Farmhand

by MLP-person

First Day

You're a little late, Quill." Fluttershy said disapprovingly, looking at him reproachfully.

"Sorry, Fluttershy. I was hanging out with Dinky and Sweetie." Fluttershy looked at him like she was wavering between anger and acceptance. Apparently she went with the latter, because a small smile turned up the corners of her mouth and she nodded.

"It's alright Quill, it was only a few minutes, but, if I ask you to be home at a certain time, I would really appreciate it if you did. Now, you ready to eat a little?" He nodded, more than ready for that. She smiled and spoke softly as she walked away into the kitchen, Quill curiously following. He was tired, though he hadn't necessarily walked very far, but he definitely wanted to eat before he had to go to sleep.

"Soooo, what did you, Dinky and Sweetie do?"

"Well." He thought before he answered, but there was nothing he really felt the need to lie about. "Us, Button Mash, Rumble and Apple Bloom got shakes at Sugarcube Corner, then I accidentally let is slip that I have a book published, so one of them-I can't remember which-had the bright idea to search for it in Twilight's library. Rumble, Sweetie and Dinky were interested in that. So we went and Star helped them find the book. Rumble just followed her around and stared at her flank, the whole time. Then for some reason Dinky disappeared so I just talked to Sweetie for a while, about what kind of stuff there is to do for fun around here and heats and stuff until they got back with the book. After that we just went to the boutique and we read the first chapter-although Rumble wandered off fantasizing flank and so it was just Dinky, Sweetie and I then. She read us the first chapter, actually, although I obviously knew what was in it already. Dinky fell asleep, and Sweetie was seriously tired for some reason, so I tucked her in and left. Rarity was acting a little off on my way out, come to think of it." He trailed off thoughtfully. Fluttershy's eyebrows were in high arcs, but she said nothing for the first few moments after he stopped speaking.

"Well, that sounds like...a good day?" He could tell from something in the layers of her voice that she had changed the sentence's ending last second, and now he felt his own eyebrows arc. She shrugged innocently, looking away at the wall. TO innocent, but what could he prove? Not much of anything, not right there.

"It was, actually. I'm tired, though. Gonna sleep well tonight for sure." He laughed shortly, not particularly amused, though.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good day, Quill. So, sorry, you are hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm ravenous. S'weird, I wasn't even hungry an hour ago.."

"You were probably caught up in everything that was going on and didn't notice." She bucked out a chair at a small table that he gratefully hopped into.

"So what do you think of your friends?" Quill blinked. Were they? But then, they really were, weren't they?

"Um. They're all...different. Rumble's a big pervert, made dirty jokes about Sweetie and I from the second that I met him. Dinky's sweet, but you obviously know how she is when she's tipsy. I wonder what would happen if I got her drunk-Kidding!" Fluttershy had fixed him with a furious glare that instantly melted away into a calm, patient look again. "Anyway, I don't really know about Button-he slept most of the time I was around him today, but he seems alright. Sweetie's cool, she likes to read and she likes to draw, though she claims she's no good at it. And she writes her own sheet music, so she seems the creative type. Anyway, Apple Bloom's a country filly, which is cute in and of itself. Seems honest and earnest, so she's cool too. Pipsqueak's tiny, TINY, but ya know that. He seems cool too."

"Oh?" Fluttershy was rummaging around in the cupboards at the moment. "And, who's your best friend? Sounds like Sweetie?" Quill thought about it.

"No, I never said that."

"Well, then, do you like her?" Quill froze, taking a moment or two to process what she'd just asked.

"Why do you ask that?"

"No reason, really." He looked at her skeptically. "Well, alright. For one, you're blushing now that I've asked that question. Darkly." She added. "But other than that, you just talked about her more than the others, and earlier you said that you tucked her in. But, if Dinky was asleep too, and you didn't do the same for her, I just thought...plus, one possible reason for Rarity acting off was if she thought you were trying to butter up her sister." She fell silent, looking nervous, like he was a bomb that might be disabled, or might be about to go off and take out her cottage.

"She wasn't acting mean or suspicious, she just asked if Sweetie was tucked in okay and if she'd see me soon." He was, indeed, sporting a very hot face.

"So she saw you tuck her in. Soooooo do you like her?" Quill opened his mouth, closed it. Did he? She was comfortable around him, sitting right up against him and not shying away. It was such a change from what he was used to back at his old home...maybe, just maybe, he did.

"I don't know Fluttershy. I mean, I only met her recently. But...maybe I do. Maybe I don't? I don't know..." Fluttershy laughed at this quietly, her eyes closing happily for all of five seconds.

