Chapters Ponies. Ponies everywhere . Such was the thought going through Jay's mind as he took in the view from his new window. Mares and stallions of every size, shape and colour, walking about the street below, enjoying their day and bearing wide smiles upon their faces. One looked out onto that calm and peaceful sight of Ponyville, and they couldn't help but feel relaxed about it. Letting out a long sigh, the town's lone human resident turned from that view, instead focusing on all of the as-yet unopened boxes that continued to litter his apartment. A brief grimace crossed his face, but it soon faded, and he got to work opening up the nearest of the boxes. After rummaging around inside it for a few moments, he broke out into a small smile, as he pulled out exactly what he’d been looking for; a kettle. Setting it to one side, he stopped to fill it full of water, then plugged it in and switched the thing on, after which he tried looking through that same box, a look of frustration coming to him soon afterwards.
"Okay...spoons...spoons..."
Then, to his slight surprise, a small teaspoon was now suddenly raised up in front of his face, held there by a bright pink hoof. Smiling once again, Jay took it.
"Ah! Thanks!"
"You're welcome!" the hoof's owner replied.
Jay turned, setting the teaspoon aside and then looking down to a small tea-cup that had been set there prior to all of this. But, before he reached it, the last few moments suddenly started to sink in for him, and slowly, he turned around back in the direction of the box. As soon as he did so, he found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes.
"HIYA!!!"
Immediately, Jay reeled back, shocked at this new arrival, to the point of almost tripping backwards. But, thankfully, he managed to get a hold of the counter on the side, steadying himself. After taking a moment to catch his breath from this, he started to truly look upon his unexpected guest A pink earth pony, with the poofiest mane he'd ever seen, as well as the widest smile of anyone he'd ever met in his life. Though still taken aback by her arrival, he was unable to say anything, as the intruder began to speak up first.
"Welcome to Ponyville, friend! Name's Pinkie Pie! Nice to meet you!"
Now, under normal circumstances, Jay might well have asked this person, who appeared to have just showed up uninvited, to simply leave his apartment. However, as one could easily see, these were not normal circumstances. As he looked to her, with that massive smile, those big wide eyes, and that utterly earnest and sincere joy in greeting him, it was as if that kind of self-defending mindset seemed to suddenly subside in him. So, instead of simply responding straight away, he stood upright, dusted himself off slightly, cleared his throat, then began to speak as calmly as one could under the circumstances.
"Yes...um...thank you, Pinkie, was it? I'm Jay. Jay David."
Giggling, his first houseguest in this place bounced up and down in that one spot, speaking in a rapid-fire and completely enthusiastic manner.
"It's so good to have somepony new to say hi too! Where'd you come from? When did you move in? How long are you staying? What are you? How do you like Ponyville so far?"
These and a barrage of other questions kept pouring out of her mouth, with seemingly no end in sight. As one would expect, Jay had a hard time figuring out how best to respond to such an energetic and forward mare, and as such, he had to wait for quite a few moments before she finally stopped to inhale. He seized his chance, answering at least some of the questions he'd been asked.
"Well...er...I arrived just yesterday. I'm a human, in case you were wondering. And I'm starting work at the local tea store in a few days."
Pinkie seemed particularly interested in that last one.
"Ooooooh! I didn't know Jasmine Leaf was hiring?"
Jay nodded.
"She is. Apparently, she thinks it's time she got some extra help around her store. Something about making sure there's someone else around in case any of her ginseng tea starts flying and singing again."
A moment passed, after which Jay frowned slightly and looked away.
"Although, in hindsight, I probably should have asked a few more questions about that."
Looking to him, Pinkie had to fight the urge to break out into a knowing smile, scratching the back of her head in a nervous manner.
"Hehe...yeah...pretty weird, right?"
Jay looked to her with a raised eyebrow, and briefly looked as though he would want to enquire further. But, at that very moment, the kettle, which had been turned on before this craziness began, suddenly screeched in that traditional kettle way, before turning itself off. Jay looked to it, then back to Pinkie, who was still smiling to him, before looking back to the kettle and slumping his shoulders slightly.
"Do...do you want some tea?"
To that, Pinkie let out a happy-sounding gasp, and she zipped forward, her nose pressed right against his.
"You're already inviting me over for tea?! You bet I'd like some!"
Stepping back from this, Jay tried to look pleased with this unexpected arrangement, but as he turned to pour the water into the tea-pot, it was clear he was already tired from the boundless energy his guest was exerting. Pinkie, in an uncharacteristic display, sat quietly at the table in the middle of the room, looking to her latest acquaintance with some eagerness. Silence passed between the two for a time, but after a minute or two, when the tea had properly brewed, Jay began to pour it into the cup he'd prepared earlier.
"Do you take any sugar?" he asked.
Pinkie nodded.
"Yep! Five , please!"
Jay paused after hearing that, then shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, let it never be said I'm not an accommodating host."
So, he got to work, putting in far more sugar into the mare's cup than he would have ever wanted for himself. Afterwards, he got out a second cup for himself, at which point he poured his own tea with exactly zero sugar in it. With the two cups finished, he carried them over, placing them down upon the table carefully before taking a seat opposite Pinkie. However, before he had a chance to say anything, Pinkie beat him to it, leaning forward and appearing rather curious about something.
"Hey, wait a minute...did you say you were a human? "
Though momentarily hesitant, Jay nodded.
"Er...yes?"
Pinkie's big smile returned.
"Oh, so that’s what you guys look like!"
Jay took on a curious look himself.
"You've...heard of other humans?"
Taking a big gulp of her tea, Pinkie then nodded.
"Yep! Twilight, that's another friend of mine, she went through this crazy magic mirror thing and saw a whole bunch of them!"
Jay took that in.
"Twilight? Yeah, I think I heard Jasmine mention her once during my interview."
Pinkie's smile widened further.
"Yeah, kinda hard not to get talked about when you're the big Princess in town."
Jay seemed surprised by this.
"She’s a Princess?"
