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A Trip to the Market1,030 words
An Invitation1,102 words
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The Story Of Shining Armor2,008 words
Of Love and Magic3,604 words
The Tea-Seller1,698 words

The Tea-Seller

Author's Note:

Apologies for the later than promised chapter ( why am I like this), A combination of being busy and being stuck on a scene delayed it immensely. Nevertheless, enjoy!

The strange thing was that even though she should be should be extremely tired, Fluttershy wasn’t. This perplexed her on many levels until she realized that she still didn’t know what time it was. Hoping that what she now suspected had happened, hadn’t, she gazed out the window nervously.

The sun shone across the dusty brown of the desert surrounding the small oasis town - some ponies were already coming back with pails of water from the nearby well. She could already feel the heat of the day coming on through the window, and angrily strode to the kitchen.

She had slept late.

The day had begun without her and now she was late for breakfast and the many chores she had to do before she tended her small garden. And that was before she even started making small homeopathic remedies to sell at the market. Having no time to waste, she quickly made some breakfast for herself and Angel and got to work.

Discord twirled the cup his tea had been in around its base. Nothing had happened at all today, and he was incredibly bored. All he could think about was how fun it was to be read an interesting story for once. If only -

No, he shouldn’t try to find Fluttershy again. Perhaps he would go to a bookseller at the market to find some interesting stories. That would be a great way to find some interesting books. He would go there as soon as the markets opened in a few hours.

One of his servants appeared in the doorway and slowly approached him. “Sir, there is a lot of work that must be done today. Various minor disputes and a few official matters need to be attended to.”

Discord sighed, and followed. Apparently he would get to the markets later than their opening.

The last weed was a small, annoying little plant that Fluttershy finally pulled and threw into the compost pile after much struggling. Even though her garden was indeed small, somehow it attracted an abundance of weeds. Every day it seemed like more would suddenly spring up out of nowhere. The harvest she received was definitely worth all of the work she put in, though. The fresh vegetables were much more rewarding when she knew she had grown them herself.

As usual, she gathered a few of the herbs in the garden to make her little remedies with. Once her basket was full she went inside and sorted the various ingredients. She mixed and crushed some into herbal teas that she wrapped in a thin cloth, others she cut or steeped in water before putting the resulting liquid that she boiled down to a thin syrup into a bottle. After she made six herbal teas and a few of the liquid medicines, she packed these in her saddlebags and prepared to set up at the market an hour or so before lunch.

Even though the town was small, the market was always bustling with activity. Fluttershy never found any problems selling all of the remedies she had made, especially the teas. The ponies seemed to trust the herbal teas she made and so they always sold well. She rented a stall for the day, and began to set up her little business.

She covered the bare wood of the table with a thin blanket and arranged her wares on one side. A foldable sign that read Herbal remedies - Tea, 4 bits Medicine, 5 bits was placed in front of the stand and Fluttershy returned to behind the table and sat, waiting for customers.

It was only a couple of hours after the market had opened, which wasn’t bad for having woken up late. Most customers came midday anyway.

“Look, if you really think that she owes you a refund for something as pointless as the fact that the basket she sold you had one slightly green reed in it, you’re either the most picky or stupid person I’ve ever met.” Discord sighed, fed up with these petty grievances. “Just accept the basket, and if the reed is really that much of a problem, maybe Wooden Braid here can take it out and replace it, though I don’t expect that she would have fun doing it.” He lighted his horn and they were teleported back to the basketweaver's stall in the market.

When he tried to bring the next two ponies in, nothing happened. Something was off.

“Sir, those were the last of them. Hopefully no others show up today.” The servant mumbled to himself and went to the servant’s quarters.

Discord genuinely smiled, something he hadn’t done for a long time. He couldn’t wait to finally find some interesting books to pass the time with (and maybe get some tea as well, now that he thought about it). The excitement of the market, the opportunity to be just a normal citizen!

He had no idea why he hadn’t thought about it before.

