House that Heartbreak Rebuilt

by Jet_Black1980


Special Eyes

Chapter 32

Special Eyes

Rarity looked at Heartbreak in a loss for words. She wouldn’t take the house because there were other ponies that needed it more? That didn’t make any sense!

Well, no sense if she is truly, ‘out of harmony,’ as Princess Celestia put it. Then again she has earned two of her marbles. Could earning them have altered her mindset that much? if not, and she’s always been like this, one has to wonder why her bitter ends sent her here!” Rarity sighed. “I see, if that’s the case, then I apologize for forcing you into that situation so suddenly.”

Heartbreak rolled her eyes a bit. “Aaaand I feel the need to sort of, kind of, in a round about way say that I didn’t mean to yell at you?”

“Don’t think anything of it, darling. Though I really did wish we had purchased you that house. It would have been just perfect for you!” Rarity replied.

“Eeeeh, I don’t mean to be a downer here, Rarity,” Heartbreak’s face twitched a bit. “But that house just wasn’t me. Besides, I’m sure that something will turn up. And if not, we can go back to Ponyville and continue looking from there. Right?”

Rarity grinned. “Of course!”

Luna and Spike returned with popcorn and drinks. He held the drink’s straw up near Heartbreak’s face. “Spike, you don’t have to do that you know.”

“I know, but I want to.” Spike replied. “Besides, I’m not going to hold my arm out forever!”

“Good to know, I’d hate for you to get claw cramps,” She replied taking a long draw off the drink. “Mmm, tastes like... sarsaparilla?”

Spike nodded and set it on the floor. “Yup!”

“And our next item to bid is our final house that is in the Ponyville area!” The auctioneer boisterously proclaimed. “Known as the, 'Olde Miller Estate,' this eccentrically designed house, with its two floors, attic, basement and wide back yard is located just within the limits of Ponyville proper!” He looked around watching several paddles starting to go up. A drop of sweat started to form on his brow as he dreaded to read the last part. “And overlooks, the rather...uhm,” he swallowed hard. “Scenic! Everfree Forest...”

Almost instantly all of the paddles drooped down.

“Right...” He sighed rubbing his temples. “We’ll start the bidding at two thousand bits... two thousand bits? No? Nineteen hundred bits?” He looked around, some of the more seasoned bidders rolled their eyes and were snickering, while whispering to the other bidders.

“Last house and the auctioneer is dropping the price?” Heartbreak asked Rarity.


“Yes,” Rarity replied. “It’s been on the auction block for as long as I have been coming to this event, a few have shown interest in buying it, but once they hear the description that comes with the house?”

“Alright. What’s wrong with it?”

“Other than it looking a bit run down? You were paying attention to the description? Its proximity to the Everfree Forest!” Rarity looked a bit shocked at Heartbreak’s question.

“Rarity, you and the girls almost make a habit of trouncing weekly into the Everfree Forest and you always come out. And seeing that you have attended these things before, you ought to know what’s wrong with this house.” Heartbreak concluded in a most logical sounding voice.

“Darling; while the girls and I have been fortunate in our encounters with the Everfree Forest; other ponies have not been so... You do remember Creampuff don’t you?”

Heartbreak’s face drooped. “Oh... That’s what-”

“Yes. Most ponies don’t like talking about certain things. But I knew her parents. I don’t know the exact details of what happened... Only that sometimes? Ponies go in but do not come out,” Rarity explained sadly.

Luna looked over at the two mare’s conversation with pangs of guilt in her eyes. “Who is this, ‘Creampuff,’ thou speaks of with such sadness?”

“Sometime last week, Twilight thought it would be a good idea for me to read to some of the local foals... One of them was a filly named, ‘Creampuff.’ An orphan...” Heartbreak replied sadly.

Luna looked troubled. “And the Forest claimed her parents lives...”

