After what felt like an eternity, the seemingly never-ending journey to Canterlot has finally come to a close. Dale's heart raced as he stood outside of the pearly gates of Equestria's upper class. Not just because his goals of attaining the truth were barely within grasp, but because he felt even more out of his element than he already did. The ponies of Canterlot stood in stark contrast to those he met in Ponyville for multiple reasons. What captured Dale's attention almost immediately was their audacious sense of fashion. Almost everyone Dale laid his eyes on wore some clothing or an expensive-looking accessory. Not to mention the way they styled their manes exuded confidence and personality. Anyone from the humble little town of Ponyville would stick out like a sore thumb here due to them being much more reserved in the looks department.
"C'mon, what are you waiting for?" Matt shouted, breaking the young man's train of thought. Without realizing it, most of Dale's party had already begun to explore the bustling city without him.
"Sorry, I got distracted," Dale replied before quickly jogging over to the rest of the group. The last thing Dale wanted was to get lost in an unfamiliar location, though after giving it some further thought, he wouldn't mind the alone time. He spent the last few days practically glued to Matt and the other ponies, and at this point, he was a little sick of it.
"Matthew, and Dale, I know you two are eager to do some sightseeing, but please stick close to us for just a little bit longer," Twilight said, turning back with a smile, "After we drop off our stuff at the castle, we'll be sure to give you a tour!" Since Twilight was the star pupil of Princess Celestia, she was able to pull some strings and allow the group to stay at her castle for the duration of their visit.
"I for one cannot wait to run a nice warm bath after spending all that time in that disgusting swamp," Rarity spoke with a shudder.
"Oh brother," Rainbow Dash couldn't help but roll her eyes upon hearing her friend's complaint. For the past few days, Rarity made it loud and clear that she wasn't a fan of the murky terrain the group had to venture through. While everyone else was on edge due to the dangerous monsters they encountered, Rarity's anxiety came from a more trivial reason. After nearly every battle fought, she would quickly pull out her pocket mirror and check to see if everything was in order. It was almost as if Rarity operated in her own world, one where style mattered above all else. It was almost no wonder why Rarity loved Canterlot so much.
"I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I agree with Rarity. Hard work is one thing, but livin' out in the woods just ain't for me," Applejack replied. This was one of the rare times these two were able to come to some sort of agreeance.
"I'm glad you can finally see it my way, Applejack. While we're at it, we should stop by Hoity Toity's boutique and pick out something marvellous for you to wear!" Rarity said, her voice beaming with excitement.
"Don't push it," Applejack's response did nothing but illicit an annoyed huff from Rarity. Try as she might, she just can't change the way someone is that easy. The group continued to walk towards the castle, with Twilight leading the pack. Along the way, they discussed which hot spots they wanted to hit up during their stay. Donut Joe's sweet shop, Canterlot Castle's garden, the local opera theatre, and many other locations were mentioned. Dale, on the other hand, couldn't care less about that. All he was looking forward to was the chance to finally speak to the ruler of this land.
"If there's anyone who would know the answers as to what happened to my world, it would be her. She has to know at least something," Dale thought to himself. Twilight had told the two boys earlier that Princess Celestia was interested in meeting them. Dale assumed that it was because they were a new species and that she wanted to size them up; making sure that they wouldn't be a threat to her land. While he wasn't too big on the pony culture, Dale knew he was going to have to suck up a bit if he wanted to get his answers. The last thing he wanted was to get turned down after coming this far or suffer even greater consequences he hadn't taken into consideration.
Before long, the party found themselves exiting the main area of town and travelled up to the castle's drawbridge. However, two snow-white unicorns blocked the entrance. Unlike everyone else in Canterlot, these ponies wore gold-plated armour and were using their magic to levitate spears by their side. Dale initially found this to be a bit strange, but he managed to rationalize it after a few moments, "Seems like even they know the practical use of standard weapons," He thought.
"Please state your business," The unicorn on the left bluntly stated. He didn't seem phased at all by the two humans, though this could be chalked up to being desensitized to mysterious creatures.
"Hello, there. My name is Twilight Sparkle. My friends and I are looking to visit Princess Celestia and have received expressed written permission to do so," Twilight used her magic to pull a scroll out of her saddlebag. She unravelled the message and presented it to the two guards. Both of them examined the scroll one at a time; double-checking to make sure it couldn't possibly be forged. After a few minutes of anticipation, the two security guards looked at each other and nodded.
"You may proceed," They said in unison.
"Thank you very much. Let's go, girls!" Twilight said with happiness in her voice. Everyone began to cross the bridge in a single file line, though once it was Dale and Matt's turn, the two guards blocked them with their spears. The guard on the right glared daggers at the two men.
