Warmth was the first thing to fill your senses as you began to stir from the sleeping world. The warmth of a soft fur body, with the gentle thump of a steady heartbeat sounding through flesh and into your ears, relaxing your body, freeing you from the cares of the world and just letting you drift in the half-asleep realm for a few moments more... Next came the smell, caressing your nostrils and drifting in down through your passages on their path to the memory sections of your brain. The smell was one of nature, strong yet pleasant, filled with herbs and spice, plants and trees. A scent of mystery and concoction, exploration and experimentation, all mixed into one delicious and comfortingly familiar aroma... A VERY familiar aroma come to think of it, which was odd because you couldn't think of a single place in Manehatten you could find this smell of wild wonderment, only the scents of cheap perfume, watered down cider, puke resulting from watered down cider, and trash... ... wait a minute...

You fainted? Fainted. What kind of failed excuse for an Uber-pony... oh, forget it. WAKE UP!

Your eyes snapped wide as the comfortable bliss of awakening was shattered by the far less pleasant state of actually being awake. You shot upright into a seating position only to wince as a sharp pain flared up in your left side. You began to move your left forehoof down to rub the offending spot only to find your hoof tugging against cloth. A quick look down revealed that your left foreleg was now held in a white cloth sling, wrapping around your shoulder which had itself been wrapped in several lairs of bandaging. All in all, your left foreleg was out of commission, your left side hurt, and your heart was now quickly pounding with the fear of one who felt he'd gone to sleep with entirely too much left undone. Not the best wake up you've ever had... then again, not nearly as bad as some OTHER recent wake-ups you've undergone.

Zecora's familiar rhyming pattern brought you out of your anxious musing, while her forehooves, as they wrapped around you and pulled you back to rest your head on her chest, helped bring you back into the feeling of comfortable warmth... your hearbeat slowed as you once again listened to her steady thump, letting yourself relax while she let you use her body like a pillow... You took a few moments to breathe in deeply, moving your right forehoof down over her forelegs, encouraging them to stay wrapped around your chest where they were most comfortable to you, before you finally felt calm enough to look up into her face and confirm that it was, indeed, your zebra lovebug currently holding you.

It was. Zecora was looking down to you with a gentle smile on her face and a gaze of calm relief, her eyes meeting yours and encouraging you to forsake the panic that had so recently claimed you. She continued to smile at you, as she brought her right forehoof up to your mane, and began to stroke it gently...

She stated softly as you blinked again. Furrowing your brows a bit, you tried to remember exactly how you'd gotten injured this-

Alright, what have we acomplished today. Let's review.

1) You discaplined a tribalist unicorn.

2) you fought, and killed, the planimal cloak....by washing it!

3) You dug up memories of what the foals used to call you.

4) And last, but not least, you managed to pass out JUST as Zecora and her very hot sounding friend we're coming in.

...all in all, not the worst way to end a day.

Oh. Right. ... ... ... Buck...

You lowered your eyes from Zecora's face to look around the hut... it was a mess. Bottles were scattered everywhere, patches of plant monster goop were stuck to the floor, and there was a stain in the wood that looked to be some sort of lighter green version of the goop, though what that was you weren't really sure. The severed planimal heads were still lying around, and the teeth that had been wiggling earlier were still lying on the floor, their tiny tendrils dead and lying withered all around the quickly browning planimal teeth... ewww. The whole place looked like a battle-zone, which it had been. All of Trixie's hard cleaning work gone to waste... and you had something to do with that.

You closed your eyes and took a deep shaky breath. You felt kind of guilty about this. For making Zecora worry, for contributing to the shambled state of things, as though they were somehow your fault... But that wasn't the case of course. Trixie'd had it coming. The plant-animal-cloak-monster-thing was a complete surprise that you'd handled as best you could, and even an Uberpony like you would be expected to faint after so much blood loss. Even if fainting period was kind of wimpy, wussy, and pansyriffic... As for the recovered memories, they were... still kinda blurry for some reason...

