Odds and Ends and Even Trades

by Random_User

Things Gained and a Pony Lost

Chapter 2: Things Gained and Ponies Lost

---

It took a bit for me to convince Quill that nothing had occurred between Trade and me. Trade did not help the process. She would add little remarks that would set me back two steps, as I managed to advance three.

She finally bailed me out by stating, “I promise that the sanctity of your bed is intact. He just helped me with some of my troubles last night, platonically.”

I made breakfast, and they discussed her previous business. From what I overheard, it was a much more involved undertaking that what I had pictured. Magical herbs, out of print tomes, magical artifacts, and dozens of other things seemed to have been part her inventory.

Her sigh blew the steam off of her coffee. “I miss it. It was what I loved. I got out of bed looking forward to seeing what kind of deal I could make.”

Quill’s eyes lit up. “Ponyville has all sorts of businesses and ponies that you could work with. You could start again here.”

“I know you’re trying to help, but it’s not possible that I can revive my business like it was. There just aren’t enough suppliers of the types of goods I need here.”

He got a mischievous look. “Really, you think so? Well then, I won’t tell you about the zebra herbalist that lives in the Everfree forest. I won’t tell you about Rarity, the fashion designer and gem coinsure. I won’t tell you about Twilight Sparkle, who collects rare magical books for her studies. I also won’t tell you…”

She all but drug Quill over the table as she grabbed him, and pulled him close. She looked straight into his eyes and commanded, “You will tell me about these ponies, you will tell me where to find them, and you will do so quickly.”

“Trade, put my brother back where he belongs. He and I both would be more than happy to help you, after breakfast. Right now, I need him off the table so I can set it.”

She winced at what she had done. “Sorry about being so rough, but the very idea of getting back in business so quickly is too exciting.”

“It’s alright.” He slid off the table, back to his seat. “Dear Luna, you’re strong.”

“Years of maretial arts will do that.”

“Hey, Bookend and I have a maretial arts lesson today. Would you like to come too?”

Had I not already had the plate I was carrying over the table, I would have dropped it on the floor.

*****

The three of us met up at the dojo that evening. I needed some exercise, Quill was eager to see what Trade could do, and Trade wanted to let off some steam. We each got what we wanted, but not with equal satisfaction.

After the lesson, I staggered back into the house. I slowly, gingerly, and painfully unwound my scarf from my neck. I then, just as slowly, peeled off my jacket.

Quill was in worse shape. He was not as sturdy as an earth pony, being a pegasus, and he all but collapsed as he came in.

He groaned from the couch, “I got beat by a mare. No, I was trounced by a mare. If it had been Applejack, that would be one thing. How I am I going to get into the Lunar Guard if I get beat by a skinny, little mare?”

Trade patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve been taking lessons about as long as you have been alive. You did just fine. I could teach you a lot. Oh, and thanks for the compliment. I do try to watch my figure.”

He grunted in response.

“You’ve improved, Bookend. I was worried a desk job might make you soft.”

Not raising his head from the couch arm, Quill piped up, “No chance of that, he typically exercises about an hour a day. He calls it stress relief.”

“Well, that hasn’t changed at all. I can’t remember any time he would sit still, unless he was reading or working on something.”

I ignored their jabs. “Speaking of stress, I got the forms you will need to start up a business. They’re on the table.” As she looked them over I asked, “Did you see any places that you liked today?”

“Two actually, but I was only able to get hold of one of the owners. I found out the owner of the other place was off having a dispute with that Land Grab character. Evidently, Land Grab made a couple of errors in the listing that the owner was not too happy about.”

Quill snorted and said, “No surprise there. He is always trying to rip ponies off or messing things up.”

“You’re the second pony to tell me that. Wait a moment, I don’t like this.” She pointed to a clause in the application and asked, “Why in Equestria do I need a Ponyville resident to sign for me? And they have to be a partner for six months?”

I looked at the page she showed me. “Ah, yes. There was a pair of brothers that tried to con the Apples out of their farm not too long ago. The whole mess nearly wiped out cider season. Cider season is very important to the town, so ponies knee-jerked and added that requirement to the application. It’s just a way to see if anyone in town will put their name down for you.”

