Humans in Equestria

Humans in Equestria

Chapter 1

The craziness begins

“Hey Dad”, Zeo said, and everypony listened with great interest. Every conversation around the table had ceased, as Zeo was actually attempting to invite his family. Noticing the tension and curiosity in the air, he waved his hand to cast a translation spell. Once it was completed, he put the phone on the table, tapping it's screen once more. Suddenly everypony could hear an elderly man speaking. He sounded a little impatient, and more then a little annoyed.

“What is it Zeomak... I'm busy getting your grandfather ready for bed, so speak up already if you want to say something!”, the man demanded.

“Dad... could you come upstairs for a moment?”, Zeo asked calmly.

“What? Why? If there's something you want to show me, come downstairs. I really don't have the time for your games right now, son.”, Zeos father replied with a sigh.

“I... I can't. Please Dad, it will only take a minute of your time. I promise it's worth it.”, Zeo sounded a little nervous now. His father sighed, and he could clearly imagine him running his hand through his hair.

“Alright... But if this is one of your jokes, then say it now and save yourself the trouble.”

“This is no joke Dad, I promise. I'll see you in a minute.”, Zeo said, ending the call. He looked at all of them, a stern expression on his face.

“Girls... This may sound weird, but please be quiet until I say that it's OK to talk. I'd also like you to stay out of sight for a moment. I don't want to give the old man a heart attack.”

All of them nodded, moving behind the portal he had created, as he grabbed it's edges to enlarge it. Soon it was big enough for Zeos head, and they heard heavy panting from the other side. Someone was approaching the portal from the other side.

*~*~*~*~*

Peter Salchar climbed the stairs to the first floor, panting like he had just run a marathon. His son was really hard to bear sometimes. He was determined to give him a piece of his mind, should this turn out to be some sort of joke.

“ZEOMAK?”, he called, half expecting his son to be in the second floor living room. Instead he heard his voice from his fathers former bedroom. Nowadays it served as a storage area for Peters various magic tricks, and his stage equipment. But since his last stage performance had been several years back, he was not using any of it anymore. Still.... he did not like it when Zeo was in there. The equipment was delicate and expensive after all....

“I'm over here Dad! I guess I landed a bit off target.”, his son called.

“What do you mean off.... HOLY CRAP!”, he shouted, as he unlocked the door to his storage room, and found a hole that hang in the air. On the other side, he could see his son.

“Surprised?”, his son asked, a wide grin on his face. Peter went closer, checking the hole for strings or any other device that would explain what he was seeing. After opening and closing his mouth several times, he looked his son straight in the face.

“You gotta show me how your doing this....”, he almost whispered. Even he, as an amateur magician, had no explanation for what he was seeing.

“Well, that would require for you to be able to do real magic. I'm sorry Dad, but I still think the tricks you do are kind of a joke....”, Zeo started, just to be interrupted by his father, who bellowed straight at the hole in reality.

“ A JOKE? REAL MAGIC? What I do is an art! This here is some kind of trick, using some projector, I am sure!”

“Oh? Well... here's news for you Dad, THIS is actually real magic. Don't you notice anything about my surroundings? I totally forgot how unobservant you tend to be at times...”, Zeo sighed.

“What the heck are you talking about? We saw each other not even half an hour ago!”

“From your perspective that may be correct Dad... Oh to hell with it...”, Zeo said, grabbing his fathers collar through the portal, and pulling him closer. Peters was so caught off guard, that his head was soon bathed in brilliant sunlight. His body on the other hand, still stood in the dusty old storage room, shivering slightly due to the fact that it was not heated.

Peter was shocked. He could see a whole City when he looked over his sons shoulder. Not only that, but it was warm, and the air smelled fresher then anything he had ever smelled.

“What... What... the hell...”, he stammered, but Zeo interrupted him.

“Dad... I want to make an offer to you. First of all however, I must ask you a question. Do you believe me, that I can perform real magic now?”,Zeo asked and his father nodded.

