Chapter 16
“How was your shower?” Willow asked as Caleb emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Well, everything from my belly down got a thorough wash. I’m going to have to get in a plumber and raise that shower head a couple of feet at least!”
The mare giggled. “I realized that belatedly. This cottage was constructed with ponies in mind. Nopony had even dreamed of the mixture of races that would inhabit Ponyville when this house was built.”
The man sat on the edge of the bed and nodded. “Yeah. I consider myself lucky that I make it through the door without bashing my head on the frame. I’m glad this place has vaulted ceilings so I don’t feel like I’m boxed in.”
“We’ll work out the problems as we find them, I promise. Right now though, it’s my turn to have a shower. Can you start breakfast in the meantime?”
“You trust me to cook?” Caleb asked with a smirk.
Willow paused in the bathroom doorway and looked back at him. “What stallion doesn’t know their way around a kitchen?” She then entered and closed the door behind her.
Caleb shrugged and started dressing. “I guess they all do in this back-to-front world. Of course, just because I’m a man and not a pony stallion doesn’t mean I’m helpless. Now, let’s see what I’ve got to work with.” He went to the fridge and opened it. Inside, he found eggs, butter, milk, cheese, tomatoes, plus a variety of fruits and vegetables. The man nodded in satisfaction. “Looks like Willow did a market run yesterday. I think I’ll whip up some omelets.”
Caleb pulled out the necessary ingredients and put them on the workbench. Finding a mixing bowl was tricky but he discovered it in one of the low cupboards. He quickly whipped up a tomato and cheese mixture before turning on the stove. He was grateful that this old cottage had some modern appliances and he didn’t have to light a fire in a wood-burning stove. A check around the appliance didn’t show any wires, so Caleb had to assume some sort of self-charging magic crystal was involved. A mystery for another time.
A large cast-iron skillet was hanging on the wall along with a few other items of cookware and he put it on the stove to heat up. After melting a tablespoon or so of butter, he then poured some of the mixture into the skillet. He was sliding the cooked omelet onto a plate when Willow emerged.
“Just in time,” Caleb declared. “Breakfast is served, milady. Bon appetit!”
“That smells wonderful,” the mare declared as she seated herself at the table.
“As a bachelor, I had to cook for myself a lot. It was either that or eat out often. Omelets are simple and nutritious. The only thing missing is bacon,” he said wistfully as he poured the remainder of the mixture into the skillet.
Willow paused with a forkful halfway to her mouth. “Haybacon, you mean?”
“Nope. Real bacon. From pigs.”
“Are you trying to ruin my appetite?” the mare said with a frown.
“You’ve shacked up with an omnivore, filly, so you better get used to it. Remember that Vicky ate that delicious carnivore meal yesterday. She loved it so much, she ate the bones too.”
The earth pony grimaced and resumed eating. She wasn’t going to be outdone by the changeling!
Caleb chuckled and tended to his omelet.
When Willow finished hers, she took her plate and utensils to the sink and then went to the fridge to extract some juice. “Hey, Caleb – what’s your preference? Apple, orange, or pear juice?”
“Like I said the other morning – gotta have my vitamin C. Orange for me, please.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Willow took the bottles of apple and orange juices and put them on the table before answering the knock. When she opened the door, she found a light blue unicorn stallion with a yellow mane waiting outside. He gave her a cheerful grin.
“Good morning! May I come in?”
Willow blinked in surprise. “Who are you? And why should I let you in?”
“Forgive me for not introducing myself. You can call me Vex.”
The mare frowned. “Vex? I’ve never heard…” Her eyes widened. “Vectrix?”
The stallion chuckled. “Didn’t take you long to figure that out, although the name was a pretty big hint. I did say that I was going to come around this morning. So, may I?”
Willow stepped aside and gestured with a sweep of her foreleg. “Enter and be welcome, strange unicorn whom I’ve never met,” she said loudly.
“Thank you,” Vex said, trotting inside. “Good morning, Caleb.”
The man looked at the pony and smiled. “Looking good, Vectrix. So that’s your stallion form?”
