Pathfinder 5

Pathfinder 5

Chapter 24: The big night Part 2

David was led towards Pinkie and Rarity by Twilight, Pinkie was attacking a table of pastries while Rarity was talking with a group of unicorns. There was a particular air about this group, they all were holding themselves a bit stiffly.

“Oh [David] so good of you to join us,” Rarity said seeing him and Twilight approach. “I was just telling them a few stories about you.”

“I deny everything.” David said with a smirk. Thankfully the joke went over with some light chuckles.

“Well I wanted to introduce to you to some of Canterlot’s elite,” Rarity pointed to a male white unicorn with a tux and a monocle. Next to him was a mare that reminded David of a mini-Celestia minus the hair and wings.

“This is Fancy Pants,” Rarity began. “He’s a good friend I met not too long ago and his mare companion is Fleur Dis Lee one of Equestria’s most notable models.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Fancy held out a hoof that David took and shook.

“Oui, it’s a pleasure,” Fleur said next holding her hoof out but with a slight bend to it.

David figured it looked a bit like how some high-class women would bend their wrist while extending a hand. He took a shot in the dark and gently grabbed it as he bent down to draw her hoof to his lips. Pulling up he saw that from her expressing it was the correct choice.

“It is nice to see manners are universal,” She smiled up at him.

David could tell she had some kind of accent plus one of the words she said didn’t translate at all. Apparently, there was more than one language on this planet. Something he’d had to ask Twilight about later but first there was something nagging him that he had to ask.

“I hope this isn’t too forward of me asking,” he said trying to sound polite given his question. “but are you related to Celestia in some way? You look a lot like a smaller version of her.”

“Oh monsieur, I could be so lucky,” she waved it off with a hoof but appeared pleased by the comparison. “Princess Celestia is the panicle of beauty and being compared to her is a compliment.”

David raised an eyebrow at that as he thought about it. She certainly was different than every other of her subjects he met, plus he couldn’t help she had this calming aura about her. “So, what about Luna then? Or that other one I just met…Cadance was it?”

“You do make a point,” Fancy adjusted his monocle with his magic for a moment. “Princess Cadance has a following of her own, mainly the more younger ponies. Princess Luna ever since her return has been growing in popularity as well. I believe it’s just that since we’ve had Princess Celestia for so long it’s almost traditional at this point.”

“I see,” David nodded his head.

“I must ask did you bring that suit with you?” Fleur asked as she had been eyeing his suit since he came to them. “It’s style is very unique, is that the fashion of your people?”

“Fashion yes but you have to look to Rarity as she’s the one that made this.”

Rarity waved it off although she was secretly very pleased hoping to make an impression here could be very useful in the future. “He was very kind to show me the styles his people wore and I only did my best to try and create it as he showed me.”

“Well it is very well made but then I’ve heard of your talents and I see they are not exaggerated.” Fleur smiled at her.

Rarity was very pleased to hear this, if Fleur had been hearing good things then perhaps she might be getting some new business in the future.

She was about to say something more but then Pinkie suddenly came up next to her holding a few snacks from one of the tables. “Oh you guys have to try this, they finally got some decent food here unlike last time.”

“Oh [David] try this,” She quickly moved up to David and had a small cupcake in her hoof.

David generously took it and tried it, he hadn’t eaten since lunch so a little snack would be nice. He enjoyed the pastry, when you spent months on a ship with rations and only whatever food you could grow, things like this were a luxury.

“Not bad,” he proclaimed.

“I know right,” Pinkie then got a look in her eyes as she nuzzled her head against his side. “Soooo, how about using your special alien powers.”

“My what?” He asked confused as everyone was now curious as to what Pinkie was talking about.

“You know, your wiggly things.”

“Oh,” David finally got it as he scratched her ear.

“Ohhh yeah that’s the spot,” Pinkie sighed as she enjoyed the sensation.

“Pinky I don’t think that’s very appropriate now,” Twilight warned her feeling a bit embarrassed by her friend’s antics among all these ponies. Rarity was looking worryingly around as well.

“But it feels so good,” Pinkie told them. “You all have to try it.”

David wasn’t sure anyone would take it up on it but he was surprised when Fleur walked up to him.

“May I?” She asked looking very interested.

