My stomach lurched slightly as the boat swayed. It was strong enough to be noticeable, but not quite strong enough to make me sick. I half-wondered where we were, as we were already a few days into the trip.

Why didn’t I just take the damn plane to get there? I blinked. Oh, right, probably the fact that the prices were a freaking rip-off.

I sat up, letting my feet find my slippers as I stretched my arms upwards and yawned. I felt the too-warm sun filter through a modestly sized window to my right and smelled the salt in the air. I could hear the constant clicking noise of an old electric fan that was propped up on a small table at the foot-end of my rather tough cot. It clashed with the off rhythm of the water crashing into the metallic hull.

For some reason, I could hear a buzzing chatter along with the squeaky sound of rubber meeting rubber, but I filed it away. It was a nice morning, so why spoil it by overthinking?

I stood up and absently scratched my neck as I went through my usual stretching exercises, getting some feeling back in my muscles. With that done, I sat back down on my cot and took a look at my spartan room—a box of wood-paneled walls (slightly faded), a door giving way to the outside corridor, and a small bathroom to my left. It was quite bare.

I didn’t unpack much, just the clothes I felt I could make do on this nautical trip—casual wear like a few T-Shirts and two cargo shorts. The rest, including my suit and slacks, were folded (or at least I hope they still were) in my traveling case, made of material that was guaranteed to be tough and watertight.

Wrinkled suits don’t look good during an interview, my dad would say.

I walked towards the bathroom and took a look at myself in the mirror, which looked like it had seen many years of constant salty air and neglect. Its smooth silver surface was marred with blackened specks of various sizes. Still, it fulfilled its role, as I spotted my electric-blue eyes staring back at—

Whoa. Oh, man. This trip was really taking a toll on me. I could see my cheeks thinning out a bit, sharpening my cheekbones as I cupped one side of my face with my roughened palm. My dark blonde hair was growing steadily, a few strands peeking out from behind my ears while my stubble was making its presence known. It covered my chin, upper lip and a lot of my neck with a lighter shade of hair.

The only thing that looked okay was my lightly tanned skin. Back home, I could probably spin a tale of being on a beach for the weekend, explaining my sun-kissed skin as a result of surfing the waves every day.

I snorted. Like anyone would believe that. Heck, my build was a bit too skinny to pull of the ‘surfer’ look. Instead of daydreaming, I just turned the knobs on the faucet, letting loose flowing water. Splashing it on my face, I felt the cooling tingling bite of the cold waking me fully as I rubbed my wet palms over my face, feeling the pinpricks of hair on my chin.

I needed a shave.

I went back to my room to dress before I opened the door that led to the outside corridor. I was greeted by an almost constant sight that stayed with me the whole trip.

“Hey, Mister Larson! Good morning!”

A short but rather broad man with golden brown skin greeted me, his head nodding upwards as he gave me a toothy smile. His ebony hair was cropped short and unevenly, a few strands frayed, with his ears sticking out slightly. He had a rather round face, which matched his slightly broad-shouldered body. He was big but it was mostly muscle, as if the man had worked out all his life. And while his accent wasn't exactly what I was used to, it was close enough that I could understand the gist of what he was saying.

I was about to greet him back when I finally noticed the usually subdued boat swarming with activity. The source of the chatter and squeaking of rubber was actually the presence and activity of people moving between halls. Strange, but for some reason, something got their attention.

I blinked.

“Daniel,” I greeted, pronouncing his name a bit thickly ('Dan-yell'. It was the way he introduced himself). “Morning, dude. Uh, what’s going on?”

“Mister Larson,” Daniel said, nodding a few times, his smile widening. “You have to come up and see!”

I followed him as I tried to squeeze through the columns of people standing in the usually wide hall. The boat wasn’t one of the luxurious ferries, but it made do and was comfortable enough the whole trip, yet it never gave me the impression that there were a lot of people on board. Most of the time, I’d see a group of a few nationals sticking together, a few more in the pantry but with everything that was going on, I came to realize how much I underestimated the numbers as the place became quite claustrophobic.

I was jealous of Daniel’s size. He easily parted the crowd like a hot knife through butter. I, on the other hand, would be flicked to and fro at ease. I was so glad when I reached him, as following his path gave the least resistance. After letting my steps swallow the distance, we climbed up a metallic stairway to the outside.

I squinted as the light turned up the notch in brightness and when my eyes finally adjusted, I saw it—the land mass.

It was actually a pretty small island that was formed rapidly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii (where I boarded). Nothing special stood out for me. It was a mound of brown earth and green trees, though I could spot a few buildings off a distance. I know there was an airport there somewhere, along with an embassy established by the UN, but from where I stood, I couldn’t spot them.

What did get my attention though was the pegasi patrolling the skies, some even on the ship’s deck, cleared by a few officers rallying the people into a formation. I even spotted a few approaching chariots, a bit more gilded and armored than those you would see from the set of Ten Commandments, carrying unicorn guards that would check the vessel and allow entry.

“Ganda, noh?” Daniel muttered in his native tongue. I didn’t quite understand the words, but I just nodded all the same, agreeing with his tone of voice.

My thoughts came back in a jumble as I realized, for the first time in days, how much I was looking forward to taking a rather adventurous step in my adult life. I blinked, part of me wondering if I was still dreaming, but the culminating images of the islands, the pegasi, and the smell of the salty air convinced me otherwise.

Holy crap. This was it. I finally arrived to Neo Equineox, the portal to Tellus, the Gateway to Equestria.

I grunted as I felt myself pulled back to reality. My eyes opened and saw Celestia’s sun filtering through my shades, but instead of warming me, I felt numbness and a sharp pain of coldness. My head wobbled and weaved, feeling as if there was ongoing construction inside it, and my muscles tingled as if they were being bitten by thousands of ants.

It was enough to make any guy thrash in hysterics.

“Harry!”

I paused as the voice boomed in my head. There was a steady low-tone ringing in my ears, making my head hurt even more, but I recognized the voice.

“I’m here.”

The assurance came a bit more softly this time. I really appreciated it. I took a deep breath and began to relax. I felt a soft warm naked hoof place itself on top of my blanketed chest and rub it in a reassuring manner.

I tried to open my mouth, but my throat felt parched, my mouth filled with sand. For a second, a memory gave way, reminding me of something long past. I ignored it.

I strained as I looked to my left. I saw Eve sitting by my bedside with, apparently, a collection of chemistry glassware on top of a small table near the my right headboard. Her horn was glowing as she began levitating a few vials, pouring liquid into a beaker and then stirring it with a glass rod.

“The hell you... doing here?” I asked.

Wow. I sounded like a creaky old man. Damn, why couldn’t my old man voice sound like Connery’s?

Without looking at me, she answered, “Taking care of you. I thought that much was obvious. Okay now”—she levitated the beaker above me—“open wide.”

I looked at it for a moment, blinking as I looked at the floating beaker above me, glowing with clear yellow liquid. I looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

“A booster?” I asked.

She just nodded.

The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. “What, are you going to mount me or something?”

A small smile flickered on Eve’s face. “You must really be out of it if you think I’ll be satisfied by you, especially in your state.”

“Ouch, but true,” I replied. I felt too weak to even hug a pillow. Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment before I nodded and opened my mouth. The beaker slowly descended and tipped into my open maw, pouring the liquid slowly enough I could swallow.

I suddenly felt a better; the warmth began spreading throughout my body and there was feeling coming back to my muscles. I groaned with relief as I finished off the last few drops, and the beaker floated away.

“You had a really adverse reaction to the booster,” Eve explained. “So, as per healer’s suggestion, I’m giving you low concentration doses of the same booster you drank yesterday, along with some healing potions and a bit of relaxant. And judging by your oh-so-satisfied groan, it is working.”

I just nodded. I felt stronger, but my throat still itched. I decided I was better off being quiet and letting Eve do the talking.

“The healer thinks about a few more drinks of increasing dosages would let your body start adapting with the booster. Aren’t you glad you listened to me when I told you to drink the relaxant and healing potions before?”

I only grumbled my reply as I felt light-headed. A slow relaxing numbness began to spread over my awareness as I felt myself float gently in the air, weightless. Eve’s voice also began to recede in volume, her words skipping over, but I paid no mind.

“Anyway, I had Star Chaser, my mousy assistant, take management over my Gentlemen today. She’s going to—”

I found her tone comforting, soothing, and familiar. With everything going on, I could use something like that. As my mind began to wander around, searching in my memories for images, scents and sounds, I concentrated on that warm and recognizable hoof that tapped on me animatedly as Eve talked about mundane, but peaceful, things.

I dreamt of my arrival in Equestria.

It was something I’d rather forget. No, really.

When one thinks back on a whole lot of first-time explorers, ranging from colony ships and the moon landing, the first thing that comes to mind is a tall statuesque human being, carrying a flag, striking the pole to the very ground they stand on. They usually come up with a speech, claiming the land for their King and country, or something a bit more inspirational that will forever be misquoted, like Kirk’s ‘Beam me up, Scotty’.

