"Soup spoon, salad fork, pasta spoon, strawberry pick...!" Twilight reached out and adjusted the last gleaming silver utensil until it was perfectly geometrically aligned with the others. "I'm beginning to think that, after friendship, the greatest magic of all is proper silverware placement!" She giggled to herself.

"Twilight!" The purple pony princess turned to see her new student Starlight gallop into the large formal dining room with an excited smile stretched across her face. "Guess what! I made a new friend!"

"That's fantastic news!" Twilight replied.

"She's great," Starlight began as she came to a stop.

"Great!" Twilight replied with excitement.

"She's powerful!" Starlight continued.

"Powerful?" Twilight's face scrunched up in confusion.

"She's-" Starlight was interrrupted.

"Hello, Princess..." The Great and Powerful Trixie said as she walked through the doorway.

"Trixie?!"

Later that night after the sun had gone down and Starlight had finally returned to the castle after spending the day with her new friend Trixie, Twilight found her student curled up in an overstuffed wingback chair in front of the small fireplace in the Library Wing of the castle, a thick tome held in front of her in her magic.

"Hey, Starlight, do you have a minute?" Twilight asked her a little nervously.

"Sure, Twilight," Starlight replied. She floated a bookmark from the small table next to her chair and closed the book around it. With her attention fully on her teacher, she asked "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow's dinner party," the purple alicorn began, rubbing one forehoof with the other.

"What about it?"

"It's just... I'm not sure that Trixie would be the best kind of pony to introduce to Princess Celestia," Twilight rushed to say. "I mean, I know she's had a shady past, and I have forgiven her for it, but... well, I really want you to make a good impression on the Princess, and I don't think Trixie will reflect well on you."

"Oh. Well, that's alright, I guess," Starlight said with a half smile. "I already invited someone else."

"Oh! Well, it's probably for the best anyway," Twilight said with relief.

"Probably. Besides, my guest is very intelligent, highly educated, and well versed in political theory," Starlight said. "I'm sure he'll make a good conversation partner over dinner."

"Good!" Twilight said. The two stared at each other for an awkward moment. "Sooo.... who is it?" Twilight finally asked.

"That... is a secret." Starlight smirked.

"Oh. Well, will you let me guess who it is?"

"If you'd like," Starlight said as she reopened her book and kept reading where she left off. Twilight read the title, Ars Daemonica, but ignored it in favor of trying to guess who this mystery dinner guest was.

"Is it Pristine?" Twilight stepped closer to Starlight's chair.

"No."

"Is it Doctor Horse?"

"Nope."

"How about Bright Bulb? Filthy Rich? Is it Star Hunter?" Twilight asked, her voice rising with excitement as she danced on her hooftips.

"No, no, aaand... nope."

Twilight slumped a bit. "Well, then who is it?"

"You're just going to have to wait until he shows up tomorrow night. I told him to be here shortly before sunset."

"Ok," Twilight sighed.

"Either way, I'm proud of you, Starlight," Twilight continued as she turned towards the door. "You went out and made two new friends today. Even though I really don't think Trixie will be a good influence on you, I'm sure your mystery friend is a better choice as a dinner guest."

Starlight bit her tongue, stopping a snappy retort before it could escape her lips, her ire roused at the criticism of Trixie. Through slightly clenched teeth, she ground out, "I'm sure you'll be... pleasantly... surprised."

"I'm sure I will," Twilight chirped as she left the library. "Goodnight, Starlight!"

"Goodnight," she replied.

Once the clopping of her mentor's hooves had faded, Starlight muttered to herself, "I just can't believe her! Going on and on about how she's forgiven Trixie for her past, but then turning around and doing everything she can to make sure I don't invite her to meet the Princess! Second chances my flank!"

Starlight took a deep, cleansing breath, exhaled, and let it carry her irritation out of her body. 'Well, both of the princesses will be in for a big surprise when Henry shows up tomorrow,' she thought to herself. Satisfied that, whatever ended up happening, the dinner was certain to be entertaining, Starlight returned to her book. She had some brushing up to do on sex demons in general and humans in particular.

