"Ozone? Are you in there?" Rarity's voice came from beyond my door. I jumped from the couch and opened the slab of wood. There stood Rarity, for Celestia knows what reason, and was looking... For me.

"Uh, hey Rarity." I played it cool, "What's up?"

"May I come in?" she asked nervously. I nodded and let her pass. "I have to confess something to you, Ozi." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"What is it, Rari-" and her lips were pressed against mine.

"Ozi, I have to tell you I like you. And I want to be your fillyfriend." Honestly, that was completely unexpected. I stuttered a bit before she kissed me again. "How about we go to your room and-" her words were magically transformed into a loud ringing and I sat up in my bed.

It was a dream. A very good dream. I switched off the alarm clock and tried sitting up when I realized a certain someone needed to be "taken care of". Ponyfeathers. I decided to go ahead and get rid of it: I used one hoof at first and that got me to work up a sweat, but that wasn't going to cut it. I needed more force and more power, so I used both of my forehooves. Harder... Harder! I thought to myself, I used my hooves as hard as I could but that still wasn't going to work. I got out from under the sheets onto the floor, standing on my hind legs, using my forehooves as hard as I can. I had to stop for a second to catch my breath and to make sure I didn't hurt my hooves. I couldn't rest for long because I was almost finished. I went at it one more time...

And I finally pushed Lantern out of my bed.

I got up and went to the shower, letting the lukewarm water soak into my mane and coat. It was Monday, the week after our night in the bar. Friday I worked at the Coffee Lobby and talked with Brewer a bit more, and both Saturday and Sunday were spent staying around the house. By now, my dyed green hair was very pale and almost yellow. I was looking forward to my hair appointment. I dried off and told Lantern where I was heading and left Alfalfa(I named the house after the street). I went through Ponyville, taking the same path I took the past few days. It was really becoming a routine path. I passed by the musical unicorn and tossed him a few bits into his jar. We chatted for a minute or two before I left on my way. I learned his name was "Quill, just Quill" and he learned I was "Ozone, but you can call me Ozo".

"Welcome! You must be Ozone!" A pony with scissors as her cutie mark, meaning she must be Scissor Clip. "Just sit in this chair and we'll have your hair colored in no time! I absolutely love the choice, by the way!" she guided me over to an empty chair. "Don't worry sweetie, we'll have you all set in no time!" she placed a tarp over me and pulled my hair out from under it, and began coating it in a dying treatment. The chemicals had a strong smell and were making me very- very sleepy...

"Um, Ozone? You might want to wake up." Scissor Clip's voice stirred me awake. Well, that, and her shaking me with her hooves. We must have been done, since the tarp wasn't on me anymore and my mane felt dry. I looked around for a mirror. "Now, sweetie doll, before I show you the mirror, I have to tell you I made a mistake when choosing the coloring."

"Oh no." I groaned, but she held up a hoof.

"Now now, before you say anything, let me explain. My assistant accidentally mislabeled the box, so instead of color 115, you ended up with 151: Bright Royal Blonde. And the strength of it got rid of the black streaks." She scratched the back of her head with her hoof.

"What?! I'm blonde?!" I tried sitting up, but Scissor Clip put her hooves up and pushed me back into the chair.

"It's really not that bad! It actually looks a lot better." She turned the chair around to a mirror and...

She was right.

It actually looked pretty good. "Huh." was all I managed to pop out. And pretty soon I was smiling. "I'm gonna miss those black streaks, though."

"Well, I know just the pony who can take care of that! Come with me, I'll have my assistants take the floor.

Alright, cool. "Lead away." I got out of the chair and followed, the smell from the chemicals made me a little light headed. It almost felt like I was drunk again. Needless to say, I didn't realize that Scissor Clip was taking me to a place I was beginning to get in the habit of avoiding: Carousel Boutique.

The place was so huge on the inside! There were pony figures everywhere wearing finished or unfinished dresses. Scissor Clip was calling out for someone, but I was having a staring contest with this dress mold, and I was gonna win! I don't know how long I had been staring, but a hoof on my shoulder caused me to look away. He won this round.

"Ozi, darling, are you alright?" a voice spoke gently, "You're drooling."

Oh gosh she was pretty, "Oh heyya Rarity, I need my mane and my streaks in my mane done in my mane." I think I gave about the dumbest, half-stoned smile right then. I couldn't really feel my face.

"I see the chemicals were a bit stronger than you are used to, but nevertheless, I'll have your mane done just the way you want." Rarity stood in pride.

"Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!" I fell on my flank clapping my hooves together like a little colt going to see The Great and Powerful Trixie's magic show. "I want- I want the black streaks again black streaks." Rarity marched me over to the nearest chair and sat me down, putting another tarp around me. "Is it nap time?" I asked.

"Yes, Ozi, close your eyes and lean back. When you wake up, your hair will look fantastic!" I did as she told and she began sectioning long strands of my mane to coat them in a coloring cream.

I don't know what my fried brain was thinking at this point, but something made it think "Talk to her." So I tried to get her attention. "Hey Rarity?"

"Yes, Ozi?" She asked as she worked on my hair.

"Do you have a special somepony?"

"Oh, not really. I hardly have any time to go searching for anypony." She answered solemnly.

I hadn't really thought of that. "So, when we hung out last Wednesday, why did you call it a date?"

"Oh, it was fun to tease! You got so nervous and kept stumbling on your words." She let out a laugh. It was all a joke? Rarity must have noticed my silence, "You thought it was date, didn't you?"

