//------------------------------// // Michael's New Job // Story: Stuck in Equestria // by Mike the Red //------------------------------// Twilight and I trotted away, the lavender unicorn calling for her dragon assistant, who quickly caught up to us. I trotted to the left of the librarian, her drake to the right before he scampered up onto her back, flashing me a grin. "And just where have you been, Spike?" asked Twilight, giving him a brief smile. "I had to take care of a few things," he offered, grinning sheepishly. "What, you went and got some gems?" she asked, her smile turning into a grin. "Uh ... yeah! That's it! Yeah, some gems," he replied somewhat nervously, turning his head left and right rapidly to see if anyone he knew was looking in his direction. A brief pause followed before I spoke up. "I'm not even going to ask," I mused, chuckling softly. I glanced at Spike, who seemed to wear a nervous expression then grinned sheepishly again when his eyes met mine. I chuckled again and shook my head at the apparent irony of the situation. We continued trotting through the castle until we reached the front gate, then over to my car. A squad of four guardsponies were still standing around the vehicle. "Thank you for keeping watch over it, Sirs," I stated warmly, smiling at them. They stood at attention and saluted me, whereupon I returned their salute and chuckled softly again. "Military's the same no matter where you go," I noted, addressing the librarian with the comment. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Were you in the military?" she asked. "Yeah, but I don't wanna talk about it. I'd rather forget that chapter of my past," I grumbled, using my magic to teleport the keyfob out of the car, then unlocked the car and opened the doors. "Okay, let's go back to Ponyville. I suppose I can come visit my wife tomorrow." We got into the car at that point, Twilight and Spike taking the rear seats as I hopped into the driver's seat. I used telekinesis to insert the key into the ignition and started the car, which greeted us and asked for a destination. "Ponyville, Golden Oaks Library," I replied flatly to the car's request. The teleport was very swift, though once again a little disorienting. We exited the vehicle and I turned it off, placing the fob on the driver's floormat, then locking the door. "Your vehicle is quite impressive," Twilight mused. "What else can it do?" "I still owe a debt of gratitude to your mentor -- this car is a greater gift than I could have imagined. Think about it -- we could travel to Manehattan, Baltimare, Cloudsdale --" I began. "Um, the vehicle would probably fall to the ground if we teleported there," the librarian cautioned. "The reason Cloudsdale is called that is ... look up, over to your left, Michael -- you see that city off in the distance? That's Cloudsdale. It travels across Equestria, but always in the sky. If you're not a pegasus, you need to be able to cast a cloudwalking spell if you wish to visit. Do you know such a spell?" "Not really, no," I replied somewhat sullenly. "I'm curious to see what goes on in that city." I spent a few moments staring at the floating city, noticing tall white spires stretching into the stratosphere, or what seemed like that high. "That's where the Weather Patrol is located, the Cloud Factory and Rainbow Factory are there as well," she explained. "Is that where Rainbow Dash lives?" I asked. "She used to live there, but she wanted to be closer to us. If you look over to your right, just past the dome of Town Hall, you'll see her house." "Twilight, don't clouds dissipate as the water droplets that form them evaporate when they hit dry air?" My question caused her to start laughing, something I found irresistibly cute. She looks very pretty when she laughs, I thought. "What are you familiar with, Michael? Clouds around here are usually placed by the Weather Patrol pegasi -- Rainbow Dash is one of them -- but it's all dependent upon the requested forecast," she explained. "Hmm. Where I come from, clouds are formed by water vapor condensing when it reaches a height where the temperature is cool enough to cause the formation of clouds. Depending upon how much vapor is present, clouds can continue building until they form super cell thunderstorms -- and depending on certain atmospheric conditions, they can form tornadoes or even hurricanes." "You don't have a Weather Patrol in your world?" she queried. "Sometimes I wish we did -- it would make for considerably less damage if those storms could be stopped before they get out of control. We humans have not developed the capability of controlling the weather -- at least, not yet anyway. Climatologists have determined that interfering with weather patterns could have far more deleterious effects in other parts of the world if we tried to control the local climate in our part." "So that means you humans were at the mercy of planetary forces which you were unable to control?" "Yeah, that's basically it. We could only roughly predict what might happen -- atmospheric phenomena could prove to be quite unpredictable, especially tornadoes. Even with the most advanced equipment, we could only provide perhaps 15 minutes' advance warning of an approaching tornado. We had no way of stopping them -- our efforts were mainly to provide warnings to reduce the number of casualties. Property damage was another matter and could not be helped." The librarian expressed a degree of sympathy. "Perhaps you humans could use magic in