“I usually try to integrate colors that accentuate one’s coat, eyes, and mane” Rarity says as she passes me the soft white jacket belonging to the outfit that I’m currently wearing. I graciously accept it and slip my arm through the sleeves, enjoying the way the fluffy insulation feels against my skin. “Though I must say, it’s been an exciting challenge to tailor my color palette to work with black mane. Such a color is rare among Equestrian ponies, if not nonexistent.”
“So I’ve noticed. I’m still trying to wrap my head around your over-the-top color schemes.” I zip up the jacket and move my arms around to test how comfortable the material is, though at this point I doubt I’ll find much to complain about. After trying on nine of her outfits, it’s become clear that she’s exceptionally talented in the art of the needle. “This one’s good too. At this point I don’t even know why I’m still trying them on; it’s obvious you got my measurements down right.”
“Why, it’s so I can see them on you, of course! I must know if my color predictions are just right!” Rarity insists, floating the last of the outfits towards me. A light pair of black slacks with a similarly colored light jacket perfect for casual wear when I’m at the house for the day. Rarity has stated more than once this sitting that she isn’t a fan of darker clothing so to counterbalance it, the outfit is accented with various silvers, whites, and greens where she could get away with it. “Now, try this last one on. I do hate to rush you, but Sweetie Belle will be here soon and I need to prepare something to eat.”
“Alright.” My thoughts turn to the rest of the evening. I’m not quite sure what I should be doing now. I’ve always been busy up until the moment it grew dark outside, but now I have nothing on my plate. I scoff quietly to myself, lamenting how reliant on books and technology I was to entertain myself back in my era. Now that I can’t read the local language and technology is little more than a pipe dream, that leaves me with barely anything to do when I’m not working.
Just as I’m zipping the jacket on the last outfit, I hear a light knocking at the door. It’s so quiet that I almost thought I imagined it. Yet Rarity’s ears twitch, suggesting she heard it as well.
“I know that knock.” With a knowing smile, she walks over to the front door and opens it telekinetically. “Good evening, Fluttershy! What brings you by so late in the evening?”
The two of them talk together about a spa appointment that they had that needed to be moved, but I don’t pay much attention to it. Now fully dressed in Rarity’s last outfit, I believe I’m just about done here. I need to get all of these clothes home to Vinyl’s house, then figure out what to do with the rest of my evening.
However, the moment I walk out from around the changing screen, Fluttershy immediately trails off mid sentence, her eyes widening upon seeing me. I recall the way she ran away from me the previous evening, and the way she hid behind the others when I returned to town. It seems like her parents hit the nail on the head when it came to naming their child.
“Well, this is the last outfit. If you’re satisfied, do you mind if I take them all back with me now?” I choose to disregard Fluttershy’s presence. I’ve already interrupted their conversation and it’s clear my presence makes her uncomfortable, so I might as well leave.
“Not at all! Will you need help getting them home? There are ten of them, after all,” Rarity offers, the mare turning away from Fluttershy briefly. The instant no one is focusing at her, Fluttershy slowly creeps behind one of the curtains that hang over the alcoves.
“I’ll manage fine on my own.” That sounds like permission to me, so I retrieve the remainder of the outfits and carry them over my shoulder, my hand clasped tightly around the hooks of the hangers. “Thanks for the clothes, Rarity. I’ll probably see you later.”
“Just one moment, if you please. Have you met Fluttershy yet?” Rarity stops me before I can reach the door.
“Not officially, but I know she’s friends with you all,” I sigh, sensing a forced introduction in the works. I cannot fathom why Rarity would try to introduce us, considering Fluttershy is now almost entirely hidden behind the curtain.
“Now’s the perfect time for an introduction, then! Fluttershy is one of my dearest friends, so…” Rarity turns to look at where Fluttershy used to be, only to met by nothing. “Oh, Fluttershy...you must forgive her, Seth. She’s very shy around those she’s unfamiliar with.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I dry respond. “But you needn’t bother. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to talk to me, and I don’t exactly blame her. So I’ll just leave you two in peace.”
