CHAPTER 4: QUESTIONS

Hello again, everypony. I'm back with chapter 4 as promised. Now that the crazy kraut we all know and love is safely with the librarian princess we all know and love, things just HAVE to work out well, right? Well, if not, it'll make for a memorable read. So enjoy and please review, loyal readers.

"You comfortable, Doctor?" Twilight asked. Richtofen settled deeper into the plush armchair in Twilight's huge library room. He for the tenth time scanned the walls of the large chamber, each one made of solid crystal shelves, ten feet high, holding thousands of volumes.

"Ja...I am very content in zhese surroundings." The doctor replied.

"Good. Now if I ask you anything, and it's too painful or too deeply personal, just tell me, okay?"

"It does not matter." Doctor Richtofen whispered, massaging his right temple with two fingers. Twilight's face grew worried.

"Of course it matters. Why in Equestria wouldn't it?" She demanded.

"Vhe are schientists, Frau Tvilight." Richtofen answered stoically. "It is our sacred duty to learn...to pry knowledge from zhe vorld around us, violently if vhe have to, regardless of vhezer or not our...subjects are in compliance viss our vishes, nein?" He noticed Twilight shaking her head 'no', and looking somewhat saddened. The voices were no longer speaking to him, and it felt odd, like a strange moment of clarity after a long drunkenness. "Come, mein leibling...sink about it, ja? Someone vonce vanted to learn zhe secrets of der Schmetterling...zhe little butterfly." He leaned toward Twilight, and she felt almost repulsed, a fluttering of fear in her heart. It was a feeling of anxiety, as if she were about to hear terrible news or learn something awful. She couldn't resist though. She was mesmerized by this strange genius creature. This odd, eccentric but highly intelligent scientist from some mysterious place, with his dark presence and captivating eyes that now seemed to bore into her soul.

"I..." Twilight squeaked, sounding helpless.

"Und somevone vent and caught zhe butterfly. Zhey shtudied it und kept it in a cage, vatching its every little...move. Zhey took its freedom, Tvilight. Zhey tore it from it's vorld, zhen ripped off its pretty little vings...just to she how zhey worked."

"No!" Twilight whimpered. "Doctor...that's...that's awful!"

"Is zhat not vhat science is...or ends up being in zhe end?"

"NO! I mean..." Twilight stammered, trying not to cry. The more she thought about what he had said, the more sense it made, and the more it troubled her beyond the idea of just killing an innocent butterfly. She finally looked back to the human, who sat there, one leg crossed over the other, engrossed in twiddling his thumbs. She noticed he had a sour look on his face. He looked up now too.

"Vhat?" He whispered in a sigh. Twilight finally got it.

"You are not my butterfly, Doctor Richtofen." She stated. He narrowed his eyes, confused. "And I am not yours either." They were silent a moment, then the human spoke.

"You may begin." He said, leaning back in the chair. Twilight slowly opened her notebook and pulled out a small pencil, which to Richtofen's surprise, she held in her hoof.

"Your full name." Twilight stated.

"Doctor Edvard Richtofen." He watched as she wrote this down. "zhat's E-D-W-A-R-D...R-I-C-H-T-O-F-E-N."

"Thanks. And...homo sapien or...human...sometimes called man..." She muttered to herself as she scribbled down notes. He pulled out his own small notebook and opened it to an unused page. He thought for a moment, how to get the most information out of a single question. Then he grinned diabolically.

"Can you sum up zhe biological und anatomical makeup of your specie?" He asked. Twilight gave him a deadpan stare. "Vhat, it's ein qvestion." He grinned. Twilight groaned.

"You win this one, Eddie." She sighed. "Alright. We're quadrapedal mammals...obviously...warm-blooded, with four-chambered hearts and a complex circulatory system. We're mostly herbivorous in diet...but we can and do eat milk and egg products. Usually no meat, though some...adventurous ponies have a strange and revolting habit of eating fish like the griffons." He paused at this last bit, then shrugged and continued writing. "We have complicated hemispheric brains with a brainstem that controls breathing and bodily functions."