“Good. I am in another dimension. Here time goes by differently. For you it wasn't even half an hour, for me a thousand years have passed. The only reason I have not aged, is that my body is, and will always be, connected to our world. I still age “normally” you could say. If I'm not too reckless, I can live for several centuries here. My offer to you, gramps and Petra is this: If you guys want to come here, then you are more then welcome to.”, Zeo said with a warm smile on his face.

“A... A thousand years? Your pulling my leg. Don't tell me you still haven't been able to produce some offspring. If anything you just told me is true, then you should have at least managed that!”, Peter grumbled. It was his way to deal with unbelievable things such as this.

“Ehm... Pleased to meet you... Grandfather.”, Silk said as she stepped forward. Zeo tried to wave her away, but it was already too late. Peters eyes fixated on her, then rolled up to the whites as the old man fainted.

“Young lady, your grounded!”, Zeo shouted, widening the portal even further to pull his father through completely.

“Wha..? But why?”, Silk pouted.

“For scaring your grandfather.”, Luna said, helping Zeo to ease his father onto the breakfast table, while Lyra cleared it with her magic. Silk flopped down to her haunches, pouting like a little girl that didn't get her will for the first time.

“Now now... I think your parents are quite right Silk. Your father told us to stay out of sight, and even though he can't command me, you are still his daughter.”, Celestia added, putting a comforting wing around her nieces shoulder.

“Besides... it won't be boring, I promise.”, she said with a wink.

“Celestia, you spoil her too much.”, Zeo groaned, as he ran his magical strands through his fathers body. He had totally forgotten how bad the shape his father was in really was. Several heart attacks, an injury in the lower back, several pounds overweight and the twenty-five years of smoking didn't help either. With a sigh Zeo got to work. It took him only a few minutes to correct most of his fathers problems. The extra weight however, he would not be able to magic away.

After some time, Peter woke up. Everypony looked at him with concern, and he jumped off of the table, almost jumping over the edge of the balcony in his attempt to escape the Ponies. Had Zeo not grabbed him with his magic, he would have jumped off for sure, without knowing that it was an almost two hundred hoof fall until he would hit the ground.

“CALM THE FUCK DOWN DAD!”, Zeo shouted at his father, as he shook him gently.

“Be careful with your father!”, Peter shouted back indignantly. “I am not as young as I used to be!”

“Oh? Feeling any pain in your chest right now? How about your breathing? Do you have any trouble breathing in and out as you used to?”, Zeo asked with a smirk.

Peter wanted to confirm that he indeed felt a strong pain in his chest, and that he had trouble breathing, but then he stopped. There was, indeed, nothing wrong. His lungs were free, and his heart beat at a healthy pace.

“How...”, he croaked, putting one hand on the left side of his chest.

“Magic.”, Silk said, still pouting. She had not moved an inch since her father had grounded her, and was playing stubborn now.

“Wait... What... What's with the talking... Ponies?”, Peter stuttered. Luna broke out in laughter, leaning on Zeo, who blushed intensely.

“He got it RIGHT!”, she laughed. “And you called us horses for what? Four weeks?”, she continued.

“Yeah, yeah... I get it... my old man is smart...”, Zeo groaned, sliding his hand down his face in an exasperated manner.

“That doesn't really answer my question!”, Peter shouted. He was about fed up with the talking Ponies, his sons claims about magic and that one with the differently colored eyes....

His own eyes shot open wide, as he pointed at Silk Light, stuttering like a mad man.

“You... a thousand years.... me... GRANDFATHER???”

Zeo began to scratch his head uncomfortably.

“Well ehm... yeah Dad... maybe you better sit down.”, Zeo mumbled, gesturing for his father to sit down. Before he could start to explain everything to his father, Celestia cleared her throat to get his attention.

“Zeo... maybe I should explain it to your father. I don't think the two of you can be quite rational right now. So if you would allow me to take your place in this?”, she asked, stepping up next to Zeo. He nodded, making place for his sister in law. Peter seemed a little apprehensive at first, but sat down after Celestia gave him a reassuring smile.