some fashion?" Her question caused me to start chuckling loudly. "No one in my home world is capable of using magic like yours -- or like I'm able to here," I replied. "By the way, I was wanting to check out the possibilities of finding employment around here." "What sort of jobs have you done in the past? What are you skilled at?" "There were certain possibilities I was entertaining -- I used to work in a library at one time --" I began. The lavender unicorn's eyes lit up brightly when I mentioned this. "Oh, which one? How long did you work there? Perhaps you could work for me in my library?" she asked excitedly. "I'm curious to know how much it pays," I said matter-of-factly, causing her excitement to deflate rapidly. "Michael, I would think adequate payment would cover your living expenses while you're staying in my house," she replied flatly. "Besides, what do you need money for? Anything you need, just let me know. I can obtain it for you." "Um, Twilight, it's like this -- I've been working for different companies for a very long time -- and the thought of trotting around town without any money to buy stuff makes me feel ... inadequate. Having at least some money with me would do wonders for my self-confidence, if that makes any sense to you," I explained. "Ah, I see. If you're looking to receive a decent payment for the work you could provide, I would suggest you trot over to Carousel Boutique and see if Rarity might employ your services," she offered. "Just make sure you don't stay too long over there -- perhaps I should send Spike with you as well to ensure you don't try any funny stuff with her." "I'm quite sure Spike would relish any opportunity to visit Rarity -- I believe he's quite enamored with her. Thanks for your suggestion, Twilight -- I think a visit to the boutique would prove to be beneficial for me. Spike, are you coming with me?" "Wait, you're going to Rarity's boutique? Of course I'll go!" the drake exclaimed excitedly and climbed onto my back, causing me to chuckle. "Be back before dinner, you two! Good luck, Michael -- you might need it," she chuckled as I trotted towards the boutique. I turned my attention to the drake as I began trotting towards my destination. "What did she mean by that?" I asked him, a little trepidation evident in my query. He gave me a knowing grin before explaining certain idiosyncrasies the fashionista exhibited from time to time. "Rarity might have you do quite a few different tasks for her -- she might even have you stand still for long periods of time or she might have you try on different outfits -- there's no telling what she might have you do for her. If nothing else, she'll pay you some good money to work for her. She usually gives me a few gems when I work for her -- perhaps she'll give you a small sack of bits," he mused. His expression turned wistful as he day-dreamed about the fashionista. "I hope she pays me well -- there are certain things I'd like to do, certain other things I might have an interest in purchasing -- I haven't even checked out the Market District yet, and from what I've heard, there should be all kinds of curiosities that might pique my interest," I offered pensively. "You might be a little disappointed by Ponyville's markets -- the ones in Canterlot are another sight to see! Lots more available there!" Spike chuckled. "Sounds like a good idea -- I'll be going to the Castle tomorrow to check on Brenda again -- I'll ask Twilight if she'd like to tag along. While we're there, I'd like to peruse that market district," I responded, a cheerful hint of optimism in my voice. After another several minutes of trotting, we reached the boutique. I rang the doorbell. "Just a minute, darling," the fashionista called out. Spike started smiling upon hearing her voice and I could have sworn I saw little red hearts floating around his head as his eyes appeared to glaze over. "Spike, she hasn't even opened the door yet!" I chided him. Rarity heard me mention his name and her hoofsteps down the stairs had an air of alacrity about them. She opened the door, a big smile on her face. "Oh, do come in, darling! You too, Spikey-Wikey!" she chortled. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique! How may I help you today?" she chirped happily. "Rarity, I am looking for employment -- I am curious to know if you would be willing to pay me to be an assistant of sorts for you. I have plans on visiting Canterlot's Market District tomorrow, so I'm looking to earn a few bits so I might be able to purchase something there if I find it compelling enough," I stated softly, a gentle smile on my face. "Of course, darling! I didn't get to know you too well from the party, but your name is Michael, is it not? I would be pleased to offer you employment and I would be thrilled to accompany you to Canterlot tomorrow! Would we be travelling by train?" "Actually, we would be using my automobile to teleport there -- it's much faster. I will be visiting my wife in the Castle before heading to the markets there," I explained. The fashionista frowned for a moment before regaining her composure. "I forgot you were married, darling. Your appearance as a pony is quite striking -- you look charming enough as it is, but when I get through with you, you will be the epitome of fabulosity!" "What about me, Rarity?" Spike asked. "How can I forget my little Spikey-Wikey? Would you be so kind as to prepare a light lunch for us? I'll be sure to give you plenty of gems for your work," she offered