Good God, shut up!

I groaned into into pillow as Pinkie Pie went on about how excited she was to have a new face in Ponyville and how awesome my party was going to be when I got out. Frankly, I didn't care, but if it earned me her trust…

Screw it.

"That's enough, sugarcube," Applejack chuckled, probably seeing my groan. "Now get along 'fore the Cakes need ya."

"Oh! Right! Maybe they can help, too!" Pinkie giggled, hugging me tightly. "See ya later, alligator!"

She giggled loudly as she skipped out of the room, leaving the farm girl and Fluttershy with me. "Does she always talk that much?" I asked.

"Often," Applejack chuckled. "Ah don't worry much, she ain't always like that. Just mos' o' the time."

"How are you doing?" Fluttershy asked, looking over to the bandaged shoulder. She's been visiting me for the past week, keeping me some company and asking questions about nature on Earth.

Rolling my weak shoulder, only a small sting accompanied the movement. "Way better than a few days ago I bet," I laughed. "This magic stuff is way better than morphene and naps."

"Morphene?" Applejack wondered.

"Painkiller," I explained, she in turn nodding her head. "Don't know about my leg though."

I lifted it from the sling keeping it supported then placed it on the floor. "Whoa there!" Applejack warned. "What're you doin'?"

I slowly unwrapped the white fabrics squeezing my leg. "It's fine," I scoffed. "I've done this before. Just need to… there!"

I slipped off the cast, wiggling my toes and sighing contently. Damn did it feel good to wiggle your toes after two years. Fluttershy giggled some and Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ya sound like Rainbow, to me," she chuckled, patting me on the back.

"Is it all better?" Fluttershy asked, looking over my modestly haired leg.

"Yup," I nodded. "Let's take her for a test run!"

I stood up, wincing slightly as my legs wobbled violently. Of course bed rest made them feel like I was in that god forsaken wheelchair. Stretching them slightly, then jumping up and down, I laughed triumphantly.

"Alright, superstar," Applejack laughed. "Might wanna sit down 'fore Redheart catches ya."

"He's fine, Applejack," Fluttershy giggled, watching Andrew cross his legs repeatedly. "Maybe we should ask if he can leave. You… you do want to get out, right?"

Ah, Fluttershy's adorably shy nature was something that reminded me there was still innocence in the world. "Yes, I do. Lemme see if I can get Redheart to let me out early."

The woman in question walked inside, glaring at Andrew. "I thought I told you to wait for me to check it," she snorted. "At least it's healed well."

"You bet your aaaaaaaa-rse," he chuckled nervously. She'd lectured him on his foul mouth, which came from my unit and me. "So, where do I sign?"

She handed him a clipboard. "Right here." I scribbled my name quickly and headed for the door. "Hold on a second," Redheart giggled as she pulled me by my good shoulder. "You'll still need a sling to ensure your arm heals. I can imagine you'll be needing it, after all."

With a sigh, I sat back down and waited while she got out the blue arm prison and strapped it tightly around me. "And how long do I need to wear this?" I asked, bitter by the fact that my arm was the crippled one now.

Seriously, why is everything breaking?

"Probably two days," Redheart said. "Alright, you're good to go!"

I stood back up and nodded at Applejack, who held the door open for me. "Where would you like to go?" Fluttershy asked.

The princesses. But… I still have two days before my deadline

"Maybe we should go see Twilight before we head off to Canterlot," I suggested. "She's the only way we're getting in, anyway."

"Sounds about right," Applejack sighed. "Alrighty then, let's get to it."

I thrust the door open with my left and let the girls lead me. Fluttershy kept mostly to my side. "So Earth doesn't have dragons or griffons or minotaurs?"

I nodded. "Heck, unicorns and pegasi were myth, along with all of 'em," I shrugged. "But, now I have proof."

Fluttershy giggled as he laughed gently. "Then how do you control the weather?" she inquired next.

"Just the water cycle. Rain falls, gets to the ocean somehow, then sunlight evaporates it into the clouds and comes back down and repeats," I summarised. "Pretty simple. But it would be awesome to be able to have sunny days whenever we want."

"Ain't that simple, hun," Applejack smirked. "Crops need water, and so do the gardens an' all that."

"Yeah. Guess we can't always win!" I laughed bitterly. "So how is this princess of yours?"

"Maybe Twilight can answer that," the farmgirl replied. I just noticed the enormous tree in front of us, and the various homey features. "Twilight! We got Andrew!"

