All You Need is Me

It's true that life can be quite difficult in a technologically challenged society, especially if you have become to depend on it. Sure, it may not have necessary for survival, but it certainly made living a lot easier. After all, Celestia only knows what Rarity would do without such modern conveniences like her trusty sewing machine. Without it, her work would be painstakingly slow. She would certainly not be the successful mare that she is today without it. James, however, calls himself a "Man of the 21st century." Rarity understood that to mean he was a stallion, er, man, who came from a world so advanced and dependent on machines that her wonderful sewing machine was little more than an obsolete child's toy.

Walking down past the row of houses towards her destination, Rarity was thinking how it was any wonder that he had managed to acclimate himself to Ponyville. Remembering back from when Rarity was first meeting him with her friends, James was an "average human" on his world. He was physically weaker than an earth pony, or even a unicorn. He had no magic. Not just unicorn magic, mind you, but any kind of magic at all. He had no wings, to it was pretty obvious that he couldn't fly. Unless he was in something called a "plane." That turned into a three hour Q & A session with Twilight. He had later confided in her that he was sick of the questions after five minutes, however he didn't want to come off as rude. Rarity let out a little giggle at that particular memory. However, as always, her little trip down Memory Lane had to end as she had reached her destination.

The last house on Mockingbird Ln. had been abandoned for several years before it's current occupant had arrived almost six months ago. Nopony really knew how he got here, not even James himself. From the way he tells it, he had been driving down a road when it began to snow. It was just a light flurry, but the snow stuck to the ground. It didn't take long for that light flurry to become a blizzard. The roads got so slick, and the visibility got so bad, that he hadn't even noticed he was driving off the road until just before he slammed into a tree. When he regained consciousness, he saw that he was being carted off in a wagon pulled by some "little blue horse." James apologized to Trixie shortly after he found out what that word meant here. Of course, this was after he had to explain to Twilight what "driving" and "cars" were.

Taking a quick moment to check her mane and adjust her saddlebags - a lady must always look presentable, after all - she strode up the steps and gave three light taps to the door. After a few seconds, she heard a click as the door unlocked. As it opened, she put on her most charming smile and aimed it at the tall frame that had appeared in the doorway.

"Hello, Mr. Wilkes! How are you this lovely morning?" Rarity greeted James.

James looked down at the mare on his front porch, surprised to see her, or anyone - anypony - this early in the morning. "Please, Miss Rarity, Jim. Or James. Mr. Wilkes is my dad."

Rarity giggled. "Only if you promise to stop calling me Miss Rarity."

James smiled , sheepishly. "Works for me, Rarity..."

"See there, James? That wasn't to difficult now, was it?" She asked, playfully.

James rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "I usually say Miss or Mister until I'm told to do otherwise."

Rarity brought the back of her hoof up toward her mouth and turned her head slightly to the side. "Oh my my, a stall- ahem- man, terribly sorry, with manners. Well, almost anyway."

James replied, "Almost?"

"Well, you do have a lady just standing outside your door..."

James' eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Uh, please, come in!" He opened the door wider and gestured with his arm, inviting her in. "Come in," he repeated.

"Oh, thank you, I suppose you really do have manners. Don't worry, not everypony can be expected to remember them all the time." Her eyes suddenly snapped open. "Everyone! I meant everyone."

James just laughed. "Don't worry about it. Just talk how you normally do."

"That simply will not do!" Rarity gasped. "You made it quite clear that you are a man, not a stallion. Proper etiquette demands that I address you as such."

James held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, you win!"

Rarity gave him a poke to the ribs. "The lady is right? See, you're learning, James!"

James gave her a quick smile. "Anyway, I was just about to make breakfast. Want something?"

"Oh." Rarity looked uneasy. "It doesn't have any, you know..."

"No, There's no meat in it."

"In that case, I'd love something!" a relieved Rarity said. "What are we having for our little date?"

