Equestrian at Heartby Azvameth RoseChaptersPrologue: JailChapter 1: ProofChapter 2: PleaChapter 3: CompressionPrologue: JailDriving his motorcycle, Arthur headed to his first day of internship at the hospital. He was about an hour earlier than he was supposed to. One could say that he had a bit of a habit of arriving on time, if not earlier. As his father used to say, "If you're not going to bother to arrive on time, don't waste other people's time." That saying would be up there with, "If you're going to do something half-heartedly, don't bother trying." Typical father with his words of wisdom, the mother should be just as predictable. Protective and caring. Arthur had a sister along with a few friends to go along with his family, you got the basic life of an average person. Of course, he had pushed a bit on academics to get to where he was in detriments of some other things, you can't expect everyone to be perfect, right? At any rate, his little habit seemed to cut him short as he suddenly found himself in a bit of a predicament. Soon after parking his motorcycle, Arthur was surprised by a hooded figure holding him at gunpoint. In these situations, one usually gets robbed of their possessions. However, in this case, Arthur was led to a back alley where the robber gave him something strange. "Hold this and don't move. If you move, I'll find you, and I will shoot you," The robber said while handing Arthur a sword after he unwrapped it from its package. Why is he carrying this thing around?! Arthur mused while holding the sword tightly. The thug walked away from him while pointing the gun at Arthur. It looks like a longsword. Did this guy steal from a convention or something? Arthur pondered while standing like a statue even as the criminal disappeared from his sight. He waited, and waited for about twenty minutes. After that time, Arthur saw the criminal run back with the gun pointed at Arthur. Staring at Arthur with a neutral expression, the Thug walked closer to him. His neutral expression turning into a wicked smile as he approached them. "Not bad. You didn't melt. Well, hold on to that thing, will you? You're gonna need it," The thug said before shoving the gun on Arthur's chest and pulling the trigger. A throbbing headache and a considerable feeling of nausea made Arthur roll to the side and spit some blood that was quick to turn into a black puddle. He continued to throw up until a bullet came out. Feeling his body grow weaker, Arthur collapsed on top of the puddle before passing out once more. "Princess, it would seem the prisoner has awakened. However, he threw up some type of black substance a few times, and this before collapsing," The captain of the guard, Silver Hoof, said while handing a strange metal object to Celestia. "It looks like a blunt arrowhead. A small arrow at that. Maybe it is a bolt from a crossbow?" Celestia mused while staring at the projectile. "Have you ever seen anything like it, Captain?" "I can't say I have, Your Highness. Then again, no one has managed to breach the castle's wards with a teleportation spell. Or whatever that gate thing was," The captain huffed while tapping her hoof rhythmically against the floor. She seems rather offended by the trespasser's feat. Well, she has increased the security ten-fold after that incident. I can't tell if it is paranoia or something else. Celestia mused while inspecting the projectile more closely. The entire scenario was weird. An unidentified creature appeared through a strange portal in the middle of her hallways while bearing arms. Even if it did collapse immediately after landing, the fact something had managed to break through the castle's defenses was worrying enough in itself. A big event would arrive in seven years, and Celestia couldn't allow any hiccups before then. "Once the creature is awake, bring it to me. Also, have you identified its name?" Celestia asked while handing the bullet to the captain. "We are still searching through the creature's possessions. And, as you wish, Your Majesty," Silver said before walking away. I better get some answers before deciding its fate. Celestia concluded while using her magic to bring forth the weapon the creature had in its hands. Waking up due to a rumbling stomach, Arthur slowly opened up his eyes. Stone floors, chains on the walls, a wooden bed without a mattress, and a bucket reeking of piss. Hello, medieval prison. I died and went into a medieval prison. Yep, that is completely normal. Arthur mused while getting up and rubbing his chest. Wait. I feel the pain in my chest. Therefore, I am awake and alive. But, where is the bullet hole? And, no scar? What is going on here? He pondered while analyzing his chest and clothes. My wallet, bag, cellphone, and ID are gone. Prison plus confiscated items, means I must have caused some sort of trouble with my arrival. Whatever the case, keep calm and explain yourself. So, long as they speak the same language, you can probably talk your way out of this. Just, tell the truth. Yeah. Tell them that you were shot and died. My god, I am so very fucked. After reaching that conclusion, Arthur heard the sound of steps above him. Metal shoes seemed to be hitting the stone ground as they approached him. The holding cells were fairly lit and there were no other prisoners, meaning, that those steps were probably meant for him. Taking a seat on the bed, Arthur waited with his hands in full view. His objective at that point was simple and straightforward. Survive. And this is where my narration ends. He will be the one to tell the tale of his life. My duty is done, and I'm sure he didn't feel the shot as much as he claims he felt. Then again, it was probably the first time he got shot, therefore, it might have been the worst pain he had felt in his life. Chapter 1: ProofI write these lines with the intent of leaving a record. My life is no longer as it was. Moreover, as much as it pains me to admit it, I probably won't be able to return. Whoever decided to throw me into the magical land of Equos did a good job at hiding their methods. My memories come to an end when the "robber" shot me. I'm also being forced to record my activities in this thing for evaluation from the psychiatrist and the captain, who doesn't seem to think very highly of me. At any rate, I will describe what happened in my first encounter with the first Equestrian creature I met, Silver Hoof. Sitting on my bed, I kept my hands in plain view over my knees. I tried to look as friendly as possible. My situation didn't seem the best at the time. Therefore, the less suspect I looked, the better. Due to the medieval setting, and the weight behind the footsteps, I expected a knight in armor to appear. And I did get what I predicted, except for the fact she wasn't human. You read it right, my captor, dressed in a full set of plate armor made out of gold, was a unicorn. An anthropomorphic unicorn with a pink coat, roset mane, silver hooves, and who looked ready to throw a hook at my face. "So, five days unconscious, and now you are awake," She said while standing in front of the bars. I felt safe behind those bars. I bet that had I been in range, she would have grabbed me by the neck. "I appreciate the fact I was not tied to a chair or something. Thank you for leaving me relatively free. It puts me somewhat at ease," I said as calmly as I could. "Why would you be at ease behind bars? How many times have you been arrested for committing a crime?" She inquired with a smug look on her face. "I have never been put behind bars, nor have I committed any crimes. I thank you for granting me some level of freedom. Because, waking up in an unknown place, behind bars, and talking with a creature that I had never seen before. All of this puts me in a blind panic. I am terrified to the bone. Moreover, I feel like I am about to cry," I retorted calmly with my eyes watering up a bit. "If you have not committed a crime, why are you afraid?" She pressed while leaning closer to the bars. "Because the last thing I remember is being shot. The next thing I know, I'm behind bars, throwing up black goo, and collapsing again," I retorted while gripping my pants. There was a moment of silence between us. She stared at me with disdain before huffing and opening the door. "I have talked to the princess about your case. She insisted on meeting you. However, I managed to convince her that first, we should assess how much of a threat you are to us. Therefore, we shall take an assessment of your combat skills before her very eyes. Once she realizes the danger you represent, you will be thrown in the badlands," She said while her horn fired up, causing a set of shackles to appear. Ok. They have a princess. And she is planning to make a public execution. I AM VERY SCARED! I concluded while crossing my arms. "Not to be a nuisance, but wouldn't that be reckless? I have never been in a fight. However, if I knew how to fight, wouldn't you be exposing the princess to unnecessary danger?" I argued in hopes of making her back off. "The arena has a magical barrier. Once the battle begins, only those from the outside can come in and interfere," She said proudly. "If anything, the princess will be safer with you inside it, instead of an audience." FUCK. There is magic, AWESOME. There is magic, FUCK. I love this situation, and I hate it at the same time! I concluded while getting up and offering my hands. My captor seemed very pleased with the idea of restraining me. After placing the shackles on me, she put a blindfold on me. I heard a weird sound before feeling my body being stretched as if I was made of rubber. My head felt like it was about to explode, my muscles felt as if they were being torn apart, and my consciousness nearly faded into nothing. Before I could tell what was going on, the blindfold was removed. I wasn't in the holding cells any longer. No, I was outside. I felt overwhelmed by the sunlight as the light made my head hurt. There was a small fence around my waist in terms of height. It looked well-made and displayed small lavender banners with the symbol of the sun on them. I shook my head a few times while blinking to try and force my eyes to adapt. Once I could see properly, I realized that I was surrounded by white walls and archers, LOTS of archers. "Listen, I will not fight an ill-equipped opponent," My captor said while gesturing to a white stallion with a blue mane to bring in two types of armor. One that looked like the one my captor had. And another type of armor that looked lighter. "Take your pick. We will fight with melee weapons. No magic shall be allowed. Moreover, the fight only ends when one concedes defeat, or if you're feeling bold when one of us perishes." SHE WILL KILL ME!!! I screamed mentally while looking at the armor sets. I can't carry a full plate armor. I better take the lighter set. I concluded while picking up the chain shirt, the doublet, the gloves, and the leg armor. "So, you are either a scout or an assassin," The armored lady said while summoning a silver mace along with a silver shield. "Pick your weapon and a shield, if you feel you need one, that is," She said in a mocking tone. She looked ready to crush me as she summoned a set of fine-looking weapons. Longsword all the way! I can't even use a sword, let alone a shield. I mused while picking the longsword. I did my best to try and hold it properly, but my stance was pretty much what you would expect from something less than an amateur. "I'm good," I said while awkwardly holding the sword up and at her. "Very well," My captor said while dismissing the weapons. "Princess, everything is set. Please, come in so that you can see the threat with your very eyes," She said while bowing her head towards a balcony behind me. A white unicorn with wings came forth with a golden dress and a three-colored mane that floated in a non-existent wind. All of the soldiers stood at attention and saluted her as soon as she emerged from the balcony. Ok. Bigshot came out to play. I better play it cool and not do anything stupid. I concluded while kneeling and lowering my head. "Unknown creature, state your name and race," She said in a calm and yet, commanding voice. Very well, do not fuck it up. Straightforward and honest, stick to these two, and you will be fine. I reassured before taking a deep breath. "My name is Arthur Liney. I am a human," I replied in a clear tone while keeping my head down. "Very well, Captain Silver Hoof, You may begin your test at my command. Fighters, take your positions!" She said while I rushed to turn around and awkwardly draw the blade. I felt sweat forming on my forehead while I stared at the grinning mare. My heart raced as I tried to keep my made-up stance. My breathing got faster. My body shook. My body felt the rush of adrenaline. Fight or flight instinct kicked in as time seemed to come to a halt. "Ready, set, BEGIN!" The Princess announced as I readily threw the sword to the ground, dropped to my knees, and pressed my forehead against the dirt. "I SURRENDER!" I cried out as loud as I could with tears rolling down my face. All I could hear was the sound of something hitting the ground with a loud thud before something stomped its way towards me. "Are you mocking me?!" Silver Hoof said while grabbing my collar and holding me close to her face. She was fuming, and I felt as if she would gut me right then and there. That was when I realized the height difference. She stood a head above me and managed to lift me like I was a paperboard cutting. "You donned the armor. You got a weapon. And you