The Building of Nee Hill

by TeddyG

Atarashi

Making up her mind, she once again packed up her wagon and loaded her tool skirt and took to the open road. At the first crossroad she came to, whereas before she would look to avoid towns and communities, this time she turned toward them.

She approached the town of Atarashi from above, coming down from the Sea of Clouds with a grand view of the South Luna Ocean. More and more ponies appeared on the road as she grew closer. Most seemed to be in a hurry; yet, they remained surprisingly civil, saying hello, or good day, even as they rushed passed.

Although Atarashi was not a large town, it did have a town center and many beautiful buildings. They were all made with red brick. And not just plain bricks, but bricks cast in the form of faces and plants and animals, many of which had begun to crumble from the weather.

“What kind of thing is this?” asked a short grey pony with blue spots on her rump and a typewriter as a cutie mark. She had come up to Nee from behind.

At first, Nee was concerned but quickly realized she was referring to her tool skirt.

“Oh,” she said, with some relief. “I call it a tool skirt,” and then having nothing else to say added, “it holds my tools.”

“Never see anything like it. And these tools,” and then the grey pony seemed to sense she had gotten carried away. “Ki,” she introduced herself, “I’m Ki Kai. I run the local paper,” she said nodding at the building in the center of the town.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Nee Hill. I’m new, I’m not from around here. Just came in, walking, today. Walking.” She decided it would be best to stop talking.

“May I have a closer, look at this?” asked Ki, “putting her nose almost right up against some of the tools.

Nee understood, that she had been wearing the tool skirt this whole time, understood that no pony here knew she had no cutie marks, and understood that here was a member of the press who would like nothing more than an unusual story. Of all the ponies to reveal herself to, if she did it to her, there was no going back.

“Of course, you can,” Nee said with all the warmth and friendship she could muster, and with a flourish, whipped the skirt from her back and laid it out before Ki.

Ki was mesmerized by the contents of the tool skirt. She asked about each device and pocket. Nee made no attempt to hid the fact that she had no cutie mark, but Ki’s eyes never left the skirt. But Ki’s weren’t the only eyes in town and the scene of the tool skirt examination did not go unnoticed.

Ponies began to gather. Ponies began to talk. Ponies began to make Nee feel very uncomfortable. At last, one spoke directly to her.

“I’m sorry for my rudeness,” said a pony with a short blue tail at last, “but I was hoping to learn why you don’t have a cutie mark. You seem, old enough,” she clearly wasn’t trying to be rude but was clearly failing not to be. Even Ki now looked up and had taken notice.

“Strange,” Ki said.

“Yes,” said Nee politely, “I don’t have a cutie mark, but I am a builder.”

“How do you know that?” asked another pony.

“Maybe you have a greater hidden talent,” said another.

“No,” said Nee confidently. “I am a builder. I enjoy building.” Then, to ensure she could not go back added, “I had a cutie mark once. One with a hammer. It disappeared.”

“What?!” some pony cried out.

“Is such a thing possible?” said another.

“Is she sick?” said a third, and Nee took that to be her cue. She excused herself from Ki who now had out a glowing green quill and was madly writing, collected up her took skirt which she folded and put in the wagon so that, her lack of a cutie mark would not be hidden, and headed back to out of town to her home in the hills.

The town ponies didn’t follower her very far, maybe thinking better of it. The walk back gave her time to think through the whole scenario over and over. But it wasn’t like when she left Arrojar. She knew what she was, a builder; and if they didn’t see that, that was their problem. She arrived back at her home, the sweeping front welcomed her, the cypress and cedar calmed her and she felt okay and proud of who she was.

---

“Sweet Celestia!” shouted a voice waking Nee from a nap. “This is amazing.” It was Ki, the reporter had apparently followed her home and then invaded her private space.

“Come for a story about the pony who lost her cutie mark,” said Nee without as much sarcasm as she would have liked.

“Oh, of course,” said Ki without shame, “But this,” she said looking about Nee’s house, “This is the real story. Did you build this?”

“Yes,” said Nee with some confusion. “How is my house ‘the story.’”

“Our homes are regularly damaged in mudslides because we don’t build with the land like you do. All our homes are made of brick which crumbles and weakens with age, but you’ve built your roof will living bamboo! We need you,” Ki concluded.

“Well, I seem to have difficulty finding employment,” said Nee, “and I don’t think a positive press story is going to change any of that.”

“Employment? Don’t you worry about that--I’ll hire you.”

“I’m a builder, not a reporter.”

“Obviously. You’re not clever enough to be a reporter. But you are a fantastic builder. And I happen to also be the mayor, and I would like you to be on my civic planning team.”

“Even without a cutie mark?”

“I’m not offering you a job based on your looks. You have what we need.”

Nee said yes.

Comments

[PresentPerfect]

Ki Kai?

Got some weird names in this thing, but it wasn't too bad. :)

[TeddyG]

9785105
Many of the names have double meanings. Kikai 機会 is Japanese for "chance." Nee Hill is a homophone for nihil which is Latin for "nothing" (the disappearance of her cutie mark).

[PresentPerfect]

9793787
Nihil.

I was wondering why you named her that! Now I see. :D

[TeddyG]

It was probably precocious of me. Thank you for reading it and commenting!