88. Revealing the Past
I meet Applejack at the front of the farm, landing on the ground just beside her. She looks up from her work repairing the fence and smiles. I guess she's used to my sudden airborne arrivals. “Howdy there, Seth! How are ya doin' on this fine afternoon?” Applejack greets me after setting down the hammer in her mouth.
“I'm cold, goddammit,” is my immediate response. I'm bundled up in winter clothing, but that doesn't stop me from shivering like crazy. My lips in particular are affected from the windchill, as they're now chapped and stinging. “Why is it so cold this morning?”
“Heh, that's cuz Winter Wrap-Up's comin' up in a few days. The weather always gits colder just before,” Applejack explains. After picking up the hammer and putting it in her saddlebags, Applejack beckons for me to follow her. “Ah'm told tomorrow's gonna be clear, but there's likely gonna be snows the day after.”
“Great. Anyway, what are you having me do today? I don't suppose I can clean your house? You know, inside where it's warm?” I ask hopefully, even though I know the chances of that are pretty slim. I've never done any work inside of Applejack's house. Usually she has Apple Bloom or Big Mac handle that.
“What, you tryin' ta tell me ya can't handle a little cold weather?” Applejack remarks with a teasing grin. She guffaws when she sees me scowl. “Must be tough, not havin' a winter coat like we ponies do.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I'm so jealous right now, it's not even funny. Hhrgh!” That last exclamation is me shivering violently as a gust of frigid wind passes over my face.
“Well, ah guess it's a good thing yer only here for a short shift today,” Applejack reminds me. There's no mercy in those eyes of hers. It looks like I'll be working outside after all. Fucking hell. “Ah need to get the rest o' these fields harvested before Winter Wrap-Up, so our snow plows don't hurt nothin'.”
Oh lovely, that means digging around in the frozen soil. And I still don't have any damn gloves. This is going to be fun. “Do you have like, a scarf or something I can wrap around my hands then? Not having hooves comes with its own problems,” I request. Applejack muses for a moment, but then an idea strikes me before I can say anything. “Wait, what about those oven mitts I used forever ago? Do you still have those?”
“Ah suppose ah could let you use 'em. They need cleanin' anyway, and if it'll keep yer hands warm, ah'm all for it,” Applejack decides, much to my relief. She redirects her course and leads me towards the house. “C'mon in and warm yerself for a moment while ah git 'em for ya.”
I step inside the house gratefully. It's definitely warmer in here, thanks to the fire I can hear cracking in a fireplace in one of the rooms around here. I don't know where, because I've never seen all of Applejack's house.
Applejack isn't gone for very long, as she soon returns with the oven mitts I asked for clenched in her mouth. She deposits them in my hand, and I then slip them on, giving my chilled hands some much needed relief. I'm not sure why, but having my hands and head covered is enough to make me feel warmer.
“Carrot Top should already be out there,” Applejack informs me after I thank her. “That way yer not pullin' up all them crops all by yerself.”
“Okay good. You'll come and get me when it's time to head back in right?” I ask, stepping back towards the door. I sigh in resignation when I see her nod. “Good. Because at that point I think I might be a Sethsicle.”
“Don't you worry 'bout a thing.” Applejack assures me, a teasing grin crossing her muzzle. “If that happens, ah'll just come git Rainbow ta thaw ya out.”
“Oh, fuck you. What the hell is that supposed to mean anyway?” I demand with a groan.
“Tahme ta get ta work, sugarcube!” Applejack says smugly pushing me out the door without answering my question.
“Agh, there's that nickname again!”
As for the job itself, it is exactly as miserable as I'd expect. The air isn't cold enough for snow, but the wind chill practically cuts right through my clothes, making it so that I'm shivering constantly. Staying in constant motion helps keep me from becoming the aforementioned Sethsicle, but it doesn't stop me from suffering the whole way through it.
And then there's Carrot Top, snug in her winter fur and a scarf, chatting to me like nothing is wrong. It makes me so jealous. As for what she talks about...make a wild guess.
“So how'd you two get together? Was there a confession all at once? Or was it something you figured out on your own? You know some ponies wanted to lock you two in a room and see if that worked?” Carrot Top starts talking excitedly the moment we take a break to hydrate ourselves in the barn. My immediate reaction is to groan and rub my forehead.
“Okay, look. Do you know what relationships are?” I demand, and edge in my voice. Carrot Top flinches when I turn my gaze onto her. “They're private. I certainly don't have to tell you everything about my personal life simply because you ask, just so you can go around gossiping about it to your friends. I hate that kind of shit.”
