Difference In Perspectives.

[Ponyville Guard Barracks - Morning Breeze POV.]

Another day, another morning detail with the convicts. "Hey, Morning. Ready for another day of foal sitting," I sighed as my sister came into view. I stood in front of my locker, adjusting my chest plate to my mirror. I straighten out my red mane and amber fur before putting my helmet on. "Make sure you put that on straight. You know how mom gets when her little cheery blossom comes home messy~,"

I groaned when she used mom's pet name. It's why I am always in the locker room first before anypony else. "This is a serious detainment detail, Moonlit. Honestly, I thought bat ponies took their position more seriously,"

She flashed me a fanged smile. "You call it detainment. I call being inside a lavishing and unique mansion a sweet gig. I check most of the rooms in my post. You could fit a family of twenty in there. And the beds!" Moon grips midnight blue furs as she swoons, her two-tone slier mane swishing back and forth. "I never felt anything so soft. These Hoo-mans have good tastes,"

I pinched the bridge of my snout in annoyance. "Please don't tell me you're sleeping during your shift!"

"Ok, I won't tell you that,"

"Moonlit, we represent the crown and country. We are the first line against threats that threaten our way of life. And one of the biggest threats in recorded history is back! What if the convicts escaped while you were out? You're nocturnal, for Celestia's sake. Why are you sleeping at night!?"

"Hey, I only take a quick power nap! Besides, the hoo-mans turn in after ten. So all we're doing is watching the hallways. And quit it with all that horseshoe lady talk. Anypony with a pair of eyes and ears can see that these apes are harmless. I even caught the little foals seeking into the kitchen for some late-night snacks," Moonlit started to fish something out of her breastplate as she showed me a candy wrapper. She takes a bit of this chocolate bar as she moans. Snatching it away from her, I read the label.

"Milky Way? Are you serious? You took contraband from suspects! What if someone saw you? What if this is poison!?"

"Contraband? Poison? From chocolate? The last time I checked the reports - which had multiple signatures from well-renowned doctors - everything in that place checked out. Captain armor is supposed to be coming over to lift the quarantine today,"

"Which is why we need to be extra vigilant. Lifting the detainment could provide the humans with the perfect opportunity,"

"What? Stretching their legs? Finally, be able to see the outside?"

"To hurt somepony or cause mischief. The humans wouldn't do anything with us watching them. But, outside, where do they have more wiggle room and the ability to hide? It's just asking for trouble. But it won't happen on my watch,"

I heard Moonlit sigh as we left the locker room. "See things for yourselves before you see them from somepony else. You might be surprised. Oh, you can keep the contraband chocolate that the fillies gave me. For poison, it pretty good,"

I rolled my eyes again and decided to pocket the narcotics. You know, for safekeeping. Everypony else started to file into the barracks for the shift changes. It took some time, but the rest of the majesty's solar guard was assembled outside the barracks as the captain prepared an announcement. "Ears up Ponies, captain Shining Armor reporting," Lieutenant Blitzkrieg said.

We all saluted our esteemed captain as he stood before us. "Guards! It's time. The princesses have authorized the lift of the quarantine on the mansion containing the humans," Everypony voiced their objections, as I knew they would, but captain armor motions them to stop. "I realize none of you are happy about that, myself included, but we cannot stretch the lockdown further as per our laws. Now I know what you are thinking; humans will try something when they go outside. And you are right in thinking that. However, the humans have shown they are far more crafty than we gave them credit for initially,"

"Please, we know they're nothing but savages!" Lieutenant Blitz stated.

"Even a savage beast can be cunning every once and a while. I've read all of your reports. Despite some rampant pranks and talking down--"

"Talking down? Captain, that red-maned loudmouth takes every opportunity to assault us verbally!" But, of course, I knew who she was talking about, having been accosted by that human mare myself.

"Looks like somepony is sensitive," Moonlit whispers in my ear.

"Shush!" I whispered back harshly.

"Yes, Angela Nyx has shown no respect for any authority figure. She is the most likely to cause the most trouble without the quarantine in place. However, she is like every common street thug we've come across before. Her antics are nothing more than her trying to bait you - to bring you down to her level - I believe members of the royal guard are above such tactics. Another human to watch out for would be their butler, Walter Takagi. I have reason to believe he has a military background. That means he may be proficient in combat. Then there is Xavier Kingston. He seems to be the group's intellectual," the other guard ponies all scoff or laugh at the remark.

"Um, sir, what about the other humans?" I asked.

"The other four appear the least volatile, but Angela Nyx has ties with the Crews siblings, so watch them as well. The twins, along with their grandmother, are the lowest perceived threat, but I still expect vigilance. Back on topic, despite those reports, the humans haven't done anything suspicious. Then again, would any of you do something while under surveillance?"

"No,"

"Correct. Do not see the lift as a potential danger but as an opportunity. With more freedom, they'll get sloppy and relax. We'll give the humans enough rope to hang themselves. The moment they do, I want you ponies ready. The citizens of Ponyville are counting on us for their safety. Will you let them down?"

