*These cold metal bars*

*They make me watch the sun set*

*And weep at your loss*

Chapter 2 – The Translator

=Celestia's PoV, Canterlot Throne Room, One hour after the incident=

"Captain Cider, repeat what you just said… exactly as you just said it, one more time please?" Celestia asked her captain of the Unicorn Division of her Royal Guard.

"Yes your majesty, we spotted the individual in the second quadrant of the Merchandise quarter in the city four hours ago." He said, more slowly this time so she wouldn't miss a single word. "He was causing a slight panic with his appearance. One of my guards requested that he please explain who he was, but we couldn't understand a single word he said."

Celestia nodded in understanding, yet something still didn't seem right. "I see, but why would his appearance be so frightening to my subjects, and what could have prompted you to confront him?" She asked kindly.

"At the time your majesty nothing, but shortly after the encounter your sister, Princess Luna, and her two guards Hawk and Owl happened to come across the scene." He said. "They approached the area and the moment he saw them, he suddenly became very hostile. A fight ensued shortly after, and he quickly drew this strange weapon that we had never seen before. It appears to be a very long, slightly curved blade of a design I've never seen before. Its craft is beyond anything we are familiar with."

Celestia nodded as she eyed the sword in front of her that he spoke of, now getting the picture, yet something was still wrong. "I see." She said calmly. "Then can you explain why you could not apprehend this pony without causing harm when it was four against one, one of those ponies being my sister?"

"We tried your majesty, but the moment he drew this weapon, we instantly had to react to protect Princess Luna." He said. "The pony proved to be more of a threat than we originally thought. During the first few seconds our spears proved to be useless against him, his sword cut the shafts in half before we could subdue him. As the fight went on it became clear that Hawk, Owl, and Goodwill, were no match for their attacker. Goodwill quickly raised the alarm and called for more guards, while Hawk continued to engage the individual. Owl disengaged to get your sister to safety, but shortly afterwards Hawk was injured with a long slash across his side."

"So why did the reinforcing unicorn guards, not try to subdue the attacker with magic?" Celestia asked.

"They tried… but when they tried to use magic to restrain him, his body seemed to resist their efforts." Her captain said. "It was as though he were resistant to it, even Princess Luna's magic proved ineffective when she tried to bind him with her magic."

Celestia raised an eyebrow at this bit of information. As far as she was aware, the only ponies capable of resisting their magic naturally were the two Time Lords, The Doctor and The Professor. However they never bothered to use strange weapons like the strange, elongated, curved blade that was sitting in front of her. Why would they, when they had access to weapons ten times more effective, deadly, and more advanced than this thin piece of metal?

"Where is the pony now?" Celestia asked now.

"We took him to the dungeon, by Luna's orders." Captain Cider said.

"I wish to speak to him then, I'll be heading down to the dungeon." Celestia declared, to which her captain bowed and rose to escort her down there.

She was interested to see if this pony was another Time Lord survivor or something else. Yet mostly, she was interested to see what kind of pony, all alone and wielding nothing but this strange weapon, could not only resist even her sister's magic, but also fight off no less than thirty of her Royal Guards alone. Not only just fight them, but have the capabilities to seriously wound over a dozen of them, even without his weapon.

As they neared the entrance to the dungeon, she noticed the number of guards standing watch over the door was more than she was used to. Six guards posted outside the entrance, and she knew there were another six stationed on the other side. At her approach they all bowed before allowing her access into the dungeon levels below the Canterlot Palace.

The dungeons were almost never used, and if they ever had an occupant it was usually just one or two disruptive ponies. Most of the time these dungeons were used as storage because of how little use Celestia made of them, a testament to her rule for over the last thousand years. Yet now deep below Canterlot there was a prisoner that had been classified as a great threat to the peace and safety of Canterlot's population, especially the royal sisters.

Celestia just wondered who this stallion was.

Ten minutes of walking down staircases, passing by empty cells containing barrels of cleaning equipment and tools for gardening, and she spotted a series of torches that marked the maximum level security cell, where no less than twenty guards were stationed, all heavily armored and each armed with a spear and special shields used only by her newly formed elite guards.

The elite guards were a recent addition to the royal palace, something her captains requested she put into effect after The Professor incident. At Captain Hazel's advice, she allowed him to form the RCEG, The Royal Canterlot Elite Guard, comprised of volunteer guards who have dedicated their lives to protecting Celestia and Luna from any that might mean harm to either of them. She admired their bravery, even if deep down, she felt that such a group was not needed.

Behind the twenty guards was a thick wooden door with four different and unseen locks, each requiring magic to unlock before the door could be opened. This meant that a minimum of four unicorns were required to open the cell before the occupant or any pony outside could enter or exit this particular cell. Once she was close enough all the guards immediately gave her a short bow before turning and forming a circle around her, but four unicorns remained stationed next to the door.