The sun was just barely hovering over the horizon the following evening as Henry strode into town. His manticore-skin cloak and most of his leather bags and pouches were absent, but his belt, bow, quiver, and axe still hung from their usual spots. His shirt was made from a dark blue cotton with small wooden buttons down the front, but a good seamstress would see that it was poorly fitted and that the stitching was imperfect and obvious. His black cotton pants were similarly poorly crafted, but at least they were clean. Similarly inelegantly crafted black leather shoes with thick wooden soles covered his feet.

Henry shifted the small cloth bag he carried in the crook of his arm as he made his way towards the tall crystal castle on the edge of town. It sparkled in the sunset, reflecting the large orange setting sun in a dizzying array of prismatic colors, both standing out against the changing colors of the sky and yet blending into it in an admittedly breathtaking display. The streets were nearly deserted, and the few ponies he encountered gave him the wide berth that he was used to. It barely even bothered him anymore.

"Henry!" a voice called out, causing him to pause and see who had called him.

"Hello, Starlight," he greeted his new friend as she came galloping towards him. She slowed as she got close and panted lightly to regain her breath.

"Hey, about the dinner tonight," she began after a few moments. "I kinda made another friend yesterday..."

"Oh," Henry said with a bit of shock. "Well, congratulations. I guess my trip to town was a waste..."

"What? No!" Starlight exclaimed. "I just wanted to tell you that I won't be able to make the dinner tonight. My friend Trixie needs a hoof with a new trick, and she can't do it without my help."

"Oh?" he questioned.

"Yes. She's an illusionist, you see, and she travels Equestria doing shows," Starlight explained. "She has a show planned for tonight at the same time as the dinner, and the new trick she's going to try could kill her if I don't help her out."

"That... sounds dangerous."

"It is," she confirmed. "I need to be there to make sure that she doesn't get hurt. I just wanted to let you know so you didn't think I was just abandoning you. If you don't want to go to the dinner, you don't have to, but I would really really appreciate it if you did."

"Oh. Well, to be honest, I was kinda looking forward to it," he explained. He gestured to the small bag in his arms, "I even brought gifts for the Princesses."

"Thank you, Henry," Starlight told him as she placed a hoof on his thigh. "If the show ends soon enough, I might even make it for dessert."

"I hope to see you later, then," he said. "In any case, I better get to the castle. I don't want to be late."

"Ok. Oh, before I forget," Starlight continued. "Could you explain the situation to Twilight?"

"... I'm not sure how well she'll take the news," Henry cautioned her.

"Don't worry, It'll be fine."

"If you're sure..."

Starlight nodded and smiled at him.

"Ok. I'm off, then," Henry told her and started towards the castle.

Starlight waved him off, turned, and started making her way towards the other end of the village where, Henry assumed, the illusion show was going to take place. Despite the doubt and trepidation that filled him, he steeled his resolve. 'This is my best chance to gain a little bit of acceptance,' he thought to himself. 'Maybe I'll be a little more welcome around town if I make a good impression.'

When he got to the castle, he walked up the low steps to the front door. A small plaque inset on the wall next to the door said 'Doorbell', and a small rope hung out of a hole just above it. When Henry pulled it, he faintly heard the deep tolling of a large bell though the door. He stood there awkwardly, looking at the well cared for flower beds to either side of the porch, the perfectly trimmed lawn, and artfully shaped hedges around the lawn. While not on the level of the Palace of Versailles, it was beautiful in an unassuming manner. Like a large, expensive, suburban townhouse. His musing was interrupted by the door opening.

"Hello and welcome to the Castle of Friend..." the voice trailed off.

Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship herself had answered the door. Her gaze travelled up Henry's tall form, eyes getting wider and wider until she locked eyes with him. Her pupils dilated, her ears folded back against her skull, and her mouth opened wide.

"Hello," Henry said as gently as he could.

