>A big sigh of relief left your body. Thank the heavens. It was all just a nightmare. That said, you got nervous after touching your face and realizing something was missing… “M-My goggles! Where…?! Oh, there they are!” >Luckily, you didn’t need to look very hard to find them. Your goggles were in perfect condition and resting atop a small drawer right beside the bed. >After rapidly putting them around your neck, you jumped out of the bed. Your hooves felt a bit wobbly, but nothing that would stop you from walking to the large curtains and opening them. “Oh, man. I’m never gonna get tired of this view.” >A new day just begun in the dream-like of tall towers and fantasy buildings. A beautiful garden surrounded by an ivory gate and filled with flowers and other exotic plants that you’ve never seen before extended directly below. >The view allowed you to get an idea on what type of building you were in. As impossible as it sounded, this was a large castle. One that wasn’t made out of stone and mud but ivory towers of all shapes and sizes coming together. >While some ended in straight pointy shapes, others had a more dome-like design for their roof. Regardless of this, each and every part of the castle was built with perfectly crafted adornments made of gold. >This was also the first time that you noticed the many waterfalls that poured from the mountain upon which the city was built, each leading through the city as an intricate system of canals and streams. >The rising sun bathed the tall ivory towers from the city, making their gold spires shine gloriously, the warm light made the many waterfalls, streams and canals feel like they were sculptured out of shimmering diamonds. >Despite being so high up above the ground level, you could see the lights on every beautifully crafted house going off as ponies went out to carry on with their daily routine. The city was slowly and elegantly coming to life. >Beyond and below the city, the vast plains, lush forests, and that curious little town looked like they were on fire under the orange sun and the thin morning fog. >Nothing that you have ever read could possibly match or even come close to the beauty that extended before your eyes. If this was a dream, then it was one worth having. >And you got snapped out of it when you heard a mare’s voice coming from behind… >“In case your mind was pondering, the city that extends before your eyes is Canterlot, capital of the kingdom of Equestria. A wondrous sight to behold, if you ask me.” >You quickly jumped back on your hooves and readied yourself for the worst. Posture that you ended up losing for a few moments. Just what the heck was this mare? >She had wings like a pegasus, but also a long, pointy horn like a unicorn. Her mane and tail were also something you couldn’t find any explanation for. They were constantly rippling and filled with stars like the night sky while having a translucent purple hue on the borders. >Despite not seeing any sort of bad intention in her cyan eyes or that warm smile, there was a detail in her dark blue coat that made you stand at the edge. >She had a mark on her flank. A crescent moon placed over a black splotch. Even if it wasn’t their logo, you knew darn well that the only ponies with marks on their flanks belonged to the company. >Even weirder, the mare was wearing jewelry. A small black crown on her head, light blue shoes, and a weird thick black necklace-thing with a crescent moon engraved in it. >Never letting go of that smile, the mare sat on the floor and looked at you with something that you don’t see every day: kindness. “Good morning, Resonance. My name is Princess Luna, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” >Your only answer was to take a couple steps back and look for an opening to escape the room. She may act nice, but you ain’t stupid. No one is this kind, this had to be a trap, man! >This Luna or whatever didn’t mind your attitude at all. She even kept her distance “Considering everything that you have gone through, your response is more than justified. So!” She took a moment’s pause “Please talk whenever you feel like. In the meantime…!” >“What do you say if we have a drink?” A tender rippling blue aura appeared on Luna’s horn. That alone made your jaw drop, but it is what came after that blew your mind. A kettle pot and two small tea cups, enveloped in the same aura as her horn, were came floating in front of Luna. “There’re no cables! And I don’t see any magnet or mirrors… is that… actual magic? Oh, man! Please tell me it’s magic!” >You quickly covered your mouth, but the damage was already done. “What a nice voice you have, Resonance!” Luna started giggling as the kettle pot poured some green tea into the cups “Indeed, what you are looking at is magic. Care for some tea? It is from a good brand, or so I have heard.” >One of the cups floated to you, and for a second, you thought on taking it, but instead you shook your head, took a step back and