An exasperated sigh leave's the human's lips as he's finishing getting ready to depart for Canterlot. Justin, the Sole Human in Equestria, Loving Husband to Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the First Human Prince is packing up a few essentials to go see family. To be honest, he's nervous, he always gets anxious when they go see her parents. Might be because he fears messing something up and making them hate him, may be it's because his mother-in-law assaults him with so much love that it he has a hard time saying 'no.' Yeah, has to be the latter. A pair of hands press against his chest that wrap up from underneath his arms. A smile forms as he moves his hands to cover hers with a nice, soft kiss to his cheek.
"Nervous about seeing them?" He hears his wife's voice say to him in a quiet tone.
"Always." Justin replies while turning his head to look her in the eyes.
There it is, those beautiful violet eyes staring back at him with the warmest smile that puts him way at ease. He can already feel the words that are about to leave her mouth. Something about how he has nothing to worry about with her parents. If he were honest with himself, she's right. Twilight doesn't say anything as she just lower her eyelids and rests her chin on his shoulder. He just gently squeezes her hands, running his thumbs against her palms.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You don't have to say it." He soon continues with.
"Whatever do you mean?" She asks in a rather innocent tone, batting her lashes at him.
"That I have nothing to worry about and that your parents love me to bits." Justin just responds
A rather girly giggle leaves the alicorn and she pecks his lips with a kiss. "Bet your flank they do."
One of his hands leaves hers to shut the suitcase he had been packing with an assortment of clothing and essentials. While Twilight's now free hand wanders over to his other, brushing by the three feather pendant he never dares to take off, her fingers resting on the wedding band on his ring finger. The accessory is quite simple, a plain golden band with six gem inserts. One for each Element of Harmony, One for each of His Mares. As soon as the suitcase locks a small idea pops into her head with one of her coy smirks.
"Say, you think we have enough time for a quickie before we have to leave for the train?" Twilight asks in a hushed whisper.
There's a pause in the man as he seems to be mulling it over.
Then Spike's voice can be heard from outside in the hall. "If we don't leave now, we're going to be late to the station!"
"Well, there's your answer." He whispers back to her before raising his voice to respond to the young drake. "No worries, buddy! We're ready!"
"Poo." Twilight admits defeat this time. Punctuality over getting some she supposes.
The three stand amongst the hustle and bustle on the platform of Ponyville Station. Justin and Twilight stand next to one another wit hands intertwined while Spike seems to be just about ready to bounce off the walls. Ponies from all over stand in wait for the train much like the trio, and true to Ponyville fashion they go mostly unnoticed. Mostly. Wherever the man's eyes would drift, he would catch a pony of two staring at them out of the corner of their eye or just straight up staring their way until they notice he's looking back. Usually there's a small panic for the latter as they act nonchalant about it. It becomes obvious at that point those ponies are here to visit the quint little town and aren't used to Royalty standing amongst the crowd.
It's not like they're trying to stand out in the first place either. All three of them are dressed as casual as they could be. It just isn't hard to hide the fact that there's a drake, an alicorn, and a human on the platform, waiting for the train, like anyone else. If anything, this feels oddly normal to him, putting him even more at ease for the trip. He feels Twilight's hand grip just a little tighter on his and his response is to lean over and kiss her on the cheek. A shrill sound of the train's whistle blows off in the distance to signal it's approach. Thankfully saving the Princess from the side eye glances she no doubt has been noticing as well.
The train's speed slows as it closes in and eventually comes to a halt while pulling up to the station. The doors to the passengers slide open and a wave of bodies start unboarding while others are boarding. The three being a part of the boarding crowd, finding it a good thing they paid for a private booth. They weave through pony after pony to their seats in a more secluded part of the train. Sliding the door wide, Justin ushers in both Twilight and Spike, then helping the latter get his luggage put away. They all take a relaxed sigh as they are finally able to sit back. Twilight is of course right up against her husband's side while Spike is excitedly looking out the window. Justin just smiles as he watches the young dragon.
"A little excited there, bud?" The man asks, garnering the attention of Spike.
"Yeah! It's great to see Mom and Dad!" He cheerfully exclaims.
