Geata na Déithe

I own nothing, if you sue all you'll get is this cellphone.

Geata na Déithe - Chapter One

A soft blue glow pulsed slowly in a surrounding of deep black. The glow waxed and waned as factors from elsewhere influenced it, sometimes glowing so bright as to be almost white and other times dim to the point of only being barely distinguishable from the background. Until one day a light from above joined the light of the little bulb of blue. A slender hand extended down from above and scooped up the bulb with one feminine finger. The little bulb glowed brightly as it was hoisted upwards and brought before a pair of massive emerald eyes. The fingers of the hand squeezed the bulb as gentle wisps of material drifted off and vanished into the ether. It shined almost proudly, before being wiped off on the behind of a pair of overalls.

“Bleh, stupid mana residue.” Mirai grumbled as she carefully replaced the thick cable whose connector the blue sludge had been collected from. A large brassy construct hummed back to life as the cable was firmly reattached, a blue glow building along its sides.

“Number three, mana cannon is back online!” The redhead shouted down to an operator at the base of the wall.

A gruff looking man pressed a few switches on the console and the blue glow along the sides of the cannon brightened before it spit out a lethal spell at the roiling mass of green bodies on the other side of the wall. “Got a return of about ninety five percent!”

Mirai waved her approval to the man below and walked to the edge of the wall, as she looked down at the horde of orcs and goblins she frowned. The remains of the first battle of Dorast were hard to spot now, covered as they were in fresh corpses. However, she knew that below the ash and gore the ancient cadavers from the battle which first destroyed this fortress still remained, their warring bodies preserved eternally in stone by the desperate ritual which had brought the battle to an end.

Unfortunately it had been far too late for the majority of the ancient elvish empire. The fortress had been the only thing that preserved the tiny fraction of territory in the south that was now Eogan, and the sacrifice of its defenders had been the only thing capable of halting the greenskin advance. Not even the greenskins were bold, or stupid enough to pursue when - as far as the eye could see - all which lived had been turned to stone.

Mirai walked away from the edge and continued her work, her mood thouroughly soured. The constant reminder of the fall of her ancestor's great civilization was tough to bear, even as the wailing horde beyond the wall reminded her of the latest push to end her people. As she walked she recalled the king and how he had assigned her to restore the crumbling ruin. Telling him that the crown princess had left to fight their ancient enemy beyond the mountains and safety of Eogan had not been easy. He had been even more upset that Mirai had left her there to face her trials alone. Seemingly abandoning her to whatever fate brought the princess.

The only thing that saved her from a cell in a dungeon had been her great aunt, who had swung her sentence away from a cell and into leading the restoration of the ancient fortress. The king granted clemency begrudgingly, reluctant to upset her family, who themselves were high nobles and liable to cause quite a fuss if their heir was simply locked away.

Shaking her head Mirai turned her thoughts to happier times. Galavanting through the wastes with Assa, her pet tree, that creepy girl with the glowy eyes, and the knight they had found in a rock... It had always been so strange the way that Assa had known where to go and how to avoid dangers. The princess had never explained it but there had to be some mystery in life, right?

Her smile fell again as she recalled the reason she had left them there. Being too weak to fight, having to be protected. She was better off at home preparing Eogan for the orcs.

She turned a corner and climbed a set of freshly laid brick stairs to her next task.

“Ok number four,” she said gently to the next gun in line. “I know you aren't very happy. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?” She ran her fingers over various components before sighing and pulling out some tools and began disassembling. She had a feeling of where to look for the problem, as well she should, she designed and built them from the ground up. She laid the exterior plating aside and peered into the guts of the complicated piece of runecraft. A bit of burned metal near the control runes jumped out at her so she began the lengthy process to pull it out. As she worked her mind turned yet again to her sentancing. Her completed schematics for the guns and a few demonstrations had impressed King Crann greatly and convinced him of her qualifications. The entire art of runecraft had been long forgotten by the kingdom of Eogan and he was delighted to suddenly have access to a skilled practitioner.

The temperamental gun sparked and sputtered as she fiddled with this part or that until a sudden feedback to the control board caused the gun’s status light to read as ‘ready’. Figuring his boss wanted a test fire the man at the board flipped the switch.

Mirai opened her eyes to see a strange sitting room. “What?-” She began before she noticed a similarly red haired, green eyed woman sitting calmly across from her. “Who?-” she started before the woman held up her hand to forestall her.

“Hello dear.” The woman spoke with a soft smile. “I was hoping you would visit me under better circumstances but unfortunately I have a bit of a job for you.”

