I thought the outside of the castle was a sight to see, but the inside just blew me away. The first room we entered, although it was only the foyer, was HUGE! There were very expensive-looking vases with beautiful flowers and mini statues of what seemed to be the rulers of this land lined by the entrance. Looking around, I saw a plethora of corridors with lines of doors in them. I also noticed that there were wooden stakes were hung up in between each door. I suppose that they ignited the stakes for light at night. There was also a very large, wide stairwell in front of us that seemed to have multiple floors with even more doors and hallways. I looked up and saw that the ceiling was at least a hundred feet high with the biggest diamond chandelier I’d ever laid eyes on hanging from the center of it. There were velvet carpets lining the center of each hallway and the stairwell while the floor had a black-and-white checkerboard layout. There was even one giant circular rug placed in the center of the foyer that had a picture of the sun on it. That’s not even half of it. There was so much to see in just that one room. I was mind blown, to say the least.

“Whoa…” I muttered.

“Pretty amazing, right?” Twilight asked nonchalantly.

“Amazing… doesn’t even begin to describe this…” I stammered. She giggled at my being awestruck.

“Well, if you think THIS is beyond amazing, wait till I show you the rest of this place.”

“But there’s so many hallways an’ doors…! You sure you know ya way around here?”

“Like the back of my hoof. C’mon, I’ll show you around!” I agreed, and she led me through the colossal maze-like castle. After a few twists and turns, we eventually found our way to an extravagant garden with very precisely and shapely trimmed hedges all around with flowers of many a kind budding out of them. At some point, I noticed a peculiar looking statue at the center of the garden… It looked like some kind of snake monster with the head of a goat and a body made up of random animals, frozen in a pose that looked like the creature was about to get hit by a train or something. I got such a sudden, strong creepy vibe from it… like something inside it was alive and trying to escape. Rather than ask Twilight about it, I averted my gaze from it because of how off-setting it was. I was also pretty sad that I didn't see any water fountain in the area to drink from to get the aftertaste of that dandelion sandwich out of my mouth...

“This place… this is just… wow…” I mumbled in awe as we left the garden to trot down another long, fancily-decorated corridor.

“You still haven’t seen much,” Twilight informed matter-of-factly. “The library will blow you away for sure!” She seemed to be getting a joy out of showing me around, given my speechless reactions to everything I’d seen. I felt like a child going to a museum for the first time.

“That reminds me… You said you lived here in Canterlot, right?”

“That’s correct. In fact, when I went off to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and became the Princess’s star pupil, I actually lived here in this castle for a while. That’s how I know this place so well.”

“Yea, I thought so…” I said as I shook my head in complete disbelief. “Y’know, I’m… startin’ t’ get the feel that there’s a WHOLE lot more t’ you that I ain’t catchin’ on to…”

“Is that so? What makes you say that?” she asked with a sense of cluelessness I could tell was at least partly false.

“Oh, I dunno,” I answered, playing dumb. “Just a hunch, I guess.”

“A hunch, hm? Well then I hope this little adventure won’t be too shocking for you,” she said as she turned and winked at me. I laughed and left it at that. I liked the surprises, so I figured we’d keep playing this game. Eventually, we reached the library, which looked like it was at least ten times as big as Twilight’s tree-home library. Surely enough, every shelf was filled with books of possibly every subject imaginable in this universe (except intergalactic travel, I assumed). It had a circular shape with a giant hourglass in the center.

“So Ty… What do you think of this place?” Twilight asked as we wandered through the vast assortment of bookshelves.

“I feel like I only seen a small part of it, since everything we came across is so giant!” I answered in awe as I scoured the library with my eyes. Almost immediately after I finished my answer, I heard a *GASP* come from the unicorn as I inattentively bumped into her. “Wha?”

“It’s Princess Cadence…!” whispered a now-giddy Twilight, who was pointing straight ahead. I looked and saw a pink unicorn with a long pink, purple, and blonde mane and tail blissfully perusing through some of the books while humming a sweet little tune. She wore a small gold tiara, a gold necklace, and gold horseshoes. The odd thing about her is that she also had wings… This “Cadence” was the first winged unicorn (or Alicorn, as I was informed) I’d actually laid eyes on in this entire world.

