The morning came abruptly as I shot awake to the sound of a rooster’s call. Applejack came in just as I was grabbing my backpack and shoes. “Mornin’ Nathan! You ready for the day?”
I rubbed my eyes blearily. “Ugh. I hate mornings. I’ve got to change into my day clothes.” I walked out, and into the house. I passed the little one (I think I overheard her being called Apple Bloom, not sure on that.) on my way up the stairs. I found a bathroom (which I found a tad surprising, given this was a farm) and I entered and locked the door. I set my backpack down, and got ready to get in the shower. I went over to the tub/shower, and got in and closed the curtain. It was too small for me to take a proper bath in, so I turned on the shower head. I made quick work of it, and grabbed a towel as I turned off the water. I dried off, and changed into my second pair of clothes: a pair of beige pants, a plaid white and blue shirt, and some green socks. I put on my shoes, and carefully rolled my pajamas back up so they’d fit inside my backpack. I closed my backpack, and remembered to grab it.
I exited the bathroom, and went down to the table as breakfast was being finished. I stared at the plate in front of me. “Uh, what is this? It doesn’t even look edible...”
Applejack huffed. “That’s haybrowns, Nathan. Nice and-”
I interjected. “Hay? Humans can’t eat that stuff.” I got up from the table, and searched the pantry until I found a potato. “Aha! I knew I might find something edible!” I went to their silverware, and found a knife. I shrugged. “It’s no grater, but it’ll do.” I took the knife, and started to carefully peel the skin away.
Just then, Granny Smith (Yes, that’s apparently her name) came into the room, and chuckled. “An’ jus what’re ya doin’ whippersnapper?”
I responded readily. “Making hash browns. Just like mom taught me.” After the skin was discarded in the trash, I pulled out a pan from the cabinet, and peeled the rest of it into it. I spread it nice and evenly, and I placed the pan on the stove and turned the burner on. I carefully adjusted it from time to time, and after a few minutes I flipped it over. A smirk lit on my face. “Golden brown. Now, for the other side.”
Apple Bloom walked in, and sniffed. “What’s cooking?”
I sighed. “Potatoes. I can’t digest hay; so I’m making my own breakfast.” and with perfect timing, I grabbed a plate and slid the hash onto it. Smiling at my work, I sat down my plate at the place they’d set, shoving away the inedible mess. I grabbed my fork, and started cutting it into more manageable pieces.
Applejack looked down. “Ah wasn’t aware that yer system wouldn’t take well to hay. Ah’m sorry fer presumin like that.”
I shrugged. “I may be able to eat many things, but some things just don’t agree with the human stomach. Hay is one of those things.” I pierced one of the pieces with my fork, and placed the hash in my mouth. I sighed a bit as I chewed. Just like mom used to make. I shook my head. Homesickness wouldn’t serve me all too well right now.
Granny Smith chuckled a bit. “No harm no foul. Yer our guest, so we’ll try an keep in mind what you can consume. We want you to have the best experience as possible here.”
I sighed at that. I understood what they were trying to do. But, I was a stubborn guy. I just shrugged, and went back to my breakfast. I finished without further disturbance, and washed my own dishes. Once I was done with that, I put on my shoes and went to the door. I called back. “I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back later.”
I went out the door, and into the barn to put my backpack on the shelf. After I did that, Applejack found me as I exited the barn. “Where ya off ta Nathan? Can it wait until some chores are done?”
I sighed. “I’m off to Rarity’s. If I’m gonna be stuck here, I’m gonna need more than two sets of day clothes. Perhaps she needs help with something over there. I’ll do the dishes again tonight; I’m not much for hard labor.” I then walked off, and out of the gate. I had a general idea of where the Boutique was in relation to where the farm was, so it only took me a few minutes by jogging slightly. There were some ponies that saw me on the way there, none of whom I recognized. Their response to me was expected, for the most part. They were afraid of me. I was something strange and new to them; it was expected that they would be afraid. There was one unicorn mare that seemed to have an excited look much like Twilight had when she first saw us, and that made me increase my pace. I didn’t need to deal with another crazy pony.
I knocked on Rarity’s door, and waited. I heard her voice call out, saying: “Just a moment!” I stood at the door, tapping my foot a bit. I wasn’t waiting long before Rarity opened the door. “Ah! Nathan! Come to have some clothes made?”
She stepped away from the door, and I entered in by ducking my head a bit. “I presume Ophelia has already explained why either of us would?” At her nod, I sighed. “Good. I’d rather not deal with that awkward conversation.”
