Crashlanded Phoenix

Object C-04 "Rex"
Hallways, Location unknown

It was nice being outside the interrogation room once more, in fact it was nice to be anywhere that wasn't just a single colour all around. The two guards escorted me through the hallways, away from that room. Every now and then we walked by a window, but whenever I looked out of it I couldn't see much other than clouds, an occasional bird and the sun. We must have been quite high then, if I couldn't see a single building. We approached and stopped in front of a big red wooden double door. The guard in front of me walked up to it and pushed it open with his hooves, filling the hallway with the slightly audible sound of creaking doors.

They opened to reveal a huge hall, lit up by a variety of exquisite chalinders hanging from the ceiling, full of candles burning a bright red flame yet I couldn't see those candles melting in the slightest, not even a single drop of wax flowing down the shaft. I began to suspect that perhaps...this place is in some way...magical? It was hard for me to imagine such a concept being true, yet it somehow made some sense. Unicorns and pegasi, otherwise being mythical creatures, could be a sign of that... My train of thought was derailed after the guard behind me poked me in the back with his truncheon.

"Come on, get moving," He said and I obeyed.

We approached a grand staircase right in the middle of the hallway, it was quite a sight to behold even after witnessing the greatness of the Wenkwort Metropolis. A vibrant burgundy carpet with gorgeous patterns was draped over the steps from top to bottom, the guardrails reflected light off their polished silver surface. To top it all off, at the top of the staircase was a massive stained glass mosaic window depicting two uni-..pega-...pegacorns? Well, they both had a horn and a pair of wings, so I'll call them that.

The pegacorn on the left was as dark as the night, with eyes those as bright as a full moon. Its hair or rather mane looked like it floated in the air, with more stars than I've ever seen on a night sky. Every step we took up the stairs made the dark pegacorn look more and more imposing, yet there seemed to be an aura of comfort surrounding it. The one on the right was in almost every way the exact opposite of the pegacorn on the left. Its body was cream or perhaps pearl white and its eyes closely resembled a bright sun. Its mane also looked like it floated in the air, though it instead had the vibrant colours of a rainbow. It was hard for me to keep my eyes off it, as it seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and comfort.

Another look at the two creatures revealed that they both wore crowns on their heads. The dark pegacorn had a simple and small black crown while the white pegacorn wore a bigger, golden crown with a few jewels. Additionally, they both had marks on their flank, a moon for the dark pegacorn and a sun for the white pegacorn. The mosaic depicted them embracing each other, like good friends or perhaps siblings.

I thought about it a little longer as we ascended the staircase, but didn’t let it distract me from walking up, so as to not get prodded in the back with a truncheon once again. We turned around after reaching the mosaic window and began walking up another set of stairs. I heard a sigh behind me and glanced towards where the sound came from, it was the guard behind me, now standing and staring at the piece of art.

“Keep moving,” The one in front of me spoke, which startled the guard and made him quickly return to his task. I scratched my right cheek with my handcuffed hand in slight contemplation, maybe those figures were quite important to them after all. After a short walk, we finally reached the top of the stairs and now had a single straight hallway ahead of us, with a big door at the very end and smaller doors branching out along the hallway, with almost every one of them having a pair of guards watching vigilantly. I could already feel some of their eyes on me.... Staring...judging...

“Are we getting close?” I asked and the guard in front of me nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes,” I responded and our journey continued. We walked in the direction of the huge door, but suddenly turned towards one of the doors along the hallway. The guards by it blocked our way with their spears, much to the annoyance of the guards escorting me.

“What gives?!” The guard in front of me asked in an angry tone.

“We cannot allow you passage inside, sir. The Princess is busy,” The guard on the left responded and held his spear tighter in his hoof…somehow.

“I don’t care if she’s busy, I have an important matter for her to take care of and I do not plan to wait,” The guard slipped back into his commanding personality I witnessed much earlier.

