Back and (allegedly) better than ever! Rewrite in progress, please be patient ^^
Rose Tint is quite the fortunate fellow! Well, about as fortunate as a man who was hit by a bus can be.
He was given the privilege of deciding the starting conditions of his next run at life and ended up in none other than a rendition of everyone's favorite Ponyland Cartoon Show. He has no idea what's going on, and he's a bit confused, but we think he has the spirit!
As the pain of being shattered recedes, I slowly open my eyes. I see nothing, I see everything.
And then, it is all but forgotten, and in front of me, I see what appears to be a screen.
It is not attached to anything in particular. I am not sure why that strikes me as a particularly meaningful distinction when floating in an endless expanse of blackness. Though if I look here and there, that seems less and less an apt description.
As my eyes adjust, I notice that the ephemeral blackness surrounding this strange place is dotted with tiny lights. No. Not tiny, simply impossibly far away. Distant and as innumerable as the chain of bad decisions that brought me here. Where is here? What were those choices?
Excellent questions.
As for the first, I have no clue. Gonna have to get back to you on that.
As for the second, I have slightly more of an inkling, but now is not the time to dwell on it. For now let’s just say got hit by a bus and leave it at that. No I wasn’t pushed, I was just stupid. In retrospect the five dollar bill was not worth it.
Anyway! Leaving it at that, just gonna put that behind me.
My freshly minted Darwin Award aside, that does bring up a concerning point. I am dead, as much as I would like not to be. At least I’m fairly sure I am. I might entertain the idea that I could still be in a hospital bed somewhere with my physical form fighting for its life if that bus had not obliterated my torso into a fine mist doing ninety in a school zone.
So if I am dead, that means that this screen must be somehow important. Huh, really knocking it out of the park today with the banger deductions today.
[Confirmed. User 19********99 is currently registered as: Deceased and undergoing Processing. Progress: 0%, requires additional user input.]
Oh shit, it responded. Looks like a text display, seems to give a voice readout too for whatever reason.That makes things a lot easier, considering when I jumped just now I realized I lacked arms with which to flinch, or a physical body of any kind. It also seems to be going off of my thoughts rather than speech, though I suppose being incorporal the distinction is pretty moot in this setting.
Okay, so I am not (at least numerically) the first user of this…whatever it is. Interesting. Speaking of, what exactly is it? What does it do? [Response to Query #1: User User 19********99 is currently being served by Trans-Planar Quintessential Reprocessor Unit #0413. Manufactured at Site ******* by North Central Postronics, A Subsidiary of the Sombra Corporation, based in Plane 19, Subplane 99. ]
[Response to Query #2: The primary function of the Unit is the extraction of data, analysis and distribution of liberated Quintessentia to new planes as is most efficient, dictated by previously mentioned analysis driven by the extracted data and permuted through algorithmic processes to determine the most efficient assignment during standard operation. (Information on upgrading From the Standard Reassignment Package to Specialty or Luxury Reassignment Packages available on request.) The Quintessentia is then relocated to the assigned plane and integrated into a new physical form.]
Ah! I get it…sort of? I think I do at least. This is some form of automated process through which dead beings are reincarnated to new worlds based on their experiences. I suppose that means I am going to be sent on my way any minute now, right?
[Negative. See previous: Processing progress: 0%, requires additional user input. Due to an Administrator level command after manual review of the User’s data, this User Qualifies for complimentary upgrade from the Standard Reassignment Program to the Silver Tier Custom Reassignment package. Grounds for Upgrade: Undisclosed. Conditions: “Don’t worry about it.” . ]
WELP. That certainly doesn’t raise any alarm bells. I’m honestly sort of curious as to who exactly took such a shining to me, especially after they’ve gone over all of my data, especially since I’m pretty sure that would include my internet search history. No amount of incognito mode is scrubbing that shit.
[Response to Query #3: the credentials used for this upgrade request belong to Administrator 02, Callsign: Los’]
Huh. Alright, gonna have to remember that name. Maybe thank them if and when i make another trip if I can figure out where the customer service booth is around here…
But I mean, I don’t really know what the difference between packages is to begin with. What exactly am I getting here?
[Response to Query #4: User 19********99 has received the option of selecting the Silver Tier Custom Reassignment Package. While the previous rung of the Bronze Tier Custom Reassignment Package only allows for the selection of a native entity within the desired plane for reassignment, the Silver Tier Custom Reassignment Package Allows for a Carte Blanche Application of seven general parameter augmentations, granted as effectively as possible and, maintaining the intent of the User to the most applicable, feasible degree. If you would like information on upgrading to the Gold Tier Reassignment Package for your next reassignment, which includes perks such as total physical form customization and default past iteration data retention, and one random Platinum Tier special trait, please indicate interest before continuing to make your requests.]
Hmmmm…so I get to make seven requests about my…reassignment, and at least according to what I am being told, I will not be afflicted by the monkey’s paw. Alright then. Well, let’s start simple. First and most obvious choice. I would like to go wherever it is I end up going with having a full recollection of who I am. And preferably, I would like to skip the whole growing up thing. Childhood is great and all, but I don’t think I could do it again while having the mind of a grown ass adult. Plus…puberty, especially potentially as something aside from a human. Yeah, no thanks. Set me in the equivalent of my early twenties please.
[Parameter #1 set: Users’ previous iteration data will be retained on reassignment completion.
Advisory: This augmentation may create difficulty with integration into some Planes, and may endanger User upon exposure to certain psionic or supernatural entities capable of reading thoughts and memories.
Advisory: This Augment may endanger the user if revealed to the native inhabitants of certain Planes.]
[Parameter #2 set: Users' physical form will manifest as a young adult equivalent.
Advisory: This parameter augmentation does not provide accompanying accouterments to facilitate integration at adult age such as identification materials, anachronistic memory augmentation, or existing familial ties. These features may be added with additional parameter augmentations. Consider upgrading to our Platinum Tier Reassignment Package next time for access to these features by default with a no-birth parameter reassignment, and many more!]
Well damn, alright then. Not sure how you would go about earning that sort of thing and frankly I don’t think I want to. Gonna let that lie for now. Alright now, that’s two down, five to go. Now for one thing, speaking of supernatural entities I have always kinda wanted to learn how to do magic. Might as well spring for it if I have the choice. I know that'll probably put me square in sight of breaching that advisory, but you win some you lose some. Set me up with some magic stuff, strange computer voice. And make sure I can get really good at it if I wanna. I don’t need the power upfront, the learning is the bit I’m excited about to be honest. I want to learn as much as can be learned!
[Parameter #3 set: The User will be granted a native physical form capable of performing supernatural feats. Level of initial ability set to the average of an absolute beginner, developmental potential set to threshold of feasible causality with other augmented parameters active.
Advisory: without additional augments, this limits’ the Users’ possible reassignment parameters to Planes which both support the existence of supernatural phenomena and native entities with the ability to manifest them.
Advisory: A high level of potential in this ability may draw the attention of powerful entities in most Planes which meet the current parameters, risk is aggravated by selected parameter augmentation #1. Caution advised]
Alright cool. Was kind of expecting something like that. On the upside, if I get gud, I might have a bright future ahead of me as like, a court wizard or something cool like that. Magical settings usually have court wizards right? Anyway, moving on! Anyway, better hedge my bets a bit here. I'd like to live in relatively peaceful times wherever I go. It doesn’t have to be placid or anything. If anything, I would prefer a bit of excitement, some challenges to overcome and that sort of thing. Go ahead and fuck me up a little, put me down for living in interesting times. Just not uh…too interesting, ya get me computer lady?
[Parameter #4 set: Time, place and circumstances of the Plane upon User’s arrival will provide a moderately above average number of challenges to be overcome, not exceeding a degree copacetic with the User’s preferences.
Advisory: Augmentation will increase likelihood of fatality before natural expiration by an amount between .5 and 10 micromorts per day, average likelihood of death generated by living one day at target age is 1 micromort. This statistic is exacerbated to an additional uncalculated degree by factors generated as a result of your specified parameters, namely {REDACTED FOR USER SAFETY}. Please note that North Central Postronics is not responsible for and does not offer refunds in the event of death via-]
Okay, gonna tune that out. I don’t really need a list of all the ways I could die, knowing it’s something to look out for is enough…damn that bitch is spittin. Anyway.
Now that we have all of the key stuff down, what do I want? I could shoot my shot to ask to go into like, a comic book setting or something, assuming that’s an option. If it isn’t it would probably still deposit me in the closest place that fit the bill…but to be honest, I think I'd rather wait and see what I get for the exact destination. I'd rather not get caught in 4k by some mind reader being a full on isekai degenerate.
I am perfectly fine however, with the possibility of being caught being shallow. I would like to be a good bit taller than whatever the average is, please, and at least as attractive as I was before, and I can leave exactly how tall attractive from there set to random.
[Parameter #5 set: Users’ new physical form will range anywhere from the 30th-1st percentile for height and 45th-1st percentile for physical attractiveness for species or variety of said physical form.]
Hm, no advisory on that one. I guess I’m not too surprised. A lot of the worst parts of being attractive are usually self-inflicted. At least in my opinion, which probably doesn’t count for much. Speaking of which, forty percent? Ouch man. I mean, better than average I guess but still.
Alright, now a big question…should I try to make sure whatever I end up as is at least vaguely humanoid? I mean, it’ll probably be a bitch adjusting to a new body as an adult either way, but something wildly different from what I am used to won’t make it any easier. Then again, I went with wait and see for the destination, might as well keep that energy going. This is meant to cater to me to some degree apparently, so I’m sure whatever I end up as won’t be too much of a problem to adjust to. And if it is, well…that sounds like a skill issue on my part honestly.
Alright, I have two of these things left. Hmmm…well, I suppose I would prefer to end up somewhere where the values of the population are at least somewhat approximate to the ones I already possess. Not that I have any issue with trying to integrate into different cultures or anything. But If I’m spawning in as an adult, having at least an approximate idea of what is going on could be the difference between a successful good first impression and getting my ass kicked. It doesn’t need to be an exact match, just close enough that engaging in what I would consider normal behavior won’t result in my pending incarceration or execution.
[Parameter #6 set: user will be assigned to a Plane or area within with an approximate cultural similarity variance not exceeding 30 percent, with the potential for incarceration, or other punitive measures as a direct result of said variance minimized to the greatest degree permitted by existing augmented parameters.
Advisory: while the parameter desired by the User has been executed with the minimum possible chance of harm, incarceration or lethality, some risk does still exist, and may increase or decrease depending on the final destination as determined by assignment. Caution is advised.]
Alright, fair enough. I am kinda asking for a bit much at this point to be honest. Let’s try not to make things too complicated here with the last one. Hmmm….oh well, I think the thing I want most at the end of the day is…to know what it is I am meant to be doing, and to enjoy doing it, I suppose?. I don’t need to know right away, part of the fun is finding it, but knowing that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel would certainly be nice.
[Parameter #7 set: User will be assigned to a plane which gives a maximized likelihood of the User attaining extreme job satisfaction and/or obtaining employment in the field of work most well suited to the user based on available personality data within a timeframe of no more than three years, within the bounds of the preceding parameters.]
[All parameters have been provided, if the User would like to make any modifications before final selection, please do so now, if not, please wait and assignment will commence in thirty seconds.]
Alright, there we go. I’ve done everything I feel comfortable doing here, and I get a sneaking feeling that asking too many questions here would uh…degrade the experience, if i really wanna know i guess i can ask the next go round. Huh, kind of a dark thought to be considering coming back here already, considering.
Eh, no worries. I’m sure that won’t be for a while. At least, I’m hoping that is the case. There’s always the chance i royally fuck it up. Doesn’t do me any good to think like that right now though. Might as well face the future with a good attitu-oh well would you look at that that is a very bright light.
I raise my arms in front of me with a startled yelp at the brightness of the sudden flare. Huh, I have arms to raise again, and eyes to blink! Already leaps and bounds ahead of being dead, to be honest.
As I collapse onto my belly in the dirt with a dull thud and a disgruntled squeal, the number of leaps and bounds by which it is better significantly decreases. Ugh…still going to call this one a W. It feels good to have a body again. Even if I’m in a bit of pain, I’m already feeling more like myself again.
The question is, what kind of myself am I feeling like exactly? The stars swimming before my vision quickly recede as I sit up and rub my temples.
As my sight clears, the first thing I notice is that my field of vision is way too wide for comfort. I almost vomit a bit, giving a slight dry heave as I try to process the significantly increased range in which I can see around me. The world seems to curl away unnaturally in the edges of my vision, and the fact that I can see so far out to the sides without turning my head makes my head spin.
After a few less than pleasant minutes of trying to wrap my head around this wrap-around vision, I finally manage to get it together. I give a dry swallow as I realize the next thing that is different. The hands I have been grasping my head with aren't hands at all! I thought they felt kind of hard for hands, honestly. And now, bringing them down in front of me, I see…not much. Seems like I have a small blind spot directly in front of my eyes. Bummer.
I pull my not-hands a bit further away from my face and see that they are, in fact, hooves! My arms are covered in very soft-looking short pink fur and now terminate in hooves of a darker shade of pink that complements the coat pretty nicely. The color is soothing enough that I only freak out a moderate amount instead of a whole lot as I assess my unfamiliar new form.
“Ohfuckohfuck. Alright, so I am definitely not human.” I think to myself as I inspect my new appendages. I try to flex my nonexistent fingers, and surprisingly, the hoof flexes in a manner not too off from what I intended. Apposable hooves. Well, isn’t that something? One less reason to flip out, at least? That’s right, big guy, keep focusing on the positives. We’re going to work through this one step at a time. Easy does it.
The hooves, while firm, have a rubbery texture when I rub them against the ground. They're tough but less solid than a proper horse hoof. The frog of the appendage covers most of the bottom aside from about half an inch in and seems exceptionally soft and more sensitive to touch than the rest. Again, it's similar to what I know about the next closest thing.
“Alright, wide field of vision, uncloven hooves, I’m going to guess some kind of equine…” I think to myself, looking down at my body and letting my vision trail down to between my legs. My eyes widen at what I see down there, and I let out a low, impressed whistle. “Yeah, definitely some kind of equine. Proportions are kinda scuffed for a horse, though. Maybe a pony?” I muse to myself as I start going about the pain in the ass that is figuring out how I’m going to move around.
“Whatever I am, I need to get myself unfucked pronto. I can’t just sit around…wherever I am all day. Just where am I anyway?”
Ah yes, situational awareness, my old nemesis. I take a moment to look around and take in my surroundings. There are trees, a lot of trees, split by a path heading out of view. Enough trees that the canopy is blocking out a good bit of the sun, beams of light peering through the high branches here and there as a breeze rustles the branches now and again. Nearby, a small lake sits placidly, dotted with a few softly buzzing insects and even a couple of frogs.
Honestly, not the worst place I’ve woken up after making some questionable life choices. It’s…nice, peaceful, really. It reminds me a lot of where I lived back when I was a kid, except in this case, there isn’t a house in spitting distance to get back out of the woods.
This brings me back to what I was doing: figuring out the leg situation! The situation is that I seem to have four of them, and they are doing their best, which right now isn’t very good.
I lurch and stumble repeatedly, giving small, frustrated, and surprised squawks and starts as I struggle to figure out the proper sequence in which to move these crimes against bipedalism in an effective manner. It takes me a bit, but I start getting the hang of it after a few more falls. I definitely have a bruise or two in store tomorrow, but that’s the price of progress. I start getting the sequence down. Front right, back left, front left, back right, in that order, then again, and again.
Theeeeere we go. Not bad, I’m already walking around with all the grace and panache of a particularly agile toddler. Two years to learn how to walk? Try two minutes! I’ll have to get Summoning Salt on this massive breakthrough in the learn-to-walk speedrun progression.
Alright, enough sucking myself off. I'm…satisfied with this modicum of progress for now. I smile to myself and attempt to do a little dance. It's more of a crude shuffle on less-than-stable legs as I give a small, giddy chuckle.
Now that the hard part is out of the way, I strut over to the little pond to get a better look at myself. Let’s see what we’re working with here…
As I peer down at my reflection in the water, my first guess is confirmed to be a hit! Yeah, that definitely looks like some kind of pony, at least. Whatever I am, I’m not anything from back home, even without the pastel color palette and the…horn? Oh, sweet, I’m a unicorn! I wonder if that’s special like It is back home. Eh, that’s not important right this second. Let’s get a better look.
Huh, honestly, I’m kind of cute by human standards. The few intact instincts that came packaged with this meat suit certainly don’t seem to find this body hard on the eyes. Nice to know I have enough going on horsewise to know if I’m hot or not, but not enough to know how to walk around without falling on my…ass…flanks?. But what am I gonna do, file a complaint with management?
A bit more inspection draws me towards a conclusion that I am not entirely sure how to feel about. I kind of look like a girl. Or, well, a mare. As long as you didn’t worry too hard about the… more relevant details, that is. I’d say I’m more than a tad feminine-looking, at the very least. Long slender legs, slim waist, a soft face…. And the hairstyle this thing came with certainly isn’t doing anything to contradict that.
My mane and tail are pretty light, almost cotton candy or bubblegum pink, and have been styled into long, neat ponytails. Hah, pony.
My eyes are pretty big, almost cartoonishly so, and colored a lovely, soothing, smoky blue that borders on purple. Or would it be purple bordering on blue? It’s a pretty nice color either way.
As for accessories and clothing, the only thing I’m wearing is a…collar. It's not like a dog collar, thankfully. That would have raised all kinds of questions, and none of them would have been comfortable.
Actually…I think I make this work if I’m being honest with myself, even if I’m unsure what’s up with this look. Maybe being a little femme was in style or something, and that factored into my appearance? Ah well. If it ends up being an issue, I can always at least switch up my style once I get the means. In the meantime, I might as well try to own it. Femme or not, It’s hard to deny I make it look good.
I smirk down at my bad self and strut in the mirror, or well, the pond, and toss my hair a bit more fruitily than I probably could have gotten away with in other circumstances before turning to face the path I had woken up on.
A sign in the shape of a typical arrow-like shape is posted nearby, pointing towards one direction down the path. That’s quite convenient and great news. Slightly less fortunate is the fact that I can’t read it. The sign’s lettering seems to be some form of runic script, written with sharp angles and straight lines. It almost resembles Norse runes to me, but then again, I’m no expert linguist.
Yeah, uh, I read English, not whatever that is. That will probably become an issue before too long, but that’s Future Me’s problem more than it is Present Me’s. For now, I at least have a direction, a clear path. If I’m making assumptions about how things work here, I probably have a solid block of daylight to burn, so I might as well get walking. I probably don’t want to be in unfamiliar wilderness when night falls.
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After what probably felt like a much longer amount of time than it actually was, I approached the outskirts of the forest, a clearing coming into view as I sang to myself to ward off the quiet.
“Singin, Oh Lord, this earth was made for us. Singin’, Oh Lord, this simple life just ain’t- oh sweet, looks like I’m finally out of the woods.” I say as I stop singing to myself and take a look around. And indeed, not only is my situation looking better, but I have quite literally made it out of the woods.
Fields, plowed way out into the distance, stretch across my field of view. Off to one side, there looks to be more trees, except these are more uniformly planted and flush with ripe fruit. It’s an orchard, a lovely apple orchard by the looks of it. Some buildings, what I take by the looks of them to be a cluster of barns, lay a little further down than that.
It isn't a town, but at this point, I will happily take whatever signs of civilization I can get. After all, no use looking a gift me in the mouth, right?
I smile and start trotting more briskly, ducking under and through some fences to make a beeline for the buildings through the orchard to see who is around.
“Hold it right there, big feller! Just what are you doin’ cavortin’ around on mah family private property?”
As it turns out, I am not the only one interested in who is on the property. I Cringe and freeze in place, instinctually obeying the reflex to raise my hands above my head after hearing that phrase coupled with that accent and immediately toppling over facefirst into the dirt.
“Ah fuck, ow…w-wait! Don’t hurt me, Ma’am. I say, not trying to get up just yet, still worried any sudden movements might be unwise. “I’m just lost. I was heading toward the buildings because I was hoping I could find someone who knows where I am…”
Thankfully, this woman or er…mare, whoever she is, takes my words at face value, and I can hear her relax as she responds. “Hmmm, alright then, get on up. I’m not gonna go around beatin’ on a stallion. ‘Specially not if ya don’t mean no harm. You got a name?”
I shuffle a bit awkwardly to my hooves again, breathing a sigh of relief that things seem to have cooled down as quickly as they had seemed geared to heat up. “My name, huh? Uh…hm…” I hum softly, the cogs turning fruitlessly in my noggin as I turn around to face the one who had flagged me down.
She’s an equine, like me. Only she’s shorter, by at least a head and a half, maybe more? She’s a pleasant creamy orange, with bright, lively green eyes complemented by a mane and the color of gleaming cornsilk tamed and restrained by a set of red scrunchies. Despite having fur, she has…freckles? Huh, okay. Well, to be fair, it's not the weirdest thing I’ve seen today by a long shot.
On her head is perched a hat I’ve seen plenty of times, a Stetson if I had to name it, and by the look of her, it isn’t for show. She looks like an honest, hardworking mare if I’ve ever seen one.
And I have seen several before, but to be fair, most of those didn’t talk or wear hats, so I might not be the most qualified expert on the matter.
She’s got a solid, sturdy build. As I look her over with a growing curiosity, I cannot help but notice that she is a bit bottom-heavy. Or perhaps back heavy would be a more appropriate term in this case. Wait, Why am I checking out a horse's ass? Or, well, a pony’s ass? I guess I’ll be doing more of that than I ever thought I would from now on, considering I am one. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
This unwelcome derailment of my train of thought is thankfully quickly interrupted by the mare clearing her throat and giving me a firm, even look. “Eyes to mine, big fella, I was askin’ you a question. Now, what’s your name?” She asks a bit more firmly, leaning in a bit more as she asserts herself with her tone. “Mine’s Applejack. I’m a farmhand here on Sweet Apple Acres, along with the rest of my kin here in Ponyville.”
I find myself standing a little straighter as she takes that tone with me. It seems familiar, but I can't quite place where I’ve been spoken to like that before. I cough softly, turning my head off to one side to break eye contact and conceal my embarrassment before speaking again. “S-sorry about that, I was just curious. My name is er…R-Rose…Tint? Rose Tint.” I say more confidently as I roll it around on my tongue a bit. Honestly, for a johnny-on-the-spot, that isn’t half bad.
“Curious, huh…?” She says with a less-than-impressed tone. I can practically see her fighting not to roll her eyes. “What about exactly? You ain’t never seen a mare before, Rose?”
“Er…no, actually. Not really.” I say somewhat lamely, pawing aimlessly at the ground with one hoof and resisting the urge to fidget more obviously. “I didn't really grow up around a lot of ponies.”
She appears to believe me judging by her expression, but that same expression also tells me she’s more than a bit surprised. “Huh…fair nuff then. Where the hay are ya even from then? I know ya ain’t from ‘round these parts, at least. I haven’t seen you around Ponyville before.”
Alright, so far so good. Let’s try to keep this up. Be just honest enough to not seem like a crazy per- er..pony? That’s going to take some getting used to. There appears to be a lot of horseplay with the names here, so I decided to go for it. “I’m from Louwhinnyana, ma’am. And I’m really not sure how I got to…Ponyville, was it?” I continue, bringing one hoof to rub at the back of my neck as I do my best to wing it. “One minute, I was back home, minding my own business. Then something hit me out of nowhere, and the next thing I remember after coming too was waking up in the forest over there.”
She Squints slightly at this. I can't shake the sneaking suspicion that she somehow knows I’m holding out on some details. But then her expression changes as a flit of realization crosses her features, which quickly morphs into concern. “You said you came from that way?” She asks as she points towards the forest I had emerged from not long ago. “From the Everfree Forest? Shoot, you’re lucky to have come out in one piece for me to be grillin’ ya right now. That place is more trouble than a field full of fruit bats.”
I feel some of the blood drain from my face as I hear this and give a slight shiver. That’s not something you want to hear about the place where you spawned in. I’m glad I didn’t get mauled by something.
“I’ll try to keep that in mind. Thank you for the warning,” I say dryly as I look over Applejack’s shoulder back at the forest with a growing concern of my own.
“Ain’t nothin’ to it, fella. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but ain’t Louwhinnyana all the way over in the Colonies in Amareica?” She asks with a slight ring of curiosity in her tone. “You’re an awful long way from home bein’ this close to the capital, Ain’t’cha?”
“I…I guess I am, yeah…” I say softly, my voice carrying a bit more hopelessness than I would have liked, a weight she could not have known her words would have to descend on me just as hard as if one of the mighty apple trees surrounding us were to fall square over my back. With how strange and unreal the last few hours have been, It hadn’t really been at the forefront of my thoughts. But as I’m actually talking to someone about it, it’s only just now hitting me that I died. Everyone that I have ever known up until today has to deal with the fact that I died. I’ll never see any of them again. I won’t be able to let my friends or my family know that I’m still out there somewhere. I won’t be able to see any of them ever again.
