//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: How About Lunch? // Story: Changeling Perspective // by Gwynbleidd //------------------------------// Wh-Where am I? Oh… right… When I woke up I was immediately confused as to where I was, it certainly wasn’t my bed, though it did feel remarkably similar. The room I was in was more spacious, it was…in Equestria. I was abruptly filled with a feeling in my gut that could only be sadness, the day before when I had gone through the…thing… I was in a dreamlike state. Subconsciously I had thought yesterday as nothing more than a dream, perhaps I had fallen asleep on the grass. Waking up though, proved otherwise. This place was certainly no dream, I was really a changeling, and I was stuck in Equestria for the foreseeable future. I let out a long sigh, likely the first of many to come, only to start choking on my own breath. I need to brush my teeth. With another sigh I threw the soft fleece blankets on top of me to the side and got out of the bed. I threw a glance to a digital clock on my right nightstand. It read 7:00. It was only slightly later than I normally awoke, some habits just don’t change. While I trotted towards the bath my mind was plagued with questions. Specifically, I was wondering what I was going to do with my life. This was, in a way, a second chance. Though I didn’t know how I had screwed up my previous life, this was an opportunity do it over. One that I didn’t deserve, but it was given to me nonetheless, I had no intention of squandering it. This meant that I needed to find some things to do with my life, Celestia’s prophecy weighed heavily into this. A clear first step would be to befriend the Elements of Harmony, all six of them. It seemed logical that they would play a part in whatever disaster I was supposed to prevent. But, I would need more than them; I wouldn’t likely need a job, I would need hobbies, the most obvious being exercise, Rarity made it clear the day before, that I was woefully out of shape by Equestrian standards. I pondered on all these things while I was doing my morning rituals, no matter what species you are, nothing clears a mind like a hot bath. Speaking of bathing, it was surprisingly easy; changelings don’t naturally have fur, rather just a piercing black skin, making a bath similar to one a human might experience. I was in the middle of scrubbing my horn when a peculiar thought came to me. Can Celestia see what I’m doing? It seemed perfectly plausible; after all, she could read my mind and send me messages via telepathy, it only stood to reason she could watch me as well. I was still scrubbing my horn as I looked into the mirror that was hung above my sink. As I stared into my yellow-eyed reflection I couldn’t help but think of using the mirror to return the favor. It always seemed that people, or ponies in this case, would use a mirror to spy. As I mused the thought I accidentally caught the tip of my horn with my loofah, causing a spark of magic to spit out. The spark followed my line-of-sight and struck the middle of the mirror, causing a strange rippling effect. While I wasn’t entirely surprised by this I was caught off guard by the scene within the mirror when it cleared. It was Celestia, she was unaware of my presence, and she appeared to be preparing to bathe… it was rather awkward, to say the least. While I wanted to say something I found my voice stolen and my body frozen. Though I wasn’t familiar with Equestrian law I was rather sure that spying on either of the Royal Sisters was more than a misdemeanor. Since both my mouth and my legs weren’t functioning I did the only thing I could do, watch. Luckily, Celestia quickly realized that she was being observed and turned around, finding an image of a wide-eyed changeling replacing the spot where her mirror used to be. To her credit, she took it quite well. “Yes…” Celestia spoke, “Do you have a reason for this or is peeping a courtesy where you come from?” “I-I-I, it was an accident…” I stammered, flustered by the whole situation. It’s too early in the morning for this… “As opposed to doing it later?” “That’s not what I meant.” “What did you mean then?” “I…uh…it’s hard to explain…” I stammered, baffled by the Goddess’s infinite calm. “I’m an immortal Goddess, I have all the time in the world,” she quipped. I let my third sigh for the day; it appeared that I had no choice but to explain to her how I had accidentally become a ‘peeping tom’. When I was finished with my brief yet uncomfortable explanation, I looked at Celestia, waiting for her response. I was abruptly taken aback when she started to giggle uncontrollably. What is so funny? “I just noticed you have a loofah on your head,” Celestia gasped, between heaves of laughter. My eyes shot up; at the edge of my vision I could clearly see a yellow loofah resting comfortably on my head. I blushed