"Commander, tell me what you can about the prisoner." Celestia said to her commander of the RCEG.

"Your majesty, the prisoner has remained mostly silent ever since we brought him down here and released his bonds." Her commander said. "He hasn't spoken a single word, at least none we understand. He seemed to be in pain from the noises he made whenever he took a step with his front hooves, but other than that he has yet to say or attempt anything."

She nodded at these words and decided to try and talk to this stallion herself. "Open the door, I wish to speak to him myself." She said, and at her words the commander hesitated before nodding.

Her commander and the other three unicorns under his command each summoned their magic, and as one unlocked the four special locks to open the door. Once they were done they opened the door so that Celestia could walk in with her guards behind her, all taking positions so they could intervene if necessary.

The cell was fairly large and very comfortable for any prisoner that was unfortunate enough to be placed there. On one side opposite the door was a single one pony sized bed, filled with straw and covered in cloth blankets with a medium sized cushion. On the other side was a small bathroom complete with toilet, sink and small shower faucet. The third wall had a small table built into the wall with a chair also built into the floor. There were also some candles and torches lining the walls for lighting, but other than the small window where the guards could look in through the door, there was no way out of this maximum security cell.

/watch?v=g3FhFewRCY0

The occupant, the stallion which her guards had been speaking of was sitting at the table with a strange piece of paper and a quill, along with a small bottle of ink. He had both of his hooves together and kept his eyes closed. He was quietly muttering something under his breath, facing what appeared to be a picture of a flower painted on a similar piece of paper. He wore a thin, single piece of clothing that covered his entire body, leaving only his neck, face and the lower half of his hooves exposed. The armor her guard reported him wearing was folded neatly on the bed.

"Did you give him that paper, ink and quill?" She asked one of her guards quietly.

"No your majesty, we gave him nothing, this is the first time any of us have entered since we brought him here."

She was close enough to hear some of what he was saying, but just like her guard reported, not a single word of what he said could be understood. "Sorera wa osorete teisen o kowagatte mo yoku," He said. "sorera no jiyūde sokubaku mo."

She guessed that whatever he was doing had some kind of spiritual importance, or at the very least was something he valued greatly that he didn't care he had visitors. Deciding not to interrupt him, she instead walked closer to the table and looked at the papers he had on it. There were two pieces of paper; the first had the picture of a flower that he was muttering to. The second paper had some form of righting on it, but it was clearly in a language she couldn't understand, yet it was beautifully written and carefully done.

It was written from top to bottom, assuming that's how it was supposed to be read, and there were three rows of these 'words' lined up to form what she guessed were sentences or phrases. Yet because she couldn't read it, she didn't know what they were. It was a language that she could tell by a glance was beautiful and harmonious, and from whatever he was muttering had very spiritual meaning. She once more glanced at the prisoner, re-evaluating her previous assumptions and images about him. It didn't matter to her what her guard said about him before, she could tell that this stallion was highly educated, and not a rampaging attacker that he had made him out to be, at least not if this piece of paper was anything to go by.

She looked up when she realized he was no longer talking, and expected him to be glaring at her or something. Instead he was staring at that picture of the flower, and small tears fell from his eyes.

"Hello?" Celestia asked nervously.

He only glanced at her before closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths, still not turning to face her.

"Do you understand me?" Celestia asked, hoping even one of her words he would be able to understand. "Can you tell me your name?"

He still did not respond, only opened his eyes and took yet another deep breath.

Celestia thought carefully and then decided the only way she'd have any chance of figuring anything out with this pony, would be to talk to him face to face. "Captain, bring me something to sit on in here." She ordered, and five minutes later her captain came in with a very soft chair for her. "Thank you; position it opposite him for me please."

Once the chair was in position she sat down opposite the stallion, and each of her guards tensed up, preparing themselves to protect her from anything he may do. She looked at the stallion's face, at the cutie marks on his cheek, at least guessing that's what they were, before looking into his eyes. She looked into those deep blue eyes of his and saw a deep sadness and loneliness, and instantly knew he was not dangerous. There was also a sense of calm about him, as though he was accepting something that she couldn't quite understand.

/watch?v=g3FhFewRCY0

"Can you tell me your name?" She asked hopefully, yet still he remained silent. "Name… name… your name…"

He remained silent yet she refused to give up, she decided to try something, hoping that no matter where he was from, he would at least understand a physical description of what she was trying to say. She gently, and slowly, reached with one hoof and grasped his uninjured left hoof before pointing at herself with it. "Celestia, that's my name!" She said, taking his hoof and then pointing at her cheek. "Celestia… Celestia… Ce…les…ti…a!"