growled. “I ain’t into tea!” >“Of course you are not.” Luna rolled her eyes and huffed. “I told my sister to please prepare a drink befitting somepony your age, but…! Well, she is quite out of touch with the modern youth. Here! Let me fix her clumsy mistake and exchange this boring tea for something more proper!” >The rippling blue aura that surrounded the cups started shining, and in less of the blink of an eye, the vessels transformed into open jars some strange, but sweet-smelling amber liquid within. >Now your mind was absolutely blown away. You didn’t even know if it was safe to take this thing anymore. >Luna taking notice of your cautions, took a sip out of her own jar “It is apple juice… you like apple juice, right?” >You grabbed the jar with your hooves, and after seeing your reflection on the amber liquid, you turned to Luna and cautiously replied. “Dunno, I’ve never tasted it.” >After taking a large quaff out of her jar, Luna offered you a new smile “Well, it may not be as good as the tea, and admittedly, I am not the best when it comes to making drinks… or anything edible, b-but it is still tasty! I give you my word on it!” >You looked at the liquid and then at Luna again. There was something about her smile that you couldn’t put into words, man. How do you even say no to that? >It was with a big sigh that you threw all caution to the wind and took a good gulp outta the jar. “Hey! This is actually awesome! Better than the canal’s water by a mile!” >Luna was absolutely relieved by your response, “That is the strangest compliment I have gotten, but nonetheless, I am glad you liked it, Resonance.” >After drinking the last drop of the apple juice, you put the jar on the floor and looked at Luna with a bit of caution. “So… you can do magic. Does that mean you’re like Discord? Or this kinda everything you can do?” >“Goodness gracious, of course not! I am definitely nothing like that mischievous creature! And I can do much more than just levitation and transmogrification!” “Really?!” >“Yes, really! But if seeing more and more impressive magic is what you want, I am afraid that you will have to allow me to get closer. I do not bite, you have my word on that, Resonance.” >You hesitated at first, but ultimately nodded and slowly stepped aside as Luna walked to the window. >“Now, pay close attention” Luna pointed with her hoof at the beautiful landscape “Do you see the morning sun proudly rising in the distance?” “Uh… yeah?” >“Very well, now like the young ponies often say, check this out!” >You narrowed your eyes as Luna’s horn started glowing with that blue aura. At first nothing happened, but suddenly… >“Doot-doot-doot! The night shall give a surprise appearance today!” The moon came from out of nowhere and traveled across the whole sky until a small solar eclipse happened, and then it set up again. “AAAAAH!” >You dashed away as fast as possible from Luna and ended up hiding under the big bed. You then poked your hoof out and yelled “What the heck was that, man?!” >“I am deeply sorry. I thought you would enjoy my little showcase” “Of course I liked it! I frickin’ loved every single second! But that ain’t the point! Seriously, man! The moon moving like that ain’t natural! How did you even do it?!” >You heard Luna giggling and saying “Magic, of course! Among other things, it is my talent and duty to raise the moon and organize the night sky.” “Oh… right. Kinda forgot about that whole thing… wait, hold up!” >You stuck your head out of the bed and looked up to Luna, who was giggling non-stop. “Princess Luna, right? So you move the moon, but what about the sun? Does it comes up and down on its own or there’s someone else in charge of that job?” >Luna stretched her limbs before lying on the floor right next to you “You shall find out very soon. In fact, that pony should arrive here in three… two… one…” >“LUNA! YOU RUINED MY PERFECT DAWN!” The door slammed open and a mare came in yelling so hard that you hid your head beneath the bed almost by reflex. >Whoever that mare was, she sounded like a dragon “Do you have any idea what you have done?! Calming everypony down is going to take me weeks!” Heck, with every hoofsteps she took, the floor trembled a bit. >That Luna must have nerves of steel, because she sounded super calm about all this “Celie! You must lower the volume of your voice, after all, we do not wish to scare him, do we?” >“I’ll yell whenever…! What are you pointing at? Oh, you little…! Luna! You set me up! Well, guess what? I came prepared!” >Luna lowered her head so you could see her from your position. She giggled and motioned you to come out “You can come out now, Resonance. There is nothing to fear here. I give you my word on it.” >You were hesitant at first, after all, that crazy mare must still be out there, but there was something that made you go out. It was the most delicious smell ever. >You had absolutely no clue what that smell was, but man! You were super hungry and didn’t