With a swift salute to Alex, I dashed off, activating my gravity manipulation and tether beam charms with a quick burst of essence. I swung through the streets of Ponyville like some superhero, heading for the train station. I latched onto a building and pulled, changing the way gravity pulled me so I could soar past the shocked ponies and fling myself to the next building to latch onto.

How the heck did Gwen do this in New York so high up from the streets? Second question, how the hell do any of the spider-people not lose their lunch doing this?

I arrived just in time to see the train pulling out of the station. I ran and latched my tether on the train. With my weight reduced, I was able to be carried along like a human kite as the train traveled toward Canterlot. I pulled myself along the tether and grabbed the back of the train. It wasn't the smoothest train ride I'd been on. Usually, I prefer riding inside the train rather than hanging off the back.

However, as soon as I was fully committed to this course of action, I started to wonder why the hell I was doing this. The best I could figure is that I'd wanted to believe in Celestia, and I was disappointed to find that she had abused her powers in such a fashion. I hoped it was just a mistake borne of an overabundance of caution in dealing with aliens arriving in her world.

The train ride gave me time to think that I had not had during my rush through the town. I would need a way to make some bits in a hurry. I'd need food, lodgings, and to pay for the ride. I was uncertain of what skills I could monetize, but if ponies played pool, I could probably make what money I'd need.

Ponyville - Blitzen's cottage.

Blitzen was frustrated. Eleanor’s rush to go back to Canterlot had ruined her plans for the evening. Between that and not wanting to deal with ‘Spect’s antics, she decided it was a good time to find some relaxation in a well-salted drink.

She knew Eleanor had filled one of the sugar shakers with salt. Something about preferring certain foods to be salty rather than sweet. She found the shaker and poured the contents into some of the leftover punch from the housewarming party that she had found in the fridge. It was enough to take the edge off her headache, so she looked for the container Eleanor had kept the rest of the salt in.

A quick check of the pantry showed no sign of the salt container. Blitzen called out to the other pony in the cottage, “‘Spect? What happened to the salt container?”

“I used it to make jerky out of some of the manticore meat,” the unicorn filly yelled back from her room.

“Is there any other salt in the house?” Blitzen asked.

“Nope, you’ll have to go to town to get your salt fix. Though you really shouldn’t. El may be a mess, but it’s not gonna take too much for her to see you’re also a mess.” ‘Spect replied as she stepped into the kitchen.

Blitzen felt a surge of anger that made her ears flatten when ‘Spect told her there was no more salt in the house. Not trusting herself to say anything, Blitzen slammed the door behind her as she left the cottage and headed for town. She ignored the manticore skull ‘Spect had mounted on the fence. Its empty eye sockets seemed to be judging her.

Without having to slow her pace for a human to keep up, it didn’t take long for Blitzen to reach Ponyville. She had one destination in mind, The Grain Bucket, where she could seek solace in a salt haze. She was almost there when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Blitzen? What are you doing here? Where’s Eleanor?” Roseluck asked, blocking her way.

Blitzen tried to dodge Roseluck, but the other mare wouldn’t budge. “El’s in Canterlot by now. She had some important business with Princess Celestia. I’m just going to the Grain Bucket for a little saline comfort, so just get out of my way.”

Roseluck snorted and pinned her ears back. “Fine then, if you’re gonna be a nag about it. Go right ahead and get yourself salted. Are you planning to push away Eleanor like you did me?"

Blitzen felt a pang of guilt as she remembered how she had treated Roseluck. She had been so bitter and angry after losing her wings that she had pushed away everypony who cared about her. She stopped and looked at the ground, unable to meet Roseluck’s gaze. “Rose, I’m sorry. I was hurting and I didn’t want you to see me like that. I didn’t want anypony’s pity. I know I made a mess of things. I don’t expect you to forgive me. Just let me go.”

Roseluck’s face hardened. “That’s your answer to everything, isn’t it? Just let you go so you can salt yourself to oblivion? Blitzen, don’t you get it? I didn’t want to let you go. I wanted you to trust me to be there for you. You never gave me a chance!”

