A long time had passed. The days had gotten shorter, the leaves carpeting the ground had been replaced by snow and some days ago there had been Hearths Warming Eve.

It was not a holiday we had known in Hono. So, us kirin had never celebrated Hearths Warming Eve. And here in Maren it was no different for me. It wasn’t like I had anypony to celebrate with. So, instead of spending the night with the ponies (or kirins) you love I had been in my home, reading a book and going to bed early.

Now, all this didn't mean that I had reclaimed my optimistic spirit. I was still unhappy about being in Maren. I didn’t smile anymore. I often felt tired, exhausted and unmotivated. I ate less and had lost a lot of weight. And it felt like I was in my own lonely bubble.

But at least it was not as bad as before. I wasn't carrying the nonstop depression, anger, and sadness i was before. It was more that I had found a stable emotionless medium. I had started to accept the fact that I would be living a lonely life here. It didn’t make the situation better, but it made it at least bearable.

I didn’t even try to approach anypony anymore. I ate alone during work and the relationship with Creative was pretty much on ice. We didn’t talk with each other anymore, except when it concerned work. And when I met new ponies, I didn’t even make the efforts to befriend them. I just ignored everypony and they ignored me (besides all the staring and gossiping they did.)

It had also meant that I learned how to use my time alone. This meant cleaning my home, reading a book, meditating, gardening or shopping. All things I could do without anypony else. I had even started to learn Kiranji, the old kirin language that was used by my kind long ago.

Right now, I was taking a stroll in the park through the winter landscape and making the best out of my otherwise boring free day. I liked how my hooves gave a soft crunching sound when stepping in the snow. I wished that I had somepony else by my side to share this moment.

I gave a sigh. It wasn't like I was now against trying to make friends here. But I had given up hope long ago. And that laid heavy on my shoulders.

I kicked up some snow and decided to return home. The sky was grey and cloudy, which meant that most ponies weren't feeling very motivated to go outside. This made the whole picture of me walking along through the streets even more lonely. Just me in my green wool jacket. Alone in the empty street with houses to the left and right and the only sound were my hoofsteps in the snow.

The way home felt much longer than it actually was and when I finally reached my house I quickly clopped the snow from my hooves, rushed inside and slammed the door behind me. I took another sigh. This time it sounded way more exhausted.

I took off my jacket and stepped into the living room. With my magic I floated the book laying on the couch table to me. “Learning Kiranji in 1000 easy trots” was the title. The book I used to learn the old kirin language.

I gave a look outside of the window. Even through the grey sky you could see that soon it would get dark. Daylight was short in winter.

But the days are already getting longer again. With each passing day it will be closer to spring. And after spring comes summer, I thought.

I had already calculated it. If everything went well, I would have my credit paid back in early summer and then I could leave this place. Back to Hono, my real home. This thought gave me the strength to go on. To continue with this battle, knowing that it would "soon" be over.

That was if I didn’t start another fire in my house. Repairing the kitchen had been expensive and a second time would throw me back even further. This meant that I had to bottle up my negative emotions a lot. Even though my depression made it very difficult. My nirik side had called multiple times to get out. I had to keep it in check. No matter how unhealthy it was. I was just scared that one day it might be too much, and the bottle could just not take it anymore. Everything ending in another fire…

Oh, dear Flames, please send me help…

A knock on the door almost made me jump. I had nearly forgotten that doors could make that sound. I had not gotten a knock on my door since I had moved here. Confused I floated the book back to the table and stepped to the door. I grabbed the door knob with my magic and swung it open.

Outside stood a pegasus mare. She had completely white fur and a long, yellow, open mane that had a golden sheen. She also had a dark and light blue stiped scarf around her neck.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I am Golden String, your new neighbour”, the mare said happily.

I was so surprised that I couldn't even tell what was happening. Even after a short moment I wasn’t able to gather myself.

“Uuuuh… what?”, was the only thing that came out when I was finally able to open my mouth.

“Yeah. You know, the pony living in the house to your left who moved away? I just fully moved in today which makes me your new neighbour”, Golden explained.

I leaned my head out of the door and looked to my left. There was the house of my neighbour. The neighbour who I, since I had moved here, never had seen once. And now, without a goodbye that neighbour was gone.

Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised. That pony has been too scared to open the door when I tried to introduce myself.

“Anyways, I wanted to say hi and introduce myself. So that you know who I am”, Golden continued with a happy tone.

I turned my gaze back to the pegasus mare. She was so happy, optimistic and cheerful.

So naïve. She doesn’t know what kind of ponies live here. That they don’t care how hopeful you are, I thought blandly.

“Oh, okay. Hello then”, I said emotionlessly.

There was a moment of silence between us. Her happy expression fell a bit. Barely noticeable but it still was there. I guessed that she was hoping for a more welcoming neighbour.

This struck a nerve in me. This mare was just like I had been. Offering friendliness and getting a cold shoulder in return.

If I reject her then I am no better than anypony else here, I thought.

I gave a sigh.

“I’m sorry. I… had a bit of a rough day. I’m Spring Frost. Would you like to come inside for some tea?”, I offered as an apology.

Like embers that had been fed a new log, Golden's smile returned to full brightness.

“Tea sounds lovely”, she said and entered my home.

I closed the door behind Golden and saw how she gave a curious look through the entrance. I couldn’t read her expression too well, but I assumed that she mostly approved of what she saw. She took off the scarf and hung it on the nearby rack before I lead her into the kitchen.

