New Moon (My Little Pony)

38 Second Conference (1/2)

Hawk and Raven shared a carriage together down the street of Manehattan. The neighborhood breathed the life of traffic, filled with moving creatures prolonging Hawk's trip back home. He had another meeting in a few hours and hated to waste another minute basking at random folks in his way.

Hawk had recently concluded an exquisite supper with a tradesmare from the far south of Equestria. She hoped to collaborate with his company to mass-produce unknown scriptures found within an undiscovered temple. For her to find an entire temple buried beneath an ocean of sand shocked Hawk. He allowed a tangent in the conversation for the tradesmare to enlighten him about her expedition.

Hawk commanded two distinct companies ranking among the top in ink manufacturing and popularity amongst publishing. A pony would rarely find a pen without a logo of Hawk's company marked on it. The majority of top-selling authors among Equestria would be marketed by his company. Hawk always held a keen eye for opportunities and his intuition has garnered him a thriving business he is confident would last for centuries to come.

The idea to publish long-forgotten text from a forgotten civilization was a gold mine waiting to be plundered. Hawk was aware of the mass number of ponies with a thirst for history and knowledge at Canterlot who would pounce on this tradesmare's findings.

However, he did not expect the tradesmare to be demanding of Hawk's presence.

Hawk was the CEO of two companies, each requiring numerous meetings and management that one stallion could not manage alone. He learned early in his career to delegate tasks to trusted employees in order to prioritize the most relevant to further bolster his success.

And yet somehow, he allowed this rural mare from the desert to arrange a dinner for them to meet.

Perhaps it was due to the mare's moxie. Never did he find a smudge of anxiety or weakness in her. She was honest about her proposal and held full confidence about its relevance to society. Hawk could not wholly agree why learning the culture of a long-forgotten tribe benefits ponies today, but she gave a promising presentation that intrigued him.

After their meeting concluded, he and Raven made their way back home. He had brought his daughter to show how business conversations would operate. Raven had scribbled a hefty number of notes in her book. He was curious to check what she learned.

Hawk was confident this would contribute to her ongoing goal to become a fine assistant to the princess. The reputation Raven would garner would expand Hawk's empire to greater heights. He imagined it would expand to neighboring lands and perhaps even beyond.

The Inkwell name would be etched across the world.

The future looked bright for the pair. And yet, he could not stifle a concern contorting his very soul. It chilled through his skin throughout the day like everlasting frostbites.

Why couldn't he rid himself of it?

Hawk looked to his sat where Raven sat. She continued to scribble in her notepad, likely reorganizing the information of Hawk's exchange with the tradesmare. However, he found it odd she hasn't asked him any questions.

It's not because she resents me, is it? Hawk shook the accursed thought away. He didn't want to think about that. He doesn't want to entertain the possibility of that.

It all started after he witnessed the scandalous bicker between Lazuli and Wind Rider. The event has haunted Hawk in his nights of sleep for days afterward. Throughout his day the question, the possibility, the dread continued the encroach upon him like a parasite. It instilled a thought in him that he never considered in his life. It was blasphemous for him to give it credibility.