The door opened and Rebecca walked in. The sizeable room before her contained some of the most lovingly crafted furniture she had ever seen. Everything from the four poster bed to the couch and dresser, all the way down to the nightstand, seemed to have been hand-carved from cedar and was accented by beautifully embroidered throws and mantels. The thick tan carpet under her feet was pleasing to the touch, and through an open door the pearly white of a private bathroom could be seen.

"I hope you like it, dear."

Rebecca turned back to the doorway she had entered from, and found Mayor Mare and her assistant Ink Well standing there. "Ma'am, are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?" Rebecca asked.

"Why, of course it is dear. When I heard from Twilight Sparkle that you were growing concerned about where you would stay after you got out of the hospital I figured it was the perfect chance to finally get some use out of this place," The Mayor answered, gesturing around her.

"Speaking of which," Rebecca began, putting her suitcase down, "What is this place? When you said you had a spare room in town hall that I could use I was expecting maybe a ten-by-ten room with a bed and dresser, not a small apartment." As she spoke Rebecca walked over to one of the windows and gazed out over the town of Ponyville. It was quite a view, considering she was on the third floor of town hall, and the setting sun lent the entire town a beautiful golden cast.

"Well, you see, when town hall was first being built this suite was added incase Ponyville ever had to entertain guests who required the royal treatment," The Mayor said, glancing out the window that faced Canterlot.

"They built this room for the Princess?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, her or any other dignitaries who might have reason to visit Ponyville," Ink Well offered from the doorway, with a smile so large that Rebecca could almost smell the fake coming off of it.

Rebecca turned back to the Mayor, her eyes wide. "Again, you're sure it's okay for me to stay here?"

"Don't worry about it, dear," the Mayor said, with a chuckle. "I dare say that the whole 'visiting dignitaries' thing was something of a fantasy for the architect who designed this building. Truth be told, the only pony of authority who has ever visited Ponyville is Princess Celestia herself, and she's never actually had cause to spend the night. In fact, this room has sat empty for who knows how long. So, I figure, if there are no local dignitaries that require lodging, then why not open it up to a foreign one?"

Rebecca could hardly believe her ears. "Uh, Your Honor-"

"Oh, you don't have to call me that, heh, heh... Ever. Just Mayor will do."

"Well, Mayor, I'm hardly a dignitary. I mean, I don't even have a job," Rebecca said, looking around the room and feeling like a leech just for thinking about staying in it without offering something in return.

"Oh, don't worry, Ms. Rebecca, I don't think that will be a problem for very long." With that, Mayor Mare turned to leave. "I'll let you go ahead and get settled in, there's a stocked kitchen on the first floor that you may make use of while you're here, and if you need anything just ask me or one of the staff and we'll see what we can do."

"Um... thank you." Was all that Rebecca could think to say as she watched the two ponies leave the room. As she began unpacking her few possessions, Rebecca let her mind wander back over her brief time in Equestria.

The last two weeks were mostly a blur for Rebecca. When she wasn't engaged in physical therapy and exercise, she was usually listening to Twilight Sparkle lecture about anything and everything concerning Equestrian culture. Of the two pastimes, she greatly preferred the former since, aside from rebuilding her muscles, it also helped her get used to her new body; the change in her physique had been more than a little jarring.

Fortunately Rebecca seldom had time to dwell on her change in appearance. When she wasn't with the doctors, or Twilight, Rebecca's time was usually taken up by Lero. The man had been by to visit almost daily since she had woken up and the small sense of familiarity he brought with him was something she truly appreciated. The two of them could spend hours talking about nothing in particular, but mostly ended up discussing what Lero had missed and what Rebecca could expect, and while some of what he had told her did sound a little bizarre he managed to keep the prospect of fitting into Equestrian society from sounding too daunting.

Once she had finished unpacking her clothes, all of which came from a white unicorn she had met named Rarity, all that was left were the various books that Twilight had given her to read, and once again Rebecca could only marvel at how generous these ponies seemed to be. With everything they had given her, Rebecca was starting to wonder just how she was going to pay them all back, and not for the first time her thoughts turned to her financial state. Lero had told her that computers didn't exist, so she could only hope that these ponies had want adds and then pray that one of them would hire her. Lero, and the Mayor, had said that finding work in Ponyville shouldn't be too difficult, but given how the ponies on the street had been looking at her on her walk from the hospital to town hall she wasn't sure she believed them. Doing her best to push those thoughts from her mind until tomorrow, Rebecca set her books on the dresser and decided to make for the shower.

