The Gem of My Heart
A Generous Stranger
Load Full StoryNext ChapterThe Gem of Her Eyes
Re-written by Israel Yabuki
Written and edited by NineTailBeastBall
Everyone goes through traumatic experiences sometimes in their lives. Some of them either go completely insane, or they try their hardest to move on for their own sake. But in your case, you fell into a deep depression some time ago when your parents, who were loved by so many as much as they loved you, were killed in a car accident. It felt like you were spat in the face, especially by the city of New York: where not even crime sleeps.
Your parents cherished and loved you to death. They’d bring you with them on trips because of their successful charity business. They were mostly weekend trips because they wanted you to have a good education.
Naturally sometimes you attracted the attention of bullies. However, they mostly called you names like “spoiled rich kid” and such. For the record, it was your parents’ money, not yours, but they still kept coming. One day, you told your parents about it, they told the school and got the kid kicked out the next day after he tried to get physical with you. With all those action movies you watched at home, you picked up on how to at least defend yourself.
In the end, you got to see tears coming out of the bully’s eyes, but you cried as well. His punches and kicks really hit hard after. While your mother scolded you for raising your fists at someone, your father on the other hand, praised you for doing what you thought needed to be done to stop the problem.
Yeah, there were a few ups and downs with your parents, but the end result was all the same: they loved you and wouldn’t change that for the world. And just when things were going so well for you and your family, tragedy butted in and snatched your parents away all because of a certain drunk taxi driver.
Life of course was never the same for you after you lost your parents, especially since you had no other living relatives. You naturally pressed charges against the driver who killed your parents and won the case.
You so rarely smiled, let alone came out of the mansion these days. Though, you might have gotten the inheritance, wealth counts for naught. There was no point in staying in your home anymore, so you packed your stuff and moved out of the mansion. As ironic as it is, you took a taxi to the airport.
You didn’t know where your life was going to look like once you leave New York, but anything that’s secluded and far away from any sign of civilization was fine by you. So, you went through the usual airport routine: getting your luggage checked out, passing the metal detector test and showing your plane ticket to the woman at the gate leading to the plane.
You boarded the plane and sat in a chair all by yourself, looking out the window, waiting for takeoff. It feels like somehow you were just fed up with everything life has done to you and couldn’t help but want to say “You should have fucked off, stupid reality” under your breath.
Later on, after all of the other passengers were boarded, the plane finally started moving and in no time at all, you were lifted high in the sky. You still kept your eyes glued on the window, looking out at the sea.
Despite the beauty of the view, the only thing the sea made you think of was all the tears you shedded during your parents’ funeral. The guy who was responsible for your parents’ deaths was forbidden from showing his face, otherwise he’d risk getting a serious beating by you. Then again, you’d probably be the next one facing charges if you did such a thing.
Having looked out the window for who knows how long, things take a turn for the worse when you saw some dangerous storm clouds coming into view. However, whether or not this would be the end for you, wherever you land is better than living a life of misery.
The plane began to shake violently when lightning soon struck the plane. Naturally, all of the passengers began to scream for their lives... except for you.
It was undeniable that the plane was going to crash any second, yet all you could do was close your eyes calmly, place your hands together and say under your breath “I’m coming home... mom and dad.”
With those last words, the impact of the plane caused it to explode and engulf you in the flames. Thus, the echoes of the screams finally seized.
You’re not sure what’s going on with you right now, but it seemed like only a short time after everything faded to black. Strangely enough, you could hear the sounds of people talking, probably about you since you can feel them poking at your body.
What you were about to realize real soon was that... these weren’t exactly people. They were instead colorful, anthro horses or ponies. Your eyes dart in every direction before you sat up.
“This doesn’t make sense, how am I still alive?” you asked yourself, grabbing your head. Surprisingly despite the plane crash, this minor headache is the only injury you have, if you can even call it that.
“Darlings, what is all the fuss abou-UAAHHAHAAA!!!” exclaimed a posh voice. Turning to meet the source of the voice, you debated whether or not your eyes were playing tricks on you, because you saw an elegant mare who had snow white fur and she had a horn on her head. Her mane was purple and done in a perfect curl. Her sparkling blue eyes reminded you all too well of sapphires, which happened to be your favorite gem.
The mare wore a baby blue blouse and a purple skirt. She had hooves for feet, not surprising really. But even if she is a horse, or pony, or whatever, you still admired how beautiful she was.
“Oh heavens, are you alright?” she asked in an angelic voice that could probably calm even the worst of children. You managed to give her a nod, trying not to look stupid as you did so.
