I think I might be sensing a pattern here...

“What exactly am I looking at?”

I say to myself as I watch Fluttershy halt traffic while she guides a family of ducks across the road…aww

I quietly watch as she and her ducks make it half way across the street when I hear a commotion from one of the carts that stopped for her.

“Come on! We don’t got all day! Let’s go!” road rage, with carts…lovely

The ducks get ruffled from the sound and Fluttershy jumps and looks up from the startled ducklings, I turn towards the sound to see who she’s dealing with.

A stallion from what I could see, looked well dressed compared to the other ponies here, his cart was more of a carriage than a cart, I bet this guy’s from canterlot, got the accent and everything.

He leans over to see what was holding his precious time and gains a shocked look when all he see’s is a yellow mare guiding ducks, apparently he’s got much more important time to keep.

“Hey lady! Move it! Some of us got lives to live!” He yells raising his hoof in the air waving it at her.

I look at Fluttershy to see her start to cry at being yelled at, my eyes grow sharp and my nostrils flare, well I think I just made a new rule kids, rule number one in magical pony land…never make Fluttershy cry!

I strut out to the middle of the street with Fluttershy, upon seeing me she starts to freeze up again but before she can completely go comatose on me I gently pat her head, she looks up at me with her teary, big light blue eyes.

“Finish what you were doing, I’ll make sure your not interrupted again” I say with a growl.

“Hurry up! I want to leave this hodunk town!” Imma end up killing this guy, I start to walk towards the loudmouth, this is gonna be fun…

“Let’s go before I go overthere an-“

“And what, pray tell, are you going to do about it?” my sudden appearance caused the stallion to jump.

“Wh-what in Celestia’s name are you!?”

I wrap one arm around his neck and pull him close.

“Buddy buddy buddy buddy buddy buddy just calm down friend, there’s no reason to get riled up…” I say as I drag a finger across his neck, oh my god he’s shaking, this is turning out great.

“But…” I quickly grip his cheeks and turn his face to look at Fluttershy as she had just finished crossing the street with her ducks in tow.

“Did you see how quick that was? You could’ve waited, instead you felt the need to almost make that sweet little mare cry, now I’m gonna tell you this only once” my whisper turns into a low growl as my hand that gripped his cheeks went to the back of his head and pulled at the small hairs at the base of his neck, the bane of all life-forms, taught to me by my grandma.

“You will leave, do your business and learn from this because if you come back and I hear about you acting this way again, I'll put my foot so far up your ass the water from my knee will quench your thirst, do you understand me?…” I give him a toothy grin that I’m sure will stay in his nightmares for years to come, he quickly shakes his head yes.

“Good, now get the hell outta here” In a flat second he was gone, just a trail of dust, still got it.

I make my way over to Fluttershy and the ducks.

“Hey Fluttershy, how you doing” I ask as I sit down cross-legged.

“I-I’m fine, thanks” She quietly thanks me.

“ It’s no problem, some people just need to learn patience, sometimes the hard way…”

“What was that last part?”

“Nothing nothing, oh hey while I got you here, I wanted to ask you something…”

“Yes? W-what is it mister…” her eyes dilate upon the realization she didn’t even know my name

“Oh my goodness I don’t know your name, oh please don’t hate me for that it’s just I-“

“Stop, please” I ask her, my heart couldn’t take any more, “It’s ok, my name’s Mark Crow, just call me Mark, and I would like to apologize for the trick I played on you and your friends, I hope you know I wasn’t trying to do anything to hurt your princess, so… do you forgive me?” I ask expecting an answer instead I got something way better, she fucking hugged me…now, let me explain to you guys what getting hugged by Fluttershy is like, it’s like a yellow cloud had decided ‘your awesome!’ and took you to meet Chuck Norris in his flying volcano mansion, which is totally legit...I've been there only once before, it was magnificent...

“It’s ok, thank you for helping me,” she says giving me a gentle smile and her ducks nuzzling my hands in thanks, aww my heart.

