2. Twilight Sparkle - Employee at Large
Try as she might, Twilight just couldn't get her magic to work. Sparkles were all she could make as the egg she was to hatch stayed motionless.
After her three minutes had passed the evaluators mumbled between one another. "Twilight Sparkle, thank you for your time. The exit is to the right," the center one said as the rest of them turned left and walked away, their clipboards hovering beside them as they whispered amongst each other.
Twilight stood staring at the egg, then scowled at it.
“Why? Why wouldn't you just hatch at the same time? Coincidences happen, right?" Her eyes welled with tears as she turned and ran to her parents, who embraced her into a hug.
"It's okay, Twilight, these things happen. You tried your best and that's the important part. Let's go home and get you some eggplant parmesan. Would you like that?" Twilight nodded and sniffled.
"That's my favorite," she replied weakly as she looked at her mother. "Mom, I really thought I had a chance. If only I had practiced more, or studied more."
"Twilight Sparkle, you did all you could. We still love you, and nothing will change that," her mother replied.
"Yeah, sweetie. You'll always be our number one daughter," her father said cheerfully.
Twilight giggled as she nuzzled them for comfort. "I'm your only daughter, silly daddy."
“Let's go home. We have to get ready for work tomorrow and little Twilight here has to study for next quarter."
"Okay, but I'm not little anymore," Twilight replied as she followed them. She gave a look back to the egg and glared in anger. Stupid dragons, stupid magic, stupid, stupid, stupid school.
As they walked out of the room a dozen other unicorn fillies, colts, and their parents waited to be called next.
"How did it go?" a blue filly asked Twilight as she passed.
"I guess magic isn't my thing after all. Good luck, Lulu."
"Thanks, Light, I hope to see you again," Lulu said back as Twilight hung her head low again.
"Welcome Home, Twily! I can't believe you made it in! When's the first class?" Shining Armor said. He was full of pride until he saw their expressions. Looking at his sister walking in behind them, he felt his heart fall like a rock and foolishness replaced it. "Oh, Twily. I'm so sorry, Twily. I can't believe they didn't accept you."
"Yeah? Well they didn't!" Twilight screamed, then she ran past him, beginning to cry loudly as she ran to her room.
"Shining, I can't believe you'd do that."
"Mom, I didn't know. How could I? She was a shoo in! I had no idea she wouldn't pass!"
"That's no excuse, son. Wait until supper to apologize. Go to your room."
"But daaad."
"No 'buts.' Room. Now. Go," Night Light said with finality and a stomp of a forehoof. With a huff, Shining stormed upstairs to his room in frustration as his parents went to the den to talk.
"Velvet, what are we going to do now?” Shining’s door slammed shut. “With Sparkle, I mean? She only cared and focused on her magic studies, and you heard her in the cart on the way back home." Night Light hung his head as he sat beside his wife on the couch.
"I know, I know. She says she's done studying magic, and she hates Dragons. I'm okay with that last part, but six years of magic practice and it turned out to be worthless in the end. What'll she become now?"
"She's still young, Velvet. She has a lifetime to decide. All we can do is support her until she gets her cutie mark and finds her place in the world."
"You're right, Night. Let's just get her rescheduled for magic kindergarten and worry about what life has to offer as it comes. Can you help me make dinner tonight?"
"Sure thing, Velvet."
"Thank you, come again," Twilight said to the last customer of the day. She followed the mare to the hinged door, closed it and locked it behind her.
Returning to the cash register, Twilight opened the drawer and removed the till with her mouth, carefully walked to the back office, then placed it on her boss’ desk. "Here you go, sir. Another day, another bit, am I right?" Twilight joked with him, as she usually tried with little luck.
He smiled at her. "Here you go; 13 bits for a great day’s work." Tossing a bag of coins to her, she stopped it with her magic inches from her face, then let it fall to the floor before picking it up with her lips and a large smile. She turned and pranced happily to her saddlebags before leaving to go to her next job.
