Applejack looks up as Rainbow Dash and I walk through the wooden arch into the main operation area of the barn. Big MacIntosh is there as well, and Apple Bloom is probably still at school. She looks surprised to see me, which makes sense, considering I'm several hours late for work. It's funny how attempted suicide can mess up your schedule. Wow...I'm so dark I can joke about my own death.

"That you, Seth?" Applejack calls to me. Of course, me being me, I jump at the first opportunity to make a sarcastic comment.

"No, I'm some other human from three thousand years ago. You tell me," I respond casually, walking right up to her and her brother. They look like they were in the middle of gathering apples, like I'd helped Applejack do my first day of work. I guess with winter on it's way, they need to gather as much as possible.

"Fair 'nuff I guess. Yer a bit later than usual," Applejack observes, while Rainbow snickers behind a hoof. That small sound causes the farmer to look up and spot her. "Rainbow Dash? What're you doin' here?"

"Just thought I'd chill with my new buddy Seth," Rainbow replies nonchalantly. Applejack looks at her with surprise, and then looks at me. I'm giving Rainbow an askance look myself. I'm not sure how I feel about her referring to me so familiarly, and in public. Yeah, I don't hate her as much anymore, but I'm still waiting to see if she can live up to her word before I actually consider her my friend.

"Uh...y'all sure 'bout that?" Applejack clearly isn't convinced either. Rainbow puts on this air of confidence as she swoops around me, resting a hoof on my shoulder.

"Heck yeah! The two of us are just so awesome, we had to be friends." Applejack and I both raise an eyebrow at that. Did she just compliment me while at the same time, stroking her own ego?

"Uh..." Applejack begins, but I cut her off with an impatient wave of my hand. At this point, time is money.

"It's fine. Just tell me where I can be most useful." Now that got a reaction from Applejack. She looks at me like I've grown a second head. She probably thinks I just admitted to Rainbow being my friend. She can think whatever she wants. I don't care. I just want her to shut up so I can work.

"Sure...I guess. Well, the snows are comin' soon, so we need ta git all them apples bucked," Applejack begins, getting over her disbelief. Huh, so that means more heavy lifting. "Jus' foller me. Ah'm headin' back out there in a bit."

I acknowledge her with a nod, standing with my arms crossed. It suddenly crosses my mind as the fingers of my right hand rub along my stiff shirt that I never paid Rarity a visit. She's probably got some of my clothes ready. Eh, I'll go see her after work.

Applejack gives a few directions to Big MacIntosh, and then we head in the direction of the field. I can see many more trees that need to be harvested. I also notice that Rainbow Dash is still following us. When she said she was going to stay by my side, I didn't think she meant literally.

"What, do you plan on helping us work?" I say, addressing the multicolored pony, who is currently doing lazy corkscrews above us.

"Hah, yeah right. I'm here for moral support," Rainbow declares. I roll my eyes. Moral support. Seriously? She doesn't even do that. While Applejack and I start to work, Rainbow zooms up to the cloud layer. Now get this, she fucking brings down a piece of cloud from up there and plops down on it like it's a couch or something. Yeah, I can't really believe it either. "I'll be napping up here. Let me know if anything cool happens."

"Dammit, Rainbow," I mutter to myself, moving the baskets to where Applejack directs me. I think I can skip describing this part of the work, since it's literally just the same thing I did the first day.

No, what I do feel like mentioning is what I overhear when Applejack and Rainbow think I'm unable to hear them.

I can hear them right now, faintly, talking about the snows or whatever that Applejack mentioned earlier. They're standing by the tree while I'm lifting the baskets filled to the brim with apples into the cart. It's only when I hear Applejack say my name that I really start to pay attention.

"What about him?" Rainbow answers, lowering her voice. I can still hear her though, if I listen carefully.

"Weren't y'all the one that kept callin' him a jerk? What changed?" Applejack asks curiously. Peeking back, I can see Rainbow looking slightly sheepish.

"I...may have been wrong about him," she admits haltingly. Applejack looks downright shocked at that response.

"What? That ain't like you. Don't it take y'all much longer ta change yer opinion o' somepony?" Applejack follows up, stepping closer to Rainbow.

"Well...things changed. I'd tell you more, but I doubt he'd like it if I spilled the beans. You know how it is," Rainbow explains, shrugging.

Okay, now I'm starting to respect her.