"No,"

"I said, will you fail them?"

"No!"

"I can't hear you!"

"NO! WE WON'T LET EQUESTRIA DOWN!!!!"

"Very good. Dismissed!" I walk with pride and purpose as we set out to that mansion. Whatever the humans have in store, we'll be ready!

[Kingston Manner.]

Walking to this mansion always gives me chills. That magic dampening field around this place as ways give me the willies. As my fellow guard mates and I reached the front door, I wasn't expecting a welcoming party. "Welcome to the Kingston estate, where the human experience awaits..." One of the humans, the rude one, held the door open while wearing an outfit similar to the maids in Canterlot castle. The only difference is that their disposition is far sunnier than what this human displayed. And the matted look and monotone voice won't get me to recommend her anytime soon.

"Sub maid, Angela. Would you please report to the kitchen? Breakfast is ready for serving," Many of us flinched at the sound of that voice. Humans developed a way to project their voices. They called it a PA system. When we questioned them about this, they said it was a part of the mansion structure. When pressed, the eldest human told us we were more than welcome to use her library to get the information. Thankfully, Miss Heartstrings volunteered to handle any more extensive research and share it with us. I only wish that she wasn't so excited about human-related content. Ponies might get the wrong idea about her.

"I got this, Julie. Double time, Sub maid. Every minute spent late is a deterrent to your performance review. Chop, chop," One of the blonde humans said.

"I am going to wring that dork's neck!" The angry human growled before storming off. I went with her since we rotated posts within the mansion. The trip was quiet as It is typically in these halls. The only sounds were the human mare's angry muttering. But, at least that anger was on the other humans instead of the guards here. Amazingly, we've had no incidents yet. I doubt it will last after the announcement. Finally, we made it to the kitchen, where the sound of sizzling and a sweet aroma hit my snout. Looking around, it was the two human fillies with the humans Juliet and her brother along with Walter as Angela approached them.

"Aw, yes, sub maid. Do be a dear and take these fine dishes to the dining room. The matron of the manner is peckish at the moment and requires nourishment," The red mane human didn't like the blonde's tone and crushed his hand before the older human interrupted. We were all used to this behavior by now, so I stayed in place.

I looked over the tray and nearly threw up in my mouth. There were strips of bacon, Pork Bacon, on some of those plates. I also saw some sausage links. I figured I would see something like this, but there was something I found odd. On one scale were eggs, but I had never seen two sides before. Two bowls had melted oats. The twins picked them up and ran out of the kitchen. That celestial amora left the room along with them, leaving me with the lingering smell of meat. I understand why my guard mates referred to this as the worst detail. Ponies shouldn't be allowed to suffer like this!

"Hey, you want some?" I heard the blonde human mare ask.

"What?" I asked. I watched the human poor a bowl of malted oats and bring it to me.

"Here, I saw you eyeing the oatmeal earlier. I always make extra since the twins can't get enough. And I know it must be torture standing next to all this food with an empty stomach,"

I eyed the bowl longer than I probably should've before shaking my head. "I am on duty, ma'am. Eating while on the job reflects poorly on every guard,"

"That's funny. The other guards stationed here don't follow that standard. So you going to snitch on them?"

I didn't know if this human was lying or was trying to get me to sell out my friends, but I was not taking the bait. "I find that hard to believe,"

The human shrugs and sets the bowl on the counter. "Well, it's here if you want for lunch or something. Of course, it would get cold by then, so use the microwave. It's the metal box right there. All you have to do is press the start button two times. Got it? Two times. Enjoy,"

The humans all left for the dining room while I remained here. The smell of the oatmeal was starting to flow into my snout as my stomach growled. But I wasn't going to budge. It would take more than a bowl of food to break me! Then, looking over to the clock, a straw thought to put my resolve to the test. 'Lunch isn't for another five hours...'

[Dining Room - Nancy Kingston POV.]

"Thank you, Angela. Walter, how would you say our new maid is performing?" I saw Angela stumble as she set the plate down in front of Leonardo. Maybe the heels were a touch too far?

"She's a bit rough around the edges, madam. Her attitude is poor, and she has weak posture and grace. And her personality is that of a mongoose. This demeanor could improve with time, but only if you are willing to put up with her," Walter stated.

"Tell me, Sub-maid Angela, do you believe you can improve? Or, is our critique a touch too harsh?"

"..." Angela didn't say a word as she set my plate down. However, she stumbles on the way to her seat due to the heels I had her wear. I wonder if they were too much? "Fuu--" I began to frown as Angela looked my way. She rights herself and sits down without finishing her thoughts. Instead, she glared at me and started angrily eating her food.

