Everfree Village

As morning came, Barbara donned her clothing once more and stepped out into the hall. She expected the strange princess to be there when she woke, but all was quiet. As she traversed the halls, searching for anyone, she ended up running into the small purple-green dragon that is spike.

“Looking for Twilight, am I right? She stayed up all night studying different kinds of rune magic and looking through her books for answers about, well, you! Cuz of that, she’s still sleeping.”

That meant Barbara was out of the plans she had with the pony. That said, there were other things she wanted to do, till she noticed the dragon sniff the air and close his nose.

“Phew! How bout we get you a shower first! Here, follow me and we’ll get you to a bathroom.”

He ended up having to explain how to work the shower for the human so she could wash up. She would be left with a few towels, but he had asked her to leave her clothes just outside the door so he could clean them in a washing machine.

Meanwhile Lodestone, for reasons beyond his understanding, managed to wake up before Granite. He gently shook her shoulder to wake her and was nearly rewarded with a hoof to the face, so he left her a note instead and trotted off to find the Chief and have some breakfast. She was going with Princess Twilight to the castle last he had heard, so that's where he'd try first. After that, the Mayor's office, and after that... well, fly around town and look for the large crowd of fascinated and slightly scared ponies.

Lodestone tapped a hoof on the massive front door to the Castle of Friendship and waited patiently for what he assumed was the Princess's mareservant to greet him.

He ended up having to knock a couple times before the dragon actually arrived.

“Give me a second will ya? This is a big castle!”

Flinging the door open, he looked over the stallion and realized he didn’t recognize him.

“You with the press or are you a tourist that just really wants to meet the princess. Cuz if that’s the case, I have bad news for you.”

"Uh..."

He was somewhat taken aback by the tiny dragon addressing him in such a condescending manner, but he quickly got control of himself.

"Neither. I'm Lodestone, the pony who found the humans in the Everfree Forest. I'm trying to find Barbara, the human that Princess Twilight brought back here last night. Did she sleep here or was she sent somewhere else?"

“Ooooh, yeah, she’s in the shower right now. She’ll be done soon, come on in!”

The dragon shut the door behind Lodestone and began guiding him towards a waiting room that was close to the one Barbara was using. When she finally joined them, all she had were the towels around her body and hair, rather than the leather clothes from yesterday. As soon as she saw the stallion, she began excitedly moving closer.

“That was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. Lodestone, why didn’t you tell me that ponies can make hot water on demand without fire?!”

Her expression made him chuckle and he waved a wing in a grand gesture around them.

"Barbara, there are so many things I can show you that are just as impressive, if not more. How would I choose where to begin?"

He hopped up and started walking toward the door. "Go ahead and get dressed, we can see more wonders while we're out shopping."

Spike walked in and said, “I tried to get that smell out of your clothes best I could.”

He led her back to the room so she could change and come back. This time, instead of smelling like someone from a tribe who bathed irregularly, she smelled of lavender.

“Ok, we never got that gold bar sorted out. With the princess out, we have to go to that other pony? The... “mayor” of this village?”

"Ah yeah, that's kinda important I guess. Alright, follow me then."

Lodestone set off at a brisk trot toward the Mayor's office. It was late morning and the town was much more busy than when they had arrived last night. Additionally, news of the strange bipedal creature's arrival had spread through the town like wildfire, so nearly everypony they passed would stop and wave, point, gasp, comment, follow, or simply stand in confused awe at the strange sight. The Chief didn't seem particularly bothered by it, but he took flight and hovered near her head so they could talk in relative privacy anyways.

"You're probably gonna have to get used to this sort of attention. Now that they know you aren't dangerous, everypony will want to see you, maybe even speak to you, but it's easy to get bogged down in an endless parade of curious muzzles, so it's best to just ignore all but the most persistent ones."

“Yeah, you had ponies with these flashing lights and metal sticks trying to talk to me last night. I still don’t have a clue what they were doing.”

She listened as Lodestoneexplained news, cameras, and sound devices in the most simplistic of terms. In the end, she took their technology as highly powerful magic, while imagining ways she could implement a formal written word. Soon they would find themselves at the mayor’s office, though the trip felt short thanks to her questions. Stepping inside, they would see the receptionist, a pony who had not been present the night prior.

“I-I was told there was a non-pony that might stop by. I guess that’s you! Umm, the mayor is in her office, you can head on in!”

Thanking the receptionist, Lodestone knocked gently with a hoof, then stepped into the Mayor's office. As soon as his head poked through the door she greeted him warmly.

"Oh hello, Lodestone! Is your human friend with you today?"

"Yes, and good morning, Mayor," Lodestone entered the room and Barbara followed close behind him, "It seems Princess Twilight was so focused on learning about a new species, she forgot to exchange the ingot."

Barbara produced the ingot for the mayor and set it on her desk.

“Sorry if that causes any trouble. I didn’t expect her to work through the night like I was told she did.”