“Uh….you alright there, sugarcube? You’re not lookin’ so good right now…”
Applejack’s voice cuts through the haze of very unpleasant thoughts I had been quickly losing myself to. I realize I am breathing fairly heavily, and my cheeks are wet. I reach up with one hoof and slowly nod, wiping my eyes dry and giving a small sniffle as I compose myself. Let’s just go ahead and put all of that in the bad feelings box for now. You have more significant concerns, Rose.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine. It’s just sort of hitting me, is all. I’m kind of alone out here. It’s not a great feeling. Sorry…”
She blinks at this and shakes her head, giving me a more gentle, sympathetic look. “Hey now, no need to apologize for that. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with being a lil’ scared. Ain’t no reason you need to try to act tough for me, either. You’re hurtin', I can see it plain as day on your face. Ahm’ sorry if I gave ya a fright, Rose.” She says as she walks closer to me, raising a hoof and patting me gently on the back. “Here, how about you come over with me to the house. You can join me and my kin for dinner. I’m sure a little good company and a hot meal would go a long way for ya right about now, wouldn’t it?” “She says as she gently nudges me toward the buildings with her leg before letting go of me and starting to walk over that way. “C’mon now, sugarcube. We’ll getcha right for now, okay?
I give another slight sniffle, the simple act of downhome hospitality almost enough to make me start tearing up again. I give Applejack a simple nod and start following her, not trusting my voice not to crack right now. I’ll have to remember to thank her properly once I do, she certainly deserves it.
After a short walk, Applejack and I approach what seems to be her home. It was one of the buildings I had initially taken to be a barn, and from the looks of it, it was one at some point. It shared the same overall construction as the other buildings, which were barns now that I was close enough to look at them properly. Where it differed was evident, however. It had several add-ons and modifications, which one could tell at a glance had probably been added on as needed later on.
Enjoying a peaceful midday nap, sitting in an old rocking chair near what looks to be the main entrance, is a rather elderly mare. Her coat is a pale, almost key lime green, and she had styled her mane and tail into buns. The well-earned deep-set grey and white pepper mix of the elderly that colors them is just as much a signifier of her advanced age as the weathering of her face. She wears a frilled length of fabric, one of those old-lady scarves, colored the same orange as the coat of the mare beside me and dotted in bright red apples.
“Granny Smith! Wake up, we’ve got a visitor!” Applejack calls out loudly but cheerfully in that elevated volume typically reserved for the hard of hearing.
The elderly mare starts from her slumber, sitting up as straight as she can manage with the deep-set curve in her spine. “Whah huh, what was that now, Applejack? I didn't hear ya proper. I was restin’ mah eyes…” She says a bit blearily, rubbing at them with her hooves before blinking a few times. Granny Smith’s eyes settle on me, a bit surprised momentarily before her lips curl into a pleased little smile. “Now look what we have here. Applejack, who’s this ya got here with ya?”
“Granny, this here is Rose Tint.” She says as she walks closer to her apparent grandmother, whispering into her ear and covering her mouth with a hoof.
As she listens, the old mare's eyes express realization, then mild concern. She looks over at me with a sympathetic smile. “Oh, well ain’t you a far sight from home.’ She says with a tinge of sadness to her tone. “Ya know, I was a settler back when ol’ Ponyville was still a colonial holding. I was mighty lucky things turned out as well for us as it did.” She says as she slowly gets up from her chair and sets on all fours, hobbling toward me and offering a hoof once she is within distance. “Names Granny Smith, but you can just call me Granny if you like, son. Go on ‘n put her there now, don’t be shy. No unicorn stallion is gonna put out enough juice to hurt a stout ol Earth Pony mare.”
I am unsure how true that is, but I extend my leg nonetheless and do my best approximation of a handshake, grasping my hoof to hers with as confident a smile as I can muster. “It’s a pleasure, Granny. I’m Rose Tint, as Applejack said. I’m from an er, non-pony settlement down in Louwhinnyana, so I apologize if I’m not up to speed on how some stuff works around here.”
As I grip her hoof, I am surprised that she seems to be correct in her assertion. For an old bag, she has some obscene gorilla grip on that hoof. Okay, no. That’s terrible phrasing, and I don't want to think of any part of a mare that old having a gorilla grip. The fact that I’m okay with thinking about it on a mare my own age is already weird enough.
Pushing that unwelcome and intrusive train of thought clean off the rails before it can plow into the tied-up damsel that is currently my tenuous sanity, I return my attention to Granny Smith as she begins to speak.
“Oh, adopted, were ya? What were your folks like? Donkey’s? Zebras?” She asks, seeming more curious than anything. However, the question still had that tinge of something less savory.
Applejack also seemed to catch onto it, giving her grandmother a slightly worried look. “Now, now, Granny. There ain’t no need to jump right into the personal questions…”
Granny Smith’s expression softens a bit at this. She gives a slightly sheepish nod, “Aw, you’re right. Don’t rightly matter, I suppose. You seem like decent ponyfolk either way. Anywho, it explains your flank still bein blank at your age. It ain't quite so easy to get your Cutie Mark out in the sticks, away from proper pony-tended lands. Even here in Ponyville, bein' this close to the Everfree makes the foals sometimes get theirs a lil later than normal.”
“Cutie Mark?” I hesitantly ask, tilting my head slightly as I hope I’m not making myself sound like I’ve crawled out of the nearest cave. “Could you explain what you mean by that?”
Granny and Applejack both give me the look I was afraid of. The one you might give when you hear a man announce he is about to grow a second head. Applejack is the first to recover and respond. “The uh…the marks we have on our flanks here, Rose. They show up when you find out what your special talent is. Usually, you get 'em pretty young.” She says as she turns slightly to show off her flank, revealing an image of three apples decorating it.
Ah. Well, shit. I might as well have asked what puberty was. I give a small sigh and nod. “I see. I don’t think I saw anything like that back home. Thank you for telling me. Do you think I might get one now that I am in…proper pony lands, as Granny put it?”
Applejack shakes her head, giving me an apologetic look. “Awe, c’mon Rose. She ain’t mean anythin’ by it. It’s just how it is. The further out from the mainland ya get, the harder Harmony gets to come by, so stuff like Cutie Marks is harder to get. Pony magic stops workin' quite as well, too.”
She did mean something by it from her tone, but the explanation at least puts an understandable reason to it. I shrug and offer a reassuring smile to the two of them. “I’m not mad. I’m just trying to understand, is all.”
Granny Smith relaxes at the reassurance and nods, smiling a bit wider than before. “Ain’t nothin' to it, son. And don't you worry none. I’m sure that you’ll figure out what you’re meant to be doin’ sooner than later. Anywho, I’m sure Applejack has a good reason to bring you around these parts.” She says as she looks over at the younger mare, clearly expecting further explanation.
Applejack gives her a slightly nervous smile and speaks again. “Well, I was just hopin’ to invite ‘em to dinner, is all. He’s all on his lonesome, and he don’t rightly know how he got here. I found em walkin' out of the Everfree without a care in the world, not even knowin' where he was, much less where he walked out of.”
Granny’s eyes widen at this, and she leans forward with a slight sputter. “Now, what kinda malarkey is that? Son, you’re damn lucky to come out lookin' as clean as ya do, much less alive!” She says in a firm, scolding tone as she shakes a hoof at me. “I won’t be too hard on ya since ya seem to have gotten there not of your own accord, but don’t go wanderin' around in there again.”
“I already told ‘em as much, Granny. Ain’t no need to get heated over it,” Applejack says as she looks from her grandmother back to me. “You can see why I thought the fella could use a nice hot meal and some company for the evenin’, though.”
“I suppose I can, Applejack. I darn well suppose I can.” She says as she simmers down, clearing her throat. “Well, if Applejack is keen on invitin’ ya into our home, you’re more than welcome to eat with us. There’s a guest bathroom up the stairs, first door to the left. Why don’t you go ahead and check out the town? It’ll be a bit until everyone comes back from the fields for dinner. Just be sure to be back at the house before sundown if you want some grub.”
“Now that sounds like a mighty fine idea,” Applejack says, gesturing at a path leading out from the front of the house. “Just head out that way, and you’ll hit the edge of town in about fifteen minutes or so if you keep a nice clip. Just be careful. There’s a lot of uh… un-spoken-for mares in town. Not a whole lot of stallions in these parts, ya see.” She says, giving me a look that tells me I should probably know what she’s talking about.
Which I don’t. But at this point, I’m starting to get a bit embarrassed about it and decide that a bit of faking might help me make it. Besides, whatever it is can’t be too bad, right?
I give her a small nod and a reassuring grin of my own. “I am sure it’ll be fine. Ponies can’t be too different from what I’m used to, right?”
“Uh…if you say so, big fella. Here, lemme grab somethin’ for ya real quick…” Applejack says, giving me an unsure look before walking into the house, the sound of clopping up a set of stairs thumping through the wall from inside. She returns a few minutes later with what looks to be a set of burlap sacks with a strap on them, her cutie marks embroidered on either one. “Here, take my ol saddlebags with ya into town, so if you need to bring somethin’ back, you can carry it easier,” she says with a small smile as she drapes them over my back. The item fits comfortably, covering and resting on my flanks and lower back.
She shows me how to operate the strap to lock the item in place, and afterward, I shoot her an appreciative glance. “Oh, well, thanks a lot, Applejack! I’m not sure if I’ll need them, but it’s better to have ‘em and not need ‘em, huh?”
“Ain’t that the truth, Rose. Now you go on and have a nice walk. We’ll be here when ya get back.” She says as she starts making for the door. “I got work I gotta get back to, and I’m sure Granny here wants to finish catchin' up on her beauty sleep.”
The elderly mare gives Applejack a side-eye, and I hold back a chuckle at this as I give another nod. “Alright then, I’ll make myself scarce for now. You two have a nice afternoon.”
With that final little exchange complete, I make my way down the road after Applejack sets off. She heads back towards the orchards, and I head down the path that leads into town. I really hope I make a good first impression on the townspeople…or uh, ponies…
The walk to town is uneventful. It’s easy to figure out where I need to go. I just need to follow the path and keep going until I hit civilization. What I’m going to do once I get there…..that, I’m less sure about.
I mean, look at me. I’m a stranger in a strange land, illiterate, unemployed, and unprepared. And Unlike Valentine, I don’t have a Jill to bring me up to speed. Applejack seems well-meaning enough, but I’m not sure she’d want to have a stranger crashing on her couch.
Even if she did, I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be taking her up on it. I’d feel…uncomfortable, at best with coasting by on pity. And it would be pity.
I don’t like the way her grandmother spoke about my being a stallion, and I’m suspecting that it relates to what I am beginning to suspect is one of those cultural differences I was hoping wouldn't cause too much friction.
She didn’t just say unicorn after all, she said unicorn stallion. Are Stallions considered the weaker of the sexes in this world? Or at least, possibly in the context of this set of subspecies.
But dwelling on it isn't going to do me much good right now. I have to get my head in the game and try to get my situation in order before these issues become…problematic.
I can fix the illiteracy given a bit of time and a willingness to learn, both of which I have in abundant supply, and ample motivation to capitalize on. But until then, my employment options are going to be significantly limited. I’m already feeling a bit overwhelmed just trying to figure out what buildings are without being able to read the signs. And that’s with visual aids from logos. Forget about reading simple written instructions or labels.
Sure there’s always good old manual labor to turn to but well…I don't think I’m particularly strong. At least, not in comparison to the Earth Ponies. If Granny Smith was able to mog me on that hoofshake as easily as she did, I can't imagine I would be any match physically for a younger specimen.
I should be able to cast magic, in theory, but even if I had some idea of how much of that is practical in a manual labor work environment, I don't exactly know how to use any of it.
And of course, fixing that without the help of a very patient teacher would again require me to learn how to read. Yeah, that’s definitely going to be a roadblock for the foreseeable future.
As I’m mulling this over, I start looking around for someone or er…some*pony* who looks like they don't mind being asked a question or two. I won't get them answered just walking around talking to myself after all. I spot what looks like a winner further down the street and coming my way.
She’s pink, a brighter pink than me, with a mane approaching the same shade as my coat. Her bright blue eyes seem to glimmer with a barely restrained mirth, a grin stretched across her face as she trots her way down the street. Her flank is adorned by a trio of balloons. Perhaps some kind of children's entertainer?
I cough softly and make a careful approach, pushing down my nerves as best I can and returning her smile with one of my own as I attempt to catch her attention. “Er…Excuse me miss…do you know where I could find-”
As I begin to speak, she turns her head towards me, seeming intent on listening. However, as she lays eyes on me, they go wide. She gasps and leaps into the air, hanging there for a few moments longer than seems entirely feasible before vanishing in a rush of wind and a puff of dust, already well down the path the way I had come from before I can properly process what was even happening.
“Ah,” I say flatly, the smile on my face dropping. I give a small sigh and shrug as I begin walking again.
“Excuse me, Mister. What was it that you were wanting to ask?” I hear a gentle-sounding voice issue out the inquiry from above. I look up to see another pony, what looks to be a pegasus hovering above me, her wings keeping her aloft with relatively slow, lazy-looking strokes for their size compared to her body.
Her coat is a soft grey color, and both her eyes and mane sport a soothing gold color, the former of which stare off in different directions. Her flank has markings that look like bubbles. She’s honestly kind of adorable. Soft looking, I suppose would be the right words for it.
She’s got some sort of uniform on, a brown shirt with a white collar and white cuffs at the ends of the sleeves. She has a hat to match, emblazoned with an arrow with wings. Probably some sort of delivery service if I had to put money on it.
And er…if I had money with which to do the putting on…
In any case, she is offering to answer my question, and I am certainly not trying to start looking a gift pony in the mouth right now. I clear my throat again before speaking. “I was going to ask her where I can find the er…government buildings. I was hoping to ask about resources for education?” Yeah, I think I’ll let her make of that what she wills. I’m a bit too embarrassed to admit I can’t read to a total stranger, as nice as she may be.
She nods and hums softly, rubbing at her chin as she hovers in the air. “Well, if you want to learn, the school is actually down that way. I’m sure Miss Cheerilee could teach you whatever you need to know, she’s really smart.” The mare says chipperly as she points down the street. “You just go that way and take the third left from here and go straight until you see the building with all of the foals in it, you can’t miss it.”
Huh...well, not what I was looking for, but I guess that’s a start, and this Cheerilee mare will probably have a better idea of what I need to be asking after than this one. Hell, maybe she might even be able to give me a bit of after-school tutoring. As much as that sounds like the lead-up to an especially corny X-rated outing, it would be quite helpful.
“Oh, well alright, thanks!” I say appreciatively as I start back on my way again. “Have a nice day.”
“You too! If you need anything delivered, Just let me know, I’m pretty good at it.” She says, giving me a little salute before seeming to realize something and flying off at a fairly good clip. I suppose she was in the middle of work. She must have forgotten herself for a moment there helping me out. I chuckle a bit at the display as I continue walking, feeling a bit better about my prospects now that I at least have a concrete place to start looking.
I follow the grey mare directions, third left down the way, and then straight on. As the afternoon drags on, the familiar sound of a dismissal bell grabs my attention, quickly followed by the boisterous sounds of recently released children.
A gaggle of little ones, foals, streams out of a nearby building. Its overall design, like many of the buildings I have seen on my walk, seems almost archaic in comparison to what I am used to. The building is decorated with a very healthy smattering of pink red and white, dotted throughout with heart motifs. There is a sign posted up in front of the building with text that I cannot read, decorated with a large icon of an open book.
Yeah, I am pretty sure this is the schoolhouse the mare from before was talking about. After all of the little ones filter out and are on their way, I give a small sigh before walking up to the door. I steel myself for a moment before raising a hoof and firmly knocking three times.
“Just a minute please!” A warm, matronly voice calls out, muffled slightly by the door, accompanied by the sounds of rummaging and cabinets being closed before the click of a lock sounds and the door opens.
An earth pony mare opens the door, greeting me with kind, verdant green eyes. Her mane is a delicate, floral pink with a light stripe through it that flights with being white, and her coat is a rich, pleasant fuchsia. A quick look at her flank reveals a Cutie Mark depicting three smiling flowers.
She smiles kindly down towards my chest, recognition of some sort filling her eyes for a moment before she quickly obscures it. She clears her throat and looks upward to meet my eyes, something else creeping into her smile that I do not recognize. “O-oh! Sorry, I thought it might be one of the foals coming back for something. You know how forgetful little ones can be.” She says a tad sheepishly. “Was there something I can do for you, sir? I Don’t think I recognize you from any of the recent parent-teacher meetings…”
Seeing her budding confusion, I give her a reassuring smile and shake my head. Now it is my turn to be sheepish, I believe. “Oh, nonono! I am not here about any of the foals. I was here to ask after...whether or not you offered after-school tutoring?”
Her eyes widen as I speak, her hoof twitches off of the ground for a moment but settles again quickly as her cheeks become quickly tinged with a bit of red as she gives me a look that sits somewhere between flattered and heavily indignant. “That’s awfully bold of you to be asking somepony you just met a minute ago! You know, just because you’re tall with a pretty face doesn’t mean you can just waltz up to any mare you please and-”
“Please allow me to elaborate further, I mean that literally. I can’t read.” I say as firmly and bluntly as I can manage to get the words to roll off of my tongue as I look down unamused at the flustered mare. “I was hoping you might be able to help me with fixing that, or at least point me to someone who can if you would be so kind.” I continue patiently, well aware of how my initial inquiry must have sounded given the limited context. Really what the hell was I thinking, I was even thinking about how cheesy it sounded not five minutes ago. I really should be more mindful.
As she listens to my explanation, her eyes widen a bit, and she seems to calm down a bit, then she gives a mildly incredulous squint as she leans in a bit to inspect me. “You can’t read? Really now…” she says as she brings a hoof up to rub at her chin.
“Er…yes, that’s what I said. “I say a bit awkwardly as I back a few steps away from the mare. “I’m sorry if this is a bother, I just thought you might be able to help, the nice delivery mare told me you might be able to-”
Mentioning the mare from earlier seems to grab her attention. “Oh, Derpy told you to come here?” she tilts her head at the inquiry, her gaze becoming a bit less firm as she mulls that over.
“Y-yes, the grey one with the blonde mane. I am not from around these parts you see, and I figured illiteracy would be a big issue if I were to try to find a job and uh…I’m sorry if it seems like I'm doing a bit, I promise I’m not, I just sort of showed up here and I don’t know what any of the signs say or what I should do or where I should go and..and uh…”
As I continue to ramble on, her expression softens further into one of genuine concern. “Hey now, calm down. I believe you, okay? I’m sorry for making an assumption like that, it was very rude of me. Here…” She says softly as she reaches up and brushes away a tear from my eye. Oh huh, was I crying? I guess I am stressing over this pretty hard.
She offers me a reassuring smile and places her hoof on the ground again. “If you’re serious about wanting to learn, It would be shameful of me as an educator to turn you away, especially if you are in such a bad way…” She says as she seems to mull something over before giving a small stomp, looking pleased with her conclusion. “Come to the library in about two hours, okay? It’s the building made out of a big tree in the middle of town, you can’t miss it, and you can see it from most places pretty easily. I have some things to take care of after class, but once I have that wrapped up I’ll see if we can’t get you started on the basics.”
I break out into a wide smile and feel myself sag a bit as tension I had not been aware I was holding dissipated and I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you miss, er…Cheerilee, right? That’s what she told me your name was if I remember right.”
“You do, and it is, and you are very welcome mister…” she asks as she looks me up and down expectantly.
Oh! Fuck, I went and forgot to introduce myself, didn’t I? No wonder she was put off, I was being pretty rude, thinking about it. “Sorry, My name is Rose, Rose Tint,” I say quickly, giving a sheepish, apologetic smile as I start to back away again. “Again, thank you, and er…I’ll see you at the library,” I say as I turn and start trotting off, feeling more than a bit embarrassed at my conduct in this exchange. I hear her issue a small chuckle as she more cheerfully waves me off before walking back into the schoolhouse, prompting me to pick up my pace.
Well, that’s one issue closer to being resolved. Now there’s only a dozen or so more to go. In the meantime, I have a bit more time to kill before Cheerilee wants me at the library, and a bit more than that before I’m due to go back to see the farmfolk for dinner. Now how am I going to kill it…?
Finding something to occupy my time isn’t too hard. After taking some time to walk around and see what the town has to offer, I settle on relaxing in the park. I settle in on a park bench, ending up in something akin to a loafing position, with my legs tucked under me comfortably.
I take a deep breath and work on pulling myself together. While the tranquil environment and pleasant weather are certainly helping to soothe my anxious soul, the uncomfortable revelation I had uncovered within myself while speaking to Cheerilee is having more of an effect on me than I would like. I won’t act like it isn’t to be expected that I would come undone a bit at the thought of being forever severed from the attachments of my previous life. I’m trembling a bit again just thinking about the existential dread the concept drags up and out of me.
But it just isn’t practical for me to indulge in that sort of self-pity right now. I can’t afford to be anything but at the top of my game here. I need to stay strong, at least until I can get through the rest of today. Once I have done everything I can do to make this situation better…then and only then can I allow myself to break down for a while and try to process these feelings.
As I mull this over, I hear a feminine voice call out to me from the corner of my awareness. “Why the long face there? What’s got you down, huh?”
I look towards the source of the voice and find myself face-to-face with a unicorn mare a few feet away from the bench. Even from my sitting position, she had to tilt her head back a bit to meet my eyes.
Her bright aquamarine eyes shine with a bit of…excitement? Excitement as she looks up at me with a slightly concerned-looking smile. Her coat is a soft lavender, with a wavy, flowing mane and tail sporting a streak of lighter purple through a pastel cotton candy pink, a horn like mine adorns her head, and on her flank is a Cutie mark depicting a shooting star surrounded by a few smaller stationary ones.
“Oh, uh…nothing too important, I guess. Just worrying about some stuff.” I mumble as I avert my gaze. I avert my gaze and say softly, my ears flattening on top of my head, showcasing the shame that is every bit as evident in my voice and body language. “I’m new in town and I’m having some, uh…trouble getting settled in. I wasn’t planning on moving, you see. I don’t have anything set up, so I’m floundering a little.”
“Oh! Well yeah, that does sound like it would be a bummer. My name is Stardust. Is this seat taken?” She asks as she gestures with her head towards the empty spot on the bench beside me. “You sound like you could use someone to talk to.” She says as she moves a bit closer, her smile getting slightly wider.
I swallow softly as she asks and offers, my head lowering slightly more than before until I am nearly at eye level with her. “I mean…I wouldn’t want to impose on a stranger,” I mutter softly, head shying back from her just a smidge as she comes in closer. She seems nice enough, at a glance. But there is…something about her that is giving me a weird feeling.
“Horsefeathers! What kind of mare would just leave a sad-looking stallion all on his lonesome,” she declares firmly as she trots over to the other side of the bench and makes herself comfortable, a little closer to me than I would have liked. “I don’t think I got your name, big guy.”
I don’t have room to scoot away, so I tolerate it for now and offer her my best attempt at a thankful smile. “O-oh yeah uh…sorry. I’m Rose, Rose Tint.” I say as I tilt my head slightly and appraise the mare further. What exactly is her game…
“Rose? That’s a very nice name, it suits you.” She says as she places a hoof between me and herself on the bench. She looks down towards my saddlebags and frowns for a moment before turning her gaze back to mine. “So, you said you are from out of town, exactly where are you from then?”
“Well, I’m from the Colonies, Louwhinnyana specifically,” I say as I watch her hoof slowly slide closer to me from the corner of my eye. Is she trying to steal something from me? There isn’t anything in my saddlebag, so I won’t bother with calling her out for now. Honestly, having company is helping me take my mind off of things either way.
“Oh! A Colonist? That’s interesting. I hear that the Disparity out there isn’t quite as bad. The culture is a bit more…progressive as well. I mean, I think it’s really great.” She says quickly after pausing as if to correct herself.
I give a small smirk and a shrug. “I wouldn’t know. There weren't many other ponies in my area while I was growing up. I was kind of uh, adopted.” I say, delicately spooning out just a dab of the truth to keep the conversation going.
“Adopted, huh? By non-ponies? I can’t imagine what that would be like,” she says, tilting her head a bit, seeming genuinely curious, her cheerful demeanor seeming to become more bright as she sees my smirk. “Ah, there’s a smile. You really should smile more. You look handsome when you smile.”
I blink a few times as I process what she had said, not sure how to take it. I end up deciding to just take the compliment. “Oh, well thanks. I guess I just don’t have a lot to be smiling about right now is all, sorry-EEP!”