Understanding dawns on Applejack's face. "Oh. Yeah, okay. Ah'd be lyin' if ah said ah didn't wanna know more, but ah won't pry."

Rainbow opens her mouth to say something, but then she spots me watching them. My expression is unreadable as I watch her face turn from surprise to guilt in less than a second. Applejack soon notices as well, and she immediately approaches me. "Ahright, ah think this cart's ready ta go back," she says, regarding me uncertainly. I think she's wondering if I overheard them.

Rainbow approaches me on her cloud as I follow Applejack, while she's pulling the cart back. "So...how much did you hear?" she asks me tentatively. I shrug nonchalantly.

"All of it," is my uncaring response. It's not really that big of a deal. I've had worse things said behind my back before.

"Oh...uh...yeah. So...I didn't tell her." It's pretty easy to tell that Rainbow has no idea how to approach me about something like this.

"So I noticed. I appreciate it," I tell her, my voice monotone. Rainbow sports a grin at my relatively positive response, and then does a flip.

"See? I told you I got your back!" she proclaims, causing me to roll my eyes again. I think she's trying too hard at this point. Give up. It's going to take more than that to convince me you're worth my time. For all I know, she could have known I was listening, and that's why she didn't say anything. That way she can garner good will from me. Too bad, that won't work on me.

---

Work continues until the sun starts to set, and nothing really notable happens. Rainbow and Applejack talk to one another idly as we work, and occasionally I chime in if I'm addressed, though I never utter more than a few syllables per response.

I did manage to learn a few things from listening. For example, the "snows" refers to the first official day of winter, when the pegasi gather the clouds and prompt snowfall. Though why these ponies choose to bring winter when it's apparently optional is beyond me. You have magic. Refresh the soil through that, or is there some rule saying you can't? This fucking world makes no sense.

Maybe I can get warm temperatures around Vinyl's place, since the head of the weather team has declared herself my friend. Actually, scratch that. That makes me a hypocrite, now that I think about it. I hate that people only want to be friendly so they can get something, and now I just considered doing the same. Glad I caught myself.

I'm now standing in Applejack's living room, resting against the wall with Rainbow next to me. Applejack is upstairs, grabbing my money. I think I have four bits still with me, and I worked about four hours, so that'll put me at eight. My damn suicide attempt cut into my revenue. Go figure.

"So where are ya staying?" Rainbow asks me suddenly, nudging me. Big MacIntosh, who is also in the room with us, watches me for a response as well.

"What does it matter?" I ask irritably, inspecting a small cut on my hand for splinters. Damn those baskets.

"So I can drop by whenever I want, of course," Rainbow answers as if it's the most obvious thing ever. Okay, already I don't like what I'm hearing.

"Sorry, but I'm not saying. There's times when I just want to be alone, and that won't happen if everypony knows where I am," I tell her flatly. Suddenly I realize something. "I just said 'everypony,' didn't I?"

"Eeyup," Big MacIntosh chimes in helpfully. I groan and let my face fall into my hands.

"Fuck, this place is affecting me. How long have I been saying it?"

"For a while now," Rainbow points out, and then she laughs as I groan again. I had sworn to myself that I'd never say that fucking word, or any variations of it, and I'm failing at it. It's like, subconscious at this point. I'm sure there's some psychological explanation for this, but I barely passed that class, so I don't fucking know. "But seriously, I know. I'm not going to be like Pinkie and bother you till you come hang, so what's the harm?"

"The answer's still no. It's bad enough that Applejack and Twilight know where I live," I retort, frustrating the pegasus further.

"What about if I tell you where I live? You know, even trade and all that?" Rainbow persists.

"Let me guess, on a cloud," I joke sarcastically, but to my surprise, Rainbow looks amazed.

"Wow, how'd you know?!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I ask rhetorically, throwing my arms up in the air. That had totally just been a joke making fun of the whole "pegasus move clouds" thing, but I'm actually right? It's like this life is trying to remind me that I live in a fucked up world.

"Look, Seth, I respect that you like having alone time. I do too. Heck yes, I love flying around with nopony else nearby." Rainbow finally gets serious, looking into my eyes. "But I promise, I'll respect that. It's what friends do."

"Friends, huh," I repeat, still unconvinced. But...now that I remember, I did tell Celestia I'd give these ponies a chance. "Fine. I'm living with Vinyl Scratch right now."

