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New Horizon - Part Three

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  Sleep, thankfully, had given Quiver some respite, and he found himself glad to be at work the next day. It was almost frightening that his job was a pleasant alternative to spending the day with Luster; at least here he could be productive.

  He groaned as he considered his current situation. Hadn’t he moved away from home to get away from stuff like this?

  “Oh no, oh no, not getting anything, oh no, oh no…”

  Quiver paused and looked down an aisle he’d just passed, finding one of his fellow outbound associates standing in the middle, talking loudly to himself and staring at his list. He kept on repeating those two phrases over and over, his tone of voice barely shifting but his behavior showing something that Quiver knew all too well – panic. Only one thing to do, and that was try to help. Just because he was frustrated didn’t mean he couldn’t try to ease things up for others, after all.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Not getting anything, oh no, oh no…”

  “Hey!” His coworker went silent and turned around, finding Quiver standing behind him. “What’s the problem?”

  “List isn’t working, it’s bad, it’s bad, it’s…”

  “Okay, calm down, let me take a look.” Quiver looked at the list and saw an all-too-familiar error message. “Alright, something for you to remember in the future? If something like this comes up, then you should try this first.” He tapped one corner of the list, and the message vanished, replaced with a normal screen indicating his coworker’s next bin. “That refreshed the list. If that doesn’t work, then head down to the pick desk, and they’ll get you straightened out. Okay?”

  “Okay, good, that’s good.”

  The stallion went on his way, and Quiver shook his head and went back to his work. He stopped only to find his supervisor standing at the end of the aisle. “Sorry Bright Star, I know I shouldn’t have…”

  The ivory unicorn mare smiled. “Stopping to help a coworker isn’t something you should apologize for, Quiver.” She gestured to his cart and added, “Besides, you left plenty of room, assuming folks pay attention.” As Quiver hitched himself back up, she asked, “So, how’s your day going?”

  “It’s little different from any other day in Outbound here. Better than my day was yesterday, anyway.” She gave him a concerned look, but he smiled and waved a dismissive hoof. “Trouble with my roomie, nothing you need to worry over. I’m generally good though, thanks for asking. I just wish the same could be said for everypony else.”

  “Yeah, that’s the third time something like that’s happened to Glass Eye since standup.” She joined Quiver as he made his way to his next pick. “Hopefully he’ll get the hang of it.”

  “Well if I can manage it, anypony can.”

  She shot him an encouraging look and offered, “Anypony tell you that you sell yourself short?”

  “Oh no, oh no, messed up, oh no…”

  Bright Star sighed and trotted off. “My turn.”

  Quiver gave her a sympathetic smile and kept on with his work. While he’d had issues with Luster, things had gone well for him at this new job; there’d been no confusion with his coworkers, and no outright instances of annoyance, deliberate or otherwise. He had a feeling that dealing with Glass Eye would get tedious after a while, but a sneaking suspicion made him think that the stallion couldn’t help it. Past experience, most likely; Quiver had never seen the film, but he knew enough about ‘The Rainpony’ to recognize similar behavior to Dustin Hooffellow’s character.

  He turned somber for a moment and found some sympathy for the stallion, remembering someone close who had it much worse. “Count yourself lucky, Glass. At least you can talk.”

-

  A heavy sigh escaped Quiver’s lips as he walked the well-trod path back home from the warehouse. He was exhausted from his long day at work, and very much looking forward to a hot meal and a decent night’s sleep. The former was guaranteed, though he’d have to cook it himself; Luster seemed content to cook up something quick and easy for herself before he returned home, despite him having a predictable schedule. The latter was more doubtful, as Luster had been playing her new record practically non-stop, only pausing to have meals and sleep late. It almost made Quiver miss home. Almost.

  In any case, it had done nothing to raise his flagging spirits. Sure, work was better, but his home life hadn’t improved. If anything, it had become a different flavor of frustration. In an ideal world he’d have confronted Luster about all of this and tried to work out a solution, but alas, he had no faith that could happen. Talking things out with his father never worked, for example, and he had no faith that it could work for Luster.

