It continued on for the week. I would meet in the mornings with Twilight after breakfast. We would discuss my world, about technology, and anything else she could think of—which, in all reality, was just about everything. In turn, she would explain things to me. I soon learned the calendar here is pretty much day for day like home, but with obvious alterations in holidays. I even discovered that this world were on a twenty-four hour time, like home, too.

Something I did question and got the answer to, why did they have to move the sun and moon, and why did the seasons, weather, and so on take care of themselves. The answer was, in retrospect, pretty simple to understand.

Chaos magic, due to Discord’s reign, caused so much damage that the planet's ecostructure could not recover. So, the sun and moon revolved around the planet, rather than the planet orbiting the sun as any normal world. Weather patterns were almost static without the help of pegasi, and in general, ponies served their own purposes to keep things moving.

Afternoons were my own, up until dinner with Celestia and Luna. I had shown them other episodes of the show, and learned in kind of the time frame involved. It had shocked me a bit that Tirek’s attack had, in fact, taken almost six months from his escape to when he gained enough power to be a threat, that Twilight's exhausting battle with him had not been minutes, but nearly two hours long from start to finish, with many times the two just glaring at each other and catching their breaths.

Evenings after my dinner with the princesses, I spent once more on my own. Usually, I would hang out with a few of the guards, including Cortland and Golden. By Friday, I had met a good chunk of the regular guards, along with three of the Solar guards and two of the bat winged Lunar guards. I had also learned they played Texas Holdem, well, they called it Saddle Holdem, even though it was virtually the same game. I spent many hours bonding with like-minded ponies over cards without drinking, as most of them had duty shifts on rotation.

I found it comforting, getting to know the stallions and mares who thought like I did. Sure, they were military, and I am law enforcement—well, was, but we still had the same outlooks for the most part. It gave me a chance to get to know the working stiffs, the ones that really make society run. I also got to learn more about ponykind in general, how there were more than just the three tribes, quite a bit more in fact. It seemed just ponies alone were broken up into two main branches, the Solar as seen in the show, and the Lunar only making appearances once in a while. Both groups had unicorn, pegasi, and earth ponies, so that made six distinct sub species.

I had, of course, been spending an hour or two a day writing out the history and traditions of law enforcement, specifically the Texas Rangers. Celestia had been quite adamant about that, and was really pressing to really get into the details of it. I was not sure why, but, when a princess who is giving you a room, board, and protection asks you to do something simple like that, you do it.

Friday night, during my dinner with Celestia and Luna, I had mentioned that there was something I wished to show them, something I thought would explain to them how in depth the impact the show had on many of my kind. Although, I felt it was something that I should hold back, until they felt it was time for Cadence and Twilight to learn of the tech.

After a great deal of back and forth, with myself being the devil's advocate, so-to-speak, I agreed on showing the four Alicorns the next night. Cadence would come in the afternoon, and Twilight was already here, so that all worked out.

---

Saturday was like any other day. Morning with Twilight, where we covered the subjects of schooling and upbringing. It was a rather melancholy subject for me, though I agreed to continue. In turn, Twilight didn’t push, and rather we kind of flowed in and out of the subject.

She did ask if I wanted to meet some foals at some point, and I had made mention of wanting to meet the Crusaders and their many friends, if only to fix in my mind so much more of this is real and not just me sitting alone in some padded room lost in my own head.

I didn’t believe I was crazy, but then again, the forty-eight hundred types are always the last to know. There were simply too many details and subtle things happening around me to just be a mental breakdown. It isn’t common for people in a dream or delusion to make up details like Average Joe pony going about his daily work. Yet, I had observed that, many facets of that very idea, and so had come to the conclusion this was all very real.

Twilight had noted my quiet introspect and suggested we cut off a bit early. She knew we both had some kind of meeting with the other princesses after lunch. She pestered me what it was about. I, however, did not give in. Rather, I took a moment out of a old movie I enjoyed quite a bit. Looking at her I shook my head.