“Yep. As I told Willow, I’m called Vex in this identity – short for Vexing Conundrum. It’s also my siblings’ nickname for me.”
Caleb noticed that Vex’s hindquarters bore the image of a question mark crossed over by a magnifying glass. “So, you have a cutie mark in this identity,” he observed.
“Yeah. I’ve used it several times. I have a talent for solving difficult problems so it seemed appropriate. Anyway, this will be my persona for managing your trade school.”
“What’s wrong with just being your normal self?” the man asked with a frown.
Vex sighed and looked over to Willow. “Do you want to tell him?”
The mare grimaced. “Caleb – Vectrix’s hive isn’t the only one in this world, and the experience of some nations with them has not always been amicable. That changed a lot in recent history, mostly due to Prince Mark’s efforts, especially when he took Queen Chrysalis into his herd. However, there are a few races that have long memories and less forgiveness in their hearts than most ponies. Some of them will be among your students. Now, it’s quite likely that there won’t be any problems with them, or those close to them, back where they came from, but it’s better to play it safe.”
Caleb scowled. “So, you’re saying that changelings are discriminated against?”
Vectrix nodded. “It’s true, but at least it’s not without some good reasons, albeit historical ones. I’d tell you to ask Princess Twilight about them but I hear you fall asleep during her lectures.”
The man rolled his eyes. “You still can be yourself at my school.”
“I appreciate that. Regardless, I had already intended to keep my personal and work identities separate. Easier to do when I can become someone else. Anyway, I didn’t come here today to talk about those things. I believe we have some garden work to do.”
Willow said, “So you came as a unicorn?”
“You’ve got the earth pony side covered, and a pegasus isn’t the best at earthbound chores, so I reckoned being a unicorn would be of the most use.”
The mare shrugged. “Fair enough. Just let us finish our breakfasts first and then we can get stuck into the work. Your assistance will be appreciated. Besides, it’s not as if anypony is forcing you to help us.”
As the mare and the man resumed their meal, Vex said, “You’re wrong, Willow. I keep telling you that my life is entwined with Caleb’s now. Once the bond completes, he will understand.” The stallion looked keenly at them. “You both will.”
Caleb stood with his hands on his hips as he took in the task ahead of them. The garden beds held mostly weeds, the grass was above his knees in places, and the trees and bushes were badly in need of pruning. “Where do we start?”
Willow said, “I intend to dig up the garden beds and start afresh. That won’t take too long because I don’t need to be delicate about it.”
The man frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“This,” the mare said, stomping her forehoof into one of the beds. The ground erupted in a long furrow from the point where her hoof had struck. She leaned down and grabbed a mouthful of weeds now loosened from the soil and gave them a shake, dislodging the dirt from the roots. She then dropped it to one side. “Like that. I should be able to work through each of these in a couple of hours tops.”
“That beats the hell out of doing it with a spade and fork,” Caleb admitted. “I forgot how you can manipulate earth and rock like that.”
Vex said, “I’ll tackle the grass. A slashing spell from my military training should make short work of the worst of it. Have you got a mower to finish the job?”
Willow shook her head. “I was going to ask Clarabelle and her sisters if they’d be interested in trimming it into shape.”
“Who are they?” Caleb asked.
“They’re Ponyville’s milk suppliers,” the mare replied.
The man’s eyebrow rose. “They’re cows? They’re intelligent like ponies?” He hadn’t seen any cattle so far, so he hadn’t been aware of their status despite drinking their milk. It frankly made it a little weird that the cows were literally in the business of selling it.
Vex said, “Some varieties are sapient. Cows aren’t very bright and they spend most of their day grazing, but they’re pleasant to chat with. Especially about dairy-related subjects.”
“Who'd a thunk it?” Caleb said with a grin. “Anyway, I suppose that leaves me to tackle the pruning. Do you have a saw, Willow?”
“That I do have. There’s a shed attached to the back of the cottage where a few tools are stored. You should find it there.”