as I brushed it off. This only seemed to make Celestia laugh harder. I thought she would never stop, but a knock at her door abruptly ended the giggling fit. “Are you alright in there, Princess?” asked the disembodied voice of what I assumed could only be a guard. “I assure you that I am fine,” replied Celestia in a resigned, yet regal, voice. She clearly didn’t enjoy her privacy being invaded all the time. “The life of a civil servant, huh?” I sighed, while not to the same scale my previous life wasn’t so different. “Yes,” Celestia said, returning her attention to me, “the path I tread isn’t a private one, but I love it all the same.” I was taken aback by the show of trust Celestia was giving me, while I hadn’t been certain before then, I knew at that moment Celestia was and always would be a friend. One I was sure I would need at my darkest hour. During my epiphany, Celestia managed to completely regain her composure and spoke up again. “All jokes aside, you must be careful; discharging your magic like that can be very dangerous, you’re lucky that something more serious didn’t happen. I would suggest that you seek out my student, Twilight Sparkle, soon, and see if you can get some magical tutoring from her.” Though the idea of having a tutor didn’t really appeal to me I knew that it was all in my best interests the take her advice to heart. While telekinesis came to me easily enough I knew that I was only scratching the surface of the potential that was within my horn. “I have some plans for today but, I think I’ll see her tomorrow,” I replied. Celestia nodded, “Good, I’ll close the portal now, as it appears that you are in the middle of something.” Without any further elaboration, Celestia pointed her horn at the mirror and a spark appeared for a moment before the mirror rippled once more and left nothing but my reflection once it settled. In the middle of something? Oh… It took me a moment to realize that I just had an entire conversation with the most powerful pony in all of Equestria in a bathtub. I flushed with embarrassment as I quickly rinsed myself off and dried my body on one of the towels that were on the rack nearby. After I had finished grooming my exterior I started the task of cleaning the rest of my body. While I was brushing my teeth I glanced down at the toothpaste I was using. A blue mare with a blue and white mane was on the cover, she had a brilliant white smile. She seemed familiar somehow; likely I just hadn’t paid enough attention to the show to remember her by name. By the time I was finished with my morning rituals I had formulated a plan of attack for the day. The most prominent thing I had learned the day before pertained to my physical condition. While I had never considered my physical prowess to be brag-worthy I did cherish the robustness that I had maintained on Earth. It was a robustness that clearly had not translated when I was transported to Equestria. Naturally this conscious incompetence led me to desire my former physique, and I only knew one way to do that…train…hard. While it had been my off-season many of the workouts and stretches were still fresh in my mind. I knew that it wouldn’t be too long before I could regain some of my lost masculinity. However, what I would do afterwards was what gave me pause. I knew that it was of paramount importance that I befriended the girls as quickly as I could, while Celestia hadn’t given me a specific date it seemed reasonable to assume that I would likely only have a month until whatever evil I was supposed to face showed itself. To me, it seemed like it would be easiest if I could get to know them one at a time. This would take less than a week and hopefully I had that much time, if not, then the best I could hope for would be to win over the majority of them. My dilemma was my indecision on which one to pick first. I knew it would be important to befriend Twilight quickly, considering her leadership role in the group, but I didn’t want to try her first. I wanted to start with someone that I already had met. That narrowed it down to Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. I was going to see Pinkie at the party I had been forced into that Friday, so I scratched her. I also felt unsure of Applejack, while she seemed the simplest of the ponies to understand she also seemed a bit out of my depth. Fashionistas, on the other hoof, I had a bit of experience with. Also, as I thought about it, Rarity had given me an invitation to see her. -“I know exactly what you mean! I would love to design a piece for your friend, eh, what’s his name?”