Autumn Air
 
Autumn had come fast this time around. With Summer having arrived early this year, tand the Winter being late last year, the weather teams all across Equestria consolidated and opted to implement a two-year plan for gradual corrections. This was what she was told, and she knew that there was more to it than that; she didn’t concern herself, what went on behind closed doors was none of her business. It was only the middle of August for this year and they’d decided that this month was where things would be set into motion.
 
The cooler weather, the deadening of the leaves, the numerous instances of rain… they didn’t let up on the full treatment of seasonal weather. Latch however, enjoyed it. Everyone started to bundle up some and get cozy, and hot beverages were often in full swing at cafes due to the colder weather taking hold.
 
She’d make a pit stop at a cafe that knew her by name at this point before she went on her way. She was generous, paying a little extra for the one liter of hot chocolate she was getting. She didn’t know how they did it, but they’d always made their blend absolutely perfect. She could never nail it, and they never chastised her for requesting such a simple drink.
 
Thermos stowed away, resting alongside her dagger within the small pack slung over her shoulders, she’d brought the latter with her for a “just in case” scenario. Arriving at the first part of her little walk, wind tossing leaves up into her face which she’d quickly shielded, she sighed. Stuffing her hands back into the pockets of her windbreaker, she looked at the sign that only gave two general points of direction.
 
The path behind her led back to Ponyville. The path in front of her lead to Whitetail which she could see beyond a couple rolling hills. To her left, was the unknown, so the sign had said. To her right, following that would take her to the Everfree in the distance, due south of Ponyville.
 
She didn’t really go out much since she moved into Ponyville in Spring. She couldn’t afford a life in Canterlot anymore, and her own means of income started to seem inadequate for sustaining her. Ponyville, with things being much cheaper there, was the best choice. For several months since she moved in at the end of March, she took the time to get acquainted with the area and its residents. She met Princess Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, as well as a few of the vendor ponies at the town market. She’d found a fast friend in a pegasus though, one that dropped by every so often from Cloudsdale. They had a few shared interests so they hit off quickly.
 
With a huff, rolling her shoulders forward to adjust her pack, Latch started along the path towards Whitetail Wood. Minutes passed by, spent going over the rolling hills, accompanied only by the slight rattling within her pack, and the wind pushing with and against her. Much of the ponies who lived in the quaint town of Ponyville were tight-knit. She still had to adjust some to the various groups and cliques inside Ponyville, but they didn’t seem to mind her being a new face.
 
Soon arriving into the woods, her entry marked by the leaves that continued to scatter about the path in her wake, she’d followed the road in. Trees much higher than herself, oaks and the occasional pine and birch seen, she’d found that being this close to nature to be… welcoming. She didn’t have to take a long train ride out that would eat into her funds, she wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel, or have to worry about someone breaking into her apartment… it felt secure here; the town had a naive innocence about it, and no one was truly an evil sort compared to that of Canterlot.
 
Pausing in her walk, Latch spared a glance to her left and right, then heading in blindly to her left beyond the dirt path she so treaded minutes ago. Around the oaks and maple, beyond bits of the shin-high grass, and past varying bits of flora that filled her path, Latch took the time to take in the sights. The fresh, almost flowery scent that filled the air, the soft crunching of leaves beneath her boots… she felt rather at home being this close to nature. Then again, she was an Earth Pony.
 
Around another tree, past another round of leaves that fell onto her, she found a tree perched upon a small slant. Smiling to herself, finding it to be the perfect spot to rest, Latch walked on over, catching the sight of a stump on a small rise a stone’s throw away. Taking her pack off her shoulders, she sat down against the grass and trunk of the tree. With a soft sigh, she set the pack alongside herself as she leaned back, getting comfortable.
 
Undoing the latch of her pack she fished out the warm, blue thermos containing what she considered to be a “delicious nectar”. Unscrewing the top and nudging her pack to the side, she poured the hot chocolate into the top of her thermos, breathing in the hot cocoa as she felt it clear her airways some. Putting the cap to her lips, sipping the hot chocolate, she looked up, spying a few robins that had just perched themselves in the tree across from her.
 
A brief birdsong filled the air, making her smile. With another sip, her smile only brightened. “I could really get used to living around here.”
 
 

 
Hope you enjoy another story of mine.