“So, how’d you like the local restaurant scene?”  
“Well, just so you know, I’ve eaten in cafes and diners from Manehattan to Las Pegasus.” She paused for dramatic effect, but she could see that Falcon wasn’t fooled. “It was very nice,” she finally admitted with a smile.  
Falcon gave a confident grin in return. “So, would you like me to walk you back to the Inn?” Chakra’s ears involuntarily flicked at the question.  
“Why?” She had been asked back to hotel rooms before, but this seemed rather out of place.  
“Well, aren’t you staying there?” Falcon asked.  
“Oh. No, I’ve been camping out in my tent.”  
“Oh… well, would you like me to walk you back to the fairgrounds?”  
“Sure,” Chakra said, again being polite. As they started walking out of town, she started to internally worry. Her face did not hint at the nervous feelings that were creeping up in her chest again. This pink-haired pony had admitted that she liked mares, then asked Chakra out to dinner, paid, and now was walking her back to her tent. The pair spent much of the walk in silence as the little unicorn mentally ran through some excuses to fend off the earth pony, should she intend to make a move on her.  
Admist this anxiety, she tried to convince herself that Falcon was a perfectly nice pony, and the fears she was experiencing now were probably just some mild discomfort about the situation she found herself in. Chakra wouldn’t say that she was homophobic, but… she still couldn’t shake that feeling of uncertainty. She couldn’t let herself assume the worst of this pony just because of one little, awkward detail. After all, she barely knew her.  
“Well, I guess now I know her better than I know anypony else in town,” she mentally corrected herself.
 
The pair stopped and said goodnight just outside of the psychic tent. Then, to Chakra’s relief, Falcon quickly turned and happily trotted away from the fairgrounds.  
Chakra went about the familiar routine of pulling out her sleeping bag, and settling down for the night. Tonight though, her mind was buzzing from the evening’s events. The calm, country diner, the ponies who so easily sat around and conversed with each other. So different from places where Chakra had spent the most time - where ponies ignored each other out in public, and many would never even make eye contact with anypony else.  
Mostly, she thought about the race that would be happening this weekend. She had noticed ponies setting up seating stands near the racetrack, and generally cleaning up the landscape nearby. She could certainly drum up more business at that event if she stayed. However, it didn’t seem like she was going to be making any money in the next couple of days before the race. This meant buying more meals, supplies for the trip, delaying another paying job just for the chance at earning something from the crowd that might come in to see the race.  
Chakra thought to herself that whether she stayed for the race or not, she would need to be moving on soon. She could only do her job, and provide for herself, if she kept moving.  
Before drifting off to sleep, she finally decided that tomorrow she would pick which nearby town would be her next destination. If she could send a letter ahead, so they could set aside a spot for her, like this one, even better.  
Some part of her drowsy mind wondered if there would be another pony as friendly as Falcon in the next town.