A Helpful Hoof

With a start, Anon bolted upright in his bed. Fearfully, he looked around, confused to his whereabouts. He glanced to the window, out into the moonlit streets of Ponyville. Ponyville...Right, that’s where he was now. There wasn’t a clock in the room, so there was no way for him to tell exactly what time it was, but it was still the dead of night.

While sleeping, his subconscious mind had had time to process the events of the day, leading to his current state. In a word, Anon was in shock. Everything, every single thing he’d known was gone; his family, what few friends he had, all of his worldly possessions, all of it, simply gone. The cold, terrifying realization that he was a stranger in a strange land was a sobering one, to say the least.

Slowly, Anon rolled from the bed, placing his feet on the hardwood floor. He stood, stark naked, as his eyes flitted over the room; as warm and welcoming as it was, it wasn’t his, and he felt desperately out of place. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his chest felt tight, and he was having a hard time thinking clearly. Snatching the blanket from atop the bed, he wrapped it about his frame, affording himself some modicum of warmth and humility.

Wandering out into the hallway, Anon looked about nervously. He didn’t know where he was going, so he simply shuffled through the home, eventually making his way into the living room. The area was dimly lit, but it afforded slightly better lighting, due to the loft moonlight streaming through three windows. He looked to the door, momentarily considering if he should leave, yet he hesitated, opting instead to seat himself on the couch.

With what felt like the weight of the world bearing down on him, Anon buried his face in his hands. Here he was, a grown man, with absolutely nothing; whisked away to some far off, alien world, with only the clothes on his back. Alone. Helpless could only begin to describe the way he felt. It was all so overwhelming, he didn’t know what he was going to do.

“Anon?” a voice quietly called, snapping him back to the present.

Languidly, Anon looked to the hallway. There, in the door, stood Mayor Mare, looking half asleep. He tried to smile at her, but he faltered. “Hey,” he dejectedly said.

“I...is everything alright?” May asked, taking a step closer.

“Ye…” Anon stopped himself, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. Even if he could have, it wouldn’t have been difficult to tell he was a wreck. “No, no it’s not,” he concluded, shaking his head and rubbing his face.

Mayor Mare crept nearer. She’d seen her fair share of ponies in distress, and the man was showing all the signs of some sort of breakdown. While she could make any number of guesses, as to what was troubling Anon, she couldn’t be entirely sure what was wrong. Regardless of what was bothering him, something was clearly wrong. As shrewd as she was, having dealt with upset town folks before, she lept into action.

“Did you know, one time, in this very town, it rained chocolate?” May asked, taking a seat beside her guest.

Anon looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. Of all the odd things she’d told him about, this was the strangest. “How?” he mumbled, his curiosity piqued.

“Well, you see, there’s this odd fellow named Discord. He’s a draconequus, kind of a hodge-podge of different creatures. Mismatched horns, all sorts of different limbs, and the craziest snaggletooth you’ve ever seen,” she described.

“So, he’s like a chimera?” Anon pressed, his attention wholly focussed on his host.

“Oh no, not at all. I’ve seen a chimera or two before, trust me, Discord is far different,” May laughed. “Actually, now that I think about it, his form is rather fitting, for a lord of chaos,” she added.

The mention of a ‘lord of chaos’ evoked several questions from Anon, which preceded several more. Before they knew it, the two found themselves chatting away once again, exchanging silly stories, until the light of dawn began to illuminate the room. May’s gambit had worked, distracting Anon from his woes and improving his mood substantially. As far as she could tell, he was distressed, and rightly so, from having found himself in her world. While their talk didn’t solve his problem, it gave him comfort, and sometimes that’s enough.

“Seeing as how we’ve whiled away the morning, how about you go get dressed. Not that I’m opposed to the toga, but you may be more comfortable in your clothes,” May commented, hopping down from the couch. With a stretch, she trotted towards the kitchen.

“Wait, what time is it?” Anon asked, looking out the window.

“Just around six thirty, give or take. I heard you leave your room at four, so at least you got a little sleep,” May responded, disappearing into the other room. She headed straight to the coffee maker. She didn’t mind sitting up with Anon, but she knew she was going to be rightly spent by the afternoon.

“You didn’t have to stay up with me,” Anon sighed, feeling awful that he’d robbed the mayor of her rest.

“I’m not sure how folks act where you’re from, but around here, we try to help one another out. I mean, my goodness, what sort of pony would leave her guest in such a bad way,” May retorted.

“Still, it’s appreciated. Is there anything I can do?” Anon said, lingering by the doorway.

“No, not right now. Pinkie promised you a free sweet, so we can stop there for breakfast before I show you to Rarity’s shop. She’s the best seamstress in Ponyville, so you’ll be in good hooves,” May stated.

