I groaned loudly and pushed the door to Carousel Boutique open. "Hello? Mrs. Rarity?" I took a deep breath, warm vanilla scent flittered into my nose. "Oh, well...that's a good sign." I could hear arguing deeper in the shop. "Hello?" I walked along the fancy interior, different mannequin species propped up along the walls. It felt strange seeing a griffon and a satyr, it was very apparent where the two species mixed on each and was rather visually jarring.

I kept on, scanning through the single large room. "Hello?"

"Hello?" A proper voice shot back. "Ooo, one moment!" A loud snap came from one of the doors along the curved wall. "Jewel stop it!" A door flung open, popping out a maroon maned filly with an extremely sharp manecut. "Jewel!"

"Oh!" I stepped between the filly and the door outside, causing the young mare to slam nose first into my legs. "Mrs. Rarity?" I picked the foal up, the dazed child limp in my hands.

"Stop her! Please, stop her!" Rarity shouted back, followed up by an uneven trot. "Help!"

I looked down at the filly in my hands. "I did...?"

A tall mare with a strange contraption on her left side hobbled through the doorway, her left foreleg was wrapped up tight and a strange crutch with a wheel was slung against her side. "Oh thank you so much." She squeezed through one of the doors that lined the wall and carefully wheeled herself over. "You must be Mr. Work." She smiled at me, a kind, calm, collected smile.

I couldn't help but return it, her civility a welcome change from the honkey tonk shit I'd been dealing with. "Glass Work, good to meet you Mrs. Rarity." I held the foal like a football, tucking her into my shoulder. "I think maybe we should speak for a while."

Rarity looked up at me with a smile. "Of course, and I'm sorry I couldn't meet you myself." She looked down at her leg. "An accident in the barrens, jewel hunting can be a bit treacherous at times."

"Hmm, well I do hope you're alright, but you really should have mentioned this to me before I left home." I set the filly down, holding her between my hooves. "A rather sour surprise--"

"Did I not?" Rarity nearly fell, reflexively trying to bring her hoof to her chest. "Oh, sorry. And I could have sworn I sent a few letters."

I sighed loudly. "Mail has a tendency to get lost on its way up north, you very well might have, but the letter never reached me." The filly tried to wiggle free, squeezing herself through my hooves for only a moment. "Your filly I take it?"

Rarity smiled at me. "Yes, she's a sweet filly, doesn't exactly like when mommy brushes her mane, does she?" Rarity leaned down, smiling at the filly between my legs.

I nodded. "She doesn't talk much--"

"Mute." Rarity stated, growing a bit dour for just a moment. "She doesn't speak at all."

"Oh, apologies." I scooted my legs apart and let the filly free. "At any rate, I'm here, ready to work, ready to settle in."

The filly marched back behind her mother, then back again into the open door. Rarity watched the filly sulk off. "Fair enough." She nudged her head towards a set of stairs in the next room. "You'll be staying in my room until my leg heals, I'm sorry, but I'm not really able to use the stairs very well."

I followed her along, the subtle scents and pleasingly clean home calmed me. "That's fine, I spent the last night in a stranger's house, took a shower while she peed in the same room as me." I shook my head. "My morning was rather complicated."

Rarity's tail swept the way behind her. "As I said, I'm rather sorry. I would have sent Vintage, but sadly he's not here anymore."

I held my breath as we stepped into a smell sitting room. "Oh, my condolences. Your husband?"

Rarity slowly turned around, her thick purple mane bobbing under its own weight. "He is, but condol-- oh! Oh, no, he's alive!" Rarity pranced her back legs in place. "No, no, he's in the hospital."

"Oh, still then." I looked around the thick seating, Victorian style in such an age was rather refreshing. "Is he going to be alright?"

Rarity frowned. "We'll be fine, and I do think they're assigning a guard to the barrens from here onward." Rarity hobbled along, the wheel of her brace squeaking slightly. "I could tell you what happened, but I'd imagine your first day was rather stressful. I'll give you a bit of time to sort out your things, then we can speak."