- I grinned, it made perfect sense. Rarity will make an excellent test pony for my social skills! With a plan for the day in mind I trotted down the stairwell, marveling at its simple, yet elegant design, and made breakfast. And by ‘made breakfast’ I mean I ate two more apples. Though they were tasty I was dismayed by how quickly my food was going. On my way to the door I quickly glanced at the bits I had remaining, they hardly seemed diminished. Unless I took Spike out for an all-you-can-eat gem buffet, I would be fine. I slipped on my satchel and threw some of the bits in one of its compartments. The weight would help me in my training. I almost stepped out of the door before I realized that I still looked like a changeling. I seemed to forget that fact a lot. While I had enjoyed my time as “Tom”, I had told Applejack he left town; that scratched him off as a potential body. The only other forms I had ever taken were Dr. Hooves and Ezio. The Doctor actually lived in Ponyville so that left me with only one choice, other than making a new personality, but I hadn’t felt up to that level of thinking early in the morning. “He’ll work well enough,” I said to myself as I transformed into the pony assassin once more. It only took a quick glance at my flank to assure myself that the transformation was a success and just like that I was out the door, ready to face a new day in Equestria. My face had turned red and my lungs felt empty by the time I was done with my run. While Ponyville seemed small enough a two full laps must have equated to several miles, not the farthest run I had ever undertaken, but it was good exercise all the same. I had ended my self-inflicted training relatively close to Carousel Boutique but I hesitated to go in for a very simple reason. I smell… It seemed that perspiration was a universal fact of life, trans-dimensional fact of life even. While it seemed logical to just go home and bathe again I couldn’t be bothered, so doing what any rational pony would do, I looked for shortcuts. I wonder… In a moment of brilliance, I had an idea that seemed almost too easy. But, never one not to be adventurous, I did it anyways. I’ll need some cover… My needs were satisfied by a small bush that was just to the left of the entrance. After a quick survey of the area I dived into the foliage. I quickly dropped the shroud of Ezio, revealing my changeling nature. Luckily, no one could see me. Faster yet, I slipped back into the skin of the white stallion, the results were just as I had hoped. All the tangles in my fur were gone, replaced by a shiny fresh coat. Better yet the brunt of my smell had also disappeared leaving me with only a faint, very masculine, odor. Satisfied with my appearance, I left my hiding spot and trotted towards the front door of Carousel Boutique. Once there I carefully wiped my hooves on the ground in front of me and knocked on the door. As I waited, a million thoughts ran through my mind. Is this really a good idea? What if I say something stupid? What if… Before I could brood any longer I heard movement within the establishment. There was the tell-tale clopping of hooves on the floor and a jingle of the knob as it yanked the door open. Now able to see inside I found a white unicorn with sapphire blue eyes staring back at me warily, before almost immediately putting on a huge grin and trotting over. “Oh, a customer! My name is Rarity, welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!” “I was told by a very good friend of mine that you might have some fine wares here. I see I am not in the wrong place.” I said smoothly, walking closer to her. “Oh! Aren’t you a flatterer!” she replied, blushing, “Who is this friend of yours?” “I believe you met him yesterday, Tom is his name, wonderful fellow, a little quiet, but a good heart.” I answered, standing only a few feet in front of her now. “So you must be the new pony in town,” the white unicorn deduced, “How are you enjoying Ponyville so far?” “Actually, I just came to see my friend and to make sure that everything went well. But after seeing all these fine raiments I think I’ll have to find the time to come here more often.” My speech invoked a blush out of the mare; I just kept rolling with it. “Tell me,” I asked, “is every mare in town as talented and lovely as you?” Her entire face glowed with appreciation; she giggled for several moments before she could start talking again. “Is every stallion where you’re from as flirtatious and complimentary?” Apparently Ezio was bad at being subtle, ironic for an assassin; she didn’t seem to mind, though. “I am wounded, Lady Rarity.” I replied, holding my left-forward hoof to my chest for dramatic effect, “You shoot me down so effortlessly, certainly I am worth more of your consideration?” This got another laugh out of the seamstress. “You’re right, how rude of me, let us try again! Well good sir, I am flattered, would you like me to take your measurements and see if we can’t fit you with something? Though if I may ask, why are you here? I had expected the new pony in town to show up, who’s name I still do not know!” Rarity said in a bit of a huff. Clearly she liked being in the know. “I’m sorry, but he has something special planned for his introduction this Friday, I wouldn’t be a very good friend to spoil that for him. As to why I’m here well, it’s very simple. He knew that I am a bigger patron to the arts than he is, so he thought I’d get more enjoyment out of coming here than he would.” I answered. She seemed somewhat satisfied, enough that she didn’t press for more details on the subject. “A patron to the arts, you say? What line of work are you in? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a cutie mark quite like that.” Rarity asked, glancing over at my cutie mark, the Assassin’s Creed logo. “It signifies my ability to hide in a crowd,” I explained, “my work deals in secrets and disguises, and hence I like clothes.” “Are you telling me that you’re a spy?” she asked, slightly taken aback. I chuckled at this. I’m sorry, am I talking to Rainbow Dash? “No, I’m not a spy, just someone that observes his surroundings exceptionally well.” “That sounds an awful lot like spying,” Rarity observed. “From what I hear, spies aren’t allowed to go around and tell people they’re spies, isn’t that interesting,” I asked. She seemed to get the hint. “Indeed it is, I believe before we got into this conversation I was about to take your measurements, was I not?” “I believe so,” I answered back, “Let us not waste anymore time then.” “I’ll just get my tape measure,” Rarity chirped back cheerfully. With a bounce in her step Rarity trotted towards one of her many shelves and bent over to look for the tape-measure. This action flaunted, to say the least, her flank. While part of me was willing to say nothing, the Ezio in me couldn’t help but make a snide comment. “Please, take your time. This place comes with an excellent view.” THUD! Her head hit the shelf directly above the one she was in. Slightly dazed and with a tape measure in her mouth Rarity glared daggers at me, but I could see a blush on her cheeks. The anger was but a ruse. Trotting back towards me Rarity exchanged the tape measure from her mouth to her magic, holding it just a few inches from her face. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” she mumbled as she pulled out a measure of the tape and proceeded to check the various lengths of my body, taking notes all the while. It was a little less than thirty minutes until she was done. Several times I attempted to reinitiate to conversation but each time I was met with icy silence. After she was done she floated the tape measure to its proper spot and turned around, as she trotted away she finally said something. “I’m finished with you.” The way she spoke left no room for argument, at least, for the average pony. “I fear I have wronged you, my lady,” I said. Rarity didn’t say anything in return but she did stop moving, and her ears perked up, that was enough for me. “Let me right this by buying you lunch, we could discuss the details of my ensemble there,” I suggested. At that she slowly turned. When she faced me she cleared her throat and said, “You know, you have a lot of nerve, coming into my store and commenting on me like I’m some sort of emotionless sack, and to top it all off you think you can buy my with a stupid lunch date. What do you have to say for yourself?” My ears flattened against my skull as I had no response at first. While I hadn’t known exactly what she was thinking her reaction startled me. It was only a harmless piece of flattery. I stared at her blankly, desperately thinking of a rebuttal that would land me in her good graces. Her stare was penetrating, I shrunk back in fear. Her eyes were locked in on mine until they abruptly widened and she stepped back, I was completely baffled as what I had done to startle her so, until she spoke. “Did your eyes just change color?” Suddenly everything made sense, my panic had changed my eye color, she must have noticed. It would make sense that a seamstress would have an eye for eyes. After all it would be important she’d use colors that wouldn’t clash. During my moment of clairvoyance I had another idea; I could use this momentum to get off of Rarity’s shit list, but I would have to act fast and smart. Luckily, I was both those things. “Yes,” I replied deliberately, choosing each word carefully. I stared deeply into her eyes, they were locked onto mine, scrutinizing every detail. I blinked again, I must have been calming down because her eyes widened again, just out of sync. I found this rather funny. In all my years of existence I had never needed to use my eyes to win anyone over. I guess ponies are a bit touchier. “Have you always been like that?” she asked after sometime. “Yes,” I replied again. “Do you know why?” What is this? 20 Questions? “I can’t tell you how I got this....” I momentarily paused, unsure of what label my eyes deserved; I found it odd how little thought I had