"Would you like anything, sir?"
"Um, a hay sandwich please?"
"Certainly! Two bits, please."
"Thanks."
Great, I could use some food. Something to fortify me before I arrive. This could be either the best or worst decision I've ever made, moving to a brand new town. As I watch the world whiz by outside my window, I catch myself tapping my forehooves on my seat while I eat. It's weird, how I'm nervous about moving home. I've already done a lot of it; born and lived a bit in a little town in Méire, moved to Trottingham when I was about ten, then to Manehattan when I was about sixteen. Then again, my dad's work made it so we had to move around, job placements and everything. Guess them's the breaks when your old man's a big time businessman. It made getting jobs awkward for mum and making friends awkward for me and my brothers. ...well, more awkward for me anyway. I'm not exactly a social butterfly, though I do try to make friends...I just can't muster up the guts to walk up to somepony and just, talk to them.
But, I'm going to do this. I saved up the bits for this journey, so I'm not turning back!
Mm, that was a good sandwich. I shouldn't doubt train food.
Now, where was I?
I float my book back up to my face and open it to the bookmarked page.
If I only have enough room in my saddlebag for one book, it'd HAVE to be my favourite one ever!
Daring Do and the Alicorn's Shadow.
Now, which sentence was I-
Bing bong!
"Attention passengers, the train will be arriving at Ponyville Station in five minutes. Please gather all personal items and take them with you off the train, and thank you for riding with us. Have a good day!"
Drat, was about to get to the good bit.
Wow, LOOK at this place! It's like, the complete opposite of Manehattan!
Small, quiet, little thatch-roof houses, it's like a medieval village come to life!
With some modernity to it of course, I mean I doubt they had trains and stations back then.
I think I was right about moving here, I could really enjoy myse- ahh!
Oof, note to self; stand still when appreciating the local rusticity.
"S-sorry, excuse m-" ...oh sweet CELESTIA this pony is MASSIVE! Could you even CALL him a pony?!
He's like, a big red stallion made of total brawn! He could trample me with one hoof!
He lowers his tall head, a concerned look on his face. "Ya alright there son?"
...wow, what a soft quiet voice. "U-um, yeah I'm fine, sorry about that."
He nods, a soft laid-back smile on his face. "Watch yer step more carefully from now on, y'hear?"
Wow, he's like, the opposite of what I was expecting. "Y-yes sir." He grins and trots off.
Woah, if a pony like THAT is so friendly here, I don't have much to worry about!
Alright, now I just need to find somewhere to live.
Okay, I took a left there...right there...right again...wait, did I go left or right on this corner?
Well this is great! I finally found something I can't read; MAPS!
And it's evening already, dear Celestia...
I rub my hoof on my head. Right, I went left there...
"Hello?" WAH! Who the-?! I look up from the map, to find a purple mare, a neat purple mane with a pink highlight, looking quizzically at me.
"U-u-uh, c-can I help you?" Stop stuttering, you moron!
"I was just about to ask you the same thing, stranger," she smiles softly, "you seem a bit lost."
"Um, I am," I admit, smiling as awkwardly as ever, "I'm looking for...The Silver Wing?"
"Oh, the inn?" The mare looks down at the map, then frowns up at me softly. "Wow, you are lost. The Silver Wing's on the other side of town."
...nice going, Coltlumbus. "O-oh, darn...not the best with directions, so I'm not."
"Aww that's alright, I'll walk you there! My name is Twilight Sparkle." She states rather proudly as we begin walking.
"N-nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle." I mumble.
"Just Twilight is fine," she smiles, "and your name?"
"R-Rough Draft," I answer, "or just Draft, if you like."
Twilight takes a look at me and tilts her head. "That's an interesting name."
"W-well, I'm really into books, so-"
"YES! I knew it!" Twilight squeaks, bouncing slightly.
...did I say something? "Y-you did?"
"Your cutie mark, of course," Twilight smiles, pointing to my flank, "it kinda gives it away."
