Silver pendant

I just figured out inter-dimensional travel through an anywhere door. I am a mad genius or just a stupid human with a serious mental problem. The later is more likely the one to hold. Congratulations, Caleb. You are officially stranded in the magical land of Equestria.

That mini-speech was mostly to calm me down. Landing on top of an old tower gave me both a heart attack and a vantage point. I could see the city of Canterlot in the distance. If the things I could recall held, that was where I could find Celestia. That, however, would need to wait. My arrival coincided with sundown. Meaning, that I had to set up camp as soon as possible and preferably somewhere I had cover from possible rain.

Luckily, the stairs down the tower were stable enough for me to reach the ground floor without any trouble. There a couple of sessions in the castle with a decent cover for me to set up camp. I picked the main hall. There were plenty of escape routes and burnable, dry material was hanging on the walls for me to use as fuel for the fire. I would probably be destroying a piece of history, but I was not about to head closer to vegetation inside that forest without the need to.

Using the carving knife, I sparked the fire using a piece of a destroyed tapestry I found on the floor. Then it was time for me to look around those stone walls for a bit. Based on what I could remember, that castle was a battleground for the creature known as Nightmare Moon. I think that she had some plot to cover the night in eternal darkness, or something along those lines.

I wish I had paid more attention to when I watched the show with Celestia.

Making a left turn, I saw another thing I could remember. A model of sorts, designed to hold six stone orbs within its pedestals. There was only one issue with it. There were seven pedestals instead of three, or was it six? Six main characters, six elements, that makes sense, right? In either case, there were one or four extras in the room. Then again, I was in the actual Equestria now. Meaning that things could be different, this wasn't a show or a dream, something that was made clear by the sore spot on my face.

These are supposed to be on the pedestals when those six ponies come by, I'm not here to fix anything, but I might as well put these back.

It was easier than I thought, placing them back that is. The stones were lighter than they seemed; the pedestals worked like magnets attracting the orbs once they were off the ground. With all of them on their respective spots, I began to hear howls coming from the distance. I may not have memorized the events of the show, but I recognized locations I found interesting. Meaning that I knew about the ravine surrounding these ruins, and how the only rope bridge connecting the ravine was out of commission.

That meant that there was no way out of that place. In addition to no way in. It was safe for me to camp, but not safe for me to stay. Regardless of how it looked now, that place would become another battleground once Nightmare was back. And considering I had no way of telling when I landed in the world timeline, my best option was to get to Canterlot as soon as possible.

Using the crackling of the flames, I made my way back while gathering sticks to put on the fire. There was plenty of vegetation taking over the ruins for me to use, so, why not use it? Sitting by the fire, I made sure the wood was piled up before setting the sticks to burn on the fire. Being somewhat used to camping, I managed to drift away in a matter of seconds after securing the fire.

Walking through the kitchen door, I headed towards the living room. I had a piece of a brownie in my hand missing a bite, a little present from one of the farm's workers as a welcome back gift. I had just finished my med school when my parents decided to dump on me the farm until they got back from their world-wide trip. A trip that according to their estimations, would take four to five years to complete. Talk about a scenic route.

That meant that I wouldn't be able to work on other things besides the farm if I wanted money. And that I had to abdicate any further studies on the medical field (in regards to attempting to specialize myself that is). It should be pretty obvious how I felt about this entire situation. Anyway, I went to the living room because of a loud noise that sounded like someone had tripped over something and ended up with their nogging against the ground.

You can probably imagine my surprise when I saw a winged unicorn grumbling on the floor, as she rubbed her hoof on her muzzle.

"Welp, I was pretty sure one of our employees was high on something. But I didn't expect them to have drugs on a pastry," I mumbled while looking at the half-eaten brownie. "The rest of it will go to the trash later."

"You! Strange-looking, thing. I demand that you tell me where I am," The pony said with a bratty voice. It sounded like one of those spoiled kids you would see in tv shows. The kind of kid that either stays a brat or becomes a decent person.

"Hallucinating with a talking horse. That is just super," I replied after swallowing the piece of brownie in my mouth. "You're inside my house. And try to be polite, you're a visitor here," I continued with an uninterested tone.

"You have a lot of nerve to speak to a Princess like that! Answer my question! Where in Equos am I?" The pony said with a commanding voice.

"First, not Equos. Second, I don't care about status. Third, stop ordering and start asking politely. You might have an easier time getting answers if you don't make others see you as a nuisance," I answered before realizing she had a shadow. Hallucinations can get pretty realistic depending on how your brain works.

"I succeeded! Starswirl and Luna will have to admit I am a good caster now!" The pony cheered as she got on her hooves. "This joyous occasion demands that I overlook your disrespectful behavior and celebrate my accomplishments! I require food."

"And I want my parents to go back home so I can continue my studies," I said before mindlessly shoving the brownie down my throat. "However, I don't think that's how it works. You aren't real. I am hallucinating and about to have an overdose. At least that's how I think this works. I'm not sure how many drugs were placed on the dough."