I took a deep breath. Rarity walked away from the steps and over to a large couch. "You have no idea how nice that sounds. Thank you." I gave a quick bow and turned to the stairs. "Which--"

"It has a note on it. I was expecting Darcy to bring you straight here if you arrived early." Rarity carefully set herself along the couch, keeping her limp leg splinted off the side. "And I am sorry if she was rather excited, the town has a way of welcoming new arrivals rather flamboyantly."

I felt something warm trickle into my heart. "Ma'am...your civility is so out of place in this town, thank you for it."

Rarity turned away and waggled a hoof at me. "Rustic, but they mean well. Now go, and don't mind the room, I had it cleaned and sorted before you arrived."

The warmth in my chest started to boil up. "Alright, I'm just going to go before I say something stupid." I hurried up the stairs, no creak no groan. I hurried down the clean white halls, tasteful picture frames and a happy pony family bringing life to the clean white. I kept my nose forward, not wanting to intrude. My walk was cut short, the upstairs hall rather shallow. Four doors, one with a note taped to the front.

I hurried down the hall and plucked the note. The soft plodding of hooves drew my attention back, Rarity's filly was slowly sulking her way past me and into the room at the left end of the hall. I could help but feel a little bad, her mane was a half styled mess. "...Sorry." I mumbled, unfolding the note.

The filly stopped in her doorway and turned around, giving me a quick look over before ducking back into her room. I rubbed my mouth, getting snubbed by a filly was just as bad as getting snubbed by anypony else. I flipped open the note and set my bag down.

Mr. Work, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. Please make yourself at home, my daughter is across the hall, bathroom is across from the sewing room, please don't use my private bath. Thank you.

"Fair enough." I opened the door. "Oh...good lord." I peeked my head in, the room was spotless, clean creams, whites, and violets. "I can't stay in here...." The furniture had a strange waxed sheen to it, the double bed in the end of the room had the unmistakable starchiness you could only find with a brand new set. "She spent money on me? Well...." I could feel a bit of a hollowness in my gut. "Sooner I get to work, the better I suppose." I pulled my bag in and felt a coldness settle on my skin.

The room was absolutely perfect, fancy furniture, pleasing pale colors, the air was cold crisp and lifeless. It was tailored perfectly to me. I set my bag down and went up to a dresser with a note. "Mr. Glass, feel free to use this." I looked up at the dresser, starting to feel my throat tighten up slightly. "Hmm, I feel a bit spoiled." I peeked into each drawer, the sharp slide of wood on wood filling my ears as I found each one empty. "Spoiled."

I spotted something horrid in the last drawer. "Oh- shit!" I slammed the last drawer shut with my hoof and took a step back. "Okay...each one except the bottom, alright." I rubbed my forehead and stepped back. "Alright, alrighty, base." I put my hand on the smooth painted wood dresser. "Base. I'm okay." I pushed off towards the door. I was free of my bag and ready to get exploring.

I hurried into the hall and down the stairs in a flash. Rarity watched my descent. "Better?" she asked, stretching her damaged foreleg.

I let out a sharp hoot. "Immensely." I hurried over to her, my thin metal shoes tapping loudly against the ground. "Now, a talk?"

Rarity smiled at me as I took a seat across from her. "Oh course. I'd imagine you're curious about the leg."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I am, but I wasn't going to ask."

Rarity sighed loudly. "It's rather simple. Diamond dogs tend to dig tunnels underground in the barrens, my husband and myself were out picking gems and... well, a cave system fell in."

I felt my back snap straight. "The ground just fell out from under you?"

"Mmmhmm."

"That's bloody terrifying!" I grabbed the tight cotton arms of my seat. "Is your husband alright?"

Rarity's frown returned. "He'll be alright, he fell much farther. He's going to be in the hospital for some time still."

I leaned back in my chair. "Such a shame." I looked past Rarity, out a bright gleaming window. "I'll do what I can here, but I hope you understand my expertise isn't in living assistance--"

"Glass-work, yes?" Rarity covered her mouth and laughed. "I thought the name was rather telling."

