“You ever gonna wake up?” Vinyl's voice awakens me from my slumber, filtering through my door to the bed, where I'm lying, my limbs sprawled in every direction. Well, I'm awake now, bitch. Thanks a lot. Wait a minute...holy hell, it's noon. I slept in really late. No wonder she's asking.

“Yeah yeah, I'm coming out,” I mutter, wiping the sleep from my eyes. You know, I slept longer than usual, yet I feel more tired upon waking up. How the fuck does that make any sense?

Grunting, I hoist myself out of the bed. Casting my gaze around, I see my winter clothes scattered every which way. I'm probably going to need to wear those again. Once quick glance out the window answers that for me. Yup, it's still all snowy out there. Come to think of it, if the first day of winter should be December 21st, which is four days before Christmas. Do ponies celebrate Christmas? Right, dumb question. It's called Christmas because it supposedly celebrates the birth of Jesus or whatever, with some fat ass getting added onto the legend later on in history. What? Santa always creeped me the fuck out. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that there's no way they celebrate that holiday. Heh, I wonder if they call it...Celestimas? Eh? Eh? Oh, fuck you.

Right, I need to not think about Christmas. I have too many memories associated with that holiday. Like opening my first LEGO set when I was five, with Adam and my parents and...shit, I'm doing it anyway. Vinyl, come here so you can distract me. After I get dressed though.

I throw on my winter clothes once more, which look to have been cleaned by the hospital staff sometime during my three day sleep. I haven't really had to do any laundry, since the world keeps throwing my shit that somehow provides me with clean clothes. Or I could just say I'm lucky. Whatever.

I knock the door open, noticing Vinyl at the top of the stairs, looking at me expectantly. “Morning, bro. How ya feeling?” she greets me in a friendly manner. I groan and move past her.

“Like shit. How else would I feel after oversleeping?” I tell her as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. She chuckles behind me as I descend the staircase into the living room.

I have nothing to do today really, other than seeing Twilight so I can learn a bit more about this magic that's taken up residence inside of me without my permission. I should probably see her first, so I have time to do whatever the fuck I want later without that hanging over my head.

“What do you want for breakfast, dude?” Vinyl questions amicably, trotting down the stairs and moving into the kitchen.

“Hell if I know. Just do whatever. I'll eat anything you make,” I say apathetically, waving my hand. I guess I'm waiting for breakfast before I go anywhere. There goes another bit. Sheesh.

“Awright, I guess. I'll throw together a fruit salad or something,” Vinyl responds, and then the sound of drawers opening and closing sounds from the other room. Huh, fruit salad again. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. “Don't you have a favorite food or something?”

“I did...not that it matters anymore. I doubt you ponies have pepperoni pizza,” I reply, resting my head on the back of the couch.

“We have pizza, though I'm not sure what pepperoni is,” Vinyl admits. Makes sense, considering pepperoni is meat, and ponies don't eat meat. Which sucks, because without the added flavor pepperoni adds, the pizza becomes pointless to me.

“Of course you don't. Besides, I don't need you going out of your way to please me.” My words cause Vinyl to fall silent in the other room. I probably hurt her feelings a bit, but whatever.

“Right. Food will be done in a few minutes. Sit tight,” she says after a moment.

“I'm not going anywhere.”

Breakfast is awkward, because Vinyl seems to be getting annoyed with how I'm paying her for every meal. That and I still think she's still mad at me for turning down Princess Celestia's invitation. I can see the envelope sitting just above the fireplace. I don't know why she hasn't gotten rid of it yet. There's no way I'm going.

“Whatcha planning on doing today?” Vinyl asks, attempting to start a conversation. Man, I hope she's not about to invite me to something.

“I'm heading to Twilight's after this. She wants to run some tests on me or something.” I'll head off anything Vinyl might ask by telling the truth. If she does invite me, I'll make up plans or something.

“Yeah, that's right, I remember her asking to do that. It's real nice of you to let her,” Vinyl recalls, and then she pops a piece of watermelon into her mouth.

“I'm only doing this because I'd like to know what's going on with my body. I don't like having something inside of me that can potentially hurt me,” I correct her. If this magic had been harmless, I would have told Twilight no. Or I might not have, since a human having magic is unprecedented. Who knows.

