It was a delightfully normal day. At least, as normal as any day living in a world of colorful talking horses could be. She checked them in and out even though she wasn't running a hotel. She answered their questions as best as she could, and she kept her crew of cleaners and repair ponies running around getting things done.

With each check out, she secured a bag of bits that made the whole experience worth the effort. The con wasn't over, but a small portion of them weren't staying the whole weekend. It wasn't up to her to decide how they spent their time, just to collect the bits.

"I... uh..."

That was Razz's voice. Confused and curious, Tabitha emerged from her office to see Razz peering up at her elf roomie, gawking at her openly.

Spring seemed far less than amused by it. "We are both residents at this place, show some decorum."

Tabitha frowned at the exchange. Did Razz really go ga ga over anything with two legs.

Razz shook his head fiercely. "You should visit the convention, they'd go nuts over you."

"Whatever this 'convention' is, I would appear as one of your kind, beast." Her hands glowed with magic as she seemed to force the illusion back into place, becoming the tall and slender crystalline pony from before. "Does your interest remain, animal?"

Razz glanced away from her and spotted Tabitha. "Oh, uh, no, I mean..."

Tabitha raised a brow as she approached. "It's alright, Razz. I bet you think she's still hot."

"Uh..."

Spring looked equally confused. "I am neither warm nor cold. You have kept this place at a hospitable temperature."

Razz coughed into a hoof. "To be perfectly honest, uh, Miss...?"

"You may address me as Spring."

"Right, Spring. You're physically, um, nice, either way, but I can't quite wrap my head around your attitude... No offense."

Spring took offense. There was no hiding that. "Beast." She stormed off into the elevators, leaving them behind.

When it closed, Tabitha shook her head. "Meet my new roommate."

Razz pointed after the departed elf/crystal pony. "Her?! Why?"

"We were full, which we're not anymore. I should get her into her own room."

Razz turned his attention fully on Tabitha. "Oh, uh, cause I mean... If you wanted a roomie..."

She certainly didn't need one to cover rent, doing that herself... "Razz..."

He coughed into a hoof. "Just checking. I should get moving, but if you need me, just call." He trotted off with a wagging tail.

Tabitha decided he seemed healthy for the moment, even if he was still a hopeless romantic. She let out a breath and stepped from her comfortable building. She had to come out sometimes, and she wanted to do a little shopping. Besides, she had been paid, so she could put some more down on the camera.

Bright of spirits and light in steps, she power walked down the street. The other ponies saw a pegasus marching along and thought nothing of it, and that was alright with her.

"Brave enough to step outside?" asked a familiar voice as a unicorn drew up beside her, blowing a wad of gum. "We should talk."

Tabitha tensed, but kept walking towards the grocery. "Yeah?"

"Easy. I ain't gonna do nothing, promise." She glanced away and back at Tabitha. "I just wanna know why you're trying to take my boy Razzy away."

Alright, she just wanted to talk. Talking Tabitha could do. "He's not your or anyone's 'boy', and I'm telling him not to associate with thieves and muggers."

She crashed against Tabitha, knocking her a step aside and wobbling. "Hey! I'm more than that, thank you kindly." She spat out her gum. "Me and Razzy go way back, and he didn't forget that, no matter what pretty words you're spinning."

Tabitha righted herself with a little scowl even as a hand dipped to hold her mace discretely. What she did with her hands seemed hidden if she kept it subtle. Ponies usually didn't walk on what they were holding, so she guessed her image didn't either. "The way I see it, you took that ticket from that girl, then you tried to mug me."

"Tried nothin'. Not my fault you have some interestin'... people... in that building of yours." Her wings flared a moment. "So what's your angle?"

"Angle?" Tabitha raised a brow, closing her hand tighter around her measure of safety.

"You hot on him, or you need a worker? I'm wagering it's not the latter, since he's already working for not-you." She leaned in. "We unicorns handle competition."

We? Ah right, the disguise... "I'm just trying to help him. Even if he leaves tomorrow, he'll be better off."

"Yeah? Well stop. What are you, his mother?" The enraged unicorn moved in front of Tabitha, cutting her off. "Stay out of his business. Last warning."

She felt the urge to hotly argue that, and to yell at this horse that was threatening her. Spraying those big eyes of her would also be nice, but her mace only had so much, and that was far from an emergency, yet. "Razz Berry, which is his full name, not 'Razzy', is an adult. He can choose who he wants to be with or not."

