Since the moment Thiemo and his sister had come back to the automatic carriage, they had both refused to say a word to each other. Thiemo was unnerved, this Amaryllis could tell. She could feel it. Unfortunately, however, she had no access to Daniela. Something had happened in the stable. Something that allowed Thiemo’s sister to smile at him from time to time while she steered the carriage.

Amaryllis had not asked how long the journey would last in this bigger town that her coltfriend had told her about, and she thought it wise to keep that attitude. From the window, the scenery did not change much, mostly because there was practically nothing except green hills. All of this she had seen in Equestria already, and they were even nicer then. All this led to the fact that the princess could not endure the silence any more.

“Could one of you please tell me what happened between you two?” She leaned her head forward, between both front seats, and looked first to Daniela, then to Thiemo.

Her lover did not deign her with an answer,he only snorted and looked out of the window. “~He’s pissed because I named my pet after him,” Daniela announced, not taking her eyes away from the road.

It took Amaryllis a few seconds to get the context of the words spoken. “He is sour because you named an animal after him? Isn’t the point that you wanted something to remember him by and show that you hadn’t forgotten him?”

“It is a donkey,” Thiemo suddenly said, his voice monotonous.

“And what’s so bad about that?” Lyra jumped into the conversation. She had wasted no time in making a sketch of the interior of the carriage. “Donkeys are known as very patient and wise. Some of the most well-known scholars were donkeys.”

“And Big Mac said mom can be like a donkey.” That comment earned a laugh from Amaryllis and Lyra, while Thiemo managed to crack a smile. “Mister Donkey wasn’t mean to you, was he, Dad?”

Amaryllis saw Thiemo open his mouth, though he still paused a few seconds before he answered. “No, the donkey wasn’t mean to me. Not that he would have been able to do it. Donkey, ponies, horses… are not like on Albion. They are not intelligent. They are, to put it bluntly, domestic animals.” For Amaryllis, this wasn't anything new since Thiemo had already told her about it. Lyra and Aura, on the other hand, most certainly did not know, and they both had different reactions to the revelation.

“That must be sad. I mean, we can think. Not that they cannot think, we are just able to do it... better? I don’t think I would like it if I couldn’t think like I could. Would I still be me then?” Auralia voiced her thoughts and looked thoughtful. Amaryllis, meanwhile, closed Lyra’s mouth with a hoof carefully.

“These are questions that humans have asked about ourselves for thousands of years and have broken their heads trying to find a definitive answer. However, what I can tell you is that horses, donkeys, and ponies are some of the oldest friends of humans and are well treated. And to compare yourself to them, as bad as it may sound, would be like to compare me to a monkey.”

“~Yeah, the poor monkeys,” Daniela added, which caused Thiemo to give her a sour look once more.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on. Are you telling me that ponies have lived here for thousands of years?” Lyra asked and pushed her head forward like Amaryllis had done. “Why did you not tell me so?! Nevertheless, this clearly proves that humans and ponies can live together peacefully. Do you have a notion what such a fact about our thing would mean?”

“Our thing?” asked Thiemo, easily confused. If Amaryllis was being honest, she also wanted to know what Lyra was talking about.

“I have, together with Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, written a letter on behalf of the Empire to the representative of Ti, promising safe escorts for negotiations. Meena also wrote one as a human, so they would see that we are treating them seriously.”

“~There are humans on the planet you came from?”

“Ah. I believe you said something like that before.” While Thiemo seemed to have an idea of what Lyra spoke about, Amaryllis could not remember her parents mentioning anything about that. They had told her about everything else, so why not this? “I guess one comparison is that the Empire is to Canada what Equestria is to America.”

“Don’t you have anything else to add? Do other humans not interest you at all?”

“Should they have to?”

Lyra imitated a goldfish for a few seconds. “Should they… Should they have to? These are humans. They are like you. They are your species!”

Thiemo only clicked his tongue. “Let me counter with a question, Lyra. Or a few questions. Do you think the zebra should be treated as equally as a pony?”

“Of course!”

“Why does it not concern you, then, that the tribes in the savannas have to fight daily to avoid being eaten by dragons, griffons, or even wild animals? I was there. I lived with them, and you know what? There weren’t any pegasi to bring them any cloud cover or rain. No unicorns to help signal if danger was nearby. No earth ponies to help the food to practically leap from the ground. They fight day by day with spears and whatever else they can fashion into weapons to hold in their mouths and hooves. I saw dozens do work that a single earth pony could have accomplished. Why Lyra? Maybe because they do not belong to Equestria?”

“Of course not…” The voice of the mare did not have the same conviction it once did.