Blitzen tried to glare in return but found she couldn’t bring herself to meet Rose’s emerald eyes. Rose was right, Blitzen realized. Tears running down her cheeks, “Don’t follow me.” She turned away and ran, finding her way to The Grain Bucket to seek solace in a salted haze.

Canterlot Castle - evening tea

Celestia sipped her tea. "I’m wondering what to do with Miss Asher and her pledge. Luna, you have two humans working for you. What do you do with them? I don’t want to treat her like a soldier or an agent."

Luna smiled as she looked over the rim of her teacup. "Why, dear sister. I let them do what comes naturally to them. They find and solve problems. At times, I direct them, but for the most part, they find issues with things in our realm and correct them. They can be unpredictable. To be honest, I find that exhilarating at times."

Celestia pondered her sister’s words. “I’m not sure that will work with Miss Asher. She seems impulsive, and I find myself wondering if pledging fealty was her way of asking me to temper her impulsiveness. She certainly seemed to be seeking direction.”

Luna tapped her hoof thoughtfully, “It is possible. She is not entirely human, and perhaps that other part of her craves some form of structure to give purpose to the powers she possesses.”

It was harder than expected to find the kind of neighborhood I was looking for. Even the 'disreputable' neighborhoods in Canterlot were clean and elegant compared to the neighborhood I had landed in on the last world I’d been in. There, what I'd mistaken for an overbuilt slum was actually one of the nicer districts in Thorns. The slums there were the stuff of nightmares.

Here, there was no graffiti, no garbage spilling into the street. My only clues were houses with very small signs of repairs left undone. A shutter askew or a front step slightly cracked. Any one of the houses would have been nicer than where I lived when I lived on Earth. It was, in a twisted way, a painful reminder of how far from the world of my birth I'd traveled.

Eventually, I saw the telltale sign of a tavern, the placard proclaiming it to be The Wheat and Turnip. A glance inside showed a cozy and lively scene, with a pool table and a set of cue sticks.

Stepping inside I found myself the center of attention. Not too surprising, I supposed. With only four humans in Equestria, having one show up at this tavern was probably not a regular occurrence.

I walked over to the pool table, looking it over. Everything seemed the same as I’d seen in many other worlds.

A gray unicorn mare with her blue mane held by an orange headband wolf-whistled in my direction. “Look at the flank on that human! I thought they were smaller, but mare-o-mare, she’s got enough for two,” she said to the red-maned, orange pony beside her.

She got up and walked over to the pool table. I saw a cutie mark of a welding torch on her flank before I looked into her indigo eyes. “Hey there, sweetie. The name’s Steel Frame. Want to play a round? Maybe make it interesting with a wager or two?” She asked as she telekinetically gathered the balls into the rack before lifting the rack away and setting it on a hook on the table.

I turned out my pockets. “I’m afraid I’ve got no money.”

Steel Frame gave me a saucy wink, “That’s ok, cutie. How’s about we wager my two bits, and if I win, you gimme a kiss.”

“You’re on,” I said, smiling as I picked up a cue.

She levitated her cue and sent the cue ball into the racked set. It was a good break and the balls were all over the table. The three went into the corner pocket. “Guess I’m solids.” She said as she lined up her next shot.

I tried to play just badly enough that she’d think I was an easy opponent, but not a hopeless one. The ponies around us watched us with curiosity. They seemed fascinated by how I used my fingers to line up my shots. Steel Frame seemed more interested in focusing on my bottom when I bent over the table. She was a good player even with the distraction I was providing, and she soon landed the eight ball.

Steel Frame smirked at me, “Looks like you owe me a kiss, sugar.”

I smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She was rough around the edges but I liked her spunk. She kissed me back with passion, making me forget about everything else for a moment. I wondered what Blitzen would think of me kissing another mare, but I pushed the thought aside.

Steel Frame broke the kiss and gave my bottom a playful pinch. “You’re a good kisser, human. How’s about we raise the stakes?”

