Chapter 2
George is sitting at the trainstation in wait for his train to Ponyville. It’s been a few days since he last spoke to Twilight and Rarity but, from the letter he received yesterday, they were able to talk Celestia into letting him visit Ponyville. Not that he isn’t allowed to go wherever he wants but due to his lack of knowledge on most of the dangers here, Celestia tends to be worrisome over any trips he wants to make. He can only guess it’s in her motherly nature to care about her subjects, even one that came from another world.
He’s grateful for that and appreciates her concern. Now, convincing Strict Rule was a challenge all on its own. Asking to skip a workday was considered blasphemy for Strict Rule. So it took him some time to explain the situation before she finally let up and allowed him to go. He has a feeling that the letter from Celestia was the final push needed to convince her. So here George sits. There are a few ponies here and there waiting at the platform as well. He’s got his ticket, bag of bits and clothes on his back.
He’s not expecting to stay longer than the day so no need for a change of clothes. George can hear the train approach from afar. It’s finally here. He’ll admit it’s kinda exciting to be leaving Canterlot for the first time. He wonders what Ponyville looks like?
The train has finally reached its destination. George can feel his heart rapidly beating in his chest as he gets out of his seat and makes his way to the exit. As soon as he walks out of the train door does he find himself surprised by what he sees. Twilight is standing in wait for him. It’s easy enough to spot her considering his height advantage and it’s just as easy for her to spot him. He feels a smile on his face at seeing her, a looks she mirrors. George walks towards Twilight as she meets him halfway.
“I didn’t know you were going to meet me at the station.” George says with surprise.
“I knew this was your first time in Ponyville. Wouldn’t be much of a visit if you got lost.”
That is a thing that could’ve happen. Seems like Twilight has been thinking about this just as much as he has.
“Thanks for taking the time to come here.”
Twilight perks up at that.
“It’s no problem at all. Are you ready to see Ponyville?”
George nods. “Yup.”
“Alright, follow me.”
Twilight walks off towards town as George follows behind her. The first thing that he notices is that this place is a far cry from Canterlot. Yet he can’t deny that it fits along the same theme. Canterlot appears to reflect a certain medieval style. The castle and all surrounding places looking to be made of high grade stones and other various materials. Yet Ponyville has a look that George would assume a smaller village would have. The houses look sturdy but obviously not made of the same materials found in Canterlot. It’s just got a very middle ages vibe to it.
“I have to say this place looks different compared to Canterlot.” George breaks the silence.
“Yeah, Ponyville looks rustic but it’s a cozy place to call home. Away from the hustle and bustle of the modern Equestria most ponies know. A place where you can relax.”
“It certaining looks like a relaxing place to live.”
Twilight chuckles slightly. “It can get rather interesting at times too.” Twilight points off towards a forest to the right. “That’s the Everfree forest. A lot of dangerous animals call it home and they sometimes like to wander into town. No pony has been harmed but it can put the fright into anypony not paying attention.”
Sounds like the typical problems of someone who lives next to nature. Animals have their own places they wander and sometimes that’s where you happen to live. Usually nothing bad happens but sometimes the worst thing can happen. George has heard a few horror stories about people who’ve left their homes at night to take out the trash only to be mauled by a bear. Scary thought but statistically unlikely.
“Yeah, that sort of thing happens with humans too. At least for those that live close to nature.”
George can see that curious glint in Twilight’s eye whenever he speaks about his world. She’s a very curious pony.
“May I ask what creatures you have on earth?”
George scratches the back of his head. “I... I’ll be honest, Twilight. I don’t know what animals live here in Equestria. Do you have a bestiary I can take a look at?”
She nods with a large smile. “Of course! Let’s head on over to my castle right now!”
George can’t get another word in as Twilight grabs his hand with her magic and starts running. All he can do is match her pace and see where it takes him.
So, George is standing in front of what he can only describe as a tree made of crystal. This is not a typical home. In fact it’s almost on par with Celestia’s castle. George knows that Twilight is a princess but he didn’t know she lived in her own castle. It makes sense, seeing as Cadance has her own castle as well. Twilight had led him to a throne room and left him there as she ran off to get the book he requested. He looks around a bit and finds a large crystal table in the center, six large thrones surrounding it with symbols at the top.
He recognizes them as the cutie marks of the elements of harmony. So this is a round table of some kind. Do those six conduct business here? George wonders what kinds of adventures they get into. He spent most of his time reading up on them after meeting Twilight and yet what those six have done is rarely talked about or published. Just the biggest moments are written into history. Surely they get into other smaller adventures as well?
His thoughts will have to wait as Twilight enters the room with a book held in her magic. She takes a seat at her throne and waves for George to join her. George stands beside her, unsure where to sit. She rolls her eyes and points to the seat next to her.
“You can sit there. No pony will get mad.”
George doesn’t feel right about this but he takes his seat next to Twilight.
“Here’s the book you asked for.” She floats it over to him.
He nods. “Thank you.”
George takes the book and looks over its contents. After flipping through the pages for awhile he finds a lot of disturbing things. There are many animals that are exactly the same as the ones on earth, not only that but there are even mythical creatures from earth that exist here. This is disturbing on so many levels. George isn’t sure how to process this.
