Nothing Without You
Raven Inkwell was never an especially flashy mare.
She lived a life of practicality, above all else. Raven had never cared for the extravagant, exorbitant, bougie lifestyle that so many of her fellow Canterlotians seemed to be obsessed with. From her home to her style of dress to even the places at which she elected to eat and drink, Raven's primary concern was functionality and convenience. What use are a set of shoes that cost 1,200 bits if they were liable to make your hooves bleed and deteriorate at the slightest contact with dirt? The very idea of an excessively showy, almost comically expensive dress that Raven would wear once and then hide in her closet until the end of days truly baffled her (which was in part why she hated weddings). To say she was out of her element would be an understatement, so it was only natural for her to call for assistance.
"Ooh! Ms. Inkwell, what about this one?"
Of all the ponies in Equestria to call, Raven would have gone through a long list of options before she thought to ask the Princess of the Sun for help looking for a dress.
"I quite like that one, myself," noted Harpy, strolling past Raven to inspect the glittering sapphire gown the princess had selected. She examined it closely, using her magic to hover it over to Raven's body. "Although, blue may not be your color…"
"I don't know if I have a color," remarked Raven. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her stool, watching her mother and her princess blow up and down the castle's tailorslike a storm, in search of a sufficient gown for Raven. "This is all outside of my area of expertise…"
"Which is why it's incredibly lucky that you have the two most attractive mares in Canterlot to help you," said Harpy, giving her daughter a smug grin.
"I see Princess Celestia. When does the other one get here?"
"Oh, all I do for my daughter, and she repays me how?" Harpy put a hoof to forehead, as if about to faint from the stress of it all. "With childish insults and bad jokes…"
"Focus, ladies. There will be plenty of time for you to trade barbs once we have Raven fitted," said the princess, though she clearly fought to hide her grin. She was used to the mother and daughter butting heads, but there was an air of levity and good-humor that former altercations didn't possess. As far as the princess could tell, that was progress. "Tell me, Raven, what do you look for when you go shopping?"
"Whatever has the lowest price tag, your majesty," said Raven. "They don't teach fashion in advisor school, I'm afraid."
"Hm… Perhaps something custom would be a better idea…"
"Princess, please. To get an outfit made custom…" Raven shook her head. "It'd be far too expensive."
"My dear, I told you, money isn't a problem," said Celestia. "Given how rarely you take off and how often you flat-out refused a raise, the least I can do is pay for you to have something nice to wear at the Gala."
"I just wouldn't feel right. It's not about the money, it's the principle behind it."
"Well, you can't go to the Grand Galloping Gala flank-nude as the day you were born," said Harpy with a frown. "You need to find something and—"
"Ms. Inkwell?"
To Raven's surprise, the "girl time" she was spending with her mother and the princess was interrupted by her companion to the Gala; Garrus marched forward onto the room, giving a bowing salute to all three mares (particularly the princess).
"Forgive the interruption, your highness, but I need to speak with Ms. Inkwell for a moment," said Garrus. "Some Gala details need finalizing."
"Oh, of course," said the princess. "We'll give her up as soon as we've decided on—" Princess Celestia surely had more to say, if not for the sudden beckoning from the elder Inkwell. Celestia leaned down, allowing Harpy to whisper something into her ear, and cracked a smile. "Actually, we're going to be taking a short recess. Ms. Harpy and I have some things to attend to. We'll leave you to it."
Before Raven could verbalize her suspicion, particularly at her mother's smug grin, both Harpy and Celestia vanished into a flare of light. Something about Harpy’s departure left an uneasy feeling in Raven’s gut, but there was nothing she could do about it now except shake her head and turn to her date for the Gala.
Raven blushed as the word “date” crossed her mind, and quickly shook her head. Companion. Her companion had a much better ring to it.
“Hey, Gary. What’s the problem?” asked Raven, trying to carry on as if nothing had happened. Luckily, Garrus either had the same plan or didn’t notice anything odd to begin with.
“Well, it’s nothing really serious,” admitted Garrus. “Not really. There's this cider stand that's giving us a hassle about paying their fee to set up. Something about the Briar family?”
“Oh, them. Don't worry about them, they have this ancient hoofshake agreement with the princess," said Raven, rolling her eyes. "They supply cider and mead for certain functions for a discount and in return they get a discount on their Gala fees, a small percentage of their sales after the fact. I keep telling Celestia that we need to get that agreement on paper, but she swears that the Briars will take offense to it."
