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- >You finally wander to consciousness after a good night's sleep
- >Something's poking you
- >You open your eyes
- >Something orange...
- >"C'mon, sleepyhead! Tahm ta git goin'!"
- >Says the slightly fuzzy orange p0ny
- >She gives you another poke
- >You groan
- >"Yer gonna be late fer work!"
- I'm coming, I'm coming
- >You say quietly
- >Then you reach up and rub your eyes
- >You sit up, and grab your glasses
- >AppleJack loses her fuzzy quality
- >"What were ya doin' so late last night, anyway?"
- It's a secret
- >You cast your mind back to what you actually did last night
- >After hearing you out, Rarity agreed to the proposal
- >She had a few strings attached
- >But that's par for the course for someone of her... caliber
- >She did say, however, that you'd have to discretely acquire some measurements
- >She has them, she just left them in p0nyville
- >you did tell her to travel light, after all
- >Heh
- >That request posed an interesting problem
- >So you did what you do whenever you have a problem you need to mull over
- >You went to the shop, to work
- >With your hands
- >And you finally got some work in on your own private project
- >It seems you stayed out a little late, however...
- >Well, no point in letting that get in your way
- >You shake your head, trying to dislodge the sleepiness
- >Then you sit up and swing your legs over
- >"Woah there partner, ya ain't gonna be THAT late"
- >You shrug
- If I don't move, I might go back to sleep.
- >"Fair 'nuff."
- >You fling the covers aside, and rise to your feet
- >Pausing only to snag your cloak and clothing, you stumble towards the bathroom
- >You nod to Twilight as you pass by her at the table
- >Then manage to stub your toe on the closest chair leg
- >Causing you to curse under your breath
- >She looks up from her coffee just as you pass
- >And then you're through the door
- >And you close it behind you
- >Shit
- >Shower
- >Brush
- >Consult your watch, skip the shave
- >As you don't particularly feel like unintentionally lacerating your face today
- >Pull on glasses, clothes, holster, cloak
- >Then, finally, unlock the door and push back through it
- >AppleJack and Twilight both jump when you enter the room
- >Twilight aims eyes the size of dinner plates at you
- >And a rosy red tinge
- What.
- >Nothing is said
- What did you do
- >"N-nothing!" spurts Twilight
- Bullshit.
- Did you break one of my chairs?
- >"NO! Of course not." She responds swiftly.
- >The further response is a second in coming
- >"you were raising a tent, is all"
- >"An' not a little one, neither" chuckles AppleJack
- >...
- >Wow, you really are slow waking up
- >Lucky you buttoned your underwear last night
- >Still, you're going to be late
- Well, ya ain't gettin' a free show, if that's what yer after. I got work to do.
- >"Oh, by all means"
- Cya tonight, then
- >"See ya 'Nonymous!" responds AppleJack
- >When you close the door behind you, you hear a sound through it
- >The sound of a deep, belly laugh
- >From AppleJack, you think
- >Still, it ain't your position to judge
- >So you hustle off down the hall towards the cafeteria
- >You didn't have much for dinner last night, and as a result you're hungry
- >The hallways are as crowded as ever
- >But they're not becoming more crowded
- >So there's that, at least
- >You reach the mess hall in a reasonable amount of time, and quickly get in line
- >Today, you decide, you'll have waffles
- >Variety never hurts
- >Well, except in the case of heavy metals
- >Heh, and a number of other things
- >But in the realm of breakfast foods, variety is certainly never detrimental
- >You step forward from the register, plate and cup in hand, and set off to find a good place to sit
- >Part way to the table your friends usually sit at, a familiar looking blue stallion sidles up next to you
- >He has to push a little to keep up with your long strides
- >"Hey Anonymous"
- Hey Sunny Sky, how ya doin'?
- >"Ugh"
- >He responds
- >And you notice the slight bags under his eyes
- >"Ask me that tomorrow"
- >Sunny Sky accompanies you to the table you usually sit at
- >It's currently empty, and he plops down right next to you
- So what brings ya out to the plebeian cafeteria at such an early hour of the morning?
- >"Don't remind me" He says, rubbing his eyes
- >You cut a corner off your syrup soaked waffle and stick it in your mouth, continuing to look at the blue Unicorn
- Aincha got yer own guard cafeteria?
- >"Yeah, but I got the day off, remember?"
- Oh yeah.
- >"And I'll probably go back to bed when I'm done here"
- >You perk up a little
- >You know it's no light thing that drags a ma-
- >Err, p0ny
- >Out of his bed at this our after a night of drinking
- >"But I just wanted to let you know that you were right."
- 'Bout the... target?
- >"Yeah."
- Good.
- >You take another mouthful of waffle
- >Then it occurs to you
- How'd you know?
- >"Uh, it started putting up a bit of a fuss when they got inside the station"
- >Sunny Sky pauses to yawn
- >"If what they told me and Star is correct, they knocked it out from behind, all stealthy like. So it didn't know
- it was coming."
