Chapter 5: A Look Into The Shadows

I awoke with a start as I heard the train’s brakes begin to tighten and it beginning to slow down, that meant that we had arrived. I was already beginning to feel really nervous about meeting these two ‘demigods’. What would they want from me? What would I want from them? But all of this worry was for naught of course, because I had Twilight on my side. They wouldn’t hurt me if Twilight stood up for me, right?

“Canterlot Station!” The voice over the loudspeaker said, rousing me from my thoughts. “Next stop, Appleoosa. All passengers for Canterlot disembark now.”

“Twilight, cmon.” I said to the sleeping purple unicorn on my lap. “We’re here, and I think the media is as well.” The flashes of cameras was getting closer as we approached the platform. Gah, I hated the media. Even the thought of a picture being taken of me was not in my realm of comfortability. Not that I had gotten much media exposure when I was on Earth. “How did they even know I was coming here?”

Twilight yawned and hopped off the bench with Spike on her back. “Oh sweet Celestia. What is all the commotion for?” She said, spotting the crowd of journalists. “Hold on, I’m going to teleport us to the palace steps. Spike you too.” He just murmured something in his sleep. Her horn began to glow and suddenly there was a blinding flash of light.

I was standing on the steps of a elegant palace that had guards on almost every single door. Although I wasn’t paying attention to that, I was on the ground groaning at the massive migraine that had suddenly assaulted me. I got on my knees and suddenly had the urge to vomit, looking frantically around I saw some bushes and rushed over to those before I spoiled the practically glowing marble that adorned the steps. Just as I reached the bushed I vomited, heaving up what I had eaten for breakfast and probably the food I had eaten yesterday. “Okay,” I said wiping my mouth on my sleeve, “Can we not do that ever again?”

Twilight looked at me sheepishly, “Sorry. I had no idea that would happen but then you are…” She drifted off as her pupils went wide and she started to hyperventilate. “OH MY CELESTIA ARE YOU OKAY? LAY DOWN I NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE OKAY. THAT COULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHAT WAS I THINKING?”

“Twilight?” I said, shielding my ears from the screaming. “Do you think you could tone it down a notch?”

“Sorry,” She said in a voice so quiet I could barely hear it, “I just thought I hurt you and I-I just snapped….” Twilight started to cry as she covered her mouth and looked at me, tears staining her lavender fur. “Because I-I-I love you.” She sat down, her tail curling around her body.

I just sat down, too stunned to say anything, I just sat there. I had no idea what to say because I didn’t know she felt that way towards me. Do I love her back? Is this the fear talking or a deep down feeling that she really cares for me? I know she told me that a few days ago but this seems more heartfelt. Tell her you love her! “Thanks, Twi. But I think we should get off the street. The reporters are closing the gap pretty quickly.” You coward! Damn. Every single time. I picked her up and started jogging towards the palace.

“Justin, you can put me down you know. I can walk.” Twilight said, frowning slightly.

“Oh, hehe sorry.” I said blushing as I put her down at the top of the steps. “Well shall we?” I said, gesturing towards the doors.

Guards approached us as we walked towards the door, fanning out to keep the journalists and reporters out. “What is your business with the Princesses?” A guard said as he approached us. “They are not taking visitors right now.”

“We are here to see both of them in fact.” Twilight said, “I am here on behalf of Justin here. The Princesses wanted to see him and me as well.” She said, approaching the guards.

They nodded and began to open the door, eyeing me very carefully. Slightly glaring at me, the guard on the left began to say something, “I’m keeping a close watch on you creature. Don’t try anything.” Then the door closed, leaving us in a huge, open foyer.

I looked around at the colored glass windows depicting multiple apparent battle scenes. It was quite easy to pick out the victor and the villain, the victors looked the same in some of them. I made a mental note to ask this ‘Celestia’ and Twilight about these. “Hey Twilight, where are they? The princesses I mean.” I heard footsteps coming from behind me and I turned around. Before me is one of the Princesses, I think this one is Celestia.

Celestia smiles at me and turns to Twilight, “This is the ‘hooman’ isn’t it?” A nod from Twilight causes her to smile again. “Well Justin, that is your name correct?”

I just gulp and stand there still in awe of her presence. Under the awe I can just feel the power radiating off of this ‘demigod,’ like a huge wave from the ocean of infinite calm just crash over me, so much for putting up a resistance. It swept over my entire brain relaxing my muscles and calming my worst fears. A small whistle came from Twilight as she was waving her hoof in front of my glazed over eyes. “Hmmm, yes?”

“Justin, Princess Celestia asked you a question.” Twilight looked at me with concern, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah sorry.” I said, pushing my hair back and standing up a bit straighter, “I just had the weirdest feeling ever. But it passed now.”

Celestia turned to me and looked me in the eye, very carefully before looking at Twilight, “You have certainly chosen an interesting creature to house. His mind is far larger than any of the other creatures you have had me analyze. It seems to me that he is smarter than some of my little ponies that live here.” Celestia said matter-of-factly.

“Its pronounced hu-man, Princess.” Twilight said, looking quite nervous as she corrected the solar princess.

Celestia only smiled and nodded. “Well as long as he promises not to go rampaging around the town striking fear into the hearts of my citizens,” Celestia said smiling at me, “I shall let him reside in Ponyville with you.”

Twilight stood up a little straighter as she heard her mentor’s response, “Thank you Princess. I’ll keep and eye on him and make sure he doesn’t do any of that.” Twilight winked at me.

