You sit up quickly, gasping for breath as you jolt awake. It takes a few seconds for you to register where you are. You slide your feet out from under the covers and place them on the floor, resting your elbows on your knees, your face in your hands. You have a pounding headache. No doubt caused by the events that have encompassed the past few days. Slowly you shift out of bed and make your way towards the bathroom. As you step inside, you’re grateful to see that the bathtub the Princess put into your home was big enough for a human and not pony sized. Turning the knobs on, you begin to strip of your clothing as the tub fills with hot water, the room getting slightly steamy. You stop the running water and then dip yourself in. Sinking down into the pool up to your ears, the water just under your nose, you let the warmth soak into your bones.
I don’t feel like doing much of anything today, I’d love to just sit in here all day.
As nice as the thought might be, you decide against it. You need to get situated and more importantly you need to look for your stuff, if it even followed you to this strange world. On top of that, you don’t relish the thought of getting out and having your skin become all wrinkly from a day long soak. After a nice long dip, you let the water run out of the washing container and step out, grabbing a towel. You wrap it around your waist and walk back into the bedroom and begin looking for some clothes. Suddenly, it hits you like a sack of bricks. You don’t have any more clothes. Those pathetic, ragged, and dirty pieces of cloth that you had been wearing were all that you owned. You shiver at the thought of having to put them back on. You’re not the germaphobic type of person, but you could say that you’re overly hygienic. You can’t decide what to do. You don’t like the thought of putting your old, crusty clothes back on, but you also don’t like the idea of running around naked or in a towel, even though all the ponies are completely nude.
To anybody but me, dirty clothes probably seem like the stupidest thing to be worrying about right now.
You understand that it’s quite idiotic to be contemplating whether or not to put your garments back on, seeing as there’s practically no other choice. You can’t help but stand there and try and think of a different route to take. You think that you possibly might be able to wash the clothing in the bathtub and let them dry, but letting them air dry would take an extreme amount of time and you needed to get things done today. Suddenly, you hear a knock on your door from down the stairs. You have no other choice. Sighing, you reluctantly slip into your clothes and run down the stairs. You pull the door open and there stands Fluttershy. Who else would you expect?
“Good morning,” she says rubbing her hoof into the ground softly.
“Morning,” you reply, a bit embarrassed that you’re still in the same clothes you wore yesterday.
That’s stupid; they don’t even wear clothes, I doubt they care if mine are dirty.
You motion for her to come in and close the door behind her as she steps through the doorway.
She turns to you, “I looked into any work around Ponyville that involves cooking.” She looks away for a moment shyly. “Daisy Diner needs an assistant chef. Carrot Top is the head chef there and she said she could use an extra pair of hooves. I think she’ll be overly pleased with hands.” You grin slightly.
“That’s great!” you exclaim.
You think for a minute and then decide to ask Fluttershy about your clothing problem.
“I don’t mean to sound prude but, could we go to meet that tailor you mentioned the other day? I only have one set of clothes you see, and I don’t think I like the idea of walking around naked all day.” Your face turns slightly red as you imagine walking around completely nude.
Not fun.
Fluttershy also blushes slightly, realizing she forgot that you normally don’t go running around naked. ”O-oh yes. I’m sorry for not thinking about that earlier. I could have gotten you some clothes the other night so you had a fresh set this morning.”
“It’s all right. I doubt that whoever would be making the attire for me would know exactly how to make it. I’m not, after all, a pony.”
“Y-yes that would have been a slight problem. Oh my, I would have felt so foolish asking for clothing and then realizing they wouldn’t fit anyways. I just feel so stupid sometimes.” She says mumbling the last part with a slight frown.
“Aw, you’re not stupid Fluttershy. I’m sure you’re very smart.” You reach over and scratch behind her ear like you would a dog. At your touch she gasps slightly and jumps back her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh I’m sorry…” you quickly apologize.
“No, it’s okay. Y-you just surprised me. But back to before, yes we can stop by Rarity’s shop. I’m sure she’ll be happy to make you some clothing. She’s always looking for a challenge!” she says returning to her normal shy demeanor.
“That’s great!” you say ecstatically. “Well let’s not waste any time!” You open the door and usher Fluttershy out. She may be a pony but she’s still female and you have your manners.