She flipped the page back, and looked down towards the end. “I noticed you took the time to fill your own name and address on that particular part.”

“It’s just a formality; there are no teeth to it whatsoever.”

She gave me a concerned look. “You realize this means that you are exposed to any liability that I may have for that six month period, right?”

“I have never seen you mess up a deal, or do anything remotely shady. I am perfectly comfortable with this.”

Quill sarcastically remarked, “You mean you’re perfectly comfortable with her. You two even shared my bed.”

Trade grinned, and nodded to Quill. “You’re learning! Look, you made him blush.”

“I’m not going to live that down, am I?”

“Not for a long time, bro,” Quill said.

*****

The week went by quickly. Trade found a place, near the market, that she liked. It had a similar setup to her shop in Manehattan, with an apartment over the store. She put in an offer and began the waiting game.

Not too long after breakfast, there was a knock at the door. Quill got up from his homework, and opened the door.

“Hello, Quill. Is the new pony here?”

My ears shot up in alarm. I could hear her, even from my room, it was Pinkie Pie.

“Yes, she’s here. She’s in the kitchen.”

“Here, take this. It’s for you.” Pinkie handed Quill an invitation.

Pinkie bounced in, and headed for the kitchen. I had just stepped out of my room and could not intercept her.

She looked over the papers that Trade was going through. “Hello! What c’ya working on?”

“I’m looking over the local business listings. I’m trying to see if there are any contacts I can make, before I start up my shop.”

“Ooo, you’re a business pony! That’s neat. There are a lot of businesses around here. Sofas and Quills, Bon Bon’s Sweet Treats, Rarity’s Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, and…”

Trade smiled, and gently interrupted, “I know, but I have to find out if they have the types of goods I need.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing I came along. Your auntie Pinkie Pie is going to help.”

Trade looked over at me in confusion, and I just shrugged. There was no way I could even begin to explain Pinkie Pie.

“I’m here to invite you to your welcome to Ponyville party.” She handed Trade an invitation, and hopped around Trade and the table.

“It’s going to be great! There will be cake and music and dancing and pin the tail on the pony and most of Ponyville will be there! You can meet all kinds of business ponies there, and I’ll help you meet every single one.”

“Thank you Pinkie, but putting on the party is going to be hard enough. Bookend can help me with meeting ponies.”

Pinkie noticed my arrival and handed me my invitation. Pinkie paused, and looked around. “She’s staying with you, right?”

I nodded.

“Where does she sleep?”

I did not like where this was going. “She sleeps in my room.”

“Oh, you’re friends like Doodle and Matilda?”

I managed to stammer out, “No, I sleep in Quill’s bed.”

She turned her head towards Quill. “Then where does he sleep?”

Quill spoke up, “I sleep outside.”

Pinkie whipped her head back around to me. “You meanie, you threw your own brother out in the snow for your special somepony?!”

“I sleep on a cloud, Pinkie. I like it out there.” Quill spread his wings. “I’m built for it. I come in when it’s scheduled to snow at night, and Bookend takes the couch.”

Trade chuckled, “Why does everyone assume I’m his filly friend?”

Pinkie turned back to Trade. “Well, he is really nice to you. He likes you, and you like him. You are friends, and live in the same house. If you were special someponies with Quill, it would be weird, since he is so much younger. If you were special someponies with both of them it would just be kinky.”

For the first time in a long while, Trade was completely flabbergasted.

I face-hoofed myself and said, “Pinkie! Surely you have other invitations to deliver?”

“Oh that’s right! I’ve got to get going! See you tomorrow!”

She seemed to vanish out the door, and it shut behind her without having been touched. Trade’s papers were blown across the table, and onto the floor, by the resulting gust of air.

Quill laughed. “That’s Pinkie for you. I can’t tell if she is a genius or just crazy.”

I sighed in relief, at her absence. “There is a fine line between inspiration and madness. She bounds back and forth between them so fast it’s impossible to tell which side she is on.”

Trade shuffled her papers back into stacks, and started to pick up the errant pages off the floor. I offered a hoof, but she waved me off. “You don’t like her much do you?”

“It’s not that at all. She is a gifted baker, and a wonderful pony. It’s just that our personalities are so different. I like peace and quiet, and Pinkie would have an unplanned block party just for the fun of it.”