Again, Pinkie nodded.
"Sure, silly! Not just anypony gets to live in a big and fancy crystal castle!"
She pointed to something right behind Jay, prompting him to look over his shoulder. There, through the view of his window, past a great number of houses, was indeed the top of a crystal-looking castle, sparkling in the sunlight. To this, Jay blinked a few times before turning back to Pinkie.
"Huh...you'd have thought I'd have noticed that by now."
As before, Pinkie giggled.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
Jay considered that.
"Yeah...something tells me I will ."
A silence passed, but thankfully, not for long, as Jay then continued.
“So...how’d you know I was here? I didn’t think my moving in would be big news.”
Pinkie took on an “I’m innocent” look about her as she started explaining.
“Weeeeeell...I was delivering a special cake over to Mayor Mare, and she was in the middle of some boring old paperwork. So I asked her what it was about, and she says it was just some stuff about somepony new moving into Ponyville. I got really excited about that, so I asked, and she told me about you and where you were moving into. And I knew I just had to come over and say hello, so...hello!”
In spite of everything, Jay couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well...it’s certainly nice to be given a welcome. Thanks.”
Pinkie beamed at the compliment, getting back to her drink soon afterwards. Taking a sip of his own tea, Jay looked up to Pinkie again and, not wanting to spend the rest of this encounter in silence, spoke up.
So...what do you do, Miss Pie?"
Hearing that, Pinkie laughed.
"Miss Pie? No need to be so formal! Call me Pinkie!"
Jay nodded.
"Alright then...Pinkie."
Leaning back into her own chair, Pinkie took another gulp before answering.
"Well, I do two things. I work a bit at Sugar Cube Corner, that bakery near here? But, more importantly, you're looking at Ponyville’s foremost party planner! If you've got a birthday, wedding, anniversary or any other special thing you want to celebrate, I’m your mare!"
Jay blinked.
"So...you handle everyone’s parties? All by yourself?"
Pinkie's chest swelled with pride.
"You betcha! Brining a smile to everypony's faces with balloons, confetti and my party cannon is just the best thing in the world!"
Another slow blink from Jay.
"A party...cannon? "
A smirk crossed Pinkie's lips.
"Don't worry. I'll break it out for you one day or another."
Sipping his tea again, Jay smiled nervously.
"Um...good?"
Then, after having finished her tea at last, Pinkie set her cup down and let out yet another gasp, this one louder and longer than before. When she'd done this, she once more darted forward, her eyes staring right into Jay's, though he was thankfully used to this sort of behaviour by now, so he didn't flinch as much.
"Oh! I know! You've totally gotta meet my friends! I can get them over, we can have a big welcome-to-Ponyville celebration and we can..."
But, this time, it was Jay’s turn to interrupt, as he held up a hand, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Pinkie...I appreciate that you're trying to be nice, but...I'm actually not that big a party person."
Hearing those words, it was as if somebody had just told Pinkie the most devastating news in the world, as she backed away from Jay, looking utterly mortified.
"You...you don't like parties?! "
Jay shook his head.
"It's not that I don’t like them, but...I've never been that good at having lots of people all gathered around me with celebrations and stuff. One or two people coming over for a chat, that'd be one thing, but more? Yeah, not so much."
Taking that in, Pinkie sat back down and, if only a little, seemed to perk up a bit.
"Oh, alrighty then!"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"You're...not upset?"
Pinkie waved him off.
"Pfft! Upset? Me? Nah! I sorta learned about going too far with making friends with this old donkey that moved in a few years back. So no worries."
Jay seemed relieved at that.
"Well...okay then."
Giggling again, Pinkie bounced out of her chair, walking right over to him, before then stretching out her hoof.
"You may not be big on parties, but I hope you're big on Ponyville! Welcome to the neighbourhood!"
Smiling, Jay finished his own cup, set it down on the table, then reached out to shake her hoof. However, as soon as he'd taken hold of it, he was unexpectedly embraced by Pinkie in earnest, who gripped him tightly in the most secure hug he'd ever been through.
"I hope you really, really have a fun time here, Jay!"
Barely able to breathe, Jay at least managed to get a few words out.
"Ach! Yes...uck...appreciate that, Pinkie! Ack!"
Letting him go, and taking a slight amusement in seeing him catch his breath, Pinkie gave him a big and friendly-looking wave, which Jay had the courtesy to return, after which he looked away briefly as he continued to recover from the unexpected hug. But, when he looked back, he saw, to his shock, that Pinkie was just straight-up gone . Looking around, he saw no sign of her, and it seemed as though she'd disappeared just as swiftly as she'd arrived. Slowly, he got himself up, and after pausing for a few moments, he once more glanced out of the window, seeing all of the ponies out in the street. At the end of it all, he sighed, before affording himself a small chuckle.
"Well...welcome to Ponyville, I guess."
There was only one way to describe the morning today; cold . Barely anypony would be awake right now, given how early it was, and all over Ponyville there could be seen this thick blanket of mist, with the sun only just starting to creep over the horizon. And yet, in spite of this, there was somepony actually up and about right now and, strangely enough, it was the one mare nopony would ever expect to see at this hour; Rainbow Dash. Though famed for her speed and energy, she was notorious for sleeping in, and to see her at such a time was practically unheard of. However, if one were to look closer, they would see, as she began her descent from the skies above Ponyville, that she was clad in her Wonderbolt uniform right now. As she drew nearer to the ground, her face was very clearly one of annoyance and discomfort, and she grumbled under her breath.
"Ugh! Stupid all-night Wonderbolt training sessions! Stupid awesome team! Stupid me for wanting to be an awesome member! Stupid...stupid! "
Clearly, her mind wasn't into it if that was the level of complaint she could think of right now. But, at the very least, she could see her home now, and so a small smile began to creep onto her face. However, just as she was getting closer to her destination, she noticed some movement upon the ground in the corner of her eye, prompting her to turn her gaze downwards. She squinted, trying to see through the mist that still covered everything, and before long, she saw him. Even though she'd never seen one before, she knew, from Twilight's descriptions at least, what a human looked like. And there was one right now, and he appeared to be jogging along the outskirts of the town. Gaining a sense of curiosity, Rainbow briefly glanced back to her home, before sighing and instead flying towards Ponyville's latest resident.