I look back at it, grinning nervously. Of course, my mark is a large quill marking a squiggly line.
"Curses, you found out my big dark secret!" I chuckle softly, smiling back at her, "Yeah, I love to write."
"You do?" Twilight gasps, mouth slightly agape, "I love reading!"
"M-me too!" I smile wider. Wow, not even a day in this town and I've found somepony to relate to! And it's a fellow unicorn! "What kind of books?"
"Well, anything really," Twilight shrugs, glancing away in thought, "mostly books on magic and lore. I'm a student of Princess Celestia herself!"
"Get out!" I gasp. To be fair, it's hard to believe. Why would the student of a Princess be in a town like this?
"I know what you're thinking, and no I'm not actually from Ponyville," Twilight nods, smiling back at me, "I'm from Canterlot. I moved here to study friendship."
"Ohh, cool." I muster a grin while I try to wrap my head around that. How do you study friendship?
"What about you, Draft?" Twilight asks, "Tell me about yourself."
"Well, I was born in Méire, but I've moved around a lot. My family's living in Manehattan right now."
"I thought you were from Méire," Twilight nodded knowingly, "I could tell from your accent."
"That obvious, eh?" I blush softly, getting a grin from the purple mare. "Well, I came to Ponyville on my own to try and get some motivation. I want to publish a book, but I need a story first."
"Wow, that's a big move," Twilight states, sounding impressed, "Home not doing much good for ideas?"
"I get writer's block easy," I mumble, glancing away, "it's a real curse."
"Awww, not to worry," Twilight smiles brightly at me, "I'm sure something around here'll jumpstart your creativity. There's always something going on around Ponville!"
"Oh yeah?" I blink at her. Excitement in such a sleepy wee town?
"May not look it, but Ponyville's seen its fair share of excitement." Twilight smiles, looking ahead. "Oh look, we're here already!"
I look up towards the building. It's a rather big looking place, relatively modern, clean looking, and a neat sparkly sign in the shape of a wing, the words "The Silver Wing" in front of it. Looks pricey...but then again dad recommended it.
"I'll let you go get settled in," Twilight said, then pointed a hoof to one of the streets, "if you like, you can find me in the library tomorrow, just down that street, turn left and keep going till you see the sign."
A library?! Nice! "I'll do that, thanks Twilight. I'll have to pay you back properly for helping out."
"Oh don't sweat it, I was happy to help!" She grins, then turns to head off down that street, "I'm gonna head home, my pet dragon's probably waiting for me. See ya!"
"Later!" I call to her, waving a leg.
...
Did she say pet DRAGON?!
I push my way into The Silver Wing...it looks rather nice. A bar, a shiny stage for shows, tables and stools and everything! Nice and warm too. Very rustic, reminds me of the old pub back in Trottingham my big brother always dragged me to. Always said he wanted company, in reality he just needed someone to help him walk home without getting himself killed. Cleaner looking here, though, but it has roughly the same atmosphere; ponies gathering around for a drink and a laugh.
It's a popular place; plenty of ponies here. Luckily I find a space at the bar and jog over to fill it. Thankfully it's not really busy. I prop myself up at the bar and attempt to call the tender.
"U-um, excuse me, sir?" I call softly, and the pony behind the bar trots over. He's a grey colt, with a wild-looking white Mohawk mane and wearing a black pinstripe shirt. Kinda reminds me of the grey one I have on.
"Welcome to The Silver Wing," he grins at me, propping a hoof on the bar in front of me, "just call me Flame. What can I get ya, newbie?"
"U-um, actually," I mutter, getting intimidated, as always, "d-do you have any open rooms?"
"Rooms? Plenty! Not exactly tourist season right now so we're pretty spaced. Looking to stay?"
I nod.
"Alrighty then," Flame grunts, lifting his hoof off the table and lowering his head under the table, emerging with a jingly keyring in his mouth, "follow me."
