A Place to Call Home
Rarity and Sunny Sprout’s departure from the train was a mostly silent affair. While the fashionista went to find her luggage near the rear train car, Sunny occupied herself by looking around the place.
The most obvious thing to her was how small the Ponyville train station was. It was little more than a concrete slab with an overhang, and a plain pavilion where tickets were purchased. The second thing that caught her attention was the overall atmosphere. It was so quiet, the kind of quiet she never heard in the city.
Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, there were no more than a dozen other ponies about the station.
’The station in Manehattan would have hundreds of ponies around the place…’
Sunny spied Rarity walking back over to her, and a stallion walking off with her bags, likely given a generous sum of bits to do so. She slid off the bench and met her unicorn friend halfway.
“My apologies that took so long,” Rarity said once they both reached a comfortable distance. “Their usual runner has the day off.”
“It’s fine.” Sunny shrugged almost imperceptibly, turning to leave the station. “This place is so… small feeling. Like something’s missing.” She said more to herself as they made their way out from under the overhang.
“Isn’t it?” Rarity giggled to herself. She gave a quick look over to her companion, taking in all the sights over discussion. But she didn’t mind the silence, it gave her a little more time to think. As they walked, she kept wracking her brain for places open for new employees.
“The ponies here…” Sunny began speaking as they entered the market area. “They look so, nice. Nothing like the ponies I ‘served’ back in Manehattan.” She turned her head to eye a passing flower stall run by a fellow Earth pony. The stall owner—a red-maned mare, must have noticed and gave her a friendly wave, which Sunny hesitantly returned before catching up to her escort.
“Making friends already, are we?” Rarity teased. She looked to see a slight blush on Sunny’s cheeks, likely from the embarrassment of being caught. But by herself, or the stall owner she couldn’t tell. “Her name is Roseluck, incase you were wondering.” The unicorn informed with a twitch of her head back behind them.
“What?” Sunny replied only half listening, her attention grabbed by the surrounding market area.
“Roseluck. Her special talent has to do with flowers and growing them,” Rarity continued. She paused to wave to a rather large red stallion attending an apple stall. “Perhaps I will introduce you, oh you’d have so much to talk about!” She beamed, continuing to talk about the stall-owner’s sisters and their respective talents related to flora. Sunny was only half listening to Rarity’s rambling. When they made it through the small market area, she looked back with a forlorn expression.
’It’s so much like where I used to work…’
She flashed back to the market plaza in Manehattan, the small offshoot where honest ponies like herself worked. To her it seemed like the place in her memories had been picked up and set down here, many miles away. Even the plain, uninteresting produce stalls looked the exact same.
“...Sunny? Sunny, are you alright?” Rarity’s voice broke her haze of memories.
“What? Yeah, sorry.” Sunny shook her head, trying to hide the fact she wasn’t listening at all. “Was just, uh, noticing how many Earth ponies there are here.” She waved her hoof at the surrounding buildings.
“Mmm yes, you won’t find an overabundance of unicorns or pegasi in Ponyville,” Rarity said, eyeing her home, Carousel Boutique, just coming into view down the road. “Earth ponies make up about half the town’s population. Hence the rustic style of the town, but I must admit…”
Sunny zoned out from Rarity’s voice again. She allowed a thin smile to pull at her lips, the number of fellow Earth ponies around town gave her a feeling of kinship. She had a feeling that her acceptance into the community wouldn’t be as hard as she originally thought it would be.
“And here we are!”
Sunny hardly noticed Rarity’s exclamation, nearly walking into the building in front of her. Taking a step back, the entirety of the building’s exterior came within her view. She tilted her head slightly, wondering if a grown mare could really live, and work in such an unusual place.
Halfway up the round building were golden ponies arranged like a carousel, with the roof resembling the very top of a circus tent. Somehow this wasn’t how she envisioned the home of Rarity the Generous.
“Certainly chic, don’t you think?” Rarity rifled through her saddlebag for what Sunny guessed to be the key. Beside the doorstep was the unicorn’s luggage, having already been delivered by the stallion from the train station.
