Just Have Faith

Chapter 2

Faith woke up with a headache worse than the morning after her 'loose sneaker incident'. She woke up, the events with the case slowly coming back to her. It was only when she managed to get up on one knee did it hit her. She couldn't hear any cars or helicopters.

Did I go deaf? Faith thought.

She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. She heard it just fine. Faith decided to take some time to her observe her surroundings. For starters, Faith was no longer on a rooftop, but a stone tower. Upon standing up and turning around, she noted that the tower was, in fact, part of an entire Medieval-era castle. The walls of the castle were all adorned with banners depicting the sun. Faith then looked around more carefully, and saw a small city surrounding the castle, and said castle and town were built into the face of an enormous mountain.

What shocked Faith the most, however, were the town's inhabitants. Not people, but….. ponies. Colorful ponies that seemed to be talking and going around as if they were humans. There were some with horns, and objects appeared to float around a few of the horned ones. Other ones had wings, and a few winged ponies were hovering around the street instead of walking. Faith looked up, and saw a few winged ponies soaring around the sky.

The sun was setting, soon to give way to night. Then, faith noticed something odd. Some of the ponies that were white were also wearing golden armor, with helmets reminiscent of helmets used by the ancient Roman army. Faith was pretty sure that wherever she was, these were this place's equal to the Blues back home. Faith made a mental note to avoid them.

Faith saw a few armored ponies patrolling the walls of the castle. Faith decided that she needed someplace out of the open to compose herself and figure out where she is. Faith looked around and saw a balcony with a door on the opposite wall. Faith looked at the walls for ways to get over there, and then she got an idea. Faith leapt and grabbed a banner hanging from the wall, and ran across the wall with the banner as an anchor. She leapt to the next one and repeated the process a few more times until at the last banner, she let go at an angle, allowing her to slide across the balcony, kicking the door open as she went, then quickly getting up and shutting the door.

She looked around, and saw she was in a lavish bedroom, with a double-size bed, a large mirror with several sets of jewelry in front of it, and a chandelier made of a glowing crystal.

"Wooooooow" Faith breathed.

Suddenly, she heard out on the balcony "In here! I saw it go through this door!"

Faith heard another voice, a deeper one, say "Are you mad? That's the Princess's room! We can't go in there!"

Faith knew one of those guards must have spotted her. Quickly thinking, Faith ran over and opened the main bedroom door, then shut it loudly. She then slid under the bed.

In the darkness, she heard the first voice yell "It's gone into the rest of the castle! Warn the rest of the guards and sound the alarm!"

Faith wasn't sure what the alarm was, until she heard a deep, sonorous horn resonate across the castle.

After a few minutes of lying there, she heard hoof beats come into the room, and a deep male voice say "Don't worry, Princess. That thing will be found and apprehended immediately."

She then heard the voice of a woman. "I trust that you will do just that, Commander. Just be careful, we don't know what it is." Faith lay still, hoping she wasn't found.

Celestia's POV

The Princess was looking for a nice, quiet day in the castle. She had no meetings or public appearances to attend, no paperwork to sign. Just a day with a good book, a cup of tea, and perhaps some catching-up with her sister.

Not today.

Just as she was entering the library, the alarm horn was sounded, and two guards appeared at her side and ushered her through the halls to her room.

Commander Stonehoof bowed to her as she entered her bedroom and said "Don't worry, Princess. This thing will be found and apprehended immediately."

The Princess nodded her head and said "I trust that you will do just that, Commander. Just be careful, we don't know what it is."

The Princess thought that the guards had seen just a trick of the light, or a bird of some kind. The guards were always so jumpy. After the guards left, she closed her door and put a soundproof spell on the door. What she said next would need to stay to herself.

"Oh, dear, these guards are so jumpy. Why, they would jump at a rat, for crying out loud! Though, on the off chance the guard did see an unknown creature… Why, that would be the best and most wonderful-" Celestia stopped.

She heard something. A sound almost inaudible if you weren't listening for it. She heard a tiny buzzing sound, and an even tinier voice that sounded like it belonged to a mare. And it sounded scared. "Merc, come in, Merc! Merc? Merc!"

Faith's POV

As the door shut, Faith peered out and saw four large white hooves wearing gold ankle-high slippers. Faith crawled back to the middle of the bed and tried her earpiece.

"Merc! Come in, Merc! Respond!"