"You!" Twilight shouted as she widened her forelegs and dropped her head in a defensive stance. "What are you doing here, Chaos-spawn!"

"Starlight Glimmer invited me to dinner," he replied as he raised one of his hands in front of his chest protectively.

"You're Starlight's mystery guest?!" she gasped. "No! Absolutely not! This is completely unacceptable!"

"Oh, I wasn't aware that the Princess of Friendship would turn away her student's first friend in Ponyville," he said with a frown. "That doesn't sound very friendly to me."

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"But I suppose that only some beings are worth being friends with," he continued as he stepped off the porch and half turned away. "Chaos-spawn aren't worth being friends with, but the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony himself is? Oh well. Good luck explaining to Princess Celestia that you turned away the guest that your student invited as part of a friendship lesson. I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear how well you've been teaching your student all about friendship."

Henry made it halfway down the path away from the castle before he heard, "Wait!" He paused and looked back over his shoulder at the purple pony princess.

"I... I..." Twilight stuttered. She swallowed and tried again. "I... um... look, I can't just introduce you to Princess Celestia!" she exclaimed. "You aren't supposed to be here! Starlight was supposed to invite a pony, not a... a... whatever it is that you are!"

"I'm a human," he deadpanned.

"Starlight was supposed to go out into Ponyville and make a friend! A pony friend!"

"Starlight was kind enough to become friends with me despite the fact that I'm not a pony," Henry pointed out, "something that you can't seem to do. But I suppose the student has to surpass the teacher at some point," he continued as he turned and started walking away once more.

"Wait!"

He paused and looked over his shoulder once more, his face blank.

"I..." Twilight began once more, paused, and sighed. "You're right. I can't call myself the Princess of Friendship if I'm not willing to give every... uh..." she paused, searching for the right word.

"Everyone" Henry offered.

"Everyone a chance." She stepped to the side of the doorway and gestured into the castle. "Please, come inside."

Henry walked back up the path, across the porch, and through the door. "Thank you," he said politely as he crossed the threshold.

"The dining room is this way," Twilight said nervously as she gestured once more. Henry nodded and fell into step behind her, once more adjusting the bag of gifts he still carried in the crook of his arm.

"Starlight asked me to pass along her regrets," Henry started as they walked down the hall. "She has another engagement tonight that she couldn't decline, and asked me to inform you she will probably miss dinner, though she hopes to arrive during or shortly after dessert."

"Oh," Twilight started. "What other engagement could be more important than dinner with the Princess?"

"Apparently, the other friend she made yesterday is going to be performing a new trick at her show tonight, a very dangerous trick that she needs Starlight's help with."

Henry paused for a moment to let it sink in, before he continued. "But I would say that helping out a friend, especially if they may be in danger, is more important than a dinner party, even one with Princess Celestia."

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, paused, and then grimaced. "I suppose so," she said.

"Still, Starlight asked me to come to this dinner anyway, if only so that you could show Princess Celestia how good of a mentor you are for Starlight."

"Oh, right," Twilight replied with a nervous giggle. "That was... very kind of her."

"Besides, I was already in town when she told me, and I already had the customary gifts," he told her, gesturing to his bag.

"Uh... I'm pretty sure that gift giving isn't necessary for a dinner party," Twilight said.

"Well, in your culture it might not be, but in mine, a dinner party with a head of state requires a guest to bring a gift," he explained. "Though, the customary gift is a bottle of alcohol, but such things are illegal in Equestria, so I had to improvise."

"Oh. Well, that's very kind of you," Twilight said, a little bit surprised by just how polite this... thing was being. "So... um, what kind of culture do Chaos-spawn have?"

"I wouldn't know," he replied, "I'm not a Chaos-spawn."

"Of course you are!" Twilight replied. "Discord created you, didn't he?"

"No, actually, he didn't," Henry explained. "He reached into what I assume to be another universe and dragged me here. I suspect that's why I wasn't erased when you and your friends defeated him."

"Wait, so you're from another universe?"

