70. Visible Changes
Celestia and I take to the air, flying through the canopy and above the forest entirely. There's no point in walking back through the forest now that we've done what we came for.
Once we're in the skies, we're met by the pegasus guards that were flying above the forest the whole time. One of them is carrying a notepad, while another is carrying a map. “We have the coordinates, Princess,” the one carrying the notepad declares as they approach. Together, all of us fly back towards Ponyville. He passes the notepad over to Celestia, who grasps it with her magic.
“Good job, Lieutenant. I'll send this to miss Opal. She'll be needing these during her negotiations with Mr. Skies,” Celestia reasons. Her horn flashes, and the notepad disappears in a burst of golden light, no doubt on its way to Canterlot. “There. Now that that's taken care of, shall I escort you to Sweet Apple Acres?”
“Sure, I'm already late,” I confirm. Though I doubt Applejack will hold it against me if fucking Celestia shows up with me. Sometimes, having a somewhat positive relationship with the princesses pays. Not that I'd use that for my benefit without doing something for them first. Anyway, the two of us, accompanied by the guards, continue on our way.
“Twilight has expressed interest in accompanying you on the expedition, Seth,” Celestia reveals to me as we descend towards Ponyville. I roll my eyes, heaving a sigh.
“I figured as much. Honestly there's no way she wouldn't be,” I remark. At least she isn't like Vinyl. I know she can take care of herself, what with her crazy magic. I think she might actually be stronger than I am, in terms of pure magical power. “Ancient human history? The chance to learn a bunch of random shit that won't mean a thing in everyday life? Of course she's coming.”
“To her, Seth, learning has always been Twilight's passion. Whether or not she can actively use her knowledge does not matter, as simply retaining it is enough to satisfy her,” Celestia explains in a patronizing tone. “It's not fair for you to judge that aspect of her just because you personally cannot identify with it.”
“Whatever. I'm just not looking forward to an ecstatic Twilight bouncing all over the place down there while I'm trying to work,” I respond, a bit annoyed by the sudden lecture. “Come on, you know I'm right.”
“I agree that Twilight finds great excitement in her work. However, I know she is capable of handling herself professionally. I promise that working with her will not be as excruciating as you believe,” Celestia assures me. I just grunt in response.
I know Twilight can work professionally. I studied magic with her for a month and a half, after all. I'm not even that angry that she's coming along. It just that I tend not to like it when people or ponies get overexcited about things. I guess I communicated that to Celestia poorly, so that she thought I was insulting her student.
“I assume Rainbow Dash will be going with you as well,” Celestia conjectures, looking at me for confirmation.
“What? How did you kn...oh, who am I kidding. You know everything,” I say with a sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Yes, Rainbow is coming. There's no way I'm going down there without her.”
“Really? I'm intrigued to hear such strong sentiment coming from you,” Celestia comments with interest. She tilts her head to one side, a happy smile crossing her face. “You really like her, don't you?”
I shoot Celestia an alarmed expression, my pulse speeding up slightly. Did she really just...oh no. Don't you fucking dare. Don't you touch this subject. I don't need another Pinkie and Rarity. Especially not from you. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask in a dangerously calm voice.
“It seems to me that this expedition is very personal to you, and you want Rainbow there with you despite that,” Celestia explains, seeming a bit perplexed by my odd reaction to her question. “Pardon me for assuming, but you seem the kind to hold personal matters very close to your heart.”
“What's your point?” I ask in the same voice as before. I swear to god, if she makes the assumption I think she's going to make...I'm going to lose it.
“It makes me happy to know that you've made such a good friend,” Celestia concludes, just as we land on the ground in front of Sweet Apple Acres. As she says that...I calm down, letting out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Thank god. I don't want to get into that argument with Celestia. I feel like I would lose that argument, just like I lose every argument with her, and that terrifies me.
“Seth, that you? Yer a bit later than usual. Everythin' all ra...” Applejack thankfully arrives to end our conversation, looking at me curiously. Applejack comes to a halt the moment she spots Celestia with me, dumbfounded. “...oh. Howdy Princess Celestia.”
“Hello, Applejack. My apologies for keeping Seth from you,” Celestia greets Applejack with a dip of the head.
“Ain't no problem, princess. Ya probably had a good reason,” Applejack replies graciously, dipping her head as well. She then looks at me with a twinkle of good humor. “Ah guess ah kin let ya off easy this time.”
“Good to know. Anyway, put me to work. Celestia, go do princess things or whatever,” I say, impatient to get started with my work day. I'm looking forward to get some reading in after work today. I want to finish the Clock-Maker.
“Not just yet,” Celestia insists, much to my annoyance. “I wanted to tell you that a date has been set for the expedition to begin.”