  What he needed was advice. The trouble with that was that those he’d come to know here in Ponyville were all busy with one thing or another, the Equestria Games in particular, and he really didn’t want to bother them with something like this. It seemed like he was stuck in a rut. Again.

  He groaned. “Meet the new life, same as the old life.”

  “Sorry?” He looked up to find a young unicorn mare looking at him. Curiosity was alight in her golden eyes and a number of books were packed into her saddlebags, one hovering in front of her wrapped in an aura of orange magic. “Were you saying something to me?”

  He sighed and shook his head. “Sorry miss, I’ve got a bad habit of talking to myself.” He then noticed the book she was holding and approached. “I’m sorry, but is that ‘Enigmas of Equestrian Lore’?”

  She looked at him in surprise. “You know this book?”

  “I’ve got a copy!” He offered a hoof in introduction. “Quiver Quill.”

  The mare smiled and returned it. “Lyra Heartstrings, nice to meet you!” She gave him a once-over and asked, “Haven’t seen you around much. You new in town?”

  “Just moved in a little over a week ago from Indianapoloosa.”

  “Another transplant, huh? Me too!” The book was deposited into one of Lyra’s saddlebags, and the two started walking together. “Grew up in Canterlot, but I ended up visiting Ponyville a lot growing up. I finally moved here permanently after last year’s Summer Sun Celebration.”

  “So you got a front row seat for Princess Luna’s return? Lucky you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “In hindsight, maybe. Still, as crazy as Ponyville is, it’s a nice place to live, and I’m not the only transplant here. One of my old classmates from the School for Gifted Unicorns moved out here at around the same time, and all us mares meet up from time to time.”

  “Really? Cool. Who’s the classmate?”

  A grin. “Princess Twilight.”

  Quiver’s mouth hung open in surprise at that bombshell. “Get out of town! She’s why I moved out here!”

  “Oh?” A playful look crossed the aquamarine unicorn’s face. “Taken a liking to her?”
A laugh. “Nothing like that. I’m off the market for the time being, long story.” He quickly turned the topic elsewhere. “So, you into ancient history?”

  “Kinda sorta. I’m sort of an amateur cryptozoologist. When I was young, I came across some stories when I was young, and they left an impression.”

  “What stories?”

  Lyra turned nervous and asked, “Ever heard the story of Megan?”

  “You mean the strange ape-like creature who was pulled into Equestria right out of the blue and, according to some accounts, took part in the defense against Tirek?” At her amazed expression, he laughed and explained, “I’m into ancient myths and legends in a big way. Could bore you to death over the Order of Gallopfrey alone.” He sighed and admitted, “Didn’t do me a lot of good, though.”

  Lyra smiled sympathetically. “You too, huh?” She shook her head sadly. “Sometimes I think if it wasn’t for my roomie, I’d be going crazy keeping this to myself. And if I talked, others would think I was crazy.”

  “No kidding. I’m still waiting for the apologies over the stuff I turned out to be right about.” He offered an encouraging smile. “But hey, at least you’ve got somepony else to talk about this stuff with.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” She glanced at his flank. “So, you work with documentation and stuff?”

  “Sorta. I work for Amazing Booksellers, out at that big warehouse they’ve got here in town. But I want to be a published writer.” He gestured to her saddlebags and explained, “That’s part of the reason why I’m so into those old stories and accounts. There’s a story in everything. All you need to do is find the right way of looking at it, and you can tell a fantastic tale. In theory, anyway.” He sighed and admitted, “But coming up with an idea and getting it down on paper are two very different things.”

  “Still getting used to the new surroundings?”

  “Among other things. Trouble with my roomie, mostly.”

  Lyra nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t help with the roommate. I get along great with mine, and have for years.”

  “Lucky.”

