Second Chances at a New Story

by Vulpibard

Chapter Four

I woke up, I stretched, then I looked outside. Sunlight, it was morning already. Hopping out of bed I shook myself down and inspected my hooves, then fur and mane. I had a few tangles as I expected but there's was nothing I could do unless there was a comb in the room. I knew this wasn't a dream, I had had those while I was laying in my hospital bed. I knew I wasn't suppose to have seen another sunrise but it still felt good to prove doctors wrong no matter how many times I did it. Briskly pacing over to the dresser I poked through the drawers for a comb. Not finding one there I jogged to the bathroom where I probably should have checked first.

After confirming that the doors next to the pavilion did indeed lead to a bathroom I stepped up to the sink and grabbed the comb there using my mouth. I was too tired for much else, such as testing out my magic or using my hooves. After a good deal of stretching and straining I felt my fur was in good enough order. I began thinking about what 'Dues' had said.

He had plans for me, that was obvious. And the less obvious 'I had plans for myself.' I yawned and reached for the door handle, remembering what he said about the guards being changelings.

"Good morning, my loyal servants!" I called, opening the portal.

The guards snapped to attention, were they sleeping? I mentally shrugged and began walking down a random hallway.

"I've decided I want to go for a walk through the gardens." I called back to them, hearing clanking as they rushed to catch up.

It was quick pleasant to take a brisk walk without the worry for air. Alicorns were obviously much more long winded than other ponies, as my guards kept falling short of breath, and if anything I knew about horses was right, then much, much, more long winded than my old body.

I snorted slightly at the thought of my corpse back at home having any sort of wind left in it, and how the undertaker must feel being stuck in the same room when it was released. At least I didn't need to go to the bathroom when I woke up here, as fun as that would be it meant that all that waste was being dumped on the hospital bed. As I paused for the fifth time for my guards, one of them began rasping at me.

"Perhaps your highness would like to slow to a more reasonable pace, we're not even in the gardens yet."

Your highness? They must have assumed I'm royalty, how perfect! I decided then it would be fun to humor the little ponies, just a bit.

"Oh surely the guards here must have some kind of stamina, back home I didn't rest until all my servants could keep up with me for at least the first five miles."

The guard plastered an open scowl on his face, one that would have been intimidating were he not panting.

"Sire, Perhaps during your stay in Canterlot you may take it easy? You are not here to train us."

Huh. A good idea. I kept the guards words in my head as I walked down the hallway, a bit slower this time. A few more wrong turns while acting like I knew what was going on and we arrived at the great hall, where I could see a large amount of servants and nobles strutting around. I had seen quite a few servants while walking through the corridors, but this was a ridiculous amount, they must have been preparing for something. Or repairing something I thought with a groan as I remembered the siege that must have happened not twelve hours earlier.

Which brought my mind back to the dream. I had no reason to trust Dues, for all I know he dumped me in Equestria for his own game, which would make his accusations self explanatory. But if he didn't, how did he know they were changelings? And if he somehow did know, why tell me? Rounding on the guards I looked down at their diminutive forms with the intent to find out.

"Say, my little pon- BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Curses, I still couldn't finish that line! My oversized body hit the floor hard and, with fore-hooves clutching my stomach, rolled across the hallway before the formerly stoic soldiers.

"Hoo hahaha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but your faces! Nyahahaha! Hoo," I breathed deeply and stood slowly to my feet, "Let's get out of here before somepony (snicker) comes to see what all that noise was!"

I bowled past the guards as they looked at each other, I could swear one lifted a hoof to check his face, but that could have been my vision blurring for all I cared. Galloping at full speed it took me just a few seconds to make it into and through the inner bailey to the eastern one, were I could see the hedge maze and clean-up crew from last nights party. I slowed to a steady canter and glanced back to see two blank patches of grass where my guards should have been. Are alicorns really that fast? I mused, oh well, I could wait in the hedge maze for them, provided I didn't go to deep.

I was just turning in when something else caught my eye, and I wouldn't have it. I needed that eye! I also needed to stop being so ADHD. The pink tail disappearing into the private gardens could be anypony, but that didn't stop me from whistling as I tip toed over to the spot and looked in. Nope, no sign of Flutter Shy or Pinkie Pie, too bad, a conversation with the mane six would've been a nice change of pace. Now them I knew how to tease. Oh well, I trotted back to the maze entrance just as my guards reached it.

"Took you long enough, did you two stop for sight seeing?"

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so very long to update, I have been really busy and only just got back into the swing of writing. And I regret to inform you that after this it may take a while for it to update again due to me working on my other fics.

But if you ever get bored, I implore you to peruse said fics to you hearts content, that is, after all, what they are for.