It's Not Easy, Being Orangeby Show StopperChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3PrologueThe sun still hadn’t risen when the first alarm clock went off in Ponyville. Ditzy Doo quickly turned it off, not wanting it to wake her two daughters. She slowly got out of bed, groaning and stretching. “Well,” she whispered cheerfully to herself, “another day!” She quietly and quickly made her way downstairs and to the mail room and began the usual morning ritual of sorting the day’s mail. Ditzy loved this time of day, a quiet, peaceful time to relax and prepare for whatever the day would throw at her. As she sorted the mail, she was happy to see some letters for several of her friends and made a mental note to bring each of them a tray of home baked muffins. She was also delighted as she discovered something truly unusual: a letter for her! Nopony in Ponyville wrote to her since she saw practically everypony every day anyway, but this letter wasn’t from Ponyville. Ditzy broke from her sorting to open the letter from Trottingham. Dear Ditzy Doo, Thank you so much for accepting my application and for your generous offer of a job. I accept! I leave Trottingham today and so I should be in Ponyville around noon tomorrow. I promise to work hard and learn the route quickly, and I thank you again for this job and your generosity! Sincerely, Autumn Breeze Ditzy chuckled as she read. “Good luck learning the route,” she whispered, bemused. “In a small town like this, it changes every day. Hm. This was written yesterday, so she should be getting here today.” She looked up at the small pile of mail. “Good thing the load is small today. I should be able to be done by noon.” She went to her back door and opened it to find two packages on her back porch. "Only two for today,” she whispered happily to herself as she pulled them inside and placed them next to her mailbag. “The light one’s for Bon Bon. Must be all of those Prench candies that she ordered. Heavy one’s for Twilight. Must be more books.” She shook her head, amused. “I swear,” she said, walking into the kitchen to start making breakfast. “That mare gets a new order of books every week!” She heard a couple of alarms go off upstairs a while later, and wasn’t surprised when only a fuchsia unicorn walked down the stairs. “Morning, Mom,” she muttered, slumping down at the table. “Good morning, Amethyst,” Ditzy replied, flipping another flapjack onto a teetering stack. “Is your sister planning on joining us anytime soon?” Amethyst smirked. “The flapjack is mightier than the sword,” she replied. “She’ll smell them soon enough.” Ditzy laughed lightly. “Autumn Breeze wrote back,” she said. Amethyst's head immediately shot up from where it had been resting on the table. “The pegasus from Trottingham?” Ditzy nodded. “She accepted the job! She should be here sometime today.” Amethyst sighed in relief. “Good,” she said firmly. “Ponyville is getting bigger, and you need help. You’re bogged down most days. Speaking of which, how’s today’s load? “Small,” answered Ditzy, flipping one last flapjack onto the stack, “and only two packages, both along the rout.” She carried the flapjacks to the table. Setting them down, she looked up the stairs, confused. “I’m surprised that she isn’t down yet,” she commented. “She was up late last night,” explained Amethyst. “She had a lot of homework to do.” Ditzy raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “She told me she didn’t have any.” Amethyst giggled. “She’d say anything to get out and play with her friends. If you ask me,” she continued, whispering conspiratorially, “I think she has a crush on one of them.” They heard hoofsteps on the stairs. Ditzy grinned evilly. “One way to find out,” she whispered back. A young filly came down into the kitchen, gray coat and blond mane the exact same shades as her mother’s. “Morning, Amy!” she said, sitting down at the table. “Morning, Mommy!” “Good morning, Dinky,” said Ditzy, still wearing her evil grin. “So who’s the coltfriend?” Dinky turned beet red and her jaw dropped. Amethyst smirked. “I knew it!” she said triumphantly. “So, who is it? I bet it’s Pipsqueek!” “Don’t be silly, Amethyst,” said Ditzy casually, ignoring the deepening flush on her youngest daughter’s face. “He has eyes only for Scootaloo. Is it Featherweight?” “N-no!” stammered Dinky. “It’s not! I mean, I don’t have one!” “Could it be that Finish Line?” asked Amethyst. “After all, you just couldn’t stop talking about how he did in the roller derby.” “Or maybe it’s Tender Taps,” pressed Ditzy. “A lot of your friends like him.” “I don’t have a coltfriend!” said Dinky, a little more desperately this time. “It’s Snips or Snails,” said Amethyst, “isn’t it?” “ARE YOU CRAZY! EW, NO!” “It couldn’t be a fillyfriend, could it?” asked Ditzy. “MOM!!!” “Only joking, Little Muffin,” said Ditzy. “Well, that’s all I can really think of, unless of course it’s Rumble.” Dinky’s blush deepened instantly. Ditzy and Amethyst grinned at each other. “Oh, this is perfect!” cried Amethyst. “I know,” smirked Ditzy. “After all, Thunder Lane has been giving you the eye for years.” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “Not that. Thunder Lane’s been giving everypony the eye for years, and I do mean everypony. I meant that Flitter and Cloudchaser have been wanting to foalsit Dinky for months. I’m sure that they’d love to supervise a playdate. Oh, Dinky and Rumble sitting in a tree, H-O-L-D-I-N-G.” Ditzy and Dinky raised eyebrows. “Holding?” asked Ditzy. “You know, hooves,” explained Amethyst. “They’re way too young to be kissing.” “I don’t know,” said Ditzy as Dinky buried her face in her hooves, “I was kissing colts when I was her age.” Amethyst smirked. “And you had me when you were how young?” Ditzy laughed. “Point taken. I’ll have to let Miss Cheerilee know about this. Can’t have the young lovers sneaking off at recess for some face-to-face time.” “Mommy!” Dinky whined. Ditzy laughed and started dishing up flapjacks. “By the way, do you remember me talking about that pegasus from Trottingham?” She asked. Dinky nodded, eager to move the conversation away from Rumble. “You mean Autumn Wind?” “Autumn Breeze,” corrected Ditzy. “Well, she’s going to be working here at the Post Office. The only problem is, she doesn’t have a place to stay.” “Oh,” said Dinky. “She’s not going to stay here?” “Where would she sleep?” asked Amethyst. “We only have three bedrooms.” “Hm,” thought Dinky. Suddenly her eyes lit up. “Oh! I know!” she said. “I can share Amethyst’s room and she can have mine!” Amethyst grinned. “That sounds like a great idea, Dinky! Mom, are you OK with that?” Ditzy laughed warmly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Dinky quickly scarfed down her flapjacks and rushed upstairs to start moving her stuff into Amethyst’s room. “That went well,” said Amethyst once Dinky was out of earshot. “I thought she’d resist more.” “That’s the trick with children,” said Ditzy. “You have to let them think that it was all their idea.” “Good to know.” Amethyst finished her flapjacks and stood. “Well, I’m off to work. See you later.” Ditzy just nodded, her mouth full of flapjack. By the time Dinky realized that her bed, dresser, and toy chest were too big for her to move by herself, Ditzy had finished breakfast, washed the dishes, and was pulling her mailbag up around her neck. “We’ll take care of the furniture later, Dinky,” she said. “It’s time for school.” Dinky nodded and grabbed her schoolbag. They left the house together, both of them excited for the day ahead. Chapter 1Chapter 1 A cool, late summer wind blew across the central plains of Equestria, ruffling the mane of a pegasus mare who stood upon a hill overlooking a small town at the base of the Unicorn Range. The mare sniffed the air before taking in a deep pull. "Mm," she moaned to herself. "Apples and baked goods. I think I'm going to like this town." Eschewing her wings, Autumn Breeze began trotting down the hill. Autumn drew no small amount of staring as she entered Ponyville, not that she'd expected anything else. Her coat was a bright, vivid orange, her mane and tail a darker, more reddish hue. A brown oak leaf adorned her flanks, her cutie mark also appearing on the clasps that held her saddlebags closed. However, the rest of her appearance was rather strange for a pony. Her underbelly from the base of her tail to her neck was a pure white, as were the tips of her mane and the end of her long, bushy tail. The tips of her ears and her muzzle were darkly shaded, the end of her nose almost black. Finally, her amber eyes held pupils that were slightly taller and narrower than usual. All in all, she looked like Discord had found a pegasus and gotten half-way into turning her into a fox before he'd gotten bored. And with the chaos spirit having taken up residence in the town only a few months prior, nopony could say for sure that she wasn't. And so, much to Autumn's amazement, most of the ponies who saw her simply shrugged before continuing about their business. Huh, Autumn thought. These ponies are a lot more accepting of the bizarre than I expected. I'm starting to see why Silver Shoe recommended this place. Giving a shrug of her own, Autumn began looking around at the buildings and street signs. "Now, where's Founder's Place?" "Just keep going straight on this road!" Autumn leapt into the air, baring her teeth at the Pink earth pony beneath her. "What the hay!" she shouted. "H-how did you-" "That'll lead you straight to the Town Square," the chipper mare continued, apparently not noticing or not bothered by Autumn's reaction. "Cross the bridge on the southeast side which will put you on Stirrup Street. Founder's Place is two blocks down, with the post office to the right! Cupcake?" Autumn blinked, staring at the orange and white pastry that the pony had pulled out of nowhere and lifted up to her face. "Um... sure?" she replied, taking the cupcake and raising an eyebrow at the strange mare. Seeing her encouraging grin, Autumn shrugged and took a small bite. Her eyes instantly widened and she quickly scarfed down the rest of the tasty treat, licking her muzzle to ensure that she got all of the crumbs. "Pretty good, huh?" The pink pony asked, bouncing up and down. "I'll say!" Autumn finally landed, grinning from ear to ear. "That's got to be the best cupcake I've ever tasted! Definitely in my top ten desserts." She smacked her lips a few times, reflecting on the lingering flavors. "Pumpkin and cream cheese, right?" "Yupparoonie! Thought you looked like a Fall kind of pony." the pink pastry pony proclaimed, proffering her hoof to shake. "I'm Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you!" "Autumn Breeze," Autumn replied, shaking her hoof. "Just got into town today." Her eyes narrowed as suspicion suddenly dawned. "Hey, wait a minute. How did you know I was looking for the post office?" "Well," Pinkie began, a feeling of dread falling over Autumn, "I saw you walking down the street and thought 'Oh my gosh a new pony in town!' because I know everypony in Ponyville but I don't know you which means you must be new in town and I remembered how Ditzy had told me earlier that she had FINALLY gotten somepony to come in and help her at the post office because she's way way waaaaay too overworked and now maybe she'll have some time for herself and to ask out that Doctor she's been crushing on for a while but she's not like super obvious about it and she said that the new pony should be coming in today and I put two and two together and came up with the four hooves walking down the street and decided to say hello but you looked a little lost and asked where Founder's Place was so I knew that I was right about why you were here so I told you how to get there and offered you a 'Welcome to Ponyville and Thanks For Helping Ditzy Not Be So Busy All the Time' cupcake which you really liked but said was only part of your top ten desserts not you number one so now I'm wondering just who in Equestria makes better desserts than me?" "...how do you hold that much air in your lungs?" Autumn shook her head, trying to parse through everything that Pinkie had said before giving up and just focusing on the last bit. "Um, there was this one place in Manehattan that had some killer funnel cakes. Not just your run-of-the-mill stuff, but all sorts of different batters and toppings. Then there was that ice cream store that I went to every week in Tall Tale. There's also an old, back-alley shop in Cloudsdale that makes the best cloud cake in Equestria. That's probably my number one pick, but since the Old Mare makes it with real clouds, only pegasi can really enjoy the full experience. Then there's Las Pegasus. Most of