"Ja...ja..." Richtofen muttered, writing down all of this. "Like zhe frontal lobe, cerebellum, etcetera..."

"Yep...aaaand I guess you can tell that we're highly intelligent and can use tools...that's about it."

"Hmph." The doctor protested. "Very vell. Vhat is your next qvestion?" The purple alicorn thought for a moment.

"What is that strange...thing you have with you?" She motioned toward the MP-40 leaned up beside his chair. "Since you got here, you've carried it with you everywhere. Is it some sort of musical instrument or scientific device?"

"Gottverdammt..." Richtofen grumbled. "Alright...it is a firearm. Do you know vhat zhis is?" She shook her head. "Do you have veapons here...in zhis land, and of vhat type?"

"Yeah. We have swords, knives, bows and crossbows." Twilight answered.

"Gunpowder...er...I mean to shay...explosive black powder?"

"Yeah, we use it in fireworks and stuff."

"Alright..." He took the gun into his lap and ejected the magazine. He pulled a single round loose and handed it to Twilight. "Take zhis, but be careful. It is no toy, mein kind. Vhat you hold zhere in your pretty little hoof is called a schuss...a round or bullet. It is a metal shylinder filled viss a small charge of black powder. On zhe back is a small primer, and at zhe front is zhe bullet or projectile. Vhen I pull zhe trigger of mine MP-40, by mechanical action, ein pin shtrikes zhe primer, creating a shmall explosion. Zhis ignites zhe powder, und zhe resulting expansion of gases propels zhe bullet from zhe barrel at shpeeds of up to 380 meters per second, und zhe weapon can fire 500 rounds per minute..." Twilight wasn't writing any of this down. She was slowly turning the round over in her hoof, glancing occasionally at Richtofen's firearm.

"Five...hundred of these...a minute?" She asked, trying to comprehend such destructive power. "Why...why would you need such a weapon?"

"Nein. It is my turn to ask nooowww." Richtofen stated. "Vhen you serven me zhe tea...you did sho viss some sort of power...shome elemental energy...vhat vas zhat?"

"You mean my magic?" Twilight asked. "What about it?"

"Magic? Vhat do you mean...magic? Explain zhis to me..." The scientist leaned forward, his eyes wide, almost frantic. Twilight was confused. Why did he not know about magic? Things were beginning to come together, theories that she'd had were proving true. She shrugged.

"Well, all ponies are born with magic. The pegasi use it to help them fly and walk on clouds. The earth ponies like Applejack can harness the magic to use brute strength when needed. And the unicorns..."

"Ah yes...let me guess..." Richtofen interrupted. "Zhe most powerful of all, nein?"

"Well...I guess...but it's only because of our horns. They allow us to channel magic through a single point..."

"A nexus of concentrated energy, much like a laser..." Richtofen added.

"Um...I don't know what a laser is...but yeah, it's a concentration of magic, and it lets unicorns perform spells like I did with the teapot. Or this..." With that, her horn began to glow, and to Richtofen's surprise, Twilight disappeared from the chair she was sitting in. He was now totally flustered.

"Um...Frau Tvilight? Tvilight Shparkle...vhere did you go?!" He called.

"I'm right here!" Twilight said cheerfully from behind the doctor's chair. He let out a girlish scream and stood straight up from the chair.

"OH FICH MICH!" He shrieked, spinning around to see the purple alicorn giggling. "Vas...oh verdammt, VIE?! HOW?!"

"Um...heheh...it was just a simple teleportation spell." Richtofen immediately calmed down at that single word.

"Did you shay...teleportation?" He asked in a low voice, his head slowly moving from side to side like a snake examining a bird.

"Yeah, why?" Twilight asked curiously.

"No reason..." The doctor cooed suspiciously. "Hm. I shuppose it to be your turn..."

"I want you teach me to use that...the MP-40. Will you?" Twilight asked in a serious tone.