The point though was that this situation wasn't really your fault, you'd done better than a lot of ponies might have with the same challenges to face... but you still felt the need to apologize, for things going the way they did if nothing else. So you lifted your head up, and looked back into Zecora's eyes, before sighing softly and licking your lips.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you worry... Didn't really expect any of this to happen... And that's the stuff before this to, all sorts of things happened that I just wasn't prepared for and... ... Apparently I'm quite a hoof-full..." You spoke sincerely, with a hint of humor in your voice, giving Zecora an awkward and apologetic smile. The zebra smiled back at you, and for just a moment you thought you could see a bit of a glistening in her eyes. Zecora leaned down over you, lowered her lips to your forehead, and planted a gentle kiss upon your brow...

Spoke the zebra softly... And for just a moment, something caught in your eye and made it start to moisten up. It had to be something in it. Stallion's didn't cry, especially not uberponies. So you blinked it away and shook your head, sniffling slightly, before an-

"Awwwwwww..." Sounded from the doorway.

Your head snapped up at the sound of the unknown intrusion, and you quickly turned your wide eyes to see just what pony had been witness to this intimate moment.

3) Introduce yourself to Rarity...DON'T STARE AT HER FLANK!

Now make sure that Zecora's friend doesn't think bad of you! She sounds like a real class act, so try to be on your best behaviour. Don't stare too much, even if she's pretty and would make a wonderful companion piece to your other girls. Girl. Whatever! Get coat, make good impression, assuage Zebra jealousy, fantasise about the mares in your life later when you're alone. Like whether any of them would like a good spanking after playing with each other for your amusement.

Anywho, you appear to have passed out like a pansy. But don't panic! Because panicking is for pansies as well and you are already scoring pretty high on the pansy-o-meter. So, this prissy tailor pony is coming to make you a trench coat. This is good; trench coats can hide all kinds of fun stuff, so you probably shouldn't piss her off until you get the trench coat. Once you do have the trench coat, you should probably start plotting to murder her, because her voice annoys you and she has a stupid face. Or, you know, just because. No motivation is best motivation.

She was beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. Marvelous. Bucking hot! Her coat was bright white, immaculately groomed and kept, even after having presumably walked through the Everfree. Her mane was long with elegant curls at just the right places to give it a bit of a bounce, with a luxurious shine that was the result of who knew how many beauty products. Her hooves were perfectly kept, so well so that you could've sworn they were absent of even flecks of dirt, while her eyes were a beautiful deep blue, framed well with long eyelashes. Her attire, if one could really call it that, was fairly simple. Pale pink saddle-bags with blue diamond emblems upon both sides, but as simple as they the fact that she was wearing them made them seem to look... well... good. You couldn't see her flank as it was, unfortunately, outside the doorway at the moment. But you could reasonably infer from the evidence presented that she was probably a hot piece of flank, and that you would totally like to tap it.

You could also reasonably infer that she was bucking annoying... You, weren't entirely sure why... Maybe it was because she was obviously as much the product of beauty products as her own natural beauty, like those dumb bimbo sluts in Manehatten who pranced and preened and got all tacked up, just to swoon around wealthy stallions, hoping to dig and hit a pot of gold. Maybe it was because she had a horn growing out of her head, and while you typically hadn't had many problems with unicorns before, recent personal identity crises mixed with Trixie involvement had made you sensitive to the difference. Maybe it had to do with her trot-in commentary on your moment with Zecora. Or maybe it was just because she was a pretty mare, and recent events involving zebras excluded, you've never gotten along too well with pretty mares ... Yeah, maybe that's it.

Your internal musings were interrupted by the interloper piping up once more.

"Oh forgive me for eavesdropping darlings, but you just looked sooooooo cute together!" She practically cooed, her eyes bright and wide with an excited smile on her face. You, on the other hoof, raised your right eyebrow. ... Cute? ... ... Last you checked you had random shit growing out of your body, had recently been bandaged up, had gotten scarred as buck, and were also a damn stallion. How exactly did your match up to any definition of cute?

If she noticed your doubt as to the validity of her statement, she didn't let on, instead prancing into the hut through the open door with a light and cheery step. You turned your gaze to look to her flank as it trotted up into view, and as you had surmised, it was pretty bucking hot. Refined and smooth, curvy and soft, the sort you just wanted a mare to lift up and wiggle in the air for your pleasure while she smacked lips with another mare... Or, something like that... ... It was mostly hidden by her tail though, long and elegantly styled, curled and tastefully covering her flank, obscuring most of it from your view.

