I had a dream last night, though I can scarcely remember it now. I mainly just remember a feminine voice speaking softly to me, in a calm, almost motherly tone. I awoke for a brief moment to notice it was still dark, and I was too weary to check if the manticore was still outside, let alone venture out into the forest. I decided to wait until morning.
Setting out from the cave the following morning after having noticed that the manticore had left, I began to search the woods for any signs of civilization. While going through the woods however, I noticed for the first time that my equine form felt...smaller? I can’t really think of any other way to describe it.
After about half an hour of straight walking, I meet the edge of the forest, and I can see a dirt path that leads to what appears to be a town of sorts, though I have never seen a settlement so...defined before. I looked around to see if the coast is clear and make my way closer to the town, trying to keep as low as possible; understandably, the sight of a pitch black horse with glowing blood red eyes would alarm the locals to a certain degree.
But then I chuckle and think to myself; I might as well try to have some fun while I’m here.
I make my way through one shrouded alley to the next, making mental notes on everything I see. Despite being an ethereal being and therefore possessing no digestive system, what I saw nearly made me vomit.
Before me, I saw three pastel colored equines standing by what appeared to be...a bakery? And they appeared to be speaking with each other. Their colors made my eyes want to bleed. One had a snow colored coat and a purple mane and tail that were apparently well groomed. Odd thing was that it had a horn, thus making it a unicorn.
Second one was of a cyan color and was hovering above the other two with wings of the same color; a pegasus! Her mane was of six shades in a rainbow color; I gagged at the sight.
But the last was the absolute worst: a normal (by that I only mean no wings or horn) horse with pink fur and a pink mane. Pink. I. Despise. Pink. This one was continuously hopping in place as if it had eaten one too many sweet rolls.
I was tempted to edge my way closer to try to listen in on what they were conversing about, but I was immediately deterred when the pink one stopped hopping suddenly and gazed in my direction. After a brief period of the other two speaking to her, an open smile as wide as the Sea of Ghosts suddenly creased across her face and she let out a high pitched squeal.
I can’t remember the last time I ran that fast.
---
“Pinkie, what are you staring at?” The pegasus named Rainbow Dash asked as she landed next to her friend. No answer.
“Pinkie?” The white unicorn Rarity asked. “Is there something wrong?” Pinkie Pie’s only response was a high pitched squeal of joy, startling both of her companions and attracting the attention of a few passing ponies. She then proceeded to hop around her friends in a circle while giggling like a school filly.
“Pinkie!” Dash yelled. “What is it!? What are you so excited about!?”
“New pony!!” The hyperactive filly yelled with happiness. “New pony! I saw him! He was in the alley right over there!” With a hoof, she pointed over to a darkened space in between two businesses.
“Uh, Pinkie Pie,” Dash said as she looked towards the alley. “I don’t see anypony there...”
“He ran away, silly filly!” The pink pony laughed and resumed her hopping.
“Ran away?” Rarity asked. “Now why would anypony do that?”
“He was really strange looking too!” Pinkie started hopping in place in front of her friends now. “It was reeeeaaaally easy to spot him in the dark because he had bright, glowing red eyes! Oh! You both know what this means, right?”
“Lemme guess,” Dash groaned. “We’re gonna prepare a party for him?”
“Of course, silly! Everypony gets a Welcome to Ponyville party; Pinkie style!” The pink pony gleefully began hopping in circles around her friends again as both Dash and Rarity sighed.
---
A decent morning of exploration of this place. Listening in on conversations, I learned that the name of the town is Ponyville, as unbelievably ridiculous as it sounds. I’ve also learned that the nation (or maybe it refers to the world, or just a continent) is Equestria, and that it is ruled by a “Princess Celestia” and “Princess Luna” concurrently. I’ve also heard them referred to as if they were deities, such as “By the gods” being replaced with “By Celestia.”
I’ve been sure to study what appear to be unicorn and pegasus subspecies, the latter of which are capable of ample flight maneuvering. I’ve noticed a great deal of them were apparently “moving” the clouds from one location to another, but for what reason I can only guess at.
The former, unicorns, are able to wield powerful magic with their horns, but it doesn’t seem to be of any of the traditional schools of magic that are classified in Tamriel. Mostly I’ve just seem simple levitation of small objects. The horn would glow a color that matched the unicorn’s coat, and a similar aura would surround said object.
Unfortunately, I have already been spotted by one of them, as I have noted earlier. A rather shameful exposition put on by a servant of Sithis, one would think. No pursuit took place and I managed to retreat to my old dwelling in the forest, but I must be more cautious from here on out.
