When I step out of the shower in the spa building, I can honestly say that I've never felt more clean in my life. It's something in the cleaning products that are offered, as well as the presence of this hard pumice soap that really felt like it scraped off several layers of filth that had accumulated without me knowing it. Also, my back doesn't itch, because the shower helped clean away any remaining hair fragments that could have made my life miserable.
What's even better is that the spa ponies must have cleaned my clothes at some point, because they're folded up and smelling fresh on the side of the bathtub. Donning them, they feel soft and comfortable, which is a welcome change from how stiff they usually are. I mean, considering I generally wear a set of clothes for two days or more, depending on circumstances, they usually end up a little bit stiff.
Of course, before I leave the room, I strip back out of my clothes for a moment, because I realize that I should probably be wearing my swim trunks. After all, Rarity is probably going to insist that I join her in some more of the spa's services. At this point, I'm feeling good enough that it doesn't seem as excruciating as it used to. I'm back to looking and feeling as good as before, so I don't mind relaxing a bit.
I descend the stairs, figuring that I should probably find Rarity and the others. I have to say, this spa is definitely worth the money, considering how far the spa ponies go out of their way to make you satisfied. And...oh, well there's Rarity and Fluttershy.
Rarity is resting on her back, holding a lively discussion with Lotus, who appears to be...shining Rarity's hooves with a cloth, ointment, and what looks like a nail file. Fluttershy is lying contentedly on her stomach, her hooves splayed out lazily as Aloe massages her back. Her wings twitch absentmindedly whenever Aloe's hooves press close to those joints. They both look like they're enjoying themselves thoroughly. Girls...I swear to god, sometimes I think they have life too easy. Look at them. They're doing absolutely nothing productive, and yet somehow managing to have fun with it.
“Oh, hello. You're looking nice, Seth,” Fluttershy comments upon being the first one to see me walking down the stairs, wearing my clothes over my swim trunks. Because I'm feeling confident in my appearance now, I close my eyes, and do a jokingly egotistically hair flip, pretending that I'm some kind of big shot. Fluttershy's response is to giggle, a sentiment echoed by Rarity.
“You've returned! Feel free to take a seat. Were the upstairs facilities to your liking?” Aloe greets me while still attending to Fluttershy's back. I soon join the group of ponies, taking Aloe's offer and sitting in one of the chairs. Of course, it's not a typical chair. More like a beach chair, except made with polyester or something. So it's comfortable as fuck.
“They were. Though I'd like to know how you managed to clean my clothes so fast. I don't think I was in there for more than ten minutes,” I question, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
Aloe giggles in response. “I'm good at what I do, sir. That's all. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, though,” she explains simply. “Are there any other services you'd be interested in? A massage, perhaps?”
“Right...I don't think you know enough about human anatomy to do one of those,” I point out, much to Aloe's chagrin. I'm right and she knows it. I'm confused as to why she asked anyway, despite that fact.
“You're right, of course, but I'm not the kind to withhold services just because of what you are,” Aloe explains. I raise an eyebrow. But...if you tried and failed, I could be left hurting worse than before. “In fact, I would actually be willing to pay you if you let one of us experiment, to try and find the best way to treat human customers to the best of our ability.”
“Even though I'm the only human you're ever going to treat is going to be me,” I tell them with an amused expression on my face. “So essentially, you just offered to pay me, so that I would pay you in the future.”
Aloe blinks, and then her expression turns somewhat sheepish. “Well, in a way you're right, but I'm also curious to see how the human body works on the inside. So more accurately, I'd be paying for the privilege of finding out,” she explains. “So would you be interested?”
I give her a stare, rolling that idea around in my head. It would be nice to have some extra bits lying around, and depending on how much they'd pay me, it might cancel out the cost of coming here to begin with. But...on the other hand, I have work tomorrow and that hangout with Rainbow. So if they fuck up, I'll be in pain for that whole period, likely.
“Not this time,” I tell Aloe, much to her disappointment. “Maybe sometime when I'm not busy, so I can take the day to lay down when you inevitably fuck up.”
“I wouldn't say it's inevitable,” Aloe protests with a pout. “But I understand. Just keep it in mind for the future.”
