It’s been a few days since the meeting, and I was making laps around Ponyville again. While I’ve been running, I’ve also visited the small farmers Pinkie talked to. Most of them only grew single crops, but a few grew others as well, and all of them offered some recipes. To my surprise, Fluttershy was on the list. Not to my surprise after a bit of thought, she would be able to provide eggs. She had a large chicken coop with dozens of chickens in it. I got to see just how she collected the eggs too when she gingerly picked some up with her wings from a nesting box.

I’ve been trying different Apple family desserts every day as well. There were so many, I could only try a few per day. I talked with them and came to a decision: every month would have a different Apple family dessert, and the first one would be apple pie. We also discussed cider, and they would be able to produce quite a bit of it ahead of time. Their prices, based on what I’ve seen as a customer at a few eateries around here, were quite reasonable, especially if I returned containers for reuse.

I was joined on my run by a brown pegasus with a black and white striped mane and tail flying by me. “Can I help you, sir?”

“I’m here to help you, Ms. Xiao Long” he said. “My name is Brew Binary, and I’m the accountant Fancy Pants chose to help you with the Carne Den’s finances.”

I began slowing down to a walk so we could talk more easily. “Well then, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Binary. Is there anything you need to tell me?”

“Aside from it being good to meet you, I arrived earlier today and I’ve also got all the construction ponies ready and started. I was told there would be a lot of materials ready and waiting for us, but I didn’t see any there.”

“Did you talk with Applejack? Orange earth pony, blonde mane and tail, most likely wearing a hat?”

“I haven’t talked to a pony like that yet.”

And there’s the first bump in the road. “I’ll find her and tell her to get the supplies over there. It might take a while though, since the train station area is kind of on the opposite end of town from her.”

“How long will that take?”

“Not too long, I hope.” I quickly figured out where I was on my lap and began running straight towards Sweet Apple Acres. It was time to start this big project/secret method to have a steady supply of meat.

I got to Sweet Apple Acres sooner than I normally would have during a run thanks to the more direct route I took. I found Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith just as they were leaving the front door of their house.

“Hey, Yang” Applejack greeted. “What brings you here? Is it time to deliver the lumber and stuff?”

“Yeah” I confirmed. “I just found out recently myself, and the construction crews are apparently ready to go.”

“Why couldn’t they have had us deliver it yesterday? It would have made things a bit easier.” Apple Bloom asked as all of us except Granny Smith turned towards the barn.

“I don’t know. Are you going to need my help?”

“Eenope” Big Mac said. “We’ve got it planned out.”

“Ah’m taking the sheets, Big Mac’s taking the beams, and Apple Bloom is taking the nails and braces. It ain’t Twilight-level planning, but it’s good enough to work.”

“We should be there in a couple hours once we’re all hooked up” Apple Bloom said. “Go on there and we’ll be on our way.”

“Sounds good” I agreed before turning around and running off towards the construction site.

When I arrived, it was clear that Brew Binary hadn’t told me everything. There were construction ponies here, but they were just starting on the groundwork. They already had an outline of the building set up with some stakes and were working on removing the trees within the perimeter.

I found Brew Binary sitting and talking with the foremen. Foreponies? The four ponies in charge of the construction itself by the look of it, all of them somehow identical, their cutie marks concealed as well. I walked over to them. “Hello again, Ms. Xiao Long” Brew greeted.

“Hi” I returned. “I found Applejack, and she’s on her way with the lumber and stuff.”

“That’s good. And the situation’s not as bad as I thought it might have been. Fancy told me to get the construction started, but I was expecting to see the frame going up first. I’ve never actually seen how construction work is actually done from the start, so it’s kind of new to me.”

“Well, you are an accountant, so it makes sense that it might be outside your experience. How’s everything else looking?”

One of the foreponies answered. “We should have the trees cleared out and the ground prepared before sundown. As per the plans I read, that big tree will be set aside once it’s down. My son is actually quite talented at woodworking, so he’ll be the one to work on it starting tomorrow.”

That’s one big piece of furniture that we won’t have to worry about. Much. “Well, that’s good to know.”

“Say, where’s Gilda?” Brew asked. “I was told that she was also part of this project.”

“She decided to fly back to Griffonstone yesterday. She says she’s going to help spread the word about the Carne Den over there and see if she can get some griffons in on the business. On the bright side, she left me with plenty of meat, so I should be fine for a while.” That stuff was almost like a drug to me right now. Unfortunately, I had to go to Twilight’s for it since Rarity wouldn’t allow any of it in her house. “So, how fast do you usually work?”

Another forepony answered. “It usually takes us about a month at most to build one building, assuming something collapses partway through. If nothing collapses, we should be done in only a couple weeks.”

“Then let’s hope the only thing to collapse are the trees in our way.” As I said that, the big tree was cut and fell to the ground. One of the branches, about as thick as my arm, hit the ground, snapped, and somehow flew over the ponies in front of me, only to slam into my face, knocking me back a few steps and onto my back. If it weren’t for my aura, my face would have been severely messed up.

“Hey, careful over there! You hit Yang in the face! You could have hit us too!”

