"Are you sure you aren't just doing this out of guilt?" Zecora asked as the two of us headed down the street towards Ponyville Hospital. It was late afternoon, and the setting sun was beginning to turn the sky all shades of the rainbow. "You do realize it wasn't your fault that Scarlet Dusk was injured."
"I know," I said. "It's starting to get through my thick head. But I want to give her a familiar place to call home, at least for a while. Help her get back on her hooves. And if she decides she wants to find a new place to live after that, I won't stop her."
Zecora smiled and leaned against me. "I'm relieved to hear that. I was afraid you'd sequester the poor mare."
"That wouldn't be very fair of me," I said. "She's a grown mare. I can't restrict her. But with the help of the Elements of Harmony and you, maybe I can help her integrate herself into society so she'll be able to fit in better."
"From what you've told me, it sounds like she's more trying to fit into your society," Zecora teased.
"This coming from the Zebra who's been watching every National Geographic special on Africa she can get her hooves on," I teased back, tussling her mane. She giggled, and the cute way she did it made me smile wider.
"I am a bit concerned that she'll absorb more of your culture than her own, though," Zecora said, turning serious after our moment.
"I already thought about that," I replied. "I've asked Twilight to dig up everything about Pegasus culture she can find. Although, it really wasn't for free with her…" I shuddered.
"My savior, is everything alright?" Zecora looked at me concerned.
"She made me promise to come by her library to…study me. Apparently, Celestia ordered her to back off on her normal behavior for a while until I was comfortable enough. Guess that ended." I rubbed my forehead. "I am so screwed."
"Twilight wouldn't do anything to harm you like that, I'm sure of that," Zecora chuckled.
"I'm exaggerating, don't worry. I'm sure she wouldn't go too far. Oh, we're here!" The two of us walked into the hospital lobby.
Dew Drop saw us and smiled. "Jethro! And Miss Zecora too! Pleased to see you both. Are you here about Ms. Dusk?"
"That we are," I said. "She's being discharged today, correct? I'm here to take her to her new home."
"So I've been told," the receptionist said. She handed me a clipboard full of forms. "We just need you to look over and sign these forms."
"Paperwork, the bane of my existence," I groaned as I grabbed the clipboard and pen, walked over to a nearby chair, sat and began looking over the forms.
"You look like you're used to this," Zecora said.
"I did this a lot back at my old job," I said. "Paperwork is something I'm more than used to dealing with." I looked over the release forms. They were pretty standard fare for a hospital, so I signed, dated and initialed them where necessary, then handed them back to Dew Drop.
She took them, looked them over, and nodded in approval. "Thank you, Mr. Bethridge. I'll inform the doctor that you're here." Pressing a button, she spoke into a small microphone. "Doctor, Mr. Bethridge is here to pick up Ms. Dusk."
"Thank you, Ms. Drop. I'll be right out," the tiny voice of the doctor replied.
I smiled, and faced the door to the inner halls. A half minute later, the doors opened on their own and the doctor came out, pushing a wheelchair. Sitting comfortably in it, laptop open and her eyes glued to the screen, was Scarlet Dusk. Judging from the sounds coming from the speakers, she was watching one of my favorite sitcoms from the 90s, Home Improvement.
"…rental house manager has guaranteed me that I have the scariest looking costume that they have ever had," Jill's voice said from the speakers.
"They've got a costume that looks like you at seven A.M.?" Tim's voice asked, followed quickly by laughter.
"Ahahaha!" Scarlet burst out laughing along with the studio audience.
"Ho ho ho ho ho," I said, imitating Tim's signature grunting.
She looked up and beamed. "Jethro!" She hit a button on the computer and paused the show. "And…" she saw Zecora and frowned a bit nervously. "Who's this?"
"Scarlet, I'd like you to meet the first friend I ever made in Equestria, Zecora. Zecora, this is Scarlet."
Zecora smiled and bowed slightly in greeting. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Dusk. Your stay in the hospital was pleasant, I trust?"
Scarlet, looking over the Zebra, shifted her head from side to side. "The Ponies here were nice enough, but I'd have been out of my mind if Jethro hadn't brought me some entertainment. That, and they have all the Daring Do books."
"Who?" I asked.
"You've never heard of Daring Do?" Scarlet asked. "She's only the best Equestrian character ever!" She cleared her throat. "She's Equestria's version of Indiana Jones."
"Really now?" I grinned. "I'll have to borrow them from the library, then."
She chuckled. "You won't regret it, I assure you."