“What? So soon?” I ask, surprised. Behind us, Applejack looks confused, as this is the first time she's heard of the expedition. “I expected preparations to take a lot longer. Like...months of planning.”
“Months? No, Seth. The ponies I assigned to this project are very enthusiastic and eager to begin, and as such preparations are coming along swiftly,” Celestia explains with a hint of amusement. “The expedition will begin in a week. When it's time to set out, I'll send a chariot to come get you.”
“No, fuck the chariot. I'll just fly there,” I groan, remembering how annoying it was to ride in those chariots. Celestia doesn't seem very eager to oblige me, based on her expression. “If anypony asks, just say I'm a stubborn ass who hates chariots.”
“I would consider that, if it were just you that needed transport,” Celestia reminds me. “If you recall, Twilight also needs transport, and she does not have the ability to fly.”
“Then send a chariot for her. Rainbow and I will fly,” I argue. In my mind, even if Rainbow I just decided to take a leisurely flight, we'd still get there faster than a damn chariot. Celestia stares at me for a few moments, and then she shakes her head with a chuckle.
“You are most stubborn. Do as you like, then,” Celestia relents, making me grin. Hah, I beat her in an argument for once. Well...it's not really an argument. I'm just being stubborn and she's being lenient. But eh, I'll take what I can get. “Farewell. I'm afraid I must return to Canterlot.”
I shrug and turn away from her. She has to deal with the bullshit the nobles send at her, of course. After one last goodbye from Applejack, Celestia takes to the air again, heading back towards where her chariot is located.
“Are ya goin' somewhere in a week?” Applejack inquires as she leads me back towards the farm.
“Yeah. There's a huge archaeological expedition heading down to some human ruins in the Everfree Forest,” I explain, leaving out most of the details. She's not coming, so she doesn't need to know everything about it. Applejack looks shocked by my revelation. “They want me coming along to help out.”
“Land sakes, human ruins in the Everfree?” Applejack exclaims, taking off her hat. I nod in confirmation. “Well ah'll be! Must be pretty valuable if Princess Celestia's willin' ta risk the Everfree for it.”
“Yep, that's why I was given a house in exchange for my help,” I affirm. For some reason, Applejack doesn't seem that surprised by that fact.
“Ah heard ya got a house. Congratulations on becomin' a true resident o' Ponyville,” Applejack declares, putting her hat back on. Right...like I wasn't before. “Anyhow, ah got somethin' different fer ya ta do this time 'round.”
“Like what?” I ask hesitantly, hoping it's nothing as bad as the gutters were. I still want to throw up just thinking about that.
“Cuz you were with the princess an' all, ah started doin' the job ah was gonna give you, an' now ah'm committed,” Applejack answers ruefully. “Can ah get ya to deliver some baked goods into town for me? Big Mac's busy in the field with Carrot Top, otherwise ah'd ask him.”
“You are my boss, you know. You can just tell me to go,” I remind her. “You don't have to explain yourself.”
“Ah know that, but ah ain't one to dish out orders,” Applejack admits with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. “So will ya do it?”
“Again, it's not like I can refuse. Just tell me who I'm delivering to,” I tell her impatiently.
“Allraht, fair enough. Ah got a list of ponies ah need ya to deliver to back at the barn,” Applejack concedes, clicking her a tongue a bit at my stubbornness. She beckons to me, so I follow her back towards the barn. “Shouldn't take ya more than an hour or so.”
When we reach the barn, Applejack stands slightly apart, suggesting she's not going to come in with me. “Ah'm gonna git back to it. You kin find the list in the cart. It's already loaded up for ya,” she informs me just before heading off towards the fields. “Come find me when yer done. Ah'll have ya help me out some more.”
“Got it.” Without another word, I walk into the barn and soon return, pulling the cart forward. It's pretty easy to push, thanks to my increased physique. It's full to the brim with packaged goods meant for various targets, some of which I've delivered to before. Looking at the list, I discover that the closest place to here is in the Ponyville Square.
As I'm walking down the path back to town, I idly entertain the thought of just taking to the air and hoping nothing falls out of the cart. I chuckle a bit to myself at that image, but ultimately dismiss it. Maybe on the way back, after it's empty. Imagine the look on Applejack's face if I fly in with the cart Santa Claus style. Nah, that's stupid. The cart would break.
Anyway, I soon find myself in the square, where the other townsponies are wandering around, busy with the events of everyday life. Now, there should be a restaurant around here that wants some of Applejack's goods. There it is; it's a small building tucked in between a few of the market stalls, with tables set up just outside of it allowing ponies to eat out. Surprisingly, there's actually ponies sitting there, despite how chilly it is. Sometimes that fur of theirs makes me jealous.