“Is everything alright?” Twilight asks having noticed his mood change.
“Yeah... It’s just that all of these creatures are exactly the same as the ones on my planet.”
Twilight looks just as surprised to hear this.
“Exactly the same?”
George nods. “Not to mention.” He shows her a picture of a dragon. “We had myths about dragons but none were ever confirmed. Yet it says here that they actually have territory of their own.”
“There’s still a lot that isn’t known about dragons but I can assure you that they are real.”
“This is so odd. What are the chances of something like this happening?”
“Are you simply asking or would you like to do the math?”
George looks directly at Twilight. “I would like to do the math.”
“Hey, Twilight. Weren’t you supposed to come over to Pinki-”
Spike stops mid stride into the throne room and stands in awe of what he finds. There laying on the floor is Twilight and some kind of giant creature. They’re both panting heavily as they are covered from head to hoof in paper. Spike looks around to see that there’s paper everywhere! Each piece has various numbers with equations on it. What the hay is going on!? Who the hay is this creature!? There’s just too much for his young mind to understand.
Twilight looks up at Spike as she lays on her back on the floor.
“O-Oh... Hey, Spike. Sorry I’m a little late but George and I kinda got preoccupied.”
“You’re telling me.” Spike says glancing around.
Twilight chuckles with a blush. “Can you help us clean this mess? Then we can head on over to Sugarcube corner.”
Spike just grumbles a bit to himself as he starts collecting the mass of papers. George is confused by what he sees. A small lizard of some kind? A baby dragon? What the hell is it? Twilight notices George staring at Spike and remembers that she hasn’t introduced them yet.
“Spike, this if George, he works at the royal library.”
Spike just keeps working. “Hey.”
Twilight chuckles nervously as she looks at George.
“George, that’s Spike. I’ve been taking care of him since he hatched from his egg.”
“So, you’re like his mother?”
“Pfft, as if.” Spike remarks.
“Not really, more like a sister.” Twilight comes in.
“What is he exactly?”
“I’m a dragon.” Spike answers.
“baby dragon.” Twilight adds.
George is confused by all this. He doesn’t look anything like what the bestiary shows.
“Don’t dragon's have wings?”
“They’ll grow in!” Spike says self consciously. “Eventually.”
Spike doesn’t say anything else as he storms off to another part of the throne room to clean.
“Did I say something wrong?” George whispers to Twilight.
“No, Spike is just sensitive about things related to dragons. The truth is he doesn’t know much about them either.”
“Sounds rough.”
“It is at times. Though he has a lot of friends here and that’s what matters the most.”
George gives a small nod at that as he turns his attention to all the papers scattered about on the walls and floors.
“We should probably help clean this.”
Twilight nods in agreement and they set off to help clean the place up.
“So where are we headed off to now?” George asks as Twilight, Spike and him walk down the street.
“We’re headed over to Sugarcube corner, my friend Pinkie works there.”
“Alright.” George looks around to the relatively barren town. “Any reason as to why there aren’t many ponies out and about?”
Twilight chuckles nervously. “Oh, well they’re probably somewhere around. We should hurry, we’re already late.”
It’s not like George can stop to question Twilight as she runs off, forcing him to give chase. Though she doesn’t run for long as she stops in front of a building that stands against all others around it. If George had to guess he would think a witch waits inside for children to cook up. Though he’s no Hansel and Twilight is a pony. Regardless of those thoughts, Twilight has a large smile on her face.
“We’re here!” She shouts for no reason.
“I’m standing right here.” George remarks.
She blushes some. “Sorry, I’m just excited you get to meet my friends.”
“Oh? Well, let's not keep them waiting.”
Twilight extends her hoof to the door. “After you.”
With a raised brow George walks ahead of Twilight and lets himself into the establishment. It’s dark, too dark. Realization hits him too late as lights turn on, blinding him briefly, while many ponies shout in unison.
“Surprise!”
Once George regains his vision he finally understands why the town was empty. There are a lot of ponies here and a pink one walks up to him giggling.
“I hoped you were surprised!”
“Yeah, I had no idea.” He answers.
“That’s great! Twilight and I have been planning this for awhile. So enjoy yourself! Refreshments are over there.” She points to a table that has a punch bowl on top, a small alligator swimming in it. “Snacks are there.” Another table with various treats for everyone to enjoy. “Lastly our friends are over there!”
George follows her hoof to a booth in the corner of the shop where he finds Twilight, Rarity and a few other mares sitting in wait. They wave for him to join, even a pink one that looks just like the mare he’s talking to. George looks down and finds the pony that was talking to him is gone... Wait, is that the same pony? He decides not to linger on it much and leaves it as something magic related. George walks past the crowd of ponies, many of them looking his way.
There’s something odd about this gathering. Where are all the males? George remembers learning about how females outnumber males almost three to one but there's literally no males he can spot here. It’s very odd but he puts his thoughts aside as he reaches the table where the girls are waiting.
“Hello.”
“It’s so good to see you again, Darling.” Rarity speaks up. “Please, have a seat.”
