Wensleydale, Miss?

by Lerd_Gamer

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Bat Pony, Romance, Profanity, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Human
Length: 6255

A lonely man comes across a hurt batpony, and seeks to help her out. When things calm down a bit, they wish to have a quick snack, but don't have much in the way of food. Hopefully some crackers and cheese will suffice.

Herald was not much for friends back home, and is even more so in Equestria. It seems no one wants to talk with the weird thing from else where, but that doesn't stop one mare who has taken a liking to him after he helped her out of a bad spot. He does his best to patch her up, and later they try to take a minute to relax with some snacks. Herald hopes that this pony likes Wensleydale styled cheese and crackers, and perhaps a side of tea.

Published 2020-06-07 04:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-06-07 04:20:02 UTC

A Quick Friend!

Oh joy, she wants to give a piece of her mind. I can't wait to hear the same 'advice' again. Herald was just on his way home after getting fired from his last job. To be honest, the manager was a bit much for him anyways, but it at least kept food on the table. The mare walking towards him had been one of the first few ponies to find him, and they weren't exactly the nicest either. Well, that seemed to be the standard for most ponies around here anyways.

“Hey, you miss the signs pointing home,” the mare, Green Leaf, laughed. Herald just winced and tried to side step the green coated mare, but she just moved in front of him and stood there. She had been the biggest issue since he came to Equestria, and continues to be. Whether by jeering him, or calling other random slurs to him, making Herald more and more isolated to the residents of Lower Canterlot. He didn’t have any friends back home, and what little he did have weren’t really friends as they were more so just acquaintances. When he came here however, he had none.

Well maybe one, but the point still stands. He didn’t exactly have a happy ending back home. A smirk crossed her features slowly. “Don’t you know by now? The zoo is that way, this is to the town center. We can’t have loose animals running about here,”she came closer and whispered,”so how about you turn around and don’t stop, hmm?” He once again tried to side step and was met with the same results, so he finally gave up and just stood there.

I really need to get supplies from town, but how am I going to get around this blasted pegasus? He tried to confront her, but with little success. Well, so much for the easy way around, guess it’s time for Operation Unthinkable. Herald thought of something that might end badly, but was willing to try it anyways. He started to backup with Green Leaf believing him to leave before he bolted forwards towards her and leaped over her…

...which then left him getting his left thigh cut as the mare threw her head back to watch, barely missing the Top Secrets by mere centimeters. He booked it down the street as the mare stood in the street, now willing to give chase after being shocked at what Herald just did. He kept going till he was two blocks down the road and on the edge of the market. He could already tell it was a slow day as there weren’t many ponies looking at him or outside for that matter. He slowed to a jogging pace till he got to the merchant that he needed to see. Cranberry Cheese, one if not the only decently nice ponies that don’t openly glare or run him off.

Cranberry Cheese looked up and smiled slightly as he saw one of his more unique customers coming up to his stand. Herald gave him a smile and wave, making his greeting quick while asking for the needed groceries. Sadly, it seemed Cranberry didn’t have said needed supplies. “I’m sorry sir, but it seems we don’t have your type of cheese back in stock at the moment, although it was due today. Give it a day and I should have it in! Anything else I can get you? Maybe some of those baked biscuits or even salted crackers?”

“No, I have some at the house and I’m just picking up what I need. Thanks for the offer though, but I got to go before someone gives any weird looks,” Herald replied, looking around to see if anyone was in fact glaring at him. Surprisingly, he didn’t find anyone at all now and found it strange as it was roughly noon. “Question before I go actually. Where is everyone? Usually this place would have some ponies here and there at minimum, but there ain’t a living soul at all.” He also took note that it was near quiet except for the wind and Cranberries shuffling.