“We aren’t able to take on the concerns of everyone. I had my own problems. Everybody has their own problems. This is why it does not concern me. Maybe when we go back again, you, who have made it her problem, could tell Shining Armor and Cadance what you have learned here about the relationship between people and ponies of Earth. You know, as an eyewitness and not someone who got famous for pretending to be a god.“

“~You told them you were a God?”

Brief silence ruled again in the automatic carriage. Amaryllis looked over to Auralia. The filly had pressed herself so far into the seat that her ears were nearly invisible in her attempt to block out the argument.

Suddenly, the carriage wobbled once as Daniela braked and took the street’s corner sharply. “Could someone please give me an answer?” Thiemo’s eyes widened, as did Amaryllis’ own. Lyra also stared at the woman. “And why is everyone staring at me like that?”

It was simply not fair. Well, life was seldom fair in Thiemo’s eyes, but this just put the cherry on top. On the one hand, there was a filly who would probably be able to move small hills when she got older. A unicorn, in itself, already had an unfair advantage. Then there was his marefriend, Miss ‘I am a Changeling Princess and I Can Practically Be Everything and Everybody’. But no, of course that was not enough. His sister had to go and somehow learn the language, which had taken him two months of intense studying to even grasp the basics of, in less than two days.

And all she had to say to that was, “Oh, cool!”

And now she simply did not shut up any more. They were now on the motorway, and even though she should be keeping her head focused on the road and not with the ponies in the back seat of the car, she cackled along with Lyra without a care in the world.

It was as though everybody had gotten a chance to drink from the pot of superpowers except for him. Well, he was a strolling mana source. However, it was more of a weight around his neck and only seemed to aid him when he was in trouble. He would need a horn. In his mind, he played a movie where he sawed off Lyra’s horn and added it to his collection that he had taken from other unicorns. Even if it would not be able to channel magic, at least it would silence the mare, so that was at least one useful function. However, at the end of the day, he would soon grow frustrated again and would have to seek out fresher prey to silence the demands of the voices in his mind. His eyes twitched as he heard Amaryllis whisper something about ‘horn envy’ to Lyra.

Instead of telling off the mare, however, he simply took a deep breath and massaged his forehead, magnanimously deciding to spare her his wrath, at least temporarily. He then switched to his magical view and looked at his sister. She did not manifest magic in a physical form, which made it impossible to really get a good glimpse. However, with his sight, he could see how the magic flowed in her body in something akin to a nervous system, just like with the ponies. He was sure that, after the accident, her magic was just an accumulation like his own. He had to deflect his gaze quickly or he would still get a headache. Instead, he turned to the back and looked to his daughter, who gazed at the other cars through the tinted discs.

“It’s quite incredible to look at, considering that the only reason different carriages exist on Albion is because they serve different purposes. Well, that and depending on much money the buyers have to make it economical.” For personal carriages, there was practically only a single model that was based on the ones that royalty and the nobility used. The problem with that was that they usually needed two pegasi to get them up and running, and staff was certainly not cheap. Thiemo was sure Auralia would agree with him, but over the conversation of the others, he could only see her nod.

“We produce ours in all forms and colours, so someone can always find what he wants. Funny that no one had that problem on Albion.” And the argument that someone couldn't crave for something because he didn't know that it existed didn't count because coaches did exist here as well. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was the only one that was interested in the subject, because his daughter pulled simply turned her gaze to follow the cars better. Maybe if he phrased it differently. “Do you know that one of these carriages can reach the strength of up to 200 horses?” He wanted that to lead into a discussion about how many ponies on Albion that would translate to, but no one even nodded. Sighing, Thiemo sank back in his seat.

“There are such differences although both our species are mammals. This is simply so amazing!” Thiemo heard Lyra say as his eyes closed and the conversation of the others leaked in. “That also explains why there are so many humans like you said, with the level of fertility and the shorter gestation period.”

"Well, unfortunately, that is all what I really know about it. If it is as you say, Lyra, I could presumably tell you more about your own reproduction system than about ours. I studied veterinary medicine.” Apart from the fact that this was a subject that curled Thiemo’s toenails, he was nevertheless surprised that he could be so neglectful to forget to ask what his sister had done after all these years. Except to miss him of course. “However, I have some medicine books in the house. When we get back, I can give them to you. But, unfortunately, they are in our language.”

“What kinds of mating rituals do you have? Do humans also have something like that?” And there Thiemo switched off again and decided to turn to his daughter. Counting cars might not be exciting, but it was still better than this.

It had lasted two whole hours, but they finally reached Edinburgh early in the afternoon. As the trip had gone on, Thiemo had become further convinced that cutting off his ears would have been far less painful than having to listen to his sister and Lyra. It was though they had suddenly found their soul mates and now couldn't stop talking to each other. The subjects that they had spoken about certainly had not helped

Now, however, they had mercifully reached the city’s center. It was quiet again, as the ponies had enough to do with gaping at the city. Canterlot would fit inside it nicely… around three to four times. What also stunned them was the sheer number of humans. Amaryllis muttered breathlessly that it was like the train station at Fillydelphia, only denser. Humans streamed everywhere, and no matter where one looked, there was always something to see: gleaming traffic lights, street cars, neon lights, and a whole lot more.

