The cool wind of the autumn season blew through Heavy Rivet's soft blue coat, chilling her flesh and reaching into her bones, ushering her on. The road she trod was long and cobbled, leading far out of the peaceful town of Ponyville, through the hills covered in withered, yellowed grass, which grew through the well-beaten path and crunched beneath her hooves. She passed over the quiet, gurgling stream that marked the halfway point, a small, hastily made bridge, which was really more of a few planks tied together, was left behind her as she walked by with her head held low. She shook her head quickly, shaking her navy blue mane out of her golden eyes as she concentrated on the ground glumly.
"Where did all the business go?" Her melodic voice choked out past her sore throat. "To the FCC of course, rich bastards." The FCC or Filthy Rich Crafts Corp. was a large corporation that had sprung into life earlier that year. The corporation itself was named after it's CEO, Filthy Rich, A greedy stallion who's company had just now put her's out of business. Sure she made her crafts with artful skill and mastership, but Filthy Rich sold cheap, something she couldn't afford. The ponies' bits went to the more economic choice, not even Rivet could blame them. She kicked a pebble down the road with sudden anger, sending it up the hill she climbed where it pinged off a larger rock and flew back to strike her in the forehead.
"OW! Dumb rock!" she shouted, rubbing the sore spot on her head. She stood still for a moment more, before she sat down hard, her rump colliding with the ground painfully. Shadows crossed her face as her mane blocked the sun from her eyes. Tears spilled down her cheeks as a sob forced itself out of her throat. Her tears collided with the ground silently, creating small puddles in the earthen road beneath Rivet. Her body rocked with tremors as her sobbing increased it's frequency, slowly building itself until Rivet lost all control. Her forelegs gave out, and she fell forward, laying in the dust, her cries of sorrow filling the air with her anguish and resent. The temperature physically dropped a degree, as Rivet's sadness pierced the very atmosphere with it's icy touch.
Rivet's sobbing came to a slow close, eventually lowering itself to sniffling and the occasional gasp for air. Her legs struggled under her weight to lift her into a shaky stance in the middle of the road. She shook her mane out her eyes again, and began making slow and steady steps towards home. As she crested the hill, she stopped for a moment, looking down on her quiet little home, a steady stream of smoke rose from the chimney.
"How do I tell mom? 'Hey mom, lost my job, now I'm a deadbeat' How's that going to go over?"
Rivet descended the hill she stood upon, nearing her unremarkable cabin. It was a simple little four-walled one-story log cabin, homely maybe, but still quite inviting. A small porch with stone flooring and wooden awning stood out front, two windows on either side of an unpainted wooden door breathed light into her home. Rivet stopped here for a moment to collect herself. She brushed her hair with her hoof and swatting away the dust from her belly.
She took a few deep breaths, and opened the door, tensing as it's elder frame creaked out a welcome song to her. She stepped in and removed her saddle bags, placing them on the floor next to the doorway. She sighed, turning to observe the room. A coffee table lay about five feet in front of her behind it, a large, well-cushioned couch, flanked by two smaller tables, each holding a lamp and few candles. The floor was covered in a plush carpet that soothed Rivet's weary hooves as they sank into it. A rocking chair lay in the corner of the home, next to the window with the best view of the hill Rivet had just traveled over. A half-knit blanket lay on the foreleg rest next to it, another small table with a lamp upon it. Opposite that corner, lay a well-filled bookshelf atop-which a record player kept to itself. Two entryways sat at either side of the room, one to the left, and one on the back wall to the right of the couch. An elderly voice called from the latter.
"Rivet dear, Is that you?" The soothing voice of her mother called.
"Y-yeah...mom...I'm home" Rivet called back, her voice falling steadily.
"Well come on then hon', I've got dinner all ready for ya'" She beckoned.
"Okay mom, be right there" Rivet replied with more vigor than she held in her body.
She turned and lifted the flap on one of her saddle bags, taking out a heavy bag. In it's own right, it was relatively small, about the size of a head of lettuce, or a melon. She lay it on the table in front of the couch and untied the string holding it closed. As the linen bag fell open, it revealed the last thing she had to hold from her dead business: a bag of bits, enough to feed her and her mother for a couple weeks at the most.
She sighed, defeated by a greedy corporation, and out of options. She'd be out looking for work first thing tomorrow. She turned again, heading for the kitchen, and towards the promise of something nice and filling for dinner. She wasn't disappointed. On the table immediately as she entered the kitchen/dining room lay two heaping bowls of delicious looking salad, piled high with tomatoes, onions, croutons, and balsamic vinegar dressing. Two chairs were sat at the table, one was closest to her, the other was filled with her mother. A deep, tranquil green mare sat, smiling at her with emerald eyes.
"Hello there, Rivet. I hope you're hungry, I went all the way with dinner tonight" Her mother, Emerald Soothe spoke.
"Thanks mom, it looks great." Rivet replied, seating herself opposite her mother. She peered at the salad, her stomach growling voraciously at the sight of such an appetizing meal.
"My goodness, I think an earthquake's struck us" Granny Soothe chuckles.
"Ha Ha, very funny, mom" Rivet replied, barely containing a chuckle herself. She does, however, allow a smile to beam through at her ever-caring mother. She quickly dives into her meal, giving a pleased moan as the extravagant taste reaches her tongue. She finishes in no time, her bowl empty and her stomach full as she reclines into her seat with a satisfied sigh.
She peers across the table to see her mother just finishing, and stands slowly with her swollen belly to grab both their dishes and take them to the the sink to wash. Emerald Soothe gives a quiet "thank you" and makes her way to the living room, followed soon by Rivet.
As Rivet's eyes fall on the bag still left on the table, a sick feeling trudges it's way into her stomach. She stares at the bag for a moment, then hurriedly ties it up and stows it under the table.
"We lost, didn't we dear?" Grannie Soothe says from behind her in her rocking chair.
"W-what? What are you talking about mom?" Rivet stutters in her nervous rush.
"Your craft business, It's gone.....isn't it?" she asks again.
Rivet takes a moment before turning around, coming face to face with her mother's consoling expression.
"Y-yeah mom....we lost" she says, quickly leaning forward to catch her mother in a hug, the tears come again, this time soaking into Grannie Soothe's warm fur.
"It's okay darling, it's okay" Grannie Soothe says, stroking Rivet's mane with a hoof. "I'm sure we'll get a turn-around quickly" She reassured.
"B-but what if we don't?" Rivet asked despairingly. "What if I can't afford to feed us mom? What if I can't find work?"
Grannie Soothe shushes her. "I told you it'll be okay Dear, don't take that for granted. We'll find a way out of this, I'm sure."
As Rivet's sobs fade to a stop yet again, she leans back away from Grannie Soothe. "Y-you're sure?" She asks.
"Positive dear, bad things happen to good people, but they always rebound ten-fold, i guarentee it. Now get to bed young 'un you've got things to do tomorrow." Granny quips lovingly.
"Th-thanks mom, I'll see you in the morning" Rivet says, taking the opposite entry of the kitchen, walking down a short hallway containg two doors. She opts for the left, walking into her haphazard mess of a room and ploppind down onto her bed, her head colliding with a pillow relaxingly.
She lay still, pulling the covers over her with a tug of her magic, folding herself in a warm embrace. She yawns softly as her eyes betray her full mind, and tug themselves closed, pulling her to sleep.
Authors note: I hope to be able to finish this story with at least twelve chapters so if you like it, please say so, your criticism is accepted as well and i'm willing to improve in any way to sharpen my writing skills.
Tehmjolnirpony~