  A dreamy smile crossed her face. “Yeah.” She then got back on topic and added, “But it might help if you got yourself something nice, some way of making a mark in your new home. It’s what I did after I moved in.” She shrugged and explained, “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something that helps you feel like you’re home.”

  “Mind me asking what you got?”

  “Bedsheets. Coffee mug. A swell hoodie.” She offered a sheepish grin at the stallion’s curious expression. “I wear it when it gets cold.”

  “Hey, I’m not judging.” He raised a hoof to his neck and pondered aloud, “Always did have a fondness for scarves.” He smiled and offered, “Thanks for the suggestion, Lyra. I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “No problem, and I hope you work things out with your roomie.”

  The two parted ways, Lyra going in one direction and Quiver another, but the stallion found himself with slightly more of a pep in his step as he considered her advice. Maybe something nice for himself would help to bolster his spirit, perhaps even give him the courage to face the real problem.  

-

  “Quiver?” The door leading into the stallion’s room swung open as Luster peered in. “Up to something?”

  Quiver’s hoof swept over the combination lock on a metal lockbox. “Just taking care of business.” He turned to her and asked, “What’s up?”

  “Oh, just coming to tell you that dinner’s ready. I'm trying out a new recipe that I thought you might enjoy.” She watched him move from his small desk to follow her out of the room. “Interesting business?”

  “Depends upon whom you ask. So, what’s for dinner?”

  “Something exotic from Neighpon. Spring rolls.” She led him to the table, where food had already been portioned out. On his table was what looked like a mass of vegetables, rice, shrimp and what might have been tofu wrapped inside of something transparent. A small bowl of some sort of sauce was placed alongside it, and she poured him a cup of tea as he sat down. “Now go ahead and eat up.”

  Quiver examined the meal curiously, then took one up in one hoof, dipped it in the sauce, then took a bite. It wasn’t bad, though to him it seemed a bit bland. Still, it was food, and it was a pleasant surprise to have her include him in her meals. “Thank you for cooking. Interesting taste to the tofu in this.”

  “Well, that’s probably because it’s not tofu. It’s pork.”

  Quiver paused, then swallowed his small mouthful uneasily. “How…interesting…” He tried to control his urge to gag – he was fine with eating shrimp, assuming it was properly cooked, but pork? Still, it wasn’t like he could just dash off to the nearest Hay Burger, and he didn’t like wasting a meal. “So, get anything taken care of today?”

  “Oh, a few things, here and there.” Luster waved a hoof dismissively. “You know me, busy with my writing.”

  “Well, like I said, if you ever need a proofreader, I’m open.” He finished off his roll and took a sip of tea. “In any case, I’m glad one of us is getting some writing done. Time just keeps on flying away from me. Still, can’t complain too much. At least I get to talk to interesting ponies around town.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t bother with that too much. Some are just too strange for words. That one stallion who really likes jelly, for one thing.”

  Quiver shrugged, then changed subjects. “Oh, fair warning, I might be delayed getting home tomorrow. Thinking about taking a detour.”

  “Well, don’t be out too late. We’ve got lots to do over the weekend.”

  Quiver picked up another roll and thought to himself, “Hopefully, that includes me getting something done for myself.” As he chewed, he quietly added, “And maybe seeing if there’s a version of these that doesn’t have meat in it. A little won’t kill me, but I’m fine not being an omnivore.”

-

  The thought of buying himself something occupied Quiver’s mind through most of the following day at work, idle thoughts going through the back of his head as he went about his business. Thankfully, he had enough sense to not distract himself too much from his job, but he was eager for the day to be over and follow Lyra’s suggestion. Plus, he did need to stock up on his writing supplies; what he had at home had somehow managed to dwindle further. It was getting just a touch suspicious…

  “Hey, you!”

  He was snapped from his reverie and turned to the source of the unfamiliar voice. “Yes? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothin’!” The pony who approached him was roughly his height, with a pudgy build and an orange coat, his green eyes visible under his messy dull yellow mane. Given his cart and list, he clearly worked in the same department as Quiver himself. “You just looked interestin’ to talk too. Name’s Leading Rose.”

