Deep Breath

The walk around the Everfree and across the fields to Ponyville was long and solitary. Your mind decides to pass the time by thinking of what classical song from your phone would make a great first impression, should you get to presenting that. You came with empty pockets and no backpack to make sure nothing gets damaged should you get attacked. Vivaldi's third movement of Summer is a personal favorite, but may be too aggressive to start out with. A piano piece by Chopin is always impressive, but you can imagine the flashy fast paced music style can come across as changeling misdirection. There's always the calm Vivaldi's first movement of spring. It's a bit overplayed, but perhaps not in this world.

With the now rising sun, you take in the greens and browns around you. The wild forest to your right keeps to itself contently. The wild grasses of the grand plains to your left sway serenely in a gentle breeze. Mountains that housed you shrink ever more slightly behind you as you approach the now in-view Ponyville.

You approach a lone cottage between the Everfree and Ponyville. The cottage sits atop a hill overlooking most of the surrounding fields, and a stream passes by at the base of the hill. Bird nests and bird houses populate the lone tree making shade in front of the home. Animals of various species emerge from their holes in the side of the hill and resting areas in the morning shade near the forest.

One particularly happy little pig noticed you while rooting and waddles up to you and immediately rolls over, presenting it's stomach. You pet it. The dang thing is just so happy that you think of how your zodiac animal is a boar, and you entertain the idea that your spirit animal just found you. “If you don’t have a name already, I would like to call you Jeffrey. Are you ok with me calling you like that? Jeffreee ree-ree-reeee! Haha. Do you mind introducing me to Miss Fluttershy?” The pig reacted to that, or maybe just the name of Fluttershy, as it rolled back over and started across the small bridge crossing the stream then up the hill to Fluttershy’s cottage, and into a doggie door flap in the side of the structure. Weather the encounter with the pig helps or not, you figure it is time to get your sore legs up the hill, under the tree, and to the cottage and knock on the door. With three knocks that you hope are not too hard, you try to get the attention of the element of kindness. A female voice, innocent yet hollow, came from up the tree that is now behind you.

“Oh my. I seem to have a visitor. Tell me what brings you here to my animal sanctuary, stranger? Would you like to adopt a pet?” You sigh. It seems that you will be attacked before having a chance.

“I walked for hours alone to make a peaceful hello. To whom do I owe such a predatory welcome?” You turn to the tree. A lanky monstrous menagerie of a beast has already used it’s various claws and paws to crawl down the tree and stalk much closer than you had heard the voice come from.

“Jeffrey, I’m scared.”

“You leave Jeffrey and Fluttershy alone!” The draconequus lunges towards you. With a swift motion, you are grasped by the shoulders and lifted straight up. The tree and the cottage remain undisturbed as your presence is swiftly taken away.

Rainbow Dash opens the cottage door.

“That was tamer than I expected it to be.”

Two solar guards escort Fluttershy out of the cottage.

“Discord is a pacifist. He distastes violence, saying it has no place in chaos. He’ll probably take that person to the princesses, or maybe to Sweet Apple Acres so that Applejack can do it for him.”

“I’ll check for them at the farm. Go get Rarity and Pinky and let’s meet up at the castle. Twilight wanted the elements of harmony to be together after we see this thing in case they’re needed.”

“Ok. I’ll see you there.” The guards followed Fluttershy. They doubt they were needed but were glad to come along just in case.

“It looks like discord got to em first.” Applejack proclaimed, pointing a hoof out the window so the guards catch the draconequus’s approach. Discord swiftly pinning you to the ground before the entrance to the farmhouse.

“Applejack, I’m a pacifist! Beat this guy up for me!”

“Miss Applejack, I’m a pacifist! Please just hogtie me!”

“Ya want me ta do what now, partner?” Applejack said with a raised eyebrow.

“Whatever vocabulary this world has for country ponies using lassos. Just tie me up until I can clear things up with the princesses!”

“Oh, you want me to wrangle ya. Sure thing, partner.”

“What? He just tried to invade Fluttershy’s cottage! What about beating him up?” Discord said sounding rejected.

“I aint had breakfast yet, so it wouldn’t be a good beating. Sides we can always do it later with all four of the princess’s blessings.”

“Princess cadence is here too? Oh, you are in for a world of hurt, human.”

You are taken to the castle at the edge of Ponyville that towers over the rustic village like a crystalline citadel. Plans A and B have failed, but plan C has gone off with much less harm to you than you anticipated. You are thrown onto your right side, planting your cheek on a cold crystalline floor. Still tied, you see a tall ivory alicorn and a midnight blue alicorn before you. You cannot tell who else is in the room this way.

“Explain yourself and why you come to Ponyville this day, human.” The tall white one demanded.

“Is there a way to cast a spell that shocks me if I lie?” You ask in as clear a voice that you can manage on the floor. In your periphery, you notice a small white cloud loom over you.

“This cloud will administer a shock should you utter a lie.” Princess twilight's voice explains.