"Well, are you ready to see your new home?" I asked.
A look of nervousness came over her face. "Well…yes and no," she admitted.
"If something bothers you, please do tell. We do not want you to feel unwell," Zecora said kindly.
"Well…" she rubbed the back of her hoof with the other in a nervous gesture, "I'm grateful for all you've done for me, I honestly am," she said, looking up at me, "and I'm also grateful that you're putting me up in your house, but…I feel bad about it. I want to repay you somehow."
Now I know how Rarity must feel whenever I say the same thing, I thought. I smiled warmly at her. "Well, I understand how you feel. But I'm doing this because you need a safe place to fully recover and integrate back into society."
"That's just it," she said a bit more earnestly. "I feel like I'd be a loafer. I don't want to take advantage of your generosity. Isn't there anything I can do to pay back your kindness? What if I became your housekeeper? Or gardener?"
"You honestly don-" I stopped when Zecora put a hoof on my arm. Turning, I raised an eyebrow.
"As generous as your offer is, my friend, why not allow her to do something on her end? Not only would it alleviate her feelings, but it would help in her healing."
I sighed, then grinned. "You're sneaky, you know that."
She winked at me. "You're my friend, Jethro. And I hope to become friends with Scarlet here too."
I rolled my eyes, amused. Turning to Scarlet, I smiled. "Alright, I can see your point. If you really want to pay me back, then I think having a housekeeper for the mansion would work for you. However," I immediately added when I saw Scarlet's spirits perk up, "I want you to rest for at least a week, until you feel up to working. Can we agree on that?"
"Actually," the doctor, who had been looking over some paperwork at the front desk, turned to look at us, "I would recommend at least two weeks of rest and recovery. Ms. Dusk's body is still fairly weak despite the physical therapy she's been going through. I suggest you place her in a room on the first floor until she's able to walk better."
"Two weeks, then." I turned to Scarlet. "Does that sound alright?"
She nodded. "Of course. Thank you for this opportunity."
Nodding back, I turned to the doctor. "Doc, do you do house calls?"
"Not usually," he admitted, "but Nurse Redheart does it more often. I can send her to your house to check on her a few times a week for two weeks, if you want."
"I'd appreciate that, thanks. Is there anything else I should know about?"
"Just have her take it easy for two weeks. I think it'd be good for her to take a walk once a day, too. In fact, I'll mail you some recommended activities," he said.
"You know my address," I chuckled.
"Indeed. Sunny Acre instead of Shady Acre?" he asked.
"Correct. You think it's alright to have Scarlet walk home?" I asked.
"It should be okay, but if she wants to be wheeled home, I won't mind. Just bring that back when you can if you do. It's hospital property."
I turned to Scarlet. "Which would you rather do? Walk, or-"
"Walk!" she exclaimed, closing the laptop. I took it from her and watched her shakily stand. Zecora stood next to her and helped her to steady herself.
"There's no shame in being wheeled home, you know," I said, but shut up when Zecora gave me a warning look.
"I can do it," Scarlet said as she straightened. She put one hoof in front of the other, and soon she was walking out the door. Zecora and I stood next to her as we walked out into the gorgeous sunshine. She winced and covered her eyes. "So bright," she said.
"Almost forgot these," the doctor said, floating some sunglasses over to me. I took them and looked at him questioningly. "She's been living in a darkened house for years. Her eyes are a bit sensitive to light right now."
I nodded and slipped them over her eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief. "That's better."
"Thank you, doc," I said gratefully as we left the hospital.
The walk home was a relatively quiet one. I didn't see many Ponies around, but those who did gave the three of us friendly waves. Scarlet was a bit nervous about it, but waved politely back. "Hey, where is everypony?" she asked softly. "This town normally looks livelier than this."
"I'm not sure," I replied. "Perhaps there's some kind of event going on?" I turned to Zecora and whispered, "Surprise party by our resident party Pony?"
She nodded subtly. "More than likely, yes."
"How much of Ponyville have you seen?" I asked as we continued walking towards my house.
"Not much," she said. "When I came here the first time, it was night. I didn't see much. And whenever I snuck out for food, it was always night."
I nodded. She hadn't told me much about her past, and I wasn't going to pressure her into telling me. "Well, I'll be taking you out on walks with me starting tomorrow. But for now, let's get you home."
"Home…" she said it softly.
"I guarantee you'll like it there. There is no reason to despair," Zecora said in a reassuring tone.