I wasn’t standing tall. I didn’t have a flag. And with the earthy patch of grass that was currently stuffed in my mouth, you could forget about speeches.

The pegasus guard back on Earth, on the other side of the portal I just walked through, had said it was easy. It’s just like walking through a door, he had said.

Yeah, I have no idea how many doors that pony walked into, but I’m pretty sure doors weren’t big swirling ball of light reminiscent of a galaxy. They also didn’t compress you to a tiny ball when you walk through, then stretch you in rapid succession afterwards before you were broken into a million pieces, each with their own perspective (which wasn’t much, really. If you’ve seen one angle inside the portal, you’ve seen them all), and then squash you back into one whole being before being spat out like rancid fruit.

Oh, and my luggage which I was holding to flew out of my hand, and was delayed for almost a second after my arrival. That too was spat out, and it clipped me in the head hard enough to make me eat grass.

It was like the place didn’t want me, or something.

“Oh dear,” a matronly voice called. “Are you alright?”

I tried to reply, only to feel my throat parched and my mouth filled with sand (I felt an electrical current somewhere in my brain; déjà vu?) before I felt my stomach spin. I heaved on the floor.

“Oh goodness!” the voice declared. I then heard her mutter, more softly this time, “That’s okay, sweetie. It’s normal to feel sick.”

I kept retching, even though I felt I already emptied my stomach twice over before coughing up a storm. I felt a light tapping on my back that helped the coughing recede.

“There, there. Better out than in, I say.”

I felt something warm envelop me, and before I could protest, I found myself floating from the ground, surrounded by a shimmering aura of white-blue light. It turned me upwards, letting my feet dangle and float just a few inches from the ground before the light surrounding me slowly faded and I began to descend.

Holy crap. I just experienced magic first-hand. So that’s what it felt like—a little scary (I had no control of my body), but kind of awesome as well (I really had no control of my body!).

Placed on my feet, I looked at the grayish unicorn and her even paler mane and tail. I noticed she had a red syringe cutie mark (fascinating! I actually studied about them. The symbols always corresponded to whatever innate talent they had). She wore a nurse hat on top of her head. Her eyes, green like worn out bills, crinkled as she smiled at me.

“Welcome to Equestria, dear,” she said. “Now, don’t talk. Right now, I am quite sure you feeling a bit thirsty and weak. That’s normal. Most of you folks that come around these parts usually need some rehydration. Now, why don’t you got and scoot over to Doctor Richardson—” she pointed towards a man wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck near a makeshift desk “—there, and he’ll give you a once-over.”

I looked at my traveling case, then back at her. She just nodded.

“I’ll take care of that. Now, off you go.”

I nodded, still feeling the shock of having experienced Equestrian Magic, and trudged my way to the waiting doctor.

I looked at my surroundings, noting the difference between the two gateways. On Earth, the portal was actually housed inside a rather deep cavern, surrounded by metallic housing, steps, and grills. There was a staircase that led up to the entrance of the portal. The Equestrian side, though, looked far more basic. Instead of being under piles of rock, the Equestrian portal was under an open sky, surrounded by palisades and walls of wood and stone. I saw armored ponies marching around the perimeter, while a few pegasi were flying in the air.

It might not have the fancy metal finish, but it looked as secured as it was on the other end.

As I approached, I looked at the doctor a bit more carefully. He reminded me a bit of my dad. His brown hair meshed well with face, his genuine smile producing a dimple on his left cheek. He also stood straight with confidence, but not overly so. He grabbed a clipboard on top of the desk and directed me over a low stool for me to sit on, right in front of the table and just beside a blue thermos box.

He offered me a greeting, which I returned before I sat down. He rummaged through the blue container and produced a glass bottle of clear liquid and handed it to me.

“Okay, this water here is dosed with a few salts and electrolytes. It’ll help you recover fluids you lost with that... episode. And please, drink slowly.”

I unscrewed the cap. I drank some of the liquid and gargled, spitting out the bitter flavor of my vomit before I consumed the water hungrily. As much as I’d like to follow the doctor’s orders, once the sweet liquid reached my throat, it was over. I gulped everything down with gusto, almost turning the bottle vertical to get every drop of liquid down my throat as quickly as possible.

I coughed and hacked as I finished, but I felt much better. The doctor just shook his head, sighing. “They never listen." He offered another bottle, much to my appreciation. This time, I listened to him, and drank this one slowly with my initial thirst sated.

I was halfway when the doctor began reading from the clipboard. “Harry Larson?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Okay, let me review your file before we do the final test...”

That gave me time to finish my drink. When he was done, he grabbed his stethoscope and placed it over my chest. The doctor instructed me to take a few breaths, take a deep one, and then to hold it.

“Okay, strong rhythm for the heart, clear air passages in the lungs,” Doctor Richardson said. “Anything to add, recent diseases you suffered while on your trip here?”

I shook my head.

“Alright,” the doctor declared. “You are now medically cleared to travel through Equestria. You have your papers and documentation ready?”

I nodded.

“Just have them prepared, and show them to the pony with gold-rimmed glasses inside the large tent in the center of this place. You won't miss it.”

I nodded again and spotted my grey travel case at my side when I stood. Huh. I didn’t notice the nurse bringing it to me. Looking back at her, she was back near the portal, staring at it expectantly. I was readying to wheel out my travel case before I heard a loud noise, a deep thrum of bass exploding in the air. It penetrated my skin, vibrated my lungs, and knotted my stomach. The portal itself began to glow brighter, spinning faster before it spat out another human, a woman this time.

“Heh, busy day,” the doctor said, more to himself as he grabbed another clipboard on top of his desk.

I didn’t bother to reply. I wheeled my travel case out of there, got out of the doctor’s way, and walked over to what looked like a garrison. Armored ponies marched, patrolling each wall and the surrounding space around a large tent, its entrance flap wide open revealing an earth pony behind a very rich looking mahogany-brown desk.

I entered the tent, passing between two stone-faced pegasi, and stopped in front of the earth pony. He had a dark green coat with a brown mane and tail; behind his gold-rimmed spectacles were sharp beige brown eyes that stared at me as I approached, his short curved muzzle twisting a bit with distaste.

“Harry Larson?” he asked with a feminine voice. I blinked. God, I had to figure out soon how to distinguish between genders without an audio aid. I had thought she was a stallion.

Unless he was a stallion with a really... feminine voice.

Oh, man. Mouth, please don’t start anything.

“Y-yes, sir, uh, ma’a—uh, I mean, yes.”

Great job, mouth. Really. Great job.

“It’s ma’am,” the pony replied, rolling her eyes. “Do you have your papers?”

My right hand searched in my pocket and fished out the rectangular plastic casing, which contained my passport, Equestrian documents and the letter of invitation.

I handed the pony each of its contents, and she just stared at them for a second, scanning through the Equestrian letter, probably making sure I wasn’t deceiving her. She nodded, grabbed my passport, flipped it open and stamped it on a visa page.

“Lockheart!” she snapped.

I turned when I heard creaking metal, just in time to see one of the pegasi guards turn around and face the wom—mare, and saluted.

“Get one of the Birds. Transport for one human to Manehattan.”

Whoa, Manehattan? What a horrible pun.

“Yes ma’am,” the guard replied in a feminine voice before taking his or her leave. Mare or stallion? Damn, I’m going to get in trouble for this, I swear.

The mare looked at me, probably easily reading my confused expression. “Really? Weren’t you taught anything before you went here?”

“I, uh, I was actually surprised I got the letter,” I replied. “I sent my application a few weeks back. Then, I just received a reply five days ago, asking me to come in immediately.”

The mare scrunched her eyes, and then sighed. “Mares have shorter, curvier snouts than stallions.”

“Oh,” I flushed. Okay, I can work with that. “Thank—” and she cut me off.

“I am also obligated to inform you that you are now in Equestria, and all its laws apply. Ignorance is no excuse. You break them, we take you in. And depending on how severe the laws were broken, you’ll either remain in our custody until such a time your Earth Embassy can send an envoy to plead for your case, or simply get tossed back to wherever the Tartarus you came from. Is that clear?”

I nodded. The mare was giving me a stink-eye. I guess she didn’t want me here. Not really my problem. I took my passport and papers back, stuffing them in my passport carrier. I grabbed the handlebar of my traveling case and asked where I could change my clothes around here, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Harry.”

I turned back, and the mare in front of me transformed to a white unicorn with silver-rimmed oval spectacles.

Wait a minute.

“Here’s the second dose,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

I felt a warm hoof shaking me out of my dream.

“Harry, open your mouth. Here’s another.”

I automatically did, and felt liquid slowly pouring in my mouth. I tried my best to swallow everything.

“You okay?”

I just nodded, and began drifting off once more.

“I can’t believe this! More Diamond Dog raids! Times are changing.”

“Who would have thought that they would finally run out of places to dig? And who would have thought they came in bigger sizes!”

“My aunt said that those could be the true Alphas, and you’d rarely see them around...”

