Echoes of Another Realm

I tossed and I turned, but no matter what, my mind refused to drift away. I just wanted to sleep, to feel some semblance of peace, but it would not come. I could hear the curtains in my room blowing in a light breeze, and the smell of rain was in the air. While familiar, it still bore the weight of a foreign design. It was artificial, planned, and scheduled. It was not natural in any shape or form. I had seen pegasi moving about the skies on the walk back, and Dusk had informed me as to what they were up to. Controlling the weather, she said. These miniature horses could control the weather.

I thought back to some articles I read on the internet, how the US government had used experimental cloud seeding in order to flood the Vietcong during the Vietnam war. It's crazy to think that Humans could drop some chemicals; silver, aluminum and more, and change the intensity or outright destroy the weather in the area.

And here where these ponies, making clouds out of nothing, pushing them in place and calling it a day. They had the ability to whip together a supercell in an instant, or cause a immense flooding in mere hours! I was scared of the government back home, but these equines were something else entirely. A bigger fish as a wise man once said. I was magicless, powerless compared to these creatures. It's all so complicated; when will they send me home? Can I be sent home? I'm just a random fellow who dropped into their world, why would they really care about me? I'm not some powerful alien with space lasers and a flying saucer, I'm just a student trying to get by in a screwed up world.

Finally, I decide I've had enough. I can't get any sleep, and lying here won't solve anything. I need to have faith that they can send me back, and that means I need to continue my routine to the best of my ability. That means reading, writing, and studying while I can.

"Ugh." My joints pop as I sit up and look around. It's the same room I woke up in, and it is a grayish sheen thanks to the slightly see-through curtains. I can see them idly waving as a gust brushes through. Standing up, I quickly don my hat and shoes and make for the door. A mental checklist is forming in my mind, and I go over the things I will need to grab from my uprooted room sitting near the throne.

Speaking of which, I need to talk to someone about the frozen meat in my freezer. It has been a full day, and that stuff isn't going to get any colder. If I see the Princess on my way, I'll ask her.

As I step into the hallway, both Dusk and Stopper jump to their hooves and rush to adjust their helmets. I catch a glimpse of some cards before the are quickly magicked away under Stopper's armour. Rolling my eyes, I silently make my way down the hallway.

"Couldn't sleep?" Dusk's soft voice causes me to glance down at her as she trots at my side. Her eyes are staring ahead, but I can see her ears swivel in my direction. A quick glance to my other side shows Stopper was also keeping pace. He held a much more neutral look, which helped to get rid of the tension idly sitting in my stomach. There were no questions as to where I was going, and no effort to stop me. Seems these ponies can learn.

"No. I have a lot to do, and just because I ended up on a different planet doesn't mean I can kick back and relax." I stopped at an intersection and looked from side to side. I need to find the throne room, and in my ponderous position only a few hours ago, I hadn't memorized where I was to go!

Seeing my confused expression, Stopper pointed to the right.

"If you are looking for the throne room, we need to go that way. The Princess doesn't hold court again until tomorrow though. What do you need in there?" His voice was laced with a hint of suspicion, and I mentally sighed. Visibly, my shoulders sag as I put my hands in my pockets and look down at him. He had to crane his neck in order to meet my eyes.

"I'm a student, dude. I need to study. My exams are in a month and half, and I cannot afford to fail my economics course again." I began walking once more and caught a maid scampering into a room a ways ahead of me. Now that I think about it, there is a large lack of traffic in the halls at the moment. I reach into my pocket for my phone, but a jolt goes through me when I find my pockets are empty. I quickly pat myself down as both my guards give me a questioning look.

"What're yah' doing?" Dusk asks, her voice chipper as she watches me groan in annoyance. I can see her smirk as I stare at the roof. My mind races as I pat down my pockets again in a futile search for my phone. I know it's not there, but the habit is hard to break. The absence of the device only amplifies my sense of isolation. A sense of home in a place that isn't my own. I need my stuff back. Now.

