Equilibrium, Book 1: The First Human.

Ponyville Spa.
10:45 A.M.

"Aloe, Lotus I'm going over to Rarity's for my break," John called out as he opened the back door. Lotus popped around the corner and gave him a wave.

"Please be back at the spa by lunchtime deary." John gave her a thumbs up to which she nodded. John strolled out the back door and looked at his watch.

"An hour and fifteen minutes." He thought about it. "Plenty of time to go see Rarity and then I can head on over and see who's doing what today." John set out for Rarity's, his mental map of Ponyville kicking into gear as he navigated the many streets and pathway's that lead from the spa to her shop. In just over fifteen minutes he found himself standing at her door and knocking just to be polite.

"Come in." Rarity's sing-song voice reached John's ear's causing him to smile. He gently opened the door causing it to slowly creak as he entered the shop. He was greeted with the usual organized chaos that permeated Rarity's place of work. Swath's of cloth ran amuck while box's of color-coded gem's sat open and strewn about the store. He chuckled as he heard Rarity off to the left in another room. Straining his ear's he heard the telltale signs of the crusader's upstairs.

"One-second dear. I'll be right with you." John sat down bearly able to contain his excitement.

"Man I really hope this all works out." He let a smile grace his face. "Dash'll be so blown away by this." Rarity let out a soft breath as she opened the door to her art's room.

"Whoo well now that that's done." She looked over and beamed. "Oh, John darling!" She trotted over and gave him a hug.

"Are you here for your special order?" She smiled as she glanced at a crate sitting across the room. John glanced at it as well.

"Yeah. Is that it?" He asked his voice laced with trepidation. Rarity nodded.

"Yes. It took me quite some time to find the right kind of fabric and other supplies but there it all is." She smiled as she trotted over and used her magic to grab a nearby crowbar which seemed to wobble a little bit. John held up a hand.

"Please, Rarity let me get it." He grabbed the crowbar from Rarity's magic. She looked at him and smiled.

"Why thank you, dear." She looked around her shop. "It can be a little tiring keeping up with all of these order's and Sweetie Belle along with her friends." She then looked at the mess that awaited her in her art's and craft's room.

"That and keeping the shop in order." She huffed out a sigh. A cracking noise caused her ears to flatten as John went to work getting the lid off of the crate. He huffed in exertion as he pried the lid off of the box. Looking around John smiled.

"You know Rarity if you need help around here I know for a fact that Spike and I can help you out." Rarity smiled but shook her head.

"Oh no dear I couldn't possibly ask you or Spike for more help than you've both already been." She stated as she levitated the lid off and into a corner of the store. John just shrugged his shoulder's.

"And Ponies say AJ can be stubborn." He chuckled as Rarity blushed and held her nose up with a faint smirk adorning her muzzle.

"Yes well, a Lady must never learn to over really on male's dear." John laughed now as he set the crowbar down.

"Well, regardless of what you may or may not adhere to Ms. Rarity I shall endeavor to not make your job any harder by overburdening you." He smiled as Rarity waved a hoof while levitating the contents of the crate out and onto the spacious floor of the store. She stared at it in wonder for a little while before she broke herself out of her revelry.

"So dear just what exactly is the concept behind this idea of your's?" Rarity asked as John sat there and took out the plan's he'd drawn up. He looked over to Rarity and smiled.

"Have you ever seen a flying squirrel?" He asked causing Rarity to stop and think about it. As she looked from John to the material in front of her a smile began to form around her muzzle.

"Oh, my dear you are such a treat." Rarity said as she skimmed over John's notes.

12:05 P.M.

Soarin smiled as he made his way to the Ponyville weather facility.

"Can't wait to see the look on her face." He grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, I got this recruit in the bag." Settled down into a lazy circle as he came for a landing on the Weather Facility's air pad. He looked around as came to a soft trot heading towards the front lobby.

"This place has spruced up." He noted as he trotted past a now larger patio area in front of the main building. In addition to the new landing pad, he'd just used he noticed a few other additions to the otherwise meek looking facility. He shoved those thoughts aside as he went through the front door.

"Now where do I find my prize?" He looked around and found a schedule up on a nearby wall. Trotting over he scanned it and was ecstatic to see his new best friend was scheduled for a lunch break soon.