"Alright, Quill. Let's get you some food, then. Try and figure it out, though, because I don't think there are any couples in your group."

"So?"

"So I don't think she's taken." Quill groaned softly in embarrassment.

He was sitting on a couch in the boutique and Sweetie Belle, smiling contentedly with her eyes closed, was leaning comfortably against him, a book propped open on her flank that her eyes were scanning curiously. For a long moment they sat there, and Rarity was nowhere to be seen. Through the open curtains, bright sunlight streamed down into the room, one stripe of it falling across her cutie mark, another over his wing. Eventually she shut the book, stretching, and he saw with some measure of happiness his own name etched onto the bottom, along with the number six.

"You've written so many of these, it's getting hard to keep up." Her voice was just dripping with affection, and he laughed. A loud, clear noise, that made him feel whole and happy. He looked down at the filly leaning against him, and he was happy. There were no thoughts of the blood, or his parents, or the city he'd left. It was happy and simple-he thought instead of the milkshakes and treats he'd shared with his friends the other day, of Sweetie Belle, and of helping Fluttershy with the animals that morning before he'd come to the boutique. He was a bit older, and so was she. From how warm it was, he guessed it was somewhere in summer.

"Well, it's my hobby, you know." He said softly, to relaxed to make much noise. Sweetie leaned harder, pushing him onto his back, and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The book, forgotten, fell to the carpet safely. "You're my writer, eh?"

"My little songbird." he answered, looking into those pools of green with all the love he could muster. In a flash she had her lips pressed gently to his, and he happily returned the kiss, wrapping his wings tightly around her. She arched her back to get closer-he shivered and pressed his tongue to her lip.

"Not having TO much fun, are we?" They broke apart hurriedly at the sound of Rarity, who was looking at them over the back of the couch. Sweetie didn't get off of him, though, and that made it hard to look apologetic to the white mare. She laughed and leaned on the back of the couch, tossing her mane out of her eyes.

"I really need to get this cut. But, honestly now you two, what have I said about getting carried away?"

"Not to do it, sorry." Quill said up to her. Sweetie, under the pretense of nuzzling him again, whispered in his ear; "Not to do it in front of her."

"What was that?" Rarity asked, an edge of warning in her voice now.

"Nothing sis...you said don't do it..."

"That's right. But goddesses you two are cute!" Rarity laughed, "It's almost a shame to break the kisses up. Almost." She added on at Quill's smirk. The scene faded away, then, and suddenly Sweetie Belle, Rarity, and the boutique were all gone, and he was standing alone in a murky darkness. Then it cleared and he was sitting in the colt's day room, again.

"Glad they switched you back to our side, buddy!" Green said boisterously, to a few mumbles of assent from around the enormous room, and a grin from scarlet.

"Yeah! We missed ya!" That was Scarlet.

"Well, thanks, guys."

"So what was it like over there??" Green blurted suddenly. "Did you get lucky??"

"Ohhhhhhh yeah." Quill said sarcastically, "-bucked all of them, every singggllle one." Green gawked, not picking up on the tone of voice, and Scarlet laughed.

"He's joking, dude." Green shook his head.

"I knew that!" There were a few collective laughs from around the room;Quill hadn't been aware that they were even listening. He stretched his wings out, yawning. It was late, but they hadn't done showers yet, so they couldn't go to sleep yet. There was music playing from somewhere-a fast, happy song that if played to loud would fry your nerves and make you want to dance. It was all they played here and while they meant well, it got annoying as hell.

"Showers!" called one of the staff members, waving for the doors. "Who's first?"

"Me." Quill said firmly. Nopony said anything, though a few cast him reproachful looks. Three other voices spoke out for the remaining three shower rooms. The staff rounded them up and marched them out of the day room, depositing them each at a shower room. Quill stepped inside gratefully and bucked the button, turning the water on and rustling his feathers. He needed to preen, but the effects it had on a pegasus were not desirable effects for a place like this. So he didn't, he wouldn't, he would wait. Hurriedly, he got clean, and dried, walking back out, letting the door click shut behind him. He sighed, hair hanging limply-he really needed a cut but those cost money that he didn't have. If he did it himself he ran the risk of screwing something up. So he was sort of stuck. The girls were grouped in their hallway, sitting against the walls, and most of them waved as he walked past. Tainted and Ruby urgently waved him over to join them. He wasn't supposed to...but the lady behind the reception desk wasn't there at the moment, and nopony was looking...nodding, he trotted over to them.

"Yeah?"

"They're switching you back to our side, in a few days." Tainted whispered urgently.

"I don't know why, neither does she," Ruby whispered, "but they seem to want you to mix with both groups for whatever reason. You'll be back with us soon enough, anyway." She said it warmly, like she missed him-not something he was used to at all.

