My eyes opened to the soft morning light the next day, and I marveled at the difference in pain levels from the day before. I sat up and rubbed my shoulder with my other hand, trying to see if there were any lingering aches or pains from the healing process or the injury itself.

“Wow,” I mused as I hand worked over the smooth flesh without raising any complaints from the joint, “I got to hand it to the doc and Redheart, that shot hurt like hell when they gave it to me but I can’t feel a thing now.”

My gaze roamed over the rest of the room with little rhyme or reason, as my mind tried to formulate what was going to happen to me now. Twilight had said she would come and get me when I was discharged, but after my nerve-breaking experiences yesterday I had simply passed out once I had gotten my shot. I didn’t even remember Redheart and Tenderhoof leaving my room after I fell asleep, but I had to believe they were laughing at my expense when it came to dropping like a stone after one shot. The med staff probably thought I had some kind of phobia against needles the way my luck was going lately.

I was pulled from my rumination by the sound of the door opening, revealing Redheart and Tenderhoof, followed closely by Twilight. I smiled as best as I could, although it became much more genuine when I spotted the bundle floating along next to Twilight’s head.

“Are those what I think they are?” I asked.

Her own lips mirrored my own as she set the neatly folded clothing onto the sheets next to me, “I picked them up from Rarity’s when I was on my way here. I know you wanted to have them once you were discharged, so I made sure to get everything you could possibly need.”

I riffled through the pile, pulling out a blue T-shirt with the insignia of my unit emblazoned across the front, along with a set of blue jeans and a pair of white socks. There was also my black blazer, which sported my former captain bars on the shoulder lapels and had my unit patch sewn into the left bicep. The right arm was similarly adorned with the old stars and stripes, and the brass zipper seemed to be in perfect order. Finally, my sneakers were cleaner than I had ever seen them before, with their laces folded neatly under the tongue in little bows. In fact, everything was so clean I swore I could eat off of them. Whoever this Rarity was, she was certainly fastidious.

I placed my shoes on the floor and made to pull the sheets off of my body, only to realize that all three equines were overtly staring at me.

“Do you mind?” I asked, trying to be subtle about it.

Three confused looks were my answer, “Do we mind what?” Twilight asked, her expression the picture of innocence.

I rolled my eyes, “I can’t get dressed with you all looking at me like that.” I make a circle gesture with one finger, “Turn around or else we’re going to be here all day.”

Now their eyes narrowed in even further confusion, although it was Redheart that spoke this time, “Why would it matter if we saw you getting dressed? We’ve all seen you in your underclothing and it’s not like we’re trying to peep on you or anything.”

Tenderhoof nodded, “Exactly, besides we need to make sure you can move about fully as part of your exit requirements. We can’t let you go if we don’t know for sure you’re fully healed.”

I groaned, doing my best not to facepalm, “Look, I’d be happy to do some movement exercises once I’m up and moving, but where I come from it’s very much socially taboo to watch someone getting dressed or undressed unless you are romantically involved with that person. I know it might be different for you all, but if you three watch me get dressed it would make me very uncomfortable. Now please,” I resorted to using the most pleading tone I could muster, “turn around until I say you can look.”

Redheart opened her mouth, most likely to argue further, but was stopped by Twilight’s hoof on her shoulder. She turned to the purple mare with a raised eyebrow and a glare that could melt steel. “What?”

“I understand that you have your procedures,” Twilight spoke in a placating manner, “but we’re mixing two different cultures here. I think we can afford a little leeway to ensure Sarah doesn’t have to do anything she’s not comfortable with. After all, you wouldn’t like it if she just up and lifted your tail to make sure you were a female now would you?”

Redheart sputtered as her cheeks blossomed in a vibrant pink, “That was uncalled for Ms. Sparkle! And I fail to see your reasoning when it comes to the two topics.”

Twilight pointed at me with her hoof, “For all we know that might be part of Sarah’s culture. I’m pretty sure it’s not the case, but right now we are forging new ground that nopony has ever had to walk. So, I’m asking you to keep an open mind, and try and see it from her perspective. How would you feel if you got transported to another world and suddenly had to follow a whole new list of rules and social behaviors?”

Redheart’s demeanor calmed as she nodded slowly, “Alright, I get the point.” She turned to me with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry Sarah, I’ll try and be more conscious of your situation in the future.”

She caught Tenderhoof’s eye and shared a small nod with him. Then, she spun around to face the door while the good doctor faced the far wall. Twilight followed suit and I was finally comfortable enough to pull the sheets off of my body. It felt almost liberating to be able to move freely for the first time since I awoke, and I relished in the sensation of cloth against my skin as I pulled my shirt over my head. I flipped my hair free of the shirt with a quick toss of my head, moving on to the jeans and socks. It only took me a minute or two to get fully clothed, but it was one of the most fulfilling moments I had ever experienced. As the old saying went, ‘you don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone’. I never imagined simply getting dressed would feel this good. It was as if I was finally complete for the first time since I fell off that cliff, and all it took was a bunch of stuff I normally didn’t even think about.

Once I was sure everything was in order, I spoke to my companions, “You can look now.”

They turned around, and I saw Twilight and Tenderhoof’s eyes widen slightly as their eyes traveled up my body to my head. Redheart had already seen me standing up, so it wasn’t as big a shock for her, but even she still took a moment to look over my body now that I actually had something covering it.

“Wow.” Twilight said slowly as she walked around me, eyeing me up and down with a glint of wonder in her gaze, “I knew you were going to be tall from how long you were compared to the bed, but I never expected you to be this big.”