given such a unique gift…gift…it seemed to fit well enough, “…this gift. All I can tell you is that it seems dependant on emotion.” Slap! A quick right-hoof slapped me against the cheek, a rush of adrenaline shot through my veins as I tensed unconsciously, preparing to strike back. I quickly realized that it was only Rarity, and as such I just stood there, mouth agape with shock. It irked me that she had a satisfied grin on her face. Utterly confused I could only ask, “What was that for?” Her immediate response was a small snicker but she quickly regained her usual lady-like grace and replied, “Multiple reasons actually: one, revenge,” she flashed me a knowing, if somewhat evil, smile. My ears drooped a little more; I had earned that slap in all honesty. “Second, I wanted to see if your eyes really did work as you said, judging by the red in them I’d say it’s true, amazingly enough.” “Well, I hope you’re satisfied,” I quipped back. “Beyond your wildest dreams,” she replied in turn. Is that a come on? ... Get your mind out of the gutter, no wonder she slapped me… “So…” I ask casually, scratching my mane with my forward-right hoof, “Do you still want to get lunch or should I just go?” “I don’t think I ever said I wanted to go to lunch with you,” Rarity answered. “Well then, would you like to go to lunch?” “Sure! Why not?” “I don’t take no for a… wait, really?” I asked, stunned at her change in tune. “Would I lie to you?” she asked, returning my question with another. “I’d hope not.” “Well I may not be the ‘Element of Honesty’ but a lady keeps her word, if I tell you I’m willing to suffer you presence for a lunch date then I mean it.” “Lunch date, hmm…” I replied, enjoying how cute she looked when she scrunched her face. “A poor choice of words, don’t even think for a second that I actually harbor any feelings for you.” “Yet?” I added, in a hopeful, yet playful, tone. “I guess we’ll just have to find out later, won’t we,” Rarity replied. She trotted past me, her mane lightly brushing against my coat; I couldn’t tell whether or not it was accidental. Before I could consider the thought any longer she turned her head to me and said, “If you’re going to take me out we’re at least going to go to my restaurant of choice, seem fair?” The question didn’t leave any room for argument, even for Ezio. “Fine by me,” I replied honestly, “I don’t know this town very well anyways.” “Oh, right, just here for a friend.” “And maybe a marefriend…” “Don’t push it.” “As the lady requests.” Without another word Rarity continued towards the door whisking it open with a flick of her magic, I followed, hoping that her taste in cuisine was compatible to my own. ________________________________________ It wasn’t long until we arrived at Rarity’s place of choice; I looked up at the sign, it read “Manehatten Café”. I hope it’s not too expensive, while I may have plenty of bits at home I only brought like fifty with me, it would be rather unseemly to run home for more, hopefully she’s a light eater. “The Manehatten Café, huh?” I said, looking over at Rarity, who was looking at me for the first time since she had left the boutique. “What? They have a good salad.” Of course they do… “I’ll keep an open mind…” “I would hope so, for your sake.” With that comment Rarity turned back around and entered the establishment. Apparently she was well known there because we got seats with a view, and quite quickly at that. While I appreciated this it put lead weight in my gut. Any place that is willing to give “special treatment” was usually quite expensive, at least in my past experience. I was seated on a comfy pillow and given a menu, with a pained glance I looked at the prices. They were as bad as I had worried, with an expensive dish being thirty-five or forty bits. It was only a few moments until the waiter, an average looking stallion, came by with two cup, two saucers, and a pitcher of water. He set the china down, filled them, and left without a word. Nonchalantly, I took a sip of the water, holding the cup in my hooves. I had nearly picked up the cup with my magic but I had caught myself before it left the saucer. Luckily, Rarity hadn’t noticed the soft glow radiating from either head or cup. The liquid washed down my parched throat; I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until that moment. I quickly downed the entire cup. Thankfully, high-end restaurants had universal standards of service and a different stallion immediately came over and filled my cup once more. I drained about half of its contents until my thirst was slaked. I looked up to see Rarity, giving me a concerned look. “Is this really so bad that you feel the need to drown yourself before they even take our order?” I stifled a laugh before I could answer. “No, I’m just a little thirsty. I went for a light jog earlier today and I just realized how dehydrated I