The door guards looked at each other and sighed, then moved their spears out of the way. I smiled slightly at his victory then noticed him turn to face me. “You there, behave once you are inside and do not think about stepping out of line. Lift any of your limbs up at her and you’ll regret it,” He looked at me with a serious expression. I instinctively took a slight step back. Those threats weren’t much for me, but I had to appreciate the bravery of this pony.

“I understand,” I spoke in return and nodded.

He turned around and the guard behind me moved to stand beside his comrade. They approached the door and pushed it open, allowing the three of us to step inside. I kept my head lowered as we walked through. The door closed behind us and I heard a male voice speak in the distance.

"... additionally, our scouts report increased changeling movements in the north and-" Whoever spoke was cut off, however I doubted that my escort heard any of it. At least it now seemed that my ears were in working condition. My train of thought was interrupted by another voice speaking, this time a female one.

"I'm afraid we will have to postpone this conversation, I have another urgent matter to attend to," Her voice was much softer and every word was spoken in such a royal yet comforting way. I looked up from the ground and noticed two figures standing at the end of the room. A pony with wings, dressed in a suit and holding a clipboard in one hoof, who now bowed to the other figure and began walking towards the door we went through. The other figure was...huh, it was the pegacorn from the mosaic window, the white sun one. That must be the princess everyone spoke of. She was at least twice as tall as that pegasus and looked more like a horse than a pony.

The pegasus walked past us, which prompted my escort to continue walking, this time towards the princess. I took a moment to look around the room as we walked. The room itself was decorated rather formally, with a few fancy paintings hanging on the walls, a big window in the back and a lit chimney. The purple-ish bricks were now replaced by wood paneling all over the floor and walls, it was quite an elegant yet cozy design. The burgundy carpet we walked on created a path from the door all the way to the princess who stood and waited for us to come to her. If I had to wager a guess, this was her personal office, surprisingly less royal than I expected.

Soon we got into talking distance and I immediately kneeled as a display of respect for her as a monarch and to start off with a friendly note. It was a bit hard to kneel with two non-functional cuffed arms, but I managed to squeeze them in between my legs. The guards moved aside, opening a direct path to their ruler. I heard her hooves move on the carpet, stepping towards me in what must have been quite a display of grace, however I couldn't witness any of that as my eyes were directed towards the ground.

I felt an odd aura of warmth envelop my very being as she got closer and it only took a few more seconds for her to speak up. "Heheh, there's is no need to bow before me. Please, do stand up," She chuckled and spoke in her soft voice.

My eyes looked up at her in slight surprise, but I obeyed and got up from my knees. Standing straight, I'd say I was taller than her by a bit, however her horn more or less made up for that difference. I kept my head lowered and remained quiet.

"Guards, uncuff my guest, I'd like to speak to them privately," She spoke to the two ponies accompanying me.

"My Princess, is it a wise decision to-" The commanding guard spoke up.

"Please, uncuff them," She repeated her request.

Both guards sighed and proceeded to remove the handcuffs restraining me ever since I got out of that cell. My hands were freed from their restraints, prompting my exoskeleton to slightly readjust its form. I rubbed the wrist of my upper right arm with my synthetic arm and cracked a small smile. My head turned up towards her. "Thank you," I said in a genuine tone and glanced towards the guards. They were now leaving the office, but I could still feel their eyes burning holes in my back.

With them outside, I once again turned my attention to the white pegacorn princess. She smiled at me with a slightly cheerful expression. "Where are my manners? I didn't introduce myself. My name is Celestia, Sun Princess of Ponies," She briefly introduced herself. Sun princess, eh? That confirms my thoughts regarding her on the mosaic.

"I am Object C-04, Codename "Rex"," I responded to her with my own introduction and reached out to her with my right hand for a hand/hoofshake. She looked down at my hand and responded in kind by shaking my hand with a hoof, which had a surprisingly strong grip despite having no fingers at all.