Merc responded. "Faith! Thank God you're okay! I can't find you on the radar. And if your earpiece is working… then that means you're not in the City anymore." He said gravely.

"What! That's not right! How can I just vanish of the face of the Earth?"

"I don't know, Faith. Faith? Faith, I- losi- signal, Faith. Don't wor-, Faith, I'll fi- thi-. Stay shar-, kid. And st- out of troub-"

Faith tried desperately on her earpiece, her voice franticly rising. "Merc, come in, Merc! Merc? Merc!"

Faith wasn't aware that someone had heard her. She felt a pressure on her legs, and had no time to react as she was dragged out from under the bed. She found herself face to muzzle with a large pony with a rainbow mane that was constantly flowing, despite the lack of any wind. The pony was wearing a crown, had both a horn and wings, and had the same picture of the sun on its flank as outside on the banners. It bent down and looked her in the eyes. The pony's eyes were filled with not hate, but curiosity and kindness, far from what Faith was expecting. Its voice was soft and caring as it said "Fear not, you are safe now."

Celestia's POV

"Fear not, you are safe now." While Celestia was saying these words, she was screaming like an excited filly on the inside.

EEEEEEE! The guard did see a creature, and here it is, in my room!

She took a breath to calm herself, and then attempted to lift the creature off the floor with her magic. At the touch of magic, however, the creature panicked and started flailing. A creature that fears magic? Celestia quickly moved the creature on to her bed, and got on the bed next to it.

Celestia nuzzled the creature lightly, and asked "Now, where did you come from?"

Then, the creature did something Celestia wasn't expecting. It spoke. "The City. And for the record, you are the first pony here that hasn't searched me out to capture me. So… Thanks, I guess."

Celestia was taken aback by the statement, but quickly regained composure and said "You are very welcome. Tell me, do you have a name? I am Princess Celestia." She said in a friendly tone.

The creature looked at her, a whirlwind of confusion and fear in her eyes, and said one word. "Faith."

The Princess smiled. "You have a beautiful name Faith."

The Princess came to a conclusion that Faith did not mean any harm. She was just looking for a way home. Celestia did have a few questions, and she was sure Faith did too, so she came up with an idea.

"Faith, I have an idea. We both have questions, and this will be the best way to get them answered. You get to ask me a question, then I get to ask you a question. Then you ask another question, and so on and so forth. Sound good?"

Faith nodded, and asked "Where are we?"

"We are in the land of Equestria. More specifically, we are in the city of Canterlot. Okay, my turn. Where are you from?"

"A planet called Earth. I lived in a city that a lot of people-"

"People?"

"Humans. That's what I am. A human. As I was saying, I lived in an enormous city that many people called New Eden. But I just call it the City. So, I assume the guards are going to be back soon. How will we explain me to them, or the rest of Equestria?"

"You will stay in one of the guest bedrooms tonight. Tomorrow, I am going to have my guards take you to a small town called Ponyville, where my student, Twilight Sparkle is staying. You will have a better time adjusting over there than here in Canterlot. I will explain your presence here to them. Oh, I forgot to ask, how exactly did you get in Equestria?"

Faith looked down and said "I'm not sure. I was carrying a case, and then it was punctured and it exploded. What the case had in it…? I don't know."

Celestia looked over, and saw Faith just staring into space. She walked over and nuzzled her. "Don't worry. You'll get back home, I promise."

Faith responded by hugging her new friend and stating simply "Thanks."

Faith's POV

As Faith walked out of the room, she heard Celestia say "If you need anything, talk to my sister Princess Luna next door."

Faith waved in acknowledgement, then walked down the hall to find a plain bedroom with a comfortable-looking bed. She closed the door and laid down, trying to get some sleep. She heard Celestia talking to other ponies. Faith was facing away from the door, but she heard it open a crack and she knew some guards were gaping at her.

She stated over her shoulder "You mind?" But a feminine voice spoke back, like Celestia's but younger. "Sorry, it's just…Wow."

Faith sat up, and looked at who entered. It was another alicorn, but this one was slightly smaller than Celestia, all dark violet and black, with a mane of stars, also constantly flowing. It had a picture of the moon on its flank.

Faith said "You must be Princess Luna."

"I see my sister has told you about us… I mean me. I hope you enjoy your time here."

The Princess turned to leave, but Faith called out. "Luna?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I just say one thing?"

"Yes?"

"The guards are idiots."

Luna chuckled and said "No kidding." She turned and left the room.