throw it all away?! Do you think I am not worth fighting?! I am the captain of the royal guard!" "I'm sorry! But I never even held a sword until a few days ago! Please, don't kill me! All I want is to go home!" I said while holding my arms up in a clear sign of surrender. "You expect me to believe that?! You breached the castle's defenses with a weapon in hand!" She shot back with poison while bringing me closer. If looks could kill, I would be dead at that point. "I'm sorry! But I didn't do anything! A stranger attacked me. And the next thing I know, I was in prison! I don't know what else to say!" I replied while my voice cracked as if I had hit puberty. "Enough!" The princess ordered from the balcony. "That creature is terrified for its life, Silver Hoof. We tried your method. Now, we shall try it my way." PLEASE YES! You sound way more reasonable than her! I pleaded mentally while keeping my surrender pose. Chapter 2: PleaThat was the extent of my first meeting with captain Silver Hoof. I believe I managed to get my point came across. This next fragment refers to my situation after forfeiting the duel. I have no experience wielding blades of any kind, let alone throwing a punch. Had I gone with the combat, I wouldn't have been able to survive this long. However, we are in an era much different from my own; therefore, there are things I have a dire need to learn. Among them, swordplay is along with the top ten. Since I prefer to keep things organized, I'll place a list of my top ten things to learn at the end of this entry. For now, I will describe my first-hand experience with what I believe to be a deity that, in this reality, can control the sun and moon. Her name is Celestia, her occupation is Princess of Equestria. Her titles vary from keeper of harmony to undying flame. Her story is about as long as this world according to Silver Hoof's speech, which I will transcribe to the best of my abilities. Her figure is comparable to that of gods in ancient Greek mythology. Celestia, like Silver Hoof, is taller than me. Except Celestia is about two, if not three, heads taller than me. Meaning that if I were to stand at attention before her while looking straight forward, I would be staring at her boobs. That won't be awkward at all. Lastly, she seemed way kinder than her stature and titles suggested. Moreover, I believe there is something amiss with her. Almost as if she keeping something locked up inside her. Everyone here seems to look up to her. And they have hope when they see her smile. Quoting my mother, "sad people smile the brightest." The blindfold must have loved me because it wasted no time to return to me. Once Silver reluctantly placed me down and stripped me of the armor; she restrained me once more before doing her teleport thing. It was as nauseating as the last time. "Please, remove the blindfold," Celestia said before I situated myself in the new environment. I was in court. A large room with a tall ceiling, a red carpet, humongous windows, and a golden throne stood before me. Princess Celestia sat at the throne while looking down on me (literally, not in a measuring way). "I hope you understand the need for the restraints." Getting down on my knees, I lowered my head before responding. "I understand. And I am grateful for a chance of telling my side of the story." "Is that what you think is happening here?" Silver Hoof inquired with a mocking tone while walking past me. "The princess intends to question you and sentence you. Do not get comfortable, you little bug," She added with a vicious tone that made me shiver a bit. "Now, now, Silver. Behave before the accused. Everyone deserves to be heard, isn't that right?" Celestia said in an insinuating tone. Silver Hoof seemed to click her tongue at her remark before nodding. "Good. Now, how about we start with a few questions, Mr. Arthur, was it?" "But of course, Your Highness," I replied as a feeling of relief washed down my body. "What brought you to our nation?" She inquired with a warm tone. I, however, felt my body freeze. I don't even know how I got here! I cried quietly. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I never intended to come to your nation," I replied hesitantly. "You don't say. So, how did you come around this?" Celestia asked before I raised my head. Floating before her, the sword the robber had forced on me shone with a golden aura. "It is a fine sword. It might pale before some of the weapons at our disposal, but it is a fine piece. And it seems to recognize you as its wielder." Please, don't tell me that thing is alive too!!! I begged while formulating my answer. "That blade was forced on to me by a thug. He had me hold it for a while as he held me as a hostage to his ranged weapon. He also spattered some non-sense about me not melting. He then shot me, and the next thing I know, I was in the holding cells," I explained while looking at the sword. Celestia didn't seem to show any reaction to my response, and that scared me. "Interesting response. Tell me, what are you again? I believe you mentioned something about being a "human," Is that correct?" Celestia continued while keeping the welcoming expression. I slowly felt my body grow colder. "Yes. I am a human. And if I may," I said before making a brief pause. Celestia gestured for me to continue, and I complied. "I am sorry for the disturbance and worries that my arrival may have caused. I assure you, I had no intention of ever causing trouble for anyone. I don't care about the sword. All I want is to leave this world where I am nothing but a disturbance. If could be so kind as to help me, I would be ever so grateful." "You presumptuous clown! How dare you ask a favor of the princess while you are being judged! This is the Keeper of Harmony! The Undying Flame of Equos! Her wisdom is matched only by her prowess in battle! No pony could ever hope to match her in any aspect, shape, or form!" Silver Hoof's speech continued. As much as I loved history classes, my focus was on another task entirely. I fucked up. I should have been more careful. I scolded while wincing at the white noise from Silver's speech. "Silver Hoof, stand down. As flattering as your speech was, I am the one conducting this interrogation and his judgment. So, please, refrain from making such remarks," Celestia intervened, Silver Hoof seemed to blush for a moment, before turning away from me. "Now, your arrival and unknown species support the idea of you being from another world. But, what I am trying to assess is whether you are a threat or not, Mr. Arthur. Therefore, I shall continue with my questions. We found documents related to a hospital in your belongings. However, some of your belongings were damaged. Therefore, we couldn't read all of the information. So, can you tell us what was your occupation?" "I was a surgery intern at the hospital. I am a doctor," I said while imagining my poor equipment being destroyed. "A healer? What spells did you use?" Celestia inquired while tilting her head. "I, I don't use spells," I replied hesitantly. "An alchemist then? What sort of medicines did you create?" She pressed on. "I use medicine that is provided to me by others. I examine the patients and determine the illness if there is any, and the best treatment available and affordable to them," I replied earning a frown from Celestia. "And the surgery part? What exactly do you do with that?" Celestia inquired while leaning forward. "I, er, I sow humans back together? With a thread and needle made for that purpose. I also cut them open to remove things that shouldn't be inside them and replace things that should be in there. Like, tumors, projectiles, necrotic tissue, and so forth," I tried explaining as best as I could without sounding like a psychopath. "Why would you need to use such a rudimentary method? Magic is a much safer method of dealing with such things," Celestia asked with a horrified expression. "Because I can't use magic? No one can, actually," I replied while rubbing my arm. "There isn't actual magic in my world. Just, magic tricks? Like, pretending to create a bouquet out of nowhere?" I added while trying to expand on the answer. "How do you even live in a world without magic?" Celestia asked in exasperation. "We adapt? I honestly don't know how to respond to that question. We just don't have magic. We meet an obstacle, we try to find a way around it. If we can't control something, we try to see the pattern and try to plan for it. That's about it. I won't try to explain my world since there is a lot of things I don't understand," I replied while feeling the situation wearing me down. The stress building up inside me was reaching a limit, and pretty soon, I would start to panic. "Then, tell me this, how do you learn about anatomy to act as a doctor?" Celestia asked with concern. I felt a chill run down my spine as I knew that she would be scared of the answer. However, if magic was a thing, who's to say they can't detect lies? "We study corpses. Other humans donate their corpses in a will while they were still alive. Or humans who would end up rotting in the ground without anyone ever visiting. There are legal procedures for receiving corpses for study," I replied as I felt my life slip away thanks to the horror on Celestia's face. "You desecrate your own kin?" She inquired while her face seemed to turn pale (she is white, that is a feat). My ability to think straight kept plummeting as the skill to fuck up the situation kept on a steady increase. "It's the only way to learn our anatomy aside from books. The other option would be to cut open a living human. That is about as cruel as breaking someone's bones and then fixing them. Moreover, if we were to use just illustrations from anatomy books, we would end up making mistakes. Mistakes that can cost lives. Because not every person is the same on the inside. If we just assume everyone is the same, we will make mistakes. There is a genetic condition that literally reverses the positioning of your organs on your torso what is supposed to be right, is left, and so forth," I replied while trying not to panic, the more panicked I am, the more likely I am to spit information unnecessary for the compensation or rush with my decisions. Suddenly, Celestia grew silent. She simply stared at me for several seconds with horror plastered on her face. However, she suddenly started to smirk before chuckling at me. I didn't understand what was happening until she began to clap and started speaking once more. "Well, it seems you do care about your own safety to not lie in my presence. And you also care enough about your kin to do something we consider taboo just so you could provide better aid to those that are alive. I am acquainted with quite a few ponies who would have lied about the things you just said," She said while holding her abdomen. "Princess. Are you sure you're not taking the things he just said too lightly?" Silver Hoof inquired while keeping her back turned to me. "I thought that you out of everyone else would know how much thought I put into my judgments," Celestia replied with a stern, yet caring tone. "Sorry," Silver retorted, for the first time, in an apologetic tone. "Apology accepted. We can speak more later. Now, as for your situation," Celestia said while turning to me with a smile I could tell was forced from a mile away. "I'm afraid I cannot do much for you or that request you made earlier today. We do not know how you were sent here. The reports said you simply appeared out of thin air. Without knowing how you were transported, I cannot send someone back." I simply fell on my butt at the response. First I get shot, then I get arrested, I escape a trial by sword and words, and now I can't go back. What do I do? How can I even make a living? I mused while staring blankly at the Princess and Silver Hoof. "I know it is not ideal. However, we will see that you receive proper papers and citizenship. We've put you through quite an ordeal after all," Celestia said with a warm tone while just kept trying to come up with a plan. I looked at Silver Hoof and that was when it clicked. In the middle ages, knights, although they had to fight, were taught how to read as well as other skills that were considered privileges in that era. They got paid, and they received some level of protection from their lords. If they were lucky enough they could become lords of a small piece of land. I could ask for a chance to become a knight. If I train and get the rank, I should have a steady source of income and the skills to survive here. But, I don't know how much of a rank being a knight is here. I concluded before letting my mouth run wild. "Do the royal guards get paid?" I asked bluntly as my caution went out the window the moment I heard I was stuck there. "Yes. Why wouldn't they? Do you have an interest? Wouldn't medicine be a more suitable job for you?" Celestia retorted as I got back on my feet. "Could I join the ranks? I will go through the training. I will complete the drills. You can have me jump through a hoop if it is part of the training. I will fall in line and do as I am told. So, please, just let me join. My knowledge of medicine will be of little help here. Since all of you deal with illnesses through magic," I pleaded while assuming the posture of a knight kneeling before his lord. I kept my head low for a few moments. I could hear whispering happening as well as some angry growls coming from the throne. There was a louder huff than usual and I finally got my answer. "Very well. You shall start tomorrow as a