"Alright, go, before you get caught!" Tainted used magic to push him backwards, and he knocked on the door to the colt's side, stretching his wings. He heard a few of the fillies whispering behind him, though about what he didn't know.

He woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. He vaguely remembered a dream, he did. And Sweetie Belle had been there, leaning on him...she'd been reading...then she'd nuzzled him and then-he blushed terribly, thankful for the dark and lack of other ponies to hide it from anypony. He sighed, but it wasn't sad. It was a faint, dreamy sort of sigh, like he was still lost in the dream. He blinked suddenly and shook his head-he had to snap himself out of it. There was no way he liked her, he was just being a hormonal teen. Right? Right?? Right??? Yeah, that had to be it, he assured himself. He didn't like her...he didn't like ponies in general. He didn't even talk to Taints or Ruby anymore, though he HAD made a few new friends, he wasn't going to get to attached, and he certainly wasn't going to go and start crushing on one of them! He sighed again, more dejected this time, without even realizing it. It was still completely dark out, not even moonlight was shining through the dim curtains. He had passed out at the table after eating, hadn't he? And Fluttershy had said something about him being supposed to be taking it easy for a while. When did he do that? And then she had tutted, and-no, he hadn't fallen asleep at the table-she had brought him to this spare room, and he had gratefully sunken off to sleep on the bed. She must have pulled the covers over him, though, for now he was nestled comfortably under a thick white blanket. Stretching out, he pushed it off of him, then got up and straightened up the blanket and pillows both. The dream-the one that he remembered-hung heavily on his consciousness. He had felt like he didn't have a care in the world-like anything that came up wouldn't stand a chance of downing him. Reckless and carefree, he had felt. Trying to put it out of his mind, he left the room and walked into the hall, then out to the living room, which was dark but alive with the twitters and chirrups of the birds. He sat down on a couch, his eyes adjusting to the dimness, and let his wings hang open loosely, utterly relaxed. There was a purring noise and he felt something rubbing against his side-he reached out and pet what was unmistakably a small cat. Maybe a kitten? It purred louder and pulled away, scampering off, announced only by the receding pawsteps.

"Up already?" He heard Fluttershy ask from somewhere nearby as the lights flicked on-there she was in the doorway,a tiny white cat with white paws walking around her legs, purring up a storm and nuzzling her. She was holding a pair of saddlebags in her teeth, which she walked over carefully and set down at his side. He nosed one open, seeing notebooks, and the other containing basic school supplies. He grinned back at her, he'd quite forgotten that he was going to start at the high school today.

"Thanks, Fluttershy!"

"No problem Quilly." She said, nuzzling the top of his head. He didn't notice the nickname somehow. "Now I know it's dark but you're going to want to leave soon, school is starting before to long. Do you remember where it is? I can spare a few to walk you, if you need me to?"

"Thanks, but I remember where it is. Sucks it has to start so early, though."

"Oh, I know, but on the bright side, they'll give you breakfast."

"Well, that's something." He reluctantly agreed with her. She smiled, satisfied.

"Alright, Quill, well, I'll see you when you get home, okay? Wait, breakfast wasn't what I meant to say. You get out right after two, that's the bright side. But the food is a plus too...see you later Quill." She opened the door for him, draping the bags over his back. Realizing at the last second that they would be pinned he snapped his wings up and folded them back down against the bags, swallowing. Did he remember the way to the school? He was pretty sure that he did, anyway, so he set off down the path and away from the cottage, yawning. It was TO DAMN EARLY!! The town was filled with a sleepy twilight, but he did see a few colts and fillies headed in the general direction of the school, here and there. After what seemed like a hundred unfamiliar faces he spotted Apple Bloom wandering down a side alley and flapped hard, hovering over to her.

"Hey, Apple Bloom."

"Hey, Quill." came two voices-he hadn't even realized that Pipsqueak was there too-the brown of his coat fit in with the darkness very well. Apple Bloom bumped his shoulder sleepily, her bow not even tied properly. She looked like she had gotten up in nothing short of a rush. Pipsqueak didn't fare much better, but he had a shorter mane. Quill's own was probably still far more than messy, but at least it wasn't in his eyes anymore. He'd thought it gone but NOPE NOT TODAY the dream came smashing back into his mind and he fell quite silent, walking along with them as they emerged onto another street. If he wasn't mistaken, they were almost at the school, now.

"Watcha thinkin' about, Quill?" She asked him, flicking her tail like she had an itch.

"Nothing. Um...dream I had." He told her evasively, rustling his wings. Apple Bloom's smirk was visible in the pale gray light that preceded dawn, which had settled over the town.