Quill gave his own version of my explanation, “She likes to party, and he is a stick in the mud. They don’t mix.”

I turned to him and mock smiled. “Thank you for putting it so bluntly, Quill.”

His return grin was genuine. “You’re quite welcome.”

Trade grinned at our antics. “Well, you will have to put up with her a little tomorrow night. Pinkie is right; this will be a wonderful opportunity to get to know the ponies in the area. Who knows, I might be able to get this thing off the ground after all.”

*****

The party was held at Applejack’s barn. It was one of the few places, besides town hall, that could accommodate a good number of ponies in Ponyville. Pinkie had decorated, baked enough sweets to feed both the royal and lunar guards, and even provided the music.

Trade dived into the party. She mingled, talked shop, and danced in turn. Some of the pressure that she had been carrying dropped off her, and she seemed more like her old self. I was more of a wallflower, but still enjoyed the evening.

I headed back to get some more punch, when a filly bumped into my legs. I looked down, and found it was Dinky.

She looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to levitate the cookies, like Twilight showed me, and I…” Her face fell as she looked at the broken pair of cookies. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.

Being able to levitate two objects, at her age, was an accomplishment.

I could not help but smile at her. “Don’t worry about it; I’ll get you another couple of cookies. Just don’t eat too many.”

“I won’t. One of them is for Mist.”

I got another pair of cookies for Dinky, and held them out. “I hate that I missed your levitation magic. Let me see you do it.”

She concentrated for a moment, her magical aura appeared, and then the cookies slowly left my hoof.

“That’s great! Most unicorns your age do well just to pick something up, much less levitate two things and move around with them.”

Dinky smiled, but her concentration on her task kept her from saying anything.

I looked around, and saw Quill and Mist sitting at a nearby table. Morning Mist and I had only met a couple of times. Her yellow coat and green mane made her easy to spot in the crowd. I was not surprised to see Quill talking with her. He talked about Mist often when we discussed what was going on with his classes.

“I’ll lead the way. You just make sure those cookies get there safely.”

Dinky nodded, and followed me. I directed the flow of ponies around us a couple of times, allowing Dinky to complete the trip with the cookies intact.

Dinky and I joined Quill and Mist.

“Thanks Dinky.” Mist took the cookie from Dinky’s magical field. “Twilight’s lessons have really been helping you. If you keep this up, you may pass her one day.”

Dinky grinned at the praise.

I wondered where Derpy and Turner where in the crowd. “Where are your mom and dad? I haven’t seen them since you guys came over for dinner.”

“Mom and dad are at home. Mom has another morning route tomorrow; she needed to get some sleep.”

Mist explained, “I’m foal sitting for them so they could ‘relax’ this evening.”

“Ah, got it.”

Dinky looked back and forth between us, thankfully not getting the undertones of the conversation.

Quill changed the conversation’s direction, before any awkward questions started. “Somepony has an announcement to make.”

Mist tried to hush him. “Quill, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

“You don’t have to stand on a table and shout it. Just tell Bookend.”

Mist sighed in happy resignation. “Alright, I got accepted into the weather team assistantship program.”

I shook her hoof. “Well done! Those spots are hard to come by.”

Quill enthusiastically voiced his opinion, “She is the best in our class at early morning weather. They would be crazy not to have her with them.”

Mist blushed. “Thanks, Quill.”

Quill rubbed his neck, and blushed as well.

Trade took that opportunity to sneak up behind Quill. She threw her forelegs around his neck. Quill’s blushed deepened, and Trade put her chin on top of his head. She grinned at Mist, and squeezed Quill a little. “I thought he only got embarrassed around me. Looks like I have some competition.”

I tried to wave Trade off, but she continued: “He is a wonderful colt. Did you know he has been helping me get my new business going? He has even given up his bed to help me.”

Quill looked up to say something to her, and she kissed him right between his ears. His wings unfurled, brushing past her sides as they extended.

Trade laughed, as she fell off of him. “That’s not fair. That tickles.”

Mist gave Quill a look that a cockatrice would have been proud of. Quill started to try to explain, when Dinky came to the rescue.