Which was kind of a let dow- GOOD! Which was kind of a good thing because you certainly weren't going to watch another mare's flank in front of Zecora! No sir, heheheheheh, nope, do NOT need another spat... And it would also be wrong or... would it? Actually be wrong? Zecora did mention herds after all, so polygamy wasn't exactly a universally taboo pract-

ANYWAYS, you licked your lips, and looked up to see if Zecora had noticed your wandering... errrrrr, appreciating? OBSERVING! Observing eyes, because that was what you were doing and that was ALL you were doing. But Zecora's own orbs were focused on the unicorn mare and not upon you. Whew!

You, grateful that a completely innocent examination of another mare's posterior wasn't going to turn into another argument, turned your attention back to the strange unicorn who had pranced up to the table, pointedly stepping far away from patches of goop, and as she reached the wooden surface her horn began to glow.

"Now I did as you asked Zecora darling!" Continued the newcomer unicorn, as a blue aura surrounded her saddle-bags, and they unstrapped themselves and levitated off of her back up onto the scarred table.

"And I- Whatever happened to your table?"

Well, that brought back the ol guilt. Along with some embarrassment. Your face flushed a little, warmth growing in your cheeks, and you gulped down a small lump in your throat before tentatively looking up at Zecora. Unlike you she didn't seem to have any noticeable physical response to the event, continuing to regard Rarity with a light smile.

Spoke Zecora calmly, causing Rarity to blink, shake her head quickly, and look away from the offending spot to your saddle bag. Honestly you were kind of surprised she hadn't commented on all the plant goop... Well... she'd been awake longer than you... Maybe she'd already gotten all the shock at the mess out of her system, and just hadn't noticed the table thing until now?

"Oh yes! Of course, ahem, well!" Started the mare, reaching forward with her teeth and pulling back the flap of her right saddle-bag on the table before she continued.

"I'm afraid your cloak wasn't entirely, errrrr, salvageable... I'll have to make you a new one! No charge of course, it'll be my pleasure!" Spoke the unicorn, raising her front right forehoof up and waving off complaints as Zecora just started to open her mouth, pre-emptively destroying argument against such a generous action. Zecora closed said mouth again with a knowing smirk, no doubt coming to the conclusion that to even attempt argument at this point would be fruitless, as the unicorn mare continued.

"But the flowers were EXACTLY where you said they'd be and they worked like a charm!" She stated happily, before leaning down, mouth moving inside of the open flap of her bag, and pulling something out.

Also: What happened to plant thing? It turned against its dominant head after your fight... didn't it? What is that thing? It reacted to your sound blade, so maybe, once your have the time, try if you can communicate with the thing one way or another. And don't you feel, well, connected to it somehow? There's something about it, and you need to know more...

burn it in unholy fire. Until there's a pile of ash.

Well well well now! You actually seriously contemplated feeding Trixie to that thing! You didn't actually do it, which is disappointing, but progress! Well I'm new to this little show, and the other voices are constantly going on and on about smart things and manipulations and moral ambiguity and what not. Folly, I say! I shall be the voice of mostly pointless maliciousness! Everything I suggest will somehow correlate to the misery of those around you! Why? Because some ponies just want to watch the world burn. You should be one of those ponies! Why? Because fire is fun to watch! Speaking of fire, you should start some. Preferably within somepony's house. While they sleep.

Also, after you wake up and deal with the whole situation that you got caught in, you should practice using your musical instrument of death on your new miniature planimal test subject. Try to teach it commands using different pitches. Maybe, if your lucky and have enough practice, you can get good enough with it to pull off a pied-piper sort of thing. Play your sword on the ground as you walk and the Everfree creatures will follow you.

Your face paled beneath your fur. Your eyes grew wide as you saw the mare pull out a small cage, rectangular with a triangle-shaped wooden top and a square wooden base, with what looked like bamboo cylinders holding top to bottom and forming a cage, the unicorn holding it by a small wooden loop coming from the top with her teeth. Inside the cage was a small lump of compact dirt, and the planimal-monster-thing sitting with small blue-green roots and tiny blue tendrils buried in said dirt. It looked like it was sleeping, all three of its remaining heads drooping with closed eyes, one with a small green sap bubble blowing up and deflating at the end of it's right nostril in time with what sounded like tiny snores.

