Three months.
It had been three long months since his decision to travel as far eastward as possible. At times, mostly while he was forced to set camp in the middle of a rainstorm, he regretted it. But the things he had seen on this trek had surpassed anything he had seen in the natural world. He had journeyed beyond the planar borders of the world, to realms within the great, endless Astral Sea, where the gods themselves resided. He had witnessed firsthand the arcane twilight of the Feywild, where his great-ancestors once resided. He had seen the pure cacophony that was the Elemental Chaos, and the swirling, dark vortex of the Abyss within its heart. But, to him, they all paled in comparison to the wonders of the natural world.
The elf's journey east had lasted longer than he had originally planned. His feet ached, his long, wild, crimson hair was disheveled, but his deep violet eyes never lost their luster. He managed to keep a pleasant smile on his face and the ever-present elven positive mentality at all times. Though, the lack of civilization left him with a feeling of emptiness. Granted, the splendor of the natural world was indeed worth it. It didn't assuage the longing for someone to talk with, to share tales, drinks and dance with. He had seen nothing but beautiful wilderness for months.
Which is why he was pleasantly surprised to find signs of a small town just off of his chosen trail.
As he gazed to the horizon, he spotted an apple orchard, with a large barn just a short walk away. His keen elven vision picked out a few buildings in the distance. Quite colorful buildings, at that. He let out a soft hum of curiosity as he began to take long, easy strides towards the settlement. Stopping for a moment, he gave himself a once-over to gauge how presentable he looked. His clothes were absolutely ruined. The black, once soft doublet that clung to his slender frame was ripped, worn, torn and dull. The same could be said of his equally-tight-fitting trousers. His boots were caked in dried mud and were falling apart at the seams. His cloak didn't fare much better, the torn and tattered fabric barely hanging from the seams of the shoulder cloth.
He sighed, desperately hoping that there was a tailor in this town. He took a look to the sky. The sun was high, and given the fact that he'd been traveling non-stop since his last rest, and he hadn't stopped to camp the night before, he figured that he'd been traveling for at least two days. He hadn't forgotten anything at the last camp, but he used the time he noted to figure how far he'd traveled.
He had a second to snap out of his thoughts as he walked before realizing that he'd reached the small town. The townsfolk were going about their daily regimen, but as soon as they laid eyes on him, their eyes went from content to confused and skeptical. He fought the urge to ask someone why they were staring at him, only to feel a cool brush of air over the tips of his pointed ears. He wasn't ashamed of them. He was rather proud of his elven heritage. But the townspeople were staring at him as though they'd never seen an elf in their entire life. A further examination of each individual's features revealed a possible explanation.
They were all humans.
Not an elf, dwarf, eladrin, half-elf, or halfling in sight.
He gave his head a slight shake, tossing the thick, wild hair he sported over his ears. His features would still stand out, being more angled and graceful than most humans, but at least they would view him as odd-looking at worst, and attractive at best. He looked around the brightly-colored settlement, taking in each and every detail. Carvings of horses adorned each and every doorway, and he quickly figured that the horse must have some spiritual significance to these people. He unconsciously wrapped his hand around a jewel-encrusted crescent moon hanging at his side.
Just then, he noticed a woman standing directly in front of him, a large, welcoming smile on her face. Her curly hair was an odd shade of... pink? As were her eyes. And her clothes. His violet eyes looked upon her, and a wide smile of his own broke across his lips. The woman was shorter than him, which didn't say a lot, as he was rather tall for his race. He was about to break the silence when she began babbling.
"Hi there! I don't think I recognize you! I know everybody here in Ponyville, and I've never seen you around! Are you new here? You're new here, aren't you? Then I need to throw you a party! Every newcomer to Ponyville gets a party! Meet me at Sugarcube Corner tomorrow night. That's the bakery. Right over there!" With that, she pointed to a building that appeared to be made from the finest sweets. He was convinced it was a trick of the paint, but the smell of fresh baked goods reached his sensitive nose. The woman suddenly caught his attention yet again by thrusting her hand forward.
"My name's Pinkamina Diane Pie. Pinkie Pie for short. What's your name?" She asked. The entire time she spoke, he could swear that she hadn't ever taken a breath. He chuckled and took her hand in his, shaking it firmly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Pinkamina. My name is Heian Xiloscient. And yes, I am new here," he said, nodding at her before looking around a bit. The great amount of colors was slightly overwhelming. He hadn't seen anything like this since his brief sojourn to the Feywild. He looked back to Pinkie for a moment, then down to his clothes. "There wouldn't happen to be a tailor around here, would there? Somewhere you got that dress?" He asked. The pink dress hugged her body just right, but left enough to the imagination. It looked rather ravishing on her, and the peach tone of her skin brought out every little shade of pink that adorned her body. Pinkie nodded eagerly, as though he had paid her a great compliment.
