A Study In Darkness Chapter 2

[spoiler] A brilliant white corridor, framed in art and sculptures of unknown significance.[/spoiler]

[spoiler] A bright light at the end of the porcelain white tunnel, growing ever stronger. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] A single blemish upon the pure monochrome, a black cloaked-figure, standing defiant against the almost furious glow. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] A single, simple step into the light. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] A single mistake. [/spoiler]

 

> I took my first step into the land of Equestria.

> Equestria was....

> Pretty nice, actually.

> I was outside a cottage, Fluttershy's, I assumed.

> To one side, there was a large, dense forest, and a flat, dusty dirt road stretching off towards a town on the other.

> Looking around, I could see a belltower of some kind behind the small home.

> Without waiting for Twilight or any of the others, I set off for the town, my longer human legs easily able to carry me down the short road.

> I imagine that the ponies found it longer than I did.

> The town itself was rather quaint; thatched roof two story buildings made up the majority of it, though several buildings appeared to be customized.

> I could only guess those buildings doubled as businesses and homes. Then again, they could just have been weird.

> I looked around, trying to get an idea of what was going on around me. It wouldn't do to be caught off guard.

> That was when I realized: nothing was happening.

> Everything had suddenly gone quiet.

> And there were ponies everywhere.

> They were all staring at me.

> All of the ponies.

> ALL of the ponies.

> What the hell?

> Might as well try to make a good impression. I waved at them.

"Hey there."

> No real reaction. They must have been pretty shocked by me. I would be too.

> ...If I wasn't me.

> you know what I mean.

> Twilight moved to stand beside me, an uneasy smile on her face.

>"Um, everypony, this is..."

> She paused. Right. I didn't have a name. She looked at me for an answer, but all I could do was shrug.

> Some help I was.

> She turned back to the crowd, an awkward smile on her face.

> "Um....right, so this is my new friend, and, well, as you can see...he's a bit different."

> Yes, I most certainly was.  

> I used this small moment to take stock of my surroundings.

> It seemed Ponyville was simple village, but a large one.

> Lots of wooden houses with thatched roofs.

> Okay, so their technology was either focused somewhere else, they didn't have anything better than this, or they just didn't bother.

> I wasn't sure which at that moment.

> I scanned the crowd, trying to get a grasp of the general feeling towards me.

> Let's see...

> surprise, perfectly normal.

> fear, okay, I could understand that.

> confusion, also reasonable.

> curiosity, completely natural.

> So, all in all...I was facing a mob who knew nothing about me, and who could very well turn on me given a reason.

> Well....shit.

"So...who's in charge around here?"

> Okay, that was lame, but anything to break the silence. And get some semblance of order.

> One of the ponies stepped forward. This one had a tan coat and a white mane. Finally, some normal colo-....Glasses. The Pony was wearing glasses.

> Okay, I get it.

> Screw Logic.

> The pony looked me over, and then turned to look at someone behind her.

> "Get...it...to Canterlot. I believe the Princesses will want to see this."

> Aw, great. More ponies calling me "It."

> Just what my self esteem needed.

> I looked down at Twilight,

> Well, at least I'd be meeting this Princess... or princesses. Apparently there were more than one.

> that should get some of this cleared up, right?

> But then the ponies she was talking to arrived.

> They were big.

> Like, BIG.

> And they were wearing armor.

> Obviously guards or soldiers of some kind.

> And they were advancing toward me.

> Kinda ominous, really.

> I held up my hands in a sign of surrender, but they didn't seem to get what I meant.

> So ponies understood "stop", but not "I give up"?

> Well, that complicates things.

> Time to un-complicate them.

"Guys, guys!"

> I held my hands above my head, making sure to keep my voice level.

"I'm unarmed, okay?"

> their expressions changed. Just slightly.

> I have come in peace.

> Take me to your leader, so that I may collect the fucks I am to give.

> Yeah, that'd go over well with these guys. Really well.

> Twilight looked a bit apprehensive.

> Well, if I were in her position...wait...

> Our positions were pretty much the same.

> Wait...

> Wasn't Twilight the student of this Princess Celestia?

> If so, what the hell was she doing not playing that card?

> I looked down, about to ask her, but something about the nervous expression on her face made me stop.

> Something had gotten this pony spooked, and if she thought it'd be a bad idea to make any sort of commotion...