I feel her hoof slide over my flank, squeezing it before she lets go and slips it into my saddlebag, pulling it back out. My heart pounds in my chest as a renewed sense of discomfort and anxiety sets in. “H-hey, what are you-”
She interrupts me with a small chuckle, throwing her mane over with a flick of her neck. “Well, maybe what I just left in your little saddlebag there can fix that. If that farmhoof isn’t doing it for you, feel free to come and see me sometime, I know how to make sure a stallion has his needs met.” She says with a small wink before slipping herself off of the bench and trotting away with a satisfied, almost smug look on her face.
“W-what did she mean by that…” I say with a small almost-whimper as I reach into my saddlebag to see what she had left inside. I pull out a small folded piece of paper and about twenty golden coins emblazoned with a picture of two winged unicorns on one side and some symbols I did not understand on the other.
Unfolding the letter reveals further writing I find myself unable to decipher, though the exes and os that follow whatever the message is make the intent obvious enough.
I feel my face turn a bright red with shame as I quickly tuck the paper and coins away again, hoping no one had seen them. I think…I think someone just tried to pick me up. Normally, I would feel immensely flattered, but there was something about the way she did it that left me feeling...dirty.
I do my best to shake it off, giving a small shudder and mentally making a note to perhaps try to avoid that mare in the future. I don’t have much time to dwell on it right now, It looks to be about time for me to get a move on to the library. The sun is falling slowly closer to the horizon, so I probably only have a few hours until I need to be back at the farm for dinner.
The library is just as easy to find as Cheerilee had led me to believe. Just head for the gigantic tree in the middle of town. Really, it would have been more impressive if I had somehow fucked it up. I approach the door of the library and give three firm knocks, following it up by announcing myself. “Cheerilee? Are you in there? It’s Rose, Rose Tint. I’m here for our lessons.”
The sound of a lock clicking open is quickly followed by the door swinging open, revealing Cheerilee, flashing me a warm smile as she steps to one side and gestures for me to enter with her hoof. “Oh! Rose, there you are. I was beginning to worry you might have gotten lost. Well, come on in. I think we should have enough time to cover most of the bare basics this evening. How was your afternoon? A little better than the morning, I hope.” she says as I walk inside, closing the door behind me.
As I enter, I give her a small nod and manage to muster a sincere, if small smile for the kindly mare. “Oh, it was alright. I mostly sat at the park and tried to relax a bit. It’s just been such a hectic day, I was hoping that a bit of time to myself might help me pull myself together. Some weird mare grabbed my a-uh…my flank and left money in my saddlebag, which was really weird but other than that It wasn’t too bad.
As I mention what happened to me, I see Cheerilee stiffen up, a concerned expression set on her features as she walks over to me and tries to play it off with a smile as she asks in a lightly strained tone. “Wasn’t that bad? Do you mean this mare touched you without you wanting her to?”
I blink a bit and nod, not sure where she was going with this. “I mean, I guess so. I think she was trying to pick me up, she left this note in my saddlebags.” I say as I pull the note out and present it to her with a mild vexation written across my mug. “I can’t read it, but I think I know what she was trying to get across.”
Cheerilee takes the note from me gingerly and opens it, and as she reads it, her frown quickly deepens and with a small sigh she crumples it up, tossing it into a wastebin nearby. “It’s nothing that I think you would want to hear about, Rose. You’re…taking this awfully well.”
“Well, yeah. Where I’m from the stallion is generally expected to be the one initiating that sort of er…contact. I mean, granted if I did what she did back home to a mare I would be slapped,m but all of the guys I know would say I’m lucky that she-”
“Rose.” She says simply, cutting me off with a firm, quiet utterance of my name. “I don’t know how things work where you are from, but I do know that if somepony is touching you or talking to you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, that isn’t okay. If somepony does that to you again, you are completely within your rights and expected to tell them you aren’t comfortable with it.“ she says as her glare softens into a sympathetic, almost pitying expression. “Okay?”
“Oh uh…yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Reversed gender roles or not, creeping on someone the way she did was pretty shitty, actually. Then again, I did always have a bit of a hard time sticking up for myself. “Sorry, I didn’t know…”
“You don’t need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong,” she reassures me, shaking her head and giving a small sigh. “Come on, let’s get settled in, I have a few books already pulled for you, you can take them home after we-...o-oh sorry, I-”
“Heh, now it’s my turn to tell you not to apologize. It’s not your fault.” I say back to her. The reminder of my situation did sting a bit, but I know she didn’t mean anything by it. “Getting settled in sounds good, let’s do some learning.”
Once we had worked past the initial awkwardness of the meeting, the actual teaching went fairly well! We started simple, With Cheerilee bringing out the books she had mentioned selecting for me earlier. “Now, before we begin, I just want to make sure I understand your current level of competency correctly, can you read or write at all?”
I think about how to answer this for a moment, rubbing at my chin as I lean back in the chair I had been provided. “Well, I can read and write, pretty well actually! Just not in whatever sort of script you use here. I won’t be starting from zero, since I speak the language fluently as well. I just need to learn the basics of how to read the written language you all use here.”
A weight seems to slump off of her shoulders at this and she gives a small sigh. “Alright, I was hoping something like that might be the case. That’s going to make this entire experience a lot less stressful for the both of us.” she says with a very notable tone of relief in her voice as she opens one of the books. “Let’s start with trying to memorize the alphabet, then we can move on to the different sounds the combinations of letters can make.”
As it turns out, the Equuish alphabet is almost a bar-for-bar translation of what I’m already familiar with. It will take a bit of getting used to the differences.
All of the consonants have a unique and individual line stroke, annotated with additional strokes to indicate things like changes in how c or g are pronounced, for example. All of the vowels have symbols that work in much the same way, and syllables are rendered as combinations of the line strokes and symbols in different combinations that are then strung together to form full words phonetically.
As Cheerilee does her best to explain this to me, I studiously take notes in English. Within about 45 minutes, I have a handy dandy cheat sheet which should, in theory, allow me to (albeit a bit slower than I would like) read most Equuish script without too much difficulty, penmanship of the writer notwithstanding.
As I am wrapping up my notes, Cheerilee seems to take a glance, then another at them, her interest seeming to be piqued. “Huh, that’s an interesting script. It kind of reminds me of Old High Germane script.”
“Does it? I wouldn't know much about that sort of thing.” Lies, dirty lies. I was a bit of a nerd back home. Wait, why am I lying about that? Just a gut feeling I guess. I feel a bit paranoid about the observation for whatever reason.
“I suppose that you wouldn’t,” She says with a small shrug as she pulls over a small stack of additional books. “But hopefully I can fix that! In the meantime, I have some books for you to take with you to read.”
“Oh! Well thank you, I’ll try to take good care of them,” I say as I fight back a small exasperated chuckle at the feeling of being actively glad to have a homework assignment. I take a look down at the provided books and try to parse the titles.
A Brief History Of Equestria A Pony Guide to Growing Up: A Reference for Developing Teens and their Bodies. Fantastic Beasts of Equestria Your Horn and You: A Magic Student’s Primer Simple Spellcasting: A Practical Guide to Beginner Level Arcane Spells Notable Places and Famous Faces, 998th Edition Equestrian Mythology, Vol. 1
I click my tongue as I peruse the titles before turning back to Cheerilee. “A lot of these make sense, but uh…not that I am complaining, but why the teen book and the magic stuff?”
She chuckles softly at the question and gives me a knowing look. “Well, I thought A Pony Guide to Growing Up would be useful for a pony who hasn't grown up around other ponies. There might be a few things in there you don’t know about yourself. For instance, a healthy unicorn in his prime like you should be using magic a bit more often if he wants to avoid developing long-term complications from the buildup of arcane energy damaging his horn and thaumic system. And considering I have never met a unicorn who would willingly try to use their mouth or hoof for writing over their horn, I made the assumption that you might not know how to use it, which is why I included Your Horn and You and Simple Spellcasting. Honestly, if that is how you go about your day-to-day, it’s a miracle you haven’t developed Shimmerhorn Disorder yet.” she says as her look shifts to a sterner one as she lectures me in that tone one would expect from a schoolmarm scolding a lax or deficient student.
“You were uh…correct in your assumptions, thank you for looking after me,” I say with a small, admonished voice as I collect the books and place them in my saddlebags, my ears laying flat on my head again at her firm tone.
As she sees this her expression softens again and she gives a little sigh. “Oh come on, now. No need to wither under me like that, I’m not mad. And you’re very welcome. Speaking of looking after you…” She looks one way, then another before leaning in to speak in a more quiet tone. “I went to speak with Mayor Mare before our lesson, and you have an appointment to go and talk to her about your…housing situation in the morning. In the meantime, I *can’t* help you. I will have to ask you not to use the key underneath the doormat at the front door to come into the library during the evening, and I really have to make sure you know that you shouldn't make your way up those stairs to the guest bedroom nook overlooking the library proper on the second floor and sleep there tonight if you cannot find anywhere else to sleep. Can I count on you to remember not to do that, Rose?”
It admittedly takes me a few moments to catch on to what she is trying to tell me, but with how thick she is laying it on it is only a matter of time before it clicks and I give her a thankful, conspiratorial little smile. Oh what the hell, I get a bit swept up in my gratitude and scoop the mare up into a big bear hug, pulling her in close with a small sniffle. “Thank you Cheerilee, thank you very much, thank you…”I mutter repeatedly into her ear as I feel the fur on my face and her shoulder start to get a bit wet.
She seems to tolerate it and hugs her back, gently patting me on the back until I willingly let her go. I reach into my saddlebags and offer her the coins I had been given earlier. “H-here, I can't just accept this without doing something for you. I know it probably isn’t-”
“No,” she says firmly, and flatly, pushing my hoof full of coins away from her with a stern expression once more. “This isn’t just charity, Rose. It’s an investment in protecting my newest student. You seem to be articulate, and bright, if a bit slow in terms of…social interaction. I think if you are given the opportunity to succeed, you will. All I want you to do for me is your best, okay, Rose?”
Oh wow. Never have I needed to hear something so badly and not known until I heard it. I choke up a bit, so instead of responding verbally, I nod.
“Good. I’m going to get out of your mane for now, then. Please be mindful not to make a mess, and feel free to read whatever catches your interest here, not just what I picked out for you, okay?”
I give another little nod, and she smiles softly at me before making herself scarce. “There’s food in the fridge, but it’s all for me, so feel free to help yourself, goodnight, Rose,” she says before closing the door behind her.
After she leaves, I sit there silently for about ten minutes to make sure she’s gone before I put my head in my hooves and let myself come undone a bit, sniffling as I allow myself to feel. I can’t dice it any other way with myself, I have gotten insanely lucky today. There was no guarantee that any of that was going to happen. But it did happen, and honestly I’m incredibly grateful for it.
Even so, I feel particularly pathetic. Look at me, thinking I could just waltz into an entirely new world half-cocked and just slot myself into place amongst all of these strangers like I was meant to be there. I was only kept from being homeless tonight by a combination of dumb luck, societal expectations, and immense pity from the ponies around me.
Which makes it all the more important that I do not squander the opportunity I have been given.
I give one more sniffle and start sucking it up, putting it back in the bottle for the time being. I’ve indulged in it enough for right now, there is still more I can do to make my situation better. Time to lock in and do some studying for the hour or so I still have before I need to go and have dinner at the farm. I think I want to start with the magic, that was the thing I was excited about the most after all.
I wipe my eyes with the fur of my foreleg one final time and pull the book back out of my saddlebag, pull out my cheat sheet, and start reading.
I settle in and pour over the first few chapters of A Pony Guide to Growing Up, checking the table of contents for anything that strikes me as immediately relevant.
Hmmm…Behavioral Changes Post Cutie Mark? That's not relevant to me. Estrus Cycles and Rut? Huh. I don’t like that. Proper Fur, Mane, Tail, and Hoof grooming? I’ll bookmark that for later…
Eventually, I settle on a chapter that seems immediately important: Care of the Thaumic System and Avoiding Arcane Afflictions. It catches my attention based on some of Cheerilee's earlier comments regarding my lack of magic use. How she spoke about it makes me think I should look into it as soon as possible.
Not only did this turn out to be an excellent idea, but the material is quite fascinating. According to the er…what I am assuming are simplified explanations meant for a younger audience, most creatures that utilize magic as a significant part of their survival strategy have a Thaumic System, which allows them to absorb magic from their environment and diet, as well as distribute that magic to the parts of their body which require it to serve their functions, serving as a sort of secondary circulatory system which transfers a substance serving as a sort of biological store for magical energy throughout the body.
This substance, called Ichor, becomes saturated with magic over time. At that point, the excess is shed into the areas of the body with the greatest concentration of Ichor vessels, resulting in a series of increasingly severe, unpleasant effects depending on the extent and duration of the saturation. In Unicorns, this manifests primarily in the brain and horn, resulting in the phenomenon known as Shimmerhorn Disorder.
The effects begin with the namesake, a continuous, soft, glimmering aura around the horn. If left unattended, other effects manifest, such as disruption to standard sleep patterns, mood swings, discoloration of the eyes' sclera, and the color of one's typical aura.
More severe long-term symptoms include the crystallization of the shed magical energy in the most heavily afflicted parts of the body, which are the horn and brain. Once this symptom manifests, permanent damage to the afflicted areas will occur, which can lead to inhibition of motor skills and language, erratic changes in behavior, death, and/or acute spontaneous detonation.
Yeah, okay. It’s a good thing I checked this first. Exploding is very low on the list of things I wish to experience a second time.
A bit more reading gives me some suggestions on avoiding this, although they all seem to circle back to “use magic.”
The chapter also provides an exercise for unicorns to perform that is meant to make performing magic less difficult, akin to doing stretches. In addition to increasing the ease of casting, the exercise promotes overall thaumeovascular health and increases the circulation rate of Ichor through the body. That seems like something I should see about before trying any magic. I wouldn’t want to pull something.
I sit on the floor, setting the book down in front of me as I start to look over the instructions for the exercises and follow along with them one step at a time. First, I close my eyes and steady my breathing. I allow myself to not focus on anything in particular at first, and from there, I slowly zero in on the feeling of my breath entering and exiting my body.
I sink into a pleasant, almost meditative state as I do so. After a while, I begin to feel a faint ebb and flow within myself. I can hear the beating of my heart, familiar enough on its own. Alongside it, I can feel something else. On the opposite side of my chest, a second, independent beating rhythm, accompanied by an ever so tingly, warm sensation that attaches itself to the ebb and flow I felt before. It must be the organ that pumps the ichor through my body.
As I become aware of the pumping, the flow of ichor through my body, the sensation becomes more readily discernible, more distinct. I trace it from my heart upward to and through my horn, then down my body, chest, and forelegs.
Down further now, through my midriff, my hindquarters and tail, down through my hind legs and back up along my back the way it came, back through my heart, then up into my horn again. The cycle of circulation is complete, unbroken, and continuous.
I feel almost a faint popping now again in my body, a crackling not unlike the sound of pop rocks fizzing through the vessels that carry my ichor. Over time, they increase in frequency, and with each one, I feel ever so slightly more there. The taste and scent of old paper in the air becomes accentuated, crisp, and imparted with a faint tinge of decay and dust.
The sound of my two hearts beating, of my circulation, becomes louder in my ears. Not deafening, not overwhelming. Simply more apparent, more appreciable. I feel more connected to the ground, almost as if in some faint capacity, the circulation of magic does not end with me but extends into the ground, into the air itself, as if the world has its own rhythms, its own ebb and flow upon which my own is merely superimposed. I feel…small, but comforted. It makes me feel secure to be a part of something so much greater than myself. I feel myself smile contentedly, and my body relaxes further.
Eventually, the crackling sounds begin to recede and lessen in frequency and intensity to the point where I only hear a very faint one every few seconds. At that point, I open my eyes. I immediately wince at how much brighter the room seems to have become, giving a slight hiss. My eyes quickly adjust, and I open them fully. The colors around me seem significantly more pronounced than before, making the way I had seen them earlier appear faded by comparison. As I stand up, I feel lighter, and my body feels oddly energized despite my long and eventful day. My head feels clearer, and my thoughts come to me more readily. It’s as if there was a veil between me and the world that has receded enough to allow me to see just past it and realize just how much I have been missing. I’m inundated with a gentle but insistent feeling that everything will be okay, and I feel my shoulders slightly sag as I give a small, relaxed sigh.
All in all, I have to say that doing that certainly did something for me. Now, let’s move on to Simple Spellcasting. Frankly, I’m tired of putting my mouth all over things to pick them up, and my hooves aren’t that much better. Your Horn and You can wait until tomorrow. Picking shit up feels like the priority right now, and I still have a little bit of time until I need to get on my way.
I sit at the table again, closing and putting away the first book before opening the second. I take a deep breath and exhale through my mouth, my heart beating faster as I open the text.
I quickly find my interest piqued as I decipher it line by line. I had always been fascinated by all sorts of power systems in my previous life, especially arcane ones, so this naturally has me enraptured. The prospect of hands on-or, er…hooves on learning how to harness arcane forces has my undivided attention.
Magic, at least for Unicorns, takes the form of Spells. Essentially, Spells are magic, shaped and woven into a particular pattern to achieve a specific effect.
First, you must draw forth the magic from yourself, visualizing it as an amorphous mass, which you then turn into thin fibrous strands.
From there, you spin those strands together into threads of one of five base configurations, corresponding with one of the five Primal Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Aether, which represents pure magical energy.
Once you have created the threads, you proceed to weave them into the pattern corresponding to the effect you are attempting to achieve. Once the spell has been woven, you “tie off” the weave by wrapping it around your horn. At this point, the spell is considered complete and will execute the desired effect (or fizzle out if it has been executed improperly). As a general rule of thumb, the more you focus on the weave and impress your will upon it, the more potent the effect will be, and the more magic will be required to fuel that increased potency.
Once you have finished casting the spell and no longer need to sustain it, you must dissipate the magical energy contained within the spell weave over a couple of seconds to prevent the spell from…backfiring. Huh, that sounds unpleasant. Let’s try to avoid that.
Alright, this all seems simple enough! The first spell the book introduces a reader to is Light, a single strand of fire woven over itself. The second spell is Grasp, which seems to be what I’m looking for. It is slightly more complex, being two strands of aether woven together. Still, it does allow me to levitate and manipulate with a decent level of precision any object I can muster up enough willpower and magic to move.
I briefly hesitate but quickly steel myself as I elect to start with Grasp. It should be fine. After all, it’s a very common spell and one of the simpler ones to boot. It’s damn close to being the most simple, I’ve got this!
I take a few minutes to analyze the diagram of how the spell is meant to be cast, doing my best to memorize it. Since it is a simple spell, the actual weave itself is not terribly complex—just a few over-and-under loops here and there, nothing too crazy.
Once I am confident I have it committed to memory (at least in the short term), I close my eyes and begin to visualize. I allow myself to slowly slip back into that state from before, feeling my magic flow through my body and into my horn.
From there, I imagine the magic being pulled out of my body at the horn, starting as an amorphous mass surrounding it, enshrouding it. I hear a faint sound reminiscent of wind chimes and feel a soft, comforting warmth surround the appendage. I smile softly. So far, so good…
From there, I imagine pulling at the shroud, spinning its essence into a few fine threads. I only need two for now, so I intertwine the magic in on itself in two places to form dual strands of aether.
Once I have my two threads ready and waiting, I begin to weave them together slowly and carefully. I take the time to truly understand the motion and properly visualize what I am doing in my head.
There! I feel the weave almost double back in on itself as something almost clicks into place, but something about it feels missing…
Oh. Of course, I forgot to select a target.
Opening my eyes slowly, the aura produced by my horn forces me to squint. Although the color is a hot shade of pink that is quite soothing to the eyes, my horn is glowing a bit brighter than I can comfortably stand. I direct what focus I am not using to hold the weave to the book in front of me and enshroud my horn anew in the weave to complete the spell as I imagine the book floating upwards.
The book immediately accelerates toward the ceiling in a blur, whistling past my face, barely avoiding smacking me squarely in the snout as it passes. Before I can process what is happening and try to dissipate the spell, it slams into the ceiling with a dull, loud THUD.
I give a startled, strangled yelp as I realize my error. Hurriedly, I begin dissipating the weave’s energy as the book falls towards the table again.
Not quickly enough, it seems. At the tail end of my panicked, sloppy dissipation, the book smacks me squarely in my horn, and I give another yelp as the collision roughly stimulates the appendage.
With a thunderous POP, the remainder of the now untethered magic rapidly expends itself as a flash of light, sound, and heat right in front of my face. I throw myself backward from shock, tumbling out of the chair and onto my ass as my ears ring, and a slight hint of the acrid scent of burnt fur fills my nostrils before I lose consciousness.
I awaken sometime later with a small groan. My horn feels a bit…tender, and a minor headache pounds insistently into my skull from the base of my horn, but aside from that, I seem to be mostly intact.
I carefully slide my hoof along my horn and give a slight wince. Yeah, it's definitely tender, but nothing seems chipped or fractured. A small W to savor alongside such a monumental L.
I think back to the book's guidance and remember that focus drives the amount of power the spell has. I must have focused a lot harder on that spell than I needed to and consequently poured on the juice way too fucking hard.
I shake my head, rubbing at one of my temples in annoyance. Well, it was my first time, so I should have expected some snags, especially since I did skip a step. I look back at the book, which had landed on the desk again after its untimely collision with my noggin.
Squinting at it slightly, I gather my magic again, not content to hold this L without at least one more try. The effort is more than a bit uncomfortable with how sore my horn is. I can feel the headache I was already nursing notch itself into a higher level of discomfort for a moment. But as the magic begins to flow again, it dissipates somewhat, as if the magic itself is soothing the injury.
Knowing that I do not have to try so hard, I keep my eyes open and keep my gaze fixed on the book as I am weaving the spell. I try not to psyche myself up like last time, keeping the same attitude I would use if I were reaching my arm out towards something I intended to grab. The light is far less intense this time. The rosy glow of my aura is faint, nearly ephemeral, and accompanied by only the lightest hints of the chimes from before.
Lo and behold, as I complete the spell, the book is enshrouded by the same aura as my horn and is lifted from the table, floating at about eye level. I giggle softly, doing an excited little shimmy in place, exhilarated by what I’ve accomplished.
Which, Holy Shit, I’m doing magic. Joy swells in my heart as I feel the happiest, the most content I have been since this entire debacle began. For a few precious moments, I feel like a little kid again, back in my room pouring over old encyclopedias, genuinely entranced by the natural wonders of the world around me.
I take a victory lap, trotting around my room and softly laughing as I levitate the book about a foreleg length out in front of me as I prance about. About ten minutes into this escapade, I look out the window and notice the sun. In particular, how low it’s getting.
Oh! Oh shoot, I almost forgot with all the excitement! How long was I even out for it to be this late anyway? Ech, it doesn't matter, I have a dinner to get to!
I rush back to the table and, using my magic, place the books into my saddlebag one by one, shifting the target of the spell with each book. I chuckle at what I’m doing, still a bit giddy, but shake my head and smack my hoof against the side of my snout a few times. There will be plenty of time to brainrot over this later; social obligations are now!
With everything packed, I sling the saddlebags back over my back. I slip out the front door and use the key Cheerilee had told me about to lock the place up before putting it back where I found it and heading back toward the farm at a hurried clip. I softly and repeatedly curse under my breath and hope the Apples do not find me rude for being late to dinner. They’ve been quite nice to me today, and I would hate to make a bad impression.
I chant the swear under my breath like a mantra in time with my hoofbeats, dashing back towards the farm as fast as my new legs will carry me in a race with the setting sun.
As it turns out, they can carry me pretty damn fast! At least they can in comparison to my old body. I was never that far out of shape in my old life, but whatever they did with this new body when they sent me here, they sure tuned it up nicely for me!
I rear my head, tossing my mane as I enjoy the wind rushing past my snout. My eyes close only momentarily as I bask in the ecstasy of simply being able to move so quickly.
Of course, as soon as I indulge myself, I immediately crash into someone.
I hear a loud “OOF!” accompanied by an odd honking noise as I'm flung backward by the rebound, toppling over onto my ass.
I stumble quickly back to my hooves and try to brush off the collision, giving my head a few shakes to make my vision stop swimming before I start apologizing.
“O-oh geez, I’m really sorry. I should have been looking where I was going. Are you alright?” I ask, giving my head one more insistent shake as finally, I stop seeing two of everything. As my vision clears, I finally get a good look at the victim of my whimsy.
“Oh, don’t even worry about it, you big silly-billy! It takes a lot more than that to leave a mark on lil ol’ me! Besides, you looked like you were having a lot of fun!” Her cheerful voice rings out like a bell without a trace of resentment.
