to find a new direction in life. Difference was, Magnus had now been given a new chance to rediscover magic and perhaps make some childhood fantasies become real.

Magnus’ thoughts drifted away from the conversation, his mind elsewhere, pondering the future and its possibilities. Magic, spells, conjuration, illusions, incantations, all those old childhood memories of his imaginary spells came back, one by one. Happy little snippets from his childhood. And the tools of his trade.

Shaboom. A magical staff made from the straightest stick he found near Joseph’s cabin.

Megablast. A fantastically powerful wand made from a piece of rosewood that he found in the neighbors backyard.

The Hat of More-Spells-Than-Anyone-Knows, the too warm top hat. Whoever wore it would know all spells in existence.

The Solid Cape of Stupidness. A very long cape that made whoever wore it shielded from all harm and made you trip on the hem because it was too long.

The raiment and relics of Alakazam, the most powerful wizard that has ever existed, A.K.A. Magnus, age five to twelve. When Magnus used to believe with all his heart and mind.

Magnus was quite sure that if he was ten years old again, he’d know a spell that could fix old Glowing Anvil’s forelegs. After all, back in those days, there was nothing he could not do. Back then, it was only his imagination that set the bar, and quite often that bar had to be raised higher every few weeks.

But now Magnus knew the world, and a little of this one too.

He sighed. Even in a magical world there were limits to what one could do. Magic couldn’t heal Glowing Anvil’s forelegs or fix his nerves, magic couldn’t help him find a new path in life, and magic couldn’t change his mind.

Magic was not all-powerful.

Magnus sighed again. It sucked to grow up, and it sucked to not be able to help someone that really needed it.

Author's Notes:

Well hey there, it's been a while hasn't it?

Yeah, I know, seems like the time between chapters just increases, doesn't it. And you'd be right. But I hope that'll change. At least I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

I've noticed a trend on fimfiction lately and I'm pretty sure you have seen it too. The feed has slowed a bit, posts are less numerous, stories updating has slowed, and the entire website seems to have slowed down. Hell, I've seen the same on Equestria Daily, despite daily posts. Understandable as some people might've left the fandom. But hey, G5 is right around the corner and I remain positive that pony fans will come back

As always, JBL has edited my landslide of words, turning them from the ramblings of a madman into something eligible. Go give him some love!

And as always, thank you to everybody who has given my story as chance, an upvote, and a place of honor upon the shelves in your library; your words of encouragement makes me wanna write!

Chapter 61

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A cold fall wind blew through the forest of Hollow Shades. The breeze made dead leaves dance on the road and howled through branches nearly bereft of leaves. No birds sang this late evening, only the hooting of owls and sounds of distant animals deeper into the forest could be heard.

Magnus inhaled deeply and sighed. “Almost reminds me of Montana in the fall.” He buttoned up his jacket all the way. The cold wind was blowing from the north tonight, from the wintery Crystal Empire, a place in which the ponies’ coats shone and sparkled and their homes were actually carved out of crystals.

“Your grandfather’s cabin in the forest, you mean?” asked Brilliant. She was riding in her cart tonight while Magnus had decided to walk. He had done little of that, and his legs needed some more conditioning, as suggested by Doctor Silverheart weeks ago. Despite his lack of physical training, Magnus had gotten used to the extra weight his legs carried these days, but he was far from well-trained. A walk, even a short one, would help a little.

“Yeah.” Magnus sighed, smiling at the memories. “It was a nice place, a good silent meadow in the forest surrounded by tall trees. It was so far away from everything else; you only heard the wind and the animals there.”

In his youth, Magnus had spent much of his time at Joseph’s cabin in the woods, hearing stories, learning about the tribe he was a member of, the Lakota or more specifically the Sihásapa, the Blackfoot Sioux, as well as a plethora of Native American legends and myths, shamanistic rituals, customs and traditions, of which Joseph was a walking encyclopaedia. His high standing in the Native community as a shaman and his knowledge concerning the old ways was well-known. Magnus had never really found out if Joseph intended for him to become a shaman, as it wasn’t a hereditary title, but he suspected that Joseph at least wanted him to have the knowledge he possessed and perhaps one day pass it on.

Although Magnus had listened to what Joseph told him, the young boy had a tendency to drift out of the conversation and into his own world. Daydreaming often involved not just magic, but also wondering what was out there in the forest beyond the treeline of Joseph’s cabin. A hundred different ideas would pop into his mind, and the mind of a child was able to create a multitude of scenarios. In later years when Magnus began going for walks into the forest and began bringing a tent and sleeping bag, he’d begun exploring on his own. It was still an appealing idea in this new world.

Hollow Shades had certainly started to grow on Magnus. The village, the exotic ponies, the atmosphere, but also the forest itself. A walk first, maybe not a long one, but a few hours at least, just following the dirt road to see where he would end up, or perhaps just choose a random direction and keep going. If he did, he’d make sure it would be in daylight; navigating a forest with only a flashlight wasn’t the best idea.

