Chapter 32 - Leaving the Marble Nest (Edited by JBL)
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.
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Oh wow this is still a thing? I completely forgot about it. Well I got some catching up to do, cheers!
Yay! A update! I can't wait to see what happens in Ponyville.
I think you mean "vest".
7917047 Thanks for picking up on that.
7917047
7917053 Fixed it! thanks for telling.
I especially liked this part:
♪♫
7917170 Eerily close to my initial draft...
He knows there will be a party and there is no way to avoid it, Pinkie's kinda set in her ways like that. Oh, and since he's built up a resistance to begging, as seen when refusing to be a jungle-gym for Pinkie, how long will it take for the CMC to try their combined pout on him?
Oh, he might want to invest in a helmet. I'm fairly certain Ponyville was not designed to be all-species accessible. That is to say, it'll be like Gandolf the Grey nearly knocking himself out while navigating Frodo's house. "Have a drink!" One tiny sip and it's all gone.
Could use that to his advantage too. Go down to the local watering hole to play... picking up fillies dog-paddling to him then tossing them into the air to splash into the water again.
7918711
Nopony escapes the party. roundstable.com/forums/images/smilies/pinkamena.png
NOPONY! sollace.github.io/emoticons/fimfic/meaniepie-d7259oq.png
Was a really Good chapter, I'm really excited for the next chapter!
8002474 Welcome to my story! Take a seat and get comfy. I hope you'll enjoy my little work of fiction.
Hello, I love this story.
Never stop making this.
Or I will make a deal with death to kill you and then your soul will be trapped im the internet so you can continue to make more chapters until the world ends.
8023709 Thank you for your kind words, glad to see people enjoy my work.
Honestly, I have absolutely no plans to stop. This train has no breaks!
I come up with new ideas almost daily about what adventures awaits Magnus in his brave new world. Some might work, some are just shit, but I thought of them anyway. I got a word file on my computer filled with only ideas, that's how much this story takes up my time. Honestly, I'm a bit worried I might get burned out just by all the ideas that pop into my head. However, that won't happen any time soon. I got the next chapters all planned out.
wouldn't this lead to possible exposure of his heritage? Or are they banking on the fact ponies don't typically think too deep on things they say? Not a typo, but it could lead to problems later if they want to keep his heritage secret.
This was a very nice chapter.
I can hear The micro transactions from here
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