//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: A Different Viewpoint of Equestria // by Christopher28 //------------------------------// After lunch, Johnathon patted his stomach. “Full….” he sighed a moment later. “But not quite satisfied.” Spike frowned. “What, didn’t you like my vegetable soup?” Johnathon shook his head. “It’s fine Spike. For vegetable soup, it was great, actually. I’m just… having a bit of trouble with an almost entirely vegetarian diet, I guess.” Spike nodded. “I hear that! Do you know how hard it is to find gemstones on a regular basis?” Johnathon blinked. “Er… you eat stones?” Spike nodded. “Gemstones, anyway. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds… even semi-precious stones are pretty tasty.” The archeologist blinked. “Er… that sounds expensive.” Spike shrugged. “Well, I usually get all I can eat when I help Rarity on one of her Gem finding expeditions, but she doesn’t go on those all that often.” he sighed. “Can you imagine? She can just cast a spell, and go right to the nearest gems!” his face took on a dreamy expression. “Beautiful, and talented. She’s so… perfect.” Johnathon blinked. “That’s right, Rarity’s special talent is to find gems. I guess money isn’t a problem for her.” Twilight looked a bit surprised. “What makes you say that?” The archeologist blinked. “Well… gemstones are really valuable… at least, the rarer kinds.” Twilight shrugged non-committedly. “Well, Rarity uses them in her fashions, and they are pretty… but valuable? I suppose they’re worth a good amount. It is expensive to buy Spike enough to eat on a regular basis. Luckily enough for my budget, he can do just fine on regular food.” Johnathon raised an eyebrow, and turned to Spike. “Excuse my curiosity, but how many gemstones can you eat in one sitting?” Spike looked thoughtful. “Well, I think my record was about ten pounds of turquoise in one sitting….” he sighed with a small happy smile on his face. “Those Buffalo really knew how to treat a dragon.” Johnathon bilnked. “Ten… pounds?” he shook his head. “Er… wow.” he shook his head. “Either I’m missing something, or they REALLY must have liked you.” he turned back to Twilight Sparkle. “So… your monetary system uses bits, right? How many bits would, I don’t know… a one ounce ruby cost?” Twilight blinked. “I really wouldn’t know.” she thought about that. “That’s a pretty small gem, so… maybe five bits?” Johnathon raised an eyebrow. “Er… that doesn’t sound quite right. How much would an apple cost?” Twilight nodded with a grin. “Oh, I know that one. You can usually get two apples for one bit here in town.” Johnathon blinked again. “OK… so either Applejack is the richest pony in town… or gemstones are a WHOLE lot less expensive here than what I’m used to.” Twilight looked interested. “What would a one ounce ruby cost on your world?” Johnathon hesitated. “Er… probably more than a thousand apples.” Twilight blinked. “So… at least a hundred times more than one would cost here?” Johnathon nodded. “I’m just estimating, I’m no expert, but, yeah, something like that. A lot more if it was a good quality gem.” Twilight whistled. “Wow.” she frowned slightly. “I wonder if it’s because we can find them with magic, or if they’re simply rarer on your world?” Johnathon shrugged. “Probably a combination of factors… makes me glad that that portal is good and shut though.” Twilight looked curious. “What is that?” Johnathon frowned slightly. “Well, to be honest, some people on my planet would do just about anything for enough money, and if they learned that they could get gemstones really easily here? It wouldn’t be pretty.” Twilight frowned. “Oh, I see.” she looked concerned. “The Diamond Dogs once took Rarity prisoner to make her find gemstones for them… but she managed to convince them to let her go after a while.” she paled slightly. “I hate to imagine what would have happened if gems were worth a hundred times as much to them! They were determined enough as it was. They would never have let her go if her talent was worth a hundred times more!” Johnathon looked troubled. “Sounds like some troublesome characters. Was anypony injured?” Twilight shook her head. “No. They wouldn’t have hurt anypony, I don’t think. Not really. But it was very bad of them to take Rarity like that.” Johnathon frowned. “Yes.” he shrugged. “But in any case, there are humans who like gems as much as your Diamond Dogs… times a hundred.” he shook his head. “If the wrong sort of people found out about Rarity, and could get to your world? You’d get to see the worst parts of humanity first hand, I’m afraid.” he took a deep breath. “Another reason you’ll want to be careful with your research. If you do open a portal, you don’t want to leave it open TOO long.” Twilight nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” she grinned slightly. “Well, if some greedy gem seeking humans did manage to come here, Rarity wouldn’t be the only one they’d be after. I can cast that spell too!” Johnathon chuckled. “I’m not surprised.” he looked curious. “Aren’t you worried that I’ll be greedy, and want a lot of gems before I go home?” Twilight looked thoughtful. “Well… if you want some gems before you go, I don’t see why that would be a problem. I mean, as long as you could go through the portal relatively quickly, I don’t see why you can’t take a few souvenirs.” she shrugged. “I mean… as long as I close the portal afterwards, we’d