A Jeweler in the Rough, A Legends of Equestria Story (Working Title)

Book 01: Rediscovery and Rebirth

Chapter 02: Finding One’s Way

Band packs for her new life in the hotel room she has known for the last few days, the city stretching out from her window, a glimpse of the future she has and the endless paths it encompasses. Arriving at Pen’s store the unicorn excitedly escorts her to her room, an electric air about him as his long past sister returns to his life.

“Bathroom is over there, complete with installed dry tile. My room is after that, second on the right, past the bathroom, my study is across the hall from my room and as you can see yours is across from the bathroom. For the Sister’s sake please lock the door, it’s not as big as the one in the House and I would rather not see everything as they say.” Pen instructs.

The soft blue Pegasus rolls her eyes and sighs, “Pen, brother, I love you but I am a grown mare, not your oh-so little sister anymore.”

“You’ll always be my little sister” he begins but seeing the sharp glare of said sister changes his tone, “but I get what you are saying and I will respect your new maturity.”

Band gives a look that says, ‘I shall let it pass this time.’

“Thaaaaat being said, I will say do not go into the basement without me there, it is important that you understand this rule, my…..more valuable books are down there which are protected by several magical traps and spells,” Pen says measuring his words carefully.

“Anything else?” she asks, rolling her eyes.

“Well, if you want to help in the bookstore you can, everything is well filed and precise……” Pen starts.

“Because you were the foal who organized their building blocks by type and color,” Band smarms.

“Yes, I am organized, but to the point, it should be easy for you to help, if you wish that is,” he finishes.

“Would give me something to do since I can’t…well…go home……” Band says her voice petering out.

“Want some dinner, now that you are fully moved in and have everything unpacked I think we need a good dinner,” Pen says, trying to change the subject.

“Sure,” she says forcing a small smile.

Pen gets dressed in his usual in town attire of a simple white suit with striking red tie and returns to his waiting dinner companion. The historian leads the way through the big city until cutting down a few alleyways, ending their jaunt at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a hoofwritten sign that reads Stiff Noodles. “Here we are, my favorite place to sit down and have a good meal,” Pen smiles opening the door for his dear sister.

“Thank you, Pen,” Band says with a small curtsey as she enters.

A jolly and chubby Earth Pony emerges at the sound of the shop bell, his coat sharing the color of unbleached pasta topped with curly, almost afro-like black hair, eyes golden like wheat light up at the sight of the historian. “Pen! Is good to see you, come, come, sit! Oh, and with nice mare too!” he beams, an unblemished joy in his thickly accented words.

“Hey Stiff, how you doing?” Pen asks.

“Am good, am good. Say who is nice beauty you bring?” he asks.

“Stiff Noodles, my sister Platinum Band, Band this is my friend and best Neightalian cook in the city,” Pen introduces each to the other with a grand smile.

“Best!? Pen, to kind you are! And Signorina, nice to meet some of Pen family, not too much he talk them, so good to see,” Stiff says merrily.

“Good to be seen, Mr. Noodles,” Band smiles as Pen pulls out a seat for her.

“Mr. Noodles was Papa, please, call Stiff,” he says as he waits for his customers to be seated. Pen seated his sister and then himself as Stiff began again. “Now I know what Pen wants, does Signorina need menu or chef choice?”

Band thinks a moment and looks to Stiff, “Since Pen likes and trusts this place I will too, give me chef choice,” she smiles.

“As you wish, Signorina,” he says looking at the mare, pondering her a moment before he smiles and nods, “Yes, I haves it.” With that, he places breadsticks, two wine glasses, and a small bottle of a simple Sauvignon Blanc in ice, and then goes to the kitchen.

“Nice place, Pen, how did you ever find a hole-in-the-wall place like this?” Band asks.

“Have you been around the city?” Pen counters with a question of his own.

“Yeah,” she nods having a breadstick.

“Seen the Grand Library?” he quires as he pours the wine.

“Of course, it’s famous and huge. I actually thought about simply waiting there for you.” She smiles.

“Now make a mental map, between the Grand Library and my bookstore where does this place lie?” he remarks, letting his sister think.

“About halfway if you are using shortcuts I’d guess, ah I see, you eat here after finding it when your stomach grumbled at you when you’ve missed meals,” she grins.

“Exactly, and so a tradition was born, I stop every Ironsday when I do my double checking on research,” he nods taking a breadstick of his own.

For the next hooffull of minutes, they talk once more. How Band was an early bloomer on everything from walking and speaking to earning a cutie mark as young as five years old. While Pen saw her potential Band began remembering how she was restricted at every turn, from flying to even speaking at times. The brother tried to remind her of the good times, the small things he did for her to earn smiles from the filly, how when nopony looked he held her and cuddled her, giving the young one comfort as best a colt can.

After a few turns of tears and peaceful smiles, the food comes out, the smell hitting them far before the food ever reaches them, Stiff pushing the cart himself.