“O...Oh.” Carrot Top's expression falls, obviously hurt. Seriously, it's been grating on my nerves since I found out they were making bets about it in the first place. This kind of shit happened in my college too. It's one thing to sit on the sideline and scoff at all of the bullshit relationship gossip I hear from the other students. It's quite another to be a part of it yourself. “I'm sorry. I didn't know it upset you.”
I give a sigh, realizing that I snapped at her a bit harshly. “It's not your fault. I just hate it when my life becomes the topic of everypony's conversation. It's not really their business. Who cares whether or not I'm with Rainbow or not?”
“I do! I've sorta been...mentally shipping you two in my head ever since I saw you together in the square that one day, after you got back from the disaster of the royal wedding,” Carrot Top reveals with a guilty smile. I blink, wondering if I heard that right. I've heard of shipping anime characters, but shipping real people? I know I've never cared about who's dating who. Although I guess I'm not really the best example. “Seeing you two together, finally, I couldn't help but squee. You were dancing circles around each other for weeks! It was so adorable!”
“Right, you're doing it again,” I tell her in annoyance.
“Oops! Sorry, I can't help it. I'm a romantic at heart.” Carrot Top apologizes sheepishly. “But I didn't think it would bother you so much just to talk about it.”
“It's not that just talking about it bugs me. It's when somepony gets it into their head that they're entitled to hear about my personal life,” I rephrase. “That much has never changed about me. Unless you're my friend, I'm keeping to myself.”
“Am I your friend?” Carrot Top asks me hesitantly. And suddenly, I find myself faced with a dilemma. My immediate thought is to tell her no, but then I remember that I can't keep acting the same as I always have. Not after the promise I made to myself, to Vanta, and to Rainbow. If I shut her down like I usually do, I wouldn't have changed at all, and Vanta will have been right.
“It's not impossible. I hardly know you, though,” I respond. Carrot Top looks at me in surprise. While I've never been downright mean to her, no doubt she knows how difficult I can be.
“That can be fixed! We'll have to get together sometime,” Carrot Top suggests. That little cynical voice in my head tells me that she just pretending to show interest so she can hear more about the relationship between Rainbow and I, but I force myself to ignore it. I doubt that cynicism is ever going to go away. It's too deeply ingrained in me. But if I'm going to change, I have to stop letting it rule my every decision.
“Not for the next day or so, though. I'm busy with Rainbow tonight and tomorrow, and I'm not sure about the day after,” I tell her. Carrot Top nods, a knowing smile forming on her face at my words.
“I understand. Anyway, we should get back to work. With Winter Wrap-Up coming in a few days, we need to get this field clear,” she responds, moving back towards the door. Before she steps outside, she turns and looks back at me. “Make sure you take her someplace nice!”
“Yeah, whatever. Let's go already,” I grumble and roll my eyes, even as Carrot Top giggles at my reaction.
Applejack looks up with a perplexed expression when I dash in through the front door of the living area, shuddering and wheezing in the cold air. Big Mac is right behind me, as he'd been sent to come get me once I was done. I shut the door and turn around to face her, panting. I notice her staring at me in confusion. “What? It's freaking cold!” I complain. “I hate being cold!”
“Come on in and git warm then. Granny's got a fire goin',” Applejack offers, chuckling. I nod gratefully and follow Applejack into the living room, Big Mac close behind me. “Wait here, ah'm gonna grab some tea.”
Apple Bloom is curled up on the couch in front of the fire, looking a little chilled herself. I sit down next to her, nodding at the greeting she gives me. The moment I'm settled, Apple Bloom gets up and hops onto my lap, getting comfortable there before I can say anything to stop her. “Oh, well hi there,” I remark, earning a giggle from her.
“You got any plans? Dinner's jus' about done, an' yer welcome to join us,” Applejack offers, returning from the kitchen while pushing a cart ahead of her. On top of it are several cups of steaming tea.
“Not today. I'm meeting up with Rainbow here right after this,” I explain, warming my hands in front of the fire to stave away the biting cold that seems to have sunk right into my bones. Sheesh, and it's only going to get colder. With that in mind, I grab one of the tea cups and sip from it, sighing in satisfaction from the feeling of it warming my throat.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Applejack says after my refusal to her invitation. “Ah sure hope ya got room in yer wardrobe.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask with a sinking feeling.