warmly, nearly beaming. His expression seemed to match hers as I saw more hearts circling his head. I chuckled softly at the sight of the love-struck drake, who quickly saluted the alabaster mare and made his way into the kitchen to get started on lunch. She turned her attention to me at that point. "Michael, let's go upstairs to my workroom. I shall make some clothing designs for you -- I can see you as a very dashing stallion! I can't wait to try out so many things for you!" she exclaimed excitedly as she pulled me by my left fore-leg, practically dragging me upstairs. "My, such impatience! Please let go, Rarity, I can trot upstairs just fine," I offered. She blushed and giggled, then grinned sheepishly at her zealousness. "Sorry, Michael, it's just that sometimes my impulsive nature gets the better of me," she noted cheerfully. We trotted into her workroom and motioned for me to stand on a raised platform. I took in the sight of several pony-shaped mannequins, some with finished product hanging on them, others bare, the supporting wire cages exposed. The room was draped in mostly red linens suspended from the ceiling, a worktable against one wall, a sewing machine against an adjacent wall. "Darling, if you would be so kind, I shall need to take your measurements," she said. "I see you marveling at my workroom -- 'tis nothing special, I can assure you. Please stand on the platform for me." I noticed I hadn't done so already, having stopped short of it to examine her workroom. I grinned sheepishly before offering an apology and stepped onto the raised platform. She giggled her acceptance of my apology and began taking my measurements. "You're paying me for this?" I asked, my curiosity having gotten the better of me. "Of course, darling! You'll be assisting me until sundown and you will receive your payment then. But until then, I would appreciate it if you would do as I request," she replied warmly. She began humming a happy tune as she continued her work, occasionally reminding me to stand still. Of all the tasks I had been asked to perform over many years of employment, standing still proved to be some of the hardest work I had ever done. I could feel all four of my legs beginning to fall asleep and commented on this to the fashionista. She giggled in response and told me she was almost finished with my measurements. With that having finally been finished, Spike called us down for lunch. We enjoyed a tossed salad, some sandwiches, and washed it down with tea. I commented positively on the taste of the food, noting that even though I wasn't much of one for tea, it tasted quite good. Spike thanked me for the compliment. We chatted over lunch, talking about plans for tomorrow. "Michael, please remember to take me with you when you go to Canterlot tomorrow! There are some things I need to pick up for some special orders I have been asked to fill -- will your automobile be able to carry everything I'll be buying?" asked Rarity. "That depends on how much stuff you buy, Rarity. The trunk can only hold so much, and if you buy more than 15 boxes of items, they're not going to fit -- unless I modify the vehicle magically, and I'm not sure if my magic is capable of doing that," I noted. The fashionista gave me a somewhat crestfallen look as she contemplated my statement. "Very well then, Michael, I shall try to control my impulses -- but there's so much to see, so much to buy!" she chirped. "You intend to shop 'til you drop, eh, Rarity?" I chuckled. She took on a very serious expression. "Indeed, darling!" she exclaimed forcefully, her eyes narrowing at the prospect of an all-day shopping excursion to the capital city. "Anything you want, I shall purchase for you, as long as you accompany me for the entire day tomorrow!" "Um, Rarity, the purpose of my visit to Canterlot tomorrow is to see my wife -- after that, I'm yours for the rest of the day," I offered. A sly grin came to her face when she heard that. "I didn't mean it like that," I grinned, a light blush on my cheeks. "Yes, well, um. Yes. Let's get back to work, then, darling! I'm not finished with you yet!" she chortled. "What about me, Rarity?" asked the little dragon. He appeared to be bored. "Be a dear and tidy up the entrance, if you would be so kind?" she replied in a half-question, half-statement fashion. "Of course, Rarity!" he chimed, then set about his task. His thoughts were on the pile of gems he would be receiving as payment for his assistance. We trotted back upstairs, where the fashionista offered to sketch some new designs for me, even going so far as to allow me to watch her and offer suggestions. I trotted behind her, trying hard not to stare at her, though her beauty seemed to entrance me. I now understood why Spike was so enamored with her. She glanced over her left, catching sight of my half-lidded eyes and blushed. "Darling, am I that attractive to you? What about your wife?" she asked, but batted her eyes and smiled. "Your beauty is quite alluring, Rarity -- my wife is currently in the form of a zebra, but her bad attitude and foul disposition are the biggest obstacles to any affection I might have for her. I don't know if I told you this or not, but our marriage has been without the passion of romance for at least twelve years, if not longer," I explained. "Michael, darling, why are you still with her?! If she is that cold to you, perhaps you should find somepony else who will provide you the passion and romance you desire -- somepony like me!" she giggled. "If it were