It’s the pony from earlier, the one I bumped into before talking to that nice mailmare. She trots over with a broad, bright smile and offers a hoof. “My name is Pinkie Pie. Here, no hard feelings, see?” She says as she keeps her hoof extended towards me, her expectation clear.
Offering a smile of my own, I grip her hoof, giving it a firm shake. “Rose, Rose Tint. It’s nice to get your name. I hope we can stop bumping into each other this way.” I finish with a slight smirk.
She giggles softly at this and smiles a bit wider as she shakes my hoof. Her grip is firm. She seems to be careful not to squeeze too hard, though. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure the next time we see each other won’t be so bad. Anyway, you were really hoofing it! Do you have somewhere to be?”
After a few more moments, I pull my hoof back and cover my mouth as I cough before lowering it and scraping at the dirt. “Yeah, Applejack and her family invited me to have dinner with them. I was supposed to be there before nightfall.” I say, looking over her shoulder and down the path as my hoof starts to tap at the ground anxiously.
She looks me over, a bit more curious now. Something catches her eye, and a look of realization flits across her face before she smiles again and nods quickly. “Oh! Well, don't let me keep you. I’ll see you around sometime, Rosie. Don't forget to wash your face before you eat!” She declares before starting to…bounce her way down the road back the way I had come before I could correct her.
I click my tongue in annoyance at the nickname and make a mental note to ask her not to call me that again before resuming my mad dash for the farm, this time with my eyes open.
I return just as the last glimmering rays of light disappear on the horizon, slightly damp and panting heavily as I trot up to the door. After taking a few minutes to get my breathing under control, I give the door three firm knocks.
“Ahm a comin!” The wizened voice of Granny Smith called out, slightly muffled from inside.
I hear the sound of a bolt unlatching before the door swings open. The elderly mare tilts her head to look up at me, seeming pleased. “Well, it’s about time ya got back, Rose. We were startin’ to think ya might not make it. Say uh…you got somethin' on yer forehead there…”
Before I can protest, she has already licked her hoof and is reaching up to rub my forehead firmly. I wince slightly but tolerate it until she pulls back, revealing a bit of soot on her hoof, presumably from my head.
Ah, so that's what Pinkie meant.
She raises an eyebrow as her gaze flicks from her hood back to my forehead. “You uh…doin’ alright there, Rose? You didn't do nothin' foalish, did ya?” She asks, wiping the soot from her hoof on the welcome mat.
I can feel my ears redden slightly at the question, and I lower my head slightly, giving a sheepish nod. “Sorta, yeah… but I can do magic now!” I chirp lightheartedly as I raise my head again, trying to change the subject by using Grasp to wiggle the door back and forth, demonstrating my newfound arcane prowess. The pain from earlier is mostly gone now, making the effort almost trivial compared to my first attempt.
Sadly, she seems rather unimpressed, clicking her tongue. “Now Rose, I ain’t gotta be a unicorn to know yer horn ain’t supposed to be throwin' up soot like that. I’m happy for ya, but uh…try to be a lil’ more careful, okay?”
I stiffen when I hear the worry in her tone. I'm not sure why these ponies have taken a shine to me so quickly, but I’d be lying to myself if I said the feeling wasn't starting to become mutual.
“I’ll…try to be more careful, yes, ma’am…” I say softly as my gaze dips back down towards my hooves with more than a bit of shame. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Granny.”
She seems to sag at hearing my tone before smiling and giving me a playful elbow. “Aw shucks, sonny! I’ve done and raised more than my share of little uns. Lookin' after colts that don’t know any better just comes natural after a certain point,” She half-jokes with an airy cackle as she grabs me by the collar and pulls me into the house. “Now come on, we need to get you to the washroom so you can clean up that face. Can’t have you comin’ to the table lookin' like you've been at the burn pile all day.”
I allow her to drag me into the house, the door closing behind me as I am ahem-escorted to the restroom. After brushing and washing the soot off my horn and forehead, Granny leads me to the dining room.
The table is set, adorned with a floral tablecloth, and laden with all manner of delicious-looking dishes mainly consisting, of course, of apples.
There’s Pie, of course, hot and steamy with a slice or two already gone to show that glamorous money shot of the gooey interior. There are some flaky, lovely-looking turnovers with cream cheese icing. There are even just a few plain ol apples straight-up baked and glazed with honey.
But there are plenty of creative savory dishes incorporating the fruit as well. Baked beans, a savory variation on applesauce, and something like a stew with a heavily spiced aroma that reminds me of a nice curry, accompanied by a pot of brown rice, all stood out to me as wonderful offerings.
And of course, seated at the table were presumably the other members of the Apple family. There was one pony I recognized and two I did not. The youngest of the three, a filly, talked to the others about her day as I approached.
“So I told Diamond Tiara that just ‘cause she's got her cutie mark now doesn't mean she can just- oh! Welcome back, Granny. Who's that you got with you?” She cuts off mid-sentence and sits up a little straighter as the grandmatriarch enters the room with me in tow, giving me a curious look.
Granny Smith lifts a hoof to her face and clears her throat.“Everypony. This here is our guest for the evenin’ that Applejack and I were tellin’ ya about.“
She lets go of me once she has presented me to the rest of the ponies, gesturing for me to take my place at the empty chair between Applejack and the filly as she seats herself. I give a small nod and waste no time settling in, taking a minute to get a better look at everypony here.
Applejack is here, of course. The orange mare gives me an encouraging smile and occasionally glances at the two other ponies at the table. She adjusts her hat before gesturing to them as she begins speaking. “Rose, these are my kin, Applebloom, and Big Macintosh.
I look down at the adorable little filly she gestured to first, giving a small smile at the sight of her. She is a soft, pastel yellow, with a bright red mane and tail, inquisitive orange eyes, and an almost comically sizeable pink bow adorning her head.
She beams up at me and gives a cheerful wave. “Howdy there! Applejack was tellin' me you ain't got a cutie mark yet. Is that really true?”
“I-I er…well, yes, it’s true. Cutie Marks are a bit…harder to come by where I’m from.” I say slowly to the little filly, not sure where she is going with this. “It’s okay, though. I’m sure it will show up eventually.”
“Pfft, now you’re startin' to sound like the rest of mah family,” she says, gesturing at the other ponies at the table. “I’ve been waitin' to get mine for over a year now, and I still ain’t got one. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wait as long as you probably have to-”
“C’mon Applebloom, no need for all that now,” Applejack says gently but firmly as she looks over at her younger sister, shaking her head. “Sorry Rose, she don’t mean nothin’ by it.”
“Oh no, it’s fine!” I say, shaking my head and holding up a hoof. “I don’t mind. I know how ki-uh, how foals can be. She’s just curious about the new face, I’m sure.”
“Eeeyup.” The stallion across the table spoke, nodding his agreement as the affirmation left his lips in a smooth, bassy tone. He is almost as bright a red in his coat as the filly is in her mane, with deepset, soulful green eyes and a mane close to the color of Applejack’s coat.
Speaking of Applejack, the two share one rather curious feature. He bears a set of white freckles on either cheek, much to my continued confusion. Seriously, how the hell do they have freckles?
I give an internal sigh and shrug off the question for now. There’s no use dwelling on something so silly. I turn my full attention to the stallion, offering him a smile and nod in return. “Your name was Big Macintosh, yes? I can certainly see how you got that moniker.”
“Eeeyyyup,” The Stallion says simply with a slow, sage nod as he appraises me, looking me up and down. “Though I’ll say you’re pretty big yourself, ‘specially for a unicorn. You got any earth ponies in the family, Rose?”
I falter a bit at this, my ears folding back a bit as I shake my head. “Oh er…I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met the ones responsible for bringing me into this world. I was er…adopted, not raised by ponies.”
He raises an eyebrow, nodding again. “Yeah, I thought Applejack had said somethin’ like that earlier. Whoever it was, they sure put some gristle on your bones for you to have walked outta that forest like ain’t a thing happened to ya.”
I give a meek smile, my ears falling further flat atop my head as I continue shaking my head. “N-not at all. It isn't all that different from the wilderness around where I used to live, actually. I just stuck to the path and followed the signage. It was a bit scary not to know where I was, and being unable to read the signs was a bit off-putting, but…”
“You were adopted? Oh! What kind of creatures were your folks then, Rose? Zebras, Donkeys, maybe Griffins?” Applebloom asks with an innocent curiosity in her eyes, leaning forward a bit as she speaks.
I swallow softly at the question, attempting to push the lump in my throat, both from being put on the spot and from well…yeah. “I would prefer not to talk about them too much if that’s okay. They were good peo…creatures who did their best to raise me even if they did not always understand me, and that is all that matters.”
With that hanging poignantly in the air, Applejack coughs to break the silence, giving her best attempt to change the subject. “Well, enough about all that, Rose. How was your first day in Ponyville? I hope you didn’t run into too much trouble out there.”
My ears perk back up at the opportunity to discuss my day, and I feel a sincere smile come across my lips. “Oh! It was actually really productive! I made friends with a nice mailmare, and I went to the school, and the teacher there said she would help me learn how to read, which is going really well. I’m already getting the hang of it. It turns out the alphabet here isn’t too hard for me to grasp; it's just a bit different from what I’m used to, so hopefully, it won't be an issue for very long.”
“Oh! You met Ditzy. Yeah, she’s a real sweet mare. A bit touched in the head, but it’s nothin' to be holdin' against her. She does good, honest work in this town.” Applejack says, seeming pleased by my enthusiasm.
“It sounds like he met Miss Cheerilee, too. I thought he looked kinda familiar,” Applebloom says, scratching at her chin. “I remember seein' ya go up to the schoolhouse after we all got outta class for the day. You really can’t read, mister?”
“Well, it’s less that I can’t read at all and more that we use a different writing system in the colonies,” I explain quickly to the little filly. “I was a pretty good student back home when it came to literature, science, and mathematics. Miss Cheerilee was nice enough to volunteer to help me learn how to read Equuish script after school hours and tutor me on some things that I didn’t get to learn about due to my er, upbringing. Speaking of which, I actually performed magic for the first time today!” I say excitedly, quickly weaning together the spell I had learned.
I lifted one of the apples off of the table, feeling quite pleased with myself at how quickly going through the motions for the basic spell was becoming more natural. “I had some time left over after the lessons I had with Cheerilee, so I did a bit of self-study at the library.”
Applejack listens intently as she starts digging into her dinner. She takes a spoon in hoof and helps herself to a plate of beans and rice, nodding and giving a congratulatory smile as she sees me levitating the fruit. “Well, that’s uh…I don't know much about magic, but that does strike me as mighty impressive, Rose. Seems like you’ve been pretty busy today.”
“Oh yeah, for sure. Miss Cheerilee said she set up an appointment for me to speak with the Mayor tomorrow to see about properly integrating me into the town, so I’m hoping that’ll go well. Aside from that one mare who felt me up at the park, everypony here seems to be pretty nice, decent-”
At this, Applejack goes stiff, and her expression becomes blank. I hear the scrape of metal against ceramic as the spoon in her hoof visibly bends to about a 45-degree angle in the middle. “Come again now, sugar cube?” She says in what, if not for the mangled utensil still in her grasp, I might otherwise mistake to be a perfectly calm voice.
I swallow softly, taking a minute to spoon some beans into my plate before continuing, tugging nervously at my tie. “Oh, well, I was sitting in the park while waiting for Cheerilee to finish her after-school activities, and some mare came and sat next to me. We talked for a while, and she seemed fairly nice. Then she goosed my flank, left a note and some money in the saddlebags you loaned me, and dipped out. I couldn't read the note, but I can kinda guess the contents. Cheerilee seemed pretty put off when she read it, didn't even bother translating it for me. She just threw it away.”
Applejack listened intently as I explained the encounter, squinting slightly by the end of it. “Huh, ya don't say? I can't say I blame her much. And how do ya feel about that, Rose? Did that mare touching ya inappropriate-like upset ya?” She asks in a more measured, careful tone, leaning in intently as she waits for my response.
I give her a sheepish smile and rub at the back of my neck with my hoof, averting my gaze from hers after a few moments as I formulate a response.
“Well, I mean…it was a little off-putting at first. I definitely wasn’t expecting to have some random mare cop a feel in public, of all places.
“I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, of course. In fact, it was a little demeaning. I just…didn’t see any point in getting worked up over it. I didn’t want to make any waves, having just got here and all, and it wasn't really that big a deal. I tried to tell Cheerilee that it was okay, but she got a little uh, upset about that. “
Applejack snorts at this and nods, bending her spoon back into shape as she takes another spoonful of her beans before responding. “I'd be surprised if she wasn't! That mare is a real class act, and I’m glad to hear she set you straight. Grown mares shouldn't be goin’ around thinking they can put their hooves on a stallion just because he gives them a smile and the time of day. We don't have nearly enough stallions around to start going and puttin’ 'em off like that, and aside from that, it just don't sit right to treat one that way.”
I blink at this explanation a few times, parse the implications of exactly what she's saying, and nod. “Well, uh…thanks, Applejack?”
“Ain't nothin' to it, pardner. If anypony starts tryin’ to get smart with you like that again, just tell me or Big Mac here, and we'll see to givin’ em’ a talkin’ to.” She says as she sits back in her chair after saying her piece. She still seems somewhat agitated but appears content for now, digging into her dinner again.
Big Mac firmly nods along with his sister's offer, and Applebloom looks just a tad confused by the exchange but seems to know better than to ask any questions about grown pony business. Thank God, this entire exchange was already plenty awkward enough without the interjection.
At the risk of making it more awkward, that does remind me…
“I've been meaning to ask. Everypony in town has been, like, really nice to me. I'm not attempting to complain about it, mind you. I just find it rather surreal to be treated this kindly by ponies I've never even met before. Is this normal?”
Granny Smith snorts a bit at this, taking point to answer me. “Sonny, I don't mean any disrespect, but if bein’ treated with basic equine dignity and kindness feels strange to ya, I’d hate to hop across the way and see how things are in the Colonies these days. I’ll admit, you've got that kind of lost little colt air about’cha, and that certainly makes the font of equine kindness run a little more freely for some ponies. But helpin' folks is just the Ponyville way. There ain't a soul that would see anypony down on their luck like you seem to be and just leave ‘em plain and out to dry.” She explains gently between bites of her dinner, humming a little. “Eh…Maybe one or two I might be able to think of that might actually, but buck ‘em.”
She takes another bite of her dinner, pausing for a few moments before continuing to speak, “Hmmm, I think I mighta overcooked them beans a lil’...anyway! I don't know how things were for ya back home, but ‘round these parts, we look after our own. You don't seem to have anywhere else to go, you're plum polite and decent folk from what I can tell, and with the way you’ve been hustlin’ all day, I can sure shootin say you ain’t lazy. I think you’ll make a great addition to the town once you get your hooves under ya, and I'm sure the other ponies you met today feel the same or somethin’ similar.”
I tilt my head at this explanation as I mull it over, then chuckle and give a little shrug. “Huh, fair enough, I guess,” I say as I start loading my plate. I'm about to dig in, spoon in hoof, but the gears turn in my head for a few moments before I light my horn again, grasping the utensil with magic and guiding it into my mouth.
Hmmm, no. That feels excessive. I feel a slight frown cross my face as I douse my horn again, dissipating the spell as I chew at the mouthful of food and grab it with my hoof again.
Applejack catches this and gives me a look. “Uh, everything alright there, sugar cube?” She asks between enthusiastic scoops off of her own plate.
“Yeah, I was just thinking that I didn't need magic for that is all. It's easy to hurt yourself doing magic if you aren't paying attention, and eating is already manageable enough without it. It's not even annoying to do with hooves, so I just felt silly doing it with magic when I've been doing it with my ha-er…hooves my whole life just fine.”
“Hah! You're practically halfway to sounding like an earth pony there, Rose. No wonder Granny took such a quick shine to ya if that's how you think. You're alright, big fella.” She smirks as she elbows me playfully before returning most of her attention to her meal.
The rest of the dinner passes uneventfully. Applejack talks about some fruit bats giving her trouble in the orchard, and Applebloom talks more about her day at school. Granny intermittently chimes in with a quip or some advice, and Big Mac doesn't speak much, but he listens, and honestly, I can appreciate that.
It feels good to just sit down and chat over some good food with good company after a long day. As I’m shooting the breeze with these delightful new peop-er…ponies over a home-cooked meal, I can almost feel the day's worries slip away into secondary concerns as I simply enjoy the moment.
As dinner winds down and dishes are taken to the sink, Granny approaches me. “Rose, do ya have anywhere to bed down for the night yet? If ya need a place to sleep for the evening, we can always set ya up in the attic for a night or two here.”
I give her a thankful smile but shake my head. “No need. I appreciate the offer, but Cheerilee already set me up with something for tonight. If the offer is still open another night and I find myself needing it, I would be glad to take you up on it then.”
“Well, as long as you've got something, that’s good. Don't dawdle too much on your way back into town now, son. You don't want the Mare in the Moon clappin' eyes on ya after all,” She says with a little cackle as she turns and hobbles back down the hallway.
That was…a bit cryptic. Maybe even a bit concerning. Ah, I'm sure it's just my silly (ex) monkey brain playing into nonexistent pattern recognition. This isn't some kind of storybook, after all.
I do try to heed her advice, however. I am alone in a strange town, even as lovely as everypony is. After washing and putting away my dish I make haste back to the library, heading inside and quickly locking the door behind me.
I take a quick shower, brush my teeth, consider whose toothbrush I probably just violated, and write a quick but sincere note of apology for Cheerilee to find tomorrow before making my way up to the loft to settle in for the evening.
The moon's soft, silvery light filters down on me from the window above. It's full and bright and-
“Beautiful…” I say softly to myself as I admire this world's moon. There does seem to be a shadowy silhouette of a horned pony on its surface, similar to the man on the moon back home. I feel a shiver run down my spine as my eyes meet the single peering one visible in the figure before mine close for the evening.
“Goodnight…” I say with a soft little yawn as the exhaustion of my frantic day finally crashes over me. There is no breakdown, no deluge of tears as much as I expected one, as much as I was ready to welcome it earlier.
As heartbroken as I am to see my old world dissolve away, never to be within my grasp again, the prospect that this strange new one holds such kindness and beauty is enough to bring me some semblance of peace, enough to let me find myself quickly drifting into an easy slumber, my last waking thought of the day is:
Under the profaned light of the Nightmare’s Moon, things still for Centuries begin to stir once more.
On the night when her faded powers are at their peak, and her mind can touch those that lay within her domain, a prisoner long forgotten hears three words, brimming with a simple sincerity at the cusp of dreaming.
She Laughs.
Another, trapped in stone for crimes incomprehensible to any mortal, committed for reasons even more so, a demon, a creature of the Red, is emboldened for a brief time by the appearance of something in this world of White and Order that Should Not Be. A single crack in its prison manifests, a fragment of the beings’ power unsealed.
IT Laughs.
At the center of all things, a thing that still calls itself a man, a King, smiles upon the works he has wrought from his prison, from The Tower. He plots as he always has to escape. He has always sought a key to a door with no locks, and so this time, he has simply made one himself.
He Laughs.
A Celestial Diarch, a Champion of the White, a benevolent warden hewn from the soul of what was once a gentle and kindly filly, wakes with a start from her always uneasy slumber, her nightmares flitting from her mind as quickly as they had entered, but the raucous laughter of foes long slain echoes for long moments more in her troubled mind. Something is Not Right. There is something that Should Not Be.
She Weeps.
9 - Getting By Isn't Hard, Giving Out Library Cards
I awake the following day, reluctant to leave the warmth of my bed as sleep continues to call me back into her gentle embrace.
The choice of whether or not to lay back down for a while longer is quickly made for me as the cloud hanging outside of my window continues along its course. The golden beams of a bright mid-morning sun are left free to stream into my window and directly through my eyelids. A slight groan issues from my lips as I pull the covers over my head, trying to settle back in for a few long moments before I finally accept defeat and sit up. It’s for the best, anyway. I have an appointment with the mayor soon, and I need to prepare.
First is breakfast. It’s a simple affair, I managed to scrounge some apple slices and a bit of peanut butter from the fridge and pantry. As I use my magic to bring the goods to the table, I smile a little thinking about where the apple came from.
While enjoying the simple offering, my mind begins to wander. Are these ponies obligate herbivores, like back in my world? God, I hope they aren’t. I don’t care how cool magic is, I’m not sure a world without bacon is a world I can survive in for long.
Quickly polishing off my breakfast, I head to the bathroom and clean myself up. I brush my hair to remove tangles before hopping into the shower. The feeling of the hot water cascading down my body makes tension I didn’t even know I was carrying slide right out of my body as I give a satisfied groan. I pay special attention to my mane and tail, giving them additional brushing during my shampoo and conditioner application and rinsing afterward thoroughly. As silly as it may sound, I’m pretty fond of how soft and fluffy they are and intend to keep them that way.
Making a mental note to explore the library later for material on grooming and general self-care, I move back upstairs after using the provided...hair dryer? Furdryer? The hot air blowy thing. After using that, I head back upstairs and put on my collar and bowtie.
I look at myself in the vanity mirror sitting in the corner of the bedroom, striking a few little poses from different angles. I feel good, I smell good, and from what I can tell, I look good. Yep, I’m ready for that appointment!
Sliding my saddlebags over my flanks, I smile again at the thought of where those came from before locking the front door and heading out for the day. The sun is bright and warm, and a few clouds dot the sky, but the view is clear overall. A soft breeze caresses my fur as I trot down the path toward my destination.
Cantering along, I see a few ponies I don't recognize pointing in my direction. They whisper to each other, and when some of them see me looking in their direction, they act as if nothing’s going on and do a piss poor job of it. Are they…are they really pulling the “old avoid eye contact and whisper innocuously” bit?
Hmm, that’s…a bit odd. But I’m not going to let it get me down! Today is a new day. Let people or er…ponies talk if they want to, I have more important things to worry about!
It doesn’t take long for me to get to my destination now that I at least have some ability to decipher the signs around town. About thirty minutes after leaving my house, I find myself outside the town hall. Several homes and businesses surround the tall, circular building in a layout that reminds me of a courtyard, making it hard to miss.
Gathering myself, I take a moment to ensure that my tie is on straight and my breath is acceptable before walking up the stairs and entering. There is a cluttered but organized reception area. Sitting at a desk in the center of this bureaucratic maelstrom is a stallion who looks to be around my age.
His coat is a pleasant khaki, complemented by a darker brown, short-cropped mane. He has a bowtie and collar ensemble of his own, though his tie is dark blue. He also has a pair of thick, almost comical spectacles that make his eyes appear to be a set of spirals like something out of an old, low-budget Asian cartoon.
He looks up from whatever he was doing on his desk prior and issues me a cheerful greeting. “Ah! Good morning, Citizen. Is there anything I can do for you on this fine morning?”
I look down at the nameplate on his desk and squint a bit as I try to recall the correct pronunciation without checking my cheat sheet. “Well, thank you very much, Mister…Tedwall. I’m here for an appointment with the mayor. Is she ready to receive me?”
“It’s Tadwell, actually. And yes, she’ll be waiting for you in her office. Right this way, please.” He says as he reaches towards a small device on his desk and presses a button. “Mayor Mare, Your Ten o’Clock is here., I’m sending him in.”
“Thank you, Tadwell. Yes, send the poor dear in right away!” A female voice rings out, made a bit tinny by the intercom system.
Tadwell smiles a little wider and gestures towards the door. I give him an appreciative nod and walk over, opening it to see myself in.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but the fact that this space is somehow even more cluttered and busy than the reception area does not surprise me even remotely. Stacks of paper surround a more distinguished, almost antique desk. It looks quite lovely. I bet it’s made out of Mahogany, very expensive material.
And sitting at this desk is the Mayor. Her coat is a pale, soft shade of beige, with a mane stripped with shades of grey that, combined with her deep blue eyes behind a set of fashionable glasses, give her an overall dignified appearance. She also has a collar, off of which hangs a teal ruffle, much like you might see hanging off of a noble’s shirt.
She smiles brightly as I enter the room, weaving for me to approach. “Oh! Mister Tint, I’m glad you could make it. Thank you for coming, by the way. Miss Cheerilee has told me good things about you and…less good things about your situation. But don’t worry, that’s why we’re here today. Please, take a seat,” she says as she gestures to a chair opposite her desk. Unlike many chairs that might be in this position, it looked fairly comfortable as opposed to the dinky, fold-out affairs I had seen across the desk of many a bureaucrat back home.
Huh, I like this mare already.
I give a gracious nod and settle into the cushy chair offered to me, giving a soft grunt as I relax into the worn upholstery. “Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to speak to me.”
“Oh hush, you say that as if making sure the ponies in my town prosper isn't my job.” She says with a playfully dismissive wave of her hoof. “I’m a civil servant like everypony else in the building, dear. I just happen to be wearing the biggest hat.”