“Seth, she doesn’t mean it like that.” Rarity attempts to persuade me, taking a step closer to me. “You must understand that you’re not the most...approachable of individuals. She’s just uncertain how you’ll react.”
“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy’s quiet voice comes from behind the curtain.
“I’m not offended.” I reassure them. Telling me I’m not approachable isn’t that surprising; such has been the image I’ve presented for years. “But I know her name, and she knows mine. I know she’s friends with you, so I’ll make an effort to be civil for your sake in the occasion we have a reason to interact. Satisfied?”
“Not...quite, but I suppose that’s the best I can expect from you,” Rarity reluctantly concedes, giving me a disapproving stare. “If I may give my opinion, you don’t always need a reason to interact with someone.”
“Noted,” I say, feeling a twinge of annoyance at her words. Part of me wants to point out how little I care for her patronizing, but I ultimately think better of it. Regardless of how I personally feel, she’s done me a great service by clothing me for the winter and taking care of my hair. The least I can do is keep my mouth shut for now. Grabbing my rifle from where I left it, I head for the front door. “I’ll be leaving now.”
“Of course. Do visit whenever you like. My door is always open.” Rarity watches me leave with a soft smile, despite the various disagreements we’d have over the course of my stay. I shake my head, finding it odd that she isn’t sick of being near me by now.
Stepping outside isn’t as hellish an experience as to what I’m used to, despite the rapidly chilling air. Rarity’s clothing does a remarkable job at keeping my body warm. With the rest of her clothes slung over my shoulder, I make my way back through the town towards Vinyl’s house.
On the way back, I end up taking a different path than usual in order to circumvent a small group of ponies that looked to be partaking in some sort of social event. In the process, I spot a small hole in the wall shop decorated with musical notes. That alone is enough to catch my attention, so I move forward to take a closer look. A quick glance in the window tells me that the shop is exactly what it looks like; a music store. I mentally mark its location, and then continue on my way.
“Glad to see you back! Sorry about earlier tod...whoa.” Vinyl glances up from the couch to greet me once I walk through the front door, but she trails off when she gets a good look at me. “Seth, is that you?”
“Unless you know any other humans,” I tiredly reply. “What’s with the looks?”
“You look great, especially your mane! You’re even decked out in brand new threads!” Vinyl complimented me, the mare leaping over the back of the couch and walking up to me. She sniffed the air and nodded, a smirk crossing her face. “Also it helps that you don’t smell like a stallion’s locker room anymore.”
“Thanks a lot,” I sarcastically say as I make my way over to the stairs. Despite this being the first instance of smack talk she’s ever shown me, a response is quick on my lips due to several years of habit between Amaryllis and myself. “I see your living room still looks like a contamination zone.”
“Pfff...fair enough,” Vinyl admits with a grin, not offended in the least. “So what are you up to tonight?”
“I haven’t a clue. Let me get all these clothes upstairs, and then I’ll figure something out.” I take a moment to rush upstairs with my burden of clothes and make my way towards the closet, which has just enough room to fit all of my outfits inside. Keeping my rifle with me as always, I walk back downstairs, completely bereft of anything else to do for the remainder of the evening.
“So yeah, as I was saying…” Vinyl says from the only free space on the couch, before proceeding to lift up a pile of wires, records, and other assorted paraphernalia from around her, freeing up a space beside her. She pats the spot with a hoof, leaving an unspoken invitation hanging in the air. “Sorry how we all ganged up on you at once this afternoon. I know you said you felt interrogated.”
“It’s whatever.” I take the seat offered to me, though I make sure to leave plenty of space between the two of us. The moment I sit down, I realize just how exhausted both my mind and body have become. A yawn leaves my mouth, and the idea of an early bedtime seems greatly appealing. “I don’t know why you all act like you care so much. It would have been easier for you all to just shrug and let me be.”