"I am pleased to meet you and welcome to Equestria, would you mind if I referred to you as Rex?" That question made me feel a bit happier about myself, perhaps this marked a pleasant change of pace from being called a beast or monster.

Object C-04 "Rex"
Office, somewhere in "Equestria"

Hm, so this place is called Equestria, that sounded awfully similar to equine. "Not at all, Princess," The shake concluded and I took a slight step back, getting a better look at her this way. Her mane looked much, much more colourful and vibrant from up close. It waved in the air in a hypnotising way, so much that I could probably stare into it for hours, she must be beloved by her subjects.

"You don't seem as, forgive me for calling you that, brutal and murderous as the reports I received make you out to be," Aaaand there goes all the pleasant feeling out of the window, I knew this would be brought up, however it still wasn't nice.

I scratched my neck with my synthetic arm. "I'm trying to be on my best behaviour right now and neither those reports nor the interrogator have the whole story,"

This answer seemed to satisfy the Princess, however I could notice a hint of curiosity on her as she raised an eyebrow. "The whole story you say? Perhaps you'd like to talk this over by a cup of tea? Coffee perhaps? I presume you must be hungry too,"

"Hungry? My digestive system is very efficient...," I responded awkwardly and the Princess gave me an odd look. This offer took me by surprise, however I wasn't going to deny. "I mean, I'd be honoured, Princess,"

She nodded and her horn began to glow, making me look up at it. What was she going to do? Is that some sort of magic like I began to suspect some time ago? The glow grew brighter and then suddenly disappeared, just like that. I looked at her visibly confused, which got a chuckle out of her. She turned to the right, which prompted me to look in that direction too. There...there was a round table there now and two chairs...those weren't there before.

"Please, take a seat," She spoke and sat down on the chair farther away from me. Her chair was much bigger and she looked like a sitting dog on it. I slowly approached the other chair and sat down. They were both made out of wood and had a soft pillow to sit on.
"...How?" I asked her out of curiosity.

"Magic, of course," She smiled.

"Right...magic..." That answer slightly unnerved me, I bet she wasn't the only one who knew how to do magic...

"Did I say something?" She looked at me concerned.

I shook my head to get those thoughts out. "Huh? N-no, Princess. I just... haven't encountered something like this before,"

She nodded while rubbing her chin with her right hoof. "Hmmm...," Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was inspecting my soul. "Yes...that explans it. You aren't from here at all," She spoke with an intrigued tone and facial expression.

A chill went down my spine from that, making me shudder. "H-how do y-"

"How do I know? Your body doesn't contain any magic," She turned her head towards the window. "Our world is a magical one and every living being carries magic within them," Her head once again turned towards me. "You do not, therefore you aren't from here. Before you ask, your appearance wasn't what gave it away. We have had...many previously unknown creatures appear here,"

I was speechless, my brain went blank after what she told me. I felt my muscles tense up while my exoskeleton servos buzzed quietly. It took her a couple minutes since meeting me to figure so much out about me... From now on I knew that I'd have no advantage in the talks with her here...and if she learned so much just by looking at me, then what else could her magic possibly do?

"Perhaps you'd like to tell me how you arrived in Equestria?" She continued with a smile on her face as if nothing had happened, as if this was just another ordinary day for her.

I took a moment to think about what to tell her. Should I start from when I crashed or from when I got in the ship? Maybe I should tell her my whole story right away... No, no, that'd be foolish and irresponsible from me, assuming she'd believe anything about the Empire I might tell her. I kept looking at her with a mostly blank expression that had slight hints of worry and perhaps something akin to a mixture of impression and intimidation. The resulting silence was quite overbearing...

"Would you care for a slice of cake while you think? Perhaps a warm cup of tea to ease your mind?" She broke the silence with her soft tone.

"Ah- Why yes, I'd be honoured," I admit that I felt my spirit jump up a little from her suddenly speaking, but I wasn't about to turn down some free food... especially when...I'd rather not think about this..mh..

