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A Fresh Start: Tales of an Equestrian Ranger

by TheAndyMac

Chapter 6

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In hindsight, it might not have been a good idea to leave so early.

I leant on a fence-post, the edges of my cloak thrown back over my shoulder, the late morning sun kissing my bare arms. A gentle breeze kept the world cool, but was never so strong as to make it cold. With the scent of apples and clean grass in my nose, and a view of Ponyville as it lay down the track, Twilight and I sat in a small, wonderfully peaceful paradise.

It was boring.

We'd been waiting for some time. I'm not sure how long, because after the first few minutes Twilight teleported away, returning with a pair of books in a saddlebag. She settled down in the grass beside the track and busied herself in one of them, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Most of any warrior's life, be he soldier or mercenary or barbarian, is spent waiting. Normally I wouldn't mind it so much; I'd simply find some task to do, some way to keep my fingers and thoughts busy. Mostly, that meant sharpening my sword or my knife almost obsessively. Sometimes I'd have more involving work. A few rings on my chain shirt needing riveting, or a part of my shield needing replacing.

At the very least, I could share idle talk with the elf or the monster.

But here, there was nothing. No work to be done, and the only one I could talk to was so deeply engrossed in her book that I doubted a full battle going on around her wouldn't be enough to pull her attention away.

I shifted into a more comfortable position, and tried to stop counting the seconds.



Something glinted in the sky ahead, drawing in from the north east. Too far away to make out, but the sunlight was flashing off of a gleaming surface. The longer I watched, the more convinced I was that it was heading this way. I leaned down and nudged Twilight. Then I nudged harder.

"Hm? What it is?"

Wordlessly, I pointed towards the shining speck.

She blinked, screwing up her eyes, then beamed. "Oh, that's the chariot! Right on time!"

My mind took a moment to understand that statement.

"That's the chariot?" I repeated stupidly.

"Yes, that's it."

Another moment as I tried to put the thoughts running through my mind into words.

"But it's flying."

"Of course it... Oh, of course, no there are no pegasi where you come from."

A few gears clicked into place.

"It's pulled by pegasi?"

Twilight nodded.

"From the Royal Guard. I told you," she said, seeing my confusion, "I'm Princess Celestia's personal student. Though I don't normally go by chariot, the princess thought it might be better to avoid public transport, at least for the moment."

"Oh," I said faintly. We watch the chariot growing closer, close enough by now that I could see the shapes of two pegasi, the body of the chariot trailing behind it. "You want me to ride in that?" I swallowed. "Up there?"

"It's perfectly safe. The guard are professionals; they won't let you fall."

"All the same, isn't there another way?"

"Not unless you want to make us tardy."

I opened my mouth to tell her that I didn't mind, when I caught sight of the glare she was throwing my way. If I were armed this wouldn't be happening...

"Fine. On your head be it."

The chariot made its final run, dropping down below the level of the orchard trees as it made one pass over our heads. As I ducked on reflex it came around again and touched the track with a bump before coasting to a halt.

For the first time, I had a chance to look over the soldiery of Equestria. The two pegasi were both stallions, heavily built with near identical white coats and blue eyes. Both wore gilded barding and didn't seem to carry any weapons save for the heavy shoes mounted on all four feet. Despite that, they made me wary. There was something in their stony gazes that reminded me of old soldiers back home.

They told me Equestria was peaceful, that it hadn't seen war in over a hundred years. But these two ponies were soldiers to the core. Whether or not they'd seen battle before, I had the feeling they wouldn't hesitate if it came to violence.

On reflex I dropped my left hand down to rest at my sword-hilt, groped stupidly for a moment, then realised it wasn't there.

The lead weight shifted position.

I shifted uneasily on my feet, feeling my new cloak swing lazily with my movements. Twilight, sensing something was wrong, glanced over at me.

"What it it?"

"Just nervous," I lied.

"Don't worry," she said, smiling gently. "I know the princess; there's nothing to be scared of. Or are you still scared about riding in the chariot?"

"Didn't say scared. I said nervous."

* * * * *

I was scared.