“Yeah, I get that. Still. If there's anything that mare loves, it's knowledge. She's probably going crazy with the anticipation,” Vinyl conjectures. I try to imagine what Twilight is feeling like right now. Yeah, I can see that, seeing how she flipped a lid when I was “late” last time.

“Well, she'll have to wait a bit longer. I'm in no rush.” Which is technically true. I have no real obligations since getting here. Not like college, where every moment I'm attempting to enjoy myself, my obligations to my studies would hang over my head. It's both refreshing and unnerving knowing that that's gone. At least then, I had a purpose.

I finish off my breakfast by tossing the last piece of fruit in my mouth. Then, I get to my feet and wordlessly move towards the door. “Heading out?” Vinyl asks, rather stupidly if you ask me. Of course I'm heading out. There's nothing else to do in your house.

“Yup. I don't know when I'll be back.”

“Okay. See ya later then, bro. I'mma be chilling here for a bit before heading out myself,” Vinyl calls after me, just before I shut the door and walk out into the street. Like I care what her plans for today are.

Fortunately, I didn't run into anypony I know on the way to Twilight's place. Once I reach her place, I rap on the door a couple times, until the door opens to reveal Spike.

“Oh, hey Seth. You here to see Twilight?” Spike greets me cheerfully.

“No, I came to check out a book that's written in a language I can't fucking read. You tell me,” I grunt, hating the fact that I have to even talk to anyone other than Twilight. What is this guy anyway, her fucking doorman?

“Really? Why would you want to check out a book if you can't read it?” Spike hasn't caught on to my sarcasm, which causes me to rub my forehead in annoyance.

“I was kidding, you idiot. Of course I'm here to see Twilight. You gonna let me in sometime today?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure, come on in,” Spike replies, putting on an uncertain smile. Then he turns around and yells, “Twilight! You've got company!”

Twilight zooms into the room at an almost comical speed, almost tripping at one point. Wow, she looks unbelievably excited. A large book is hovering beside her, held aloft by her magic. “Seth, You're here! Oh, I've been looking forward to this!” she exclaims. When she reaches me, she wraps a hoof around one of my hands and tugs me towards a set of stairs that leads downwards.

“Okay, no,” I say, and I shake her hoof off. She looks back at me, confused. “I can walk on my own, thank you very much.”

“Sorry, I'm just so excited. I've never had a chance to study magic like this before. Just imagine the discoveries we can make!” Twilight says apologetically, though her smile doesn't disappear.

“You mean the discoveries you'll make, while I'll sit around and be poked and prodded at,” I reiterate flatly.

“No no, there won't be that much physical contact. If you'll follow me, I'll explain,” Twilight corrects me. I sigh and gesture for her to lead the way. Looking satisfied, she leads me down the stairs and through a door, into a dimly lit tunnel. Spike plods after us, carrying a stack of books in his claws. Probably research texts. But never mind that, I think she's taking me underground? Why does a tree house even have an underground area? Wouldn't the structural integrity of the whole thing be compromised by the roots of the tree itself, as well as the fact that there's a giant empty space beneath an incredibly heavy object?

Before I can ask, we exit the tunnel and continue down a set of stairs that has no banister. There's also no wall, so I can see down into the room we're heading to. It's pretty bare, except for the research station set up along one wall. And...I don't even know what half of those devices are. All I know is that they look like they use electricity. I remember Twilight saying that only the wealthier ponies have access to electricity. So...is Twilight wealthy? Or does she just get whatever she wants because all she has to do is ask Celestia nicely? Probably the latter.

“If you wouldn't mind taking a seat right there,” Twilight directs me, pointing a hoof at a a chair similar to the kind you'd find in a dentist's office, only without the armrests, since ponies don't have arms. “Spike, would you put those books down on the counter?”

Wordlessly, I do as I'm told, leaning my rifle against the wall. Spike also carries out Twilight's bidding, before making himself comfortable with a something that looks like a comic book in a corner.

The chair itself is comfortable, being made of some odd material I can't identify. It's similar to leather, but there's no way it's leather, considering that's animal skin. I bet if I tell any ponies that my wallet is made of leather, I might get lynched or something.