I followed her to the back, and she handed me a tape measure with her magic. “Ophelia was a bit embarrassed about having me measure her, so I’ll not put you through that. Just write down the measurements when you’re done.”
She exited through the curtain, leaving a pad of paper and pencil behind. I closed the curtain fully, and held the tape measure in my hand. I took off my shirt for a bit and unrolled the tape measure. I measured my left arm, first the length from shoulder to elbow, then the length from elbow to wrist. The numbers and increments were different from back home, which was to be expected. I then measured the circumference of the arm at its thickest, and its thinnest. I wrote down all those measurements, then measured my torso’s height. I then measured the dimensions of it, then the base of my neck. I wrote those measurements down, and put on my shirt.
I took off my shoes and pants for a bit, leaving my boxers on. I measured my legs first, using the methodology I had for my arms. Once that was done, I measured my waist. I wrote those numbers down. The last part was me just taking the number from that area of the pants I had on and writing it down. I put my pants back on, and sighed in relief. It would’ve been about 20 times more awkward with Rarity doing that, but it was all over now. I put my shoes back on, and picked up the pad of paper and pencil I’d been provided. I left the back room, and handed her the pad of paper and pencil. “Nothing too fancy, okay? Just casual stuff.” After she took the pad of paper from me, I scratched the back of my head a bit. “So, is there anything I can help you with in return? I kinda owe you, since you’re doing this. Just as long as the request is reasonable.”
She shook her head. “Nonsense! This is for a welcome gift! I couldn’t possibly charge you.”
Her logic was sound, much to my chagrin. Still, I wouldn’t have it. “I’m not a charity case. If I can pay you back somehow, I will. I came to you for this, so I intend to pay you. If you happened to do something of your own accord for a gift for an event such as my birthday, now that would be a different case.”
At my response, Rarity had to gather her thoughts a bit. She shook her head, sighing. “Alright, then. I suppose you could take down some orders for me. I’m expecting a few ponies to drop by today, so if you could write down what they want, that’ll be enough.”
I nodded as I pulled out a chair from her back room. “Gotcha. Simple enough.” I set up the chair near the door, and she handed me the pad of paper back, along with the pencil. She’d already removed the piece that I’d written on already. She went into her work room, and I sat on the chair, waiting. I didn’t have to wait long, as a pony entered the store. I greeted them cordially. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Rarity’s asked me to write down your order while she works.” I adjusted the pad and pencil, ready to write. “So, may I have your name?”
The pony was a gray pegasus mare with blonde mane and tail, with matching amber eyes and a mark of bubbles. Her muzzle scrunched, a bit surprised at my appearance. “Ah! Uh, sorry. Jus’t I didn’t know you could…”
I sighed. “Talk? Yes. I’m intelligent. So. Your name, ma’am?”
She shook her surprise away, and answered my query. “Bright Eyes. Though some know me as Ditzy Doo, or Derpy Hooves.”
I nodded as I wrote that down. “Alright. Miss Eyes. So, what were you ordering today?”
Her eyes went askew from each other a bit, aligning not long after. “I need a new dress. My old one’s not quite in the shape it used to be.”
I jotted down her response, and asked another question. “Miss Eyes, are there any specifications you want for the dress?”
She tapped a hoof to her chin. She thought for a while, and nodded slightly. “Well, I need this one to be a bit more resilient. Also, I’d prefer if it was a bit easier to fly in. Aside from that, not much else.”
I wrote that down, and nodded. “Alright.” I stood from the chair, and beckoned her. “We’ll need to take a few measurements. Please follow me.” She followed me into the room I measured myself in, and I grabbed the tape measure. “Please try and stand still. This will take a moment.” She obliged, and I went to work. I measured her legs first, which was rather simple. I wrote those measurements down, and then measured the base of her neck. Once that was done, I measured her wings. It was a bit cumbersome, but I managed. I took down those measurements, then went to measure her barrel (I think that’s the right term? I’m not too familiar with equine physiology.). Once I’d done that, I measured her tail. It was going to fit under the dress, so I had to be careful. Once I was sure of those measurements, I wrote them down. I sighed. “I think that’s everything. Thank you for your cooperation.”
I led her out of the room, and out into the front room. She smiled. “I’ll pay for it when it’s ready. See you around, uh… Nathan, was it? I think that’s what I heard Pinkie say...”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I might see you around town, I suppose. Good day, Miss Eyes.” She left the store, and I let out a sigh. Of course Pinkie might let that out… She did seem like one to spread the news of somebody new in town. I was about to sit back in the chair when the door opened again. I greeted them cordially as I flipped the pad of paper to a new page. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. You had an order you wanted to place? I’ll first need your name.”