I felt a blush coming on as I rubbed the back of my neck, “Well I was always a big girl, but for a human I’m not that special.” I chuckled as a memory came to mind, “You should have seen some of the bruisers in my unit. They made me look like a shrimp when we stood together for pictures.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, her horn glowing for a second before the familiar quill and scroll materialized next to her with a pop, “Oh, tell me more, there’s so much to learn now that we can talk about your world.”

I had tried not to flinch at the seeming teleportation that had happened before my eyes, but I still flinched when my survival instincts screamed at me to duck and cover. Pop sounds like that meant someone was shooting at you on the battlefield, so my inner soldier was doing its best to find places to hide from enemy fire as Twilight rattled on about something.

Her little lecture was cut short as my hand came to rest over her mouth, her eyes going wide as her voice cut short. I shook my head to clear it before doing my best to smile at her, “While I would love to talk with you about stuff from my world, I think the doc wants to make sure I’m in one piece before they let me out of here. Do you mind holding off the third degree until we can talk in a more relaxed setting?”

She nodded through my hand, stepping back as a slight blush came to her cheeks, “Yes, well, I guess that would be the best idea.” Her ears folded as she sent a sheepish look to Tenderhoof, “Sorry for interrupting your examination doctor. I’ll try not to get in the way again.”

He smiled softly as he shook his head, “Far be it from me to criticize you for your natural curiosity, but thank you all the same for letting me do my job.” He nodded to Redheart before turning to me, “Now, Ms. Lovegood, I want you to sit on the floor for a moment so I can get a closer look at your shoulders. Your left one and your ribs are the main points of concern I have pertaining to your recovery.”

I complied by sitting cross legged on the smooth tile, and I noticed with a smirk that Twilight was taking notes again. However, my attention was once again focused on the doc as he walked up to me. With me sitting on the floor like this, we were now roughly eye level with each other, and I felt a slight hint of misgivings as he approached. With me in a compromised position, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself very well if he did something crazy, but I fought down those feelings as he stepped up to my left side. These ponies had done nothing to deserve those feelings, and I would keep a lid on my inner Ranger until they proved otherwise. After all, they took me in and saved my life when they had no reason to do so. That alone earned them the benefit of the doubt in my book.

Tenderhoof lowered his horn to my shoulder, and I felt a familiar tingling as his horn ignited with the same light blue I had seen before. I watched with wide eyes as my clothing and then flesh slowly turned invisible, revealing the muscles and blood vessels plain as day for everyone to see. The view slowly sifted from one layer to another, eventually going down until only the bone was still solid. After a moment or two he pulled back, my flesh and clothing going back to their normal visible state as the glow around his horn faded.

I reached up and touched my shoulder with a finger, as if afraid it would crumble under my touch, but everything seemed to be exactly as it should have been. The muscle was tight under my skin and the clothing was still the same cotton and fake leather mix it always had been.

I looked up at Tenderhoof to note the small smirk he had on his face, “I never get tired of seeing a patient’s face when I do that spell for the first time. It never fails to create the most hilarious expressions when they realize their skin and muscle is still exactly where it’s supposed to be.”

I rolled my eyes at me, “All right wise guy, you’ve had your fun. Can we get this over with so I can get out of this place? I’m starting to go a little stir crazy sitting in this room all day.”

He returned my eye roll with a raised eyebrow, “One day in the recovery room and you’re already itching to get out. Sounds like another mare we know quite well.”

I caught Twilight and Redheart groaning, performing a spectacular double facepalm, or I guess it would be facehoof. As they lowered their legs to the floor Twilight spoke up, “Don’t remind me, she’s been insisting on guarding the hospital from the waiting room, acting like the world’s going to fall apart if she so much as sleeps.” She let out a long-suffering sigh that I knew all too well from my days in the service, “thank Celestia Fluttershy is here to keep her in check or else she’d be driving the staff up a wall by this point.”

I lifted my right hand as Tenderhoof walked around behind me, the now familiar tingling spreading over my ribs as I asked, “Should I be worried about this mystery mare? She sounds like quite a handful.”

Twilight thought about it for a moment before answering, “I don’t think it’ll be a major problem. I would just be careful how you interact with Rainbow Dash when you first meet her. She can be a bit excitable when it comes to the safety of those she cares about.”

I nodded, “Sounds like someone I can relate to. I’ll try not to start an interstellar incident when we cross paths.”

Twilight let out another sigh, although this one seemed to be one of relief, “Thank you Sarah. You don’t know how much this moment has been bothering me. Oh, one quick thing,” she added with a raised hoof, “Fluttershy is very insecure around those she doesn’t know, particularly beings she thinks might be a threat to her. I would suggest slow movements and a soft voice when you talk with her, it’ll make it easier for her to adjust to your size. Better yet, you could sit down like you are now and it should make it even easier for her to find her confidence.”

“So, she’s super shy around those she doesn’t know.” I translated, “Got it.”

The tingling around my ribs faded and Tenderhoof walked back around in front of me, “Well your injuries seem to be healing nicely. If you refrain from doing any overly strenuous activity for a day or two you should be completely fine.” He turned to face Twilight and Redheart, “I am stating for the record that the patient is ready for discharge, nurse, do you agree with that assessment?”

Redheart nodded, “I do. I believe the patient is fully prepared to go about normal physical activity and is clear to discharge.”

Tenderhoof nodded in return, “Then you’re free to go Ms. Lovegood.” He smiled as he held out one hoof to me, “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, but try not to make visiting us a habit if you can help it.”