“Cuz Rarity's designing up a storm for ya. She got it into her head that ya need ta look nice for yer marefriend,” Applejack warns me with a grin. Once her meaning sinks into my head, I groan in exasperation. “Ain't no stoppin' her when she gits like this.”
“I have a nice coat already, which I paid an arm and a leg for. I don't need to look nice for Rainbow; she could care less what I look like!” I complain, even though I know I'm just preaching to the choir. Applejack is right. When Rarity gets it in her head that I need clothing, there's no stopping her.
“Ah know, ah tried sayin' that, but it did no good,” Applejack agrees, shaking her head. “Ah know Rainbow. She couldn't give two flips 'bout what ya look like.”
“Ugh, goddammit Rarity. It's not even that important. We already had the party, so can everypony just forget about it?” I grumble. Something about Applejack's expression makes me feel dread. “What?”
“I don't think that's gonna happen, sugarcube,” Applejack admits, her grin turning mischievous. She produces a newspaper from beneath the cart and passes it to me. I can already feel a sinking feeling in my stomach in anticipation of what I'm going to see. “Take a gander at this.”
I nearly drop the newspaper out of disbelief. Smack-dab in the middle of the front page is a large color picture of Rainbow and I slow dancing together at the party, with Pinkie and the hundreds of other ponies there in the background.
First Human in Equestria and Rainbow Dash: the Fated Couple
“Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me,” I deadpan, causing Applejack and Apple Bloom to burst into a fit of laughter. I throw the newspaper on the ground. “Why am I on the front fucking page? And what's this 'fated couple' bullshit!? Who wrote this!?”
“Yer th' first human in over three millennia. It's only natural there'd be a bit of interest,” Big Mac addresses me with a shrug. I shake my head in exasperation...and then I slowly turn to face the red stallion, realizing that it had been him that just said that.
“That's the longest thing I've ever heard you say,” I remark in awe, because I've never gotten more out of him than a...
“Eeyup,” Big Mac responds, and then he falls silent again, drinking from his tea.
“Think about it this way, Seth. What would happen if someone from yer race's past showed up outta nowhere and got together with one o' yer community's most well-known figures?” Applejack asks.
“...It would be on the news for sure,” I admit, recognizing the truth in her words. This is a small community too, and I guess Rainbow is technically a celebrity considering her status as the Element of Loyalty. I guess I can't be too surprised a small town like this is taking an interest. Still, I don't like having my personal life plastered all over the front page of a newspaper. “What a pain in the ass.”
“Anyhoo, that aside, there's somethin' ah wanted ta tell ya mahself while it's still early on,” Applejack changes the subject, her tone sounding much more serious. “Rainbow's a dear friend o' mine. Ah've known her fer years. She's more delicate than she lets on, so...ah guess what ah'm tryin' ta say is...you take care o' her, Seth. Ya hear?”
I realize that Applejack just spoke to me from the heart there, so I make sure to look her in the eyes. “Yeah. You got it,” I promise her. Applejack nods sagely, acknowledging my promise.“Though I think it would be more accurate to say that she's taking care of me. I'd still be hating everything if it weren't for her.”
“Well, it takes one 'bout as thickheaded as you to get through to ya,” Applejack jokes, and then she leans forward and nuzzles me appreciatively. “Thanks again. Ah feel like you two will be good fer each other.”
“Right...forgive me if I still feel a little awkward that I'm having this conversation,” I respond uncomfortably. Applejack nods understandingly.
Once I finish my tea, Applejack gives me my pay for the day, and I start getting ready to go. I can smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, no doubt courtesy of Granny Smith. I can hear her griping and the sounds of pots clanging from here.
“Alright, I've got to get ready to go. When do you want me coming in tomorrow?” I ask Applejack, bundling up in my clothes again in preparation for the trip outside.
“Harvest's about done, so ah don't need ya for much before Winter Wrap-Up. Why don't ya take tomorrow off?” Applejack responds.
“Sounds good to me,” I say, and then I open the door and step outside. With one last wave behind me, I leave the Apple family behind.
Okay, so Rainbow said she'd meet me here at the entrance to the farm. Hopefully she'll get here soon before I freeze to death.
By the time I reach the archway over the path back to town, I realize that I have mixed feelings about this meeting. While I'm happy at getting to see Rainbow again, dread is slowly filling me when I remember what I promised to talk to her about. I've only really told one other person about this, and that was Amaryllis. It wasn't easy that time either, but at least she understood.
