Chapter 6- A Penny Saved, A Pony Earned

“Graymane, are you done yet?! Big Mac is gonna be here soon, and I don't want you to keep him waiting!” Lyra Heartstrings, a mare unlike most others, her marvelous melodies dancing inside a pony's ears as she shouted up to her roommate, her duo-chromatic mane intentionally tousled around her soft, aquamarine face.

“Yeah, I'm coming down!” Graymane called from the upstairs bathroom, the past hour having been spent preening his appearance the way Lyra had told him, finally finished to a point he found favorable. Trotting down the hallway, a steady step leading his stride, Graymane descended the squeaky staircase. “How do I look?”

His orange mane, accented by silver sideburns, sat back slick against his head, just the slightest of bang spit curled over his cerulean forehead. Lyra gazed back at him, running her eyes up and down his firm chest and solid jawline. Sapphire sight orbs shimmered in the sunlight, he smiled back at her, face still sparkling with hints of glitter. He smelled of coconut and looked like a stallion with no worries, ready to tell a mare where to mount and a colt when to jump, regardless of who they were.

“You're great, very clean cut.” Smiling back at him, inspecting the rest of his body. “You smell a bit too much like coconut, but I'm not complaining.” A knock sounded from the blue door, interrupting her ogling for more important matters as Lyra's golden magic opened the wooden entry. Stepping in, gray tie in-mouth, Big Macintosh simply looked on at the two ponies, not surprised by the scene in front of him.

Dropping the fabric onto the glass coffee table, he continued with the reason he was there. “Anytime Graymane's ready. I'll show him how to tie it on the walk there.” Big Macintosh said, patiently waiting for the one of them to kiss the other goodbye.

“He's ready now. Graymane, go with Big Mac and do what he tells you, and do what I told you during the interview.” Lyra said, shooing the two stallions out of the comfortable cottage, black tie being magically forced out with them, shutting the door behind the duo.

*** *** ***

Quietly continuing down the dirt trail, both stallions held their tongue, questions sitting upon their lips without being spoken. The paff of dirt sounding with every step they took, The blue pony not wanting to break the silence, rather, preferring to stew in the uncomfortable moment. Graymane looked around at the surroundings, avoiding eye contact with his red escort, intimidated by his greater size and obvious relationship with Lyra. Breaking the unease with a clearing of his throat, Big Macintosh spoke his mind.

“How'd you get here? Lyra said you had a book, but nothing to carry it in.” He asked, a straight forward question that struck a tac in Graymane's mind. Taken aback by his inquiry, the blue stallion knew what he was getting at, pausing before he came clean with the recently hidden secret.

“I had a bag with me. I was running from...something, and it got caught on a tree.” Graymane said, the pair continuing their trek to the farm. “It had a lot of stuff about who I was, so I would like it back.” Big Macintosh continued walking silently, pondering the story with a stern expression. “Can I ask you a question now?” He asked, looking at the red stallion for the first time.

“Sure.” Big Macintosh said, expecting a question about Lyra or working on the orchard.

“How do you ask a mare out?” His mind ground to a halt at Graymane's question, Big Macintosh unsure of how to answer him. Never having to be the one to ask a pony out, the carmine stallion could only think of the occasion a stallion asked him on a date. With a sigh, he remembered the moment one of his closest friends became even closer.

“Has Lyra ever mentioned Braeburn? He was a good friend to the three of us.” Big Macintosh said, the farm only barely in sight. “He was my cousin, and we were as close as possible. One night, he asked me on a date.” The final sentence feeling like a twisting knife. “He waited until I was gonna leave Lyra's, then asked me when we were alone.” The details of the orchard slowly defining in view. “I was a tad tipsy at that point, so I said yes.”

“What does tipsy mean?” Graymane asked, the term completely new to him, it's consequences equally strange.

