I stood at the front of the boat, looking at the coast of New York as we made our way to Long Island. 'Never thought my first trip to New York would be because of me being deported.' I thought. I had been thinking about Equestria a lot on this trip back home. The boat was calm and peaceful, even with the large amount of people on it, but there wasn't much to do on it. I was lucky to have my computer, which still had a few games on it that didn't need updates to play, but I became bored with them very quickly. Luna and I had discussed a little bit of my home during our free time so she could be more informed in our customs. She seemed to understand them, but it's easy when you rehearse it with someone you know, not so much when you get there and try to do it yourself.
"Wow... Your home is beautiful." Luna said as she stood next to me.
"From the outside. Inside, not so much." I said. There were plenty of things back home I missed, but just as many things I was not looking forward to.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we'll be in New York, so expect to see a lot of homeless people and extremely crowded sidewalks." I said. "Along with a lot of staring eyes."
"Because of us?"
"Well mostly because of you. There should be security and cars to take us to D.C. but that doesn't mean the media will stay back." I said.
"Your people, do they not respect dignitaries from other nations?" she asked.
"Usually, depending on where they're from and why they're here. Unfortunately, since nobody knew of your existence until recently, I can guarantee that 90% of the people there have already made up ridiculous stories about why you hid yourselves." I explained.
"We could always explain the reasons behind it. For our safety. They have to respect that."
I chuckled. "You'd think. One of the reasons I left was because of how they treated those they didn't understand. While there was a little of that in Equestria, it's much more prevalent here." I said.
"We shall see. We should grab our things from the room. We're going to be docking soon." she said. We walked back to our room and I started to put all my things away. It wasn't much, just my laptop, some books and a few clothes. It was packed to the bursting point but still held together.
"Remind me to pack better when we're able to go back." I said, tossing it onto my back.
"Well maybe you should learn to fold your clothes better and maybe they'd fit in that pack of yours." she said as we walked towards the side of the ship. I rolled my eyes as we started docking. It didn't take long and since I was with the Princess, we were let off well before the others. And just like I thought the media and news outlets were all over the place. We walked down towards the road where there was a car with a bald man and a mustache holding open the door for us. I let out a sigh as I heard the shouts from numerous people, calling us names and crap that I knew was going to happen, but I ignored it. I was here for a purpose and I couldn't let my emotions get too far ahead of me.
"What a...lively group of people." Luna said as we got in the car. She had a little more trouble getting in though, with her being longer than me. She ended up laying on the back seat with her head in between the two front seats, much like a dog on a long car ride. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her. "Might I ask what is so funny?" she asked, slightly irritated by her predicament.
"Nothing." I said with another chuckle.
The driver of the car took their seat in the drivers seat and started driving behind the police escort. "Welcome to the United States, miss?" he asked Luna.
"Princess Luna. And your name sir?"
"Jeff." he said. He sounded rough, almost like he had been smoking for a good number of years.
"Do you know why we're here?" she asked. I nudged her a little and she gave me a questioning look.
"Only that you're the ruler of your country and that I was to escort you to your hotel in D.C." he said
"Why not a plane or helicopter?" I asked.
"No clue. I just do what I'm told and don't ask questions." he said. He wore a black suit, like typical Government business people do, so I was sure he knew more than what he was letting on.
"Did you hear about what happened?" I asked.
"Something about an attack on her people. Or, uh, ponies?" he asked, I assume hoping not to offend Luna.
"Yes. A cowardly act." she said. "However, I must say your technology here is incredibly fascinating." she said as she looked out of the window to the skyscrapers and flying helicopters around the city.
"Well when you don't have wings or magic, you learn to make due with what you have." Jeff said with a chuckle. As he drove I could see the multitude of people who had come to see Luna. Some with signs, some waving flags, and some who just seemed curious.
I looked back at Luna who was quizzically staring at the people. She smiled and waved her hoof at the mob, trying to appear friendly. The crowd got loud and someone threw a bottle at the window. It shattered against the glass, but that was it. “What ruffians...” Luna said as Jeff sped up a bit to get away from the more unruly people.
“Like I said, a talking pony with magic and flying isn’t easily acceptable to the humans here.” I reminded her.
She frowned. “We knew there would be some distrust and even some anger at the unknown, but our experience with your kind had been mostly well received.”
“Ignore them.” Jeff said as he turned onto the interstate. “Most of them have made up their minds. No amount of good wishes and well behaved manners will make them change their opinion.”
“But we’re here to make sure that the people who don’t trust us see us as what we are. Peaceful and friendly.” Luna remarked. “We need to show those ruffians who we really are.”
“While I agree with Jeff, if you want to help those people see you as friendly, maybe don’t call them ruffians.” I suggested. “I don’t think it will matter to them, but to those who are still on the fence, it could negatively effect their opinion if you insult them.”
She didn’t respond. She kept staring out the window as she gazed at the sky. It was a bright sunny day, similar to the skies in Equestria, without Pegasi flying around. Instead there were jets flying in the sky, taking people to their destinations. “Brendan, if I may ask, what did the people there mean when they held those signs?” Luna asked me.
I looked back to her. “Which signs?”
“The devil invades, save the kids, no demons in America.” she said with a frown, recalling some of the signs at the front of the crowds.
“Ah. Well...they’re more religious zealots. Anything they don’t understand, or don’t agree with, is labeled as demonic. The magic you all use is the most likely reason they call you devils and demons.” I said, explaining the issue. We had talked a little about it on the boat, but I guess seeing it in person was more upsetting to her.
