“Kuma! Kuma!” Gusty said to herself as she banged her head against the wall. “You idiot! Why did I have to arrive late and taste the darn soup?!”
Celestia and Luna shared worried glances. Luna made a hoof gesture to indicate her sister to talk to her. Celestia nodded and slowly approached Gusty.
“Ok. First of all, stop banging your head against the wall, otherwise you might break your horn.” she said as she put her hoof on Gusty´s. “Secondly, I and Luna came up with an idea-”
“It was my idea!” Luna complained.
“Well, Luna´s came up with an idea to help you decide your next job.” Celestia and Luna took out of a bag several objects and laid them on the ground. “Look, the branch with leaves symbolizes farming, the stones bricklaying, and lastly this piece of clay any kind of crafting. Those are the ideas we have already, if you have any more, you can tell us.”
Gusty scratched her chin as she thought.
“Hmm…. When I was Luna´s age I used to work on farming. I guess I could go back there…”
Despite thinking that it was a good idea, Luna also noticed that working on farming again made Gusty uneasy.
“But you wouldn´t be comfortable there…” she read Gusty´s mind
Gusty shook her head.
“It´s likely that unicorns working there know me since I was a filly. I don´t think they would be happy to see me…”
“Alright, farming out.” Celestia ordered Luna. She picked up the branch from the ground and kept it on the bag. “What else would you like to work in?”
“Bricklaying could be another option…. But I´m not strong enough. If the emperor let us use our magic, I think I would be of some help! Wind can move pretty heavy objects, you know? But then I would remember that I have trouble controlling my magic and a brink would fall on a troggle…” her smiled faded and Gusty bit her lip. “Then again, bricklaying could also include modelling stones. Oof... but either I would break the stone or not make a simple carving. You know what? Forget it, I´d better go for another job.”
“You heard her.” Celestia told Luna. “What else do you have in mind?”
Gusty took some time to answer. She gasped and widened her eyes excitedly when she got an idea.
“Crafting however... is a job that is organized by a corporation. And corporations exist in other jobs, which means that I have other chances should crafting not work!”
“That´s a fantastic idea!” Celestia exclaimed. “What more corporations could you work in?”
“Blacksmithing needs strength, so that´s a no. However, I could bake bread, make shoes, jewellery... And since I was involved in textiles, maybe I could go for another job related to that! I could work as a tailor, or as a spinner, or as a dry cleaner…
Gusty got more and more excited as she came up with more ideas.
“I hate to ruin all the fun, but I´m pretty sure those professions needs training.” Luna pointed out. “Would they pay you while learning the discipline?”
Celestia sighed frustrated.
“Oh, that´s true.”
Gusty bit her lip.
“Well… Maybe I could offer myself to do their daily chores. I´m sure I would save them lots of work.”
“That´s a good solution!” Luna admired.
“And if the corporation thing doesn´t work, I could work on the market as a seller.”
Celestia and Luna bit their lips while looking at each other
“But there´s a chance you might bump into your ex co-workers… In many occasions, not to mention.”
Gusty clenched her teeth and shivered at the thought.
“Ok. Forget about selling on the market.”
“Good, I didn´t like that idea anyway.” Celestia said excitedly in agreement.
“Ok. So to recap, what we´re looking for is joining a corporation to learn a discipline and in the meantime to earn money, you would work as house maid, am I right?” Luna told Gusty and Celestia.
“Alright, so now that we know which corporations you´re going to apply for and in which order, let the job search begin!” Celestia threw her hoof to the air.
“Yeah!” Luna joined her sister in the excitement.
“Yay…” Gusty tried to be as excited as her daughters, but insecurity was the only thing she could feel.
“Just remember mama: the key is to be calm. If you feel that your magic is about to get out of control, just breath in and out.” Celestia advised Gusty as the two fillies accompanied their mother to the door. “Preferably before you present yourself to the masters.”
“And if I feel it while I´m working?”
“You have two options: either telling the masters before you begin working or getting out of the room and going to a place where you can be alone and breath calmly.”
“Both of them will probably get me fired. But it doesn´t hurt to try…”
“You know what? If I could, I would blast them if they start scolding you and teach them a lesson.” Luna put her hoof against her fist.
“You´re not helping, Lulu.”