“It really is… something,” Sunny looked back up to the building.
’This has to be some sort of joke...’
“Got it!” Rarity exclaimed next to her, holding a small silver key with her magic. She unlocked the door and made her way inside, pausing to regard her new housemate. “"Do be a dear and set the luggage just inside would you? I’ll make certain the guest room upstairs is ready for you, darling.”
“You got it,” Sunny gave a quick mock salute. The half dozen or so suitcases wouldn’t take her long to handle. Rarity smiled and continued on inside, satisfied.
Sunny hefted the first two smallest pieces of luggage on her back, on top of her own worn saddlebag. Making her way inside, the full scope of Carousel Boutique dawned on her. Inside was a much different view than the exterior…
As she slid the bags off and set them by the door, she cast a glance around. To Sunny, it was what she imagined a fashion studio should look like. There were dress-forms scattered around the place, clothing racks lining the walls, and even a slightly elevated spot on the floor surrounded by mirrors.
’So this is where I’ll be living. Huh...’
Sunny went back to retrieving the luggage, opting to judge her new home after the job was done. She didn’t want to disappoint her new friend, and host. The remaining suitcases were quickly brought inside, leaving Sunny panting lightly.
’I’ve… I need to get back in… proper shape’ She thought while catching her breath. Shutting the front door, something tickled her sixth sense. Someone was watching her.
Sunny turned around to see a pair of green eyes watching her halfway across the room. A white cat with a bow on her head sprawled at her from atop a rack of dresses.
“Oh, well hello there!” Sunny smiled and took a few steps towards the feline.
The cat didn’t move, just continued to sit out of the pony’s reach. Silently watching the stranger in her mother’s home. This female had a strange scent about her, something that interested her, but not enough to jump down, and risk being touched.
“Rarity never told me about you.” Sunny continued walking up to the dress rack. The white cat hissed and swatted at her when she got too close.
“Opalescence!” Rarity exclaimed from another doorway off to the side. The sudden, loud voice caused Sunny to jump slightly. “What have I told you about being rude to my guests? Get down here, Opal!” She ordered the feline.
Opalescence rolled her eyes and complied, not taking her eyes off the stranger. She sat in front of her owner, reluctant to hear the scolding she knew was coming.
“Now Opalescence…” Rarity started in a light, drawn out tone, the kind that told you something you didn’t want to hear was coming. She waved Sunny Sprout over, who promptly walked over to her friend’s side.
“This mare is Sunny Sprout. She is my friend and will be staying with us for a little while.” She waved her foreleg to the aforementioned mare. Opalescence growled but otherwise held her spot in front of Rarity. “I want you to treat her like a member of the family. Think you can do that for me, sweetie?” She put her face at the same level as her cat.
Opal narrowed her eyes in annoyance at her owner. She flicked her eyes up to the new pony, then back. She huffed and stood up, flicking her tail as she went off back to her afternoon nap.
“She… says ‘Welcome!’” Rarity giggled uncertainly. “Don’t worry, Sunny, she’ll warm up to you.”
“You really think so?” Sunny asked, doubtful.
“One can hope,” Rarity replied with a sigh. “Come, let me show you to your room.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Rarity led her new roommate down the upstairs hallway. The first thing Sunny noticed upon reaching the top step were the pictures lining the walls. Framed pictures of dresses, places, and Rarity shaking hooves with other ponies were strewn everywhere.
“Admiring the decor?” Rarity asked, looking back. She stopped to allow her new friend a moment.
Sunny looked over to one image in particular. In it was Rarity, wearing some fancy outfit shaking hooves with a rather fancy stallion in a suit with a crown for a Cutie Mark.
“Yeah, was just wondering to myself who all these ponies were,” she finally answered.
“Ah yes, I do believe that one was after last year’s Gala,” Rarity remarked with a smile, taking a step or two closer to Sunny and the picture.