While I'm approaching the restaurant, I quickly notice two familiar ponies sitting at one of the tables. They're surrounded by other ponies also eating in that area, but I can't miss Rainbow's distinguishable mane anywhere.
Rainbow is sitting with Rarity, for some reason. I'm about to call out to them when I notice that something seems off about what they're doing. Rainbow is looking forlornly down at the table's surface, a half full milkshake sitting abandoned next to her. She's also blushing noticeably for some reason, which an expression I rarely ever see on her.
What's even stranger is that Rarity seems to be comforting her, as the fashionista's two front hooves are resting on one of Rainbow's. What the hell...? Rainbow's this tough mare that doesn't let anything bother her. So what the fuck could possibly be bothering her? And why the hell did she go to Rarity, and not me? I can't help but feel slightly bitter as I approach them with the cart.
As I'm bending over and gathering the packages I need for this delivery, I happen to make out snatches of their conversation. “Darling, this isn't a problem that's going to go away if you ignore it,” Rarity says fervently to Rainbow, more seriously than I've heard her in a while. “You simply must do something about it.”
“Like what? There's no way I can deal with this without screwing it up,” Rainbow snaps back, sounding stricken. Okay, now I'm starting to get a little worried. What kind of problem is so bad that it would make Rainbow sound like that? “Tell me what to do, Rarity!”
“Mm, I'm afraid I cannot solve this for you, either. You must come to a solution on your own,” Rarity admits ruefully, causing Rainbow to groan in frustration, pounding the table with a hoof. Rarity looks like she's about to say something further, but then she spots me, on my way to the entrance with the packages. I'm not an eavesdropper, so I'm not going to just sit back and listen. Rarity's eyes widen slightly, and then she removes her hooves from Rainbow.
“This is stupid,” Rainbow grumbles. She goes to sip from her milkshake, and that's when she sees me as well. She nearly falls out of her chair. “Seth? What are you doing here?”
“Doing my job,” I retort, still feeling a little bitter. If Rainbow has a problem, she should have come to me. She's a tough mare, so if she sounds like that, then the problem must have been present for a while then, to push her to this point. So why haven't I heard about it? “What about you? What are you doing with Rarity?”
“Oh, don't mind us, dear. We're just getting a bite to eat on this fine morning,” Rarity answers for Rainbow, adjusting her mane slightly. Next to her, Rainbow nods vigorously and proceeds to slurp noisily from her milkshake. “It is a pleasure to see you, Seth. Though I shan't keep you; you look busy, after all.”
My eyes narrow. They're clearly trying to hide it from me now, and I don't like it. What the fuck, Rainbow? I thought I was your best friend? What kind of problem could you possibly have that you can't tell me? I stare at Rainbow, and for some reason she can't look at me.
“I am busy. Talk to you two later then, I suppose,” I finally say, turning away from them and walking into the restaurant. I feel myself starting to get angry...but then I stop myself. I'm probably just being stupid. I'm definitely not the best guy to go to for advice, because I've never given any before. I believe in emotional self-sufficiency...even if that hasn't exactly gone very well since getting to Equestria.
Yeah, I'm being stupid...and a little hypocritical. Just like I told her that I wasn't obligated to tell her my personal feelings...I guess she's not necessarily obligated to tell me hers, either. I guess I'm glad I caught myself before I said something bitter. Rainbow clearly doesn't need that.
After I emerge from the restaurant after having made the delivery, I notice that Rainbow and Rarity are talking normally now. Thank god, Rainbow doesn't look so distressed now. It looks like they're finished with their meal, as well.
“Hey, Rainbow,” I address her as I leave. This time Rainbow looks much more composed when she looks at me. “I've still got a few more deliveries to make. Want to keep me company until I have to go back?”
Rainbow grins and starts to stand, but then she turns to look at Rarity guiltily. “Do go with him, Rainbow. I'll handle the bill,” Rarity insists, indicating me with a tilt of her head. “Don't worry, it's a cheap meal.”
“Thanks Rarity,” Rainbow replies gratefully, and then she looks up at me, her grin returning. “Yeah, I'll go with you. Hope you're not asking because you want help with the cart, though.”
“Oh, shut up,” I retort, and then I beckon to her as I move back to the cart. With a bit of positioning, I'm ready to continue my deliveries. The two of us make small talk for a few minutes while I push the cart to my next destination.
“So...” I begin awkwardly after one of my deliveries. I verify that I've got Rainbow's attention before I try to continue. I'm not good at this shit, so I just know this isn't going to work. “Are you...all right?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Rainbow asks, confused at the sudden change of tone in our conversation. “Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?”
