Author's Notes:

Welcome to the first installment of "First There Were None. Then He Arrived".
Please stop by the profile page and check out the companion works that are published simultaneously.
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He arrived at the grocery store one night, just as the sun was setting. The weather outside was threatening rain, so he got an umbrella out of his trunk. Walking to the storefront, dark clouds circled, and the wind began to howl. He ran in an attempt to take refuge from the approaching rain, barely making it to the doors as the torrent started. Finally, he was safe inside.

As he finished shopping, he could still hear the storm raging outside. People were huddled around the entrance even as the employees held the doors shut to keep the wind and rain at bay. He stared in awe at the force of nature as the storm blew through the cityscape. Rain was pouring in sheets sideways as the wind tried to throw everything around.

After he had watched for a bit, the wind and rain seemed to slow, and he gained the courage to make his way back outside to his car. Just as he started to approach the doors, a massive thunderclap roared, and the lights disappeared as a large blackout affected the area. Everyone in the store stood perfectly still in the darkness.

Preferring to be in the dim light of dusk instead of the pitch-blackness of the store, he made his way again toward the doors. Nodding to the employees, they pulled open the now unpowered doors to grant his exit. Opening his umbrella, and with a smile on his face and his few purchases in his bags, he left the dark and stepped out into the quieting storm outside. He had always liked storms, and what was left of this one didn’t bother him in the least.

He approached his vehicle, only to be startled by a flash of lightning, the first he had seen that night. It made him shut his eyes tightly, the air feeling somewhat tingly around him under his umbrella. He was relieved that he had come to no harm. He slowly opened his eyes again, only to see a patch of darkness in his vision. He thought he was seeing spots from the brightness of the flash, but as he turned his head left and right, something odd happened: the blackness stayed in one spot.

He turned around, looking back at the store. There, he saw the shocked faces of people through the glass. Some of them banged on the door from the inside, mouths moving, their silent screams trying to get his attention. He turned again, only to see that the blackness had expanded, and now had eclipsed almost the entire scene before him, seeming to stretch into a void of nothingness a mere arm’s length away. He stepped back in surprise but slipped on the slick tarmac, flailing as he fell. He did his best to catch himself, avoiding injury but was still shocked, wet, and alarmed. The void continued to expand and enveloped his right foot. He tried to scramble away but found his leg numb, unable to move. He looked back to the people again, his eyes pleading for help. He blinked, but when his eyes opened, he saw nothing.

‘The howling winds. Cold and wetness. Definitely wet.’

The rain hadn’t stopped. Shivering, his muscles tensed as he tried to curl into a ball. This was what he woke to.

‘WAIT! The blackness, the void? What happened?’

He blinked and opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he could see a bit. It was still very dark, but not completely black. A peal of thunder surprised him.
“Stupid storm,” he muttered to himself. His body felt heavy and somewhat numb.

‘That’s right... I fell, and there was that black, scary void.’

He whipped his head around. He couldn’t see the store or his car. In fact, he didn’t see anything near him at all. He felt the ground beneath his hands, damp but soft.

‘Am I in the grass?’

He tried to focus his sight, but the gloom of night was making it difficult to see. A flash of lightning overhead illuminated his world. Nothing familiar was around him, but he noticed something above: the void.

The dark mass was there in the sky, a swirling, pulsing mass of murkiness. Looking at it brought fear to the forefront, panic entering his mind. He scrambled to his feet, noticing that his body was no longer numb, but instead was sore and tired. Now standing, he turned around in the darkness, looking for some definition in the landscape. Finding none, he decided that any direction was better than being directly under the void.

He started walking away slowly, trying not to trip in the dark, when he saw another light above. He closed his eyes as the bright light flashed and illuminated the sky. He had never seen a lightning strike quite like this, and then it quickly subsided. The blackness of night returned, and he was lost again.

Just then, a thunderous voice filled the air. “DO NOT MOVE! WE WILL HAVE YOU ANSWER FOR YOUR DEEDS!”

Spinning around, he wasn’t sure where the voice was coming from, almost as if it was above and yet all around him.