Sunny looked off to the side for a moment, thinking. “‘Gala’? The Grand Galloping Gala?” She asked uncertainly.
Rarity nodded. “The very one." After a short pause with no further comment from Sunny, a small smirk played across the fashionista's face. “...He's rather easy on the eyes, isn't he, darling?”
“What? No! I was just—” Sunny hesitated, flustered. Her turquoise eyes flashed back to the picture. “Just—admiring your dress!” She gave her best poker face, which was hardly convincing.
Rarity, however, decided to humor the embarrassed mare. “Yes I always thought indigo gave me a certain… admirable look.” She giggled at Sunny’s relieved expression. “Let’s continue to your room, shall we?” She turned to continue on down the hallway.
“I don’t see any pictures of the other Element bearers,” Sunny mused, scanning the many frames and photographs they passed
“I like to keep those in my living space, they’re more personal than somepony might expect making their way through here.” Rarity informed as they walked past a semi-closed door. “Over here is my inspiration room.”
’She has a work room downstairs and an inspiration room?’ Sunny wondered with a slight tilt of her head, but kept silent.
“Across from it is the upstairs bathroom, feel free to use it anytime,” Rarity continued on with the tour, Sunny following close behind. “And around the corner is my sister’s room…”
’This house sure is a lot bigger on the inside. Magic, perhaps?’
“And your room is right next to hers.” Sunny looked at the door Rarity stopped in front of. The one next to it had some childish stickers across it, and a sign that said ‘sweetie belle’s room’ written sloppily. It made Sunny smile and giggle slightly.
"I'm guessing this is your sister's room?" She pointed a hoof at the door as she passed, stopping in front of her door.
"Mmm yes, I keep taking that foalish sign down, but she keeps putting it back up," Rarity smiled and sighed. "You know how young fillies can be."
"Heh, yeah, um... my room?" Sunny offered. She was eager to see where she'd be spending the next portion of her life.
"Of course, darling." Rarity smiled and opened the door with her magic. "I apologize for the sparseness, but I don't often have guests..."
As Sunny followed the fashionista inside, she felt her jaw slacken in awe at the living space that came into view. The room felt akin to an advertisement for a luxury suite that one would likely find in some cosmopolitan magazine for Canterlot nobles. Vibrant colors of smooth fabric and lush oaken wood filled the room, taking shape as furniture and decor that she would have only dreamed of owning in the past.
Of the regal furniture the most prominent was easily the princess sized bed in the back-center of the room. Indigo silk sheets and two sets of fluffy pillows with golden flower embroidery completed the look, giving the bed an inviting aura. Sunny could only begin to imagine just how comfortable it would be to actually lay in.
After a few moments of pause, Sunny managed to peel her attention away from the bed to the rest of the furnishings. A large wardrobe and bookshelf lined the room's far wall, while on the opposite side a fancy vanity off in the corner caught her eye
’Yeah, there is absolutely no way that this is the guest room, there’s just... no way!’ Sunny thought to herself, giving the room another look over.
“Sunny, darling? ...are you alright?” Rarity’s voice called out, a clear hinting of concern in her tone.
Sunny shook the mental daze from her head. “Y-yeah, I was just... I... I don’t even know,” Sunny replied, turning to face the fashionista. “I mean, this is a joke right? This is your room, isn’t it?”
Rarity tilted her head, giving the mare a perplexed look. “...No? I assure you this is the guest room,” she insisted before turning back to the living quarters. “While it may not be as extravagant as I would like it to be, I try my best to make my guests feel as comfortable and welcome as possible.”
A series of reluctant chuckles escaped Sunny as her face twitched into an uneasy smile. “No... no, no—this can’t be right!” she declared before trotting back and forth a few times. “Yeah, yeah that’s it! I fell asleep. I fell asleep on the train to Ponyville!”