“Fuck, I don't know,” I groan, realizing that this was a bad idea after all. I don't know what I was thinking. I can't handle this delicate emotional shit. It's part of why I can't handle women that are insecure. But...this is Rainbow, and she's not usually like that. I want to at least do something, even if she doesn't want to tell me. “I saw you sitting with Rarity from a distance. It looked like something was wrong.”
Rainbow blanches, meaning that I've guessed right. Her blush returns, and she looks down at the ground. “You saw that, huh?” Rainbow sighs, not really asking a question. “D...Did you hear any of it?”
“Not really. All I know is that you looked pretty upset,” I say truthfully. Did she just fucking stammer? “Hence why I asked. Is there something going on?”
Rainbow looks like she's struggling to come up with an answer. However, a realization must have hit her, because her head jerks up and she looks at me oddly. “Hold on a minute. Are you worried about me?” Rainbow inquires, a small grin forming. I stare at her in disbelief for a few seconds, heat rising in my face.
“Fuck no. Who would be worried about you? Idiot,” I retort, stammering slightly. My cheeks feel hot, much to my utter shock. What the fuck...am I blushing? There's no way. It must be because of how cold it is. I don't fucking blush. Blushing is for girls.
“Are you sure? You sound pretty worried,” Rainbow teases me further after snickering at my response. “Who knew that Seth Rogers could be so sensitive?”
“Oh, just fuck right off,” I grumble, which gets Rainbow to burst out laughing. Well, glad to see her laughing, even if it is at my expense. Better than seeing her looking like the world's going to end. “I don't know why I asked. You clearly don't need help.”
“Sorry, I'm just having a bit of fun with you,” Rainbow retracts, looking a little sheepish. That expression soon gives way to a warm smile. “Thanks though. What I was talking about with Rarity...let's just say it's a...deeply personal matter.”
“Okay,” I acknowledge her, once again wondering why Rainbow couldn't have told me about it.
“I wouldn't have told her anything in the first place if she hadn't figured it out on her own,” Rainbow continues. Okay, that mollifies me somewhat. Rarity is one of the more perceptive ponies out of the ones I know. She's no Celestia, but she's successfully read me once or twice, annoying as that is.
“Hah, try hanging out with Celestia for an hour or so. She'll know everything about you whether you like it or not,” I quip, getting Rainbow to laugh again.
“Anyway, don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal,” Rainbow assures me. I raise an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Look, I'm fine. No problem can keep the mighty Dash down for long!”
“Well, your ego's certainly fine,” I groan, resting my face into my palm. “Well, whatever. If you don't want to tell me, then it's your problem.”
“Sorry,” Rainbow apologizes ruefully.
“Don't apologize. God knows I've done the same thing to you...that makes how many times now?” I remark, earning a nod and a laugh from Rainbow.
“You're right about that. You still haven't told me why you're so stubborn about letting others do you favors!” Rainbow responds, jabbing a hoof at me. I give a start and look at her. I thought she forgot about that, because I've never given her much trouble with it ever since I took that ticket to the air show.
“I'll tell you that the day you tell me what your problem is,” I joke, knowing that she would never accept that. Rainbow made her problem to sound like something extremely personal, so there's no way she's going to tell me.
“What the...oh, that's just not fair!” Rainbow protests with a sigh, making me snicker. “Eh, I'll think about it.”
“No you won't,” I correct her. Just then, I reach another one of my delivery locations, so I halt our conversation there for a moment until I return a few minutes later. “Anyway, I also needed to tell you that the expedition starts in a week.”
“In a week!? That's a lot earlier than I thought!” Rainbow exclaims, exhibiting a similar reaction to my own.
“My thoughts exactly. Seems like Opal isn't wasting any time in getting this thing going,” I express. “We'll probably be there for months, so you better plan ahead.”
“Agh, this is so last minute. I can't let Cloud Chaser take over for that long!” Rainbow complains, rubbing her face with her hoof. “This means I gotta send a message up to Cloudsdale and get somepony to take my place, at least until I get back.”
“How long's that going to take?”
“Who knows? The mail tends to be slow,” Rainbow huffs, sounding irritated. Just as I'm starting to get worried that she'll be kept here for some reason, she smiles. “Don't worry, I'm going no matter what. In the worst case, I'll just have to fly up to Cloudsdale and find a replacement myself.”
“I'm not fucking worried. You're coming even if I have to drag you,” I assert. I'm also telling the truth. Now that I've got my mind set on it, I really want her there. Vinyl can come too, I suppose, but I really haven't told her anything about myself. No, Rainbow's the only one that will understand what I'm feeling down there.
“You won't have to drag me. If it comes down to it, buck the Board. I'll just go with you and let them figure it out,” Rainbow promises me. Heh, that's just like her. “Speaking of which, I'd better go send that letter now.”