"Yes! There's Carousel Boutique, which is just down the road from here. My friend is the owner and designer, and everything she makes is... what's the word she uses...?" Pinkie scratched her head long and hard, causing Heian to stifle a chuckle. She then squeaked as she remembered it. "Fabulous! I'll lead you there, if you'd like," she finished. The elf nodded, his hair following him and briefly revealing the tapered points of his ears. He grew nervous for a moment, but Pinkie didn't seem to notice. Even if she did, she didn't seem to want to bring it up. Pinkie began to skip down the street, beckoning him to follow.
He easily caught up to her, his natural agility allowing him greater speed than the other races. Pinkie gave a quick look at his clothes before continuing to skip down the path.
"Rarity's not gonna be happy when she sees your clothes, Mr. Heian," she stated, causing a befuddled look from the elf.
"Why's that? If you don't mind my asking," he replied.
"They're all dirty and ripped. She won't be happy. She always hates seeing clothes as beat up as yours are. She might insist on making a new wardrobe for you," the pink-clad human stated matter-of-factly. Heian arched a brow incredulously.
"She wouldn't just do that out the kindness of her heart, would she? From what I understand, the materials used to make these were hard to come by. Not to mention very expensive..."
Just then, Pinkie cut him off.
"Of course she would! She's one of the most generous people I know! And she can get her hands on just about everything!" She said proudly, huffing her chest out while thinking of her friend. Heian chuckled and nodded, his ears once again coming into view.
"So, where did you come from?"
"Beg your pardon?"
"Where did you come from, silly!" Pinkie giggled like a young girl. Heian shrugged and looked off into the distance. Where had he come from? The last city he had been in was three months ago.
"I've come a long way. That's probably why my clothes are in their current state..."
"I'll say! And your hair's a mess, too! Don't worry, I know she'll be able to fix you up right away! Aaaaaaaaand, we're here!" She said. The elf looked at the building in front of him. It was just as colorful as the rest of the town, but there seemed to be a certain element of grace to the architecture. Pinkie smiled and reached up, slapping her hand on the fabric of his cloak.
"Just remember, Sugarcube Corner, tomorrow night!" She pipped before skipping away. Heian hadn't even had a chance to ask her anything before she was out of human earshot. He sighed and shook his head. If this Pinkie was what everyone in this town was like, he was going to enjoy it. He turned towards the building and walked toward the door.
As he opened the light wooden door, the sound of a small bell rung out above him. He looked up, noting the silver bell above the door, most likely to alert the shopkeeper of anyone entering the shop. He closed the door and stepped toward the counter.
What he saw next nearly took his breath away.
A beautiful, light-skinned woman, stepped in from the back. Her deep blue eyes and her darker blue hair shone with the light of the sun. She wore the most gorgeous gown he had ever seen, and he couldn't help but notice her lithe form. He blushed a bit and shook himself out of his reverie before she noticed him. She smiled, then gasped, as she took a look at his outfit. She rushed forward and began speaking. Her voice, which had an accent he couldn't quite place, graced his ears.
"Oh my goodness! Whatever happened to these beautiful garments? This cannot be! This is an atrocity!" She took deep breaths as she circled him, lifting his cape to properly gauge the damage before moving in front of him, her eyes meeting his. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, miss. Truthfully. I've just been on the road for far too long. I suppose my clothes show it," said Heian, chuckling nervously. Just then, she ran her fingers through the hair on the top of his head. He made slight noises of discontent as she brushed just shy of his ears, her fingers catching every knot and snarl in the crimson locks.
"And your hair is absolutely ruined. You poor thing!" She said, fussing over him as if she were his mother. He blushed shyly, something he hadn't done in years, before smiling at her.
"Madame, I'm fine. As I said, I've merely been on the road for far too long. There haven't been any signs of any civilization during my entire trip..." And with that, the woman looked at him with even more concern.
"How long have you been on the road?" She asked. Heian thought for a moment.
"Roughly three moons."
The female nearly fainted.
"Three moons? Are you mad? There is a drought! Poor thing, you must be so thirsty! Wait here a moment," she said, not giving him a moment to respond before she rushed to the back room again. She quickly returned with a waterskin, handing it to him. "Drink."
Heian nodded appreciatively before pressing the skin to his lips, taking a small sip of the water. He was amazed with the purity of the liquid. It was as if the spring they took it from was blessed or enchanted, or both. He gulped down a few more sips before handing the skin to the woman, who took it with a relieved sigh. She placed it on the store counter before returning to him. He began to speak.
"I came here wondering if you could fix up my clothes. I'm afraid they're not in any condition to be seen in proper company. Especially since Ms. Pinkamina invited me to a party tomorrow evening..." He trailed off, looking at his tattered clothes. The female let out a soft sigh.
"These garments are beyond even my ability to stitch together, I'm afraid. And you said Pinkie invited you to a party? I'm impressed! Normally, I'm the first one to catch sight of such an attractive young man," said the female with a polite smile. Heian blushed and chuckled.