“I came here to cause harm!” Lightning shot from the cloud, enveloping you in it’s retribution. The shock lasted and sustained an involuntary scream of pain. Had you been standing, the shock would not have ended until you collapsed back to the ground. You had one more lie to tell if this were to work the way that you intended. Not stopping to think of the pain, you take in a deep breath and utter loudly, “I came accompanied by others!” Another sustained bolt. Another sustained scream. Having done that which you were determined to do as step one of phase two, you allow yourself to relax. Your body starting to catch on to what your brain just put you through. Your breathing becomes labored, your sore body becoming both soothed and alarmed that the ropes binding you are now quite warm. You hear the thud of a hoof stomping somewhere in the distance.

“Stop that!” Princess Twilight shouted, surprise and disbelief overtaking her voice. “You made your first point. You are not a threat. Now someone untie him, those ropes are starting to ember.” You are promptly untied, and you weakly push yourself up into a cross legged sitting position on the floor. You can see now that all four princesses are indeed standing before you. Ponies bearing necklaces of the elements of harmony standing next to the princess with a crown bearing Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark. You rest your palms on your lap and take a deep breath so that your words sound calm.

“I am Anonymous, I was taken to Equus from a world called Earth. I intend to negotiate peace between Changelings and the other pony races as well as annexation of the changeling hive into pony society.”

"We hath walked thy dreams twice and seen thy memories of the chaotic world in which ye originate. What promise is there that thine actions will not manipulate or cause destruction?" Luna asked

"So that really was you, though I only remember seeing you for a moment. I am a magicless being surrounded by the ten most powerful entities that I am aware of in this world. Should I lift a single finger in malice, I will not be able to defend myself should any of you even have a fleeting thought of retaliation."

“Am I safe to assume that you are aware of the events that took place in Canterlot during my wedding at the hooves of changelings? What promise do we have that the changelings will not be hostile again?” Princess Cadenza protested.

“I fully intend to demonstrate our in-hostility with the help of the elements of harmony, but first I would like to make sure my study at least prepared me to address all of you respectfully. Please correct me if I make a mistake.” You address each pony from left to right. “Princesses Celestia, Luna, MiAmore Cadenza, and Twilight Sparkle. Element bearers, Miss Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Is that correct?”

“Don’t forget me.” From behind you, the snap of what you know are not fingers makes the cloud above you darken.

“And Discord the draconequus. It is an honor to meet all of you.”

“Don’t mess with that truth spell, Discord, he already willingly set it off twice! And what can the elements of harmony do in this situation if you are trying to negotiate peace?” Twilight reverted the spell and then addressed you directly.

“Trial by fire. If I or the changelings are a threat to Equestria, then the Elements of Harmony will make short work of us. I understand that two of the attendees here have been imprisoned by these artifacts previously, and the changelings have rationed what they have left just to survive this long.”

“But enough of that for now.” With another snap, the cloud above you dissipates. “I’ve seen enough, princesses. This lad is surely a chaotic being, but he’s as harmless as a starved colt. Quite literally so too. Just by looking at him, I can tell that he has walked a marathon without any food, and what little water he had left seems to have hydrolyzed. I dare say that he’ll collapse as soon as he tries to stand.” You put a finger across your lips. dry and crusty.

“How can you tell, discord? I can’t see it at all.” Fluttershy flew over with Jeffrey in her hooves to you to get a closer look. Discord snapped once more. You are now on a large floating pillow facing a draconequus that is wearing a Cheshire grin.

“Well you see, it’s much easier for a fellow omnivore to tell.”

“Oh. Oh my.” You hear collective gasps of surprise and disgust. Discord chuckles.

“A meat eater trying to negotiate peace from the side of the one enemy of Equestria that remains at large. If this gambit of yours succeeds, I’ll do something nice for you.” You chuckle with what little breath you have left at the moment, accepting discord’s antics. After all, it’s not unlike anything you would do in a lighter situation.

“Discord is correct on all accounts. I can eat meat as well as vegetables. No, I do not intend to eat meat from Equus, and I have no food left to my name. I fully intend to disclose everything that I know, but might I trouble you for a bowl of vegetables?”

*****

The four princesses, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie pie all gather around the magical round table in the main front chamber of the castle.

"Twilight, Luna, what do we make of this?" A stoic Celestia began.

"All things considered, there is no way he had help in the atrium. If he really has no magic, then he couldn't have pulled any tricks on us."

"We have visited his dreams twice and so far have seen the state of his world, and his fear of retribution from the couple of love. His human mind has proven quite cacophonous. Further investigation shall prove the human's ambitions."

"What about the changelings? have we learned anything of them recently?" Cadence asked.

"Anonymous believes they will perish. A full moon will rise tonight, and he believes they will not see the next."

"Should we be considering the ramifications of this all being true and the changelings really are starving? I always keep up with news from Canterlot and Manehatin, and with how many changelings there were at the wedding, none have been reported unmasked or causing trouble." Rarity said, considering her own words with wide eyes.

"You gotta be very stubborn to take a second shock like that, and if I know anything about stubbornness, it usually comes from either a lot a pride, or desperation." Applejack added.

Celestia considered these words. "Pinky, do you have anything to add?"

"Hmm. If he wants us to use the elements of harmony on him and the changelings, then we're all here to use it on him now, and then he'll have to show us where the changelings are later. Ooh, I better check how many changelings there are. Be right back!"