A Kindred Spirit

I was awoken by the contact of something hard against the side of my head. I grumpily snapped my eyes open, not entirely awake. "What?" In front of me was Rarity, expression indicating minor annoyance. "Darling, you're the one who agreed to the terms of this nap of yours. You have to prepare to leave the train soon. Make yourself presentable and I'll see if I can make a few touches here and there. Don't go back to sleep." With this, she left the room.

I hated having to wake up after naps. I sat up, trying to pull my mind back together from what it had been before my descent into restful sleep. I never was quite in the same state after a such an event. Swinging my legs over the bedside, I prepared to get dressed again; I had decided before laying down to change back into my robe so as to avoid any wrinkling to the suit. I was still amazed at Rarity's insistence on such fine materials to compose the garments she had made for me. Her behavior towards me seemed almost maternal, which was amusing, but also concerning. I hoped she was not doing this out of pity and operating as if I was a child for her to take care of...

The thought made perfect sense, and now was assured to haunt the corners of my mind when the mare performed a philanthropic action. Disgruntled, I dressed myself and used my phone as a mirror to check how presentable I was. The libertarian state normally checked on the agglomeration of wild individuals that was society every now and then, the state being myself and society the hair, and it checked out for my needs. I wasn't quite sure what the white one would think, but that was for her to know and me to find out. A passing sense of deja vu occurred as I ventured once more unto the breach.

Rarity's scrutiny was immediate. A short exposure rendered a judgement. "Dear, go brush your mane. Do as you wish after that, but at the moment it's rather wild. When you're done, come to the caboose again. We'll all be there preparing to leave the train in thirty. It's 11:30 now, for your information. Later, darling." Hmm, arriving at noon, then.

Saying a goodbye, deja vu followed me into the bathroom to wash up again. Wetting my hair enough to brush it, I removed the excess water and brushed it over into a strange looking flat, straight, but dense configuration. I then proceeded to mess up the arrangement with a short assault by my digits. This produced a semi-orderly, but still comfortably eccentric look that I usually used when attempting to be formal. The short process barely took four minutes, and I left the bathroom. Something felt off as I approached the door...

right, my bag.

Having successfully remembered the one item other than my ever-present smartphone and my sets of clothing, my recall was allotted some praise and affirmations for its infallible record. I opened the door to my room again, and looked to the chair in which I had set the bag. I did not see it. A short bolt of panic struck me for a moment before I realized there was what appeared to be a note sitting on the chair. Picking this up, I unfurled it and read a short spat of some very fluid and flowery handwriting.

Got bored. I have your things, just find me whenever you wake up.

-T.S., 10:07 am

I appreciated her little timestamp, although it was not entirely important or relevant. I now evacuated the room, heading for the door to the outside of the train car. Stepping out onto the little walkway, I flinched, reflexively grabbing the handrail. The train was now on a narrow mountain path, rugged snowcapped mountains impaling the previously softly rolling hills of Ponyville, and the colder, crisper air made me grateful for the nice suit coat I was wearing. The aforementioned town had a pleasingly quaint atmosphere enveloping it, but the terrain we were now traversing, although more foreboding and inhospitable, easily eclipsed it in terms of beauty. The tallest monoliths around us stood watch, bare peaks devoid of trees. I wondered how high we really were, and what remarkable engineering must have gone into this train to adapt to such a change in available air and pressure. I realized I would likely be suffering from shortness of breath in the capital city of the ponies. Looking up into the sky, the clouds loomed not far up above. Motion and color snagged my attention, behind the train. I identified Dash, wings unmoving, and proceeding at a slow rate towards the train. I knew what she was trying to do, and it would be an impressive stunt if she could actually land this with no wing motion at all, but I did not think that would be her goal. The difficulty of being an air-breathing creature at high altitude trying to land on a vehicle that presented a tiny target, kept changing its relative velocity, and flying without a fixed wing for a predictable glide slope was challenge enough for me to place great respect in Rainbow's flying abilities. I couldn't see too far to the front or rear of the train, and looking at Rainbow told me her descent profile would be quite steep and she'd need to bat her wings a few times before landing to avoid an ungainly and painful impact. The pony came in fast, appearing to grow larger at a moderately rapid pace before, as predicted, drastically increasing her angle of attack to pull up hard and stall, exerting her strong flying muscles to provide a few large wing beats, slowing her descent rapidly.

