//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15 - Turning Into You 
// Story: Never Be The Same 
// by Kickback 
//------------------------------//

I've been drowning in the sea
I've tried to please you
It's all I'll ever be, it's all I ever knew
I'm trying to be me but I'm turning into you





I leaned back and breathed a brief sigh of contentment at the memory. I could still recall the touch of Rarity's lips on my cheek. Even now, resting back on my couch, the happily sleeping yellow pegasus still curled by my side. 

I stared down at her for a second but my gaze would always shift to the crusty scarlet stains in my jacket. I frowned at the sight, holding back a grimace...and a growl. 

The rush of it all, all that had transpired tonight was still lurching in my mind, refusing to let me rest for long. Let alone long enough to actually sleep. 

But still, there was a light there, a little creeping sparkle in the darkness that would always bring to me a feeling of calm. The light was morphed into a single sentence, shining brightly amongst the shadows. 

...It's Over.





Rarity graciously thanked me after carrying the last load of diamonds in her room. I really hope all this heavy lifting is doing something for me, 'cause if not...then fuck heavy lifting...selfish bastard. 

Anyway! 

Rarity trotted over to her work-station, where her costumes and sewing instruments lay, awaiting. "I really can't thank you enough, Kyle." She said as I placed the bags down by others. "You truly have been a great friend." 

I chuckled, fighting an oncoming blush as I scratched my neck. "Heh, no worries, lass." I said. "But cheers...that's means alot." 

She smiled up at me before ducking back into the cabinet built into her desk. 

I gave the scene a quick glance around. Little to nothing had changed since she had taken off on her little journey. However, looking back at the window, I barely was able to hold back a grimace as I recalled what had transpired. 

She looked so scared...

"Kyle!" Rarity called, flopping what seemed to resemble a wearing lions mane made of pale yellow feathers. "Could you bring one of the bags over, I wish to start immediately." She beamed at me from across the room. 

"Sure thing, sugar." I bent down and picked up one of the smaller ones as it seemed that the costume in question was not quite as eccentric as the ones I had seen. I set the bag down on the table next to the feathered get-up, Rarity nodded a thanks. "So, whose is this one?" I asked. 

"Cheerilee's, I believe." 

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I haven't spoken to her much, personally but she seems nice enough..." There was a flash of slight disdain on her face. "...more or less a teacher's pet though." 

That got me to snicker a little. "Heh, that makes sense." 

"What does?" 

"That she would be."

"How do you figure? Have you talked much with her?" 

I scratched my arm. "Uhh, no, she's the little maroon filly, ain't she?"

"Indeed but that doesn't answer my question." Rarity narrowed her eyes at me slightly. 

I looked to the side. "Uhhh, I dunno, she just seems like she would be, ya know? She's...got that vibe 'bout her." 

Please buy it...

"...Oh, well, I suppose you have a point." Rarity smiled again. "You've quite the keen eye for personality, don't you, Kyle? Seems that every time you meet a pony, you just instantly click with them on some level. Almost as if you've known them long before they'd ever seen you."

I chuckled nervously at that. "Heh, well, cheers, Rares...I think?" 

Rarity nodded and ducked back under the table. 

I shook my head with a thin grin and sighed, turning my attention towards the door. I walked back to it, pried it open and called out through the house. "Hey, Fluttershy?! Ya'll 'kay down there?!" 

No sooner had I asked, the winged filly poked her head out from around the archway, leading to the kitchen and looked up at me at the top of the stairs. She strained her soft voice to speak loud enough for me to hear. "Yes, Kyle." She replied simply. 

I smiled and nodded. "A'ight, hang on, I'll be down in a sec and we'll go, 'kay?" 

Fluttershy let her mouth curl up happily before nodding in return. I shot her a quick thumbs-up, which mostly likely, it's meaning went way over her head. 

I stepped back into Rarity's room, I really didn't want to leave so suddenly after all that but I had a feeling that she'd work better and faster in solace. She was still rummaging through her gear by the time I wandered up to the table again. As she did, I found myself pondering something. A simple and over-used question but it had me thinking, so without seeing the fault in asking, I proceeded. 

"Hey, Rares?" I prompted

"Hmm?" She responded, it was actually kinda cute the way she said it. 

"How old are you?" 

Rarity laughed a little to herself. "Why, I'm fourteen, my friend. Why do you ask?" She replied, a hint of some tone that I wasn't quite familiar with leading up in her voice. 

Fourteen, ay? Huh, barely younger than me...and Lyra's comin' up on her eleventh now...interestin'.

"Kyle?" Rarity's sudden curious eyes brought me out of my musings. 

"W-what?" ...Did I stutter?

"Why do you ask, darling?" She repeated. Heh, startin' early.

"Oh, just wonderin'."

She moved under the table again. "I'm positive I already mentioned that at some point." 

I scratched at the growing whiskers on my cheek. "Yeah, well, I forget stuff." 

"It would appear so." Rarity let out a little giggle at that before letting out a quick gasp of delight. Pulling out something, she whirled back up around and slammed a white canister next to the costumes. In big, bold, black lettering read:

GLUE

"Wha..?" 

"Well, I have to attached the gems to the ensembles somehow!" She beamed brightly. 

I stared, dumbfounded at the bottle. "Oh, well...sure, I guess?

"Well, what did you expect me to do? Do you have some better idea?" Rarity pouted. 

I snickered. "No, no, after all, whose the one with the most experience? The upcoming fashionista? Or the alien that rarely wears anythin' 'xcept black, white or red?" 