George takes the open seat next to Twilight. He can see that just like everyone else at this party, all these mares are looking directly at him. Seeing as no one is talking, he’ll try to break the ice.
“I don’t know how much Twilight or Rarity has told you about me but my name is George. May I have your names?”
That seems to shake each mare out of their stupor.
“Well, mah name is Applejack.”
“I’m Rainbow Dash.”
“F-Fluttershy.”
“Pinkie Pie!”
So he has their names. At least that part’s out of the way. Still, he can see a certain look in their eyes. A look of uncertainty and questioning.
“Would you like to know something about me?” George offers them.
“I guess if I had to know, I’d like to hear on how you and Twi met?” Applejack asks.
“Oh, that’s easy. I was working at the royal library, sorting books, checking their contents to ensure they were still in proper condition. I heard someone behind me and at first I thought it was my boss. As it turns out it was Twilight. She was looking to check out Magehoof the Magnificents: Book of magenificent spells. She was interested in what I am and asked to talk over lunch.”
“That sounds like something Twilight would do.” Applejack accepts that answer.
“Oooh, oooh, me!” Pinkie says waving her hoof in the air.
“Yes?” George turns to face her.
“How come you’re all tall and strong looking?”
George looks down at himself. It’s true he’s a bit tall by his people’s standards, so when you put him into a place where ponies are tiny, he tends to look like a giant. Still, strong? He works about as much as any other average person on earth. He’s not ripped by any means but at least lightly toned. Then again, George has noticed that muscular features aren’t really as prominent in Equestria. Ponies almost look detaillees. It’s odd to even see stallions with muscle outlines under their fur. What’s prominent in Equestria tends to be how full or round a pony looks. Not really fat per se but just a little extra cushion here and there.
So add the fact that his arms show slight cuts of his muscle probably makes it a prominent feature to everypony.
“That’s just the way my people look. Given, I’m probably not that strong but I do take care of myself.”
“I’ll say.” Rainbow whispers under her breath.
“What was that?” George asks.
“U-Um... Well, you just look really good is all.”
Applejack pulls Rainbow close and whispers into her ear.
“Dang, Rainbow. Can you even control yourself?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m a day away from my heat and I’m about to lose it! How in the hay did Twilight snatch him up so quickly?”
“There’s something wrong with you, Rainbow. You’ve been round that griffin friend of yours too much lately. Would you really jump in the hay with a creature like that?”
“Say that to every mare here. They’re eyeing him just as much as me.”
Applejack looks up and can see that all the ponies here are looking over at George from the corner of their eye. She returns to whispering to Rainbow. George has no idea what they’re talking about but decides to ignore it. He looks over at the shy looking pony as she only slightly has her hoof raised, barely even noticeable from under the table.
“Yes?” George turns his attention to her.
“Where do you come from?” She asks in an almost inaudible volume.
“Another planet. I can’t explain how I got to Equestria but somehow I did.”
Rarity is looking at Applejack and Rainbow in disgust. She can’t believe they are having this conversation in front of George. Yet it looks like George hasn’t noticed what they are talking about yet. Not to mention, Twilight doesn’t look happy about what they’re saying either and Rarity is sure that she’ll develop crows feet in no time with a frown like that. It appears that none other than Rarity can put a stop to this, less a marefight should break out.
“Applejack, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity shouts loud enough to grab their attention. “Did you two forget that we have company? I would say that what you two are discussing is best kept to yourselves.”
The both of them notice how everypony at the table is looking their way. Not to mention a few of them don’t look rather happy. Applejack is the first to respond.
“Sorry about that, Everypony. Just got lost in thought is all.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow speaks up. “Just one of those things.”
Rarity adjusts her curl as she looks back at George.
“George, may I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure. I don’t mind.”
“Who makes your clothes?”
George looks down to his simple t-shirt and pants. Nothing special about them at all. Then again, that isn’t why he wears them.
“Somepony in Canterlot. My boss told me about her and I decided to give her a try.”
“I hope you don’t take offense to this but don’t you think your clothes are rather bland?”
Ah, he’s heard this question before.
”Why do you wear clothes all the time” or “Why such plain clothes?”.
Most ponies don’t get the concept of casual wear, as most of them prefer being naked or only wearing clothes for important events, business transactions or showing their societal status. However, seeing a naked pony at work or home isn’t uncommon.
“Humans wear clothes all the time.”
Rarity’s eyes start to sparkle some, the same look of curiosity Twilight has right now.
“A-All the time?”
George nods. “Yeah. We don’t have fur like you to keep us warm, so clothes act as our fur. Since we wear clothes all the time, we don’t really waste much on making it fancy or anything, just functional.”
“That’s really interesting to hear.” Twilight comes in.
“Are there times where you do wear something a bit more spruced up?” Rarity asks.
“Sometimes. If I go out to special occasions. It kinda works in four ways, when we’re by ourselves we tend to wear clothes that are the most comfortable. When we go out, we’ll wear something that’s a bit higher quality, when we meet friends we’ll dress nicer and for let’s say meeting the princess or going out to a fancy party, we’ll wear something like a suit.”