"Whoa, really? She's really cool. I bet you'll like her," Rainbow assures me, grinning. Just then Applejack walks down the stairs with my money in her mouth. She cranes her head back and sets the sack on her back.

"Yep, she's a decent sort. Ah'm glad ya took her offer, Seth," she says, joining the two of us. I give her a smoldering glare, disliking how she butted into our conversation. I'd call her out on it, but she's got my money.

"Whatever. Money?" I snap. Applejack seems disappointed at my cold treatment towards her. With a sigh, she hoofs over the sack to me. I take it and glance inside, and then I add my current funds to the new sack, resulting in a total of eight bits. That leaves me two bits for food tonight. Oh wait, I have a gig with Vinyl tonight, don't I? So I can save my money and gorge myself on free food.

"There ya go. Wanna stay fer dinner?" Applejack asks. Wait really? Again? How many times is she going to ask me that? My answer is never going to change, so please stop trying.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with no," is my response. Just like always, Applejack nods her head understandingly.

"Okay," Applejack responds, as always. I shake my head in confusion, and then make for the door.

"Later, AJ!" Rainbow calls back to her friend, following me out the door, which I shut behind me.

I don't get very far before I run into Apple Bloom and her friends, on their way back from school. Their reactions upon seeing us vary.

"Seth!" Apple Bloom exclaims happily, galloping to me excitedly.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo also exclaims, zooming to my companion at a similar speed. Sweetie Belle stays back, as she notes my presence. She and Scootaloo are the only ones that treat me as they should. It's Apple Bloom that confounds me.

I kneel down to greet Apple Bloom as she reaches me. By squatting all the way down, I can get on her level. She's only about two feet tall, really.

"Hey," I respond awkwardly. Ever since I cheered her up before, Apple Bloom has been acting really friendly with me. Is that just childlike...well I guess I should say foal-like naivete? Or does she, like Rainbow Dash, believe that I'm somehow a decent individual?

Apple Bloom takes me off guard by nuzzling my cheek affectionately. I nearly overbalance and fall backwards, but I push forward to keep myself upright. However, that means I unintentionally lean into Apple Bloom's nuzzle. She gasps softly, thinking I'm actually reciprocating her gesture. Following this is a happy..."squee," I guess, and the nuzzling intensifies.

Well, it wasn't my attention to reciprocate, but I guess there's no real harm if she likes it that much. When she pulls back from me, Apple Bloom is practically beaming. "How're ya doin' today?" she asks me eagerly. You know, I'm not used to hearing that question. Nobody usually gives a fuck how my day is going.

"Well, it's been one roller coaster of a day, that's for sure," I answer cryptically. There's no way I'm telling a little filly what went down today, but I won't lie to her at least.

"A what kinda day, now?" Apple Bloom gazes at me, perplexed. I stare blankly back. Do ponies not have theme parks? How do they not know what a roller coaster is?

"Ponies don't have roller coasters?" A shake of the filly's head confirms my suspicions. Wow, it sucks to be them. "Basically, humans have a cart that runs on a metal track that goes up and down hills for entertainment purposes."

"So yer day went up n' down hills?" Apple Bloom questions me, not understanding at all.

"Metaphorically speaking, yes." The filly still looks confused, so she turns to Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle, what does 'metaforkally' mean?" Apple Bloom inquires, butchering the pronunciation horribly to the point where I can't help but snicker under my breath.

"Metaphorically," Sweetie Belle corrects her, which leads me to believe she may be the most academically intelligent one of the three. Her next words compound that assumption. "It means he's making a metaphor, a figure of speech comparing two unrelated objects."

"Ah think ah get it...yer day had its ups n' downs?" Apple Bloom tries once more, looking back at me.

"Exactly," I affirm. Damn, we just wasted about a minute on a simple greeting. Then again, I am talking to a filly.

Apple Bloom presses up against my side, turning so that her face is next to mine. "Ah'm sorry yer day had it's downs," she expresses. I assume this whole physical affection thing she's got going on is her attempt to reassure me. These foals. They really are like human children, except ponies. Also, Apple Bloom is a remarkable filly. Girls her age back in my era were spoiled and bratty, growing up to become trash not worth anyone's time. There's really no comparison between their behavior and Apple Bloom's. She's a lot more mature than I'd expect.