be safe either way, right?” she looked curious. “Your people don’t know how to travel between dimensions, right?” Johnathon grinned. “No, we do not. Actually, unless I brought some sort of definitive proof that I’d been on another world, no one would believe me about this place even if I told them.” he grinned at her. “I… well, I wouldn’t consider myself greedy, but I can’t lie. The thought of going home with a pocket full of rubies or diamonds wouldn’t bother me much.” Twilight shrugged. “Well, you do have some bits… when it comes time to send you home, you can buy some to take with you!” Johnathon shook his head. “I’ll think about it. I might think of a perfectly good reason why that’s a bad idea.” he frowned. “I’ll probably have to leave the gloves Rarity made for me behind… I don’t think they have invulnerable lion hair on my world, and while I can’t think of exactly how it would get me in trouble, having something like that probably wouldn’t end well.” he sighed. “Which is a shame. They’re the nicest pair of gloves I’ve ever owned.” Twilight frowned. “Do you really think something so small could cause a problem on your world?” Johnathon shrugged. “Probably not, but if the wrong thing happens, it could be bad, yes.” Twilight looked interested. “What sort of thing could happen?” The man wrinkled his nose. “Well… for instance, I hit my head on the way through again, but I’m found by my co-workers. They take me to a hospital, and, since I’ve been gone so long, the police start an investigation into my disappearance, and someone examines my gloves, and discovers that they’re made from a material not found on my world. They’ll want to know where I got them. An exotic material like that would be worth a fortune to some individuals, and I could get in a lot of trouble….” he shrugged. “It’s not a terribly likely scenario, I admit, but it could happen, or something else along those lines.” Twilight blinked. “I see.” she shook her head. “Your world really does sound pretty scary, Johnathon.” He smiled faintly. “Parts of it really are. It’s not that bad if you’re used to it, and as I said, there are parts that are very nice. Some places are just as peaceful as it is around here in Ponyville… or almost.” he shrugged. “But yeah, bad things can happen, and the place I was when I was excavating that ruin the Princess’s built? That region isn’t one of the nicer ones.” he shrugged. “It’s not one of the worst ones either… kind of in the middle. Dangerous enough, certainly.” Spike, who had been listening to their conversation with half an ear, yawned, then started to clear away the dishes. “Remind me not to go to your world.” he commented. “I’d NEVER get enough gemstones for a decent meal!” Johnathon stood and helped the little dragon carry the dishes to the sink. “Why don’t I wash while you dry?” he suggested. Spike nodded, and they got to work. “I’m curious though, Johnathon.” he asked finally. “I mean, if they’re that rare on your world, you obviously don’t eat gemstones, so… what is it that you miss eating?” Johnathon blinked. “Er… can I just say… a lot of different things, and leave it at that?” Twilight chuckled nervously. “Maybe we shouldn’t bother Johnathon about it.” Spike glanced at the purple unicorn. “Why? Is there something wrong with what he eats?” Johnathon coughed. “Er… well, I’m an omnivore.” Spike blinked. “So am I! I can eat just about anything.” he looked curious. “What, do you eat worms, or something? He grinned. “Because we have those here, if you want some! Applejack made some muffins with earthworms in them that I really liked!” The archeologist blinked. “Earthworms?” his eyes lit up. “Um… I am slightly hesitant to ask… but… where did she get the earthworms from?” Spike blinked, and shrugged. “I don’t know. The ground, maybe?” Johnathon hesitated. “Er… the reason I ask… do… does anyone, fish around here?” Twilight spoke up, sounding puzzled. “Fish? Did you just use that as a verb?” Johnathon winced. “Never mind… sorry I asked.” Spike blinked. “What does fish as a verb mean?” Johnathon shook his head. “No, no… just a human expression, forget I said anything.” Twilight looked curious now. “What do earthworms have to do with fish, anyway?” Johnathon was tempted to say nothing, then he gave up. “Haven’t you ever seen a bear catching fish from a stream?” Twilight blinked. “Er… you mean… fish as a verb means… catching fish?” she paled slightly. “As in to eat them?” Johnathon sighed. “Yes, that’s what it means.” Twilight grimaced, than schooled her expression with an effort. “Er… no Johnathon, I don’t think anypony fishes around here.” Johnathon lowered his head. “Sorry… of course not.” Twilight was quick to reassure him. “You don’t have to apologize! I mean… humans eat… meat. Just like bears, and wolves, and hydras…” she shivered, then apologized for it. “I’m sorry, it’s just… a little….” Johnathon nodded. “You don’t have to apologize either. I can imagine it must seem pretty awful.” Twilight hesitated, than nodded. “Yes, a little. But… well, that’s just what your species eats. It’s not your fault.” she looked worried. “Do you HAVE to eat meat? Will you get sick if you don’t have some once in a while?” Johnathon was tempted to let it go, but something drove him to admit the complete truth. “Well, I’ll probably need more protein than I’ve been getting if I’m going to stay healthy, but I can get that from….” he blinked. “Er… peanut