Dusk's smirk fades into concern, and she steps closer. "Do you need help finding something?" she asks, her tone more serious now.

I let out a deep sigh, dropping my hands to my sides. "Yeah, my phone. But I guess it doesn't matter right now. I just need to get to my stuff in the throne room and figure out a plan."

Stopper clears his throat, his eyes steady on me. "Myself and Dusk will try and help how we can." His words sound forced, but I appreciate the gesture anyway.

I nod. "Thanks. Lead the way."

As we walk, I try to shake off the lingering anxiety. The soft clip-clop of hooves on the marble floors is almost soothing, and I focus on that instead of the swirling thoughts in my head. The halls are eerily quiet, the expected bustle of palace life seemingly at a standstill. It's unsettling, but I push the feeling aside. I have to stay focused.

We turn a corner, and I recognize the grand double doors of the throne room up ahead. A sense of relief washes over me. As we approach, the guards standing at the entrance give a nod of acknowledgment and push the doors open for us.

Inside, the room is just as grand as I remember. High ceilings, intricate tapestries, and the grand throne itself, flanked by banners of the royal crest. But my focus is on the structure stuck in the floor in the middle of the room. A sign saying, "Do not touch!", sits facing us, but other than that, nothing has changed. I can hear voices up ahead, and they become clearer as we get closer.

"I'm telling you Twilight, it doesn't make any sense! Look at the seams and the stitching! Even though they are rather bland in colour, they are perfect! No-pony is that good!" I recognize Rarity's voice as she speaks to Twilight Sparkle.

"Rarity, they could simply have a different way of doing it than we do! Remember, it's not from this world! Imagine the scientific data we could formulate!"

Walking around my little residence, I find the two unicorns bickering in front of my open door. Held aloft in blue magic, four of my polo shirts hang beside Rarity. One of them is being yanked and stretched as the unicorn analyzes the fabric with a critical eye. Can't say I blame her, with her being a seamstress and all. But that is my stuff they are snooping through.

I take a deep breath, my initial irritation tempered by the realization that they’re simply curious. After all, I’m the anomaly in their world. Still, I can't just let them go through my belongings without saying anything. I clear my throat loudly, catching their attention.

Twilight and Rarity turn to face me, their expressions shifting from analytical to mild embarrassment. Rarity quickly floats the shirts behind her back, and Twilight awkwardly crosses her front hooves, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Ah, y-you're back," Twilight says, trying to sound casual. "We were just... uh... examining your belongings. They’re quite fascinating! How are you feeling?"

"Fascinating or not, that's my personal stuff," I say, ignoring her question. I try to keep my tone as neutral as possible, but a small tick in my eye nearly causes my facade to falter. "I appreciate the interest, but I'd rather you ask before going through my things."

Both their ears flatten, and both look remorseful. I hold out my hand, and Rarity slowly floats my clothes over and drapes them over my arm. "I’m terribly sorry, darling. I got carried away. Your clothing is simply exquisite, and I couldn’t help myself."

I sigh as I pull my stuff against my chest protectively, the tension in my shoulders only easing slightly. "It's okay. I get it. Just... ask next time, alright?"

Rarity nods vigorously. "Absolutely."

Everyone looks at Twilight as she blushes and shuffles on her hooves. I frown, and she finally cracks.

"Fine, I won't go through anything of yours without permission."

Dusk and Stopper stand to the side, watching the exchange quietly. I glance at them, and they both give me reassuring nods. Stopper was glaring at the two before me, and I could see the condescending look in his eyes. He did not approve of their actions.

I turn my attention back to my shirts, and then to the open door of my room. Everything was almost as I left it, minus my wardrobe being almost completely emptied onto my bed. I shot the two girls another glare, and they both blushed as I moved into my room. Dusk tsked and shook her head.

"If you guys want, you can look around at the things on the bed. Just let me know before hand when you want to pick something up."

I don't see them nod, but I hear an excited squeak from somewhere behind me and shake my head. Glancing back towards my objective. I see my computer bag sitting beside my clothing. Perfect.