“…It’s no problem…” I shake my head to escape from the contented stupor the hug put me in.

“Well, I gotta go, now don’t go starting anymore problems ya little trouble maker”

“Who? M-me? I would never”

“Sure you wouldn’t, anyway I gotta go get clothes, and before you ask…” I say putting up a finger as her mouth opens to ask, “Ask Twilight” I’m getting really tired of saying that.

As I walk down the street, I thought to myself ‘When I do eventually find Rarity, how am I gonna get her to help because as I’ve already established, she hates me, I mean it’s not like I can pay her off, I doubt I can trick her…I’ll figure something out.

I turn a corner and I finally find myself standing in front of a large, decorated building with a carousel on top.

“This has gotta be it” I say to myself as I walk into the establishment, when open the doors I hear a small bell chime.

“I got it!” I hear the voice of my new best friend in the distance, soon enough I see Spike appear from a back room.

“Hey what’s up Mark?” He walks up with a hand out for a high five, obviously I reciprocate.

“Nothin’ much man just lookin’ for some clothes”

“Then you came to the right place!” Came a frilly voice from the back, oh here we go. I saw her ‘emerge’ from the shadows in a dramatic display, oh the hubris.

“I’m sure we can find anything to suit your- oh my gosh! What is that dirty thing doing in my boutique!” Upon realization she was talking to me, she reacted exactly how I thought she would, sigh this is gonna be rough…

“Hey, standing right here” I say to her in mock hurt

“Ugh! Get it out of here Spike before it makes a mess of my boutique!’

“Uh Rarity, Mark’s here to get some clothes made” He says to her

“I will not have one of my creations worn by some dirty monkey, go on shoo!” She says waving me off like a dog, bite your tongue Mark, show patience…

“Look Rarity-“

“Aaah! It said my name” that’s it

“Look!” she snapped to attention, good

“I came here hoping to buy some clothes from the best seamstress this town had to offer, I’ve been looking for you all day and now that I finally found you, you wont even help me? And here I thought you were the element of generosity!”, I glared at her, hoping I got my point across

“Your right I am, and I could, but I won’t” She says to me turning around and stomping off.

Aww I thought I finally won! Wait maybe I have…

“Ok, I get when I’m not wanted” I turn to leave, Spike follows me to the door, his face is that of major confusion, so young, so naïve…

“I mean, I understand…” when I reach the doors I pause and call out to Rarity who was pretending to ignore me.

“Obviously, judging by these rags, you couldn’t make anything that suits my tastes” As soon as those words leave my mouth I hear a very loud response.

“What! Did! You! Just! Say!?” I turn to watch as a very irate Rarity stomps towards me. Checkmate. A huge shit-eating grin spreads over my face.

“Did you just call my master pieces rags!?” she yells

“Oh, these are your master pieces?” I grip one of the dresses on a nearby mannequin, “honey, I feel so bad for your customers”

The expression on her face could’ve melted steel, I look towards Spike to see shock at my words, I gave him a wink to assure him I didn’t mean any of it.

“I could piece together something from scraps of trash off the ground and make it into something better than anything you’ve ever worn in your entire life!” she pokes me on my thigh with a glare

I squat down and meet her nose-to-nose, “Prove it” I sneer

“Fine” she walks off mumbling under breath about how it’ll be the best thing my primitive self had ever worn. I ain’t even mad, cuz I won, I smile down at Spike, he greets me with an expression that from, what I can see, holds new respect for me.

“If you want my clothes Mr. Crow, then I would suggest getting over here so I can take your measurements before I change my mind!"

“Coming” I say following her into her back room.

Twenty minutes later

‘Oh my god this is so incredibly dull’ I think to myself as she takes my measurements.

“Hold still, I have to get as accurate measurements as I can if you want to get the clothes you want so badly”

“Yeah, yeah”

“Why is it you had to have these clothes anyway? Coming here and bothering me had better have a good reason behind it” she snarls with pins in her mouth, she’d better be careful with those, she’s measuring my crotch seam and I really hope she doesn’t plan to stick me.