"Excellent." He smirked as he trotted over to the front desk and tapped the little service bell. A plump pegasus mare came out of a back room and as soon as her eyes were upon Soarin she began to hyperventilate. He put a hoof to his muzzle.

"Yeah I have that effect on ponies but could we keep this casual?" He asked as the mare took a tentative step towards him. He chuckled as she took a seat at the front desk. Her seat began to vibrate in place as the giddy mare sat there admiring Soarin who took all of the attention in with a calm cool smirk before he leaned in close.

"So I know that this is sudden but I need to get a message to one of your employees." She hastily nodded as she grabbed a quill and parchment from her desk.

"T-tt-to w-who-m am I to adress this t-t-to?" she asked her voice cracking a little bit. Soarin chuckled as the mare blushed fiercely.

"It's ok I think the stutter's sexy." He winked at the mare who desperately wanted to faint right then and there. Soarin let out a small chuckle before he leaned in close motioning for the mare to do the same. And then as if telling her a vital secret he whispered ever so slowly.

"Tell Rainbow Dash that her friend is here to see her." The mare stood stock still. "R-r-ainbow?" She said feeling a sudden heat flush through her body.

"What could you possibly want with that whore?" The word's escaped her mouth before she could so much as think about them. She slapped a hoof to her mouth and looked around frantically hoping that no pony heard her. No one came to ream her flank but looking into the eye's of Soarin got her to stop in her tracks. He gave her a long hard stare before a grin broke out on his muzzle.

"Well, you certainly have a mouth on you." He gave her a sultry look.

"Hmmm yes such a beautiful mouth." He winked causing the mare to once again do an impression of a tomato. He looked around spying a janitor's closet.

"Say do you wouldn't happen to be on break right now?" He asked causing the mare to nod. The mare gave him a confused look.

"Um yes?" Before she could even blink Soarin had grabbed her by the barrel and hauled her over the desk.

"Perfect then we have some time for a little lesson in mouth work." He smirked as he dragged the limp mare over to the closet.

12:34 P.M.
Outskirts of Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash looked out at her work, namely the absence of all the clouds in the skyline across the Ponyville horizon. A small speck came barreling from the direction of Cloudsdale. Soon Thunderlane had zipped into Dash view. Thunder gave her a salute.

"Cloud Chaser report's clear sky's from here to Canterlot." Dash gave him a salute.

"All right. Let's pack it up for the day and turn in early." She smiled as Thunder gave her a salute and zipped off. Dash took a deep breath before heading back to the office. Once she was inside she took a seat at her station and oged in her hour's. once that was done she took her slip of parchment and deposited it into the clock out box.

"Great." She looked over at her clock. "Now to go and see what the rest of ponyville is up to." She smiled. As she trotted out of her office and made a beeline towards the door. Her progress was stopped however by a rather large cobalt blue wing. She traced the wing back to it's owner and was stunned to see Soarin of all ponies sitting there, his trademark grin on his face.

"Hey there rookie!" he exclaimed as he held out a hoof. Dash worked through her shock and gave him a firm hoofshake. out of the corner of her eye she spotted the secretary slinking out of a nearby broom closet. She looked to be trotting a bit funny and her eye's locked onto Soarin with a mental rol of her eyes.

"Hey Soarin." She gave him a quizzical look. "What brings you here?" She asked feeling extremely awkward getting ambushed by one of her idals. Soarin smirked as he folded up his wing and stepped beside Dash.

"Well I assume your beast of a friend told you about my last time here?" She thought about his words. They made her caot bristile as she thought of only one creature that fit that description. She gave him a stern look.

"First he's not a beast, he's a human." She said throwing Soarin a glare.

"Second he has a name. It john. And third he told me there was a talent scout in the audience." She stopped at the door and used a wing to hold it open.

"I got to talk with them and they even said that a representative would be by to-" She stopped her eyes lighting up as she gave Soarin another gance of curiosity.

"You wouldn't happen to be here for me would you?" She asked. Soarin smirked.

"In more way's than one dash." He cleared his throat as the two trotted over to the edge of the cloudbank.

"Well not in an official capacity Dash no." She hiked up an eyebrow.

"Then what are you here for?" She asked starting to get annoyed with this cat and mouse game of his. He just smiled however oblivious to her iear.

"Technically Dash I'm here on vacation, or extended leave if you will." Dash gave him a nod. The two jumped off the cloudbank and fell to earth.