Looking around the office, she could tell there were plenty of records and other important information. She wasn’t about to mess with it, but Barbara wondered if maybe she should keep precise records of things within the town.

The Mayor laughed and shook her head, "Oh no, dear, she's always like that. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a whole book of notes on the most efficient way to clean her hooves!"

She grabbed the ingot in her mouth and stepped outside. There was a heavy 'thunk' followed by some murmuring, then the Mayor returned empty hooved. She faltered when she saw the Chief's expression and made a calming gesture.

"Don't worry! I've just passed it off to my staff, they'll return with your bits momentarily." She giggled nervously. "I mean, you didn't expect me to carry that down to the Treasury and count out your bits myself, did you?"

“I suppose not. 2500 was the number you gave, correct?”

The lady sat on the floor, since the chairs in this particular office were a bit too small for her. As she was, an important question crossed her mind.

“Before living in that forest, my people were traders. Is there any way to establish trade between our village and yours? Or is it simply too dangerous to get a caravan headed our way?”

The Mayor nodded pleasantly, "Absolutely! If you just put together a list of stuff you will need regularly... um, yes, Lodestone?"

The pegasus had been politely holding up a hoof, "With all due respect to you both, I think any trade route we set up should start out very slow. These humans are incredibly primitive and too much technological progress too fast would be a massive culture shock. I'm worried about alienating some of them."

He gave the Chief an apologetic look.

"Um... no offense, Barbara."

She looked at him with a bit of shame that her kind were so limited. “I-I suppose you can’t really help it. Maybe to begin with, we should consider farming supplies. Tools, seeds, things to help growth, that shouldn’t be too bad.”

With how little of their world she understood, she started to feel a little stupid. She understood why he said what he did; even she was overwhelmed by what ponies could offer, and she hadn’t really seen anything yet.

Her expression made him feel a little bad so he stepped closer and nuzzled her hand to make her feel better.

"Don't feel bad, there's nothing wrong with ignorance as long as you're willing to learn. You're obviously smart, Barbara. You're asking questions, learning constantly, and adjusting quickly to life here. No, I'm worried about some of the other villagers who might react to all this with fear and suspicion."

The Mayor held up a hoof and said, "Barbara, I'm sorry, but I need to know what we're dealing with here. Just how primitive are we talking here?"

“Well, I just learned today that ponies can heat water without fire. You have this paper stuff in abundance, though I’d never seen it before. What is this stuff anyway?”

She stood up to walk towards a window and tapped the glass curiously.

“Never seen something like it before. Not to mention you have metal beams with light all over the place. Not even a metal I’ve seen before, best we have is copper, tin, and bronze.”

The Mayor eyed Lodestone and he nodded seriously. "I was surprised when they didn't have toilets... then I learned they don't even have outhouses."

She brought a hoof to her muzzle in thought, "I see your point. Lodestone is right, you yourself are clearly intelligent, there's no denying that, but you're a leader. Your fellows may not take to such strangeness so easily. We'll have to proceed in stages - one leap forward then a resting period while the village adjusts to the change before the next leap."

The Mayor stepped behind her desk and began making notes.

“I guess I understand. There was some backlash when people learned some of us had magic, after all. Now it’s a necessary part of our lives.”

It was slightly frustrating for her, since she wanted so many things for her people, but she really did understand. In a somewhat dangerous environment, the worst thing they could possibly deal with was civil unrest.

Mayor Mare looked up from her notes, "I think the easiest first stage will be replacing your tools with the modern equivalent. We'll upgrade your bronze tools with steel and plastic. They'll be lighter, stronger, and more effective, but otherwise identical to what you're used to." She tapped the desk thoughtfully, then continued, "We can also slowly bring in modern clothing. It'll be lighter, warmer, and more effective in general, but I'll talk to Rarity, our local seamstress, and see if she can make it look similar to your current clothes, so your people accept it more readily. Be sure and stop by her boutique before you leave."

“Ahhh, about that, what I am wearing is not actually what we are accustomed to, so much as what we are limited to. That’s... probably something I should talk over with her.”

It wasn’t something the mayor needed to know. The chief just didn’t want the ponies to think too little of her. She glanced over at Lodestone for just a moment, only to lower her gaze to the floor.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Lodestone said, "The spirits said you aren't from this world... I guess what I've seen of your people is a bad estimate, then."

The Mayor nodded in agreement, "Yes, you should explain what you humans are used to rather than what you are stuck with now. That would be a better baseline for how quickly we can help you. We may be able to save a significant amount of time with no risk of the villagers becoming unhappy."

She flipped to a new page in her notepad and looked at the Chief expectantly.

“Our town was a hub for trading silk and spices. We never had our own farms, since we could trade for what we needed reliably. Now we have farms, but people that barely know how to tend them. Hunting can only fill in the gap so much and is dangerous.”

Taking a breath, she tried to consider what they didn’t have now that they used to have. Their level of understanding hadn’t really improved, only what goods they had or didn’t had changed.