"Well, yes..." He paused, not sure of what to say next. She had found him attractive? He knew most humans found members of his race aesthetically pleasing, but to have such a lovely woman address him as such? He looked up to her with a sheepish smile. "I'm afraid my manners escaped me when I stepped foot in your shop, ma'am. My name is Heian Xiloscient. It's a pleasure to meet you," he stated, offering his hand. The woman took it gently, shaking it as such.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir Heian. You can call me Rarity," she replied. The elf nodded, resisting the almost overpowering urge to press his lips to her knuckles.
"Rarity... Such a lovely name," he commented, causing an almost practiced blush to form on Rarity's cheeks.
"Why thank you, sir. I have to say, you're name is quite... beautiful. It sounds... foreign. And it sounds like it means something just as beautiful," she said, slowly taking her hand from his. He smiled at her, quickly recalling the meaning behind his surname.
"My first name has no special meaning to it, I'm afraid. At least, none that I'm aware of. My surname, though, translates to 'petals of gold' in the tongue of my people," he explained, Rarity nodding in understanding.
"Then you aren't from around here. Where are you from? Having taken three moons to arrive at my doorstep, it must have been someplace fantastic!" She said, almost swooning at the thought of his adventures. He chuckled and nodded, thinking of an answer to her question.
"I was born and raised in a forest far west from here. Where I'm from, though? I'm not too sure. It's been three moons since I've been in any form of civilization," he chuckled and smiled sheepishly. Rarity giggled and nodded, looking over his clothes. She then looked into the back room, thinking for a moment.
"I'm sorry, but I simply must get to work on your new clothes! I have so many ideas! While I retrieve some fabric, would you be so kind as you remove your clothes so I may take your measurements? I want everything to fit just perfect!" She said, quickly rising and walking to the back of the shop. Heian blushed, slowly beginning to comply. First came the doublet, leaving his scarred, fair-skinned torso in the sun. He then removed his coin pouch and the crescent moon from his belt before removing that, slithering out of his trousers and laying them beside his doublet. He undid the laces of his boots and placed them, one-by-one, on the ground. He then tentatively ran his fingers over a strap wrapped around his torso. He lifted it over his head, revealing a bastard sword securely in its large sheath. He placed it somewhere where it wouldn't be conspicuous before loosening the strings of his cloak, placing it on the ground.
There he stood, in all his glory. He wasn't sure why Rarity was making him remove everything for his fitting. Most tailors in the cities he had visited had been able to fit him with his clothes on, but there was always a bit of extra fabric that he fixed himself. The woman said she wanted his wardrobe to fit perfectly, so it made sense that she take his measurements without anything obstructing her work. As she returned, he could notice the heavy blush on her face as her eyes met his form. Every scar seemed to burn in anxiety. He stood still, watching her come in. She had several segments of fabric in multiple hues and shades, and a robe slung over one of her arms.
"I'm sorry if the robe doesn't quite fit. I'm not used to having men of your stature in my shop," she said, giggling a bit. He smiled and blushed, noticing the looks she was giving his form. He was slender and lithe, and muscles rippled where they were needed to accomplish victory in a fight. Many had fawned over him during his younger days, but once he took his chosen path, he became... different. Rarity was looking at him with untainted eyes.
"Now! If you would lift your arm, please?" She asked. The elf immediately did as she asked, immediately cringing within at the feel of the measure against his skin. Rarity made a few hums as she continued to take his measurements. The elf blushed profusely the entire time, the color on his cheeks intensifying as her fingers occasionally brushed against a scar. As she finished, she presented him the robe. He quickly worked his arms through the sleeves, wrapping it around him. It still presented quite a bit of his legs, but it would have to do.
"There! That should do it. Now, do you have anywhere to stay?" She asked. Heian hesitated for a moment before responding.
"No, ma'am. I just arrived here when the sun was high..."
"Say no more. You will stay in the guest room. My sister and I won't mind at all," she interjected. Heian was about to protest, but she took his hand and let him into the back room and up a flight of stairs. Down the hall, a door was opened. He looked inside to find all of the finest furnishings within. He hesitated again, looking down at Rarity.
"No, I couldn't. This is very generous, but..."
"Nonsense! It wouldn't do to have you marching around town and sleeping on the streets in just a robe! It will be my pleasure to keep you here for the night while I prepared your clothes. Now, go downstairs and get your things. You have time to sleep before dinner will be ready. We'll be eating at my friend's house tonight. Oh, it will be so exciting!" She practically squealed. Heian chuckled and made his way downstairs. He picked up his coinpurse, the adorned crescent moon and his blade before making his way back upstairs. He used his body to keep the sword hidden from Rarity, although she had already gone into another room. He walked into the room, laying the sword on the ground and the pouch and moon on a nearby dresser. Everything was beautiful. This woman truly had a knack for all things decorative. He sat on the bed, his body instantly aching from a lack of sleep. He laid down, his head rested on the soft pillow, and he quickly drifted into the deepest, most satisfying sleep he'd had in months.
Alright! First fanfic! Anyway, read and review? Please? :D I know human AU isn't exactly the most popular thing, but I've had this idea stewing around in my head for a long time. xD