- And it lost disguise?
- >"Yup. It was gone before the thing hit the ground."
- >Sunny Sky chuckles tiredly
- >"Rumor has it they had a colt fresh out of boot with 'em, and he almost fainted"
- Huh.
- >"It changed back soon as it woke up, of course"
- 'Course
- >"But we actually have one of 'em now."
- >"You did Equestria a great service last night, Anonymous. I just wanted to make sure you knew that."
- >You take a swallow from your glass
- Well shoot, you said you were gonna take me out for a drink, didn't ya?
- >He chuckles again
- I didn't see too much trouble catching a sworn enemy or two while we were at it
- >"We need more like you, Anonymous."
- That'd go a way towards solving a number of problems, wouldn't it
- >You remark idly
- Go finish sleeping it off, Bolt. I think you earned it.
- >"Thanks. I think I will."
- >And with that, the off duty guardsp0ny gets up from his seat and canters off into the crowd
- >The rest of breakfast goes off without much of a hitch
- >You dump your tray and head out for work
- >And while the hallways are crowded as usual
- >They also aren't any more crowded than they were yesterday
- >Which is good, as if they did become any more packed, you'd get to work faster climbing out your bedroom window
- and having breakfast in the city somewhere
- >When you do finally arrive at the workshop, you find things are going full swing
- >In fact, there are a few faces you don't recognize
- >Tamper approaches you as you doff your cloak
- >"'Bout time you showed up"
- Hey Tamper, where's the fire?
- >"Oh, there's no fire, just pressure from up top"
- Oh?
- >"They got us puttin' together a fleet of yer 'Sleds' for all the various royal departments to use"
- Transportation upgrade?
- >"Somthin' like that"
- So what can I do?
- >"Right now, I needja to help me get the process set up. This is a new product, an' the guys are still learnin'
- what works and what don't. I need you to hop from spot to spot, an' correct any errors you see."
- can do, boss
- >"Later, we'll see how those hands of yours are for hitching p0nies."
- >You nod to him
- >Tamper stomps his hoof
- >"Let's git goin', then!"
- >The lunch whistle sounds, and you stop
- >Then wipe the sweat off your brow
- >And onto your forearm instead
- >These guys certainly know their shit
- >You're almost proud of them, how quickly they pick it up
- >But at the same time, there's a few new faces
- >P0nies of lesser, or different experience pulled in from different departments to fill production line slots
- >They need a little more attention
- >And there were enough of them that you were more than busy
- >But now, you think, the worst of the kinks are out of the process
- >Or at least, enough of them that Tamper can manage the rest on his own
- >YOu suspect he'll have you hitching after lunch
- >Your stomach grumbles at that thought, reminding you that you need fuel to continue
- >So you wave to Tamper, who waves back
- >And then head off to the cafeteria
- >At the cafeteria, you pick up a sizable bowl of soup, and bread to go with it
- >Then you head for your table
- >Which, for a change, is occupied
- >You see yellow and orange and white an pink and purple and cyan
- >And an open seat, so you roll up and plop down
- Hey folks
- >"Howdy Anonymous!"
- >"Hi"
- >"Oh, hello Anonymous!"
- >And so the greetings go around the table
- >All except Fluttershy
- >She just whimpers a bit
- >Lowers her head a little closer to her leafy salad
- >You allow the conversation to resume for a time while you blow on your soup
- >Rainbow Dash is telling a surprisingly attentive Pinkie Pie about the ins and outs of "cloud cake"
- >While Rarity and Twilight are discussing different types of thread
- >YOu cease blowing on your soup
- Now, somethin' that's been botherin' me
- >You begin, cleaning out one of your ears with a free pinkie finger
- Is Miss Fluttershy here.
- >The mare in question squeaks
- >And a series of indecipherable glances go around the table
- Why are you so scared of me, Fluttershy?
- >You ask, focusing more intently on the buttery yellow pegasus
- Is it something I did?
- >Fluttershy mumbles something indistinct into her salad bowl
- Sorry, I didn't catch that
- >Fluttershy squeaks something else out
- >But Rainbow Dash intervenes, rendering whatever it was inaudible
- >"It's because she-"
- >You snap to Rainbow instead
- I didn't ask you, Rainbow.
- >"But sh-"
- Did I ask you?
- >Rainbow stops, shocked at being interrupted for a second time
- >But grudgingly responds
- >"No"
- Then kindly shut up and let Fluttershy answer her own questions.
- >Rainbow Dash grosses her hooves, but remains silent
- >You turn back to the subject of your concern
- Now, Miss Fluttershy, I understand you're the shy type. I understand that ya got all these wonderful friends
- >You gesture to the rest of the table with a sweep of your arm
- >Rainbow and Rarity are both staring daggers at you, Twilight looks concerned, AppleJack is bemused and Pinkie is
- gnawing on some manner of confectionary
- Ta be your protectors.
