There was a knock on the ice rink door.

"Who would come knocking when I'm closed?" The earth stallion in charge of the rink opened the door to peer out, and promptly went stiff as he was confronted with Allura's gaze, nose to nose with him. "You, uh, need something?"

Twitch poked out from behind Allura's head, waving a paper at the pony with an excited burst of yammering.

"As he said. We were led to believe you need somecreature that can keep things chilly around here. I can do that." Allura snorted, air brushing the stallion's mane. "Are you who I talk to?"

He nodded rapidly, shrinking back. "I am! Yes, I am! I just didn't realize she'd send a..." He gestured to all of her. "Whatever you are. You can really keep this place cold?"

"You doubt me?" She threw up her nose with offense even as the area around her frosted over with her grunt. "Cold happens to be my thing, little pony." She swayed her tail over the ring of ice that had formed. "Do you need more examples?"

"No, no, that is quite sufficient. I mean, thank you." He looked around. "Uh, do come in then, please."

Allura stepped inside the rink. The chill of the room was comfortable for her, drawing out a pleased little purr as she looked around the large building. There was a foyer, where she was, with sizable hallways leading to the main room itself, where it got even chillier, to her approval. There was also a table, where the pony began to look over papers he had piled on top.

"Thanks, I, uh." He looked up at her again, shrinking under her gaze once more. "It's just, not being a pony, I doubt you have any of the things I'd normally put in here for you."

Allura rolled her eyes. "They've hired those squawking birds. Griffons were they? If they can manage those, I shouldn't be too much of a challenge."

Twitch gave agreeing sounds, glaring at the pony.

"Oh! Yeah, good point. The griffon rules should cover you just fine. They're for anycreature that gets work." He got to filling the form out with more confidence. "They're so new, I didn't even think of that. Now, this is an all week job, but it doesn't have to be long each day. Come in, make sure it's still the right temperature and the stuff looks right. If it is, great, you did your job. If it isn't, you fix it. Got it?"

"It is simple enough. What time of day?"

"After the ponies go home, but the next pony won't come until late tomorrow. So come in after sunset most days. If we have something later than that, we'll post it right there." He pointed to a schedule. "Sporting events sometimes." He tapped his pen to the paper. "Looking good. Go ahead and add your name here."

Allura took the pen in a paw, holding it as delicately as a mouse by the tail. She managed to fill out her name as the listed worker, though with difficulty.

"I'd say you could write it yourself, Twitch, but I doubt they'd accept your scribbles." She chuckled at the very mental image of such an attempt. "Here. Is that it then?"

"That's it, oh! Since you're here, you can get right to it." He hopped up to his hooves, tucking the paper away. "This way to the cooling engine." He led her to the back where a massive device was pumping cool air through vents into the rink itself. "Now, to be honest, it doesn't usually break down. Not completely. But sometimes, it gets a bit warmer, and we don't want that." He pointed to a device, a thermometer really. It showed an arrow inside a band. "If it gets outside that band, either way, something's wrong. Then it's up to you to make it back in the band. Too cold's just as bad as too warm."

Allura looked over it with a sniff, then turned to the machine. It wasn't too complex. A basic air cooling system. "If something goes wrong, it'll be in the refrigeration system, right?" She sat down with a slow feline grin. "I think I can handle this. If it doesn't cooperate, I can intercede directly, hm?" She gave a cold breath of ice, barely a puff from her furred lips. "We will keep your ice rink properly chilled, little pony."

"You will? I mean, good!" He gave a nervous laugh. "I'll be leaving you to it then. Don't get in trouble, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Allura perked an ear with an idea. "But, just in case, do you have the manual for this? If I'm bothering to do this, may as well do it correctly."

He brightened at that. "Oh! I'll fetch you that!" He left, leaving Allura to give a soft chuckle to herself.

"Well, it isn't getting back to Starlight Ridge, but at least it will keep us occupied for a bit, hm?" She reached up to pat Twitch lightly. "It'll keep you on teacup rides and I wouldn't mind being able to procure a few things more easily. Don't think you won't be helping in this assignment, Twitch."

He made a querying noise with a tilt of his head.

"You are small." She held up her forepaws close together. "As lovely as I am, I won't be able to reach all the problems. I will send you to address things I cannot reach. You want to spend my bits, you can help me earn them." She purred out a laugh. "That's fair, isn't it?"

Twitch gave a small groan, but he gave an affirmative wave of his paw. "Yes, yes, I thought you would agree. We'll handle this together."

The earth pony returned with a few books. "Here's all the docs we have." He set it down next to Allura. "Glad you asked, actually. Last pony thought they all worked the same and messed it up really good. Now, uh, sorry I looked atcha a little funny at first. You're on the job now. You get it done, I don't care what you happen to be." He gave her a smile, and a little salute with his hoof. "Welcome to the team. I'll leave ya to it. Uh, I'm out, but you can reach me by phone."

Allura slapped a paw down in front of the pony. "I don't have one of those."