Mirai suddenly grew pale, the memory of the cannon suddenly bulging before exploding crashing into her mind. “Am I dead!?”

The woman smirked and waved a hand opening a window showing the wall at Dorast. A blue tinged crater wafted smoke into the air right where the fourth gun once sat. A frenzy of panicked activity swarmed around the fort. People called her name and looked under rubble and wreckage for any sign of her.

The woman waved her hand and the window vanished.

“So I am dead.” Mirai grumbled as she slumped in her chair.

“Not quite.” The woman said with a the gentle smile still on her face. “They certainly believe you to be but I pulled you away before the explosion.”

Mirai thought about questioning why faking her death was neccesary but raised an eyebrow at the woman instead. “So... what did you want?”

The woman stood and put both hands on her hips, adopting a huffy expression. “Well first to see one of my own daughters in the flesh for once.” She said sounding upset. “I even left instructions! But you never call, never visit your poor 'Grandma.'”

Mirai fidgeted in her seat. It wasn't everyday one got to visit their Goddess and the first thing she did was get scolded by her. “Sorry... You're books written in gibberish. ” She mumbled.

The woman smiled before pulling Mirai up into a hug. “Don't worry so much, besides you're here now.” The woman released her ‘granddaughter’ before leading her by the shoulder out of the room.

They passed through a hallway one wouldn't find out of place in any upper class manor. Mirai paid special attention to the paintings on the wall each showing a happy couple, her Goddess Melisim and her husband deity Aillil, Father of all Elves. Mirai huffed and grumbled at the pictures of the attractive blonde man.

“Oh don't tell me my daughters all still teach their children that my husband is a weak fool?” Melisim said as they turned the corner into a large library.

“Yes.” Mirai muttered as she was guided into a chair sitting across from a sofa.

“I know I told them that but at the time I was still so upset with him. Eight thousand years tends to let you forgive a lot.” Melisim pouted slightly as she conjured some tea and flatbread. “It was give up your blessings or death you see.” The goddess took a sip of tea while she contemplated her words. “He made mistakes, mistakes that resulted in the death of so many of his children.” She said, sadness creeping into her voice. “He hasn't been the same since.”

Mirai nodded, still dazed from her supposed death, meeting her goddess and being told the god who had always been a subject of mockery by her family was not a total moron like they taught her when she was small.

The sound of a door opening across the room drew both women's attention. The tall man who entered was the very picture of elvish masculinity but the slump in his shoulders and defeat in his eyes detracted from the effect somewhat. However Mirai still found her cheeks heating up, half from her natural reaction to a man of such quality and the other out of embarrassment for just having been thinking terrible thoughts about him. Aillil slumped into the open seat next to his wife and looked at her like he was expecting she would start throwing insults at the first opportunity.

“Hello dear!” Melisim said happily giving her husband a peck on the cheek. Aillil seemed to perk up a little but retained his general sad demeanor.

“H-hello.” Mirai stuttered with a little awkward wave at the creator of her entire species.

“Hello daughter.” Aillil muttered grabbing some tea and leaning back into the couch.

“Well now that we’re all present we should get to the reason you're here.” Melisim said clapping her hands together and giving her husband a nudge with her elbow.

Aillil cleared his throat and adopted a serious expression. “Mirai for a time you journeyed with Princess Assa to end the threat of the Horde.” His voice resonated with pure authority and Mirai felt herself nodding. “She will eventually succeed.” Mirai felt herself sigh with relief, above everything  Assa was her friend and it was good to hear her friend would be alright. “If you hadn't left to reenforce the fortress at Dorast, the horde would have found a way past the ruins and she would have returned victorious to nothing but scorched earth.”

Mirai paled and glanced to Melisim who nodded gravely. “So we acted, pushing you toward the idea that you could do more good back home instead of continuing with the princess.”

Mirai frowned at the idea of being manipulated but held her tongue. If there was anyone with the rights to invasively influence her thoughts then it was the two people sitting in front of her now.

Aillil stood up and waved his hand, a window appearing in the air just as Melisim had done earlier to show her her ‘death’. It was a very similar scene showing the rebuilt fortress as blue streaks of light from the weapons she had designed dealt death to a roiling mass of green bodies. “With your assistance the fortress will hold for months. Assa will accomplish her mission and return. But it will not be quick enough. Eventually Dorast will be overwhelmed before she can complete her quest.” The window changed showing the same scene but with far larger green beasts pounding at the walls. Her guns having to focus fire at one target at a time to bring down the monsters before being smashed apart by a rock thrown by massive arms. A fate soon shared by the walls themselves as a truly titanic beast rent them apart with sheer strength.