"Never seen your kind around here. Try any funny business and we won't hesitate to lock you up until your bones are dust," He threatened. The guard's stern voice sent chills down Dale's spine. He knew that this guy meant business, so it would be best to stay on their good side.
"Don't gotta worry about us, boss," Matt replied casually before wrapping an arm around Dale's shoulder and pulling him close, "My buddy and I will be on our best behaviour," The guard continued to give the boys the stink eye for a few more seconds before returning his spear to a neutral position.
"You may proceed," The guards said in unison.
The two men walked across the bridge side by side, but after gaining enough distance, Dale leaned over to Matt and whispered, "Not exactly the most welcoming bunch,"
Matt shrugged, "Eh, there's just doin' their job. C'mon, we gotta catch up to the others," with that, Matt and Dale jogged towards the girls who were waiting for them at the castle's entrance.
Compared to everything else Dale had seen thus far, the inside of Canterlot Castle was almost awe-inspiring. The scale of just the main hall was far larger than any of the other buildings he'd been inside. Most impressively of all was how clean everything was. You would assume that there would be some imperfections due to the species that ran this kingdom, but that couldn't be further from the truth. A beautiful velvet-red carpet was laid upon the white and purple checkerboard marble tiles. the carpet led to a staircase which branched off into two different directions. One side was accompanied by a dark blue stain-glassed window, with a bright yellow one standing in contrast on the opposite end. Dale's mind raced with images as to what these paths could potentially lead to, but his thoughts were interrupted by a service pony grabbing the group's attention.
"Excuse me, I shall be the one guiding you to your living quarters," The mare spoke with a soft voice, accompanied by a vaguely french accent. Unlike the guards, this mare wore an outfit less suited for combat and more so for cleaning; her mane was done up in a ponytail so as to not get in her way while working. The mare guided the group through a seemingly never-ending series of hallways. Each room they passed looked more impressive than the last and Dale couldn't help but ogle at the fine decor. Every once in a while, they would pass a guard patrolling the hallway and Dale could feel them glare at him every time.
"If this is how royalty lives, I can get used to this," Matt said allowed in a joking tone. For once, Dale could agree. Though, after some time, they would eventually reach their destination. A long hallway with doors leading to private bedrooms.
"I shall leave it to you to decide where you stay," The service mare said. She did a slight bow before walking off, presumably to attend to something else in the castle. after the mare was out of sight the group couldn't help but let out a huge breath of exhaustion.
"I know we're all tired from the trip. I think it would be best if we were to refresh a bit," Twilight said, her voice sounding a little groggy.
"Well, in that case, I want my room to be next to Matty's!" Pinkie Pie said while playfully bumping into the human in question, "We can have one of my patented perfect Pinkie Pie slumber parties. We'll stay up all night playing games, watching movies, eating snacks, and..." Pinkie Pie went on and on, listing the various activities she had in store. It was as if those few days out in the woods didn't even have an effect on the party pony. Matt couldn't help but blush a little because of Pinkie's enthusiasm.
"Wow, Pinkie. That sounds like a lot of fun. But can it wait until later? I need some time to recharge a bit," Matt sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, alright," Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm deflated because of the rejection. Before the mood could become awkward, Rainbow Dash chimed in.
"Well, I'm off to hit the sack. Feel free to holler if you need anything," With a wink and a quick salute, Rainbow Dash took off and quickly claimed one of the rooms as her own. Taking this as a sign, the group said their goodbyes before quickly securing bedrooms for themselves.
Much like everything else in Canterlot Castle, no expense was spared on the guest bedrooms. Dale wasn't too sure what to expect, but he for sure didn't think that this "guest room" was going to be nearly as big as the apartment he lived in back on earth. The room had almost all of the essentials needed for someone to permanently live there. Next to the door, there was a decently large dresser accompanied by a full-size mirror. Not too far from the right of it was another door that lead to a bathroom. There was also a third door near the end of the room. Considering the floor his bedroom was located on, Dale just assumed that it lead to a balcony. However, that wasn't what caught Dale's attention. That honour would go to the queen-sized bed that sat proudly in the center of the chamber. Dale had gotten so used to sleeping on couches and in tents that the mere sight of a comfortable bed nearly brought tears to his eyes. But to the young man, the best part about all of this is that he finally had some time to himself.
"If this place had a kitchen then I'd be set," He said with a small chuckle. It had been so long since the last time Dale was able to comfortably unwind that he almost had forgotten how to. Ever since arriving in Equestria, he'd been on edge for multiple reasons but the sight of a nice, quiet room felt welcoming. As Dale walked towards the bed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The trek from Ponyville to here took a toll on the man; he hardly recognized the figure staring back at him. His hair was dirty and greasy. Bags sat comfortably under his eye sockets from the sleepless nights and he could almost see the odour coming from his body. Dale knew that the first order of business was to have himself a hot shower. The bed can wait for him to get back.