“Sixteen hundred! Come on folks! An offer for a house of this quality doesn’t come by all that often! Not only are you buying a fine house, but a piece of Ponyville history! This house harkens back near to the time when Ponyville was first founded! And for being as old as it is, it is in fine shape! Made from the local ironwood trees, the floors and walls of this building are sure to outlive the Princess herself or my name isn’t Sparkling Gavel!” The auctioneer caught himself. “No offense to the Princess who is in our midst as we speak!”

Princess Luna only smiled and gave a bemused chuckle. “There is none taken.”

“No Sixteen hundred? Fifteen hundred! Do I hear fifteen hundred bits? Time’s running out folks! Fifteen hundred is the final offer that can be made for this piece of history! Fifteen hundred!”

Heartbreak sighed. “Looks like we’re going back to Ponyville empty h-h-ooofphed, Rarity... Oh well... Right?”

Princess Luna raised her paddle and the whole of the room shook as she proclaimed in the Royal Canterlot voice: “Two thousand bits!”

==============================================================

Maybe sitting right next to the Princess wasn’t such a hot idea after all.

There’s now a ringing in my ears and the ponies in front of us have doubled over on top of each other. ‘Sparkling Gavel,’ looks astounded and says something that I can’t hear, before he bangs his gavel and points it at Princess Luna.

The other ponies, once they’ve gained their wits about them turn around and look utterly shocked by whatever has happened. From the paddle floating in the air, the fact that my ears are ringing from Luna’s voice and the almost joyfilled look on Sparkling’s face? I can only assume that the Princess just bought the house on the lot.

Sparkling is making a motion to the Princess to come down to the stage. I’m not sure why, but Luna tugs on my shoulder to follower her. Fuck, I really would like my hearing back.

Once we get to the stage, Sparkling presents both Rarity and Luna with what I can only assume are contracts showing that they have just bought something. Rarity takes out a rather heavy looking coin purse and gives it to Sparkling. Then some mare in a showgirl outfit walks out on to the stage. Oh joy: eye candy pony. She rolls a rather nice looking bicycle on the stage. Wait, Rarity made a bid on a bicycle? What the hell would she want with a- Ooooh no... She didn’t... did she?

As my hearing starts to come back I see Rarity turning with a cheerfilled smile on her face... Fuck. She did.

“Surprise!” Rarity shouts at me. “I saw this on the lot and I just knew I had to get it for you! Do you like it?!”

I look at the rather girly looking bike decorated with pink streamers and plastic hearts in the hubs. It looks like a decent pony bike and judging by the handlebars, it might have a few different speeds.

“Uhm... You... Shouldn’t have...” I reply uncomfortably wanting to yell at her for spending money on me. But before I even have a chance to do so? Princess Luna puts a hoof on my shoulder.

“We too have a gift for this pony! As one of the Rulers of Equestria, it is our honor to bequeath this house to this foreign exchange student and ambassador from the long isolated lost colony of Minneighsota in the far Icy North! May it be a symbol of friendship and trust between our groups!” She smiles at me and looks at the deed. “Further more! As the owners of this fine abode have long since passed away, I decree that a portion of the funds obtained from the selling of this home be donated to the local Ponyville Orphanages!”

The look of shock and bewilderment on the bidders faces is a rather big wonder to behold. Particularly that of Blueblood’s face. That face is absolutely priceless.

Too bad there is still this horrible sense in the back of my mind of feeling like a mary sue...

==============================================================

I rub my temples and look out the window. It’s night time. Rarity said we could stay a few more days in Whinneapolis and have some fun... shopping... But I told her that I don’t have the energy or drive to walk around the city. It sorely disappointed her, but seeing that I couldn’t just be left at the hotel by myself? She decided that we should just go back. Spike is in the sleeping cart. He’s most likely curled up nice and warm.