“And what would you class as what you’re wearing now?”
George looks down at himself. “I guess I’ve dress for a meeting with friends. A step down from fancy party.”
Rarity is finding how he approaches clothes very interesting.
“I hope you don’t mind but can we speak more on this subject later? I have to go but I would love for Twilight to bring you to my home around the evening time.”
“Sure, I might have time.”
“Great!” Rarity looks to her friends “I forgot I have a few dresses I need to work on. Have fun without me!”
“See you later, Rarity.” All the girls say as Rarity leaves.
“So what should we do now?” George asks
“Well you haven’t had any of my cupcakes yet!” Pinkie shouts.
Before George could even blink he notices a plate lined with many cupcakes placed in front of him. It’s so weird and a bit disorienting, kinda like when you see a magic trick. George shakes away the feeling and just chalks it up to magic again. He’s not sure how an earth pony can use it but he wouldn’t be surprised if they have some way of doing it. So with that put to the back of his mind does he look down at the plate. Well, they look really pretty. It seems no effort was spared in its design and presentation.
George picks one up and takes a bite. He immediately regrets that. He can taste the hay that’s in it. He doesn’t blame them for not knowing, it used to happen a lot when he first arrived at the castle. Hay is just a large part of what they eat. It’s oddly enough used to fill out whatever food they eat, as it’s supposed to have a very light taste that compliments mosts dishes. Kinda like salt. However, to a human, it just tastes awful. Still, to be polite he eats what's in his mouth.
“Soooooo... Whatcha think!” Pinkie asks with excitement.
“Well, most of it was fine. Though I should tell you that humans can’t eat hay. So that kinda threw me off a bit.”
“You can’t eat hay?” Twilight asks.
“We can’t process it.”
“So what can you eat?”
This question. George needs to play his cards right. He knows that most ponies have an aversion to meat eaters. It’s not that he’s afraid of getting lynched or anything. He just doesn’t like the weird looks it gets him whenever he tells ponies about it.
“A lot of things that you can. I just can’t eat things like hay, flowers and grass. Everything else I’m fine with.”
“This is interesting.” Twilight starts writing a few things down.
“Well good thing I made these!” Pinkie shouts.
George looks down to see a new plate set before him. It looks just like his first plate but the cupcake he bit is gone. He looks at Pinkie with a raised brow as she looks at him, then points at the cupcakes with her eyes, while looking at him the entire time. It’s as disturbing as it sounds but he gets the gist of what she’s saying. He decides to grab a different looking cupcake this time and takes a bite. He’s surprised to find that there’s no hay in it. It definitely tastes good too.
“Do you also eat meat?” George hears a whisper ask.
All the ponies look over to see that Fluttershy is looking right at him. He wasn’t expecting one of the ponies to ask him that question. Everyone at the table returns their gaze to him. Well, he doesn’t want to lie to them. He slowly sets the cupcake down and clears his throat some.
“Y-Yes.” He answers with some hesitance.
It’s slight but he can see how some of the ponies at the table move away from him by a few inches. The only ponies that don’t move are Rainbow, Twilight and Fluttershy.
“Y-Ya eat meat?” Applejack asks, a look of fear about her.
“Yeah. It’s a part of being healthy.”
Applejack leans over to Rainbow Dash.
“Think he’s attractive now?” She whispers.
“I wouldn’t mind him eating me.”
“I have no idea what you two are talking about but I think it’s kinda weird.” Pinkie is between the both of them as they jerk away from her in surprise. “He’s nice but for some reason down in my tummy I feel uneasy. It’s not something I can laugh away and I don’t know why.”
George can’t hear what those three are talking about but from the looks of it it’s about what he just told them. It’s not that big of a surprise, a lot of ponies become uneasy when they hear about his eating habits. With the exception of Celestia, as she caters to a large variety of carnivores throughout the nation, she was by far the most tame when she learned of George’s needs. It’s not something that usually comes up in conversations so it’s not something that he really needs to worry about on a day by day.
George looks over to find Twilight is writing up a storm. At least she’s not taking this the wrong way. Looking away from her and towards the others, he finds that Fluttershy is another pony that doesn’t look too concerned. Weird, considering that she looked like the type of pony to be the most frightened by this news. Despite that, he can sense an unease in the air now. He looks over towards the party and notices how everyone at the party is keeping him within their vision, even if it’s just the corner of their eye.
He might have overstayed his welcome. George gets up from his seat, drawing the attention of everyone at the table and in the room.
“Hey, Twilight.”
She looks up from her parchment to face George.
“Yes?”
“How about you show me the rest of the town?” George looks over at a clock. “You can show me everything before we meet Rarity.”
Twilight looks surprised by this but smiles widely at him.
“Great idea!” Twilight faces her friends. “Thanks again for the party, Girls. George is right, he’s only here for the day and it would be a waste for him not to see everything Ponyville has to offer.”
All of her friends give a nod as Twilight leaves the booth. George is already out the door by the time Twilight starts saying goodbye. He didn’t want to cause anymore trouble so he left without saying anything.
“Well, that was mighty rude of him not to say goodbye.” Applejack states as Twilight follows after George.
