When the light fades, I find myself standing outside in the cold night air. Wait, that was it? I expected teleportation to feel more… well, to feel like something; I didn’t feel anything at all! You basically blink and are suddenly somewhere else. I wonder if it’s always like that or if you need to practice to make it a smooth trip.
Anyway, I collect my thoughts and realize that I am standing just a few feet away from the one and only, Carousel Boutique. I wish I could see it more clearly; it’s so dark out that I can just make out its shape. But still, I’d recognize that building anywhere! It starts to sink in that I really am in Equestria. Up until now I had only been in Twilight’s library. It was certainly familiar, but it wasn’t as unique as this. I mean, I guess blue crystal libraries are pretty unique, but the crystal kind of fades into the background once you’re actually surrounded by it. I suppose I was also distracted by all the talking ponies, myself included. But Carousel Boutique is a place that truly exists only in Equestria; a place that shouldn’t exist, and yet here I am.
My thoughts are interrupted as Twilight takes a few steps forward and then turns her head back to me. “Are you coming?”
Right, I’m still with Twilight. We’re here with a purpose. And that purpose is to meet Rarity!
No, none of that, brain! Why should we sit here and think about Rarity when we can walk up to that door and meet Rarity? I only need to follow Twilight. I catch up to her and we walk to the front door. Twilight knocks and I can hear a voice, the voice, ring out from inside. “Just a moment, dear. I’ll be right there.”
This is it. Any minute now I’ll be meeting my favorite character. Except she isn’t a character, she’s a real person! Err, pony. I wonder if this is how some people feel meeting celebrities. I’ve met voice actors and show staff before and never been– Oh gosh, the door is opening!
“So sorry about that, Twilight. You weren’t gone quite as long as I had expected; I’m afraid you caught me unprepared!” And there she is. Standing in the light of the doorway is the most beautiful pony I’ve ever seen; and I would know, I’ve seen a whole three. Her face is pretty similar to Twilight’s; more so than Starlight’s anyway. I think the end of her muzzle is slightly less rounded, and just like in the show her eyes are a little narrower. They’re accented by light blue eye shadow and a light layer of mascara though, which makes them look larger than they actually are. And wow, if I thought Starlight’s mane was well cared for, then Rarity’s can only be defined as a masterpiece. She has the same curls as she does in the show: a single, large one on each side of her face, with one sitting closer to her shoulder and the other at eye level. It looks so surreal seeing that style in real life. I wonder how long it takes her to do that every day. Maybe she uses magic.
“Sorry, I wanted to hurry so I teleported both ways. I didn’t mean to rush you.”
“Oh please, darling; it’s no bother.” Rarity turns and looks right at me. We’re actually making eye contact; there’s no way this can be real! “And you must be Ms. Clear Heart? Twilight told me about your… umm, situation. You came from another world, is that correct?”
Shoot, I need to say something. Alright, it’s only a yes or no question, so I just need to pick one or the other. “Umm… yeah.”
“Thank you so much for this, Rarity. I know how busy you’ve been with your work lately; I wouldn’t ask unless it was an emergency.” Phew… Twilight saved me there. Alright, I seriously need to breathe. She’s just another pony, I need to treat her like I would treat anyone. Anypony. I seriously need to work on the pony-isms if I’m going to be staying here. Focus! Just breathe. In… out…
“I understand Twilight, these things can… happen. I just finished a new line today, so you’ve caught me with a rare bit of free time. I don’t mind at all.” Rarity gives a smile and opens the door further. “Well, off you go then. You have an early morning tomorrow, no? I have everything under control, so go get some rest, darling.”
“Alright. Thanks again, Rarity.” Twilight walks a few steps away, then turns back to face us. “I’ll back in three days, Clear, then you can stay in the castle. I’m sorry to put you through all of this trouble.”
She really does look exhausted; Rarity must have seen that too. I flash her a smile and say, “No worries, it’ll be nice getting to see more of the town. Have a safe trip!”
“Thanks.” With that, Twilight teleports away and I’m left alone with Rarity. Keep breathing.
“Well, shall we? It’s frightfully cold tonight.” She looks at me expectantly as she holds the door open.
“Oh, of course.” Here we go, the first steps! To boldly go where no human has gone before. Oh right, I should hurry or else I’ll look really awkward. I smile as politely as I can and step inside.
It’s a little dark; most of the lighting is coming from a hallway in the back of the main, store section, but I can still make out enough details for my breath to stop. It’s all here, just like the show; the little stage surrounded by mirrors to the right, the curtains on the left that hide the dress racks and mirrors, the stairs leading up to the second floor, the scene is perfect. There’s actually a short passage immediately to the right leading to a door behind the stage area that I never saw in the show; I’m not sure where that goes. I imagine that most of the dresses have probably been stored away for the night; it looks a little emptier than you’d expect a clothes store to look.
Rarity starts walking across the room, towards the light in the back, and I manage to get my head working fast enough to follow. She looks at me as we walk and asks, “Would you care for a cup of hot chocolate, darling? I imagine you’ve had an awfully exhausting evening.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely actually, thank you!” Oh my goodness, I’m actually going to drink hot chocolate with Rarity? I suppose I should get used to this; if we’re going to be living with each other, I imagine we’ll have quite a few meals together over the next few days. But still, this is so exciting! Wait no, I need to keep myself in control. No more fan explosions, if I’m going to be friends with Rarity I’ll need to act normally around her. Just keep focused.