  Quiver eyed the stallion uneasily. Perhaps it was the fact that the expression on his face wasn’t so much a friendly smile as a suspicious-looking leer, or the fact that his voice reminded him of a few jerks he knew in school, but something made him distrustful of the pony in front of him. Still, one had to be polite, and he was a believer in giving folks a chance. “Quiver Quill.”

  “Heh. Catchy.” The stallion glanced at Quiver’s ID and idly flicked it with one hoof, and then turned his attention back to the conversation. “So, how ya doin’?”

  “Well enough.” That he felt like his personal space had been violated was something he opted to keep to himself. “Yourself?”

  “Pretty good.” He then picked up his list and got to work alongside of Quiver, picking out an item from one bin and checking it over. “Hey, you know that fast food place a little ways away from here?”

  Quiver eyed him uneasily, but maintained his polite bearing. For all he knew, the stallion was just trying to arrange some after work hanging out. “Yeah?”

  “Saw a roach there once.” His list beeped as he confirmed that he picked the right item and he noted, “Hey, I’m movin’. Anyway, yer doin’ a good job!”

  Leading Rose moved off, and Quiver stood there trying to process what he’d just experienced. What sort of pony…?

  And then he saw the stallion’s cutie mark, a trio of buzzing flies, and realized instantly that his first instinct about the stallion was right. His name might’ve had the word ‘Rose’ in it, but something told Quiver that the stallion was anything but as appealing as his namesake.  He gagged in disgust and muttered to himself, “And ponies wonder why I’m an introvert.”

-

  The end of the workday couldn’t come any faster for Quiver as he trotted his way home, with the odd peek behind him to confirm a lack of being followed. He wasn’t one for entertaining company, and besides, he didn’t want to deal any more with Leading Rose. In his experience, where one pony like him was present, more were no doubt close by.

  Besides, he had a stop to make on the way.

  A few things pleased him about his normal route home from work. One, it afforded him a relatively quick transit. Two, it allowed him a few options as far as places to stop and pick up a snack were concerned (not among them, thankfully, the fast food joint his new acquaintance had mentioned). And three, should he ever be inclined to engage in retail therapy, he had a few options on the way. Among them was Ponyville’s local franchise for Sofas and Quills.

  Despite its name, the store did not specialize in those two particular items. Indeed, it carried all sorts of furniture, office supplies, and, of course, office furniture, and aside from wanting to replenish his writing supplies, Lyra’s advice was bubbling about in his brain, and he was in the mood to consider his options.

  As he entered the shop, he found it sparsely populated by ponies, most congregated in one area or another. He didn’t mind, of course; Quiver had never been one for crowds, and being packed in tended to make him feel like a claustrophobic sardine. Besides, this would let him take care of his main objective without serious trouble. He retrieved a small basket from the front of the store and went on his way, his eyes peeled for what he wanted.

  “Ah’m tellin’ ya, Rarity, Ah don’t think that’ll really work. Maybe you should get a second opinion.”

  The familiar twang caught his attention, and Quiver soon found himself looking upon Rarity and Applejack. The two mares were standing in an aisle filled with assorted writing implements, much to his pleasure, and the elegant unicorn among the pair had a sheet of drawing paper unfurled before her. “Perhaps, but…” She soon noticed the stallion and remarked, “Oh, Quiver darling! How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough to hear something about second opinions.” He approached and asked, “Is this about a fashion design?”

  “Yes and no. You’re aware that Ponyville will be sending teams to Rainbow Falls to qualify for the Equestria Games, yes?”

  “Yeah, I caught Rainbow Dash practicing with Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps a couple days ago. You designing uniforms for them?”

  “Oh, very astute dear!”

  Applejack smirked at her friend and snarked, “Considerin’ he ain’t exactly stupid, he’s a writer and he knows you make clothin’, figurin’ that out probably wasn’t much of a stretch for him.”

