//------------------------------// // Erin in Ponyville, part 2: Lunch with friends // Story: Sunflower - Side Projects // by Hoopy McGee //------------------------------// Erin was in the process of demonstrating Sudoku to a fascinated Twilight when they were interrupted by an almost timid-sounding knock from the front door “That would be Fluttershy,” Twilight said, smiling. “We can get more into that later. But it looks like an interesting puzzle!” Erin looked around as Twilight trotted off and opened the door to reveal a somewhat flustered looking Fluttershy standing in the snow. She was wearing a light green stocking cap, a pink and white striped scarf, and a pony version of a poncho in a dark pine green color. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Twilight,” the pegasus said, coming in and wiping her hooves clear of snow on the thick mat by the front door. “This snow slowed me down more than I expected. I really hope you haven’t been waiting for me too—” Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she saw Erin and she trailed off with a squeak. “Um. Hi, Fluttershy,” Erin said, standing slowly so as to not alarm her friend. “It’s me, Erin.” Fluttershy stared for a few seconds. “It’s really you?” she asked, coming into the room slowly. “I saw your picture before, but you look so... so different.” “I suppose I do,” Erin said, smiling. She knelt down and held her arms out. Fluttershy, after only a brief moment of hesitation, walked into her embrace. The two friends hugged for a moment. “It’s good to see you, Fluttershy.” “You too,” the pegasus said. Erin let her go and straightened up. “Does anypony want some tea?” Twilight asked. “Or maybe some hot cocoa? Spike is in the kitchen making snacks for later, and I’m pretty sure he put the kettle on.” “Oooh, hot cocoa, please!” Erin said with a smile. “Tea would be lovely, thank you,” Fluttershy said. “Do you have chamomile?” “Sure do! Be right back.” Twilight trotted off to the kitchen, and Fluttershy began removing her winter clothing. “I’m not too scary as a human, am I?” Erin asked. Fluttershy blinked at her, then smiled. “You’re not scary at all, Erin. It’s just that it’s a little hard to believe that you’re the same person that I remember.” Erin laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah, I guess I can understand. It took me a few days to get used to being human again. I kept startling myself every time I walked past a mirror.” Fluttershy smiled in reply just as Twilight bustled back out of the kitchen. The unicorn was levitating a silver tray that held a few cups, a steaming teapot, and assorted odds and ends. The tray was set down upon a low table, and Twilight poured steaming water into the cups. “Here’s the chocolate mix,” Twilight said, holding up a ceramic container with her magic. “Two spoonfuls should do it.” “Thanks, Twilight,” Erin said. There were cushions surrounding the low table on the floor, and each of the friends picked one to sit on. Erin ended putting in a third spoonful of mix, to which Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I like it extra chocolatey,” Erin said defensively. “Yes,” Twilight responded, “But now there’s an uneven number of spoonfuls left. That means that one cup is going to be shorted later on.” “Or I could have a second cup with three spoonfuls, which would even things out again,” Erin pointed out, grinning at Twilight as she stirred the mix into the water. “Oh, goodness,” Twilight said while rolling her eyes. “It’s all chaos and insanity! Let’s just make up the rules as we go, then.” The unicorn was smiling while she said it, and Erin laughed in response. “There are no rules when it comes to chocolate, Twilight,” she said, then took a sip of the cocoa. It was delicious, though it could have used a marshmallow or two. Another knock on the door caught their attention. Twilight excused herself once again, opening the door to reveal Rarity standing patiently in the snow. The fashionista was wearing an odd saddle with a parasol attached, no doubt to keep the snow off of her mane and tail. “Please, do excuse my lateness,” the unicorn said. “I was unavoidably detained.