that simple, I would have left her a long time ago. There are certain obligations I have --" I began, but let my words trail off as I started pondering recent events. My silence seemed to trouble the mare who turned to me. "What are those obligations, dear?" she asked, a look of concern on her face. "You know something, Rarity? I have a feeling that those obligations are no longer relevant to our relationship -- I suppose it's unfair of me to ask the Princess for a divorce from my wife, but considering --" "Does that mean you'd be willing to marry me?" the mare asked very eagerly, sidling right up to me, pushing her body against mine and almost cooing to me. She wore a very big smile. "I am troubled by a few things, Rarity -- first, I have already promised my wife I would stay with her -- marriage is supposed to be 'til death do us part, but in my home world, more than half of all marriages end in divorce. Second, my wife is undergoing training and re-education at the Castle, under the supervision of the Princess herself. Third, it would be completely unfair of me to leave her for a pony -- I may look like a pony on the outside, but up here, I'm still a human," I explained, tapping my right temple with my fore-hoof to illustrate my point. The mare's exuberance deflated like an untied balloon upon hearing this. "Well, darling, I don't suppose that would stop us from being friends?" she offered hopefully. "Or course, Rarity! I would be honored to call you my friend," I replied warmly. I knelt on my right fore-leg, taking hers with my left fore-hoof and very lightly kissed it, causing her to blush very deeply. "If I weren't already married, I would seriously consider requesting your hoof in marriage." "Oh, darling! You flatter me too much!" she stated almost bashfully. I returned to my stance at this point. "I must admit that I'm quite taken with Twilight as well -- my admiration for her is very strong as well," I offered. "You would make a wonderful stallion for her, Michael -- but I must confess, I would rather have you as my stallion!" she chortled. I chuckled at her statement. "Oh, Rarity -- would that I could. My wife has grown rather distraught at the Castle in my absence. I still wonder what her training will be like -- there's a part of me that's worried Princess Celestia will try to break her. Ponies might be able to be broken, but humans are a harder bunch to do that to. She might look like a zebra now, and I'm sure the Princess might think she'll be easily broken, but I've been with her for twenty years. I gave up trying to please her a long time ago --" "Michael! Why did you do that? Why would you stop trying to please her?" the fashionista asked incredulously, a look of shock on her face. "If you were to marry me, I would certainly hope you'd never stop trying to make me happy!" "Trot a mile in my hooves, Rarity -- if you were forced to endure what I have, you'd probably understand why I stopped trying to please her. It was akin to banging my head against a wall -- my best efforts failed to satisfy her, no matter how hard I tried. So I simply stopped, and resorted to doing the bare minimum to keep her from getting angry with me. Trust me, I would hope you would appreciate my efforts to please you if we were married." "Darling, you know I would -- I'm sure you'd do just fine by me!" she giggled. "Now let's get back to work, we've dawdled long enough." She then started drawing her first sketch for a new design. I watched intently as her telekinesis maneuvered ink quill on parchment as she carefully sketched, her years of practice making it look easy. "Please stand further back, Michael, I need a little more room." I blushed, not having realized I was hovering a little too close to her. "My apologies, Rarity," I offered softly. "No problem, dear, just be a little more careful, please," she stated. She continued sketching more designs, then trotted to the sewing machine, levitating multiple items simultaneously in her pale blue aura. I was impressed by the display and commented on it. "It's nothing special -- just lots of practice. If you were to practice levitation long enough, you too would become as proficient as I am with it," she explained. I tried to levitate several items at the same time to test my skill. Rarity noticed this and expressed consternation. "Darling, please be careful! I am still using those items!" she exclaimed, a mix of worry and anger on her face. I lowered them gently, releasing them from my aura. "Sorry about that, Rarity -- I guess if I'm going to practice multiple object telekinesis, I should start with pebbles or rocks or something and do it outside your boutique," I said almost meekly, her outburst having caused me to retreat a little. "Oh, sorry, darling, it's just that I'm a little overprotective of my current projects -- I would hate to have to redo earlier work. If you're going to try something like that, I'd appreciate a little forewarning, please." She returned to the sewing machine and took about fifteen minutes or so working the fabric through it, though I couldn't tell what she was making. During that time, I acquiesced to her request and watched silently until she stopped stitching fabric. "Voila!" she exclaimed, holding the finished product in her aura. "Stand over here, darling, let me try this on you!" I trotted back to the platform, where she fitted me with the piece of clothing. From all appearances, it was a medium blue jacket which extended about half-way along my back. The