This precise and powerful articulation of her largest extremities was a testament to both her skills as a flier, and the remarkable design and applications of the pegasus wing. It could be paralleled to the human hand in its specialty and complexity, as well as its many uses. The hands were for manipulation of the physical world, and the wing for its navigation; having an airfoil that one could receive immediate sensory input from and its ability to be so dynamic in its specifications could lead to near infinite applications in the air. It was captivating, and it was easy to be envious of the beautiful instruments of power, versatility, and precision. Humans had always dreamed of flight, contriving an infinite number of ideas to take to the skies, but here was an intelligent creature born with the capability. It was not at all hard to find myself lusting after the same powers.

Dash, who had landed on the roof of the caboose, motioned for permission to drop to the lower platform, an action that looked harrowing. Rainbow did it with a cool head, and a massive blast of air was blown towards the ground as she softened her landing. The mare folded her wings away, an amazing process, and reached for her goggles, lifting them off of her eyes.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" While it may be relatively quiet in the small pocket between cars, "inside voices" were not an option.

Last time we'd talked about flight, I gave the athlete the what-for on who had the fastest, most powerful flight, but it simply didn't compare to the majesty of being on the wing, after having watched what could almost be considered an art form. "Just got up. Your wings are awesome, I can't imagine what it's like up there, in the air by the lift from your own extremities, and what it must feel like to have the air pass through the feathers..."

Rainbow smiled. "Oh, you have no idea. It must be difficult to never fly for all the non-Pegasi, I don't know what I'd *do** without my wings."*

"We've made our machines, but it just can't be as visceral as what you guys do. Inside?"

The cyan pony nodded. "Yeah." I let her go first, following the daredevil into the caboose.

Rarity saw Rainbow, deciding to greet her first. "Ah, Rainbow, so glad you decided to join us." She nodded nonchalantly, hanging her goggles on a nearby hatrack, and flopping into a seat. The two were easily as different as night and day, but their friendship and mutual respect was apparent, if coupled with a little teasing and perhaps even an inane rivalry of sorts. Pinkie now seemed to be asleep, and Applejack simply nodded at our entrance. Dash asked the question we wanted to know the answer to. "What's up with Pinkie? She asleep?" The pink pony's gregariousness was mostly confined to a receptive role in our conversations previously, as Twilight and I had steered it on to what we had found interesting. The party mare occasionally engaged in side conversations as well, typically with Rarity, if the purple scholar and I became too involved in something highly technical. Spike also joined in these as well, preferring to speak to these two.

Fluttershy, one of two of our primarily quiet passengers, answered Dash's question in her trademark soft voice. "Yeah, she decided she was tired a while ago." She meekly smiled, offering a small "hi" at my entrance. I nodded once, returning her smile.

"Afternoon," Twilight acknowledged. She lifted my pack from the sofa next to her, levitating it over to me. I grabbed it, moving to the same seat I had claimed earlier in the day. Rarity now inquired me on something. "Good afternoon, darling. Your...hair, looks much better. Would you mind my asking, what's in the bag? Twilight won't tell me." The last sentence was coupled with an almost childish tone that was quite amusing. Twilight and I shared a look that communicated our similar stance. "I don't think now is the time."

I should have known that wouldn't work, and it would only serve to make her more interested. "Oh, now I'm intrigued." A short pause took over, the blue-eyed equine clasping her hooves over her mouth, leaning onto the table. This was quickly broken, and she sat back up. "Please?"

She adopted puppy-dog eyes and a sad, pouting expression again. Unfortunately for her, it was more amusing than saddening. "Not yet."