Then the filly brightens up. "Ah know! You should come play with us at our clubhouse!" she suggests excitedly. My eyebrow shoots up. Are you kidding me?

"Uh...Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle interjects hesitantly. I guess I'm not the only one who's not altogether thrilled with this idea. Okay, so I don't mind talking to Apple Bloom. I have to draw the line at playing with fillies. No fucking way.

"Hey, you can't just invite that thing into our clubhouse!" Scootaloo snaps, breaking away from her conversation with Rainbow, who immediately looks at me in alarm as I rise back to my full height.

"But Scootaloo," Apple Bloom protests, but I beat her to it.

"This 'thing' has a name, you brat," I shoot back at Scootaloo, my eyes narrowed. "I suggest you watch your tone with me."

"Or what? You gonna threaten me like you did Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo counters. Huh, that's one brave little filly.

"H-hey, cool it, you two!" Rainbow chooses now to get between us. My hand had been reaching for my rifle subconsciously, but when I see Rainbow, my hand falls away. "Scoots, you should be more willing to give him a chance."

"But...Rainbow Dash, he..." Scootaloo starts, pointing a hoof at me, even as I smirk in victory.

"Seth, you shouldn't be so quick to yell at a filly," Rainbow then says to me. My eyes widen in shock.

"Did you just fucking scold me?" I asked in disbelief. Rainbow catches my gaze and holds it, her stern expression meeting my incredulous one.

"She's a filly, Seth. You can't hold her to the standards you do everypony else," Rainbow reminds me.

"I most certainly can," I mutter under my breath, turning away. Thankfully, Rainbow doesn't hear me, so she thinks I've backed down.

"He's just a bully, like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Scootaloo huffs, though she too backs down. Think whatever you want, brat. But if you get in my way, I'll make sure you regret it.

"I'm leaving now. I have shit to do," I declare, and then I start to walk down the path that leads back into Ponyville. You know, a part of me dies every time I write this damn town's name.

"But...don't ya wanna come play?" Apple Bloom asks me pleadingly, following me for the first few steps.

"Of course not. Besides, even if I did, clearly I'm not welcome," I respond spitefully, not even slowing down. Apple Bloom is very fast, though, enough to trot next to me as I walk.

"Please?" Now, Apple Bloom pulls the worst trick something like her can possibly pull. She looks up at me with the most adorable expression I've ever seen. She's got those damn puppy dog eyes, and her lower lip is just barely poking out. No...I have...to resist...fucking...goddammit.

"Fine, but not today," I relent with a heavy sigh. "I really do have things to do today. I need to drop by Rarity's and get some clothes, and then I have a gig with Vinyl. I'll come grab you tomorrow or something."

"Yay! Thank you!" Apple Bloom cries happily, and then she responds by throwing herself at me. Caught by surprise, I reflexively reach out my arms, and she falls into them. Her momentum causes me to fall back on my ass with a very happy filly in my arms.

"All right, all right," I say, chuckling a bit. She wiggles in my arms and nuzzles my chest adorably. She's really so innocent. I'm almost envious of her. "I gotta get moving, though."

Apple Bloom nods and gets off of me, allowing me to stand back up and dust myself off. "Ah'll see ya tomorrow then!" The filly smiles widely, and then she gallops back to her friends.

Rainbow is talking to Scootaloo about something back at the barn. I can't hear them, but Scootaloo doesn't look happy. I wonder what they're talking about.

I don't plan on waiting. Rainbow can catch up later if she wants. Or not. I don't really care. I just know I'm not escaping this land of magical ponies so easily.

Just like the other day, I decide to take the quicker path through the park to Rarity's place. There's no sign of Lyra anywhere, so it's safe to pass through the fountain clearing.

There are some other ponies in this area, unlike the last time I was here. To my disgust, two of the ponies here are kissing. Gross! Can you not do that inside or something? Talk about rude. Suddenly, I realize that the two overly loving ponies are both female. I'm sorry what? I'M SORRY WHAT?!

Yeah, humans are overly homophobic. Chances are, if something like this happened at my college, it would be a scandal, and the two offenders would probably be suspended. If not that, then they would be avoided and ridiculed by the other students until the rumors died away. Knowing that, I almost cry out in shock. Are homosexual relationships allowed here? Because it doesn't look like the other pony that is here really cares that much.

I...guess I'll ask Rarity or something. I don't want to stare, so I keep moving. That's a lot to take in.