"Ah. So just let them set up?"
"Yeah. Not a huge deal, I'll deal with them after the fact." Raven tilted her head suspiciously at Garrus, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. "You didn't come all the way down here just to ask me that. Come on, what's up? Seriously."
"Well… Yeah. There's something else. I, uh…"
"Out with it, Dodo."
"I got offered a promotion and I took it," said Garrus finally.
"That's great! Finally moving up in the world, huh?" Raven flashed her friend a smug little grin. "We've gotta get Moonshine down to celebrate. How about—"
"It's not here, Rave. My new position, it's back home." Garrus flinched from his own words, as if not expecting to hear them come out of his beak. “I fly back to Griffonstone after the Gala.”
Words failed Raven at that moment. Obviously, she knew that Garrus’ time in Equestria was limited, given the nature of his employment at the castle, but even still she was blown away. For all the time she’d spent with Garrus, throughout all the shady reporters and disguised princesses, it felt as though Garrus had always been with her, and would always be with her. Of course, it was ridiculous for Raven to think that. She knew as much. Garrus was a good friend, of course, but he had to go home eventually. She knew this.
Then why was she so blindsided by it?
“Oh. I see.” Raven shook herself from her stupor, trying to keep her smile from slipping too far. “Well, that’s still great. I’m really happy for you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you. Watching my back, keeping me out of trouble, helping me figure out what the heck I’m doing,” said Garrus, scratching a claw through his feathers. “You’re the best friend I ever had, and I wanted to thank you. For everything.”
“The pleasure was mine, Gary. I…” Raven surely had something to say. Something sarcastic, some piece of dry wit, some deflection or facade, and yet, nothing came out. She had nothing. “Wow. Sorry, I’m just… A little taken aback.”
“I’m sorry to just drop this on you in the middle of the day, but I thought you might want to know before… Well, the Gala is in a couple of days. I—”
Another flash of light put pause to the conversation, signaling the return of Harpy Inkwell and the princess. Harpy smirked in a very motherly, "I told you so" way at the two trying to return to business as usual, but her smile petered away when she made notice of Raven's expression. She used her magic to set down the dress box that she had carried in and, before even addressing her daughter, she turned to face Princess Celestia.
"Ah, Princess, I just recalled something personal I needed to discuss with my daughter." Harpy locked eyes with Celestia and gave a tiny nod, something the monarch immediately recognized as significant. "Would you mind giving us just a few moments?"
"You two may take all the time you need. Until then… Mr. Oak, was it?" Garrus nearly jumped out of his feathers at being addressed directly by royalty, but he recovered well enough. "Would you be so kind as to escort me to my study? It's not very far at all, but that Captain of yours seems to get very upset when I so much as visit the little filly's room alone."
"Captain Falchion takes his job very seriously," agreed Garrus. "Not to say that I don't… The study, was it? Right away, your majesty!" Garrus marched to the door and held it open for the princess, who exited with a little chuckle. Before leaving, Garrus paused to lock eyes with Raven one more time. "I'll see you later, Rave."
"I bet you will, Dodo," said Raven with a smile, a bit forced even for her. Garrus waved before departing, and Raven turned from the door to find herself face to face with her mother. Harpy didn't say anything, but she had that look in her eye. The look that said to Raven that, no matter what she wanted out of the situation, she was going to have to talk about it. "What?"
"Was going to ask you the same thing, Missy," said Harpy. She pulled up a chair and sat down, gesturing for Raven to join her. Begrudgingly, she did so, and for nearly a moment, the air was heavy with an awkward silence, until Harpy decided to speak up again. "We've talked about boundaries, and it's not my intention to overstep here. That being said, you are my daughter, and if you're upset, I'd like to know about it."
"I'm… I'm not upset."
"Missy, I may be getting old, but I'm not blind."
"No, no, I mean… upset isn't the word. I…" Raven sighed, burying her face in her hooves. "Gary's leaving soon. He got a promotion back home and he took it."
"Ah. I see." Harpy shimmied a bit closer to her daughter and, much to her relief, Raven did nothing to shimmy away. "This will be good for him."
"Yep. He's doing what he always wanted, he worked hard, and it's finally paying off."
"Right. And you should be happy for him."