The pony in question was the mare that saw me earlier. You know, the crazy one. She had the mark of a Lyre, and her mint green coat contrasted a bit with her amber eyes. She had a mane and tail of seafoam green and white. Her expression at the sight of me sent a bit of a chill down my spine. “Oh my gosh! I knew I wasn’t seeing things! A real human! BonBon will have to eat her words now!”
I cleared my throat, and tapped the paper. “Yes, I’m real. Twilight had much the same reaction. Now, if you’ll state your name for me…”
At that, a blush rose on her face. She chuckled nervously. “Ah, sorry about that. My name is Lyra Heartstrings.”
I wrote that down, and prayed this would go quickly. “Alright. Miss Heartstrings. What is the nature of your order today?”
She got distracted a bit, going on a tangent. “So, what’s your name? I hope to be good friends with a human!”
Irritated, I clenched the pencil hard. It wasn’t so hard to snap it, but it was close. I breathed readily to calm myself as I relaxed my grip. “Nathan Ethrol. But don’t expect me to become your friend. I’m not staying in this place longer than necessary. Now, your order?”
At my response, she seemed a bit dejected. She shook herself off, instead focusing on why she had come here. “Right. I just need a touch-up.” I hadn’t noticed it before, but she brought attention to the dress on a hanger that she’d levitated in the door.
I took in how it looked. A “touch-up” was less than it needed. I could see that all of the seems were ready to pop, and that there were a myriad of tears across a good portion of it. The color was muted to a point that one could hardly tell that it used to have a color at all. I wrote down “replacement dress”, for that abomination she’d shown me was way too far gone. Once that was done, I posed the next question. “Miss Heartstrings, any specifications you want on the dress?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Just make it look as good as new.” She levitated it over to me, and I took it in my hand as she let go. She turned to leave. “My measurements should be on file, just have Rarity use those.” She then left the building.
I wrote down her response to the measurements, and stood. I hung the abominable dress on a rack in the back, and tore off the piece of paper I’d used to write down the order. I found a safety pin, and pinned the piece of paper to the dress. I left it there, and closed the curtain so it was out of sight. I made it back to the chair, and sighed. Just then, Ophelia came down the stairs. She had a new outfit on; a sky blue v-neck shirt, a green floral pattern skirt, and a pair of pink socks to go with her heels. I was speechless. This one made her look just as good as the other one had! I shook myself out of my stupor, though. She was my friend, and nothing more. That was how things would likely stay, no matter what. A sad thing to be sure, but something I could live with. I gathered my thoughts, and spoke. “So, did Rarity make you those? If so, she’s better than I thought...”
Ophelia nodded. “Yeah. Even though she’s never made clothes for anybody but ponies, she did rather well.” She twirled lightly, causing me to blush a bit. Luckily it dispersed by the time she looked in my direction again. “So, the ones you have on were in your backpack? Why, exactly?”
I chuckled darkly. “Well, I’ve been around the block enough to know that one never knows what might happen. I’ve had my fair share of being on the wrong end of a bucket of water, so I never leave home without a back-up set of clothes.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Huh. I guess I’ve never been quite that unlucky. Must be annoying to pack it all in with your school stuff.“
I let out a huff. “Don’t get me started on that. It’s a lot of work, but at this point it’s a necessary evil.”
Ophelia sighed. “How about we talk about something else? I didn’t ask before, but… how old are you?”
I blinked a little. I hadn’t told her that? I supposed that now was as good a time as any. “15. 16 near the end of May, though. Even then, you’d still be about a year older than me.”
At my response, she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. “Right, you’re a Sophomore, and I’m a Junior. I forgot about that.” she then chuckled a bit. “Silly me, forgetting that my 17th was back in December.”
Crap! Even when something slipped her mind, she was just as amazing as ever! I shook off the feeling, focusing on our conversation. “So, how long exactly have you had glasses? You know that I’ve had mine since second grade, but…”
She cast her mind back, trying to recall. “Hm. Let’s see… it was back in the first grade that I got mine, if I recall right. It’s a bit fuzzy, mostly because of how long it’s been.”
I heard a knock at the door, and sighed. “We’ll talk again later. I’ve got to get back to taking down some orders for Rarity.” I waved to her as she went up the stairs, and sat on the chair as I called out. “Door’s open!”
The ones who came in was an Earth Pony stallion. I’d seen a few around, but I didn’t recognize this one as one from town. He had a gray coat, a lavender and white mane and tail, and some kind of fan for a mark. I couldn’t see his eyes from behind his purple sunglasses. He looked around, and huffed. “Is Rarity in? I need to speak with her.”