The bathroom proved just as well made as the bedroom. With white tile flooring and what looked like a marble washing basin, complete with silver faucet, as well as a fresco of the sun on a brilliant blue and white backdrop covering the walls, Rebecca felt as if she was wasting a thousand dollars just standing in the room, much less using it. Turning to the bathtub, she found it to be a claw-foot design, and more than big enough for her; though given who the bathroom was originally intended for it came as no surprise.

After disrobing Rebecca folded and set her clothes down off to the side of the tub. First the tan skirt, then the cream colored sweater, and finally the men's briefs. Going to have to explain that one to Rarity next time I see her. Turning on the faucet, and adjusting the temperature, Rebecca waited for the tub to fill, only for her attention to be drawn to the mirror on the wall.

As she stood there she began to examine the woman staring back at her. Bringing her hands up, she let them cup the smooth round cheeks on her face for a moment before letting them slide down her chest, and over the soft ample breasts that now rested upon it before continuing on to her noticeably wider waist, flaring out again as they passed over her hips, and finally coming to rest on her generous backside.

Glancing back at where her hands now rested, Rebecca let out a defeated sigh before turning back to the mirror. While she could admit that the weight she had suddenly gained could have gone to worse places, Rebecca wondered if she would ever see anything other than a stranger in the mirror again. She could only hope that the ponies really could find a way to fix what had been done to her.

Pushing that unpleasant thought form her mind, Rebecca turned back to the tub. "Oh, crap!" she exclaimed, rushing to the faucet. She managed to reach the knob just before the tub began to overflow. Phew, that was a close one.

Once her bath was out of the way, Rebecca settled into the soft bed. After two weeks of trying to fall asleep on a hospital bed the downy mattress and silken sheets wrapped around her in a warm embrace, and Rebecca quickly found herself drifting off to sleep. Man, I wonder how much this bed cost, it's going to be hard to give it up when I find my own place... assuming I manage to get my own place.

****

As the morning sun peeked through the windows of town hall, the soft tapping of hooves could be heard. Their owner moved with as much speed and composure as she could muster, however most of it was being swallowed by trepidation. As she walked, Ink Well wished for the hundredth time that the halls of the building could have been carpeted like the offices were. With each step she swore that the sound of her hooves could be heard through the entire building, even though she took pains to place them on the floor as gently as possible. When her glasses slipped down her nose for the twelfth time, she paused to wipe her face with her foreleg. She was sweating so badly that it was seeping through her beige coat, and the forelock of her brown mane was sticking to her brow.

"Why did she have to pick me to do this?"

The first task the Mayor had given her for the day, and Ink Well was already wishing she had stayed home for the day. On the surface it seemed like the easiest task in the world, just inform a guest that the Mayor wanted to speak with them. Now, however, the situation seemed daunting; she had never thought that she would have to be alone with one of... them. Though Ink Well had seen the one called Lero around town, she had made sure not to get too close to him. Ignoring his beady eyes and sharp teeth; the way he towered over everypony made her feel even smaller than she did next to the Mayor, and this new one was even bigger than he was.

Unfortunately, dragging her hooves could only delay the inevitable, and before long she had arrived at her destination. She stood before the door to the private suite, still unable to believe what now occupied it. Steeling herself, Ink Well raised a hoof to knock... only to have it stop mere millimeters from the door.

"Come on, Ink Well, you can do this," she said, shaking her head.Pulling back her hoof again, Ink Well made another try at knocking, only to fall short once again. "Ink Well, you're not listening!" she hissed. Trying several more times, with no success, she let loose an aggravated snort. "Darn it, Ink Well, what are you going to tell the Mayor when you get back to her office, 'Sorry ma'am I got lost on the way?'" As she was scolding herself, a sudden click froze Ink Well in place. Before her eyes the door slowly swung open with the loud creak of hinges that had gone too long without oil. Ink Well couldn't move. Panic gripped her stomach as a pair of legs appeared in front of her.