She sighed. “It’s not the first we’ve heard those cries from ponies like them...” she said sadly.
I didn’t say anything. I knew what she was referring to. Jeff looked at Luna through the rear view mirror. “Mind if I ask what you mean?” he inquired. “I’m not familiar with the magic you guys are able to wield, but it seems like most of your fellow ponies are able to wield it.”
“It’s not the magic for them calling us that.” she said, her face lowered. “1000 years ago-“ she started before I cut her off.
“Luna, remember. Don’t say anything that could paint you in a bad light.” I reminded her. “I know you want to try and explain why you did it and your regret for it, but if people found out, especially if they find out you’re over 1000 years old, it’ll just push the demon idea further into their heads.”
“Well I know I’ve made mistakes in my 50 years on this Earth, so I can only imagine the mistakes that you made in a 1000 year span.” Jeff said.
I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “The 1000 year lifespan doesn’t shock you? Or make you uncomfortable?” I asked surprised.
He chuckled. “Whether it makes me uncomfortable or not doesn’t change someone’s age.”
“So you’re not concerned? Or worried what our magic could do?” Luna asked.
“Oh no, I’m scared shitless.” he said honestly. “But I’m not worried about it right now. If your magic is really as strong as they say it is, and if you really wanted to harm the US and its people, why not send an army and just destroy the country with it instead of coming here diplomatically?”
He made some sense. Even if I could point out numerous reasons as to why they would. But it wasn’t going to help if I said that they could’ve tried to infiltrate before an attack.
“Do you think we can form better diplomatic ties during this trial?” Luna asked.
Jeff shrugged. “I’d hope so. There’s too much fighting in the world. And if your country is as peaceful as the reports I’ve heard, it’s better for us to be friends.”
“But ignorance feeds hate.” I said with a sigh. I had experienced it recently. It’s the whole reason we were here. An ignorant person killed Phil, almost killed me and some fillies, and caused most of the humans in Equestria to be kicked out of the country.
We didn’t talk much about the people in New York for the rest of the ride to D.C. Just the questions Luna had. Most of them were about the small things she noticed on billboards, bumper stickers, and how cars worked.
“So you use the remains of an extinct species to power these automobiles? Seems barbaric.” she said with a hint of disgust.
“I mean it’s more than that, but that’s my understanding of it.” I said with a wave of my hand.
“Without magic we had to learn to adapt and survive. Technological breakthroughs are what keep pushing us forward.” Jeff chimed in. “If I could have the ability to levitate my beers to me from the fridge without having to get out of my chair, I could die happy.”
I chuckled as we pulled off the interstate. “So where are we going first? I know the trial starts in a few days, and I haven’t taken part in a trial before.”
“First I will be dropping you two off at the hotel. Give you both some time to get situated and comfortable. I’m about three hours, there will be a press conference with the President and the Department of Defense about what to expect and what this trial means for the relations between Equestria and the US.” Jeff explained.
“Tomorrow morning, the prosecutor will come by and ask you both some questions about what happened and what to expect during the trial. During the times in between, it is highly recommended that you both stay in the hotel room to avoid confrontations with people and run ins with the media. However, if you wish to go for a walk, you are allowed to walk through Constitution Park with an escort.” he detailed.
“Sounds easy enough.” I said. “I’ll probably just hang out in the hotel room. Stay away from all the people out there.”
“We would like to see the sites of the capital.” Luna said. “It would help us understand the history of culture of the land.”
“By all means, during your free time you’re more than able to go out and see the monuments and museums, but again, it’s not recommended.” Jeff said.
We pulled up to the hotel and it was surrounded with people. News agencies, angry people, and police all crowded the area we had to walk through. “Well let’s get going. The longer we’re here in the car, the more likely we are to have something thrown at us.” I said, remembering the bottle that hit the car when we arrived.
As we got out, we were immediately bombarded with questions from reporters and sneers from people who wanted Luna out. We ignored them and followed Jeff into the hotel. “That wasn’t too bad.” Luna remarked as we entered an elevator.
“The trial hasn’t started yet. Wait until more stuff get released and people worldwide start sharing their beliefs and questions about it.” Jeff said as he pushed the button for the 7th floor.
As we rode it up I felt uneasy. I was back home, but I wasn’t actually home. I was in a human hotel, but felt as if it was alien. ‘I should text my family what’s going on. See if they even want to see me.’ I thought. The doors opened and Jeff led us to our rooms down the hall.
“Brendan, you’ll be in room 706, and Luna, you’ll be next door, room 708.” he said pointing to each room respectively and handing us our key cards. “If you two need anything, I’ll be right across the hall in 707.” I took it from his hand as Luna levitated it towards her with her magic. “And Princess, if possible when in the eye of the public, try and keep the magic to a minimum. Don’t tell my superiors, but I think it’s really cool you’re able to do that stuff.” he said with a smile.
Luna returned the smile and we all entered our respective rooms. Or tried to. Luna was having difficulty figuring out how to use the key card. I walked over and slid the card underneath the reader. When the light turned green, I opened the door and handed her card back. “You’ll get the hang of it soon.” I said.
She seemed a tad embarrassed. “Hopefully I can set a good impression for us and we all get what we want.”
“I’m certain you will.” I said as I returned to my room. I placed my bag on the floor by the desk and pulled out a pen and paper. I wanted to write to Twilight, let her know we arrived and how we were doing. ‘I should send her some pictures as well later on. That way she can see a part of it.’ I thought as I began to write.
