A Story About My Dad

I shook my head, my vision clearing. I turned my head to see my Dad, his expression just as confused as mine. I blinked, and turned back to the several horse creatures closing in with their sharp spears raised at us. Their coats were all the same color, a pristine white, while the golden armor they wore was just as untouched. They looked like guards, but their armor had never seen combat, or had been expertly repaired.

I lifted my hand, glancing down at the fingertipless metal glove on my right hand, making sure the three line segments in a circle were lit. For a moment, I considered trying to use the suit, but I had no idea how to even activate it, so I just sat there, eyeing the --

Ponies? Yes, I think that’s what they were called.

Eyeing the ponies. I began to lift myself up off the ground, slowly getting to my feet. A few of the guards nudged their spears forward a little bit, trying to frighten me. I know I probably should’ve been scared, but when I stood at my full five feet, six inches, I was about a foot taller than them. Plus, despite their armor and weapons, they almost looked kind of cute, in a kill you to death kind of way.

My dad scrambled to stand as well, backing up to where I was. We were both backpedaling slowly, the ponies still encroaching upon us.

“It’s gonna be fine, Sammy … Just, uh … Don’t panic. Whatever you do, don’t panic …” my Dad whispered, trying to search for a solution to the situation. I almost rolled my eyes at him. A long time ago, he had told me a story about his adventures as a kid, and all of the dangerous things he had encountered.

Fluffy marshmallow horses hardly seemed to compare. Still, the spears they held got their point across, and neither of us moved a muscle once we hit the wall behind us. My dad laughed quietly, once, probably remembering something like it in his past. He loves -- loved -- seeing that kind of connection to his past adventures.

“Halt!” a voice called out, the spears only inches away from us now. Instantly, the ponies retracted the weapons, holding them upwards, and backing off. I could hear the sound of foot -- err, hoofsteps coming closer and closer to us. I was a tiny bit worried at first, but soon, I managed to catch a glimpse at our savior.

She was tall and lean, much bigger than the rest of the ponies, and resembled a horse more so in that respect. Her tail and mane swirled and pulsated so her ethereal, rainbow hair was constantly in motion. Well, not quite rainbow, because it was only four colors.

Anyway, as soon as she spoke, the guards stood down and took a few steps back. They parted to let her through, and I found myself looking up into a kind face. Her features were soft, her eyes were filled with compassion, and a warm smile graced her face. She was quite beautiful.

That smile never left her face as she looked at me, then at Dad, before speaking in her comforting voice. “There is no cause for alarm. They will not harm you,” she said, a wing extending from her back to gesture at the guards. “Now, what is your name?” she asked my father.

My father smiled nervously. “I’m.. I’m John. This,” he said, gesturing to me, “is my daughter, Samantha.”

I cut in. “I’d rather be called ‘Sam’.”

The tall pony -- who, I noticed, had a horn as well as wings -- smiled. “My name is Princess Celestia. I’m the ruler here, alongside my sister Luna.” She frowned at her guards, who wilted slightly at displeasing their princess. “Please forgive my guards as well. Recently, we’ve had a spate of various… villains, I suppose would be the best word. They’re all on edge.”

My father nodded and said, “It’s fine.” He smiled slightly, relaxing. “I’d be pretty worried if two random people fell out of nowhere into your-- Well, I’m assuming it’s a throne room.”

Celestia nodded. “Tell me,” she began, her voice suddenly earnest, “what are you wearing?”

My father blinked in surprise, then raised a hand and looked at the back of it. I noticed that it had six sections instead of three, like mine. The circle in the middle glowed a bright white, and he grabbed my hand. He grinned outright. “An adventure suit.” Suddenly, we were flying through the air. My father reach out with his other hand -- which also had six segments on it -- and activated the grapple beam, yanking us towards the landing of the stairs above us. I held on for dear life.

Celestia was too startled to do anything, so by the time we had landed safely, she was just starting to turn around. My dad shouted down at her, “Isn’t it awesome? My daughter’s wearing the older model.” He started to walk down the stairs and I hesitantly followed. “I made a few upgrades to mine make it easier to use and more versatile. And to make it fit me, of course.” He chuckled. Celestia just watched, smiling, as we made our way to the ground again. The guards formed a circle around us again, but their demeanor was gentler, and they had their spears pointed upwards instead of towards us.

Celestia walked calmly between the rows of ponies, that gentle smile of her never seeming to leave her face. It was starting to get somewhat worrying. My dad had taught me to never judge a book by its cover, but there was something about this one… I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was like just being around her gave you that warm fuzzy feeling. That really worried me.

“That was certainly quite… interesting. “ she said, trying to search for another more adequate word. She gestured for the guards to return to their ready positions, the crowd dispersing. “I’d like to speak with you two in private,” she said, her smile dropping. “We have much to discuss.” She walked out of the door, clearly expecting us to follow.

I gulped and exchanged a glance with my dad, whose face looked as nervous as I felt. Together, we followed Celestia, four guards following us with spears at the ready.