“S'up?” Rainbow swoops down beside me, a happy grin on her face. “You should have seen me up there today. That trick I've been trying to perfect? Nailed it!”
“You'll have to show me some other time,” I respond, my voice sounding somewhat dead. Rainbow picks up on that immediately, her smile disappearing. She instead looks concerned.
“You all right there? Something happen at Applejack's?” Rainbow questions, pressing up against my side. Her increased proximity helps me feel a little better, but not by much.
“No, not really,” I answer truthfully. “It's more about...what we're going to talk about back at my place.”
“Oh yeah. You want to wait a bit more? It doesn't have to be today,” Rainbow suggests in an accommodating fashion, even though I know it's just for my benefit. I know she's curious as all hell to hear the story for herself.
“No, I've put it off long enough. I want to tell you,” I insist, heaving a sigh. “It's just not an easy subject to discuss.”
“Okay. Maybe some hot cider will help? I could go and grab some on the way home,” Rainbow offers. Huh, you know, that actually sounds good. And...I could actually use a hot meal as well, considering how cold it is out here.
“I'll go with you. Let's grab some quick food we can eat at my place as well,” I agree. Rainbow nods and flares her wings, taking to the air. With a burst of my own magic, I'm right behind her, and we leave the farm behind.
So it turns out that Ponyville actually has what equates to fast food, in the form of a small little restaurant not far from the square. There's not much there that I can eat, so instead I end up ordering a bunch of materials that I'll throw into a makeshift sandwich once I have a chance to sit down.
We also stop by the club and pick up some warm cider, much like what Vinyl did the last time the three of us hung out. Rainbow is no unicorn, so I get stuck with carrying the barrel myself. Hearing the cider sloshing around inside as we fly makes me wonder how good the drink tastes when it's in season.
“Finally! Someplace warm!” I say gratefully once I step inside my house. I close the door immediately after Rainbow gets inside, shutting out the frigid wind. “Winter's almost over, right?”
“Yeah, actually. Day after tomorrow is Winter Wrap-Up. After that it'll be clear skies and warm weather,” Rainbow assures me. Oh good. As scientifically impossible as this Winter Wrap-Up sounds, I'm all for it if I'll be able to walk outside without a jacket after the fact. “Let's get upstairs! This hayburger smells good!”
“Hayburgers. That is so dumb on so many different levels,” I mutter. Rainbow bounds up the stairs and streaks out of sight. I sigh and follow her, shifting the balance of the cider barrel to distribute the weight on a different arm.
The first thing I do before I get started on my food is get a fire started beneath the mantle. I then sit down next to Rainbow and pour myself a glass of cider. The moment I sit down, Rainbow smirks and clambers onto me, curling up on my lap and shifting around in an attempt to get comfortable.
“Really?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. I'm used to Apple Bloom doing this, but Rainbow? Besides, she's a bit larger than a filly.
“What? You're mine, I can do what I want,” Rainbow returns with a defensive look as if she's entitled to her position on my lap. “Now sit back so I can get comfortable.”
“Are we really going to eat like this?” I ask, feeling amused despite the situation. Rainbow finally gets settled, and instead of answering, she takes a bite out of her hayburger, glancing at me meaningfully. I sigh and shake my head, taking a sip of my cider. It pleasantly warms my throat, washing away the lingering cold I feel from the weather outside.
I suddenly grin mischievously. To torment Rainbow, I lower a hand and start stroking her side, starting from her shoulders and slowly making my way down to just before her cutie mark, before starting back over at the top. I half expect her to snap at me, but instead she just makes a contented hum in her throat and continues eating. I raise an eyebrow.
“Really? This doesn't bother you?” I remark in surprise. Rainbow looks at me as if I were crazy. “What's that look for? You'd have bitten my hand off if I'd have done this earlier.”
“Well, yeah, if anyone else was doing this, they would end up missing a hoof,” Rainbow agrees. As odd as that is to hear, I can't help but feel a little satisfied, knowing that I'm the only one that can treat her like this. “But you're mine. It's only right that you treat me like royalty.”
“Oh, goddammit,” I groan, the egotism in her voice causing me to shake my head. Rainbow looks so pleased with herself that I can't help but chuckle. We fall into a comfortable silence after that, the two of us eating our food and relaxing in one another's company.
