//------------------------------//
// Alibi 
// Story: Under Your Halo 
// by Wand3r3r3 
//------------------------------//


You are the only one I love. You are the only thing I live for.
You are my love, my lust, my faith, my hopes and my dreams.
You are my everything...

Rarity, my darling.


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Under Your Halo

(~~~~~Alibi~~~~~)






I arrived here, in this wonderful haven...and I still can't believe I'm here. I was going to throw my life away...when I had so much to gain. I could never have been able to feel the way I do now if I had never tried, though. If Eva hadn't come along... I know I would never be able to feel it.

Bliss. True happiness...


My name is Zante, and I am in Heaven.





I can get on my knees and simply weep at the extraordinary sights and creatures around me. All the colorful mares and stallions here were fully capable of maintaining their own lives, as well as those of their childrens'. Life was existent here. It flooded this little town of Ponyville. And for every second, I loved every bit of it.

There was not a single pony here who had to doubt my kindness or detest my existence. Upon my arrival here in this land, my presence and name became publicized enough to the point where both of the leaders of the country--two Alicorns named Celestia and Luna--sent a message to the local librarian to relay to me. They wanted to personally thank me for my insane act of bravery. And following my arrival, they also asked me if I wanted to live in this wonderful place called Equestria. With no second thoughts, I agreed, and there was a huge ceremony with as many residents from the country as I could count.


My god...


I was actually appreciated...for once in my life. Everyone in attendance of the cermony was cheering for me, applauding me. And Elusive... He was there too. He surprised me on stage.

"I just can't ever thank you enough!" she told me. I remember shedding many tears that morning...


-And time didn't change anything. I was still a hero in many eyes. Perhaps a role model to some of the younger ones.
My life was incredible. I was so thankful I conceived that thought, way back when.





I rented an apartment that ran across the two biggest streets in the town of Ponyville, where the two created the main intersection which was further brought together by a monumental statue of an Earth Pony, standing back on its hind legs and striking a victorious pose, almost as if it was pointing at the sky in awe.

The apartment was previously owned by a mare by the name of Derpy Hooves, but her career as a mail carrier really took off when the decision came to legalize shipping packages to other countries. She happily gave me the keys, as she actually owned the place by herself.



I awoke at six thirty-nine in the morning drenched in sweat. I didn't sleep very well last night.

"Damn. All of this came from me?" it was useless asking, as the little evidence both on the soaking red bedsheets told me the truth. I spent the majority of the latest part of the previous evening just...panicking.



I had received a message about a week ago from Twilight Sparkle, the aforementioned librarian, who, herself, had gotten it from princess Celestia. Except the thing was, the message wasn't actually written by the Sun Goddess. It was from a mare who went by the street name 'Marshmallow Diamond', but her real name was Rarity.

She told me how she just started up a major department retailer in the Crystal Empire, where she sold and licensed top-of-the-line clothing items. Custom made suits and dresses in all sorts of fashions and styles and sizes... She told me how she wanted me to be the vice president of all operations and work directly alongside her at all times. At first, I really thought I could be using my time here more effectively, leisurely speaking. But then it hit me-

"Hey, hey. A job!" I repeated, as I continued to recall these events.


Anyway, today was the day she wanted me to come in and speak with her. I was still insanely nervous, but I was even more anxious than that, which defeated the intimidation factor and kept me going.

I started to get dressed, as nice as Rarity would have wanted me to look, but I decided to take a shower first. The sweaty T-shirt I wore clung tight to my body, and that clearly wasn't a good sign. A mare like that could only expect perfection and nothing else.
Besides, her name stuck out at me.


Rarity...
One in a billion...




After taking my time in the shower, I hopped out and dried myself off. I headed to my room with a towel wrapped around my waist, not bothering to close the door, as there was no one else in the house. Then I opened the door to a very claustrophobic closet space and slipped on a clean pair of underwear I had laundered just yesterday. I didn't see anything that which might impress her, as I didn't have too many impeccably detailed articles, but I wasn't going to settle either.

I was going to try, at least.



I took an intricately designed white polo-style shirt off of a black hanger that It was almost as thin as its diagonal stripes. The buttons that ran down the middle were all a melted combination of both a light black and a heavy beige color. On the left breast was a tight little buttoned pocket with a fragile chain coming out of it, and that chain was attached to the beautiful emblem of three turquoise gems of four sides that stood tall with one of its sharpest points at the bottom of its shape, and the other at the top.

I remembered now.