butter is a good source, I believe… I’m afraid I don’t know a lot about er… vegetarian sources of protein, but I know there are plenty of options.” he glanced from Spike to Twilight curiously. “Do they have peanut butter here?” Twilight smiled slightly. “I’ve heard of it, although it’s not really popular. Still, if you need some to stay healthy, I think we could arrange that.” Johnathon sighed. “Well, that would be nice. I’m a big fan of peanut butter, actually.” he grinned. “Since I was little.” he shrugged. “Humans don’t have to eat meat. Quite a few are vegetarians all the time. I’m sorry to say I wasn’t one of them, although I expect that I’ll get used to it.” he smiled slightly, looking a bit sad. “I suppose that makes me one of the more barbaric humans.” Twilight frowned. “Well, I… I don’t think so. Princess Celestia seemed to think you are quite nice for a human, and, honestly, from what I’ve seen, you’re nice for anyone. That doesn’t change because you used to eat meat.” she shuddered slightly. “As icky as that sounds.” Johnathon raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? You don’t think less of me because I used to eat… well, animals?” Twilight shivered again, then shook her head. “It’s weird, and disturbing, but… no. I have known that humans eat meat for a while now. You told us that, days ago. And you don’t eat bunnies, or ponies, or anyone’s pets….” she frowned slightly. “I guess you eat fish… which doesn’t seem… so bad.” Johnathon sighed. “Let’s drop the subject, Twilight. I appreciate that you’re trying to be understanding, but I understand that it’d bother ponies if I don’t stay vegetarian while I’m here, and frankly, I can live with that. I wouldn’t want to chance eating meat here, anyway. I have no idea what is intelligent and what isn’t, not really, not here, anyway.” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head. “Never mind. Dropping the subject.” Johnathon raised an eyebrow, than chuckled at the pained but resolute expression on her face. “You’re dying to ask one more question, huh?” he shrugged. “Go ahead.” Twilight blushed. “Er… so, you only eat… non-intelligent animals?” Johnathon nodded. “That would be accurate.” he looked apologetic and uncomfortable with the whole subject, and Twilight decided not to bother him anymore. After several moments, the purple unicorn thought of another question, but kept it off her face. “Sorry. I’ll drop the subject.” she said instead. Spike was looking a bit horrified, as well as strangely curious. “I’m an omnivore, does that mean I can eat meat too?” Twilight blanched, but decided to go with the truth. “Er… yes Spike, Dragons can eat meat. Most don’t… as far as I know.” she closed her eyes and explained. “Dragons, and Griffons, and Diamond Dogs, for that matter, all agreed to stop eating meat, at least while inside our borders, hundreds of years ago. It’s considered uncivilized, and although they all can eat meat, they generally do not.” Spike grimaced. “Well, none for me! Gemstones are the only non-vegetable I’m hungry for!” Johnathon nodded quickly. “Hey, as long as I’m in your borders, I’ll be happy to follow your customs. Frankly, even if I do manage to go home, I don’t think I’ll have quite the same feeling on the subject. I may have a craving or two, but I expect I’ll stay a vegetarian.” Twilight chuckled wryly. “I’m glad we had this conversation AFTER lunch.” **************************** Johnathon walked through the center of Ponyville slowly, doing his best not to appear threatening. So far, it seemed to be working. The residents seemed to be slowly getting used to his presence. While nopony approached him, at least none of them were screaming or running. He spotted Rarity’s shop, the Carousel Boutique, right where Twilight had said it would be. “Stands out quite a bit, like its owner.” Johnathon commented thoughtfully as he knocked lightly on the front door. After a moment, he heard a voice from inside tell him to come in, so he opened the door and walked inside. Rarity was floating a piece of fabric across the room. She laid it across the back of a pony sized mannequin and turned to greet him. “Why, hello there, Mister Dwire!” Rarity said with a broad smile. “I was wondering when you’d drop by!” Johnathon looked around the room with some interest. “You look like you’re pretty busy. Is it a bad time?” Rarity smiled. “Not at all. I AM a bit busy. Nightmare Night is only a month away, and I’m always swamped with orders for custom costumes around this time of the year, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” she walked up to him, then around him, looking him up and down and nodding. “Yes… yes.” she frowned slightly. “My poor dear, have you been wearing those same clothes for a week?” Johnathon grimaced slightly. “Well, Fluttershy washed them for me about three days ago, but… aside from your presents last night, they’re the only clothing I have.” Rarity nodded with a small frown. “Well, that simply won’t do!” she looked curious. “Is it true that humans wear clothing almost all the time?” Johnathon nodded. “Most humans, yes. It started as an adaptation to the weather… humans don’t have a natural coat of fur to protect them from harsh conditions, you see… but it became an almost intrinsic cultural thing after a while.” Rarity smiled. “I expect a clothing shop would do quite well on your world, darling, if everyone wears clothing all the