it's just hyped up junk, but there are a couple of places I'd recommend to anypony going through there." Licking her lips one more time, Autumn nodded. "So yeah, that cupcake probably ranks at number six or seven." "Neato! Well, see you on Saturday!" "Yeah, see you on-" Autumn blinked. "Wait," she said, turning back to Pinkie. "Why Sat-" Her question died on her tongue as she saw that Pinkie had disappeared. Autumn chuckled, shaking her head and starting back down the road. "There's one in every town, I guess." Just as Pinkie had said, the road led to a large, open square with a large, three-story building dominating the center. Market stalls lined the square, most of them closed or with signs saying that the owners were out to lunch. Looking out to a distant clock tower, Autumn saw that it was a little after noon. I guess I'll grab a bite to eat first, she thought. Not knowing where any restaurants would be, she picked a street at random and started walking again. As she walked, Autumn began making a mental map of the town. She counted herself fortunate that the town hall and clock tower were clearly visible above the roofs of the surrounding houses and businesses. The other buildings in town were rather remarkable as well. Each house was unique in some way or another, from small gardens of beautiful flowers to entire wings of the house added on. The various businesses were even more personalized. A high-end looking restaurant with tables that looked like large mushrooms stood right next to a store that seemed to sell quills and, of all things, sofas. She even saw a building down one street that looked like a giant carousel! One thing's for sure, Autumn thought, passing a delicious smelling, gingerbread-house looking bakery, I'm never going to get lost in this town. I'll bet good bits that that's where Pinkie Pie works. She indulged in one last sniff of the bakery before another scent distracted her. No way! She eagerly turned to follow the scent, breaking into a gallop as it grew stronger. There's no way a small town like this has... A huge grin split her face as a familiar building came into view. The Hayburger was a familiar chain restaurant all across Equestria, but every now and then she would find one that catered to more than just ponies. She trotted through the doors, tail swishing eagerly as she approached the counter. "Welcome to Hayburger!" chirped the teenage unicorn filly behind the counter, her two-toned purple mane a little ragged and her smile obviously strained. "May I take your order?" Autumn looked around the packed restaurant before giving the filly a sympathetic grin. "Just finished the lunch rush, huh?" The filly groaned, abandoning her professional cheer and slumping forward to rest her head on the counter. "Celestia, yes! I was about to go on break when you walked in. Don't worry," she said, waving her hoof lazily. "I'm sure I can summon enough energy for one more order." Autumn couldn't help but chuckle at the teen's antics. "Well, if you're sure it won't make you drop dead from exhaustion." She took a quick look around before lowering her voice. "Actually, I was hoping I could order something that isn't on the menu." The unicorn's ears perked up. "Really?" Autumn nodded. "I believe you have the Gryphon's Special here?" The filly's eyes widened, her head shooting straight up. "Celestia's horn!" she hissed. "And I told him he was crazy for keeping that stuff in stock! Didn't think we'd ever get a pony in here crazy enough to- I mean, um," She looked away, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Um, DARING enough to try it! Yup. Daring. That's totally what I said." Autumn smirked at the filly's lackluster coverup. "Don't worry, I get that a lot. I spent about a year in Gryphonstone and the taste kind of grew on me." "Right. Right." The unicorn cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "So, one Gryphon's Special. Will that be all?" "Actually, better make it five." The unicorn's jaw dropped. "And a half-dozen orders of fries." Her eye began twitching. "Three sodas too, unless you offer free refills?" A slow nod. "Great! Only one soda then. Diet. You got all that?" "...when was the last time you ate?" "Ah, don't be like that, Amy!" The unicorn jumped and spun around as the door to the side behind the counter opened. A gryphon stepped out, his feathers a golden color and splattered with grease. His back half was black, his leonine tail tipped with a tuft of white. He grinned as his eyes fell on Autumn. "Breeze! I knew that voice sounded familiar!" "Geralt!" Autumn leapt across the counter, tackling the gryphon to the ground and ignoring the unicorn's startled squeak. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" she cried, hugging him tightly. "Should have known you'd try setting up cooking gryphon fare in Central, you featherbrain. how've you been." Geralt the gryphon laughed, hugging Autumn back before pushing her off of him and climbing to his feet. "Been good, Breeze. Been good. And this featherhead has been doing pretty well for himself, thank you very much, even if the ponies in this town wouldn't know good cuisine if it bit them in the flank." Autumn snorted, slugging Geralt playfully on the shoulder. "Need I remind you that gryphons only consider it 'good cuisine' if it tried to bite you in the flank before you caught it?" "And they still wouldn't recognize it!" "He-hem!" Autumn and Geralt looked over to see the unicorn teen glaring at both of them, tapping her hoof impatiently. "Boss, while I'm sure this is a touching reunion for you and your friend of strange tastes, could you please tell her to get out from behind the counter? You're causing a scene." Sure enough, every pony in the Hayburger was staring at the gryphon and the fox-like mare roughhousing behind the counter of the restaurant. "Oops." Autumn chuckled nervously before flying back onto the customer side of the counter. "Um, sorry about that. Um, anyway, how much for that meal." "On the house!" Geralt replied, ignoring the unicorn's glare. "Been a long time since I've been able to treat you." "Boss, she ordered five Specials, six fries, and a drink. She would have gotten three if we didn't offer free refills." Geralt's grin fell, his eyes turning to the filly before moving back to Autumn. "That's it? What, you eat on the way over here or something?" Autumn laughed at the filly's flabbergasted expression. "Just a cupcake that a strange pink pony offered me. Filled me up enough to knock a few servings out of my usual order." "Ah. Pinkie." Geralt nodded. "Well, still on the house then. I'll go get started on that and let you and Amy here get acquainted. You'll probably be seeing quite a bit of each other." He turned around, pushing the door to the kitchen open again. "Catch you later, Autumn," he said as the door closed. "Autumn?" The unicorn's eyes widened as they turned back to the pegasus. "Wait a minute. You're Autumn Breeze?" "Last time I checked," Autumn replied. "And your name is Amy?" "Amethyst," the unicorn corrected, shaking her head. "Figures that Mom's hired help would be another weirdo for this town." "You're Ditzy's daughter?" Autumn asked. "Hey, small world!" "Small town, more like." Amethyst walked to the side of the counter, lifting a folding section to walk through to Autumn's side. "Well, I did say I was about to take my break. Might as well get to know Mom's new coworker." "Gee," Autumn snarked, following Amethyst to an empty table. "No need to be so enthusiastic. Not like we're going to be seeing a lot of each other or anything." "Just calling it like it is." Amethyst sat down, groaning as she relaxed. "Oh, that feels good. You pegasi have it lucky. You have no idea what it's like to have to be on your hooves all day." "Heat to break it to you kid," Autumn said, sitting across the table from her, "but my wings get just as tired as your legs. So, what can you tell me about this town?" Amethyst shrugged, looking out the window. "Honestly, not much to tell. It's pretty small; everypony knows pretty much everypony else. You'll get a lot of attention these next few days just for being a new face." Her eyes turned back to Autumn, looking her up and down. "Not that that's new for you, I'm sure." Autumn smirked, her tail twitching. "I do tend to draw a lot of stares, yes. How long do you think before I'm just "another weirdo?" "Eh, not too long," Amethyst replied. "I mean, Discord lives here and our librarian recently turned into an alicorn, so we're pretty used to weird stuff. you'll be a standard feature within a week, especially since your job takes you all around town." "I'm... sorry," Autumn said, stiffening where she sat. "Did you just say that Discord lives here? As in, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony? The Mad Trickster? The Bane of Sanity? He Whose Very Existence is a Giant Middle Finger to Reality?" "Sounds about right." Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Though, I have no idea what that last one means." "Gryphon thing." The two mares looked over to see Geralt walking over, a large tray balanced across his back. "'Giving the middle finger' is an obscene gesture. Basically means-" "Not very nice things that shouldn't be repeated in public!" Autumn interrupted, baring her fangs at Geralt. The gryphon shrugged before deftly sliding the tray onto the table and walking back to the kitchen. "Sorry about that," Autumn apologized. "Not sure how your mom would like it if your first meeting with me involved you learning another culture's profanity." "It's fine," Amethyst said, eyeing the contents of the tray warily. "She's pretty cool about that kind of thing as long as Dinky doesn't get exposed to it." She leaned over and sniffed the tray before swiftly recoiling back, face scrunched in disgust. "So, you're really going to eat all of that, huh?" Autumn looked down at her meal, licking her lips as the delicious smell hit her nostrils. Alongside the six fry orders and extra-large drink sat five sandwiches filled with tantalizing meat. Autumn took a deep sniff, shivering in euphoria. "Oooooh yeah. It's been too long since I've had a meal that smelled this good. I tell you, it's hard to find squirrel burgers in Equestria." "I wonder why?" Amethyst muttered. Autumn reached down with a wing, picking up the burger and bringing it to her lips. She opened her mouth wide, showing off her overly-large canines, before chomping down on her sandwich. She moaned as the taste hit her tongue, chewing slowly before swallowing the huge bite. "Sweet Harmony, I've missed this." "Holy crap," Amethyst whispered, staring in fascinated horror as Autumn devoured the next few burgers, stopping only for quick sips of her drink or to drop an entire container of fries into her gaping maw. Within five minutes, the tray was empty of all but a few crumbs and a single burger. "Ah, that hit the spot," Autumn sighed, leaning back and patting her belly. "I'm going to get fat, eating like this." She picked up the last sandwich, offering it to Amethyst. "You want to try it?" Amethyst paled immediately, vehemently shaking her head. "I'm good! Not hungry!" Autumn shrugged before tossing it in the air, catching it in her mouth and devouring it in seconds. "Merciful Luna, how did you eat all of that?" "Really fast metabolism," Autumn answered, hiding a burp behind her wing and getting to her hooves. "Guess it's about time to meet your mom. I guess I'll see you around. Hey Geralt!" she shouted. "Thanks for the meal!" And then, uncaring of the stares all around her, she walked out of Hayburger and onto the streets. Amethyst stared after her for a few moments, a single thought on her mind. Did she say meet Mom, or eat Mom? Author's Note Here it is, folks. The first chapter of my latest story. I expected to get to Autumn's meeting with Ditzy before finishing, but the squirrel burger idea hopped into my head and it seemed the perfect way to introduce Autumn to Amethyst. She might be having second thoughts about living under the same roof. Oh well. Too late now, Amy. Next chapter should be out within the week. Artwork is by the talented scynexx. Look her up. She's got some great stuff. Chapter 2Chapter 2 "Here we are! Founder's Place." Autumn turned down the side street, humming a tune as she scanned the houses on her right. "Kind of weird to put the post office in a residential area, though." "Well, Ponyville's a weird town." Autumn barely kept herself on the ground this time as she wheeled around to glare at the second pony to sneak up on her today. The earth pony mare had a cream-colored coat and a two-tone pink and purple mane and was giving Autumn a strange look. "What's with you ponies and sneaking up on me?" Autumn demanded. The mare shrugged. "Sorry about that. Just figured I'd see how much control the town's new equi-fox had over herself." "Yeah, well, like I said. Second time toda-" Autumn's eyes grew wide and she barely kept her wings from shooting out. "What did you just say?" "Well, you aren't very good at hiding it," the mare replied, walking past the stunned pegasus. "I've been tailing you since Town Square. That little display in the Hayburger made it painfully obvious." She looked over her shoulder at the frozen mare. "You're going this way, right?" I could run right now, Autumn thought frantically. Just fly away and never come back. There's no way she could keep up, and I could just loose myself in Phillydelphia or something... again. Steeling her nerves, Autumn trotted after the earth pony mare. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," Autumn said, getting a raised eyebrow in response. "I mean, I see how you would think that, but I'm really just the product of bad luck. See, I had this friend growing up, a unicorn who specialized in transformation magic. Good enough to get into Celestia's school! She was the pride of our little town for years. Anyway, she came back full of confidence, but not quite enough ability to back it up. I foolishly volunteered to be a test subject for her to show off some spells-" "And she tried to turn you into a fox but the transformation got stuck halfway and you decided you liked it, right?" The mare chuckled and shook her head. "Well, that should pass here in Ponyville. Most ponies here have never even heard of lycanthropes. Fluttershy will pick you out immediately, and Princess Twilight might figure it out too, but they're level-headed enough not to blab it to anyone. I'm Bon Bon, by the way." "Autumn Breeze," Autumn grumbled, miffed that she'd been seen through so easily. "So how the hay did you figure it out?" "I have some experience with monsters," Bon Bon replied, "along with those that ponies think of as monsters." She paused, turning to look Autumn in the eye. "I sincerely hope that you're the latter." Autumn sighed, reaching down with a wing to open one of her saddlebags. "No worries there," she said, nodding to the open bag. "Got some quality rope in there. I make sure to tie myself down every month." Bon Bon nodded. "Good. I'd hate to hear about anything happening to Ditzy or her girls." She sighed, motioning for Autumn to follow as she continued down the street. "I'd hate to hear about anything happening to you, too. Your kind really don't get a fair lot here in Equestria." Autumn's ears turned back and she looked down. "Tell me about it," she muttered. "Soon as ponies find out about me, they start bringing out every legend and old mare's tale they can to try to incriminate me, and that's if they don't just resort to a mob." "Well, you won't have to worry about that here," Bon Bon assured. "When it comes out, I'll stand by you. I know Fluttershy and Twilight will, too. And if you've got those two on your side, nopony in town will give you any trouble." "You don't need to do that," Autumn muttered. "I've dealt with this before. I'll be here for a couple of years before moving on. Probably back to Gryphonstone or something." "Not if we can help it!" Autumn looked up, startled at the heat in Bon Bon's voice and the glare that she was leveling at her. "You aren't going to get kicked out of town just because of what you are. Your friends won't allow it." "I just got to town," Autumn argued. "I look like a freak. My one friend in this town is a gryphon, and if a mob comes for me, he knows to stay out of it or he'll be kicked out too. I don't have any friends to stand by me." "Well, you'll have at least one." Autumn's jaw dropped, her hooves freezing as she stared at Bon Bon. "Wh-what?! But, but you know what I am! You yourself said 'when,' not 'if.' I'm going to get found out. I'm going to get run out. And if you side with me, there's no telling what it'll do to your life here!" "Probably make it really difficult and arduous," Bon Bon replied, shrugging. "That is, if I'm alone. Guess for my sake you'd better start making some more friends." She nodded towards a nearby house. "This'd be a good place to start." Autumn looked at the house. It was a two-story building like those surrounding it, but the whole thing was painted a familiar light blue with white trim. A sign hung over the front door, a field of blue lined in black with a sealed letter in the center: the symbol of the Equestrian Postal Service. "The Post Office is her house?" Autumn asked incredulously. "Welcome to Ponyville," Bon Bon replied, "population: too small for its own building." Bon Bon turned, walking back up the street a few steps before pausing. "Bit of advice," she added, looking over her shoulder. "Tell Ditzy about your condition before your first transformation here. She... won't take it well if she thinks you've been endangering her kids." "Don't see why it would be a problem," Autumn replied. "Not like I'm going to be living here or anything." Bon Bon turned away, hiding a snicker. "Heh, yeah. What sort of crazy pony just *snrk* invites a stranger to live with them. It'd take a real weirdo." "I resemble that remark!" Autumn and Bon Bon looked up to see a gray pegasus mare hovering over their heads. "Hey, Bonnie! What am I crazy for this time?" "Hey, Ditzy," Bon Bon called. "I was just talking to Autumn here about how crazy it would be for somepony to let a complete stranger live with them." "You're Autumn Breeze?" Ditzy asked. Seeing Autumn's nod, she squeed and dove down to hug her. "Oh it's so great to meet you! The girls and I have been looking forward to meeting you all day!" "Um, nice to meet you too," Autumn replied, hesitantly returning the hug. "And one of your daughters has already met her," Bon Bon added. "Autumn here stopped by the Hayburger for lunch. Got a few," she grimaced, "Gryphon Specials." Ditzy froze, pulling back and holding Autumn at arm's length. "You eat meat?" "I, uh, spent a couple of years living with the gryphons," Autumn explained. "It sort of grew on me." "Huh." Ditzy shrugged, a grin splitting her face once more. "Well, so long as you don't bring any here, I won't judge your eating habits." She flew over to the door, unlocking it and heading inside. "Come on in! I'll give you the tour!" "And I think that's my cue to leave," Bon Bon said, patting Autumn on the shoulder and lowering her voice. "Seriously though, tell her soon. The longer you wait, the worse it'll be when she discovers it." "I'll... consider it," Autumn conceded. Bon Bon nodded, squeezing her shoulder before turning and walking away. "See you around, Lowenmagen." Autumn blinked, caught off guard as Bon Bon walked away. "She speaks Gryphoese?" she pondered, narrowing her eyes. "And what does she mean, Lion-Stomach?" Shaking her head, she followed Ditzy into the Post Office. The large front room had been massively remodeled, leaving a large waiting area separated from the back of the room by a counter. A scale sat on the counter with a few shelves of different sized envelopes and boxes behind it. Ditzy hopped behind the counter, reaching down and pulling out a basket full of muffins. "Muffin?" she offered. "Um, no thanks," Autumn replied. Ditzy shrugged, grabbing a blueberry muffin and throwing it into her mouth. "I've got to say," Autumn said, looking around as Ditzy chewed, "you've really managed to make your house look like a real post office. I wasn't sure what to think when I saw this place at first." Ditzy swallowed her muffin, placing the basket back behind the counter. "Yeah, I get that a lot from new ponies. That's just how it is in Ponyville, though. Lots of ponies start businesses out the back of their home and remodel once they get enough." She stepped to the side, opening a small gate. "Come on back. I'll show you where you'll be staying." "I think you mean 'working,'" Autumn corrected, stepping behind the counter and closing the gate after herself. "Nope!" Ditzy said, leading Autumn into a hallway. A stairway occupied the left half of it, the right side having doorways that led to a kitchen and another room that looked like a workroom of some sort. Ditzy started up the stairs and Autumn, reluctantly, followed. "See, Ponyville only has one hotel and a couple of apartment buildings, and they're on the other side of town. You'd have to get up and fly in the dark to get here for work on time. So we did a little rearranging and set you up in Dinky's old room." Autumn paused halfway up the stairs, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. "That's, I mean, what?!" She shook her head, her wings twitching erratically as she backed down a step. "I can't do that! I couldn't ask you to!" "Good thing you aren't the one asking then," Ditzy replied, smiling back down at her. "We are. Dinky already moved everything but her furniture over to Amethyst's room this morning, and I have some stallions coming in a couple of hours with your new bed and dresser." Autumn backed down another couple of steps, shaking her head adamantly. "You don't understand. I can't! I... really need my privacy. Besides, I couldn't put you out like that. It wouldn't be right!" "Actually," Ditzy said, looking away and rubbing the back of her neck, ears splayed back, "you'd be putting us out more if you didn't stay. See, we're a little tight on bits right now. Not that I can't pay you what we agreed!" she said frantically, eyes wide and worry building. "It's just, things would be a bit tight for a while. We kind of hoped room and board could come out of your paycheck. It'd be more convenient for you a-and easier for our finances." Ditzy started stammering, looking at the walls, the floor, anywhere but directly at Autumn. "I-I mean, we still could pay you the full amount and have you live elsewhere, b-but this just seemed, um, more convenient, and we thought, well, that is..." She trailed off, obviously worried about Autumn's reaction. Autumn, meanwhile, didn't know what to say. Sure, it would be far more convenient to live right upstairs from where she worked, and "room and board" here would probably cost less than living on her own, but there was still the elephant in the room for her to consider. Or rather, the fox in the room. That's why Bon Bon insisted I tell her about me, Autumn realized. Crap. If I stay here, I might just have to. But it does make sense... "I, um, that maybe could work. But I really need privacy." "There's a lock on the door!" Ditzy quickly reassured, a pleading smile now on her face as she realized that Autumn was considering staying. "It's not that," Autumn said. "I mean, that's good too, but I, well..." She wracked her brain, trying to think of a convincing excuse. "I... have night terrors! Yup, horrible night terrors. N-not every night, but once in a while. Once a month, really. A-anyway, I wouldn't want you or your daughters getting woken up from my... screaming and thrashing." "Oh." Ditzy's ears fell, her face growing concerned. "I'm so sorry. What are they- No, no. Forget it. I shouldn't ask. But, um, if that's the problem, I could have Amethyst cast a silence spell around your room at night." Autumn blinked, her ears perking. "Really? She can do that?" "Of course!" Ditzy grinned, cheer returning to her face. "She's been getting lessons from our local magic expert for almost a year now. She learned the Sphere of Silence this Spring during my estrus cycle." She blushed, her grin turning a bit sheepish. "I... may have asked her to use it on my room a few times when I had *ahem* 'company' over." Autumn snorted, doing her best to hide an appropriately wolfish grin. "Oh, I bet that conversation went well." Ditzy stuck her tongue out at her before descending into giggles. Autumn joined in a second later, trotting up to stand beside her. "You sure me living here is okay? It won't be too hard on her casting that every night?" Ditzy waved her off. "Don't worry about it. It'll be good for her, actually. Twilight says she's supposed to be working on regular magical exercise to stretch her limits or something. I didn't really get everything that she was saying, but basically the more she uses her magic, the better. This will be good exercise for her horn before she turns in for the night. So? What do you say?" Autumn thought for a moment before sighing. Guess I really don't have any excuse. As long as they don't barge in one one of those nights, it should be fine. I'll have to tell Ditzy, though. Just... not today. Once I get more settled in. "Ditzy Doo," Autumn said, raising her hoof to shake, "you've got yourself a deaOOF!" Autumn staggered backward a step as Ditzy lept into a hug. "Oh, this is