"No way." Sunny assisted in cleaning up her stand. "We had a theft? Ponies don't normally do that kind of thing."

"No pony." Comet gave a shake of his head. "That... big cat thing? She stole two smoothies, and I had to chase her down." He shivered. "It was the single most terrifying thing I've ever done."

Sunny looked around. "I mean, I don't think we can make them pay if they don't want to." She patted Comet on the shoulder. "That was very brave, but I don't want you getting hurt. Was she violent?"

"N-no! I mean, she just said she didn't have bits, and left." He resumed cleaning and helping shut down the stand. "She said she didn't have any way to get more bits."

Sunny frowned at that. "Allura? No way to make money?" She put a hoof on her chin. "Well, that sounds like a problem. If we want her to be a good creature, we should give her a way to make her money."

Comet burst into a brief fit of laughter. "Ponies in Maretime Bay see her way differently than we used to. Maybe we were doing it wrong, considering how well it went for us. How would you help her then?"

"I'm not sure yet." Sunny gazed off. "But I have some ideas. You know how we're hiring griffons? Around the city, I mean." There were clearly no griffons at her stand. "If we look around, surely we can find a few where Allura would not only be able to work, but welcomed in eagerly. She has skills and abilities that are hard to find."

"Can't argue that, I suppose." He gave Sunny a sideways glance. "But, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of business would hire something like her?"

She gave him a playful shove. "You're being mean. Look at her positively. She doesn't get scared when talking to just about anypony. She's large. She can fly. She'd, uh, make a really good bouncer, for one. Nopony would get past her without her say so."

"Sure, but she doesn't seem like the nicest creature around. Maybe it's just my impression of her." Comet shook his head. "But she still scares me."

"She scares me too, but I know we can be friends with her." Sunny swung a hoof through the air in hopeful pump. "Let's do what we can. If we give her a real way forward, maybe we can move past this. When she has her own bits, she won't mind spending some of them."

Comet gave a soft nod. "You're right. If she wants bits, and we help her get them, she'll be happier. Happy creatures don't need to scare others. I'll go looking tomorrow."

"We'll all go looking." The talking died down as both finished up with closing the stand. With a shared nod, they trotted home for the day.

***

"You're what?" Amber paused in her book-return process to look at Misty.

"We're looking for a job Allura can have." Misty pointed to the door leading outside. "I'll be helping when I'm not here. Any ideas?"

Amber pondered, hoof to her chin. "Well, she's large, and can be fairly frightening when the mood strikes her. She'd be a good, hm, bouncer?"

Misty giggled. "That was Sunny's first idea. I bet she'll look into that. Any others?"

Amber tapped her chin with her hoof. "Hm, I think she'd be able to work construction. She could lift more than most unicorns could with their magic, and get them wherever they needed to go." She spread her arms as if they were wings. "Big and winged could be pretty useful for that."

"I'll keep it in mind." Misty pushed the door open. "Thanks Amber! Bye bye now."

"Bye!" Amber called after her departing friend. "I'll keep thinking on it, too!" She looked to the bin of books. "After I get these away." Her horn glowed as she bid them soar towards their proper places. "A librarian's work is never done."

***

Allura was back at the skate park, gliding smoothly on her board. The griffons had largely cleared out to pursue other things, so the crowd was primarily made of young pegasi and earth ponies, though there were still unicorns among them. Still, by and large, she was left to relative peace as she practiced her moves.

She hit a jump, flipping over in a spin. "And there!" She landed without a wobble. "Perfect. I am amazing."

Twitch appeared from the edge of the park and clapped in approval.

"Oh, there you are." She hopped from the board and caught it all in one smooth motion. "Any progress? We need the next crystal."

He shook his head, then pointed to a structure nearby and held up some cash.

"A smoothie?" She looked around at the other creatures. "Where did you get those?" Not that this stopped her from gathering the coins Twitch was offering. "Still, yes. With these, we can get one of those smoothies if you want it so badly."

Twitch made celebratory noises as he scrambled up onto Allura's back, clapping eagerly.

Allura huffed. "Yes, yes, you can get whatever kind you wish. If I must be here, I will indulge myself. And you, apparently." She walked over to the stand to see what options were available.

Sunny was there that day. "Welcome back, Allura. Now, I do have to ask." She waved a hoof up at the imposing feline. "You are ready to pay before we make your smoothie today?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have your money right here, Sunny Starscout." She held out the cash she'd received from Twitch. "See? Now, I would like a smoothie, please."

Sunny swept it up, just to return some of the coins in a pile. "That's too much for one shake."

"That's because I want two." She threw her head back at the rapidly nodding Twitch. "I guess I have to buy two of these for myself. One for me, and one for the annoying rabbit." Twitch blew a raspberry at her, which only got Allura to stick hers out back at him. "For me, I will have the raspberry blitz. Which do you want, Twitch?"

Twitch tapped the picture of the blueberry blast, making eager noises.

Allura huffed loudly at his excitement, shaking her head. "Fine, he wants the blueberry blast. Can you do that?"