For a time, she didn't say anything, just hovering silently a good distance behind him. From the looks of things, it just appeared to be a bit of general exercise on his part, with him maintaining a constant pace as he made his way all around the edge of the town. Nopony else was around right now, so there was no risk of him bumping into anypony, and yet, Rainbow couldn't help but start to get just a little bit tired of following him like this. So, in a somewhat tactless move that could only have come from Rainbow Dash, she flapped her wings hard, darting forward so that she was now right alongside this newcomer.
"Er...good morning?"
Immediately, her arrival onto the seen had the expected effect, as the human halted dead in his tracks, looking utterly shocked at this unanticipated mare who now hovered beside him. That, coupled with the fact that he'd been jogging for some time now, resulted in him having to stop and take a few deep breaths. Rainbow, probably understanding immediately that she might not have been as delicate as she should have been, took on a somewhat embarrassed look, chuckling nervously.
"Hehe...um...sorry?"
Having finally caught his breath, Jay looked to the floating mare, then, perhaps from his experience with his last pony interaction, stood upright, cleared his throat, and began to speak calmly.
"...Hi."
Seeing a chance, Rainbow stretched out a hoof to him.
"Nice to meet you! Name's..."
"Rainbow Dash?" he answered pre-emptively, taking her hoof and giving it a quick shake.
Naturally, Rainbow was a little taken aback by that.
"Wha...how did you...?"
But the human simply pointed to her mane, after which, Rainbow looked to him in that same nervous way as before.
"Oh...right...that."
Looking pleased that he'd gotten some ground in this, Jay spoke up again.
"Heard about you around town. Name’s Jay. A pleasure."
Nodding, Rainbow returned to her earlier smile before replying.
"So...what are you doing out here? It's pretty early."
Jay folded his arms as he answered.
"Yeah...I always wake up pretty early. Starting the day with some exercise is fairly common with me."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"When'd you wake up?"
Jay opened his mouth, then closed it again as he considered that.
"Er...what time is it now? "
Looking around, Rainbow squinted through the mist to look for the town's local clock tower. After finally spotting it, she answered his question.
"Six-thirty."
"In that case, I've been at this for an hour ," Jay answered.
Rainbow's head snapped in his direction.
"Seriously?! "
Jay rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know, it's weird getting up that early, but...I can't help it. If I wake up at that time, I'm not gonna get back to sleep. So, might as well get out for a bit."
He then frowned.
"Besides...you’re up pretty early too."
To that, Rainbow took on a look of slight pride.
"Well, not to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal. You're talking to a bonna fide Wonderbolt after all."
Jay blinked slowly and, in a move that nopony would have recommended he did right now, he spoke his mind.
"Er...what's a Wonderbolt?"
Much like she'd done the last time somebody had asked her that, Rainbow gasped, looking completely flabbergasted.
"You...you don't know what a Wonderbolt is?!"
Jay shook his head, prompting Rainbow to continue.
"They're only the most awesome fliers in all of Equestria! Every pegasus colt and filly for hundreds of years have dreamed of being part of them!"
Taking that in, Jay looked towards the centre of town.
"Wait...are they the guys who have all those posters out around the shops, asking for recruits?"
Rainbow smiled at that.
"Yep! They’re the ones! They're pretty cool!"
Nodding, Jay looked back to her.
"Well...maybe I'll check them out one day, see what they're like."
Chuckling, Rainbow gave him a playful punch in the arm.
"Trust me, you'll love them!"
But Jay just frowned a little, now holding onto the spot of his arm where Rainbow had hit him.
"Um...ow?"
Rainbow cleared her throat in uncertainty.
"Er...sorry."
Sighing, Jay returned to his smile.
"It's fine. I'm used to ponies being enthusiastic around me. Like that Pinkie girl from the other day."
Rainbow now looked to him with interest.
"Oh? You met Pinkie already?"
Jay nodded.
"Yeah. I got a...rather unexpected housewarming from her. You're friends?"
Rainbow chuckled.
"Yeah, we're pretty close. Known each other for years now. Helped save the world with her and my other friends a few times now, not that I want to sound like I'm boasting or anything."
Jay seemed surprised by that.
"...Saved the world?"
Placing her hooves upon her hips, Rainbow's chest swelled up a little, and she tried to look as "heroic" as possible with her current level of tiredness.
"Yep! Maybe I'll tell you about it someday!"
The human sighed.
“Well...thanks for saving the world...I guess?”
Realising that probably wasn’t the smoothest line delivery of his life, Jay looked around somewhat awkwardly. Then, after a few moments of silence, he looked back to the path he'd been jogging on, then back towards the mare he'd been speaking to. He considered his options, then, trying to sound as friendly as possible, spoke up again.
"So...would you like to join me for the rest of my jog?"
Rainbow thought about that, but, before she even had the chance to speak, her body functions betrayed her, and she let out a massive yawn.
“Ah! I'd love to! But, I'm pretty pooped right now. I was actually heading home when I caught sight of you."
Jay nodded, understanding.
"Say no more. Get yourself home then. Rest up. You look like you need it."
Chortling a little, Rainbow nodding, turning around slightly.
"Yeah...no argument here."
But, she then paused for a moment, looking over her shoulder and giving a little salute.
"Enjoy the morning, Jay. I probably won't see it. Deep sleeper and all that."
Jay nodded back, and stood back as Rainbow let loose an almighty flap of her wings. He watched her fly off fast, straight towards her home, which he only now noticed hovering in the sky nearby. For a time, he stood there, hands on hips, taking in deep breaths of the cold air around him. Then, as he finally began his jog again, albeit at a slightly slower pace, he couldn't help but give a small laugh.
