Ellie was beginning to enjoy the day, besides all the strange or distasteful looks she received, it was going well, or at least better than she thought it would be. All around her large buildings and the life of the city itself brought the excitement she thrived on, but the lingering thoughts of Joel looking for her still ached in her mind. Joel was important to her, she was willing ten or even a hundred times over to admit that. Joel saved her ass, whether by luck or sheer brute force. Not to say that she hasn't saved Joel from being found while he was recovering from his stab wound when they were at the university.

Rarity was quiet aside from the odd pony who would ask her how her day was, and what was walking next to her. Those hard stares of painful difference made her actually feel like she was being hunted. This was something she was quite used to when it came to the raiders or infected while out on supply runs, yet it felt so different. Was it because she was in another world, that's a very definite maybe. It was hard to tell if they wanted to know what she was, or if she was a danger. She could answer both, the second more so.

Rarity looked down at Ellie, a contemplative look on her face while Ellie just looked onward. She had a bit of time on the train to read the file Celestia sent her and it wasn't pretty. This human, Ellie, was a troubled on, who's dealt with pain far worse than Rarity could imagine easily. She couldn't think of what it would be like living on her world, dealing with these 'infected' seemed more and more like Spike's zombie comic books, and judging by the bite mark on her right forearm, they were as real as the day.

"Now, this spa we're going to, it's a lavish place. There are nearly sixty scents you can pick from for your bath, that's what we'll do first." Rarity said, trying to end the rather awkward silence they were in. Ellie just shrugged off Rarity and kept a blank stare. "Next we'll get a massage. How's that sound?"

Ellie shrugged and just looked around. "I keep thinking I'm being hunted, like someone's watching me. If I'm relaxed and something happens, I won't be fast enough. I may not get lucky."

"I assure you, this establishment has top notch security, and if it'll make you feel safer, I can place a spell to tell me when there's company coming."

She raised a brow and looked up at Rarity. "Never thought magic could do that. Then again, I'm still trying to get used to all of this." She flapped her arms and let them drop back to her sides. "Dunno I will ever."

Rarity led them around a corner where Ellie saw a lavish looking place on the other side of the road. Rarity made sure no speeding carts were close by so they walked across to the building which read De'Fure. 'So this is a spa?' She thought to herself and judging the building with a curious stare. They approached and walked in. A mare at the front was talking to a customer and showed them out, stopping only when she saw Ellie. The customer itself was a pony Rarity knew.

"Fancy Pants! A pleasure to see you!" Rarity chirped happily as a fancy looking stallion approached them. He was tall and white but also had a blueish tint to it. His mane was blue and dark grayish-blue meaning he was getting up in age, much like Joel was.

"Ah, Rarity Belle! It is most certainly a pleasure to see you, as always. And who might this be?" He made a gesture with his hand to Ellie.

"This is Ellie, Sir Pants. She's come here for a bit of much needed R'n'R. She's also new to Equestria. Ellie, this is Fancy Pants, one of my favorite patrons and a very influential noble-pony."

Fancy Pants took a bow and tipped his hat to her. "Yes, yes, enough about me though, she is the most brilliant looking creature I've ever come across." Ellie felt herself warm a bit. "Tell me dear, what are you?"

"I'm a human, or at least that's what I hope I am. Don't know if I'm a monkey here or not."

"A Hu-man? Odd name for a race, but Hobgoblins are the worst out there I assure you." He look towards the door then back at the ladies. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ellie, but I must go attend a court."

"Today's Sunday already?" Rarity asked herself, tapping her lips if a finger. "You must have to deal with Blue's work then?"

Fancy lost his joyful demeanor. "If you mean by work, you mean sabotaging and authorizing a withdraw of over ten thousand bits from the treasury for a...legal brothel."

Her face turned to a scowl, and Rarity huffed. "I wished I had a dagger last gala. He had the gall to ask me for a walk around the castle, believing I didn't smell his lust already."

"Okay, ew, didn't need to hear that." Ellie closed her eyes and rubbed one of them. She looked away and then went to go sit over on a chair, her legs feeling a little heavy for some odd reason just now.

Rarity looks back at Fancy and smiles at him. "I hope we'll get to talk again soon. I'd like to show you what I've been working on, and I'm sure your wife will enjoy the winter line I have planned."

Fancy takes Rarity's hand and kisses it gently. His eyes look down at her when he stands back straight up. "Yes, I hope so as well Lady Rarity." He nods to Ellie. "Ms. Ellie." He spins on his "heels" and leaves them almost as fast as he came.

"I'm afraid he left a bad impression on you." Rarity absently commented to herself, not even aware the words just fell out, but otherwise just looked over them without much more thought than realizing what she said. With a shrug she makes the order and within ten minutes, Rarity and Ellie were being lead by a black coated mare with silk-white colored hair and bright green eyes. She didn't bother giving her name, which was alright with Ellie. All these names for ponies she might not meet again, Ellie wanted to get back to being herself. All this calm was getting to her without a doubt.