He heard another voice. “Luna, please be calm. We do not know if it is foe or friend,” it said softly. “Excuse me, you there, did you create this energy field?” The voice seemed to be directed at him.

“What? What energy? Where are you? I can hear you, but… I can’t see. Are you talking about that black mass? Can you help me?” the man pleaded.

A soft, golden light appeared overhead, lighting up the night. It grew in intensity, then diffused across the sky, seeming to simply push back the obscurity of his surroundings.

The man looked up into the sky, blinking and shaking his head. He blinked again, his vision clearing, and then suddenly fell to the ground like a lifeless heap of flesh.

‘Quiet. Warmth, soothing, and dry. Heat. The sound of a fire crackling.’

In a somewhat small room, the man lay sleeping on top an enormous bed, one made with a beautiful comforter and fine linens dyed richly in red. The frame, carved from dark mahogany, matched the quality of the bed’s dressing and came complete with a large headboard. Sitting against the far wall, the bed occupied much of the small room and was by far the largest item present, but it wasn’t the only accommodation.

The room was actually quite normal. Left of the bed was an open door that led to an adjoined bathroom. Next to that sat a long dresser with a polished top and several drawers with antiqued brass pulls. On the opposite side of the bed, mirroring the placement of the dresser, was a small fireplace inset in the wall. Unlike the rest of the accommodations, the fireplace was decidedly bland and designed exclusively for functionality’s sake. A modest fire had been made inside it and currently heated the room, doing a fine job of driving out the cold of night. Next to the hearth was a cubby filled with kindling and firewood, already well-stocked for the nights ahead.

In front of the bed was the largest clear space of the room. Covering the bare stone floor was a thin but intricately woven rug. The rug butted straight up to a great, ornate, oaken entry door, built as much for privacy as it was for aesthetic. It sported old-fashioned ring pulls as someone might imagine large castle doors to have.

As the small room had no windows, all light seemed to emit from the interior. While the fire did provide some, the main illumination was from a natural gas lamp situated on the wall above the headboard. Its light cascaded over the room, reaching into the corners and throwing few shadows.

All in all, the room was quite cozy, as it was made for a homely feel. How it would feel to its occupant, only time would tell.

The man twitched in his sleep.

“I think he is coming to.”

“It seems so. Please be kind; I do not think he deserves to be thought of as an enemy.”

“I will reserve my judgment for later, sister. We have never seen any thing like it in all of Equestria, the lands beyond, or even in our subjects’ dreams.”

“It—I mean, he is unique, but seems to share some of the same physical qualities we all have.”

The human stirred a bit more, slowly regaining consciousness.

“Perhaps, but what happened to his coat? He has neither fur nor feathers, and his mane is almost non-existent. Do you think he is ill?”

In an effort to stop his shivering and ensure he was not injured, the man had been stripped of almost all of his drenched garments. Though he was now dry, what lay below his clothes was foreign to all around, and caused quite a disturbance. He was left in his undergarments, as without them it seemed immodest.

“I pray not. What intrigues me more than his form, though, is that he conversed in perfect Equis, did he not?”

“Indeed. How is it we know not what he is, though he commands our language?”

The human continued to slowly awaken from his slumber.

“Do try to show a bit more friendliness to this stranger. Please, Luna.”

At those words, the man shot upright. His eyes open wide, looking around at the figures before him. “P-Princess Luna!? Princess Celestia!? Is that really who you are? No… it can’t be.” He shook his head. “You’re just fiction!”

“WHAT did you call US?” the royal-blue pony bellowed. “Did you just—? Wait. How do you know of our names?”

“Princess Celestia! You should not be near that thing!” cried a voice from nearby.

The two ponies parted, and three shorter white ponies in armor muscled their way to the front, forming a protective barrier. The royal guard in the middle gave a growl at the man in the bed.

“Princesses, I must request you withdraw from this unknown… creature and limit your exposure until we know more.”

The larger, white pony smiled genially. “Oh, Captain, I assure you that we are in no danger. We simply wish to greet our new guest.” She gestured to the bed.

“I’m very sorry, Princess, but safety should come first. Yours, your sister’s and Equestria’s. If it is like you say, that even you do not know what this is, we must be cautious.”