going to be great! I promise you won't regret this!" Autumn smiled, returning the hug. I certainly hope not. Chapter 3Chapter 3 The sun rose slowly over the mountains east of Ponyville. Few ponies roamed the streets as most were still happily abed. A few birds had begun their morning chorus, their soft twittering gracefully rousing a few of the town's lighter sleepers from slumber. A gentle breeze blew through the streets, promising a cool day ahead. All was peaceful. "AR-AROO-AROOOOOOOO!!!" As such, no-one could blame Autumn for waking up with thoughts of murdering the local rooster menace. She groaned as she rubbed her eyes, grumbling about roast chicken. Note to self, find out whose bird that is and pay them to let me kill it. Sighing, she threw off her blankets and rolled out of bed, landing on her paws. Her jaw stretched in a silent yawn as she walked over to her new dresser, rearing up and placing her forelegs on top. She blinked blearily at the orange face before her, rubbing her eyes a few times before looking again and sighing at the fox that starred back. "Every time," she muttered, closing her eyes. "Every time I get a new bed. It'll take a week before I can keep from transforming every night." She did her best to clear her mind, wiping away the morning grogginess and the desire to commit poultricide. She filled her mind with a single image: that of a sky blue pegasus with a yellow mane and tail and an oak leaf cutie mark. She felt the familiar sensation of her body changing, her muzzle shortening and thickening as she grew incisors and molars, her legs and torso expanding as she grew upwards, and her shoulders rearranging themselves as a pair of wings grew from her back. When Autumn opened her eyes again, she smiled at the orange pegasus that greeted her in the mirror. "Morning, foxy," she said, flashing her canines in a grin. "Ready for your first day in town?" She replied to herself with a wink before turning to her door, unlocking the lever handle lock along with the recently installed deadbolt and chain lock. Despite Ditzy's claims that the extra locks were excessive, Autumn was determined to not take any risks. Finally getting her door open, Autumn trotted out of her room and down the hall to the stairs, sniffing a few times as the scent of breakfast reached her nose. Mmm, waffles. With blueberry syrup and... more muffins? She shook her head, chuckling as she walked down the stairs. Guess I know what this family's favorite food is. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned and walked across the hall to the large kitchen that doubled as a dining room. Amethyst was already sitting at the table, her brow furrowed as she read a book held in her magic. Ditzy was over at the counter, watching over a waffle iron as she stirred a pot on the stove. "Morning, everypony," Autumn said, taking a seat next to Amethyst. Amethyst grunted a greeting while Ditzy spat out her spoon, grinning over at Autumn. "Good morning, Autumn. I hope you slept well." Autumn shrugged. "Well enough. I always have a hard time getting used to a new bed." Her face morphed into a scowl and a soft growl escaped her throat. "Not to mention being woken up by a feathering rooster. If I find that bird, Geralt's going to be cooking up his cousin." Amethyst snorted, looking up from her book. "Good luck with that. The Apples' rooster has been menacing this town for months. They've said that anyone who catches it off Sweet Apple Acres can do what they want, but they won't let anypony hunt him on their property, and the stupid bird knows it. He runs straight there after his first crow of the day. Nopony's been able to catch him yet." "Yeah well, I'm not just anypony," Autumn grumbled. "Give me a week - ten days tops - and we'll be sharing chicken sandwiches at the Hayburger." Ditzy grimaced, turning back to the pot. "Pass." "You know what?" Amethyst grinned. "You're on. You manage to catch that stupid bird, and I'll let you introduce me to meat. Least I can do to get back at that featherbrain is take a bite out of him." "Now that's what I'm talking about," Autumn said, holding out her hoof. She grinned as Amethyst bumped it with her own. "Now I'm really motivated. That bird is going down!" Ditzy rolled her eyes as she removed a batch of waffles from the iron, pouring in the last of the batter before closing it again. "Congratulations, Autumn. Your first morning here, and you've already corrupted one of my daughters." She gave the syrup another few stirs before trotting into the adjacent workroom. "By the way, we've got a really light load today. How do you feel about flying a couple of packages out to the outskirts of town?" "Probably better than trying to find my way around with the general mail," Autumn admitted. "I was actually planning on just walking around and getting a feel for the layout of the town today, but I think I can handle a package or two." "Great!" Ditzy walked back in, a mailbag in her mouth. She set it down by the table before turning to check on the waffles. "We got a few packages in for Fluttershy. She's the wildlife manager for Ponyville, along with handling pet adoptions, taking care of the local critters, and generally keeping an eye on the animals around here. She lives in a cottage south of town, right near the Everfree." Autumn blinked. "The Everfree? As in, the Everfree Forest?" Her eyes widened and her ears wilted. "As in, the place where monsters roam and nightmares run wild? The forest of beasts that even Tartarus couldn't hold? The Gaping Maw from which nopony returns?" Amethyst nodded, turning a page. "Also known as the Doom Wood, the Forest of Fear, the Unending Run..." "The Place of Lost Hope," Ditzy added, removing the last of the waffles and bringing a huge stack of them to the table. "The Feywild, the Breading-Ground of Terrors..." "The Haunted Crypt of Nature." "The Path Unwalked by the Living." "The Forest of Death." "Lifebane Hollow." "Neversleep." "Hunt of Haunts." "Ghost-Realm." "Fold of the Fallen." "Mother of Tartarus." "Father of the Nightmare." "And Those-Darn-Creepy-Woods-That-Twilight-And-Friends-And-The-CMC-Keep-Going-Into-For-Some-Reason." Amethyst snickered as Ditzy set the pot of blueberry syrup on the table. "Honestly, anypony but them can barely step inside without facing a pack of timberwolves or a manticore, but those nine never have any problems." Autumn stared in shock, her mouth hanging open. "I... didn't know about most of those," she admitted, shaking her head. "So, is it really as bad as they say?" Ditzy waved her off. "Nah, most of it's just exaggerated. Sure there's a lot of monsters in there, but they mostly keep away from the edge. You've just got to be careful of timberwolves around Zap Apple season." "I see." Autumn swallowed nervously. "And you're sure it's safe for this Fluttershy to live so close to the Deathtrap of Equestria?" Amethyst grinned, thumping a hoof on the table. "Knew we were missing one! But yeah, she's fine. Nopony can handle animals like Fluttershy. She knows how to keep the more dangerous ones away." "If you say so. Hopefully they'll stay away while I'm theYIP!" Autumn scowled over her shoulder at the gray unicorn filly who had glomped her tail. "You're going to do that every time, aren't you?" "So fluffy!" Dinky giggled before snuggling deeper into the mass of orange. Autumn held her glare for only a moment before it broke into a warm smile. Dang it! She's just too cute to stay mad at. Dinky Doo, Ditzy's younger daughter, had first introduced herself to Autumn the exact same way. Autumn had been talking with Ditzy about the layout of Ponyville at the table when she'd felt a sharp tug on her tail. A quick investigation had revealed an adorable unicorn filly with her mother's colors nuzzling it, squealing about how fluffy it was. After a quick introduction, and a slightly longer chastisement from her mother, Dinky had bombarded Autumn with question after question regarding her travels, he likes and dislikes, and whether she had a special somepony. By the time Amethyst had arrived home from work, Dinky was half-way through a long and often tangential account of her life story. "Yeah yeah, her tail's a big, fluffy fuzzball," Amethyst said, rolling her eyes as she levitated her sister off of Autumn's tail. "But how about you find a different way to greet Autumn. One that isn't this." She reached forward and bit Dinky's tail, giving it a quick tug before plopping her down in her seat. "Ow!" Dinky rubbed the base of her tail, glaring at Autumn. "Mooom! Amy's being a brat again!" "Well, she is your sister," Ditzy replied, sitting down as she rolled her eyes. "But she does have a point. Why don't you think of a nicer way to say 'good morning' to Autumn?" "Hm..." Dinky looked down and tapped her chin, her face scrunched in serious concentration. After a few moments, her eyes lit up and she grinned at Autumn, eyes closed and ears perked. "Good Morning, Miss Autumn! Can I pretty please hug your fluffy tail?" Must. Resist. Urge. To. Glomp. Cute. Unicorn. Autumn reached over and ruffled Dinky's mane. "Maybe some other time," she said. "For now, let's just enjoy this wonderful breakfast you mom's prepared." "M'kay," Dinky replied, grabbing a couple of waffles from the stack. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Autumn's tail, grinning evilly. "You won't escape, pretty tail," she whispered as her mother spread blueberry syrup over her waffles. "Nopony escapes Dinky Doo's hugs. No-tail, either." "Should I be concerned that she's talking to my tail?" Autumn whispered to Amethyst. Amethyst shrugged, taking a huge bite of her waffles. "I think she's been hanging out around Pinkie Pie too much. Don't worry, your tail will be fine." Her horn lit up as Dinky lunged for Autumn's tail again, only to come to an abrupt stop as her own tail was enveloped in her sister's purple magic. "I'll make sure of that." "Hey! No using magic on me!" Dinky shouted, rubbing her tail again. "Stop being a brat!" "I know you are, but what am I?" "I know you are but- hey! That's my thing! Mom!" "So you'll want to fly straight south out of town," Ditzy said as she cut her waffles, happily ignoring her two daughters as their bickering escalated. "There's a road there that forks after a few hundred feet. The western curve leads to Sweet Apple Acres, and the eastern curve leads to Fluttershy's house. "Should be easy enough," Autumn said, raising an eyebrow as Dinky and Amethyst started blowing raspberries across the table at each other. "I, um, I guess I just need a uniform, then." "I put one of my spares with Fluttershy's packages in the cart out back," Ditzy replied. "It'll do until Rarity - she's the seamstress in town - finishes up your uniforms tomorrow. She'll want to see you sometime today to get your measurements, so stop by her boutique on your way back. It's the one that looks like a giant carousel." "So that's what that place was." Ditzy nodded before glancing at the clock. "Girls, if you don't finish soon, you'll be running late." Dinky and Amethyst broke of their tongue-sticking-out contest (Amethyst had been winning) to look at the clock. Both of them gasped and began shoveling food into their mouths while Ditzy got up and went into the workroom. She returned dressed in her uniform and was just slipping her bag over her shoulder when Amethyst finished off her milk and whisked her and Dinky's dishes into the sink with a wave of her horn. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom," she called as she rushed out of the room. "See you, Dinks. Autumn, Dinky has a crush on Rumble!" "Wha- Bu- AMY!" Dinky's cries of indignation were cut off as Amethyst slammed the front door shut. Her gaze slowly turned to Autumn, who bore a downright predatory grin. She let out a few weak chuckles. "Um, you can just forget about what Amy said, right?" "Don't bet on it, Muffin," Ditzy said, setting Dinky's small saddlebags on her back. "Come on, let's get you off to school." She tipped her hat to Autumn before leading Dinky out after Amethyst. Autumn chuckled to herself as she got up and started washing the dishes, figuring she'd do something nice for the family that had taken her in. Good girls, all three of them, she thought. Her cleaning slowed and she sighed, staring down at her orange hooves. Let's just hope they don't mind when they find out they're living with a monster. Author's Note Methinks that chapters for this story are going to be shorter than I'm used to writing. I don't have much experience with a slice-of-life setting, so I'll be taking it little bits at a time. Next time: Fluttershy meets her greatest love mixed with her greatest fear, a new animal and a new pony! And how will Rarity react to a blue on orange color combo?
