Mason’s Quest
Chapter 6: Ponyville
Mason walked down the center street of Ponyville. He took in the sights of his home town, the town hall still standing tall and proud, the park, and his favorite building the library inside of the oak tree at the end of the street. As good as it was to reminisce about the time he lived here he could not shake the feeling of being watched. It was as if a pair of invisible eyes was watching his every move, his every breath, his every thought.
Suddenly, when Mason had reached the center of town, a pink blur of pure happiness exploded into existence in front of him. Mason’s eyes could not follow the blur it was moving at speeds that rivaled the faster young flyer ever. Mason could just make out what was being said. The words were being shot at him with no pause or breath taken in between.
“Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie and you must be new to Ponyville, because I know everypony in Ponyville and two donkeys. Oh and a zebra bt she doesn’t really live in Ponyville she lives in the Ever Free that’s why we never saw her. Are you from the Ever Free . Is that why I have never seen you before?”
“I am not from the forest. I am living in Canterlot but I am from here. My name is Mason, do you remember me now Pinkie Pie?” Mason asked the hyperactive pink pony.
“How do you know my name? Are you a spy sent by the changelings? Or Discord? Or a changeling Discord?” Pinkie asked getting right up in Mason’s face.
“I am not a spy. You are a huge celebrity Pinkie Pie. Alost everypony in all of Equestria knows your name.” Mason explained. “You must have moved here when I was always of doing a bricklaying job. Then I moved so I guess we never met.”
“Well in that case I need to throw you a welcome back to Ponyville party.” Pinkie exclaimed.
“I am not really one for parties. Thank you though besides I am here on business not to move back.”
“Okay that’s fine not everyone likes a party. Now is there anything I can help you with while you are here?”
“Since you know everypony in town could you tell me where Swift Wind lives by any chance?” Mason asked.
“Oh! Oh! I do! He lives just down this street at the third house on the right.” Pinkie said while bouncing in place to a beat only she could hear.
“Thank you very much. I hope to see you soon Pinkie Pie.” Mason called over his shoulder as he walked to his old friend’s house.
“Bye Mason.”
Mason quickly made his way to the house that Pinkie had pointed too. The gray earth pony was lost in thought. “I am glad that I did not go to Swift’s old address. This house certainly looks nicer than that tiny apartment he was living in.” He concluded as he reached the front door. Mason knocked three times on the door of the medium sized house.
After a few moments, Mason was going to knock again when suddenly the door swung open and there stood Swift Wind. The pale green pegasus’s eyes widened t the sight of his old friend. “Mason! What are you doing here?” Swift Wind asked. “Does The Foreman know you are here?”
“Nope I left the group around a week ago. I got a new job in Canterlot. Don’t worry this one is not like last time. I just came to Ponyville for business and decided to stop by.” Mason explained. “Do you mind if I come in?”
“No not all Mason come right in. It is good to see you again.” Swift step out of the way and opened the door wider to allow the earth pony to come inside the house. He walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. He motioned at a chair across from it. “Go ahead take a seat Mason.” Mason sat down in the chair and looked around nervously.
Swift Wind broke the silence and asked a question that had been bugging him. “How did you get out of The Foreman’s group. He never lets anypony leave. No matter what.”
“We were working on a dig in Canterlot. A mineshaft, we thought that it might have an entrance to the castle’s catacombs. The lowered me down into it when the guard showed up. They hightailed it out of there and left me in the mine. I wandered around and found the entrance to a old outpost. The unicorn there took me back up to the surface and offered me a job.” Mason explained.
“A job? What kind of job could you do for a unicorn?” Swift Wind asked.
“I work as an assistant Just help out wherever he needs work to be done. Right now I am getting him something from that zebra the lives in the woods. What was her name again?”
“Zecora? She lives out on the path that goes by the apple orchard. If you leave now you could make it there and back by night fall.” Swift told him.
“Thanks for the directions. If you say that I leave now I better get going. If what I am doing here takes longer than just today could I crash here?”
“Of course you could. It would be just like old times. Now you be careful in that forest. The monsters have been more active lately.” Swift warned.
“Okay I will keep that in mind, thank you. I will come back when I get back from the forest. Goodbye.” With that, the earth pony walked out of his old friend’s house with a slight wave. Mason walked down the road the led to the apple farm and the menacing forest beyond. Mason was worried about what Swift had said about the monsters being more active but he was sure that nothing to bad would happen.