Kind Hands

“Dad, my university’s holding an open day in August.”

“Well, why don’t we have a day out in Liverpool, then- to see where you’re actually going to be for three years.”

“That actually might be quite helpful.”

“Of course- I’d like to know where you are, you’d like to know where you are, and you can guarantee your mum would like to know where you are…”

“…C’mon, Mr. Bayard! Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up!”

The sensation of several fingers poking my face signalled the end of my slumber. Clearly, some people didn’t respect the need for sleep, and it showed. In my stupor, I could feel the warmth of the sunlight creep up my skin, suggesting that it was indeed time to get up. Unable to shake off this suggestion, I reluctantly opened my eyes to see the grinning faces of the two children that I was stuck with. Regretting my existence, I rose from my painful position by the side of the bed and rubbed my lower back like somebody fifty years older.

And I would’ve happily stayed like that as well, if I hadn’t been tackled from behind so that I landed semi-painfully on the bed that I’d worked so hard to remove myself from.

“Hmm…”

I groaned as I forced myself to sit up and face the two sisters, who seemed just as ecstatic as before. “What was that for?”

“Good- you’re up! Let’s play!” Eve exclaimed, completely ignoring what I’d asked her. Eva showed a similar level of reckless abandon as she grabbed her sister by the shoulders and pulled her backwards, engaging in a mini-tussle that was indicative of an excess of energy and excitement. I was impressed; I’d rarely seen Eva this energetic. Maybe she was a morning person.

“Hey, hey!” I half-shouted, quickly finding my energy. I split the girls up with ease before giving them both a comforting shove. Neither sister was particularly happy with this as they, with a laugh, began their counterattack, pushing against me with all their strength. If I was still half-asleep, I may have fallen victim to their assault- but I was able to stand firm in my wakefulness.

Through the giggling, I spoke again.

“Before anything, you need to have a wash and eat some breakfast.”

“Oh…”

“I can’t wash myself.”

“Ah. That’s a bit of a problem.”

It was a problem. So much of a problem in fact, that I needed a moment to think of a plan of action. After all, I may have been in a fantasy world where reality didn’t apply at points, but I wasn’t planning on doing anything that could cause me a lot of grief. I didn’t fancy joining a very special list when I got back home.

“Erm… let me get someone to… help you with that,” I called out over my shoulder as I headed for the door.

“Why don’t you do it?” Eve asked with a naivety that I really didn’t need right now. I thought about the best way to phrase this as I turned to face her.

“Because it’s weird.”

Close enough.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not something that I should be doing- and the police would agree with me,” I tried to explain, knowing how futile my explanation would likely be. Of course, the girls’ blank faces showed that they had no idea what I was talking about. “It’s just not something that a teacher should be doing.”

“Please?” implored Eve. Due to what she was asking me to do, I struggled to look at her as I thought of the best way to turn her down. The only problem with that action was that, as I averted my gaze, my eyes fell upon Eva, whose pleading face took the decision away from me. Am I an awful person?

“You must’ve practiced that face at some point.”

After many trials and tribulations- which I will never describe- I painfully and awkwardly did what I had to do and got the girls ready for breakfast. I showered alone and emerged once the two girls had finished getting dressed, with Eve helping to button up her sister’s cardigan. At least I could still count on their camaraderie, and I was quietly looking forward to the day ahead.

Breakfast came quickly, as the princesses were already awake and currently eating, just like normal people do. I immediately fulfilled a morning tradition of drinking my tea and complaining about how early I was forced to wake up, though everyone else just ignored me and ate their breakfast. The girls were happily sat at a small table, watching me pace back and forth between bites.

I would’ve sat down, but the tables in this place were so short that I’d never be able to sit down comfortably. In fact, the short tables and bright colours made me feel as if I’d never even left the bloody classroom. Of course, I’d been offered a bigger chair, but… I needed my tea first. Eva didn’t seem to understand my grumpiness as she focused more on her shoes, swinging her feet back and forth underneath the table as she continued to wordlessly eat.

Not only was it early- honestly, it was- but the castle was also a bit hotter than I would’ve liked. The breeze was minimal, leaving a stagnant, stuffy warmth that reminded me that the girls’ uniforms and winter coats were now woefully inadequate for the temperature. Those two didn’t seem to mind, naturally, as they ruthlessly destroyed the meal in front of them. I guess another good thing about those two was that they’d eat just about anything if they were hungry enough.

“Hey, can I get these two some new clothes?” I asked Celestia, my mouth half-full of egg. “I doubt they want to spend all their time in uniform.” I gestured towards the pair with my tea mug, causing some of its contents to splash onto the floor.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to talk with our mouths full,” Eve remarked whilst still engrossed in her toast, pointing a fork in my general direction accusingly.

“Shush, you. I can because I’m a grown-up.”