Walter soon joined us, and we ate as we always did. You would've never guessed that we got moved to another world filled with human-like colorful ponies. But, the shuffling and light dinging of armor shattered that illusion. After breakfast, the captain had some news and wanted to tell us. Maybe, this house arrest is ending sooner than we thought. Although, who knows how things are outside the manner? I started to get lost in thought and a little hesitant. How would the locals react to us? If their leaders and local heroes were unfriendly towards us, can we trust anything else to be different? Are we walking into the 1950s of the pony world? I was cut from my spiraling as I heard Cecelia humming. Natalia was tapping her free hand in rhythm with her. I couldn't help the smile as I started humming. Juliet and Donatello joined in with the vocals. Angela even got involved by tapping her spoon against the plate. Walter and Zavier didn't sing, but I could hear the tapping of their dress shoes against the floor.

"Well, you seem very happy. What brought that on?" I asked.

"I just figured something out!" Cecelia exclaimed. "If we're in another world, that means we won't have to go to school!" Oh, dear.

"Hmm, that is true. Xavier stated that most of our jobs and activities are no longer accessible to us," Xavier stated.

"So, if the house didn't come with us, we'd be broke and homeless!?" Donatello exclaimed.

Juliet slams her head against the table. "I got accepted to the junior chef program in queens!"

"I had my manscaped delivery coming from Amazon today!"

Leonardo arches a brow at his little brother. "Wha--"

"Who cares about what we left back on Earth?" Angela stated. "The way I see it, we got shafted and traded open shithole for another,"

"Swear!" Cecelia reminded as Angela bit her cheek at her slip.

"I'm sure you are ecstatic that you don't have to pay off your debts anymore," I said, watching Angela choke a bit on her food. "And that's another day added to your term for service," A low growl seeps out of Angela's mouth, but I turn back to the table. "Now, I know we've had a difficult month, and we left some prior engagements back on Earth. But we are here together. That's what matters," I Looked over to my twins as I continued. "You two don't get too giddy about no more school. We've got plenty of books for homeschooling, and Walter is brilliant with mathematics. You won't be falling behind, savvy?"

"Yes, Grandma," Cecelia said while Natalya signed.

"Why not enroll them this the public school here?" Juliet asks.

"That all depends on the school board and the other ponies' general attitude towards us," I was not ecstatic about letting my girls out of my sight. Even with all the safety measures, I don't trust anything now that magic is real. We'll have to see what the captain says.

[Donatello's POV.]

So, we were waiting in the main hall after breakfast. Captain fairytale stood in front of the doors giving us the usual routine. "Princess Mommy milkers at this moment bequeath you the honor of leaving your home." and "You will have a prison escort with you everywhere you go." I started to drown the rest out and let out a yawn. And, of course, Captain uptight saw me. "Is this boring you?"

"Kinda, yeah," I said truthfully.

The other guards did not like that. "You worthless monkey! Our princess is gracious enough to allow you freedom outside a dungeon!" Lieutenant Blizty ranted. I think he's still mad about wasting time checking the farms around here.

"We have very different views on freedom. From my point of view, freedom does not include telling us we can go outside. And, usually, you would have to pay to have armed bodyguards following us around. I take that back. I am grateful the princess gave us free bodyguards on behalf of the crown," I gave a big toothy grin while all the other guards and the captain glared at me. My sister and brother were more annoyed, but we all thought the same. I was busting these pony men's balls, and that wasn't going to stop for a while.

"We'll take in your input for the princesses," He said, the snitch. "Now, if there are no more interruptions--"

I think I heard Murphy sneeze because the doors burst open as confetti rained everywhere. Pinkie was here with Lyra wearing tour guide outfits. "Hey, all my favorite human pals. Ponyville's one-number tour guides are here to show you all the funniest spots in our little town!"

"Sorry about the door. I told Pinkie it was too much. I'll fix the marks later," Lyra stated.

"Miss Pie. Miss Lyra. We don't need your assistance for this matter," Captain Bum stick said.

"Oh, pshaw, tour guides always provide a fun experience for everyone involved," Pinkie said. After stopping for a month, she and Lyra started saying our words like everyone and everybody in place of every pony. "Seeing a bunch of guards walking around won't help anyone feel comfortable,"

"And we're far more familiar with Ponyvilles hotspots and tourist attractions than most of the guard here," Lyra added.

"So let's get our flanks in gear and tackle the day!" Pinkie said, leading outside.

As we started walking, I sensed we were no longer in Kansas. It's more like we went back in time to the medieval era. There was nothing but straw and hay roofs with some brick or stone foundation in between. And the colors, wow, the colors. Everything was the full tint. It was so bright that I thought we were on an LSD trip. I almost made a crack about chasing the purple dragon when I remembered that we already did. Then, there were the locals or lack of them. I think word got out that they were setting us loose because the place resembled an abandoned warehouse. There was no one in sight on this shiny sunny day. I even caught some windows closing and heard someone nailing behind the doors. But, one thing you pick up while playing in the streets is the feeling of being watched, not by the goon patrol. Every step we took as our tour guides ushered us, we could feel the eyes. The twins didn't notice, but my brother, Angie, and I did. That's also why Mrs. K got a triangle around them. You could also feel the mood in the air. But, it's not a big issue right now.

"Here's our first stop of the day. The best, funniest, most awesome place to eat and work!" Pinkie exclaims.