“Dude, I thought something might have happened to you after you didn’t come back last night. I was literally on my way to the guard when Twilight found me.” Vinyl spoke as though her actions should have been self-explanatory. “Is it so weird that we’d be worried when you just up and left without a word?”
“Yes. Especially when I’ve been making and will continue to make your lives difficult.” My answer comes to me as easily as breathing. Vinyl flinches, and then an exasperated sigh leaves her. She looks like she’s going to argue, but pauses as she realizes something.
“‘Continue?’ Hold up, didn’t you say you were leaving Ponyville after a week or so? You know, back at Pinkie’s Party?” Vinyl recalls, leading me to remember that she hadn’t been around when I mentioned that I wasn’t leaving anymore. “You decide to stick around?”
“I don’t have much of a choice. There’s nowhere left for me to go,” I shrug helplessly. There’s no point in hiding it from her. Vinyl blinks, confused.
“What do you mean? You were pretty dead set on getting out of town.” Vinyl further prompts me when it became clear I wasn’t going to elaborate. She realized something and hastily lifted her hooves placatingly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no issue with you sticking around.”
“You probably figured it out, but I’m not in Equestria by choice. I was brought here...forcefully...through magic. That’s why there aren’t other humans around.” My confession causes Vinyl’s eyes to widen with surprise. I feel uncomfortable revealing as much as I am, but if she didn’t learn it from me, Twilight would probably tell her eventually; that pony has already shown that she can’t keep a secret to save her life. “I thought I had a way out...but I don’t anymore. So even if I did leave, where would I go?”
“Dang...that’s heavy stuff. Explains a bit too,” Vinyl lowers her hooves, the mare looking at me with shock. I avert my eyes, not wanting to see the look of sympathy that inevitably follows. “If it helps, you can stay here as long as you want.”
At that offer, I look back at her, attempting to gauge whatever she might be thinking through her expression; something at which I’ve never been good. Yet, even as she shows me what I think is supposed to be a reassuring smile, I still can’t fathom why she’d want me around for that long.
“As long as our arrangement remains in place,” I finally say, feeling at a loss. More importantly, there’s another topic I haven’t tackled yet. “That reminds me; when am I paying you for this week?”
“Oh yeah, it has been a week, hasn’t it? You can pay me tomorrow, and we’ll make that the day,” Vinyl lazily responds, adjusting readily to the change in subject. “Speaking of which, can I take your tomorrow evening?”
“For what, another gig?” I ask.
“Nah, I don’t have another of those until Monday.” Vinyl waved a hoof dismissively. “No, I figured we should visit the mayor and get the paperwork out of the way. We’ve been putting that off too long.”
“Right...I suppose so. I should be free.” I wince at the thought of dealing with the all-consuming monster that is bureaucracy, but I assure myself that it can’t be worse than the sheer amount of hoops my old college used to make me jump through. As soon as that thought enters my head, another yawn escapes me, reminding me just how exhausted I am. “I think I’m going to retire early. It’s been...a very long day.”
“Alright. You relax here then. I should probably throw something together to eat.” Vinyl gets off of the couch with an overdramatic groan and heads towards the kitchen, signalling the end of our conversation.
After a short meal, I retire to my room and undress, making sure to take good care of my new clothes. Then, I lay down on the bed, letting out a long sigh at the comfort. I haven’t slept in well over twenty four hours, my eyelids feeling like they have lead weights strapped to them.
Ultimately, being alone in my room causes me to briefly reflect over the day’s events. Particularly, the scene at the cliff keeps replaying in my head. It’s unsettling how close to death I was, and even more so how much I wanted it. I was so ready to admit that living was too much for me to handle. More than that, though, Rainbow’s words both at the cliff and at the farm wouldn’t leave my head. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget them, ever.