Rarity leads me to the staircase in the back, but instead of climbing it we turn to the right into an unfamiliar hallway across from it. A few pictures decorate the walls, mostly of Sweetie Belle and the Mane Six. Ahead is a fork where one path continues straight into what looks like the laundry room, and the other turns left. Rarity leads me down that turn and I find myself in that little living area from Sisterhooves Social: there’s a backdoor at the end of the hall, another staircase to the right, and the kitchen to the left. I’m led into the kitchen and spot the familiar table and stools from so many episodes.
“I’ll only be a moment. Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable.” Rarity walks off to the counter and begins preparing the drinks. Oh hey, she isn’t just making instant either; I could only barely tolerate that stuff! Right, sitting, I haven’t done that as a pony yet. Shouldn’t be too complicated though, it doesn’t seem that different. I turn around and lower myself onto the stool successfully; well, except for sitting on my tail. I flick that out of the way and I’m all good! I don’t think I can balance without my front hooves resting somewhere; either in-between my rear legs on the stool, or on the table seem to be the best choices. Since I’m not sure about pony etiquette regarding elbows on the table, I opt for resting my hooves on the stool. Wait, are they still called elbows? I never did know much about horse anatomy. Eh, I doubt it’ll come up in conversation that often.
“So, Twilight tells me you’re familiar with all of us? Something about a mirror that shows our adventures?” Oof, starting with that whole thing? She said it innocently enough, but she could just be acting polite and hiding her suspicion; that does seem a very “Rarity” sort of behavior. Still, it felt genuine enough.
I give a bit of an awkward laugh. “You sure don’t pull any punches, huh?”
“Best to get that awkward bit of conversation out of the way early.” Well, she isn’t wrong. I give her the full explanation like I did for Twilight. Since she’s facing away from me, towards the counter, I can’t gauge her reactions as I talk. I really hope she isn’t too creeped out by it though.
As I finish my explanation, Rarity is carrying over two very decorative mugs of hot chocolate. They have whipped cream and shaved bits of chocolate on top and everything, just like you’d get at a fancy café. She truly spared no expense.
“Well, that’s quite the tale. I’ve certainly never heard anything of the sort. I admit, it is a tad unnerving; but Twilight assured me you mean well, so I won’t let it get to me. You don’t seem to have any ill intent.” Phew, seems like I’m in the clear. Although this could still just be Rarity being polite and civil. I guess I just need to do my best to not think about it.
That’s right, I was looking at the beautiful drink that Rarity made! Come to think of it, wasn’t Rarity about to go to bed before Twilight arrived? I wonder why she went through the trouble of making hot chocolate. “Thank you for the drink, it looks delicious! But, weren’t you going to go to sleep before Twilight interrupted you? I don’t mean to keep you up.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, dear. Tomorrow is Sunday; I always close the shop on Sundays so I can focus on designing new pieces. I can enjoy the luxury of an extra hour or so tonight. Think nothing of it.” Ooh, so I get to spend Rarity’s free day with her? This will be great! Oh, but I’m sure she has plans, I’d probably just be in her way.
Rarity’s horn lights up and her mug floats to her mouth as she takes a sip of her chocolate. Oh… I hope I have enough control over my magic for this; I really don’t want to spill such a lovely drink. I think myself through the exercises and very, very carefully lift the drink to my lips. It turns out you can’t feel temperature from magic; pretty convenient actually.
Drinking is fortunately very similar to what I’m used to; my lips and tongue feel a bit larger, but I manage to get some hot chocolate in without too much trouble. Of course, I end up getting far more than I should and nearly burn my tongue! I almost lose my focus and drop the cup, but manage to keep it surrounded in my magic long enough to set it down.
Rarity giggles a bit at my misfortune. “It is fairly hot.”
“Yeah, I’m still a little shaky with my magic. It’s a new thing.”
“Well, you seem to be picking it up quickly enough; my sister would be quite envious to see how much you’ve learned in so short a time.” She sips from her drink again, using her hooves to lift it this time. “You could always use your hooves if you’re having trouble.”
Oh yeah, ponies do that too huh; I suppose two-thirds of the population has to do this without magic. “Oh, right. I’m still kind of getting used to this body.”
“Quite alright, darling. Take your time, I can excuse any… mishaps until you adjust to things.” Now that I look at the cup a little closer, the little handle is quite a bit larger than the ones on regular mugs. I slip one hoof through the ring and find that it fits easily. I use my other hoof to balance the cup from the other side and try again. It’s certainly much steadier this way, though my large lips still cause me to get more chocolate than I had intended in my mouth. It’s a little cooler now though, so it doesn’t hurt as much as it did before.
This time I can actually appreciate the flavor of the chocolate; it’s been a while since I have had such a good drink! I wish I could explain the taste better, but I’ve never been much of a culinary expert; my diet as a human consisted mostly of chicken nuggets and Cheetos, so I don’t exactly have a very refined sense of flavor. I guess I would say it’s very rich; not at all watery. I almost wonder if my new taste buds are more sensitive, it just seems like there’s so much flavor.
“Well, it seems you know quite a bit about me, but I know very little about you. Tell me about yourself; what did you do before you came here?” Ugh, why is that always the first question.