I pulled out my new chair and sat next to the girls as they finished up. I may’ve been complaining a lot, but truth be told, I’d gotten used to not eating a lot of breakfast- and the ones that I did eat were never as good as this. Marmite can only get you so far.

“I have already made such arrangements," Celestia suddenly interjected, although I’d forgotten I’d even asked her a question at that point. “I have written to Twilight, and she has told me that her friend is willing to help you. I have also been told that she is excited to meet you.” She poured herself some orange juice as she spoke. Her ability to do this from across the room made my head hurt.

“As is most of Canterlot- take a look at this,” Luna added as she entered the conversation, focused on something. “You’ve made quite a splash.” She levitated a smaller-than-average newspaper towards me. An aggravatingly clear closeup of my lifeless face was printed across the front page. Sure enough, the emergence of a new species generated some media attention. The level of detail in the picture was uncomfortable, though; the photographer could’ve at least given me the opportunity to fix my hair if pictures were required.

“Where the f…” I began before stopping myself, Eve’s grin reminding me of who I was speaking in front of. “Where were there cameras? I barely even went outside, and I didn’t see any flashes. But that might have been because I’d turned my brain off after the first hour you spent chatting about some random wall or some sh…”

I trailed off again as I held my tongue and thought of something more appropriate to say. “Oh, whatever- it doesn’t really matter. As long as I don’t get ganked, I guess it doesn’t really affect me.” I put the newspaper down on the table and turned my attention back towards back towards the princesses.

“Hey, that’s me!” Eve shouted to immediately break my train of thought. She roughly grabbed the paper and scanned the picture on the front. “And, Eva, look- there’s you, too!”

“Where? Where?” Eva asked frantically, gripping the paper with such force that she managed to rip the paper in half, causing a clean tear through the picture that she was trying to focus on.

“You see, this is why I can never leave you two alone,” I softly reprimanded the girls as I snatched what was left of the newspaper. I didn’t want to go any further with it, and the girls’ apologetic faces suggested that they accepted responsibility. That was good enough for me, so I turned to Celestia and tried to re-focus on the plan. I even packed my bag in preparation as I spoke.

“I’ll get these two sorted in a minute. Just tell me where we’re going.”

“Where are we going again?” Eve called over her shoulder as she looked down at the fields below her, the wind blowing through her hair. We’d found ourselves inside a large, golden chariot that was currently being pulled by a group of pegasi. Pegasuses? Pegases?

We were also travelling at much too high a speed and much too high above the ground. I should’ve been concerned for the safety of my students, but I was currently more focused on keeping down the eggs that I’d had for breakfast.

“We’re going to a town called ‘Ponyville’ to meet up with somebody who can make some clothes for you,” I replied, having to raise my voice in order to be heard over the rushing air. I was worried that Eve was going to fall out with the way that she’d scooted over towards the carriage’s edge, so I beckoned her to sit down next to me.

With that, I sat down and suffered through the motion sickness, with Eva plastered to my side. Her eyes had been screwed shut ever since we took to the skies; she was doing all she could to block out the sensations from being up so high. Her hug was so tight that my ribs were getting sore, but I didn’t really mind too much. I was content with ruffling the girl’s hair as the wind threatened to ruin the messy bun atop her head.

“I don’t like it,” were the only words I could get Eva to utter throughout the entire journey. Luckily for her, the ride was proving to be a short one, with the pegasi covering an impressive distance in a short length of time. I grabbed my rucksack in preparation for the descent as we were quickly approaching a small village.

“What’s that?” Eve asked, pointing towards a large coin pouch that I was pulling out from my bag.

“Payment, apparently. Although I don’t see how anyone could earn this much just from clothes. I have half a mind to keep it for myself, to be honest.”

“But that’s not very nice.”

Eve pointed a finger at me in a playful impersonation of what I must be like at school. Whether I actually was that much a grumpy bastard or not remains to be seen.

“I know, I know- don’t worry. I think we’re here now, anyway.”

Our descent was quick and painless, as was Eva’s dismount. She seemed to be much happier on the ground. Eve and I followed suit and moved to pick up the disoriented girl. Once Eva regained her bearings, the three of us looked around to figure out where we were.

We appeared to have landed in the centre of a small village that was entirely different to Canterlot. None of us had been far outside of the castle- and even then, we’d stayed in the city. This place was something else. It looked like a glorification of old, medieval villages, with dirt roads and thatched housing that stretched out in neat rows. I mean, yeah, they were likely to go up in flames quicker than medieval London if there was ever a fire- but they certainly looked nice. Off to the side, I noticed a small market nearby that was generating a lot of activity.

From a cursory glance, Ponyville seemed to mostly be home to ponies who had neither wings nor horns, leading me to suspect that the more primitive look of the town may have been caused by the limitations that lacking in either of those body parts may cause. To be fair, though, I was impressed that those hooves could accomplish this much.