"I am happy for him." There it was. Raven knew it was inevitable, but a lecture from Harpy was not what she needed right now. Then, in a move that she had never expected, Harpy sighed and leaned over to rest her head on Raven's shoulder.
"Yes, I'm sure you are," sighed Harpy. "So why the hell are we so sad?"
"We?"
"I'm projecting, Raven."
"Well, I don't know about you, but that sounds like progress to me."
"Hush, you. What I mean to say is that this is how I felt years and years ago, when your father told me he wanted to travel and perform," explained Harpy. "I'd seen him perform, and I saw how happy it made him. I saw how good it would be for him, but when he told me what he wanted to do… it hurt me."
"But that doesn't make any sense. He's not doing anything to hurt you, he's just living out his dream," said Raven. "Which hurts even more…"
"Exactly. To try to deny him of his dreams, just so that I don't feel sad, is selfish of me."
"Mh-hm. So what'd you do?"
"The wrong thing. Over and over, mistake after mistake. I dragged him down to Earth, forced him to be something he's not, and, when the chips were down and he chose between his own happiness and mine… he chose his," said Harpy. "I held him down. I crippled him. He gave me everything to make me happy, and I didn't give him anything in return." Harpy snorted, shaking her head. "If I were him, I'd leave too."
"No offense, Mom, but you trauma dumping onto me isn't exactly making me feel any better about losing my best friend."
"And that's exactly the problem. You're doing the opposite of what I did, but that's still not the right move." Harpy sat up, a strange sort of fire in her chest, and she firmly grabbed Raven by the hoof. Not aggressively, not possessively, but with passion, intent, and a ton of love. "Like I said, Raven, I'm not blind. I know that you feel something for this boy. You care about him a lot, and he cares about you. So why in the world are you planning to let him go?"
"Like you said, I can't try to stop him from doing what he loves," said Raven. "So what else can I do?"
"Think for a second. Search your heart. Imagine your life without him in it," said Harpy. "Imagine your world with no Garrus. Do you think you'd be happy?"
Raven pursed her lips, chewing on what her mother had said. It was a lot to take in, especially considering the source, but Raven thought it over nonetheless. A life without Garrus. The one person she could always count on. The one person shee knew for sure wouldn't judge her. The one person who accepted her, despite her rough edges—or perhaps even because of them.
"No," said Raven finally. Harpy grabbed the box with her magical aura and slowly floated it over to her daughter's lap. With an arched brow, Raven undid the packaging, raising the lid of the box to reveal its contents. A glittering sapphire dress sat upon a bed of velvet, a garment that Raven found strangely familiar. She pulled the dress from the box carefully, holding it up in front of herself to examine it. “Mom… Is this… yours?”
“If you can’t make him stay, and you can’t let him go, then there’s only one thing you can do.” Harpy stood up and headed for the door, while her daughter simply stared at the dress, deeply engrossed in thought. “Chase him down. Let him know what he means to you, what you’re willing to do to have him in your life. Don’t leave any regrets or what-ifs in your head. Go for it, Raven. For once in your life… Do what you want.”
Raven didn’t look up, listening to her mother’s departing hoofsteps as she considered everything she had before her. Gary’s departure, her mother’s advice, her own fears and insecurities, and, most of all, the beautiful blue dress in her hooves. She remembered this dress now. She remembered it in photos, pictures her father had shown her when she was younger. Some ball they had both attended, when they were first dating. Raven once asked when exactly the photo was from, and the only answer Harpy had ever given was “from happier times”.
No, Raven decided. She wouldn’t be like her mother. She wouldn’t even be like her father. Raven was going to do what Raven wanted, needed to do. She gave herself a little nod before carefully packing up the dress and returning the lid to the box. With her dress in tow, now all Raven had to do until the Gala was wait, and try to work up the necessary courage.
Raven looked up, a bit surprised to see her mother standing in the doorway, smirking in that smug way only Harpy was capable of.
“Well, since you seem to have made up your mind, if I can just make a request?” said Harpy with a grin. “Maybe don’t make me wait too long for some grandfoals?”
“Mom!”
“What? I’m not getting any younger!”
"Hey, Gary. Let's take a walk."
Raven set down her empty glass onto the tray of a passing server, beckoning for Garrus to join her. With a bit of an uncertain look, Garrus approached his "date", his good friend, and followed Raven through the crowd. The Grand Galloping Gala was in full swing, the party beloved by all in attendance. Even Raven didn't hate her time there. Funny what having a good friend around will do for one's enjoyment of an event.