I sighed, and kept my head down. While the conversation of the two mares in front of me were interesting, the one on the left kept swishing her tail left and right, exposing... herself. I could feel my face flush, and I don’t know why. I shouldn’t really be even affected. They were small horses for God’s sake! What the hell!?

I was really tempted to just tell her to stop moving her tail. Ever since I got off the chariot near the streetcar stop, she had been in front of me the entire the time—from waiting for a car, to boarding, and now, going to my stop.

I could have described the streetcar, which was pulled by a few stallions (which I found rather ironically weird), with its cramped space and rickety, jerky movements as it traveled. I could have described the sights and sounds of the big pony city. Hell, I could describe feeling an overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by these Equestrian ponies, these aliens which appeared on Earth few years back, talking about mundane things like the weather (apparently, the pegasi weather team are having it rain later tonight. Yes, they control the weather here) but I couldn’t.

All my mind could focus on was that damn pony mare, swinging her tail around.

I was also gaining attention of the passengers. The older looking ponies gave me a good glare while a few others, mares if I was judging their snouts correctly, winked at me, causing me to blush even more. The stallions snickered out loud, not even bothering to hide it.

Before I could even think, my eyes roamed again at her backside again. A clinical part of my mind found her... ugh, found it smaller than a horse’s. Actually, it looked very much like a woman’s, ugh, thing. Was that why I couldn’t stop staring? I wonder if—no! Stop it, Harry!

I covered my eyes. Damn it. I did not just think of what I thought I just did. No. Just no.

I wished that damn pony would stop moving her tail! And I wished my damn hand would do its job!

Once I reached my stop (Seventh Hoof Street), I barged out there like a bat out of hell, using my arms to clear the way as I passed through narrow passages of ponies and a few humans alike. I was pretty sure the snickering only got louder, and my face was as red as a tomato.

Outside, I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself down as I heard the clopping sound of horseshoes ring around me.

Stupid Harry. What the fucking hell was that, staring at a pony like that? Are you attracted to them or something?

“Excuse me,” someone called, which did not help my mood at all.

I glared towards the direction where the voice came from and with a belligerent tone, I shouted, “What!?”

A white unicorn with pink mane and tail shrank back, looking a bit apprehensive. From this angle, I could see her cutie mark, two interconnected silver rings. Her horn was glowing in a bright magenta aura, my traveling case floating beside her head.

My palm hit my face.

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately. “I’m so sorry, you didn’t deserve that.”

“Its fine, I guess,” the unicorn replied, smiling a bit. “You’re new here to Equestria, aren’t you?”

I just nodded, sighing. Great, Harry. The day isn’t over, the interview hasn’t started, and yet you are perversely looking under a pony’s metaphoric skirt while lashing out to a pony that is trying to return your travel case that you had, in your damn hurry, left behind. What’s the next magic trick you’re going to be performing? How to get into an Equestrian Jail trick?

“Was it obvious?” I asked.

“Flushing like a tomato may have indicated that, yes,” she smirked.

I scratched the back part of my head. “Yeah, well, it’s normal for humans to react that way when faced such... teasing.”

“She wasn’t doing it on purpose, you know,” the unicorn replied, levitating my traveling case near my feet, and gently dropping it on the ground. “The mare, I mean. If she actually lifted her tail upwards when she was swinging it, then she was purposely teasing you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I could still see, uh, it.”

“Well, of course you could. Haven’t you noticed we don’t wear fancy clothing like you do?” she asked, pointing at me with her snout.

I looked down at myself for a moment and had to concede on her point of me wearing fancy clothing. I had changed out of my old shirt and shorts before I took the carriage to Manehattan, and wore something a bit more corporate—white shirt, tie with diagonal stripes of white, black and grey lines, black coat, black pants and black shoes.

“Hold on,” she suddenly declared. Her horn glowed again and I felt a force on top of my jacket, moving downwards to take out the creases that had formed when I made my hasty exit.

“Thanks,” I said. I smiled. I was actually holding a conversation with a pony and as a bonus, she seemed nice.

“No problem,” she smiled back. She had a nice smile. “So, are you here on a job or something?”

“Uh, yeah interview, which I have to get to. Now,” I chuckled nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Futures of Equestria is, right?”

“That government-run project?” She placed her hoof over her chin.

Huh. Their legs really were flexible. It was quite interesting to see.

“It should be just a block that way, right-hand corner,” the unicorn replied, noting it with her hoof, pointing me downhill. “It’s a white building with gold lines. You shouldn’t miss it.”

“Many thanks.”

The unicorn just smiled. “No problem. Maybe we’ll meet again, eh, Mister...?”

“Harry Larson,” I advised, extending my hand. She shook it with her hoof.

“Ever Ring,” she replied. “Good luck with the interview.”

“Thank you.”

She just smiled. I briskly walked to where she pointed, stealing one last glance at her after walking a distance. She was still standing there, looking at me for some reason. I raised my arm above my head and waved. She waved back.

Well, that went really well, I thought as I concentrated on where to go. One block down at the right corner, right?

As I walked through the street, I took in the sights. Manehattan definitely reminded me of a certain city in New York, except for the obvious difference like having a whole lot of ponies. A few gave me looks, but most of them just greeted me. I smiled and greeted them back.

Their buildings were also a heck of a lot smaller than the ones back on Earth, but I did see a few high-rises. Even without modern construction machinery, these Equestrians seemed to have adapted well with whatever they had.

Turning right, I found the building as that Miss Ever Ring described—white, marble-like finished walls with golden lines of various designs, coupled with columns and clear half-domed windows that showed red drapes. It wasn’t as tall as the few buildings I’d seen so far, but it was made with far more elegant touches and bustled with activity. Ponies of various types went in and out, wearing either some sort of simple clothing, or full on layered dresses or suits.

I approached the entrance (it even had a red carpet. Wow, really?) and had to ask a pony for help, explaining to him the reason for my visit. He pointed me towards a pony that would take my travel case and then towards the reception area.

The latter even had seats with a nice sign that said it was only for human use.

Should I even get offended that the sign reeked a bit of racial segregation? Nah. Maybe some ponies kept sitting there, even though it would look really uncomfortable for them.

Right?

I left my travel case and after a few minutes of waiting in the reception area, the stallion receptionist called me by name and advised me that my interviewer was ready for me.

I gave myself a once-over—tie secured, jacket smoothed, shoes still shiny.

Alright, time to bag this job and welcome my new life in Equestria.

I think my mouth was open. I wasn’t too sure. Was there a mirror around this place?

“Ex...cuse me?” I asked in disbelief.

Behind an off-white desk was a brown pony mare with dark blonde mane and tail. Her ears drooped. Even her cat-eye rimmed spectacles couldn’t hide her dark eyes shifting uncomfortably. Her hooves went towards a stamp and like an act of finality, she slammed it down the parchment that was laid open on the desk.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Larson, but I’m afraid we no longer need your services,” she replied.

“B-but why?” I asked and my mind raced with possibilities. “Was I too late? I just received the letter a week ago, asking me to come. Was there something wrong with my documentation? Did I overdress?”

The pony bit her lip. “No, no! You were actually quite early, and your documentation spotless. And you look very dashing.”

“Then why!?” I demanded, my tone getting a bit louder. She shivered.

“I—oh, Celestia, how do I explain this? There was a situation just three days ago,” she began. “A private company that also hired humans for technology development just closed down, displacing hundreds of employees. Princess Celestia thought it was best we absorb those that just lost their jobs, and filling up the open spots.

“You were—” she paused and sighed. “Priority was to get those displaced hired first. I had hoped we still had enough spots but... I’m quite sorry, Mr. Larson.”

A stroke of chance... was this how it ended?

Damn it all. And no, there were no damned tears in my eyes. It’s just the, ugh, the moisture or something in the air.

“The Sovereign Nation of Equestria would like to apologize for the inconvenience and will be happily giving you compensations of all expenses you have consumed during your travels here. And—wait, young man!”

I was already halfway to the door. I wasn’t interested in hearing their apologies or monetary compensations. I didn’t make it in.

God, I didn’t make it in.

I bumped into someone, hard, as I exited the room. I stumbled a bit on the carpeted floor, but kept my balance and just got out of there. I distinctly remember the mare pony shouting about ‘Candice’ or something similar. It could have been whoever I bumped into, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.

Exiting the building, I went off, I didn’t know where nor did I find a peculiar reason to bother. I could have been walking for hours. I don’t know. And it didn’t help that my damn eyes had some sort of allergic reaction to the air.

Exhausted, I finally made it to a... well, judging by the robust intense smell of roasted beans, a coffee shop. I sat down on one of the seating pads and sighed, taking a cursory glance around. I saw the name of the shop; Saddlebuck’s.

Really? You have got to be kidding me. More puns. Worse yet, I had no idea how far I walked, and judging by the unfamiliar place, I was pretty sure I was—

“Wow, you look like a lost puppy.”

The voice was familiar. I blearily looked up from my position, only to see a white unicorn with pink mane and tail. What was her name?

“Ever Ring?” I guessed.