“ Her horn glowed briefly and the garment lifted itself off of her back, the parasol collapsing and the entire thing moved over to be hung up on the coat rack by the door. Erin, who’d already started standing as soon as Twilight opened the door, walked over to hug the white unicorn around the neck. “It’s good to see you again, Rarity.” “And you as well, darling,” Rarity replied, returning the hug with a foreleg around Erin’s shoulders. “I must say, you look quite different as a human. Even though you’d shown us a picture before, I believe this will take some getting used to.” “Yes,” Fluttershy added, nodding over her cup of tea. “That’s just what I was thinking.” “Well, it won’t be for long,” Erin replied with a chuckle. “Would you like some tea, Rarity? Or, perhaps some cocoa?” Twilight asked eagerly. Erin guessed that she was really enjoying her role as a hostess. “We have a special one-time deal, if you go for the hot chocolate: three spoonfuls instead of the regular two!” Twilight laughed at her own joke, though Rarity just looked confused. “I... see? Thank you, but I believe I’ll just have tea with lemon, if you don’t mind?” “Not at all,” Twilight said, and soon enough Rarity was settled down on a cushion of her own. “Ah, nothing like a good cup of tea on a cold day,” Rarity said, sipping demurely. “It makes it almost worth dealing with the cold.” The others around the table agreed, and there was a moment of appreciative silence. Erin had her hands wrapped around her own cup, enjoying the warmth on her fingers. “That’s a lovely sweater, dear, if you don’t mind my saying so,” Rarity said, breaking the silence. “Thank you,” Erin said, glancing down at it. “My grandmother knitted it for my mom, before I was born. My mom gave it to me a while ago. It’s just about my favorite thing to wear.” “It’s very well-made,” Rarity said, eying it appreciatively. “Would you mind if I took a closer look?” “Not at all,” Erin said, scooching across the floor until she was next to the unicorn, who peered intently at Erin’s sweater. “Hmm... I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a pattern like this before,” Rarity said. “It’s traditional Scandinavian, according to my mom.” “I don’t suppose you could show me sometime?” Rarity asked. “I would simply love to be able to replicate this design!” “Oh, um... Well, I never actually learned to knit,” Erin said. “Not very well, at least. My mom probably could, though. If she ever comes to visit I could have her show you.” “Why, thank you! Though, I wouldn’t want to impose.” Erin laughed at that. “No worries, she’d love to show off.” “Well, then. Assuming she ever does visit, I’ll be sure to ask her!” Another knock at the door halted the conversation once again, and Erin stood up quickly, motioning for Twilight to stay seated. “It’s probably Rainbow Dash, right?” Erin asked. Twilight nodded. “I’ve got this one, then.” Erin walked quietly up to the door of the library and yanked it open. “Hiya!” she said loudly, startling the pegasus in the doorway, who fell back on her haunches with a surprised shout. “What the hay?!” Rainbow yelled, wide-eyed and staring as she sat in the snow. Erin started giggling. “I finally got you back for that raincloud you dumped on me, Rainbow.” “Erin?” Dash said, standing up and flicking her tail to clear the snow off of her rump. “Yeah,” Erin said with a grin. “You look weird,” Rainbow said, eying her up and down. Then she laughed. “But it’s still good to see you.” Erin gave her a hug, which the pegasus eagerly returned. “You know, that rain cloud was months ago,” Rainbow said during the hug. “I know,” Erin replied, standing back up again. “I’m nothing if not patient when it comes to petty vengeance. Do you want to come in? We’re all sitting around drinking tea or hot chocolate.” “Uh, I would, but aren’t we going to be late for our reservation?” Twilight must have heard that, because Erin suddenly heard her voice shout “What?!” followed by some quick scrabbling. She turned to see Twilight on her hooves, dancing frantically while staring at the clock on the mantlepiece. “Oh, my goodness! We’re going to be late! Spike!” “Yeah?” the dragon said, coming out of the kitchen. “Can you clean all this up?” Twilight asked. “Sure, I guess.” Spike said with a sigh. “Not a problem.” Fluttershy and Rarity were also getting up by this time and, urged by an increasingly frantic Twilight, they both hurried to get ready. Erin got her coat back on, but opted to not wear her hat or mittens. It wasn’t that long of a walk to the cafe. The others didn’t seem to be moving fast enough for Twilight’s taste, causing the unicorn to decide to “help”. “Here!” Twilight said, levitating Fluttershy’s hat onto her head and jamming it down, completely covering her eyes. Rarity stomped a hoof as Fluttershy squeaked in discomfort. “Twilight! You need to settle down. If we’re a couple of minutes late it won’t be the end of the world!” “Yeah, but..!” Twilight trailed off at Rarity’s glare. “O-okay. Yes. You’re right. It doesn’t matter. But can we please hurry?” Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled wearily. “If it makes you happy, dear, of course.” Erin, already in her coat, stood outside with Rainbow Dash to make more room for the others to finish getting their winter gear on. “So... What’s up?” Rainbow asked. “Nothing much,” Erin replied, leaning back against the snow-crusted bark of the library. “What’s up with you?” “Not much,” Rainbow replied, buffing a hoof with exaggerated casualness on the front of her coat, then looking at the resulting shine critically. “Just got accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy, is all.” “Whoah!” Erin straightened up. This news was far too big to act casual about. “That’s great news!” Rainbow’s grin said it all. She held out a hoof and Erin fist-bumped it. “So, what happens now?” she asked her winged friend. “Now I go two weekends a month and two weeks every three months to train there. At the end of the year, if I get accepted into the advanced class, which I totally will, then I go every other week until I graduate into the Junior Wonderbolts.” “Rainbow, that’s fantastic!” Erin said. “I couldn’t be happier for you!” “Yeah, well...” Rainbow looked away, faking like it was no big deal, but Erin caught the grin on her face. It was then that the other three ponies exited the library, and the whole group started out towards the cafe a few blocks away. Snow crunched under Erin’s boots and her friend’s hooves as they walked, with the rare pony outside stopping to stare at the procession. Erin, feeling slightly giddy, waved enthusiastically at all the familiar faces, all of whom stared and occasionally waved back without recognizing her. It was enough to make her laugh with delight. The cafe was much the same as Erin remembered it, though the outside dining area was closed off for the winter. Twilight, who was several steps in the lead while they walked, opened the door and urged everypony through. The conversation level inside the cafe dropped to absolute silence a few seconds after Erin made her way in. Erin looked around, feeling both nostalgic to be back in the cafe and a little uncomfortable at being the center of attention. The dining area wasn’t too packed, at the moment. Most ponies were staying home, due to the weather, and there were a lot of empty tables. Junebug, one of the waitresses that Erin liked the most at this place, came trotting up, eyes wide. “Hi!” she said happily. “We’ve got your table ready for you in a private area of the dining room. If you could follow me?” “Thanks,” Twilight said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Sorry if we’re late.” “It’s no problem,” Junebug said with a slightly nervous laugh. “We’re way too excited about being the first restaurant in Ponyville to host a human to care about something trivial like that!” Rainbow snickered at Twilight, who flushed with embarrassment. The hostess then led them back to an area that was mostly blocked off with a folding screen, allowing them to relax and shielding them from prying eyes. There were menus already on the table, and Erin picked hers up as she took a seat near the wall. Rarity sat to her left, Twilight to her right. Fluttershy sat next to Rarity, and Rainbow sat next to Twilight, leaving two empty spaces for the ponies yet to arrive. "Hmm... A few months ago, I probably would have gone for the daisy sandwich," Erin said, regarding the menu carefully. "Why not get it now?" Fluttershy asked. She’d barely glanced at the menu before putting it back down again. "It's very good." "Humans don't usually eat flowers," she replied, frowning at the menu. "I mean, I don’t think daisies would hurt me, but it probably wouldn't taste all that good. And some other flowers might not be edible for me." "Ask for some meat, I dare you," Rainbow said, snickering and ignoring Rarity's disapproving glare. "I want to see what our waitress says when you do." "Um, I think I'll pass. The pasta vinaigrette sounds nice." "It's lovely," Rarity said with a smile. “I’ve had it before.” They all chatted amiably while deciding what they wanted, with the exception of Twilight, who was focused on her own menu with a laser-like intensity. When Junebug returned with glasses and several pitchers of water, they told her that they were waiting for more friends, and the earth pony waitress agreed to come back in a few minutes. It was just then that Erin heard a familiar voice shouting outside. She turned and looked out the frosted window just in time to see a bunch of shamefaced ponies getting chased off by an annoyed Applejack. "AJ's here, in case you didn't notice," Rainbow said dryly. "Yes, I can hear that," Erin