//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Welcome to Dream Land! 
// Story: A Sweetie Dream Land 
// by Lucar 
//------------------------------//

"Come back here you little...!" BAM!

"I said I'm sorry!"

Why? Sweetie Belle could have been teleported to any castle! It could have been Canterlot's castle where the princesses would have helped her! It could have been the Crystal Empire's castle where princess Cadance would have done the same! It could have been the old castle in the Everfree, at least she would have been alone until somepony eventually found her! Instead, she found herself in a castle where the local king was trying to crush her just for accidentally ruining his cake! How was there even a penguin as the ruler of a kingdom? She though that penguins were just animals like Fluttershy loved to take care of! Unless there was a species of smart penguins she didn't know? Like, there were the dogs like Winona, and there were the Diamond Dogs?

BAM! "Stop here!"

"Eep!"

That was close! Right, she shouldn't think about that, but rather try to not end as a pancake! Where was the exit? This castle was like a maze, worse than Canterlot's castle! She was sure that she passed this hallway at least three times! It was hard to say, all these hallways looked alike with all these portraits and busts of the penguin currently chasing her. Seems like she found someone with an ego as big as the one of Rainbow Dash.

And then, said penguin suddenly fell in front of her! Strangely, two yellow stars appeared at his sides when he hit the floor. But she didn't have time to think about it because the hammer was already ready to crush her! Without thinking, she abruptly stopped herself before going for the door just at her left while barely dodging the hammer.

The door revealed leading to the kitchen where many of these strange creatures were hiding, some of them wearing a cook hat and others having a black bow just above their feet. Yet again, she couldn't stop, because this penguin was clearly not stopping! Instead, she jumped on one of the tables before bucking a bowl of cream right on the penguin's face, hoping to gain some time as she continued running on the long table knocking some of the food on it to the floor. That was without counting on the penguin, now really angry, taking the bowl too before throwing it at her! Thankfully, she saw it coming and jumped on the floor just before, the bowl instead hitting one of the cooks trying to catch her! Rather than jumping on another table, she decided to pass under it, and under the next one, before finally reaching a double door. Looking back, she saw the penguin jumping again, ready to crush her, this time under his weight! Before he fell on her, she passed the doors, leading to a really big room with many tables and chairs. Not stopping to admire the decor, she continued through the room to the nearest door.

"That's enough!" she suddenly heard behind her. Looking back again, the penguin was at the double door, but he had stopped... That was when he opened his mouth before inhaling.

"What?"

To Sweetie's surprise, she was then being aspired! It was like a tornado was sucking her up to the penguin's mouth! She could see the chairs and the table also moving, but not as much as her! And before she knew it, everything became black.

So was this how it ended? Eaten by a penguin?

It seemed that no, because the penguin spat her at the floor almost as soon, right at his feet.

"Got you!" he said victoriously before making gagging sounds. "Gah! Fur! Pouah!" After a few more gags, he stopped and glared at Sweetie Belle who was all icky because of his saliva.

Sweetie sat up, trying to regain her bearing before staring at the penguin who looked like a giant just before her because of him being a little over two times her size, totally at his mercy... If he had mercy. Tears started to gather at her eyes, fearing what he may do to her.

"Wait! Your majesty!" suddenly screamed someone behind the penguin. He turned around to reveal one of the creatures. He was about half Sweetie's size, a bit above.

"What do you want? I have finally gotten her! I will make her pay for ridiculing me!"

"I-I know, your majesty! But isn't trying to kill her a little too much? Maybe it was just an accident! I mean, who would willingly appear above a cake?"

Sweetie decided then to take the occasion. "Y-yes! Yes! It was an accident! I'm sorry! I didn't want to ruin your cake! I didn't even want to be teleported here!"

The penguin looked back at her before lowering his head at her level with a suspicious look. "Reeeally?"

Sweetie gulped before continuing. "Yes... I just wanted to ask princess Twilight to train me so I could get better at magic, b-but..." She then averted her eyes, rubbing one of her hooves behind her head. "I surprised her in the middle of a magical experiment. I think it was something about teleportation in really long range... Next thing I know, I'm here, or well... I was falling in your cake..."

"See, King Dedede?" the creature said, revealing the name of the penguin. "I was right! It was just an accident!"

Dedede continued to stare at Sweetie Belle before finally getting up. Seeing that, Sweetie couldn't help but letting out a big sigh of relief.

"It seems so. Well then Waddle Dee, toss her out of the castle. She is not my problem anymore," he said, starting to make his way toward the exit of the room.

