Chapter 1: Talking Equines
Talking Equines
Why were you here?
Here, in a small room with blanched walls and a small square window with only a little nightstand and an unusually comfortable bed to keep you company? The setting would have made a nice simple hotel if it weren't for the characters outside that remained shrouded in mystery. In fact, it was barely a day ago before they came for you. They had painlessly made you unconscious, and before you knew it, you were here. In a shadowed room of an unknown location. You rubbed your head, expecting even the slightest of a headache, but there was none. No aches, no pains and a somewhat serene state of mind.
But these did not comfort your stressed mind. Questions still remained; How did you get here? Who are these... things? And on top of it all, what do they want with you? These questions swirled in your mind, along with many other inquiries that were, as of the moment, impossible to answer. However, you had one small hint. In the time between your arrival and your supposed kidnapping, you had done anything but sit around. You had gained some knowledge of your new surroundings, but in a way, it only disorientated you further. But one thing was certain:
This place was anywhere but Earth.
Upon waking from your cozy slumber, you find it unnaturally difficult to panic. Whether it was a drug or a therapeutic aroma, you could not shake the feeling of relaxation that bordered on drowsiness. In your state, you are forced to take in the minor details of your room, hoping to at least find some sort of familiar indication. Unfortunately, the only thing worth taking notice of in your room was the Bible, Quran and the Theory of Revolution, leaning side by side underneath the dustless nightstand, alongside the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. A glass of still water sat by the bedside, which you quickly guzzled to comfort your parched throat. The only thing that hung from the ceiling was a plain wooden fan, spinning lazily and producing the lightest breeze. And there was nothing else. No other item that showed any form of hostility towards you. Although their intentions remained unclear, whoever they were, they seemed to want whoever stayed in this room to have a pleasant stay.
You were almost reluctant to rise from your strangely comfortable cot as you moved groggily to the window. Thin lines of mellow morning light peeped through the closed blinds, almost reminding you that there was a world outside these closed walls. It just wasn't the world you thought it was. Oddly enough, the blinds hung outside your closed, square-framed metal windows. Whoever was outside wasn't letting you see the sun, let alone where you were. You walk to all three barren sides of your room, knocking lightly on each wall to find that they were all made of thick concrete. There was no way you were busting out anytime soon.
There really was nothing left in the room to examine. It was barren and confined until an unknown time! And you still did not know what kind of creatures lurked beyond the safety of this confined space. Nevertheless, it was better to make the best of it.
You attempt to remember. To think back to where you were before all of this. To when you had so unexpectedly landed in a, dare you say it, kingdom that was a far cry from human civilization. Above all, you recollect the vile surroundings of a dank, dark and musty jungle. Oh, how you panicked when you ate the dirt of that stench-filled forest when you first landed. It didn't take too long for you to want to leave that place as quickly as you could. But as soon as you did, the land changed beneath you. The revolting jungle gave way almost instantly to much greener grounds, along with what came with it. The buildings were so different, so grand yet medieval, so... so...
So familiar...
You had seen those constructs before. You're sure of it. Why hadn't it occurred to you until know? Maybe it was the disorientation that prevented you from making any connection? Nonetheless, you were certain that this wasn't the first time you had seen something like this! After all, what country in this day and age makes houses that use hay for roofs? It seemed so strange when you came across those cluster of houses you saw from a distance. It was really quite a sight; with that... village backdropped by several high mountains. Speaking of those mountains, you couldn't help but notice that there was more than this little civilization in your view. You recall foggily another settlement, somewhat clinging to the side of one of the mountains! Even in memory, it was a breathtaking sight!
That was... until they found you.
Honestly, you wondered how they had managed to get ahold of you without you even noticing. As if they had come out of the jungle as well.
What if that was what they were?
What if you were simply taken somewhere in the depths of the foul vegetation?
Above all, you had to ponder one question that rose above all others: How on Earth were you going to get home?
Suddenly, from the recesses of the room, a faint sound is heard. You freeze, partly in fear and anxiety. Straining your ears, you listen, hoping to catch more of the sound beyond these white walls. On the contrary, the sounds were growing louder. It became more distinguishable as it came closer. It was...
Clop, clop, clop...
It was definitely not human.