“Sorry! I just don’t know what went wrong.” Was that Derpy? Why was she here? “I’ll just be on my way now.”

I got the branch off my face and stood back up. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Are you okay?” Brew asked.

“Yeah. It’ll take more than a surprise faceplant to really hurt me.” The foreponies and Brew collectively facehooved in unison.

“Anyways, where should we have Applejack drop the supplies?” one forepony asked.

“Wherever works best for you, so long as you don’t need to move it during construction. Why are you even asking me?"

“Standard procedure for our company.”

“Riiight. Well, I’ll leave the groundwork to you and your crew. I’m going to go back to my run. If you need me for something, just stop me when I pass by.”

“If you could come by before sunset, we’d like to show you our progress.”

“Sure thing.” With a short salute, I left them and got back on track as I passed the train station. As I resumed my run, I found myself, for the first time, wishing I had some music to listen to while running. I also thought about how much I’ve been running and just how easy it’s gotten for me. I had the stamina and speed to outperform anyone back on Earth, and a glimpse at the occasional reflection of myself still showed a healthy, slim body that belied the sheer power and endurance it held.

Another thought came to mind as I ran through Sweet Apple Acres: I was going to need Rarity to make work outfits for myself and my employees. I didn’t want to impose on her generosity by having her make them for free, so I’d have to work up the money to pay her for them. Maybe I could pay her for them over time. It would certainly be preferable to running the risk of any fur or feathers getting in the food, even with interest on the payments. Come to think of it, I was almost at that point in my lap.

When I went inside, Rarity greeted me. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and, oh, hello Yang. You’re back early. Need something?”

“Work clothes for the Carne Den” I answered. “Not just for me, but also for the employees I’ll have, too.”

“That’s a pretty tall order, but I can at least make yours for now. Do you want to go with the traditional white chef’s outfit?”

“No, I’m thinking black, and some kind of design that’s fairly simple. Maybe something that has a bit of a wrap to how it’s put on. I don’t know if I’m describing it right.”

“Not even close, but I have something in mind already. Instead of the usual buttons, you’re after something sleeker, but still resembling a chef’s outfit. Are you going to be doing any of the cooking?” Rarity already had a pencil and paper in her magic, sketching out her idea.

“No, but I think it would be easier to have everyone wearing the same uniform. At the least, it would save some money by only needing to modify the way it’s made and not the design.”

“But you could use a few small differences between them, even if just to signify job and rank. Like yours” -Rarity showed me the nice picture she had quickly drawn- “could have the hems around the cuffs, neck, body, and bottom be yellow, which goes well with your hair. The actual cooks can have red hems, symbolizing their presence in the heat of the kitchen. The waitstaff could have a dull orange, perfect for helping customers relax, like the leaves during autumn. Your bartenders could have blue, the color of water, the most basic of drinks. The highest ranking in each area could have violet going along their colors, going with your eyes as a way to show their rank and oversight position.”

“And green?” Rarity almost had the full rainbow.

“I don’t know. I’m thinking white hems for the dishwashers, should you have any dedicated to that position, to go with the suds and bubbles, but nothing for green. If you come up with something, let me know.”

“I will. Also, if I may ask, why does it look like mine has a short skirt in its design? It looks good, but I don’t really like wearing skirts.”

“Says the one who wears one to sleep every night.”

“That came about out of necessity. And I only wear it while I’m asleep.”

“And yet you haven’t asked me to come up with a replacement for it in all the time you’ve had it, now have you?” She got me there. “Back to your new outfit, it’s not simply a skirt by itself, more like a short dress, really. There will be a pair of pants to go with it too. I just haven’t fully drawn them out yet. They’ll be a bit looser than your jeans, so you’ll look more business-like.”

“I find that additional information to be acceptable.” I could deal with a skirt outside my sleepwear if it had something else under it. “Wait, you said dress?”

“Only a resemblance to one, dear. It will be short enough to not get caught on anything easily. You could just think of it as a long shirt, if that helps you out.”

That . . . was actually a pretty good way to think about it. It made the idea much more palatable. “It does help. When can you get it made?”

“Since I’m all caught up on my orders, I could have it done tonight. Have some water and go back to your running or something.”

“Thanks, Rarity. We’ll talk about the payment plan and how much it’ll cost later.” I quickly got myself a glass of water, drank it, and went back outside.

“Of course, dear. Wait, payment?”

After my second slow lap, I stopped at the construction site. The ground where the Carne Den was going to go was level and free of grass. The trees within it were gone, the giant one set apart from the others, and there was even the beginning of some framework.

“There you are” Brew said. “The foreponies just sent everyone else home about ten minutes ago.”

“How do you like the progress for the day?” one of the foreponies asked.

“It’s more than what you said you were aiming to accomplish.”

“We try. Silver Pipe, Straight Nail, Yellow Wire, and some of their crews will be here tomorrow to help out too. If you want to help in the construction work, just say so.”

“Thanks for the offer.” I could use that as some strength building exercise. And having me there means that I could be called upon for decisions. “I might just take you up on that.”