know anyone here that you could scam outta food, so why not? >You slowly crawled out from under the bed, sniffing your way to whatever that smell was, only to be awe struck once again. >Standing right by Luna’s side, there was this weird white mare. She must’ve been as tall as Eris, and just like Luna, she had both wings and horn, as well as that weird long rippling mane. >However, unlike Luna, the white mare’s mane was made of blue, pink, green and purple bands, glittering gently. This mare also had a mark emblazoned upon her flank; a sun. >This gal also seemed to like her jewelry; she wore golden shoes, and a much larger larger crown than her shorter, azure counterpart. Her crown had even more adornments, with a purple sapphire encrusted in the center of it. The thick necklace thing was the same really, just larger, golden and with a similar gem encrusted within. >You also realized where that smell was coming from: a floating plate with a stack of weird puffy brown discs, enveloped in a golden aura that seemed to come from the white mare. >You turned to Luna whilst never losing sight of Celestia, the titanic mare in your peripheral vision as you spoke, “Princess Luna, is that giraffe in charge of moving the sun and stuff?” >Luna’s only answer was to start laughing so hard that tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. >“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you, Luna? But…” The white mare let out a sigh in annoyance and rolled her eyes, “I guess this is what I get for being late…” >The mare laid on the ground and gave you the warmest smile you’ve ever gotten “Hello there, Resonance! I’m Princess Celestia, the tallest pony you’ve probably ever seen.” “Yeah! By a long shot! How did you get that big, anyway?” >Celestia let out a small laugh and shook her head, “Wish I would know. Maybe I could use that to shrink a couple sizes.” “Really?” >“Yeah! Don’t get me wrong, I like my height and all, but trust me, bumping your head everywhere does get annoying pretty fast. Anyways…” The plate with the puffy discs floated above Celestia and landed right in front of you. “I cooked these in case you woke up. Enjoy!” >You looked at the puffy disks with some precaution. They were covered on some sort of viscous brown liquid and had some fruits on them forming the caricature of a smiling colt’s face. >“Relax, these are pancakes!” Celestia said with a playful tone, “Don’t tell me you’ve never eaten them before!” “Tch! Man, do I look like I’m made outta bits? I haven’t even seen something like this before!” >“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t want to…” >“Do not make the situation any worse, Celie” Luna quickly intervened by delivering a smack to Celestia’s head. She then turned to you with another kind smile, “Pardon the question, Resonance, but what did you usually have for breakfast?” “Meh! It really depended on what you could get. Sometimes it was just some hay and water, others it was some old bread, but it was usually nothing and I’d grab something when ponies weren’t looking or scam them outta some food… gotta be careful about those ones, though. If you’re clumsy then you can bet your flank there’ll be a beating coming your way.” >Luna and Celestia looked at each other with worried faces, then, Luna turned to you and said “I’m deeply sorry, Resonance.” “Why? Gotta learn how to fight somehow, y’know? Anyway… Can I eat these pancake things? They smell super good!” >Celestia eagerly nodded “O-Of course! And don’t be shy to ask for more! I will gladly cook as many as you want!” “Awesome!” >Not caring about any sense of mistrust or caution, you stuffed your face with the pancakes and didn’t stop until the plate was clean. “Oh, man! That was great… but if I take another bite I’ll explode!” >“That’s certainly a unique way to eat a breakfast” Celestia giggled as her magic took away all the viscous liquid that had gotten all over your face. “Now, we have many things to tell and show you, but first comes first; tell me, Resonance, did Discord ever tell you the reason why he brought you here?” >Your ears dropped down as the memories of those last moments at the orphanage came to mind. Guess it’s time to finally face your dumb choices. “Yeah… he was very clear about it… and creepy too. Uh… it was something about me being adopted by a couple of ponies… where are they anyway? Thought those two would’ve showed up already.” >Celestia and Luna looked at each other, but this time they looked oddly happy. Then, Celestia stood up and looked down at you with that stupidly warm smile. “They have showed up. In fact, you’re looking at them right now.” >It took a while for your mind to register what she said, not because you’re stupid, but because it was just too unreal. >It was obvious that the folks that adopted you must’ve been loaded with cash, but two princesses? Man, the only thing you could respond with was by laughing… which is exactly what you did. >In her confusion, Celestia tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, “I don’t want to be mean, but why are you laughing, Resonance?” “C’mon, lady! Who you taking me for?! There’s no way I’d get adopted by royalty!” >Luna stepped forward, looking as confused as her sister. “And what makes you to believe such a thing?” >You couldn’t help but to roll your eyes before putting your goggles back on. “Tch! Are you blind? Look at me, lady! You really think I’m material for this kind of stuff?! Get real!” >There was a moment of awkward silence in the room. Luna didn’t know how to reply to you, but Celestia… she just smirked. “You know, Resonance… it’s actually funny you say that, because I actually have the adoption papers in my office.” “Drop it off, lady! Those must be about some other sucker!” >“Quite the contrary! They have all your information, photo and everything, and these papers clearly say that WE adopted you… or well, Discord did in our name, which is basically the same thing. I can bring them here if you don’t believe me.” >You wanted to say something to finally shut her up, but… there was something about the two mares that made you believe them. It was hard to explain, but it felt like they weren’t lying to you. >As the news started to sink in, you pulled off your goggles and scratched the back of your head. “Princess Celestia, right? I dunno how much you paid Discord, but that guy totally ripped you off” >You felt a soft sensation on your mane. It was Luna gently caressing your mane “I will have to disagree with that statement. Things happen for a reason, Resonance and this is no exception.” “Yeah, only that the reason was Discord, and I ain’t sure that guy has all his screws in place.” >Celestia let out a small chuckle and shook her head, “Despite what you may think, Discord is not a cruel being, he hardly makes a move without thinking it through first. There is something about you that caught his attention, which trust me, is a very hard thing to do. As for me and my sister…” >Luna then continued “We could not be happier if you accepted us, but at the same time we shall not force our desires upon you. What happens next relies entirely on you, Resonance.” >Celestia let out a big sigh and picked from where Luna left “Please don’t think we are pressuring you into making a choice. If you say no, then we’ll respect your wishes.” >Well, on one hoof, you hated filthy rich ponies with a passion. They looked down on you, or kicked you around, or laughed at how poor you were. They are the frickin’ reason you ain’t with Eris anymore. >But on the other hoof… Luna and Celestia ain’t like any filthy rich pony you’ve known. They’ve been nothing but kind with you. It’s like they really cared. >Even if you barely know them, but… there was something about these two that just felt… fuzzy but in the good way. >It was kinda like with that weird tree, something in the back of your brain was telling you that you belonged here. >Then there was the whole thing about the deal you made. Yeah, Celestia said that Discord ain’t a total jerk but what if you said no? That deal was your only hope left to see Eris again. You couldn’t just throw that away, man! >Going with the adoption was the only option. For Eris, and kinda for yourself. So, you stood up and with complete determination you said… “Well… uh… dunno if Discord told you this, but I kinda already accepted, so yeah, I ain’t backing down on that. Besides, I don’t wanna go back to that orphanage, man. You’ve no idea how much it sucks back there.” >Before you could tell what was going on, the two mares pulled you into a hug. One that was so warm that it felt like you were melting like butter. You didn’t struggle or complained, instead, you returned the hug and let all your worries and fears to go away. >The three of you stayed there for a long time just enjoying the moment, until a very important question popped in your mind. “WAIT!” >You broke outta the hug and raised an eyebrow at Luna and Celestia. “I remember Discord saying this was another world, but what exactly is this place? It just doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen.” >The two sisters looked at each other and smiled. Then, Celestia used her magic to open the windows from pair to pair and motioned you to follow her to the balcony. >And as the dream-like city blew your mind again, you also heard music coming from outta nowhere. As in, no matter how hard you looked, there were no speakers or musicians in sight. >At first you thought that the air of this place was making you imagine things or that the bandages were too tight, but all these ideas went to the trash when Celestia started singing. >"This is Equestria." >“And our palace here in Canterlot!” >“Astride a lonely mountain top.” >“Looks out upon our most beloved land.” >Despite being absolutely baffled, you couldn’t resist to ask. "So… was the music always planned?" >Luna and Celestia’s only answer were to grin at you as the room’s door