Your mind races for a moment, hoping to find a means of escape. That moment passes when you realize, yet again, that the only way out of your room was the door, which was locked. The door that the sound drew towards. A part of you was scared, but a greater part of you was curious. And what choice did you have? You had nowhere to hide, let alone run. You had nothing to defend yourself, but then again, it appeared that nobody was out to hurt you. Scream? Why would you? As far as you could tell, no person would or could hear you. And that... thing outside might not like it. It could be provokable.
Clop, Clop, Clop...
You turned to concentrating, attempting to decipher the possibilities of the creature that was advancing to your window. What kind of creature clops? Hooved ones, obviously, but what? A cow? A horse? A giraffe even? And why would it be outside? Were you at a stable?
The passing shadow that moved along your closed blinds caused your heartbeat to race, but not to a state of panic. You stood still, half hoping that the shadow would pass, and half hoping that you could see its face.
The sound of hooves against a hard floor came to a halt. It had stopped right outside your door. There was nothing to be done, but to let events unfold.
Tock-tock-tock
"Hello, hello?" The knock on the door was followed by a muffled voice.
A human voice?
"Is anyone in here?"
It was the voice of a man. An englishman for that matter. He spoke softly, and you began to wonder if he would leave if he thought you were asleep.
Tock-to-to-tock-tock
"I know someone is in there! I saw your scouters drop you off in this specific room last night!"
That was news to you. But that brought up even more unanswered questions. You let got off the breath you unconsciously held, but did not speak a word.
"Listen, human, maybe you'd love to sleep more. But it's already eleven in the morning!... On the contrary, you are the only new one around here for today..."
Human! He called you human. But why would he do that? Surely, that voice must've come from another human... right? And what did he mean when he said you were a 'new one'?
"Oh blast... looks like I'll have to coax this one out... Alright, listen. I know this may be just a tad scary for you." The somewhat jolly voice went on, "You know, winding up somewhere new, with no idea as to what is going on and so on and so forth? Well, I can assure you, my friend, things are about to get a lot weirder!"
You stood in the center of the room, staring blankly at the door and worried by the voice's words.
"Oh. Hang on, that's probably not the best way to go about this... um... alright, listen. Things may be confusing now, but trust me... trust us... and we'll get you home, understand? Now, I'm going to pull up the blinds. You hear me? I am going to let the sun in, but you must promise me this: you will NOT panic at what else you see. Promise?"
You swallowed the nervous anticipation. What's the worse you could see anyway?
"... I'm taking your silence as consent! Up we go!"
The blinds outside your window abruptly shot up in a second, allowing the bright morning sun to temporarily blind you. As soon as you adjust, you spot the figure that was standing by your door.
And you couldn't believe your eyes.
A horse, a particularly small one, was looking into your room. But it was no ordinary horse. Its coat was bright red! And it's face was like no other horse you'd seen before! It wore a grin that looked too human to befit a horse. And there... jutting out of its bright brown mane was something. A rod maybe? You couldn't tell when you tripped over the side of your bed in astonishment.
"Good morning, you early riser you!"
You jaw hit the floor as you began breathing at a level below hyperventilation. Did that horse just say something?!
"Oh, the funny expressions you humans make when you're surprised! Alright, before I continue, allow me to clear up a few things. Yes, I'm talking to you. No, this isn't a dream. And yes, I'm a Unicorn."
A what?! Either your wildest dreams had come true or somebody was playing a really cruel prank. You guess wasn't the latter.The glaring sun prevented you from telling otherwise.
"Alright. Now, I'm going to unlock your door. Why? Because its procedure that I check all bridge-walkers of their physical health. Yes yes, I'll tell you what a bridge-walker is later. But please. We found that it was easier when the patient opened his or her own door, so as to prevent one from... shall we say... 'freaking out'."
You had come to be backed up against the far side of the wall, giving the door a frightened glare. A slow succession of clicks came from the door as the head of the supposed 'Unicorn' vanished behind it. You took the time to take in what you just saw. A self-proclaimed Unicorn was about to converse with you more closely, and you had little to no choice. Also, you doubted that hitting him and making a run for it was a good idea.
"There! Whenever you're ready, human. Of course, after a while, I may have to come in myself. I haven't got all day, you see!... Well, technically, I do, because you're the only one in this little hostel..."
The strange creature disappeared from the window, presumably waiting behind the door beside it. Now, you could clearly see what was beyond this small room. And it was just another overwhelming sight.
