//------------------------------// // Business Deals // Story: When A Scientist Becomes A Pony // by SamParks10 //------------------------------// I noticed that the pink haired yellow pony with gentle blue eyes was still distracted and had yet to notice me. I knocked on the fence outside her cottage loudly with my hoof to get her attention. She really needs to get a doorbell. "Eep!" She flew backwards startled and Grizzly stood in front of her protectively, growling at me. "Hello there neighbour!" I pushed the bear aside and greeted her confidently. It would be troublesome to explain how I wasn't from around here so I just pretended to be another townsfolk dropping by to say hello. I doubt she knew anypony considering how far away her cottage was from the rest of the houses. "Um....hi?" She spoke in such a soft voice, it was barely audible. She seemed reserved and shy or was it cautious? I assume she must be wary because of how dangerous the town/village was. Why else would she live in seclusion, far away from others ponies with just her pets to accompany her? She must have trained the bear as a guard to ensure her safety. This leads me to conclude that this place is dangerous and the townsfolk don't trust each other easily. I smiled warmly to show her I wasn't a threat as I gently pressed the bear's squishy paws with my hooves. "A lovely cottage you have here miss...." "Fluttershy..." She said shyly feeling more at ease as she watched me play with the bear's paws. "And um you are?" "Oh I am Doctor....." I realized that they had two letter names here as per their interests, which meant I couldn't use my real name. "Vector." Apple Acres was perhaps the name of the pony who owned the Apple Corporation and seeing how this one had a butterfly tattoo on her flank, Flutter Shy must be a lepidopterologist. "Doctor Vector.....um you aren't scared of bears?" She asked hesitantly after a moment of silence. "Oh not at all! I have a pet myself too so I am quite used to handling animals!" "You do?!" She asked suddenly excited as her eyes brightened up in curiosity and excitement. "Yep Fluffy is right....there?" I blinked as I couldn't see the manticore nearby. I could hear sounds of ponies screaming in the distance but it was probably unrelated. "Fluffy....Is it a cat? Oh! Or a rabbit? I have a rabbit called Angel too! Isn't she adorable?!" She said holding up a bunny whose expression made it look like it was judging me for all my poor life choices. Fluttershy seemed very excited and animated when talking about animals just like how I get when I explain quantum physics to someone. She must have a job looking after animals seeing how the place was filled with birds and critters of all kinds. I teleported Fluffy back to me who proudly offered me the apples he stole. "What did I tell you about stealing apples? The Apple Acres Corporation would blacklist me at this rate." I pulled him aside so Fluttershy wouldn't find out about the apple theft. I promptly disposed of the evidence by eating it. "Sorry about that. Fluffy is a bit too much to handle sometimes", I said turning back to her and dragging Fluffy along with me in a magical grasp. She just froze and stood there gaping at us in surprise. ".....Is that a manticore? It's huge!" "Yep! Fluffy might seem a bit on the heavy side but he is a good boy!" I said proudly as I nudged him to go play with the other animals as I spoke with her. "Oh my goodness.....They're usually so fierce! How did you tame him?" She asked excited as she hovered around Fluffy curiously. "Well he is a bit clumsy sometimes. Ended up following me around after I helped him once when he was hurt." I explained as I glanced at Fluffy who was now licking the bear's face. Grizzly just stared at him in disbelief and sighed despondently for some reason. "That's incredibly kind of you. You must be really good with animals!" She said smiling warmly as she noticed Grizzly holding Fluffy in what appeared to be a bear hug. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't out of kindness. I only untangled Fluffy from the wires so it wouldn't mess up my experiment. I also refrained from mentioning that the only reason the bear is holding Fluffy so tightly is to stop him from eating the rabbit. "Well, I have some experience with animals. I could help out sometimes if you are looking for a pet sitter!" I offered remembering how I still needed bits. "Sure, I will let you know if I need help." She smiled softly. Fluffy got bored of trying to eat the rabbit and approached us curiously while excitedly swaying it's scorpion like tail and flapping it's wings. "Oh! I almost forgot to ask! Do you know any nearby locations where I can sell items for bits?" I asked hopeful to find a buyer interested in my gems. "The Ponyville market?" I tried not to laugh at the ridiculous name as I bobbed my muzzle up and down. "Indeed! That's the one!" "Well....um you will have to head straight down that road, turn right then keep going forward till you see Rarity's boutique and then...." She began giving me directions. "Wait! Did you say boutique? A place that sells clothing?" I asked curious of how pony clothing would look like. "Yes, Rarity is a really good friend of mine. She's really good at it! You get one free item if you are a first time customer." I grinned. Nothing like getting things for free using connections. "Thanks Fluttershy! I will bring over Fluffy to play some other time seeing how he gets along well with the bear!" I tilted my head sideways indicating Fluffy to follow. Grizzly's eyes twitched in annoyance because of how Fluffy constantly kept prodding it with his paws. It sighed in relief at the prospect of the manticore leaving him in peace. Fluffy followed me closely after licking fluttershy's face in goodbye. "Bad boy! No licking ponies!" I lightly smacked it with my hoof. She didn't seem to mind and petted the manticore with her hoof gently who promptly began fluttering his wings, happy at the attention. I waved my goodbye to Fluttershy and thanked her again for her help before I left. I climbed on top of Fluffy to gain a better vantage point. The elevated view proved advantageous, since my interruption mid conversation had prevented me from receiving complete directions from Fluttershy as to the market's location. I