The sound of the large doors being pushed open filled the hallway. I watched two guards struggle slightly to push the door open. Peering inside, I could see the room was brighter than any other room or hallway I had seen in the castle, and I could see nothing other than what seemed to be two thrones at the far end of the room. There appeared to be a pony sitting on one of the thrones, but I could not make out any features as they were too far away.
As the doors finally were pushed open far enough so that someone could walk through them, Twilight and I were gestured to start walking inside the room. Twilight began to walk inside the room, and I stood motionless for a moment before working up the courage to follow Twilight inside the bright room.
Stepping inside, my eyes started to adjust to the extra light in the room as Twilight, and I approached the pony on the throne. As we walked closer, I could begin to make out the features of the pony. She was much larger than any pony I had seen so far, even bigger than Applejack's brother. She looked to be as tall as me, if not taller. Her fur was as white as I was, and I was as white as snow. Her hair was not hair as it looked more closely to what you see in the northern lights on Earth.
We walked for a moment before coming to the foot of the stairs leading to the princess's throne, which the princess was sitting on. Twilight stopped and lowered the upper half of her body to the ground, bowing to the princess. I dropped the upper half of my body. I waited, staring at the ground, half expecting my heart to beat before she finally spoke.
"You may rise, Twilight Sparkle and Jack Marrow," Celestia said.
Twilight and I raised our bodies at the sound of Celestia's firm yet gentle voice that echoed a power I had only heard once. Raising my head and looking at her, I saw she was now standing. Looking at her this way, I could tell she was as tall as me. As I and Twilight waited for her to continue, she let out a small chuckle.
"So, this is the special human I have heard about. I must say you look unique. What is your name?" Celestia asked.
"Um, uh, J-Jack Marrow, ma'am," I said nervously.
"Jack Marrow," Celestia said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "What a wonderful name."
Twilight cleared her throat, catching both mine and Celestia's attention, "Princess, I know you wanted to see Jack, but I have to ask. Why did you send the royal guard to escort us?"
Celestia let out another small chuckle before answering Twilight, "Jack is a very special individual, yes. I wanted to ensure that nothing happened to him on your way here. And those three who escorted you two will play a bigger role, which I'll explain in a moment."
"Okay, well, that makes a little more sense," Twilight said.
"Well, first things first, why don't you two tell me how you met each other and how Jack ended up living with you, Twilight?" Celestia asked.
"Well, it all started when I woke up in a random forest. I wandered around for a few hours before I ended up in the Everfree forest," I said as Celestia let out a gasp.
"How awful. That area is quite dangerous," Celestia said.
"Yes, I am aware now, but when I entered the forest, I did so because I saw a stone structure. After entering the forest, I was chased to the stone structure, which turned out to be the ruins of the castle of the two sisters," I said.
"Yes, it was mine and Luna's old home. It is good to see that it is still being of use one thousand years later," Celestia said.
"It was very helpful to my survival. After I entered the forest, I was chased by a pack of Timberwolves. I escaped them and found my way into the castle. After calming down a bit, I explored the rooms in the main hallway. When exiting the last room, I tripped and accidentally discovered something," I said, causing Celestia to shift her weight.
"Oh, and what did you find?" Celestia asked.
"He found a secret room in the castle," Twilight said with excitement.
Celestia turned to look at me in confirmation, and I started to speak, "She is right. I found a secret room and descended until I reached a hidden laboratory, I think," I said.
"Did you find anything in this laboratory?" Celestia asked.
"I found two things of great note. One was a stone golem who I accidentally bonded to and named Stonehenge," I responded.
"A stone golem," Celestia said in surprise. "And I thought they had gone extinct a long time ago. Where is Stonehenge now?"
"Right now, he is either at the library or with Applejack and Spike," Twilight responded.
"I see. Well, that does not change much. Anyways, what else did you find in the secret room?" Celestia asked.
"Well, I found this," I said as I reached into my bag and pulled out 'The Royal Book of Magic, Magical Artifacts, and Creatures.'
Celestia's eyes widened as she looked at the book. I held it in the air for her to see before she started to speak, "May I see the book?"