“It's when a pony drinks a bit too much cider, and then makes bad choices.” Big Macintosh explained, the two ponies starting up the road towards the Apple family farm. Looking forward, Graymane could see the silhouettes of colorfully coated ponies trotting in and out of the large barn far ahead. “It's something you shouldn't do, because it can hurt other ponies feelings.” The carmine stallion continued. “Now, I'm gonna show you how to tie a tie. It's a bit harder for earth ponies.” He said, stopping before his blue follower and grasping the black strip around his neck.

“Take the wide end and wrap it around the other two times.” Big Macintosh tutored, tie-ing the simple knot into the black choker. “Then pull it up through the back and down the front, like this.” He said, tenderly tightening the tie taught, allowing space to breathe. “Now keep going into the barn. My sister will interview you inside. I've got more work to do, so I'll meet you when you're done.”

Leaving his wise red companion behind, Graymane continued his journey into the big barn f wonders, the structure within spitting range as he passed the farms front fence. Looking around at his surroundings, he saw an orange mare working under an empty apple tree, bent over a wooden bucket as she sorted through them. Her legs were adorned with leather leggings, a strap clipped to the top leading from one leg to the other. The support straps around her hind legs connected to a pair of like colored panties, the underwear barely more than a strip of fabric led between her legs. Leather thigh highs and a thong, kinky. Best deal I ever made.

“Keep moving stallion. Bad enough you got Granny Smith to buy this new farm gear, ah'm not letting you stare.” The orange pony said, only glancing back for a second before turning back to her work in disgust. Not sure why she snapped at him, Graymane continued his way into the barn, one of the doors open and waiting for him.

The inside of the barn was dimly lit, sunlight beaming through the windows illuminating the golden bales of hay. At the far end of the interior sat three ponies, huddled behind a crudely constructed desk, nails still sticking from the slanted surface. Trotting warily towards them, the white coated foal's horn lit a bright blue sparkle while the orange filly buzzed around Graymane, inspecting him with her dim purple eyes. The yellow coated filly sat back behind the desk, watching him closely as the white coated foal magically checked boxes on a clipboard.

Stopping before the crude craft, Graymane looked back at the orange filly flying around his body, the little pony unable to ascend above his chest. Quickly, the three foals huddled together behind their wooden table, whispering to each other and peeking over one another before swiftly returning to their sitting order behind the un-sanded surface.

“You fail.” The yellow one said, The blue stallion having not even said a word. A pause filled the air as Graymane stood in shock, the interview tougher than he could have ever expected.

“Why?” He asked, dumbfounded at his sudden failure, after all the work he put into this.

“Because you're too much of a pretty colt. As Cutie Mark Crusader interviewers, we think you should try getting a job in the Mare-fia pony trafficking.” The yellow one continued, bow in her hair moving as all three of them nodded their heads. “Maybe Twilight's place, she said she needed somepony to help Spike organize the books in the library.” The blue coated stallion paused, Lyra mentioning the Mare-fia yesterday, but in a less enthusiastic attitude.

“Where's Twilight's library then? I can't tell Lyra I failed, and I need a job to ask Nurse Redheart out.” Graymane asked, his loyalty to Lyra driving him to get a job at any cost.

“That's easy! Just leave the farm and walk straight through Ponyville. It's the big tree.” The orange filly spoke up, wings fluttering to punctuate every sentence.

“You'll have to run though, Twilight said it's a really cool job, so it might be gone already.” The white said, rolling her eyes as she spoke sarcastically. Hearing this and taking it for serious, Graymane turned on spot and sprinted out of the barn. Out the door, he looked around for the exit towards the road, the same orange mare from sleeping against the gate post he aimed for.

Running towards the wide gate, he looked over to her as he passed. The citrus colored pony slept with her hat resting over her face, shifting slightly as she snored. Rear legs apart, her front legs were folded behind her head, supporting it against the hard fence post. Still wearing the leather socks on her hind legs, her thong had slipped to the side, spreading her orange folds for any pony passing by.

Stumbling slightly as he stared, Graymane tore his eyes away from the sleeping pony and continued his sprint, forgetting about Big Macintosh in his panic to leave the farm. Hoof beats thundering as he charged down the dirt road, Graymane left the farm's turn off and came to the main path, following the three filly's instructions and running straight through the alleyways between buildings. Entering the shopping district, the ponies were all still setting up, carts of fruits and other commodities beings pushed around as they made deliveries. Graymane panicked slightly as a wagon full of cabbage wheeled in front of him.