Your right eye twitched as you saw the unicorn set the plant monster thing right there on the table. You weren't sure what disturbed you the most. The fact that Zecora and her unicorn friend had let a dangerous plant monster live after it tried to kill you, that Zecora apparently had a cage made the right size for tiny planimal monsters, that neither of them seemed to be especially freaked out about it, or maybe even that it had the audacity to SLEEP after ATTACKING YOU. Whatever the cause of your aggravation, you had a distinct and pointed desire to BURN THE BUCKING THING TO ASH!!! MAKE THAT LITTLE PLANT SQUEAL AS FLAMES LICKED OVER IT'S BODY!!! MAKE THE BUCKER HURT AND SCREAM FOR IT'S LIFE BEFORE IT DIED!!!

It wasn't until Zecora's grip around you tightened that you realized you'd started to rise up. You also only then noticed your increased heart rate, the blood rushing to your face, the rapid pace of your breathing, and the increased intensity of your death glare towards the caged monster... You also noted that your horn had felt a little weird, for just a moment. Sure it was probably nothing...

You began to breathe easier as she spoke... and thanked Cel- ... thanked a vague notion of a higher power, that she mistook your mounting rage for simple fear. You continued to take calming breaths as you examined the plant monster yet again, remembering... remembering that you'd been able to pacify it with your music, kind of. You'd been able to communicate with it... And use your music to affect it. That was just one tune, played by accident and then in the heat of the moment desiring survival. If you could perhaps master further tones, learn different tunes, practice with your sword and create actual music from your blade, who knew WHAT kind of effects you could have on that plant. And it had turned on itself at one point, followed a dominant will. There was no need to burn it if YOU could be that dominant will... And you had always wanted a pet. Well, you'd kinda wanted a cat, maybe a dog, occasionally entertained thought of a turtle. Plant-animal-monster-hybrid was admittedly a bit new, but what the buck, why not?

"Oh! My goodness, darling do forgive my manners! I just realized, I've been chatting away all this time and I haven't even properly introduced myself yet!" Spoke the white-coated mare, causing you to blink and turn your attention from the plant monster to the unicorn. You watched as she trotted over to you, friendly smile on her face, and offered you her right forehoof.

"Good afternoon dear sir, I am Miss Rarity! Or just Rarity if you prefer. Proprietor of Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!" She spoke brightly with clear pride in her voice, before looking to you with a flutter of her lashes that made your cheeks start flushing again.

"May I ask who do I have the very SINCERE pleasure of addressing?" She asked with a coy, almost seductive turn of the lips... ... You had to remind your best friend NOT to jump up at this apparent interest. She'd only just met you, this was probably something she did with everypony, or at least every stallion. And Zecora was RIGHT THERE... Did NOT need to show evidence of arousal in front of your zebra. You gulped down the newest lump in your throat, and extended your right forehoof to take hers.

Her coat was so SOFT! It was impossible to get that soft on it's own! You felt almost dirty for touching such a soft and well cared for hoof with your own scraggly excuse for a limb! But you fought back those feelings, reminding yourself that you were a super-pony, and shook her hoof politely, trying not to embarrass yourself and make a good first impression.

"I'm-"You started to say, before you suddenly blinked and furrowed your brows. You... you couldn't remember your name... Was that... was that normal? Did you have a concussion at some point or- wait... wait, no something was coming back, it was... was that right? You guessed so. Was that your actual name or a nickname? Well you didn't have time to contemplate, you needed a name and this one was here, so... You shook your head and cleared your throat, before looking back up to Rarity.

"Ah, sorry about that, ahem. I'm Blank. Blank Slate." You stated as calmly as you could, the beautiful mare before you smiling a little wider as you shook her hoof.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Slate!" Stated the mare, enthusiastically yet graciously, before pulling her foreleg from yours.

"Now Mister Slate, if you don't mind, might I ask exactly what happened here?"

Oh buck.

There is one word for you right now. You. Are. SREWED!

Plan: explain plant animal thing fight, trixie going though things, and a good story to tell unicorn why you look like a expirement gone wrong with horn, to zecora, and get the boss coat measurements. Also try to make the unicorn fall for you it could be useful seeing as she is a element bearer for bucks sack.