“My word, your body is wee bit on the warm side! You’re not sick, are you?” she asked.
“No... the only thing I feel right now is a minor headache,” you replied, rubbing your head. “Forgive me for asking, but who are you?”
“Oh, how rude of a lady not to introduce herself. My name is Rarity darling,” she smiled holding a hand to her chest. You managed to keep your eyes off of her large bust just in case she might judge you as a pervert.
“And who might you be?”
To your relief, she hadn’t caught you staring at her breasts. You told her your name and the place where you come from. “Now that introductions have been taken care of, I got a question for you.”
“Of course, what is it you want to ask me?” Rarity asked.
“Where exactly am I and how did I get here? I remember blacking out after I got toasted and the next thing I know, I somehow ended up waking up here surrounded by... uh...” you couldn’t find the correct words to describe the horses, or ponies around you.
“Ponies, darling,” she confirmed. “And right now, you’re in Ponyville, a small little town that’s part of the beautiful land of Equestria. I know it might sound hard to believe, but I can assure you it’s the truth. Now, is there anything else you’d like to know?”
“Just one thing… how exactly did I end up here in the middle of the town?” you asked.
Rarity stroked her chin, but shook her head. “I’m not exactly sure, darling. But I do know that you probably don’t have a place to stay after whatever happened to you in your homeland. Perhaps maybe you can follow me to my home and I can cool you down. That fever of yours had probably gone through the roof,” she offered.
“I... I don’t know, I don’t want to be a burden,” you shook your head, hesitating. However the white unicorn let out a small giggle, which slightly eased your worries.
“Darling, no need to be so hesitant. After all, what kind of pony would I be to leave you out here in the streets. Ponyville tends to get a wee bit chilly when night falls,” she insisted as she took your hands in her own. She helps you up on your feet and guides you through the town until you came upon this two-story building with a sign that said “Carousel Boutique.”
“T-Thank you,” you finally said. “But, are you sure this is your house and not where you work?”
“Actually it’s a little bit of both. I’m one of those, how to call it, work at home mares. I make the most dazzling and beautifully custom-made designs of clothes for ponies in Ponyville and even in Canterlot. As a matter of fact, I have a shop set up in that very place.”
“So then, if you have a shop at this… “Canterlot” place, who’s holding down the fort?”
“Oh, it’s my manager, Sassy Saddles. I wanted to set up a shop in Canterlot so I could expand my business. However, I prefer to still work here in Ponyville as my home base. But enough about me, we’ve got to do something about this nasty fever of yours,” she said placing a hand on your forehead. “Your body is still burning. Just rest on the couch, I’ll get you a nice big cup of water and maybe a bag of ice.”
Rarity brought you over to this big red couch and sat you down right before she wandered off into the kitchen. She wasn’t kidding. While you didn’t feel it before, your body was really starting to heat up a bit. It was difficult to keep yourself from passing out.
Thankfully, she came back as soon as possible. She had a huge cup of water in her hands, but what she was… levitating was more than you expected. She had a bucket of ice with her and quite frankly, it was a good thing she did. She rushed over to you just before you were about to pass out. She sat down next to you and placed the cup of cold water to your lips.
“Here, drink this sweetie,” she said, helping you drink it. You took big gulps as she was helping out, getting the bag of ice over your forehead. You took in a deep breath as your body slowly began to cool down. It was hard to tell if you were dripping in sweat over your forehead or if it was just the ice melting. But you were able to regain control over your body and let out a sigh right after finishing your water.
“Thanks for the ice and the water, Rarity. Phew, I thought I was gonna pass out,” you said, slumping back on the couch.
“Just relax, darling. You’re still well enough to stand,” she replied in a soft tone. “Wait right here, I’ll be back with a towel to dry off the sweat.” And so, Rarity got up once again and walked back into the kitchen.
‘I don’t understand it, why is she being so nice to me? No one’s ever shown me that much kindness before in my life, other than mom and dad. Whatever the case, I’ve got to find a way to pay her back for everything she’s doing for me. Isn’t that right… mom? ...Dad?’ you thought.
Once you were done asking yourself mental questions, Rarity returned with a little towel and sits back down. She dabs the towel on your head, getting off any kind of sweat that’s running down your forehead. Your eyes look in her general direction and she gives you a warm smile.
“Heavens to Celestia, darling. What exactly happened to you that heated up your body that much in the first place?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” you muttered turning away from her.