The front door magicked open and the unicorn came out like a giddy schoolgirl. "Great! I was just on my way to check up on you!" Twilight smiled. "I still have tons of questions on cars and planes and-"

"Actually." Andrew sniffed the inside of his shirt, his face scrunching up in disgust. "Maybe a good shower and some clothes would help."

Disappointment crossed her features, but when his smell reached each of them, they covered their noses. "And I thought Spike's burps smelled that bad!" Twilight blanched.

"Maybe some clothes would be the best start," Fluttershy suggested. "Or if you wanna get clean… that's fine too."

I chuckled, smiling at her. "Fresh clothes for a fresh man," I laughed. "So, Rarity's the one who makes clothes, yes?"

The three nodded. "She makes wonderful dresses," Fluttershy smiled. "I'm sure she can make something nice for you too."

"Ah think we can find a nice dress for ya too!" Applejack laughed. With a shake of my head, I looked around for a clothes shop or something leading to one.

"Over there, Andrew," Twilight giggled as she led us to a… carousel?

"Sure this is the right place?"

"We've been here lots of times, Andrew," Fluttershy smiled. "I mean, yes."

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, then ducked as a roll of fabric flew over me. "Aw nuts," Applejack sighed.

A very attractive looking woman, with very nice curves and a not too bad rear end, was busy fretting over a manequin dawning an exquisite dress. What? Thought I can't give a good opinion?

"Rarity?" I asked hesitantly.

"Just a minute dear," she called. "No no, gems! And just a pinch of diamond sparkles."

A chest lugged itself over via Rarity's magic, along with a jar of shimmering blue diamond powder. She artfully attached a ruby on the center breast piece of the torso, then a few sapphires adorning the neck and shoulder stitchings. Dropping a few bundles of the crushed diamonds over the lower gown and near the waist line. She examined every angle of it, a pair of stylish red glasses becoming known as she went around the side and back of it. A beaming smile stretched across her lips, and she removed the glasses and squeed in delight.

"Perfect! Now, how may I assist…" I could see the horror in her eyes, and even though I knew it was the clothes, I was still a bit offended. "What monstrosity of an ensemble is that?!"

Twilight laughed weakly, stepping foward and clearing her throat. "Rarity, this is the human I was talking about. His name is Andrew," she said as her arm gestured towards me.

"Hey," I smiled nervously, waving my good arm. "So, would you mind if-"

"Fix 'im up some new clothes," Applejack cut in. "Smells like a week's worth of spoiled manure!"

Rarity's nose wrinkled momentarily, and she then covered her nose and suppressed a gag. "Oh, how awful," she murmured. "I'll have something whipped up in no time. Just stand still."

She quickly unfurled a measuring tape over my shoulders, then down my legs, my waist size, my arm, neck, and then my torso length and width. With the measurements jotted down, she went over to a nearby desk and started some simple designs.

"I'll have these ready by the time you're out," Rarity hummed. "What colors would you like?"

I scratched my chin in thought, nothing in particular sparking his interest. "I guess white and black or something. You're the dress maker."

"Seamstress," Rarity corrected. "The bathroom is upstairs, two doors down, immediately left."

"Thanks," he nodded.

Going upstairs and following her instructions, I entered a very fancy looking bathroom. She had dozens of different kinds of shampoos, conditioners, soaps, hell, even her sink had an assortment of toothbrushes, pastes, and facial washes. Not to mention the number of makeup and nail polish. Shrugging, I went to take off my shirt, which was a struggle given my broken arm. My pants were about as easy, and soon I had a warm bath running. I thought about starting a bubble bath, but I think an enraged diva was the last thing I needed.

Flipping the bath to a shower, I stepped in, sighing while the water pelted me with warm water. I got to work a few seconds later, shampoo, conditioner, soap, rinse and repeat for good measure. I really smelled like a horse's ass! Even if I was gonna smile like some high-class lady, it was better than nothing. I moved the curtains aside and pushed my hair back. Everything would have been fine, save for one minor detail.

I forgot a towel.

"Shit," I sighed. "Maybe-"

*Click*

My eyes snapped to the door, narrowing as the door opened. "Andrew, Rarity had these done and-" Her cheeks flushed immediately, and I felt just a bit hotter.

Pulling the curtains to cover my body, I snatched the attire and hid behind the sheet. Fluttershy must have bolted out of there, given the door slamming shut. I tried calming my breaths as her footsteps receded, then slipped on my clothes, not giving to fuuuuu-nks about how wet I still was. I brushed my hair quickly and left the bathroom.