It doesn't feel right to admit it, but I was scared. Beyond that, even. I'd been scared plenty of times before, usually in that last, drawn out moment before a battle. But this time, I was terrified.

I stood at the front of the chariot, as far from the open back as possible, gripping the rail so tight I was sure I could feel the gilt metal bending beneath my bloodless fingers. Twilight stood next to me, mane and tail whipping behind her as she leaned over the edge, admiring the view.

For my part, I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, on the thin line of the horizon, and kept my cloak trapped firmly beneath my feet to keep it secure, else I was sure the damn thing would drag me away behind the chariot.

As we drew away from Ponyville, though, I realised I wouldn't be able to avoid looking down for much longer. Our destination lay ahead of us, and it was pulling my gaze to it like a moth to a candle.

Canterlot. Even if Twilight had told me everything there was to know about it, I wouldn't have been prepared for the sight of it.

It was a city carved from the very side of a mountain, made of shining white stone and surrounded by green. And above the city stood an impossible castle, touching the sky itself even as its towers and walls stretched out to hang precariously over the side of a sheer slope, mocking the very idea that all things were meant to fall to earth.

For a few minutes I couldn't take my eye away from it, wondering who built it and how. But then we began to drop, and before long our chariot was landing gently on a that jutted out from the castle, some way above the city itself.

With some effort I let go of the railing and stepped, legs shaking beneath me, down onto the solid and unmoving flagstones. Twilight skipped down happily and led the way to a high, barred door, stopping briefly to thank the guardsponies on her way past. Following her example, I gave them a short nod, which was returned, but only barely.

We were met at the door by another snow-white guard, this one a unicorn wearing a much more ornate set of armour, enamelled with purple decorations. Twilight started in shock at the sight of him. They knew each other, then. I couldn't help but wonder how.

The guard ushered us through the door and into a short corridor. As the door closed behind us, he turned to me with narrowed, wary eyes.

"My name is Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard in Canterlot. I'm here to escort you to the throne room, where you'll meet Princess Celestia. Obey my orders, follow closely behind me, and don't wander off, or you'll be restrained and escorted to the castle dungeons instead."

He gestured around with a shod hoof, pointing out the gilt-armoured guards patrolling inside the caste, and outside. "There are guards everywhere, and you're being escorted by two of the most talented unicorns in Equestria. Remember that, in case you get any funny ideas."

Most talented unicorns? I assumed he meant Twilight and himself, but rather than supporting this Captain Armor, Twilight was simply shaking her head in disbelief.

"Shining, is all that really necessary? We're here with a summon from Princess Celestia, not breaking and entering! You've never shown up to meet me and my friends before."

Captain Armor's stern mask dropped momentarily. He gave the smallest of sighs, and shifted his attention to Twilight.

"None of your friends are anything like this, Twily. Princess Celestia herself sent me to greet you, and I think it's a smart move. We're dealing with a potentially dangerous creature here. No offence," he said, glancing over at me.

I made a small nod, but said nothing. I was busy holding back quiet laughter.

Twily? That was a name only a sibling would use, and that explained a lot. The princess' personal student, with a magical means of sending her letters, and a brother who was Captain of the Guard? This was a high-born family, though Twilight hadn't acted like it. Not even in the manner of Rarity, who was noble without chill. Twilight seemed simply normal. Or as normal as a purple talking unicorn could be.

Still, it was funny to hear a pony with so much steel hidden in her being called by such a childish name.

"Oh, come on, Shining, he's not even armed! Do you really think he's a threat when he doesn't even had a weapon? Or a horn? Or wings?"

The sad thing was, I was a threat even without those things. More so than other men. I was never really unarmed, even if my weapons weren't on display all the time. But there was no need for them to know that, not yet, so I held my tongue and tried to look as non-threatening as possible.

It was a hard thing to do, while wearing a black cloak and an eyepatch. I don't think I did very well, because Captain Armor gave me a sideways look, then turned back to his sister with a raised eyebrow.

"If you say so. I'm not letting him wander around the castle alone, though, and I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Please, even if he did try something, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, and it's my job to make sure you don't have to. No buts," he said over Twilight's retort. "Now, let's not keep the Princesses waiting."