For the next ten minutes, Celestia and Peter just sat at the breakfast table. The Princess of the sun explaining everything the human needed to know, while her conversational partner nodded occasionally. The shocked glances his father threw him from time to time, made Zeo flinch inwardly. He hadn't seen his father in over a thousand years from his perspective, but these looks still made him feel like he had done something wrong.

“You OK Dad?”, Silk asked, nuzzling against her fathers shoulder.

“Yeah... I think so. I just don't know if it was a good idea to bring him here. It might have been better if I had went over and tried to explain everything to him. He might have called for an ambulance to bring me to an Asylum, but at least it would have been over quick... I hate it when others have to do things for me, cause I'm to much of a chicken....”, he sighed, wrapping an arm around his daughters neck and stroking her mane.

“Chicken? You faced off against Nightmare Moon, not only once but twice! You fought several experienced soldiers to protect your family. How can you say your a chicken?”, Luna asked, the shock evident in her voice.

“Well... yeah... I have done these things. But believe me... these were a walk in the park, compared to the guilt trips my father can send you on.”, he sighed, looking at his wife.

A sudden outburst from Peter caught their attention. As Zeo turned around, his father was already on him, sending him sprawling with one mighty swing of his fist. Silk tumbled to the floor along with her father, since he was still hugging her. Luna, sensing an upcoming fight, positioned herself in front of her fallen husband and daughter. Her head lowered and wings spread out, she faced Peter who was fuming with rage by this point.

“YOU FUCKED A DAMN HORSE? YOUR A DAMN HORSEFUCKER?”, he screamed, trying to get past Luna, who did not budge an inch until Zeo laid a hand on her shoulder.

“I think we can agree on a few things. First, she is a Pony, not a horse. Second, she is not a Pony like the ones we know in our world. She is a sentient being, like you and me. And last but not least, it is none of your business who I sleep with!”, Zeo responded, coldly. The two men stared each other down, while Zeo pushed Luna behind himself. She tried to say something, but Zeo silenced her, by placing his index finger on her muzzle.

Peter tried to take another swing at his son, but his fist was stopped in midair. Being enveloped in a pale blue glow, Peter tried to pull his fist back unsuccessfully.

“Don't do this Dad.... It is none of your business who I sleep with. I am royalty here, as well as a veteran of many battles. I can use magic, you only have your rusty martial arts skills. I think we are old enough at this point to be able to talk about things like this, unless you REALLY want to fight me. Save your dignity and back down, please.”, Zeo said more calmly.

At first Peter looked like he wanted to beat some sense into his son, but he soon calmed down. His bright red face cooled down, and he heaved a heavy sigh.

“I guess there is nothing I can do about it, and I have to thank you for fixing me up, but don't think, even for a second, that I'm OK with this! And I will NOT accept these... Ponies into the family. Your coming home with me, right this instant.”, his father said in his best disappointed father tone.

“No.”

“What do you mean, no? I am your father...”

“You may be my father, but Silk Light and Luna are also part of my family. I will not leave them. I only opened the portal to our world, so I could offer you to come here as well. I extend that offer to gramps and Petra as well. You could live for centuries here, and all your little illnesses can be healed. Even grandfathers Dementia is no big deal when it comes to medical magic! Silk could heal it in a few seconds! But I see that it might have been a bad idea after all....”, Zeo interrupted, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. He did not like it when his father showed his disapproval.

Something about what Zeo had just said, seemed to have reached Peter however. He was no longer looking at his son, but through him instead like a man who was deep in thought. Finally he broke the awkward silence again.

“You say you could heal your grandfather here? He would be one hundred percent OK again?”, he asked with disbelief. It was Silk who stepped forward cautiously.

“I... I think I can. Regeneration spells are my specialty. With a bit of modification, it can be applied to a slightly damaged mind.”, she said almost timidly.

“Then what are you waiting for?”, Peter bellowed, to which Silk squeaked and hid behind her father again.

“I don't appreciate how you are talking to my daughter Dad.”, Zeo said coldly, stepping forward until the two of them were almost nose to nose. Zeos hands were glowing, indicating that he was too angry to control his magic completely.