felt a bit self conscious as everypony stared at me with wide eyes and horrified expressions. I felt embarrassed as I realized perhaps riding another animal as a pony was strange and unusual after all. I sighed. "Fluffy, you can go roam on your own for now. I will teleport you back to me when I am done with business here." Fluffy gently lowered itself so I could climb down and licked me goodbye before rushing towards who knows where. I hoped he went to see Grizzly instead of trying to steal more apples. I noticed a well decorated house that I supposed was the boutique. There were several pastel colored ponies trotting away happily from there, each wearing clothes or accessories that seemed to suit them. I hesitantly peeked inside. "Pardon me? Is this Rarity's boutique? Fluttershy mentioned the location should be around here." I asked the white coated unicorn with elegantly styled purple mane and diamonds tattooed on her flank. Her sharp blue eyes flickered with recognition as I mentioned Fluttershy. "Why, yes darling! You've come to the right place!" she said, her tone warm and welcoming as she beckoned me inside. "Anything in particular you might be looking for dear?" she asked as she began expertly measuring me, her magic making swift marks on the pony-shaped mannequin behind her. "Perhaps something not too expensive, I am a bit short on bits..." I said a bit embarrassed. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I was practically broke and was here just to get something for free. "Don't fret, dear! For our first-time customers, it's absolutely complimentary!" She waved her hoof dismissing my monetary concerns as she used her magic to swift through various suits that seemed to suit me well. "That's awfully generous of you! Really appreciate it!" I smiled softly while I cackled like an evil villain internally over my success at being able to get something for free. She smiled back at me. Using her magic, an array of suits floated before me, each one more vibrant and flamboyant than the last. I grimaced at how gaudy and colorful some of them were. "Hmm...those are lovely but I prefer something that wouldn't draw any attention to myself." I explained, wanting something simple and plain so I don't have to feel too guilty for taking free clothing made out of expensive materials. Rarity's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Fear not, my dear! I have just the design in mind that will suit your tastes perfectly. It will be exquisite yet subtle, I assure you," she said, seeming confident in her skills. "You don't mind waiting right?" Her eyes beamed in excitement as she began to work on it. "Not at all! Take your time, I understand perfection takes time." I replied appreciating the dedication she showed to her craft, remembering how much time some of my best experiments took. She seemed pleased as she began working with fervour, overcome by a sudden flash of inspiration. I looked around as Rarity immersed herself in her work, her hooves and magic moving with practiced precision. I frowned as I saw heaps of decorative gems lying around carelessly in baskets, some of them falling over. Seeing how a simple clothes shop was able to procure a large amount of gems made me realize that gems aren't much valuable around here. This unfortunately meant that the gems I had with me weren't worth much in value. I wonder if working as a pet keeper assistant for Fluttershy would yield better income. I needed money to buy materials for my experiments after all. Rarity beamed with pride, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction as she showed me the result of her work. I donned the suit and put on the matching mask that came along with it as a pair. "Why you look positively dashing in that!" She complimented, as she brought a mirror for me. The fabric, in subtle shades of deep forest green, was meticulously chosen to match the striking emerald hue of my eyes. Delicate silver embroidery adorned the suit, that seemed to shimmer in the light. The mask, crafted with intricate lacework, featured emerald gemstones delicately woven into the design, enhancing the intensity of my gaze and making my eyes stand out even more against the muted tones of my greyish white coat. I marveled at how it perfectly complimented me. Her attention to detail was impeccable. "I love it!" I beamed, pleased with this marvellous creation. Rarity smiled, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "It was my pleasure, dear. I'm delighted you liked it. Do come back if you ever need anything else!" I was surprised to notice that it was already night time outside. However, I realized that I was lost when I found myself in a quiet dark alley. "Hmm...this doesn't seem right." I wondered if I should go to the market tommorow instead, after asking Fluttershy for a proper map. I felt a hoof tap me from behind and was startled to see a unicorn wearing a dark cloak and a mask. "Psst...You here to buy or sell?" They whispered to me after cautiously looking around us. "To sell?" I had a feeling this wasn't the usual market seeing how suspicious this pony seemed. I was just about to explain how it was a misunderstanding and how I wasn't here to either buy or sell drugs when they quickly dragged me along with them. "This way...I know a shortcut." I had a bad feeling about this but my curiosity won over caution and I let them guide me deeper into the dimly lit alleyway. They swiftly stopped outside a barely concealed door hidden within the depths of the alley and knocked thrice, paused and knocked thrice again. "Password?" A bored sounding voice asked from inside and the hooded unicorn turned towards me as they waited. While still curious, I began to feel a touch of apprehension at this. "Uhh....dunno?" I said sounding nervous. "A donut. Correct password. You may enter." The door opened and a muscular pony without any wings or horns that also wore a mask escorted us inside. "Welcome to the Nightmare's Underground Black Market." He said listlessly. Seriously.... They have gotta be pulling my leg. Can't believe that worked. Oh well. I suppose I could make up a story about how valuable these gems are and auction them off for a higher price then they are worth to some rich, naive pony who was clueless about how much gems are really worth.