I woke up to the sound of hooves on dirt. I tried to rub my eyes. My arms met resistance, a thick soft blanket had been draped over me, and a large warm hat was hanging sloppily off my head. "What?" I looked around, the ponies on the street went about their day without even acknowledging me. "...Who's hat is this?"

I sat upright and looked around. The blanket over me felt soft and completely plush. I stood up, clutching the blanket around me as I oriented myself. "What happened?" I rubbed my eyes and stretched my neck. "I don't...know what happened." I swung the blanket over my shoulders and looked around. "Anyone? Blanket?" I rubbed it between my fingers and looked towards the path to Roseluck's. "No one?"

I sighed heavily and started off down the road. It was becoming painfully clear I wasn't going to escape the goodwill of the ponies, and Roseluck offered me a chance to pay her back. It seemed a good a place as any to start. I walked quickly down the path, ponies either ignored me or tried not to stare at me. I must have looked drunk, with the hat barely held onto my head and a blanket swung around me like a cloak.

I stayed focused on not slamming nose first into the ground and made my way towards Roseluck's home. Her street was lined with long green lawns covered in patches of snow, some ponies out were shoveling, some were playing with their foals, but even in the depth of winter they were outside and living rural agrarian lives. For a moment, I felt envy.

I walked past the other homes and towards Roseluck's home. The lights were off, but a loud rustling could be heard from beyond a neck high stone wall that bordered off the back yards of each home. I walked slowly to a gate buried into the stonework and waited. I flexed my hand and tapped my knuckles lightly against it. "Roseluck...hello?"

The door creaked open before I could knock again. "Oh, hey." She smiled at me, her hooves muddy once again. "What's with the hat?"

I peeked up at the thick black cap. "I don't know. I slept on a bench and even then you ponies just won't let it be." I reached up and took the hat off. "This is a pony hat too...." I poked my fingers into the ear slots and wiggled them around.

Roseluck nodded and held the gate open. "See."

I sighed and stepped into her back yard. The entire place was clear of snow and bright green. "I don't get what there is to see." I took the blanket off and hung it on the wall. I took a deep breath and rubbed my face. "I'm sorry, but I'm not." I turned to the little mare and shook my head. "Back home this kind of stuff wouldn't happen. I'd have drinks thrown at me and lose my spot in a shelter to a jabbering mental patient." I stretched my arm. "Kindness isn't exactly a big thing back in the Golden State."

Roseluck hummed and let the gate snap shut. "Sounds kinda crappy."

"It really is." I rubbed my shoulder. "It really, really is." I looked around at the bright green plants lining the wall and the small planter box set into the middle of her lawn. A large greenhouse stood at the intersection of the right corner of her wall. It was a long rectangle that joined up the four houses behind her and to her right. "Hmm, friendly with your neighbors?"

Roseluck looked to the greenhouse. "You could say that. This wall is kinda old, but it helps some times." She lead me along towards the greenhouse. "So, you don't like charity, what made you come back?"

I bit my tongue lightly. "Well, first off its not seven at night. Probably most of it was the fact that it was night." I huffed into my hands and tried to warm up. "I'm not opposed to taking help, I'm opposed to taking sketchy help, and no offense but if you showed up in Vienna and someone offered you a night in their house, you probably wouldn't take it."

Roseluck turned around and smiled at me. "Actually, I probably would. I think its you that wouldn't."

I sighed again. "Cultures.... But even in Canterlot they seemed a lot di--"

"It's the difference between a unicorn heavy city, and an earthpony heavy city--err, town." She laughed and smiled yet again, warming my heart with each breath. "I guess yeah, I could see why you'd be worried if you spent some time in Canterlot."

I nodded. "Its urban, I come from an urban place, and if an urban place offers you a way out, you should always take it with a bit of salt."

Roseluck cocked her head and pressed her hoof against her cheek. "I guess. Either way, I'm glad you decided to come help." She pulled her hoof away, leaving a large mud stain on her cheek. "I could use the help carrying fertilizer and soil."

I hummed softly and rubbed my neck. "Like I said, I'm not opposed to help."

Roseluck walked to the door into the greenhouse and looked me up and down. "Sure--"

I scratched my head. "It was late, I was tired, and it was the first time I've been in Equestria, not just Ponyville." I stretched my fingers and held my arms out. "Excuse me for being cautious."

Roseluck flicked her tail into the wall. "Well, are you going to stay the night?"

I huffed. "Given the fact I slept in town without anyone--any-absolutly no one, telling me not to or harassing me to move. I don't think you're going to beat me or try to hurt me."

Roseluck frowned hard. "I wasn't going to do that in the first place--"

"And I didn't know." I made a small space between my thumb and index finger. "This is about as much as I know about this place. But I know it can't be worse than skidrow." I let my arms fall to my sides. "I'm sorry if you think I'm being mean...I'm really not trying to be, but this is the first time I've been in a situation like this, and the first time I've traveled outside the country. Things are...they're nerve-racking."

Roseluck sighed and nodded. "Well...alright." She put her hoof up onto a bag of soil and patted it. "Can I help you feel better?"

I felt my jaw clench. "You are already, but it takes time."

Roseluck nodded with a stern look on her face. "Feel things out?"

"Exactly." I clapped my hands together. "Now, you want those moved?"

Roseluck's frown turned to a beautiful smile. "There are more bags in the shed over there, I need two more of the soil for the spring planting."

I nodded. "I'll go-- I'll...." I stopped myself as she looked at me. I caught myself just looking at her, staring at her.

Roseluck's smile widened slightly. "What?"

I shook my head. "Mud on your cheek." I flicked my finger across my cheek.

Roseluck frowned lightly and rubbed her cheek with her fetlock. "I get it?"

I lost focus for a moment. "...Yeah. You got it." I turned away and started off towards the shed by her home. She was beautiful. I had no idea why. I couldn't explain it. Or perhaps I could, but didn't want to. Someone like her offering help to me felt wrong, like it was a trick. I held my breath and turned to watch her as I reached the shed. She was a pony, strong, short, but she wore something about herself like no other pony I'd seen.

Charm perhaps, wrapped with a real kindness I didn't believe existed, but was staring dead in the face. Charity unheard of, and earnestness that was apparent with everything about her. "Roseluck!" I yelled across the yard.

She swung around before she dipped into the Greenhouse. "What?"

"... You're.... You're beautiful!" I felt my stomach twist as I punched out of my box. It made my chest tighten and skin heat up as I turned away to grab the bags. Everything I did seemed to make it all the worse, yet for that brief moment like before, as I picked up the bag of soil, I felt at home and all the apprehension and nervousness faded away if only for an instant.