//------------------------------// // 24 - Chairpony Stick // Story: A Penny for your thought // by Damaged //------------------------------// We contacted the first name on Night Watch's list. We didn't go to them though, we drafted a letter inviting them be part of a new turn of the season. Crystal Diver, greetings and salutations. I have been brought in as an adviser to see that your business not only grows, but flourishes. Ambassador Silver Lining of Princess Celestia's court has invited me from my regular holding management to investigate the recent loss of production of fine crystals and I believe you may be able to assist me with my inquiry, one business owner to another, so to speak. Stick "You really think this will work?" I looked to Stick, my magic reaching out to ruffle one of her ears. "How do you know they will take this up?" "Joking right? From what Night told me of this mare her mine has dropped in production by nearly seventy percent, and that's only because she lacks a reliable means to get her product out of it. Logistics is their problem and though they have tried employing many ponies to assist, all they did was used them to carry the crystals out." I blinked, seeing the problem immediately. "Logistics indeed. Economy of scale is their problem then." The phrase confused Stick a moment. "I mean, one pony doing manual labor can only do one pony of work. If that pony was running a small locomotive they could do many ponies of work." Stick grinned. "I like that phrase." She obviously took it into her lexicon. The letter written, or hook baited as it were, we asked the innkeeper to have a pony courier it for us. We decided to keep the charade up as much as possible and so, after having a fine lunch, well, it ended up being two, we awaited our first client in our office room. "Why am I eating so much? I'm not pregnant yet!" My joke got a giggle from Stick. "But you are eating for two. Your magic sucks away a whole other person worth of food. Me." I blinked and tilted my head. "True enough I guess. Still, it is a bit disconcerting." The loud clops of heavy hooves gave away the mine owner's approach to our room such that I had a chance to get in my 'secretarial position' just as there was a loud clop at the door. "Do come in." Stick's voice had a decided lilt to it, of indifference. The miner opened the door, and came in. "Crystal Diver, is it?" Stick lifted a little page from her desk. "Yeah, that's me. What is all this? The princess asked me if my mine was havin' troubles and…" I could see the reluctance of a pony who has always 'done things this way' fighting with themselves to admit 'that way' wasn't working. "Well, we can mine enough, down at the face. But the deeper we mine the more work it takes to haul out. Then there is also that we are a fair trot from the city…" Her pelt, what should have been a lovely pink crystal, was stained with dirt. She was not the kind of business owner who just counted their bits. "Then you are in the right place. You have detailed plans and measurements, I trust?" Stick was probing for information and the mare nodded in reply. "If you would forward my assistant a copy when she comes out to inspect the situation, that would be most appreciated. One question, how much wealth do you have right this moment?" The mare blushed at first, then the blush turned her features into a scowl. "Now why you gotta know that for?" It was an answer all in itself. "I am given to understand I am to make your business grow, for that you are going to need to spend bits. If you do not have them we may be able to help, but you understand this will mean we have a partial stake in your mine." "You'd spend your own bits to save my mine?" She was surprised by this, apparently the help offered by other business ponies had all come with a price tag. "If it comes to that, we will of course investigate, I will not spend time or bits on a failing business, but I think any pony that works as hard as you clearly do, deserves my attention." Stick smiled up at her, I saw it was a genuine smile and it made all the difference. "I'll have the plans copied for you by tomorrow. My sis- accountant will prepare a statement as well." She had lost the confrontational attitude, Stick had twisted it from her with supporting words and the hint that we would become invested in her mine. Damn her though, we were not that well off, where were these bits going to come from? "Very well, Penny will be along in the morning." Stick gestured to me with a hoof. It was a dismissal, even Crystal recognized it and got to her feet. I showed her the door. "She can really help me?" The mare spoke softly just before I was going to close the door. Damn this, she was such an honest mare, I didn't like playing this silly game but… "Miss Stick? I have never known her to fail at something she set her hoof at." I closed the door before I said more. Stick sat there, wearing a happy smile that I couldn't help step over and lean into. My lips touched hers and I channeled just a little. The kiss ended up lasting a little longer than either of us expected, but we slowly wound down from the outpouring of emotion. "Think you can sort out something to get them out of the hole they're in?" "Won't know until I see what they got already. First thought is getting them some