“Alright I got two of them,” He reached out with his free hand as he gently started to tough behind her ear. The reaction was immediate as she gasped and then sighed in contentment.

“Ohhhh, Fancy, you need to try this,” she cooed at the stallion.

“Well if nopony minds,” He adjusted his monocle as Rarity’s jaw hit the floor. She had no idea that Fancy would just go into this without a pause.

Pinkie made room as he took her spot and again it seemed the human’s touch had a magic of its own as now Fancy felt the pleasure centers he didn’t even knew he had firing off.

“Oh my word that is something,” He breathed.

By now David could see that many of Fancy’s friends were looking on with a hint of eagerness to try it out as well. Now he didn’t want to be rude but on the other hand he really didn’t want to spend all night doing this. He suddenly felt his stomach tell him that the cupcake that Pinkie had given him wasn’t enough to fill it, which gave him a perfect out.

“Well as much as I would like to continue,” David pulled his hands away. “But I think I’ll go and hunt down some food if you don’t mind.”

“Oh how rude of us,” Fancy said pulling away as he composed himself. “We shouldn’t keep you from having a meal.”

“Thanks for understanding,” David was glad he was, he had a good feeling about this guy.

Looking around he tried to spot the food tables, being one of the tallest people in the room was helpful at times. He noticed a line up at one of the long tables.

“Well if you’ll excuse me I think I see where to get something to eat.” He told the small group.

“Please come by again,” Fleur smiled at him. “I would so like to ask what else those darling little things can do.”

This earned giggles from the mares of her group as Rarity and Twilight both looked slightly mortified. Pinkie was just bouncing happily as if what was said didn’t register, then again David found it hard to read the pink pony at times. There was just no telling what went through her head.

“If you don’t mind I think I’ll go with you,” Twilight walked to his side. “I could use something to eat.”

Plus she wasn’t exactly comfortable with the crowd Rarity was traveling with, it wasn’t that she didn’t like anyone there it was just that she felt awkward and out of place. Maybe that was one of the reasons she had spent a lot of time in the library or at least part of it? She hadn’t really thought about it until she moved to Ponyville and learned about friendships.

They found a large buffet table as Twilight looked around eagerly. She hadn’t realized until seeing all the food how hungry she had gotten. She picked up a plate and started to fill it with some food. When she had her plate half-filled she noticed that David was looking around the table but he seemed a bit disappointed.

“Something wrong?” She asked.

David shrugged, “Just hoping for something other than the usual food.”

Twilight tilted her head until she suddenly remembered that he as an omnivore. He needed the protein that was found in meat, she knew that he had it on his ship but he didn’t really get the chance to eat it in Ponyville as there weren’t many places that offered that kind of food.

She really wanted him to enjoy himself as she looked around and thought of something.

“If you want you could try the table for the griffon ambassador,” she offered. “I know he has his own table usually set up at these events.”

“You sure that’s okay?” He asked.

“It should be, they usually make more food than needed at these kinds of events from what I heard from the staff from time to time.”

David shrugged, if she said it was okay he didn’t mind. Hell, at this point he was eager to get some much-needed protein. He had only the rations which weren’t exactly fresh, plus he was kind of curious what the races like griffons did eat. It was hard to tell at times what was a smart animal and what was an intelligent one.

“Well I’m going to see for myself, you want to come along?”

Twilight thought about it, she had nothing against meat eaters but she never felt comfortable around cooked meat. It always made her stomach lurch at the smell sometimes so she kept her distance. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Okay then,” David walked with the plate he had of the food from the table they had been at and moved to where Twilight pointed him towards. He found the table nestled into a corner that had no one else around. It seemed that the ponies didn’t much care for cooked meat and liked to keep their distance.

He was looking over the table as his mouth watered at the smell, it looked and smelt pretty good. He hadn’t had fresh meat since he started this journey but first things were first. He took his time to scan each plate to make sure nothing was toxic. After all this was for the griffon ambassador and he had no idea what griffons ate.

From the results he got everything looked like it wouldn’t poison him, now he just had to choose what to try out.

“I didn’t know you were a fellow omnivore,” the voice of ambassador Gaius came from behind.

David looked behind him, he had been so focused he hadn’t heard him come up from behind.

“I hope you don’t mind, I haven’t had a full meal for a while.”