trainee. Silver Hoof will take you to the common barracks with the rest of the recruits that will join us tomorrow. From there, you can clean yourself and get one of the trainee's uniforms," Celestia said as I got up on my feet and saluted her. And that was pretty much how I escaped the death sentence and received a chance of getting a new start. I just feel bad for the ones back home and the fact I might have lost six years of my life because of how magic can pretty much cure anything. Entry 27869003 I've met the most peculiar creature today. After so many years of peace, I thought I had finally reached some sort of conflict and excitement. And I have, just not the type I had imagined. An unknown creature from a world lacking magic. I might have been cruel in the interrogation, seeing as I lied straight to his face. And I forced him to speak of things that would make most ponies run away in terror. Dissecting corpses? Sowing a living being back together. I must admit that it might be terrifying. But it is an exciting concept. Especially if you consider that his kind seems to have survived against nature and the elements without the aid of magic. An entire society that was built around magicless creatures that simply try to adapt and/or conquer the obstacles around them. And the best part, I didn't have to trick him into staying within my reach. He chose to stay as a member of the guard. There, I will be able to monitor him without having to make any excuses. Things to learn (I'll be updating this as I move on with my life): 1-Laws and History 2-Survival skills 3-Swordplay 4- Author's Note Another one. Thanks for reading! It really means a lot to me. Let me know your thoughts on it in the comments! Have a nice day!!! Chapter 3: CompressionVery well, I've officially managed to take a bath, which was extremely refreshing by the way. I also received a set of clothes that adjusted to my size the moment I touched them. I am now the proud owner of a lavender uniform shirt with a sun on its chest, along with a pair of beige pants that have a brown belt to keep them in place. I also don't have any shoes. Why would I have shoes? Everyone around me is a pony. And I'm not fond of the idea of getting nails piercing my feet to place a metallic horseshoe on it. In short, I'm feeling like a hobbit from the Lord of the Rings. I hope that I don't grow fur on my feet like the ones in the movie. As much as I love the little ones, I always found their feet gross, to say the least. But that is not the issue here. The issue lies in something odd that occurred when I woke up the morning after. However, I should first clarify something. I am twenty-six years old. One year after graduating, I managed to score an internship in surgery. So, I spent a year working and studying. Now that is out of the way, I'll start the next entry. On a side note, I learned of something new to add to the list. It will be updated at the end of this entry. Silver wasted no time to send me down to the barracks after she made me fill a bunch of paperwork regarding my citizenship. By the time was finished, the sun had set on the horizon and Silver practically dragged me away from the head of the immigration's room. And into the barracks, she led me. As soon as I stepped into that place, I began to slightly regret my decision. It was a communal lounge, and most of the ponies inside that place were mares, I think I saw one or two males. One of which I had seen during the duel. Their bodies resembled humans in some areas, ponies in others, and I felt uncomfortable due to the looks I got. Now, in a cliché story, this means that the protagonist would be devoured through their eyes. Not in my case. The looks I got felt more like curiosity, some had disgust, others even looked afraid of me. Not that I can blame them, I was terrified since I didn't know how much damage they could cause to me. "Here," Silver said while tossing a set of clothes on my face. "Training starts first thing in the morning. The Restroom is back there. Males use the ones on the right. The baths are over there. Use them before we start tomorrow. No one here has to deal with your stench." "Understood, Ma'am," I said in a sad excuse of a military salute. Silver replied with a roll of her eyes and then walked away. Ok. I mused while watching everyone turn away from me and go on to their conversation. I analyzed the uniform and realized that there were no shoes. A quick check of my surroundings and I concluded. No one here uses shoes. And for good reason, why would they wear shoes? Holding my package, I walked through beds until I found an empty one. All of the mares watching my movements as if they were ready to attack if I did anything strange. Ok, I'll have to sleep here then. I concluded before I took notice of a small notebook with a weird pencil and a parchment. Placing the clothes on the bed, I picked the parchment first. Rules and regulations of the Royal Guard Trainees: 1-Articles of clothing that are not part of the uniform are not allowed under any circumstance, 2-Bringing mates or partners to the barracks is strictly forbidden, 3-Relationships between members are not prohibited, however, displays of affection during working hours or attempts to abuse position to benefit your partner shall be met with severe punishment, 4-If your commanding officer or senior officer orders you to do something of questionable nature, you have a moral obligation to disobey this order and report it to the head of the royal guard. You will be protected from any punishments regarding misconduct or accusations of insubordination until the story is verified and proven, 5-Only OFFICIAL members of the royal guard may brandish armor and weapons from the palace's armory, 6-Once the initiation is done, all trainees shall be allocated to specified rooms with a training partner designated by the commanding officer, Silver Hoof, 7-Abuse of power and/or status shall be met with extreme prejudice, 8-The safety of the citizens and Princess stands as the top priority. In case the trainees witness an event that puts the life of their compatriots (be they civilians or members of the guard) and/or the princess, the trainee is authorized to use force to nullify the threat if they feel they are capable of doing so, 9-All trainees must remain presentable during all moments of the day, 10-NO TRAINEE is authorized to carry weapons outside of the designated training arena, which shall only be used under the supervision of a designated instructor. Additional rules may be applied, keep this scroll in your possession at all times. Folding the scroll into a square, I reached for the notebook. I opened it and realized something that shook me to the core. They have their own writing. What the hell are these? I inquired while looking at a bunch of symbols. I turned to a mare that was close to me, a unicorn with a broken horn. Her mane was pink, and her coat was some dark shade of purple. She had a scar on her left eye and she looked like she could kick my ass without breaking a sweat. I should also mention that most of the ponies, contrary to Silver Hoof and Celestia were about my height, if not shorter by a small margin. "Um, excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but, can you tell me what is written in here?" I asked as the mare measured me top to bottom, she was about half an inch taller than me. "How did you get here without knowing how to read Equis?" She asked with suspicion. "I can read and write this," I said while showing the scroll to her. "You were taught common writing and tongue, but not Equis?" She pressed with a frown. "I am not from around here. And I have never seen this writing before, so, no?" I answered while trying to not annoy her. The mare groaned before ripping the book off my hands. "It says that this is a journal. It will serve as a psychological evaluation method for the therapist to assess your mental state. You will be summoned at random times to meet this therapist and will need to bring this notebook with you. It also states that you are supposed to write your impressions on your activities and the world around you," She said before tossing the notebook back at me, which led me to drop the thing on the floor. "Thank you," I said after catching it and removing the dirt. "Just don't talk to me, unless it's necessary," She said before walking away from me. As you wish. I mumbled while placing the book in the chest by my bed. The next thing I did was fetch my uniform and head to the bath. Something that I quickly came to regret as it was a public bathroom, with no separation between genders. And once more, there was a lot of mares in the water. Luckily for me, they were wrapped up in towels. I wrapped myself with one in a rush before heading to the corner furthest from the ponies present. I think there were about thirty or so mares and stallions in there (once more the number of mares exceeded the stallion count by a vast margin). I forgot to look for soap. And there it is. What about shampoo? What? Oh, right, Magic. I concluded after watching the objects materialize on a plate that had conveniently floated towards me. Washing as fast as I could, I got up and went to dry myself in the adjacent room. With that done, I put on the boxers and then headed to bed. I wasn't exactly fit, and I had lost weight fast due to the little coma I was forced through, so, I covered myself to hide my appearance as much as I could. I'm still trying to figure out how I survived 5 days without food and water. I slept while hugging my uniform tightly. And that was when something hit me like a truck. I woke up sweating and gasping for air as my chest felt as if an elephant was sleeping on me. I opened my eyes and rolled off the bed with a thud. Getting up took a lot of effort. As soon as I finally managed to stand, I felt the pressure in my chest move to the rest of my torso. A strong urge to vomit took over as I quickly ran in the dark towards the opposite end of the enormous communal barracks. By some miracle or other, I managed to get into a stall and throw my guts in the toilet. At the time I didn't even pay attention to the fact the middle ages had plumbing. I kept spilling my guts into the toilet, some type of black tar came out of my mouth until I passed out. "Wake up!" I heard a commanding voice as my ears rang loudly. "First night and you're," The one speaking was definitely Silver Hoof, but my vision was too blurry to confirm. Whatever the case, her scolding was put on a halt after I tried to get up and ended up slipping. "What in Tartarus happened here?" She asked as I tried my best to lift my head from the sticky black substance that had clogged the toilet and had filled it all the way to the top. "Hey, bug! Wake up!" I heard as I felt something grabbing my shoulder. "You threw up again. Wait. What happened to your face?" I'm not sure what happened next. But I guess that I was brought to the hospital or something close to it. Because, when my senses started to return I saw a tray in front of me with a bucket filled with some sort of weird black ooze that was moving on its own. It had a mouth that resembled that of a leech that appeared on multiple spots at the same time. It looked like something out of Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror stories. "That is a Stain Leech," The familiar voice from the Princess made me look to the side. Strangely enough, my eyesight had improved a bit as well as my hearing. She also looked taller than before, only a little. "As ghastly as these things may look, they tend to be beneficial to their host's health. Although, this one was heavily modified through alchemy and magic." I didn't respond to the explanation. I kept staring at the blob with one thing in mind. Was this thing inside me? "Normally, they are not visible to the naked eye. And they feast on toxic substances on a creature's skin or inside the host's body. Many ponies are coexisting with them without knowing of the parasite," She continued while looking inside the bucket. "That is mainly because they feed slowly. This thing, however," She said as her hand hovered over the bucket. This caused the leech thing to lunge at her hand. However, Celestia was faster and the leech missed the target. "This thing is ravenous. And it attached its digestive system to your stomach. And kept feasting at the damaged parts of your organs, blood, fat, and pretty much anything deleterious to your health, or that was in some way damaged to its perspective. They don't behave like that. They pick an area and eat from it slowly." "W-where was this thing?" I stuttered while watching the leech move back into the bucket. "Our doctors found it around and inside your heart. But the curious thing about it isn't where it was. It's both the effect it had as well as what it did to the areas it ate," Celestia answered before making a brief pause and using her magic to summon a mirror that she handed to me. "See for yourself." Looking at my reflection, I expected some type of mutation or transformation to have deformed me. What I got actually scared me a bit more. I look like I'm seventeen again. What the hell? I mused while examining my longer hair and my less exhausted expression. College did a number on me and pretty much everyone I met. "You look younger, as do your organs. At least, that's what our doctors concluded after analyzing your body with a few spells. Now, there is a small chance that some of it might still be in you," Celestia said. I responded by dropping the mirror and stared at her face. "It