“Harry Larson, I presume?” she greeted back with a smile. “Fancy meeting you here. Is your interview over?”

I winced. “Y-yeah. It went okay,” I lied.

“You got in? That’s great!” Ever Ring declared with a smile. She plunked down the other side of the table, and raised a hoof. “We should celebrate! Waitress!”

I felt a lead weight drop in my stomach. I shook my head deliberately. “Wait a minute, Miss Ever Ring, there’s no need to celebrate.”

“Of course there is, silly.” She smiled even wider. Oh, God, Harry what the hell? “Congratulations are in order, for getting a job, and a welcome to Equestria!”

No, no. Damn it Harry, why were you stringing her along? Just tell her you didn’t get in!

“Waitress! Oh, Tartarus, why is the service so slow around here?” She looked at me, and then blinked. “By the way, where’s your traveling case?”

Something snapped inside me. Anger, red hot boiling anger, began to seep through my chest and towards my stomach, and before I could stop myself, I slammed my fist in the table.

Everything went silent. For some reason, my ears began ringing as I began to take in deep and heavy breaths. I saw Ever Ring’s expression turn from surprise to worry... and then to understanding. My jaw locked in its place, and my allergy was acting up again.

Damn allergies.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I looked down at the table. It must have been dirty because it looked all hazy. And my throat started to itch.

I felt something soft touch my cheek. I looked through my half-closed eyes. It was a floating tissue paper wrapped in magenta light. I looked at Ever Ring, who encouraged me to take it. I did. My fingers wrapped around the soft paper and I let my hands do the work.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked, gently.

I should have said no, but I must have wanted to let it out because the next thing I knew, my mouth began to blab out what had happened during the interview. Ever Ring let me talk, nodding a few times, and only interrupted me when she needed some clarification.

After I finished my tale, she looked at me curiously.

“Um, don’t get mad at me for asking, Harry Larson, but why do you seem a bit hung up in getting a job here. Don’t you have jobs on Earth?”

I nodded. “Yes... but I may have burned a few bridges traveling here.”

She blinked. “How?”

“When the letter came in, it asked me to get to Equestria within ten days. I was already in a middle of a job, and I had tried to get my resignation done and over with. Unfortunately, my ex-boss is an ass—”

“Wait, you had a donkey as a boss?”

For the first time, I found myself laughing. The image of my boss, a puffy-faced bulldog of a man, in a donkey’s body was too much to pass up. “No, no!” I said between laughter. “I mean, he was a jerk.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah. So, he tells me he can’t accept my resignation to go to a country filled with, uh—” I looked up “—well, he said mean things about ponies. He also said if I left now, he’d make sure I would never ever work into the IT business again.”

“So, he’s a bit influential then?” Ever Ring asked.

“He knows quite a few people,” I replied. “I guess I could get another job if I moved to another city, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.” I winced when I remembered my mom’s reaction to my leaving as well. “I also had an argument with my family about the move.”

Ever Ring stayed silent for a minute, her eyes downcast, looking contemplative. She then looked at me. “Why Equestria, then? You could have stayed there, kept your job and avoided the argument with family. It seems like coming here had a more negative impact on your life. So, why?”

How do you answer a question like that?

Was it the money? It certainly could be. Equestrian pay was higher, especially on human hires that dealt with technology or engineering. Was it the pride of getting into an alien home world, working with them, and gaining status of being quite the pioneer? Or maybe, deep down inside, I was one of those people that were sick and tired of Earth, wanting to escape to an apparently better life in Equestria? The grass was always greener, right?

The answer to all questions was a resounding no, because if I looked at myself honestly, the reason was simple.

“I was always interested in coming here,” I replied, looking up at the darkening blue sky. “Ever since we saw that Rainbow Streak pegasus, ever since I heard your two Princesses speak to us, ever since open trade was proposed and I heard all the stories regarding your culture from what little information I could gather. I guess if I have to put it down simply, it was because I was curious about you ponies.

“I’m a bit of a nerd. I like Science Fiction, watched Star Trek and Star Wars, being a rare fan of both and other space-themed stories. When I was young, I always wanted to meet an alien, know its culture, history, how they live their lives. When I got older, I tempered myself, knowing I probably would not meet other life forms out there... and you guys appear.

“When I got my letter, I saw it as my chance. And I took it foolishly,” I said with another sigh. I looked at the unicorn, who was sporting a small smile. I smiled myself. “What?”

“Well, I don’t get what you mean by Star Trek or Star Warts, but you can’t say you haven’t met any aliens. You met me, right?” she asked. I nodded. “And—” she bent down a bit to the table, and motioned me to follow. She whispered, “If you want, I may have a job opportunity for you. But I don’t think it’ll be something you’d be comfortable with.”

I blinked. A job opportunity? “I’ll take it.”

Ever Ring winced a bit. “You might want to know what the job is all about before saying yes.”

“I can learn. I learn quite fast!” I assured. “Give me a chance. I’ll do it.”

The unicorn sighed and nodded. “Okay. Follow me.”

I stood up, beaming. Holy crap! I could get to stay after all!

“Harry, drink this.”

I blinked. I looked down, and saw Ever Ring handing me a vial of golden liquid.

Wha—

I felt warmness surrounding me as I opened my mouth. Slowly, liquid began to pour in. I was enveloped in heat once more as I swallowed.

Ever Ring led me inside a normal square building built from washed-out red bricks and white windows. It was pretty unassuming, other than an unlit sign in the front door that read ‘Gentlemen for Mares’. Once she led me inside though, I thought I found myself inside the set of Casablanca.

The hallway was domed with columns arching overhead, whitewashed and toned with soft yellow glow coming from the overhead lamps. I was led deeper inside, ending with an open space of wood-paneled floors, polished with dark rich brown tones, and walls that had the felt-green color not unlike the ones found on a pool table.

Low round tables surrounded the place. I couldn’t count them. There was also an elevated stage with a red curtain on the left. The right was covered entirely with a wall-to-wall bar counter; behind that was bottles of differing shapes and colored in wide ranges of brown. The ceiling was surrounded by classy looking ceiling fans, spinning lazily on their axis.

“Wait here,” Ever Ring said, and approached a lone unicorn situated at the center of the room, looking blankly at the stage. “Platinum! I have a recruit here.”

The unicorn turned rather gracefully. I blinked when I took a look at Platinum. The snout was.. well, it was longer than the usual mares, but definitely soft and curved. Her body structure was also quite different—sleeker and longer barrel, lengthier and curvier legs with prominent hooves. She had a pink coat and platinum white mane and tail, though for some reason, the hair struck me as off.

She also wore tight fitting black and blue clothing, covering her entire body, hiding her Cutie Mark. For some reason, she wore a mask. Approaching me with some sort of predatory gait rang some warning bells in my head. I felt I should not trifle with this one.

Platinum looked at me from head to toe, nodding. She began to go around me. I felt I was being assessed for dinner or something.

“Hmmm, nice flank, but he doesn’t seem to strike me as someone who can last long in this business,” Platinum declared as she stepped in my line of sight once more. “Are you sure, Ever Ring?”

I spoke before the white unicorn could. “I’m willing to learn the ropes, everything. You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Platinum smiled. “Then let’s see. Come with me.”

I stole a glance at Ever Ring, who looked as nervous as hell. I think she wanted to say something, but kept her peace. I scrambled after Platinum, trying my best not to stray my eyes downwards. Thankfully, she wasn’t swishing her tail about as she led me to another hallway near the stage.

I noticed a few wooden doors, unnumbered, and we passed five of them before she led me inside the sixth.

It was a bare room. No beds, no closets. All it had was a carpeted floor and a human chair in the middle. What was going—?

“Sit,” Platinum ordered.

I walked towards the center slowly, my eye on the unicorn, noticing some odd strands of pink and purple in her hair. I also noticed the clothing around her barrel jerking upwards. Weird. Still, I did not want to give the impression that I was staring and antagonize my potential boss, so my eyes roved over towards the chair and sat down. I looked back at the unicorn again. She just... looked at me. Weird.

“Let us start then,” the unicorn declared.

“Sure,” I replied. All I had to do was reach towards my left to get my bag—my bag! My head shifted downwards automatically before my brain reflected that I had left my bag and all my papers back in Futures of Equestria. And before I knew it, I was repeatedly saying “Shit!” before I could stop myself.

“What is it, my dear human?”

My dear human? Really? If I wasn’t panicking right now, I’d probably would have thought of an off-color comment about it, but for now I was in seriously deep trouble. My passports, my resume, my letter of invitation, spare clothes... it was all in my bag. Without that, I could possibly be accused as an illegal immigrant. Worse, I was now imagining a scenario where I was meeting that jerky jerk of a mare that met me in the portal, this time behind bars, as she would condescendingly taunt me about how my arrival was a mistake.

“Calm down,” Platinum declared in a rather soothing voice. It surprised the hell out of me because it actually worked. My mind went blank, then went clear, and then slowly focused. I thought it was magic, but when I checked her horn, it wasn’t glowing. “What is bothering you, my dear human?”

