Authors Notice; Good thing saved this chapter :) Onward!
“Am I tripping?" Dante turned to Twilight and the others; He could see the fair village nestled in the valley, peaceful and quiet.
“What?" Twilight was tilting her head to the side, what does he mean by tripping?
“I think what he is trying to say is if he really is imagining things, right Dante?" Celestia answered to Twilight who gave a soft 'oooohhhh' to herself, the others seemed to have gotten the gist of what Dante said; he gave a sort of sly look to Celestia
“Yeah, something like that."
The walk into town was somewhat...expected, everypony ran into their houses in a cloud of dust locking everything up, some stayed out because Princess Celestia was with them. Just as everyone saw from their windows, they all came out of their houses hesitantly, but with the nod of the princess they all shuffled out, most crowding around the princess; some went back to their stalls to sell whatever goods they had to sell.
All the ponies that gathered wanted to listen to what Princess Celestia had to say, she stepped forward and cleared her throat, “My little ponies," She started, "You are probably wondering what has brought me to Ponyville." Dante held back a snort from that, luckily no one heard it, Celestia continued, “The reason is this creature." she gesture to Dante.
“This creature, or human," She said, "Was the one that created that ruckus in the Everfree forest." Everypony gasped, except the mane six, Dante did a little bow to the crowd, Celestia shook her head, "Being the case, he also saved our lives." A ripple of murmurs sprang through the crowd.
“So I owe him more then I know." Dante shook his head, he hated when his heroics were noticed and he wanted it kept silent, not brought out into the blue. But that was the way it worked here, so he decided to play along with it as he let Celestia explain a bit more to the crowd of curious ponies. Who would have thought he would be surrounded by candy colored ponies right now... Right back at home, Lady would be paralyzed with laughter and pretty much kneeling on the hardwood floor pounding her fist in, but then again, nearly everyone would.
“Is he violent?" One pony asked out of the crowd.
“Yes," They all shuddered a Celestia’s confirmation, but she saw this would be coming and added, "But he keeps it under control."
"Under control... Right." Dante rolled his eyes at that little statement Celesta made about Dante.
She giggled at what Dante thought, his eyes grew wide by half an inch and settled back, "And she can read minds... Well, that's great ."
"I am surprised you didn't catch on sooner."
"Well don't blame me for not knowing until now, princess." Dante finished.
Celestia nodded and turned to the crowd "I am sorry for making a surprise visit today, but you may go back to your duties, and again, I'm sorry for the interruptions." She turned to Twilight and the others, Well, it seems the situation is balanced somewhat, but I must go girls, I have duties back at the castle and remember, you can always mail me if something is wrong with Dante." She disappeared in a white ball of energy and in the next moment, she was gone. Most of the ponies that were in the crowd immediately dispersed back to their usual duties, some stayed behind just staring at Dante spacing out in the process.
"So... Dante," Rainbow Dash landed right next to him, "About you flying..."
"Rainbow Dash, it's nearly dusk, it'll be too dark." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah Dashie, I mean, how can you see somepony do anything in the dark unless you had night vision or a very big candle." Pinkie giggled at her best friend not noticing it was nearly nighttime.
"Yeah, well-." Rainbow Dash was cut off by Dante waving his hand.
"Try tomorrow, right now I'm beat and pretty much starving," He clapped his hands “I need a hot pizza."
What the hay is a pizza?" Applejack asked.
Dante turned to her giving a shocked look, "You guys don't have pizza?"
"No, we don't know what that is." Applejack said "Now, ya didn’t answer my question, what in tarnation is a pizza?"
Dante was on the verge of literally thinking this was truly hell, "Never mind about it, Jack." She growled at Dante, he put both hands in his coat pockets, "Well do you at least have strawberry sundaes?"
Pinkie gave one of her signature hops, "Oh oh, yes! Twilight, get him to Sugarcube Corner now!" She then ran, a cloud of dust and a trail was all that's left, Dante was about to say something then pointed a finger in the direction Pinkie was running off, "I like her more now."
Twilight was confused, first off, ponies who met Pinkie Pie would question how she did it, but seeing as he didn't question her, she turned to Dante and nodded to follow, "You coming, girls?"
"Can't Twi, I got job at the farm." Applejack said as she ran back to the farm.
“Same with me Darling, I have a huge order to fill today and I hope to get a good start tonight." Rarity said as she waved goodbye to Twilight.
"Umm... Well... I gotta tuck the animals in and the squirrels seem to have trouble getting to sleep, so... I'm sorry I can't come." Fluttershy said as she flew off back to her cottage.
"How come my head feels like it will explode whenever she gets that shy?" Dante asked himself, he tapped his cheek.
"Hay I’ll tag along." Rainbow Dash said, she wanted to know the details on how Dante beat down the Ursa Major, but Twilight brought up one little thing, "Aren’t you suppose to sleep early? Because as far as I know, a storm is expected tomorrow."
