"I was demonstrating something to a pony I didn't ex--" I paused as Celestia leaned forward, her snout inches from my face. "Expect... to be as interested as they were."

Her ears went erect. "I confess, matters of state occupy most of my waking time, but you think I have no interest at all in what strange things you bring to our kingdom?" She inclined her head, which seemed somehow a cue for the sponge that began to run over her large barrel. "I know a good deal about magic and its working, but you bring a sort I know so little about."

Water Lily sank to her belly beside the tub, her glowing horn diligently seeing to the cleaning of the two ponies before her. "You could have asked me, instead of storming his bath, Your Highness."

Without even looking towards Water, her eyes instead on me, Celestia replied, "I would have his word. Besides, I think he enjoys these little times we share. Now... This magic, electricity is it not?"

"Electricity is one of the cornerstones of my people's power," I provided. "Mastery of it opens many other doors. It is not an easy beast of burden. You have to put in as much effort into controlling and producing it."

"You speak as if it is alive... But I can understand that." She adjusted her position, rump going down and head going up as she sat down. "I've spoken of magic in similar ways many times. It, too, is a wild beast if used incorrectly. But let's set the metaphors aside. I would hear the plain truths."

I wasn't sure she could handle the 'plain truth'. "I'll do my best. What's your question then?"

Her expression softened subtly. "Good... Speaking in broad terms, what is the good this magic can bring?"

Well, shoot. "Imagine a world where the sun setting was only a suggestion to retire, because light is a right of every pony in your kingdom at any time. Imagine a world where, without unicorn involvement, or clever pegasus flying, water could be drawn where it was needed and out of where it isn't wanted. Imagine a world where delicate machines eventually learn to do your whim, powered by this same force. Imagine--"

She put a hoof to my lips, much as I had silenced a pony or two before. "Some of that seems far fetched, and perhaps it is, right now."

"One more," I insisted, backing from her hoof. "Imagine stores of food kept from spoiling in cold produced without ice and without burying it."

Her ears danced. "There are enchantments that could do that... but it is prohibitively expensive for most of my people. Precious few are skilled enough to produce such works. Enough. You have made it plain some of the good aspects of this power. Now, tell me, and be just as plain; What awaits us if we tame this beast? What are the risks, and what are the prices?"

Water's eyes darted between the two of us, clearly interested, but not asking anything. Nope, she was just a pony-shaped cleaning utensil at that moment. How much of my demonstrations had she brought to Celestia, I wondered. Should I have been angry?

"To make electricity requires one of two things in the end. Heat, or movement. Take the heat or take the movement and you can make electricity. A pony galloping, a stream flowing, or a burning pile of coal could all serve to make this power. But burning things makes smoke. Smoke is messy. When my people first really discovered this power, they made a lot of smoke, and kept right on making it for years, centuries... Our world became a smokey place."

Celestia snorted at the mental image conjured. "Then we will outdo your people, for a change." A little smile spread on her face. "Long have you had the mien of a kindly elder, here to lead children away from harm, but I will not accept this mantle of youthful innocence so easily. We will take your power, and we will do it better than your people did. Without the smoke." She inclined her head faintly. "You said any movement will do?"

"Movement and heat," I emphasized. "You know how a water wheel works?"

She raised a brow at that. "That is a simple thing. What of it?"

"That simple thing can make electricity, with the right extra parts." I rose in the water, standing in the tub. "A facility designed to do that specifically stops all the flow but what you allow to flow past your water wheels to produce the power you want."

Her ears danced at that, perhaps considering it. "That would be most unkind to what life dwelled in the river you stopped. The earth ponies would revolt to see us treating the creatures of nature so dismissively."

That was a little reminder that Fluttershy was an aberration as far as pegasi went. She didn't like flying quickly, and she hung out with animals. She was an earth pony in a pegasus' body. "There are ways to get around that, but this is all jumping ahead without the first steps."

"Verily," she agreed, surprising me. "I would see an example of this." She raised a hoof from the water. "You." She was pointing the hoof at me. "You are not of this world."

Water squeaked, perking up with wide eyes. "Ma'am?!"

"Deny it, if you wish."

Well... crap...

Even as I considered it, her magic snagged my phone and brought it floating over. "This is not a device of any nation of this world." I can't really emphasize how much I cringed to see the phone floating over the water. I wasn't ready to test its waterproofing rating. "You are not a creature of any nation of this world. I checked... Oh how I plumbed that well. You have similarities to some creatures, but you... are something else."

"Is this a polite way of saying I'm under arrest?" I held up my hands free of the water. Resisting Celestia seemed like a foolish idea. I was pretty sure she could physically overpower me, but she had magic too just to make that more clear.

