{"id":16392,"date":"2020-09-30T12:34:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T17:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=16392"},"modified":"2023-01-19T10:34:58","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T16:34:58","slug":"chapter-1-change-in-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2020\/09\/30\/chapter-1-change-in-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1: Change in Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

A grizzled, shaggy Sasquatch sat hunched over his workbench. It was a rare quiet afternoon in Tiny\u2019s clinic deep in the Dark Forest. He and his assistant had taken advantage of the free time to do some cleaning and organization, and various other putzy activities. They were enjoying a companionable silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny was ostensibly crushing some berries with his mortar and pestle, but his thoughts were far away. Across the cavern, a pink unicorn with flaming red hair was engaged in combing a hodag, a great green spiked beast, who was laid out comfortably at her side with his head resting in her lap. She sat human-style, the way ponies of this continent did, bent up at the waist with back legs folded under her body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny\u2019s equine apprentice had come a long way from the flaky, chaotic individual he had been tasked with training three years ago. Her high energy level–which, left unchecked, sent her flitting from one thing to another–had been focused, and her natural quality of inquisitiveness had flourished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Tiny had begun her training in magic healing, he had not held out much hope that she would amount to anything useful, but she had surprised him. There was only so much, however, that she could learn under his tutelage. He himself relied on talismans, whereas she had magic flowing in her very veins. Now it was time for the next stage of her training, but he found himself reluctant to cut her loose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally he lifted his head and addressed her. \u201cTabby\u2026\u201d he started to say, fishing in his mind for the words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d The unicorn looked up expectantly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI need you to, uh\u2026\u201d The Bigfoot scratched his head.\u00a0 \u201c…before you leave today\u2026 get a count on how many magic injections are left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did that already. There\u2019s a note on your desk.\u201d Tabby paused to eye a particularly plump insect plucked from the hodag. \u201cOoh, that\u2019s a big one.\u201d The beast rumbled appreciatively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Of course,\u201d Tiny said. An awkward pause followed as he continued to look at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs there anything else?\u201d Tabby finally prompted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny cleared his throat. \u201cThere is… something,\u201d he hedged.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs it the complaint from the jellicle,\u201d Tabby said indignantly, her pitch rising, \u201cbecause that whole incident was <\/span>completely overblown<\/span><\/i> and–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not that, although you <\/span>do<\/span><\/i> need to write that apology letter to the chief–\u201d Tiny sighed. It was no use getting side-tracked. \u201cBut that\u2019s not the point. Tabby, the time has come for you to consider your future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I don\u2019t like planning ahead,\u201d Tabby said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may be flippant if you like, but you know as well as I do that my resources are limited. There is only so much you can learn as my student\u2026 particularly considering my unlicensed state.\u201d Tiny paused. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be hiding in the shadows and operating short of the law.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t care about <\/span>that<\/span><\/i>,\u201d Tabby scoffed. \u201cThose sanctions are garbage, and who\u2019s going to turn us in? We provide necessary services to the forest-dwellers. I like what I\u2019m doing.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny stroked his graying beard thoughtfully. “You were made for great things, things that you don’t understand right now,\u201d he said slowly.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Do you have to be so mysterious about everything?” Tabby snapped, shifting out from under the hodag and rising to all-fours. She approached Tiny\u2019s workbench. \u201cWhat has got you on this kick?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t hide yourself away forever,\u201d Tiny continued. \u201cThere is a limit to what I can show you. Some things must be taught by your own kind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

“Ponies!” Tabby said scornfully, rising on her back legs and planting her forehooves resolutely on the bench in front of her mentor. “<\/span>That\u2019s<\/span><\/i> what this is about, socializing me? Look, I may not be good at small talk, but I am not a <\/span>complete<\/span><\/i> savage and can function in society. I just don\u2019t like to. And anyway,\u201d she said sternly, gesturing at the hodag, \u201cOthello doesn\u2019t like town life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOthello will cope,\u201d Tiny said dryly, observing that the beast was contently crunching on a small creature he had just captured. “Your neighbors are not so unfeeling as you believe, child.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Well, <\/span>you’ve<\/span><\/i> never told me that my doll collection is silly, or that my garden has too many teacup towers, or that I need a boyfriend, or–” Tabby was just picking up speed when Tiny cut her off.<\/span><\/p>\n

“And maybe that is the very reason you need this change,” he pointed out. “Your neighbors require medical services as much as anyone. The time is coming when\u2026 well…”<\/span><\/p>\n

“There is no grand destiny waiting for me!\u201d Tabby huffed. \u201cYou have some absurd notions. And anyway, who in the medical field would hire me? I haven’t been to med school, and no one\u2019s going to take the reference of a Sasquatch. You know how <\/span>they<\/span><\/i> are,\u201d she spat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny paused. “The new vet clinic in Misty Hollow is looking for an assistant,\u201d he said at long last.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Oh, great! And you think they have low standards and would hire me?” Tabby glared at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny held his hands out, palms up, in a gesture of helplessness. \u201cIt\u2019s just a… suggestion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t see that happening.\u201d Tabby\u2019s brow creased with skepticism. \u201cThey hired Strawberry as receptionist, and I don\u2019t think I\u2019m as good at… <\/span>veterinarying<\/span><\/i> as she is at… <\/span>receptioning<\/span><\/i>. I\u2019m sure there are plenty of qualified vet techs around. Why should they consider me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you should try,\u201d Tiny said firmly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby sighed. \u201cWell, I suppose Straw might at least get me in the door for an interview. That\u2019s what best friends are for, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember\u2026 whatever happens, your destiny is your own,\u201d Tiny said, staring her in the eye. \u201cYour decisions will always be of your own making.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure, whatever.\u201d Tabby rolled her eyes. \u201cWell, are we done here? I guess I\u2019d better go home and get to work on my resume.\u201d She grabbed a satchel off a hook on the wall and sauntered toward the cave entrance. \u201cCome on, Othello.\u201d The hodag bounded after her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t discount your abilities. The right ponies will recognize you for who you are,\u201d Tiny said quietly as she reached the cave entrance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, regardless, I\u2019ll be back for my shift tomorrow,\u201d Tabby retorted. \u201cYou\u2019re not getting rid of me that easily.\u201d Then she was gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiny sat in quiet contemplation. There were forces at work here far beyond Tabby\u2019s understanding, and Tiny regretted the role he had to play in directing her fate. It was his own poor decisions from many years ago that had put him in this position. The Bigfoot sighed, and prayed that his pupil would stand strong in the coming trials.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A grizzled, shaggy Sasquatch sat hunched over his workbench. It was a rare quiet afternoon in Tiny\u2019s clinic deep in the Dark Forest….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[1072,1073],"class_list":["post-16392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-tabby","tag-tiny"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16392"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31377,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16392\/revisions\/31377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}