Turn of Luck

by David Silver

12 - Red Tape and Red Carpets

Maya trotted up to the mayor's office, holding the letter in her mouth. She was sure she had the right place. She knocked on the door. "Hello? Mayor Mare?" She knocked again.

"Miss." Another pony, a stallion, was waving at Maya. "You shouldn't just walk up to Miss Mare's office like that." He waved her closer. "We should get you an appointment." He started. "Unless you already have one? Sorry for not asking."

"No, I don't have one. I just got this letter from Princess Celestia." She held it up in her mouth. "I'm supposed to give it to her."

"Oh, you're a courier?" The stallion accepted the letter and set it down to unfold it and give it a cursory read. "Oh! Oh, yes. This is quite important." He folded the letter up. "Let me see if she's open." He rose to his hooves and trotted over to the door.

He knocked just as Maya had, but he also opened the door and pressed past it, soon lost to sight and sound.

Maya sank to her haunches. "Hope that goes--" She didn't get to finish, the stallion waving frantically for her to follow him. "That was fast." She hopped up to her hooves and started towards the door. "She's in?"

"Maya," came the sweet tones of Mayor Mare from beyond the door. "Do come in. I hear you have quite the letter for me."

Maya stepped inside and found herself in a very nice office. "This is... a lot nicer than I expected." She looked around. "I'm not sure what I expected."

Mayor Mare waved Maya closer. "My office is the office of the ponies of this town, don't be shy. Show me this letter. I hear it's from a very important pony indeed."

Maya dropped the letter from her mouth onto Mayor Mare's desk. "It came out of nowhere. Is that normal?"

Mayor Mare unfurled it and had a look. "Oh, oh dear." She put a hoof to her face, looking aghast. "It seems I've made an error. I thought you were providing an elective service, a luxury service. This--" She pointed to the letter. "Means the princess is quite certain what you offer should be considered an essential one."

"An essential service?" Maya blinked. "I'm helping ponies, but I don't think I'm essential." She smiled though. "I'm happy she thinks so. If only they did back home. People, er, pony minds are just as important as their bodies."

"The princess appears to agree with you." Mayor Mare folded her arms. "But that means I have you classified entirely incorrectly. Your place of business is more akin to the school, or the hospital. There are very different rules governing those versus, for instance, Rarity's boutique."

"I see." Maya nodded. "So what does that mean for me? I've been charging ponies to come in, but I guess that's not allowed now." She laughed. "I'm glad I didn't get too far into the business before finding out."

Mayor Mare smiled gently. "If you're worried you've broken a law, you haven't. You were informed of the legal judgment. If you cease collecting bits, there is nothing else to be done. We won't be arresting you today, hm? That would be awful." She patted Maya on the shoulder. "Our newest resident, treated that way? Perish the thought."

Maya chuckled. "That's good. I wouldn't want to be arrested. I was just trying to help." She glanced around the office. "So, what do I do now?"

Mayor Mare tapped her chin. "Well, first, no more asking for bits. Just take down their names and cutie marks, if they have one, and make a list to give to me. I'll forward the list on to Canterlot, for record-keeping. The princess wants to know who's helping and where, so she knows what resources we have available." She considered with a narrowing of her eyes behind her glasses. "But, more important for you perhaps, it means your little office is now a municipal branch. You are a town employee, and will be paid by this office."

"I'm a town employee?" Maya blinked. "Wow, that's...wow. I don't know what to say. I just wanted to help." She smiled brightly. "I'm glad I can still do that. I'll be sure to make a list for you. I don't think I've seen anypony with two cutie marks yet, but I'll let you know if I do."

Mayor Mare nodded, just to shake her head. "No no, I don't think you will. I more meant to keep an eye out for creatures that come that may not have a mark at all. Dragons, griffons, donkeys? They should be helped as you can, but they won't have any marks to note down."

"Oh, I see." Maya nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for those too. Thank you for clarifying." She turned towards the door. "I should get back to my office. Unless there's anything else?" She paused with a new thought. "When do I get paid? Weekly?"

"Weekly," echoed Mayor Mare. "It'll be sent by mail courier to your office for you to enjoy. I'm sorry again for mixing things up."

"It's okay." Maya smiled. "It all worked out. I'm happy to help. It's what I do." She turned to leave. "Have a good day, Mayor Mare."

"And you as well, Doctor." Mayor Mare tucked the letter away, its business concluded. "Perhaps I'll visit then."

---

Pleased with herself and how things had gone, Maya trotted down the main road of Ponyville. "This world--" She twirled in place. "I didn't ask to get here, but it seems so nice. I could have ended up in worse places, for sure."

She was, in part, convincing herself. But, ultimately, she was looking on the bright side of things. "I have an office, and it's a government job, with a government that seems to care about it's people, er, ponies." She hugged herself firmly. "Even if I am a pony now, that isn't bad." She fell back to all fours. "And I'm fuzzy now."

She gazed down at her hooves, pondering. "I wonder if I'll ever find a way back. Maybe I'll never go back. I'm not really sure what I'd do if I did." She thought back to what she had seen, with that other her there, living her life. What would she do if there were two of her in the world, even if that had been her life.