Well, hello there. So, let's balance all that fire and hatred business with some rationality, shall we?

You just fainted. That's cool, but you'll probably wake up with both Rarity and Zecora there, and with a few questions to boot.

Right, you're going to have questions to answer but remember, you don't know what Zecora already told Rarity. So when asked, answer, but otherwise keep your trap shut.

Most likely questions (not in exact wording obviously) and their answers:

Q. What happened here? (Probably in Zecora's adorable rhyming pattern, but I'm not going to attempt that)

A. (While Generosity is here) Long story, it's probably better if I explain it latter. (After Rare leaves) Trixie.

Q. What happened to you?

A. (Ok, if Rare is asking this it most likely means Zecora didn't tell her anything, of course you don't have much of an idea yourself, so you've really got two choices) 1. I have no idea. (or) 2. I'm working on it.

Q. What is that? (Referring to the Planimal)

A. It just appeared growing out of your cloak. Can I keep it?

R1. No.

A. Pleeeeasssse

R2. Yes.

A Yipee!

Another thing I'd suggest, keep the backstory as close to truth as possible. No reason not to, after all, right? Zecora's got you well in hand, there's no reason to get anybody else involved or anything. And if they do, well, the aforementioned Flame will support your dirty deed, just remember to temper it with pragmatism. Try to be charismatic without being suspicious, please, I'd hate for this to all go sour

4) Tell Zecora about Trixie's punishment, only mention the spanking and the "accidental cuts."

Now, let's talk priorities. Once you wake up, five things need to occur...in roughly this order.

1) Explain to Zecora exactly why her house is a mess.

2) Inform Zecora that her "guest/patient" was digging through her things.

Here's a thing. You can blame Trixie's injuries on the Mini-Abomination at your feet. Wonderful, isn't it? Just wash away all that guilt and stuff, home scot free, I say. That doesn't mean that Trixie is forgiven for trying to steal from Zecora, mind you, you still have to mention that. But you don't have to take responsibilities for her injuries, and you can take responsibility for her healing. And that's fucking magical, man.

Okay, play it cool. Just tell her the bare bones of what you know, which isn't much, and tell her about yourself if she asks, and don't if she doesn't, and just stay calm and explain how it wasn't your fault and-

You blinked. Did... Zecora just lie for you?

Well, no, no she didn't actually. She HAD neglected to wash her cloak when it was obviously in need of a washing. BUT she admitted to that in such a way that attention was deflected off of you, AKA the reason that the picked plant and said seeds were in the cloak in the first place. In short, she wasn't exactly lying but she was being somewhat dishonest for your sake... For you...

You started to blush slightly, lowering your head and biting your lip. You weren't sure if you should feel moved, honored, relieved, or kind of annoyed that all that worry and planning was unnecessary. But your pondering of your zebra's deception and what that meant to you was interrupted by the unicorn, who did seem to be rather fond of doing that.

"Oh, well I understand darling, accident's happen." Stated the unicorn, "Rarity", sympathetically... Come to think of it that named seemed familiar from somewhere... But that pondering was also interrupted by the mare, as she turned and surveyed the interior of the hut, her lips curled up in an expression of disgust.

"However it's left your abode in a state of ABSOLUTE disarray! With all this, egh, mess about..." She spoke, lifting her right forehoof up daintily and waving it limply towards the bits of plant goop and tendril left over from the fight. The unicorn shook her head quite firmly then, and stomped her hoof back onto the ground.

"No, no, no!" She spoke, a fire alighting in her eyes.

"This simply shall not do! Zecora darling, where do you keep your cleaning supplies, brooms, mops, disinfectants, dusters, detergents and the like?" She asked calmly, turning her gaze back to Zecora, who shifted slightly beneath you.

Came her voice, a bit tentative, as though a little surprised at the direction this conversation had taken.

"Oh? Well don't you worry Zecora dear, if we have to search them out anyways then I'll just organize the whole thing!" Spoke the unicorn with gusto, eyes snapping to Zecora's shelves, running rapidly over the labels and shapes and items of various natures and sizes.