"Vha...Vhat? Vhy?!" He half-exclaimed.

"I've...never seen that kind of power. Outside of magic, I mean." Twilight answered. "I want to...see what it can do. That's a question, isn't it?"

"I...I guess I could teach you how to use mine waffe..." Richtofen said in a low voice. He looked at the floor a moment and tapped the toes of his boots on the wood. "It is dangerous."

"So is magic." The alicorn stated. "And I mastered that. I want to learn, doctor."

"Is..like teaching kleines Mädchen...um...little girl to shoot first gun." He exhaled sharply through his nose. "Oh very vell. I shall teach you to use mine MP-40." At that, the lavender pony grinned warmly. "Do not get too joyful, einhorn. It is mine turn."

"Shoot."

"Do you know of zhe sings called...elements?"

"You mean like the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight returned immediately.

"No, I mean like...Elements of Harmony? Nein...nevermind. I meant like zhe Elements of Nature..."

"Ohhhhh. You mean like earth, water, fire and air?" Twilight replied.

"Nein, nein, nein...oh, mine gott..." Richtofen slapped his forehead, causing his hat to fall into his lap. "Zhis is like shpeaking to a little girl who is alsho alchemist..."

"I know alchemy!" Twilight chirped. This got a blank stare from Doctor Richtofen.

"Vhy does zhat no surprise me?" He groaned. "No, Frau Tvilight...vhat I shpeak of...und I hope zhat your kind has advanced enough to understand...elements. Oxygen, und carbon...und radon. Zhese are elements. You know of zhis?"

"Well yeah, sure." Twilight said. "We call them natural substances though, not elements. We know that everything is made up of those substances, or combinations of them. What was it you wanted to know?"

"Oh...vell...do you ponies have zhe radioactive elements?" Richtofen asked.

"We know there is uranium and radium, but we tryyyyy to stay away from it when we find it." Twilight answered, thinking. "It's really dangerous, and only scientist unicorns using strong barrier spells have been able to get close enough to really study it at all." She cocked her head. "Is that what you worked with in your...where you're from? Radioactive substances?"

"Yes, zhat vhas part of mine research." Richtofen nodded. "Und can I assume zhat you unicorns are capable of manipulating zhe little atoms...making new vones from old vones und changing elements?"

"Transmutation? It's been done, but..."

"Gut! Sehr gut!" Richtofen announced. "I vould like very much to make an element viss zhe atomic number of 115! Vill you help me do zhis, mein freund?!" His green eyes sparkled like a foal in a candy store.

"I...I can try...I mean I'll do whatever I can to help you..." Twilight replied.

"Oh Danke! Shank you, Tvilight!" He continued exitedly, his voice becoming more high pitched. "You just do not undershtand...if I can find a source for Divinium, It vill be amazhing for me...und for you, I vould sink. Viss 115, I can continue mine vork here! Oh wonderbar!"

"I would be happy to help you continue your work!" The princess said with a smile. "It sounds really exciting! Maybe a little dangerous, but still exciting."

"Nonsense, liebling..." Richtofen stated dismissively. "I vill not let any harm come to you if you are helping me." He leaned back in the chair, his eyes on the ceiling. "Vhat is your next question?"

"You're from somewhere else, aren't you?" Twilight asked like she already knew the answer. Richtofen was silent a moment. There was no way she could suspect, was there?"

"Ja, I am from a land far avay." He replied.

"I would most certainly say you are." The alicorn commented, a strange tone in her voice. "A world of men like you, where there are roads made of a hard black stuff, and tall buildings made of rock and glass, right?" Richtofen looked down his nose at Twilight, an eyebrow cocked up. How did she know all of this? "Where there are metal wagons that drive themselves and flameless light...and where there are no dragons or griffons...or ponies like me..."

"How in zhe Hölle do you know of zhis?" Richtofen demanded. His face was turning red, and he felt like he'd been caught up in a great lie. Well, he had technically, but he didn't like it. "You describe mine vorld und...I sought..."