Rainbow Dash immediately got airborne "Oh shoot!" And she was gone before you could blink, Dante chuckled at that, Twilight looked at Dante as they were walking to Sugarcube Corner, " What's so funny?"
"Storms usually foreshadow something bad and that is what I am waiting for."
"So the weather where you’re from isn't controlled by pegasus?"
"Nothing but luck and some science crap." Dante put it bluntly
Twilight wished she had a scroll and a quill to record this and wonder what his world really was, but seeing that he wasn't in the mood for questions, she decided to cut it until later. But there was one thing that was on her mind when they first met and had an 'interesting' encounter.
"So why do you carry that big sword?" Twilight had to get it off her chest, it was bugging her and she just had to do it here and now.
"Well," Dante patted Rebellion " It's part of my job description."
"And that would be?"
"Killing Demons... Or bad guys, whatever floats your damn boat here." Dante said.
"But why?" Twilight asked.
"In my world some humans... Aren't as friendly as me."
"And demons?" Twilight wanted to know what they are, but from how he said it, they sounded evil.
This was the moment Dante knew that was coming, they stopped in the center of town in front of the mayor's office and ponies of all kinds turning their heads at Dante, wondering what kind of creature is that and why is he friendly, but since the incident with Zecora, everypony was know more tolerable of any creature that was friendly instead of turning them away when they just want to get along. Dante gave a serious look and took a deep breath “Demons... They are damn hell-spawns."
"I’m sorry but that doesn't help with the description." Twilight wanted just a simple answer with Dante, she was patiently waiting his answer.
“Fine." Dante cracked his fingers, shook his hands and took a quick peek at an orange pegasus with a purple mane on a scooter, she suddenly zipped away down the road as Dante turned his eyes to her. Dante then combed his fingers through his hair "Think of those things I fought and take away their good looks."
"It still doesn't help Dante." Twilight chuckled a little at that.
"More serious answer, eh?" Dante gave a hearty yawn "How about a bet?"
"What do you mean?" Twilight heard of bets, but never really partook in any gambling.
"Well, you seem serious about my world and I want to make things more interesting." Twilight tilted her head to her side, what he was thinking was all she could say.
"See that candy place or whatever the hell were heading to," Dante said, " In other words, wherever Pink's went to make that strawberry sundae."
"Go on." Twilight replied knowing all too well it was Sugarcube Corner.
"The bet is this, we race to that building were walking to, whoever gets there first wins," Dante pointed to the Hansel and Gretel styled house that was Sugarcube Corner, "If I win, I don't get to answer your questions."
"And if I win?"
"I'll pay for the sundae and answer your questions seriously."
Twilight put a hoof to her chin and rubbed "He is weird about this, his world can provide so much for ours too." But it came to her that it seemed to be the only way to get a straight answer from him. "Deal."
"Oh and Go." As soon as that happened Dante was off running down the street; Twilight gave a mischievous smile as her horn glowed.
"You know, for a first impression, you’re really bad at bets." Twilight was giving a victorious smile right as they both sat down inside.
"Yeah, yeah." As Dante put his head down on the table, he should have known these unicorns could teleport, he kept asking himself how he could not have seen this coming.
"Well, you can't get out of your deal with me regarding the questions, but you can get out of paying for your sundae."
"Well, that's a first." Dante said, usually, he had to pay for it or put it on a tab; but the piling debt pretty much rectified his train of thought.
The inside of the place wasn't like the outside, it was pretty normal, just a counter with a glass showcase and a couple of hand carved tables, this was one of the last places Dante would be if it didn't have strawberry sundaes. Twilight was patiently waiting, tapping her hooves on the table gently making a quiet clop sound, Dante was leaning back feet on the table, he still couldn't get over the fact that he was still here even for one day, but his thoughts were interrupted by a pink blur who stood at the end of the table " Here ya go!" Pinkie beamed.
Dante took a look at the sundae, it seemed pretty regular like the ones he had back home, least that didn't change. He took the spoon from the side, Pinkie and Twilight leaned in as Dante took his first bite, he then put the spoon down and stared at Pinkie and then smirked, "Best... Freaking... Strawberry sundae ever." Pinkie gave a squeal as she hopped up and down from the positive reaction, Dante then ate his sundae in peace, the only thing he could have that would make this better would be a pizza, but beggars can't be choosers.
As Dante was finishing his sundae, a bluish pony with a pink mane and yellow apron came in with a canary yellow pony with an orange mane that had a white apron and hat, they all stopped at the sight of Dante.
"Pinkie dear?" The yellow pony said first, “Who or what is-."
"This is Dante, he saved me and the girls and the princess from some mean old manticores." Pinkie piped up in her usual fashion.
They grew wide eyed at the statement Pinkie just said, "The princess? Really?" The blue pony asked.