Walking inside, I made directly for my bag. As I unzip the top to check its contents, I hear the muffled steps of one of the ponies turn to clops as they stepped inside my little washroom. I give a sigh but don't turn around. Hopefully, they will ask before they pick anything up.

"Tyler?"

Turning around, I see Rarity was the one who had been making the noise. The others were still standing near the doorway; my two guards bickering and Twilight seemingly staring off into space, her horn barely aglow.

"Yes, Rarity?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. I see her glance nervously into my washroom before looking back towards me.

"May I get a closer look at the things inside this little bathroom? I promise not to damage anything." She smiles lightly and her tone is genuine. There wasn't really anything of interest in there besides some vitamins, soaps, towels, and toiletries, so I don't see the harm in it. I nod and give her a half smile, causing her to beam as she fully trots into the room.

It is here that my two guards have stopped bickering and trotted into the room one after the other. Dusk has a content smile on her muzzle while Stopper held a grouchy frown. I am curious as to what they were talking about, but I figured its nothing that concerned me. I turn back around and continue my inventory.

'Comupter, check. Charger, check. Pens, check. Note pads, check. Blue-light glasses, check. Wallet, check. Headphones, check. Stress ball thingy, check. Phone, che--'

"AH HAH!"

My shout causes everyone present to yelp, and I catch a few stink-eyes leveled at me. Rubbing the back of my neck, I feel some heat coming to my cheeks as I mutter an apology.

"What's got you so excited?" Dusk asks, her annoyance replaced with curiosity. I just smile as I hold up my phone, screen facing towards her. She cocks her head to the side, as does Stopper as he reaches his neck forward to get a look at what I'm holding.

"Is that a mirror?" He asks in a deadpanned tone. I chuckle and shake my head.

"No. This, my four legged friends, is probably the single most advanced piece of technology to ever come to your world!" My smile widens as I hear a few gasps. Pivoting so that I can see the whole room, I find that Twilight has entered and is currently standing beside Rarity. The latter of which is holding my camouflaged towel in her blue magic.

"W-what do you mean by that? Is it some sort of alien weapon!?" Twilight's ears wilt as she takes a half step back. I see my guards tense up alongside her. Shit.

"No, no, no, no, no! This is my Iphone!" I exclaim as I shake it in my hold. Dusk and Stopper glance at each other, and an awkward silence descends on us all.

"So... you aren't going to use your fancy gadget to vaporize us and take over Equestria?" Stopper asks, a waiver in his voice.

'What?'

"What?"

'What the hell is with these ponies? This was an... unexpected reaction. What kind of train of thought led them to think that?'

Dusk scowls and slaps the back of Stoppers head with her wing before smiling up at me.

'Good God these ponies are adorable!'

The Sergeant is just being over cautious, Tyler. You should know that everything about you is an unknown to us, and unfortunately, as guards we are trained to take such things seriously. We should not have jumped to such a conclusion, and for that I am sorry." Her ears wilted and her head tilted towards the floor. The others did something similar, and even Stopper had the sense to be somewhat ashamed. I just stood there, dumbfounded. These ponies and their emotions were something new to me, and I don't understand it. Why were they jumping back and forth like that? Why so cheery one moment, then defensive, and then ashamed the next??

Swallowing, I let an easygoing smile appear on my face, hopefully to rid the room of the sudden somberness. Maybe it was the way they acted, or my instincts telling me I can't get mad at these overly adorable and weird creatures. I would need to explore it later, but for now, I did not need them to get like this.

"Guys, it's alright! Everyone is still a bit jumpy, and it was just a misunderstanding. I'll be more clear on things before I surprise you all in the future." I see them nodding and smiling up at me. That should do it. I just need to be a bit more careful in the future, at least until we are more familiar with each other. I look at Twilight and Rarity.

"Say, you two, where did the rest of your friends run off to?"