Slowly understanding seemed to dawn on him, yet the only sign she saw in his heavy eyes was a raised eyebrow. He nodded and replied, "Celestia."

She sighed in relief; finally they had breached the gap and made contact. "Yes… I'm Celestia!"

He pointed at himself this time, repeating her gesture before when she was talking about herself. "Aketoki… Aketoki Nimaji." He said calmly.

"Aketoki… that's your name?" Celestia asked again, pointing at him and watching him nod in response.

"Anata no daimyō wa anata o okutte imashita ka?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand… what are you saying?" Celestia said, thoroughly confused now.

Aketoki pointed at her crown and repeated one of the words he said. "Daimyō… anata no daimyo."

"Daimyō… you mean princess?" Celestia asked, pointing at herself and nodding, hoping she was finally starting to understand some of what he was saying. "Yes, Celestia… Daimyō, I am a Daimyō!"

At this he looked even more confused than she was before. "Dono yō ni josei wa daimyō suru koto ga dekimasu ka?" He said in confusion.

Celestia sighed as she tried to figure out what Aketoki was talking about. "We'll be at this until the Summer Solstice celebration before I can string two words you're saying together." She said in defeat, trying to figure out what to do, before he caught her attention by pointing at one of her guard's spears.

"Sonōchi no hitotsu wa, watashi o tasukeru tsumoridesu ka?"He asked, pointing at the spear.

She guessed that he was asking if they were going to hurt him, and tried her best to smile and shook her head in the universal signal of 'no'. "No they aren't going to hurt you, don't worry." She said.

Despite what she said, apparently her message had another meaning to him. He looked down at the floor before holding his stomach with one hoof. "Anata wa watashi ni watashi no meiyo aru shi o hitei suru?" He said sadly, before looking at the flower picture again. "Hanayo… Doko ni imasu ka… Hanayo?"

She knew there was no way she would ever understand what this stallion was saying now, not without help. There was only one pony she could call upon at this time to help her with this problem, and that pony was in Ponyville right now. She had to summon The Doctor once more from his home, and bring him here to Canterlot. If anypony could understand and translate what this stallion was saying, it was him.

However he would need something to figure out what he was to translate, and decided to take the piece of paper with words on it with her. Apparently he didn't mind her taking it; either that or he didn't care. Still she left the cell and it was once more sealed with all the locks, and under the careful watch of her elite guards.

Once she was up the stairs she noticed how much time had passed, she had been down there for nearly two hours, if her sister Luna and her two guards trailing behind her were anything to judge by.

"Sister, did you speak with the attacker?" Luna said. "What have you learned, and what is his sentence going to be?"

"I've learned his name is Aketoki Nimaji, and that he is not what we believe him to be." She said as she turned to Hawk and Owl. "Hawk, Owl, I want you to take Luna's chariot and bring The Doctor here at once. Tell him Celestia requests his presence immediately."

"Yes your majesty!" Hawk said with a short bow.

"Also, I thank you and the other guards who protected my sister from harm." She said with a smile. "You have my eternal gratitude for the injuries you and your fellows sustained to protect Luna from."

"It was our pleasure your majesty." Owl replied before he and Hawk turned to leave so they could obey her orders.

"So what is to be done with him once The Doctor arrives?" Luna asked again as she followed Celestia to the throne room.

"Nothing, at the moment we can't understand a single word he's saying." She said. "Therefore we must first translate what he's saying and try to understand why he did what he did. Sentencing him for a crime he doesn't understand and can't respond to isn't fair for him."

"We're just going to let him off then, just because he doesn't know what we're saying?" Luna said in amazement. "Sister, he nearly killed twelve ponies, two of them being Hawk and Owl and your guards, not to mention injuring and wounding several others. Also the property damage, you can't seriously expect to…"

"Luna, may I remind you that before he encountered you and your guards, he had done nothing wrong in Canterlot." Celestia said sternly. "If anypony is to blame, it is you and your guards for unwittingly provoking the conflict. The injuries they sustained may have been to protect you, but it was still you who started the incident, unknowingly perhaps, and without intent maybe, but it was still your fault. Also as for the property damage, you caused it yourself did you not, breaking that shop and tearing up the street a bit?"

At that Luna looked away, thoroughly embarrassed at her sister telling her off. "Uh…yes… forgive us sister… we overreacted a bit."

Celestia nodded in understanding, knowing why her sister was so upset about this stallion. "I know sister you want to see justice done for those injured ponies… as well as losing six hundred and fifty bits worth of clothes and hats." She said with a smirk. "But next time you want to take your guards shopping, limit it to only a 'few' items, that way you don't lose so much or cause problems for me. Alright sister?"

Luna nodded as they entered the throne room to await the arrival of The Doctor.

=The Doctor's PoV, Ponyville, Hooves Residence=

"Oh Dinky… where are you?" He whispered as he looked around the living room for his little filly. "Yoohoo… Dinky… come out wherever you are."