“I wasn´t giving advice, I was just expressing my opinion. Besides, don´t tell me you wouldn´t want to to do that.”
Celestia opened her mouth to replicate, but couldn´t find any argument against her sister.
“Touché.”
Seeing that both her daughters were actually getting fond of the idea, Gusty decided to intervene.
“I think if I´m calm, then there shouldn´t be any problem. Or at least I hope so…”
“You know what else could help? Thinking positively!” Celestia suggested “Tell yourself `I can do it, they´ll pick me up.´ They say that if you repeat to yourself something to yourself, you end up believing it. Come on, try it!”
“I can do it, they´ll pick me up.” Gusty whispered to herself. “I can do it, they´ll pick me up…”
“Feeling better?” both Celestia´s and Luna´s eyes were shining with hope.
Gusty smiled at the innocence of her daughters. She moved her head from side to side.
“I´m not feeling anything yet. But I guess that if I continue repeating it to myself, then it will eventually work.”
Celestia and Luna smiled back hopefully.
“Celestia! Luna! The house isn´t going to clean itself!” Ms Prickly called them from inside.
The two fillies sighed.
“Wish we could accompany you, but we´re needed here.” Celestia told Gusty.
“Don´t worry, I understand.”
As they were talking, Ms Prickly approached the door.
“You´re still here?! What on earth are you doing?! Don´t you know you only have this afternoon and tomorrow?!”
Gusty rolled her eyes.
“Ok, ok, I´m going.” she said somewhat upset as she left.
“Bye mama!” Celestia waved her hoof energetically.
“Good luck!” Luna added.
Gusty waved her hoof back. She sighed and bit her lip.
“I can do it they´ll pick me up, I can do it they´ll pick me up.” Gusty said to herself while heading to the building of the bakery corporation. It wasn´t as she imagined, as it was a very old building, almost in the brink of falling.
She stopped right before the door. She inspired and expired.
“It can´t go that wrong.” she said to herself.
After knocking the door, a bearded unicorn stallion opened the door. He raised an eyebrow at Gusty.
“You want anything?”
“Is it open?”
“Hmm…. No… This isn´t for anypony, you know?” the stallion replied as if it was obvious.
“Oh of course!” Gusty laughed nervously. “But I need to talk to you. It´s related to the bread business. It won´t take much of your time.”
The stallion blinked, wondering what was so important for that mare.
“Uh…. Sure…”
“I was wondering… Are any of you feeling stressed lately on your job because all the work is on your shoulders?”
“Not really. We have many apprentices here that help.” the stallion opened the door more so Gusty could see he was not alone.
“Oh…” Gusty whispered disappointed.
The adult ponies looked at her puzzled, but the foals waved their hooves energetically to which Gusty replied with a timid smile and waving her hoof back.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well… I was wondering if you´re looking for more help…”
“You mean if you could become an apprentice?”
Gusty nodded. The stallion looked back at his coworkers. The eldest shook their heads, as they didn´t want a mare that appeared out of nowhere to work with them. Others refused because they didn´t trust her.
“Well… None of my coworkers want more apprentices but for me… Well… Help is always accepted. So yeah, I guess.”
Gusty´s eyes widened in hope.
“Thank you, I´ll do my best, master.”
The stallion smiled when Gusty called him master.
“I have to warn you though, I have trouble controlling my magic, so I might need-”
“Whoah, whoah. You have trouble controlling your magic?”
Gusty´s hope fell apart at that moment. However, since she already spat out the truth, there was no coming back. So, she had no other choice but to stick to her decision.
“Well, it´s not something that always happens but I thought it was important you knew. Don´t worry though, if I put all my attention I´ll-”
“No, no, no. We´re struggling with this business and right now, the last thing we need is trouble. If your magic got out of hoof, the emperor would punish all of us! I´m sorry ma´am but it´s a no.”
Gusty felt it was unfair, so she kept insisting.
“Did you hear what I just say? The chances of it happening are low.”
“I don´t care. We don´t want to get any risks.”
“But…”
“Good afternoon!”
The stallion closed the door in a blow.
“Ok, maybe this time it didn´t go well, but that doesn´t mean it will happen next time.” she told to herself. “It might be better if I don´t tell them about my problem.”
Gusty´s next attempt was at the pottery corporation. She knocked the door. An elder and thin stallion opened the door.