“Yeah, you do that. I'm about done with my deliveries anyway,” I advise her. Looking back at my cart, I've only got one more delivery to make before I have to get back to Applejack. “I'll see you later, I guess. Better get packed early.”
“Psh, I don't need anything except myself. Anyway, later!” Rainbow replies confidently and then she takes to the air. With one last wave, she zooms off in what seems like a random direction. She's probably going to go back to her house.
Oh well. Now that she's gone, I better finish up here.
When I return to Sweet Apple Acres, I notice that there's no sign of Applejack, or of any other pony. Huh, I guess she trusts me to know what to do by now. Finally.
I return the cart to the barn, finishing that part of my job. Now, Applejack looked like she was working at the orchard. Though what she's doing there is beyond me. Unless...huh, it's been a while since I've seen apples on the trees. I forgot that those are year round crops. Oh yay, that means more apple harvesting. Or as Applejack calls it...applebucking.
That brings an amusing thought to my head as I approach the orchard. Now that I've got this magic, I wonder if I can hit the tree with a similar force to that of Applejack's bucks. Imagine that. I'd just run around, punching trees to get apples. Hah, it's like Minecraft.
I spot Applejack by one of the trees with a selection of weird tools lying on the ground beside her. Raising an eyebrow, I approach her and get her attention with a quick call. “There ya are. How'd yer deliveries go?” Applejack greets me, though she doesn't look at me. She's peering at the trunk of the tree closely and suspiciously.
“They were deliveries. Not much room for error there,” I say uncaringly. Okay, now it's bothering me. “Precisely what are you doing?”
“Ah think there're some pests tryin' ta eat ma trees,” Applejack growls, poking at the tree with one of the tools. “These critters are tryin' ta eat ma apples, and ah won't have it! Ugh, quit hidin' from me!”
I can't help but chuckle. This is probably the first time I've seen her so frustrated about something. “All right. Well, give me something to do and I'll leave you to your critter catching,” I remark. Part of me wants to whip out my phone and take a picture of how closely she's looking at this tree. Frustrated Applejack.
“Right, sorry. In that case, here's what ah want ya to do,” Applejack begins, while I try to get myself back in the proper mindset for a hard day's work.
Today's work isn't as physically demanding as it usually is. This time around, all Applejack has me doing is taking care of the trees. According to her, the apples will be coming in soon, and she wants to maximize yield by keeping the trees in good condition.
Hilariously enough, not long after I get started, Applejack makes one of the funniest sounds I've ever heard her make. I'm attending to one of the trees near her when all of a sudden, Applejack cries out. “Yaha! Got you, ya pesky varmint! Tryin' ta eat my trees...ah ain't gonna fergive ya fer that!” I then see her reeling back, tossing a weird worm thing on the ground and stamping on it repeatedly. Once she's finished, she sighs and wipes her hooves off on the grass. Then, she notices me looking. “What?”
I blink once, and then I burst out laughing, much to Applejack's confusion. No, I should have gotten a video of that. Applejack snaps and becomes the destroyer of all worms. Without answering Applejack's increasingly confused questions, I turn my attentions back to the tree I'm currently working on.
“Ah think that's good enough fer today,” Applejack decides as the sun gets closer to the horizon. It's about the same time as usual. I can tell what time it is whenever I want now that my phone will never run out of charge. “Anyhow, ah've been meanin' to ask ya somethin'.”
“What?” I reply tiredly, resting my back against the tree I just tended to. Who knew that taking care of trees would be such hard work? Maybe I should have paid more attention back in biology when I was in school.
“Princess Celestia bought you a house an' all that, so you ain't payin' rent no more, right?” Applejack poses, looking to me for clarification. I nod in response. “Do ya want me to lay off on ya a bit?”
“Lay off on me? What does that mean?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah've been workin' ya so hard cuz ah know more than half of what ah pay ya goes to Vinyl,” Applejack explains. Suddenly, what she's asking starts to make sense. That's odd, I was planning to talk to her about this same subject. “Now that you don't gotta pay rent, would you rather I knock down yer hours?”
“I was actually about to ask you the same thing. I've got quite a surplus of bits now, thanks to Celestia, so I'm not in a rush to make money anymore,” I reveal. “I'd really rather not work ten hours a day anymore. Even with the frequent breaks you give me, it's hell.”
“It's certainly toughened ya up a bit. These weren't there before,” Applejack remarks, pressing a hoof against my stomach, where there's a hardened set of abdominal muscles. They barely give under her hoof – a testament to countless hours of hard work. I stand there uncomfortably until she removes her hoof. “Ah understand though. Ah've been tryin' to take care of ya, cuz ah know you don't got the passive endurance we earth ponies do. Tell ya what: how bout ah knock yer hours down to four to seven, depending on what time of year it is?”
