The Fearless Warrior

I stood up and went straight to the shower. The dream I had was still fresh in my mind and I needed to relax. I stepped in the warm water, a little more hot than I'm used to but that helped to relax my tense muscles. I felt like I had not rest during the night at all.
"Hey Eravel! Come out already, there is a visitor for you!" I suddenly heard Steel Head call me from outside the bathroom.

I quick turned it off and went to my room to get dressed. My line clothes were still no completely dry but I would not show myself naked. I shivered at the touch of the cold fabric. It was still too early for the sun to be able to get the weather more warm. I got downstairs and found myself face to face with rarity, she was looking in disgust to my clothes.
"Ahm, hi Rarity... you wanted to see me?" I said walking near her.

"Yes darling... I came to pick you up to get some new clothes!" She said opening the house door with her magic.

"What, now?" I asked looking at the open door.
"Well of course it is now! I just received the news that Princess Celestia is going to come by the end of the week to a morning party and I will have NONE of my friends to be dressed in some clothes made out of potato's bag!" She said and went behind me, pushing me outside.
"W-wait a second! I don't have any money at all!" I said trying stay. I remembered how boring was to stand still while someone took your measures to make clothes.
"No problem! Take this as a welcome gift!" She said pushing me harder.
"But but but..." I tried to make some arguments but couldn't think of any one. She shoved me outside hard and I almost fell on the grass outside...
"I'll bring him back later Steel darling" She waved at the royal guard inside the house who was laughing.

She dragged me all the way to her Boutique. On the positive side it was a good chance to actually see around the city. I still hadn't the chance to do so. As I passed through the streets I got all kinds of stares from the ponies that were not used to my presence. This time I tried to look friendly to them, smiling a little and waving occasionally.

"Think they remember the last time I was here?" I whispered to Rarity.
"Of course they do... it was quite a show you've put here. But most of them didn't understood what happen at all. Also, you are much different now, without those... things you wore last time." She said while walking beside me. It was a good thing… maybe I could pretend that nothing happen.

We walked across the city for a few minutes until I was able to see her boutique. It was a cylindrical building with many big windows showing all sorts of dresses in fake pony bodies. The walls were all white full of pink, purple and blue details and, for me, was as weird as any building around that town. She walked inside holding the door open for me. The inside was well decorated and had more dresses in display. A small platform surrounded by big mirrors and some chests open with various types of gems.

"Ok dear, take off those 'potato bags' and step here." She indicated the small platform. "I want to take your measures. I think I have an old model that I made for Spike, but the measures are completely different."

"Ahm, does I REALLY have to take the clothes off?" I said not liking the idea of being naked in that place where anyone could come inside OR see me through the huge windows.

"But of course! Why would you not take them off? I don't even know why you keep wearing them anyway..." She said and her horn started to glow. My clothes got warped in that glow and started to come off my body but I held them.

"H-hey! Don't do that!" I said trying to hold them but soon I heard them ripping and coming off. I was completely naked there, blushing hard. What was wrong with her! One does not come and simply take your clothes off like that!
She blinked a few times, staring at my naked body. The pale skin all covered in scars from my fight with the manticore. I was using my hand to cover my crotch.
"Oh my... now I know why you keep wearing clothes all the time..." she said with a tone of regret in her voice. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't know you had... Oh Celestia... I'll fix it!" She bit her lower lip looking nervous around and then I saw a large piece of blue fabric coming towards me. While the fabric was flying, a scissor started to cut a hole on it and needles with blue line sew around the hole so the fabric would not fall apart.

My head passes through the hole and the rest of the fabric covered my body. A black belt, made out of thick fabric wires came and warped around my waist. More needles came and started to sew the sides of the fabric, closing it like some kind of robe. Soon more fabric came to warp my arms. I was amazed in her ability to make a robe in a few seconds. Four needles moving at once. In less than a minute I was wearing a nice blue robe that covered my whole body. It was very large for me, but at least I was not naked.

"Ahm... thank you..." I said looking at my new outfit.

"Sorry about your clothes... I didn't know that you had so... so many scars to hide." she said looking sad.

"Don't worry, I mean, in the end only you saw" I said feeling a little guilty. The scars didn't bothered me at all, I actually was proud of them. It was proof that I had survived a hard fight. "Besides, it's not the scars that I want to hide..." I said softly.
"No? Then what?" She asked curious.