"So what does that have to do with me?" she yelled over the rush of wind that followed them both to the ground. Once they touched down Dash began to lead the way over to Sugar cube corner.

"Oh it has everything to do with you Dash." He smirked.

"Think of me as an advanced preliminary assessment of your eligibility to join us." He smiled as Dash shook her head.

"So let me get this straight." She smirked as they reached Sugar Cube Corner. The two went in and Pinky gave them both a wide toothy smile. Her questioning was put on hold as Pinky came bounding over the counter to the two.

"Hey you two!" She flailed a hoof about as she greeted the two. Dash gave her a wave.

"Hey pinks." She said as Soarin looked over the menu. "I'll have the usual." Pinky smied.

"One lunchtime special coming up." Pinky looked over to Soarin who looked confused at the menu. Until his eyes settled on a femillier food item.

"And I'll have one whole Cherry Pie." He said as he handed over his menu. Dash just chuckled as she to gave her menu to Pinky who gave them both one last smile before she shot off towards the kitchen. Soarin just shook his head.

"How can anyone deal with her?" He wondered out loud as Dash just gave him a once over. Finally she shook her head.

"So what was up with you and the secretary?" Soarin just chuckled.

"Well that was just a quick little fling." He said smirking as Dash just shook her head.

"And your sure you still want some pie after having your cake and Im only assuming but eating it to?" She smirked as Soarin just sat there looking dumbstruck. As quick as he'd ever seen Dash smirk was gone, replaced by a soft scowl.

"Well i hope you aren't coming around here looking for any more desert." She said pointing to herself. "because this is not for sale." She stated in as low a voice as she dared. Soarin saw the situation getting away from him. So he did what he had to do t regain controle. He submitted. He held up his hooves in surrender.

"Wow hold on there Dash you got this all wrong." She gave him a glare.

"Oh really? Please inform of just what I have wrong here." Soarin grinned.

"Don't get me wrong Dash. Your drop dead sexy and all." Dash smirked while rolling her eyes.

"But I don't kiss and tell. Especially on the first date." Dash did a double take.

"First date?" She gave a strangled cry as she glared at Soarin who was laughing his fank off. Dash just rolled her eyes as she sat there shaking her head.

"Yeah that'll be the day." She mumbled as Soarin continued to chuckled at his own joke. Looking over at the clock she saw that it was five minutes to one o,clock. Her face lit up.

"At least some good will come from today." She mutters as Soarin gave her a goofy grin.

"What was that?" Soarin asked as Dash waved him off. "Nothing just taking to myself." She leveled a neutral expression at Soarin.

"So what's with appearing out of nowhere at my job?" She asked. Now it was Soarin's turn to play stoic.

"Mostly just wanted to see how well you'd take an unexpected occurrence." Dash snorted.

"I haven't even signed a contract yet and I'm already getting tested." Dash glanced at the clock once more. Getting up and stretching she gave Soarin one last hake of her head.

"Well as awesome as this has been I have to go and see what everyone else is up to today." She gave a nod over to pinky who had a bag in her mouth. Soarin really didn't like being blown off.

"So who all are you hanging out with today?" He asked trying to assert some dominance in his voice. Dash gave him a cold glare.

"Look buddy. I don't know who you think you are but I don't have t divulge my ans for my time off to you got it!" She butted up against his snout with her own. Soarin just stood his ground. Suddenly he burst out laughing.

"Great job Dash, you called my bluff." Furious for being baited into another one of his stupid test yet again Dash stormed off grabbing her bag with a wing and zipping off into the noonday sun. Soarin just sat there admiring Dash's body one last time as he waited for his pie.

"Yup still got it." He smirked as he spotted his pie being brought to him. As Pinky got close Soarin gave her a cocky grin.

"So Pinky was it?" He asked causing the mare to give him a smile and a nod. He grinned some more.

"I here you have some great skills when it comes to baking." Again Pinky nodded. Soarin gave her a sultry smile this time.

"Care to take me back to the kitchen for some one on one bakery lession's?" Pinky just gave him a michisvious grin of her own. Leaning in close she whispered in his ear,

"Sorry but i can't take little colts back there." She gave him a wink. "Otherwise I'd end up getting fired and we wouldn't want that now would we?" She giggled as she bounced off to the kitchen leaving Soarin there looking dumbstruck.