The two walked through the crowd of partygoers, their destination becoming clear when Raven walked past the hors d'oeuvres and the punch bowl to one of the ballroom's exits. The pair spilled out into the night, into the lush garden of Castle Canterlot, allowing the cool breeze to wash over them. It was soothing, and helped the two not feel so terribly out of place in their formal attire. Raven would, preferably, never wear a dress again in her life, and though Garrus was used to prolonged time in uncomfortable suits, he'd happily trade in the itchy tux for his armor. At least the armor could block a hit or two if the party went south.
"It's nice out, huh?" remarked Garrus. Raven snickered, which immediately put the griffon slightly on edge. "What?"
"You're really talking about the weather?" snorted Raven. "You sound like such a dad."
"Well, it's true. It's nice out. It's the little things in life, you know?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I get that." Raven looked around and, upon deciding that the area was secluded enough, stopped amongst the meticulously kempt hedges. "I guess that's kinda what I wanted to talk about. Sort of."
"Something's on your mind?" asked Garrus. Raven didn’t say anything right away, and so Garrus slowly paced around her, gently reaching out a claw to rest on her shoulder. “Hey, you know I’d do anything for you, right? And if something’s bothering you…”
“Before I met you, I didn’t have any friends. I never really had friends, not even as a kid. I just didn’t get along with anyone. I guess because I’m so serious all of the time, and I’ve got a bit of a temper,” said Raven. She didn’t quite look at Garrus, seemingly absorbed in her own thoughts for a spell. “No one ever seemed to get me. And then you came along. You sat yourself down next to me during lunch, and you stood by me ever since. Never judging me, never quitting on me, never put off when I was a bit too… Well, ‘me’, you know?” Raven chuckled, shaking her head. “And all because I didn’t mind that your lunch stank to Tartarus and back.”
“Heh… Funny how that works, huh?” said Garrus with a chuckle. “All it took was a couple of dead mice and I’ve got me a friend for life.”
“Yeah… For life.”
“Oh. This is about me leaving, isn’t it?” Garrus sighed. “It wasn’t an easy decision. You know I love it here in Equestria, I’d give anything to stay. But I promise, I’ll keep in touch, and I don’t really plan to stay in Griffonstone. I’d like to have a place in Equestria.”
“That’s good. That’s really, really good. And don’t misunderstand me, Gary, I want you to take this promotion. I’m so proud of you, and I’m so happy that you’re finally getting what you deserve. I want you to go. But… I don’t want you to leave. And if you absolutely have to leave, then… I need to get this off of my chest.”
“Rave—”
“Just let me say this. I think you’re the nicest, most caring, most amazing guy I’ve ever known. You give me the strength to keep going because I know that no matter how bad of a day I have, at the end of it, I have you,” said Raven. “I’ve got someone there for me, ready to drop anything to pick me up. And I thought I could just be happy as friends, but then you told me you were leaving and I realized that being friends… Well, I want more than that. I don’t know what exactly ‘more’ means here, but even if you don’t, I just had to tell you or else I’d regret it forever. You’re my best friend, Gary, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. But I’m nothing without you, and I—”
Later on, when pressed about the situation, Garrus would admit to not really having any recollection of acting. He couldn’t remember making a conscious decision to move. He knew about as much as Raven did at the time, and all Raven knew was that one moment, she was spilling her guts to her friend. The very next moment, she felt Garrus’ beak against her lips, his claws gently framing her face as he kissed her. The kiss was a moment, it was an eternity, it was over in a flash, and when they broke away, Raven had to adjust het glasses as she evaluated what just transpired.
“Shut up with that ‘nothing without you’ BS,” said Garrus, a strangely tender intensity behind his golden eyes. “Raven, you’re not ‘nothing’. You’re everything to me.”
Raven’s mouth gaped slightly, and she blinked once, twice, three times before grabbing Garrus by the wrist and slowly leading him away, much to the griffon’s general confusion.
“Uh… Raven?” said Garrus, a bit concerned that he may have overstepped his bounds. “Where are we going?”
“My apartment,” said Raven plainly.
“Oh. Uh… Why?”
“Because I’m going to rip that stupid tuxedo off of you with my teeth.”