“Can't you do anything?” Mirai pleaded as she watched a flood of green surge through the ruins. The thought of the fate of her friends and neighbors being at the nonexistent mercy of the beasts filled her heart with dread and sent a cold shiver down her spine.

“No.” Aillil said as he slumped back into his seat. “Even now the gods of the other races prevent me from acting directly. They mean for my children to be reduced to less than a whisper of their former selves.” He said as his expression shifted to anger and he glared down at the floor. “But that is why you're here.” He said looking up at Mirai.

“We have found a way to send you to a different world.” Melisim said, placing a comforting hand on her husband’s back. “But it will only work once and Aillil and I will be very weak for a long time afterward.”

Mirai’s eyes widened and she stood suddenly. The very idea of an entire other world sounded crazy. She paced back and forth for a time, the godly couple waiting patiently while she turned the ideas over in her mind. An entire new world was a huge opportunity but also an equal risk and not just for her but if what she thought she was being asked to do was right... then for her entire race as well. Already plans, theories, and ideas began filling her mind hashing out a clear plan of action. She would be totally alone, no hope of rescue or support and tasked with finding a way to open and stabilize the way between the two worlds. Not only would she need to do that but find a way for her people to survive, just getting them to the new world was only the first step. She would need food, water and shelter for thousands. She would have to learn the dangers and boons of the new world as well, the royal family would need a lot of information to get everyone organized once there. And what of the local powers would any of them-

Mirai’s thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms encircling her shoulders and pulling her to a stop. “I knew we could count on you, such smart daughters I have!” Melisim said excitedly practically skipping back over to the couch to pull Aillil to his feet. Aillil even possessed a small smile making him look more exhausted than depressed. The two of them placed their hands on her shoulders and Mirai could feel the tingle of building power.

“I can do this.” Mirai said, earning her proud nods, though she wasn't sure if she was talking to them or to herself.

“Goodbye my daughter, I have faith in you.” Aillil said as the building power suddenly increased immensely and with a sudden bright flash Mirai vanished.

The first thing Mirai sensed was the sound of a breeze wafting through a forest of leaves. Next was the smell of air so clean one had to journey far from civilization to find its equal. Finally she opened her eyes to see an empty road stretching out in front of her. Trees lined both sides of the road, tall, green, and fragrant. The road in itself was strange, an obvious worn path through the countryside, very different from the hidden ways elves favored.

An unexpected weight on her back made her rock slightly as she became more aware of herself, prompting her to feel around her back with a hand. Surprised Mirai hoisted the packed travel bag off of her back and sat it at her feet. This led her to noticing the very clothes she wore were different, being that of her familiar green tunic and leather cuirass. On further inspection it all appeared to be her gear that she had used during her adventure with Princess Assa which brought a smile to her face.

Her attention turned to the packed bag at her feet and she quickly set about taking inventory. Food, water and writing supplies were chief as well as a satchel filled with her old tools. A few bandages and bottles of potion were sequestered here and there but were quite few, Mirai was unconcerned, her own ability with Life magic would easily see to most wounds. Finally a rolled thick blanket perched atop the bag would be her sleeping arrangement for now.

Her belt pouches were next, four of them clustered around her sheathed silver dagger. In the first pouch she found a tightly coiled piece of parchment with copper ends. Mirai grinned at the magic storage device of her own make. The next two pouches contained the same but the last pouch contained a handful of seeds.

“Yes!” Mirai cheered as she gingerly picked a seed out. She held up a small acorn before placing her hands around it and channeling her mana into the seed. Minutes passed before twisting roots and reaching green sprigs burst from her hands. Dropping the rapidly growing plant Mirai watched as it grew to knee height within seconds. The tiny oak tree scratched at the ground before it’s roots found purchase on the worn path.

Out of breath from the exertion, Mirai grinned at the newly born treant. “Now at least I’ve got some company! Now what to call you...” her fingers found her chin as she tapped her foot. Thinking of names for treants was always so hard... Well the thing was meant for companionship and utility... “Got it, you are ! Well, just  for short.”

The tiny tree paused in its movement, Mirai got the feeling it was somewhat upset with her. “Oh, just live with it!” She groaned, nudging  with her foot.

Mirai looked around, the next step in her journey would be to find food water and shelter, maybe take a few notes on edible plants or something along the way. “Hmm, well the road means there's obviously some kind of civilization around. So we could follow that to whatever place it leads. What do you think ?” Mirai look down at the tiny tree only for it to stay totally motionless. She rolled her eyes and picked a direction down the road and started walking.