“Very true, but we will still need to question him,” the blue pony retorted.

The man had a panicked look on his face, staring around the room in confusion. “Where are my clothes?” he mumbled. “This really can’t be happening. I must be sick or injured. Maybe I’m in the hospital, in a coma and dreaming.”

“Hah! I have heard quite enough of this foolishness!” the blue pony yelled.

She pushed forward through her guards and stepped boldly towards the bed. Shocked, the man reeled back, attempting to scramble out of the way, but she followed him up onto the bed, staring him in the eyes, a hair’s breadth between their faces. She then closed the gap and placed her forehead on his, her elongated horn brushing against his hair.

She looked deeply into his eyes. “Does this not feel real to you now? How much longer will you avoid the truth, avoid US!?”

“Princess Luna!” the guards yelled, but were restrained by a golden shimmer.

The man looked deeply into the pony’s majestic blue eyes and let out a breath he had been holding since her approach.

‘She… is real.’

He felt her warmth, the softness of her fur. Her breaths were ragged, warm, and heady. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

‘This is Princess Luna. This person, or pony, is exactly like the character from television. She is My Little Pony incarnate, and if she is real, they all are,’ he thought.

Seeming to achieve her goal, Luna slowly pulled back; the warmth that was shared faded as the air cooled their freshly exposed flesh. Her eyes noticed a change in the man and a sly grin grew on her face.

“I— this doesn’t make sense.” He reached out to the princess causing her to flinch at his advance. As his fingers met her shoulder, he gently mussed her fur. “You are real.” He pressed the flat of his hand against her and his mind was flooded with sensations of warmth and comfort, bringing a calm smile to his face.

Luna closed her eyes, her own body responding to the invader’s touch. Then, a moment of clarity flashed across her features, and Luna gently opened her eyes before shifting out of the stranger’s reach, breaking contact with the man.

He frowned. “I’m sorry. I—”

Luna held up a hoof, then smiled and slowly withdrew from the bed. “You have nothing to be forgiven for. Are you now at peace?”

“Yes, thank you. This is all very confusing to me.”

“Understandably so. And if you are confused, you need only to ask. We will do what we can to dispel your uncertainty.”

“Yes, my sister is right. Guards, be more at ease. I see no danger here.” Celestia smiled at Luna. “Sir, you have been through a great ordeal. Do you want some rest, or would it be better to talk a bit?”

He raised his head. “I can talk for a while. I’m sure you have questions, and I’ve got quite a few myself.”

“Well then, let me properly introduce ourselves. My name is Princess Celestia of Equestria, the Eternal Princess and Bringer of the Sun, and this is my sister, Princess Luna of Equestria, the Moon Princess, Shepherd of Dreams, and Princess of the Night. To whom do we have the pleasure?” Celestia asked as they both curtsied gracefully.

“Uh, my name is David. David Marshall of… Earth?”

“Excuse me, Sir David Marshall—” Celestia started.

“Just ‘David,’ please.”

“Excuse my lack of knowledge, Sir David, but I am not familiar with your Kingdom of ‘Earth.’ Could you perhaps describe where it is located?” Celestia asked.

“And where you have heard our names, as we asked previously,” Luna added.

“Sure, but… Princess Celestia, right?” She nodded. “To answer Princess Luna’s question, I’ve heard and seen stories of you both, but before this moment, you were only fictional characters made to entertain children. No disrespect intended.”

Luna snorted. “That kind of joke is one we do not find funny. We assure you, we are quite real, as real as you are.”

“Yes, I can see that. As for your other question, Earth isn’t a kingdom and is nowhere near Equestria, Princess. It’s actually the name of my planet. I’m not sure what happened to bring me here, but Earth exists either far from your world in the vastness of space or possibly in another dimension. Of that I’m quite sure.”

Both princesses looked at the man with shock in their eyes.

Celestia paused to gently shake her head, attempting to regain her composure. “Sir David of Earth, let us leave that difficult topic to another time. Even though you say you are from a different realm, I am amazed at your grasp of our language. How did you come to learn to speak Equis?”