“Brilliant, what kind of animals live in this forest? Anything dangerous?”

“Oh, I’d say nothing that will stalk or attack you if you do not provoke them. Lynx maybe—I saw one close to the castle a few years back, perhaps a few phoenixes,” she replied.

Magnus raised a brow. “Phoenix? As in the firebird, rising from the ashes? That sort of phoenix?”

“The very same. Celestia has one for a pet; a clever bird and something of a prankster.”

Magnus didn’t even shake his head. Of course phoenixes existed here. Hell, there were dragons, pegasi, griffons, and God only knew what other fantasy creatures were around. Might as well throw in a bird that spontaneously came back to life.

Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Celestia with such a bird, but he had some vague memories of a fiery red and orange bird in his room during his… depressed state back in Canterlot.

“I’d like to see it when I get back to Canterlot,” he said, eliciting a smile from Brilliant.

They arrived in the town, Brilliant easily navigating the streets before finally finding a suitable spot to leave her wagon and disembarking. Ponies milled about on their business, be it work, free time, or errands to do. Tonight, Brilliant and Magnus had a specific errand.

“It’s this way.” Brilliant walked down the dirt road that led to the train station and Magnus following. They were going to the guard station; the bat ponies had a small barrack and office, although according to Brilliant, they really didn’t have much to do, other than receive applications to the Royal Guard. The bat ponies that applied would surely aim to be Night Guards one day. Still, the guard station remained, mostly out of tradition.

Soon the train station came into sight and just beyond that stood a two storey house made of wood and stone. There was little to indicate it served a military function, other than two ornate banners in Celestia’s and Luna’s colours hanging on each side of the entry door.

Brilliant didn’t bother knocking, opting instead for just walking in as if she owned the place. The first room was a large hall with doors labelled as offices and officer names and rank on them. The walls were decorated with portraits and photos of bat pony soldiers, medals and diplomas and a variety of military decorations like flags and banners with a variety of symbols and unit names on them.

In front of them stood a desk and seated behind it a golden-eyed bat pony stallion in full armour sans helmet, resting on the desk beside him. The moment Brilliant walked in, he immediately perked up.

“Baroness Star, welcome! Have you come to inspect our barracks?” he asked eagerly, standing up and donning his helmet.

“Not today, Wind Burst,” Brilliant replied with a good-humoured chuckle. “No, Magnus and I are here to have a message sent to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with the next courier. Celestia said that when Magnus wanted to return to Canterlot, he should come here and send them a letter for just that.”

“Oh! That’s right.” Wind Burst clapped with wings together on his back, as if they were hands. “After the disturbance at your castle, Princess Celestia actually came here and told us to give you this. just a moment.” Wind Burst ducked behind his desk again and began rummaging through the drawers, mumbling to himself while searching for something. Judging by the amount of papers and documents he had to move, having things in order was not one of the soldier's strong suits.

Magnus meanwhile, crouched until he was at level with Brilliant. “Was he joking or can you actually perform a military inspection?” he asked, wondering what sort of responsibilities she had that came with her title.

“As a baroness, I do have some say in things, but only minor, and I have rarely exercised that right. From a military point of view, I cannot command the guards in Hollow Shades, but I can ask to inspect the soldiers if I want to, just to make sure they aren’t being a bunch of lazy colts. In the old days, it was the duty of the nobility to report to the diarchy on the state of the soldiers garrisoned in the lands they were responsible for. In those days, it was important that the army was ready in case they were needed, and the old law was never removed. These days, however, inspections are usually carried out by the highest ranking officer at the garrison and province officers anyway.”

“Aha! Found it!” the soldier suddenly exclaimed, appearing from behind the desk, this time with a scroll held in his wing and presenting it to Brilliant, a scroll with a gold silk ribbon and red wax seal.

After Brilliant opened it, she spent a few moments reading it, smiled, and thanked Wind Burst. “I knew it,” she said knowingly. “Come Magnus, our business here is done. Goodbye Wind Burst; tell your mother I said hello.”

“I will. Have a nice night Baroness Star, and you too, Magnus.”

Once outside, Magnus had to ask. “Brilliant, can I ask what Celestia wrote to you?” He assumed it had something to do with the return to Canterlot, seeing as they hadn’t made any arrangements whatsoever.

“Oh, just Celestia being predictable,” she answered, opening the scroll and producing two tickets from within the rolled up piece of paper. “It seems Celestia wants to make amends after our little debate about law a while back. She left two train tickets for us to be used any time we wish, and she has also formally invited me to Canterlot as her guest to stay at the castle.”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” said Magnus, a bit relieved that the alicorn and the old unicorn could sit down and talk things over, seeing as they hadn’t parted on the best terms. “Has it been long since you visited Canterlot?”

