Assisting a Rarityby SilentpegasusChaptersChapter 1: Worst Day Ever?Chapter 2: The InterviewChapter 3: Settling InChapter 1: Worst Day Ever?Assisting a Rarity by Silent Pegasus Chapter 1 Worst Day Ever? It has been three months since the portals opened up and revealed a whole new world to the human race, the mysterious creatures known as ponies were discovered. They were anthropomorphized versions of the ponies humans had seen in farmlands or at carnivals. They each had pastel colored skin, pointed ears, hooves, manes and tails. Some had horns coming from their heads were called Unicorns, the ones with wings were known as Pegasi and the normal ponies were known as Earth ponies. Aside from that they were very much like humans. Thankfully they came in peace and were kind to their new inter dimensional neighbors. The Princesses were kind and allowed humans to explore their world of Equestria, not without a very through background check of course. Despite the governments of Earth and Equestria finding peace there were people and ponies alike that didn’t like theses new creatures. David Washington was one of the many humans who made the long journey to the new realm in search for greener pastures. He ran a hand through his black hair as he waited to step inside his boss’s office. He’d been working for an advertising company in Manehattan for a little over a month and had done his best to fit in, but it’s quite a challenge when you’re the only human among dozens of anthropomorphized ponies. Many of them kept their distance from the man as they were still unsure about his species. He couldn’t blame them. In fact he was still skittish around the concept of magic being real along with weather manipulation and every other crazy thing that happened in Equestria. David adjusted his glasses that rested in front of his dark green eyes before he gave a knock on the wooden door in front of him. “Who is it?” A gruff voice asked. David opened the door and poked his head through the crack to see an orange skinned stallion with a greying blonde head of hair, tail and mustache. The name plate on the desk said Rusty Sunset. “You wanted to see me sir?” He waved him inside and gestured David to take the seat in front of his desk. He obliged and felt an odd tension form between the two. The manager let out a huff and pulled out a file. “I like you David. You’re a hard worker, always on time and you know your way around all these new toys you humans are bringing over.” Ever since humans started coming to Equestria they have been sharing their technology with the new world. David couldn’t help but feel a wave of pride wash over him. “Unfortunately, I’m gonna have to let you go.” David looked at Rusty in confusion as the words hit him like a fully loaded dump truck. “What, why?” “A lot of the other employees here feel uncomfortable around you.” David frowned at this. “How is that my problem?” “It’s not your fault.” Rusty sighed. “Remember when we had those ponies from Canterlot come through here last week?” He remembered a group of posh looking stallions and mares coming through to inspect the work area. They’d even stopped at his desk for a minute or two while he was working yet never spoke to him. “What about them?” “They’re ponies higher up on the food chain than me, my boss, his boss and probably even her’s.” He sighed heavily. “I didn’t even say anything to them. They just walked by my desk while I was working.” He said raising his hand up in protest. “I know, but they didn’t want,” He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. “you to disrupt the work force.” David narrowed his eyes. “Somehow I think that’s the watered down version.” The stallion gave him a nervous smile and a shrug. “You are correct. They phrased it in a much more colorful way that isn’t appropriate for the work place, if you catch my drift." He grimaced as he remembered the exact words they'd used to describe the human. "I don’t want to do this, but if I don’t then my boss will do it and make a huge spectacle of it, knowing how much of a melodramatic ass that he is and then I’ll be put on the horns for disobeying him.” The stallion hung his head in disappointment. “What’s that saying you humans have, Poop runs down stream?” “‘Shit rolls down hill. You can throw shit up hill cause it will roll right back down, but heavier.’” David said with a sigh. “I get it. Should I clean my desk out now or at the end of today?” “Finish out the day and I’ll be sure to pass along the money you’ve earned and feel free to put me down as a reference.” David nodded before going back to his desk with his head held low like a beaten dog. He finished his work and cleaned out what little he had from his desk at the end of the day. David walked several blocks until he reached his apartment building. He collected his mail that mostly consisted of junk or advertisements. David felt several eyes on him as he walked through the main lobby of the apartment building. He climbed the steps until he reached the third floor and walked into his small apartment. He had a futon bed, a kitchenette and a bathroom with a small sink and tub. It wasn’t bad, but it was less than he was comfortable with. He plopped himself on the futon in the living room and started sifting through the junk mail before he sighed heavily in defeat. Time to start hunting. He cracked open his laptop and started printing out several copies of his resume before he made dinner for himself and went to sleep hoping tomorrow would be better. David spent the next few days venturing out into the city in search for a job. By the sixth day of searching he’d been turned down by over two dozen different office jobs and even some basic restaurant positions. He was just about to give up hope when his eyes caught something in the newspaper that he'd picked up in a news stand in front of his building. Seeking administrative assistant, schedule interview by phone. He took out his phone and dialed the number listed and waited for an answer. After waiting for nearly ten minutes he was just about to hang up when he heard a voice over the phone. “H-Hello?” It was a timid female voice that answered and he cleared his throat before speaking. “Hello, is this Carousel Boutique?” He said in the best upbeat tone he could muster after a long day of rejection. “Yes, how can I help you?” “I came across your add in the paper and I was wondering if the position for the administrative assistant was still open?” He heard a sound of acknowledgement come form the receiver. “Let me get my manager. She’ll want to talk with you.” “Take your time.” He stayed on the line and heard the receiver change hands. “Hello?” This voice was completely different to the one he was speaking to before. This one was filled with confidence and had a very elegant tone to it. “Hello, I was interested in the position you have advertised in the paper, the one for the administration assistant.” “Ah yes, I placed that three days ago. You’re actually the first to respond to it.” “Well I have experience in,” He started to list of a few skills he knew when he heard the voice speak up. “I hate to cut you off dear, but I’m positively swamped at the moment.” She said with an exhausted sigh. “Besides I’d much rather speak to you face to face about this kind of thing. Are you free for an interview?” He winced at the thought of meeting the woman and having her turn him away once she found out that he wasn’t a pony. “What time is most convenient for you?” David could hardly believe his luck. “Let me check my schedule.” David could hear the shuffling of papers and a cheer of success followed by more flipping pages. “I have an opening tomorrow at 12:30. Will that work?” “Of course. I’m currently in Manehattan, where is your business located?” He asked as he rifled through his bag and pulled out a pen and paper to write down the address as she spoke. “I’m stationed in a small town called Ponyville. It’s about two hours by train to get here.” There was a brief pause in her voice. “I’m terribly sorry dear, but what is your name?” David hesitated. Every time he’d given his name they’d hung up immediately on him. He needed this job. “Call me Mr. W.” He mentally kicked himself for the crappy name. “Oh well aren’t you mysterious?” Her tone had a hint of amusement. “And who am I addressing?” He asked in a similar amused tone. “You may call me Madam Belle.” She said with a small giggle, no doubt playing along. “Well, I look forward to meeting you in person Ms. Belle.” “Likewise, ta-ta.” She hung up the phone and David quickly started gathering what he needed for the interview. Author's Note New story folks! Hope you liked it. Chapter 2: The InterviewChapter 2 The Interview The next day, David packed his messenger bag with a few files of his work and his laptop safely stored inside. He picked out a nice black collared shirt, dark grey vest and bright green tie that matched his eyes. He quickly made his way to the translation and purchased his ticket for Ponyville. He boarded the train a few minutes later and found a place to sit. He could feel many ponies looking at him but brushed it off as he plugged in his I-pod and focused on the music. Two hours later the train pulled to a halt and the conductor announced that they were at Ponyville. David pulled off his headphones and stood up from his seat. He rubbed his eyes as the morning sun shined on his face as he stepped of the train and onto the platform. He opened them to see a quaint town that looked like something out of a story book. Simple two story houses lined the cobblestone streets and several stores were selling their wares. He stepped off the platform and started looking for where he was going to meet his potential employer. Eventually the ponies in the town started to take notice to the newcomer and didn’t look at him. There are two ways to not look at something; there’s the ‘oh I didn’t see you there’ and then there’s ‘not looking at something on purpose whether it’s sore for the eyes or you don’t want to draw attention to yourself by staring.’ This type was the latter. At least it’s better than being gawked at like I’m on display at a zoo. Suddenly, a bright pink mare with bouncy pink hair and big blue eyes suddenly appeared in front of David. The human staggered back and almost lost his balance as he saw her pearly white smile. “Ooh, a new pony in town!” She looked him up and down. “Well, not a pony a person!” Her smile suddenly faltered and her most made a large O shape while she let out a large gasp. The mare suddenly vanished in a burst of speed that literally left a blur of pink behind her. “What the hell was that?” He said in a hushed tone as he stood dumbfounded as the pink blur went out of view. “That was Pinkie Pie.” David whirled around to see an orange mare with a bright blonde mane tied into a ponytail. The mare looked like a quintessential cow girl, she had on a red plaid shirt, worn out blue jeans and a leather stetson hat sat on top of her blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. “Don’t fret none, she’s always like that.” She said in her southern accented voice as the mare held out a gloved hand to shake. “My name is Applejack.” “David,” He said as he shook her hand. Man she’s got a strong grip! He thought as he took his hand back and shook it in an attempt to shake off the throbbing sensation. The mare then started sizing him up and she crossed her arms under her chest. “I take it your one of them humans?” David gave a hesitant nod waiting for the shoe to drop. Instead he was greeted with the first warm smile he’d seen in a while. “Well, welcome to Ponyville.” She gave him a hard slap on his back that made him stumble slightly. Note to self, never make this mare mad. “So, what brings you to Ponyville?” “I’m actually on my way to a job interview.” He said as he straightened out his clothes. “Unfortunately, I have no idea where this place is. It’s my first time in this town.” “What’s the name of the place? I know this town like the back of my hand.” She flipped over her gloved right hand. “Carousel Boutique, it’s supposed to be around here I think.” Applejack’s eyes flashed and looked him over again, this time looking more closely at his clothes. “You know the place?” “Sure do!” She pointed down the road. “Just go down the road that way and take the third right, then it’ll be right there. Rarity’s place has got a real big fancy looking roof. Ya can’t miss it.” So Rarity is the mare I spoke to? David nodded in understanding. He thanked her and continued on his way down the street. He followed the farmer’s directions and sure enough he came up tot a posh looking establishment. David could smell the perfume before he walked through the front door. As he opened the door the bell hanging over it chimed announcing his arrival. He looked around and saw several mannequins dressed in different kinds of clothes, mostly dresses and finer things that appealed to those with money to spend. “H-hello?” A meek voice peeped out. David turned to his right to see an earth pony mare with an off-white coat of fur and a two-tone blue mane and matching tail. She was wearing a collared lavender blouse with white trim with matching pants. Around her neck was a scarlet red tie. Her blue mane had a tri-shade hair clip hair clip that held the back of her mane. Just by looking at her David could tell she was shy. Her light teal eyes had much uncertainty as she looked at the human. “Hi, I’m looking for Ms.Belle?” He said in the calmest and friendliest voice he could muster. “I have an appointment with her at 12:30.” “Of course, have a seat and I’ll fetch her for you.” She gestured to one of the chairs. David sat down and adjusted his glasses. “Tell her Mr.W is here.” He gave her a smile before she hurried off almost tripping as she went up the stairs. David waited patiently and flipped open his pocket watch to check the time. He heard a door close and looked tot he top of the stairs. It took every ounce of control he had not to stare at the Unicorn mare. She had fur white as the snow and a mane of purple hair that cascaded down the right side of her face that was parted by her horn. The end of her mane and tail had a curl at the ends. She was wearing a bright white blouse and a violet business casual skirt that went down to her knees. He felt her sapphire blue eyes on him and a coy smile spread across her lips. “Well, if it isn’t the mystery stallion,” She said as she reached the bottom of the steps. “or mystery man to be more precise.” David stood up and adjusted his glasses. “You must be Ms. Rarity.” The mare raised an eyebrow at how he knew her name. “You’re well informed.” She said as she reached out to shake his hand. David returned the gesture. “I like to consider myself resourceful.” He said as he shook her delicate hand. “Apparently,” She said as she took her hand back. “still I don’t know who you are Mr. W.” She said as a smile tugged at her lips. “David Washington,” He said as he gave her a bow and a flourish of his hand. “it’s good to put such a lovely face to match the voice.” Rarity put on a smile that would make a cat jealous. “Aren’t you charming?” She said coyly. “Well, shall we get down to business?” “Let’s, but I’m quite famished. Would you mind if we talked over lunch?” He gave a shrug. “By all means. Although, I can’t give a good recomendation on where to eat.” Rarity walked over and grabbed her purse and slung it over her left shoulder. “I know a lovely place.” She then walked back to the foot of the stairs. “Coco,” The mare from before poked her head out from the corner of the stairs. “I’ll be going out for lunch with a client. If anyone calls just take down their information and order.” “Yes, Ms.Rarity,” She said in a tone that could barely be considered more than a whisper. Rarity checked her make up and mane in a nearby mirror before heading towards the door with the human in tow. After a bit of walking, The two arrived at a quaint little establishment called ‘The Dandelion.’ As soon as they sat down a waiter with light yellow fur and a light blue mustache arrived. “Good afternoon Ms.Rarity,” He paused as he eyed David with a suspicious look. “Hello Dandy,” She said with a smile. “I’d like a meal for myself and my friend here.” David gave him a smug grin seeing the slight irritation in the waiter’s face as she addressed him as a friend. “Of course, can I offer either of you something to drink in the meantime?” He asked as he took out a pencil and pad. “I’ll have the usual tea.” Rarity chimed. “I’ll just have some ice water.” David said as another waiter came by and handed them each a menu. Rarity’s sapphire blue eyes danced across the pages until she found what she was looking for. “I’ll have the salad special.” She said closing her menu. “Likewise, but with ranch dressing.” David said as he handed him the menu. “It’ll be ready momentarily.” Dandy said before walking off to deal with more customers. Just as soon as he left, their drink arrived and Rarity sipped her tea. “There’s nothing quite like afternoon tea.” She set the cup down and focused her attention on the man in front of her. “So then David, if that’s even your real name.” She must still be a little irked at him for withholding his name. “Tell me a bit about yourself.” David set his glass of water down and adjusted his glasses. “First off, let me apologize for the slight deception Ms. Rarity.” His tone was sincere. “It’s just that every time I called to apply for a job back in Manehattan the employer immediately hung up on me once they found out I was a human despite my resume. The same thing happened when I walked into places with a wanted sign posted out front.” Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise at this. “I was worried that this would turn out as bad as all the others so I just withheld certain information until it became relevant.” He did feel guilty about the misdirection, especially to somepony who’d actually given him the time of day. “I’d prefer you rather judge me on who I am, rather than what I am.” He stopped talking as their salads arrived. “Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear that dear. Some ponies just judge books by their cover without even turning the first page.” She said before she let out an irritated huff. “How many jobs did you apply for?” She asked as she took a bite out of a pice of lettuce. “Since I got let go a week ago? I’d say over two dozen places.” Rarity looked at him with calm demeanor. “Where did you work before hand?” “A small company in Manehattan called Sunny Day Advertising. I got let go because some of the higher ups did a walkthrough and didn’t like the fact that a human was working at their company. The manager was nice enough, but it was either he do it in private or his boss would tar and feather me in front of everyone.” Rarity’s eyes shrank at the words. “They’d what?” She said in a concerned in a confused tone. “It’s a human phrase. It means they’d make a big spectacle out of it.” He took another bite from his salad. “Well, that is just utterly uncouth.” She said in an irritated tone before sipping her tea. “May I see your resume?” David nodded and reached into his bag and pulled a sheet of manilla colored paper out of a folder. Rarity started reading the page to herself. She stopped when she got to his education. “You have a degree in Computer Science?” “It wasn’t easy.” He shivered as he recalled the dozens upon dozens of sleepless nights he had to endure to get his degree. “Plus I was working during those years so it took a bit longer than it should have.” “So you’re good with computers and all those fun little toys you humans have?” “Yes, I’m good at hardware and some software modification. I even built my own computer a few years