Today was great. I made 20 bits for six hours work at the store, including tips, and I'll make another 11 tonight cleaning the school. Tomorrow I get to work at the coffee shop in the morning and then it's off to play mechanic all evening. I hope Mrs. Robin doesn't still want me working on that customized cart of hers; it's so hard to configure thaumic triangulated gems to circumnavigate an artificially created aether breach without advanced training in arcane mechanical studies and techno-thaumic applications at a level seventeen skillset in my line of work.
On a high note, I'll have enough bits to make rent by the end of the week and have some left over to go home and see mommy and daddy in Canterlot Saturday; then be home to good old Maneapolis in time for Sunday night’s overnight shift at the mill.
Twilight happily gathered her things and left the hobby shop, then galloped to the school. Using her key, she opened the door and locked it behind her. Walking to the janitors closet, she gleefully gathered her broom, mops, bucket she filled with water, organic chemicals, and cleaning cloths, then set about cleaning.
What I really like about this job is how clean and soft my hooves get. All these natural cleaning supplies are great for the coat, too, a little splash here and there won't affect inventory more than three percent over the year and that totals less than eight bits. That happens to be the amount I'm shorted based on the work I do for what I get paid on a nightly basis four nights a week ten months a year.
Twilight finished her job quickly and efficiently as usual, then stored her supplies in their designated spots; aligning them each by order of most important to least, for the next janitor. Every time I come in it’s a mess in here. I wish they were as organized as I am; it'd make this job so much more efficient. Sheesh, I don't get why unicorns have to live to use magic. I'm doing just fine without it.
Being a trusted employee, she was left her pay in a small bag in the closet. She collected it into her saddle bags and left, locking the door behind her. Spitting the key into her bag, she trotted home with pride in an excellent day’s work.
Her apartment was clean and well organized, with everything in a labeled place ready to greet her when she came home every night. Turning on the lights, she dropped her bags by the couch and collected her money; counting it to make sure her day's wages were there before she went to shower. After her shower, she watched her remaining scheduled thirty-seven minutes of television while eating a quick store bought meal for one.
Another perfectly well organized and successful day. I even got an extra six minutes of Television time tonight. I’ll have to ask Poppy what happened during the last 21 minutes of that crime show, excluding commercials. It was so interesting. Looking back at her cutie mark, she smiled and left the cushioned chair she was on for her bed.
Her cutie mark -a broom, cup, and hammer in a circle pattern with a small purple star in the center- made her smile. It was, however, still a torturous reminder that she was the first ever to in her family history to give up magic. She was happy with her life choices though, and that was all that mattered.
Finishing the workweek, she counted her bits and grinned. "I get to see mommy and daddy this month!" She jumped and giggled, stopping suddenly as a thudding came from her floor. "Sorry, Miss June, I get to see Mommy and Daddy in Canterlot this weekend," she shouted at her hooves.
"That's great, now stop that infernal noise making," a muffled elderly voice shouted from beneath her.
I keep forgetting why these apartments are so cheap. She smiled and recounted her bits while she hummed a happy tune. She piled her bits into what bills she needed to pay, a meal allowance for the weekend in Canterlot, the ticket for the train ride there and back, plus a few into her private stash she’d hidden geniously under her bed in a horseshoe box.
Moving the available bits on top of the associated bills she had received, she put the remainder in her bag and went to bed. Two days later she gathered her money bag and saddlebags, then trotted quickly to the train station to buy her ticket for Canterlot.
"I get to go home to see my parents! Isn't that great?" she asked the ticket sales pony.
"Yeah, fantastic. You must be thrilled," The ticket salesmare replied blandly, reading a book as she passed the ticket through the slot.
"I am! Thank you for asking. Okay, thank you, have a nice day," Twilight said as she went to wait for the train.
I said my line from work. 'Have a nice day.' It's sunset, and I said have a nice day. I'm too excited to care. Smiling, she waited and watched the clock.
Three hours until the train arrives.
"Twily!" Shining shouted as he embraced his sister.