“Oh, well I just worked for a fast food place, not much to talk about. I do write music occasionally though; I studied composition for a while, but finished my schooling last year. I haven’t really had any luck finding work in that field though.” That’s a bit of a lie, I haven’t written any music since I graduated. But that’s my programmed response to that question; its more interesting than saying that I sit around playing video games and watching television all day.
“Oh, a musician, how lovely! Were you a singer or an instrumentalist?”
“Instrumentalist; I play trombone. I really can’t sing at all, I have a terrible voice.” I laugh a little awkwardly at that. Huh, I just realized that I don’t actually remember what my voice sounded like, I just remember that I didn’t like how I sounded singing. This selective memory loss is bizarre.
Rarity covers her mouth with a hoof and gives a bit of a giggle. “Darling, singing is simple. Ponies sing all the time, even if it isn’t their special talent; you just need to relax and let the music out. Why, only one of the ponies in my acapella group has a music cutie mark, but we don’t let that stop us.” Right, I had actually forgotten about all the songs. I wonder if ponies actually break out into random musical numbers, or she’s only referring to singing with the Pony Tones. That would be weird; I hope I don’t get caught up in any songs. Then again, maybe my voice is better now; some people do just have naturally good singing voices. That’d be fun!
“But regardless, you’ll have to perform for me some time. I do believe my friend Pinkie Pie owns a trombone… among other things. Musicians are so rare in Ponyville. I can only think of three that live here and perform professionally, but most of their performances are out of town. I do love classical music.”
I wonder if I can still play trombone as a pony? I could probably adjust to using my hoof for the slide, I just wouldn’t have the more precise technique I’m used to. I’m more concerned about my new giant lips; I’m not sure if that would work or not. I suppose ponies do it, so it must be possible; it can’t be that different. “Yeah, that would be fun. I don’t know how I’d feel about a big show or anything, but I could play for you, Twilight, and the rest of your friends once they get back.”
I notice Rarity take another drink of her hot chocolate and remember that I had been forgetting. It’s probably cooled down enough to drink it normally now. I use my hoof and take a longer drink; I think this is easier than using magic for now.
“That’s a lovely idea, I’m sure we’d all enjoy that!” I suppose I’ll be giving a concert soon, great. I still play my trombone every now and then, but only about once every other week. I really don’t want to spend all my time here practicing, I need to get out there and see the ponies! I suppose I did offer though; it'd be rude of me to refuse now. “Along those lines, do have any plans for your time here? Twilight had mentioned that you only have a week; do you have anything in mind?”
Well, the truthful answer is finding my cutie mark so I can stay here forever. Should I tell her that though? I don’t want to get Starlight in trouble with Twilight by spreading around what she told me. Still, I don’t want to lie to Rarity either. She might also be able to help me; I’m searching for my destiny here, I’ll take all the help I can get. And I guess Starlight never told me not to tell ponies; in fact she was going to bring it up to Twilight herself. I think it’ll be alright.
“Well actually, Starlight had an idea that might help me stay longer.”
“Oh?” Was that a look of fear for a bit there? Maybe it was more like concern. I definitely saw an eye twitch though. I suppose Starlight doesn’t exactly have a perfect track record when it comes to good ideas.
“Well, she thinks that if I can find my cutie mark before the spell she cast wears off, then I’ll be able to stay… well, permanently.”
“Permanently? You mean you don’t want to return home?” Alright, this is where I lost Twilight. The dice are thrown though, all I can do now is hope she’s okay with that.
“Well, things were… rough there. I didn’t really have any friends, and it isn’t very easy for musicians to make a living. Plus, well I’m not really sure I wanted to spend my life writing music anyway. I don’t know, things there were just so confusing. I’ve always admired how peaceful Equestria seems. Everyone here always looks so happy, it’s been my dream to live here.”
Rarity definitely gives me her full attention, but she is really hard to read. I can tell she’s thinking about it but I don’t know how she feels about the whole thing. After a bit of silence, she speaks. “Well, I suppose that is your decision to make. I will say though, as much as I love Equestria, life here isn’t without its share of problems. I’d recommend you look at things with an open mind will you’re here; don’t decide on abandoning your home until you’re certain Equestria is where you wish to stay.”
“I suppose that’s fair.” I guess I can’t really argue with what she’s saying. I don’t know for certain that the Equestria from the TV show is the exact same as this Equestria. And even if it is, it might not have shown the whole truth. I can’t imagine a show for children seriously going into things like poverty, war, or homelessness. “Still, finding a cutie mark isn’t going to be easy. I’m probably going to want to get started on that as soon as possible.”
“Well, you certainly are not wrong about that. It’s a shame my sister and her friends aren’t in town. Their special talent is helping others find their destinies; I imagine they would be able to help you. But Applejack’s taken them all on some camping trip; they won’t be back for a few days.” Great, well there goes Plan A; of course this can’t be as easy as asking the CMC to help. “I’ll give it some thought; I had planned on running some errands tomorrow, perhaps we can make a stop or two for you as well.”
“Oh, thank you! I’d really appreciate that!” This is actually going pretty well! Maybe I can do this after all.
“Think nothing of it, darling.” She gives me a smile, then looks down at her empty cup. “Well, seeing as our drinks are finished, perhaps it’s time we retire for the night.”
As much as I’d love to stay up all night talking to Rarity, or even just looking at her and absorbing the fact that she’s real, I imagine she isn’t as nocturnal as I am. “That sounds good, thanks again for the hot chocolate.”
