From behind the curtain

“Hey Truth” some grey pegasus says, as she walks into my cubical. “The boss wants to see you.”
“Alright. I’ll be right there. Are you new here?”
“Yes, my names is Grey Mare Trotter. Pretty much just an errand mare right now trying to get my hoof in the door here.” she says with a smile.

Throwing all of the papers into the out box, I calm myself down and prepare to talk to the boss. If was something small, he’d just stop by my door and say whatever he had to say. Going to see him in his office I wonder what it is this time. I really don’t want to go see him. I didn’t turn in any real big story that they truly hated, in fact now that I think about it my pile was smaller than normal. I knock oon the door and wait.
*
“Come in.” I hear and open the door to see the back of Mr. Breaker’s chair facing me “Sit down Truth”
‘Never a good sign… means get comfortable and ready for this… or this will be a while. Be calm, respectful, just get through this one hoof at a time’ I thought. Shutting the door and awkwardly sitting in the chair. I can never understand how these fancy looking chairs just feel so bad. It could be one of those things just to show their power over you. You know, sitting in an uncomfortable lower chair, while the better pony sits in an obviously taller more comfortable chair; staring at you across a vast expanse of beautiful solid cherry desk; degrees, diplomas and pictures of the pony with dignitaries and famous ponies.
“So… do you know why I called you here?”
“I have no idea Mr. Breaker. Grey Mare”
“No, I didn’t tell anypony anything, but can you think of why I’d call you in.”
“No”

Making some noises of some sort of thinking going on in his head, he shuffled through some papers. He still was facing away from me just dragging this out. He took the stack of papers and placed them into a folder. He finally turned his chair making a couple squeaks. He looked me in the eye… these eyes weren’t of anger or frustration, more of concern or disappointment.
“Truth, where do you see yourself in five, ten or even fifteen years? Because I can honestly say without a doubt you won’t be here, if you keep turning articles like this in.” he says.
Mr. Breaker throws the folder onto the coffee table in front of me. Some of the papers slid out showing the headers for the ‘Parasprite Attacks Destroys…, Celestia’s Latest Pranks Wounds 27…, Timber…, Tartarus…, and a few more’. I know that I personally investigated each one of those seeing and hearing witness testimony, physical evidence, damages to property, and a few times saw it with my own eyes. I knew all of them factual… I took them and put a little piece of myself into each of those articles. I just sit and stare at the impressive girth of the folder.
“I saw great potential in you, when you first came here. I know you do your work and then some. I see the pride you have in it. You just need to”
“Be more like Articulate Author?” I bitterly cut in.
“You know what?! Yes! Be more like him. I was just going to say write it happier; find nicer events to report on; take a look at how you wrote pieces that didn’t get kicked right back to you. Because the way you’ve been, with that,” he says, pointing at the folder, “isn’t working. Not only are you wasting your time but other people’s time. It’s a waste of a lot of time and therefore a waste of money. You are effetely causing this company to lose money.”
“But” I start, feeling the pressure from him, causing me to falter.
“No. I understand where you are coming from, I truly do.” he interjects and pulls out a fancy cloth bound clipboard. He throws it precisely on top of the folder, “The numbers don’t lie, bad news sells poorly.”

I glance at the paper, believing that he has no reason to lie about this. I just don’t know how to respond right now. It’s probably best to just burn some time and collect myself. Mr. Breaker lets out a sigh and starts rummaging through his desk
“Listen here’s a bag of bits, a notepad, a camera, and pencils. Grab that saddle bag; walk out my door, leaving it open as I watch you trot merrily out the front door. I don’t want to see you until you come back with some story that you know for sure will get printed on the front page.”
“F-f-f-front page!?!”
“Front page” he responds seriously. “GO!”

Fumbling with the items he set out on the desk throwing them into the saddle bags, I hastily try to fulfill his orders. “Now!”