“Where do we go?” Eva asked from my side. I gave her a quick squeeze.

“I’m not sure, cherub,” I answered, looking nervously towards the crowds in the market. “Gimme a second.”

I’d originally planned to ask somebody for directions, but I quickly decided against the idea; I hadn’t even done anything yet, but I was already receiving stares from everyone around me. That wouldn’t’ve been so bad, but the stares themselves ranged from nervous to ‘Enemy of the State’. The constant surveillance set off my anxiety to no end, putting me off from attracting any more attention than I already had.

Eve, however, had other ideas. She immediately made a beeline for the nearest pony she saw: a purple mare who was heading towards us at a similar breakneck pace.

The pony in question was a great deal shorter than either of the princesses, yet she had the same ‘horn and wings’ combination. She also had a slightly pudgier build, but her thin, lilac coat did well to hide this. Her mane was styled simply and flapped messily in the wind as she galloped. It lacked the dynamic movement or sparkle of the princesses’ manes, making her seem simpler and ordinary in comparison.

“Excuse me?” Eve asked as she flagged down the panting, purple pony pacing towards her. “Do you know where there’s a lady who makes clothes?”

In a fantastic display of absentmindedness, the purple pony ignored the child flagging her down and instead focused solely on me. She spent an awful long time looking into my eyes for some reason, giving me a chance to examine hers in turn. The large, purple orbs were lively and expressive, though I had a hard time figuring out what emotion they were conveying.

“Hello!” she said after an uncomfortably long time with a wave that looked only slightly less uncomfortable. “You must be the human.”

“A very astute observation, madam,” I replied as I focused on the mare’s bright colours. “I am indeed ‘the human’, alongside these other ‘the human’.”

“Ooh, good! My name is Twilight Sparkle. Uh, welcome to Ponyville. I hear you’re looking for my friend Rarity. Don’t worry; the princesses told me you’d be coming.”

“It’s a pleasure, Miss Sparkle. My name’s David. David Bayard. So, you’re that Twilight girl, then? Celestia told me a bit about you.”

“Pleased to meet you- and please call her Princess Celestia. She is a princess, after all,” she mentioned with a knowing wink that I didn’t understand. Still, with the obligatory introductions over with, I could get down to more important matters.

“You’re not as socially inept as I thought you’d be,” I remarked without a hint of self-awareness.

“…Thanks?” Twilight questioned, unsure of her own answer. “Umm…is that a…nice thing to say where you come from?” She averted her gaze and stared at the ground, confused as to how she should feel in the face of such a backhanded compliment.

“Oh, there it is,” I declared with a self-congratulatory fold of my arms. While I was being unhelpful, I caught sight of Eve and Eva who were simply sat down on a patch of grass nearby, watching this disaster unfold. After another uncomfortable silence, Twilight composed herself and tried again.

“I heard you needed to see my friend Rarity?”

“Yeah, I need her for some clothes. You alright showing us the way?”

“Of course! I was planning to take you to Rarity’s after meeting you here anyway, but…” she trailed off again with further embarrassment. It was so palpable that even I could feel it now.

Not that this stopped me from pressing the issue.

“…you were late?”

“…Yeah.”

This conversation was going nowhere, so I turned my focus back to Eve and Eva. I gestured for them to stand up as I planned to leave, but Twilight seemed unwilling to let me go.

“Are these two your foals?” she asked, having acknowledged the two girls for the first time in this conversation.

“Foals?” I questioned back. It took me a while to process what she was suggesting, but I eventually put the pieces together. “Oh, you mean like if they’re my kids?”

The girls became very animated at the mention of this. In a flash, Eva had adopted her standard place at my side whilst Eve circled around the two of us in a restless orbit. “Easy, now, you two,” I reassured the pair. “You’ve both been full of energy today. But to answer your question, Twilight-”

“-He’s our teacher!” Eve interrupted without a moment’s hesitation. She gestured to me with both hands, leaving me awkwardly standing there, desperate for her to keep talking. “Y’see, we were at school and then we got kidnapped-”

“-Kidnapped?!”

“Where did you learn a word like that-”

“-And then we went to a big castle and it was huge and we walked around for a bit and we had a hug and we-we-we ate and w-w-w-we-we-”

“Calm down and think about what you’re gonna say,” I softly reminded her, placing my hands on her shoulders to try and absorb some of her energy.

“-And it was really fun!” Eva piped up with a shrill cry of joy. Now that Eve was contained, I removed my hands from one girl’s shoulders and placed them on the other’s to congratulate the little one on her contribution. Twilight wasn’t quite as enthused.

“Oh, that’s nice,” she replied dismissively. Despite the mare’s half-hearted reply, Eva was as happy as can be with her congratulatory pat, and that was all that I cared about. This random mare’s opinion of me or my students was barely even a consideration. Nevertheless, I still had something to say.

“Can you move a bit back from me, please? You’re a bit close.”

