Quill

by Pinkieappleflutter

Canterlot Orphanage

Growing up in an orphanage isn't as bad as ponies make it out to be in stories. At least, not Canterlot Orphanage. There was about twenty three of us when I was there, and I was always in the middle ages. You know, never one of the oldest, never one of the youngest. We had amazing food, good exercise, and the best education an orphanage could have. Me and my friend at the time, Summer, we had a lot of fun doing homework, playing outside, and reading stories to each other. Quill is the name I go by, by the way. My real name is Quillian Bird, and to this day I have no idea who my real parents are. I have sand colored fur, long, wavy, golden yellow mane and tail, watery blue eyes, wings, and a quill as a cutie mark the same color of my eyes.

Summer was a pegasus too, she was bright yellow with a yellow mane and dark purple eyes. Her cutie mark was ironically a snowflake, her favorite thing to do, to my memory, was create things with ice and snow. Summer and I were always known for getting in trouble. Other foals, in the off chance they didn't know our names, knew us as "the ponies who always got in trouble" if others were talking about us to them. Velvet Clearing, our orphanage manager, kept our records separately from the other foals for that reason. In fact, she usually just kept ours in her desk drawer while the others were in a file cabinet. She did that for an easier access to them so that when we got in trouble, she could just take them out and mark down in jot notes what we did.

"Quillian Bird and Summer Days," She'd say in her snooty British voice. "What is it this time?" she'd ask every we'd walk in. As we'd sit down she'd levitate our files on to the desk, always slamming them down loudly showing the mass of papers inside.

"Lily didn't think Summer could throw stones over the roof, so we tried it," I explained. This particular time, it wasn't completely our fault, Ms. Feather didn't believe a word we said.

"So, me and Quill threw as hard as we could, but it hit the dorm window and Ms. Feather caught us," Summer finished.

Velvet Clearing would then scowl at us and open each of our files to jot what we did down. As she did that, she'd always mutter the same thing, "You know this is why you're never going to be adopted, right?" We'd used to get lectures, but it had happened enough times that all three of us just got tired of the same routine and she'd just hear what we'd done, write it in our files, and send us away.

As we left her office, Summer said, "Like I even want to be adopted by some old pony with a silver mane and smelly breath,"

"I know! And it would be so boring doing chores like raking leaves and cleaning my room," I added. At this point we were about six turning seven and nothing, it would seem, would please us.

"Besides," Summer said, "Who else would I get in trouble with? Firefly!? No way! He's a total wuss!" Summer scoffed.

"We're never gunna be adopted!" I shouted proudly, going to the main entry where we were playing outside before.

Immediately Lily came running towards us apologizing for getting us in trouble. "Sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Lily was a year or so older than us, and was never really out spoken or bombastic, so we found it odd that she even dared Summer to throw rocks in the first place. Later that week I found out from a friend of her's, Lilac, that she was the one that was dared but didn't want to do it in fear of getting in trouble, so when Lilac suggested us, she was still on the fence on whether or not it was a good idea. Lilac also said that Lily teared up seeing us go in there because of her.

Now, any normal six year old filly would be angry and never talk to Lily ever again, but me and Summer had been getting in trouble since we were four. It all started with that bubble gum in Gumdrop's mane. Back then we were terrified, but by then, we were over it. "It's okay, Lily, we don't care that we got in trouble," Summer explained.

"Yeah, Lily, did you really think we'd be mad?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I guess it was silly to assume," Lily admitted.

Summer and I really were just two criminals just waiting to happen.

But that ended a few years later when we were about nine years old. A pegasus couple from Cloudsdale was scheduled for a meeting with Velvet Clearing that afternoon and there were whispers of 'adoption' all around the house. It was instructed that all colts and fillies be in their dorms when the couple arrived, and Summer and I were instructed and kept on being reminded to be on our best behavior, we weren't. We were playing pranks all day, small enough to not get in trouble, but big enough for the staff to have their eyes on us. We thought it was so funny! Looking back on it now, I guess you could say we weren't all that polite to other ponies.

When ponies wanted to adopt from the orphanage, first they would be taken to Velvet's office and have an interview to see whether or not they would be suitable parents. If they didn't meet standards, Velvet would ask them to leave, but if they did, she would continue the process. If the ponies, or pony, had met her standards of being a good parent, or parents, she would direct them to the files of every pony that was there, showing mine and Summer's last. If they picked a filly or colt that they enjoyed hearing about, they would them meet them and decide from there. Sometimes the ponies would choose more than one to adopt and every pony got excited not just the singular colt or filly being adopted.

