I left the library as the others waved me along. The sounds were already growing loud. Big, loud, busy parties were not where I usually lingered. Was retreating to the books Twilight was offering an option?

"Hey there!" Pinkie threw an arm over me and started guiding me right into the crowd. "Now, if I understand right, you may already know some of these ponies."

That was a challenge I could accept. Human names, easily forgotten. But pony names? I already knew most of them. Bless Equestria, at least, in this, it was a clear win. I began to point at the ponies as I picked them out. "Bon Bon, Lyra." Both beamed, as if proud to be the first picked out.

"Oh, Rarity!"

Rarity fanned herself. Her mane was curly, as one would expect, done up quite well, wearing a full dress over her equine form. "Darling, I've been teased with so many hints. It appears Pinkie wasn't lying about that one. So you've heard of me?"

She was a horse, as were they all. We were all magical horses, and that was pretty cool. "Nice to meet you, Rarity. Um." But there were plenty more waiting for me. I went on. "Derpy."

"Muffins," she giggled out. "Muffins 'Derpy' Hooves. How'd you know my nickname?!" She looked right at me, or at least tried. She had wall eyes, and they were still adorable. "Nice to meetcha!"

"Fluttershy. I'm sorry you got pulled to this loud thing too."

Fluttershy seemed surprised. "Oh, um... You don't like parties either?"

Pinkie gasped with scandal. "No way! He's already the life of the party."

I ignored Pinkie. "Given the choice, quiet things with people I know are better, but I can deal with louder, bigger, events. I just tend to focus on the people I know well."

I chuckled self-consciously as more and more familiar faces seemed to recognize and greet me in turn. Clearly word of the visitor from another world had disseminated swiftly through Ponyville's tight-knit community.

Pinkie was bouncing eagerly between groups, evidently thrilled at both introducing me and at having an excuse to have set up this lavish affair on such short notice. That she managed to do that for, one assumed, a lot of ponies all the times was still amazing.

I smiled over at the bubbly pony already breathlessly regaling some enraptured foals with what were likely exaggerated reenactments of my earlier arrival. "It's really nice, all the work she puts into each of these."

Rarity sauntered over, delicately balancing a cup and saucer in her telekinetic grip. "But of course, darling! Here in Ponyville, any new arrival is cause for fanfare." She indicated the motley festivities filling town square with a graceful hoof.

"Although I must say, you seem to be settling in remarkably swiftly, humbly speaking. Why I'd scarcely guess you weren't born Equestrian!" She smiled over her cup's dainty steam. "Clearly Twilight took wonderful care showing you the ropes."

Internally, I could feel a happiness growing thinking of the undeserved patience Twilight had already shown me. Outward, my smile relaxed to my steady neutral default. "She really did...both she and Spike both. I'm lucky they..." I was interrupted by a bouncing Pinkie sandwiching me into what I realized was an eager conga line!

I had never been part of one of those. Keep your hooves on the pony ahead of you and just move along, right? Rarity ended up in front of me, which meant I had my hooves on Rarity's rump. One small part of me noted this was a fine place to have one's hands, or local equivalent. The other shot it down. As if Rarity cared that way for a strange alien pony that was physcially younger than her and maybe mentally older? No, she had plenty of other things to pay mind to.

Ardor snuffed firmly, I did my best to not make a mess of myself as the line wove about the square with the music thrumming along.

The party was, as promised from the start, loud but welcoming. Countless ponies had questions, and I was happy to chat with each.

I blame my sales days, but chatting with each didn't bother me. It was more of a problem when I assumed things...

"You two are... a thing?"

Lyra burst into laughter, rolling on the ground.

Bon Bon colored. "Excuse me? We're friends. Nothing more than that..."

Lyra sat up on her haunches. "Aw, come on. I'd be a great girlfriend and you know it."

Bon Bon whirled on Lyra. "I imagine you would be. I'd never recover..." She turned back to me. "What even gave you that impression?"

I hastily backpedaled, cursing my clumsy presumption as Bon Bon's shock turned swiftly to scrutiny while Lyra looked on with abashed hopefulness behind her. Clearly I had intruded on more complicated dynamics than I grasped.

"Oh, sorry... I wasn't trying to imply things. Uh, it's... complicated?" I hastily offered with a clumsy half bow. "Feel free to ask outside the party and I'll run through it, or maybe Twilight will just spill it."

I looked between them anxiously, feeling about as small as I was currently feeling inside. "I didn't mean to bother either of you."

Lyra finally broke the tense silence by bursting into renewed guffaws. "Are you kidding? I think it's hilarious you saw through our little ruse right off the bat when half of Ponyville still buys that 'just gals being pals' song and dance!"

She threw a leg playfully over a furiously blushing Bon Bon who pointedly refused to meet anyone's gaze. "Buuuut I suppose we haven't exactly updated our mailing labels either, so fair play on the both of us, really..."

My eyes bounced rapidly between Lyra's mirth and Bon Bon's mortification, unsure if I had somehow improved or worsened matters with my thoughtless guesswork. But talk of labels sparked an idea...

"Well, either way, no offense meant...and congratulations being happy together, openly or not!" I gave a weak conciliatory smile. "I think it's great. Um... Can I ask a question?"

Lyra hopped to her hooves, leaning in close. "Please do. What's on your mind?"

Bon Bon buried her face in her hooves. "You would ask that."