"Deep sleeper? Yeah...wouldn't that be nice every once in a while?"
Now, it was no secret that poor weather resulted in a poor mood for anyone experiencing it. And yet, as Jay looked out of his apartment window, gazing upon the dark, cold, wet and windy situation out in Ponyville, this state of affairs didn't seem to cause him much concern. But, then again, he was in a pretty cosy-looking moment right now. His apartment was bathed in the warm orange glow of the fire he'd just lit, and if you were to be in that place yourself, you would never suspect that things outside were as chilly as they were. A contented sigh escaped him, and as he reached for a steaming cup of tea from the side, he carried it carefully across to his armchair, which was directly facing the aforementioned fire. Sitting down, he blew upon the cup a few times before bringing it closer to his lips, ready to take that first, satisfying sip.
But, as he probably should have expected by this point, his solitary moment was not to be, as he was soon surprised to hear the sound of somebody knocking on his door. Though a little irritated at this, he nevertheless set his cup aside on the small table that stood beside his chair, before hoisting himself up and making his way over to the door. Taking a moment to ensure he was looking at least somewhat presentable, he turned the knob and opened it. There, smiling to him on the other side, was an orange earth pony mare, with a blonde mane and a distinctive Stetson hat, the latter of which she now tipped in greeting towards him.
"Howdy, friend! Name's Applejack!"
Jay returned this gesture with a nod of his own.
"Jay."
As the mare chuckled briefly, she turned her body to one side, showing that she had been carrying a saddle-bag upon her back, which appeared to be laden with apples. Immediately, Jay understood her reason for being here.
"Ah! The apples I ordered?"
Still smiling, Applejack nodded.
"Eyup! Sorry they're a bit late. Had some trouble with other orders earlier."
But Jay simply shook his head.
"Not a problem. I'm just glad they're here."
In the moments that followed, Jay reached over to a drawer on a table that lay next to his door and, after rummaging around in it for a time, pulled out a small bag. He opened it up and pulled out a few gold-looking coins, handing them over to his visitor.
"Will this be enough?"
Taking the payment, Applejack nodded, tipping her hat yet again as she removed her bags and left them carefully upon the table nearby.
"Yep! Pleasure doin' business with ya, friend!"
Jay smiled back, looking to the delivered apples with interest. However, just as Applejack was turning to leave, he couldn't help but notice a sudden loud gust of wind outside, prompting him to turn around and look out of the window. The weather outside was getting much worse now, and as he glanced back over to Applejack, he thought to himself about how that mare was going to have to go back home in all of this. His face softening, he cleared his throat, gaining her attention.
"Do you want to stay for a bit? I've got a fresh pot brewing."
But Applejack raised a hoof to this.
"Thank ya kindly, Jay. But ah don' wanna impose or anythin'."
Jay shook his head.
"You're not imposing. It's terrible out there and, well, I guess I'm just grateful you were able to bring these over to me at this time."
In spite of herself, Applejack experienced a small shiver, no doubt remembering the terrible rain she'd just gone through out there. Perhaps it was the warmth she felt from his apartment, or maybe it was the way he'd offered the invitation, but whatever the reason, the farm-mare soon broke out into a smile.
"Well...that's mighty decent of ya. Sure, why not?"
Stepping aside, Jay allowed her entry into his home, closing the door behind her. As promised, he made his way over to the counter of the kitchen section of the main room, and got to work preparing some tea for his guest. Applejack, for her part, sat herself down in one of the other chairs close beside the fire, taking a moment to stretch out her hooves and enjoy the warmth of it. A smile crept onto her face at this, and she watched silently as her host brought her promised cup. She took it gratefully, giving both a smile and a nod to him, before blowing on her drink herself. As Jay got back into his own seat, and finally took a sip of his drink, he let out a sigh, turning to her.
"So...what were those delivery problems of yours earlier?"
A slight look of embarrassment crossed Applejack's face at that.
"Oh...it ain't much. Jus' little Bloom an' her friends thinkin’ they can help make deliveries faster and...well...ya come ta expect those plans o' theirs don' really...um...go well."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Bloom...your daughter?"
Applejack let out a hearty chuckle.
"Nope! Ah ain’t that old! Apple Bloom is mah sister. She means well, but she gets into all sorts o' trouble on most days. But, ah wouldn't give her up fer anythin’ ."
Jay nodded, taking another sip of his tea. But, after having done so, he was now the one being asked questions.
"And you? Any sisters? Brothers?"
Looking to her, Jay nodded again.
"Two brothers. One older, one younger."
A smile returned to Applejack's lips.
"Middle child, eh? Same ere."
At that, it was Jay's turn to chortle.
"Well...here's to being middle kids then."
He raised his cup, and Applejack, returning the laugh, took her own and gently clinked it against his. The two took simultaneous gulps of their tea, after which, Applejack looked over to the apples she'd delivered.
"So...what ya got planned fer em?"
Jay too looked to the apples, and a smile came to him.
"Oh don't you worry about them . I've got some plans."
He licked his lips as he turned his eyes back to the fire.
"I can almost taste that crumble."
Applejack looked to him with some confusion.
"Er...crumble?"
Jay nodded.
"Apple crumble. It's an old recipe from back home."
He raised his cup to her again.
"Maybe I'll show it to you one day."
Another chuckle escaped Applejack at that.
"Ah look forward to it, pard'ner!"
Leaning back into their chairs, the two took a moment to simply enjoy the warmth of the moment. The fire was ticking along nicely, though Jay felt that it was worth giving it a bit of help. So, getting out of his chair for the time being, he gently placed another log upon it. A few moments passed before the log caught fire, and before long, the glow intensified as a result. Taking another sip of tea, Applejack turned to him, bearing a look of genuine interest.
"So, how are ya likin' Ponyville so far?"
Jay considered that before answering.
"Pretty good, I'd say. I'm liking my work at the tea store, and everyone has been really welcoming to me. I honestly wasn't expecting to be accepted so quickly."
Applejack's smile widened.