The unicorn tilted her head a bit. "He can, can't he. Just don't you forget that." She turned away from Tabtiha and trotted into the crowd, lost to the sight of the rattled human.

"What a bitch," she muttered to herself, even if that was the wrong title for a cranky female horse.

Tabitha arrived at the grocery store and stocked up on a few supplies. She had a fairly good idea of what she liked or didn't like, at least from there.

"You look like you need a saddlebag," noted the wrinkly minder of the register. "Are you sure you'll be alright with those bags?"

Considering it, Tabitha realized ponies didn't have fingers to hold the handles of bags. Why did they even have handles? As if to answer her silent question, she saw a pony walking past with the handle in his mouth as if it belonged there. "Oh... I'm fine, I promise. Thanks."

"Think nothing of it, dearie. You take care now." Grannie Orange grinned with teeth that were as false as she was old, though they seemed to be of quality make at least.

Quietly, Tabitha made a note to remember her backpack next time, but she could hold the bag in her hands well enough. That made her wonder what she looked like to the others. Was the bag in her mouth? Was she holding the bags in her hooves and balancing on her hindlegs?

That was all the more reason for her to get to the department store and set down those bags at the layaway section.

The stallion at the counter was surprised to see her, but pleasantly so. "Back already? My my! Here to put down another payment, or start a new layaway? I do have to warn about that. Some ponies get carried away and end up losing everything. Stick to one thing until it's in your hooves."

Tabitha smiled at that. She wasn't used to purveyors of credit giving solid advice. "I wouldn't dream of it. Let me just put some more down on that camera."

"I'd be glad to help with that." His horn glowed as a heavy book lifted from below and he leafed through it with a hoof. "Here's your account. Three hundred down to start, quite respectable. How much are we putting in today?"

Tabitha went through some numbers in her head to figure how much she could safely spend. "Another two hundred." The stallion was impressed all over again as she fished out the coins and surrendered them.

He made a note and tucked the coins away. "I hope you don't take offense, ma'am, but did you win something? It's not often clients come into such a windfall, but not enough to buy things outright."

"In a sense, I did." She smiled as she said that. "I own an apartment building that was used for overflow for a convention, so I have a short term but significant flow of money coming in."

"Huh, first time I heard that." He shook his head as the book floated away. "But that's good news, ma'am! You're already halfway to owning the camera, and you're not even close to one month out. You scarcely seem to need the layaway system at all." He looked her over, his eyes moving to pony parts she did not have. "May I ask which building?"

Tabitha hefted up her bags. "I'm on the corner of Wheatley and Gallop. Why?"

"I have a friend, more of a cousin really," admitted the unicorn as he rubbed behind his head. "He needs a place in the city, and if you have vacancies?"

Tabitha exploded into a fresh smile. "Of course! After this weekend's over, I'll have plenty of rooms available. Is he also a unicorn?"

"He's an earth pony." The unicorn looked embarrassed. "I'm actually the only unicorn in my family. Is that a problem?"

"No! No, of course not." Horse breeding was strange... "Send him over and we'll get him sorted right out, or stop on by if you want a peek at it."

"I may just take you up on that. Thank you, ma'am, and you have a great day."

She walked out of the store and glanced at the sign. "Steers and Roebucks," it read boldly and she had to roll her eyes. It was as if the horse world was powered by puns.

Payment made, groceries secured, and day completed, she headed home. Victorious, she whistled on the way, only to feel an odd tremble run out from the note.

A pony burst out of a building beside her. "A perfect day!" he sang out as if continuing a song she didn't hear.

Another tipped his hat as he passed. "A perfect day!"

Other ponies got into it, singing, dancing, and just prancing past. More disturbing than their impromptu dance number was the fact that it seemed to be missing a part, and that part was her. Every time it made sense for her to speak, the song hung awkwardly a moment before it pressed on despite her lack of participation.

One pony, an earth pony, stepped in front of her. "You may be strange but you've found a home!"

Did they knew what she really was? She hurried past the pony as the music faded behind her. Without her, the number seemed to stop as quickly as it started. None of the ponies between her and home questioned or challenged her. Heck, they didn't act like anything had happened at all.

Tabitha arrived at home and threw her bags to the side as she let out a breath, glad she had survived... whatever that was.

"Are you ready?" It was Spring.

Author's Notes:

Musical numbers can spook humans and cause typos. Use with care.