She set up the table for another game, “Tell you what, sweet cheeks, I’ll put up a hundred bits against your lovely flank. Winner takes all.”

I nodded, feeling confident. “Sounds good to me.”

[Eleanor the pool hustler]

She broke the rack again but missed. I took my turn and cleared the table, sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket. I turned to collect my prize, only to find a pool cue hovering in front of my face, held in Steel Frame’s telekinetic field. She glared at me. "You cheated. I dunno how, but you did."

"Nah, I just practiced a lot during my misspent youth," I said as I picked up a pinch of salt and began sprinkling it on the pool cue in front of me.

She looked at me like I'd gone mad. "What're you doin' that for?"

"Might as well salt the thing. You're gonna eat it," I said, hoping I sounded confident of my ability to make good on that.

She snorted and moved closer to me. "An' how you gonna make me do that? We know you humans don't breathe fire." Her friends circled around me, ready to jump in if needed.

I deactivated my transformation charm, enjoying the looks of apprehension as my skin shifted to reveal metal components, and the circuitry under my skin began to glow. "No, but human mares can breathe lightning," I said as my vocoder layered my voice with the sounds of crackling electricity. I spent a little essence moving a flashlight tool from my hand to my throat, making it look like sparks of electricity were emanating from within me.

"Now I just want my bits. I played a fair game. It's not my fault you didn't figure out I was hustling you." I said as I dialed back the special effects. I didn't want to chase her off.

A bag of bits was set on the table. “I know the bet was for a hundred, but I’ve only got eighty-seven bits on me.”

“That’s fine, I only needed fifty.” I counted out fifty bits and held out the pouch to Steel Frame.

"And now, if you’re interested, I can teach you how to spot a hustle," I said, taking the cue and setting up the balls. "Remember how I lost the first game?"

I managed a nearly perfect break, sinking the one ball. "I lost on purpose."

I moved around the table, pocketing the two and then the three. "A hustler will play poorly and let themselves lose a few small bets, then make a big one like I did. Sometimes called sandbagging."

Four, five, and six soon followed. "Then they play with their real skill." Then seven. "I was in a hurry and pretty blatant. Eight ball, side pocket."

Finally, the eight ball went right where I'd pointed. "A real hustler might lose a few bits here and there all day, then come back the next day and outplay everypony for serious money. Me, I just need a room for the night and some food."

Steel Frame laughed. “You would have gotten that if you’d lost, you know. I know how to show a pretty mare like you a good time.”

I joined her laughter. “I don’t think that we’d be getting a lot of sleep though and I’ve kinda got things to do in the morning.”

“Your loss. Tell me somethin’ though, can you really breathe lightning?” Steel Frame asked.

I chuckled, “Nah, but I had you going for a moment there. I’d need to build and integrate an essence pulse cannon to pull off any kind of energy breath.” I paused for a moment as an idea struck me. “Or I could use a Hyperdexterous Tentacle Apparatus with the Live Wire form charm for a similar effect.”

Steel Frame’s eyes widened. “Wait, go back. ‘Hyperdexterous tentacle apparatus’ You wouldn’t happen to have one of those? Because that sounds all kinds of interestin’”

I blinked and then blushed as her meaning sunk in.

Oh my. And here I thought I was adventurous.

I decided that I wanted to hang out with her again sometime. "Tell you what, I think I have a marefriend now, and I need to find out what kinda relationship she's looking for, but if you're ever in Ponyville, look me up. My name's Eleanor."

At Steel Frame’s recommendation, I sought out the Equus Inn. As I'd noted earlier, I needed to revise my idea of what constituted a cheap hotel to fit this world.

I lay awake in my hotel room, staring at the ceiling. Without anypony by my side, sleep was a terrifying prospect. I knew my nightmares would come for me, and I was powerless to stop them. But eventually, my eyes closed, and I drifted into a dream.

In my dream, I was fully human again, wearing a red and black jumpsuit I immediately recognized as being a Starfleet uniform. It was not a flattering look on me, but since I was sitting in the captain's chair, I wasn't going to complain.

