>manticores typically nest in damp caves with pooled water
>They choose such locations for easy access to water but also to keep their wings from drying out
>Many ponies might not be able to tell at first glance, but a manticores wings are quite thin so......
>Most ponies don't get more than a first glance, you mumbled to your self
>Skimming through the encyclopedia you begin to zone out
"Ughhhh"
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath
>Your mom and dad expect too much of you
>Spending so much of your time reading through dusty old books
>All this information going into one ear and out the other
>Thus was your life as the future ruler of the Crystal Empire
>Dad gets to lead the guard and hassles ne'er-do-wells
>He always has the best stories to tell
>If half the stories you hear from the guards are true then he is a very different pony in his line of work
>You have never really gotten to see firsthand of how he handles ponies who have broken the law but it doesn't sound like he gives much leniency
>Never really have talked at length about it, or rather he wouldn't
>He probably has some idea in his head that it is to "protect you from the horrors of the outside world" or some non-sense but you wished he would indulge you
>You don't get out much
>Too busy learning the "tools of the trade" as your mother and Princess-Regent puts it
>Speaking of
>You turn yourself from your thoughts and return to the book
>This was not an unfamiliar tome
>"Beasts of the World: Known or Otherwise" by one Distant Demeanor
>He was an explorer a very long time ago
>Even before the Crystal Empire disappeared
>You had read many of his works
>"The Zebra Conundrum", "Saddle Arabian Days", "Griffons, The Final Problem"
>You could go on
>He wrote from the perspective of his time
>Ponies were to inherit all that there was and the rabble and creatures that plagued these lands would bend the knee
>As time passed everypo-err, Everyone found more common ground than differences this sentiment faded
>For the most part anyway
>Nowadays Equestria is home to a number of non ponies
>Though they don't really have their own towns, or cities they can still be found in the countries more populated areas
>For that matter you turn to the table of contents of your book
>Kirin, Griffins, Wendigos, Diamond Dogs, Humans, Changelings, Draconequus, Zebra
>Humans...
>You haven't read about them for a while
>You read this book so that you had a understanding of the histories of the various creatures you might parlay with
>But you have never seen a human
>Youve seen all manner of being enter the court at your mothers behest but never a human
>Skimming through the book you read a familiar passage
>"What is it to lay down and die?"
>"To succumb to the short comings of the soul"
>"I do not know"
>"Nor do i think any other pony knows"
>"Our spirit does not dour at the prospect of hardships"
>"To a never-ending descent"
>"We move forwards towards a brighter tomorrow"
>"That is what separates us from the dregs and beasts of the world"
>"Both words describe the human experience perfectly"
>"Bestial, and lowly"
>"Hailing from beyond the frozen north, into the great darkened freeze, Humans wallow in starless night and cold"
>"A sunless expanse so bare that it numbs the mind"
>"Temperatures so low that even magic begins to settle and fade"
>"Capable of turning the smart and willful into mere animals"
>"Do not believe a word of it my friends"
>"These humans like to spout such tripe so that it may help them live with their own shortcomings in all walks of life but none of it is true"
>"Humans do indeed live in the barren wastes they so like to describe but it is not out of necessity"
>"Merely their nature"
>"Ever combative of change they choose to subject themselves to this torture rather than find refuge in other lands"
>"No heed or pity should be laid at the foot of the human"
>"They care not for this world or its inhabitants"
>"Barely being able to grasp our tongue, it is folly to conversate with such specimen"
>"They only ever emerge to trade for coal and other raw materials"
>"Never has a humans tired eyes gazed upon the luster of gold and silver, and saw its glory"
>"Only chunks of coal do they value" 
>"Though it makes for quite the astute likeness"
>"Humans never come bearing gifts when coming south"
>"Always expectant of a swift trading of coal for whatever they can scrape from their lands"
>"Never a conversation of why they live in such abject dreariness, nor a regard for our ever so generous offers should they ever deign to move south torwards our border"
>"It is always the same line of thought"
>"They trade us bits of a glassy green ore called malachite, for a bounty of hardened coal" 
>"They do not make small talk or any other polite gesture"
>"It is all business"
>"As soon as they are done with their material needs they leave as soon as they came"
>"Pulling their large wooden crates through the snow on long beams they depart back north"
>"Into their humble abode"
>"Good riddance I say"
>"Though we have no formal line into their dwellings a few things can be assumed"
>"First of these is that they are carnivores"
>"Large chunks of meat from all manner of being hang from their primitive carriages"
>"Never has there been a report of a human attempting to eat or otherwise harm another pony but that is hardly proof of anything"