back.” David saw something of a mix of excitement and relief appear in her eyes. “I’m also proficient in creating spreadsheets, schedules, slide show presentations and some graphic design.” “What’s that?” “I can edit photos I’ve taken with my camera and doctor them, along with creating different designs from a program on my computer. I have some printed if you’d like to see?” Rarity gave a nod as she handed him back his resume. David went back into his bag and pulled out some of the work he’d done for Rusty. Rarity looked through the small stack and hummed to herself. As she looked through, David could feel more and more ponies starting to notice him. He ignored them and turned his attention back to the mare. As he looked closer, he could almost see the gears turning in Rarity’s head. She was analyzing his work with the same efficiency a computer might several lines of unknown code. “You certainly have some talents.” She said handing back his papers. “If you don’t mind, I have some questions of my own about the position in question.” “Feel free to ask.” She said picking up her teacup once more. “What exactly would my duties entail if I were hired?” He sat forwards and rested his hands on the table. “It looked like you already have an assistant. The other mare with the teal mane and tail.” He sipped his water as Rarity made the connection in her head. “Oh, you mean Coco.” He gave a nod assuming that was her name. “Yes, she is my assistant, but she mostly helps me with designing and stitching. She does have experience in sales and keeping everything in order, but there’s only so much one mare can keep track of when you’re getting orders from all over Equestria and now some from a whole new world.” “She seems a bit,” He bit his lip as he thought of the right word. “timid to be in this competitive field of work. If you don’t mind me saying.” Rarity nodded in agreement at the words. “I know, she’s very shy. That’s because of her last boss.” Rarity rolled her eyes as she said the last bit. David didn’t ask about the previous employer, but he could tell that it didn’t seem like a pleasant experience. “Even though we have them, neither of us know how to use all the new computers and gadgets your species has introducing to us.” Since David had first arrived in Equestria he noticed a distinct lack of cars or airplanes or any other kind of technology that was present on Earth. “I bet it’s a bit of a culture shock and to be fair, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that magic actually exists in this world.” He shrugged. “So we’re in similar boats.” “I recall hearing that your world doesn’t have any magic, that’s quite strange from my standpoint.” She said as her horn glowed a light blue and levitated the teacup to her lips. David couldn’t help but shiver. Even though he’d been in Equestria for months he was still as wary of magic as much as most ponies were of him. “Well, I think this has been a very productive interview and I hope you’ll show me how to properly use those infernal contraptions.” David stared at her blankly for a moment and tried to form the correct words. “So just to clarify, I’m hired?” Rarity smiled a sweet smile. A wave of relief washed over the man as though he’d gone weeks without a shower and he’d just discovered a crystal blue waterfall. “Thank you very much Ms. Rarity.” She held up a hand stopping him. “You can drop the formalities dear, Rarity is fine. I propose a toast,” She held out her teacup towards him. He gently clinked his glass against her cup. “to our new partnership.” “Here, here,” He said with a smile. “Now all I need to do is find a place to live. I don’t feel like spending a ticket and a two hour ride by train everyday. Not to mention the apartment I have is killing my savings.” He pulled out his wallet and paid for his meal. Rarity did the same and left the waiter a gracious tip. “I may know a place that just might work. Come along David~” She said as she strode out into the town with her new assistant by her side. Chapter 3: Settling InChapter 3 Settling in It wasn’t long before the two arrived back at Carousel Boutique. As she stepped through the door Rarity called for Coco. Not ten-seconds later the earth pony mare quickly appeared before them. She gulped slightly as she saw David and avoided eye contact. “Coco, this is David. He’s going to be working with us from now on. David, this is my assistant Coco Pommel.” She gestured to the cream colored mare. “Nice to meet you.” David stuck his hand out to shake. Coco returned the gesture although she was quick to pull her hand away. “Tell me dear, have you had any luck with finding a roommate to help you with the rent and upkeep of your home?” Rarity asked as she looked at he friend. Coco meekly shook her head. “N-no, I haven’t had a lot of time to look around.” Coco said in a soft tone. Rarity smiled and David managed to put the pieces together. “Coco, we’re closing up early today. I want to show David around town a bit and I think he might be the answer to your rent situation.” Coco’s eyes went from Rarity to David and it clicked in her mind. David saw the small bit of panic in her eyes and stepped in. “Ms.Pommel, if you’re uncomfortable with sharing a residence with me, I understand.” He said in a calm tone. “We literally just met and I know our species are still getting use to one another. If you’d give me a chance to prove myself I’d be very grateful.” Coco looked at him and shifted her weight from one hoof to the other before giving him a polite nod. “Thank you.” With that, Rarity closed the store and started showing David around town with Coco in tow. Rarity did an excellent job of showing David where everything was in Ponyville. The small town even had a tavern that looked like ones he’d read about in fantasy novels. As they walked through the town David felt several eyes on him, Coco’s included. Eager to break the uncomfortable silence, David spoke up. “I ran into a friend of yours earlier today.” Rarity looked back at him. “A farm mare named Applejack?” The white mare smiled at him. “Oh yes, we’re the best of friends.” David nodded. “You wouldn’t happen to know a hyperactive pink mare would you?” She nodded again. “That’s Pinkie Pie, I take it she ran up to you and started babbling?” “Bingo,” He said as they stopped in front of a building that looked straight out of a children’s fairy tale.The exterior looked like a fancy ginger bread house with icing, gumdrops and several other kinds of candy. “This is Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie works as a baker here.” The three went inside and to see a tall thin mustard colored stallion at the cash register while a cyan mare was bringing a tray out to a lavender colored mare that caught David’s eye. Unlike the other ponies he’d seen she had both a horn protruding from her head that was slightly larger than other Unicorns he'd seen and pair of feathered lavender wings coming from her back. The mare set down her book and looked up at the trio. A smile spread on her face as Rarity approached. “Good afternoon Rarity,” She said as Rarity returned the gesture. “Twilight, it’s been ages.” Twilight then looked past her friend and saw David. As soon as her purple eyes locked onto him, David felt as if he were being analyzed the same way a mad scientist does before pulling some Dr. Frankenstein experiments. Rarity followed her gaze and gestured David over. “This is David, he’s going to be assisting Coco and I with the new technology I ordered.” Twilight smiled and extended her hand. David took it and gave it a good shake. “Nice to meet you.” She said with a smile. He nodded and took his hand back. “Likewise, Rarity is giving me a quick tour of the town.” They exited the establishment and continued through the small town until they came upon a two story house with a clay tiled roof. Coco spoke up for the first time since they left the boutique. “This is my house.” She said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny brass key that fit the large lock on the front door. She opened the wooden door to reveal a simple living room that connected to a kitchen and a dinning room. The living room had several pictures standing on shelves and hanging on walls. There was a large couch and a coffee table in front of the couch. A fire place with a chimney was built into the far side of the wall and a television still in the box laid against the far wall. “It’s very nice.” David commented. It was far nicer than the apartment he currently occupied. Coco walked up stairs into a hallway that led to a bathroom at the far end with two doors on the opposite side of the hallway. She went to the room on the right and opened it to show a fairly large empty room, excluding an unused queen sized bed. A medium sized window was on the far and left wall “This is the guest room.” She said meekly. David stepped in and looked around at the room. There was so much more space. He could actually set up his desk and have an actual bed rather than sleeping on the apartment’s futon and not get a stiff neck from sleeping. “I’m sorry if it’s a little small.” “Small? It’s like the Taj Mahal compared to my studio apartment.” He joked. “The what?” Rarity cocked her head to the side at the strange word. “I’ll show you a picture of it later.” He said as he looked out the window to see the town. “What is that?” Rarity came up beside him to see that he was pointing at the large crystal palace at the far edge of town. “That’s Twilight’s castle.” Rarity answered plainly. “Her castle?” It was his turn to look surprised. “She has a castle?” “Yes, she is a Princess after all.” His face went ashen as he remembered how informally he spoke to her. “A Princess?” He exclaimed. “Like a legitimate Princess that rules over lands and grants titles and things like that?” Rarity nodded. “I thought there were only three Princesses?” He's heard of