The walk was an easy one, the surface of the road was free of stones and mud puddles. Mirai took to scribbling on a blank book she had retrieved from her pack, various bits of trivia she could observe from the road quickly found their way into a neat font on one of the blank pages. scrambled along behind her serving as lookout while Mirai’s head was buried in her work. So it was a sudden lash to the ankle that pulled Mirai out of her thoughts. “Ow! That hurt you little pile of compost!” Mirai shouted only to be drawn to the raised root pointed further down the road.

Mirai squinted and spotted some kind of small creature pulling a cart behind it. Mirai took a step to one side of the road as the creature neared. The little thing was some furry quadruped with huge eyes and a striking color scheme of blues. Its body was a pale shade of blue while the longer hair coming from the top of its head was darker. Such a creature would have never survived in Eogan, the surrounding country was filled with murderous creatures that would easily have devoured something so defenseless. Mirai quickly returned to scribbling notes in her book, the discovery of this creature boded well for the rest of the world, for if such a thing could survive then the land had to be noticeably less hostile than her home.

Slowly the sound of wagon wheels grew louder while Mirai wasn't paying attention before they slowed and finally stopped. Finally noticing this Mirai looked up to find the creature staring at her with wide eyes. Strangely the cart was piled with bricks but was bereft of a rider. Frowning, Mirai wondered if the creature was smart enough to make deliveries on its own, or if it had somehow gotten away from its owner loaded down with such a heavy load. Mirai took a moment to scribble a few more words before taking a few curious steps toward the cart.

The creature pulling it took a nervous step back and suddenly shouted something at her. Mirai halted and took a step back, the creature calming slightly. The sounds that came from the creature almost sounded like language...

“Hello.” Mirai said calmly as she took a slow step toward the strange animal.

She felt a little odd talking to a quadraped but she couldnt exactly make assumptions about an entirely new plane of existance now could she?

Brisk Venture took a nervous step back as the red maned creature took another step towards him. He had just been on his way to deliver a load of bricks to a nearby farm when he had spied an odd being on the side of the road. It was tall enough to just be a young dragon so Brisk didnt think much of it right up until he got close enough for a good look. It was an odd thing with its dragon like stature and long,  slightly droopy ears. It had been standing and writing in a book. At least the stuff it had with it and the writing meant it was probably a civilized being.

“Y-yeah just stay right there.” Brisk said when the creature eased away from him again. What was he supposed to do? The words that came out of the creature’s mouth were completely unknown to him and just compounded the fact he had no clue what he was supposed to do with a totally unknown... thing. He brought a hoof to his chin in thought. Just continuing with his delivery was out since the thing seemed to be interested in him somehow and he didn't want it following him to end up scaring some poor family. He could take it back to Vanhoover... but that had the same problem as the first idea... then again city ponies were pretty used to weird things... to a point anyway.

“Ok, you wanna follow me to town?” Brisk said as he turned around and pointed back the way he came.

The creature just stared him until he began walking then it began to follow along. “Great I'll just get the guards or mayor or something to deal with you.”

They journeyed in silence, until a sudden yank on his harness and an additional weight had him turning and glaring at the red maned... thing. It returned a cocky grin and waved back as it made itself comfy on his load of bricks. Strangely the creature was holding a little oak sapling in its lap that it had apparently yanked out of the ground at some point. “Damn freeloader.” Brisk muttered as he continued down the road.

Mirai was a happy elf. Not only had she made amiable first contact with a local race but she found a ride! She felt justified in proclaiming her first day a resounding success. A fact she was sure to note in her writings.

As they created the next hill Mirai glanced up and froze, her book falling out of her hands to land on a rather irritated <Companionable Twig>. In the distance a collection of spires rose into the sky gleaming with glass and metal. Small colored dots flit this way and that among the gigantic buildings. Large paved streets filled the gap and formed a few major thoroughfares out of the city and into the distance. It was all a bit much for the elf maiden whose only exposure to architecture of such scale was a single stone fortress that blocked a mountain pass.

Mirai was brought back to reality by a certain blue creature who was looking over his shoulder and laughing at her expression. She turned her head and pouted as a blush burned on her cheeks. Unfortunately this only made the creature’s laughing increase in volume.

It took another two hours to finally make it to the city and Mirai's notes were now filled with detailed descriptions, and even a few sketches of the wondrous city. She was surprised to see that the other creatures they passed were mostly shooting them curious glances. Those that weren't were ducking into buildings or finding hiding spots that Mirai often found hilarious. Like the creature who hid under a metal can with the rear half of it's body still exposed.