was attached to your heart. And as you can see, it doesn't have a fixed form. So, some pieces of it might have gotten loose in your blood vessels." "So, I have babies of THAT running inside me?" I asked to confirm what I had just heard since the face of seventeen-year-old me was still dancing around like an idiot blocking my brain, preventing me from doing anything properly. Celestia nodded in response. "Great! Teleported, arrested, judged, enlisted, just discovered that I am illiterate, and now I have an eldritch parasite running through my blood," I whined while looking at my hands. "Excuse me, but, did you just say you're illiterate?" Celestia inquired as a nurse passed by and nearly fainted from the black ooze in the bucket. I immediately facepalmed at my idiocy. "I learned that I can't read or write Equis. I can read and write in the common tongue. It's no big deal," I replied while sinking my face on my hand. I didn't use to whine. What is wrong with me? Oh, right! Everything! I concluded before pushing the tray to the side and getting up. I still had my boxers. But, my uniform? I left it in the barracks. "I believe these are yours?" Celestia said as my uniform floated towards me. Once again, when I touched it, they shrunk ever so slightly. I ended my growth spurt later since I started later. I didn't reach my full height until I was half-way through my eighteens. "Thank you, Your highness," I said while putting the uniform on in a rush. "I need to go. Captain Silver Hoof is probably giving the orientation now. Once more, thank you for your kindness," I added before making a quick half-baked salute and trying to rush out of the place. Only to realize, that I had no idea as to where I was going. Therefore, with a resigned sigh, I returned to the place where I had woken up. "I'm sorry. But I have no idea how to navigate this place. How do I get back to the barracks?" The princess chuckled at my stupidity. I'm glad that at least I'm making someone smile. She looks like she needs it. "The orientation is already over. You've been asleep for half a day. You were also getting hydrated through an IV," She said with a smirk as I felt sweat form on my forehead. "Don't worry. The long and short is simpler than you think. The first training session is tomorrow. Silver has a habit of scaring the recruits on the first day. Makes the ones looking for easy money quit right off the bat," She added while smiling at my reactions. "Um, so, what do I do now?" I asked bluntly while trying to keep a somewhat presentable posture. "You will come with me so I can get you a teacher in Equis. If you're going to be a guard, you need to know how to read, write, and perhaps speak Equis," Celestia said as she gestured me to follow. Technically speaking, I am a guard in training, so, if she ordered me to follow, by proxy I had to do so unless something shady happened. Thus, I ended up in a forty-minute walk through a maze of corridors that looked the same except for a couple of decorations that didn't help much either. Repeated vases and flowers, repeated banners, the eventual windows, and sometimes a bust of Celestia's profile. So, yeah, I would be very lost without Celestia as my guide. I guess this is how some of these ponies look at her. "What do you think of my castle?" She asked without looking at me. "It is very grand. It is impressive," I said while trying not to let my mouth speak my thoughts out loud. "Well, the architects were adamant in making this a large palace. And they were adamant about making it in the semblance of my "immaculate" image. And while I appreciate the effort, I find them, rather bland," Celestia said as we continued on our path. I had no idea if we were heading somewhere or if she was stalling for time. Tell me about it. It's a sea of blinding white in here. I mused while looking at a vase with purple flowers that added a much-needed touch of color to that place. "Tell me the truth, would have it changed?" Celestia asked while glancing at me over her shoulder. I guess I need to answer? Is she testing me here? I pondered while trying to figure out a way to express myself without being disrespectful. That was when I took notice of her mane and tail floating in three different colors, as well as her golden horseshoes, necklace, wristbands, and crown. "Well, as beautiful as your coat may look, you also have other colors. And they are also a part of your image. Unless there is someone else with a mane like yours. Your golden accessories also stand out. They accentuate the rest of you. So, I guess adding some color to the decorations would be showing that there is more to you than, all this white," I said while looking at the gardens outside. "Look, the gardens make the castle look alive. So, maybe, decorating it would make it look more lively?" "What about the desires of the architects? They poured their hearts and souls into this place. Should I just overlook them?" She asked readily, almost in a rehearsed way, while turning to face me and halting our walk. How many times did you talk about this with others? I would bet almost eighty, or something close to it. And if that's the case, why are you having this conversation with me? I mused while staring at her for a second or two. "If hurting their memory is what worries you, why don't you make a session of the palace decorated after the story of this place? How it was built and so forth?" I suggested while keeping a somewhat decent posture. This seemed to catch the princess by surprise as, for the first time, she didn't seem amused or trying to make me say something specific. "That is probably a first. I'll have to consider that. Maybe, should I try setting up a section for some important events in Equestria?" She said more to herself than to me as she absentmindedly held her chin with her fingers and looked at the walls. Celestia started walking away once more, however, her pace was faster than before. Meaning I had to jog to keep up with her. We must have walked for about ten to fifteen minutes. And Celestia only stopped because we ran into someone else. That someone else being a Pink winged unicorn with her mane tied up on a ponytail and wearing a dress that you usually see on female characters from cartoons. The good-girl type of character. This mare had a bunch of books in her hands and was about as tall as Silver, maybe slightly shorter than her. "Good afternoon, Aunt!" She greeted cheerfully. This seemed to snap Celestia out of her thoughts as she abruptly stopped in the middle of the hall. Ok. So, Celestia has a family after all. I concluded while standing at attention. "Oh! Nice to see you, Cadance," Celestia greeted while regaining her composure. "Did something happen? You're not usually this distracted," Cadance inquired as she completely ignored my presence. Not that I cared at that point. After getting a fair share of weird looks by just about everyone I met, managing to keep a low profile for once was an accomplishment in my books. "Oh, just pondering over some ideas I received from a recruit," Celestia said before gasping and looking back at me. "Now that's a relief, you managed to keep up. I do apologize, it seems I got too engrossed in the idea of bringing a bit more life to this place," Celestia said in an apologetic tone that also made Cadance realize my presence. "Realize" being an understatement. Her eyes looked like they were ready to jump out of their sockets. I couldn't tell if she was curious, scared, both, or something else entirely. I would bet on scared and something else. Mainly because I felt the same way from when I was back at the barracks. Or maybe, I'm just paranoic? It would make sense given my situation. "Um, Aunt, who is this?" She asked while keeping her eyes on me. Thank you. At least you asked who I am instead of what I am. I thanked while bowing before her. "This is Arthur Liney. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, he is stuck here in Equos. We just added him to our new roster of recruits. However, we overlooked a small detail. Mr. Liney here is illiterate in the Equis language. Therefore, I decided to take it upon myself to find him a teacher," Celestia explained as I kept my bow, even if my back were hurting. Again, not the most athletic or flexible individual in school, high school, or college. "But, what brings you to this part of the castle?" "I, er, I needed to deliver these books back to the library!" She replied while obviously trying to come up with an excuse. Celestia chuckled a bit before turning to me. "Well, it seems I need to add some signs for my staff and other guests as part of the decorations. My niece seems to have lost herself. The library is on the opposite side of the castle. We are close to the barracks!" Celestia said with a coy smile as Cadance's wings seemed to pop and she hid behind her books. I heard a few steps before listening to a piece of what Celestia whispered to Cadance. "Your friend should be bathing now. You can probably see him if you," I couldn't hear the rest. Celestia must have spoken in an extremely low voice. Standing at attention again, I saw Cadance's wings get stiffer as she blushed like a tomato. Weird way of speaking about a quote-on-quote friend, mentioning the baths, and a flustered character that looks like they are about to let the steam come out of their ears. Ok, she is about to try and peep at someone in the baths, isn't she? I concluded while staring into nothing. "I, I see. W-well, I need to go," Cadance said while turning away from Celestia. "Cadance," Celestia said before Cadance could make much ground. "Would you be a dear and teach, Mr. Liney here?" Celestia asked as I broke character and looked back at Cadance. Only at that moment did I realized something, Cadance had a tiara on her head like Celestia's. Meaning, she was probably a princess as well. "Sure!" She shot back before running off, post-haste. "Well, I believe that matter has been dealt with. And with a fair exchange nonetheless," Celestia said with a chuckle. She is quite the manipulator, isn't she? I pondered while staring at Celestia. Just a reminder, I had no shoes on, and my feet were killing me. "I believe I kept you away from the barracks for long enough. Your things must have been moved to the barracks already. I'll leave you at your door. Do remember to knock, will you?" Celestia said before firing up her horn. Unlike Silver's teleportation magic, I didn't feel as much nausea, nor did it hurt. I actually felt a bit of warmth in the aura before appearing before a wooden door, room O-97. There was a nameplate on the door with two names etched into it. One of them was scratched and had a name written over it. Fizzelberry Che-something? I concluded while trying to read the scratched name. Tempest Shadow. Arthur Liney. Ok then, try to be friendly. You will deal with this pony for quite some time. So, make a good first impression. I advised while raising my hand and building up my courage before knocking on the door. "Excuse me?" I said while knocking on the door. "I'm Arthur Liney. Your new roommate. And I believe, your new training partner?" I said while trying to sound calm. I heard the door being unlocked. The door opened and I saw the mare from before. The one that translated the diary's inscriptions to me. She had a tank-top shirt on with gym shorts on. She was covered in sweat, breathing through her shoulders, and didn't seem all too pleased to see me. "At least you only spoke to me when necessary," She said before grabbing my hand and shoving a key into my hands. "Keep to your side of the room and don't speak to me unless it's necessary." "Understood," I mumbled before entering and realizing that by "my side" she meant a small portion of the room. She had taken over most of the space with her own set of weights and a punching bag. It was clear that I wasn't welcome. But, since I'm going to need to deal with her for who knows how long, it's best to try and make things as smooth as possible. Someone had to take the initiative to make things work out. Therefore, I will it upon myself to start things out. First, I need to let her know that I am there to work with her, not against her. And I think the best way to do that, for now, is to comply with her conditions and try my best on the training tomorrow. Who am I kidding? I'm screwed. Subject file: Arthur Liney. Age: 26 (as reported by the subject). Apparent age: 17. Affiliation: Unknown. The analysis of the entries written by the subject indicates considerable fear of his surroundings as well as an attempt to be a part of his new environment. Although, most of his decisions thus far seem to be biased by the knowledge he must have brought from his homeland. This could lead to problems adjusting should this information be wrong. Almost all of his choices seem to be driven by an instinct of self-preservation. And given the subject's situation, his responses are understandable and don't seem to harbor any ill intent. Thus far there are no signs of psychological issues or anything that would deem the subject unfit for training or interactions with other ponies. Doctor's analysis: FIT FOR DUTY. Recommendation: Therapy sessions to smoothen the subject's adaptation to their new environment. Signed: Dr. Night Light. The updated list of things to learn: 1-Read and write Equis, 2-History and laws, 3-Survival Skills, 4-Swordplay, 5-Self-defense (?) 6- Author's Note ANOTHER ONE! Thank you so much for reading! If you could be so kind as to let me know what you thought of the chapter, please, leave a comment! I would love to hear your feedback. Thank you once more!