Sitting across from Rarity on the the train, I can’t help but try to process what just happened. On the table is the deed to my new house, marked with Princess Luna’s signature on it along with a stamp of her cutie mark. Joining it is some blueprints, a list of things that are, ‘cans, can’ts, shoulds and shouldn’ts,’ regarding my situation: I can’t leave Ponyville without an escort. I can go anywhere I like within Ponyville without one but it wouldn’t hurt to have one around. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... I’ll read it more in depth later. And finally what seems like a completely pointless paper that shows that I indeed own the bike that Rarity bought me.

And while that is a nice, practical gift that I will put to use... Something seems a little... off about all this. We went to the cities, Rarity adamantly insisted that I attend a party, then a strange princess shows up, exits stage right, after which Princess Luna shows up. We talk, she encourages me to keep pressing on, we go back to the auction, attempt to bid on a house, lose bidding war, and finally Princess Luna swoops in to save the day, again.” I can’t help but cross my hooves and look at Rarity intensely. “It all seems too played out, as if had been plotted in advance.

“So what do you think, darling?” She asks floating a cup to her lips.

I have only been half paying attention to what she has been talking about. My mind is swimming with all the things I need to remember. Like that there will be an inspector come noon or one sometime tomorrow at the house, and if they find any major flaws, a construction crew the following day. How the hell I’m going to afford anything like that is beyond me unless there is, yet again; something in the paperwork that I skimmed over. From what I could tell in the pictures, the house looks elegant and has more space than I would ever actually need. Five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement and an attic. Large front yard and backyard, garden areas. Fuck, maybe I should tell Ollie about this fucking house and we switch places. I scratch the back of my neck.

Fuck! This is what some people and ponies would dream of! Get shipped to Equestria via Fed-Exes, meet the mane six, meet the Princesses, have lunch with one of them and then be gifted a house by one of them!

If this is all a lucky break from the horrible things I’ve had to suffer, then why do I feel so wrong about it?! If I was still human and in this situation, I’m sure I would be like, ‘Oh, cool. I’m going to need time to move my stuff in.

“Darling?” Rarity prods me to ask her question.

It all seems too perfect. Way too perfect. Rarity might want me to answer her question, but I have a question of my own.

==============================================================

“You’re going to have to forgive me, I was only half paying attention,” Heartbreak replied, looking over her hooves glaringly as she was prodded for a response.

“I see...” Rarity said frowning. “You do that quite often. Don’t you think it would be a good habit to rid yourself of?”

“Right, you’re going to have to excuse me then. I was lost in thought over something,” Heartbreak replied, tapping her hooves together.

“Care to share what was occupying your mind so?” Rarity asked.

Heartbreak tapped her hooves together and then looked at Rarity. “Oh, nothing that important. Merely the thought of how... convenient it was that Princess Luna showed up when she did... If I hadn’t known any better... I would have thought that she had been asked to come.”

Rarity paused in her drinking and flicked her ear. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, H.B. darling.”

“Really now?” Heartbreak asked. “I hate saying this Rarity, because you’ve spent a great deal of money, time, effort and energy on just getting me to the cities. But, the more I think about this situation. The more it seems like it wasn’t just a random entanglement of events, but like something that somep-p-ponies had actually planned out. Fet, the more I think about it, the more complicated and convoluted the situation appears to be!”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Heartbreak leaned on the table and rubbed her hoof on her forehead. “What I mean is that normally, I wouldn’t have given into this situation to begin with! I mean it seems to make more sense to look locally first and then if we have to, come to the cities for the auction.”

Rarity frowned. “Darling, you seem upset over something but I haven’t the foggiest about what you’re upset over.”

Heartbreak started tapping her hoof on the table. “It just seems like this was all unnecessary! Princess Luna and I could have had our conversation at anytime in Ponyville! Then she could have found the house and bought it for me! Come to think of it, we could have even bought that bike while we were in Ponyville before the auction happened!”

Rarity looked up at Heartbreak. “Let me get this straight... You’re upset that you’re getting things?”

“What I am upset over is getting things that I don’t feel that I’ve earned...” Heartbreak replied gruffly.