"Hi, bbbff! How's the greatest captain of the guard doing?"
"Great! I have a lot to do, but I got this weekend off to see you. How's work?"
"I have seven jobs now, and it's amazing! I'm the best employee at all of them, and I make more money than any part-timer at them all," Twilight beamed. Shining let his smile fade while that news sank in.
"And, how's your magic?" he asked quietly.
Twilight pulled away from him and scoffed. "Who needs it? Pegasi and Earth ponies don't. They live fine. Just fine, so what if I don’t use magic, it doesn’t define me…” she fumed then hesitated and pouted. “Right?"
Shining nodded and smiled. He learned years ago not to press the issue of magic. "C'mon. Mom and dad are out back having morning tea at the table; they'll be so happy to see you."
With that, they raced to the back door to see their parents. Sharing hugs, Twilight smiled as wide as her mouth would let her as they told her about their week since they had last written her. She listened intently and enjoyed the conversation.
"Mom, Dad, Shining. I missed you all so much. I'm doing so well in Manesota. The train ride was nice and took about twelve hours to get here, but I don’t care because I’m here with you,” she hugged them each as she overflowed with happiness. “The apartment is nice, and my jobs are going so well."
"Oh, ‘jobs’ now?" Velvet asked. "How many was that again, three?"
"Seven, and I'm the best at all of them."
Her mother coughed into her cup at hearing that. "Seven jobs? Why so many?" her father asked.
"Because I don't like having just one job. It's boring!” Twilight waved her forelegs in the air. “Multiple jobs are more like an adventure! I get to see new ponies all the time and help them with their problems, and I even have a couple of friends that I hang out with,” she tapped her chin, “well, more like acquaintances. Well," she hesitated and rolled her eyes, "more like a cat that I see every couple days. We watch TV together and share pizza."
"TV? Pizza? Who are you and what have you done with the real Twilight Sparkle?" her father laughed. "When you were living here it was always light salads and books, books, books."
Twilight sighed and forced a slight smile. "I don't read anymore, not like that, not since I moved out. I have my work to keep me busy and when I have time to relax I like to watch TV. Is that so bad?"
"Not as long as you don't look at your rump," Shining joked. Twilight punched him in the shoulder. "What? Your lack of exercise is making you look like you have eggs in your sides." Another hard punch made him yelp into laughing.
"Shining, stop making fun of your sister’s... growing attraction."
"Daddy!" Twilight shouted, growing embarrassed she pouted and looked to her mother for help.
"Okay, okay. Stop laughing at Twilight,” Twilight Velvet stated firmly with a hoof clopped on the table for emphasis. ”She's had a long night of traveling, she just got here, and you're going to make her feel as bad as her hips look." Her mother joined in with the guys, laughing as Twilight looked down at her sides.
I am getting chubby. Starting with a nasally giggle, Twilight joined in the laughter, she knew she needed it as much as they did. I love my family.
"Oh, Celestia, lunch was fantastic mom. I had three servings of eggplant Parm, I haven't eaten that much in a few days."
"Coulda fooled me," Shining chuckled. Twilight threw a cloth napkin across the table at him with a hoof.
"So, Twilight. How's your love life in Manesota? Have you found a special somepony yet?"
"Dad," Twilight whined as she started to blush, "at the dinner table?" She looked to the small stuffed doll to her left. “This isn’t the place to talk about that stuff, right Smarty Pants?”
"And you think the den is a better place? C'mon then, let's go so I can ask you there," he said standing up, “and you can bring your doll too.”
"Ugh, fine. Smarty Pants isn’t a doll, dad. Besides, I met somepony, but it was only one date, and they weren't too interesting, okay?"
"Aw, my little girl's growing up before my eyes. What was his name?" Velvet asked.
"Mom, I don't wanna talk about this."
"Why sis, was he ugly as a mule?"
"No, they weren't ugly. It's just that they were shallow, egotistical, a big showoff," Twilight trailed off, a smirk forming on her lips. “Cute, experienced, well traveled…”
The others exchanged looks and her father spoke up. "Why do you keep using pronouns? Is he a Zebra? I mean, it's okay if he's a Zebra; we're an open minded household,” Night Light reassured.
