A Berry Good Journal

Berry Pinch hummed to herself, enjoying the first rays of sun as they streamed into the small kitchen in her home. Her mom didn’t use it much, but it was one of the few comforts she had in the place. Not that she was any great cook or baker herself, but it was nice to be able to make something, instead of just cleaning it.

Of course, she still had to clean that which she used, but there was something almost therapeutic to mornings like these. The warm water running over her hands, the soap covering her wrists, and the gleam of pots and pans always made Pinch happy to do the dishes.

She let out a small yawn as she grabbed the next plate, slipping it into the water ass her shoulders slumped slightly. The other reason she didn’t usually do dishes until the morning was that they could help her get back to sleep somedays, instead of her running on maybe four hours of sleep, but it didn’t seem like it would happen today.

Maybe that’s what I should have wished for? Actually get eight hours, instead of feeling like I give four hours to my mom each night. She groaned at the thought, still annoyed at herself for the day before. Or, more so, the week before. While she could have used the book for Celestia only knows what, she had just let it sit on her dresser, collecting dust as she tried to decide if she even wanted to put any faith in it, or just toss it into a fire and be done with all the madness it showed.

Last night she had made a decision though. One that she could see immediate effects from, and would tell her if all of what she’d been promised was… possible. Of course, she knew it could be a coincidence, but with how few happy accidents happened to her, she’d rather blame it on the book, and maybe get a-

“Hello?”

Pinch almost leapt out of her skin, the plate in her hand slipping back into the water as she backed into the counter to her right. The rough wood dug into her back as she tried to figure out why there was a voice in her house, let alone a female one. Had her mom become a lesbian? Were they being robbed?

When Pinch finally looked to her left, she lost her breath. No, none of her assumptions could have been right. Sure, the mare standing before her was beautiful enough to catch any pony’s eye, what with her large, perky breasts, slender waist, and perfect, dark and light blue hair, but her mom would have never landed her. Not with how she stood.

The mare stepped forward, holding her suitcase in front of her as a slight tinge of red touched her cheeks. It was only more proof of how impossible her mother and this mare were together. This mare had manners, grace, shame, and blue eyes that one could drown in. It was all only made better by the dark gray, long sleeve shirt she wore, along with a blue skirt that led to her long, long blue legs.

Pinch couldn’t even come up to say. She could ask her questions, like how she got in, where she had come from, if she was single… Why would she ask that? Why did she care about this mare’s dating life? Just because she was perfection brought to life didn’t mean- What the fuck am I thinking?

The blue mare cleared her throat, lowering the suitcase as a small, warm smile crossed her lips. “I’m sorry. I should have knocked, even if you gave me my key in the mail. I’m, uh…” she paused, looking down for a moment, before saying, in a voice that Pinch might have realized was nervous if she wasn’t in the middle of a panic attack, “Tura, your renter. I’m guessing you’re Berry Punch?”

Pinch blinked a few times, before pushing herself up, her mind grabbing onto the thread she’d been given. This was their renter, and so this was the guest that she’d ask to be at least good, and the book had brought her… this. “N-no, I’m, uh, Berry Pinch, her daughter. My mom is asleep upstairs.”

Tura nodded, her smile growing to be more confident and wide. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Pinch. Your mom sent me a list of rules for my stay, but I do want to make sure that you both know that if you need my help with anything, or I do anything wrong, I would be happy to hear whatever you need to say.”

For a moment, Abyssion looked up as a scream came from his friend’s realm, cracking and shredding it. Abyssion merely smiled at the development, and making sure not to go remind his friend that he’d been against watching every move Pinch made, including her thoughts.

As for Pinch, she merely blinked, the taboo thought gone in a moment as reality finally set back in. There renter had said she was coming in for business, needing a place to stay while she worked with some people in Ponyville. The fact that she was here was just because this place was cheap, and she would get any privacy she wanted.

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t at least be nice, and so Pinch nodded back at Tura, smiling a little herself. “I saw the rules my mom made, and even added a few then, so everything should be fine.”

Tura slowly bobbed her head, showing her agreement, before looking over Pinch’s shoulder. “Do you cook?”

Pinch’s cheeks burned for a moment, which made the small mare thank her lucky stars that it was almost impossible to tell underneath her coat, before she babbled out, “Well, sometimes, though I’m really not that good at it.”

The older mare stepped in, taking a look at the kitchen. “Well, we’re in the same boat then, though I’ve never been able to personally. If there’s a normal time you do though, I’d love to help, especially if it means having something other than microwaved vegetables.”

Pinch’s heart almost skipped a beat at that as she wrung her hands together in front of her, trying to stay calm. “Well, um, I guess I could figure out a time, and since we have your cellphone number, I could also just call you when I’m making dinner.”

Tura’s eyes closed as she smiled, her white teeth finally shone on Pinch. “Well, thank you very much.”

Pinch blinked a few times, before absentmindedly gesturing to the way out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go get unpacked?”

A quick glance at her suitcase brought another beautiful blush to Tura’s cheeks before she nodded. “Your right. I’ll be right down to talk some more.”

“Um, y-yeah…” Pinch watched as Tura walked away from her, the sway of her hips being almost mesmerizing.

And terrifying.

The second Tura was gone, so was Pinch, running out the back door, not able to believe any of this to be true, for it simply was too good to be so.

But, if she came back and Tura didn’t have a problem with her disappearance, which she wouldn’t later in the day, she had her proof, and she was going to crack that journal wide open, every night.