Wherever you were, it gave a good vista point of another town. Not one full of olden cottages, but one of concrete and tall modern structures mixed with specks of light colours. It was clearly organized, at the bottom of a shallow valley facing an open sea. Some buildings appeared as a myriad of colours, depending on some sections of the settlement. And to top it all off, another hill jutted out over the sea, and a tall castle of rock stood where a light tower would have been constructed. It was like nothing you had ever seen before.
"Hellooo? I saw you in there. Don't act like you're not there."
You shook off the amazement temporarily, returning to the situation at hand. By now, curiosity and excitement had overcome the feeling of fear. You barely hesitated as you turned the golden knob.
The door swung open, revealing the red unicorn in a clearly light. A wide grin was spread across his not-horselike face, and his eyes looked like it had come from a cartoon.
... a cartoon.
"Oh, well you responded fast! You know, usually, I'd have a hard time trying to convince others like you to open up. But not today! Have you slept well? You should have. Our pillows are filled with hypnocatrice feathers."
There were no words to express the weirdness of what was in front of you. A horse, that's height was up to your shoulder, had the ability to conduct human at a human level. It was far too real to be a joke, but it was still unbelievable.
"Oh, where are my manners! Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Professor Trotter, certified Scholar of Magic. Nice to meet you!"
The Unicorn extended a hoof. At least.. it looked like a hoof. A square red blob that had no proper hoofed ending extended towards you in greeting. You awkwardly attempt to find a way to grip it.
"Oh, just grip it like a handshake!"
You do as were told. However, you wondered how this creature, without hands, knew what a handshake was. You shut your mouth that still hung agape.
"Now, let's carry on shall we? The sooner we get over this small health check, the sooner you'll understand what is going on around here. Please sit."
With a swing of a leg, he gestures you towards your unmade bed. You shuffle towards it as you try to slow your breathing again. Immediately after you plopped yourself onto the bed, the Unicorn got to work. You never took your eyes of the creature as he pulled tools from a small pouch he had slung over his shoulder. As he did, he began to speak.
"You're probably wondering why you're here, aren't you. Everypon-... sorry... everyone who came by here did. That, dear fellow, will be known to you soon enough. But I am entitled to tell you this: you are not on Earth. Too simple? Okay, then how about this: You are in Equestria."
Equestria?!
Of course! Everything began to make sense, relatively speaking. The strange locations that were so familiar, the fact that this was a unicorn, the fact that it could even talk! This was greater than you could ever imagine!
"I'm judging by that elated expression that you've heard of this place then?" Professor Trotter raised an eyebrow.
You nodded like a fool in reply.
"Ah, well that will make things a lot simpler to explain! You should've said so earlier! I'm also going to guess that you are those 'brony' types?"
If you weren't, then you would have been more scared than happy. Equestria, a land of magic and friendship. A place deemed as a paradise by parts of the community. A place where three different races of ponies lived in harmony. Yes! That's what they were; ponies! You felt so stupid that you hadn't come across this earlier.
But wait... if this was a Unicorn attending to you, did that mean...
As if in answer, the horn of the professor began to glow a crimson hue. You stare wide-eyed at this magical part of this creature. You then watch as a stethoscope levitated out of his pouch, wrapped in a thick layer of the same crimson glow. It fit neatly into the pony's ears, and the diaphragm floated onto your chest.
"Hmm... high heart rate. That's normal for someone in your position... Anyway, as I was saying, I was going to explain how you got here. Brony or not, this is a part of Equestria that you have not seen before. Mind you, the fact that your kind even watch us excessively on television scares some of us." You feel slightly embarrassed by this statement, but continue to listen intently as the Unicorn carried on with his procedure. Shining a torch into you eye, he carried on.
"This is Peacemaker City. PC for short. You will not have heard of us at all, as our little settlement is far from Ponyville. More specifically, between Smokey Mountain and White Tail Woods. Know those places? Good." He levitates another object, this time poking a tongue depressor into your mouth. "We are a small organization, consisting of a mix of humans and ponies living in harmony under the Princesses approval. Our little town is an experimental one. For you see, upon a human discovery, we have found something stowed away within humans for a long long time."
