I stood in the hall and sipped my coffee. I looked down the hall at the door, left wondering how long I could keep this up until I left again. I walked down towards the door outside. I took a quick drink and swirled my cup around. I rubbed my head and pulled the door open. I stepped out into the cold air once again. "Where you going?"

I stopped dead on the last step of her porch. I took a deep breath and turned around to face Roseluck. "I'm not really sure."

Roseluck cocked her head. "Oh? So you're not even going to say goodbye?"

I rubbed my arm. "I'd rather leave on good terms and politely see myself out."

Roseluck stepped out onto her porch. "Without saying goodbye? Without saying sorry?" She smiled and shook her head. "That's a little rude."

I took a deep breath and backed away. "I just don't feel comfortable taking up space. Thank you for your offer, and your house is lovely, but I just wouldn't feel right." I swung around and took a drink. "Sorry, but it's not really right for me to stay--"

Roseluck walked out and cut me off. "So you're just going to walk away? Where?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I've been in worse positions, I'll find a way."

Roseluck pouted and turned to look at one of her neighbors. "Alright. Tomorrow?"

I finished my coffee and switched the cup to my other hand. "What about tomorrow?"

Roseluck rolled her eyes. "I still have work to do in the garden, and I'm going to guess you're not doing anything. So, if you've got time, I'd appreciate some help." She looked me up and down. "You're big, you can lift things."

I rubbed my patchy upper lip with my thumb and sniffled. The wide open ground before the row of houses was empty, and the cold wind drifted quickly past and stole away my warmth. "Fine. If I can find this place again, I'll drop by and see if I can't help."

Roseluck nodded. "Alright...I'd really appreciate it if you'd find someplace to stay--"

"And I don't want to be an inconvenience." I nodded down at her and stepped around her. "I'll be around, don't worry." I walked down onto the dirt path back into town and put my free hand in my pocket. "I should have stayed," I mumbled to myself as I wandered back towards the tight collection of buildings. I set my empty cup on the side of an alley wall and jammed both my hands into my pockets.

The streets were slowly emptying out, some strange ponies started peeking out and hitting the street. The darkening sky overhead saw the pastel inhabitants heading home and locking up, while a few darker coated inhabitants dripped into the streets. I stopped in the street as a purple maned mare walked around and cut me off.

She looked me over and frowned. "I thought you ponies slept at night."

I nodded at the strange toothy mare. "Normally speaking. But normally people have beds."

The mare cocked her head. "You don't have a bed? Bummer." She walked around me and trotted back around to my front. "Hmm, no-pony let you stay?"

I sighed and looked around as more of the toothy bat ponies gathered around. "They did, but I declined."

A bat pony with a red mane walked to my side. "Uh, why?"

I shook my head at him. "Because I'm not a parasite. I'm not going to leech of someone else just because something bad happened to me." I crossed my arms and looked around at the small crowd. Ten or so bat ponies were standing around me, talking to eachother or looking me over. "What, the whole town come out to say hello?"

The purple mare nodded. "Well, us. We're about it for the thestrals in Ponyville."

I licked my lips and looked about the ponies. "You serious? Canterlot had quite a few, never spoke with them, but they seemed--"

The red stallion shook his head. "Yeah, most of us are from Canterlot. I mean, we're all from Canterlot, but Ponyville fits well enough for us." He looked around the small patch of road we'd stopped on. "We should probably move, somepony is gonna think we're planning something."

The purple mare looked up at me as the rest of the group started off down the road. "You still don't have a place to stay?"

I shook my head. "Things haven't changed in five minutes." I walked past the mare and towards the path back towards the coffee shop.

"Well, we've got beds we're not using." The purple mare walked around to my side. "If you want, you could--"

I stopped dead and turned to her. "Are you not worried I'll steal from you!?" I held my arms out and finally raised my voice. "Are you not worried I'll do something bad while you're away! Even if you're there, I could have a knife, I could have a weapon! Why are you inviting a perfect stranger into your home!?"

The mare shrugged. "Do you have a weapon?"

"Well, no." I put my hands on my hips. "But--"

"Are you going to steal from us?" The mare asked again, face still calm as ever.

"Where would I put it." I patted my pockets. "Look at me, this is all I have!"

The mare nodded. "Well then follow me. And you won't be alone, Course is watching the foals."

I shook my head hard. "Stop." I put my hand out. "I'm not going to go into a strangers house, and I'd appreciate it if you stopped!"

The mare turned around with a frown. "But--"

"I don't want to! I don't want to take up space, and I don't want to wake up worse off than I was!" I let my arms flop against my side. "If I sleep on the ground, I wake up in pain but I'll have my jacket." I tugged my shirt. "I'll be as warm as I was when I went to sleep. If I get screwed while sleeping on my own, it's my fault." I patted my chest. "I don't need charity! I'm fine! Stop trying to act like I need help!"

The mare backed away with her ears turned down. "Okay...." She slowly turned around and walked away. "Okay."

I took a deep breath and scratched my head. I felt a deep churning in my gut as I turned away. I sighed into my hand and rubbed my face. I walked along the road as the sun finally left us, and the streets grew pitch black. I was alone with the street lanterns. I was left cold and alone with a single bench outside of a shop.

I plopped down and held my head in my free arm. The first day I'd been in Equestria and I was being bombarded with false kindness. And even if it was real, it was kindness I couldn't accept. I'd made a choice to come to Equestria, and I couldn't let anyone else get me out of it.

I closed my eyes and leaned back into the bench. I counted back, only making it to five before I drifted into an icy sleep. Something touched me, something jostled me as I slept, and I couldn't bring myself out of my uncomfortable sleep.