//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Three Choices 
// by WurkyWilk358 0w0 
//------------------------------//

After contemplating your options, you feel it best to ask the pony-person for directions. Even though you’re unnerved at the moment, you steel yourself and boldly walk around the corner and approach the armored pony-person. Your heart rate elevates little by little with each step you take towards the pony-person. You don’t know how it will react and you swallow a small lump in your throat. Your presence is soon noticed by the pony-person and he looks your way. You flinch at his gaze as you calmly walk closer until you’re about a meter away from him and stop. You both stare at each other for about a minute, until you speak up.

“Good evening,” you say. “Sorry to bother you, but I’m hoping you can help me with my current situation.”

The pony-person continues to eye you suspiciously but doesn’t look like he’s giving you the cold shoulder.

“Pardon me for asking, but what exactly are you?” He asks in fluent English. You’re a bit surprised he can understand you, including the fact that he can speak just as well as you. 

“I’m not exactly from around here and have lost my way,” you reply vaguely. “Can you please tell me where I am?”

The guard hums in thought before answering. “You are in the city of Canterlot.”

You have to take a minute to process what you just heard. Canterlot? What kind of a fantasy name is Canterlot? You’ve never heard of a city name like that before on Earth.

“What kind of a strange name is Canterlot?” You ask.

“Well, what is the name of the place where you come from?” The guard questions. You tell him your hometown name, and he looks at you like you’re the weird one. “Now, that name sounds more made up than Canterlot.” He shakes his head as if dismissing the subject. “Do you have anywhere to go?”

You shake your head and frown. “I…don’t even know where to stay,” you say, after the realization dawns on you that you’re basically homeless at the moment. “I just woke up in an alleyway with no prior knowledge as to how I even wound up here. One minute I was minding my own business, and then the next thing I know I woke up in this place. You’re the first person I’m talking to, and even before, I was hesitant in doing so, because I haven’t seen anything like you before either.”

The pony-person now looks at you as if he’s pitying you. The same realization of your homelessness dawns on him as well. He looks away for a brief moment, as if thinking about something to himself, until he looks back at you.

“You really don’t have a place to go, do you?” He asks and you shake your head. “I don’t normally do this, but since you’re not in the best of situations, I’ll do you a favor.” He holds out his free hand towards you. “Why don’t you crash at my place for the night so that you can at least get a decent night’s sleep before deciding what to do tomorrow?”

You were taken aback by the unexpected offer from the pony-person. You had never met or encountered anyone or anything like him before, yet he surprisingly offered you shelter at his home for the night. You felt a sense of gratitude build up within you as you stared up at him.

“That’s so very kind of you, but I wouldn’t want to impose,” you say politely.

The pony-person just smiles and shakes his head. “It’s no trouble, I’m part of the local guard around here. It’s my job to help those in need. Besides, it’s only for one night.”

The sense of gratitude within you builds as you raise your hand and clasp it with his. “Thank you,” you say, and tell him your name.

“Nice to meet you too, my name’s Dapper Drue,” the pony-person introduces himself. “Come with me, my place isn’t far and my shift has just ended.”

You nod and follow Dapper down the road. Along the way, Dapper asks you some simple questions about where you’re from and any recollection as to how you got here. You answer his questions as best you can but as far as recalling how you got here, you can’t remember anything. After about twenty minutes of walking, you arrive at what looks like a simple two story apartment complex. Dapper leads you to one of the ground floor doors and unlocks the door with his key. Dapper is the first to walk in and turn on the light. The apartment looks like a simple studio apartment with basic furniture and a small kitchen to the side.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Dapper says while taking off his helmet. With his helmet off, you can properly see his face. He has turquoise-blue fur and dark turquoise hair styled in a crop top. “It’s not much, but it’s enough.”

“Nice place,” you compliment.

“Thank you,” Dapper says. “I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go take a shower.”

Once Dapper leaves and steps into the other room, leading to the bathroom, you pace around the apartment and assess your surroundings. You take a seat on the couch as you wait for Dapper. On the top of the shelf in the corner of the room, you spy a large jar full of what looks like gold coins. It’s about the size of a cookie jar, if not a bit bigger. You stare at the jar, and then glance at the door where Dapper is taking his shower. A few thoughts cross your mind as you sit on the couch.

Dapper was nice enough to let you stay in his apartment until tomorrow. It’d be rude to just leave the apartment and not say a word while Dapper is preoccupied. Not to mention, sleeping on a couch beats spending the night on the cold cement outside. Plus, Dapper might be able to help you find your way by tomorrow.

However, that jar of coins looks like it’s pretty easy to lift off the shelf and empty into your backpack. The coins can probably be of use to your own benefit. You could just steal the coins, sneak out of the apartment, and get out of the city as fast as you can before Dapper knows you’re gone with his property.

On the other hand, you feel somewhat guilty that you are imposing yourself in Dapper’s home. You know that he was the one who offered but at the same time your problem is your own. Leaving would make things easier and you would find another place to stay for the night. The least you can do is use the notepad and pen to leave a note for Dapper explaining why you left and thank him for the offer.