The Visitor

It was afternoon at the campus of the University of Canterlot. The campus itself had clearly been around for centuries sharing its architectural design with the older sections of the castle and the city walls. While the city walls were more utilitarian the campus was very ornate with its decoration. With detailed stonework across the roof tops, with small statues and gardens in front of most of the buildings. In front of the main hall sits large statue of its founder Star Swirl The Bearded.

Just inside the Main hall was the administrative offices where the dean’s office was located with, “Dean Golden Scroll” written in gold lettering on the door.

“I do apologize Professor, but we have no knowledge on this ‘Quantum Physics’. In fact that field of science simply does not exist here.” Golden Scroll said as he looked across his desk to Professor Safon sitting in the chair in front of it.

“I see.” Safon said with disappointment. He leaned back in the chair stroking his chin for a moment before sitting back up and looking at the dean. “Is there anyone in your magic department who has studied traveling to other worlds?”

"Well there may have been some research done into that field but not since the times of Star Swirl The Bearded and, any notes from that time are stored in the castle archives.”

Safon got up from his chair, “Well thank you for your time Dean I’ll be sure to follow up on that lead.”

Golden Scroll got up and lead the Professor to his office door, “You’re welcome and if you ever need any consultants the University of Canterlot is more than happy to assist.”

“Thank you and I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer if need be.” Safon said as he started to stepped out of the office, putting on his hat before closing the door behind him.

After being pointed in the direction of the castle Safon finds his way in the throne room just as Celestia dismissed her Court for lunch.

Celestia looked to the door and saw the Professor standing in the doorway. “Ah Professor! What is it that brought you here today?”

Safon walked over to the throne while taking his hat off, “Hello Princess. I actually came here to ask you something.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, “Oh and what is that?”

“Well you see I recently went to the University of Canterlot to see if any of the Professors there had any knowledge that could assist me but, it seems that Quantum Physics has not been developed here yet.”

“I didn’t think so, but what about that brings you to me?”

“Well after Golden Scroll told me that I asked if anyone has studied travel between worlds. He told me that the only notes on that subject would be in the castle archives so that’s what brings me here.”

“The only pony in memory who has attempted such a feat was Star Swirl The Bearded but that was a thousand or so years ago”

“Okay so who’s Star Swirl then?”

“Well Star Swirl the Bearded was the magical adviser for Equestria One Thousand years ago, and he often did experiments in many fields and developed may magical theories one of which was the travel between worlds similar to our own. Sadly though most of his notes on that project aren’t here.”

Safon’s eyebrow rose at this information. “So either they’re lost to time or somewhere else.”

“You’re right about the second one. You see one thousand years ago Luna and I ruled Equestria from a different castle but after her…. banishment.” She said with a sad look on her face something Safon didn’t miss. “I chose to move the capital here in the mountains but, Star Swirl chose to keep his workshop in the remains of the old castle in his later years for privacy. I believe that there may still be some remnants of his endeavors there.”

He stood still thinking, “So if you think they’re there, then where is this castle?”

“It’s in a place called the Everfree Forest just outside Ponyville but, It’s a very dangerous place filled with many creatures.”

“Don’t worry I can handle dangerous places. Just tell me where this Ponyville is and I’ll take a train there.”

“Very well, Ponyville has a train station so all you need to do is buy a ticket.”

“That will work just fine, It shouldn’t be that hard to find the remains of a big fucking castle in the middle of the woods.”

“Good I’ll arrange for an overnight train then.”
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Safon bowed and started to walk out the door.“Thank you I’ll go home and pack some things then.”
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“Good luck Professor.” She said as she levitated up a piece of parchment and a quil. “My faithful Student Twilight.”
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Fancy Pants looked up at the sun. It was still the middle of summer and the heat was not going to let down any time soon. He eventually got to the front door and started knocking. “Professor are you there old chap?” He asked waiting for an answer.

“Just a moment.” He heard after he stepped back. Just as he heard the door opened after a moment the door opened to reveal Safon wearing the same outfit as the other day but without the coat and his sleeves rolled up. “Fancy Pants! What brings you here?!”

“Hello there I just came here to check up on how my new partner is situating to his new home.”

Safon got a look of excitement across his face. “Great! Why don’t you come in!” He said as he turned around and lead Fancy Pants in.

Fancy Pants took his hat off and followed him in the house. “I guess I can for a little bit.” As he followed Safon he looked around at the house. It was a standard two story house that was already furnished when he bought it for the Professor. Walking in to the sitting room he notice that despite Safon only living in there for about a day and a half he has already rearranged it.The books that were on the book shelves were removed and stacked in piles to be used as tables to hold papers or plates of food and drinks. There were black boards around the room with many equations on them that he didn’t understand. There was a new exterior horn front mounted phonograph that play round disks instead of cylinders that Safon found upstairs on one of the stacks playing an up tempo song. “I say is that Ragtime music playing on that phonograph?”