"Can I help you?" a tired mare's voice asked.

With a audible gulp, Ink Well forced her head to move upward, past the long legs, past the ramrod-straight torso, and past the bizarrely places teats, to finally look the creature in the face. Through bleary eyes it regarded her with scorn as its blunt claws ran through its tangled mane. "I-I'm sorry, were you asleep?" The words quivered out of Ink Well's mouth as little more than a whisper.

Glancing back into the suit, it turned back to her before grumbling, "Yes, I frequently am at six in the morning." As the alien finished, she let out a long yawn, giving Ink Well a full view of those glistening sharp teeth. Finally, instinct overpowered reason, and Ink Well bolted.

"I'm sorry, but the Mayor wanted to speak with you!" Ink Well blurted out, as she ran.

****

The sound of pen against paper was the only thing that could be heard in the Mayor's office. As her lips worked the pen across the form in front of her, Mayor Mare paused to glance at the mountain of paperwork that still sat in her in box and then to the small hill that she had managed to move to the out box. The Mayor sighed, "Six a.m. and it's already shaping up to be a long day," she groaned around the pen in her mouth.

A knock at the door brought her head up from her work, "Come in." As she watched, Her personal assistant, Ink Well, made her way in looking at the floor. "There you are, Ink Well, I was beginning to think you had skipped out for the day," she said, jokingly. When Ink Well didn't respond the Mayor put her pen down. "Inky, is everything alright? Did you let Ms. Lancaster know we have something for her?" she asked.

This was it, Ink Well knew her time as the Mayor's assistant was at an end; forgetting the cream for her coffee was one thing, but being unable to deliver a personal message was inexcusable. The only thing left was to face the music and hope the Mayor would be lenient. Raising her head, Ink Well prepared to explain herself.

"She did, but she was a bit vague on what it was."

Ink Well visibly jumped from her place at the door as she scurried over to the Mayor's side. "Oh, h-here she is now," she stammered, once some distance had been placed between her and their guest.

"Sorry I'm not better dressed," Rebecca began, ignoring the overly jumpy pony, "But, she made it sound urgent." As she stepped into the office proper, Rebecca adjusted the yellow sundress she had thrown on.

"Well, I don't know I would call it urgent," the Mayor said, glancing at Ink Well in confusion, "We just wanted to let you know that your mail is here." Mayor mare gestured to the corner of the room, where what looked like a small gunny sack leaned against the wall.

Making her way over to the bag, Rebecca picked it up and looked inside. The bag was filled to the brim with envelopes and rolled up scrolls. "What's all this?"

"Well, you tell us, dear, they're all addressed to you," the Mayor replied with a smile.

Pulling out one of the scrolls, Rebecca began to read. "To whom it may concern. With regards to your post in town square, we have recently had a spot in maintenance and repair open up, and would like to extend a offer for possible employment. A working knowledge of fine furniture is preferable, but on the job training is available. Sincerely, Goose Down's Quills and Sofas." Rebecca blinked at the paper for a moment. "It’s a job offer." Pulling out another letter, she found it contained a similar message from a day spa. "Are these all job offers?" she asked, looking at the sack and back to the ponies.

"I hope you don't mind," the Mayor began, "But, when you agreed to stay here, I took the liberty of having a job search flyer put up on the public bulletin board for you."

"That was less than two days ago," Rebecca exclaimed.

"And these have been coming in ever since," the Mayor replied, jovially. "I think you'll find that news travels fast in a town this size, and once word hit the street that another human was in town and looking for gainful employment, well..." she glanced at the sack of letters.

Once again Rebecca could scarcely believe the behavior of the ponies. The writers of the letters she was holding knew nothing about her, and they were still willing to offer her employment; whether that made them generous, foolish, or something else she wasn't sure, but given what she had seen so far, she was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. And here I thought I wouldn't have anything to do today.

Author's Note

This chapter ended up being smaller than I thought it would, but I still think it manages to convey how different ponies still view the humans in different ways; not to mention how Rebecca now sees herself. Expect more of this, and more plot (no pun intended), in the next chapter.

Thanks again to Lanners for prereading, but as always if you spot any mistakes we missed please feel free to let me know.