“So what the hell are you even going to do?” I ask curiously, craning my head to look at all the strange instruments. Twilight pulls down a book from a shelf on the wall, leafing through it with her magic. Is she ignoring me? “Hey!”

“Aha!” Twilight exclaims, setting the book down on the counter, opened to a page with a sketch of one of the devices here. “To answer your question, I want to start by measuring and analyzing the composition of any magical leakage you might be giving off.”

“So let's pretend that makes sense to me. What exactly would those readings tell you?” I still don't understand what the fuck magical composition is supposed to be. It's just fucking magic.

“A lot, actually. To start, I should be able to make a rough guess of how much magic your body can hold, as that's just a matter of using Starswirl's Law of Rela...”

“Keep it simple. I could give less a shit about the finer details,” I cut her off rather rudely. Twilight looks put out, but continues anyway.

“Okay...in laypony's terms, I should be able to guess at your total magical strength, what kind of magic it is, and other such factors,” Twilight explains, still looking annoyed that she couldn't explain fully.

“Right. I still don't fully understand. Do whatever you're going to do so I can get out of here.” A sudden thought strikes me as I finish talking. “If any of these tests hurt me, I'm going to knock you the fuck out.”

“Please, Seth. None of these tests will hurt. Now be still, I have to attach the cables,” Twilight assures me. I watch as several thin wires uncoil themselves from the counter and levitate towards me. They look like electrodes to me, like those things heart monitors use. So what, she's using a magic monitor?

Before the first wire reaches me, Twilight hesitates. “Hm...Seth, do you know where your magical core is?”

“My magical what now?”

“Magical core. It's the place where your magical power is channeled from your mana nucleus to the outside air. For unicorns like me, our magical cores are in our horns, and our mana nucleus is just below the base,” Twilight clarifies, tapping her horn with a hoof.

“Hell if I fucking know. I didn't even know I could use magic until now.” Honestly, like I'd be able to make sense of all these terms she's throwing at me. I wish there was a book I could read about this...one that I can actually understand that is. I really need to know how to read Equestrian. Perhaps I can visit somepony who has experience in teaching Equestrian. Like Cheerilee. That can happen later, though.

“Try and think back to when you used it, in the forest. Did it feel like your magic 'emerged' from somewhere? You can usually feel it passing through your core,” Twilight urges me.

That gets me to think. That magic came to me right as the Scorpios was closing in on Rainbow...and, hang on, that pressure in my chest. I can feel it even now, though it's so low right now it's more like a dull throb that I'd never have noticed if I didn't know what I was looking for.

“Now that you mention it, it's probably right here,” I tell her, indicating my sternum with a thumb.

“All right then. I need to get a cable attached there, so remove your shirt, please,” Twilight requests, the cable in question hanging in the air just in front of me. That gets me to cock an eyebrow at her. She doesn't seem to see anything wrong with her question, seeing as how she's looking at me expectantly. I don't really like exposing myself. I did it for Rarity because she had to take measurements...and Twilight can't take measurements unless those electrodes come into contact with my skin. Fuck...

I slip out of my jacket and sling it over the back of the chair, soon doing the same with my shirt. I shiver somewhat at the change in temperature. It's rather chilly down here, so I hope this doesn't take too long.

Twilight positions the electrode on my sternum. While waiting for an answer, she places several more electrodes across my upper body. Then she presses a few buttons on a strange machine into which the cables feed. It whirs to life, several lights on the sides of it flashing different colors.

She proceeds to hook up another machine into the first one I mentioned, only this one looks a little like a seismograph. It starts taking readings by marking squiggly lines onto a paper that has several Equestrian characters written on it in a regular pattern. I assume it's a chart of some kind. “Oh wow, I'm already picking up some leakage.”

“And? What does it tell you?”

“Just a moment,” Twilight says, watching the graph. I do the same, noticing how the lines fluctuate. They go from being high and wide to being small and thin, and vice versa. This seems to occur at irregular intervals. “Your magical power is extremely unstable. I don't know how to classify this.”

“The fuck does that mean?” I'm a bit worried. Will this magic end up killing me after all?