The fashionista’s ears fell back as she extended a hoof out to her friend. “S-Sunny, dear? Um, perhaps you should—”
Sunny aggressively rustled her mane with a forehoof before descending into a fit of hysterical laughter. “Of course! Of course this is just a dream! Maybe... maybe all of this is just—”
“Sunny!” Rarity cried out, trotting to her friend and cupping her into a concerned hug. “Just relax now, darling.”
The sudden touch caused the mare to jump, pulling her from her trance.
“Now Sunny, just, take a deep breath...” Rarity instructed, navigating her disoriented friend toward the bed. “How about you just lay down for a moment, okay?”
Sunny paused for a moment before slowly nodding a few times. “O-Okay...” she whispered softly, before following Rarity’s instructions.
The mare felt a mixture of guilt and regret as she settled into the immaculate comfort of the soft bed she now laid on. She wanted to apologize, to say something to break the increasing gap of uneasy silence, but she found herself at a loss of words in regards to her actions.
’I really lost it there for a moment... how embarrassing.’
Sunny covered her face with her forelegs.
’I can’t believe I just did that…’
“Don’t feel so ashamed, dear. Everypony has moments of weakness,” Rarity reassured her sympathetically. “Why, I’ve had quite a few myself recently; in front of friends no less.”
Sunny shook her head before lowering her forelegs from her face. “I... I just don’t understand...” she looked to the fashionista with an uneasy expression. “Why are you so nice to me? Have I done something for you that I am unaware of, Rarity? Something so grand to be worthy of all this?” Sunny punctuated her message with a wide sweep of her foreleg across the room.
Rarity let out a sigh at her friends lingering skepticism. “What I don’t understand, Sunny; is it really so hard to believe that some ponies simply wish to help one another?” she asked quizzically. “That I simply couldn’t walk away from a mare in such a dire situation?”
“Yes, yes it is!” Sunny exclaimed, sitting up and shaking her head again. “This is the kind of thing you only ever read about in fairy tales. Stories where the majestic prince swoops down to rescue the damsel in distress; then shows her a happy world she only ever dreamed of.” Sunny let out a soft sigh. “Those sort of things don’t happen in the real world, reality just doesn’t work that way, Rarity; so how can I hope to believe that it suddenly happens for me; just some nopony whore off the streets?”
“Sunny, please stop calling yourself that dreadful word, dear. I know there is much more to you than that,” the fashionista stated. “And while those flashy fairy tales may not exist, ponies who care for others well-being, do; such as myself.” Rarity paused in thought for a moment. “In fact, I could think of a number of other like-minded ponies as...”
Rarity trailed off as ears perked up at a familiar knocking sound. A scheming smirk played across her lips at this unexpected turn of events.
“Kindness is everywhere, darling,” the fashionista declared before tossing the mare a quick wink. “Sometimes it’s just on the other side of the door, waiting for you to answer it.” Rarity turned and began for the hallway. “Make yourself comfortable, dear. I’ll be right back momentarily.”
With that, the fashionista made her exit in a brisk trot, leaving Sunny somewhat dumbfounded by her words. The mare brought a hoof to her chin, reflecting on her new friend's message before letting out a hard sigh in defeat. Despite what tragedies she had experienced recently, Sunny knew Rarity’s words were real; as she herself knew of for one such pony. The shocker in all of this was her finding another in the fashionista.
Sunny let out a frustrated groan, flopping back down on the bed. “Oh, who am I trying to kid? I give up...” she declared, admitting defeat to life's greater plan for her.
‘I guess I’ll just take this one step at a time then, and see how it goes…
Sunny paused for a moment, examining her surroundings once more.
“This really is a nice room...”
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Here it is finally, chapter...whatever number it is. Huge thanks to Azu and Darastrix, my team I owe pretty much everything to
Hope you guys enjoy~
Complaints about slow update schedule will not be tolerated.
Edit: lol@butthurt downvoter
Huzzah for the update and I'm really liking how you're pacing this. I can't wait to see Sunny's reaction to the other elements
I see what you did there at the end
UPDATE!!!
UPDATE!!!
SPACESHIP!!!
UPDATE!!!
