Feeling insecure and worried, Copperquick helped to clear away the breakfast dishes. The morning meal was leftover beans and cornbread from the late night meal before studying. As he cleared up the mess, Esmeralda wobbled around the living room area on her short, stubby legs, following after a bright red rubber ball covered in five pointed golden stars that she pushed around with her nose.
This was far from domestic bliss, but Copperquick found that he liked it a great deal. Perhaps infatuation dulled the senses and made everything more tolerable than it really was. When he heard a sigh from Miss Oddbody, his ears perked and he tensed, already knowing the problem. What if Mrs. Velvet put her hoof down and forbade any further contact between the two of them? It was unlikely that Mrs. Velvet would do such a thing, but Miss Oddbody was fretful about it.
“What do you think destiny is and how do you think it works?” Miss Oddbody asked.
After pondering her words for a moment, Copperquick shrugged his withers. “No clue.”
“I have a butter churn for a cutie mark… maybe I do belong on a farm somewhere. I’ve certainly made a mess of things here.” Miss Oddbody took a moment to straighten out her glasses and when she did so, a tendril of her mane slipped out of her fresh morning bun. “Maybe when things spiral out of control it is a sign that destiny is less than pleased with you, and it is time for you to consider changing your ways.”
Copperquick himself wanted to know how destiny worked. Could and would destiny bring two ponies together that didn’t love one another just to create a foal that needed to be born for whatever reason? Was there a purpose to Esmeralda? Why did she exist? Why did he exist? For that matter, why did any of them exist? Cielo del Este was an awful pony but a hot piece of tail. What role did she play in destiny? Copperquick thought about what great ulterior motive destiny might have had in bringing him and her together.
Not a navel gazer or a contemplator of his own hooves, Copperquick found himself doing some real, serious introspection for the first time in his life. Was this growing up? Is this what infatuation did to a pony? Turning his head, he looked over at his daughter, who was burbling and spitting all over the floor.
“I hate this… I hate this! I keep second guessing myself! That loathsome Mister Blancmange has undermined my self confidence. I cannot stand this feeling of doubt!” Miss Oddbody began to sniffle and then gnawed upon her upper lip, trying to hold everything in. She said nothing else, but flounced over to the couch and sat down.
“Mama?” Esmeralda’s backside fell down to the floor and she sat down. After a precarious balancing act, she managed to sit up on her own, wobbling, holding her forelegs up, which she wiggled, and she focused her bright amber eyes upon Miss Oddbody. “Flibbibbity!” The raspberry was loud and clear in the small room and Esmeralda’s tongue flapped around a good bit.
“I don’t know how I feel when she calls me that,” Miss Oddbody admitted as she shook her head. “I wonder what my Moomy might say. I can’t even imagine how my mother might react to all of this. Will she be angry? Would she praise me? Scold me? I don’t even know. I feel like the bottom is falling out of my life.”
“For whatever it is worth, I do not have school tonight.” Copperquick looked down at his daughter, who was staring at the pegasus on the couch. “After we take care of things today, we can sort out whatever happens next and not have to worry for time.”
“We should get ready to go.” Miss Oddbody’s voice wavered and she did not sound calm.
Once more, Copperquick found himself lingering in front of the bakery window, looking at the sun cookies. Sun shaped, decorated with yellow and orange piping, and the sign promised delectable ginger goodness. As he stood there, staring, he suffered a peculiar thought. Where were the moon cookies and what might they taste like?
“You know, some foals can’t stand being hauled around in a carrier, but Esmeralda seems to enjoy it. I think she just likes being close to her Daddy.” With a wry smile, Miss Oddbody lowered her voice and added, “I know I do.”
“You mean, this isn’t normal?” Copperquick turned to face Miss Oddbody with a look of concern upon his face. “How do parents manage?”
The pegasus, only somewhat perky, shrugged and gave a flap of her wings. “I don’t know. But I’d keep an eye on that one. We already know that she is a horrid little manipulator. Last night on the couch—”
“What an awful thing to say!”
“Well, that doesn’t make it less true—”
“Oh, I never said that it wasn’t true, just that it was awful to say.”
Both ponies held their composure for a moment, looking serious, and then they began sniggering together as they looked one another in the eye. Copperquick looked down at his daughter, then back up at Miss Oddbody as he continued to chuckle. Without the need to say anything, both ponies knew it was time to get moving, and they departed from the bakery window.
Copperquick couldn’t help but think that something was wrong, as Mrs. Velvet was waiting for them. She stood there, tapping her hoof, and she had an unreadable expression upon her face. As he came to a halt, he couldn’t help but notice that Miss Oddbody was trembling hard enough to knock her glasses askew.