She smiled, that soft kind smile. "Arrest? You are a citizen of this nation, whatever you are." She floated the phone back towards my folded pants, setting it down atop it. "You have broken no laws of the kingdom, though perhaps some of the world? Those are enforced by other agents, and they have not spoken up, so it would seem you are fine, for now... I had my suspicions, but you made it quite clear. 'our world,' mmm? I would know of a nation overtaken by smoke."

Celestia rose, standing as I had, causing the water to sink considerably beneath her. "Did you come from a mirror?"

"A mirror?" dared ask Water.

Celestia glanced at her as if just remembering she were there. "Water, beloved servant. I will require your complete silence on this conversation. Never shall a single word of it escape your lips."

Water's head began to firmly bob and she went silent.

"I did not come from a mirror," I confidently replied. I would have remembered that. "I think I came from further away than most mirrors go."

She leaned forward at that. "Further away? They are all a world apart. How does one... come from further than that?"

I took a slow breath. "Alright, imagine if every choice changed things subtly. Did you come to my bath today, or tomorrow? Different worlds, right?"

Surprisingly, she nodded. "Yes."

"But those worlds are very close together." I brought up two fingers touching. "The differences small, mostly the same. Even if you followed them on and on." I trailed a finger with my other hand. "That choice will not change the fundamental nature of that world. The planet will still be there in both. The sun will be there in both. All the big things haven't moved. It's mostly the same place. The further out you pull back, the harder it is to see the difference one day of visit made. With me?"

Celestia frowned faintly before a slow nod came. "I... see. Then as many threads make a rope, my mirrors allow me to see the other strands in the bundle, but you... come from another rope entirely, whose world is not the same. Whose sun is not the same. Whose stars are not the same."

How the hell did she put that theory together so damn well?! She must have seen my surprise and her smile turned cocky. "As wise as you claim to be, I feel confident I am your elder." She softly pushed me back into the water, sitting. "Show me some respect. Then you are a stranger, a true stranger. From further than ever have I seen..."

Water whimpered softly, her ears folded back. "I will carry this secret to the end, Your Highness, but it stirs in me powerful feelings of helplessness. What creature has claimed my heart? Is he even a creature? I'm scared, Your Highness..."

"I'm still me," I quickly blurt. "Ian Langerman, and you are my lovely mare." I reached from the water and she shied back a moment before allowing her round cheek to rest in my palm. She let out a shuddering breath and relaxed against my bare skin, her eyes closing. For the moment, her panic ebbed.

Celestia rose a hoof and began to climb free of the bath. "This has been a very productive discussion. We both have work to do, Mister Langerman. Bring my ponies water, but bring me electricity. Without smoke. I want this castle to glow in the dark, as a beacon for my people. Show it can be done, safely. My world will not be made into smoke." With a powerful flick of her tail that sent water flying, she approached her horseshoes.

That woke up Water. She scrambled to her hooves and soon towels were drying Celestia from all angles, helping her get dressed and ready to move. Celestia was soon trotting out of the room as dignified as when she had entered. Water crashed beside the tub with a weary sigh.

"Are you alright?" I asked even as I began to climb out myself. She did not bounce up for me, but I wasn't a princess. I began to dry myself. "Water?"

"No." She opened one eye towards me. "I am not... This is a strange thing... and it makes me wonder... if... If... Tell me of your world. Were there ponies there? You seemed to know us. You seemed to... like us. I thought your country, not a world, had ponies, so you were used to us..."

I began to get dressed, pulling pants and shoes and shirt. "We know of ponies, but there are no ponies there." The sight of an Equestrian pony would have caused quite the stir back home. "We have a story about you, this world."

She sat up at that, blinking. "We are a myth?! We are a story? Does it have a happy ending?"

Well... "Yes. It is, in the end, a happy tale." I was dressed and ready to move, but I didn't leave. I sat beside Water instead. "A charming tale of ponies that had won against many forces of evil, and internal confusions, much like the one you are feeling right now."

She allowed her head to tilt one way and the other before a renewed smile erupted on her face. "We are more alike than I would have known. You came chasing the story of a furry creature, and I hoped for the myth of a furless creature. It is like providence..." She touched her nose to my bare hand. "And when we meet, we fulfill the other's desire perfectly. Fur against flesh, two worlds made whole in our union. That is a romantic thought." She rose smoothly to her hooves, looking better. "I should return to my duties."

Author's Note

The world just got really worrying to Water for a moment there.

Written early for patreons who got this ahead of everyone else. Want to get early chapters, or even your own story written? atreon!

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