“Front Page… front page… where or what around here is possibly front page worthy?” I mumble as I walk away from the building. “Front page article in one day? Closest I’ve been to that is maybe page six when I did the obituaries… maybe if somepony important dies... nah It’d certainly have to Celestia herself and Celestia knows that I wouldn’t be the one to cover that.”
‘I’m so fired’ I thought. ‘I know he didn’t come right out and say it, though he pretty much laid out with where you see yourself? Not here thing’

Trotting here and there asking everypony I know if there’s anything going on. All my leads are empty. I got some new about some found pets, which had been missing; new shops; new lines of clothes for next season; upcoming talent contest… nothing strong; I know there are some sports going on but I don’t want to butt into Sportster’s thing. Plus it’d be way too much work for me since I barely know the rules or the ponies involved, to even make a decent article. Defeated, I trot around aimlessly. I can’t stop by the office right now and I got to find something more interesting. Maybe I got something to write about at home. I start heading that way looking for anything new or activity … nothing. Joe’s Donut shop, I could start working on making these stories better. Get another coffee. Yeah coffee sounds good about now.
“Hey ST. What ya doing this isn’t your normal time?”
“Gotta get a coffee and find an even better story if that’s even possible.”
“I could give ya a story if you buy twenty-one donuts… but you’d save a bit by just ordering 2 dozen… not to mention three more donuts you know.”
“What in Equestria are you talking about?”
“Well, I didn’t want to tell anypony, but I’m twenty-one donuts away from selling my millionth donut. But you needing a story; you being a friend and possibly having some free advertisement… I guess I couldn’t keep it to myself.” Joe smiles at me.
“I don’t know if that’d be a great story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that you kept track and offered it to me but … I need bigger.”
“You get any other stories yet?” Joe asks.

I look down at the pad. Notes from all those other stories littered about the pages. They’re garbage. I don’t think Articulate could make anything out of these notes.
“I’ll take two dozen random donuts and a coffee…” I say, and look into the small bag of bits I was given “put it on my tab”
“Your tab? You know I don’t do tabs… Just make sure the article gets in the paper and we’re even.”
“Thanks Joe.”

He grabs two boxes and fills them up. Gets the coffee just the way I like it. He stops and thinks.
“Are you going to take a picture ST?”
“I could, I got a company camera in my bag here” I say as I pull it out.
“Alright hold on” Joe says as he gallops into the back room.

I hear some grunts boxes being moved and or thrown a brief bit of silence now I hear him coming back. He places the box on the counter I got these a couple weeks ago.” He says pulling some banners out, extending them to show ‘Over a million sold’ “I was just going to put them in the windows ad below that menu, we could one them in the shot right?”
“Yeah. It’d be great”
I trot away from the counter and grab the sign with my magic. I line it up below the menu like he was saying and adjust it to where I think it would look best in the picture. Joe secures the edges of the sign for me and I drop my magic from it. I levitate the camera in front of me and “lock” it in place. Essential it won’t move from where it’s levitating until dispel. Outstanding spell when you don’t have a camera pony.
“Alright move to your left a bit… good. Now hold your hoof up like your passing me my order to your left… little higher. There! Hold it.”

I gallop over and complete the scene of accepting Joe’s millionth donut. I snap a few shots.
“What was that?”
“Hm? What Joe?”
“You’re taking photos for the newspaper and you don’t smile? Come on break out a big smile ST. If not for yourself then do it for me or the donuts. I’m trying to get more customers. Make it seem like Joe’s Donuts equals happy pony. And hay, no pony will think much of your story if it doesn’t have a happy picture to go with it”
“Sorry… I got caught up in the work part of this” I grinned.
“Smile bigger ST. Come on how often is your mug even in the paper? This is my first chance; make this look good, ok? ”
“I’ve never had my photo in the paper” I nervously grin*squee*
That noise I’ve heard it so many times… I can’t rightly figure out the source of the noise others can here it slightly but only if looking at the pony it comes from FOCUS! … job at stake almost done with picture. I snap off a few shots. And put the camera back into the bag. Joe tells me a history of the shop. He throws in some side stories; some important ponies that have come through here; his favorite part of working with donuts. I feverously fill the pad up trying to keep up..Once done I thank him and go over to a booth and pull out a couple new sheets. After a few rough drafts get the article perfect. Joe reads it over and loves it, pretty sure he’s just excited about potentially being in the paper and getting that free product placement in there.

I thank him again and leave with the donuts it’s a little after lunch, as I trot around on the prowl for anything else. I ate two of those great donuts while I was working on that through the lunch time, just got to off load theses somewhere. I spot my office up ahead.