“I'm not sure. At its lowest, you've got less magical power than young unicorn filly, while at its highest, you have more power than I do. Fascinating,” Twilight tells me. She looks to be concentrating really hard, but to the point where it looks like she's enjoying herself. I can never understand these scientific types.

“Get to the point, unicorn.”

“Well, I don't have enough information to make a decent hypothesis just yet. If you'll let me take a few more basic readings, I might be able to come up with something,” Twilight admits, looking at me hopefully.

“Do it. I did pay attention in my health class, unlike the rest of my class, so I can provide some information.” I said I wouldn't tell her anything about humans, but at this point I'll relent slightly, since it's my own health that's at stake.

“Like what?” Twilight asks excitedly, as she digs out what looks like...a stethoscope? Really? Following that, she pulls out a few other medical measuring tools. Why does she even have these?

“I can tell you what the average human vital signs are supposed to look like. That way you can tell if this magic is having any averse effect on me.” Goddamn, I feel like I'm back in a lab science class. Only this time, I'm the research subject.

“That would be excellent. Do you know your average heart rate?” Twilight is already getting ready to to place the stethoscope on me, but she stops and then looks sheepish. “Uh...and where is your heart?”

I clap a hand over my heart to let her know. “Right there. As for the average human heart rate, it's generally about sixty to a hundred beats per minute while resting. As for me, My blood pressure is always higher than normal, so mine should be around a hundred ten.” Yeah, imagine the shit my parents gave me whenever I would have one of those energy drinks. They tasted good, but they had the potential to give someone with blood pressure as high as mine a heart attack.

“Fascinating! Your heart beats much faster than ours. When resting, ours is about thirty six to forty two beats per minute. Now then, let's see...” Twilight stops talking to press the freezing cold stethoscope over my heart. After a few moments of dead silence, she takes it away. “You said a hundred and ten, right?”

“Yeah, I did. What of it?” Something in her tone makes me anxious.

“I'm reading about a hundred and twenty two,” Twilight reveals. I tense up at that. 122 beats per minute? That's ridiculous, especially for a resting state. That can't be right.

“You must have miscounted. Check it again,” I order her. Twilight wrinkles her brow indignantly, but does as I say.

“Still around a hundred and twenty.”

“Check it again!” No no, this can't be right.

“Seth, I'm certain I haven't miscounted. Are you sure one hundred and ten is your average?” Twilight says, setting the stethoscope aside.

“Of course I'm sure! I always ask whenever I'd go to the doctor's office! It shouldn't be this high,” I'm actually starting to panic somewhat. Think, Seth. What does a high heart rate mean? It could be a heart attack, or worse, coronary artery disease. Maybe I'm overreacting, but a heart rate like this isn't normal.

“Well, do you feel any pain or discomfort?” Twilight questions me worriedly. I pause and take a moment to focus on the sensations I'm feeling right now.

Okay, nothing seems out of the ordinary except for that pressure in my sternum, but that's related to my magic. “No, I'm not,” I confess.

“Then I assume that your magic is having some kind of effect on your body,” Twilight hypothesizes, pulling out another measuring tool.

For a small period of time, I guide Twilight through checking the rest of of my vitals. The results of the tests are alarming. I'm breathing marginally slower than normal, though I don't feel any different, so maybe it's just that I'm able to take in more oxygen than before, for whatever reason. My body's temperature is sitting at 100 right now, but it doesn't feel like I have a fever. Lastly, my blood pressure is higher than it should be as well.

“Here's what I can deduce from all of these readings,” Twilight begins, setting the thermometer and other tools down on the counter. “Taking into account what you said about humans not being able to normally use magic, I'd say that your body is not used to having this magical power flowing through it. Maybe these changes are just your body's way of adjusting to the changes.”

“That's not all that reassuring. I don't remember choosing for this to happen. I don't like things happening to my body without my permission,” I express, unnerved. “I don't want this magic. If I could give it up, I would.”

“Really? I think of this as an incredible opportunity for you. That instability in the magic leaking from you is probably a result in how little experience you have in controlling it. Similar instability occurs in young fillies, though the fluctuations in your case are definitely more extreme,” Twilight assures me. Wait, she wants me to learn to control this? No fucking way.

