The Way Of The Warrior

With Celestia gone the room was plunged into silence, made more awkward by the fact that Konishi was no longer alone. One of the royal guards had returned, and stood next to the ward doors, silent as ever. Konishi didn’t bother attempting to converse with him, knowing it would be futile anyway.

And so silence reigned for the next hour or so, as Konishi awaited the arrival of this Twilight Sparkle. Every so often he would be visited by Nurse Redheart, the pony who had been looking after him during his first day of consciousness in this world. Unlike the other ponies Konishi had seen, those being Celestia and the royal guards, Nurse Redheart was more ‘realistic looking,’ so to speak. No horn, no wings, just a regular pony-- excluding the pink mane, alabaster coat and red cross tattoo of course.

Like Celestia, Nurse Redheart had been very understanding of his predicament, helping him in any way possible. Food, water, extra comfort, his medical diagnostic; she provided it all. Grateful did not even begin to cover it.

His medical diagnostics had been very surprising to say the least. While he had lost a large amount of blood, the cause of his three day recovery spell, it hadn’t been enough to inflict any serious damage.

He had also noticed just how well his wounds had been taken care off. They had been stitched up perfectly, as if the work of a seamstress with years of experience to her name. They would still leave scars, but they weren’t the first. Several years of fighting for his lord had allowed him to build up a small, but slowly growing collection.

All in all though, it was probably the best outcome he could have hoped for. ‘Thank the ancestors for this species and their advanced technology, otherwise I may not be here’, Konishi thought, glancing at the box with the wiggly green lines, or ‘heart monitor’ as Nurse Redheart had referred to it. He knew he wouldn’t have been so lucky back in Japan. His chances of survival would have been low, and recovery would have taken around three weeks as opposed to three days.

The surprising speed of his recovery brought Konishi back to an important question. What was magic? Was it the magic spoken about in many stories back home, or was it a codename for some sort of miracle medicine? He really hoped it was the former, and was eager to discover just what this magic looked like.

One part of his mind told him that all those stories and myths that existed back home couldn’t be wrong. Not only that, but he suspected this ‘magic’ was the so-called driving force that transported him to this world; and hopefully the force that would take him back as well. The ponies seemed to talk about it as if it was some supernatural force, and there certainly wasn’t any reason for them to lie.

However logic told him such a thing shouldn’t be possible. How could something so powerful possibly exist? Even if it did exist, surely no mortal could possess the ability to control such a power, right?

‘This world confuses me more and more with every passing second’, he thought, sighing heavily. He knew it was impossible to answer such a question by himself. ‘Maybe I can learn something of Twilight Sparkle while I’m here.’

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is such an honour to have you here. I assume you are here to see Konishi right?” Nurse Redheart asked from behind the ward doors. Konishi couldn’t help but shake his head, chuckling to himself. ‘Talk about convenient timing.’

“Yes, Princess Celestia came around earlier and brought me up to date with the situation. Is he ready to leave though? The Princess told me to make sure first, just in case there were any complications since her visit”, Twilight asked, the sound of hoofsteps slowly getting closer and closer. She sounded younger than he had expected, maybe early adulthood is he was guessing correctly, and sounded quite a bit more nervous than Celestia had. It didn’t really matter though. She was a princess, and deserved respect regardless of her apparent lack of experience.

“Of course, he’s just in here”, Nurse Redheart said, before opening the doors, allowing Konishi to see Twilight for the first time.

The first thing he noticed as Twilight paced towards him was just how little regalia she wore. Celestia had worn a crown, necklace, and a compliment of horseshoes, whereas all Twilight was wearing was her crown. The crown in question seemed to be smaller than that of Celestia’s, though it was much more noticeable on the young Alicorn due to the large purple jewel adorning it. It was a six-pointed star, matching that of her tattoo. He deduced this crown had been designed specifically for her, instead of being passed down like the kings of queens of those far off nations Konishi had heard about.

The rest of her coat and mane followed the same sort of colour as her star tattoo, but Konishi didn’t focus on that for too long. There was something much more interesting about her; her facial expression. All the ponies Konishi had met before had worn confident expressions, but with Twilight all he saw was nervousness, with a hint of excitement which seemed to tug at the corner of her lips every other second. Certainly the attitude one would expect from a student.