The smile only grows a bit wider at his excitement. Sure it was the same kind of excitement everytime, but it brought the man quite a lot of joy. Especially hearing the dragon refer to them with such fondness despite being differing species. Which kind of reminds him of Fudge, which also reminds him to visit her while they're in Canterlot. The train lurches forward when it starts to move again, departing for their intended destination.
Twilight leans up to whisper. "Not a lot of ponies treat Spike like we do. He does see you as a big brother."
"Sounds like Shining has some competition then." Justin silently comments.
"Ooooh, he better watch out." She silently giggles.
The man jerks awake, unaware he had fallen asleep as some point during the trip. He groggily looks around to find that he wasn't the only one. Spike is curled up on the seat across from them and Twilight is pressed against his side with his arm around her, he is leaning against the wall. He figures he probably fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of the engine. Justin starts to lean forward, attempting to not wake up his wife as he goes to look out the window. Instead of the rolling greens hills of nature surrounding Ponyville, he's met with the gray stones of the mountains Canterlot resides on.
A mighty yawn leaves the human as he semi-stretches, starting to suspect the ride is at its halfway point. He starts to sit up, pulling his alicorn that much snugger against his side with a smile. In turn she starts to smile in her restful nap and that warms him up a little. Justin starts to look around the cabin, seeing if anything is within reach to wrap up in. A soft knocking comes to the cabin door, catching his attention.
"Come in." He sort of whispers loud enough to not wake Spike or Twilight.
The door quietly slides open to reveal one of the train's attendants. "Sorry to disturb you, your Highness, but I've been asked to see if you need anything." They whisper back with their head poking in.
"You're fine, but you wouldn't happen to have some blankets, would you?" He asks making sure the other two haven't been stirred awake yet. "It's getting a little chilly in here."
It had gotten quite a bit colder since they are higher in the mountain range. The attendant is more than happy to provide a pair of blankets, the human does silently ask of them to cover up Spike. To show his appreciation for the help, Justin uses his one free arm to fish out his bits pouch and proceed to tip the attendant for their service. The attendant just beams at him and bids him a quiet farewell before leaving. The man sighs a little as he starts to gaze out the window for the rest of the trip.
Yet, he has the strangest feeling about today.
The train finally pulls into Canterlot Station, coming to a slow halt. Justin gently wakes up Twilight then moves to get Spike up. The alicorn is slowly finding her bearings back on the waking world, soon to be the same with her drake assistant. Once everyone was sufficiently awake, their respective belongings are gathered, blankets neatly folded, then they departed out on to the station platform. The sea of ponies on the station floor of Canterlot is far larger than what they saw at Ponyville a few hours before, meaning the wayward glances are far more and less concealed. That mattered not to the still somewhat groggy alicorn and dragon, even less so to the human that was keeping them together despite the years spent by the former here. They make a quick stop for some warm cider to help wake their minds and clear up their senses.
The trio soon take to the streets of Canterlot, disappearing into a crowd of ponies and coming out on the other side. They know where they're going and they honestly would like to get settled in before doing anything else. Street after street with a few back streets thrown in, they soon find themselves at the front gate of a quaint townhouse tucked just out of the way from any main walkways on a road with little traffic. It's the home of Twilight Velvet and Night Light, the alicorn's childhood home alongside her brothers. A lot of good memories are present here as they just kind of stand there, staring, together.
For the human, it may as well be a different story from the time he was accidently enthralled to Twilight Sparkle as a familiar. A time before her ascension, a time before she left for Ponyville. The first ponies outside of the alicorn to treat him like he belonged, which may have been in part of their daughter at the time. All still good memories from that singular year.
The front door to the home opens, revealing a middle-aged unicorn mare with a gray coat and mane bearing some semblance of her daughter's. Cerulean eyes fall on the group and they beam with an unfathomable amount of happiness at seeing them. A happiness that also causes a high-pitched squeeing to come out of her mouth as she starts to jog down the path towards the gate.
"By the Stars! It is so good to see all of you again!" The familiar mare exclaims, immediately throwing her arms around her daughter once she makes it to the gate while making her way through it. Planting one kiss on each cheek. "Look at you, you're positively glowing!"
"Mom.. please!" Twilight sort of whined while not putting up much of a fight to the Sparkle Matriarch. "You do this every time in front of my husband! It's embarrassing!"