“Will do. Anyway, Rarity!” I call over after our conversations wrapped up. Rarity looks away from her conversation with Lotus for a moment to acknowledge me. “So what are we doing next?”
“I was thinking of visiting the sauna next, as it does wonders for your skin. Care to join us?” Rarity asks. Ugh, that sounds painful. A sauna is just a room you sweat in, isn't it? And it's supposed to be a dry heat too, and those are the worst. I'm more of a guy that likes being cold, because you can usually get warmer pretty easily.
“I don't know. I'm never really been one for extremely hot environments,” I explain, and then a second later, it hits me that I was actually pretty polite there, even though I don't really have to be. What's up with that? Nope, better fix that. “If you want to sweat yourselves to death, be my guest.”
Rarity lets out a huff. “Seth, it's actually really good for you. You may not like it hot, but your body certainly does. Why don't you give it a chance? You may enjoy what it does for you,” she persuades. Lotus then finishes whatever it is she's doing to Rarity's hooves. “Oh, a delightful job as always, miss Lotus. My hooves look positively brilliant!”
“You know what, fine. But only because I don't relish the idea of sitting here with nothing to do until you get your little asses back out here,” I say reluctantly. Rarity smiles triumphantly, and then she stands up with the help of a beaming Lotus. Fluttershy rises as well, stretching out her body and moaning in pleasure upon feeling the results of Aloe's treatment. “How often do you girls do this anyway?”
“Once a week. It's something Rarity and I do to unwind,” Fluttershy responds after complimenting Aloe softly. Rarity nods and hugs Fluttershy tenderly, getting a nuzzle in response. Huh. It's weird, seeing ponies be so affectionate in public. Mostly because all the affection I'd see in public back at my college would be so fake it would be obvious. Like the men that hug the girls and it's obvious that they're just trying to get into their pants. Or the girls that hug each other even though I can tell they hate one another. I'm sensing none of that with these two. I guess it's just another thing to add to the list of things that aren't like I remember.
“I see. Anyway, time's wasting. If we're doing this, let's go already,” I say impatiently. With that, Aloe beckons to the three of us, leading us to the back of the room, where there several sets of rooms labeled depending on their function. So obviously enough, we're led to a room labeled “sauna.” You know, I've never been in one of these. I've heard about them, and they've never seemed appealing. Mostly because men weren't expected to like them. Though if I'm to take Rarity as an example of how gender roles are viewed, the feminine views are prominent, and it's fine if stallions adhere to them.
“There you go. Please enjoy yourselves to your heart's content!” Aloe tells us happily, opening the door and gesturing for us to enter. “We'll shut off the heat once you're done, or once the safety time limit has expired.”
“Thank you so much, darling,” Rarity thanks her, and then the three of us enter the room and take our seats in the benches provided for us. Rarity looks at me curiously. “Seth, you shouldn't keep all of those clothes on. It's going to get too hot to wear them.”
“I know, I know,” I complain, already removing my shirt. It's a good thing I'm wearing my swim trunks under all of this. I can't help but notice Fluttershy flush upon seeing me. Right, she's the only one in this room that hasn't seen me shirtless. So she's probably being just like Twilight and wondering why the hell I have nipples. Rarity's used to it, so she isn't phased at all. Whatever, Fluttershy can deal with it.
When I remove my pants, I take one of the offered towels and cover my lap with it, because as I mentioned back when I first got these things, they're pretty tight, because Rarity doesn't know that I'm a bit more protrusive than stallions usually are.
One thing I notice as I sit here is that the ceiling, walls, and floor are spotted with those crystal orbs that supposedly store magical enchantments. Moments later, I notice them slowly turning red, and the heat in the room gradually rises. Rarity sighs in contentment at the heated air. I admit, at this point, it doesn't feel bad. I bet it's going to get worse though. Why did I agree to this?
“You know, I can't help but notice how different you look,” Rarity comments, getting my attention. I notice she's looking at my chest. “Compared to how you looked when I first took your measurements, you are a lot more muscular.”
“Yup. That comes with working on the farm every day. Constant heavy lifting and exertion does this to you,” I comment. Rarity nods in understanding.
