//------------------------------// // Time Almost Heals all Wounds // Story: Requiem For a Quill // by KingofSquirrelz //------------------------------// The wheels of the wagon was by far the greatest item in existence in Quill’s mind, as he rode shotgun with his great granddaughter down the well beaten path to Ponyville. The evening sky was sprayed with the hues of blues and reds, a nice send off as red sky’s promised a bright sky for the next day. However to road became silent as the duo traveled on, both lost in the memories of the past. Quill shifted in place as he looked up at the evening sky, “So, if I am to spend the greater part of my life with you now. Do tell me about yourself Trixie, how hast my boon been these past five hundred year?” He asked the mare sitting next to him on the red puffy couch. Her ear twitch as she sat silently to herself, until a thought finally scrapped in the back of her mind on to avoid his question. “Trixie does not know much of our heritage, Trixie only knows her mother. What Trixie wants to know is how a stallion of such a low caliber was able to woo the princess of Equestria?” A mild irritant ran over Quill as his memories went back to the days of old. “It was not anything special, at least for her… since you are my lineage I shall tell you a piece of my past then. Knowing one’s past is the greatest strength.” Quill sighed as he leaned back to get into his comfort zone, “For you to understand completely I am going to have to go back a bit, you see, I wasn’t always Mighty Quill the Master of Words. No, I was Mighty Quill the street urchin. I was a common thief, not even a good one either. I stole food, sometimes I did it to increase my skill for the art of thievery but I never got better. No, it twas a hard life, for a start anyway. Until I got adopted…” Trixie raised a brow, “Trixie did not know you were adopted, Trixie wants to know why your last name is still Quill?” Quill sighed, “I guess some would call me lucky then, I wasn’t, but the public eye called me the golden child. I was adopted into the Swirl family, the great descendants of Starswirl the bearded himself. They had about as much magical talent as I do, save for my brother Citlalii Swirl. He was the only friend I had growing up, not that I didn’t mind it; I was quite a recluse growing up in the mansion. Citlalii was good at everything, magic being his forte. Until one day the house of Swirl was called upon to give a son to help in the war effort. I didn’t find out till later this is why I was adopted into their little family. Citlalii wanted to go in my place, but every pony knew I would go.” Quill sniff as a fond memory started to dig its way into his mind. “So I went, me and Citlalli wrote letters while I was away at Hoof-Camp. Six months of pure torture, I learned a lot about myself, or my weaknesses anyway. My wings have a rare condition; they have a disease that fills them with a thick black blood like mixture that can harden as strong as bone. When I first heard about it I thought it would be useful, but it’s also the reason why my wings are thinner that most Pegasi. Then I did something that would change thine life forever. I went to fill my belly with the nectar of the gods.” “You went drinking, Trixie wonders?” Quill smirked and nodded. “Indeed I did, which is how I discovered my second flaw, I cannot fight. Now my way with mares has always been… out of hoof, would be the term you young ponies would use. There twas a beautiful mare at the pub; me and some of my flock from the air division went out to...check out the scenery. Her name was Flutters. She had the personality of a saint, but could out drink any earth pony. So I did what any stallion would do, I picked a fight with the largest earth pony in the room to impress her, using the knowledge of my wings as a shield. I did not know this at the time was Flutters’ brother, turns out my wings being able to harden as strong as bone doesn’t fare very well when you get hit in the face, but I will get to the good part.” A sheepish grin worked its way through the muscles on Quill’s face, “A stallion, one who had eyes that were as cold as silver, and a coat that was blacker than the night itself came into the pub. He came in preaching old legends of a great fighter Gilgamesh, the hero of time. His voice drew every pony in like a moth to a flame, as he played a haunting melody with a violin. When the story was done, I was the only pony who noticed, the bar had changed. Everyone was happy, drinking like there was never any brawl at all only minutes before. I went to him later that night and asked him what magic he used to spare my life.” Quill chuckled as he gazed up as the stars, “I used only the magic in words, nothing is more powerful than the mighty word. It can kill faster than any blade and woo the heart of any maiden. Is what he told me, I defected that very night pleading to him to make me his apprentice, he accepted. I then spent the next three