said, blushing. "Looks like I was a little bit popular with the populace." They shared a laugh. A minute later Applejack came in, stomping the snow off of her hooves and making "brrr! brrr!" noises. "Whoo-wee! Ain't it cold outside!" AJ said as she came around the screen while shucking her coat and scarf. Erin hurried over and hugged her friend, and AJ slung a slightly chilly foreleg across her shoulders. "Y’all picked a great time for a visit, Erin." Erin laughed as AJ began divesting herself of the remainder of her winter garments before putting her hat back on. "How've you been, AJ? "Can't rightly complain, though I'm sure I could if I tried. A little family drama, but nothin' too much to worry 'bout." Applejack said with a laugh. "How 'bout you, Erin?" "Well, that depends. Can I complain, if I want?" Erin smiled to let her friends know she was kidding. "Things are going well. I've gotten final approval from everyone who matters to come back next month as a pony and start my research." "Still as a pony, huh?" Applejack asked, sitting down and picking up her own menu. "Still hung up on startin' as a pegasus?" Erin nodded. "Yeah. I really, really want to fly." She stopped and grinned at Rainbow Dash's whoop of approval. "And I've been kind of obsessed with Cloudsdale since I first saw it. I'd love to visit it!" "Yeah, you'd love it!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'll show you around the first chance I get, once I manage to get you airborne. It's the greatest city in the sky!" "I don't doubt it," Erin said with a laugh. "How long do you think it will take me to learn to fly?" "I don't know," Rainbow Dash said, eying her critically. "How hard are you willing to work?" "To fly? Pretty darned hard, Rainbow!" Erin laughed, and her friends joined in. "You know, I quite enjoyed flying during that brief time after Twilight cast that wing spell on me," Rarity said. "Gliding around like that... It was really quite enthralling. And, honestly, I've never felt more graceful." "Up until you nearly plummeted to your death," Rainbow said with a snicker. "Yes. Well." Rarity was blushing a bright red against her white coat. "I do believe my near-death experience was punishment enough for my hubris, don't you think?" "Near-death?!" Erin asked, alarmed. "Ah, yes." Rarity said with a small frown. "I'd forgotten that I'd never told you that story. Let's just say that my wings evaporated at a most inopportune time. It was only the extraordinary bravery and effort on Rainbow Dash's part that saved my life." "That, and the second Sonic Rainboom in recorded history," Rainbow Dash said smugly, leaning back in her chair with her forelegs crossed behind her head. "Yes, that too," Rarity conceded, smiling warmly and patting her friend on the shoulder. "I'll always be in your debt for that, darling." "Nah, don't worry about it. You can pay me back by letting me make fun of you for it every once in awhile." Erin couldn't help herself, laughing at the pegasus' smug look and Rarity's sheepish grin. "Okay, now I have to hear this story!" "Perhaps later," Rarity said, clearing her throat and looking around. "When we're not surrounded by ponies who may overhear?" "Fine, fine," Erin said, waving a hand. "Still, at least I won't have to worry about vanishing wings. I really can't wait to be a pegasus!" Twilight folded her menu and placed it aside, apparently having finally made up her mind. "Have you considered using the biological template that Malachite left behind?" An awkward silence descended, and Twilight hurried to add, "Modified, of course! I wasn't suggesting you become a pseudo-alicorn stallion, just that it makes more sense to come back with the abilities of all three ponies. That way you wouldn't have to keep changing." "Uh... Well, it's a not a bad idea, Twilight, but the thought of having anything to do with Malachite really just gives me the heebie-jeebies." Erin shuddered involuntarily, then glanced down at the table and started playing restlessly with her napkin. "Sorry," Twilight said quietly. Erin caught a hint of shame in her friend’s voice and looked up, startled. Twilight wouldn’t meet her eyes as she said, "I wasn't thinking." Erin quickly reached across the table and squeezed her friend's shoulder. "Twilight, it's all right. It really is. I'm... It's not as bad as it was a couple months ago." Erin shot a weak smile at her friend. "I'm still sorry," Twilight said, managing a smile back. "Look, anyway, regarding your time here, I don't think I mentioned that I found a place for you, did I?" "Oh, you did?" Erin asked, perking up. "That's wonderful!" "Yes, it's