Prologue: JailDriving his motorcycle, Arthur headed to his first day of internship at the hospital. He was about an hour earlier than he was supposed to. One could say that he had a bit of a habit of arriving on time, if not earlier. As his father used to say, "If you're not going to bother to arrive on time, don't waste other people's time." That saying would be up there with, "If you're going to do something half-heartedly, don't bother trying." Typical father with his words of wisdom, the mother should be just as predictable. Protective and caring. Arthur had a sister along with a few friends to go along with his family, you got the basic life of an average person. Of course, he had pushed a bit on academics to get to where he was in detriments of some other things, you can't expect everyone to be perfect, right? At any rate, his little habit seemed to cut him short as he suddenly found himself in a bit of a predicament. Soon after parking his motorcycle, Arthur was surprised by a hooded figure holding him at gunpoint. In these situations, one usually gets robbed of their possessions. However, in this case, Arthur was led to a back alley where the robber gave him something strange. "Hold this and don't move. If you move, I'll find you, and I will shoot you," The robber said while handing Arthur a sword after he unwrapped it from its package. Why is he carrying this thing around?! Arthur mused while holding the sword tightly. The thug walked away from him while pointing the gun at Arthur. It looks like a longsword. Did this guy steal from a convention or something? Arthur pondered while standing like a statue even as the criminal disappeared from his sight. He waited, and waited for about twenty minutes. After that time, Arthur saw the criminal run back with the gun pointed at Arthur. Staring at Arthur with a neutral expression, the Thug walked closer to him. His neutral expression turning into a wicked smile as he approached them. "Not bad. You didn't melt. Well, hold on to that thing, will you? You're gonna need it," The thug said before shoving the gun on Arthur's chest and pulling the trigger. A throbbing headache and a considerable feeling of nausea made Arthur roll to the side and spit some blood that was quick to turn into a black puddle. He continued to throw up until a bullet came out. Feeling his body grow weaker, Arthur collapsed on top of the puddle before passing out once more. "Princess, it would seem the prisoner has awakened. However, he threw up some type of black substance a few times, and this before collapsing," The captain of the guard, Silver Hoof, said while handing a strange metal object to Celestia. "It looks like a blunt arrowhead. A small arrow at that. Maybe it is a bolt from a crossbow?" Celestia mused while staring at the projectile. "Have you ever seen anything like it, Captain?" "I can't say I have, Your Highness. Then again, no one has managed to breach the castle's wards with a teleportation spell. Or whatever that gate thing was," The captain huffed while tapping her hoof rhythmically against the floor. She seems rather offended by the trespasser's feat. Well, she has increased the security ten-fold after that incident. I can't tell if it is paranoia or something else. Celestia mused while inspecting the projectile more closely. The entire scenario was weird. An unidentified creature appeared through a strange portal in the middle of her hallways while bearing arms. Even if it did collapse immediately after landing, the fact something had managed to break through the castle's defenses was worrying enough in itself. A big event would arrive in seven years, and Celestia couldn't allow any hiccups before then. "Once the creature is awake, bring it to me. Also, have you identified its name?" Celestia asked while handing the bullet to the captain. "We are still searching through the creature's possessions. And, as you wish, Your Majesty," Silver said before walking away. I better get some answers before deciding its fate. Celestia concluded while using her magic to bring forth the weapon the creature had in its hands. Waking up due to a rumbling stomach, Arthur slowly opened up his eyes. Stone floors, chains on the walls, a wooden bed without a mattress, and a bucket reeking of piss. Hello, medieval prison. I died and went into a medieval prison. Yep, that is completely normal. Arthur mused while getting up and rubbing his chest. Wait. I feel the pain in my chest. Therefore, I am awake and alive. But, where is the bullet hole? And, no scar? What is going on here? He pondered while analyzing his chest and clothes. My wallet, bag, cellphone, and ID are gone. Prison plus confiscated items, means I must have caused some sort of trouble with my arrival. Whatever the case, keep calm and explain yourself. So, long as they speak the same language, you can probably talk your way out of this. Just, tell the truth. Yeah. Tell them that you were shot and died. My god, I am so very fucked. After reaching that conclusion, Arthur heard the sound of steps above him. Metal shoes seemed to be hitting the stone ground as they approached him. The holding cells were fairly lit and there were no other prisoners, meaning, that those steps were probably meant for him. Taking a seat on the bed, Arthur waited with his hands in full view. His objective at that point was simple and straightforward. Survive. And this is where my narration ends. He will be the one to tell the tale of his life. My duty is done, and I'm sure he didn't feel the shot as much as he claims he felt. Then again, it was probably the first time he got shot, therefore, it might have been the worst pain he had felt in his life.
Chapter 1: ProofI write these lines with the intent of leaving a record. My life is no longer as it was. Moreover, as much as it pains me to admit it, I probably won't be able to return. Whoever decided to throw me into the magical land of Equos did a good job at hiding their methods. My memories come to an end when the "robber" shot me. I'm also being forced to record my activities in this thing for evaluation from the psychiatrist and the captain, who doesn't seem to think very highly of me. At any rate, I will describe what happened in my first encounter with the first Equestrian creature I met, Silver Hoof. Sitting on my bed, I kept my hands in plain view over my knees. I tried to look as friendly as possible. My situation didn't seem the best at the time. Therefore, the less suspect I looked, the better. Due to the medieval setting, and the weight behind the footsteps, I expected a knight in armor to appear. And I did get what I predicted, except for the fact she wasn't human. You read it right, my captor, dressed in a full set of plate armor made out of gold, was a unicorn. An anthropomorphic unicorn with a pink coat, roset mane, silver hooves, and who looked ready to throw a hook at my face. "So, five days unconscious, and now you are awake," She said while standing in front of the bars. I felt safe behind those bars. I bet that had I been in range, she would have grabbed me by the neck. "I appreciate the fact I was not tied to a chair or something. Thank you for leaving me relatively free. It puts me somewhat at ease," I said as calmly as I could. "Why would you be at ease behind bars? How many times have you been arrested for committing a crime?" She inquired with a smug look on her face. "I have never been put behind bars, nor have I committed any crimes. I thank you for granting me some level of freedom. Because, waking up in an unknown place, behind bars, and talking with a creature that I had never seen before. All of this puts me in a blind panic. I am terrified to the bone. Moreover, I feel like I am about to cry," I retorted calmly with my eyes watering up a bit. "If you have not committed a crime, why are you afraid?" She pressed while leaning closer to the bars. "Because the last thing I remember is being shot. The next thing I know, I'm behind bars, throwing up black goo, and collapsing again," I retorted while gripping my pants. There was a moment of silence between us. She stared at me with disdain before huffing and opening the door. "I have talked to the princess about your case. She insisted on meeting you. However, I managed to convince her that first, we should assess how much of a threat you are to us. Therefore, we shall take an assessment of your combat skills before her very eyes. Once she realizes the danger you represent, you will be thrown in the badlands," She said while her horn fired up, causing a set of shackles to appear. Ok. They have a princess. And she is planning to make a public execution. I AM VERY SCARED! I concluded while crossing my arms. "Not to be a nuisance, but wouldn't that be reckless? I have never been in a fight. However, if I knew how to fight, wouldn't you be exposing the princess to unnecessary danger?" I argued in hopes of making her back off. "The arena has a magical barrier. Once the battle begins, only those from the outside can come in and interfere," She said proudly. "If anything, the princess will be safer with you inside it, instead of an audience." FUCK. There is magic, AWESOME. There is magic, FUCK. I love this situation, and I hate it at the same time! I concluded while getting up and offering my hands. My captor seemed very pleased with the idea of restraining me. After placing the shackles on me, she put a blindfold on me. I heard a weird sound before feeling my body being stretched as if I was made of rubber. My head felt like it was about to explode, my muscles felt as if they were being torn apart, and my consciousness nearly faded into nothing. Before I could tell what was going on, the blindfold was removed. I wasn't in the holding cells any longer. No, I was outside. I felt overwhelmed by the sunlight as the light made my head hurt. There was a small fence around my waist in terms of height. It looked well-made and displayed small lavender banners with the symbol of the sun on them. I shook my head a few times while blinking to try and force my eyes to adapt. Once I could see properly, I realized that I was surrounded by white walls and archers, LOTS of archers. "Listen, I will not fight an ill-equipped opponent," My captor said while gesturing to a white stallion with a blue mane to bring in two types of armor. One that looked like the one my captor had. And another type of armor that looked lighter. "Take your pick. We will fight with melee weapons. No magic shall be allowed. Moreover, the fight only ends when one concedes defeat, or if you're feeling bold when one of us perishes." SHE WILL KILL ME!!! I screamed mentally while looking at the armor sets. I can't carry a full plate armor. I better take the lighter set. I concluded while picking up the chain shirt, the doublet, the gloves, and the leg armor. "So, you are either a scout or an assassin," The armored lady said while summoning a silver mace along with a silver shield. "Pick your weapon and a shield, if you feel you need one, that is," She said in a mocking tone. She looked ready to crush me as she summoned a set of fine-looking weapons. Longsword all the way! I can't even use a sword, let alone a shield. I mused while picking the longsword. I did my best to try and hold it properly, but my stance was pretty much what you would expect from something less than an amateur. "I'm good," I said while awkwardly holding the sword up and at her. "Very well," My captor said while dismissing the weapons. "Princess, everything is set. Please, come in so that you can see the threat with your very eyes," She said while bowing her head towards a balcony behind me. A white unicorn with wings came forth with a golden dress and a three-colored mane that floated in a non-existent wind. All of the soldiers stood at attention and saluted her as soon as she emerged from the balcony. Ok. Bigshot came out to play. I better play it cool and not do anything stupid. I concluded while kneeling and lowering my head. "Unknown creature, state your name and race," She said in a calm and yet, commanding voice. Very well, do not fuck it up. Straightforward and honest, stick to these two, and you will be fine. I reassured before taking a deep breath. "My name is Arthur Liney. I am a human," I replied in a clear tone while keeping my head down. "Very well, Captain Silver Hoof, You may begin your test at my command. Fighters, take your positions!" She said while I rushed to turn around and awkwardly draw the blade. I felt sweat forming on my forehead while I stared at the grinning mare. My heart raced as I tried to keep my made-up stance. My breathing got faster. My body shook. My body felt the rush of adrenaline. Fight or flight instinct kicked in as time seemed to come to a halt. "Ready, set, BEGIN!" The Princess announced as I readily threw the sword to the ground, dropped to my knees, and pressed my forehead against the dirt. "I SURRENDER!" I cried out as loud as I could with tears rolling down my face. All I could hear was the sound of something hitting the ground with a loud thud before something stomped its way towards me. "Are you mocking me?!" Silver Hoof said while grabbing my collar and holding me close to her face. She was fuming, and I felt as if she would gut me right then and there. That was when I realized the height difference. She stood a head above me and managed to lift me like I was a paperboard cutting. "You donned the armor. You got a weapon. And you throw it all away?! Do you think I am not worth fighting?! I am the captain of the royal guard!" "I'm sorry! But I never even held a sword until a few days ago! Please, don't kill me! All I want is to go home!" I said while holding my arms up in a clear sign of surrender. "You expect me to believe that?! You breached the castle's defenses with a weapon in hand!" She shot back with poison while bringing me closer. If looks could kill, I would be dead at that point. "I'm sorry! But I didn't do anything! A stranger attacked me. And the next thing I know, I was in prison! I don't know what else to say!" I replied while my voice cracked as if I had hit puberty. "Enough!" The princess ordered from the balcony. "That creature is terrified for its life, Silver Hoof. We tried your method. Now, we shall try it my way." PLEASE YES! You sound way more reasonable than her! I pleaded mentally while keeping my surrender pose.
