“Next time.” Celestia had nodded gently. She smiled, this creature puzzled her. How could something be so invincible and yet so vulnerable? Perhaps Twilight and her studies of friendship could help the metal man, to soothe his soul so to speak. She slowly stood from the table, and thought about her next move. “Would you excuse me, while I make your arrangements?”

“Of course.” The black and gold armor replied to her. The sight of the visor was unnerving to her, unable to see his face. No emotion. Almost like some kind of spirit, entirely unreadable. She turned with a subdued shudder, walking from the room. Her alabaster hooves clopped gently across the marble floors, until a large wooden door was opened before and shut behind her.

Riley watched her intently, Luna stood behind him.

“My sister is rather trusting of you. You seem very trusting of her as well.” She began. Her teal eyes narrowed at him as he turned, trying to pick some form of emotion out of his golden visor. The smooth lines indicated a total lack of life as she spoke. “I know a creature of darkness when I see it, demon. I will trust my sister’s judgment... My trust for you however is next to nothing.”

“Then the feeling is mutual.” Riley stated. He’d satisfied the princess’s curiosity about him, but he got the funny feeling most of these other ‘ponies’ wouldn’t get that privilege. Luna’s face seemed bewildered at first, then it twisted in frustration. She opened her mouth to speak in anger as the heavy wooden door to the room swung open.

“Sister!” She called, trying her best to look innocent and calm. As someone who didn’t know the alicorn, it was clear. Someone who’d known her for thousands of years... She might as well have been wearing a sign around her neck reading ‘I’m threatening the powerful alien in your absence’. ”That was quick! Did you encounter any trouble?”

“Not at all.” The taller princess affirmed. “I take it neither of you had any trouble, either?”

‘Nah, just this paranoid grape trying to be intimidating’ Riley thought, before speaking “None at all.”

“Alright then, Staff Sergeant.” Celestia began, a warm smile crossing her face. “If you would, follow me. You will take the evening train to the town of Ponyville, my prized student Twilight Sparkle will meet you there.

“Yes ma’am.” He stood, following her footsteps. ‘Twilight Sparkle? Ponyville? What a crock.’

They exited into a large corridor. The floors were marble, the walls looked to be made of large stone blocks, painted white and grey, blotches of pink thrown in every so often. The Spartan followed the monarch down a winding hallway until they arrived in a massive grandiose foyer. A chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, hundreds of crystals were hung by thin, golden chains. Two guards opened the large iron clad wood doors, allowing the two to spill into the streets of Canterlot.

“I trust you can make it on your own from here. At the gates of town there is a train station. It will be the fourth car, a partially enclosed flatbed car, which you are to take.”

“I thought you were sending an escort? If anyone interferes? What of my ability to return home?”

“None of my ponies should interfere. Even if they wanted to, I’m sure you could shrug them off with little hardship. I will have my scribes and mages researching around the clock, your insight with Twilight should be more than sufficient help in the matter.” She replied, giving him a curt nod.

“Princess.” He nodded back, walking down the stone steps to the cobbled walkway below.

“Do be safe, until we meet again!” She called behind him, walking back into the castle, shutting the door, and teleporting beside her sister. Luna looked over quizzically at her sister. “Twilight can handle him, right?”

“We shall see.” Luna replied cooly. She wouldn’t voice the fact she was having a crisis that her older and wiser sister would ask her that question..

Riley strolled down the streets, the citizens parting like water around him. His boots cracked some of the ancient stones as he walked. He stared at the beautiful blue sky, the brilliant green grasses and colorful flowers. Riley was shocked, it had been a long time since he’d seen raw, unabated beauty like this. Even Reach never had beauty like this. He dared to switch his suit filters off, breathing in the fresh air. It smelled somewhat sweet, a mixture of flowers and perfumes. He was surprised, half expecting the city to smell like a barn.

Riley could see the train station up ahead, a small pink engine and carriages lined up on a single track. An industrial looking car was coupled to the end of the locomotive, a flatbed. Riveted to its four corners were steel posts, reaching about 8 feet tall. The posts formed a box frame, adorned by a canvas rainfly, much like a carport tent on wheels. He neared the station, and climbed aboard the car without a word. The leaf spring packs compressed over his weight, the decking creaking. The conductor making his rounds of the train gulped at the Spartan’s large frame. He stepped his hoof into the stirrup of the car ahead of the spartan. He checked his pocket watch, putting it away he called in a loud voice,

“All aboard! All aboard!” A handful of ponies flocked to the train, mounting the cars from the station’s platform. Riley noticed one pony, a young mare. She was crying, hugging what he presumed was her family. She let go of them, grabbed her bag, and rushed to the train. He slowly turned away. Riley sat in the middle of the car, dumbly looking around. He scooted up towards the forward coupler, leaning against the steel moulding of the car.

“All aboard!” Called the conductor one last time. Seeing no one in the crowd move, the conductor waved up to the engineer. The locomotive chugged heavily at first, a loud ‘clunk’ coming from each coupler as the train began to move. The locomotive slowly began to pick up speed, pulling away from the platform. Riley watched the steel rails materialize behind the car, moving faster as the train chugged down the mountain pass.

“Well, Jessica.” Riley began. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“Riley, the chances of ever getting back to Reach are one in a quintillion.” Jessica said, in quiet desperation.

“Then the odds are even.” He said.

“God you’re stubborn...” Jessica sighed. “Well, on another note, we are currently traveling 58.7 miles per hour, north northeast.”

“That’s neat.” Riley admitted, with a nod. “What’s your favorite dinosaur?”

“My favorite.. What?”

“Dinosaur, y’know?”

“Triceratops.” Jessica laughed.

“Yeah?” Riley scanned the mountain tops, looking around. “Mine’s the Giraffatitan.”

Jessica laughed audibly, before adding “Okay, DinoMan.”

“Dinos are sick, my guy.” Riley countered, rolling his eyes. “Giraffatitan isn’t going to try to shoot plasma shit at me. He just wants to eat plants and go on adventures.”

“You might get stepped on.” Jessica replied, her rolling eyes was audible in her tone.

“Nahh. What do you make of the princesses?” Riley asked his AI Companion.

“Well.. Celestia seems alright enough, but Luna seems a bit paranoid.” Jessica offered. “I still cant believe you took your helmet off...”

“I figured that it’d be the fastest way to build trust, seeing as closing myself off to the deity would be a little untrustworthy.” Riley argued, wiping a smudge from his helmet’s visor with his thumb.

“I probably would have done the same, to be frank...” Jessica replied. “I mean, you could totally take some colorful horses.”

Riley chuckled, watching the shrubs pass as the incline leveled off, the train now on relatively flat ground, heading toward Ponyville. He stared at the countryside, thumbing at his dog tags.

“Few Spartans still wear those...” Jessica commented.

“Big brother Jorge got me into wearing them. If I go, they have something to pass on.” Riley stated.

“Why aren’t you named in the database? I can see your ID but your records and name are blank.”

“Because I’m not supposed to exist.” Riley stated flatly, Jessica not questioning the answer. He clutched the dogtags as he stared at the distant forest, whizzing by as the locomotive sped along the steel rails. Riley gripped the riveted steel flatbed’s side with his other hand. He didn’t want to have to put up with this, but surely he could get home. He just needed to find that pony the princess was so fond of. ‘Twilight.’

Who names their kid Twilight?

Author's Note

I'm sorry for any formatting issues, the site doesn't like me right now.