He heard something shuffle behind the couch and snuck around it to see Dinky pretending to hide under a blanket.

"There you are Dinky." He said with smirk as he picked up the blanket to reveal a purple Dinky pretending to hide her face behind her hooves.

"Hi dad!" Dinky said with a smile, after her hooves separated to reveal her green eyes.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at 'Dinky' and only smiled as he knew why she looked that way. "Where is she?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Who are you talking about daddy?" Dinky said with a grin, revealing orange teeth.

"Where's the real Dinky Luna Toy." He said, knowing full well that his filly was trying to keep him busy.

The holographic Dinky wavered and vanished, revealing a small Luna toy barely four inches tall. The WalkNTalk Luna toy had been finished only two days ago, and already Dinky learned all the neat tricks it could do, and now was trying to use her toy to distract her dad. Still the toy could not hope to fool him forever, as he programmed it to never lie to him. (Forgive me creator, but Dinky asked me to distract you for Operation: Cookie Jar.) The toy said in a mechanical impersonation of Luna's voice.

The Doctor nodded as he turned and walked into the kitchen, already seeing the real Dinky using her magic to lift the cookie jar from on top of the fridge closer to her. He watched her open the cookie jar and pull out one of the cookies before he cleared his throat loudly to get her attention. "Dinky… what are you doing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, causing her to smile nervously.

"Uh… getting a snack?" Dinky replied, trying her best to hide the cookie jar behind her.

"You know you're not supposed to have cookies before dinner." He said with a smirk. "You'll spoil your dinner if you eat them before then."

"But they're yummy…" Dinky said sadly as he picked up the cookie jar and held up a hoof for the cookie she was holding with magic.

"I know they're yummy Dinky, after all your mother made them, but if I can't have any cookies before she gets home then neither can you or Sparkler." He said with a smirk as he took the cookie from her.

"Please can I have one daddy?" Dinky said, giving her best sad filly eyes to try and soften him up.

The Doctor was a nine hundred year old Time Lord, having fought Daleks, Cyber Men and their pony counterparts, faced off against generals and armies, come within inches of dying on countless occasions, and had become hardened to the realities of the world. Yet at the sight of those two eyes coming from his little filly, he couldn't help but smile. "Oh how can I say no to that face?" He said, taking the cookie and breaking it in half. "One half for you, one half for me, and don't tell your mother what I did or she'll have my head!"

"Daaaaaad!" An icy voice said.

Instantly The Doctor knew he was in trouble as he turned to stare at his other daughter, Sparkler standing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "Oh hello Sparkler… we were just… um…" He tried to say, but he could tell he was in trouble.

"Are you giving Dinky sweets before mom gets home?" Sparkler said, eyeing the half cookie in his hoof.

"Uh… maybe?" He said, trying his best to play innocent, but he knew he was in trouble.

Sparkler gave a grin at that response and raised her eyebrow. "So what was that about not telling mom or she'll have your head?" Sparkler said with an evil smile. "Care to explain why I shouldn't tell mom that you're spoiling her with treats before dinner?"

"Because I love you and you're my ever loving daughter, who would never think of telling on her dad in this life time?" He said with a very sheepish smile, knowing full well how this was going to end.

"Nice try dad, but while your sweet talking may work on mom, it's not going to help you keep that cookie from me!" Sparkler said as she walked over and took his half of the cookie from him. "Thanks for the snack dad."

"Oh come on Sparkler." He whined but she just smiled and ate his half of the cookie while Dinky ate her half.

"Nope, you know the rule dad, no cookies before dinner for you." Sparkler said as she greedily munched on the cookie in front of him. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm taking this cookie jar and putting it back on the fridge. No more snacks until mom comes home!"

They both enjoyed their halves of the cookie while Sparkler put the jar back where it was with her magic. Meanwhile he went to the fridge and pulled out the only snack they were 'allowed' to have before dinner, carrot sticks. "How come when I decide to bend the rules it's me who has to suffer?" He asked as he munched on the carrot.

"Because you love us dad." Sparkler said as she finished her half of the cookie before giving her dad a hug with Dinky.

The Doctor nodded as he chewed on his snack as the Luna toy walked into the kitchen. The toy had been given to Dinky for her to test and keep as her own about two days ago. The toy had been heavily damaged and nearly all of its systems had been lost. Yet the core memory had survived, which he knew was the most important detail for the toy. It didn't matter how close he made the toy act or sound when Dinky first encountered it, she wanted her Midnight Luna toy, and nothing else would suffice.

The filly protection tools still needed testing, and he had to make sure he could pack as much into this toy as he could. With all the recent chaos with The Professor, he needed a toy that could react quickly to any sort of threat that came at it. It still held true to the programming he put inside it, which made sure that it did not harm any pony while protecting its filly or foal, but that didn't mean it wouldn't use its tools in any other way.