PrologueThe sun still hadn’t risen when the first alarm clock went off in Ponyville. Ditzy Doo quickly turned it off, not wanting it to wake her two daughters. She slowly got out of bed, groaning and stretching. “Well,” she whispered cheerfully to herself, “another day!” She quietly and quickly made her way downstairs and to the mail room and began the usual morning ritual of sorting the day’s mail. Ditzy loved this time of day, a quiet, peaceful time to relax and prepare for whatever the day would throw at her. As she sorted the mail, she was happy to see some letters for several of her friends and made a mental note to bring each of them a tray of home baked muffins. She was also delighted as she discovered something truly unusual: a letter for her! Nopony in Ponyville wrote to her since she saw practically everypony every day anyway, but this letter wasn’t from Ponyville. Ditzy broke from her sorting to open the letter from Trottingham. Dear Ditzy Doo, Thank you so much for accepting my application and for your generous offer of a job. I accept! I leave Trottingham today and so I should be in Ponyville around noon tomorrow. I promise to work hard and learn the route quickly, and I thank you again for this job and your generosity! Sincerely, Autumn Breeze Ditzy chuckled as she read. “Good luck learning the route,” she whispered, bemused. “In a small town like this, it changes every day. Hm. This was written yesterday, so she should be getting here today.” She looked up at the small pile of mail. “Good thing the load is small today. I should be able to be done by noon.” She went to her back door and opened it to find two packages on her back porch. "Only two for today,” she whispered happily to herself as she pulled them inside and placed them next to her mailbag. “The light one’s for Bon Bon. Must be all of those Prench candies that she ordered. Heavy one’s for Twilight. Must be more books.” She shook her head, amused. “I swear,” she said, walking into the kitchen to start making breakfast. “That mare gets a new order of books every week!” She heard a couple of alarms go off upstairs a while later, and wasn’t surprised when only a fuchsia unicorn walked down the stairs. “Morning, Mom,” she muttered, slumping down at the table. “Good morning, Amethyst,” Ditzy replied, flipping another flapjack onto a teetering stack. “Is your sister planning on joining us anytime soon?” Amethyst smirked. “The flapjack is mightier than the sword,” she replied. “She’ll smell them soon enough.” Ditzy laughed lightly. “Autumn Breeze wrote back,” she said. Amethyst's head immediately shot up from where it had been resting on the table. “The pegasus from Trottingham?” Ditzy nodded. “She accepted the job! She should be here sometime today.” Amethyst sighed in relief. “Good,” she said firmly. “Ponyville is getting bigger, and you need help. You’re bogged down most days. Speaking of which, how’s today’s load? “Small,” answered Ditzy, flipping one last flapjack onto the stack, “and only two packages, both along the rout.” She carried the flapjacks to the table. Setting them down, she looked up the stairs, confused. “I’m surprised that she isn’t down yet,” she commented. “She was up late last night,” explained Amethyst. “She had a lot of homework to do.” Ditzy raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “She told me she didn’t have any.” Amethyst giggled. “She’d say anything to get out and play with her friends. If you ask me,” she continued, whispering conspiratorially, “I think she has a crush on one of them.” They heard hoofsteps on the stairs. Ditzy grinned evilly. “One way to find out,” she whispered back. A young filly came down into the kitchen, gray coat and blond mane the exact same shades as her mother’s. “Morning, Amy!” she said, sitting down at the table. “Morning, Mommy!” “Good morning, Dinky,” said Ditzy, still wearing her evil grin. “So who’s the coltfriend?” Dinky turned beet red and her jaw dropped. Amethyst smirked. “I knew it!” she said triumphantly. “So, who is it? I bet it’s Pipsqueek!” “Don’t be silly, Amethyst,” said Ditzy casually, ignoring the deepening flush on her youngest daughter’s face. “He has eyes only for Scootaloo. Is it Featherweight?” “N-no!” stammered Dinky. “It’s not! I mean, I don’t have one!” “Could it be that Finish Line?” asked Amethyst. “After all, you just couldn’t stop talking about how he did in the roller derby.” “Or maybe it’s Tender Taps,” pressed Ditzy. “A lot of your friends like him.” “I don’t have a coltfriend!” said Dinky, a little more desperately this time. “It’s Snips or Snails,” said Amethyst, “isn’t it?” “ARE YOU CRAZY! EW, NO!” “It couldn’t be a fillyfriend, could it?” asked Ditzy. “MOM!!!” “Only joking, Little Muffin,” said Ditzy. “Well, that’s all I can really think of, unless of course it’s Rumble.” Dinky’s blush deepened instantly. Ditzy and Amethyst grinned at each other. “Oh, this is perfect!” cried Amethyst. “I know,” smirked Ditzy. “After all, Thunder Lane has been giving you the eye for years.” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “Not that. Thunder Lane’s been giving everypony the eye for years, and I do mean everypony. I meant that Flitter and Cloudchaser have been wanting to foalsit Dinky for months. I’m sure that they’d love to supervise a playdate. Oh, Dinky and Rumble sitting in a tree, H-O-L-D-I-N-G.” Ditzy and Dinky raised eyebrows. “Holding?” asked Ditzy. “You know, hooves,” explained Amethyst. “They’re way too young to be kissing.” “I don’t know,” said Ditzy as Dinky buried her face in her hooves, “I was kissing colts when I was her age.” Amethyst smirked. “And you had me when you were how young?” Ditzy laughed. “Point taken. I’ll have to let Miss Cheerilee know about this. Can’t have the young lovers sneaking off at recess for some face-to-face time.” “Mommy!” Dinky whined. Ditzy laughed and started dishing up flapjacks. “By the way, do you remember me talking about that pegasus from Trottingham?” She asked. Dinky nodded, eager to move the conversation away from Rumble. “You mean Autumn Wind?” “Autumn Breeze,” corrected Ditzy. “Well, she’s going to be working here at the Post Office. The only problem is, she doesn’t have a place to stay.” “Oh,” said Dinky. “She’s not going to stay here?” “Where would she sleep?” asked Amethyst. “We only have three bedrooms.” “Hm,” thought Dinky. Suddenly her eyes lit up. “Oh! I know!” she said. “I can share Amethyst’s room and she can have mine!” Amethyst grinned. “That sounds like a great idea, Dinky! Mom, are you OK with that?” Ditzy laughed warmly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Dinky quickly scarfed down her flapjacks and rushed upstairs to start moving her stuff into Amethyst’s room. “That went well,” said Amethyst once Dinky was out of earshot. “I thought she’d resist more.” “That’s the trick with children,” said Ditzy. “You have to let them think that it was all their idea.” “Good to know.” Amethyst finished her flapjacks and stood. “Well, I’m off to work. See you later.” Ditzy just nodded, her mouth full of flapjack. By the time Dinky realized that her bed, dresser, and toy chest were too big for her to move by herself, Ditzy had finished breakfast, washed the dishes, and was pulling her mailbag up around her neck. “We’ll take care of the furniture later, Dinky,” she said. “It’s time for school.” Dinky nodded and grabbed her schoolbag. They left the house together, both of them excited for the day ahead.
Chapter 1Chapter 1 A cool, late summer wind blew across the central plains of Equestria, ruffling the mane of a pegasus mare who stood upon a hill overlooking a small town at the base of the Unicorn Range. The mare sniffed the air before taking in a deep pull. "Mm," she moaned to herself. "Apples and baked goods. I think I'm going to like this town." Eschewing her wings, Autumn Breeze began trotting down the hill. Autumn drew no small amount of staring as she entered Ponyville, not that she'd expected anything else. Her coat was a bright, vivid orange, her mane and tail a darker, more reddish hue. A brown oak leaf adorned her flanks, her cutie mark also appearing on the clasps that held her saddlebags closed. However, the rest of her appearance was rather strange for a pony. Her underbelly from the base of her tail to her neck was a pure white, as were the tips of her mane and the end of her long, bushy tail. The tips of her ears and her muzzle were darkly shaded, the end of her nose almost black. Finally, her amber eyes held pupils that were slightly taller and narrower than usual. All in all, she looked like Discord had found a pegasus and gotten half-way into turning her into a fox before he'd gotten bored. And with the chaos spirit having taken up residence in the town only a few months prior, nopony could say for sure that she wasn't. And so, much to Autumn's amazement, most of the ponies who saw her simply shrugged before continuing about their business. Huh, Autumn thought. These ponies are a lot more accepting of the bizarre than I expected. I'm starting to see why Silver Shoe recommended this place. Giving a shrug of her own, Autumn began looking around at the buildings and street signs. "Now, where's Founder's Place?" "Just keep going straight on this road!" Autumn leapt into the air, baring her teeth at the Pink earth pony beneath her. "What the hay!" she shouted. "H-how did you-" "That'll lead you straight to the Town Square," the chipper mare continued, apparently not noticing or not bothered by Autumn's reaction. "Cross the bridge on the southeast side which will put you on Stirrup Street. Founder's Place is two blocks down, with the post office to the right! Cupcake?" Autumn blinked, staring at the orange and white pastry that the pony had pulled out of nowhere and lifted up to her face. "Um... sure?" she replied, taking the cupcake and raising an eyebrow at the strange mare. Seeing her encouraging grin, Autumn shrugged and took a small bite. Her eyes instantly widened and she quickly scarfed down the rest of the tasty treat, licking her muzzle to ensure that she got all of the crumbs. "Pretty good, huh?" The pink pony asked, bouncing up and down. "I'll say!" Autumn finally landed, grinning from ear to ear. "That's got to be the best cupcake I've ever tasted! Definitely in my top ten desserts." She smacked her lips a few times, reflecting on the lingering flavors. "Pumpkin and cream cheese, right?" "Yupparoonie! Thought you looked like a Fall kind of pony." the pink pastry pony proclaimed, proffering her hoof to shake. "I'm Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you!" "Autumn Breeze," Autumn replied, shaking her hoof. "Just got into town today." Her eyes narrowed as suspicion suddenly dawned. "Hey, wait a minute. How did you know I was looking for the post office?" "Well," Pinkie began, a feeling of dread falling over Autumn, "I saw you walking down the street and thought 'Oh my gosh a new pony in town!' because I know everypony in Ponyville but I don't know you which means you must be new in town and I remembered how Ditzy had told me earlier that she had FINALLY gotten somepony to come in and help her at the post office because she's way way waaaaay too overworked and now maybe she'll have some time for herself and to ask out that Doctor she's been crushing on for a while but she's not like super obvious about it and she said that the new pony should be coming in today and I put two and two together and came up with the four hooves walking down the street and decided to say hello but you looked a little lost and asked where Founder's Place was so I knew that I was right about why you were here so I told you how to get there and offered you a 'Welcome to Ponyville and Thanks For Helping Ditzy Not Be So Busy All the Time' cupcake which you really liked but said was only part of your top ten desserts not you number one so now I'm wondering just who in Equestria makes better desserts than me?" "...how do you hold that much air in your lungs?" Autumn shook her head, trying to parse through everything that Pinkie had said before giving up and just focusing on the last bit. "Um, there was this one place in Manehattan that had some killer funnel cakes. Not just your run-of-the-mill stuff, but all sorts of different batters and toppings. Then there was that ice cream store that I went to every week in Tall Tale. There's also an old, back-alley shop in Cloudsdale that makes the best cloud cake in Equestria. That's probably my number one pick, but since the Old Mare makes it with real clouds, only pegasi can really enjoy the full experience. Then there's Las Pegasus. Most of it's just hyped up junk, but there are a couple of