"Heya!" Pinkie was trotting along with a heavy cart behind her. "You look like you're happy, but thinking big thoughts! What's up?"

"Oh, hi Pinkie." Maya smiled. "I was just thinking about how things are going. I have a job now, officially." She grinned. "I'm a town employee, so I'm not charging ponies to come in and talk to me anymore."

Pinkie gasped with joy only she could properly express. "Neat! Maud'll love to hear that." She paused. "Wait, she wasn't paying you. She mentioned that. Um, how was that working?" She leaned in curiously. "Tell me!"

Maya laughed at the antics. "Relax, and I shouldn't go telling secrets. What you tell to a therapist is private between you and them, and not a single other pony, creature? Anyone."

"Anycreature," provided Pinkie with a nod, looking proud of her helpfulness. "You take your job seriously. Me too! I have lots of secrets, but I don't think I'll tell you any of them." She smiled brightly. "But I'll tell you some of them. Like, I'm the Element of Laughter, and I know all the best jokes. But, that's not a secret, everypony knows that."

"It's true." Maya smiled. "I bet you know a lot of jokes. I don't know many." She considered Pinkie a moment. "Is you being the Element of Laughter a secret?"

"Not really." Pinkie shrugged, caught with having no secrets. "I'm actually kind of bad at secrets. Good thing we have you around! Oh, does that mean I can come tell you my secrets whenever I want?"

"You can come talk to me whenever you want," Maya said. "I'm glad you want to come talk to me. It's nice to talk to you." She smiled. "I like talking to you. You're a nice pony."

"Aww, thanks!" Pinkie bounced on her hooves. She pounced forward, tackling Maya to the ground in a brief hugging match. "And you hug back when I give surprise hugs. Not all ponies do that." She hitched herself back to her wagon. "So you get a Pinkie Point!"

Maya got to her hooves, dusting herself off. "A Pinkie Point? What's that?"

"It's a point for being super duper awesome!" Pinkie hopped in place. "Now, I'd love to hang out all day long, but I better get this delivery going." She waved and trotted along her way with a happy smile.

"Take care." Maya returned the wave and considered where she needed to go next. There were so many options in that little town. "How do you fit so many things in such a small village?" She considered the houses and businesses, feeling overwhelmed in the best ways as she considered what to do with her day.

"Maybe I should visit the library," she mused. "I could see if they have anything about my home world." She sighed. "But I don't know where it is." She looked around and it came to her. "Right." Her eyes settled on Twilight's huge tower of a castle. "Lots of books, and a friendly pony and dragon eager to help me find the one."

She started towards the castle, considering what she might find. "Maybe they have a map, and I can see where I am in the world." She trotted along, pondering. "What else is out there?" She imagined the world, though it was all a fantasy, as she had no idea what the world should look like, beyond what she'd seen of Ponyville.

Craning her neck around, she spotted a city, far up on a mountain. "Wow." She paused to gaze on the distant city of Canterlot. "What are you?" She pondered it and what it might be like there. "Maybe Twilight knows."

"She probably does." A voice spoke up from nearby. "She knows everything."

Maya jumped, turning to find a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane. "Oh, hello." She plumbed her memory before it came to her. "Rainbow Dash?"

"That's me!" Rainbow trotted up to her with a cocky smirk. "Why were you looking at Canterlot like that?"

"Like what?" Maya blinked. "I was just looking at it. I've never seen it before. I'm new here." She smiled. "I'm Maya."

"Yeah, I know." She pat Maya on the shoulder. "And you were staying with Twi before you got your own place. Nice job with that. Not that I need a place like that." She rolled her eyes. "My everything is tuned to top form! That includes what's in here." She tapped at her noggin. "But I'll let you know if something bad happens, but I doubt it."

Maya inclined her head at Rainbow. "It's not about when something terrible happens, though that comes up." She pointed at herself, then Rainbow. "We all, every one of us, have things to get off our chest and work past. There's no such thing as a perfect childhood or life."

Rainbow let out a hearty pfft at that. "Please. I'm doing just fine, trust me."

"I'm sure you are." Maya smiled. "I'm just saying, if you ever want to talk, you can come by my office. I'm there to help."

"I'll let other ponies get their turn." Rainbow laughed with almost a snort. "They'll need 'em before I do."

Maya watched her go, smiling. "She's a very interesting pony." She chuckled. "I wonder what Maud would say about her." She shook her head and continued on her way to the library.

Author's Note:

Maya is headed towards the castle, but a lot could happen there to our innocent little pony.

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Comments

[Killjoy1221]

With her parents, Rainbow Dash needs the most therapy.

[Starlight Nova]

That is some very impressive cover art. Where did you find it?

[David Silver]

11826207
Google, I will admit, but searching backwards: https://www.deviantart.com/cloudyglow/art/Posey-945001249

[Poparakelis]

Back again! I love this one

[AngieMarie985]

This is SUCH an awesome story!! I love Maya’s personality, so loving and caring. I would absolutely want a therapist like her 🥰 I’m looking forward to reading more of this. It’s well written, and you’ve captured our favorite ponies well.

[Ziper Ace]

Rainbow you need damb therapy!