I follow the tall colt across the bar and watch him exit the other side next to me, spit out the keys into his hoof and call out to the room. "Hey Sulky, watch the bar, would you love?"
A rather grumpy looking brown mare with a black ponytail mane stamps towards us, a large scowl on her face. "Who's this then?"
"Kid wants to stay and keep us company, don't ya?" Flame grins, ruffling my mane. I just flinch and give a little nod.
The mare, who I assume is 'Sulky', gives me a look-down. "Just keep the noise down runt." She grumbles, stamping behind the bar.
"She's got a bit of a temper but she's alright really." Flame grins at me, taking the keyring in his mouth again and sticking a key into a door next to the bar, pushing it open. I follow him up a flight of stairs to a lone door, and he pushes it open with a hoof.
"Right, this here's the staff rec room," he explains as I look inside. It looks like a smaller version of the bar downstairs, with a coffee table and more sofas and armchairs. "You're only allowed in here if we're here as well, and if we like you enough to let you in."
I frown and nod, backing up as Flame shuts the door and leads me up another flight of stairs, opening up another door which leads to a hall, doors on the walls.
"Here's where me and Sulky sleep," Flame states, "that's right, barkeeps and waitresses sleep too. So no noise after one in the morning, capiche?"
I nod slowly, raising an eyebrow. What'll I be doing at one in the morning? Besides sleeping, anyways.
Flame shuts the door and leads me up one more flight, opening up a door leading to a similar hall but with even more doors and a hall leading to the right from the main door. Flame beckons me to follow him, and he leads me to a door with a silvery 3 on it.
"Here's your room," Flame nods to the door, holding up a little key in his hoof, a 3 on it, "and your key."
I use my horn to float the key into the door and open it up, then take out the key and set it in my saddlebag. "Thanks, sir."
"I said before, just call me Flame," the barkeep chuckles, shaking his head softly, "now, just a matter of rent."
I frown. This is gonna suck. Fancy place like this's gonna cost a fortune!
""How's three-fifty bits a month sound?"
...blink.
That's it? Only three-fifty? "That's all?"
"That's all." Flame nods, "No strings attached, no fine print, nothin'. Just pay up every month and we'll be best friends, comprende?"
I look down at my hooves, then back up to my new land lord and nod.
"Good man," he grins, holding out a hoof, "I'll take three-fifty now, if you please. If you don't have it I can wait till the end of the month. Don't pay up and it gets added to next month's. You get me sick of waitin' and you're outta here. I'm not wastin' space on a freeloader."
Woah. "G-got it. I got three-fifty here."
I float a little bag out of my saddlebag and hold it over Flame's hoof, opening it and emptying the bits into his hoof. He grins and sets them in his shirt pocket. "Thanks kindly, enjoy your stay! Breakfast's at eight sharp!"
I watch as he trots back down the stairs, and I go through the rules of this place in my head again as I go inside and shut the door.
No noise after one am. Pay three hundred and fifty bits every month, or it adds up until Flame kicks me out. Breakfast at eight sharp.
Simple enough, I can live with that.
I set my saddlebag on a chair and jump onto the brown blanket on the bed, laying down and surveying the room. Kinda small, but perfect for me. Nicely decorated, but not eye-straining. Classic browns and reds are fine by me. Bed's soft and spacious, plenty of sleeping room. Little mini-fridge under the TV.
...and of course, it's empty.
Oh sweet, a little desk and a chair! Perfect! I can do some writing there!
I poke through a small door, feeling a hard coldness on my hooves. Hello bathroom.
I take off my shirt and lay back on the bed, stretching and snuggling under the duvet.
I already have tomorrow's plan sorted in my head.
Get some good breakfast, explore the town, and find a job. My bit bag isn't a bottomless pit after all.
Maybe I'll check out the library tomorrow, pay Twilight a visit.
Yaaawwwn...we'll see.
I hope she's right though...exciting things in Ponyville...just what I need.