Gaius gave a small grunt, “Oh yes I know how that is. Equestria is a very welcoming country but it can be hard for visiting griffons to find a decent place to eat. I had to bring my own chef and cooking staff.”

David looked back at the food, “You have any suggestions?”

Gaius looked over the table and picked out a cooked meat slice that had some strange dots inside the meat. “Try this.”

David graciously accepted and plating his plate down he found a knife amongst the silverware at the table and cut a manageable slice to eat. He tried it out, it was a bit on the tender side but it wasn’t bad.

“Not bad, so what is this?” He was curious as he took another bite.

“Oh that’s a slice of hydra tail, a very tasty meat in my country,” He explained taking his own slice. “Although getting it can be tricky as the beasts aren’t exactly docile.”

David paused in his next bite, “Hydra? Like the multi-headed serpent?”

He remembered seeing a picture of one in a children’s book he had translated but he thought it was just a myth they had in common at the time.

“Actually it’s more of a lizard than serpent,” Gaius corrected.

David took another bite and he had to admit it wasn’t bad. He was a bit disappointed he couldn’t say that ‘it tasted like chicken’. Still it wasn’t too bad and took another bite.

“Not bad,” David told him. “Kind of has a bit of an aftertaste, might need some sauce.”

Gaius rubbed his beak, “Depends, I’m not one for spicy sauces. At any rate I could be interested in the kinds of food your people have. It could be an interesting trade opportunity for the future.”

David paused as he tried to think quickly, he was pretty sure if he said the wrong animal things might get nasty. Cows were sentient on this planet and he wasn’t sure what else.

“Depends on which area of the known galaxy you’re in,” David quickly explained. “There are the usual items in the home system but transporting them across to the colonies can be expensive. So we’ve found animal species on those worlds that are safe to eat. Those might be easier to get and less expensive as there is less travel time.”

Thankfully the ambassador seemed to like that idea, David sighed internally although he knew that the truth would come out eventually. He just really wanted to make sure that since this was such a fragile point of contact with these people, he wanted to have a strong base with them all.

He talked and ate with the griffon learning more about their culture. Apparently, they were once a proud military people but had seemed to move towards a more capitalist style of living. David only got that last bit as the ambassador seemed to ask a lot of questions like ‘how much’ and ‘what does that cost’ to give him an idea of it. He would have to make to note on the griffons that any future negotiations with them to watch your purse as it were.

He heard Twilight call his name as he made his excuse to leave, he was filled and he was curious as why Twilight seemed to anxious at the moment. He walked up to his purple unicorn friend who was nearly vibrating in excitement.

“What’s up?”

“Oh [David] you have to come, Princess Celestia wants you to meet with two very important ponies.” She nearly squealed.

David went with her to see what she was so excited about, when they got to Celestia she was talking with a unicorn with a light peach coat with his mane tied back into an actual pony tail. David had to almost bite his tongue from smirking in case he had to explain the joke. The other was an earth pony that was a bit older with a grey streak in his brown mane and wore small spectacles.

Both were dressed up for the event of course but they seemed to carry themselves like this was what they normally wore.

“Ah [David] good to see you,” Celestia noticed him first as she started the introductions. “This is the Minister Quill.” She pointed to the Earth pony who nodded his head in return. “He’s the minister of Science.”

“So good to meet you,” He had a deep professor type of voice to David’s ear. “I must say you have everyone in every science and magic department in an uproar. So many theories going back and forth, I have hope you would come visit soon. If only because I fear some of the more…passionate ones might come to blows soon.”

David knew how scientists could be when conflicting data happened, he had seen some very heated arguments over someone’s theory or paper during his training.

“I’ll see what I can do about that.” David told him interested to see just what level of science they had first hand. This might help him see the height of their scientific abilities first hand.

“And this is Professor Peach,” Celestia introduced the other gentleman and again because of the name to an old earth game he had to keep a smile from his face.

“Good to see you,” David said.

“Likewise, and I must say that I’m looking forward to working with you.” Peach smiled at him.

David took a moment as he was suddenly very confused, “Work with me?”

“Why yes there’s a lot to be done,” he replied. “There’s the biology that we must record, the diets, the history and culture is another thing I’m sure others will want to have. Then there is testing samples that we’ll need for further understanding in case of sickness or to see if your cells have any ability to hold mana. This whole thing the Princess told me about your culture having no magic is staggering to say the least.”