“Wait, you want me to go talk to her by myself?” Anon inquired, feeling a bit anxious. Yeah, it didn’t sound like that big of a deal, although it sure didn’t feel like it. It wasn’t any different than going out to run errands in an unfamiliar town, except the town was full of cartoonish, talking equines. Still, if they were as nice as they’d been the day prior, he should be alright.

“Anon, you’ll be fine, I promise. Besides, I’ll be expecting you to meet me at the Town Hall, once you’re finished up with her,” May remarked, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She was positive that he’d be fine. At worst, he may get pestered by some of the ponies in town, but certainly not in a malicious way.

“Ok, just don’t blame me if I get turned around,” Anon weakly chuckled, finally heading into the laundry room to retrieve his garments. Fetching his things, he returned to the guest room, where he made his bed and changed. Returning to the kitchen, he found a mug of steaming java waiting for him. May was sitting at the table, reading over a newspaper, as she enjoyed her brew.

“Alright, I’m going to tidy up a bit, then we can head out. There’s sugar on the counter and cream in the fridge, feel free to help yourself,” May noted, setting down the paper and trotting to her room.

Before Anon knew it, they were both ready and on their way. Ponyville wasn’t exceptionally large, so their walk didn’t take all that long. Keeping to her idea, May brought him to Sugarcube Corner for a bite. He was able to meet Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the owners of the bakery, as he and May selected blueberry scones for breakfast. According to the couple, Pinkie Pie was asleep, since she preferred to take the afternoon shifts.

Following their meal, May pointed out the Carousel Boutique, as she veered towards the town hall. “Just meet me at work, after you speak with Rarity,” she called, proceeding to her the town hall.

Waving goodbye, Anon walked towards the boutique. True to its name, the Carousel Boutique had a circular shape, with striped support surrounding its exterior. Atop the structure sat a ring of poles, each with a carved pony. He’d never seen a building quite like it before, well, outside of children’s books.

Strolling to the door, and noting an “Open” sign in its window, Anon let himself in. If the exterior was rather striking, the interior was downright jaw-dropping. Colorful curtains and displays adorned the floor, as well as several neatly dressed mannequins. It was quite unlike any clothing shop he’d ever been in, even disregarding the equine related garments and accessories.

“Just a minute!” a lilting voice called out, drawing Anon’s attention to the back of the shop.

As he turned, a snow white, horned pony came into view. Her mane and tail were both a deep indigo, her eyes azure, and her coat and horn were pure alabaster. The contrasting colors, unlike May’s, were rather stunning, leaving Anon to stare at her with a blank impression, which she mirrored back at him. That was, until she spoke again.

“I presume you’re the Mr. Nonymous?” the mare greeted, appraising him from head to toe. While she’d met her fair number of creatures, especially while out with her friends, she’d never seen one quite like him.

“You can just call me Anon,” he said, squatting down and extending a hand. “I’m guessing you’re Mrs. Rarity?” he probed, returning her formality with his own.

“Mrs. Rarity,” the mare chuckled, dismissively waving a hoof. “Unfortunately, it’s simply Ms. Rarity. But yes, the one and only,” she concluded, shaking his hand.

Still gripping his hand, Rarity pulled his arm out, to steadily inspecting the limb. After a second, she released it, before trotting around his still squatting body. Limbs not dissimilar to a diamond dogs or dragons, but the proportions were different, no thick scales or fur, clawless fingers and, she presumed, toes. Coming back around to his face, she rubbed her chin.

“Sweetie Belle mentioned that an odd guest would be needing my services,” Rarity remarked, almost to herself. “Could you stand up, Darling?” she requested, levitating over a spool of measuring tape.

Anon stumbled back, watching the tape strip of metered fabric draw closer. It had some sort of light blue aura around it, almost like it was…”Is that magic?” he blurted, pointing at the hovering object.

“Yes, Darling. Do they not have sorcery where you’re from?” Rarity cooed, surprised by his shocked reaction. Drifting the tape to her hoof, she quelled her horn’s energy, attempting to calm the man.

“No, not at all,” Anon flatly stated, shaking his head. Pushing himself up, he got to his feet. She certainly didn’t seem aggressive, but watching something literally float through the air, via some sort of unicorn spellcraft, had been shocking. Turning his attention back to the seamstress, he shook his head. “Sorry, it’s just that there’s a lot I’m trying to wrap my head around,” he admitted, with a pained expression.

“No need to apologize! There are more creatures on Equestria whom can’t use magic than those that can. Now, be a Dear and hold your arms out to your sides. I have to get some measurements,” she tutted.

