Alright. So she didn’t know how to react. How exactly do you respond to walking out of one of the most luxurious showers you’ve ever had and ended up face-to-face with the very animal you were aiming to become. Well, in Clover's case she just stood and stared for a very long awkward moment as the red-haired pony nickered at her. A cute noise that she couldn’t help but smile at. She bit her lip slightly. She’d been told she could SAY anything. Maybe this was some sort of test? Already she was second-guessing herself and how she should respond at this moment. Yes and No didn’t translate well to asking why someone was in her bedroom.
The pony, however, solved this issue for her. The redheaded pony offered her a curious and polite curtsy before turning and walking out onto her balcony and with her currently unbound hands, climbed down the trellis that climbed up on either side of the balcony.
Clover hurried after her, “W…wait!” She called out. Pausing and covering her mouth. Oops.
She walked out onto the balcony and peeks over the edge, watching the pony climb down to the ground. The redhead turn and offered her a playful wink and then trotted down the smooth stone pathway leading away from the mansion and towards the huge two-story barn in the distance.
Clover furrowed her brow a bit in confusion. Why exactly had one of the ponies climbed into her room? Was that normal…? She huffed slightly and shook her head, deciding to digest that odd fact later. For now, she’d let the image of the fully tacked-up female linger in her mind and make her smile about what the future could potentially hold for her. Or, as the balcony was forcing her to do. Look out over the scene before her.
She walked to the edge of the balcony and for the first time, looked out over the true Tall Tails. The facility she’d come to. Before her was a long stone path leading to a roundabout in front of an older-looking two-story barn. Branching out on either side of it were various what she assumed were grazing fields based on several of them holding tacked-up ponies lazing about in the sunlight. Interspersed between the fields were training areas. From what she could make out at this distance without her glasses, there was one with ponies running around in an odd-looking circle, one where a few were racing around poles? She stared at the scene before her in absolute awe.
Crisp white fencepost's grabbed at her attention, rolling fields of grass and the many curious sounds now greeting her ears had her lost a little bit in a world not her own. A distant crack of a whip, the sharp whinny of response. The sound of hooves clip-clopping on the concrete path as the redheaded pony trotted away from the balcony on the dark cement. Clover slumped a little bit, staring at it with an almost envy in her eyes.
“Quite a scene. Isn’t it?” Came a voice suddenly from behind her.
Clover turned about to see Miss Aria standing there with a smile on her face and holding a plastic card. Clover almost opened her mouth to respond, but caught herself and stomped her foot once awkwardly. Wincing a little at the painful shock that ran through her bare foot.
Aria chuckled, “Careful. You’ll hurt yourself before you get some hooves on those feet.” She brushed past Clover to stand at the edge of the balcony, looking over the facility, “This used to be my room before we made it into the prospect room. I love this view.” She eyed the redheaded pony trotting down the laneway and grinned a little bit, “Got to see one up close did you?” She cast a stern gaze on Clover.
Clover couldn’t hold that gaze. She diverted it instead to her toes wiggling against the cement. Aria’s head popped into her vision, looking up at her. She chuckled, “I already know the answer. Daydream is always the rather curious pony when it comes to new ponies. If you ever need help, she’s a good one to ask for it.”
Clover nodded, still staring at her feet. Aria stood up and looked over the facility below and smiled, “You’ll be down amongst them all tomorrow, Pony. Things will not be quite as relaxed as they are now, nor quite as comfortable. But, based on our initial interactions. I think you’re going to enjoy yourself. Ponyplay has a certain kind of magic about it that brings many back begging for more.” She put playful emphasis on the ‘begging’ part and winked at Clover.
Clover blushed and turned her eyes over the many curious places below.
“Mistress Aria! We’re doing basic with some of the older ponies today on the whip circle, want to come to watch?” A call came up from below where a brown-haired woman dressed in crisp white breeches, tall leather riding boots, and a white collared blouse. She was standing on the ground just outside the mansion looking up at the pair of them on the balcony.
