Time to go to wor-Equestria?
It was a normal day, or so it began. I got up before my alarm, as usual, but today felt off. I walk into the bathroom and brush through my black hair, looking in the mirror, a pale sallow-faced male looked back. "Ugh, you look terrible" I tell my reflection. Chuckling I go to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. Then get ready for work when my alarm calls me to my room. I always looked bad in red, it turned my hazel eyes the color of burnt coffee.
I was walking to work, given my limp, it was slow progress. Turning around the bend, I notice a bright light. Confused, I looked around as the light grew brighter and brighter, eventually I couldn’t see, as it was too bright. Starting to panic I fall to my knees and try to shield my eyes, I feel a strange sensation of moving, without moving. After a moment or two, the light began to dim. I try to look around as I get over my panic attack, but the light was still too bright to see anything.
Huh, weird.
I was kneeling on something cold and hard, and slightly faceted, like crystal.
Again, weird.
As the light dims further, I begin to notice details, the flooring is indeed a crystal tile of sorts and a red carpet off to my side guides my eyes to a large throne.
A throne room? But, whose is it?
As the light continues dimming I notice stained glass windows, a blue one depicting the sun shining on a globe, a yellow one depicting the rotation and phases of the moon, and a pink one depicting a...
Wait, I know this room.
My suspicions are proved correct as the light completely dissipates and a regal, white, alicorn mare softly clears her throat to catch my attention.
“Uh, hello.” I say nervously not completely sure if there was a language barrier.
“Hello” the alicorn replies.
Good I can understand!
“Um, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” I ask.
“No” replied the alicorn. The two guards at the base of the throne shifting to stand closer together. The silence stretched on becoming uncomfortable.
“So, how ‘bout this weather, huh?” I say, turning to look out the stained glass window. The alicorn raises an eyebrow, making me wince slightly.
“What are you?” the alicorn asks. Waving away a floating stack of papers I didn't notice before. A unicorn trotting away with them.
“I-I’m a human, my name is Alex, and I have no idea how I got here or how I’m getting back” The alicorn looks thoughtful at this. Then turning to her guards she states
“Please escort our guest to one of the guest rooms on the second floor.” Looking mildly surprised at this the guard to the right nods and steps forward. I bow and thank the alicorn before following the guard out of the throne room. We travel up a flight of stairs and down a hallway stopping at the third door on the right, he opens it allowing me to enter. To put it simply the room looked the picture of what you would call a grand guest room. The bed was, for pony terms, huge, and, for some reason, circular. The bedsheets a hunter-green. Which seemed to be the theme of the room. The bathroom had a similar tile as the rest of the castle and the room had a plush carpeting of a lighter shade than the sheets. It was a comfortable and palatial room with the exception of windows. And it’s been a week. In that time I've been able to annoy everypony, figure out that physics do indeed work, name the current guard Roy, and sing. A lot.
“Roy?” I ask studying the ceiling for the billionth time.
“Hmm?” Roy grunts in reply
“Has your princess just forgotten about me?” I ask sarcastically
“No”
“How many princesses are there currently?” I ask carefully
“Two.”
“Oh. What are their names?”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence.”
Ok so Twilight isn't a princess… wait did he say CADENCE?!?!? Shocked I sit up in my bed and look at Roy. But where’s Princess Luna? If she’s not here then...
“Uh. C-can I watch the moonrise tonight?” I ask shocked. Roy just grunts in reply.
Ok I’ll take that as a mabey. Just then the maid walks up with dinner.
…
Later that night Roy is escorting me to a balcony where I can watch the moonrise, with the princess’s permission of course. Opening the door to the balcony Roy steps aside, allowing me through. As I walk onto the balcony I notice Princess Celestia standing off to the side.
“Uh, Roy. I think that you’ve got the wrong balcony” I say trying to throw my words offhandedly to the door.
“He doesn’t.” The Princess says.
“Oh.” I say dumbly
“Something you said intrigued me, I wanted to investigate further.” The Princess explains.
“Okay.”
“After you found out who the current princesses are you asked to see the moon rise. I find that an odd request. Tell me, Alex, why did you ask that specific question?”