“O-oh. Well, okay, won’t hear me complaining.”
The blare of Raven’s alarm clock cut through the quiet, peaceful morning until a hoof came down and silenced it. Raven yawned, reaching clumsily for her glasses on the nightstand. A little hum left her lips, much to her own surprise. Strangely, she felt good. Excellent, in fact. Well-rested and energized, and since she only had the one drink the previous night, with no hangover in sight. An excellent night of sleep, indeed.
Raven rolled over, eyes going wide when she saw Garrus sitting up in bed beside her, facing away from her as he woke up. Memories from the night before rushed back, making it incredibly clear why she really felt so good this morning; Turns out, it was an excellent night of more than just sleep.
“Morning,” said Garrus, just barely containing his chuckles. “You sleep okay?”
“That’s a way of saying it. Goddess, we really did it…” Raven sat up, a tiny smirk refusing to leave her face. “We skipped a few dates, but…”
“Heh. Well, we can make up for lost time on that front. Matter of fact…” Garrus stood up, peeling his tux from the floor and carefully folding it. “How about we go get some brunch? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
A very crass joke flashed into Raven’s mind but, in the interest of not having Garrus blush out of his feathers, she opted to keep it to herself.
“Sounds good to me. Come on, I’ll make some coffee and we can figure out where we’re going.”
Raven and Garrus set off out of Raven’s bedroom, giggling like a pair of schoolgirls as they did so. Raven figured she should have been embarrassed, but, somehow, she wasn’t. Something about Garrus made her feel at ease, and sharing a night with him felt both strange, but right. Like it was just waiting to happen.
“Damn, it’s kinda a shame we waited so long,” said Garrus.
“Hm? How do you mean?”
“Well, I’d hate for last night to be a one-off. And I kinda got the same vibe from you.” Raven nodded her agreement, which was certainly a relief to Garrus. “And if I’m leaving soon… I mean, I know I said I’d keep in touch, but it’d be a while before I could visit. With your job, I don’t imagine you’d be able to just fly over to Griffonstone, either.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, actually. I think I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a gamble,” said Raven as the two entered the kitchen. “But we can talk about it more over coffee.”
“Alright, I’m down for a talk,” said Garrus with a nod. “We, uh, didn’t have much time for that last night, huh?”
“If you’re making coffee, I take mine black.”
Raven froze, her head slowly creaking in the direction of her living room. As if to prove, definitively, that there was no true God that cared for Raven, she found that she and Garrus were not alone; Sitting on the back of the sofa (with her hooves on Raven’s cushions, no less), and crunching noisily on a bowl of chips and guacamole, was the last person—short of her own mother, of course—that Raven would want to see in this particular situation.
“Morning, lovebirds. Oh, Inkwell, you need more avocados, by the way,” said Luna, shoving a hoofful of chips into her maw. “I woke up with a craving, I used the last of them to make this guac.”
“Luna, I ask this as calmly and rationally as I can equinely manage,” said Raven, her heart not even twitching in her chest. “Why are you in my house?!”
“Told my sister I had ‘important business’ to deal with, to get out of The Gala. So I ended up crashing here last night.” Luna shrugged, as if she had been caught stealing leftovers, rather than breaking and entering. “I teleported in maybe five minutes before you two came in.”
“And you didn’t say anything?!”
“You seemed preoccupied. I didn’t want to intrude, so I just ducked down and slept on your couch.” Luna looked past Raven and shot a smirk at Garrus, who seemed to be taking the situation a lot better than Raven. “Good work, Griffon. Based on how much noise you two made last night, maybe I was a little too quick to judge you. If you still want to buy me that drink…”
“Sorry, Moonshine,” said Garrus with a shrug. “I think I’m committed for now.”
“I am mortified,” croaked Raven.
“Yeah, and I’m starving. I heard we were doing brunch,” said Luna, using her magic to return her guac to Raven’s fridge. “Where we eating?”
Raven knew that intimate encounters with close friends typically ended in regret, but this wasn’t what she had come to expect at all.
“Forget coffee. I need a Bloody Mary,” sighed Raven. “Come on, put your Moonshine on. Let’s go eat.”
“And that’s everything for today, your majesty.”