places I'd recommend to anypony going through there." Licking her lips one more time, Autumn nodded. "So yeah, that cupcake probably ranks at number six or seven." "Neato! Well, see you on Saturday!" "Yeah, see you on-" Autumn blinked. "Wait," she said, turning back to Pinkie. "Why Sat-" Her question died on her tongue as she saw that Pinkie had disappeared. Autumn chuckled, shaking her head and starting back down the road. "There's one in every town, I guess." Just as Pinkie had said, the road led to a large, open square with a large, three-story building dominating the center. Market stalls lined the square, most of them closed or with signs saying that the owners were out to lunch. Looking out to a distant clock tower, Autumn saw that it was a little after noon. I guess I'll grab a bite to eat first, she thought. Not knowing where any restaurants would be, she picked a street at random and started walking again. As she walked, Autumn began making a mental map of the town. She counted herself fortunate that the town hall and clock tower were clearly visible above the roofs of the surrounding houses and businesses. The other buildings in town were rather remarkable as well. Each house was unique in some way or another, from small gardens of beautiful flowers to entire wings of the house added on. The various businesses were even more personalized. A high-end looking restaurant with tables that looked like large mushrooms stood right next to a store that seemed to sell quills and, of all things, sofas. She even saw a building down one street that looked like a giant carousel! One thing's for sure, Autumn thought, passing a delicious smelling, gingerbread-house looking bakery, I'm never going to get lost in this town. I'll bet good bits that that's where Pinkie Pie works. She indulged in one last sniff of the bakery before another scent distracted her. No way! She eagerly turned to follow the scent, breaking into a gallop as it grew stronger. There's no way a small town like this has... A huge grin split her face as a familiar building came into view. The Hayburger was a familiar chain restaurant all across Equestria, but every now and then she would find one that catered to more than just ponies. She trotted through the doors, tail swishing eagerly as she approached the counter. "Welcome to Hayburger!" chirped the teenage unicorn filly behind the counter, her two-toned purple mane a little ragged and her smile obviously strained. "May I take your order?" Autumn looked around the packed restaurant before giving the filly a sympathetic grin. "Just finished the lunch rush, huh?" The filly groaned, abandoning her professional cheer and slumping forward to rest her head on the counter. "Celestia, yes! I was about to go on break when you walked in. Don't worry," she said, waving her hoof lazily. "I'm sure I can summon enough energy for one more order." Autumn couldn't help but chuckle at the teen's antics. "Well, if you're sure it won't make you drop dead from exhaustion." She took a quick look around before lowering her voice. "Actually, I was hoping I could order something that isn't on the menu." The unicorn's ears perked up. "Really?" Autumn nodded. "I believe you have the Gryphon's Special here?" The filly's eyes widened, her head shooting straight up. "Celestia's horn!" she hissed. "And I told him he was crazy for keeping that stuff in stock! Didn't think we'd ever get a pony in here crazy enough to- I mean, um," She looked away, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Um, DARING enough to try it! Yup. Daring. That's totally what I said." Autumn smirked at the filly's lackluster coverup. "Don't worry, I get that a lot. I spent about a year in Gryphonstone and the taste kind of grew on me." "Right. Right." The unicorn cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "So, one Gryphon's Special. Will that be all?" "Actually, better make it five." The unicorn's jaw dropped. "And a half-dozen orders of fries." Her eye began twitching. "Three sodas too, unless you offer free refills?" A slow nod. "Great! Only one soda then. Diet. You got all that?" "...when was the last time you ate?" "Ah, don't be like that, Amy!" The unicorn jumped and spun around as the door to the side behind the counter opened. A gryphon stepped out, his feathers a golden color and splattered with grease. His back half was black, his leonine tail tipped with a tuft of white. He grinned as his eyes fell on Autumn. "Breeze! I knew that voice sounded familiar!" "Geralt!" Autumn leapt across the counter, tackling the gryphon to the ground and ignoring the unicorn's startled squeak. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" she cried, hugging him tightly. "Should have known you'd try setting up cooking gryphon fare in Central, you featherbrain. how've you been." Geralt the gryphon laughed, hugging Autumn back before pushing her off of him and climbing to his feet. "Been good, Breeze. Been good. And this featherhead has been doing pretty well for himself, thank you very much, even if the ponies in this town wouldn't know good cuisine if it bit them in the flank." Autumn snorted, slugging Geralt playfully on the shoulder. "Need I remind you that gryphons only consider it 'good cuisine' if it tried to bite you in the flank before you caught it?" "And they still wouldn't recognize it!" "He-hem!" Autumn and Geralt looked over to see the unicorn teen glaring at both of them, tapping her hoof impatiently. "Boss, while I'm sure this is a touching reunion for you and your friend of strange tastes, could you please tell her to get out from behind the counter? You're causing a scene." Sure enough, every pony in the Hayburger was staring at the gryphon and the fox-like mare roughhousing behind the counter of the restaurant. "Oops." Autumn chuckled nervously before flying back onto the customer side of the counter. "Um, sorry about that. Um, anyway, how much for that meal." "On the house!" Geralt replied, ignoring the unicorn's glare. "Been a long time since I've been able to treat you." "Boss, she ordered five Specials, six fries, and a drink. She would have gotten three if we didn't offer free refills." Geralt's grin fell, his eyes turning to the filly before moving back to Autumn. "That's it? What, you eat on the way over here or something?" Autumn laughed at the filly's flabbergasted expression. "Just a cupcake that a strange pink pony offered me. Filled me up enough to knock a few servings out of my usual order." "Ah. Pinkie." Geralt nodded. "Well, still on the house then. I'll go get started on that and let you and Amy here get acquainted. You'll probably be seeing quite a bit of each other." He turned around, pushing the door to the kitchen open again. "Catch you later, Autumn," he said as the door closed. "Autumn?" The unicorn's eyes widened as they turned back to the pegasus. "Wait a minute. You're Autumn Breeze?" "Last time I checked," Autumn replied. "And your name is Amy?" "Amethyst," the unicorn corrected, shaking her head. "Figures that Mom's hired help would be another weirdo for this town." "You're Ditzy's daughter?" Autumn asked. "Hey, small world!" "Small town, more like." Amethyst walked to the side of the counter, lifting a folding section to walk through to Autumn's side. "Well, I did say I was about to take my break. Might as well get to know Mom's new coworker." "Gee," Autumn snarked, following Amethyst to an empty table. "No need to be so enthusiastic. Not like we're going to be seeing a lot of each other or anything." "Just calling it like it is." Amethyst sat down, groaning as she relaxed. "Oh, that feels good. You pegasi have it lucky. You have no idea what it's like to have to be on your hooves all day." "Heat to break it to you kid," Autumn said, sitting across the table from her, "but my wings get just as tired as your legs. So, what can you tell me about this town?" Amethyst shrugged, looking out the window. "Honestly, not much to tell. It's pretty small; everypony knows pretty much everypony else. You'll get a lot of attention these next few days just for being a new face." Her eyes turned back to Autumn, looking her up and down. "Not that that's new for you, I'm sure." Autumn smirked, her tail twitching. "I do tend to draw a lot of stares, yes. How long do you think before I'm just "another weirdo?" "Eh, not too long," Amethyst replied. "I mean, Discord lives here and our librarian recently turned into an alicorn, so we're pretty used to weird stuff. you'll be a standard feature within a week, especially since your job takes you all around town." "I'm... sorry," Autumn said, stiffening where she sat. "Did you just say that Discord lives here? As in, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony? The Mad Trickster? The Bane of Sanity? He Whose Very Existence is a Giant Middle Finger to Reality?" "Sounds about right." Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Though, I have no idea what that last one means." "Gryphon thing." The two mares looked over to see Geralt walking over, a large tray balanced across his back. "'Giving the middle finger' is an obscene gesture. Basically means-" "Not very nice things that shouldn't be repeated in public!" Autumn interrupted, baring her fangs at Geralt. The gryphon shrugged before deftly sliding the tray onto the table and walking back to the kitchen. "Sorry about that," Autumn apologized. "Not sure how your mom would like it if your first meeting with me involved you learning another culture's profanity." "It's fine," Amethyst said, eyeing the contents of the tray warily. "She's pretty cool about that kind of thing as long as Dinky doesn't get exposed to it." She leaned over and sniffed the tray before swiftly recoiling back, face scrunched in disgust. "So, you're really going to eat all of that, huh?" Autumn looked down at her meal, licking her lips as the delicious smell hit her nostrils. Alongside the six fry orders and extra-large drink sat five sandwiches filled with tantalizing meat. Autumn took a deep sniff, shivering in euphoria. "Oooooh yeah. It's been too long since I've had a meal that smelled this good. I tell you, it's hard to find squirrel burgers in Equestria." "I wonder why?" Amethyst muttered. Autumn reached down with a wing, picking up the burger and bringing it to her lips. She opened her mouth wide, showing off her overly-large canines, before chomping down on her sandwich. She moaned as the taste hit her tongue, chewing slowly before swallowing the huge bite. "Sweet Harmony, I've missed this." "Holy crap," Amethyst whispered, staring in fascinated horror as Autumn devoured the next few burgers, stopping only for quick sips of her drink or to drop an entire container of fries into her gaping maw. Within five minutes, the tray was empty of all but a few crumbs and a single burger. "Ah, that hit the spot," Autumn sighed, leaning back and patting her belly. "I'm going to get fat, eating like this." She picked up the last sandwich, offering it to Amethyst. "You want to try it?" Amethyst paled immediately, vehemently shaking her head. "I'm good! Not hungry!" Autumn shrugged before tossing it in the air, catching it in her mouth and devouring it in seconds. "Merciful Luna, how did you eat all of that?" "Really fast metabolism," Autumn answered, hiding a burp behind her wing and getting to her hooves. "Guess it's about time to meet your mom. I guess I'll see you around. Hey Geralt!" she shouted. "Thanks for the meal!" And then, uncaring of the stares all around her, she walked out of Hayburger and onto the streets. Amethyst stared after her for a few moments, a single thought on her mind. Did she say meet Mom, or eat Mom? Author's Note Here it is, folks. The first chapter of my latest story. I expected to get to Autumn's meeting with Ditzy before finishing, but the squirrel burger idea hopped into my head and it seemed the perfect way to introduce Autumn to Amethyst. She might be having second thoughts about living under the same roof. Oh well. Too late now, Amy. Next chapter should be out within the week. Artwork is by the talented scynexx. Look her up. She's got some great stuff.