Twilight sighed exasperatedly. "No dad, she's not a Zebra."
"She?" they all said in unison. Twilight sank into her chair and took her plate to cover her face from her family. The dropping of what little food there was onto her lap was ignored as she made a light squeal she made.
"Wait, my little sis is a lesbian? That is so cool!" Shining shouted with a laugh.
Looking over her plate, she saw her mom smiling as her dad got up and left the room.
Oh no, he's going to beat me. Yell at me. Send me to my room and lock the door forever. Maybe I'll be kicked out of the family. Oh Celestia, please help.
Her father returned a moment later and dropped ten bits onto the table in front of her mother. "You win," he said.
Shining began laughing loudly in his chair, banging his hoof on the table.
"Wait," Twilight said lowering the plate and sitting up in her chair. "You knew?"
Her mother held herself together well enough. "Honey, my little angel. When you were younger, remember how you donated all your books to schools and libraries?" Twilight nodded cautiously. "Well, you didn't do anything with those magazines or toys under your mattress," her mom snorted into laughter as she finished.
Shining fell out of his chair onto the floor while Twilight's father began laughing into his hooves.
"Oh. My. Stars. Are you serious? You knew all these years and… and you placed bets on it... and didn't ask, or tell me?"
"You didn't tell us," her father said as he buried his face in his forelegs on the table. Twilight sat back in her chair as her family laughed and she felt like her face was on fire. "Sweetie," he laughed, "you look like a fresh tomato!"
He fell over from his chair laughing. Twilight gave in to the embarrassment and crossed her forelegs.
I can't believe this is happening! With a giggle, Twilight joined in the family laughter. “I am so getting you back for this somehow,” she moved around the table and they all laughed together.
I can't believe the last day went by so fast. So much happened and I wish I didn't have to leave, but I have a life to forge on my own. I enjoyed window shopping with mom and going for a tour of the palace with Shining. Dad took me to that play, and I got this cool snow globe as a memento.
"GOODBYE MOMMY, DADDY, SHINING! I LOVE YOU AND I'LL WRITE OFTEN." she called from the train as it pulled away.
Back to my real life and back to that mare that I love so much... and her eyes I get lost in. She sighed as she took her seat, pulled a stalk of celery from her saddlebag, and settled in for a long ride home. I guess I’ll have to plan her to meet them sooner than we thought.
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Oh my
Day 1: chapter two read. Notes: As soon as I saw the "SHE?" part, I did this: "WHATS SO WRONG ABOUT BEING A FILLYFOOLER? Like, at least 80% of the population should be female, so what's so wrong about there being a few lesbians here and there?" And then I read the rest and went, "oh."
You need a comma after "okay".
Comma before "mommy".
I think you need a space in between.
Comma after "thing".
Comma before "sir".
You need to add an "'s" at the end of "janitor", and you need a comma after "closet". Personally, I think you should take out the "and" in front of "cleaning" and put a comma next to "cloths", I think it sounds better that way. It's just a suggestion, you can take it if you'd like.
You don't need the comma.
You need a comma after "Sorry".
I think you should change that period to a comma, and capitalize the "d" in "dad".
You need a comma before mom, and capitalize the "m" in it as well.
“This isn’t the place to talk about that stuff, right Smarty Pants?”
Comma after "right".
You need a comma before "too".
Comma after "Why".
Comma after "No".
Comma after "said".
You need a comma after "GOODBYE", and I think an exclamation point would work best instead of a period.
Well, that was heart wrenching for some reason. I think it might be my own fears of failure. I've spent my whole life dreaming of being a helicopter pilot; studying, playing sims, reading tactics books. The whole nine. And everytime i think about the fact I could end up failing my goal, it hurts like this chapter hurt.
Im surprised this is your early work, because that was great. Other than some minor errors like a missing word or something, I have no complaints.