After twenty minutes of sitting in the filly's dorm we all heard hoof steps coming up stairs. "We'll start with the colt's dorm. He should be in here," we heard Velvet say. There was an excited buzz from every pony "She said, 'we'll start'! That means there will be two adoptions today!" Summer and I were excited too because we knew that it wasn't going to be either of us. Two minutes later we heard hoof steps come closer and Chatter Box's voice too. He was a greyish blue pegasus with dark blue eyes and black mane. Before we saw the door open we heard Velvet Clearing say, "Are you sure about this one?" nervously and a hint of surprise. Every pony was looking at us, and we were looking at each other.

She couldn't have been talking about one of us, could she? Yeah, she was. The couple followed Velvet Clearing inside and they all spotted us quickly. Chatter Box looked nervous, he was four and still followed the rule of "No colts in the filly's room and no fillies on the colt's room". If he had gotten older he would have realized that no pony followed that rule because you made friends with every pony. The mare in the couple trotted politely to us and said, "Hi, are you Summer Days?" and I instantly went pale, so did she.

"N-no!" she lied.

"Summer Days, you know I'm right here. Don't lie to Mr. and Mrs. Cloud," Velvet protested.

"Okay, I'm Summer," she mumbled, all the while I sat there silently stunned. Not only was it a double adoption day, but these ponies were planning on taking away my best friend away from me!

"It's nice to meat you, Summer, my name is Storm, and thins is my husband Rain," said the mare.

"Y-you have to be making a mistake, right!? I mean, have you even seen her file!? You don't want her!" I protested, coming out of my shock.

"We have, and we've seen yours too, and we would have adopted you as well, Quillian? Was it? But you see, we can only afford two foals and the house. Adopting three would have been too difficult to maintain," the stallion explained. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! They were taking away my friend! My only real friend! "That is, of course, if Summer want's to come with us," the stallion continued. I looked at Summer expectantly, waiting for her to hug me and say 'no'! But as some would expect, she nodded and smiled at them.

"I would like that," she said. Half of the ponies cheered including the couple and Velvet. But the other half, like me, were confused.

"Wait, we made a pact, Summer! A pact, it was either both of us, or neither of us. How could you do this to me?" I questioned, tears forming in my eyes.

"Quill, I know what we said, but we were seven! And this might be the only chance I get. Don't you see? If I'm ever going to be adopted, I can't be..." she started, but trailed off.

"No, go on. Say it." I said, bitterness dripping from my lips.

"I can't be tied to a pony who encourages my bad behaviors," She said, and my heart snapped. Those were the last words I ever heard from Summer. Later I found out that she ran away from home and got pregnant by Chatter Box at seventeen. Which made me regret what I said as a response.

"I hope your life is miserable without me!" I shouted, the tears were falling all at once, and Summer herself was bleary because of them. But I didn't care. I was angry.

The trouble I caused just got worse the few months after Summer left the orphanage. I didn't only cause mayhem in the orphanage anymore, I stole from ponies, vandalized stores, "Quillian Bird" was the name on every police officer's list. Velvet, luckily, never just kept me at the police station. She always bailed me out. The last time she did it, it was just like any other time.

"Good evening, Darrel," she said to the police officer.

"Good evening to you, Velvet," he replied.

"Where is she?" Velvet asked, casually like a mother picking her foal up from daycare.

"In the back with Due Grass," Darrel explained.

Due Grass was the chief of department at the time. And as it is illegal to throw a nine-fourteen year old in jail, we'd always just sit in his office playing cards or doing something until Velvet came and got me.

"Good evening, Due," Velvet said, opening the door with her magic.

"Good evening, Velvet," he replied.

"Enjoy your stay, Quillian?" she asked. I only nodded.

"Right, we'll be off now, Due Grass, see you soon!" Velvet said, leaving.

"Bring me something to eat if it's this late! I'm hungry!" He called, as I left the room to follow.

"See you, Darrel," I said, giving him a wave.

"See you soon, Quill," He replied.

Velvet and I walked away from the police department office, and she sits on the road. "Sit, Quillian," she said. I did so.

"Quillian, you are young. And doing stupid stuff like this will only lead to a bad path. I understand that you're upset that Summer Days chose adoption over you, but can you really blame her for wanting to start her life over and become a better pony? I mean, look at you. You are stealing from purses and wallets, and stores, and honestly, I'm sick of having to pick you up from the police every time you're caught. I am on first name basis with the cops, Quillian! I shouldn't have to be. And you are showing no signs of stopping, aren't you tired, Quill? Aren't you tired of doing this?" she said. I looked at the road, and then back up at her. I didn't want to admit she was right, I didn't think I'd ever be in this position. But, then again, I never thought Summer would leave me.