Reacting quickly, the blue stallion ducked low, sliding under the carts bottom as dirt was thrown into the air. Rising to continue his sprint, he could hear a mare shouting at him, the sound of her anger being drowned out by his pounding heartbeat echoing in his head. Graymane rushed past the vendors, the end of the district in front of him, two buildings joined by a wooden fence, the alley filled with boxes and garbage cans. Not slowing down as he weaved between the trafficker ponies peddling their precious paraphernalia, Graymane ducked below the handles of a fruit cart before jumping onto a beaten box, running across the row of garbage receptacles before leaping off the metal can, wooden boards catching his back hooves as he flew over the wall.

Landing into a roll, Graymane looked up to see the large tree, windows carved into it while a sign hung from the door. Ignoring the pain from his legs, he stood up and continued his journey, walking slowly to the door and taking the “help wanted” that was hanging off the knob into his panting mouth, opening the door at the same time.

“Hello, welcome to Golden Oak Library.” A purple dragon said from the book covered room.

“Hello, is the job still available?” Graymane said, dropping the sign onto the floor before the violet reptile, once clean coat now dusty, black tie mussed in different directions, and his orange hair no longer slicked back.

“Uhhh, yeah?” The young dragon questioned, unsure about the pony panting before him.

“Can I have it please? I just ran here from Sweet Apple Acres, and I can't tell Lyra I didn't get two jobs today.” Graymane pleaded, lungs still burning from the rush. “I need this, I promise I'll do my best.”

Still on the fence about the pony, the little purple lizard really only needed to know one thing about him. “Can you start working Wednesday?”

“Yes. Yes, I can start working any day you need!” Graymane began to cheer, nearly hugging the little dragon before him, pain in his rear hooves preventing this.

“My name's Spike, you'll be working with me to clean up after Twilight Sparkle, who isn't here until Tuesday morning.” Spike the dragon said as he began leading the blue stallion through the library tree, telling him what his responsibilities would be.

*** *** ***

Wandering through Ponyville, Graymane was grinning ear to ear, his first ever job, and he was starting next week. As soon as Spike was finished explaining what he was going to be doing, Graymane left the library to tell Lyra about it, nearly two hours ago. Walking down the wide, circular road for the second time now, Graymane passed a tall building, the sign reading it as the Carousel Boutique. Deciding to ask for directions, he entered the clothing creators business in hopes of meeting an understanding pony.

Opening the door, a bell chimed as all he saw was a lifeless, cloud colored room; fashion magazines adorning the small table between the ornate chairs against the wall. Shuffling came from the next room, two ponies coming to greet him. A white mare, purple hair carefully curled around her thin face, walked with her younger accomplice, the same white filly from the farm.

Seeing who the guest was, the foal immediately turned and walked the other direction, not wanting to invoke the wrath of her previous words, his shabby appearance and dirtied exterior most likely bringing turmoil and anger, despite his shining smile. Ready to introduce himself and ask for much needed directions, Graymane was cut off before he could start by a sound comparable to that of a slain minotaur, the white mare before him gasping in horror at his appearance.

“Why would you let such a wonderful accessory fall to pieces like that? And your hair, such a messy styling, let Rarity take care of you darling.” Rarity, the white fashion pony said as she pushed the confused stallion into the next room, blue magic illuminating all sorts of machines and tools, combs and brushes flying to her side as she sat him in a chair.

“So, what brings you to my boutique? Besides your disaster, I mean.” The mare asked as she ran a brush through his once gel-ed hair, pushing it over his blue eyes.

“Uh, I need directions to Sweet Apple Acres, if that isn't too much trouble.” Graymane said, unable to see as Rarity ran another brush through his mane.