“Nope, I am taking this one to my grave,” and closed my lips, then pantomimed twisting a key in my lips as if locking them, and tossing said imaginary key over my shoulder. I held in a chuckle as she gave a snort, followed by a very equine-like whinny, and stomped her hoof before leaving in a poof of teleportation magic.

---

I walked into my room after a light lunch, one of the day guards escorting me. That worked out well as he needed to replace one of the guards at the door, and I needed to grab my tablet and backpack. I bumped into Dusty, who was just finishing up making the bed. She had set what looked to be a rather large paper-wrapped package on the chair near the bed.

“Oh, Shane! Just who I was hoping to see.”

Her smile warm, genuine. I made it a point to go out of my way to greet all the staff not just her. and it had spread around that I was not the typical guest in the castle. That of course made things a tad frustrating for me. I wanted to help out, open a door, help carry things. Though, because I offered to, that just seemed to endear me to them more, making them go the extra mile to be sure I didn’t need to help.

“Dusty, how are you this afternoon? I hope I didn’t leave too much of a mess this morning. I was in a rush and I think I forgot to hang my towel back up.”

I watched her shake her head. “Shane, for the thousandth time, no. You are the perfect guest! Your care and concern for the staff who work here is more than payment enough for what we do.”

Her hoof lifted and she pointed to the package. “Lady Rarity sent that. The note said it was her pleasure to be the first to surprise you with a gift, and she enjoyed the challenge.”

I exhaled softly and glanced at it, then strode over. “She didn’t need to. I will have to find out what I owe her and figure out a way to earn a few bu—um, bits, right? Bits to pay her back.”

Again watching her in the corner of my eye shake her head. “I suspect she will not let you, Shane. She is, after all, one of the Element bearers. Generosity, as I remember.”

Shaking my head in turn as I untied the knot on the string and opened up the package. Inside was what looked to be two pairs of pants. Unfolding one, they were formal-like, but sort of casual, too, almost like a pair of dockers, but without the pockets or pleats. Each had a note on them. I looked down and then saw a few shirts and three pairs of what looked to be socks. Everything had small notes pinned to them.

Plucking the note off one pair, I read it aloud. “Shane, I hope you don’t mind, but, I did notice you had nothing more formal to wear from what I have seen. I made you a few things that should fit quite nicely and be just formal enough to meet council members and dignitary in.”

I smiled just a bit, that was really thoughtful of her. Unfolding the shirts, looking at each. Two were button-up, again in that semi-formal look, but very far from my usual western manner of dress, and more like something I would have gone to a meeting or town hall in.

The last shirt had a note as well. “Shane, I tried my hoof at copying the thing you called a tea shirt,” I chuckled at her spelling of that. I will have to correct her later. “While I do not think it is appropriate for high tea, I do hope you find it comfortable to wear.”

Unfolding it, I found a pretty close copy of a t-shirt, save that it had a pocket on the left and right breast where the one she had looked at in my stuff only had one. It also had stitched into the pocket a stylized S in a fancy-looking shield of sorts. Even if it wasn’t quite my style, I was both impressed and thankful.

“Shane, would you like me to hang that stuff up and make sure it doesn’t wrinkle?”

I looked over at Dusty and gave a nod to her. “Please, and I will put the socks away,” as I gathered them up. To the touch, they were very soft, and even thicker than the ones I had with me. They would do well in winter, I had a hunch.

I briefly sniffed them as I walked over to the dresser. Wool, you can’t mask that smell, yet such a soft wool, unlike any I had ever seen or felt. Not quite white, it was more like, well, similar to that of cotton candy if it was made of opals. I really had to ask her what it was made of, as I put them away.

I picked up my backpack and glanced back to Dusty. “Thank you again, Dusty, have a nice night.”