“Well I’ve already gotten a good part of that underway with Twilight here,” David gestured.

The mare nearly jumped at the chance to get into the conversation. “Oh yes I’ve been keeping detailed records on everything! I’ve even been using a method of yours I’ve read about when dealing with other species on Equestria as a blue print.”

“But then as Equestria’s foremost expert in science I don’t need to tell you that,” She smiled at him feeling little butterflies in her stomach with actually talking with him. She had attended a few of his lectures but never got the opportunity to actually talk with him before.

Looking at her reaction David now got it, he was a big fish in the science community and her being well, her. This must be like a scientist meeting with Einstein, Newton or the creator of the warp engine Maxwell.

The Professor’s face lost a bit of it’s good nature as he looked at Twilight for the first time. He looked like a professor whose lecture had just been interrupted.

“And you are Twilight Sparkle correct?” He asked.

“This is Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia told him. “She’s my personal student and keeper of the element of magic, she was introduced along with her friends.”

“Oh yes so you’re heard of me?” She asked with a huge smile on her face.

“Only because you were introduced tonight,” He said flatly.

“O-oh,” Twilight’s face fell at that.

He regarded Twilight again. “Although I do admit as the Princess’ personal student does make her a cut above the rest, however she isn’t exactly qualified to be an expert in this field. She has no doctorate, no history of working in the scientific field professionally and I would know as I make it my business to know everypony of value.”

“Now Professor,” The minister started to say to try and steer him away from going on. He knew that the professor could be a hooful at times but he was one of the greatest minds of this generation for a reason.

“Further more I can’t count on the findings of someone whose scientific achievements are unknown if any. I know nothing of her, her work or anything else so how could I trust that?” Professor Peach stated bluntly. “No, we’ll have to do everything over again from scratch if only to make sure nothing was overlooked and done correctly.”

Twilight wilted a bit but it was Celestia that spoke up in defense of Twilight.

“Professor I can assure you that Twilight is one of the most brilliant ponies I have ever met in my long life.” She told him. “If she wasn’t capable I wouldn’t have been comfortable with all the work she’s done.”

“I appreciate you defending her your highness but forgive me if I think you might be a bit biased.” He replied evenly to her.

“Excuse me?” Celestia said in an even tone that took David by surprise. He had never heard her use a tone of voice other than what might be called motherly and kind.

“I will concede that she must be quite a learned pony but I ask you this? What has she mastered? Has she focused her studies on history, magic, science, what application of them? Did she spend the years everypony else does to earn the right to call themselves a doctor, professor or teacher?”

Celestia knew full well that Twilight had taken in almost every aspect of knowledge she could get her hoofs on but by being her own personal student did mean that Twilight did skip over certain steps that other academics had to do. Twilight technically had no specialty in any field, she was basically a jack of all trades.

The Professor looked to Twilight. “Although you are Celestia’s personal student do you think it’s right to step over others who have worked so hard to get where they are? Every other pony I know didn’t have everything given to them and had to work at it.”

“B-but I did work hard,” Twilight felt her confidence leaving her looking at the stallion who had been one of her heroes in the scientific community look at her in such a way.

“And she did,” Celestia told him. “I never favored her because of her status, she earned the right to be my student from all her hard work and skills.”

David was taken a bit aback from all of this, he had thought that the entire race was pretty good but apparently there were rotten apples anywhere if you looked hard enough. Glancing at Twilight he could see the mare was pretty crushed while Celestia looked like she might actually lose her temper on the professor. The poor minister looked to be caught in the middle and wanted to find a rock to hide under.

So, David thought it was time to step in. “No.”

That got everyone’s attention as they looked him puzzled.

“No?” Celestia asked. “No, what?”

“No to working with him,” He pointed at the professor who did a double take. “I say who I work with and I’m doing just fine with Twilight.”

“Now see here,” The professor stood up tall. “I am one of Equestria’s leading ponies of science, we have facilities here that are top of the line and could handle any research given to it. We could do so much more than in that small town you are currently in.”

“Again, no.” David placed a hand on Twilight’s back making the young mare look up at him. “She’s been working with me, learning about my species, history and even learning my language. Can you say the same?”

“You know I can’t, I-“

“Which makes her,” David cut him off. “More of an expert dealing with aliens than you are, wouldn’t you say?”

