When I go into town there's usually a specific reason why. Either food, clothing, or just something keep me busy. But, the majority of it is that it's food and clothing. Which brings me to the town seamstress Rarity. Rarity and I don't hate each other per se, it's just we have trouble understanding the other's way of life or how we choose to live our lives. I, myself don't see the appeal of the high society. You have to act like a dickbag in order to get ahead in life, Earth is already filled with enough assholes that are influential, we don't need more. To me, everyone's an asshole about one thing or another. It doesn't matter, leaders however are the biggest assholes. I already hate Celestia but that's an unpopular opinion that could get my ass lynched in some places so, I just keep that tidbit to myself.

I'm getting off track here, I was talking about Rarity and I. We are very well working acquaintances, we could be friends, but friends imply that they would know something about me that I'm not willing to give out so easily. Anyways after I finished the chair I was working on and delivered it to the customer in town I ran into Rarity. Almost literally, sometimes she doesn't see beyond that rack of hers, luckily I did and not wanting to experience being smushed into a pony's funbags again I stopped and caught her attention with a simple. "Hey, Rarity."

The pristine white unicorn with a curly purple mane and tail stopped and looked down at me. "Oh hello, Michael how are you this fine afternoon?"

"I'm fine, just delivering an order, about to head back home and change clothes for Pinkie's party." I said.

"Oh, you're coming?" Rarity asked with her baby blue eyes staring into my hazel eyes. "That's surprising."

"Yeah, she and Dash came to my house. Pinkie begged for me to come, so I acquiesced and complied." I replied.

"Oh?" Rarity said. "This may be worthwhile. You rarely come out of the woods for anything that you don't need. May I-"

"I'm going to stop you right there and say no. I'm not going to need a suit for any reason, it's not a high society function like in Canterlot, it's just a party. Shower, deodorant, clean clothes, and show up." I held up my hand, interrupting her train of thought.

"I'm going to get you in my boutique one day, Michael." Rarity huffed.

"Technically you already have, also I've told you how many times to call me Mickey?"

"436, but who's counting?" Rarity said.

"You obviously, speaking of your boutique. Why aren't you in there already? I thought you had a fall line-up coming or whatever?"

"Well, I need more rubies from the fields and was heading towards Sweet Apple Acres to see if Big Macintosh could help me with the dirty work. I would compensate him for his work of course." She said.

"What about Spike?" I asked.

"Up in Canterlot for the weekend, trade deals between The Dragon Lands and Equestria. He's acting as a mediator, close friends with Dragon Lord Ember and all that." She huffed.

"When are you going to admit that you like the guy? He's been chasing you for how many years now?" I asked her.

"6..." Rarity sighed. "I...I just...I don't know how to go about it. He's so adorable, he's a child but he's not."

What Rarity is talking about is the moral dilemma of Spike being a baby dragon, here's the thing he's only a baby in DRAGON terms. From the point of view from the ponies, he's more than the age of consent. Hell, he's even old enough to drink, he just doesn't because he hates the taste. Rarity obviously loves the guy but there's the whole baby dragon thing. It's really fucked up when you stop to think about it.

"Alright, you said that you wanted to get more rubies for your dresses? I can help, I got nothing better to do."

"Oh I don't want to take up too much of your time." Rarity said.

"It's fine, I got...what time is it?" I looked at my nonexistent watch.

"It's almost...oh dear 5 o'clock. I suppose that the rubies will have to wait until tomorrow. You go on and get home, I have to help Pinkie with the party."

"Why is there something special about this party that I don't know about?" I asked.

"I don't think I'm allowed to say." Rarity said.

Okay, maybe my paranoia wasn't so misplaced. I'm going to bring more than just a flask with me that's for fucking sure. I don't think bringing my gun would help either, I have a few custom made knives on hand. I think I should bring one just in case, I have a feeling something is going on here. "Alright then, I'll go home and get showered." I said as began to depart.

"Chao Darling." Rarity said as I left.

Rarity was acting strange, and she doesn't usually act strange she acts...I want to say uppity but I'd hate to insult her. I was thinking about what could be making the girls act so strange. First Pinkie and Rainbow Dash show up at my place, not unheard of but certainly out of the ordinary and then there was the end of that conversation with Rarity, she wasn't allowed to say? It could be nothing, but I don't want to take any chances. There wasn't a lot that I brought over from my world. Only what I had on me, it wasn't much but I worked until I got what else I needed. I was putting on my brown leather jacket and going through my pockets when I noticed that I still had my zippo lighter, it was a green lighter with a golden four leaf clover in the lower right hand corner. I smiled as I put lucky back in my pocket.