Most of the trip was spent in an awkward silence. You couldn’t really think of anything to say. You were never good at small talk. You rolled around idea after idea in your head for something to talk about but to no avail. Eventually, you arrive at a round looking building with columns made of what looks to be marble. They hold up a balcony that surrounded the whole upper level of the structure.
“Here we are,” Fluttershy states.
Just as you’re about to say something, the door bursts open and another pony around the same size as Fluttershy, with white fur and a curly purple mane, trots out.
“Fluttershy my dear!” she announces, rather loudly, as she comes over and gives Fluttershy a tight hug.
“Hey Rarity,” the shy pony replies hugging her back.
“And this must be that ‘human’ that Twilight mentioned.”
“Hm, seems like my reputation precedes me,” you mumble not sure how you feel about the fact that everybody knows who you are before you know them.
“Yes it does, why Twilight was practically jumping off the ceiling at the prospect of a strange being suddenly appearing in Equestria. ‘I have to meet him!’ she exclaimed over and over. ‘I wonder if he’ll let me ask him about his culture and habitat.’ She seemed quite eager to meet you,” the white pony laughs as she imitates her friend’s reaction.
“Sounds fun,” you grimace at the thought of answering a multitude of questions.
“So I hear that you humans wear your attire every day?” she begins again,” and I assume that since you’re here to pay me a visit that you want some clothing?”
“That’s correct. Miss Rarity is it?”
“Oh that’s simply divine! I can’t wait to get started.” Rarity steps behind you placing her head on your rump and pushes you inside, completely ignoring your question. Fluttershy follows you, giggling as she sees the scowl on your face.
As you’re pushed into the room, Rarity steps over to her desk. You notice she has a horn adorning her head. You’re not really surprised to see that there are others with horns just like the Princess, but you still can’t figure out why she seems to be the only one with a horn and wings. You push it out of your mind as Rarity addresses you.
“Now working from what Twilight told me the other night about humans, information she most certainly got from the Princess, I whipped up a few designs.” Rarity’s horn glows as some parchments lift off the table and float in front of you. Each sheet is adorned with a design for a magnificent looking set of garments. You look them over, each one becoming more and more fancy than the last.
“Um, I don’t know how comfortable I would feel accepting such extravagant apparel from you. Besides I was hoping for something a bit more…Practical?”
Rarity stomps her hoof with a loud humph expressing her obvious annoyance at your rejection.
“I won’t take no for an answer darling. You absolutely must let me make them to my standards. Besides, I think you’d look absolutely dashing in these,” she says batting her eyes at the last part, donning a now devious smile.
“I don’t know…” You contemplate it for a little bit. Realizing that flattery and flirting will get her nowhere with you, she bounces over to you and grabs you by the shoulders.
“Pleasssseeee let me make them! It’ll be a test of my fashion sense! I NEED to do this!” she pleads with you, a pout on her face as she makes puppy dog eyes at you. You can’t help but melt from her pleading and reply with a nod.
“Excellent!” she says stepping back from you. “Now I think I got the basic design right but I do need to take some measurements to make sure the wardrobes fit just right.” Her horn glows faintly and before you can realize that it’s happening, your clothes are magically being taken off. You quickly cover up your lower regions, blushing hard at your sudden nudity. Rarity seems not to notice as a tape measure is magically levitated over to you and a pair of glasses placed gently on her nose. She spends a good thirty minutes taking your measurements. The tape measure slides all over your body, taking the various lengths of your arms, legs, waist, chest, neck, shoulders, and other important lengths. When she’s done and has written all of the numbers down, Rarity addresses you.
“I do believe you won’t be needing these ragged old things anymore,” prodding your old clothes with a disgusted look on her face. “Allow me to dispose of them and I’ll make you a set as quickly as possible so that you can go out. In the meantime, you’ll have to wait here for me to complete the first set.”
You sigh, frustrated at the thought of sitting in her shop, naked, for even just an hour. You comply hesitantly. You sit down on Rarity’s couch trying to relax. You and Fluttershy begin discuss various things about pony culture and your culture. She tells you that there are three types of ponies: earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. She also explains how each one is different and the various jobs they usually possess. You’re surprised to hear that the changing of the seasons and various other things you assumed to occur naturally, were done by the ponies themselves. When she explains how the princesses, Celestia and Luna, raise and lower the sun and moon each day, you’re stupefied.