“Ehm... OK, OK... I guess I went a little overboard there... I'm sorry...”, he finally said, scratching his head.

“But you must understand that this has been quite the shock for me. I would be very grateful, if you would help my father, but I just can't accept that I am related to an equine....”, Peter said, looking past his son and into his granddaughters eyes.

Zeos face softened at these words, even though he didn't drop his guard.

“You heard him Silk. Are you willing to try, even after what he said?”, Luna asked, addressing her daughter who was close to tears now. She still feared that others did not accept her, and this man had outright told her that he did not see her as part of the family.

“He... He is your grandfather, right Dad?”, she asked, addressing her father, who nodded. He was not willing to take his eyes off of his old man.

“Then... then I'll... I'll do it. He's my great grandfather after all... I can't leave him hanging, even if I have never met him. He's still family....”, Silk sniffled.

It was then decided, that it would be for the best if Silk and Zeo went over to Zeos world. Peter was to stay with Celestia and Luna, since they did not trust him not to try anything funny once his father was healed. It also was a better opportunity for the both of them, to try and find out if he would be willing to move to Equestria.

Stepping through the portal, Silk found herself in a cramped room. The light was out, and it was pretty dark. Lighting up her horn, she finally saw why there was barely any space to move around. Several suitcases and and boxes made it hard to move in the small room. When something suddenly bumped into her from behind, Silk shrieked and darted forwards a few steps, throwing several of the suitcases over. When she turned around, she saw her father standing there.

“Calm down sweetie. This is just as creepy for me, as it is for you. You've never been in my world, while I haven't been here for over a thousand years.”, Zeo explained.

“Are you trying to wreck the house?”, a disgruntled voice called from the lower floor.

“Who was that? Was that him? He doesn't sound very nice...”, Silk whimpered, backing away from the door, and towards her father.

“Don't you worry. He's as tame as a kitten most of the time. Just never try to argue with him about something he thinks is abnormal. He won't accept your point of view.”, Zeo said, trying to reassure her.

“If you say so....”, Silk didn't sound convinced.

“OK then... before we go downstairs, I think I will go to my old room and get some things. Want to come along? If you don't, you can just wait in the hallway.”

Seeing her fathers old room excited Silk beyond anything. She wanted to see it so bad, that she forgot all about her fear, following her father out of the door. The next room they entered looked like a dining room, in which all the furniture was covered up. Silk guessed that it was not used very often, and they wanted to prevent dust from gathering on the furniture. The only thing she did absolutely not like, was the smell of the place. It smelled dusty and old, not to mention.... unclean in a way.

After walking up a very narrow flight of stairs, her father led her into a room that was smaller then her personal bathroom. There were several shelves with books, some strange machines, and a bed that looked not very comfortable.... Silk did not understand what her father wanted to take from here. All of the stuff looked old or damaged in some way.

“OK, let's just...”, Zeo mumbled to himself, while his magic reached out, packing several of the devices into a few boxes he conjured up from somewhere. Silk was not too impressed with the magic her father was performing. It was something that most Unicorn foals could perform. The only thing that got her, was the speed in which he dished the spells out. After a few minutes, in which her father had packed almost all of the things that were in the room, they descended the stairs again. The boxes he had packed, were floating down the stairs ahead of the two.

“What did you pack all that stuff for? Most of it looks pretty ragged....”, Silk asked.

“Well... some of it is nostalgia, but there are some useful things in here too. My computers for example.”, her father explained with a giant grin on his face.

“Computers?”

“Well... you know that my phone can hold much information like music, videos and other stuff, right? My phone is only something like a miniature computer. If you look at the content on it, you can multiply the amount of it by at least a hundred times. And now, let's go meet your great grandfather... To be precise... you better wait in the hallway, while I go inside.”, Zeo explained, and Silk agreed. She was suddenly in full fear mode again. Her wings were trembling, her coat felt cold and she was suddenly not too sure that she could pull this off anymore.