Her horn began to glow a bright golden light, starting from the bottom and reaching all the way to the tip. I wasn't sure what she was about to do, but I had a feeling that she was about to...hmm...cast a spell? Could she really summon food and drink out of nowhere using magic? I stared at the light with curiosity, yet there was still slight fear of that power lingering in the back of my head.

My suspicions were confirmed when the table was decorated with a set of fancy plates, silverware and teacups appearing literally out of nowhere. I noticed a smile forming on her muzzle, does she enjoy doing this or did she enjoy showing a "magicless" creature like me how it's done? I moved my eyes down to the fancy tableware and soon enough slices of chocolate cake appeared on both of them while the cups were filled with hot tea...mmhh it smelled great.

By now I made up my mind regarding what to tell her and began. "I don't know what exactly happened, but I can tell you what I've seen happen," I cleared my throat before continuing. "If my assumptions are correct regarding the time I spent here, then around two or three days ago I was flying in my ship on my way to...lets say run some errands," I spoke and noticed her raise her cup up to her lips using her magic, which was easy to see as the cup was surrounded by her "magic aura".

She quietly sipped as I continued. "That flight being rather long, I decided to take a nap and let the ship fly itself for the time being," She raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't stop me. "I woke up to my ship flying into a storm, a storm that wasn't supposed to be there at all. I tried to turn back but I couldn't do anything," I sighed. "I began losing altitude and crashed in the place I now know is called the Everfree Forest," I felt sadness build up inside me, this Princess confirmed my fears that I was very...very far away from any semblance of home. "And... that's the story and what I didn't tell the interrogator,"

I picked the cup of tea up with my right upper hand and raised it up to my lips. It filled my nostrils with the smell of chamomile and hints of honey. My muscles relaxed and I felt some of my fears dissipate, at least for now. My eyelids closed halfway as I sipped the hot beverage in silence, enjoying it and awaiting the Princess' response.

She set her cup down, releasing her magical hold on it and smiled, presumably because she saw me enjoy the tea she...warped in out of nowhere. The Princess shook her head as she spoke. "Your situation is quite an unfortunate one, Rex," Her smile turned into a frown. "You must have flown into a magical storm, an anomaly with quite dangerous possible outcomes. You've gotten quite lucky, staying in one piece," She raised her cup again to sip more tea.

"Does...does this mean that I am not going to return anytime soon?" I ask her, even though I pretty much know what the answer is going to be.

"I'm afraid not, even if a magical storm appears in Equestria, there is no telling where you will end up or if you end up anywhere at all." I could hardly fathom how she could say all of this in such a calm and collected manner, as if this was nothing new, just another strange occurrence to add onto her list.

With that in mind...I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do next... All my plans regarding what to do after this talk...they were dashed. I was never going to return to my previous life ever again, I'd be stuck in this world full of ponies and whatever else might be here... I'd no longer hear my superiors giving me orders...giving me purpose and goals to complete. I had nothing left, even the ship and everything in it is in shambles.

I couldn't help but slouch over the table, staring blankly into the chocolate cake slice. I was, by all means, fucked and stranded as a stranger in a foreign land, world even. The desperation in me to get back, to keep doing what I did every single day, was now replaced by a feeling of what I can only describe as a mixture of hopelessness and uselessness.

"Since that means you'll presumably be staying within Equestrian borders for a while, I have an offer for you," She spoke and in the corner of my eyes I saw her take a bite out of her cake slice using a fork, holding it with magic just like the cup a moment ago.

I slowly raised my head to look at her, my interest was piqued, however that didn't wipe away how I felt at the moment and I had a frown on my face to show that.

"Before I tell you more though, I have a few questions I'd like to ask," She ate another bite of her cake.

"Go ahead...ask me anything...," I said to her and picked up the fork next to my plate, then prodded the cake with it a few times. I wasn't craving it anymore...