front hung loosely in front of my fetlocks and featured a white ruffled collar. There were gold accents and piping along certain seams, enhancing it. I examined myself in a mirror Rarity provided and smiled, noticing my dapper appearance. "So, what do you think, darling? Is it not magnificent?" she asked, smiling broadly at her accomplishment. "Indeed it does, Rarity. I might ask for a copy of this jacket for myself, considering just how sharp I look in it," I mused. I was beaming a smile as I regarded my reflection in the mirror. "So what's next? More designs? More sewing?" A clock chimed five times to indicate the lateness of the day. "Michael, darling, I believe there will be more time soon for that. You are welcome to keep the jacket I made -- to be honest, I created it just for you! I shall also provide you with a small payment for your assistance," she stated, smiling warmly at me. She trotted into another room and returned shortly with a small brown cloth bag, a string tied around near the top. She levitated it over to me. "Thank you very much, Rarity," I said softly, taking the bag with my aura. "I'll be sure to stop by tomorrow for our little excursion." "I'm eagerly looking forward to it, Michael!" she responded, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she smiled. "Don't forget your jacket, darling! I hope to see you wearing it tomorrow!" "I shall, Rarity," I replied, returning her smile. We trotted back downstairs and noticed Spike sleeping on a red velvet chaise lounge. "Spike, wake up, it's time for us to go back to the library," I called out to him. He woke up and grumbled, complaining about having a nice dream interrupted. "Here's a little present for you, Spikey-Wikey!" the fashionista grinned, hoofing him a similar sized bag, though its contents could be seen bulging out at odd angles. Must be gems, I thought. The drake eagerly took the present and thanked the mare for her generosity. We bid Rarity a warm good-bye and good-night and I trotted back to the library with the dragon perched on my back. He seemed to be pretty comfortable doing that. He opened his little bag of gems and began munching on a ruby. By the time we made it back to the library, he had eaten all but three. He belched in approval, then blushed in embarrassment. "Oops, sorry about that, Mike," he said, grinning sheepishly. The drake slid off my back and hopped to his feet, then opened the door to the library. I trotted inside to find Twilight waiting for me. "So, how'd it go, Michael? Did you do well?" she asked, smiling warmly. "It went well, I think," I replied, showing a small bag of bits, and a box which had my jacket in it. "I haven't checked to see how much she paid me, but she did give me a very nice jacket to wear." "Let's see how much she gave you -- and I'd like to see that jacket, if I may," the librarian requested. She took my bag of bits and opened it, emptying the contents onto a table. She let a low whistle escape her lips when she saw just how much was there. "500 bits? She must really like you, Michael -- what did you say to her to give you such a generous payment?" I told her about tomorrow's plans and she groaned audibly. "Michael, she's going to spend all day shopping! And you're going to accompany her for the whole day?" "I'm also going to visit Brenda tomorrow, so it won't be the entire day," I offered, grinning sheepishly again. "Ugh. I guess that can't be helped. I was wanting to join you, but I think I'll pass. I don't want to spend a whole day in Canterlot, especially when it will be spent in the Market District. I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, Michael -- you'll probably be bored senseless by what she does when she goes shopping." "Well, I guess I'll find out then, won't I?" I chuckled. She grinned at my statement. "You have no idea, Michael!" she giggled. "I'll make sure I have a healthy dinner waiting for you when you get back tomorrow night. Speaking of dinner, Spike! Are you working on it?" she called out towards the kitchen. "Yes, Twi, I'm on it," he called back. I showed the jacket, which impressed the lavender unicorn. "That looks like something fit for a wedding," she mused. I gasped audibly when she mentioned this, eliciting more giggles from her. "Did you say something about that to Rarity?" I gasped again. "How do you do that? How do you know?" I asked incredulously. I was flabbergasted by her ability to read me like a book. "It's practically written all over your face -- I remember what you've told me about your wife -- who are you planning on marrying?" "Twilight, please! This is something Rarity made for me -- I had no idea this was a wedding tux!" "You didn't answer my question, Michael," she noted. Her gaze hardened a little. "I don't have any immediate plans -- though there was a part of me that wanted to ask you for your hoof in marriage," I mused. "I must confess, I also made that admission to Rarity as well." Her initial glee gave way to consternation. I watched her smile disappear immediately. "Michael. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Why would you propose to two of us?" "Because I like both of you," I replied, matter-of-factly. The librarian glared at me a bit harder now. "Dinner's ready," Spike called out. "Saved by the bell," I muttered and began to trot towards the kitchen. Twilight stopped me before I took a second step. "Not so fast there, Michael. We're going to have a little chat about that before you retire for the night," she said sternly.