"If I ever take you on one, you'll find out!" James replied as he disappeared into the kitchen. "So, what'll you have?"

"What do you have?"

"Bagels," he called.

"Yes, and...?"

James came back out with a plate with three bagels and a small container of cream cheese. "More bagels."

"I suppose I'll have a bagel, then!" Rarity picked up a bagel with her magic and floated it to her mouth, taking a small bite for a little taste. She closed her eyes, and gave a little smile. "At least you tried."

James laughed as he and Rarity took the plate over by the wall and placed it on a hay bale. They sat on another bale next to it and continued their meal. He didn't have any furniture. Until he could get some, Applejack was kind enough to lend him a few bales of hay to use as a table, stool, and a bed.

James took a huge bite. "By the wa-"

"Please finish chewing, James. You're quite civil, yet your table manners are atrocious."

He swallowed quickly. "Sorry about that."

"And please don't eat so quickly, you don't want to start choking. Now, what were you saying?"

"I was asking why you came over this morning. I'm pretty sure it's not for a crappy bagel."

"Dear me, I'd completely forgotten!" Rarity exclaimed while pulling a package tied with a ribbon out of her saddlebags. "This is for you," she said, hoofing over the package.

James took the package. "Listen, Rarity, I appreciate this and all, but you've made me more than enough clothes. You don't need to keep working so hard for me."

Rarity scooted a little closer to James and placed a hoof on the package. "James, this one isn't just clothing. This one, I believe, is special to you. Now I need to go to work, but I just wanted to see your face when you open it. I'm sure you will simply love this one! I'm sure when you see it, you'll agree that it's my finest work yet!

"If it's your best work, why would it be special to me?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rarity was beaming. "Perhaps you'll see when you open it."

With a shrug, James quickly tore the top off the package and pulled out a shirt. He suddenly froze.

This wasn't just a shirt.

The bold yellow lettering against that blue fabric... INNIN

This was impossible. There's no way she could have this. Yet here it was.

"After all, yours was badly damaged in that accident you were in..."

James couldn't hear her. He was too shocked at what was in his hands. He slowly unfolded the rest, revealing the rest of the lettering, along with the giant number 50 beneath it... BINNINGTON

As he was turning it over, Rarity kept talking.

"I couldn't save it. But I really tried my best to replicate it from what was left..."

A perfect quarter note, attached to a wing. Did she just say replicate? He looked inside the collar. Wow, she even got the inside of the collar right! Under the collar, however, was Rarity's label.

Rarity had just made him a Blues jersey.

Rarity was beginning to look nervous. (Does she look nervous?) His silence was killing her.

"James, do you not like it?"

"R- Rarity, this is, just, wow, just, wow, this is amazing!" James was finally able to stammer out.

She finally released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So, is it okay? You like it?"

"It's great! It's the best! I- wow, I really don't know what to say!"

"No need to say anything. The look of joy on your face was more than enough for me. Now, walk me to the door. I really must be going," she said, getting back to her hooves.

Obviously, James was perfectly happy to comply. He opened the door for her. "I swear, I could just kiss you right now, Rarity!"

She batted her eyes at him. "Well, what's stopping you?"

"You know, the whole 'I'm a human and you're a pony' thing?"

Rarity smiled at him. "I suppose I could settle for a hug then."

James had to catch her as she reared up onto her hind legs to wrap her forelegs around his shoulders. After a few moments, she dropped back down with a contented sigh.

"Well, I shall return to you shortly. Take care until then! And if you need anything. and I do mean anything at all, you just let me know, and I'll take care of it, all right?" Rarity said on her way down the stairs.

"Yeah, and thanks again for the jersey. You honestly have no idea what something like this means to me!"

Rarity stopped for a moment. "Jersey, that's what it called? Oh well, ta-ta!"

James went back in and closed the door as Rarity walked down the road. That had gone better than she could have hoped! She started humming a happy tune as she made her way towards Carousel Boutique.