- But I also consider you my friend, Fluttershy. And it bugs me, 'cause I don't know why ya treat me the way ya do.
- So I'd like the answer from you.
- Do you think you could do that?
- >This is crucial
- >The make or break moment
- >Fluttershy nods, and you exhale internally.
- Good. I appreciate that.
- So, how come you're so scared of me?
- >Fluttershy takes a breath, and sits up straighter
- >She even comes a way towards looking you in the eye
- >And while her response is quiet
- >It is also still audible
- >"I'm not scared of you."
- >Fluttershy looks like she's got more to say, so you keep your mouth shut
- >"I'm... Oh, you must hate me..."
- >Uh oh
- >She's starting to relapse
- Naw, I don't hate ya, Fluttershy. I just wanna know why ya cower every time I walk in the room.
- >Your bolstering words have the intended effect
- >"R-really?"
- Look at my eyes. Do I look like I hate you?
- >For the first time in weeks, Fluttershy makes eye contact with you
- >In her eyes, you find...
- >Shame?
- >Embarrassment?
- >"After my head c-cleared, and I remembered what I did... on the trip here, I felt terrible."
- >"I-I thought you hated me... after what I did..."
- >The expressions around the table are changing, it seems
- >"A-and then I guess it just spiraled..."
- >You lean back, and cross your arms
- So... you feel guilty?
- >"I... I suppose I do. I'm afraid of what you t-think of me."
- Well, I think I may have gone through this before.
- Firstly, ya weren't in your right mind. I understand that better now than I did then.
- That alone is enough of an explanation for me, but now with all this it goes a mite further.
- While I admit that I think ya need to do some serious work on yer gumption, the very fact that what you did bothers you this much tells me ya care about keepin' your friends.
- So, if it bugs ya that much, how 'bout you just apologize
- >You stick your hand out on an impulse
- An' then we can shake on it, and put it all behind us?
- >"S-sure. That sounds good."
- >Fluttershy takes a deep breath
- >The rest of the table is riveted at this point
- >"Anonymous t-the human, I formally apologize for my e-earlier behavior."
- I, Anonymous the human, accept your apology
- >Fluttershy extends a slightly trembling hoof
- >You seize the hoof
- >You do not, however, employ an iron grip
- >More like a gold grip
- >Fluttershy gulps
- >Then you give her hoof a pump, never breaking eye contact
- >Fluttershy, amazingly, maintains eye contact
- >And gives a pump of her own
- >And while it's nothing like what you're accustomed to
- >You know she means it
- >After a collective exhale, you release Fluttershy's hoof
- >Conversation cautiously emerges from its hiding place
- >And finding no more drama, flourishes once more
- >For your part, you go back to your lunch
- >Fluttershy does the same to her leafy greens
- >The meal pretty much runs until the end that way, too
- >After you've emptied your tray, two interesting events occur
- >The first is pleasantly surprising
- >Twilight Sparkle is waiting for you outside the cafeteria
- >The second one, however, is not
- >For there's an angry looking cyan pagasus
- >Who is also waiting for you with determination in her eyes
- >"Who do you think you are?"
- I'm Anonymous, the human
- >Dash flutters right up into your personal space
- >Aww, ain't that cute
- >She's trying to be tough
- >"You got a lotta nerve, Anonymous the human, pushing Fluttershy like that"
- I reckon I do.
- >"She was about at the end of her wits!"
- Yeah, but she didn't get there, did she?
- >Dash continues in spite of your mildly worded protests
- >"You better keep yourself in line in the future, human."
- >She stares right into your eyes
- >You would imagine, were you a lesser man
- >You would find something intimidating there
- >But for you, it's just not happening
- >In fact, it's almost the opposite
- >it's amusing!
- >But more than that, it's a bit of a puzzle.
- >That Dash would stand up to a creature of your stature in the name of her friends speaks volumes
- >But you don't know how much of it is actually in their name
- >And how much of it is driven by her massive ego
- >Still, the situation at hand calls
- >So you stare right back
- Yeah? Or what?
- >The cyan p0ny's bravado falters a bit
- >But not enough to check her headlong charge into a rapidly escalating situation
- >"Or I'll teach you a lesson, that's what!"
- >Welp
- >No turning back
- >You reach up and seize a handful of thick, winterized fur on the front of her chest
- >Then you pull her closer, until her face is centimeters from your own
- >Your stare bores into her like piss melts snow
- >Your stare bores into her like piss melts snow
- Is that what you're gonna do?
- >You can vaguely see her legs making backpedaling motions in the air
- You gonna teach me a lesson?