"Yes, ma'am," I replied.
Celestia's horn started to glow golden as the book was taken from me. It flew through the air before stopping in front of Celestia. She looked over the book before she did something that I did not expect. She opened the book and began to read its contents before closing and bringing it back to me, which I grabbed and looked over.
"No fair," Twilight whispered to herself.
"Tell me. What happened when you found the book, Jack?" Celestia asked.
"Well, when I touched the book, my magic flared up, which it absorbed. Now, occasionally, it will have random information I have seen, like spells and creatures," I responded.
"I see. Well, you may keep the book for now. I wonder how filled it will become. Now, please continue your recollections," Celestia said.
"Okay, um. After finding the book and Stonehenge, I built a fire and fell asleep. The next day, I was going out to look for food with Stonehenge and heard a scream. Running to the scream, I found Twilight being pinned down by the same Timberwolves that had chased me. So, I attacked both before Stonehenge scared them off," I said.
"What were you doing in the Everfree alone, Twilight?" Celestia asked a bit more sternly.
"Oh, I was tracking the magical disturbance that happened when Jack woke up Stonehenge," Twilight said as she tried her best to avoid eye contact with Celestia.
"I do applaud your curiosity, but please try not to do anything like going into the Everfree alone again, Twilight," Celestia said.
"Yes, Princess Celestia," Twilight said as she looked at the ground.
"Back to the point. You saved Twilight's life, and she invited you to stay with her," Celestia asked, looking at me.
"Yes, Princess Celestia," I responded.
"I see. Twilight, can you please leave the room? I need to speak with Jack alone for a moment," Celestia said.
Twilight looked up wide-eyed before speaking, "Wait. Are you sure, princess?"
"Yes, Twilight, it will be, but a moment I will let you know when you can re-enter," Celestia responded.
Twilight turned to walk away before stopping to speak to me. " You'll be fine; I'll see you in a bit."
Twilight walked towards the door we had used to enter, passing through it as the guards stationed at the door followed her out. As the door closed, I turned to look at Celestia, who almost had a slight shift in her aura as the pressure in the room changed. She was staring at me, unblinking.
"Jack, I have to give you my sincerest thanks for saving Twilight. Along with the maid from two weeks ago. That being said, I have to ask. Does she know yet?" Celestia asked.
My mind raced for a second before I realized she was more than likely one of the first to know I was dead. "She knows that I have a secret. She just doesn't know what it is."
"Secrets hold more hurt than the truth. Why not tell her the truth?" Celestia asked.
"And tell her what? That I am dead. That she has a corpse living with her. That I have been lying to her face for the last two weeks," I said as tears started to form in my eyes.
Celestia blinked in surprise, almost like she didn't expect what I said before she spoke softly, "I…How…how did it happen?"
I wiped the tears from my eyes as I began to speak, "I was betrayed by my friends when a man offered them power. I was stabbed, beaten, and left to freeze all alone."
Celestia looked at me with curiosity in her eyes before speaking, "And you know this killed you?"
"Yeah, my heart stopped beating when I woke up in that morgue and saw it as still as a stone with my very eyes," I responded.
Celestia narrowed her eyes and started to walk down the stairs. " Is that your only proof?" she asked, stopping at the foot of the stairs.
"no. I was told I was dead by the man who let me come back," I replied as I stared at Celestia's hooves.
"And what was the name of this man? And how do you know he was not lying," Celestia said as she took a step closer.
"His name was Arora, and what does he gain from lying to me? Especially about being dead." I asked as I felt a bit of anger starting to well up in my throat.
Celestia looked visibly shocked at the name I had said, almost like she knew him, "T-There are many reasons to lie, whether to cause harm or to protect oneself or those they care about. Jack, are you sure you met Arora?" Celestia said as she came closer to me, stopping about a foot away from me, her eyes wide in anticipation of my answer.
"That was the name he gave himself. Why do you know him," I asked curiously as I shifted my weight from how close Celestia was to me.
Celestia's eyes darted back and forth as if she were thinking of an answer, "May I see your pendant, Jack?" Celestia asked, attempting to change the subject.
