Slumberland - Royal Palace Dining Room
Let it be said that this had to be the strangest conversation he ever saw. Ponies, along with a dragon, were having tea and talking with a princess, a trickster clown, an adviser to a king, a large black bird that served as the clown's partner-in-crime and a semi-talking squirrel who had just entered the room and was now playing with the yellow pony, Fluttershy. Life was indeed strange, and as he crossed his legs and took a sip of his tea, he saw the one pony, Rainbow Dash, keeping her eyes on him. As he looked elsewhere, uncomfortable with the stare, he listened to some of the discussions going on, the one most animated was between Rarity and Camille. Rarity was holding dresses up in the air with her horn glowing, and as Nemo stared transfixed, he tried to understand how she was doing it. Was this magic? Camille didn't seem fazed, though, as she picked up one of the dresses.
"Look at the frills on this, and the colors match perfectly!"
"Oh, it wasn't so hard," Rarity said, blushing at the compliment. She seemed pleased though, as Camille studied the design. As they continued to talk about her next next dress, Pinkie Pie and Flip were talking. The two seemed a good pair, both excited and filled with a nature of wanting to do something fun and having a good time pranking people, though in Flip's case, that meant having a record. Pinkie Pie, though, seemed a natural with it, and she was telling Flip stories of parties she threw for ponies around the town.
"So this one time, I threw my friend Rainbow Dash the BIGGEST party for her friend, Gilda! Dash, though, had some great pranks! She put pepper in lemon drops, used a dribble glass for the punch bowl, and used re-lighting birthday candles!"
"Yeah, it was funny," Rainbow Dash said, putting a hoof behind her head.
"Hahahaha! That's a classic! You're my kind of ponies! I do my own pranks on the people of Slumberland as well! It's a full-time job keeping them entertained, and there's no respect for a professional!"
Nemo rolled his eyes at the comment, knowing full well that Flip got enough attention the way he liked it. The clown reveled in it, and if all of Slumberland accepted the pranks without anyone chasing him, he would've complained a long time ago. His penchant for over exaggeration was also well known.
Looking over, Twilight and Applejack were talking to Professor Genius. This seemed even odder, as all three seemed unsure of the protocols of Slumberland and the ponies own kingdom, something they called Canterlot. Twilight, though, had an air of dignity and respect as she spoke, never seeming condescending.
"So, Slumberland is ruled by King Morpheus, but he has been away in other lands talking to other leaders. So, how do the citizens of Slumberland work without their King all of the time?"
"Well, the people work together, and even when the King is here, he really doesn't like to bother too much into their lives or the way Slumberland is handled. King Morpheus really sees himself as a protector against the nightmares. We have a police force that helps with... certain people," the Professor said, and as he said it, his eyes turned to Flip sitting on the other side of him. Nemo almost laughed, knowing the police had a big bounty on him for his fun that he did, the constant pranks on the citizens of Slumberland.
"Actually," Applejack said, "What is a nightmare? We saw that big shadowy thing when we were coming here, but where do they come from?"
Professor Genius looked concerned. "This is the first time in five years we've heard of a nightmare sighting. We knew they were still here, but they've never appeared. A nightmare is a frightening creature, and they came in all shapes and sizes. Before the Nightmare King was defeated, there were many of them, and they made life hard. But after Nemo destroyed him, Nightmare Land changed. It became very beautiful, and so we thought they disappeared, but it seems there are some left..."
"So," Twilight said, "These nightmares are your enemies and their king is gone. I wonder how many are left?"
"You better hope there aren't that many left..."
This time, it was Nemo who said it. He placed his cup down, looking at Twilight. "Nightmares are dangerous, and we almost lost our lives when we went to save King Morpheus when he was captured by the Nightmare King. Though, I'm surprised they're still here..."
As the four of them stopped talking, the discussion now a bit unsettling, Fluttershy walked over, Icarus on her back.
"Um, Nemo... Is Icarus the only squirrel who can kind of talk? I can speak to the animals I take care of. I can even understand Flap, Flip's friend, but you seem to understand Icarus."
Smiling, Nemo nodded for Icarus to fly over. His goggles bounced a bit before he landed on Nemo's leg. "Icarus is one of a kind, and he's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Though, he's special, and if you're around him long enough, you'll be able to understand him, but other than that, he's really friendly."
"Camille, it's too beautiful a day to be in here. Why don't we show them Slumberland?"
Camille nodded at the question, smiling. "That sounds perfect!"