“I had to make sure that this was not an alternate universe where Luna was dead or didn’t exist.” I say automatically. “If that makes any sense.”
“How do you know that name?” Princess Celestia asks her horn lighting.
“M-my home-world, it has stories of you and your sister!” I say raising my arms defensively above my head.
“Hmm, and what do these stories say about us?” the princess says menacingly. Thinking fast I desperately try to find something to say. “Well?”
“O-on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about night-time eternal!” I say desperately. This phrase seems to trigger something in Celestia, possibly a memory. “And I suddenly have a new respect for Celestia.” I say under my breath. Celestia shook her head in confusion.
“Who are you? How do you know Luna’s name? What are these stories you speak of?” Celestia sighed, “your answers are raising more questions than answers.” The Princess of the Sun looked wistfully toward the horizon. Then turning back to me Celestia starts to speak but stops, curiosity lighting her features. "Alex?" she questions.
"Yeah?" I reply.
"Were your eyes always green?" Celestia says a knowing glint in her eye.
Author's Note
My first story! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!
"What?" I ask
"Your eyes, I was sure they were brown before." Celestia replies.
"They are. Why?" I say. A bright flash erupts in front of me and dissipates to reveal a small, ornate, hand mirror, encased in a golden aura. I don't fully recognize the face looking back at me. For one he had green eyes and red eyebrows. "They've, changed." I say dumbstruck "They aren't supposed to do that." Celestia flashed a questioning look. My breathing escalates, a hoof rests on my back in a comforting gesture.
"It is time that I raise the moon, then you must go to your room and take a shower." Celestia says wrinkling her muzzle in a disgusted expression.
"But I don't have a change of clothes." I try to argue. Turning away from the mirror to look at Celestia.
"No I really must insist" Celestia rebuttals. "I have a line of maids willing to wash your clothes."
"Ok" I concede. Celestia gives a small smile. Then she lights her horn, I watch the sky as the sun is pulled down and the moon rising to take its place. The craters in the shape of a mare plainly visible.
"Princess?" I ask.
"Yes?" Celestia replies
"How long?" I ask turning to Celestia, who gives me a confused look.
"What?" She says
"Luna," I clarify. "how long has she been up there?"
"997 years." Celestia answers. The slightest shadow of a tear trailing down her cheek.
"Well, only 3 years to go then. " I say looking at the moon.
"What?" Celestia asks.
"3 years till Luna comes back." I explain. Celestia turns to the moon, hope shining in her eyes. I bow and excuse myself before returning to my room.
"That was a good thing you did back there." Roy said in his gruff voice.
"What?" I ask.
"Giving her hope." Roy explained. "It's been a long time since I've seen the Princess smile like that."
"Oh, well, I just don't like seeing ponies down." I say.
"Yeah, still good." Roy says. We reach my room and I walk into the bathroom connected to my room, avoiding looking in the mirror taking up the wall above the unusually low sink. I remove my clothes and hop in the shower. After cleaning and getting out I brave the horrors that the mirror may contain. The face looking back at me is definitely different from this morning. Green eyes, red eyebrows, my hair is two shades lighter, and my face is fuller. I briefly wonder what else could be different when the maid walked in.
"Here are your clothes, sir" she says professionally keeping a straight face.
"Thanks" I reply. She sets my clothes on the counter next to me.
"Did you want me to help you dress?" the maid asks.
"No, thank you" I reply just slightly terrified of her standing there staring at my butt. "You can go now."
"Of course" the maid says giving a slight bow and leaving. I give a sigh of relief and begin dressing myself. Looking down I notice a picture of a heart shaped storm cloud with the sun rising behind it, between the two peaks. I look in the mirror then at the mark several times, my larger than usual eyes, my mark, cutie mark, I watch as my irises and pupils shrink to pinpricks.
"Oh Faust" I mutter "Uh, Roy?" I ask louder as I walk out of the bathroom half dressed. "I think I'm turning into a pony."
Author's Note
The second chapter is out finally! I hope you guys enjoy and I promise the next chapter will be longer.