- >Her mouth falls open
- >But no sound comes out
- >It is making little twitching motions, though
- >And then, just like that, you release her
- >She nearly falls out of the air, but her wings flap at the last second
- >Then she hastily backs up a few feet
- Well then, I look forward to it. I'm sure you have plenty of valuable knowledge about interacting with p0nies to impart upon my virgin ears.
- >You make a show of shrugging
- But I think I got it down pretty good.
- Sure, it wasn't the most delicate way to go about it, but she don't think I hate her anymore, does she?
- >Rainbow un crosses her eyes
- >"...No" she grudgingly admits
- She can't have been too scared if she dinnae run off.
- >Dash looks like she's about to say something sharp
- >But then, off in the distance, a bell rings
- >Dash's head perks up, and her eyes widen
- >"Crud, I'm gonna be late!" she practically squeaks
- Late?
- >Her sudden change in tone takes you mildly by surprise
- >"We're gonna have to pick this up later."
- >The cyan mare whips around through the air so fast her mane and tail leave a rainbow colored after
- Uh
- >"SeeyaAnon!"
- "See ya, Dash" you dismiss to her rapidly disappearing tail
- >Giving a conciliatory wave in the process
- >When she's out of eyesight, you exhale
- >Then you look at Twilight
- >Who has a rather unreadable expression on her face
- Ya think I went too far there?
- >Twilight, too, shakes her head
- >"Hard to say."
- "It was force 'o habit" you remark to her as the two of you stride side by side down the hallway
- >"Was it?" She asks
- Yeah. Where I'm from, if ya get in a situation like that, you either show the other guy you mean business or you
- get your ass handed to you.
- >"You were certainly very... agressive."
- Still, shouldn't be too much trouble.
- >Twilight looks up at you
- >"You think so?"
- Oh, sure. There are three outcomes now.
- >Twilight looks on inquisitively
- Either Dash works through her issues with me on her own, and realizes that Fluttershy can handle some fuckin'
- questions every now and then, or Dash comes to yell at me and we have a discussion and get it over, or she throws a punch and we see who comes out on top.
- >"That's very straightforward."
- >You shrug
- I'm a straightforward kinda guy.
- >A ways down the hallway, Twilight speaks up
- >"The way you went about that at the table, I'm somewhat surprised Fluttershy didn't fly off crying"
- Ah, that's because if she did, I'da chased her down and tackled her
- >Twilight looks mortified
- >"You wouldn't..."
- I would. I was gonna have an answer today one way or another.
- An' I think she knew that too.
- >"That... that is very possible."
- >Huh
- >It ain't often people agree with your gut feelings
- Really?
- >"Well... yes."
- >Twilight takes a breath
- >"Fluttershy has a way with animals. You know this."
- Yup
- >"It's because she's... sensitive. Almost to the levels of an empath."
- "So ya figure I'm close enough ta her usual savagery that she might be able to kinda-sorta read me?" you respond,
- chuckling
- >"No, I wasn't-"
- >You chuckle some more
- I'm jes' kidding.
- >A half minut later, however, you muse
- Yeh might not be far off the mark...
- >Back at work, Tamper greets you
- >"Are ya ready to learn how ta hitch p0nies, Anonymous?"
- Sure
- >"Well c'mon then"
- >Tamper leads you over by the door
- >There are a number of sleds stacked up in this corner of the shop
- >The products of this morning's efforts
- >And hanging on the walls, leather harnesses
- >waiting on a thoughtfully provided raised platform is, you're guessing, your first customer
- >A stocky looking green stallion, he nods to you
- >"Ya ready to learn?"
- Sure
- >Tamper levitates a harness off the wall
- >A complicated mangle of leather straps and buckles, it looks to be more trouble than it's worth
- >Still, you've harnessed sled dogs before
- >Same principle, right?
- >Tamper concentrates, and the harness untangles itself in front of him
- >"Our guy that usually does this ended up on th' wrong end of a loose wagon" he comments
- Damn
- >"He'll be back soon enough, but 'till then ya gotta cover for him."
- >Tamper finishes fumbling with the harness
- >"I think this is how it's done..."
- >He drops it down on the waiting stallion
- >There's a collar that goes around the p0ny's front, and somewhat down over the chest
- >Sort of like the one you saw on Big Macintosh back in p0nyville
- >"Ya gotta seat this part right, or they'll choke when they pull hard" comments Tamper as he puts this on the stallion
- >Then there's another part that goes around the middle
- >And, of course, straps that go around the hindquarters
- >So in retrospect, very different from the sled dog harasses you've worked with before
- >Heh, you might see if the sled dog design is more efficient
- >They are about sled dog sized, after all
- >Still, these are the collars available
- >You watch attentively as Tamper finishes putting it on the stallion
- >"Ya gotta make this part tight, but not too tight, got it?" he says, referring to the band that goes around the
- torso
- >You nod in comprehension
- >Tamper slips the last strap on
- >The stallion receives a hefty magical smack on his haunch
- >"C'mon hoss, let's go!"