I nodded. "When I was asking you to hang out, I wasn't meaning a real date at first because I wanted to get to know you a little bit. Then when you referred to it as a date, I thought you were serious about it so I started thinking it was a real date."

"Is that why you haven't been around? I will admit I was half expecting to run into you at the market again." She started to rinse out my mane, leaving behind magnificent black streaks. "Ozi, I'm sorry."

For some reason, I started feeling a little annoyed, but I knew better than to snap. "Don't worry about it, Rarity. I was just being foalish about the whole thing."

"So, you want to date me?" Rarity asked: she had hints of teasing in her voice, but at the same time general curiosity.

"Well, I- um-" I stumbled, "Sure." My chest suddenly felt light, almost as if I could fly. Rarity let out a giggle.

"I believe your mane is finished." She took the tarp off and I got back to my hooves, "Come back here tonight at 7:30." She showed me to the door and once I was outside, I wanted to faint. I had a date- a real date- with Rarity! I don't really understand how, but the point was I had one!

"Lantern!" I shouted as I entered newly dubbed "House Alfalfa". I was answered with a groan from the couch. He'd been drinking again, which explained why he was in my room this morning. "Lantern, c'mon, I got a date tonight."

"Tha's my bro, always chasin' tail." He holds up a bottle of ale and pretends to cheer. "Is it that piece-o-flank from the bar?"

"No, you haven't met her." I took a look around the room and found a large number of empty bottles. "Been shopping?" I asked

"Sales everywhere, Ozo."

"You said your cousin lives here, right? Golden Harvest?" I tried getting him off the couch, "I need you to stay with her."

"Uh oh! Ozone's gettin' laid tonight!" My face started burning at the thought of... sex. Plus, if he had shouted that any louder, my neighbors would be knocking on my door to congratulate me.

"No I'm not! I'm- I don't know!" I shouted, but then remembered my thought about the neighbors. "I just need the place cleared out for the night. You can come back over tomorrow, but for now we need to get you to your cousin's place." Eventually, I got his drunk flank off the couch and after a five minute walk, we were at Golden Harvest's.

"Hey Jack-O-Lantern and friend!" She waved us in, "I'll get some coffee for when Jack comes down from his buzz." We followed her to the living room as she continued. "My neighbor is over right now, so come on and meet him!"

Once I saw her neighbor, my face kinda lit up. "Hey Big Mac!" It was good to see a friendly face that wasn't female, my boss, or Lantern.

"Hey." He greeted. I helped Lantern over to the couch, and before long, Golden Harvest came back with the coffee for him.

"So, what are you guys doing in Ponyville?" She asked Lantern, who still couldn't quite grasp the fact that he wasn't in Alfalfa anymore, meaning I had to talk.

"Well, I moved here last week and Lantern came to visit for a while."

"Well, make sure he doesn't hit the cider too hard. He's not very responsible when it comes to drinking." She chuckled, having a seat next to Big Mac, placing her hoof on his.

Hmm, Either they are seriously close friends, or they are dating. I wanted to think more, but Lantern's voice interrupted me. "I'm not a drunk."

"I didn't say you were, but you do drink a lot-" She tried explaining, but Lantern was getting into a drunken fit.

"I'm not irresponsible when I drink!" He slurred, "I only had seven or twelve bottles." He tried getting up, but fell back onto the couch.

"Hey, bro, you ok? Calm down." I put a hoof on his shoulder, but he brushed me away.

"No, Ozo, you're cool. But I ain't gunna be here if they think I'm a- a- a drunk. Because I'm NOT a drunk! I'm sick of everyone in this feathering family thinking I'm irresponsible." And out of nowhere, he bolted out of the living room and then out of the house. So much for him staying in one place. I sighed and got up from the couch to go after him. By the time I was outside, Lantern was no where to be seen.

"He's a big pony," I told myself, "He'll find his way home. Or, authorities will keep hold of him." I chuckled at the memories of having to pick him up the many nights he got too drunk and some guards got a hold of him.

"Eeyup." Big Mac was behind me.

"So, you and Lantern's cousin?" I looked up at him. He nodded and gave the same answer. "Good for you, Big Mac. I was going to just drop him off, but since he's not here anymore, I'll probably head my own way." I gave Big Mac a playful punch on the shoulder, but he didn't seem to respond to it. "I gotta get to a date, anyway. I'll see ya around, Big Mac."

"Eeyup." He said. I chuckled, and made my way back to Alfalfa... again.

Today seemed to go by a lot faster than most days, but I guess that can be a good thing. Dyed mane, became blonde, got a real date with Rarity, and my best friend went on a drunken rampage and I have no idea where he could be, but I know he'll be fine. I took in a deep breath and found a smile coming across my lips. Ponyville was starting to feel like home.

Author's Note

I usually write this around 11 at night (my only free time). Usually, I'm outside while enjoying a cigarette, which made me think "Do they have tobacco in Equestria? Obviously not in the show, but it's a plant, meaning they should have it. Meaning they should have a cigarettes." and BAM! I had Jack-O-Lantern, because those things have candles and ours caught on fire last year and let off a bunch of smoke. Anyway, I'm trying to get the main story down before I get to a point in my life when I can't work on the story a lot.

Anyway, My original intent with the story was to make it a seriously written story. We see how well that worked out!
Comedy was always the next best thing for me, and usually easiest.