"Ahm..." How can you explain the concept of 'decency' to a pony that only uses cloth as an accessory? "From where I come from is very cold. So we started using clothes, and that was something so normal that now no one walks around without clothes... and if they do, they are punished for it." I tried t explain to her. "The only way you can see someone naked is if you are very intimate of that person... or if you are a healer." I tried my best to explain, without going into further details of what we wanted to hide under the clothes.

She stopped for a second before talk.

"So... if that's the case... don't you feel awkward to see everypony naked around you? I mean... I don't use clothes unless I have something important to attend to." She said looking at me.
"Of course not... Why would I feel awkward to see..." I stopped there. I was about to call them animals.

"...to see...?" She looked at me with an eyebrow arched.
"ahm... well... how can I say it..." I scratched the back of my head thinking. "From where I come from, there are some... some animals that are very similar to you... but they don't speak or even think." I said hoping for her to not be offended.
"You mean... ponies like us that don't speak... or think?" She asked a little confused
"Yes, they are only farm animals; we use them as transport or to push heavy things. So, for me it's not weird to see you all naked." I said a little unconformable with the situation.
"So we are just not enough for you... is that it?" She said with an offended tone.

"NO! Of course not! It's just... erm... it's just..." I was searching for words to explain myself.
"No, that's fine... I understand... we are not worthy to be recognized as a thinking race!" She said in a dramatic way. She lay in a near couch, one hoof in her fore head, making a dramatic pose. "And here I was thinking so high of you... I even wanted to make some free clothes for you!"

"Oh damn..." I whispered to myself.
"I think it's better for you to just... just go away! I don't want you to dirty your eyes with an unworthy sight!" She was almost screaming, making a huge scene.

"STOP!" I yelled at her and she looked at me a little surprise. "I DON'T think you or any other pony is unworthy ok! The fact that I don't feel awkward of seeing you all naked is only because of a cultural reason, because you guys look too much like the farm animals that I have back in my home. And THAT'S IT, no other reason at all! Besides, I would never be embarrassed of being naked in front of horse in my old home land as I'm here." I said a little too loud. Rarity looked at me and stood up. She keep looking at me for a few seconds, analyzing what I had just said.

"Ok then, let's get upstairs so I can take your measures were nopony can see you" She smiled at me and started to walk towards the stairs as if nothing had happen. I arched an eyebrow. How can she just change the mood so fast like that!

I followed her to the second floor and we went in her studio. It had several rolls of fabric and other sewing tools. It also had more of those fake pony bodies but they had no clothes on them. I realized that her studio was also her bedroom. It has a large bed with columns and curtains.

"OK, no one will be able to see us here." She said and her horn started to glow. A measure tape started to fluctuate near me. She just looked at me, waiting for me to take out my new robe. I sighed and started to remove it. My face getting a little red again. I never did this in front of a woman before and, as I said to her, these ponies were just like people for me now. They could talk, could think and could make weird buildings… They were people. Even if they were not humans.

I stood there just as I came to this world, not a piece of cloth covering me. I used one of my hands to cover my crotch again and lifted my other arm. She started to take my measures, using the measure tape in every inch of my body. I felt really exposed there. The way she looked at me, taking notes and analyzing the shapes of my limbs, it was really weird.

"Finished!" She said walking away from me after a few minutes. "I'll start making your clothes right away! And I have some nice ideas for it, you will look lovely!" She said happily and I rushed to cover my body with my robe. "You can come to see if it will fit tomorrow ok?" She said starting to pull some fabrics to start her work.

"Just don't do something to… colorful… ok?" I asked her.
"Don't you worry dear, I'm sure you will love your new clothes" She smiled at me wearing her half moon glasses now. I just hoped that she didn't make a dress for me.

We said our goodbyes and I started to go downstairs. As I arrived at the end of the stairs I saw a young stallion walking in. He had a brown fur and dark brown mane and tail. He looked at me, with a little surprise.

"Hey…" I waved at him. He hesitated for a second before answer.

"Hi. Erm… Miss Rarity is here?" He asked.
"Sure, she's upstairs" I said pointing the stair right behind me.
"Thanks." He said and trotted fast to the second floor. I looked at him going up and thought that was strange. There was not a single piece of masculine cloth around. But maybe she did some clothes for stallions.