“Let me guess, four hours during the slow periods, and seven during harvest?” I surmise. It's funny. Basically I'll actually be working hours similar to what a guy like me would work back in my time.
“That's right. Yer pretty sharp,” Applejack compliments. She beckons to me with a hoof, and then the two of us walk back towards the barn so I can get paid. “That sound good to ya?”
“Yeah. That'll give me some time to read and focus on other pursuits. Like music,” I mention. I've spoken to Applejack about music at one point. She plays a banjo, as stereotypical as that is. I've never seen her play it though.
“Gonna buy yerself one o' them fancy pianos?” Applejack asks amiably as we reach the barn.
“Yeah, one of the big ones. It's going to kill most of my money, but I don't care,” I remark. I doubt the piano will take up all of my surplus bits after all. Even 10,000 bits is enough to keep me going for a long time.
“Ah get that. Some things in life are worth more than money,” Applejack agrees. The two of us enter the barn, and it isn't long before Applejack produces my payment for me. “There ya go. Try not ta spend it all in one place.”
“Which I most likely will. Piano,” I joke, earning a chuckle from Applejack. I take the sack of bits and tie it to a loop in my jeans. “Anyway, I think I'm going to head home for a bit, and then head to Twilight's place for some reading.”
“Sounds good. I'll see ya tomorrow then at noon, for a four hour shift?” Applejack suggests, tipping her hat.
“Yup. Later, Applejack,” is my short response. I leave the barn behind. I'm just about to take to the air, but then I realize I should probably go through the square first and pick up some food. I have a little in my refrigerator at home, but I'm eventually going to need more.
So with that in mind, I walk down the path to Ponyville proper. It's only once I'm in the streets that a realization hits me. Applejack didn't ask me to stay for dinner. What's up with that? She always does....something's not right.
A feeling of uneasiness settles over me when I notice that there's practically no other ponies in the street. The stores are closed and the lights are out, which is odd, because usually everything stays open for a little while longer.
“Oh no,” I say aloud to myself, coming to an understanding. “The only time this shit happens is when there's a Pinkie party. And I'm not getting surprised.”
I immediately take to the air. I know the party has to be for me, because Vinyl would have asked me to help her set up for it, and then I'd have been part of the surprise myself. What the hell did I do for a party this time? Is this the party Pinkie planned for our victory of Canterlot?
Hah! This time I see it coming. Nothing is going to surprise me this time. If I avoid the places Pinkie has access to, she can't surprise me. So no stopping by Sugarcube Corner, or Twilight's library. I'm just going to go straight home, because it's locked and there's no way for Pinkie to get inside.
“I've outsmarted you, you pink devil,” I snicker to myself, and then I land just in front of my house. It's nice and quiet around here, which gets me to smirk triumphantly.
I insert the key into the lock and turn it. After I'm inside my dark house, I shut the door and turn around...only for the lights to flicker on to reveal Pinkie and the rest of the fucking town, crammed in the entrance hall and stretching into the dining room.
“SON OF A...!” I gasp, so surprised that I almost fall backwards. I stare incredulously at them all. Literally everypony in town that I know is here, from Rainbow and Vinyl all the way to Mayor Mare and Filthy Rich. Even Applejack somehow got here before me. I glare at Pinkie accusingly. “How in the hell did you fuckers get in my HOUSE!?”
“I may have left one of the windows unlocked when we left this morning,” Vinyl admits with a grin. “Pinkie wanted to give you a house warming party in your own house, so I figured it wouldn't be that much of a problem.”
“You conniving little...ugh, well played,” I have to admit. Even though they know I'm not stupid and would immediately suspect a party the moment I noticed the absence of any other pony in the town, they managed to get in my house and surprise me anyway. “Well? What are we waiting for? Let's get this party started!”
“You heard him everypony! Let's dance!” Pinkie announces, eliciting a cheer from the surrounding ponies. “Hit it, Vinyl!”
Welp, here we go again.
Like a typical Pinkie party, this one is likely to go on well past midnight. I don't even care that much, because I don't have to work for Applejack until noon, and that's only for four hours.
It isn't even all that different from her other parties, but again, I don't really care. Despite how much Pinkie annoys me if I hang around her too long, she really knows how to make a good party.
In addition, this party somehow has everything I like. By that, I mean all of the cupcakes are strawberry and vanilla, as is the cake itself. There are also other dinner foods here that I've mentioned I like at one point or another in the past. Pinkie did her homework when setting this one up, it seems.
The actual party itself takes place in my sitting room, because it's easily the largest room in my house. All of the couches and chairs had been moved against the wall to create a dance floor. Ironically enough, Vinyl has her tables set up where I'm eventually going to be putting together my piano. Twilight even casts a spell on the floor to help distribute the weight of so many dancing ponies.