I tilt my head slightly at this, a little confused. “But…you aren't wearing a hat?”
She blinks at this, pausing for a moment. She raises a hoof and opens her mouth to offer a retort but seems to think better of it. She lowers her hoof again and grabs a small sheaf of paperwork, looking down at it through her glasses. “Now it says here that you are currently learning how to read, and you do not yet have a cutie mark or know how to perform any sort of magic. Is that correct, Mister Tint?”
“Oh er…well, it probably was when Miss Cheerilee came here yesterday, but I‘ve actually made a fair bit of progress on two of those fronts! I can read and write quite well, just not in the local script, and Miss Cheerilee walked me through the basics yesterday. I can manage well enough, provided I use a reference for translation. I hope to be able to read at a basic level of competency without it within the next few weeks at the longest.
“As for magic, I’m really proud of my progress. I learned my first spell yesterday doing some self-study after Cheerilee had finished tutoring me for the day,” I say with a happy little lilt to my tone as I light my horn and lift one of the inkwells off of her desk before setting it back down again and dousing the spell. “I know it’s nothing too advanced, and I can still only really do one thing at a time right now, but I’m happy with it.”
Relief is evident in her expression as I go through my explanation, her shoulders sagging a bit. “Oh, thank goodness. This is going to make things much simpler.”
“Oh! Cheerilee said something like that when I told her about the literacy bit.” I say with a chuckle, pleased that I have eased her mind somewhat.
“Yes, I’m sure she did. Bless that mare—she’s such a gem…anyway! That makes what Cheerilee has asked me to do for you a bit easier.” The Mayor says as she sets the sheaf of papers down on the desk again, taking a quill in her hoof and starting to write.
I lean in and try to take a peek, but she seems to be using a cursive variant of the basic script I’m being taught. Either that or her handwriting is absolutely godawful. Or it could be both. All three are equally likely, considering her position. “And what exactly was she asking for? I want to be clear that I am not looking for any kind of handout. If there is any work that needs to be done around town that you are authorized to assign me, I will be more than happy to-”
“As a matter of fact, there is! It’s actually what she was asking about.” The mayor says as she continues to scribble. She doesn't look up from her work, speaking to me as the quill only flies across the paper faster. “The Librarian Position has been empty for several years, ever since the last pony moved to Los Pegasus to pursue her acting career.”
I swallow softly, feeling a bit nervous at the prospect. “Wel, that is certainly a lovely sounding option, but I am worried I may be underqualified…”
“Well, yes, I would be inclined to agree. Fortunately, we can fix that.” She says as she looks up from her paperwork again with a slight grin. “Cheerilee has asked me to hire you as an assistant librarian working under her for the time being. You will be allowed to live in the Golden Oaks Library free of charge and given a competitive monthly salary. Throughout your time in Ponyville, Cheerilee will continue to tutor you on everything you need to know, from basic literacy to Alphebetization to utilizing the Dewdrop Decimal System and performing accurate recordkeeping on which books are and are not currently available, reserved, checked out, lost, overdue, damaged, or on lend to other institutions. Once you have completed this training period, you will be promoted to being the full-time librarian at Ponyville and given a raise. Does that sound amicable to you?”
“Well, uh, I mean agsjazhgdagjhfd-yes. Yes, that sounds very nice, actually!” I say, excitement quickly creeping into my tone once I get over how utterly flabbergasted I am by the very generous offer being presented to me. I reach over the desk, firmly grasping the mayor's front hoof in both mine. I shake it fervently before, and for some reason that eludes my conscious reasoning, I plant a kiss on the back of it as if she is a noblewo-er…noble mare.
She gives a small, amused chuckle at this, the barest hint of a blush creeping along her cheeks as she gently pushes my hooves away. “Now, there’s no call for all of that, Mister Tint. I’m simply doing my job. Not that I don’t appreciate how…eager you are to show your appreciation. But the best way to do that is by being a good colt and doing your job well. Can you do that for me?
Between my already budding embarrassment and being asked if I can be a Good Boy by an older mare, I silently thank the heavens that my coat hides a blush so well. I sit back and sheepishly place my hooves in my lap, my tail resting over my hind legs. “I er…y-yes, I can do that for you, Mayor Mare. Thank you.”
“Excellent!” she says as she pushes some of the papers she had been writing on towards me. “Take these, please. This is a writ of service rendered addressed to the owners of the local spa center. I want you to head over there and let them take care of you this afternoon. You seem to be doing an acceptable job of looking after your appearance, but If you’re going to become the new face of one of our public facilities, I want you looking your best for your first day on the job.” She smiles a bit wider at me as she says this, there’s something in her expression I’m not quite sure about… “it’s not far from here, just hang a left and head straight down and you’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“I…huh, I guess that makes sense?” I say, a bit confused, but not displeased. After how stressful yesterday was, getting pampered does sound kind of nice. I take the writ and slip it into my saddlebag, nodding my understanding. “Alright, I can do that. Is there anything else you needed from me today, Mrs. Mayor?”
“MissMare will do fine, and no. There’s nothing I need from you today…” she says as she brings a hoof to her chin and rubs it for a moment with a small smirk before waving me off. “Hmmmm…but yes, you’re fine to head out. Make sure to get to the spa promptly. That writ is only good for today, mind you.”
“Oh! Well, I guess I didn’t have much planned for today besides studying and job hunting, so I can certainly see to that right away. Have a good day, Mayor!” I say quickly as I slip out of the chair and start trotting my way out her door again.
“Have a good day, Mister Tint. I’m expecting good things from you, don’t go disappointing me now!”
Tadwell gives me an oddly…sympathetic look as I make my way out of the office. I shrug it off and start walking toward the spa, humming softly and trotting off. I’m honestly looking forward to a bit of R and R, I wonder what kind of spa treatments ponies get…
Thankfully, the spa is only a brief walk from the town hall. I am starting to get a bit weirded out by the number of ponies I don’t recognize who seem to recognize me. I got more of those odd looks from before on my short trip, but I did my best to ignore them. After all, I have an entire spa day ahead of me! There’s no use in collecting more tension when it’ll all melt away.
An anticipatory hum passes my lips as I approach the building. Its checkerboard patterned roof and floral accents give it a welcoming, not quite whimsical appearance. A sign depicting a pony with a long, beautiful blonde mane and tail marks this as the place.
Walking in, I hear a tiny bell chime above me, jostled by the door to announce my arrival.
“One moment, please!” I hear a pleasant, feminine voice from out of sight call out in a thick Swedish accent, and some rustling and hoofsteps can be heard.
I take a few moments to look around, soaking in the decor. Shades of soothing Lavender purple surround me, with more floral accents and patterns dominating the decor. A comfortable-looking couch with fuchsia upholstery sits on the far side of the room next to the reception center, a hole in the wall with a counter to facilitate sign-ins.
And out of this hole peeks an earth pony mare. Her coat is a soft, lovely baby blue. Her coat is contrasted by a bright pink mane held back from her face by a white hairband and complemented by her striking cobalt eyes. A simple white collar with a single pink button decorates her neck. She sees me and smiles a bit wider. “Åh! A new customer.” She says, her voice filled with restrained excitement as she waves me over. “Come in, come in, snälla! What can we do for you?”
I approach the reception counter and reach into my saddlebags, rummaging around until I produce the writ the mayor had provided. “Er…I am starting work at the library tomorrow. The mayor told me to come here and give you this?”
The mare takes the papers and reads them, her smile slowly widening as she does so before setting them down. “Ahhhhh, I see. Well, Mister Tint, rest assured we will ensure you look your absolute best by the end of your time here. Komma! We have much to do with you.” She says as she beckons me to walk through the doorway next to the reception area before walking off.
Nodding, I do as I am told and walk through the doorway into the building proper. Several amenities I recognize from television and a number that I don’t sit scattered throughout the premises. It’s almost a bit overwhelming. Will they be using all of this on me?
As I ponder this, the mare from the counter returns, accompanied by a similar-looking mare with the same colors but swapped so that her mane is blue and her coat is pink! They both have a Cutie mark of a lotus flower on their flanks.
The blue one begins to speak again. “Mister Tint, my name is Lotus, and this is my Sister, Aloe. As Mayor Mares requested, We will personally oversee your grooming and spa treatments this afternoon. Please follow us to the prep area so my sister can prepare you.”
As instructed, I follow behind the pink mare, still curiously looking around at the array of displayed equipment as I am guided into a clean, tiled room. In the center was a grated floor with a step-in body harness. “And what er…is this for, if I may ask?”
“This is the prep room, Mister Tint. We will simply give you a brush and wash to make sure you are adequately groomed before proceeding to the other treatments,” Aloe explained patiently with a kind smile, gesturing toward the harness. “Please remove your clothes and step in so I may adjust the harness and begin.”
Nodding to her nervously, I remove my tie and hand (hoof?) it off to her. I then approach the harness and with a bit of trouble, manage to step into the harness one leg at a time. Once I am in, she begins turning a crank on the side of it, causing the harness's supports to rise until the fabric of the straps is pressed snugly against my body. She hums softly and uses her mouth to adjust some of the straps to fit me more snugly, and once she is sure that everything is appropriately adjusted, she raises the harness further until my hooves no longer touch the floor.
I give a small nervous nicker at the sudden suspension, and she smiles reassuringly, running her hoof up and down my back soothingly. “Please try to relax, Mister Tint. The straps simply ensure you do not fall over while we clean you up. Some ponies tend to…get a bit too relaxed while being brushed, and we would not want anypony to get hurt.” She says as she walks over to a nearby bench where somepony had set out an array of grooming tools.
I sigh softly and do my best to relax into the contraption as she returns with a rubber-bristled brush in her mouth. “I suppose that makes sense. Sorry, this is just all very new for me. I’ve never been to a spa before.”
“Mhm…” She says as she places the brush on her hoof, freeing her to speak again. “Is that so? In that case, We will do our best to make your first time positively underbar!” She chirps as she begins to slowly but firmly brush my coat.
At first, Aloe focuses mainly on the neck and torso areas. As much as I hesitate to admit it, I can now see why she insisted on the harness. My legs almost immediately begin to wobble, and I let out a soft, embarrassing moan as she works the brush through my coat. I can see some loose fur and bits of detritus, little snips of leaves and twigs slowly being pulled from my coat, along with a bit of dust.
Aloe chuckles softly at this and continues to work as she speaks, gently lecturing me. “You see, Mister Tint, although you can generally keep your outer coat clean with minimal upkeep, tending to the more delicate inner coat requires more specialized equipment to ensure that anything caught within is properly removed and the hairs do not become matted and tangled. This helps to promote the effectiveness of your coat in insulating your body and protecting it from moisture and the sun's rays.”
“I…I see…” I manage to respond through the pleasant haze of relaxation I am experiencing from the brushing. No wonder the horses back home always seemed to enjoy it so much if this is how good it feels.
After a few more minutes, she moves on to my facial area and then down to my legs. She starts at the bottom, working her way slowly upward until-
“U-hmm…I’m sorry, do you really need to…” I trail off as I arc my head back to look at her, her hoof straying worryingly close to…certain areas of my equine anatomy. “Brush there?” She clicks her tongue at me, making an almost offended face. “Mister Tint, I assure you that I am a trained and licensed professional. I have seen plenty of these in my line of work, and I will see plenty more.” She pauses for a moment, starting to lean down to my undercarriage to get back to work. “I am more than capable of handling the care of your body with a respectful level of professio-det är väldigt stort…”
I can feel her stop brushing. I can also feel hot breath washing uncomfortably close to specific areas that seem exceptionally unprofessional. I sit there, frozen in place for a few long moments before loudly coughing and nudging her with one of my hind legs. “Is everything okay down there?”
A small squawk can be heard, followed by a bit of scrambling before the brushing resumes, a more respectful distance from that part of me. “Å-Åh, ja! No problems. No problems at all, Mister Tint. You’re in good hooves, I promise you.” She says quickly, finishing the scrub of my undercarriage, standing back up and trotting over to the bench to retrieve another brush with long, firm bristles.
“A-ahem…Now, the hard bristle brush is just to clear away any remaining bits and bobs left over on the surface of your coat. We will use a softer bristled version of this for your more sensitive areas like the legs, face, and er…other,” she says as she gently runs the brush over my coat, careful not to scratch my skin with the firm implement.
This goes much more smoothly and quickly and feels quite pleasant. The pass with the soft-bristled brush also goes faster, and Aloe is more…respectful of my personal space. I quickly find myself back in that blissful twilight of relaxation from before as she goes to grab another tool.
I feel her move one of my hind legs, bending it upward so that my hoof faces the ceiling as something firm scrapes against the bottom of it. I giggle softly, the feeling of whatever it is tickling more than anything.
“This is the hoof pick. We use it to ensure you do not have any compacted dirt and debris in your hind hooves. They are much thicker and more rigid than your front hooves and receive a lot less attention from most ponies, so it’s important to make sure that they are checked regularly and cleaned this way to prevent conditions associated with poor posture and uneven gait.”
She patiently explains this between my airy giggles, firmly holding my leg in place even as the tickling sensations cause it to twitch and spasm in her grip. Man, earth ponies really are strong…
Once my hooves were picked, she took out another smaller brush and dusted them off, only leading to me squirming in my harness more at the tickle of the bristles on my hooves. She rolls her eyes and smirks, setting it aside on the bench and returning with another brush, a wire one, and a spray bottle. She takes the bottle in her mouth and sets to work, spritzing down my mane and tail. She starts to speak again after setting it down on the floor. “This is a gentle detangling solution. We will let it set for a minute or two, then run the brush through your mane and tail, starting from the ends and working upwards to the roots to ensure we do not pull any healthy hair out and remove any dead hair or debris.”
Once again, the brushing feels immaculate. I murmur contentedly and close my eyes, allowing Aloe to brush my mane and then my tail without complaint. There is an occasional snag or pull, but she works to be exceptionally gentle with me. The discomfort is minimal and outweighed significantly by the soothing nature of the act.
After the final brushdown, she returns to the bench again, coming back with a basin of warm water and a few bottles and soft brushes. “Now that we have ensured you are free of dirt and debris, we will move on to a wash. I will shampoo, condition, and rinse your mane, tail, and coat. After that, I will apply some strawberry mint oil with a brush to promote healthy and thick hair and fur growth, and well…to make you smell nice.” she finishes with a little chuckle, approaching me with a wet sponge in her hoof.
She starts by dampening my coat, ensuring the water penetrates both layers, doing the same with my mane. She then drizzles the shampoo over my body where she can, and applies it manually with her hooves on my extremities and undercarriage.
Have you ever had one of those super relaxing hair washes at the salon where they tilt you over the sink and just really get in your stuff and clean you up? Yeah, imagine that, but it’s your entire body. To call the experience pleasant feels like an egregious understatement. I feel as if Saint Peter is greeting me at the holy gates in the best possible way as she uses that brush to work the warm water and shampoo into my coat, with all sorts of less-than-flattering noises escaping my mouth. Coos and mewls and soft little occasional moans and everything in between are coming out of me as this mare works her magic, and frankly I am enjoying myself too much to be bothered by her smug smile.
“Ja, it’s quite nice, Mister Tint, yes?” She asks as she begins to hose me down. She takes the hose in her mouth, chuckling as she uses the brush to clear the soap from my fur and hair before applying the conditioner. She massages the product slowly, carefully ensuring that she has evenly saturated my coat and mane, then lets it set for a few minutes before rinsing it out.
I wistfully sigh and lean into the rinsing and brushing, nodding slowly at her question. “Y-yes, it’s very nice…” I say softly, my eyes closed to avoid any sort of soap entering them as she lathers and rinses me. “And this is just the cleaning portion of the treatment?”
“That is correct, Mister Tint,” Aloe answers as she sets the hose back down and returns to the bench. Once we have blow-dried and brushed you an additional time, we will move on to the next step. I am happy to hear you are satisfied with my work.”
The rest of the cleaning goes by uneventfully. Aloe allows me to drip dry for a few minutes, taking the time to brush my teeth for me. It's a bit odd, but I suppose being exhaustive with the cleaning is not a bad thing, so long as they are not…too exhaustive this time.
Once I stop dripping, Aloe uses a blow dryer to blast the remaining water in my damp coat away, the mare brushing my coat simultaneously with her hoof. By the end of the process, my coat feels pleasantly light and airy against my body, and suffused with warmth.
She then takes another small bottle and a soft bristle brush, applying the liquid in the bottle to the brush with a dropper and rubbing it in thoroughly before brushing me. She brushes along the direction of the growth of the hair, hitting several angles for each position of my body. “And here is the strawberry mint oil. By massaging the oil in at several angles, a healthy, mid-length coat like yours should become more wavy and lustrous as the mixture supplements your naturally secreted oils.”
I give a small yawn as Aloe brushes me one final time, feeling refreshed and even a bit ready for a nap after such a luxurious experience. And to think there is still a whole other stretch after this!
My legs wobble a bit as I’m lowered back to the ground, but Aloe is gracious enough to help steady me, smiling gently as she rubs my back. “There we go, all ready. And how are you feeling, hm?” She asks as she pulls a mirror over for me to inspect myself. “Look how much better you are looking already with just a proper wash and dry, hm?”
“I'm….feeling pretty good, thanks…” I say softly as I stretch slightly, extending each of my legs under me one after another. I feel them pop a bit and give a satisfied grunt with each one before shaking myself off. I look into the mirror and tilt my head, slightly confused. I almost don’t recognize myself for a moment. I’m definitely…fluffier. A lot fluffier and much softer looking. It almost reminds me of one of those silly images of a cow that has been recently shampooed, which makes sense, considering.
I do a few little poses in front of the mirror, and perform a turnaround before nodding, satisfied with the results so far. I would definitely say I look cuter than before at the very least, and Horse Brain is telling me that this look is more attractive, so I’ll take it! “Thank you, Aloe. I almost feel like a new stallion already,” I Say kindly to the mare in acknowledgment of her work.
Aloe nods and walks towards the door, gesturing for me to follow. “Excellent! You’ll probably be blown away by the end result, then! Right this way, Mister Tint. My sister will be taking care of the next step of your treatment.”
Smiling contentedly, I obediently follow behind her. So far, aside from a few minor snafus, this has been quite lovely. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
After my grooming session, I am escorted down a hallway towards a sealed metal door with a valve outside to indicate temperature, which holds steady in the low hundreds. Condensation can be seen slowly rolling down the front of the door as Aloe gestures towards it.
Her sister follows behind shortly, carrying a few towels, which Aloe takes with a slight nod before setting them on my back, still folded. “This is the steam room, Mister Tint. We will subject you to a quick five-minute session to help open up your pores and aid in circulation before we move on to the proper treatments.”
She takes one of the towels off my back and wraps it around my head, tucking my mane into it gingerly. Then, she shows me how to properly wrap the other one around my waist to cover my backside and tail. After that, she opens the door and escorts me inside.
The heat blasts me in the face with an intensity only rivaled by some of the more offensively muggy days back home, but it isn't anything I’m not prepared for after a lifetime of it. I wince slightly before strolling into the room and having a seat, yawning a bit as the sudden heat seeps into me, making me feel even more relaxed than I already was.
A few minutes later, there is a knock at the door, and it opens. Aloe smiles and beckons for him to exit. “Alright, Mister Tint, that will be plenty. We don't want to waste all that work we did on your coat by getting you all sweaty now,” she says kindly as she watches me stand up and stroll towards the door, looking satisfied.
“I take it you enjoyed the steam room?” She asked as she gently pulled the towels off of me. Lotus quickly approached with a soft-looking robe in her mouth, tossing it over my back and helping me get my front hooves into it before cinching the waist closed for me.
“Oh, it was pretty nice. I could get the same effect back home by going outside, but it’s more enjoyable in a controlled environment.” I say with a little chuckle as I follow close behind her.
“Excellent. We will now proceed to the Farriering Station to give your hooves and horn some attention. I noticed both have a few small chips. Nothing too severe, mind you. Just a bit of cosmetic damage that needs repair.”
I smile softly and nod along at this explanation. “Oh, well that makes sense. I was walking around a lot in that forest outside of town the day before yesterday, and I had a spell backfire yesterday afternoon, so I’m not too surprised I have a few dings to show for it.”
Aloe pauses at this, and I nearly bump into her as she looks back at me with a questioning, concerned look before seeming to think better of it and shaking her head. She turns back and continues walking, muttering softly under her breath, and then starts to speak to me again. “Well, luckily for you, we can get that all sorted out and get you looking better than ever while we’re at it! Right this way, please.”
She leads me back to the main room of the spa, where most of the amenities are held, and I am guided to lie down on one of the comfortable-looking couches.
As I settle in, a small stool is placed next to the couch, and Lotus gently moves one of my hooves to rest on it, inspecting it with a magnifying glass as Aloe wheels out a trolley full of assorted tools of the trade before she excuses herself to tend to some other task. “Hmmmm. You don’t need a trim, it seems. Everything seems tidy and even, besides the little chips and nicks around the edge of the toe. We will just file it down until everything is smooth and even, then shine to polish and apply shoes, ja?”
“Sure, I trust your judgment. It’s not like I know any better,” I say with a small smile as I watch Lotus inspect my hoof. I have to say, I’ve never had the opportunity to be pampered like this before. As lovely as the physical relaxation is, I am finding that the feeling of being cared for is something I find significantly more appealing.
Lotus walks over to the trolley nearby and picks out what looks to be a rasp. She trots back over with the implement in her mouth as the door opens.
I hear hooves clopping against the tile floors as an unfamiliar, refined-sounding voice rings through the air.
“...and don't even get me started on her atrocious outfit, Darling. The colors clashed horribly with her mane. I started taking her measurements on the spot. She tried to ask about payment, but I simply couldn't allow her to continue gallivanting around with that hideous ensemble, looking like some sort of-GASP”
The sound of hooves becomes quicker and louder as a pristine white unicorn with a long, lustrous, curly mane and tail of a deep purple hue approaches me. She has a cutie mark depicting three diamonds on her flank and striking blue eyes to rival those of the twins currently tending me and, now apparently, her.
The mare seems to have taken an interest in me, looking me up and down as Lotus skillfully begins to file away at the edge of my hoof. “Girls, why didn't you tell me there was somepony like this coming here? I’ve certainly never seen this mare before. Have you two been holding out on me?” The Unicorn asks with a dramatic pout as Aloe gallops over, panting softly as she offers the newcomer a robe.
As Lotus finishes filing away at my right front hoof and moves to the other side to begin on my left, I offer the former of the two to the mare in front of me and give her a hesitant but sincere smile. “I’m a Stallion, actually. I appreciate the compliments, though. My name is Rose, Rose Tint. I just moved into town a few days ago.”
The mare slips the robe onto her body as I speak, utilizing her magic with an ease I find impressive. She manipulates the different parts of the robe in tandem with a single spell with the same dexterity I might have used with my former hands. Though my fascination overshadowed it, I can not help but be a bit jealous.
She gives me a surprised look as I inform her of my gender, having the decency to appear suitably embarrassed by her little faux pas. “Oh! I had heard rumors here and there the last few days about a new stallion in town. It’s lovely to meet you, darling. You may call me Rarity.” She says as she takes a seat on the couch next to mine, Aloe starting work on her as Lotus finishes with my second hoof and makes her way to my back half to begin with the next two.
As the blue mare gently takes hold of one of my hind legs, I give a small start but quickly relax as I overcome the initial reaction of my more skittish equine reflexes. The feeling of the rasp against my more rigid back hooves is admittedly kind of…unpleasant. It's probably just one of those things I have with certain sensations.
Attempting to distract myself from the feeling, I start making small talk with Rarity. “Well, I don’t have anything else I was planning to call you aside from pretty. I think I’ll take you up on that name!” I respond jokingly with a slight wave of my hoof in her general direction. “I take it you come here often?”
She chuckles softly at this, holding a hoof to her face before nodding, giving a flamboyant gesture to match my own. “Oh yes. I would say I’m one of the spa’s most frequent patrons. After all, staying this pretty takes a lot of maintenance.” She chimes with an amused expression as she looks me over. “I would wager you are no stranger to these sorts of establishments yourself, judging by the look of you.”
Shaking my head, I give her a sheepish smile, wincing momentarily as I feel Lotus begin to work on the last of my hooves. Man, that’s an unpleasant texture sensation. It reminds me of getting my nails filed in the worst way. “Actually, this is my first time getting taken care of this way. It’s nice, though. I might return more often once I have money to do it on my own dime.”
“Oh? Someone is treating you then?” she asks, tilting her head a bit as she watches my reactions and gives a sympathetic nod. “With the way you squirm when you are getting your hooves handled, I can believe you aren’t used to it. Who is the kind patron providing for you this afternoon, Rose?”