"Fine," she answered, now changing to a full-on pout. I knew she was trying to guilt trip me into it, and it wasn't working. I turned my thoughts inwards again, mulling over everything that had happened in the last couple of days. Not long ago, I had lain bleeding at the edge of a dense jungle. Now, I sat in a lavish partition of a semi-modern means of transportation high in the mountains, on my way to meet with royalty.

Royalty. I checked the time on an ornate clock hanging on the wall nearby. 11:48.

For the first time, what I was doing truly dawned on me, twelve minutes before it would begin. I'm here with six of the most important mares in the country, going to meet *the** two most powerful in the whole land, and I am here to represent my entire species. If I offend them, I could be gone like the wind scatters ash.*

Anxiety was now realized, bubbling up from the dark places under the sea of still water. Excitement, apprehension. I couldn't decide which was which; butterflies stirred in my stomach, and bees buzzed in my head. What would I say? What's going to happen when we get there? What will the princesses do? What would offend them? What would please them?

"Are you... okay? You seem upset, all of a sudden." A meek, smooth voice precisely identified my issue, something I found surprising, given my normally placid demeanor. I looked up at Fluttershy, who had nailed down the malady with a hammer of intuition. I fumbled about in my head, hastily forming a coherent sentence to reply.

"Oh, it's just... it actually dawned on me, for the first time, what I'm doing... I'm going to meet the most powerful ponies in the whole nation, surrounded by six other very important ponies, and representing my whole species... it's kind of stressful, actually." I cursed my own wandering mind for not thinking deeper on this extremely important topic until now. There are things that one can procrastinate. This is not one of them.

"It's alright. I'm sure you'll be alright. We're here to back you up." The sentiment from the butter yellow pegasus elicited a small release of warm fuzzies inside. I really appreciated the affirmations, as I was previously uncertain to how I appeared in to the ponies. I knew now that Fluttershy at least had genuine interest in making friends, and from the shiest mare in the group, I was given the most reassuring of words. "Thanks," I answered, being as sincere as possible. But one thing still bothered me, a creeping question that had hung around ever since its inception several days ago. The group had all seemed to accept me so quickly...

"Why do you trust me?" I blurted the question, immediately regretting my lack of self-control. Fluttershy looked a bit intimidated at first. I immediately scanned my audience to gauge the social current of the room. Twilight looked concerned and Rarity appeared distressed, while Applejack observed with rapt attention. Even Rainbow looked interested in the proceedings. A general air of available support for Fluttershy hung in the room, should she need to call on it.

Said pony looked down at the ground, mane obscuring her eyes again. A dreadful silence hung in the air, and the tension grew by the second.

Her muzzle rose again, and her eyes made contact with mine, albeit one obscured by her flowing mane. "You've been kind to us so far, and seem like a good person at heart. Unless..." Again, an unbearable pause rocked through the room as the peaceful pony broke eye contact, mustering the words and courage to finish her statement. "unless there's something you need to talk to us about?" She smiled again, eyes meeting mine. I could see she was reaching out to me, trying to be there to support me. The flow of warmth through my chest grew like a faucet turned by a caring hand.

I smiled back to Fluttershy. The power of eye contact was truly amazing, and the level of intimacy between us had grown rapidly and was now almost alarming. I felt as if she was extending a hoof on which my feelings could latch. It scared me; I didn't trust my emotions, they were so wild and untamed by the ordered rationality of the logic I typically espoused. Somehow this pink-maned, lovable fiend had managed to circumvent all of the shields about that part of me--or had I let the vigilance slip a moment?

Either way, I was in deep now. I looked very carefully inside myself, almost looking for an excuse to discuss something, but the problem was, there wasn't really any problems.

My introspection had accompanied a downward angle of my head, from which I now withdrew. I started a soft shake, right to left and back. I looked up, making the ever-intense eye contact with Fluttershy. "No, I really don't think so..."