Hurrying down the stairs, I met the glances of the confused women. Fluttershy was avoiding gazes with me, and I could still see the blush on her cheeks. I saw Rainbow looking between the two of us, but my attention focused to Twilight.

"So, ready to meet the princesses?" Twilight chirped, ignoring my glances to Fluttershy.

"Uh, yeah. The sooner the better, right?"

"Yeah. And it's gonna take a day to get there," Rainbow snickered.

"18 hours," Twilight informed me. "At the latest, an hour after. We should go get Pinkie."

"Let's get goin'" Applejack smiled. "Rarity!"

"Coming!" The fashionista stepped out from the back room with a… very nice white dress. It looked formal, due to the fact that we were meeting royalty. "Oh, you look so dashing in that attire!"

I looked over it myself, seeing the black shirt with a white stripe spreading from the chest to the sleeves. My pants were white however, and pleated. Man, I really found these kinds of pants uncomfortable. But, there were pretty soft and not as tight as the ones I've worn.

"They're pretty comfy," I nodded. "Thanks. So, should we be going?"

We were on the train not too long after we got Pinkie. Apparently we walked in on her setting up my party, and we explained to her we needed to see the princess. She surprisingly gave in, and after cleaning Sugarcube Corner, we hopped on the next train to Canterlot.

"So what's Canterlot like?" I asked Twilight.

Rarity cut in, instead. "Oh, it's only the most wonderful city in Equestria!" she exclaimed. "The Gala may have been a horrid turn of events, but the rest of the city is a sight to see!"

"We never got to look around," Rainbow shrugged. "Rarity and Twi did though."

"It's pretty big, but once you know the way around it's easy to get to the best sights," Twilight sighed. "There's the theater, the Canterlot Park, Neighton Park, the zoo, and the library!"

"Yeah! And best of all, Donut Joe's Donut Shop!" Pinkie shouted, appearined behind me on my bed. "You'll love it! He has a donut for everypony! And if he doesn't he could make you one! Or you could make yourself one once he shows you! Maybe you could ask him to-"

I groaned as she kept speaking a mile a minute. "I need the bathroom," I laughed. "And maybe some food."

"Food cart's three down! Bathroom's two!" Pinkie shouted. I crossed into the next cart, nodding towards some of the passengers and entering the bathrooms and washing my hands.

I pulled up my pant leg and looked over my legs again. Two damn years without 'em really makes you wonder what it was once like. Now that they were back, I just couldn't stop staring. Every little thing was right about them. The little hairs, the faint bone structure, and I had to admit I had some decent calves. Training and shit. Man… I was missing out on my life because of these things.

Pushing my pant sleeve down again, I left the bathroom and went into the dining car, the amount of people in there surprising me. I sat down in an empty booth, looking through the menu. I forgot that these guys were strictly vegetarian, which sucked because all I really ate was steak, pork chops, chicken…

My stomach growled loud enough for me to hear, and I rubbed the back of my neck. "Hey, just a few days and we'll be able to put that meat to good use," I whispered.

"Good afternoon, sir." I looked at one of the waiters, who was a young and magenta haired woman. "What'll it be?"

I skimmed through the several exotic sounding delectables, but I couldn't figure out which would actually be good. "Uh, what would you prefer?"

She looked a little surprised, but she smiled nevertheless. "The garlic, tomato, and oregano topped sweet potato and carrot mix would be good with some wine," she smiled.

"I'll have that then," I chuckled weakly. She nodded, walking off to get my order.

I sighed as I slumped in my seat, sipping some water. I closed my eyes to think, about ruining this world. I mean, I didn't know them, didn't really care for them, I didn't even know about them. But… they're all so nice. The girls, the waittress… and the princesses sounded just as kind.

If only I didn't have to meet any of them

I groaned exaggeratedly, opening my eyes when I heard a small gasp. Fluttershy was sitting across from me, surprised by my little complaint. "Fluttershy, what're you doing here?" I asked, sitting back up.

"I-I… just wanted to see if you were alright," she said in a hushed tone. "Um, I thought you were sleeping."

I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair. "In a dining cart?" I chuckled softly. She looked down at the table, a bit of embarrasment covering her cheeks. "I didn't mean it like that, Fluttershy. I was joking is all."

She nodded, smiling just a bit from my clarification. "Were you thinking about something?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, avoiding eye-contact.