This particular Luna toy, being the first prototype, had special tools that every other Luna toy would not have. One tool was a special syringe needle that had a small amount of an all cure serum, in case Dinky was poisoned in some improbable situation. The serum would instantly seek out any foreign infection to Dinky's body and wipe it out. Another tool it had was a special hook shot in all four hooves, designed to latch onto and carry heavy objects. These hooks were designed to be used in combination with its wing mounted jetpacks for short ranged flights. A fourth tool which he came up with was a modified projectile, designed to put even the wildest creature on Gaia to sleep, allowing Dinky and her toy a chance to flee.

Included with these and more hidden features were the usual, holographic projectors, DNA scanners, internal clock, force field projectors, temporary cloaking device, and synthesized voice modulator. All of these were powered by a new, more powerful, power cell which drew its energy from the combined Solar and Lunar energy absorbing panels built into the toy's outer body and along the toy's wings.

Yet despite all these tools and features packed into the little toy, it was still just a toy, and it's only purpose right now was to make Dinky happy. Even if that meant playing pranks on its creator once in a while, he didn't mind watching his filly giggle whenever he got fooled by the toy. Dinky loved her toy, and as long as she found it fun and was happy, he didn't care if after thirty years all that the toy protected her from was a falling cookie jar.

(Creator, there is somepony knocking at the door.) The toy said, and now that it brought his attention to the door he could hear urgent knocking.

"Strange, Derpy shouldn't be home for another hour." He said as he walked around the toy and headed for the front door.

He opened the door and instantly knew that something was up when he came face to face with Hawk, on of Luna's guards. He gave a short bow before talking. "Forgive me Doctor, but Princess Celestia requests your presence in Canterlot." He said, pointing at Luna's personal chariot where Owl was still waiting. "We have been asked to bring you to Canterlot as quickly as possible."

The Doctor sighed as he knew that something big had happened, else Celestia wouldn't have rushed these two here to bring him to Canterlot via chariot. "She forgets I still have my Tardis some days." He said to himself as he turned to look at Sparkler and Dinky in the kitchen. "Sparkler, tell Derpy when she gets home that I've been summoned to Canterlot by the Princesses. I might be back later but no guarantees."

"Alright dad." Sparkler said nervously.

As he closed the door and got into the chariot, while Hawk hooked himself to help pull with Owl, The Doctor looked back at his house and wished Celestia wouldn't call him for every little problem she seemed to have. "Today was mushroom and olive soup for dinner to…" He said to himself as Owl and Hawk took off, speeding him as quickly as they could to Canterlot as two Pegasus ponies could. "I know it must be serious, she doesn't call upon me unless it's serious, but by the stars I was looking forward to dinner today!"

=Canterlot Throne Room, Twenty minutes later=

(Celestia's PoV)

"That's the situation Doctor." Celestia finished saying after describing the events of the day. "We can't understand a single word he's saying. Apart from his name, we can't seem to communicate with him. This is why I asked you to come here Doctor, you are the only pony with any insight into… aliens… or languages that we have never encountered before. I was hoping you would be able to translate what he's saying so we can communicate with him."

She watched him think over what she told him before pacing back and forth across the floor. Once he stopped he turned to look at her and Luna, only this time he looked a little annoyed. "You brought me here to translate, that's it?" He asked, and she could hear the hint of annoyance now.

"Yes… forgive me but… I really couldn't think of anything else at the time." She said apologetically. "I'm sorry if this seems like… a waste of your talents… but we really don't have a lot of options without you."

She hoped that he wasn't mad at her; the one thing she feared above all was making him mad. She had witnessed his brilliance and sheer genius personally. She did not want that turned against her, or worse, for him to ignore one of her pleas in the future.

The Doctor sighed as he shook his head. "It's alright, like you said, this is up my alley." He said with a smile. "So what am I translating, do you have any idea what it is?"

Luna nodded and Owl took the paper Celestia had and handed it to The Doctor. "We don't know the language, but we do know he's somewhat educated if he can write with such care." She said as he read the paper with great speed.

"It's Japanese, an earth dialect and based on the scripture it's from the 1500's" He said instantly.

"You recognize it so quickly?" Celestia asked. "This is the language humans speak and write in?"

"Not all of them, but a small portion does when compared to the overall population of the species." He said. "Would you like a translation of what this poem says?"

/watch?v=ejtZOPL6iYE

"That's a poem?" Celestia asked, eyeing the lines of words. "That's a very small poem unless I'm reading it wrong."

"Most Japanese poems like this one are called Haikus; they are very short and are meant to bring out the purest essence of a picture being portrayed in the poem." He said with a smile.

