.
Once lit up, it appears to be just another flight of stairs. Just the same as the one I had already explored. This is exactly like the one up to my bed-room. Nothing more, and nothing less.
“Squeak, squeak! Squeak, squeak!” I hear my hooves clopping excitedly, as I close the gap between me and the threshold.
“Clip, clop! Clip, clop!” I hear, as I set hoof on the stairs down towards the basement.
The stairs does feel familiar, but I know I have never been here.
“The unknown, is the breeder of monsters; hidden just beyond what is known, where one has not yet been!” I ponder, as I continue down the flight of stairs.
I enjoy the phenomenal grip, each time I set hoof on the next step on the flight of stairs down.
With the lamp lit, the glow of my horn soon fades down to nothing. I do not need to light my way, and I am not expecting the urgent need to cast a spell at any moment. Not right now. I can clearly see everything before me. There is no room for a jump-scare. I really do not like the jump-scare.
“Maybe, Pinkie Pie would have enjoyed that, but she likes everything exciting!” I remember.
“This is not her home, I live here!” I mumble to myself, defending the decoration against the undesirable thought.
I prefer predictable decorations, with just a hint of style. Nothing fancy, just convenient and comfortable.
One step at the time, I continue all the way down the flight of stairs; ending up on the floor of my basement. Just as before, I am standing on the coated hardwood floor. It is comfortable and a hint of a glossy finish to it.
The familiarity comforts me. The walls and floor; still following the same general theme, as I have grown used to. If they thought of my personal taste, or just were too lazy to come up with new patterns? I have no idea, and I guess I do not really care too much. So long as it is pleasing to the eye, and stays with the theme initially established; why bother, or look for faults now?
Once I had managed to descend into the basement, I find myself in what looks like a small room, similar to the cloak-room.
Perplexed, I find a new flight of stairs identical to the one I just traversed; leading further down, to a new level below the one on which I am currently standing.
“Why is there another flight of stairs? Where does it lead? Am I really in the basement, or was I a floor higher than I had previously thought?” I ponder; as I nervously look around, scanning my surroundings.
I see a heavy, wooden door leading to the space directly under the porch; which seems to be a food cellar On the right side of the door, is a fuse-box installed. I have the latest auto-fuses, not the old manual fuses; guess that is a convenient advantage, for me.
I open the door to my newly discovered food cellar, scanning the interior. The room is indeed the space directly under the entire porch. Shelves are lining the walls on the right and left, but only the shelves directly before me contain any food. Potatoes, apples and other edible items. I don’t bother identifying them, mainly because I am not familiar with most of these items. Though I can safely say, I have neither hay nor oats.
“Maybe I could buy the items I don’t have!” I ponder, enthusiastically; “At least, I do have something I can eat!” I continue.
Had I looked closer, I would have seen that the produce is premium. Just the kind of thing; I had been used to enjoy, back in Ponyville. Just that I am not the cook; and I don’t take too much time, fussing about what I eat. Maybe because I always had good food without the effort.
I turn around and step out of the room, leaving the door open for but a moment. Just kicking it closed with my right hind hoof as I stepped out of the room. When you live with a ruling princess, you acquire certain standards and a sense for grace even if you don’t consciously put an effort into expressing it.
I grab the handle of the first door on the right. As I pull the door open, I find the boiler-room.
“There is no magic about this boiler, but it looks quite efficient!” I ponder.
With the boiler in order, for all I can see; I leave the room and close the door behind myself. From there, I continue to the next door and swing the door open in order to see which room it may be.
As I open the second door on my right, I find the utility.room. A pair of washing-machines, and the companion items. Of course the room is clean, to the point of being spotless; not because it is brand new, but because it has been meticulously cleaned. Someone desire this room to be perfectly dust-free.
Being the orderly and highly organized pony I am, I bow my head in gratitude.
“Whoever made this, seems to know me pretty well!” I ponder.
Maybe, he actually knew me too well, for my comfort. Though it could be how the magic works, locally. Either way, I guess I should find myself comfortable, living here.
“If and when, I need to wash anything; I can relay on these machines to be in order, so I can wash!” I continue.
“Okay, the washing-room is in perfect running order; two rooms done, and just a few more rooms to inspect!” I mumble, to whom ever may be listening.
Whom ever may be listening, maybe just me. Exclusively. I have no sign of any presence in the room, or even the entire house; I am most likely alone, with no pony around. For miles on end, or in my entire existence.
