You looked over your now pretty run down cart. It was going to need some repairs to work properly. The only saving grace was that White had hired some ponies to fish out the rest of your boxes, and thanks to them being air tight nothing was damaged. Even with White doing what she did for free as usual for you, that still meant you had to pay most of the fees for the repair job and the supply of medicine you had to get.
Paying the pharmacist the last of your bits and grumbling about Celestia needing to institute free health care you take a cup full of the brown liquid. It tasted like mud and it felt ice cold running down your throat. Placing the cork back on the bottle you set it in a box you had cleared out so you could put the medicine and the ice block in with it.
“So are you really going home now?” asked Fluttershy who had decided to accompany you as you on your errands after White had bid you farewell. She had already gotten behind making sure you were okay and had many more cases and studies to get back to. Promising you’d visit her for her birthday you had left on good terms and so had nothing better to do than make sure everything was settled here with Fluttershy hot on your trail.
“Yeah,” you replied. “Even if I go to Ponyville now I can’t afford to stay there long. I was planning on using my pay from helping Applejack to keep up living there until I could get a steadier job. But with these new expenses and no way to pay it off I’m just gonna have to get something closer to home since it’s free rent.
“Well if rent is the problem,” Fluttershy had started to say something but her hooves had covered up her mouth.
“No thank you,” you said petting her head a bit to calm her down. “I already owe my family so much. I don’t wanna be in debt to you as well. Giving bits to a friend should only be to those really in need. I’m not going to be homeless so don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
Biting her lip the mare finally jumps in front of you and stutters out, “y-y-you ca-ca-can always just s-s-s-stay at my h-h-h-house.” She shut her eyes and hit behind her mane. You scratched the back of your head. She was offering help as a friend, but it was obvious she wasn’t very comfortable with the idea either.
“No,” you replied, “I said I’m fine after all. I don’t want to impose on you anyway. I’ll see you again sometime when I have the money is all.” You looked up to the sky, the sun was bright and telling you it was about three in the afternoon. It was time you got going before it got dark, you didn’t really have enough supplies to last till you got home but you wanted to make sure you were not starving by that point from eating only berries anyway.
“No it isn’t!” she yells out again. Your taken aback and she covers her mouth again. It’s about a minute till she continues. “I mean, it’s not imposing on me at all. I do have a guest room from when family stays over and I’m friends with Applejack so I can always talk to her about keeping you around after harvest time if you need it. Plus I think my house is way closer anyway, so if it doesn’t work out you can at least use the money you get to restock and then go home.”
You thought about it, her logic was sound. “Alright if you say it’s okay,” you replied. “But I’m not sure your animal friends are going to like me very much. If I recall you have a particular pet who likely wouldn’t want me around.”
“Oh I’m sure Angel will be fine after he gets to know you,” she saids more confidently now that everything is settled. She looked up at the sky and noticed the time too. “Oh it is getting late. We’d better go now then.” You nodded your agreement and decided to mail your family about your new situation when you got settled. You could almost hear your mother’s jaw hit the floor when she reads is along with the cackle of your sister, and you wished you could see those reactions. But for now you’re with a friend, and now temporary roommate and you have to focus on paying off your debts. Hopefully living with Fluttershy isn’t too bad. It can’t get any worse that a rooster crow in the morning when you need to get up anyway right?