"You work in a gingerbread house!?" Cece shouted. She and Nat ran up and tried to lick it.

"Cecelia, Natalya!" Mrs. K said sternly, making the twins flinch.

"It's not an actual gingerbread. Although, I did make that mistake of trying to eat it once," Pinkie admitted.

"I remember that day. Colgate wouldn't stop raving about the damage," Lyra added.

Pinkie sticks her tongue out like one of the twins would do after their midnight fridge raids. "Yeah, not the best idea. Let's head inside for a quick peek," Pinkie opened the door and led us inside. The doom patrol stayed by the door while we looked around. It was just the interior you would see in any bakery. Complete with half-eaten food and over-turned stools. These guys got out of here in a hurry. "Hmm, must be a slow day," Pinkie walks up and hits the little bell on the counter. The rest of us spread out with the twins sticking their faces to the dessert display. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cake?"

"Yeah, I bet they were slow running to hide," Angie states with an eye roll.

"I'm sure the next few stops will be more lively," Lyra said hopefully, but we can see her ears splayed in uncertainty.

"The patrons could've taken the time to throw away their food rather than leave it in this state," Walter stated, fixing the overturned chairs and tables.

"Look at these deserts," Julie said. She was standing in front of the display case. Double C and Nat had their faces glued to the glass as we came over.

I saw Xavier take out his phone and run his fingers through his mouth. The guards didn't whine since we told them the phones were just fancy mirrors. "What are you doing?" Lyra asks.

"Checking for cavities," He replied.

"I am glad my products have such an effect on you, dearies," A mare came in from the kitchen with her back to us. The kids weren't the only ones drooling at some cake. She had a sky blue shirt with blue jeans and a yellow apron. Her hair looks like a strawberry dollop of icing. "Carrot is upstairs tending to the twins while I was in the kitchen cupcakes. There was certainly a ruckus out upfront. Pinkie, do you know why..." Mrs. Cakes turned with a smile, and that smile fell when she saw us. I threw up a peace sign and flashed her my winning smile. "O-oh, I see you've made some new f-friends. Hello and welcome to Sugarcube corner,"

"Yeppers. These are my new human friends. Xavy. Double C, NT, Julie, Donny, Leo - *GASP* - Annie, Wally, and King Mama," Pinkie introduced us.

"H-humans. You don't say,"

"Hello, how much for the cupcakes?" Cece asks, startling Mrs. Cake.

"Oh! T-They're two bits each," Mrs. Cake said. She was trying to be nice, but it was apparent she was this close to soiling herself.

"What's a bit?" Cece asks.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to go over our currency. Hold on..." Lyra popped a bag into existence and took out two solid gold coins.

"Holy shit! Is that real?" Angie said, causing the ponies to flinch.

"Excuse me, ma'am, please watch your language. This store is a family establishment where foals frequent!" Mrs. Cake berated. She got over her fear of us real quick. Annie, totally calling her that from now on, grumbles from earning another day to her maid stint.

"Forgive Annie. We're still working on her manners. You have a lovely bakery, but I'm afraid we don't have bits to purchase anything," Mrs. K stated.

"W-well, since you are new customers, we offer a house special for any free item per pony - oh, um - human. So, you can take one for your foals," Mrs. Cake offers. I got to admit. I wasn't expecting that.

"Thank you!" Double C exclaimed as she and Nattie took a cupcake.

"Thanks a bunch, Mrs. Cake. We got to get back to the tour, but I'll see the twins later," Pinkie stated, leading us out.

"So, what are we going to do for money?" Julie said.

"Get a job," Leo answered.

"Ha, yeah, right. You think I'm going to kiss up to some ponies too afraid even to step outside?" Annie said.

"I'm serious. I know we got a lot of back home, but that won't last forever," Julie pointed out.

"We could hold out for a few years on our current supply. However, I wouldn't recommend it for a long-term solution," Walter said.

"Then it's a good thing our next stop is the mayor's office. Townhall always has a job listing for everypony," Lyra said.

"Even so, we aren't legal citizens at the moment, and it could take even longer than it did for the quarantine lift to get a green card," Xavier made a good point there. We could be in processing limbo till the end of time. Town Hall looked like the top of a castle had been cut off, but it had a nice feel. We got inside a small office room. The receptionist wasn't there, but there was a billboard with the jobs. Some of them were pretty standard. Repairman, plumber, delivery boy. Assistant. Other jobs made no sense at all.

"What's fly-der catcher?" Julie asks.

"What is a fly-der anyway?" Double C asks.

"The pay isn't much to be desired," Xavier noted.

"Well, most of the listing is odd jobs that don't require any experience or working papers. So, the pay would be low without experience," Lyra comments.

"This is practically chump change," Annie stated. It did seem low. Heck, I got more as a busboy working for Luigi's.