“It looks much better. To be honest, your belly was a lot more pronounced back then,” Rarity says with a hint of distaste. I raise an eyebrow.
“Are you saying I was fat back then?” I ask her with a hint of amusement in my voice. Rarity doesn't pick up on that amusement though, thinking I'm actually offended.
“You weren't fat, in the sense that you're thinking, but there was definitely more fat there than muscle. Did you work out much before you came from your time?” Rarity explains hastily, giggling nervously. If I was actually offended, that wouldn't have made it any better.
“Nope. Not unless you count walking from place to place. I didn't have any motivation to work out. I mean, I had nobody to impress,” I reply, leaning back. Beads of sweat are already starting to form on my skin, but it isn't as painful as I had been expecting.
“You didn't? There weren't any cute human mares you had your eyes on?” Rarity asks with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Seriously? Did she really just ask me that question? Doesn't she know by now what I think about romance? Wait, that was just Twilight.
“Pft, don't make me laugh. There was only one 'mare,' as you put it, that I even associated with, and she didn't give much of a shit about her appearance either,” I state, not giving any details than I needed to. I'm not telling Rarity a thing about Amaryllis. And...actually I'm lying. Amaryllis was a hell of a lot more muscular than me, because she was a bit of a fighter. I'm not kidding. In her spare time, she liked to listen to music and hone her body, by practicing boxing techniques.
“Seth...if...if you don't mind me asking, that is...what kind of animals did you see back in your time?” Fluttershy asks timidly, her mane clinging to her face because of the sweat forming on her face. Of course. Figured she'd ask about that. Considering how her entire house is like, a natural habitat rather than an actual house.
“I don't like talking about my time,” I tell her flatly, causing her to blanch and retreat behind her mane. Just as Rarity is opening her mouth (probably to scold me), I continue. “But I can tell you that there's not much difference. Minus shit like the hydra Lyra mentioned, Ursa Majors, Scorpios's, timberwolves, and other such monsters that are more magic than animal.”
“So...no dragons?” Fluttershy asks, looking frightened. I shake my head firmly, and she looks relieved. “Oh...that's good. I think I like the sound of your time.”
“You don't. You really don't,” I assure her with a scornful laugh. “Or should I tell you about how most humans could care less about nature or the animals?”
Just as Fluttershy gasps in horror, the door to the room we're in opens, and Aloe walks in carrying a tray, upon which are three large glasses of water. “Here you go! Remember to drink it all up and stay hydrated!” Aloe advises us, setting the tray down next to me. She retreats from the room after that.
Oh, that's good. Because I'm sweating like crazy. It's not as uncomfortable as you'd think, but it's certainly dangerous to let yourself sweat out all of your body's reserves. It's a good thing Aloe remembered that. I take a glass of water and drink from it, and Rarity levitates a glass to both herself and Fluttershy.
“Here's another question for you, Seth...” Rarity starts, and I can't help but sigh. I can't escape from the small talk in such a small space.
After about twenty minutes, the heat in the sauna shuts off, and the door is opened by a smiling Aloe. Oh good, it was starting to get difficult to take. I pick up my clothes and walk outside, and the first thing I notice is that my skin looks a bit rosy, no doubt from the heat.
“You all look wonderful. How about a nice herbal bath to cool yourselves down?” Aloe suggests, indicating the large container of water that takes up the majority of the room. In the water are floating several petals and strippings of unknown plants.
“That sounds lovely,” Fluttershy comments, and she wastes no time in lowering herself into the water with a contented sigh. “Oh, it's nice and cool. Coming, Rarity?”
“Of course! Oh, you're right. It's simply divine!” Rarity comments, joining Fluttershy in the bath. With a shrug, I join them next. The water is rather cool, but not freezing. And something about the water is very relaxing to me. Not to mention it smells like a damn garden, thanks to all the plants floating around in it.
I have to agree with them. This feels fucking amazing. Come to think of it, this whole excursion has been pretty relaxing. Although it's felt fucking girly the whole time. I bet that if Amaryllis or Rainbow could see this, they'd be laughing their asses off.
“We're leaving after this, right? It's getting pretty late, and I want to go to bed early,” I ask after a few minutes of soaking in silence. I've got their attention now, so I continue. “I need as much sleep as possible, because I'm probably not going to get much sleep tomorrow.”