Fortunately she wasn’t too nervous to speak, and extended her hoof, albeit slowly, when she arrived at Konishi’s bed. “You’re awake, that is a relief. When Fluttershy and I found you I thought you had died. I’m glad Fluttershy was there though, otherwise you probably would be…” she trailed off, pawing at the ground nervously, her head hung low.

“You have no reason to feel ashamed Princess, I thought I was dead as well. I am extremely grateful for your help, no matter how small a part you played in saving my life”, Konishi assured her, drawing a relieved smile from the princess. Now less nervous than before, Twilight extended her hoof towards Konishi.

“Thank you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but please, just call me Twilight”, she greeted him.

Konishi smiled back, shaking her extended hoof in earnest, “My name is Konishi Issen Ryutaro. It’s an honour to meet you Prin… I mean Twilight.” He was a bit unsure about referring to someone higher than him by their first name, but orders were orders.

Twilight’s nervousness had all but gone now, replaced by gleeful excitement. In fact she was so excited that she couldn’t stand still, hoping from one hoof to another. This drew a confused look from both Konishi and Nurse Redheart.

“Is it true what Celestia said? You promised to teach me about your kind? I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but if you do I would be so grateful and I’d-”

It wasn’t often Konishi interrupted those above him, to do so was extremely rude, and went against everything he had been taught. However it was obvious that Twilight wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, so for once he decided against social norms. It was for her sake as much as his really. “Yes Twilight, the Princess spoke the truth. Until it is my time to leave, my service to you is knowledge. Whatever you wish to know about me or my kind, I would be more than happy to tell you”, Konishi told her, bowing in his head.

Twilight was practically bouncing at this point, “Yes, yes, yes! I have so many questions to ask you. What’s your species’ name? What’s your culture like? What is that strange clothing we found you in? What-”

This time it was Nurse Redheart who interrupted the excited Alicorn princess, “I’m sorry to interrupt you Princess, but I think we should help Konishi out of bed before asking him all those questions. As you can see we are running out of daylight, and I’d rather he had a place to sleep before it gets dark. The cold will do his health no good.”

Twilight blushed brightly, a sheepish smile adorning her face. “Yes, that’s a good idea nurse. Konishi, do you think you can stand up for us?” she asked, using her magic to pull the covers off. Luckily he seemed to be wearing some sort of gown, though it looked like it had been thrown together at the last second. Konishi wasn’t interested in that though, far from it. He just stared down at the cover, which was still wrapped in a strange purple aura of sorts. Twilight had just moved the cover without physically touching it. Was this magic? It was certainly different to what he had expected. Twilight noticed him just staring at her and waved a hoof, trying to break the spell on him, “Hello? Are you okay? You don’t have to get up now if you don’t want to, we can always wait another day”, Twilight reassured him.

Konishi quickly shook his head, realising he had been overthinking things for a second there. “Sorry, it’s just… I’ve never seen magic before. I was expecting it to be invisible or something. But I’m happy it looks the way it does. It’s just… wow...”, Konishi trailed off, pretty much speechless at this point. The stories and myths had always given the impression magic was invisible, something Konishi didn’t really like. The thought of something so powerful being able to creep up on him and having nothing to stop it really didn’t sit well with him.

But seeing it now, he found it was rather hard to describe. The only thing Konishi could really compare it to was smoke, but it wasn’t nearly as thick, and had purple colour to it instead of white. It also sparkled intensely, and didn’t dissipate into the surrounding air, remaining firmly wrapped around Twilight’s horn and the cover she had just pulled down. Twilight’s use of magic also brought a quiet chime with it, as if alerting her that she was in fact using her magic. Konishi didn’t really see the point in this, but it didn’t really bother him. It was actually a rather relaxing, soft sound.

However, on a more emotional level, it became far easier to describe. The magic, while at first surprising, was calming to a certain degree. The way it was delicately wrapped around the cover, not even creasing the soft material as the aura rippled across it, gave the impression that it had a delicate touch to it. Though Konishi was sure such power could be used for destructive purposes as well.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time he had seen such a thing, but to Konishi it was quite frankly mesmerising. In some ways the magic also had a certain beauty to it, not unlike that of the lone cherry blossom that he had seen back on Earth. Ironic really: before he had been rather apprehensive about what magic might entail, almost fearful of how dangerous it could be. But seeing it now, he realised magic was more than just a weapon for bloodthirsty overlords or evil spirits. In fact, it was far more than just a tool as well. It was, for all intents and purposes, a form of art. A way for one to express themselves, to show the world how they felt without even having to move. In some ways, Konishi was jealous not to have such a talent.