A small dose of disappointment was one I saw measured, her head returning to slightly downcast, a soft "oh" escaping her lips. I felt a sliver of pain, like a tear in the edge of paper, cut through my inner sanctum. I quelled it. Continuing the cycle, she looked back up at my eyes again. "Well, if there's anything you need to talk about..."

She didn't need to finish. Effusive feelings of acceptance stirred like a wave of soft, fuzzy heat, and an especially heartfelt, gracious smile possessed my features. Somehow this violently speedy foray into my most censored self had resulted in me finding someone I could talk to about such matters. I wondered how it was that we had dived into this level of intimacy so quickly. I put it down to the trauma of my realizations just prior and a slip in my usual defenses.

"Darling, if you need support, I'm here for you, too. I might not be as adept as Fluttershy at working it all out, but I'll do my best. That's what friends do, after all." The one pony who could have said such things smiled warmly, and although it may not have been as touching as Fluttershy's commitment, it still reached me with favor.

But however reassuring these commitments to my heart, Fluttershy's answer for why they trusted me had not satisfied the voracious hunger for a logical answer my head seeked. Why were they doing this? Why? The rift between feeling and reason was still great.

Applejack, previously the quiet observer, decided to speak a piece of her mind. "Now, I can only speak for myself here, but... I think, to answer your question, we trust you simply because you haven't given us a reason not to. You've been respectful and kind to us and haven't shown the slightest sign of wanting to take advantage. I don't know where you come from, but unless you're giving me a reason not to, I'll treat you like a neighbor."

Again, a small pulse of positivity tickled my interior. Applejack's simple and reasonable statement helped to bring me to a new level of clarity and understanding of the behavior I was experiencing, and helped quell the storm of an unsatisfied call for logic, solving my problem with a straightforward worldview.

I really didn't know what to do now. Words seemed weak, and I couldn't convey how I felt by another means. I looked at my feet, nodding softly. I gave the old English language a go with a soft "thanks", in a vain attempt to tell of what I had experienced. Luckily, the room seemed to glow with care, and I needed not to phrase the perfect statement. A wave of shyness rolled over me, and I simply wished to wall up and turn inwards again. This time, I was both more secure and less likely to blurt out a question I hadn't really meant to ask. Even though the words offered by the group around me was reassuring, I was still afflicted with nagging insecurities. They really didn't know me, but worse was that I really didn't know myself, and this was something that could not be resolved. I was content now to ride the wave of positive emotions, however, for that very reason. Several conversations flowed between our group's more extroverted members, as I passively observed from the sidelines.

A number of minutes later, Rarity pointed out the window of the train as we rounded another bluff, words coated with enthusiasm. "Look everypony, it's Canterlot!"

I turned my previously unoccupied eyes towards the glass, looking for the city. I was not disappointed.

An extravagant fortress hugged the edge of a precipitous cliffside on the end of a bluff holding a large, lazy lake. The smooth, round wall, and the largest buildings within, were made of a bright white and flawlessly constructed from what I inferred to be thickly whitewashed stone, producing a pale white shine on the canvas of grey, green, and white. Great constructs of a darker stone, likely pulled from the mountainsides, provided a contrasting tone to the light colored buildings, primarily serving as the hewn columns and supports of the city, and in the roofing of the largest buildings. The balance of light and dark was a central element to the color scheme of the capital city, but perhaps the most striking was the use of gold to ordain it. An untold weight of shining gold glimmered off the slender turrets and railings of the great citadel, standing to present the city as both a way to demonstrate dominance over the forces that would move such stones as those that composed it; however, it also demonstrated a poetic connection, a thankfulness, almost, as the soft metal was likely extracted from the very masses of rock on which this symbol of civilization stood.

We drew ever closer to this wonder of architecture, but I saw that we would not enter into it on this train. A station was built at the near side of the river, and a small railyard proximal to the underside of the cliffs signaled the end of the line. The stone road that had followed us most of our way on the ride out of Ponyville, likely very old, led over an huge wooden drawbridge to the great porticullis of the town, an imposing sight, even from our distance. I checked the time again. 11:56. We had four minutes to prepare to depart from the train, and to my continuing pleasure, I had but my clothing and my electronics to take care of. They were already gathered into my bag, so I had nothing to do to prepare.