“Good afternoon.” Gusty said with a bow.
“Good afternoon.” the stallion replied emotionless.
“My name is Gusty, and I´m here to tell you that I am very interested in the art of pottery. Such perfect shapes, colours… As a result, I´ve taken the decision of learning pottery. So, I was wondering if any of you would be willing to take me as an apprentice.”
The elder stallion laughed at her suggestion.
“What?” Gusty asked upset.
“Look, missy. I am glad that you decided to involve in the business of pottery.”
The patronizing tone he was using on her treating her as if she was stupid, upset her even more.
“But, there is one little problem.”
“Which is…” Gusty raised her eyebrow.
“You´re too old. We only take apprentices aged 12-14 years. You, mare, are clearly not.”
“Well, one is never too old to learn anything.”
“Right of course. But that´s not how it works in real life.”
“Well, it shouldn´t be like that. Just saying.”
The stallion was getting more and more impatient at her.
“Listen, there´s not going to be a job for you here, ok? I suggest you leave or I´ll call the guards.”
If it was for her, she would have kicked or blasted the stallion. But she held herself together.
“Ok. Fine, I´ll leave. But not because you say so, it´s because if I´m not going to be treated with respect, then you´re no worth my time.”
Gusty held her head high with her eyes closed as she left.
“Fine by me!” the stallion laughed. “Stupid mare.” he muttered the last part.
Just a second after he said that, a stone hit the window.
“Why you-”
Her next attempts went pretty similar.
“We don´t want any more apprentices.” the pony at the shoemaking corporation told her.
“Well… do any of you need a housemaid?” Gusty smiled nervously.
The pony slammed the door on her face.
“Sorry, but this corporation is too unstable to accept a new apprentice.” another pony told her before slamming the door.
Many didn´t bother to answer. One time, Gusty was so frustrated that she kicked at the door and broke it accidentally. Luckily, nopony caught her, so she just ran away.
“Nope.” the pony at the spinning corporation simply replied.
“But why?!” Gusty asked upset.
“Because I said so.”
And once again, the door was slammed at her face. Gusty buried her face on her hooves and growled.
“How does every single corporation here have an excuse not to accept me?!” she wondered aloud frustrated.
“Are you sure it was her? You know, the mare that messed everything up at the tailor workshop.” A voice said from inside.
“Yup definitely! That´s how my friend that works in there described her.” the mare that talked with Gusty replied.
“Thanks, my lovely ex coworkers.” Gusty thought aloud.
She sat down. She noticed a puddle in front of her and contemplated her reflection. She closed her eyes, frowned and hit the water in the puddle. She hated seeing her image reflected. Not because she thought she was ugly, but because every time she saw herself, she didn´t see a well put mare who had everything together. Instead, she saw the opposite. She was a mare with problems, a mother who struggled to make ends meet and feed her daughters and another mare who wasn´t very supportive, despite having letting them in when nopony else would. What´s worse, these problems were mainly due to her difficulty of controlling her magic. She mainly hated herself for that. Unicorns her age don´t have these problems, it was childish! And the worst thing for her, was that she was conscious she was projecting this problem to others. Not only in her job, but specially to Celestia and Luna.
Right now, they were the only ones who treated her with affection, helped her and advised her on what to do when she felt her magic was going out of control. This was a tremendous job for a foal. Their mother is supposed to do that, not a foal. She always wondered how this affected Celestia and Luna but was too afraid to ask them. She already knew the answer: she was not being a good mother.
It was such a difficult to do by her own. She looked at her phoenix feather necklace. Tears formed in her eyes.
“Why were you taken away from us so soon? Why?” her voice tremble. “I can´t do this on my own. They need you.” she sobbed. “I need you.”
She started crying softly. The only thing she wanted was to be swallowed by the ground and never return again. Things couldn´t go worse for her. Or that was what she thought.
“Psst! Hey!” a voice called her.
Gusty´s ears perked up. She blushed when she remembered that she was crying like a foal in the middle of the street. She quickly got in four legs.
“Excuse me were you calling me?” she asked a stallion passing by.
He raised an eyebrow estranged and shook his head.
“Any of you?” she asked the ponies around her.
They had a similar answer. Others directly ignored her. Gusty raised her eyebrow confused.
