A river of dreams
That night I had an interesting dream. I was walking down a long corridor built from white stone. Taking a closer look I found it to be made out of Marble pure white marble. My body seemed to move on it's own though and below my feet was a blue carpet with gold trimming. The corridor went on endlessly but soon I noticed statues along the trail. They were curious, none of them had faces and none were of humans but rather of ponies just like the girls. The statues soon began to end as well but one of the statues was destroyed it laid in a heap. I was able to stop for a moment and I felt compelled to fix it. When I did a name appeared on the face plate below as the statue seamlessly fixed it's self. "Dalis Silverwind" The face plate read and I walked on as the dream soon came to an end.
"What... was that about?" I thought rubbing my head. I heard the TV going and checked the clock.
"6 am... time to go kick Dash off the TV." I yawned and went to do so.
The visit was going well I was proud to say. The girls each found something to do and became enthralled in it, I spent the next day hanging out with each of them when I could. Fluttershy loved the forest and I... was surprised to see how many animals were in there even more so because I often hunted in those woods. The surviving animals didn't seem to be scared of me either. I only hunt now and again anyway but now, maybe I'll start hunting in the forest across the way or something. Meat is to expensive to get in town so I catch most of my own. Teaching myself to hunt wasn't fun either thankfully dressing I already knew how to do thanks to my grandpa but yeah. Rainbow dash loved the Harrison ford movies but when she noticed my DVD series of Full metal alchemist well lets just say if Dash's 20% cooler phrase hadn't already been invented she would had made it up after that. Apple Jack transformed the Garden back to the way it was before I "wrecked it" honestly you don't water for a day or two in summer and it goes to hell heh.
Rarity came up with the perfect outfit for me. A black Denim short sleeve jacket white shirt with Never soft on it black pants and white shoes with green soles brought together by white fingerless gloves and a black bandanna with a dragon necklace. Don't get me wrong despite it being a completely black outfit it went perfectly she said she even made a blue version and a casual one to give me some variety sweet girl way to much free time on her hooves though. Pinkie baked everything I had supplies for, and I mean everything. Going to be eating cakes and cookie for the next month good thing I have a high metabolism and immunity to sugar. Twilight as already torn through half of my library after mastering English she just translated them all into equestrian for ease. Jeez it's a good thing they are only staying a few days. That night at dinner which AJ prepared (boiled apples with cinnamon it was tastier then I thought it would be.) I got the night saving idea.
"Pool party." I said flatly after swallowing the bite I was on.
"Pool party?" Twilight asked.
"Oh yeah definitely that is what we have to do tonight. Only problem is what to wear." I said holding my finger up then rubbing my chin to think.
"What do you mean what to wear? we don't wear anything anyway." Dash said.
"I have to wear something though only I got nothing to swim in which really sucks." I sighed.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Well shoot partner what you so afraid off it's just us just swim naked." She said and both Rarity and I nearly choked on our next mouthful.
"Yeah it may be acceptable in your culture to walk around naked. But I wear clothes all the time and if I had my say you girls would too I don't care if your horses or not I don't need to see... that all the time. "I said pointing at nothing in particular on Dash's body.
Okay I'll admit it I was embarrassed by how freely they walked around like that. Not like I could see much of anything their tails took care of that but still it just felt weird to me.
"Hmm I suppose I could make you some swim trunks I could make us all some swimming clothes while I'm at it that craft room is stocked with all kinds of fabric. I have always wanted to make a swimsuit line but only Nobles bother to wear clothes all the time so it was always such a small market and to hit or miss for my reputation right now." Rarity said measuring my waist.
"Well if it won't bog you down Rarity I say go for it after all we are guests in his home and we should respect his wishes my parents made me wear clothes whenever I came home and around company." Twilight said.
From her reaction I wasn't completely sure if she liked clothes enough but she seemed accepting enough.
"Oh fine just make sure mine is cool I don't want it slowing me down." Dash said flexing her wings.
"You all can swim right?" Applejack asked.
"Like a rock!" Pinkie grinned.
That wasn't a very encouraging thought but as I'd come to know soon enough when it came to pinkie sense belonged outside with reason.
"Oh no swimming is much to dangerous." Fluttershy declined.
