//------------------------------// // Arrival in Ponyville Pt. 2 // Story: Infinite Ponygram // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------// A short trek away from the library, the cobblestone path gave way to dirt, but the path was still well-maintained as trees popped up and Twilight entered what was marked on Pinkie’s map as “White-Tail Woods.” The sun was dipping towards the western horizon at this point, but, in between battles on the way to Ponyville, Twilight had also tinkered with light spells so the issue of evening travel did not worry her too much. Given Pinkie’s disposition, it did not seem like she would send Twilight someplace dangerous either. Though, that did leave her to question why Pinkie had warned her of a bunny. Even Spike, in his old age, seemed more of a threat than a bunny. She was left to ponder these things while making her way along the path. It did not split or twist in any confusing manner, so she just kept an even pace. The map had also not shown any subtle divergences or wrong ways Twilight could go. There was some rustling in the branches though, so Twilight put the map away, since, while the path was clear, what was in the trees and shadows was not. The trees thinned. The woods did not end but rather opened to a glade. A cottage rose up out of a grassy knoll. At first, Twilight thought it was another building made out of a tree given its verdant roof, but a closer look showed the walls were stucco or a similar material. Dozens of bird houses dotted the cottage and stuck up near it. There were also dens of various sizes and shapes all around too. While Pinkie’s place of work reminded Twilight of Hansel and Gretel, this conjured memories of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. There may have even been an actual beauty to go along with the picturesque setting. Not far from the cottage stood a figure in a white and yellow robe. It hid her full frame but the robe’s contours gave enough away to tell that while dainty, there was a woman under the robes. A lock of pink hair poked out of the robe’s hood, smooth and straight in contrast to Pinkie’s frizzy near-afro. The woman was tending to what looked like a sheep of some kind. Twilight took a step towards her, but heard something splash closer by. A chill seized her body as she felt eyes boring into her. Looking towards the source of the bloodlust, she saw a white bunny standing near a mud puddle. A second later, the ground under it cratered and the bunny vanished. Next, something slammed into Twilight’s back with enough force that it knocked her off the ground and sent her flying into the mud. Crap! But I have the map! she thought. Mud covered her face and she swiped with one hand to clear it away from her mouth so she could breathe while her other hand frantically moved to her storage. Something smashed the hand going for her storage and she heard bones snap. But, since she had the pain function turned off, she was able to force her broken hand into her storage and pulled out the map just as she felt the air shifting above her head. The air returned to normal and the meadow grew quiet after Twilight pulled out the map. Then, came a shriek. “Oh, my goodness!” Even in alarm, the voice was soft, only a little above a whisper. “Angel, you need to be gentler!” A great gust of air blasted Twilight from the front, flinging off most of the mud. Twilight blinked with her eyes now cleared. The woman was kneeling down before her and holding Twilight’s broken arm. Adrenaline combined with a lack of pain had allowed Twilight to push it to move earlier, but her limb now hung limp in the woman’s grasp. “I am so, so sorry! Just hold still a moment.” Up close, Twilight could see this woman was indeed a beauty. Her skin had a soft nearly creamy complexion that was incredibly fair. It had appeared that the woman tended to animals, but her skin tone suggested she did not go out much. Then again, how much the sun and melanin affected tanning in Dendro was up for debate. The woman’s eyes were also closed yet the way she had her attention focused on Twilight’s arm gave the impression she was still looking at it. Twilight pondered if she was blind, but that line of questioning ceased when the woman bent her head low and sank her teeth into Twilight’s arm. Twilight screamed even if it did not hurt, but the woman held her firm with both her arms and her teeth. Despite how frail the woman had appeared, she had enough strength to prevent Twilight from getting up and fleeing. Just as Twilight felt faint, the woman unclenched her jaw and released Twilight. Twilight jumped back, but slipped on the muddy surface and fell. She braced herself with both hands out of instinct, cushioning the fall. Scrambling to her feet to try and run, she realized she had pushed off the ground with both arms. Her curiosity taking over, she raised the arm that should have been smashed to bits. It was not bent at any odd angle and all her fingers curled without issue. The only damage that remained was a set of puncture wounds, already scabbed over. “I… I’m really sorry. I c-couldn’t tell if you were a tian or not s-so…” The woman approached but kept some distance. “It’s my fault too,” Twilight sighed. Looking around she spotted the map, now dirtied and crumpled nearby. She stooped down