Blaze was surprised to see Twilight knocking on his door the next day. He was expecting Pinkie or Spike. But no. "Well," he said, "my door seems to be very attractive lately." He didn't even know how people kept finding the place; it was well hidden.

"Hello." Twilight said awkwardly.

"Come on in." said Blaze, gesturing towards the inside of his home.

Twilight stepped in. "I- I just wanted to say thank you." she smiled at him.

"...What?" Blaze asked blankly.

"Well, I know that you gave Spike and Pinkie good advice...And I know that you were Ezlab. So I just wanted to thank you. And.. Let me know if you need anything." Twilight explained.

"I do, actually." Blaze said. "I want to see the princess."

"The princess?" Twiligth blinked. "O-of course. When?"

"If you don't mind, as soon as possible." Blaze said impassively.

"Oh! S-sure. Uh, do you mind coming with me to the library?" Twilight asked.

"Of course not." said Blaze, following the purple unicorn. He put his hood up.

What a strange guy, Twilight couldn't help but think to herself. She had been reading an extremely old book on humans. This wasn't normal behavior. How could he be so stoic? She made a mental note to ask Princess Celestia.

Twilight led Blaze into the large tree. "Spike," Twilight called her young assistant, "When is the next train to Canterlot?"

"It's in about ten minutes, Twilight." Spike said. "But why do you wanna know?"

"Blaze and I are taking a short trip." Twilight replied. She glanced at Blaze. He was leaning against the wall, a blank expression masking his face.

"Okay." Spike said uncertainly. "How long will you be gone?"

"Not long." Twilight reassured the dragon.

Spike returned to the library's rear, leaving the two to their own business. "We better hurry if we want to catch that train." said Twilight. "I just need a moment." Using a pink aura, she began to collect several books and her saddlebags.

Blaze waited for Twilight, not saying a word. Wave peeked through the door, smiling. "There you are." Twilight didn't notice. "So, we're going to see the princess, eh?" Wave grinned. "What fun."

Wave looked at Blaze, concerned. "Why aren't you happy? Do I have to get loud to get you groovin'?" Wave teased. Wave was quiet. He never spoke to anyone. Except Blaze. And when he spoke, he often got loud (for no real reason).

"Alright." Twilight smiled. "We better hurry." They rushed to the train station, running. They got there just in time to get their tickets and board the train. (By that, I mean they got there just in time for Twilight to hide the humans and sneak them onto the train.) They sat their awhile, silent. The had a private cart.

"Blaze," said Twilight, "What's your world like?"

"Well, I'll tell you, it's no walk in the park." Blaze replied, somewhat bitter.

"Oh, come on." Twilight mused, "It can't be all that bad."

Blaze scoffed. He then began darkly, "My world is a terrible place. People enjoy harming themselves with different drugs and alcohol. People are forced to have sexual intercourse, and are beaten if they resist. People starve on the streets, and no one wants to help them. People give kill their own babies. Bad people make up ninety percent of the entire population.

"Sometimes, if babies aren't lucky enough to get killed, they are abandoned, destined to live a cruel reality. Those who were lucky enough to be born wealthy become stuck-up and spoiled. My world is slowly rotting, filling with trash. People kill themselves because they were cursed with a terrible life. But," he added, "Only two types of people do that: the weak and the impatient. The impatient do it because they are too upset to wait for the good. The weak do it because they don't have enough strength to put up with it... That's not their fault."

Twilight stared in shocked horror. How could a world be so horrible? "How is that even possible?" she laughed. The laugh was without humor; it was nervous.

"Well, I'm sorry not everywhere can be a fucking perfectly pleasant, peaceful, and pastoral place, Twilight." Blaze said darkly. It was impossible to tell whether he was mad at Twilight or at the universe in general.

"Blaze," said Twilight sadly, "How did you even put up with all of that?"

She never got a response. The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Blaze was swiftly hidden when the train slowed to a stop.

Blaze crossed the drawbridge, right behind Twilight. The Princess awaited them in a private chamber. "Why don't you have a look in the library, Twilight?" the princess asked. Taking the hint to leave, Twilight nodded and left them alone.

"What is on your mind, Blaze?" the princess asked, taking a seat on a cushion.

"Frankly, I don't understand this world." said Blaze. "Why, why is everyone so kind all of the time? Why is everything so pleasant?"

The princess smiled. "Things weren't always that way. But I'll save that story for a different time. Blaze, what do you think is the source of all of your troubles back home?"

"The morals." Blaze said, without thinking. "Everyone is constantly fighting to be the best."

"Well," the princess said kindly, "in this universe, everything is set by destiny." She paused. "Have you ever wondered how ponies' names foreshadow their talents?"

"No." Blaze replied simply.

The goddess smiled. "Well, you see, before a baby is born, both of the baby's parents will have a dream. It is a vision they have in their sleep. Something small, that just tells them what their child is destined to do. A subtle hint. And then they just know what to name their child."

"What does that have to do with it?" Blaze asked.

"Destiny is said to give the parents that dream. The same force that brought you hear. Everypony is set to do something ever since their first ancestor was born, and they live to do their name justice." she explained.

"So...When destiny is set, people are more sure of themselves, and don't fight for power." Blaze said.

"Precisely." the princess nodded.

"There are some other things I want to ask...If that's okay."

"I'll answer them if I can." the princess responded.

"Why are animals, like dogs, pets when ponies are animals themselves?"

"Well," the princess chuckled, "I could ask you the same question. Aren't humans animals?"

Blaze paused. He then shook his head, smiling. "You got me there. Why are constellations animals then?"

"Constellations are made in pairs: one roams the sky, and the other roams the ground." Her tone was serious.

That clarified his biggest concerns. Everything else was minor, he realized. But he was still curious. "When was the last time a human came to Equestria?"

"That happened when I was still a filly. I'm afraid I don't remember." she replied. She paused. "I have a question for you."

"Yes, your Highness?" he suddenly remembered the title.

"Are you enjoying your time here?"

"Huh?" he mumbled, surprised at her question. He quickly recovered, replying, "Uh, yeah. I-it's great, your Majesty."

"Good." the princess nodded. "Hmm...Twilight might never come out if I don't fetch her now."

"Oh, I'll just show myself out." Blaze said, hastily exiting. He began walking down the hall. A tall, blue alicorn stopped him. "Blaze, isn't it?" she asked, her voice loud.

"Yeah..."

"Does though have human currency?" she asked, in the same loud tone.

I showed her the paper and coins. "Will though exchange thy currency for bits?" she queried. She sounded as though she were from another era.

"Okay." Blaze nodded. Princess Luna gave him the gold coins and took his money.

"Excellent! I will most certainly add this to my collection, fair peasant!" she laughed, hopping away.

Blaze stared after her confusedly, but decided that he would just wait for Twilight.

It was a while before she came out, looking thoughtful. She was with Wave. "Uhm, Twilight?"

"Hmm?" she muttered distractedly.

"You might wanna hide me, or a whole crowd of ponies is going to get an eyeful of me." Blaze reminded her.

"Oh, right, sorry." she apologized, blushing. "I've just been thinking..."