"Well, I assume so, but I can't be certain," he replied. "I could be from another planet in this universe, but considering magic doesn't exists where I'm from, I'm inclined to believe that I'm from another universe."

"What!" she exclaimed. "Magic is a fundamental force! The universe can't exist without it!"

"This universe can't exist without it," he retorted, "but I presume that the other five fundamental forces could be balanced in such a way as to allow a universe to exist without magic."

"Uh, don't you mean the other three fundamental forces?" she asked.

"No. Your scientists have discovered magic, electromagnetism, gravity, and the nuclear force," Henry told her. "When in my reality, we have discovered five; electromagnetism, gravity, the weak nuclear force, the strong nuclear force, and the {}Higgs{} mechanism."

"The strong nuclear force? Hyics mechanism?"

"Yes. While the weak nuclear force governs the behavior of atomic nuclei and the decay of protons and neutrons, the strong nuclear force governs the behavior of the smaller bits that protons and neutrons are made out of. The {}Higgs{} mechanism is a field that exists everywhere that gives sub-atomic particles their mass. Or, more appropriately, it allows energy to become matter," Henry lectured. "Of course, I'm going with the assumption that magic is entirely absent from my home universe."

"That's amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. "How did your species discover these forces?"

"Hmm... the short story is that we slammed protons together until they exploded, and then studied the pieces left behind."

Twilight blinked. "But how...?" she trailed off.

"I would be happy to explain a {}cyclotron{} to you at some point." When he saw Twilight's confusion, he added "A {}cyclotron{} is a simple particle accelerator."

"Oh," she said, surprised. "I had no idea that your people were so wise in the ways of science!"

"Well, we've never held much of a conversation before," he pointed out. Henry was proud that he managed to keep most of his bitterness from leaking into his voice.

"Oh. Right," Twilight laughed nervously. "Well, here we are!"

Her magic turned the doorknob and opened one of the double doors that lead to the large, formal dining hall where Princess Celestia was waiting for them. Henry gestured for her to enter first, and he followed her through the door.

"Sorry for the wait, Princess," Twilight began, nervous tension leaking out with her words. "But... uh... Starlight's guest and I were just getting acquainted."

Princess Celestia was taking a drink from the glass of water in front of her place setting when Twilight and Henry walked through the doors. Due to his tall stature, her eyes quickly found him. They widened in surprise, pupils dilating in shock. She spat water all over her place setting, quickly lept to her hooves, bumping the table as she did so, and shouted "DEMON!"

Henry barely had time to start in surprise before he was picked up by her golden aura and slammed into the dining room wall beside the door he had just entered through. A bubble of golden glowing energy encased him as he lay, spread eagled, suspended from the Princess's magical aura.

"Princess!" Twilight shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"You've been tricked, Twilight," Celestia said as she glared at the entrapped human. "That is a demon of a most foul sort!"

"But... I don't understand," Twilight said.

"Don't worry, Twilight," Celestia said. "I'll take care of it."

The solar princess nearly stomped her way over to where she had Henry pressed against the wall. Her mane was much more agitated than usual and her eyes were narrowed into a sharp glare.

"Who summoned you to this realm?" she demanded.

"D-discord!" Henry grunted. It was difficult to breathe when you're being pressed against a wall by a magical aura.

"You lie!" Celestia exclaimed. "Discord is reformed. Besides, he would never summon a foul being like yourself. Now tell me the truth! Who summoned you!"

"It's true!" Twilight exclaimed. "It happened almost five years ago when we beat Discord for the first time!"

"If that were true, why was it not returned from whence it came by the Elements?"

"I-I don't know!" Twilight told her. "He said that Discord just plucked him from his home universe."

"Is this true?!" Celestia asked her prisoner. "Were you brought here by portal and not by a summoning contract?"

"Y-yes!" Henry groaned out. The pressure relaxed somewhat, but it still kept him flush against the wall.

"How is it that you have managed to survive here, unbound as you are?" she questioned.