going to be open at the start of next month, and I put down a deposit for you already. It's three hundred bits a month... um... " Twilight looked nervous for a moment. "That's not too much, is it?" "No, that's fine," Erin said, laughing. "What's it like?" "Oh, it's a nice little place," Twilight said, happily. "It's got just what you wanted. Two bedrooms, so you can turn one into a lab or study, a large living area, kitchen, and so on. It's on the southern edge of town, right by some large fields so you can go running, if you like. It even has a large back yard, in case you want to do magical experiments that won't fit in the house!" "Twilight, that sounds amazing! I can't wait to see it! Did I leave enough bits behind?" "Oh, yes. There's enough left over from what you gave me that you should be able to pay a month of rent, and still be able to furnish it fairly well." Erin was about to ask more about her new residence when a flash of pink distracted her. "Pinkie Pie!" she shouted happily, standing up and throwing her arms out towards her friend. Pinkie looked up, smiled, and trotted forward to hug her. "Hey, Sunflower," Pinkie said with her regular grin. "Looking awfully human-ey!" "And you're still very, very pink," Erin said, laughing happily as she sat back down. "Twilight was just telling me about the place she found for me in town." "It's that cottage over by Meadow Park," Twilight said. "Oooh! That's a nice place!" Pinkie said. Then she frowned while flicking at the menu with a hoof. "Um. Not to change the subject, Sunflower, but Big Macintosh is outside. I think he may want to talk to you." "Oh?" Erin glanced out the nearby window, and could just barely make out the red stallion in the dark outside. "Why doesn't he just come inside?" "I dunno," Pinkie said, shifting on her seat. "Maybe it's private?" "Oh. Um. Okay. I'll go talk to him, I guess." Erin stood and smiled at her friends. "I'll be right back, guys. If they come to take our orders and I'm not back yet, could you ask for the pasta vinaigrette for me?" Twilight assured her that she would, and Erin made her way to the door. ~~*~~ Twilight watched as Erin made her way out of the private area of the cafe. It was still very strange seeing her friend like this. While, technically, she'd known that Erin was a human this entire time, seeing her walking around on two legs was just bizarre. It was hard to accept that the Sunflower she'd known and the Erin she knew now are the same person. When the front door jingled, Twilight knew that her friend had gone outside. She glanced at Pinkie, who was frowning solemnly at the table. "Pinkie?" she said, and her friend jumped a little bit. "What was all that about?" Pinkie just blinked at her, so Twilight tried again. "What did Big Mac want?" "Oh, um..." For some reason, Pinkie shot a glance at Applejack, and then looked away again. "Not really sure I can say. Maybe you should ask her about it when she comes back." Twilight looked over at AJ, who was making a big show of reading her menu. The unicorn felt her brow furrow. Something was up, that was for sure. She opened her mouth to start digging for answers, but that was when Junebug showed up again to take their orders. Pinkie Pie stated that she was ready and ordered a fruit salad, a green salad and a slice of chocolate cake. The others all placed their orders as well, with Twilight ordering Erin's meal for her. "Are we all still on for heading back to the library after lunch?" Twilight asked her friends. "I was really hoping we could all hang out. Maybe Erin can get that movie thing working again!" "Yeah, that's cool," Rainbow said. The pegasus looked extremely bored, her chin propped up in one forehoof. "I want to watch something with some action this time, though." "That dragon one had lots of action," Applejack reminded her. "Yeah, that's true!" Rainbow seemed to perk up at the memory. "More like that one would be good." A few minutes passed as they discussed plans for the evening. Eventually, Erin returned from outside, shivering slightly and red-faced, probably from the cold. She sat down quietly in her seat between Rarity and Twilight. "How'd it go?" Applejack asked, and Erin's eyes flicked up. Twilight frowned at the expression on her friend's face. Erin definitely looked uncomfortable. Embarrassed, maybe? Or possibly guilty? Though, it was hard to think what Erin had to feel guilty about. "Um. Well, okay, I guess," Erin said, using her slim hands to play with a napkin. "He just wanted to talk. Said he was curious about what I looked like as a human." "An' it went okay?" There was an oddly