"A filly, huh?"

"No, what makes you think that??"

"Defensive much?" Her smirk widened into a grin.

"No! I'm not, it's just why would I dream about a filly?"

"I mean, if yer inta colts then-"

"No. Ugh, fine, it was a filly. Happy?"

"I am, yeah. Soooo who is it? I know it isn' me, we've barely talked or anythin', but you and Dinky have..so have you and Sweetie..so one of them?"

"I'm not saying anything else. Seriously." Apple Bloom rolled her amber eyes, laughing quiety, and he looked away.

"So it IS one of them." Suddenly he remembered Pipsqueak, who hadn't yet spoken a word and didn't seem to feel the need to now, either. "Alright alright, ya don' gotta tell me. We'll all find out sooner or later."

"What do you mean?" He glanced sideways at her, the three of them now mounting the steps that led up to the school.

"I just mean that ya seem the type who'll eventually let it slip. And it seems like one of them likes ya, so if ya like her...just sayin'." She said this in a voice of pure innocence.

"Wha-who-huh?" Apple Bloom just shrugged.

"I'm sworn to secrecy. Anyway, seeya Quill. Jus' stop by the office to pick up your schedule." He nodded.

"Thanks, Apple Bloom." And he walked off through the trophy room, into the office.

"Hello, there." The secretary from before called out, "Looking for your schedule? I remember you from the other day." He nodded and watched her disappear under the desk, returning a moment later with a yellow sheet of paper, eight classes printed on it.

"You know how it works?" He shook his head. "The top four classes are A classes, the bottom four are B classes. Other than that it's simple-lunch is after the second class. And today's a B day, so yeah. Anyway, if you need anything, feel free to ask me or some of your new classmen." He nodded.

"Thanks, miss." And he left the office, looking down at his schedule. Careers was first-that one was bound to be interesting, wasn't it? He just had to find his way...the school wasn't very confusing, and 42-careers was in a hallway clearly marked 40-45. He walked into the class and thankfully saw a familiar face at once-Button Mash was sitting in the dead center of the class, hiding something under the table. Walking over, he sat down beside him, seeing a joyboy hidden under the table, Button furiously working at the buttons and joystick.He laughed-he really was addicted to his games. After a few minutes the battery seemed to die, because Button tossed it in his bags with an exasperated groan.

"Oh, hey Quill! I charged that thing all night but it's already dead, stupid junk...well, not stupid junk. I love it! But the battery life sucks a little bit." Quill nodded, laughing at the animated way in which he talked, his eyes darting all over the room as though he was worried the most horrible monster from the scariest game was going to jump out and rip him to shreds, and he was determined to be absolutely ready when this happened. "Sorry for passing out at Sugarcube, but I've never been a bookworm so it's all good." He grinned happily as the door slammed closed-ponies were seated all around them and the teacher, a white stallion with short black hair and a matching beard, was seated behind the desk.

"Class!" He called out. "We have a new student!" Heads turned his way and he looked down awkwardly, wings rustling uneasily. The teacher, whatever his name was, gave everypony a moment to digest the news of a new arrival. "Registered by Princess Twilight, so don't get in his way." There was a cruel bite to his words and Quill sighed. So this was one of THOSE teachers, was it? There was a collective chuckle around the class, and Button was almost the only kid who didn't laugh. Quill noticed in looking around that Sweetie was sitting at the back of the room now, engrossed in the leather-bound book that was his own. She looked like she'd finished at least a few chapters, and her notebook and pencil lay forgotten on the desk before her. Quill grinned, happy to see that someone was enjoying the book. Since he'd left the place he was from, he had no idea whether people were enjoying the book. How it had come to be Twilight's library, he didn't know. But then again how did the other hundreds of thousands of books get there? She probably got shipments from all of the major cities in Equestria. For a brief moment he considered beckoning her over, but then thought better of it. Let the girl read in peace, the little voice in his mind whispered to him. The teacher was talking, wasn't he? He looked up to the front, listening.