“Well, that is something that-“

“Spit it out, or else I won’t continue” she stops dead

“Come on”

She raises an eyebrow at me, awaiting an answer.

“*Sigh* fine” she continues her work as I explain to her why I need clothes, slowly she stops working and gains a small blush then full blown red all over. Frozen, in her eyes I see, well shock obviously but I notice something I never thought I’d see in her eyes, pity.

After ten minutes of awkward silence, I ask her “Hey, uh, am I done?” I watch her slowly nod her head, “Well, I’ll check back in a few days, I’ll see ya later” I leave carousel boutique with Spike close behind. The sun had set, bathing the town in darkness, lit by the light of the moon and some lanterns outside of houses along the street

After a few minutes of silence Spike decides to ask a question

“Hey Mark?”

“Yeah Spike?” I ask

“What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing you need to worry about right now”

“But Rarity-“

“Was frozen? Yes, about a topic only adults should talk about.” I say with finality

“Aww”

“Sorry, but that’s the truth” We walk down the streets, making our way back to our home, each street giving me a small reminder about my day.

“How was your day Spike?”

“Exhausting” now that I look at him, he does look really run down, wait are those pin needles in him?

“Uh spike, what’s with the pin needles?’

“Oh these? Rarity put them there”…what the fuck…

“W-why did you let her do that”

“Dude it’s Rarity, do you know how beautiful she is? I’d do anything for her” He gets a dreamy far off look…oh great…

“I think she may be taking advantage-” in a second his eyes turn sharp and he spins around to face me.

“Rarity would never do that!” oh hit a nerve...

“Ok ok, I apologize, I didn’t mean it to sound like that” He seemed to accept my apology.

“Yeah, but, I do get tired from time to time, finding gems all day and being a literal pin cushion for her and I barely get any kind of recognition” I feel for ya little man

“Look Spike” I say kneeling down to his level and grip his shoulders, “I’m not saying give up anything, all I’m saying is live your life the way you want to, you got friends right?”

“Yeah, Snips and Snails, and the cutie Mark Crusaders”

“See? Your only young once believe me, don’t go accepting responsibility when you don’t have to, just enjoy your life now, cuz when you least expect it, everything will change…” I let my eyes fall for a second, decades worth of memories flash before my eyes as well as so many lost opportunities.

“Ok Mark,” he looks up smiling at me, “thanks”

“No problem little man,” I say to him as the library comes into view.

We reach the door when Spike speaks up

“It’s quiet, way more quiet than normal” He says perplexed

I grip the doorknob and open the door. Inside are Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all in a circle. When they all look to see who entered and they see me, all of their faces turn a deep shade of red and their eyes turn to pin pricks.

“Uh, hey guys” I awkwardly say as I wave

“I need to go see my animals!”

“Cupcakes!”

“Need to Nap!”

“Gotta get back to the farm, see ya’ll tomorrow Mark!” and just like that they all rush passed me and Spike.

I look back to see four trails of dust disappearing in the night. I look back at Twilight who still has a slight blush and a sheepish smile

“You told them didn’t you?” I say with a smile

“Yeah, sorry”

“Don’t worry about it, anyway what’s for dinner?”

“What is everybody talking about!? Told them what?” Spike speaks up, I turn to him

“It doesn’t concern you” He pouts, but he accepts it, I smile and walk into the dining room, today was great and tomorrow will be even better! Got my first day of work, gonna meet new people, it’s just like old times…y’know with talking ponies.

Author's Note

Alright! New chapter! Told you guys I would pump out a new one soon, really soon actually. I really appreciate the support I get from the readers, both positive and negative, I do realize the way Mark talks and acts is strange considering his 'age' and ability but remember, he's in a point in his life where he doesn't need to act responsibly, he also has to keep up the ruse that he is young so as not to arouse suspicion, what I'm trying to say is be patient and enjoy the story, tlazocamatli, and as always, any ideas on who Mark should meet next or any scenario suggestion would be welcome.