It appeared that Eve’s verbal accident had caused to Twilight to absentmindedly wander towards me. So much so, that she’d somehow ended up only a few inches from me, violating my personal space.

“But she gets to hug you,” Twilight pouted pathetically. Her close proximity was quickly drawing some inquisitive stares from passersby as they filtered from the market; this was quickly becoming too much, too soon.

“I don’t even know who you are.”

“My name is Twilight Spark-”

“Yeah-no, stop.”

I sighed as I took a step back; Eva practically fell over herself as she attempted to come with me. “Just think about personal space, okay?” I offered this to Twilight, who nodded in apparent understanding. I sighed again. In the future, I’ll need to check on this mare from time to time- just to put my mind at ease.

“Shall we go then?”

Twilight must’ve taken the long way round to Rarity’s, considering that she’d managed to finish off all of her questions right at the moment she reached the door. Naturally, this didn’t mean that the girls and I were there with her, as I had long before dragged the girls to hide behind a conveniently placed tree. Honestly, the amount of effort Twilight placed into her interrogation terrified me. She also showed an abnormal interest in my fingers; the implications of that are unclear to me.

Luckily, she seemed to have settled herself into a rhythm of absentmindedly talking to herself, as if she was programmed to do so. Unfortunately, her one-sided conversation was coming to a close, so I had to entice Eve and Eva out from our hiding place and reluctantly join the dozy mare.

Twilight had stopped in front of a large (for this village’s standards) building that resembled a spruced-up carousel. Very literally a carousel, in fact, as a sign above the door read ‘Carousel Boutique’. At least, that was what Twilight claimed it said.

“What’s a carousel?” Eva asked me as her eyes looked over the building in front of her.

“Erm, it’s like a merry-go-round. Y’know, like one of those things that you might see at a funfair with the horses on the poles.”

“Oh. We’ve been on one of those!” the auburn-haired girl shouted in reply. She grabbed her sister for emphasis and held onto her hand as they both skipped up to the entrance. From there, they gazed up at the pastel-coloured walls that housed little frills and spiers that jutted out from the roof of the building. I was less focused on this- I was trying to deal with the problem at hand.

“-Yeah, that’s sound, that. Thanks, Twilight,” I spat out on arrival, hoping to complete the mare’s internal monologue.

She beamed as she looked up at me with eyes full of wonder and… unbound curiosity. “You’re very welcome,” she said with a spring in her step. “This is where my friend Rarity works most of the time. She should be just inside.”

“Thank you, Twilight. That was…very helpful.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…Y-You can go now.”

“Sorry.”

Twilight did as she was told, leaving in what I could hope was high spirits. I felt a strong urge for a shot of whiskey as I pushed myself through the grand, purple door of the boutique. As I massaged my aching mind, Eve and Eva scampered underneath my outstretched arm and into the carousel’s interior.

“It’s definitely bigger on the inside.”

The door opened to reveal a large room filled with pony-shaped mannequins and curtains not too dissimilar to those found inside clothing stores. It certainly looked like a clothing store, with a selection of dresses in a variety of colours and styles hidden off to the side. Each one looked to be crafted with passion and a deep understanding of the suitor, assumedly.

The room itself was cluttered, but in a controlled way; it looked as if everything had a place but there just wasn’t enough space for it. It was the sign of a restless mind and it gave me more confidence in this pony’s ability as a supposed seamstress.

From what I’d seen, it was clear that many buildings in this land seemed to share the same pastel (usually pink) colour scheme and the boutique was no exception. Comprised almost wholly of different shades of pink, the room actually looked slightly more regal in its shading compared to the throne room in Canterlot Castle. Large frills combined with simple decorations that hung down from above to give the space a more refined and almost soothing feel. The flooring made excellent use of darker shades of purple to further contribute to this calming atmosphere.

At least, I found it calming.

“Look at all the pink!” Eve shouted as she tore off towards the centre of the room, finding a large mirror and poking at her reflection as if it was the first time that she’d seen it. I was surprised when Eva decided against following her, although that certainly made life easier for me.

“Eve- this isn’t your house. Calm it down,” I lightly reprimanded from my position near the door. I would’ve been firmer, but at least no one had done anything destructive. Her actions were making me reconsider my stance, though, as my warning had done little to change her activity, although someone else’s was due to change that.

“You really should listen to the gentlecolt, darling. I’m sure he’s aware of proper etiquette.”

Eve froze in place at the sound of this new voice, taken off-guard by its entry into her space. Eva and I, however, had no such troubles as we tracked the source of the voice to a small, white unicorn who was gently trotting down the stairs at the far end of the room.

Now, I don’t claim to have any knowledge of the society that I was currently in, but even I could tell that this pony was very high up on the social ladder. Her snow-white coat was the first indication, but it was the way that she accentuated her already-pristine natural appearance that demonstrated her class.