I was near the door when I heard a scream coming from the second floor. I turned around, my eyes widened. Did I just imagine that or… I cursed myself. That stallion just went upstairs and he was attacking Rarity! My legs started to move fast inside the large robe. I dashed upstairs and slammed the door open. I saw Rarity on the floor covered in a long piece of fabric. It looked like she was all tangled on it, totally defenseless. On top of her was the stallion. That sight… it made my blood boil. I felt the rage crawling under my skin.

The brown stallion lifted his head to see me with a shocked expression. I dashed inside with my hand closed in a fist and landed a blow right on his snout. He closed his eyes in pain and stumbled back. I heard Rarity calling me, but I ignored her. This bastard was going to feel a little of the north's rage! I struck another blow on his snout and another and another, coming from different directions. I was not going to give him the time to fight back. After the forth blow he fell on the floor, moaning in pain… his snout bleeding and swollen. I took my belt off and mounted on his body. The thick belt made of cloth warped around his neck and I started to strangulate him. I could feel my gust screaming to kill him, and I had no will to fight that scream. Who the hell was him to come and attack Rarity!

The stallion started to gag and choke, struggling to escape, but he was in a bad position and was not able to fight back. I saw his eyes rolling up, his mouth opening and closing. He started to cry. Large tears coming out from his eyes that had turned red from the bad flow of oxygen and blood… he was losing conscience. I grinned. He was going to die! He was going to… I felt a hard blow on the side of my body and I fell on the floor, releasing the stallion neck. I heard him choking and gasping for air. I looked up and saw that Rarity had hit me. I looked at her with a confused expression. She was panting a little. How did she break free from her bounds so easily?

She helped the stallion to stand up… he looked terrify and standing up was proving to be a challenge for his trembling legs... I saw that and could not understand what was happening. Why was she helping her aggressor? Her horn started to glow and she cleaned his snout with the very piece of cloth that has binding her just a moment ago…

"Can you walk dear?" She asked with a soft tone… he nodded and she kissed him on the cheek. "Go downstairs, grab some ice and put in our snout, I'll be right there…" She said and he walked away. I stood up to chase him but Rarity blocked my way.

"NO! Leave him alone!" She said a serious tone.

"But Rarity!" I said controlling my anger. "He was going to rape you!" I said almost in a shout.

"What! Are you out of your mind!" She said in shock. "He just came to help me with some work!" She shouted.
"But you were all tied up! And he was on top of you!" I said to her. To me he was attacking her. Back in my home land, that kind of thing was very common. Woman had not much place in society; the only role was to tend the house and give birth. Aside from that, they were some kind of sex tool for the winner when it comes to battle. And stories of rapists that attacked woman from different villages were not that rare. That's why my mother was taught how to fight… My grandfather was one of the few mans that hated that conception and, not wanting my mother to be an easy prey, he trained her how to be a huntress and how to fight. She passed to me all that vision about how much rape is wrong and how despicable is a man who enjoys it.
"Yes, but it was an accident!" She sighed "I was working on that piece of fabric and when he entered, he stepped on a roll of line for sewing and fell over me" She explained. It took me a few seconds to imagine the scene... Rarity using her magic to make the fabric float in the air... The brown colt entering and then slipping on the roll... and then bumping on her. She fell over the fabric and got all warped... and he went to help her... yeah... it made some sense... Damn it... I almost killed a pony because he fell over her and I thought he was a rapist… What was wrong with me! Things were looking better and better. I sat on her bed, putting a hand over my face.

"Look, don't feel so bad about it. I'll talk to him and explain everything, OK?" She said putting a hoof on my leg. "I doubt he will hold any grudge against you after I talk to him. After all, you only acted that way to protect me." I looked at her and nodded. Of all the crazy stuff that could happen...

"Say to him that I'm sorry for almost killing him" I said getting up and warping the belt around my waist again. She nodded and escorted me to the exit of her room and then to the street. From the corner of my eye I saw the brown stallion half hiding behind a curtain that covered the door to the kitchen.

I walked outside the boutique thinking about the poor stallion that I had attacked. I hoped that he could forgive me. 'If it wasn't for Rarity to escape her bindings...' In my mind the image of the colt with his eyes rolled up, gasping for air and crying... I shivered at the thought. What made all worst was the fact that he didn't looked like the kind of guy who would actually rape anyone like that. I don't know why I assumed something so absurd like that… Maybe I was losing sanity?