- >He grunts
- >"Easy there Tamper, the guys might get ideas"
- >Tamper laughs
- >"In your dreams, Bucko. C'mon, let's getcha hitched up."
- >The stallion hops down off his platform and heads over to a sled stacked high with other sleds
- >He backs into place, and Tamper raises the rods
- >They have belts attached to the end that run through buckles on the collar
- >"...And that's how ya do it." Remarks Tamper as the stallion canters out into the snow
- >You push the doors closed behind him
- >only for another p0ny to duck through the smaller one on the side
- >"Ya ready ta try it fer yerself?"
- Best way to learn
- >you agree
- >You pick harness number 5 off the wall
- >And get to work
- >You're sucking down a bottle of water when the door swings open again
- >You put your water down on the table
- >Then you head over and grab harness 34 off the wall
- >When you finally look up at the platform, you find a surprise
- >"Wahl, howdy Anon" quips AppleJack
- They pull you into this too?
- >"Yup. These sleds o' yours are goin' out all over the city!"
- Glad ta hear it.
- >You beckon to the orange p0ny
- C'mon, up on this platform
- >AppleJack trails behind you
- >"They got ya puttin' on the yokes?"
- Yup
- >So speaking, you pull the collar part down over her head
- >Then you adjust it properly
- >"Hey, Anonymous" She beckons in a low tone
- >"Ya bin doin' this all day?" she asks, pawing at the stand
- "Half the day" you correct her, moving on to the belly strap
- >Then an interesting idea takes root in your mind
- >You note the tightness of the collar, and which hole the strap for the belly uses
- >"So, how's life ben' treating ya in the pretty city?"
- "Can't say it's too bad" you mutter, your idea still churning about in your mind
- How 'bout you?
- >"Oh, they keep me plenty busy up at the castle."
- >You lift her tail out of the way, and slip the strap that goes 'round her hindquarters in place
- >You also note which hole that buckle ends up at, along with a surreptitious measurement of the circumference of her rear hooves with your fingers, using knuckles as a guide
- >Among other things
- >"Ahm Ah good ta go, Anon?"
- Yeah, yer 'bout ready to be hitched up
- >The orange earth p0ny steps down off of the harassing pedestal
- "That one" you point, indicating a sled stacked precariously high with even more sleds
- >AppleJack trots off towards it, and you follow her
- >She backs up to the hitch, and you lift up the two sides
- >Then you belt them into place
- >You're tempted to give AJ a smack on the haunch
- >But you don't think that would go over too well
- >"Well, see ya around, Anonymous"
- See you, AppleJack
- >She presses herself forward against the harness, emitting a most unladylike grunt
- >And then she's off through the door
- >The rest of the day goes by quickly, the p0nies you harness all blurring together as your hands work and you mind
- contemplates the difficulties before you
- >When you finally punch out, you can see the sun setting through the high set windows on the far wall
- >Tonight, you have a treat waiting for you
- >You're going to have some honest to god steak
- >Your mouth waters at the thought
- >You haven't had any meat-
- >Well... there was that rabbit
- >Bah
- >You haven't had any REAL meat since before you arrived in this land
- >And a man needs his nutrients, damnit!
- >You wave goodbye to the guys sweeping the floor, and then pull on your shit
- >You're headed into the city tonight
- >Through the snowy, lamp lit streets you trudge
- >You're intent upon the restaurant that you confirmed the existence of the other day
- >The gryphon place
- >They're sure to have some good red meat
- >Eyes reflect what light is available wherever you look
- >You're a sight that takes some getting used to, apparently
- >Which is also the sentiment you get when you push through the door to the bar
- >The first thing you notice is that you don't have to crouch
- >Indeed, the ceiling is quite spacious
- >you've got a good three, four feet of clearance
- >And as you glance around, you can see why
- >The building would be two stories by p0ny standards
- >But all of that space is taken up by a single level
- >There are the usual rough hewn tables on the ground floor
- >But build up on the walls are more tables
- >Along with small platforms next to them
- >Some of which are occupied
- >Every eye in the joint is on you, you see
- >The ones at the bar, the ones at the tables
- >And the ones on the walls
- >Even the musician is watching, the bow of his saw fiddle held slackly in a claw
- >You ignore them all
- >you pull off your jacket, and stomp your boots out on your way over to the bar
- >The bartender, a gruff looking gryphon holding a fierce looking bottle, looks at you
- >"What'll it be?"
- Mister, Gimme the biggest steak you got.
- >"Comin' right up" he says
- >Then he heads to the back
- >You shake the snow out of your jacket while you wait
- >The door swinging open is like music to your ears, and you turn back around on your stool
- >That was quick
- >The bartender drops a plate in front of you
- >You blink, and do a double take
- >Sitting on the plate in front of you is, indeed, a fair sized steak
- >Fresh out of the cooler
- >Bloody and raw
- What the hell is this?