When they finally came to a stop it was in front of a highly decorated building made of white stone. Mirai hopped down from the cart and placed  on the ground.

All around them creatures who appeared to be wearing various bits of clothing stopped to gawk. Mirai didn't mind, in fact she was happy to return the favor as she noticed the odd dress that the creatures had adopted. A creature wearing nothing but a collar portion of a shirt was of particular interest.

The creature that had pulled her here on her cart cleared its throat and when it had her attention pointed to a large pair of glass doors. Mirai nodded and started following the creature in when the gathering crowd gasped. Turning to find out the issue all she saw was scrabbling its way up the steps after her. Stifling a giggle she lowered her arm to allow the treant to climb up and onto her pack. The crowd murmured and she waved at them before heading inside.

Mayor Snow’s eye twitched as some kind of strange thing with a tree growing out of its back disassembled his light switch. He calmly placed his snow white hooves on his desk and shot a burning glare at the delivery stallion who dared to waltz in without an appointment and drop all of his problems in his lap. “Now, Mr. Venture I don't know why you felt the need to bring such an... exotic visitor to my office on my lunch hour... so why don't you tell me what you think should be done about this...”

“Uh..” Brisk mumbled glancing around nervously. “I don’t know, I just thought that you’d know, or at least know who would.”

“Hmm... I see.” Mayor Snow muttered as the light flickered. Both stallions turned to watch as the creature experimented with the wires. The red maned thing seemed quite fixated on what it was doing as an occasional burst of sparks flashed blue in the flickering light of the office.

“Well, I guess I could pass it onto my secretary...” Mayor Snow mumbled. “Excuse me, Amendment could you come in here for a moment please!?” He shouted while pressing a small button on his desk. A few moments passed before a brown, unicorn mare stepped into the office.

Amendment's face remained neutral as she trotted up next to the mayor, paying no mind to the office’s strange occupants. “Need I remind the mayor that he doesn't have to shout when he uses the intercom?”

Snow grumbled an apology. “Right... anyway, Amendment can you please see to the needs of these two. Shoot that thing with a translation spell and ask it why it’s wandering around.” He said waving a hoof at his guests.

“Yes mayor.” Amendment said, picking up the strange thing in her magic and carrying it out of the office, much to the fascination of the creature.

“So... do I just?” Brisk vaguely waved after the two.

“Don't know, follow them if you care to, but in either case get out of my office.” Snow said as he waved a hoof dismissively.

“Right.” Brisk mumbled as he quickly walked out of the office to go find the mare and creature.

Mirai was far too interested in the purple  halo of magical energy surrounding her to protest being moved into a small room filled only with a short metal table and some cushions. Her hands waved through the cloud of magical energy, attempting to determine its properties. Already she could tell that it wasn't actually gaseous despite its appearance and that it seemed to be form fitted around her entire body as stretching limbs out as far as she could didn't result in the field dissipating. She felt no pressure on any part of her body nor any feelings of restriction or confinement, she floated along behind the latest quadruped like she was a mote of dust trapped in its wake.

Almost too soon the field vanished as she was settled onto a cushion. The brown creature across from her cleared it’s throat and summoned a stack of papers and writing material in a flash of light. Mirai stared, teleportation was a very rare skill, in fact the only time she had seen it done in person was when a pair of gods decided they needed her help. The creature’s horn flashed brightly again before, to Mirai’s great surprise she began speaking in clearly understandable language.

“Hello there.” The creature said.

Mirai stared for a moment more before scrambling to retrieve her own note taking materials.

“Hello!” She said as she almost slammed her book down on the table and began scribbling.

“Uh... Ok, My name is Article Amendment, what's yours?” Amendment asked seemingly thrown off by Mirai's show of scholarly enthusiasm.

“My name is Mirai Si’Maire of House Ancea. Maire is my mother’s name and Ancea would be my family name. The ‘Si’ prefix denotes that I am the daughter of my mother.” Mirai answered easily, already having anticipated a need to explain her naming conventions. “Is your name really meant to describe the altering of a written piece or is that a translation error?”

Amendment was momentarily thrown off by the flood of information but quickly remembered her notes and began writing. “Yes, It does in fact mean that. There is no problem with the translation that I can see.”

“Great.” Mirai said as she made a few more scribbles. “This spell, does it translate spoken words into a specific language or some kind of universal format?”

“Err, I’m not sure, I would have to ask the pony who invented it.” Amendment said, taken off guard by the sudden technical question.