With a single tap on his arm brace, Dale brought up the status screen and unequipped his current clothes. He hadn't quite gotten used to doing this instead of taking them off the old-fashioned way. But hey, rules are rules. after nearly folding them up and placing them on the lavender bed sheets, Dale stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower faucet. Dale ran his right hand under the water to make sure it wasn't too hot. It only took a few moments for the shower to reach a perfect temperature. However, before stepping in, a thought crossed his mind.
"What the hell do I do with this?" Dale said aloud. He was referring to his arm brace that had been attached to his left arm since arriving in this new world. He assumed that the device was at the very least waterproof, but he wasn't sure to the extent. The last thing he wanted to do was break the damn thing in case he needed it in the future. After thinking about it, he noticed that there was no way to even take the arm brace off. No matter how hard Dale looked, he couldn't find any latches or clips to undo. The arm brace was practically fused to his body and he was going to have to live with it. Dale cautiously ran the device under the shower's water before quickly checking to make sure it still worked. Thankfully, it turned back on without any issues. With his concerns completely squashed, Dale entered the shower and allowed himself to fully enjoy the soothing hot water.
After around 20 minutes of cleaning and scrubbing, Dale turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel. He usually wasn't the one to take long showers, but after what he's been through lately, he figured that he earned it. As the young man dried his hair with the towel, he used his free hand to wipe away some of the steam covering the mirror, "Much better," Dale thought to himself. Just the shower on its own was enough to make him look and feel more like his old self. Upon walking out of the bathroom, Dale let out a big stretch; letting the cool air wash over his body. After drying off and re-equipping his clothes, Dale laid down on the edge of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in a while, he felt relaxed. So much so that his eyelids grew heavy and he felt himself almost drift off into a slumber. However, before he could get some much-needed shuteye, a soft knock at his door snapped Dale back to reality.
"Oh, right... What exactly do they want now?" Dale thought as he groggily sat up and walked towards his door. He had nearly forgotten that the others were staying just a few doors down from him. Rubbing his eyes a bit, Dale grasped the door handle and opened it, only to be greeted by Fluttershy of all people.
"Um, hi," Fluttershy meekly said.
"Uh... Hi?" Dale responded.
"Am I interrupting anything?"
"No, not at all," This interaction caught Dale off guard. He had hardly interacted with Fluttershy at all before this, yet here she was standing outside of his door looking to talk to him.
"I was wondering... if, um... If you're not busy if you would like to come and see the castle's garden with me and Rainbow Dash? Since we have to wait a while before we can visit Princess Celestia, I thought I should ask if you wanted to come..." Fluttershy could hardly keep eye contact with Dale. He could tell that she was nervous from the way she spoke. While the two had spoken before in a group setting, this was different. This was one of, if not, the first time Dale has had a one-on-one conversation with Fluttershy.
"Does she want to hang out with me?" This, along with many other thoughts, raced through Dale's head. Truth be told, he was a little surprised by the offer. Mostly because of who was asking the question. If it was Pinkie Pie at the door, Dale might've just slammed it on her face. But there was something different about the butter-coloured pegasus compared to the others he was grouped with. While he was tempted to decline the offer, Dale knew that he would just end up spending the day cooped up in his room if he did. Since he came all this way to Canterlot, he may as well check it out while he could.
"You know what? I'm in" Dale said with affirmation, this caught Fluttershy off guard.
"Really?" She said with a twinkle in her eye. Dale nodded in response. This confirmation illicit a happy response from Fluttershy, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Fluttershy said with excitement. It was almost out of character to see her this excited. To Dale, this pony was always very reserved and kept to herself. So this sudden burst of energy, no matter how small, was a bit of a whiplash to him. He couldn't help but smile at the sight and before long, Dale and Fluttershy made their way to Canterlot's garden together.
Dale pushed open the double glass that stood before him and his eyes were momentarily assaulted by the bright sun. Once his vision cleared, Dale was greeted by one of the most lavish and elaborate areas of the castle. When he first heard that this castle had a garden, he assumed that it would be a slightly larger-than-average one. A garden big enough so that potential visitors would be impressed, but nothing too over the top. However, those expectations were completely blown out of the water. Sure there were flowers, as to be expected; each patch neatly divided up in colour, shape and size. But what Dale wasn't expecting to see were the masterly carved stone statues littered about. Each statue he walked past depicted a different species of pony in a unique pose. Dale initially made the assumption that a unicorn was the one behind the art before him. their magic would be able to manipulate the tools in a way that an earth pony or pegasus couldn't with their hooves. Though after giving it some thought, it could be possible that someone whose special talent was in this field could accomplish this with enough training and effort. One thing was for certain though, Dale was impressed by the work.