Dinky stomped in front of Trade, and let loose. “Don’t kiss Quill! Mist has been trying to get him to ask her out for weeks! You can’t just take him!”

Mist’s blush matched Quill's in intensity.

Trade smiled and then quickly covered her mouth. She composed herself, and apologized, “I’m sorry. I did not know that he was spoken for.”

Dinky pointed to Mist. “She is the one that you should say that you are sorry to.”

“You’re right. Mist, I’m sorry for kissing your coltfriend. Let me make it up to you.”

Trade walked over, and whispered in Mist’s ear. Mist’s blush suddenly returned.

Trade gave Mist a knowing look. “I promise it works, try it.”

“I think I will wait a while before I put that to use, thank you.”

“You’re young, enjoy it. Besides, both Quill and his brother are fun to tease.”

I lifted my hooves in a warding gesture. “Leave me out of this.”

Trade smiled. “Just wait till you find some mare that you like, you won’t have a moment’s peace.”

Mist started to ask Trade something, when Applejack’s voice, assisted by a megaphone, cut across the party noise. “I hate to have to break up this shindig, but I’ve got apple bucking in the morning, and ya’ll have work tomorrow too. Thanks for coming, and welcome to Ponyville Even Trade!”

There was a round of applause for Trade, and she bowed. “Thank you for the warm reception; it has been an evening I will never forget.”

*****

As we headed back into Ponyville, our little group started to break up. We all said our goodnights, and Mist and Dinky started down another path back towards Derpy and Turner’s.

Quill asked, “Do you mind if I walked Dinky and Mist home?”

“I assume you’re planning a walk to Dinky’s, then a nice flight all the way to Cloudsdale with Mist?”

Quill nodded. “Yeah, I would like to talk with her for a bit. Looks like I’ve missed a few signs.”

“Get going, and good luck.”

He nodded, and then galloped off to catch up with Dinky and Mist. His hoof prints mingled with theirs as he went, and the image struck me. I wondered how long it would be before he started out on his own path, leaving me to travel mine alone. I watched the falling snow slowly fill up the hoof prints, while pondering that question.

My moment of thought was broken by Trade.

“I hope it goes well for him. If I had known that Mist liked him, I would have not have harassed him like that.”

“What did you tell Mist, anyway? She looked so shocked.”

“Well, I did a little damage control first. I told her that Quill was safe from me; since I would much rather ruffle her feathers. Then, I gave her the hint that Quill likes mares freshly out of the shower.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Trade, that’s horrible!”

She grinned. “Well, I like to help a mare out when I can.”

“I meant flirting with Mist; she is almost half your age!”

Trade snorted, her breath misted in the air. “It was nothing serious, and she knew it.” She paused for a moment, giving me a concerned look. “I saw you zone out for a moment. What’s got you thinking that hard?”

“Quill’s growing up. Before too long, he will be gone. It’s going to be strange, being alone again.”

“He can take care of himself; you’re the one I’m worried about.”

“What do you mean?”

“You work too hard, and never take time for yourself.”

I started to say something, but she would have none of it.

She held up her hoof. “Don’t start, I know you. You’re idea of fun is exercising, and then curling up with a book. If you’re feeling wild, you might have a cup of coffee too. You need more than that.”

I ducked my head. “I know. It’s just been so crazy lately with the move. I haven’t taken the time to get out much.”

“You haven’t gotten out at all. I’ve talked to Quill, and he told me you have not been out without him since you moved here. He’s concerned about you too. He wants to see you happy and not so isolated.”

“I plan to get out more, before too much longer.”

“That won’t cut it. You can’t keep planning for the future all the time, you’ll run out. Live in the moment more. I thought all those Neighponesse books you read stress that.”

I smiled a small, sad smile. “Reading it is one thing, living it is something else.”

“Then it’s time to start practicing.” She kicked some snow in my direction, and challenged, “Catch me if you can.” She bolted off at a full gallop, her strides muffled by the snow.

I shook as much of the snow off me that I could, grinned, and gave pursuit.

*****]

Quill coming back into the house woke me. With me being on the couch, it was impossible for him to come back in without me knowing.

I raised my head and asked, “How did it go?”