She was about my size (maybe somewhat smaller, yet still noticeably larger than Twilight), and gorgeous, if I may say so myself. Her Cutie Mark was one of a heart-shaped crystal with two gold wing-shaped things (I had no clue what they were) under each side of it.

“Cadence…! Over here…!” the unicorn whispered. Surely enough, the winged unicorn mare turned to face us. Her own face instantly lit up with a similar inflection of joy as Twilight’s.

“Twilight! Spike! Hey, how are you guys!? I haven’t seen you since the wedding reception!” greeted Cadence as we closed the distance between us. Even her voice was majestic. Spike climbed off of Twilight’s back and almost immediately after, the two unicorns began to do some strange, seemingly childish dance together.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” the two quietly chanted as they went through the motions of what I guess was some kind of secret hoof-shake. I was a little confused as I watched, but what REALLY threw me off was the “do a little shake” part, seeing as I was standing right behind Twilight as she stuck her butt up and wiggled it in front of me. Her tail swung haphazardly, hitting me in the face a few times as she finished her little dance. I completely froze as I sharply exhaled and gawked at the purple unicorn.

“Um… Twilight?” Cadence said as she sat up and pointed one hoof at me while putting another one to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“What…?” Twilight asked, perplexed with her rump still poking towards me as she turned her head around. “*GASP* Oh my gosh!” Twilight caught on as she swiftly sat down on her haunches and her face instantly became as flushed with embarrassment as mine was. Spike must’ve been getting quite the gut workout because he fell on the floor cracking up, holding his sides and kicking wildly into the air all the while.

“Uh… *gulp* wow…” I sheepishly muttered, my eyes still wide with shock. “Nice uh… dance…” was all I could think to say as I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck with a hoof.

“I’m so sorry!” Twilight hurriedly said, still facing towards Cadence, yet looking down. I guess she was too embarrassed to look at me. “I-I forgot you were behind me! I saw Cadence, and Sunshine, Sunshine, and I… Ohh!” She was outright panicked. She crouched to the ground and covered her face in shame.

“Aww, even as a full-grown mare, you’re still the adorable little filly I took care of all those years ago…” said Cadence as she walked over and ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane to console her. "It's okay... It was just a simple mistake..."

"Y-yea..." I agreed, still feeling hotter than the inside of a race car on a summer day. Twilight, after a minute or so of bashful sulking, perked up enough that she was able to stand and turned to face me, although she could hardly look at me.

“I um… I'm sorry, Ty... I didn't mean to um... to... uhh...” she trailed off, failing to find suitable words for giving me a surprise view of her booty...

“N-No, you’re fine,” I shakily interrupted. “I prolly shoulda moved. You was only doin' ya thing. But uh… at least… at least… um…” I stammered over my own words and froze as I drew a blank.

“Come on, fool! Say somethin’! Anything that’ll make this whole thing wash away!”

“…At least you have a nice figure…?” I finally finished. That only made Twilight blush even more as Cadence giggled a little while Spike continued dying of laughter on the floor. I instantly regretted saying that.

“Oh, that's smooth, you stupid son of a—!”

“Th-thank you…” Twilight murmured as she stood looking at the ground and brushing one foreleg with the other. She seemed to almost become another Fluttershy. I have to say, she was pretty cute with the way she was acting, even if it was my fault.

“Soooo…” Cadence announced, in an attempt to shed the awkward air. “Who are you?” she asked me.

“I’m uh… Ponder Memoir, Mrs. Princess Cadence ma’am,” I politely answered.

"It's actually Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, my subject," she corrected with an air of regality.

"Wow, what a name... Either Spanish or Italian for 'My Love, Cadence...' Ain't that somethin'.."

"Oh. My apologies, Mrs. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza..." I excused myself as I stepped forward and reverently bowed to her. She laughed, which served to confuse me.