Anon nodded, and did as he was asked. Standing in a rough T-pose, he watched the tape levitate towards him. Measuring one leg, and then the other, the ribbon of fabric worked its way over his body, all while Rarity muttered numbers to herself. Staying silent, so as not to distract her from her mental calculations, Anon simply glanced around the shop. Fortunately, it only took a minute or two before completed her task.

“Well then, Anon, the good news is that I should be able to fashion you a few items within the next two days. Sadly, the bad news is that your timing is simply dreadful. I have a show in Canterlot I simply must attend tomorrow, so your visit couldn’t have come at a worse time,” Rarity dramatically commented.

Rarity wasn’t all that concerned with yet another strange creature showing up in town, considering all of the strange and fantastical things she’d seen on her adventures with Twilight and the other Elements. What with relatively new development of the School of Friendship, and Ponyville’s propensity to attract all manner of malicious threats, she terribly surprised that some tall, docile biped had shown up.

“I do hope you don’t mind some simple fare, for the time being, at least. Would a few shirts and shorts work, similar to the ones you’re currently wearing?” Rarity asked, glancing at his garments.

“Oh, yeah, that’d be fine. Could I maybe get a pair of pants too?” Anon countered, feeling a little bad for asking.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. I should be able to have them to you by this evening or, at the latest, tomorrow morning. Where should I have them delivered?” she continued, hovering a pad of paper and a pencil over.

“I’m saying with May, for now.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Beg your pardon?”

“Mayor Mare,” Anon clarified, mirroring her confused expression.

“Well, that’s certainly interesting. I’ve only ever referred to as Mayor Mare. Did you give her this nickname, Anon?” Rarity pressed.

“What? No, she told me I could call her that,” Anon countered, feeling a bit defensive. He couldn’t tell if the pony’s tone was accusatory or not, but he’d clearly piqued her interest.

“Simply curious, that’s all. I certainly didn’t mean to gave the wrong impression,” Rarity distractedly said, glancing up at a wall mounted clock. “Oh, I am dreadfully sorry, but can we continue this conversation later? I don’t mean to shoo you off, but I simply must get back to work,” she added, realizing his order would eat up more of her already busy day.

“Sure, that’s fine. Just don’t work yourself too hard,” Anon commented, as he turned towards the door.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be getting you your order completed as soon as I can. Take care!” Rarity waved, scampering behind the counter and to her work station in back. She really would like to speak with him more, but business was business. If she stopped working for every peculiar thing, she’d have gone bankrupt long ago.

Seeing himself out, Anon looked about, to get his bearings. If he remembered correctly, the town hall was down the road, just over a small stream. His exchange with Rarity had been painfully brief, and he felt somewhat guilty for asking her for an order. Sure, he planned on repaying her somehow, yet she seemed overworked.

As he strolled along, the village was awakening; ponies started moving about, beginning their day. Walking through town, Anon was greeted by smiling faces and waving hooves. It was a far departure from his arrival on the day before. As he returned their greetings, he couldn’t help but grin. While it was certainly out of the ordinary for him, it actually felt really nice to be acknowledged in such a friendly manner. Sure enough, within a scant few minutes, he found his way to the town hall.

Stepping onto the porch, Anon let himself inside. There were a handful of ponies flitting about, presumably paying bills or handling their business, but the building wasn’t all that busy. Given that he had an entire unplanned day ahead of him, he figured he may as well make himself useful. Remembering where the mayor’s office was, he walked over and pulled the curtain aside.

“May?” Anon called, poking his head inside. Her office was empty, leaving him to wonder where she’d gotten off to.

“I...I’m sorry, a...are you looking for the Mayor?” a soft voice whispered, causing Anon to look behind him.

A demure, buttery yellow mare stood there, awkwardly glancing up at him, from behind a sweeping, flamingo pink mane. To his astonishment, a pair of wings, each the same color as her coat, were pinned to her back. Whoever she was, she seemed rather nervous. Acting accordingly, Anon squatted down, almost seating himself, as he turned to the demure pegasus.

“Yeah, I’m looking for her. My name’s Anon, by the way,” he quietly said, slowly extending a hand. In his experience, both with timid animals and humans, it often helped to make yourself as least threatening as possible.

“I’m Fluttershy,” the mare murmured, her cyan eyes settling upon him. “The Mayor went off to the records room, to check on a deed for me. I was hoping to expand my animal sanctuary, but I didn’t want to disturb anyone else’s land,” she explained, shuffling closer. Pinkie had mentioned some “tall, funny looking creature” in town, which explained who Anon was. She didn’t have any idea where he could be from, but if Pinkie trusted the man, that was a good enough start for her.