"I'm not much of an art guy, but even I can admit that this is pretty cool," Dale said aloud. This elicited a slight giggle from his pony companion.
"I'm glad you like it. I can barely remember the last time I was able to get a good look at the displays," Fluttershy replied with enthusiasm. before the two could continue their conversation any longer, Fluttershy spotted Rainbow Dash in the distance, "Oh, there she is,"
Dale shifted his attention to the familiar cyan pony waiting for them. Rainbow sat on her haunches, forehooves crossed. he could see the mare impatiently tapping her hindleg on the ground. You could tell that she was bored with nothing but a simple glance. Much like her name implied, Rainbow liked to be on the move and one of the things she hated most was waiting around. Rainbow scanned the area, looking to see if her friend had arrived yet. After a few seconds, her eyes locked on Dale and Fluttershy. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing that things were going to become at least a little more interesting. As quick as a flash, Rainbow Dash took off from her sitting position and flew towards the two.
"Ugh, finally! What took you so long?" Rainbow Dash said with annoyance before landing in front of Fluttershy.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I just wanted to make sure Dale knew his way around the castle so he wouldn't get lost on his own," Fluttershy explained.
"Don't sweat it," Rainbow replied with a sigh before looking up at Dale with a smug smirk spread across her face, "I'm surprised you even showed up. I was kinda expectin' you to stay locked in your room. Must be hard going even five minutes without thinking about the princesses," from the tone of her voice, Dale immediately knew that she was trying to get under his skin which was a fight he wasn't going to let him win too easily.
"You know how it is, we all got some time to kill. I figured I could at least check this place out a bit. And besides, I'm surprised you're even here. Didn't take you for someone who could appreciate art. That's more Rarity's schtick," Dale fired back with equal smugness.
"Guess we're in the same boat then. I usually only try to show off my moves to the Wonderbolts whenever I'm here. But since there isn't anything special going on right now, I've got nothing better to do," Dale wasn't too sure if she was just trying to play off as cool or if those words had any sort of truth to them. Not wanting to open that can of worms, he decided to change the topic.
"Come to think of it, what's everyone else doing? I thought you'd all want to spend your time here together?" Dale asked. Rainbow put her hoof to her chip before answering.
"I think Twilight, AJ, and Rarity went to the spa. I can't really stand that place so I decided to hang out with Fluttershy. Pinkie is probably gettin' donuts with Matt or something," Rainbow said nonchalantly but the answer given sparked some curiosity from Dale.
"Pinkie Pie and Matt? What makes you think those two are together?" Dale's response caused Rainbow Dash to laugh.
"Man, you must be clueless! It's pretty obvious that she's crushin' on the guy," Rainbow Dash's words, while aimed at Dale, caught Fluttershy's attention, "Though, I don't blame her. Matt is pretty cool. He can kick butt, knows how to crack jokes, is pretty strong, has a nice smile-" Rainbow quickly stopped herself before she could reveal any more of her opinions. She turned her head away from Dale and Fluttershy in an attempt to hide the blush slowly spreading across her cheek, "The point is you can learn a thing or two from him!" Rainbow shouted; her raspy voice slightly cracking. While Dale wrote her words off with a shrug, they cut Fluttershy much deeper. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but think about what Pinkie Pie and Matt were getting up to. And all this did was create a feeling of unease within the yellow pegasus. Her sadness-filled eyes drifted to the ground as the trio walked through the garden. Dale couldn't help but take notice of Fluttershy's reaction to this information. While he had his suspicions before, this all but confirmed it to him and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the pony. He quickly looked around for something that he could use to change the subject.
"H-hey, why don't we check out what's in that hedge maze?" Dale quickly suggested, hoping to defuse the awkward tension in the air, "These statues are pretty cool. Are there any more you can show me?" This snapped Fluttershy out of her trance and she looked up at the young man; not knowing that his sudden interest was something he did for her sake.
"Y-yes! I can think of a few that you might like," Fluttershy quickly recovered from her depressive state before leading the two deep into the maze. Before the two could follow Fluttershy, Dale crossed his arms and glared at Rainbow Dash.
"What?" She said, slightly annoyed at Dale.
"Man, you must be clueless," Dale stated blunting before entering the hedge maze. Rather than directly explaining what she did wrong, Dale decided to throw Rainbow's words back at her to see if she could figure it out. Despite telling himself that he wanted to stay out of Matt's personal life, Dale knew now that at some point, he was gonna need to knock some sense into that man before it was too late...