She paused to touch her nose to my arm. A gesture I found many ponies seemed to do in greeting or saying goodbye. As best as I could figure, it was like when we humans put our hand on a friend's arm or shoulder, a way to touch and show care.

“You, too, Shane.”

Walking out the door with her, she turned left and headed the opposite direction. I glanced at the two guards beside the door to my room. “Nice quiet afternoon, boys?”

What I received in return was a genuine smile from both. “Sure is, and always nice when that happens. Off to your lunch with the princesses Shane?”

I gave her a nod. “Sure am soon as Golden gets here to—”

Speaking of, the sound of hooves on marble caught my ear as she hurried down the hall, breathing heavy as she pulled up short. “O-o-oh,” huffing. “My deepest apologies, Shane, I took a nap and my bunkmate forgot to wake me up. I totally forgot Cortland has the day off.”

I reached out and gave her a scratch on the left ear, watching with amusement as her eyes fluttered. She swatted my hand away with a hoof. “Quit that!”

I grinned. “Why, you ponies are just so cute when you get all scrunchy-face,” pausing. “You got your breath? Let’s not keep the princesses waiting.”

Once at the door, I looked down at Golden. “Thank you, Golden, I know this meeting is supposed to run all afternoon and night. I will ask Princess Luna to have one of her guard escort me back to my room. You don’t need to stick around the rest of the day.”

She looked up and cocked her head. “Are you sure, Shane? I don’t mind waiting if you want me to.”

I smiled back. “I am good, go enjoy the day off. I will clear it with one of the officers, so perhaps stick around out here with the others,” gesturing to the four guards in the hall. One spoke up.

“I see no need for Private Shield to need to stick around. I will clear it with her captain. Private?”

Golden turned and saluted the one speaking. “Sir?”

He returned her salute. “Dismissed, enjoy your afternoon off-duty.”

I watched her do a little half jump and her smile light up bright as the sun. “Thank you, sir, and thank you, Shane,” she said as she dashed off.

I shook my head and looked to the one who spoke “Thank you for that, sir.”

He gave a nod and a light grunt. “The princesses wait for you, sir.”

I nodded back and turned, opening the heavy door and stepping in. Closing it behind me, I took note of Twilight laying beside Celestia, engaged in conversation. Luna and Cadence were chatting over what looked to be two cups of coffee. All grew quiet and eyes shifted to me when I walked in.

“Shane, perhaps you will tell me now what this is all about?”

I smiled to Twilight. “What, what is about?” trying to feign that I had no clue. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna and Cadence both try to cover up a held-in laugh.

“Shane, this isn’t funny anymore!”

I broke out a wider smile and glanced at Celestia who nodded to me. Turning my head back to Twilight who had quite the scowl on her face, saying not one word, I brought the backpack around on one arm and opened the zipper, pulling out the slate of glass and metal that was my tablet.

I enjoyed watching the look on her face transition from anger, to confusion, to curiosity, to the wide-eyed desire for knowledge that anyone else who has watched the show has seen her put on.

“Is... is that some piece of technology from your world?!”

I walked over and sat down. Luna and Cadence walking over to be in view as well as I nodded to Twilight. “Twilight, this is called a tablet, a kind of computer. I know you and I talked a little about the level of technology my world has in lew of the magic this world has. This device holds information, like books, and... well, what I have been asked to show you today.”

I kept an eye on her as she leaped in the air, then started to hop around the table and the group of us, way too similar to Pinkie Pie on a normal day. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

Blinking, I watched her as Cadence fell over laughing. Luna and Celestia both just smiled. I guess they were more accustomed to this than I was.

“Twilight, please, sit, so I can show you all this. We can play twenty questions about it later,” I commented, glancing to Celestia and over at Luna. “This is more for the two of you tonight,” I waited for Twilight to sit before I continued.

“I have shown you both episodes of the show, tonight I am going to present Twilight and Cadence here just one scene from one episode. Then, I would like to show you something created by the fans of the show. I am, curious I admit to see your reactions to it.”