“I'm sorry... I was just messing with you," she informed with a smile. "You can rise. And please, just call me Cadence,” the pink Princess requested, much to my surprise as I brought myself back to a stand.

"R-really?"

"Yes, really. We're all grown ponies here, and I'd like for you to be comfortable." For a Princess, she sure was cool.

“Oh, okay... C-Cadence," I stuttered, at which she let out a small chuckle and offered up a hoof. Taken by surprise yet again, I carefully raised my hoof to hers as if I was about to lay my touch upon a delicate, highly coveted, wonderfully decorative one-of-a-kind vase.

"Relax, Ponder Memoir. I promise, I won't bite..."

"Y-yea, I'm sure... I'ss jus' not every day you get t' meet a Princess, y'know? Plus, given what just happened..."

"I assure you, you are perfectly okay. You have nothing to fear. Any friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine. In any case, what brings you here with little Twiley?" she asked as we broke contact.

"Twiley? Mus' be a family thing..."

"Um..." It took me a second to gather my scatter thoughts, messily strewn about my brain by the overwhelming discombobulation brought in by Princess Cadence's presence (as well as the fresh new mental image of Twilight bending over in front of me... but I digress). "Oh! Yeah, I’m here with Twilight t' visit Princess Celestia. We’re waitin’ for her right now, as a matter o' fact...”

“Oh, so you must be the guest Auntie Tia was telling me about!”

“She told you about him?” Twilight asked with small surprise as she turned again to face the royal winged unicorn.

“Yes. She seemed so excited about meeting you two before she was called off to run her errand. She couldn’t stop talking about how her most faithful student of all ponies wound up being the one to cross intergalactic borders— by accident, no less— and even managed to bring proof of her travels… which I’d guess would come in the form of you, Mr. Memoir.” A Princess calling ME Mister? This pony gained my respect instantly, along with a little admiration for her calm, level-headed nature. I saw Twilight’s face brighten up with such a look of ecstatic vigor that I thought she’d spontaneously rocket up through the ceiling with excitement. “I even told Shining Armor! You should’ve seen the look on his face… You’ve made us so proud, Twilight!” the pink princess finished as she hugged the little unicorn.

“Oh, thank you so much!” Twilight said as she returned the hug. “You don’t know the half of how great that makes me feel!"

"Oh, I think I have an idea..." she replied as they broke their hug. "So, Mr. Memoir..." she began, focusing her sights on me.

"Y-you can call me 'Ty', ma'am..." she raised an eyebrow, seeming to think about preferred name.

"Ty, hm? Alright, Ty... How has your tour of Equestria been thus far?" she asked with a sense of curiosity. "I understand you've been here for a bit longer than today."

"So far, i'ss been a blast, t' say the least! I've only been here since yesterday, but things here are so... captivating! Especially given that magic is actually a real thing here...!" Cadence's eyes widened in shock.

"Magic isn't a thing in your world?"

"No... At least, tha'ss what I thought until Twi here showed up in front o' me the other day..."

"I see... Did you get to do some sight-seeing in his world, Twilight?"

"That I did!" the lavender mare proudly proclaimed. "I've even been recording notes to share with Princess Celestia regarding my findings and the spell I learned from the experience. I simply can't wait to see her!" Twilight REALLY seemed like she wanted to see this Princess Celestia as soon as she could... Even SOONER, if it were possible. But then, I had my reasons for sharing in her enthusiasm. Getting to meet this world's most powerful supernatural being face-to-face... Surely, an opportunity MUCH too rare and prestigious to pass up...

"I'm sure she can't wait to meet up with you, either!" she assured with a bright, beautiful smile. She then turned toward me, but as she did so, her smile faded, which I took as a sign that she found something out of place about me. Pretty soon, her eyes narrowed, studying me scrupulously.

"I-is there somethin' wrong?" I asked, mindful about the tone I took.

"No... No, it's just... I'm picking up something... eccentric about you..."