The man headed around the house and saw the shed. It was unlocked, but in this neighborhood, theft wasn’t an issue. Finding the saw was not hard because there were few tools to clutter the place – hardly surprising considering how little else had been bought for the cottage so far. The blade was in good condition and free from rust by virtue of having never been used and it had retained its protective coating. There was also a pair of hedge clippers, and he took them back to the front and sized up his first task.
“Anything you don’t want me to touch, Willow?” he asked.
“No. I trust your judgment. Besides, it’s usually a stallion’s prerogative to decide the esthetics of the garden while the mare or mares make it happen.”
Caleb remembered how his mother had been the queen of the garden while his father did most of the work. As usual, the roles seemed to be reversed here. “Well, I reckon that we’re more egalitarian here, but I think I can do a decent job to suit us all.”
All three went to work. Caleb dragged the branches to the back where he cut them up smaller and stacked them up. Vex levitated the hewn grass into a pile as a start to a compost heap. Later, he added Willow’s weeds. Over the coming days, vegetable scraps would be put into it also. Caleb figured that it would make good fertilizer for a veggie garden a few weeks later.
Vex finished his task first and joined Caleb in the pruning job. He tackled the shrubs and vines with the hedge clippers. The yard began to look like a garden once more by the time they were done. They then rejoined Willow.
The mare said, “The weeding is complete but I need to turn over the soil a bit more and break up the clods of earth to prepare the beds for replanting. Speaking of which, we’ll need some flowers and such. Perhaps you two can get some from the plant nursery while I’m doing this?”
“I thought you said every shop was closed on Sundays,” Caleb pointed out.
“Not the Flower Sisters – they do half of their business on the weekend. They take Tuesdays off instead. I just forgot to mention them.”
“Okay. Anything, in particular, you’d like?”
“I just want a lot of colors to brighten up the place after so many years of neglect. Other than that, suit yourself. Take my wagon – you’re going to need it.”
“Right. Let’s go, Vex. I assume you know where the nursery is?”
“Of course I do. So, Willow, how many this time, since I’ll have Caleb with me?”
The earth pony mare chuckled. “As long as you stay disguised? Put me down for two. I’m sure they’ve gotten used to the occasional odd folk now and again.”
Vex tossed his head. “I’ll go for three.”
Caleb furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
The changeling waited until he was done settling into the wagon’s harness then tilted his head. “You’ll see. Come along.”
The stallion and the human strolled up the lane. They had been walking quietly for a minute when Caleb broke the silence.
“Last night when we had finished dinner, you wouldn’t let me pay like I said I was going to. If you’re so keen to draw me into that bond you’re always talking about, why did you defy me?”
Vex frowned and then, with a swirl of magic fire, Butterfly stood in his place. She looked at Caleb intensely before replying, “You have to understand that when I am a mare, it’s not just appearances. I emulate one completely and I was reacting as one. I was also stopping you from committing a major social faux pas.”
Caleb stopped and gave her a hard look. “What are you talking about?”
“You already know about the imbalance between the sexes among pony kind. However, you don’t understand all the implications and the social dynamics yet. Last night, two mares had taken their stallion to dinner. Uh-uh!” the pegasus mare said, holding up a hoof to stop the man from interjecting. “Don’t say that it was you taking us to the restaurant. That’s not how all the others there perceived it. And if you had said nothing when the bill arrived, there would not have been an issue. We could have split the cost and nothing more would have happened. But you loudly told the waiter that you would be paying the tab. At that point, you were making us look bad. Everypony in earshot was thinking that we were taking advantage of you. At the very least, we looked like cheapskates. We had to make it clear that we would be paying the entire bill just to maintain our standing in the community. In the meantime, you came off as being eccentrically generous.”
“You could have told me all this before we got there, you know?”
Butterfly sighed. “Mistakes were made. We both assumed you meant to pay your part of the bill. I should have known better as I have some inkling of how different the human world is compared to ours.”
“Okay, I get it but, in the future, if I say I’m paying for something, it means I’m covering the lot. If we have to make a show of it otherwise, that’s fine – I’ll compensate you later.”
“That works for me, and I’m sure it does for Willow too.”