Rarity giggled...frankly, it was adorable. "Ahh, well, you do have a point...however, it does look quite good on you." She remarked, giving her eyelashes a quick bat. "I'd imagine you'd look quite dashing in my shade." 

"Says you." I winked. 

With the slightest red tint on her cheeks, Rarity simply laughed me off and began ruffling through the gems, hoping to find somewhere good to start on her work. 

"Well." I clasped my hands together. "I reckon Flutters and I best be off." 

That got her to cast a downtrodden look. "Oh..." 

I leaned in and softly took hold of her chin with my index finger and thumb and brought her gaze up to mine. There, I smiled. "Hey, I'll see ya tomorrow at the show, 'kay?" 

She nodded slightly, apparently not caring that I was still holding her. "And besides, wouldn't want to get in the way of your work." I chuckled. "Which reminds me, you pulled me away from mine, better get back 'fore the Cakes flog me." I released her at that, which seemed to dishearten her. 

She sighed. "I suppose you have a point." She then smiled brightly. "See you tomorrow, Kyle." 

I gave a two fingered salute when I reached the door. Grinning at the white unicorn from across the room. 



 

I tapped my fingers idly as I stood at the counter once more. 

The walk back was fairly straight forward. After saying goodbye to Rarity, I had found Fluttershy idly, if not a bit timidly, which was expected, talking to the white filly's parents. I didn't pry into what they were conversing about but it didn't bother me to see the little pegasus socializing. We both said our salutations to the couple and were about to walk out the door before the mother, Garden pulled me aside...

...and hugged the living Hell out of me. 

"Thank you." She said simply, prying herself away and smiling as she stood next to the stallion.

"For what?" I asked, dumbfounded. 

"Rarity needs a friend like you." He said. "One that'll stick up for her, I don't remember the last time she looked that happy." He put his hoof around Garden and pulled her closer by his side, an act she seemed to appreciate. He looked down at her the space between her front and back legs and smiled warmly. 

I noticed a faint bulge. "Wait...are you...?" 

"Five months." She said simply. 

"Wow." I blanched. "Uhhh...Congratulations?" 

"Thank you."

"And Umm...Sorry if I kinda challenged your parental authority." I said nervously, scratching the space between my shoulder blades. "It's just, I know how much this meant to her and-"

"We understand. If anything, we're glad you did." Garden stated swiftly. 

"Well...A'ight, then." I sighed. "C'mon, Fluttershy." 

"Okay. Bye!" She said, softly, walking out the door when I held it open for her. 

"Catya, you two." I nodded and with that, I shut the door. 

It wasn't long before we got back into the same rhythm we were in for most of the day before Rarity showed up. The yellow pegasus would sit by my side on the counter, occasionally bringing up a bit of small talk every now and again. Thankfully, the ever-ebbing customers seemed to pay her little mind, coming up, ordering and leaving or sitting at a booth. 

Working at the Corner for so long, you tend to meet alot of ponies. By now, there was almost no unfamiliar face, all except the occasional traveller that heard about us through the grape vine around town. The Cakes were ecstatic about that, always glad to have more business but it was more than money to them.

They excelled at baking, always wanting to share their creations with ponies, whomever they may be and if it just so happens that there was somepony visiting that just so happened to be going to another part of Equestria and just so happened to tell their friends about the "Amazing Sugarcube Corner", maybe given time, those ponies might just so happen end up visiting Ponyville. 

You know, theoretically. 

I mean, surely it wasn't because the bakery was the workplace of quite literally the rarest creature in all of Equestria, who was also on first name basis with the Princess and her niece. 

Heheh...Ahhh, I miss those two, wonder how Tia's keepin' up with little ol' Twilight 'bout now...

The day was ebbing towards it's inevitable end all too soon enough. Already, the orange light of the sun began to blanket the land, casting elongated shadows of whatever may be in it's path. The few ponies that had settled down at the Bakery began to leave, either on their own or with the small circle of friends that they had spent their time here with. I recognised a bright red mare stand up and walk to the door, what was her name again? 

Round House, that was it. 

She had come by every so often, even making a bit bout of small talk with me or one of the Cakes, always leaving with a smile on her face. I knew that she liked chocolate and blueberry muffins with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, I also knew that she was a martial-artist and that her family lead all the way back to Princess Platinum...

...Hey, it's a small town, everyone knows everyone.

Or in my case, it's everybody knows everypony...mostly. 

House opened the front but not before turning her head to face me with a beaming grin...and winked. 

She left after that, the door softly closing in her wake. 

I glanced up at the clock. It was the end of my shift and time to go home. I looked back at the filly, now curled up on the counter top and sleepily watching the Bakery, her eyes following the ponies that began to leave. I let out a brief but audible yawn and not a second later, so had she. I chuckled quietly at that, it would seem the day was weighing down on both of us. I stretched my back. 

"Cup?" I called out to the mare over by a booth, wiping it down with a wash-cloth. 

"Mmm?" 

I rounded the counter. "I'm headin' off." I looked over at the sleepy filly. "Fluttershy and I are buggered, been kind of a long day." I wrapped my hands around her and set her on the ground, she seemed bashful but thankful. I walked towards the door and grabbed my hoodie that hung from the coat rack by the entrance. 

Mrs. Cake seemed...pleased with what I said. "Alright, then, travel safe. Best get home before the rain starts up."

I nodded, gesturing with my arm to the pegasus. She promptly climbed up my sleeve so that she was now hanging by my shoulders with her front hooves around my neck. I held her in place with my right arm, gave one more smile to Cup and opened the door.