I’ve spent most of the day lost in a daze. Between attempting to convince myself that the events that transpired last night were just a dream and considering what we would say in the upcoming audience with the ruler of Equestria, I haven’t had much time to pay attention to reality. Yet there came a point where I simply had to focus on the current rather than the theoretical. While I agreed to let Vivi record the transcript of our ‘reunion’—the thought of being so easily forgiven by Zidane and his comrades still bringing a tear to my eye—I had my own reasons to leave it from my journal.
In fact, I was so lost in my own world that it wasn’t until the measuring tape was wrapped tightly around my waist did I realize that I was standing in a boutique surrounded by Twilight and her friends. Vivi and Mr. 111 stood off to the side, staring at the white mare hard at work simultaneously scribbling measurements onto a notepad and wrapping my limbs with her measuring tape.
The white unicorn with a shining purple mane was semi-familiar. I had met her at Pinkie Pie’s party the prior night. Though our introductions were brief, her name stuck out to me. ‘Rarity’, like a gem. Considering the mark on her flanks and the interior design of the boutique, I found the name fitting. At any rate, the ponies had apparently been carrying on a conversation while I was zoned out.
I came to my senses about midway through one of Applejack’s inquiries, “…ain’t gonna mind you smotherin’ him?” I could only assume she was referring to me.
“Of course not, darling. He hasn’t complained yet, at least.” The mare transitioned seamlessly from responding to her friend to whipping the tape to another limb. Honestly, her work ethic was to be admired.
I decided it would be best to allow her to work undisturbed on my part, so I stood in place as I had been during my unconsciousness. At about the time she decided to measure my forehead, I felt a disturbingly irresistible urge to sneeze. So I did.
And she freaked out. Turning away to let out the reflex, the measuring tape snapped in two and her concentration broke, sending anything in her magical aura to the ground…
Magical aura?
Magic?
How is it that after a full month in this world, I hadn’t actually taken time to note some ponies’ abilities to use magic? Not Gaian magic, mind you, but their own kind. Telekinesis was the only spell I’d seen, as with Twilight the prior night, and yet it had never truly dawned on me that it was magic.
…Whatever. Her notepad and quill fell to the ground, as did the two halves of the tape. I had expected her to be upset at the sudden disruption of her work, but she didn’t seem to mind it too terribly. Instead, she simply picked up her utensils and drew another tape from a nearby dresser. Her friends, on the other hand…
The pink pony exploded with sound, “Boy Kuja it sure is nice to know you’re still kicking! We thought you might’ve become a mannequin or something!” It’s worth noting that at that moment I learned that high-pitched tones plus excessive decibels do not equal a happy Kuja…
I…
Did I just write that?
I never would’ve…
I find myself questioning my mindset a lot lately. First my simple acceptance that this world exists, then my sorrow over Mr. 33’s death, followed by my ignoring of this world’s residents’ use of magic, and now using phrases and jokes I’d never once considered acceptable behavior. Something was changing within me…
I also seem to be excessively good at getting off topic.
I chuckled, “I guess I’ve just been…tired…” Maybe I had been tired. I don’t exactly remember sleeping last night. Not after our dream, at least.
Almost on cue, I heard Vivi let out a comfortable-sounding yawn. It almost made my body jealous. I had to resist the urge to top the rude disruption off with a bored-looking yawn. The little mage groaned, “We didn’t get much sleep last night. You know, keeping an eye on the forest and all.” I admired his swift thinking in making an excuse.
Or was it an excuse? Maybe he had actually been watching the forest.
Twilight tittered, “You three could’ve stayed at the library, you know.”
“And endanger the entire town? I think not!” Mr. 111 came to life with a sudden outburst of what all three of us had been thinking the prior evening.
For a second time, I felt the cold plastic of the measuring tape wrap around my forehead, this time from behind. Rarity decided to explain, “In case you’re wondering why you’re here, there’s absolutely no way I can allow you to meet with the Princesses wearing such...odd clothing.”
I remember thinking, in this exact train of thought: Princesses? There’s more than one? Wait…
“You mean you’re going to sew us new clothes?!” My eyes darted toward the two Black Mages, wondering if they’d already said what I was thinking. By the way Vivi turned away and Mr. 111 coughed, I could tell they hadn’t figured out exactly how to say it.
The unicorn giggled, “Of course, dear! You simply must be up to snuff if you’re going to meet royalty! And besides, it’s my passion!” She scribbled down the final measurement before waving a hoof at the row of mannequins lining the far wall. They were all ponies, covered in dresses and suits that I assumed she had crafted.
I took a moment to consider all of the ponies’ possible reactions to what I was about to say. Deciding it could only end in awkward disbelief, I simply explained, “You know the mages can’t remove their clothes, right?” As I had expected, the fashionista sent me a quizzical look while the others simply waited in silence.
Mr. 111 decided to elaborate, “We aren’t real people, Vivi and I. We’re actually puppets, kind of like dolls, put together by machines.” He fell silent here, almost as if he was trying to understand what he was saying. I could tell he didn’t like the truth, even if he’d been blunt about it before. “Underneath these clothes, there’s almost nothing. That’s why we don’t have faces or blood. Take away the shell, and we pretty much turn to air.” He clenched his fists before finishing, “That’s part of the reason why Mr. 33 couldn’t have been saved. His shell was removed.”