The stains had been removed from the stone floor, but it remained unbuffed and unpolished. Some of the half rotten wainscotting had been torn away, revealing the mould and filth beneath. The hallway smelled of cleanser and chemicals.
“Mrs. Velvet, I have a confession to make and I ask that you be gentle because I’m having a very trying time right now.” Miss Oddbody stepped forwards and then began try and make her cardigan look a little more presentable. “I beg for your patience, Mrs. Velvet, and your kindness.”
“I already know.” Twilight Velvet took a step towards Miss Oddbody.
“What? How? Are you spying on me?” Miss Oddbody took a step backwards, and bumped into Copperquick, who just stood there, doing nothing.
“Not intentionally.” Twilight Velvet cleared her throat, then smiled a gentle, reassuring smile. “You never turned off your hairpin after your meeting yesterday. I have listened to every word said, every tearful confession, and every bit of your fear and doubts.” The middle aged mare lifted her gaze and looked up at Copperquick. “By the way, congratulations on Esmeralda’s first word. Getting them to talk is easy, it is getting them to be quiet that is the tough and tricky thing.”
Flummoxed, Copperquick stood there and did not respond.
“Well, I feel stupid.” Miss Oddbody blinked a few times, shuffled around on her hooves, and then shook her head. “I was so upset that I didn’t even think about my hairpin. Oh bother.” Extending one wing, she covered her face and then just stood there, berating herself in silence.
“Um, I have a question about Mister Blancmange,” Copperquick said in a hesitant sort of way. “What will become of him? I rather feel that he has crossed the line and something should be done.”
“Oh, I assure you, something will be done. Later today, Mister Blancmange will be meeting with the Lord Mayor, Prince Blueblood and an internal affairs committee. I fear that Mister Blancmange will no doubt be returning to the basement from where he started his career, if he is not asked to tender his resignation outright.” Twilight Velvet, looking troubled and a bit angry, shook her head.
“Look, I know what I did was wrong and I am willing to accept my punishment. I just ask for leniency and that you don’t take me away from my daughter.” Copperquick’s voice was dry and scratchy as he spoke, and Miss Oddbody leaned up against his front left leg.
“I can’t say this in an official capacity, but I admire you for what you said.” Twilight Velvet smacked her lips together for a moment, then clucked her tongue. “But in an official capacity… you were very, very naughty, Mister Copperquick, and you should be ashamed.”
“Will he be punished?” Miss Oddbody asked.
“At this time, the Lord Mayor has no desire to punish Copperquick and as far as I know, plans to let the issue drop. Mister Blancmange needed to be exposed, and both you and Copperquick have done the city of Canterlot a service.” Twilight Velvet took another step forwards and focused her attention on Esmeralda, whom she smiled at.
“And what about us?” Miss Oddbody’s voice was almost squeaky with worry.
“Well, after hearing what Mister Blancmange had to say, I had to report to my own boss, and she was quite irate.” As Twilight Velvet spoke, another pony stepped out from a doorway and came into view. She was tall, she was slender, she was regal, and she was pink. “She had quite a bit to say about the two of you and we listened to your conversation well into the night.”
“Princess Cadance,” Miss Oddbody said as she bowed her head, and then she kicked Copperquick in the leg to snap him out of his stupour.
“Princess.” Copperquick bent his neck and even flexed his front legs a little, but tried to do so without disturbing Esmeralda too much. “It is an honour and a privilege to meet you.”
“Please, call me Cadance.” The alicorn’s gentle voice held a faint trace of mirth and a twinkle of mischief could be seen in her eye. She strode forwards until she stood beside Twilight Velvet, then stopped, and she bowed her own head. “I am sorry for what you went through.”
“I suppose I am in some serious trouble.” Drooping, Miss Oddbody was unable to even look at Twilight Velvet or Cadance. The skinny little pegasus flapped her wings once and then pressed up against Copperquick once more, as if seeking reassurance or comfort. When Cadance focused her gaze upon her, Miss Oddbody ducked beneath Copperquick, as she was small enough to fit beneath him. Like a foal, she peered out from between his front legs, but was unable to make eye contact with Cadance.
“If I may be direct, there is something I want from the two of you,” Cadance said in a straightforward manner. “I wish to run a bit of an experiment of the social variety. I would like for the two of you to work together as a team. Mister Copperquick, or should I just call you Mister Quick, I would very much like to have you among my stable of employees.”
“Why?” Copperquick asked as Esmeralda reached down and tried to get Miss Oddbody’s ears, which were almost within her reach. The foal let out a delighted squeal and Copperquick leveled his curious gaze upon Cadance. “I don’t understand what I could possibly have to offer you.”
Cadance, turning away, began pacing before she answered. “Mister Quick, there is nothing that feels worse than being patronised.”
“I don’t follow.” Copperquick’s ears waggled as he tried to keep up. “If I patronised you, I’m sorry.”