Noticing his daughters distress, Zeo turned around.

“No worries. My grandfather may be a stubborn brick sometimes, who is one of two people who can actually make me angry, but he is also a kind and thankful soul.”, he explained, hugging his daughter.

“And besides.... even if it doesn't work, I'm here to support you...”, he added. This was enough to reassure Silk, who then followed her father downstairs....

Zeo was uncomfortable. He had never had a very close connection with his grandfather, but he wanted to help him, if he could nonetheless. As he stepped into the kitchen, he walked over to his grandfather, who was sitting in a wheelchair. Silk was waiting in the darkness of the hallway obediently, while the door stayed open.

“Zeomak? Gimme something to drink.”, his grandfather demanded.

“Ehm... alright gramps... But before that... listen... I have an offer for you. Are you willing to listen?”

“Sure. Just spill it, and get me that drink while your at it.”

Without thinking about it, Zeo levitated a cup and a bottle of milk over to himself. His grandfather stared in awe, not believing his eyes.

“Look gramps... I have an offer for you. What would you say if I told you that I have a way to heal everything that is wrong with you? What if I would also say, that I know a place where you could stay healthy and live for several hundred years?”, Zeo asked, not seeing his grandfathers surprised look. Finally the old man pulled himself together.

“How.... how did you do that?”, he asked. In his eyes Zeo could see a glimmer of the man he had once been, when he realized what his grandfather meant.

“Doesn't matter. So what do you say? Do you want to be healed of all your little pains? Do you want to live for a long time, if you were fit again?”, he asked while placing the cup of milk in front of his grandfather. The old man had completely forgotten about the drink he had asked for, only staring into his grandsons eyes.

“Don't joke around, boy. This ain't funny.”

“I'm not joking gramps. Only one word from you, and it can happen. So what will it be, yes or no?”

“YES!”, he answered, not even taking a second to think about it. Zeo looked to the open door, nodding. A light pink glow began to illuminate the darkness in the hallway, and Frank Salchar looked to see what the source of it was. Before he could make out the shape of Silk however, he fainted. He was enveloped in a her magic, which started to heal him.

At first, he was lifted out of his wheelchair and floated a few feet above the ground. Zeo could observe as his grandfathers twisted fingers straightened, his worn out knees that always seemed to be swollen, shrank a little and he could see the muscles on the legs start to regenerate. The same happened to the ones on his arms. When it was all over, Silk put the old man back on his wheelchair.

“Did it work?”, she asked timidly from her position in the hallway. She was obviously not willing to step out of the darkness and into the brightly lit kitchen.

“I honestly don't know. We'll see once he wakes up. Should take a bit longer then... WHOA!”, Zeo exclaimed, jumping up and stumbling over his own feet. His grandfathers eyes had shot open and fixed on his, without a warning whatsoever. The awareness he saw in them, was something he had not seen in a long time. This man, that had struggled just to follow what he was saying earlier, was now aware of himself again. With a swift motion, Frank Salchar stood up from his wheelchair, stretching his arms and legs, before he bend down to help his grandson back to his feet. As he did so, he pulled Zeo into a bone crushing hug.

“Thank you.... Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you...”, the old man wept into his shoulder. Zeo patted his grandfathers back in an effort to calm him down.

“Actually, it wasn't me who healed you. It was my daughter who did the deed. I can't do the spell she used for it, myself.”, Zeo explained.

“Your daughter? Where is she? I wanna thank her!”, Franks exclaimed, separating himself from Zeo, so he could look him directly in the eye. Tears of joy were still flowing down his face.

“Gramps... Ehm... you seem to take your sudden recovery pretty well, even my mentioning of magic... How come?”, Zeo asked carefully.

“I don't care what healed me, as long as it did the job! So where is she?”, Frank asked, looking around. Then, his eyes fell on the open door, and the darkness beyond. One front hoof was illuminated by the kitchen light. Spotting this with his eyesight back to twenty twenty, Frank shot towards the door, finally releasing his grandson. Zeo could barely believe how fast his grandfather was moving.