“Good. Now change back into Vex. I’m not going through all this again at the nursery. Seeing as I never paid for dinner, I still have money to spare.”
The changeling resumed his unicorn form, chuckling. “Fair enough.”
The duo headed home from the nursery, their cart filled with seedlings and small plants. Vex was hitched to the cart while Caleb carried a bag containing packets of seeds and a variety of bulbs.
The man sighed. “I can’t believe that I made Lily faint.”
Vex said, “Twice. You made her faint twice. Daisy had to excuse herself and fainted just inside their door, so I’m counting it. Willow may disagree with me, but I think I won our bet. Roseluck was scared to death but pushed herself to be polite and businesslike.”
“Yeah, the forced smile didn’t hide her knocking knees and pupils the size of pinpricks.”
The disguised unicorn nodded. “That was a good idea asking for her professional opinion on what varieties to get for the most colorful blooms throughout the summer. That got her back on her game.”
Caleb grinned. “I might have intentionally said I was going to plant sunflowers through the middle of the garden. All that shade on both sides couldn’t hurt anything, right?”
Vex laughed. “I didn’t think you had it in you. Let me give you a free piece of advice. Never get an earth pony mare angry at you. You were lucky that she just removed those sprouts from the wagon and said, ‘You aren’t ready for sunflowers, yet.’” After his smile faded, Vex’s head drooped.
The man looked at the stallion with some concern.
“You’re looking tired. Are you okay?”
Vex nodded. “I spent a lot of energy slashing the grass earlier. When we get back, I’ll top up on some love juice that I brought with me and I’ll be fine.”
“It still boggles me that you get your energy from emotions instead of food,” Caleb admitted.
“Good thing we can store some of it as juice or gel to mix with our solid food,” Vex replied.
“Maybe you should have brought some of it with you if you’re that tired.”
“I’ll be okay, honestly.”
Caleb was skeptical but he had an idea. A little hesitantly, he put his hand on Vex’s withers and tried projecting his feelings for his friend. Vex was startled by the sudden influx of positive emotion and he looked up to the man gratefully.
“Thanks, Caleb. This means a lot to me.”
“Can’t have you keeling over. I’m not pulling that cart if you do!” the man replied with a smirk.
Vex laughed. “I suppose not. Puny humans aren’t built for the job.”
Caleb gave him the middle finger, not at all surprised that species without said appendages understood the meaning completely.
And their bond continued to grow.
Upon the return of the males, Willow decided that it was time for a break. Refreshments were prepared and consumed while they recuperated.
There came a knock at the door and, because he was sitting the closest, Caleb answered it. He was shocked to find himself face-to-face with somepony rather than having to look down as normal.
Anthro Rarity gave the man a pleased smile. “Just the human that I wanted to see. I have your formal garments ready. Have you a few moments to spare while I check the fit?”
Caleb blinked, a little stunned. The mare was not nude. And she looked fabulous! Her thigh-length skirt and form-fitting shirt delightfully accentuated her perfect curves and looked sexier than the naked mare ever had to his eyes.
“That’s quite a delightful outfit you’re wearing, Rarity.”
“Why, thank you, darling! I was asked to design a uniform for a large company in Manehattan, and I always try my new workwear designs for comfort and fit. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to put it to the test, as it may.”
“I can’t argue with that. Come on in.”
The others greeted the mare as she stepped inside. She smiled and said, “Thank you for the welcome. I know that you weren’t expecting me but I was in the neighborhood, paying your Prince Mark and his Rarity a visit.”
“How did you know where I had moved to?” Caleb asked.
“Vicky Channing sent word to me and your Spikey Wikey most helpfully showed me the way. I’m a little surprised not to see Vicky here today. I got the impression that she hoped to spend more time with you, Caleb.”
Both the man and the earth pony glanced at the unicorn in the room before Willow replied, “Oh, believe me, she’s been here a lot.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow, realizing that she was missing something. She decided not to pry – secrets tended to leak out eventually. “Anyway, as I said, I’d like to have you try your clothes on. While I’m confident that they will be to your satisfaction, I always aim for perfection.”