“Maybe not to you, but it matters to me. I can tell there’s something you need to get off your chest, now’s your chance to do so. Friends look after each other, after all, darling,” she insisted after she finished cleaning up the sweat from your body.
Friend? Having friends was something you only dreamed of having back when you were just a kid, and now this mare that you just met was already considering you as a friend. It was almost enough to make you shed tears… almost. Before you could tell her what happened, you took a deep breath and let out a sigh, calming yourself down.
“Alright, if you insist, then here it is: The reason why I was burning up before was because of the plane crash I supposedly... died in. I guess I got swallowed up by the flames from the moment of impact.”
“You WHAT?!” Rarity shrieked, making you jump. You move back a little too far and fell off the couch, back first. “Oh dear, are you alright, darling?” she asked, checking to see if you’re okay. “Oh do forgive me, I tend to become a little… over-dramatic at times.”
“As I was saying, I was involved in a plane crash and got toasted by the fire when the plane made impact with the ground.”
“Umm... and what exactly... is a plane, if you don’t mind me asking, darling.”
“I’m presuming this world doesn’t have planes?” you asked, to which Rarity shook her head. “Alright, I’ll explain it in a way you’ll understand. Picture a giant metal bird, only the wings don’t flap and it can travel from country to country in a matter of either a few hours or even a day. It doesn’t eat or drink anything except for this liquid that only it can handle and not humans. Inside the plane, there are two people who help steer it while a certain number of people sit and relax as they travel abroad. That’s my description of what a plane really is,” you explained.
Rarity seemed speechless after you gave her a description of what a plane was. Her eyes seemed to have shrunk from the shock and surprise.
“Tell me darling, have you ever considered taking a career in designing?”
“Are... Are you trying to hire me or something?” you asked, putting two and two together.
“But of course, darling. Surely, if you’re going to be living in Ponyville, the least I can do is offer you a job. In fact, I’ll even set up the guest room I have here in the boutique.”
In all your life, the only people who were generous that you’ve ever known were your own parents, but being found by someone like Rarity was certainly... well a “rarity,” so to speak. It seemed like during your darkest time, you thought it was all over... until this lovely, elegant lady came along.
“Y-You’d really do all that for me?”
“Of course, darling. We are friends after all, and I won’t turn my back on a dear friend in need. Now, how about we see how good you are with drawing up creative ideas,” Right away, Rarity gets up from the couch and gestures you to follow her. You did so and were led over to a huge chalkboard in the design room.
“What do you want me to do?” you asked.
“Simple. Whatever clothes design comes up in your mind, just draw it on the chalkboard. You never know, it might actually turn out great,” Rarity encouraged, handing you some chalk.
At first, you weren’t sure what kind of design you should draw. However after giving it some thought, something popped up in your head and soon, you began to draw your idea of a design on the board. First, you drew an overshirt and a shirt underneath with a red neck tie. Next, you drew the trousers and wrote down what color each piece of clothing should be.
For the over shirt and trousers, you decided on them being sapphire blue. For the under shirt, you thought white would be appropriate. As for the necktie, you were dead set on it being red. In addition to the design, you drew two chest pockets, one on each side of the over shirt.
Rarity had given you all the time and space you needed in order to come up with some good ideas for your new designs. You were surprised at how much your ideas would skyrocket when it came to drawing up ideas for designer clothes. Once you had finished, you put the now halved chalk on the board and wiped off the sweat from your head. “Phew, finished,” you said.
It was quite amusing, you were so focused on the board you didn’t notice how much time has passed while you worked. In fact... you felt your empty stomach start to kick in and felt it rumbling loudly.
“I was wondering when you would get hungry,” you heard Rarity say to you from behind. You turned around to see her smiling and wearing some lovely glasses. You may not show much emotion, but you’re still a perceptive man, so you assumed she puts these on while she’s designing new clothes.
“Yeah, just a little bit,” you admitted rubbing the back of your head. Rarity came up to take a good look at your work.
“Ooh, darling, these new designs look simply divine! Wherever did you pick these ideas up from, I must know,” she said, fascinated by your work.
“Well, I guess they just sort of... popped into my head,” you said with a shrug. As crazy as it seems, it was the truth. You’ve never designed before and honestly couldn’t explain why you came up with what you did.
“Well I think these designs are simply lovely, darling. The detail you put into what color each piece of clothing is absolutely amazing. I dare say that we might actually have to start designing right away, but first...” Rarity paused for a second and then rubbed her stomach, too. “...a little quick snack is in order before we move on with your designs. Come along, deary. I’ll make us a delectable treat.”
