Crystals Return

After his morning with Twilight, and some delightful breakfast with Applejack, Branded decided he should probably find some sort of part-time employment. He has no idea what he's good at though, nothing seems to "spark" in his mind. It doesn't hep that he doesn't have a cutie mark. In fact, it has just dawned on him how unbecoming it is to not have one at his age. He gets an unusual feeling as though his flank wasn't always so blank and bare, he has had a cutie mark before he thought. Whatever it was, and for whatever reason, it's gone now and there's nothing he can do about it.

But what sane buissness owner would hire a pony without a cutie mark? Well whoever it would be, he hopes he can find them. He starts his quest in the market area where he meets a cream colored pony with a rose cutie mark selling flowers.

Branded anxiously approaches the counter.

"Uhhh...excuse me ma'am." He lets out with a quick gust of air.

"Yes?" The mare responds nonchalantly.

"I was wondering if you were looking for new employee's, you see I am new in town an-"

"We're not hiring at the moment sweetie, I'm sorry." She interrupts with her back turned, tending flowers.

"Oh well that's fine, thankyou for your time." Branded replies with low breath.

The mare turns around to pick up some seeds, that's when she notices Branded. She analyzes him up and down and soon goes into a gaze. This is only broken by the sight of his baffled eyes returning a stare. But not a stare of attraction, a stare of confusion.

"Excuse me ma'am, are you alright?" He breaks the silence.

"Ohh yeah..I-I'm fine, just stood up to quickly I guess heh-heh" She stutters out.

"Well okay, I'll be seeying ya." Branded says as he begins to walk off.

"Wait! If you're looking for work, there's a mare looking for animal care takers on the outskirts of town, I doubt she has any requirements, and I hear she pays generously." She informs.

"Well thanks, I'll be sure to check it out." Branded responds with a smile.

"No problem at all dear, do come back though!" She waves him off.

What an interesting mare Branded thought. Anyways, his first priority is to get to that lodge on the edge of town. The rose mare pointed him toward the west, near that forest he saw earlier in his trek. That forest, he thought, had a lot of weird aura going about it. Whenever he had passed it days before, it was as though it were calling, no, pulling him in. Maybe this could give him a means to investigate it. It could help him figure out who he is, or it could get him killed. At this point, which one is worth is debated.

As he nears the center of town, he fails to see any lodge, nor anything pony made at all. Well let's take that back, he does see the end of the east field of Sweet Apple Acres in the distant hills, but that's beside the point. What he does see however, is a small cottage. He can hear a very serine voice coming from it, it almost sounds like somepony singing a lullaby to a filly. The closer he gets, the more distinct it becomes. It's definitely a mare singing, but to whom? She sounds rather young to have a foal of her own, the answer lies behind the door that he is about to knock on.

*knock knock knock*

A sudden bang is heard from the inside, almost as though something had been dropped. He then hears the fast,light, trotting of a pony coming to greet him. The door nudges just enough for him to see the light blue eyes of a mare greet him.

"Yes?" She lets out in a hushed voice.

"I heard you were looking for a work horse?" Branded let out.

"Oh uhm...yes, I need somepony to help me during the weekdays, just give me a moment to get the little ones in bed." She shyly responded.

Trotting and a quick lullaby are heard before she comes back to the door.

"Okay...you can come in if you like, it's a little chilly outside..." She said still in a hushed voice.

"Well okay, we can get my affairs in order and get hours set up I suppose." Branded replies as he trots in.

What he's greeted with catches him off guard a bit. There is a fully grown manticore sleeping in an over-sized dog bed in her living room. He has a face of fear when he hears a distinguished "shhh" from his left side.

"Don't wake him please, he is resting from an injury." She says whilst petting the beast.

"Ohh uhh..alright...so...uhh....you're an animal care taker I take it?" He replies trying to ignore the 2 ton monster beside him.

"Yes, but it's not a burden or anything, I love taking care of little critters. So you're looking for a job?" She responds a little more comfortably than earlier.

"Yes ma'am, I'm able bodied, and have all the time in the world to work." He replies.

"Well I won't need to much help, just on Friday's and Saturdays when I go shopping or visit my friends, and even then you will just have to feed the chickens." She says before sipping some tea.

"Well I can do that just fine, as long as I don't have to tend to the manticore's and what not." He begins to trail.

"Oh don't worry, I wouldn't let anypony try to mend them, without the right coordination that pony could be seriously injured." She let's out with a terrified look on her face.

"Well, looks like you have found a new employee. Thankyou for your time." He lets out with a smile.

"The pleasure was all mine, also, may I ask what your name is?" She questions.

"Branded. Branded Steel." He answers.

"Hmm, what an interesting name. You can address me as Fluttershy if you like." She says just before sipping some more tea.

"Well alright Ms.Fluttershy, I'll be seeing you tomorrow when I come in to help." He says.

"Okay, bye, and do be careful, it's getting dark and we're close enough to the Everfree forest for danger." She infers.

"Okay, I'll be safe, seeya later." He responds happily whilst walking out the door.

It really is getting dark, and the forest is a quick sprint away. The lure to it is radiating brightly. What is calling him? What lies ahead? Fluttershy says she got the manticore from the forest, so that must be where the beasts live. Better to not go there until he knows he can be safe about it. It's best to just head back to the barn for rest. Maybe if he's lucky, Applejack will be waiting for him on the haystack. The nights with her are the only ones he really gets any rest. What wonders await for him in the future? Only time will tell.