tracks down and some carts to get the crystals out. Maybe continue the tracks to a depot at the city. Depending on where they are located a small branch line from the railway could be a better idea. Stick's eyes widened. "How… carry their stock out on a train? But they would need…" "Locomotives the railway has, already. A few cars for hauling shouldn't be that bad. Lets wait until tomorrow and I can work this out." I nuzzled Stick and got a nibble at my neck, in more ways than one. I wasn't even sure I had made a sound but Stick seemed very focused, fangs rubbing my throat while she did the same, with her changeling hunger. She didn't need to bite me to get the energy from me, but when I felt her gently bite into that emotional part of me… I found out exactly what the word 'swoon' really meant. "Penny, hey Penny, come on, snap out of that." Stick's voice was close, really close. Her snout tickled my ear-tufts as she spoke. "Come on, we need to go do some shopping." It was hard to come back, like swimming through a molasses pool. "Stick?" I leaned into her, easy to do with her practically wrapped around me. I nuzzled her slowly as my head cleared. "Wow…" "Stallions, nope. Mares, nope." Stick was making a list. "But when I bite you, just like that, Penny you really have a kink in your tail for that." I just nodded and nuzzled in, again and again. "I mean it. You know, if you do let Silver…" "When." Stick chuckled. "Okay, when. When you let Silver get that close, I could help distract you." That was something I was dreading. I liked Silver… well, loved maybe. But could I let a stallion… Damn my blush. "Right, that. So I could drink you and get you so distracted from the real world that it certainly wont be a bad thing." Stick nuzzled me back but was also pushing me to rise. "It could work. What… did you do anything, while I was…" My brain quickly ran a 'check' of things. Nope, didn't feel much more than the after-effect of nibbles and a few fanged bites. Stick nipped my ear. "Of course not. If you wish though, next time, I could. Test the waters so to speak?" Even the nip seemed nice and I giggled. "I trust you, even when I am… well, drunk like that. Next time try some things, see how I respond." It took a lot from me to say the words, but they were said and I could see the changeling's features, she knew what it had taken… or at least understood that it had taken effort. "Good then, now, we need to find something fashionable. I will spend the morning in court while you are off having a good time." Stick grinned and I could see her planning something. "You are liking that too much. All those ponies trying to backstab and gain political clout by being close to the princess." I huffed, lifting my saddlebags up and settling them on my back. Stick flickered, her flames flowing over her but not changing her. "Hey, you overfed me, this is a good way to burn it off. But yeah, I can see what is going on. Half of the ponies there are trying to get an ear with the princess so they can make bits off the association, the other half are doing it just for the prestige." "Then what are you doing it for, Stick?" She laughed at this, her hoof rising up and booping my nose, getting me to fall back with a happy blush. "I am doing it because I owe Cadance and because she is a nice pony. She needs friends in her court, not just hungry dogs." "And?" "And with our ruse, I need to be shown to have power… and I need to see if she can lend us some bits to help this mare out. Her mine IS going to need things, and I sincerely doubt she will have the bits to pay for it." "Stick, I confess I do not know how business works here, in Equestria, well this world at large. Could we form a company, with you as the nominated 'leader'," my hooves rose to add quotes, "and have that invest in the mine and maybe others? Of course it would mean your company holds all these stakes, but we then get Cadance, maybe Celestia, possibly others, to buy stakes in that company?" Stick's face went neutral as she followed my logic and smiled at the end. "I don't know that well either. Queen Fast was doing some things with bits, reinvesting or something. I will hire us a pony with some better knowledge of laws, or maybe I will ask Cadance." She grinned and practically bounced in place. "What?" "I could even lend you some bits to open your little store!" A thick cushion from the bed went hurling at Stick's head. "As part owner, I would like to have more say in the running of your-" Two more sailed at her and she laughed and sent one back. By the time we were done tossing bedding around, and getting our manes and tails straight, it was mid afternoon. "Come, Penny, we need to acquire some things. I will need a neat outfit for court, you will need something to wear for tomorrow." "What's wrong with my shawls?" I felt a little hurt by it. I liked them. "For one, they will fly off in a strong breeze. For two, I want you to be intimidating with how smart you look. This will not take too much work, but I want you showing your fangs a little more." I blinked at her. "Stick, I don't really do these ruses well…" "It wont be a ruse. You are a lunar pony, there is something dark and all kinds of strong, just hidden, barely out of sight. We need to make it so all ponies see that it IS only barely out of sight."