“What, you haven’t heard? Rumor started that they might be a,” he looked around before whispering with his hoof cupped by his mouth,”[i[changeling among us. I’m shocked you haven’t heard, but then again the folks here ain’t much for conversation, aye?” Cranberry gave a slight chuckle. Herald started to worry a little, having heard of the story of the Canterlot Invasion that took place a month before he showed up. He was about to ask why he was out when everyone else seemed to not be, but the cheerful merchant was quick to answer. “Ah but that won’t stop me from selling my cheese here! Especially if maybe they’re just hungry. Maybe some cheese would help fill in the legs in their holes and stomachs, huh?” He gave another chuckle, Herald giving one in return. Herald reckoned if the rumor was going around, the other stands are probably closed too. That meant he would have to come back after tomorrow since the next day was a Princess Celebration of some sort.

He hurried along after giving his only real companion a goodbye and two bits as a tip for talking with him. He took a different street than where he came from so that he wouldn’t have a chance of running into Green Leaf again. While the town wasn’t large, it was decently sized like his hometown from back on earth. While nowhere near London in comparison, it felt like some form of Old England from the Industrial Revolution, but with less machinery and horse drawn carriages.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard something from the alley way he took as a shortcut when heading home this way. Herald looked about, having been lost in his thoughts, and just missed what had skittered passed a trashcan and behind another. He thought for a second then just passed it off as a rat or dog. He was about to continue before he heard a small tin can kick over and soft sobs that were barely audible. Now having more thought into it, it’s probably one of those sapient animals of this world, and he most likely scared it. He furrowed his brows at that, and walked slowly to the trashcan it hid behind with some distance in case whatever it was jumped at him.

Herald continued to approach the can, thinking aloud,”Probably just a raccoon or something. Buggers most likely dumpster diving, ha ha.” He was very assured by himself, and still pressed on wearily. Whatever nerves he had were lost once what he saw came into view. Before him was a- pony? He wasn’t sure due to a few differences in form. Compared to a pony, it looked to be the same size and shape, but had leathery wings and thinly slitted eyes. He guessed it was a she, if the jaw and body was anything to go by.

As she looked up, she bared her fangs in an aggressive way. She seemed more in fear than that though, and Herald took a step back. He must have made a mistake clenching his fist beside him as she immediately stopped and cowarded away. “N-no, please I’m sorry! Don’t hurt me,” she cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. He took a moment to stop and realize what she said. The shaking pony-not-pony was closing her eyes as if expecting an incoming blow. One never did come and made the sight all the more tearful.

Herald...was now genuinely heartbroken. He crouched down so as to not tower over the poor mare (he wasn’t tall, but to the ponies he would be a good two feet taller, on average, than them). He took notice of more details as he lowered himself to her level, or close enough to it. She had bruises all over her barrel, and a few cuts here and there on her neck, face, and back. She was looking up at him with terror, and that was something that didn’t set right with him. He didn’t exactly know what to say, but tried to offer a weak smile to help her.

“Hey hey hey, it’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,” Herald said holding up his hands. He had hoped it came out in a kind and comforting manner, but actually sounded more nervous than anything. By some chance, it seemed to work as she stopped cowarding, but only turned her head to him. At least she was looking at him, even if it was a sideways one. He was thinking of what to say next, trying his best to make sure he didn’t scare or startle the mare. “You alright, miss? You looked like you took quite a beating,” He asked, concerned.

“W-wha. What does it matter to you?” The pony-not-pony asked, not sounding hurt, but more so curious. Still not comfortable, but was now fully facing him and not in complete fear.

“Well, I would think a hurt pony as yourself might want a bit of help since you seem to not be in the best of places right now. Here, let me help you up,” he offered her a hand and she took it gingerly. Before Herald began to pull she yelped in pain, and shot her hoof back against her chest. Shit. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know you hurt your hoof,” Herald shot out quickly as an apology. She hissed at her injured hoof, but didn’t look upset.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know, and it wasn’t a bother till now. Look, you should just go and stop worrying about some silly mare in an alleyway.” She looked and almost sounded hurt, but that only made Herald want to help out more. He looked at her sternly and held out his hand. The mare looked in confusion before he carefully took her hoof to look at it. Herald turned her hoof over and saw that her hooves were caked in fresh blood on raw hooves. It would make for a nasty infection if not cared for.