I also take some time to brood, trying to put together the memories in my head into a cohesive story. Each memory dredges up old feelings that I'd rather have never felt again...actually, that's wrong. The past has been rooted into my mind for years, and it doesn't matter how long it's been. I still feel the pain, but it's worse when I look at the cause of it all.
“Alright, I think I'm ready,” I say at last once I finish my sandwich, my voice filled with reluctance and hesitation. Rainbow, upon hearing that, shoves the rest of her burger into her mouth indelicately, and once more shifts position on my lap so that she can look up at me without straining her neck. “Shit, okay. I think I have a general idea of how I'm going to start this.”
Rainbow watches me silently and (mostly) patiently, swishing her tail and waiting for me to continue.
“It wasn't just one event, you know. It lasted for five years,” I reveal, making Rainbow's eyes widen in horror. “Five years of hell. There was no way I was walking out of that the same.”
“What exactly happened?” Rainbow prompts. I give a sigh, and then resign myself to telling this story one more time. If I have my way, it'll also be the last time I tell it. Even so, I can't stop myself from shaking a little. Rainbow sees me shaking, so she reaches up and grasps one of my trembling hands in an attempt to calm me. It works a little. Enough to get started.
“Okay. Anyway, I was young at the time it first started. I think I was twelve years old,” I recall, grimacing at the memory of being so young and stupid. “I don't know how your education system works here in Equestria, but for me, I was in middle school.”
“Middle school?” Rainbow repeats questioningly. Yeah, that's what I thought. Still, I didn't come here to explain our education system to her.
“It's not important. Suffice to say I was young, and of the age when children were still trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted,” I tell her. It was true. Around then I found out I had an interest in music, so I joined band to learn how to play a piano. “Because of that, the kids were vicious, especially in our area. They would fight each other, hurt each other, and bully those who wouldn't fight back. If you were quiet, weak, smart, or just different in general, you were a target.”
“That's just horrible. Why didn't anyone do something?” Rainbow demands, looking horrified at the reality of what middle school was like.
“Oh, they tried. The school would punish any infractions it could see. But...if it couldn't be proven, they'd do nothing. And the kids were clever, so they'd rarely ever get caught,” I reveal. Rainbow grit her teeth, likely hating that this kind of thing was even possible. “Or worse, if the bullies had connections, like a parent in the staff, they'd usually get off scot-free.”
“Anyway, I was no exception. As fair skinned as I am, with hair like this, I was definitely singled out,” I relate, much to Rainbow's horror. “It was always the same. Kids would tell me or others I looked like a girl, or that I was into men, for example. Looking the way I did, that was easy for other people to believe.”
“Into men...but you're not! I'm proof of that!” Rainbow protests. I give a shrug.
“Yeah, but at the time, it didn't matter what I said. If I denied it, it would just make the accusations seem more credible. If I just stayed quiet, that was considered admitting it,” I explain. “There was no escape. My brother was too busy being a sports freak to notice my sudden drop in mood, so I just had to suffer through it.”
“Ugh, that just makes me sick. It's a good thing I wasn't there. I'd have beat the hay out of all of them!” Rainbow declares, shaking a hoof in the air. Right, I don't doubt it. She almost beat me up when she thought I was being mean to Derpy way back when, at my first Pinkie party. “Did something change then, or was that it?”
“I wish that had been it. No, there was more...”
The hallways of the school were filled with students, moving to and from their respective classes, their binders and books clutched in their hands. The air was filled with the sound of lockers opening and closing, and the ever present loud hum of conversation. Every so often, a more well-known member of the student body would pass through, and the crowds would break to let them through. They knew to do that, otherwise the popular ones would just shove their way through. They were popular because they had power, connections, or status.
As for me, I was kneeling in front of a lower end locker, quiet and alone. Just like now, my hair was shoulder length, though I'd allowed my bangs to grow longer so I could cover my face when I wanted to. Which was all the time, to be completely honest.
I fished through my locker, and once I gathered all the materials I needed for my next class, I stood up and shut the door. The moment I turned around and moved towards the center of the hallway, someone ran right into me, forcing that side of me completely backwards and causing me to drop all of my class materials, scattering them on the floor.
Judging by the laughter coming from the culprit as well as the other kids around, I knew the collision had been entirely on purpose. Now, even as I stand there, seething, my papers and books are being kicked around or shredded by some of the other students.
“Oops, my bad. I didn't see you there, miss,” said the one who ran into me. I knew him, because he was always pulling shit like this. His name was Trevor, and he was a member of the football team – the quarterback, no less. His father was a wealthy businessman, so he could get anything he wanted and get away with anything he wanted. He was also one of the ones that insisted on only referring to me with female pronouns.