"It's the job that's available for newcomers without experience. If you want a higher pay grade, then you're just going to have to stomach the crumbs before the real bread starts flowing. Otherwise, you have to wait for a new listing at the end of the month," A sharp, slightly nasally voice stated. Everyone turns to the violent earth pony mare with a maroon mane. She looked like she was wearing one of Xavier's spring collection suits. Her snout was deep in a record book, so she hadn't bothered to look at us yet.

Sliding my hair back, I approached her. "So, do you run this place?"

"No, I am Mayor Mare's aid. Record Clerk. Don't bother telling me your names; I won't remember them. The mayor has been swamped with complaints and paperwork since that mansion appeared,"

"Is that a problem?" Mrs. K asked.

"Other than a large structure, the size of a small farm suddenly situating itself without a proper permit? The Ponyville homeowner association is having a fit. And, a clientele was eying that bit of land for some time. Now we face several legality issues because of it,"

We exchange some looks at the news. "Didn't the princesses deem the land inhabitable or something?" Julie asks.

"There was a halting order on land development in that region. But, the client is appealing it. Then, we got to deal with the sudden quartine itself. Some ponies believe there's a disease running rampant. The royal guard has only escalated things by releasing it, which got the citizenry in an uproar. Honestly, the excuse they told us was a bunch of pony feathers. Imagine humans walking around in this day and age..." Then the mayor's aid took her nose out of the book and greeted us. I flashed her a smile and wave as she started to stammer.

"Hello, we're your resident humans. Alive and fresh off of quartine, ready to be productive members of society," Oh, yeah, I could tell she was falling for my charms. Mrs. K walks past me as Leo pulls me back.

"Miss Clerk. I would like to request--"

"NO!" The assistant shrieked, jumping out of her chair. All of us cringed at this as the guards approached us, not the screaming mare. She seemed to realize what she had done before clearing her throat. "N-no, I am afraid we are not taking requests at the moment. W-we're behind as it is right now. We s-shall inform you in the mail when we are available,"

It couldn't be any more obvious she was afraid. Lyra and Pinkie noticed, too, as the minty mare stepped forward. "It's alright, Record. These humans are as friendly as any other pony. And--"

"That's very nice, Lyra. But, that does not detract from the fact that we're too busy at the moment. Please, show yourselves out!"

"You heard the mare, move!" One of the glorified watchdogs said, pushing Leo with his spear. Leo didn't seem to bother by it. The guard stumbles a bit as big brother shoots him a look.

"Well, that was a dud. I guess we can meet Mayor Mare later. But, there's no need to feel down. We still have so much more to see!" Pinkie said with a twirl. We got to walking again as Pinks and Ninty took us to the marketplace. There was a vegetable stand, fruits, those little kit-knacks you see from time to time. They even had a superstore called Barnyard Bargains. And not a single stall was open. In fact, a tumbleweed blew right past us, and I kid you not. "I guess everypony is out sick. Do you think there's a flu going around?"

"Avoiding human-itis most likely," Julies whispers.

"Don't worry. Our next location will have better reception," Lyra said excitedly. Shrugging, Lyra leads us to another bakery. This time, a candy shop. The interior had one counter and a couple of stools. "Oh, Bonnie! Get out here! I got customers!"

I arched a brow at that as some stuffing came from the kitchen. Unlike Mrs. Cake, this mare came out facing us, but her eyes were closed. She had on a white shirt with blue shorts. Her fur looked creamy beige with pigment blue mane and rose pink streak. In her hooves was a try of jawbreakers that she set on the count before finally opening her eyes. Lyra rested her elbow on Julie's shoulder as she arched her eyebrows with a smug grin. I thought the theme would of "Ah, humans!" But instead, Bonnie stared at us blankly before going under the counter and bringing up a brown bag. She took out a bag and gave Lyra some gold bits.

"I right. I thought this was some clever scheme you roped the town into, but..." Bon Bon said, giving us the once over again. "Humans exist, or they're back,"

"Yep," Lyra said proudly.

"What are those?" Cece asks.

"Oh, these? They're my new attraction - Bubble Muzzle Poppers - The gum that pops back. Would you like one?" Bonnie offers. It was honestly surprising. Even our escort wasn't expecting a pony to be decent. Julie, the twins, and I tried one. And she was right; the flavor pops into your mouth on the first bite. "Do you like it? I worked over the stove over and over to get the longevity of the gum just right,"

"Oh, this is amazing," Jules said.

"Hmm," Leo hummed his approval. Double C and Nat both blew giant bubbles while giving her a thumbs up.

"Thank you so much. I feel a lot better about serving these--" Bonnie started before a large pop went off. It turns out that Pinkie ate the whole batch and blew a bubble. It was hard to tell where her fur started and the bubble gum ended. Pinkie sheepishly smiles while Bonnie stares at her. "After I make another batch,"

"Ok, we'll leave you to it. Later, Bon Bon," Lyra said, pushing out of the store while using force on Pinkie. Our trek started again as Pinkie provided a map.

Bon Bon's shop was down the street from town hall. Pinkie contently circled all the stops for us. And the following location was something called Carousel Boutique. "Oh, are we going to a carnival?" Julie asks. She loves carnivals.