He was easy in pulling her up this time, not wanting to hurt her further by pulling too hard or hurting her newly discovered pains. “Here, let me patch you up at my home, it’s not but a block away. Please, it’s the least I can do for you,” Herald offered, sounding like he wouldn’t take no for an answer, but also not putting her in a bad spot if she did say no.

“N-no thank you, I should be ok. Do you know where the hospital around here is?”

“Well yes, but it’s a bit ways out. It’d be quicker if I just patched you up at my home, but I can still take you to the hospital if you really do wish to go there instead.”

“Um, well ok then. Just, let’s hurry there please. I’m not in the mood to meet anypony new,” she said in a tone suggesting that it might be in Herald’s best interest to not have that happen.

“Ooh, so the ponies around here got to her too. I swear, they’re going to get there just do’s soon,” Herald spoke to himself. She seemed to smile a little hearing that, just out of Herald’s vision as he helped her along. Thankfully, rather the rumour was about the mare in question or an actual changeling, the streets still seemed to be devoid of life, but he did catch a glance across the way and saw some blinds being split. The two in the street picked up their pace, with the mare doing an odd tippy hoof dance to try and keep up. Herald ended up picking her up and holding her to him so that he could hurry along quicker, and because it was awkward for her to try and keep pace on hurt hooves. He now could feel that she was shaking slightly, and was more floofy than the average pony. Like, REALLY floofy, and more so than what appearance would give off.

They finally arrived at his house. Herald put the fluff pone down, and jingle jangled his keys into the door and deadbolt lock. He always inwardly laughed at how this part of Equestria was like home. Brick layed terrace houses, his being a comfortable one. “42 Cookworthy Road, homey thing it is,” he spoke to the mare. She took in the sight and seemed to relax a bit. ‘Guess she likes the place from first appearances. Let’s hope the inside holds up to such standards too,’ Herald thought to himself.

Midnight Sonata made her way into the house, but not further than the stairs. The house wasn’t all that big, but more so compact. From the doorway, the stairs was not but 2 feet away with a small hallway along its side leading to the backdoor. The left and right doorways were not too far from the bottom of the stairs, with the left going to the living room and the right to the kitchen. Upstairs had one window with two rooms, both being the same in size and design, but one with a small bathroom and one with the water heater. The basement door was right under the stairs, leading down to the fairly clean basement.

Herald, having now realized he invited a random pony into his home, scrambled to show her around. “Oh, where have my manners flown! My name is Herald, pleasure to have met you, miss. Sorry for the mess about. I’m not much to have ponies around the homefront,” he chuckled. “Here, let’s get your wounds done up, yeah?”

“That’ll be lovely, and my name is Midnight Sonata. It's a pleasure to have met a nice...um,”she paused, having not known what Herald was,”creature as yourself.” She smiled awkwardly, not really knowing the best way to take the conversation. Herald gestured for her to follow him up, and only noticing her having trouble getting up the small flight without wincing in pain.

“Here, I’ll help you up.” Midnight stopped him halfway to her, however, with a wave of her hoof.

“I’ll manage, but thanks,” Sonata was quick to say. Nevertheless, he helped her up a bit whenever she tripped three steps up, and much to her dismay. She gave her thanks to him as they continued forward when they reached the top. He brought her to the first room turning right on the little walkway that the wooden safety rails gave.

It, as was most of the house, was compact enough for one creature about the size of Herald. Upon entering, the bed was straight ahead by two feet or so with a decent sized nightstand with drawers to hold clothes or items in. Above the bed frame was a small, square window with it and the shutters opened. To the right was a door leading to possibly a juuuust right styled bathroom. If Midnight had to make a smart guess, she would say this is the Guest Room.