"Nonsense darling! It would be my pleasure." Responded the beautiful unicorn mare, and without another word her horn lit up light blue and-

And for gods' sakes get a better horn. Which reminds me, if you got a horn from drinking Trixie's blood... do you think you can strengthen it by drinking... the blood of other unicorns? Twilight Sparkle's a unicorn, you know. So is Rarity. Certainly they would be happy to provide you with what you need to get a better life, am I right? Food for thought, my friend, food for thought.

Ah sleep, one of the inevitable things all mortals succumb to. However, this is one sleep that you don't have time to enjoy. As time goes on you are getting more and more problems. Would it not be nice to have more time to think on your choises? Maybe you could find a way to avoid it. More free time, more things to do, and when you become a super-pony you won't have any chances to sleep anyway. You can train at night, sneak around and sleep whisper to others, and stay up to make sure that you can protect your Zebra at night. Or stay up and state at Trixie's flank, that works too.

So did every other BUCKING thing in the hut. Her magic wrapped around every damn miscellaneous item and herbalist concoction that Zecora had gathered. The trunks opened up, the bottles flew from their shelves, the bits of tendril and plant levitated up off the floor, and began to slam together into a mid-air pile. Papers and cloth and bottles floated up into the air, Rarity looking over everything with a discerning eye.

"Zecora darling are any of these useful for cleaning hard wooden surfaces?"

Stated Zecora, lifting her right forehoof to point towards a large green bottle with a cork in the top.

"Ah! Thank you dear!" Spoke Rarity, before quite happily popping the cork off the bottle with her magic, and levitating a cloth over to the bottleneck. She poured part of the liquid from the bottle into the cloth, and then flew it down to one of the goop patches, watching with satisfaction as it began to scrub away.

Even as she did that, a broom floated up from you didn't bucking know where, to sweep out dust. Other bottles began reorganizing themselves on the shelves, a raggedy cloth turned into an impromptu trash bag as she floated the airborne tendril mass into it and the rotted tendril teeth from the floor and into it was all so... so bucking annoying! Buck! Trixie'd struggled to do shit without her horn, and then you got a horn, and now this unicorn was fixing every damn problem in the whole hut with her horn! Buck! Why the buck didn't your horn do shit like that! It made you so angry, so angry, that you wanted to drink her blood to increase your power and further mutate your horn thereby increasing your magical powers!

... ... ... What?

You furrowed your brows, blinking slightly. What... what did you just think? ... Horn, and blood? What was that about blood? ... ...And now for some reason you were thinking about vamponies... they had fangs... you didn't have fangs... Yet. Frankly with all the shit you'd been doing and the changes you'd been undergoing, it was only a matter of time before you developed a set of chompers. You wondered if they'd be retractable? That would be more useful in the long run, even with all those mares who went gaga over vamponies now because of some shitty book series... And actually... there would be certain advantages to being a vampony, wouldn't there? Immortality, flight, invulnerability... and you'd never need to sleep.

True, there were legends that they slept during the day and went out to hunt at night, but frankly, modern literature had them doing shit during the day, during the night, during dusk and dawn and anytime they damn well pleased. They might as well never sleep for all the times they're actually shown sleeping, and if you didn't sleep... if you didn't sleep you could get a LOT of shit done! A lot of time to practice your musical blade and combat skills... a lot of time to read up and study... a lot of time to sneak into mare's rooms and stare at them while they were sleeping... The practical applications were endless!

Yeah... yeah if it wasn't for the horrible literature surrounding them, you might really like to be a vampon-

"Aha! Good as new!"

The proclamation took you off guard. You raised your eyes to look to the hut and-

HOLY BUCKINGSHITBALLS!!! The place was SPARKLING! The bottles were organized, the mess was gone, the shelves were organized and dusted, the trunks were packed neatly, the goop was all gone, there was no evidence of muss anywhere! What did this mare DO all day!? Was this her talent!? Were those three diamonds a metaphor for sparkling cleaner skills because BUCK she could clean!

"Well that wasn't nearly so hard as I thought it'd be!" Spoke the unicorn cheerily, before turning to look to you with a soft smile.

"And Now, Mister Slate." Spoke the mare with a grin, her horn glowing once more. Her left saddle-bag flap opened and a measuring tape and pair of fancy red-rimmed spectacles flew out, the spectacles alighting onto the bridge of her nose and the tape unrolling in the air and then stretching with a-

SNAP

Over the unicorn's head as she looked down to you, an almost predatory glint in her eyes.