Turning a corner and heading back into town, Brilliant hummed to herself. “Let’s see… It might have been the last time I attended the Grand Galloping Gala, nine or ten years ago. It was nice to see some old friends again, but Faust how terribly boring it was. Ponies dressed up like they were competing with the peacocks in the garden, bragging about this and that.” Brilliant laughed and shook her head. “I left early and found an old bar I used to go to in my youth, still owned by the same family and they still made a drink called Pirate’s Dive, once my favourite.”

Magnus laughed. “Getting hammered sounds more fun than a fancy gathering like that.” A bit of alcohol was a well-known social lubricant that could get even the most tight-lipped characters talking.

hey arrived in the town centre and sat down on a bench so that Brilliant could rest her legs for a while. For being as old as she was, she could move quite some distance before having to rest. No human being even close to her age could match her. Then again, humans had overall shorter lifespans. It made Magnus wonder what kind of lifespan he could expect. Would it be close to that of a pony, or would he be lucky to turn ninety? He didn’t know, but he was quite sure that his lifespan would be closer to that of a human, unless magic somehow could extend his life. However, if that was the case, wouldn't Equestria be filled with geriatrics or near immortal ponies? No, chances were that such magic didn’t exist.

Brilliant rubbed a thigh with a hoof while looking around. They sat near the town hall on a bench watching life pass them by. A stallion hauling a wagon full of fruit, the mail pony flying by, a young couple seemingly infatuated with each other, the children of the local school having a small outing with their teacher and all the foals staring with open mouths the moment they spotted Magnus. Magnus simply gave them a small wave and smile while their teacher tried to get them moving again.

“The guard house was the only errand we had in town tonight. Do you have an idea when you want to return to Canterlot?” Brilliant waved a hoof to a passing elderly mare who waved one of her wings back at her.

“Maybe the day after tomorrow, or the day after that? I’m sure you want some time to pack some things, and we might want some time to get our sleep schedule back to daylight time.” He had gotten used to the nightly hours of Hollow Shades fast, and going back to Canterlot meant turning the day around again.

“Mmm, it’s always difficult to get used to daylight hours, believe me. It’s even worse for bat ponies who have lived their entire lives in Hollow Shades and then go elsewhere. There’s always stories going around town about bat ponies who join the Royal Guard and then have to stay awake during the day; always some good stories each year.” Brilliant chuckled. “Shall we say three days? I think we both need a little time to adjust before going to Canterlot.”

“Three days suits me fine. The sooner I can get back on track working on my future, the better for me”

Brilliant nodded and the two went back to watching village life life pass by in silence.

“Magnus, now that you have stayed here in Hollow Shades and with me, what do you think? Please, be honest,” asked Brilliant after a few long moments spent silent, looking at a few young fillies and colts walking by, teenagers by the looks of it. Braces on bat ponies looked very strange, but the colt desperately needed them.

Brilliant’s question came as a surprise to Magnus. He thought he had been nothing but honest ever since he came here, both in language and otherwise. Then again, some ponies had trouble reading him. Had he said or done something that she’d interpreted the wrong way? Nothing came to mind, but he was well aware of the fact that although he’d learned a few things about pony society he would be a student to it the rest of his life.

“Honestly?” Magnus sighed and leaned back on the bench. “When Celestia and Luna told me about you, I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t sure if you’d even approve of me, not being a pony and all, and knowing I had a pony as my closest relative bothered me for a while.” Being related to an equine was such a surreal feeling, and slowly coming to terms with it even more. All in all, Magnus felt he had handled it pretty well over the weeks since he came here.

“Approve?” Brilliant turned to Magnus, appearing surprised at his choice of words. “Oh no, hearing that my family tree had such distant saplings was a surprise to me too, but a pleasant one. That you are not a pony doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”

Magnus smiled, feeling a slight tinge of tenseness leaving him. Twilight told him that ponies were very family oriented, and at the time he didn’t know how far they’d go. Brilliant Star was a fantastic example of how far they’d consider any creature family, even non-ponies.

“Thank you. As for how I decided to come here, well, I took a gamble; either I’d be here for a few hours at most or my stay would last for a while. And to be perfectly frank, I… am glad I decided to visit.” The latter part of the sentence was buried deep. Although he was not the type of guy to talk openly about feelings and things like that, he hoped at least hinting towards it would make Brilliant happy. After all, she was the closest to a relative he had—in TWO worlds—and he had actually come to care for the old mare in such a short time.

Brilliant smiled, patting his thigh with an old wrinkled hoof. “Thank you, and the feeling is mutual.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence once more, watching life pass by. The air was crisp and cool, and Magnus felt quite well about his life right at that moment. He didn’t lie to Brilliant; he was happy he decided to take a chance in Hollow Shades. Although back in Ponyville he was a skeptic, in hindsight, being wrong was a good thing.

Brilliant sighed, smiling up at the night sky. “The pantry is stocked; I have enough yarn to last me until spring comes along, and I’ve already bought firewood for winter. Going back to the castle at this hour seems a bit early.” She turned to Magnus. “Come to think of it, you spent most of the time here in my castle, or spending time with us one way or another. Is there something you wish to do before going back to Canterlot?”