He brushed the snow from his hooves. “They both got home just fine.” His tone was not what I was expecting.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m confused.”

I guffawed. “Mares will do that to you, trust me.”

He shook his head. “No, I meant about what I want to do. Mist and I talked, and I really like her. I just never thought about having her as a marefriend before. It seems almost crazy that I didn’t. Now, I’m just lost. I thought I wanted to join the Lunar Guard, but she makes me think about what I would be missing during that time.”

I sat up. “Are you worried that she won’t wait for you?”

He walked over, and then sat down in front of me. “That’s part of it, but there are other things too. Like the times here in Ponyville. Hearths Warming, Winter Wrap Up, Hearts and Hooves Day, I’d miss them all. I could join the weather team without any trouble. I even got selected for storm duty when I applied for my assistantship for the summer.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to say anything until I made up my mind. I’m worried it might get in the way of my training for the guard. Now that I ‘ve been thinking, I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”

I joined him on the floor. He did not say anything. He stared into the dying fire, as his thoughts took him far away.

I let him think for a little while, and then I lightly punched him on the shoulder. “You could have talked to me about it, if it was bothering you. You’ve trusted me before.”

“I know, but you can’t keep helping me with my problems for the rest of my life. I appreciate it, but I have to grow up.”

I gave him a proud smile. “Sounds to me you already have. You’re planning ahead, and having to make some real weighty decisions. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Thanks. Right now I just want some sleep; school’s going to be rough enough without getting any rest.”

He walked on to his room, and I lay back down on the couch. My last thought, before going to sleep, was that everypony in the house seemed to be grappling with their futures.

*****

Trade’s offer on the store was accepted. Considering it was three weeks from Hearth’s Warming, the process went quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

We helped her move in to her new place, and she immediately began to order goods for her new business. A few of her old suppliers came through for her. Between them and the new connections that she had in Ponyville, she began to get stock quickly.

A couple of days later, Quill and I were helping Trade get the shop ready. Quill unpacked items and took inventory with her, while I wrestled with putting up display shelves. Even with blinds to the shop were pulled, there came somepony knocked on the shop’s door.

I looked from the shelf that I was trying to reattach to the wall. “Who could that be? I thought I put the ‘opening soon’ sign in the front window.”

Trade bounced, in a way that reminded me of Pinkie, all the way to the door. “I don’t care! At least somepony is already interested in my store. I don’t even have a name for the place yet, and ponies are knocking to get in.”

She opened the door, and let out a delighted whoop when she saw who it was. She leapt out the door, tackling somepony to the ground, sending snow flying everywhere. “Derpy, I have not seen you in ages!”

Derpy smiled up at Trade. “I haven’t gotten that enthusiastic of a greeting in a long time, and that was from my husband.”

As she stood over Derpy, Trade addressed the other two ponies that had come with her, “Hello Dinky, and Mist too.”

Dinky smiled at Trade’s antics. “You can let mom up now; she’s not going to run off.”

Trade helped Derpy up, dusted her off, and then invited everypony inside.

Mist immediately gravitated towards Quill. Dinky began looking at the few items were out, studying them with an intensity that was beyond youthful curiosity. Derpy and Trade stood near one of the open crates, and talked about how things were progressing.

I finished securing the shelf, and headed over to Derpy and Trade. “Everything is going pretty well. Besides one shipment that got delayed, everything seems to be getting here on time. Trade is right on schedule to open about a week before Hearth’s Warming.”

Trade flinched. “Please don’t say that too loudly. After all the trouble that I’ve had, I would rather not jinx it.”

There was a flash of light, and a wave of magic pulsed through the air. Almost at the same time, there was the sound of something metal hitting the wooden floor.

Quill suddenly lunged forward yelling, “Dinky!” His hooves met with empty air.

Mist’s wings went out in shock. She stammered out, “She can’t teleport yet, where did she go?!”

Trade rushed over, and almost stepped on what appeared to be a broach. She looked it over for a moment, after picking it up, and her eyes went wide. “I needed you to tell me exactly what happened. I mean literally word for word and motion by motion.”

Quill nodded and said, “I was unpacking the crate, while talking to Dinky and Mist. I asked if Dinky was ready for Hearths Warming, and she said that she still needed to get something for Derpy and Turner.”