He slowly extended one his hands, attempting to touch the magic, only to find he couldn’t do so. His hand seemed to phase through the purple aura every time. While it didn’t appear to have any consistency to it, the aura still delicately tingled against Konishi’s hand, almost as if someone was gently tickling him.

His assumption had been correct though, the magic felt extremely delicate up against his skin, along with a slight tingling sensation.

His train of thought was finally broken when Twilight giggled, tapping him lightly with her hoof. “It’s only basic levitation, every Unicorn can do it. If you get this excited at something as simple as that, I bet you’ll really enjoy some of the more advanced spells”, she told him. Konishi was sure she was right. If he had been mesmerised so easily by something she had defined as simple and basic, ancestors only knew what would happen when he saw one of these so called advanced spells. His mind might break even trying to comprehend it. Not literally he hoped; though he suspected magic could do such a thing.

Konishi quickly shook his head, realising that he was ignoring them again. “My apologies, I do not normally get this excited over things considered so mundane. It’s just I have heard so much about magic through myths that it is quite a change to see it for real. Plus I never expected it to be this… beautiful. Is all magic like this?” he asked, receiving a firm nod in reply.

“Yes, though the colour often varies to match that of the pony casting it. I would love to show you some more now, but anything beyond basic magic is restricted here. For health and safety reasons of course”, Twilight told him, somewhat spoiling Konishi’s good mood. Looks like he would have to wait a little while longer to see more of the magic that had interested him so much.

“If we could please get back to the subject at hoof”, Nurse Redheart, clearly annoyed that both of them had managed to get so off topic again. Twilight looked away once again, this time bringing her hoof up to her mouth, trying to stop herself from giggling too loudly. Even Konishi threw an amused smile, but it soon dropped when he realised Nurse Redheart was looking at him, “Now Konishi, I want you to be careful when you get onto your feet. Your legs are still a little weak, and I don’t want you to open up any of your wounds.”

“I appreciate the concern Nurse, but you have no need to worry. I’ll be fine”, Konishi said, bringing out his leg, dangling them over the edge of the bed. The two ponies gave him some extra room, but were close enough to support him should he be unable to stand.

‘Nice of them, but I can stand on my own two feet just- oh crap!’ As soon as Konishi landed on his feet, his left leg buckled, a sharp pain shooting up it. He fell to his left, but was stopped about midway down by Twilight’s magic and hooves. It was then Konishi realised that if he had kept going he would have landed on top of Twilight. ‘I am such a fool! I should have been expecting this.’

“I told you to be careful! Why do ponies never listen to a simple instruction?” Nurse Redheart asked somewhat angrily, helping Konishi back upright. As she did so she knelt down a bit, lifting up Konishi’s kimono just enough so that she could look at his leg. “Good, you haven’t opened the wound. Twilight, please get Konishi a wheelchair. He obviously can’t stand up yet.”

Twilight nodded, but before she could begin searching for a wheelchair Konishi raised his hand, stopping the young alicorn in her tracks. He then turned to Nurse Redheart, matching her determined expression with one of his own. “I do not require a wheelchair, whatever that is. I assure you that I can stand on my two feet without help Nurse, I just need to get used to it”, he said, hoping the nurse would give him a chance. The alabaster pony stared back at him for several seconds, before sighing, stepping back from Konishi.

“Okay, but if you fall over again I’m putting you in a wheelchair, whether you like it or not”, she told him. Konishi had no doubt she meant every word, so he knew these next few seconds would be important. He wasn’t going to brave a whole new world with a wheelchair, which he assumed was just a chair with wheels, hence the name. No, he was going to walk on his own two feet or not at all.

Gripping the bed tightly, he managed to pull himself into an upright position, before nodding to Twilight. The purple aura that had surrounded him dissipated, his legs taking the full weight of his body once again. This time he was prepared, and made sure not to apply too much pressure to his left leg, allowing his right to take most of the load. ‘I’m going to be limping for a couple days, but at least it’s better than being carted around in some portable chair.’

Nurse Redheart snorted, shaking her head in derision. “I still think the wheelchair is a better option, but I don't suppose you’ll listen to me anymore. You can take him home whenever you want Princess, just don’t be surprised if he ends up back here because of legs”, she warned, before trotting off, sticking her tongue out at Konishi as she went.