Velvet stops to look at her daughter, then to the aforementioned human. "He doesn't look like he's complaining."
"Mom!" It's too late as she's moving on to the human.
"There's another of my handsome boys." She places her hands on his face with a warm grin. "It's good to see you, honey." Velvet then takes him in a large and welcoming hug while giving his cheeks the same treatment as Twilight, but instead returned.
"Its good to see you too, Mrs. Sparkle." He responds.
The name earns him a playful swat to his stomach. "Hush, you know you can call me 'mom.' I haven't treated you any different since day one."
It's true, but Justin just smiles at her. "Sorry."
Velvet just smiles back a him and casts a glance over to a red-faced Twilight that's glaring at her, then looks back to the man. "Keeping her grounded?"
"Best as I can." He dutifully responds.
The answer only serves to make the mare's smile widen, the her eyes fall upon Spike. "And My Little Spikey." She saunters over and kneels down to give the dragon a proper hug. "Always good to see that you're doing well. Taking care of yourself?"
"Always, mom." Spike replies with a wide grin. Gladly accepting the cheek kisses.
"Velvet, dear! Stop embarrassing the kids and let them come inside!" The voice of Night Light calls from the front door. His features just as soft with the same welcoming smile as his own wife. "They're probably hungry from their trip."
"Oh! I'm sorry, loves! I bet you three would just love a home cooked lunch."
After the three we shown their rooms, Spike getting his own while the couple took to the guest bed, they are treated to lunch courtesy of the parents. Salad, steamed vegetables, and even gems are on the menu along with some family dishes to ensure noone is going to leave the table hungry. Night took a spot at the head of the table while Velvet took to the other side. Twilight and Justin sit next to each other and Spike sits across from his sister on the other side. Everyone help themselves to a little bit of everything, save for the gems since those are for the dragon amongst their family.
"So." Night Light starts with while looking at this son-in-law. "What does my son of a Prince do for a living now?"
Justin looks over, finishing chewing on the bit of carrot he has in his mouth. "I still box, I even teach a youth class now."
"Not the one to be idle?" The older stallion asks with a smile, to which he gets a head shake as a response.
"Not a whole lot to do really. Seems like ponies are scared to ask me to do things because of the title."
"Oh don't you worry about that." Velvet is next to speak up. "Night here is always finding something to do in or around the house."
"Heh. Guilty as charged." Night responds after getting a bite of salad in. "Twily, anything new with you or your friends?"
"Well, I think Starlight has made some progress on her magic project. She's excited about that." Twilight starts. "Outside of that, I haven't really had time to just sit down and read a good book."
"Busy being a Princess, are we?" Velvet asks with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"That, and being the savior of Equestria." Twilight comments. "The map doesn't help either."
"When was the last time you even had time to yourself?" Night ends up asking.
"Not since the wedding." The alicorn responds rather dryly
"And the honeymoon. You enjoyed every bit of that" Justin inserts, causing her cheeks to redden on the spot.
"Spike, what about you, honey?" Velvet switches just as quick to save her daughter some face.
Spike opens his mouth to say something, but then his eyes shoot open. Soon after he starts to hack and cough heavy smoke as if something is stuck in his throat. He looks to Justin, meeting his eyes in a silent plea for help. The human nods and quickly gets up from the table and heads over to the young dragon, grabbing the back of his chair and dragging him away from the table. Acting quick, he then gets Spike up out of the chair and wraps his arms around the drake's front to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. With every press, dark smoke comes out of the dragon's maw, on the third and last press a letter shoots out. It ricochets off the floor, two walls, and the table before Twilight catches it n her magic. Justin is rubbing the dragon's back while the alicorn starts to unravel the letter. All attention is split down the middle with both concern for Spike and intrigue for the random letter. Twilight's expression starts to change from interest to surprise as she continues to read.
"You gonna be okay, buddy?" Justin asks, still kneeling down next to Spike.
"Yeah." He answers, coughing a little more to clear his throat of smog. "Never had that happen before."
"Justin." Twilight's voice cuts in, teleport the scroll over to him. "The Princess is asking for you. It sounds urgent."