“I was indeed planning to leave after this, but what do you mean that you're getting much sleep tomorrow?” Rarity asks curiously.
“That's not really your business,” I point out. Rarity huffs, but respects my privacy. “But good. Anyhow, I should probably pay for this sooner rather than later. Aloe!”
“Yes, sir?” Aloe is here in a flash, looking very eager to hear what I have to say. Huh, she's pretty quick. I'll give her that.
“My bits are with my clothes. It's fourteen bits right?” I ask her. Once she confirms that for me, I continue. “Go ahead and take them. I'm leaving right after this.”
“Okay. I'll take out the money right here, so you can see that I'm taking the right amount,” Aloe assures me as she grabs the bag with my money in it. Huh, well that's nice of her. I was going to ask for that anyway, so it's good she saved me the trouble.
Once I've seen her take the money, I go back to soaking in silence, as Rarity and Fluttershy engage in small talk.
“Thank you for the service, you two. It was a pleasure, as always,” Rarity says kindly, addressing the two spa ponies. Aloe and Lotus beam at the praise. I remain silent though. It's their job, right? I shouldn't have to go out of my way to thank them.
“It was no trouble, miss Rarity. We look forward to seeing you next week,” Aloe responds with a bow of her head. She looks at me next. “Can we expect you to accompany them as well?”
“Probably not. This isn't something I can afford weekly,” I say with a shrug. Aloe looks disappointed at that.
“Aww, well, we look forward to seeing you again sometime. Don't forget my offer!” Aloe reminds me. I nod, and then the three of us leave the spa building at last into the darkening streets of Ponyville.
“How do you feel, Seth?” Rarity asks once we've taken a few steps. I assume she's asking about how the spa worked for me. Might as well be honest, even though I hate to admit that she was somewhat right.
“I feel good. I feel about ten pounds lighter with all that hair gone,” I joke, earning a giggle from Rarity and Fluttershy. “I'm serious though about not being to afford this that often. I want to get a house to myself sometime.”
“I understand. At least you joined us this once, and enjoyed it,” Rarity responds. “I do need to find a way to facilitate regular contact with you, though. Like with Twilight, I doubt you'll come visit unless you have a reason to.”
“Yep, pretty much. Are you going to make a big deal out of this like Twilight did?” I ask, mentally hoping that she'll say no. Of course not, though.
“Now dear, Twilight was only making it a 'big deal,' as you put it, because she considers you to be a friend, as I do. And nopony likes when their friend ignores them,” Rarity explains. My right eye twitches.
“Except I don't consider either of you friends. You remember that fact, right?” I remind them. Rarity looks a little sad at that, but she doesn't look surprised.
“Yes, I do remember that. But that doesn't matter to us. We'll give you our friendship regardless of whether or not you return it,” Rarity assures me. I can't help but scoff at that.
“That doesn't make any sense. You don't make any sense,” I retort, crossing my arms. Rarity grins and is about to respond, but before that happens...she's interrupted by a flash of pink as a very familiar and irritating pony arrives, looking as excited as ever, if not slight more so. “Oh no...”
“There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Can you believe I checked Vinyl's house, Twilight house, Applejack's house, Rarity's...” Pinkie immediately starts to chatter in that ridiculously high pitched voice of hers, and I can already feel the makings of a headache forming.
“Pinkie, I get it, you were looking for me. Now tell me what the fuck you want before I flip a lid,” I tell her flatly.
“Oh! That sounds like fun! I can do that too!” Pinkie says, and then she proceeds to pull a trash bin from nowhere. Then with a happy giggle, she flips off the lid with her two front hooves. Did she really just...I mean...what the fuck? Pinkie produces another trash bin from somewhere and places it in front of me. “Now you try!”
“God. Dammit. Pinkie,” I groan, placing my face in my hands. I don't even know where she got those bins from. I'm not sure I want to know. “I'm not flipping a literal lid. Can you just...tell me why you're here and not...doing whatever it is you do?”