"We're a pretty friendly bunch when ya get right down to it. Heck, if we can accept a dragon or a draconequs, I'm pretty sure you’ll fit right in."
Jay looked to her, eyebrow raised.
"What's a...draconequs?"
A sly smirk came to Applejack at that.
"Don't worry. Ah'm pretty sure you'll meet him one day or another."
Jay blinked a few times before answering.
"Well...I guess that's something to look forward to."
The human, who was growing increasingly interested in what this mare had to say, soon leaned forward in his chair as he resumed speaking to her.
“So you work down on that apple farm then?”
Applejack smiled wider than before.
“You betcha, Jay. We Apples have been livin’ an’ farmin’ on that there plot fer generations . Ah tell ya, ya won’ find no better apple anywhere in Equestria!”
Jay took a moment to give a brief laugh to this.
“Well, always nice to know you're enjoying your work. And if your apples are as good as you say, I look forward to cooking them up.”
Reclining slightly into her chair, Applejack joined in on the laugh.
“An’ ya won’ regret it!”
Looking back to him, Applejack leaned over and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder.
"It's pretty good seein' a new face in these parts. Ah hope ya settle in good, Jay."
Smiling once more, Jay yet again raised his cup, before turning his eyes to the fire.
"So do I, Applejack. So do I."
The invitation had, naturally, come as something of a surprise to Jay when he'd received it. Not that he wasn't grateful of course. Being asked to come over and spend time with someone was always a welcome thing. Although, traditionally, he would have liked to at least know the person before he went off visiting them. But, off he'd gone anyway and, as was the norm for him, his sense of direction in this new town of his wasn't the best. He kept getting street names mixed up, and on more than one occasion he'd had to ask one of the local ponies for help. To their credit, they were eager to give him the information he needed, and soon enough, he was on the right track. His path took him further and further from the centre, and his surroundings were becoming more natural-looking with every step. Eventually, however, he came upon what had to be the place he was trying to find, and when he did, he couldn't help but stop and stare at it.
"...Okay."
The image before him was, to be perfectly frank, exactly the kind of thing you'd expect to find on the cover of some children's fairy tale book. An idyllic cottage, surrounded by nature, with singing birds, and an overall look of calm, peace and tranquillity. Jay blinked slowly for a time, as though unsure of what he was seeing. But, he then realised that, if he was going to be living among talking equines, then something like this probably shouldn't seem all that strange to him. So, letting out a sigh, he began to walk up to the place, and as soon as he'd reached the door, he balled his hand into a fist and knocked gently upon it. A moment or two passed before he heard anything, but eventually, he could make out movement on the other side. At last, the door opened, and on the other side was a yellow pegasus mare, with a long pink mane and a warm smile.
"Oh! Mr Jay! You made it!"
Jay smiled at this happy-sounding welcome.
"And you're Miss Fluttershy, yes?"
The mare nodded.
"Yes. I'm glad you could make it. Please, come in!"
And come in he did, as Jay knelt slightly to enable himself to enter through the doorway that, in all honesty, was probably not designed for someone of his height. As soon as he was in, however, he found, to his slight delight, that the interior was just as nice to look at as the exterior. Comfy chairs, plenty of cushions, and an array of other furniture and decorations that had the combined effect of just oozing cosiness all over. Turning, he looked upon his host as she walked past him.
"Please, make yourself right at home!"
Nodding, Jay smiled at the warm welcome he was being given, and so did as suggested, making his way over to a particularly soft-looking chair nearby. He sat down upon it, and as soon as he did so, he looked up to see Fluttershy re-enter the room. She was carrying a tray that bore two cups upon it, and at this point, Jay didn't need any questions to know what drink in particular was being brought to him. He took his cup when his host offered it to him, and he gave her an appreciative smile in return. Fluttershy's own smile widened as a result, and after setting the tray down on a nearby small table, she took her own cup and hovered over to another chair. For a few moments, neither of them did anything except blow on their respective drinks before taking small sips of it. Jay was the first to speak after this.
"Ah! Now that's really good!"
Fluttershy giggled to this.
"I'm glad you like it."
But, it wasn't long before Jay turned to her, looking very much curious.
"As grateful as I am that you invited me over here, Miss...why?"
Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders.
"When I heard there was somepony new living in town, and that they weren’t a pony, I knew I had to meet you."
Jay shifted uncomfortably in his chair, looking a little embarrassed all of a sudden.
"Well...I know people like me aren't really that well known around here. Sorry if my appearance is a little..."
But, he was halted from saying anything further by a raised hoof from Fluttershy.
"Don't you worry one little bit! I've known all sorts of strange and colourful creatures in my days. Some you wouldn't even believe! "
She took another sip of her tea before continuing.
"I'm always eager to meet new kinds of people, especially ones I never knew about before."
A relaxed sigh escaped Jay after hearing that.
"Well...I'm glad to hear that. I know some of the other ponies have been having a hard time coming to terms with...you know...some guy from a species they've never heard of in these parts."
Fluttershy shook her head.
"Oh, there's no need to get yourself down over that. Ponies around here warm up to everypony in time!"
Jay nodded, taking a gulp of his own drink before looking back to her.
"So...you like animals? I saw quite a few of them around here."
His host's face lit up after having been asked that question.
"Oh yes! I've always loved animals! Big or small, furred or feathered, they've always held a special place in my heart. Like Harry, the sweetest bear you'll ever meet!"
Jay had been about to put his cup to his lips again, but after hearing that , he stopped.
"There's...there's a bear around here?!"
Fluttershy could instantly see the thoughts that were no doubt racing in Jay's mind at that notion, and once more raised her hoof, speaking in a direct, yet calming way.
"I assure you, Harry is perfectly tame. He may look big and scary, and his roar really is quite something, but he's no danger."
Jay considered that for a time, and while he still seemed a little uncertain, the way Fluttershy had said all of that seemed to at least put him at ease, as evidenced by the more relaxed posture he now assumed.
