Chapter 1
Tommy desperately blinked the spots from his eyes. He was warned that there would be a bright light when he went through the teleporter, but nobody told him he would completely unable to see for fifteen minutes. Although, the blindness didn't worry him, what worried him was the fact that he could tell he was in the wilderness.
Now, not being in the right location was to be expected. In fact, he was warned he could be as much as a quarter mile off from his intended target, but his target was one of the many deserts around the country. There shouldn't have been anything close to a forest for well over four thousand miles.
Tommy's studies of history told him that the country was nearly covered with forests, some bordering on jungles, a hundred and fifty plus years ago. Hell, even the deserts were full of life, plant and animal both. Unfortunately, the citizens thought that electing someone who was fun to watch was a good idea. They learned quickly just how wrong they were. What they all seemed to forget was that, while they did get to vote, they didn't get to vote on everything. The first sign that something was wrong was the sudden gun control laws, which was always the first act of a dictator. Then the tax hike, followed by the suspension of elections, and then came martial law.
When the president became supreme ruler, he decided he needed more. The President Supreme invaded the country to the north. That country, whose name Tommy could never remember, had fought valiantly, as had their allies, but the president used weapons that the world had hoped to never see again. After the war, the president sold land rights to industries from around the globe. Those industries stripped the land and poisoned the air. It had gotten so bad, that the only hope left was to simply leave it all behind and try to start over.
That was where Tommy came in. He was in prison and volunteered for the teleporter experiment in exchange for much shorter sentence. Now, Tommy wasn't a criminal, unless you used the standards of the new regime. No, Tommy was simply broke. Tommy was in debtor's prison. An old concept that had long ago been abandoned. Simply put, you couldn't pay your debts, you went to jail.
A week ago, some scientist came to the prison and offered Tommy, and everyone else, the opportunity to 'go down in history'. They said that this teleporter was the next step in the search for a better life on a new world. Tommy jumped at the chance, not because he was desperate or too stupid to see the risks, he did it because he needed to get out. Not to find his family, because he didn't have any. Nor was it to return to a job or escape an enemy/rival. No, he simply couldn't take the food anymore.
The plan was simple. The scientists would do their mumbo jumbo, Tommy would step through some portal or something, finally, Tommy reappears exactly one mile due east of the starting point. The only thing Tommy was uncomfortable with, he had to go through without any clothing of any kind.
Of course, as the old saying goes; the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Now, Tommy was wandering through a woodland that shouldn't exist and he was completely without. Without clothes, without tools, without skills, and without hope. All he knew was that up ahead, the trees thinned, maybe even ended, and he was heading in that direction.
When Tommy broke through the foliage, he was shocked. Not only should there not be any forests on this continent, there should certainly not be any this full, lush, thick, and healthy. Nor should they surround what appeared to be some sort of playground for adults. There was what appeared to be exercise equipment, uneven bars, balance beams, etc., all surrounded by a track coated in some rubber like substance.
The most surprising thing, however, was not the track, trees, or equipment. The thing, or things, that most surprised Tommy, was the two… things jogging around the track. They were humanoid, tall, winged, and very female. The blue one wore a tee-shirt that read 'BLAME MY SISTER' tied to expose her midriff and spandex shorts. The white one, which was a little taller than the other one, wore a sports bra and sweat shorts emblazoned with the word 'PRINCESS' on the back. They both had their hair pulled back in tight ponytails.
Tommy watched them for a few moments, he had been in prison for some time after all, from the relative safety of his shrub. As they came closer, she could hear them talking.
"…I'm happy to hear that, Luna. Plus, the more ponies that come to see you, the fewer of those insufferable nobles I have to deal with," White said
"Remember, Sister, I started my evening court because it was the way things were done before. If I want ponies to see more as anything other than… her, then I have to be more visible and accessible."
The two jogged on in silence for short time, allowing Tommy to get a better look. The both were beautiful, but different. Their faces were stretched, as if they had small snouts, and their hands had only three finger and a thumb, and those fingers seemed… wrong. It was like they were missing a knuckle but not quite, as they were still slender and feminine.