Once he grabbed a small bag of bits, he ran out the door invigorated by the idea of the freedom of living.

The market proved to be not as profitable as Fluttershy had hoped. As hard as she had tried, the customers had haggled a better price out of her every time. Usually she could get at least a couple for the listed price, but the ponies who had approached her today had needed the medicine and only had two or three bits with them. She sighed as she counted her money. She broke even, but barely. She couldn’t leave them with no medicine for their sick foal, but she needed things too!

Of course, there was the last herbal tea that she had yet to sell. That would be profit at least, so all was not lost. She looked at the time - it was midafternoon, so she had plenty of time before sundown to sell it.

Suddenly, she was startled by a grey stallion racing past her stall, and she coughed in the dust he kicked up. A few ponies yelled in protest, but he seemed to ignore them, only slowing down and stopping in front of the bookseller’s tent (she preferred to keep the books inside so they wouldn’t get damaged, or so she heard). The stallion went inside and Fluttershy ignored it to continue waiting for a customer.

An hour or so passed and an elderly earth mare named Windy Thistle, a good customer of Fluttershy’s, bought the tea and Fluttershy began to carefully fold the tablecloth into a neat square.

Fluttershy heard hoofsteps - and they were approaching her stall even though it was rather obvious that it was closed. She looked up, slightly miffed, and realized that it was the same stallion who had kicked up dust earlier. Before she could say anything, though, he cut her off.

“What a coincidence that you’re the only one selling tea today,” He laughed. “I was hoping to buy some tea, but it proved difficult to find. I had been wondering if I might enjoy some.” He noticed the folded tablecloth. “I hope I’m not too late….”

Fluttershy wondered to herself. He seemed familiar, where had she seen him before? Then she noticed that his horn was a light shade of blue, in contrast to his ash-gray coat. “D- Discord? But of course…. I’m sorry, I’m sold out, but I could make some more if you would like…. I could make a couple in about fifteen minutes or so if you don’t mind waiting.” She put the tablecloth in her saddlebag as well as the small sign she folded up. “All the ingredients are in my garden, though, so I guess you could wait in the house while I gather them and make a couple teas.” Fluttershy gestured for him to follow with her forehoof.

Discord walked behind her for the short walk that only took about five minutes. She showed him inside and then she disappeared out the back door in the kitchen. The small bookshelf that held the stories she had read him was to his left, stuffed full of tightly rolled scrolls.

The door swung open a couple minutes later and Fluttershy walked inside with her hooves full of bunches of herbs from the garden. Quickly setting them on a small counter in the kitchen, she separated them and went to get a knife and some of the thin cloth she made the teabags with.

Fluttershy picked up one of the bunches of herbs and began to tear the leaves off of it, putting them in the hot sun to dry. She continued to do this for quite a few of the herbs.

Discord awkwardly waited at first, but after what seemed like hours (but was only about 5 or so minutes) got up and went into the kitchen that smelled faintly of various vegetables. “I know this might sound weird, but… I was wondering if I could help you? I feel guilty for just sitting by myself while you do all the work.”

“Um…. Actually, could you chop the ginger? I’m busy with the mint right now, so if you could….”

“Of course, of course.” Discord followed her over to the small counter with carefully separated plants. Once Fluttershy had shown him how to use the knife he happily began cutting a small piece of the spicy-smelling tan root. “This is so much more fun than listening to petty arguments all day!” he smiled, and excitedly continued to help.

They continued preparing various herbs and talking as they made a few teas. Discord described the particularly annoying last case of the morning, mentioning that he had really only been half listening, since he had been planning to go to the market. Fluttershy agreed that the argument was pointlessly petty and continued on to to talk about the day at the market.

Once they finished measuring and mixing the ingredients together, Fluttershy tied the finished bags. Discord took the teas (there were 4 in the end), and paid Fluttershy for them after he insisted that he would pay full price.

He left happily, looking forward to an evening that promised an interesting book and an interesting tea.

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