and picked it up. “I’m still new so I didn’t realize items’ effects don’t work if they’re in storage.” The woman then sniffed the air. “Oh, I see, you’re a new friend of Pinkie’s. She is always making new friends…” There was a pause. “Riiiigggghhhhttttt.” Twilight pulled the cooler out of her storage. “Pinkie asked me to deliver this. You are Fluttershy, right?” “O-oh yes.” Fluttershy shuffled over and took possession of the cooler. “Th-thank you very much. I was getting low on my supplies.” “Well then, I should get go—” “Wait! Um, please?” Fluttershy looked down and was silent for a moment. “I… I still feel really bad about your arm… and your clothes.” “Would it surprise you that you’re not the first person to break my arm today?” Twilight looked down and saw that while most of the mud had been blasted off by something Fluttershy had done, her shirt and pants were still stained beyond repair. “I don’t really mind the clothes that much. I mean, won’t they just reset after I log out?” “I-I think? Oh dear, it’s been a while…” Fluttershy bit her lip, displaying canines bigger than what was normal. “I mean, I could definitely make this up to you some other way. Oh, but I don’t even know your name. And I don’t even know what else I could do. And, and…” Seeing Fluttershy start to hyperventilate, Twilight grabbed her by the shoulder. “It’s okay. So, why don’t we go do something about my clothes? I’m Twilight Sparkle, by the way.” “N-nice to meet you. I… I’m Fluttershy. Oh, but you already knew that.” “A logical guess.” “Well, um, for your clothes, I’ll take you to someone who can fix them up even better than before. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the cost.” “Thanks, that’s very kind of yo—” Twilight paused when Fluttershy got on one knee. “Uh, what are you doing?” “Oh…” Fluttershy blushed. “If you, um, don’t mind, could you please get on my back? I’ll carry you over since it’s getting late and I’m worried she won’t be there.” “What about your clothes?” For all the concern Fluttershy showed to Twilight, Twilight felt it would be ill-mannered to sully such a nice robe. Even with her eyes closed, it was apparent that Fluttershy had somehow glanced at her robe. “D-don’t worry. Th-this may sound rude, but you could never stain this even if y-you tried.” Unsure what to make of Fluttershy’s comment, Twilight added it to her ever-growing list of things that did not make sense in Dendro and required further investigation. At the same time, she moved behind Fluttershy. “If you say so.” “O-okay. Please… hold on tight.” Fluttershy wrapped her arms around Twilight’s legs with the same strength she had shown earlier. Twilight, cautious of what Fluttershy could do and well aware that as a newbie even accidents could seriously injure her, obeyed Fluttershy’s request. “Angel, come on.” The white bunny from earlier had been standing aside this entire time, one foot beating against the grass. With a hop, it flew into the air and dived into the crest on Fluttershy’s right hand: a trio made up of two butterflies and a bat in a circular pattern. The world became a smear of colors. The wind whipped at Twilight. Its roar deafened everything else. Twilight’s strong hold advanced into a death grip. Even with Twilight’s arms wrapped tight enough around Fluttershy’s neck to choke a normal person, Fluttershy did not stop. This was an experience with speed Twilight was familiar with, having done a few summer “space” camps. That Dendro had decided to reinstate air pressure and friction after a long cart ride where neither had seemed to apply like normal was not welcome. It took all of Twilight’s will to continue holding on even with Fluttershy keeping her steady. Twilight had seen pictures of what happened to motorcyclists without a helmet and vividly imagined a similar fate for herself were she to fall. This maddening blitz through the woods only lasted a few minutes, but Twilight’s nerves were frayed when Fluttershy came to a stop. Fluttershy released her grip on Twilight’s legs, but still held onto Twilight, sliding her arms up while she rose. Only when Twilight managed to stand, albeit on wobbling legs, did Fluttershy fully let go. “P-please wait a moment.” As Fluttershy turned away, Twilight saw that, indeed, Fluttershy’s robe was still pristine. In a blink, Fluttershy was by a nearby door. It almost looked like she teleported to Twilight. Twilight recognized the door, or rather, the carousel-styled building it belonged to. Fluttershy knocked a few times. Having managed to collect her wits, Twilight wondered if Fluttershy’s knocks were loud enough to be heard. “Come in!” sang a melodious voice from within. Fluttershy beckoned Twilight and gripped the door’s handle. She opened it just a smidgeon and whispered inside. “Um, Rarity? I-it’s Fluttershy and I—” “Oh, Fluttershy, dear!” Something raced toward the door and flung it open. “So happy to see you and your wonderful robe! Whatever can I do for you?” Fluttershy flinched back from the woman who had appeared at the doorway. Twilight took a step back too. While Fluttershy had the appeal of a delicate flower or an ice sculpture, this woman was statuesque. Her outfit was bedazzled with fine jewels and the silky dress they were attached to accentuated her curves. Her skin was even more fair than Fluttershy’s. It