Speaking of dancing, I also do a lot of that. I was going to just chill and eat cupcakes a lot, but then Lyra approaches me...only to get knocked over by Rainbow. “Hey, we're dancing now. Let's go!” Rainbow declares, and then she promptly grabs my hands with both hooves and pulls me right out of my seat.
“Waaah! Slow down, you crazy mare!” I yell, but I'm grinning. We leave Lyra behind, who starts to poke out her lower lip when she sees Rainbow running off with me. Sorry Lyra. Like I was really going to dance with anypony else. Of course, I don't feel as bad when Lyra is soon approached by a blushing Bon Bon.
“Why should I slow down when the tempo is just speeding up?” Rainbow teases me. She's right, the song just got faster. I laugh, acknowledging the point. Together, the two of us dance the night away, never once dancing with another partner.
One thing I've noticed has changed about Rainbow. Every time she looks at me, she smiles. That's not that odd, considering we're best friends and we're at a party. But it's a different kind of smile. I don't know how to describe it. There's just something strange about it that I don't understand. All I know is that every time I see it, I can't help but mirror it.
Rarity passes us at one point, drinking delicately from a glass of punch. It's during a slower song, so Rainbow and I are dancing slower, like we did at the wedding. The other ponies are dancing similarly as well. Rarity looks at us, her eyes widening slightly. Her gaze travels between the two of us, and then a slight smirk appears on her face. I hardly notice her though. No, I'm just having a blast here with my best friend.
I'm going to blow off some steam now that I can. Next week, it's going to be hard work.
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i wonder what will happen if one of the ponies starts shoving skeletons out of the way..see our dear human kick his shit.
Goddamn, Seth is thick. Then again, I suppose all males of the species are...
Ain't that the truth.
Yeah. From what I've heard, Amy had to physically walk up and kiss you, Nowi had to flat out say it, Blaze had to write it out due to shyness, and Namine had to throw herself at your chest. Me and Twilight didn't since you had learned by that point, but still!
"Wow, idiot much?"
I wouldn't be talking Lextyr, Myxa had to do the same to you.
5286310 The crap are you smoking, pal?
5286409 Sorry, my team tends to hop in on my comments. Amy is in gold, Emily is the lavender, and my Nobody Lextyr uses quotes.
Well. Gee.
I wonder what RD and Rarity were talking about. What a mystery.
Ride the Rainbow, Seth!
Taste the Rainbow!
You know you want to.
5286477
That's the point. We all know exactly what's going on. Now we laugh at Seth's expense
5286418 Let me tell you about Homestuck
god....f
ing.....just.... *duct tapes seth's mouth shut, ties his hands and feet and throws him and rainbow in a closet* 7 MINUTES RAINBOW! GO!!
and more serious now. this is not quite what i was expecting but, at least it's moving in that direction, whether seth notices it or not
. i cant what to see where, when, and how the reveal goes.
*stares at the page un-moving till the next chapter gets posted*
Bah. She needs to just bend him over and make him squeal like a schoolgirl already.
5287342
Wait, wouldn't it be the other way around?
5287342
5287358
Just bang their fucking heads together already.
50 bits that Seth doesn't make the first move.
50 bits that Rainbow will attempt to but get cockblocked by something or someone (e.g. Seth, I've got something to tell you, it's about the conversation me and Rarity were having, basica- *BOOM*).
Rarity need to lock them in a room until they admit their feelings.
The hint is good, but even if Rainbow tell Seth the truth, it seems that she will not have a HAPPY END.... or at least I think that.
I won't even explain this one.
5287358
Prostate massage, man. Though I expect the hooves would complicate things. Maybe Vinyl could help!
5289047
There's so much wrong with that comment I don't even know where to begin
Ooh this one was interesting
Starting off we have Seth and Celestia returning from the Everfree so Seth can get to work. Celestia gives us confirmation that Twilight will be accompanying them into the ruins, but she seems sure that Twilight will keep herself calm and professional. I don't see that as likely
. I suspect she'll try to stay professional, if for no other reason then not to piss Seth off, but this is Twilight we're talking about. She'll likely start off professional, then find a working computer and spend the next half an hour dancing around the room to everyone's annoyance. At least she'll get along with Opal. I can see her presence being an issue though for two reasons. First is that Shinning Armour will also be going, which means he will be in protective big bro mode the whole time and constantly trying to pick a fight with Seth every time he so much as coughs in Twilight's direction. the second issue is her nosiness. While the expedition as a whole is important, the only thing Seth really wants is his memories, which means they will be in areas that are personal to him. Twilight in all her blunt curiosity isn't likely to understand the reverence Seth will hold and start badgering him for information. It will not end well. Hopefully Rainbow can keep Twi focused and not let her push Seth, but even Rainbow has her limits when it comes to stopping Twilight's scientific endeavours.