I chuckled as I shook his hoof gently with my right hand, “I’ll try to keep that in mind, doc.”

With that I stood up again and turned to Twilight, “So is that it, we just walk out of here?”

“We still need to check you out at the front desk,” she clarified, “but yes, we’re done here.”

I nodded, “Alright then.” I turned and gave the med staff a nice big smile, “It was nice to meet you both. I hope we can talk again when you’re not busy fixing bones.”

Tenderhoof chuckled as Redheart giggled behind her hoof, “We’ll do our best to make time.” Redheart replied. She made a shooing motion with her hoof, “Now go on, there’s a whole new world out there for you to discover, don’t waste the day sitting around in here.”

I laughed as I followed Twilight out the door, “See ya later you two. Hope to see you around.”

They waved goodbye as I turned the corner, although my attention was immediately captured by the two armored ponies that fell in step behind us. My instincts immediately started screaming at me this was an ambush, but Twilight’s words forestalled any action on my part.

“Pay them no mind,” she said without even turning her head, “they were stationed here because we had never encountered your kind before. We didn’t know if you were a threat to us or not, so I had the Ponyville Guard station a security detail here in case you proved to be hostile.” She turned her head to look up at me with a smile, “I’m glad to see they aren’t needed, although you should know that they are required to escort us out of the building. You might not be a threat now that we know a bit more about you, but the rest of Ponyville doesn’t know that. The detail is just as much for your protection as it is for us, at least until the townsfolk get used to seeing you around.”

I wasn’t really sure how I felt about having body guards, although I had a feeling if things got dicey I could handle most of these little ponies without too much trouble. Of course, so long as none of them use that special magic nonsense against me. I followed Twilight into what I assumed was the main lobby of the hospital, and before I could even blink my vision was completely overtaken by a pair of large magenta eyes.

“Alright you creepy alien thing,” a raspy female voice bellowed into my face, “you touch so much as one hair on my friends’ heads and I’ll kick your sorry flank so far into next week it’ll be next month by the time you get yourself back together.”

I took a few steps back, falling into a fighting stance before my brain could catch up with my body. In an instant I had taken in every detail of my foe, from her rainbow mane and tail to the sky-blue coat that covered her body. She was hovering at head level using a set of wings that sprouted from the shoulder region of her back, and she had her front hooves held up like a boxer would hold their arms. I realized that using flight in such a cramped space would put her at a disadvantage, so without thinking I rushed forward and grabbed her front hooves in my grip. Her eyes widened as I levered her body over my shoulder and pile-drived her into the floor shoulder first.

The air rushed out of her lungs and her eyes spun in their sockets for a second. In that time I used my knees to pin her wings against the floor and secured her front hooves above her head with my hands. Just as she seemed to be getting over the shock of hitting the floor, I leaned down and pressed my nose against the end of her snout.

Her eyes shrank to pinpricks as I growled through my teeth, “Now listen hear hotshot, I’m not looking to hurt anyone in this little town of yours, and I certainly won’t touch Twilight or her friends after she saved my life. So back off and give me some space before I show you how they teach us Army Rangers how to break all the joints in a limb at the same time.

Her eyes narrowed in a challenging way, and she was opening her mouth to retort when both of our bodies were enveloped in a purple aura. Before I could react I was yanked off of the prismatic mare, and I saw that Twilight had both of us in her magical grip as she levitated us over to face her. The look on her face was unamused at best and dangerously frustrated at worst, although as she opened her mouth to speak she was interrupted by the pink and yellow blob to her left.

“Um, excuse me,” good Lord that was the most adorable voice I had ever heard! “I really don’t like fighting, so if everypony could just calm down, we can talk this out without resorting to violence.”

The pink and yellow blob uncurled enough to reveal a large teal eye, and I realized that the blob wasn’t a blob at all, but a butter yellow pegasus that had been hiding behind her long pink mane. I assumed that this was the aforementioned Fluttershy, and that the rainbow hothead floating next to me was Rainbow Dash. I facepalmed as I realized what I had just done. I’d done the very thing Twilight had warned me not to do, and now I was pretty sure Rainbow would be after my blood the instant Twilight let us go.

Speaking of said prismatic headache, she snarled at me and struggled against Twilight’s magic, too little to no effect, “Why are you defending this thing Fluttershy? It attacked me and then threatened to break my wings when it had me pinned to the floor!”

I swore the temperature of the room went down a few degrees as the soft-spoken mare before us lifted one eyebrow at her companion, “And she did all of this because you threatened her the instant she walked into the room. How would you react if a creature you’ve only just met got in your face and started making threats against you?”

The trapped pegasus scoffed, waving a hoof slightly as she rolled her eyes, “That’s an easy one. I’d tell them to stuff it up their plots and then I’d kick them into, next, week.” I could actually see the moment her brain clicked into place, “Oh,” she seemed to curl in on herself as her haughty expression morphed into a sheepish one, “I get it.”

Fluttershy nodded once before turning to me, “Please forgive Rainbow for her outburst. She was just doing what she thought was right to protect Twilight and me.”

I nodded, feeling even worse now that the bundle of cute was turning her charm towards me, “Yeah, sorry about that. When you’ve been trained to react to threats on instinct, it’s hard to turn that kind of thing off when you’re not in a warzone.” I turned towards Rainbow and rubbed my neck with one hand, “Sorry about pounding you into the floor. I’ll try not to do it again.”

She huffed, “Yeah, whatever. I totally let you do that anyway.”