Smiling, Cadance continued, “A patient, suffering excruciating pain, goes to their doctor and says that it hurts. The doctor, who has never felt excruciating pain, says that they understand and they try to reassure the patient. The patient feels patronised.”
Miss Oddbody emerged from beneath Copperquick and looked up at Cadance.
“A social worker, who has never had foals, tries to tell a single mother who is deep in trouble that she understands what the mother is going through. Even though the social worker means well, the single mother feels patronised. It hurts and it is demeaning. It degrades the equine spirit. Feeling patronised is a symptom of empty empathy, and there is only one cure.” Cadance paused in her pacing and looked at Twilight Velvet for a moment before she went on, “A single father, seeking help, is told by a social worker, ‘I know what you are going through.’ This is an outright falsehood and no doubt, this poor single father is going to feel patronised. An already trying experience is made worse by well meaning, but careless words.”
“Um, okay.” Copperquick wasn’t sure what any of this had to do with him.
“There are a lot of single fathers out there, Mister Quick, and almost nothing is being done to help them. Right now, you stand on the very brink of greatness, even though your life has sunk to a low point. You have experience, Mister Quick, as a single father you are beginning to experience the humiliation, the degradation, and all of the trials of a pony in your position.” Cadance turned, took a few steps, and then stood almost snoot to snoot with Copperquick as Miss Oddbody scrambled out of the way of the much larger mare. “Mister Quick, I crave this valuable experience. It is my desire that you will come and work for me. You could very easily transfer into equine services and get a general degree.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Copperquick just stood there, and stared at Cadance.
“Well, to be honest, I can’t pay you much. To start with, nothing at all. But I could see that you get a stipend for daily living expenses. I would of course, look after you and see that your needs are provided for. I can’t promise you a good life, Mister Quick… in fact, this will be an awful life, with many days just like yesterday.” Cadance lowered her head, extended her neck, and nosed Esmeralda, who began giggling at Cadance’s tender touch.
“And what about me?” Miss Oddbody asked.
Clucking her tongue, Cadance smiled and focused her attention upon Miss Oddbody. She stood there for a time, studying the much smaller pegasus, and she even reached out a wing to touch Miss Oddbody’s cheek. “It is my understanding that you have surpassed the thousand hours required for your internship. You will be graduating soon. I fear that the best I could pay you is a paltry sum, a pittance really, and not worthy of a pony of your skills or dedication. I do believe that you and Mister Quick will make a good team. But I fear this means going and facing more ponies just like Mister Blancmange.”
Miss Oddbody recoiled and then scooted around to get close to Copperquick again.
“As for the immediate future,” Twilight Velvet said in a smooth, calm voice, “Cadance is already assembling a team of lawyers that will be willing to challenge the courts with us and make history. She and I will continue to support the both of you for the time being and we will continue to try and make a dent in the system. We both want you to keep trying to get aid and make appeals while we prepare to go after Cielo del Este for foal support.”
“And what about this hospital bill?” Copperquick asked.
“Well, the law states that if the mother refuses to pay, or is otherwise unable to pay, the father is legally responsible for paying the bill. It is a punitive law, one created to discourage sexual promiscuity and it is meant to punish careless, deadbeat fathers.” Cadance’s lips pressed into a tight pucker and she shook her head.
Stepping forward, Twilight Velvet picked up where Cadance left off. “I don’t know if we can help you on that one, but we’re going to try. Right now, you are the primary caretaker of Esmeralda Verde, and such a bill would be detrimental to her care. You are already doing your part, so the punitive spirit of the law is already being satisfied.”
“Mister Quick, this is going to be brutal and unpleasant. Your character is going to be assaulted and torn down by ponies far more skilled than Mister Blancmange. You will no doubt end up in the newspapers. Miss Cielo del Este may even try to challenge you for legal custody of Esmeralda Verde once she is served with papers for foal support, if we can get a magistrate to go along with our plan.” Cadance’s mask fell away and she looked pained.
“Rest assured, we’ll be fighting with you every step of the way.” Twilight Velvet stepped forwards and stood beside Cadance. “As I have said, I am willing to die upon this hill. This is the fight that I feel will make me or break me as I try to make some much needed changes to the system. I know that I am asking a lot of you.”
“Well, Miss Oddbody, what do you say? This is our chance to be together and do something good.” Copperquick blinked and his eyes widened. “Say, do we get fancy codenames since we’re working for a princess?”
Without even a fraction of a second’s worth of hesitation, Cadance replied, “Agent Bun and Agent Bowler.”
“I keep thinking about what Mister Blancmange said yesterday. It has left me shaken. I must confess, he tore down my confidence.” The little pegasus mare bowed her head and let out sigh. “I am filled with doubt as to my ability to do my job, and I still feel bad for my breach of professional behaviour.”