“The Mayor,” I say simply, sighing with relief as I feel Lotus relinquish my hoof and trot back to the spread of tools for a moment, returning with a smaller, much finer rasp. “You see, I’m being hired as a trainee to become the town Librarian. I’m starting tomorrow, and she wants me to look my be-eeeeagagahagahsgsj…..”
My brain goes absolutely stupid as Lotus begins running that rasp along the spiraling curve of my horn. It felt like someone was taking the happy chemicals button in my brain and repeatedly bashing my face against it as she worked briskly, Aloe coming over to hold my head in place with her hooves as Lotus did her work.
Rarity laughed softly at my reaction to the treatment, her smile widening. “Oh goodness! You really haven’t been to the spa before. Ahhh, I remember my first hornicure. Don’t fret, darling, just relax. They won’t yell at you if you make a mess.” She finishes with a slight smirk as she rests her head in her hooves and watches the faces I am making with great amusement.
A few minutes into the filing, I begin to recover my ability to form coherent thoughts, though my speech remains shaky. “I’m perfectly capable of controlling m-myself, thank you-ooohhhh…~” I shiver a bit at the feeling of the rasp as it strikes a particularly gratifying angle against my horn. “I-is this going to be much longer?”
“Sorry Mister Tint. Horns are the hardest part of a unicorn's body, and one of the most sensitive. It takes a gentle hoof and at least several minutes to correct even a small chip like this without causing more problems in the long term.” Lotus says in a not-unsympathetic tone, though it’s clear she and her sister are also a bit amused by my sensitivity.
Rarity leans in a bit, taking one of her hooves from under her chin to gesture at me. “So, a Librarian, hm? That’s good. Poor Cheerilee has been working too hard ever since the mare who worked there before you left to pursue a career in show business. I’m glad the mayor finally found someone suitable for the position. Did you move to take the job then?”
“I keep hearing about t-that mare. The Mayor said something sima-ahhhh~...similar. And no er. I didn't come here deliberately at all. I actually woke up outside of town, in the er...Everfree Forest, I think it’s called? I have no idea how I got out there with how far it is from home, but…anyway, yeah. I was in a tough spot and got lucky that they happened to need the position filled. I’m not sure how qualified I am, but I’m hopeful.”
As I explain how I got here, Rarity seems progressively less amused and more concerned, a slight frown settling on her face as she listens. “Goodness, it sounds like you have had a *very* stimulating few days, Rose. Exactly how far away from home are you, then? Are you from Canterlot? Trottingham?”
I try to shake my head, but the twins hold me firm as they continue to work at my horn. “Mphhh…N-no, Louwhinnyana, actually. I Lived there for my whole life until a few days ago, of c-course…”
“Really now?” she asks, arching her brow as she leans in a bit more. “Well, you *are* quite a ways from home then. I can’t imagine what I would do if I woke up in a strange place so far away from where I’m supposed to be.” She says as she starts to rub at her chin with one hoof again. “Hmmmm….” She sinks into a contemplative state as she flicks her eyes back and forth over me.
The twins finally release my head and put the rasp away, and I sigh heavily, twisting my neck this way to work out a bit of the stiffness. Lotus trots off to fetch yet more tools, while Aloe resumes working on Rarity, taking up the rasp and filing at her horn. The mare doesn't so much as flinch. Dear christ.
“Thank goodness that’s over. What are you thinking about, Miss Rarity? You seem very er…intent?” As I relax back into my seat, Lotus returns with what looks like horseshoes. Thankfully, she has no nails in hoof but instead sports a glue bottle. I sigh softly, extending my front hoof and allowing the mare to get to work. She applies a light, even coat of the glue with a brush across the flat of my hoof's toe, gently pressing the show into place and holding it there. The shoe itself feels soft and pliable, maybe silicone?
She seems to snap out of it after I say something, shaking her head with a soft chuckle. “O-oh! Nothing, darling. I was just thinking you might look nice in a jacket, is all. I saw a collar and tie in the dressing room. I assume those are yours?”
Lotus finishes applying the first front shoe and moves on to the second. The device quite cleanly bends and curves along the contours of my hoof as I flex. It was most likely meant to protect the edge of my hoof from making contact with the ground after taking such care to make it look presentable. After satisfying my curiosity, I look up from my hoof to speak to Rarity again.
“Oh, yes, they are! It’s pretty much all I came into town with,” I say before seeing her frown return and deepen. My ears flatten as I hesitantly speak again. “O-oh er…did I say something wrong?”
She gives a small sigh and shakes her head. “No, no, you haven’t upset me, Rose. Would you…mind if I asked you a favor, actually?” She inquires with a gentle, probing tone.
I’m hesitant to give my enthused consent, tilting my head slightly to indicate my willingness to hear her out. “It depends on what the favor is, I suppose. I don't have much to offer at the moment, what do you have in mind?”
Rarity seems to consider how to phrase her request for a long moment while Lotus works to adhere a more solid, metal set of shoes to my back hooves. She finally speaks again after a long few moments. I own a boutique in town that specializes in hoof-made custom garments. I was wondering iiiif…perhaps you might be willing to come back with me to my Boutique and allow me to put something together for you to wear while on the job?”
I raise my eyebrow and prepare to question her, but she continues more hurriedly as if sensing my doubt.
“I know that may come off a certain way, but I assure you my intentions are quite pure. I simply have a...a *vision*, you see. I have a specific look in mind that I think you could pull off quite well, which would be appropriate for your new position. Would you be willing to indulge me? The ensemble would be on the house, of course. I’m the one asking you, after all.”
I stop and place my hoof to my mouth as I consider her offer. “Well, I don't have much else going on. Will we be done before the evening? I have tutoring with Cheerilee after she finishes teaching the foals, and I don’t want to be late for my second day of class.”
“Oh, of course! I’m a *professional* darling. It won’t take more than an hour or two for me to put together something for you. I’ve already got an idea of what I want to make, and I just need to get your measurements and put it together,” she says with a flourish of her hoof and a confident tone. “You’ll have plenty of time for furthering your education once we further your fashionability!”
I chuckle softly at this and nod, admittedly swayed by her confidence. “Well, if you insist. That sounds nice. I appreciate the offer. Thank you, Miss Rarity.”
“Please, Just Rarity will suffice, Rose.” She says as Aloe finishes up her treatment, Lotus finishing with mine at about the same time. She slides her robe off, allowing one of the sisters to take it from her.
I do the same, getting on my feet and testing the new shoes. They feel a little strange, but it’s nothing I can't get used to. I smile at the mare across from me as I slip my robe off, allowing the other sister to take it.
Rarity seems perplexed by something as I remove the robe, looking at me and tilting her head slightly, but dismisses whatever it is just as quickly as she beckons with her head and starts walking back towards the reception area. “Well, come on, then. Let’s go and get our belongings and be on our way.” She says confidently, leading the way.
I follow behind with a nod, happy to allow her to take the lead, especially since I don't know where we’re going. That little snag would make me taking the lead a bit difficult.
12- Generosity is a Rarity, and One that Suits You
“Are you almost finished, Rarity? I’m starting to get a bit antsy…” I say with a huff as I watch the mare take a few more measurements using the length of tape held in her arcane grasp. It feels like she’s already taken at least twenty-three of them. Certainly, she must almost be finished now, right?
“Mhm, just ooooone more,” the word “one” trails off as she extends the tape measure between my hind legs and down to my hoof, the mare remaining utterly focused on her task.
“There!” She snaps back up and reads her measurement, using a quill in the grasp of her magic to jot the measurement down without looking. Honestly, I’m still impressed by that. Seeing her do it for a prolonged period with multiple objects and such fine precision only makes me more so.
She rolls the tape up and sets it on the table next to us, giving me a patient smile. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Thank you for still for me as long as you did, most stallons tend to start getting a bit squirmy after the first few minutes. You did an outstanding job, darling.”
Even though I should consider myself patronized by that statement, I cannot help but get just a tad flustered by the way she said it, slightly averting my gaze and pawing at the floor. “Oh well, er, I did not want to make your job any harder than it needs to be, especially when you are being so generous.”
“Think nothing of it, Rose. I’m merely happy to have such a marvelous canvas on which to display my work. And try not to paw, dear. You’ll leave marks on the carpets, and you’ll ruin that lovely hooficure.”
“Oh, my bad. Sorry,” I say quickly, doing my best to stop fidgeting. It’s hard. It’s always hard to stop fretting when I’m nervous, which is…frequently.
She clicks her tongue and chuckles softly as she reads over her complete list of measurements. “Just trying to help you break a bad habit, darling. If you’re going to be going to the spa more frequently, you need to be aware of these things so as not to ruin the good work Aloe and Lotus are doing for you. But enough of that. You go ahead and just relax on the couch. I’ll have this piece done fairly quickly.” She says as she trots off towards another room further back in the building. She carries the book in tow behind her in her aura as she shuts the door behind her, and I can hear the sound of a sewing machine firing off not long after.
I sigh as I walk over and let myself slump on the couch a bit, running a hand or… hoof through my mane. I really do need to get used to that soon. It seems there’s a lot here I’m going to need to get used to. I’m not sure if the kindness of strangers being something I need to adjust to makes me the luckiest man to walk my old earth or the most unfortunate pony to walk this one.
I take a break from my self-absorbed musings and look down at the coffee table in front of me, reading the titles of several magazines. “Hmmm…Stallions Weekly, Cosmopolotan, Royal Geographic, Oooooo, Popular Arcanum, that seems like my speed,” I mutter to myself as I levitate the magic over and begin pouring over an article entitled “Nature or Nurture?: Long-Term Study On Cutie Mark Predestination Theory Yields Mixed Results.”
I pour over the article for several minutes before a small, sweet voice pulls my focus away from the magazine and towards its source.
“Excuse me, mister? Could I ask you something?” the voice of a young girl rings out from in front of me between the couch and the coffee table, and I feel a gentle tug at my tail.
I lower the magazine and see a filly. Her soft white coat and curly mane almost resemble a miniature Rarity. But the mane’s color was more pale, with an even lighter streak than that through it, and her eyes were a soft, pleasant green, almost like one of the odd little lizards I would see peppering the gardens during the summer back home. Her flank bears no mark.
“Hmmm…” this must mean the foals are out of school for the day. I hope that Rarity will be brief with that garment.
However, then again, I don’t need to be here for her to make it. I’m sure Rarity wouldn’t be too upset if I left a note and returned for it tomorrow.
Then again, she did ask me to wait. She must be pretty excited to see me in whatever she’s making, and I’d hate to disappoint her.
In any case, this filly is still waiting for me to answer her. I clear my throat softly and give her a friendly smile, nodding as I speak. “If you don’t mind introducing yourself first, perhaps I could be convinced to tell you what you want to know, little filly.”
She pouts at my response adorably and stamps her hoof. “My name is Sweetie Belle. The pony who owns the Boutique is my big sister, and I’m not *that* little. I’ll be getting my cutie mark any day now!”
I chuckle a bit at this and nod along with her explanation. “Oh, I’m sure you will, Sweetie. You certainly seem like a little go-getter.”
“I said I’m not little!” She insists more firmly with a hint of annoyance. Her eyes trail over to my bare flank, and I feel insecure at the focus the look holds. After a few moments, she breaks the dramatic pause. “You don't have one either, huh? But you’re a lot older than me. Is something wrong with you?”
I raise an eyebrow at this and feel an unflattering remark about the size of the filly’s head prepare to emerge from my lips. However, I am interrupted by a distressed cry from the next room over as the door opens.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity calls out from across the room as the door opens. She trots back out, looking down at the foal reproachfully. “That is not an appropriate question to be asking anypony. Apologize to the nice stallion for being rude this instant!”
My mouth snaps shut, the snide remark that had been brewing moments earlier evaporating from my mind as I try to smooth things over. I shake my head quickly and hold up a hoof, giving Rarity a reassuring smile. “No, it’s fine! She’s just curious, is all. I’m not upset.” I say as I raise a hoof in supplication before turning my attention towards Sweetie Belle to answer her. “And not as far as I know. From what I understand, ponies in the Colonies, where I am from, sometimes don’t get their cutie marks for a really long time because there is less Harmony all the way out there.”
I sigh internally as I give the little one a patient, kind smile. That was a close one; I almost let the intrusive thoughts win for a second. Gonna…gonna need to watch that.
Sweetie looks ready to pepper me with more questions, but Rarity quickly clears her throat and interrupts. Her horn begins to glow, a garment floating out of the room she had exited as she clears her throat. “In any case, your new outfit is finished! Here!” She shoves the piece of clothing into me, resting it over my back. ”Take this, go behind that blind, and put this on for me, Rose. I want to see my hoofwork!”
With a small nod, I quickly make my way over to the blind and start figuring out exactly how to get the darned thing on. It takes some doing, but after about ten minutes of fussing and fiddling, I manage to get it onto my body without ripping or damaging it. “Alright, I’m ready, here I come!” I say as I strut out from behind the concealment of the blind.
Some might call it a bit gauche. Some others may call it a little plain. That means it falls somewhere in the happy medium as far as I’m concerned, and that suits me just fine. It’s a dapper little thing, a double-breasted vest and dress shirt combo. The vest is a pleasant burgundy, with a plunging neckline that shows a good deal of the cleanly pressed white undershirt below it. The buttons on the vest are brass, and the shirt has buttons made from a woody material, perhaps the husk of some sort of nut?
Rarity had seen fit to provide me a new tie with the outfit, a deep, pleasant shade of purple that complements my eyes nicely, with golden floral stitching.
A pair of dress pants, the same color and material as the vest, had also been provided. Getting my tail through the provided flap had been a bit of a task, and It felt a bit odd rubbing against…certain portions of my anatomy. But it seemed as if enough room had been made in the appropriate places to keep it from being uncomfortable or unpleasant.
I do a little twirl, showing off the garments from different angles for the seamstress and her sister to get a better look. “Well, how is it? Do I make it work?”
Rarity smiles wide, stamping her hooves against the ground in a rapid, enthused pitter-patter as her eyes sparkle. “Ohhhhh, Rarity, you gem, you’ve done it again! I mean, er, y-yes, yes, you pull it off quite well, Rose. She says as she regains her usual graceful composure. “And on the subject of Cutie Marks, I would be happy to embroider yours onto your outfit once you acquire one if you wish. I know most ponies are a bit iffy about concealing their marks with daily wear, but I figured the pants would be fine as-is for now, seeing as you don’t have one.”
“Oh, well, that sounds lovely. Thank you, Rarity.” I use my magic to straighten and tighten my tie slightly, walking over to a full-body mirror across the room and inspecting myself. “It really is a nice fit, I don’t think I’ve ever had clothes this well made. I’m honestly not sure how to thank you properly for such a lovely gift.”
“Oh hush, you silly colt. A gift doesn’t need repayment. Besides, even if it did, getting to see my work appreciated is work enough.” Rarity responds with a playful tone, waving her hoof at me dismissively. “Hmmm…something is missing though….” She says, her face taking on a focused look as the gears turn behind her horn.
“I know, but I’ll feel like a bum about it if I don't give you something. I always feel kind of sleazy just accepting things from people for free. Are you sure there’s nothing I can-”
“OH! That's what's missing. Here…” She says, cutting me off as her horn begins to glow, pulling a pair of brass half-moon spectacles from a small box on a nearby shelf and placing them on my face. “My old magnifying glasses. Oh, do go on, darling! It pulls the entire look together beautifully, and on top of that, it’s practical! We wouldn’t want you straining your eyes squinting at old books all day, would we?” She asks as she ends the spell and adjusts the glasses on my snout with her hoof.
“Now, If you’re so keen on repaying me…” She trails off momentarily as she glances at the clock and then back to me. “Would you be open to joining Sweetie and me for afternoon tea? It will still be a while longer until Cheerilee finishes her after-school duties.”
I falter for a moment before giving a sigh and nodding. “If that’s what you want, I’m happy to oblige. It’s been a busy day, and tea sounds wonderful right about now.”
“Wonderful! I’ll go and put a fresh pot on. I recently acquired a lovely imported Eastern blend on my last trip to the market, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Sweetie, please be a dear and grab the biscuit tin for me, would you?” She asks as she walks through another doorway that leads to a dining area
“Okay!” The little filly chirped her response brightly as she darted into the dining room after her sister.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several minutes later, the three of us are all comfortably sitting in front of the coffee table in the living room. I am on one side of the sofa, with Sweetie Belle on the other and Rarity taking the spot in the center. The tea smells delicious as she holds the kettle in her magic to pour us each a cup. I look over at her, tilting my head slightly as I try to figure out how she’s doing that so damn gracefully.
Her horn…the magic around it doesn’t glow nearly as much or chime as loudly as mine. She’s clearly doing more with less, that much is obvious. But how?
She puts the kettle down, and as she turns to look at me, she catches me staring. She looks a bit confused, but thankfully not upset, clearing her throat softly. “Ahem, is something the matter, Rose? You seem distracted.”
I blink and lean back, my face turning a bit pinker than normal as I feel a flash of embarrassment. “O-oh! Sorry about that. I was just watching how you do magic, is all. Your control and technique when using Grasp is admirable. I can’t really levitate more than one thing at a time, and not nearly as well as you can. I was just trying to figure out how you do it so proficiently.”
Rarity listens to my explanation, seeming almost disappointed before smiling again. “Oh, is that so? I certainly can’t hold it against you if you find yourself mesmerized by my grace.” She says with a hint of smugness as she runs her hoof across her chest. “As to the how, well…years of practice certainly doesn’t hurt, but I can show you a few tricks if you’d like. Here, why don't you show me how you levitate things? Sweetie Belle, please pay attention. This will come in handy when you start doing magic.”
The foal doesn’t need to be told twice. She’s already leaning in, eyes gleaming with curiosity. She isn't the only one. I can barely contain my excitement, bouncing slightly in place as I give the mare my undivided attention. I nod at her request and light my horn, weaving the Grasp spell together again from memory. After the few moments it takes me to hastily run the weave together, I focus on the teapot. It begins to float in front of me, a few inches off the table. It’s a bit shaky, and the height dips up and down by an inch or two but-
I hear a tongue click from Rarity as she leans over to inspect my horn, rubbing at her forehead with an exasperated expression. “Darling, what is this?” she asks as she gestures at my horn, a hint of disdain laced through the last word of that question.
“It’s uh…my Grasp spell?” I answer hesitantly, not sure what answer she is looking for here. “Is there something wrong with it?”
“Well, I do hate to nitpick, but…you barely spent any time focusing on the form of your spellweave, and it’s extremely loose and sloppy. As a result, you are using far more energy than you should need to lift a single teapot, and even then, your actual focus on the spell is dismal. You have little control, and your stability is frankly lackluster if I’m being generous. Honestly, Rose. It’s as if you’ve never cast a spell before in your life!”
I look down at my hooves bashfully, my ears flattening as I set the teapot down on the table again. “I mean er…you see, the funny thing about that is er….that’s actually pretty accurate. The first time I ever tried to cast a spell was yesterday. This is the only spell I know.”
Her face falls bit by bit as I explain myself. “Ah, I see. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…” The sound that escapes her through her nose sounds halfway between a deflating balloon and a barely muffled scream as her eyes betray the pain of an obvious error in judgment.
I try and fail to stifle a chuckle and shake my head. “H-heheh, no, it’s fine! I’m not upset. A little embarrassed, maybe, but you’re just trying to help, and I understand that. Please keep explaining. You were saying something about me not focusing enough during and after the weave?”
She takes a few moments to collect herself, letting out a soft huff before speaking again. “Yes, that’s the general problem I am seeing here. Let’s put aside the idea of holding more than one object at a time for now and focus on your fundamentals.
“Firstly, you are not spending nearly enough time actualizing your spellweave. It’s a common mistake for novices, but one that can lead to bad habits. Generally, the more focused you are, and the more time you take to properly visualize your weave, the more stable and reliable the spell you cast will be. I have been using magic for most of my life and have an eye for detail, so I make it look a lot easier than it is. But you are very new to magic, so it is important for your development that every time you cast a spell, you take plenty of time to ensure that the weave is not only fundamentally correct but that you have put it together properly.”
Her horn begins to glow again. I watch with rapt fascination as she creates two ethereal strands of magic, slowly braiding them together in front of me. “You want to make sure that you intertwine the strands of magic together carefully, being sure to eliminate as much of the empty space between the strands as possible and to make sure that wherever they intersect, they do so in a way that leaves them tightly locked together. The more compact your weave is, the more stable the spell will be, and putting more intent into the weave while manifesting it makes casting and maintaining the spell take much less energy.”
She ties the weave off, but not around her horn. Instead, she does so around the teapot. The weave disappears after a moment, and soft glowing lines appear for a few moments on the ceramic of the vessel where the weave had been before it begins to float a few inches off of the table, seemingly on its own! “Sometimes, enough so that with a bit of tweaking, you can oftentimes supply the magic needed by tapping into the ambient magic in the air to sustain the spell passively, if need be. But that’s a bit more advanced.”
An enthused “OOOOooooo” escapes both my lips and those of Sweetie Belle as I drum my hooves excitedly against the table at the sight. “Rarity, that’s amazing! I didn't know you could do that. You sure are good at magic.”
Her cheeks turn a light pink at the praise, but she simply waves it off, brushing a hoof through her mane dramatically and playing it off cooly. “Really, it’s nothing too special, darling. These are just a few tricks I picked up in the course of my profession. When you are working with fine detail and multiple small objects that need to be held and guided into specific positions repeatedly for long periods, these sorts of little shortcuts are just too useful not to take the time to master them. I only know a small hooffull of spells that relate to my talent, like most ponies do. But A unicorn is not a proper unicorn without style, grace, and beauty. So naturally, I want the spells I do know to be as polished and presentable as possible. And so should you, Rose.”
She places her hoof underneath the teapot as the lines fade away, and it falls toward the table again. She catches it and sets it down gently where it had been before with a satisfied smile.
Compared to that display, the rest of the afternoon is fairly uneventful. Rarity talks to me about gossip on this and that pony I’ve never heard of a day in my life. Still, I sit and do my best to smile and nod and pretend like I even remotely care about what she’s telling me, if only because it seems like the right thing to do after how generous she has been to me today. I think she can tell my eyes are glassing over a bit, but she’s being very gracious about it if she can.
After about an hour, we finish the last of the tea. I brush off my hind legs with my hooves and sit up with a small grunt before extracting myself from the comfort of the cozy couch. “Well, I think I really should be going now. Cheerilee is probably at the library waiting for me.”
“Oh yes, of course,” Rarity says as she gets off the couch and walks over to the door, opening it for me. “Please, do stop by again any time you like and let me know if you need an adjustment on your new outfit.”
“Of course! I appreciate your help, Rarity. You have a wonderful afternoon.” I respond in kind as I trot out the door, which she closes behind me.
“Well, that was a lovely afternoon,” I say to myself as I start toward the library. It must be a bit later in the day than I thought. There isn't anyone shopping at the storefronts, and most of the stores seem to be closed.
I pick up my pace a bit, not enough to break out into a full gallop, but certainly a rather brisk, worried little trot as I make a beeline for my destination.
I make it back to the library pretty quickly, getting my key from under the mat with a spell and unlocking the door, quickly entering with the item still in my arcane grasp. “Sorry if I’m a bit late, Cheerilee, there was this nice mare at the spa who took me back to her house and er…wait, no, that probably isn’t the right way to phrase that…wait…” I take a moment to look around and notice that the lights are all off. That’s odd, I could swear I left at least the entryway light on, and Cheerilee should have turned a few on when she-”
“SURPRIIIIIIIIIISE!”
The lights flick on all at once, and confetti is blasted into my face as dozens of ponies all seem to materialize at once where there had previously been darkness concealing their presence. Naturally, I respond to this with all of the dignity and grace that can be expected of a unicorn in my predicament.
I let out a shrill, girlish scream as I back up with a start. In my shock, I blast the key in my grasp forward like a bullet, embedding it into the wall with a dull thud directly next to the head of that poofy-haired pink mare from earlier.
She looks over at the key, polling on it and making it vibrate back and forth like one of those little silly door stopper springs before giggling and walking up to greet me. “Hi there! Welcome to your super-special-welcome-to-Ponyville-slash-congratulations-on-not-being-homeless-and-getting-a-job-slash-I'm-sorry-you-got-into-an-accident-and-ended-up-really-from-from-home-slash-try-to-meet-some-nice-mares-PARTYYYYYY!”
I blink slowly a few times at this as I attempt to process it. “A party, well that’s very nice of-wait what was that last-”
“Questions later, party time now!” She chirps as she grabs me with a hoof and pulls me further into the room. Cheerilee stands nearby, loitering at a punch bowl and pouring a glass. She sees me and walks over, a sheepish expression on her face.