Twilight and Rarity seemed to relax at the harmless question, and it was the former that answered.

"They are up in the guest rooms at the moment. Everyone was a bit tired and decided to rest up before dinner." Twilight trotted over to my side as Rarity glanced at my unopened closet. "So... what exactly is this Eye-phone?"

I feel my tenseness ebbing away, and lower the device down so she can see it.

"The iPhone is a piece of technology that can do many different things. Some of its features include talking to people over long distances, taking photo's and videos, playing games, computing any form of math equation, and probably a few more things I am forgetting." I rub my chin, failing to notice Twilights jaw drop.

"How can it take pictures? This thing doesn't look like it can hold any film?" Surprisingly, it was Stopper who asked the question. There was no hostility or wariness in his tone, just pure curiosity. I simply smile.

"Watch this."

Turning on my phone, I flick to the camera option and tilt the device sideways. Before I tap the button, I flick the ringer from 'off' to 'on', to that they can hear me take the picture. Stopper and and Dusk both tilt their heads at the same time, and the latter squints up at the camera.

Click!

The two blink, causing me to snicker as I walk over and crouch down. The two stare, wide-eyed as I enter the camera-roll and pull up the photo of them both.

"HUH??!" Stopper and Dusk look at each other, then at me with dropped jaws. I chuckle as I stand back up and point the device at them once more.

"So, what do you guys think?" I say while turning off my ringer and turning on the video setting. I watch as they sputter around for a moment before Dusk speaks up.

"H-How many photo's can that thing hold at a time?" Her voice is quiet in amazement, and as I turn off the recording, I scratch my chin.

"Hm, well, with about sixty-four Gigabytes of storage on the phones camera-roll, and with each photo being about... three megabytes? I want to say about twenty-thousand photos."

Silence. Pure silence. I glance around at the four beings in my presence, and they are sitting stock still. I don't really know what to do. I was going to show them the video as well, but I fear I may cause someone to have a heart-attack should I do so. I play with the hem of my plaid shirt and shuffle in place.

"I...Can't... I..." I glance at Twilight as she tries to form words. Frowning I bend down to her level.

"Twilight, are you okay?" I ask with a hint of worry. I once again seem to have underestimated how ponies act and react. Shit.

Seeing the little unicorn swallow, I see focus returning to her eyes. However, before I can ask again if she is okay, Dusk speaks.

"That... That is so..."

"Alien." Stopper finishes for her. She glares at him, but her ears wilt as she looks up at me.

"I was going to say cool, but alright." She huffs; I shrug.

"Well I guess I am kinda an Alien, aren't I." I see the ponies look away briefly. However, I hear Rarity clear her throat, so I turn my attention to her.

"Tyler's things are all very intriguing, but I believe we should hold off until we are in a more comfortable setting before learning about his technology."

The other ponies nod in agreement, and I feel a bit of worry melt away as Rarity smiles up at me. I try to convey thankfulness in my expression but quickly turn around to finish my task. I begin putting everything back in the bags (minus my phone, which I slipped into my pocket) and as I do so, my mind wanders.

'If this is going to be their reaction to everything, I need to tread carefully.'
'What if they end up wanting to know more about war tech, or how advanced our civilization really is compared to them?

"What if they try and force me into telling them?" I whisper under my breath.

"What was that?" I hear a recovered Twilight ask from behind me, causing me to flinch. I glanced over my shoulder and shake my head.

"Just talking to myself is all."

I see her frown, but she doesn't press the issue as I zip my bag closed and hoist it over my shoulders. My sudden movement causes my guards to perk up, and I swing around to face everyone in the room once again.

"Alright everybody, I've got all my stuff." I notice Twilight give me a questioning look, but I can't place why. She looks like she wants to ask something, but thinks better of it. I ignore her odd behavior, but still ask my question. "Twilight, do you know of a place I can set up for my studies?"

It takes her a moment to realize everyone was looking at her, and her cheeks grow a light hue of red as she smiles up at me.