I rolled my eyes at her response, “Whatever you say.”

Twilight nodded before setting us down on the ground, and I took a moment to look around the waiting room while Twilight spoke to the receptionist. All and all it was your average waiting room, with benches and other seating for incoming patients and waiting friends or family. The typical potted plants were scattered around the periphery while a set of double doors led to what I assumed to be the street outside.

Meanwhile, the two guards that had been shadowing me the entire time simply stood at attention next to the doors leading outside, and for a moment I wondered why it was they hadn’t intervened when Rainbow and I had been going at it. I turned to Twilight, my mouth opening to ask that very question, when I caught sight of the way the guards were actually standing. What I had assumed to be attention was actually a relaxed combat stance, as given by the looseness in their legs and the alert glint in their eyes. Their gazes took in everything within the waiting room and by the looks of things they would react to anything in an instant if it was deemed necessary. My eyebrow rose in surprise and a fair amount of respect. These colts might have been dressed like cartoon knights in shining armor, but I could tell that they weren’t something to disregard because of appearances. These stallions meant business, so the only reason they hadn’t tackled me and Rainbow was either because they didn’t deem it enough of a situation to intervene, or because of some other factor.

My eyes moved back to Twilight, specifically the horn that resided on the top of her head, and I realized that the reason the guards hadn’t acted was the very reason Rainbow and I weren’t still on the floor. Twilight had both of us completely at her mercy with next to no effort, and had done so within moments of Rainbow and I going at it. My threat radar rapidly adjusted itself to now include the alicorn as one of the top things to keep track of, and as she approached me I found a new respect for the reluctant royal.

“Well that should be everything,” she said as she stepped up to the double doors leading outside, “I think we should go for a short walk around town and let the townsponies get a look at you before we get you settled.”

Fluttershy walked up and leaned into my right leg, looking up at me with that shy smile of hers on full display, “I wouldn’t mind tagging along for a while. I need to pick up some carrots for Angel Bunny anyway.”

I shrugged my acceptance, although my rainbow bodyguard seemed to think we were too close for her liking. Dash interposed herself between Fluttershy and me, her eyes narrowed in a glare as her wings flared wide, “Just don’t try and pull anything, or else I’ll pound you into the dirt in ten seconds flat.”

I rolled my eyes as I walked past her, winking to Fluttershy as our eyes met, “Like you pounded me into the tiles a few minutes ago. Forgive me if I’m not shaking in my shoes.”

Fluttershy tried and failed to hide her giggles behind a hoof, and I noticed the slight tinting of Rainbow’s cheeks as she raised her chin into the air and let out an indignant huff, “Well like I said, I was going easy on you. I’d kick your hairless flank from here to Canterlot if you so much as tried doing that again.”

I chose not to grace her attitude with a reply, instead following Twilight as she walked out of the building. What met my eyes seemed to be something out of a medieval kid’s coloring book, if the bright gold thatched roofing and the Pictionary-style storefront displays were any indication. To say nothing of the town’s inhabitants.

As we walked down the street I saw every color combination I could think of, and many that I hadn’t. Pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies milled about like candy-coated puppies, leaving me with the unique sensation of wanting to both hide in a corner while at the same time hugging them all like little plush toys. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with mixed feelings. Wherever we went, ponies stopped and stared at me, and after a while it was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. Most simply had expressions of confusion or wonder, while a few bordered on fear. What I was glad to see, or rather what I didn’t see, was any kind of hostility coming from the locals. They just seemed genuinely intrigued by the bipedal being that was walking through the middle of town.

Of course, being in the presence of royalty with a pair of guards on either heel probably boosted their confidence in there being nothing to worry about. After all, who would be crazy enough to take on two trained guards and an alicorn that could literally rip me limb from limb with her mind? No thank you.

Finally, we came upon what looked like an open-air market, perhaps even the same one I had seen from my hospital window. Ponies were selling and buying each other’s wares, using what looked like solid gold coins as payment. I had no idea what kind of proof those coins were, but if they were even a slight percent pure gold then this kingdom was absolutely rolling in cash. To say nothing of what it would mean if they were pure gold.

Twilight waded through the crowd like she owned the place, and for all I knew she did, before she paused and changed direction to head towards what looked like an apple farmer’s stall. Had I not been a good two feet taller than every other being in the crowd, I very well might have lost her due to her sudden course change. Luckily, her vibrant purple coat was rather easy to spot, so I followed her until we came up to the stand.

“Hi Applejack.” Twilight greeted the orange earth pony mare with a smile, “How’s business going?”

The mare had the southern style down to a tee, with her freckled face, ribbon-tied mane and tail, and the tan Stetson residing over her ears. The only thing she was missing was a Mississippi drawl.

“Well howdy there Twi’!” She replied with an equally bright smile, “What brings ya’ll ‘round these parts today?”

God damnit, these ponies are going to be the death of me, “She’s been showing me around town now that I’m back on my feet.” I answered before Twilight could reply, “It’s nice to meet you Applejack. Are you a friend of Twilight’s?”

AJ’s gaze met my waist before traveling up to my face. Her eyes shrunk for a moment and I saw her hind hoof take an instinctive step back. However, she corrected her wayward limb and stomped it back into place as she shook her head to clear it. When our gazes met again her eyes were lively and filled with the purest hospitality I had ever seen.

“Hooie you’re a tall one.” She said as she tilted her hat back with a hoof, “You’re nearly as big as that Iron Will feller we met a ways back. You wouldn’t happen to be related to the Minotaur by any chance, would you?”