“We used to also tend livestock. Cows, chickens, and horses, though I doubt we could keep them now. If the thunder Rocs came... well, those would be lost.”

"Interesting," the Mayor muttered, making a few notes, "You know of silk and can smelt bronze but have never seen glass and don't even use simple outhouses..."

She looked up again, "Can you tell me more? So far you're just sort of an odd mix of moderaly advanced and strangely primitive."

“Part of the reason we don’t use outhouses is because space is limited and anything could be destroyed in a moments notice. We can’t afford to waste our space on anything that isn’t a home, shop, or storage.”

She explained, in greater detail, about their blacksmith and forge, as well as their system for trade before. She wasn’t leader then, but she still understood it well enough. Gold was not a common item used in their tradings, though they had known of it. Their village preferred to barter items directly rather than use any currency, ensuring everyone got what they wanted. She was able to describe in detail about how her village was also famous for its foods, given the amount of spices that came through. None of the methods they used were particularly advanced, though it showed the people had a way of being ingenious with so little understanding of their own world.

When she finished, Mayor Mare scribbled for a minute or two longer, then looked up at the two of them.

"Alright, so I still think we should proceed slowly, but we can send a little more with this first shipment. Go with Lodestone and find some simple tools like what you're used to, then pick up some spices and a wide variety of seeds, and finally stop by Rarity's boutique to have some clothes made to fit your unique bodies. Here."

She tore off a page from her notebook and passed it to Lodestone, who saw it was that same list, with some specific suggestions with little question marks next to them.

The Mayor continued, "You only need to grab a small sample of each thing you need. Once you've collected everything you want, bring it back here and I'll arrange a shipment loaded with enough of each item to supply a village."

Since he hadn't picked up some saddlebags yet, Lodestone handed the note to Barbara, who glanced at it then tucked it away in a pocket.

“Thank you. We’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Seeing herself out, Barbara took a breath of the fresh air and smiled.

“It’s like a fresh start. Maybe we can make ourselves the center of trade again somehow!”

That was an exciting thought for her. If her village could establish strong trading ties, then they would eventually get on par with ponies. Better yet, they would flourish, but she wondered if they could give a service or good nobody else had.

The pegasus nodded and started to reply, then stopped suddenly.

"Ah ponyfeathers, we forgot the bits. Just wait here, I'll be right back.*

He trotted back inside to fetch them and the receptionist pointed him toward the Treasury. The clerk mare inside was suspicious, but after sending a runner to confirm with the Mayor, she handed over a hefty sack of bits, which Lodestone carried between his wings as he returned to Barbara. Hopefully she had been alright by herself for the short amount of time he had been inside.

She hadn’t wandered off, but neither was she alone. A small crowd of ponies gathered to inspect the strange creature. One in particular, a minty-green unicorn with white in her mane, was quite close to her. Though he couldn’t hear it from the door, it was clear she was pestering Barbara with questions.

The Chief had handled the crowds easily enough when she had somepony to follow and a purpose in mind, but Lodestone could see she was clearly uncomfortable now that she had to just mingle with all the curious muzzles. He hurried out and took flight, hovering above the ponies and whispering in her ear.

"You okay or do you want to get out of here?"

A couple other pegasi had misunderstood his action and were now cautiously approaching through the air themselves. She would have to decide fast.

“Let’s go, before your winged friends start getting in my face.”

She could see them closing in and absolutely did not want them getting close from up above. It was more bearable on the ground, where she could easily step over them or move them.

Lodestone nodded once and swooped suddenly in front of her, flaring his wings out and spreading his hooves wide, raising his voice with as much authority as he could muster.

"Alright, alright, make way. We're on official business from the Mayor. We'll be here for a while, you'll have plenty of time for questions later."

Several ponies shouted questions, desperate to get even one solid answer so they could get a story out before the other reporters.

"Why was the other creature injured?"

"How have they survived in the dangerous forest?"

"Are there more of these creatures?"

"Does Princess Celestia know of this yet?"

Lodestone ignored them all and pumped his wings powerfully, angling his wings so most of his efforts simply created a powerful breeze in front and behind him, without creating any lift. The ponies were forced to back away as the wind garbled their microphones and blew dust in their eyes and the pegasus surged forward, Barbara following closely behind.

With them out of the way, Barbara was able to push forward and get through the group once more. The ponies seemed to get the message, mostly, and kept some distance from the human.

“Can we visit the... what did she call it? Seamstress? I would like to see what they have to offer. I-I really miss the feel of proper silk.”

"Sure!" he said happily, "Just as soon as I get some food in me. I dunno about you, but I'm starving."

As the crowd dispersed, disappointed, he landed and walked alongside the Chief instead. His feathers were beginning to get seriously frazzled now and it was increasingly difficult to maintain a steady hover. He was days overdue for a preen, but there was just so much to do!

"Besides, the note I left for Granite said to meet me in the café we tried last night. Since I found you quickly, she might not even be up yet, but hopefully she'll pop in while we're eating."