"Sure, Tyler. There are rooms near the royal library that are used as private study. I-I can show you there if you'd like?"

Her innocent demeanor almost gets me. Almost. I can see Rarity behind her biting her lip, and I notice Twilights tail swishing back and forth in apparent excitement. Looking at my two guards, both avoid my eyes. Dusk stares at the wall, and Stopper whistles a tune under his breath. Looking back down, I can see that Twilights smile has grown slightly, and I feel a shock go through my system. I knew already of her thirst for knowledge, and I was about to suffer the consequences of my actions here in a second.

"You and Rarity can tag along."

A defeated sigh escapes my lips as the two unicorns let out a Squee of excitement. I wave my arm forward before they can get any more ideas.

"Lead the way, Purple."

She prances for a moment in place, seemingly missing my use of the nickname, and striding confidently out of the door. Rarity follows behind, then my two guards. As I cross out of my room once more, a feeling comes over me; a sudden pressure. I pause mid-step and glance back at my room.

My place of residence sat there, unmoving and uprooted from its original home. It didn't even belong to me, yet I still felt a sense of protectiveness. I hear the ponies call my name, wondering what I'm doing as I find myself walking towards the room once more. I ringing is in my ears, and I feel the need to say something. A single word is on the tip of my tongue, yet I do not know what it is. My thoughts try to focus, and I end up picturing a turtle of all things. That word once more tries to break free, and frustration lights a fire in my heart as I reach into my now unzipped bag and extract my wallet.

With stiffness in my arms, I extract my keycard and slide it along the slot in the door.

Nothing happened. I try again.

"Protection." I whisper to myself. Something about protection. It wasn't the word I was looking for, but I knew it was related.

'What am I missing?'

"Tyler?"

Blinking, I feel slightly light-headed as I turn towards the everyone, er, pony. I give a strained smile as I hold up my card.

"S-Sorry, I was trying to lock my door. Force of habit, y'know?"

Everyone nodded... except Twilight. She held a pensive look, but it lasted for all of a few seconds before her cheery smile returned.

"All good! You'll have to show me how that locking mechanism works though. I didn't think a little card could lock and unlock doors." Her smile seems genuine enough, and I shake my head as I gesture forward. At that, the purple pony does a one-eighty and continues on our original path.

*****

With everything gathered, and two more ponies in our little group, we make our way back to the hallway. Dusk and Stopper fall in step beside me again, and we head toward a lounge of sorts. Even now, the palace’s grandeur is still overwhelming, but having a goal in mind helps keep my anxiety at bay.

As we walk, I find myself asking the purple pony a question. I just needed to talk to someone, lest my mind wander into unknown's and what if's.

"Twilight, how exactly do you ponies control the weather here? I’ve seen the pegasi moving clouds around, and it’s... well, it’s pretty mind-blowing."

Twilight smiles, seemingly eager to explain. "It’s a bit of a complex process, but essentially, pegasi have a natural magic that allows them to manipulate the weather. They can create clouds, move them, and even influence precipitation. It’s all part of their innate abilities."

I nod, absorbing the information. "And this is just... normal for you all?"

"...yes, it is," Twilight confirms. "Each type of pony has its own unique abilities. Earth ponies are connected to nature and have incredible strength, while unicorns like me can perform various types of magic. Pegasi can alter the clouds and weather, while Alicorns can do all three."

It’s fascinating and overwhelming all at once. The sheer difference in our worlds is staggering. Yet, here I am, talking to a magical horse about its own species. Magic. One word would be deemed impossible back home, yet here it is.

We make a left as Stopper opens the wooden door before us, revealing cozy study room filled with bookshelves and a few large wooden desks. A large window allows the setting sunlight to pour into the room, and an unused fireplace sat off to the side. It’s quiet and secluded, exactly what I need. I walk towards the furthest desk and put my bag down with a shrug. As I begin to pull things from the bag, I tune out the four equines standing awkwardly to my right. A feeling of normalcy is slowly returning, and I force myself to sit down as I flip my computer open and boot it up.

