Canterlot, 8:26pm...
The two had been asking around for hours and had no luck in finding the site of the dinner. Every pony they had encountered would either run in fear or give mean looks and walk away. The two Mobians eventually found themselves sitting on a bench opposite a nearby fountain, looking quite sad.
"*sigh* We have walked around for the entire day and no matter who we tried to talk to, they all saw us as some kind of threat." Hyper said as he looked down at the pavement in front of him.
"Even the ponies at the café we visited tried to avoid conversation, even when we were ordering something to eat. I'm just thankful we had some money on us." Galactic added.
"From what little they said, this world's currency is 'bits'. They look like round pieces of gold with various things depicted on them." The hedgehog continued as he looked at the coin he held, "Either way, these things are the least of my worries at the moment."
"I get what you mean. Do you think Twilight and the others would be feeling this way if they were sent to our world?" the vocaloid asked.
"I suppose they would. However, I am unsure of wether or not they would receive similar reactions, as our world does have animals that don't walk on two feet." Hyper replied, thinking of what they would go through on Mobius.
As they continued to think about their current predicament, two familiar faces approached them.
"Hyper? Galactic? What are you guys doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"We were trying to find where this dinner is being held, but we got a lot of negativity from the locals." Hyper replied, still slightly down from what happened.
"Strange. Usually the poines here are quite friendly..." Rarity commented.
"It's most likely because we aren't from Equestria." Galactic stated, "I just never thought we would get the responses we got."
"I suppose you're right. Now, you said something about a dinner you were looking for?" the fashionista asked.
"Yeah. It's the one the Wonderbolts are gonna be attending. Were you two going as well?" Hyper replied.
"Well, duh! The whole reason I'm going is because I was chosen as a reserve for the Opening tomorrow." Rainbow Dash answered with a smile, "Well, the Garden Opening part is because of the reserve thing. The dinner is like a get-together for the Wonderbolts and because I'm a reserve for the performance, I get to go as well."
"Cool! So where is it being held?" the hedgehog asked.
"Oh, you didn't know? It's being held at the castle." Rarity said as she pointed at the royal building.
"That would've been nice to know several hours ago..." Hyper commented, slightly annoyed.
"At least we know now." Galactic said, "Were you two on your way there now?"
"Of course. I mean who would want to pass up on free food?" Rainbow Dash replied.
"You have a point there..." Hyper admitted, "However, I could think of a few reasons to decline a free meal."
"By the way, what's with that outfit you're wearing?" Galactic wondered, looking at Rarity in her new attire.
"Oh, it's part of my new fashion line called 'Femme Mystique Chic'. I've been working on it for some time now." The unicorn replied.
"So that's what those materials from yesterday were for." Hyper though, wondering about what she could've made with the fabric.
"Now enough talking. Are you two coming with us or not?" the pegasus asked.
The two Mobians nodded and with that, the four made their way to the castle.
Canterlot Castle, 8:47pm...
As the group entered the room, Hyper saw that there were tables with food set up and a number of uniformed pegasi talking to one another, some were even lined up to get something to eat.
"Let's grab some grub!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew towards the various dishes.
"So we just go and take whatever food we want? I'm probably not used to this cause of the whole 'being from another world' thing, but whatever." Hyper commented, watching as the pegasus began to place some food onto her plate.
"*sniff* Mm, is that Juniper Phoenix I smell?" Rarity wondered as she caught a whiff of something pleasant.
"No, it's broccoli." Rainbow Dash replied before taking a bite into her meal.
"Yeah, Juniper Phoenix is one of my favorite stallion colognes." The pony ahead of her answered.
Upon hearing the voice, Rainbow Dash looked to see who it was and once she realised who had spoken, she dropped her plate and looked in awe. Hyper and Galactic noticed her upon hearing the clatter of the plate and looked on in confusion.
"Oh, mine as well. It's masculine and yet soft with the barest hint of floral notes and..." Rarity began before being interrupted by her pegasus friend.
"Rarity! Don't you know who this is?!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to contain her excitement.
"A gentlepony with fabulous taste in colognes and scarves?" the fashionista guessed, taking note of the pony's neckwear.
Rainbow Dash flew in front of her friend, waving her hooves in denial.
"It's Wind Rider!" she corrected.
"Wind Rider? He a big deal here?" Hyper asked as he joined them.
"He's a living legend! He Holds the Wonderbolt record in the Mustang Marathon!" the Pegasus explained.
"Wow. He must be quite the flier." Galactic commented, looking at the pony in question.
"Well, that was a long time ago. Honestly, I can't believe I still hold the record." Wind Rider spoke.
"Wind Rider, I see you met Rainbow Dash! She's one of our most promising Reserves. She just might beat your record." Spitfire said as she and a fellow Wonderbolt approached the group.