time!” Johnathon grinned at her. “Well, there’s competition in that field, as there is in every, although I’m certain a pony of your skills would do well on my world, or any, so long as someone wants high quality clothing.” Rarity smiled at him. “How nice of you to say.” she sighed slightly. “It’s difficult having a shop like mine in a small town like this one. Even in winter, there is rarely much call for new clothing, except for formal occasions, which are, frankly, not terribly common in Ponyville. I’ve been trying to make connections in Canterlot for simply forever! They do appreciate finely crafted clothing in the capital!” Johnathon nodded agreeably as she raved for awhile about the center of culture that was Canterlot. He was rather curious himself as to that city, having only seen it at a distance so far. Ponyville was apparently only a small town in comparison, and much less formal than many of the larger cities. Rarity shook her mane and smiled at him, having finished gushing about the big city life. “Now then, let’s see about putting together some outfits for you, shall we?” she floated a measuring ribbon over toward him. “Now, hold out your arms, and stand still please….” As Rarity took his measurements, Johnathon spoke up. “Something simple would be fine… it’s not that I don’t ever want formal attire, but, well, since I’m wearing clothes every day, I need some extra clothing that I can wear that’s comfortable… and that I can work in. I did promise Applejack I’d help out around her farm.” Rarity nodded thoughtfully. “Something comfortable… something durable? Hmm. What did you have in mind?” Johnathon gestured at his short sleeved button up collared shirt. “Well, perhaps a long sleeved shirt like this one? Something relatively durable, but comfortable? A nice flannel shirt for cooler weather… a tee shirt for relaxing, or for working in the heat?” Rarity shuddered slightly at the word ‘flannel’. “I should be able to do something along those lines.” she looked thoughtful as Johnathon tried not to be surprised that she was familiar with both concepts. “So… you know what a tee shirt is?” he said, surprised. Rarity blinked. “Well, naturally, although they’re not something I usually make. They often have some… colorful slogan on them?” she shuddered. “I believe Rainbow Dash has an absolutely hideous one featuring the Wonderbolts.” she shook her head, then grinned to herself. “But speaking of Rainbow Dash, she’s just going to love her costume this year! I’ve already got the fabric. It’s going to come out exactly as she described to me.” the elegant white unicorn shook her head. “But you’ll be needing some more…” she frowned at his jeans. “What is this garment called anyway, Mister Dwire?” she eyed the stitching on the sides enviously. “Such fine workmanship!” she said with a sigh. “I don’t think I’ll be able to quite match it.” Johnathon blinked, then glanced down at his jeans. “These? These are pants. Well, jeans, specifically.” when Rarity raised an eyebrow at that, he explained. “Oh, well, jeans are a particular type of pants. All jeans use this sort of material, and stitching like these. I believe they’re made by machines, and yes, I imagine it would be extremely difficult to replicate by hand… er, by hoof.” Rarity smiled slightly. “Well, I do have a perfectly nice sewing machine, dear, but you’re right, I don’t think I’ll be able to match the stitching." she frowned slightly. “I should be able to match the pattern, however.” she smiled. “In fact, I expect there might be some call for… pants in the near future. Why, some pony was in here earlier today, wanting to know if she could get a pair like yours for Nightmare Night.” Johnathon blinked. “Er… could I ask what Nightmare Night is?” Rarity blinked. “Oh, of course, how silly of me. Every year, the children dress up in costumes and go from house to house collecting candy… it’s all connected to some silly old superstition about Nightmare Moon coming back and eating ponies unless everypony dresses up in a disguise, so that she cannot find any ponies, and offers her candy, so she will eat it instead of them…” she chuckled faintly. “Although, of course, now we know that Nightmare Moon was in fact quite real… although I don’t think even Nightmare Moon would eat anypony. It’s all quite silly.” Johnathon blinked. “Er… fascinating. My culture has a similar tradition.” he frowned. “Twilight did tell me about your encounter with Nightmare Moon. It’s hard to believe she was trapped… on the moon no less, for a thousand years!” he shook his head. “But.. I guess she’s supposed to be reformed now, after you defeated her with the elements of harmony.” Rarity smiled softly. “Princess Luna seemed quite upset… but I could not find it in my heart to hold a grudge after her powers as Nightmare Moon were gone. Somehow, it seemed like she was a different pony entirely, trapped inside the Nightmare.” Johnathon raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s quite a generous attitude to take.” he said, trying to keep a straight face. Rarity chuckled. “Perhaps it’s cliched, but forgiveness is important to everypony, I think. What kind of monster would I be if I could not forgive somepony who has already suffered so much.” she sighed. “Besides, I simply love her mane. I have so many dress designs I’d just LOVE to try on her someday! I do hope she doesn’t hold a grudge for our defeating her!” Johnathon