“Oh yeah, that's right. Silly of me to forget!” Pinkie replies, sweeping away the trash bins somewhere. I even look around, but there's no sign of them, or of the lid Pinkie flipped. Where the hell....how the fuck did she...oh my god, this pony. “I came to tell you that I have everything you need for your date with Rainbow tomorrow night! Soft drinks, cupcakes, cookies; you name it, I've made it!”
“Thank you and...” I start, but then seconds later, as Rarity and Fluttershy look at me in shock, I realize what Pinkie just said. I narrow my eyes. “It's not a date, Pinkie.”
“Of course it is! You're meeting her in her house at night to have some quality alone time. Sounds like a date to meee!” Pinkie trills, bouncing around me in circles. Rarity's expression turns to a smug one, while Fluttershy starts to blush.
“That does seem like a date. I'm happy for you, Seth,” Rarity adds next, which only gets me angrier, to the point where I'm clenching my hands so hard, their starting to turn white. “I've seen it for a while now. You two would be really cute together.”
I stop for a moment, and then I involuntarily have an image of Rainbow and I, hanging out together, but it easily could seem like a date. I immediately shut that away, and then snap. “It's not a goddamn date!” I shout, taking all three of them by surprise. “How fucking stupid can you all be? What part of 'I'm not interested in romance' don't you fuckers get!?”
“Seth...” Fluttershy trails off, unsure of what to say.
“That's a shame. I've seen how that mare looks at you,” Rarity says sadly. I look at her in shock. What the hell is she talking about? Rainbow...and I...I can't...no. Fucking no. Not in a million years. No.
“No! No! It's not happening! And you're an idiot! Rainbow doesn't...she can't...” As angry as I am, I can't seem to find the words to really put Rarity in her place. “You're wrong. Delusional even. You're insulting Rainbow.”
“How am I insulting Rainbow?” Rarity asks, confused.
“Rainbow doesn't need to like somebody. She's not that weak. And to think you think she likes me. You're insane!” I snap at her. I haven't been this angry in a long time. Why is this so distressing to me? “Actually, that's not even the point. Platonic relationships exist! Why can't you two pound that through your thick skulls?”
“I know that, Seth, but you need to calm down. We didn't mean to upset you. I was just happy for a moment, because I thought that you had finally found somepony to make you happy,” Rarity expresses to me, sorrow present on her face. “But liking someone doesn't make you weak.”
“I'm not arguing this with you. Actually, you know what? I'm done,” I snarl, and then I storm away from the three of them. Then, before any of them can protest, I flare my magic and blast into the skies. I can't help but hear the last snippets of their conversation, however.
“...Was it something I said?” Pinkie asks obliviously, and then Fluttershy and Rarity practically fall over at her stupidity.
I fly back to Vinyl's place, but I don't go inside through the front door. I don't feel like dealing with ponies right now. So I fly in through my bedroom window, grab a blanket, and then I soar back outside, heading back up to the skies, until I'm above the cloud layer once again.
I snap my fingers, casting the cloud spell on myself. After that, it's a simple matter to pick a cloud and lay back on it. I stare up at the stars and the moon, hoping to lose myself in their radiance. Unfortunately, something worse than dealing with ponies happens to me. I start to think.
Why did I get so angry back there? It was just a simple misunderstanding, something I could correct with just a few firm words. So why did I lose my temper with them, and not with Cadance when she asked me if I was in love with Rainbow?
Rainbow is my best friend. I meant it when I said that she was the only reason I'm alive right now. Without her by my side, I wouldn't have a reason to live anymore. She's my anchor, so to speak. Maybe I was lashing out in self defense? Because if...oh god, I really don't want to consider this...if Rarity was right about Rainbow liking me, then our friendship could sour very quickly. If that happened, I would probably try to die again.
You know what? No. Rarity's delusional. Rainbow and I are best friends, nothing more. So what if for one split second, I could see it happening? That's wrong. It's not happening. Pinkie, Rarity, and Cadance are all wrong, and they can all go straight to hell.
I forcibly push these thoughts away through breathing exercises, as well as utilizing the same mental discipline I'd learned through meditation. Once I'm calm, I drape the blanket over me and shut my eyes. Before I fall asleep, I have the presence of mind to apply a stronger version of the cloud spell, so I don't fall to my death in my sleep. After that, it's easy to succumb to sleep.