Just as I approach the hill that leads up to Rarity's, I spot something that makes me freeze dead in my tracks. So remember what I said about Lyra not being here? Life has once again decided to go the path of "let's screw this Seth guy," because now she's standing right at the foot of the hill, her lyre hovering in the air just in front of her.

It doesn't take her long to spot me. Lyra gives me a smile and a wave, almost as if she believes that attempting to be nice will get me to forget that she wants me to have sex with her. "Hey there, Seth. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"No, no, no, a million times no," I express firmly, much to her despair. I turn around, shaking my head in annoyance. "Oh my god, no."

"Come on, it'll only take a moment!" Lyra begs, following behind me, back towards the fountain.

"Hey! How about no?" I snap back at her, completely uninterested in anything this disgusting pony has to say.

"Please! I'm sorry!" She continues to follow behind me, drawing the attention of the other ponies in the fountain area as we walk into it. Upon ignoring me, Lyra's face turns from sorrow to desperation.

Suddenly I can't move. No matter how much I strain my primary motor muscles, they just won't move. A quick glance over my body confirms that I'm encased in Lyra's mint green magic. "That's just not fucking fair."

"I'm really sorry, but you just won't listen any other way," Lyra says apologetically, though it does little to calm my rising anger. What the hell is she planning to do, now that I can't move?

"We're in the middle of the fountain plaza! Do you really want to do this here?!" I yell at her, referring to the several ponies that are in the area as well, who are all looking at the scene we're causing, nonplussed.

"No, you're right. We'll move elsewhere," Lyra admits, and then I'm moving. I'm not kidding. Apparently not only can unicorns freeze me in place with their magic, they can also move me, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

"Put me the fuck down!" I scream at her. I'm not comfortable at all like this. She can do whatever she wants to me now. Hell, any unicorn can! What the hell does Lyra want with me anyway?

My blood runs cold as my thoughts run over her possible, more darker motives. How serious is she about fucking me? Am I going to end up raped in an alley somewhere? I swear to god, I'll fucking tear this pony limb from limb.

Unlike what I was expecting, Lyra puts me down on the bridge that spans the river close to Sweet Apple Acres. She releases me from her magic, and honestly I'm tempted to book it away from her. I have no idea what she's planning, but that magic worries me. I should ask Twilight if I can counter it somehow.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bash your damn head in and run," I growl at Lyra viciously, causing her to recoil back.

"I'm just trying to apologize to you! I'm sorry I had to bring you here forcefully, but you just wouldn't give me a chance!" Lyra protests. Holy shit, she's actually crying.

"I have no interest in..." I begin, but Lyra shocks me yet again.

"JUST BE QUIET AND LISTEN!" she yells at me tearfully. I'm so surprised I just stop talking. She never really seemed like the kind of pony to be so assertive, but first impressions are never reliable, I guess. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that what I said in the plaza before would make you never want to talk to me again. Please, can we forget it ever happened?"

"Sorry, but no. I can't look at you anymore without thinking about it. You're just plain fucked up, being interested in a different species," I respond bluntly. Lyra looks crushed. "Especially me. There's nothing about me worth that kind of interest."

"But...it's not that uncommon! Relationships between consenting adults of two different species are accepted in Equestria!" Lyra argues. That gets me to pause. What? Seriously? Nopony cares if one of them is fucking a minotaur or something? How is that possible? Back in my era, the very idea of interspecies relationships was total taboo. Which probably had something to do with the fact that there weren't any other sentient species. However, even in fiction it was looked down on. There are the crazies of course that draw twisted shit on the internet, but those are widely considered to be worthless scum, an opinion I agree with. Hell, if I'd have considered fucking a pony in my time, I'd have been ostracized in a flash.

"Okay...let's assume I believe that," I say slowly. Suddenly something hits me. "Wait, so you were interested?"

Lyra's response is to blush and look at the ground. Un-fucking-believable.

"Why?!" I demand, throwing up my hands. Lyra is silent for a few moments as she tries to compose herself.

"Well...you're...not that bad to look at. I especially like your mane," Lyra stammers out, her blush intensifying. I'm struck speechless by her compliments, while a hand subconsciously reaches up and runs through my hair.