"Should we sit down?" I hear Dusk whisper.

"I don't know... maybe we should leave him alone?" Rarity responds.

As I pull out my mouse, my eyes flick upwards to the four as they stared at me. A sense of awkwardness hangs in the air. I begin to type in my password and immediately notice Twilight's ears flick in my direction. Her head cocks to the side, and she takes a half step forward.

"What is that thing?" She asks, causing me to pause and turn my attention to her.

"It's a computer." I state simply as I plug my mouse in, ignoring Twilight as she blanched at my statement. I have a pair of blue-light glasses buried in the bag somewhere, but I need to get my charger first. I rest the bag on my lap as I pull a long black chord from its depths, and find the end that goes into my computer. It takes less than a second as I plug it in before moving to the end holding the plug.

My hand grasps the end of the charger, but I feel myself freeze up as a sudden realization hits me. My eyes go wide as I look up and around the room. There are no outlets. None. I could not charge my computer, my phone, or any of my other gadgets.

I glance down as my eyes widen further, and can see that the battery life is about halfway empty. My old HP was never very good at holding power in the first place, and without the plug, would die within an hour. I blink as Rarity and Twilight sit on the opposite end of the table from me, while Stopper and Dusk stand to the two sides, facing me with intrigued expressions. I can't help but swallow, hard, as I hold my charger in my grip.

Get a hold on yourself dude!

I scrunch my brow. A familiar feeling was building in my chest, but I was ready this time. I would not break down in front of the ponies a second time, no matter what minor inconvenience got in my way. If I wanted to conserve my battery power, then I could not use my computer. Most of my textbooks were digital, so there wasn't any way I could--

My eyes caught sight of colour as I glanced down. Big bold writing stared up at me from a pocket within my bag, and I quickly reached in to extract it. Within my grip was my Religion 235 textbook; a worn and dilapidated piece of literature. I felt a sigh of relief escape my mouth as I placed it on the table before me and quickly moved to shut down my computer. It was here that I was bugged once more.

"Religion and World Studies? What's that?"

I jumped in fright as my book teleported with a pop of purple, reappearing an instant later in front of Twilight's wide eyes. Immediately, I jumped to my feet and snatched the literature from the air, but as I did, something... weird happened. A static feeling, followed by a cracking sound split the air. It was here that my arm went numb, and a rush of energy entered my skull, causing me to stumble back into the stone wall. I heard Twilight give a yelp of surprise, followed by Stopper jumping to his hooves.

"W-What?" I shook my head and blinked as a twisting feeling started to enter my gut. Slowly, I held the book up before my eyes. My gaze lingered there for but a moment before turning to the purple pony across from me, her own look conveying her surprise. For a good few moments, there was a tense silence in the room.

Stopper was the first to recover. He gave a very equine-esque snort before looking at me with confusion.

"What did you do? When my magic touched you, it didn't cause such a reaction!" He looked between myself and Twilight with bewilderment. I noticed from the corner of my eye the little unicorn was giving me a fearful look, but I was to focused on my hands to pay more attention. Shaking my head, I felt the knots start to untwist within me. A bit of anxiousness gave me pause, but nothing else made itself known within me.

"Huh." I mutter to myself before looking at Stopper and putting on my best fake smile. "I don't know what just happened, but boy did it feel weird!"

"H-How did you do that?" I hear Rarity pipe up, her voice tinged with worry as she glances at her friend; I shrug.

"..."

At the mention of her name, the unicorn seemed to snap from her frozen state and huffed as she glared at my hands. I could almost see the gears turning the cog as her eyes flicked about. I glanced around the room again, my brain-fog having fully melted away from the sudden rush of energy. What on Earth happened? Did I just absorb her magic aura?

"I think your skin canceled out my magical Aura." Twilight stated her theory with confidence, her snout pointed slightly into the air as a smirk appeared on her muzzle. I snickered at the suddenly haughty actions, but she ignored me. Instead, she faced Stopper. "When you used your magic on him, did it touch his skin?"