Celestia, Luna and the last name escaped him, but he was sure she was pink, not purple. “She became one only a few months ago. I think it was around the same time the portals opened up to your world.” Coco nodded at Rarity’s words. That explains why he didn’t hear about it. “Is she gonna arrest me for not greeting her formally?” Rarity blinked once and let out a laugh. “Oh heavens no, Twilight is not one for formalities. In fact she prefers informal behavior rather then having everypony bow down to her.” He breathed a sigh of relief at the words and turned his attention back to the room. “This place would work out just fine if you’re comfortable with me staying here Coco.” The mare gave a hesitant nod. He could tell that she was still nervous around him and decided to keep his distance so he looked as less threatening as possible. They exited the home and Rarity continued with the tour through the town pointing out key areas of the town. The hours passed and the sky soon turned a dark orange color. The trio arrived back at the train station. “Well, this has been a very lovely day.” He said to the two mares. “However I must be off and start packing my things and finding a moving company for my belongings.” Rarity reached into her purse and wrote down a number on a slip of paper before handing it to the man. “That is the number to a moving company I’ve used in the past. Feel free to drop my name dear.” She wished him a safe trip and David headed onto the train bound for Manehattan. David spent the next week packing his belongings into boxes. The bright side was that he had very few cumbersome things aside from his computer and other gadgets. Most of his more valuable belongings were in a storage shed back on Earth which he planned on keeping until he could find a safe place to store it. He called the number Rarity had given him and the moving company agreed to move his things for half the normal rate when he mentioned he was going to be working for Rarity. David boarded the train with a duffle bag bounded towards the small town and his new life. He stepped off the train to see Rarity waiting for him. She was wearing a fine purple blouse and pristine white pants. He greeted her politely and the two made their way towards his new home. A thought came to the man and he turned his head towards the mare. “How do you know the moving company?” He asked. “I helped them redesign their logo and made them uniforms when they were first starting out and they’ve been such good customers since.” She smiled as they came upon Coco’s house where the moving truck was out front. It was one of the few vehicles that David had seen since he got to Equestria. A Pegasus mare with dark brown fur and feathers smiled as they approached. “Rarity, it’s been too long.” She said with a kind smile. “Hello Mocha,” Rarity smiled and gave her a hug. “We’ll have to do lunch some time.” David looked inside the truck and saw it was empty. “All your things are inside and intact.” Mocha said with a smile. David returned the smile and walked up to her. “Thank you for your hard work. How much do I owe you?” He was about to pull out his checkbook when Rarity held up a hand. “Just send me the bill Mocha.” David’s jaw dropped at the words. “Rarity this is too generous. I can’t accept you doing something like that.” She held up a hand silencing him. “No dear I insist.” He wanted to argue more but her pristine blue eyes practically screamed ‘do not fight me on this.’ The human stood aside and allowed Rarity to pay the mover for her services. Mocha thanked Rarity and went on her way. David turned back to Rarity with raised eyebrows. “You didn’t have to do that Rarity.” She turned and only flashed him a smile. He sighed as he gave up trying to argue. The deal is done, no sense arguing about it. He thought as he headed inside. A thought occurred to him as he walked through the door. “Where’s Coco?” “She’s finishing up an order. Speaking of which I should probably get back as well.” She looked at her watch and nodded. David thanked her again before she walked back to her boutique. David then turned his attention to unpacking his things and setting up things in his room. His computer was on the desk near the window and he started setting up the wifi when he heard a knock on the door frame. He turned his head to see the cream colored mare poking her head inside. “Are you settling in okay?” She asked in her usual timid tone. “Just fine and thank you again for opening up your home to me.” She walked inside and looked at his computer with wonder. He continued to work and soon they had a stable wifi connection. “How do you make these things work?” She asked as her eyes ran over the mouse and keyboard. “I’ll show you one of these days.” He took his glasses off to rub his tired eyes. He looked at his watch and didn’t realize that it was approaching dinner time. “Time flies.” He said as he heard a growling noise come from his stomach. His face flushed a little red at his body. Coco seemed to remember something. “Rarity told me to come get you and we’ll meet her at Sugar Cube Corner for dinner.” “I thought it was just a bakery?” “It’s more like a bakery, cafe and sometimes a diner.” She gave him a shrug and David assumed that she didn’t quite know why either. He finished with the computer and grabbed his coat before he and the mare left the house. An awkward silence developed between the two as they walked down the cobblestone road towards the bakery. “So Coco, how long have you been working for Rarity?” Coco took a moment to think. “I’ve been working for her for about six months. I met her while she was at a fashion competition in Manhattan.” She seemed to withdraw as she mentioned the competition. He didn’t ask any more about the topic and saw that they were fast approaching the establishment. He looked inside the window and saw that the curtains were drawn. As he stepped inside the door the light’s suddenly flashed on and the sound of noise makers went off. A large group of ponies with different colored fur yelled out in unison. “Surprise!” David felt a nervous smile spread across his face as a familiar looking pink mare raced up to him. “Hi!” She said in a high pitched voice. “I saw you last week and I thought, ‘Oh a human in town!’ I had a plan to throw you a party later that day but then I saw you leave and I got so sad that,” An orange hand clamped over her mouth and ceased her waterfall of words. David saw the familiar farm mare slowly shaking her head. “What she means is that this is your official welcome party.” Pinkie nodded her head rapidly shaking off Applejack’s hand. Rarity then came up beside the mare. “I take it she does this for everyone?” Rarity nodded and started introducing him to the other ponies in the room. Mainly her other two close friends; Fluttershy, a timid yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane and tail who took care of the animals around town. The other was Rainbow Dash, a cyan Pegasus and true to her namesake, her mane and tail were all seven colors of the rainbow. There were several other ponies he met, Macintosh or ‘Big Mac’ as he was better known. Who was Applejack’s older brother and ran things at her farm and Thunderlane was on the weather team with Rainbow. After meeting so many ponies at once he needed to sit down and get his bearings. Rarity sat down across from him a drink in hand. “Enjoying yourself?” He nodded at her question. “I can safely say this is the friendliest welcome I’ve had since I got here.” The other mares soon joined them. “Most of the time ponies just stare at me like I’ve got three heads.” He stated. “Well, you’re the first human that’s living in this town.” Twilight said. David smirked at the news. He liked the thought of him being on soil unknown by other humans. He gulped as he realized he was once again talking to a Princess. “Forgive me for not addressing you more formally before your highness.” Twilight just chuckled and waved her hand. “Oh it’s no trouble. Just Twilight is fine.” David let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding hearing the words, but still kept up his best behavior around the Alicorn. “I had a few questions about your species, if you don’t mind me asking?” David agreed to her request provided they weren’t too personal. The lavender pony smiled and summoned a note pad and pen with magic which made the human flinch at the use of the strange force. “I heard that your species eat meat.” The other ponies around them all turned their attention. “Correct, although technically all humans are omnivores.” “Omni what?” Dash asked with a shake of her head. “It means they can gain sustenance from meat along with fruits and vegetables.” Fluttershy said speaking up for the first time. David nodded at the words. “Does that mean you eat ponies?” David seemed shocked at the question. “No, that’s illegal, same goes with horses.” He said with a shiver at the thought of consuming one. Fluttershy seemed to relax a little at the words. Twilight cleared her throat and took some notes. “I also hear that humans can’t do magic.” “Yes, there’s no magic on Earth.” The ponies all raised eyebrows at the words. “Then how do you control the weather?” Applejack asked. “We don’t. We can only predict it and even then we get it wrong.” He groaned at the memories when the forecast said it was supposed to be bright and sunny only to have it rain buckets later on. “However, what we lack in magic we make up for in technology and ingenuity.” He gave a brief explanation of the various ways of human transportation like trains, planes and automobiles. Soon, the man felt the day’s activities take their toll and excused himself for the evening. The group agreed that it was getting late and they each went about their way. Coco opened the door for the man and the two went to their rooms. David flopped himself down on his bed and cracked his neck before he got ready for bed and fell asleep.
