So finding a place to stay in canterlot has already taken a lot longer than I thought it would, even with my pony friends helping.

Honestly, everything in pony society just seems way too complicated for me. There’s apparently hundreds of ads in the canterlot times to sort through and I lost patience after reading through candidate number seven. If it was up to me, I’d just show up at the first place on the list and have it done, but apparently that’s not an option.

So, I was already mentally exhausted trying to comprehend why ponies have to overcomplicate everything when I heard a curious hum from Rarity at the other end of her boutique. I immediately looked up at her, as did a few other ponies who were present. Pinkie promptly woke up from her nap; bless her, she had been extremely eager to help, but lost enthusiasm only shortly after I did. That had left only Applejack and Rarity looking through the Canterlot Times classified ads. Applejack, of course, had been distracted from her searching by Rarity’s minor exclamation.

“What’s ‘Hmmm’?” I asked.

Rarity looked up, slightly startled, from the newspaper.

“Oh! sorry, darlings. I just found a… somewhat peculiar ad.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Peculiar how?” she asked.

Pinkie chose that moment to chip in.

“Yeah! Peculiar like you wear socks with sandals or peculiar like a kale, broccoli, and vanilla cupcake slash omelet? Cuz I make the second one all the time!”

Rarity shuddered. I wasn’t sure whether it was at the mention of socks and sandals or the omelet cupcake. In my case, It was the latter.

“Ah, well why don’t I just read it to you…” Rarity said. She looked back to the paper and re-read the ad.

“Room for rent. Sixteen bits per month. Single bathroom house. Furniture supplied. Tenant must not be idiotic, or have an aversion to rowdy children, sharp teeth, or open flames. Apply at 409 Cirque Lane.”

“What a coincidence! I’m not an idiot! Sounds perfect!” I said.

Rarity looked at me from over her reading glasses.

“Emerald, you’d say yes to a cardboard box. and besides, any pony who posted this doesn’t sound like the most pleasant sort to have as a landlord.”

“Oh, please. I, of all ponies, can handle open flames. Foals and sharp teeth… I could learn to manage. They probably just have some sort of exotic pet laying around in a reptile tank somewhere.”

Rarity looked doubtful, but Applejack interceded on my behalf.

“Won’t hurt to take a look there along with the rest, Rarity. I’ll put it on the list. ‘Sides, does seem kinda cheap.”

Rarity gave a relenting sigh as Applejack wrote the address onto the note paper between them. I, of course, simply began staring in dumb horror at the sheer number of adresses they’d already written down. It was going to take all day tomorrow in order to check them all out.

I almost reconsidered moving away, if only to save myself the hassle. Almost. Instead, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. You need to do something useful with yourself, I thought. If this is the way to do it, you just gotta do it. I opened my eyes and took a look outside Rarity’s window. The sky was getting dark, and I was just beginning to spot the first stars appearing in the night sky.

“I think I’m gonna go hit the hay.” I said. “I’m gonna have to be up bright and early tomorrow, right?”

I smiled at them as I left, but didn’t really wait for a response; I just trotted back out of Rarity’s boutique and back towards Twilight’s old castle. This was already much more exhausting than I had expected.

Author's Note

I figured I'd waited long enough to post another chapter so I just decided to post what I had. In-universe, it makes sense to end an entry at the end of the day anywho.