Magnus scratched the stubble on his chin; he hadn’t shaved for a few days now and it began to show. When coming to Hollow Shades he hadn’t really made any plans other than see what Brilliant Star was like, get to know her and then just wing it from there. And he wasn’t disappointed with how things had turned out. However, with everything that had happened lately, he hadn’t spared any time doing something he wanted to do like he did back home in Montana. Sure, he had done a lot of reading on magic since coming here, but perhaps now was the time for a more familiar activity.

“You know, I’ve wanted to go for a walk for a while now. Doctor Silverheart back in Canterlot recommended it, what with my legs turning into hooves. He said it would help me familiarize myself with my new legs and help me get used to the extra weight.” He rested one copper-coloured hoof on top of his knee. It looked strange but didn’t feel uncomfortable, what with the leg being digitigrade instead of a normal human leg.

“A walk? Of course, just let me find my cart and I’ll join you. These old legs aren’t what they once were.”

Ten minutes later they left the village behind, following the dirt road east out of town venturing deeper into the dark forest. The sounds of the village gradually began to fade until all that remained was the sounds of the forest at night and the creaking sound of the wheels of Brilliant’s car-like wagon and the lamp at the front of her wagon lighting the way.

The road was made of packed dirt; just like any other road in town, centuries worth of ponies and wagons had made the road quite solid. Still, to Magnus the dirt felt better to walk on than the cobblestone streets of Canterlot or the hardwood floors of Brilliant’s castle. Even though the ground was cold and wet, the cold didn't bother him as much as he expected. His hooves never slipped or stumbled upon the road and his gait was relaxed, like a normal walk. Thinking back, he hadn’t stumbled once since the day he got out of that hospital bed so long ago. Strange how quickly he got used to them, but since they had always been there then it made some manner of strange sense.

“This path here goes to Wobbly Gear’s house, a young stallion who likes to style himself as an inventor,” Brilliant stated as they walked along the main path that branched off to smaller, less-used paths, like driveways to private houses. “And if you go up there you’ll end up at Moonblur, Figtree, and Orchid Petal’s home. Poor Moonblur, I hope her cataract surgery goes well. She is almost completely blind you know.”

On and on Brilliant fed a near constant stream of information to Magnus. Who lived at the end of that road, who built that tree house, whose berry patch or orchard lay at the end of that and those dirt paths. Magnus almost felt a bit like home, in that some of his neighbours had been elders who loved to talk about their family and their recent accomplishments and developments. While some might have gotten tired of it after a while, Magnus became surprised when he realized that he liked it when Brilliant spoke like this to him; the feeling of homesickness sort of abated after a while.

“Where does this road go?” he asked Brilliant when he spotted a brief pause in her explanations, pointing to the right. The road split into two, both roads equal in width as the one they walked on, one going straight ahead while the other road branched off to the right.

“Ah, that's one of the old roads that goes to the Foal Mountain range to the south,” replied Brilliant, further explaining, “Long ago ponies from Foaldale, a large farming village on the other side of the mountain, used to haul their wagons over the mountain in order to sell their produce here. This road was built by my ancestors to make transport easier.”

“What did they grow there that the bat ponies couldn’t grow?”

“Oh, many things. Foaldale is a very large farming community, you see, one of the largest in Equestria in fact. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, plenty of vegetables, and of course orchards. That is not to say that Hollow Shades is void of cereals, just that bat ponies prefer berries and fruits, and they have become very good at planting, caring for, and harvesting them.”

As they walked, Magnus noticed smaller roads heading into the forest here and there. Some had wheel tracks on them, indicating they were used recently. Perhaps a bat pony farm was somewhere at the end of the road.

Further ahead, they came upon a bend in the road where the road split into two once more.

“We take a right here, then we’ll end up near the Foal Mountains and loop around and go back to town,” said Brilliant. “If we keep going straight ahead, we’ll come to Narrow Wagon Gap, a narrow road in the mountains which leads outside Hollow Shades and into Whinnying Hills.”

Magnus had to suppress the urge to laugh; ponies really did come up with some interesting names. That made him wonder if other races did the same.

But they kept to the right and continued on in silence. Magnus glanced to the side and at Brilliant. Although the weather was far from warm, Brilliant didn’t seem to mind. Her wool blanket and shawl seemed to be everything she needed, despite the cool fall night. Just to be sure, he kept a close eye on her in case she was shivering, but her wool garments did a good job.

Just as the silence of the forest became prominent, Magnus felt his shoulders loosening up, his body relaxed, and his breathing slowed down. Just like at home in Montana when he went camping in the forest, he felt a change come over him as soon as he left civilization and went into the wilds. It was difficult to explain, but he felt different, freed from some invisible bonds that kept him chained to concrete and steel, taxes, exhaust, the buzzing of mobile phones, and all the sounds and smells that followed civilization wherever it was found. And the further he left civilization behind, the stronger the feeling became.