"Velvet, I know you're upset with me, and I'm upset too. I just want Summer back. She has been like a sister to me for years! Ever since we put gum in Gumdrop's mane! And now that she's gone, I don't know what to do with myself," I explained, truthfully.

"Do you think Summer would want to be your friend still if you keep on putting yourself in this situation?" She asked. I looked up at her, tears forming.

I didn't want to say it, but I knew the answer to that. She would have thought it fun the first time we did something like that, but as soon as we got caught the first time, she would have said 'no' and talked me out of it too.

"I miss her," I said instead, my voice cracking from the tears.

"I know, Quill. But steeling and vandalizing is not the best way to deal with things," she explained. All this time she had been more kind and more understanding than I'd seen her ever.

"But it's all I know," I said, loud enough to voice my heart break, but still quiet enough to not shout at her.

"But it's not all you know. Look at your cutie mark, Quillian! You are a writer by trade. Use that as fuel to express your feelings in a less dangerous and illegal way. Think of Shakespony, Or Edgar Talon Poe! They used their writing skill as a fuel to get rid of their pain too! If not for their writing skill, we wouldn't know about the first Griffon author or have amazing plays like Rose Bud and Juliet," Velvet explained, excitedly.

And she was right, she was right about everything. "Thank you, and I'm sorry I caused you so much grief over the past few months, Velvet. I promise I'll do better at controlling myself," I explained, hovering in the air while giving her a hug.

"You're welcome," she said as I released her and landed on the ground again. Walking towards the orphanage, she looked back at me and said, "There is only a few more hours left, so I guess it's now or never," She smirked as I looked at her in confusion. "Happy birthday," She smiled. The then levitated me beside her and let me walk beside her the rest on the way home. I had completely forgotten it was my birthday, and the one gift Velvet gave me, was a chance for a new life.

I had spent the next few weeks writing a short story with characters that focused on the situation I was going through at the time and showed it to Velvet. She thought it was amazing and thanked me for it. To my knowledge, she still has it. The few weeks after that, I had written a poem about starting a new path in life and the fears and happiness I left doing so, again, I showed Velvet but instead of keeping it, she asked a friend who worked on a magazine to publish it. It was titled, "Becoming More" and it was the first poem in my book of poems called, "The Ins and Outs of Poetry," That only published a few weeks ago and are on bookshelves all across Equestria.

Buy thirteen, I had published ten poems and three short stories. Velvet was so proud of me and we had become really close in those years. Which put us in a difficult position.

You see, despite my popularity and money, I still lived in the orphanage and all that money I was making went to Velvet because legally I was too young to be making that kind of money. That is, until a couple from right there in Canterlot visited the orphanage. Their names? Sugar and Chocolate Chip Cookie. It all happened so fast, one moment, I was under the care of Velvet Clearing, then in the next moment I had a teary goodbye and I was given my earnings from the short stories and poems, and on my way to my new home with the Cookies.

I wish I could tell you what was said between me and Velvet, but honestly it happened so fast that I just can't remember! Mr. and Mrs. Cookie were two earth pony bakers in Canterlot that were quite popular. They owned a diner near the castle that soon Pony Joe would run. But my misadventures don't stop there, in fact, this is only the beginning.

Comments

[Golden Script]

I must say, I enjoyed this story. It had a stereotype-breaking character and a common story line, playing them off together in something brand new. I can honestly say that I'll look forward to the chapters to come.

[TheMistyJoke]

7899539 Same. Like I'm floating on a river made of words, it just take me wherever the author want.
7897598 I will point them all now ! ......... Or not. I will look after this story, I like it too much . Quill is also my evasion tool, so I have to add it to my favourites.

[Pinkieappleflutter]

7899766
7899539

I'm glad you're enjoying it, and as for breaking stereotypes, habits die hard as they say, and I'm not quite done with the crime with Quill. It might be a spoiler, but you'll see what I mean when it happens. And as for this story being an evasion tool, thanks! I think it would help a lot of people... ponies??? I don't know... to see what is better for them out there.

[Golden Script]

7899766
The world is a mysterious place.

7899846
I can't wait to read about the GTA V bank heists she's got planned!

[Pinkieappleflutter]

7900123
Shhh.... don't give it away!!!

[ShadowblazeCR]

She falls in love

This makes me curious as to why there's no Romance tag.

[Pinkieappleflutter]

7904241

It's not very important to the over all story. I didn't find it necessary to include it if it only has a small role to play in an over arching story about a struggling writer with a knack for getting in trouble with the law. And even though it doesn't look like it, she does struggle with her work. THAT is a bigger part of the story.