>"Second is that they have at one point met another grouping of ponies"
>"Our first ever record of encountering them, had one of their number speaking a very broken form of equish"
>"Though never being conversationalist they could at least grasp the concept of a social encounter"
>"Third and most curious is that their seems to be less of them every time we have the displeasure of partaking in trade relations with the humans"
>"Though we can never be certain as to what they face in their homeland it seems that they are dwindling"
>"Or perhaps an even more concerning possibility is that they are slowly becoming less dependent on us for our supply of coal"
>"That their numbers swell behind the icy veil and prepare to invade our lands"
>"Barbaric creature such as them that are incapable of politeness are all the same"
>"Perhaps it is best that the humans go the way of the uncivilized"
>"To be buried in the annals of time"
>"One day far from this one, they could be reduced to fairytales"
>"That they left no mark upon our world"
>"A pony might one day stumble across their bones, frozen beneath the tundra"
>"Exuberant claiming the discovery of a lost species"
>"But alas, for all that walks, flies, swims, or otherwise drags its self along this world, let it be known"
>"Distant Demeanor saw it first!"
>Though there is more of his thoughts on the creatures, one piece of their puzzle is missing
>A proper rendition of what they look like
>Almost every other species had a very detailed rendition of their known anatomy and even what examples of what individuals could look like
>Humans only had a crude sketch
>A lengthy and thin being wrapped in some sort of cloth
>Two things coming out at the bottom that could maybe be described as hooves?
>Their equivalent at least
>Two more appendages coming from either side of the humans upper half ending in some kind of five pieced claw
>How strange it was that their body allowed them to stand up right
>Almost like a tree
>From where you can assume their head to rest, covered by that ever so obscuring cloth you can make out two beady and small eyes
>Just below them some form of snout pokes from the garment half covering its head
>The nature of the sketch being the black sheep always seemed a mystery to you
>Though you had no one to ask about it, it didn't stop you from wondering....
>A sudden creaking takes your focus from the book again
"Princess, court will begin soon"
>Looking up you see Dusky Hearth
>A trusted maid of the castle, and long time confidant
"Tell mom I am busy today"
>"Flurry you know I cant"
>Court... 
>Reading about the histories of other ponies and creatures was much different than dealing with them
>Your mother, as much as she loves you, does not give you any leniency in regards to being present when court is held
>Though you only have to participate a few times a week it still ends up being the worst parts of your day
>Hours of ponies complaining about the most mundane things
>"So and so isn't respecting my opinions!"
>"My neighbor painted his house a ghastly shade of yellow"
>"Outlaw romance novels, they are corrupting the youth"
>All of it so mundane
"Nothing important ever happens during court" you protest
>"Flurry, you know I have a lot of work still ahead of me"
>Turning your head away from her in acceptance you climb down from your seat
"Must you always guilt trip me?"
>"Must you always argue?" she said with a knowing smirk
"Tell her I will be there soon"
"I need to put all this stuff up"
>"Don't linger"
>Giving her a nod you begin mentally preparing yourself 
>For all of the gusto your father puts into his line of work, it doesn't measure to your mothers dedication to statecraft
>She knows every pony who enter her court and there problems
>Deftly she weaves her web of intrigue to keep everything in its place
>Maybe not as dire as it you are making it sound 
>She just has a secret sense for how ponies feel
>What to say, what to do, and most importantly when not to act
>She is more a spectator than a participant in the court
>Nudging ponies into talking their problems out rather than ruling in favor of one over the other
>Guess it comes with being the princess of love or whatever
>Putting away the last of your books you make for the door
>The halls of the castle were normally quite busy but as you made your way 
>Ponies, Crystal or otherwise milling about attending to their duties
>This time however your trotted alone
>A sinking feeling started to form in the pit of your stomach
>Last time things were like this it was because a cavalcade of griffon emissaries had arrived to meet with your mother
>You were there too of course but you were purposely not warned ahead of time, so the following greetings and niceties were very awkward
>You didn't realize complimenting them on the size of their beaks was rude
>It seemed like it would be something their culture would be proud of but alas not
>Though with a bit of help from your mom you both smoothed things over
>"Princess, please watch where you are going"
>You hadn't even noticed you almost bumped into a maid pony levitating a large silver platter over her head
"Oh I'm sorry" you stutter out
"Just zoning out a lot today"
>Giving an affirmative nod she begins to turn and continue on her way
"Before you go, do you know where all the other maids are?"