- >You ask the bartender incredulously
- >"It's steak?"
- Why ain't it cooked?
- >The bartender looks at you cross eyed
- >"...cooked?"
- >You momentarily pinch the bridge of your nose
- >of fucking course
- >They'd goddamn half lion, of course they'd like their meat raw
- You got a... to go box or summat back there?
- >The bartender scratches the back of his head
- >"We got butcher paper..."
- That'll work
- >You say
- >The bartender turns right around and heads back through his door
- >he returns with butcher paper, true to his word
- >You wrap up your meal and tape it shut
- >Then you pay him
- >And to the tune of every gryphon in the joint giving you a strange room, you don your gear once more and troop out
- >You doubt the establishment even has a grill
- >But you do know that there's a stove back in your room
- >And you remember seeing pots and pans in the cupboards too
- >So your next stop is the nearest store with a glowing sign outside
- >You stomp your boots out outside and then head inside
- >Then you head right for the back
- >They...
- >Woah!
- >They have exactly what you need!
- >From the waist high shelves you take several small spice containers
- >You also get a sack of golf ball sized potatoes, a small glass bottle of milk
- >And the most important part
- >Two sticks of butter
- >You guess they must have cows somewhere
- >Sentient? Hard to say
- >But there's wonderful butter for you
- >And for that, you're glad
- >The p0ny manning the counter quickly loses her look of boredom as you approach
- >She gulps, and pushes her hat higher on her head
- >You can almost see the thought "Why did I take the night shift" forming in her mind
- >You don't intend to cause any trouble, though
- >So you set your supplies upon the counter, smile
- >And pull out your sack of bits
- How much?
- >The brown p0ny looks away from you and down at your modest pile of consumables
- >"Ten bits, sir."
- >You fish out the requisite payment and drop it on the counter
- Thank ya
- >The p0ny scoops up your goods and deposits them into a paper bag, which it then places on the counter
- >"have a nice night sir."
- You too
- >You remark as you head out the door
- >Behind you, you hear something substantial hitting the floor
- >Your next, and you think final, stop before going back to the castle is a bakery that catches your eye
- >Because you have butter now
- >Might as well have bread to go with it
- >This time, your journey through the door takes you to a considerably warmer environment
- >The shop is well lit with candles and lamps
- >Loaves of all variety of breads and confectioneries line the shelves
- >And you spy the dull black of Lunar guardsp0ny armor at the counter
- >And a flash of pink...
- >Is that Pinkie Pie?
- >You see another flash of pink that distinguishes itself into a waving hoof
- >"Hi Nonny!"
- >Yeah, that's Pinkie.
- >you wave as you close with the counter
- Hey Pinkie
- >"I'll be with you in a bit!" She squeaks, looking back down to the transaction with the guard
- >...Who looks strikingly familiar
- >He's that guy from the mission
- >Star Blaze?
- >The guard sets a number of bits on the counter, and Pinkie produces a small loaf of bread
- >She wraps it up and holds it out, and as you watch Star Blaze takes it and secrets it away in the recesses of his
- armor
- >"Thanks, Pinkie."
- >"Anything for our brave guardsp0nies!" She gushes
- >He chuckles
- >Then he turns to leave
- >As he passes you, he nods
- >You nod in return
- >"Congrats... Anonymous. You were right." he mutters cryptically
- >And then he's out the door
- >You hear a gasp from the counter, and look up
- >Pinkie's got both her hooves on her cheeks
- >"DO YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER?"
- Uh... yeah. From poker night.
- >Pinkie sticks her tongue out
- >"Eeewww! Naughty card games!"
- It ain't strip poker, sheesh
- >"Just kidding!"
- >The bubbly pink mare stands up on two hooves, and runs one of her upper ones out along the edge of the counter
- >partially laying upon it, she bats her eyes up at you
- >"So, what can Pinkie Pie do for you?"
- >You straight out laugh
- All I want is a little loaf a' bread. Fresh, if ya got any
- >The hoof on the counter goes up to support her chin, and she strikes up a thoughtful expression
- >"Hmmm."
- >"I /think/ I have a bun in the oven!"
- >She pulls back off the counter
- >"Let me check"
- >Then, with a flourish and a bounce of the curly mane, she disappears into the back of the shop
- >"I'm pretty sure I just put a few in"
- >"Here ya go, Nonny!"
- >You shake your head and look up from your boots
- >On the counter, true to her word
- >Is a small, almost spherical loaf of bread
- How much?
- >"Four bits!" She chirps
- >you extract the requisite bits from your bag o'bits and set them on the counter
- So, ya got any plans for tomorrow?
- >You ask idly as she opens the register
- >"Oh, I'm working as a delivery mare tomorrow!"
- Really?
- >"Yeah! Somep0ny's gotta deliver to all the hungry p0nies in the city!"
