Times Of Rain

by Maerx

I: A Cup of Coffee & A Rainy Day

I

The winter was a tad warmer then the Ponyville weather team had predicted, no longer needing a warm winter coat to get myself through. Instead, I resorted to my old thin sweatshirt, one of the few tokens that made the journey to Equestria with me. I strolled through Ponyville’s bustling streets, ponies trotting every which way going about their daily routines and business. Wearing scarves and little hats alike, I found their winter attire reminiscent of Earth’s wear, but much more minimalistic, given the fact that all ponies had fur, obviously.
The shops were busy with their lines as I strolled through the town square, chuckling as a cool winter breeze blew through my longer than usual hair, tossing it to the side.

“Hey, Jackson!” a smaller mare’s voice called out behind me. Chuckling, I knew almost instantly who it could be. Turning around I saw
Fluttershy, carrying two saddlebags full of food and goods, wearing a cute purple scarf. She had a warm smile on her muzzle as she trotted toward me, her pink mane blowing the breeze.

“Fluttershy, how have you been,” I asked to her, bending down to one knee to accept her hug. She felt so light & delicate in her frame; I often wondered where she mustered up the strength to compete with Rainbow Dash sometimes.

"Oh, I've been doing just fine lately. And how have things for you been going?" she asked, curious.

Fluttershy had always been the quiet one in our bunch, often times acting like she wasn’t even there. However, our other friends treated her like one of their own; them having known her for more than five times as long as I have. However, I could sense that she trusted me completely, which was always a nice feeling.

"Things have been going smoothly," I replied, explaining my current status involving my job, relationship with Colgate and other things. She seemed relieved and delighted, for lack of a better word, to see that I was thriving in Equestria and had become fully adjusted to life here. Fluttershy had always been a pony I could talk to about a variety of things; comical and serious. She was a good listener, always sitting silently, waiting to give her honest opinion. She never swayed in her statement either, which I couldn't help but respect. She would always join us on our outing as well, whether it be a get together at Sugarcube Corner, or a celebration at Canterlot, even if her nervousness got the better of her sometimes.

The yellow mare trotted along side with me, as we exchanged pleasantries, and I listened intently as she told of her adventures in Fillydelphia the past week at the Animal Care Takers Convention. She mentioned meeting some of the famous names in the animal industry, further making her mark on her passion.

“Well Jackson, I hate to do this, but I have to get back to the cottage. Angel must be getting lonely,” she remarked with a slightly worried look on her muzzle. Shrugging slightly, I wished her goodbye for now, and she disappeared into the crowd. I continued to wander the streets of Ponyville, weaving in and out of crowds. I wasn't quite sure what my destination was, as I often was on these daily walks I took. I found solace in the fact that these helped alleviate any stress that had built up over the last few days. Along with getting fresh air, which was always helpful.

It had been 9 months since the events of my operation had come to pass, and I had learned what it means to be truly happy. To be frank with myself, I was incredibly scared when I learned of my condition. My mind immediately went to my friends, how, if this operation failed, would my absence effect them. Especially Colgate & Pinkie. For the longest time, I thought love to a fallacy; an optional tool, an unneeded prerequisite to happiness. I can now call my past self an arrogant idiot. With Colgate at my side, I have never been happier. We lived together now, in a house just outside of Ponyville, next to Button Mash & just across the street from Rarity’s boutique. It was a quaint little thing, just big enough for me and Colgate to enjoy ourselves. I loved that mare with all my being and she did as well for me. Even though I didn’t know any magic, or couldn’t fly, she still loved me for who I was. She was at work currently, as I slid past her practice, and even though our schedules sometimes conflicted, we always made time for each other. I still, maintained my job at Sweet Apple Acres, plowing & tilling fields for the Apple Family. It was good money, but very, very hard work. With both Colgate & I working, we brought in enough bits every month to live comfortably, which is always a nice feeling to be able to accumulate a small amount of bits for say, a night on the town or something nice for a specific month anniversary.

I continued my casual walk through Ponyville, stopping at the bridge that passed over a lake, just outside of the town. Gazing, out into the water furthered my feelings of solace and comfort, the giggling and care free fillies and colts playing to my left. I often wondered what it would be like to grow up in Equestria, and was curious how their educational system differed from ours back home. Tossing that thought aside, I shoved my hands into my sweatshirts pockets and continued on my way, strolling on the neatly maintained dirt path out of Ponyville. To my right were big, rolling green hills dotted by mountains in the distance, barely able to make out Canterlot at the edge of my vision. A gust of wind blew through my hair as I stopped for a brief moment, deciding on the next leg of my walk.

Reluctantly heading back towards Ponyville, I fancied a cup of mid afternoon coffee to sooth any frayed nerves. Turning, I headed for Sugarcube Corner in no particular hurry, meandering through the still busy streets of Ponyville. I spotted Roseluck out of the corner of my left eye, humming as she tended to her vendor stand, happily oblivious to my presence. It's funny really: she and I spoke often about casual topics , and not only had she become a good listener, but a good friend as well. I knew as much, because I remember thinking when I first came to Equestria, being paranoid about how nice everyone was. Shaking my head and chuckling to myself, that silly memory faded into oblivion as a strolled through Ponyville, Twilight's magnificent castle behind me. To be fair, given the rustic nature of Ponyville, it was odd to see a crystal, spiky castle sitting outside of it, however the townsfolk had come to appreciate having a Princess living among them.