This sensation Magnus had always felt whenever he ventured into the forest or mountains, even as a kid. Living in a small town was just fine for him, but sometimes he just wanted to leave it all behind for a while. Even just a couple of days spent alone in nature made his batteries recharge and his internal clock adjust to the cycle of nature.

But going for a walk or spending a few days in a tent always made him feel better. Joseph had been the same, and according to him, Magnus’ mother Julia was similar in that regard.

It was something liberating, a feeling of peace that came to Magnus during these times. A feeling of adjusting to a different cycle of time, not that of an alarm clock or traffic noises, but the time that nature decided, perhaps the internal clock that resides in all people and in all animals, in all living things. But not only spending time outside made him feel this way, but living off of what the land could provide too. What one could fish in lakes and rivers and maybe even hunt for, although Magnus had never gone hunting before. However, he knew how to set traps, a skill he learned from Joseph and from other people, tribe members and men and women of native heritage at various events and “the wacipi” he attended as a teenager with his grandfather.

Yes, Joseph was keen on Magnus learning about his heritage and that was why he had taken Magnus to the wacipi, or powwows at an early age, various events held in Montana, and North and South Dakota. There Magnus met with youngsters like himself and were taught many things, like history, culture, as well as many other aspects of Lakota culture. One year, when Magnus was around eight years old, they had guests from other tribes having a sort of youngsters workshop where they taught children and teenagers how to set traps to catch small animals and how to make fish traps from vines and flexible saplings.

These lessons, although learned a long time ago, were still fresh to Magnus' mind, and with some luck, perhaps come summer, he could put some of them to use. It had been so long since the last time he had packed his tent, sleeping bag, fishing rod and just chosen a direction at random and just kept going for a day. The last time, he remembered, was shortly before Joseph’s passing. After that day, the visions brought from the staff and Starswirl’s magical construct made doing so difficult, and the countless happy memories of Joseph joining Magnus for a trek even more so.

Perhaps it was high time to do it again? To go somewhere someday? However, Magnus knew he would be a fool to do so unprepared. He had next to no knowledge about Equestrian wildlife and plantlife, so that was something he had to research. Winter was coming and that meant time he could spend preparing, reading, and studying for such a small adventure. Oh yes, another plan was already taking shape in his mind.

After all, now he had an entire world to explore.

Chapter 62

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A haze hung over Hollow Shades. Both the village and the forest were covered in mist as dew slowly began to evaporate, and the sun rose early in the morning. Sunlight pierced the fog occasionally, creating beams of light which highlighted houses and trees, a warm orange glow slowly forming as more and more sunlight illuminated the village. Accompanying this lovely sight on a fall morning was the song of birds. An idyllic setting to be sure.

This view was not wasted to Magnus’ eyes, even though he was sleepy. Turning the hours back to being awake during the day hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d predicted, but a lot of short naps and coffee by the gallons over the course of three days had helped.

He was seated on a bench at the train station, patiently waiting for the morning train to arrive. By his side sat Brilliant, clad in her shawl and wool blanket, dozing lightly, and further down the station stood several other ponies. Some were wide awake and some slept while on their hooves. Bat ponies were certainly not early birds.

Magnus and Brilliant had worked together to prepare for the journey, turning the hours slowly around by going to bed earlier and getting up later as well. Although Canterlot was somewhat lively at night, it was still a city for those that were awake during the day, so being a night person in such a city meant that one would miss out on things. Brilliant had mentioned errands and things she wanted to do while in Canterlot so naturally she had to be awake during the day. Her meeting with Celestia was one of them, one of many.

Magnus yawned and stretched his arms. He looked at the clock that hung on the wall of the station and concluded that the train should be here by now. No sooner had he finished the thought that he heard the distant sound of a train whistle coming from somewhere deeper in the forest. Mere minutes later, the train came into view, smaller than that of a train on Earth. Its colour scheme would probably make any train enthusiast scream in abject horror. Ponies certainly had a thing for pastel.

Gently, Magnus nudged Brilliant. “Brilliant, the train’s here.”

The old mare jerked, her eyes going wide as she shook away her drowsiness. “Oh, goodness, did I fall asleep again?” She levitated her glasses off and rubbed her eyelids for the second time that morning. “It’s been such a long time since I was awake during the day. I forgot how difficult it is to turn the hours around.”

“Hopefully you can get some sleep on the train then,” Magnus replied as he stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and bent down to pick up Brilliant’s two suitcases. “I’ll take your luggage for you.”

“Thank you. Such a gentlecolt.”

After the train had come to a complete stop, ponies began to exit the passenger cars. There weren’t many disembarking; Hollow Shades was not a tourist destination and neither did it have anything special that made ponies want to visit. But twice the number began to board the train and a variety of boxes, barrels and an assortment of cargo were loaded into the boxcar near the back of the train.

After boarding, Magnus and Brilliant found a pair of empty seats for themselves. There weren’t many passengers on the train, so they could pick and choose as they liked. After stowing their luggage, they sat down and got comfortable.