“Um, no, not that I’m aware of,” I hesitantly replied, not quite sure how I felt about the comment on my height.

“Huh, fancy that.” Her gaze moved a bit lower from my face and her eyes widened in surprise, “Well I’ll be, Twilight wasn’t kidding when she said your teats were big.” Her gaze met mine again as she lifted one eyebrow, “You sure you don’t have a little one hiding away somewhere? I bet you could put some of our cows to shame with the milk you could make with those.”

I held my arms over my chest as my cheeks flushed, “No I’m not a mother and would someone please explain why it is everyone is commenting on my breasts?”

Twilight stepped in with an apologetic look on her face, “Well, you see, ponies only have teats like that when a mare has a feeding foal. Every other time they are pretty much flat against our stomachs with little to no mass present. For somepony like you to have, ahem, assets of that size and not be nursing a newborn is highly irregular. Even Minitour cows lose most of the mass on their teats when not caring for a newborn. So, seeing teats, or rather, breasts that size is going to give most ponies the wrong idea at first glance.”

I slowly lowered my arms, feeling slightly more self-conscious about my looks now that I knew my chest was going to draw a lot of attention, “So what can we do about it? I can’t exactly shrink my breasts down to nothing when they’ve been like this since my teens. Can’t you simply put out some kind of announcement or something to let the others know?”

Twilight shook her head, “I’m sorry, but that would only make ponies stare more. You see, ponies are a naturally inquisitive race by design, despite our prey animal origins, meaning putting out an announcement like that would only make the problem worse. Everypony would want to see them for themselves and they wouldn’t stop until they satisfied their curiosity. The best thing to do is to let things happen at their own pace and deal with any problems as they arise.”

I groaned, holding a hand over my eyes as I tried to fight my growing headache, “Fine, we’ll do it your way. But if anyone tries to take a picture of me through a window I’m going to kick in some teeth.”

Applejack chuckled as she picked up an apple with her hoof, “Well then, I’ve got to get back to work. Take this for the road, it’s on the house. I’m sure after what you’ve been through you could use the energy.”

I nodded my thanks as I took the apple from the cowmare, and I noticed the slight tingle of magic coming from her hoof as she ‘let go’ of the apple. I watched as she moved her leg back under her body, remembering the mitt-like feeling I had gotten whenever Nurse Redheart had taken my pulse. Apparently the whole glowing horns bit wasn’t the only form of magic these ponies could use.

I followed Twilight through the rest of the market, doing nothing more than walk and talk to ponies as we made our way through town. While it was nice meeting the townsfolk, and most of them were perfectly polite after the initial shock of my appearance, we came upon a building that resembled a carousel from back home, with the little horses on poles and everything around the exterior. The part that threw me off, was the windows and double doors that labeled the structure as a building. Fluttershy and Rainbow had caught up with us as we left the market, this time with a small brown sack resting on Fluttershy’s back between her wings. I assumed those were the carrots for her bunny.

It was said yellow pegasus that spoke first as we came up to the strange building, “What are we doing at Rarity’s boutique? Won’t she be busy with dress orders?”

So this was the workplace of the pony Twilight gave my clothes to. Sweet, now I could get back the stuff that I wasn’t wearing. “Are we here to pick up the rest of my clothes?”

“Partially,” Twilight replied, “we’re also here to see Rarity and maybe commission her skills in making more clothes for you. While what you’re wearing will do for now, and you have a few changes of clothing. I’m sure you’re going to get sick of wearing the same thing over and over again, not to mention when they need to be washed.”

I nodded, visions of an empty underwear drawer flashing through my mind before I could banish the nightmarish image, “That sounds like a good idea. So, do we just walk in?”

“While this is technically Rarity’s home,” Twilight stated simply, “the bottom floor also doubles as her store, so ponies are supposed to walk in if it’s during business hours.”

“Alright then, let’s get this show on the road.” I pushed the left door open, hearing a soft chime as the bell above the opening announced our arrival.

“Just a minute,” a prim voice called from the next room.

The guard apparently were content to wait outside, because they didn’t follow the other into the store and instead took up positions on either side of the doorway. As the others followed me in I was the first to see the alabaster mare walking through the archway on the other side of the room. Her mane and tail were a deep purple in color and were done up in elegant curls. A horn protruded from her head and a set of red reading glasses rested on the end of her muzzle.

“Oh so sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as she tossed her mane with one hoof, “I was given a flash of inspiration and you don’t know how hard it is to work when an idea flashes through your -”

She paused mid-sentence as her eyes landed on me. For a moment her mouth hung wide and I worried for a moment she might have fainted while standing up. However, my worries were put to rest as her eyes returned to their normal diameter and her mouth curled into a smile.

“Oh darling I’ve been waiting for you for ages!” Her horn ignited and I was lifted from the ground before I could make any movements otherwise.

I was carried to what looked like a dressing stage and was promptly dropped like a sack of potatoes. I only managed to keep my balance with a few rapid pinwheels of my arms. I watched as my newest acquaintance rushed about her shop like a chicken with her head cut off, bypassing the rest of my companions as she grabbed more and more items in her light blue magic. Before long I was in the proverbial eye of a fabric hurricane, with Rarity as the master of the storm.

“Oh this would look lovely on you,” she muttered to herself as a bolt of dark blue fabric swung by my head, “oh and this would look absolutely divine as an accent,” another bolt of fabric whizzed past my shoulder, this time a vibrant yellow, “oh, and this would be outstanding to tie into your mane.” My chocolate hair was suddenly gripped by the same aura as the items flying around me, and I winced as it was pulled slightly before feeling something being tied around it in an intricate knot. I pulled my hair into view as the grip on my head released, and I saw that my normally chaotic curls had been done into a stylish French braid with a gold ribbon intertwined between the strands.