Everyone has just insulted my appearance, for as long as I can remember. Of course, my mother tells me I'm handsome, but she's biased. It's the same as one obese mother telling her obese son he's handsome. No, I'm used to people telling me I look like a damn girl, with how smooth and rounded my face is, and how my hair is always long and glossy. The insults weren't that bad in college, but the further back in my life you go, the worse it gets. No girl would look at me, because the guys who hated me would just tell everyone I was gay. What with the way I looked, it wasn't that hard for someone to look at me and say, "Yeah, I can believe that." Once a rumor like that takes root, you don't get away from it.

"That's bullshit. You're lying to me, right?" I stammer. Lyra shakes her head.

"No, I'm serious. I bet the human mares were all over you," she affirms. My expression turns darker at that. I just got through thinking about that.

"Yeah right. No girl's ever looked at me twice," I snap irritably. Now Lyra looks shocked.

"But, why not? I don't understand. I'm not sure what human mares find appealing, but you're...striking," Lyra presses. The more she compliments me, the more she blushes. Ugh, she totally wants me. This is...if she was unable to freeze me in place whenever she wanted, I would just fucking leave.

"Hell if I know. Now, back to the original subject," I reply. Lyra nods shyly. "I appreciate the compliments, but I'm not interested. It doesn't matter how accepting you are. I'm just not attracted to ponies."

Lyra nods, taking it a lot better than I expected. "Okay. It's probably better you tell me now. I mean, I didn't want anything right then and there, of course," she explains with a giggle. "I was just trying to see if you were the kind of stallion I'd enjoy dating."

"So let me get this straight. You weren't soliciting me for sex, but just casual flirting to see if there was mutual interest?" I say, rewording her explanation to see if I properly understood.

"That's right. I'm not that easy," Lyra agrees, giving me a cheeky grin. I grunt and cross my arms, thinking. I'm not going to lie, I still find the very idea of a pony hitting on me absolutely deplorable, but at least now I know that she wasn't trying to fuck me right after she just met me. I despise women like that, and that extends to mares.

"All right. As long as you remember that I'm not interested, I guess I can overlook it this time," I relent. Lyra's expression becomes radiantly happy, and she moves forward and hugs my waist.

"Oh, thank Celestia. I thought I'd ruined our friendship because I was being a little too forward," Lyra sighs, her head resting against my stomach. Goddamn, are all these ponies so damn huggy? Not to mention, I don't recall considering you a friend in the first place. I'd call her out on that, but I just got through one of her tearful rampages. If she's anything like Rainbow, if I tell her that I'm not her friend, she'll probably hold me here until I explain why. I'm going to avoid that trap.

"Whatever. Can you get off me now so I can go to Rarity's?" I request, fidgeting uncomfortably. Lyra giggles and backs off, her front hooves planting back on the ground with a soft clop.

"Sorry. Will I see you at Vinyl's gig tonight?" she inquires hopefully. Shit...she's going to be there. It's probably better that we talked things out now, because it would have been super awkward if we'd tried to do it at the bar.

"Yeah. I'm helping her set up," is my terse response.

"All right! I'll see you then," Lyra calls after me while I'm walking up the hill to the Carousel Boutique. I don't reply, feeling that there's nothing more to say.

That could have gone much worse. No, the only thing that bothers me is how all these ponies think it's okay to force themselves on me. Whether it's Rainbow with her insane speed, or Lyra with her magic, I just can't get any time to myself. I can't wait until I get enough money for my own place. I'll never go outside again once I get to that point.

A few knocks on the door alerts the inhabitant of my presence. The door swings open and Rarity is revealed. She puts on a small smile when she sees me. "Oh! Do come in, darling, I have several outfits ready for you to try," she addresses me eagerly. I really wish she'd stop calling me that.

Following her inside, the first thing I notice is a human mannequin standing in the center of the room. Huh, I guess she made that after taking my measurements. There's an outfit on it right now.

"I must say, I had expected you earlier," Rarity hums while she rummages through one of the closed off areas behind curtains.

"The princesses had other ideas," I remark, staring at the mannequin. It's sporting a dark violet, long sleeved shirt, with white strips around the collar and cuffs. Violet's not a color I usually wear, but at least it's a darker shade that I can tolerate. As for the pants...there is a genuine set of blue jeans there, with pockets and everything. Wow, that's just impressive.

"Really? The princesses came to visit you?" Rarity stops what she's doing for a moment to look over her shoulders at me. When I nod, she gives a small gasp. "Oh, I envy you the pleasure. Aren't they just divine?"