I walked up the path I had made up to Ponyville, I opened the invitation and looked at the address and it was at town hall, okay makes sense. Thing is what people don't realize is that Pinkie has a LOT of influence in Ponyville. She's THE premier party pony of Ponyville, even political parties. To her, it doesn't matter how long it takes as long as there's cake at the end of the of the party and everyone is happy then she's happy. Hell, she throws parties for the losing political parties just to make them feel better. She's a lot smarter than people think. I sighed and checked to see if my KA-BAR was still tucked under my pants waistband. I looked around and all the light were off, I could hear hushed voices inside.

I calmed down and started to whisper to myself, "Okay marine, they're not out to get you, they're civvies. Intent to disarm and debilitate." I slowly wrapped my hand around the door handle and slowly opened the door.

The lights suddenly came on and there was a shout of "SURPRISE!!!"

My hand went to my KA-BAR. But I stopped myself. No. Stand down Marine! There was a little voice that stopped me, it was my DI. I calmed down and looked up to see a banner saying Happy Anniversary Mickey. Anniversary?

Pinkie skipped up and put an arm on my shoulder and leaned in to whispered into my ear. "It's okay. I won't disarm you but I need you to calm down do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." I complied and she wrapped her arms around my right arm then she held my hand to calm down the shaking.

"Welcome to your anniversary party, today marks the day of your anniversary since you've come to Equestria. Three years ago." Pinkie said, she rubbed my back.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry for giving you a reason to be scared." Pinkie whispered. "I need you to calm down, for me. Please?"

"I'm fine Pinkie, you know what I said about surprise parties. Pop out and put my knife in my nightstand." I whispered back. Pinkie led me to a chair and put a party hat on my head. She grabbed my knife and popped out.

"I'll be back. Enjoy the party everyone!" Pinkie said as she went to the restroom to pop out to my house.

Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy all approached me as the party started. Applejack was taller than the rest with the exception of Twilight at almost 8 feet tall. Nearly makes me look like a kid, but she squatted down putting a hand on my shoulder she asked. "Mickey, are you alrigh' sugarcube?"

"I hate surprise parties." I told her.

"I understand." Applejack looked me in the eyes. Her green eyes deeply gazing into my own hazel ones, this is how she got you. "Was what Pinkie holding yours?"

"Yeah it was, I was scared." I admitted.

"You know we would never do anything to hurt you Mickey." Fluttershy got on her knees, kneeling right next to AJ. "What made you feel like that?"

"The circumstances were suspicious, I know Celestia wants me. I-I thought she turned you against me. I thought she turned the town against me."

"Mickey, we know you aren't a soldier like the ones we have in the royal guard. You won't go into detail, that's just fine. But don't you EVER think that we would sell you out." Twilight chastised me. "You're our friend. No matter what."

"I-I-I can't help it." I looked down as Pinkie exited the bathroom. "Also I'm a marine, not a soldier."

"Girls, he knows already." Pinkie told her friends. "Go, enjoy the party."

Fluttershy and AJ stood up and dispersed amongst the crowd with the others trailing behind except for Pinkie. Pinkie looked down at me and then got on my level. "Mickey, I'm a little disappointed in you. Why did you feel the need to carry that with you?"

"You can't tell a marine not to be a marine, even if he's out. That being said, I should've trusted you a bit more, I'm sorry."

"Thank you Mickey." She put her hand on my cheek and got closer but I stopped her.

"Pinkie." I said only her name and she stopped her advancement.

"Sorry, it's coming in a little early for me. That's why I wanted to do this today and not hold it off until later." Pinkie blushed. "I'm sorry."

"If you want I can stop by Zecora's and grab a few potions."

"There's no need. I think I need a little session with Mr. Pink." Pinkie winked at me.

I smirked and looked at her. "Did you do anything to my place?"

"No I didn't, I just put the knife away where you asked me to and I popped right back out." Pinkie said. "Now can we please enjoy the party?"