“Oh, not this again...” Rarity rubbed her temple and looked at Heartbreak. “You haven’t even seen the house yet! You could give it at least a shot before getting upset about anything! Why can’t you just be happy that you got anything at all?!”

“Because it feels like this whole situation was set up so that I had to take the house being presented to me!” Heartbreak replied grinding her hooves down on the table.

“What do you mean by that?” Rarity asked starting to fume.

“What do I mean by that? What do I mean by that?” Heartbreak frowned. “Rarity, just a little question. Did any of the other bidders have to go up on stage to claim their stuff?”

“Well, no but-” Rarity began.

“Then why did we have to? And why did Princess Luna have to announce that she was giving me the house!? It was kind of putting me on the spot there! Almost like if I hadn’t accepted the gift, then I would be seen like a bad diplomat or ungrateful or something! And then she goes and donates a portion of the money to charity!” Heartbreak said fuming. “It was almost like I had to take the gift no matter what! Like the situation had been formulated and set so that I couldn’t win either way!”

“And what if it was?” Rarity asked.

“Meaning...?” Heartbreak glared at the unicorn across from her.

“Meaning, even if there was some sort of conspiracy to get you a house; and I’m not saying that there was, mind you. But if there was one, and even if Princess Luna was involved; So what? Either way you get the house! And a new bike I might add!” Rarity replied. “If you want, once you’re moved in? I can come and visit!”

“Oh, I can hardly contain my enthusiasm...” Heartbreak rolled her eyes. “And so what?! So what!? You girls would be using emotional manipulation and guilt trips just so that I would have to take a house!” she tapped tapped her forehead. “The only thing I can’t figure out in all this is where you would find the time to plan something so-” Her eyes lit up. “Unless...”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Darling, you just sound like you’re making things up just to start an argue-”

“Dreams,” Heartbreak said pointedly.

Rarity jumped and nearly spilled her tea as her eyes went wide. “Heh, d-darling... what do dreams have to do with this?”

“Princess Luna is the Princess of the Night and everything that goes along with it. One of those things is dreams. She could have totally set up a dream meeting-conference thing between you and Twilight to set this whole thing up!” Heartbreak said accusingly.

“D-darling where would you ever get such a silly notion like-” Rarity stopped as Heartbreak’s eyes narrowed at her angrily. “I- we were just- Gaaah! Fine, you caught us! But really would you have taken a house any other way?”

“Maybe! Now we’ll never know now will we?!” Heartbreak said huffing. “Great, I get a house all because you girls had to guilt me into taking it.”

“Ugggh!” Rarity bawled as she threw her head up in frustration. “Why does this even matter!? As I told you! You received a house and a bicycle! You should be happy! Why aren’t you happy!?”

“Because of how you had to give me these things! And the house you got me? Really? Did it need to be this big?!” Heartbreak replied.

“For your information, we girls thought that you would get the first house I had you bidding on! We didn’t plan on there would be another family bidding on it! And I didn’t expect you to give up because of that fact! I mean I did offer to help you out with money!” Rarity shouted shaking her hooves at Heartbreak. “Seriously! Why are we arguing over this!? You have a house! You have a home! You have a bike! There are ponies that would offer up their left front hooves for the things that you have been generously given!”

“I just explained why, Rarity! Do I have to-” Heartbreak began.

“Hey, H.B.!” Came a rather familiar sounding voice. Heartbreak turned in sudden shock and surprise. Standing next to her was a grey pegasus with a yellow mane and golden eyes. For a few seconds, the tan mare didn’t know how to react to the sudden and rather close appearance of her favorite background mare. Finally she shook her head, bewildered.

“D-derpy! I mean, uhm Ditzy! I mean- You! I haven’t seen you in two months! Rarity! It’s...It’s-” Heartbreak started to point and gesture at the grey pegasus, who had suddenly appeared next to her.

Rarity blinked in confusion. “Yes, I see that... Hello, Derpy...”

“Hi Rarity, how are you doing?” Derpy asked, smiling obliviously.