"The nerve! I am a Princess of Equestria that has achieved proficiency in utilizing the dimensional door spell! You will treat me with the respect I deserve! And praise me for achieving my goal!" The pony whined before stomping her hooves. It felt like I was dealing with a child. However, the expression of horror on her face made me feel uneasy. "What did you do to my magic?!"

Shrugging at the whining horse, I walked back to my room to wait for the supposed drugs to wear off. Little did I know that I was talking to a living alicorn.

Opening up my eyes, I felt the warmth of the sun's rays reach my face. I guess that could be a good morning from Celestia. I'm so fucking stupid. Feeling the fuzziness caused by the memory in my chest, I stretched for a second. My right eye felt a little sore, probably because of the proximity to the dust-covered ground when I slept. Allergies are a bitch.

The clear sky above me made clear that it was the perfect time for me to scavenge the place for a map or anything that could aid in my survival. After gathering my things, I tried to find the library. Ancient castles plus fantasy land equal library loaded with documents and other things that should not be left out in the open. Simple RPG logic. Again, it was idiocy on my part, considering that I could fuck myself with that line of thought in this world. Nevertheless, I needed a map or something of the sort.

The stench of molding paper and rotting wood made my stomach twist. The collapsed shelves and piles of old books were proof that I had found my destination. That area seemed particularly damaged compared to the other sections I visited. There were piles of rotting books, shattered shelves, as well as burnt scrolls and furniture. The impact points in some areas suggested a fierce struggle took place in that room. A library can make an outstanding stage for a fight, at least in games. However, that wasn't the reason for my visit, so I chose to ignore it.

Skimming through some books, I soon came to realize that I had overlooked the fact that I was illiterate. Or at least partially illiterate. Some of the symbols used in Equestrian writing were starting to make sense. You won't see me complaining about a convenience like that anytime soon. I could very well be stranded here without a way to read.

I had to check over thirty books and scrolls before finding an outdated map that seemed to be the project for Ponyville's construction. Which was weird enough in itself, considering the town was built by a family of farmers or something close to that. In any case, the map had the castle placed in the Everfree and the area where the city was supposed to be built. Pulling out my compass, I managed to determine which direction I had to go to get to Ponyville.

I need a rope and something to defend myself with. This is an ancient castle. Therefore, find the barracks, and I can get some old gear. The rope could be made out of the tapestry if, no. Those won't support my weight. I'll have to figure some way out of the ravine.

Placing the map inside my bag, I went on to search for the barracks. In contrast with the previous area, the barracks were fairly well-kept. Whatever happened during the fight between Celestia and Nightmare didn't seem to be as impactful as it was in the library. For which I was grateful since it meant better protection from the elements. Meaning lesser damage to potential weapons and equipment.

Much to my distress, however, the guards had taken almost everything that had been stored in that room. All I managed to find was a simple dagger, along with a decent amount of rope. Meaning that I had something to deal with the ravine. With all the gear ready, I decided to make one last check around the ruins. Merely a bit of curiosity that led to nothing but finding piles of rotten food inside equally decayed barrels.

Time to make tracks. What time is it? Phone, phone, eh? Tilting my head at the screen, I rubbed my eyes for a bit. The battery of my phone was being charged without being plugged to a battery. The charging symbol was on display. And the battery had gone from thirty-four percent to fifty-six percent and rising. Well, I guess magic is like electricity then? Either that or I am emitting an energy field. Nah. I'm not a walking battery. But I do have a potential bomb in my pocket now.

Placing the phone back in my pocket, I went on towards the bridge. Once there, I grabbed one of the support beams and looked down on the ravine. That thing was DEEP. If I fell from that height I wouldn't die. However, I would be screwed thanks to the broken bones I would have in that event. Just to make sure I wasn't placing my fate in a rotten rope; I decided to tie up a nearby rock and then safely lower it to the ravine's base, or at least, the closest to the ground I could get it.

Rolling a rock about half my weight, I neatly tied up the thing before using my body as a brake to make the rock's descent. I soon realized that I should have wrapped up something around my hands because the MOTHERFUCKING, SHITTY rope burned my palms as it slid over them. Once I couldn't give more rope, I looked over the edge. Based on the shadow cast by the rock, I was a few inches from the ground. After checking for the rope's durability, I went back to the palace. I had to do something about those hands.

There was an old well in the castle gardens. Using the bucket, I pulled up enough water to fill a pot. Then I made a stop by the ruined kitchen. Thankfully, some of the pots were still useable. With both of these items in hand, I began to set up another fire. Using some sticks and stones, I managed to make simple support for the pot over the fire. I then placed the water in the pot and left it to boil for a bit. Making some rounds, I found more pieces of tapestry. These were in slightly better condition than the ones I used for the campfire. Using the new dagger, I cut them down to some strips of cloth and then brought them back to the pot.