I reached Sugarcube Corner withing ten minutes and slid open the slightly heavy wooden door, the interior's warmness hitting me with the inviting smells of cinnamon and cocoa being added. Ponies were busy chatting among themselves but a couple noticed me enter and acknowledged my presence with a simple head nod of a wave of the hoof. I spotted Lyra talking with a pony I didn't know, who simply made eye contact for a brief moment before returning her focus to her company. I made for my favorite seat in the establishment, a corner chair and table that had an excellent view of the outside. As I sat down and removed my sweatshirt, I caught a glimpse of a pegasus flashing through the skies above. Her cyan coat was unmistakable, and the spectrum she left behind her was trademark. Rainbow Dash flew through the sky with grace and precision, thundering off to who knows where, before pivoting right and disappearing from my view. She'd never been one for casual walking, as she normally would hover whenever our group got together.

Turning my attention back outside, the sky began to turn a blackish grey as storm clouds lumbered through Ponyville's skies. Wind rustled the leaves falling around outside, sending them every way imaginable as ponies pondered the possible outcomes that this change in weather would produce. The clouds lumbered through the skies, clearly weighed down the immense amounts of moisture they were sure to bring. I caught motion out of the corner of my eye, as something darted from an adjacent table back towards the back of the store. It was an almost indistinguishable blur as it darted from table to table, a small ''whooshing'' sound accompanied it.

"Hiya, pal!" the pink furball exclaimed as it slid to a halt in front of my table. Chuckling and looking up, Pinkie Pie stood in front of me, all smiles as usual, bouncing with joy to see me. Pinkie was, in a way, the most interesting pony I'd ever met. She could do things that not even Twilight could explain. It's just better not to question her shenanigans. Since Equestria had become fairly uneventful, Pinkie had calmed down quite a bit, even alternating between her usual poofy hair style and a new board straight style. I liked both, but the straight style made her look almost photogenic whenever a stray gust met her.

Regardless, I ordered my cup of coffee and returned to gaze out the window, the heavy grey sky now becoming more so. I pawed behind me, making sure I brought my coat with me, being interrupted by Pinkie once again. However, this time she calmly trotted over to my table, slid me my coffee and joined me, smiling a kind, warm smile.

We began chatting about random subjects, the rain now starting outside, how things in our lives had been going and other general small talk. For me, it was nice to assume a normal life for a while, aside from all the chaos, misery and other happenings around Equestria.

"And then she just walked out the door and I've never seen her since," Pinkie commented on an old friend of hers from years past, finally making it in Manehattan.

"So, you have no idea where she is now?"

"Nope. Haven't heard a chirp from her in years!"

"Weird. Maybe she's really busy?"

I managed to take another sip of coffee while Pinkie went on to random topics. We would see each other practically every day as our paths would cross quite a bit. Half an hour of talking passed before I realized what time it was. Deciding I needed to get home, I stood and slid Pinkie a couple bits for the drink.

"Well Pink, I would say I should get home before I get trapped here again," I said reluctantly. It was nice talking to Pinkie in depth. I found that beneath her outgoing and bouncy exterior, she was all business, which I couldn't help but admire.

"Yeah, I should get home too. The Cake's need me to watch the babies again. I'll see you around Jackson?"

I nodded my head. "Sure thing."

We parted ways as I stepped out into the blustery, wet evening. I quickly trotted to the sidewalk, pulled my sweatshirt tight around my body and made for home. It was a small-ish house in Ponyville two blocks away from Rarity's boutique. I casually scanned the horizon and my surroundings as I meandered my way home, keeping pace. I wanted to get home before Colgate did, so I had enough time to shower and change. Even though she and I had become very intimate and close, I still preferred some privacy from time to time. And I know she did too.

Reaching the front door, I slid the key in and turned the handle, greeted by the fresh scent of a clean house. Quickly closing the door behind me, I took my shoes off and made for the backroom shower and washroom. The house was quiet so I know she wasn't home yet. The wood floor was a custom deep red, accompanied by lush carpet and comfortable furniture. It wasn't as lavish as say Rainbow Dash's house or Rarity's boutique, but it was more then enough for me. Finally reaching the shower, I stripped and turned the water on, waiting for it to get hot. I glanced over at myself in the mirror and looked my figure over. Nothing much had changed from my time on Earth. My eyes had turned from brown to a vibrant grey-blue, which was the only odd change. However, scars aplenty littered my body. I shivered at what made me write those lines. Each scar is a story to be told, without them we wouldn't be unique.

My necklace gleamed as I unlatched it from around my neck and placed it on the counter, it's waterproof silver and black accenting shining in the bathroom's light.

I smiled and made for the shower, closing the curtain behind me, letting the water run over my body. I dipped my head under the shower head and let my hair flow over and cover my eyes. Things were peaceful.

I mused silently to myself as I began washing, remembering days and months gone by and how coming to Equestria had changed my life for the better. As I hummed to myself, I heard the front door turn and close abruptly afterwards. Smiling, I continued to wash as I heard footsteps approach the bathroom and gently knock. Colgate entered, a warm smile on her wind blown muzzle as her shimmering blue eyes met mine.

Author's Note:

So we're trying the comedy route this time instead of dark romance. Let's see where this goes.

Comments

[8chill]

Nice to see the sequel for this story. Looking forward to the next chapter(s).

~8chill

[Maerx]

6486871 Delayed reply is delayed.

Thanks buddy.