- Well I'm glad ya found somethin' to do
- >"I know! So am I!"
- >You drop your bits on the counter, and sweep up the loaf of bread
- >It's almost burn your fingers hot
- I'll see ya tomorrow then?
- >"Yeah!"
- >As Pinkie swishes into the back once more, you make your exit
- >When you finally reach your room, you find it empty
- >Which is all the better for you
- >You don't know how AppleJack would react
- >And you don't intend to find out
- >In a flash, you're at the kitchenette
- >You bust out the frying pan and fire the stove up
- >While it's heating up, you wash the potatoes
- >Then you mash them in a convenient pot, and mix in some milk and a nice wedge of butter or two
- >By this time the stove's nice and hot, so you take the already open stick of butter and smear it on the pan
- >It melts into a semi clear liquid that coats the bottom
- >And into the pan, you throw the steak
- >As the hard won slab of meat sizzles, a heavenly smell permeates the room
- >One you've gone far too long without
- >The pot goes on one of the other burners, where the potatoes cook slowly
- >The stove's a little low for you to operate standing
- >So while your food's cooking you pull one of your chairs over and have a seat
- >Stir the potatoes, flip the steak with a fork
- >Were it not for the size of your surroundings
- >The stone in place of wood
- >You could be at home right now
- >Something slams behind you
- >Smashing your reverie to pieces
- >You jump, sending the chair rocketing across the room
- >Then you pivot
- >Standing in the open door is a similarly surprised looking Twilight Sparkle
- >She's wearing a pair of saddlebags and a scarf, and you can see flakes of snow in her mane
- >"Anonymous... are you okay?"
- Yeah.
- >You walk across the room
- Ya startled me, is all
- >Then you retrieve your chair, and carry it back over to the stove
- >"Ooooh, you're cooking something?"
- Yup
- >You glance at the merrily sizzling slab of meat
- >"What is it? Is it human cuisine?"
- Considering what I had to do to get it? Yeah, you could say that
- >You pick up your trusty fork and flip the steak over
- >Twilight's got her bag and scarf off in a flash
- >And in another flash, she's across the room
- >"What's it called?"
- Well
- >You start
- These'r mashed potatoes. I'm pretty sure you have 'em here.
- >"We do..."
- >She points with a hoof
- >"But what's that?"
- That, my dear Twilight, is steak.
- >You sniff the air
- An' I think it's about done.
- >"Really?"
- Yup.
- >You pierce the steak once more with your fork, and transfer it to the waiting plate
- >Then with a spoon you take several healthy dollops of mashed potatoes from the pot
- >And add those to your plate as well
- >You take the plate over to your table and set it down
- >And then, on a whim, you snatch up the partially empty milk bottle and set that down on the table too
- >You're washing your knife in the sink when you glance over your shoulder
- >TWilight, true to form, has out a quill and paper
- >She's busily examining the steak on your plate
- >She looks at it, smells it
- >Then she pokes it with her quill...
- Hey!
- >The purple mare jumps
- >"yes?"
- Don't go gettin' ink on my steak
- >"Oh. Sorry"
- Jes' don't do it again
- >You turn back to the sink and resume your sanitary operations
- "Say" you ask as you scrub your hands
- Is there ever gonna be a time when you DON'T take notes on just about everything I do?
- >Twilight pauses in her scribbling, a thoughtful look on her face
- >"I cannot honestly answer that question."
- Ya can't?
- >"I can't. You are a truly a fascinating creature."
- >YOu plop down in your chair and start cutting your steak into chunks
- Well, I hope ya don't mind if I finally set down to eat in all my fascinatingness
- >"By all means"
- >Your fork spears a center piece, and you pop it into your mouth
- >The juicy, sickly sweet taste of the lightly spiced steak hits your tongue
- >And right then and there
- >You decide it was all worth it
- >You glance across the table
- >Twilight's watching you with a ravenous hunger in her eyes
- >For knowledge or food, you can't tell
- >But you may as well find out
- Want to try a piece?
- >She shakes her head a bit
- >"I wouldn't presume...."
- Presume bullshit. Do you want to know what it tastes like?
- >"...Yes."
- >You hold your fork out, a trapezoidal chunk of meat on the end
- Go right ahead then
- >There's a minute tug on the fork as it pulls itself up off the tines
- >And then floats across the table and into Twilight's open mouth
- >You shake your head
- >It's gonna take a while to get used to that
- >Twilight, meanwhile, chews thoughtfully upon the steak
- Whatcha think?
- >"It's not bad. Not bad at all" She says around it
- >"How is it made?"
- >You lean back in your chair, and put your hands behind your head
- Well, first ya get some meat, like steak or venis-
- >"Ahhkthpppppth!"
- >Your explanation is rather abruptly interrupted with the sound of Twilight ejecting the contents of her mouth with great force
- ...
