It's just a casual stroll through the streets of Manehattan. Or it's at least as casual as one gets when you're almost six feet tall in heels, visibly injured, and holding a conversation with a pegasus who does an excellent job of making others think she's homeless while on your way to make yourself look pretty.
The fashion district is a fair distance away from the police station, but Gray had told me that it wouldn't hurt to just walk over there instead of trying to take speedy shortcuts over the rooftops. It would give most of the shops extra time to open, and it was a nice morning for walking anyway: right on the borderline between cool and warm, no clouds to be seen, and a very refreshing breeze. I won't lie and say that I didn't start to love walking in these conditions very quickly, so I agreed to Gray's request to take it easy for now.
It almost let me ignore the cautious and often-times fearful looks I was getting from most of the residents. A lot of ponies ranging from foals to young adults stayed at least ten paces away (their paces, not mine), and one screamed in terror and fled down the street. That one at least was the exception, as most of those in that age group at least acknowledged that I had somepony escorting me and continued going about their business after a few moments.
Still wish I hadn't been screamed at. Being feared by common citizens isn't a comfortable feeling for me, so I'll be happy to be gone from here.
The younger generation could've stood to learn a few things from their elders. Ponies that I ascertained were either Gray's age or older were cautious at first, but the pegasus' presence seemed more reassuring than it was for the others, so they had an easier time ignoring me. Going by what I had seen at the station, I guessed that this group was old enough to remember what good Gray had done for the Police while she was still with them, and thus still had a trustworthy reputation. One pony was brave enough to smile and wave at us as we passed, to which we returned the favor.
I'm assuming Gray joined the Police when she came of age, and then quit to raise her family after only a few years. In that case, just what did she do in that time span to make her so respected by the majority of her generation? I know it's none of my business, but I'm still curious. I'll ask her about it when there's nothing else going on.
Right now, she's giving me an abridged history lesson... or trying to, anyway. I've already had to interrupt a few times to ask for clarification on certain topics I didn't understand. As one example, she'd told me that Manehattan was primarily an 'earth pony' city, and that unicorns and pegasi such as Drama and herself who actually lived within its bounadries were a stark minority. When I asked her what she meant by 'earth pony', she explained that she was talking about those that didn't have wings or horns. This seemed strange to me: given that the city encompassed this entire island plus a few neighborhoods on the mainland, I thought that having wings and magic would have helped them put the city together.
Then Gray told me that earth ponies are renowned for their strength. Like humans and Reploids, their individual strength depends on the pony. It could vary from being slightly stronger than the other two races to hurling large boulders around with minimal effort, with everything that implies. Not only did this make the city's status more palatable, but it reminded me of a minor detail that I'd almost forgotten: how that pony who'd carried me out of the alley hadn't needed to put much effort in. Understanding the basics behind them helps that experience make more sense.
I still could have done without the humiliation of being carted off, though.
Anyway, I'm glad Gray's being patient with me and answering my questions. With as much information as I'm taking in regarding this new society, I suppose it's just a matter of time before I have to stop just to sort through it all. There are so many differences between here and home, it's not even funny. And I'm not just talking about the species, either.
I switch from listening with half an ear to a full ear as Gray continues her latest explanation. "...So Princess Celestia's envoys were able to purchase the island from the inhabitants in exchange for a hoofful of trinkets that she knew the locals valued. Both sides saw it as a steal: Celestia was able to establish the harbor she wanted at the cost of what she viewed as junk, and the griffons reversed their financial losses from the skirmishes pretty quickly--"
"Hold on just a second, Gray," I cut in. "Princess Celestia? Are you talking about the same pony who streamlined the nation's immigration process?"
"One and the same," she confirms.
"And how long ago was the purchase made?"
"About... 390 years ago, give or take a few."
...What. "So you're telling me that your country's ruler is at least four centuries old?"
"Closer to ten, really. And I think that's lowballing it."
...WHAT? "And you're being completely serious about this..."
Gray tilts her head quizzically as she walks. "Yes. Why? Isn't there anypony back where you're from that gets that old?"
My head shakes a few times, and my disbelief breaks through. "No, of course not! Reploids at least have the potential to live a few centuries provided they don't die in battle and keep themselves in good repair. Biological beings don't have that luxury, at least none that are sapient!"