“Equis? I’m speaking my native language. At least the one I learned as a child, called English. I assumed you were speaking English as well.”

Celestia shook her head. “Unfortunately, no, and although that raises other questions, I suppose it is simply fortunate that we can understand one another. Let us move on. You said your knowledge of us comes from stories. Can you explain a bit further?” she prodded.

“Of course. But please, keep an open mind.” David ran a hand through his hair. If I’m where I think I am, and you are who you say you are, this may cause you to rethink my sanity.”

The two princesses looked to each other questioningly, then back to the man and nodded solemnly.

He met their gaze, then took a deep breath. “Okay. You see, on Earth, you, your sister, and many others here are well known to many. The reason you are well known is that we’re told stories of your lives, well, mostly of the lives of your student, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. These stories have been shown to many people, mostly children, around Earth in many countries and in many languages. Before I accepted this moment as reality, you were both just characters in those fictional stories. What’s more is that these stories are not old. They were written by people not too different from me, and they were created within the last six years and were not known before that time.”

Everypony’s face was frozen again. Shock was visible on the regal sisters’ faces, doubt and anger on the guards’. Still, nopony moved.

“I didn’t mean to offend. What I told you is as real to me as you are flesh and blood in front of me now. Certainly, you now understand why I feel more than a bit lost.”

Luna, with furrowed brow, was the first to speak. “We were called to the field to investigate a magical disruption, one we had not seen or heard of before. Its darkness was foreboding, and it seemed to be growing in size and intensity. Somehow, we found a solitary creature around this disturbance, one just as foreign to us as the energy we sought to investigate. Through my sister’s magic, we dispelled the field of darkness, and yet one mystery remained—you.” She sighed, gently bringing her forehoof to her head. “And though you feel confused, and your words confound us as well, we somehow do not feel you are misleading us.”

Finally, Celestia regained her composure as well. “I must agree. Though shocking, it seems you have some knowledge of Equestria, even if it has come through unexpected means.” Celestia shook her head again. “You know our names; you have even heard of my prized pupil and fellow princess, Twilight. I am curious what more knowledge you have of us, especially while we are still left knowing so much less about yourself. Forgive me, Sir David, I cannot help but be cautious in this situation. I feel we are at a distinct disadvantage here.”

It was now David’s turn to shake his head. He raised his gaze to meet the elder princess’ and looked deep into her eyes with a smile on his face. “Princess Celestia, I beg your humble pardon. I am an uninvited guest in your world and recognize that I am an unfamiliar form to you. I will mirror your sister’s gracious offer. If you have questions, I will answer them. I only hope you will be patient with me and the information I share.”

An unexpected blush appeared under snow white fur, mirrored by eyes widened in surprise. “Well, if you put it so eloquently—”

“Sister.” Luna gently nudged Celestia.

“Yes, well… excellent! Now that the initial introductions and surprises are out of the way let us get comfortable and renew the dialog.” Celestia turned to her guard captain. “Please send somepony to gather a few pillows and some food and drink for us all. Also, Captain, you are dismissed for now. Thank you for your service. I am sure there are other more pressing needs for you than to be here. As this situation requires a bit of delicacy, please feel free to leave two of the special forces personnel you brought as a standard guard compliment outside the hall, as I am sure they will be tight-lipped about our guest. I will file a report for you to peruse later to keep you updated. All information from here on out is security level two and above.”

“Yes, Princess!”

The guards filed out slowly, saying nothing as they departed. The sound of hoof-falls grew more distant as they left the princesses and the human alone.

Quickly, one unicorn guard returned with two royal-sized pillows and a tray of refreshments telekinetically held in his magical grasp.

“Ahh, thank you,” Celestia said as she received the tray. Luna took the pillows from the soldier and placed them on the floor in front of the bed. “I believe this will do. You may go.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Sitting down on their pillows, the sisters began to relax. They whispered to each other, looking at the tray of treats and a pitcher of what seemed to be lemonade. David grew curious and crept towards the foot of the bed, where the princesses lay beyond.

“Feeling a bit peckish?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, I could do for a snack,” David replied.