“We were kinda whispering about him.” Rainbow throws in.
“I guess that’s true. Still, don’t you feel even a bit nervous now knowing he’s a meat eater?”
Rainbow rolls her eyes. “Not one bit! Gilda ate meat all the time around me. I’ve got no problem with it.”
“But it’s another animal, Rainbow. That doesn't sound right to me.”
“Gilda kinda put it into perspective. She said that nothing on Equestria is made for eating, we simply decide to eat it. Apples aren’t designed as food, we just found out they taste good a long time ago and started eating it.”
“How can you compare an apple to a living creature?”
“It’s what they need to eat to be healthy. What’s wrong with that?”
“What if they want to eat Scootaloo?”
“Really, Applejack? They don’t eat ponies.”
Applejack is starting to get herself worked up.
“Maybe that’s true for Gilda but what about George? What if he used to eat ponies all the time on his planet?”
Rainbow opens her mouth and then rubs her chin in thought.
“Well, I don’t know about that but he’s been living here for awhile so wouldn't he have ate somepony already?”
“He hasn’t because of Celestia keeping him underhoof. Now that he’s here there’s no telling what he might do!”
“That’s silly, Applejack.” Pinkie states having been sitting there listening the entire time. “Despite the weird feeling in my tummy. I know George is a nice creature. My Pinkie sense didn’t throw off any alarms.”
“Think what you want but I worry about my sister and I’m going to make sure that nothing happens while Twilight’s friend is here.” Applejack says moving from her seat.
“You’re just paranoid.” Rainbow follows while Pinkie is right behind them.
“Yeah, Applejack. Super paranoid.”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
The three of them walk away having left Fluttershy by herself at the booth.
“Oh my... I knew I shouldn’t have asked him that while at the table.” She scolds herself. “I gotta make it up to him.”
Fluttershy gets out of her seat and walks towards the door. She doesn’t really know much about George other than he likes meat. Fluttershy’s eyes widen as an idea comes to her. She quickly runs out of the shop and towards her home. She knows exactly what to give George to make up for what she did.
George has been following Twilight for a while now as she shows him various places around town. She’s brought up a few interesting things but George finds his thoughts wandering. What once was a barren village is now full of ponies and that isn’t what is causing his mind to wander. No, it’s the fact that all of the ponies are keeping an eye on him. Not the usual eye of interest but one of caution.
Word must’ve gotten out about him eating meat. He’s honestly kinda impressed at the speed of which word has spread. Now in Canterlot you don’t get many looks, as those ponies are so posh they’ll keep the illusion of normality under stressful times. Eventually they just stopped caring and gone about their lives.
These ponies though are rural, so chances are they operate with different rules. There’s really no social status here so none of the ponies worry about what the ponies next to them are thinking about them. So this is why they’re looking at him, because some of them are afraid but that isn’t the entire story either, a few of them are giving him an entirely different look. Celestia has warned him about this other look just before he left to visit... These ponies are going into heat soon. He wasn’t sure about it before but now it’s too obvious to ignore. So it’s a good thing he’ll be out of here by the end of the day.
It also makes sense why he hasn’t seen any males around. They probably packed up at the first sign of these mares showing how close they were to heat. George has only heard about heat from Celestia but it sounds rather dangerous to any males caught out in the open. Though Celestia assured that George would always be safe at her castle, as she has a weird type of heat that makes her extra motherly. Weird thing to talk about to a horse, even weirder for her to explain it to you.
So George needs to tread cautiously. What he does find odd is that Twilight shows indifference to everything. Is it not her time of heat? George shakes that thought away. He can’t be thinking about her adult functions! It’s just weird... George’s gaze moves to Twilight. She is really cute though. How she’s constantly writing down things, even while walking. How she has a slight hop to her gait. How her saddle bag droops slightly to the left as she takes out more and more pieces of parchment and the unused inkwells start to weigh their side down.
George shakes his head with a slight smile as he lifts her saddle slightly, adjusts it to sit squarely on her back and then tighten the straps some. When he’s done he looks over to see Twilight looking at him with a blush as she continues to walk. George too can feel his face redden at what he just did.
“Sorry, your bag was starting to slouch.”
Twilight clears her throat. “A-As I was saying. That’s the pony spa.” She stops to point at a rather large and luxurious looking building.
George is about to compliment how it looks but someone else speaks before him.
“U-Um... Hello, Twilight.” Both Twilight and George look behind them and find Fluttershy. “Hello, George.”
“Hi.” George says surprised to see Fluttershy here.
“What brings you around here, Fluttershy?” Twilight asks.
“I’ve been looking for you two. Can you place come over to my place?”
“Is something the matter?” Twilight asks with concern.
“Oh, no... I would just like some company.” She then looks up at Twilight. “B-but if you’re already busy then I understand.”
Twilight looks at Fluttershy, then at George. Well, she was pretty much done showing him Ponyville. So why not go over to Fluttershy’s place? This would put them at the correct time to see Rarity.
“Sure.” Twilight looks over at George. “You’re alright with that, right?”
“It’s fine.” George really has no reason not to go.
“Wonderful!” Fluttershy says in a small shout. “I’ll go make some tea. See you soon!”