"Oh shit! She prolly sees through this pony disguise! I didn't think my cover would be blown so soon...!"

"Eccentric?"

"Yes..."

"L-like what?" I asked in fear of what I thought was her discovery.

"That's what I intend to decipher..." she cryptically answered as she continued her stare-down. I simply froze in place, my heart thumping like a drum as the proverbial elephant in the room began making itself known.

"What is she starin' at?" Nervous, I looked around in case she may have been staring at something within my general direction. When I couldn't find anything she may have found of interest, I fearfully brought my gaze back to her. Her face almost seemed frozen in that studious, scrutinizing expression. After a few unbearably awkward silent seconds, she then brought her gaze over to Twilight and began studying her up in the same fashion she'd studied me.

"Hmm..." she continued to ponder.

"Is... there something wrong, Cadence?" Twilight asked in wonder.

"Not necessarily... I sense something, however..." she replied, deep in thought as she alternated between Twi and I. "Something... Warm... Pleasant... Sweet, yet... Somewhat unsettling..."

"You do?" Both Twilight and I asked at the same time. The two of us exchanged looks of confusion before turning back toward a pensive Princess Cadence.

"Is... there something you're not telling me, Twilight?" At that, the unicorn's eyes widened a bit.

"Something I'm not telling you? L-like what?"

"Like something about... You know..." With that, the carnation pink Alicorn smirked at her little sister, lowering the lid of her left eye, so as to communicate to the unicorn mare that she picked up some unspoken vibe of some sort.

"Oh!" Twilight seemed to realize, leaving me in the dark. "...Well, there IS something I'd been thinking about bringing up to you recently... And since you're here, I guess now is as good a time as ever to do so...”

“Hm? What is it?” Cadence curiously asked, her expression softening up as she listened to Twilight.

“I uh… I’d rather not say in front of the boys here… It’s… kind of personal...” I took that as a clue that these two wanted some girl-time. However, I was curious.

“Well, what’s so personal that me an’ Spike can’t—?” I began to ask.

“Do you REALLY wanna know?” Twilight quickly interrupted, giving me a look of suspicion that quite honestly came off as a bit... conspicuous in itself. However, from what I learned about her in the last few days, Twilight seemed like a mare who ALWAYS had a reason or a purpose for anything she did...

“Hm… Prolly not… I guess you’ll be wantin’ me to take Spike an’ disappear somewhere so you two can talk?” I asked, deciding against begging the question further.

“That depends… Spike, do you know your way around the castle?”

“Almost as well as you do!” Spike enthusiastically answered as he climbed up onto my back. I almost flinched at how sharp his claws were.

“Ouch! Hey! Watch them claws o’ yours,” I complained.

"Heh, sorry," Spike apologized.

“Why don’t you show Ty around for a little while Cadence and I catch up?” Twilight suggested.

“Ooh, some male-bonding time! How exhilarating!” I said with as good a British accent as I could muster with an intentionally goofy smile. I got a giggle out of Cadence.

“Err, Yes! Male bonding!” Twilight agreed with what seemed to be a little haste. I still wondered what was so important that she didn’t want me or Spike there to hear it… but then I decided it wasn’t really important what the reason was, seeing as this was an opportunity to get to know this oh-so mysterious purple dragon a little better. Plus, Twi had some time to bond with her former babysitter. “Now you two go. Let’s meet up back at the foyer when you’re done touring the palace.”

“Alright. Away we go, trusty steed! Hyah!” Spike joked as he kicked his heels into my sides. I winced and grunted in pain because he kicked me right in my Applejack and Pinkie Pie wounds.

“Dammit boy, I might be a pony, but we ain’t playin’ no game o’ Horseback Hero!” I scolded as I turned to walk out the door. “Besides, I’m still achin’ from those brutal hugs…”

"Noted," the dragon simply responded.

“Have fun, you guys!” Twilight called as she waved at us.

“And it was truly a pleasure meeting you, Ty!” added Princess Cadence. I turned and smiled as Spike and I were off to have a little adventure of our own…