Chapter 2: PleaThat was the extent of my first meeting with captain Silver Hoof. I believe I managed to get my point came across. This next fragment refers to my situation after forfeiting the duel. I have no experience wielding blades of any kind, let alone throwing a punch. Had I gone with the combat, I wouldn't have been able to survive this long. However, we are in an era much different from my own; therefore, there are things I have a dire need to learn. Among them, swordplay is along with the top ten. Since I prefer to keep things organized, I'll place a list of my top ten things to learn at the end of this entry. For now, I will describe my first-hand experience with what I believe to be a deity that, in this reality, can control the sun and moon. Her name is Celestia, her occupation is Princess of Equestria. Her titles vary from keeper of harmony to undying flame. Her story is about as long as this world according to Silver Hoof's speech, which I will transcribe to the best of my abilities. Her figure is comparable to that of gods in ancient Greek mythology. Celestia, like Silver Hoof, is taller than me. Except Celestia is about two, if not three, heads taller than me. Meaning that if I were to stand at attention before her while looking straight forward, I would be staring at her boobs. That won't be awkward at all. Lastly, she seemed way kinder than her stature and titles suggested. Moreover, I believe there is something amiss with her. Almost as if she keeping something locked up inside her. Everyone here seems to look up to her. And they have hope when they see her smile. Quoting my mother, "sad people smile the brightest." The blindfold must have loved me because it wasted no time to return to me. Once Silver reluctantly placed me down and stripped me of the armor; she restrained me once more before doing her teleport thing. It was as nauseating as the last time. "Please, remove the blindfold," Celestia said before I situated myself in the new environment. I was in court. A large room with a tall ceiling, a red carpet, humongous windows, and a golden throne stood before me. Princess Celestia sat at the throne while looking down on me (literally, not in a measuring way). "I hope you understand the need for the restraints." Getting down on my knees, I lowered my head before responding. "I understand. And I am grateful for a chance of telling my side of the story." "Is that what you think is happening here?" Silver Hoof inquired with a mocking tone while walking past me. "The princess intends to question you and sentence you. Do not get comfortable, you little bug," She added with a vicious tone that made me shiver a bit. "Now, now, Silver. Behave before the accused. Everyone deserves to be heard, isn't that right?" Celestia said in an insinuating tone. Silver Hoof seemed to click her tongue at her remark before nodding. "Good. Now, how about we start with a few questions, Mr. Arthur, was it?" "But of course, Your Highness," I replied as a feeling of relief washed down my body. "What brought you to our nation?" She inquired with a warm tone. I, however, felt my body freeze. I don't even know how I got here! I cried quietly. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I never intended to come to your nation," I replied hesitantly. "You don't say. So, how did you come around this?" Celestia asked before I raised my head. Floating before her, the sword the robber had forced on me shone with a golden aura. "It is a fine sword. It might pale before some of the weapons at our disposal, but it is a fine piece. And it seems to recognize you as its wielder." Please, don't tell me that thing is alive too!!! I begged while formulating my answer. "That blade was forced on to me by a thug. He had me hold it for a while as he held me as a hostage to his ranged weapon. He also spattered some non-sense about me not melting. He then shot me, and the next thing I know, I was in the holding cells," I explained while looking at the sword. Celestia didn't seem to show any reaction to my response, and that scared me. "Interesting response. Tell me, what are you again? I believe you mentioned something about being a "human," Is that correct?" Celestia continued while keeping the welcoming expression. I slowly felt my body grow colder. "Yes. I am a human. And if I may," I said before making a brief pause. Celestia gestured for me to continue, and I complied. "I am sorry for the disturbance and worries that my arrival may have caused. I assure you, I had no intention of ever causing trouble for anyone. I don't care about the sword. All I want is to leave this world where I am nothing but a disturbance. If could be so kind as to help me, I would be ever so grateful." "You presumptuous clown! How dare you ask a favor of the princess while you are being judged! This is the Keeper of Harmony! The Undying Flame of Equos! Her wisdom is matched only by her prowess in battle! No pony could ever hope to match her in any aspect, shape, or form!" Silver Hoof's speech continued. As much as I loved history classes, my focus was on another task entirely. I fucked up. I should have been more careful. I scolded while wincing at the white noise from Silver's speech. "Silver Hoof, stand down. As flattering as your speech was, I am the one conducting this interrogation and his judgment. So, please, refrain from making such remarks," Celestia intervened, Silver Hoof seemed to blush for a moment, before turning away from me. "Now, your arrival and unknown species support the idea of you being from another world. But, what I am trying to assess is whether you are a threat or not, Mr. Arthur. Therefore, I shall continue with my questions. We found documents related to a hospital in your belongings. However, some of your belongings were damaged. Therefore, we couldn't read all of the information. So, can you tell us what was your occupation?" "I was a surgery intern at the hospital. I am a doctor," I said while imagining my poor equipment being destroyed. "A healer? What spells did you use?" Celestia inquired while tilting her head. "I, I don't use spells," I replied hesitantly. "An alchemist then? What sort of medicines did you create?" She pressed on. "I use medicine that is provided to me by others. I examine the patients and determine the illness if there is any, and the best treatment available and affordable to them," I replied earning a frown from Celestia. "And the surgery part? What exactly do you do with that?" Celestia inquired while leaning forward. "I, er, I sow humans back together? With a thread and needle made for that purpose. I also cut them open to remove things that shouldn't be inside them and replace things that should be in there. Like, tumors, projectiles, necrotic tissue, and so forth," I tried explaining as best as I could without sounding like a psychopath. "Why would you need to use such a rudimentary method? Magic is a much safer method of dealing with such things," Celestia asked with a horrified expression. "Because I can't use magic? No one can, actually," I replied while rubbing my arm. "There isn't actual magic in my world. Just, magic tricks? Like, pretending to create a bouquet out of nowhere?" I added while trying to expand on the answer. "How do you even live in a world without magic?" Celestia asked in exasperation. "We adapt? I honestly don't know how to respond to that question. We just don't have magic. We meet an obstacle, we try to find a way around it. If we can't control something, we try to see the pattern and try to plan for it. That's about it. I won't try to explain my world since there is a lot of things I don't understand," I replied while feeling the situation wearing me down. The stress building up inside me was reaching a limit, and pretty soon, I would start to panic. "Then, tell me this, how do you learn about anatomy to act as a doctor?" Celestia asked with concern. I felt a chill run down my spine as I knew that she would be scared of the answer. However, if magic was a thing, who's to say they can't detect lies? "We study corpses. Other humans donate their corpses in a will while they were still alive. Or humans who would end up rotting in the ground without anyone ever visiting. There are legal procedures for receiving corpses for study," I replied as I felt my life slip away thanks to the horror on Celestia's face. "You desecrate your own kin?" She inquired while her face seemed to turn pale (she is white, that is a feat). My ability to think straight kept plummeting as the skill to fuck up the situation kept on a steady increase. "It's the only way to learn our anatomy aside from books. The other option would be to cut open a living human. That is about as cruel as breaking someone's bones and then fixing them. Moreover, if we were to use just illustrations from anatomy books, we would end up making mistakes. Mistakes that can cost lives. Because not every person is the same on the inside. If we just assume everyone is the same, we will make mistakes. There is a genetic condition that literally reverses the positioning of your organs on your torso what is supposed to be right, is left, and so forth," I replied while trying not to panic, the more panicked I am, the more likely I am to spit information unnecessary for the compensation or rush with my decisions. Suddenly, Celestia grew silent. She simply stared at me for several seconds with horror plastered on her face. However, she suddenly started to smirk before chuckling at me. I didn't understand what was happening until she began to clap and started speaking once more. "Well, it seems you do care about your own safety to not lie in my presence. And you also care enough about your kin to do something we consider taboo just so you could provide better aid to those that are alive. I am acquainted with quite a few ponies who would have lied about the things you just said," She said while holding her abdomen. "Princess. Are you sure you're not taking the things he just said too lightly?" Silver Hoof inquired while keeping her back turned to me. "I thought that you out of everyone else would know how much thought I put into my judgments," Celestia replied with a stern, yet caring tone. "Sorry," Silver retorted, for the first time, in an apologetic tone. "Apology accepted. We can speak more later. Now, as for your situation," Celestia said while turning to me with a smile I could tell was forced from a mile away. "I'm afraid I cannot do much for you or that request you made earlier today. We do not know how you were sent here. The reports said you simply appeared out of thin air. Without knowing how you were transported, I cannot send someone back." I simply fell on my butt at the response. First I get shot, then I get arrested, I escape a trial by sword and words, and now I can't go back. What do I do? How can I even make a living? I mused while staring blankly at the Princess and Silver Hoof. "I know it is not ideal. However, we will see that you receive proper papers and citizenship. We've put you through quite an ordeal after all," Celestia said with a warm tone while just kept trying to come up with a plan. I looked at Silver Hoof and that was when it clicked. In the middle ages, knights, although they had to fight, were taught how to read as well as other skills that were considered privileges in that era. They got paid, and they received some level of protection from their lords. If they were lucky enough they could become lords of a small piece of land. I could ask for a chance to become a knight. If I train and get the rank, I should have a steady source of income and the skills to survive here. But, I don't know how much of a rank being a knight is here. I concluded before letting my mouth run wild. "Do the royal guards get paid?" I asked bluntly as my caution went out the window the moment I heard I was stuck there. "Yes. Why wouldn't they? Do you have an interest? Wouldn't medicine be a more suitable job for you?" Celestia retorted as I got back on my feet. "Could I join the ranks? I will go through the training. I will complete the drills. You can have me jump through a hoop if it is part of the training. I will fall in line and do as I am told. So, please, just let me join. My knowledge of medicine will be of little help here. Since all of you deal with illnesses through magic," I pleaded while assuming the posture of a knight kneeling before his lord. I kept my head low for a few moments. I could hear whispering happening as well as some angry growls coming from the throne. There was a louder huff than usual and I finally got my answer. "Very well. You shall start tomorrow as a trainee. Silver Hoof will take you to the common barracks with the rest of the recruits that will join us tomorrow. From there, you can clean yourself and get one of the trainee's uniforms," Celestia said as I got up on my feet and saluted her. And that was pretty much how I escaped the death sentence and received a chance of getting a new start. I just feel bad for the ones back home and the fact I might have lost six years of my life because of how magic can pretty much cure anything. Entry 27869003 I've met the most peculiar creature today. After so many years of peace, I thought I had finally reached some sort of conflict and excitement. And I have, just not the type I had imagined. An unknown creature from a world lacking magic. I might have been cruel in the interrogation, seeing as I lied straight to his face. And I forced him to speak of things that would make most ponies run away in terror. Dissecting corpses? Sowing a living being back together. I must admit that it might be terrifying. But it is an exciting concept. Especially if you consider that his kind seems to have survived against nature and the elements without the aid of magic. An entire society that was built around magicless creatures that simply try to adapt and/or conquer the obstacles around them. And the best part, I didn't have to trick him into staying within my reach. He chose to stay as a member of the guard. There, I will be able to monitor him without having to make any excuses. Things to learn (I'll be updating this as I move on with my life): 1-Laws and History 2-Survival skills 3-Swordplay 4- Author's Note Another one. Thanks for reading! It really means a lot to me. Let me know your thoughts on it in the comments! Have a nice day!!!