Rarity had asked me of my measurements about two months after I was sworn in as a legal citizen. She wanted to congratulate me with a custom made shirt that she had personally created just for me. No one else would have one like it, and it wasn't because of my bipedal stature. It was because she was inspired by me. How she was inspired, she hadn't mentioned, but who was I to question her profession?


I was planning on ironing the shirt, as well as the plain pair of khaki-colored pants she also custom sized me for. I would have been hard pressed to find any kind of clothes that would fit me here. I pulled them out as well, followed by the ironing board that hid behind the closet's door hinges. I set it up on its two legs; four and a half feet, it stood. I then set the impeccable shirt halfway over it, grabbing the iron out from underneath my bed. I filled it up with fresh water in the bathroom, took it back into the room, plugged it in the three-prong electrical outlet inside the closet, and then I started.

I folded the shirt lengthwise, so that one half of it was folded over the other, then I pressed the iron down slowly over its length, going down a straight path. The steam was helping to remove any nearby wrinkles as well. When I was done with one side, I did the same for the other, making a perfect crease where the fold laid.
When the front was done, I laid the shirt face up, buttons and all, and folded it over to match the exact reach as the bottom did. Then I ironed the fold that would hang at the back of the shirt. That was done. I slipped it through the same black hanger for the time being.

Then I moved onto the thin slacks, which only fit a tiny bit loose. I felt comfortable, as she was the one who made it for me anyway. I laid it across the board, contouring with its lengthy construction. Then I did the same thing as for the shirt, laying it down on its front and folding each side--each leg, in this case--over to give the a vertical crease to each of them. I didn't go down the back, though.



The first thing I did after I turned the iron off was slip on the warm pair of pants. As usual, a bit of slack hung at my feet, but it would turn to be a perfect fit when the time would come for me to put my shoes on. In fact, it was the next step I took. I grabbed my specially sized shoes from under my bed, still in pristine shape, as I didn't really use actual shoes all that much.
And yes, Rarity also made them for me. She had to take the idea of a Gryphon's foot, talons attached and reaching out quite far. She told me it took absolutely no trouble on her part, and that made me glad. So I slipped the black slip-on dress shoes on my feet, and the slack that hung on my pants suddenly looked more appropriate now.



Finally, I gently curved my arms through the sleeves of Rarity's shirt and fastened the buttons to the front. Then I took the time to look at my appearance in the mirror.

"I've already got the job anyway," I said to myself, totally out of the blue. But at the same time, I was complimenting Rarity's work. Good god...

She was amazing.

"Heck yeah, she'll love it!"


And with that, I was comfortable enough to overcome my doubt about this and head out the door.




After I tidied up any loose ends around the house, I grabbed the keys to the house, along with my EqueTrek train ticket, my identification card, my MP3 player and earphones, and my BitBalance (Equestria's equivalent of a debit card) and headed out the door, locking it behind me for the last time.


I had no belongings of my own, but it still felt sort of weird to come out of that house without a bag strapped over my shoulder.

Before I was offered my position working alongside Rarity, I held a job aiding Twilight Sparkle with her 'Reads By Feet' campaign. It was a program that allowed ponies to reserve books over the internet. And yes, internet existed here as well, but ponies could have those 'reads' delivered to their homes at their convenience.
A teenage Spike was sure relieved about me renting out the job that Twilight forced him to do regardless.

My time with Twilight didn't last more than a month, though, because that was around the time Rarity had taken her interest in me. Twilight understood my reason for resigning, and she thanked me from the bottom of her heart; as her business had really taken off with my help, though Spike wasn't around at the time I renounced my position.

And now, because I put Spike back on board for it, I began to fear his wrath, and I avoided the library from then on.





I walked down the streets of Ponyville, receiving beaming smiles from just about everypony I passed. Carriages rushed by in the far distance calling out my name, and ponies in their homes opened their doors to see me off. Everyone here knew my schedule for today. Literally everypony either waved at me, called my name, hugged me, or wished me the best in my endeavors. When the time came for two young fillies to see me off, presenting a picture they drew of me, I gladly took the time to talk with them.

"We hope you like it!" the little Pegasus shouted. "We really put a lot of time into how we think you'd be doing with Rarity," she added.



The detailed oil painting was in four parts, each depicting an image of myself being subjected to Rarity's 'awesome but ridiculous' fashion designs. And with each one, my expression depicted a moderate annoyance. One had me wearing a pink fru-fru dress. One had me studded up like a rich guy, with a top hat and a cane, and a monocle too. Another had me dressed as a princess, with a dress that was way too big for me, with gratuitously glittered shoes, too. And the final picture to the right looked like a huge pile of Rarity's work--she was at the side holding her hoof up to her chin and giggling at it. I must have been buried beneath all those articles. I laughed at that last one, causing the three girls to do the same. All four of them had Rarity and a little white Unicorn with a candy-colored mane laughing in the background.