“I'm not a girl, you jerk!” I snapped at him, leaning down and picking up my binder. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because you look about as pretty as one,” Trevor joked, earning laughter from his friends that surrounded him. I flinch, hurt. By calling me something like that, he was essentially saying that I'd only ever be able to attract other guys. Before I could stop him, he picked up the textbook I needed for the next class, eyeing it with a sinister look. “Seriously, I think you're using the wrong bathrooms.”
“No I'm not! Now would you give that back? I'm going to be late for class!” I demanded, even as I ran a hand through my hair subconsciously. Once again, I considered just cutting it all off just so the teasing would stop.
“Sure, just go get it,” Trevor responded with a shrug, and then he hurled the book all the way across the hall, into the girl's bathroom, nearly missing a girl's head on her way out. Even though he hadn't been targeting her, Trevor found her terrified look hilarious as she quickly moved away.
I look at the book in horror. He threw it so far in, knowing that I'd be too embarrassed to go in and get it myself. Not just that, but the school punished kids harshly for going into the wrong gendered bathrooms. If that happened, life for me here would only get worse.
“What's the matter? After all, you're just going into your own bathroom,” Trevor jokes. When I still didn't make a move, he snarls and shoves me violently backwards into my own locker such that I drop my binder again. “Don't just stand there, go get your book! Or do we need to help you?”
At those words, Trevor's friends stepped forward, reaching out for me threateningly. I was looking between them in terror, knowing the punishment of fighting in the school, but I also didn't want to be humiliated by what they had in store for me.
“All right, that's enough,” a feminine voice said authoritatively, just as Trevor's friends grab on to my arms. Just that one statement was spoken with such confidence that Trevor and his friends paused and turned to see who was brave enough to confront them.
A lone girl had just walked out of the bathroom, dressed in simple clothes that I could tell were made of expensive materials. Clutched in the crook of her arm was my book. Her youthful and rounded face was framed by pale blonde hair, and two bright blue eyes shined from just beneath her bangs. Her lips were curved into a smile that radiated confidence and self-assurance, qualities that I rarely ever saw in this school. I didn't recognize her, even though she looked to be around my age. However, it certainly seems like Trevor recognizes her.
“Wha...I didn't know you were showing up today,” Trevor gasped, gazing at the girl in awe. She nods, her expression unchanging. “Anyway, this really isn't anything you should trouble yourself with. Think you could leave us alone?”
“I don't think so. Let him go now, before things get unpleasant for all of you,” she responds. My mouth dropped open. That was clearly a threat, and she didn't look strong enough to fight five boys from sports teams.
However, to my shock, Trevor and his friends let me go after a long pause, without even protesting a little apart from the odd grumble here and there. Trevor shoots me a glare. “You're beyond lucky, Seth,” is all he says before leaving and taking his friends with him.
At this point, I'm already late for class, but my attention is fixated on the girl with a newfound admiration. She didn't have to, but she stood up to those guys all for me, and they backed off just like that. I couldn't help but be curious about her.
“Hey,” the girl called to me softly, approaching me confidently and holding out the textbook. “Here. What's your name?”
“I'm...I'm Seth,” I replied hesitantly, taking the book back from her. Never before had a girl as pretty as this one spoken to me with...interest, for lack of a better word. It's always just askance glances and hushed giggles and insults, no doubt also thinking that I looked too girly.
“Nice to meet you, Seth. My name is Janna Dell,” Janna responded politely, extending her hand to me. I take it wordlessly, gazing at her in wonder. “This is my first day in public school. Do you think you could show me around, in return for helping you out?”
“Sure, but...class has started. I'll get in trouble if I'm any later,” I told her forlornly, not eagerly anticipating the lecture I was likely going to get if I'm even this late. Giving her a tour of the school would take practically the whole class period.
Janna laughed musically. “Oh, don't you worry about that. I'll take care of the teachers for you,” she assured me, causing me to blink in confusion. Take care of the teachers? How was that even possible? “Come on, please? Just a little tour? I did help you out with that jock, you know.”
“Yeah, okay I guess,” I relented, feeling guilty at the thought of letting her go without repaying her for her help. With that, Janna beamed and reached down, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway. “Whoa! Slow down! We get punished if we go too fast!”