In the morning, I wake up feeling refreshed. It's the same time as always, which means I should be going to work right about now. I'd had a pretty pleasant dream, so I'm in a decent mood. Maybe it's because of that and a result of the meditation from last night, but the argument with Rarity and Pinkie doesn't even cross my mind.
After returning my blanket to my bedroom, I blast off towards Sweet Apple Acres, ready to begin work for the day.
After landing at the farm and meeting Applejack, I finally get to work on clearing the gutters, and goddamn, it is the filthiest job I've ever had to do in my entire life. There's just so much shit clogged in these things, and I don't even get to use any gloves. Ponies have hooves, so they don't use gloves. So I have to scoop all of this shit out of the gutters and into the buckets with my bare hands. I'm ashamed to say that gag to the point of nearly vomiting several times during the course of this job. Often, I end up cursing Applejack under my breath for making me do this job. I curse myself for taking this job in the first place, and more than anything, I curse the goddamn sun for not moving faster. I wonder if by cursing the sun, I'm cursing Celestia? Damn princess, move your ass across the sky faster! Even though it's not actually her ass.
If I didn't have my music from my phone, I think I'd lose it. Even so, I can't sing along to any of the songs because I'm gagging so much from all of the shit stuck in the gutters. I wonder if this is how those fast-food workers feel when they have to clean away the hamburger and french fry grease. Makes me glad I've never worked at one of those.
Finally, after several agonizing hours, Applejack calls to me from below. I take her by surprise when I grasp a current with my magic and immediately appear next to her, not even bothering to fly. “Whoa there. You seem awfully eager to git down from there today,” Applejack comments. She wrinkles her nose at the smell coming from my hands.
“You don't say? Maybe it's because I just had to do one of the filthiest jobs in my life!” I complain, looking down at my filthy hands. “Is there a hose somewhere? I need to wash all this off.”
“O' course. Come this way,” Applejack replies, gesturing for me to follow her. She takes me to the storage barn, where there's a well and a water pump. “Stick yer hands underneath the pump here, and ah'll start crankin' it.”
She doesn't have to tell me twice. No sooner are the words out of her mouth than my hands are poised beneath the crank, ready to be washed. With a chuckle, Applejack starts cranking the pump as hard as she can, causing a jet of water to propel from the spout and coat my hands, blasting away the filth and leaving my hands pristine once more.
“Oh, thank god. Now I can go get my phone from the roof. Be right back.” I say to her. Without waiting for a response, I soar into the air and back to the roof, where I grab my phone. I return to Applejack's side a few moments later. “There we go. Thank god. Did I mention I hate that job?”
“Ah think ya did once or twice. Could be wrong though,” Applejack jokes dryly. The two of us chuckle a bit at that, and then we're walking into the living area so I can get my pay. “Sorry 'bout makin' ya do that. But someone's got to do it.”
“I know that....but that doesn't mean I have to like it,” I complain further. Part of me can still feel that shit all over my hands, and I shudder involuntarily.
“Yer remindin' me a bit o' Rarity here. She never did like ta get her hooves dirty,” Applejack teases me, causing me to give her a withering stare. “What? Tell me ah'm wrong.”
“You're wrong. I'm not like Rarity. It's totally normal for me not to want to be covered in rotting fruit and whatever the hell else was in there,” I complain again, which only gets Applejack to snicker at my expense. “And stop snickering!”
“Ah can't help it. It's jus' funny,” Applejack chortles. “Ah'll make sure ta pair ya with Rarity the next festival. Once Dash and ah pull the both o' ya into the mud, the squealing will be heard fer miles around!”
“Ugh, shut up, you. If there is a festival like that, I'll wreck you, just you wait,” I growl at her, but Applejack doesn't seem any less amused.
“Ya know ya can't use magic, raht?” Applejack points out. I freeze. Well, there goes my trump card.
“...Shit,” is all I can say, and that gets Applejack to let out a guffaw. “You earth ponies and your ridiculous strength. Not my fault evolution decided to fuck humans over.”
“Yer not makin' much sense,” Applejack says to me. Right, ponies like her probably have no idea what evolution is. However, we've reached the living room at this point. “Raht, I'll be back. Just gotta grab yer pay.”