I repeat them to myself mentally. I have nothing in this world; no friends, no family, no past, and no purpose. I have nothing to live for. Nothing. Yet Rainbow seems to think I should persist for the sake of those close to me who are no longer around...that I should live for myself.
I roll over, my thoughts keeping me awake despite my exhaustion. I honestly don’t know if I can do this. The path forward according to Rainbow sounds simple; follow my passion for music and re-establish myself here, but it isn’t easy. I don’t know if I can do it. A future on my own without Amaryllis seems to hold only loneliness and an empty existence, coasting through life one day at a time.
Before I realize it, my cheeks are wet from tears, my eyes stinging. A surge of self-loathing comes over me at my own weakness. Half of me wishes I could just go back to the way I used to be before I met Amaryllis when I was perfectly content to be alone, and the other half recoils at the idea of having never met her.
My thoughts grow more and more indistinct, until I finally drift off to sleep, Rainbow’s words still echoing in my mind.
A half-asleep Vinyl wakes me up the following morning, mumbling something about a time turner and an alarm clock. She manages to prepare breakfast—miraculously not tripping over her own hooves—allowing me to feed myself and get out the door in a reasonable amount of time.
I’m not much better off than her; I’m still exhausted. If I can get home from the mayor’s office at a reasonable hour, I hope to once again get to sleep early. Considering my track record, however, I don’t see that being likely.
“Mornin’, Seth! I see you finally stopped by Rarity’s place.” Applejack greets me when I arrive at the farm, glancing over my warmer clothes with approval. I return her greeting with a firm nod...and then I notice with dread that Apple Bloom is here as well, showing no signs of getting ready to go to school.
“Hi, Mr. Seth! I’ll be working with y’all today!” Apple Bloom greets me as well, looking more excited than she should be to work with me. I guess they have weekends off from school too. I mentally praise Vinyl for giving me an excuse to skip out on her and her friends this evening, assuming they accost me with requests to play with them again.
We don’t spend much time on greetings before we get to work. With a long ten hours of work ahead of me, I proceed to shut off my mind and focus entirely on the work put in front of me. It’s no longer as excruciating as it used to be, thanks to Rarity’s clothing, but exertion is still exertion.
Applejack ramps up the difficulty of my chores as well. Once again, she takes me back to heavy lifting, but she sprinkles in less strenuous tasks here and there to give me a break so I don’t tire myself out too quickly. Regardless of her consideration, my muscles burn constantly from the strain.
“S’up, Applejack.” Vinyl unexpectedly comes to meet us at the farmhouse just as the end of the work day rolls around, the evening sun reflecting off of her shades. “How’s it hanging over here?”
“I wasn’t expecting you, Miss Scratch.” Applejack politely responds, shocked by the presence of what is likely the closest thing to a celebrity the town has. “What can I do you for?”
“Well, you can call me Vinyl, for one.” Vinyl wrinkles her nose at the polite way she’d just been addressed. “Other than that, nothing. I’m just here to pick up Seth so we can go and visit the mayor. You good to go, Seth?”
“More or less… you didn’t need to come all the way out here,” I pant, my back resting against the wall, my pay for the day resting firmly in my jacket pocket. I notice a rather disappointed Apple Bloom standing in the door frame on the other side of the room. “On second thought, I’m glad you did. Let’s get out of here.”
“Cool. I figured might as well; I needed to stretch my legs anyway. Saves you the walk back, too.” Vinyl gestures towards the door with her head, and the two of us start to leave.
“Hold up a sec.” Applejack follows us outside, looking specifically at me. “You can have tomorrow off if you want it. Is that alright? I know y’all got this whole rent thing going on.”
“If it’s about yesterday, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.” Though it confuses me that she’d bring this up now, when she’s already seen me work yesterday and today.
“No, it ain’t about that. We here on the farm work pretty hard, so we try to take at least one day off to relax. For the most part, that ends up being Sunday, though we sometimes flip it around if something else comes up.” Applejack says. “Does that make sense?”