"Sorry...I didn't mean to offed you or your friend."
Fluttershy resumed her earlier smile.
"It's alright. It's only natural to react that way. But, I'm glad you're willing to trust me when I said he was safe. Not many would ."
This time, it was Jay's turn to smile. With that done he, moments afterward, raised his hand to his face, no doubt to once more take a sip of his tea. But, just before he did this, he discovered, to his shock, that his hand no longer actually had a tea cup in it. For a few moments, he looked around himself, trying to find it, and this movement caught Fluttershy's attention.
"Something wrong?"
Though confused, Jay nevertheless managed to get some words out.
"Yes. Um...I could've sworn I had that cup with me that whole time."
Fluttershy too seemed confused by this sudden disappearance of the cup in question. But, after some seconds had come and gone, her expression changed to one of slight irritation. She took a deep breath, set her own cup aside on the table, then put on a smile as she regarded Jay once more.
"Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Though unsure of her sudden need to leave, Jay nodded, and watched as she trotted off towards the back door of her house. She closed it behind her after leaving, which left Jay all alone in this place. He tired to pass the time by just looking around the place, but soon, he could hear Fluttershy's voice outside. It sounded like she was speaking to someone, and that she was upset with them. Then, Jay heard a second voice, a male from the sound of it, though who it was he couldn't say. Then, he watched as Fluttershy re-entered the cottage, her smile once more upon her face.
"I'm sorry about that. Would you like to continue with your drink?"
Jay opened his mouth, only to stop when he realised, to his surprise, that his cup was indeed once more back in his hand. Naturally, he was rather taken aback by all of this, and looked to the mare with a clear "please explain this to me" look about him. Giggling again, Fluttershy gave an answer.
"Oh, nothing to worry about. Just a friend of mine who needs to learn to control his jealousy a bit better. I usually only have tea parties with him , you see."
Jay nodded, though was still not sure of what to say about all of this. But, figuring it’d be rude not to say something, he did .
“Well, I can safely say that this tea party is a nice one. Thank you again for bringing me over.”
Fluttershy maintained her smile towards him.
“You’re very welcome, Jay!”
Taking a long-overdue sip of his briefly-missing tea, Jay then looked back to her.
“Um...out of curiosity...if I were to visit you again ...would I go through any more strange things like that?”
Considering that, Fluttershy shook her head.
“Oh no! I can promise you, things will be perfectly fine if you came over again.”
Jay sighed, clearly relaxed at those words. But, as he took another sip, Fluttershy added more to her prior statement, looking far more serious than before as she did so.
“And if something does happen unexpectedly...somepony is getting quite the talking to.”
Her guest stared at her, then, after seeing her return to her prior smile, he cleared his throat a little.
“In that case...would you like to talk a little bit more about your animals?”
At the mention of that particular topic, Fluttershy’s ears perked up, and she seemed as excited as ever.
“Oh, I’d be delighted! ”
No matter the time, no matter the place, no matter the species , everyone knew what an "I just got back from work" face looked like. And as the ponies of Ponyville watched Jay head on back to his apartment building, that was exactly the face he now bore for himself. Sighing in a long and tired way, the human made his way closer to his new home, grumbling under his breath.
"If the sign doesn't say it's two-for-one...then it's not two-for-one! How many times do I need to tell people that?!"
But, at the very least, a smile soon returned to him. For after a long day at one's job, there was no more pleasant sight than a person's own front door, and the welcoming allure of home. Once in front of said door, he let out another sigh, then reached into his pocket, ready to pull out his key. But, as he did this, his smile faded. He kept his hand in that pocket for a few seconds longer, then tried the pocket on the other side of the jacket. Then, after this, he patted down every other spot on himself in a desperate attempt to find what he was looking for. When this was all done, however, he returned once more to his earlier look of tiredness.
"Ugh! Great! Now I have to go all the way back and..."
"Um, Pardon me, Sir?"
Jay was surprised at the second voice, but he turned, and now looked down to see an alabaster unicorn mare, with a dark purple mane and a pair of saddle-bags upon her back, smiling up to him. Her horn was aglow, and she was levitating a set of keys in front of her, lifting them up to Jay's view.
"I believe you dropped these a few blocks back?"
Immediately, Jay accepted the gift, breathing a sigh of relief as he did so.
"Oh! Thank you! You're a lifesaver , Miss...?"
Sweeping aide some of her hair, the mare gave a little bow of her head to him.
"Rarity. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mr Jay."
To that, Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Um...have we met?"
Rarity shook her head.
"We haven't had the pleasure, but I believe you've already encountered one of my dear friends. Rainbow Dash?"
Jay nodded in response.
"Yeah, we met during one of my morning jogs."
A brief laugh escaped Rarity at that.
"She came in to get her Wonderbolt uniform mended, and she happened to mention you."
Then, she stopped and regarded him for a few moments.
"Well, if you don't mind my saying so, Sir, between the jogs and your new job at the tea store, you'll run yourself ragged one of these days."
Jay too laughed, though his was more of a dry chuckle.
"Yeah, certainly feels that way sometimes."
Looking back to his door, he thought for a moment before glancing back to his latest encounter.
"Would you like to come in? I could probably get a pot on for you."
Rarity's smile widened.
"That is most kind of you. If you're offering, I certainly won't say no ."
Jay smiled, and he got to the business of unlocking his door at last. Afterwards, both he and Rarity headed up the stairs, and from there, it wasn't long before they found themselves in front of his apartment door, which was also unlocked soon after. Now, they were inside, and Jay removed his jacket and set it upon the coat rack beside the door. Taking a few steps inside, he spoke to his guest, who he could hear walking behind him.
"Make yourself at home."
But, his comment were not, as he'd predicted, met with a "thank you" from Rarity, but rather what sounded like a horrified gasp. Immediately, the human spun in place, trying to see what was going on, only to find the mare looking around with pure terror upon her face.
"What's wrong?!" he asked.
Placing her hoof to her chest, Rarity's eyes darted all over, her voice frantic and panicked.