Willow rose from the sofa. “Vex and I will resume work in the garden, while you two do your thing.”
Caleb disrobed while Rarity unpacked the clothes. The man donned the black three-piece suit and paraded for the fashionista who, after a minor alteration to the pant length, deemed them to be perfect. Caleb was delighted with the fit and comfort and he had to admit that he looked dashing in the outfit.
“You have outdone yourself, Rarity. You make this humble tradesman look like a noble.”
Rarity tittered. “Thank you, darling. I am always happy to hear that my customers are completely satisfied. Please do come to see me for any other items of apparel that you may require.”
“I’ll be sure to do so. And thanks again for bringing these around today.”
“It’s always a pleasure to visit friends. However, I must be going. I have a social engagement to attend soon. Do have a wonderful day, dear.”
“You too, Rarity.”
Caleb followed the anthro mare to the door and waved goodbye. Then he changed out of the formal wear and back into the yard clothes to resume his work in the garden. He stopped beside Vex first though.
“I’m guessing that you visited Rarity as Butterfly Sky which is why she didn’t realize that you were Vicky.”
“Anthro Butterfly, actually. Naturally, Rarity knows that she’s a changeling after I took human form. However, Rarity has assumed that I’m a female changeling and sticking to my natural gender.”
“Are things different for changelings over there?”
“A bit, yeah – different history and attitudes.”
Caleb smirked. “But the same when it comes to attracting a potential Companion, right?”
Vex smiled. “Guilty. And Rarity is always a willing accomplice for that kind of thing no matter which universe.”
The man chuckled and slapped the stallion on his withers before heading to his next task.
The seedlings and such were planted and watered while some more finicky jobs were done such as trimming around the overgrown pavers. Once they were finished, the garden looked a hundred times better than when they had started. The lawn still needed to be properly mowed and the various plants had to establish themselves yet, but overall, the garden looked as if it was cared about for the first time in years.
“Well, my little ponies, I think we’ve done a good day’s work. Let’s say we go out and celebrate?” Caleb suggested.
The earth pony and the unicorn gave the man a strange look at his turn of phrase but eagerly nodded. They all went inside to clean up and prepare for a well-earned night out.
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Very sexy pic of Anthro Rarity in this chapter. It is showing that Caleb, Willow and Vex are developing their relationship quite well.
So this is how a Companion-class builds the relationship. Very insightful.
Beautyful chapter Lovely worldbuilding.
♡
With a Changeling at home, your heart will never be alone
Strange... I imagen Vex as Companion Cube and found him absolutly adorable
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You have to be careful with ideas like that. Someone might see them and draw them.
Wait, what am I saying? Shout it from the rooftops! Quick!
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Did you want to make sweet sweet science together?
Oh, Vadim experiments with anthro Again?
NUMB-er, NUMB-er, NUMB-er, so much numner..
But alas, yet abother entertaining episode to enjoy.
Oh, and Rarity ^^
Which is a fair bit more expensive than just buying the ingredients and cooking yourself
It's part of the social norm for them and so it's not something they really think about until it comes up
The patient hunte... I mean gossiper always gets her prey... I mean gossip, dangit
this reminded me of a videogame, "Startopia".
in one story mission, which is supposed to be a secret mission, the nutty merchant, Arona, tries to pretend...
"i'll pretend i don't know you. erm, fancy some goods, total stranger?"
"hello, person who i've never met before."
and several other similar lines, at random.
This little Ponys will dominate this big lugs love life
I've gotta say I really like that pic of anthro Rarity. Especially the tail, I don't know why but that style of tail fits the anthro form really well.
Darn, we missed out on the Flower Sisters being dramatic.
It turns a new meaning to the phrase "business appearances" when you can actually change your appearance like so. What an interesting idea...
So anthro Rarity is a Heraldic Unicorn. Is that the standard form for the anthro world.
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Just as with humans, there are variations among unicorns in the anthro world.
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It was not edited in later. People overlook little things all the time and Willow did for the Flower Sisters. She also did not think to include restaurants.