I'll put these in here once I clean the wounds. Then I'll have to wait for them to dry before wrapping them around my hands. But they will do for some nice bandages.

Once I was done disinfecting the wounds, I put used some water to clean up a piece of stone I would use to dry up the bandages. With those preparations in place, I placed the bandages inside the boiling water. It would take about half an hour to have them ready. Staring through the gaps on the ceiling, I began to reminisce.

Opening up my eyes, I felt the sluggishness of waking up in the middle of the day. My head was spinning as I forced myself out of bed. Waking up knowing you're being forced to do something isn't the best motivator for a person. Unless you like the feeling of anger and disappointment, in that case, you would be super excited. After I went to my bathroom and got myself clean, I went back to the living room.

"My God, I'm still high," I muttered as I approached the pouting unicorn with red cheeks. I raised my hand to try and wave the illusion off, only to end up patting the top of her head. "I'm touching it."

"Yes, you are," The unicorn said while glaring daggers at me. I heard a growl coming from her as Celestia's face turned even redder. "I demand food. Now."

At that point, I started to act like a robot. Moving my body as if the joints were covered with rust; I went to the refrigerator, grabbed a few carrots I had, and brought them back to the pony.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?! I screamed in my head while sitting in front of the talking animal.

"You are real," I said, more to reassure my observations than anything else. "You are alive and you can talk."

"Yes, I am alive" Celestia mumbled while munching on the carrots. "I hardly call this food. However, I needed to eat something. This will have to do. I didn't expect much from a hairless atrocity."

"And I didn't expect you to be a real-breathing unicorn," I replied with a dumbfounded expression.

"I am an ALICORN. We are the mightiest creatures in the world of Equos, mind you," She replied proudly pumping out her chest. She looked so fluffy when she did that. Celestia's fur seemed about as soft as the feathers on her wings. "Therefore, be more grateful for being of service to a Deity. Show me your-"

Now, I am a man of specific tastes. I love the stories of myths. I love great deities from the past. I love medieval tales riddled with fantasy. So, figuring out that I had a magic creature from myth in my living room was INSANE. I wanted to fangirl so hard, but the first order of business was making amends since I treated her badly due to an assumption.

"Are you listening to me?!" The bratty pony shouted as some crumbs flew across the room.

"I-I'm sorry! I was trying to think of a way to apologize," I said while leaning towards the crumbs to gather them. "And you shouldn't speak with your mouth full. It's disrespectful."

"You can correct me on etiquette when you had the same level of training as I had!" Celestia shot back with venom. "Oh, that's right. A hairless ignorant can never hope to stand on the same ground as me."

"Now, that's just plain rude. I'm sorry for thinking you were a hallucination. But that mistake doesn't give you the right to talk me down like that." I replied with a serious, yet polite tone. She was a bitch, but I would not stoop to her level. "I expected a more delicate behavior from such an esteemed member of society. Then again, you are JUST a princess," I finished with a smirk.

Biting her lip, Celestia started to mumble and spout a bunch of incoherent sounds before making the cutest pouty face I had ever seen in my life. I had to force myself into maintaining a poker face. Otherwise, I would have squealed like a little girl and proceeded to squish that face while talking as if I was conversing with a baby. That was entirely her fault, not mine.

Regardless of my inner feelings at that moment, the conversation was devoured by the silence.

"Ok. Since both sides have been thoroughly insulted, how about we start this over?" I said in an attempt to break the ice. "My name is Caleb Porter, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Placing her hoof on top of my hand, Celestia turned her face away from me before saying anything.

"I am Princess Celestia. Daughter of the Sun. It is a pleasure to meet you," She said before clicking her tongue.

This is going to take a while.

Waking up to the sound of hissing flames, I put out the fire before using my bag as a glove to carry the pot to the clean spot. The bandages were considerably cleaner than before and were ready to use. I just had to wait for them to dry up. and Considering the heat coming from the sun, it would be a matter of minutes.

And so it was. The bandages were nice and dry in about twenty minutes. Judging by the heat, it should be summertime in Equos. Wrapping up the strips of cloth around my hands and forearms, I went back to the rope.

Ok, here is the gameplan. First, I need to navigate the forest and reach Ponyville. Second, I'll need to scout the area to find that Friendship Express thingie. Third, make it to Canterlot and deliver the pendant. Fourth, get to talk to Celestia for a bit before making the jump back.

Standing in front of the rope, I looked out into the forest. I knew that there plenty of ways to die inside those woods. I could run into a cockatrice, a chimera, a timberwolf, an hydra. Honestly, there were so many possibilities for me to meet death that I began to wonder.

Why did I do this? Why am I doing this? The moment I climb down that rope, I won't be protected by this ravine, I mused before looking at the pendant around my neck. Within the silver reflection, I saw Celestia's smile. Oh, yeah. That's why I'm doing this.