“Okay then.” And with that, you followed Rarity as she led you to the kitchen. She grabbed a few ingredients from her refrigerator and the pantry and brought them over to the counter while you sat down at the table.
“Say, darling, it just struck me, but why were you on a... plane in the first place? Were you leaving to visit some far-off place or something?” Rarity asked while she started cooking. It was a little bit tough for you to talk about your past with anyone, but with Rarity, somehow she seemed to be so understanding about you. Like your mother always told you, always talk about your problems with your friends and family and it’ll make you feel better.
“Not exactly. I was planning on leaving on a one-way ticket to the mountains of a different country to escape the demons of my past,” you signed. “You see, I lost my parents in an accident when they got hit by a drunken driver. I was so devastated, I didn’t want to have anything to do with my hometown anymore, so I packed up my bags and left a few weeks after I took the guy who killed my parents to court and won the case. I also had to bury my parents.”
Judging by the way she dropped her utensils, Rarity must have been shocked when she heard why you were flying on a plane in the first place.
“Oh darling... I’m so sorry,” she said practically in tears by this point. It was rare, but you were actually feeling guilt that your new friend was so close to crying. It felt like even your own heart was breaking.
You couldn’t take it anymore, and rising from the chair, you walked over to Rarity and gave her a warm hug. She gasped a little bit, surprised by your actions and looked up at you with those beautiful sapphire eyes.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry, Rarity. Ever since my mom and dad died, I didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. I was too upset to acknowledge that reality sunk in, so I spat at it in the face when it took everything I held dear in my heart. But when you found me and allowed me, a complete stranger, to come to you house, it took me awhile to realize how much of my hope you’ve restored. Thank you, Rarity,” you confessed.
Rarity sniffled a bit and held you in a warm embrace. “You’re... You’re very welcome. I’m ever so sorry your mother and father are gone. And even though I might not know who they were, I have a hunch that they wouldn’t want their darling son to give up all hope. After all, no parent wants to watch their children live an unhappy life,” she said, genuinely.
After finally getting that burden off your chest, you let Rarity resume her cooking. In half an hour, she cooked up a delicious spread. She had a bowl of mashed potatoes, a bowl of salad, as well as what looked like alfredo noodles. Judging by how there wasn’t any meat, it would make sense since horses... or ponies, in that matter, are herbivores.
You thanked Rarity for the meal and made sure not to show off lousy table manner when you started eating. The rest of dinner went by in silence, which you felt like you needed to break, but you just weren’t sure how. Then, suddenly, it hit you.
“Rarity?” you asked.
“Hmm?” she replied.
“Quick question: Am I the only human here, or are there other humans here? I realized it just now since all I saw were a bunch of anthro ponies when I first got here,” you said.
“Oh, yes, there are humans here in Equestria. Specifically, here in Ponyville. You’re actually the third human to arrive. On top of that, one of them is married to one of my friends, while the other one is engaged to one of my other friends and they’re both gonna have kids,” Rarity explains.
“What? Humans and ponies can breed? How is that possible?” you asked.
“Umm... perhaps it’d be best if I told you some other time. For now, let’s just finish eating.” Realizing your mistake, you nodded and awkwardly went back to your meal.
Once you were done with your delicious meal, you followed Rarity up to the 2nd floor. She leads you to a door and opens it up.
“Alright, darling. Here’s where you’ll be sleeping in. It’s got plenty of room and it should be able to keep you warm throughout the night. If you ever need anything from me, feel free to let me know and I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Rarity assured.
“Alright, thanks for everything, Rarity. Have a good night sleep,” you replied. She nods and walks off to where her room was located and walked through the door before closing it. You yawned and walked into the guest room she generously set up for you. You pulled the covers over and climbed into bed before covering yourself up in the warm blankets.
Before you went to bed, you stared out the window and watched as the night sky lit up so beautifully with the help of the beautiful moon, which seemed to be in a crescent shape. Maybe you were hallucinating or just hearing things, but you could swear that as you stared at the night sky, you heard the sound of your parents saying “We love you so much.”
A tear fell from your eye, but a smile appeared on your face. Your heart grew warm as if you were being given a hug by an invisible force. It felt so comforting, you placed your hand over your heart
“I love you, too,,, mom and dad,” you whispered, a little choked up.
With a sigh of happiness, you slowly closed your eyes and allowed your body to relax as you drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note
No clop yet, it'll be in the next chapter.
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