Chapter 2Chapter 2 "Here we are! Founder's Place." Autumn turned down the side street, humming a tune as she scanned the houses on her right. "Kind of weird to put the post office in a residential area, though." "Well, Ponyville's a weird town." Autumn barely kept herself on the ground this time as she wheeled around to glare at the second pony to sneak up on her today. The earth pony mare had a cream-colored coat and a two-tone pink and purple mane and was giving Autumn a strange look. "What's with you ponies and sneaking up on me?" Autumn demanded. The mare shrugged. "Sorry about that. Just figured I'd see how much control the town's new equi-fox had over herself." "Yeah, well, like I said. Second time toda-" Autumn's eyes grew wide and she barely kept her wings from shooting out. "What did you just say?" "Well, you aren't very good at hiding it," the mare replied, walking past the stunned pegasus. "I've been tailing you since Town Square. That little display in the Hayburger made it painfully obvious." She looked over her shoulder at the frozen mare. "You're going this way, right?" I could run right now, Autumn thought frantically. Just fly away and never come back. There's no way she could keep up, and I could just loose myself in Phillydelphia or something... again. Steeling her nerves, Autumn trotted after the earth pony mare. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," Autumn said, getting a raised eyebrow in response. "I mean, I see how you would think that, but I'm really just the product of bad luck. See, I had this friend growing up, a unicorn who specialized in transformation magic. Good enough to get into Celestia's school! She was the pride of our little town for years. Anyway, she came back full of confidence, but not quite enough ability to back it up. I foolishly volunteered to be a test subject for her to show off some spells-" "And she tried to turn you into a fox but the transformation got stuck halfway and you decided you liked it, right?" The mare chuckled and shook her head. "Well, that should pass here in Ponyville. Most ponies here have never even heard of lycanthropes. Fluttershy will pick you out immediately, and Princess Twilight might figure it out too, but they're level-headed enough not to blab it to anyone. I'm Bon Bon, by the way." "Autumn Breeze," Autumn grumbled, miffed that she'd been seen through so easily. "So how the hay did you figure it out?" "I have some experience with monsters," Bon Bon replied, "along with those that ponies think of as monsters." She paused, turning to look Autumn in the eye. "I sincerely hope that you're the latter." Autumn sighed, reaching down with a wing to open one of her saddlebags. "No worries there," she said, nodding to the open bag. "Got some quality rope in there. I make sure to tie myself down every month." Bon Bon nodded. "Good. I'd hate to hear about anything happening to Ditzy or her girls." She sighed, motioning for Autumn to follow as she continued down the street. "I'd hate to hear about anything happening to you, too. Your kind really don't get a fair lot here in Equestria." Autumn's ears turned back and she looked down. "Tell me about it," she muttered. "Soon as ponies find out about me, they start bringing out every legend and old mare's tale they can to try to incriminate me, and that's if they don't just resort to a mob." "Well, you won't have to worry about that here," Bon Bon assured. "When it comes out, I'll stand by you. I know Fluttershy and Twilight will, too. And if you've got those two on your side, nopony in town will give you any trouble." "You don't need to do that," Autumn muttered. "I've dealt with this before. I'll be here for a couple of years before moving on. Probably back to Gryphonstone or something." "Not if we can help it!" Autumn looked up, startled at the heat in Bon Bon's voice and the glare that she was leveling at her. "You aren't going to get kicked out of town just because of what you are. Your friends won't allow it." "I just got to town," Autumn argued. "I look like a freak. My one friend in this town is a gryphon, and if a mob comes for me, he knows to stay out of it or he'll be kicked out too. I don't have any friends to stand by me." "Well, you'll have at least one." Autumn's jaw dropped, her hooves freezing as she stared at Bon Bon. "Wh-what?! But, but you know what I am! You yourself said 'when,' not 'if.' I'm going to get found out. I'm going to get run out. And if you side with me, there's no telling what it'll do to your life here!" "Probably make it really difficult and arduous," Bon Bon replied, shrugging. "That is, if I'm alone. Guess for my sake you'd better start making some more friends." She nodded towards a nearby house. "This'd be a good place to start." Autumn looked at the house. It was a two-story building like those surrounding it, but the whole thing was painted a familiar light blue with white trim. A sign hung over the front door, a field of blue lined in black with a sealed letter in the center: the symbol of the Equestrian Postal Service. "The Post Office is her house?" Autumn asked incredulously. "Welcome to Ponyville," Bon Bon replied, "population: too small for its own building." Bon Bon turned, walking back up the street a few steps before pausing. "Bit of advice," she added, looking over her shoulder. "Tell Ditzy about your condition before your first transformation here. She... won't take it well if she thinks you've been endangering her kids." "Don't see why it would be a problem," Autumn replied. "Not like I'm going to be living here or anything." Bon Bon turned away, hiding a snicker. "Heh, yeah. What sort of crazy pony just *snrk* invites a stranger to live with them. It'd take a real weirdo." "I resemble that remark!" Autumn and Bon Bon looked up to see a gray pegasus mare hovering over their heads. "Hey, Bonnie! What am I crazy for this time?" "Hey, Ditzy," Bon Bon called. "I was just talking to Autumn here about how crazy it would be for somepony to let a complete stranger live with them." "You're Autumn Breeze?" Ditzy asked. Seeing Autumn's nod, she squeed and dove down to hug her. "Oh it's so great to meet you! The girls and I have been looking forward to meeting you all day!" "Um, nice to meet you too," Autumn replied, hesitantly returning the hug. "And one of your daughters has already met her," Bon Bon added. "Autumn here stopped by the Hayburger for lunch. Got a few," she grimaced, "Gryphon Specials." Ditzy froze, pulling back and holding Autumn at arm's length. "You eat meat?" "I, uh, spent a couple of years living with the gryphons," Autumn explained. "It sort of grew on me." "Huh." Ditzy shrugged, a grin splitting her face once more. "Well, so long as you don't bring any here, I won't judge your eating habits." She flew over to the door, unlocking it and heading inside. "Come on in! I'll give you the tour!" "And I think that's my cue to leave," Bon Bon said, patting Autumn on the shoulder and lowering her voice. "Seriously though, tell her soon. The longer you wait, the worse it'll be when she discovers it." "I'll... consider it," Autumn conceded. Bon Bon nodded, squeezing her shoulder before turning and walking away. "See you around, Lowenmagen." Autumn blinked, caught off guard as Bon Bon walked away. "She speaks Gryphoese?" she pondered, narrowing her eyes. "And what does she mean, Lion-Stomach?" Shaking her head, she followed Ditzy into the Post Office. The large front room had been massively remodeled, leaving a large waiting area separated from the back of the room by a counter. A scale sat on the counter with a few shelves of different sized envelopes and boxes behind it. Ditzy hopped behind the counter, reaching down and pulling out a basket full of muffins. "Muffin?" she offered. "Um, no thanks," Autumn replied. Ditzy shrugged, grabbing a blueberry muffin and throwing it into her mouth. "I've got to say," Autumn said, looking around as Ditzy chewed, "you've really managed to make your house look like a real post office. I wasn't sure what to think when I saw this place at first." Ditzy swallowed her muffin, placing the basket back behind the counter. "Yeah, I get that a lot from new ponies. That's just how it is in Ponyville, though. Lots of ponies start businesses out the back of their home and remodel once they get enough." She stepped to the side, opening a small gate. "Come on back. I'll show you where you'll be staying." "I think you mean 'working,'" Autumn corrected, stepping behind the counter and closing the gate after herself. "Nope!" Ditzy said, leading Autumn into a hallway. A stairway occupied the left half of it, the right side having doorways that led to a kitchen and another room that looked like a workroom of some sort. Ditzy started up the stairs and Autumn, reluctantly, followed. "See, Ponyville only has one hotel and a couple of apartment buildings, and they're on the other side of town. You'd have to get up and fly in the dark to get here for work on time. So we did a little rearranging and set you up in Dinky's old room." Autumn paused halfway up the stairs, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. "That's, I mean, what?!" She shook her head, her wings twitching erratically as she backed down a step. "I can't do that! I couldn't ask you to!" "Good thing you aren't the one asking then," Ditzy replied, smiling back down at her. "We are. Dinky already moved everything but her furniture over to Amethyst's room this morning, and I have some stallions coming in a couple of hours with your new bed and dresser." Autumn backed down another couple of steps, shaking her head adamantly. "You don't understand. I can't! I... really need my privacy. Besides, I couldn't put you out like that. It wouldn't be right!" "Actually," Ditzy said, looking away and rubbing the back of her neck, ears splayed back, "you'd be putting us out more if you didn't stay. See, we're a little tight on bits right now. Not that I can't pay you what we agreed!" she said frantically, eyes wide and worry building. "It's just, things would be a bit tight for a while. We kind of hoped room and board could come out of your paycheck. It'd be more convenient for you a-and easier for our finances." Ditzy started stammering, looking at the walls, the floor, anywhere but directly at Autumn. "I-I mean, we still could pay you the full amount and have you live elsewhere, b-but this just seemed, um, more convenient, and we thought, well, that is..." She trailed off, obviously worried about Autumn's reaction. Autumn, meanwhile, didn't know what to say. Sure, it would be far more convenient to live right upstairs from where she worked, and "room and board" here would probably cost less than living on her own, but there was still the elephant in the room for her to consider. Or rather, the fox in the room. That's why Bon Bon insisted I tell her about me, Autumn realized. Crap. If I stay here, I might just have to. But it does make sense... "I, um, that maybe could work. But I really need privacy." "There's a lock on the door!" Ditzy quickly reassured, a pleading smile now on her face as she realized that Autumn was considering staying. "It's not that," Autumn said. "I mean, that's good too, but I, well..." She wracked her brain, trying to think of a convincing excuse. "I... have night terrors! Yup, horrible night terrors. N-not every night, but once in a while. Once a month, really. A-anyway, I wouldn't want you or your daughters getting woken up from my... screaming and thrashing." "Oh." Ditzy's ears fell, her face growing concerned. "I'm so sorry. What are they- No, no. Forget it. I shouldn't ask. But, um, if that's the problem, I could have Amethyst cast a silence spell around your room at night." Autumn blinked, her ears perking. "Really? She can do that?" "Of course!" Ditzy grinned, cheer returning to her face. "She's been getting lessons from our local magic expert for almost a year now. She learned the Sphere of Silence this Spring during my estrus cycle." She blushed, her grin turning a bit sheepish. "I... may have asked her to use it on my room a few times when I had *ahem* 'company' over." Autumn snorted, doing her best to hide an appropriately wolfish grin. "Oh, I bet that conversation went well." Ditzy stuck her tongue out at her before descending into giggles. Autumn joined in a second later, trotting up to stand beside her. "You sure me living here is okay? It won't be too hard on her casting that every night?" Ditzy waved her off. "Don't worry about it. It'll be good for her, actually. Twilight says she's supposed to be working on regular magical exercise to stretch her limits or something. I didn't really get everything that she was saying, but basically the more she uses her magic, the better. This will be good exercise for her horn before she turns in for the night. So? What do you say?" Autumn thought for a moment before sighing. Guess I really don't have any excuse. As long as they don't barge in one one of those nights, it should be fine. I'll have to tell Ditzy, though. Just... not today. Once I get more settled in. "Ditzy Doo," Autumn said, raising her hoof to shake, "you've got yourself a deaOOF!" Autumn staggered backward a step as Ditzy lept into a hug. "Oh, this is going to be great! I promise you won't regret this!" Autumn smiled, returning the hug. I certainly hope not.