Three Alicorns gave a nod, one trembled as she leaned in closer, almost on my shoulder now to watch. I flicked it on, only to hear a tiny squeak like noise from the purple pony next to me. Shaking my head in amusement at that, I tapped the video player again, having spent the previous night charging it up to full battery, and setting up the playlist.

On screen the picture came alive, the four of them on a balcony in the Crystal Empire. While Luna and Celestia had seen themselves in show form before, Cadence gasped and Twilight's wings snapped out. Lucky for me, it just grazed my back as they did.

“T-that’s us...” I heard her whisper as from the speakers a song came. Twilight's voice, right down to the tone, floated up to us.

“It isn’t that I’m ungrateful for all the things that I’ve earned. For all the journeys I have taken, all the lessons I have learned.”

I had been very careful not to show the princesses any episode with a song in them past the introduction. Now, I saw all of them sit in shock, eyes wide, ears lifted high. Cadence spoke in a soft whisper. “T-that's a heartsong!”

Ah, so they had a term for this, and it really was like the show then. Ponies just broke out in song it would seem, if my hunch was right. Rather than watch the screen I watched the four around me, I watched each mouth the words silently as the cartoon characters sung their words. I felt Twilight lean on me harder, almost for support, and I gladly let her.

The song came to a close and I gently hit the pause button again and glanced around me. Twilight sniffled and wiped her eye, then smiled very softly. “That... that was incredible, Shane. I have so many questions, but, they will wait, like you asked. I have one, do... do you understand what a heartsong is?”

I shook my head. It was Cadence to my left that spoke up. “Shane, a heartsong is a moment when all harmony magic, and all friendship magic combine and come together. A moment when heart, mind, and spirit are one. They don't happen often, but when they do, they can draw in everypony for miles around.”

She gestured to the tablet. “That song, I remember the harmony of voices in the background just as it was there. That was everypony in the Crystal Empire lifting their voices to us on that balcony, as the magic bid them to.”

My turn to blink, and I did a few times kind of processing that. “So, for that moment, when a... heartsong you called it happens, everyone—everypony I mean, joins in and becomes part of it?”

Celestia gave a soft nod of her head. “Yes, and even princesses are subject to it. I have yet to meet anypony strong enough to not fall into the will of the song. It never happens when somepony can be hurt, and most ponies remember it as a fond and happy moment in time. There are of course heartsongs that happen now and again during times of dark feelings, but, they tend to be more personal to one, or a couple of ponies and do not stretch out to wide areas of influence.”

I watched her expression for a moment then glanced back at the tablet. “Celestia, the next one I want to show. It, well knowing now what I do, is very personal. I am not sure if it really happened here or not, but if it did, it is extremely personal. I leave it to you to decide to view it or not. I will say, if it really happened, it was during Luna’s... slumber.”

They were all quiet, three looking at the largest among them. She in turn looking at me, right into my eyes, almost reading me. I didn’t look away, she deserved the respect. I was not afraid of her, yet more for her and this moment being shown if it truly happened.

Tilting her head she asked in a softer voice, a voice I knew was the one behind her mask. “What is it called, Shane?”

I kept my voice low, almost too quiet. “Lullaby for a Princess.”

Her eyes widened even as the other three showed confusion. She looked away, again that regal mask of hers fallen away for a moment. A tiny peak behind it, letting me of all common folk, see the pony behind the crown. In truth, I was gobsmacked that someone this old, this powerful, would trust—to her, some alien creature—with such a moment.

“Why this one, Shane?”

It was my turn to let off a breath. I looked away from them and back at the tablet. “It was Cassidy’s favorite song.”

Her eyes closed, then she gave a nod of her head. “I-I will let you show it. If it becomes too much, I will ask of you to stop.”

Luna touched her sister's shoulder with a hoof. “Tia?”