As it turned out, the mare was not only up, but already waiting at the cafe. She had ordered dessert for herself and was now doing her best to put away the last bits of fruit and ice cream when she spotted the pair in the distance. Her shoveling of the spoon took on a more urgent manner and Granite chewed and swallowed almost desperately. She managed to finish before the two came, but then her eyes strayed to the bowl.

Her tiny whimper would be audible even to Lodestone and Barbara, just before the mare lifted up the empty porcelain cup and licked at it furiously. She slammed it down barely ten seconds later and pushed it away from herself, then attempted to look completely innocent in all this.

Barbara watched the whole thing with an amused smile as they approached. Unlike the chairs of the office, this outside seating area had cushions on the ground to sit on. Something that Barbara was actually fairly used to. Taking her spot at the table, she noticed a piece of paper with scribbles all over it.

“You just have paper and writing everywhere you go? What does this even say?”

"Yep. Writing down a spoken language is incredibly useful."

He took a moment to explain how a menu saves the server from spending several minutes explaining all the different meals available, then flagged down the waiter colt to order. He faltered when he saw the new arrivals, but quickly put on his customer service face and approached.

"I'll have a hayburger with cheese and some black tea. For the human here, let's try the vanhoover omelette and an orange smoothie."

Once the waiter left, Lodestone finally turned to Granite.

"And good morning to you, sleepy filly. You know you nearly bucked my snout off when I tried to wake you up." He smiled to let her know he wasn't upset about it.

"Sorry!" the mare said, muzzle going red but not from what Lodestone said. She kept glancing at her empty bowl, then at the newcomers. More than once the mare opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind and closed it again. Each time her ears lowered some more.

"I had breakfast!" she suddenly exclaimed. "It wasn't just ice cream! I had a proper breakfast before that, I swear!"

She wasn't exactly lying, but it wasn't the whole truth. Dishonesty wasn't her strong suit and the cow-pony knew it, which was why she refused to meet their gazes.

“By this point, I’ve learned it’s going to be a fruitless effort to simply ask what everything is. So Granite, we were thinking about going to see your silk-weaver soon.”

An elbow from Lodestone made her turn in confusion and as she thought about what she said, she realized it.

“Sorry, your “seamstress.” I’m sure you’d like to join us, right? Maybe also help me keep some of those ponies at bay when they come around asking questions.”

"Um, okay. Sure!" Granite was only too happy to move the conversation forward from her eating habits. She was about to get up, but then flashed a sheepish grin at Lodestone. "Can you, uh, get this? I don't really have any bits..."

Her ears were splayed and if she had a sombrero, she would be turning it in her hooves. "I'll make it up to you, I promise..."

Lodestone chucked, "Of course, Granite. Even if we didn't have the company tab..."

He nudged the hefty sack of bits now hanging from Barbara's waist.

"I think we can afford to cover a simple meal."

He caught the Chief's sour look and waved a hoof dismissively.

"Don't worry. While I bet you'll be happy to pay once you try your food, I won't waste your gold on trivial stuff like this. I've got it covered."

“Good. Far as I’m concerned, it’s not even my gold. It’s my people’s gold, it’s to make the village better.”

She pulled a single bit from the stack to examine it. It was a simplistic thing, but also very smooth and finely crafted. Each one looked exactly the same, telling her there was a mold involved. The image of a pony, Celestia on the front and Luna on the back, were so well cut into each one that it took her a moment.

“Your coins... they get shaped first... then the image would be placed on while it is soft, right? But how? Do they have some sort of device that etches the image into the coin? Or something metal they use that had the outline of the image carved into it?”

"Uhhh," Granite didn't have a clue, but didn't want to appear dumb. "I think that's right," she said, looking pleadingly at Lodestone. At the rate he was accruing 'favors' from the mare, he should have no problems getting her in bed later tonight.

Luckily, the pony was saved by the waiter, who brought out the food. She looked at everything wistfully, but then firmly shook her muzzle and focused her attention elsewhere.

"Nice day, anyway," she commented. "Looks perfect for flying..."

Realizing what she had implied made the poor pony let out a very quiet moo of surprise.

The pegasus was perfectly content to admit his ignorance, especially with the smell of burger filling his snout. He gave Granite a little wink that made her blush, then greedily chowed down. Seeing the way she eyed their food, he nudged the plate toward her and motioned toward the fries. Then, as if suddenly remembering she was there, he glanced up to check if the Chief was enjoying her food as much as he'd hoped.

She tore off a piece with a fork and examined it. She could recognize the egg, even take a good guess at how it was cooked, but didn’t know all of what was inside it. Taking her first bite, she felt the crunchiness of the peppers and the flavors seemed to explode in her mouth. While meat was good, it had been a long, long time since she had a properly seasoned meal. Despite her desire to simply devour it all in seconds, she forced herself to go slow and enjoy the meal as thoroughly as possible.

“Spirits above, that is delicious. I can think I could make something like it that the people would enjoy back home. Add in some chopped up bacon... yum.”