Chapter 3Chapter 3 The sun rose slowly over the mountains east of Ponyville. Few ponies roamed the streets as most were still happily abed. A few birds had begun their morning chorus, their soft twittering gracefully rousing a few of the town's lighter sleepers from slumber. A gentle breeze blew through the streets, promising a cool day ahead. All was peaceful. "AR-AROO-AROOOOOOOO!!!" As such, no-one could blame Autumn for waking up with thoughts of murdering the local rooster menace. She groaned as she rubbed her eyes, grumbling about roast chicken. Note to self, find out whose bird that is and pay them to let me kill it. Sighing, she threw off her blankets and rolled out of bed, landing on her paws. Her jaw stretched in a silent yawn as she walked over to her new dresser, rearing up and placing her forelegs on top. She blinked blearily at the orange face before her, rubbing her eyes a few times before looking again and sighing at the fox that starred back. "Every time," she muttered, closing her eyes. "Every time I get a new bed. It'll take a week before I can keep from transforming every night." She did her best to clear her mind, wiping away the morning grogginess and the desire to commit poultricide. She filled her mind with a single image: that of a sky blue pegasus with a yellow mane and tail and an oak leaf cutie mark. She felt the familiar sensation of her body changing, her muzzle shortening and thickening as she grew incisors and molars, her legs and torso expanding as she grew upwards, and her shoulders rearranging themselves as a pair of wings grew from her back. When Autumn opened her eyes again, she smiled at the orange pegasus that greeted her in the mirror. "Morning, foxy," she said, flashing her canines in a grin. "Ready for your first day in town?" She replied to herself with a wink before turning to her door, unlocking the lever handle lock along with the recently installed deadbolt and chain lock. Despite Ditzy's claims that the extra locks were excessive, Autumn was determined to not take any risks. Finally getting her door open, Autumn trotted out of her room and down the hall to the stairs, sniffing a few times as the scent of breakfast reached her nose. Mmm, waffles. With blueberry syrup and... more muffins? She shook her head, chuckling as she walked down the stairs. Guess I know what this family's favorite food is. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned and walked across the hall to the large kitchen that doubled as a dining room. Amethyst was already sitting at the table, her brow furrowed as she read a book held in her magic. Ditzy was over at the counter, watching over a waffle iron as she stirred a pot on the stove. "Morning, everypony," Autumn said, taking a seat next to Amethyst. Amethyst grunted a greeting while Ditzy spat out her spoon, grinning over at Autumn. "Good morning, Autumn. I hope you slept well." Autumn shrugged. "Well enough. I always have a hard time getting used to a new bed." Her face morphed into a scowl and a soft growl escaped her throat. "Not to mention being woken up by a feathering rooster. If I find that bird, Geralt's going to be cooking up his cousin." Amethyst snorted, looking up from her book. "Good luck with that. The Apples' rooster has been menacing this town for months. They've said that anyone who catches it off Sweet Apple Acres can do what they want, but they won't let anypony hunt him on their property, and the stupid bird knows it. He runs straight there after his first crow of the day. Nopony's been able to catch him yet." "Yeah well, I'm not just anypony," Autumn grumbled. "Give me a week - ten days tops - and we'll be sharing chicken sandwiches at the Hayburger." Ditzy grimaced, turning back to the pot. "Pass." "You know what?" Amethyst grinned. "You're on. You manage to catch that stupid bird, and I'll let you introduce me to meat. Least I can do to get back at that featherbrain is take a bite out of him." "Now that's what I'm talking about," Autumn said, holding out her hoof. She grinned as Amethyst bumped it with her own. "Now I'm really motivated. That bird is going down!" Ditzy rolled her eyes as she removed a batch of waffles from the iron, pouring in the last of the batter before closing it again. "Congratulations, Autumn. Your first morning here, and you've already corrupted one of my daughters." She gave the syrup another few stirs before trotting into the adjacent workroom. "By the way, we've got a really light load today. How do you feel about flying a couple of packages out to the outskirts of town?" "Probably better than trying to find my way around with the general mail," Autumn admitted. "I was actually planning on just walking around and getting a feel for the layout of the town today, but I think I can handle a package or two." "Great!" Ditzy walked back in, a mailbag in her mouth. She set it down by the table before turning to check on the waffles. "We got a few packages in for Fluttershy. She's the wildlife manager for Ponyville, along with handling pet adoptions, taking care of the local critters, and generally keeping an eye on the animals around here. She lives in a cottage south of town, right near the Everfree." Autumn blinked. "The Everfree? As in, the Everfree Forest?" Her eyes widened and her ears wilted. "As in, the place where monsters roam and nightmares run wild? The forest of beasts that even Tartarus couldn't hold? The Gaping Maw from which nopony returns?" Amethyst nodded, turning a page. "Also known as the Doom Wood, the Forest of Fear, the Unending Run..." "The Place of Lost Hope," Ditzy added, removing the last of the waffles and bringing a huge stack of them to the table. "The Feywild, the Breading-Ground of Terrors..." "The Haunted Crypt of Nature." "The Path Unwalked by the Living." "The Forest of Death." "Lifebane Hollow." "Neversleep." "Hunt of Haunts." "Ghost-Realm." "Fold of the Fallen." "Mother of Tartarus." "Father of the Nightmare." "And Those-Darn-Creepy-Woods-That-Twilight-And-Friends-And-The-CMC-Keep-Going-Into-For-Some-Reason." Amethyst snickered as Ditzy set the pot of blueberry syrup on the table. "Honestly, anypony but them can barely step inside without facing a pack of timberwolves or a manticore, but those nine never have any problems." Autumn stared in shock, her mouth hanging open. "I... didn't know about most of those," she admitted, shaking her head. "So, is it really as bad as they say?" Ditzy waved her off. "Nah, most of it's just exaggerated. Sure there's a lot of monsters in there, but they mostly keep away from the edge. You've just got to be careful of timberwolves around Zap Apple season." "I see." Autumn swallowed nervously. "And you're sure it's safe for this Fluttershy to live so close to the Deathtrap of Equestria?" Amethyst grinned, thumping a hoof on the table. "Knew we were missing one! But yeah, she's fine. Nopony can handle animals like Fluttershy. She knows how to keep the more dangerous ones away." "If you say so. Hopefully they'll stay away while I'm theYIP!" Autumn scowled over her shoulder at the gray unicorn filly who had glomped her tail. "You're going to do that every time, aren't you?" "So fluffy!" Dinky giggled before snuggling deeper into the mass of orange. Autumn held her glare for only a moment before it broke into a warm smile. Dang it! She's just too cute to stay mad at. Dinky Doo, Ditzy's younger daughter, had first introduced herself to Autumn the exact same way. Autumn had been talking with Ditzy about the layout of Ponyville at the table when she'd felt a sharp tug on her tail. A quick investigation had revealed an adorable unicorn filly with her mother's colors nuzzling it, squealing about how fluffy it was. After a quick introduction, and a slightly longer chastisement from her mother, Dinky had bombarded Autumn with question after question regarding her travels, he likes and dislikes, and whether she had a special somepony. By the time Amethyst had arrived home from work, Dinky was half-way through a long and often tangential account of her life story. "Yeah yeah, her tail's a big, fluffy fuzzball," Amethyst said, rolling her eyes as she levitated her sister off of Autumn's tail. "But how about you find a different way to greet Autumn. One that isn't this." She reached forward and bit Dinky's tail, giving it a quick tug before plopping her down in her seat. "Ow!" Dinky rubbed the base of her tail, glaring at Autumn. "Mooom! Amy's being a brat again!" "Well, she is your sister," Ditzy replied, sitting down as she rolled her eyes. "But she does have a point. Why don't you think of a nicer way to say 'good morning' to Autumn?" "Hm..." Dinky looked down and tapped her chin, her face scrunched in serious concentration. After a few moments, her eyes lit up and she grinned at Autumn, eyes closed and ears perked. "Good Morning, Miss Autumn! Can I pretty please hug your fluffy tail?" Must. Resist. Urge. To. Glomp. Cute. Unicorn. Autumn reached over and ruffled Dinky's mane. "Maybe some other time," she said. "For now, let's just enjoy this wonderful breakfast you mom's prepared." "M'kay," Dinky replied, grabbing a couple of waffles from the stack. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Autumn's tail, grinning evilly. "You won't escape, pretty tail," she whispered as her mother spread blueberry syrup over her waffles. "Nopony escapes Dinky Doo's hugs. No-tail, either." "Should I be concerned that she's talking to my tail?" Autumn whispered to Amethyst. Amethyst shrugged, taking a huge bite of her waffles. "I think she's been hanging out around Pinkie Pie too much. Don't worry, your tail will be fine." Her horn lit up as Dinky lunged for Autumn's tail again, only to come to an abrupt stop as her own tail was enveloped in her sister's purple magic. "I'll make sure of that." "Hey! No using magic on me!" Dinky shouted, rubbing her tail again. "Stop being a brat!" "I know you are, but what am I?" "I know you are but- hey! That's my thing! Mom!" "So you'll want to fly straight south out of town," Ditzy said as she cut her waffles, happily ignoring her two daughters as their bickering escalated. "There's a road there that forks after a few hundred feet. The western curve leads to Sweet Apple Acres, and the eastern curve leads to Fluttershy's house. "Should be easy enough," Autumn said, raising an eyebrow as Dinky and Amethyst started blowing raspberries across the table at each other. "I, um, I guess I just need a uniform, then." "I put one of my spares with Fluttershy's packages in the cart out back," Ditzy replied. "It'll do until Rarity - she's the seamstress in town - finishes up your uniforms tomorrow. She'll want to see you sometime today to get your measurements, so stop by her boutique on your way back. It's the one that looks like a giant carousel." "So that's what that place was." Ditzy nodded before glancing at the clock. "Girls, if you don't finish soon, you'll be running late." Dinky and Amethyst broke of their tongue-sticking-out contest (Amethyst had been winning) to look at the clock. Both of them gasped and began shoveling food into their mouths while Ditzy got up and went into the workroom. She returned dressed in her uniform and was just slipping her bag over her shoulder when Amethyst finished off her milk and whisked her and Dinky's dishes into the sink with a wave of her horn. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom," she called as she rushed out of the room. "See you, Dinks. Autumn, Dinky has a crush on Rumble!" "Wha- Bu- AMY!" Dinky's cries of indignation were cut off as Amethyst slammed the front door shut. Her gaze slowly turned to Autumn, who bore a downright predatory grin. She let out a few weak chuckles. "Um, you can just forget about what Amy said, right?" "Don't bet on it, Muffin," Ditzy said, setting Dinky's small saddlebags on her back. "Come on, let's get you off to school." She tipped her hat to Autumn before leading Dinky out after Amethyst. Autumn chuckled to herself as she got up and started washing the dishes, figuring she'd do something nice for the family that had taken her in. Good girls, all three of them, she thought. Her cleaning slowed and she sighed, staring down at her orange hooves. Let's just hope they don't mind when they find out they're living with a monster. Author's Note Methinks that chapters for this story are going to be shorter than I'm used to writing. I don't have much experience with a slice-of-life setting, so I'll be taking it little bits at a time. Next time: Fluttershy meets her greatest love mixed with her greatest fear, a new animal and a new pony! And how will Rarity react to a blue on orange color combo?