“Hmm.” I mull it over; the idea of a day off from all this strenuous farm activity does sound appealing to me. I quickly run through some mental math, calculating how the drop in income from missing a day out of the week would affect my rent situation. “I suppose so. Alright, I won’t come in tomorrow.”
“Glad to hear it. You take it easy, Seth.” Applejack tips her hat, and then she retreats back within the farmhouse, leaving me to walk back to town with Vinyl.
“Sweet, you get a day off! With all this manual labor you’re always doing, you really look like you need it,” Vinyl bumps up against my side with a grin. “You’re alright with the pay cut, though?”
“Yeah, I don’t particularly care. I’m not trying to get out of town anymore, and my living expenses are handled by our arrangement,” I explain with a shrug. Honestly I could cut my hours down even further, but then what would I do with myself? I was already struggling to think of ways to fill my schedule as is. “Which brings me to the question: how long is this meeting going to take?”
“Shouldn’t be too long. The mayor should have the contract drawn up already; we just have to sign it and we’re good to go,” Vinyl explains. That does sound reasonable, lessening my worries somewhat. “Just a little further. It’s right in the town hall.”
We make our way to the large circular building smack dab in the middle of the town square and walk through the front doors, the wooden floors creaking beneath my feet. Inside, Vinyl exchanges a few words with the receptionist pony, who directs us to the mayor’s office.
The inside of the town hall is more or less a rustic version of a standard office building. I’m not too familiar with the way town halls work, but from what little I can see I note an area for record keeping, general storage, and offices for the various town officials where they handle the day to day affairs. In short, there’s nothing interesting to look at.
“Come in!” A proper sounding female voice sounds out moments after Vinyl knocks on the door. The DJ opens the door to reveal a normal pony with a groomed beige coat and a grey mane sitting behind a desk. She wore a collar and a set of spectacles that balanced precariously atop her nose. Upon seeing us, she put on a smile and stood up from her desk. “Ah, Vinyl, I’ve been expecting you. And you…”
“I do apologize for not coming to greet you sooner. I admittedly had some trouble genuinely believing that there was in fact a bona fide human living in our town.” The mayor walked around her desk and moved up to me, offering her hoof. “My name is Mayor Mare, and it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to Ponyville!”
“You can just call me Seth.” I accept her hoof briefly, keeping my comments about her name to myself. “Thanks, I guess. I suppose I am living here now.”
“That’s right! It’s about time to make that official, don’t you think?” The mayor beamed and returned to her desk just long enough to produce the rent contract. “I’m glad you came to me before making your first rent payment. There’s quite a lot of legal legislation to follow when it comes to this sort of thing, and it would have been a massive headache to deal with had you already paid.”
“Legislation?” I ask curiously. “I’m just paying rent, aren’t I?”
“Yes, of course. But this can be classified under tax income, so it’s a problem if it were to go unreported. There’s all sorts of hooves that could be stepped on in that unfortunate event, and several departments that the documents would have to pass through before the problem was properly resolved,” Mayor Mare attempted to explain. I just blink; none of that makes any sense to me. I’ve never had to live on my own before, so learning how taxes and rent payments and such worked was never a priority. “But you don’t need to worry about all of that. Just sign along this line here, and you’ll be good to go!”
“Do I need to read the contract to you, Seth?” Vinyl asked, lifting up the contract telekinetically and bringing it up to her face. “It’s more or less the same as what you signed back at the party...except the wording is a lot more complicated.”
“So, a room, two meals a day, and access to utilities?” I repeat just to make sure I remembered the terms. When Vinyl confirms, I nod. “In that case you don’t need to read it. Let’s just sign it.”
“Fair enough.” Without wasting any more words, Vinyl brings up a quill to the parchment and scrawls her name in the typical Equestrian script and then passes it to me. I take the quill next, gripping the flimsy thing in my hand just long enough scribble down my own name. “Alright, and that’s that. That should be everything, right?”