"Yes, and we don't really do much in this class, but I do give you random assignments here and there. This isn't really a careers class, but we have done things relating to jobs. Any questions?" He didn't want to admit he hadn't listened, even though it was obvious, so he just shook his head no and remained listening. There was a soft snap from behind that he assumed was the book shutting, but he didn't dare look back at her again while all the foals were watching. The class passed on uneventfully and the next class-which he had with the same teacher-was equally uneventful, though he had this class with Apple Bloom, Dinky and Rumble. After that he wandered off to where he thought he remembered the lunchroom to be, was correct, and walked inside, not grabbing any food for lack of hunger. Immediately he spotted the others that had so quickly become his friends. 'No...I don't know if I'll be like that...I mean, I've had some bad experiences with ponies. But if there's any place for a fresh start it's here, am I wrong?' He had said to Sweetie. Well, he wasn't like Twilight. Just because he had HAD to stand nigh alone didn't mean in any way that he had WANTED to, and he accepted the possibility of being accepted into the...group of sorts, with open wings. With just a moment's hesitation, he slid into an empty space beside Pipsqueak, Apple Bloom falling to his other side. Across from him sat Dinky, and on either side of her sat Sweetie and now Rumble. Sweetie had one bag filled with school things but the imprint of the book was clearly visible in the other. Curious, he asked,

"What part are you at in there Sweetie?" She looked over as inklings of the dream started trickling to the forefront of his mind-he hoped he wouldn't blush as he waited for an answer.

"All the mercenaries are leaving for another city for some kind of huge job offer, and Ravencast, Dawnbreak and Robyn are going with. Is something up though? Seems like it with a few guards on break and the city's mercenaries leaving." Quill shrugged.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Sweetie groaned.

"Don't wanna wait!" So, what did she do? She opened the book again and disappeared behind it.

"Someone really likes ya book." Apple Bloom laughed and, unbidden, he joined in.

"Well, I'm glad that somepony is! You'd be surprised by how few people have read that, plus of course all funds go to my bullshit parents, so..."

"Who are they?" Apple Bloom asked him in a casually interested tone. He shook his head, going quiet.

"Oh come on! Tell me, Quill?"

"They're ponies who live in a place." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes but seemed to understand that this was the best she was going to get. For a few moments he ate in silence, lost in thought. At some point Button must have come and sat down with them, because he could eventually hear him talking animatedly about some game or other that he had gotten his hooves on. Quill wasn't listening carefully. Nor, for that matter, was he really thinking about anything. He'd zoned out looking out the window behind Dinky, the emerald lawn spilling away into the distance, the few trees spotting the lawn standing high and proud.

'This place isn't so bad.' He thought, while the talking resumed around him. 'No worries, so far, no trouble. Friends, and a safe place to sleep each night.' Then his dreamy look slowly turned to a frown. 'And I know when my next meal is coming without a shadow of doubt...why couldn't Feather have been here to enjoy it?' Quill sighed, resting his head on his hooves. It wasn't fair...it just wasn't...she should be here, not buried in a coffin. Or some back yard, if that was what had been done for her by his parents. Why why why...he blinked-he wasn't in danger of blacking out,he was entering a whole different type of emotion. He swallowed thickly, eyes suddenly burning. No no, he had to stop that. He blinked rapidly but the burning sensation didn't go away, and he hid his face, breathing deeply in an attempt to feign sleep. She should be here...she shouldn't have bled out...and he'd left her. Though she had told him to, he shouldn't have...should have done something-anything. But no, he'd fled like she'd said instead of giving her her last respects. Damn himself for not giving her what she deserved...if he could see her, just one last time...he would...he didn't know, but he'd convey all the love he had ever left her without, somehow. He might not have felt so bad if her last sight in life hadn't been him turning his back. At last the burning sensation grew overwhelming, and a fat tear slipped down to the table. He hurriedly moved his foreleg down, fur soaking up the tear, and stood, casually walking from the cafeteria with his wing rubbing his eyes, trying to look like he simply had something stuck in it. He stepped out into the hallway and took a right immediately, wandering further into the school, tear tracks being driven down his cheeks. He didn't bump into anyone, and he didn't know where he was going, either. Eventually he found himself in the entrance to the library, where a pink mare with a darker mane was sitting behind the counter. He said nothing to her and, still walking at a regular pace, walked to the back of the library, sitting down between two tall bookshelves and wrapping his tail around his hooves, the few tears that were still falling colliding with his tail. He needed to stop...Unsurprisingly, a hard, silent sob ripped free of him, and he couldn't even take a calming breath.

"Hellllooo?" He didn't answer, they probably weren't talking to him. Then he saw the pink hooves belonging to the librarian standing in front of him. He clamped his mouth shut and screwed up his eyes, stopping the noise and tears for a moment, though the wet spots were still on his tail.

"Hey...what's going on?" She sat down with him, in front of him, and he saw that her cutie mark was three smiling flowers with pure white petals. He said nothing, just blinked warily. At least the tears had stopped, he reckoned.

"Come on, talk to me. What's wrong? You're knew, right." Not a question. "You're not getting picked on, are you?"

"If I g-got picked on, I'd beat the hell out of them and get kicked out with no regrets." He said softly, trying to stop thinking about his sister. Maybe if she scolded him, it would distract him..