"They're something else," I agree. With the two of them in charge, I can see how this place is as peaceful as it is. One of them trusts no one, and the other appears to be caring and benevolent. The combination of those two traits is a force to be reckoned with. "By the way, how the hell did you manage to replicate my jeans to such perfect detail?"

"Oh, you like them? I was worried you wouldn't." Rarity practically glows at my question. "It was mostly trial and error. You have no idea how many tries it took me before I could get the details just right."

"So you reconstructed these from memory?" I query. Hell, I'm actually kind of impressed. She's only seen them a few times, and she made a perfect set just by looking at the shitty pair I'm wearing now?

"That's correct! Now, would you do me a favor and change into them?" Rarity envelops the outfit on the mannequin with her magic and levitates the clothing over to me, folding each individual article at the same time.

"Gladly. Where can I get some privacy?" I ask, allowing Rarity to place the folded up clothes into my arms.

"Hmm, there's a bathroom upstairs. Why don't you shower while you're at it? No offense, but you smell of sweat," Rarity suggests, wrinkling her nose. I shrug uncaringly.

"Whatever. I'll be back down in a bit," I tell her. Remembering where the stairs are from my last visit, I move through the door at the back. The stairs spiral upwards steeply to save space, but they're built for ponies, so I can walk up several steps at once.

I don't know what room is the bathroom, so I just check every single door until I find it. I end up looking into several rooms, one of which looks like it might be Sweetie Belle's room, and another that is extravagant enough to be Rarity's. There's another staircase that leads up, but the bathroom is the door just before that. I step inside, and immediately start ogling the place.

Wow, this place is nice. Compared to Vinyl's, Rarity's shower is twice its size, and enclosed by gorgeous mottled glass. There's also a tub set into the ground, but that I don't care about. The toilet is tucked into the back right corner of the room. I feel like I don't need to say it, but everything is immaculately clean.

I turn on the shower, adjusting the temperature until it's just slightly past the midpoint. That way it'll be warm, but not too hot. My mother once told me that overly hot water irritates the skin and damages the hair, causing drier skin and split ends. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I love my fucking hair. Learning that caused me to say "screw that," to hot showers forever.

Stripping my clothes and rifle away, I heave a sigh of relief. These fucking clothes have gotten so rugged and stiff that they've caused red patches on my skin where they rub against me on a daily basis. Lastly, I set the clothes Rarity made onto the vanity before I finally step into the shower.

Oh my god, the pressure is perfect. Holy shit, is that a place to sit down? In a shower? Goddamn, this is luxurious. Just how much money does she make?

Why am I even describing myself taking a shower? Who knows. I don't make sense to myself either. Actually, that's a lie. I'm describing it because this is when I finally start to feel like me again.

I finish washing myself quickly, resisting the temptation to take a twenty minute nap in there. Once again, I forgo using any shampoo, because I still don't trust pony hair products. This is going to take a toll on my hair, but there's really nothing I can do about it.

Refreshed, I step out of the shower and dry off with a purple fluffy towel. Next, I unfold Rarity's jeans, noticing a separate garment placed inside of it. Are those...boxers? Yes they are, and oh my god they feel soft. What are these made of, satin?

I slip them on, enjoying it probably more than I should. As dumb as it sounds, it feels like I'm wearing a damn cloud. The jeans go next, and surprisingly they're a damn good pair. They aren't too tight, thankfully, but neither are they baggy. Then comes the long sleeved shirt. It feels really soft against my skin. It's like Rarity went all out for this stuff. Is it really all right for me to take this stuff? Suddenly I start doubting Rarity's goodwill. Is making clothes for a human really a fair trade for clothes of this quality?

After putting on the socks she provided me, I gather up my old clothes and rifle and head back down the stairs.

Interestingly enough, there's another pony in the front room, talking to Rarity in a very soft, dulcet voice. Her fur is buttery yellow, and her mane is a soft pink, and falls over the side of her face that is directed towards me, so I can't really see what she looks like. She's a pegasus too, if those wings are anything to go by. They don't look as muscular as Rainbow's though, but I suppose that's to be expected. Lastly, that tattoo on her ass is of three pink butterflies. What kind of talent does that indicate?

"Are you sure it won't be too much trouble?" the pegasus asks softly in a voice so damn sweet I feel like it could give someone diabetes.

