I blinked awake, looking across the small room at the wooden wall. The small glassless window revealed the final rays of the sun as they cast across the room.
I was at the loft, the temporary living place for ponies that arrived with nowhere else to stay. It wasn't much, but it did give every pony or every family that arrived a private room and a choice of cot or perch.
It was very bare bones. Mostly a wooden box, some simple furnishing. The only real decoration was a map of the village on the wall, pointing out the important places.
There was a knock on the door and I blinked sleepily before letting go with my tail, spreading my wings and landing on my hooves on the floor before moving to open it, finding a rather cute batpony outside.
"Night Wind?" Fluttershy asked with a smile, "Good evening. My name is Fluttershy, I'm going to be your guide today."
I blinked at her. I didn't expect Fluttershy! I knew she was in the pool of guide ponies, but there were like twenty ponies there!
"L-Lady Fluttershy!"
She smiled at me, "No need for that, I'm just Fluttershy," she said, "Are you hungry?"
"A bit," I admitted, "I don't have many bits..."
"Don't worry about it," she said, "Come along."
I followed, walking next to her, "Where are we going?"
"Feeding hall," she explained, "Anypony that's hungry can go there for food if they have nothing else. It's nothing fancy, mostly they provide local fruits and sometimes a bit of meat if there has been a recent hunt. If you are a day pony, they also provide you with grain as they need it to stay healthy."
"We don't need grain?" I asked as I slowly nodded, "And we eat meat?"
Fluttershy nodded with a smile, "We don't need grain. But we do actually need a bit of meat in our diet to stay healthy. I know it might sound like a lot to get used to, but it's actually easier than you think."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, most eat mostly fruit, meats expensive. When you start to earn bits, there is the market with different foods, both imported and home grown such as rice."
Looking around as we walked along one of the bridges between trees, lights came on around in places around the village as my eyes quickly adapted to the gathering darkness as she led me to the feeding hall.
It was a different converted bunkhouse at the next tree over. She led me inside, "Here we are," she said before waving at an earth pony unloading a cart of fruit onto a large table, "Hey Steady. What do we have today?"
Steadfast smiled at her, "Sky Melons, Fluttershy. All you can eat. Newcomer?" she asked, looking at me.
Fluttershy nodded, "This is Night Wind. Night Wind, this is Steadfast, she is usually the pony running this place. She goes around to the harvesters and merchants to gather what they can spare."
Steady smiled at me, "And today, Sky Melons. Ever had one?"
I shook my head, "I heard about them... I think they sell them in Canterlot? Expensive."
"Expensive in Canterlot. Here they grow commonly," she said and shrugged slightly, "Think a giant blueberry and you're not far off. Anyway, I need to go see what else I can scare up. Enjoy!"
Steady left and I slowly approached the table, picking one up with a hoof.
Fluttershy walked up next to me and did the same before slamming one side of it against the edge of the table, cracking it before she pulled it apart to get to the insides, "Like this?"
I copied her.
Soon we were both eating. I really should eat more skymelon, they were really good. Wonder why we don't get them much at the castle?
"Many eat here?" I ask her as more ponies start to file in.
Fluttershy nodded, "Most ponies eat here at least a couple of meals a week. Nopony in Nocturnis is very rich and food can be expensive, especially if you're a daypony and need imported goods. If you're saving money for something like new tools or something like it, you get really familiar with this place."
I looked down at my half eaten skymelon. These were the ponies that had pooled bits to commission me a silver crown.
"I see," I said as I got my emotions back under control, "Speaking of jobs, where can I find one? Could I start applying to places?"
Fluttershy smiled, "We're actually more organized than that. Once we eaten, we'll go to the employment office. There you'll get your starting stipend and we'll see what jobs are available. When somepony need a pony to work, they register it with the employment office who finds ponies that can do the job."
"And there might be one for me?"
She nodded, "We're always looking for ponies, there are always more jobs that need doing than there are ponies, so don't worry. There's going to be some way for you to earn bits."
"What about a place to stay? The loft is comfortable and all, but..."
Fluttershy nodded, "A place of your own is always nicer," she agreed, "That may take a while I'm afraid, especially as a single pony. We're building as fast as we can, but new places are first come first serve and families have priority."
"Makes sense," I agreed.
Fluttershy smiled at me and actually shot me a wink, "On the other hoof, you're a single stallion. I don't expect that to last for long around here."
Was Fluttershy flirting with me?
Wow, she really has changed since she moved here. Old Fluttershy even five years ago would have spontaneously combusted at the very idea.
I felt the inside of my ears turn a bit red and I focused on my meal.
########
"And here we are," Fluttershy said and led the way into a building and over to an unicorn, "Lights Dawn, this is Night Wind. He's a new arrival. We're looking to register for the stipend and for employment."
Lights Dawn nodded to me. She was an older unicorn with grey mane and almost but not quite white coat. I remember when she arrived in Nocturnis, apparently to support her bat pony granddaughter.
"Welcome to Nocturnis," she said and shuffled some papers around, "Ah, where we go. Night Wind, origin of Waterdeep. Trade, technical writer?"
I nodded and moved to sit down on the chair as she motioned for me, "Correct, ma'am."
She lit her horn and pulled out a drawer, picked out a small pouch and put it on the desk, "Your new arrival stipends fifty bits. You have food and board at the loft and feedhall, this is for essential items you may be missing."
"Understood, ma'am."
Lights Dawn studied me for several moments, "Technical writer?" she finally asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I understand that might not be in demand here, but I have done other things growing up. I helped out on the farms around home, some for extra bits."
She made a thoughtful sound, "What do you think about working in a shop?" she asked, "How are you with numbers?"
"I know several of them."
Apparently, she had left her sense of humor behind when she moved to Nocturnis, so she simply nodded, "The alternative would be harvesting or woodcutting, those are most in demand right now and I do not think you have the physique for those. Perhaps fruit harvesting."
"I would like to try the shop work, ma'am," I suggested, "I've done so once or twice before". That would be perfect anyway, allowing me to talk with so many ponies.
She pushed her glasses a bit further onto her nose, "Very well, we'll give it a try," she said and moved to get a paper, "Take this," she said and handed it over to me, "Present this to Iron Brand, he runs the general store."
I took it and the little bag of bits, putting both into my bag, "Yes, ma'am."
Lights Dawn finally cracked a small smile, "And welcome to Nocturnis. Don't worry, this is just to get you back onto your hooves. You're not forced to work anywhere, if it does not work out, just come back here and I'll see if I can find you something else. Or find it on your own."
I nodded, "I will, ma'am. Thank you."