Not wanting to push the ruler of this land, I reached under my shirt and pulled out the golden pendant. Holding it in the air, Celestia looked it over, inspecting every angle and observing all nooks and crannies. As she looked it over, I could see her breathing intensifying before she finally took a step back.
"Where did you get this, Jack?" Celestia asked with a hint of anger in her throat.
"My mother gave it to me. She said it belonged to my father. It is the only thing I have of his, and now it stuck to me," I responded.
Celestia took another step back in surprise, and what anger she had faded away before she spoke softly, "I see. How well did you know your father? What was his name?"
"I didn't know him very well; I was too young when he vanished. My mother told me his name was Revontulia, and from what I heard, he was an adventurer and a man who fought for those who could not." I replied with a bit of sadness.
"You said, vanished. What do you mean by that?" Celestia asked.
"Truth be told, we… I don't know. I was told that he went out one day and never came back," I responded.
Celestia looked towards the window before turning back to me, "If you don't mind, can you take the pendant off so I may hold it?"
"I wish I could, but no one has been able to take it off, not even me," I said as Celestia raised one eyebrow.
"May I try?" she asked.
"Sure, but I don't know…" was all I could say before I felt a pull on my neck.
Celestia's horn glowed before she gave the pendant a small tug as it released itself from around my neck. I watched in shock as it floated toward Celestia, stopping as she placed it in her hoof. I grabbed my chest where the pendant had been a moment ago. How was she able to do that?
"Surprised?" Celestia asked.
"How did you do that?" I asked as she held the pendant out for me to grab.
As I reached out to grab it, she pulled back before speaking softly," Not with your hands. With your magic."
Holding out my hand, it started to glow blue as I grabbed my pendant in my magic and brought it to my hand. As it landed in my hand, I looked over it, contemplating if I wanted to put it back on. Taking a deep breath, I put the pendant back around my neck, letting it dangle freely.
"It looks good on you," Celestia said.
"Uh, thanks. I didn't think I could use magic without the pendant," I said as I looked down at the pendant.
"Why did you think that?" Celestia asked.
"Well, we all thought that it allowed me to use magic. We thought it was a magic core," I responded.
"It is no such thing. Only those born with cores or the manipulation of primal forces can make this type of magic," Celestia said.
"How can I use magic then?" I asked, unsure about my physiology.
Celestia stared at me before shaking her head, "You were either born with it, or you are akin to a changeling."
"I'm just a human. How could I be born with magic? My world has none," I asked.
"Hmm, the real question you should ask is, are you fully human," Celestia said.
When those words left Celestia's mouth, I felt a pair of shackles lifted from me, only to be replaced by another. I had spent my entire life not needing to answer this question, but now I am being forced to ask this question. Am I human?
"What? How… I was born a human?" I asked.
"One is human, one is not. Do you know whether your mother or father is actually a human?" Celestia asked.
"I don't know," I said, feeling like my head was going to burst.
I thought about my parents. My mother was always there for me, but at the same time, she hid herself from the world and had roots on earth. She had family that I had actually seen. But my father, I barely knew anything about him. He vanished before I could make memories of him. The only thing I had of his, Celestia knew about it, and she obviously knew who Arora was.
My mind flashed to meeting Arora, how he seemed to know me, and how he seemed to break down as our time went on. I thought about the last thing he said to me: 'Please stay safe and enjoy your new life. I will always be watching my.' My what? What was I to him? Why was he so concerned with me? Why did he lie to me? What did he say?
My mind flashed back to Arora saying his goodbyes, and I focused closely on his lips, trying to read them. The more I concentrated, the more I felt a familiar pressure welling up in my chest. The memory replayed in my mind over and over, making me feel like I was watching the same movie for hours, even though it was only a few seconds in reality. As I watched his lips for the last time, I finally understood what he had said in those final moments.
"He called me son," I said as the feeling in my chest intensified.
"So, it is true," Celestia said to herself.