"Now now, don't talk like that. I can see something's troubling you, do you want to tell me about it?"

"N-Not really." Of course he didn't-but it wouldn't make sense to her unless he explained the whole thing, would it? And that was the last thing he was going to do, it'd proved to be a terrible idea once before and who was to say that it wouldn't all over again? She didn't push, but she scooted closer and laid a hoof around him in a hug, resting her muzzle on his head like a mother comforting her foal. He hated to think he wanted it, but the simple touch was more than reassuring. She didn't talk, didn't question him. She just sat there, listening as his breathing gradually returned to normal.

"Just...thinking about my sister." That much couldn't hurt, could it?

"Oh? Does she go here? Is she being picked on?"

"N-No." He gestured vaguely upward and could imagine the look of understanding dawning on the librarian's face.

"Oh...oh, I'm so sorry...I can't even imagine..." And for a few moments she was silent again, her tail wrapped around him as he now realized. It was all comforting, relaxing...but still, that was his sister..

"You know. I shouldn't talk, because I didn't know her, and I understand that, so please don't get mad at me for saying this." Quill tensed up nervously.

"I don't think she'd want you to cry. I'm sure she was a brave filly, and I'm also sure that you'll see her again one day. But for now, until that day, I think she would want you to carry on." Quill listened and thought about what she was saying. "Your sister, I'm sure, loved you, and I think she'd want you to make friends, and go on to great things. You'll never forget her, and she's with you, always." He nodded slowly, sighing a great shuddering sigh.

"What's your special talent?" She asked him seemingly out of the blue.

"Writing. But I haven't done it in a long time..."

"Well, that's something. With all these books around me all day every day, I can appreciate that. Why don't you write about it?"

"I don't do journals..."

"Well, it can be therapeutic. But if you can think of a way...get it out there. Get it all off your chest, and regret nothing." She said this boldly and confidently, and he couldn't help but feel reassured. What if it all was just one giant story? It would be one hell of a story, that was for sure...she was standing, now.

"The bell rang, kid. You'd better get back to class. Just remember-perk up. For her, keep your head held high." And she walked off, humming a slow, sad melody. He sighed and stood, rustling his wings, and walked slowly off for his next class, which was gym at the back of the school. She was right, wasn't she...He brightened up, just a fraction, when he saw that he had gym with Sweetie Belle. Unfortunately though, none of his other friends seemed to be in this class. Gym, whatever. He was only to glad that the tear tracks had dried, and hoped that he looked fine, now. He hadn't even caught the librarian's name, had he?

"Hey, Quill." She seemed distracted as he ambled up, and he frowned.

"You alright?" The frown stuck-he didn't feel exactly one hundred percent at the top of his game, really, definitely not yet.

"Just thinking. Cheerilee said there was such a thing as to much reading when I walked right into her counter with my muzzle buried in the book." Quill almost might have laughed. Almost.

"Cheerilee? That wouldn't be the librarian, would it?"

"Yeah, that she would. Why, already made a trip to the library?" She tutted and added playfully, "writers..." Quill laughed quietly, looking at her. Indeed she did seem to have her nose in that book a lot.

"Haven't gotten to read as much as you might think, what with the work from first and second hour. But I'll probably be through it in a week or so." She said all this in a tone like she had said'Wonderful weather we're having, no?'. She smiled up at him, then faked an irritated look, like he'd just yanked her tail.

"Ugh, why are you taller than me? You're supposed to be shorter! Same height, at least." She hopped up on her back and propped her hooves on his back, her head now level with his.

"Yay! I'm tall, see??" He laughed and tried to walk away, but she clung on determinedly, walking on her back legs even as he backed away.

"Stahhhhhhhhp!!!" She whined, "I'm trying to stand up here!" Playfully, he jolted forward instead of backward, and she fell forward onto his back instead of down to the ground as she would have had he gone back. She squeaked like a rubber toy and squirmed as he took off at a trot down the length of the gym, weaving between other ponies waiting for the class to start. He got a few funny looks, but not to much attention. Her squirming finally bore some fruit and she managed to sit up, only to wrap her hooves around his neck and press her back legs to his sides.

"Don't make me fall! Stop!"

"Nuh uh filly." He playfully stretched his wings, eyeing the observation platform near the top of the room.

"Quill, I mean it, don-ah!" He had suddenly given a powerful beat of his wings and lifted several feet off the ground-a something that might have been about impossible if not for the potion and the recovery he had managed to this point. Mostly the potion, though. Sweetie had frozen up, but as he beat his wings, creating a downdraft below him, she gradually relaxed, and he gave a minute increase to his wing's speed, rising slowly more and more. Sweetie still hugged around his neck tightly and though he couldn't see it cast worried looks down at the ground.