I stared at her. Come on brain, think! Come on mouth, say something other than ‘um’! “Um...”

Great. Thanks mouth. What’s that, two for two today?

“Take your time,” Platinum declared with a small smile.

I sighed. That was just unfair. Now she was putting all the pressure on me and I was still thinking of something to say that wouldn’t lead to a ‘wow this human in front of me is here illegally’ conclusion. My brain finally decided to keep it simple.

“I... currently don’t have my papers on me,” I replied. I also winced. For some reason, the line actually flowed better in my head.

“That is fine,” Platinum said.

“I mean, I don’t even have my resume,” I added.

Platinum looked at me, her expression, from what I could see, meshed oddly as if she was confused. “I do not think your resume would be needed. Especially in this line of work.”

“Okay, what line of work exactly?”

“Ever Ring didn’t tell you?” Platinum asked. I shook my head. The unicorn looked at the doorway for a minute. “Odd. I guess it falls to me and Five Stars to explain then. Basically, Gentlemen for Mares is an escort company.”

I blinked. Five Stars? Who or what was that? And an escort... company? Back on Earth, escort meant a lot of things, like hired escorts for accompanying customers in functions to the more... intimate and bedroom setting type. Surely she meant the former, right?

“By escort, do you mean...?” I left the question hanging.

Platinum nodded. “Yes. Here in Equestria, the mare and stallion population is a bit skewed. For every five foals born, one or two are stallions. I created this company knowing that there are a lot of lonely mares that need attention from stallions. And as luck may have it, human stallion population is quite high enough to give those mares the attention they want and need.”

Okay, that really sounded like an intimate and bedroom setting type of deal. Still, maybe it wasn’t really the latter. Lonely mares, take them out to dates. Sounds logical. Right? “Oh... okay, so we’re hired out to accompany mares out on dates, right?” I clarified.

Platinum looked at me oddly. “Yes,” she replied. “Mares hire out humans, who will be trained to give them a good time and pleasure them.”

Okay... alarm bells were ringing, but she didn't mean what I think she did, right? I mean, ‘pleasure them’ didn’t really mean... right? They were ponies. For them, pleasure could mean a lot of things. So, I had to clarify once more.

“Pleasure them with good dates, food, and socialization, right?”

I think I may have finally gotten some anger because Platinum looked at me, her triangular ears flattening. Even behind the mask, I could feel her eyes boring in on me. “Pleasure as in sex.”

“Ah,” my mouth muttered before my brain could even catch up. When it did, I was left reeling. “Wait, sex?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably around my chair.

Platinum shifted slightly. I was getting the feeling she was probably losing her patience with me. “Yes,” she replied.

Okay. Was it me or was it getting hotter here? “Sex... between humans and ponies?” I clarified. Again.

“Yes,” Platinum replied. Again.

I swallowed. "And between ponies and humans?”

“Yes,” Platinum replied. Again.

I rubbed my arms together. She just didn't mean... but she did, right? Ah, crap, what the fuck did I get myself into? “As in—”

Platinum cut me off. “Sex as in intercourse, procreation, lovemaking if you will.”

I sat there in silence. My lips opened up before closing again. My hand moved from my thigh to my chin. Platinum stayed silent as well, watching me spend the next few seconds mimicking a goldfish brought out of the water. Oh, haha, this was a joke, wasn’t it? Someone exported Punk’d to Equestria or something, right? Or am I in Just For Laughs Gags? I looked at the unicorn, tempted to ask when I saw her looking at me so... steadily. Her expression betrayed nothing.

“That’s... you know,” I paused. I couldn't say 'silly' or 'You must be joking'. Her expression betrayed nothing. I had a sinking feeling. “You’re serious,” I finished.

“Quite.”

An image popped into my head. I remembered my cheeks aflame when I rode that cab all the way here, swinging tail, visible lips. I remembered feeling the stir of emotions just by looking at it, the shame creeping when I realized a part of me was enjoying the view. And now I was being hired to do more than just look.

I took a breath.

“Are you okay?” Platinum asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah… fine, swell, peachy,” I replied, a little too quickly. My brain was going into overdrive. Escort company? Was that even legal here? Seriously?

Platinum Corona didn’t seem convinced. "I know it comes a bit of a shock. Quite a few humans needed a bit of convincing, but we are a legitimate company that is legally recognized here in Equestria."

Oh-kay. Was mind reading part of their magic?

“There are humans who actually agree to this?” I asked.

“Quite a lot,” Platinum replied, nodding. “Of course, there’s a little trepidation. That is perfectly normal. However, in time, that fades.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Platinum smiled. “How about a demonstration?” she asked.

“I… okay?” I replied, unsurely.

The unicorn nodded and looked towards the exit. “Five Star, come in,” she ordered. The door opened up to reveal an earth pony mare with a yellow coat, curly green mane and a slightly cropped tail. She looked at me for a moment, and a blush made its way to her face (how the heck did that happen? Did the coat actually turn red or something?) as she strode in front of me.

Was it me, or did she move her hips in an exaggeration? It also emphasized her cutie mark, give small stars arranged in an odd manner – four on top of the fifth, which was slipping off to the side.

“M-may I?” she asked nervously.

“You may start, Five Stars,” the unicorn declared.

Okay, now I really wanted to know what was going on—holy...!

Five Stars, the earth Pony mare, turned, her backside facing me. She lifted her tail and moved it slightly to the side, exposing her pink folds almost right in front of my face. My mouth went agape, and for a few seconds, my mind shut down. I just found myself staring at... her.

“Many human recruits first notice that a mare doesn’t look too different from a female human,” Platinum began.

Oh. Oh dear lord. I felt hot around my cheeks, stirring in my loins as I watched, mesmerized. She was wet, I realized, watching fluid slowly dripping downwards.

Was I leaning closer? God, Harry, what was wrong with you? I felt myself stiffening. Was I really attracted to horses?

“If you feel you want to touch her, go ahead,” Platinum said.

I slowly looked away, towards the unicorn. She was standing just beside me, facing me, expression neutral.

“I… should I?” I asked. This was getting surreal.

Platinum motioned towards Five Stars. “Look at her, human.” I did. “Notice her tail, lifted upwards and brought to the side. Notice her glinting wetness of her folds, on how it closes and opens. She is quite ready to receive you. Smell the musk of her sex. She is aware that you are looking, and that she wants nothing more than for you to mount and rut her, badly.”

Five Stars whimpered, her hips shaking a bit, her wetness, if possible, increasing. Before I could stop myself, I slowly reached forward, fingers shaking. No, this couldn’t be real. I was in a dream. This is a perverse dream. I couldn’t be in this room, lusting after a horse, freely deciding to touch her. It just couldn’t be real!

Then, my fingers made contact. Her lips quivered and Five Stars gave a shout as she moved backwards, letting my fingers enter her lips. It was warm, feverishly so, moist, and tight. I could feel her walls move around my fingers as the mare in question began to shake, her screams getting louder until she gave one final shudder. Thick and musky liquid squirted out from her. It came out so strong that it moistened my hand and got a few drops on my face.

Five Stars gave a sigh of relief and slowly collapsed in front of me, breathing a bit heavily. Her tail was still upwards, still exposing her. I was out of my seat, wanting to touch her again. Five Stars turned her head to look at me, smiling. She wanted me to continue. And God, I wanted to continue. My two hands were on her hips before I realized what I was doing.

I stopped. My brain jump-started back once more.

Holy hell, Harry. What the hell did you think you were doing? She’s a horse! You couldn’t possibly be attracted to a horse, can you?

But I was. Oh, God, I was.

“No,” I muttered, shaking my head. Five Stars looked at me, her expression showing confusion and a little hurt. No, no. “I… no! Sorry!”

I ran as fast as I could towards the exit, leaving the unicorn and the earth pony in the room.

Passing by the hallway, I noticed Ever Ring looking at me, confused. “Harry?” she asked.

“Nope, nope, nope, nope,” I chanted as I passed her, went to another hallway, and exited the building, only to be pelted with rain.

Really? Seriously? What the hell is with this day? I ran. I don’t know where. This day was turning out to be a disaster of epic proportions. Damn Equestria, these ponies. Damn that mare in the train that kept swishing her tail back and forth. Damn that stupid Futures for Equestria! Damn that stupid Ever Ring for bringing me to that place and raising my hopes! Damn her stupid boss! And damn me for being attracted to a damn horse!

I was done with this place! Done!

I didn’t get far before my feet got caught by something on the sidewalk. I flew and landed on the wet ground, ruining the suit I had so meticulously prepared for today. I didn’t bother getting up. What was the point? What was the fucking point in all of this? Why the hell did I even leave Earth? Why did I leave my job? To get rejected in the end? To get hired out as a prostitute for... ponies? Horses?

Goddamned ponies. The whole lot of them. The whole damned lot of them.