Chapter 1: Worst Day Ever?Assisting a Rarity by Silent Pegasus Chapter 1 Worst Day Ever? It has been three months since the portals opened up and revealed a whole new world to the human race, the mysterious creatures known as ponies were discovered. They were anthropomorphized versions of the ponies humans had seen in farmlands or at carnivals. They each had pastel colored skin, pointed ears, hooves, manes and tails. Some had horns coming from their heads were called Unicorns, the ones with wings were known as Pegasi and the normal ponies were known as Earth ponies. Aside from that they were very much like humans. Thankfully they came in peace and were kind to their new inter dimensional neighbors. The Princesses were kind and allowed humans to explore their world of Equestria, not without a very through background check of course. Despite the governments of Earth and Equestria finding peace there were people and ponies alike that didn’t like theses new creatures. David Washington was one of the many humans who made the long journey to the new realm in search for greener pastures. He ran a hand through his black hair as he waited to step inside his boss’s office. He’d been working for an advertising company in Manehattan for a little over a month and had done his best to fit in, but it’s quite a challenge when you’re the only human among dozens of anthropomorphized ponies. Many of them kept their distance from the man as they were still unsure about his species. He couldn’t blame them. In fact he was still skittish around the concept of magic being real along with weather manipulation and every other crazy thing that happened in Equestria. David adjusted his glasses that rested in front of his dark green eyes before he gave a knock on the wooden door in front of him. “Who is it?” A gruff voice asked. David opened the door and poked his head through the crack to see an orange skinned stallion with a greying blonde head of hair, tail and mustache. The name plate on the desk said Rusty Sunset. “You wanted to see me sir?” He waved him inside and gestured David to take the seat in front of his desk. He obliged and felt an odd tension form between the two. The manager let out a huff and pulled out a file. “I like you David. You’re a hard worker, always on time and you know your way around all these new toys you humans are bringing over.” Ever since humans started coming to Equestria they have been sharing their technology with the new world. David couldn’t help but feel a wave of pride wash over him. “Unfortunately, I’m gonna have to let you go.” David looked at Rusty in confusion as the words hit him like a fully loaded dump truck. “What, why?” “A lot of the other employees here feel uncomfortable around you.” David frowned at this. “How is that my problem?” “It’s not your fault.” Rusty sighed. “Remember when we had those ponies from Canterlot come through here last week?” He remembered a group of posh looking stallions and mares coming through to inspect the work area. They’d even stopped at his desk for a minute or two while he was working yet never spoke to him. “What about them?” “They’re ponies higher up on the food chain than me, my boss, his boss and probably even her’s.” He sighed heavily. “I didn’t even say anything to them. They just walked by my desk while I was working.” He said raising his hand up in protest. “I know, but they didn’t want,” He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. “you to disrupt the work force.” David narrowed his eyes. “Somehow I think that’s the watered down version.” The stallion gave him a nervous smile and a shrug. “You are correct. They phrased it in a much more colorful way that isn’t appropriate for the work place, if you catch my drift." He grimaced as he remembered the exact words they'd used to describe the human. "I don’t want to do this, but if I don’t then my boss will do it and make a huge spectacle of it, knowing how much of a melodramatic ass that he is and then I’ll be put on the horns for disobeying him.” The stallion hung his head in disappointment. “What’s that saying you humans have, Poop runs down stream?” “‘Shit rolls down hill. You can throw shit up hill cause it will roll right back down, but heavier.’” David said with a sigh. “I get it. Should I clean my desk out now or at the end of today?” “Finish out the day and I’ll be sure to pass along the money you’ve earned and feel free to put me down as a reference.” David nodded before going back to his desk with his head held low like a beaten dog. He finished his work and cleaned out what little he had from his desk at the end of the day. David walked several blocks until he reached his apartment building. He collected his mail that mostly consisted of junk or advertisements. David felt several eyes on him as he walked through the main lobby of the apartment building. He climbed the steps until he reached the third floor and walked into his small apartment. He had a futon bed, a kitchenette and a bathroom with a small sink and tub. It wasn’t bad, but it was less than he was comfortable with. He plopped himself on the futon in the living room and started sifting through the junk mail before he sighed heavily in defeat. Time to start hunting. He cracked open his laptop and started printing out several copies of his resume before he made dinner for himself and went to sleep hoping tomorrow would be better. David spent the next few days venturing out into the city in search for a job. By the sixth day of searching he’d been turned down by over two dozen different office jobs and even some basic restaurant positions. He was just about to give up hope when his eyes caught something in the newspaper that he'd picked up in a news stand in front of his building. Seeking administrative assistant, schedule interview by phone. He took out his phone and dialed the number listed and waited for an answer. After waiting for nearly ten minutes he was just about to hang up when he heard a voice over the phone. “H-Hello?” It was a timid female voice that answered and he cleared his throat before speaking. “Hello, is this Carousel Boutique?” He said in the best upbeat tone he could muster after a long day of rejection. “Yes, how can I help you?” “I came across your add in the paper and I was wondering if the position for the administrative assistant was still open?” He heard a sound of acknowledgement come form the receiver. “Let me get my manager. She’ll want to talk with you.” “Take your time.” He stayed on the line and heard the receiver change hands. “Hello?” This voice was completely different to the one he was speaking to before. This one was filled with confidence and had a very elegant tone to it. “Hello, I was interested in the position you have advertised in the paper, the one for the administration assistant.” “Ah yes, I placed that three days ago. You’re actually the first to respond to it.” “Well I have experience in,” He started to list of a few skills he knew when he heard the voice speak up. “I hate to cut you off dear, but I’m positively swamped at the moment.” She said with an exhausted sigh. “Besides I’d much rather speak to you face to face about this kind of thing. Are you free for an interview?” He winced at the thought of meeting the woman and having her turn him away once she found out that he wasn’t a pony. “What time is most convenient for you?” David could hardly believe his luck. “Let me check my schedule.” David could hear the shuffling of papers and a cheer of success followed by more flipping pages. “I have an opening tomorrow at 12:30. Will that work?” “Of course. I’m currently in Manehattan, where is your business located?” He asked as he rifled through his bag and pulled out a pen and paper to write down the address as she spoke. “I’m stationed in a small town called Ponyville. It’s about two hours by train to get here.” There was a brief pause in her voice. “I’m terribly sorry dear, but what is your name?” David hesitated. Every time he’d given his name they’d hung up immediately on him. He needed this job. “Call me Mr. W.” He mentally kicked himself for the crappy name. “Oh well aren’t you mysterious?” Her tone had a hint of amusement. “And who am I addressing?” He asked in a similar amused tone. “You may call me Madam Belle.” She said with a small giggle, no doubt playing along. “Well, I look forward to meeting you in person Ms. Belle.” “Likewise, ta-ta.” She hung up the phone and David quickly started gathering what he needed for the interview. Author's Note New story folks! Hope you liked it.