>She turns her head back towards you
>"The yakyakistan delegation is set to arrive soon and we are not at all done preparing for them" she spoke before turning away again
>If there was a pit in your stomach before, now it is a bottomless hole
>Yaks were loud, foul smelling, hungry and hairy things
>Its just how they are, they cant help it but your aversion to them is still all the same
>"Sorry princess I thought you knew but i really must get going, the banquet they have requested wont plate itself"
"Uhh yeah, sorry for stopping you again"
>Without a glance back she quickly trots off down the hall
"Ok flurry, focus" you mumble to yourself
>As you approach one of the few side doors that lead into the throne room you hear a loud crash followed by many hooves scrambling 
>Nearing the door you hear muffled voices 
>Prodding the door with your hoof you are greeted by the sight of a crumpled pile of wood and hay  
>"You heard the princess, the yaks will not speak with us if they do not have their own platform!" yelled one mare
>"It was an accident!" yelled a stallion in return
>Two groups of ponies surrounded what seemed to be the remains of the aforementioned platform
>On one side was a group of castle workers, and the other, members of the royal guard
>"Just gather up all this blasted hay while we get these beams back on their supports!" growled one of the guard stallions at the front of their group
>"Don't tell us how to do our job!" jabbed back one of the workers
>Where is your mom in all of this?
>Taking a deep breath you step through the threshold of the door and clear your voice
"Please stop bickering" you said shakily
>Telling ponies what to do still doesn't come naturally to you
>Maybe it never will
>The guards make an effort to lower their head at the sound of your intrusion
>"Our apologies princess" spoke the de facto leader of the group
>Lifting his head he meets your gaze
>"One of our numbers over zealous inspection of the platform caused a wooden plank to give way and bring the rest of its bulk with it"
"Well please fix it quickly"
"The yaks could arrive any time now and we don't want them to throw a fit"
>Practicing in front of mirrors did not make the words of command come from your mouth feel any less awkward
>"Of course princess" he replied
>Looking to the worker ponies, they have already began sweeping up the hay and gathering it back into the piles
>Turning your gaze to the center room you cant help but notice the stark difference it now had compared to the usually elegant flow it previously held
>Large wooden tables take most of the space in front of the throne
>The platform that was being rebuilt was set center of the throne
>Large barrels flanked either side of the room near the tables as well
>Braziers hung from above the sitting areas giving the room a warmer reflection in its crystalline walls
>It looked more like a feast than a political meeting
>In this confusion however a single thought slipped your mind
>Where is your mother and what is she doing?
>She is the one who made you stop reading to come down here anyway
>Trotting towards the throne itself you find your answer
>Just past it, she is on the balcony looking down onto a parchment that is being levitated in front of her
>As you approach her she fails to spot you 
>You cant make out exactly what is written on the parchment but it is very sloppily written
>Almost like a foals scribbles 
>Speaking of foalish antics you ready yourself to scare your mother
>Your sweet vengeance for all the trouble she has caused you today!
>Lowering yourself into a crouch, you begin sliding ever closer to your victim
"Aaaah" you scream as you leap at your mom
>Unflinchingly she immediately seizes you mid air, in her magic and hovers you in front of her
>Without even batting an eye she levitates a piece of paper before you
>"Flurry now is not the time for games"
>"This is a list of titles and honorifics you are to learn before the banquet is held later tonight for our esteemed guests"
>The paper is filled top to bottom with different titles
>Some of them aren't even titles and just descriptors of separate feats the yaks prince had supposedly performed
"Mom, could you have not warned me about all of this a few days ago?"