I laughed. I just laughed helplessly. Oh, this was freaking unbelievable. This is what you signed up for, eh, Harry—a too-good-to-be-true opportunity to work in Equestria, only to get shoved out of the way by chance, right? And if that wasn’t enough, the only reason why Equestria would want you was if you became some sort of manwhore, right? Damn it all.

I crawled off the sidewalk, towards a wall near a partially roofed area. It was near a garbage can, but hey, what did it matter? From the alien world’s perspective, that’s what I was.

“Crying in the corner, waiting in the rain,” I sang, deliberately off-key, “I swear I’ll never ever do this again. They gave me their word, but apparently those words were lies.”

I chuckled. I really lost it, singing a damn song in the middle of a storm. But at least I felt... better.

I heard soft clopping sound. My head turned towards the direction where the sound emanated from and my eyes narrowed. The rain was getting stronger and the sky was darkening to the point that the approaching pony was veiled in darkness. It wasn’t until she was maybe three feet away that I recognized her—the earth pony mare, Five Stars.

I blushed, remembering where I had touched her earlier.

“H-hello?” she called.

“Leave me alone,” I muttered. I was not in the mood.

The earth mare continued to approach. “I, um, I heard you sing. It was a nice song.”

“It was off-key,” I replied as dryly as I could in this rain.

“You’re wet...”

“It’s raining, genius.”

The pony frowned. She took a few steps forward, making me feel a little apprehensive. She wasn’t displaying any aggressive behavior, though, but still, I was wary. I also wished she’d leave me alone and was utterly confident she was sent to retrieve me, maybe convince me to sign in. No way. I’m not going to be a prostitute for these ponies! I steeled myself, prepared to say no at whatever spiel she was going to spout... so imagine my surprise when she suddenly hugged me.

First thing I felt was... warmness. Delicious warmness emanated from her body, so close to mine. Her two limbs encased me and the rather odd, but not unpleasant, scent of wood and grass with a hint of wet fur entered my senses as I felt prickling hairs over my right cheek.

Oh God did it feel good. Why did it feel good?

“You’re shivering too,” she whispered. “Come with me. Let’s get a roof over your head. My place is nearby.”

She was warm. I felt my fingers flex around her shoulders and neck, the feeling of her soft and wet coat contrasting with her tight muscles. I should have said no. Instead, I just sighed and placed my face deeper on her neck.

I swallowed something liquid and warm, but grunted in annoyance as I felt movement on my right. Damned pillow was moving. Who the hell was taking it?

I grabbed it and hugged it hard.

“I never really got your name, did I?” the mare asked as she fished out a rather large key from her saddlebags. With practiced efficiency, she inserted it in the keyhole.

“Harry,” I replied, shivering a bit from the cold. Even with the toasty warm interior of the building, my wet clothes made me feel like I was doused with ice.

“Well, Harry, make yourself at home!” Five Stars declared, opening the door. She flicked a switch, turning on the lights showing off her modestly sized apartment. The floors were polished wood of light golden brown color, and the walls were painted in beige.

From the entrance, I could see the living room (with a fireplace), which had low level couches and a small rectangular table. Deeper inside, I could see a kitchenette, an ice box, a stove, and a counter that separated it from the small dining area.

“We have to get you out of those clothes,” she declared. She bit down on my jacket, and began to tug, only to lose her balance when I immediately shoved myself away from her.

“I’d be more comfortable if I do it,” I said.

Five Star looked at me for a moment before nodding. “Of course. Follow me.” She led me to the right, down a short hallway until we reached a fork on the hall. She directed me to the left, towards a doorway. She easily opened the door with her hoof (how did those things work, really? The doorknobs were circular!) revealing her bathroom.

“You can change there. Put the clothes in basket”—she pointed towards a wood-weaved storage bin on the floor—“and there’s a human bathrobe here that should fit you... ah, there it is!”

I looked at her towel rack and there it was, a white bathrobe neatly folded.

“I think the shower works the same way the human version does,” she continued. “Red knob is for hot water and the blue one is for the cold water. The shower stall may be a bit too short for you, but it’ll make do. I’ll let you go in first.”

I nodded. “Thanks,” I whispered.

Five Stars just smiled. Both of us looked at each other for a moment, before she blushed.

“Oh, sorry. Let me leave you then.”

She closed the door on her way out. I breathed easier.

The clothes were easy to remove, as wet and slick as they were. They stunk to high-heaven though. And the shower... oh, God, the shower was heaven.

I smelled a bit like Five Stars by the time I was done putting on the bathrobe and I didn’t mind. I felt clean, crisp and wholly calm again. In fact I was beginning to feel the squeamish feeling of embarrassment as I realized that I owed Five Stars for even letting me in her humble abode. Worse, wasn’t I just previously pelting her with my sarcasm?

Nice, Harry.

The floor was warm enough to make walking barefoot in the apartment comfortable. I tried to recall, retrace my steps until I got back to the living room area, and I spotted Five Stars lazing comfortably on the ground, lying on top of a large white towel. When she spotted me, she smiled.

“Okay, my turn!” she declared, and grabbed her towel with her mouth, and proceeded towards the bathroom. I didn’t hear the door close, but I did hear the shower activate.

For a moment, I relaxed on one of the couches. Then, I stood up and began exploring. I could hear Five Stars humming something while in the shower as I explored her kitchenette, making sure I touched nothing.

There were jars of sugar and salt scattered around the marble counter, with the stove covered in cloth. She also had a nice collection of mugs and an open container filled with tea bags.

I looked at her icebox and noticed the surface was almost like a fridge back at home. It was also covered in magnets. It was interesting, to say the least, seeing such archaic technology abound. The lights above the ceiling were definitely run by some type of energy (electricity, or magic?), yet they had no electric coolers, televisions, or anything that resembled a radio. The phonograph on the side was quite cool though.

Then something caught my eye—a shelf just near the exit. It was filled with glass figurines of equine figures, along with two rows of colored photographs (not the flat glossy ones, but the grainy looking images with parchment-like paper).

On the first row, the very left was a picture of Five Stars smiling, surrounded by a few mares and a stallion. The next one on the right was another picture, Five Stars smiling with another set of mares or stallions – then another, and another. I noticed that with each successive picture, Five Stars’ smile was getting smaller and smaller until in the end, where she just stared back at me from the photo.

Luckily, another set of pictures, just below the previous set, showed a much happier mare. However, that wasn’t the only startling difference. The second set had her with paired with someone else, instead of a group. And yes, someone. She was photographed with humans, males, each with different features and nationalities.

The only thing that was similar was the fact that pony and man looked quite happy with each other.

“Those are my students.”

Holy crap!

I flinched automatically and moved away as I spotted Five Stars besides me. She had a towel on top of her head, and her mane and coat were still slightly damp. How did she move so silently? I didn’t even notice her.

“W-what?” I asked with my heart still at my throat.

Five Stars didn’t seem to mind my skittish outburst. Her eyes were still locked on the pictures of her and the men she was paired with.

“I’m actually one of the trainers in Gentlemen for Mares. I teach recruits the finer points on how to make love to earth ponies,” she replied. She smiled a sad smile. “They were my students, actually. Now, they are out there, making some other mares happy.”

I looked again. Even through the images, I could feel a kinship of sorts. Five Stars shared something quite special with them.

“If you had accepted, I would have been your first instructor,” Five Stars admitted, her shoulder shrugging slightly. She trotted to the living room area and sat down in one of the couches. She began to dry herself.

I stood there, rooted on the spot for a few moments before I also joined her in the living room area, though sitting on a couch a bit away from her. I looked at her as she calmly dried herself, my eyes watching as she moved. I noticed the slight creasing of her coat, the smile on her face as she rubbed her mane, the cord-tight muscles as she moved, and the hoof that held the towel.

The last part was really interesting. I haven’t seen a pony hold an object like that up close for this long.

I must have stared too hard or too long because Five Stars suddenly held her hoof in front of me, winking. “You want to see?” she asked.

I wanted to say no, but curiosity got the better of me. I slowly approached, my hands gently hovering over her hooves. When my fingers made contact, I heard her gasp softly. I ignored it. I went through it gently, like delicate china, wrapping my digits around her limb, feeling her hoof. The outer edges were hard as nails, almost the same color (if not lighter) than her coat. The center hoof, though, was soft, velvety, like a cat’s paw. It was also quite sensitive and reactive to touches. It even grabbed one of my fingers poking it.

Wow, this was... amazing.

“So that’s how you can grip things?” I asked.

“Yup. You should see these hooves in action when I sandwich them on a stiff one,” she declared. I blushed and immediately let go of her hooves. “No complaints, I’m telling you,” she continued.

“I’m not comfortable with this conversation,” I muttered as I moved away slightly.

“Why not?” she asked, shrugging before she went back to drying herself.

“It’s inappropriate!” I exclaimed, giving her a bit of a glare. Judging by her smirk, it wasn’t too effective. “And it’s wrong! I’m human, and you’re a pony! We’re—” ugh, damnit Harry, find the word! "We’re incompatible!”

She gave me a confused look. “Incompatible? I’ve been tucked in by a lot of humans, and let me tell you, we are far from incompatible.”