was, that’s all.” “Oh, and what do you consider a ‘light jog’?” Rarity asked, genuinely interested. “Two laps of Ponyville,” I replied, taking another sip of my water. Rarity’s pupils widened briefly as she took in this new information. Then she did something rather un-Rarity like, she leaned over the table and sniffed me. “You don’t smell like someone who just took two laps around Ponyville.” “It’s a gift,” I replied, giving a small shrug. “Among many, huh,” the white-unicorn replied. “I suppose.” Before she could say anything else the waiter, that had lead us to our seats, had trotted over and asked if we were ready to order, before I could respond Rarity replied, “But of course! I’ll take the honey almond salad.” Unsure of the cost I quickly flipped through the menu to find it. Thirty-seven bits, holy shit, that’s a lot of bits! Though I was pretty sure I had enough money for her salad, I doubted that I had enough to buy myself much of anything, and I was really hungry. “And for you, sir,” the waiter asked, quill and paper in hoof. “Hmm? Oh, I’ll take the...” I paused as I flipped through the menu, looking for a dish that wouldn’t break the bank; luckily I managed to find something. “I’ll take a small bowl of carrot soup, please.” “Very good, I’ll bring them to you when they’re ready.” With that, the server took our menus, turned and left; presumably to take our orders to the chef. I turned to face Rarity again; she was giving me a strange look. “You ran around Ponyville, twice, and you’re telling me that you can only muster the appetite to eat a small bowl of carrot soup.” Though she technically made a statement the tone was one of questioning. I guess I should have seen this coming. All I could offer was another small shrug, Rarity didn’t seem impressed. “Do you not have the bits to cover this?” It was a simple question but, I found it surprisingly difficult to answer. Rarity picked up on this and gave me a sympathetic look. “I probably shouldn’t have taken you somewhere so expensive for a first date, huh?” “No, it’s fine, I’m pretty sure I have the bits... did you just call this a ‘date’?” I asked, genuinely surprised. Apparently Rarity hadn’t realized it either because she blinked several times when she heard what I had said. “I suppose I did,” was all she replied. The statement caught me off guard. For the brief time that I had known her she seemed rather distant, to say the least. Now, all of a sudden, she couldn’t get enough of me! I guess Ezio is just that good with the ladies... “So does this...” I was going to ask Rarity if this meant we were dating but I was interrupted by the waiter, food in hoof. Shit, these guys work fast. I could have sworn that it had been less than a minute since he had first left to deliver our orders, perhaps I was just mistaken. Regardless, our waiter set down our respected dishes and bid us farewell, leaving us to each other once more. “You were saying something?” Rarity asked as she took out a small salad fork. This in itself was surprising; though I hadn’t been intimately familiar with the formalities of the show I hadn’t seen the use of cutlery anywhere. Perhaps it just came with the territory of salads and fine dining. While I pondered this development I noticed that Rarity was looking at me funny. Oh, right, she asked me something... “It was nothing important.” She didn’t seem convinced. I focused on my soup rather than look at her. Hell hath no fury like a filly scorned... Luckily, she seemed to realize that she wasn’t going to get anymore out of me and returned her attention to the salad. If the cute chirping sounds were any indications she was enjoying it as well. We were both silent for a long time, Rarity caught my attention however when she cleared her throat, “Why don’t tell me about yourself?” Oh, sure! I’m an alien from Earth, how about you, yeah... I think not... “What do you want to know? I have a lot of interesting characteristics after all,” I replied, playfully, this elected an eye roll from the white unicorn. “I’m sure you do,” Rarity said, sarcastically, “Why don’t you tell me about how you aren't a spy?” I chuckled softly. “Very well, my lady, I shall tell you the best story that never happened,” with that I went off and began describing the plot of Assassin’s Creed Two, of course I had to tone it down a bit since Equestria was a primarily peaceful nation. I only told her about growing up in a small Istallion town and how my family was wrongly accused, but not executed; that would likely have given her a heart attack. By the time I was done we had been there some time and our food was long gone but neither of us seemed to care. “That was... amazing,” was all her reply was. Aww... Ubisoft would be proud. “Quite the tale is it not?” “Are you implying that this wasn’t true?” “I’m not implying anything, except that the staff here seems to be very