-Chapter XXXIX- A Dash of Ponies

-Ponyville, Equestria

-March 31st, 2012

-6:32 A.M.

-Nicholas

I awoke again in the library, looking about my surroundings as the bright light filtered through the windows. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and noticed Stealth asleep at my side, snoring as his belly slowly rose and fell. His scales glittered in the sunlight and reflected little black specks all about his own little bed, similar to the smaller one I saw beside Twilight's in her room. I stood on my hooves, still exhausted, and slowly made my way instinctively to a bathroom, but I quickly realized that there was no restroom. Even stranger yet I realized I didn't need to use the bathroom. Confusion at this took a brief hold of my mind before I pushed the thought away, deeming it unnecessary.

I turned around again towards my bed, took my saddle and saddlebags with my teeth, and with some fiddling around with it, strapped them around my belly again, trotted around Stealth, and towards the door. Seeing as how I didn't have anything to do other than think about what it is that the Equestrians would need to help Celestia from the deranged Arnold Drennen, I decided to walk around for awhile while I thought about it. Perhaps examining the town would help me keep track of where I was in case I needed to know. I trotted, very quietly, at that, to the door and pushed it open quietly as to not wake up Twilight or Stealth.

As I looked onward, a cool breeze ran through my short pony coat, ruffling my mane, and I sat down as I scanned the cobblestone circle that surrounded the library. The sun, just rising over the towering buildings, let off a relaxing, soothing light upon the town that I actually enjoyed. Perhaps the land wasn't what I disliked about Equestria, but the childish thoughts and actions of its residents. I shrugged as I pondered it, and began to walk again toward where I believed the town square to be at.

The Elements of Harmony... I thought as I walked blindly forward, staring at my hooves as they carried me along. What could Drennen possibly want with them? And who could be my... "companion" for my pony forme? Or my human forme? There seemed to be much too many questions for my liking, all of which lacking an answer that I could find believable.

As I came back to my senses again I realized that I was standing in the market square of Ponyville. I looked over the variety of stalls set up still with no vendor to watch over them, and I found myself dumbfounded. In Skyrim, anyone dense enough to leave their stalls unguarded or stores unlocked would surely be stolen from, but here...it seemed that they all trusted each other. I snorted in discomfort. Surely they keep watch over them somehow...right? Even further, I realized that I seemed to be the only one awake. Another thing to catch me off guard. Usually it was around this time everyone would be out and about, opening their stalls and setting out their wares. The time that Whiterun was awakened. But in Ponyville the only company I had was the rising sun.

"H...hello?" I called out softly, trying not to wake anyone that was still sleeping. I may not like these ponies, but that didn't necessarily mean I had to be rude, I decided silently.

"Hi!" I froze when I heard the high-pitched voice behind me of the very pony that I had first met in this land of dread.

Wincing in frustration, I quietly turned around and put on my best face of false calmness. "Hi," I said carefully, "Good morning, Pinkie."

"Goooood morning! So how was the party last night? Did you enjoy it?" she asked without waiting for an answer. "Oh it was so much fun, but I still have one eensy, teensy, itty bitty little question..." she said as she edged her face closer to mine, "Who's Max?"

"Nobody. Don't worry about it," I replied curtly.

"'No...body'? Oh! You must mean 'nopony'."

"No, I'm pretty sure I meant-"

"Oh! I've gotta go back to Sugarcube Corner to watch the twins! Mr. and Mrs. Cake are gone for a delivery today and I've gotta watch their twins. Byyyyeeeee Nick!" she called as she was already speeding away from me and disappearing around the corner of one of the storybook-like houses.

"Uh...bye?" I said blankly, not knowing how else to react. I shook off my confusion and turned around again to where the stalls were, surprised to see ponies already walking about again. My first thought was that Pinkie woke them up with her noise, but then I thought, maybe she's her alarm clock. It seemed like a logical reason.

I began walking to the group of stalls, weaving around them as I glanced at their wares, trying not to catch the vendors' eye. When I made my way through and was heading to another area of Ponyville that was strangely similar to where the library was, only with a tent sort of building replacing the tree, I realized I was being watched. I turned around quickly to find my stalker, but found myself alone, it seemed, though I still felt the icy glare burning into the back of my head. With another wary glance about, I began to trot away again.

I trotted around the Merry-Go-Round of a building with dresses on pony mannequins surrounding it and continued forward, examining the layout of the small town as I mapped it out in my head with Who Can It Be Now by Men At Work playing repeatedly through my mind, taking every bit of self-control to keep from singing it out loud, for some reason. I thought I almost stepped on something when I realized there was a shadow on the ground from an unknown source, moving at a constant speed away from me. I looked up to see some pegasi flying about, some pushing clouds forward with their hooves, others kicking them, causing them to explode from existence. I shook my head of the confusion and continued forward, still aware of my follower.

My mind began to wander from my surroundings as I thought about Saria, and the others still in America. Were they still there? Did they realize I was gone? And if they did, were they worrying about me, or did they think I could handle myself? I wish I could tell them I was safe, at least... I thought. I stopped where I stood as another thought penetrated my mind. But then again, I would not want them to see me in this forme... I paused to look over my new forme, seeing the pale tan coat that covered my body, hooves, and I assumed my face. The colour reminded me somewhat of the colour of my skin as a human, with the light tan I had acquired after my sunburn had healed after my first escapade with Saria across Skyrim. My mane was the same shade of brown that my hair was as a human, while the length seemed about the same, other than the fact that it now ran down my neck as a mane. My sword was somewhat different, too, now that I thought about it. It seemed shorter, almost, and much lighter, making it easier to carry with a saddle strap rather than my usual sword belt, and to wield it with my jaw. The leather saddlebag had a symbol on it of a silver sword, and, as I examined it, I realized that it matched the strange symbol on the side of my ass.

I looked forward again before recoiling in surprise to see the blue mare with the rainbow mane sitting up before me, wings unfolded as her uncertain gaze pierced my mind. I looked about nervously, thinking that she was perhaps waiting for someone or looking at someone behind me, but there was no one else in the direction she stared. "Uh...hi?" I greeted uneasily. "Can I help you with something?" I felt unnerved to say the least.

"Who are you?" she asked simply.

I was somewhat taken aback at the simplicity of the question. "I..." I stammered, "I'm Nicholas, Nicholas Swiftsword, but you may call me 'Nick'."

"Nick..." she echoed. "What a strange name for an Equestrian," she commented suspiciously.

"Yeah, I...get that a lot," I said as my mind traveled back to the Mayor, and later Twilight.

"Who are you, then?" I asked, trying to change the subject from my identity as a pony.

"I'm..." she trailed off, as if indecisive as to whether she should tell me her name. With another uncertain glance at me, she continued, "Rainbow Dash."