Herald sat her down on the bed while he went to get medical supplies. “Now, don’t move. I’ll be in the next room over to get the First Aid kit. You can talk if you need me, the walls are thin enough to hear a fox sneaking,” Herald said jokingly while leaving the room. Midnight hummed softly while she waited, hearing noises of the...the uhm…

Well she didn’t rightly know what Herald was, so she spoke up. “So, I don’t mean for this to sound rude, but what are you? I’ve never seen your kind before, but you seem nice enough,” she said with a curious tone, tilting her head to listen for a response. Instead she heard a thump! and “OW FUCK” from the next room over. She giggled at the sounds of Herald still looking for the medkit, swearing while he did so.

“Where the Hell did I place it? Um, well I’m what you call a human. Two legged, intelligent most of us, and plentiful. I would hope I would be the only one here because I did not want to come here, and I’d not wish for how my current life is upon others. Brought here from some kind of wish on a star from a mare, but turns out I wasn’t what she wanted, and one xenophobic arguement later and I’m public enemy number one for everyone in this forsaken town.Oh well, been dealing with it for a year and some. What’s your story,” Herald finished, finally finding the medkit...only to find it had salve and wraps with some antibiotics. “Good enough, we’ll make it work”

Midnight had slowly been moving towards the doorway of the room Herald was in while the human recounted his first time with ponies, looking at him with what he could make out to be pity and sorrow. “Was...was it really so bad the entire town despises you? No one decided to call some kind of bull on what somepony says about you?” Sonata was trying not to cry again, the day really messed with her senses. That and she was never good with dealing with emotions, as proven now.

Herald gave a nod, and that’s when the batpony wrapped her hooves around his legs. Herald threw his arms up in surprise, but then pushed her gently back and rubbed the top of her head. “Woah, hey it’s alright. Don’t tell me you’re turning into a sad pone on me,” Herald said halfheartedly. Midnight continued to sit there, enjoying the feeling of comfort the hoo-man was providing. For some reason, he just seemed so cuddly to her.

“So I’m guessing it isn’t just me who has had trouble around here. They didn’t exactly take kindly to me being a sanguinarian lightly. They thought that the dark coat and fangs was some failed disguise of a changeling, and the pub next to my way into town had some stallions who were quite drunk. Next thing I know, I’m beating half to Hell, and then they just laugh and walk away,” she finished speaking quickly and loudly as she started to have a bit of temper come up in her wording.Midnight Sonata sniffled and looked at him with red rimmed eyes.

He took in how she looked for the first time in his short lived day. She was a rather nice mare with a long, cotton candy pink mane and midnight blue coat. She had rustic orange slit eyes, but was a little watery still from recently crying. She smiled a bit and then after a moment gave a,”Thanks, that helped a bit,” with a giggle afterwards. He smiled back, and went ahead and grabbed the medbox. He started with cleaning the wound a bit before putting on some of the antibiotic to keep the cuts from getting infected. “OW! That hurt damnit!” She hissed out, trying not to swear, but it still came out. He took note that it sounded like she had a slight Irish accent to her.

“Oops. Sorry Midnight, but I gotta clean up your wound though so it doesn’t get infected, so hold still and it’ll be done in a minute,” Herald replied back to her snip bit. “By the by, you said you were a sanguinarian, what’s all that mess about?”

“W-well, I’m what the ponies call a batponieeeEEEEEE OW!” She ‘eee’d loudly as he hit a particularly painful spot on the bottom of her hooves. To be fair, he was trying to be as easy as he could. “Please be a little more careful, my hooves aren’t exactly in the best of moods for prodding,” she said before continuing,”but yeah, I’m a batpony and no I do not burn up from the sunlight. It’s just very painful to do so without glasses,” Midnight finished as if knowing that he was going to say something in that nature.

“Actually, I was about to say that’s amazing. How many of you are there, and how often do you all come out, and prey at night,” Herald asked, a playful tone suggesting he only jest with her.

“Hmm,” she started off, trying to think about it,” if I’m right, then there are only two packs in Equestria. Both are in good relationship and have 7 members each, though we usually keep to one side of the country so we don’t interfere with them and cause trouble. Passed that, we rarely come out, maybe once every two weeks at least? We really don’t need much to be sustained, either a bit of meat from a special vendor in town, or on rare occasion blood from the blood donor bank for us. Princess Luna secretly reinstated those to help the remaining families after she heard there were only two surviving.” Midnight finished, having said that long winded explanation took her a second to collect her breathing. She seemed to end it with a bit of a melancholy look. Herald was patient and waited till she was somewhat collected to ask his question.