“That’s right! That’s all you needed to do,” Mayor Mare then turned to me one last time. “Congratulations; with this document, you’re officially a citizen of Ponyville! Once again, welcome!”
“Right…” For better or worse, this is yet another way of confirming just how stuck here I really am.
“There, that wasn’t that bad, was it?” Vinyl ribs me once we’ve left the town hall, already tucking our copy of the contract into her bag. “In and out!”
“It was better than I expected, I’ll admit.” I take a glance up at the sky, noting that although it’s getting dark, there’s still some time left in the day. The question is: what should I do with it? “I expected a lot more paperwork.”
“It’s not like you’re buying the house or anything. You think you’ve seen paperwork…” Vinyl visibly shudders at the thought. I don’t bother to argue that. I’ve only ever rented a college dorm, and that had enough paperwork. I can’t even imagine how buying a house would compare to that. “Alright, so home it is?”
“That sounds good.” No sooner do those words leave my mouth than a better idea comes to me, now that I have some extra time to myself. “Actually, on second thought, you go on ahead. There’s someplace I want to visit.”
“Oh yeah? No problem. I’ll just head home and throw something together for food.” Vinyl seems curious, but to my relief, she doesn’t prod any further. She gives me a wave when I break off from her down a separate street. “Catch you tonight!”
It’s refreshing to have some time to myself out in the streets, especially now that I have someplace to go. It’s not hard to find my way, either. The town isn’t that large and I’ve have enough time to familiarize myself with its layout over the past week and make mental landmarks for reference points. As a consequence, I’ve started to recognize individual ponies that I pass by as well; another testament to the small community in which I now live.
For example, there’s a group of three mares with various botany related cutie marks who tend to talk in obnoxiously loud voices and exaggerate their words and emotions. There’s also that chocolate brown stallion with the hourglass on his flank that I once bumped into outside the library. It’s hard to miss him or the cream colored mare with the rose cutie mark that often follows him around due to their tendency to gaze at me with barely hidden interest.
“Hi, Mr. Seth!” Sometimes, I even pass by Derpy, the wall-eyed mare I met back at the party. We don’t often interact, but I typically return her greeting with a wordless wave just to be polite. Out of all the ponies I’ve interacted with, she’s the only one that I’ve never had an argument with, so she at least warrants some small niceties.
The only encounter that I’d consider objectively unpleasant so far is with Bon Bon, that mare who is always with Lyra. She tends to glare at me when she thinks I’m not looking, no doubt bitter about the way I’ve been dealing with Lyra. I don’t pay her much attention, however; dirty looks aren’t anything new to me.
All in all, none of these encounters warrant much of a reaction from me, which suits me just fine. The only ponies I’d rather not run into are Lyra and…
“Oh hey! What’s up?” Rainbow Dash. The mare towards which I harbor many conflicting emotions suddenly zips down from the sky to fall in step beside me. Naturally, the first thing she notices is my appearance. “Whoa, look at that! You actually don’t look like Rarity’s next headache anymore!”
“I’m ever so glad I have your approval.” Good to know my sarcasm is still in full effect. “Though coming from a pony who doesn’t understand how color contrast works, I’d say it doesn’t mean much.”
“Pfff, you’re just jealous that you can’t look this good.” Rainbow flips a hoof through her multicolored mane, looking extremely proud of her appearance. She grins, seeming to respond well to my sarcasm despite how rude others might find it. “Guess going to Rarity’s worked out for you, huh?”
“More or less.” I’m getting close to my destination, and I’d rather Rainbow not be around when I get there. “So do you have any particular reason for talking to me?”
“Reason? Not really. Just saw you walking and thought I’d drop by to say hi!” Rainbow replied with a shrug. I roll my eyes, having figured as much. “So...uh...how are you adjusting?”