"You alright up there Sweetie? Don't worry about falling, okay? I got you, I promise." She nodded, then realized he couldn't see it and answered.

"Alright, Quill, you got me." He nodded, satisfied, and slowly flew over to the observation platform, landing lightly in the dead center of it. Here, sunlight from the windows that were high in the walls to avoid being broken by the balls that probably flew around streamed brightly onto them, making her fur almost glow and turning his so light that it could almost be called white.

"This is high up..." She whispered, walking to the edge and peering down at the ground a couple hundred feet below. There was no safety rail, this was meant only for pegasi. Probably the teacher was one himself, or this wouldn't have been put up in the first place.

"You want to go back down?"

"Not at all...you can barely hear them from up here. It's peaceful." She turned to face him, back to the edge now. "Is this what it's like in the pegasi cities? Forgot you could be from Cloudsdale, somehow."

"I wouldn't know, but I'll tell you that that isn't where I'm from. Sometimes, though, I would hide on a cloud for hours, and just relax. It was silent, and the sunlight was always on you even if it was cloudy, because you were closer than the clouds. It really is wonderful to have these wings.." He spread them and looked at them appreciatively. "That's our magic. Just like alicorns can teleport and unicorns levitate in a cinch. Ours is control over the things in the sky. Besides the sun and moon, but those are in space, not the sky."

"It must really be something, to fly whenever you want.." Sweetie took a step closer, thinking. "How'd you get to be in such a strong flier if you were as beat up as Fluttershy said?" Quill hesitated. Should he tell her? Why not.

"Fluttershy got some kind of potion from a zebra alchemist. Said the ingredients were really rare, and she would take a long time to find a way to repay the favor. Why for me...she just said there was no way she was going to let me die as long as she had any kind of say in it." Sweetie smiled like he was being stupid but it was endearing.

"That's just the way Fluttershy is, Quill. Apple Bloom mentioned that she was helping Zecora with something important...but at the time she didn't know what it was for. Guess it was to help you get back on your hooves, huh? Well, glad it did. It would be a shame if I had found this book one day and the author was dead, now wouldn't it."

"Oh? And why is that?" He cracked a smile without quite knowing why.

"Because, then I wouldn't be able to talk you into writing more." He blinked, smile faltering.

"You want me to? You haven't even finished the one."

"But I can tell you're good, and I'm interested, it's got all the aspects of life, not just the steel and blood." His smile was starting to come back-he could feel it quirking his lip.

"But that's old hat for me, I don't really want to continue it."

"Well, you should. But if you don't want to, how about a fresh series? One that you'll continue and finish?"

"Oh, Sweetie, I don't have any ideas for a fresh series. I haven't written in so long, I'm probably pretty rusty."

"Mhm sure. It's your cutie mark, your talent, and it's what you will absolutely never, no matter what, be bad at. Now are you gonna wallow in that doubt you've got, or are you gonna consider what I said, and start writing again?" He hesitated, but her words had a definite effect that he could not, in fact, deny the existence of. "Just try it, Quill," She stepped ever closer. "-Try it, and if you hate it than you can stop and I'll never ask again. But if you like it, then you write a book. Write it for me, and for anyone else who ever told you to go for it." He looked at her with the most tender of looks, though he didn't realize it. She was standing very close now, looking up at him with those wide green eyes. Her words cinched it, he would write again. Write again for Feather, who had never stopped believing in him no matter what. Write again for Sweetie, his first fan in a long time. Write again for himself, because she was right. The quill and sheet of paper on his flank, with the words 'Once upon a time' written on it in his own minuscule script, was what made him stand out.

"Fine, Sweetie. I'll write..." Suddenly the little voice in his head whispered to him that he should lean down and kiss the glowing filly. A bright blush flaring up, he backpedaled and looked away.

"What's wrong?" She frowned, looking hurt-he had just wheeled away from her as fast as he could hadn't he. He stepped forward again and stood beside her, wrapping a wing around her.

"Nothing, just remembered something that it wasn't a good time to remember."

"Oh. Well, that's fine isn't it?" She closed her eyes and nuzzled into his shoulder, looking utterly relaxed. Her tail flicked, brushing against his own.

"Yeah, you know what, that's absolutely fine." And he meant it, he really did.

"Hey! No students up on the platform!" A sharp voice rang out from far below. Quill turned, feeling like he was in a trance of sorts, Sweetie still held to his side. There was a pegasus stallion hovering a hundred or so feet below them, wearing a sweat jacket. Maybe he was an assistant coach? If he'd been the big cheese then he probably would have come and yelled at them in earnest.