I jabbed a thumb towards the back. “She’s busy working right now. If you have an order for her to fill, I’ll write it down for her. Your name, sir?”
The stallion’s sunglasses slipped a bit, revealing his pale blue eyes being a bit wider. “My word! Terribly sorry, I thought you were…” He coughed lightly as he adjusted his glasses. “Nevermind. I am Hoity Toity. I’ve come to have a suit coat adjusted. It fits a bit too tightly. It should arrive here at noon. I don’t want its appearance altered.”
I was writing along as I heard, and nodded. “Will that be all, Mister Toity?”
He seemed to think for a moment. He then shook his head. “No, that’s all. I’ll stop by to pay when it is finished.” He bowed slightly. “Good day, um…”
I extended my hand. “Nathan Ethrol.” He grasped it with a hoof and shook. “You have a good day, and safe travels.”
A smile spread across his muzzle. “Sir Ethrol. Good day.”
He then left, and I sighed. Rarity came out from the back. “Ah, Nathan! I see you’ve finished.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Only three customers? That’s kind of… sad.” I handed her the notepad. “Though, from what I’ve gathered, that’s kind of to be expected. Rough.”
Rarity chuckled a bit. “Oh, it’s not so bad. My work is high quality, so I get work daily. It’s a small thing in the long run.”
I shrugged. “If you say so.” I stood up. “So, when will you be done with my order?”
A sigh came from Rarity. “I’m taking a small break. I should have the first few ready for you in a few hours. Come back around noon, okay?”
A smirk on my end. “Gotcha. I’ll be here about the same time as Mister Toity’s suit that he wants adjusted.” I waved, and went out the door.
I walked about, taking in the quaint little town. It was truly like nothing I’d ever seen before, outside of something in a cartoon. The ponies were still a bit wary of me, and that was just fine. I had a bit of inspiration, so I rushed over to the farm. I got to the barn, and opened my backpack. I got out my sketchbook and pencil, and started to draw. I just… lost myself in it, for a good few hours. By the time I finished, it was about eleven in the morning. I looked at the picture, a pristine replica of the town square of Ponyville, as I’d heard the town called. Maybe I was being a bit harsh on my art skills before. It was pretty good, I had to admit. I put it away, and closed my backpack. I stood, and made my way back to Rarity’s Boutique.
By the time I arrived, Ophelia opened the door to get the package on the front steps. I waved as I went up to the door. “Hey. I’m here to pick up something from Rarity. Is that ready yet?”
She picked up the parcel, and jutted her head indoors. “Yeah. It’s that box on the chair. Come on in.”
I followed her inside, and grabbed the box. “I’m gonna get a look at these and see if they fit. Be right back.”
I went into the changing area and drew the curtain shut. I opened the box, and took a look at the clothes. There were four t-shirts, four jeans, a pair of dress pants, four shorts, and four long sleeve shirts. I tried on each of the shirts first. The t-shirts were rather simple, one blue, one green, one turquoise, and one white. The long sleeve shirts were all different. One was blue plaid, another was green with small cyan stripes, there was a plain white one with buttons, and one was orange with red stripes. All of the shirts fit pretty well, surprisingly. I then moved on to the pants. The jeans were pretty simple, one blue, one beige, one gray, one black. The dress pants were pinstripe black ones, much like the ones I had back home. The shorts were all unique. One was midnight blue with white trim, another was green, one was white with light orange stripes, and the last one was black with gray spots. I was rather impressed with how they all fit. Satisfied, I put them back in the box and changed back into the clothes I had on earlier. I tucked the box under my arm, and left the changing room.
When I did, I saw Twilight in the shop. She looked at me. “Ah, you’re here! Saves me some time. The Princess has replied to my letter, and has requested your presence in Canterlot. She’s provided transportation for us to get there. If one of you will get Rarity and follow me, that’ll be great.”
Ophelia shrugged, and went in the back to get Rarity. I raised an eyebrow. “So why does she want to see us? Does it have anything to do with getting us home?”
Twilight tapped her chin. “She didn’t say outright. She wants you two to see something or other. Said that it could answer a few questions you have about the situation.”
I sighed as Ophelia came back in with Rarity. “Elusivity, eh? Oh well. Might as well get this over with. So, is your posse outside waiting already?”
Twilight went to the door. “Yes. We want to be there for you when you see it! Once in a lifetime opportunity, here we come!”
Ophelia chuckled as we followed her. “Well, she’s certainly enthusiastic, can’t fault her for that.”
Twilight replied as she readied to open the door. “Just don’t freak out, okay? The door opened…
To Be Continued...