“Come on out girl! I don't bite. Just wanna welcome ya to the family!”, he laughed as he pressed the light switch in the hallway. His smile faded for a moment when he saw Silk. Her head hang low, and she tried to back away from him, but Frank Salchar wouldn't have any of that. His smile returned, as he put a hand under her chin to lift her face up to eye level.

“You are my great granddaughter?”, he asked laughing. Silk nodded, not meeting his eyes. She was more then surprised when she found herself in a strong hug.

“Thank you girl! I'm looking forward to meeting your mother.”, the old man laughed, heartily.

“I thought you'd be angry. She's no human, and neither is her mother.”, Zeo said, walking up to the two of them.

“It's none of my business who you screw. All that matters to me, is that your happy. And it's not like I didn't get anything from this, now is it?”, Frank laughed, releasing Silk and slamming his massive hand down on his grandsons back. The sheer force of it made Zeo stumble once again. Silk caught her father on her back, looking at her great grandfather with confusion on her face.

“I don't get it. Grandfather reacted with violence when he met Mom....”, she said, meeting Franks eyes for the first time.

“WHAT?”, Frank interrupted, disbelief in his eyes. “What did that over protective lump of meat say this time?”, he asked.

“Well... He practically said that Silk Light here, and my wife Luna, are not a part of my family. Oh, and he send both, Silk and myself, sprawling after he caught me by surprise.”, Zeo explained, righting himself.

“Bring me to him....”, Frank sighed, looking apologetically at Silk.

“So Silk Light is your name? Strange but beautiful. Fitting for our family. I apologize for my son. He's not a bad guy, but he has this strange idea that you always have to act your best. As if the neighbors were watching us constantly.... Everything he does not deem “normal” is a taboo for him. I'm a little more open minded in that regard. Besides, who am I to judge my grandsons relationships?”

Silk nodded, looking at her father.

“Ok gramps, I guess I'll ask you again. You want to leave this place behind for good, and move to a world were you can stay fit until the day you die? You could live for several centuries actually.”, Zeo asked again.

“Why do you even ask? Since your grandmothers death, there has been nothing to hold me here. I just wish this opportunity had arisen much sooner...”

The three of them climbed the stairs, Zeo took the boxes he had packed earlier in his magic, and then they passed through the portal to Equestria. Zeo closed it, once they had passed through, since he was a little worried about damaging either world, if he kept it open for too long.

“PETER JÜRGEN SALCHAR!”, his grandfathers voice bellowed, and Zeo could see his father flinch.

“Ehm... yes Paps?”, Peter asked, already guessing where this was going.

“I heard you hit your son, and sent your granddaughter to the floor with him, even though she healed me. SO what do you have to say for yourself?”, Frank went on.

“Just look around! His wife is not even human!”, Peter tried to defend his actions, until Frank hit him across the face.

“You may grow over my head, but you will never grow over my hand Peter! You must finally accept, that what your son does is NONE of your business! You can make suggestions, but there is no FUCKING way you should try to interfere with his life. And now apologize!”, Frank demanded, looking into the shocked face of his sixty years old son.

Peter looked like he wanted to retaliate, but thought better of it. After a few minutes, in which Zeo introduced all the Ponies who were present, Peter finally came around. He apologized to Zeo for hitting him, to Silk and Luna for screaming at them, and even to Celestia for interrupting their conversation with his earlier outburst. None of them had expected an apology, but they all accepted it. It was a shock for him after all.

Frank asked Celestia if it would be OK if he started a business in Canterlot. The Princess was more then happy to allow it, given that Zeo would finance his grandfathers start up. Zeo agreed to this, making a mental note to go to the treasury later on. Then Luna startled all of them, by pointing at Silks flank and gasp loudly.

As Silk turned her head, she saw what had shocked her mother. There, where there had been nothing but midnight blue fur before, was her cutiemark. It was a red heart, that lay on a blue cross. She had finally found her own special talent, after over a thousand years of being a blank flank. Like her father, her talent was medicine....