This confused Konishi greatly. “Twilight, what did the Nurse mean when she used that expression? I can’t say I’ve seen the tongue used in such a manner before”, he asked. Twilight simply giggled, walking towards the ward doors as she did so.

“Come on, lets go home now. It’s getting late, and I’m sure you’re hungry”, she said, receiving a grumble in agreement from Konishi’s stomach.

Konishi was still confused as to what Nurse Redheart’s expression meant, but eventually the promise of food, along with the fact he knew nothing of the world outside this room, prompted him to follow Twilight. Well, it was more like limp after Twilight, but he didn’t really mind. He had the freedom to move around again, and in the end that’s all that really mattered to him.

“So this is Ponyville? It’s... bigger than I expected it to be”, Konishi idly commented, staring at the town’s buildings as he walked. They were two storeys tall, and seemed much too large for the ponies who lived inside then. Plus, they were all made out of brick, something only ever used to construct castle walls in Japan.

"It's not too big is it? I'm sure I can find you more appropriate accommodation in Appleloosa if Ponyville isn't to your liking-"

“It’s fine Twilight, I can handle it. It’s just a big change from my village”, Konishi said, interrupting Twilight before she could come to the wrong conclusion. Twilight breathed an audible sigh of relief, before the pair returned to a respectful silence.

It was late evening and the sun had long since set. There were very few ponies on the street, and those that did quickly made way for Twilight and Konishi as they passed. They seemed a little nervous when they spotted Konishi, but much to his surprise they hid it well. It was probably fair to surmise that they had been told of his arrival beforehand, hence their lack of panic, which was a good thing. The last thing he wanted to do on his first day conscious was cause a riot.

“Do you miss it?” Twilight asked, breaking the Samurai’s train of thought. He gave the young alicorn a confused look, unsure what she meant. “Your village, do you miss it?” Twilight paused, lifting a hoof to her mouth in an attempt to retract her blunder, “Sorry for being so rude, I’d just like to know more about you.”

Konishi sighed, gazing down at the ground as he limped onwards. “Yes. I haven’t been home for several months now. Such is the sacrifice a Samurai must make during war”, he told her.

“Tell me about your village. What’s it like?” Twilight asked, hoping some good memories would cheer Konishi up. The nostalgic smile that crossed his face was certainly a good sign.

“It’s a small village, not far from Nagoya. No more than a hundred people live there, my mother and little brother included. We’re a close community. Anything you do, everyone else knows about”, Konishi told her, only stopping to glance at a building called Sugarcube Corner, which seemed to be made out of candy.

“What did you do there, if you don’t mind me asking? You couldn’t have been a warrior all the time”, Twilight said, dragging the Samurai’s attention away again.

“A Samurai is more than just a warrior, it’s a social class. Military nobility if you will. My role as Samurai is to wait upon or accompany my lord and his family. And fight for them if needed”, he corrected her, now right next to the young alicorn. Twilight looked up at him as they walked, hanging onto his every word with studious glee. Her only regret was not having a quill and paper to write this all down. “Outside of my duties as a Samurai, and my daily training, I perform many roles to help the community. Farming, cooking, making weapons, and helping my little brother with his training to name a few.”

“Your brother is training to be a Samurai as well? It sounds like being a Samurai is rather common among your people”, Twilight assumed.

That assumption was quickly shot down, “It isn’t. Only men with a noble heritage can train to be Samurai. It’s very rare to find a Samurai of ‘peasant’ heritage, so to speak, and they don’t really get taken seriously anyway.”

“That seems a bit harsh. Is there really no way for somepony without noble heritage to become a Samurai?” Twilight continued to question, stopping in front of a large tree. Why she had decided to stop here Konishi didn’t know, but he put that to one side for the time being, having a question to answer.

“Their descendants can if they marry into a family of noble heritage. That’s how my family earned the right to train as Samurai. My great grandfather was lucky enough to attract the attention of a lord's daughter, and from that day onwards his descendants were considered worthy enough to train as a Samurai”, he answered, before looking up at the tree in front of him. Well at first he thought it was just a tree, but on closer examination it was hollow on the inside.

‘This tree… is a house? Twilight lives in a tree?’ he mused completely confused at the sight before him. He couldn’t figure out how such a thing was possible.

Twilight noticed his confusion, and waved a hoof, trying to bring him back into the real world. “Konishi? What’s the matter, you never seen a tree house before?” Twilight asked. Konishi just looked at her blankly.