Rarity looked taken back by the seemingly almost random question. “I am doing well. However, I would be doing much better if somepony would just accept the things that are being generously offered to her. After all, those who were offering such things maybe wanted them to be a surprise!”

Derpy looked a bit confused and frowned a bit. “Oh, well, it is nice to have things offered to you... Though I kind of guess it depends on what is being offered.” She turned and looked at Heartbreak. “How are you doing?”

“I would be doing better if somep-p-ponies didn’t think that, ‘offering,’ wasn’t the same as, ‘dragging my flank clear across Equestria to Whinneapolis just so that Princess Luna can drop a house on me!’” Heartbreak said looking seethingly at Rarity.

“Well-” Rarity started as she locked eyes with Heartbreak.

Derpy put a hoof on Heartbreak’s shoulder. “You got a house?!”

Heartbreak turned and looked wide eyed at Derpy. Rarity could almost see the stubborn mares expression and hostile posture melt away. “Y-yeah...”

“And Princess Luna bought it for you?! Wow!” Derpy said cheerfully. “That must have been something!”

“Yeah, something alright. It would have been much more of a something had it not been that the girls wanted to hide the fact that they were setting this whole thing up just so that I would have to take it.” Heartbreak replied.

“Darling we were only trying to-” Rarity began.

“Make it a surprise!” Derpy interrupted while clapping her hooves. She looked over the table at the picture of the house. “And you got to meet Princess Luna too?”

Heartbreak rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but I just can’t quite get over that they had to go to such lengths just to get me a house. They could have found this place in the local Ponyville newspaper and then asked the Princess to buy it for me...”

“I told you, darling,” Rarity began. “We knew you would have figured it out and-”

“Then the surprise would be ruined!” Derpy interrupted looking horrified. “And nothing’s worse than a ruined surprise. Well, maybe a ruined muffin. Nopony likes a ruined muffin. But they took you all the way out to Whinneapolis so they could keep it a surprise? Wow, you must be really smart, H.B. Most ponies don’t have to work really hard to give me surprises. Most of the time all they have to do is yell, ‘Surprise!’ and I’ll be surprised! One time, I was invited to a birthday party, and I had no idea that it was my birthday party! Boy, I was sure surprised when I arrived!”

Heartbreak’s expression softened a bit more. “Yeah, I guess it was a surprise all along... Oh! Uhm... I’m still working on that drawing I promised you... I’m s-”

“Oh yeah! I remember you telling me that!” Derpy interrupted excitedly. “There’s no rush, everything like that takes time! I can’t wait to see it! I know it’ll turn out really great!”

“Yeah...” Heartbreak replied quietly.

“And when you get moved into your new house, maybe I’ll come to visit!”

Heartbreak turned and looked at Derpy with large glistening eyes. “I-I would like that. I’m not sure if this house will work out or not, but I would really really like it if you came to visit me...”

“Anything can work out if you give it a chance, H.B!”

Just then the conductor came into cart. “Next stop Crinkley Bottom! Next stop is Crinkley Bottom! Have your tickets ready!” He said in a soft tone.

Derpy’s ears perked up and she looked at the conductor. “Oh! That’s my stop! I’m off to see a pony named, ‘Mr Blobby.’”

Heartbreak shook her head in confusion. “Mr. Blobby?”

“Yeah, he has a slight speech imped-impedd,” Derpy looked frustrated at the word she was attempting to say. “Problem!” She exclaimed rising up and clapping her hooves together. “Anyway... It was really nice to see you again, H.B. And I hope your house works out for you, just remember to fill it with lots of happy thoughts! That’s always the most important part of moving into a new house!” she said waving as she continued on her way.

==============================================================

“Will do!” I shout as Derpy walks back down the hall. Fuck, I can’t help but smile at that goofy lovable face...