The bridge was manned by humans and ponies, but none of them stood out to me. They were just extras, background noise. I tried to focus on one of the ponies, hoping to find some memorable detail.

"Really, Ellie? Is that how you want to spend this dream? Looking at the nobodies?" A malicious and yet familiar voice taunted me from behind.

I was tempted to look behind me, but since I didn't feel like giving Q the satisfaction, I continued examining my bridge crew until I heard Q snap his fingers, causing the crew to vanish.

I turned around, and there was John DeLancie, looking far more sinister than I recalled from the show. "What do you want L? I'm not in the mood to play your games. Besides, didn't Kira write you out already?"

"The letter is Q, but you knew that. Still, if you want to play that way…" Q pulled a black notebook out of thin air. "I'm sure there's somepony whose name I could write in here that might get your attention."

I tried to act unfazed by his threat. "This is just a dream. You can't do anything," I said defiantly.

"Oh, Ellie, just a dream? You've been through enough to know there's no such thing as 'just a dream'." He said and then whistled the tune from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.

"Fine, so you've got me here. What do you want?" I growled, trying to mask my fear with anger.

He walked around until he was standing between me and the main screen on the bridge. He snapped his fingers, and a scene showed on the display of a city I was all too familiar with. "What I want is to help you. Wouldn't you like to save the good people of Gem from the burning horror you unleashed on them?"

As he spoke, the scene on the display became the horror he described. The one that haunted my nightmares even when the memory of what I'd done had been taken. I tried to remain stoic, but each scene pierced my heart with the cruel reality of what I had done.

"It's too late! I can't undo what I did. I can't bring back the dead, and I can't change the past." I sobbed, watching scene after scene of horror and death play out on the screen.

"What if you could? Your power may not be able to, but pony magic can turn back the clock. Your liege knows how. She has books on time magic in her library, hidden in the restricted section. She wouldn't dream of letting a human read them. So what are you to do? Leave millions dead, or do what you must to save them?"

The faces of the dead on the screen all turned to look at me. "Save us!" They cried as the bridge vanished, and I found myself in the ruined city of Gem. All around me, the dead and dying clamored for me to save them. I tried to avoid their touch but they were everywhere. They grabbed me, their charred hands pinning me down. I woke covered in sweat, tangled in the blanket.

Seeing that it was nearly dawn, I decided against trying to get any more sleep, not that I thought I could after that nightmare.

For the first time in centuries, Celestia was surprised by the line of petitioners who waited to speak to the Princess of the Day.

At the end of the line stood a human. And of the small number of that species in her nation, it was one Celestia least expected to see patiently waiting in line. Eleanor had been there just the day before, and Celestia thought she'd be enjoying herself in Ponyville now that her banishment was lifted.

Eleanor’s demeanor gave no clue as to why she was there. She was just standing and chatting casually with one of her fellow petitioners as they waited for their turn to approach the throne.

Celestia briefly wondered if this had something to do with the woman's decidedly odd sense of humor, but she couldn't imagine anything funny about waiting in line.

For a moment she considered calling Eleanor forward. However, she decided against it. If Eleanor wanted to wait in line, then Celestia wasn't going to argue. Besides, it was rather interesting seeing that Eleanor had no intention of demanding to go ahead of anypony.

As Eleanor's turn approached, Luna joined Celestia on the dias. Apparently, news of the strange human's presence had spread throughout the castle. Celestia nodded to her sister.

I curtsied to both princesses as I reached the dias.

I faced Princess Celestia and addressed her, "I am Eleanor Ursula Asher, Soldier of the Red Lantern Corps, Honorary Legionnaire, Lieutenant in the UNSS, Exarch of The Lost Plains, Marquessa of the Salt Cellar, Esquire of the Autumn Court, Queen of Forsaken Reach, and Sworn Servant of the Crown of Equestria. I stand before thee to ask a question. Didst thee impose thy anima upon Alex Roberts, citizen of Equestria and Paladin in service to thine own sister?"