"Yes my king!" the creature, Waddle Dee, said while saluting, before approaching Sweetie Belle. "I'm sorry for what happened. Follow me, I will guide you to the castle's exit. I'm sure you will be able to find your way home... Wherever it is."

"Hum... Thanks mister Dee. I live in Ponyville, Equestria. Do you know how I can get there?"

"Ponyville? Equestria?" Waddle Dee tilted his head before putting an arm under his... chin? After a moment of thinking, he said, "Sorry, I don't know where it is. It's the first time that I hear of this kingdom."

That surprised Sweetie Belle. "R-Really?! But it's like the biggest kingdom of Equus! Ruled by princess Celestia who moves the sun, and princess Luna who moves the moon!"

"Woah! Really? But that's impossible! The sun and the moon are... Wait, did you say 'Equus'?"

"Uh... Yes. Equuis. You know, the world!"

Waddle Dee looked at her for what seems like minutes, before his eyes suddenly grew bigger and he took a step back. "O-oh... Oh..."

Seeing his reaction, Sweetie started to get worried. "W-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Waddle Dee looked around trying to avoid looking directly at her. "Well..." He then sadly looked at the floor, bumping his two arms together. "Do... Do you know anything about Dream Land?"

Sweetie Belle raised en eyebrow in answer. "Dream Land?"

"It's the name of the kingdom we are in."

"No. Never heard."

"I see..." Waddle Dee startd to walk to the exit. "Follow me... Oh! And you don't need to call me 'mister'. Waddle Dee is alright."

"Mmh... Okay? Then you can call me Sweetie Belle."

"Alright..."

Sweetie Belle followed Waddle Dee outside of the room. Once they were back in the hallway, she could see that the other creatures that were like Waddle Dee have gotten out of their hiding places, cleaning the damages caused by Dedede's rampage. Some of them looked at Sweetie Belle in curiosity before getting back at their job. Sweetie didn't pay them too much attention, worried about Waddle Dee's reaction earlier.

"Can you tell me why you seem sad please? Is there a problem? I..." She gulped. "I can go home, right?"

Waddle Dee froze, then turned toward Sweetie in panic. "O-of course you can go home!" He started rubbing his left arm behind his head. "It... It's just that it may be harder than I first thought... And take longer..."

Sweetie bit her lips, starting to panic. "How much longer?"

Waddle Dee looked at her sadly for a few seconds that seemed to last forever, before saying, "Until... we find a way to send you back to your homeworld..."

Silence...

"You mean I'm in another world?"

More silence... Then Waddle Dee nodded. "Popstar."

...

...

She started crying. "N... No... That's not true... Sniff I can't... Sniff Why... Sniff" Waddle Dee almost immediately hugged her, patting her back. "Rarity... please... come save me... I don't wanna be alone... Sniff Rarity... Rarity...!"

"Hey... Let's think positive! I'm sure we will find a way! I mean, it's Dream Land! Where the dreams come true! Everything can happen!"

After a few more seconds of crying, Sweetie eventually answered, "R-Really...?"

"Yes! Really! And meanwhile... Well I was about to ask the king if he would accept to shelter you. So you will not be alone!"

Sweetie's body suddenly got tense in Waddle Dee's arms. She also stopped crying even if she still had some tears in her eyes. "Are you sure? I mean, he almost..."

"I know. He can be a little scary and you don't want to make him angry, but once he calms down, he can be good. I mean, he listened to me when I stopped him from... you know... He will probably ask something in return, but it's better than leaving you outside of the castle alone."

"If you say so..." she said, sniffling a last time.

"There. Better?"

"Yes... Thank you Waddle Dee."

"You are welcome!" he said while looking very happy, his eyes closed and almost bouncing. "Now follow me."

"Okay," Sweetie Belle said with a small smile. Better than seeing her crying, Waddle Dee thought before walking, followed by the filly.

In the way, Sweetie Belle asked a few questions, and eventually learned that the creatures were all called Waddle Dee, but a few of them called themselves in a different name to reflect something special about them. She of course asked how they could recognize each other, which Waddle Dee answered that they just do. Sweetie decided not to ask more about it, fearing a potential headache. Like everypony else in Ponyville, she learned not to ask too much thanks to Pinkie Pie, and she could tell that this subject was a potential Pinkie Pie level of weird. She also learned the names of a few other creatures wandering the castle, like the ones with only an eye were called Waddle Doo, or the flying ones that were pink balls with insect wings and yellow feet were Bronto Burt. Them and many others constituted King Dedede's army. But if Sweetie must be frank, they didn't look dangerous... In the contrary, a good number of them looked adorable. Most of them didn't even possess a weapon.

