Starswirl's Apprentice

It was a typical Spring day. Allen, who was walking home from college back to his apartment, held a laptop bag in his hand.

“Today is my parents anniversary. I should probably call them up and wish them the best. “

Opening his apartment door, Allen stepped inside. Lazily, he walked into the living room and sat down in a nearby chair, setting his laptop on the table in front of him. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his parents.

1 ring.. 2 rings..

Bored, he began pacing back and forth. Finally, his mother answered

“Hello?”

“Hey mom. I just wanted to wish you a happy anniver--” He tripped on the leg of the chair he was previously sitting in and fell. Just before hitting the wall, he panicked, dropped the phone, and put his hands out; then everything went black. But it didn’t feel like a black out...

His vision returned. Allen looked at the ground that he was lying on. “Where’d the wall go..? This isn’t my floor..” Lifting himself off the foreign floor, he looked around and saw… a pony..? With a beard, hat, and a cape..?

“Ok.. this is weird,” he said aloud.

“So you can speak? What an odd creature you are. What are you?”

“YOU CAN TALK?! YOU’RE A PONY AND YOU CAN TALK?!”

“Yes, I can. And since you aren’t going to introduce yourself first, my name is Starswirl The Bearded; apparently, I have just discovered interdimensional travel. And, may I ask again, what species are you?”

Allen took a deep breath and got a hold of himself. Stuttering he said to the pony, “My name is Allen, and I’m a human from Earth. Um.. where am I?”

Starswirl looked at Allen and said, “Why, you’re in Equestria. Now, before you ask any more questions, I need to document this discovery and research you. Is that ok?”

Allen nodded hesitantly and added, “After you’re done with your.. experiments.. is there anyway you could send me back to Earth? Are you the only talking pony here? Could you explain everything? Please?”

“No questions right now,” Starswirl rummaged through piles of papers and notebooks, pulling out a large notepad. He then produced a quill from his beard.

“Ok, first question. Height?”

“5 feet, nine inches.”

Starswirl recorded this on a blank page of the large book, mumbling, “179 centimeters.. What about your weight?”

“156 pounds.”

Again, Starswirl recorded this.

“And you’re from Earth; a human, you said?”

“Correct.”

Allen looked around, “Say.. uh.. how about we exchange questions? You answer one of mine, and I’ll answer one of yours. Is that a deal?”

Starswirl looked up from his notepad, “Seems agreeable. Ask away.”

“..How did I get here..?”

“As I said before, I just invented interdimensional travel; you happened to fall into the portal I made.”

Starswirl laughed slightly, “That wasn’t much of a question. Ask again.”

“Will you be able to send me back?”

“Not until the spell is stable. You’re lucky to be alive. If you haven’t noticed, you’re garments.. I assume that’s what they are.. are very charred.”

“How long will that take?”

“Probably never. You are, however, welcome to help me though. Do you have any sort of magic?”

“No.. magic doesn’t exist in my realm.”

“Really? How odd.”

“Is there still any way I can help?”

“Unfortunately, no.. I should probably ask someone with more power and knowledge than myself.”

“Who’s that?”

“The Princess of Equestria, Celestia.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

Starswirl shook his head, “No no. The princess doesn’t have always have the time. We will need to schedule a meeting.”

“Well, how long will that take?”

“A few weeks.”

“No.. I can’t be here that long. I need to get home. I have a job and family I need to get to. Tell me where this ‘princess’ is and I’ll talk to her myself.”

Starswirl hesitated, but gave Allen directions to the throne room. He then hastily began lecturing Allen on why not to go, but Allen refused to listen and instead began to walk out, heading towards the direction that was given.

Starswirl briskly followed him down the halls and corridors of the castle that led from his lab to the grand hall, attempting to stop Allen. He gave up after the third attempt. After a few minutes, they arrived in a large hall where there were two thrones accompanied by two princesses sitting upon them.

Walking meaningfully up to the thrones, Allen bowed, then said loudly “Princesses I have recently been brought here by...” he gestured towards Starswirl, “him and I.. well, mainly me.. were wondering if you could send me back?”

Luna was the first to speak, “Starswirl, you completed your interdimensional travel spell I see? Well, regardless of how powerful we are, we cannot send you back. We can break or undo magic, but we cannot send you back. I am sorry.”

Allen slouched slightly.

Starswirl began to speak, “Princesses, is there anything you can do?”

Celestia replied, “Unfortunately not, Starswirl.”

She then turned toward Allen. “Perhaps during your stay in Equestria you could assist Starswirl.”

Allen sighed, “I suppose that will have to work.”

Starswirl emphasized, “Well, he won't be much help to me as a ‘human’, he called himself, as they don’t have magic.”

Celestia responded, “Yes. He also might cause panic if he were to be seen out in public. He appears intelligent or I would simply turn him into a pony, but it seems proper to get his consent due to the circumstances.”

Celestia turned towards Allen and spoke, “What do you think?”

“I.. I think I’ll pass..” Allen said

Starswirl spoke up, saying, “You could help me stabilize the spell faster.”

“Then we could change you back when you leave,” Celestia added.

“I.. I guess that could work.. the faster I get home the better,” Allen said hesitantly.

“But you can change me back when I want.. right?”

“Of course,” Celestia and Luna said at the same time

“Well, let’s get on with it then. The sooner the better.”

“Alright. Step back.”

Allen followed the princess’ order.

The princess’ horns began to glow, and magic spiraled up around him. There was a bright flash.

“It worked. You're a unicorn now.”