“Not many traveling this early.” There were only a handful of ponies of different varieties. Two ponies—a mare and a stallion—kept staring at him and looked away whenever he caught them. It didn’t really bother Magnus. However, they looked distinctly different compared to the others in that their coats, tails, and hair appeared nearly flawless. Their coats were so well-groomed that they almost shone, and their manes and tails were intricately styled and almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that now shone through the cars windows.

“There rarely are, but those two over there are a rare sight in Hollow Shades,” Brilliant responded with a nod of her head towards the two sparkling ponies.

“Those are rare? How come?” Since those two obviously took so good care of their appearance, they could be models.

“Crystal ponies," Brilliant replied. "They rarely leave the Empire. They have a lot of history to catch up on, and the world has moved on since their days.”

Crystal Empire. That two-word sentence told Magnus a few things. The ‘city-state’, if it could be called that since it was a tiny nation, north of Equestria. Also, the Empire that Princess Cadenza and Prince-Consort Shining Armor ruled over.

“Then that means that those two are over a thousand years old!” said Magnus, much louder than he intended. Luckily, the two crystal ponies didn’t seem to hear him.

“Mmm, that they are. But I heard they and the entire Empire were banished. How they did not age is beyond my understanding.” Brilliant smiled, although it was brief. “But horrible what they went through nonetheless. That tyrant Sombra. Thank Faust the Element Bearers dealt with him.”

After a few minutes, the train conductor blew his whistle, and the train slowly began to pull out of the station. Little houses near the train tracks and beyond the trees began to fade from sight until there was nothing to be seen but the forest.

‘Goodbye, Hollow Shades, until next time,’ thought Magnus, smiling at the memories of his time in the little forest village. Despite some setbacks, he had enjoyed his stay, and the possibility of another visit was highly likely. After all, Brilliant had said that they were invited back for a Christmas-like holiday called Hearths-Warming Eve.

An hour or so passed with nothing in view but trees, the occasional stream and river and little lakes, but then the trees became sparse and suddenly they exited the forest and entered a vide plain. To the north was a snow-capped mountain range with a wide pass through them, and to the south was the vast plain that made up central Equestria.

Brilliant had already fallen asleep by the time the train headed south towards Canterlot, which left Magnus alone with his thoughts. His head resting on the palm of his hand, he simply admired the view that passed him by.

Vast green plains, a hill here and there, little forests, rivers and streams cutting through the green landscape, lakes big and small, and dirt roads crossing the tracks on occasion. From time to time, Magnus saw tiny settlements in the distance as well as distant farms, and a few times the train stopped at stations in the middle of nowhere where ponies boarded the train or left. He concluded that these small stations acted like a local waypoint between villages and settlements instead of building tracks to each and every one.

Equestria was a beautiful country, no doubt about it. Even though fall was here, the land held its charm and grace as the grass had begun to die and the leaves had fallen, and Magnus didn’t understand why his mind chose this particular thing to focus on, given his dislike of fall. It was different from Earth, yes. Still, the colours seemed so vibrant. Was it perhaps the lack of pollution from factories, maybe no engine exhaust that turned the air grey, or perchance it was the fact that there wasn’t a single billboard in sight along the tracks or the many small roads they passed that obstructed the view and advertised for some mass-produced crap?

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the distinct lack of human interference and all it brought with it that slowly made him reconsider certain things that had happened in his life in recent months. This world was slow, peaceful, and not yet industrialized, and perhaps that was why it appealed to him. After all, Magnus preferred untouched land instead of cities, and seemingly untouched land was abundant all around him.

“You know, you smile a lot ever since you came to Hollow Shades.”

Magnus was quickly torn back to the present, not because of someone speaking to him, but rather who the voice belonged to.

“Hello, Discord,” Magnus said wearily and looked around. “Being an invisible shit again?”

“And there is that foul language again.” The disembodied spirit of chaos laughed. “I should give you a thesaurus, broaden your language a little, bolster your repository of colloquy.”

“Good idea, I can probably find some new words that can describe you,” Magnus said sarcastically. Discord laughed, his voice clearly conveying amusement. “So, why are you here, if you are here at all?”

“Can I not visit my little brother?”

“A visitor would usually reveal themselves.” Magnus looked around; a few ponies looked at him. “Ponies can hear me, and probably think I’m going crazy sitting here talking to myself.”

“Crazy is just fine, as long as you function in your daily life and do not hurt anypony. But fine then.” A flash of magic later and Discord appeared around Brilliant’s neck, wrapped loosely like a boa, the tiny spirit himself greeting him with a crooked grin. “Better?”

“Not really, now would you get away from her?” Magnus hissed, leaning forward to grab a hold of the prankster spirit. In response, Discord slithered around her neck and away from Magnus’ hand.

“I like it here, little brother. And besides, your dear granny is slee—”

Discord got no further as a crimson aura of magic suddenly grabbed a tight hold around his neck and brought him up face to face with Brilliant. Brilliant was wide awake and didn’t seem the least happy.