"Of course, darling! Moving the appointments won't be that hard at all," Rarity assures the other pony with an honest smile. "We can probably do it earlier, as well. How does tomorrow sound?"

"Tomorrow? Oh, that's..Friday. I can do that," the pegasus replies. She opens her mouth to say something else, but I grow bored of listening, so I walk into the room.

"Make plans later. I got places to be," I declare impertinently, striding up to the two of them. The moment the pegasus sees me, she lets out a loud "eep!" and then practically disappears, dashing into the nearest curtained off area. I gaze after her, perplexed. "Aaand she's gone."

"Oh, you'll have to forgive her. She's very shy around new ponies, or human in your case," Rarity explains sheepishly. Glancing back at the curtains, I can see the pegasus watching me shyly from behind the curtains.

"Eh, she can stay there for all I care. I didn't come here to socialize," I grunt, turning away from the shy pony. Rarity gives me a stern look.

"Now, darling, at least introduce yourself. It's only polite," she admonishes me lightly. I raise an eyebrow.

"Polite? Excuse me, miss prissy, have you met me?" I remark, but Rarity's expression doesn't change, despite the not so nice nickname I gave her. "Ugh, fine."

Relenting with bad grace, I face the curtain again, doing my best to put on an approachable expression. Except it doesn't work. The most I manage is a neutral look. "'Sup? I'm Seth Rogers," I say as casually as possible. The pegasus behind the curtain shrinks back at my voice, but eventually takes a shaking step forward.

"Um...I'm...Fluttershy," the pegasus returns, speaking so softly that I can barely hear her.

"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't quite hear you?" I respond, keeping my expression neutral. Fluttershy gulps and tries again.

"I...I'm...F-Fluttershy," she repeats, her voice slightly stronger. Oh my god, this world and its obvious names. Really? She has a butterfly tattoo on her ass and she's shy, so she's Fluttershy.

"Sweet. Nice to meet you and shit. Okay, can we get on with it now?" I say quickly, turning back to Rarity. She still looks disapproving, but she relents since I technically did what she wanted.

"I suppose. Fluttershy, I'll see you tomorrow, all right?" Rarity says to the shy pony, who nods and speeds out the door. "I really wish you'd used a little more tact, darling."

"Cry me a river," I scoff, earning another look of disapproval from her. That look soon changes to one of curiosity, and she steps closer to me. "What are you doing?"

"Just looking at your hair, darling. I can't help but notice that it looks a tad...greasy," she points out, causing me to seethe in anger. Don't you fucking hate on my hair, you son of a bitch.

"That's because I don't know how pony shampoo will affect me. Can you drop it now?" I snap at her, but she doesn't seem to have heard me.

Rarity levitates a stool over to her, which she then hops on. Then, she sticks a hoof into my hair, feeling it. What even the...yeah no. I push her hoof away. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Hm, I don't think you have anything to worry about, dear. It seems similar in composition to our manes, so they shouldn't adversely affect you," Rarity reassures me. Then her eyes light up. "Oh! You should come to the spa tomorrow with Fluttershy and I! I'm certain they'll help style your hair for you."

"Yeah, that's not happening. I barely have enough money to feed myself, much less go to a damn spa," I tell her flatly.

"Oh please, it's not that expensive. It's just about fourteen bits a visit," Rarity disagrees, waving a hoof at me.

"I have eight bits to my name," I deadpan. Rarity's lips form a small "o." She then attempts to say something else, but I already know what it's going to be. "And no, you're not paying for me, so don't even suggest it."

"Honestly, darling, you really must learn that it's all right to accept a favor every once in a while," Rarity scolds me, but I'm not having any of it.

"And you need to learn to mind your own damn business. Now, didn't you have more outfits for me to try?" I point out. Rarity huffs, but at the mention of her other outfits, she gets a look of such joy, that one thought crosses my mind.

I immediately regret this decision.

---

So, lots of things happen in this chapter. Most importantly, Seth finally meets Fluttershy, the last, but certainly not the least of the mane 6. Of course, it wasn't very long, because I had to keep them in character.

Honestly, I almost decided to give up this story, what with all the hate I seem to be getting for it. Thankfully, I chose to keep going, thanks to people like Deadman117, who left me such a nice review that I was inspired to finish this chapter. Thanks, dude, I really appreciate it.