“So many shops. And I thought the shopping district in the Crystal Empire was big.”

“How big is the Crystal Empire then?” Danielle asked, tapping her forefinger against the steering wheel as they waited at a red light. Thiemo noticed that their car had caught some attention, but because nobody pointed a finger at them or shrieked bloody murder, the tinted windows did their job.

“Gigantic. I mean, it is a city state. So Crystal Empire is the country’s name as well as that of the city. Maybe Princess Cadance should change that and give them separate names. Everything there is made from crystals. If I did not know better, I would even say that the ponies are made from crystal. It’s only their fur that glitters in the sun. But the greatest thing about the Empire is the palace. I mean, some other buildings are quite big, but the castle goes up until almost the first cloud layer.”

“Have you visited the Empire, Thiemo?” his sister now directed at him.

“We departed from there. Turn right there in front. Or is the electronics store not there anymore?”

Danielle put on the indicator and turned. “They expanded their business even more. Have you seen them? The princess I mean?” Thiemo was silent for a few seconds, which his sister picked up on. “What have you done to her?”

“Nothing at all! We actually get on brilliantly.” Thiemo shifted his gaze to the side to see what Amaryllis would say, but the mare didn’t seem to be following the conversation. Her snout touched the glass, while her eyes seemed to follow individual objects or people over and over again. “It’s more her husband who would have preferred to throw me in the dungeon and throw away the key.”

Thiemo saw that they had reached the electronics store, and Danielle’s head was already looking around in search of a parking space. “And what exactly did you do that Cadance could manage to tolerate you, yet Shining Armor could not?” She found a suitable parking spot at that moment and put on the indicator once more.

“I slept with his daughter.” And he had to brace himself as Danielle slammed the brakes, the drivers behind her showing their displeasure through the honking of their horns.

“What?” Danielle stared for a few moments. Once more, the horns sounded. “It’s all good!” she called to the other drivers, who surely couldn’t hear her, and started to drive into the parking spot. Finally, she switched off the engine with a turn of the key and turned around to Thiemo. “Please, explain this to me once more.”

However, Thiemo turned to the back and flicked Amaryllis’ ear to try and get her attention, which worked as her head turned in his direction. “Hey, Daniela would like to know the reason why your father wanted to throw me in the dungeon.”

His sister also turned around and stared with wide eyes at Amaryllis. If she had seen the same series as he did the last night, it surely didn’t escape Danielle’s attention that Amy was not only a changeling, but a changeling princess.

“You are the daughter of Shining Armor and Queen Chrysalis.” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Amaryllis, for her part, seemed to need a small moment to understand what the subject of the conversation was. “Eh?”

Thiemo got a blow to the back of the head. “We have a royal visitor and you said nothing to me?” He got another one.

“Hey!”

“I’m so sorry, your Highness, but my brother didn’t tell me that you were a princess.”

“You know I’m sleeping with her, right?” That brought him blow number three. The funny thing was that Thiemo did not know whether he should laugh about it. His sister had taken it more calmly and insisted that he treat her with respect over any other thing.

“Please, call me Amy. I’ve gotten used to it, in any case. Thiemo gave me this one nickname, and I don’t feel like I should have a lot of titles and such. Especially because we are family, right?”

Danielle’s look shot back up to him. “If you break her heart, I’ll break you, little brother!“

Thiemo was more than happy to finally escape from the car. As he stood around, he was surprised at the looks and stares he was garnering from the shoppers, but then he realized it was more his tail than anything else.

“~Tail from a costume,” he said to a middle-aged lady who had especially glared at him. He was sure the Japanese thing had not fallen out of fashion during the years he had been away. Nevertheless, it was a good and simple idea to use as an excuse, and he could probably say he was any character. As long as they got a satisfactory answer, they were content. Humans could be so simple sometimes.

The traffic light switched to green, and together with a dozen other people of every walk of life, he crossed the street and arrived at the first objective of his small excursion. Thiemo still remembered the last time he stood before this store, though it was now about twice the size it had been. Instead of the IPhone 3G, there was now the IPhone 5S; instead of Xbox 360, now there was the Xbox One; instead of the Playstation 3, it had now reached the fourth, and instead of normal Notebooks, now there were Ultrabooks. He had really missed a good piece of technological growth. However, he was not here to look at the advertisements in the windows, but to actually buy something.