She smiled, but it was still the smile of the missing mask, a ponies smile not a ruler's smile. “Watch, just... watch, then we can talk.”

Twilight and Cadence shifted so Luna could sit beside me, with her sister on her right. I glanced around then tapped the pre-cued song and hit play.

A soft music started up, along with the video. The piano, the string instruments, leading in as the ‘camera’ panned down to a snow-white alicorn emerging out of the shadows in an archway started to sing.

“Fate has been cruel and order unkind, how can I have sent you away? The blame was my own; the punishment, yours. The harmony’s silent today.”

I remained quiet as I just watched on, as both Cadence and Twilight pressed close together, each with worried looks as they glanced over to Luna and Celestia, then back to the video. Celestia had started to mouth the words silently, word for word. I could see it. Luna’s eyes never left the video, not once.

“But, into the stillness I'll bring you a song and I will your company keep, till your tired eyes and my lullabies, have carried you softly to sleep.”

I didn’t need to watch it, I had seen this what must have been a million times. Cassidy use to play it over and over again. She told me once she liked it because it showed the princesses as real ponies with real lives. So, I watched the princesses around me, I watched as Twilight sobbed quietly, leaning into Cadence, who had tears running down her face.

I watched as Luna leaned further into her sister, but never quite broke her gaze from the tablet's screen. Tears race down her cheeks, too. Once more, taken aback how their masks were removed here in front of me. Later I would think on this moment and come to understand. I had removed my mask for them, the night I told them my darkest memory. That in this moment now, they were returning that trust to me. For now, however, I just watched them.

As the song came to a end, I gently pressed the off button on the tablet. The room was now strictly silent other than some sniffles and quiet sobs. A voice so light, so timid as a mouse came from the night-blue alicorn pressed to Celestia’s side tightly.

“I-I heard them, Tia, the words, the song. It is one of our only memories of that time in slumber.”

Floodgates broke and two sisters clung to each other, crying. I quietly stood up and moved so Cadence and Twilight could join them. Giving the mares their space, I moved away silently slipped out the door. Closing it with great care, I glanced at the guards who all looked up with a questioning glance.

“They will want privacy for a bit,” watching one nod to me.

“I will walk you back to your room, sir.”

The night guard that responded gave a soft bow of the head. The look in his eyes when he looked back at me... it was almost as if he knew.

In answer to the question in my mind he spoke as we got a few yards down the hall. “We share much with our princess of the night, and we know you have given a gift to her and her sister. The guard shall know of this, we are in your debt.”

I shook my head. “No, I am just returning something that was given to me, that is all.”

He gave a nod of his head as the bat winged pony turned a corner with me. “You are a mysterious one, human. Not at all like anypony I have ever met. You keep things close to your chest, yet you display your care and friendship with us all. Not for gain, but for just the wish of company.”

I glanced over at him with an lifted eyebrow, watching a sharp-toothed grin appear on his muzzle.

“As I said, we see all that goes on, we watch it is our job. You are admired among the guard, Shane, know that. You treat us all with respect, something few visitors and even fewer ambassadors show us.”

As we reached my door, I nodded to the two guards there, then turned and glanced at my escort. “I am no ambassador.”

He lifted his eyebrow. “Oh? And so there are others here representing your kind to all of Equestria? Showing its ponies and the world your culture?”

I frowned some, but gave him a nod. “Goodnight, er... I am sorry, I did not catch your name.”

That made him grin once more. “Captain Night Shade of her highness' personal guard.”

I returned a bit of a nod to him. “Thank you, Captain.”

So I turned and went inside to lay down. I was for certain that Twilight was going to talk my ear off in the morning, and more sure that the other princesses would have endless questions for me as well.

Author's Notes:

Woo, long chapter. Of course the video he showed the princesses is one of the more famous among the fandom. All credit to the artists and creator who spent so much time making it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7PQ9IO-7fU