NaNoWriMo2015 Oneshot Colletction

Shadow flew down from Canterlot, quickly flaring his wings as he raised an eyebrow. He’d been down there not even a month ago and Ponyville was easily visible… now, though, below him was spread not only Ponyville, but also a large chunk of the Everfree forest.

He frowned as he began to search for the house he was looking for, taking a few minutes in the air, before sighing and looking for a clearish spot to land. It took a couple of minutes, but once Shadow angled for where he knew town square to be, he found that clear space.

The market of Ponyville was just as lively as he remembered it, if not more so. There were ponies down there hawking their wares, ponies buying, and the other expected things. What wasn’t expected was a manitcore sitting in the fountain like it was nothing, and the ponies walking by it like it was just another day and it wasn’t a freaking manticore sitting in the fountain!

After taking the obligatory moment to digest that little fact, he angled downwards towards the crowd below, leveling out a little above their heads so as to continue to fly, but beneath the canopy instead of above as he searched for the house he was looking for. It was, odd, that these ponies were so calm about being in one of the most feared forests in Equestria.

Shadow sighed, wondering if it really was as weird as Goldie’s Night’s letters described. He entered the forested town from the marketplace clearing, and was rather surprised at how roomy it was under the canopy. It was nothing like the open skies the black stallion preferred, with the wind running through what little there was of his short cropped white mane.

It wasn’t long before Shadow came to the house he was looking for. It was a small one, almost a cottage really, but it fit with the aesthetic of the tow quite well, and it was hard to notice those extra little security features Shadow knew were there. The wards, the extra solidity of the door, and a spear hole to name the few Shadow knew about for sure.  He raised a hoof to knock, giving three quick, concise, knocks.

About a minute later the door opened to reveal a massive zebra. He had a midnight blue Mohawk, matching his stripes, and with eyes a few shades lighter. He was at least a head taller than Shadow and made of almost a pure wall of lean, hard muscle. All of this was almost enough to cause most observers to miss the massive set of wings on the stallion’s back. He had a large scare that ran across the middle of his left eye, though the eye was still sharp and focused.

Shadow grinned at the massive stallion, not in the least bit intimidated. “Hey, Nighty,” he said cheerily. “How are you doing?”

Night sighed. “Alright, but for the slipping sanity,” he answered with a shudder.

“Oh come on, it can’t be that bad. Sure the forest is a little bigger than normal, but nopony can be acting all that different, right?” Shadow asked as Night stepped out and locked the door behind himself. Some Canterlot habits wouldn’t die.

“That the thing,” Night said as they began to walk. “Nopony is acting any different. They’re all just taking it in stride like it’s nothing. Just another day in Ponyville.”

“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Shadow asked curiously.

“Normally, yes, but we’re living in the Everfree forest now, and nopony even bats an eye at young fillies and colts running off to play. The manticores and Dire Wolves strolling through town. Nothing about living in this place seems weird to them!”

“Oh come on, it’s not like you’re in a town with a monster of the weak, like those magical filly comics Moonlight’s reading all the time,” Shadow said dismissively. He began to get a sinking feeling as Night looked at him in deadpan. That sinking feeling was confirmed with Night’s next words.

“Maybe not a monster of the week, no, but a problem of the weak, courtesy of our friendly neighborhood Princess,” Night answered in complete seriousness.

Shadow groaned. “Oh, come on, you can’t be serious,” he complained. “There is no way. You’d have to live in a comic or stage show.”

“Sometimes I think that’s exactly what’s going on,” Night said in a sort of resigned tone. “There is no other way that the universe hates me this much.”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. The universe doesn’t hate you.”

“The local Police Guard branch has a filing cabinet dedicated our local Princess and the various problems caused in association with her and her group,” Night deadpanned. “I am the Chief Warrant in charge of all emergency responses. About fifty percent of those end up being caused or inclusive of the Princess.”

Shadow nodded slowly. “Really. You’re town is that crazy? In just day to day life?”

“The horror! The horror!” suddenly came a new set of voices. Night sighed, as there was a singly thud and pair of earthponies bolted past screaming in fear at the top of their lungs. Naturally, the pair started up a mass panic in the nearby market that Shadow and Night had been walking towards. The two turned around only to find a trio of rabbits hopping down the street. A trio of rabbits with massive sabre teeth.

Night sighed. “Nope, not gonna deal with it. Those two and their sister causing false alarms make up another quarter,” he added resignedly.

“I see…” Shadow said slowly as he blinked, before just following Night’s lead, wondering what it was he’d just seen. This town was already proving to be extremely odd. If he really was going to move down here for the off seasons of racing, then it might be best to spend a couple vacations down there, he decided. He hadn’t even been there for a half an hour and already things were getting insane…. Maybe he’d just stay this season and see how it went… he did want to be closer to his sisters and friends…. Now he only had to hope that it wasn’t as bad an idea as his sinking gut told him it would be….