The lush foliage about the town puzzled me; despite the ready accessibility of water, the great altitude we were at was something I would have thought to reduce the thickness of plant life. However, it was not hard to tell this place was saturated with magic. Doubtless, the city had many layers of magical protection, especially since its location was so dangerous. I turned my focus to the end of our journey, the station. A glittering of something had caught my eye.

As we drew closer, I was able to make out a mass of shining things, layered atop a field of white and moving ever so slightly in the sunlight. I came to the realization that this was a group of military ponies, golden-colored armor shining in the sun. A detachment of the Royal Guard was evidently here to escort us to the castle. A slight pang of apprehension passed through me when I saw them armed with long, shining pikes, but I then understood the guard was as much to protect the princesses if I turned hostile. It never hurt to be prepared, and if one were to meet the President, there would be a multitude of armed guards about.

However, as we approached the platform, I examined my surroundings. Here I was, a simple human student, in a very luxurious train car, wearing a fine suit, and headed to see the two leaders of a nation that were at least biologically immortal. I wasn't trained in diplomacy, although many may argue that that is a good thing, and another wave of anxiety broke. I fought to keep this one down as the train's brakes became faintly audible and the vehicle began to slow.

"Celestia's really nice, you'll be fine." The propensity of this group to determine how I was feeling was somewhat unsettling, but it could easily have been put down to a regular reassurance. I wasn't different from any other regular person about to visit royalty.

As the vehicle halted, I saw plainly the ranks of the Guard outside the window. I stood up, uncertain of what to do. The others did the same, grabbing their belongings. I heard a faint clip-clop of hooves on the platform outside, and the lines of guardsmen rotated to face perpendicularly to the train door, raising their front hooves in a salute. Who's coming? Who is this?

I heard and saw the turning of the handle on the door, and the rush of air as it was opened. There stood a pony I recognized, a tall white stallion with a somewhat messy blue mane of varying shades, not clad in armor like his fellows. Twilight lunged for the door, making contact with her chest and embracing him with her neck. He attempted to stay as still as possible, but the momentum she carried staggered him a bit. She peeled herself away from him, but still stood well within his sphere of personal space, being unusually close siblings.

"Shining! It's good to see you again!" A faint and repressed smile passed his lips, and a quiet, amused, but lightly admonishing voice responded to her behavior. "Hi, Twilight. It's good to see you as well, but we're kinda here on official business and everything."

Extricating herself from her brother's space with a blush, she offered an "oh, right..." before I caught that I was supposed to be near the exit. I approached it, now standing near the captain of the guard. He, and his men, all stood taller than the mares, at an estimated 5'2"; the armored fellows stood an inch or two taller, clad in their shining plates, and their plumes reached to about 5'10 at their peaks, about eye-level for me. A near-invisible flicker passed through them, and I wasn't quite sure how I noticed it; their demeanor was steely and resolute. The cause was likely that I stood over them all, and to simple unexpectedness as Celestia regularly stood above them. It was easy to see they were sizing me up, estimating what it might take

Shining began to speak to me in a clear, animated tone of voice. "Welcome to Canterlot. I am Captain Shining Armor, commanding officer of the Royal Guard. Me and these fine stallions you see here are to escort you to the palace."

Right. Talking, words. Responding? You know these things. I replied amiably and in an attempt to produce as confident a tone as he, "A pleasure, sir. Lead on."

I stepped out first, the six Elements following me. Twilight sidled up close to her brother, Spike rode on Pinkie's back behind me, along with Rarity and Fluttershy to my right rear. Applejack trailed the group, and Rainbow stood on my left. I was surrounded by these ponies, and as we advanced, two lines of guardsmen moved to form a tight square around us. We proceeded through the train station, which was made of fine stone and etched in a Gothic fashion, several ponies near the ticket booths watching intently. I got the uncomfortable feeling this would be how the procession went all the way to the halls of the palace.