I recline against the wall, just as Apple Bloom canters out of the dining room and over to me. “Hi, Mr. Seth!” she address me, and then she does the most adorable thing. By that, I mean she gets up on her hind legs and wiggles her front hooves at me, all while gazing up at me with huge liquid eyes.
“Ugh, you dumb filly,” I groan, but I lean down and pick her up, just as she wants. Apple Bloom lets out a happy giggle as I lift her up to my shoulders. She clambers her front hooves around my neck, and I can't help but chuckle a bit as well. This filly is just too cute for her own good. “What's going on with you, anyway?”
“Nothing more 'n the usual, ah guess. Except Cheerilee gave us a school project to do,” Apple Bloom explains, though she doesn't sound too happy about that last bit. “Ah ain't too good at this science stuff. Think you could help me again, like you did before?”
“If I have time. Like I told you, I'm going to be busy for a while,” I answer, much to her disappointment. “I'll try, but I can't promise anything.”
“Ah understand. Ah hope ya can though,” Apple Bloom expresses, nuzzling my ear. This is the scene Applejack returns to, once she has my money. She pauses and smiles warmly upon seeing me and Apple Bloom together. “Hi sis!”
Much to Apple Bloom's disappointment, I put her down and approach Applejack, who passes me the bag of bits obligingly. “There ya go. Yer pay for today. Are ya busy tonight?” Applejack asks.
“Yup. All night, actually, and probably some of the morning. Gonna be hanging with Rainbow,” I tell her. Applejack nods in understanding. “I'm going to go now.”
“All raht. You have a good naht now, Seth. Ah'll see ya in the morning. Unless ya want me ta give you the day off, since ya said you'd be up all naht,” Applejack offers. That's a very tempting offer, but I'm already behind in the bits that I want...and...fuck it.
“I'd appreciate that. That way I won't have anything to worry about,” I say, surprised by the offer. Applejack's never really given me days off, but...then again, I've never really asked. “Thanks, Applejack.”
“Don't mention it. You have fun with Rainbow. She's been talkin' 'bout this lil get together o' yours for a long time. She's really excited 'bout it,” Applejack reveals to me. I try my hardest, but I can't help but remember a little of my argument with Rarity and Pinkie last night. I screw my eyes shut for a moment, pushing those thoughts away. I won't let that shit get in the way of having the night with Rainbow we've been planning for forever.
“I am too. Anyhow, I'm really leaving now. Thanks again for giving me the day off tomorrow,” I tell Applejack one last time, and then I leave the barn behind, walking into the darkening streets. All right, I just have to find Rainbow. Though honestly, I doubt she'll be hard to find. When she says she wants to meet me after work, she's usually right outside the farm. Heh, maybe I'll find her trying to scratch an itch again. I chuckle to myself just remembering that. I've never seen Rainbow look so ridiculous before.
“There you are!” Sure enough, Rainbow soars down from the sky, landing next to me enthusiastically. Her landing was so intense, it sends dust and bits of rock flying outwards. “I swear, you couldn't have gotten here fast enough. I'm so psyched for this!”
“I can tell. I agree, it's gonna be nice to kick back and do absolutely nothing productive,” I agree, looking down at her. I can't help but look at her in a different light. Despite all of my efforts to forget what Rarity said, I'm on the lookout for it now. I mentally slap myself. No. This night, I'm just going to have fun with her, and deal with all of that shit later, when I kick Rarity's ass from here to the moon. “So are the sweets already at your place?”
“Not yet. We have to go grab them from Pinkie,” Rainbow tells me, which is what I'd secretly been dreading. I really don't want to go see Pinkie. I feel like she'll say something stupid if Rainbow and I are together...and then I'll probably curbstomp her or something. Rainbow notices that I'm lost in thought. She tilts her head to one side. “What's up?
“Nothing important. Let's go ahead and grab all the stuff from Pinkie so we can focus on not focusing,” I say, throwing a little joke in there. Rainbow chuckles, accepting that answer, and then the two of us take off and soar back towards Ponyville.
Fuck Rarity. This is going to be a blast, and you're not going to ruin it for me.