"Of course!" Sunny made a salute, took the rest of the coins, and got herself to work busily making the two shakes. "Will you be staying around? Or are you just passing by? It is so good to see you, Allura, really."

Allura's tail twitched at the questions, not quite sure why that was relevant to the order. "Until I figure out a way home, I'm stuck here, Sunny. You should know that much."

Sunny nodded. "And we're glad to have you! Just, are you finding ways to spend your time?"

"I'm skating." Allura gestured with a paw to the skate park, her board dangling from a claw. "And working on that 'getting home' thing. I don't suppose you've found a way to hurry that along, hm?"

"I have been trying to think about it, yes." Sunny finished one smoothie to put it in front of Twitch. "But nothing on that front yet, I'm afraid. But, here's an idea, have you ever considered..." She slid the two shakes into easy reach of Allura. "While you're here, I mean, you could get a job, earn your own bits to spend however you like."

The snow leopard gave Sunny a skeptical look. "Why would I ever need to work for ponies?" She took a long sip of her smoothie. "I can always find what I need."

Sunny rolled a hoof. "Well, yes, you have been managing that, but it'd be easier if you could just walk up to us, like you did today, and we'd give you what you want in return for a few coins."

Allura gave a slow nod, a claw tapping lightly at her cup. "What sort of work? You can't possibly think that a pony job could interest me."

"Maybe not a 'pony' job." Sunny leaned against the counter. "I've been looking into it. There are jobs you would fit into fairly well. Though used against us more than not, nopony can deny you have many specific physical and mental advantages." She tapped her hooves with each of those. "It's just a matter of using them."

"I'm listening. Have something that would be suited to me?" Allura drew a long slurp from her cup, sighing with relaxed pleasure at the flavor.

"You could do more than that." Sunny tapped the stand itself. "The first option that comes to mind is being a bouncer. I'm still pretty sure you could keep ponies from entering a place you wanted them not to enter. How well would you let the ones in that should be allowed in?"

Allura's tail swayed slowly side to side with thought. "I suppose that would not be difficult." Twitch tugged on her fur, yammering in her ear. She groaned at him. "Really?" She turned her head to face him. "What?"

He yammered something, pointing to his empty cup.

"Another? You are being a little glutton today." She checked her sides, but she was all out of coins. "Ugh. Would such a position give me a lot of coins?"

"Not a lot, no." Sunny shook her head. "More than not working at all, but it wouldn't make you fabulously wealthy or anything. But if it isn't something you want, maybe you could help build new buildings." She lifted both hooves as if carrying something weighty. "You're very strong, and large, and have wings. Those three together make you possibly very good for the role."

"Pass." Allura sank to her belly. "I will not sweat for you ponies. I think you've forgotten that I am a feline."

Sunny gave a nod. "Good to bear in mind." She refused to stop smiling. "But if I have your alright to continue, my friends and I will keep on looking and bring you a list of what might work. It is, of course, up to you which, if any, you want to try."

"I suppose." Allura rose again. "Is there anything else?"

Sunny thought a moment. "You can be a bit scary. Is that something you can turn on and off?"

"Being this powerful means I tend to terrify others without trying." She chuckled softly with a little purr. "I don't think there's an 'off' face.

Twitch said something Sunny couldn't make out. "What? I do not have that kind of resting face. I'm a cat, Twitch. You should know that better than anycreature else." She rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Thanks for the drinks." She strode off with Twitch on her back, and he had to quickly toss his cup. It bounced off the rim of the trash, but fell over into it. The rabbit cheered.

Sunny watched them wander away. "They aren't bad. I know they're not. Just have to keep being patient." She took a cleansing breath and turned to the next customer. "How can I help you?!"

***

"Comfort." Amber ascended to the third floor, spotting Comforting on a bench. "There you are!"

Comforting waved. "Hi Amber! How are you? Need something?"

Amber drew up before Comforting. "We're trying to find a job Allura would do. What did you think she'd be good at?"

"Oh? A job?" Comforting looked down over herself with a smile. "She's a curious creature, like me in some ways. With fantastical powers a pony struggles to deal with. Naughty mind-control purrs just being the start. Then there's her ice powers." Comforting clapped as if it all amused her, more than worried her. "A pity that ice rink didn't happen. She'd be just the creature to keep it nice and cold."

"She'd be good for that, wouldn't she?" Amber put a hoof to her chin. "But that didn't happen. She does like the not-ice skate park. I hear she's in there a fair amount."

Comforting nodded along. "Yes, yes, she does like it in there. I've seen her myself, too. She'd be good at entertaining creatures. Quite by accident, but she does it." She considered a moment. "She likes it where it's cold, and she can make it cold. There is an ice rink in the city. Not the one we imagined, but still, ice rink. She'd be welcomed there, hm?"

"Hm, probably so. I'll keep it in mind." Amber waved goodbye and trotted back off.

"Have fun, Amber! See you again soon!" She waved after the unicorn mare until she was gone from sight.

Author's Note

All the ponies are pondering where to put Allura where she's happy and has some bits to spend when she wants to. Doesn't get her home any faster, but maybe her stay can be made better?

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