The human raises a brow as he grabs the letter and looks over it. Low and behold, she's right. Celestia is asking for him, wanting to say why to him in person. "Just me? Noone else?"
Twilight just shakes her head. "Nope. Wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you."
The man just nods a little, looking between the parents. "Mom. Dad. I'm sorry to leave when just showing up, but it seems I've been summoned."
"Oh you're fine dear!" Velvet is first to respond. "Go! Go! We're sure Twilight will keep the bed warm for you when you get back."
"Justin, I'm terribly sorry for pulling you away from your family visit, but I feel you needed to see this." Celestia's tone comes off as rather dire, urgent much like her letter, yet still in the dark.
"Tia, please for the love of all that is holy, just tell me what's so important I had to run across half of Canterlot while having lunch." He responds with a might bit of irritation.
"It appears we've found another human."
All the irritation and possible anger seems to just melt away in that instant. He now sees why she asked him specifically, but now has a couple more questions. Instead, she just beckons him to follow her. He quietly complies as the Solar Princess leads him deeper in to the castle. Twisting and turning around hallways and corners, eventually finding themselves in the Infirmary Wing of the castle. She takes him inside and leads him to a secluded room, unlocking and opening the door to reveal the other human. Possibly the second human now in Equestria. Justin's mouth slacks a bit as he looks over the second of his kind, another man.
"Fuck." He mutters at the sight of the unconscious male.
The more he looks over the man, he finds that his body is a tad slimmer, almost as he was when he first appeared, fair skin tone, and raven black hair. Unfortunately he can't see the eyes with him being knocked out cold and all. Justin then turns his alicorn friend with amazement.
"How.. where the fuck did you find him?" He asks.
Celestia suddenly finds more interest in the floor than the gaze of the Prince. Pressing the tips of her index fingers together. "I... may have brought him here.."
Justin could swear he heard glass breaking in the back of his head somewhere. "....Whyyyy?"
"I wanted to recreate the conditions that young Twilight Sparkle brought you here with." She meekly admitted.
Justin just deadpans before grabbing her by the hand and leading her out of the room. Making sure the door is closed before turning back to her with a semi glare. "What if he wants to go back home?! Did you plan for that?"
"Well... no.. I didn't think it would work." Celestia again admits. "Since the only pony to have done such a thing, I figured there's no chance it could happen a second time."
Justin pinches the bridge of his nose as he exhales with mild annoyance. "Tia, even for someone who's been around as long as you have, that was not only bold, but dumb."
"I know." She hangs her head in defeat. "I want you to be here when he wakes up. I'm hoping another of his kind may help him adjust a little easier knowing he won't be alone."
"I'll do it for you, as a friend, but under one condition."
Celestia finally looks up at him. "Name it."
"I want to bring Twilight in on this." He says with the utmost determination. "In case he wants to go home, she could help."
Celestia looks at him a bit confused.
"She has notes where she was experimenting with a spell that could send me back.... before... y'know..." He brings his hand up to waggle the ring on his finger. "All this happened."
Celestia just smiles at him and nods. "Very well, I see no reason why Twilight shouldn't know about this and we both know she can be trusted."
The trek back to the Sparkle Family home is a bit of a slower one. Justin is deliberately taking his time getting back as the news from before is really settling in. Celestia, Princess of Equestria, Solar Diarch, somehow brought another human over as an experiment. Now there's an unconscious man laying in the castle's infirmary. He finally isn't the only human on this world now, but it feels weird. It almost feels wrong. Yet, he strangely feels compelled to help them get back on their feet and maybe get back to Earth if they really want to. He slowly trudges up to the front door, giving it a few curt knocks. It opens to Night Light standing on the other side.
"There ya are, son! We thought you may have gotten lost!" The stallion greets him with an ever warming and welcoming hug.
"Nah, just got held up by the Princess and then some traffic." Justin responds while returning the hug in kind. "Did I miss anything?"
"Just dinner with how long you were gone." He waves off while guiding the man back inside their home, using his magic to close the door. "So what'd the Princess want of ya?"
"Eh, just some dignitary stuff that needed a bit of a human's touch, y'know?" The man lies with a half-hearted smile.
Night heartily chuckles at his remark, leading them to the living room. "Well ain't that something! We've all been sitting around and talking. Glad you made it back, son."