“No, I have not”, he told her, looking back at the house. There was a sign to the left of him, one he could read surprisingly enough. It seemed for every difference he found between this world and his own, there was a similarity to balance it out.

He turned his attention to a sign to the left of the door, the words ‘Ponyville library and residence of Princess Twilight Sparkle’ printed on it. “Twilight, what does library mean? It is not a word I’ve heard before”, he admitted, almost grimacing at the young Alicorn’s shocked expression.

“You don’t have libraries on your world? Are you sure you didn’t come from Tartarus?” she asked jokingly, opening the door before he could reply. “Spike, I’m back! And I brought a guest with me!”

“Hang on!” someone replied from upstairs, followed by hurried footsteps. There wasn’t much Konishi could tell by Spike’s voice alone, only that he had to be younger than Twilight at least.

“Who’s Spike?” he asked, looking around the place. He was in a large room, and yet every single inch of wall seemed to be hidden behind what Konishi assumed were books. They were made from a thinner material, and had more colourful covers than what he was used to. Still, Konishi found himself genuinely excited by this revelation. He had always been fond of reading back home, and here he was with literally thousands of books at his fingertips. All of them about this new and fascinating world. If he hadn’t been trained for over decade to control his emotions, he’d probably be doing a little dance right about now.

“Spike? Oh, he’s just the baby dragon that lives here with me”, Twilight told him nonchalantly, placing her saddlebags and crown on a nearby table.

Konishi however was not so nonchalant about it, his jaw almosting hit the floor. "Y-you live with a dragon? You mean the serpentine water deities like Watatsumi and Wani?" he managed to ask through his suprised state. First magic and now dragons? This was almost too good to be true.

“Why would a dragon be related to a water deity in any way? Dragons in this world are fearsome fire-breathing creature that pillage towns and hoard riches”, Twilight told him, quickly raising a hoof before Konishi could say another word. “Don’t worry though, Spike’s my friend. He won’t harm us.”

“So that’s the alien you found? He’s not as fearsome as I expected.” Both Konishi and Twilight quickly turned their attention to the stairs, seeing a small lizard-like creature walking down them. Konishi couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion; this Spike didn’t look anything like the dragons back home. Too chubby around the midriff. Then again, he didn’t really look like the fire-breathing monsters Twilight had described just seconds ago.

He slowly approached the young dragon, before leaning down, getting a better look at him. “I could say the same about you dragon. From what Twilight’s told me, and from the books I’ve read back home, it’s safe to say that you’re rather small for your kind”, Konishi teased, winking at the little dragon.

In response Spike crossed his arms, staring indignantly at the Samurai. “I’m only a baby dragon! Another hundred years and I’ll be three times your size! Just you wait and see!” he said defensively, puffing his chest out. Twilight giggled at the dragon antics, while Konishi merely smiled, standing up straight once again.

“Unfortunately I don’t have another hundred years left, but I do not doubt you for a second, young dragon. And I am sure you shall make a fearsome dragon when that time comes”, he assured Spike, secretly hoping the young dragon would also be more merciful and less greedy than the ones Twilight had described.

Twilight sighed when she saw just how gleeful Spike was. “Thanks Konishi, he’s never going to go to sleep now”, she said, before trotting off to the other side of the room, putting back some misplaced books that had been bothering her.

“My apologies Twilight, my only intention was to bring up the morale of the young dragon”, Konishi told her. The Alicorn didn’t reply, humming a soft tune as she focused on the task at hand. Konishi furrowed his eyebrows, only turning back when he felt Spike tugging at his gown.

“Thanks dude, you’re cooler than I thought you’d be. Most ponies here treat me like a child, so thanks for taking me seriously”, he whispered, glancing back to make sure Twilight hadn’t heard him. He didn’t mean her of course, she had always treated him fairly, he just didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

Luckily she hadn’t heard him, still softly humming to herself as she worked. “The name’s Spike, if you haven’t already guessed”, the young dragon said, extending a hand towards Konishi. Konishi quickly extended his own, shaking the dragons hand. ‘Looks like this is going to be a common greeting.’

“I am Konishi. It’s a honour to meet you Spike the soon to be fearsome dragon”, he replied in kind, bowing to the best of his abilities. He couldn’t bow all the way though, with the wound to his abdomen restricting his movements, but he was sure Spike understood the meaning behind his action.