years learning everything there was to know about being a traveling storyteller and the importance of truth. One day though, he disappeared, we were sleeping in an inn and when I awoke, there was a note that said simple this, 'you have learned all there is to know from me, it is time for you to spread your wings and grow.'” Quill sighed, “Even after all that time, he never told me his name. Nor, did it really matter in the end. So I went to test my mettle, to go scratch my name into history as the greatest wordsmith Equestria had ever seen. Although, stallions cannot live on water and air alone, and I was getting hungry. So I decided to pay my adoptive family a visit. To find out that I was no longer welcomed, I can’t really say I blame them. When I defected, there had to be a replacement, and it fell on the true heir of the house of Swirl, Citlalli.” The mare now sat on bated breath, “Trixie wants to know what happened next!” Quill laughed, “Quite, now I wasn’t welcome. I again had no home and nothing to call my own save for the clothes on my back and a violin that was given to me by my master. So I played at inns and pubs for food and coin. Until one day two royal guards detained me, I had done nothing wrong and they brought me before Princess Celestia. This was the first time I was able to see her for what she was back then, a true beauty that I have longed to meet and admired from afar. She wore her mane differently back then, she asked the oddest thing of me, to play a love song for her.” “Trixie thinks you are spinning a tall tale.” Quill shook his head, “I never lie, ever. So I did, from everything I learned, I sang to her the feelings that sprang forth as I made up a song on the spot as the melody and verse came to me. Of the purest emotion." A slight breath left his voice as Quill started to play, as the wellspring of long dead emotions started to swell up from the pits of his bawls. His voice shuttered as he began to play. ₰ Forever can never be long enough for me… ₰ ₰ To feel like I've had long enough with you… ₰ ₰ Forget the world now, we won't let them see ₰ ₰ But there's one thing left to do ₰ The melody faded as Quill snapped back to his senses as he looked at his guitar and to Trixie who had small droplets that started to form at the brim of her eyes, “Trixie thinks you are a very sweet stallion, Trixie has no doubt that Celestia fell for your kind words.” Quill nodded, “I don’t know, but she made me her personal entertainer. After I sang to her, Citlalii stepped from behind the throne, laughing like a foal. Since in essence he knew of my longing to meet Celestia and my feelings for her. Citlalli had become the arch-mage of Equestria in the three years I was away, he saved many lives on the war front. It was thanks to his recommendation that I was brought before the princess. I broke down in front of her and the court that basically heard me propose to the princess and then run to my brother in a tight embrace that only a family member could understand.” Trixie smiled, “So tell Trixie how you two got together.” Quill smirked, “Three months had past, and I had been charged to give Princess Celestia everything she ever wanted. I had basically become her personal attendant, I was happy, she was happy. Until one night... I broke down and told her that I had fallen in love with her. It was after she showed me a moment of weakness for her bananas, it was adorable. She told me she loved me since the day I sang to her, my words connected with her and tapped into her heart. And we made love right there, on the table in the grand dining hall, and in the chair, and on the marble floor—“ “Trixie gets it; Trixie will be living there soon. Trixie does not want to think of her grandparents activities on the castle floor.” Quill frowned, “I know but this story does not have a happy ending, two months later I asked permission to go through her private library to find story about the heroes of the past. what she didn’t know was that I was going to find a spell the could rearrange the stars and ask her to marry me. I knew the spell that could be found in the forbidden section of the library where the records of Luna were sealed.” Trixie’s heart fell into her chest. “So that is where you found that book that Celestia mentioned, Trixie thinks?” Quill nodded, “Yes, a tome filled with the forbidden magic’s and secrets in the land of Equestria. Created by Luna and partially Nightmare Moon herself, but what I read was not that of the crazed thoughts of a jealous sister, no, it was of a tactician who planned ahead, the things I read from that book could cause this nation to overthrow Celestia.” Trixie just blinked in surprise, “Trixie wants to know what is in that book that would be so bad that an entire nation would turn against her.” The stallion shook his head, “I am sorry my granddaughter, I will never say, tis a secret that I wish to take to the grave, it and the magic’s of this world should die with me. I do not