Next was her smoothie. A cold drink that didn’t come from a river was amazing in itself, but this was a frozen delight. It wasn’t even winter, yet these ponies made something frozen that had been finely mixed with fruit!

"Jeez, you're making me wish I ordered one of those as well," Granite said, having completely obliterated Lodestone's fries. She reached to grab more, found emptiness on the plate, looked at the stallion and hung her head. "Sorry- I didn't realize."

She quickly brightened up. "I can get you another serving!" she offered to the pegasus. "And maybe another omelette?" this part was to the Chief. "Maybe one for me too?"

Her choice of ice cream for breakfast didn't seem as clever as it had a mere half-hour ago.

The pegasus burst out laughing and had to cover his still-full mouth with a hoof. Between Granite eating half his meal and Barbara being twice the size of a pony, it seemed another course was in order.

Once the Chief had realized how good the food was, she had tasted a bit of every meal they got. Everything that didn't have hay in it was met with the same level of adoration, and Lodestone was reminded of a foal on Hearth's Warming Eve.

An hour later, all three were pleasantly stuffed, and Lodestone had it all put on the company bit. He was beginning to worry his superiors would notice his unusual spending, but brushed it off carelessly. He had bigger storms to wrangle now.

"So," he said, clapping his hooves together eagerly, "How would you mares like to shop for some clothes?"

“Finally!" Barbara exclaimed excitedly, "I can wear the softest fabrics again!” She pumped a fist in victory and was quick to stand up, despite not knowing where to go. It didn’t matter though, she was tired of leather and fur. “Do you think they’ll have all sorts of different shades of purple and golds? Those were always reserved for the most elite in my village. The people with the most influence over trade and the major nations that came to do business.”

"Oh, pony tailors have all the colors!" Granite said, even though she had exactly zero first-hoof experience. Her only encounter with a dress had been for her school's prom night, when the mare had 'inherited' a worn dress from her mother for a single night.

"I heard the seamstress in Ponyville is one of the best! I'm sure she'll fix you up, especially with all that money!"

The cowpoke was thrilled to get going and pranced a little in place as she waited for poor, rushed Lodestone to finish paying. Even before he was done, Granite ran off, but then ran back, like an excitable filly.

Lodestone had been expecting them to be excited, but even so he couldn't help smile at their enthusiasm. He wrapped up quickly and trotted off in the direction of the boutique he and Granite had seen last night. Hopefully Ponyville only had one boutique...

As soon as it came into view, Granite was off like a dart and Barbara wasn't far behind her. He chuckled ruefully and broke into a trot to catch up.

Rarity looked up from her sewing machine, startled by Granite bursting in, but she knew a customer when she saw one.

"Oh, just a moment darling, I'll be right with you!"

The machine whirred again as she hurried the hem she was stitching, and just as she finished and looked up again, Barbara stepped through the door. Rarity gasped. The Mayor had sent a runner so she had been expecting the human, and she had heard the rumors of course, but nothing prepared her for the monstrous sight before her. She pressed a hoof to her chest and cried out.

"Sweet Celestia, you look absolutely horrid! Oh my dear, please, you simply must come into the back at once and remove that ridiculous outfit and... is that leather? Stitched with twine?"

She looked as if she might faint.

"It's not that bad," Granite rushed to her human friend's defense. "I'd like to see you do better in the middle of Everfree with no tools!"

Despite the snark, Granite was staring around the shop with wide, fascinated eyes. Her legs trembled and she obviously itched to feel up some fabric, or examine a dress or two. If she would be allowed to try a couple, she'd squeal with delight.

In moments the mare forgot both the human and the pegasus who had brought them, and was admiring an unfinished dress on a pony manikin.

“Best we could do. Well, that and fur, but it pales to the silk robes of before.”

Eyes wandering around the room, she noticed the fabrics and different colors. Rather than follow Rarity, she walked over to touch them. Each had their own texture, since some were made from wool, or some were a new fabric altogether that the human, maybe even other ponies, had never seen. In all cases, it was much softer on the skin than anything they had available.

“These are amazing... such vibrant colors too... I bet you could easily make the most comfortable of outfits. Things made for kings and queens alike.”

"Well, I suppose if I had been trapped in the Everfree..." She shuddered at the thought, then approached the Chief as she marveled at the works of art around her, "You clearly have a good appreciation for craftsmanship, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you did the best you could with what you were given."

She sighed, then her horn glowed and she grabbed the Chief's hand with her magic, tugging her gently toward the back room.

"But nevermind that now. Come along, you couldn't wear any of these dresses even if you tried, they're for ponies. I'll need to take your measurements and build a whole new set of patterns before I can even start on clothes for your species."

Granite watched the two leave with some curiosity, but then went back to the dresses on display. She found one with a frilly yellow thing and posed next to it for a disinterested Lodestone. "How about this one? You think it'd look good on me?"

The mare had no sense of fashion, but she liked pretty colors. "Ooh, how about that one!" she pointed to a mostly green dress with white trimmings.