stern note in Applejack's voice. A tone that almost seemed challenging. "I think so," Erin said. She hesitated before adding, "He's a really nice guy. Reminds me a little of my own brothers." AJ hesitated at that for some reason, then relaxed visibly. "Eyup. He still out there?" "No. He said he was going home." There was something in the air between Applejack and Erin, but Twilight wasn't sure what it was. A kind of tension. But what really annoyed her was that Rarity seemed to suddenly realize what was going on, while she remained clueless. Twilight grunted with annoyance. It was definitely something she'd have to look into. ~~*~~ Junebug arrived with their meals balanced on a tray on her back. Erin couldn’t have been more pleased with the distraction. From the way Applejack was acting, and how Pinkie was refusing to meet her eye, she guessed that at least those two knew what Macintosh had talked to her about. Then there was Twilight, looking intently back and forth at the three of them as if trying to solve a puzzle. Not to mention the sparkle in Rarity's eyes, as if she'd just guessed what was in her Christmas present. The only one who seemed oblivious was Fluttershy. "Oh, this looks wonderful!" Erin said, trying to focus everypony’s attention on the food instead of her personal life. "Thank you, Junebug!" The earth pony waitress looked startled that Erin knew her name, but visibly shrugged it off, smiled, and walked away. Rainbow Dash, as was typical, was one of the first off the line, digging into her grilled cheese, pepper and onion panini with gusto. Pinkie was right behind her, gobbling away at her fruit salad. The others ate at more moderate paces. Erin picked up her fork and started eating her pasta, which looked a little bit like rotini. It was delicately seasoned with various herbs, most of which she couldn’t identify. The pasta dish itself had cheese and chunks of tomato, carrots and cucumber in it. Erin took a bite and leaned back with a contented sigh as she chewed. "Mmm, I've missed Equestrian food," she said happily. Twilight giggled at her. "What?" "Well... it's just that this is the first time I can recall you eating without being clumsy at it," the unicorn said. Rainbow snorted through a mouthful of hayfries, getting a dirty look from Rarity for her lack of table manners. "What can I say?" Erin said, waggling her fingers at her friend. "Hands make everything easier." "That's gotta be tricky, controllin' all of 'em wriggly things," Applejack said doubtfully. "I don't know how ya manage it." "Years and years of practice," Erin said, then lifted another forkful to her mouth. She made a happy sound in the back of her throat as she leaned back, relishing every morsel. "Magic is better," Twilight said with a grin and a glint in her eye, lifting her fork, glass, and napkin all at once. "Who says I have to settle for one or the other? They're still working on a human form that can use magic." "How's that going?" Twilight asked, interest sparking in her eyes. "Fine, except for the lack of test subjects." Erin hesitated, then laughed. "There seems to be a shortage of folks with the right security clearance who want to have their entire body radically changed via experimental reconstructive nanotechnology." She shrugged and toyed with her pasta a little. "Once we've got a working magic-human template, I'm sure the volunteer rate will go up. But right now, nobody else is offering to try it." "So, is that what you're going to do, if they manage to make this template?" Rarity asked, in between nibbling on the leaves in her salad. "Probably. Depends on how much I decide I want to fly," Erin said. "I mean, I can't give that up, not when I'm so close!" "Flying is... nice," Fluttershy said. "As long as you stay near the ground, at least at first." "Pfft." Rainbow waved away the other pegasus' statement. "What's the point of that? If you're that close to the ground, you may as well be walking." "I don't want her to get hurt while she's still learning," Fluttershy said with unexpected firmness. "You have to be careful teaching her, Rainbow. She's the first human to learn to fly. She may not have any instincts for it. She could be hurt very badly." "Yeah, yeah," Dash said dismissively. "Don't 'yeah, yeah' me, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said, frowning. The other pegasus blinked at her in surprise. "You promise me you'll take it easy teaching her, or I won't let you teach her at all." Everyone around the table simply gaped at the unexpectedly resolute yellow pegasus. Rainbow recovered first, her voice rising in challenge. "Oh, yeah? Who's