actually appeared to glisten. At first, Twilight thought it might just be the light are her recovering from shock, but as Twilight began to fully comprehend the situation she realized the woman’s skin was not skin. It was fine white scales. Now Twilight understood why she stepped back on instinct. Virtually all humans do at the sight of the elongated limbless form covered in scales, especially one far bigger than even the mightiest of boa constrictors. Even if that was just the lower half of the woman’s body, a snake was still a snake. Fluttershy managed to stammer out, “C-couldyouactuallypleasehelpTwilight!I’mreallysorryImesseduphercloths!” “Easy, darling.” The lamia gave Fluttershy a pat on the shoulder and then slithered over to Twilight. Her lower body encircled Twilight but her upper body remained in front of Twilight. “Good evening, my dear. I’m going to guess you had a bit of a dreadful encounter with Angel? You’d hardly be the first. Ah, where are my manners?” The lamia offered out a hand and Twilight took it. Despite being a monster of legend, the lamia’s handshake was delicate and her hand smooth. It was easily the gentlest greeting Twilight had received so far. “Rarity Belle, a pleasure.” “Twilight Sparkle, the same.” “Now that introductions are in order, let’s get you cleaned out and out of those blasé starter clothes. I really must speak with the devs someday about offering more fashionable options.” Rarity then busied both Twilight and Fluttershy into the carousel-building’s interior. Inside were racks upon racks of clothes of all shapes and sizes. There was a sewing machine, spools of cloth, half-open drawers with thimbles, bobbins, needles, and gems. One section of the floor was taken up with mirrors gathered around a raised platform. Mannequins in various poses littered what remaining free space there was. As Rarity closed the door, she used the tip of her tail to flip around a sign that was visible through a window atop the doorframe from “open” to “closed” and then locked the door. “There we are. That should give us enough heads up so we don’t have anyone walking in while you’re changing. I was about to close up anyway, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Need to get rested before the Celebration. Now, let’s get those dirty things off.” Twilight complied. Seeing all the material around the shop, and the fine finished products, she could tell Rarity was a professional and she had taken steps to ensure her privacy. Fluttershy had already stepped way beyond Twilight’s personal boundaries, so she did not think much of stripping. That and her mind was reaching its limits with all the unbelievable things she had experienced. While Rarity would glance at her every now and then, Twilight could not help but feel like there was another pair of eyes on her as well. “I do hope we’re not intruding,” Fluttershy muttered, taking extra care to face away from Twilight. “Anything for a friend.” Rarity slithered into another room and returned with a tray holding three cups and a fine china teapot. A blanket was draped over her shoulder. By this point, Twilight was down to her skivvies, so Rarity handed her the blanket and then led her and Fluttershy over to a table. “Are we not getting clothes?” Twilight asked. “I thought you should warm up first.” Rarity coiled her body up and made herself a seat while using her tail to pull out Twilight and Fluttershy’s chairs. “Plus, I’d like to learn a little about you, dear. Then I can make a design for you that will truly shine!” ~~~ Twilight drank the last of her tea. It was a fine blend that Rarity said came all the way from Huang He. With the way Rarity described that land, Twilight determined the tea was the equivalent of high-grade oolong from China. “Hmm an accidental mage, but it sounds like you’re already on your way to proficiency,” Rarity mused. “And what an adventurous first day. I believe I’m with Pinkie Pie when I say I’m quite interested to see what Embryo you’ll have. It is quite odd yours hasn’t hatched yet though.” “Do you think it has anything to do with that conversation I had while passed out?” Twilight recalled whatever she was talking to had mentioned interruptions to some processes. “Hard to say. Faint is such a rare debuff and it usually doesn’t last long enough for a Master to even recognize they’ve fainted.” That made sense to Twilight. From what she had gathered, faint only occurred when someone suffered something akin to a severe concussion bordering on a traumatic brain injury, so they usually were in the heat of battle. The death penalty was generally imminent to the fainted. She had shared this and all her other experiences of the day with Rarity, save for those related to Professor Dominguez. She had explained an advisor at school had given Dendro to her but had kept other details vague. It was a bit too much personal info to hand out to near-strangers online and Fluttershy and Rarity respected that. “Hmm, hmm, hmm.” Rarity nodded a few times. “Yes, I think I’ve got a good idea. Oh, and let me fix up your hair as well while we’re at it.” Indeed, when Twilight was getting out of her muddied clothes, she had spotted herself in a mirror. Through a combination of the mud and Fluttershy’s dash over to Rarity, her hair had become a gnarled mess sticking out