There were no more arguments. The very thought of being late spurred Twilight into action. I couldn't help but notice, though, that despite her apparent trust, she had fallen behind me, keeping me in her line of sight. In our new formation, I looked very much like a prisoner under escort. I'm more or less sure it wasn't intentional, but nonetheless, it made me that much less comfortable.

Thankfully, our trip wasn't as long as I might have feared. After only a short while, the heavy clang of Armor's shod hooves against the marble floor began to change tone, and the corridors opened up to a grand antechamber, a pair of oversized, gilded doors dominating one wall.

A pair of spear-wielding guards greeted Captain Armor. Like their fellows, both were the same shade of snow white, with the same over-decorated armour and the same stony gaze. I wondered if there was a farm somewhere that grew guards like these by the dozen.

"Captain, I'm afraid there's a slight delay," the first said, saluting. "Court is running on longer than expected."

Armor sighed. "How long is it going to take?"

"A few more minutes, sir. We've been instructed to wait for the chamberlain's summons."

Twilight snorted, scuffing the floor with a hoof as she rolled her eyes. It was funny to see her make a gesture like that. Since last night's conversations, I had stopped thinking of these creatures as horses, and more as simply oddly shaped men and women. Watching Twilight paw anxiously at the polished marble sent an uncomfortable feeling through me.

"And you were worried about us being tardy," I sighed, deliberately not looking in her direction. I could just see her glaring out of the corner of my eye.

We settled down for the wait, the two new guards forming up behind me. Their weapons were held easy, though, and I noted Shining Armor wave them back a few paces to give me some space. That at least was a little encouraging. Beside me, Twilight settled herself down on the marble floor and pulled out her book, but her heart wasn't in it. She cast anxious glances at the doors every minute or so.

Strangely in synch with her, a third guard standing watch beside the great doors started flashing odd looks my way. I can't say I blame him, but after the fourth time it started to strain on my patience. Any other day, with any other noble, I might have thought up a way to teach him to mind his manners. But in this place, with guards surrounding me and what was more or less a goddess in the next room, I was less inclined to make trouble.

After ten minutes had passed, by my reckoning, I was starting to wonder if all that might actually be worth it to give me a little peace. Fate kept me from making that decision, though, as the doors swung open, and what seemed to be a royal announcer stepped up to me. This would be the chamberlain, no doubt.

She consulted a floating scroll, looked up at me, and became the first pony I'd met not to immediately regard me with fear or suspicion. Instead, she simply glared at me as though I were just one more annoyance in an ever-growing list. That was probably how she looked at everyone, though. Chamberlains and Majordomos were a strange breed wherever you were, and they held everyone except their lords and masters in equal contempt.

She glanced back at her scroll, then cleared her throat.

"I dare to assume you would be Ranger?"

I nodded. Frankly, it should have been obvious.

"Of course. I also assume Ms Sparkle has instructed you upon the proper protocol when addressing Their Royal Highnesses. Be thankful the Royal Court was adjourned early today. Now, follow close behind me."

She turned sharply and walked away. I went after her, feet sinking into a soft plush carpet, the thick fabric of my cloak swinging behind me. Twilight stayed close beside me, looking more nervous than I did, with Captain Armor flanking me from the other side. And from the gentle clink of armour and loader clang of horseshoes behind us, Captain Armor's guards had joined on as the tail of our little procession as we entered the throne room.

It was certainly the type of room that befitted of a goddess. It was shaped like nothing less than an ornate cathedral; a huge vaulted ceiling held aloft by marble columns, gilded at the base. Sunlight streamed in through tall windows, some of which bore stylised depictions of ponies in varying states. I assumed they were records of great events in this lands history, or representations of epic stories. I spared each only a single glance, save for two. I found myself studying those two more closely, because among the ponies there I could have sworn I saw some that resembled Twilight and her friends.

There was no time to properly inspect the images, but they both seemed to show some sort of battle between perhaps six ponies and a single enemy, reeling back in defeat.

I shot a look back a Twilight. Was this her, immortalised in battle with comrades at arms? Or an ancestor, perhaps? Either way, I realised I might have to revise my opinion of her further. More than just steel behind her, it seemed.