"Please translate what the poem says Doctor, we are curious about what its words say." Luna said.

The Doctor nodded as he cleared his throat before reciting the poem for them. "The gentle life breeze, A forgotten song once played, It blows nevermore."

The poem was short, simple, and very odd to Celestia, yet at the poem's conclusion she felt a sudden sense of sadness so great that she couldn't help but cry. She wiped her eye to clear it of the tears that had appeared. "That was so beautiful… how does one write such beautiful poetry with such few words?" She asked as Luna was wiping her own eyes of tears.

"When you believe your about to die, that's how." The Doctor said as he folded the paper and gave it back to Owl. "It's a Death Poem, a Haiku written as a last message for the loved ones left behind. It reflects his life and sums it all up into a single poem; as such he probably meant it to be given to… somepony very special to him."

"A Death Poem… but why would he believe he was about to die?" Luna asked as she eyed the paper with amazement.

"Indeed, we captured him yes, but we provided him the best living space we could offer for a prisoner, even if he's in a maximum security cell." Celestia said. "I assured him that my guards would not harm him, I tried my best to show him compassion but… a Death Poem?"

"The weapon, you said he was carrying a blade of some kind correct?" The Doctor asked, and without pause Hawk walked forward and presented the curved blade in its sheath. "Just as I thought, it's a Samurai's Katana, the soul of the Samurai who wields it."

"Katana… soul?" Celestia asked curiously.

"The Katana is the main weapon of the Samurai; it's also considered his soul because he uses it and takes it everywhere he goes." The Doctor said as he unsheathed it a little to check the blade itself. "From the moment he takes up the sword, it stays with him. It's said that the soul of the Samurai warrior who wields it is stored inside the sword itself. The two become one throughout his life, to the point that he fights and dies with the sword. It has spiritual importance as well as practical importance; it is used for self-protection and is also considered a family treasure. It's not odd to find a single sword be passed down through several generations of a single family."

"Samurai… what's a samurai?" Luna asked.

"Samurai are the warrior class of the Japanese culture; they were the central focus of many armies in medieval Japan." The Doctor explained as he pulled the sword out of its sheath. "They were the most skilled, most disciplined, and most intellectual warriors Earth had to offer at that time. A samurai's life could end in one day, but his soul and story could span generations. This sword, the katana, was the weapon of choice for all samurai. You can just see it reflected in how it was designed and how it was made."

"The craftsmanship of this sword is impeccable… simply amazing how a simple design element transforms this weapon into probably one of Earth's greatest weapon designs in terms of swords." The Doctor said as he admired how the sword glinted in the light of the throne room. "Perfect blend of balance, and elegance, forged for the battlefield and tested for perfection… it's said that one sword was forged after the smith meditated for one hundred days under a waterfall in the freezing winter before forging it. Another sword it is said that during its forging, supposedly the master smith folded the metal of that sword over seven hundred times, to remove any impurities."

"I'm guessing that means this sword is powerful?" Celestia asked.

"Depends on your point of view, but enough of the sword, where's the owner that's what I want to know." The Doctor said as he put the sword away.

"The stallion is down in the dungeon, under maximum security because we honestly don't know where to put him." Celestia said.

"Well then let's get the party started!" The Doctor said as he handed Hawk the sword back. "I'm here to translate, so let's get translating shall we?"

=Ten minutes later.=

"Open the door." Celestia said to the four unicorn guards who were just preparing to finish their shift guarding the door.

They nodded and unlocked the door with their magic, allowing first The Doctor to enter then Celestia. However before her guards could follow her inside, she ordered them to wait outside.

"But your majesty!" Her commander of her Earth Elite's tried saying, but she silenced him with one look she rarely used.

"That stallion is more than enough to keep me safe from the prisoner, or do I need to remind you about him after the reports I gave you concerning that Time Lord?" She said.

"Uh… no your majesty… forgive me…" He said as she walked in alone, closing the door behind her.

/watch?v=sahd3fzCdZg

She looked around and saw that Aketoki was still sitting in the same spot he had been sitting, still staring at that picture of a flower as he had been earlier that day. "Aketoki?" She asked, hoping to get his attention.

The samurai only looked over at her and The Doctor before turning to look at the picture again.

She sighed as she went to the chair that had been left for her to use. "Doctor, you know his language correct?" She asked.

"Of course, just say what you want to say and I'll translate what you say and what he says." He said confidently.

She nodded and turned to Aketoki. "I have a translator to help me." She said, and instantly The Doctor started translating.

(Doctor Hooves) "Watashi wa watashi o tasukeru tame ni, hon'yaku-sha o motte iru."