“Only two? Did there used to be more, and if so what happened,” Herald asked, but he felt that he might be able to guess what the answer was for the first part, and only assume something bad happened for the second. Midnight had a moment where she didn’t look up at him, biting her lower lip and wishing to find the right words to use. Finally, she looked up at him with slightly widened pupils.

“The families used to be the Sanclaires, Adagios, Allegros, Sonatas, and the Pianissimo. We all kept to ourselves, rarely speaking to each other, and as such never really had a quick way to communicate with each other,” she started to get a little more quiet as she kept on, looking more and more sullen. “At the time, the ponies weren’t really big on having other creatures or even ones similar amongst them and were usually a bit xenophobic but they still are it seems, so when they found out that a subrace of pony, us, existed, they saw it as heresy. A vile manipulation of what ponies were when in reality we were the only ponies who pledged our loyalty to Princess Luna at the time. The five families were the only ones to truly love her night back then,” she smiled with a look of nostalgia, remembering her very long youth so long ago. She was just a foal at the time, maybe 5 or 6 years old.

The happy memories hit a roundabout, not able to go any further past that as the rest of her memories came forth. “They took to us in a very, let's say, religious way. They thought we had come to end the rule of Celestia, and bring about a new era. What a joke that was, huh?” She stopped there, taking a minute to recollect her thoughts and not let the bad ones take over. She still struggles to forget those screams. Herald reached over and wiped the lingering tears away with a hand before picking her up with an ‘eep’ from the mare. He sat her on the edge of the bed and took a seat next to her, bringing the wraps, and redoing what bandaging he undone. She gave a quick smile as thanks before continuing.

“They hunted us, and whenever they caught us, they put us on stakes in the middle of the sun and when it finally turned night, they burned them. The first were the Sanclaires, being the biggest and most open of us all, then the Allegros not too far behind, and finally they finished off the Pianissimo family after a few years of searching. Who knew that a loud, creaky plank would give them away,” she tried to lightly joke, but it came out more sarcastic. “Now, it’s just us Sonatas, and the Adagios out East. They don’t hunt us like before, but if they know anything about what and who we are, then it might as well be a hunt and stake burning at that point,” the mare finished off, giving a soured expression on her face and scrunching her muzzle.

Herald, thankfully, caught all that information as quickly as it struck, and was about to comfort her, but Midnight continued before he could. ”When Luna got wind of the situation, she was devastated. She didn’t eat, drink, sleep, or even come out of her room. If she did, it was only to see if we had made it ok, but even then she stopped coming by, and just wrote letters instead. Then, she did the unthinkable. She let herself become engulfed by her grief and turned into Nightmare Moon, pledging eternal night for all of Equestria. We came to know that week as the “Nights of the Long Daggers”. We only later found out in a letter from that very day that she planned on making a surprise of sorts for us as a way to try and make up for what the day worshippers did.”

It was now Herald’s turn to cry about her situation, and could see she was hurt by the thought of their Princess of the Night doing something drastic for them. Herald was not for the sad mood that had quickly swept into the room like a thief in the night, and hugged Midnight Sonata, letting her cry into his shoulder. She held onto him and sobbed more openly, letting all her built up emotions out for him.

Blimey, what have I gotten myself into, he thought, still holding the mare gently while she squeezed the life out of him. He wasn’t exactly a trained professional at dealing with emotions like this, not having many people to really talk to back home. He was an only child, and he was only cared for by his mother who worked nonstop to keep the homefires going as they say. Still, he tried his best not to be too forward, placing a hand on her head and started to pet her, shushing her and telling her, “It’s alright.” They stayed there for a bit while she slowly cried herself to sleep.