“Of course, Clear.” She levitates both our cups with her magic and quickly washes them before returning to the entryway and looking to me, “Come along, dear. I’ll show you to your room.”
I follow behind her again as we go up the stairs across from the kitchen. They curve slightly with the building as they go up and lead to a long, straight hallway with several doors and another staircase at the opposite end. She gestures towards a door immediately across the stairs and declares it as the restroom. She guides me a little further down to three more doors; one on my right and two on my left.
“This door here,” she says while nodding to the door on the right, “is my bedroom, and the first door on the left is my inspiration room. During the day I’m most likely in one of those two rooms or on the store floor downstairs.” She leads me to the final door and opens it. “And this is where you’ll be staying. It is my sister’s room, so it may be a bit juvenile, but it has all the necessities you’ll need. I believe I’ve prepared everything for you, but don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything I’ve forgotten.”
“Thank you, Rarity, you really didn’t need to do all this.”
“Nonsense, it’s my pleasure. Oh, that’s right; Twilight had requested that I check your magical aura before going to bed tonight. This should just take a moment.”
Rarity’s horn lights up and she carefully circles around me, much like Twilight did before. “Well, I can certainly sense two different auras coming from you. One seems familiar, I believe that would be Starlight’s magic. It doesn’t seem to be active though, which is what we want. As long as it stays inactive you shouldn’t experience any problems; at least that’s what I’ve been told.”
She walks in front of me and ends her magic, giving me a smile. “You have a very warm aura, Clear; it’s quite relaxing.”
“Umm, thanks?” I’m not entirely certain what that means, but I guess it’s a compliment. I suppose if a unicorn’s magic has a unique color, then it makes sense that it would have a unique feel as well. That’s kind of interesting. “Is it difficult to sense magic like that?”
“Oh, not at all. Most ponies can feel a magical aura instinctively, even non-unicorns. It's very subtle though; most ponies don't realize that that's what they're feeling. Sensing it on on command just takes a touch of focus and an eye for detail. In your case, Twilight’s told me what to look for, so it’s not much different from observing something physical. Anyway, we’ll need to do this again at least twice a day; probably morning and evening. For now though, I’d quite like to retire for the night.”
“Right, thanks again for everything.”
“Of course, have a good night, darling.”
“You too, and thanks again!” Alright, maybe I’m laying the thanks on a little thick, but hey I’m excited. I enter the room and use my magic to close the door behind me; that really is starting to get easy. Anyway, I recognize the room from For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils. Like most of the rooms in Rarity’s boutique (I assume), its circular with a raised ceiling. The walls are covered in an ornate indigo wallpaper and segmented into several arch-shaped sections divided by pillars with the checkered, diamond pattern that you see all around the boutique. The floor has a design matching the pillars but is yellow and orange. There’s also a white flower shaped rug in the center of the room.
The furnishing is pretty minimal, but Rarity was right about the necessities being present. Across the room and to my left is a simple bed with swirly green sheets. I’m not really certain if its child, err… foal-sized or not, since I haven’t seen an actual bed here yet, but it does look a little small. To the right, also on the opposite end of the room, is a vanity table. It has a stool placed in front of it, but it looks like I could see into the mirror and easily use the table while standing. Immediately to my left is a writing desk with some drawers above and below. And lastly, a tall wardrobe is to my right. Everything is very clean and neat; I wonder if its normally like that or if Rarity prepared it for me.
Now that all the excitement of the day is dying down, and I’m away from other ponies, I realize I’m feeling pretty tired, so I move straight for the bed. Now that I think about it, it was already well into the night when I got sent here, and I never did fall asleep. I guess I was unconscious for a while, but I imagine with all that pain it wasn’t very restful. I also got the impression from Starlight that I wasn’t out for very long, so there must be some time-zone difference, for lack of a better term, between the two worlds. That would explain why I’m so exhausted I suppose; maybe I can use this to my advantage and combine my fresh start with a normal sleep schedule!
Now that I’m standing next to the bed, it doesn’t look that small; if I stand at the end my tail is about 4/5ths of the way down the bed’s length. I pull back the covers with my magic and then pull myself in. I make a little bit of a mess fumbling around with my front hooves as I try to pull my rear half up and under the covers, but I manage.
The bed is actually really comfortable. It might be a little on the small side, but none of my legs hang off the edge so it isn’t a problem. More to the point though: it’s incredibly soft. I’m not sure what the mattress is made of, but it has just the right density, and the quilt over the top is made of some wonderfully soft and silky fabric. I suppose some of the softness could be from the fact that I’m now a squishy pony covered in fur, but I’m pretty certain this quilt is high quality. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rarity made this blanket; she gave a blanket to Flurry Heart, so why not her own sister?
Actually wait, let’s go back to the topic of my fur. I’m alone now so I can feel my own fur without looking weird. I reach one of my front hooves over to the opposite shoulder and try to pet myself, but the bit of skin underneath my hooves is really sensitive and I just end up tickling myself. Oh… I never cleaned my hooves or anything before I did that; hopefully they weren’t too dirty. I was only ever outside for that little bit before I walked into the boutique, so as long as Twilight and Rarity keep their floors clean I should be okay. I would imagine that ponies clean their floors more than humans do, since they walk on the same legs that they eat with.