---
I’ve gone exploring again in the early evening, this time going around the settlement known as Ponyville. Traversing the area around the town, I’ve noticed a small cottage on the northern edge, housing a single female pegasus, and a rather large amount of domesticated animals. This pegasus has a pink mane (which lead to my assumption of it being female) and a soft, yellowish coat. She mainly stayed on the ground, occasionally hovering above one portion of her farm. I could hear her speaking, but she was so quiet that I couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
My next area of exploration was a farm, or more like an orchard to be precise, as apples seemed to be the primary agricultural crop being grown. I saw two more equines here: an orange colored one with a blonde mane and tail (this one was wearing an odd looking hat) and a red one that was at least twice the size of the other one. I assumed the red one to be a male based on the size and that it had a much deeper voice.
Another oddity I’ve noticed while traveling between these two locations is that there appears to be a large mass of clouds on the horizon. Even stranger still is the fact that they seem to be...organized in some fashion.
Night is falling, and I’ve decided to turn in at the cave until morning.
---
Second day.
The same dream as last night, though I could understand it a little more. I was standing on what almost felt like a cloud, the sun was rising across the horizon, and I remember that motherly voice speaking to me again. So far, I’ve failed to piece together what it means.
This morning, I continued my surveillance of the town. Nothing really new today, unfortunately. I did however see what looked like a short, bipedal lizard like creature. It was also breathing a green fire from time to time; an infant dragon perhaps? Not unheard of, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one.
Other than that, nothing really interesting. I returned to the cave by afternoon with little new information.
No sign of pursuit from the pink equine.
---
Early evening of the second day.
I’m back at Ponyville tonight, determined to find out something new about the lifeforms that apparently dominate this odd world. I stood outside what looked like a tower almost, fairly posh looking, splashed with different shades of purple and lavender. I sat on my hunches by a mound of garbage, listening to a young female voice speaking (possibly to herself?) something about a mirror.
“Such a shame,” she said to herself. “This was one of my favorite mirrors; I guess I’ll just have to go out tomorrow and buy a new one.” I heard a heavy sigh of disappointment as I looked up to see a circular object plummeting towards me. I dodge without making a sound as the mirror crashes onto the soil, loosening some more fragments of glass.
Examining the mirror, I notice that it is edged with gold and various gemstones decorate the back. Turning it over, I see my reflection for the first time since entering this world. What I saw horrified me.
My appearance had changed: despite my coat being pitch black, it had somehow become more defined, more...colorful. It’s as if a child had taken colored ink and drawn me on a piece of parchment. I was smaller, about the size of one of the ponies. My eyes still retained that ominous glow, but it appeared completely unthreatening because of my other features.
I took the broken mirror with my teeth, and retreated to the edge of the woods.
---
Twilight had been spending the past minute trying to calm Pinkie Pie down. She had been hopping around her library in excitement, throwing streamers around and hanging balloons one the walls. “But, Twilight,” the pink pony said while zipping from one side of the room to the other. “There’s a new pony here in town! And I absolutely need to throw him a party! Everypony is invited! Come on, help me prepare, we need some cake, games, music, drinks,”
“PINKIE!!” Twilight exclaimed to get her friend’s attention.
“Yes?” Pinkie asked calmly as she came to Twilight’s side, ready to listen attentively.
“Gosh, can’t you take your mind off of parties for one second,” Twilight shook her head. But in all honesty, that’s why she liked Pinkie so much. “You said there was a new pony, right?” Pinkie nodded excitedly. “I got a letter from Princess Celestia two days ago about a pony’s coming arrival in town, and she also said to be patient with him and that he might seem eccentric.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever she means by that.”
“Oh, eccentric? I know what that means! I think...” Pinkie placed a hoof on her chin in thought.
“Ugh, it means unconventional; a little on the strange side.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Pinkie replied. Twilight felt herself smile.
“I wonder,” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin. “The princess said that he was also new to Equestria; I didn’t even know that ponies lived outside of Equestria before...”
---
I had to know for sure. I rested in my cave dwelling in the evening, deep in what the ponies refer to as the Everfree forest, my reflection in the shattered mirror gazing back at me. I had indeed turned into one of them...my coat is still as black as night, but that familiar pastel style had covered me.
This is something I couldn’t even begin to understand. There is really only one idea that would explain my sudden appearance in this world: the Dread Father had abandoned me. It had happened to other servants of Sithis before, such as with one of the former Listeners whom nearly led the Dark Brotherhood to destruction. When he was apprehended, he was thrown into the dimension of Coldharbour, the realm of the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal.
I gently touch the broken mirror with a hoof. How could the Dread Father abandon me like this? What have I done to have offended?
I feel a thousand more questions pile up in my mind. I sigh and sit back against the wall of the cave; I don’t have many answers, and the fatigue that is suddenly creeping upon me is not helping. I feel my eyelids close.
One question in particular bothers me the most:
I am the one observing these ponies; so why can I not shake this feeling that I am the one being watched?