The chamberlain drew to a halt in front of me, and the sound of her voice snapped me back to reality. We had reached the end of the hall already, and stood before the thrones.

"Your Royal Highnesses, I present your guest," called the announcer, before looking back over her shoulder and adding, "and escort."

"Thank you, you may leave."

The voice, so alike its sister, and yet so different. Far more casual, and far calmer and gentler, yet it still spoke of that same restrained power and confident authority. I looked up, and met the eyes of the speaker.

Princess Celestia sat at her throne, comfortably positioned on a plush velvet cushion, gazing down at me with a strange expression on her face. Like her sister, she bore both wings and a horn, and possessed long and graceful proportions, but she was even taller than Luna. Tall enough to look down on me, if we were standing next to each other. Her coat was pure white, and her ethereal mane looked, like Luna's, to have been cut from the sky itself, but hers was made up of the warm colours of sunrise.

Most importantly, that same aura of power that I had seen in her sister radiated from her as well. It was like standing next to an open fire; benign, maybe, but it was obvious that this power could destroy with ease.

I fell to a knee, one fist touching the floor, the other over my breast. My head fell forward, gazing at the steps at the foot of the throne.

"Please, rise."

I did so, and as I rose I saw Luna with her own throne, though she chose not to sit, instead hovering almost protectively by her sister's side. I gave her a slight nod, which she returned.

"So you're the one who has my faithful student so excited?" Celestia asked.

"Aye, your Majesty."

She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, as if she were looking through a thick haze. It was a looked I'd seem plenty of times before, usually on the face of the elf. I knew she was trying to judge me and my character. I wondered what she would judge me to be.

Then she turned her gaze to the guards.

"I don't think your presence is required for the time being. Please, return to your duties."

The guards, though reluctant, saluted and offered a quick "yes, your Highness" before retreating. Captain Armor lingered, but Celestia turned to face him.

"Don't worry, Shining Armor, I'll be sure to return your sister to you when we're done."

He nodded, glanced over at Twilight, then followed his soldiers. The great doors slammed shut behind him.

I wondered if it was particularly wise to send your guards away when a stranger stood in your court. If it were for politeness, she needn't have bothered. I was a stranger here, and if Captain Armor's attitude was anything to go by, an untrustworthy one at that. It was almost more insulting that she didn't consider me enough of a threat to keep under guard.

"My sister has vouched for you, and Twilight's letter indicated you weren't a threat," Celestia offered, perhaps by way of explanation. "I gather you and Luna had the opportunity to meet last night."

"That we did, Your Majesty. And my thanks to you, Princess Luna."

I offered her another nod, which she again returned, this time with a slight smile.

"There is no need to thank me, Ranger," Luna said. "I did nothing but tell the truth. Besides, you are as deserving as any other for a chance at peace."

Celestia's eyes flickered back to meet her sister's, and she let her own face split into a proud smile.

"I have many questions, but considering the time, I think it might be acceptable to discuss them over lunch. Would you join us?"

Had she really just done that? After going through the trouble of sending the Captain of the Guard himself to escort me? What the hell was I supposed to say? What could I say?

I nodded. "I'd be honoured."

At this, Celestia rose, and went to greet Twilight, who started forward wearing her own broad smile.

"And how are you, my faithful student?"

Twilight said something in reply, but I turned slightly away, not wishing to intrude on what was obviously a more private moment, and almost leapt back in shock as Luna appeared, apparently out of nowhere, beside me.

"Are you better this day, Ranger?"

"Glad to have seen one of the faces in this room before," I replied once I'd caught my breath. How had she done that? There was no flash or sound, as there had been with the teleportation spell. "Discounting Twilight, of course. I'm a little confused, though; is it normal for strangers to dine with the princesses like this? Bad enough that your sister sent the guards away; inviting me to dine as well seems a dangerous policy, if you ask me."

"As Celestia said, I vouched for you. My voice carries a lot of weight here, as you can imagine, and my sister agreed that this was not to be an interrogation. We merely wish to discover more about you, and to do so in a less intimidating manner."

