~~~
*drip* *drip*
I lift my head and look around...
Stone floors, and heavy bars....
Dirt and rags. My hair is long and filthy and my beard is back.
It was just a dream?
I try to stand but I am numb, like my limbs don't want to respond. I manage to make it to my hands and knees.
I look to my right, Rarity's cell, empty.
I drag myself to my feet, and stretch....
Then fall to my knees.
I'm still in this subterranean hell.
How long has it been?
From the length of my hair and beard I cannot tell other than it is longer, Much longer.
I crumple to the floor covering my face with my hands, tears rolling from my eyes...
I never got out.... I never meet the girls... They don't even know I exist....
A deep pained moan escapes me as I sob... I am never going to get out of here.
I hear a noise up the hall...
I remain still, shuddering as I realize I will be put back to back breaking work.
No way to end this....
I hear the clopping of hoofsteps coming up the hallway....
Finally they come to a stop outside my cell....
I wipe my face for what little good it does and look up.
The Princess of the night gazes at me with a small quiet smile on her muzzle.
"Luna?"
She nods, "So this is where you hide yourself in your dreams?"
I sit up, the shock of realization hitting me hard, "This is.. a dream?"
She swings her horn and the bars vanish around me, as does the hard stone floor. Replacing it is a location I recall from a camping trip, I am sitting upon a large flat stone, by which a small stream flows, the trees from memory surrounding me, the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees.
Luna smiles and comes closer, "This is much better..."
"How could I be here? This is earth."
Luna steps up and gives my cheek a gentle nuzzle, "You can be anywhere you want in your dreams..."
I smile and put my arms around her neck, "Thank you. I thought that...."
She nods and puts a foreleg around my shoulders."You fell asleep shortly after the party began, Considering what you've been through, it was agreed to let you rest. However, I could not just let my new friend suffer from nightmares...."
"I am honored to hear you call me a friend."
Luna giggles softly," You may be strange, but I know what it's like to be alone. Nopony should suffer that."
I nod softly as I reach up and gently run my fingers through her night sky mane.
Luna gently pushes me back, "Your friends are waiting for you." She raises a hoof and lightly touches my nose, "Boop!"
~~~
I am surrounded by warmth, a gentle weight pressing down upon me. I try to lift an arm and it's held down by a weight as well. I slowly come to, the sun just beginning to stream in through the windows. In the dim light I see Luna standing near, a smile of amusement on her muzzle as I take in the situation.
I am surrounded by ponies, Rarity is lying to my left, so her head is resting across my chest, and all the other girls all fell asleep cuddling up to me in a pony pile, Twilight is on my right side, Pinkie is sprawled across my legs, I glance up and I see butter yellow, Dash and AJ are near my feet, all still asleep.
I blink in a little confusion at Luna.
"They saw you were disturbed during your rest. Rarity was first, then the rest followed."
I nod and relax again, it has been a while since I felt this warm and comfortable.
Celestia quietly steps in from the balcony, giving me a benevolent smile.
I realize just who's bed I am occupying... obviously the only one that is big enough for my frame. "Sorry your Highness..." I begin to whisper, not wanting to bother my blanket of mares.
Celestia giggles softly, "Do not worry Cedric, There was plenty of room for me as well."
I blush... "To be honest, Sleeping with a pony wasn't one of the things I would have expected to happen this soon. But... this takes the cake."
I slowly slide my right hand out from under Twilight and gently scratch Rarity's ears, She gives a soft murr and leans into it.
After a moment she open her eyes with a soft smile, "My hero awakes."
I nod and put a finger to my lips, "Shh, you'll wake the others."
Rarity covers a smirk with her hoof and nods to the Princesses, "Good morning your majesties." She turns back to me and nuzzles my cheek, "I trust you slept well, Darling?" She says softly.
I nod, "Much better than a cold stone floor."
Rarity giggles, "Indeed." She shifts and rises from the bed.
As the light waxes, the others begin to stir.
I reach up and lightly tickle Fluttershy's neck, She giggles softly, then rises with a squeak.
I smile and rest a hand on her hoof, "Thank you for your Kindness."
Fluttershy blushes so bright she almost turns pink, "y--- yyy-youre welcome" She says quietly, lifting her hoof and placing it over my hand, then she hops off the bed with a flick of her wings.
I nod and begin scratching Twilight's ear.
"Mehhh... A few more minutes Spike...."
My chuckle makes her raise her head, "You know you're really cute when you do that..."
Twilight bolts upright, rigid like when she meet Gummy, "Oh! it's you!" She raises a hoof and breathes out pushing it out and down like Cadence taught her. Calming, she gives me a smile, "Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I have in a long time."
Pinkie rolls over onto her back and into my lap, giving a cute snore.