“I told you, I don't want this. This is unnatural. Is there any way to rid myself of this magic?”

“Seth, I don't think you should get rid of this magic. I think you've been given an amazing gift; one that you should cherish.”

“I don't give a fuck what you think. All I know is that humans aren't meant to have magic. I was fine being completely weak,” I tell her honestly. Twilight's ears flatten at the bluntness of my words. Then her eyes narrow.

“Are you? What would have happened if you didn't have this magic when you were with Rainbow in the Everfree?” She demands. I freeze. She brings up a very valid choice. Without that magic...

“Rainbow...would be dead. I hate it when you're right,” I groan, rubbing my forehead. Twilight giggles. “But I don't want to use it. I'll just get hurt again.”

“That's right, you did to have been exhausted mentally, not to mention the physical damage present on your medical reports,” Twilight recalls, pacing back and forth. “Again, that's probably an issue with a lack of control. You probably used too much at once. While you can use more power that way, you run out of stamina much faster.”

“Makes sense. And the whole internal damage thing?”

“I can't say for certain without examining it for myself, but...”

“But that's not happening.”

“Right, I knew you'd say that. Anyway, like I said before, I'll guess it's because your body isn't used to having magic,” Twilight finishes, halting her pacing and looking at me. It strikes me again how odd these expressive ponies look. You know that feeling you get after taking something for granted, and then you look again and realize how fucking strange it is?

“Uh-huh. So...is there anything else you need to measure?” I ask, looking around at the different instruments in the room.

“Not any that I can really do without seeing the magic for myself. I've already taken enough measurements to analyze the composition of your magic, but that will take me some time,” Twilight answers. “If you're ready, I'll get you unhooked from these machines so you can leave.”

“That would be real nice. I've had enough of a lab rat for one day,” I complain. Twilight looks at me with a hurt expression.

“Seth, you're not a lab rat. You don't have to do these tests if you don't want to,” she protests as she starts to remove the electrodes from my chest. Each one comes free with a quiet pop.

“Whatever.” Though she is right. I could have told her no, but on one hand, I really needed to know if this magic would hurt me. On the other hand, she had looked so excited about the prospect, I'd have felt a little guilty turning her down.

Once I'm free from the machines, I put my shirt and jacket back on, and then grab my rifle from where it's leaning against the wall. Now, I should be thinking about what else I'm doing today. Maybe I'll go grab Apple Bloom from school again. Or find Rainbow Dash and shoot the shit or something. I don't even know. There's also the fact that I want to learn to read. So maybe I should visit the school.

“Seth, can you come visit me tomorrow? We should probably measure any potential changes in your vitals...and we haven't just talked to one another over tea in a while,” Twilight suggests, and then she gives me a pitiful look. Really? Did she just try to guilt trip me into coming back to see her?

“If I feel like it,” I respond honestly, and her face falls a little. “What? I'm still not convinced that the only reason you even talk to me is because I can make you rich if I tell you enough about humans.”

Twilight protests immediately as I walk back up the stairs to the main level. “What!? How can you say that? I want to be your friend, Seth. Why do you make it so hard?”

“And what does the personal student of the Solar Princess or whatever hope to gain from a friendship with a lowly being like myself?” I shoot back at her as we pass into the main library.

“That's absurd! I don't think of you as being beneath me. I never have. Besides that, you don't go into a friendship based on what you hope to gain from it. That's not real friendship!”

“Yet, ninety nine point nine percent of friendships are indeed formed in that manner. Tell me I'm wrong.”

“That's...” Twilight now looks distraught, no doubt because she's seeing the truth in my words.

“You can't. There's no way you can convince me that isn't how things are. So do yourself a favor and quit trying to befriend me. I'm not going to believe you're genuine,” I lay it out to her as plain as possible. And then I get the saddest expression I've seen from her since I met her.

“I'll prove it to you somehow...” she says softly, just as I open the door to leave. I give her one last glance, and then I scoff and leave the building, shutting the door behind me.

Huh, looks like Rainbow and her team has been busy. I can see gray clouds rolling in, casting part of the town into gloomy shadow. I guess it's going to be raining soon.