“Oh, you don’t know how long I’ve waited to meet you.” Rarity squealed as the veritable fashion storm came to a sudden stop, “Ever since I first saw your clothing I just knew I had to know more about your kind’s fashion. But first,” her magic levitated a set of clothes that I knew for certain were not mine up for all to see, “what do you think of these?”

The request came so fast after the initial fabric onslaught that for a moment I was unable to process what was being asked of me. After taking a minute to collect my scattered thoughts, I realized that the clothing hovering in front of me was not mine, but certainly looked like it had been modeled after what was in my pack. A set of dark blue sweat pants floated next to a white blouse that had a ruffled hem and long flowing sleeves that ended in bell-style openings. Next to that were what looked like socks, but they were the most expensive-looking socks I had ever seen. Instead of being made out of cotton or some other material, these amazing things seemed to be made out of pure black silk, with nearly invisible stitching to reinforce the toe and heel where needed. To top it off, there was a zip-up jacket that was a deep purple in color, with what looked like three diamonds sewn into the right breast in an appealing design. I spotted those same diamonds on Rarity’s flanks, and I assumed it was her personal insignia, although there was no way those gems were real. The jacket alone would cost a fortune if that was the case. All and all they were some of the most well-made clothing I had ever seen, and from the way Rarity was waiting for my reply with baited breath, she made them herself.

“I, I don’t know what to say,” I managed to force out as I took the clothes into my arms, “these are amazing.” My eyes began to water slightly as I looked the seamstress in the eyes, “Thank you so much Rarity. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

She waved my words off with a laugh, “Oh think nothing of it darling. What are friends for after all? No, the only payment I require for those pieces is your promise that we can speak later about the fashion of your world. I’ve been absolutely bursting with inspiration and I need an outlet for all my new ideas. Who better to wear my newest line then the one who inspired it in the first place?”

“I could never take this amazing work and not pay for it.” I held them out with a slight pout, “I would never short change such a skilled seamstress.”

Rarity held a hoof to her mouth as a blush found its way to her cheeks, “Oh stop darling, you’re making me feel like I’ve won some great award or something. I’m just doing what anypony would do if they knew how dire your situation is. I mean just look at you, dressed in those rags when you could be looking absolutely fabulous.” She pushed the clothing back against my chest with her magic, “I won’t hear of it darling, now be a dear and change into those so we can see how stunning you look in my new designs.”

I blushed, once again noticing the difference between our worlds in terms of nudity, “Um, you mean right here, now?”

Rarity didn’t seem to notice my unease, “But of course darling, I simply won’t have it seeing you in those horrid clothes for another instant. Chop, chop now, we haven’t got all day.”

I hesitated again, looking to Twilight for help. However, my gaze must have signaled weakness to a certain cyan pegasus, because she jumped on it the moment I let my guard down.

“Oh what’s the matter, not willing to try on the clothes Rarity worked so hard to make for you?” Her haughty tone made my blood simmer as her expression took on a ‘holier-than-thou’ kind of light, “What, are we not good enough for you and your alien tastes?”

“Rainbow!” Twilight hissed as she cuffed the rowdy mare over the head with a hoof, “That is no way to speak to Sarah! She’s been through a lot and you have no right to say those things to her!”

I hardened my gaze, mustering all my courage for what I was about to do, “Screw you Rainbow, I was just thinking about how nice I would look in these.” I set the clothes down on the side of the stage as I pulled off my blazer, my shoes and socks quickly following it, “You want me to change, fine, I’ll change right now and I’ll look absolutely great doing it!”

Before I could think properly about what I was doing, I began taking off my shirt, yet instead of pulling it off normally, I felt a slight evil grin threatening to force its way past my lips as a thought crossed my mind. They wanted me to strip, fine, I’d give them a show they’d never forget.

My hands slowed their movements as my shirt began rising up my body, and I made sure to put on the most sultry expression I could muster as my hands trailed up my sides. My rock-hard abs came into view as my arms began to rise into my line of sight, yet they weren’t enough to make me miss the absolutely gob-smacked expressions of the four ponies present. I suppressed another grin as my arms pulled my shirt over my head, my breasts bouncing in my bra a couple times as they came free of their cloth prison. I heard one of the ponies gasp, most likely Rarity from the length and emphasis placed on it. I finally let my smile loose as I pulled my shirt completely over my head, letting it slide off my arms in a slow and deliberate manner as I pressed my breasts together with my upper arms. The effect was immediate as it was drastic. Twilight, Fluttershy and Rainbow’s wings flared to their fullest extent, while Rarity was doing her best impression of a tomato.

I giggled as my shirt finally came free of my arms, and I turned around to look over my shoulder at the ponies as I hooked my fingers into my belt loops. Before they could react further, I bent forward, presenting my rear to them in the most enticing way as I began to shimmy out of my jeans. I looked over my shoulder the entire time as my pants slowly lowered and began to reveal my black lace panties. I wiggled my hips for extra emphasis as my pants slipped fully free, revealing my tight glutes to the flabbergasted ponies as I slid the pants down one leg. I lifted my foot free and turned around, holding my pants against my hips in fake modesty as I slowly presented my free leg for them to enjoy. I let my pants slide off my other leg and stepped free of them with a little twirl, feeling my chest bounce several times as I turned to face my audience again.