After walking a moment, they finally reached the Throne Room, which had been cleaned from the earlier... incident. Sweetie shivered just thinking about that table getting crushed while she barely avoided getting the same fate. Now that she thought about it, she still had some cake on her, and some other foods from the kitchen. If the king accepts to let her live in the castle, the first thing she will do is taking a bath!

Speaking of the king.  Here he was, on his throne, listening to a trio of Waddle Dees, one of theme being a Parasol Waddle Dee as she learned earlier, recognizable by having a red and white parasol, actually closed. As Sweetie and her new friend got closer, she could hear the king talk.

"So they made him a home?" he said before crossing his arms. "Mph! Of course they made him one! They just couldn't let their 'hero" sleep in the wild! At least now I know where he is. Good job you three. Dismissed."

The three Waddle Dees saluted before exiting the Throne Room, passing by Sweetie. King Dedede then noticed her presence and asked to the Waddle Dee with her, "What is she still doing in my castle?"

Waddle Dee signed to Sweetie to remain where she was before he approached the throne while bowing. Once he was close enough, he said, "Excuse me my king, but I learned something about her which may change your opinion."

"And what did you learn?"

"That she can't go back to her home. She comes from another world."

At that, King Dedede screamed in shock, "An alien?!" before turning his eyes to the filly who was now trembling, looking at the floor, her ears pressed against her head. "Is that true?!"

Seeing her cue, Sweetie walked closer before stopping just behind Waddle Dee. She bowed, then looked hesitantly at the king and answered, "Yes your majesty. I am from a world named Equus."

"And how can I be sure you are telling the truth? You said that you have come here because someone accidentally teleported you here. If what you say is the truth, then they would have to be really powerful to be able to teleport you at such a long distance."

"Oh yes! Princess Twilight is one of the most powerful being in my world, and is also really smart! Her special talent is magic and a few months ago she became an alicorn, like princesses Celestia and Luna, and they can use their magic to move the sun and the moon!"

If Dedede had been drinking, he would have made a spit-take! Something powerful enough to move the sun and the moon?! How was it possible?

"You are kidding me!"

"No! I swear! That's why I wanted to ask her to train me, she is so good at magic! With her as my teacher I would become like my big sister! I would be able to use at least ten objects at the same time, and I could lift heavier charges rather than just things like brooms! Maybe I could even shoot magical lasers from my horn!" Sweetie suddenly lost all her excitation. "But now it will never happen..."

"Don't say that!" Waddle Dee shouted. He will not let the filly lose her morale like that! "I told you! I'm sure we will find a way!"

"And how?" Dedede asked. "It's not like we have spaceships. And even if we had spaceships, we don't even know where is her world."

Waddle Dee had to stop himself from glaring at the penguin. "With hope!"

At his answer, the Throne Room was invaded with Dedede's laugh. For a whole minute, the king slammed his arms on his throne while bending because of how much his belly was hurting. Tears started again to appear at Sweetie's eyes as she lowered her head more and more at each seconds the king passed laughing. Fortunately, Waddle Dee was here to make sure she didn't get too depressed by hugging her and whispering to her comforting words.

Once Dedede finally stopped laughing, he then asked Sweetie Belle, "Anyway...Huff! Huff! I suppose that until you eventually finds a way to go home, you hope that I will let you stay at my castle?"

"Can I?" she asked back, looking again at the king.

"You could."

Thanks to Waddle Dee, Sweetie understood what Dedede implied. After sighing, she asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Easy. As long as you remain in my castle, I want you to work for me like all the others inhabitants of this castle. If we ask you to clean a room, you will clean it. If we ask you to cook, you will cook. If we ask you to guard, you will guard. Understood?"

"Yes. I understand. I accept."

"Then welcome in my army... aah... I don't think you told me your name."

"Oh! I'm sorry your majesty! My name is Sweetie Belle!"

"Then welcome in my army Sweetie Belle! You will start tomorrow morning. Waddle Dee, I charge you to give her a room before spreading the news."

"Yes sir! Follow me Sweetie Belle."

The two started to depart before King Dedede said one last thing. "Also, welcome to Dream Land Sweetie Belle. I hope that you will love your stay."

Well... only the future will tell...