A sphygmomanometer is quickly strapped around your arm. "A few years ago, one of your kind arrived in Equestria. Sad to say, it was a little like your absurd pieces of fanfiction at one point. However, he came across something new altogether! Whether it was fate or dumb luck, that man discovered a portal. A portal that, with a certain kind of magic, would open to any human on Earth. And that magic, my dear fellow, is inside you!"
You remained silent, trying to comprehend what this Unicorn had just conveyed. It sounded like a cliche story alright. But this was turning out to be something different. Professor Trotter made it sound like the greatest achievement since the Man landed on the moon. Perhaps he had a right to do so.
"Maybe I'm explaining it a little too quickly. But worry not! I'm almost done, and I'll bring you down to your... captors. Just so you know, they said they were really sorry." The Unicorns medical check ended with a sharp prick to the finger. You flinch after the needle pierced the skin. Unexpectedly, a warm sensation wrapped the end of your forefinger. You watched in astonishment as a drop of blood was pulled by an invisible force from your finger before it magically sealed itself. "And I'm sorry for doing that. You might be needing it later."
The Unicorn had answered some of your questions. But in return, he gave you more than you bargained for. Peacemakers? Portals? This had nothing to do with that cute show you had come to know and love!
Professor Trotter continued as he floated all of his items back into his pouch. "Since that discovery, we have been discovering more and more as our kind learn alongside yours. We've made hybrid inventions that have benefitted both your society and ours. We've taught you magic. You've taught us science beyond our time. And above all, everyone's happy."
The red colt seemed to only scratch the surface of what you were getting in to. You yourself began to believe that your arrival was really not a coincidence at all. But what role did you really play in all this? You contemplated the possibilities as the Unicorn trotted for the door.
"Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's bring you down to your... er... finders shall we? Don't worry, whatever you brought with you is still with you. We're not thieves." He stopped halfway out the door, "Well... most of us aren't. Now come on!"
You did not expect any of this. In the slightest chance that you hoped you would one day wind up in Equestria, you thought you would be visiting the Mane Six, just like all the fan-made content made it out to be. Instead, you've come across a greater mystery that was not presented on your television screen. This was something far beyond that. You rose from the bed, eager to leave this desolate hostel for the land of Equestria that you never heard about. This was a new world and a new part of it.
And who knows? Maybe you might even see the Mane Six.
Thank you for reading. If you would like this story to continue, please select a gender, along with two traits that you would like the persona to portray.
Are you a boy or a girl?:
F. Female
M. Male
Attitude towards coming events:
1. Enthusiastic
2. Hesitant
Attitude towards stay in Equestria and arrival:
a. Curious
b. Quiet/Listener
Please put your choice, along with any criticism you may choose to give, in the comment section below.
(Example: F1b. This story sucks trololololol.)
Peacemakers
Your initial state of shock, followed by elation, had passed. However, this still did not cease the constant fear of the unknown. After all, you were conversing with a relatively small red colt, whose head rose no higher than your shoulder level.
Having accepted the reality that you were indeed not on your native planet, you continued a couple of steps behind the cheerful pony that was your first acquaintance in Equestria. Equestria, the place that any avid fandom member would have paid dearly to visit. Yet here you were, with almost no effort or by your own accord.
You figured it wasn't really time to celebrate. As excited as you were that you were here, you decided not to show it. This was not the part of Equestria that you wanted to see. As far as you knew, you had never heard of humans in a land of ponies. The idea alone seemed unfathomable to a point. Nevertheless, it may prove to be an interesting experience. You just saw magic no more than a few minutes ago. At this point, anything seemed possible, and this unicorn that lead you seemed nice enough.
The self-proclaimed Scholar of Magic guided you to the entrance of the two-storeyed hostel. All the while, he went on about how it wasn't often that a human would appear in Equestria independently. Apparently, it was his job to care for any newcomers until they were deemed fit or psychologically prepared to face what was outside this building. It did its job, you supposed. The hostel showed no sign of anything Equestrian; the pristine plain building housing the same kind of room over and over on both floors. No sign of anything magical or indication that this was not Earth. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that a pony was the one attending to it, its residents would have no doubt believing the facade it put up. Only there were no other occupants. In the eight-roomed resting place for newcomers, you were the only one.
"Yes, it is almost always this empty." The Scholar seemed to have read your thoughts, following your gaze as you passed each replica of the same setting, "Honestly, the highest number of newcomers we had at once was two at a time. But it'd never hurt anypon- sorry... anyone to be prepared."