Her face was decorated with a thick layer of make-up that should have appeared gaudy but instead was masterfully applied to bring a shine and glint to the mare’s face that even the princesses had yet to replicated. Had the blue of her eyes been sapphires, they would have been the most sought-after gem in the land, but her mascara and lashes made them look truly priceless.

Much like her make-up, her purple mane had been wonderfully curled in a painstaking way that must have taken months to be able to recreate- let alone master. Her tail was a similar story and worked with her mane to create a ribbon of perfection that danced in time with her body’s movements.

In other words, she was difficult to miss; she seemed to be a lady that everybody wanted to know, so I began the obligatory introduction.

“Good afternoon, madam. I’m assuming you must be Rarity. Sorry about her behaviour,” I stated, gesturing towards the sorry-looking child as she plodded back to my side.

“It’s a pleasure, darling. I have been told that you have been sent here to see me- and sent by the princesses, no less! Something about a new arrival to Equestria needing a few things in order to settle in. You require new garments, yes? Well, I shall do my best to craft something befitting of your tastes.”

Much like Twilight before her, Rarity spoke somewhat absentmindedly, although not to the same extent. She kept her eyes closed for much of her speech and didn’t seem to expect any input from any of us as she spoke with few pauses.

“As for the little ones, it’s quite alright. Young fillies do have the habit of messing around at times, do they not?”

Her diction and intonations carried a level of pomposity that reminded me of the callous and clueless upper class of my own world. Luckily for me, Rarity spoke with a genuine earnestness that dispelled any negative connotations that would have otherwise come to mind.

“And how are the little ones? Such adorable creatures. What were you called, again? Humans? Yes, humans.”

“Hiya!” Eve broke Rarity away from her reverie with an enthusiastic wave.

“Lovely to meet you. Eve, if I remember?” Rarity asked. In response, Eve gave a big grin and nodded her head vigorously. Since Twilight never got within ten feet of the girls, Rarity standing this close to Eve gave me insight as to how short the average pony was. When Rarity stood near Eve in order to speak with her, the two weren’t too dissimilar in height. It was kind of adorable, actually.

“And who might this adorable little one be?” Rarity continued her questions as she turned towards my little grouping in a mildly aggressive manner. Eva tensed up when she was confronted, but I kept her close and gave her a few pats on her right shoulder as an indication of security. With this, she gave her name.

“Eva.”

The girl’s voice was soft and wavered as she fought through the two syllables, but she nevertheless got the information across.

“Yeah, she gets a bit overwhelmed when she gets put in new situations- and I think she’s had a lifetime of ‘em over the past two days,” I explained. Not wishing to press the conversation further, Rarity gave a nod of agreement and moved deeper into the boutique, gesturing for us to follow.

“I will happily craft some clothing for you and your foals- provided I can take some measurements.”

The mare led us into what was likely the backroom of the boutique, with several changing cubicles on the left hand-side. You could tell that this place wasn’t meant to be seen from the outside, as bare mannequins, or the pony equivalent, were scattered throughout the area. It was also a tad darker than the rest of the building, likely due to the lack of natural light, making the room seem slightly more imposing than it needed to be.

“Who do you want first, then?” I asked the mare as my eyes adapted to the difference in brightness.

“I’ll start with the smallest and then I’ll work my way up.”

“I guess that’s you, Eva.”

Eva stopped dead in her tracks and increased the tightness of her grip on my arm. She looked up at me with fear in her large eyes and gave constant quick shakes of her head. The speed at which she shook her head made her look as if she was trembling more than rejecting the idea. I had no chance of fighting that.

“Let’s do Eve’s first,” I offered as Eve gave me a thumbs-up. “They’re basically the same height. Would you be able to just make hers the same or just a bit shorter?” I knew that my question was a bit dopey- ironically the kinds of questions that caused me to hate customer service, but… okay, I don’t really have an excuse for it.

“It’s not quite what I had in mind…” Rarity answered. “But I shall make it work. First, I will need her to remove her clothes.”

“What?!” came a harmony of three stunned voices.

“How else can I assure that my measurements are accurate?” Rarity asked blankly, unaware of the meaning behind her request.

Rarity’s attempts at justifying her request may have gotten her far with ponies- but they would have been grounds for arrest anywhere else. The sensitivity of the topic soon dawned on her as the two sisters backed away from the mare and towards the relative safety of me and my grumpy old face. Eve hid her face and covered her still-clothed torso with her arms in embarrassment.

“Mrs. Stuart told us not to take our clothes off for strangers,” Eva mumbled as she failed to make eye contact with the puzzled mare.

“Well, Mrs. Stuart is very right! Look, I need these two to stay fully clothed.”

“Judging by your reactions, I believe I may have said something uncouth. Well, I suppose they can keep them on,” she conceded, curling her mane with a hoof. “But it won’t be quite as accurate.”