"All I know is that there are no records of Celestia ever dying and being replaced by somepony with the same name. For all these years she's been the exact same pony," Gray answers, not bothered in the slightest by my incredulity. "Manehattan changes. Equestria changes. The world changes. She does not. Not physically, not mentally, not magically. Quite literally nopony else has the sort of power needed to keep the sun and moon moving. I think we'd know if there was another who could."
...
She's moving the...!
"Fairy?"
At the back of my mind, I realize that Gray's gotten a few meters ahead of me. I dutifully ignore that. "Answer me something," I say, struggling with all of my might to stay calm and coherent. "Have your world's astronomers been able to determine the distance between this world and the sun?"
Gray taps her chin, frowning as she tries to recall the information. Either that or she's hiding her bemusement at being asked a strange question. "Ugh, been an age and a half since I learned about this in school... alright, I think I remember. They estimated it to be something like... 92, maybe 93 million miles away?"
...
How? ... Just... how? Yes, I know magic is the obvious answer here, but...! "The sort of power n-needed..." I stammer as my CPU hammers out the calculations. I can't keep my thoughts in order anymore. This is just too much! "The power n-needed to move the sun at that distance, to k-keep it in control...!"
The little pony is both unimpressed and unsympathetic. "You're not going to faint on me again, are you?"
I... I don't believe it. These ponies are able to just... just take this for granted? Wake up every morning, expect to see the sun just rise up out of the blue, guided by who is probably the world's most powerful unicorn? And here I thought Omega and Zero were strong; if Celestia didn't hold back, she could reduce this world to charcoal singlehandedly! "Gray," I state, my voice heavy, "I hope with all my heart that I never meet your ruler in person. I can't begin to imagine what she is like, but she feels to me like the most frightening creature that ever lived."
I expected a furious denial from a loyal citizen of the country.
"WAHAHAHAHA! Fr...frightening...!"
I didn't expect furious laughter. Seriously, Gray's pressed herself against the ground and repeatedly smacking it with a hoof, she's laughing so hard. After about fifteen seconds of this, I look around the street and try to restore a measure of dignity to my situation. "Gray," I call to her, raising my voice to be heard over her enjoyment. "Ponies are staring!"
"S-sor-sor-sorrryyyy," Gray struggles to get out before another round of giggles escapes her. "You just... you just got me with that one. I don't... hee-hee-hee-hee~!... I don't think somepony who takes... takes time out of her busy schedule to cook pancakes for foals once a month could ever be frightening!" She continues grinning as she tries to catch her breath, standing up straight. "Whoo, haven't laughed that hard since the lacrosse incident..."
I think my suspension of disbelief is screaming in agony. ...Okay, the on-lookers aren't looking on anymore. I can keep going now. "Pan...cakes?"
"Yeah. Pancakes. You know, those little flat things made of flour, milk, eggs, and love? They don't have those where you're from?" Beat. "...Wait, did I say love? I meant maple syrup. Excuse me. I sometimes get the two confused."
I try to imagine Copy X making what she's talking about, using a situation where he needed to maintain good public relations. I give up quickly, and not just because I've never set foot in a kitchen in my life. "She... she seriously does that?"
"Yes."
"And she... she has that much power?"
"Uh-huh. Though obviously she'd never fight at her full potential even when pushed. She cares about her subjects too much to do that."
"And she's lived that long?"
"Yeppity-yep with a whole lot of yep."
That clinches it. I don't care what happens. Tonight, I'm going to sit on the roof of the theater and devote every precious pound of processing power I possess (ooh, nice alliteration) to scan this feat for myself. If Celestia really does manipulate the sun and moon, there should be some outward sign of it beyond them just moving around freely. Short of seeing the Princess herself, there's no way I'm going to be convinced of this unless I can ascertain visible proof. Preferably with a method that doesn't involve me damaging my optics beyond anything my auto-repair can handle.
Gray's nudging my leg with a hoof. "Leviathan."
"...Yes, Gray?"
"Say it. I know you're thinking it."
And so I do. Flabbergasted and at a complete loss for anything else to say, I restate what I told the crowd at the nightclub just this past night. "...Everypony in this city is crazy."