"Really now?" he wondered.
"You're that good?" Galactic added in surprise.
"I guess it isn't that surprising. If she's even remotely as fast as Sonic, then it would make sense." Hyper commented.
"Oh, heh, I'm nowhere near as good as he is. I mean, I'm fast, but I don't have the endurance to go long distances." Rainbow Dash replied.
"Ah, don't be modest. A little practice and you'll be beating records in no time." Spitfire assured.
"Heh-heh. Well, it's nice to meet you fillies." Wind Rider said before walking off.
"*sigh* Not as nice as it is to meet you, sir." Rainbow Dash replied, before getting giddy with excitement, "I can't believe I just met Wind Rider!"
"Okay, okay. Calm down Dash. We only just got here." Hyper said with a nervous grin.
"But you heard what I said earlier. He's a living legend!" the pegasus stated.
"Yeah, he's coming out of retirement to take the spot of honour in the centre of our aerial flower formation tomorrow." The fellow Wonderbolt explained.
"*gasp* Really? That's incredible!" the cyan pegasus replied excitedly, before immediately feeling a bit sad, "Guess I'll just watch Wind Rider being awesome from the sidelines... Practice tomorrow is gonna be so boring."
"I don't suppose I could keep you company?" Rarity suggested as he levitated a cup of tea over to her.
"You could! They always let friends and family come watch practices!" Rainbow Dash answered, feeling somewhat better at the thought of her friend being with her.
"That means us too, right?" Galactic wondered as she gestured towards herself and Hyper.
"Well duh. I did say they allow friends and family." The pegasus stated.
"Hold on a second..." Hyper began, catching the group's attention, "That Wind Rider guy didn't even acknowledge me and Galactic!"
The outburst caused Rarity to spill her beverage onto her gown, with Hyper noticing what had just happened.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that. Need anything to clean that up?" the hedgehog offered as he grabbed a napkin from a nearby table.
"Uh, no-no, it's almost impossible to get stains out of silk. But not to worry. I've come prepared!" Rarity assured him, before bringing out a fancy looking chest.
In the blink of an eye, the unicorn had changed into a clean, new outfit, surprising the two mobians, before walking off.
"How'd she do that?" Hyper asked with a perplexed look upon his face.
Galactic just shrugged in reply as the three went about their business.
Canterlot Castle Northwest Wing, 9:09pm...
"That dinner was absolutely divine." Rarity commented as the group entered the hallway with Spitfire ahead of them.
"Meh. It was alright. Just wish there weren't so many fruits and vegetables." Hyper added.
"You don't like fruit or vegetables? They're quite good." Galactic asked, curious as to the hedgehog's taste in food.
"I never really liked the stuff. I mean I don't mind things like potatoes or fruit juice, but anything else, I'll stay away from." he replied, explaining his distaste for such produce.
"Well I'm sure there is something in Equestria that you'll like. I'm sure you'll enjoy Pinkie Pie's cakes." Rainbow Dash said, catching Hyper's interest.
"Wait... Pinkie bakes?" he wondered.
"If you've known her for as long as we do, you'd know that she makes the best cakes in Ponyville." The pegasus stated.
"Hmmm... Might have to pay her a visit sometime." Hyper thought, imagining what kinds of baked goods she could make.
"Anyway, thanks for inviting me!" Rarity said as the group stopped in front of a door, "Ooh, I see you're staying in the east tower? Those rooms have the best view of Canterlot!"
"How lucky are we? Well, we better get some shuteye before practice." Spitfire replied before entering the room before them.
"See you tomorrow guys!" Rainbow Dash said before flying over to her room.
"Good night!" Rarity replied.
"Wait a sec... I just realised I'm the only guy here. Only now do I find it weird." Hyper thought upon hearing the pegasus' words.
"So, what do we do now?" Galactic asked.
"Yeah... If the whole Garden Opening thing is happening tomorrow, then won't we need someplace to stay?" the hedgehog added, unsure of what was next.
"I suppose you're right. In all honesty, I was going to head back to Ponyville for the night." Rarity replied.
"I mean, that is an option, but we have no idea when practice starts. What if we were to get back and it had already started?" Hyper wondered.
"Perhaps I can work something out." Princess Celestia said as she approached the three.
The three turned to see the princess standing before them and almost out of instinct, Hyper and Galactic bowed.
"There's no need to be so formal." Celestia stated calmly, "Now I overheard you needed somewhere to stay for the night?"
"That's right. I hope it isn't too much of a problem." Galactic replied as she and Hyper stood up.
"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I had expected you to attend." The princess assured.
"Yeah, about that. How'd you figure we were gonna show up?" Hyper asked.
"I felt it would be nice for you and your friends to try and socialize with our kind. I chose the Wonderbolts to ease you into being comfortable with our world." Celestia explained with a soft smile.