"You know- I could look pretty for you," she teased the stallion, walking over to him and giving him an all too-friendly nuzzle.

Returning the nuzzle, he grinned at her.

"You already look pretty, Granite, but I'd love to see you in a nice dress like this one day. I bet you'd look good in this one."

He stepped up to a long, flowing dress of bright silver, with blue accents and thick, black stitching in an intricate pattern. He'd chosen it because the colors matched her coat and eyes and it hadn't occurred to him how closely it resembled a wedding dress.

"That one?" Granite said, a little unsure. "It'd look good?"

She came over and stood beside it, then felt up the material. "Maybe..." she agreed.

A few more uncomfortable seconds had her splaying her ears and giving the pegasus a self-deprecating grin. "I'm not actually very good at dresses. They were never a thing on our farm."

Her smile crept back when she got an idea and looked around. There was that mischievous twinkle back. "Do you think I could try a few of them on?!"

"As much as I'd love to see that, we should probably wait until Rarity is back."

Lodestone smiled nervously and studied the dress more carefully.

"I can't even figure out how to get this off the mannequin, much less how it's supposed to go on you."

"Hmm," for a moment it looked like Granite was going to try it, but then she thought better of it and shook her head. Instead, she went to look at a few unfinished ones on the other side of the room.

"I bet these will look nice, too," she said wistfully. "Oh..."

There was something else, but the pony didn't know quite how to say it, so she changed the topic. "Did I really hoof you this morning? I don't remember it. Sorry..."

He stepped up beside her and gave her a quick hug with a wing.

"No, you just waved a hoof at me, but it missed. You weren't even really awake I don't think."

There was a sudden exclamation from behind the door and he chuckled wryly.

"I get the feeling they're going to be a while. Do you want to go someplace else for a bit, or are you happy just looking at these dresses?"

Granite looked around the shop once more, eyes a bit wistful, but then she shook her head and her smile came back. "I could... maybe do with another ice cream?" she suggested. "And..."

Again, there was that something at the tip of her tongue which she couldn't get out.

"I think I heard someone talking about an apple orchard. I'd like to see that. We just grew wheat and vegetables."

"That sounds nice. It's been so hectic around Barbara, since everypony's so eager to see her."

He lifted his wing from her shoulders and two of his primaries actually caught with an audible click. A long grey feather fluttered lightly to the ground. Lodestone winced at the rough rustling as he folded his wing.

"...On second thought, can we just go back to the hotel for a bit? My wings are in desperate need of some maintanence."

He smiled apologetically at her.

"Sorry, it'll be kinda boring for you, but I just haven't had the time."

Granite watched the feather flutter down. She reached down and picked it up in her mouth, then she awkwardly tucked it into her mane.

She looked around until she found a mirror and went to inspect the result, angling her head this way and that. "Fetching," she said. "Mind if I keep this?"

She didn't seem sad about the orchard - on the contrary, her eyes lit up at the mention. "You're right, though," she confirmed, "you do look kinda scruffy. I'll go keep you company."

There was a bit more and she giggled into a hoof. "Besides, I've never seen a fly boy fiddle with his wings. Ought to be interesting, mm?"

Lodestone held up a hoof as the mare tucked the feather into her mane, but she continued talking before he could speak up. He awkwardly lowered his hoof again and a blush began to color his muzzle.

"Uh... yeah, I guess. Listen, you shouldn't--"

But the mare was already trotting out the door. She had no idea what that feather signified and the pegasus could only stand there frozen for a second, feeling confused, embarrassed, and a little aroused. Then he suddenly broke into a canter and chased her toward the hotel.

Meanwhile, Rarity casually pulled Barbara by one hand over to a small room divider where ponies would have a little privacy while they changed clothes. Unfortunately, it barely reached up to the Chief's shoulders, but at least it covered the important bits.

"Right, now get those scraps of leather off and we can begin."

She turned toward a wall almost completely covered with shelves and began pulling various tools from them - some measuring tape, of course, but also a stack of thick, uncut cardstock and a pencil, to sketch out the beginnings of patterns to match the human's unique shape.

Barbara shed the armor up till her very last two garments. There was a measure of hesitation to fully disrobe, though she figured there were no males, pony or otherwise, around that would see her naked body. The last two bits hit the floor and she began to pile it up and set it neatly to the side.

“Thank you for doing this on short notice. I know you must have many requests, based on all those pieces you had in the other room.”

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! I'm always eager to--" She stumbled slightly over her words as she turned to face the naked human, "ah... try something new. Oh my... you humans are awfully exposed."

She tried not to stare at the large teats on the human's chest as she stepped closer, measuring tape hovering near her head.

"I take it you humans wear clothing on a regular basis?"

“Yes, all the time. We even had night clothes, though many prefer to sleep naked during the summer months.”

She raised her arms out for Rarity as she moved on to that portion of things. It was a strange feeling whenever magic would grip her in any given spot. Like a slight tingling sensation that ended up almost feeling ticklish in certain areas.