>"No" she replied tersely
>"Apart of being a ruler is having to learn and think on the move"
"Surely you don't think I can memorize all of them before the yaks arrive!"
"The ponies out there are fumbling over themselves trying to finish setting whatever it is you have out there up" you reply just as sharply 
>"Yaks much prefer the more rustic looks of a wooden barn to a castle made of crystal and since they are traveling to us, we are going to make them feel more at home"
"They sure smell like they live in barns" you mumble
>"You will be on your best behavior when they arrive"
>"No filly of mine will extend anything but their best hoof towards trusted allies" 
>"Besides you have some time, the banquet wont begin for some time now"
>"There will be much talk before we satiate their appetite"
>She gives you a smile as she lets you writhe away from her grasp
>"I know you are always tense in these situations but I promise, just relax and whatever you do, don't make any comments on the size of their horns"
"You are never gonna let the griffon thing go" you say as you turn away from your mother
>"I'm only messing with you sweetie, I know you can do this"
>"But really, do not comment on their horns"
>"It is a very touchy subject in their culture"
>With a dismissive wave of your hoof you trot back down to the gathered tables in the throne room, paper in tow
>Sitting at the farthest one from the ponies hard at work you begin looking over the document of titles
>The mountain king? Conqueror of mole hills? Performer of the breaking dance?
>This was gonna be a disaster

>After what felt like an eternity you finally lay down the document
>Closing your eyes you try to parse your mind to find all the bespoke titles you have just read
>Aaaaaannddddd nothing 
>You know what?
>It doesn't matter
>Grasping the paper with your magic you carefully fold it together neatly and tuck it behind one of your wings
>You will just do a quick check up when the yaks arrive 
>Looking up from your corner you can see that the throne room now bustling with the castles denizens 
>The platform from earlier now standing on its own, taking center stage of the room
>A plentiful amount of hay is being spread about the floor around and atop the grandstand
>Thinking back to when first entering, you hadn't even questioned its presence
>Do yaks walk on and sit in hay?
>What else might they do to the rest of their food?
>And food there would be if previous experiences were anything to go by
>The first time you had seen a yak was when you visited had one of the markets near the castle with mom and dad
>Even back then as young as you were, you remembered much
>Your mom had you nestled between her wings and dad had been making stupid faces at you the whole time 
>While milling about in the colorful stands two things had caught your attention
>Two large, hairy and decidedly not colorful masses of fur
>They were looming over a crystal pony at his food stall
>"Yak not understand what you want!"
>The pony at the stall pressed his hoof towards the one leaning over him
>"Bits, you oaf!"
>"I want payment for all the food you have eaten!" his temper flaring
>The large ball of fur leaned his head towards the ground and bit down on what seemed to be scattered pieces of half eaten fruit
>Whipping its head back up to the stall a hoofull of crushed apple cores landed squarely on the table
>"There are bits, did this make happy?" it asked with genuine confusion
>The ponies anger instantly turned to a dead pan stare
>Breaking your gaze on the predicament unfolding in front of you, your father notices it too
>"Yaks...." he mutters
"What is a yak?" you ask before standing up on your mothers withers 
>Dad thinks for a second before replying
>"They are like us but..more..."
"Loud?" you asked him
>"Yeah haha, but don't say that to them sweetie, its rude"
>Smiling, you both turn you ears back to their argument
>"These bits!" stammered the incredulous pony, scattering a small number of gold coins before the yaks
>Without missing a beat, one of the yaks immediately lowers its mouth to the stall and scoop the coins from the table using its huge tongue
>The coins disappear into the yaks mouth as it begins to chew
>"Blyeah" 
>As quickly as they entered the coins are spat from his mouth
>Rearing up on his back legs the yak begins to loudly stomp the currency into the dirt, deforming the small gold tokens
>It is at this point the vendor finally loses his words
>Mouth agape he backs away from his table 
>The yak moved forward with a gruff tone
>"You trick me!" he said as he leveled his head at the pony
>After that your memory gets a bit fuzzy but you think dad sorted them out
>Or maybe not and that poor pony got headbutted
>Either way you had met more yaks since then and they are all the same
>"Flurry what are you doing in the corner by yourself"
"Huh"
>Looking up, your dad was walking towards you
>"Stuck in your head again?" he asked
"No, I'm just trying to memorize all these stupid titles" you lie
>"I know your mother can be a bit overboard with her little trials and tribulations she puts you through but she means well"
"Yeah I know, just wish she would clue me in on stuff instead of just dropping this stuff on me" you say before motioning around you 
"Makes me feel like some little filly who cant handle herself"
>Dad closes the gap and pulls you into a hug
"Not in front of everyone!"