“Stiff, don’t you have anypony to help you?” Band asks a little worried.

“No, is only I, is okay make enough to keep place going, no need more hooves,” he smiles as the cart reaches the table. “Now for Pen, usual of zucchini noodles with Alfredo sauce and heavy garlic and double spices, and for the Signorina whole wheat hoof-folded noodles with carrots, red onions, in a light garlic white sauce.”

As Stiff sets the plates down Band gives a sniff, smiles, and says “My, this smells amazing.”

“Grazie, recipe been in family ages. Now, eat, enjoy, make the happy,” the chef sets the meal and tableware with reverence and practiced grace. “Now Band, Signorina, has Pen tell you what he do, so nice for me?”

“Stiiiiffff,” Pen bemoans a bit.

“No, he hasn’t, please go on,” Band smiles, eagerly wanting to hear more of what her brother has been up to.

“One day, he come in, near Father Day was. This one, he notice I sad, he ask why. I say Father’s Day but no place to give thanks to Papa, he die in Second Changeling war when was small, so Mama do raising tell me many things about Papa, and what I do remember of him is all the good. So Pen, he gets look, like much the thinking going on. He come by everyday for week, asking all I know of Papa and what Mama tell me. A month later the Solar Guard come, they say Papa remains were found, they were getting proper burial with honors, and that Pen was one who help. I ask him next time he in, how he find. Pen smiles, says his secret, and says he happy that I happy.”

“That sounds like something he would do,” the mare smiles warmly at her sibling.

“Band, not you too,” the historian groans as he hides his blush by taking a keen interest in his food.

“Yes, me too. I can take pride in the good you’ve done after all,” she hums kindly.

“Yes, I did help Stiff find his father’s remains and in the process, closure. But Stiff is a friend and I would do quite a lot for friends and…. you,” for a moment the unspoken word of family hung in the air as Band picked up on the small detail but decided not to press it, yet that is.

“Pen is good stallion, very nice, very honorable, any mare lucky to have,” Stiff smiles, looking more like a proud uncle than a simple friend.

“I do agree he is. That being said, Pen, is there a Mrs. Platinum Pen in the works?”, Band asks kindly.

The historian swallows hard and sighs, “I have had a few dates, some more……intimate than others, but no, nopony lasting.”

“sorry,” Band says softly.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. I am an…interesting stallion to deal with to say the least. I am wary to ask, but what of you? Surely a mare of your beauty has had suitors beat down her door,” he smiles, hopefully cheering up his sister.

“Me? No, not so much. Probably like you I spent too much on my craft and not on my social life. I’ve…never even dated,” the Pegasus sighs, a bit forlorn, looking back on her days in school and wondering if she made some error.

“Hey, no worries, if you want I can be your date for a while,” Pen says trying to cheer up Band.

Meanwhile, the jeweler blushed softly as her heart raced a bit. "A date, like a date-date? With me?" “I think I might like that, Pen,” she smiles.

“My pleasure,” Pen returns, not seeing the faint coy smile upon his dinner guest’s lips. “You know I always order the same thing to help to recover energy and help with heart health. But now I have an excuse to stir things up, with you helping and me treating you to dinners, I can try more of the menu. Although I will say Stiff’s suggestions are usually spot on.”

“I do appreciate the offer of a job, Pen. But I must make my own way as well, I shall be looking out for various jobs in the city where I can ply my jeweler’s craft,” Band states, gently but firmly, once again showing her brother that independent fire he knew so well.

“You want my help finding such a place at least?” Pen asks.

“I suppose, since you know the city,” she nods.

“Good, I will make time later in the week. I have appointments for book readings and possible purchases,” the unicorn notes.

“Appointments to read and buy books?” Band says a little confused.

“Yes Band, some of them are rare and quite valuable and in some cases the only copy in existence.” Pen says firmly, his voice filled a deep passion.

“My, you talk about books the way I talk about gems,” she smiles.

“What can I say, each of us Platinums have a craft, one we are passionate about,” he counters.

“But you’re selling not making,” Band says, a little confused.

“I have written books Band, true mainly of the historical nature, but I have written them, and one I’m working on is a bit…unique,” Pen huffs lightly.

“Unique how?” she asks, her curiosity stoked.

“I will show you in time, it is both my magnum opus and my life’s work all in one,” he smiles as if daydreaming.

“Peeeeennn,” Band whines in the old way she used to to get what she wanted from her bookish brother.

“In. Time.” Pen says firmly, pressing a hidden importance to his words.

“Okay, fine,” She huffs

“Now I have a suggestion for your job, but first we need to get you a permit for Artisan work in Cantermore. I know the Crystal Kingdom is a little more lax in letting Artisans ply their craft but sadly here in Cantermore it is regulated,” he notes, getting to the end of his meal.

“Very well,” the mare nods, concentrating on her own meal.

Before long, the pair has devoured the well-prepared food and head out, the first real steps on Platinum Band’s new life in Cantermore, a new life and hopefully a renewed family.