I start walking away from the library, but I don't know where I'm going yet. Hm, what should I do? I guess finding Rainbow is out of the question, since those clouds apparently can't move by themselves. I guess I'm going to the school. That way I can see Apple Bloom and talk to Cheerilee about finding someone to help me learn how to read.

The town is pretty busy right now, since I think it's around lunch for everypony, if the lunch hour is similar to how it is in my time. There are ponies all over the place, though I don't recognize most of them.

At least, not until I run into Vinyl in the square, on my way to the schoolhouse. She's got her shades on, as well as a set of saddlebags, but none of her equipment is with her. Odd, I was under the impression that she doesn't leave her house unless she has a gig.

“'Sup, bro?” Vinyl calls, putting on a grin. She trots over to me, and then falls in step with me as I pass by her. Good for her, because I'm not going to stop what I'm doing for her.

“Just found out my body doesn't like this magic being inside of me,” I explain.

“Whoa, is it like, bad for you?” Vinyl sounds worried, but I can't really read her expressions with those shades on.

“Hell if I know. I'm no scientist. Twilight is, and she doesn't know enough about humans to tell me either way.” As I'm talking, I realize that it's barely past 1 in the afternoon. There's no way school will be out this soon. Ugh, so I have time to kill, and nothing to do. Oh well, maybe I'll go anyway and see if I can't catch them at recess. Or maybe Cheerilee will let me sit in. If they're studying history, I might actually get something out of it.

“Oh. Well, I hope you'll be all right. Can't do without my best assistant, now can I?” Vinyl soon sports a grin, somehow still managing to make a joke out of this.

“You mean your only assistant,” I correct her dryly, not really finding her joke funny. This only seems to encourage her.

“That's why you're my best!” She proceeds to laugh at her own joke, while I roll my eyes. Just as we get closer to leaving the square, somepony else pays us a visit...in the most unconventional of ways.

The only warning we get is a panicked yell that slowly rises in volume until we look
up to see something hurtling our way. Instinctively, I duck beneath the flying object, so that it passes over my head. Looking up, all I can see is a flash of gray and yellow, right before it crashes into a market stall.

The stall is shattered to pieces, apples flying everywhere. One of the apples actually hits me in the head, which makes me recoil. The proprietor of the stall, which was none other than Applejack, is sent rolling end over end along with the offending pegasus pony that had collided with her.

“Oh no,” Vinyl moans, facehoofing next to me. I'm holding the apple that hit me as I look at the destruction caused by a certain clumsy mare.

“Well, howdy there, Derpy! Fancy you droppin' in,” Applejack grunts from underneath Derpy. Derpy gingerly gets to her hooves, snuffling adorably and rubbing her head.

“Hi Applejack! Sorry, the wind is bad up there,” Derpy greets Applejack apologetically, pointing a hoof at the sky, where the storm appears to be getting closer. Then she notices the stall she shattered. “Oh! I'm so sorry...I'll...I'll pay for repairs, I promise!”

“Nah, don't worry 'bout nothin', sugarcube. It were an accident, nothin' major,” Applejack assures her, picking up the apples that had scattered everywhere and placing them in a basket.

“But...” Derpy protests.

“If ya really wanna help, ya can help me wash these apples in the stream later,” Applejack suggest. Derpy smiles brightly, and then nods enthusiastically.

“I will! But first I have to deliver these messages to...” Derpy takes a moment to flip through several sealed envelopes in her saddlebags. “Twilight Sparkle, Filthy Rich, and Vinyl Scratch.”

“You have a letter for me?” Vinyl calls out, at last making her presence known to those two. Huh, I have time to kill anyway. I might as well follow her.

“Oh! Miss Scratch!” Derpy exclaims, turning around.

“Howdy, Vinyl!” Applejack greets her as well.

Looks like I don't get greeted. The...my thought is immediately interrupted when I get an armful of happy gray pony. “Seth! It's really nice to see you.”

“Apparently,” I remark, somehow managing not to fall over with Derpy draped over me. When she finally gets enough of me, she hops back down, smiling at me, her eyes all over the place as usual. I notice Applejack looking at me strangely.

“Here you go, Miss Scratch. One letter for you, courtesy of...an Erratic Tune,” Derpy says, hoofing an envelope to Vinyl, who takes it curiously.