“Sorry if this is a bit of a shock, but once Pinkie finds out someone needs a party, well…it’s not feasible to tell her no,” the mare says apologetically as she looks me over a few times. “You look nice, by the way. I’m guessing Rarity got to you?”
“Hah, yeah. Mayor Mare told me the good news, and she insisted I take a spa day to look good for my first day on the job. Rarity was there, and we chatted while they worked on us. Then she invited me back to her boutique to make me something to wear on the clock. Something about…” I gesture flamboyantly with a hoof, waving it over my head. “Having a vision.”
“That sounds about right for her. I have to say she was right, though. I’m *definitely* seeing the vision.” She says with a smirk before she offers me her glass. “Punch? You look a little thirsty.”
“Oh! Well, thanks, Cheerilee,” I say as I look down at the glass. Hmmmm….
I concentrate, the same way I did the first time I tried to cast the spell as I light my horn up. Not nearly as much as that time, though, just a little bit. The last thing I want to do is get this all over her….or embed this into the ceiling…or cover the other partygoers with shattered glass…or-okay, that’s enough, focus!
I visualize my spellweave intently, making sure that I do it not only correctly but also elegantly. I emphasize tightening the intersections and eliminating empty space between the strands. Once I am happy with the weave, I execute, wrapping it around my horn and focusing on the glass itself only slightly, with the same intensity I might focus on holding a glass while not looking at it with the hands I used to have.
After about a minute of preparation for the spell, the glass floats out of her grasp and steadily, evenly towards my lips, where I tilt it forward and take a small sip before returning it to level, where it sits dead still. Enshrouded in only a faint aura.
“Hmmm…that poofy pink party pony knows how to prepare a pleasant punch,” I comment idly, taking another sip. I was fairly parched after that little jog, and this is definitely hitting the spot juuuuust right.
Cheerilee stares at me as I float the cup in front of me, seeming a little flabbergasted. “Rose, I uh…thought you didn't know how to do magic?”
“What? Oh! Yeah, that was yesterday. I Practiced the levitation spell after you left, and the nice mare who made this outfit for me showed me how to do it more efficiently over tea a bit ago, so I thought I’d try it out. Pretty good, right?”
“You…practiced. For an afternoon?” She repeats the statement as if unsure she heard me correctly. “And then Rarity showed you how to incorporate weave refinement, and you’re doing that after an hour or so?”
“Yeah! I mean, it’s a bit inconvenient that it takes me a minute, but Rarity told me that it was important that I do it like this so I can develop the reflexes to do it by…I don’t think muscle memory is the right word. Whatever the magic version of that is, I guess.”
“Hm, I see, that’s certainly something Rose.” She says, looking as if she is thinking about something for a long moment. “I don't want to monopolize you for the whole party, so why don't you walk around a bit and introduce yourself to some Ponies, hm? I’ll probably be over by the punch bowl if you need me.” She says as she walks back to where she was before we started talking.
Huh, that was a little weird. I shrug it off and finish my glass, levitating it back to the table before turning around and deciding who I should talk to first…
I chuckle softly as I watch my King from just outside the window. The weakness in my prison was only momentary, the byproduct of a wave of chaos rippling through the orderly fabric of this world, but it was enough to at least send out a feeler. This tiny fragment of myself does not carry enough power to do much, but its small form factor is certainly useful for staying out of sight. As much as I typically love to make a scene, subtlety will be required if I don't want to end up right back where I started.
He seems to be settling in nicely. That’s good, and I’m happy to see him thriving. And making such progress! Even helpless and lessened as he is, his penchant for The Art seems relatively untarnished.
Good, I will have great use for it, and for him.
I take the form of a wisp of smoke. It is not too difficult to slip through a crack in the window and pretend to be a byproduct of that silly smoke spewer the Kindred brought for the party. From there, I assess my options. The punch bowl? No, it's too public. Perhaps I could simply make my way into him through the respiratory system. Oh, but that might be too direct. I might get caught out.
Ah, there we are! Somepony, a blue mare with a wild, multicolored mane, has seen fit to raid the fridge. The perfect opening
I creep along the ceiling and do my best to blend from there with the cool vapors emitted by the device. As the door closes again, I settle on my target: an apple.
I subsume it in my essence, infusing what little magic constitutes this feeble shard into the produce. I make it bigger, redder, and juicer to entice my king with its visage. I do not have much power left, but a simple illusion should be enough to make this vessel seem less than appetizing to any other nosy passerby looking for a snack.
From there, I simply sit and wait. Soon enough, everything will fall into place, and soon enough, we shall undertake the beginning of something truly marvelous.
I sincerely hope all of you enjoy the show. I’ll certainly be doing my best to make it interesting. Too much stability can get a bit boring, don’t you think?
I awaken the following morning as the rising sun sears my eyes through my closed lids. I let out a soft hiss as I rub at my forehead.
A dull throbbing sensation in the back of my head, a dryness of the mouth, and a subtle ache of the body that informs me that I did, in fact, have an adequate amount of fun at my welcome party.
Okay, down the list we go. I’m in my bed, my own bed. There is nopony else in said bed, and the sheets are as clean as can be expected. On top of that, my clothes are folded neatly on the dresser and not pressed to my fur stuck on with sweat, wrinkled to oblivion. Honestly, I don't think I could have expected it to go much better.
I remember most of last night, to boot! It was about as much fun as It could have been, really. I talked to a whole bunch of new ponies, most of whom I will be highly embarrassed in front of when I fail to remember their names. I danced a bit. I was given a small pile of fine white powder to eat that the fluffy pink one insisted was salt, and after that, things get a bit cloudy…
I can believe what I was given was some form of salt, if only because I am terribly dehydrated. My body cries out for fluids. Water, Gatorade, anything. I’ll take a LaCroix at this point, I’m desperate…okay, maybe not that desperate, but still!
I give a long, begrudging sigh as I roll out of bed and onto my hooves, feeling the throb in the back of my head intensify slightly. Yeah, I'm definitely a bit dehydrated there. Let's fix that. I go down the stairs from my little nook on the second floor and into the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water. I don't bother with magic. It’s easy enough to do without it, and I don't have it in me to focus for almost a minute on the spell like I should be doing.
After downing a glass or three straight from the tap, I set a fourth on the table and saunter to the fridge. I open the door, basking in the rush of cool air with a soft, relieved sigh. It soothes my discomfort for a few moments before I open my eyes again to scour for an appropriate meal.
Hmmmm, not a lot in here. I’ll have to go shopping once I get paid. In the meantime, I’ll just have to make due. Let’s see, some almond milk…some pickles…I think that used to be mayo?
Ah! There we go, an apple. Ohhhh, how did I miss this one the first time? My subconscious must have been saving it for a special occasion. Thanks, subconscious!
You’re Welcome ^^
Wait what?
Nothing
Oh okay. Anyway, this looks really good. Yeah, this is gonna be breakfast for sure.
I smile, snagging the apple from the fridge and setting it on the cutting board. After rummaging around for a suitable knife in the drawer for a few moments, I quickly slice it into eighths. No peanut butter today, I want the inside of my mouth to feel less sticky and oppressive.
The fragrance hits my nose as I slice the apple, that slightly sweet aroma caressing my snout. That firm texture that makes an almost sinfully crispy sound as the knife parts the flesh of the fruit tickles my ears. Mphhh…damn, this bitch is juicy.
I put the knife away, chuckling at my internal monologue. Look at me, I’m cracking jokes. I haven’t felt this relaxed since before I got here! I guess Pinkie was right, a party can do a fella a lot of good. It certainly seems to have helped me get a bit more comfortable.
I hum softly as I sit down at the table and take the first bite of my breakfast. Hmmm, comfortable. That’s….no. We aren't doing this today. Everything is fine and going your way, and that’s that.”
I attempt to brush off the creeping sense of paranoia I’ve long sense become accustomed to and simply enjoy my breakfast for now. This apple is good, but it has a funky aftertaste. Wait…why do I taste cotton candy and chocolate milk? Ah, probably nothing to worry about.
I wash the apple down with my fourth glass of water of the morning, and I’m quickly starting to feel more like myself as the headache and general fogginess of my post-party dehydration subside. I feel…oddly invigorated, energetic.
I go to the bathroom and quickly get nice and clean, then head back upstairs to get dressed. The sun is just now starting to crawl over the horizon, so I should have plenty of time before Cheerilee arrives.
Once I’m all clean and dressed for the day, I head into the sitting area to do some stretches and magic warmups. I practice my meditation, feeling the flow of magic through my body, and I take great pleasure in the feeling of the world becoming a little brighter and more real than it had felt before that comes with the process. It’s the simple things, ya know?
Something feels odd as I follow the flow of my magic. Near my stomach, a small knot? A tangled mass of magic. It’s very small, but I can just barely notice it at the height of my focus. Ah well, it's probably just an after-effect of last night's festivities. I wonder what sorts of interactions those drugs have with the thaumic system. It's something to look into later; I bet it’s fascinating.
Once I feel limber, energized, and focused, I look around, noting any chores that need to be done. The shelves certainly look a bit dusty. Some of the higher ones could be good practice for levitation, and I’m not entirely comfortable enough with the numerals to be sure, but I am pretty sure some of these sections are a bit out of order, judging by the decimal system labels on the spines.
Speaking of noting things, I spot a note on the check-in/check-out counter and trot over to inspect it. I get my handy cheat sheet ready as I translate the note. Rose,
If you are reading this before I arrive, that is very good. I would be concerned if you had managed to sleep well into the afternoon. Pinkie didn’t give you that much salt.
Anyway, please open the library about two hours after sunrise. It is the weekend, so I do not have class today, but I do have some preparations for next week that I need to see to, as well as a few errands to run before I can join you.
If anyone asks, Checkout is unavailable until I arrive, but they are free to browse and read as much as they like inside the building as long as they are quiet and respect the rules.
Which brings me to the rules. They are quite simple, but they are essential to keep the library running smoothly, and it is paramount that you make sure that they are followed while I am absent.
1. No raised voices in the building. 2. No food or drink within the building outside of the dining area, taking books from the library into the dining area is *forbidden*, and items labeled as belonging to the librarians are off limits. 3. Do not leave books on the ground or on top of shelves. Place books where you found them, or at least as close to where you found them as you are able to remember, *on* the shelf with the other books. 4. No smoking or consumption of salt, alcohol, or other recreational substances on the premises during operating hours, especiallynear or around the books. 5. No book forts on the premises during operating hours, with exceptions for Nightmare Night and Hearths Warming Eve with adult supervision. Only books from the foals section less than two inches thick may be used for book fort construction when permitted. 6. The Adult Literature Section is off-limits to all creatures under the age of 17, no exceptions. Violators of this rule will have their parents informed of the infraction and their picture posted on the Wall of Shame.
As long as these rules are adhered to and the library is in good order when I return this afternoon, I will consider your first day a success. I am confident that you will not disappoint me.
Good luck, and have a good first day!
Cheerilee
Huh. Alright then, that all seems straightforward enough. Don’t make a ruckus, don't soil the books, and don't let any kids get into the pornography. All very doable and reasonable tasks.
I have about another hour until I need to open the library after finishing my morning routine, which I decide to spend working on my spellcraft. Specifically, that Light spell I neglected to learn in favor of practicing Grasp might be useful.
I return upstairs and retrieve the tome from my bag before going back to the sitting area. Once I am settled at a table near the doorway to keep an eye on things, I open the copy of Simple Spellcasting, returning to the section near the beginning of the book which contains the most basic spells.
Looking back, I was foolish to have skipped over this spell the way I did. Sure, Grasp was more immediately practical, no denying that. But even then, the spell was twice as complex as Light, and I could have seriously hurt myself. I guess I let my ardor for the task at hand or, er…hoof, get the better of me there, sadly not an uncommon occurrence.
Ah well, it wasn’t the first time I’ve put a hoof in my mouth, and I’m sure that despite my best efforts, it won't be the last. Let’s just do what we can here, that being my best.
As I look over the spell, I notice some differences worth considering. For one thing, the method to spin strands of Fire differs notably from the one to spin Aether strands. It isn’t more complex per se, but it’s different enough from the latter that I should pay special attention to ensuring I am doing it correctly.
Especially since I am dealing with Fire. As much of a dolt as I can be, I’ve spent enough time around it to know that even a tiny amount of fire deserves my respect. If a backfire of pure aether was enough to singe my fur, I hate to think about the marks a discharge of fire might leave.
Shivering a bit at that thought, I steel my resolve and focus as best I can, closing my eyes as I draw from the magic flowing through my horn to create the single strand of fire required. Luckily, it does not require me to do terribly much else aside from spinning it. The weave, if you can call it that, is just wrapping the thread of fire back on itself. Again, I am careful to ensure that I don't give it too much gas. With how intently I’m focusing on the spell, I could very easily overdo it and blind myself as soon as I open my eyes, which I would prefer to avoid.
Once I am satisfied with the structural integrity of my weave, I complete the spell and execute it. A soft, pleasant warmth washing over my forehead and a dull pink light filtering through my eyelids tells me things are going well. I cut back the energy being fed to the spell a bit more and will the light a bit further away from my face, and the intensity of the pink light coming through lessens. Once I am satisfied that I will not sear my retinas, I open my eyes to check my work. A small, almost ghostly wisp of fire sits in front of my face, about two feet away. It seems practically ghostly, ephemeral. I can see the room behind it, though tinted in its pleasant hot pink color, which matches my aura.
I chuckle to myself softly, feeling that little rush, that incredible high of seeing something so strange and wonderful and knowing it was my doing. Curious, I take a small piece of paper and place it into the heart of the glowing mass. It pleasantly warms my hoof as I bring it close to the light, but the paper does not catch fire or even singe. That makes sense. The spell is Light, after all, not Fire.
As I dismiss the spell, I look at the clock and see I have about twenty more minutes until I need to open the library. Shrugging slightly, I unlock the door, setting the sign in the window to say that we are open. I may as well open up now if I have nothing else I need to be doing.
The beginning of the day drags a bit. I take the time to clean the dust off of the shelves, though even being careful to optimize my spellweave, using the Grasp spell to hold the feather-duster for that long and far enough away from me to reach some of the higher shelves takes more out of me than I was expecting. About ten minutes in, I feel warm under the collar, breathing a bit more heavily than usual. By the twentieth, I can feel myself begin to sweat a bit.
Half an hour in, I’ve stopped, almost feeling as if I have just gone for a nice little run. It's getting a bit more difficult to focus on the spell, and not wanting to sweat stain my lovely new outfit. I make the decision to take a break and sit down with a glass of water in the kitchen area.
As I pant softly, I reflect. Casting spells, even simple ones for prolonged periods, is a substantial effort. That makes what Rarity does on a daily basis much more impressive than it was before, which is quite the feat in my book.
In addition, the further away from myself I attempt to manifest a magical effect, the more energy it takes to maintain it. Another factor to keep in mind for the energy efficiency of spells. In this case, it isn't too much of an inconvenience. It just means that though I will still need to get up on a ladder to reach those shelves, I’ll only need to climb part of the way up, and honestly, that’s enough of a win for me.
As I’m sipping my nice cold glass of water, I hear the front door open. I sigh and down the last of my water before exiting my chair and walking back into the main area.
“Hello, welcome to the Golden Oaks. How can I assist you?” I call out as I enter the main area, looking for whoever just entered. A figure in a brown cloak greets me, their hood drawn over their face. They are a bit taller than I am, but not by much, maybe a few inches. Her legs are exposed, and she is clad in bands of simple gold jewelry that complement her…stripes?
Stripes, black and white, mark her legs as well. A Zebra? Hmm, fascinating!
I approach more quickly as my curiosity gets the better of me. The Zebra sees me approaching, turning their head to face me as I address them again. “Apologies, but would you mind removing your hood while in the library? I would prefer to get a good look at everyone who comes in. I wouldn’t want to be caught lacking in my duties after all.”
They look at me for a long moment, bewildered, at least based on their body language. After a long moment they remove the hood as asked.
It is a female and definitely a zebra. Her stripes bring focus to the key features of her face, particularly her snout and striking green eyes. She wears her mane in a mohawk and sports a set of large gold rings around her neck and on her ears. She smells of a pleasant, exotic mixture of spices and herbs that soothes my mind as I inhale it.
She speaks to me in a rich, deep voice. “You are not the pony I was expecting to see. Praytell, where is Miss Cheerilee?”
Oh, that’s nice, I like that. I smile kindly at the mare and shake my head, putting on my Customer Service Face. “Sorry, she doesn't come in for a while longer. I’m Rose Tint, the new Librarians Assistant. She asked me to open the library while she works on a few weekend errands. The facility is available for use, but I cannot check any books out for you. Is there anything else I can assist you with in the meantime?”
Zecora looks at me momentarily as if confused, then offers a warm smile. “I suppose for now, I will simply peruse. I will say your arrival comes as news. I was not aware there was a new face in here. And what’s more, one that does not regard me with fear.”
I tilt my head slightly at this, processing it. I bring a hoof to my chin, slowly rubbing it as I give her a confused look. “Fear? But why would I be afraid of you? You seem lovely if first impressions hold any weight.
Her smile widens at this, and she issues a soft chuckle. “Most pony folk respond to the unknown with fear. Even after some time, I am a stranger here. It refreshes me to see you are not all of one mind. I might even say I am not the only one who seems kind,” she says as she walks a bit closer to me, looking me slowly up and down with her own curious gaze.
I suddenly feel a tad self-conscious as she takes me in, pawing softly at the floor and averting my gaze as I continue to speak to her. “I know how that feels. I just got into town myself a few days ago. I’m not sure how, mind you. I just sort of woke up outside of the town proper in the Everfree Forest, but what I know for damn sure is that I’m well and far from where I was before. It’s…hard. I’m sure you know better than I do by the sound of it. I mean, at least people here like me. It sounds like your situation is…a bit worse.”
Her eyes widen slightly as I tell her how I ended up here, but her expression softens once more as I express my feelings about the entire affair. She shakes her head, gently placing a hoof on my shoulder. “To think of others even when you are in pain is incredibly sweet, but comparing suffering is an exercise in self-defeat. Our suffering is great, but it is our own to bear, but you’ve already done more than most by showing you care.”
As I absorb her words sheepishly, I snap back to reality, smacking my hoof against my forehead. “Oh! I’m sorry, where is my head right now? I was asking you what you needed. Even if we can't check the book out until Cheerilee Arrives, I could try to find it for you and put it on hold until she gets here if you don’t feel like waiting around. Conversely, would you perhaps care for some water if you want to wait around? I think I might have a few tea bags in the cabinets if you prefer that.”
Zecora makes a little face at the mention of the tea and shakes her head. “Beverages, I think, would be better provided by me. I think you will find more joy in my personal tea,” she says as she reaches into a small satchel on her side and rummages around a bit before pulling out some very pleasantly fragrant loose leaves.
“That sounds delightful. Go ahead and use the kitchen as you need. I will be at the counter for now in case anyone else comes in,” I say as I trot back toward my spot at the desk before I am interrupted by a pleasant, bemused laugh from my guest.
“I doubt they will brave these halls until I am no longer within the walls. But that is their loss, I should say, your company shall certainly brighten my day.” She saunters towards the kitchen area as she says this, giving me a smirk as she passes. “If you insist on operating your station, I will inform you when I complete the libations.”
“Oh er…of course yes, the uh….I didn’t think of that. Ah well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I say with a little shrug as I sit at the counter. Zecora has just as much of a right as anypony else to be here after all. The other townsfolk might be on some racially motivated timing, but I don't have to let that dictate my behavior.
Besides, she’s kinda hot.
…wait, what? Okay, brain, that’s uh….let’s go ahead and put that back in the box for now. Theeeeere we go, all better. We can always unpack that another time. How about never? Yeah, never sounds good. Oh! Is that the sound of boiling water? It sounds to me like it’s time to think about literally anything else!
14 - Friendship, Tea, Prophecy, and Other Perks of Working At Your Local Library
The robust and warm fragrance of Zecora’s tea is more than enough to relax me as I sit across from her at the kitchen table. I occasionally glance over at the front door, but it seems she was correct in her assumption. Not a single soul has come through the door since she arrived, though I’ve caught more than a hand-er…hoofful of curious busybodies peeking through the window here and there. Ah well, the door is unlocked. They can get in if they wanna.
I return my attention to the mare across from me, taking another sip of the tea. It's a delightfully flavorful black blend, though I would have preferred it iced rather than hot in my heathen southern opinion.
For the most part, we’ve been enjoying one another's company for the last few minutes as we savored our tea, not saying much of anything. As pleasant as this state of affairs is however, eventually my curiosity gets the better of me, and I start to speak again between careful sips.
“So Zecora. Would you mind telling me a bit more about yourself? You did say you weren’t from around here. I’m not terribly well-traveled, and I’d love to hear about your homeland.”
She seems to consider for a moment, looking down at the beverage in her hooves. “The land of Farasi is where most Zebras call home, a desert kingdom where many creatures roam. I left when I was but a youth, yearning to discover arcane truths.”
I tilt my head at this and lean in a bit. “Really? Do they not teach magic where you’re from, Zecora?”
She shakes her head, looking a bit melancholy. “Zebras do not possess innate magic. A state of affairs I found to be tragic. I was enamored from a young age by the mystic arts. To learn magic was the deepest desire of my heart.”
She takes a sip of her tea, pausing momentarily, her expression more pained. “I have not been home since I was a foal, after those I considered friends mocked my goals. I set out for Equestria, where great magic resides, hoping my studies could be applied. But it seems the ponies here consider me a threat. Though I attained my goal, my heart holds some….regret.”
Well, that sounds rather unfortunate. I reach across the table and gently place a hoof on top of hers to comfort her. “Hey, you don't have to keep talking about this if it upsets you. We can talk about something else if you want, okay?”
She looks down at my hoof, seeming surprised, before meeting my eyes again and nodding. “I would prefer our time speaking on this topic end. Besides, I’d much rather hear about you, my new friend. I’m curious about the way that you speak. Some of the words you use seem to be unique.”
I stiffen as I roll back the last few hours in my head, realizing I had slipped up on the ponyspeak. “Oh, uh…yeah. I’d rather not go into detail about it, but let’s just say I wasn’t raised by ponies, so I’m not used to the whole ‘everypony’ thing. There’s actually a lot that I’m not really up to speed on.”
I withdraw my hoof and rub at the back of my neck. “As for hearing about me…there isn’t much interesting as far as I’m concerned. I was raised in the Louwhinnyana Territory, part of the Amareican Colonies, and I had a pretty normal life as far as that goes. I like reading, and I’ve recently started to learn how to do magic. There wasn’t anypony where I lived who could teach me how to cast spells, and the entire topic has really caught my interest.” I squirm slightly in my seat as I press my hooves against each other, trying and failing to widdle my nonexistent thumbs. I’ve always hated talking about myself. It makes me feel so awkward.
Fortunately, she seems to notice my feelings, interrupting me. “Really? A unicorn who can’t do magic? Such a thing sounds downright Tragic.” She says sympathetically. “It seems we share much despite hailing from different lands. It’s…comforting to speak to one who understands.”
I feel embarrassed at her confidence and try to wave it off, my ears falling flat as I feel my face warm. “I-I wouldn't say I understand. I mean, you’ve obviously got stuff going on I have no idea about. But I can empathize, and…it makes me happy to know I’m helping.”
She chuckles at this, finishes her cup of tea, and looks at it pensively before returning her attention to me. “If you have an interest in magic, then finish your tea. I think I have something you will want to see.”
I sit up a little straighter at this and quickly bring the tea back to my lips, finishing the last of my cup in a few gulps and leaving only the leaves steeping in the bottom of the cup. “Really now? Oh, well, I have to see this. Please, Zecora, go right ahead!” I say as I lean forward, an eager expression scrawled across my features as I reach a hoof up to push my glasses back up my snout.
Zecora chuckles as she reaches across the table to collect my cup, using a spoon to scrape the leaves at the bottom into hers. She mutters a few words over it in a language I do not understand before tipping the leaves back out and scattering them over the table.
“There is much to be gleaned from the leaves of tea. Things that are and things that may be. A simple parlor trick, some may contend, but the leaves do not lie when shared amongst friends. The spark of friendship between us over this hour will suffice to give the leaves some power.” She explains as she gestures to the scattered leaves on the table with her hoof. “To parse their meaning does not take a seer. Simply tell me what shapes in the leaves may appear.”
Oh! A tea leaf reading, how wonderfully cozy! I let my eyes relax as I look down at the mass of leaves on the table, not looking for anything in particular, but rather letting my eyes make sense of whatever shapes seem coherent.
As I focus on them, the leaves seem to swirl about. Moving just a bit here and there to bring specific shapes into focus, defining them more clearly. “I see…a tower topped by two six-pointed stars…”
Her eyes widen a bit as she hears me say this. “The Star and Tower both are signs of portent. To see them together marks events of great importance. The Tower is chaos, change, and upheaval. Do not fret, as such forces are not always evil.”