gonna teach her, then, huh?" "Me," Fluttershy said, wings flapping briefly before closing again at her sides. Dash gaped at her incredulously. "You teach somepony how to fly? Seriously?" "I know the basics as well as you do, Dash," Fluttershy said, putting her hoof down. "And if I teach her, I know she'll be safe. So, you can promise to take it easy, or I'll forbid you from doing anything with her until I'm sure she can handle it." Fluttershy stared firmly into Rainbow's flabbergasted face. Finally, the prismatic pegasus snorted out a wry laugh. "You know, I'm not sure if I should be proud of you for standing up to me, or annoyed that you did. I think I'll go with proud." "So, you'll be careful?" Fluttershy asked, looking doubtful. "You promise?" "I not only promise, I Pinkie promise," Dash said, making the gestures. Erin glanced over to see Pinkie grinning hugely at her blue friend. "I promise you that I will make one hundred percent sure that Erin will be as safe as she can be while learning to fly, and not to take any risks until I'm certain she can handle it." Fluttershy broke into a wide, happy smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" "Yeah, yeah," Rainbow said. She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Well, as much as I want to fly, I'm not overly fond of pain," Erin said, chuckling at the exchange. She smiled warmly at the normally timid pegasus and said, "Thank you for keeping an eye out for me, Fluttershy." "Of course!" Fluttershy said. "Rainbow Dash is the best flyer in Equestria, I truly believe that, but... well, she can be a little reckless. I don't want you getting hurt." "Hey, I said I'd be careful," Rainbow said. "That's a first!" Applejack said. Rainbow seemed to take that as a challenge, after which the two friends started needling each other, to the mildly amused annoyance of the rest of the group around the table. Pinkie Pie especially had a great time, weighing in equally on both sides of the ensuing argument. "So, what have you been up to since we last talked?" Twilight asked, pointedly ignoring the three bickering mares. Erin shrugged while chewing another bite of pasta. "This and that. I reconnected with my human friends, at least the ones that I could find. I played dodge ‘em with various news crews..." She gave a short laugh. "You know, I really should have known better than to think one little interview would be enough to make them leave me alone." "Oh, the press was following you around?" Fluttershy said, a sympathetic expression on her face. "Just a bit," Erin said wryly. "A reporter even followed me into a public bathroom once, pestering me for an interview. I had to leave and get the store security to stand guard just so I could pee, it was ridiculous." Rarity and Twilight murmured sympathetically, and Fluttershy actually came around the table and gave her a hug. Erin, surprised at the pegasus' reaction, awkwardly hugged back. "I'm so, so sorry that happened to you," Fluttershy said. Erin, confused but grateful for the sympathy, patted her vaguely on the back between her wings. "It's okay, Fluttershy. I'm over it. Thank you, though." Fluttershy's hug tightened briefly, then she released Erin, smiled warmly at her, and went back to her seat. One side effect of that interaction was that the other three ponies had stopped their bickering and were now staring at Erin. "Uh, what did we miss?" Rainbow Dash asked. Erin explained once again, and both Rainbow and Pinkie burst into surprised laughter. "Oh, man, she was trying to ask you questions in the bathroom?" "No, Rainbow Dash," Erin said. "He was trying to ask me questions in the bathroom." Rainbow looked shocked for a moment, then sputtered with laughter, with both Pinkie and Twilight joining in. Fluttershy was beet red, and Rarity and AJ just looked equally shocked and disgusted. Erin smiled and shook her head. Pony modesty was an odd thing, she reflected. They didn't mind either being naked or wearing clothes in public, but you needed privacy to change into or out of an outfit. And, even though they saw each other naked all the time, mares and stallions still used separate bathrooms. "Other than that," Erin said, when the laughter had died down, "I just tried to hang out with as many friends and family members as I could. I won't be seeing them as often as I’m used to after I move here next month." "What are your human friends like?" Pinkie asked, bouncing excitedly. Erin noted that the pink earth pony had already finished her meal, while everypony else was halfway through or less. "Any of them want to move to Ponyville? We could always use more