"Thank ya." Justin replies before gazing across the room.
Spike seems to be feeling better now, laying in the middle of a rug on his belly with a comic book out. If he had to hazard a guess, it's more than likely Power Ponies. Twilight is on a loveseat with her legs tucked under her while she reads, looking rather cute with her reading 'glasses' she knows he likes. Velvet is on the couch doing the same, but having made room for her own husband. Night leaves him standing there to go join Velvet. The sound of soft jazz is playing at a low volume while Justin walks over to his wife, gently tapping her knees. She looks up at him with a smile and moves her legs, sitting up to make room for him.
"Reading something good?" He quietly asks while taking a seat next to the alicorn.
"Just something I read before." Twilight responds, leaning against her human when he settles in. "What'd the Princess want?"
"I'll tell you later." He responds.
As the night carries on, every one begins to get a little on the tired side and decide to start retiring to their beds. Justin finds himself sitting in the guest bed while Twilight is using the bathroom. He can hear her brushing her teeth, then run some water to rinse her mouth out. The door swings open to reveal her favored sleeping outfit; an old t-shirt of his that acts more of a gown than a shirt with some underwear to keep herself somewhat modest. She saunters over to the bed and quickly climbs on top of him, planting her flanks firmly in his lap. Her hands find the sides of his face and he just smiles up at her, but she knows something is bothering him.
"Ready to talk about what Celestia wanted?" Twilight asks before planting a small kiss on his lips.
"Yeah, yeah." He reaches up to grab her wrists, moving her hands to his chest. "She... well... she brought another human here during an experiment."
"What was her experiment?" Twilight inquires.
"Recreating the conditions that brought me to you."
Twilight falls silent for a moment. "Well, isn't that a good thing? You won't be the only one anymore."
"I dunno, Twi." Justin starts with a lazy shrug of his shoulders. "It doesn't feel right. It put me in a weird spot. On one hand, I want to help them adjust and integrate with ponies, but on the other I'm ready to help them go back to Earth if they want to."
"Would that mean you'd go back with them, if they go home?" She sounds uncertain in asking that question.
A hand of his finds her cheek, his thumb running across her fur as she leans towards his touch. "Of course not, my life is here now. With my family. You, Spike, Fudge. Hell, even the girls." Twilight gives a small smile at his declaration. "I love you too much to just abandon all we've built together. I know you still have those notes somewhere so I'd like to be ready if and when they want to return."
The lavender alicorn nods a little and shifts her position to be laying on him, putting her muzzle into his neck. "I just don't want you to go. I'll help."
"I won't be going anywhere."
The following morning is met with the usual daily routine of the couple. They each get their respective showers in, brush their teeth together, and put on some clothes. Their choice being a little more formal since the news of last night is still fresh. The two are ready to step up to the plate, Justin being asked by Celestia and Twilight because of her husband. They make their way downstairs for breakfast, seeing that it's still being cooked the human steps in to help make the rest of a feast that no doubt would've awaited them. It gets done despite some protest from Velvet and insisting on the human's part.
Once everything is ready and the table is being set, Twilight goes to rouse Spike from his sleep. The dragon not known for being an early riser, looks a lot more grumpy until he sees the spread on the table. While breakfast is getting in motion, it's discussed that Twilight and Justin might be gone for most of the day, citing some sudden business at the castle. Both Night and Velvet nod in understanding, agreeing to get Spike out and about while they're gone, but do make plans for lunch given that time will be forgiving. Breakfast continues with some normalcy after that, joking, smiles, and even Velvet adding some tips Justin could use in the kitchen.
The two hug each of the parents, kissing their cheeks in goodbye after breakfast was done with and dishes are cleaned. The couple then leave the home for the castle, staying close to eachother's side. Foot traffic is relatively light for the late morning, meaning they make it to the front gate in record time. Two guards greet them, opening the gilded bars of wrought iron to the cobblestone path towards the front doors. Both nod their heads in thanks as they continue their trek up to the inevitable front door. Twilight raises a balled up hand and knocks on one of the huge double doors. The side that she knocks on opens to reveal a castle maid.
Ah, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Justin!" She greets with a smile. "Princess Celestia is expecting you both. Please follow me."