She swallowed and put her fork down. "Those...metal contraptions attached to your body, what are they?"

I sighed and looked up at her. This time, there was no point in not telling her everything she wanted, I'd never return after all... "Usually...I'm not supposed to tell much about those..., but it doesn't matter anymore,"
"Those...contraptions as you call them, they aren't just attached to me. By all means, they are part of me. Have always been, for as long as I remember at least. This metal attached to the surface to my skin is a exoskeleton, as the name suggests it's a skeleton...but outside my body. Makes me faster, stronger...more resistant to damage, it is however quite inconvenient for wearing clothes and quite unsettling to look at for most...," I finished my sentence and raised my cup of tea.

Briefly, I remembered all the regulations my fellow clones and I had to follow in public, them being drilled into our brains repeatedly. Wear a cloak, never expose your augments, blend in, don't attract attention, stay out of sight...I shivered at the thought of being...exposed...in public...having all those eyes glare at me...seeing them all run away, treating me like a leper...

"Is that why you are-," The Princess spoke and gestured up and down at my naked body.

"No, my clothes were damaged beyond usability in the crash," Speaking of that...how will I get new ones here? I doubted they have human sized shirts. With a long sip I emptied my teacup and put it back down.

The Princess remained silent, probably eager to listen more while munching on her cake. I had to admit, at least I felt a bit better talking about this and would probably be happy, were it not for the circumstances of my situation... I cleared my throat and continued talking. "This exoskeleton isn't just attached to my skin though, it goes deep into my body, making it an integral part of me," I rubbed the exoskeleton on my synthetic arm, at least it was somewhat compact compared to older models I have seen. It mostly went along where roughly my bones were, on the outer side of my limbs and was at most 1cm thick.

The Princess finished half of her cake by now and decided to speak up again, she seemed quite interested in my...appearance. "Pardon me for asking, but why would you need all this? Not to mention your presumably mechanical arm,"

"The arm serves utility purposes mostly, various tools for various occasions. As for the rest...I am what you could more or less describe as a soldier," I spotted her eyes light up a bit once she heard that, a surprising response to being told that the thing in front of you is a killer machine. "Though more often I get called other things...specimen, test subject, object, tool and truth be told...at times they aren't wrong...,"

"How so? You seem to be capable of much more than an object," She spoke in a soft and somehow reassuring tone.

"True, but like many things in the world, yours or mine, I have been created. Built from the ground up in a lab. I don't resent this, but to others that makes me...inferior, at least inferior to those I have to listen to. Normal people just...run away." And it didn't help that there were only few of us, I thought to myself after speaking. I finally used my fork to eat a small bit of the cake. Its chocolate flavour seemed to melt in my mouth unlike anything I have eaten ever before, this was much, oh so much better than the nutrient bars back home.

"Amazing...remarkable" She said quietly, not quietly enough for me not to hear though.

Princess looked me up and down from her chair, with a hint of wariness in her eyes. In her position I'd be doing the same, if I had the equivalent of a walking petri dish crossed with a scrapyard in front of me. I hope she wasn't reconsidering that offer she mentioned earlier. Her horn glowed, but she didn't pick any objects up. Suddenly a piece of paper and an ink pen appeared on the table, while her plate disappeared. She began writing on it and I had no intention of inquiring about that.

"I realise that this is a touchy subject for you, however there is one more question I'd like to ask. Two actually. First, what happened to your other...erm...limbs? It was easy to notice that your lower arms aren't...in prime condition. Secondly, what purpose have you been made for?" She stopped writing, waiting for my response to her questions.

I looked down at my floppy, unresponsive arms with a slight frown. "I don't know, maybe it was the crash or the storm, but I am unable to control them, just like a few other things including tools in my arm. You probably also noticed something akin to a tail, it's absolutely ruined for now," I ended my sentence and watched as she wrote more on her piece of paper, I used this moment to eat another bite of that cake and continue once I noticed her finish writing.

