Psychquestria

Ross looked about as he strode aside the Princess, and the dragon atop her back. He took note of the seemingly impossible nature of the physics the architecture relied on. Some buildings seemed to lack supports entirely, while others looked ready to collapse in on themselves. The trio passed by a blackened crater in the ground, with a scorched stump at it's center.

"What happened here?" Ross asked Twilight.

"It's a long story. That used to be our town library and my home." She sighed. "It's gone now, though."

"I can see that. An earthworm could see that." Ross said, seeing burned bits of paper drift about in the ruins of the library. "Why have you not replanted?"

"The ground has been rendered infertile by the dark magics that destroyed the tree-library."

"Can you not cleanse it?"

"I've tried, but the spell is too powerful even for me to break."

"That's unfortunate."

"I know." Twilight said, staring at the splintered wood and twigs. "Let's move on."

They continued their route through town, eventually coming to the market. Ponies stared at Ross, unabashed until they met his glare.

"So, I take it you have a form of currency?" Ross asked.

"Yes, we do. Small golden coins called bits and various jewels make up our money." Twilight said, gesturing to a pony paying for some carrots with said items.

"Such things are commenplace here? On earth they would be worth a fortune. Hundreds of dollars."

"Dollars are your currency, I guess?"

"Yes, but not all over the planet. Just in my country. They're paperlike, but made from cotton, in actuallity. Those, combined with smaller valued coins of nonprecious metals, make up the money where I live."

"That's quite descriptive."

"Is it? I tend to remember things like that very easily. If only useful facts were as easily remembered. Although now they're useful, come to think of it." Ross rambled. "Nevermind that, I suppose you won't give me money, and mine is worthless here, so I'll need a job."

"I can give you some mon-"

"No no, it wouldn't feel right. Not after my actions. I should be considered a felon here, by all rights. No, I'm going to find work and earn money for myself."

"That's very... mature, I suppose is the best word."

"More like foolhardy," Ross muttered under his breath. Then, speaking aloud, "Thank you Twilight. Now, onwards?"

Spike suggested the group visit the bakery, as it was nearing lunch, and 'Ross might find work there,' as he said. So as they stepped up to the counter, Twilight pulling out a small bag of coins from beneath her wing, only Ross recieved a surprise by seeing Pinkie Pie popping up from behind it.

"Hi Twilight! Hi Spike!" She greeted her friends. Then she turned to Ross. "Um, hi Ross Gregory." She said awkwardly.

"Just Ross is fine," Ross replied.

"Hi Just Ross." Pinkie said with more confidence.

The boy sighed. He looked at the various pastries displayed in the counter-display. All of them looked as if they could give him a sugar high to trump all others. In the end, Twilight and him both decided to try the cinnamon buns while Spike chose a sapphire cupcake. They sat by the window, ponies still ogling the human as they walked by. Pinkie decided to take her lunch break and join them for the meal.

"This is delicious," Ross said, wiping the icing from his face with a napkin. "But hell if I don't get a heart attack from this thing."

"What's hell?" Spike asked, having swallowed his meal whole.

"Hm... the underworld? Not heaven? Land of the damned? I don't really believe in it, but it's good for a frame of reference."

"Oh, you mean Tartarus."

"Ah. More Greek mythology. Well, it's not as if it's real anyways."

"Tartarus is real," Twilight corrected. "I've been to it's gates myself. I had to bring cerberus back."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny. Play me for a fool."

"She's serious. Tartarus is where the evil creatures of Equestria are sent."

"No kidding? So it really is the land of the damned. Or a prison."

"Yeah, I think it's closer to the second thing you said." Spike said, licking the frosting from his lips.

Ross clapped once, drawing attention to him unnecessarily. "So! Pinkie Pie, I don't suppose you know if this establishment is hiring at the moment?" He said this very quickly, not unlike how the hyperactive mare herself does from time to time.

"What?" She asked.

"Are your employers looking for more employees?" He rephrased.

"No, not right now. The bakery only really needs the Cakes and I, and I double as the babysitter every once in a while."

"Shame, that is. I've been told I can make really good pineapple upside-down cake. For some reason though, I never can get it to stay upside-down."

Twilight, Spike,and Pinkie looked to one another, confused.

"That was an attempt at a joke," Ross explained. "A failed attempt, as it were."

"Oh," they said uncomfortably. There was a moment of total silence among them, and then Pinkie spoke up.

"Hey, Just Ross," She said. "This is gonna sound weird, but do you like parties?"

"Eh... Crowds give me a headache. So does loud noise. A lot of things do, come to think of it." He said "But, a part of me does like them. Why? You weren't planning on starting one for me?"

"W-what? How did you-"

"It was rather obvious what you had in mind."

"Well, usually I plan a surprise party for the new ponies in town, but for you, I wasn't so sure." Pinkie elaborated. "You don't seem the type. But it never hurts to ask! So, is that a yes or a no?"

"Flip a coin, I'm never good at deciding on these things." He said, leaning back on the stool. Forgetting it was a stool, he leaned until he fell off with a flailing of his arms. He popped up, bouncing on his toes. "I'm okay. Okay."

The other three giggled, Spike laughing outright.

"Okay then. I'll take that as a yes."

"Thanks! You know, here I thought you'd hate my slimy guts for  what I did." Ross said, clapping a hand over his mouth as soon as the words were out. "Oh- I, uh- Forget that second part!"

Another silence settled in among the four.

"... So..." Ross said, stopping his bouncing, looking down at the floor. "I, uh, guess I'll be going then..."

"Nah, it's okay. You didn't totally mean it, and you apologized." Pinkie said with a small smile. "Besides, I already got party supplies stashed upstairs in my room. It'd be a shame if they went to waste."

"But they don't spoil or any- Ooh," Ross said, slowly grinning. "Thanks. Again. Really."

"No problem!" Pinkie said. She looked at her foreleg. "Oh, would you look at the time! I gotta get back to work! I'll see you tomorrow!" And with that, the bubbly mare returned to her station as the trio left Sugar Cube Corner.

"She's nice." Ross said. "A little too upbeat, but nice."

"That's pretty up front of you, Ross." Twilight said with an eyebrow raised.

"Yup."

"... That's all you got to say about that?"

"Mm-hm." Ross said, hands behind his head as he looked at the pegasi moving the clouds above.

Strange, thought Twilight. He was much less direct earlier. I wonder if this is what he meant by three personas... Furious, Cordial, and... this?