frowned. “Is that something you should worry about?” Rarity shook her head. “Oh no, I wouldn’t think so. It’s just, we’ve been to Canterlot castle several times since then, and seen Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna always appears to be absent for some reason.” Johnathon frowned lightly. “Hmm. Strange.” he shrugged. “But, who am I to judge? I can’t imagine what it would be like, trying to adjust to a society after a thousand years.” Rarity nodded thoughtfully. “Oh dear yes! Think of all the changes in fashion alone! I mean, the Princess’s style has remained timeless for as long as any pony can remember… and it is a beautiful look, of course, but there is so much else…” she shook her head with a smile. “But never mind that. Let’s talk about you. Do you have any suggestions for materials I might use for new… pants for you? Since I cannot duplicate your… jeans, was it?” Johnathon blinked. “Hmm… well, why don’t you show me some fabrics, and I can tell you what would work.” Rarity smiled. “Certainly! We can pick out your color choices at the same time!” Johnathon smiled. “Good idea.” Rarity started telekinetically floating roll after roll of fabric out for him to inspect, and they soon got to work. Johnathon had only a little experience with making clothing, having worked for a short while making costumes for plays for his college drama department, but he’d worked with a tailor before. Rarity was quite obviously an expert in her field, and Johnathon tried not to step on her creativity too much as she worked. The middle aged man sighed faintly at one point as Rarity noted down his fabric choices on a piece of parchment on an easel. “This reminds me of when I was getting my suit made for my wedding. My wife wanted my brother, my father and I to all be wearing suits of the same material and color. She took me to a tailor… aside from my own amateur efforts, that was the only time I can remember getting fitted like this. Usually I just buy off the rack.” Rarity smiled. “Your wedding, you say?” her face fell. “Oh yes, I did hear. I’m very sorry about your wife.” Johnathon shook his head. “I’m not. We were very happy. Our wedding was probably the happiest day of my life. It’s not a bad thing to remind me of the days leading up to it.” Rarity smiled softly. “I understand, I think. I’ve dreamed of my own wedding for a very long time, although I’m afraid I’ve yet to meet just the right stallion.” she shrugged. “Still, I do love weddings. They are the most memorable moments in one’s life, don’t you agree?” Johnathon nodded in agreement. “That’s been my experience.” The white unicorn turned back to her notes. “Well, I do believe I have enough for now. Come back tomorrow, and I should have something for you.” Johnathon reached into a pocket. “We haven’t discussed payment, Rarity. What do you usually charge?” Rarity looked thoughtful. “Well, why don’t we wait and see once I’ve finished. I promise not to gouge you on the price.” she smiled. “Besides, I should thank you for all the new ideas you’ve given me from your world’s fashions!” He blinked. “Well, I wouldn’t say I did anything, really.” Rarity chuckled. “Well, I’d thank whoever designed the clothing you’re wearing now, but they’re not here, so I’ll simply have to be grateful to you.” The human blinked, then shrugged with a grin. “If you say so, Rarity.” he glanced out one of the windows. “Hmm… going to be dark soon. I was hoping to make one more stop today.” he turned to her. “Rarity, which way is your city hall from here? I’ve been meaning to speak to the mayor.” *************************** The Ponyville City hall was an impressive structure at the center of the town square, and the front door was open. Johnathon walked in slowly, glancing around, and immediately spotted a tan colored mare with a grey mane and spectacles balanced on her nose, looking over a scroll on a desk with dozens of scroll holders, most full. “Hi. I’m looking for the Mayor?” Johnathon said cautiously. “That would be me, Mayor Mare.” the grey maned pony said crisply. “How can I help… eep!” her eyes went wide as she finished turning around to see him, and Johnathon inadvertently took a step backwards. “I’m sorry I startled you.” he apologized immediately. “But I was hoping you could help me.” The Ponyville mayor blinked, her wide eyes slowly losing their fright. “Oh my! You did startle me… just a bit.” she swallowed slightly, as if working up her courage. “How… how exactly can I help you, Mister… er…” “Johnathon.” the man explained. “My name is Johnathon Dwire.” “What an usual name.” the Mayor said, then blushed slightly. “Well, I suppose that shouldn’t be very surprising, seeing as you’re from an entirely different world.” she blinked. “That is correct, isn’t it? It all sounded so very odd.” Johnathon nodded helpfully. “It’s a bit odd to me as well, but yes, I’m from a different world.” he shrugged helplessly. “Unfortunately, it appears I will be staying in the area for a while…” he blinked. “Er, not that it’s unfortunate that I am staying in the area, it’s quite lovely here. It’s a very nice town… just, that it’s unfortunate that I cannot get home and let my friends and family know I’m alright. I’m sure they’re quite worried.” The Mayor blinked at this. “Well… yes, of course.” she looked a little calmer, almost maternally at him. “Yes, of course, I’m sure your family must be quite worried.” she looked