“I’m sure you’d be a big help. Well then, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” All four foreponies left in the same direction, leaving me with Brew.

“So, are they quadruplets or something?”

“No, they’re not” Brew said. “I asked them and it turns out that they’re two pairs of identical twins and their parents were identical twins who married other identical twins.”

“Stop, you’re making my brain hurt.” As simple as his explanation was, it wasn’t very easy to envision. “So, are you staying in Ponyville?”

“Yes. It also happens to be my first time here. I have a room at the hotel. Room 308. It has a great view of the construction site, and I will be using it as my office while I’m here.”

“Where do you live?”

“Canterlot. All the accountants Fancy talked to were from Canterlot. I just happened to be the first to volunteer to come here after his explanation of the Carne Den.”

“Ah. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“And the same to you.”

As we parted ways during the sunset towards our separate places, I began thinking about what I’d have to do in the future, namely interviews. I couldn’t hold the interviews at the construction site, since that was dangerous and distracting. I could hold them at Sugarcube Corner, but I felt that if I went there, I’d have to get something, and that would add up quickly.

When I arrived at the boutique, I saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle playing checkers outside by the front door. “Good evening.”

“Good evening, Yang” Sweetie greeted. “How was your day?”

“Construction on my restaurant has started. Hey, Rarity, how’s the outfit?”

“I finished it about 45 minutes ago.” Rarity moved one of her kinged pieces. “It’s folded up on your bed.”

“I’ll go try it on. Thanks.” I went up to my room and found the outfit, shirt, pants, and socks, neatly folded up. After closing the door and curtain, I changed into the outfit. The fit was very good, not too tight, not too loose. The lower part of the sleeves were a bit short and a tad tight, but putting the Ember Celica on filled the gap between the end of the sleeve and my hand. Transforming them went without a problem, which made the tightness of the sleeves more acceptable. The skirt portion came just shy of going halfway down my thighs, and despite the way it slightly contoured my legs, it didn’t hinder my mobility in any way. I could even do the splits without any problems since the skirt wasn’t a full circle of fabric and didn’t close like the rest of the top piece did.

With the new outfit on, I went back out to Rarity and Sweetie Belle at their table. I got there just as Sweetie was packing the game up. “I like it, Rarity.”

“And it looks good on you too, I must say” Rarity said. “Now, I recall you saying something about discussing a payment of some kind?” She motioned to the chair Sweetie was just in and I sat down in it.

“Yes. I can’t accept these uniforms for the Carne Den for free. Not after all you’ve done and made for me at your expense. While the gesture would certainly be nice, I’d feel guilty about it.”

“Really? Does that include yours?”

“Yes. Even if the Carne Den flops and I have to take up two jobs to pay them off, I will not let this go unpaid.”

“That’s quite noble of you, but I at least want you to have that outfit for free.”
Sounds like it’s time to negotiate. “Hmm. When you make, say, a custom dress, is part of your fee the design cost?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then how about this: I still pay for the one I’m wearing, but you can discount the design fees and any other fees for fitting these uniforms.”

“Are you . . . trying to bargain with my generosity?”

“Uh, yes?”

Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and let out a dainty little laugh. “Nopony’s ever done that before. I don’t think you’re going to back down on your offer, but I still want to do something else for you for this.”

For a bit, Rarity and I made focused eye contact, as if we could transmit ideas to each other by the power of our sight. I was the first to come up with something. “I have an idea.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Could I use this spot for interviews? If I like an applicant, then I can send them right in for you to take their measurements and other notes.”

“This far from the building site? Maybe you’d prefer somewhere closer?”

“I can just put up a sign sign here and a sign there. You do make a good point about having a closer spot, though. Oh, maybe I could schedule certain days for being at the construction site and other days for interviews. I should figure that out and send a letter to Gilda.”

“I do have a spare calendar sitting in my inspiration room. Feel free to use it.”

I wasn’t going to argue against that offer. “Thanks. I just wish I could know how many were coming and when so I could schedule around them.”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it? If I may make a suggestion, talk to Twilight tomorrow. She can help make a newspaper ad for you so you can get more applicants and to tell everyone your business exists. For now though, it’s about time to go to bed. There’s some vegetable and mushroom casserole in the fridge from tonight’s supper if you want any.”

“Sounds good.” My stomach made a sound of agreement. Skipping meals, while doable, isn’t necessarily a good idea. Rarity and I went inside once we were done talking. She went upstairs to go to bed and I found the casserole in the fridge. There wasn’t much of it there, just barely enough for a small meal. I shredded a bit of cheese onto it, mixed the whole thing up, wished that microwaves were a thing here, and sat down to my cold supper.

Maybe I could find someone who could make one. Ovens, stoves, refrigerators, and hot water are things here, and I’ve yet to see anything like a power plant in this little town. There was magic at work here, and it was versatile. It would be nice if I could tap into a bit of it.

Author's Notes:

This chapter brought to you by the Enter key. Maybe I'll switch back from copy/pasting from Gdocs to properly importing it.

Also, who likes the card style of displaying faved stories with unread chapters? I don't.