“Am I going crazy?” she thought aloud.
“Psst! Over here!” the voice spoke again.
No, it wasn´t her imagination. The voice was there! She looked to both her sides.
“Hello?”
The voice sighed somewhat frustrated.
“Behind you…”
Gusty obeyed and turned around. She jumped back when she saw a hooded unicorn in front of her.
“Gah!” she yelped.
The pony shushed her.
“Wh- When did you appear? You weren´t anywhere just seconds ago! Or better question. Who are you and what do you want?!” Gusty spoke the last sentence with a defensive tone.
The pony put their hoof on Gusty´s mouth.
“I know you have a lot of questions, but it´s not safe to talk here.”
“But why?”
At that moment they heard steps, it was troggles! Gusty gasped and looked for the mysterious unicorn, but they weren´t there anymore.
“Huh?”
“Out of my way vermin!” the troggle pushed her sideways as he walked.
She scowled when she noticed his friend laughing at her. She turned around and spotted the unicorn at a lane, who began to run. She gasped surprised.
“Hey wait for me!”
Gusty started following the hooded unicorn. She ran through the lane, bumping into ponies from time to time or facing other obstacles such as carts or boxes, which she skipped by jumping.
After some time running, Gusty arrived to a dead end. She also realized that she was in a place she had never been before, which could be away from home. And if things weren´t bad enough, it was a solitary place. Gusty started walking backwards slowly, regretting the idea of following that unicorn.
“What was I thinking? Maybe that unicorn didn´t have good intentions, and you followed them right to their trap.”
“Indeed you have.”
Gusty picked the first thing she saw, which was an old, almost broken broom. The unicorn held his laughter.
“Seriously, a broom? I´m sorry, but I don´t think a broom is a good wea-”
Immeiately, Gusty started hitting the unicorns head with all her strength.
“Ouch! Ouch!” the unicorn exclaimed in pain.
Then, Gusty hit the cheek and cornered the unicorn. She held the broom with a threatening face.
“Oh, I think you´ve left me a bump.” the unicorn complained while rubbing the top of the head.
“Yeah? Well, you should have thought about that, before bringing me here.”
“It was necessary.” the unicorn got up and dusted off his hood. “What I´m about to tell you can´t be known by the troggles.”
“Why so much mystery? Spit it out!” Gusty put the broom closer to the unicorn´s face.
“Ok! Ok! I´m here to make you an offer. I´ve been following you-”
“What?!”
“Ok, maybe that wasn´t a good choice of words.” the unicorn thought aloud. “Yes, I´ve been watching you, but not only you, I´ve been watching everypony.”
There was a brief silence.
“You know that makes it worse, do you?”
“Ok, I´ll come to the point. I´ve observed you´ve been knocking at many corporations´ door. Why?”
“That´s none of your business.” Gusty put the broom nearer the unicorn
“Alright! Alright! Is it because you´re looking for a job?”
Gusty widened her eyes.
“How did you know that?”
“You are! Good! Then, I´ll make you an offer.”
“ANSWER ME!” Gusty put the broom right beneath the unicorn´s head.
“Ok, ok! I heard you talking to yourself.”
Gusty blushed. She lowered the broom.
“Now, I you let me, I want to make you an offer.”
“Whoah, whoah, what offer?”
“A job offer.”
Gusty gasped softly. She had mixed feeling about what that unicorn. She heard about bad things about mares getting kidnapped or convinced to work on jobs any mare would despise. However, she didn´t have any job options left, so listening to what he had to say might not be such a bad idea after all. Besides, if anything happened, she could use the broom, as the unicorn seemed to be terrified of it.
“Ok. Go on.”
The unicorn´s eyes shined in relief.
“Thank you! I don´t know if you heard about her, but I work for” the unicorn looked sideways. “her.
“Who is her?”
The unicorn approached her head and whispered in her ear.
“Queen Majesty.”
Gusty blinked.
“Who?” she narrowed her eyes.
The unicorn sighed.
“It´s a long story. Too long to be told here, where we´re unsafe. It´s better if she herself tells you. Follow me.”
Gusty seemed a bit unsure, but she nodded her head.
“Fine, I´ll follow you, but if it is what I think it is, I´ll hit you even harder! Understand?”
“Ok, ok!” the unicorn yelped horrified.