I blinked. “Wha... tucked in?”

The mare just gave me a slight smile. “Sex. Procreation. Rutting. Nightly adult activities. Fornication.”

I groaned. Didn’t I hear that line just earlier? “Okay, okay! Look, it’s just... wrong, okay!? I will never ever feel that way about any ponies. It’s wrong and weird!”

Five Stars shook her head slightly. “You’re blushing, and I can see you forming a tent down there.” I looked down and to my horror, she was right.

“That thing has a mind of its own!” I countered and before I knew it, her neck craned up and bit down on the bathrobe. I fell towards the couch and into her embrace.

Okay, what is it with her and hugs? I tried to struggle a bit, but she wouldn’t budge. God, she’s had a strong hug.

“Hush,” she declared softly. She snaked a hoof at the back of my head and patted me close to her shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s okay. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. There’s some part of you that finds ponies attractive. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I could only half-hear her words. My body, my lower extremities, actually, was feeling warm. Really warm. Was I...? No, I couldn’t be getting aroused by this! She was a damn pony! A horse!

“I can’t be attracted to a bunch of talking horses,” I whispered, voice muffled by her great-smelling coat. Oh, God. I was getting aroused. My pants began to feel uncomfortable, and I felt my rebellious member trying hard to get out. For God’s sakes, they’re small horses, Harry! Horses! That smells nice! No, wait!

“Yes, well, I said the same thing to myself when I found out I was attracted to bipedal walking and talking apes,” Five Stars declared with a giggle. “But you know what? I’ve accepted that fact, and so do a lot of mares. My students? They were almost as skittish as you were, but they wouldn’t have been recruited if they didn’t have any inclination.”

I closed my eyes, breathing her scent, relaxing under her hug. Damn it. Was this some sort of biological feature they had, some type of sedative scent glands or something?

“How did they get over it?” I asked, trying to keep my mind clear.

“Well, some got over it really quickly after some good ol’ rutting,” Five Stars giggled and let me go. “Others, though, realized something.”

I moved myself a bit away from her reach. I shivered as I could still smell her. “And what was that?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

“Did their hesitation stem from seeing us as animals? Granted, you guys have ponies that really don’t talk or do much, which may color your perceptions a bit. So, I asked them; do you see Equestrian ponies, those who walk, talk, think, and built cities and carved their civilization, as mere beasts?”

I froze. My mind just stopped for a moment, reeling in what she just had said.

I had my head down when she sighed. “Think it through, okay? And once you find an answer... well. You can sleep in the couch if you want.” She blushed. “I’ll be in my room. If you need anything. And I don’t mean just rutting or something. Okay, shutting up now.”

She gave me a reassuring smile before she trotted away, her hips swaying slightly as she went. I stared at her for a second, just confused. Did she just invite me to...? I shook my head. I looked down on my pants. I winced, seeing the little soldier standing in attention. Why the hell did the prospect of spending a night with her arouse me? My mind began to roll out a few excuses but for some reason, her question kept coming back. Was she right? Was I actually attracted to ponies and my panic attacks were basically shame surfacing because I was seeing them as just animals?

I stared at the doorway leading to the hall, towards her bathroom and to her room. Then, my eyes roamed towards the cabinet again, looking at the set of pictures. My feet moved even before I thought of it. I got to the small hallway and instead of turning left towards the bathroom, made my way to the end of the hall that led to a door. It was ajar.

I gave it two respectful knocks before I widened the opening. I spotted Five Stars lying on bed on her stomach, legs curled under her. She was seemingly reading a book before she looked up and saw me. She smiled.

“Changed your mind, huh?” she said in a deep sultry voice. I felt myself shiver slightly, but I shook it off. I motioned my head from side to side, indicating a negative. She frowned.

“I have a few more questions, Five Stars,” I prompted before she could ask me why I was there.

“Okay?”

“You talked about your students, but not about the first set of pictures,” I replied. “Why? Who are they?”

Her ears flattened, and for some reason, I felt that I had just asked a rather painful question. Her hooves closed the book she was reading with a slight snap before she took a deep breath.

“The pictures were of my herd,” she replied.

“Herd?” I asked.

She sighed. “Platinum Corona told you how the rate of stallions and mares are one or two to five, right?” I nodded. “Well, the ensure survival, our familial practice is to form a close-knit tight family of mares and one or two stallions. From what I heard, it’s a bit different from human practices, right?”

“Well... mostly,” I said. “So, ponies practice polygamy?”

“Yup,” the mare agreed. “The theory is sound. It provides practical way of continuing population.”

“You don’t seem to believe that,” I said as I walked towards the opposite side of the bed and sat down. She gave me a glancing look before she nodded.

“My first herd was great,” she declared. “Unfortunately, my stallion there had a favorite, and was a bit neglectful. Most of the time, you could ask the other mares to give you attention, and you would pay them back with the same, but I really wasn’t into mares.

“I got out of that herd, and moved to the next. Same story. The next, same thing, except the stallions I kept picking weren’t even into me at all. They just added me to gain some sort of clout. All and all, it was the same story, just a different herd.”

I patted her foreleg gently with my hand. “I’m sorry I made you retell that.”

“Eh, it’s okay. Besides, that part of my life is over. I put all the pictures there to remind me where I’ve been, and my students to remind me where I can still go,” she replied. “Got another question?”

I took a deep breath. “Is this some elaborate scheme to recruit me? Make me feel more comfortable around mares so I won’t, I don’t know, run off screaming?”

She laughed and snorted. “I can’t recruit male humans. I don’t have the subtlety.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means if I see a male human who I think will vaguely be interested in sleeping with other mares, I tend to grab the rope, and drag them into my apartment,” she replied, sticking out her tongue at me.

I smiled. “You are really into humans, eh?”

“Ever since I first met one of your kind, yes,” Five Stars declared, looking towards the ceiling. “My first human... he kissed my hooves, as a greeting, no less. I was given a Noble Greeting from a complete stranger and an alien at that. My heart raced. It also didn’t help that he was nice, kind, and listened.”

“We have human jerks too, you know. We have a lot of them,” I countered.

“True, but for some reason, with the gender split almost equal on Earth, human males seemed to always at least work to get a mare’s attention. They practice that very effectively with our customers. Sad to say... we mares can be quite a lonely bunch. While mare to mare relationships are an option, a lot of us just want a stallion we could warm.” She looked at me. “Besides, if a human male gets rowdy, we just have to remind them of something.”

“What’s that?”

“That we ponies are pretty strong.”

With that, her foreleg snaked upward and grabbed me. She easily pinned me down to the bed.

I stiffened, a small part of me feeling the creepy dredging thought that I may have made a mistake coming in to her room, especially now that her eyes focused solely on me, blazing. Her mouth parted, her tongue slithering out, licking her lips.

I didn’t know what had changed. I should have been thrashing right now, my mouth forming words, shouting. Yet... the way she looked at me in a very human-like manner, desire and want, left me speechless.

“I’m going to kiss you,” she said. “If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop.”

I swallowed, feeling my heart pump hard as she lowered her lips next to mine. They were a bit bigger than one would find on a woman’s face, but not overly so. They glistened with moisture. I wondered how they would taste.

Holy crap. Harry, were you really going to go through with this? Tell her to stop.

She shifted her head to the side before contact as she parted my lips and her tongue explored me in the deepest kiss I have ever experienced.

I felt the fire stoke within me, even if a smaller part of my brain was telling me I was kissing a small horse. The rest of me found out it didn’t mind because she was delicious.

I surprised her when I kissed back, my tongue meeting hers. It started out strong, wild, and unkempt; it reminded me of my first kiss with a girl so many years ago, before it slowly dwindled to sensuously, erotically, slow. It was as if Five Stars wanted to enjoy it, making it last.

We held the kiss for a few more seconds before she lifted her head up, her eyes misting slightly.

“Was that a yes?” she whispered softly.

I just nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak.

“Okay,” she said, a bit breathless. “Remove your bathrobe.”

My hands went for the white belt cords, only to stop. Five Stars looked at me, confused.

“A-are you changing your mind?” she asked.

“I’ve never been with a mare before...” I muttered.

Five Stars giggled. “Oh I know.”

I sighed, feeling my cheeks flaming. “I mean... I’ve never ever been with, uh, someone—” I swallowed “—before.”

Five Stars’ eyes widened with disbelief. I felt a pang of embarrassment.

“I’m your... first?” she asked, now really breathless. I just nodded. She just looked at me for a moment, and I wondered if I should just leave before she kissed me once more, heavily.

“I’m honored,” she declared as she came up for air. “I’ll take care of you.” She kissed me on the neck and sent shivers down my spine. “Oh, Celestia, I will take care of you.”

She removed my bathrobe with her teeth and gently began kissing me everywhere. I felt my groin twinge with fire and desire, more so when she rubbed one of her hind legs on my erection, her short hairs brushing my sensitive member. I was jolted to a sitting position, panting at her touches. With agility not found on Earth horses or ponies, Five Stars turned, showing me her backside. She lifted her tail and moved it slightly to the side, exposing her pink folds almost right in front of my face. The second time this day, and still mesmerizing as ever.