The mare waves them inside, letting the door close by itself before escorting them through the halls. Justin can feel the scrutinizing gaze of some of the nobles as they pass by. He just ignores them since he's here for something more important: Celestia's request. Twilight must be on to their gazes as he feels her hand touch his arm. It brings a small bit more comfort as they continue on. The maid eventually brings them to the set of doors that separate the main hall from the throne room. Where she turns around, giving them a curt bow.
"The Princess waits for you." She tells them with a smile.
The two give their thanks in the form of a nod and smiles. The maid dismisses herself, leaving the two staring down the doors with uncertain determination. That doesn't stop Twilight from looking over to her human and snaking her arm around his.
"Ready?" She asks in a calming tone.
"As I'll ever be."
Twilight leans up and gives him a kiss to the cheek, then placing her hand on one side of the door. Justin just smiles back and places his hand against the other door. Together they push the doors open to enter the throne room. There they find Celestia looking over some scrolls with an aid. The Solar Alicorn looks up one the doors close and smile upon seeing one of her closest friends along side her once pupil. She quickly rolls the scroll back up with some magic before handing it off to the aid to be dismissed. Once it's confirmed that the three of them are alone, she stands up from her seat to approach them. They meet about halfway before being taken into a group hug that's highly unexpected.
"Twilight! Justin! I wasn't expecting either of you so soon!" Celestia say before parting.
"So..." Twilight looks at her old mentor with an inquisitive gaze. "... you were recreating the spell that brought Justin here, did you?"
"Erm.. well... yes." The alabaster alicorn stutters out.
"The result wasn't what you expected?" She continues.
"Also.. yes." Celestia sighs in defeat. "Please follow me to him."
Twilight is using a spell on the unknown man to check for adverse side effects. Celestia may have tried to dissuade her from doing so, but the lavender alicorn insisted that a double check never hurts. So now here they are, Justin and Celestia watching the egghead of a mare do her thing. A soft chime is heard once she's done as her horn powers off.
"Good news is there's nothing wrong so far, but the bond to the Princess is quite strong." Twilight concludes.
"Is that a good thing? What if he wakes up and goes wandering out?" The Solar Princess interjects.
"The original spell Twi used to bring me here was a summon familiar, which usually entails such a being to be 'bound' to their master. Much more of a pain in the ass to deal with, trust me." Justin answers while leaning against a wall. "As for waking up and wandering out, how long has he been out?"
"A few days." Celestia looks towards her friend. "I expect him to be stirring soon. I'm worried the amount of magic I used put him in a coma."
Twilight steps away as the man starts to stir and groan out. Justin is quick to switch spots with Twilight to be kneeling next to the bed. The other human continues to stir, shift, and groan out, seeming unable to just wake up. The Prince, however, stays ready when he finally comes to a slow, eyes fluttering open. Blue eyes meet his and he smiles a little to look more friendly.
"Hey, bud-" Was all Justin could get out before being interrupted by a scream and a mean left hook to the jaw.
Thankfully the punch wasn't hard enough to knock Justin out cold, but being taken by surprise like that did knock him on his ass. Celestia hit the panicking human with a sedation spell and put him back to sleep. Twilight went to her human's aid, despite him just rubbing his jaw, she starts to apply some pain relief magic. Celestia just looks... terrified. Her eyes falling upon the two. The sudden feeling of dread starting to fade as she breathes somewhat slow.
"If I didn't know any better, I think that was karma finally getting me back for the broom, Twi." Justin comments to get a giggle out of the mare as a reaction. He looks to the Solar Princess, noticing her looking like she's seen a ghost. "Tia, you okay?"
"I.. What was that? I felt more fear than I ever did." She only responds.
"That would be the bond. You feel what they feel and vice versa." Twilight explains.
"I think I need to sit down for a while." Celestia mutters a little too loudly.
Celestia, Twilight, and Justin agree to coming back to the unknown man later in the day. This frees up the latter two for they're planned lunch with the parents and Spike. They all meet up at a nice little café that sits on a corner on one of the main streets and a side street. It does seem to be a nice little intermediate from the excitement they bore witness to this morning at the castle. Though thy didn't let that deter them from having a fantastic time with their parents. Though there wasn't really much going on so far today for the three. It seems that Velvet and Night spent most of the morning walking around with Spike.