“Absolutely fine by me,” I insisted. “Please, just know that clothing is a requirement for humans and not a preference.”

“I’m sorry- I did not realise that clothing was so necessary for you all. I would be happy to continue as they are,” Rarity answered, batting her eyelashes up at me to try and dispel the tension. She must’ve been used to getting what she wanted as her actions instantly swayed my simple mind. Eve appeared to have been convinced as well, as, after receiving a confirmatory nod from myself, moved forward into the waiting measuring tape of our local seamstress.

Rarity was one to overly apologise, it seemed, as she worked her way through measuring the three of us. Every momentary silence that arose was used by the seamstress to apologise time and time again for her conduct. She needn’t have bothered; all had been forgiven and chalked off as an unfortunate misunderstanding. She was quick in her actions, though, completing all the measurements of what were undoubtably strange, otherworldly creatures in no time at all.

“You’re very talented in your craft, madam,” I remarked as I watched the unicorn’s efforts at her sewing station. Rarity merely hummed away as these words likely passed her by, not fully resonating in her mind as she applied her full focus to her work. Despite my notably limited efforts, I found no enjoyment in this exchange, so I turned my head to see how Eve and Eva were keeping themselves occupied.

I silently congratulated myself for stuffing some colouring books in my bag before I left, since that seemed to be the only thing that kept the two of them focused for long periods of time. Also, colouring was fun, and there was bugger all else to do aside from listen to the unending whir of Rarity’s sewing machine.

Things continued like this for some time; I was quite proud of the way that I’d worked through several pictures. But soon enough, Rarity had finished her work and, with a beam, trotted over towards us with her finished products. I don’t know what coma the mare must’ve fallen into when making our clothes, but Christ, she’d made far more than I could’ve asked for- or reasonably expected. I got my money pouch out of my bag and kissed it goodbye as Rarity made her way over to us.

Three equally large stacks of brightly coloured clothing preceded the seamstress, each item showing off a different style or decoration- bows, ribbons and frills galore. Looking at the stacks, I was glad that I’d gotten across the idea of underwear and tights, as the girls’ clothing looked to consist almost entirely of skirts and dresses.

“Bloody hell, this is incredible!” I exclaimed with genuine amazement. “How the hell did you do all this? And where did you even get all the materials from?” I’d never seen anything like it. If these dresses and whatnot were half as good as the stuff that shipped in from Bangladesh, we’d be set for years.

Rarity gave an exaggerated bow, dipping her head to hide her blush.

“It was a pleasure. I do hope that I may see the three of you wear these garments with pride in the future.”

“Now here comes the painful part: how much?”

The dread was almost certainly clear in my voice as I looked at my coin pouch with teary-eyed nostalgia. It was a sad day for bank accounts everywhere, but I had to give credit where it was due- even if it was financial credit.

“More than you could afford, darling. But please, see this as a welcoming present.”

“Yeah, no.”

I couldn’t let such an obvious display of overindulgence slide. With a slight glare, I lobbed the money bag towards Rarity, who caught it easily despite the surprised look on her face. “I have no idea how much that is, but I’ve been told it’ll cover the expenses.”

I must’ve given her a lot, because the seamstress opened her mouth to protest without even checking the bag’s contents. Again, I wasn’t letting this situation turn out any other way, lest I be haunted by this feeling forever.

“And if you even think about giving it back, I’ll chuck it straight back in your face and run.” My response may’ve been blunt, but I felt that I’d said enough. I may’ve done, but that didn’t stop Rarity from protesting.

“But this is so much! I would never- no, I could never…!”

I scoffed at the unicorn’s apparent inner turmoil; she may have put on a good show, but there was no hiding the grin on her face.

“Just keep the bloody thing, okay? You’ve earned it, hasn’t she, girls?”

Eve made some strange cheer that vaguely resembled a ‘yeah’ whilst she moved towards the pile of clothes that Rarity had put down earlier. With a rush of adrenaline, she roughly yanked a yellow dress from the centre of the pile, causing the stack of clothing to collapse and spread out across the floor.

No doubt dying inside, Rarity moved forward to help with the clean-up, but was quickly halted by Eva wrapping her arms around the base of her neck in an awkward hug. Although bumbling and unsure, Eva’s affection was clear in her actions and Rarity seemed to understand that. She returned the girl’s gesture in kind with a more secure wrap of her left foreleg around the child. The mare whispered something to the little one, but I couldn’t hear a word of it.

Eva’s intervention seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as Rarity, with a happy sigh and a relaxed smile, took the bag of coins and carried it further into the boutique.

“Can we get changed?” Eva asked once she’d gotten hold of a light blue sundress near the top of what was left of the pile.

“I suppose so. But bring me your uniforms afterwards- don’t leave any of it here.”

“Okay!”