4215989
Wut >.>
4215993
GALLENTE FTW!
4216000
Dirty green hippies, wanting such ridiculous things as "freedom", bah.
Amarr forever
4215931
Rarity in this story is such a boss, Element of Kindness in full swing of a heartwarming tale. Nuff said.
Kinda wonder, how Sunny deals with Opal, that should be funny.
4215993
… LEGO Movie? 1980s Astronaut?
Anyone?
4216023
I c wut u dd ther
Well you won't hear me complaining about an update schedule. So long as this touching story's not being cancelled anytime soon, I'll be happy.
"Kindness is everywhere." I wonder who could be at the door, then...?
Good chapter, I can't wait for you to continue it.
Hooray! Update!
First thing that came to mind.....
Magic? Bah! Rarity found some Timelord technology......
4216014 kindness is Fluttershy, dear.
4216315
One does not need to embody an element to show an elements qualities.
's gud
Really liking this story, it's good to read about someone down on their luck getting a helping hand... or hoof in this case.
Yay, an update ^^ I will just say the same thing as I said last time: This chapter is just as good as the last one.
Curious to find out who will be behind the door. Fluttershy seems most likely, followed by Sweetie, Pinkie or Twilight.
Made this for you, just wanted to clean up the cover image for fun, lemme know what you think
th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2014/101/7/9/in_need_by_djseras-d7dzjj2.png
You could take 10 years to finish this story and I would still read it, and love it
4216458 my heart, HNNNNNGGGGHGHHGHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Sunny, there are kind ponies all over Equestria; even in Manehattan. Just ask Coco Pommel.
It seems Sunny Sprout's problems are very deep-rooted. Otherwise, she wouldn't still be in denial about her situation. It makes me all the more eager to hear what her story is.
4216315
Serves me right for writing stuff after midnight.
Then again, it's really hard to just dump everything Rares did on generosity alone.
4216458
*sniffle*
That is the most amazing thing I have seen. Thank you
4216646
Not quite!
There were also the parts where I threw words at him for RAoG, too!
Yay update!
UPDATE!
HELL YES!
She must be really out of breath if she has to pause her thinking
4217460 That made me giggle.
4217460 Haha, good catch
I'm sorry, I can't make head or tails of that sentence. Can someone explain it?
4216458
Oh my. It's even more heartbreaking like that.
4216458 wow! cool and.. sad...
4218036 shes saying she knew of one pony who would help others before she met Rarity.
4216000 4216009 *steps up drinking a can of Quafe* the Jovians are more like hippies. they are very peace loving, but science nerds, to bad they are dieing out last I heard. the Gallente are more like someone rolled the United States and France into one democratic society.
4215931
Meh, you complain about your update times?
You should see some of mine :P
4216023
SPACESHIP!
You know, at first I though this fiction would be an one-shot. Glad I was mistaken
Missing space
I would caps lock that.
4218884
I purposefully made that lowercase, to better reflect a young individual's writing, hence the 'written sloppily' part
Update!!!
Poor Sunny... MOAR!
4216000
You know, I hear that if you hold down alt and shift and type QUAFE in combat it reduces your modules' cycle times.
Caldari FTW! Death to Gallente scum!
I do not know why but the only thing I can think of is this:
4221174
Your bland grey ships bore me!
Even if I fly a Tengu, Rattler, Navy Raven and a Charon.
BLAH BLAH BLAH complaint about slow release schedule BLAH BLAH BLAH
Anyways, good chapter. I too have to thank Azu for recommending this story in the first place way back when. And the revamped cover Looks swell.
GGRRrr
[I am usually not into OC stories, but this story caught my interest.]
GGRRrr
[I have also seen that cover art on another fanfic, but I can't find it.]
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8053395968/h2D6AABA6/
*looks at story*
4226578
What?
4228067
"average?" the story betrays your words.
4228273
Trust me, this would have been garbage without help
Blueblood failed at that part to Rarity.
Now, Rarity won't fail that part to anypony else.