"I guess that makes sense, however we aren't the only ones who need to get used to something." The hedgehog replied, thinking about what happened earlier.
"From what you two had said, the ponies they came across didn't seem too friendly towards them." Rarity stated.
"That is understandable. It will take some time before everypony is comfortable seeing beings like you. Even my sister and I will need to adjust." The princess added.
"So, you were talking about a place where we can stay for the night?" Galactic asked.
"That is right. There is a tower that you can stay in for the night that could also help you learn about Equestrian History." Celestia replied.
"Okay then. I suppose we'll see you tomorrow Rarity." Hyper said.
"Well of course." The unicorn replied.
And with that, the four headed for the exit.
Canterlot Gardens, 9:30pm...
As the three walked down the path, Hyper had noticed something strange about Celestia's mane and tail. From what he could clearly see, they were constantly flowing, despite there being little to no breeze. One thought crossed his mind, being magic causing it to be that way, but was unsure if that was the case
"I'm curious, just how is it that your mane and tail seem to be moving on their own? If you don't mind me asking, that is." The hedgehog asked.
"Not at all. In all honesty, I am unsure of why this is myself." The princess replied as she stopped in her tracks, "We are here."
Hyper and Galactic stopped and saw before them was a tower. It seemed to be moderately tall and the top appeared to be teardrop shaped. As they continued to stare at the building, Celestia began to walk off.
"Where are ya going? Were you not coming in with us?" Hyper asked as he noticed the alicorn leaving.
"I cannot. As a princess, I still have many tasks to perform, even at this time. I wish you a good night." She stated, before continuing on her way.
Once the princess had left, Hyper and Galactic decided to head for the tower's entrance. They climbed the spiral stairway that wrapped around the structure and upon getting to the top, stood in silence for a while.
"So this is the place?" Galactic wondered, "Celestia said something about learning Equestrian History here, so do you think there will books?"
"It's more than likely. I mean, how else would you learn about history? I doubt electricity is present in this world, so things like the internet wouldn't exist, nor would TVs." Hyper replied, remembering he cannot play video games without power.
The hedgehog stepped forward and opened the door and was immediately surprised by the state of the room.
"Geez, it's like no one has been here for some time." He said as he looked at the state of the first floor.
It was fairly dusty with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, leading them to believe the building had been left in this state a long time ago. Some of the furniture was slightly worn with a few tears in the fabric, while others seemed to be in a worse shape.
The two began to head upstairs, and what waited for them on the second floor, was a fairly open space with a few fully stocked bookshelves strewn about the place, with some of them on a smaller, third floor. There was a lone, large hourglass in the middle of the room and there were several piles of books sitting by the shelves.
"Wow... It seems like someone used to live here. Whoever did must've liked books." Hyper commented as he began exploring.
"Actually, it's 'whomever'."
Hey! What are you doing here? Get back to the Boom Universe!
As he headed for one of the shelves, Galactic noticed a lone book on a pedestal on the third floor. From what she could see, it appeared to be open. The vocaloid walked up the staircase to the higher level and approached the open book. It was left on a page that showed the moon, but something seemed to be on the surface of it.
"'The Mare in the Moon?' Is this a legend of some kind?" she wondered as she began to read the contents.
"Sounds like it would be. What's it say?" Hyper asked, rummaging through some of the shelves.
"A powerful pony who wanted to take over Equestria and bring about eternal night. She was defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape." Galactic read aloud.
"Longest day of the thousandth year, huh? Well, I'm pretty sure I saw the sun at least several times today, so it's safe to assume this has yet to happen, or it's just that. A legend." The hedgehog replied, grabbing a random book and opening it to a random page. As he began to read through the page, he noticed a note written on it.
"What's this?" Hyper wondered before reading it.
'To my friend, Twilight Sparkle. Thanks for introducing me to the classics.'
"Why would something addressed to Twilight be in some dusty tower?" the hedgehog thought aloud.
"Maybe... She used to live here." Galactic suggested.
"Someone like her living in a place like this?! As if!" Hyper laughed at the thought, "Why would a princess live in a tower like this?"
"I guess you're right. It might just be a coincidence that it's here." The vocaloid said as she continued to look through the open book on the pedestal.
"*yawn* Anyway, I'm gonna hit the hay. Goodnight." Hyper said before heading downstairs, leaving Galactic to look through some books.
So Hyper and Galactic are staying the night in Twilight's old tower home. But they don't know that... Anyway, this was originally going to be longer, but I decided to cut it here because I'm tired at the time of typing this, and I'm going to get my copy of Sonic Forces in the morning. Just annoying that it was released on a public holiday that only happens were I live. Personal issues aside, stay tuned to see what happens next.
Feel free to leave a review. I miss the feedback.