"How fairs young Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked White.
"She's doing alright. I mean, she no longer sends me friendship reports, but I suppose that's to be expected. She and her friends certainly do keep busy."
"Yes. Who would have thought that when you sent her off those years ago and instructed her to simply 'make some friends', that she would form bonds strong enough to save us all time and again."
"True enough. I don't think anypony could have foreseen that outcome. Not even Mother. Still, I do miss…" White froze midsentence and started to frantically look around.
"Tia? What's wrong?" Luna stopped and looked back at Tia
"We're not alone." Tia lowered her stance slightly, raised her fists, and spread her wings defensively. "Show yourself! We know you're there!" Tia scanned the woods, she could tell someone was there, but she couldn't tell exactly where.
Tommy knew better than to push his luck. "I don't think that's a good idea," he called back.
"We care little for what you think. Show yourself! Now!" Luna ordered.
"That's kinda the problem."
"Guards!" Luna demanded seemingly of no one. "Seize the intruder!"
"Aw, come on!" Tommy turned to run, but before he could take his first step, a very large… guy with golden armor and a horn was in his way.
Tommy didn't even bother to put up a fight. He had seen far too many people try to fight the guards only to find that the guards don't fight fair. This guard was the same way. Tommy was thrown free from the brush and exposed to the world. He lay on the ground, waiting for the inevitable. Seemingly in an instant, three more guards were grinding his body into the grass. Tommy could only grunt in pain.
"Stop! Can't you see the poor stallion is hurt?" Tia ordered. The guards stopped trying to force feed Tommy the field, but continued to hold him in place.
"Sister, what are you talking about?"
"Look at him. He's obviously ill, all his fur has fallen out. He needs help and it is our duty to provide it." With a wave of her hand, the guards all stood and released their hold. Tia offered said hand to Tommy. "Please, rise."
"Um, before I do that, I gotta warn you."
"Warn me of what?" Tia asked, not moving her hand but preparing a defensive spell.
Tommy indicated with a thumb over his shoulder his bare assets. "I'm kinda lacking in the clothing department."
Tia giggled. "I can see how that would pose an issue. Polish. Shine. Could one of you ladies bring over something for this stallion to cover up with?" Two females in maid uniforms, with the exception of black pants instead of skirts and flats instead of heels, rushed to Tia's side with towels in hand. "Thank you ladies. Here you are,… I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
"It's Tommy," he told her as he carefully wrapped a towel around his waist and draped the other one over his shoulders to protect his chest and back from the sun and stood before Tia, "Tommy Fareday."
"Hmm, Fair Day. I like that name."
"Princess?" a guard behind her got her attention.
"Ah, yes. Mister Day…"
"Uh, it's Fareday, one word, but I prefer Tommy." As he said this, one of the guards gave him a silent warning by squeezing Tommy's wrist.
"My apologies, Tommy. My name is Princess Celestia and this is my sister, Princess Luna." Luna nodded when she was introduced. "Now, why are you out here by this training field, which is off limits to the public by the way, and why are you naked?"
"A teleporter experiment gone wrong."
Luna raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. "You wouldn't happen to know Twilight Sparkle would you?"
"Who? Never heard of him. No, my government was trying to get off the planet and I volunteered for the teleporter experiment to cut some time off my sentence. I was only supposed to go one mile east, but…" Tommy looked around, "guess I got a little off target."
"Why was your government trying to leave the planet?" Luna asked.
"Because it's dying." Tommy looked at her like it was the most obvious answer. He was confused over why they were all looking at him like he was crazy.
Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing. The planet was dying? But ever since her return, they citizens of Equestria, indeed all of Equus, had been working harder and happier and the land was reaping the rewards, so to speak. This strange looking stallion had to be insane, especially if believed that any government wanted to, or even could, leave the planet.
"And is this experiment the reason for your injuries?" Luna asked.