curious. “How may I be of assistance, Mister Dwire?” Johnathon took a breath. “Well, at the moment, Fluttershy is letting me stay on her couch. I was wondering if you had any homes for rent in the area? I don’t want to keep imposing on Fluttershy forever, after all.” he patted his pocket, where he had put a handful of bits that Twilight had given him earlier. “I can pay, of course.” The Mayor looked surprised at his request, but after a moment, she nodded slowly. “I think… I believe there are a few houses available. Let me see.” she turned to her desk, and after scanning the scrolls there for a bit, took one down with her teeth, and unrolled it with her front hooves with surprising dexterity. “Let me see here… yes.” she turned to him. “I see that there is an small place on the edge of town. It’s been vacant for several years. It’s small, and needs some repairs, I believe…” she frowned. “Oh dear….” she shook her head. “No, apparently a C. D. Donkey has put a down payment on it already. He’s due to arrive in two months, but wanted to make sure he had a place when he arrived.” Johnathon frowned. “Oh, I see. Is there any place else?” The Mayor wrinkled her nose. “Well, there is a nice four bedroom house that just went up…?” she pulled a scroll down and looked at it, then motioned for Johnathon to take a look. “I’m afraid that it’s up for sale, not rent, however. The builders were interested in an outright sale… and they’re likely to get a good price for it!” she smiled at Johnathon. “Our little town has been growing steadily for some time, and new housing is usually snapped up quickly.” she frowned slightly. “But that means that there really aren’t any empty homes at the moment… although we are putting up a large apartment complex on the outskirts of town!” she sighed. “But construction on that isn’t due to be completed for months.” Johnathon frowned. “Oh. Well, I suppose I’ll have to think of something else. I would ask if there are any rooms for rent, but…” he shrugged. “I wonder if any of the ponies around here would be willing to put up with a human for a house guest.” The Mayor frowned slightly, looking unexpectedly sympathetic. “Yes, I can see how that might be an issue… still, it cannot hurt to ask, can it?” she looked through her scrolls again. “Let me see… rooms for rent, rooms for rent. I believe I have a list here, just in case someone asks that very question.” she found the scroll and passed it too him. “As you can see, there are a number of different options. Perhaps you could ask these ponies if they’d be willing to rent you a room?” Johnathon scanned down the list, seeing names and addresses and prices, and stopped. “I see here that Miss Cheerilee is on this list.” he noted thoughtfully. “I wonder?” he smiled at the Mayor. “Could you give me directions to this address please?” ************************** Ten minutes later, with the sun starting to sink behind the horizon, Miss Cheerilee heard a knock on her front door. She had been busy grading papers, and didn’t mind the distraction. “Coming!” She called out as she trotted through her front hall. “I wonder who could be calling?” she wondered quietly as she reached to open the door. She blinked in surprise, looking up at the face of the only human in Equestria. “Oh! Hello Johnathon! Did you need some more help translating?” Johnathon Dwire smiled at the purple school teacher. “Actually, I had a different reason to come by. May I come in?” “Certainly!” Cheerilee stood aside, and escorted her guest to her living room. “Can I get you something to drink?” Johnathon smiled slightly. “I’m fine, thank you. I wanted to ask you something.” Cheerilee looked interested. “Yes?” The archeologist hesitated for a moment. “Well, it’s just a thought… and I’m sure there are plenty of other options, but I was wondering if you were still wanting to rent your spare bedroom?” he shrugged. “I mean… I really won’t mind if you’d be uncomfortable with an alien creature in your home….” Cheerilee blinked. “You want to rent my spare room?” she shook her head slightly, then raised an eyebrow. “I thought you might want to stay with Twilight Sparkle, since she’s the one trying to figure out how to get you home? Or perhaps Fluttershy?” Johnathon shrugged. “Well, Fluttershy has been extremely hospitable to me when I needed it, but she’s got a pretty small place, and it would be nice to have a room to myself. Twilight’s library is bigger, but it’s full to the rafters already… there really isn’t a place for a private room for a guy like me.” Cheerilee nodded slowly. “I see.” she looked up at him, then nodded. “Well, I don’t mind. I have been looking for a roommate, and while I didn’t expect a human, the idea doesn't bother me.” she smiled at him. “It’ll be nice to have a quiet, scholarly type of pony… er… human, like yourself. Most ponies that are looking for a room in town right now are younger… just getting out of their parent’s home for the first time, and while I don’t mind a little exuberance, I do like a little peace and quiet at home.” she smiled. “I don’t think I’ll have to worry about late night parties with you here….” she blushed slightly. “No offense, I don’t mean you don’t have a lot of friends, just that you don’t seem to be the party sort…” Johnathon grinned. “None taken.” he shrugged. “And you’re quite right. I don’t mind company, but I’m comfortable with solitude. I prefer it, in fact, at least some of the time. Helps me to relax, and think. I expect I’ll be doing a lot of reading in the next few months.” Cheerilee smiled. “Well then, when do you want to move in?” He blinked. “Would tomorrow be too soon? I don’t have a lot of stuff.” he blinked. “Oh, is the room you’re renting furnished? I’ll probably need some furniture. In fact, I might want to have some pieces made. Pony chairs don’t suit me that well.” Cheerilee nodded. “Well, it has a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand… it’s got a small closet, and the bathroom is next door.” Johnathon hesitated. “Do you happen to have a bath? I do like a good soak.” Cheerilee nodded cheerfully. “I do, in fact.” she started walking toward the back of the house. “Why don’t I show you around?” After a quick tour, Johnathon got ready to go. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow. When would be a good time for me to move in? Like I said, I don’t have much stuff, so I can do it in one trip…” Cheerilee shrugged. “Oh, any time is fine, although I won’t be home from school until around four.” Johnathon nodded. “I’ll come by around four. I’ll probably want to do some furniture shopping as well… but that can wait a day or two.” The schoolteacher pony shook her head. “My, it’s been quite a while since I had a roommate. This will be quite interesting.” Johnathon chuckled. “Well, I’ll try to make sure it’s not TOO interesting.” ****************************** Walking back to Fluttershy’s cottage that evening, Johnathon felt a definite sense of accomplishment. He had learned quite a bit more about magic that he had expected, he’d arraigned, through Rarity, enough changes of clothing for an extended stay, and he’d even found a proper place to live. He frowned slightly. It all seemed too easy. Certainly his arrival in this strangely peaceful world had been exciting enough for anyone, but since then, everything had come to him, one thing at a time, without effort. It was mostly because of the generous and giving nature of the ponies that lived in the peaceful land of Equestria, he reasoned, and he shouldn’t be looking a gift… pony in the mouth, but still, he wasn’t used to things being quite so easy. He was an alien, in a world that hadn’t seen his kind in thousands of years, and already he had friends… a home, and even those ponies he hadn’t personally met were starting to slowly warm up to his presence. Not one pony had run from him today. He wondered if Twilight could succeed at devising a magical way to open a portal back to his world. She was gifted, and very bright, that was certain. He still found it more than a little difficult to believe some of the stories she had told him, but at the same time, he couldn’t believe she would lie to him like that. She seemed to honestly believe everything she said to him. Johnathon had always been a bit of a skeptic. He believed in what he could see, or touch… or in things that obeyed the laws of physics that he had grown up with. But he had seen fantastic things already, things that his scientific laws could not explain. He wasn’t about to start disbelieving his own eyes! As for the rest? Well, just because he hadn’t seen some of the feats of magic Twilight had told him about, didn’t mean he needed to disbelieve any of them. He could suspend his disbelief until he saw for himself. Oh! Cloudsdale! There was something he truly wanted to see for himself. It was one thing to see Rainbow Dash’s cloud home in the sky... in fact, that alone was something he was anxious to see up close, but an entire city made of clouds? There was no way he could miss seeing that! Who knew? Twilight could figure out how to get him home in a week! He couldn’t risk missing his chance. Fluttershy was waiting outside her house when he got back. “Hello Johnathon. How was your day today?” Johnathon smiled fondly at the small yellow pegasus. “Great. Let me tell you all about it over dinner.” he smiled hopefully. “I’m starving.” Fluttershy smiled back. “I was waiting for you to get home before getting started preparing something. Did you have anything in particular in mind?” Johnathon shrugged. “Why don’t I show you how an Irishman cooks potatoes? Do you have any butter around?” Dinner was a pleasant affair, only slightly dampened by the news that Johnathon had found a new place to live. “I’ll miss it here.” he admitted finally. “You’ve been a wonderful host, Fluttershy. If you had a little bigger place, I’d be tempted to stay.” Fluttershy smiled sadly. “I will miss you too.” Johnathon shrugged. “Well, I won’t be going far, and I’ll visit. I’ll be spending a lot of time with Twilight as well, I’ll expect, or around the library, so we’ll see each other often enough.” Fluttershy nodded. “I know. And it will be nice to have all the little animals who were scared of you feel comfortable to come back inside.” she sighed. “I tried to tell them you weren’t dangerous, but most of them still are nervous around you.” Johnathon shrugged. “I’m still quite amazed at how good you are with them all. I’ve always had a way with dogs… and I was halfway decent with horses, but….” he shrugged. “It’s the predator in me. I’m a civilized predator, but there is still that little bit underneath the surface that most animals can sense.” Fluttershy looked interested. “Oh, do you like doggies then?” Johnathon blinked. “Sure. They always seem to like me too! Even the meanest dog would end up treating