I grabbed my chest as this familiar pressure welded up inside, but there was no heat like what had happened to my limbs. If I had thought better, I would have said that I was having a heart attack, but if I had to better describe it was like a heart attack in reverse. With a sense of anticipation coursing through me, I gently moved my trembling right hand and rested it on my chest, just above the spot where I had seen my heart two weeks ago. I closed my eyes, holding my breath, and waited for the familiar sensation to return.
"Good, let it happen, Jack. Everyone's heart has to beat sometimes, even if it is not as fast as the others," Celestia said.
I looked down at my chest and finally felt something I had not felt since waking up here. I felt a single heartbeat and only a single heartbeat as I felt a wave of energy, a wave of life. I had nearly forgotten the feeling. I was not a walking corpse. I was alive. With this feeling, I let a stream of tears run down my face as this sudden realization was given to me.
"I'm alive," I said in shock.
"Yes, Jack, you are alive. You have always been alive," Celestia said.
"But if I'm not dead, then what am I? Am I a monster?" I asked as I wiped tears from my eyes.
"No, no, no," Celestia said as she stepped closer, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "The way I see it, you are you. Whether dead or alive, you will always be you, and nothing can change that."
"Yeah, you're right. That doesn't solve a few things," I said.
"And what would those be?" Celestia asked as she put her hoof back down.
"Is this why I look so different compared to all the other humans? I know I used to look a lot like them when I was back in my world," I asked.
"More than likely, yes, and what is worse, I don't expect this to be the end. More likely, your body is reacting to the ambient magic along with your own magic, which is causing your body to change.
"So I'm gonna turn into a pony?" I asked, a bit worried.
"A pony? No, not fully. I expect you to keep most of your human features, like your hands, but with pony accents like fur, among other things. It is too early to tell," Celestia said.
"I see so half human half pony look," I said.
"Yes. Do you have any more questions?" Celestia asked.
"Yeah. I have been beaten and broken so many times, but I have been able to heal from even the most lethal wounds, save for where I was stabbed. Why is that?" I asked, and a look of surprise appeared on Celestia's face.
"Let me see the wound! Now!" Celestia said with a stern and demanding tone.
Not wasting any time, I pulled the right side of my pants down, exposing the hole in my leg for Celestia to see. It looked a little smaller than what it had been earlier today. She leaned in closer, looking at the hole in my leg as her horn started to glow golden. The hole began to glow gold for a moment before stopping, and Celestia leaned back, sighing as she did.
"You may pull up your clothing. The wound will heal… eventually. You are lucky, Jack. If your physiology were not constantly healing, your leg would have become infected by now. I need to know what the weapon that did this to you looked like," Celestia said.
I pulled up my pants before responding to Celestia, " It was a pocketknife. What's wrong with it?"
"What color was the blade, Jack? Do you still have it," Celestia asked. A look of worry was on her face.
"It was silver, but I noticed that its reflection looked like a rainbow in the sunlight. But I don't have it on me anymore. I buried it a little over a week ago. Too many bad memories," I said as Celestia's look of worry lessened slightly.
"Jack, I applaud you for burying it. I need you to have Spike send it to me as soon as possible. That is a dangerous weapon that must be scrapped and repurposed,' Celestia said.
"Okay, I'll try to do that when Twilight and I get home. Also, why is it so dangerous?" I asked, not realizing it was more than a knife.
"It is a knife if that is what you are wondering. But what it is made of is the terrifying part. It is made of a rare metal that is able to store magic. It is called core steel. The more magic stored, the more damage it can cause. With enough magic, you could hurt or kill an alicorn," Celestia asked.
"I see. Wait, you're telling me that someone came from Equestria to stab me with a rare metal? Why would they leave it," I asked.
"That's what scares me. It takes a lot of power to do what they did. I will have the guard look into this. You said you had a second question. What was it?" Celestia asked.
"Yeah, I have to ask princess. How do you know, Arora? And why am I able to heal like this?" I asked.
"Well, for your healing, that is because of your father and his lineage. Only fire, magic, and or magical weapons are able to weaken, hurt, and or kill truly. As for how I know your father, I knew him from the day he was born to the day he…," Celestia paused for a moment to look down before looking back to me. "To the day he left."