Rarity’s mouth was hanging loose while Twilight was hiding her face behind her wings, although I could see one eye poking through the feathers. Fluttershy looked like she was in shock, if the rock-hard wings and pinprick pupils were any indication. Rainbow wasn’t much better, though her eyes were dilated to the point her iris and pupil took up almost all of her eye. Her mouth was also hanging open, and I noticed a thin stream of drool that was running from her lip to the floor as her gaze moved freely over my body. Now I was by no means an exhibitionist, but I couldn’t deny the rush stripping in front of these ponies had given me. Maybe I could use that to my advantage later if I looked that appealing to them.

Figuring that I had finished with my little prank, I stepped over to the clothing Rarity had made me and slipped it on without much fanfare. The pants fit perfectly and the blouse conformed to my body amazingly. The jacket was thick but not too heavy, and the socks were so soft I was almost tempted to take them off just to make sure they lasted. I turned around to face the ponies again and did a little twirl, the hem of the blouse forming a nice ring around me as I flashed my best smile.

“So, what do you think? How do I look?” I asked, knowing full well what kind of a reaction I was going to receive.

Twilight was the first to speak, her wings twitching several times as she struggled to fold them correctly, “Well, um, that was certainly, an, um, invigorating sight.” She cleared her throat loudly and turned to face Rarity, “I think she looks great in the new clothes Rarity, what do you think?”

Said mare shook her head a couple of times, her jaw closing with a click as she straightened out her mane, “Well I must say I never expected for you to strip like that.” She made it look like she hadn’t been affected by my show, but I could still see the tint on her cheeks as she spoke, “While the lines need a bit more work I am proud to say that you look ravishing in that outfit darling. I will be the first to say that if you ever need clothing, for any occasion and for any reason, I would be honored if you would come to me with your ideas.”

I nodded, feeling a heat coming into my own cheeks as what I did finally became clear in my mind, “I’ll keep that in mind Rarity, thank you.”

At this point Rainbow broke out of her daze, licking along her lips as she stepped closer to the stage, “If you can put on a show like that, I wouldn’t mind taking the show backstage for a couple rounds, if you know what I mean.”

Twilight openly gaped at the pegasus while Rarity blushed like a lobster, “Really darling, must you always be so graphic with your language?! And in my boutique no less!”

Rainbow smirked without breaking eye contact with me, “Oh believe me, I know exactly what I’m saying. And what I said is what I meant, I would love to take you for a spin on the Rainbow Express for a couple of stops and see how good you are without any clothes at all.”

At this point Fluttershy managed to get over her shock, just in time to hear Rainbow’s final statement. The butter-colored mare stuck out her lip in a very cute pout as her eyes smoldered with anger. It wasn’t even directed at me and I could feel the heat coming from her gaze as she spoke.

“What was that Rainbow?” Her tone was cold enough to freeze molten steel, and I could see the color drain from Rainbow’s face as she slowly turned to her shy companion.

“Oh, um, nothing Fluttershy, I was just complimenting Sarah on her good looks, ehehe.” There were now visible sweat droplets running down her face, and it only got worse as Fluttershy got a seemingly coy expression on her face.

“Is that so? Well then you won’t mind taking me with you when you ‘take her for a spin on the Rainbow Express’.” By this point there was no color remaining in Rainbow’s face, and she made no moves to resist as Fluttershy grabbed her around the shoulders with one wing.

Fluttershy sent the rest of us the most innocent and happy smile I have ever seen as she directed Rainbow out the door, “Don’t mind us everypony, we’ll just be out back going over some of the ground rules when it comes to hitting on other ponies.”

Rainbow mouthed ‘help me’ as the door closed behind them, and I could swear a shiver ran up everyone’s spine as the latch closed with a thunderous click.

“All in favor of never brining this up again with anyone?” I asked, raising my hand into the air.

“Aye!” Twilight and Rarity cried as they turned to face me. We tried not to wince as Rainbow’s panicked screams echoed through the building.

“Well it was nice talking with you Rarity,” I managed to force out, “I really love your designs and I can’t wait to go over some of your new ideas. Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Oh I’m sorry Sarah,” she replied as she straightened up some of the loose fabric and needles that had been left on the floor, “but I have a business meeting in Canterlot and won’t be back for a couple days. Terribly sorry about that darling.”

“Oh it’s no trouble. I can’t very well ask you to drop everything to spend time with me.” I rubbed the back of my neck as I picked up the rest of my clothes with the other hand, “I’ll just have to find someone else to talk to once I get settled.”

“Speaking of getting settled,” Twilight added as she levitated my clothing out of my grasp, folding them neatly and then giving them back to me, “Since you have no place else to go, why don’t you stay in my castle until you can afford your own place?”

My expression perked up at her words, “You mean it? It wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

She shook her head, “Not at all. You have no money to pay for food and housing, you have next to no clothes to wear, and you have little to no knowledge about Equestria and how it works. Face it Sarah,” she smirked as she met my gaze, “you’d be lost in the Everfree Forest or taking shelter in somepony’s barn inside of three days.”

I smiled sheepishly as Rarity levitated the rest of my clothing from the other room, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Even so, thank you.”

Twilight nodded as she opened the door, “Why don’t we head there now and get the rest of your things? I’d imagine being around town has worn you out.”

I nodded, suppressing a yawn as I followed her out of the boutique, “That sounds nice.” I waved over my shoulder to Rarity, “It was nice meeting you, let’s talk again once you get back from Canterlot.”

“It’s a date.” She said with a smile as she closed the door.