Well, this is an interesting turn of events for George. Twilight also has no idea what’s going on but she gets the feeling that Fluttershy wants them over there for reasons other than just a friendly visit. Still, no reason to think Fluttershy is going to do anything crazy.
George, Twilight and Fluttershy are sitting in her living room. George has to admit that Fluttershy’s place is really nice. Though it’s also odd that her home is so close to the Everfree. She comes off as an easily scared pony, so why would she live so close to a place known for its danger? Then again she also does have quite a few animals walking about. Various woodland creatures, all in different sizes. George is pretty sure he saw a bear outback before Fluttershy showed him in.
Other than that Fluttershy has been a great hostess. She’s given each of them a cup of tea. George isn’t too sure what it is but it doesn’t taste bad, so that’s a plus. So far no one has really been saying much. It just seems like everyone is kinda enjoying the silence. It’s a nice break from all the stares he was getting earlier.
“It’s nice having company.” Fluttershy says with a gentle smile.
“I know I said it before but I think your home is beautiful.” George compliments.
“I’m sure you’ve seen better in Canterlot. There are so many nice places there.”
“I appreciate the change of pace, it’s nice to be somewhere relaxing like this as opposed to a noisy city.”
“I know what you mean.” Twilight comes in. “You get so used to life in Canterlot that even a simple place like Ponyville can provide something worth anypony’s time.”
“Yeah, it’s nice when you can just sit down and not have to worry about things. It’s why I like working at the library so much. I’m just there with the books. I can learn so many things about this world and there’s nothing but silence.”
“I used to do the same thing when I lived in Canterlot. The library is such a great place.”
“I think your library in the castle is pretty cool too. Must be nice to have a library close by.”
Twilight’s eyes sparkle a bit at hearing that.
“It’s great! I get to read whenever I want or have any book at my hoof just before bedtime.”
“Too bad I can’t do the same thing. Celestia made a rule that I can’t enter the library before or after work. She thinks I spend too much time there.”
Twilight’s smile slips some. She knows George is so different from everything on this world but she can’t stop herself from drawing comparisons between him and herself. Celestia didn’t ask for Twilight to help George become social but she gets the feeling that he may be falling onto a path she once walked so many years ago. Not to mention what happened earlier at Sugarcube corner, he must get that isolated feeling a lot because of his differences. Still, she wants to show him that he’s got friends!
“I...” Both Twilight and George looks over at Fluttershy. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for bringing up your eating habits today.”
George wasn’t expecting to hear that from Fluttershy.
“Oh... Well, It’s no problem. You were curious.”
“That’s very kind of you but I should’ve known everypony would react badly to hearing your answer. I never seen a creature like you before and I started to notice so many things about you pointing towards a more predatory lifestyle and it made me want to ask.”
“Again, it’s no problem. I’m happy you don’t think I’m a monster because of it.”
“Of course I know you aren’t. I take care of many animals, so it’s no surprise to me that you eat meat. In fact...” Fluttershy gets out of her seat and walks off into a back room for a few moments before coming back with a plate. “Enjoy.”
Both George and Twilight’s eyes widen as they look at the plate Fluttershy brought in. There’s no doubt in George's mind that what he’s looking at right now is jerky. He’s not sure about what type but that’s dried meat.
“W-Where did you get that?” Twilight asks Fluttershy surprised she had that in her home.
“Sometimes the wolves from the north come and visit every few years. It’s cold up there and I learned from Gilda that griffins have a style of preserving meat for a long time. I usually only give this to the wolves but it’s fine if a few pieces are gone.”
“But where did the meat come from?” Twilight adds.
“Gilda. I’m so happy that Rainbow and her made up. She’s the only griffin I know that can get me all types of fresh meat. Before then, I either had to fish or tell my little friends I didn’t have anything for them.” She twiddles her hooves a bit.
This is an awkward situation. Not wanting to be rude, George decides to take one piece and gives it a try. He has to admit that it’s been awhile since he’s had something so simple and yet he can’t deny that it tastes great. It’s true that he gets meat from the cooks but snack related stuff is a no go. So it’s an odd thing to experience something he thought was lost long ago.
“So, how is it?” Fluttershy asks.
“It’s actually rather nice. Who ever this Gilda is, she knows how to cure meat.”
“I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that.”
George looks over at Twilight and finds she isn’t writing but instead looking at him. He can’t really place the look she’s giving him.
“How does it taste?” She asks.
“That’s a really hard question to answer. It’s salty but has a few hints of spice here and there. The meat is surprisingly moist and tender. I’m not too sure how to explain it.”
Twilight goes back to writing. This entire thing is weird. George looks back over to Fluttershy.
“Thank you for inviting us. However, I think it’s about time we spoke with Rarity.”
“No, thank you for spending time at my home.”
Twilight and George get up from their seats and leave Fluttershy’s home. He has to say that while it was weird he thinks that was a pleasant experience.
“So, we off to see Rarity next?” Twilight asks.
“Yup.”