"See? I knew you could do it." Gray turns and continues down the street, chortling. "Welcome to Equestria. Enjoy your stay."
With no other alternative but to slam my face into a lightpost, I summon all the dignity I possess and continue walking after her instead. Hopefully those few ponies I can hear sniggering nearby will stop once I leave.
It's been a block or so since that conversation. I never switched off my scanners after we purchased those Heartbreakers yesterday, so when we approached another grocery store on the way to the fashion district, they alerted me that there was a potential Energen substitute within the store. I informed Gray, and she shrugged and said that if I wanted to buy something there to feel free.
Which leads me to my current problem: if I walk into that store with the Police's bag in tow, they're likely to mistake me for a thief. And if I just leave it outside, that's just begging somepony to steal it.
No real choice here, I guess. I reach into the bag and withdraw a handful of bits. "Gray, stand guard," I say as I draw the bag closed and set it down next to the store's entrance. "I don't want anypony taking this."
Gray tilts her head. "Is that an order, or a suggestion?"
"Both," I say. "I'm suggesting an order."
"Nicely done," she answers with a smile, giving me a textbook salute and assuming a guard position next to the bag. "Aye-aye, ma'am."
I return her smile before setting foot in the store on my own, wondering all the while how she got her hoof to bend like that. After fighting those thieves last night it wasn't the first time I'd seen it happen, but it was still a mite strange.
...
Another pony flees the store in terror, but by and large they are all cooperative and opt not to raise a fuss. Guided by my scanners, I make a beeline for what is once again the candy and snacks aisle.
Lo and behold, the scanners were pointing me at Heartbreakers again. Two bags with the exact same design as the first one I'd purchased were sitting by their lonesome, surrounded by shelves of other candies that were both full and not giving me the same readings. I take them in my free hand, squinting at them as my optics zoomed in. There's actually a tiny bit of dust on the packaging that wouldn't be present if anypony had been rifling through them, telling me that they're not very popular. Makes sense, considering Gray's complaints from yesterday.
The clerk at the check-out is an odd case. Gray had made mention of griffons earlier, and I was under the impression that they were strictly a foreign species. But here's one anyway, working the register like he'd been doing it all his life. And more to the point, his beak has teeth in it. "Whoa," he utters on seeing me approach, eyeing my battle damage. "That's hardcore."
It's not the typical response to meeting a Reploid that I've experienced so far. It's honestly a bit refreshing. "Not as hardcore as seeing an eagle and a lion combined together," I say to him good-naturedly. "If you think this looks bad, you should see the other guy."
"I can't even imagine. First time seeing a griffon?" the clerk says as he rings up my purchase. "Name's Gilbert. I'm here because I'm trying to earn enough bits to send back to Griffonstone. Speaking of, you owe ten."
That's the first 'normal' name I've heard since I got here. I don't even bother counting off what I owe, instead just handing over all the money I'm currently carrying. "Ten bits. Keep the rest."
His eyes skip 'widening' and skip straight to 'bulging'. "Whoa-ho-ho, chillax there, lady! Calm down! Who in the world just gives this much away?" he asks, incredulous as he transfers the money to the register. "That's at least fifteen extra!"
"I didn't know how much these cost going in, and I just got done turning some thieves over to the Police," I tell him, waving off his shock. "I can afford it."
Gilbert skims over my damage with new appreciation, whistling. "Bounty hunter. That will do it. Well, don't let me keep you. Need a bag to carry those in? Or a receipt?"
"No to both. Thanks."
"No prob. So what are you? Never seen you here before."
"If you're willing to wait for the newspaper tomorrow, you'll probably get the whole story then," I tell Gilbert as I walk away. "Believe me. It's a good one."
"Not doubting that!" he calls, returning to his work as another customer approaches.
Well, he seemed nice enough. Without any strings attached, even. I'm not going to make any complaints; I'm just going to take this candy and leave before something ruins my good mood.
...
Oh, for... I forgot to ask him what 'chillax' meant. Sigh... well, too late now. I'll ask somepony about it later.
...
Given how much of an oddity Gray is, I can't bring myself to be surprised at what's happening right now.