After a quick walk they entered another room with a massive tub and two long tables with round padded holes. It stunk of lavender, strawberries, and oddly enough - salt. She visibly cringed which didn't go unnoticed by Rarity instead the taller white mare choose to ignore it as well. She just chalked it up to simply how Ellie has lived. Ellie spoke in vivid detail of her life, how much danger she was almost always in. Living in a world were Darwinism took another step forward, flipped the bird, shat on it, and simply stating that, "Let's become as brutal as possible, Natural Selection." and Natural Selection said "Yes, that sounds like absolute fun!". Then fungoid zombie apocalypse, then suddenly in a tranquil environment. Just simply thinking that the shock was great was an understatement, and the fact she left someone important who could be in even more danger now that she was missing without a trace. This Joel was just as important to Ellie as she was to Joel.

But that was Rarity. Ellie couldn't stop thinking of her surroundings, then noticed Rarity getting undressed. Ellie watched it all, from how when she took off her blouse Rarity was wearing something under it.

"What's that?"

Rarity looked down at her bra. "This is a bra sweetie..." Then she realized what this meant, Ellie wasn't wearing one at all, and most likely no panties either. "Well, I'll see to it that you get educated on such matters. For now, we need to get undressed."

Ellie's face lit up, eyes widening. "W-why?"

"So we may take our bath. Don't want to get your clothes all wet now would you?"

She mulled Rarity's words over then nodded. She slowly began removing her shirt and tried her hardest to hide her scar. Next she slowly pulled down her pants and dropped them next to her. Ellie's head was facing the floor so she couldn't see Rarity studying her. Ellie was very tan, all over her body even which was something she wasn't expecting. She also saw a small patch of hair between her legs, and only a small bit of hair on her legs. She smiled and finished undressing, then threw them to a basket in the corner.

Rarity gently stepped closer to Ellie who continued to try to hide herself. Her moderately sized breasts fit her form well, but she also seemed a bit halfway through her maturity to a true adult. "You're very beautiful Ellie." Rarity said, resting her hands on Ellie's shoulders. At her touch, she flinched and shuddered a sigh. "Calm down, you're okay Ellie, we're just taking a bath now. We're both mares."

Ellie saw the hooves on Rarity, her legs, how they bent, to her belly, and then her breasts. They were the size of her head, and finally, she stared into her eyes and suddenly seemed to calm down. She took a breath and released it while nodding.

"Yeah...you're right." She said. "And...thank you...no one has called me beautiful before." Ellie felt herself blushing and quickly walked over to the large steaming tub. She tipped a foot in it and winced because she wasn't used to seeing or feeling hot water. It came as a blessing and was to be used wisely. Though it was hard and hot, she slowly got her body in the tub. She covered her breasts and her private with each arm.

Rarity fell in next to her and gave a relaxed sigh. "Oh Celestia this feels great...How does it feel Ellie."

"I feel like I'm being boiled from the inside..."She takes in a few sighs to try to cool off a little. "...on the outside." She looked away and spied a clock. "How long until I'm done cooking?"

Rarity smiled. "Ha, that was funny."

Ellie started to smile too. "I have tons of jokes. Here's a good one. 'I walked into my sister's room and tripped on her bra...It was a booby trap'." Ellie felt herself smiling at the end of the joke,

Rarity was laughing a little. "My little sister Sweetie Belle just got her first bra a few months ago."

"What is a bra anyways?"

"Right, you go commando..." Rarity pursed her lips and pointed to her pile of clothes. "A bra helps keep a lady's bust up and held firm so that they don't give us black eyes. We also wear panties which just help cover ourselves. I'm actually surprised that with mares like those you haven't had a black eye yet, or have you?"

"Unless you count a zombie fist, or a fight if a cannibal, um...no. No black eyes from my boobs." She shrugged then thought of something else that was funny. "Oh, here's another joke. 'Do you know what's the leading cause of divorce'?"

"What?"

"A stale-mate."

Rarity smacked her head. "Oh that's awful..."

"Joel said that too." Ellie shook her head too. "Here's another: I used to be addicted to soap...I'm clean now."

"Hehe..." Rarity's smile returned. "Another please!" At least she's trying to loosen up, even if it's making awful jokes.

"What did the mermaid wear to mathclass?"

"What?"

"An algaebra." Rarity tried to hold back a snort and let it fall out of her mouth with a short laugh. "Why did the scarecrow get a promotion?"

"Why?"

"Because he was out-standing in his field."

"That's so...bad..." Rarity shook her head but a long smile was on her face, clearly enjoying these jokes. "One more."

Ellie's smile faltered for a second, something Rarity caught. "Why can't your nose be twelve inches long?"