Now this is another odd thing for George. Rarity’s home looks kinda like a carousel. Considering they’re ponies, this just makes it all the odder for George. Twilight is already knocking on the door as he stands behind her looking over the place. He can’t really understand how this world works. It’s almost like there’s human influence everywhere he looks. He doesn’t even want to think about all the door handles he finds himself opening on a day by day.
“Perfect timing you two!”
George is brought from thought as Rarity’s voice calls out. He looks over and find that she doesn’t look too good. Her mane’s a mess and she looks really tired. She only left an hour or so before them. What could’ve done this much damage to her? Rarity seems to notice George’s gaze. She blushes slightly as she tries to brush her mane back into proper place.
“Sorry for my appearance. I’ve been working nonstop on a few things I needed to get done.”
“Is this a bad time?” Twilight asks.
“Not at all! I could really use a small break before getting back to work.”
“Do you need any help?” George offers.
“Certainly not. You are guests in my home and I won’t have you two working.”
“I honestly don’t mind, as long it’s something I can help with.” George looks at Twilight. “What do you think?”
Twilight looks at George then over to Rarity. “I agree with George. What’s the harm in helping a friend?”
Rarity looks skeptical but lets out a large sigh as her mane becomes messy again.
“Are you two sure you don’t mind?” She asks.
“I really don’t like sitting around too much. I prefer working most of the time.” George states.
“Same.” Twilight agrees.
“Alright. Please come in.”
Rarity shows the two of them into her home. He has to say that the front of the place looks like a store. There are weird pony mannequins, a section of mirrors to look yourself over in and a register. George keeps following Twilight and Rarity as she takes them up a set of stairs and into another room. When George enters this room he finds a workshop. Linens, a sewing machine and dress patterns everywhere.
“Twilight, please sort the colors with seasons in mind. I haven’t had the time to do that yet and it’ll help immensely.”
“Got it!” Twilight sets her saddle down as she casts her magic and goes to work.
“George.”
“Yes?”
“I need you as a model.”
That throws George off.
“A model?”
Rarity nods. “Yes. Your unique body type is close to a minotaurs. This may be the only chance I get to practice making clothes for their type.”
“Well, alright.”
Rarity clops her hooves in delight.
“Great! Please, just stand here.” She points to a small stage surrounded by mirrors.
George gets up and takes his place.
“Right here?”
“Yes but can you disrobe for me?” Rarity asks without pause.
George gulps some. This is weird.
“Uhh.”
“Oh! One moment!” Rarity walks out of the room for a second, the entire place becomes warmer as she returns. “There we are! I know you said you wear clothes to stay warm, so now it shouldn’t be uncomfortable for you.”
Crap... She doesn’t understand. Well, she does but she doesn’t at the same time. Then again George didn’t explain every reason as to why he wears clothes. Still, just standing there looking at those large sparkling eyes, it’s enough to melt the heart of any man... Well, he’s fine with just his underwear... That should work out fine. George disrobes, making sure to keep his underwear on. When he looks up he finds Twilight and Rarity looking at him, one has a large blush and the other is confused.
“Darling, may I ask what those small things are?” Rarity uses her magic to tug on the waistband of his underwear.
“Well, um...” He was hoping she wouldn’t ask but he knew this was coming. “Do you know how ponies have fur to keep them warm but I don't?” She nods. “Stallions have sheaths to keep modest but I don't.”
Rarity’s eyes slowly grow wider as realization sets in.
“I-I had no idea! I hope this wasn’t uncouth of me to ask you!”
“No, it’s fine. Again, we’re so different. There are bound to be some things that don’t add up.”
“So your...” Twilight speaks up but quickly realises what she was going to ask.
George looks over to her holding a quill and parchment but looks away in embarrassment.
George clears his throat. “To answer your question, yes. I guess it works the same way as any other male, blood and the like but mine doesn’t go back into a sheath or anything. So that’s another reason why we wear clothes all the time too.”
“Well I hope I’m not asking too much of you.” Rarity comes in again.
“I think I can manage. So what should I do?”
“Just stretch your arms and legs as much as you can.” Rarity instructs.
George does as he’s told and stretches his arms out and takes a wider stance. Despite all this embarrassing stuff, his calm attitude is enough to keep everyone from feeling awkward. He watches as Rarity uses a tape measure held in her magic to get his measurements. George has never had a suit made for him before so this is a new experience for him. He looks over to find Twilight is no longer looking at her notes and instead looking at him.
He’s not too sure how he feels about her constant gaze. Rarity takes notice of George looking at something from the corner of his eye. She briefly looks behind her and finds Twilight ogling him. Rarity clears her throat to catch everyone's attention.
“Twilight, have you sorted my fabric yet?”
That snaps Twilight out of her staring as she looks at Rarity in confusion for a moment, having forgot what Rarity asked her when they came into her room.
“Oh! Sorry, I just got lost in thought.”
Twilight quickly turns around with a huge blush on her face as she goes back to sorting fabrics. Rarity just shakes her head with a small smirk. That mare is head over hooves. Well, Rarity is on the case to help out her friend in this adventure of love.
“George. I know you’ve spoken of your people and the like but I want to know more about you. What do you do when you’re not in the library?”