"Mister Zor?" The yellow Earth filly took her opportunity to speak, and my undivided attention was given to her. "All of us at our school think you're so darn cool, and...well, we made this picture as a project one day. We were supposed to make a painting of someone or something that inspires us."

"And we chose to draw you!" the Pegasus cheered along.

"Heh, I'm sure Rarity will love this!" I assured the sweet smiles on their cute little faces. "Thank you so so much, girls!" They both burst forward to hug me. Not unexpected, really. It was just...

It was an amazing feeling.

I knelt down a little and gave them each an embrace of my own.

"We love ya, Zor."

"We'll miss you while you're gone..."

A few tiny tears were finding it easier to leak from my eyes. "I'll miss you too. I'm gonna miss everyone."



Our sessions each ended with some tears on their end as well.

"Well guys, I guess the school Bell's gonna ring soon..." said the pony whose name I found out to be AppleBloom.

"Yeah, it is." the Pegasus now called Scootaloo somberly answered. Neither of these sweethearts wanted to go back and say goodbye...

"Oh, um. Mister Zor? We were also wonderin' if you could say hi to Rarity's sister for us. She's our friend..."

"No problem, cutiepie. How'd you guys like it if I wrote to you too, every now and then?"
That was a rather silly question on my part

"Oh my gosh!! Really?"

"Om wow, yes!!"

"Thank you so much, you're SO AMAZING!" they concluded.

They all came to give me one more quick hug, then they turned tail and headed off in the opposite direction, toward the school I saw in the distance. They all called behind their backs:
"Byyyyyyeee!"

"Keep an eye out, guys!"




Soon enough, the bell in the spire of the building swayed from side to side, bellowing its beautiful song across the whole town. I took one last look at the picture they drew me, smiling uncontrollably as I reviewed my goofy face.
This was going to be so much fun. With my resolved mindset, I continued down the single street I was on, heading toward the vacant train station I had in sight.




After two more minutes of receiving best wishes from everyone, I approached the lonely train station. Sugarcube Corner sat directly next to its terminal building.
Elusive used to work there...my only friend around here. But I was more proud of him than I was sad that he was gone. I remembered what he told me, after our close encounter with the Timberwolves back then:




"I need to find my place in the world, but-"

"But what?"

"Sugarcube Corner is only bound to nearby towns and cities. But what I really want to do is make the name internationally known, like a huge franchise, you know? Do these amazing ponies good."




Well, that's exactly what he did. After the rumors subsided, of how he was plotting against Equestria by joining a madmare to murder innocent ponies and use their organs as a 'secret ingredient', the doubt for their perfect recipes was no more.

It was true, he did have a purpose for living.


To connect with others...




Now, he was one of the most successful chefs in the world, expanding his talents beyond just baking. He's written books, been a guest on many radio shows, as well as run his own, and he accomplished his lifelong dream shortly before all of that.

And to think he was just going to throw it away when I first met him...





So there it stood, still. It was fully operational with a staff of intensely-trained employees. I really wanted to go inside after the my memories came back, but I heard the train approaching from the distant tracks. I almost tripped over my own feet when its powerful call bellowed through the air, beckoning me to take position at the outdoor station. Then I followed the sound of the whistle as the train was rapidly approaching. I looked back at the bakery, the name bringing back more memories that I wish never came.

They were too hard to fight, especially considering how Elusive was way too far out of contact for me. I wondered if he even remembered me...

"Train number TWO-HUNDRED AND TWO has arrived in PONYVILLE, EQUESTRIA."

I felt like my doubt was falsely placed; on his hooves.




My attention was once again stolen by the arrival of the train. The loudspeaker wasn't needed, I thought. When the train came to a full stop, the release of the braking mechanism was more than signal enough. It's second level of seating was purposed enough as well; hundreds of ponies poured out of the many doors that slid open just then. Then the rough voice on the loudspeaker returned.

"Passengers who are just now boarding the train may take a seat now, and a friendly representative will check for your ticket later." I started making my way through the crowds of ponies every and any door they came from, as polite as I always had been. "Train number TWO-HUNDRED AND TWO makes many stops in many cities that allow for transfers via bus. Please pay attention for your stop. This train makes chronological stops in HOOFINGTON, MANEHATTEN, TROTTINGHAM, NEIGHAGRA FALLS NATIONAL PARK, and a final stop at THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE."