The pony gave a nervous chuckle. "I can tell Sunny to get you one, if you want to be contacted."

"We'll be fine, little pony. We don't need your silly devices to know when to come in." She mused a moment. "But being able to reach you would be good. Give me that number. Twitch, take this down." She waited for him to hold his paws ready before she repeated the phone number, making Twitch nod along. "Got it?"

Twitch repeated it back, getting a nod in return from both Allura and the earth pony.

The pony laughed at the sight of the big and small creature working together. "You two are a real team. Glad to have you both on—" He slid to a stop, put a hoof to his face, and turned around. "Wait. Is that a critter or a creature?"

"Creature, obviously." Allura puffed out her chest. "I would not settle for mere animal company. And he would be insulted if you considered him anything less." Twitch nodded quickly and made a rude noise at the pony.

"Figured. Hm." He trotted off, just to return with an identical copy of the paper he had Allura finish. "Then he has to be put in too. He's an assistant, right?"

Allura perked a brow. "He is, yes?" She watched him scribble on the new paper. "Does that mean he'll earn bits too?"

"Yeah, though not the same amount. That's only fair. You're bigger and can do more work, right? But he'll have a bit salary." The pony handed it up to Twitch, who took the paper in both his hands. "Sign right there at the bottom."

He took it back with Twitch's oddly flowery signature. "There we go. Once ice technician and one assistant. I'll get you both in the system and you'll get paid for your first shift, that's today." He started for the exit. "Once you've done your inspection, you should be able to head on home."

Allura purred. "Good. We look forward to it." She started out onto the ice, sliding along it with a laugh. "The ponies had been hiding this! What a wonderful, mmm, place they've built."

Twitch tried to join her on the ice, but promptly fell on his rump, sliding along it. His squeak of surprise drew a laugh out of Allura.

"Yes, I suggest you watch yourself, Twitch." She circled around him once before zipping out further onto the ice, her laughter growing louder as she went. "I think I can enjoy this 'job'. Make sure the cool place stays as cool as I already like it, then enjoy it." She purred with approval, eyes almost closed. "This may work."

Twitch got up to his feet with difficulty, slipping and falling twice, getting laughs out of Allura, before he made it back off the ice to the concrete. Once there, he pulled out his papers, looking them over. He made some complaints about his amount being lower than hers, which she ignored in favor of trying a few tricks on the ice, wings helping stabilize her when she got fancy about it.

***

Sunny smiled at Allura and Twitch. "Hello! You come for a smoothie or something else on your mind?"

Allura glanced up at the menu, but quickly brought her eyes to Sunny. "Something else. We have a number, for our boss, but we have no phone. You do. Assist us in this task."

She reached back to tap at Comet. "Keep an eye on things for a little bit, okay? I'll be right back after she gets a phone."

"Right!" Comet gave a casual salute.

Allura followed her along. "Your friends have been quite useful. First with the job, and now this. I didn't realize creatures could be so useful. At least, without me pressing the issue." Behind her, Comet shivered.

"It's amazing how far you can get just asking the right question in the right way." She pointed at herself. "We have a history, but I want you to succeed, Allura. I'm not sure I could say we're 'friends' yet, but little steps. We're getting there, I hope? Now, this is where I get most of my phones." She waved at a small phone outlet store. "It's a bit small, but I can get one for you. Is this for you, or you." She pointed at Allura, then Twitch. "I should get one the right size."

Allura gave Sunny a sour look for that. "If it is small as I've seen, I would find it hard to use."

Twitch gave an emphatic thumbs up with an affirmative squeak.

"One Twitch-sized phone, coming up." She vanished inside, just to come out with a small smartphone held on one hoof. "And here we are. This should do it." She held it up in Twitch's reach.

Twitch plucked it from her hoof, and tried to make it work, poking at the screen with a finger. He managed a few things, but it was a struggle.

Allura put a paw on it. "You'll break it."

Sunny shook her head with a little laugh. "It's not that delicate. He's doing it right, but he has to learn how it works. Twitch, here's my number." She recited it. "Try giving me a call."

He typed it in slowly, but correctly, making her ringtone go off. She showed off her ringing phone with a grin. "And there we go! We can always call each other now." She pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

Twitch jumped and danced at hearing Sunny coming out of his phone. He yammered eagerly back into it, not that Sunny could understand him.

Sunny made a funny face, but still looked happy. "Press that one." She pointed. "That makes it louder. Then you and Allura can talk, though I imagine Allura will do more of the talking."

"Indeed." Allura chuckled lowly. "Thank you, Sunny." She smiled more softly, but still a smile. "I am glad to have a means of reaching you so easily. I should be going. Work." Her tail flicked side to side. "Thank you," she got out mid-turn. With a flare of her wings, she fled.

Sunny shook her head at the spot the feline had been in. "You're welcome." She started her way back towards her cart. "Being nice isn't so bad, silly, large and sometimes scary, cat."

Author's Note

Kitty likes this place. Maybe this could do, until she figures out a way to get home.

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