Lost in my toughs I didn't saw the incoming danger until it was too late. A cyan blur hit me in the chest, sending me to the floor. We both rolled a few times until we finally stopped. I was lying on the hard floor, my new robe got all dirty. I could feel something heavy in my chest. It was Rainbow Dash and she was looking all dizzy too.
"Are you OK?" I asked looking at her. I cough a few times, my chest hurting a little. The cyan filly recovered and looked at me.
"Kind of... thanks for holding me..." She said with a hoof in her head.

"Don't mention..." I said raising my upper body. The cyan filly rolled and ended up in my lap with her hoofs up. I put my arm around her neck to avoid her falling with her head first. She was just like a baby in my lap.

"You need to stop hitting me like that you know?" I said looking at her and smiling. She Chuckled and stood up.
"Sorry... I was trying a new trick but I lost control of my flight!" The rainbow mane filly said smiling at me. "I was thiiiis close to complete it..." She said narrowing one of her eyes. "...but I lost control in the last moment." She sighed.
"Well I think you need a break." I said standing up "If you push too hard, you will end up hurting yourself." I said just repeating one of my father's phrases about training.

"Yeah you're right... want to hang out? Maybe we could eat something; it's almost time for lunch." She said looking at the sun in the sky. She wanted to have lunch with me? And to think that a few days back she swore to beat me up if she ever sees me near Ponyvile.

"Sure, why not? But I don't have money, so... I guess you will have to pay mine too." I grinned at her. She rolled her eyes.
"Hey! You are having the chance to lunch with the most awesome pony around! At least you could pay." She said crossing her forehoofs.
"I would love to pay for both of us but, I just don't have any money." I shrugged, still grinning. She snorted and frown her eyebrows.
"Fine! I'll pay, but you owe me, got it?" She said and started to walk. I chuckled and started to follow her.

"Now, what with those weird clothes you are wearing?" She said scanning my blue robe.

"Rarity ripped my old clothes off..." I said and shrugged. Rainbow Dash looked at me and blushed lightly.
"She... what?" The cyan pegasus stopped looking at me.
"She ripped it off when I told her that I would not take them off." I sighed. "I forgot to tell her that where I'm from everyone uses clothes all the time. She tough that it was normal for me to just walk around naked like you guys does ..." I explained. I saw the cyan filly sigh in relief.
"Oh... heh, well at least these have a better color than the others." She started to walk again. I looked at her a bit confused... why would she blush like that? It's not as if the fact that Rarity stripped me meant anything at all… or maybe it did?

We walked near each other talking about some other random stuff. And by 'random' I mean a group called 'Wonderbolts'. She was obsessed with them and could not stop talking about the flying team. After just fifteen minutes of walking we stopped at a restaurant with some tables in the open air. She approached one of them and I pulled a nearby rock to sit too. A light gray pony wearing a suit came near us holding two menus. He scanned me for quite some time. I just ignored his stare... and the other dozens around me.

Looking at the menu I soon realized a thing that didn't came to me until now. I didn't know how to read. I kept staring at those weird symbols and pictures of food. I could not read a thing there... I knew the basics of the runic write that the druid at my village taught me, but this symbols they used to write were totally unknown for me. I kept staring at the menu with a confuse expression for some time, until Rainbow Dash realized that something was wrong.

"What's the matter Evarel? Can't decide what to pick?" She asked lowering her menu to looked better at me. The attendant was looking at me too. I blushed a little before answer.
"Well you know... I... I can't read these..." I said a little embarrassed. She arched an eyebrow and I heard the attendant hold a chuckle. Rainbow Dash glared at the light gray colt and then looked at me.
"What do you eat?" She asked in a simple tone.
"Anything but flowers or hay." I said putting the menu on the table. She nodded and looked at the attendant, making the order. Two carrot soup with some pieces of toast and an extra large cup of strawberry juice. The light gray colt got the menus and left

"Sorry..." I said. I didn't know why I was sorry for, I just felt the urge to apologize. Maybe for not telling her this before?
"Don't worry. It was not your fault at all." She smiled at me. "And as long as you have me, the most awesome pony around, you will not have to worry about anything!" She said stuffing her chest in a proud way.

"Including paying for our next lunch again?" I chuckled and she smirked at me.
"Almost anything..." We both just laughed.