Chapter 2: The InterviewChapter 2 The Interview The next day, David packed his messenger bag with a few files of his work and his laptop safely stored inside. He picked out a nice black collared shirt, dark grey vest and bright green tie that matched his eyes. He quickly made his way to the translation and purchased his ticket for Ponyville. He boarded the train a few minutes later and found a place to sit. He could feel many ponies looking at him but brushed it off as he plugged in his I-pod and focused on the music. Two hours later the train pulled to a halt and the conductor announced that they were at Ponyville. David pulled off his headphones and stood up from his seat. He rubbed his eyes as the morning sun shined on his face as he stepped of the train and onto the platform. He opened them to see a quaint town that looked like something out of a story book. Simple two story houses lined the cobblestone streets and several stores were selling their wares. He stepped off the platform and started looking for where he was going to meet his potential employer. Eventually the ponies in the town started to take notice to the newcomer and didn’t look at him. There are two ways to not look at something; there’s the ‘oh I didn’t see you there’ and then there’s ‘not looking at something on purpose whether it’s sore for the eyes or you don’t want to draw attention to yourself by staring.’ This type was the latter. At least it’s better than being gawked at like I’m on display at a zoo. Suddenly, a bright pink mare with bouncy pink hair and big blue eyes suddenly appeared in front of David. The human staggered back and almost lost his balance as he saw her pearly white smile. “Ooh, a new pony in town!” She looked him up and down. “Well, not a pony a person!” Her smile suddenly faltered and her most made a large O shape while she let out a large gasp. The mare suddenly vanished in a burst of speed that literally left a blur of pink behind her. “What the hell was that?” He said in a hushed tone as he stood dumbfounded as the pink blur went out of view. “That was Pinkie Pie.” David whirled around to see an orange mare with a bright blonde mane tied into a ponytail. The mare looked like a quintessential cow girl, she had on a red plaid shirt, worn out blue jeans and a leather stetson hat sat on top of her blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. “Don’t fret none, she’s always like that.” She said in her southern accented voice as the mare held out a gloved hand to shake. “My name is Applejack.” “David,” He said as he shook her hand. Man she’s got a strong grip! He thought as he took his hand back and shook it in an attempt to shake off the throbbing sensation. The mare then started sizing him up and she crossed her arms under her chest. “I take it your one of them humans?” David gave a hesitant nod waiting for the shoe to drop. Instead he was greeted with the first warm smile he’d seen in a while. “Well, welcome to Ponyville.” She gave him a hard slap on his back that made him stumble slightly. Note to self, never make this mare mad. “So, what brings you to Ponyville?” “I’m actually on my way to a job interview.” He said as he straightened out his clothes. “Unfortunately, I have no idea where this place is. It’s my first time in this town.” “What’s the name of the place? I know this town like the back of my hand.” She flipped over her gloved right hand. “Carousel Boutique, it’s supposed to be around here I think.” Applejack’s eyes flashed and looked him over again, this time looking more closely at his clothes. “You know the place?” “Sure do!” She pointed down the road. “Just go down the road that way and take the third right, then it’ll be right there. Rarity’s place has got a real big fancy looking roof. Ya can’t miss it.” So Rarity is the mare I spoke to? David nodded in understanding. He thanked her and continued on his way down the street. He followed the farmer’s directions and sure enough he came up tot a posh looking establishment. David could smell the perfume before he walked through the front door. As he opened the door the bell hanging over it chimed announcing his arrival. He looked around and saw several mannequins dressed in different kinds of clothes, mostly dresses and finer things that appealed to those with money to spend. “H-hello?” A meek voice peeped out. David turned to his right to see an earth pony mare with an off-white coat of fur and a two-tone blue mane and matching tail. She was wearing a collared lavender blouse with white trim with matching pants. Around her neck was a scarlet red tie. Her blue mane had a tri-shade hair clip hair clip that held the back of her mane. Just by looking at her David could tell she was shy. Her light teal eyes had much uncertainty as she looked at the human. “Hi, I’m looking for Ms.Belle?” He said in the calmest and friendliest voice he could muster. “I have an appointment with her at 12:30.” “Of course, have a seat and I’ll fetch her for you.” She gestured to one of the chairs. David sat down and adjusted his glasses. “Tell her Mr.W is here.” He gave her a smile before she hurried off almost tripping as she went up the stairs. David waited patiently and flipped open his pocket watch to check the time. He heard a door close and looked tot he top of the stairs. It took every ounce of control he had not to stare at the Unicorn mare. She had fur white as the snow and a mane of purple hair that cascaded down the right side of her face that was parted by her horn. The end of her mane and tail had a curl at the ends. She was wearing a bright white blouse and a violet business casual skirt that went down to her knees. He felt her sapphire blue eyes on him and a coy smile spread across her lips. “Well, if it isn’t the mystery stallion,” She said as she reached the bottom of the steps. “or mystery man to be more precise.” David stood up and adjusted his glasses. “You must be Ms. Rarity.” The mare raised an eyebrow at how he knew her name. “You’re well informed.” She said as she reached out to shake his hand. David returned the gesture. “I like to consider myself resourceful.” He said as he shook her delicate hand. “Apparently,” She said as she took her hand back. “still I don’t know who you are Mr. W.” She said as a smile tugged at her lips. “David Washington,” He said as he gave her a bow and a flourish of his hand. “it’s good to put such a lovely face to match the voice.” Rarity put on a smile that would make a cat jealous. “Aren’t you charming?” She said coyly. “Well, shall we get down to business?” “Let’s, but I’m quite famished. Would you mind if we talked over lunch?” He gave a shrug. “By all means. Although, I can’t give a good recomendation on where to eat.” Rarity walked over and grabbed her purse and slung it over her left shoulder. “I know a lovely place.” She then walked back to the foot of the stairs. “Coco,” The mare from before poked her head out from the corner of the stairs. “I’ll be going out for lunch with a client. If anyone calls just take down their information and order.” “Yes, Ms.Rarity,” She said in a tone that could barely be considered more than a whisper. Rarity checked her make up and mane in a nearby mirror before heading towards the door with the human in tow. After a bit of walking, The two arrived at a quaint little establishment called ‘The Dandelion.’ As soon as they sat down a waiter with light yellow fur and a light blue mustache arrived. “Good afternoon Ms.Rarity,” He paused as he eyed David with a suspicious look. “Hello Dandy,” She said with a smile. “I’d like a meal for myself and my friend here.” David gave him a smug grin seeing the slight irritation in the waiter’s face as she addressed him as a friend. “Of course, can I offer either of you something to drink in the meantime?” He asked as he took out a pencil and pad. “I’ll have the usual tea.” Rarity chimed. “I’ll just have some ice water.” David said as another waiter came by and handed them each a menu. Rarity’s sapphire blue eyes danced across the pages until she found what she was looking for. “I’ll have the salad special.” She said closing her menu. “Likewise, but with ranch dressing.” David said as he handed him the menu. “It’ll be ready momentarily.” Dandy said before walking off to deal with more customers. Just as soon as he left, their drink arrived and Rarity sipped her tea. “There’s nothing quite like afternoon tea.” She set the cup down and focused her attention on the man in front of her. “So then David, if that’s even your real name.” She must still be a little irked at him for withholding his name. “Tell me a bit about yourself.” David set his glass of water down and adjusted his glasses. “First off, let me apologize for the slight deception Ms. Rarity.” His tone was sincere. “It’s just that every time I called to apply for a job back in Manehattan the employer immediately hung up on me once they found out I was a human despite my resume. The same thing happened when I walked into places with a wanted sign posted out front.” Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise at this. “I was worried that this would turn out as bad as all the others so I just withheld certain information until it became relevant.” He did feel guilty about the misdirection, especially to somepony who’d actually given him the time of day. “I’d prefer you rather judge me on who I am, rather than what I am.” He stopped talking as their salads arrived. “Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear that dear. Some ponies just judge books by their cover without even turning the first page.” She said before she let out an irritated huff. “How many jobs did you apply for?” She asked as she took a bite out of a pice of lettuce. “Since I got let go a week ago? I’d say over two dozen places.” Rarity looked at him with calm demeanor. “Where did you work before hand?” “A small company in Manehattan called Sunny Day Advertising. I got let go because some of the higher ups did a walkthrough and didn’t like the fact that a human was working at their company. The manager was nice enough, but it was either he do it in private or his boss would tar and feather me in front of everyone.” Rarity’s eyes shrank at the words. “They’d what?” She said in a concerned in a confused tone. “It’s a human phrase. It means they’d make a big spectacle out of it.” He took another bite from his salad. “Well, that is just utterly uncouth.” She said in an irritated tone before sipping her tea. “May I see your resume?” David nodded and reached into his bag and pulled a sheet of manilla colored paper out of a folder. Rarity started reading the page to herself. She stopped when she got to his education. “You have a degree in Computer Science?” “It wasn’t easy.” He shivered as he recalled the dozens upon dozens of sleepless nights he had to endure to get his degree. “Plus I was working during those years so it took a bit longer than it should have.” “So you’re good with computers and all those fun little toys you humans have?” “Yes, I’m good at hardware and some software modification. I even built my own computer a few years back.” David saw something of a mix of excitement and relief