She gestures her hoof in a swirling motion over another portion of the leaves, which shift to form a crude rendition of a familiar pony, who seems to be set in an apprehensive pose before a path through a great maelstrom leading to the base of the tower further down the table. “From what you have said, your life is at a tumultuous time, where there may come a shift in your paradigm. Such challenges often plant the seed for a great transformation in a time of need. The journey will show you who you are, and once the Tower is ascended, you will reach the Star.”
She gestures again to another section of the table, where the leaves swirl again to show that same familiar pony, reared back triumphantly. They are surrounded by six stars, a seventh seeming to descend toward them. “A far more fortunate portent for this gleaning. The Star provides magic, purpose, and meaning. Who truly are will shine through without limitation, and to those you hold dear, you shall serve as an inspiration.”
I nod slowly as I absorb her telling, rubbing my chin with my hoof. The bit regarding the tower seems quite accurate, especially in relation to my current situation. I did recently have my entire life torn up at the roots. I like to think I’m bouncing back pretty well from it, but I could just be lying to myself. Or worse yet, there could be something on the horizon I have no way to foresee and thus am unable to prepare for. Perhaps something has already happened that will irrevocably change the course of my life in unforeseen and tumultuous ways. The thought causes a scowl to cross my face as I give an involuntary shiver.
She continues to speak as I ponder what I’ve heard thus far. “As to why there are two stars, I can only speculate. Perhaps there is a split in the river of your fate. A choice you may make on some faraway day will forever more affect how your life will play.”
She starts to collect the leaves as she concludes her reading, taking a small drawstring pouch on a string necklace from her things and placing them inside before pushing the little sack across the table towards me. “That is all of your future that can now be said. The rest shall come clear in its rightful stead. Keep these remnants as a charm. Their latent magic should lessen harm. This tea, I fear, is quite run-through, but there should be enough left for one final brew. Should you need to know how something will end, simply share this tea again with friends.”
I take the little bag and nod slowly, putting it around my neck and gingerly tucking it under my clothes to keep it close to me. I feel a bit…lighter, and safer. Whether that is whatever magic lingers in the tea, simply the reassurance of having made a new friend, or both, I cannot say. “Thank you, Zecora. This has been an interesting and enlightening experience. I would love to have you over for tea and conversation whenever you see fit.”
“I shall duly note your kind invitation and visit when allowed by my situation. Should you find yourself in need of a friend, follow the path through the Everfree, taking a left at the bend. My abode resides at the end of the way, and you are more than welcome to stay.” Zecora responds kindly as she stands up and stretches her legs out, flipping her hood back up. “Now, I must be on my way. I’m sure others wish to use the library today.” She says with a wry, patient smile.
I open the door for her and wave her off as she exits. “Have a good day, Zecora. Thank you for stopping in!” I call out cheerfully, hopefully loud enough for some of the ponies I see peeking out from the doorways of various shops and homes to hear.
After seeing her off, I clean the cups we used for the tea and return to the front desk. As I return to my post, the door opens again, and a blue pegasus mare with a dazzling rainbow of colors in her mane and tail enters, a cautious look plastered across her features. She’s more than a bit on the smaller side, as I note when she gets close enough for me to compare our heights properly.
I smile and wave as she approaches. “Good morning, Ma’am. Welcome to Golden Oaks Library. My name is Rose Tint. If you need to check out a book, I am afraid I am unable to do that for you until Miss Cheerilee arrives, but I can try to find you anything you might need in the meantime.”
She snorts softly at my customer service dialogue and nods as she comes up to the counter, looking up at me, seeming to be appraising me. “RoseTint? Nice to meet you. The name’s Rainbow Dash, I’m the weather pony around these parts. Speaking of uh…999 E.L.A. Weatherponies Almanac, please? I can just check what I need here.
“Hmmmmm, yeah, I think I can find that for you. This way, please,” I say as I take out my cheat sheet, taking a bit to put my spell together and levitate it in front of me before starting to walk.
The mare follows behind me as I make for the appropriate section of the library, occasionally glancing down at the paper in front of me and then back at the shelves. After a few minutes, I hear her speak up.
“What are you looking at over there?” she asks as she trots up next to me, looking over my shoulder to inspect the paper. Huh, that’s a weird-looking script. You have the alphabet on there, too. What’s up with that?”
I sigh slightly and fight the urge to roll my eyes at her tone, but fight the desire to be any more rude than that. “I’m not fluent in Equuish script. This is a translation sheet that I can read from my native written language.”
“Huh. I had heard around town that you aren't from around here, so that makes sense. So what, your special talent is being a librarian, but you can’t read?”
I exhale sharply through my nose as I come up on the section that seems to contain several dozen editions of the book this mare is seeking. I close for a moment, my eyes before opening them again and turning to look at her. “Firstly, I can read. I just can’t read Equuish. Secondly, I don't have a special talent for being a librarian. I don’t have a Cutie Mark at all, as a matter of fact.”
Her eyebrows shoot up at this, and she almost immediately leans toward my flank, which is, of course, covered by the pants Rarity had gifted me. She has the decency to almost seem embarrassed before looking back at my face.
I give her an unamused expression, which morphs into a slight smirk as I watch her ears slowly lower. “If you want me to remove my pants, this is not an appropriate venue, Miss Dash. Perhaps after hours, sometime in the future, might be more apropos.” I tease, flicking my tail at the mare before grabbing what seemed to be the correct book off of the shelf and offering it to her. “Please put it back where you found it when you are finished.”
Rainbow Dash turns a brilliant red and sputters softly before she snatches the book from me, placing it under one of her wings and trotting off, grumbling. “Egghead thinks he can make fun of me with big words, stupid stallion…”
I give a small cackle at this, covering my mouth as I watch her storm off to sit at one of the tables. Maybe the strange gender roles here aren't so bad.
After a while, the mare puts her book away and leaves again, but not before shooting me a dirty look over her shoulder when she thinks I’m not looking. I pretend to ignore it as I continue to read my copy of Simple Spellcasting.
A bit after that, Cheerilee finally arrives. The chime of the little bell heralds her arrival as I look up with the intent to greet another guest, only to see her at the door. I offer a warm smile and wave her over. “Oh! Good morning, boss. I hope your morning errands weren’t too much of a bother.
She gives an embarrassed little grimace as she walks to the front desk. “Please don't call me ‘Boss,’ Rose. Cheerilee or Miss Cheerilee will do fine.” She says as she sets a set of saddlebags down on the desk next to me. “And the errands were fine, though shopping was a pain.”
I close my book and nod, giving her my attention as I watch her rummage through the bags. “Sorry about that, Cherilee. It's just the force of habit at work, I suppose. I’m glad to hear things went well. What exactly made shopping a pain, though?”
“Well, I had forgotten that it was the first Sunday of the month. The strange pony living in the Everfree forest comes into town to get supplies. Everyone usually goes inside to hide from her, so I had to convince them to come out long enough to sell me what I needed.” She explains as she pulls out some office supplies. A few notebooks, a pack of pens and pencils, some sticky notes, that sort of thing. “We should have a bit before she makes her trip here, so in the meantime, we can-”
I gently interrupt her as I realize who she’s talking about. “Oh! Do you mean Zecora? Yeah, she came by earlier. We had tea. She’s actually really nice.”
Cheerilee freezes up at the mention of the zebra and snaps her head towards me. “Y-you talked to her?”
I nod, smiling a bit sadly as I recall earlier today. “Well, yeah. She’s a customer, isn’t she? Though I guess to be fair, she didn't want to read anything. We just had tea together and talked about where we were from, and then she went on her way. She even invited me to visit her sometime. She’s a lovely mare. I feel bad for her because everyone is so scared of her, you know? I don't have it nearly as bad as she does, but I was picked on as a ki-a foal enough to know that it feels bad when ponies treat you poorly just for being different.”
Cherilee gives me an array of looks that take me a moment to process in sequence. First, one that seems a bit sour, then one that looks as if she just watched me grow a second head, a slightly worried look, then a somewhat ashamed, glum expression, which she seems to settle on as she offers a meek attempt at a smile as he ears lay flat on her head. “Oh, well, is that so? Well, it’s nice that you’ve made a new friend, Rose. I will admit I’ve never spoken to the mare myself. I usually just let her pick out whatever she needs, drop off her donations, and fill out her checkout forms while I have a drink in the kitchen until she leaves. I’m glad to hear she seems so nice. I’ll have to…try to talk to her next time she comes around.”
I sigh at Cheerilee’s spiel. It's disheartening to see one of the more educated mares in town act this way, but she clearly feels a bit guilty now that she’s heard that she might be in the wrong. “I’m happy to hear that, and I’m sure she will be too. But enough about my morning, let’s focus on our afternoon! What do you have for me today bo-I mean uh, Miss Cheerilee.”
She gives a small chuckle at this, her mood seeming to lighten up a bit as she pulls a few books out of her bag.
The Dewdrop Decimal System: A History and Primer Indexing for Beginners Mnemonic Devices and Visualization and Memorization: Tips and Tricks to Improve Recall Speed and Capacity.
She lays them out on the table and starts speaking again. “These will be your homework for the week, Rose. I’ll be walking you through the basics of navigating the decimal system and locating and reading records and finding irregular items the library lends out, archives, or uses, like music albums and historical documents. I don’t expect you to pick it up all right away, don't worry. We’ll be taking it slowly, and I’ll be there to assist you as much as I can every step of the way. As long as you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach.” She reassures me as she sees my soul beginning to leave my body at the intimidating intellectual task set before me.
Oh dear, lord. I can feel my brain already beginning to fuzz over. There is so much organization, Such appallingly oppressive order.
Ech, Ah well. It may not be my favorite thing, nor my strong point, but I need to learn how to do it and do it right if I’m going to work here!
I shake off my developing malaise and rub my face a bit, looking over at the kitchen. “Alright, let’s do this. How about I make us a quick pot of coffee, and then you can start showing me the basics?”
She smiles at this, seeming pleased by my determination. “Coffee sounds wonderful. Go right ahead. I’ll be at the desk if anyone comes in.”
I give a playful salute before turning and trotting off towards the kitchen, getting a small chuckle from her as I depart. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I tend to overinflate the difficulty of big, intimidating tasks like this. As long as I remember to compartmentalize it should be alright.
I find myself at last, standing at the precipice of my destiny, my birthright.
After decades…centuries of research, preparation, and waiting, I find myself amidst a field of roses, brighter red and more beautiful than any I have ever seen. The field stretches on farther than the eye can see. One might even be willing to believe they stretch on forever, and in a sense, such a romantic fool might very well be right.
But the roses are only a decoration, a compliment to my goal. Before me lies an enormous door, wrought of ghostwood and banded with black steel. There is no handle, no latch. All there is to be seen is a hieroglyph scrawled, carved across the surface of the ancient door in a tongue lost long since to time, to even one as ancient as myself. Even so, I know deep in the blackest pits of what might pass for my soul what the symbol means.
Unfound
I loose a choked, dry cackle from my throat, piercing the windstrewn silence as I look upwards at the final obstacle between me and my prize. The Tower.
The Tower
And atop it, where the twelve great Beams intersect, resides Him. He is great, and indeed, He is mighty, but his time has passed. Before his light, there were monsters, and after, there shall be monsters once more, and I as their King.
I clutch it in my hand, my most treasured tool, the Masterpiece of my mother's greatest servant. The voices of my kindred cry to me through the veil as I hold the dark, brooding sphere in hand and declare myself to the forces of the White, declare my challenge.
“I am the Firstborn of the Sire of Eld, Greatest of the Countless born of the Crimson Queen, Crown Prince, and First Champion of The Red. I come bearing naught but my chosen weapon and the will to wield it to challenge the Father and First Champion of The White. I shall not be denied. This challenge is my right, and you shall bar me no longer. Bear witness to the badge of my authority, the sum of the dark spaces between that fall under my rule, and open to me.”
A long, heavy silence, no longer even broken by the wind, not the powerful thrumming of the beams, hangs heavy over the Tower, perhaps over all of existence, for a long moment as I press the Black Bend to the Unfound Door. Then, I break out in a rancorous cackle as I see the rune on the door change.
Found
The door opens, and as my laughter cedes to a soft chuckle, I take my first step. My first of many towards the top of the Tower.
I awaken with a start, nearly toppling out of my seat as my hooves slam into the table. I quickly look around, head darting to and fro as I scan my surroundings before relaxing with a heavy sigh and sagging back into my seat. That had been a very vivid dream, but I could already feel a lot of it slipping away. Something about a tower? I give a slight shiver as I put it to the back of my mind, slipping out of my seat and stretching some of the stiffness out of my extremities.
As it turns out, learning how to keep things organized can be very taxing. The last thing I remember is Cheerilee leaving for the day as I started my review of the Method of Loci. Supposedly, it is a method of memorization that revolves around creating a mental image of a familiar space and correlating information to places within that space. I had chosen to go with the library, since I will be spending a lot of time here, and of course, a library seems a sound basis on which to create an organized mental image.
But the actual exercises tired me out more than I had anticipated, and I seem to have found myself asleep at my desk. I groan and look at the clock, seeing that it’s now the wee hours of the morning, around five or so.
With a small sigh, I resign myself to staying up and decide to get some chores done. I shed my outfit, taking it down to the basement, where the building's washing machine and dryer are located. I follow Rarity's care instructions as I wash the clothes, wanting to be careful not to damage or shrink them.
Once my clothes are put to wash, I head back upstairs and write a small reminder to check on them in an hour or so in my day planner before heading upstairs to groom myself. A quick cool shower and a minty toothbrushing make me feel a bit more awake, but still a bit groggy as I dry myself off.
I go back downstairs to the kitchen to rummage through the cabinets. I frown as I see that there seems to be no more coffee in the canister. Suboptimal. I make another note in my day planner and set some tea to brew. It’s not as good as what I had enjoyed yesterday morning, but it’s hard to beat a fresh blend with…a friend.
I smile a bit as I hold the little bag of tea around my neck while I watch the pot do its thing. Everypony in town had been relatively kind so far, with er…exceptions. Zecora had felt a bit different, though. The kindness of the other ponies, while genuine and very much deserving of my gratitude, had an element of…performativity to it? It had the same countenance as holding the door for somepony but elevated. They were clearly happy to be doing it, but it felt as if it was something they weren’t required to do, but encouraged to do even if that weren’t the case.
When Zecora and I spoke, it felt more like we were forming a genuine connection. The things we shared in common made it easier for us to be open with each other more naturally. Sure, aside from the fortune telling, it was mostly small talk, but it felt good, right even.
I shudder a bit at this train of thought and collect myself. Should I be weighing whose friendship I feel is more valuable like that? Am I commodifying the goodwill of genuinely good peop-er…ponies by assigning value judgments to their kindness? Maybe I should put my perception of this place and its societal expectations aside for now and just try to appreciate things for what they are rather than what my limited experience with these ponies leads me to think they are.
Ugh, it’s too early for this shit. Alright, bad feelings are going back and the box now. Annnd there we go, locked up nice and tight, right where I want them.
As my tea finishes steeping, I sigh and pour myself a glass, with sugar, over ice like God intended. I quickly down the refreshing concoction and place the glass in the sink before heading into the sitting area for my morning routine.
As I do my breathing and mana flow exercises, I feel that little burl inside of me again. I can’t say for sure, but I can almost swear it's just a bit bigger than it was yesterday and somehow a bit redder than the rest of my mana, if only by a shade. Huh, I don’t like that. Hopefully, that gets better on its own.
A small sigh escapes my lips as I come down from that comfortable high of feeling my power coursing through me. Today is Sunday, which means the library is closed, as it is considered a day of rest for government workers.
Which is weird, considering that there doesn't seem to be Christianity here. Something about a Sun Goddess, I think? I’ll be honest. I was pretty toasted after work with how hard I had been working my brain. Huh….come to think of it, I probably shouldn’t be walking around being quite that ignorant. Alright, it's time to hit the books…again. God, I’m sensing a pattern here. It’s a really good thing I like to read….
I walk back upstairs and fetch the copy of A Brief History of Equestria that Cheerilee had given me. I head back downstairs to crack it open; it's time to learn some history.
….Okay, wow, this is kind of fucked up. Okay, no, the ice demons definitely make the compulsive niceness much more sense. And I’m guessing the sun pony in the story after that is who Cheerilee was talking about.
It’s…kind of really sad to think about the other pony being trapped on the moon, though. I hope she’s doing okay up there. It makes the full moon I saw my first night here even more beautiful, in a tragic way.
As I process this new information, I attempt to use the techniques I was working on yesterday. Visualizing the information as being in the book I was reading, I then imagine placing the book on the appropriate shelf in my mental image of the library, doing my best to imprint it in my mind. I…think I’ve got it?
I sigh as I rub at my temple with a hoof. This will take some getting used to, but I can see how it could be helpful if I master it.
Hmmm…what if… I focus again, closing my eyes as I visualize the library again. I picture myself walking over to the modest section dedicated to magic, finding the book Cheerilee had provided me on the Subject on the shelf, and I turn to the page where Grasp is located.
Yes, it’s right there where it should be. I focus on the book before me and look down at the weave diagram in my mind, following along as if I were reading directly from it.
Even with the additional step of finding and referencing the mental image, putting the weave together is far faster than usual. Tightening and optimizing the weave takes less than half the time it typically does, and in about five seconds, I open my eyes to find the book floating in front of me.
I give an excited little noise and patter my hooves against the table as I feel a grin stretch across my face. Oh yes, now we're cooking. I think I might be onto something here. I wonder if I can come up with a few more new tricks…
I think that can wait until later. For now, I should try to focus on the basics and their immediate applications, if only to avoid overwhelming myself with new information.
I then move on to the other spell I know, the Light spell, cataloging that one in the same book. I haven’t used this one more than once or twice since I learned it, and the diagram in my mind is less defined and less reliable than the one for Grasp when I try to visualize it. I sigh as I take the book out again and turn to the page where the spell is located, staring at it intently as I commit the weave further to memory, visualizing myself erasing the first entry and redrawing it more clearly.
That seems to work. My image is significantly more precise, though it’s still a bit difficult to focus on. I wince and give a soft groan, closing my eyes and rubbing at my head with a hoof again. Focusing this hard is starting to give me a slight headache.
I stop for now, closing the book and putting it away before taking a look out the window. The sun is rising, a few glimmering, warm beams of light streaming into the library as the orb peeks over the horizon.
I wince just a bit again as the light hits my eyes, my budding headache flaring a bit. Yeah, alright then. Some Coffee definitely sounds good right about now. Hopefully, there’s somewhere in town to get a cup this early.
I slip my saddlebags on, making sure I still have the currency that the mare from the park had given me. Bits, they were called. I had learned that at the party the night before last. I would hope she at least gave me enough to buy a morning cup of coffee after molesting me that way, but we’ll see.
I lock up the library behind me before heading out. If I remember what the one who had given me the salt said correctly…yes! There it is!
I approach a rather elaborately decorated little shop, designed to look as if it were assembled from pastries of all sorts, sporting a gingerbread roof and a rather charming second story that looked like a couple of cupcakes stacked atop one another, candles cheerfully burning in the dim light of the dawn.
And what's more, I can smell it. Through the expected haze of sugar and vanilla, I can detect strong notes of coffee. Oh, thank God, yesssss.
I quickly enter the establishment, a small bell chiming as the door opens. I see a yellow-colored stallion working the front counter. His orange mane is cropped short, and a set of kind, warm green eyes decorate his expression.
He waves me over, smiling brightly as he watches me approach the counter. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” he says brightly. “You must be the new fella in town. Pinkie was telling me about you yesterday.”
I offer him a smile as I make it to the counter, stifling a small yawn. “Mnnnn…yes, I’m new in town. My name is Rose Tint. Pinkie gave me a welcome party a few days ago. I don't think I saw you there, though.” I say as I rummage through my saddlebag for the small hoofful of bits.
“Oh yeah, that tracks. The missus and I had to hang back and clean up after we did the catering for your party. Pinkie is the one who does the actual party planning.” He explains as he starts to polish a glass in his hooves.
I blink at this, tilting my head slightly before returning to my business, reaching for my cheat sheet in the bag. “Really? That’s too bad. I guess it’s a good thing I came in today. In that case, thank you for your hard work, Mister…”
He chuckles and waves me off casually before resuming his polishing. “Carrot Cake is just fine, kid. Now, what can I getcha?”
“A cup of Coffee and a white chocolate raspberry danish, please,” I say quickly as I look from the menu to my smell slip of paper, ensuring I’m reading correctly. I take out the money for the purchase and slide the bits across the counter to the stallion. “We were out of coffee at the library, so I figured this would be the best place to come until I can shop for more.”
He chuckles at this and takes my bits, sliding the pastry across the counter from the display case before going to the back to grab one of the couple of steaming pots to pour my cup of coffee. “In that case, toss me another bit, and I’ll send you home with a pound bag.”
I don’t hesitate, quickly slapping another bit down onto the counter as soon as the offer is made. After setting my cup down in front of me, Carrot sees this and trots into the back area where I presume the kitchen is. A few minutes later, he returns with a small brown package and sets it on the counter for me. I nod and take it, placing it in my saddlebags. “I must say, I’m surprised to see you guys open on Sunday like this. Isn't this a day of rest in Equestria?”
Carrot shrugs as he watches me take the package. “Ah, that’s mostly just for government offices and facilities, like the post or the mayor’s office. Most Ponies still open up shop for a bit and then close early in the afternoon to take the rest of the day to relax, but stuff still has to get done here and there, so we all do what we need to.”
While this exchange is going on, the door opens again, and the little bell chimes out as a small orange pegasus filly makes her way inside. Her magenta mane and tail are unkempt, and her eyes, similar to mine, are downcast as she approaches the counter.
She longingly looks over the selection of baked goods and assorted treats in the display cases. I can’t help but notice the conspicuous lack of any way to carry money on her person. I look down at my now somewhat diminished supply of bits, then over at my pastry. I had only come out for the coffee, really. The danish had been more of an impulse buy.
I put the pastry on a napkin and motion to the filly. “Hey, kid, are you hungry?” I ask gently, pushing the danish across the counter towards her.
She looks surprised but smiles and nods, taking the danish and enthusiastically digging into it. “Thanks, mister,” she says, muffled by her full mouth between large bites.
“You can thank me later. For now, just eat. You’re going to choke if you try to do both,” I say, holding back a small chuckle as I witness the foals' almost feral behavior. “What, are your folks not buying you breakfast?”
She seems to wilt a bit at this, and her enthused eating slows down a notable degree as she mulls the question over. “My parents are out of town a lot, but Aunt Holiday and Aunt Lofty come and check on me when they can, bring me money and food…”
“Huh…you don’t say? I don't think they are bringing enough if you’re over here at the crack of dawn ready to beg.” I say as I consider the foal, rubbing at my chin.
She seems a bit offended by my statement, stamping her little hoof. “Hey! How did you know I was gonna-I mean…I wasn’t gonna beg!” She insists with a displeased little huff.
“Of course not,” I say to appease her as I slowly reach into my bag again. I pull out another five bits, then look at Carrot Cake, getting his attention before gesturing with my head subtly back at the foal as I slide the bits across the counter. He nods, and I continue to talk to the filly. “What’s your name, by the way? I don’t think I caught it.”
She finishes scarfing down the danish and wipes the crumbs off her mouth. She beams up at her with confidence brimming in her eyes. “The name’s Scootaloo, what about you?”
“Rose Tint, I am training to help Miss Cheerilee run the library,” I say as I take my first sip of coffee. I make a satisfied little noise as I feel the hot elixir begin to seep its warmth through my body as it hits my stomach.
“Oh! I heard about you from one of the others at school, " she says as she leans over a bit, looking down at my saddlebag. “Is... is it true?” she asks in a small whisper as she gestures towards my flank.
I raise a brow at this, brushing it off with a chuckle. “Yeah, it’s true. I’m not worried about it, though. I didn't even know I was supposed to have one. It’ll show up when it shows up. I’ve been doing just fine without it, so I’m not in any hurry.”
She seems taken aback by this, leaning in a bit as she appraises me. “Really? But what if you never get it?”
“Then I guess I never get it,” I say with a shrug. I down the rest of my coffee as she tries to formulate an answer. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Scoots. Hang in there, okay?”
I turn and start on my way, resisting the urge to turn and look back at the filly. Whatever is going on with her, I’m not able to do much for her right now. I’ll have to ask Cheerilee what’s going on with her later.
In the meantime…well, I did kind of give the kid my breakfast. I should probably head back and see if I can’t make myself something with what’s left in the cabinets. Maybe do a little bit of studying. I’ve got a whole day ahead of me. Might as well make it count for something.