>Trying to pull away from him proves to be a pointless task
>"You are our little filly"
>"Besides, you always pick up on this kind of stuff pretty quick"
>"Faster than me at least"
"Where have you been anyway?" you asked before separating from him
"Aren't you guys supposed to be getting ready for the yaks to be here"
>"Ill have you know we have been running drills all morning missy" your dad replies
>"We are about to leave the castle and make for the edge of the city, where we are to meet the yaks entourage"
>"I came to let you and your mother know before we depart" 
>"Where is she anyway?"
>You point a hoof to the staircase behind you
"She's on the balcony reading some kind of scribble"
>"Still?"
>"She has been there all day!"
>Turning from you he begins to ascend the stairs before turning around one last time
>"Make sure you go over whatever your mother gave you again"
>"She wouldn't have given you this task if it wasn't important, she trusts you"
"Yeah, yeah I know"
>You attempt to resist rolling your eyes but fail
>Knowing your dad will soon depart to collect the yaks party you sit back down at your table
>Levitating the piece of paper from your wing that you had stashed earlier you take a deep breath
"Okay, lets try this again"

>Duke of cairns, Trotter of trees, Flinger of rocks, and a hundred other titles float very faintly on your mind
>You know you wont remember all of them but you will keep a hoofull that you can use tonight
>Levitating the paper you tuck it away beneath your wing again
>As you looked back up to the throne room proper you take in the sight before you
>The rest of the throne room at this point had been completely transformed
>More large wooden tables now lined the walls near the entrance and the whole palace floor was covered in hay and straw
>Castle staff bustled between them all, setting all manner of bowls and utensils. though you doubt yaks would appreciate, or use either
>A small team of guard Pegasus were busy hanging a large, flowing banner above the throne rooms doors
>A greyed helmet with a pair of horns protruding from either side was emblazoned on the center of the tapestry
>Just how many yaks were coming to the castle?
>Even some noble families had begun to congregate inside the castle grounds
>You have seriously underestimated how big this "political event" would be
>Getting up from your table, you see a familiar face
>Dusky Hearth was among the gaggle of ponies attending the benches
"Hey Hearth" you call to her but she doesn't hear you
>She is completely absorbed in her work as the castles preparations come to an end
>Before you call to her again you quell the thought
>Now isn't the time to conversate
>You don't even know what you are supposed to do here yet really
>Finding your mother would be the next step you take on the path of trying not to embarrass yourself tonight
>Turning, you make for the balcony she had seem to take a liking to
>As you approach, your ears perk up to a conversation ahead of you
>Peering around the corner you see your mother talking to none other than the royal physician
>"-guarantee anything"
>Only catching the tale end of the sentence you haven't a clue what it is they could be saying back here
>Shaking your head, you mentally chastise yourself for eavesdropping on your mom
"Focus flurry, what is with you today?" you say to no one in particular
>Rounding the corner you announce yourself
"Mom, I think i have enough of these memorized"
>The physician turns to you first before lowering his head curtly
>"Princesses" he says as he turns to return to the castle
>Your mom rises as you approach
>She draws forward and wraps you into a big hug 
"You and dad are the same!" you exclaim, trying to escape her hold
>She laughs as she nuzzles your hair
>"We have common ground" she says teasingly
>Releasing her grip, you step back 
"Well what am i supposed to do when the yaks get here?"
"Just stand at the door and greet every one with a dumb smile on my face?"
>"No of course not, your duty tonight will be to escort and entertain the princes daughter"
>"It will be like a little play date!"