Safon turned around and looked at Fancy Pants. “What?- Oh yes it is. I found a few records in my suitcase so I decided to put one on while I worked. It helps me think.”

“I see.” Fancy Pants walked over to the phonograph and listened to the music. “ I only recently discovered Ragtime yet I really enjoy it. Infact i’m thinking about hiring a Ragtime band to perform at my next garden party, but I fear that my guest might not like such ‘raunchy’ music at Canterlot’s second most prestigious event.”

The record reached it’s end and Safon walked over and took the needle of and put it to the side, flipped the stop switch on the turntable and took the record off. “Yeah I know what you mean back when this was new in my world people thought the same thing but trust me they’ll find something else to complain about. Personally if I was you I would do it anyways.”

“Perhaps you’re right. but anyways, is there a particular reason you invited me in?”

“Oh yeah, I need to tell that I’m going away for about a week.”

Fancy Pants raised and eyebrow “Oh, why so?”

“You see, I went to the University of Canterlot today then to Celestia and they told me that there may be some research material in the Everfree Forest to help me.”

“I see, but the Everfree Forest? are you sure? I’ve heard how dangerous that place can be.”

Safon walked over to the corner of the room and got a crossbow from behind the chair there. “Don’t worry the guard gave me this and I have a sword and other weapons in my suitcase for just incase I ran into hostiles in my travels. Anyways I also have a new patent for you too.”

“Already!?”

“Yeah well it’s not a particularly advanced one. Here follow me into the dining room.” Safon walked over to the dining room door and opened it. Fancy Pants followed and saw that the dining room chairs and table were pushed to the back wall to make room and make the room into a laboratory space that could be used with more black boards and papers stuck to the walls and a desk against the side wall. On the desk was a brass device that looked like one of the engines and propeller from the zeppelin design but smaller on a stand and with a cage surrounding the propeller. “This is an automated desk fan. It runs on an electric motor that spins the propeller pushing cool air on you and cooling you down.”

“Interesting.” Fancy Pants said as he took a closer look at it. “But isn’t it a little late for something to cool you down?”

“Well right now I was thinking that it was getting to the time of year where it gets hot in ones home but too cold outside to open the window so they can have this to keep it cool in the house without opening a window ,and the design is so basic that you should be able to release it by the end of summer.”

“You know that might work. Do you have a design drawn up?”

“Yes I do and I think I got a hang of your writing system.”

“This fast?”

“Yeah I’ve always been fast at picking up basics of any language.”

“Ok then.” Fancy Pants took out his fob watch and checked the time. “Oh dear I must go now. Can you give me the designs and i’ll give them to my engineering team.”

“Of course now I must go and pack for my trip.”

Fancy Pants took the paper with his magic and went out the door putting his hat back on. “Thank you and good luck with your trip.”

“Thank you I will.”

Early the next morning in the Carousel Boutique Rarity was hard at work on new designs for dresses. Mare were starting to wear less restrictive dresses and some mares have even stopped wearing corsets and Rarity needed to keep up with the trends. As she continued to work she glanced out the window and saw Twilight Sparkle in her usual attire of a plain grey skirt with a white blouse with a bankers collar and a plain teal tie and vest and a black coat running to the train station. With curiosity getting her she left her sewing machine and went outside waving to the unicorn. “Twilight Dear! What ever are you doing running outside so early.”

Twilight stopped in her tracks and looked around to see Rarity running to her in one of her many work outfits a black skirt and ruffled white blouse and gold brooch. “Oh Rarity it’s you.”

“Yes oh dear.” She said catching her breath. “I saw you running and thought something was wrong.”

“Oh no not this time. I got a letter from Princess Celestia last night. Professor Safon is coming to Ponyville to go to the Castle of the Two Sisters and I’m heading to the station to pick him up.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, “Oh wonderful he’s coming here.”

“Yes, oh and do you know if he visited Fancy Pants I remember you mentioning him to the Professor.”

“Why yes infact I got a telegram from Fancy Pants saying that Safon gave him something amazing.”

“He did what was it?”

“He didn’t go into detail but he said he would show me during my next trip to Canterlot though.”

“He did? I’ll have to ask him when he gets here.” Twilight took out her watch and checked time. “Oh Sorry Rarity, but I really must go his train is due any minute.” With that Rarity watched as Twilight went back to running to the train station.