"What injuries?" Tommy quickly checked himself for any marks.
"Your fur is gone and your face has gone flat."
Tommy touched his nose. "Oh, no this is natural. I'm a human. No fur, no tail, five fingers." He held up a hand and wiggled his fingers for good measure. "I don't know what you all are, but that's what I am."
"Then you are taking things remarkably well," Celestia complemented.
"Well that's because I'm either delirious, dreaming, or flat out dead. This can't be real, so it isn't. No point in getting all worked up over it."
"While your logic is… logical, I can assure you that I and my sister, as well as everypony around you, are real." Celestia's motherly voice was reassuring and difficult to distrust. But Tommy knew that this was just his mind trying to convince him his madness was real.
"Now see, there's another thing right there. You said 'everypony' instead of everyone or everybody. Just more of my brain playing tricks."
Celestia giggled, "I hate to disagree with you, but we say 'everypony' because we are ponies."
"Wrong again. Ponies don't stand upright, have hands, or talk. There may only be a few left in zoos and private collections, and I may have never seen one in person, but I know that ponies are basically small horses or skinny cows. They are not six foot tall with smoking hot bodies." Tommy heard a growl behind him from one of the guards. "What? You don't think she's got a great body?"
The guard couldn't answer without either sounding like colt with a crush or, possibly worse, like he didn't think all her hard work and training over the past few millennia had all been for nothing.
"I believe the lieutenant was merely trying to advise you to show a little more respect. The guards tend to get a little defensive of Sister and I. It is their job after all," Luna surmised.
"Speaking of defensive," the lieutenant started, "earlier, you said you were in prison?"
"Yeah, debtors prison. I took a loan and couldn't pay it back. Simple as that."
"Uh-huh." The lieutenant whispered into Celestia's ear, which was a trick because she was about six inches taller than him. "I don't know about him princess. If nothing else, he thinks he's telling the truth. That could make him very dangerous."
Celestia nodded in agreement. "Suggestions?"
"We keep an eye on him. Maybe see if your student can uncover anything about these humans."
"Mhmm… see to the preparations, I'll watch after Tommy for now."
"Are you sure about that, your highness?"
"He does not even possess claws and I sense no magic from him. I'm sure my sister and I can handle him."
The lieutenant bowed. "As you wish." He turned and signaled to a few other guards. Those guards followed the lieutenant into a chariot and made for the palace.
"And now, Tommy, that simply leaves the question of what to do with you."
"Well, Tia, I've got nowhere else better to be."
"You will not address your princess in such a familiar manner," Luna warned.
"Sorry, but my people don't bow to anyone. Puts your neck at cutting height."
"It's alright, Luna. Although, perhaps it would be better if you did use my title and you certainly should not call me by my sister's nickname for me."
"Whatever you want, Princess."
"Good. We shall head back to the palace shortly. But first, Sister and I need to change into more appropriate attire."
The group walked off the field and came to a large tent and several chariots. Luna and Celestia went inside the tent followed by the maids. Tommy was going to go in too, since it was his delusion, but the firm grip of the guard's hand on his shoulder changed his mind. While they waited, Tommy couldn't help but notice that while Celestia was his height and Luna was a little shorter than that, the guards were barely up to his chest and the maids came up to his stomach. He was starting to feel like some sort of giant. He was already starting to have fun.
The two princesses exited the tent. Luna was wearing an ankle-length, dark-blue dress that faded to black around the hem. It hugged her slim waist and showed off her bust without revealing any of it, as it came all the way up to her neck but had no sleeves or shoulders. Celestia also wore a dress the hugged her body, but it only came down to her shins where it started gold and transitioned into pearly-white. The other difference was that Celestia's dress showed just a hint of cleavage between the shoulder straps.
"Well then," Celestia said, "Shall we go?"
A nudge from the guard told Tommy he had no real choice in the matter. "I suppose so. Might as well see what I got myself into." When the princesses turned to board their chariots, Tommy had a different thought, 'I'd follow that ass just about anywhere.'