"It's...it's...it's positively dreadful , darling!"
Looking around, Jay tried to see what could have upset her, and was unable to really see anything that would cause this reaction. So, naturally, he looked to her again.
"What is it?!"
Rarity, at long last, gave him his answer.
"It's...it's your décor , Sir!"
A pause, after which Jay looked to her with some confusion.
"Um...pardon?"
Rarity walked past him, pointing to everything, from the wallpaper, to the furniture, to even the curtains hanging from the nearby window.
"I don't know who thought they could try and push this on you, but the colouring in here is all wrong! Nothing compliments anything else! And who in their right mind would want to inflict this much beige onto somepony?!"
Blinking, Jay looked around.
"Well...now that you mention it...I don't think I really thought about it that much."
Looking back to him, Rarity smiled.
"Well, it's a good thing we met when we did. I cannot even begin to imagine how long you've had to deal with such a terrible arrangement, my dear fellow!"
Jay turned once more to his guest, then shrugged his shoulders.
"You know...it actually doesn't bother me all that much, Miss. Aesthetics were never really my strong-suit."
Rarity let out another small laugh to this.
"You sound so much like Applejack, Mr Jay. But don't you worry, for you have Ponyville's foremost fashionista here to help you!"
Jay raised both hands in a defensive manner to that.
"Oh! You don't need to go out of your way to..."
But, he was halted as Rarity interrupted him.
No! I insist! You're home needs help, and I plan to give it to you!"
Realising that this was probably one of those occasions where he had lost before he'd even begun, Jay let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Well...since you want to help...I guess it wouldn't hurt."
He turned, looking around all the things that Rarity had been so horrified by earlier.
"I guess...maybe it isn't the prettiest place in the world."
Walking beside him, Rarity gave him an encouraging smile.
"Don't you worry one bit, my fine friend! Between the two of us, your apartment will positively shine! "
Walking around, Rarity paid close attention to every single detail she could get within view.
"First things first, we need some more vibrant colours in here! Some blues, and maybe some greens!"
Jay nodded, then spoke up himself.
"And...um...what about orange? That's my favourite colour."
Rarity looked to him, then pondered that suggestion, looking around before settling her eyes around the fireplace.
"Ah! There we are! Some orange would go perfectly over by a nice warm fire! Helps to create a very inviting glow!"
Jay looked over to his currently-unlit fireplace, nodding as he took those words in.
"Yeah...it would."
Smiling once more, Rarity walked back up to him.
"Leave it to me , Jay! You're in good hooves here!"
Looking to her, to the earnestness and clear desire to give him some help in his home, Jay couldn't resist the urge to give an appreciative smile himself.
"Thank you, Miss Rarity. I guess...we'd better get to work then?"
Rarity was practically beaming at that suggestion, and her horn began to glow once more. Her saddle-bags began to open, and out of them levitated a number of small books and sheets of paper, which Rarity carefully placed upon the table in the centre of the room.
"Now, I think the first thing we need to establish is what kind of curtains we need, because those things are right in the centre of what you and everypony else is going to see when they enter this apartment."
Sitting beside her, Jay let out a small chuckle.
"You like this sort of thing then? Colours and designs and the like?"
Rarity looked to him, a knowing smile creeping onto her face.
"Indeed I do! You may not realise this, but I'm quite something when it comes to making things look good. Come down and visit my boutique, and you'll see!"
Jay considered that.
"Boutique...wait...is that the purple and pink place downtown?"
Rarity nodded, showing clear pride in her expression as she did so.
"The very same! Creating something that truly makes people stand out is an exceptional joy to me. Like Pinkie and her parties, or Applejack and her cooking. Getting it right just feels satisfying in a way that I simply cannot put into words."
Jay thought on that, looking down to the design books that had been laid in front of him.
"I'm glad to hear you enjoy your work."
Rarity turned to him.
"If I may ask...do you enjoy yours? "
Looking back to her, a small smile returned to the human's face, and he gave a short nod.
"I do. It can get a little tiring here and there, but yeah, I'd call it pretty good working for Jasmine."
Rarity smiled wider.
"That is very good to know! Which reminds me, I am in need of some additional tea packets back home. Any recommendations?"
Leaning back into his chair, Jay considered that, briefly looking around, as though someone was listening in on them, before glancing back to her.
"Well...you didn't hear this from me , but we're getting in a new line this week from Vanhoover, and Jasmine says it'll be pretty popular."
Rarity leaned forward, clearly interested.
"Oooh! Do tell!"
"Okay, I admit it...it is a lot bigger close-up."
Jay's sense of awe was as clear as day upon his face, as he gazed upwards, to the sublime and impressive figure of the Friendship Palace. In the bright light of the day, it glistened, creating an almost magical look about it. Although, given what he'd heard of the pace and how it first appeared, that probably wasn't all that inappropriate. Still, he wasn't just here to gawk aimlessly. He was here at the request of somebody very important. So, clearing his throat and making sure he was prepared, he marched forward to the enormous doors before him. Once there, he took a few calming breaths, before raising his fist and banging a few times. At first, there was nothing, just silence, save for the echo of his knocks. But, after almost a minute of waiting, he watched as the doors creaked open. He had expected to see his host greeting him on the other side, but instead, he was made aware of another, and definitely younger voice calling up to him.
"Welcome to the castle!"
Looking downwards, Jay saw a young-looking green and purple reptilian being of some sort smiling up to him. After blinking a few times, the human managed to fumble his words out.
"Um...hello?"
Smiling wider, the youth before him opened the door wider, allowing him entry.
"Name's Spike. Pleased to meet you!"
Jay nodded.
"Jay David."
Stepping to one side, Spike watched as the visitor entered, making sure to close the massive doors behind him once he was inside. Now fully within the castle, Jay took a moment to look around the place. It was impressive, no question about it, and what drew his attention most of all was what appeared to be the large roots of a tree, which hung down from the ceiling of this place. Placing his hands on his hips, he took a few further steps inside, all while Spike walked alongside him.
