**A Step Out**

[WritingWithLove]

"You see," said the sly pony with the witch's hat, "the secret to True Love is trust and harmony." The young colt rolled his piercing blue eyes and scoffed. "Trust? Harmony? Aw, you're full of it, lady!" he said with arrogance in his tone. "Am I?" she asked in reply. Her lips curled into a smile as she said, "Well, then, I'll teach you a lesson!" With a swift wave of her hoof, she turned the colt into a-

"Autha!" Are you reading that book again?"

Autha looked up from one of her most favorite books and said to the kind librarian, "Why yes, Ma'am. I hope it does not offend you, I just simply adore this tale!" The old woman smiled and said, "Autha, darling, you really must grow tired of sitting here all day." Autha closed the book carefully and shook her head. "I shall never grow tired of this place, respectfully!" she chuckled. She walked around and marveled at all of the books. "Everything I need to know is within my grasp!" she announced with excitement, "The capitals of the world, the herbs that ease diseases, the knowledge of famous scholars and the theatric delights of Shakespony! It's all here, right here, and I shall not leave without reason!"
The librarian, who loved Autha like a second daughter, shook her head and sighed. "Something or someone will make you leave someday, Autha." she explained softly. Autha opened her mouth to object, but someone walked into the library before she could beg to differ.  

[The Jolly Victini]

((This is the library in Ponyville, right? If so, who's the lady? I'll roll with it, but if this isn't the same library, we'll have to fix it.))

Bonfire walked into the library and looked around. "Hmm... I guess Twilight's still in Canterlot. Oh well." Bonfire looked around the walls until he spotted the book he was looking for. "Yes!" He cheered. "The new Daring Do book is in! And I even got here before Rainbow Dash! Ha!" Bonfire held his head high in victory as he wrapped the book in magic and brought it to him. He looked it over confirming it was the correct book, admiring the cover art and walked over to the substitute librarian. "Hey there! I'd like to check out this book please!"  

[WritingWithLove]

((Yes, it's the same library. The librarian is Autha's godmother, but Autha doesn't know it quite yet. wink She took a job as a sub because Autha's always there and she feels the need to look after her discreetly. But that's for a different story!))

The librarian nodded and smiled. "This way, please!" she said as she guided the visitor to the counter.
Autha looked at the new face curiously. She had seen many ponies pass through, but none were like him. At a glance, it seemed as though his personality was excited and happy, generally. "Seems like a red, perhaps." she muttered to herself, "Maybe an... alizarin shade. Cool, hyper, and," she chuckled, "lovable."
Autha had a secret love for guessing what ponies were like and correlating that to colors. The symbolism in colors fascinated her, so it was only natural to attempt to make that fit into daily life. She had decided herself to be a maroon color, for sophistication and modesty.
The watched the new pony inquire as to when Twilight Sparkle was getting back, and she began to wonder that herself. "I actually haven't seen her lately," said the librarian, "but maybe Autha knows... Autha, darling!"
Autha forgot how to walk for a moment when the colt looked at her, but she quickly rushed over and smiled sheepishly. "Yes?" she asked.
"Have you seen Twilight recently?"
"N-no, ma'am."
What was this hesitancy? She never stuttered! Her voice was always confident and poised... Wasn't it?
"Then perhaps you should step out and find her?" The librarian said with a mischievous grin. Autha cringed as she said, "Step out?" The librarian nodded. "It is getting rather dark out, and she should have been back by now!" she commented. Autha sighed. She usually would have said that she wished to stay inside, thank you kindly, but the prescence of a stranger was enough to make her head nod involuntarily. "Wonderful!" said the librarian. She turned to the colt and said, "You said you were Bonfire, correct, sir? Would you mind terribly if Autha accompanied you, should you desire to search for Twilight?"  

[The Jolly Victini]

"Oh, well Twilight isn't here, actually. She's visiting the Princess in Canterlot. But I'm all for meeting a new friend!" Bonfire inquired with a smile.  

[WritingWithLove]

The librarian laughed quietly. "Dear Twilight, always catching up with the princess. Sometimes I wish she would relax a bit, hm?" She looked over to Autha, who was still in shock from hearing the word "friend" used towards her. "Perhaps Bonfire could show you about the area?" asked the librarian, "I do believe you've never ventured out of the town too terribly much."
Autha gulped and pulled herself together. " Y-yes, quite right! I should," she looked to Bonfire, " I mean, we should get out then, right? Right! Okay! " She began to back up towards the door, but she bumped into a large stack of books and knocked a few over. One landed directly on her head, and she let out a small yelp before straightening herself out once more. " I am all right! No concussions here!" she exclaimed a bit too eagerly. This caused Bonfire to smile slightly, and Autha turned her face away to conceal her nervous blush.  