"Dining with a pair of goddesses? I'd say that was pretty intimidating on its own."

She let out a small sigh, scuffing the floor gently.

"Have we not covered this ground already? I told you we are not gods."

"You're more modest than most mortals I've met," I replied, "but I'm not convinced. You raise the moon, and your sister raises the sun; where I come from, that's enough to make you a god."

"Ranger, my sister and I may not be as mortal ponies, but we are just as fallible as they are. And we are by no means all-powerful, however impressive our talents may be."

" 'Mortal ponies'?" I repeated, giving her a sidelong look. "So you admit that you're immortal, at least?"

She turned and walked to one of the stained-glass windows, beckoning me with a wing to follow.

"You're remarkably more irreverent when you're awake. Some might have preferred it when you were asleep."

I shrugged. "You've been inside my mind. You know me a lot better than most anyone I know. Knew.

"Either way, I think that makes you the closest thing I have to a friend in this castle, since I don't think Twilight's too taken with me."

"I think Celestia would be glad to hear to say that. She's been pushing me to make friends since..." She trailed off. Her eyes wandered about the room. "Well, for these past two years, at least. But come; you asked if we were immortal?"

"Aye, I did. Are you?"

"Perhaps. We live far longer than any other pony could dream to. But we have never tested the limits of our endurance, and have no wish to. This might make things clearer, though."

She stopped in front of the window and gazed hard at the figures depicted in it.

"You talk of gods? Here is the closest thing we have seen to a true god, Ranger. The spirit of disharmony and chaos. A creature we call Discord."

The window showed two alicorns engaged in some kind of magical combat with perhaps the strangest creature I'd ever seen. I'd noticed it, or something like it, in the window with the pony who looked like Twilight, but now that I saw it up close I could appreciate its chaotic design.

A body like a furred serpent, with mismatched limbs and a dragon's tail. It seemed that each part of it was taken from a different beast, from the strange head to the mismatched wings to the tuft of fur on its tail.

Despite its unique features, something else interested me; the pair Alicorns circling the beast. One white, one dark blue, both eerily familiar. The lines of light coming from them seemed to be causing the chaotic monster to scream in pain or anger.

"I take it you defeated him, then."

Luna smiled gently, and nodded.

"So you move the moon in the sky, might live forever, and defeated what you call the closest thing to a god you have? And you still expect me to believe you when you say you're not a god yourself?"

Sighing again, she shook her head.

"Let me explain further, then. Discord's power is like nothing else we know; it is formless and chaotic, and with it he can do practically anything he wishes. My sister and I, however, may only cast known spells, spells that are often created by unicorns more talented than us in many respects. We are powerful, true, but we are limited by the same rules as any other pony in Equestria. And when we defeated Discord, we were only able to do so by using a set of ancient and powerful relics, which we call the Elements of Harmony."

I noted that she talked about Discord as though he were still here, but saved the obvious question for later. Instead, I found myself more curious about these elements she mentioned.

"What sort of relics are they? They must be powerful, if they can slay a god."

"Powerful indeed, though they do not 'slay' anything. They are not weapons; they cannot destroy, but only restore balance where it is lost.

"There are five of them, each representing a key aspect of harmony and friendship, which feed into a sixth point of focus. My sister and I bore them for a time, along with several others, but we are no longer connected to them. The bearers require a bond of friendship between them, and the bond between my sister and I was broken for a time. And even now, with that bond repaired, many of the others have long since passed on. The Elements have found new bearers, now."

"What happened between you and your sister? You had a falling out?"

She seemed to realise she had said more perhaps than she meant to. In answer, she simply shook her head, and a look of distant sadness crossed her face.

"A story for another time, I think. Have you said anything to Twilight about your arrival here?"

The sudden change of subject caught me off guard. I floundered for a moment before I realised what she was asking me.

"No. No, I didn't think it was right. If I have to, I'll say something, but not before then. So far, you're the only one who knows. Unless you told anyone."

"I told Celestia, but nopony else. And I can guarantee she will have said nothing of it. It was necessary, though; I will not keep secrets from my sister unless I must. And I think it is in your benefit that she know, as well."