"She'll be right along."
Jay looked down and nodded to him, allowing the youngster to lead him inside further. Once he'd been brought towards the centre of the chamber, it was here that he noticed the large round table right in the middle of the room, with six thrones surrounding it. He took a moment to stare at the thing, wondering for a moment what this was or why it was here, only to be kept from this train of thought by yet another voice calling out to him.
"Ah! Mr Jay! Welcome to my home!"
Looking up, Jay, at long last, saw his host. At first, he assumed it was another unicorn, like Rarity, only to be met with the surprise that this mare bore a pair of wings. She smiled to him, and then later to Spike as the latter walked past her, though where he was going, Jay could not say. The new mare, lavender in her colouring, drew nearer to her guest, before taking a seat at the throne that bore her mark. Raising a hoof she gestured to the other side of the table.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. Please, take a seat."
Though a little unsure of all of this, Jay nevertheless did as requested, and sat directly opposite her. For a time, there was silence between the two, and when it was over, Jay suddenly remembered who it was he was with right now, and so gave a very formal-looking bow of his head.
"It's an honour to be welcomed into your home, your Majesty."
Twilight, for her part, seemed taken aback by this gesture, though broke out into a smile soon after.
"There's no need for that kind of thing, Sir. I may be a Princess, but I don't want you to treat me differently from anypony else."
Raising his head again, Jay chuckled nervously, before speaking up again.
"Sorry. It's just...well...royalty is kind of a big thing where I'm from. Getting to meet one is...you know...pretty special."
Giggling, Twilight placed her hoof upon the edge of the table as she replied to this.
"Well, in truth, I've been hoping to meet you for some time. News travels fast around here, and I was surprised to learn that Ponyville now has a human resident."
Hearing that, Jay nodded briefly.
"Ah, yes, I heard Pinkie Pie mention that. You've met other humans before?"
A nostalgic smile crossed Twilight.
"I have. Though I haven't seen them in some time now. I really should get back to them at some point."
Looking back to her guest, Twilight continued.
"I was wondering how you've been feeling lately. Settling into Ponyville okay?"
Jay nodded.
"I am. And thank you for asking."
Twilight's chest swelled with a slight degree of pride.
"Well, I am the Princess of Friendship after all. Making sure everypony gets along with each other is pretty important to me."
Jay tilted his head to that.
"The Princess of...Friendship? I wasn't aware that something like that needed an official government title."
Again, Twilight laughed.
"Believe me, it gets pretty complicated. Nopony really knows what the rules are with this sort of thing, but I like to think I've been doing well with it."
Considering that, Jay gestured over his shoulder, to the door he'd just come through.
"Well, I can only speak to what I've seen, and if the rest of your land is as friendly as the people here are, then I'd say you've been doing a pretty good job."
A blush came to Twilight at that.
"Oh stop! I just lend a hoof here and there."
She glanced back to him.
"Tell me...has being in Equestria been in any way difficult for you?"
Jay was suddenly struck with a look of confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Twilight thought on her words carefully before starting to explain herself.
"It's just...when I last visited humans, I became a human myself in order to do so. Have you experienced anything strangle like that? Maybe turning into a pony on occasion?"
Now, Jay was used to the ponies saying bizarre things to him at this point, but even by those standards, that was a rather odd thing to comment on. So, after thinking about it for a moment, he shook his head.
"Nope. Can't say I have. Or any other magical things either."
Twilight nodded.
"I see. Well, you'll be sure to let me know if anything happens, right?"
Jay chuckled.
"Believe me, if I start growing wings or a tail, you'll be the first person I come to."
Twilight smiled to this, but before she had the chance to reply, she turned at the sound of somebody approaching her from behind. Sure enough, it was Spike, and he was carrying a tray of tea cups. Twilight seemed eager to get her cup, and so her horn began to glow, levitating hers right in front of her. Spike then carried the tray over to Jay, who took his respective cup and took a quick sip of it.
"As much as I appreciate this...I do enjoy other drinks, you know. Not that I’m ungrateful or anything."
The young Princess looked to him, seeming slightly embarrassed.
"I figured that would be the case, but...it's the biggest thing my friends have said about you so far."
Jay sighed to this.
"Yep...comes with the Britishness, I suppose."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, prompting Jay to respond pre-emptively.
"Long story. Still, I'm happy to have been invited over."
Twilight's smile returned, and she raised a cup to him.
"And I'm happy you're here . Making new friends is always important, especially for me . And given how many big and crazy things happen around here, it's nice to just get a moment to relax every once in a while."
Jay let out a dry laugh after another sip of his tea.
"Preaching to the choir on that one, Princess."
Together the two gulped down their drinks at more or less the same time, and when it was over, they let out simultaneous sighs of contentment.
"You know...I've met a lot of your friends. Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity...they seem like good people," Jay remarked.
Twilight nodded, smiling warmly after he'd said that.
"They are. We've been through a lot together, and I couldn't imagine my life without them."
Jay looked to her, looking both relaxed and deep in thought.
"It's good to know...that you have people that close to you in your life. I've had friends, but they've rarely been numerous."
Looking to him, Twilight's expression softened, and then she smiled to him yet again.
"Well...I hope your time here in Ponyville can help you with that. There have always been plenty of ponies here who are willing to accept more friends. So who knows? Maybe you'll find one or two for yourself."
Jay took those words in, considering them carefully, before breaking out into a smile of his own.
"I...I would like that, Princess. I really would."
Twilight, for her part, rolled her eyes.
"I told you, Jay, you don't need to call me Princess."
Laughing slightly, Jay raised his now-empty cup to her, smirking somewhat.
"Like I said, I'm British. Trust me, you'll get called Princess a lot . At least, until we know each other better."
Hearing that, Twilight sighed, shaking her head a bit while maintaining her earlier smile.
"Well...guess I've got some work to do then."
Leaning back into his chair, Jay's own smile widened.
"I look forward to it."