wish that fate to you. You should know the rest of the story, me being turned into a lawn ornament.” The pair sat silently in as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, revealing the great night sky. The vast sparkles of the millions of tiny lights that guided them on their path. As the wagon began to work its way forth towards their destiny. Trixie took a side glance of the stallion who gazed upon the moon, “Trixie wonders, would you try and get back together with Princess Celestia after our journey is complete?” Quill deadpanned, “I would rather stick the full mast of thine genitalia into a pit of fire ants than ever think about coatis with her majesty again. Five hundred years I spent in stone, all because of a lie. Liars, they are worse than Discord, at least he didn’t lie.” Trixie gulped as she looked forward as they came up to the archway that leads into Ponyville. “H-he-he yeah, liars, they're pretty bad…” The stallion looked at his descendant as she got up and went into the wagon, “What are you up too, we are almost in town.” “Trixie thinks she needs a change of garments, my mother’s Great and Power hat and cloak might be too great for these simple Ponyvillians.” Quill snorted, “Alright, just be quick about it. I think I might get a drink, it hast been far too long since I have given privy to the spirits of cider and mead.” A large window, made up for four smaller windows that could be opened in a bipartisan for the free movement of a full grown pegasus. The black curtain shut tight to keep the vile sun out of the room, as a large wooden dresser held photos of close friends and family. As a vanity mirror held clippings of mares of the latest Pony Politan, across the room with the floor littered with lacy clothing and socks. There was a mattress on the floor covered in heart blankets and three mismatched pillows as a pegasus with a light lavender coat enjoyed her bliss as her golden mane laying haphazardly across her pillows from the euphoric bliss from the previous night excursion. As she licked her lips, the dry taste of cider still present on her lips. The light in the room crack a little as the evening sun pierced through the edge of the window into the eyes of the drowsy mare as it woke her from her slumber, “Hmmm, hun, close the curtain and lets bang some more.” She slumped over to as her eye flickered open to see the empty spot on her bed. Her eyes opened as her hoof traced the spot over to feel the absent lump of the stallion that was there the previous night. “He left…” she said in a tired solemn as she plopped her face into the pillow taking deep breaths as her heart raced over the loss of another stallion. The door to her room creaked opened as a mare popped her head in, “Are you awake you Cloud?” Berry Punch asked as she looked at the sobbing lump on the bed, “Oh not again, Cloud I told you this would happen.” Cloud Kicker covered her face with her pillow as she look heavy breaths into the pillow. “It’s not my fault, they keep leaving.” Berry Punch sat at the edge of her mattress as she started to pet her mane, as she cooed sweet nothing into her ear. “Caramel was an ass anyway, you could do better. How about this, let’s have a girls night, just you and me and we can even invite Rose and the other girls.” Cloud Kicker ears perked up. “You think there will be any cute stallions there?” Berry Punch face hoofed “You sure bounce back fast.” She said as she leaned back onto her roommate’s pillow as something she never seen before caught her eye that was on the edge of Cloud’s mattress. “What’s this?” It was a photo of a mix and match stallion, it had the ice blue eyes of Prince Blueblood, the charcoal mane of Daring Do and the light golden coat of Caramel, and a recently glued on pair of wings that was of Princess Cadence with the golden Crayola working over the wing. Cloud kicker leaned to her side as she looked at the object she was holding as her eyes shot wide like dinner plates as she grabbed the photo out of her hoof as she stuffed it underneath her pillow. “Don’t look at it!” She whined Berry’s face was awe struck. “Who are you and what have you done with Cloud Kicker?” She looked back, “What are you talking about?” “I have known you since we were four, and since then I have seen you blush one time, and that was because you wet MY bed when I was five. So you have a picture perfect pony, I stop doing that when I was like ten, but I never would have guess you do it.” “Shut up and get out of my room.” She said as she covered her face deep into her pillow. Berry Punch wrapped her hooves around her friend, “It’s ok, I am just glad to see a bit of the old you, I know and love shine through a little bit. I know you wanna meet that perfect stallion, one day I really hope you get your wish. You deserve a nice special somepony.” Cloud sniffed, “Thank you Berry, times like this I am glad you’re my best friend.” She returned her friends embrace in a warm hug. “So do you wanna bang?”