"Dangerous!? Ah saw you giving a shark a bath before we came here!" Applejack shouted as Rarity left to get started.
"Oh that's much different I was in the shallows the whole time and I had my life jacket on." she responded.
"Disturbing to say the least." I said and left to get the pool ready while the others tried to talk sense into Fluttershy.
While Rarity was busy and the girls tried to point out that many of the things Fluttershy did for her animals was very dangerous but she felt otherwise I got on my computer and decided to make a mix bag of songs for the pool party. While my MP3 player was downloading my choices from my library I got a pop up.
"What the?" I thought.
I couldn't fathom it I mean first of all my computer wasn't even plugged into the internet I had to unhook it before the girls showed up to prevent any... "accidents", and second I don't get pop ups my firewall is unstoppable. But I was curious I mean a pop up? In 2013? I was curious to say the least to curious for my own good so I clicked on it expecting a virus. But what I got was interesting even after what I went through over the last 3 days. On the screen a unicorn mare with wings. Now why I said that instead of pegasus was she had dragon wings and her hooves were claws. Her eyes were a sharp yet caring pink along with a white flank and hair so red I could have sworn it was ablaze she spoke to me with pride while swishing her dragon like tail.
"Hello and welcome to Is-it-scary?.com I want to ask you a few questions." She said and a few prompts showed up on the screen.
"To begin are you afraid of blood?"
"Blood as if." I thought and hit no.
"Are you afraid of the dark?" She asked next.
"What am I 4?" I said out loud and clicked on no.
"Huh... no on both interesting okay lets try something a bit more serious then shall we? Do you fear the unknown?" She asked after tapping on her chin with her claw.
"Well... um... shoot." I thought and clicked on maybe.
I had 6 magical talking horses just in the other room but did I fear the unknown? I wasn't sure I mean who knows what else is in their world?
"Ah I see now then are you afraid of strangers?" She asked next more confidently.
"Well... yeah I am I mean that's why I live all the way out here by myself." I said and clicked yes.
The questions rolled on and on I was confessing my biggest fears to this program. It asked me everything some things I don't even remember answering. It wanted my entire life. Who I was how big was my family why I lived all alone and yet forgetting that I had clearly lied to my friends about my sister who didn't even exist in the first place. I just didn't want to appear helpless. And then finally the biggest question of all.
"Are you afraid of dying?" The dragon mare asked with a concerned tone.
I hesitated this was again something I don't remember did I say yes? Did I say no? I don't know for sure and doubt I ever will but it was finally over as she folds her fore hooves and nodded her head pleased.
"Thank you very much we shall contact your shortly have a nice day." She grinned flashing some wicked looking teeth they were nothing like the girls these were meant to tear flesh.
The pop up closed it's self and I heard Rarity calling me the swimsuits were done. Getting up I looked back at the computer for a moment before I turned it off.
"Was that Star angel?" I thought but shook it off and went to find Rarity. I had a pool party to get to after all.
Each of the girls had swim suits that suited them I felt. Twilight's was a simple one piece a light color then her flank with constellations on it. Rainbow dash's was more of a wet suit then a swim suit but like she asked it was designed not to slow her down and she didn't care there was nothing special about it and was first in the water. Rarity's of course had the most effort put into it looking more like a run way item then something she could wear in the pool and judging from the make up she was still wearing I had a feeling she wasn't going in any time soon, if at all. Applejack's would have caused a nose bleed if A I did get those and B these girls weren't my friends. Her's was a imitation set of a Daisy duke like bikini bottom and top. Finally I got a pair of black flame swim trunks which I changed into and met them at the pool. Pinkie had joined Rainbow dash in the water as Twilight was doing a safety check on herself and everything else in the room of course. Rarity was busy showing her's off AJ was using my blender to whip up a few drinks (Which scares me as I never taught her how and she assured me she's never seen such a "bizarre contraption" before. Fluttershy meanwhile had a bath robe on clearly to embarrassed to be seen in what was most likely a bikini. I hooked up my MP3 player and the music started up.
"Come on Tony come play with us!" Rainbow dash waved.
"Alright I'm coming heads up!" I said dashing toward the pool.
I run to the edge but before I jump I slip luckily my head just barely missed the edge of the pool as I crashed into the water.
"Ah phew that could have sucked." I said rubbing the back of my head to be sure I hadn't hit it.