"C'mon Quill, fly me down?" Sweetie slowly walked out from under his wing and then walked back, climbing up onto Quill's back.

"Of course, Sweetie." He took a gentle hop off and snapped his wings open, slowly gliding for the ground.

"Hurry it up!" Jacket pony hollered at him. He rolled his eyes and touched down on the polished wooden floor, bending one wing at an angle and letting Sweetie slide down, her tail leaving him after her body had. He blushed and folded his wings tightly to his sides.

"New student?" A third pony, an adult pegasus, had appeared behind him. Quill turned and faced him, nodding alowly.

"Alright then. Quill?" He nodded again.

"Alright. Sweetie, you'll show your coltfriend the ropes, right?"

"Yeah, but he's not my coltfriend!!" She told him hotly. The coach raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You two seem awfully close. No? Okay, your...close friend then. Run him through the exercises." And he walked off, taking stock of the other students on the little clipboard he was carrying around. Blushing furiously, Sweetie turned away from Quill and beckoned with her tail for him to follow. He nodded, no less embarrassed from the coach's claim, and followed her.

The rest of the class passed quickly after that, for neither of them did just about any talking. She showed him through the long string of required excercises that they had to do with as little speech as possible, maintaining a rosy shade of pink the entire time. Quill, honestly, was just and embarrassed, and his mind refused to dwell on anything else, somehow. As the end of the class approached, though, he realized that he did not, in fact, want to leave the class with her feeling total awkwardness towards him. So when he'd walked out of the showers, dried off, and seen her sitting on the bleachers, still a little wet, he walked over.

"Didn't feel like drying off?" He shot out casually, not really bothered by it.

"Keeping the water helps to stay cooled down...it'll all be dried off within ten minutes, though, it's hot in here." He nodded-that much was true. He had had a harder time with breathing after about fifteen minutes than he had with the exercises themselves;due to the combined heat of physical exertion and the already heated room. Tell me, wouldn't it be more sensible to air condition a gym, rather than heat it?

"You alright, though, after what he said?"

"Yeah, of course. It just gave me some thoughts that were embarrassing?" Quill found it very hard not to think of that in a dirty way. She hadn't meant it like that. NO DAMNIT BRAIN SHE DIDN'T!!!!

'But wouldn't you just love it if she did~' said the little voice in his head. He ignored it, though.

"Alright, Sweetie, I'll see you later?"

"Nu! Walk me to class?"

"What have you got?"

"I've got stupid algebra. You?"

"Um. ELA. I think they're close by each other, so yeah, I can walk you." She smiled and flounced off, checking at the doors to see if he was still behind her. He stepped ahead, then let her step back ahead when he realized he might take to long to navigate the large school.

"That's right, let the lady go first." She grinned and flicked her tail against him, taking the lead and walking ahead of him, but still glancing back frequently to make sure he was following. She cut through a hallway that was just outside of the gym, first, taking them into a mostly empty back hallway.

"I didn't mind what he said." she admitted, "I mean, I know we aren't, but I didn't really mind him thinking it, you know? I know it's wrong, does it matter what he thinks?" Quill walked quietly to her left and behind her, a row of lockers to the right. 'Which would be perfect to push her into and then-' He told that voice to shut the hell up and walked along behind her, blushing again faintly. Next time she glanced back she commented.

"You always blush like that, or is it just when I'm around?" She commented playfully. It struck a little to close to home, though.

"Hush ya face, Sweetie." He chose not to answer either way.

"Alright alright! Ya don't gotta be mean!" She looked at him like she was absolutely crushed, but the second his face showed worry it melted into a happy expression again.

"Oh come on Sweetie! Don't dink around like that!" She shrugged innocently.

"Ima good girl, dunno watcha talkin about." Quill just...couldn't help but smile.

'Ya got it bad, buddy~' The little voice whispered. This time he didn't tell it to shut up. Had today started out as a bad day? That all seemed miles away, now... Down this long hallway they walked, and all the way at the other side of the school it turned sharply right. Their classes were across from each other just before that turn. They stood awkwardly between the classes, neither wanting to split up. It had been such a good class! He remembered that moment on the observation platform, the sunlight making her fur seem to glow, and he just...well, he wished he'd listened to the voice in his head. She wasn't making it easy anyway.

"I'll see you, Sweetie."

"Yeah, you will. Sometime this week all of us were gonna go out for some fun, I'll make sure that we come and get you." She grinned sheepishly and turned, walking into her algebra class. Quill grinned at her back happily and turned his back as well, walking into his last class. Of course no luck was meant to last forever. There was nopony he knew here. But that was okay, he had had his fill on the last class.