"Maybe so. I don't hold it against you, at any rate."

"I am glad. I would not wish there to be any bad feelings between us."

She looked over at Celestia and Twilight, who were finishing their own conversation and looking over to what I assumed was a serving pony raising a hoof to catch their attention. "But come; I think lunch is about to be served."

* * * * *

Our places were laid at a long, gilded table with high chairs. It looked as though it could've seated twenty ponies or more, but for the time being it was just the four of us. The Princesses sat side by side at the head of the table, while Twilight and I sat opposite each other, one place down from them.

The servers finished setting the table for lunch, then retreated. A pair of forks in a salad bowl lifted themselves and brought a handful of green leaves and flowers to Celestia's bowl. Looking closely, I caught the tell-tale glow of magic surrounding them, but this time it was the colour of sunlight.

To my dismay, most of the salads on the table had been liberally sprinkled or mixed with flower petals. I looked around the bowls to find something that didn't involved flowers, but saw little.

"Is something wrong?"

I glanced up to see Celestia regarding me with an arched eyebrow and a subtle smile. "Or is the food not to your liking?"

There was something in her gaze that unsettled me. It was as though she were looking through my, or peering into my soul, or anything as drastic as that. No, it seemed like a normal enough gaze. Despite that, I felt as though she could see more than just what lay in front of her. Those eyes looked friendly enough, but it was obvious that she was testing me, and that this was only the first in a long line of tests to come.

For a moment, I was conflicted; telling a lie to a pony with the power of a god wasn't a sensible thing to do, but neither was admitting to a land of grass-eaters that I ate meat, or that I had eaten horse before. So I cleared my throat, thinking on my answer.

"We don't eat flowers in my land, Your Majesty," I answered, taking the easy route. No lies, but not the whole truth. "But there is plenty here that I could eat."

And it was true; there were rolls of bread, and dishes of vegetables, both cooked and raw. I filled my plate with some of whatever I thought looked edible, and began eating. Twilight shot me a look as though I was breaking some ceremonial rule, but the Princesses said nothing.

I kept half an eye on Twilight as I ate, though, and noted that she didn't start eating until the Princesses did. One of a hundred stupid rules laid down for the nobility. There were a thousand like it on the Drijian, where I'd make a habit of ignoring them all.

After a few moments eating, Celestia swallowed a mouthful and spoke to me again.

"You don't look like the sort of creature that lives solely on vegetables. If there's something special you require, I'm sure the palace kitchens would be able to provide it."

At first I started. She knew. It was so obvious, I realised. But how did she know? I ran my tongue over my teeth. Had she seen them and noticed? Then I shook myself. Of course she hadn't; she hadn't even seen a man before today. She had nothing to compare my teeth to. No, the answer was obvious when I thought a little; my oh-so-clever answer hadn't been nearly as clever as I'd thought, and she'd simply guessed.

So why press the matter? She didn't seem worried. But again, the answer was clear. She was still testing me.

"Well, your Majesty," I started, reluctant to go on; she was pushing me into a trap of kindness by with that offer. The best course, I decided, was to be honest and hope that honesty gave me some credit. "I didn't want to offend, but the truth of the matter is that men most commonly take meat with their meals."

There was a clatter from across the table as Twilight dropped her fork. Three pairs of eyes focussed on her, and she retrieved it with an embarrassed smile and an awkward apology.

"Something the matter, my faithful student?" Celestia asked, surprisingly still smiling.

"No, I, uh, I just didn't realise, you know, that he ate, um, meat..."

With each word she somehow sank lower into her chair, until only the tops of her eyes and her flattening ears could be seen over the edge of the table.

"I can do fine on vegetables," I put in. I tried to keep my face calm, but inwardly I wished I could to the same as Twilight, or perhaps go one step beyond and sink through the floor to vanish entirely. Besides which, that was probably a lie. I could last a while, but who knew for how long?

Celestia, though, smiled briefly at me.

"I think that might be best. Don't worry about offending us, though; we may not eat meat, but many of our neighbours do, and we don't judge them too harshly for it."