“That’s a difficult question. How one adjusts to the fact that they’re living in a world filled with multi-coloured talking ponies is beyond me. I’m still not over that.” Her suddenly awkward tone is enough to tell me that she’s asking about my state of mind. I’d rather avoid the serious topic, so of course I need to be facetious. My attempts earn a huff from her. “Seriously though, you shouldn’t bother to keep asking. You’ve already done enough, so your conscience should be clear.”
“Huh? What is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow seems both confused and defensive. I sigh, realizing I’ve said too much. “Why wouldn’t I ask? In case you forgot, we’re friends now.”
“So you keep saying.” Rainbow doesn’t seem to understand that friendship is a two way street, and I’m not feeling anything of the sort towards her. My feelings toward her can’t readily be explained, though resentment, annoyance, confusion, and exasperation are descriptions that primarily come to mind. I sigh; all I would achieve if I bring any of that up is another argument. “Actually, you know what? Forget I said anything.”
“Wait wha...you can’t just leave me hanging!” Rainbow expresses, frustrated with my obstinance. When I don’t respond, she groans. “You are just so stubborn!”
“Takes one to know one. You’re still here, so you’re just as stubborn as me, if not more so.”
“That’s not true! You’re at least twenty...no, thirty percent more stubborn than me!” Rainbow retorts, causing me to look at her oddly.
“Did you just… you can’t use percentages to refer to abstract concepts like stubbornness; that doesn’t make any sense!”
“Oh yeah? Well, you don’t make any sense!” Rainbow emphatically sticks her tongue out at me.
“Dear god, I’m talking to a child. What has my life come to?”
“At least I know how friendships work!”
“Seriously, we’re back to that again?”
“Yes, we’re back to that again!”
Our admittedly childish argument carried on for so long that I’ve reached my destination: the music store that I’d spotted yesterday. It’s hard for me to remember why I came, however, as Rainbow glares at me with her face set in a stubborn pout. Moments later, her expression dissolves into mirth as she suddenly starts to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, confused.
“Snrk...nothing. You’re kinda fun to mess with,” Rainbow remarks in good humor. I blink at her, flabbergasted. Nothing about our conversation was all that funny… actually, now that I think about it, I guess it was a little silly. I hadn’t intended on entertaining her though. “Oh hey, this is Noteworthy’s shop, isn’t it?”
“You know the place?” I allow the change in subject, grudgingly accepting that she is just going to be along for the ride this time.
“Yeah, I’ve heard about it. Never needed to go inside, though. My voice is my instrument!” Rainbow boasts proudly.
“You can sing?” That’s odd enough for me to take an interest. With a scratchy speaking voice like hers, I can’t imagine she’d be a good singer. Yet the thought of her having a musical talent is an interesting one.
“Hay yeah I do! I’ve got a great set of chords that any mare would be jealous of!” Rainbow proclaims. I give her a disbelieving look; with her constant boasting, you’d think she was good at everything. “Maybe you’ll hear me at some point, if you’re lucky.”
“I’m sure.” When I decide I want my eardrums to spontaneously combust. “Anyway, I’m going in here. Surely you have better things to do than follow me around.”
“Nope!” Rainbow replies cheerfully, much to my dismay. “I’m done with work for today, so I think I’ll keep you company a bit longer. Lucky you, right?”
“Yeah, lucky me.” I sigh again and finally go into the shop, a small bell ringing as the door opens to announce my entry. The moment I walk inside, I feel like I’ve stepped into a small piece of heaven.
The first thing I notice is that the shop is small and holds a very limited stock. Yet from what I see, the stock it does have looks only marginally different than what I might see in my own era. There are electric keyboards, guitars both electric and acoustic, amplifiers, and other paraphernalia that wouldn’t be out of place in a human Guitar Center. The only differences are the design of the individual instruments, the brand names (which I of course can’t read), and that the equipment that would ordinarily be electric are equipped with crystalline orbs as opposed to power supplies.