The two of them disappeared behind the curtains, dragging their dresses on the floor as they ran. I heard them talking to each other about whatever, but they were far too excited for their words to be coherent to an adult. Whilst the girls were changing, Rarity reappeared, reminding me of something.

“Oh, yeah- before I forget…”

In the short time that I’d been in the world, I’d all-but forgotten about my phone, which was nice, to be honest. Still, it had its uses, which I set about explaining to Rarity. I told the unicorn what the princesses had told me regarding its use, and the look on her face suggested that she understood the concept after a little explaining. Apparently, a simple communications spell was all that she needed to make it work, whatever that meant. Despite this, she wasn’t wholly satisfied.

“I know that you are currently situated in Canterlot, but I really would like to see you again- at least in a scenario that goes beyond my making of dresses.”

“Why? We haven’t really spoken much.”

“And that is precisely why I would like to see you again so soon; I am sure that somepony like you has some incredible stories to tell.”

I thought about her request- but I had no idea what I’d be doing for the foreseeable future. “I’ll see what I can do about that,” I answered with a stroke of my chin. “I don’t know if I’ll have much time with everything that’s happening, but if you contact me at some point, I’m sure we can arrange something.”

My response couldn’t’ve been any more on the fence, so I was actually quite relieved when Eve and Eva suddenly emerged from behind the curtains of their changing room, sprawling onto the floor of the boutique. They stumbled forward, thankfully clothed, bringing an abrupt end to our conversation. Rarity, though, was undeterred.

“Simply marvellous, darling!” she called out to the two with a clap of her forehooves. “All the makings of future models!”

“Very nice,” I responded in my own deadpan way. “Now, what do we say?” I folded my arms proudly in preparation for the girls’ response.

“Thank you!” came the universal answer to that question in its usual sing-song format. God, I love conditioning sometimes. The girls had every right to be cheerful, though, as I could now tick ‘clothing’ off the long list of things that we needed.

As for the girls, their dresses were simple in design and fell slightly shorter than I would’ve preferred, but they looked sturdy enough and were clearly created with care. I could at least admit that Rarity was more helpful than Twilight was- and that was good enough for me.

I took the girls’ poorly folded uniforms and placed them into my bag. Rarity then watched me repeat the process for the new clothing that she’d just given me, undoubtably shedding a tear as I got progressively more forceful until I gave up. Sometimes brute force isn’t the answer, so I decided to carry the rest. It was a good job that I’d come to that decision as quickly as I did, as Rarity looked ready to lynch me as she led us to the door.

“Do come again, darling,” Rarity called out to us as we stepped outside. “It would be lovely to see you once you have settled down somewhat.”

“Of course,” I answered through the chorus of ‘bye’s from below me. “I’ll see what else the princesses need me to do and then I’ll let you know”.

After one final ‘thank you’ from the three of us, we headed off towards the local train station. Eva had made it very clear that flight was a no-go, and I’d always enjoyed the train back home. On the way to the station, I was thankful to see that, aside from inquisitive glances, I’d received no adverse reaction from the ponies in this town.

Maybe it was due to the young children running in front of me. Maybe ponies were quite calm about otherworldly creatures knocking about as long as they didn’t cause any trouble. Maybe I had no idea.

It was more likely, I thought to myself, that the newspaper that I was reading had something to do with it. Well, ‘reading’ would be a strong word…

“This is all shit- I can’t read this.”

The writing was completely illegible. I was thankful for ponies to somehow understand what I was saying, but this writing was unlike anything I’d ever seen. And that’s coming from someone who teaches the ages 4-5, so God knows what these squiggles were on about. Still, the newspaper depicted the same photograph as the one that Luna had shown me during breakfast. No one had attacked me on sight, so I could at least assume that nothing bad was written about me on there.

I continued to ponder over the paper even as I sat in the train carriage heading up to Canterlot. The journey wouldn’t take too long but that wasn’t enough for the girls- they were both exhausted. Eve had insisted on a window seat but had predictably fallen asleep before she could see anything of value. The window now served as a glorified pillow as she softly snored against it. Her sister wasn’t far behind, fighting against her body’s call but quickly faltering by my side.

The silence that descended over the carriage signalled that I finally had a quiet space to myself. Not that I wanted it, mind, as all the worries and concerns that I’d neglected up until now began to rear their ugly heads. I could barely remember the circumstances in which I was taken from my world, but the surrealness of the situation still lingered in my mind. Even so, the novelty of this world was very quickly waning now that I had some time to myself. And now, even though I had these two little guys sleeping beside me, I suddenly felt very alone.

My family was gone- or they may as well have been. I had no way of contacting anyone, despite my phone being present, its relative uselessness mocking me as I debated smashing the thing then and there. There was no one to go to for advice, no one to find comfort in. I was the adult now. I was the only one left for these two- these vulnerable, little lives who were somehow more helpless than I was. I’d have done anything for a call from my mum at that moment.