appear in her eyes. “I’m also proficient in creating spreadsheets, schedules, slide show presentations and some graphic design.” “What’s that?” “I can edit photos I’ve taken with my camera and doctor them, along with creating different designs from a program on my computer. I have some printed if you’d like to see?” Rarity gave a nod as she handed him back his resume. David went back into his bag and pulled out some of the work he’d done for Rusty. Rarity looked through the small stack and hummed to herself. As she looked through, David could feel more and more ponies starting to notice him. He ignored them and turned his attention back to the mare. As he looked closer, he could almost see the gears turning in Rarity’s head. She was analyzing his work with the same efficiency a computer might several lines of unknown code. “You certainly have some talents.” She said handing back his papers. “If you don’t mind, I have some questions of my own about the position in question.” “Feel free to ask.” She said picking up her teacup once more. “What exactly would my duties entail if I were hired?” He sat forwards and rested his hands on the table. “It looked like you already have an assistant. The other mare with the teal mane and tail.” He sipped his water as Rarity made the connection in her head. “Oh, you mean Coco.” He gave a nod assuming that was her name. “Yes, she is my assistant, but she mostly helps me with designing and stitching. She does have experience in sales and keeping everything in order, but there’s only so much one mare can keep track of when you’re getting orders from all over Equestria and now some from a whole new world.” “She seems a bit,” He bit his lip as he thought of the right word. “timid to be in this competitive field of work. If you don’t mind me saying.” Rarity nodded in agreement at the words. “I know, she’s very shy. That’s because of her last boss.” Rarity rolled her eyes as she said the last bit. David didn’t ask about the previous employer, but he could tell that it didn’t seem like a pleasant experience. “Even though we have them, neither of us know how to use all the new computers and gadgets your species has introducing to us.” Since David had first arrived in Equestria he noticed a distinct lack of cars or airplanes or any other kind of technology that was present on Earth. “I bet it’s a bit of a culture shock and to be fair, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that magic actually exists in this world.” He shrugged. “So we’re in similar boats.” “I recall hearing that your world doesn’t have any magic, that’s quite strange from my standpoint.” She said as her horn glowed a light blue and levitated the teacup to her lips. David couldn’t help but shiver. Even though he’d been in Equestria for months he was still as wary of magic as much as most ponies were of him. “Well, I think this has been a very productive interview and I hope you’ll show me how to properly use those infernal contraptions.” David stared at her blankly for a moment and tried to form the correct words. “So just to clarify, I’m hired?” Rarity smiled a sweet smile. A wave of relief washed over the man as though he’d gone weeks without a shower and he’d just discovered a crystal blue waterfall. “Thank you very much Ms. Rarity.” She held up a hand stopping him. “You can drop the formalities dear, Rarity is fine. I propose a toast,” She held out her teacup towards him. He gently clinked his glass against her cup. “to our new partnership.” “Here, here,” He said with a smile. “Now all I need to do is find a place to live. I don’t feel like spending a ticket and a two hour ride by train everyday. Not to mention the apartment I have is killing my savings.” He pulled out his wallet and paid for his meal. Rarity did the same and left the waiter a gracious tip. “I may know a place that just might work. Come along David~” She said as she strode out into the town with her new assistant by her side.
Chapter 3: Settling InChapter 3 Settling in It wasn’t long before the two arrived back at Carousel Boutique. As she stepped through the door Rarity called for Coco. Not ten-seconds later the earth pony mare quickly appeared before them. She gulped slightly as she saw David and avoided eye contact. “Coco, this is David. He’s going to be working with us from now on. David, this is my assistant Coco Pommel.” She gestured to the cream colored mare. “Nice to meet you.” David stuck his hand out to shake. Coco returned the gesture although she was quick to pull her hand away. “Tell me dear, have you had any luck with finding a roommate to help you with the rent and upkeep of your home?” Rarity asked as she looked at he friend. Coco meekly shook her head. “N-no, I haven’t had a lot of time to look around.” Coco said in a soft tone. Rarity smiled and David managed to put the pieces together. “Coco, we’re closing up early today. I want to show David around town a bit and I think he might be the answer to your rent situation.” Coco’s eyes went from Rarity to David and it clicked in her mind. David saw the small bit of panic in her eyes and stepped in. “Ms.Pommel, if you’re uncomfortable with sharing a residence with me, I understand.” He said in a calm tone. “We literally just met and I know our species are still getting use to one another. If you’d give me a chance to prove myself I’d be very grateful.” Coco looked at him and shifted her weight from one hoof to the other before giving him a polite nod. “Thank you.” With that, Rarity closed the store and started showing David around town with Coco in tow. Rarity did an excellent job of showing David where everything was in Ponyville. The small town even had a tavern that looked like ones he’d read about in fantasy novels. As they walked through the town David felt several eyes on him, Coco’s included. Eager to break the uncomfortable silence, David spoke up. “I ran into a friend of yours earlier today.” Rarity looked back at him. “A farm mare named Applejack?” The white mare smiled at him. “Oh yes, we’re the best of friends.” David nodded. “You wouldn’t happen to know a hyperactive pink mare would you?” She nodded again. “That’s Pinkie Pie, I take it she ran up to you and started babbling?” “Bingo,” He said as they stopped in front of a building that looked straight out of a children’s fairy tale.The exterior looked like a fancy ginger bread house with icing, gumdrops and several other kinds of candy. “This is Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie works as a baker here.” The three went inside and to see a tall thin mustard colored stallion at the cash register while a cyan mare was bringing a tray out to a lavender colored mare that caught David’s eye. Unlike the other ponies he’d seen she had both a horn protruding from her head that was slightly larger than other Unicorns he'd seen and pair of feathered lavender wings coming from her back. The mare set down her book and looked up at the trio. A smile spread on her face as Rarity approached. “Good afternoon Rarity,” She said as Rarity returned the gesture. “Twilight, it’s been ages.” Twilight then looked past her friend and saw David. As soon as her purple eyes locked onto him, David felt as if he were being analyzed the same way a mad scientist does before pulling some Dr. Frankenstein experiments. Rarity followed her gaze and gestured David over. “This is David, he’s going to be assisting Coco and I with the new technology I ordered.” Twilight smiled and extended her hand. David took it and gave it a good shake. “Nice to meet you.” She said with a smile. He nodded and took his hand back. “Likewise, Rarity is giving me a quick tour of the town.” They exited the establishment and continued through the small town until they came upon a two story house with a clay tiled roof. Coco spoke up for the first time since they left the boutique. “This is my house.” She said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny brass key that fit the large lock on the front door. She opened the wooden door to reveal a simple living room that connected to a kitchen and a dinning room. The living room had several pictures standing on shelves and hanging on walls. There was a large couch and a coffee table in front of the couch. A fire place with a chimney was built into the far side of the wall and a television still in the box laid against the far wall. “It’s very nice.” David commented. It was far nicer than the apartment he currently occupied. Coco walked up stairs into a hallway that led to a bathroom at the far end with two doors on the opposite side of the hallway. She went to the room on the right and opened it to show a fairly large empty room, excluding an unused queen sized bed. A medium sized window was on the far and left wall “This is the guest room.” She said meekly. David stepped in and looked around at the room. There was so much more space. He could actually set up his desk and have an actual bed rather than sleeping on the apartment’s futon and not get a stiff neck from sleeping. “I’m sorry if it’s a little small.” “Small? It’s like the Taj Mahal compared to my studio apartment.” He joked. “The what?” Rarity cocked her head to the side at the strange word. “I’ll show you a picture of it later.” He said as he looked out the window to see the town. “What is that?” Rarity came up beside him to see that he was pointing at the large crystal palace at the far edge of town. “That’s Twilight’s castle.” Rarity answered plainly. “Her castle?” It was his turn to look surprised. “She has a castle?” “Yes, she is a Princess after all.” His face went ashen as he remembered how informally he spoke to her. “A Princess?” He exclaimed. “Like a legitimate Princess that rules over lands and grants titles and things like that?” Rarity nodded. “I thought there were only three Princesses?” He's heard of Celestia, Luna and the last name escaped him, but he was