Midnight Sonata had, for once in a long time, a pleasant dream. She didn’t have the typical dreamless sleep or night terror, but rather a relaxing one about cupcakes and her birthday party with her family. She never had this one before, but definitely didn’t want it to end. It was for that reason that she also, for once, didn’t want to get up. That only lasted for a few moments before she found she was in an unfamiliar bed, warm and comfortable nonetheless, but not familiar. She shot up and with a rapid breath looked around her surroundings, trying to remember how she got here. It came back to her all at once. “Oh, I’m inside the hoo-man’s home. Herald seemed to be nice, treated me well and helped my injuries after the roughing up outside the pub. Damn, since when have I needed this much help for being tossed around a bit. Wait, how long have I been asleep?!”

Midnight looked out the window beside the bed and saw it was around 11 at night. She must have slept for a good bit, the sun was just above the horizon when she found him. She was reminded as such by the slight blisters she received from the excursion to Herald’s home. She didn’t notice the pain at the time with her already being in a surplus of it. Maybe she should put stock into it since it seemed to be a real seller with her. They would go away with time and care, but were certain to cause some problems moving.

As such was proven when she went to get out of bed, and yelped as she locked up and fell to the floor with a loud thump. “Why the Hell is the bed so far off the floor?” She only fell a foot and a half, but that much alone was enough to shoot hot pain through her hooves and ribs. The mare on the floor could hear loud thumps throughout the house, her hearing not needing to help that much as she could feel it as well. The door was pulled open quickly as Herald had a panicked face. He looked down and saw her laying on her side writhing in pain, and quickly moved over to help her up into bed again. “Oh bless the Queen, you alright?”

“Sss, not quite. That one really hurt,” she said through clenched teeth. The human picked her up to her hoofs and helped her back into bed, tucking the batpony in. She gave a smile to him. “Hey, I wanted to say thanks for helping me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come by,” she said with a half-asleep smile.

“Aah, it’s nothing Midnight. I wasn’t just going to leave you there in an alleyway, especially a mare like yourself,” Herald said before he could think about what he said. He turned bright red and quickly added,”W-what with you being injured and all.” It only worsened his reddening face when she giggled with a hoof to her lips.

“Well, that was rather sweet of you to say, but thank you nonetheless.”

He wiped away the growing heat in his face and the smirk that was slowly rising. The human straightened up before he continued. “R-right, well I’m going to get a cloth and something to eat, I hope you don’t mind a bit of crackers and cheese, do you? Bit low on the stowage currently.” She looked at him as her smile grew more, and gave a small gasped in excitement

“Really? I love crackers and cheese! It was always something my mother made for me and my siblings when we were hungry for a snack,” Midnight said, radiating happiness. Herald smiled back and gave a quick reply before hurrying down. Herald took the last bit of cheese he had and a new pack of 12 crackers on a platter, and hurried up the stairs. He made it to the doorway before he forgot to get the tea off the kettle as evident by the high pitched squeal coming from downstairs. He sat the platter down on the edge of the bed next to the batpony, and ran back again.

He made it all the way to the whistling kettle, and then burned his hand forgetting that part of the handle was metal. Herald quickly pulled the burnt hand back and grabbed the handle again, but this time with an oven mitten. Turning the burner off, he set the tea to steep for a few minutes, turning his attention to finding the stone tea set he grabbed a few days ago. After breaking some of the glass ones, he wanted something a little more durable, and not minding the weight nor the small size of the set.

With the tea finished and put into the tea set, after several moments of searching, Herald rushed back to his friend upstairs to find...all the crackers were gone with some cheese remaining. Midnight was happily munching on the last bits of crackers and cheese with her eyes closed and a big grin on her face. Herald just stood there for a moment before the batpone had taken notice of the sudden reappearance of her host. She stopped chewing, and just stared at him. “Uhm, sfowry,” Midnight apologized around a mouthful of her food.