displeased that we’re still sitting down.” I said looking over a frowning stallion, staring at us. I suppose this would be a desirable table after all. “Hmm, it appears you’re right, I suggest we leave now.” “Sounds like a plan, man I love it when those things come together.” “What?” “Nothing.” With that I waved a waiter over and asked for the check, it was only a moment until it was brought to us, apparently they wanted us out quick. I thanked him for his service and looked at the total. It was forty-five bits, plus tip. Casually I flipped my satchel open and started counting out bits, the pile seemed to disappear quickly though, much to my dismay. “43, 44, and 45,” I said proudly, a large pile of bits in front of me. “What about the tip?” Rarity asked, her head off to one side to see around the small mountain. “Oh, right, the tip,” I said looking into my bag, only to notice that it was empty. “Oh, right, the tip...” “You already said that,” commented Rarity, looking at me strangely. Suddenly her eyes sparkled in realization. “You do have enough to cover the tip, right?” “I, er, I... no” I said, head slumped down, unable to look her in the eye. “Why didn’t you say something then? I’m not broke, I’ll cover the tip.” “No, wait, I’ll...” I was in the middle of my defense when she cut me off. “What are you going to do? If you don’t have enough bits on you, that’s that, I insist that I pay for the tip, I am the ‘Element of Generosity’ after all.” “That’s very kind of you,” “Thank you, it’s nothing really, let’s just get out of here.” With the bill cleared we both left as quickly as ponyly possible to avoid the wrath of the owner. “Would you like me to walk you home?” I asked, turning towards Rarity. “Well, it would be rude if you didn’t,” she replied. “Lead the way then.” We walked in silence for some time, about halfway to our destination however, Rarity turned to ask me something. “Did you order the soup so you’d have enough to pay for my salad?” It was a simple question but, it was another I was too embarrassed to answer, so I just kept walking, Rarity wouldn’t take no for an answer this time though. “I’ll take that as a yes.” I still remained quiet “Well, it was very sweet of you,” she said as she pulled me closer. “Well, we’re here, thank you for a wonderful evening,” with that she planted a small, yet tender peck on my cheek. Maybe old me would have settled for that but Ezio was just a little more outgoing. I spun her around as she turned to walk away a kissed her full on the lips. Her eyes widened for a moment but then she melted into it. Eventually, we had to come up for air, and broke apart. “I don’t usually do this on a first date you know...” “Well, I don’t usually take much interest in mares...” “Picky are we?” Rarity asked, her big sapphire eyes lock into my, heterochromatic colored, counterparts. “Very.” “Well then, I’m flattered.” “As you should be.” This got another laugh out of Rarity. “Are you always so blunt?” “Sometimes,” I said, sarcastically. Rarity gave me a playful shove. “You’re impossible,” I gave her a cocky grin. Rarity rolled her eyes at me again. “Well,” I said, looking up at the darkening sky, “I should probably head home.” “It appears that way...” Rarity replied, with a hint of sadness in her voice. I chuckled again. “Goodbye,” I said, giving her a farewell kiss on the cheek. With a final hoof-wave I trotted back home. By the time I arrived it was almost fully dark. I quickly went over to the fridge and opened it, grabbing my last apple, though the soup had been tasty it was also small and I was still hungry. Though the fruit didn’t satisfy me completely it was enough to tide me over until morning. With my food depleted I trotted upstairs and directly into my study, hoping to find a book to cuddle with for the rest of the night. While I was searching I dropped the cloak of Ezio for the day, worn out from such constant use of magic. After around half an hour of searching I realized something. None of these books are in English... I was shocked that I hadn’t noticed this the day before; apparently Celestia had given me the knowledge to read Equestrian, how thoughtful. But, that wasn’t the only thing I discovered. All these books have an Earth counterpart... Apparently, authors had similar ideas between the two dimensions because many of the books I had found I had also already read. With my final sigh for that day, I finally headed towards my bed, thinking upon all the day’s activities. Rarity seems to take a liking to me, or Ezio. But that isn’t important; I made a friend, a marefriend at that, haven’t I? Trying to shake off the self doubt I focused on my plans for tomorrow, Twilight Sparkle was the next mare on my list. Maybe she’ll have some books I’d be interested in, too With a somewhat pleasant thought in mind, I slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.