Luna raised an eyebrow and waited to hear how her sister would answer. She gave me a supportive nod as she watched her sister.

Celestia carefully responded in a cold and formal tone, “I did.” Her voice became stern and authoritative, “And I do not appreciate your impertinence, Eleanor. You have no right to question my actions.”

I glared at her, anger and defiance hiding the pain her words caused me. "If not me, then who? I pledged myself to serve you, and sometimes that means pointing out when you’ve done harm, even if unintentionally. Do you have any idea what your anima is like for us? How it feels to have your will overpowered by some outside force? I've endured it many times, and it was awful every time, even when the god doing it meant well."

Celestia fixed me with a stern glare, "Be that as it may, Eleanor, how I treated Luna's—project—was appropriate. I had to instill the proper attitude and reverence for the crown. It was for my benefit, Luna's benefit, and for the benefit of all my little ponies, of all species." She stepped forward as though daring me to take some rash action.

I was incredulous, how did she not get it? "The ends justify the means? That's a very dangerous way of thinking. It becomes really easy to justify atrocity for the sake of the 'greater good'. What would you say if I used my anima on one of your ponies to impose worship, no matter how good a reason I might have?"

"Is that not what you did on your first day in Ponyville?" Celestia asked, looking smug as though she'd caught me in a contradiction.

I bristled at the comparison "Not exactly, and not of my own will. I shut that charm down and apologized to every mare affected. And really, you know that's not the same as deliberately forcing your will on someone."

I reverted to my mechanical form. "I may be immune to that sort of thing now, but I wasn't before. Autochthon used his aura to violate me, and as useful as my new powers may be, they were forced on me against my will. Would you accept a pony being treated in such a fashion?"

"I have seen how you humans treated each other in your Imperium Romanum." Celestia pointed out, waving a hoof as if to dismiss my argument.

"The Roman Empire? That was a long time ago. Though I can't say humans haven't done worse since. Hell, I've done worse. So much worse…" I closed my eyes and took a moment to compose myself.

"Here's the thing, though. You shouldn't judge individuals by the worst of their species. Maybe I deserve to be treated like that. My crimes are heinous, though that goes against your decree that our mistakes in other worlds should not be held against us in this one. I can live with that for myself. But Alex, Matt, and Trace are better than me. They deserve at the least to be treated as you would anyone else who comes before you." I looked up into her eyes, trying to see if I'd gotten through to her.

Celestia looked into my eyes as though searching for something. I saw a dawning realization, as well as a measure of pity in her expression that made me look away. "Perhaps you're right Miss Asher. I shall apologize to Paladin Roberts." She said softly.

I looked back at her. "Thank you, Your Highness," I said solemnly.

Celestia seemed lost in thought for a moment before looking at me with a gentle smile. "Since it seems you are indeed serious about your pledge of service, you should have some sort of title. Would you like to be my Paladin?"

I considered her offer. I wasn’t sure I was the right person to be her Paladin. Even though violence was uncommon in this land, I wanted a title that didn’t mark me as a warrior. "I don't know that I'm Paladin material. Perhaps I could be your Herald? Just feels more fitting to me. A messenger rather than a knight."

Celestia tapped my shoulder with her horn in a gesture of approval. “Very well then. You are now my Herald, Miss Asher. I will summon Paladin Roberts, and you will stand with me for the apology.”

I nodded. “As you wish, my liege. While we wait, may I ask about something?”

Celestia looked at me curiously, “What did you want to ask about?

I took a deep breath, feeling apprehensive about bringing this up after my nightmare last night. “What I did in that other world, haunts me. I would undo it if I could. I heard there were magics that could turn back time and that you have books on such magic.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, and her ears went back. She stamped her forehoof on the floor hard enough that the sound echoed through the throne room. The heat of a summer sun at noon blazed from her. “Eleanor! I want you to swear to me you will never attempt to use magic to alter the past. You must never, ever try to use time magic to undo a death. Swear it on your name.”