> I sighed to myself, and stepped forward, not in the least surprised by the sudden hostility in the Guards' postures.

"Look, we can either stand here at stalemate all day, or you can take me to this Princess so we can all get on with our lives."

> The armored ponies shared a look, and then nodded, before turning and walking back in the direction they came.

> Maybe now we'd actually get somewhere.

> Hopefully we got wherever we were going nicely.

 

> I was wrong.

> We got somewhere, all right.

> We just didn't get there in luxury.

> Okay, I didn't get there in luxury. Twilight got a chariot.

> Me? I got shoved onto something entirely different. It looked like a chariot...only bigger.

> And with more Pegasi pulling it.

> And with guards occupying most of it.

> I was shoved into one of the, what I guessed were, seats, and strapped down with some sort of belt.

> I didn't think it was for my protection.

> As the chariot took off- a feat I found hard to believe, given how heavy this thing must have been- one of the stallions walked to the fore of the vehicle, right in front of me.

> If the rest of them looked tough, then this guy looked like white nails glued together in the rough shape of an equine.

> Emphasis on the rough.

> Judging from the armor and decoration, this guy was either a captain, or something higher than that.

> I eyed him, and he eyed me just as suspiciously.

> Which brought me to my current dilemma: I was currently in a chariot moving at very high speeds towards some sort of Ruler I knew nothing about, surrounded by guards who trusted me as much as I trusted them.

> This was not good.

> Fortunately, we were fast approaching the castle. Maybe I wouldn't have to deal with these guys after that.

 

> Unfortunately, I had to deal with those guys after that.

> They seemed to be assigned to me or something, because they wouldn't leave me alone.

> After the chariot landed, they undid the strap keeping me in place, only to take up a formation around me, with a few of those unicorns taking the corners.

> So Twilight Sparkle wasn't the only unicorn out there. Good to know, but not good news.

> I didn't even know what kind of magic these guys knew. If I wanted to make any sort of escape, I'd need to get an idea of their magical capabilities first.

> Look at me, still recovering, no memories, and I still had a list of priorities.

> Whoever taught me this stuff must have been so proud.

> Oh well, might as well mess with these guys before I go meet the closest thing to my maker.

> I stretched.

> It wasn't a simple affair, yet at the same time it was.

> I pulled my arms in front of me, the joints in my shoulders making loud poping noises, while my spine was a staccato of smaller cracks.

> With every sound, the guards flinched.

> It was beautiful.

 

> I'm pretty sure that if looks could kill, it still wouldn't be enough for this guy.

> He just kept glaring at me, silent as the grave.

> Throughout the entire trip, not one of the guards spoke to me, but all of them were on edge.

> I returned the favor by not speaking, but this only seemed to make them that much more anxious.

> I liked making them anxious. These guys seemed far too uptight.

> Then again, they're guards. Being uptight is the first requirement.

> After that comes a stick up the ass.

> Bring your own, or take theirs.

> Finally, we made it to that castle I'd seen in the distance.

> Turns out this...Canterlot place wasn't just a castle, but an entire city.

> Made sense, in an ancient sort of way.

> So when the doors opened, and I saw the inner sanctum of Canterlot, it didn't come as much of a surprise that it was enormous.

> Royalty.

> Big castles.

> It was only logical.

> But despite the luxurious and opulent grounds, the high walls and the majestic architecture, this place still seemed...off.

> I could feel it.

> There was something here.

> Something that should not be.

> I wasn't given time to contemplate this, however. The Guards were quite adamant on that.

> Damn their unicorn magic.

 

> And then we were there.

> The throne room.

> We had passed many rooms before this, but I never got a chance to peek into any of them.

> Again; damn that unicorn magic.

> but here I was, in front of two very big doors, about to meet somebody of great importance.

> Calm down, me. You can do this.

> The guards opened the doors, then stepped back.

> A bit confused, I stepped into the throne room. Alone.

 

> They were the first two things I saw.

> They were ponies, but none I had seen so far had looked like they did.

> Both had wings AND horns, for one thing.

> The two were also much larger than other ponies had been, even larger than the guards.

> Their colors were unlike any I had seen, either.

> One pure white, with an ethereal, flowing mane of greens and pinks, adorned in golden livery denoting her station, the other a deep blue, with a mane of stars to match, outfitted in a lighter blue.

> O' Brightest Day, O' Blackest Night.