Celestia also surmises how close Seth and Rainbow have become, choosing some unfortunate wording. He was pissed when Rarity and Pinkie brought it up, but he was horrified that Celestia might be on to something. He's lost just about every argument he's had with her, and with her ability to analyse him and understand him so completely, he was extremely worried she might give him an answer he didn't want. Whether it was about Rainbow or himself, I couldn't say. I can definitely feel the build up growing.
After some brief instructions from Applejack, Seth heads on into town to do some deliveries when he catches the tail end of a conversation between Rainbow and Rarity. It's painfully obvious to us what it was about, but Seth is oblivious (possibly even intentionally) to the situation. He does display some interesting emotions here. Worry for his friend, Anger/Jealousy that she chose to speak with Rarity about her issues, and maybe even a little Sadness underneath it all that she didn't seek him out to talk to. While all these issues could come from a close friend, it's starting to give the impression that Rainbow isn't the only one hiding there emotions. Seth himself was aware that he was oblivious to his feelings for Amaryllis until it was too late. I suspect history may be repeating itself. Rainbow is rather obviously feeling something and is confused and scared by it, possibly because she doesn't know what to do about it, and possibly because she doesn't believe Seth would reciprocate. Seth seems to be really worried about damaging his friendship with her if she has feelings for him, but is failing to notice slight discrepancies in his own behaviour and the odd feelings he has started getting. Time will tell what will come of this.
It was fun to see Rainbow tease Seth a little (and attempt to deflect the conversation) when he showed how worried he was, but it was clear as day that she was happy he did so. With how closed off he is, he rarely shows a caring side, and even then it's been under much worse circumstances then her just feeling down. It also seems like the conversation about his favour refusal is still a little bit away, though it does grow steadily closer. I can't wait to here it and the impact it has had on his life.
After that Seth manages to get his hours down at work, meaning that if we have any more slice of life, chilling around Ponyville scenes in-between the expedition and the next arc, some of it won't all be spent on the farm. After he gets to go home, we have him deduce a Pinkie party in progress only for them to surprise him by breaking into his house for the party. What surprised me about this scene is how easily he caved. Leading up to it he wanted to avoid the party (knowing it was likely for him) but as soon as he knew it knew it was in his house and he couldn't escape it, he just caved and let it proceed. This is another sign of how much he's changed since the beginning, as I suspect early Seth would likely have just kicked them all out of his house and had a rant at Pinkie about breaking and entering his property (it's still a possibility if she tries this too often). The party itself was fun (glad you thought about the spell to reinforce his floor. All that dancing was likely to bring the house down... literally). Interesting how quick Rainbow responded to getting Seth on the dance floor, and also how quick he was to reciprocate. Lyra wasn't too happy, though she was ok when Bon Bon showed up. I wonder what her opinion of this is, since it can't be just Rarity noticing how close the two have got, especially with all the dancing and the warm smiles they've been giving each other. I wonder if she'll get jealous (Flitter to for that matter) or whether she'll back the hell off in fear of Seth's (or Rainbow's in in all fairness) rage. Either way, the dancing at the end (with a little bit smug Rarity) was a good close off. Seth may be oblivious to the situation, but for now they are both happy.
I can't wait to see what happens next, whether it be the start of the expedition, or more slice of life. We've got some interesting stuff coming our way, and while the ominous messages in your author notes whenever a Rainbow and Seth scene happens (not sure if they're meant to be ominous, but they feel it) may indicate that things may not proceed as we suspect (and hope in my case), the ride to get there is looking awesome
5295422
ponyball z kai, you mean.
5300728
That's nice. Still not trying this again.
yay, fInally caught up..
Finally Seth's anger problems has reduced
Seriously on the beginning he's acting like a total asshole but now he's nicer
Can't wait for the next chapter!
You know, I have a hard time believing that the ENTIRE human race died off. I mean, yeah, a surprise attack from the inside by the oppressed would probably kill a lot of people, but if they all die as easily as Oppressed!Maka than I don't see how they could have been eliminated. Sombra would probably have had a nuke shoved into his eye. Every city outside of the one that Seth was in would have been fortified against attack. So, why? If they're all dead, why are they? If not, then where are they?
I hqve no clue what to think of this story...
On one hand, it started out good.
on the other, it's been a rollercoaster of like and dislike for me.
on the third, I have come to a conclusion and that was based solely on whats happening right now. Biased I know :^)
I miss the Pegasus he met when he first arrived. Flitter, if I remember correctly. I guess I expected more from her. Or my wishful thinking.