“I know many of us will be happy to be back in robes. Or to even have the ability to make our own clothes again. I had always longed to wear the blues and golds of the grand trade master.”

Of course, they had no such title anymore. Their cultural structure had changed vastly since they were forced into the forest.

"Hmm..." The mare hummed thoughtfully, "That means you'll need far more outfits than I would normally need to provide."

She mumbled to herself as she continued taking measurements and noted them down in a tidy chart, gently pushing or pulling Barbara into various positions. She paid special attention to her arms and legs, so different from anything else she had worked with.

"I assume your people will be wanting something simple and practical for everyday use? Then I think it would be best if I have a... ahem, 'less experienced' tailor make several copies of some simple tunic in various sizes."

Her eyes gleamed as she began sketching out rough shapes on the cardstock, occasionally holding it up to compare it to some part of the Chief's body.

"Thinking of these strange and unique patterns is already flooding my mind with such inspiration... I couldn't possibly make anything as humdrum as work clothes with such fascinating shapes to guide me!"

“As traders, we always strove to make a good impression with our looks. Though, now we are laborers. Simple, practical, and enduring would be the best way to go.”

That thought frustrated her a little. She wanted to at least be able to wear a reminder of their rich past. But that was the problem with change: it doesn’t mind leaving people and ideas in the dust.

“At some point or another, I need to find a way to bring skilled ponies, like you, to the village. I think it would benefit us all, though it seems it won’t happen soon.”

Rarity giggled at the woman's expression, "Don't look so dour, darling! Yes, most of your new clothes will be practical, but if you think I'm letting you go back to that dreary village without first seeing you resplendent in a dress, you are sorely mistaken!"

Several bolts of thick, richly colored cloth flew over from a nearby shelf and Rarity began rapidly comparing colors to the color of Barbara's skin, hair, and eyes. She took several more notes, then unrolled a large section of deep, royal violet cloth. The thick, finely woven fabric wrapped around her torso, pressing against the curve of her sides as if it was already tailored to fit her. The Chief would be able to see herself in a set of three mirrors nearby, though they were almost square to fit the ponies that would normally be using them.

“That would be wonderf- oooooo, I like this color!”

She looked down excitedly at the idea of wearing a royals color. Even if it would not have the same designs as her people were used to, it wouldn’t matter.

“I’m afraid I’ll end up being here at least till tomorrow though. Maybe I should save a beautiful piece for when I return. I’m sure my people would end up wanting to come to you and only you if I did! Oh, but I should also see about getting Rohan some clothes. How do you feel about making men’s garb, err... I apologize, I’ve forgotten your name.”

"Men? Oh, is that what you call human stallions? Well of course I'll make clothes for them as well! The other human, the one at the medic, is he a 'men'? I would like to see him as soon as possible to take down more measurements and compare your proportions."

She scratched down a quick note and wrapped up the violet cloth again, setting it apart from the rest of her fabric.

"And don't worry about the name, I completely understand! I'm sure your head is already spinning with all the muzzles and names you've met already."

The unicorn casually took a step back, turned slightly to the side in a flattering pose, then lightly flicked her head and brushed her mane back with a hoof.

"I am Rarity. The note from Mayor Mare only said you were the Chief of the humans. What shall I call you?"

"Barbara. To be honest, I'm not used to going by that anymore. Once I became the chief, everyone started calling me "Chief." I always figured it was a sign of respect."

Her eyes stayed glued on whatever Rarity's magic was used on. The idea of a simple levitation spell fascinated her, if only because their own magic was not developed enough to do such things.

"Oh, before I forget, I should warn you about Rohan. As a man, he's quite... uptight. He's basically my village's champion, our most powerful warrior. His role before was something akin to a head guardian. He oversaw the protection of our trade town and made sure that things ran smoothly and fairly."

Rarity turned and looked into a bin, then frowned and opened another, rapidly searching through the various pieces of fabric inside.

"Well, would you rather I called you Barbara or Chief? Ah yes, here we are!"

A long, thin strand of silky gold ribbon flowed out of the drawer and Rarity casually tossed it over the Chief's shoulder while she continued looking for more pieces of the outfit she imagined.

"Barbara is fine. I like being the chief, but it's nice to have places I can go where I'm not as worried about it."

"And what exactly do you mean by 'uptight'? Do you mean he's the type to always need to feel like he's in control?"

She tried to think of a better term for his way of living. "He's not a control-freak, but he's very duty bound. He's... stoic, I guess you could say. He takes charge when he needs to, but mostly he just goes around making people feel safe because they know he's watching out for them. He has everyone's respect as a result."

The way she was describing him, Rarity could almost imagine a knight in a fairy tale. A well beloved hero that keeps monsters at bay with his sword and wit.

Rarity paused in her searching and glanced back at Barbara.

"So he's a skilled fighter but he only fights when he needs to protect others, never in anger or for fun? He sounds like a royal guard..."