>Deadpan
"So why did I just spend an afternoon learning her dads titles instead of hers?" you protest
>"Preparedness young filly, preparedness"
>"When you inevitably speak to him you will do it as they prefer"
>"They come from afar at our behest to ensure our relations do not falter, it is the least we can do" she chides
"Yeah i guess.."
>"Good!" she declares

>After you and mom were done talking, both of you returned down to the throne room
>Your mother being the princess-regent sat atop the throne
>You stood to the side of her awaiting your fate as a glorified foal sitter
>What would you and a yak princes daughter even have in common?
>And what was mom and the castles physician talking about while all of this was going on?
>A question for another time
>"Brr Brrr Brrrr"
>Trumpets sounding made you turn your head to the door
>Finally something is happening
>The doors of the palace swing open revealing your father standing next to a gargantuan example of a yak
>His eyes completely obscured by his auburn fur
>Two long horns coming from either side of his head
>Behind them, a veritable herd of his ilk in tow
>All of them, decidedly quiet as opposed to their usually thunderous selves
>Between all the guard ponies and yaks flooding into the palace you fail to notice your charge
>The yaks daughter is seemingly nowhere to be found
>The tables begin to fill with his entourage as you begin to panic
>You dad departs from the princes side and ascends to his position next to the throne your mom sits upon
>He gives you a smile as he passes you but it does not quell your uncertainty
>Surveying the crowd you have no clue what she even looks like
>You expected her to be smaller than the rest of his group but no such luck
>Before you let your emotions get the best of you, mom begins to speak
>"Welcome, dear guests to our Crystal Empire" she declares
>"We gather here today to ensure our mutual prosperity, and friendship continues unabated" 
>Instantly you are enraptured
>Mom always had a commanding presence, having difficulty focusing on anything except for her speech
>"Though we lead different lives, our shared goal of harmony keeps us close"
>"May we tread this path together!" she exclaims
>The yaks prince raises himself to respond
>"Yes princess, to another decade of good times!"
>With a nod, all the yaks begin stomping their front hooves into the floor, crushing the hay and straw
>After this display of pride has ended the noble ponies in the crowd begin conversing with the yaks princes group as he steps towards the throne
>Your mother and father equally step down from their perch to greet him more personally
>Without giving you a glance they are gone
>You are on your own
>You have to go find this filly before you go crazy
>Or whatever they call their daughters
>"Excuse me, you must be Flurry Heart"
>Spinning around you see a yak about half the size of its kin
>But that's not all
>Looming behind her, something follows her
>A tall thin... something
>Long arms and legs, it stands motionless and quiet
>Five taloned claws, strange pointed snout (nose?)
>You have to angle your eyes up to see its head
>It stood well over the two of you
>Its gaunt eyes locked onto yours
>Audibly gulping you tear your gaze from it

"My name is Flurry Heart as you just said" you stammer out, mentally berating yourself for repeating what she said
>She gives a dainty bow of her head in return
>"I am Timbal, one of the daughters of Prince Rutherford" before doing a little twirl far more gracefully than you thought possible of a yak
>"I've heard much of you from my keepers!" She exclaims 
"Keepers?" you ask wondering if the looming thing behind her could be one of them
>"They are like your attendants and maids you have here at your castle" she replies in an almost practiced manner
"Oh yes, heh, all part of being a future ruler no matter where you live I guess" you say trying to regain control of the conversation
>You are starting to realize that she was a bit more prepared for this than you were
>Raising one hoof to the creature behind her you begin
"Is this one of your uh, keepers?" you ask tentatively, afraid to insult whatever this is
>She turns from you quickly and raises a hoof of her own to the thing shadowing her
>"No of course not!"
>"This is my dear friend Anonymous, forgive his staring, he does this to everyone"
>Looking back up to the thing named anonymous face, you realize his eyes haven't moved an inch 
>Still affixed to your face, vacantly as if he is wafting for something
>Averting your eyes from his you see he is clad in what seems to be little more than a burlap robe
"Its nice to meet you anonymous..." you say with a practiced and firm smile
>He doesn't speak but instead seemingly breaks his trance, giving you a nod before stepping back 
>This just keeps getting weirder
>You want to ask if he speaks, and for that matter what exactly he even is but Timbal beats you to it
>"He cant talk very well but understands plenty!"