sure she was pink, not purple. “She became one only a few months ago. I think it was around the same time the portals opened up to your world.” Coco nodded at Rarity’s words. That explains why he didn’t hear about it. “Is she gonna arrest me for not greeting her formally?” Rarity blinked once and let out a laugh. “Oh heavens no, Twilight is not one for formalities. In fact she prefers informal behavior rather then having everypony bow down to her.” He breathed a sigh of relief at the words and turned his attention back to the room. “This place would work out just fine if you’re comfortable with me staying here Coco.” The mare gave a hesitant nod. He could tell that she was still nervous around him and decided to keep his distance so he looked as less threatening as possible. They exited the home and Rarity continued with the tour through the town pointing out key areas of the town. The hours passed and the sky soon turned a dark orange color. The trio arrived back at the train station. “Well, this has been a very lovely day.” He said to the two mares. “However I must be off and start packing my things and finding a moving company for my belongings.” Rarity reached into her purse and wrote down a number on a slip of paper before handing it to the man. “That is the number to a moving company I’ve used in the past. Feel free to drop my name dear.” She wished him a safe trip and David headed onto the train bound for Manehattan. David spent the next week packing his belongings into boxes. The bright side was that he had very few cumbersome things aside from his computer and other gadgets. Most of his more valuable belongings were in a storage shed back on Earth which he planned on keeping until he could find a safe place to store it. He called the number Rarity had given him and the moving company agreed to move his things for half the normal rate when he mentioned he was going to be working for Rarity. David boarded the train with a duffle bag bounded towards the small town and his new life. He stepped off the train to see Rarity waiting for him. She was wearing a fine purple blouse and pristine white pants. He greeted her politely and the two made their way towards his new home. A thought came to the man and he turned his head towards the mare. “How do you know the moving company?” He asked. “I helped them redesign their logo and made them uniforms when they were first starting out and they’ve been such good customers since.” She smiled as they came upon Coco’s house where the moving truck was out front. It was one of the few vehicles that David had seen since he got to Equestria. A Pegasus mare with dark brown fur and feathers smiled as they approached. “Rarity, it’s been too long.” She said with a kind smile. “Hello Mocha,” Rarity smiled and gave her a hug. “We’ll have to do lunch some time.” David looked inside the truck and saw it was empty. “All your things are inside and intact.” Mocha said with a smile. David returned the smile and walked up to her. “Thank you for your hard work. How much do I owe you?” He was about to pull out his checkbook when Rarity held up a hand. “Just send me the bill Mocha.” David’s jaw dropped at the words. “Rarity this is too generous. I can’t accept you doing something like that.” She held up a hand silencing him. “No dear I insist.” He wanted to argue more but her pristine blue eyes practically screamed ‘do not fight me on this.’ The human stood aside and allowed Rarity to pay the mover for her services. Mocha thanked Rarity and went on her way. David turned back to Rarity with raised eyebrows. “You didn’t have to do that Rarity.” She turned and only flashed him a smile. He sighed as he gave up trying to argue. The deal is done, no sense arguing about it. He thought as he headed inside. A thought occurred to him as he walked through the door. “Where’s Coco?” “She’s finishing up an order. Speaking of which I should probably get back as well.” She looked at her watch and nodded. David thanked her again before she walked back to her boutique. David then turned his attention to unpacking his things and setting up things in his room. His computer was on the desk near the window and he started setting up the wifi when he heard a knock on the door frame. He turned his head to see the cream colored mare poking her head inside. “Are you settling in okay?” She asked in her usual timid tone. “Just fine and thank you again for opening up your home to me.” She walked inside and looked at his computer with wonder. He continued to work and soon they had a stable wifi connection. “How do you make these things work?” She asked as her eyes ran over the mouse and keyboard. “I’ll show you one of these days.” He took his glasses off to rub his tired eyes. He looked at his watch and didn’t realize that it was approaching dinner time. “Time flies.” He said as he heard a growling noise come from his stomach. His face flushed a little red at his body. Coco seemed to remember something. “Rarity told me to come get you and we’ll meet her at Sugar Cube Corner for dinner.” “I thought it was just a bakery?” “It’s more like a bakery, cafe and sometimes a diner.” She gave him a shrug and David assumed that she didn’t quite know why either. He finished with the computer and grabbed his coat before he and the mare left the house. An awkward silence developed between the two as they walked down the cobblestone road towards the bakery. “So Coco, how long have you been working for Rarity?” Coco took a moment to think. “I’ve been working for her for about six months. I met her while she was at a fashion competition in Manhattan.” She seemed to withdraw as she mentioned the competition. He didn’t ask any more about the topic and saw that they were fast approaching the establishment. He looked inside the window and saw that the curtains were drawn. As he stepped inside the door the light’s suddenly flashed on and the sound of noise makers went off. A large group of ponies with different colored fur yelled out in unison. “Surprise!” David felt a nervous smile spread across his face as a familiar looking pink mare raced up to him. “Hi!” She said in a high pitched voice. “I saw you last week and I thought, ‘Oh a human in town!’ I had a plan to throw you a party later that day but then I saw you leave and I got so sad that,” An orange hand clamped over her mouth and ceased her waterfall of words. David saw the familiar farm mare slowly shaking her head. “What she means is that this is your official welcome party.” Pinkie nodded her head rapidly shaking off Applejack’s hand. Rarity then came up beside the mare. “I take it she does this for everyone?” Rarity nodded and started introducing him to the other ponies in the room. Mainly her other two close friends; Fluttershy, a timid yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane and tail who took care of the animals around town. The other was Rainbow Dash, a cyan Pegasus and true to her namesake, her mane and tail were all seven colors of the rainbow. There were several other ponies he met, Macintosh or ‘Big Mac’ as he was better known. Who was Applejack’s older brother and ran things at her farm and Thunderlane was on the weather team with Rainbow. After meeting so many ponies at once he needed to sit down and get his bearings. Rarity sat down across from him a drink in hand. “Enjoying yourself?” He nodded at her question. “I can safely say this is the friendliest welcome I’ve had since I got here.” The other mares soon joined them. “Most of the time ponies just stare at me like I’ve got three heads.” He stated. “Well, you’re the first human that’s living in this town.” Twilight said. David smirked at the news. He liked the thought of him being on soil unknown by other humans. He gulped as he realized he was once again talking to a Princess. “Forgive me for not addressing you more formally before your highness.” Twilight just chuckled and waved her hand. “Oh it’s no trouble. Just Twilight is fine.” David let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding hearing the words, but still kept up his best behavior around the Alicorn. “I had a few questions about your species, if you don’t mind me asking?” David agreed to her request provided they weren’t too personal. The lavender pony smiled and summoned a note pad and pen with magic which made the human flinch at the use of the strange force. “I heard that your species eat meat.” The other ponies around them all turned their attention. “Correct, although technically all humans are omnivores.” “Omni what?” Dash asked with a shake of her head. “It means they can gain sustenance from meat along with fruits and vegetables.” Fluttershy said speaking up for the first time. David nodded at the words. “Does that mean you eat ponies?” David seemed shocked at the question. “No, that’s illegal, same goes with horses.” He said with a shiver at the thought of consuming one. Fluttershy seemed to relax a little at the words. Twilight cleared her throat and took some notes. “I also hear that humans can’t do magic.” “Yes, there’s no magic on Earth.” The ponies all raised eyebrows at the words. “Then how do you control the weather?” Applejack asked. “We don’t. We can only predict it and even then we get it wrong.” He groaned at the memories when the forecast said it was supposed to be bright and sunny only to have it rain buckets later on. “However, what we lack in magic we make up for in technology and ingenuity.” He gave a brief explanation of the various ways of human transportation like trains, planes and automobiles. Soon, the man felt the day’s activities take their toll and excused himself for the evening. The group agreed that it was getting late and they each went about their way. Coco opened the door for the man and the two went to their rooms. David flopped himself down on his bed and cracked his neck before he got ready for bed and fell asleep.