me like their pack master after being around me a minute or so.” Fluttershy blinked. “Why do you think that would be?” Johnathon shrugged. “Well, for the same reason why your rabbits and birds and your other smaller animals avoid me. They can sense the predator in me… and... well, dogs can sense fear, and I’m usually not afraid of much. Even when a big dog is barking up a storm, trying to scare me, I know it won’t hurt me if I’m calm, and let it know I’m not afraid. They’ll usually show me their bellies after a minute, and then we can be friends.” Fluttershy blinked. “Oh my. I can’t imagine not being afraid…” Johnathon hesitated. “Well, fear is really useful… it tells you when you need to be careful. But it can be a handicap as well, if you let it keep you doing what you need to do. I’ve worked hard to master mine. I’ve got fears, every... everypony does, but I try not to let them make bad decisions, and mostly I succeed.” Fluttershy blinked. “Does that mean you don’t make any bad decisions?” Johnathon laughed out loud. “I wish! No, I make plenty of bad decisions. There are lots of things other than fear that can make you make poor choices, trust me!” Fluttershy sighed. “I wish I could do that.” at his curious expression, she explained. “Control my fear? You do it because you choose too. I never have been able to do that. The only time I can do something useful when I’m afraid is when I get angry… or when I see something sick or injured that needs my help.” Johnathon nodded slowly. “Well, it’s not easy, I’ll admit. I had to deal with my fear, in a big way, when I was pretty young, so maybe that has something to do with why I’m good at dealing with it now.” Fluttershy looked curious. “What ARE you afraid of, Johnathon?” she blushed. “Um… if you don’t mind me asking?” Johnathon smiled slightly. “I don’t mind. Actually, I’m afraid of bugs. Ants are the worst for me… big bugs, like beetles and things don’t bother me too much, but the little tiny ones?” he shivered slightly. Fluttershy looked incredulous. “Tiny little bugs? You’re scared of ants and little bugs? Why?” Johnathon smiled slightly. “Well, Fluttershy, it’s called entomophobia… or the fear of insects. Actually, phobias are like that. They don’t really make a whole lot of sense.” he nodded to her. “You’re afraid of dragons… or rather, full grown dragons. That’s not a phobia, that makes perfect sense, at least to me. But a phobia? They can be of anything… even harmless things, like ants, or clowns.” Fluttershy nodded slowly. “Yes. But it just seems so strange. You’ve been really brave since you came here… it’s a whole new world, but nothing seems to bother you. It’s just… odd to think you’re afraid of creatures so much smaller than you are.” Johnathon rolled his eyes. “I know…. It was from a trauma when I was a kid. I saw the sidewalk outside my house turning red… like a wave of color traveling down it… so I walked over to see what was causing it. I walked right into the red. It was a column of army ants. By the time I realized what was going on, they were all over my legs, and climbing.” he shivered slightly. “I was… four? I’m not sure exactly. Anyway, I’ve never been able to be calm around ants since… and any small bugs bother me.” he shrugged again. “I can control my reactions now. I’ve had years to get used to it, and I don’t let myself do anything dumb when I see an ant anymore. But it took time.” Fluttershy nodded sympathetically. “That must have been terrible for you.” He shrugged. “Well, it was a long time ago, and it doesn’t bother me as much anymore. It still does bug me though.” he grinned. Fluttershy smiled slightly at the weak pun, and the two of them were silent for a while. “What did you mean when you said you make lots of bad decisions, Johnathon? You seem like you’re very careful to think things through. I can’t imagine you being thoughtless.” The archeologist smiled wryly. “Oh, I have plenty of flaws. I make bad decisions sometimes because I’m overconfident, or because I’m angry. Frankly, I make horrible decisions when I’m angry. I’m not terribly careful when I get impatient either.” Fluttershy blinked. “I’ve never seen you get angry, Johnathon. You seem so calm all the time!” The man smiled softly, a little sad. “I’ve learned how to be calm, to stay calm. A lot of it is due to my martial arts training. A lot is because I don’t like myself when I’m angry. When I was young, I did things I still regret because of my anger. I try not to let it get the better of me nowadays.” Fluttershy nodded. “I did silly things when I was a little filly too. I think most ponies do.” Johnathon chuckled. “I expect so.” he smiled at her, and put a hand lightly on her shoulder. “You and your friends are still learning about how to be an adult. It takes a while, but you’re all really amazing ponies. I wish I had been half as together as you and your friends are when I was your age.” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “You’re not THAT old.” He grinned. “I’m ancient! Over the hill in fact!” he pulled on a lock of hair near his temple. “See all these grey hairs?” Fluttershy smiled. “Now you’re just being silly.” Johnathon grinned. “Maybe a little.” he sighed. “My last night here…” Fluttershy sighed as well, then smiled, hiding her eyes behind her hair shyly. “Maybe I could add a room?” Johnathon chuckled. “Now you’re just teasing.” She stuck out her tongue. “Maybe a little.”