The road to the gates was mostly uneventful, as it was currently lightly trafficked. I spent most of my time observing the scenery, and now, the strange, unique resonance in the air. This magic was a strange one, seeming to seep out of the land itself, not like Twilight's, whose source was apparent and possibly even traceable from feeling the harmonic movement of the air when she used it, somewhat like a high-pitched ringing from a TV set. Despite this mystery, the surrounding land was beautiful, with several pathways leading deeper into the hillside. It seemed that the whole stead of the castle was a garden or park, almost.

As we approached the gate with the synchronized clanking of metal and sound of hooves striking stone, so grew my apprehension, but also, excitement. Despite the gravity of the situation, a place as wondrous as this just beckoned to be explored. I did not know if I would be allowed to wander the city, but I would take the opportunity when if it became available.

The wall, which was likely employed as a last line of defense, was not particularly tall. As we transitioned from the stone of the road to the wood of the drawbridge with a thundering of hooves, and then back to stone past the great gates, we entered the city and caused a bit of a stir. The town's main thoroughfare cleared and the ponies about town again laid their gazes on our procession, but I tried hard not to let it bother me. Instead, I examined the buildings about. They all were built of the same material that it seemed the whole city was, stone of a bright white. The interiors of these buildings were likely repurposed many times over their lifetimes, and I wondered just how old the city was.

The purposeful march would continue for about five or ten minutes through the streets, until we hit another gate. This one led into the palace grounds.

I thought the palace was big from far away. I underestimated it. It was massive. The immense monolith was composed of several great spires reaching high into the midday sky, and a huge central hall tying the complex together. The style of the building was an interesting blend of pre-modern architecture, with the sharply ascending, strong-edged spires of Gothic buildings, the more rounded, circular construction typical of the Baroque, and the smooth, flat sides of the Romanesque constructs. We headed straight for the doors of this enormous hall, two puny guardsmen opening the giant doors for us as we neared. The opening of the great slabs revealed a vaulted antechamber, with wide stairways heading up to the various parts of the castle. Two stained glass windows stood at the top of this great chamber, high overhead; one an image of the sun in yellow, shining down through the clouds, and another in shades of blue and purple, illustrating the moon and stars. The mixture of colors was a strange one, similar to that of the twilight hours of the day.

We did not set our path to the great flight of stairs, instead heading for one of a pair of entrances to what was assuredly Celestia's throne room. Great suns were engraved upon the surface of these doors, and guardsmen again stood watch over them. Once more, the guards opened the doors for us.

I could see the inside was full of light from the outdoors, and the windows cast streams of many colors onto the colossal red carpet leading to the end of the hall, a great many paces away. As we entered this cavernous hall, I was once more amazed by the magnificent abilities of the pony architects. The sheer size of this castle, not to mention the precision with which it was constructed, spoke of the talent of both designer and laborer. Perhaps the race was not as advanced as humankind, and although I had not seen the old cathedrals of Europe in person, this castle was of equal magnificence and scale.

We traversed the hall, and I could feel the magic emanating from the end of the hallway. I caught the soft motion of prismatic colors and the shining white of the coat and wings of a large pony. Celestia. The aura could be felt growing in strength with every step we took. I tried to view and absorb the enormous panes of stained glass in the windows, and passively wondered how such a construction could be sturdy, but the comforting, yet surreal waves of soft warmth from the princess I was to speak with were far too distracting. The closer our party got to the regent, the more layers I could feel converging and forming atop one another. The feeling of warmth built with every step, almost reaching the effect of a sun emitting bright, warm rays from the center of the body. Warm, comforting feelings began to slide into place, those of maternal nature. It was almost if I was being embraced. However, this struggled against my ever-rising nervousness; I could see Celestia clearly now, sitting on the Equestrian throne. The movement of the Royal Guard around us halted, now forming into two lines; they marched onto the steps up to the throne, providing a physical barrier in case something went awry. Left on the last few paces before the steps leading upwards were myself, the Elements, and Shining Armor.