At this Aketoki looked up and glanced between her and The Doctor. "My friend here is translating everything I say into your language." She said. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

(Doctor Hooves) "Watashi no yūjin wa anata no gengo ni watashi ga iu subete o hon'yaku shite iru." He said. "Anata wa watashi ga nani o itte iru rikai shite imasu ka?"

Aketoki nodded before giving his response, which The Doctor translated for her. "Yes I understand what you're saying." He said. "How is this possible, I thought none of you could understand me? Yet here your friend is speaking my language?"

"You will find my friend here is many things, a traveler being one of them." Celestia said with a smile, glad that she could finally speak to this pony. "But first we need to discuss some things, first of all my name is Princess Celestia, I am the ruler of this kingdom called Equestria. You are currently in the capitol called Canterlot, and this is the castle at the center of Canterlot."

"If you are the princess, where is your emperor?" He asked respectfully.

"There is no emperor, only my sister and me; we are the rulers of Equestria." She said calmly. "When I tried talking to you before, you kept saying this word… Daimyō I believe. What is a Daimyō?"

"I was asking for your leader, the leader of this city… I did not expect a female to be your city's leader… with all due respect."

"Don't worry, I'm not offended, but now that we can talk I have questions for you. The first is what were you doing wandering my city today?"

"I was lost… trying to find where I was and searching for anyone who I could talk to." Aketoki said. "I have been journeying for three weeks, trying to find my beloved Hanayo Kusaji, before Hogeki finds her."

"You were looking for a lost pony?" Celestia asked.

"Yes…" He replied.

"Alright I can understand that, now why did you attack my sister and her guards?"

"The purple female with the wings and horn was your sister?" He asked nervously.

"Yes that's Luna, my sister, and the two guards protecting her were Hawk and Owl." Celestia said calmly. "You injured her two guards quite a bit, as well as my own guards; I want to know what provoked such action."

When she finished she watched as Aketoki nervously got out of the chair, went to the middle of the room and got down on all four hooves in a very low bow. "Forgive me; I did not know she was of royalty as well as your sister Princess." He said. "I will perform Harakiri for you if that is a suitable punishment for this crime I have committed!"

Celestia didn't understand what Harakiri was, so she glanced over at The Doctor for a translation. ("It means belly cutting, it's a samurai thing they perform when they've committed a terrible crime that is punished by death.") He said quietly. ("He's saying he offers to kill himself if that is what the punishment, which where he comes from it is, for threatening your sister's life is.")

"Please there is no need for that." Celestia said cueing The Doctor to resume translating. "While your crime may be severe, it only makes me wonder why you attacked them in the first place. From what my guards said, you weren't hostile until they showed up."

"When I saw your sister, I did not pay her any attention… although… there is one question if you will permit me to ask of it…" Celestia nodded and said he was free to ask anything. "May I ask… why are all of your males and females… including you… naked?"

"Naked?" She asked.

At this the samurai, now blushing, pointed at her rump where her cutie mark was, then pointed at The Doctor where his should be if it weren't on the other side.

It clicked in her head. "You are asking why we do not wear clothes when you do, and when we clearly have clothes to wear." She said, to which he nodded. "You see for us, clothes are a formality we only wear for formal occasions. For the most part we are almost always 'naked' but we do wear clothes for certain situations. We pay no attention to those parts you would hide, unless it's between two… close individuals."

The Doctor mimicked the way she spoke the last two words, giving Aketoki the hint to drop that particular subject and answer her previous question. "In any case, I paid her no mind besides the fact that she too was… naked… and would have otherwise done nothing else. But then her guard… appeared."

"You mean Owl; he was the first one of her two guards you saw."

"Yes… he looked like someone I knew, and I was sure he was who I thought he was!" He said bitterly. "But after I defeated him, I knew he was not who I thought he was. It was my mistake… but it was too late to take back what I did… I had no choice but to fight your soldiers… I wish you had killed me, so I would not have to live with this dishonor."

"My kingdom is one built on peace, and friendship, trust and understanding." Celestia said with her gentle words. "I have never once executed or killed a pony in my kingdom. Not a single pony has ever been killed here, and as long as I rule from the throne upstairs, it shall remain that way. Now tell me… why did you think my sister's guard was some other pony?"

"He looked exactly like him, he has the same eyes, the same mane… the same body… everything was the same except for his armor… and after I defeated him did I notice the major difference that separated them… his wings." He said. "He was not my enemy, and once I realized my mistake I knew I had committed a terrible crime. Yet at the time I was not focused on the prospect that he was not my enemy… again I apologize for the terrible mistake I have made."

"That's okay, but tell me why did you attack him, and what is the name of this pony you said Owl looked like?" Celestia asked.

Before he could respond however, one of her guards knocked on the door and stepped inside. "Forgive me your majesty but Princess Luna says it's time to change the sun's and moon's positions once more." Her guard said respectfully.

