The Tale of Scale

The Tale of Scale

By: Flame Runner

Chapter 1: Magic can be Bent

“Ugh…” I groaned. I did not want to get up. Sleep was so comfortable. Why? Oh why? Did sleep have to end?

I grumpily stretched, but refused to open my eyes just yet. Nothing was going to steal one second of beautiful, wonderful rest from me.

“I believe he’s waking up,” a strange voice whispered.

Except that, that just might wake me up a little faster.

“Do not open your eyes,” commanded another voice.

Drat! I was just about to do that! I froze as my mind began to search through its memory banks and determine what was happening. Perhaps I was being robbed. But the voices didn’t sound threatening. In fact, I was sure I had heard them somewhere before.

“Why is he here?” asked the first voice.

It sounded regal and elegant, almost like Shakespeare.

“I do not know,” the second voice replied calmly.

This voice, too, was regal but it sounded more modern and more majestic.

“H-Hello?” I managed to garble out of my drowsy mouth.

“He dost speak,” the first voice proclaimed.

“Welcome stranger,” the second voice replied soothingly.

“C-Can I open my eyes now?” I asked.

“Nay, lest you wish us to send thou back from whence thou came,” the first one told me.

I gulped. Just what was going on?

“We do not wish to frighten you, but my sister is correct. You may not open your eyes yet,” said the second voice.

“Why can’t I open them?” I inquired.

“Humans are not allowed in Equestria,” the second voice told me. “We have yet to determine what to do with you and if you open your eyes our decision has already been made to send you back immediately.”

“Equestria?!” I shouted.

“Hush,” commanded the first voice.

I did as instructed. The two voices began to whisper back and forth but I couldn’t make out their words. Apparently I was in the place known as Equestria…or I was dreaming. Ok, dreaming of Equestria. I could handle that. But then why did it all feel so real? The voices then became louder.

“Art thou sure sister?” asked the first voice.

“Yes, I believe we should,” the second voice replied. “You may open your eyes now, but do not move.” I was instructed.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I peeked my eyes open. A faint light poured into them and I blinked it away. The first thing I noticed was that I was not in my bed, but on a hard floor. It was a tiled floor and ornately decorated. Then my eyes moved up to where the voices had come from. Standing before me were two regal mares. One was as white as the sunlight and the other a deep blue like the evening sky. They both had wings, like that of a pegasus, and horns, like a unicorn would have. Instantly my mind knew these two, these were Princesses Celestia and Luna, the keepers of the heavens and rulers of Equestria.

“Whoa,” I managed to breathe out. My eyes grew to the size of saucers.

“Greetings,” said Celestia, the white alicorn with a graceful bow of her head. Her ethereal mane swayed with grace and elegance indescribable. I was at a loss for words and I’m sure that I simply sat there with a dumb look on my face.

“I’m sure that you’re curious as to where you are,” the white Princess continued. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Princess Celestia and this is my sister, Princess Luna.”

“I-I know,” I shakily replied.

“His magic must be powerful,” the blue one, Luna, commented to her sister.

“Magic?” I squeaked. “I don’t have any magic.”

“Your writing magic?” Celestia questioned. “Surely you remember how you came to be here?”

My mind reeled backward through time. I was born a member of the male side of the human species and was always a bit of a class clown in elementary school, but this was going a little too far back. In fact, it was just yesterday when it happened. I had been a recent college graduate and I was living in an apartment. The apartment was small, but it was MY apartment. I was on my computer just checking around the internet when I stumbled across stories of what people would do if ever they made it into Equestria and the thought entered my mind to also write a story. But I wanted to do something different. Instead of writing about what I would do, why not just write myself INTO Equestria? Then and there I wrote four words. Four simple words that would change my life: “I am in Equestria.” Then it began. I felt a sensation beginning to surge through me. It was powerful. It was potent. It was…BATHROOM!

Basically, it didn’t work the way I had hoped. I had gone to bed that night a little disappointed, but at this very moment I wasn’t in my bed anymore. I was in Equestria and either I got in by one of the most cliché ways ever, or I was dreaming.

“You mean that what I wrote sent me here?” I asked the Princesses.

“Yes…and no,” Luna replied.

“Yes and no?” I questioned.

“Humans, as I said before, are not permitted in Equestria,” Celestia stated. “You cannot come in of your own accord.”

“Then how am I here?”

“Look behind yourself,” Luna stated.

I turned my head around and found myself staring at five gleaming necklaces and one shimmering crown. Each held a gemstone of a different color. My eyes went wide as I realized what they were.

“The Elements of Harmony,” Celestia noted.

Each Element was floating in the air and glowing ever so softly.

“Although we do not know why or how, the Elements of Harmony bent the rules of magic to allow your writing to bring you here,” the white Princess continued.

“Bent the rules of magic?” I pressed.

“Magic has its rules,” Luna instructed. “One such is that humans cannot be in Equestria. Sometimes, however, the rules can be bent to allow exceptions.”

“So, I’m a human in Equestria?” I asked excitedly.

“Not exactly,” Luna replied as she began to look over me.

I grew very anxious at the response. What did she mean? I decided to actually look at myself. The first thing was my hands. They had black scales covering their entire surface and sharp claws at the end! The rest of my body was also covered in pitch black scales which clicked softly whenever I moved.

“Magic can only be bent so far,” Celestia went on to explain. “Humans are still not allowed in Equestria…but dragons are.”

“Dragons?!” I roared.

“Hush,” Luna commanded.

“Dragons?” I whispered.

“Yes. The Elements brought you here as a dragon, though we do not know why,” Celestia said regally.

The Elements of Harmony? Dragons? Equestria? The Princesses? My mind was ablaze with so many questions that I thought it might just explode. Without really thinking or even wanting to think, I blurted something out.

“So what am I supposed to do then? Go off adventuring with Twilight and the others?”

“Nay,” stated Luna. “Until my sister and I have fully decided what to do with you, thou shall stay here in our palace. Come, we shall move you to a place where you may rest.”

The Princess of night walked gracefully around me, her regal mane flowed around her body and twinkled as if starlight itself had been captured in it. I pushed against the floor and raised myself to my feet, only to wobble and then come crashing down on my side. I tried to stand once again, but with the same embarrassing results. I felt something grab me and soon I was lifted into the sky. I was flying! But not of my own accord. A pale yellow substance filled my vision and I noticed that Celestia’s horn was now aglow with the same yellow hue. I was being levitated.

Down various empty corridors we traveled through Canterlot Castle. Massive windows showed me the outside world. Equestria was deep into the night and many glorious stars shone brightly into my field of vision. But most noticeable of all was the moon. Its silver hue would make even the hardest of hearts shed a tear for its sheer beauty. Many elaborate tapestries also lined the numerous walls of the palace. They were filled with great ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies from all different times and places. Scenes of glorious invention, strife, or festivities were also prominent amongst the tapestries. Finally, we entered into a large room filled with crates and boxes, a supply room of sorts.

“I am sorry we do not have much better to offer, but having a dragon roaming around the castle would not be the wisest of things to allow,” Celestia apologized. “You may spend the night here. Tomorrow we will come back and determine what to do with you.”

“And do not go exploring throughout the rest of the castle,” Luna warned. “I do not sleep at night and shall find you out.”

I nodded and Celestia released her magical grasp on me as I gently sank to the floor.

“Goodnight,” Celestia said and then turned away.

Luna also bid me a fair evening and walked out of the room. I was now alone, a dragon in Canterlot.