"There are a few other issues, but those are mine to take care of," Like checking myself in a mirror to see if anything had changed back there, maybe my tail had made some progress towards recovery or if what's supposed to be my "growing" wings was still there. "As I mentioned earlier, I am a soldier and judging by what I've seen here so far, I'd be akin to a shock or storm trooper for you," I couldn't accurately gauge what technology they had, but I saw that they at least had "proper" guns.

"Basically, I get tossed into the toughest of fights against the toughest of foes facing the worst odds and expected to come out alive," That answer seemed to get the gears in her brain going, as I noticed a sort of a spark light up in her eyes. Her equine face had quite a visible smile on it, a rather warm smile I'd like to add. "Four arms, exoskeleton and a variety of other augmentations, enhancements and modifications not visible at first glance make it possible," As I finished talking, I had noticed that she had folded her piece of paper, then magically put and sealed it inside a pink envelope.

The Princess stood up from her chair, which looked more like her gracefully hopping off it with her hair trailing behind her. "You've told me many intriguing things today, Rex. It is time that I present my offer to you," She approached me and put the sealed envelope beside my plate. "I offer you a place within my realm, you'll be sent to one of my most trusted friends, who happens to live in a village close to the Everfree Forest. Additionally, I guarantee that your shipwreck, wherever and whatever it might be, will remain untouched by Equestria. All of this in return for a favour or two,"

I looked down at the envelope, then back at the Princess, my face bearing an expression of surprise. I couldn't quite believe that she'd do that for...a favour? "Just like that? Only for a favour? What's the catch?"

"There is no catch, here in Equestria we believe in generosity, amongst other things, and value new friendships quite a lot. I'd like to start off on good terms with you, after that incident with changelings and you being locked in our jail," Her words seemed to be genuine, if I had to judge and she did look quite happy to say all of this.

However, there was one small thing...

"Princess-," I said and took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I cannot accept this offer,"

"Oh that's wonderful I-," She stopped mid-sentence. "What?" She looked at me with a distraught face. "But why? Please, do tell me why?" She spoke and sat down on the ground, slightly reminiscent of a sad puppy.

I stood up from my chair and looked down at the Princess. "I greatly appreciate your offer... it's just that I cannot accept for the sake of your...subjects," I turned around, my back now towards her, and took a few steps forward. "I told you that wherever I am, others are afraid of me. I do not wish to cause turmoil in your realm..."

I heard her move towards me. "You underestimate my ponies a-," She tried to speak, yet I cut her off,"

"No, I'm not made to live amongst normal people. Even if they accept me, I am far too dangerous for them, do you not see it, Princess?" I turned around and pointed at myself with the palm of my right hand, tapping my chest. "I am a killing machine, I'm supposed to be kept away from them, for their own sake. I do not wish to insult you, but please reconsider it," It really felt wrong to me to say anything other than refuse her offer, it's just the way I have always lived with my fellow clones. Kept away, out of sight, it worked the best for everyone. I...couldn't allow myself to be thrusted right in the middle of an inhabited place...I could already imagine all those...eyes...staring...at...me...eyes.... I slumped down on the chair and shivered at the thought.

I felt a hoof touch my right shoulder, gently rubbing it, while more soft words came out of the Princess' mouth. "I realise from what you told me that this is not ideal, however don't discard this offer so easily,"

I couldn't help my loosen up and relax on the chair, her presence had an odd calming effect, perhaps it was the warmth of her hoof? "I...I don't know...It will be more trouble than it is worth for you. I have already caused trouble by killing those...bugs...and...," Yeah...and that, the one I ate.

"You acted in self-defence, besides, they were foreign infiltrators and I'm sure that whoever sent them will prefer to stay quiet for her own sake," She said to me, though the end of that sentence made me think she knew where they may be from.