What interesting creatures.
In turn, she doesn’t seem to understand the concept of science or technology. Ponies apparently possess very little technology aside from steam locomotives and that such. You try to explain how computers work and how useful they are but, she doesn’t seem to be able to grasp the concept. Eventually you give up, much to her dismay and many apologies for being “stupid.”
After a few hours of lengthy discussions about various aspects of your lives and waiting anxiously, Rarity finally comes back with a complete set of clothing. Your jaw drops when you see it in person. The outfit consists of a ravishing pair of black trousers complemented by a magnificent white silk shirt with a red vest adorning it. The top wear is completed with a long black coat and a matching red cravat. The shoes are black and polished to a near blinding shine.
“Rarity, it looks wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaims.
“Yes, you’ve really outdone yourself. I don’t know how comfortable I feel accepting this now that I’ve seen it in person,” you say dumbfounded at the outfit. You would never imagine yourself wearing something like this. Not that you didn’t like clothing such as this, you just never had enough money to pay the bills, let alone buy extravagant clothing.
“Nonsense,” she says without giving you a chance to reject it, the clothes magically being put on you. She guides you over to the mirror and you look yourself over a few times. She smiles at her handy work.
“Well now that you have some clothes, you can finally leave. I assume you’re bored out of your mind, am I right?” she states with a grin.
“Um, yes I actually do need to leave. I still haven’t inquired about a job I’m looking to get at the Daisy Diner,” you reply still slightly speechless. She ushers you and Fluttershy out her front door hastily.
“Not to be rude darling, but if I plan to get these garments all done by tomorrow, I need to get to work! I promise I’ll make you something a little more ‘practical’ as you requested for working and that such,” she closes the door with a quick goodbye and a wink.
You and Fluttershy look at each other for a moment, piecing together what just happened.
“Did she just throw us out?” you ask.
“I think so,” Fluttershy says giggling. You can’t help but smile as she laughs.
“Well then I guess we should go and see about that job now,” you say as you both calm down a bit, a grin still on your faces. Fluttershy nods and leads you through town towards a location unknown to you. As you walk through the town, any pony that walks past stares in amazement, stopping in their tracks. You suspect that your attire alone would be enough to make heads turn. But that mixed with the fact that you’re a human stuns everyone who notices you. You can’t help but laugh.
I’m like a celebrity.
You hear various comments as you travel.
“Wow look at those clothes!”
“Is he walking on two legs?”
“What a strange looking pony,” says one unknown speaker to which another replied, “He’s not a pony you idiot, didn’t you hear the news from Canterlot? He’s a human!”
And one you especially like, “I don’t know what he is, but doesn’t he just look so dashing in that outfit?”
Darn Rarity, you were right.
You don’t know how you feel about the attention but soon it doesn’t matter anyways as you arrive where you both were headed.
“Here it is,” Fluttershy states. You both walk in and head towards the back where you assume Carrot Top is. As you enter the kitchen, you notice a pony with a bright orange mane and orange-yellow fur. She turns to you as you approach.
“Well, well. You’re the new comer huh?”
“Yes ma’am,” you answer grinning. The pony before you seems to be in her middle ages, with a mother’s figure.
“Well I see Rarity already got a hold of you. I’d probably want to wear some clothes that are a bit more practical if I were you. If you get the job that is.”
You laugh half-heartedly at the statement, “I tried to convince Rarity to make me something practical, but she refused. And if? Are there others applying for the spot?”
“No but you didn’t think I’d just hire you without seeing if you’re a good help did you?” she seems a bit amused at the prospect.
“Well now that I think about it, maybe just a little?” you say, laughing a bit again.
Carrot Top grins at your joke, “Well then, if you’re ready we can get started? I think I’ll just have you help around for the rest of today. It gets a bit hectic towards dinner time and if you do a good job then you’ve got the part!”
You roll up your sleeves, ready for a challenge. “I’m ready,” you state, matter-of-factly.
The next few hours are a living hell. Ponies swarm into the establishment around dinner time and the orders start flowing in. You can barely hear Carrot Top over the loud environment as she cries orders to you left and right. You help her with various things. Chopping, stirring, mixing, things like that. Whenever she’d forget about a dish in the chaos of the kitchen you’d take over and finish it so it wasn’t ruined. The diner served various dishes that were obviously made for ponies. Sandwiches made with flowers, Salads made out of grass and Soups made with hay, things along those lines.