“Interesting, an established school of magic not requiring absolute knowledge of a spell’s inner workings for any particular piece of magic to be used. Tell me, is there a magical institution of some kind or are spells passed down within hereditary lines?” Mirai paused to look up at the stunned Amendment. “I’m sorry, did I go too fast?”

Amendment shook herself free of her sudden mental freeze. “Uh, no, it's just that I wasn't expecting so many technical questions.”

Mirai nodded. “I’m sorry about that; I get over enthusiastic sometimes.”

“Oh no! It’s quite alright. I was just expecting a bit more of a basic discourse.” Amendment said with a nervous grin. “I’ve dealt with foreign visitors on occasion, but I’m still new at it. Um, if you don't mind, could we perhaps discus your visit and why you decided to come to our city despite not knowing the local language?”

Mirai nodded and sighed. “Sorry to derail the conversation so quickly. Um...” She paused as she thought of the proper way to word things. “I’m from an elven kingdom named Eogan. I was sent by our leaders to learn more about your land before... Um, more intensive talks.”

Amendment’s eyes went wide. “An Ambassador! Oh, I’m so sorry about this mix up. Would you like me to send a letter to the princess? I’m sure they would love to speak with you.”

Mirai paused to think. If she were to meet with this princess with the added clout of being Eogan’s ambassador she could no doubt learn a lot of things very useful for her mission. On the other hand it would entail a lot of official attention. Then again it's not like it wasn't true... She could even consider herself Aillil’s champion if she really wanted to but the idea of inflating her own importance that much left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Before she could answer the door opened and the blue pony from before poked his head into the room. “Uh, Excuse me am I interrupting anything?”

Mirai raised an eyebrow. “You're the pony...” She paused, shooting a look towards Amendment who nodded. “Who gave me a ride into town.” She finished with a smile.

“Yep, that's me.” He said with a laugh. “I’m Brisk Venture.”

“Mirai.” She replied. “Thank you for that by the way.”

“Oh it was no trouble. Glad to see you're getting sorted out.” Brisk replied with a widening smile as he fully entered the room.

“Mirai is an ambassador from a kingdom named Eogan.” Amendment interjected. “You’ve done us a big favor by finding... um, excuse me, you are female correct?” Mirai nodded with a giggle. “-Her before anything disastrous happened.”

Brisk laughted awkwardly for a moment before nodding “...No problem.”

Mirai waved for Brisk to take a seat before looking back toward Amendment. “I think I would be interested in speaking with your leader if you wouldn't mind Amendment.”

The brown unicorn nodded and quickly made her way out muttering something about the ‘good stationary’.

Mirai tapped on the metal table for a moment with her fingertips before her attention turned to Brisk. “So forgive me but you are a male right?”

Mirai stirred awake after an incredibly restful night. The gentle hum of an engine melded delightfully with the lack of greenskins screaming in pain as they were vaporized and made for one of the best sleeps she'd had since leaving home. Of course a soft bed when one had expected sleeping on the cold ground was also a bonus.

Stretching her back by reaching up to touch the low rafters Mirai stumbled out of bed. The swaying of the floor beneath her gave away the fact she was still in transit, much to her delight. Walking over to the large set of windows that dominated the back wall of her cabin, she was met with a magnificent view of green countryside far below. Indeed the Equestrian airship the land’s ruler had sent to retrieve her had truly captured her imagination. An entire chapter of her book had been dedicated to notes, sketches and an occasional schematic about the rather large zeppelin.

 also rested in a nearby flowerpot, rooted in place and generally enjoying the sun the huge window provided. Mirai smirked, the ponies back in Vanhoover had shared a lot of extremely valuable information about their culture and species as well as treating her to a large variety of foods in the short two days she had spent there. But by far the most entertaining part of that stay had been spooking ponies with ’s seemingly frightening presence.

Mayor Snow, who had been very apologetic for some reason, had nearly jumped out of his skin when  had skittered off of her pack. As it was he was a shade or two brighter whenever the tiny treant was around, something she was not very sure was healthy for the poor ma-stallion.

Turning away from the window she saw to cleaning herself up. The airship’s facilities were limited in comparison to the ones she had briefly enjoyed in Vanhoover, but it was in her best interest to attempt to appear as fresh as possible for the Equestrian princess.

Almost as soon as she was done a loud thump and tremor shook the entire vessel. It was no surprise that they were going to be arriving so early but the last time she looked they were still quite high up. Confused, Mirai exited her cabin and walked out onto the deck. To her great astonishment the airship had moored to a massive city built into the side of a mountain. The tall spires, glittering white topped with gold were impressive but not as impressive as the multi-thousand foot drop she saw just by peering over the side.