The exit was a wide double door, similar to that of a hospital. Only hospitals didn't have stained glass panels, depicting a strange symbol. Strange, but familiar. Before you could recall where you had seen it before, the Professor was already at the door, beckoning you to follow.
With a glow of his horn, a crimson emanation lit up on the hostel's doors, sending them swinging open and allowing the angry sun to beat upon its late risers. You found yourself constantly fixated on the pony's magical organ every time he performed the simplest of tasks. Or was it a bone? Either way, it was a fascination you would not get tired of anytime soon.
The entrance gave way to a sort of verandah, a simple deck that stretch the length of the front of the building. It gave a perfect viewpoint of the supposed hybrid city below, with the view of cloudy skies that -could it be true?- were guided by Pegasi!
You could care less about the sun scorching your eyes as you surveyed a small number of pegasi, racing about freely in the open air. No amount of pinching could wake you from this reality of a dream, and the same sense of wonder you had felt earlier from a simple act of a unicorn filled you once more. It was all you could do to prevent yourself from running straight into the town in pure curiosity. You chose to keep it to yourself until you were absolutely sure that this place was... should you say... not dangerous.
"Huh..." The pony that had guided you all this while, snapped you back to the situation at hand, "I would've thought our friends would be here by now."
"They are here."
The voice that came uncomfortably close from behind caused you to jump, startled by the sudden presence of the third being. You spin around to see, to your great relief, another human being. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, but the professor did not flinch at all.
"For Celestia's sake, Benjamin! Are you trying to scare of the new ones?" Trotter turned to the human with an exasperated sigh, he still hung by the shadows of the now unoccupied hostel.
"Of course not. That wasn't scary at all." You step back from the fellow two-legged creature, chuckling as he unveiled himself in the light. Sure enough, it was another human. A man with sharp features and unkept short brown hair, pushed up his frameless spectacles. He spoke with a light southern-english accent, and dressed peculiarly in a white collared shirt and brown vest, with a red tie loosely hanging by the unbuttoned top button. He looked like he was pushing in his late twenties.
The sound his leather boots produced echoed through the empty hostel as he approached you, extending a hand wrapped in a fingerless glove.
"Afternoon, sunshine. Name's Benjamin Saint John. How you doing?"
You keep your hands by your side. This man had just startled you, and now he extended a hand in friendship. You kept a blank expression, letting him know it wouldn't be that easy.
"Ah, quiet aren't you." He dropped his hand, but not his small smile. "Probably shouldn't have tried anything earlier then." He nodded an apology, followed by a gesture over your shoulder, "That's Rose. She helped bring you in last night."
You spin around a second time to find another human. This time it didn't surprise you as much.
A woman with lightly toned skin pulled down the long scarf that hid her less long black hair. Her black top looked nothing short of lustrous matt black armour, and was sleeveless if not for the sleek wraps around her forearms and wrists. She didn't extend a hand, unlike her friend. You also began to wonder whether the
"Rosalie Aryan. Nice to meet you." She smiled warmly at you, before turning to give Benjamin a glare at the next second. "And I apologize for Benny here, who also at this time, should not be carrying around his weapons!"
Weapons?!
You take another step away from the englishman, finally taking notice of what you failed to see earlier. Holstered about the back of his hip were two light yellow handles with black grips. You made out the triggers just before their owner slid them deeper into his back holsters.
"Hey, I'm not the only one!"
You turn again to see a polished silver bow, tucked over Rosalie's shoulder. She hastily threw the rest of her scarf over the quilt of arrows you managed to catch a glimpse of. "I-I just got back from Whitetail Woods! You don't have an excuse." Her faced turned red as she stammered.
"Oh yeah? What were you doing in Whitetail Woods?"
"Uh... hunting..."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure we've got a rule against that-"
"Ladies! Gentlemen! Please!" The only pony present ceased the argument. "Aren't both of you forgetting why you're here? You two are just making it worse for this fellow."
It was half true. The fact that these people were armed made this 'peaceful' civilization questionable. It made you uneasy, but at the same time it fueled your urge to know more. So you did not panic, but you didn't show much enthusiasm either.
"Right, sorry." Benjamin cleared his throat before putting an arm over your shoulders. You reluctantly allow it. "Come, my boy, we've got places for you to see!" He almost pulls you down the verandah, heading down the hill and back into town.