“Of course darling, but you simply have to let me fit my new line to you. There are so few stallions in Ponyville, it's so hard to get one to work with you.” She said as she watched swatches of fabric floating around the two as Rarity styled his mane back with a comb, Graymane finally able to see the mare that so eagerly snatched him up.

Opening his mouth to question the eccentric mare, Graymane was interrupted when she turned, her perfume scented tail lightly bashing against his face as she ran tie after tie through a sewing machine, plush pale plot wiggling slightly as she hummed in contentment with her work.

“Come here darling.” Rarity said, her magical glow surrounding his black tie as it pulled him to her, choking the blue stallion slightly as his hooves dragged across the marble floor. The white fashion mare turned to face him, her nose pressed to his as she removed his old necktie, a pair of new bow ties replacing it around his neck. “You look simply dashing in that color.” She said, her lips less than an inch away from his, tea scented breath tickling Graymane's senses before she turned back to her machine, blue magic taking the puce tie from his neck, leaving the silver bow tie in it's place.

“Hmm, I like the color, but bow ties are going out this season.” Rarity said, pulling a straight tie of the same silver silk and wrapping it around Graymane's neck, replacing it's bow tie sister. “Much better.” She said, straightening the direction that it sat. Pulling it tight, Rarity took a step back to admire her work, the cerulean stallion still startled at her stunning display of skill. “Excellent! I have so many more ties for you to try, you simply must stay.” His only other choice to run out and hope to find another pony that knew the directions he needed, Graymane stayed put in her grasps, inclined to stay with the attractive pony that was flirting with him.

*** *** ***

“That was the last one Mister Graymane, and I must say, you look absolutely fabulous in that color, spider-silk gives it the perfect shine.” Rarity said, mannequins strangled in her newest creations. Graymane stood in front of a body mirror, admiring his preening and eager to finally return home.

“Thank you for the complement, but I have to go soon.” He said, hesitant to leave the temple of titivation he had spent the last hour in, loving the feeling of being surrounded by new clothes and complements. “If you could please direct me to Sweet Apple Acres, I would be grateful.”

“Oh, yes, of course darling. Just follow the road outside my boutique and you'll be there in no time. Feel free to come back at anytime, I always have more ideas that I want to try.” Rarity said, escorting him to the glass doors that begin her haute couture shop, magically opening them for the cerulean stallion and leading him out.

“Oh, I almost forgot your tie.” Graymane said, trying to loosen the knot around his throat.

“Keep it, please. I couldn't separate such a perfect match. Besides, I'm afraid I lost your previous neck tie.” Rarity said, smiling innocently at her mess that was once a sewing room.

“Thank you, I can't wait to tell Lyra about today.” He said, walking away from the polished exterior of the Carousel Boutique. Following the road straight out from the building like she had said, Graymane looked around at the quiet cottages around him, ponies smiling happily and going about their day as the afternoon sun beamed down on them. Papers blowing by, he looked down at them and caught one under his hoof. Tonight only, Vinyl Scratch in concert at Sugarcube Corner. Be there or don't be griffin. Weird, gonna have to ask Lyra about that.

Continuing his trot through the town, he passed a group of tables, ponies either eating or talking with each other. Looking at the groups, a few mare's stared back for a moment before turning back to their friends and giggling, Graymane unaware of the meaning of it, but appreciating the attention all the while as he walked. Leaving the structured groups of houses, they started to become fewer and far between, eventually leaving any sight of them far behind. Graymane looked forward, searching out for any sign of his location. The fruit farm finally in sight, Graymane curved down the familiar turn and began his trot back home, the orange mare no longer asleep against the fence post.

The dirt trodden trail turning softer, the road less travelled than the rest, he reached the grass covered field once again. Looking over it again, Graymane stuttered and stopped his trot. Despite my death, it really is a nice field. Maybe I could take Nurse Redheart on a picnic here. Dwelling on the thought, Graymane continued his walk again, Lyra's house, with it's big blue door and white walls, was within sight. At the door, Graymane was about to knock and enter, a monstrous noise interrupting him and startling the birds from the roof.