>As if in affirmation of this he lets out an audible snort
"Oh my that's very... peculiar" as soon as the words left your mouth you already wish you could take them back
>You sound so much like one of the nobles snobby foals its embarrassing
>"It might seem a bit weird to some but we understand one another pretty well, or so I would like to think anyway" she says while looking back to him
"I meant no offense" you assure her
>"Then I will take none" she says with a smile
>"Have you ever seen something like him before?"
"No I cant say that I have, what is he if you don't mind me asking" you crane your head upwards to look at him as if to ask permission of the question
>"He is a Hooman!" she replies in an excited tone 
>Hooman? Human!
>Of course, you hadn't even recognized it because of the pictures from your book
>Without all of the layered clothing from the books sketch he almost looked like his own creature
>But now that you know, the resemblance is unmistakable 
"I have read about your uhh, kind?" you try to tell him
>He cocks his head sideways before getting closer to the two of you again
>"Really?" Timbal asks in disbelief
>"I thought only yaks knew about them" 
>"What do you know about hoomans?" she asks suspiciously 




>Finally something you could tell her about
>Small victories
"Well I know they live in the Far North" you say as you give Anonymous a cursory glance
"They also tend to travel in large groups when they have come to trade with the crystal ponies long ago"
>Before you can continue you are cut off by one of Timbals hoofs striking the ground
>"I know all of that, I thought you might have something you ponies would have kept secret"
>Deadpanning at her you respond
"Well why don't you tell me something about him that I don't know then"
>"Hoomans cant use magic"
>What? 
>Everything uses magic in some form or shape, it is one of the few common grounds all species posses 
>Heck even diamond dogs eat gems for their innate magic
>"Its why they live so far north" she continues
>"Way up there magic isn't around as much"
"Well even if they cant use it, why do they live somewhere it isn't plentiful?"
>Before Timbal can answer anonymous leans forward towards you, raising one of his long appendages to his head
>He takes one of his clawed (hoofs?) to point at his head 
>Watching his movements he then wraps his weird hoof tips around his face 
>Looking to Timbal for clarification, you see she is trying not to laugh
>"She doesn't understand you Anon" she chides
>"He is trying to tell you the magic messes with his head, he cant communicate well when there is a lot of magic around so he talks with his hands"
>Hands? That must be what he calls his hoofs
"How does that work" you ask quizzically
>"Sometimes when we are back home and the wind is blowing just right, he can speak just like you or me, but it doesn't happen often."
"That's terrible!"
"Is there anything that you can do to help him?" you ask 
>She takes a moment before looking back to Anonymous
>He doesn't seem fazed by any of this but you couldn't read his face even if you wanted to
>"I'm not sure to be honest, that's one of the reasons my father agreed to let him tag along"
>"He let me write a letter to your mother, Princess mi amore Cadenza, to ask her if she knew anyone that could help him"
>That must have been the scribbles she was reading earlier,
>"I thought she would have told you, seeing as you were to escort us tonight"
"Mom doesn't like to clue me in on too much of anything unfortunately for us both" you say with a grumble
>With a knowing smile she gestures to the room around the two of you
>"Well enough with the pleasantries, we should move somewhere else that isn't the middle of the party
>Looking around you realize that indeed, this whole debacle had occurred in the center of the throne room
>Yaks and ponies bustling around to their preferred cliques, you needed to find somewhere to entertain your charges
"Why don't I show you my book that has an account from an old pony explorer who met some humans"
>She squees in a pitch you would have thought impossible for her
>"Yes of course, I would love to." 
>She turns to anon motioning him to follow
>You hadn't even noticed but he had slinked away to one of the nearby tables and taken an apple from one of the numerous platters
>With a grunt of affirmation he rejoins your group
>Turning towards the main staircase your group makes for the top
>"So how big is the castles library?" she asks excitedly
"Its pretty big I guess, but I dont really have anything to compare it to."
"Do yaks have libraries?" you inquire
>"No, certainly not"
>"My dad doesn't really like books all that much, he is convinced they are tools of the wendigos to lead yaks astray"
>That's.... certainly an idea