Mist added, “I suggested that I could bring her here sometime, so that she could get them something later.”

Quill continued, “She seemed enthusiastic, so I said she could help me unpack things. We would treat it like a sneak peak, so she could get some ideas. I said something about it being like looking for lost treasure in an old castle, or going through a dragon’s hoard. Dinky said that she would love do something like that. Then there was that flash, and she just disappeared.”

Trade gave him a no nonsense look. “How did this,” she held the brooch up, “get out of the box.”

“Dinky was levitating it.”

Trade paled. “Not good. Not good at all.” She sat down suddenly, as if her hind legs had lost their strength. “This brooch is calmed the Wandering Heart. It teleports a pony towards their desire when activated with magic. Dinky could be anywhere in a twenty mile radius, depending on what she was thinking.”

The implications of that caused everyone to pause.

Mist spoke first, “Horse apples. That means that she is either in the princesses’ old castle…”

Derpy finished Mist’s thought, “Or in a dragon’s lair.” She said it rather calmly, for a mother whose foal had just vanished. Her voice still told that she had to fight the impulse to rush to find her daughter.

Trade spoke up, “Well, I can tell you this. The brooch is limited in range, and it only teleports a pony if their destination is safe.”

Quill asked, “How is an ancient castle safe, much less a dragon’s lair?”

I thought for a moment. “Well, dragons don’t eat ponies, so she is probably safer with the dragon than being in the old castle. The dragon wouldn’t let the creatures of the Everfree Forest into its cave, so she even has an odd sort of protection there. The old castle is not all that accessible either, so it should be pretty safe from any creatures. I would still go there first, just in case.”

“Stay here everypony, I’ll be right back.” Trade went up to her apartment, and came back down with a pair of saddle bags. Trade filled the bags with bits, gems, and a few magical artifacts. “I may have to make a deal with the dragon to get Dinky back, so it helps to be prepared. You three have wings; you need to get to the old castle as fast as you can, in case Dinky was sent there. I’ll head to the dragon’s lair, and see what I can do. We’ll all meet up back here.”

Mist asked, “Why don’t we just use the brooch and go to Dinky?”

Trade shook her head. “It has to charge its power again. You have to leave it in the sun for five days before it can be used. The thing really isn’t all that useful, but there are some collectors that would pay quite a few bits for it.”

Quill volunteered to lead the way to the old castle, and the winged ponies were out the door, and gone, before I could wish them good luck.

Trade walked out the door, and I followed. I pulled the door shut, and asked her for the keys so I could lock up.

“You’re not coming with me.” The look she gave me showed her determination, and made it clear that she would book no disagreements.

I still announced, “You’re not leaving me here.”

The next thing I knew, my hooves were in the air. The snow cushioned the impact, but it still knocked the wind out of me.

She leaned over me. “Don’t make me really hurt you. I don’t need foolish heroics out of you, or any chivalrous aspirations. I have already put four other ponies’ lives at risk; I’m not adding yours to that list.”

I gasped just enough air to state, “You’re wrong.”

“I’m right. This is my business, and my inventory caused this. I have put my best friends’ lives on the line. I don’t care what it costs me, but I will not make somepony else pay for my mistake.”

I was still trying to get my air back. I wheezed, “Not your fault. (Gasp.) Accident, she just wanted to help.”

“That doesn’t matter; I still have to fix this.”

I finally got my air back. “I agree, but there are a couple of things that you’re not thinking about.”

She looked unconvinced. “Alright, what am I forgetting?”

“The first thing is business related. I’m your partner, so this problem is also my problem. The second thing is something a little more practical. You have no idea where the dragon’s lair is, and I do.”

She helped me back to my hooves and dusted the snow off me. Her eyes filled with tears. “Sorry, I’m just terrified that somepony might-”

I hugged her, stopping her before she could complete that sentence. “You said it yourself, the brooch does not work if somepony would be hurt, so Dinky’s safe. Quill, Mist, and Derpy are grown ponies and can handle themselves in a rundown castle. I’m more worried about us getting to the dragon’s lair. We can’t fly away from danger, like they can.”

I let her go, and she locked the shop’s door. Without another word, we started towards the Everfree Forest.