Celestia now stood, and I got my first glimpse of her in the flesh, glittering gold regalia and great, ethereal mane flowing to an unseen current. Despite the comforting influence, her raw power outshined it; just like the rays of the sun, the sheer potency of magic rolling off of the princess told of untold reserves of energy, and an emission of an intense, but not even close to potential, outflow of power. The guards, the Elements, and Shining armor all knelt; the urge to do so was strong, but my situation as an envoy of the human race was not befitting of bowing to the princess; I was not subjugate to her rule in such a state. I wish to shed the duties of such a role in time, but for now I must represent my people. I could feel the questioning thoughts from those around me, but I dared not to bend my knee. The most I allowed myself was a polite, short dip of the head, as a sign of respect, but not subordination.

In my defiance of the norm of Equestrian citizens, my height above those around me was a natural attractant for Celestia's eye. Contact was established, and what a contact it was. I saw in those clear lilac eyes a millennia at the helm of ponykind, of immeasurable depths of knowledge and experience. Looking into her eyes was like glimpsing the surface of another world, that although familiar, was different from the one I knew. Although she presented a demeanor of calm and acceptance, I could feel her sifting through my intentions, my thoughts, my whole being, with her eyes, poring through my soul to judge me. It was frightening to be so invaded, but I understood, and I had nothing to hide. The observation carried on for an indeterminate amount of time, as it was almost if the world fell away and time stopped. However, it ended with the princess widening her smile softly, and me trying to internalize my sigh of relief. The feeling of nearly oppressive heat running just beneath my skin faded in intensity, becoming less awesome and more comfortable, a soft instead of hard warmth.

"At ease, ladies and gentlecolts." The resonant, maternal tone of the princess' voice was calming, friendly. The guardsmen and our party rose from their bows, allowing me a little comfort.

"Welcome to Canterlot Castle. I am Princess Celestia, and I am the princess of the sun. I rule Equestria with my sister, Luna, the princess of the moon. How are you today?"

Her casual question caught me off guard. I stumbled mentally, not being geared for small-talking, and not expecting it from someone as powerful as Celestia.

"I'm doing... well." I tried to act casually, but a social chameleon I was not. Even if I was, a short survey of the age-old regent's eyes told me she could burn right through it anyway. I got the impression she had already formed a profile of me, and was now attempting to reconnoiter more information through traditional channels to adjust and improve the preexisting model. Words were a simple formality; she could, in all likelihood, see through one's actions by more efficient means. I knew not how I gathered this, but there was much more going on between the unwilling envoy and the ancient ruler than the senses could detect.

She smiled an almost teasing, nearly smirking smile, and began to descend the steps, catching everyone's attention. I took the opportunity to quickly survey the group. A few of our number seemed intensely involved in the oddly short and seemingly scattered, disorganized conversation, and were likely grasping the strange undercurrents flowing about--this group included Twilight, Shining, Rarity, Fluttershy, and, unexpectedly, Rainbow, to a lesser degree. Pinkie did not seem involved, and Applejack respectfully paid rapt attention, but did not seem to be involved in the scramble to gather this subliminal information. Rainbow seemed mildly interested, but appeared somewhat bored.

The flight of stairs made it difficult to approximate Celestia's height, but as she reached the bottom, it was apparent to me that she alone matched, nay, slightly exceeded, my height. Her eyes rose slightly above mine, as did the adorned crown of her head in comparison to my own. As her proximity increased, once more did the aura she exuded increase in complexity and strength. The waves of warmth coming from the princess were gentle, yet strong, and motherly. It could not be helped but to quickly grow fond of her, as this aura befitted her actions and mannerisms; I wondered if this was an active projection of her magical energies, or a passive one, and if it adapted to her mood, or was constant.

She addressed me directly once again. "Let us head for the gardens. I never was one for speaking at the throne."

The throng began to shuffle, moving behind the princess, who was evidently headed for the place. The guards began to move again, but Celestia raised a hoof.