“Um... I guess I talk to Celestia sometimes, if she’s not busy. I also like to read various books to learn about Equestria. Other than that I don’t really do much else.”
“I swear you sound just like Twilight. She spends most of her free time reading.”
“Not all my free time.” Twilight mumbles.
“So do you have any friends you like to spend time with?” Rarity asks.
George shakes his head. “Not really. I mostly spend time at the library working, so I don’t get out much to socialize.”
“Not even a single friend?”
“I guess you could say I’m friends with Celestia.”
“But you said she’s busy.”
“Yeah but that’s fine with me.”
“Darling, you need more friends to spend time with.”
“Well, I’m spending time with you and Twilight, aren’t I?”
He’s not wrong but that’s not the point Rarity is trying to make.
“Yes but we’ve only spoken for such a small amount of time.”
“True but didn’t you and the rest of the elements only know Twilight for less than a day before becoming friends?”
Rats... He’s really smart.
“That’s true...”
“So aren’t we friends?”
“There’s really no reason for us not to be.” Rarity admits.
“Plus I’d like to think Twilight and I are friends as well. So I have three friends.”
“Still, don’t you get bored spending so much time in a library and not outside?”
“Nope. There’s so much about Equestria that I don’t understand and learning about it is helpful.”
Hmm... Rarity has an idea to turn this in Twilight’s favor.
“Well, why don’t you and Twilight have a study session? I doubt there’s a pony out there that knows as much as Twilight. Other than Celestia but you said she was busy.”
“You do have a point, Rarity.” George states as he looks over at Twilight. “I do actually have some questions about Equestrian etiquette and a few other things too. I’ve tried to find books to get them answered but that’s rarely worked.”
Twilight seems to perk up at that suggestion.
“I do have the free time. Despite being a princess, there’s not much work for me most of the time.”
“So what days are you free?”
“Most of them. How about once we’re done here we can talk about it? I don’t want to be rude to Rarity.”
George nods. “Yes,” He looks back to Rarity. “Sorry, Rarity.”
“No apologies needed. I’m sure given enough time Twilight can even show you some things around Equestria. It’s one thing to read about it in a book, it’s another thing entirely to actually see it.”
Twilight smiles with excitement as her eyes start to twinkle at the thought.
“Have you ever seen the crystal cavern below the castle?” She asks George.
“I didn’t even know there was one.”
“It’s so beautiful. I would like to visit it again but I’ve never had a reason to.”
“All done with the measurements!” Rarity announces.
George gives Rarity a nod as he gets dressed.
“Though maybe we should talk about field trips later. For now,” He’s fully clothed as he looks at Twilight. “When’s our first study session?”
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looking good so far ajs being a bitch though
reported for snark
I love this story specifically the well crafted social interactions.
lol Cadence? who needs her, we got Rarity
Not liking how AJ Is acting. Also I can wait for the story to update. I don't mind.
Huh... didn't know this was an Anon fic
I bet she really saw it's beauty as she was running through them, with a half emaciated princess, trying to find an exit so they could stop an evil shapeshifter from marrying her bother and taking over Equestria
AJ, don't do anything rash now.... you got that.
Enjoying the story so far, but the way you introduce the main 6 feels a bit off-character on their part. Mainly RD being a bit too straight forward and "thristy" if you catch my drift. Aj has a right to be cautious, but in this case she even felt cold towards our buddy George and I don't think Pinkie would ever refer to someone as a "creature" and generally that word was used by too many characters to describe George.
Other than that it's a pleasant read, so please continue writing.
Get an editor. If I wasn't on a phone at the present time, I'd go through WHY you need one but just trust me on this.
Edit: It's not BAD bad, but a lot of the sentences are tell-y instead of show-y and the dialogue needs some more emotion. Anon-George and Twiggles seem like they're reading a script at the beginning though that loosens up after we get into the party. And there are a few errors (curse this phone for not letting me copy).
I thought RD was supposed to be the stupid-paranoid one.
Well thanks Fluttershy for torpedoing his reputation with the kind rural ponies, now they all are afraid of him cause he eats meat. You should have let him break it to them at his pace.
new chapter hype!
a vary good chapter and it looks as if the story is taking shape.
who the fuck reports on an established author? super bizarre.
i'm enjoying the meek-ness of george. the whole "heat" thing is kinda left field, but lets see where it goes.
8400987
I believe this image would also suffice, since "Ponies".
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/0/0a/Rainbow_Dash%27s_Grinch_smile_S05E05.png/revision/latest?cb=20150427120528
Good luck with that - the resident fashionista already knows you.
Loving it so far, I'm ready for some warm and fuzzies coming up!
No... but they eat chicken!
8423237
Tell and no show for parts that dont matter is better than having a fic that is 900,000 words and has 4 chapters dedicated to mundane walk from the train station.
Pointless padding is the worst.
Loving it
I like rainbow low key wanting him. Didnt expect the introduction of heat in this tbh but dont mind it.
An easy philosophy to take too far
Report those fuckers back, then. Give them a taste of their own fucking medicine.
That, or just ignore them. Either way, shit's goin' down.
That author’s note just killed me
Fucks sak- hahhahahah