"I do believe you are in dire need of a good measuring!"

5) get measured for a trench coat.

Right after that you've got to get measured for you new outfit. Stand still, keep your friend under control, and if you must stare at a plot, make sure it Zecora's. We don't need another domestic.

The Archivist

A few moments later you were standing in the now sparkling hut, with your bandaged left leg resting on the marked table, a unicorn humming cheerfully nearby, looking at you with a pair of red-rimmed spectacles on her nose, and a glowing measuring tape, stretching out across your body, taking measurements. Zecora, while you were undergoing this process of measurement, was rediscovering her possessions. With mouth agape, she looked along her shelves, along the bottles and trinkets aplenty that, apparently, consisted of new bottles and trinkets that had been lost to time. She reached up with her right forehoof to a small, slim brown vial that

She spoke with legitimate surprise in her voice, before looking up to another bottle on her shelf, a newly cleaned and sparkly purple bottle that looked almost crystalline.

She continued with a hint of wonder at her voice, for the return of the bottle, or Rarity's cleaning skills, you weren't entirely sure. But there was one thing that you were very sure of now. Your intelligent, beautiful, potion-mistress zebra lovebug was something of a hoarder...

... And that the presence of a measuring tape running along your crotch could be added to the list of sensations that made your best friend eager to arise...

You gulped, blushed beneath your fur, and kindly reminded your friend to 'stay the buck in, stay the buck in, stay the buck in, stay the buck in'-

"So Mister Slate!"

"Ah! Ah, ahem, yes?" You responded to the calm, eloquent, yet somewhat cheery voice of the unicorn, turning your gaze to the unicorn who was, at the moment, very studiously examining the measuring tape running along the inside your back right leg, uncomfortably close to your eager friend. You gulped again as she slid the tape a little, rubbing close to your cover, seemingly unaware of your discomfort.

"Have you given any thought to possibly paying our little town of Ponyville a visit?"

You blinked at that. Ponyville? The town that gave Zecora such a hard time for just having stripes? And you, with steel rods and a horn and scars and a sword... Was it REALLY a good idea for you to go ANYWHERE public?

"Well..." You responded intelligently.

"Oh after your ensemble's completed of course! Zecora's been dear enough to let me know that you're somewhat... errr, sensitive about your condition. But after it's complete and you're able to move about without anypony noticing your extremities, you might want to stop by for a visit! Ponyville has a FABULOUS spa! And there's a VERY special friend of mine who I KNOW would be interested in you, and be able to help you with your condition. And there are some WONDERFUL spots that an eligible stallion might wish to escort a special mare to..." Spoke Rarity with a knowing smile on her lips, and a spark in her eyes...

That's a short term goal. Long term I would agree with all the other squares in your head talking about making Zecora your little puppet. Not because you like her, no, that would be disastrous. Having a submissive zebra with enough chemistry knowledge to write her own anarchist cookbook willing to do anything you say, however, is perfect. Think of the possibilities! Like how she would know the least noticeable but most powerful poison to put in Ponyville's water supply, or how she would know how to make fun flammable materials that make starting fires easier! By the way, you should start a fire. Preferably with a big explosion. In a crowded area. Like a playground on Saturday.

Also you need to get out more often, try going with Zecora into town as her colt friend, don't lie to mean you are. It will serve as a way to gain trust, minons from the town, and information.

host the herd most grow, grow it for evil to grow you must have heirs to spread it. Trixie's can be used as a breeding slave.

host you are swred right now, and lets face it females are unknow to you so let your marefriend help you because she can help you, on a side note if you fail i will use your soul to become a demon to replace you welp.

Lord Scoro Demon of the warp

Ponyville... well, there really would be no reason NOT to go to Ponyville would there? Rarity was right, with the trenchcoat you could hide your more alarming features and nopony would be the wiser. And Zecora was welcomed, so if you were with her you'd be welcome to! Treating her to a date, as Rarity was unsubtly suggesting, might be a great way to help pay her back for all the trouble you've caused her. Though, wait, that took bits... ... ummmmm... ... Well, you'd think of something.