"No, it's not that," she said, "it's just been a long time since I had a home."
I smiled. "Well, while you get back on your feet, I'll be glad to have you as a housemate. I've lived alone for a while, so it'll be nice to have someone close by."
Zecora looked over at me, then at her. "My dear Ms. Dusk, I promise you this: Jethro's hospitality is not one to miss." She then turned to me and grinned. "In June, under the stars."
Scarlet's smile returned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful. It's just a lot to take in, and I've had a while to think about it."
"Well, why don't we just head home for now and get you settled in," I chuckled, although I suspected that Pinkie Pie, thanks to her apparent reality bending nature, would have already heard about Scarlet Dusk's release and had gathered everyone to either my house or Sugarcube Corner. I decided to head home for the time being since I hadn't gotten any kind of notice or indication. That, and I hadn't set up a shield around my new property, only my old one.
Scarlet continued looking every which way, asking about the different businesses around town. She was confused by some of them, especially Quills and Sofas, and smiled when we passed Sugarcube Corner. She told us she hadn't had anything super sweet for years, not counting the gelatin bowls she'd gotten at the hospital every so often. I promised that once the doctor told me it was okay to take her to the sweets shop to stuff her face.
As I approached Sunny Acre's front gate, I saw six Ponies and a little Dragon standing and waiting. Pinkie was the first to spot us. She bounded over to the two of us, a wide grin on her face. Scarlet looked nervously between her and me. "Who are they?" she asked.
"They're my friends," I replied, standing in front of her and opening my arms to greet Pinkie.
Pinkie squealed in delight and leapt into my arms. I spun her around, laughing heartily and scratching her mane. I spread my wings and flew up a bit before softly landing. "You're back!" she said happily, hugging me back with her Earth Pony strength.
"Odd, I thought I was Jethro," I replied jokingly. We looked at each other briefly before bursting out into laughter.
"Ah swear, that girl's been a bad influence on ya," Applejack said as she walked up to me.
Putting Pinkie Pie down, I chuckled. "You've all been an influence on me," I said as I held out my fist. Applejack bumped it with a chuckle. "But enough about that. Everyone, let me introduce you to my new roommate and friend Scarlet Dusk. Scarlet Dusk, let me introduce you to the Elements of Harmony. We have Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle. Oh!" I saw Spike leaning against the gatepost. "And of course, Spike the Dragon. What's good, bro?"
"Eh, just reigning in Twilight's neurotic behavior as best as possible," he joked, pounding my fist with a grin.
"Spike! Where'd you hear that word?" Twilight scolded.
"From Jethro," Spike replied nonchalantly.
Twilight glared at me. "We're gonna have a serious talk later, mister."
"That'd be lecture…forty-two?" I grinned.
She facehoofed and sighed. "Just you wait…"
"D-Dragon?" Scarlet looked nervously at Spike. She moved to hide behind me.
Stepping away from her, I put a reassuring hand on her withers. "Don't worry, he's a friend too," I said. "He's Twilight's number one assistant, and a great friend."
"Oh, I see." Her tone didn't sound all that reassured.
"Well, I'm glad to see you all, but what are you all doing here?" I asked, giving Pinkie Pie a subtle glance and wink.
Winking back quickly, Pinkie Pie began bouncing around us. "We couldn't wait to meet your new friend, silly! It's not every day a Pony comes into town and hides in a haunted mansion!"
Scarlet looked down, a look of shame on her face. I was about to say something, when Applejack stepped in instead. "Calm down there, Pinkie. Yer makin' her uncomfortable."
"Ms. Dusk, it's nice to officially meet you," Twilight said kindly, slowly approaching the nervous Pegasus. "As someone who's pretty new to Ponyville myself, I hope you enjoy your time among us."
"Ah, um, thank you Ms. Sparkle," Scarlet said, a small smile forming on her face. She stepped out from behind me and bravely faced all of them. "It's really nice of you to come see me. I honestly wasn't expecting it."
"Any friend of Jethro's is a friend of ours, darling," Rarity said with a gleam in her eyes. "And besides, we all wanted to see you get the best accommodations possible. After living in such horrid conditions as you have."
"Um, yeah," she said. Taking a deep breath, she bowed. "I probably should apologize to you all."
"Apologize? What for?" Twilight asked, confused.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I've stolen from a few of you," she said apologetically. "I had no bits, so I had to go out at night and find food and water. I stole some apples from an orchard, for one. I think I stole other food from a sweets shop, and fabric from some kind of boutique to use as a blanket or two. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you all, please let me."
Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie all looked at each other. As if reaching a silent agreement, they approached. Applejack was the first to speak. "Ah can't say ah'm happy to hear about yer thievin', but if yer willin' to work on our farm for a spell to work off what ya stole, ah'm sure Granny will call it even."
"The Cakes would be really happy to have some work in their shop for a while!" Pinkie said excitedly.
"And I'd love to have someone model some of my latest creations in my boutique," Rarity added. I could see her already thinking about new ideas for clothes.
She smiled, looking relieved to hear that. I stood beside her and put a hand on her back. "For the time being, she needs to rest and recover. I'll let you all know when she's healthy enough to work off her debts. For now, though, are you ready to see your new home, Scarlet?"
She looked up at me, smiling. "I'd like that."
I unlocked the gate and opened it. "Ladies," I said, gesturing in with a slight flourish. "Welcome to my humble abode."
"Ain't nothin' humble about it," Applejack scoffed, but the grin on her face told me she was joking.
"This coming from the mare who owns about a billion acres of farmland," I joked back as we all headed towards my house.
When Scarlet first saw the completely rebuilt manor, her eyes bugged out completely. "I…this is…I can't even…"
"Want me to pick your jaw off the ground?" I chuckled as I put my hand on the door. "Scarlet Dusk, welcome home." I pushed the door open. And was greeted with a bunch of confetti and streamers to the face.
"SURPRISE!" the voices of what must have been a hundred Ponies exclaimed from the manor's main room.
Scarlet immediately hid behind me, practically shaking. Pinkie Pie had somehow gotten inside already and was beaming from ear to ear. A banner was strung from the ceiling and read WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, SCARLET DUSK AND HAPPY HOUSEWARMING, JETHRO! I couldn't help myself. I laughed as I motioned Pinkie Pie over. She bounded over and I booped her snout. "You silly mare."
She grinned, making that happy noise she always did whenever she smiled.
"J-Jethro, what's going on?" Scarlet asked, still hiding behind my legs.
Stepping aside, I knelt in front of her. "You'll come to learn that in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie here throws parties to welcome anyone who moves to Ponyville. That, and she finds a reason to throw parties anytime. She's an acquired taste, sure, but she loves making Ponies smile." Reaching up, I removed her glasses. "She's the Element of Laughter for a reason. Come on, I'll introduce you." I stood and put my hand on her back. "Fillies and gentlecolts," I started, making sure to use the proper terminology, "I'd like to thank you all for coming to this dual-purpose party. Please let me introduce Scarlet Dusk. She's a really kind mare and someone I'm proud to call my friend. I would ask that you be gentle with her, though. She's still recovering." Scarlet looked up nervously at me. I reached down and stroked her mane. Leaning down, I said softly, "Would you like me to stick by your side?"
"Um…maybe later. I should probably meet everypony here," she said with a slightly nervous chuckle. She bravely walked deeper inside and was immediately surrounded by a few Ponies.
As the others passed through the door, I saw Fluttershy looking at me like she had something to say. When she passed, she motioned me down to her level with her wings. I knelt and she whispered, "Thank you for moving the creatures that were living here."
"I imagine you'd have shouted at me if I hadn't," I replied, reaching up to stroke her mane gently.
She closed her eyes and nuzzled into my hand. Opening them again after a bit, she smiled. "I actually have something to show you." She reached into the pack she was carrying. She held out an egg. It was yellow with red flamelike designs on it.
Reaching out, I took the egg and looked it over. "Wow…I've never seen an egg like this. What kind is it?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "I've never seen one like this before."
"Well, why don't you go ask Twilight later," I suggested, handing it back to her. "Maybe there's some book in the library that can tell you."
"I'll do that later," Fluttershy said with a smile.
"Sounds good. Let's go enjoy the party, shall we?"
The party, in my opinion, was a rousing success. Everyone there was respectful of Scarlet's need to take it easy, but I still kept an eye on her. I set up my largest Bluetooth speaker and played some human tunes for the party. Scarlet's fear seemed to slowly disappear when she heard many songs she knew.
As the party wound down, Pinkie Pie volunteered to take down the party decorations. Scarlet looked exhausted, so I led her to one of the downstairs bedrooms that I'd prepared for her. The room had a canopied bed at one end, a dresser opposite along with a vanity mirror, a currently empty closet next to the door, another door leading to a private bathroom complete with a period-specific shower and tub.