opened. “Was that a yes…? WHOA!” >The two mares ushered you through the doors and hallways, then down a grand staircase that lead to a stupidly big hall… and the music was playing the entire time. >All the ponies that you came across the way, from the filthy rich to the ones dressed as maids, gardeners and other staff bowed to the two mares with the biggest respect as they moved out of their way. >When the castle’s patrols opened the doors of the big hall, the two mares stopped pushing you for a moment. Which was awesome, because the courtyard that you were in was just something else. >It was straight up from a fantasy book. You were amazed by the old elms by crystal clear water ponds, flowers of all shapes and colors perfectly organized and distributed across the yard, and the powerful gate that protected the castle. >As your mind tried to come to terms that everything was real, Celestia gently placed her hoof over your shoulder and warmly rubbed her cheek against yours as she continued with her song. >"Oh dearest Resonance, >“If you fret over the smallest things” >“Like how I love to dance and sing” >“You'll miss out on an awful lot of fun. >“Come see the sights, this day has just begun." >The gates of courtyard opened and this time, you followed Luna and Celestia into the dream-like city as they sung in unison. >"Let go and let your heart be free >“Look around and you shall see” >“Everypony has a destiny” >“And we can sense such greatness within you." >The three of you walked in the middle of the cobblestone streets. Rustic yet elegant houses, shops and restaurants as well as tall ivory towers filled your sight. >As the adventurous excitement of discovering this new world started to pump through your veins, Luna flew in front of you while motioning to all the ponies happily going through their daily lives she started singing. >"Wondrous Equestria, >“A land where ponies' hopes and dreams” >“From the simplest to the most extreme” >“Are well within the reach of their own hooves” >“Their lives are filled with many well-learned truths." >Everyone around stopped what they were doing to look at you. The only thing you could do was to turn your gaze away and frown at them. Frickin’ filthy rich ponies, man. >Taking notice of this, Luna landed by your side and placing her cheek against yours, she pointed out at something that kinda blew your mind. There were non-ponies here, griffons, yaks, and even small dragons walked among the streets just like the filthy rich ponies. >With a gentle caress, Luna continued singing as more and more ponies and non-ponies joined the crowd. >"Our child, Resonance” >“Our subjects live such joyous lives.” >“Pursue their passions, truly thrive.” >“The frown upon thy face is all for naught.” >“You needn't stew alone with just your thoughts." >This was the point when you had to slap your face and see if you’d went insane, for every single frickin’ being in the crowd joined the song, some even started dancing. >What the heck, man? Did the entire city practice for this? >“Let go and let your heart be free” >“Look around and you shall see” >“Everypony has a destiny” >“And we can sense such greatness within you." >A cerulean mare with a peculiar orange mane and dressed in a very stylish black dress stepped out of a fancy clothes shop… and yes, she started singing. >"I love Equestria” >“When I was just a little foal” >“My life was driven by a goal” >“To help my fellow ponies look their best” >“And make sure they're immaculately dressed." >With pure joy the stylish mare proceeded to show a group of younger mares a few dresses, and man, by the look in their faces, those gals absolutely loved those things. >A patrol walked by your side, making you flinch and hide beneath Luna’s legs. The guy didn’t mind though, she happily pointed to a line of ponies waiting outside of a donut’s joint ran by a stallion wearing an apron… and yes, the patrol sang too. >"Look over there, my prince.” >“Where Donut Joe is looking proud” >“To serve the bustling morning crowd,” >“Spent years perfecting all these breakfast treats." >Did she call you prince? What?! >But before you could protest on that, the patrol suddenly was at the front of the queue, where she bought a box of donuts. >With a smile of satisfaction in her face, the patrol placed the box on her back before trotting back to join the rest of her team mates. >Celestia was a bit curious about the whole thing, and as the patrol walked by her, she offered Celestia one of the donuts, which she really didn’t hesitate to accept and take a big bite outta it. >After quickly finishing her pastry, Celestia leaned to you and with a little wink, she sang. >"His passion makes his pastries extra sweet." >As your group reached a small plaza with a golden kiosk and fountains at the center of it, all the ponies started singing their verse again… only that even more ponies had joined the little number this time. >"Let go and let your heart be free” >“Look around