  “Yes, yes, laws of narrative causality and all of that.” Rarity briefly rolled her eyes and then turned the design so that Quiver could see it. “Anyway, seeing as you’re here, perhaps you can provide an opinion? This is my initial design. Now, do not hold back! I want an honest opinion!”

  Quiver looked the design over with a critical eye. It was a frilly, flower-themed affair that brought to mind doilies and tea rather than athletics, especially with the flower-themed cuffs about the fetlocks and equally flowery headbands. He looked to Rarity and noted, “I don’t think these work. Admittedly, I don’t know much about clothes, but I know enough to know that form needs to follow function. Your design looks nice, but it doesn’t really function well as athletic apparel. Try something more form-fitting, but loose enough to allow for ease of movement.” He gave her a gentle smile and added, “Plus something tells me there are regulations about what athletes can and can’t wear during competition.”

  The fashionista sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Well, I’ve a few fortnights yet to finalize a design.” She gently smiled back. “Thank you, dear.”

  “Hey, I’ll help where I can. So, what brings the two of you here?”

  “School supplies for our little sisters.” Applejack shook her head. “Ah swear, Ah didn’t go through nearly as many pencils and notebook paper as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle do.”

  The stallion shrugged. “There’s more to learn since you were in school, AJ. Heck, more to learn since I was in school thanks to you two and your friends.”

  “Eh, Ah guess. You here fer somethin’ similar?”

  A nod. “It’s horrible. I’ve barely gotten any writing done since I came to Ponyville, and I’m running low on writing supplies. Almost makes me think Luster’s raiding my things.” At Applejack’s arched eyebrow, he added, “Almost.” He waved a hoof and noted, “Anyway, I got the crazy idea to get myself something nice, and I was coming here for goodies anyway, so I may as well look around.”

  “Well, I certainly can’t argue with such a decision.” As Quiver picked out a large box of pencils and a package of quills, Rarity looked to him curiously. “Have you given it any thought?”

  “Not really, but I think I’ll know it when I see it.” The three emerged from the aisle as Quiver’s gaze wandered. “Won’t hurt to browse anyway, see what’s… on… ooh…”

  The two mares stared at Quiver in bewilderment, and then slowly turned their heads to the source of his interest. Applejack smirked. “Seems you’ve found yerself a good candidate.”

  Quiver’s eyes were locked onto a desk on display in the furniture department, placed in perfect view of the office supplies. He instantly thought that whomever had laid out the store was a genius, and slowly made his way over to the piece of furniture in question. The two mares followed, and Rarity offered, “You rather look like a foal on Hearth’s Warming morning, my dear.”

  “A foal other than me. Holidays aren’t a big thing in my household.” Quiver looked the desk over with a growing smile as he continued, “Still, that’s an apt analogy.” He gently ran a hoof over the desk and slowly pulled out a thin bit of wood from one side. “Extra work surfaces on both sides…” He slid it back in and examined the drawers. “Two smaller drawers and one larger one on each side, locks on the larger drawer, one thin one in the middle…” He looked onto the desktop and looked over the smaller drawers and slots inside. “Plenty of storage space for quills, inkwells, paper and pencils, easy place to put a pencil sharpener…” He then stood up on both his back hooves and slowly brought down the desk’s roll top cover. “Perfect.” He then pulled the roll top cover back up and added, “And I even like the finish.”

  “Sounds like you think this here desk’s a good’un, huh?”

  “You kidding? That’s an understatement! This is the nicest desk I’ve ever seen!” He gestured at the desk in awe and declared, “This is the Deskingest Desk that ever Desked!” He then gleefully held up a card and noted, “And it’s on sale!” The card was replaced and, in a definitive tone, he decided, “It. Shall. Be. Mine.” He then retrieved his basket and noted, “First things first, however, paying for this stuff. I’m gonna need my checkbook to buy this beauty anyway.” The desk put aside for now, he looked to his friends and asked, “You two need any help finding anything?”