“Well, I don’t know if what we have would interest you or not. We have some fruit tarts, some small oat cookies, fresh fruit, and lemonade to drink. Does any of that sound at all familiar or appetising to you?”

“Yes, quite. It sounds wonderful actually.”

“Well then,” Luna spoke softly, “may we make you an assortment?”

“Thank you, Princess.”

She carefully stacked a variety of each on a white china plate, then levitated it to the waiting man.

David reached out with his hands to receive the gift.

“See, I told you he has no hooves!” Luna declared with a grin. “Though they look like a dragon’s claws, they are covered in flesh.”

“Hands,” David said. “I have hands covered in skin, like the rest of my body. Instead of a claw, hoof, or talon, I have short, thin nails at the tips.” He stretched his arms out front and slowly rotated them for the princesses to view. “I am called a ‘human’ in my world. We are the most intelligent and only sapient creatures on my planet, and there are a few billion of us living across the surface.”

“Human,” Celestia repeated carefully. “Sir David, your hands are very interesting. Only a few races here have dextrous digits on their extremities.”

David looked lost in thought. “Yes, as far as I have seen, only dragons, griffons, diamond dogs, centaurs, and some bipedal races like the minotaur and draconequus have similar dexterity.”

“Correct! You know so much about Equestria! How again were you taught these things?” Celestia inquired.

“Again, all of this was relayed to me from a story. Actually, from a drawn and animated television show.”

The sisters sat, confusion clearly showing.

“Well I guess you don’t know what a television is, but I think you have film projectors. This is very similar, but more vibrant and similar to watching real life, just on a screen.”

“Actually, we have never once partaken of a film,” Luna said, turning to her sister. “We understand Twilight and her friends find them enjoyable, and some organizations do use the media as potential teaching and recruitment tools.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, even though I have only seen a few, it is amazing to see how my little ponies are expressing themselves using the medium. But it is still rare, and not widespread. Sir David, do you think it is possible that somepony has made a film of us, and sent it to the human world, to Earth?”

“Honestly, I don’t think so, Princess. You see, there are more to the films I have seen than what I think you are used to, and a bit more history to where the stories came from.”

“Please, do tell.”

“Well, you know how I said before that these stories were created for children?”

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“The stories I am familiar with are only the most recent versions. There have been many more over the last twenty years or so. In the earlier stories, there were different characters than yourselves. And there is also the origin of the stories… They originally came from a series of toys, figurines really, created and marketed for young girls.”

“So,” Luna started, “you know of us from realistic, film-like depictions of ourselves that were drawn. Of which there are more stories than you know of, but they are unrelated?”

“Yes. Well, loosely related, as in they might have similar names, but also might be a different race of pony and have a completely different personality. Though most characters do not exist to us outside of the most recent stories created around six years ago.”

“And these stories originated from dolls given to little fillies?”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

Luna turned to Celestia. “Sister, please pass the lemonade. My throat is parched.”

Levitating the pitcher to Luna, Celestia looked to David. “While I am not sure how to interpret this information or its origin, it seems that so far the information you possess from the latest stories may match up with current Equestria. I would be very pleased if you would consider recording all that you know of us, that we might see just how accurate and expansive your knowledge is. Would that be acceptable?”

David thought pensively for a moment. “I can help you with that.”

“Thank you, Sir David. That is most kind. Now, I would like to change directions if I may.” David nodded in agreement. “Yes. Back on the topic of language. You said that you are speaking in your native tongue. ‘English,’ I believe you called it.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“But Luna and I, even our guards, are speaking in Equis, though Luna’s is a bit more formal and archaic than most.” Luna raised her muzzle in a huff and took a small sip of lemonade from her cup. “You have no trouble understanding our spoken words. But what does this mean to you?”

Celestia’s horn lit up, and her golden, sparkling aura stretched forth in a large circle. The citrine plane of magic became slightly opaque, and symbols appeared in the air drawn from pure magic.

“Can you understand what this means?”

“Well, a bit. Some characters written here are foreign, but some are similar to my own written language, with a few reversed or at least in a different order than I’m familiar to. Uh, I think it says ‘how old am I?’ ”

“Correct! And can you answer the question?”