The automatic doors opened as he got closer, and immediately a bit of warm air flowed out in his face. Inside, the store was bustling with activity. From where he stood, he could already see people on the cameras as they pushed children, youngsters huddling around the consoles, and shop assistants hustling and bustling to attend to their customers.

Thiemo couldn't help but feel like he was home, for there was nothing better to describe being human than self-indulgent mass consumption.

Somebody cleared their throat in passing, and he noticed that he had held up the door during his small internal monologue. He joined the milling masses again and started to wander between the shelves that held the best items. On the left were electronic toothbrushes; on the right, a choice in razors. He took one of the shavers that promised to last a long time.

The trip went further to the department for car accessories. Thiemo needed an adaptor if his idea could take form. “~Now I remember why I only used to order from Amazon,” he commented drily as he looked at the prices of some cables. However, that wouldn’t help him now. He took the adaptor he had chosen from the shelf and looked under the ceiling in search of his next goal. Thanks to the signs, it wasn’t hard to miss.

What did not escape Thiemo was how people swivelled around to stare at him. Of course, he knew that it was not normal to run around with a tail, but surely it shouldn't be that remarkable to see someone with an unusual fashion trend.

On the shelves for outdoor items, he also did not need to look long for what he needed. There were small solar arrangements, with different plugs and adaptors ranging from cheap to close to too unaffordable. He decided after a short moment on one of the offers and stowed away the cardboard box under his arm. Maybe he should have taken a trolley by the entrance as well.

Finally, as he kept moving through the crowd, he finally arrived at his second-to-last stop. Notebooks. He was already a little overwhelmed by the high number of offers that the shop provided.

“~Can I help you?” asked an employee in a yellow Polo shirt, who suddenly appeared from the side. The man was in his late forties and had to have seen Thiemo wandering the aisles and picking up the more expensive items. They were like bloodhounds.

“~Sure. I’m preparing for a longer camping trip.” He briefly showed the products he had stuck under his arm. “~I’m looking for a Notebook for that. Something strong that will last for a very long time.”

The shop assistant nodded and started to run through the display. Thiemo followed. “~We don’t have anything to match a device for that purpose, but we have some very good models here. Any idea on the size?”

“~I’m thinking maybe fourteen or fifteen inches. It should fit in a backpack without a problem.” The shop assistant looked around for a moment, then indicated a Notebook on the shelf. It was not so thin as many others and the edges were wrapped in rubber to protect against wear and tear.

“~Then this is what you can get. Fifteen inches, touch screen, Quadcore processor, sixteen gigabytes of RAM, an integrated graphics map, and up to nine hours of battery life. Six USB ports if you want. Unfortunately, it has neither Bluray nor a DVD disk drive.” The shop assistant paused to take a breath. “~However, at just two kilos, it’s a real lightweight. The newest Windows is preloaded, but a licence is also present so that one can install it any time. The total comes up to nine hundred pounds.”

Thiemo nodded. It would be enough for his purposes. “~Thanks, that will probably be enough.” He took a boxed device from the shelf with a free hand. Just as the shop assistant was about to say something else, a woman came up to both of them. She had to be around thirty and had long black hair and wore sunglasses. She carried an expensive-looking leather jacket under her arms from Dolce and Gabbana, and washed-out blue jeans and stilettos completed her outfit.

“~I would like this man to be immediately thrown out of the store!” she shrieked. “~There are children present here!”

The shop assistant seemed to be as confused as Thiemo. “~Umm, could you please explain, ma’am?”

This seemed to raise her ire even more as she stamped her foot. “~I’ve seen it…” She pointed at Thiemo’s tail. “~How can he wear something like that in public?!”

He needed some time to connect the dots, but Thiemo finally understood and began to laugh, much to the irritation of the woman. “~Lady, I’m wearing a costume. This isn’t what you think.” The woman, suddenly noticing she had attracted a lot of attention, took a step back. However... “~You seem to have some experience with that though.” Thiemo could not say whether her face became red because of fury or shame. She then grabbed a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, in her arms. As she was dressed almost identically, he surmised it was her daughter.

Thiemo thanked the shop assistant once more and went to the cashier. However, as was the nature of shops, it was on the way there that something else caught his attention: mobile phones that were several shelves away. Of course, they would be almost useless once the battery ran out or he couldn’t get a signal, but it might just fit in well with what he had in mind.

Author's Notes:

And we have nearly finished the first act on earth. You got to love that ball of dirt floating in space.
Next week we have the usual intermission with a very interesting talk between Lyra and Danielle. I also hope to publish a new story next weekend. On Saturday. It's an adventure again, will be mature, with sex and you will see a Equestria like you never have seen before, I hope at least. And there will be no humans (for now). So keep your eyes open on saturday and I will link the story in the intermission.

Special thanks to JBL for translating and editing.