I could tell the ponies were skeptical about his explanation—assuming they even understood him—but they weren’t about to question him further. Like I expected, an awkward silence filled the air.
But Rarity accepted the challenge. “Very well then; if I cannot craft new clothes for you, I shall make additions to the existing fabric for a more regal ensemble!” She removed the sheet of paper with my measurements and tacked it to a small board above the nearby dresser. Not missing a beat, she pulled Vivi closer to the center of the room and began measuring him.
One of the ponies scoffed, “Typical Rarity… She won’t stop until everpony looks royal!” A Pegasus pony, cyan in color, with an oddly majestic prismatic mane and tail hovered barely off of the ground, her front hooves resting atop her fellow Pegasus companion.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were the two Pegasi of the Elements of Harmony. The local airhead and animal caretaker, both two of the supposedly most powerful ponies in Equestria, complimented one another almost perfectly like a puzzle. One carried herself with ego and confidence, while the other curled away in shyness and fear.
It truly is rare to find two puzzle pieces that fit so perfectly together in the picture of life.
Now that I think about it, Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 had a similar situation. They oftentimes switched positions on topics, one being aggressive and then calm, but the same principle applied. Perhaps that’s one reason Mr. 111 took his brother’s death so hard…
At any rate, we all exchanged idle banter over the course of the early evening. While Rarity finished her measurements and proceeded to work on the outfits, we simply sat around and carried on conversations about meaningless topics. Not once did any of us bring up Lord Avon, Starswirl the Bearded, or the monsters within the Everfree Forest.
I can’t say I was opposed to our avoidance of the topics.
And, just as the sun was starting to set, Rarity burst from her workroom with three layers of fabric floating gently beside her. Systematically, she passed out one layer to each of us foreigners. She sighed, “I’ve never make outfits for two-legged creatures before, so I can’t guarantee they’ll fit properly. However, I’m more than happy to make adjustments should you—!”
“This thing is perfect!” Mr. 111 cheered as he stared into a mirror behind the mannequins. Rather than seeing his usual ragged coat, I instead saw a suit of shimmering magenta with a shade of blue glowing through from underneath. Rather than his ripped and stained pants, a silver skirt-like garment similar to mine was hanging from his beltline. From the front and sides, he was a regal, groomed individual. From the back, however, our arduous weeks in this world became apparent.
It was the same for Vivi. While he didn’t exactly cheer, I could see in his reflection that he enjoyed his clothes. They were identical to the larger mage, albeit different colors. His suit was an awe-inspiring sapphire color, with a slight shade of ruby complimenting it. His skirt was an emerald, supplementary to the sapphire, which made the outfit shine brighter. Although not as worn as us, you could still tell he’d been through a lot from parts left uncovered. After seeing the fabric engulf him, he chuckled, “I like it a lot, Rarity!”
“Of course you do; I am an artiste, after all. And you, Kuja?” The mare looked at me expectantly.
I quickly draped the garments around my body, dressing as easily as I could over my usual fabric. Once the getup was put together, I stepped aside to stare into the mirror. Truthfully, I was impressed. The unicorn managed to take my taste in white fabric and fashion it into an entire outfit. I couldn’t quite explain what it was—a suit of sorts, I suppose—but it almost felt natural. I imagined myself wearing it on Gaia, and it made sense. Bright white fabric with silver shining through, wrapped around my body like a coat, warm and comfy.
Except I found it difficult to move in.
I began to remove the outfit without comment until the unicorn’s magic stopped me. She scoffed, “Is something the matter with it? Is it too tight? Maybe a bit scratchy?” A pony whose passion was fashion would freak out without feedback, wouldn’t she? It only made sense.
“The outfit is absolutely wonderful, Miss Rarity. In fact, I find it worthy of even royalty. And yet…” I paused to add an enjoyable tension to the mare’s expression, “I prefer practical over appealing.”
With a raised eyebrow she groaned, “Whatever do you mean?”
I noticed Applejack cringe, as if something were about to explode. I decided to choose my next words carefully. “The outfit is a beautiful composition of comfortable fabric and stylish colors, however it limits my movement. What should happen if we are attacked on the day of the meeting? If I cannot move, I cannot fight.” The unicorn relaxed as I finished explaining myself.
She sighed, “Is that all? Limited movement range? Thank goodness!”
Twilight chimed in, “You don’t need to worry about that, Kuja! The Canterlot Royal Guard is made up of some of Equestria’s best soldiers. There’s no way any monsters will be entering the city on their watch!” Her optimism stung my heart.
Never say never. Ever.
The fact that she had just said that made me even more worried.
Rainbow Dash scoffed, “Besides, Princess Celestia can handle anything nature can throw at her! Manticores, monsters, it doesn’t matter!” That was strike two.
Two ‘impossible’ statements usually equal a ‘probable’.
“And even if she can’t, you guys are super soldiers from a whole other world with infinitely more powerful magic than anything in Equestria!” Pinkie Pie let out a single breath, the words flowing from her mouth. I felt my head begin to throb. She added, “Right?”
If he’d had one, Mr. 111’s jaw would’ve physically dropped to the floor. He hunched over, arms hanging low as he groaned, “That…pretty much…sums it up…”
“Thought so!” Her voice caused the pain in my head to spike.
At least, I thought it was her voice giving me a headache.
Suddenly everything fell silent, as if I’d gone deaf.
I fell to the ground with a thud before losing consciousness.
I eventually woke up in the Ponyville hospital—again—a few hours later...