"Nope, it's just a place my friend works. Now that some time has passed, I bet she can't wait to make friends with you too," Pinkie said optimistically.

"The same friend that broke into my manner?" Mrs. K asks. She was doing her voice again. You know, the one your mom gives as a warning at first.

"Yeah,"

"And who are friends with the purple one?" I asked.

"Twilight or Spike?" Pinkie asks back.

"Who knocked us out and kidnapped us," Julie added.

"Well, only two of you are kids. And we call it pony-napping. So, since no one is a pony here, we didn't technically break the law. Which makes us take you to the sheriff for a temporary relocating," We had to do a double-take at that. I would say she was cute with us if she wasn't earnest.

"Pinkie," Lyra grimaced.

"Please give them another chance. I promise you it is going to be fine. Besides, Rarity Boutique is the only place in Ponyville that can give you new clothes,"

Annie took offense to that. "You got a problem with the way we dressed?"

"Well, I didn't want to say anything earlier, but some ponies might take your socks the wrong way. Ponies only wear them for special adult parties,"

Angie's eyes twitched as she looked down at her socks, then at our escort, before throwing her head up and breathing loudly through her nose. I could tell when the guards were laughing that Pinkie was lying. I got to admit. I never knew socks would be a turn-on. "Hey, Minty?"

"Yes?" Lyra asked.

"You said clouds her don't move on their own, right?"

"That's right. Pegasi control the weather. I know that's different from how humans see the weather, but---"

"Yeah, yeah, calm down. What I mean is that since magic bullcrap moves the clouds, why has that one been following us?"

We all looked up to see a single cloud hovering above our entourage. It was following us as it stopped and cast a slight shadow. I noticed a rainbow-colored tail swiping back and forth on one of the sides. Pinkie called out to our stalker. "Hey, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow! Hey, we're down here!"

We all exchanged looks while I saw Rainbow's tail stiffen up. "Ms. Pie--"

Walter never got the chance to say anything as Pinkie pulls out a megaphone from somewhere. "HEY, RAINBOW! GET YOUR TONED FAT FLANKS DOWN HERE, OR I'M GOING TELL EVERYONE HERE YOUR BIG DARK SECRET!!!"

"Ah! Pinkie! You blew my cover!!!" A raspy voice said before there was a whooshing sound and rainbow blur. Rainbow Dash flew at us while doing a corkscrew into a flip before landing. It just occurred to me that we didn't get a good like at Pinkie's cronies' outfits. The spectrum mare had a white sports bra and black sweat pants with a weird rainbow lightning bolt running down the sides. She also had this blue jacket with a yellow bolt with wings on the back. What threw me off was this gem necklace around her neck. She didn't seem like the jewelry type. But, I had to respect their gains on her. She got abs that could grate cheese. However, I think Pinkie might've been wrong about Rainbow's size. She's closer to Angie than anything else. "And who are you call fat!?" Pinkie did her Chesire smile again while placing her hoof on Rainbow. With a quick flick, she spins Rainbow around and slaps Rainbow's butt with some weird suction cup ruler. "Yeep!!!"

The ruler's arrow moved up and down before it settled as Pinkie reads it. "Hmm, you're a 6.4 on the jiggle scale. Average, but I know we can do better,"

Rainbow caught her hand before Pinkie could slap her again. "PINKIE!!!"

I lost it after the name of that scale and fell laughing. Annie joined me next while hanging off Leo. Miss skittles didn't like that and grabbed Annie by her shirt till they were nose to snout. "Is something funny!?"

Ang kept her small as she responded. "There's a lot of things, skittles. The biggest is you..." Annie returned the favor and hooked her arm around Rainbow's neck. But Angie slips one leg in between Rainbows. An excellent way to knock some flat on their ass just by stepping forward. Judging by her looks, Rainbow wasn't expecting that. "...Thinking I won't deep fry your wings for getting so close,"

"What are we whispering about?" Pinkie asks. She hooked her arm around Annie and rested her cheek against hers without any of us seeing her move. We got to find out how she does that. Although, this isn't the first time Pinkie's done this. We're pretty much used to it now. Angie doesn't growl when Pinkie hugs her, at least.

"Step away from the elements!" One of the guards said. Ang puts her hands up and backs away while wearing her smile.

"Nothing to it, boss. We're just having a friendly conversation. Right, skittles?"

"Don't try the miss nice mare act. I'm onto you humans!" Rainbow Glare told us. But, she paused at what Ang called her. "And what the hay is skittles?"

"Oh, it's the most awesome-terrific candy ever!" Pinkie exclaims, pulling a pack of skittles out of her mane and giving it to Rainbow.

Rainbow gave the candy the once over as she read aloud. "Taste the rainbow?!" I couldn't help but chuckle at the blush she made. "Whatever! Keep your weird candies to yourself. I got my eye on all of you. So, do not think you can pull a fast one on good honest ponies. You mess with Ponyville, then you're messing with me!"

"Rainbow! You're being unfair!" Lyra said.