and you shall see” >“Everypony has a destiny” >“And we can sense such greatness within you." >Y’know, this was kinda cool at first, but you were starting to get REALLY tired of all this. And once again, Celestia sang. >"Here in Equestria,” >And she was followed by Luna… >"Where everypony's prosperous" >You frowned at the entire spectacle and with a stomp, you yelled… "This singing is preposterous! >Horror ran through your veins as you realized that your protest came in a sing-songy way. “My voice is changing of its own accord.” >This wasn’t planned, something was forcing you to follow this frickin’ song, and based on what you’ve see, there’s only one guy with the crazy powers to do this “Who here's to blame? It must have been... DISCORD!" "You rang?" >The guy actually appeared! Was he following you?! And why he was holding that banana like a phone? "Oh Resonance, what's the matter? Why the long face?" "Hold on! You’re not singing? Oh man! It’s not just you! I can speak too, man! Does this mean it’s finally over?" >Discord let out a chuckle as he shrugged "Oh, young Resonance! Don’t be so basic, please! We're obviously between verses. You should pay more attention to the fundamentals." >With a snap of his talons, a book entitled "Equestrian Magic for Dummies" dropped in front of you, and before you could grab it, its pages started flipping until they landed on a chapter called "Spontaneous Musical Numbers." >You looked at Discord with some annoyance before starting it reading furiously… that is, until Discord took the dang thing away from you and tossed it over his shoulder… and then it grew chicken wings and flew away… of course. >With a roll of his eyes, Discord gently punched your shoulder "Pay attention, young Resonance! Or you're going to miss the start of the next verse!" "Man, you suck! Wait… what did you say?” >For some reason beyond any comprehension, your mood was torpedoed in an instant. You walked away from the crowd, depressed and scared as you started singing to yourself "I worry even now, When I'll see Eris once again." >Discord scratched your mane with talon as he gently shook his shoulders with his paw and sang in your ear >"Quite soon, I promise as your friend. >“Your worries only serve to bring you down. >“Relax, enjoy this day out on the town." >He then shrugged and went back to his more carefree attitude "I know I will! Arrivederci my little worry wart!" >You were about to kick the guy in his ugly face when Discord pulled out an inside-out umbrella from outta nowhere and floated off into the sky with a mock salute. >Only thing you could do was to angrily see as Discord disappeared among the clouds. Meanwhile Celestia smirked at the whole thing, and Luna shook her head in annoyance. >Well, the music was still going, and you could feel that the next part was yours… so screw it. Let’s rock this! "Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna I'm afraid I'm don't know just quite what to say This all just seems far too strange to be true. This melody has hooked me through and through." >That wasn’t a lie and it wasn’t just the song. This Equestria place ain’t half-bad and having some fun for once couldn’t hurt. You’re sure Eris would’ve said the same. "And while I'm hesitant, I'll put aside my fears for now And seize the day, some way, somehow, I wouldn't want to quash your song and jeer I'm seeing why you hold this world so dear." "And all of you keep telling me To look around, that I shall see That I, too, have a destiny To give this world a shot and start anew." >Alright, this seemed to be the grand finale, and judging by the actions of the crowd, this part was meant for just for Celestia, Luna, and you. >You looked at the two princesses and then to the sky, something deep within your heart was telling you that this Equestria was truly the place where you were meant to be, and that whatever happened from now on, was worth fighting for. >“Let go and let your heart be free” “Yes, all of you keep telling me” >“Look around and you shall see” “To look around, that I shall see” >“Everypony has a destiny” “That I, too, have a destiny” >“And we can sense such greatness within you.” “To give this world a shot and start anew.” >Something inside you made you hold that last note for a little longer than expected. Why was everyone giving you those funny looks? Did it suck that much? Tch! Screw them, then! >When the music was gone, and the crowd started dispersing, Celestia gave you this smug face as she said “Would you look at that! Resonance here is a natural for music! We should do musical numbers more often!” >Luna eagerly nodded as she gently caressed your mane “I completely agree, Celie. It would be a crime against music to let Resonance’s voice to go to waste.” >Gosh darn it! Why were you blushing?! Whatever, man! You let out a groan and turned away from them. “No! No more music!” >Your blush only got worse after realizing that you indeed sang that last part. “Dang it!”