  “No dear, I think we’ll manage.” Both took a moment to recover after seeing his exuberance on display, but Rarity managed, “Anyway, I do hope that you enjoy it.”

  “Yeah. Kind of a shame ya’ll ain’t one for parties.”

  Quiver looked at the farm-mare in surprise. “What makes you say that? I’m not big on socializing, but I don’t mind a party.”

  Applejack shook her head. “Sorry darlin’, but Pinkie was sayin’ somethin’ ‘bout you and Luster not bein’ interested in a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party.”

  Quiver smirked. “Maybe Luster isn’t interested, but me? I’d be okay with something like that. Anyway, catch you two later?”

  “Alas, probably not for a while; the train to Rainbow Falls for the qualifiers leaves tomorrow morning, and we won’t be back in Ponyville for a few days.” Rarity smiled encouragingly and noted, “But yes, we shall see you soon enough.” The stallion nodded, waved and went on his way, and the fashionista gently laughed. “Do you suppose he and Pinkie are distantly related?”

  “Ah was thinkin’ you’d be his kin, dramatics like that.” Applejack chuckled and noted, “Still, wonder how Pinkie’d get the idea he wouldn’t want a party…”

-

  “Ooh, look at these carrots.”

  The following morning found Quiver once more out with Luster at the market, the latter apparently convinced that they needed to restock their pantries despite having already done so two days previous. He opted against arguing with her – she was home most of the time after all, and did the cooking of an evening, so she’d know more about their food situation than he.

  Still, there was something that needed to be addressed. “Luster, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Of course Quiver. Could you pay for those carrots, first? Five bits for the lot.”
The money transferred hooves, and the stallion continued, “Anyway, you remember last night? Me popping into the house, then leaving afterwards?”

  “Yes. Ah, radishes!”

  They moved to another stall, and Quiver pressed on. “Well, I had to go and take care of something for myself. I’m telling you because…”

  “One second, Quiver. Two bits per pound, so…four bits for the bag?”

  More money was transferred, and Quiver continued, “Anyway, I have a delivery coming. It should arrive on Tuesday. Can you keep an eye out for it?”

  “Of course. Perfect, asparagus!”

  Quiver gagged; asparagus wasn’t one of his favorite vegetables. Still, better that than spring rolls if Luster decided to cook for him again.

-

  The weekend and following Monday passed in all too quick a blur for Quiver, his Saturday and Sunday spent much as his previous Wednesday had with Luster dragging him along on her errands during the mornings and blaring out any attempts at getting some writing done with her music. Monday, of course, involved work, and as he’d been warned, there was no appearance by any of his various acquaintances about town due to their having gone off to Rainbow Falls.

  He could handle that, however; he had a fancy new desk on the way.

  Tuesday came with little fanfare. He’d gotten up, washed up for the day, had breakfast, fixed a small lunch for himself, and set off to work. At the warehouse, he went on and did his job, having a nice, quiet day until early in the afternoon…

  “Quiver! Qui-VERRRR!”

  He suppressed a groan as he recognized the voice and turned to find Leading Rose striding towards him, complete with leering grin. “Yes?”

  “Nothin’, just takin’ a break from replenishin’. You should do it.”

  Quiver politely shook his head. Replenishment, in this case, meant putting out new stacks of baskets for pickers to retrieve whenever they’d filled up or closed out the ones they’d been using. It was a necessary job, but tiring, and not one he was eager to volunteer for. “No thanks. I’m fine with what I’m doing.” He pulled a book from one bin and pressed his list against it, and a pleasant chime sounded to confirm he’d gotten the right item.

  As Quiver moved off to another pick, Leading Rose followed. “Come on! You wanna do it!” Another book was produced, and the orange stallion took an interest. “Hey, Monarch Crown! Awesome!”

  “Indeed. Good author.”

