BIG Business

by BottleH2O

Chapter 6- Garnering attention

“Awww! I love you little guys too!” Sturdy Step said happily as she looked down at something being held in her magical grasp. Far down below an entire town rested on a chunk of earth Sturdy Step had effortlessly torn out of the ground like it was soft sand, hundreds of speck seized ponies below were cheering for her, after she had arrived and done another one of her meet and greets. Giggling cheerfully, Sturdy lowered the town back onto the ground gently, setting it perfectly back into the hole she had torn it out of like it was a puzzle piece.

With another quick flash of magic from her horn, the damage and cracks around the town and inside the town was magically fixed thanks to the insanely powerful magical boost Sturdy Step had received as an extra benefit from her new size. Sturdy Step stood back up, now at her full height, looming over the town, her massive shadow completely covering it, “Bye little guys! Hope you had a great time seeing big ol’ me!” Sturdy said, as she turned around and began to walk off across the landscape.

All around her, the world trembled and shook with each one of her steps, powerful THOOMS reverberated through the air as she walked, entire towns and cities were jostled from the simple act of the colossal boxer walking. Ponies on the ground looked up in awe as the mountainous mare passed by, effortlessly stepping over little towns and the even littler inhabitants.

“Today has been so wonderful,” Sturdy sighed contently to herself as she continued her kingdom wide trek, not really having a particular destination in mind, this had been her first quiet moment all day “I got to see so many fans, visit out of the way towns my ridiculous manager wouldn’t have let me set hoof it before, and I even got to give everypony that humongous hug I wanted to this morning. Today really was something special, I’m so happy all the little ones got to see the 100% genuine Sturdy Step love for her fans and got to go home with smiles on their faces,” smiling to herself at the recollection of the hundreds of tiny ponies happy to see such a (literally) big star really made her day. Truly there was nothing that could ruin her bliss and this moment

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Sturdy blinked at the sudden noise and came to a stop, looking around her. All around her was the bare landscape with a few mountains in the distance. “Ummm, is there somepony here?” Sturdy asked out loud looking around herself. With nothing around her she did feel a little foolish for asking but it still couldn’t have hurt to try. “Did I imagine that noise?” Sturdy wondered “I must be getting tired from all the meet and greets I did today. Look at me, I’m hearing voices now,”

She was about to start walking again when she heard:

Squeaky Squeak!

Sturdy’s ears shot up. She was positive she heard something just now! It almost sounded like a mouse squeak. “I heard that!” Sturdy exclaimed, looking around her again, and then lifting up her legs to make sure it was clear “Um, where are you?” She asked, “I don’t see you,” Sturdy was treated to another round of squeaking before she finally pinpointed the noise: it was coming from behind her. With a victorious grin she turned around, expecting to see the mystery pony, only to once again reveal nothing. “Hey what gives? I know I heard you behind me?” Sturdy said indignantly, only to hear the squeaks again from behind her.

“That’s weird, why do I keep hearing that noise behind me? It’s almost as if it’s stuck to my-” Sturdy cut off her train of thought as her eyes widened. The truth began to crash down on her. Lighting up her horn again, a cloud of magic began to brush against her tail, around it and inside it, before long, it zeroed in on something. Sturdy concentrated for a second and very gently, brought her magic to her face. There, in her magical grasp, was the diminutive form of an extremely tiny pony, a young colt.

Sturdy gasped in shock as she beheld her find, the little colt looking up at the colossal mare’s face above him, sheepishly waving at her.

“Oh my goodness! How did you get there little guy?” Sturdy asked in shock.

“I…um…got stuck here when your tail fell on me miss,” the tiny colt squeaked out

Sturdy blinked again, now that she thought about it, she had felt a little irritation in her tail most of the day but she kept writing it off because she thought it was nothing, now however…

“Uh, little guy, how long exactly have you been there?” Sturdy asked, a pit starting to form in her stomach

“W…when you visited Oakenville this morning Ms. Sturdy Step,” said the colt

“Oh crumbs,” Sturdy mentally sighed.

---

The side of a nearby mountain shuddered and cracked as the huge frame of Sturdy Step braced back against it, reclining back, and put her hooves up onto a few tiny hills, completely smooshing them into the ground. Getting her bearings again she silently watched as the little colt floated, in her magic still, by her head. With a small snort she levitated him over to her and very gently dropped him onto her chest where she could easily look down at him while she was laying back.

“So, um, what’s your name kiddo?” Sturdy asked awkwardly

“I’m Thimble Turner Ms. Sturdy Step!” the colt squeaked happily, gazing up into her colossal eyes

Sturdy chuckled at his enthusiasm “Nice to meet you Thimble,” she said with a smile, before it slowly faded “Hey, look, I’m really sorry about what happened back there kiddo, I had no idea you were stuck in my tail, all day no less, still that really isn’t an excuse for not being more careful watching out for you tiny, little guys, right?”

“It’s ok Ms. Sturdy Step!” Thimble called up to her “it was a little scary at first because of all the shaking, but it was alright because I was with you! You’re awesome and there’s no way I could have gotten hurt with you around!”