I took a look around and was suddenly hit by the sudden lack of ponies littering the streets. Just a few hours ago the whole place had been bustling with townsfolk, yet now I wouldn’t have been all that surprised to see a tumbleweed rolling across the street like in some old western film. The only ponies in sight besides Twilight were our two tagalongs, although they had been standing next to the door for the better part of an hour so I didn’t really count them. We made our way through the majority of town, but not a soul was in sight. It wasn’t until I spotted our destination that my mind was able to pull out of the funk that seemed to have fallen over this peaceful little town.

The castle itself looked like someone had taken a giant tree and made the whole thing out of purple crystal, then carved a building out of the trunk while constructing the rest between the branches. The whole thing looked like it was dreamed up by some cartoon designer at Disney studios, only with a bit less tact and more shock and awe in mind. Twilight walked up to the massive front doors and paused for a moment, letting me catch up to her. She indicated the doors with one hoof, and for a moment I paused, sensing something was off.

The empty town, the lights all being off in the castle, Twilight letting me go in first. This whole setup screamed it was a trap of some kind. Yet for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what it was and how I deserved it. Then again, my options were rather limited. As Twilight had so bluntly stated, I couldn’t survive in this world on my own, not yet at least, so I had no choice but to trust her and the other ponies.

I took a steadying breath, and pushed the doors open. The first couple steps were in complete darkness, until all the lights flashed to life and my vision was assaulted by a wall of color.

“SURPRISE!!!” Was the thundering cry that nearly flattened me against the doors I had just walked in through.

As my mind was still reeling from the shout that had to have come from several dozen mouths, my vision was once again overtaken with color, only this time it was a solid wall of pink.

“Hi there! My name is Pinkie Pie! You’re new around here so I just had to throw you a ‘Welcome-to-Ponyville’ Party like I do for everypony who comes to visit. Are you a Minotaur? If so then you’re the weirdest Minotaur I’ve ever seen, and I know Minotaur because I’ve met one before.”

I managed to take a step back, clarifying that this was not some talking blob of cotton candy come to life, but instead a pink earth pony mare that simply had a mane and tail shaped like the carnival candy. Her bright blue eyes were locked onto me with wild abandon, and I once again wondered if this place could get any weirder than it already was. The poor thing was talking so fast I was worried she might tie her own tongue in a knot, or worse, keep going until she passed out from lack of oxygen.

She finally stopped her run-on sentence and gasped like she hadn’t breathed in a year, “So what’s your name? I wanted to write your name on your welcome poster but you’ve been feeling down in the dumps up until today.” She interrupted me before I could answer, “Oh that’s alright, I’ll just fix it for the next party, after all, you can’t have a proper welcome party without the guest of honor’s name on the welcome poster. It’s rule number two hundred and fifty-three of the Pinkie Pie Party rules.”

So this crazy mare’s name was Pinkie Pie, good to know, “Um, pardon me, but why are you throwing me a party? I ended up in your town by complete accident.”

“It’s because you showed up out of nowhere that I have to throw you an even more special party than normal,” she said with complete conviction, “otherwise you’d be all alone with nopony to talk to and that would just be sad.” She bounced in place and hovered at eye level for longer than was physically possible, “So I threw this party so you can meet everypony and make lots of friends and then you won’t be all alone and then you’ll have a nice big smile on your face instead of a frown.” Gravity seemed to come into play once more as she landed on the floor again, “Anyway, I’ve got a pair of ponies who haven’t gotten punch yet, I’ll see you later Sarah, have a nice time at the party!”

With that she rushed off in a literal dust cloud, and I found myself at a complete loss for words and my mouth opened and closed like a fish. How did she know my name? I never told her what it was.

“I see you’ve met Ponyville’s premier party planner.” Twilight said through a giggle as she walked up beside me, “try not to think about it too hard. I tried to figure out what makes Pinkie Pie tick and the only findings I got were complete nonsense and migraines.”

I held the side of my head with one hand, trying to get my brain back in order, “I see what you mean. Is there anything we can do to stop her?”

Twilight shook her head, “Trying to stop her will only make her come after you with twice the crazy. Best advice, accept it how it is and enjoy the party.”

I glanced down at her, “So I get to mingle with several dozen strangers in the hopes that I’ll make a friend or two?”

She nodded, “Believe me, you might not think it would work, but you’d be amazed at some of the things Pinkie is capable of when she tries. Go on, enjoy the party, you may make more friends than you think if you don’t start acting like a wooden board.”

I grinned, straightening my back and putting on a brave face, “Well, wish me luck.”

She waved to me as she turned to talk to some other ponies that had walked up to her from the other side of the room. And with that I was lost in the void that was a Pinkie Pie party. I don’t really remember much of the night, but I do remember the townsfolk treating me with more than a little sympathy and multitudes of kind words. Twilight showed me to my room once the rest of the town had gone home for the night, and I was asleep on the bed before I could even take off my clothes.

Don’t judge me. You weren’t the one at the party who had to shake and bump hooves with dozens of mares and stallions while trying not to pass out from exhaustion. I might have been fully healed but I was still low on energy. If it hadn’t been for the cupcakes and punch I probably would have passed out in the middle of the party.

Author's Notes:

Whoo!! Three chapters in six days! I'm on a roll!! Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it!! Whether this trend of a chapter every other day continues or not is questionable at best, but I'll do my best. After all, it's you guys that really benefit from all this, so why not keep the ball rolling for as long as we can?!

Anyways, see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill Messenger of the Moon.