The World Hereafter. [Ch5] Breakfast at Celestia's.

>Most of the night is spent looking up at the domed ceiling of your room in one of the towers.
>Twilight had gone to talk to the other princess, who, she had noted, was her teacher.
>After tossing and turning for a while, you begin feeling bad once more.
>You'd kill for a chance at just falling asleep and wake up wet and cold on a beach in Cassis.
>To wake up and know it was only a dream.
>It's as real as the headache that slowly creeps up on your mind now.
>Then, like a whisper in your head, you begin to hear something.
>Like a soft humming. A voice?
>It shifts in tone, becoming crisper until you can hear it as clearly as day.
>A lullaby? What was... Luna?
>You fall asleep. No dreams or thoughts.
>Only a sweet humming to carry you away throughout the night.

>You wake up, feeling no sorrow, only a slight hollow in between your lungs.
>Something feels like it's missing, as if you have lost something long ago but didn't realize it until now.
>It feels weird. You lay there, looking at the ceiling until the Sun begins to rise beyond the horizon and cast it's golden light upon the bedchambers.
>A knock comes on the door and your head turns to it.
"Come in."
>Your reply comes before you realize that you've given it.
>Odd. You don't feel like talking to anyone, so why the casual tone?
>Suddenly you realize that you don't feel sad at all. Bummed maybe, but nothing more than that.


>Twilight pushes the door open and trots in.
>"Good morning, Anonymous. How did you sleep?"
>You sit up, leaning against the white headboard as you look at the purple mare at your bedside.
"I... I think I slept well, actually."
>Wait, what's going on here? You spend ONE night at Canterlot and suddenly everything is peachy?
>No, that's not it. You are being overly dramatic again.
>All you feel is perhaps more calm and collected.
>Why? You aren't like that, at least not really. The stone faced outer is just your shield.
>A strong man doesn't need a shield, especially one made of lies.
>Why are you telling yourself this?! Have you gone mad?
>It's like something flipped in you yesterday.
>Suddenly you're having thoughts that you didn't use to have, thoughts you'd easily push away for being needless.
>All you usually need is some booze and a quiet evening and everything's right as rain.
>This unsettling discovery doesn't sit well at all.
>Twilight seems to notice your confusion and rears up to put her front hooves on the side of the bed.
>"Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm sure you'll feel better then."
>She's more right than you want to admit.
>You feel a rumbling in your core and realize you're hungry as hell.
>You sit up, twilight moves aside as you swing your legs off the side of the bed and push yourself up.
>You go to stretch, but nothing feels out of place.
>You feel great, physically at least.
>This is getting weird. You think for a bit but for some reason you can't get unnerved by it.
>It feels good. Shit.

>Twilight takes up a calm pace to the door.
>You follow suit and soon you two are walking down a sunlit corridor along a courtyard.
>A fountain sputters merrily in it's center, it's made out of white stone with two of those pegasus-unicorns standing in a rearing position on top of it.
>One of them is clearly princess Luna that you met yesterday.
>The other one, you don't know. Oh wait!
>Twilight told you the other one is her teacher, right?
>Maybe she'll know a solution to all of this.
>Luna seems to know more than she's letting on as well, with all that cryptic talk about helping you.
>Okay, what the fuck! Why are you so hopeful all of a sudden?
>Last night everything came crumbling down and now you even let a small hopeful smile slip onto your lips.
>This is abstract, frighteningly so.
>Why is this place making you feel so different?
>Why is it making your emotions unstable and fluctuating?
>Back home you could have handled the emotions you felt in the library. You could have waited until no one saw you before breaking down.
>It scares you to think about how much of your true self they have seen.
>This place did feel weird from the moment you woke up in the woods.
>Trying to think of other things that felt different isn't hard now that you are aware of them.
>You feel lighter, for one. As if you don't weigh as much.
>Your head feels clearer, thoughts seem to come easy and you notice that your skin looks healthier.
>Was is the food and a good nights rest?
>Whatever it is, you look better than you have in years.
>Thinking back, you realize that before the visit to Twilights library you had even felt better mentally.
>Things seemed to look up, you were hopeful and you hadn't even stared at the other ponies after the lunch.
>A coping mechanism you didn't know you have?
>Sounds eerily true, but you push the thought aside, after all. You were standing at a large oak door with two guards stationed at each side.