I stepped back, cowed by her anger and fear. I bowed my head. “I swear I will not cast any spell nor weave any sorcery to alter the past or undo a death, upon my name, so mote it be.”

Celestia sighed and her expression softened. The raging heat faded and she gently touched my face with her wing. “I’m sorry, Miss Asher. I didn’t mean to frighten you. But you must understand that time magic is dangerous and unpredictable. And trying to cheat death with magic is especially fraught with perils. Attempting to change the past often makes things worse. You can’t erase the mistakes of the past. You can only learn from them and move on.”

I nodded, feeling a mix of sadness and curiosity. “I understand, Your Highness. Have you ever used time magic to undo something?”

Celestia looked away, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “That’s a story for another time, my Herald. A story I’m not ready to share yet. Maybe someday. For now, let’s focus on the present.”

Celestia had me standing to her left, just next to the dias. I stood, somewhat nervous, as Alex approached. He raised an eyebrow seeing me standing at attention next to one of the guards.

Alex bowed deeply to Princess Luna, showing his respect and admiration. "Your majesty." He bowed a bit less deeply to Celestia, his voice cold, "You summoned me, your Highness?"

I nodded slightly to encourage Celestia, hoping she would give a sincere apology.

Come on princess, you can do it.

Celestia looked at Alex, her eyes avoiding his gaze. "Yes. It would seem I owe you an apology. My herald has reminded me of my obligations to all my citizens."

I nodded a little more forcefully, urging her to be more specific.

Celestia flicked her ear, a sign of annoyance. "Ahem. It would seem I owe you an apology."

I gave my best 'really?' look, wondering if she was serious.

Dear gods, it's like pulling teeth. Maybe I'll check if Twilight has a book on how to apologize and have her send it here.

Luna snorted faintly and seemed to be trying to keep from chuckling, amused by her sister’s awkwardness and my internal commentary.

"It would seem I have wronged you, Paladin Roberts.", Celestia continued, ignoring her sister’s reaction.

I waved my hand in a small circle, trying to coax more detail out of Celestia.

Celestia shot me a glare, clearly irritated by my interference. "Fine, Herald. Alex, I increased my dietetic field on purpose to impress myself on your psyche. I'm sorry. It was wrong."

Alex just stood there, with a grim expression. "Of course, your Highness." He finally sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, your Highness. I accept your apology."

I gave Celestia a thumbs up, trying to be supportive. She gave me a look of annoyance.

"Thank you. Now that we're done, I believe there are other matters of state to attend to." Celestia said, waving her wing as a gesture of dismissal.

Alex smiled faintly, "Your Highness, there is one more thing. I hope you take this as your first step in your own personal redemption.”

After Alex left, Celestia turned to me with a stern look. "And now that that is over, we need to discuss what I expect of you if you're to be my Herald."

I tried to lighten the mood with a playful grin. "Does it involve soliloquies about being planet-bound, unable to surf the spaceways in search of cosmic wonders?"

Celestia rolled her eyes, "Miss Asher, if you're trying to audition for the position of court jester, it would help if your attempts at humor made sense."

I forced a smile on my face, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Sorry, a lot of my humor is a way of holding on to the world I came from. I can try to keep it to myself. And you can call me Eleanor, your highness."

Celestia softened her gaze. "I see. I may not always understand what you refer to with your humor, Eleanor, but if it brings you comfort, then please feel free to continue. In my concern for the risks to my little ponies, I do forget that you 'jumpers', with the exception of Mister Reinhart, did not choose this fate."

"However, you have chosen to enter my service." Celestia continued, her expression stern. "So you will need to behave more appropriately as a representative of the crown. I would rather not have my Herald hustling pool in questionable taverns, nor threatening to 'breathe lightning' at anypony. I will give you some bits to cover your train fare back to Ponyville as well as the one you took to get here. I suggest you ride inside the train rather than hanging off the back of it the next time you come here.”

Many thanks to Techogre, warpd, Marvelous Cheshire, Tosety and KMCA for editing, suggestions, and support.