At some point while I was in the store, she decided to take a nap while she was waiting. That's not the strange part. What is strange is that she's using my money bag as a pillow, resting her chin on top of it and hugging it close to her. There are a few ponies that are giving her odd looks instead of me. In fact, I can hear them talking:
"Is there something wrong with her, mom? Why is she cuddling with a Police bag? Is she a thief?"
"No, dear. She's just tired. But why is she sleeping on the street like this?"
"I've seen her before. She's the weird one. You know... the 'weird' one."
"Ohhhh. She's homeless. If I gave her a few bits, could she get a daisy sandwich so she won't go hungry?"
Yes, it's best if I nip this one in the bud. I stoop down and nudge Gray's shoulder. "Hey. Gray. I've bought what I needed, and you're attracting attention again. Time to go."
"Mmf... little lower, Ocean," Gray murmurs, holding on tighter to the money bag. "Back hurts, and you're the cure..."
I'm getting the feeling that I'm treading on very thin ice here. ...So, I nudge her again. "Gray, wake up," I say a little louder. "You're embarrassing us both, and this isn't funny. Do you still want to take me coat shopping, or do you just want to go home?"
Instead of giving me a straight answer, she's sleep-humming. "Go home along with me, the best is yet to be..."
"Ship!" an adolescent pony cat-calls somewhere nearby.
"Alright, that's one transportation cost I am not going to pay," I declare, frowning at what was either a sincere request that the two of us get together romantically, or just mockery for the sake of mockery. I silently curse at whoever it was in the distant past that first coined the term that the teenager used. Gray's nowhere even close to the type of individual I'd consider myself being with, she's already married, and given my aptitude for combat I'd just as soon be a Reploid without peer anyway.
Pier...?
Not. The time. For puns.
I wrack my mind for ideas as to how to wake up my guide. The one I decide on is one that most would probably consider immature, but would still be considered payback for the scare I got at the station. I press one of my fingers against Gray's muzzle. This causes her face to scrunch up at the contact, and she finally returns to reality. "Huh?... Wha?.. Oh. I'm awake, I'm awake," she murmurs semi-groggily, her eyes opening.
"I asked you to guard my reward money, not sleep on it." A half-smirk as I pull the money bag out from under her, place my purchase within it, and hoist it back on my shoulder. I didn't expect her face to make that shape. Cute. "Were you under my command, you'd be scrubbing the repair bays from top to bottom."
"But I like to sleep," Gray whines childishly, sticking her tongue out me. In a more normal tone, she continues: "Seriously, I do. I don't know why I do, but I do."
"Not my first choice for a hobby, but who am I to judge?" I gesture at those around us. "Break it up, ponies. Nothing more to see here."
...
It took a few tries to get them to clear away given my current state and their disinclination to listen, but with a bit of help from Gray we were finally able to get on our way without them following us. As we walk, I tear open one of my packages one-handed with the intent of seeing if I could bump my reserve tank up to 100%, or at least close to it.
Taking my time with one of the candies I close my eyes, shivering as my systems process the incoming energy. Something else to wonder about: is this going to be a regular thing each time I eat a Heartbreaker, or are my systems going to fully adapt to it at some point? It feels like I'm undergoing convulsions. I'll take it if it means keeping myself fed, but this is going to get real old, real fast--
Something presses against my nose. My eyes open, crossing as they see the dark-toned hoof leading back to my hovering guide. Off-handedly I notice that Gray's hoof is a slightly different color than the rest of her, but I set that aside for now. "...I was trying to wake you up without using force," I say, rubbing my nose with the back of my hand. "What's your excuse?"
"Don't have one," Gray answers, landing beside me and resuming her walk. "I just wanted to see if your face would do the same thing as mine."
"Hn," I grunt disinterestedly, refusing to pursue that train of thought. I've made myself look foolish enough times today, so instead I continue working my way through the Heartbreakers. At least this way, I'm getting something accomplished.
Three minutes pass.
Four.
"Did it?"
"Sure did. I wish I had my camera. I didn't think metal was that flexible."
I don't need my HUD to tell me about the coolant building up in my face. Whose bright idea was it to give Reploids the ability to blush? And are there any mask sellers out there that would make me look like a genuine mannequin? These are questions that we all must ask ourselves everyday.
Or at least I must. Everyone's embarrassment is tailor-made for them, after all. Just how close are we to the fashion district, anyway?