“You let your little sister interview him? Why?!” Lyra shouted at the top of her lungs, windows shaking as she shrieked like a banshee. The acrimonious aquamarine mare had been yelling for minutes now, her red coated friend having told her about Graymane's disappearance. “You're going to go out there and find him. Then, you'll tell him he has the job!” The sound of a turning doorknob interrupted her shout-fest, the cerulean stallion stepping through the once friendly doorway and greeting Lyra with a wide smile.

“Lyra, I have a surprise.” Graymane started, shutting the door behind him. “I got a job at the library, I'm starting Wednesday.” The room fell silent as the two ponies processed his presentation, the circumstance leaving Lyra with an emotionless expression.

“That's great! Come on, I have a surprise for you in the kitchen.” Lyra said, rushing into the back room, her horn alit with golden glow. Taking the opportunity to escape more wrath, Big Macintosh passed Graymane and walked out the door. “I think you're gonna love this, I spent all morning preparing it for you.”

*** *** ***

“So then she gave me the tie. I think it was because she lost my other one, but she liked this one a whole lot better.” Graymane said, the aforementioned tie currently being worn by Lyra, loosely hanging around her aquamarine neck and laying down her body. The musical mare was resting on the couch away from him, resting her hind hooves on his lap.

“Well, if she asked you to come back, you should go. Her fashion is popular among the rich crowd, and it seems to fit you well.” Lyra said, admiring the fabric she had teasingly taken from him, toying with the end with her front hooves. “This reminds me of my last roommate. He was one of Big Mac's cousin's, he used to live upstairs.” She said, rubbing her rear hooves up Graymane's chest. “Right before he moved out, we went to see Miss Rarity and check out what she was making. Brae walked out of there with a new vest. She made it just for him.”

“Where'd he move to? Big Macintosh told me about Braeburn earlier today, but he didn't say anything about that.” Graymane questioned, trying to ignore the tingling from the hoof rubbing against his body.

“He moved out to Appleloosa for whatever reason. It's a new settlement, so they wanted ponies that could work the fields and get stuff running.” Lyra sighed, still playing with the tie, tightening it around her neck and loosening it.

“What's it like? I've never been anywhere... I don't think I have.” He said, the name sounding like a paradise, opposite from actuality.

“I've been a few times, it's a really nice place to visit. It really clears a pony's head.” Lyra said, happily remembering her vacations spent in the western settling as she magically tossed the tie onto the coffee table. “You should go there if you ever get the chance.” Getting off the purple upholstered sofa, she trotted towards the stairs. “I'm gonna show you something, but you have to keep it a secret.” She said, her horn alit with golden magic as the inside of the squeaky stair shone alike, a click echoing through the quiet cottage.

Opening the hidden compartment with a creak, Lyra's golden magic levitated a black ring from the concealed case. “I got this during my last visit. It's made from fake leather, because you can only get real leather when you order it custom.” Walking back to Graymane, she turned around and sat on the floor before him.

Settling in front of him, she dropped the collar into his lap with a metallic clink. “Go ahead, put it on me.” Lyra said, closing her eyes and levitating her mane off the back of her neck.

Picking up the odd object, Graymane wrapped the band around her neck, fumbling to push the end through the simple buckle. Finally forcing the fabricated fibers through the finely finished ferric fastener, Graymane firmly fitted the frankly furnished fetish flange finitely round her neck.

“Not too tight, I'm not into being choked.” Lyra said with a small smile, relaxing into the stallions fumbling forelegs. “Mmm, am I the first mare you've collared, or do you make a habit out of this?” She joked, the black belt clasping around her neck.

“What? What's collaring mean?” Graymane asked, her joke beyond his understanding.

“Right, sorry. I was making a joke.” She said, opening her eyes again and leaning her head back into his lap. She stared up at him, looking past his blue pooled eyes into her imagination. I can get used to this, a cute stallion to live with and call my friend, maybe rut if he's ever ready.

“Lyra, I don't get it.” Graymane said, staring back innocently at the aquamarine mare laying dreamily in his lap. Looking down at her, he watched her brilliant gold eyes relax against his, a lock of white hair hanging over them.

