//------------------------------// // Ponyville - Rarity // Story: A Changeling Alternative // by UsedTeaBag //------------------------------// Suddenly Pinkie stopped talking and stopped in her tracks. Here wer are!", she smiled and suddenly bursted through the door of a chic looking two stories house. Alternate didn´t hesitate to follow her. But upon entering he was grabbed and put on a pedestal-like thing. Before he could even say anything, his body was measured and he was put in a vest. It was then that he saw the pony who had put him in that vest. It was a white unicorn with dark pruple hair that looked like she was constantly taking care of it. She had a pair of red glasses, which apparently she did only need for work, because she just took them off and placed them on a desk before turning to Alternate View again and admiring her work. "You look positively amazing! What did you say was your name?", she said, kind of sounding like a unicorn from Canterlot. Just not as snobby. "Uhm, yes. My name is Alternate View. But you can call me Alternate.", he awkwardly smiled at her and waited for her to introduce herself. "A-and your name is?", he asked after an awkward pause. Upon realizing her mistake she became a little red because of embarrassment. "Terribly sorry, Dear! My name is Rarity! I run the towns boutique.", she said, smiling at him. "Ah, I see, but. . . Why did you put me in this vest?", he questioned and -once again- Rarity looked very embarrrassed. Alternate noticed that Pinkie Pie wasn´t in the room anymore and he looked around from where he stood. He felt like he shouldn´t leave this pedestal just yet. "Ah, well, you see . . . uhm . . . Sometimes it just happens when I see somepony that suddenly inspires me. I have to immediatly design a dress or a vest fitting that Pony, you know?", she explained, looking for understandment from my side. "Ah, of course. Like an old habit you can´t get rid of, huh?", he nodded understandingly. Rarity sighed in relief. "Hey, do you know where Pinkie Pie went? I don´t see her anywhere. . .", he started. Rarity looked surprised, then, as realization struck her she shook her head telling him she had no idea, because she was focusing on him. She started putting Alternate out of the vest and he could finally move again properly. I swear, he could barely move in that thing. That was worse than the uniform he was supposed to wear as a guard! "Are you thirsty? Do you want something to drink while we wait for Pinkie Pie to return?", she asked, smiling at him. He returned the smile. "Sure. Do you have any tea?", Alternate asked back. "Yes, I suppose I should have a few teabags left. Why don´t you come with me into the kitchen?" After saying that she went into a room that was the kitchen -just as she said- and she started preparing some tea for them both. As the tea was done she invited him to sit with her and he accepted. "So, you´re running this shop here? I imagine that being not without stress, seeing as you seem to be all alone doing this.", Alternate tried starting a conversation. "Ah, yes, sometimes it can be quite stressfull, especially when I´m running late for something, but I have my friends to help me out occasionly if I´m running extremly late. I am very happy that I have such amazing friends. But now less about my things, what about you? Where did you come from and why did you come to Ponyville? Not that it doesn´t have its own charme, but, I´m just curious!", she smiled, encouraging him to tell her. "Well" he started "I actually worked as a guard in Canterlot before I went here. For about one year I believe. But I don´t really like being at one place for too long. So I quit being a guard and took the next train to Ponyville. Believe me, it was totally confusing, but I eventually found a place to stay. And. . .Well, that was about everything." "Oh? You came all the way from Canterlot to Ponyville? Just to see something new? Well that is interesting! How was it being a guard?" "Well it´s, how do I describe it best? It was a good experience indeed, but I wish I didn´t come there when I did.", he explained a bit awkwardly. She looked a bit confused and raised a brow showing her confusion. "And why is that, if I may ask?", she asked and Alternate awkwardly cleared his throat before he continued. "Ah, well. . . you see. . . There was this, uh, wedding? Yeah, this wedding with Princess Cadence and, uh, Shining Armor? Yes. And when I took the job of being a guard there was the Changeling invasion. And because of that, every other guard thought I was one of them. But of course I was not. I mean, I would have been hit by that magical shield and thrown out of the kingdom if I was indeed a Changeling. But I wasn´t as you see. I think they still didn´t believe it though, haha.", he sighed at the end, remembering the times he heard them talk about him behind his back. Rarity seemed surprised at this, but didn´t question any further and just drank the last bit of tea still present in her cup. She poured new tea in his cup, which had been emptied by me just before she emptied hers, and then she poured some in her own cup. "I assume that was part of the reason you left?", she asked him after a short pause. Alternate wasn´t sure if he should lie on that or not. He decided not to lie that much about it. He didn´t want to entangle himself in his own lies. "No, not really actually. It was a bit of an annoyance, sure, but nothing too big. And never enough to make me go.", he explained to her, laughing at the end of the last sentence. "Ah, I see. You didn´t seem to me to be a pony that would quit simply because someponys talk bad about you behind your back. What was I thinking?", she smiled and shook her head at her own foolishness to which Alternate just shook his head telling her it was fine. "You don´t fully know or understand me yet, so you couldn´t know, obviously. Don´t be too harsh on yourself, that´s bad for your coat I heard.", he smiled jokingly and they both shared a good laugh about it. "Haha, you´re right. Let´s change the subject, yes? How was your trip to Ponyville? Did you take the train or how did you get to this charming little town?" "Ah, yes, I took the train. But I got out at the wrong station, one station before Ponyville. So take a wild guess what I did then?", he chuckled softly remembering what had happened in the Everfree forest. "I would say you waited for the next train. But judging by your triumphant smirk, that´s not what you did, is it not so?" Alternate couldn´t help but chuckle and nod, his smile widdening in amusement. "Well, you´re right. I didn´t wait for the next train. I walked through the Everfree forest! And judging by your look not many ponys take that route am I right? However, I was halfway through the forest as I noticed I had lost my bag. I went back searching for it- I didn´t find it. Instead of my bag I found a Zebra and she helped me find it. Uh, her name was Zecora, I believe. Nevertheless, it was already getting dark and I couldn´t hope to get to Ponyville while it was still day. Zecora had the hospitality and invited me to sleep at her place for the night and in the morning she would show me the way to Ponyville. And she did. So this is basically how I got here.", he explained. Rarity seemed to be hanging onto every wor he said like it was some kind of big adventure he was describing. "That must have certainly been an amazing experience! Or so it would have been for me at least.", she said amazed by Alternates story. "Well, yes it was actually! A good experience and a lot of fun. . . despite me losing my bag first. You won´t believe how much of a heart attack I had when I noticed! I really hate that feeling!", there was a short pause and then both bursted into a fit of laughter. Rarity just wanted to start saying something, as suddenly Pinkie Pie bursted through the door, scaring both Rarity and Alternate View. "THERE YOU ARE! Come on! I gotta introduce you to my other friends!", the pink earthpony yelled cheerfully, almost dragging Alternate out of the kitchen. He, though, managed to pull away for a moment and went back into the kitchen where Rarity still sat at the table lifting her teacup with her magic. "Well, Rarity, it was very nice meeting you. I do hope we can talk like this more often. But now it seems like I have to leave. Goodbye for now.", he said almost a bit too polite. "Ah, yes. It was nice meeting you too. I also look forward to seeing you again.", she smiled softly. Pinkie Pie then yelled for Alternate to ´Hurry up so he can meet the others´, to which Alternate said nothing but simply obeyed, stepping outside of the boutique.