"I don't rely on a summoner's magic," he gasped as he tried to recover his breath. "My universe doesn't have magic!"

"If you are from some other universe then how did you come to speak Equestrian?"

"A friend taught me," he explained.

"Who was this friend?"

"I won't say," he told her, "unless you promise not to prosecute the ponies who helped me out when I first arrived."

Celestia considered it for a moment. "Did these ponies summon you?"

"No."

"Then they will not be prosecuted. You have my word."

Henry sighed in relief. "Lyra Heartstrings and her friend Bon Bon took me in and taught me Equestrian for my first few months here," he told her.

"Bon Bon? You are certain?" Celestia asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes."

"Hmm..." The Princess of the Sun mulled it over for a few moments. Henry began to shift uncomfortably in the magic grasp.

"Would you let me down now?" he asked her. "Or is this how you treat all your dinner guests."

"... I cannot release you," the princess told him cautiously. "I will not allow you to sway my or my fellow princess's mind with your 'Aura'"

"Oh, that," he sighed in relief. "You don't need to worry about that, I've already negated it."

"And how can I be sure that you will not simply engage it once you are released?" Celestia questioned him.

"It's not a magical aura," Henry explained in exasperation. "I can't turn it on or off at will. My species emits pheromones in our sweat, and I've already used scent-suppressing soap before coming to town today."

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes at him, her eyebrows clenched together and a frown playing at the corner of her lips. She took a few steps closer and the magical bubble disappeared, though Henry remained pressed against the wall. The Princess leaned in close and took a few cautious sniffs. Her nose scrunched a bit in disgust, but she stepped back and nodded in satisfaction anyway.

"Very well." She turned to Twilight. "And this demon has not caused any trouble in the years it has been here?"

"W-well, no, not directly." Twilight said, nervously. Celestia raised an eyebrow, prompting Twilight to continue, "Well, in the first few months, ponies were highly uncomfortable around it, some even taking to chasing it around town, but it hasn't hurt anypony as far as I know."

"And after the first few months?"

"Ponies stopped chasing it, but it was only in town once a month or so to barter for stuff at the market," Twilight explained.

"And where did you live during this time?" Celestia questioned him.

"I built a cabin deep in the Everfree Forest," Henry told her. "Also, I'd prefer if you stop calling me an 'it'. I'm a male."

"Very well. Since you seem to be no threat, I will release you on your word that you continue your good behavior."

"You have my word," he replied.

Celestia released her magic hold, causing him to fall to the floor. To his credit, Henry caught himself in a three point stance before he could fall face-first into the hard crystal floor. He stood and brushed his clothes off. Princess Celestia took a step back in surprise when she found that she had to look up to meet him eye to eye.

"Well, I had brought gifts," he gestured to the cloth bag still laying in the doorway to the dining room, "but they are likely ruined now."

Twilight floated the bag over, opened it up, and dumped the contents out onto the floor. A few sheets of parchment and a good number of clay shards clumped together in a gooey wad fell out with a splat.

"I had brought a jar of fine Everfree honey and some technical blueprints," he said, gesturing to the mass of indistinguishable runny inkblots on parchment and the ruined honey they were covered in, "but I'm afraid all I have to offer are my apologies."

"Ah... well, I..." Princess Celestia searched for words, but they didn't seem to want to come to her.

"Technical blueprints?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. Starlight had mentioned that Equestrian engineers and scientists have been attempting to create internal combustion engines, so I took the time to draw out several different kinds that my people have long since mastered." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry that I won't be able to gift them to you anymore."

"But... but... the science!" Twilight whined.

"I'm also sorry about your gift," he said to the sun princess. "I've heard that Everfree honey is the most delicious, and I had hoped you would enjoy a jar of it to sweeten your tea."

"Ah... well, yes, it is the best," she confirmed with no small amount of chagrin.

"As it stands, though, I'm afraid that I've overstayed my welcome," he continued, his voice a little strained and his face a little red. He plucked the soiled cloth bag out of Twilight's magical grasp, and strode towards the door. "Good Evening!" he said, perhaps a touch too forcefully.