I sit up, with a mischievous smirk on my face I reach down and rub her tummy.
"Mmmm! That's nice, Mr. Alien!" She giggles sleepily then comes to, looking up at me with her big blue eyes. She reaches up and gives me a hug with her hooves. "I'd like to be woken up like that every day!" She says brightly.
AJ and Dash squirm a little at the noise and lift their heads. Dash's bed head looks like an explosion at a crayon factory.
"Good morning ladies." I gently move Pinks so that I can get up.
Ponies move. I slide over and hang my legs over the edge of the huge bed, "Ahh...." I stretch and push against my upper back eliciting several cracks.... then tilt my head left and right and twist my head sharply each time, making more loud cracks, shocking the small crowd around me.
Flutters looks like she's about to faint.
"Wow Ced! Are ya Ok? That sounded like it hurt!" AJ asks, eyes wide.
"One of the side effects of standing upright, AJ. Stretching like that helps keep me from getting too stiff. It doesn't hurt at all. Can't say I haven't surprised myself with how loud they can be, though."
I stand and bow to the Princesses, "Your majesties? I guess the question is where to next?"
Luna yawns softly, "My watch over the night is done, I shall be retiring. If I don't see you later in this realm, I shall see you in your dreams Sir Cedric. I would like to see more of your world."
I smile and nod, "Thank you for watching over me."
Luna smiles and steps out to the balcony, then leaps into the air, flying over to a dark tower with an observatory at the peak.
Pinkie's stomach grumbles like an unhappy bear. She blushes and hides her muzzle behind a hoof.
I chuckle, glancing at Celestia, "You know what this calls for?"
Pinkie blinks confusedly, " A party?"
I shake my head, "Nope, Breakfast!"
---
Man, can Pinkie Pie knock it back...
I watched her in mildly horrified awe as she downed a plate of pancakes half as tall as she was in one sitting.
What put the cherry on top was that the rest of the girls didn't even blink an eye.
I took another sip of the lifeblood that is one of god's gifts to man and pony, coffee. "This is amazing...."
Celestia gives another of her glowing smiles, "Thank you Cedric, It's grown in the castle gardens. We just try to avoid giving Luna too much, The moon does strange things when she's had too many cups of espresso."
Twilight giggles, "Like that time we had an eclipse cause Luna made it rise twice during the same day."
Celestia facehooves, "The soothsayers proclaimed doom and destruction as usual. Even more so when it took twice as long as usual to rise the next night."
Pinkie Pie giggles, then viciously attacks a plate of hashbrowns. There were no survivors.
I blink and shrug, Ponies being ponies, I can't really say I was that surprised.
Celestial looks at me, "What are your plans for the day, Cedric?"
I take a deep breath, "Well I appreciate the hospitality, but I think the girls here have responsibilities they need to get back to, and I need to see how my car fared."
Twilight bamfs a checklist in front of her, "Yes, and we are due at the train station in an hour and a half."
I smirk, "Always the little schemer eh Twilight?"
Twilight blushes, "There's something to be said for having all your ducks in a row."
Fluttershy eeps at the word 'ducks', "I need to feed all the critters! What will they do without me?"
Rainbow shrugs, "They're animals, they know how to find food. But I need to get back and make sure the weather team is not slacking off."
AJ chuckles, "Hyeah Dash, Ya'll do enough of that for all of 'em!"
Dash glares at AJ, "Hey! I get my part done twice as fast so I have time to slack off!" She pauses a moment, looking back and forth "Umm, and practice for the Wonderbolts!"
Rarity bounces atop her cushion, "And I'm sure I have SOOO much to catch up on after my horrible imprisonment! This is the Worst Possible Thing!" She hops up, magically grabs me by the arm and starts pulling.
I sigh as I'm dragged out of the banquet hall, followed by the rest, "I guess I'll visit you later, Your Highness, Give Luna my best. Until next time!"
"Indeed Cedric, Farewell!" Celestia smirks, "Oh and here's your first stipend as an ambassador!" She magically tosses a large bag of bits to me...
*Whump!*
Which hits me in the chest, momentarily knocking the breath out of me.
"Thank you your Highness." *Gasp!* I croak out as I am pulled out the door.
Celestia giggles softly to herself with a leering grin, "Still got it."
Pepper Mill, standing next to her, drops his empty platter in wide-eyed terror.
---
As our group leaves the gates of Canterlot Castle...
Rarity pauses and appraises me, "We simply cannot have you looking this shabby in Canterlot, dear." She grins widely, "To the Retail district! We need to do some shopping!"
Twilight stands in Rarity's way, "We only have an hour and fifteen minutes before the train leaves!"
Rarity gives her a know-it-all smile, "Just enough time to make sure our Human Ambassador looks the part! Come along Ced!"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Absolutely not, darling!"