“Can you point out where she went? I’d like to see if I can help,” Anon said, slowly getting up.

Nodding, Fluttershy pointed out a doorway some short distance away. He was pretty big, and strong-looking too, yet she wasn’t sensing any ill intent from him. As she watched him plod towards the records room, she made a mental note to speak to Twilight about him, and perhaps ask if he could join them for tea at the Friendship Castle. While it was true she’d like to speak with him, if only to get a better gauge of his character, she’d be more comfortable with one or two of her friends present.

“Thanks,” Anon responded, trodding off towards the room which Fluttershy had indicated. Pulling the curtain aside, he stepped in. As fate would have it, he didn’t notice the base of the stepladder by the door. Taking a step forward, he accidentally kicked its leg, sending it off balance, and stubbing his toe in the process. Before he could utter a pained curse, he heard a surprised squeak.

Mayor Mare stifled a surprised yelp, as the ladder she was on violently shuddered. She only had a second to peek down, noticing Anon, before she started to lose her balance. Reaching for the shelf, and failing, she was overcome by a feeling of weightlessness, just as he tumbled over the edge. It wasn’t that far of a fall, but she knew it wasn’t going to feel great.

The following moment took place in a flash, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Looking up, Anon noticed May, perched atop the stepladder, just as she lost her balance. Angling his torso, he reached for her, realizing she was about to fall. Just as her hooves lost purchase, and affixing him with a startled, fearful expression, she went crashing into him.

The weight of May landing in his arms and chest, caused Anon to stumble. Now thoroughly off balance, he tumbled backward to land on his butt. Thankfully, he’d spared the mayor from plummeting to the floor. Now seated, and bracing himself with one arm, he looked at his cargo, just as she looked back at him.

“Are you alright?” they both asked. Each of them smiled, if only for a second, before May shook her head.

“I shouldn’t have set that ladder there,” the mayor groaned, glancing up towards the neatly arranged books of records.

“Nah, I should’ve been paying attention. You’re not hurt, are you?” Anon asked.

“Yes, yes I’m fine. And you?” May countered, her eyes dancing over him, for any obvious signs of injury.

“I’m ok, just a stubbed toe,” Anon chuckled. Her body weight, warm and heavy, rested upon him. The fingers of his hand, still holding her back, gently caressed her fur. It was velveteen and warm, far softer than he would have imagined.

Feeling Anon’s digits softly stroked her coat, May sighed. They were far more nimble than hooves, each with a meaty pad and small nail; and, if she had to guess, they could rival a unicorn’s dexterity. She could have told him to stop, simply asking him to put her down, yet she was reluctant to. A part of her recognized she should probably speak up, although there was something deeply comforting about the situation. Not only did he catch her, injuring himself in the process, but he seemed legitimately concerned about her.

He didn’t want the situation to get any more awkward than it already was, so he decided to end it. Leaning forward, moving to right himself, Anon gingerly sat May beside himself. “Alright, which book was it?” he inquired, looking between the tomes and the mayor.

“Furthest on the right, closest to the door frame. Yes, that one,” May directed, affirming once he’d found it. Since he was roughly double her height, maybe even slightly taller, he procured the book with ease. There was also the matter of how strong he was. Now, she couldn’t be completely sure, but he had just caught her with relative ease. Tapping her chin, she began cogitating the best use for him.

Noticing the mayor’s distracted look, Anon took the time to check his foot. Leaning against the bookshelf, he examined his injured toe. It wasn’t broken, fortunately, but it was sore as all get out. It wasn’t until that moment he realized shoes would be another item on his “have to get” list; he only hoped Rarity would be able to craft him some, or direct him to someone who could.

Clearing her throat, May directed her attention to her guest. “Anon, I have a proposal. Since you’re willing and able, how would you like to be the town gopher?” she asked, giving him a smug grin.

“Like, go-for this or go-for that?” Anon countered. Even on earth, a “gopher” was sort of like an errand boy. Not the most dignified position, but it was better than nothing. Before he could ask her to clarify, she spoke up.

“Considering your stature, and the fact that training you all the ins and outs of being my assistant will take some time, this seems like the best option. You can help me, or ponies about town, with various tasks. This way, you’ll be able to start building a rapport with everypony, help me with projects, and make a few bits for yourself,” May explained. Given their options, it wasn’t a bad one. She didn’t have the time to train Anon and tend to her own duties, so her initial idea of having him as an assistant was out, at least, for the time being.

“Sounds like a plan, boss,” Anon laughed, kneeling before her and issuing a lighthearted salute.

“Congratulations, you have the position,” May beamed, shaking his hand with her hoof.