"I'm being plenty fair - and loyal - to the ponies of Ponyvile!" Rainbow shot back as she flew off. She didn't go far, just right back up to her cloud, but she didn't bother hiding her face.

"It's alright, gang. Rainbow is just a hardhead, silly filly. I'm sure she'll see how awesome you are; give her some time," Pinkie said with all the optimism in the world.

"Tsk. I won't hold my breath," Annie comments. "Let's get this crap over with so I can drink myself to death,"

Pinkie and Lyra exchanged looks before we made it to our destination. The displaced carnival-type build made the twins more excited, at least. Pinkie knocked on the door, and the poshest voice I ever heard responded. "Coming~," The door opens to reveal that marshmallow unicorn again. She was the high-class type—a white blouse shirt with a blue ribbon trailing down the crease with smooth black waist pants. This mare knows what she's got and how to work. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and Magnifique. How may I help you-- Wah!?"

"Hiya, Rarity. Guess what; we're giving our new friends a tour of Ponyville! So, that means we had to take them to the best place to get fancy new digs," Pinkie said.

Rarity's eyes shifted from each of us; her gaze stayed on Xavier longer than all of us before she calmed down. "Y-yes - ahem - that is the purpose of my establishment. Although I wish you would've given me a proper warning, Pinkie,"

"But, then it wouldn't be a surprise,"

"Hmm, quite,"

Noticing Rarity's flat look, Lyra spoke next. "We're only showing our friends around. We can leave if you're busy," She gave our names as we gave her our best winning smile, except for Angie.

"Oh, pish posh, darling. I'm free right now. It's probably for the best that you came when you did. This visit warrants a perfect opportunity. Come in, come in, please,"

"Hold up, Rares!" Rainbow said, landing with a gust of wind. "You're letting them in your home with your little sister!"

"If I can recall, you lot let yourselves into our home where you kidnapped my children!" There was a nasty edge in Mrs. K's voice when she reminded them of our first meeting.

Rarity visibly winced while Rainbow held fast. "Hey, we were acting under the princess's orders and--"

"It's alright, Rainbow. Princess or no, it was still incredibly rude of us to come into a home uninvited. Plus, Pinkie's been with us for the better part of the month. And Lyra certainly has the credentials to give us foresight on humans. We should trust their judgment,"

Lyra and Pinkie nodded their heads optimistically at Rarity's words. I didn't think anypony would give us a chance. Oh, god. Did I say that? I'm already going native. We walked inside, with Rainbow marching before us, and it was everything you'd expect. The place reeked of high class. "This place is amazing," Julie stated.

"Wow! There are so many dresses!" Double C said. The twins and their brother - because, of course, he would - went to check them out. "These are pretty. There are almost as many clothes as in your shop, brother,"

Smirking at the compliment, Rarity giggled to herself. "Why thank you-- Hold on, it was you!?" Ms. Marshmellow exclaimed, pointing a shaky hand at Xavier. Our boss in question was inspecting one of the dresses in his hands.

"Hmm, linen silk. No, that's not it," Xavier mutters. Aw crap, here we go again. He's got that artist mode going on now.

"Hey! Hands off the merchandise!" Rainbow Patrol said, flaring those wings.

"Rainbow, shush! I did hear you correctly, right? You own a boutique as well. That means you were the genius behind those clothing in that workshop!"

"Knowledge you gained when you invaded my home?" Mrs. K asked with that cheeky tone.

This time Miss Marshmellow looked guilty before sheepishly waving it off. "Um, semantics, darling. But, tell me, what do you think of that cloth?"

"Its texture suggests it's silk. However, this lightweight feel points to it being Chiffon. It'simported material from a foreign land, but the stitching is handmade,"

"Yes, you are correct - about the material and its origin - but do you know where?"

"I would say somewhere in Eastern China. It is the best place to find its material for prom dresses and weddings,"

"Yes, yes! Although, I can't say I'm familiar with this "China" local. But, you can find these goods in Fillydelpha," I chuckled at the name and earned another jab from Leo. "I'm curious as to what made you think it's for social gatherings,"

"It's much too small for yourself, and given the time you've taken to swoe this dress, I'd say it is for the first day of school,"

"Yes, darling, you have an impeccable eye for fashion. The school shall be starting again soon, and Sweetie shall be the talk of the town," Miss Marshmellow then started to look apprehensive. "By the way, I am curious if you make clothes for every human here?"

"Haha, only my little sisters. Although, that may change shortly,"

Rarity wipes her brow in relief. "Thank goodness. I was a bit worried for a moment, Mr. Kingston. Your sisters, butler, and Grandma look divine. But the rest are bland, boring, and look like they belong in the streets!"

I got to admit, that one stung. I noticed Leo look at his clothes in confusion. At the same time, Julie's mouth flew open. "What!?" Angie snarls.

Rarity then floats a roll of measuring tape and gives Angie the once over. "Shush, I'm working. I can whip something perfect to bring out your feminine side. A touch of make-up here and there will have all the stallions-- Hey!!"