Anyway, my next attempt is to just rub my head against my shoulder (the other one, just to be safe) and that's more successful. The feeling of fur on fur is very interesting; it certainly still feels soft, but in a very different way to how soft things normally feel. I suppose without any exposed skin I won’t be able to get a good judgement on how soft I am.
Ugh, I’m getting distracted; I’m supposed to be going to sleep. I’m tired, right? This should be easy. I suppose I’m still a little frustrated about Twilight. I can’t believe she thinks she can tell me to go back; she can’t just assume that she knows what’s right for everyone.
No, I can’t focus on that right now; that’ll just lead to hours of frustrated thinking that won’t accomplish anything. I’m definitely tired, so I just need to relax. I’m living the dream right now, I just need to enjoy this. Let’s just relax; take some deep breaths. In… out… in…
“…cuse me. Darling, do you plan to sleep all morning?”
Mmm… who’s that talking? Why would I wake up if it isn’t even past noon? That’s just ridiculous. I roll over in my bed and pull the sheets closer to my face except… they don’t move. That’s not right. I try grabbing the covers again but nothing happens. It almost feels like I don’t have fingers. Oh, that’s right, I’m a pony now; ponies don’t have fingers. Last night feels like such a blur, but I guess if I still have hooves then I’m still a pony. Wait, if I’m still a pony then that means I’m still at Rarity’s. I guess that explains why I’m so tired. Usually I wake up to my phone alarm; I probably overslept by a few hours. But wait, if I’m at Rarity’s then that would mean that voice… Shoot!
I push the covers off as best as I can and sit up, yawning and struggling to open my eyes. “Sorry, sorry. I’m… not used to waking up without an alarm clock.” I try to wipe my eyes with my hands, but instead smack my face with a hoof. Welp, I’m awake now.
Rarity lets out a giggle at my expense. “So sorry, darling. I’d normally be content leaving you to your sleep, but I have some errands that need to be taken care of, and well, Twilight would prefer you not to be left alone.”
“Right, right. I’m sorry, I’ll get up right away.”
“Take your time, I’ll be waiting downstairs once you’re ready.” Rarity closes the door leaving me alone again. I look down at myself and see my pink, fur-covered chest. Yup, definitely still a pony.
I roll myself out of bed with little difficulty and make my way to the vanity table. I’m greeted by the, still adorable, pony face that I now possess. I make a few faces just to confirm that it’s me and, surprise, it is indeed. My mane isn’t as messed up as I would've expected. considering how long it is. I look back at my tail and confirm that it’s also in decent shape. I suppose that means brushing them will be easy; I was afraid I’d be spending hours getting all the tangles out.
Looking at the table I see two different brushes. Well actually three, but one of them is a tooth brush. I suppose Rarity put that here so I wouldn’t mix it up with hers; that was pretty thoughtful of her. One of them looks like what I’m used to seeing in a hairbrush, with spaced apart bristles made of some sort of hair. The other one is wider and there isn’t any space between the bristles, just a big wall of thick hair; I would guess that that one is meant for my fur. Both brushes have loops on the back that you could probably slip a hoof through, but I opt for using magic instead; seems easier.
I hardly need to think about the levitation anymore, it didn’t take long at all for that to become second nature. Either I’m meant to be really good at magic, or Twilight was right about Starlight’s spell causing me to adapt more quickly to my new body. As far as the brushing goes, I was right about my mane and tail not being too tangled; the whole brushing feels very relaxing. I wonder if ponies’ manes resist getting tangled. It’d sure be nice if that transferred to the brush-able toys.
I don’t really know much about styling hair so I just let it fall naturally to one side, and I have absolutely no idea how to do anything fancy with my tail so I leave that with its natural style. I give my fur an examination and catch a few rustled spots, so I brush my back and sides as well. This feeling puts brushing my mane to shame; the thick bristles kind of scratch my side as I brush and feel amazing. I remember the horses at home always liked getting brushed, now I understand why! It’s a little more awkward as I move down to my legs, but it still feels nice. I think it’s just the concept of running a brush along what was once my arm that feel weird.
Once I’m all finished and looking as good as my limited knowledge of pony hair care can accomplish, I head into the bathroom to brush my teeth. That at least feels the same as it always has; nothing interesting there. Once I’m all set and ready to go I head down the stairs into the kitchen to see Rarity sitting at the table looking over what appears to be the day’s mail.
“Good morning, Rarity.” No response. It looks like she’s reading something; I suppose I’ll just sit and wait until she’s finished. Wait, what if I just interrupted her and now she’s upset? Well that’s just great, the day just started and I’m already in the negative. I really need to try and do better at this whole socializing thing. I guess it has been a while since I’ve legitimately talked with someone for anything other than work; I’m just out of practice I suppose.
Geez, I’m in a really downcast mood today. Usually I’m able to keep my negativity in check; I wonder why I’m feeling so lonely? It really doesn’t make sense. I’m sitting across from Rarity, the best pony, and we’re about to spend the day together. Come on brain, we don’t need to be lonely today, let’s just be happy and enjoy this!
“So sorry about that dear, just some business things.” I’m snapped out of my head by Rarity, who has now stacked the mail up on the table and is standing beside me. “Shall we be on our way?”
I get up as well and smile. “Yeah, I’m actually pretty excited to get out and see the town!” I’ll just try and be as pleasant as I can, hopefully that will help ease things over.