"I see. Why did he leave," I asked Celestia.
"He said he wanted to explore and see things not seen before. Seeing you, I know he got what he wanted," Celestia said, her voice hinting at a mixture of pride, joy, and sadness.
As I stood there and thought of what Celestia had said, I felt that I was not getting the full truth about that matter. Whether it was why my father left Equestria or what my father's true relationship was with Celestia. Her explanation was sincere, yet her carefully chosen words hid some of the truth. I only had some pieces for this puzzle, and I knew that the rest were not all on the table, at least not yet.
"Do you have any more questions, Jack?" Celestia said softly.
"Should I tell Twilight?" I asked in response.
Celestia thought for a moment before responding, "That choice is yours to make. Is it easy to tell her that you're not dead, but you're a hybrid of a human and a pony?"
"I'll have to think about it. That was all my questions. Do you have any for me, princess?" I asked.
"I do, but I believe they can wait for now. The others must be in suspense for us to finish. I have news for you and Twilight, so Let's have the others join us," Celestia said as her horn started to glow.
I heard the doors opening across the room as I turned to look at the glowing gold doors. The door swung open with what looked like very little force on Celestia's part. As the door came to a fully open state, Celestia's horn stopped glowing, and a familiar purple mare popped her head out from the side of the door. The three guards were the next ones to stick their heads out as Celestia gestured for all of them to come inside.
Twilight was the first to re-enter the throne room in a light jog to get to us as quickly as possible. Battleborn, Thistle's Thorn, and Hidden Mist entered the room next, with Battleborn at the head of the group and Thistle's Thorn at the rear, walking towards us. Twilight made it to us, standing by my side before pulling me down.
"How did it go?" Twilight whispered.
I looked down at Twilight's smiling face, and a wave of warmth washed over me before I responded, "I'll tell you in a bit. The princess has something to say."
"I'll hold you to that," Twilight whispered.
Battleborn, Thistle's Thorn, and Hidden Mist finally made it to the rest of us. As they stood in a single formation, they bowed toward the princess before raising their heads, waiting for Celestia to speak.
Well, now that we are all here, I have an announcement to make," Celestia said as she paused to look at Twilight and me. "Twilight and Jack, as of officially today, there will now be forty guards stationed in Ponyville."
"What? Why do there need to be guards in Ponyville? Twilight asked abruptly.
"Well, due to the recent news of Jack and for overall safety and security, along with the Everfree being so near, I decided it was best to station guards in the area. They will be leaving for Ponyville with you and Jack tomorrow," Celestia said.
"Why do you want them leaving with Jack and me? and who will be in charge of the guard in Ponyville?" Twilight asked with a dumbfounded look on her face.
"Well, Twilight, I want you to officially announce it to Ponyville, and don't worry. I have already sent a letter to Mayor Mare. She should be getting the stage ready for you. As for who is in charge, that will be Battleborn," Celestia said as she gestured to Battleborn.
"It is an honor and a privilege, ma'am," Battleborn said as he saluted.
"What about the other two? What will they be doing?" I asked.
"Both Hidden Mist and Thistle's Thorn are working directly under Battleborn to help organize the guard. They were chosen by both me and Battleborn,' Celestia said.
"Where will the guard live? There aren't many places for them to make home," Twilight asked.
"Well, as a temporary solution, and because it will be close to where their normal station will be, they will be staying in the basement of the town hall. Once construction is finished, the barracks will be located near the eastern clock tower," Celestia said.
Twilight looked back and forth between the guards, Celestia, and me before asking," Is there anything else that we should know?"
Celestia looked at me before shaking her head as she spoke, "That was all. You and Jack are free to leave. I must speak with the guards now. One of the guards at the doors will show you to your room."
"Okay, princess. Come on, Jack, let's go," Twilight said as she began to walk to the door.
I made a quick turn to look at Celestia, who met my gaze before I turned to follow Twilight out of the room. We made our way to the entrance of the throne room, where we found a guard waiting for us.
"Follow me to your room," the guard spoke in a deep voice.
"Yes, sir," I said.