Princess Celestia nodded her understanding, watching as Raven checked the last item off on her list and carefully furled the parchment into a roll. A short, simple day of work today, made all the easier by Raven’s expertise and professionalism. It was good seeing Raven in a good mood, as far as the princess could see. She seemed quite content ever since The Gala a few weeks ago, and while Celestia certainly had theories as to why, she kept such conjecture to herself.
“Another day, come and gone,” said Princess Celestia with a smille. Raven nodded her agreement, as she stuffed her scroll into her saddlebag. “Thank you, my dear, you were excellent today. As you always are, of course.”
“Thank you, your highness. That means a lot to me.” Raven paused a beat, before stepping closer to her princess. “Princess Celestia? Could we perhaps have a chat?”
“But of course, my dear. Is there something wrong?”
“Not counting two years as a lawyer, this is the only real job I’ve ever had. Your advisor. That’s what I am, that’s what I always was, and that’s what I’ll always be,” said Raven. “And, if I may say so, I’m good at my job. Very good.”
“That, my dear, is putting it mildly,” said Celestia with a nod. “You’re the greatest Advisor I’ve ever had.”
“Since I was a kid, when I was in college, even that little stint as a lawyer, I knew this was where I’d end up. It’s the Inkwell’s destiny to serve as Royal Advisor, and I’m eternally grateful for every kindness you’ve ever extended to me during my career.” None of this was necessarily easy for Raven to say, but she soldiered forth regardless. “Whatever I needed, if my mother couldn’t provide, you would make sure I got my hooves on it somehow. When my mother wasn’t well, you made sure I was taken care of. When my parents split, you checked in on me. You, the sole ruler of a sovereign nation, took the time out of your day to ensure that a little filly didn’t go to bed crying, and that kindness was never lost on me.”
“It was nothing, Raven. No trouble at all. And, respectfully, I don’t think you did all of this just to extol any previous acts of kindness.” Celestia leveled her gaze at Raven and, with a knowing smile, nodded. “Go on, Raven. What’s eating at you?”
“It’s the Inkwell’s destiny to serve as Royal Advisor,” said Raven again. “And, respectfully… After all these years, I think I’ve done my part for that destiny. I think it’s time that I stop worrying so much about the Inkwell’s destiny and start worrying about Raven’s destiny. I thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and I wish you nothing but the best, but… This is my resignation.”
Raven had expected any number of reactions from Princess Celestia. A warm, kind, loving smile was not among those expectations.
“I’m glad you’re doing something for yourself, my dear. Though you will be missed, I support your decision,” said Celestia with a smile. “I’m happy for you.”
“Oh. I… I was sort of expecting you to try and convince me to stay.”
“Perhaps your resignation speech is confirmation bias, but it seems you weren’t terribly happy in my employ. I want you to be happy. And if you think that you’ll be happier elsewhere, I will do everything I can to help you get there. Harpy can take over your duties until we find a full-time replacement, but I see no reason to contest your desire to move on,” Celestia chuckled, narrowing her gaze a bit. “Or did you want me to talk you out of it? Perhaps some cold hooves?”
“No, no, I’ve made my mind up. It’s just… I’m not used to this,” admitted Raven. “Going against what's expected of me. Making a decision that I don’t have to justify.”
“You’ve always had good judgement, Raven. I trust that you’ll do great things. Though, I admit, I am a bit curious… What shall you do, if not act as my Advisor?”
Raven reached into her saddlebag and approached the princess in her throne. From the depths of the bag, Raven withdrew a stack of papers, neatly bound together by a spiral. She handed over the papers to Celestia, who looked it over with a bemused smirk.
“A play?” said Celestia quizzically.
“Musical, to be more specific. The story portion, I finished a while ago. Now, I’m going to do some traveling, study music a bit, and turn it into a musical,” explained Raven. “It's a big change, but this… This is what I’ve always wanted to do. This is what I’ve always been too scared to do. This is me.”
“And when it’s ready, I shall be the first in line to see it,” said Celestia with a smirk. She flipped through the manuscript, very clearly impressed. More than just that, there was pride in Celestia’s eyes. “Hm… It’s a romance?”
“I’m saying romantic-dramedy. A lonely office worker has a midlife crisis, quits her job with her best friend, and tries to live her life as the adventure she always wanted it to be.” Raven chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s a little cheesy, I know, but there’s a lot of passion behind it. A lot of 'Raven Inkwell' on the page. I think it’ll really resonate because of that.”