- >The partially chewed wad of protein flies across the room and sticks to the window
- Ah shit Twilight, I'm sorry!
- I thought you knew!
- >Twilight works her jaw, scraping something off her tongue with her teeth
- >"Anonymous, I respect your right to a healthy existence. But please... don't feed me any meat without telling me first?"
- I just thought you knew...
- >Twilight sits down herself
- >"You... you cooked it."
- yeah?
- >"You cooked the meat?"
- Why wouldn't I?
- >Twilight's look of disgust is quickly changing to one of contemplation
- >"That... Nop0ny cooks meat..."
- >You furrow your eyebrows
- You're kidding.
- >"No, I'm not. Gryphons are the main consumers of meat in the world, and they primarily eat it as is."
- Not even yer fancy carnivore society club?
- >"They consume it as a foreign delicacy... in traditional gryphon fashion"
- Huh.
- So that's why you didn't recognize it?
- >"Every p0ny learns in school that meat is red, Anonymous. I have seen a few... examples... besides in my study, but... they all had bones in them..."
- I see.
- >you scratch the back of your neck
- Shoot, I apologize. I shoulda warned ya ahead of time.
- >"Well, it was an... Enlightening experience."
- >Twilight turns, and canters into the bathroom
- >You can hear the water running
- >After you've finished your dinner, you wash off your plate
- >And wash out all the cooking utensils
- >Once they're stowed away, you wave to Twilight and head for the door
- >"Where are you going?" She asks from the writing desk
- I got a project that needs a little work done
- >"I see. What is it?"
- >You tap the side of your nose
- That's a secret
- >"Fair enough"
- >Twilight goes back to her notes, and you go out the door
- >You head straight for the workshop
- >But instead of going to your tarp in the corner, you go to the harness rack
- >All the harnesses that went out over the day are now back on their hangers
- >From the erect tags you locate number 5
- >and then you exit the shop, locking the door behind you
- >you have an errand to run
- >Your next stop is the room that Rarity's staying in
- >You straighten your cloak and knock firmly upon the door three times
- >The response is a long time in coming
- >But it eventually does
- >The door swings inward, and you look down
- >A butter yellow and pink pegasus meets your eyes
- >"Oh. Hello... Anonymous" she semi-whispers up at you
- Hi Fluttershy, how are ya doing'
- >You return
- >Careful to not be too loud
- >"I am doing well." She returns
- >"H-how are you doing?" Is cautiously ventured several moments later
- I'm doin' jest fine.
- >She doesn't seem to be cowering
- >Much
- >So, you fervently hope, your little discussion with her at lunch today actually stuck
- >"Um, can I help you?"
- Yeah. Is Rarity in there?
- >Fluttershy looks down
- >"Oh, no. She's working late..."
- Ah. I see.
- Well, thanks Fluttershy!
- >"N-no problem, Anonymous"
- >You take a step back, and Fluttershy closes the door
- >Then you turn, and head for the royal seamstress's workshop
- >You find the place empty and dark, save for a single shining lamp at the far end of the room
- >Bolts of cloth, pin cushions, spools of thread and gigantic thimbles line the walls
- >And in the middle, a series of sewing machines
- >You head towards the light, and your vision resolves the brilliant blob underneath into Rarity working merrily
- away at a machine
- >Humming a tuneless tune to herself
- >Your foot catches the corner of one of the other machines, causing her to jump
- >Then she turns, shudders a second, and regains her composure
- >"Anonymous, darling, what brings you to the lonely seamstress corps at this time of night?"
- "I got th' measurements ya wanted" you intone, raising the harness
- >"Did you now..."
- >Rarity looks up from her work more fully
- >"With a harness?"
- Yeah. I fitted this one to 'er, and I know which holes the buckles went to. So I figure you can just git yer fancy measuring tape out and measure the inside of the harness, right?
- >Rarity considers for a moment
- >"That's... really very clever, actually. Here, I'll take that."
- >The harness floats up into the air, along with a nearby measuring tape which promptly begins to measure the harness
- >After a moment of measuring, and recording figures on a notepad, Rarity speaks up once more
- >"Did you get her hoof measurements, dear?"
- >In response, you hold up your hands, making a circle shape
- >You get your knuckles to the same position as before
- They're this big
- >"Very clever indeed" Notes Rarity, measuring the inside of your fingers
- >When Rarity has finished her measurements, you bid her goodbye
- >She promises you that she'll get to work on your request right away
- >Which works just fine for you
- >You take the harness and head back to the shop
- >And finally, for the first time
- >Get some solitude while you work on your projects
- >When it finally becomes too late, you lock up the shop and head back to your room
- >The lights are all out when you arrive, so you close the door quietly behind you
- >By the glow of the embers in the fireplace, you can make out two sleeping forms in the other beds
- >After you've undressed and relieved yourself, you slide quietly beneath your sheets
- >Today was a good day
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