“It's called a fetish. I don't think your book talks about it, but it's something that a pony likes with sex. Some ponies like to be chokes, others like to be pee'd on, and a few like to wear collars. I like to wear collars, and to tell ponies what to do in bed.” Lyra explained, still staring back up. Closing her golden eyes and letting out a soft yawn, Lyra started to get up, leaving the comfort of a lap pillow. “Bed time Graymane... Gray.” She said, standing and turning to him, pausing for a moment before leaning her face close to his.

Not sure what she was planning, Graymane sat still as she quickly pecked her lips against his cheek. Surprised at the kiss, he watched her as Lyra walked up the stares, the collar still around her neck. “Good night Gray.”

April 27, Saturday.

Lyra talked to me about something called a fetish. She said it was something that made a pony want to have sex, or made them feel good during sex. I think I have a fetish for her hooves, they make me feel good when I look at them, and I like thinking about licking them. I wonder if they make me feel good while I'm having sex, I want to find out. I think I'll ask Nurse Redheart about fetishes the next time she visits.

I asked her about her fetish, she looked embarrassed, but she told me she liked wearing her collar, and telling a pony what to do when she is having sex with them. She said it was called BGSM or something like that. She has a leather collar, with a big metal rectangle in the back. She asked me to put it on her, I liked what she looked like with a collar on. She said she got it the last time she went to a place called Appleloosa, where one of her friends lives. If I go there, I want to get her one that she can wear all the time.

Thinking about Nurse Redheart's hooves makes me feel good like Lyra's, I'm going to ask Lyra what it means when she gets back from Bon Bon's candy store. Lyra likes to spend a lot of time there, she says it's her job.

April 28, Sunday.

Today was boring. Lyra and I didn't really do anything, she just invited Bon Bon over to watch me. She said she had to get another string for her lyre. She wasn't wearing her collar yesterday, I think she took it off after I went to bed. I think she looked happy when I put it on her.

Bon Bon asked me a lot of questions when she was here. She asked me what I thought about Lyra, if I thought she looked good. She asked me what I thought looked the best on her. After that she asked me if I thought Nurse Redheart looked good, I told her I did. Then, she asked me if I liked the way she looked. She said she had a date later today and wanted to make sure she looked sexy. I didn't know what sexy meant, so she told me it's something that a pony likes to look at, something that a pony finds sexually attractive on another pony.

I asked her if she thought I was sexy, then she stopped talking for a long time. The two of just sat there forever, not saying anything. It was really weird.

April 29, Monday.

Lyra told me how to act at a job. She says we are going to do this for a few days, until I start. I'm going to tell Nurse Redheart about my job the next time she visits. She told me that I don't talk about sex with my boss, and don't question what they tell me to do. Being a boss sounds a lot like a fetish. She says that I can't be late any day, and that I have to get up at seven in the morning. That's a whole hour earlier than I already get up.

We're going to be doing this tomorrow too, it's so boring. I learned the word boring a few days ago, it was in my old journal. I've learned a lot from my old journal, like words and animals and stuff. I'm reading about this thing called a Cheshire Cat. It's really old and mean, and eats other ponies unhappiness. I don't want to ever go near one of those things, ever. They scare me a whole lot.

Author's Note

As a tailor myself, I have found that the most efficient way of making people stay through your insanity is to compliment them, and even flirt if it fits the situation. Wether or not you're actually attracted to them doesn't matter, you just need them to hold still long enough for you to pin stuff down and run some notes down. Oddly enough, I've heard the same goes for killing people with a rifle, but I wouldn't have experience with that.

I hate that I didn't release this last month, but my winter vacation completely screwed me over on everything. I will hopefully be back on track soon enough. This chapter was originally going to be attached to the previous chapter, but turned out too long so I split it into these two chapters.

A foot note from my brother. The collar was originally going to be made from leather, but I couldn't figure where it could come from. I asked him and he eventually said baby seal skin. I actually like this option, but as the story is grayscale and not grim dark, I will sadly have to find another option.