Sky Scribbles felt his ears pop as the train continued to slowly gain altitude, rounding the mountain up to the Equestrian capitol of Canterlot. He flexed his jaw to equalize the pressure, then resumed leaning back in his seat, watching the hills and prairies below become smaller by the minute. The train entered into a tunnel that had been bore into the mountainside. leaving the only illumination in the car be from the roof and floor for a few moments. When the Friendship Express came out the other side thirty seconds later, you could barely make out the castle, which was easily the most visible structure from anywhere south of the mountain. But while the residence of the Princesses was built into the cliffside, the 'city' proper was in the valley behind it, on both sides of the rivers and streams that flowed out to the cliff edges and down into the valleys below, contributing greatly to the cloud cover that surrounded the city a lot of days.

The capitol was roughly four 'districts', divided by the rivers that it was built around. The eastern district was where all on-hoof traffic came into the city, where the majority of residences were located. That crossed over to the downtown district, by far the largest portion of the city. Depending what direction you went from there, you could go to the western district, where enlisted EUP and their families were housed, as well as the airship docks, and then of course, the castle district, where Canterlot Castle, the Castle Gardens, and Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns were located, and understandably the most secure part of the city. The track came into the city from the north, and for security reasons, Canterlot Station was nowhere near the castle, and was right on the edge of the downtown and east districts.

Sky heard the train whistle blow, as he felt the Friendship Express begin to slow. Two minutes later, the train came to a stop and the brakes let out a hiss a few moments before the doors opened as the occupants got to their hooves and began to file out onto the platform. Sky grabbed his saddlebags and small suitcase, putting it on his back as he exited the train. The large analog clock on the exterior of the train station told a time of nearly noon, and the pegasus was wondering where he should eat, as he definitely didn't want to go to the castle on an empty stomach. But it probably shouldn't be a large meal, as his nerves still hadn't settled, and he didn't want to become ill once he had arrived. Perhaps just a snack.

After passing through the station, Sky found himself on the streets of downtown Canterlot. If the spires of the castle weren't visible almost anywhere from the main roads, he would surely get hopelessly lost without a map. While it had been modernized in places, the city's architecture gave away just how old the city was; existing even well before the reign of Celestia and Luna. His hometown of Ponyville was a little under a century old, but Canterlot was older than a millennium, one of the oldest cities in Equestria.

Signage for the various businesses were anything but contemporary as he walked the streets, as the city council was keen on Canterlot keeping it's almost fantastical and medieval appearance, without more modern flare and advertisements taking up the views. The closest one got was a chalkboard out front listing off specials of the day or week. Sky knew he didn't want anything sit down; he preferred something he could eat quickly, or even better, something he could consume on the go, and those places were few and far between in a city that prided itself on being a bit more regal.

As he got deeper into the downtown district, the spires of the castle to the south became more visible, and Sky, taking a breath, realized that it was perhaps a better idea to find a bistro with outdoor seating, and take a few moments to eat, so as to give the butterflies in his stomach a little less room to move about. Keep an eye out for a suitable place, he came to a restaurant on the next corner, and eyed the chalkboard menu out front.

"Welcome to Haymakers, sir. Shall I find you a seat?" the greeter asked as he approached.

"A seat outside in the fresh air, if you're able. I'm on my way to the castle, and need something quick and tasty, if you can," Sky replied.

The greeter nodded, and immediately directed him to one of the smaller tables on the right side. A waiter came up and placed a menu at his place at the table as he sat down.

"First time in Canterlot, sir?" he asked.

"No, but it's been several years, and it's certainly the first time going to the castle," Sky replied as he picked up the menu. He opened it up, and kept his eyes on the appetizers. Cheap, and just filling enough to keep his stomach from complaining. "I'll take an apple cider and the 'Through the Garden' hay fries. Just a little something to calm the nerves."

With that, he closed the menu, and slid it back towards the waiter who quickly wrote down his order.

"Very good sir, I'll get that in right away," the waiter replied, picking up the menu, and turned to head back into the restaurant, leaving the pegasus to lean back in his chair and stair down the street at the castle spires on the horizon, nearly sparkling in the overhead sun.

'What could she possibly want with me?' Sky wondered. He had been circling this question for hours, while getting ready, while sitting on the train, and now, while waiting on his food. He never recalled having any particularly distressing dreams that had ever required royal assistance; his dreams were almost always something he forgot about within five minutes after waking up, anyways. Did he somehow need her help? Did she need his? How would he possibly be able to help a pony like her?

These questions were only going to get more ridiculous and remain unanswered until he got there, and he didn't want to do that on an empty stomach; the cookies he had packed hadn't held his stomach back, and the nervousness had made him positively ravenous. His mouth was nearly watering when the waiter came back with a mug of cider, and steaming plate of hay fries, covered in melted cheese, green onions, olives, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole.

He took his first bite, and was immediately grateful that there were a precious few establishments here in Canterlot that were simpler and reminded him of home. The pegasus wasn't sure how long he was going to be here, but no doubt there was going to be at least one meal in the castle that would certainly bury all of the preconceived notions he had about fine dining. It would certainly be something to tell Lyra and Bon Bon when he got back to Ponyville.

"You seem to be in a hurry, sir. Shall I bring you your bill?" The waiter asked, coming over five minutes later when he saw that the appetizer had been finished.

Sky nodded politely.

"Yes, thank you kindly. I could sit here all day with how nervous I am," he told the waiter.

The white stallion nodded curtly, headed inside, and was out barely a minute later with the black book that contained the short receipt for the meal.

"Visiting the castle?" The waiter asked as Sky finished off the mug of cider, placing a ten bit piece into the booklet on top of the receipt. Sky nodded.

"I got an invitation in the mail this morning from Princess Luna, and I haven't got the faintest clue as to why she wants to see me. I'm just a weatherpony from Ponyville," Sky answered, as he placed a five-bit coin into the hoof of the waiter.

"Thank you very much, sir, and it may seem daunting, but if I may be so bold as to offer advice; be yourself. Whatever the reason you've been invited here, that has to be easier than putting on a show. Have a pleasant day, and thank you again for your patronage."

Sky smiled at the waiter as the plate and mug were removed, he wiped his muzzle with his napkin, and got up from his seat, stepping out into the street again, and began walking towards the spires of Canterlot Castle, which were becoming larger with every step.

"Alright," he said to himself, taking a deep breath. "No more stalling. Let's go and find out what this is all about."

Author's Note

I hope all this slow-paced fluff isn't putting anyone off. Didn't really make much sense to skip right to the castle in between chapters. I hope all of you are enjoying the story so far, and thank you very much for reading!