Sturdy cocked her head to the side in confusion, that certainly wasn’t the answer she was expecting, but then again, the colt was still pretty young.

…wait

“Hey Thimble, how old are you exactly?” Sturdy asked, concern starting to grow in her chest

“I’m nine years old!” Thimble answered excitedly, blissfully unaware of the growing horror engulfing the gargantuan mare

“And you said you’ve been stuck in my tail all day? As in, from the very first town I went to, Oakenville?”

“Uh-huh,”

“Your parents must be worried sick! If you’ve been with me all day than they would have had no idea what happened to you! Come on, I’m taking you back home right now kiddo,” Sturdy said, as she made to get up.

“Wait! Do we have to go right now? Please! I finally got to talk to you after all this time!” Thimble pleaded to the giant, giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes, he could muster.

Sturdy paused, conflicted. On one hoof, she had every intention of bringing this colt back home, but on the other hoof, he had been trapped in her huge tail strands for the better part of a day trying to get her attention. And if he had gotten caught there that meant that he had been trying to see her at the meetup, meaning he was one of her fans. A fan that she, sadly, had accidently overlooked.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” she thought hesitantly “a little while longer shouldn’t be a problem, and besides, I do kinda owe him that much for putting the poor thing through all that,”

“All right Thimble, we can wait a bit,” Sturdy said with a small smile, settling back down against the mountain.

“Yay!” Thimble cheered ecstatically, burying himself into Sturdy’s chest fluff as he tried (and adorably failed) to hug her. Sturdy couldn’t keep the genuine smile off her face as she watched the little one’s happiness. She raised one of her mammoth sized hooves and very gently, patted him on the head, Sturdy giggled musically as she watched Thimble bop up and down from her soft hoof.

“So why did ya come to the meetup Thimble? First time seeing a big and powerful giant like Moi?” Sturdy teasingly asked, ceasing her pats.

“Well, actually, I really wanted to meet you.” Thimble said, his voice taking on a shy tone as he averted his eyes, staring down

“Oh? I guess you must know me by my stellar reputation well then? Hope it was a good stellar reputation,” Sturdy joked “Though sometimes my agent would beg to differ.”

“Are you kidding? You’re the best! You’re my favorite boxer in all of major league boxing! I’ve seen all you’re matches and got posters and even shirts!” Thimble exclaimed, a tiny passion for his favorite sport beginning to sparkle inside him as he looked back up into Sturdy’s eyes with delight.

“Oh ho! A super fan huh? So how many of my matches did you go see in pony? Let me guess, 4 or 5? Maybe 6?” Sturdy asked with a grin. A grin that faded just as quickly as she noticed the glum look on Thimble’s face as he turned away from her again “Hey, what’s the matter Kiddo? You good down there?”

Thimble glanced back at Sturdy sadly “Yeah…it’s just that…I never got a chance to go see one of your matches Ms. Sturdy Step. I really wanted too but I just never had time.” He said.

Sturdy Step blinked “But, you’re nine. How could you not have time?” she asked.

“My family makes hats for a living, and to ensure that we have the best quality we grow our own cotton in our fields so we can harvest it ourselves and use to make the hats. My parents are teaching me how to sow hats too, so that alongside the fieldwork, getting supplies from the store, and schoolwork I barely have time for myself anymore. I can only hear about your matches from the radio or in Daddy’s morning newspapers.” Thimble explained.

“But what about your friends? Surly you have time to spend with them, right?”

“I don’t really have any friends,” Thimble said sadly “I only stay at the schoolhouse long enough to get my work done before I have to leave and help my parents. They constantly get commissions from ponies in Canterlot so they need all the help they can get,”

Sturdy’s ears drooped as she listened to the young colt, all her life she had trained to be the best and reaped the rewards for her hard work, this colt was clearly trying to do the same but had so much on his plate he was practically drowning in his own responsibilities. He didn’t even have any close friends to spend time with. Sturdy wished there was something she could do to help.

But as she thought about this, her mind flashed back to a speech Princess Celestia had given some time ago when her sister Luna had returned. About how Equestria was founded on the basis of friendship and how now, even today, everypony needs a friend in their life. All it takes is one brave pony to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Sturdy sat up a bit, with a new goal in mind, to be the one brave pony that will make a difference in another’s life.

“Well look no further Thimble, because I will gladly be your first friend,” Sturdy announced.

Thimble Turner’s ears shot up and his eyes went wide “R-r-really? You want to be friends with me?” he asked hopefully, before the same sadness began to settle in again “but, I’m just a nopony. You’re famous. Why would you want to spend time with somepony like me?”

In response to that, Sturdy Step wordlessly enveloped Thimble in her magic as she sat back up off the mountain, and lowered Thimble to the ground slowly by her hooves.

Thimble landed on his rump with a plop and a tiny oof! As he shook his head clear, his eyes widened as it downed on him where he was now, with a small gulp, he slowly trained his eyes skyward and beheld the gargantuan form of the titanic boxer looming high above him, Sturdy looking down at his diminutive form in between her hooves with narrowed eyes.