Slipping the last book into its rightful place, Twilight turned back to Konishi and Spike, looking rather happy. “I’m glad to see you two are getting along so well. I’ll definitely be adding this to my friendship report”, she told them. Spike quickly pulled out a quill and paper out of nowhere, but Twilight’s raised hoof stopped him before he could go any further. “Not yet Spike, we should probably wait until we’ve learned more about Konishi first. I think Princess Celestia would appreciate that more.”

‘Friendship report? Why would a princess need to write a report about friendship?’ Konishi thought, tilting his head in confusion. Before he could voice his confusion though a low rumbling sound came from his stomach, drawing everyone's attention to him.

“M-my apologies Princess. As well-trained as I may be, I fear my stomach does not have the same control over its primal desires”, he quickly spluttered out, hoping he hadn’t offended Twilight. He exhaled loudly when he saw her grinning face.

“As I said Spike, we should wait until later. I think our guest is hungry”, Twilight whispered, only just managing to suppress a giggle. She then turned back to Konishi, trying, and failing, to throw on a normal smile. “Nonsense Konishi, something like that wouldn’t offend me. Even Princess Celestia can’t hide it when she’s hungry.”

“Umm, that’s all well and good Twilight, but what exactly does he eat and drink? Would our food even be safe for him?” Spike asked, almost surprised that Twilight hadn’t asked it herself.

“Do not fear young dragon, your food and drink does not harm me. I was given some earlier today at the hospital, and while the meal was probably one of the worst I’ve ever had, it certainly wasn’t anything that was unsafe to me. As for what I eat and drink, perhaps I could write a list so that you do not forget while I am here”, Konishi suggested.

Eager not only to please her guest, but to also have documented information on him, Twilight quickly brought a quill and paper over to him using her magic. Konishi gratefully accepted these, and moved over to a near by table. He decided not use the chair, partly because he wasn’t used to sitting on them, and partly because it was too small for him. Opting instead to kneel at the table, quickly writing down all the food and drink he could remember.

He took several minutes to finish, mostly because he wasn’t as fluent at writing in English as he was speaking it, but eventually he was able to get through it. He then pulled himself back onto his feet, and handed Twilight the document, who gratefully took it back in her magic.

“Okay then, let’s see what we’ve got here”, Twilight said absentmindedly, before bringing the list up to her face.

Food

Rice

Potatoes

Radishes

Cucumbers

Beans

Persimmons

Various nuts

Tofu

Yams

Various fruits

Seafood

Drink

Water

Tea

Sake

Alcohol

Twilight looked at the paper with a confused expression. “Is that all you eat? There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot on here”. Surely you buy more than this”, she said, turning over the paper to see if she had missed anything. She hadn’t.

“We can’t buy food on a regular basis, our village isn’t near any of the major trading routes. Everything we eat must be grown, picked or fished locally, and then handmade. It’s fair to say nothing is given to us”, he explained to them.

Twilight nodded, seemingly happy with that answer, before returning her attention to list. “Well I’ve already got plenty of fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, so we’re okay in that respect. Water and tea is also fine, and while I don’t have any here, alcohol shouldn’t be too much of a problem either. Just please don’t go drinking too much of it”, she pleaded. Konishi smiled, bowing at the young princess.

“You have my word. We Samurai only ever drink alcohol in large amounts at parties anyway, so I’m sure we’ll be fine while I’m here”, he reassured her.

Twilight didn’t seem so sure, and rubbed the back of her head nervously, “Is that a customary tradition?”

“Yes. It’s impolite for a Samurai not to get drunk at a party. It shouldn’t be a problem though, it’s not like I’ll be going to any parties while I’m here, right?” he asked rhetorically, assuming he already knew the answer.

“Y-yes… I’m sure there will be no reason for us to attend a party while you’re here...”, Twilight trailed off, internally cringing at the thought. “... Anyway, perhaps we should get back to the list.”

Twilight returned her gaze to the paper before her, continuing from where she had left off, “We don’t often eat nuts and rice in this part of Equestria, but we might be able to find some down at the convenience store if we look hard enough. Seafood would be very difficult to get, as ponies don’t eat fish. You’d have to go to the Griffin Empire if you wanted find a dedicated market.”

