It's Not Easy, Being Orange

by Show Stopper

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Here we are! Founder's Place." Autumn turned down the side street, humming a tune as she scanned the houses on her right. "Kind of weird to put the post office in a residential area, though."

"Well, Ponyville's a weird town."

Autumn barely kept herself on the ground this time as she wheeled around to glare at the second pony to sneak up on her today. The earth pony mare had a cream-colored coat and a two-tone pink and purple mane and was giving Autumn a strange look. "What's with you ponies and sneaking up on me?" Autumn demanded.

The mare shrugged. "Sorry about that. Just figured I'd see how much control the town's new equi-fox had over herself."

"Yeah, well, like I said. Second time toda-" Autumn's eyes grew wide and she barely kept her wings from shooting out. "What did you just say?"

"Well, you aren't very good at hiding it," the mare replied, walking past the stunned pegasus. "I've been tailing you since Town Square. That little display in the Hayburger made it painfully obvious." She looked over her shoulder at the frozen mare. "You're going this way, right?"

I could run right now, Autumn thought frantically. Just fly away and never come back. There's no way she could keep up, and I could just loose myself in Phillydelphia or something... again. Steeling her nerves, Autumn trotted after the earth pony mare.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Autumn said, getting a raised eyebrow in response. "I mean, I see how you would think that, but I'm really just the product of bad luck. See, I had this friend growing up, a unicorn who specialized in transformation magic. Good enough to get into Celestia's school! She was the pride of our little town for years. Anyway, she came back full of confidence, but not quite enough ability to back it up. I foolishly volunteered to be a test subject for her to show off some spells-"

"And she tried to turn you into a fox but the transformation got stuck halfway and you decided you liked it, right?" The mare chuckled and shook her head. "Well, that should pass here in Ponyville. Most ponies here have never even heard of lycanthropes. Fluttershy will pick you out immediately, and Princess Twilight might figure it out too, but they're level-headed enough not to blab it to anyone. I'm Bon Bon, by the way."

"Autumn Breeze," Autumn grumbled, miffed that she'd been seen through so easily. "So how the hay did you figure it out?"

"I have some experience with monsters," Bon Bon replied, "along with those that ponies think of as monsters." She paused, turning to look Autumn in the eye. "I sincerely hope that you're the latter."

Autumn sighed, reaching down with a wing to open one of her saddlebags. "No worries there," she said, nodding to the open bag. "Got some quality rope in there. I make sure to tie myself down every month."

Bon Bon nodded. "Good. I'd hate to hear about anything happening to Ditzy or her girls." She sighed, motioning for Autumn to follow as she continued down the street. "I'd hate to hear about anything happening to you, too. Your kind really don't get a fair lot here in Equestria."

Autumn's ears turned back and she looked down. "Tell me about it," she muttered. "Soon as ponies find out about me, they start bringing out every legend and old mare's tale they can to try to incriminate me, and that's if they don't just resort to a mob."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that here," Bon Bon assured. "When it comes out, I'll stand by you. I know Fluttershy and Twilight will, too. And if you've got those two on your side, nopony in town will give you any trouble."

"You don't need to do that," Autumn muttered. "I've dealt with this before. I'll be here for a couple of years before moving on. Probably back to Gryphonstone or something."

"Not if we can help it!" Autumn looked up, startled at the heat in Bon Bon's voice and the glare that she was leveling at her. "You aren't going to get kicked out of town just because of what you are. Your friends won't allow it."

"I just got to town," Autumn argued. "I look like a freak. My one friend in this town is a gryphon, and if a mob comes for me, he knows to stay out of it or he'll be kicked out too. I don't have any friends to stand by me."

"Well, you'll have at least one."

Autumn's jaw dropped, her hooves freezing as she stared at Bon Bon. "Wh-what?! But, but you know what I am! You yourself said 'when,' not 'if.' I'm going to get found out. I'm going to get run out. And if you side with me, there's no telling what it'll do to your life here!"

"Probably make it really difficult and arduous," Bon Bon replied, shrugging. "That is, if I'm alone. Guess for my sake you'd better start making some more friends." She nodded towards a nearby house. "This'd be a good place to start."