"Why Ellie?"

"Because....Because then it would be a foot." Ellie's mood suddenly fell and grew silent.

"Everything alright dear?" Rarity gently placed a hand on her back and rubbed it slowly.

Ellie scooted away. "No...I don't want to talk about it."

Rarity spied a few scars on her back while Ellie inched away from her. "It may help you if you do. You can trust me."

"No...No not right now..."

There was a few knocks at the door. "Let's get on those tables so Ruby and Sapphire can work their magic, maybe even help you feel better." Rarity used her magic to bring over a few slices of cucumber and gave two to Ellie. "Put these on your eyes."

Ellie stared at them with a confused frown. "Why? What a waste of good food." She grabbed each and began munching.

Rarity sighed. "I should have figured..." She laid down on the bed, only to feel Ellie grab her cucumbers. "I'll need to teach you proper manners as well." She said more to herself.

With a groan, a tall brown Earth Pony with grayish-black mane rolled onto his back and tried his best to figure out what actually just happened. He also carried a rougher looking goatee. There was a bright green light then everything went dark. When he was able to open his eyes, he found himself staring into the eyes of a odd looking horse. It was orange and wore a beige stetson hat.

"You okay fel-*THWACK*-OW!" The horse tried greeting but Joel's fist went faster than sound to her face.

After he punched it straight in the face and tried to run but ended up tripping on his hooves. "GAH! Dammit!"

"COME BACK HERE YOU VERMIN!!!" The mare cried out with rage while a small stream of blood ran down her snout.

"Shit!" He tried to get up again but fell back down when he noticed his hands. "What the damn hell?" Just as he was able to take a look at the rest of himself the mare rammed into him.

"Now why the hay did ya punch me for?! I was askin' if you were alright!" She yelled at him with a fist raised, but soon dropped it. She took a deep breath and let it go.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked mostly himself. "Well?" He asked her now.

"Yer in Equestria dummy..." She got off him and looked around. "You okay? You look a little sick. What's yer name?"

He struggled to stand up and dusted off his torn clothes. "My name is Joel Miller...and...I have no clue what the two suns of hell is goin' on."

"My name's Applejack, and if there's a question you need answerin', you gotta find Twilight. She's a friend of mine who could help. Although...." She thought for a few seconds then nodded to herself. "We might wanna find Discord too, he may know. You look like yer more than a little lost."

Joel thought for a minute or two while the mare stood over him with a hand to help him up. All of this was crazy, but something odd was going on. Whether it was a dream or not, Joel felt like the best course of action was to follow her as she knew better about this."Thank you. If I had a way to repay you, I would." He said and turned around. "Which way to this Discord?"

"This way, straight on that path and we'll make a left at the bridge. Her home is a tree, a big one so you can't miss it. Discord like's to hang around Fluttershy's all the time."

"Applejack...Fluttershy? Odd names...for, well, what are we anyways?" Joel felt more confused.

"We're Ponies, now, let's go."

"Could you at least explain? Maybe a little bit?" He asked, still up there in the confusisphere.

"Well, You and I are Earth Ponies, we're the strongest of all except the princesses. The unicorns have-"

"Horns and do magic? Let me guess, there are pegasi too?" Things were starting to come together. Something was up, this was all suddenly exactly like what Sarah watched a few years ago.

"They control the weather. How'd you know?" Applejack asked him, this time it was her turn to be confused.

Joel frowned and closed his fists. "My late daughter...she watched a TV show called My Little Pony...She watched it when she was a little past ten years old. I figured she grew out of little kid shows by then...." He shook his head. "Let's go find some help. I want to figure out what the Hell is goin' on! And soon! This is all too familiar."

Applejack scratched her head then gave a light shrug, leading Joel along with her. She figured once Joel got help sooner rather than later, he would be more willing to explain. What was a TV show? "What's a TV" She thought aloud.

She now lead Joel down the right road at least, like a good neighbor would. Joel was different, just by looking at him she could see where fur wasn't growing back in, but only on his exposed arms. He was wearing long dark blue pants made of a material AJ wasn't familiar with, and on his top he wore a red and black plaid long sleeve shirt but with the sleeves rolled up above his elbows. He was taller than her for sure, a good head above her own.

Now all that was left to do was to help Joel out as much as she was able, and maybe then, he would apologize for giving her a bloody nose. Maybe...

Author's Note

It'll be a while before they meet let alone hear about each other.

I'd like to say that I'm using my creative freedom to make Ellie completely unaware of underwear. Only for the bit of comedy in this chapter. Oh, and I wanted to make Joel's name Baker (after the actor since there really isn't a last name for him besides a M. you find after Joel's name in Sarah's room). So I decided to go with Miller because: Mercer, Miles were just too out there...

Also, I made a jab at anyone who makes the "Naked Ape/Monkey" cliche....Yes, including myself.