Maybe she was right, maybe the girls were trying to set this up as a surprise of sorts. A long, drawn out, unnecessarily difficult, overly complicated and tedious surprise. But a surprise nevertheless. And derp-face was right; knowing the things I know? It would be far too easy for me to piece together what was going on. “Oh Derpy, you are so quirky...” I sigh a little and look at the papers in front of me. Just then I notice the oddest look coming from Rarity. “What?” It takes a few moments for her to try to form a proper response.

“W-what was that about?”

Damn it, Rarity. You aren’t going to kill my mood with your questions! “What was what about?”

“What just happened with Derpy. Why did your mood suddenly change?” She asks.

“Because it was Derpy. That’s why,” I reply, examining the blueprints of my new house. “Huh, that’s interesting. This place has a dumbwaiter, maybe this place isn’t that bad, I mean I could turn it into a pony-sized elevator. ” Rarity is still staring at me. “What?!”

Rarity blinks at me. “Hold on,” she rubs her temple. “I explain to you that we were attempting to make this whole event a surprise and that you should be happy that you are getting a house: You nearly fly off the hook at me. But the resident, how should I put this? Accident-prone walleyed mare says nearly the same exact things and everything about the situation is suddenly sunshine and rainbows?!”

A spike of anger hits me. Fuck, my inner raving frothing fanboy/girl wants to hurt the unicorn. I take a deep breath. It’s like she’s just trying to kill my mood with her questions.

“Rarity...” I begin. “For your own...” I attempt to fumble for a word to put here. Not like I have much to threaten a magical talking unicorn with. “Sanity and mine. Please refrain from insulting Ditzy Doo in front of me.”

She backs up in her seat a little and looks at me questioningly. “I.. didn’t mean to sound insulting, H.B. It’s just I’m confused why her words carry more weight than mine...”

I take a deep breath. I don’t want to explain to Rarity that Derpy is my favorite background character. That her words carry weight due to the fact that she has an adorable voice and that her klutzy movements have made me laugh. If I did that, I might have Rarity attempting to imitate her. And as amusing as that thought is?

I don’t want Rarity attempting to change who she is just so she can please some inner fantasy... Heh, derpy Rarity.

I mull over what I am going to say while looking at my hooves... Wait! My hooves! I Got it!

“Rarity, give me a second... Don’t take offense here, just let me put this into the proper words so that there isn’t any misunderstandings,” Alright H.B. you can do this. Tell her without making it sound insulting. “Derpy is an example-”

“An Example?” Rarity interrupts me with a quirked look on her face.

“Don’t interrupt my train of thought here. She’s an example of what a pony with... disabilities can do in your society. Yes, she’s accident prone...” I start to choke a little on my words. Fuck, come on rational thought! Get out! “Yes she has... dang it what’s the condition with her eyes called...?”

“I believe it’s called, ‘Strabismus?’”

“Yeah, that sounds right. Anyway,” I look up at her. “She has her set of problems, but she has a job, a life, and gets along a-o-k! I mean, Luna and I-”

Princess Luna and I,” Rarity corrects me.

I fight the urge to let my eye twitch. “She said I get to call her, ‘Luna,’ but that is beside the point.” Rarity gives me a funny look. “Fine, Princess Luna told me pretty much the same things that every other p-p-pony has told me about, ‘getting better.’ But she’s a princess, and Derpy or Ditzy, who’s an ordinary p-pony; one without magic, or a royal support group on command... Actually getting along alright like that? It gives me hope... alright?”

Rarity still looks baffled. “But I-”

I pick up the important papers off the table, put them in my saddlebags and push myself out of my seat. “No more questions, Rarity. She’s what I needed at that moment, and it’s what works for me. Now,” I drop down to all fours and pick up my saddle bag. “Seeing that this train takes the long way back to Ponyville for whatever reason; if you’ll excuse me? I’m going to join Spike in the sleeping cart.”

“But-”

“I’m tired and you’re not going to ruin my moment, Rarity. Just accept that it works for me,” I reply, tapping the hoof-pad causing the door to slide open.