"Thanks for looking after him, Harry." Rosalie thanked the red colt, "It must've been troublesome looking after just one guy."
"Oh, not at all, my dear! It's part of my job and my studies."
"Speaking of which," You hear the lady continue as you continue down the path, "anything we should take note of about him?"
"Oh, nothing much really. Just keep in mind that he's a brony. Ought to make it easier to teach him."
"Really? That takes a load off, thanks!"
"I'll just lock up the hostel again before I head back to the lab. Toodles!" The colt trotted back into the dusty building, sending us on our way.
You shifted uncomfortably under Benjamin's arm, feeling much more secure under the watch of the pony that you had just left. Although it came to you as a relief that you weren't the only human in Equestria, something told you there was more to this place then they were letting on.
Rosalie jogged up to her fellow Peacemaker, or so they called themselves. She kept pace and continued chewing out her associate as we walked the distance into PC.
"Seriously, Ben?" Rosalie started, "Weapons? While introducing a new one? You know what kind of effect that might have!"
"What?" Ben shrugged, releasing you from his grasp, "I'm sorry, Rose, but this is my first time guiding bridge-walkers. So forgive me if I'm doing anything wrong, alright?"
"But guns, Ben? I thought you'd have more sense than that." She persisted sternly.
"What do you expect me to do, Rose? Lie to them when they get here?"
"We're expected to reveal to them slowly."
"You're one to talk, carrying your shiny bow to the hostel too..."
"Hey, mine can be seen as sport! Guns on the other hand..."
"They're not really guns, and you know that."
"It's not even dangerous in PC!"
"You know, that can change at any moment, darling."
It was then did they realize they had forgotten who was with them. But it was too late. The gravity of what they said sunk in. The fearful side of you began to rise once more. Whatever reason you were brought here for, you began to like it less and less. And it looked like your escorts could tell.
"Heh, we didn't really mean all that, buddy." Rose chuckled sheepishly, trying to break the tension they had built. "We're not a bunch of hooligans... well, at least most of us aren't."
"Hey!"
"But let's change the subject." She grabs you by the wrist, never dropping her warm smile. "You probably have more questions than that of any HiE fic you've ever read."
You nod at the person that finally began to understand you.
"Don't worry, we'll tell you everything." She swings your arm like an innocent playful child, "We have until sunset before we get you home, and until then, we're going to do our best to explain everything. Aren't we, Ben?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah yeah, course." Ben was lagging behind, checking his iphone in Equestria of all places. They couldn't possibly have wifi here? "But before that, we've got to take him to Lucy." He extends an arm and points to an incomprehensible building among all the others. You assumed that they knew where they were going.
"Lucidia? Why?" Rose turned to her companion, confused.
"Just got a message from Conway." Ben jogged to catch up. You could hear the sound of metal clanking on his back, "We're going to look at your aural potential, my friend." He pats you on the back.
Aural... what?
"Ben... he doesn't know what that is yet."
"Oh yeah... this might take a while to explain."
"Don't worry, it's a bit of a walk to Lucidia's." He takes a step ahead of you, clearing his throat as if he were about to give a speech.
"Do you believe, in magic, mate? Ah, don't answer that. You obviously do at this point. But what about this: Do you believe... in human magic?"
You look into the colourful display of buildings in the valley below, seeing not only pegasi soaring through the sky, but also a human figure aboard one of them, flying further into the mysterious town. Also, somewhere among the buildings, a violet spark burst above the buildings.
"I'm not just talking about the magic of friendship either. I'm no expert on that because I'm not really a brony, see? But it doesn't take a fool to realize that what we, as humans, have discovered something that may have trumped any scientific discovery for the next decade, if not the next century!"
"Less than ten years ago," Rose added, "something happened on Earth. Something, or someone, had caused a link between Equestria and Earth. You won't remember it. None of us do. Apparently, it was a time of utter chaos or something, and the realities of both worlds began to mesh. But somehow, we humans managed to fix it, with the help of one man."
"This man was in Equestria, long before any of us." Ben took his turn, "And in Equestria, that man had found something, an artifact, that answered many of Earth's unanswerable questions. On top of that he discovered something more. We call the artifact the 'Harmony Medallion'." Ben took hold of Rose's wrist, turning it up to reveal to you the same symbol you had seen earlier.