She shuffled a bit in her seat, and I chanced a glimpse at her. She was frowning, concern and care mixed on her face. The only other person, or woman, that looked at me like that was my family and Jessica. Like I said, being an asshole doesn't really help social life.

"Is everything alright?" She questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine… it's just… it's just…" I sighed deeply, looking for some excuse instead of telling her the truth.

"Do you miss your home?" Bingo, but it didn't feel right lying to ber.

Instead of speaking, I nodded my head. To my surprise, she placed her hand on mine. Her soft, delicate skin was familiar, and I grasped hers out of habit. Whether or not that blush meant anything, her comfort was something I really appreciated.

"Thanks," I sighed. "I really needed that." I laughed weakly, just rubbing her hand between my palm and fingers.

She felt just like Jessica. I can't really blame her for leaving me, since I became the biggest douche this side of the planet. Before my legs were gone, we'd go to the park and late night strolls through the city and other romantic stuff. I let go of Fluttershy's hand, just as the waittress brought my food.

"Here you are… oh," she said. "I'm sorry sir, is this your wife?"

I saw Fluttershy go red faced, keeping her gaze to the table. "Just a friend," I smiled. "Want anything?"

"Just some water," she nodded. The waittress nodded back, going off to get some.

I looked at the strange dish before me. Shrugging, I cut a piece off and placed it in my mouth. While I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes, the sauce was fucking delicious! My hunger was stronger than I thought, and I hungrily dug in, only stopping to hear Fluttershy giggling.

"You're making a mess," Fluttershy giggled, pointing to the drops of the sauce on the table.

"My bad!" I laughed, grabbing my napkin and cleaning it up. "You… you got a little…" I brushed a stray piece of carrot (I presumed) from her face. She got a little surprise from my touch, because she started blushing again.

"T-Thank you," she nodded, hiding behind her bubblegum hair. I nodded, downing my wine to distract myself.

My waittress came back, the bill in hand. Thought I was smart or clever or something? Yeah, well this genius forgot about paying restaurants for food. Fuck me upside down, eh?

"Um… uh." I could probably work it off, but I had two days.

"Here you go." I snapped my had back up, watching as Fluttershy handed the waittress a bag of coins. "It was delicious."

She nodded softly, then left us. "Fluttershy, you didn't have to do that," I said. She smiled gently, tilting her head briefly.

"I-It's fine," she managed to say. "It wasn't too much."

"235 bits," I reminded her. "You barely even know me!"

"But you're my friend." Her innocent look of confusion made something… hurt in my chest. "Right?"

Was… was she serious? A friend is someone you've know for a long time, someone you'd never forget no matter how much time passes. I knew her for maybe a week, and though the company was nice, I only considered her as someone… somepony that would have to deal with Discord's rule.

And now…

"I-Is that okay, with you, I mean." Lying to her… I couldn't…

…but I had to.

Forcing a smile, I nodded. "Yeah. Of course we're friends," I laughed hesitantly.

She smiled sweetly, sipping the last of her water while I finished the rest of my wine. "Well, I-I'm heading back to bed," she stammered. "Twilight said, we'll be there in the morning. Good night."

Whether or not the wine had anything to do with it, I stared at her outstretched hand, refusing to shake it after what she just did for me. I held her soft hand, then wrapped my other arm around her waist. She inhaled sharply, I think, and stood still as a statue. Her opposite arm wrapped around my shoulder, forcing my cheeks to get hotter than the wine had made it.

She smelled… exotic. Like a rare flower a botanist would search for just to prove its existence. My hold on her gave me a good idea of how curved her sides were. Her hair was also pillowy and plush, which I delighted in as I held her closer. Her arm moved over my cast, her feather like touch running across my neck and good shoulder.

"Ah, young love." I blushed fiercely upon hearing the rich-looking man in the booth beside us.

"Oh hush, Loaded," his wife, I presumed by the ring, giggled. "They have ears as well."

Fluttershy let go of my hand, and I retracted my arm from her back. Her face was noticeably red, but I could see her nervous smile as she quickly walked past me. Deciding I had enough for today, I followed a short time after, walking back into the private car just for us. I quietly slipped into bed, staring at the bunk above me. Glancing off the side, I saw Fluttershy's hair settle back into its usual slight curl. Her breaths were quicker than someone sleeping would have, as Dash and Applejack were snoring like hogs.

"Night, Fluttershy," I whispered.

Author's Note

Ahh, feels good to get back on track! Expect the next chapter in two or three days, as I'm having trouble with other stories that need to be attended. In any case, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night!