She wasn't afraid of heights but that height would strain anyone's sanity.

Mirai quickly ducked back into her room to grab her pack and kick her roommate awake. “Rise and shine you lazy houseplant we're here.” pulled himself from his pot with great reluctance and followed after her silently contemplating revenge.

Emerging back onto the deck she was met with a pumpkin colored pony she only knew as Cabotage. “G’mornin Lady Ambassador.” He said removing his fancy hat and bowing. Mirai had to wonder what factors had led to him having such a strange accent. Perhaps something intrinsically linked to flying a ship? It was possible since all the ponies aboard seemed to be afflicted with the same mannerisms.

“Good morning Cabotage. We’re there already?” Mirai asked shooting glances off to the side and the gathering ponies moving supplies and other cargo on and off of the ship. Somewhere beyond them she thought she saw a fancy looking carriage.

“Aye, that we have. Best get a move on Lady Ambassador, don't want to keep the royals waitin.” He said plopping his fancy hat back on.

“Thanks, goodbye Captain.” Mirai said as she headed down the gangway, which was thankfully equipped with safety lines.

“Farewell Ambassador!” He called as Mirai finally stepped foot on solid masonry.

Looking around Mirai was met with a single pony in the most complete outfit she had seen walking towards her. He was dressed in very dark fabric with a white undershirt, he even had a little red ribbon tied in a bow on his neck... it was adorable!

“Lady Ambassador?” He asked in another strange accent.

Mirai took a moment to gather her wits and bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep herself from reaching out and scratching his head. “Yes that's me.” She said quickly, averting her eyes so she would no longer be tempted to embarrass herself.

“Very good, the carriage is right this way madam.” He said gesturing to a pearl colored carriage with quite a lot of gold here and there. “The princess is expecting you.”

Nodding Mirai went to pull her pack from her shoulders only to find it already missing. Suddenly panicked she looked around for it until she spotted it already being carried and loaded into the carriage by the pony with the black outfit. How he had managed to get it from her was an absolute mystery. Shrugging she lifted from the ground and climbed into her overly ostentatious ride.

The trip to the palace was interesting. As she rode through the streets in her carriage, which was strangely enough being pulled by even more ponies instead of pack animals, she was treated with the sight of buildings that if it were not for their overly clean and overly decorated appearance would be right at home in the capital. The various comings and goings of the inhabitants were also fairly interesting, especially their strange propensity to suddenly burst out into song... in large groups... with fitting music coming from somewhere.

When they finally arrived she was met with a pair of almost identical white guards in golden armor. The two of them stood very still as she was climbing out of her latest ride but somehow managed to make a quadruped walking with a spear look perfectly normal as they escorted her into the building.

Inside the palace was notably cooler than outside and the decor would make the palace in Eogan look like a house of paupers. Mirai took particular note of the prolific sun symbolism on the banners, rugs, and large doors she was about to be led through.

The doors were pulled open by her pair of escorts who then motioned for her to enter. Inside the throne room was a long red carpet that led up to a huge white pony with a pastel rainbow mane that seemed to float in nonexistent breeze. The golden regalia and crown left little doubt that this was the princess of Equestria.

Mirai pondered on bowing before finally settling on a curtsy, as even with the lack of a skirt she was still the heir of a highborn noble family. The pony princess smiled and gestured her closer.

“Hello and welcome Mirai Si’Maire of House Ancea, ambassador to the kingdom of Eogan.

Mirai returned the smile somewhat nervously before replying “Thank you Princess Celestia for allowing me this audience.”

“I have been looking forward to this meeting since I received the letter from Vanhoover. It's so rare I get to meet beings I haven't had any past experience with.” Celestia said, her grin widening slightly revealing her true enthusiasm for the event. “If you don't mind let us adjourn to a sitting room so we may discuss matters in comfort.”

Mirai blinked, slightly taken off guard by the princess’ request. “Oh, yes that would be great.” She finally said, her cheeks reddening slightly from making herself look like an idiot. The princess stood and Mirai was surprised by her sheer height. If she were to guess she would probably only come up to the princess’ chin. Of course this wasn't an entirely new experiance for her, she was rather short for her age and many had often mistaken her for being younger than she was.

As Celestia descended the steps leading to her throne she seemed to be distracted by something. Pointing a hoof at the floor behind Mirai she asked “Who's this?”

Looking behind her Mirai realized she hadn't introduced . “Oh, I'm sorry I forgot, this is . He is a treant, a nature spirit.”