“Oh, come off of it!” Cadance said to Miss Oddbody in a loud, booming voice. “Shining Armor was assigned to me as my personal protector and escort whenever I took to the streets of Canterlot. He was supposed to protect me from unsavoury sorts who wished to grope and ogle me. Truth be told, he groped and ogled me every chance he got, and I returned the favour. Everything worked out. Everything got smoothed over.”
“What is with the shouting?” A clarion voice asked from another room. “Did something go wrong?”
“No!” Cadance yelled into the other room, her voice echoing. She offered up a sheepish grin and looked around. In a much quieter voice, she explained, “That’s my boss. We’re all planning and plotting together, trying to figure out how to fix this mess.”
A second later, a tall white alicorn emerged, holding a cup of tea in her magic. Before anypony had a chance to respond, she said, “Don’t even think about bowing. Just don’t. I’ve had a rough week and I am just not in the mood for all of that annoying prostrating and fawning.”
“My boss,” Cadance said in a sheepish voice.
“Oh my, that is a pretty foal.” Princess Celestia moved forward, her golden shod hooves clattering upon the stone floor, and she got right up in Esmeralda’s face. “Oh, who is adorable! You are! Yes, you are!”
With Princess Celestia inches away from him, Copperquick remained frozen and did not move. He hardly even breathed. Rigid, he stared straight ahead, trying not to blink as Princess Celestia bumped snoots with his daughter. One of his ears betrayed him and began twitching, revealing his nervous energy.
Lifting her head, Princess Celestia looked Copperquick, who had started sweating, right in the eye. She studied him for a time, squinting, her eyes narrow, and then she pulled away with a snort that blew his graham cracker coloured mane back from his face. Turning her head, she looked at Cadance and asked, “What’s with him?”
Unable to stop herself, Cadance turned away and started laughing and so did Twilight Velvet. The two mares stood tittering, while Copperquick remained statuesque. Arching an eyebrow, Princess Celestia turned her authoritative stare upon Miss Oddbody, who shrank back from her monarch.
“I listened to quite a bit of your conversation with Copperquick,” Celestia admitted and her words caused Miss Oddbody to squeak. “It was the highlight of my miserable week. I like knowing that my little ponies somehow manage to find happiness together even in the most miserable of circumstances.”
Her face turning a bright, vivid red, Miss Oddbody nodded.
“If you will excuse me, I must see if I can find the biscotti I had stashed here. I could have swore I left a strategic biscotti reserve behind should I need it when I returned.” Turning about Princess Celestia strode away, sipping her tea and mumbling something to herself about pretty foals.
When the white alicorn vanished through the door, Cadance let out a sigh and Twilight Velvet, who had helped to consume part of the strategic biscotti reserve, looked a bit worried. The two mares shared a glance at one another, then both looked at Miss Oddbody and Copperquick. A four way glance was exchanged.
Looking down at his daughter, Copperquick let heave a sigh, and then he looked up at Cadance. “I’ll check and see about transferring into equine services. I owe my daughter some kind of future, and I want her to live in a better world. I’ll see what I can do about helping you bring about some changes. You’ve given me a chance, an opportunity, and I would be a fool to turn that down.”
Miss Oddbody, who was jittering with anxiety, scooted closer to Copperquick. In a soft, almost unheard whisper, she said, “The heart wants what it wants. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know what I’m doing for now.”
“We have much to discuss, how about we go someplace a bit more pleasant to do so? Perhaps a tearoom or a coffee shop?” Cadance gave the group of ponies a hopeful look.
“I know a place!” Celestia shouted from the back room. “They have excellent biscotti!”
“Well, it is settled, then.” Twilight Velvet smiled and relaxed a bit, no longer worried about the biscotti. The middle aged mare focused her attention upon Miss Oddbody and gave the still anxious pegasus a reassuring smile. “I think the both of you are going to work well together. I am looking forwards to seeing what develops.”
“Every great thing we do starts off with a few timid, but brave steps.” Cadance reached out a wing and touched Esmeralda, who cooed at the princess’ soft touch. “I look forward to working with all of you.” Cadance turned and focused all of her attention upon Copperquick. She smiled, then turned away and stepped back.
“Buttermilk Oddbody…” Copperquick shifted on his hooves and squirmed a bit. “I look forwards to working with you.”
Her wings buzzing, the pegasus let out a squeal, rose into a hover, and then covered her face with her front hooves. “Please, just call me Buttermilk.” Overcome with emotion, she buzzed off and vanished through the same door where Princess Celestia had vanished. “I need a moment!”
Just as Copperquick started to relax a bit, Princess Celestia’s voice rang out, “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that somepony got into my strategic biscotti reserves!”