What is with this town? Janice thought. Just today, she’d had to face two arguments in a very short period of time. Usually, she was lucky enough to not have to deal with arguments for a few hours before the next one. If the last few minutes were any indication, she’d have to prep herself for some verbal fireworks. Just as she finished that thought, a cyan blur shot past her vision, drawing it to the left. From her right, she heard the tell-tale sound of pegasus wings flapping. Janice turned her head to see a light lavender pegasus with pinkish purple eyes, yellow orange mane and tail, and a cumulus cloud covering a portion of a sun for a cutie mark descended from above. She then yelled in a cross voice: “Rainbow Dash! Get back here! I don’t appreciate being told how to manage the weather of my town by an outsider!” The cyan blur didn’t come back, much to the weather mare’s dismay. “*sigh* She’s probably back in Cloudsdale by now… Oh well, I’ve got bigger problems anyway.” The weatherpony turned towards Janice. “Hm? Oh, sorry you had to see that. Rainbow is a constant pain in my rear, seeing as she likes to come by every other week just to pester me.” She then did a double-take. “You must be new in town. I’m Cloudkicker Storm, weather manager of this humble town. Who are you?” She extended a hoof out for a hoofshake.
“I’m Janice Dazzle. I’m glad I found you.” Janice accepted the shake. “So, you are curious about your compensation for the Extravaganza, correct?”
Cloudkicker beamed. “Uh-huh. So, how much am I getting?”
“300 bits.”
Cloudkicker seemed to chew the number for a while, then said: “Alright, seems like a fair amount for keepin’ the sky clear ‘till the Eclipse is over.”
As she was about to leave, Janice called out. “Wait! Do you know where I can find Melia Breeze?”
Cloudkicker turned back to Janice while still hovering. “Her? She’s not much of a morning pony, seeing as-”
Just then, the sound of flapping leathery wings came from behind Janice. Janice turned and gasped slightly. Descending from a nearby roof was a fuchsia thestral mare with piercing blue eyes, a short teal mane and tail, and a cluster of three nimbus clouds for a cutie mark. Judging by the near dead look in her eyes, she’d just woken up. Thestrals were very rarely seen in the daytime, seeing as they were nocturnal by nature. The mare then spoke: “*yawn* ‘Sup Cloudy? Rainbrain botherin’ ya again?”
Cloudkicker responded. “Good afternoon, Melia. And yes, she was.”
Melia yawned again. “Ah. Wish I woke up earlier, then.” She then blinked and looked towards Janice. “And who’s this?”
Cloudkicker supplied an answer. “She’s Janice Dazzle, the organizer for the Extravaganza. She was just looking for you, actually.”
Melia then blinked. “Whoa, talk about timing. So, how much am I gettin’ for my sweet tricks?”
“You’re getting 400 bits for your willingness to provide entertainment.”
Melia’s eyes became saucers as she became fully awake. “400?! I hardly earn half that much at the end of each quarter! Sweet, I’m gonna be rich!”
It was understandable for her to be excited. Most thestrals had a similar problem that Crystal Ponies had, meaning they weren’t paid very well. But, the prejudice that most “day ponies” had against thestrals was very deeply ingrained, and hadn’t been assuaged too much in over 2000 years.
Janice smiled somewhat sadly. Just imagine what kind of prejudice would be flung my way if ponies knew the truth about me. I’d never sell my jewelry again! Janice, much like her half-siblings, had kept secrets from the public, that if leaked too early could ruin careers. So, like them, she took to hiding those secrets, and by any means necessary. Her right front hoof started to convulse right at that moment. Her eyes widened in pain and panic as she collapsed a bit. No! The spell can’t end right now! I need to get out of here!
Cloudkicker and Melia looked at her with concern. “You alright there, Janice?”
Janice nodded weakly. “Just a minor pain. Igottagobye!” She then ran and then teleported.
Janice popped back into reality inside a cave of sorts. That was okay, though. Just as long as nopony saw what happened. Janice then looked in a nearby wall of crystal that was shaped like a standard mirror. She silently cursed at what she saw. Her front hooves had been replaced by blue-scaled dragon claws, bent in such a way to imply that her form was meant to be bipedal. Her tail was no longer made of hair, but of blue scales with cyan spines and lavender spikes. Her eyes had also become more draconic. She also now sported a longer ‘snout’ with many carnivorous fangs. All these were a reminder of the mother she never knew, a full-blooded dragon. In short, she was a Kirin, (or Dracoblood (Dragon-pony hybrid) as some tended to call them) one of the few pony hybrids that the populace tended to fear just by seeing them in public. The others were the Hippogriffs (Griffon-pony hybrid), the Batbloods (Thestral-day pony hybrid), and the lesser known Taurians (Minotaur-pony hybrid). Janice put such thoughts out of her mind, then worked an azure aura around her horn as she crafted the polymorph spell that she’d been using ever since she first gained her cutie mark. Her snout contracted into a muzzle, and the fangs were shifted into flatter teeth. Her tail rippled, and soon flourished in hair instead of scales. Her clawed arms twisted and contorted until they were hooves again. Finally, her eyes shifted back to that of a normal pony’s. Janice stopped the spell. She looked at herself in the crystal mirror again, smiling. Just glad that’s over. I can’t have anypony freak out and call me a monster, now can I? Now let’s get back on track.