Silas sat in his own private compartment staring out the window as the train sped across the landscape. He sighed as he watched the trees fly by.

The other girls had all been extremely excited when they'd learned they would have to meet with the princess. Silas had been surprised at how the pink one - Pinkie Pie, dammit! - had been happily bouncing around; he couldn't even see scars or anything from her injuries. To say he was impressed was an understatement.

Isaac would certainly be interested... Silas thought, before shaking his head to clear away that idea. Thoughts like that weren't going to bring them back. Nothing could bring them back.

The rest of the ponies traveling with him were sitting in the car across the aisle; he could actually hear Pinkie cheerily yelling through both doors. Rolling his eyes - it was like she was in a permanent sugar high - he returned to staring at the trees and rocks flying by.

The sound of his door opening caused him to turn and look at a pony, who seemed surprised to see him there, though that quickly turned to disgust.

"Who, and what, are you?" The pony asked in a snooty tone, turning up her nose. Silas raised an eyebrow.

"Jericho T. Silas, call me Silas. Human." He replied flatly, already disliking this newcomer. He could only hope the princesses weren't as pompous as this wealthy brat was. "Can I help you with something?"

"I was promised a private car, but lo and behold, here you are taking up my seat!" The pony said, showing off a ticket. "Either leave now, or I will have to conductor show you out."

"No." Silas replied with a completely deadpan tone. "Besides, have you even checked the other booths? At the last train station, most of them were completely empty."

The pony frowned and continued on in her holier-than-thou tone. "I will have you know that I am of the upper nobility of Canterlot, I hold more privilege than you or anyone else on this train combined!"

"Kinda doubt that, actually."

"What was that, peasant?!"

"Well, for starters, the personal student of Princess Celestia and the Princess of Friendship is standing right behind you."

The pony whipped around to find Twilight looking at her with a disappointed frown.

"Silas, what's going on here?" She asked, looking past the gaping noble.

"She's trying to kick me out of this booth instead of taking one of the free ones." He said simply, shrugging. "Kind of annoying, but at least she isn't threatening to kill me like the nobles back home used to."

"K-kill?!" both ponies gasped, staring at him.

"Yes. The World Nobles hold so much political power they can do whatever they want, including enslaving random people off the street or just shooting someone for no grovelling enough or wearing a color they don't like. They're so high and mighty they wear special suits so they don't breathe the same air as us 'common folk'." Silas said, turning back to the window. "So, like I said - she's annoying, but I'd take this whiner over them any day of the week."

The noble pony, horrified, quietly walked to another booth as Twilight entered Silas's.

"I take it... you've had some experiences with them, then?"

"In the New World, who hasn't?" Silas sighed. "The government supports them in everything they do, they get away with everything, and if you piss them off or try to attack them, they can call in an Admiral - one of the strongest men in the world - to come and kill you. Whenever I heard a World Noble was in the area, my crew and I cleared out, despite how much we wanted to wipe those smug smirks off their faces."

Twilight was stunned. The thought of these 'World Nobles' even existing was a horrifying one, but the entire government backing them up? Unthinkable.

Silas chuckled. "Thankfully, I highly doubt we'll find any around here."

The rest of the trip went by in silence as Twilight contemplated what her world would be like if nobility had the same privileges as these 'World Nobles' and Celestia and Luna were supporting them. The thought was a scary one.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long pauses between chapters - got college classes and homework to do.

Those of you in college know how it is.

Anyway, the next chapter should be up within a week or two if I can find the time and energy.