"It was a mirror, wasn't it?" Twilight offered. "That's how you got here, a mirror!"

"Ein mirror? Ein mirror?! Gottverdammt, you have no possibility of even imagining how I got here. You sink you are so shmart, frau Tvilight?! Kuhshisse! Ja, zhis vorld you describe is mine. Is zhis a game you play viss me? Do all of you little ponies viss your little girlish vays know of Earth and men, or are you shome kind of philosopher?!" Twilight was blushing. She could see that Richtofen was becoming very upset, and she hadn't meant to make him mad or hurt his feelings.

"Doctor Richtofen...I..."

"Let me tell you zhat zhe least you know about me, zhe better off ve both are! Vhat do you sink you know?" He grew impatient very quickly. "Vell?"

"You speak with a Germanian accent, but there aren't any humans in Germania." She stated. "I know there is another world outside of this one...maybe more, I don't know. I do know that you can get to that other world, and that's where there are pon...men like you. I've seen them, Richtofen! I've seen them myself! I went through the mirror and I saw your world...or something like it." Before she could say more, Richtofen had exploded off of the chair, and shoved her to the floor. The doctor was atop her, pinning Twilight's forehooves to the floor above her head, his face inches from hers. She gazed into his eyes, seeing the intellectual gleam now replaced with a cold fire, a dark malice.

"You saw mine vorld?" He said in a chilling tone. "Tell me trully, Tvilight...vhen you vere zhere...did you see blood? Did you see death? Vas zhere var? Did you see merciless armies of the undead ripping zhere way through zhe last vestiges of humanity viss zhere rancid, rotten mouths?"

"N...no..." Twilight squeaked. She felt powerless. She knew she could use her magic and shove him off, but something held her back, keeping her frozen in place. Even now, she felt a strange attraction to this man, this doctor who restrained her as he stared at her with murderous eyes. He slowly released her hooves as if he were now trying to be gentle. With a finger of his gloved right hand, he traced the outline of her jaw slowly.

"You...have not seen my vorld." He whispered. "Vhat you saw vas a little girl's dream." He scoffed and stood, turning away from Twilight.

"I..." Twilight tried to speak, her heart racing. "I'm sorry...I..." She felt tears on her cheeks.

"I hate you, Tvilight Shparkle..." Richtofen whispered coldly.

"What?!" her voice came out like a tiny squeak of emotion. "I thought...I thought we were friends."

"I hate you sho much..." He whispered, completely ignoring her. "Get zhe hell avay from me. I vill find mine own vay." With that, he picked up his hat, and placed it on his head neatly. He slung his MP-40 over his shoulder and walked stolidly from the room. Twilight heard the front door open then slam shut, and she burst into tears.

"Oh Celestia..." She finally whimpered. "What did I do?" She sniffed, and raised her head high. "No...I can't let him wander around alone. I have to go find him. I have to be a good friend." Her mood dampened even more. "But he hates me now..." She thought about what had happened. He obviously wanted to forget the world he had come from. It was obvious to Twilight that something really bad had happened to him before he had gotten to Equestria, something he didn't want to talk about. From what he had said to her while he had her pinned to the floor, she gathered that his world had been dark and violent. Deep in her heart, she believed that Edward Richtofen wasn't a bad person. He just needed help, he needed to be shown friendship. She felt bad for him.

An idea suddenly struck Twilight as she remembered something she had downstairs in her basement laboratory, something that she could give him to show that she trusted him, even though he didn't completely trust her. He would love it, she was sure. Maybe it would be enough to make up for her hurting his feelings. She hoped that it would at least be enough to convince him to come back with her, to give her another chance. Twilight just hoped she wasn't too late. Somebody like Richtofen could get into a lot of trouble in Equestria...

Well that was certainly an intense discussion, especially toward the end, eh? And now an angry Doctor Richtofen is loose in Ponyville, and Poor Twilight is depressed. What will happen next you ask? You'll just have to wait and see. Chapter 5 up soon! -Drake