“No, Princess. Assuming you are asking me how old you are, that, I can definitely say I don’t know the exact answer to.”

“Oh, but you have an idea then.”

“Perhaps. I don’t mean to dodge your question, but as far as I am aware, you have lived through at least a millennia. I, however, will be lucky to reach eighty years old.”

Celestia giggled and nodded. “Oh. Well, you are mostly correct. I have lived for at least that long. The real surprise is that you can even read our language!”

“Don’t let me confuse you, Princess. Deciphering this one line of text is hardly a literacy test. I would have no idea on how to write in your language other than some of it may look similar to my own. Perhaps it would be better to see if you can read something I write.”

“Please. I would love to try.”

“Well, I have no magic myself. I would need a writing tool and paper.”

“I will be sure to have you well supplied,” Celestia said.

“Thank you.”

“Now, I’m sorry to say, that if would excuse me, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I think it would be good for me to get a little sleep now. I think the adrenaline of the night has finally left me, and I’m awfully tired.”

“That sounds like a great idea to us as well,” Luna replied.

“Yes, I agree, but I do have one more little thing to discuss. Sir David, for the time being, I must insist that you stay here in this guest room of the castle. I know it is not the best of circumstances, but the rest of Equestria needs to not be exposed to your existence without proper introduction. There are also certain precautions we should observe to prevent any unintended illnesses from being transmitted between our races. This will also include a magical examination by some of our best mages, to ensure you have not suffered any magical trauma or contamination.”

“So I’m under quarantine for the time being?”

“Yes, I see you understand the concept.”

“What about yourselves? You’ve been exposed to me rather directly.”

“Well, when we first found you and did not recognise your origin, we placed a protective magic ward around us to prevent transmission of illness or magical energy. We also extended the same protection to our guards before you encountered them.”

“Oh, that’s some excellent forethought. I’m quite impressed.”

“I have to say, that though we have never used it before, the policies were developed by an excellent strategist. I do not believe I would have thought of such things. Would you, Luna?”

“Certainly not. If you had not stopped me, sister, you will remember my intent was to physically confront Sir David as a potential invader, while in the field, without any consideration of such protocol.”

Celestia and David giggled a little at that.

“Let me guess, Princess Twilight created the new quarantine protocol?”

Celestia nodded. “Quite right, Sir David. I see some of her studious reputation has preceded her in your world.”

“I did say that these stories were mostly centered on her and the other Elements of Harmony, right?”

“Indeed you did,” Luna answered. “And we hope to see how much more of the Equestria in your mind matches reality.”

“Yes, but for now, let us allow our guest his rest. Should you need anything, please knock on your door and one of the guard attendants will provide what you desire. We will schedule regular meals as well, so have no fear of hunger. Pardon me, but how often do humans require food and drink?”

“Oh, I think you will find my schedule pretty similar to your own. Humans eat approximately three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food you have provided so far is delicious and adequate for my needs, but I should let you know that I cannot digest hay, grass, most flowers, or raw grains.”

“I will let our staff know of your dietary restrictions. I do hope our castle chef’s creations continue to suit your tastes,” Celestia replied.

“Thank you, Princess, I’m sure I will be fine.”

With that, the two regal sisters arose and stretched their legs daintily, attempting to reinvigorate themselves. They then magically levitated their pillows at their sides and placed the tray of snacks on the dresser against the wall. Luna opened the door, nodded to David, then proceeded on her way. Celestia looked to be about to do the same but instead turned to David.

“Please be at ease, Sir David. We will look into a way of sending you back to your world. For now, rest and try not to become disillusioned. If you need us, please let the guards know and we will make some time for you.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia. I think I’m still in shock. I haven’t even thought about home or what is going to happen to me. I just need some time to rest.”

“I wish you the best. For what it is worth, I think you are quite an intelligent and strong person. I am sure you will be able to endure and overcome this unusual circumstance.”

“Thanks again, and goodnight, Princess.”

“Goodnight, Sir David,” Celestia replied as she gently closed the door behind her.

It was barely a few moments after he had dimmed the lamp and his head hit the pillow that he was fast asleep.