When I gave it some thought, it wasn't too surprising that the Princess at least might be so relaxed about the idea. After all, Twilight had already mentioned griffons that lived around Equestria. They would be predators, at least, and she didn't seem bothered by them and their supposed habits.

After a moment of silence, Luna cleared her throat. "Ranger, might you tell us about your own land?" she asked, obviously trying to steer the subject to less awkward topics.

"I suppose I could manage that," I replied. "What would you like to know?" Please, I prayed silently, don't ask about the wars. Or the mercenary work. Or the assassinations. In fact, please don't ask anything!

"You could describe this 'Drijian' for us," said Celestia.

Anything except that.

"I'd have an easier time if I'd been able to bring a map with me. It'd be easier to point things out."

Of course, they say necessity is the mother of invention. "Although," I said with a smile, "it might be an idea to simply make one."

She agreed, and smiling asked a server hovering previously unseen by the door to bring a quill, ink, and parchment. A few moments later, they were set before me.

First, I drew a small compass in the top right corner, marking the points in my clumsy scrawl. Then, I sketched a pair of wavering lines near the left and right edges.

"These are the two great rivers, the East and West Flow. The East runs all the way to the sea without much getting in its way.

"The West, however, flows over the Border Cliff here, which gradually turns into rough hill-land as it goes east."

I drew the line of the cliff more or less straight along the south edge, and moved the quill up to the north edge, commentating as I drew.

"These three features, along with the start of the mountains to the north, mark the edges of the Drijian. The Drijian Plains, that is. It's mostly flat land, with a nasty marsh following the East Flow. The largest city, the old Capital, is built on this spur of hills that runs into the centre of the Plain.

"Beyond the West Flow, there's a long mountain range. Near the south end is a mountain with a huge outcrop we call the Eyrie, though most tend to call it Dragonsnest, on account of it being the meeting place of the dragons that live in those mountains. A little to the north is the tallest mountain of the range, Drakes Peak.

"My home lies to the north. Through this path in the hills, where the old trading road runs, you reach the mountains of the North. My people have towns and villages scattered all through here. The peaks aren't as tall or rugged as the western slopes, save one. The tallest peak in the land, where the source of the West Flows lies. The folk on the plains have some fancy name for it, but we just called it the Eldest."

Here Twilight, who had been watching so closely I thought she was about to plant her face on the parchment if she leaned any closer, interrupted me.

"What about the elfs? Do they live on the plains?"

"No, they live towards the south, in two walled cities. Both lie on the banks of one of the rivers. In the west, is El T'Orr, and in the east is El T'aan."

I chuckled to myself. "They mean East and West City, respectively. Elfs aren't very good with names."

"What of your neighbours?" asked Luna.

"Well, there's my home in the north, though beyond that there's nothing more than the sea and the ice wall. Nothing lives up there except snow birds. The only other kingdom is in the south, at the coast, and they aren't willing to go to war again. There are a few scattered settlements towards the east sea, and we know there are nations westward, but no one's gone further west than Drakes Peak in years."

"I gather these kingdoms aren't that friendly with one another," said Celestia, studying the map less closely than Twilight, but just as intently.

"Aye, that's true. They used to be, long ago when there was still a king. But nowadays, you'd be hard pressed to find anything like a real alliance on the plains."

Twilight looked up, a question burning in her eyes. "What happened? Could you tell us a little more about your history?"

"I wish you wouldn't ask," I said, looking down at my plate. "Our history is mostly one long account of pointless and bloody wars, and it doesn't make a very good impression."

"As long as you don't bring those wars with you, I can't judge you for your world's history," Celestia said. "After all, Equestria hasn't always been as... stable as it is now."

Heh, stable, very clever. As I amused myself, though, Celestia and Luna shared a knowing, almost haunted glance.

"But if it makes you that uncomfortable, we can avoid the topic for now."

She pushed her empty plate away. "In fact, it might be best if we moved on to the most important topic; how you came here, and how we could get you home."

Author's Notes:

If you're interested, you can find Ranger's map (or one like it, at least) here.

Next Chapter: Chapter 7 Estimated time remaining: 21 Minutes
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