The human could only just stare. “How the bloody Hell did you eat all of them? Uhm, it’s alright. I’ll double check to see if I have any more crackers. Don’t drink my tea, or I’ll have to call the Tea police on you,” Herald said with a serious expression on the last part. He tried to look like it, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him, and he left to see if he did indeed have more crackers. Turns out he didn’t. Shit, all we have is...oh. Herald stared at the back of the fridge where a small thing of Wensleydale sat with a small bit of crackers and a knife on top of the plate the cheese rested on. “Well that makes things easier. Well then that just means I didn’t have to go to the market today. Oh well!”

Herald was really starting an exercise here running up and down the stairs, but nevertheless returned up them to the guest in the upstairs room. He came into the room to find that the batpony had finished the cheese from earlier, and was now sitting up on the blankets. She smirked and said,”So, you workout a lot? Those stairs are a pretty good one you got for it.”

“Yeah? Well it is a pretty good burner, but anyways. I found a bit more hidden downstairs in the fridge. Can’t believe I didn’t check there earlier, but at least we got more crackers ‘n cheese,” Herald said cheerfully. He sat the plate down on the bed and poured a bit of tea for them. They sat there for a moment, just enjoying the snack and each other's company. Finally, Herald spoke up again. “So, do you have anywhere that I can bring you home to? I’ll walk you there when you want to today, or when you feel better on your hooves.”

“To be honest, I don’t have anywhere to really go, but I can find-” Herald was quick to cut her off as soon as the ‘but’ in her statement started.

“Oh no ma’am you are NOT leaving this house without a definite place to stay,” he said pointing a finger at her. “You can stay in this room for as long as you’d like, but when you get to feeling better, you’re going to have to find a job. I don’t think the stimulus I receive will hold us for a year,” Herald stated, not being harsh with his words, but firm with them. Midnight Sonata looked to him with a shocked expression, but then to an upset one.

“Now wait a minute, I’ve already taken so much of your hospitality, but this is a little ridiculous, no? I’m just a stranger you found and brought into your home, and now you feed me and say I can stay here. No, where’s the catch,” she asked, trying to find any deception on the human’s face. She found none.

“None, just whenever you get to feeling better, help around the house a bit and find a job if you can. If not, then I might need to make a hasty letter to Princess Celestia to tell her that I’ll be moving a bit further away from here due to living costs. Actually,” Herald stopped, just now realizing what he said,”that might work in our favor. As much as I love this little house, the area is not the greatest, and I think it’s time for a change in scenery.” Herald grabbed some loose parchment that was on the nightstand and a pencil he had on him when he came to Equestria, though it was whittled down to only two or three inches.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m moving out! I made a friend yesterday today, and she and I need to find new living arrangements due to the cost of two creatures in the household. Oh yeah, I MADE A FRIEND! Can you believe it? Before I get off on a tangent about that, I just have to ask, do you know anywhere that would be best for us to hunker down in? Preferably outside of this area, please.

Sincerely,
Herald

Herald finished writing, only to look over his shoulder at the mare reading his letter. “Well I know we’re friends, but you seem a little too happy about it,” she said, a growing smirk on her face. Herald just stammered and looked away.

“W-what else am I supposed to say? If you got a better way to word it, go ahead and share then,” Herald quickly responded.

“Hmm, nah. I like seeing you struggle with yourself a bit,” Midnight finished with a giggle as she moved back to give him a little room. “So,” she started,”what now?”

The human thought for a minute, thinking on what exactly to do. He’d have to wait about half a day to about half a week for a response. 1st class shipping was covered for him if it was listed as emergency, but that doesn’t mean the feather heads would try some way to get a bit of cash out of him, or anypony else for that matter. The best he could do was just sit and talk with his new friend/roommate now.

He put a small bit of crumbly cheese on his cracker and held it up. “Wensleydale, miss?”

End!

Author's Note

Hey y'all. Sorry I have not done much lately, needed a good bit of a break! I'm trying something different this time around, and hope you enjoy this change in genre for a moment. (First time writing a decent one-shot, I stayed up past 24 hours at times to write this, so there ARE bound to be mistakes. I will try to fix them as y'all catch them as I do too) Please let me know whatcha think, and as always have nice day/night!