“Do I dare guessing, what is behind the next door?” I mumble.
Of course; the room is empty. Just lines to hang clothes, on; but since I have not washed anything, the lines are empty and void of clothes. Had there been any clothes here, hanging in wait for me; I would have been scared, or so I imagine.
I close the door behind me, continuing my inspection and exploration of my home. It is mine; because I am the only creature here, I have seen none around. Maybe you would argue; I am merely renting the home, and the landlord is leaving me be to live my life. I am bothering none; and the rent is not due, just yet.
The following two rooms are empty. Maybe they are intended for storage, or I need to invent the use of them by myself. I will just have to come up, with what I want to use them for and fill these rooms with life and purpose by placing furniture and items in there. I leave them alone, for now. What’s the fun with an empty room?
“Okay, I have space to organize, as I see fit. If and when I find something to store there, and come up with what I need these rooms for!” I mumble.
Nothing happens, none is reacting to my words. This house is just a house, it does not grant wishes. Not for me, and most likely not to any pony else either. Unless my arrival is a granted wish, to whom ever made this house for me? That notion is a bit unsettling.
While I may not recall much of what my life in Ponyville, Equestria was like; I still do know I enjoyed my life there, with friends and family. Real, true friends; and my family does care for me, even if they don’t live next door but rather far away. They live their own lives, and have their own businesses to tend to. Of course, I have my own life, and am a Princess with duties to tend to.
Even if I may not recall the details of the life I lived in Ponyville, it is what shaped me as a Pony. Though I did live in the royal castle in Canterlot for several years, studying under Princes Celestia.
Regardless of what I recall; I am still the daughter of my parents and the student of Princess Celestia. Even after graduation, and all the years I have lived in Ponyville. Granted, I am a Princess myself.
The experiences as a Princess, living in my own castle could not prepare me for what is like, to live in this building. It is not a cottage, but still not quite a castle. The architecture and layout is in fact, quite alien to me. How does one prepare for this, or get used to it? Even under Celestia, I was never alone.
The first and second door on the left leads to currently empty room. Nothing to see, but the now familiar walls. The floor and ceiling is just as familiar, sticking to the established style I had started to grow used to. No reason to complain, I do like the style.
Behind the third door, I find a mare’s room, and behind the fourth the shower. Just that the utilities are a bit strange looking to me, not exactly designed with a mare in mind. Why do they keep insisting on all these strange and highly impractical features?
Even a Zebra’s home would have been more practical, and easy to understand and use.
“I guess it is convenient; to have an extra shower down here, just in case!” I ponder, giggling at myself.
Behind the next door, I find a sauna. The floor covered with light beech-wood boards. On second thought, the walls and ceiling are laid with the same wooden boards. To the right of the door, just inside the room; I have the metallic heater, responsible for maintaining the heat in the room, while in use. As I look at the thermometer, I notice that it goes well beyond the one-hundred degrees. I had expected it to reach forty, or possibly fifty degrees, but certainly no more than that.
“Maybe this thermometer is explaining something about the room and its use!” I ponder.
Adjacent to the sauna itself, I have a shower. The floor and walls of the shower had been laid with lavender porcelain tiles. On second thought, the glossy tiles are matching the colour of my coat. Curious, as if someone chose the colour, to match me?
“Maybe I could use this, when it is cold in winter and I am stressing out? I could imagine myself relaxing in the comfortable warmth of this room!” I mumble; not quite realizing, just how this was intended to be.
While I understand that I can still have quite the grip, as I trot on the dry tiles; but they should be slippery, if they were to become wet.
After I had examined the room, and the details within; I decide I had seen enough of the room, and turn back. I continue towards the last and final door. I open the door, only to find a very large room. I feel what could almost have been luscious, green grass. On the right I have a large, black leather sofa, in the cinematic fashion; while I have a large-screen LED TV covering the opposing wall completely.
Right before the sofa, I have a low wooden table. I notice, the remote control of the TV is readily available, from the table-top.
There are three small windows, on the wall opposing the entrance of the room. I have control of the shutters via the same control as is used for the TV. Convenient, isn’t it?
“Whoever built my house, still persists with this peculiar architecture and design!” I ponder.
While the design is of Human origin, it should still be fairly comfortable. Even if it does make me confused, from time to time.
“If this had been built, by urban Zebras, or something; that would have been very interesting!” I mumble, giggling at the mere notion.
Urban Zebras, indeed.
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