“Yes, I suppose you teleported here with Twilight, didn’t you? So you’ve only seen the inside of her castle and my boutique. Well, we’ll just have to remedy that, won’t we?”
Rarity starts walking towards the store front and I follow. Seeing this room in the light of day, it really feels like I’ve jumped right into the show. Well, I suppose I have. I think I might be getting over the initial excitement though, I still feel pretty calm despite standing in the boutique while its full of light and color.
I’m led to two large boxes; they’re about as tall as I am, but narrower. “Our first trip will be to take these to the post office. They contain the newest designs for my Manehattan and Canterlot boutiques. They’re a bit heavy, but I do believe we should each be able to take one.” As she says this, her horn lights up and she lifts one of the two boxes. She doesn’t seem to be struggling so I suppose it shouldn’t be that difficult.
I focus my magic around the box and lift and… nothing. Huh, that’s weird, it didn’t seem to move at all. Let’s try focusing more. I focus as hard as I can, scrunching my eyes closed and really putting all my effort in, but I only barely manage to lift the box off the ground for a few seconds. I give up, gasping for air. “I’m not so sure I can do that.”
Rarity quickly sets the box down and runs over to me; her face very apologetic. “Oh Clear, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d be able to lift such a heavy box. It’s just after seeing how quickly you were picking up magic I figured you must… well, never mind that. Why don’t you help me with this one? Canterlot is so close after all; I can wait to deliver that shipment another day.”
I give Rarity a nod and catch my breath, then walk with Rarity to either side of the other box. I focus on lifting it as she does the same, and this time the box lifts into the air pretty easily. I can feel that she’s taking a lot of the weight, but at least I’m helping! It feels a lot like lifting something heavy with two people normally does, only with invisible hands that have a much easier time gripping the box.
Actually, I think I can feel Rarity’s magic around mine. It’s kind of a weird sensation; I can tell its disconnected from my body, but it’s the same sort of feeling you’d get if you touched something with your hand. Describing how her magic feels is a little bit tricky, I can’t think of anything in the Human world to compare it to, but it’s very… delicate. Kind of like porcelain, if that porcelain were flowing like silk. Yeah, it’s definitely hard to describe, but I think that’s the closest I’ll get.
It’s strange that I can feel that magic at all; I don’t normally get much tactile feeling from my telekinesis. From what I’ve learned through my little experimentation so far, I can feel weight, but not temperature or texture. I guess it’s kind of like feeling something through a thick glove. But with Rarity’s magic, the sensation is very clear. I suppose that’s just a reaction of magic interacting with magic. That’s the best I can come up with.
Oh right, there’s a person waiting on me, I can’t go getting lost in my head. “I guess I’ll follow you; I have no idea where I’m going.” I give a bit of an awkward laugh.
“No problem at all, darling.” She smiles and opens the door. I wonder if I could use my telekinesis on two things at once like that, I’ll have to remember to try that out later. Anyway, I follow behind Rarity through the front door.
Alright, so I’m definitely not over the whole boundless excitement phase yet. Once I get out the door and see Ponyville in the light of day, my head explodes at all the visual input. It’s all just like the show, but every bit of it is real; the buildings, the roads, the grass, all of it real. It’s like looking at the best 3d rendering imaginable. I can see the individual specs of dirt, each blade of grass, the lines in the wood of the buildings. Yet somehow, with all that realistic detail, it still manages to look strangely cartoonish. I suppose the bright, pastel colors would be responsible for that; they’re spot on with what you’d see in the show. I actually have to blink a bit to adjust my eyes to how colorful everything is.
But enough about the buildings; what really draws my attention are the ponies. There are so many of them! Well, maybe only two dozen or so; I’m not talking Manehattan levels of crowded or anything. Still, the most ponies I’ve seen at once is two, so this is shattering that record. Again, what really stands out about them is the color. There are so many different shades and hues all in motion at once that its dizzying. I also notice that, unlike in the show, there’s a lot of diversity in body shapes. There are tall and short ponies, thin and heavy ponies, some have larger heads than others, and then some seem to be a little furrier; there are too many differences to count. It just all feels so… real.
This is real, I’m actually in Ponyville. And I’m a pony, just like everyone else here. You couldn’t tell me apart from any other ponies. I’ve thought about it before, but I think the gravity of it is finally setting in. This isn’t just a dream anymore, this is happening. I can feel my fur prickle up thinking about it; I guess that’s the pony equivalent to getting goosebumps. I feel happy though, it’s a very warm feeling. I don’t feel out of place, it feels like I belong.
Fortunately, as my mind goes off all over the place, my legs know to keep walking and follow Rarity. We end up walking side by side with the box floating between us; back enough that we can see each other’s faces. I’m still looking around at all my surroundings though. It really doesn’t compare to anywhere in the US. I did travel to Austria once though, that’s a closer comparison; it has the same old, rustic feel to it. It’s amazing what a lack of concrete streets and traffic do for the atmosphere of a town.
I’m not really certain how long it took us to get to the post office. It felt like a pretty long time, but I was definitely distracted. My legs aren’t tired at all, which makes me think it wasn’t far, but my pony legs could also just be stronger than my human ones. The post office is small; there’s just a winding queue leading up to the main desk and a few benches against the wall. I take a seat at one of the benches and look at the window at the passing ponies as Rarity conducts her business.