"Lead the way," Twilight said.
The guard turned as he started to walk through the hallways, leading Twilight, and me. As we walked, I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was a bit lower than it was when we entered the throne room. As we walked, I felt a tapping on my leg, and I knew Twilight wanted my attention.
"Yes?" I asked as I turned to look at the purple unicorn mare.
"So, what did you and Celestia talk about?" Twilight asked.
"Well, we talked about how I got here as well as my pendant," I responded.
"Did she know what it was?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, she did. She even took it off," I said.
Twilight's face lit up along with her horn as she tried to pull the pendant off, only to find that it was stuck again. "Oh, come on, I thought you said she took it off?"
"She did, but I put it back on," I replied.
"Why would you do that?" Twilight asked.
"Cause it is one of the only things I have of my father, Ar…," I said before quickly correcting myself. "Revontulia."
"What a weird human name. what does it mean?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know. Actually, I think it might have been a foreign name," I replied.
"Did you talk about," Twilight said as she leaned in closer and whispered. "You know what?"
"We did, but I'll wait till we are in the room to explain everything. I don't want ponies able to hear so freely," I responded.
"That is… a good point. We should be near the lodging area, or at least if I remember correctly," Twilight said.
"You are correct, miss Twilight. Just two more rights, and we will be at your room," the Guard said.
As we turned the corner into a slightly larger hallway, I felt a strong breeze on my back from the autumn air. It did not feel as cold as it had earlier. I turned my head to look where the breeze was coming from. As I turned my head and saw it, my eyes widened in surprise at what I was seeing.
It was where my chase around the castle ended two weeks ago when the maid and I crashed into each other and ended up dangling for her life. Where I saved the maid and indirectly injured Thistle's Thorn, only to fall into the forest below. As the memory faded again, Twilight turned to look at the broken window.
"What happened there?" Twilight asked, causing the guard to turn his head.
"It was an accident a few weeks ago. somepony crashed through the window," the guard replied.
"Are they alright?" Twilight asked.
"Last I heard, they were doing just fine," the guard said, shooting a quick glance toward me before looking back toward where we were walking.
"That's good to hear, right Jack," Twilight asked, looking towards me.
"Better than the alternative," I said.
We continued down the path before making another right turn. As we turned, we walked past another guard, and I could see all the doors. Most were cracked open, allowing me to look inside. Inside each room, there was a large bed, a couch, and a desk. As we followed the guard, he took us to the end of the hall before pointing to one of the rooms on the right.
"That will be your room tonight. If you have any questions, head back to the guard stationed over there. Enjoy the rest of your day," the Guard said as he turned to walk away.
Twilight and I turned and entered the corner room on the right. It was like all the other rooms I had seen, with a large bed with a bunch of pillows, a long couch, and a desk, although it did look a little larger on the inside. There was a door in between the couch and the bed, which led to a small bathroom.
"You want the bed? I'll take the couch," I said as I walked over to the couch.
"Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping on the couch as well," Twilight asked, walking towards the end of the bed.
"It's fine. Just toss me one or two of those pillows, and I'll be fine," I said as I took off my backpack and set it at the end of the couch.
"Okay, here you go," Twilight said as she lifted two of the pillows with her magic and levitated them over to me.
I took the pillows out of Twilight's Magic and placed them on the other side of the couch where I would be lying my head. Once I had placed the pillows down, I heard the door close and the sound of a mattress. Turning to look, I could see Twilight lying at the edge of the bed, looking at me.
"Okay, Jack, the door is shut. It's time to explain what happened," Twilight said as she pulled out one of the scrolls and quills from her bag.
"Okay. Well. I," I said as I paused.
"Come on, Jack, I won't judge," Twilight said as she smiled.
"Well, I'm… I'm half pony," I said.
The room fell silent as Twilight's magic stopped working, allowing the quill to fall on the bed as she stared at me unblinkingly. We stared at each other, not breathing, before Twilight finally took a long and deep breath. I braced myself for what was about to happen as Twilight's reaction came to full steam.
"YOU'RE A HALF WHAT!" Twilight yelled.