It was a symbol of three circular layers, intercepted by eight outward points. It was topped with an elaborate placement of six gems. And it was then that you remembered where you had seen it before. The five gems that circled the pendant represented the Elements that you tried to follow in your life. Loyalty, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, all formed a circle around the center gem. Magic.
"This symbol is what defines us." Rose said softly, sharing your gaze at the embossed emblem in her clothing, "It's what guides us, and we followed it to find happiness. To find Harmony." At this point, Ben unbuttoned the top button of his vest, pulling it down to show the same emblem, pressed into his shirt.
"And it worked. It turned out the Medallion provided a sort of human revelation. A subconscious one, in fact. As both our worlds began to mesh uncontrollably, the Princesses combined with the Elements of Harmony- yes, the Mane Six- and wiped the Earth of the mark Equestria had left, along with the memory of it. But in doing so, it had reactivated what all of us had stowed away for centuries. What existed as our goodwill and conscience, our hope and belief, it was the fuel, and this... this spark made it more than we could every imagine."
"We call it our Aura." Rose continued. "It reactivated inside every human being on Earth. But not everyone knows it yet. And those who do, or have an outstanding aural potential, are brought here. To aid in the progress of science and magic as one."
By now, all three of you were almost at the town. All the while, you had listened intently, not saying a word. This news was mind-blowing, almost overwhelming. Magic? Inside humans? Inside... yourself? Then why haven't you seen it before after all this time?
"Now I know what you're thinking, mate." Ben chuckled, "You're thinking 'If we've got this magic inside all of us, why haven't you seen it yet'? Rose, how was that for an american accent?"
"Needs some work."
"Meh. Well to answer your question, you actually have seen it before. You've also read about it in history books. Men and women carrying out extraordinary feats. I'd give you a history lesson, but we'll be seeing a real teacher later today."
"Let's move on." Roselia tugged at the bowstring on her shoulder, producing a ligh twang at every pluck. "Since that incident many years ago, our team has grown. At first, there were only five of us, and I remember when this town wasn't even half this size yet! Now, there's still only about a hundred of us, but slowly, as we gained more and more members, we became aware of what we were doing; we were building a city out of the dust of Equestria, aided greatly by the ponies who shared the same curiosity and enthusiasm as our kind, and we have worked together since."
"There were culture clashes at first, but it was nothing we couldn't adapt to." Ben then rambled on about how some events were even similar, like Hearth's Warming and Christmas, Hearts and Hooves day and Valentine's day.
"But here's something else that really amazes me." Rose spoke with genuine fascination now, "Our little civilization here is in a complete state of anarchy. Any one of us could rebel at any moment. Anyone or anypony could raise hell and sabotage all work we've accomplished! But nobody has..."
"It's like the internet, I always say!" Ben laughed heartily, "It's a place of complete freedom, and only a small part of it has gone to hell!"
"I don't think you've been on the internet enough, Ben."
"Aw, really?"
"Anyway, I personally believe that nobody rebels, because... well... everyone here has already rebelled. We're deviants of an earthly system, and it is liberating. With no corruption, peer pressure or a want for world domination, we seem to be happy just progressing the way we are. And like I said before, everyone is happy."
The conversation ended on that cheerful note. It sounded crazy, but you actually believed what the two of them had said. They sounded so genuine and sincere, with full belief in their cause. It was spirit-lifting, and knowing that you had more than one kind of spirit inside you may have helped.
"Well, here we are." Ben heaved a sigh, looking up into the town.
It was an amazing sight, and you took it all in. Streets, lined with architecturally unique designs, housed the activities of both ponies and humans. You saw the wonder in the display of one human, strolling by with a number of scrolls tucked under his arm, teaching about human history to a class of eager ponies. You saw the joy in a group of foals, experimenting with a small group of humans, toys of technology and magic you had deemed impossible on Earth. You saw the harmony between the two species as a rushing teenage boy, calling down for his friend of a pegasus to carry him away to another part of the town. For a town of a hundred humans, it was certainly very lively.
"Hmm... looks like we're quite busy today..." Ben commented casually.
"That's alright. The more the merrier." Rose said optimistically. She patted you on the back, her smile from ear to ear was bigger than ever.
"Welcome to Peacemaker City, buddy. You're going to like it here."