Celestia’s eyes brimmed with interest as she bent to examine the tiny tree. “?” She asked.

“Yes that's right: .” Mirai replied. “I call him for short.”

Celestia seemed confused for a moment, sitting back and placing her hoof under her chin. “Hmm ... did you name him?

Mirai nodded. “Oh yes I created him for company on the trip. I don't think he really likes the name  but I think it may be growing on him.”

The princess stared at for another long moment before looking back to Mirai. “Why does his name keep coming out so strangely?”

Mirai shrugged “I dunno. Treants are weird like that.”

“Here we are!” Celestia said, gesturing to the comfy looking room with one of her enormous wings.

Mirai stepped inside of the poshly decorated room and glanced around at the various furnishings. “Its... um, very nice your Highness.”

The princess settled into a plush couch and gestured at a nearby chair. “Celestia while we are in private, or would you rather I constantly referred to you as Ambassador?”

“I see your point.” Mirai muttered as she slid into a chair that then promptly tried to eat her with its ridiculously soft cushion.

“Now, why don't you tell me about this mission of yours?” Celestia said as a maid entered the room. They seemed to have a very quiet conversation for a moment before Celestia asked if she would like some tea. Mirai politely refused and the maid bowed and left.

“Um...” Mirai pondered over what she was going to say for a moment. “As you were already informed in the letter before I was sent by my people to learn about your land and to prepare for... umm, further relations.” She finally said.

“Yes, I had read as much in the letter from Amendment. So tell me, how did you hear of my little kingdom?” Celestia asked with a tiny smirk.

“Oh, um... we didn't.” Mirai said uneasily. “We just knew there was something here so they decided to send me.”

“And why did they decide to send you specifically?” Celestia said with an expectant look.

“I was the best qualified out of the people who were available?” Mirai said nervously. “I was a companion to the crown princess for a while. We adventured together.”

“Ah, visiting dangerous ruins in search of ancient secrets and treasure. Fighting deadly enemies with your life on the line.” The princess said with a wistful sigh. “It’s been many years since my sister and I did such things.”

Mirai returned a wide grin. “It was the secrets for me. Though the treasure never hurt and I’m sure if Fearghal was here he’d have some lecture about greed to bore us with.”

Celestia tittered, hiding her smile behind a hoof. “Was this Fearghal another companion of yours?”

Mirai nodded. “Yes, he was um... a knight.” Mirai suddenly hesitated at the thought of going into detail about the ghostly man.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, an urge to tease threatening to override propriety but the sound of a soft knock and the door opening drew both of their attentions. A soft purple mare stuck her head into the room. She was shaking so hard Mirai thought she could hear her hoofs vibrating against the marble floors. “Y-You called for me Princess?”

“Come in Twilight, I wanted to introduce you to someone.” Celestia said gesturing toward Mirai with a wing.

The little mare stepped fully into the room and walked toward the elf with a sudden look of fascination, her earlier fear totally forgotten. Mirai used the opportunity to scrutinize Twilight just as closely as the pony was examining her. She was a light shade of purple with a darker hue making up most of her mane. The only portion that wasn't dark purple was a bright streak of pink running through her mane. The pony propensity for odd hair color variation as well as the strange pictograms on their sides was a total mystery to the studious elf.

“Twilight this is Ambassador Mirai from a distant kingdom called Eogan.” Celestia said with a gentle smile. “Mirai this is my student Twilight sparkle. If there is anypony who could assist you with learning about Equestria then it would be Twilight.” Mirai watched in awe as a quill and parchment appeared in a flash of light and without interruption began autonomously taking notes. Mirai burned with a sudden feeling of jealousy. If there was only one thing she could learn from unicorn magic after her mission then it would have to be their amazingly dexterous ability to levitate and control objects.

Twilight blushed and shrank back from her close examination, jarred out of her trance by Celestia’s compliment. “Oh, um YES! That’s right, a-and anything I don't know I can find for you in the archives!”

A dangerous looking glint entered the eyes of the elf and that in combination with a sudden frightening grin gave both ponies present pause. “Archives you said?” Mirai’s arm slowly wrapped itself around the terrified looking Twilight and pulled her closer. “I think you and I are going to get to know each other very well. Now, I'm very interested in seeing this archive.” Twilight stuttered, attempting futilely to protest as the elf dragged her out into the hallway.

Celestia watched after them until the door clicked closed with an air of finality. “Oh dear...” Celestia said, summoning a hot cup of tea and taking a calming sip. “I don't know if Canterlot can handle two of them.”