“Long ago, I lived in a place filled with snakes,” she said, her lips drawn into a thin line. “I still wake immediately if I feel something slither around my neck, just in case it is a poisonous snake. But today, I have caught a much more dangerous viper.”

In Discord’s defence, he didn’t seem bothered at all being grabbed by the neck. Instead, he did the last thing Magnus expected.

“Enchanté, Madam Star,” he said politely and with a tip of his horns. “A pleasure to meet my little brother’s grandmother.”

“I cannot say the same, Spirit of Chaos,” Brilliant replied without a smile, her grip tightening slightly. “But I oh so wish I could have repaid you for the chaos you caused in Hollow Shades, not to mention my home, and when you betrayed Equestria for that horrible Tirek.”

“Tirek? The centaur? Why? What did he do?” Magnus asked, genuinely curious. By now he was well aware that the day Discord escaped from his stone imprisonment, he had caused chaos all over Equestria, and Hollow Shades could not have been an exception. What he had not heard in detail of was how Discord had teamed up with the magic-eating centaur.

Discord grinned, disappeared in a flash of teleportation and appeared next to Magnus, dressed up in a straw hat, sunglasses, a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, and a camera which he used liberally to take pictures of the landscape, ponies on the train, as well as Magnus. “Oh look, a tree! And a monkey! How fascinating!” he commented, acting like a tourist, obviously not wanting to say anything.

Brilliant merely glared at Discord. “Treehouses turned upside down, bat ponies found their wings attached elsewhere on their bodies, and sometimes not even attached to their bodies at all, their fangs growing so large they left furrows on the ground, ponies acting like animals or even plants, little birds the size of dragons—every madness you can imagine and not imagine. And in my castle, I was woken up midday by the suits of armour displayed around my castle holding a running contest through the hallways. Imagine the ruckus!”

“Oh come now, it was just a bit of fun,” Discord replied innocently, displaying his lopsided grin.

“Fun?” Brilliant raised a brow, staring daggers at Discord, her lips tightening even more. “I thought I had become odd when I heard voices coming from the gallery. The paintings of my ancestors had come alive on the walls! They spoke nonsense! Some spoke as if they were town criers, some acted like the speaker at a sports game! And the photograph of my father, mother, and herdmothers, and my late husband and wives...”

Suddenly, the anger Brilliant displayed faded and she actually smiled, despite what she had gone through. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and low.

“Although my father spoke nonsense about the price of bread to be paid in stars contained in a bucket, and my mother insisting that walking canes was a cure for headaches, and dear Gossamer Mist and Beauté bickering about how to make proper Chocolate Pot Creme dessert with brown paint or paint pretending to be brown…”

Her voice trailed off as she took a shaky breath. “And my lovely husband Evening Wind, dancing in his photograph, in the frilliest dress you can imagine. He always acted a bit silly when he tried to cheer me up, but in all my life, I never could imagine him in a dress.” She laughed, her eyes shining as she looked away from Discord. To Magnus' surprise, Discord wasn’t wearing his patented shit-eating grin, instead looking very much taken by surprise.

“And Midnight Flower and Mossflower,” she continued with a faraway look in her shining eyes, “dancing so beautifully together again to the tune of an orchestra of elephants using their trunks as various brass instruments while reciting Saddle Arabian style poems about planting birds eggs to grow dentures that glow in the dark…” She slowly trailed off, her final words hanging in the air for a few seconds before she looked up at Discord and smiled.

“I… missed seeing them alive again… my mother and father and herdmothers, and my husband and herdwives. I missed their voices, and… it was nice to hear them speak again, even if it was all nonsense. Thank you.”

“Oh! Eh, well, you are quite welcome,” Discord replied. For the first time, Magnus actually heard Discord sound surprised and embarrassed. If it was his plan to tease Brilliant, then it had backfired slightly.

But Brilliant’s little smile faded again, and although her eyes normally looked and felt warm and kind behind her half-moon spectacles, now it seemed as if a fire burned behind them.

“And then you came back with that monster!” she almost snarled.

“What happened?” asked Magnus as he looked at Discord, quite certain it had to do with the magic-eating centaur. The chaos being himself had gone from looking uncertain to guilty.

Brilliant looked from Magnus to Discord, her fiery gaze intensifying every time she looked at the spirit. “A talent show was held by the school in Hollow Shades; every filly and colt was there along with their families. In the middle of a colt’s magic act, Discord appeared on stage, mocking the poor colt for even trying to impress the crowd, then stating he had a better show to give. Then he introduced Tirek, whose very appearance frightened many and made children cry. And if that wasn’t enough, he helped Tirek by shutting the doors so nopony could escape, and laughed as we were all drained of our magic.”

Magnus’ initial desire to know more quickly turned to anger and he turned to Discord with a grim look on his face and teeth grinding behind lips drawn taught. There was much he could tolerate, but a being as powerful as Discord bullying a child, and laughing at ponies when they were helpless?