"Have we been down here that long?" Celestia asked in amazement.

"Believe me, we have been!" The Doctor said, rubbing his throat tiredly.

"Very well, inform her I'll be up shortly." She said to the guard before turning to look at Aketoki. "Forgive me, but its sundown and I have duties I must perform. I will return tomorrow to continue asking you questions and trying to understand the situation."

"As you wish." Aketoki said giving a short bow as Celestia and The Doctor left the cell, allowing her elite guard to once more lock it down.

As she walked up with The Doctor her thoughts turned to Aketoki and the conversations she had with him. "Well I confirmed one thing about him; he's not the violent pony that my guard originally described him as." She said to her friend as they left the dungeon below them. "Would you be willing to stay here for the night Doctor, I would like you to continue translating for us so we can continue talking to him and understanding this whole situation tomorrow."

"Sure, as long as that includes a free dinner!" The Doctor said cheerfully. "I'm quite hungry and thirsty now that I mention it. Translating really takes its toll on the throat let me tell you!"

"Then I shall make the necessary preparations for dinner Doctor." Celestia said as they entered the throne room where her sister was waiting.

=Midnight, near a small strand of woods in sight of Canterlot=

(Hogeki's PoV)

Hogeki was watching the city from the small base camp he and his ninja established as they followed Aketoki to this strange city with its vast buildings and a gleaming white castle of stone. With their help he had hidden their camp so that the strange flying ponies that roamed these plains would not spot them if they happened to fly over it. He was waiting for his ninja to return from their latest missions, so he could plan his next move.

He knew that Aketoki would be the biggest obstacle if his marriage to Hanayo was to succeed, as long as he lived she would never be his. He also had to find her, or else he would never claim her, as is his right as an heir and with the permission of her father.

He waited until he saw a glint of light appear twice before unsheathing his sword and reflecting the moonlight twice off of it. Five minutes later two shadows swiftly closed the distance between the city and his camp. These two shadows were both ninja that he had sent to follow Aketoki in the city to observe him. They returned early, which meant one of two things.

They were either spotted, or something happened to him that was urgent.

"What is your report?" He asked, not wanting to waste time.

"Sir, Aketoki has been taken prisoner by the rulers of this city!" One of the ninja said with a short bow.

At his bit of news Hogeki nodded in mild surprise. "Continue…"

"He started a fight with a female, probably of royal birth if the crown on her head and appearance is anything to go by." He continued. "He fought with great skill and seriously wounded at least twelve soldiers, and injured another ten at least by the time they captured him. He was taken to the castle under heavy guard, bound in ropes."

Hogeki nodded, pleased by this turn of events, it couldn't have been any better unless Hanayo turned up right now and presented herself before him. "This happened just now?" He asked curiously.

"No, it happened many hours ago, just as the sun hit mid-day." The second one said in response.

"And you didn't report this to me immediately because?" Hogeki shouted furiously, the happy turn of events becoming sour at that bit of information.

If these two had reported this earlier, he could have taken advantage of Aketoki's attack on this city's Daimyō, and used it to get Aketoki delivered to him for execution! Now Hogeki had to wait until morning to present himself before this city's Daimyō, and in the time between he was captured and tomorrow, Aketoki could talk. The risk was losing the chance he would have had before when they believed him to be violent and dangerous, to appear civilized and respectful, making it easier to get Aketoki for himself.

The ninja knew he was angry, and their response was quick. "We had to be careful with how we moved, or else we would have exposed ourselves!" One of them said. "The city's inhabitants are not like us, we had to learn as much as we can to avoid being detected… also… we had to find a hiding spot to conceal our clothes and weapons. It was the only way to infiltrate the city without detection."

"Why would you need to hide your clothes and weapons?" He said through gritted teeth, the anger still present in his tone.

The ninja did not look up at him, but he could tell they weren't thrilled about answering that question. "These ponies… are very different from us… almost all of them… are naked." The first ninja said.

Hogeki took a second to make sure he understood what they were telling him, before he repeated it. "Naked… all of them are naked?"

"Yes… we had to be careful not to stare… there were many females…" He said, his voice trailing off in embarrassment.

Hogeki understood, one of the important thing Ninja had to learn, was how to blend in with the crowd. He could just imagine them having to strip down to nothing, just to pretend to be locals, and all the while controlling themselves around so many naked females while sticking to their mission. He looked out at the city and decided he would have to learn what he could during the night before presenting himself before this city's Daimyō.

"Strange ponies they are…" He whispered to himself as he suddenly pictured hundreds upon hundreds of male and female ponies, all naked going about their business as though nothing were wrong. In physical contact with each other all the time no less, visible to others every second of the day. "To think husbands and wives would allow their other's, including their daughters and sons to be seen naked by others without a second thought. Strange… they are indeed… strange…"