I laughed nervously, watching a shadow bolt past the window. "Glass working, jewelry, and several carving styles." I crossed my arms. "There are reasons I go by Glass... oh, we're all college students and he's a blue collar worker! Look, it's in his name!" I held my hands up and wiggled my wrists. "It was bad enough catching crap for my work, but a whole different thing when Christmas rolls around and suddenly everypony wanted gifts." I rolled my eyes. "But we got off track--"

"Hardly." Rarity ran her hoof along her couch, her bright blue eyes a bit tired. "I was speaking with my friends about you. You would have either ended up sorting books, applebucking, or helping me, and I do work with gems and jewels."

"And that, ma'am, is why I signed up." I sat back, settling in with a smile, the light fading for just a moment yet again. "But, I thought I would ask, do you--"

Rarity nodded knowingly. "The Apples have a forge, I'm sure they'd let you borrow it if you were intending to work in Ponyville full time."

I smiled wide at the mare. "That would be- wait, is Darcy an Apple Family mare?"

Rarity looked over to me with a frown. "Yes. You sound--"

I groaned softly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but everyone in this town is too god damn happy." I laughed nervously. "This place could do with a good storm, settle them in. Either that or they need to get more intimate, work that energy out before going into public."

Rarity sputtered slightly and covered her mouth with her hoof. "Oh dear...I'm sorry, that was unexpected."

I shrugged. "I mean, have you ever--"

"Yes, cold, quiet, solitary." Rarity nodded. "I was there for the reconstruction, I designed the college uniforms."

"Really? I've always loved the style, very napol--" I cut myself off as the light flickered once again. "Alright, who the hell is out there?!" I jumped up and hurried to the window.

Rarity sighed softly. "Glass, I'm afraid you're probably not going to like what's waiting out there, but it is going to come for you."

I snapped around. "What?"

"Hi--"

I let out a shrill scream, flinging my hands up and pressing my cheek against the window. "Ah-Jesus no!" I slapped my hands against the glass, face to face with the blonde mare in a sweater. "Who- how- Rarity?"

The mare smiled at me and grabbed my wrist. "Come on, you're gonna be late!" She yanked me towards a side door in the sitting room. "Come on!"

I stared at Rarity as I was pulled closer and closer to the outside. "Mrs. Rarity!?"

Rarity smiled at me. "Enjoy yourself, Glass, I'll show you what I need help with tomorrow, for now enjoy your party."

"Party? Party!?" I stumbled along as the blonde mare pulled me towards the door. "What party!? There was no party!"

The mare in the sweater's hand tightened against my wrist, her smooth skin pleasant enough compared to the tugging on my joint. "Your welcome party, I told Pinkie Pie and she got everything set up in a flash!"

"Oh no no no, no!" I grabbed onto the door frame. Darcy was waiting outside for me as well, a small herd waiting to greet me. "No! No fu--" Darcy shook her head and grabbed my hand from the mare in the sweater. "Darcy, you fucking traitor!"

The blonde mare, Misty, just smiled at me. "Come on, it's gonna be fun!"

Darcy wheeled me around, eventually getting her arm between my legs and hoisting me up into a firefighter carry. "It wasn't my idea, but if you don't go none of us are gonna hear the end of it." She swung me around, kidnapping me from my polite host. "It's gonna be--"

"God damn this spaztic ass place!"

Misty popped into my view, walking next to me as I was carried down the soft cobblestone plaza. "There's gonna be cake. I'll be there, Darcy's gonna be there, you'll--"

"I don't want bloody cake!" I tried to kick free, only managing to get a sharp squeeze for my defiance. "Piss!"

Darcy shook her head, rubbing my ribs with her headband. "It would either be me or Pinkie, and Pinkie would be a lot less subtle."

Misty just kept smiling at me. "Darcy said you wanted to make friends, so I thought it'd be nice to have her throw you a party."

I glared down at the mare in the sweater. "You... I won't forget this...."

Misty smiled wide. "Yay." Next Chapter: Party Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 12 Minutes