Pulling the covers off, I helped Scarlet into bed and pulled the covers over her. "Did you have fun, tonight?" I asked.
She nodded. "Everypony here was nice to me and accepted my apologies," she said tiredly.
"Glad to hear it," I said with a wide smile. "Now get some rest."
"Alright…" she said, closing her eyes. Her breathing became regular nearly instantly.
I turned off the lamp next to her bed and quietly left the room. To my surprise, there was no sign of any party left. Most of the other Ponies who'd come had left, save for the Elements of Harmony and Zecora, who were all looking at me expectantly. I smiled. "She's resting right now," I said softly as I took one of the empty chairs in the manor's massive living room and sat down.
"Did she like the party?" Pinkie asked earnestly.
"She said she did," I said, nodding thankfully at her. "Thanks for that. I'm sure it meant a great deal to her after all she's been through."
"Zecora told us you're willing to put her up until she's back on her hooves," Twilight said. "Are you sure you can do that? You're already pretty busy as it is. I wouldn't mind taking her in."
"Ah'm sure Granny wouldn't mind either," Applejack added.
"There's no need to worry," I replied, "I can handle it. Besides, she only knows me, and I've still got a lot about Earth culture to show her while she's recovering."
"Even so," Rarity said, "I insist on coming by and checking up on the poor dear. And don't bother protesting. I won't hear of it."
"I know better now," I said.
"I'll stop by too!" Rainbow Dash said. "Gotta make sure my newest student is getting some good food to build up those wing muscles."
I threw up my hands in mock despair. "God help her. She doesn't need to be subject to your regime of torture already."
"My teaching isn't that bad!" she shot back.
"Ah can bring some of our famous cider, if that's alright," Applejack said.
"Cider?!" Rainbow Dash looked suddenly excited, jumping up and doing loops in the air.
I snorted softly. I'd had some of the Sweet Apple Acres cider, and I could see where Rainbow Dash was coming from. It was definitely some of the best, if not the best, cider I'd ever had. Applejack had told me that Rainbow Dash had an addiction to the stuff. "Not for you, speed demoness." Her ears flattened and she began muttering to herself as she landed. I looked back at Applejack and smiled. "I think she'd like that, thank you. And thank you all for coming tonight. She definitely needed this kind of greeting."
"Well," Twilight began, "from what you've told us, she's a lot like you were when you first got here. I'm glad she has you as her friend, but I hope she'd be open to having us as friends too."
"I'm not sure how long it'll take her to fully open up," I replied. "She still hasn't told me anything about her past before moving to Ponyville. I have a feeling it's not a pretty tale, and I'm working to build up some trust so she can open up to me."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Fluttershy asked.
"Just continue being kind to her," I replied. "I'm sure she needs it just as much as I did."
"You still need it, my human comrade," Zecora said, standing next to me and looking up at me, "I still see times when you are sad."
"I suppose that's true," I said. "But I'm getting better. At least, I think so."
"I'd say so too," Twilight said. "You're less guarded around us than you were before."
"True enough." I stretched and yawned. "Well, I know it's early, but I'm gonna turn in for the evening. Tomorrow I'm going to take Scarlet out to tour Ponyville."
We said our goodbyes, and soon it was just me and Zecora. She turned to me and smiled. "She seems like a nice enough mare," she said. "but you're right, she's hiding something."
"I'm not going to force it out of her," I replied. "she just needs to know that she can trust me and the rest of you."
"I hope she trusts you soon," Zecora replied.
"Same here." The two of us walked to the door. I opened it for her. "Thanks for coming with me."
"It was my pleasure. But I should be going. I have a brew I need to check on."
"I'll see you later, my friend. Want me to walk you to the gate?"
"No need. You're tired." She stood on her hind legs and gave my face a slow nuzzle. "Sleep well, alright?"
"Same to you. Have a safe trip back, and have a great night."
"You too, Goodnight." And with that, she turned and walked away.
I watched her go, smiling. I was extremely grateful for all that the Elements had done for me, along with the Royal Sisters, but I was the most grateful for Zecora. She'd done more for me than I could have ever imagined anyone doing for me since coming here. She'd saved my life, taught me about Equestria, was pretty instrumental in helping me meet the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony, and much more. She'd become an important aspect of my life. To me, it seemed like she brightened up any room she was in. "I really should do something nice for her," I said to myself, "but what?"
Closing the door, I stretched and headed upstairs. Climbing into the master bed, I barely had enough energy left to turn off the lamp before I fell into a deep sleep.