“Erratic? Huh, I met him once when he showed up at one of my gigs,” Vinyl relates, opening the letter with her magic. “I think he was from Canterlot.”

“What does a Canterlot pony want with you?” I ask curiously. Canterlot is where the princesses live, right? So that means they must be surrounded by the upper class. In stark contrast to anypony in this town except for maybe Filthy Rich and his family.

“One sec, bro,” Vinyl tells me as she unfolds the letter. Derpy, Applejack, and I exchange curious looks as we wait for Vinyl to read the letter. It only takes her a minute. Over the course of that minute, her expression changes from curious, to pensive, and then to ecstatic. “No way! This is the greatest thing ever!”

“What?” The three of us ask almost simultaneously.

“You should probably read it, since I plan on taking you with me,” Vinyl says, passing the letter to me. Wait, where am I going and why? Taking the letter, I look at it, and then I remember something important.

“Vinyl, I can't read.”

Vinyl pauses, and then she facehoofs again. “Right...my bad, dude. Gimme that back then, and I'll read it to you.”

This is why I need to learn to read. I don't want ponies to have to keep reading things to me. It's demeaning.

Vinyl clears her throat and begins, ”Dear Vinyl Scratch, you may remember me from your performance on the twenty third of last month, when I was on vacation in Ponyville. I was impressed by the unique musical selection you employed during said performance, as well as the skill you showed in performing each song. I believe your skills are a perfect fit for my own establishment, and I would be honored if you would visit me at my nightclub in Canterlot for a performance or two. I am willing to pay you 200 hundred bits for each performance. If you are interested, please reply and/or visit me at my nightclub at the address printed on the envelope.”

“Wow, you get to go to Canterlot? I've always wanted to go!” Derpy exclaims in awe. Applejack nods in agreement.

“Ah've been a few tahmes. It's fancy as all get out, but it ain't fer me,” Applejack relates.

Well lucky for her. While she's going to Canterlot or whatever, I'll be out of a secondary source of income, and I'll be forced to find another job to keep myself...wait a minute.

“Did you say you're bringing me too?” I question her. Vinyl nods, and I get enraged. “I told you, there's no way I'm going to Canterlot. I don't have the money to go to a place like that!”

“I need my assistant, Seth. Someone has to help me get all my stuff to the venue,” Vinyl reminds me. “I'll pay for you, don't worry.”

Applejack winces at Vinyl's words. Vinyl realizes a second later what she said, as I get angrier. “What?! No! If I wouldn't let Princess fucking Celestia pay for my passage, what the hell makes you think I'm going to let you do it?!” I yell at her. Vinyl recoils, but I'm not done. “How many times do I have to tell you ponies not to do me any favors!?”

“Sorry, dude...I forgot you have this aversion to any sort of kindness,” Vinyl retorts sarcastically. “If you're gonna be such a pain in the flank about it, I'll take the costs out of your pay. Now are you coming or not?”

“...Yeah...as long as I SEE you take the costs out of my wages. I won't let you pull one over on me,” I relent, but I still eye her suspiciously. Vinyl nods and smiles in satisfaction.

“Good! Now then, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so be packed and stuff by tonight,” Vinyl informs me. “I need to get going, since I have to prepare as well.”

“Right, like I have any possessions to really bring,” I comment.

“You should ask Rainbow if she wants ta go,” Applejack rejoins, looking pointedly at me. “Ah know she's been thinkin' about headin' there ta see a Wonderbolts show.”

“You know, I might just do that,” I declare, thinking it would be a little less grueling if I brought one of my two friends with me. “Of course, I have to find her first.”

“Trust me, she'll find you,” Vinyl jokes, and then she starts cantering away. “See ya ponies later!”

“Bye-bye, Miss Scratch!” Derpy calls after her, while I turn the other way, since I should be going as well.

So...I'm apparently going to Canterlot. That's a thing that's happening.

Author's Notes:

So arc 3 officially begins! It will mostly consist of Seth's time in Canterlot, in case any of you haven't already figured that out. This will give me the chance to introduce a whole slew of characters that I haven't written about yet, like Octavia, Spitfire, etc. Also more Princesses.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think! I'm open to any constructive criticism.