Chapter 3: CompressionVery well, I've officially managed to take a bath, which was extremely refreshing by the way. I also received a set of clothes that adjusted to my size the moment I touched them. I am now the proud owner of a lavender uniform shirt with a sun on its chest, along with a pair of beige pants that have a brown belt to keep them in place. I also don't have any shoes. Why would I have shoes? Everyone around me is a pony. And I'm not fond of the idea of getting nails piercing my feet to place a metallic horseshoe on it. In short, I'm feeling like a hobbit from the Lord of the Rings. I hope that I don't grow fur on my feet like the ones in the movie. As much as I love the little ones, I always found their feet gross, to say the least. But that is not the issue here. The issue lies in something odd that occurred when I woke up the morning after. However, I should first clarify something. I am twenty-six years old. One year after graduating, I managed to score an internship in surgery. So, I spent a year working and studying. Now that is out of the way, I'll start the next entry. On a side note, I learned of something new to add to the list. It will be updated at the end of this entry. Silver wasted no time to send me down to the barracks after she made me fill a bunch of paperwork regarding my citizenship. By the time was finished, the sun had set on the horizon and Silver practically dragged me away from the head of the immigration's room. And into the barracks, she led me. As soon as I stepped into that place, I began to slightly regret my decision. It was a communal lounge, and most of the ponies inside that place were mares, I think I saw one or two males. One of which I had seen during the duel. Their bodies resembled humans in some areas, ponies in others, and I felt uncomfortable due to the looks I got. Now, in a cliché story, this means that the protagonist would be devoured through their eyes. Not in my case. The looks I got felt more like curiosity, some had disgust, others even looked afraid of me. Not that I can blame them, I was terrified since I didn't know how much damage they could cause to me. "Here," Silver said while tossing a set of clothes on my face. "Training starts first thing in the morning. The Restroom is back there. Males use the ones on the right. The baths are over there. Use them before we start tomorrow. No one here has to deal with your stench." "Understood, Ma'am," I said in a sad excuse of a military salute. Silver replied with a roll of her eyes and then walked away. Ok. I mused while watching everyone turn away from me and go on to their conversation. I analyzed the uniform and realized that there were no shoes. A quick check of my surroundings and I concluded. No one here uses shoes. And for good reason, why would they wear shoes? Holding my package, I walked through beds until I found an empty one. All of the mares watching my movements as if they were ready to attack if I did anything strange. Ok, I'll have to sleep here then. I concluded before I took notice of a small notebook with a weird pencil and a parchment. Placing the clothes on the bed, I picked the parchment first. Rules and regulations of the Royal Guard Trainees: 1-Articles of clothing that are not part of the uniform are not allowed under any circumstance, 2-Bringing mates or partners to the barracks is strictly forbidden, 3-Relationships between members are not prohibited, however, displays of affection during working hours or attempts to abuse position to benefit your partner shall be met with severe punishment, 4-If your commanding officer or senior officer orders you to do something of questionable nature, you have a moral obligation to disobey this order and report it to the head of the royal guard. You will be protected from any punishments regarding misconduct or accusations of insubordination until the story is verified and proven, 5-Only OFFICIAL members of the royal guard may brandish armor and weapons from the palace's armory, 6-Once the initiation is done, all trainees shall be allocated to specified rooms with a training partner designated by the commanding officer, Silver Hoof, 7-Abuse of power and/or status shall be met with extreme prejudice, 8-The safety of the citizens and Princess stands as the top priority. In case the trainees witness an event that puts the life of their compatriots (be they civilians or members of the guard) and/or the princess, the trainee is authorized to use force to nullify the threat if they feel they are capable of doing so, 9-All trainees must remain presentable during all moments of the day, 10-NO TRAINEE is authorized to carry weapons outside of the designated training arena, which shall only be used under the supervision of a designated instructor. Additional rules may be applied, keep this scroll in your possession at all times. Folding the scroll into a square, I reached for the notebook. I opened it and realized something that shook me to the core. They have their own writing. What the hell are these? I inquired while looking at a bunch of symbols. I turned to a mare that was close to me, a unicorn with a broken horn. Her mane was pink, and her coat was some dark shade of purple. She had a scar on her left eye and she looked like she could kick my ass without breaking a sweat. I should also mention that most of the ponies, contrary to Silver Hoof and Celestia were about my height, if not shorter by a small margin. "Um, excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but, can you tell me what is written in here?" I asked as the mare measured me top to bottom, she was about half an inch taller than me. "How did you get here without knowing how to read Equis?" She asked with suspicion. "I can read and write this," I said while showing the scroll to her. "You were taught common writing and tongue, but not Equis?" She pressed with a frown. "I am not from around here. And I have never seen this writing before, so, no?" I answered while trying to not annoy her. The mare groaned before ripping the book off my hands. "It says that this is a journal. It will serve as a psychological evaluation method for the therapist to assess your mental state. You will be summoned at random times to meet this therapist and will need to bring this notebook with you. It also states that you are supposed to write your impressions on your activities and the world around you," She said before tossing the notebook back at me, which led me to drop the thing on the floor. "Thank you," I said after catching it and removing the dirt. "Just don't talk to me, unless it's necessary," She said before walking away from me. As you wish. I mumbled while placing the book in the chest by my bed. The next thing I did was fetch my uniform and head to the bath. Something that I quickly came to regret as it was a public bathroom, with no separation between genders. And once more, there was a lot of mares in the water. Luckily for me, they were wrapped up in towels. I wrapped myself with one in a rush before heading to the corner furthest from the ponies present. I think there were about thirty or so mares and stallions in there (once more the number of mares exceeded the stallion count by a vast margin). I forgot to look for soap. And there it is. What about shampoo? What? Oh, right, Magic. I concluded after watching the objects materialize on a plate that had conveniently floated towards me. Washing as fast as I could, I got up and went to dry myself in the adjacent room. With that done, I put on the boxers and then headed to bed. I wasn't exactly fit, and I had lost weight fast due to the little coma I was forced through, so, I covered myself to hide my appearance as much as I could. I'm still trying to figure out how I survived 5 days without food and water. I slept while hugging my uniform tightly. And that was when something hit me like a truck. I woke up sweating and gasping for air as my chest felt as if an elephant was sleeping on me. I opened my eyes and rolled off the bed with a thud. Getting up took a lot of effort. As soon as I finally managed to stand, I felt the pressure in my chest move to the rest of my torso. A strong urge to vomit took over as I quickly ran in the dark towards the opposite end of the enormous communal barracks. By some miracle or other, I managed to get into a stall and throw my guts in the toilet. At the time I didn't even pay attention to the fact the middle ages had plumbing. I kept spilling my guts into the toilet, some type of black tar came out of my mouth until I passed out. "Wake up!" I heard a commanding voice as my ears rang loudly. "First night and you're," The one speaking was definitely Silver Hoof, but my vision was too blurry to confirm. Whatever the case, her scolding was put on a halt after I tried to get up and ended up slipping. "What in Tartarus happened here?" She asked as I tried my best to lift my head from the sticky black substance that had clogged the toilet and had filled it all the way to the top. "Hey, bug! Wake up!" I heard as I felt something grabbing my shoulder. "You threw up again. Wait. What happened to your face?" I'm not sure what happened next. But I guess that I was brought to the hospital or something close to it. Because, when my senses started to return I saw a tray in front of me with a bucket filled with some sort of weird black ooze that was moving on its own. It had a mouth that resembled that of a leech that appeared on multiple spots at the same time. It looked like something out of Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror stories. "That is a Stain Leech," The familiar voice from the Princess made me look to the side. Strangely enough, my eyesight had improved a bit as well as my hearing. She also looked taller than before, only a little. "As ghastly as these things may look, they tend to be beneficial to their host's health. Although, this one was heavily modified through alchemy and magic." I didn't respond to the explanation. I kept staring at the blob with one thing in mind. Was this thing inside me? "Normally, they are not visible to the naked eye. And they feast on toxic substances on a creature's skin or inside the host's body. Many ponies are coexisting with them without knowing of the parasite," She continued while looking inside the bucket. "That is mainly because they feed slowly. This thing, however," She said as her hand hovered over the bucket. This caused the leech thing to lunge at her hand. However, Celestia was faster and the leech missed the target. "This thing is ravenous. And it attached its digestive system to your stomach. And kept feasting at the damaged parts of your organs, blood, fat, and pretty much anything deleterious to your health, or that was in some way damaged to its perspective. They don't behave like that. They pick an area and eat from it slowly." "W-where was this thing?" I stuttered while watching the leech move back into the bucket. "Our doctors found it around and inside your heart. But the curious thing about it isn't where it was. It's both the effect it had as well as what it did to the areas it ate," Celestia answered before making a brief pause and using her magic to summon a mirror that she handed to me. "See for yourself." Looking at my reflection, I expected some type of mutation or transformation to have deformed me. What I got actually scared me a bit more. I look like I'm seventeen again. What the hell? I mused while examining my longer hair and my less exhausted expression. College did a number on me and pretty much everyone I met. "You look younger, as do your organs. At least, that's what our doctors concluded after analyzing your body with a few spells. Now, there is a small chance that some of it might still be in you," Celestia said. I responded by dropping the mirror and stared at her face. "It was attached to your heart. And as you can see, it