Angie grips the tape flying over her body in her hand. We could see the magic start to burn her, but Angie grits her teeth and rips the tape apart. The guards acted up because it would look good on the report, and Rainbow got in front of Rarity. "Keep your dumbass view of fashion bullshit to yourself!"

Rarity gasped at the vulgar language. "Well, you don't need to spew such vulgarities. I was merely trying to improve your image to your benefit. But, if you insist on this ruffian persona, you won't make any friends!"

"And who the fuck asked for your expertise? A prissy, sheltered tramp like you wouldn't know shit if it stained your face!"

"H-how dare you!!!" Rarity gasped.

"Forget them, Rarity! You can't expect these humans to get you," Rainbow stated.

"Rarity? What's with all the yelling?" A new voice said. We turned to the steps to see a mini marshmallow pony looking back at us. The only difference was the mane and eyes. She had two shades of purple with teal eyes. Her dress was similar to the twins-- a lovely white dress with matching purple accents. It was cute until we saw her eyes blow up like saucers and fear creep inside. "W-who are they?"

"Hey, you're a kid!" Cece said. "Wow. You're the first pony our age!" Nat nods in agreement.

"What's a kid?" Mini Marsh asked.

"You'll have to forgive my sisters. They are excitable. To answer your earlier question, we're humans. We've recently found ourselves in your quaint little town," Xavier said.

"Hyu-manes? I heard from class that they were bad, and Rarity told me to stay away from that big mansion,"

Big Marshmellow looked nervous while prism girl smiled. But Xavier is a lot better with kids than the rest of us. "That's good advice. We are strangers to you, after all," Xavier chuckled. "You should older listen to your older siblings. Isn't that right, you two?" The twin terrors stuck their tongues at him. Bluebird and the ponies looked shocked that Xavier agreed with Rarity being a xenophobe. "Of course, I hope I can show you we're nothing like the last humans. I go by Xavier, by the way. May I have your name, young mare?"

"Sweetie Belle," Xavier seemed to calm her down as she got closer. "Isn't that Rarity's dress?"

"Yes, it is. The craftsmanship just so took me. It is wonderfully woven clothing for your comfort,"

"You sound like my sister. Do you make clothes too?"

"I do. Although it's been quite some time since I've had any competitor. Your sister might give me a run for the money,"

Sweetie gives us a broad smile at that. "Yeah! My sister is the best fashion pony in Equestria!"

"You mean she was before my brother came here," Cece challenged. Oh, boy.

"Nuh-uh,"

"Uh-huh!"

"Now, now, Sweetie. It's not about who's the best. But, a love for the art," Rarity said before looking over to Xavier. "I would love to see more of your wares, darling,"

"Of course, my lady, I'll consider it an honor to hear the critique of my peer. Thank you for having us," Xavier said with a bow. We started to file out, with Julie pushing Angie faster as the ponies led the way. I have to hand it to Xavier. His brand of manners might have saved the day.

[Juliet's POV.]

"Get off my back already!" Angie hissed.

"You, shut your mouth; you almost blew it for us!" I whispered into her ear.

"Who gives a fu-- Aw!?"

I gave her a pinch on the ass. "Zip it! Look, we need to show them we're not what they think. You going alpha bitch on a person with connections fucks us over in the long run. So try not to be you for the rest of the visits. Please,"

"Fuck off. I'm no one's pet project. Next time you won't go on some tour, then leave my ass the fuck out of it,"

I groaned at her since I knew that was the case. Was Rarity pushy and rude? Yes. Did she mean anything about it? I'm going with probably. I needed to jump ahead of any curious ponies coming near Ang. Rainbow had flown off to parts unknown. But, that did not mean no one was stalking us. Off to the side, I caught another kid pony tailing us. She was orange with a purple mane, a black hoodie, and green cargo shorts, riding an old scooter. I figured she was working for Rainbow since she had the same lightning bolt logo on her shoulders. I almost wanted to call her out, but she tried so hard even though she had the subtly of a bear walking in a room full of vases. Our next stop was the public library that, somehow, was made into a tree. I'm pretty sure environmentalists will have an issue with this. Pinkie and Lyra trotted as they spoke.

"This building is Golden Oaks Library. If you want to check out a book, hold club meetings and study sessions, you do it here," Lyra stated.

"And this library is the best spot to feed our brains since they don't have mouths. I tried feeding mine with pudding through my ears one time. It did not, and I couldn't hear anything for a week,"

What? "...What?" I said.

"Um, let's go inside," Lyra said, saving us from the brain aneurysm that is Pinkie.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is in charge of this library?" Nana Kingston asks.

"That would be me," A familiar voice stated. We turned to see our favorite kidnapper with her dragon friend and another stallion. Naturally, all of us tensed up. Leeo steps before me with Donny, staring down at the dragon man. I thought a fight was about to happen, but the mystery stallion put on a friendly smile.

"Yes, this lovely mare is in charge. And, we welcome you to the Golden Oaks Library. I'm Mythic Entry,"