"Alright." I hopped out of the chair I sat in and walked into the food table where I saw a cake with a picture of me on it. It was the only picture of me, and it was me punching Blueblood in the nuts. I smiled, the rest of the night went by in a blur there were games and songs, then there was dancing, I ate some, I drank some. I had fun for the first time in a long while. In fact for a moment there, I didn't have to look over my shoulder. Because just for a moment, I was safe.

Like all moments however, they had to come to an end. It was getting late and most people had already left. I sighed because the moment of safety had passed and I had to go back to looking over my shoulder. The mane six were helping clean up and it being my party and feeling partially responsible I decided to help. The clean up was a breeze and we all went our separate ways except for Fluttershy and I.

We were walking together because it was on the way to my house. Fluttershy is a modest 7'5 still looks down at me though I don't care about that anymore though. Her breast size is almost as impressive as Pinkie. It was a 43DD and if you're wondering why I know all these things, they told me in confidence. Fuck, they put so much trust in me to tell me their bra size and I can't even trust them not to turn me over to Celestia. If you're wondering why I'm paranoid about that it's because I'm technically not a citizen of Equestria. I fought for my country, you think I'm going to give it up for some candyland horse bullshit? Not in any lifetimes, Celestia allows me to come and go as I please, she has no legal precedent over the everfree forest, so that's an added bonus. Walking takes a lot off my mind just putting one foot in front of the other really helps.

We get to Fluttershy's cottage and I walk her up to the door as she fishes the keys out of her pocket I just lean against one of the walls. "Um, hey Mickey?" Fluttershy nervously asks.

"Yes, Flutterbutter what is it?" I casually reply.

"Would you mind staying the night here? I-I know that it's a long way back to your house and that it's pretty late. I just don't want you to get hurt." She twiddled her thumbs. "I-If you don't want to that's fine."

I looked at the position of the moon and sighed. "Fine, I'll sleep on the couch."

Fluttershy smiled. "Yay a sleepover! I'll go get some blankets and pillows, you just make yourself comfortable."

I walked in after the excited shy mare with a little smirk on my face. I eyed her couch, while she went to get the sleeping arrangements. I sat on the couch waiting, most of the animals were asleep. I say most because staring right at me from the floor was Angel Bunny, which was everything his name wasn't. "Look Angel I'm only spending the night and I'm sleeping on the couch. Don't feign innocence because I know you can understand me."

Fluttershy returned with a pair of pink pajamas on with blue butterflies all over them. "I got you some blankets and a pillow." She put them on the couch. "There's a spare toothbrush and toothpaste to go with it." She put the items on the couch.

"Alright." I said as I took off my shirt and Fluttershy gasped. "Hmm? Is something wrong?"

"I just, this is the first time I've seen anypony besides my friends without a shirt... do you not wear a bra?" Fluttershy asked with a blush written across her face.

"Oh sweetie, you're so adorably innocent. No, men don't wear bras."

"But what about your boobies?" She pointed at my pectoral muscles.

"They're called pectorals. They're muscles that are supposed to look like that after years of hard work on them." I said.

"How do you have nipples?" Fluttershy asked.

"I can't explain this very well but, as far as I know. Human babies have the same genetic blueprint but when developing in the womb babies lean one way or the other. Basically the nipples are evolutionary baggage. They serve no purpose, but they're there."

"Okay, um." Fluttershy paused. "You have a cutie mark?"

"Huh?" I then looked at my shoulder which had the image of a skull with a rose clenched in its mouth. "Oh no that's a tattoo."

"Tattoo?" Fluttershy asked.

"It’s basically an ink drawing placed permanently on my skin, so it won’t come off. I chose to get this.”

"Why?" She wondered.

"It's symbolism, death begets life. Or something like that."

"Oh...May I touch it?" Fluttershy the curious requested.

"Go ahead." I said as I sat on the couch. She reached over and touched the image plastered onto my skin, the paused for a minute and shook her head and she soon stopped. "Are you alright?" I asked her.

"I'm fine, just a little woozy, I must be tired." She got up.

"Do you need any help getting into bed?" I asked.

"No, no. I'll be fine, goodnight Mickey." She said as she climbed the stairs with the assistance of her handrail.

"Goodnight Fluttershy." I said as I prepared my bed for the evening and got underneath the covers. I thought back to the party, or more specifically what Twilight said, I was their friend. I should take more photographs with them.

Author's Note

I made the term "Popping" to refer to the fact that Pinkie can appear almost anywhere at anytime.