Then it finally concluded. "We hope you enjoy the ride, and we thank you for choosing Equetrek."



I entered the train through one of the sliding doors at the front of the train. There was a staircase that headed to the second story to my immediate left. There was also an area where I saw many full bugs of luggage stowed away, and a circular restroom whose curved door led to a view of the lower level seating on this car. I was insanely impressed with the design of everything I laid my eyes on, and I couldn't wait to see what was on the second story. The sliding door closed slowly and tightly behind me as I made my way up the steps, grasping and sliding my hand on the support rail. It wasn't hard to find a vacant seat from that point onward.

To my direct right, I saw an open pair of seats that featured a table between them at it's width. It was cornered between the body of the train and a wall that curved the walkway. I used the opportunity to take the spot, getting in the corner near the window.



Everywhere I looked, I saw signs of luxury. The carpet beneath my feet was a pristine blue, sprinkled with rectangles of white into its weave. I saw an elderly couple in a pair of seats close to the farthest end of the train car, almost in the corner. They were asleep together, huddled up and holding each other's hooves in their own. Every seat had a couple of windows, each also with curtains that could be hung in front of them if desired. The seats--speaking from immediate experience--all had the most comfortable back support for my bipedal stature. Though, sitting on their rump to be becoming more and more common among quadrupeds such as ponies.

The pathways that connected the train cars weren't shaking as the train just started to move. The cars were so tightly tethered together, there was absolutely no distance between them, and anyone could just walk through its spotless and automatic sliding glass doors without stumbling one bit.



"Good evening passengers."

I reached for my MP3 player that I stored in my rear pocket when a sensitive, feminine voice spoke over the intercom, clearly different from the previous narrator. "Thank you again for letting Equetrek serve you. This train will be going through the city of Hoofington in about an hour, and we'll be making a quick stop there, for anyone who is transferring to another service of ours. Then, in about another sixty minutes, will be our transfer in the big city of Manehatten. For those of you who have never been there, I personally recommend taking a few pictures of the nearby area or stopping by some of the shops near our stopping point. We'll have plenty of time, as there are many transfers there."


As I was listening to the mare speak, a stallion looking like an employee came through the sliding glass door and looked around the car. Then he came to my table. He was a Unicorn who had a very kept mane of beige that flowed down and past his neck His coat was colored a light-brown, and it was visible anywhere else but his chest and midsection. He was wearing a detailed coat that sported the main two colors I saw all over the rest of the train, blue and white. Buttons lined each decorative flap that I could see near his collar.


"You alone in here?" he chuckled. I looked around the only seats I could see from where I was. Minus the sleeping couple, I considered myself alone.

"I guess so. A whole lot of people got out at Ponyville."

I proceeded to show him my boarding ticket, as that is what he wanted to see anyway. It was printed basically as any receipt would have been; my name and destination, the date and time of arrival, the amount of bits it cost, and the exact time of purchase, all on a thick slip of layered parchment. He scanned it relatively quickly, then he tore a serrated, rigid portion from it and placed it in his coat pocket. "I think I heard someone say there was gonna be a big bake sale there this weekend, and hey, I don't really blame them. They've got a Sugarcube Corner right there."

"Yeah. Pretty big name, now."


The stallion pulled out a slip of those sticky slips of paper and laid it on the end of the table face up, then he pulled out a pen and wrote the letters 'C' and 'E' with his magical azure glow. He didn't pick it back up.

"Indeed it is! Enjoy the ride, buddy!"

"Thanks, you too!" Perhaps it was a little weird to say that back to him, but nonetheless, he was gone.



"And once more, we hope you enjoy the ride." The mare on the intercom had finished speaking as well, then she was pretty much gone, too.




I fully pulled out my MP3 player out of my back pocket and unraveled the earphones stuffed in my front. I plugged the jack into the smartphone-like device and inserted the buds in the corresponding ears.

"This is gonna be quite the ride..."



I was really excited about this part. I didn't catch the announced time it would take to get to the Crystal Empire, but I was pretty sure I'd know the looks of it when the time draws near. There was a window next to me, so I figured I had no worries at all.



Finally, I decided to guide the music program on my phone around to some of my favorite songs. I quickly clicked on one of them, and feeling a well-rounded dose of fatigue (probably because I had a bad sleep session last night), I laid my head down on the table and closed my eyes.

I fell asleep fairly quickly, as music immediately dominated my world from that point on.




-----I'm Under Your Halo-----