"Yup, we were in the Everfree forest when it all happened, then an showdown with the Princess and Dante-" Pinkie was cut off by the yellow pony who could not believe what he just heard, "Wait this creature and the princess?"
"Yeppity Yeppers, they were all like BOOM!" Everyone jumped back as Pinkie smacked the floor with both hooves, "And then WHOOSH!!" She zipped past the ponies leaving a small dust trail and she zipped back to the center of the room, Dante was watching in interest on how fast Pinkie was, he got up from his seat (surprised it held him up) and leaned on the wall watching it all go down, she then reached the part with the manticores and she got into detail on the fight.
Dante was starting to feel drowsy, It seemed Twilight took notice and gestured towards Dante to follow, Pinkie was going over the details but she suddenly saw them leave the door "Awww don’t you wanna say hello to Mr and Mrs. Cake?"
Twilight gave Pinkie a tired look too, she did not notice it was night time already, "Well as much as he would," Dante yawned at that, "He feels like he is tired and needs place to stay so-"
"OH OH! He can stay with us!" Pinkie suggested, Mr and Mrs. Cake looked at eachother, then at Dante, then at Pinkie, "Pinkie dearie," The fact of what Pinkie said about Dante's encounters with Celestia and the manticores had him worried that it may not be the wisest to let a creature whom Pinkie and the others met for only about fourteen hours, " I don't think-."
"Awww please!" She used her puppy eyes on the Mr and Mrs. Cake, her big blue eyes were penetrating right to their hearts, they both sweated at this but finally...
"Alright Pinkie he can-." Before Mr Cake could get out the rest of the sentence out Pinkie grabbed Dante's hand and took him upstairs, they could hear Mrs. Cake saying to Mr. Cake, "Pinkie is just being Pinkie dearie."
Dante and Pinkie were walking down the hallway past her room, the Cakes room, and the bathroom, then finally a guest room, Pinkie opened the door at the far end of the hallway, the only pieces of furniture that were inside was a big queen sized bed, a chair and an armoire. Dante put his sword next to his bed and Ebony and Ivory on the bed, he sat down on it and jumped a little too, he looked at Pinkie and finally asked "Why are you and your friends trusting me so easily Pinks? Didn't I just slaughter two manticores and left one badly beaten?" He rubbed his head, "And to top it all off, I'm surprised you six aren’t scarred from those situations." He scratched his arm, "And the fact that I wiped the floor with your princess's royal ass makes it a good reason to be a stuck up to me."
"Well," This was one of those moments Pinkie was calm and serious, and she meant every word to, "The rest of the girls don't trust you in a way, but you don't seem like a big meanie to me."
"So, they still have sticks up their asses?" Dante snorted. "Figures."
She nodded despite Dante swearing, "We talked about it on the way out of the Everfree, I understand you had to do it to beat those evil manticores," She then walked towards the door, "Or fighting the princess, the girls may not trust you, but I do." She then gave her usual Pinkie grin, "So goodnight Dante." and she closed the door.
Dante laid on the bed and tossed his trench coat on the armoire, "Well, at least Pinks trust me in this sugar coated place."
Dante took out his half of the perfect amulet and saw his reflection in the gem; He twiddled with it and then laid back in the bed and gave one long sigh, “This is going to be one weird job."
Canterlot Gardens.
Nighttime fell upon the gardens, the moon glinting on the statues of Heroes and villains of Equestria's past. One lone figure stood at the statue of Discord, so many thoughts and feelings rising, so many memories of him. But his train of thought was interrupted by a lone guard who was on his daily night patrol and seemed to notice the lone figure looking at the statue past closing time.
"Sir, the garden is closed, please come back tomorrow."
"..."
"Sir, may you please leave?"
"..."
"Sir, I won't ask you again, please leave or I will escort you to the dungeon."
"..."
"Alright sir, if you won't leave, then please follow me to the dungeon until tomorrow."
The hooded figure turned to the guard pony, who literally hopped a few feet back, seeing nothing but purple and black smoke leak from his eyes and a toothy demonic grin bearing down on the guard, the hooded figure raised a hoof and two dark hands suddenly grasped the guard pony who was screaming for help, but was silenced when the clang of his helmet rang through the garden, the hooded pony then slashed through the air at the statue of Discord and the statue was gone. The hooded figure teleported leaving nothing but an eerie demonic laugh echoing throughout the garden. The laugh left the garden for five seconds, but it suddenly stopped, leaving nothing but the guard ponies helm on the ground, the moon glinting off the helm, leaving nothing but a desolate helm in the garden.
Chapter proofreaded by LyonAzakura.
Authors Notice: Even though I accidentally deleted story*Cries at moment* It still helps me to rewrite and fix grammar issues as best I can, but to new readers I hoped you enjoyed the chapter :)