“So, if you want anything to do with me, you’ll do it under her guidance.” He emphasized Twilight there. “Come on Twilight I need to get a drink and I think you do to.”

He led her away leaving a sputtering Professor Peach trying to say something. Celestia had to hide the smile she wanted to have. “I can have copies of all of Twilight’s work that she has been sending to me to you, if you want.”

The minister seeing the Professor nearly seething in anger decided to speak for him. “You may send it to my offices your highness as I’m sure there will be those that will enjoy such reports.”

“I can’t believe you did that,” Twilight said as the two of them were out of ear shot. “He’s Professor Peach, he literally wrote the book on practical use of magical condensers.”

“He’s an [asshole],” he simply replied.

Twilight didn’t get the word but understood the context. “You didn’t have to do that you know.”

“He was wrong about you and I don’t like seeing my friends being talked to like that.”

Twilight perked up at that, “So we’re friends?”

David hadn’t really thought about it but after everything, yeah she and the others were friends by this point. He liked hanging out with them, talking with them, going for morning runs with AJ and Rainbow, the kids in town were fun to be with and curious as well. He found that this wasn’t just a first contact mission with aliens, he had found some friends among them.

“Yeah, you and the others are friends in my book.” He told her.

That made Twilight smile again, “I’m pretty sure we all think the same way too.”

They were in the middle of the ballroom when music started to play up, suddenly they looked around to see pony couples were getting together to start a slow dance. Those that weren’t dancing were slowly making their way out of area to give room.

“Oh I think we should go over there, I think I see Fluttershy and Applejack.” Twilight told him starting to walk in that direction.

“You know what, I think I would like a dance,” David said which stopped Twilight in her tracks.

“You do?”

“I do,” he walked up to her. “Care to show me how?”

“I, well I’ve never, I mean, I never really danced with somepony else before…”

“You know the theory?”

“Oh yes!” She smiled again. “I read a few books on the subject, in fact I was-“

She was silenced from him as he placed a finger to her muzzle. “No time for a lecture, just show me.”

“Um…okay,” she thought about it for a second as he as taller than her. She stood up on her hind legs as she used her front ones. She had to modify the holding a bit, she lifted her hoof to him as he gently took it in his hand. She placed her other free front leg on his chest as his arm wrapped around her barrel to stabilize her.

“So now we just kind of move to the music? Oh and I think you’re supposed to lead.”

David nodded as he just went with a simple sway with the music, he noticed that Twilight took some time to get into the same rhythm but after a minute she seemed to get it. She turned her head and let it rest against his chest as he tried not to step on her hoofs or the skirt of her dress.

He found it wasn’t all too different than dancing with a human girl, well a slightly shorter one that is. He noticed a few looking at them but he just ignored them, he wanted to make her feel a bit better and he figured this would work out.

Twilight smiled as she gave a small sigh of contentment, it was a little strange and new for her but she felt that she liked it. The feeling of him against her was nice and with her head against his chest she could hear his gentle breathing and the beating of his heart. She lost herself in the moment just enjoying it.

Across the room Cadence caught sight of them as she tilted her head slightly as she studied her sister in law and their alien friend. A slow smile spread across her muzzle as she watched them intently.

“So who is it this time?” Shining Armor asked his wife.

“What?” She looked at him quickly brought out of her thoughts.

“You got that look on your face again.”

“What look?”

“The ‘I see someone newly in love’ look you get sometimes. I’ve seen it enough times when we’re out walking and you see a young couple.”

“I wasn’t aware I had a look,” She honestly didn’t but then no one knew her like her husband did. One of the many reasons she loved him of course.

“Oh yeah you got that look, so who is it?” Shining tried to scan the room to see who it could be.

Cadence decided that maybe now was not the time for an older brother to find out that her young sister was falling for somepony. “I don’t think it’s full on love.” She wanted to add a ‘yet’ to that statement. “Just the seed being planted.”

She took his hoof in hers and led him to a different section of the dance floor. “Now how about a dance? We haven’t had one together since our wedding after all.”

“Who am I to deny my wife?” He smiled at her as they walked into the group of dancers.

Next up Chapter 25: The Big Night Part 3

Sorry for the long wait, had to recharge and figure out which events go where and I had to rewrite certain scenes as I wasn’t happy with them.