“If you want, you’re welcome to taste me,” Five Stars whispered.

My hands slowly, tentatively worked around her hips. I could feel her shiver with anticipation as my lips approached hers. I hesitated for half a second before my tongue began to work on her pink folds. Five Stars moaned excitedly as I felt her walls wink, moistening in such a degree I didn’t think possible. I kissed her sloppily, licked her, tasted her slightly sweet musky fluids. Minutes afterwards, she turned around and kissed me, licking me in my mouth, chin and cheeks, her movements getting more and more aggressive.

“Lie down,” Five Stars ordered, though she didn’t need to. Her front legs held me down as she moved her body, making it writhe around me as she strode on top of me, firmly planting me on her bed.

I would have noted on how flexible the whole pony body was, and how impossibly it seemed to contort around me, but I couldn’t think. Her actions were fraying my nerves as the short hair of her coat rubbed on my skin everywhere, hitting almost all the right spots.

Oh, God.

“I want you to remember this,” she whispered hoarsely in my ear, then suddenly suckling on my earlobe. I jerked even more. “Whether you are joining the Gentlemen, staying in Equestria, or going back to Earth, I want you to remember me. Who am I?”

I croaked out a name, unclear.

She bit my earlobe gently as I felt a longer hair swishing back and forth between my thighs. Oh, God, was that her tail? I jerked my hips higher, but she wouldn’t let me, her body weighed on top of me. I grunted and groaned.

“I said, who am I?” she asked again, with a harsher whisper.

“Five S-Stars!” I groaned. “Five Stars!”

“That’s right, hon,” she declared as she slowly rose from her position, her forelegs pinning my shoulders down. From my position, I couldn’t see exactly what she was doing, but judging by the velvet softness I was feeling at the tip of my manhood, she was positioning herself before the plunge.

I grunted as she did, feeling an overwhelming wave of pleasure wash over me. She was tightening around my member as she stayed in that position, smiling widely, and watching my expression. Then, she slowly, agonizingly, moved up and down, while at the same time I began feeling longer hairs tickling me at the base of my erection, encircling me softly, with additional waves of pleasure.

Oh my God. I felt myself almost immediately succumb. It was barely a few minutes. Was I going to be done this fast?

“F-five S-stars! I’m, I’m close!” I said through gritted teeth. Oh, God. How long was I... ugh, I couldn’t hold on!

“I know, oh Celestia I know,” she muttered, and pumped even faster. She moaned every time she finished a sentence. “Come on—yes—as much as you can. Mph! Everything you can—oh!—give me Harry, I’ll accept. Come on! Come on! Celestia, yes!”

I grunted and opened my mouth to scream, only for Five Stars to come in and kiss me. With her so close, I grabbed her neck, shivering, and jerked my hips upwards, the world shaking as I came long and hard inside her.

Then, I felt tired, drained. Sometimes, my limb, a random one, would twitch as I felt Five Stars hug me once more, kissing me in my neck, lips, ears and chest.

Oh, wow.

“Oh, wow,” I vocalized.

I heard Five Stars giggling. “Oh Harry, it’s far from over,” she declared.

When Celestia’s sun hit me, I immediately smelled a slightly sweet aquatic scent. Everything was warm as well. I felt my arms were still asleep, encircling something soft, furry and... alive. I opened my eyes and only saw white.

“Eve,” I muttered, muffled by her coat. “What happened?.”

I heard Eve groan, and move slightly, turning her body just a bit.

“You kept tossing and turning yesterday,” she muttered sleepily. “You ambushed me with your arms on the last dose and made me sleep in your damn bed.”

I remembered my dream. I swallowed.

“Did we...?”

Eve seemed to sigh. “No Harry. You slept like a rock. Well, a rock that hugged like an Ursa. Now, let this mare sleep, please?”

I mumbled an affirmative. It was time for the morning workout right? I should get up. I moved, only for Eve to groan as I realized one of my arms was pinned under her neck.

Oh, what the hell.

I stayed there, enjoying her warmth.

By the time I opened my eyes again, the sun was already rising at a comfortable pace. My bed was now empty, leaving only the ghost of Eve’s warmth, but I could hear her rummaging through my apartment. I groggily sat on my bed, noting that I wasn’t completely naked under the blanket.

Thank God for small favors.

Something was bothering me, though. As I put on a shirt and some shorts, my thoughts wandered to my dream and Eve’s words earlier. Did I really just ambush her and hold her down against her will? Something about that struck me as odd, but as I walked to the living room and saw Eve sitting calmly at the loveseat with a magazine floating and spread in front of her, I filed the thought away.

“Hey,” I greeted, taking a seat across from her.

“Morning, Harry,” she greeted back.

I paused for a moment. I sighed. “Hey, uh, Eve, I really appreciate you taking care of me. I know you are really busy, and it's unfair of you to just concentrate on my well being when you have a lot of Gentlemen to manage as well, so I want to apologize for monopolizing your time.”

Eve lowered the magazine slightly; just enough to have her eyes peek out as she replied, “Harry, it’s my job. A Handler is responsible for the well-being of her Gentleman, and it’s her responsibility to do everything in her power to ensure that.”

“Wasn’t that rule put in place to excuse Handlers for, uh, testing out their Gentlemen, so to speak?”

The magazine went down further, allowing me to see a lazy smile appearing on her face. “Yes, well... not only.” Her voice turned sensual. “Why, Harry? Want me to test you?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ll leave it for the doctors to decide on my well-being, thank you very much.”

“You always preferred doctors and nurses over me,” she cooed in the same tone of voice, though now she was giving me a pout. Yeah, sorry, Eve. I met a master of such an expression in Ponyville. That won’t work on me anymore.

I countered by also cooing, deliberately making it sound annoyingly grating. “That’s because they actually know what they’re doing.”

Eve giggled. We stayed in comfortable silence for the moment.

“I dreamt of my first visit in Equestria,” I suddenly declared after a few minutes.

I could see Eve’s ears perk up in interest. “I... see.”

“I dreamt of Five Stars,” I continued.

There was a slight crumpling sound as I saw the magazine cover creased. Eve’s expression never really changed, but her magical aura darkened slightly.

“I still don’t get why Platinum kept Five Stars after what she did to you,” the white unicorn muttered. “She should have called me and let me handle you.”

I smirked. “My goodness, Eve. I had no idea you harbored such intent for me.”

The unicorn blinked for a moment, before she blushed. Blushed! Oh wow. This is a first.

“Shut up, Harry. I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it!”

I just chortled, causing her lips and eyes to narrow. Her aura darkened even further before she threw the magazine at me. I dodged it easily.

“Oh quiet, you,” she muttered. “You know what I mean. That deviant should have been arrested after what she did to you.”

“Come on, Eve. All these years, you still holding that against her?”

“She took advantage of you.”

“We slept together,” I shrugged. “We were adults. I consented.”

Eve sighed. “I know you were a consenting adult at that time Harry, but the way I look at it, we had you run out of a building and into a storm. She took you in, and the next thing I knew, you were back at the Den the next morning, looking for Platinum or I so you could sign the contract.” She looked at me. “I have the right to be suspicious.Especially when I learned what happened that night.”

I stayed quiet, wondering why I even bothered bringing the subject up. Eve always had a problem with Five Stars after she found out what had happened, and whatever relationship those two had before meeting me cooled to the point that they didn’t bother greeting each other anymore.

It hurt me in a way.

Maybe Five Stars did take advantage of me. I didn’t feel that way, though. Maybe it was because of the intimacy we had, or maybe the memory on how gentle she was, exploring my body, and having me explore hers. Or maybe it was because she kept her word.

She said she would take care of me. She did, and went beyond that night. She may not have been my earth pony teacher once I joined the Gentlemen, but she did her best to introduce me to other ponies and even to people who would eventually end up being my friends. She was the one that made sure I acclimated to the company quite well.

I’d never forget her for that.

“So,” I began, trying to change the subject, “what did I miss?”

She gave me a look that indicated she knew what I was doing. “You were only out for the day. You didn’t miss much.”

I looked at her. “So, nothing new?”

“Well...” she trailed off, her expression contemplative. Then, as if remembering, she suddenly nodded. “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. Harry, you’re being suspended from duties.”

“Ah.” Then it hit me. “Wait... what!?”

Author's Notes:

Again, thanks to coandco, muprhy, shira, and grey conscience for proof-reading this for me.

Also, I want to note that it may take a while before I update. I'm still a bit unclear how to proceed after this, and my mind has been in a different mode since working on building the Gryphon Kingdom in Feathered Heart. I do have a very rough outline of the next chapter (which basically means I just know the first line), so this story is not dead. Its just going to take a while to update.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, even though the sex was... brief.

Also, an alternate ending.

UPDATE: RETCON. AGAIN

Hopefully, this'll be the last modification I'd would put in the chapter.

The original version of the chapter is found here...

The first retcon of the chapter is found here...