“What say you human? I haven’t heard much from you in this meeting.” The white alicorn said to me.

“Uh, I promise not to go around ravaging your towns.” I said, my right eye twitching as it does from time to time. “Thank you for letting me stay, even though I have nowhere else to go per se.” I smiled at Celestia.

A door behind Celestia opened revealing another alicorn, slightly shorter and more slim but lacking no natural beauty. She approached us, eyeing me warily. “Sister? What hath thou brought to our castle?” She said, moving closer as if to sniff me. “‘Tis some sort of rare beast? Twilight, thou knowest much of such things, what tis this thing?”

“Oh Luna, where art thou manners?” Celestia scolded Luna, “This is Justin, he is a human. A creature, brought here by Twilght, from another world I should assume.”

“HUZZA! AN OUTER WORLDY BEING! TWILIGHT, THOU SHALT STUDY THIS BEING VERY CAREFULLY!” Luna said, raising her voice to an ungodly loud volume, and with enough force to knock me over.

I rubbed my head from being knocked down and Twilight walked over to me in concern, helping me up. “Woah, well nice to meet you too Princess Luna.” I got up, with help from Twilight, and kissed her hoof.

Luna blushed and covered her mouth with a hoof. “My my, what a gentlecolt thou hast brought into our residence.” She glanced over to Twilight. “Bring him here anytime thou needest some relaxation.” Luna turned around and sauntered out swaying her hips and tail more than necessary, then adding a sultry wink before disappearing down a hallway.

Celestia only gave me a dumbfounded look. “Well that was unexpected, very unexpected. She has never acted like that towards anypony else that I know of. Very odd behavior for her given her circumstance.” Celestia smiled then turned to Twilight. “Well this went better than expected, make sure to take good care of Justin and educate him on the value and lessons of friendship.” She then began to walk back to her throne.

I looked outside and saw that the sun was lowering. ThenI remebered something that Twilight told me, they lowered and raised the moon and sun. So I walked toward her throne as she was signing a stack of papers. “Celestia, is it true you lower the Sun and the Moon?”

She looked at me quizically then set down her papers, “Yes that is true.” Celestia said, “But my sister Luna, who you met today, now raises and lowers the moon. Per and agreement we made a few months after she came back from being banished from Equestria. That is a story for another time, perhaps when you come to reside at the casitle again in the near future perhaps?”

I nodded in agreement, “That would be fine, as long as Twilight doesn’t have any objections of course.” I looked towards Twi, who seemed deep in thought. “Twi?”

Twilight snapped out of the state she was in and blushed, “I’m sorry, what did you ask Justin?” She smiled sheepishly.

“I asked if you had any objections to us coming back to Canterlot for ‘Celestia’s Story Time.’” I said jokingly.

Twilight pressed her hoof to her chin in thought, “No I can’t seem to have a problem with that.” She said, looking at Celestia who was chuckling. “I can’t wait for ‘Celestia’s Story Time’ either.”

Celestia only chuckled more, then gave us a warm smile. “Goodnight Twilight, have a safe ride home, and don’t forget to teach Justin about friendship. It seems as though he needs a lesson or two.” She said, causing me to break out into a blush. She waved her hoof in goodbye as we walked out of the front doors, closing them with a soft boom. “Cadence, are you here?”

Another alicorn popped out from behind a statue and walked towards Celestia. “Yes, here I am.”

Celestia smiled, “Did you record how he felt through out the meeting?” Celestia said eagerly, “Because I believe that Justin and Twilight have developed a relationship pretty quickly for ones of different species.”

Cadence nodded, “I felt that too, but I think it might be a bit more intimate than you can see, of course my talent is love.” She said, gesturing to her cutie mark. “It would be a waste of talent and insight for me not to notice such an outright and strong relationship.”

Celestia only smiled, she was glad that her star student was finally finding love. It may be unorthodox, but it would enrich her learning experience and how she saw the world. “Cadence,” She said, waiting for the pink alicorn to acknowledge her. Cadence looked at Celestia then she continued, “do you think that the nobles of Canterlot will be happy with such a development? I mean, he may be sentient like the rest of us but they may only view him as an animal. I worry for them and us, would this be warranted?”

Cadence thought about this for a moment before answering, “If they do try to make an issue out of it, I’m sure you can reassure them that he was not intending to make their lives harder or discourage them.” Cadence said. “You know more than I on how to control these nobles. It is up to you in the end.”

Twilight and I had just gotten to the train station just in time for the last train to Ponyville, we purchased our tickets from a teenage pony who just gaped at me before hoofing over our tickets. We boarded the train that arrived a quarter of an hour later. Twilight, who had been sleeping on my lap, was carried by me and laid down on a cushion next to me. She seemed to know that I had moved her slightly away from me and sleepily motioned her over to me. We cuddled against each other on the duration of the train ride home. After a few restless hours later, we arrived at the Ponyville train station. I decided it would be rude of me to make her walk home, so I carried her all the way to the Library. After arriving tired and out of breath, I put her on her bed and walked outside, putting my hand over the sign that read ‘Golden Oak Library’.

“Home. I feel at home.” I said before walking back in, turning off the lights and climbing into bed next to a slightly awake Twilight, who noted my absence and motioned me next to her. I climbed in and fell quickly into a deep and restful sleep.

Author's Note

HOLY Crap that took a while but here it is I wrote this in a shorter time that chapter 4 but whatevs.

Now comes the fun part with Luna but ya know no spoilers.