This definitely isn’t human food.
It all seemed like a big blur of motion and work by the time you were done. Your fingers are sore from fixing various ingredients for cooking and you have a few burns from where you tried to handle something just a little bit too quickly. The day ended with you exhausted and sweating in your new outfit.
Rarity would kill me.
Carrot Top walks over to you, looking equally as exhausted.
“Wow, I always knew dinner time was hectic but that was especially bad!” she says panting slightly.
“That was one hell of a day,” you reply agreeing.
“I’ve never seen anybody handle themselves in a mess like that as well as you did. You’ve got the job Matthew,” She says happily.
“Thank you so much!”
“You start next Monday. Don’t be late,” she says walking off winking at you. You realize you have no idea what day it is and quickly recount the days you’ve been in Equestria and what day the accident had been. You come to the conclusion that it’s Saturday.
Good I still have a whole week to look for my things and to continue getting settled.
You and Fluttershy exit and begin the walk home.
“Well that wasn’t so hard,” you say jokingly. You both laugh. As you two make the long trek home, you discuss the various events of today. You confess how, even though the day was crazy, you enjoyed most of it, even the work at the diner. You talk about how peaceful it is in Equestria and how, even though it’s not your home, it’s still a very nice place and you’re glad to be here. Time flies as you make your way to your home and before you know it, you’re there. You open the door, step inside, and collapse on the couch. Fluttershy comes in behind you and sits beside you, not even giving it any thought. You notice that two more sets of clothing had been set on your table while you were out.
“Must have been Rarity,” you say. Fluttershy nods in agreement. You decide that you’ll put them away later. You sit and relax on the couch in silence with Fluttershy for a long while. The silence becomes a bit awkward and you decide you better clean up. You advance over to the kitchen to clean up the mess you had created the other night. Fluttershy follows you in and sits at the table still not talking. You didn’t need to worry about dinner; you had eaten a very quick one at the Daisy Diner.
“Would you like something to eat or drink?” you ask Fluttershy, not wanting to be rude.
“No thank you,” she says with a smile. You nod and proceed to clean up the mess you had left. Washing and then drying dishes and putting them away. Tasks you had never found fun before, but especially loathed at this moment because it was taking away time you could spend with Fluttershy. You quickly finish up the chores and then sit down at the table with your friend. You glance at the clock and realize it’s been nearly an hour since you got home and you two had barely said anything. You strike up a little more small talk about the day’s proceedings but there isn’t much more you two could talk about. After a little while, you announce to her that you should probably get to bed. She seems to get a bit sad at the suggestion. You reach over and scratch her behind the ear just as you did that morning but this time she doesn’t jump away.
“Don’t worry? I don’t think I’m going anywhere anytime soon. I officially think I’m going to be stuck here in Equestria for a very, very long time,” you reassure in a lackluster tone. You really didn’t think you were going anywhere. You had no idea where any of your equipment was and even if you did find it, you had no idea how you got here and even less of an idea of how to get back.
She smiles at you softly. “I-it’s just that I don’t get out very much. And you’ve been a good friend to me ever since you got here,” she looks away smiling a bit more. “My life’s usually predictable but ever since you arrived, I’ve been having so much fun.”
You smile back at her and scratch a bit harder. No words needed to be said. The feelings towards your friendship were mutual and she seemed comfortable with your smile. After a while, she gets up and says her goodbyes walking out the door. You call out a goodbye after her and watch her leave, closing the door behind her. You slump back down on the couch, processing all of today’s events up until now. I’m friends with a pony. The thought runs through your head over and over, you feel crazy for befriending a pony, but you compare how you felt the day before and how you feel now. You think about it for a while and decide that just because they weren’t humans didn’t mean you couldn’t befriend them. They were, after all, intelligent. You slowly fall asleep, thinking about how peaceful your life is ever since it got turned upside down.
Isn’t that the definition of irony, is your last thought before you drift into sleep.
Note: This is, if you haven't figured it out yet (shame on you), the end of chapter 2. If you liked great! If you didn't please leave detailed feed back on what parts I need to improve on. This fic is my first adventure into the wonderful world of character based literature. All of my past works have been about theoretical physics and astronomy so this is a new one for me!