friends here!" Erin laughed. The thought of any of her human friends moving to somewhere like Ponyville was comical. "That's not too likely, Pinkie, though a couple of them said that they'd like to visit, once the whole tourism angle is sorted out. I think Equestria's general lack of internet, cars, and other modern 'necessities' is more than enough to keep them from moving here full time. Besides, most of them have settled down now." Her smile faded slightly as she added, "You know, husbands and kids. It's hard to think of packing things up and moving to a whole new world." "Aww..." Pinkie said, frowning. "What did they think of you being a pony, darling?" Rarity asked. "Well..." Erin started saying, then laughed. "Honestly, two of them thought it was just some weird publicity stunt and special effects. My friend Carla said, 'They can do incredible things with computer effects these days’ and wouldn't listen to anything I had to say about it. My friend Ellie thought it was really cool, and was slightly jealous." "Jealous? Of being a pony?" Twilight asked. "Well, not so much that as being something so completely different. That, and being the first human in Equestria.” Junebug showed up again to refill glasses and ask if everypony was doing all right. Pinkie took the opportunity to order a slice of chocolate chip pie, a slice of carrot cake, and a hot fudge sundae. After that, the conversation drifted from topic to topic. Erin got filled in on some of the details of life around town, though nopony really knew much about her friend Meadowlark's current situation. That was one thing Erin really regretted, and hoped that she could make right after moving back to town. Meadowlark had been one of her first pony friends, and Erin missed her greatly. When she was finally brought more or less up to speed on current events in Ponyville, Erin talked for a while about the family that her parents were sponsoring, the Sharmas. "Their daughters are just so cute!" Erin said happily. "Divya is eight, and Avani is ten. They're staying in my old bedroom, and their parents are staying in my brothers' old room. The girls are just fascinated by everything! They never stop running around, giggling and laughing at everything they see.” Erin smiled happily at the memory. “Their parents seem extremely grateful, but totally lost. They don't speak much English, and of course my parents have no idea how to speak Hindi. Luckily for everyone there are a few people in the neighborhood who speak both, so they stop around the various homes that are hosting refugees and make sure everything is alright." "Have many lost their homes?" Rarity asked softly. “That would simply be dreadful.” "Yeah. My old neighborhood suddenly has a very vibrant Hindi community. It would be pretty neat, if it weren't for such an awful reason.” Erin smiled sadly and added, “For the most part, they’re all just really grateful to have somewhere to live and enough to eat. There have been some culture clashes, but nothing too bad from what I hear.” "You think many of them will move to Zanibra?" Twilight asked as she wrapped up her own meal, a pasta salad with bread rolls. "Once it's ready for habitation, I mean." "I can't really say," Erin said, shrugging. "I hope they find a home somewhere that they can be happy." Junebug once again showed up, smiling cheerfully, to take plates away and ask for additional orders. After a moment of indecision, Erin asked for a slice of chocolate cake to go. They were all planning on getting together at the library after lunch, and having a little cake by the wayside never hurt anyone. Not long after that came the check, and Twilight insisted on paying Erin's share of the bill. "You're a guest," she said firmly. "Next time we all eat out together, you'll be a resident, and you can pay for me!" Erin agreed, laughing, and she and her pony friends then took a few minutes to get their respective outerwear on. For everyone but Pinkie and Dash, that involved several layers and a pair of boots. Pinkie only wore a knit cap, and Dash scoffed at the weather. "I'm a weather pony," she said. "It takes a lot more than this to make me uncomfortable!" As they left, a smiling Junebug (who'd just seen the impressive tip she'd been given) waved them off and gave a cheerful, "So long, everypony! It was nice meeting you, miss human!" Erin smiled and waved back, deciding not to tell the happy pony that they'd already met and, in fact, already knew each other pretty well. The seven friends made their way through the snowy streets of Ponyville, back to the library for some afternoon conversation and movies.