“Are you sure there’s no way of getting any? I don’t think it would be very healthy if I just ate fruits and vegetables during my stay here. It doesn’t have to be fish if that’s the problem, octopus, clams, jellyfish and whale would all suffice”, he told them. Both Twilight and Spike turned green at the cheeks, Spike seeming worse off as he put his hand over his mouth. “Is something wrong? I’m sorry if I have offended you in any way, it’s just-”

“N-no, it’s fine. I’m just not used to the idea”, Twilight said, trying to shake the images of seafood out of her head. “If you really need seafood, I’m sure Fluttershy could help. It wouldn’t technically be seafood, as it probably came from the river, but I’m sure it won’t make too much of a difference.”

“Thank you Twilight, I appreciate the changes you’re having to make for me. I’m sure I can last a couple of days without seafood, by which time I hope Princess Celestia will have found me a way home. The last thing I want to do is make you and Spike feel sick”, he told them, internally sighing in relief. Talking to these ponies was like treading on eggshells, any throw away comment could result in him offending them.

“It’s fine, it’s natural after all. May I ask though, what is Tofu and Sake? I have never heard of them before”, Twilight admitted, picking the quill up with her magic, ready to write down the definitions.

“Tofu is basically a soft white substance which we make by crushing soya beans. We often use it when cooking. Sake on the other hand is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. We tend to drink it more than any other alcohol, as it usually has a low alcohol content”, he explained, smiling as he watched Twilight scribble down every single word. ‘I suppose this is going to become a familiar sight over the coming days.’

“They don’t sound that bad actually. Perhaps you could give us a sample before you go? I’m sure there are many ponies who would enjoy something like that”, she told him.

“It would be my honour to do so”, Konishi said, bowing once again, receiving a gleeful smile from Twilight as he did so.

Before another word could be spoken, Spike’s stomach rumbled again, causing him to groan in a somewhat annoyed fashion. “I don’t know about you guys, but I could do with one of those samples right about now”, he moaned, gripping his stomach with his hands.

Twilight giggled at Spike’s attempt to over-emphasise his point, and even Konishi let out a slight chuckle. “Not today Spike. Konishi needs to settle in first, and I don’t think we have all the ingredients anyway. Perhaps a gem salad instead?” Twilight suggested, smiling when she saw how much it brightened up Spike’s expression.

“Really? Oh boy!” he said excitedly, before racing off into the kitchen, a noticeable spring in his step.

‘First he breathes fire… and now he eats gems? Note to self; never mess with a dragon’, he mentally noted, watching the young dragon disappear into the kitchen.

“I think we’ll have dinner ready in about twenty minutes or so. I know that sounds like a long time, but we do have to make two salads. I mean, I can’t eat gems, and I’m pretty sure you can’t either, so we have to make a vegetable salad for us as well”, Twilight told Konishi, resting her saddlebags by the table, her crown placed gently inside them.

“Do you need a hand? I’d be more than happy to help”, Konishi offered, but was quickly stopped by Twilight’s outstretched hoof.

“It’s okay, Spike and I can handle it. Besides, you’ve just come out of the hospital, you need to rest”, she said. Her face scrunched up in thought for several seconds, before her glance fell upon a small blue book. She made an almost unnoticeable grin, before picking the book up in her magic, moving back towards Konishi. “Perhaps you could read this while you’re waiting. It might help you while you’re here”, she said, giving him the book, while simultaneously pushing him onto a couch. “Now just stay here and relax, we can talk more during dinner.”

“Well… if you insist”, Konishi said, studying the book in his hand. It was a very colourful book, with an illustration of two alicorns on the front cover; one white with a pink mane, the other dark blue with a starry mane. What caught Konishi’s curiosity most though was the title:

A Brief History of Equestria

For Ages 5-8

“Twilight, I think this book is little too young for me”, he said, looking up at the young alicorn, only to find that she was no longer there. She had quickly vacated the room while Konishi had been busy.

Konishi could only tilt his head in confusion, before turning his attention to the book in his lap. ‘Well, I guess I have to start somewhere’ he thought, rationalising Twilight’s decision.

He flipped open the book, curiously examining the fine material that made it up. While it was similar to the Ganpishi that books in Japan were printed on, it was slightly thinner, with a light brown tint to it. It was also rougher, and nowhere near as shiny, though that really made it easier to read, even if it was in English.

Speaking of reading, Konishi realised he was getting off topic, and so continued to flip through the book, eventually stopping at the fifth page, where the book seemed to start. He leaned back on couch, getting himself comfortable, before delving into the book. ‘It may be for children, but how bad could it actually be?'

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…