"So! I'm going to assume everything I know is a big fat 'Maybe'. This Equestria." I waved around a little. "How does it feel about same sex marriages?"

Lyra's eyes widened. "Wow, straight to the point." She threw herself to my side. "I like this guy. Pity he's a stallion."

Bon Bon snorted softly. "I'd hope there are other reasons you might not..."

"Yeah yeah." Lyra stepped away from me. "Love is love. We're not hurting anypony, so nopony's getting in our way. Is it... not like that somewhere else? Harsh!"

That answered a few questions. "What about species-wise?"

Bon Bon hiked a brow. "You have a lot of questions about romance." She snorted into a snicker. "Typical teen... Since you asked, that usually isn't a big deal either. There's a few exceptions. Ponies and donkies are off the table... Ponies and zebras are also out..."

Lyra bobbed her head. "There's good reason on those. You put them together, you don't get foals that can make foals. Dead end, super bummer. Friends, but not wives or husbandos, right?"

I politely excused myself from the curious couple, giving them space to resolve lingering tensions or questions my intrusion had stirred. But their answers echoed intriguingly as I mulled over societal standards regarding pairings here.

My ruminations were interrupted as a rainbow streak abruptly cannonballed into the punch bowl I was absently approaching, splashing us all with sugary shrapnel!

"Ha! Nice try slowpoke!" the damp pegasus crowed at a pursuing Applejack while hovering cockily. "Wanna go double or nothin' ah can snag a dance before you?"

Her competitive taunting trailed off in puzzlement as she registered me wiping futilely at my sodden fur. "Uh...heh don't think we've met before..."

Applejack shouldered up next to us, effortlessly balancing the punch bowl atop her hat as she passed me a towel. "That's 'cause he just got to Ponyville today, Rainbow." Her smile turned impish. "In fact, I think he's none other than that alien Twi brought!"

"No way!" Rainbow zipped in to scrutinize me more closely as I returned Applejack's smile in bemused gratitude. "So you're that a-lie-in dude who...acks!"

Her physical appraisal became magical as Rarity abruptly collared Dash midair in a shimmering lasso with a wink my way. "Now now, darling...nopony wants your sweaty scrutiny before even exchanging names."

She turned us gracefully back towards the fracas. "Applejack, Rainbow - meet our new gentlecolt caller. Sir, the rascal and the ruffian." Dash stuck out her tongue.

I knew those ponies! Even if I was wet, and a little sticky, I smiled at them both. "Rainbow, AJ. Hi."

"Howdy."

"'Sup." Rainbow shook herself dry like a dog. "You look bedazzled. I get that." She buffed at her chest. "Not every day you run into a Wonderbolt, right?"

That Rainbow was a Wonderbolt? That was surprising... At least in that things felt random in what matched and what did not. "It is not. But I'm not fanboying over that."

Applejack waved Rainbow away. "'Course he ain't. Look at 'em! All four hooves on the ground. Ah bet he'd rather do somethin' straight forward."

Rarity slid between the mares. "Now now... We've scarcely met the dear. Why don't we ask instead of assuming things, hm?"

I took in a bracing breath as three vibrant mares turned my direction expectantly. Seems even in mystical lands mundane treads hold sway - new kid still got scrutinized.

"Well, Rarity hit closest on why I'm a bit dazzled...not every dimension you become a horse, I guess." That elicited a knowing chuckle. Dash still looked mildly skeptical.

"I only just got these under me properly." I lifted a hoof playfully. "But I won't lie, almost everything about me, and about this world, is fascinating." I turned thoughtful, rubbing my chin.

"Suppose in terms of straightforwardness - " I flashed Applejack a grin. "I like writing. I like helping out with small groups of friends, and telling stories."

Rainbow pouted while Applejack returned my smile with a friendly nod. Guess that was a connection. Twilight hadn't mentioned if there was some counterpart assignment system for new arrivals or if I could somehow get a job writing, or move my money from home, somehow? Perhaps best saved for later.

"Anyhow!" I straightened up, shaking off contemplations. "Main thing is all I know about myself or you all could be miles off here. So I really am just keen to take things as they come and get to know everypony fresh."

I looked to each in turn. "That fair?"

Rarity nudged forward. "No. I've been quite patient, dear." Her eyes wandered over my form. "I will not wait a moment longer. You're naked."

I... was naked. I thought that was normal. Twilight was naked. So were most of the ponies there. Was I supposed to not be naked?!

My face burned with shame, wondering if I'd managed to ruin everything.

Rarity fanned at my face with a hoof. "Darling? I'm offering to fix that. Do you have a fashion style you prefer? Simply let me know so I have a direction to follow."

Rainbow rolled her shoulders. "I have to get dressed for each show. Skin-tight suits, you've seen 'em! Only way to get the drag down when you're doing stunts. Outside that, pretty happy letting the fur show." She turned to display her side. "What have I got to hide?!"

Applejack swatted at Rainbow with her hat. "Ya cut that out!" She plonked the hat back on her head. "Sorry fer that. Rarity's tryin' ta help, so just tell her what kinda clothes ya want."

Rarity was still the same Rarity. "Thank you. I'm pretty basic with that. Black? Durable. Stain resistant if that's an option?"

Rarity inclined her head slowly. "Hm... That is simple... Hm..." She curled a hoof to her chin. "Are you certain you're not a Pie? Pinkie was pondering the possibility, and your fashion only makes me more uncertain."

Author's Note

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