“Ah, welcome to my shop, miss Dash!” A blue stallion makes his presence known from behind a small counter, where it looks as though he had been reclining in a bean bag. He leaps to his hooves and moves to greet us. He naturally pauses upon seeing me. “And...oh, you’re the human I’ve been hearing about, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. I’m looking to start up a hobby in music,” I explain to him without looking at him. Instead, I peruse his wares. My first instinct is to check the price tags, but I can’t read them, so I’ve no idea if what I’m looking at is in my price range. “Me being human isn’t a problem, is it?”
“Of course not! I’m sorry if I gave that impression. I’m Noteworthy, and I own this shop,” the stallion responds placatingly. “Please, browse at your leisure. If you need my recommendations on anything in particular, feel free to ask.”
“Thanks, but I think I know what I’m after.” I never did care to work with store officials, and now is no exception. That being said, I do need an interpreter. I glance over at Rainbow, meeting her gaze in the process. “Rainbow, as long as you’re here, make yourself useful and read these price tags to me.”
“Huh? Why can’t you read them yourself?” Rainbow asks, looking confused. Right, I never told her.
“I can’t read your language, and I’d like to know if I can afford anything here.” I deadpan. Rainbow blinks and then looks sheepish. From there, she and I make our way down the selection of keyboards and guitars.
Unfortunately, it seems I was right to be concerned. Just like in my era, getting a decent guitar is extremely expensive, with bit prices ranging in the hundreds. The same goes for the pianos. That being said, not everything is outside my price range.
“Ah, a budding guitarist, are we?” Noteworthy asks amicably as I place my purchases atop the counter. While electric guitars are more my style, an acoustic is the closest I can get while still remaining affordable. In addition to the guitar, I’ve also bought a tuner and a set of guitar picks. “A solid choice! There’s always a desire for good guitar players in contemporary bands, if that’s what you’re aiming for.”
“We’ll see,” I say, deliberately choosing not to be very talkative. When it comes to shopping, I mostly just want to get what I need and get out so I can get back home. Once my purchases are rung up and I’ve passed over the requisite bits, I grab my new guitar along with its accessories and leave the store, barely registering Noteworthy’s response.
“Heh, somebody looks excited,” Rainbow observes smugly, the mare now hovering in the air beside me.
“Do I?” I ask with a hint of surprise; I don’t feel like I’ve been presenting myself any differently.
“You must be! It’s the first expression you’ve worn that hasn’t been annoyed or angry!” Rainbow points out, poking at my cheek with a hoof. She then snickers. “Whoops, it’s back to annoyed again.”
“Gee, I wonder why…” I retort, rubbing my cheek where she’d poked me. “It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with this insufferable mare following me around. That would be insane.”
“It’s not my fault you can’t appreciate awesome,” Rainbow flits around to my other side, somehow flying through the air upside down while looking insufferably smug. “So are you going to go home and rock out on your new guitar?”
“As much as I can with an acoustic. Are you going to follow me all the way home?”
“Thinking about it, if only to see how annoyed you’d get.” Rainbow’s words cause me to have an unwelcome case of deja vu. I shoot her a glare, but it only seems to amuse her. “Nah, I actually gotta scram and get some food. You gonna be at the gig on Monday?”
“It’s my job,” I reply simply, mentally resigning myself to dealing with Rainbow that entire night, if this evening was anything to go by. “Don’t let me be the one keeping you around.”
“It was fun! I’ll catch you on Monday, then!” Rainbow gives me a wave, and then she disappears from my vision in a flash of multicolor, her speed as unreal as always. I watch her go for a moment, and then I make my way back to Vinyl’s house.
I glance at my new guitar. Rainbow was right about one thing; I am feeling some semblance of excitement at having an instrument of my own once again. My fingers already itch to touch the strings, and the familiar shapes of chords begin to form in my mind.
When I reach Vinyl’s house, I intend to make use of the rest of my evening, as well as the following day, to capitalize on my new ability to make music. Then we’ll see if Rainbow’s talk has any merit.