“Now, you're not going to go very far if you're always so worried about getting punished,” Janna admonishes me lightly with a mischievous smile. Before I could even finish processing that, she's already asking me another question. “So what's 'homeroom' mean?
“You don't know what homeroom is?” I repeated incredulously. Janna shook her head.
“No, I was home-schooled before this. My daddy taught me everything I know so far,” she revealed, looking at me with an innocent smile. “So what's homeroom?”
“It's the room you go to first every morning. That's all it really is,” I explained to her. I wondered what it would be like being home-schooled. Would it be easier or harder than this horrible place?
“Oh. Then why give it a special name?” Janna giggled, though I could tell she wasn't really looking for an answer. She spied a hallway shooting off from this one, that connected this hallway to the upper grade hallways. Without warning, she changed direction. “Hey, let's go this way!”
“That goes to the seventh grade hallways! We can't go down there!” I told her, but Janna didn't listen, continuing to pull me down the hallway by my hand. “Janna!”
As I'd feared, we soon ran into a teacher coming out of his office, on one of his off periods. Janna didn't even try to hide, walking past him with me. However, that doesn't last long. “Hey!” the teacher called us authoritatively. “Where do you two think you're going? Class started over ten minutes ago!”
“I'm just doing a little exploring,” Janna said without a care, turning back to face the teacher. “Class can wait until I take a quick tour of the school, right?”
The teacher blinked, dumbfounded by how carefree and blunt Janna was being. His eyes hardened and he approached us. “There are maps on the walls at regular intervals if you need help finding your way around. Simply cutting class is not an option. I'll have to write you up for this. What are your names?”
I glared at Janna, figuring that she just got me in trouble. Janna didn't look perturbed at all. She narrowed her eyes, while at the same time smiling sweetly at the teacher. “My name is Janna Dell. I think you might have heard of me, or at least my family,” Janna responded.
That name definitely seemed to mean something to the teacher, because his eyes widened and he flinched. “Miss Dell? I wasn't...um...aware that you would be attending this school...” he stammered. I couldn't believe it. Not only was the football quarterback listening to her, but now a teacher?
“I am! As of today, I'll be going here!” Janna proclaimed cheerfully. Then her expression turned smooth, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Now then...Mr. Devon, is it? It would certainly be a shame if such an upstanding teacher as you were to get a bad review on your file. It might make it harder to keep a job in that situation...”
“All right! I'm sorry. Just, make sure you're in class next period, okay?” Mr. Devon cried, holding up his hands in surrender. My jaw dropped again, because this time she forced a teacher to back down, once again with something that sounded suspiciously like a threat. Just who was it that I was hanging with?
“Lovely! I'll make sure to tell the higher ups what a good teacher you are!” Janna squealed happily, her expression turning to normal once more. Mr. Devon sighed and retreated back into his office, shutting the door, leaving the two of us alone. Janna looked back at me with a pleased smile. “See? I told you the teachers would be no problem.”
“Janna, you just threatened a teacher, and got away with it. How can you do that?” I demanded, both awed and nervous at the same time.
“Oh, you must not pay much attention to politics, then,” Janna realized, nodding in understanding.
“I really don't. Why?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“I'm quite literally the most important girl in the state. Let me re-introduce myself.” Janna revealed, making my eyes widen. Is her ego that large? Or... “My name is Janna Dell. I'm the governor's daughter.”
There we go. I finally managed to get this one out. I've been putting this one off for a while because I was unsure if what I had planned lived up to expectations. I've been building up to revealing Seth's past for quite a long time. This was my first time writing Janna, and she turned out a little differently than I planned, but I think it worked out. Of course, it's not quite finished, but that leads me to ask, is Janna like what you expected?
Also, I'm glad I chose to go the romantic route for Seth and Rainbow. Their relationship is adorable to write. Also, I've noticed that Seth is the one who needs all the emotional help...which effectively makes him the woman in this relationship! 
Thanks again to the Wolf of Triage for editing my work! Anyway, I shall complete the flashback in the next chapter, where more backstory will occur! In the meantime, leave your comments and let me know what you think!
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a lovely little cliff hanger to get people hyped for the next chapter.
as for if janna is like how i pictured her....honestly yes though i was picturing it in a more early high school age but, beautiful, manipulative, a sinister care free about her. (for you borderlanders out there) thinking like gaige mixed with Tiny Tina.
additional side note, thinking about you she also seems like a mix of diamond tiara and the lead siren from rainbow rocks
Loved the chapter! Keep up the good work man!