> Where had that thought come from?

> I didn't know.

> But it was apt. So very apt.

> The taller of the two, the White One, was obviously older, and she radiated a tranquil peace that even I, in my confusion, could feel.

> The smaller blue one was no less majestic, though she seemed to be far less calm than the other.

> I could sense the turmoil within her, though it seemed as if she was in control of it.  

 

> And then there was the power.

> I could feel it roiling off the two in waves, filling the air with a miasma of energy.

> I could smell the flames and the stars, the sun and the moon, I could hear the whooshing of comets and planets whizzing by, I could feel it against my skin, like a thousand tendrils of light.

> It assailed all of my senses, and awoke ones I didn't even know existed, only to shut them down again.

> All from one hint of their power, unguarded and unchecked.  

> so this was the magic of living gods.

> It was... intoxicating.

 

> Deciding to take the initiative on this, I stepped forward.

> One step, and it all changed.

> The white being's eyes narrowed, if only slightly, though she made no move.

> The blue pony tensed, almost visibly, but not quite.

> So they were mistrustful of me as well.

> I kept walking.

> Once I was about five meters from the two, the white one spoke.

> "That is close enough."

> Her voice, in any other tone, might have seemed motherly, warm. Welcoming.

> To me, it was flat and guarded. Hostile.

> Despite this, I had to smile.

"At last, someone who talks to me. I've only actually talked to three of you ponies, you know? That's not such a great first impression you're making. I assume I am speaking to the Princesses?"

> The blue one blinked in surprise, as if she was unaware I could speak.

> The white one just glared at me.

> "you, creature, what art thou called?"

> My turn to be surprise as I turned to look at the Blue.

> She was a curious one, wasn't she?

 

> I turned and, for some reason I couldn't quite understand, and still don't to this day, bowed before the younger of the two.

> Why did I bow? I owed them nothing. She was not my ruler.

> Yet bow I did.

"Milady, I am afraid that I have no name. It was lost to me along with my past."

> The blue one blinked, her expression becoming one of sadness. Her emotions played across her face, showing an inexperience the other did not possess.

> No, the white one's face was as stony as it had been, her glare still fixed upon me.

> "If you are done posturing before my sister, creature, I would have your name."

> I kept the smile up, knowing deep down that it probably frustrated her.

"And have it you would, your highness...if I had it to give. Like I said before,"

> I shrugged exaggeratedly, a look of hopelessness upon my face.

"It was lost to me, most likely in the crash landing that brought me here, Princess...?"

> She looked somewhat abashed, most likely at not having introduced herself earlier.

>"We are Princess Luna, and out sister is Princess Celestia."

 

>The White one, Celestia, maintained her skeptical look.

>"You'll forgive me if I don't quite believe you. You seem rather coherent for a creature that has lost its memories."

> My turn to frown.

"His."

>"What was that?"

"HIS memories. I am a he, Princess."

> She tried to hide the slight loss in her composure my words caused, but not enough for me to miss it.

> "V-very well, creature. I shall keep that in mind from now on."

"I hope you do."

> Luna, who was looking between us worriedly, decided it was a good idea to speak up.

> "Well, stranger, regardless of all of this, we cannot simply continue calling thou 'creature.'"

> I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

> Luna kept speaking anyway, though.

> "So, we have decided to come up with a name for thee on our own!"

> Yup. That's what I figured.

> I smile, though. Wouldn't do to be rude to one of the few beings here who's shown me any sort of respect or courtesy.

> "We, Princess Luna of Equestria, hereby dub thee: ANONYMOUS!"

> ...

> What?

> I blinked in surprise, not really thinking.

> My new name was Anonymous.

> My name meant 'unknown.'

> MY name meant 'Not Named?'

> Well, wasn't that an oxymoron.

> But...

> She gave me this name.

> She was kind enough to give a name to someone who had none.

> That, I supposed...

> Was worth whatever indignity I had to endure.

> Because I was somebody now.

> I was Anonymous. The only Human in Equestria.

> My smile grew slowly, and I could see Luna smiling as well. She looked so pleased with herself.

> Celestia, quiet throughout the entire event, just looked on impassively, her eyes narrowed.

> "Anonymous? Sister, what in Equestria made you chose such a name for this creature?" She didn't seem too amused.

> I could deal with that. I could deal with that just fine.

> Or, so I thought.