Both Twilight and Celestia flinched back at the unstated rebuke, even as the human strode down the hall towards the front door. Celestia looked at the mess on the floor, the scuff marks on the wall and floor, and then over her shoulder at the table. Four immaculate place settings and a dripping ice sculpture silently taunted her.

"Twilight," she began, "I'm afraid I've made quite a mess of things."

"No, Princess, it wasn't your fault," Twilight tried to comfort her mentor, even though tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"I think it is," Celestia sighed. A flash of light erupted over her head and a scroll dropped into her magical grasp. She unfurled it and started to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week; never judge a book by it's cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary, but you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your cover is, it's the contents of a pony that count, and a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight hung her head in shame. It had never even occurred to her that this tall being could be similar to her friend Zecora. 'In fact, their situations are very similar,' she thought to herself. 'They both were ostracized by the villagers, they both live out in the Everfree Forest, and they both were accused of doing evil things to ponies. And what's worse is that I never even asked him for his name!'

"I'm afraid that I hadn't learned this lesson as well as I'd hoped," Celestia admitted.

"I should have remembered the lesson Zecora taught me," Twilight commiserated. "Zecora and... and I didn't even ask him his name!" she chastised herself.

"I never asked him either."

"And he and Zecora were so similar!" Twilight berated herself. "They both were ostracized and forced to live out in the woods."

"Nearly identical," the sun princess agreed.

"So why did I make friends with Zecora, but not him?" Twilight moaned. "I'm a failure as a princess!"

"Oh Twilight," Celestia tried to console her former student as she lay a wing across the younger alicorn's back. "You sent that lesson to me, so I am just as much at fault for failing to learn from it."

"Oh Princess," Twilight cried. "What are we going to do?"

"I believe that we should offer our apologies and make amends," Celestia replied, feeling just as ashamed as Twilight looked. "Maybe if we hurry, we can catch him before he leaves town?"

"Do you think he would forgive us?" Twilight asked, perhaps a touch desperately.

"I think that if we are sincere enough with our apologies, he will."

"Right!" Twilight said with resolve. "Let's go!"

Twilight broke into a gallop and ran down the hallway all the way to the front door. Celestia, despite years of sitting on her throne and eating as much cake as she desired, managed to keep up, if only because of her longer legs. The Princess of Friendship reached out with her magic and opened the door before the two collided with it and they burst out of the castle. The human was nowhere in sight.

"Twilight, you search the village. I will try to spot him from the air," Celestia commanded as she spread her wings to take flight.

"Right!"

Twilight galloped into town, looking left and right down the crossroads as she passed them, searching for the dinner guest she had treated so rudely. Celestia, meanwhile, lept into the sky and, thanks to her large wings, quickly climbed to cloud level and began circling the town from above.

'I wonder if he went looking for Starlight,' Twilight thought to herself. Having seen where Trixie was going to be holding her show, she veered off down one of the sidestreets, her eyes still peeled for the human as she made her way to the show. She didn't manage to find him as she slid to a stop on the edge of the crowd. It seemed he wasn't there.

Celestia, meanwhile, began searching in the general direction of the Everfree Forest, taking extra care to search between the houses and shops below her, but as she began approaching the edge of the forest, her heart sank. There was no sign of him, and the dense canopy of the wild woods would make it impossible to spot him from the air.

She landed just shy of the forest edge and stomped a hoof as she exclaimed "Ponyfeathers!"

With a sigh, Celestia returned to the air and soared back to her former student's castle. 'With any luck, Starlight Glimmer will know where to find him,' she thought to herself. 'Now we just have to wait until she returns.'

Author's Note

Well. So much for dinner.

This chapter kinda got away from me a bit and went in a different direction than I had originally wanted it to, but it all flowed out so quickly and smoothly I couldn't bear to change it. Especially because I got it all done in one sitting, over the course of about 5 hours or so.

Until next time!