Autumn looked at the house. It was a two-story building like those surrounding it, but the whole thing was painted a familiar light blue with white trim. A sign hung over the front door, a field of blue lined in black with a sealed letter in the center: the symbol of the Equestrian Postal Service.

"The Post Office is her house?" Autumn asked incredulously.

"Welcome to Ponyville," Bon Bon replied, "population: too small for its own building." Bon Bon turned, walking back up the street a few steps before pausing. "Bit of advice," she added, looking over her shoulder. "Tell Ditzy about your condition before your first transformation here. She... won't take it well if she thinks you've been endangering her kids."

"Don't see why it would be a problem," Autumn replied. "Not like I'm going to be living here or anything."

Bon Bon turned away, hiding a snicker. "Heh, yeah. What sort of crazy pony just *snrk* invites a stranger to live with them. It'd take a real weirdo."

"I resemble that remark!" Autumn and Bon Bon looked up to see a gray pegasus mare hovering over their heads. "Hey, Bonnie! What am I crazy for this time?"

"Hey, Ditzy," Bon Bon called. "I was just talking to Autumn here about how crazy it would be for somepony to let a complete stranger live with them."

"You're Autumn Breeze?" Ditzy asked. Seeing Autumn's nod, she squeed and dove down to hug her. "Oh it's so great to meet you! The girls and I have been looking forward to meeting you all day!"

"Um, nice to meet you too," Autumn replied, hesitantly returning the hug.

"And one of your daughters has already met her," Bon Bon added. "Autumn here stopped by the Hayburger for lunch. Got a few," she grimaced, "Gryphon Specials."

Ditzy froze, pulling back and holding Autumn at arm's length. "You eat meat?"

"I, uh, spent a couple of years living with the gryphons," Autumn explained. "It sort of grew on me."

"Huh." Ditzy shrugged, a grin splitting her face once more. "Well, so long as you don't bring any here, I won't judge your eating habits." She flew over to the door, unlocking it and heading inside. "Come on in! I'll give you the tour!"

"And I think that's my cue to leave," Bon Bon said, patting Autumn on the shoulder and lowering her voice. "Seriously though, tell her soon. The longer you wait, the worse it'll be when she discovers it."

"I'll... consider it," Autumn conceded.

Bon Bon nodded, squeezing her shoulder before turning and walking away. "See you around, Lowenmagen."

Autumn blinked, caught off guard as Bon Bon walked away. "She speaks Gryphoese?" she pondered, narrowing her eyes. "And what does she mean, Lion-Stomach?" Shaking her head, she followed Ditzy into the Post Office.

The large front room had been massively remodeled, leaving a large waiting area separated from the back of the room by a counter. A scale sat on the counter with a few shelves of different sized envelopes and boxes behind it. Ditzy hopped behind the counter, reaching down and pulling out a basket full of muffins. "Muffin?" she offered.

"Um, no thanks," Autumn replied. Ditzy shrugged, grabbing a blueberry muffin and throwing it into her mouth. "I've got to say," Autumn said, looking around as Ditzy chewed, "you've really managed to make your house look like a real post office. I wasn't sure what to think when I saw this place at first."

Ditzy swallowed her muffin, placing the basket back behind the counter. "Yeah, I get that a lot from new ponies. That's just how it is in Ponyville, though. Lots of ponies start businesses out the back of their home and remodel once they get enough." She stepped to the side, opening a small gate. "Come on back. I'll show you where you'll be staying."

"I think you mean 'working,'" Autumn corrected, stepping behind the counter and closing the gate after herself.

"Nope!" Ditzy said, leading Autumn into a hallway. A stairway occupied the left half of it, the right side having doorways that led to a kitchen and another room that looked like a workroom of some sort. Ditzy started up the stairs and Autumn, reluctantly, followed. "See, Ponyville only has one hotel and a couple of apartment buildings, and they're on the other side of town. You'd have to get up and fly in the dark to get here for work on time. So we did a little rearranging and set you up in Dinky's old room."

Autumn paused halfway up the stairs, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. "That's, I mean, what?!" She shook her head, her wings twitching erratically as she backed down a step. "I can't do that! I couldn't ask you to!"