"No need, gentlecolts. I believe the captain and the Elements of Harmony are company enough." They halted, staying in place. One of them, likely the second in command, piped up with a mildly concerned "As you wish, my princess." Celestia shot a warm smile back towards the guard, and our entourage headed for the doors.

When we had disembarked from the train, I had not noticed the weather. As we departed from the great hall into the gardens, I felt the cool air embrace my skin, and the clear blue sky allowing the sun's rays to warm the earth. The temperature was decidedly brisk this high in the mountains, but my clothing kept the edge off, as did the external heating of the sun, and the strange internal warmth from Celestia. The rays struck Celestia's royal raiment, the intricate patterns producing a soft glittering of gold and gemstones. She looked ahead at the gardens, which composed the entirety of the castle grounds behind its sprawl of buildings.

It was a beautiful place. Foliage of untold varieties stood about, their layout planned according to a grand design I did not understand, and no doubt managed by an army of equine gardeners. I looked around at what assuredly was an array of different biomes and habitats; from the almost soupy saturation of the air with magic, I supposed they all had their own special microclimates. A hill rose at the edge of the great cliff, and a stone plinth sat atop it, assuredly old, yet immaculate. It promised a spectacular view of the great valley below.

Celestia decided to make conversation. "Canterlot is quite high in the mountains. We use magic extensively to keep the garden healthy, but the surrounding area is already so rich that an unusual amount of plants grow here. Did you notice yourself becoming tired on your way here?"

"No." Now that I thought about it, it was quite unusual that I did not experience a shortness of breath, given that the trees did not reach this plateau on which Canterlot stood. However, the tree line was variable in altitude, and did not tell me how high we actually were above sea level.

"Yes, the air here is more dense than the surrounding area. Some become sick from the altitude outside the city. But enough about Canterlot. How has Equestria been treating you?"

Still struck by my predisposition to awkward terseness due to my shy manner, I formed a simple and concise reply.

"Well. Your people are kind."

I did not notice my use of the human pronoun until after I had spoken, but Celestia evidently understood without issue.

"That is good," she replied plainly, but with her all-encompassing warmth.

"It was a brave decision you made, to stand tall while the rest bowed. May I ask what drove you to do so?"

Her question caught me off guard, but it was not out of left field. I could tell the whole of our party was likely to be interested in the reply--they had been hanging on the periphery of Celestia and I's dialogue since the beginning. Oddly enough, said presence and attention contributed to neither anxiety, nor comfort.

Regardless, it was now my duty to explain a somewhat difficult concept through words, from a concept I had not yet processed. I also feared it may be perceived as somewhat offensive, but I had to speak.

"I felt, as a representative of my kind, that I could not bow to you. I wanted to establish equality between our races. But I don't mean to imply that I personally am equal to you... your Highness." I risked eye contact.

A small smile told me she understood. "A brave decision. And please, feel free to dispense with the formalities. I do not mean to impose."

A pang of relief swept through me, and I allowed myself to break eye contact again. Not only had a lingering prospect of potential insolent insubordination been acquitted, but the princess actually endeavored to level with me, on the position I had personally lowered myself to, after relinquishing the necessary acts of ensuring sovereignty for my world.

As the Princess Regnant of Equestria and Ruler of the Sun gazed out over the valley, I did the same. It was a beautiful scene, and something many famous artists of this realm had no doubt endeavored to capture on canvas. Awe-inspiring, it made me feel small, unimportant in the grand schemes of the universe.

"I have more questions to ask of you and your species, but I don't believe we must continue to do so here, in these circumstances. Perhaps we can discuss this more over a meal?"

"Of course," I replied, hopefully not too quickly or with too much passion. "That would be very nice."

Again, the grand princess smiled warmly, and we were on our way back to the palace, the tension having slackened greatly.

This marks the end of my revisions. Continue at your own risk--terrible writing and a nearly wholesale lack of continuity is sure to be lurking past that "next chapter" button.