The princesses may well push me in the right direction at times on this journey, but they would never go out of their way to help me. Surely not. No, that support would need to come from me, and I’d somehow need to be able to support all three of us, as Eve and Eva weren’t going anywhere. I wouldn’t want them to leave, anyway.

And how would I be that support? I had no experience of being anything other than a teacher. Even that felt far-fetched. It’d be foolish to think that I’d be able to cater to these girls’ needs and wants, especially if I was sent off to do whatever the princesses had brought me here to do.

And what would I be doing? Killing some fantasy monsters that could probably snap me in half without breaking a sweat? And for what? How did that get me home any sooner than if I did nothing? And what if I didn’t make it home? What if this was all some ruse to carry out the princesses’ chores for the day? These questions floated around my mind and left me with one reoccurring thought:

“I’m not ready for this…”

I could feel tears attempting to break past my eyelids as my heart throbbed with dull regret. The sun was setting now, allowing glimpses of light to occasionally travel through the carriage window and provide a spotlight that illuminated the conflict present on my face. Amongst my indecision, I hadn’t even spared a thought for my friends.

As if sensing my turmoil, Eva fidgeted slightly in her sleep, burrowing her head further into my side. I instinctively squeezed her against me; I didn’t care if I woke her up or not. Thinking about the little one, I felt a smile attempt to break past the sorrow. “Don’t worry about that now,” I mumbled under my breath, thinking aloud. “It means nothing. This is what matters now.”

I sat in silence for the rest of the way, focusing on nothing as I became captivated by the golden glow of the sunset. In fact, I was so entranced that I didn’t notice the three of us approaching Canterlot’s station. I looked down at the girls’ sleeping forms; now that I had no other choice, I didn’t really want to wake them up.

But alas, time was marching on, so, whispering, “Come on, you two,” I nudged them slightly, watching them stir. They both opened their eyes quickly, showing brief flashes of confusion, then fear, then annoyance as they were forced to abandon their slumber. I just hoped that they’d be able to sleep tonight.

After a short amount of walking, Canterlot Castle was only a short distance away, thankfully sitting fairly close to the station. As the castle grew ever closer, I noticed that Eve seemed to be distracted by something.

“You’re a bit quiet there, Eve. What’s up?”

“She doesn’t like being woken up from her nap,” Eva answered simply, looking down at her shoes as she walked.

“No.”

Eve stopped, causing Eva and I to turn around and face her. She widened her stance in a way to make herself seem more confident, but she spoke with a hushed tone that reinforced just how small she was. The sun was quickly disappearing below the horizon, and I watched as the girl’s shadow faded into the floor.

“I had a dream that you were gone, and it made me sad.”

Her arms hung limply as she wilted from her emotion.

“I didn’t want you to go.”

The calm of the evening was quickly replaced by the sound of sniffling.

“You’re my best friend.”

Before we’d set off that morning, I’d hoped that this day would’ve been less emotionally taxing than the last, but it appeared that I was mistaken. Eve was quick to point out that things don’t always work out as planned, and the girl’s inability to find the correct words to express how she felt made her attempted outpour all the more tragic.

“Come here, you.”

I squatted down and threw my arms open. Eve didn’t need to be asked twice and accepted the invitation, leaping into my arms. I felt the girl’s body relax as I held her, willing to wait for her to regain her composure. For the second time in as many days, I felt a wetness on my sleeve that was caused by the tears of someone who had experienced too much. “I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” I repeated, feeling Eve’s grip tighten. “You’re tired, you are. Let’s get you to bed.” We still had a little way to walk, but it was worth trying to put Eve at ease, if just for that moment. “Do you want me to carry you?”

“Mm hmm,” she hummed as she pressed herself against my chest. With her satisfied, there was no other reason to stay, so I stood up and headed back to the castle. I devised a way of supporting the forlorn girl with one arm and holding Eva’s hand with the other.

After a short way, I looked down at the girl whose hand was in mine.

“You okay, Eva?”

She responded by showing me a big smile, one that only she could pull off as well as she did.

“Yep!”

“I’m glad.”

“Mr. Bayard?”

“What is it, cherub?”

“You’re my best friend, too.”

I felt her tug my hand as she also stopped. She must’ve known how effective her eyes were at expressing how she felt as she made another routine glance up at me. Even in the low light of the evening, I could still make out a faint shimmer that was always moments away from overflowing with emotion. I hoped that they were happy tears- I hoped that she told me this with excitement rather than fear.

“Thank you, Eva. You’re my best friend, too. You as well, Eve, if you’re still with us.”

“Hmm?”

I gave a quick chuckle as I shifted my weight to move Eve further up my chest. Aside from that minor bit of exertion, the rest of the walk was quiet and uneventful; there was nothing more to say. The silence that we’d found ourselves in was only occasionally broken by small sniffles that faded away just as quickly as they appeared.