"Good thing you aren't the one asking then," Ditzy replied, smiling back down at her. "We are. Dinky already moved everything but her furniture over to Amethyst's room this morning, and I have some stallions coming in a couple of hours with your new bed and dresser."

Autumn backed down another couple of steps, shaking her head adamantly. "You don't understand. I can't! I... really need my privacy. Besides, I couldn't put you out like that. It wouldn't be right!"

"Actually," Ditzy said, looking away and rubbing the back of her neck, ears splayed back, "you'd be putting us out more if you didn't stay. See, we're a little tight on bits right now. Not that I can't pay you what we agreed!" she said frantically, eyes wide and worry building. "It's just, things would be a bit tight for a while. We kind of hoped room and board could come out of your paycheck. It'd be more convenient for you a-and easier for our finances." Ditzy started stammering, looking at the walls, the floor, anywhere but directly at Autumn. "I-I mean, we still could pay you the full amount and have you live elsewhere, b-but this just seemed, um, more convenient, and we thought, well, that is..." She trailed off, obviously worried about Autumn's reaction.

Autumn, meanwhile, didn't know what to say. Sure, it would be far more convenient to live right upstairs from where she worked, and "room and board" here would probably cost less than living on her own, but there was still the elephant in the room for her to consider. Or rather, the fox in the room.

That's why Bon Bon insisted I tell her about me, Autumn realized. Crap. If I stay here, I might just have to. But it does make sense... "I, um, that maybe could work. But I really need privacy."

"There's a lock on the door!" Ditzy quickly reassured, a pleading smile now on her face as she realized that Autumn was considering staying.

"It's not that," Autumn said. "I mean, that's good too, but I, well..." She wracked her brain, trying to think of a convincing excuse. "I... have night terrors! Yup, horrible night terrors. N-not every night, but once in a while. Once a month, really. A-anyway, I wouldn't want you or your daughters getting woken up from my... screaming and thrashing."

"Oh." Ditzy's ears fell, her face growing concerned. "I'm so sorry. What are they- No, no. Forget it. I shouldn't ask. But, um, if that's the problem, I could have Amethyst cast a silence spell around your room at night."

Autumn blinked, her ears perking. "Really? She can do that?"

"Of course!" Ditzy grinned, cheer returning to her face. "She's been getting lessons from our local magic expert for almost a year now. She learned the Sphere of Silence this Spring during my estrus cycle." She blushed, her grin turning a bit sheepish. "I... may have asked her to use it on my room a few times when I had *ahem* 'company' over."

Autumn snorted, doing her best to hide an appropriately wolfish grin. "Oh, I bet that conversation went well."

Ditzy stuck her tongue out at her before descending into giggles. Autumn joined in a second later, trotting up to stand beside her. "You sure me living here is okay? It won't be too hard on her casting that every night?"

Ditzy waved her off. "Don't worry about it. It'll be good for her, actually. Twilight says she's supposed to be working on regular magical exercise to stretch her limits or something. I didn't really get everything that she was saying, but basically the more she uses her magic, the better. This will be good exercise for her horn before she turns in for the night. So? What do you say?"

Autumn thought for a moment before sighing. Guess I really don't have any excuse. As long as they don't barge in one one of those nights, it should be fine. I'll have to tell Ditzy, though. Just... not today. Once I get more settled in. "Ditzy Doo," Autumn said, raising her hoof to shake, "you've got yourself a deaOOF!"

Autumn staggered backward a step as Ditzy lept into a hug. "Oh, this is going to be great! I promise you won't regret this!"

Autumn smiled, returning the hug. I certainly hope not.

Comments

[CTVulpin]

This first month is going to go great. I can tell.

[Ausbrony]

Hooboy. This is gonna end well.

[Buckwood]

This seems like a fun story, I just hope you're a better person than me and update regularly!

[Show Stopper]

8211500
My plan is to update at least one of my three major stories every week, with a goal of each being updated AT LEAST once per month. Most likely, I’ll have multiple updates most weeks.

[Buckwood]

8212392
Good to hear, and I ‘spose I should go see what else you’re writing as well.