“Listen here Thimble,” Sturdy rumbled “It doesn’t matter that you haven’t seen any of my matches in pony or that you’ve led a busy life. Everypony needs a friend or somepony there to support them. But this will never be accomplished unless somepony is brave enough to make the first step, and I want to make that first step so I can be there for you. So will you accept my friendship?”

Sturdy watched as emotions began to flicker back into Thimble’s young face; first apprehension, then hope, and finally joy. Sturdy smiled as she watched Thimble began to bounce around below her happily chanting that Sturdy Step was his first friend.

She chuckled at the display and lowered herself to the ground, before giving the little colt a nuzzle “Ready for me to take you home now, new friend?” she asked.

“Ok!” Thimble replied happily, latching onto her nose and hugging it joyfully.

Sturdy laughed and magically lifted Thimble from her snout and deposited him safely into her mane, giving him a great view. “All abord the giant pony express, Destination: Oakenville!” She announced as she set back off across the landscape, earthquakes starting back up from every impact of her mighty hooves.

Up above, Thimble looked around in awe, clinging onto a cluster of strands from Sturdy’s mane. As an Earth pony, he never dreamed of ever being this high up, to see the entire beautiful kingdom was truly a spectacle to behold. But sadly, the ride came to an end, which was to be expected considering Sturdy was thousands of feet tall.

“Ok Thimble, which house it yours?” Sturdy asked, lifting Thimble from her mane and setting him down on her snoot. Thimble pointed towards the back end of town “That one right there! The one with the biggest field!”

Sturdy nodded and activated her magic again, levitating Thimble off her and down towards his home. Upon setting him down, she saw from her great height, Thimble’s parent’s burst out of the house and tackle him into a hug. They told him how worried they were for him when they saw the packages, he had gotten earlier left on their steps but he was nowhere in sight. It was here that Sturdy stepped in and explained the whole situation to them. About the meet and greet that morning, Thimble’s accident, and what had transpired afterwards. Thimble parents were understandably upset at first but as Sturdy went on, with Thimble providing backup to fill in any missing story gaps, they did thank her for getting their son back safety and expressed their gratitude to Sturdy for becoming Thimble’s first friend.

It was around this time Thimble’s parents brought him into the house for some food and rest, because all three of them were gonna have a long day in the fields tomorrow picking cotton for their next line of hats. Here, Sturdy intervened once again.

“Actually, would you mind if I leant a helping hoof you guys? I could pick all the cotton myself and give you little guys the day off tomorrow,” Sturdy offered

“That’s very generous of you dear, but there is quite a bit of cotton in the fields, are you sure you’re up to the task?” Asked Thimble’s mom.

“Of course! I can handle this no sweat!”

“Then that would be wonderful dear, we would really appreciate the extra help,”

“No problem, Mrs. Turner! Sturdy Step is on the job!”

“There is just one thing I have to inform you of before you start Sturdy, the cotton is very fragile, please try not to tear out any of the roots or else it can’t grow back,” said Mrs. Thimble

“No worries, Mrs. T, I can handle it just fine,” Sturdy said, levitating a stack of baskets towards her as she turned her attention towards the little fields, and carefully began to pick out the cotton bunches one at a time, to ensure there was no damage.

“This is gonna take a while,” Sturdy thought as she concentrated “I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to meet back up at Canterlot with the others by now. But honestly, I think this is more important. Forget about the capitol, the others can give the princesses their requests, I’m gonna be sticking right here to help out my little buddy!”

Author's Note:

Awww, Sturdy really does care! Looks like after the days events, Sturdy Step is left feeling fulfilled and decides to go back to Oakenville to help out everyone there.

Looks like she also took special interest in Thimble Turner, maybe this will come back into play later? Now, however, Sturdy has officially defected from the group of nobles, opting instead to help care for Thimble and his family.

---

Hi everyone, sorry for the EXTREAMLY long wait, classes started back up and I suddenly found myself swamped once again. But enough about me.

Next up is chapter 7, the finale: Executive decisions. All the remaining nobles will be converging on Canterlot and will finally be having some face time with the Princesses and the mane 6. How will this be resolved now?

Until then!

Comments

[Hereward]

The picture I got early on was that Sturdy was just along for the ride, but the events here seem to have given her a sense of purpose from her transformation.

[Nodqfan]

Good on Sturdy for helping Thimble and his family. One thing that confused me though is in Chapter 2 she said she was a boxer and here she says she's a wrestler. Can't wait for the final chapter.

[BottleH2O]

10997050
Thanks for noticing, the plan I had for her was that she would undergo some type of character growth and better herself, so I thought, what better way to do that than interacting with one of her young fans. She was initially a bit egocentric and was along for the ride, but her heart was in the right place because she did want to spend time with her fans instead of going along with Blueblood or the other two noble groups. She had potential for change and she went for it. Out of all the nobles, Sturdy was a definite favorite to write.

10997192
Happy you enjoyed! And thanks for catching my mistake, I'll go and correct it.

[BottleH2O]

FINAL CHAPTER UPDATE: This is going to be the longest chapter I have written yet so it's taking quite a bit, it's currently halfway done so I'll try to get it up as soon as possible