>Twilight looks at you with curious eyes. She speaks with a comforting tone.
>"Princess Celestia should be down in a bit. She told me she was sending for someone who was supposed to explain some things to you."
>You look back at her with question marks for eyes.
>"Don't ask. She wouldn't tell me anything else. Only that we should get some breakfast once you woke up and await her arrival."
>A sigh escapes your lips and you give up.
>No idea why you do.
>It just feels like the right way to go.
>The guards open the large doors and a huge hall opens up before you.
>A table has been set up near one of the ornate glass windows with food already set up.
>On the opposite side of the hall sits a throne above a set of stairs.
>It sits low, seemingly made for someone to sit on the cushions on the floor while still towering above the rest of the room.
>A throne for a pony.
>Twilight beckons you over to the table and you sit down on the empty chair.
>Wait... chair?
>Ponies don't use chairs, right? Twilight is sitting on a stool next to you, looking at the food with a smile on her face.
>She then looks up at you and you return the gaze.
>"Something wrong?"
>You scratch your chin, which has grown a bit of a stubble.
"I just. No, never mind. Just an odd thought. Let's just eat."
>It sounds terribly forced but she rolls her eyes and begin to eat her sallad.
>You look down at your plate. Sausage, scrambled eggs, what the actual fuck?


>You can't take it. You turn to ask Twilight.
"Why is there meat on my plate? Do ponies eat meat here?"
>She doesn't seem bothered by it. all she does is shrug.
>"No. But there are others like Gryphons and Minotaurs who do. The castle get delegates from their kingdoms who visit all the time so there's often a shipment of meat that comes with them. We don't produce meat ourselves, but we don't blame them for their nature either. That would just be rude."
>She makes an awful lot of sense and... to hell with it. You dig in. You're starving after all.
>After a fulfilling breakfast you lean back into the chair and let out a sigh to end all sighs.
>This was good. Too good. Wrong good.
>Does food have healing properties here in Equestria?
>Because you can swear that the more you eat, the less sad and pathetic you feel.
>It bothers you still that you're starting to feel less and less depressed.
>Maybe you just need some time to think this through. You're sure that if you get to wallow in your own thoughts for a while you'll find the things you need to get depressed again.
>You don't get a chance to, however as the doors that had closed behind you doors begin to open once more.


>You can hear the soft clicking of hooves.
>A white pony comes walking in through the doors. Her mane shimmers in hues of pink, blue and green. Her coat seems to glitter slightly. She's clad in gold ornaments and wears a golden crown upon her head.
>She's taller than her sister. You assume this is Celestia since she looks like the other pegasus-unicorn on the fountain.
>Her violet eyes lay softly upon you and you can feel a warm, fuzzy feeling in your body as she gives you the most motherly smile you've seen.
>Then you hear another set of steps. Muffled slightly before a second individual enters the throne room.
>He's clad in a long grayish-white coat with golden tassels upon his shoulders. Beside the tassels a pair of golden clasps holds a pure white cape that hangs down to nearly touch the floor.
>The white trousers are tucked into a pair of gray boots just as his jacket ends in gray gloves and from the golden chain-belt hangs an ornate saber.
>his eyes are clear blue and his hair is gray with white streaks going back around his head. His full beard is trimmed neatly to form a downward point under his chin.
>He, like the princess wears a golden crown and he's looking at you with a curious expression.
>You'd say something, but by the fact that he's the first other human you've seen since you got here, you decide to keep your lips shut.
>He looks at Celestia who in turn returns the gaze.
>"So. You are sure that he appeared outside of Ponyville?"
>His voice is unquestionably regal, much like Luna's voice.
>Celestia throws you a look and nods.
>"I trust that my student is speaking the truth, Solaris."
>His expression changes to that of a troubled frown and he folds his arms over his chest.
>"That's unfortunate."