I’ve been trying to pick out other ponies I recognize, but so far I’ve only seen Berry Punch and Bon Bon, with a suspicious lack of Lyra. Wait a minute, I’m at the post office, so wouldn’t that mean. I excitedly look to the desk to check which pony is working, but no Derpy Hooves. Darn.
I wonder how much of the fandom’s collective canon for background ponies is true. Is Berry Punch actually an alcoholic? Does Lyra know about humans? If the world is real, then it isn’t that big of a stretch to believe that anything could be. I suppose. By that same logic, it’s possible that things from the show could be wrong too. I’ll have to talk with someone about that eventually and compare information; it sounded like Twilight had that goal as well.
There wasn’t a line when we arrived, so it doesn’t take Rarity very long to finish. I get up from the bench as she approaches. “Well, next on the list is fabric store in the shopping district on the other end of town. I like to try and restock whatever I use each week so I’m never caught unprepared when inspiration hits. After that, I believe it will be time to find some lunch.”
“That all sounds great, lead the way!” Rarity gives a bit of a smile and we head off. She can probably tell how excited I’ve been this whole time, I guess that would explain why she hasn’t been talking much.
Our walk to the fabric store takes us past the town hall, and I actually manage to catch a glimpse of Mayor Mare entering the building. This part of Ponyville seems a lot busier; I think I can see the main market area not too far down one of the streets that we cross. I’m starting to see more familiar ponies as well; most notably Cheerliee. A lot of the ponies greet Rarity as she walks by, she seems to be quite popular. Makes sense, given her reputation.
Now that the shock as started to die down, I also notice that I’m getting a lot strange looks. People are actually stopping their conversations to look at me. I don’t stand out that much, do I? I know I’m still not entirely used to this body, but I’m pretty sure I’m walking naturally like everypony else.
We make it to the store Rarity was looking for and I help hold things for her as she shops. I get the impression that she knew what she wanted as she went in, since she doesn’t waste any time looking around. As we leave, Rarity turns to me and asks, “So, is there anything in particular you’re hungry for, darling?”
Oh, I hadn’t thought about that yet; I haven’t actually eaten pony food. “Umm, well I’m not really sure. From what I know, ponies have a bit of a different diet than I did as a human.”
“Really? How so?”
“Well… we can’t digest a lot of the flowers and grasses that you eat, so we ate mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, baked goods, that sort of thing.” Yeah, I’d rather not mention that we killed other animals and ate their corpses. I don’t think that would go over well.
“I see. Well, would you prefer something new, or something familiar?”
Oh, I guess that’s a pretty simple way to put it. Rarity’s good at this. “I guess let’s go with something new.” Normally I wouldn’t be so experimental with eating, but hey, I’m a pony now. This is my chance to make a new start.
“Very well, I believe I have a place in mind not far from here.”
Not far is right. I follow Rarity down a few blocks and into a small, elegant, café sort of restaurant. The tables are all booths with dividers between the chairs to give privacy. There seems to be a flower motif to the décor; the dividers are decorated with actual vines, and potted plants filled with flower arrangements hang over each table, giving the place a very cozy sort of feel. I get the impression that Fluttershy would like it here.; it definitely sings “nature”.
As I’m looking around, Rarity exchanges greetings with the waiter who leads us to an empty table. I can only see two other tables occupied, out of a total of eight. The place must not be very popular. Either that, or it’s really expensive; that seems to be the more likely answer. Wait a minute, is Rarity alright paying for two here?
“Umm… so, you know I don’t have any bits on me, right?” Hey, I remembered to say “bits”. Good job, me!
“Oh, of course, darling. Don’t worry about the money, my business has been quite fruitful lately; I’m in the mood for a bit of a luxury meal.” She opens up the menu and begins to browse, so I do the same.
It looks like this place specializes in dishes made with flowers. It’s mostly salads and sandwiches, but there are also a few desserts. The menu isn’t very large, so there aren’t many options to choose from, but I have absolutely no idea what any of this tastes like. Knowing that a salad contains hibiscus and azaleas really doesn’t tell me much.
Eventually the waiter pony returns to take our orders, so I just copy Rarity’s: a lavender and orchid sandwich with a sparkling water. Once the waiter takes our menus, Rarity turns to me. “So, you seem to be enjoying Ponyville.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a lot to take in. I was never able to see the town as anything more than a few isolated locations, and never in this much detail. Seeing it all like this is really fascinating.”
“Well, I imagine it’s probably for the best you arrived in a quiet town like Ponyville, and not a big city like Manehattan. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for you to adapt to a new world and a city of that size.”
“I really am glad to be in Ponyville.” I suppose a large city would be interesting. But being anywhere else would mean I wouldn’t get to meet all these show ponies! “I wouldn’t mind visiting Manehattan or Canterlot while I’m here though, I always did enjoy the city life.”
“I suppose a trip to Canterlot isn’t outside the realm of possibility; it is quite close after all. Trips to Manehattan are a bit more difficult to handle spontaneously. Do you live in a city where you come from?”
“I lived close to one, but the area I was in was still pretty… industrial. Most places are like that in my world; there aren’t very many towns like Ponyville. I did grow up out in the country though; I didn’t get into a more populated area until I moved out on my own.”
“Yes, Twilight did mention how… different the Human world she visited was. Well, as much as I love Manehattan and Canterlot, the ponies of Ponyville are certainly much more amiable. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time here.”