Aria let out a playfully dramatic sigh, “Come watch the ponies work? How will I survive in the hot summer sun dealing with such torture?”
The woman below laughed, “Yes…how torturous it must be to enjoy such things. You coming?”
“Can I bring a guest?”
The woman below turned her gaze on Clover who was looking between the two of them and grinned, “Absolutely. See you in ten?”
“Make it fifteen Hayley. This one is going to need to pull on something better than pajamas…lazy pony.” Aria cast Clover a bit of a side-eye.
The woman below, Hayley, chuckled and nodded, “See you at the whip circle then! I'll save you a seat.” The woman turned without another word and headed off down the long path towards the barn.
Aria turned about and leaned against the railing. She looked at Clover and raised an eyebrow, “I’m not waiting all day Clover.”
Clover had not expected to leave the house today, but it would seem she would get to go see the other ponies hard at work today at least. She hurried inside, quickly changing into a pair of jeans from her bag and a pair of thin black socks. She realized she had no shoes though. She furrowed her brow a little bit and walked back out to Miss Aria standing in the main room waiting for her, her foot tapped almost impatiently as she stood with one arm across her mid-section and the other looking idly at her nails.
Aria looked up as Clover made her way back in, her eyes falling quickly to her feet. A chuckle escaped her lips, “Socks huh? No no. Ponies don’t wear socks. You’ll go barefoot. Leave them here and let's go.”
Clover hesitantly leaned down and tugged her socks off, setting them on the edge of the bed and following Aria out of the room. Down the hall they went, down the main stairs and then back beneath them to a glass set of double doors at the end which led to the area directly below Clover's balcony. Clover spotted the trellis the pony from earlier had climbed and the flowers that had clearly been trampled before and after her climb.
Aria held a hand out to stop Clover in her tracks, staring at the flowers for a long moment, “Oh that redheaded pony is SO getting it.” She said in a huff.
Clover blinked and couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be the one who stomped Miss Aria’s flowers into the ground. Without another word, the pair of them were off down the laneway. Clover was thankful the cement was so smooth, but not so thankful that the sun had warmed it to nearly boiling point. She stepped quickly, hopping from foot to foot. Aria gave her one glance, a small grin but said nothing, only continuing to walk towards their destination.
It wasn’t a very long walk as they passed a few fenced-in fields, a few ponies trotting up to the fence to watch their passing, and an occasional whinny washing over them. Clover giggled a little bit but was lost in the many sights and sounds that assaulted her senses. For a few minutes, she even forgot about the hot cement beneath her feet, but then they were turning, walking along a dirt pathway leading to a large dirt circle to the front left of the barn. Standing in the center was the brunette trainer, Hayley, and standing in the four cardinal locations around here were four different women dressed in gorgeous and unique tack.
The ponies didn’t look over, they were clearly paying attention as Aria and Clover made their way to a solitary chair sitting off to the side.
“Welcome Mistress Aria and pony.”
Clover blushed visibly and nodded, earning her a tiny swat on the back of the head, “You curtsy when a trainer greets you pony. Rule number 10.” Aria stared at her sharply.
Unsure of how to respond initially, Clover turned towards Hayley and dropped into a small, not-so-good curtsy.
Aria and Hayley both nodded in approval, “Get on with the show then Hayley. Show off their training.”
The pair of them walked to the lone lounge chair. Aria took a seat and pointed to the ground next to her, “Kneel where you’re most comfortable and watch. Whip circle is one of the first places most ponies start. Basic, simple, and incredibly elegant if it’s done right.” Aria lazed back and turned her gaze towards the whip circle where Hayley waved her whip about a few times and spoke out loud, “Ready Ponies?” All four of them stopped in unison.
Clover settled down onto her knees, sitting atop her feet and letting her dark green eyes watch the spectacle before her.
The crack of the whip echoed through the air…