Both Twilight and Justin look at eachother with some regret that they couldn't have spent that time with their family. They look back with smiles however, just taking in the moment they have with them. Instead they opt to just enjoy the lunch they're all sharing in. Eating, joking, chatting and generally having a good time. They failed to realize that they had been gone at least an hour until a guard came by to remind them that Celestia is waiting. The couple nodded and bid their group farewell while promising to be back at their home for dinner. After the hugs are exchanged, Twilight and Justin begin to follow the guard back towards the castle.
The trek is silent for the most part since they weren't used to having a guard escort them under normal circumstances. Yet this seems oddly like any other day in Equestria for the pair. Given that their usual days have always ended up with some sort of unusual escapades or the occasional threat to balance in the country. Or the world for that matter. Soon a smirk comes across the human's face the more he thinks about such things, a smirk that did not go unnoticed by his lovely mare of a wife.
What's got you smiling like that?
This feels like any other day for us.
Twilight smiles a little at the silent response and leans against his side while shaking her head. She knows what he means, but she still loves him to bits. It isn't long until they come to the castle doors. Being led right inside and back to where they last were with Celestia standing in wait. The guard gets dismissed, both noticing that the Solar Princess appears to have some apprehension in continuing. She's refusing to look at either of them as they stand there. Neither blame her, this is the first time she's experiencing such a thing. Seeing the stress on the alicorn, Justin takes a step forward and places a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Tia, everything will be okay." He softly tells her. "We're going to figure this out but first we need him awake."
Celestia takes a moment before finally looking him in the eye. "Yes.. of course."
"Hey, if it makes this any easier on you, I'll be the only one to sit in there. Maybe it'll bring some familiarity, maybe I'll get punched again."
"If you're certain." Celestia seems to reply with lack of emotion.
"I'll send a pony to come get you if anything happens." Justin reassures her.
"Are you sure you wanna do this alone?" Twilight pipes up.
"Of course not, you'll be the one to get Tia when the time comes." He replies to the lavender mare with a smirk.
There isn't much in the way of arguing from the Solar Alicorn as she lets him back in to the room. Twilight stands outside while Justin pulls up a seat next to the bed. Patience will be key in making sure the unknown man in the bed, making sure to keep himself a bit at a distance so to not get hit again. So he sits in wait.
He doesn't know how much time has passed as the second human starts to stir again. Justin pulls out his pocket watch to find that only an hour has gone by. Soon screaming filled the room and he looks up just in time to move his head out of the way from an incoming blow. Instead he uses his free hand to grab the man's wrist and hold his arm in place. The man starts to jerk a bit to get free and miserably failing to do so.
"I'm going to need you to-"
"Who the fuck are you?!" The man yells, interrupting Justin. "Where the fuck am I?!"
Justin keeps a groan internal at his ears being violated by being screamed at in his face but exhales in a rather slow manner. "My name is Justin and you're in a hospital bed in a castle."
Fear is swiftly replaced with confusion as the man just stares at him. "A.. castle..? Like from the movies they have of knights and shit?"
"Kind of. You may want to brace yourself." Justin softens his features as he leans in. "What's your name?"
"Zeke.."
"Well, Zeke, You're not on Earth anymore." Justin admits.
"W-what?" Zeke asks sounding more surprised than confused. "What the fuck does that mean?"
Justin doesn't say anything as the door to the room opens and in steps a bipedal horse, but with an unnatural color to their coat. It's a shade of lavender that isn't bright enough to be annoying with indigo colored hair with a pink stripe going down the middle and a spiraled horn splitting it down the middle. It had their hands in front of them as they take careful and measured steps in the room.
"Welcome to Equestria." Justin lazily explains. "Land of magical bipedal ponies and danger at least once a week."
"Justin!" The lavender pony-thing playfully chides him. It sounded playful to Zeke.
Author's Note
I'm not going to lie. I kinda lost a lot of steam on this story. Where it goes from here I have no idea, might continue it, might not. I started to think it was a dumb idea then ran out of ways to continue it. Yet here is the second chapter, or the last? I'll be sure to get back to you all on that.