"Please be more careful oh I knew this was a bad idea!" Fluttershy said checking my head from the edge of the pool.
"Sugarcube ya'll think everything is a bad idea." Applejack said as she holds down the lid to blend a big piece of apple
But it is he could have gotten badly hurt! Look he's bleeding!" She said pointing my head towards her.
"I'm fine Fluttershy you worry to much. Besides that's a piece of apple." I said taking the red flake of skin that had landed on me from the blender.
"Oh no you can never worry to much." She said giving me a life jacket.
"I see..." I was able to say before Rainbow dash pulls me backwards and under the water making me drop the life jacket.
Dash's wings made her pretty zippy under the water it was hard to catch her but I knew this pool better then she did. I braced my legs against the nearby wall and launched myself at her she swam away but got caught in a current that helped circulate the pool water and I tackled her holding her down tight as I rose up above the water.
"No way how did you catch me!?" She said in shock.
"Heh it's my pool I know where the water flows." I said poking her nose making her blush slightly.
"Nicely done." She stuttered then splashed water in my face to make me let her go.
"Bet ya can't do it again!" She said taking off.
"Try me!" I said and dove after her.
I chased her again meanwhile Twilight had finished her safety check cast a quick spell on herself to keep her fur from getting and jumped in too. Rarity finished showing off carefully climbed into the pool by the stairs casting a the same spell as Pinkie floated in an inner tube nearby.
"There these are done ya'll one?" AJ announced.
"Come swim with us AJ we can have them when we're done!" Pinkie said.
"Alrighty then." She said putting her hat on the table and uses the diving board.
"Yeeha!"
The splash was enormous for such a tiny thing it was so big it splashed Fluttershy and the rope fell off. I was right about the Bikini it had butterfly motifs all over it. Fluttershy screamed and covered herself with her wings her face was redder then mine was when I walked in on Twilight showering the night before. I've lived alone for years I'm not used to people being in my house yet.
"Honestly Fluttershy you look magnificent stop being so shy darling." Rarity said ignoring a splash from Rainbow dash that just slipped down her barrier spell, much to her dismay.
"Yeah we're all friends here come on." I said and we all cheered her on.
"W-well... okay. She squeaked and lowered her wings.
"Atta girl come on Fluttershy swim with us! I promise I won't splash you again!" Rainbow said.
"B-but I don't know how."
"I'll teach ya." I said wading up to her and held out my arms.
So reluctantly Fluttershy came over and jumped into my outstretched arms. I carefully lowered her into the water (After she put on a life jacket of course) and started teaching her how to swim. Now teaching a pony how to swim was trickier then I thought but she trusted me and I just watched the others. Being the uber tall one is very useful at times.
"D-don't let go." She whined holding onto my arm tightly with her left wing as she did what I told her too.
"Who me? Never." I promised.
The panicked look on her face soon disappeared as she actually started having fun as she started to learn the basics I head on the whole time of course. After awhile we sat on the steps and Twilight floated the drinks AJ made to each of us.
"To new friends." Twilight toasted.
"To new friends." The rest of us replied.
"I am going to start working on a way to take you with us Anthony we had no idea it was this lonely out here." She said sadly.
"What do you do when we're not around?" Fluttershy asked as she relaxed in my lap.
"I think a lot, read books just wait mostly. I work on my grampa's old car too I have no idea what I'm doing but it passes the time." I responded.
"What do you think about?" Pinkie asked.
"Well I often dream I am a knight a powerful protector of Equestria you know that one I often am in our RPs? From what you've told and shown me you girls could use more knights and a strong one to lead the rest if half the stories about the royal guard are true that is." I chuckled.
"We can handle things." Rainbow dash boosted.
"Handle is not good enough maintain and prevent is what you really need." I countered.
"What makes you think you'd be a good knight?" Twilight asked seriously.
"I'm not sure but I know I got the drive and the desire to protect and serve others. I'd be a cop most likely if I didn't have a 50 mile commuted every day." I shrugged.
The girls chatted to themselves each considering the idea of me being a good knight or not having no clue what a cop is.
"Why would I tell them that? That's odd I do think about being a knight but... still what is going on with me lately?" I thought my mind was swimming with thoughts yet again.