And you'd be able to maybe mingle with the populace, learn things that might help you, learn a bit about the town and where their most crowded locations are for... ... some reason. And Trixie... that mare's probably only good for being bedded and bred... or, um, something more charitable that just isn't coming to mind at the moment. ... Maybe take her to? At some point? For some reason? Maybe... You couldn't exactly trust her here could you? Not with that hidden box that Zecora had and- Didn't Rarity just clean the whole place? Did she find it? Did she already know it was here? Did she MOVE it?! ... That might cause trouble... You miiiiigggggghhhhhttttt want to check on that...

"So what do you think Mister Slate, will you consider visiting our beloved Ponyville?" Asked the mare, giving you a quizzical look with a friendly smile. You bit your lip and lowered your head a little... ... you were always a little nervous around pretty mares.

"I'll... I'll talk it over with Zecora... and if I'm comfortable..." You muttered.

"Why of course darling, the invitation is open and anytime you feel!" Spoke the dress-maker, raising her left hoof to rub you sympathetically on your neck, which suddenly sprang to the list of things that make your best friend want to spring up, before she brightly exclaimed.

"Ah! And we're done!"

She stated her horn glowing and glasses flying off of her nose and back into her saddle bags, along with her measuring tape.

"It's a simple order, black trench coat with black fedora, simpler than I'm used to really I wish you'd let me jazz it up a bit but I suppose one must have a functional and simple bit of wear for one to appreciate the more elaborate designs. In any case, I should have it done tomorrow, and I'll bring it by, oh say, early afternoon? And don't worry Zecora, I'll have a new cloak for you in no time at all! I've already got the PERFECT material in mind! Oh it shall be glorious! Tata darlings, off to CREATE!" Spoke the unicorn, and like that, she was out the door, slamming it behind her with a glimmer of blue.

6)...profit?

Hmm, don't really know what else to add. Well then, I bid the ado, my little soon to be sadist! Remember; you like to emotionally and psychologically destroy ponies because their reactions give you an alive feeling inside yourself that makes all other forms of happiness seem insignificant to you! Also remember to start fires!

Signed, Seth Speth of the Death Neth

And like that Rarity was gone... out the door, and to another world... a world of mystery, excitement, and dresses... Mainly dresses actually, you were pretty sure. How exciting could one dress maker's life be after all?

You were left alone with Zecora once again... which, after everything, was kind of a relief. You turned to look to Zecora, and breathed out heavily, before giving her a smile. She returned that smile, and as you opened your mouth to comment on Rarity's generous yet somewhat overbearing personality, the sound of hooves hitting wood caught your ears.

You and Zecora both turned your gaze to the small passage leading towards the door into Zecora's bed chamber. Standing there, with slumped shoulders, a bedraggled mane, and red-rimmed eyes, was Trixie. She looked up to you and Zecora, catching you both with the same simmering glower of one who has had a thoroughly unfortunate series of events govern their life and saw no reason for such to end. She grunted, cleared her throat, lowered her head, coughed slightly, then let out a heavy shaking sigh... before looking back up to you and Zecora, speaking with a hoarse voice.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie... would like some food..."

Author's Notes:

Okay, I didn't expressly state it in the previous chapter and for that I blame me, however I would like to make this clear. From now on, please do not post any Host actions in Question and Answer chapters. I would like to keep comments there for the SOLE purpose of logging questions for the Brothers. Now as I realize I did not clarify that that chapter shouldn't be used for Host suggestions, I've used Host commands from the chapter. However this is the last time as I've stated my intent now, and will likely restate at next question and answer.

Now, as you may have noticed, this chapter gave me some trouble. Lots of trouble. So if there's a quality drop I am sorry... however I think we can agree that it is long past overdue. Now I'd like to say that other chapters won't be overdue, but if I said that it would be a lie. My life is getting more complicated, not less, and the only thing I can guarantee is that even during long periods of silence, I am working on this and trying to get it done. And I do hope you enjoy this chapter, at least a little bit. Had to alter organization a bit for it with the change in writing formats, and colors... hoping the colors work. If they weird you out, let me know.

Now, on to advancement and development. As I've stated, I would like a summary/character tracker chapter to be put up and available for ponies to see. Right now, I'm thinking that the best way to handle such a chapter, would be to put it at the end, and update it and move it to the end after every chapter. Thoughts on that?