Speaking of amiable ponies, I’m still getting strange looks from the other ponies in the restaurant. I lean in a little close and ask Rarity, “So, is there any reason that so many ponies are staring at me? It isn’t that obvious that I’m not from around here, is it?”
Rarity laughs a little bit at my concerns. “Oh, darling no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just odd to see a mare of your age with no cutie mark. I’ve never heard of a pony getting as old as you without finding her destiny. I’m sure it’s just curiosity, nothing to worry about.” That makes a lot of sense actually; I don’t know why I didn’t realize that. So, I guess that’s just another reason I need to find my special talent.
“I really am jealous of you ponies. Humans don’t really have special talents; if we do, they certainly aren’t printed on our sides. People go their whole lives never knowing what they’re supposed to do, and they just end up being perpetually unhappy. When you know what it is that you’re meant to do, you can just do that for the rest of your life and you’re all set to live happily. It’d be nice for things to be that simple.”
Rarity looks off to the side and doesn’t answer right away. I guess I did sort of unload on her there, I’m not really sure how I’d respond to that either.
Fortunately, I’m saved by the waiter with our food. I’m reminded how expensive this restaurant must be; we just ordered sandwiches but they put so much effort into the appearance. There are flower petals decorating the edges of the plate, and the sandwich itself looks immaculate. It’s a little larger than I was expecting, and the bread looks so thick and soft. It seems that in addition to the flowers, there’s also lettuce and some sort of cheese.
I levitate the sandwich to my face and take an experimental bite. Hmm… well it definitely isn’t bad. I would say that overall it tastes sweet, which is odd in a sandwich, but it works. There are a lot of other flavors in there too though; I’m not sure if flowers just have a complex flavor, or if they put some other spices or something in there. It tastes good, I guess it’s just a bit much. I’m sure it’s just that low class sense of taste I have. Shouldn’t be a problem to eat the whole thing though.
We don’t talk at all as we eat. Talking with food doesn’t really seem like something Rarity would do, so I don’t bother to bring up any conversation topics and instead focus on the sandwich. I notice she’s eating the flower petals from the plate as well, so I decide to give those a shot too. Now these are good; nice, simple, sweet flavor. I could totally see myself snacking on these like chips. The taste kind of reminds me of fruit, only without the juices. I wonder if they're healthy? It'd be great to actually have a healthy diet for once.
Once Rarity finishes I decide to take the initiative and start up some more conversation while we wait for the check. “So, you said your business is doing well lately?”
Her eyes flash a little at my question, like she wasn’t prepared for it. “Hmm, ah yes. Yes, ever since my Manehattan Boutique’s premiere was such a success I’ve received dozens of custom orders. I’ve managed to gain a few more high profile clients as well, which has done wonders for my brand name.”
You know, Rarity doesn’t actually talk business very often in the show. This is a great chance to really get into the details of how she does it. “So do you travel to Canterlot and Manehattan a lot for your work, or do you do most of it here?”
“Well, I like to keep Ponyville as my base of operations, so to speak, but I will take the time to travel to my other locations to premiere major new lines. Typically, at the start of each season, I personally host larger events at each boutique. I’ll occasionally travel to meet with clients as well, depending on how important the order is. I usually only reserve that for the biggest clients. I suppose if you want a more precise answer: I make trips about once or twice a moon. Of course, with my new Manehattan branch that seems to be increasing.”
“How long have you been doing this? Aren’t you still pretty young?” I’m not going to straight up ask her age, but hey; Mane 6 ages are a huge topic of debate. I need to figure this out while I’m here.
“I purchased Carousel Boutique about 5 years ago now, but I was designing clothes before long that. Fashion design has been my dream since I was a little filly, before I got my cutie mark even, so I started early.”
This is really what I’ve always admired about Rarity, she’s just so driven. It’s why I admire her so much. “Wow… that’s really cool, following your passion from such a young age. It must be nice having a strong, thriving business. You’re so successful already, and you still have so much time to keep improving.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I guess that’s what I really like about Equestria. Everyone is following their dreams, and they’re just so happy for it. It’s so much nicer than the world I come from, I just want to be a part of it all. It seems like my life has been nothing but struggling.” I suppose that’s it in a summary. Talking with Rarity has really helped me solidify why I want to stay here. Now I feel more determined than ever to get that cutie mark!
Rarity turns her head away from me. “Yes, I suppose Equestria’s just perfect, and everyone’s happy here. Why not stay?” Wait… what was that? That sounded like she was pretty upset. What happened, did I say something wrong? She was just talking about how successful she is, and how great things have been; how did this U-turn so fast?
The waiter returns with the check, interrupting my thoughts of panic. Rarity pulls out several bits and thanks him, but not with the polite, chipper-ness she had before. It sounded very short and forced. What happened?
As we leave the restaurant and start walking in what I believe is the direction of the boutique, I try and watch Rarity for any sign of why she might be upset. I guess I was complaining about my world a lot, maybe that’s what did it? Nobody likes listening to a bunch of whining, right? I don’t know if that would justify this big a reaction though. Sure, Rarity’s dramatic, but there has to be more. What’s going on?
We walk back inside the boutique and I’m still completely stumped. Rarity takes the bags of fabric and walks up the stairs without saying a word; I can hear a door slamming from the second floor.
Great, she’s definitely mad.