Stopper shook his head, glancing at me with speculation. "No ma'am. I was pushing down on his torso, but that was only on his shirt. Even still, it was exceptionally hard to do so for an extended period of time." He brought a hoof to his chin. Twilight hummed as she stared at me. I could practically see the cogs turning in her head once more. However, my focus was elsewhere.

'What did I just do? Why did the magic do that when I touched it?? Am I starting to be affected by this world?!'

Closing my eyes, I squeeze my right leg and begin to breath. I almost had one panic attack a minute ago, and I will not have one now. No more Mr. Weak-ass.

'Why am I even panicking anyway? The Princesses will find out how I got here and promptly send me back. The show portrayed them as kind and benevolent, surely they wouldn't go back on their word?'

I felt my heart slow. Looking at this sort of like the cartoon was a brilliant idea. I mean, obviously they were living breathing beings that I was currently talking to, but I was here on a mishap; a mistake! If I didn't do anything to influence what was already canon, then I would likely go ignored until they find me a way home. If I change nothing, and treat this as the cartoon that it is, then there would be no undue stress or hardship.

I feel a smile creep up my face, a genuine one. Dusk sees my smile and gives me a questioning look, but I just shake my head. The others look at me with varying expressions, from Stoppers Stoicism to Twilight's worry. Looking down at my phone, I can see that it is nearly six-thirty. Looking at the purple unicorn, I tilt my head slightly.

"Say, Twilight, was there any plans for dinner?" I ask gently. She tilts her head as though she was thinking.

"What time is it?" She suddenly asks. I flip my phone around and am glad to see her eyes widen. The reason being is to fold. One, I now know we use the same numerical system, and two, it was funny watching her pupils shrink to pinpricks.

"OH NO!!" She shrieks, causing my to wince and everyone else to lower their ears. "We are going to miss dinner with the Princess!!"

Rarity gasps, swoons, and then collapses out of sight while Twilight prances in place. My two guards just roll their eyes, giving me a look that said this was expected. I too knew what to expect, but they didn't need to know that.

Standing up and putting my book back in my bag, I sling it over my shoulders and give everyone a smile. Rarity is still on the floor.

"Alright, lets get to dinner then. No sense in keeping royalty waiting!" My cheery attitude didn't go unnoticed, and I feel Dusk's feathers touch my leg. Looking down, I see the question forming on her mouth, but I simply hold up a finger.

"I'm fine, Dusk. I promise." She smiles and nods before moving out of the way. Stopper trots to Rarity's side and snorts.

"Mrs. Belle, please get up. We are departing for dinner." The white unicorn gives a lady-like pout before standing on her own four hooves. I can't help but let a snicker escape my lips, and in turn receive a glare. Looking at the roof, we proceed towards the exit. As Stopper opens the door, I stand aside to let the everyone through first. On the way past, Rarity bumps my leg with her side, and when I look down, I see her give me a wink and a smile.

Returning said smile, I focus ahead. My spirits are higher than before, and I am actually looking forward to this strange new world. Perhaps while I am here, I can show them a bit more of my technology? Find a way to power up my Xbox-360 and the TV? Maybe in the time I am here they can move my little residence and hook up some form of electricity for me to use. Imagine that, magical electricity!

Maybe they would have good news when I walk through the doors to the dining hall? Maybe the Princesses already have a way home for me?

'What if they can't get you home?'

As we approach the double doors to the dining area, I see Twilight cast another nervous glance at me. I pretended not to see it, using my peripherals to watch her. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but she kept closing her mouth every time it opened. Her eyes glanced towards my two guards, and her ears drooped ever so slightly.

I frowned.

However, before I can think on it, the other two guards posted at the door swing them wide for us to enter. No sense getting worried right now. I am hungry, and I am finally feeling tired. Problems can wait until later.

With that, we walked in. A smile on my face, and a new sense of hopefulness to go along with it.