in every direction. Twilight had stated it was not a big deal given she was going to log out as soon as Rarity finished taking her measurements and lent her some spare clothes (logging off as she was now would put her in the center of town in her underwear when she logged back in. Rarity had made very clear this had happened on several such occasions) but Rarity would not stand for it. So, Twilight had complied. A little while later, Twilight was truly reaching the end of her rope. Rarity had tried out several different hairstyles and they had settled with one that left Twilight’s hair flowing down with bangs in the front. Her hair even seemed to have a new luster to it. Then came the measurements. No inch of her body was spared. Twilight firmly applied the label of perfectionist to Rarity. An additional stressor early on was the ongoing feeling someone else was watching her. There was a second floor in the Boutique and every now and then Twilight glimpsed green lights up there. “Oh, don’t mind Sweetie,” said Rarity. “Luckily, she’s spent her reserves for the day and is in charging mode. I’ll introduce you properly some other time… and hope she doesn’t overload.” When it was finally over, Twilight, after having put on the spare clothes, asked Fluttershy, “Are you really okay with covering all of this? It seems like it might be a little much.” Even if I don’t have the cash to make it up right now. “‘Cover?’” Rarity looked up from her notepad where she had jotted down everything on Twilight. She frowned at Fluttershy. “Now, Fluttershy, my dear, you didn’t think I’d actually charge you or Twilight just for proper beginning attire?” “I, um, well…” “Don’t you two worry about a thing. My beginner’s special is always on the house. It would be practically criminal to keep a new Master in those starting rags. And, as much as I dislike what the devs start you with, it gives me quite an in and free publicity.” “Thank you very much,” said Twilight. “I can understand the business side of things, but it’s still very generous of you.” “Oh-ho-ho, you flatter me.” Rarity slid close to Twilight and produced a card. “That said, when the time comes for you to step into the world of true fashion, my payment system is a bit more unique than others.” Looking down at the card, Twilight read it: Carousel Boutique, a fine clothing establishment. Tian dealings: standard fares. Masters only dealings: 75% Lir, remaining 25% payable in… The rest of the card contained not fantasy terms but real-world e-commerce terms. “I’m surprised there’s a cash shop here given everything else.” Memories of her brother raging at someone paying for items before doing the same flitted through Twilight’s head.  “Well, not what you’d normally think of.” As Rarity explained, cash shops were allowed provided they adhered to strict guidelines. This was because cash shops were something only Masters could run and only Masters could buy at. Yet, the resources to run a shop still came from within Infinite Dendrogram. Unregulated cash shops would be an economic calamity. Rarity had no complaints though and only aspired for more ways to display her work and increase her clientele. She had even let slip the Superior Job she was aiming for: King of Fashion. Though it seemed the fashion world was stricter than the party one as this Superior Job too required an audience with royals, this time to fashion clothing for a coronation ceremony or something equivalent to it. That was far rarer than a mere social event and there were several other requirements Rarity had to meet. For now, she managed with the high-class job of Fashionista. These were all things Twilight had to consider for later though. For now, she was spent. Rarity’s generosity had extended to offering a room for the night, but with everything else she had encountered Twilight longed for her own bed. She still had to take Spike out one last time as well. After calculating out the rough time her clothes would be ready with enough wiggle room to log in, grab them, and then head to the Celebration, Twilight had said her goodbyes for the night. ~~~ Tiara removed her headset and breathed deeply. The smell of her room flooded her nose as if she’d been away for a while. Yet, a look at the clock showed that while it was late, it was indeed only a third of the time she had spent in the game. Spike was curled up outside her door. She stroked his fur to wake him up and then took him out. With her last task of the day done, she crashed onto her bed. Even all-nighters usually did not take that much out of her. She had met an alien, become a mage, been trampled by a centaur, held a mysterious conversation while unconscious, used magic, encountered a bird-girl, had a second mysterious conversation with at most likely an apparition, nearly been killed by a bunny and healed by its owner biting her, and capped things off with tea and getting clothes from a lamia. Tiara held up her hand and, with heavy eyes, looked at the back of her palm. “What will you be?” The conversation with the voice came back to her. “I don’t think I’ll be lonely. Everything there is too crazy.” With that, she drifted off to sleep. She had been too tired to notice that a few hours earlier she may have said “that game is too crazy” but, wiped from the day, she had used “there” instead.