“I don’t doubt it for a second. I know how you feel about this sort of thing, but if you need anything at all to make your project a success…”
“I’ll write you a letter immediately, your highness. Thank you, again,” said Raven. She turned and waved, strutting purposefully to the exit. “If you’ll forgive me, I have to go. I have a flight in the morning, and I still need to get ready.”
“Of course. You will be missed, my dear, but I wish you all the best." Celestia watched as Raven departed before her unbound curiosity took hold of her. "Raven, wait!” Raven paused, looking up at her princess, her former boss, and matched the alicorn’s smile. “I just have to know. Your musical. Do you have a working title?”
Raven laughed, continuing on her way out of the throne room, before calling out over her shoulder.
“I’m thinking I’ll call it Nothing Without Me.”
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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To be fair, she was doing both.
A most unexpected update, and a very welcome one. Wonderful way to close out one of the best office comedies on the site, though that summary hardly does this story justice. Thank you for it.
11661629
Thanks for reading, and putting up with my heaps and heaps of bullshit
I saw your blogpost and realized I should finally take a look at this. I have just proceeded to tear through it. Hence not commenting on a per chapter basis, I was too excited to read the next chapter to pause and comment ^^;
Congrats on finishing, it's a great read. Raven is wonderful in your hands.
11661694
Thanks a ton. Raven is a character that more people should write about, in my opinion. She's far too interesting to remain as overlooked as she is.
Glad you enjoyed
11661725
You're welcome and you're absolutely right n_n
amazing story I loved it when it started, I loved it when it ended and I'm gonna love it forever . chillbook thank you for this thank you for all your fics all your dedication and hard work thank you for every great fic you wrote and every great fic you might just thank you
11661832
also, if anybody want to there's a group for this now
chillbook1s nothing without me - Fimfiction
Terribly sad to see we won't have any more updates, but at the same time what a satisfying ending! Incredible story, thank you for the work you put into it
11661962
For what it's worth, the chapters I didn't get to were ultimately inconsequential. No narrative altering elements like Harpy or Birch, just silly stuff like Garrus dragging Luna and Raven along for a D&D session (Luna gets way too into it), and maybe another chapter with Raven and Spike.
If I have any regrets, it's that I didn't spend more time foreshadowing Raven's feelings for Garrus. It could've been more eloquently introduced, but what can you do?
If you, or anyone reading this, feels inspired by the world and characters I've built, then you're more than welcome to take a crack at a NWM of your own. All I'm charging is a shout out in the description
I CAN ONLY LIKE THIS ONCE! WHY CAN'T I LIKE IT MORE?!
This is lovely! I'm so happy for Raven!
I am so glad that this story got a happy ending. I now get to put it in the completed classics.
If it ever has physical copy, I would like to own it. I will probably re-read it sometime though, which is something I very hardly ever do.
11662674
I wasn't always sure where this story would end, but I feel like after all that Raven, and myself personally, have gone through... At least one of us deserves a happy ending. So I made sure at least one of us did
Thanks a lot for this story.
media.tenor.com/images/2ff0b869cfaba0a54bceed73cda5e08f/tenor.gif
Bravo.
Another epic fic reaches its end.
Well done, dear author.
Dude, this is real?!
A new chapter, an ending, consure, finality!!
Well, this cured the week of depression I have been having.
11665164
Thanks for never forgetting about this story, or me.
Keep your head up, friend. If I can make it, so can you.
11665739
Hard to forget something I liked so much.
Thank you, I'll try. Fortune on your future endeavours.
Thank you for this lovely ending, was a great wrap up to this great universe you built!
Loved loved loved this. What a fantastic ending to a fantastic story.
Finally sat down ro read this over again, since the last updated had a year plus gap.
Man, what a fantastic story. The father aspect had me moved, especially with my own father's passing less than 2 months ago. Bravo on this fic, definitely going down as one of my top fave stories.
Everypony realizes the musical is a success when a certain cheesy party pony parodies the title song "Nothing Without Me".
"Nothing Without Cheese" indeed.
Bittersweet feeling, reading this chapter. You have made me laugh my ass off more than once during this story, so I am most likely going to go back to the beginning and reread it again.
Thank you for this great story
Well, I said I'd reread it and I have. Still good. Only wish we had more Luna at the end complaing about losing her drinking buddies!
That was amazing there aren't many raven inkwell fanfics and this one was definitely one of the best I have read