"But...," I couldn't hold it in anymore right now, I just had to say it. "I ATE one of them!" I exclaimed loudly, standing up once more and looking straight at her.

Her expression immediately turned from that full of misguided compassion, to one of shock and disbelief. I didn't stop though and she took a few steps back as I exclaimed more. "I shot one through the HEAD with a bow, without a second thought! Strung it up on a tree and gutted before slicing up and dining like nothing had happened!" My voice grew louder with every sentence, my arms expressing my disgust with my self through motioning.

"Was I hungry? Yes, but that doesn't excuse that the fuck I have done, does it?!" I took a deep breath.

"Rex...," She spoke in a quiet voice.

I interrupted her and kept shouting. "No, Princess! I'm trying to tell you that I will only bring trouble if you keep me anywhere close to your people! I've slaughtered a group of innocents, because I didn't want to get my ship found! Do you not see that I am a monster or more accurately a beast?!"

"They were foreign soldiers Rex..." She got a sentence in before I continued.

"Agh! I have nothing to go back to, nothing matters anymore, there's nobody left to tell me what I should do and my entire plan has fallen apart! It's been nothing but a downwards spiral since I got here! Yet you for some reason offer me a place here, why?! I don't buy the friendship sp-!" Hmmpfffhhh! I couldn't speak! Something held my mouth shut! "Hmmpfffhhmpphh!!!???"

"Rex, listen to me," She looked at me sternly. "Yes, what you have done is terrible, inexcusable. Did you know better? No, but you regret it," She came closer and placed a hoof on my left shoulder, which I tried to shrug off, to no avail. I noticed her horn glowing though, that's probably how she kept my mouth shut.

"Hmmhhhnnh...," Regret, who wouldn't regret doing something like this? It's one thing to slice a hostile raider or bear in half, another to shoot an unsuspecting soldier in the head and eat them. Of course I regretted it, but how would I ever atone for it?

"I'll take that as a yes," She said and I nodded just to confirm. "I cannot tell you to stop feeling guilty over this, but I can offer you a chance at perhaps making up for what you've done, at least for yourself," She placed her other hoof on my right shoulder. "Do you want to know why?"

I rolled by eyes, but nodded anyway. I was quite curious what could compel her to do that. "Hmmh,"

"I see potential within you, potential to do a lot of good. An ember which needs kindling to become a bright flame, deep within your being. I hate to see such occasions wasted and believe that those who've done evil, yet wish to improve, deserve a second chance. This is your chance, Rex,"

I felt the force holding my mouth shut dissipate and the emotions within me cool down a bit. I sighed and answered with a single word. "Fine...,"

A bright smile grew on her face and I found myself pulled into a very tight hug...by an oversized pony. "Please release me, I don't enjoy hugs," I said with a strained voice, as her hold on me was much stronger than I had expected.

She let go of me and took a few steps back. She cleared her voice and fixed her mane with a brush held by magic. "I apologise, I got a bit too eager," She put her brush away and spoke once more. "I'll have a few guards escort you to a transport vehicle, which will then take you to your destination. I'd greatly appreciate it if you also took this letter with you," She picked the pink envelope up and gave it to me.

I took it from her hoof and examined it closer, it had a faint lavender smell to it. "Can't you just...teleport it with magic? You seem to be able to do that," I asked and held onto it.

"I'd prefer if you delivered it yourself. You'll find the recipient on the envelope." She smiled once more and cleaned the table up...by making all the plates, food and drinks disappear. "You'll have to wait outside my office for your escort to arrive, it shouldn't take too long. Safe travels,"

"Have a nice day, Princess," I bowed down to her then turned around and walked towards the office exit. I looked back and saw her sitting at her desk, waving a hoof at me and still smiling. I suppose this could have ended differently...I found it hard to believe she'd offer me so much even after I told her so much about...everything. My free hand opened the door and I walked through it, leaving the cozy and beautifully decorated office behind and making first steps towards the unknown