Oh, this is going to end well...
Also, Shipper on Deck! Shipper on Deck!
Okay, I can see where this is going. Prison rules and all.
However, I will state that I like Janna's moxie.
Hmmm... So good so far...
Can't wait for next chapter!
"The way I see it, there're two types of people: those who spend their lives trying to build a future, and those who spend their lives trying to rebuild the past. For too long I had been stuck in-between, hidden in the dark..."
...Damn.
My English teacher implicitly confirmed that her and some of the other staff do mentally ship people.
We finally get to hear a little about Janna, awesome!
Starting off we have Seth coming in for another day at work on the farm. The weather has gotten really bad for him so when Winter wrap up shows up in a day or two , he isn't going to be happy. Damn seeing him participate in Winter Wrap up will be hilarious. Without magic, he isn't overly strong (or at least not by pony standards, he's gotten kinda ripped by human standards) nor fast and he doesn't have the same level of endurance. Trying to see him plow a field covered in snow will be almost impossible. Brilliant. Not to mention, Twilight taking over the whole operation with her anal scheduling is going to drive him insane.
Anyway, after he speaks with Applejack, he is teamed up with Carrot Top again. Now that he and Rainbow are a couple, she is just swooning and it is driving him bonkers. However he doesn't snap at her (or at least to a previous Seth level snap) and he doesn't outright declare they aren't friends, just that he doesn't know her very well but is open to the possibility. Damn if Carrot Top tells anypony about that, he is going to get swarmed with ponies wanting to be his friend, with Pinkie and Twilight leading the charge. Still this shows far greater improvement for Seth's character then when he first worked with Carrot. The development Seth has gone through feels so natural and yet looking over it from start to finish, it's amazing how far he's come since the start of the story. With Rainbow with him, this is likely to improve further.
After his work with Carrot Top, Seth is brought back into the farmhouse where Apple Bloom immediately curls up in his lap. The cuteness is through the roof here. It's actually been a while since Seth and Bloom and had any interaction, so this is actually a rather nice scene, brief though it is. Then the mood is ruined for Seth when he finds himself and Rainbow slow dancing on the front page of the paper. Damn, if he thought it was bad at the party, the level of attention he and Rainbow will now receive will be unbelievable, especially if a certain pink princess of love gets her hooves on a copy. Applejack's warning to look out for Rainbow is touching and completely in character, and Seth treats it with respect, and promises, though the fact that he admits she tends to look after him more then the other way around is a very open gesture for him. It's only due to how close he has become with the Apple family that he likely admitted to something that personal, even with his new found perspective on life.
After he heads out from the Apple's do we get into the deep part of the chapter. Rainbow arrives and the two grab some takeout and head back to Seth's place (god damn he must be missing McDonald's right now). Seth and Rainbow have a cute moment together before they talk, with Rainbow curling up on his lap and Seth gently stroking her. I think pairing these two was a really good choice. It obviously took a bit of time to consider, but now that it's happened, they can each be closer with each other and help the other far more then before. Plus they are pretty adorable together even if neither will ever admit it.
After the cute moment, we get into the topic of Janna. I wasn't surprised that this event lasted 5 years, as it obviously had to be a very troubling occurrence to change his entire outlook on life. Learning that he was bullied in school was rather sad, as the type of guy he was in college didn't give him the impression of being pushed around, even if he did stand up to his bullies. However learning about Janna's father, that is a very scary revelation. Now I can understand exactly why she had such power over him and the next chapter is likely going to reveal some very horrible things about Seth's past. I cannot wait to learn the full story here Terran, great job!
Thanks for reading with me
You know I wonder sometimes... With Seth in town, you would think at least one of the restaurants would try expanding their menu in his direction, just knowing that he eats it would make other ponies curious, and it would probably make quite a bit of money.
Ponies are now using "squee" lol
Janna is exactly as pictured. High up in the chain, manipulative, hiding favors for later in favors done for her then, willing to threaten while also willing to do the opposite. Able to lie, able to go without lying without revealing her purpous. The kind of person that tends to slip straight past my anti-going-to-kill-you defenses. It would be hard for me to keep myself from picking up a sharp object. And I'm not even joking there, the first (typiically instantly gotten rid of) reaction to shit is to murder them, but most of the time I am able to move on from that thought in under 0.0005 seconds. However, some people can stay past the "barrier" for longer than that. Janna would stay out of the barrier for a, dangerous, amount of time. Dangerous for her.