  “Hey, didn’t he write that one story where the bullied filly snaps and goes on a rampage and kills everyone at her Spring Fling?” He paused. “I never got that. I mean, a unicorn…”

  “The filly was an Earth pony. The ones who bullied her were unicorns. That she was able to turn the tables on them the way she did was what made the story as scary as it was.” Another book was selected from a bin, and Quiver noted, “Made her pretty sympathetic, too.” The book was confirmed, and a message showed up on his list. “Huh. They want me at the pick desk.”

  As Quiver moved to close out his basket and do as he was bidden, Leading Rose called out, “Hey, tell ‘em you want to do replenishin’!”

  Quiver found himself wondering if his coworker was deaf. Given there were a number of stacks of baskets waiting to be put out, it suggested that Leading Rose wasn’t too good at the task anyway. But that was an issue for another time, and Quiver soon found himself at the desk, his supervisor waiting for him. “Hey Quiver!”

  “Hey Bright Star. What’s up?” He looked at her with concern and  asked, “I didn’t screw something up, did I?”

  She laughed reassuringly. “No, no, you’re fine! I just wanted to know if you wanted to leave early.” A blank list on a clipboard floated up in front of her as she explained, “We’ve got too many pickers for too few orders, so we’re sending folks home for the day. It’s alright if you’re not interested…”

  “You kidding? Thanks for offering, I’ll take it!” Such possibilities had come up for him several times at the previous facility he’d worked at, but the only time he’d accepted it, his father had promptly yelled and screamed at him and then set him to work. That it hadn’t even been noon when it had happened was probably only a small factor. He retrieved a pen and jotted his name down. “This works out for me anyway; I’ve got a package arriving in the mail today. Little gift for myself.”

  “Nice. I hope you enjoy it.”

  Quiver smiled and eagerly made his way to clock out. “I know I will.”

-

  Quiver had more of a spring in his step than he’d had in years as he made his way back to his home. He idly wondered as he went along if Pinkie Pie felt this way all the time with her boundless enthusiasm, and laughed. No way could he match her pronking about, of course, but he still felt positively giddy. He’d be back early and, circumstances permitting, sign for the desk himself and be able to assemble it with little trouble.

  Granted, he’d have to move the old one out of his room, but that was a minor thing.

  With hardly a care in the world, he trotted up to the front door, produced his key, unlocked it and entered. “Hello, Luster! Guess who…!”

  Strewn out before him were bits of wood and assorted tools. In the midst of all of them was Luster Drain, an instruction sheet laid out before her as she dabbed a dowel with some wood glue and turned to face him. “Oh, Quiver! You’re home early!” She smiled and said, “Thank you, by the way! This is a lovely gesture, getting me this desk! Such a wonderful gift!” She looked back to her work and said, “Now, once this is done, I’m going to need your help. Another market trip to restock. I thought I’d make the spring rolls…”

  Quiver didn’t hear another word from her as he slammed the door behind him. What exuberance he’d felt was gone, replaced with anger stoked by old memories of something else that had been taken from him with a smile. “Theiving… self-centered… what in Tartarus were they thinking when…?”

  The growling and snarling faded almost instantly as he thought of Twilight and her friends. They’d been the ones to arrange this, and he’d marched into it without thinking. His head hung low with shame and self-loathing as he slowly walked away from the door. “Congratulations, Quiver. You’ve gone and done it again.”


to be continued...
Took me long enough to get this done, didn't it?

While I haven't read it myself, and probably won't due to what I've heard of it, I thought it would be neat to include a small nod to [url=www.fimfiction.net/story/19198…"Background Pony"[/url] by [url=www.fimfiction.net/user/shorts…. That I was able to mix in a reference to Generation One of MLP while acknowledging popular fanon for Lyra was a small benefit. Expect a little bit more for her before the story ends, as well as in future stories.
© 2016 - 2024 EchoWing
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Somvold's avatar
Well worth the times and efforts as you have done a nice job here.