[The Jolly Victini]

"That's alright! I'll get it!" Spike called as he rushed over to the books and began to re-stack them.

Bonfire walked out the door with Autha and closed the door behind them. He slipped the book into his saddlebag and looked at Autha. "So, you're name's Autha, huh? Surprising, I've never seen you around before." Bonfire said.  

[WritingWithLove]

"Yes, well, I don't wander too terribly much about the town." Autha replied, "Not like most other mares, who have nice things to wear and," she attempted to adject her glasses, "clear vision."
She sighed and mentally nagged herself for being insecure. Though, she had a right to feel odd around a stranger. He was a stranger, right? He had said "friend..."
Nonsense, she thought, he was simply being nice. No need to over-analyze the situation at hand, Autha. Just relax and don't do or say anything daft.
Disobeying everything she had just thought, she blurted out, "So, where are we venturing to?" She cringed and yelled at herself in her mind for being so blunt. Bonfire didn't seem to mind to much, and if he did he was showing no sign of annoyance. Still, a light blush rose to her cheeks, and she wondered why she suddenly felt so nervous.
Only because I'm not used to being out. she thought, Nothing more...  

[The Jolly Victini]

Bonfire giggled. "Anywhere you want to go! Equestria is your oyster!" He said enthusiasticly. Bonfire was noticing something strange about this mare. She seemed to be a bit awkward around him. Maybe... it's something I did? He thought.  

[Fenrir Shade]

((Oyster?))

Tempest flew past in the direction of the library, and after a few moments flew back. "You got the book, didn't you Bonfire! I had specifically used that sleeping potion on Rainbow Dash to stop her, but I didn't think of you! Drat!" he shouts, then leaves before Bonfire could answer.

((Just wanted to get associated in case I can offer my input later. I have a bad tendency of not posting, thinking there would be a better time later, then I eventually get shut out of the RP due to how awkward it would be for my character(s) to randomly appear after so much time has passed. I hope you don't mind.))

((Also, for all future notice to everyone, Dakota, Haven, everyone, I'm changing Tempest's text color to Blue, because even though the Cyan makes more sense, it's hard to read. I'm going to post this in any other forum he's in just to make sure others see this.))  

[WritingWithLove]

((It's fine with me if Tempest pops in! 3nodding ))

Autha looked around shyly. She wondered who the pony was who had flown by so fast. I wish he stayed longer, she thought to herself, so that I might've analyzed his color more.
She thought about all of the places she had seen on the many maps that were in her safe house. She wondered where she might like to go, and before she could think things through as she normally did, her voice rang clear with, "Could we perhaps go to the marketplace? I haven't been there in... quite some time."  

[Fenrir Shade]

((He'll return. biggrin ))  

[The Jolly Victini]

"Sure!" Bonfire agreed. "Maybe we can stop by a friend of mine's stall and get some apples!" Bonfire continued to lead the way, passing ponies that glanced at Bonfire with friendly eyes.  

[WritingWithLove]

Autha walked a little behind Bonfire; she was hesitent to walk alongside him, fearing the imminenet conversation that would arise if she made contact with her new aquaintence. To her dismay, Bonfire's trot slowed to a walk, and she was by his side.
She looked around at all of the faces she had seen before, and she wondered how all of them had come to know Bonfire so fondly. Many of them would pause what they were doing and wave, and Bonfire would smile in return.

Autha was walking on to a calm farmland before she knew it, absolutely cautious about anything and everything. Do not mess things up, she thought to herself, or else you should surely cause misfortune.  

[The Jolly Victini]

Bonfire walked up to the large farm and immediately spotted the orange farm pony known as Applejack. "Hey, Applejack!" Bonfire called.

Applejack turned to the caller and smiled upon recognition. "Howdy there, Bonfire! Who's your friend?" the farm pony asked.

Bonfire turned to Autha."This is Applejack. She runs Sweet Apple Acres with her family. Applejack, this is Autha Quill." Bonfire gently nudged Autha closer to his friend.  

[WritingWithLove]

Seeing this as a chance to redeem herself from her former awkward state, Autha took a deep breath and said regally, "It's quite a pleasure to make your aquaintance, Applejack." Applejack smiled broadly and replied, "It's mighty nice to meet you too! I haven't seen you around much before. Are you new here?" Autha shook her head and blushed ever so slightly. "I have lived in Ponyville the majority of my life, though I have never, well, been out of the town often." She smiled sheepishly, secretly hoping that both Applejack and Bonfire wouldn't label her as The Weirdo Who Doesn't Get Out Much, as many other ponies had done over the years.