She trailed off, looking distracted for a long moment. The human was just starting to get restless when she looked up suddenly, seeming to snap out of it.

"Well in any case, my inspiration has left me for the moment, so I'll have to return to this later. I have all your measurements, but I should really get the measurements of a 'men,' so I suppose we should go and see this Rohan. Come along, I'll lead you to the medic."

She began to trot away, then stopped when she saw the Chief hadn't moved, looking awkward and embarrassed.

"Oh! Of course - you always wear clothes so going out naked is probably uncomfortable for you. I'll give you a moment to... ah..."

She eyed the crude leather clothes disdainfully.

"On second thought, let me throw together a simple garment for you so you don't have to put on those wretched things again."

"That would be appreciated, Rarity."

She watched as rarity took some soft fabrics that she had in abundance and began to make a loose fitting outfit out of it. Unlike the other, this was an emerald green fabric that had little accents on them, as well as a lace bra and panties. All in all, it reminded Barbara of the traveling caravan from the deserts. With that out of the way, she prompted rarity for one last thing. It came as a very slight shock that human feet were so sensitive, but of course Rarity was able to throw together some simple shoes. She settled on some sandals that matched the robe, which were also reminiscent of desert wear.

"Much better! By the gods, I had forgotten how it felt to wear such wonderfully soft clothes." She didn't dawdle for too long, however, since she could see that Rarity was ready to go.

"And this is hardly more than a bolt of cloth with some holes for your forelegs!" Rarity giggled, "I can't wait to see you try on a true ensemble."

Rarity closed up the boutique and set her 'be back later' sign, then turned to leave and noticed ponies were already beginning to crowd the human. It seemed everypony was much more willing to approach her now that she wasn't wearing another creature's flesh. The unicorn raised her muzzle with a haughty 'hmph!' and trotted directly into the middle of the crowd.

"Come along, darling, we have things to do and not enough time to do them!"

The crowd rapidly parted, though more out of respect for one of the Elements than for her posturing. In any case, the way was cleared and the two of them found their way to the medic with little trouble. Once inside, it was only a moment before a nurse escorted them down a series of short hallways to the room where Rohan was being monitored.

Despite his attempts to get up and roam around, they somehow managed to convince him to stay in the bed for the most part. When Barbara and Rarity stepped in, he smiled and sat up. The blanket fell to his lap, though it was quickly clear he had no clothes of any kind on.

"I was told you had Lodestone bring me here, Chief. I apologize for having caused so much trouble, it was not my intention to return so... beaten."

Like the lady, he was an incredibly muscular man under all that armor. Years of training had done him well, but the years of battle against man and beast had left no small amount of scars on him either. His eyes, a deep, dark blue, turned towards the other guest in the room.

"No matter. Rohan, I would like you to meet Rarity. She is something similar to the silk-weavers that we were used to before."

Rarity hesitated when those deep eyes settled onto her. A blush lightly colored her muzzle as she gave a little bow and returned his gaze with a shaky smile.

"Hello, darling. I, um... I'm making a new set of patterns for your human bodies so we can send you some clothes. I got most of the measurements I need from Barbara here, but I need to measure you as well. Your... masculine physique requires a different shape around your shoulders and hips, for example."

Her measuring tape hovered just beside her head and she stepped forward, seeming eager to get started.

He gave a slow nod and looked down at the bed sheet. They would probably immediately guess that he was completely nude under it as well.

"I'll just turn around for this." Barbara, not wanting to see anything by mistake, turned so she was facing the other way. Without many options, Rohan wrapped the bedsheet around his waist so he wouldn't be showing anything unsightly to the lady.

Rohan said, "Let me know what you need me to do exactly and I'll do what I can, miss."

Now that he was standing, she would notice how tall he was all well. He had to look down at her, making him appear a bit more intimidating, but Rarity was unfazed.

"Ah... yes, just stand there for now."

The length of his legs was quickly jotted down but when the measuring tape wrapped around his waist, it pressed the sheets close to his groin, which was almost exactly at eye level for Rarity. Her blush darkened slightly but she took down the measurement professionally, then slid a bit of the sheet away to measure around his inner thigh as well.

When it came time to measure his shoulders, she hesitated for a moment, then simply hopped up onto the medical bed and continued from there. She seemed to be going slower than usual and took more measurements around his chest than either of the humans expected, but surely she knew what she was doing.

Finally, Rarity rolled up the measuring tape and nodded to Rohan.

"Alright, that's all I need. I expect to see you at my boutique before you return to your village - I'll need to test my prototype garments on you to make sure the patterns work well..." She started to hop down from the bed, then added as an afterthought, "I'll be doing the same for Barbara too, of course, I just don't know how long the doctor will keep you here."

"From what I was told, tomorrow is the earliest they will consider letting me go."

He took his previous spot on the bed and let out a sigh. He didn't like being confined to one place, unable to do as he pleased. He would have much rather patrolled the village, talked with the people, anything. But, unfortunately for him, Barbara wasn't going to stay in that room for the day.