“Sure you don’t want to come with us, Leaf?” Perlite asked as he and the rest of the landscapers walked the streets of Ponyville.

Leaf Pile flashed a sheepish smile. “Maybe some other time, I’m really beat,” he replied.

“Aww, but milkshakes are half off at Sugarcube Corner today?” Cherry Bonsai protested. “Best time to get ‘em!”

“I’m good on milkshakes, thanks,” Leaf said with a soft laugh. “You guys have fun.”

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Chilly Gust sighed. “Well, have a good one. See you tomorrow!”

Leaf Pile waved goodbye as they turned and headed for Sugarcube Corner. They all deserved a treat after a hard day at the Rich Estate—it was wild that the place was always so unkempt when they arrived. Like it was part of the Everfree Forest or something.

In reality, the disguised changeling needed some time to himself. Keeping up appearances was taxing, and he didn’t want to reveal himself just yet. It wasn’t that relations between ponies and changelings were strained—he was just too nervous.

As he turned the corner, headed for his home near the edge of town, he bumped into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going,” he said. “Are you alright?”

“No, no, I’m sorry. I was just distracted.”

Pile blinked when he realized what stood before him wasn’t a pony, nor any creature he’d seen before. Her coat was khaki in color and extra floofy. She had pearly white cloven hooves, and a stripe of similarly colored scales from her snout all the way down her back. Her curly mane was like a male lion’s, dark teal in color and curly, with a tuft at the tip of her tail and on the back of her back legs. A gnarled, maroon horn, almost like a branch, jutted from her forehead.

Pile blinked a few times, trying to find his words. “Uh… never seen you around town before,” was all he managed.

The creature giggled. “That’s because I’m from the Peaks of Peril. My name is Creek Shine, princess of the kirin.”

She gave a grand bow, and it was only then that Pile noticed the wooden tiara resting atop her head. He quickly gave a bow.

“I am so sorry, Your Majesty,” he spluttered.

“Oh please,” Creek snorted. “It’s fine. What’s your name?”

Pile blushed and stood upright. “Uh well… it’s P-Pile. L-Leaf Pile! Nice to meet you,” he said with a strained grin.

Creek giggled. “Well, Leaf Pile. I am indeed new in town. I still have an hour before I need to meet with Princess Twilight Sparkle, but perhaps you could show me around town?”

Pile gulped. “Well… sure! I’d be glad to.”

“Great! Do you know any good place to get a snack? I’m starving,” Creek said.

“Actually, Sugarcube Corner has milkshakes half off now… if you like milkshakes, that is,” Pile said, trotting along.

Creek trotted along beside him. “Milkshakes sound perfect.”

“That’s how you two met?” Olivine Facet snapped, frowning at Pile.

“Well, yeah. I thought it was the luckiest day of my life,” Pile said with a shrug and a smile. “You’re telling me the day you met Snare Trap wasn’t yours?”

Olive blushed and spluttered. “Well… of course it was! But that’s such a ridiculous scenario,” she said. “You just bump into some wayward princess?”

“Well, how did you two meet?” Pile raised an eyebrow.

Olive sat back on her haunches and crossed her forelegs, looking away dismissively. “We met when I needed a place to stay in Ponyville,” she said plainly.

Pile snorted. “And you made fun of how I met Creek?”

Author's Note

Fun fact 1: No, I didn't think to expand upon Pile's coworkers. Maybe next time.

Fun fact 2: In the cancelled Ponyville Noire: The Wayward Princess where Pile, Creek, Trap, and Olive were originally meant to debut, this is basically how Creek and Pile met! How Olive and Trap met would have also been included.