The “new” kitchen looked just like it was before the fire. Well, except that it was all new and didn’t have any signs of wear. A fresh painted wall and ceiling, replaced fridge, stove and cabinets, a new table and chairs and it had a window and door again.

Golden took a seat at the table, and I started to heat up a metal teapot full of water.

“I’ll be right back”, I said to Golden and went into the living room. There I used my magic to open a closet and took out a tea set. A set I had brought with me from Hono, and I hung on It very dearly. In Hono, drinking tea with somekirin was a high, artistic and honourable ritual.

I went back into the kitchen and floated the set to the table. Two cups, a teapot, a cup with a lid and the wooden tray. Golden looked at it curiously but didn’t say anything.

When the water boiled I took it from the heat and carried it over to the table. Even though kirins have magic, the tea ceremony had to be done only with hooves. It should take in the energy and art you use for it.

I first filled the cups and pot with hot water to clean and heat it up. Afterwards I poured the water from it into the tray (which was specially built for that) and added some white tea leaves into the lidded cup. I then filled it with hot water, careful not to let it fall directly on the leaves, let it steep for a short moment and then used the lid to only let the tea pour into the teapot. And from the teapot I then filled the two cups.

During this Golden didn’t say one word and just watched with interest. Much to my liking because as the kirin performing the ritual, I was not allowed to say anything. Not before I gave a nod, showing that I was done and the tea ready to drink.

Golden took a cup and took a small sip. Not because of scepticism, instead I could sense that she realised that this whole ceremony was not meant to be rushed.

“That tea tastes excellent”, she said.

“Thank you very much. I have the leaves from my garden”, I explained and took the other cup with my hooves.

“You plant tea bushes?”, Golden asked surprised.

“Yes. I realised that there weren’t any places, where I could get some good tea”, I answered blandly.

"Heh, yes. I can imagine. In Manehattan, where I am from, you had to go into a special tea shop to get the good stuff. But I can imagine that a small village like here in Maren doesn’t got such a shop”, Golden said and took another gentle sip.

There was a moment of silence between us. I wanted to say something but the many days of loneliness seemed to have affected my willingness to speak. Instead, it was Golden who broke the silence.

“So, you are a kirin, right?”

This question stunned me for a moment. Nopony I had met so far had ever known that I was a kirin. Let alone had known that something like kirins even existed.

“You heard of my kind?”, I answered and asked at the same time.

“Well, not much”, Golden admitted. “I read in the newspapers about the kirins. That was during the time when Equestria was under the attack of Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow and creatures all around Equestria were called for help. And one kirin, I think Autumn Blaze was her name, did also appear to fight in the name of friendship. She then gave a veeeeery detailed interview with the news reporters. That interview alone had taken half of a page in the newspaper.

I guess I don't know much about kirins. I know that they look like you and that they are a bit different from pony kind.”

I took a sip of the tea myself and gave a nod.

“Yes, I remember. Autumn Blaze had been called to help during this emergency. There were other kirins as well who went with her, but she was definitely on the front line.

Oh and she loves to talk. I am surprised that they didn’t need a full page to write everything down.”

Golden had to chuckle at my words. (I wasn’t even trying to be funny. I was just honest.)

“Well, why don’t you tell me more about what a kirin exactly is?”, Golden recommended and gave me a smile.

It wasn’t a smile just to be polite, like the ponies here in Maren did. It was an honest smile. Telling me that she was interested, and she wanted to have a chat with me. It instantly filled up my spirit in a way it hadn't been in a long time.

“Well I would love to. Let me start when we had two ponies, Applejack and Fluttershy, have come to our village...”

A long time and many glasses of tea later I finished explaining about kirin kind. Of course, I again skipped everything about the nirik part. I didn’t want Golden to think that I was some sort of dangerous fire demon. Not after she had been the first pony who I actually had a positive relationship with.

“And that is a kirin like I am”, I ended my summarisation.

Golden had been listening the whole time. She sometimes had asked a question.

“Interesting. Your kind seems to have a very different culture but all in all you still are very similar to ponies”, Golden said before turning her head to look out of the window. The sun had set long ago, and it was pitch black outside.

“Oh my Celestia, it is late! And I still have some boxes to unpack! I am sorry Spring to cut this short now, but I should go now.”

I gave a nod in understanding and floated the teacups to the sink.

“It’s alright. I understand. But it was really nice to meet you”, I said and accompanied Golden to the door.

“Indeed. And thank you for the tea”, she said and put on her scarf. “Oh, and in case you need anything, feel free to knock on the door on your left.”

Again I gave a nod.

“I will and if you want you can come again for more tea.”

“Sounds inviting. I definitely will do that”, Golden replied and opened the door to step out into the winter night.

We both gave a short goodbye wave before I closed the door.

My mood was way better now. For the first time, after what felt like an eternity to me, I felt optimistic. But I didn’t want to get my hopes too high. In the end, I had also had the same feeling about other ponies, like Creative. So maybe Golden was just another pony who says that she would show up and in the end never does.

Author's Note

Thank you all for reading.

I should say here, that I am not from an Asian country. Everything I write here about the kirin culture is just a mix the Japan, China, Vietnam and Thailand culture that I learned from friends or from the internet. Still, it might have some mistakes in it and might not always be 100% correct. So, if anyone knows more than I do, feel free to point out the mistakes. (I really hope I wrote the tea ceremony correctly…)