doesn't have a fixed form. So, some pieces of it might have gotten loose in your blood vessels." "So, I have babies of THAT running inside me?" I asked to confirm what I had just heard since the face of seventeen-year-old me was still dancing around like an idiot blocking my brain, preventing me from doing anything properly. Celestia nodded in response. "Great! Teleported, arrested, judged, enlisted, just discovered that I am illiterate, and now I have an eldritch parasite running through my blood," I whined while looking at my hands. "Excuse me, but, did you just say you're illiterate?" Celestia inquired as a nurse passed by and nearly fainted from the black ooze in the bucket. I immediately facepalmed at my idiocy. "I learned that I can't read or write Equis. I can read and write in the common tongue. It's no big deal," I replied while sinking my face on my hand. I didn't use to whine. What is wrong with me? Oh, right! Everything! I concluded before pushing the tray to the side and getting up. I still had my boxers. But, my uniform? I left it in the barracks. "I believe these are yours?" Celestia said as my uniform floated towards me. Once again, when I touched it, they shrunk ever so slightly. I ended my growth spurt later since I started later. I didn't reach my full height until I was half-way through my eighteens. "Thank you, Your highness," I said while putting the uniform on in a rush. "I need to go. Captain Silver Hoof is probably giving the orientation now. Once more, thank you for your kindness," I added before making a quick half-baked salute and trying to rush out of the place. Only to realize, that I had no idea as to where I was going. Therefore, with a resigned sigh, I returned to the place where I had woken up. "I'm sorry. But I have no idea how to navigate this place. How do I get back to the barracks?" The princess chuckled at my stupidity. I'm glad that at least I'm making someone smile. She looks like she needs it. "The orientation is already over. You've been asleep for half a day. You were also getting hydrated through an IV," She said with a smirk as I felt sweat form on my forehead. "Don't worry. The long and short is simpler than you think. The first training session is tomorrow. Silver has a habit of scaring the recruits on the first day. Makes the ones looking for easy money quit right off the bat," She added while smiling at my reactions. "Um, so, what do I do now?" I asked bluntly while trying to keep a somewhat presentable posture. "You will come with me so I can get you a teacher in Equis. If you're going to be a guard, you need to know how to read, write, and perhaps speak Equis," Celestia said as she gestured me to follow. Technically speaking, I am a guard in training, so, if she ordered me to follow, by proxy I had to do so unless something shady happened. Thus, I ended up in a forty-minute walk through a maze of corridors that looked the same except for a couple of decorations that didn't help much either. Repeated vases and flowers, repeated banners, the eventual windows, and sometimes a bust of Celestia's profile. So, yeah, I would be very lost without Celestia as my guide. I guess this is how some of these ponies look at her. "What do you think of my castle?" She asked without looking at me. "It is very grand. It is impressive," I said while trying not to let my mouth speak my thoughts out loud. "Well, the architects were adamant in making this a large palace. And they were adamant about making it in the semblance of my "immaculate" image. And while I appreciate the effort, I find them, rather bland," Celestia said as we continued on our path. I had no idea if we were heading somewhere or if she was stalling for time. Tell me about it. It's a sea of blinding white in here. I mused while looking at a vase with purple flowers that added a much-needed touch of color to that place. "Tell me the truth, would have it changed?" Celestia asked while glancing at me over her shoulder. I guess I need to answer? Is she testing me here? I pondered while trying to figure out a way to express myself without being disrespectful. That was when I took notice of her mane and tail floating in three different colors, as well as her golden horseshoes, necklace, wristbands, and crown. "Well, as beautiful as your coat may look, you also have other colors. And they are also a part of your image. Unless there is someone else with a mane like yours. Your golden accessories also stand out. They accentuate the rest of you. So, I guess adding some color to the decorations would be showing that there is more to you than, all this white," I said while looking at the gardens outside. "Look, the gardens make the castle look alive. So, maybe, decorating it would make it look more lively?" "What about the desires of the architects? They poured their hearts and souls into this place. Should I just overlook them?" She asked readily, almost in a rehearsed way, while turning to face me and halting our walk. How many times did you talk about this with others? I would bet almost eighty, or something close to it. And if that's the case, why are you having this conversation with me? I mused while staring at her for a second or two. "If hurting their memory is what worries you, why don't you make a session of the palace decorated after the story of this place? How it was built and so forth?" I suggested while keeping a somewhat decent posture. This seemed to catch the princess by surprise as, for the first time, she didn't seem amused or trying to make me say something specific. "That is probably a first. I'll have to consider that. Maybe, should I try setting up a section for some important events in Equestria?" She said more to herself than to me as she absentmindedly held her chin with her fingers and looked at the walls. Celestia started walking away once more, however, her pace was faster than before. Meaning I had to jog to keep up with her. We must have walked for about ten to fifteen minutes. And Celestia only stopped because we ran into someone else. That someone else being a Pink winged unicorn with her mane tied up on a ponytail and wearing a dress that you usually see on female characters from cartoons. The good-girl type of character. This mare had a bunch of books in her hands and was about as tall as Silver, maybe slightly shorter than her. "Good afternoon, Aunt!" She greeted cheerfully. This seemed to snap Celestia out of her thoughts as she abruptly stopped in the middle of the hall. Ok. So, Celestia has a family after all. I concluded while standing at attention. "Oh! Nice to see you, Cadance," Celestia greeted while regaining her composure. "Did something happen? You're not usually this distracted," Cadance inquired as she completely ignored my presence. Not that I cared at that point. After getting a fair share of weird looks by just about everyone I met, managing to keep a low profile for once was an accomplishment in my books. "Oh, just pondering over some ideas I received from a recruit," Celestia said before gasping and looking back at me. "Now that's a relief, you managed to keep up. I do apologize, it seems I got too engrossed in the idea of bringing a bit more life to this place," Celestia said in an apologetic tone that also made Cadance realize my presence. "Realize" being an understatement. Her eyes looked like they were ready to jump out of their sockets. I couldn't tell if she was curious, scared, both, or something else entirely. I would bet on scared and something else. Mainly because I felt the same way from when I was back at the barracks. Or maybe, I'm just paranoic? It would make sense given my situation. "Um, Aunt, who is this?" She asked while keeping her eyes on me. Thank you. At least you asked who I am instead of what I am. I thanked while bowing before her. "This is Arthur Liney. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, he is stuck here in Equos. We just added him to our new roster of recruits. However, we overlooked a small detail. Mr. Liney here is illiterate in the Equis language. Therefore, I decided to take it upon myself to find him a teacher," Celestia explained as I kept my bow, even if my back were hurting. Again, not the most athletic or flexible individual in school, high school, or college. "But, what brings you to this part of the castle?" "I, er, I needed to deliver these books back to the library!" She replied while obviously trying to come up with an excuse. Celestia chuckled a bit before turning to me. "Well, it seems I need to add some signs for my staff and other guests as part of the decorations. My niece seems to have lost herself. The library is on the opposite side of the castle. We are close to the barracks!" Celestia said with a coy smile as Cadance's wings seemed to pop and she hid behind her books. I heard a few steps before listening to a piece of what Celestia whispered to Cadance. "Your friend should be bathing now. You can probably see him if you," I couldn't hear the rest. Celestia must have spoken in an extremely low voice. Standing at attention again, I saw Cadance's wings get stiffer as she blushed like a tomato. Weird way of speaking about a quote-on-quote friend, mentioning the baths, and a flustered character that looks like they are about to let the steam come out of their ears. Ok, she is about to try and peep at someone in the baths, isn't she? I concluded while staring into nothing. "I, I see. W-well, I need to go," Cadance said while turning away from Celestia. "Cadance," Celestia said before Cadance could make much ground. "Would you be a dear and teach, Mr. Liney here?" Celestia asked as I broke character and looked back at Cadance. Only at that moment did I realized something, Cadance had a tiara on her head like Celestia's. Meaning, she was probably a princess as well. "Sure!" She shot back before running off, post-haste. "Well, I believe that matter has been dealt with. And with a fair exchange nonetheless," Celestia said with a chuckle. She is quite the manipulator, isn't she? I pondered while staring at Celestia. Just a reminder, I had no shoes on, and my feet were killing me. "I believe I kept you away from the barracks for long enough. Your things must have been moved to the barracks already. I'll leave you at your door. Do remember to knock, will you?" Celestia said before firing up her horn. Unlike Silver's teleportation magic, I didn't feel as much nausea, nor did it hurt. I actually felt a bit of warmth in the aura before appearing before a wooden door, room O-97. There was a nameplate on the door with two names etched into it. One of them was scratched and had a name written over it. Fizzelberry Che-something? I concluded while trying to read the scratched name. Tempest Shadow. Arthur Liney. Ok then, try to be friendly. You will deal with this pony for quite some time. So, make a good first impression. I advised while raising my hand and building up my courage before knocking on the door. "Excuse me?" I said while knocking on the door. "I'm Arthur Liney. Your new roommate. And I believe, your new training partner?" I said while trying to sound calm. I heard the door being unlocked. The door opened and I saw the mare from before. The one that translated the diary's inscriptions to me. She had a tank-top shirt on with gym shorts on. She was covered in sweat, breathing through her shoulders, and didn't seem all too pleased to see me. "At least you only spoke to me when necessary," She said before grabbing my hand and shoving a key into my hands. "Keep to your side of the room and don't speak to me unless it's necessary." "Understood," I mumbled before entering and realizing that by "my side" she meant a small portion of the room. She had taken over most of the space with her own set of weights and a punching bag. It was clear that I wasn't welcome. But, since I'm going to need to deal with her for who knows how long, it's best to try and make things as smooth as possible. Someone had to take the initiative to make things work out. Therefore, I will it upon myself to start things out. First, I need to let her know that I am there to work with her, not against her. And I think the best way to do that, for now, is to comply with her conditions and try my best on the training tomorrow. Who am I kidding? I'm screwed. Subject file: Arthur Liney. Age: 26 (as reported by the subject). Apparent age: 17. Affiliation: Unknown. The analysis of the entries written by the subject indicates considerable fear of his surroundings as well as an attempt to be a part of his new environment. Although, most of his decisions thus far seem to be biased by the knowledge he must have brought from his homeland. This could lead to problems adjusting should this information be wrong. Almost all of his choices seem to be driven by an instinct of self-preservation. And given the subject's situation, his responses are understandable and don't seem to harbor any ill intent. Thus far there are no signs of psychological issues or anything that would deem the subject unfit for training or interactions with other ponies. Doctor's analysis: FIT FOR DUTY. Recommendation: Therapy sessions to smoothen the subject's adaptation to their new environment. Signed: Dr. Night Light. The updated list of things to learn: 1-Read and write Equis, 2-History and laws, 3-Survival Skills, 4-Swordplay, 5-Self-defense (?) 6- Author's Note ANOTHER ONE! Thank you so much for reading! If you could be so kind as to let me know what you thought of the chapter, please, leave a comment! I would love to hear your feedback. Thank you once more!