For a while now, Magnus thought Discord was mostly goofing off most of the time, but hearing how cruel the reformed Spirit of Chaos had acted absolutely pissed him off.

“Can you imagine how it felt being so helpless, so drained… empty?” Brilliant’s eyes now looked as if there was a roaring blaze behind them. If Magnus thought she was angry before, now he had absolutely no doubt. “No.” She shook her head. “No, you can’t. You can’t feel. Creatures like you can’t, because they have no remorse, no compassion, and no empathy. They, like you, are evil and nothing but evil. But you got what you deserved when Tirek betrayed you in turn. If only you would have been left as helpless as we were, forever, Equestria and the world would be a much safer place,” she finished with a satisfying grin.

That part Magnus hadn’t heard before! Discord was in turn betrayed by Tirek? That was news to him. The betrayer was betrayed.

By now, Discord looked very uncomfortable, wringing his eagle talon and lion paw together. “I… regretted my decision immediately after. And I still do my best to avoid disappointing my friends. I never wish to do so again. I promised my best friend.” Then he suddenly smiled and perked up in the blink of an eye. “But I have—”

“Not good enough!” Brilliant exclaimed angrily, pointing a thin foreleg at Discord. “Now, if it was up to me, you would spend the rest of the lives of the ponies and creatures your actions affected, doing everything in your power to make it up to them in any way possible.”

Whatever Discord was to say, in defence, objection, or apology, was left hanging in the air, and all he did was let out a sigh and gave Brilliant a final arrogant frown.

“I know when I am not welcome,” he said, bringing up his lion paw. “Best I leave before we both say something you will regret.” The next moment, he was gone in a flash of magic.

Brilliant slowly lowered her hoof and she leaned back on her seat, her anger quickly fading, leaving her looking annoyed.

Meanwhile, Magnus looked to where Discord was seated moments ago and then to Brilliant. The old mare never showed a single second of fear or discomfort when faced with a being of powers equal to a deity. Nope, she was angry at him! Furious even! She had even shouted at him and never wavered for even a second!

“I didn’t know Discord betrayed Equestria,” Magnus said after a few moments. His respect for Brilliant had increased a few notches more.

“Everypony knows; it’s rarely spoken of. They just want to move on with their lives. That, and some ponies are still afraid of him,” Brilliant stated, staring out the window and the passing view.

While Magnus could believe that, he felt as if there was more to it. Celestia and Luna seemed to tolerate Discord quite well, and the Element Bearers—and Fluttershy especially—called him friend.

“I don’t like Discord either; he’s a di—jerk, annoying as a mosquito swarm, and his mindset is something I can’t even begin to fathom, but it sounds as if you have more than a normal dislike of him.”

Brilliant scoffed and remained silent, but eventually she sighed and turned to Magnus. “I may be old and the poorest noble in Equestria, but I have my pride. More so, I have a duty, a responsibility towards Hollow Shades and all ponies who live in the forest. I may be a lesser noble, but I take my duty seriously, even if it means protecting them.”

‘Did Brilliant seriously mean that she would go up against Discord, at her age?’

“Discord leaving me powerless to help was one of the lowest points in my life.” She turned to look out the window again.

“What could you have done against Discord? I mean, he can force reality over his knee and spank it if he wants.”

His joke had the intended effect, evident by the snort and smile Brilliant showed.

“Probably nothing, but it is a matter of principle,” replied Brilliant as the two fell back into silence.

The old mare yawned, smacking her lips. “I’m still a bit drowsy. Can you wake me when the train begins the climb up Mount Canterhoof?”

Magnus nodded. “Of course.”

And with that Brilliant was out again. While the old mare snoozed away, Magnus sat staring at the old mare, pondering his newfound knowledge.

Discord as a betrayer? Oh yes, he could believe that. Chaos was much, at least the sort he knew of, and betrayal could certainly be chaos. And speaking of betrayal, could Discord be trusted with anything?

Magnus dug into his pocket and took out his phone. The little techno-chaos being sat curled together, pressing the touchscreen on its chest. Flappy Bird, now a heavily pixelated figure of Discord flapped around on the screen, dodging long-legged ponies instead of pipes.

“Can I trust you at all?” asked Magnus, low enough to not wake Brilliant.

Author's Notes:

Heyo everybody! I hope you all have a happy easter, or if you're not celebrating easter, doing whatever makes you happy.

New chapter time! Magnus is heading back to Canterlot with Brilliant. Time to get this story back on track.

Not really much to say here. This felt like filler material when I wrote it, but Brilliant's interaction with Discord I felt was good. Brilliant is old, wise, and has her pride, plus, she is not afraid of Discord. Slowly building Brilliant Star as a new character isn't as easy as it seems. I know what she is like, what life she has led, what she has done, but getting things down on paper is slightly more difficult. I believe any writer will say the same.

As usual, JBL is the editor, and I owe him a big thanks for all the work has has done. Thanks, buddy!

And also, since last time, more people found me worthy to follow, and this little story got more favorites and a place on readers shelves. Thank you very much everybody